S. MATT. iii. 17.

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

CHRIST is the Beloved, or Only Son of

He is called the Son of GOD;

1. Because conceived by the Holy Ghost, S.Luk. i. 15. S. Matt. i. 20.

2. Because fanctified by the Father, and fent into the World, S. Joh. x. 36.

3. Because raised from the Dead, Act. xiii. 33. Rom. i. 4.

4. Especially, because Begotten of the Father from all Eternity, Col. i. 15.

For which confider,

1. Chrift had a real Being and Existence before he was born of the Virgin Mary, Gal, iv. 4. S. Joh. vi. 33, 51. and xvi. 28. He was before John the Baptift, S. Job. i. 15. Before Abraham, S. Job. viii. 5. Before the World, S. Joh. i. 1, 2, 3. Col. i. 15, 16. Hebr. i. 2. 'O☺eï ÿòs, ó weỳ aiúvwv yevvnbeis. S. Ignat. Ep. ad Ephes.

2. The Being which he had was truly Divine, the fame which the Father had, fo that he was really and truly GOD, Rom. ix. 5. Phil. ii. 6,7. I S. Joh. v. 20. S. Job. i. 1. and xx. 28.

The fame was revealed in the Old Testament, Ifai. vii. 14. and ix. 6. 78 121.

Hence his Blood which he fhed as Man, is yet faid to be the Blood of God, A&t. xx. 28.

3. This his Divine Nature he received of the Father, S. Job. v. 26. and vii. 29. He is called by the Council of Nice, Θεὸς ἐν Θεό, φῶς ἐκ φωτός, Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς ἐκ Θεῖ ἀληθιν..

Pater eft vita in femetipfo, non à Filio: Filius vita in femetipfo, fed à Patre; S. Auguft. Vitam genuit Pater vita, nec differt in aliquo effentia gignentis & geniti, cum fic ex Patre fit Filius, ut confempiterna non una quidem Perfona, fed una fit Deitas. Sentent. Decerpt. ex Auguft. cccxxxv. And fo to the fame purpofe, Id. C. Maximin. 1. 1. & 1. 3. c. 14. & de Incarnati Verbi, c. 8.

Neither did he receive any part, but the whole Divine Effence was communicated to him, fo as το be ὁμούσι τω Παλε, Col. ii 9.

4. This Communication of the Divine Effence was properly Generation, and therefore Chrift most properly a Son, Hebr. i. 6. Inafmuch as

τὸ ποιέμενον ἐκ ἐκ δ ἐσίας το ποιενός ὅτι τὸ δὲ γεννώμε vov ču ↑ dulñs žolas To Yevv@vtos. S. Bafil. adv. Eunom. 4.. ab init. And l. 2. p. 738. having recited the firft Verfe of S. John's Gofpel, he adds, Taïδίο ὕπαρξιν, τὴν ἀπαθῆ γέννησιν, τὸ συμφυές τῷ Πατρὶ, τὸ μεγαλεῖον δ φύσεως, πάν]α ἐν τοῖς ὀλίγοις ῥήματι συλά λαβών.

Τεσὸς Χριςός μόνΘ ἰδίως ὺς τῷ Θεῷ γεγέννηται, λόγΘ αυτό ὑπάρχων, και πρωτότοκΘ, καὶ δύναμις. Fuft. Marte Apol. 2. Ω το μεγάλο Θεῖ ! ὦ το τελες παιδί. ! ὸς ἐν ware?, y walkę ir ie, Clem. Alex. Padag. l. 2. c. §.

Hence he is called the Image of God, Hebr. is 2, 3. and God's own Son, Rom. vi. 32. Not by Adoption, Gal. iv. 4, 5. and the morons, the Only Begotten of the Father, S. Joh. i. 14. and

iii. 16.

Hence therefore we may fee the Reason of every Expreffion in my Text, uttered from Hea ven by GOD Himself.

1. This

1. This, My Son. that fpake, by a Voice from Heaven, as our Saviour fpake from thence to S. Paul, A. xxvi. 13, 14. fo here GOD the Father spake, and own'd our Saviour for His Son.

