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penetrate the whole depth of such mysteries, as he has thought fit to unfold only in part. The peculiar doctrines of Christianity are revealed, some partially, some entirely. The former are a perpetual exercise of our faith: the latter of our obedience. "The secret things belong to "the Lord our God; but those things “which are revealed belong to us, and to

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our children for ever, that we may do all "the words of this law."

k Deut. xxix. 29.

SERMON III.

ON THE GODHEAD OF CHRIST.

COLOS. ii. 9.

In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead

bodily.

THE text now recited, is one which bears full upon that article of the Unitarians which comes next under consideration; an article in direct opposition to this, and to very many similar passages. This Scripture teaches the actual Godhead of the Son, and his coequality with the Father; and these, together with the doctrine of the atonement made by him, are denied by the followers of Unitarianism in the following terms a. They believe that our blessed Lord Jesus Christ was a proper

a Belsham, v. 2.

"human being, in all respects like unto "his brethren;" though they acknowledge him to have been the greatest of prophets, and the promised Messiah; who was "sent "to supersede the Mosaic institute, and to "introduce a new and more liberal dispen"sation; and to reveal the doctrine of "eternal life by a resurrection from the "dead." They believe his miracles, prophecies, resurrection, and ascension.

With this sort of profession of positive belief, such as it is, which derogates so essentially from the dignity of our Almighty Saviour, they deny that most important doctrine of the atonement made by him"; and they disclaim that, which they plainly, though falsely, insinuate that Christians hold, "a subordinate Creator and Go"vernor of the universe."

I ought perhaps to apologize for the utterance of such doctrines as these within these walls, consecrated to the God of our Fathers, the one God in three Persons; were it not necessary to state

b Belsham, x. 4.

c Ib. ix. 2.

them, in order to their refutation; and I should have been unwilling to lay them before such of my congregation, as may be altogether unpractised in the question, were it not, that it seems better for them to hear these things now stated, together with a scriptural reply to them, than that they should be left to the hazard of stumbling upon them, unprepared, and unguarded.

The first assertion to be here disproved is, that our Saviour was a mere human being! Horrible it is to hear such a thing asserted, in a country which enjoys the full light of that revealed word, whereby' his Godhead is so distinctly proved. Yet we have heard that this is asserted in the words which I just now cited; words which lose none of their impiety by the subsequent admission of Christ's divine mission, and of his authority as the chief of the prophets; for surely none is ignorant that the difference between God and his creatures is so infinite, that no exaltation of the latter can possibly raise them to any thing approaching to the former.

F

We hold with all Christians-for that is a strange Christianity which denies it-we hold, that our Lord Jesus Christ "dis the

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very and eternal God, of one substance "with the Father;" and we thus proceed to establish that assertion by the inspired word of God.

For in this matter there is no conviction to be obtained from mere argument. Reasoning can do nothing in this case, farther than to prove the authenticity of the scriptural assertions, which plainly and distinctly mark our blessed Redeemer as the onlybegotten Son, coeternal, and coequal, and one in identity of essence and deity with the Father. It must never be lost from our sight, that the mystery of three Persons in one God can never be explained, because it can never be understood by man. There is therefore no other proof on this part of our controversy, and there can be no other, than the recorded word of him whose word is truth. With that we must rest satisfied. Upon that we may

d XXXIX Articles, Art. 2.

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