thy God. For in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth; wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath-day, and hallowed it.' And Deut. vi. 4, 5, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. And thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart.' And if conformable to this, the word Jehovah had been used in the New Testament, where the word Lord is often used; this might have secured a proper distinction between the Lord our God; and our Lord or master, Christ. And Christ's words, Mat. xxii. 37, which he cited out of Deut. aforesaid, would run thus, Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart,' or as St. Mark hath it, Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah,' as it should have been expressed. Mark xii. 29.

If it should be objected, after such clear, strong, and invincible authorities, that St. John says of Christ, that all things were made by him,' and that the world was made by him :' John i. 3, 10. I

answer,

I. The words in the original are never used by the Seventy to express the creation of the material world, or the universe: the ordinary phrase used in all places to express that, is, the heavens, the earth, and sea,' &c. Acts xiv. 15. The living God who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things therein.'

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II. The preposition &', in the original, távra di' autê yévero, evidently shews, that in this passage, Christ, (or the word) is plainly represented, not as the author, but the instrumental cause in the subject of St. John's discourse; whereas in the work of the creation, God had no partners; for it is most expressly said, that he stretched out the heavens alone,' Isaiah xliv. 24. "I am the Lord who maketh all things-who spreadeth abroad the earth by myself. If God acted alone and by himself, there could be no co-efficients; none to co-operate with him.

III. And the same answer will fully serve to confute such who argue from St. Paul's words in the

Colossians, where he is speaking of the spiritual creation, as a body, or society, of which, Christ is the head; Col. 1. 15-20. and saith, all things were formed by him,' di aure; again, by him (Christ) God was pleased to reconcile all things to himself, (God) for it pleased God the Father, that in Christ all fulness should dwell,' ver. 19. Hence it is plain, that all things or characters in the passage ascribed to Christ are the effects of the good pleasure of God. Of whom, the same St. Paul saith expressly to us, 'there is but one God the Father, from whom are all things; and one master Jesus Christ, by whom,' di' & тà пávтα, are all things." 1 Cor. viii. 6.

IV. It is very observable, that in the two last noted passages, in 1 chap. of John's gospel, and Coloss. i. which texts are commonly understood as proofs of Christ's agency in the creation of the material world, or the universe, the style or phrase, is strong, and in full force against that notion: for the Tà Távтa di autê are referred to Christ, who was with God,' chap. i. 1, and was one by whom God delivered the gospel,' and one who declared the will of God; ver. 17, 18, and that the Father was his God: xx. 17, and the only true God:' xvii. 3, that all power which Christ had was given him ;' that he was able to do nothing from himself:' that the Father only shews Christ' what he the Father is doing that the Father who dwelt in him did the works:' v. 19, 20, xiv. 10, Matt. xxviii. 17, that he knew not the day of judgment, but the Father only: Mark xiii. 32 That such a person should be a creator of the world,' or one of the creators, as some speak! such opinions are monsters in scripture and in reason! For could a person of whom such things are said, and who himself declares such nescience and inability in himself, be, or be conceived to be, the almighty maker of heaven and earth,' i. e. the universe?

That God, the Father, is the original author of all beings and things,' is further strongly expressed in other terms in several texts. Rom. xi, 36, 1 Cor.

viii. 6, xi. 12, 2 Cor. v. 18. To us,' Christians 'there is one God the Father, from whom are all things.' Even all the benefits we have by Christ are owing to God. For God the Father is the original cause, and only author of the new spiritual creation,' and Jesus Christ only the instrumental and subordinate.

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In the Epistle to the Hebrews, St. Paul, speaking on another point, makes it a part of a well known character of God, and saith, for him are all things, and by him are all things.' Heb. ii. 10. And that God the Father alone is the original and only author and efficient cause of the new creation,' is demonstrated in my chapter of Christ's Mission; his being 'made Lord and Christ;' his doctrine, wherein he expressly declares that his gospel, his words, and the great end of his message to the world, was to beseech men to be reconciled to God.

