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tors adored, though he indeed claimed authority from Him. This consideration renders it at least highly improbable that the Jews would have accused Jesus of having claimed equality with the Deity in every respect. Supposing, however that they did. Was the accusation well founded? This question may be answered by a reference to their frequent misunderstanding and perversion of our Lord's language (as in John ii. 19, 21; vi. 52, &c.), and their bitter reprehension of him for words and conduct of the most unexceptionable kind. (See John x. 19, 20; vii. 20; viii. 48. See also John ix. 16; Luke vi. 1, 11, &c., &c.) But, can an argument for the doctrine of his essential equality with the Father be justly deduced from his own words or deportment on this occasion? Did he claim this equality? He had indeed called God his Father; and this he might do with the utmost propriety, seeing that he was the most gifted and favoured of God's children, His beloved Son, the Messiah. Hence we conclude that the only kind of equality to which Jesus laid claim was a likeness or resemblance to God. And what was his justification? He had cured an impotent on the Sabbath; and for this benevolent act he was persecuted by his countrymen, and charged with having violated the sanctity of that holy day. The argument which he employed in his defence is fraught with the highest moral beauty and sublimity. "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work;" that is,

My Father never ceaseth to perform deeds of benevolence and mercy: I imitate that kind and gracious Being; for I also delight to perform works of mercy towards the lame, the blind, the poor, whether on the Sabbath, or on any other day which presents opportunities for the exercise of the powers with which I am entrusted." This answer, so far from satisfying our Lord's persecutors, served to irritate them the more, and they charged him with assuming too much authority; he denied the charge in that remarkable verse immediately following our text: "Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do; for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." And in verse 30: "I can of mine ownself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just; because. I seek not

mine own will, but the will of the Father who hath sent me."

We shall notice one more passage adduced as a testimony to the Divine nature of Christ, and conclude.-It is from the Old Testament: Isaiah ix. 6; Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; ** and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." In the first place, it is worthy of notice that Jesus and his Apostles, fond as they were of using Scriptural language, never quoted this passage, nor is it cited in any part of the New Testament. Surely, had it been viewed by them in the same light as it is by the generality of Christians at the present day, it would have been repeatedly referred to in confirmation of a doctrine which must have been altogether strange and novel in the eyes of the Jews In the second, the passage itself is admitted by Bishop Lowth to be very obscure, and attended with "many and great difficulties." It has been variously rendered by writers of great learning and piety, and cannot, therefore, consistently be appealed to in proof of the doctrine generally supposed to be confirmed by it. The word God, in the Bible, has various significations:-It sometimes denotes merely the qualities of strength, greatness, excellence, &c., in the subjects to which it is applied; and is often used in reference to angels, judges, and holy men: thus, it is applied to Moses in Exod. vii. 1. ; "And the Lord said unto Moses, see, I have made thee a god to Pharoah; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet." It was not unusual among the Jews, as Jesus himself admits (John x. 34-36.) to bestow this appellation on any person "to whom the word of God came." Had Jesus, therefore, assumed the title of a God, he would have been fully justified by the practice of his countrymen; on the contrary, however, he seemed studiously to shun every expression that might be deemed to imply the arrogation of that honour which is due to the only true God.

The titles, Wonderful, Counsellor, cannot be advanced as proof of the Divinity of the person to whom they are applied, as they are often used in relation to men and things. With regard to the title, Everlasting Father, biblical writers of all denominations generally prefer the

rendering, Father of the everlasting, or future age; an appellation not inapplicable to Christ, inasmuch as he may be considered as appointed by God to be the instructor of future generations, the head and introducer of a new and everlasting dispensation. And if any of God's messengers pre-eminently deserve the distinction of Prince of Peace, it is undoubtedly the Messiah, the great end of whose mission was, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men."

RIAN,

We have now gone through the task we had proposed to ourselves. In the preceding number of the UNITAwe endeavoured to show the superior reasonableness and efficacy of Unitarianism over Trinitarianism in a moral and intellectual point of view in the present, it has been our object to confirm and fortify the justness of those speculations by showing that there is no sufficiently tenable ground for deducing the doctrine of a Trinity in the Godhead-or, at least (which is about the same thing), the Supreme Deity of Christ-from the passages of Scripture, generally and popularly alleged to substantiate it. We have selected those texts ourselves, it is true, but we shall surely not be charged with unfairness in this respect, as no Trinitarian can deny that they are of the number most favourable to His views; in fact, the very passages that an ordinary student of the Scriptures is most anxious to know how the Unitarians " get over, as he terms it. We lay but little claim to originality of view or of statement: our principal aim having been to make known the arguments heretofore advanced, and the conclusions already drawn by some of the most profound reasoners, and the most learned biblical critics. The result is left to the judgment of the pious and candid reader.

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THE BENEVOLENCE OF DEITY ILLUSTRATED.

No subject can be more worthy of our contemplation than the benevolence of the Creator. To this sublime attribute we are indebted for our existence, and everything that can make life desirable. At His command, prolific earth yields abundant increase to the labour of man, and His wisdom and goodness hath decreed that the means by which all life is sustained, should be the inlets of pleasure. For the desires that elicit our energies and for the wants that stimulate us to action, His bounty has

amply provided; He openeth his hand, and His creatures are filled with good. Nor ends his kindness here: with this abundance of blessings to His wisdom it seemed good to amalgamate a portion of evil, that man might acquire knowledge by experience and comparison of opposites, and his happiness be promoted and enhanced by the contrast. Still mindful of the creature He had endued with superior intellect-" for empire formed, and fit to rule the rest"-He leaves him not uninstructed to pursue life's devious course, but prescribes him laws, and bids him avoid the evil, though it should assume the seducing appearance of pleasure, for vexation and disappointment are its constant attendants; but virtue, under every circumstance, undeviating, still pursue! Though difficult, perhaps, the way appear, the prospect will brighten as you advance, and immortal honour shall crown your perseverance. Heed, then, the high behest! for your reward shall be proportioned to your obedience.

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When you hear the sad petition,
Onward, quickly-freely move.

Go not for the sake of "fashion,"
Or the trumpet's flattering sound,
Which shall publish through the nation
How thy charities abound!
Better have thy name recorded
In a higher, brighter sphere,
Than to have it thus applauded,
By thy fellow mortals here.

Let the miser count his treasure-
Let the selfish study ease-

The luxurious his pleasure

And the envious pine and tease;
Mine shall be the high enjoyment
To administer relief,

Like an angel's blest employment,
Healing bosoms torn with grief.

NEW BOOKS.

Ar a time when the subject of peace has been so much discussed, the following remarks on the words of Christ, which have so often been misunderstood by commentators, and which are sometimes still adduced by the ignorant to palliate war, may not be unacceptable to our readers. They are extracted from that truly valuable work, which ought to be in the hands of every biblical student— "Notes and Comments on Passages of Scripture," by John Kentish.

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Matthew x. 34, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword." This is no ambiguous text."* The two clauses of it should be compared with each other: in the former the declaration is negative and general-"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth," and this is explained by the remaining sentence, "I came not to send peace but a sword." War, undoubtedly, is one of those states of things which are exactly the reverse of peace. Still, it is not the only one. Peace is public or private, national or domestic; and the opposite of private tranquillity is division. In * Hist. of Decline, &c., 8vo., V. ix. 295, (ch,1)

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