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I. Faith, S. Mar. xii. 22. Rom. i. 17.
II. Fear, Pfal. cxlix. S. Luk. xii. 5.

III. Love, Deut. vi. 5. S. Matt. xxii. 37, 38,
IV. Trust, I S. Pet. v. 7.

V. Prayer, S. Matt. vii. 7. 1 Theff. v. 17.

VI. Joy, Phil. iv. 4.

VII. Thankfulness, 1 Theff. v. 18. Ephef. v. 20.

I. To the Father.

1. For our Creation, Gen. i. 27. Ifai. Ixiv. 8, Act. xvii. 24, 25, 26.

2. For our Preservation, Act. xvii. 28.

3. For all our temporal Blessings, Act. xiv. 17.

4. For those of a higher Nature, Ephef. i. 3,4.

and ii. 8.

5. For the Hope of Eternal Glory, 1 S. Pet. i. 3, 4.

2. To the Son.

1. For Expiating our Sins, 1 S. Joh. ii. 2.

2. For Interceding for our Souls, Rom. viii.

34. Heb. vii. 25.

3. To the Holy Ghost.

1. For Inditing the Scriptures, 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.

2. For Helping our Infirmities, Rom. viii.

13, 26.

3. For Sanctifying our Souls, 2 Theff. ii. 13. 1 S. Pet. i. 2.

4. For Securing to us a better State, Ephef. i. 13. and iv. 30.

S, MATT. S. MATT. iii. 17.

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

C

HRIST is the Beloved, or Only Son of

GOD.

He is called the Son of GOD;

1. Because conceived by the Holy Ghost, S.Luk.

i. 15. S. Matt. i. 20.

2. Because sanctified by the Father, and sent into the World, S. Joh. x. 36.

3. Because raised from the Dead, Act. xiii. 33. Rom. i. 4.

4. Especially, because Begotten of the Father from all Eternity, Col. i. 15.

For which consider,

1. Christ had a real Being and Existence before he was born of the Virgin Mary, Gal. iv. 4. S. Joh. vi. 33, 51. and xvi. 28. He was before John the Baptift, S. Joh. i. 15. Before Abraham, S. Joh. viii. 5. Before the World, S. Joh. i. 1, 2, 3. Col. i. 15, 16. Hebr. i. 2. Ὁ ὅ το Θεῖ ἡὸς, ὁ πρὸ αἰώ νων γεννηθείς. S. Ignat. Ep. ad Ephef.

2. The Being which he had was truly Divine, the fame which the Father had, so that he was really and truly GOD, Rom. ix. 5. Phil. ii. 6, 7. 1 S. Joh. v. 20. S. Joh. i. 1. and xx. 28.

The fame was revealed in the Old Testament, Ifai. vii. 14. and ix. 6. גבור אל

Hence his Blood which he shed as Man, is yet said to be the Blood of God, Att. xx. 28.

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3. This his Divine Nature he received of the Father, S. Joh. v. 26. and vii. 29. He is called by the Council of Nice, Θεὸς ἐκ Θεῖ, φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς, Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς ἐκ Θεῖ ἀληθινα.

Pater est vita in femetipso, non à Filio: Filius vita in semetipso, fed à Patre; S. August. Vitam genuit Pater vita, nec differt in aliquo essentia gignentis & geniti, cum fic ex Patre fit Filius, ut conSempiterna non una quidem Persona, sed una fit Deitas. Sentent. Decerpt. ex Auguft. cccxxxv. And so to the same purpose, Id. C. Maximin. 1. 1. & l. 3. 0. 14. & de Incarnati Verbi, c. 8.

Neither did he receive any part, but the whole Divine Essence was communicated to him, fo as to be ὁμούσι τις Παλεί, Col. ii 9.