Well therefore may we jointly offer up our praises with the twenty-four elders' in the Revelations to him who sitteth on the throne,' (that is, God the Father) in their words; Worthy art thou, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.' Rev. iv. 11. And St. Paul exhorteth, 1 Cor. i. 31, when he is speaking of the new creation,' which God effecteth by Jesus Christ: "Let him who glorieth, glory in the Lord (Jehovah);' that is, let him give or ascribe to the Lord God all the honour and glory of being a Christian, or his being a new creature.'

There is a passage, 2 Cor. v. 17-19, which strongly expresseth this point, in these most remarkable words: If any person be in Christ, (that is, a Christian) he is a new creature, old things are past, behold all things are become new; but all things are from God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ who,' 1 Cor. i. 30, is made from God to, or for us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption: that is, in our British idiom, whom

God made a teacher of wisdom, righteousness, sancfication and redemption. So that all made, by Christ's doctrine, wise, righteous, sanctified, and redeemed, are become new creatures.

How different from this great rule of our' duty and gratitude to God, is the conduct of too many of the moderns; who are continually magnifying Jesus Christ, God's minister in the new creation,' and passing by God the author of the new creation,' by whose authority, will, and good pleasure, Christ acted and was directed in his whole ministry from God, for our benefit and salvation. I say it with grief and amazement, that instead of giving God all the glory and praise for our salvation, the Calvinists, unhappily mistaken, make Jesus Christ, God's messenger and minister, the almost constant and principal object of their praise and gratitude, in too great a part of their public discourses, and private meditations; and pass by the great God, who made Christ his minister and instrument to convey all his benefits to degenerate mankind. Is not this worshipping the messenger and minister of God instead of the God of the messenger, and the author of Christ's message, the gospel?

CHAP. XIII.

The living God, EOL O ZON, a character or title of God the Father; so appropriate to the Father, as that it is never applied to Jesus Christ; but distinguishes the Father from Jesus Christ.

Mat. xvi. 16, JESUS CHRIST asketh his disciplesthis very important question in the foregoing verses: Whom do men say that I, the son of man, am? Some said, John the Baptist; others Elias; others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Jesus said unto them, but whom sav ye, that I am? And Simon Peter answered, and said, Thou art the Christ, the

son of the living God.' Observe Peter's words, Thou art the son of the living God;' he does not say, Thou art the living God. Our moderns would have answered, "Thou art the living God, consubstantial and co-essential with the Father."

Mark mentions Peter's answer thus, Thou art the Christ.' Mark viii. 29.

Luke mentions Peter's answer thus, The Christ of God.' Luke ix. 20.

John introduces Peter speaking to Christ these words: We believe, and know, that thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.' John vi. 68, 69.

The high-priest adjures Jesus Christ by the living God,' which shews it to be a well known character of God among the Jews. Matt. xxvi. 63.1

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St. Mark says, Mark xiv. 61, The high-priest asked Christ, if thou art the Christ, the son of the Blessed?' which is another proper title of God.

Acts xiv. 15, Barnabas and Paul, persuade the people of Lystra to turn from their vanities to the living God.' The same title or character is mentioned in the following places, viz. Rom. ix. 26, 2 Cor. iii. 3, vi. 16, 1 Thess. i. 9, 1 Tim. iii. 15, iv. 10, vi. 17, Heb. iii. 12, ix. 14, x. 31, xii. 22, 1 Pet. i. 23, Rev. iv. 10, v. 14, vii. 2, x. 6, xv. 7.

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In all these places this title, the living God,' is used; and in some, the first mentioned, is plainly applied to God the Father; but in no place applied to Jesus Christ, or to the Holy Ghost.

N. B. St. John in his Revelations, chap. iv. ver. 8, 9, 10, 11, introduces four living creatures, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come. And when the four living creatures give glory, and honour, and thanks to him that is sitting on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever; the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is sitting on the throne, and worship him who liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before him; saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast