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Who is this King of glory? the Lord of hosts-he is the King of glory." In what sense is he called God, who is the heart-searching judge of the quick and of the dead, who shall judge the world in righteousness, and give unto every man according to his ways ? Lastly, in what sense is he called God, in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; who is in the Father, and the Father in him; and who says, "I and the Father are one?" Philip said unto Jesus, "show us the Father:" let the answer of our Lord be for ever recorded: "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, show us the Father? believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me ?" Jesus is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person. And the everlasting Father declares that his Son is his equal, saying, "awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and smite the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts !" God hath commanded the angels to worship the Son; and men are commanded to "honour the Son, even as they honour the Father." Let us neither contradict the word, nor disobey the commandment of our God; but let us ascribe glory, and honour, and blessing, and praise, unto the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, now and for ever, Amen.

THE

Divinity of Christ.

SERMON III.

"And Thomas answered and said unto him, my Lord and my God!"—JOHN, xx. 28.

IN

N the following discourse we will endeavour to prove that Jesus Christ is the object of adoration and religious worship.

It is recorded in the old Testament that the patriarch Jacob addressed his prayer to the Son of God; and that he implored his blessing upon his children, saying, "the angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the lads." Who is this redeeming angel; this angel who can redeem from all evil? The answer is obvious. This angel is the angel of the covenantthe great Redeemer, who can redeem the souls of his people, and "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity." He that redeems us from all evil must redeem from sin; must be able to save to the uttermost; must be able not only to grant temporal deliverances to his people, but also to grant deliverance from the guilt and dominion of sin, which

in its nature and consequences is the greatest of all evils. This redeeming angel is not a created angel; he is the creator of angels, the creator of all things, visible and invisible. The angel unto whom Jacob prayed is called the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God before whom Abraham and Isaac did walk; the God who fed Jacob all his life long, unto that very day on which Jacob addressed this prayer unto him. The angel is the hearer of prayer; is able to confer blessings, and is praised in heaven for his redeeming love. "Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us unto God by thy blood. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."-Rev. v. 9, 12. The patriarchs were not ignorant of the Redeemer, nor of that redemption that is in him. Abraham saw his day, and rejoiced; and he believed the promise, that in his seed all nations of the earth should be blessed. This redeemer was promised to our first parents, when it was said, that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent. Job knew his redeemer: "I know," says he, "that my Redeemer liveth; and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me."

The same person, even the Son of God, was worshipped by Joshua, when he appeared unto him as the captain of the Lord's host, in the likeness of a man, having a drawn sword in his hand. "Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship; and said unto him, what saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto, Joshua, loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy."-Joshua v. 14. That Jesus Christ our Saviour is captain of the Lord's host, we

have very convincing evidence: he is called "the captain of our salvation ;" and in the book of Revelation he is spoken of as the captain, the leader of the heavenly armies. John saw the heavens opened, and he saw the great Messiah: he saw his vesture dipped in blood, and he knew him to be the Word of God: he saw him at the head of the heavenly armies, for he informs us that "the armies which were in heaven followed him." If the Son of God is the captain of the Lord's host, then he is the person whom Joshua worshipped, falling down on his face to the earth, before the presence of Divine majesty. When God forbids the worshipping of idols, he says, "thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them;" and it is as unlawful to bow down to angels and to serve them: God alone is the object of religious worship. and service. But Joshua fell down on his face before the captain of the Lord's host, worshipped him, called him his Lord, acknowledged himself his servant, and at his command loosed his shoe from off his foot. The captain of the Lord's host appeared to Joshua, to give him his orders for the conducting of a particular expedition; and, after having claimed Divine honours, proceeds to tell him that he had delivered Jericho, and the king thereof, and all the mighty men of valour, into his hand. This captain of the Lord's host is, in the sixth chapter of the book of Joshua, called the Lord, that is, Jehovah. But it is worthy of particular notice that the captain of the Lord's host claims Divine worship, in commanding Joshua to loose his shoe from off his foot, and in giving him this reason why he should do so, namely, "the place where thou standest is holy." This cannot be considered but as a declaration on the one part, and an acknowledgment on the other, of the special presence of the Holy One of Israel; for when the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in the bush, he commanded him to do the very same thing, and for the very same reason that the captain of the Lord's host commanded Joshua to do it. There is good ground

to believe that the person who appeared to Moses, and who is called Jehovah, and the God of Abraham, is the very same person who appeared to Joshua. But, granting that these were distinct persons, they claimed and received the same Divine honours.

The psalmist asserts that the Son of God is to be worshipped, when he says, "all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him; for he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence, and precious shall their blood be in his sight. And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba; prayer also shall be made for him continually, and daily shall he be praised. (Psalm, lxxii.) His name shall endure for ever; his name shall be continued as long as the sun; and men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed." It is the constant prayer of the church that the kingdom of Christ may flourish and prosper; and, in this sense, prayer may be said to be made for him. But if he shall be praised daily; if he is the object of daily praise, we may also address our prayers unto him, for praise is a noble part of prayer. We must not

praise one whom it is unlawful to pray to, nor pray unto one whom it is unlawful to address in praise. The psalmist says unto the church, "hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house: so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty; for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him."

When Jesus was born, the wise men came from the cast to worship him. The people worshipped him when they cried, "hosannah to the Son of David, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!" And the children praised him, saying, hosannah to the Son of David!" These acclamations gave great offence to the chief priests and scribes they were sore displeased with the children,

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