and more ancient Kind:after the Order of Melchifedeck. Pfal.cx.4. Heb.v. 10. vi. 20. vii.14, &c. Q. What is the Order of which you fpeak? A. It is evident that when God chose the Tribe of Levi, and the Family of Aaron, to minifter unto him under the Law, He took them inftead of the First-born of Every Tribe and Family, who, by virtue of their Birth-Right, had the Priesthood belonging to them. Exod.xix.22. xxiv. 5. Now Melchifedeck living before this was done, was a Prieft by that ancient Right, and not According to the Law. But then beGen. xiv. 18. fides this, He was a King too; and fo the High Eph. v. 2. Prieft over his People. Now fuch a Priest, and Prince together, was Chrift over his Church. Heb. vii.1,2. Again: Of Melchifedeck we know not either who went before him, or who fucceeded Him in thefe Offices. So that his Priesthood, as to us, was a folitary Priesthood, in which as He fucceeded None, fo neither does it appear that any fucceeded Him. And fuch alfo is the Priesthood of Chrift: There was never any fuch High-Prieft before, nor fhall there ever Rise up Any like him. Heb. vii. 3,6.-23,24. Q. Wherein did He exercife this Office? And A. In all the Parts of the Prieftly Function: Heb. x. 1o. He offer'd up himself a Sacrifice for our Sins. Heb.vii.27. ix. 12,26,28. Having done this, He Rom. viii. 34. Afcended into Heaven, there to Appear in the Prefence of God for Us, Heb. ix. 12, 24. Acts ii. 26. He Bleffeth us, not only by delivering Us hereby from the Punishment of Our Sins, but by Sanctifying our Souls; and fo freeing us, in great Measure, even from the Present Power of Them. Heb. ix. 14. x. 10, 14, 16, 17. Q. How does it appear that Our Lord was not 'only a Prophet, and a Prieft, but a King alfo? A. The Luk.i.32,33. A. The Scripture exprefly calls him 'fo: a. ix. 6,7. Fo.xii. 15. xviii. 37. and that Authority which Mat xxi.5. He has all along exercifed over his Church, Rev.xix 13, proves him to have been fo. Q. What is that Authority? A. While he was yet upon Earth, He gave Laws unto his Church, for the Regulation of the Lives and Actions of Those who fhould become Members of it. Mat. vii. 24,26. Thefe Laws he establish'd with the Royal Sanction of Rewards and Punishments: Mat. vii. 19, 21. He fettled a Ministry, for the Conduct of his Church under Him: Jo.xx. 21,22,23. He Rules in the Hearts of the Faithful, by his Spirit. He has already begun to fubdue our Enemies, Sin, the Devil, and Death: And he will hereafter utterly deftroy them. 1 Cor.xv. 24,25,26. He now fits, in full Power, at the Right-hand of God, Interceeding for Us: And, at the End of the World, he will defcend from thence with Glory, to Judge the World, and fo put in execution his Promifes, and Threatnings; by Infinitely Rewarding Thofe who fhall be found to have Obferved his Laws; and exceedingly Punishing those who fhall have broken themi: Mat.XXV. 31, &c. 16. Q. WHAT is that Relation which Chrift is ༢.་ here faid to have to God? A. He is is Duly Son. Q. In what Refpect do you believe Chrift to be the Son of God? A. He is called fo in the Holy Scriptures upon feveral Accounts: * As he was Conceived D Z by PALxiv. 8. - ix. 5. by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary: Luk.i.45. Begotten again of God when he Raised Him from Q. In which of thefe Refpects do you here profess to believe,that Jefus Chrift is the ONLY Son of God? A. Precifely fpeaking, in none of them all; though yet I acknowledge the most of them to be fo proper to Him, as not to be capable of being applied to any Other. But when I here profefs Chrift to be God's ONLY Son, I do it upon a much higher, and more excellent Foundation; namely, upon the Account of his Eternal Generation, and that Communication which God the Father thereby made of the Divine Nature to Him. Q. Do you then look upon Christ to have been made by God Partaker of the Divine Nature; and fo, to have been from all Eternity,God, together with Him? A. If I believe the Scriptures to give a true Account of the Nature of Chrift, fo I must believe: For I find the fame Evidences in them of the Godhead of Christ, that I do of that of the Father. Q. What be thofe Evidences? A. First, they give the Name of God to him Ita.vii. 14. and that in fuch a Manner as plainly fhews it is Actxx.28. to be understood, in its most proper Import, and Signification. Jo.i. 1. xx. 28. Rom. ix. 5. 