the last." (xxii. 13.) I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. .For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly;* Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." (xxii. 16, 18—21.)

*

By "quickly," as spoken by an eternal Being, unto whom a thousand years are but as yesterday, we are incompetent to judge how near the time may be.

CHAPTER V.

THE attestations of the various Scriptures just inserted, as to the equality of the Son of God with his Almighty Father, collected like our former recapitulations from so many different inspired authors, handed down by such discordant parties as those of Jews and Christians, (and the testimony of the former is quite and to the full as ample as that of the latter on this last subject of inquiry,) does, we think, fully answer the point in question, by proving that God the Son, according to the whole tenour and perfectly harmonious declarations of Scripture, from the commencement to the conclusion thereof, is equal with God the Father; and that it is an attempt utterly at variance with right reason, to disprove this doctrine by imputing its origin to the misconception of some particular passages of Holy Writ, and an erroneous interpretation of strong oriental idioms. For after the most diligent and scrupulous research, we cannot discover any one passage in the sacred records diminishing the full force of the just stated scriptural assertions respecting this equality, excepting those produced by the superiority necessarily existing between a

giver and receiver,-between the great I am, the great, self-existing Being who in himself concentrates all perfection,-between the great inherent source of all perfection, and him to whom perfection it imparts. And this superiority, He who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, uniformly himself asserts;

My Father is greater than I." The giver is greater than the receiver, though, if it please the giver, he can impart equality of greatness to a beloved receiver, making him one with his adored self in greatness, glory, power: and that it has pleased the Father thus to invest the Son the Scriptures plainly tell, for it has pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. The Son of God avows, "I can of myself do nothing;" but he likewise asserts, "That the Father showeth him all things that himself doeth; that whatsoever he doeth so also may the Son;" though He justly styles paternal Deity his Father and his God, and owneth his dependance by prayer to him as such, He being the source from whence proceed his existence, attributes, and powers. Yet He also declares, that He and the Father are one; that as the Father hath life in himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in himself; that as the Father raiseth the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom He will; that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. And the distinction in the mode of address between the Father and the Son is well worthy observation paternal Deity addresses filial Deity

as his equal," Thy throne, O God, is for ever;' but filial Deity acknowledges the superiority of the Imparter of his glory, and also his dependance, by addressing God in prayer. But through eternity He has ever worked with his Almighty Father; He has neither beginning of days, nor end of life, but abideth the same yesterday, today, and for ever. He, therefore is eternal; He dwelt in glory with his Father before our visible creation was called into existence, (John xvii. 5,) and without him was not any thing made that was made, whether they be things in heaven or things in earth, visible or invisible; for there is one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all and in all, as the apostle admirably defines it one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him; and this high office of Creator does, by the stupendous acts which he as such performs, fully justify a former position, namely, that the offices Christ fills, and the acts which He performs, exemplify Omnipo

tence.

St. Paul's most fervent prayer for his beloved charge is, That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words; the Almighty Son lies in the bosom of his omniscient Father; and the Spirit of his

omniscient Father resteth upon him: "the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." There appears one act alone of faith whereby it pleases the paternal Deity to exercise the faith of his beloved Son, for He is not only his Father, but He is his God, (because from God the Father He deriveth all things;) the times and the seasons He hath put in his own power." (Acts i. 7.) The day determined on for final consummation remaineth an impenetrable secret in the omniscient. mind of the paternal Deity; "of that day and hour knoweth no man; no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." But this subtracts not from the Son's divinity, or his omnipotence. Faith in his omniscient Father cannot impede the exercise of absolute authority, (John v. 27,) cannot impede his exercising that universal government God lays upon his shoulder; for He is embosomed in his omniscient Father, and him He heareth always; (John xi. 42;) and from him He knoweth all things. (John xvi. 30.) He foretold the dread events of the last awful day, and needeth not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man; He searcheth the hearts and reins; (Rev. ii. 23;) and we have already found the spirit of Christ the spirit of prophecy: for the Father is ever with him; because the Son does ever those things that please the Father. He is the great probationary, the tried foundation stone; who though He were a Son, yet learned