6L eft Declaration oftl e Glorious M Y ST F RY diligent attendance whereunto, we do but in vain bear the name of chri- ftians. And the fubftance of what is defigned may be included in the fol- lowing alfertion. The glory, lifeand power ofchriftian religion, as chriftian religion, and as feared in the fuls of men, with all the ads and duties which properly belong thereunto, and are therefore peculiarly chriftian, and all the bene- fits and priviledges we receive by it, or by virtue of it, with the whole of the honour and glory that arife unto God thereby, have all of them their formal nature and reafon, from their refpett and relation unto the perfon ofChrift ; nor is he a chriftian who is otherwife minded. In the confirmation hereof it will appear what Judgment ought to be paf- fed on that enquiry, which after the untnrerrupted profefiion of t" e catho- lick church for fa many ages of a faith un^o the contrary, is begun to be made by faire amongft us , namely, Of what rife is the perfon of (brill in religion ? For it proceeds on this fuppofition, and is determined according- ly, that there is fomething in religion wherein the perfon of Chrift is of no ufe at all. A vain imagination, and fuchn as is deltruhive unto the whole real intercourfe between God andman, by the one and only mediator. The refpeét which we have in all the ads of religion unto the perfon of Chrift may he reduced urto thefe four heads; r. Honour. 2. Obedience. g. Conformiry ? 1 he ufe we make of la-m, fr the attaining and receiving of the gofpel privileges, all graces an4 glory. And hereunto the whole of our relgion as it is chriftian or evangelical may be reduced. a. Tlré perfonofChrift is the obje/ of divine honour and woríhip. The fr- mal ohhjedand reafon hereof is thedivine nature, and its effeneral infinite excel- lencies. For they are nothing but that refaced unto the divine being, which is due urto it from all rational creaturesregulated by revelation, and enforced by divine operations. Where ore the perfon of Chrift is prim .rily the objecít of divine honour and woríhip, upon the account of his divine nature andex- cellencies, And thofe who denying that nature in lain, do yet pretend ca woríhip him with divine and religious adoration, do but evorlhip a ao den calf of their own felting up ; fora Chrift who is not over all God elf- fedfer ever, is not better. And it implies a contradi&ion, that any c re.a:,re litould on any account, be the immediate proper objefe of divine woríhip; unlefs the divine eifential excellencies be communicated unto it, or transfix- fed into it, whereby it would ceafe to be a creature. For that woríhip is nothing but the afcription of divine excellencies unto what is fo worfhiped. But we now confider the Lord Chrift, in his whole entire pertn, the Son of God in ornate, God manifefl in the fief. His infinite condefcer- fion in the aflàmptionof our nature, did no way divert ]rimof his divine effen- tial excellencies. For a time, they were rhadowed and vaned thereby, from the eyes of men; when he made himfelf of reo reputation, and took on him the form of a fervent. But lie eternally and unchange bly conti- nued in theform ofGod, and thought it no robbery to be equal unto him, Phil. ii. 6, 7. He can no more really and effentiallyby any aft ofcondefcen- fion cr humiliation, ceafe to be God, than God cati ceafe to be. Where- fore his being cloathed with our nature, derogates nothing from the true reafon of divine woríhip due unto him, but adds an effectual motive unto it. He is therefore the immediate objet ofall duties of religion, internal and external. And in the difpenfation of God towards us, none of them can be performed in a due manner without a refpe& unto him. This then in the farit place is to be confirmed; namely, that all divine honour is due unto the Sere ofGod incarnate, that is, the perfon ofChrift.' John n. 23. It is the will of the Father, That all men fhauld honour Son
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