Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .O8 1721

of the PERSON of CHRIST. Ó Son, even as they honour the Father : He that honoureth not the Son, ho- noureth not the Father that fent him. Some confiderations on this divine teftimony will confirm our pofition. It is of the Son incarnate that the words are fpoken S as all judgment was committed unto him by the Father, as he was font by him, ver. 22. that is, of the whole perfon of Chrift in the exercife of his mediatory office. And with refpe& hereunto it is, that the mind of God is peculiarly revealed. The way whereby Cod manifefteth his will, that all men Gould thus honour the Son, as they honour the Fa- ther, is by committing all power, authority and judgment unto him ; ver. 20, 25, 22. For the Father loved; the Son, and fheweth him all things that him- fe f Both i andhe willthew himgreat j works than thefe, thatye may marvel. Foras the Father raifeth, up the dead, andquickneth them; evenfo the Son guickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no, man, but bath com- mitted all judgment unto the Son. Not that there things are the formal reafon and caufe of thedivine honour which is to be given him; but they are reafons of it, and avd motives unto it in that they are evidences ofhis being the Son of God. But it may be faid, What need is there that the Father Gould fo inter- pofe an act ofhis will and favereignpleafure, asto this honouring of theSon, Peeing the foie caufeand reafon of this divine honour is the divine nature, which the Son is no lefs partaker of than the Father? I anfwer, (r.) He cloth not in this command intend the honour and worthip of Chrift abfolutely as God, but dif inclly as the Son, which peculiar wadi-lip was not known under the Old Teftament, but was now declared neceffary in the commiting all power, authority and judgment unto him. This is the honour whereof we fpeak. (a.) He doth it, left any Gould conceive that as he was now feat of the Father, and that in the formof a fervant, this honour Gould not he due unto him. And the worldwas then far from thinking that it was fo, and many I fear are yet of the fame mind. He is therefore to be honoured by us, according to the will of God, 2.11,4 in like mirvier as we honour the Father. [i.] With the fame honour i that is, divine, T`acred, religious and fu- preme. To honour the Father with other honour, is to dithonour him. When men defign to give gloryand honour to God which is not truly di- vine, it is idolatry. For this honour in truth is nothing but the afcription of all infinite divine excellenciesunto him. Whereon when men afcribe un- to him that which is notfo, they fall into idolatry by the seorfhip of their own imaginations. So was it with the Ifraeliteswhen they thought to have given glory to God, by making a golden calf whereon they proclaimed a feaft unto Jehovah Exod. xxxii. 5. And fo was it with the Heathens in all their images of God, and the glory which they defigned to give him thereby, as the apoftle declares, Rom. t. 23,-25 This is one kind of ïdo- ' latry, as the other is, the afcribing unto creatures, any thing that is pro- per and peculiar unto God, any divine excellency. And we donot honour Godthe Father with one kind ofhonour, and the Son with another. That were not to honour the Son 5505í0 as we honour the Father, but in a way infinitely different from it. [2.] In the fame manner, with the faine faith, loge, reverence and obe- dience, always, in all things, in all ads and duties of religion whatever. This diftinâ honouris to be given unto the perfon of the Son by. virtue' of thiscommandof the Father, though originallyon the account of his onenefs in nature with the Father. And our duty herein is preffed with the high- eft enforcement; He that honours not the Son, honours not the Father. He who

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