1 Tim. iii. 16. fo. v. 20. Phil.ii. 6. Omnipotence ; Omnipotence; Fo.v.17. Rev.i.8. xi.17. Omniscience: Fo.xvi. 30. xxi. 17. Luk.vi. 8. comp. Jo. ii. 24. Rev. ii. 23. Immensity: Fo. iii. 13. Mat. xviii. 20. xxviii.20. Fo.iii. 13. Immutability: Heb. i. 11,12. xiii.8. and even Eternity it self: Rev.i. 8,17. xxii. 13. Prov.viii.22. Mich.v.2. Ifa.ix.5. To him, Thirdly, they afcribe fuch Works, as can belong to None that is not God. The Creation of the World: Jo. i. 3, 10. Col.i. 16. Heb. i. 2,10. The Prefervation of it: Heb. i. 3. Miracles: Jo.v. 21,36. vi. 40. The Miffion of the Holy Ghost: Jo.xvi. 7,14. xiii. 26. And, in fhort, all the Works of Grace, and Regeneration: Jo. V. 21. x. 16. xiii. 18. A&t. xvii. 31. XX. 28. Eph.v. 26,&c. Add to this, Fourthly, that he is there fhewn to be Honoured as God: Jo.v.23. Heb. 1.6. Prayer fs made to him: Act. vii. 59. 1 Cor.i. 2. Faith, and Hope are directed to be put in Him: Jo.xiv. 1. Pfal. ii.12. Praifes and Thanksgivings are Given to Him. 7o. xiv. 1. Rev.iii.5. Glory, and Honour, are rendred to Him. Rev.v.13. compare iv. 11. And no wonder; fince, Laftly, the Nature of God is therein also exprefly ascribed to Him : Heb. i. 3. Phil. ii. 6. Col. ii. 9. compare Col. i. 15, 19. 2 But if Chrift, therefore, be God, as well as the Father, how can He be called the Son of God? A. Because he Received his Divine Nature from the Father; who is the Beginning, and Root,of the Divinity; and has communicated his Own Effence to Chrift: Who, therefore, though he has the fame Nature, and fo, in that, is Equal with the Father; yet is He in Order after him; as being God of God. D 3 Q. How Q. How does it appear that Chrift Received his Divine Nature from the Father? A. It can only be known by that Revelation which God has made of it in the Holy Scriptures: Where he is, for this Reason, said to be the Brightness of his Glory, and the exprefs Image of his Perfon, Heb. i. 3. The Image of the invifible God: Col. i. 15. 2 Cor. iv. 4. to be from God: Jo. vii. 29. to have Life from the Father: Jo. v. 26. and the like. And upon this Account it is, that our Saviour himself fays, that the Father is greater than he Jo xiv.28. That he can do Nothing of Himfelf, but what be feeth the Father do: Jo.v. 18,19. Or if this be not yet plain enough; they tell us farther, in express terms, that he is the Begotten, and the Only begotten, Son of the Father, Jo.i. 14,18. iii. 16,18. Heb xi.17. 1 Jo.iv 9. v. 1. Q. But will not this make the Holy Ghoft, as much God's Son, as Christ? And how then is Chrift his Only Son? A. In Matters of this kind, which are so far above our Capacities, and of which we know Nothing, but what God has been pleafed to Reveal to Us, we muft fpeak, as God, in his Word, has taught us to fpeak. Now the Scriptures no where call the Holy Ghost, the Son of God; nor God, the Father of the Holy Ghost: And therefore though we know not what the precife Difference is, yet because the proper Act of a Father is to beget; we fay that Chrift Received his Divine Nature from God by Gene-ii. 16. ration; but of the Holy Ghoft we fay, as the Comp.Hebi. Scriptures do, that He Proceedeth from the Fa5.6. v. 5. ther: Jo.xv. 25. and is the Spirit not of the Father only, but of the Son alfo. Gal.iv. 6. Rom. viii.9. Phili 19. 1 Pet.i.11. Jo.i. 14. -- Act. xiii. 33. Q. What 1 |