already proved (page 233), that the association of the name of God with that of some other person, even in an act of worship, by no means proves equality of nature, rank, or homage.-6. Admitting the genuineness and inspiration of the Apocalypse, the lofty and symbolical language of prophecy may possibly mean nothing more than to express the joy and gratitude of the whole human race at the triumphs of the Gospel.

12. Christ invoked in Prayer.

1. Acts vii. 59. "They stoned Stephen, invoking and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'

The example of Stephen is regarded by many as decisive in favour of the practice of addressing prayer to Christ. He was full of the holy spirit, chap. vi. 5; and in the very article of death, he prays to Christ in language exactly similar to that which, in the same circumstances, Jesus used to his heavenly Father: Luke xxiii. 46.

But to wave the remark, that the solitary unauthorized example of this good man would of itself be no sufficient warrant for a practice contrary to the precepts of Christ, and the doctrine of his apostles, which are the only proper directory of christian worship, it may be observed, that this holy proto-martyr had just been favoured with an actual vision of our Lord, ver. 55, and that the vivid impression of it, if not the vision itself, must have continued on his mind, so that he had a certain knowledge, if not a visible perception, of the real presence of Christ. The example of this primitive martyr, therefore, does not fall within the

"The blessing and honour is tendered to the object present and visible;-the reason assigned shows that he cannot be God, viz. his being the Lamb that was slain, i. e. spotless innocence, perfect virtue and goodness tried and confirmed by sufferings. Ascribing glory and honour to Christ does in no degree authorize the worship of him, or prayer to him. It is no more than a declaration of reverence and high esteem of his most perfect moral character and goodness." Linds. Apol. p. 145.; Seq. p. 96.

limit of religious worship, nor in the least degree authorize addresses to Christ when he is not sensibly present7.

2. 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9. "there was given me a thorn in the flesh. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.-And he said unto me, My strength," Suvais, "is made perfect in weakness, -gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power," Suvais, the strength, "of Christ may rest upon

me."

Mr. Lindsey, Apol. p. 147, with Hammond, Beausobre, and others, conceives that the apostle's prayer was addressed to the Father. But the context plainly indicates the contrary. The person to whom he prayed was Christ, who had promised to remain with the apostles to the end of the age, who had repeatedly appeared to Paul in person and in vision, and to whom the apostle applied upon some occasion, when it is evident that his Master was sensibly present with him, for he cites the very words of our Lord's reply. But this is no warrant to others who are not indulged with the same privilege.

13. Devout Wishes of Blessings from Christ supposed to be equivalent to Prayers.

Wishes and prayers are very far from being terms of the same import. A wish is merely the expression of desire. Prayer is that expression addressed to one who is supposed to be present, and able to accomplish it. And if this person, though not sensibly, is believed to be really present, prayer is an act of religious worship. To wish, may be innocent and proper in some cases in which prayer would be unreasonable and idolatrous. I may innocently wish that a person in power may grant an office to a friend, to ask

7 See Mr. Lindsey's Sequel, p. 6-71. Haynes on the Attributes, p. 152. Lindsey's Exam. of Robinson's Plea, Sect. VI.

for

for which, if the person were present, might or might not be proper according to circumstances; but to pray to him for it when he is absent, with an expectation that he will hear and grant the request, would be downright idolatry. Paul and the other sacred writers commonly begin and end their epistles with devout wishes for evangelical blessings from God and Christ, upon those to whom their epistles are addressed. These have been regarded by many as equivalent to prayers and acts of religious worship of Christ equally with God, from which they have inferred that Christ is truly God, and the proper object of divine worship. But this conclusion is certainly erroneous. Otherwise it would follow from the benediction, Rev. i. 4, "Grace be to you, and peace from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne," that these seven spirits also are proper objects of divine worship.

.

The Gospel is often called 'grace or favour,' because it is a free, unmerited, unsolicited, unpurchased gift. Sometimes it is called the grace or favour,' or 'free gift of God,' because it comes originally from God,-sometimes, as Philipp. iv. 23, it is called the favour of Christ,' because Christ was the authorized publisher of these glad tidings. And the purport of the benevolent wish so often repeated in the apostolic writings, is, that those who are the object of it may enjoy all the blessings of the Gospel dispensation, which is the free gift of God through Jesus

Melancthon, in a letter to Camerarius, in 1532, after predicting the disputes and disturbances which would some time or other arise about the Trinity, adds, " I take refuge in those plain declarations of Scripture, which enjoin prayer to Christ, which is to ascribe the proper honour of divinity to him, and is full of consolation."--See Mr. Lindsey's Apol. p. 150. So Crellius argues in his Note upon 1 Thess. iii. 11, "Insigne ut curæ et providentiæ circa nos Domini Jesu argumentum, ita invocati ipsius exemplum. Votum enim ejusmodi, quod eum a quo aliquid voveo audire sum persuasus, precationis vim habet atque adeo ipsa, licet indirecta, precatio est."

Christ, by whom these glad tidings were communicated to the world.

འ.

Rom. i. 7. "Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." May that peace be yours which is the fruit of the Gospel, q. d. the free gift of God by Jesus Christ. See chap. xvi. 20. 1 Cor. i. 3; xvi. 23. 2 Cor. i. 2.

2. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion" or partici. pation "of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." q. d. May you all enjoy the inestimable blessings of the gospel of Christ, the favour of God, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. 3. 2 Thess. ii. 16, 17. "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God even our Father, who hath loved us, and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts.” hearts be comforted by the love of God revealed in the 9. d. May your gospel of Christ,

4. 1 Tim. i. 2. "Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from Jesus Christ our Lord." May you obtain forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with q. d. God, which are the privileges of the Gospel dispensation. Here, grace, mercy, and peace are put for the mercy and peace of the Gospel, as the way, the truth, and the life are put, John xiv. 16, for the true way to life.

In the same manner other similar expressions of devout and benevolent wishes may be explained. And upon the whole, we have abundant reason to conclude, that there is neither precept nor example in the New Testament to warrant the addressing of prayers or any other kind of religious worship to Christ. To one who forms his judgement from the New Testament, the Father only is God, and the proper and sole object of religious worship.

SECTION

SECTION XII.

ARGUMENTS TO PROVE THE PROPER HUMANITY OF JESUS CHRIST.

It is not necessary to the establishment of the proper hu manity of Jesus Christ to produce specific arguments for this purpose. For who would require proof that one who appears in all respects as a man, is in fact a proper human being? If Christ had, as is universally allowed, all the external appearance of a man, he must in all reason be considered as a man, in no other way distinguished from his brethren than as being invested with an extraordinary divine commission. Whoever maintains that Christ is a being of superior order, an angel, a super-angelic Logos, or a God, it is incumbent upon him to substantiate his assertion by clear and satisfactory evidence. If these arguments, after being carefully examined, are found to be insufficient, it is not at all necessary to produce proof that Christ is a mere man. The conclusion follows irresistibly, and of course. In the preceding sections, all the evidence in favour of the pre-existence and superior nature of Christ has been produced and investigated; and if we are satisfied that these texts, neither singly nor collectively, contain any valid proof of this important point, the assumption falls to the ground, and the proper humanity of Christ remains as a plain indisputable fact. As, however, the contrary opinion has for many ages been the prevailing belief of the christian world, it may be of use to annex a concise view of the arguments which tend more immediately to establish and confirm the doctrine that Jesus Christ was a man in all respects like other men, except in