cited as above, Deut. vi. 4, 5, in his answer to the scribe, Thy Lord is one Lord,' the word Lord is plainly known to be the God of Israel, by the word Jehovah in the original, and by the adjunct

terms.

7. We find, Mark xvi. 20, the word Kupios, Lord, without any adjunct term or characters in the text or context; the passage runs thus: They (the eleven apostles) went out and preached every where, the Lord working with them, with signs following. Grotius here by the word 'Lord' understood the "Lord Christ:" but St. Paul, Heb. ii. 4, expressly assures us, that God attested or gave witness to the gospel, by signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost;' and by divers texts it is evident that the Lord God and not the Lord Christ is meant. That this notion is certainly true, is most evident in that famous passage, Acts iv. 23-30. and John having told their friends they were discharged, &c. They lifted up their voice to God with one accord, saying, O Lord, thou art God who hast made the heaven and the earth,' &c. (their address was to the Lord God, and not to the Lord Christ) and ver. 29, O Lord, behold and grant to thy servants to speak thy word with boldness by stretching forth thy hand to heal-and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child,' or servant Jesus.'

.

Peter

In this passage it is very observable, not only that the, prayer of this most primitive apostolic assembly was to God the Father, by the title Lord, that is Jehovah; but that the prayer was also offered after the descent of the Holy Ghost, which was to lead them into all truth; and that the Lord Jesus' was not the object of their address, but the Lord God;' and that the Lord God was only prayed to, that he would stretch out his hand to work miracles, and not the Lord Jesus and this miraculous power of God they desired might attend them on account of the order of his holy child Jesus, who had promised, Mark xvi,

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17, that a miraculous power should attend them; and bad them tarry at Jerusalem,' Luke xxiii. 49, 'till they had received the promise of the Father,' which through Christ they believed should be made good to them, and depending thereon, mentioned the name of Christ by whom they received the promise. It is observable that the apostles had received power from on high,' yet that did not imply power inherent in them to work miracles; but an intimation only, that God would at their prayer work the miracle, Acts iv. 10. And it is further to be regarded, that the people who were present gavé glory to God for the miracle; who by the miracle confirmed Christ's promise, and honoured Christ by that miracle he wrought. And certainly this people were not mistaken in the author of the miracle, nor the object of their worship, who was the Lord God and not the Lord Christ.

The converts of Jesus Christ and his apostles from Judaism, were all taught by Christ and his apostles, to worship no other God, than Jehovah the God of the Jews; which Jehovah, Jesus Christ and his apostles owned for the only true God,' Luke x. 2, John xvii. 3. In the Old Testament, particularly the Psalms, we have now extant so many venerable and excellent remains of the primitive and uncorrupted worship, and pious sentiments of the true religion believed and practised in the Jewish church; that no reader can mistake in judgment who was the God of Israel: and that this God of Israel was the God of Christ, and of his apostles, was so well known to the whole Jewish nation, that they never could nor did call it in question. They saw Christ and his disciples frequent the worship of their synagogues, and temple: St. Luke, xxiv. 53, saith, the eleven and others. were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God: and the temple worship was addressed in prayers and praises to their God Jehovah. See Psalms cxxx cxxxii. cxxxiv. CXXXV. cxxxvi. &c. For instances abound, especially in the Psalms.

The words of Thomas to Christ, John xx. 28, saying, My Lord and my God,' are generally mistaken, as spoken of Christ himself, and not only to Christ; a notion incredible, if we consider that he was Christ's apostle, constant attendant, and heard all Christ's discourses, knew Christ's prayers, especially that in John xvii: had often seen Christ worshipping in the temple, and worshipped the true God with Christ, and had heard Christ declare, Matt. xxii. 29, and Mark xii. 29, who was the true God, and that the owning him was the first and great command. Could Thomas possibly forget?

I. It is evident from abundance of texts, that Jehovah was the God of the Jews, whom alone they worshipped, and whose laws they received.

