DISSERTATION III. 259 are chiefly mentioned in some of those places where honour and worshipare not only appointedto him by the Father, but actually given him by the saints. When the apostle had described hire as " man, the Son of man, or the second Adam ;" Heb. ii. 9. headds, We see Jesus-who was made a little lower than the an- gels, for the sz /eeing of death crowned withglory and honour ; and accordingly this honour and this glory which he obtained by his death is paid in heaven, and ought to be paid him on earth. Heaven is full of this worship, and it is represented as given to the Lamb by the whole creation ; Rev. v. 13. and particularly by saints, and sometimes by angels, verses 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive honour and power;. Rev. v. 13. To him that has loved us, and washed us in his blood, be glory anddominion for ever; Rev. i. b, 6. Because he was obedient to the death of the cross, therefore the Father has appointed that every knee shall bow to him;" Phil. ii. 8, 9, 10. Now if these three considerations are put together, they seem to give a sufficient confirmation of the sentiments of those two great men, Doctor Owen and Professor Turrettine in this point,, viz. That the whole complex person of Christ both God and man, is the true object of our worship. Objection. "But how can it be that the divine nature or godhead can be the only foundation of worship, and yet Jesus Christ be ,worshipped as a complex person God and man ?\ Is not this an allowance of religious worship to be given to a crea- ture as well as to God ?" Answer. It is the complete person who is the proper ojzject of worship ; the man could never be worshipped, if hewere not also God. But when godhead assumes a creature into so near an union as to make one person with itself, the religious honour may be paid to the whole person, without allowing reli- gious honour to be paid to any mere creature *. This may be explained by an example or two, whereby we may learn that what belongs not to any single nature in itself, may come to be- long to it in union with another nature. We may borrow one example from scripture ; 1 John i. 1, 2, 3. " The word of God, the eternal life which was with the Father, is said to be seen, Andbeard and handled." Now if we take this " logos" or word in any sense whatsoever, it certainly signifies a most exalted spi- ritual being, and in itself it is not capable of being seen, being heard, being handled : so a mere creature, considered in itself, is not 'capable of religious worship. But when this " logos" is * When I speak in any of my writing s of worshipping that which is not God, and call it idolatry, I desire- to be understood in this sense, viz: worshipping that which .has not, true godhead belonging to it, at least as a partof the compounded being or person. For though the human nature of Christ is nottrue God, yet it is worshipped, not in and by itself, but inand with the divine, and as a part of the complex nature of theMediator,. It 2
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