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created all things, and for thy pleasure, they are, and were created.' See also, ver. 14, a noble pattern of divine worship, highly proper for all Christians, and all Christian assemblies to imitate!

As this sacred character, the living God,' was applied expressly by St. Peter, and in the name of the rest of the apostles, to God the Father in distinction from Christ, so this sacred language ought to have been observed at all times and in all ages, by all the disciples of Jesus Christ; and according to the express words of St. Paul, 2 Tinf. i. 13, this and the like form of sound words should have been strictly and religiously observed by all Christians in all ages. And this form of words, current in the present age, "God the Son," should never have been used or mentioned by any Christian preacher or writer.

CHAP. XIV.

God, Holy, OZIOZ, in the highest sense. THIS term is but twice used of the supreme God in the New Testament, viz. Rev. xv. and xvi. chapters; where St. John represents those who had gotten the victory over the beast, offering their praises to God in these words, Rev. xv. 3, 4, and they sing the of Moses,' and the song of the Lamb,' saysong ing, Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, O king of saints. Who would not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name; for thou only art holy.'

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And chap. xvi. 5, 7, The angel of the waters is represented praising God, and saying, Thou art righteous, O Lord, who art, and who wast, the holy one; and the Lord God Almighty.'

N. B. Most of the critics here do not pretend to apply these two passages to Jesus Christ, for they are too strongly guarded by the circumstances, and other appropriate characters of God, from such a bold attempt. For the song of praise here mentioned is

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said to be the song of the Lamb; that is, the song which the Lamb himself taught or sang to the praise of the most high God.'

2. Jesus Christ is here named the Lamb, and thereby distinguished from the Lord God Almighty,' for whose praise the Lamb sang, and perhaps composed this song,

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3. In this song, chap. xv. ver. 3, 4, there are two appropriate characters of the most high God,' never given to Jesus Christ, viz. the Almighty,' or Omnipotent; and the only holy One.' chap. xvi. 5,7. See пavтоnрáτшp. We have again the three distinctive and appropriate characters of God, which are given to him in the praise offered to him by the angel of the rivers; namely these; He who is, and was, and is to come,' and 'the holy one,' and the Almighty;' which characters are never given to Jesus Christ. And who will doubt whether the worship of the angel was right?

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Christ himself, in his prayer to him whom he styles, John xvii. 3, the only true God,' speaks these words, O holy Father, keep-those thou hast given me,' no doubt applying this word holy, ayos, in the highest and most absolute sense, to his God, and our God.

And the four living creatures, (as it should be translated,) rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.' Rev, iv. 8. This form of speech is no where. ascribed to Jesus Christ. And it is here used in the beginning of a doxology, very awful and expressive, to God sitting on a throne;' read the 9th, 10th, and 11th verses.

In Rev. xv. 4, the Alexandrian and other copies use this term, "Ayios, with the exclusive word povos, which makes Ayios an exclusive and distinctive character belonging to and applied by those who had got the victory over the beast,' ver. 2, to the only holy God;' singing the song of Moses, and of the Lamb, to the true God, who, these two persons

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taught, was only to be praised and worshipped;' as in the 3d and 4th verses.

God the Father alone foreknows certain future

events.

The Father alone, and not Jesus Christ himself, foreknew certain future events. Matt. xxiv. 36, Christ expressly saith, 'Of the day, and hour, no one knoweth, no not the angels in heaven; except the Father only.'

Mark xiii. 32, Christ saith, Of that day and hour no one knoweth, not the angels in heaven, nor the Son, [except, of] but the Father,' (alone) in some copies.

Acts i. 7, Christ tells his apostles, met together, 'It was not for them to know the times and seasons which the Father put in his own power.'

N. B. These three texts evidently appropriate the prescience of some future events to the Father alone; and expressly or by undeniable consequence, deny the Son's prescience of them: which truth also manifestly appears by a very great number of events, the revelation or discovery of which God' gave unto Christ.' Rev. i. 1, and through the whole book.

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The Highest or Most High, TIETOE, a name or title of God, applied to him alone, and never applied to Jesus Christ in all the New Testament.

CHRIST is called the son of the Most High,' Mark v. 7, Luke viii. 28. Now God cannot be a son, because a son is a derived being, and not the first being.

Luke i. 32, 35. The angel foretelling the birth of Christ, &c. says, The power of the Most High shall overshadow thee; therefore that holy thing that shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of

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God,' that is, the Son of the Most High,' or the Highest.'

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Chap. i. 76, Zacharias uses the same title, the Highest,' or Most High;' when he had been praising the Lord, the God of Israel, ver. 69.

Love your enemies,' &c. and ye shall be the sons of the Highest.' Chap. vi 35.

The demoniac was so used to this title, that when he came to Christ, he presently mentions it, without the least deliberation. Chap. viii. 28.

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St. Stephen, in his dying speech, says, the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands.' Acts vii. 48, xvi. 17.

N. B. This title the Most High,' or the Most High God,' is often used in the Old Testament, viz. Gen. xiv. 18, 19, 20, 22, Heb. vii. 1, compared. Melchisedec mentions this title thrice, speaking to Abraham; who also uses it in his speech to the king of Sodom.

It is also found Psalm lxxvii. 10, Dan. iv. 17, 34, vii. 18, 22, Psalm lvi. 2, lxxxviii. 56, and in very many texts of the Old Testament, and always understood as a name or title of the true God.

It is most certain, this appropriate title of God (the Most High) is mentioned in the Old Testament, frequently, and about twenty-four times in the Psalms; therefore it could not be understood by the writers of the New Testament, but of God the Supreme Being; and so those writers always apply it, and never to Jesus Christ in any one text of the New Testament. N. B. From all the texts now mentioned, these two propositions are evident. I. That God, or the Father of Jesus Christ, is alone styled the Highest,' or the Most High.'

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II. That Jesus Christ is no where, in no text of the holy scriptures, styled the Highest,' or 'Most High,' either by himself, or by any of his apostles, or disciples, but the Son of the Highest.' Luke i, 32.

CHAP. XVI.

God alone is good, ATAOOZ, in the highest sense; and Christ himself refuses that character, in his own words expressly.

JESUS CHRIST himself has expressly determined this in such words, as can never be fairly controverted. And his words are remarkably recited by St. Matthew, Mark and Luke, in the same order, number, and terms, by all those three evangelists. A certain ruler kneeling said to Christ, Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good?' Matt. xix. 17, Mark x. 18, Luke xviii. 19. And in our translation, the words of Christ's answer are thus: 'There is none good but one, that is God.' "God, my Father, who is in heaven." Clem. Alex. Now, though this version is sufficient to inform, and confound all gainsayers; yet the words may, and ought to be set in a stronger and truer light, thus: "There is no person good, except it be, a's, one person, that is, God."

N. B. It is most observable, 1. That in this passage Christ reproves or corrects the person who called him 'good;' and consequently refuses the character of being good, i. e. in the highest sense. 2. Christ informs him, and sets him right, by telling him, that he, Christ, did own no person to be good, (i. e. absolutely, perfectly, and in the highest sense) but one person, that is, God.'

CHAP. XVII.

The true one, AДHOINOΣ, is applied to God, as a distinguishing title or character.

IN John vii. 28, our translators by inverting the order of the words thus,' he that hath sent me is true, have hurt or injured the sense or true meaning: for

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