QUESTION B. 435 down onhis face in a worshipping posture at the feet ofChrist to give him thanks, as the glorious means and miraculous instru- ment of his deliverance, not knowing that Christ who healed him, was himself the true God. Thus these persons did not seem to worship our Lord as the true and eternal God with pro- per divine worship. Yet it seems probable that he would have scarce accepted of any such imitation of divine worship, or in- dulged any thing that had the appearanceof it, if he had not been true God. Many persons might pay Christ this high de- gree of honour and prostration without belief of his deity, though perhaps he would have refused it, had he been a mere creature; even as Cornelius worshipped Peter ; Acts x. 25. when we have no reason to believe that he thought Peter was the true God. Yet Peter forbid it, lest it should have any appearance of assum- ing divine dignity to himself. 2. Simon Peter was greatly surprized at the multitude of fishes taken at once, when he let down his net at the direction of Christ; Luke v. 4, &c. When he saw it, He fell down at Je- sus's knees, saying, depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. Which expression may seem to import, " Thou art so holy and pure, O Lord, and hast something so divine in thee, and so much like God, who hates all sin, that such a poor sinful wretch as I sin, have too much defilement in me to come so near thee, and may have just reason to dread thy presence." Whe- ther he might at this season have an overwhelming glimpse of his divinity, it is not easy to say: But it may be easily said, that this miracle alone was not sufficient to givea just convincing proof of his godhead. . 3. The apostles seem to make a petition to Christ for spiri- tual mercies in a way of divine worship ; Luke xvii. 5. and the apostles said to the Lord, increase our faith; which address seems to have more of the appearance of religious worship paid to him by them, than any other expression I know of before the resurrection of Christ. Yet some would question whether this petition did evidence their firm' belief of his godhead : For when they had seen him put forthhis miraculous power on the bodies of men in such a glorious manner, when they found that he knew the thoughts of their hearts,* and had an inward acquaintance * The mere knowledge of theirthoaghts was not sufficient to prove the divi. city of Christ, since God has been pleased in former times to communicate this knowledge to bis prophets; so Ahijah knew the thoughts of Jeroboam's wife, for God had told him; 1 Kings xiv. 5,'6. The Lordsaid to Ahijah, behold the wife of Jeroboam cornea to ask a thing of thee, &c. And much less can we suppose the dis- ciples in that day ofdarkness and ignorance did from thence infer bis deity. Yet I think that expression of Christ; Rev. ii. 23. Ye shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and the hearts; compared with Jet.. xi. 20. and xvii. 10. gives us a good argument for his deity, or that he is one with that God who search.. es the heart as his peculiar prerogative; but this was long after his ascent to heaven. e 2
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