Christ is a distinct being, and, therefore, not a divine person; for there can be but one God.However many and plain the passages of scripture in favor of the divinity of Jesus Christ, yet if the doctrine of the Trinity be not true, these passages have been misapprehended; He is but a mere man, and the faith of the greatest part of the Christian church, for ages past, hath rested on the sand. 2. A denial of this doctrine destroys the atonement of Christ. If Christ be not a divine person then there is no more value or merit, in his obedience and sufferings, than in the obedience and sufferings of any other good man. If Christ be only a creature, then all the advantage we can derive from him is an exampie of meekness, patience and submission; all which we have in Job, Stephen and many since their day. The merit or value of the sufferings of Christ, or his obedience unto death, arises not from the quantum or degree of his sufferings, tho' they were great beyond a parallel, but from the dignity of his person. The value of the obedience and sufferings of Christ is in proportion to the dignity of his person, and so lays a sure foundation for hope to sinners. But take away the divinity of Christ and the infinite value of the sacrifice fails, and, of course, our hope from the atonement falls to the ground. holy scriptures we have no hope of a gracious forgiveness. The doctrine of the atonement runs thro' the whole Bible. It is the sum of all the promises, types and prophecies of the Old Testament. It is the foundation of all the warnings, invitations and promises of Christ and the Apostles. This, in connexion with the real divinity of Christ, which as a golden thread runs through the whole revelation, is a doctrine to which all the truths of the Bible ultimately point, and in which they centre. This employed the counsels of divine wisdom and goodness from eternity. This brought CHRIST JESUS THE LORD from heaven to take a body of flesh, and dwell for a season among men. This is closely connected with the great truth expressed by John in his first epistle, v. 7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. It becomes us then to listen with caution to artful decievers, and guard against the specious objections that are raised against the doctrine of three persons in one God. dantly enjoin it on men, to submit themselves to God. He is the Father and Lord of the world, and requires his creatures to forsake every evil and rebellious practice and become the loyal subjects of his government. The duty enjoined is not an ine 3. If the doctrine of the Trinity in unity be disproved, and these other doctrines fail with it, then all the distinguishing doctrines of the Bible are destroy-vitable subjection to his invincied. If Christ be not a divine person, and there is nothing in his atonement, then from the ble power. Every thing, willing or unwilling, must ultimately submit to this; for God mana their duty, saying then shall I have great delight, when I have respect to all thy commandments. Submission to the divine law, is also derived in part, from an affectionate sense of the obligations which believers feel themselves under to God, as their parent, who hath nourished and brought them up as children, sustaining them from infancy to their present age; so that goodness and mercy have followed them all the days of their lives, notwithstanding the numerous provocations they have committed against him.His people are sensible, that this lays them under obligations to him, and that it is an aggravation of wickedness, to rebel against God, when he hath nourished and brought us up as children. ges all things according to the counsel of his own will. The finally impenitent themselves must take their portion of wrath and fiery indignation at his hands. Men, who are sensible that they can make no effectual resistance, frequently compose themselves to submit to things, which, had they sufficient power, they would never do. A vanquished enemy submits to the chain of an haughty conqueror, with the appearance of meekness; and dying unbelievers frequently say as much as this, that they are resigned to death if that be the will of God. The captive does not usually so deceive himself, as to suppose he is willing to bear the taunts and shackles of the conqueror. But, alas! the dying enemy of God, and sinners under awakenings, | are often able to mistake this submission, which arises from a despair of what they wish, and a resolution to bear their burdens as well as they can, for that sub-law to his own creatures. They mission, which springs from love and confidence in God. It may not then be improper to attend to the subject with care. A consideration also, that God has created the world, impresses on the minds of his people, a sense of his right to give view themselves as his property, and hence dutifully comply with their obligations to be employed for his pleasure and glory, in any way he shall direct.Nor are they inattentive to the obligations upon them, derived from the perfection and glory of his nature, which render him infinitely worthy to