We might consider several other divine attributes ascribed to Christ, which prove his Deity, viz. holiness, truth, and faithfulness: thus, in Rev. iii. 7. These things saith he that is holy, he that is true; and he is farther described in the following words, as having uncontroulable power; who openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth. That this is spoken of him, is beyond dispute; and in chap. vi. 10. They cried with a loud voice, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth? to whom did they cry but to the Lamb, who is said to have opened the seals, or to have discovered the mysteries that were thereby revealed, as in ver. 1.? And when he had opened the sixth seal, he is described, as hearing his church’s prayer, and avenging their blood, and so is represented as coming to judgment, in a very terrible manner; upon which occasion it is said, the great day of his wrath is come; and therefore it is he who is described as holy and true.
But if it be replied to this, that creatures are sometimes called holy and true, we may farther add, that it is Christ to whom it is said, chap. xv. 4. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou only art holy; for all nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments are made manifest. This I infer from what has been before considered, that it is he who obtains victory over, and pours forth his judgments on his church’s enemies; and it is he whose praises are celebrated in the song of the Lamb, mentioned in the verse immediately foregoing.
Having considered several divine perfections, as ascribed to our Saviour, and these so glorious, that nothing greater can be mentioned to set forth the glory of a divine Person; yet we may add hereunto, those glorious titles that are given him with a design to excite in us adoring and admiring thoughts of him: amongst which we shall only mention some which are either the same with, or are equivalent to those which are given to the Father, which they who deny Christ’s Deity, cannot but own to be distinguishing characters of a divine Person, when so applied. Thus, is the Father styled, in Heb. xiii. 20. The God of peace? our Saviour is styled, in Isa. ix. 6. The Prince of peace; and he is said, Eph. ii. 14. to be our peace; and as peace includes in it all the blessings that accompany salvation, Christ’s being styled the Author thereof, denotes him to be the Fountain of blessedness, which he could not be, were he not a divine Person.
Again, as God is called a Sun, and a Shield, Psal. lxxxiv. 9. so Christ is called, in Mal. iv. 2. The Sun of Righteousness; and, in Isa. xxxii. 2. An hiding place from the wind, a covert from the tempest, and the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
Again, it is said of God the Father, Deut. xxx. 20. He is thy life, and the length of thy days; our Saviour says, concerning himself, in John xi. 25. compared with chap. xiv. 6. that he is the life; and, Acts iii. 15. he is called the Prince of life; and, in Colos. iii. 4. our life. Again, is the Father called, in Psal. lxxx. 1. The Shepherd of Israel? Christ is called, in Heb. xiii. 20. That great Shepherd of the sheep.
Moreover, is God often described in scripture as a glorious King; as in Zeph. iii. 15. The King of Israel, even the Lord in the midst of thee? our Saviour is styled, in Isa. vi. 5. The King, the Lord of hosts; and, in John i. 49. The King of Israel; and, in Rev. xix. 16. King of kings, and Lord of lords.
Again, is God styled the Hope of Israel, Jer. xiv. 8? our Saviour seems to be so called by the apostle, when he says, in Acts xxviii. 20. for the Hope of Israel, I am bound with this chain, that is, for Christ’s sake, who is the object of his people’s hope. However, whether he is intended thereby, or no, in that scripture, he is called elsewhere our hope, 1 Tim. i. 1. compared with Coloss. i. 27.
Moreover, is God the object of desire, so that there is nothing in heaven or earth, or within the whole compass of finite beings, that is to be desired besides, or in comparison with him, as the Psalmist says, Psal. lxxiii. 25? our Saviour is called, in Hag. ii. 7. The desire of all nations. I might refer to many other glorious titles that are given to him in the 2nd and 3rd chapters of the Revelations, in the epistles to the seven churches; every one of which is prefaced with such a character given of him, as is designed to strike them with an holy reverence, and esteem of him, as a divine Person. Thus concerning those proofs of Christ’s Deity, which are taken from the names, attributes, and titles which are given to him; which leads us to consider,
III. The next head of argument taken from those works, which have been done by our Saviour, that are proper to God alone. Divine works argue a divine efficient, or that he has infinite power, and consequently that he is an infinite Person, or truly and properly God, who performs them. Now these works are of two sorts; either of nature and common providence, or of grace, to wit, such as immediately respect our salvation; in all which, he acts beyond the power of a creature, and therefore appears to be a divine Person.
1. He appears to be so, from his having created all things. He that made the world, must be before it; and therefore since time began with the first creature, as has been before observed, it follows that he must be before time, that is, from eternity.