II. And it is evident, that Jesus Christ and his apostles and disciples acknowledged and worshipped the same Jehovah, as their only true God. If the scribe, Mark xii. 28, 29, 30, suspected the faith of Jesus Christ concerning God, Christ gave him a full answer, which satisfied the captious querist, and extorted the approbation of the truth of Christ's belief.

III. Hence it must follow, that they, and they alone, are the true disciples of Jesus Christ, and the only true worshippers of the one true God, who believe in, and worship him alone, whom Jesus Christ and his apostles, &c. always worshipped. See chap. of Worship.

IV. And they cannot be true Christians, nor right worshippers, who do not worship that Jehovah whom Christ owned and worshipped as the only true God, John xvii. 3, Ephes. i. 17.

CHAP. VIII.

The Father the only true God.

THE whole New Testament expressly teaches, that the Father is the only true God, or that there is

but one God the Father; who is the God and Father of us Christians, and of our Lord Jesus Christ.

St. Paul says, though there be Gods many (so called) and Lords many; yet to us,' or with us (Christians) there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things.' 1 Cor. viii. 5, 6.

St. Paul saith, Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father of us, and of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Rom. i. 7.

St. Paul saith, that Christ shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father.' 1 Cor. xv. 24.

St. Paul wisheth for the Corinthians in these words, "Grace and peace from God the Father of us, and of our Lord Jesus Christ.' 2 Cor. i. 2,

St. Paul blesseth or praiseth in these words, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who,' &c. ver. 3.

St. Paul appeals to God in these words, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth, that I lie not.' xi, 31.

St. Paul saith, that he was an apostle not from men, but from God the Father, who raised him (Jesus Christ) from the dead.' Gal. i. 1.

St. Paul wisheth for the Galatians, grace and peace from God the Father of us (as the Alexandrian and other copies) and of our Lord Jesus Christ, ver. 3. And it must be observed that this is the common style of St. Paul's salutations, at the beginning of his epistles.

"Grace be to you (Ephesians) and peace from God the Father of us, and of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Eph. i. 2.

St. Paul blesses or praises God in these words, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' ver. 3.

St. Paul uses these remarkable words in his prayers, That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,' &c. ver. 16, 17.

St. Paul uses these remarkable words, after he had

separately mentioned the one Lord or Master, i. e. Jesus Christ: There is one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all things or beings.' Alex. MS. iv. 6.

St. Paul speaking to the Ephesian Christians of their duty to God has these words, (which deserve our greatest attention, for in them our great and only object of supreme worship is plainly demonstrated,) giving thanks always, for all things, in the name,' i. e. by the direction, of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God even the Father.' v. 20.

The same salutation is used, Phil. i. 2, as in 2 Cor. i. 2, Gal. i. 3, Ephes. i. 2, viz. Grace be unto you, and peace from God the Father of us, and of our Lord Jesus Christ.'

And here I desire all my readers to take notice, that in all the five texts I have last cited, our transla tors have inserted the word from in a different character in our translation, thus and from the Lord Jesus Christ,' whereas there is not a word in the original ́ of that purport: but they who translated the following seven like salutations in the subsequent epistles durst not presume to put in the word from, but left it quite out. Col. i. 2, 1 Thess. i. 2, 2 Thess. i. 2, 1 Tim. i. 2, 2 Tim. i. 2, Tit. i. 4, Phil. ver. 3.

In all the last cited places, God the Father,' is St. Paul's constant style, and so it is in the famous text, Phil. ii. 11, and in chap. iv. 20, and in all the following texts: 1 Thess. i. 1, iii. 11, 2 Thess. i. 1, 2,

ii. 16.

God

St. James uses the same style, Jam. iii. 9, viz. 'we' Christians bless' that is, worship, even the Father:' this is our way of worship.

St. Peter uses the same style, viz. God the Father and blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' 1. Pet. i. 2, 3.

We have these very remarkable words (Christ) having received from God the Father, honour and glory,' &c. 2. Pet. i. 17.

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