command the universe. They submit to the law, because they esteem it an infinite blessing to creation that it has such a glorious Being at its head. With such impressions as these, it is no cause of wonder, that all the inhabitants of heaven, and the well disposed on earth, should cordially sub Submission sometimes respects the law of God. This is something more than yielding heartless services, and hypocritical pretences to obedience.It is delighting in the law, and entering into the practice of a cordial conformity to it. Such as thus obey it, see an excellency and fitness in the law itself, and they obey, because they esteem it holy, formed on the great principle of impartial goodness, and a blessing to the universe. Such take pleasure in the duties it enjoins, and earnestly desiremit to receive and obey the comthat their hearts should be bro't mands of God. into a perfect conformity to all 2. Submission to God also 3. Submission to God also includes submission to his grace. This is, if possible, beyond all other acts of submission, the most contrary to the pride and haughtiness of the corrupt heart. The grace of God is the gospel salvation, consisting in the pardon and acceptance of the sinner thro' Christ, and communications of holiness, for his sake only, made by the Holy Spirit. The pardon of sin, thro' Christ, is on the ground, that we are so vile and guilty, that God cannot remit, in the least, the penalties of his law, only from respect to Christ, and that we are worthy of eternal vengeance and universal abhorence, and must be beholden to Christ for the least favor. This is too humiliating for the pride of the unsanctified; and it is still more so, because it represents us so vile and depraved in our inclinations, that our return to God is a desperate matter, unless effected by the sovereign power of the Holy Ghost. When any one submits to the grace of God, he freely consents to be considered and treated and pardoned, as a criminal, deserving endless wrath, and to be so considered forever; and to be fixed as a pillar in the house of God-a living monument, to perpetuate the memory of such grace, to the glory of respects his providence. The | want of submission to divine providence of God is his agency providence among men. in preserving and managing created things, carrying into effect all his counsels, and promoting the interests of his kingdom, and the manifestations of his own glory, which is indeed the supreme interest of his creatures. The purposes of God respect all actions and thingshe hath fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass. His providence is executed with almighty power, so that his counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure. Submission to this providence, is a cordial and confidential surrendery of ourselves and all our concerns, into his hands, delighting in his supremacy, and rejoicing that we may find such an one, to whom we may confide all that we value.It arises from an approbation of, and a full confidence in the wisdom, power and goodness of God, to manage all concerns for his glory, and the general good. God has power to control and manage creation, as the potter does the clay. He has wisdom to connect the whole into a system, so that all its parts may move in harmony with each other, and in subordination to the interest of the whole. And he has goodness of heart to adopt this for his object, and accomplish it by the whole work of providence. This his people believe-and where is the bene-Christ: he cordially submits to volent mind, which would not rejoice to see himself, and all things, in such hands? Where is the believer, who will not be consoled under afflictions, by the consideration, that infinite wisdom and goodness deal them out? It is owing only to moral depravity, that there is any this way of salvation, and prefers it before all others which his imagination can invent. In submitting to the grace of God, he also subscribes to this truth, that he is too corrupt, even to exercise any right affection towards God or man, only, as it is wrought in him, by the spirit of wholly conformed to God. Selfishness, pride and conformity to the fashion of this world, are wholly inconsistent with submission to God. The heart must be created anew, and then the soul can repose itself with comfort on the Lord. There are many considerations, which are weighty motives, to impress on us the duty of submission to God. 1. It is altogether impossible to make any effectual opposition to his will. We can never be successful in opposing his administrations. God is an allsufficient ruler, and his creatures are too feeble to give him any disturbance; should any one rise against his law, and refuse submission to his authority, which alas! multitudes continue to do all their days, can they compel him to repeal his law, or can they avoid its penalty? Can we fly from his wrath, or are we stronger than he? By no means; the law will have its effect, either in our obedience or destruction. It is also as impossible to defeat the designs of providence. We are in his hands, and all our