4. This Communication of the Divine Essence was properly Generation, and therefore Christ most properly a Son, Hebr. i. 6. Inasmuch as τὸ ποιέμενον ἐκ ἐκ ὁ ἐσίας το ποιῶνός ὅτι τὸ δὲ γεννώμε νον ἐκ ὁ ἀνθῆς ἐσίας το γεννῶντος. S. Bafil. adv. Eunom. 1. 4. ab init. And l. 2. p. 738. having recited the first Verse of S. John's Gospel, he adds, τὴν ἐξ ἀϊδίο ὕπαρξιν, τὴν ἀπαθῆ γέννησιν, τὸ συμφνές τῷ Πατρί, τὸ μεγαλεῖον ὁ φύσεως, πάντα ἐν τοῖς ὀλίγοις ῥήμασι συλ λαβών.

Ἰεσὲς Χρισὸς μόνο ἰδίως ἡὸς τῷ Θεῷ γεγέννηται, λόγΘ ἀυτῦ ὑπάρχων, κὶ πρωτότοκΘ, κὶ δύναμις. Fust. Mart. Αροί. 2. Ὦ το μεγάλο Θεῖ! ὦ τα τελείς παιδίς! φὸς ἐν πατρὶ, κὶ παλὴς ἐν ἡῷ. Clem. Alex. Padag. 1. 2. c. 5.

Hence he is called the Image of God, Hebr. i. 2, 3. and God's own Son, Rom. vi. 32. Not by Adoption, Gal. iv. 4, 5. and the μονογλωής, the Only Begotten of the Father, S. Joh. i. 14. and iii. 16.

Hence therefore we may see the Reason of every Expression in my Text, uttered from Hea, ven by GOD Himself.

1. This

1. This, My Son. Because it is the Father that spake, by a Voice from Heaven, as our Saviour spake from thence to S. Paul, Aft. xxvi. 13, 14. so here GOD the Father spake, and own'd our Saviour for His Son.

2. My Beloved Son; because His Only Begotten, S. Matt. xii. 18. and xvii. 5.

3. In whom I am welt pleased; ἐν ῳ εὐδόκησα. In, or through whom, I am well pleased with all the Sons of Men that repent and turn to me, Ephef. i. 6. S. Joh. iv. 42.

And the Reason is, because this Son of GOD having in our Nature undergone the Punishment of our Sins, we are hereby reconciled to GOD, Rom. v. 10. and so have Peace with Him, Rom.

V. I.

Hence therefore we may observe two Things. I, That this Jesus Christ, as he is the Son of GOD, must needs be the LORD too, S. Matr. xxviii. 6. S. Luk. ii. 11. S. Joh. iv. 1. Act. ix. 5, 6, 10. 11. Hof. i. 7. where ביהוה is rendered by the Targum במימרא דיי by the Word of the Lord. For,

1. As the Son of GOD, he must needs be the Lord too, as his Father is ;יהוה the Being of Beings, for all things were made by him, S. Joh. i. 3.

2. Besides this his Dominion as the Son of GOD, he is Lord also, as the Son of Man. For as such he purchased this Power by his Death, Ephef. i. 20, 21, 22. Phil. ii. 11. S. Matt. xxviii. 18.

II. It is also to be observed, That he is our Lord in a peculiar manner, S. Joh. xx. 28. Phil. iii. 8. For it is he that hath redeemed us with his own Blood, Tit. ii, 14. Rev. v. 9, 10.

USE.

USE. Hence learn,

1. To adore and magnify the infinite Love of GOD in our Redemption, S. Joh. iii. 16. 1 S. Joh. iv. 9, 10.

2. To put our whole Trust and Confidence in Him, for our Salvation, Hebr. vii. 25. For he being GOD, as well as Man, his Death could not but be a Propitiation for for all our Sins, 1 S. Joh. ii. 2. and be able to endue us with true Grace and Vertue, At. iii. 26.

3. To worship and glorify CHRIST as GOD and LORD, S. Joh. v. 22, 23. Rev. xiii.

4. To call to mind, that CHRIST being our LORD, both by Creation and Redemption, we are to look upon ourselves as not our own, but His, 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. Rom. xiv. 7, 8.

5. And lastly, To devote ourselves wholly to His Service, 2 Cor. x. 5. 2 Tim. ii. 19. 1 S. Pet. ii. 9, 10, 11, 12.

S. MATT.

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