The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-03-08
The DEITY OF CHRIST SCRIPTURAI
AND REASONABLE.
A Sermon by Rev. A. u. Ayerill. Deliy
cred in the Baptist Church, EnPOriAi
Kansas, February IS, 1872.
PUBLISHED BY REoUEsr.)

The Redeemer had been discours
ing on the relations which subsiste,
between himself and his people
He was the shepherd, and they tn
sheep of his pasture. Much inter
est was awakened among his hear
ers. Some were fsvorably dispos
ed, some doubted, others con
demned.
AS he was walking subsequent!
in SolomOn's porch, his adversarie
came to him, saying: allow loni
dost thou make us to doubt? 1
thou be the Christ, tell US plainly
What was the reply, my sheer
hear my voice and L know them
and 1 give unto them eternal life
and they shall never perish, neither
shall any one pluck them out of my
hands. Ny father, who gave them
me is greater than all, and mo one
is able to pluck them out of my
Fathers hands. 1 and my Father
are one"
This, as you must see, was nc
claim to oneness with the Father
that was merely moral oneness
mere unity OF feeling and design
such as Christ meant when he
prayed that his people might be
one as he and the Father were one.
1t was q oneness involving equality
for he claims equal ability or pow
er to defend and keep his people.
They were equally safe in The hands
of either.
That we have correctly interpre-
ted the passage, is clear from what
follows:- "Then the Jews took up
stones to stone him." "Many good
works from my Father have show
edS ou; for which of. these do ye
stone me?" What was the reply ?
"For q good work we stone thee
not, but for blasphemy, and because
thou being q man makest myself
God"
1t has been said that in the subse-
quent portion Of the discourse our
Lord denied the charge of claiming
equality with The father; but this
is not the case. He makes use OF a
species of the drgumeRtum ddhomin-
EN-. On their owR ground, aud
reasoning from their own princi-
ples he shows they could not con-
vict him of blasphemy. They al
lowed that inspired teachers might
be called Gods. Their. Of course,
he whom the Father had sent into
the world might claim to be the Son
of God, which, in its strict sense
must involve similarity and equality
of nature, and not be guilty OF BIAS
phemy. But so far from admitting
that he was only an inspired teach
er, he concludes his discourse by as
sertiAg substantially his equality
and oneness with the Father. The
Jews SO understood him, "FOr they
sought gain to take him."
1t was not then q mere moral
unity, but one involving equality
of nature. The Son then shares
with the Father in the attributes of
the Godhead.
It's my purpose to show in this
discourse that Divine attributes are
ascribed to Christ in the Word of
God, and that this is admissible on
no other hypothesis than that he is
God.
i. DIVINE ATTRIBUTES ARE AS
CRiBED TO HIM.-By Divine attri-
butes are meant here the attributes
of essential divinity, such as are
practicable only of the interested
God. They are these qualities OF
being-which constitute what is
known of the Almighty God, such
as eternity, omnipotence, creative
power, omniscience, immutability.
The question before us is, Are
these attributes claimed for the
Savior, either by himself or other
inspired teachers2 we affirm they
are.
1. Eternity is claimed for him.
In the first of Johns Epistles we
are assured of the eternity of
Christ's nature, ''That which was
from the beginning which we have
heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which our hands have hand
led of the Word of Life; for the
life was manifest, and we have seen
it, and show unto You that Eternal
Life which dwelt with the Father"
1t is certain that the apostle refers
to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was
the eternal life or rather the eternal
Word of Life which dwelt with the
Father. II 80, then he had an cter.
Rdlly existing nature.
The same Apostle tells us In the
commencement of his Gospel, I'm
the beginning was the Word, and
the word was with God and the
word was God" Now the phrase
he e, In the beginning" GntedGte'
creation. The Word then existed
before creation. That which was
before creation was uncreated, and
that which was uncreated was etcr'
nal. Who and what was this w ord
We care not whAEAEas Philo's con.
ception. What says the Word o.
God? "The Word was made fiesl
and dwelt among u.s." The being
whom John calls the Word-LOgoi
was the Son of God, the Incarna
ted Savior. And he was befor,
creation.
I will trouble you with but on,
more passage on this point. and tina
shall be from the Old Testament
in Micah. Y, 2 1t is said, ''Thou Bethle
hem, though thou be little among tn
thousands OF Judah, yet out of the
shall come forth he that is to b
ruler in Israel, whose goings fort
have been from OF old-from ever
lasting" The Messiah was not on
then who began his existence wit
his manifestation in the huma
form. He commenced operation
from of old, from the ages of etel
nifty.
i 2. ODsuipotence and create
fpolcer arc ascribed to Christ. "Hi
name shall be called the might
God, and the government shall b
upon his shoulders" Somethin
more than finite strength her
Again, according to. the workin
of. his mighty power, whereby !
is able to subdue all things unit
himself" Does this claim anythir
short of omnipotent ability