244 FAITH IN ITS LOWEST DEGREES. ends of the earth, which is the very character of the Messiah in the writings of the same prophet. Is. xlix. 6. I will also give theefor a light to the Gentiles, (says God the Father) that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. (4.) I add further, that part of this context, even the very next words, arc applied to our Lord Jesus Christ by St. Paul. The prophet saith, I ans the Lord, and there is noneelse; ver. 18. Unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear; ver. 23. The apostle, citing the words of the prophet, speaks thus ; Rom. xiv. 9, 10, 11. Christ died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lordboth of the dead and living: All must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ: For it is written, as I live, soffit the Lord, every knee shall bowto me, andevery tongue shall confess to God. Where the words Christ, Lord, and God, seem to be usedpromiscuously for the same person. Nor wouldthe apostle's argument seem strong and cogent in that place, if the word God were applied only to the Father ; for it is his design there_ to show that the advancement and glory of Christ was the aim and the effect of our Saviour's death and resurrection, that he might be Lord and Judge of all, and that every knee and tongue might own his lordship and sovereignty. The application of these words to Christ, is again evident in Phil. ii. 10, 11. At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, and ever/ tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Though there the glory of the Father is expressed also. (5.) The last reason why this text maÿ be properly applied to Christ, is because many other expressions of the prophets, that plainly belong to the great God, the God of Israel, as coming to bring salvation to the Gentiles, are plainly applied to Christ in theNewTestament ; Ps. cii. 22, 25. When thepeople are gathered together, and the kinodoms, to serve the Lord, 8çc. Of old hast thoulaid thefoundations of the earth. This is applied to Christ Neb. i. 10. So Ps. xcvii. I. 7. The Lord reigneth, let the multi- tude of isles be glad thereof: Worship him allye Gods. Which is applied to Christ ; lieb. i. 6. So Is. xxxv. 4, 5, 6. compared with Mark ix. 27. So Is. xl. 5. compared with Mat. iii. 3. So Joel v. 32. compared with Rom. x. 13. which would be too large now to rehearse. It will be objected indeed, how can it be, said, that Christ is God, and there is none else ? Is not the Father God also ? I answer, this does no more exclude the godhead of the Father, than our Saviour's own words;. John xvii. 3. exclude his own divinity, where he calls the Father the only true God. I. think it is sufficiently evident from many places ofscripture, that the Fa- ther and the Son have an inconceivable communion, and that one and the same divine naturewhich is in the Father, dwells in the Son : For since divine names and attributes, works and worship,
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