concerns, and the events which respect us, are at his disposal. He has long since fixed his designs concern God. He cheerfully places all his dependence there, for holiness and sanctification, and rejoices in this dependence, and is willing to have it forever known, thro' heaven and earth, that he is by nature so utterly courrupt, that he is indebted to special, distinguishing grace, for every thing in his heart and conduct, by which he differs from such as are condemned to everlasting misery. Submission to grace necessarily implies deep humility, and is a very different thing from merely wishing to go unpunished. It implies an holy admiration of the gospel, not only because it saves sinners, but because it so effectually provides for their sanctification, and to have free grace so apparent in their salvation; to have Christ so exalted, and the sinner so abased, and the impression of this so effectually kept up forever in the view of the whole intelligent system, to the glory of divine grace. That heart is humble and benevolent, and delights more in the glory of God, than in his own praise, which can be pleased with the grace of God. Such men can take pleasure in being set up as spectacles of mercy, that it may be forever said by creatures, "See in the salvation of that hell-de-ing us, and we cannot cause him serving sinner, the riches of to change his counsels. If he God's free, sovereign grace—see intends us sickness, poverty or how God has renewed him, par- any calamity, no resistance, or doned him, sanctified him, kept want of submission on our part, Lim and invited him, from a can defeat his purposes. Nor pure regard to his own glory, will any resistance of his grace and the reden ption of Christ." be successful. We never can persuade, or compel him, to make the terms of his gospel more agrecable to our pride and corruptions. We may indeed in one sense resist his grace forever; we may reject it; but the How evident it must be, that no submission, either to the law, providence or grace of God, can subsist in an unrenewed scul. Nor can these affections be perfect, until the heart is resistance will be fatal. Since, therefore, we can make no successful resistance against our Maker, and since all opposition will increase our guilt and ruin, it is madness to resist. receive and grace for grace.He will take the entire charge of them upon himself. How impious it must be to cavil at the holy and benevolent dispensations of God. It proves want of conformity to his will and ad which awaits them. Let those, who resist the grace of God, consider, that they are opposing the only hope of the world, opposing him, who gave his life a ransom for men-closing the door of mercy, and sealing themselves over to the award of law and justice. Let such reflect, how important it is, that they agree with their adversary quickly, while they are in the way with him, lest at any time their adversary deliver them to the judge, the judge to the officer, and they be cast into that prison, from whence they shall never escape, till they have paid the last mite. 2. But submission to God in all things, will be for our ever-monishes men of the fatal end lasting welfare. By this spirit, we at once become at peace with all his administrations. All things will then be in conformity to our most earnest desires, or in other words, our most earnest desires will coincide with all the purposes and administrations of God. "He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." We shall be at peace with him, and have confidence in him, in all things, and at all times. How comfortable is such confidence in one, on whom we must depend forever! 3. Submission to God is a duty which we owe him. His laws, providence and grace, are excellent in themselves, and important benefits to his creatures; there is nothing in them but what is lovely and desirable; without them, creation would inevitably go to ruin. To which of his laws ought we not to submit? Ought we, his creatures, to wish to be exempted from his authority? Is not creation infinitely indebted to him for his providence? And should not this world sing the praises of his wonderful grace. It is our unquestionable duty to submit, and we have cause to rejoice, that his yoke is easy, and his burden light. 4. Another motive to submission, is the assurance, that God resisteth the proud, but giveth ace to the humble. He will give them free access to him, and from his fulness they shall VOL. V. No. 4. On the Sonship of JESUS CHRIST, extracted from "The Religious Monitor or Scots Presbyterian Magazine," published in Edinburgh, June, 1803. IT T is doubtless of some importance to ascertain what is the true scriptural meaning of the titles, Son of God, only begotten Son, God's own Son, and the Son, which are in scripture so frequently given to Jesus of Nazareth. It is naturally to be expected, that such as are opposed to the doctrine of the supreme deity of our glorious Redeemer, should be disposed to explain not only these, but all other titles which are given him, in such a sense as to exclude proper divinity. These R |