Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

"The man that is my fellow," (Heb. ve-al geber amiti.) The hero that is with me. Here inspiration acknowledges the equality between the Father and Son. Again. Jesus says, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."

John 14:9. These

words our Lord addressed to Philip, when he wished Christ to show them the Father. He seemed to possess the same feeling that Moses did when be said, "I beseech thee show me thy glory." Exod. 33:18. He was not with the three apostles to whom the transfiguration was exhibited, and therefore was in some degree, at least, excusable for making this. request. What angel could in truth say to Philip, "If you have seen me, you have seen God?" Was Jesus trying to deceive Philip and the rest of the disciples? Certainly not. How could they understand him to be a creature when he said this? He also told them that he was in the Father and the Father in him, and the very works that he did, the Father that dwelt in him really performed. "I and my FATHER are ONE." John 10:30. Could any created being truly say, “I and God Almighty are One?" Certainly no one would answer this affirmatively. Well, Jesus did say this, and we must acknowledge him to have been correct. With these unequivocal declarations of inspiration before us, how can we deny that the Lord Jesus, in his divine nature, was equal with the Father? And if he possessed but one nature, and that derived, must we not unavoidably suspect his veracity! "Let God be true and every man a liar."-Paul. How

supremely irreverent it would be for us to call in question the veracity of him whose garments are unsullied, whose throne is unspotted, whose messengers are the holy angels, whose palace is the heavens, and who hurls the thunderbolts of God, and guides the lightnings in their vivid march. With what trembling awe should we receive all his precious instructions, and humbly sit at his feet, and devoutly implore the guidance of his Spirit.

CHAPTER X.

Jesus Christ, in his divine nature, is God.

As we have before stated, so we say again: if Jesus Christ possessed but one nature, that must have been derived or underived, created or uncreated. If he possessed but one nature, and that was created, it would be blasphemy to call him God, in the sense that we call Jehovah God. We have already, in Chapter iii., as we humbly conceive, proved that Jesus Christ is an object of divine worship, and this is now urged as an evidence of his supreme divinity. Indeed, it seems almost unaccountable, that any one who has read the second commandment, can bow down and worship a being whom at the same time he acknowledges to be a creature! This would be idolatry. But we see that the worship of Christ is placed in direct opposition to the worship of idols. 1 Cor. 8:4-6.

It is evident that the same things which in the Old Testament are ascribed to Jehovah, are, in the New Testament, ascribed to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We add only a few.

Isa. 6:5-10. John 12:37-41. "Then said I wo is "But though he had done me! for I am undone, so many miracles before because I am a man of them, yet they believed unclean lips, for mine not on him, that the sayeyes have seen the King, ing of Esaias the prophet the LORD OF HOSTS. might be fulfilled, which

Then flew one of the he spake:-Lord, who seraphims unto me, hav-hath believed our report? ing a live coal in his and to whom hath the arm hand, which he had ta- of the Lord been revealed? ken with the tongs from Therefore they could not off the altar. And he believe, because that Elaid it upon my mouth, saias said again, He hath and said, Lo! this hath blinded their eyes and touched thy lips, and hardened their heart, that thine iniquity is taken they should not see with away, and thy sin purged. their eyes, nor understand Also, I heard the voice of with their heart, and be the Lord, saying unto me, converted, and I should Whom shall I send, and heal them. These things who will go for us? Then said Esaias when he saw said I, here am I, send his glory and spake of me. And he said, Go him."

and tell this people, Hear

ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert and be healed."

Ps. 78:56.

"Yet they tempted and

1 Cor. 10:9.

"Neither let us tempt

provoked the most high CHRIST, as some of GOD, and kept not HIS them also tempted, and

testimonies."

were destroyed of ser

pents."

We e see, from these passages, that the Preserver, Director, and Controller of all things, to whom the Old Testament writers ascribe the name GOD, is called Christ in the New Testament.

But as further proof of the supreme divinity of our Savior, we will transcribe the testimony of John, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:1-3. Verse 10. "And the world was made by him." It is evident that before there was any creation, all was eternity. When creation was not begun, all that then existed was certainly self-existent. Self-existence implies eternal existence. John speaks in the manner in which Moses spake when he said, "In the beginning God created." "In the beginning," (En arche,)

seems

to carry our minds back as far as our finite capacities can extend, and at that time (if we may thus speak,) this " Word," (Logos,) existed. Was he an attribute of God? Was he only the reason of God? or was he truly God, as John testifies. This Logos was either a real existence or he was not. If it is said that this "Word" was only the wisdom of God, or an attribute of Jehovah, how can it be said that one of the attributes of God "became flesh, and dwelt among us?” And why is not some of the other attributes of God personified? Admitting the Logos to have been an attribute of God, there could certainly be no reason for say

« AnteriorContinuar »