Because it is the Father

2. My Beloved Son; because His Only Begotten, S. Matt. xii. 18. and xvii. 5.

3. In whom I am well pleased; s w ev♪ónnoa, In, or through whom, I am well pleased with all the Sons of Men that repent and turn to me, Ephef. i. 6. S. Job. iv. 42.

And the Reason is, because this Son of GOD having in our Nature undergone the Punishment of our Sins, we are hereby reconciled to GOD, Rom. v. 10. and fo have Peace with Him, Rom.

V. I.

Hence therefore we may obferve two Things.

I. That this Jefus Chrift, as he is the Son of GOD, must needs be the LORD too, S. Matt. xxviii. 6. S. Luk. ii. 11. S. Joh. iv. 1. A&. ix. 5, 6, 10. 11. Hof. i. 7. where a is rendered by the Targum, by the Word of the Lord. For,

1. As the Son of GOD, he must needs be the Lord too, as his Father is; the Being of Beings, for all things were made by him, S. Joh. i. 3.

2. Besides this his Dominion as the Son of GOD, he is Lord alfo, as the Son of Man. For as fuch he purchased this Power by his Death, Ephef. i. 20, 21, 22. Phil. ii. 11. S. Matt, xxviii. 18.

II. It is alfo to be obferved, That he is our Lord in a peculiar manner, S. Joh. xx. 28. Phil. iii. 8. For it is he that hath redeemed us with his own Blood, Tit. ii. 14. Rev. v. 9, 10.

USE.

USE. Hence learn,

1. To adore and magnify the infinite Love of GOD in our Redemption, S. Joh. iii. 16. 1 S. Joh. iv. 9, 10.

2. To put our whole Truft and Confidence in Him, for our Salvation, Hebr. vii. 25. For he being GOD, as well as Man, his Death could not but be a Propitiation for for all our Sins, I S. Joh. ii. 2. and be able to endue us with true Grace and Vertue, A&t. iii. 26.

3. To worship and glorify CHRIST as GOD and LORD, S. Joh. v. 22, 23. Rev. xiii.

4. To call to mind, that CHRIST being our LORD, both by Creation and Redemption, we are to look upon ourselves as not our own, but His, 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. Rom. xiv. 7, 8.

5. And lastly, To devote ourselves wholly to His Service, 2 Cor. x. 5. 2 Tim. ii. 19. 1 S. Pet. ii. 9, 10, 11, 12.

S. MATT.

S. MATT. V. 16,

Let your Light So Shine before Men, that they may fee your good Works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.

1.WHAT we are to understand by Light;

namely,

1. Knowledge, S. Joh. iii. 19. and ii. 10. At. xxvi. 18. 1 Cor. iv. 4.

2. Doctrine, S. Matt. v. 14. 2 Cor. iv. 4. S. Luk. xvi. 8.

3. Holiness of Life, Ephef. v. 8. And that this is chiefly intended here, appears plainly from the following Words, That they feeing your good Works,

II. What by Shining, Let your Light fo fhine before Men, i, e. to be made manifeft, and fhew itfelf, not only to God, and our own Confciences, but to all Men, to all we converse with,S.Job.v.35.

That it appear with Luftre, and be Bright and Glittering; which is the proper Signification of adow, the Word in the Original, to fpread its Rays like a Torch, fays Budaus; Niteo, Splendeo, corufco, fay others. Thus 'tis faid of our Saviour in his Transfiguration, ἔλαμψε τὸ πρόσωπον AÚTï ás ó ïx!☺, S, Matt. xvii. 2. And thus applied to God's firft Production of Light, Gen. xiii. and to the Light of our Saviour's Gofpel breaking in upon the Hearts of his Difciples, 2 Cor. iv. 6.

III. Two Ends of this Light fhining.

1. That others may fee our good Works, Tit. ii. 7, 8. 2 Theff. iii. 9. Not that we may be ap plauded for them, S. Matt. vi. 1, 5. But,