434 4tiIS EIONE CONCERNING JESUS. expressions he had used to that purpose, of his Father's being with him, and of the Father's dwelling in him : And this was the language of their sermons at first ; Acts x. 38. Jesus of Nazareth did great things, for God was with him. But they did not seem to have any fixed and certain belief of such a peculiar and personal union of the man Christ Jesus with the true Gott during his life-time, as to give him the name and title of God. They had heard him say, that he and his Father were one; but they did scarce understand his oneness with the Father, and communion in the godhead in so sublime a sense, as was afterwards revealed to them, for they never called him God before his resurrection. Which brings me to the next gene- ral head. SECT; 1V.What Evidence they gare of believing his True Deity. IV. The fourth thing I proposed was to shewwhat, indica- tions the disciples may be supposed to give tending towards a belief of his godhead. -1. Upon some special occasions they worshipped him. The leper that was cleansed worshipped Christ ;, Mat. viii. 2. " The ruler that sought the life of his daughter, worshipped him ;" Mat. ix. 18. " Thewoman of Ca- naan worshipped him," saying, Lord help me ; Mat. xv. 25. .But all this was before he wrought the miracle in their favour ; and probably it signifies no more than a great degree ofhumility in the manner of their petition, perhaps a bowing the knee, or fallingon the face at his feet. The blind man, who was healed, worshipped him also, when he professed himself to be the Son of God ; John ix. 38. and his disciples that were in the ship wor- shipped him, when he walked on the water and suppressed the storm ; Mat. xiv. 32, 33. But it may be doubted whether all this arises to the notion of religious and divine worship, since this word is sometimes used in scripture, referring to moral or civil honours paid to our fellow- creatures ; 1 Chron. xxix. 20: They bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord and the king. Mat. xviii. 26. The servant fell down and worshipped his Lord. Rev. iii. 9. where. Christ himself says to the church at Sardis, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet. And perhaps some that knew not that Christ was God, might pay this sort of worship to him here on earth, that is, a mere high degree of reverence and obeisance under the surprizing influence of the miracles which they heard of, or which they saw. When one of the ten lepers which were healed, came back; Lukexvii. 15. it is said, with a loud voice he gloried God, and fell down on his face at the feet of Christ, giving him thanks, and he was a Samaritan. Now it may be observed here, that the cleansed leper first glorified God, as the great Author and first cause of his healing, and then fell
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