incarnate God, " the first and the last, who lived, and was dead, and is alive for evermore q."j
Conclusion —
1. Let this doctrine, then, be deeply fixed in your
minds —
[Hold it not slightly and superficially ; but acquaint yourselves with it, and with the irrefragable proofs whereby it is established. Those who are adverse to it, will bring for- ward passages which speak of him as inferior to the Father. But we must remember, that the Lord Jesus Christ is spoken of under different characters in Scripture, as God, as man, and as Mediator between God and man. As God, he is alto- gether, in the highest sense, " one with the Father1." In the two latter characters he was inferior to the Father ; and must, of course, be spoken of in that light. But these passages no more disprove his divinity, than the passages which speak of him as God disprove his humanity. Man himself is mortal, and immortal ; mortal in his body, and immortal in his soul. Who ever thought of putting these in opposition to each other, and of making an affirmation of the one to be a denial of the other? Yet this is what is done by those who deny the divinity of our Lord. But be on your guard against them : and let neither men nor devils rob you of a truth so essential to your happiness both in time and in eternity.]
2. Let it make a suitable impression on your hearts —
[So astonishing is this truth, that it is a wonder we can ever think of any thing else. O, what prostration of soul is it calculated to produce ! What admiring and adoring thoughts of God ! What a zeal in his service ! What a contempt of every thing that can come into competition with him ! What boasting of him to our fellow-creatures ! What commending of him to all ! Verily, if we lived under a suitable impression of this truth, we should, as far as human infirmity would admit of it, resemble the very hosts around the throne. Let us, then, aspire after this experience. Let admiration, and love, and gratitude, and thanksgiving, occupy, as it were, our whole lives. And let us be looking forward to that blissful period, when we shall see him as we are seen ; and " know him, even as we are known."]
9 Rev. i. 17, 18. t John x. 30.