therefore imports, that he is giving out Commiffions to them to act under the Power he had received: Their Commiffion was to teach, to baptize; and he promises them (which Promise likewife is grounded upon the fame Power) that he would be with them alway to the End of the World.

And having thus ftated before you the Fact, let us confider what Weight there is in the great Socinian Argument against the Eternity of the Logos. All Power, fay they, was conferred on our Saviour after the Refurrection; and therefore it is abfurd to afcribe any Power to him before: For he that receives all Power is fuppofed to have none, before he fo received it. At first View the Objection is plaufible; but, when duly confidered, will be found to mifs the Aim: For the Power spoken of in St. Matthew, and the Power fpoken of in St. John, belong to different and entirely diftinct States; and therefore his receiving all Power belonging to one at this certain determinate Time, is no Proof of his not having the other before that Time. He that in virtue of a Royal Commiffion receives all Power to govern any Part of the Kingdom, cannot be faid to have had no Power belonging to

him before; for he had at least the natural Powers of a Man: The Powers of Nature are diftinct, and antecedent to the Powers of his Commiffion. And you may please to obferve, that the Acts of Power afcribed to Christ, in his different States, are entirely different. St. John, when he speaks of his eternal and inherent Power, afcribes the Creation of all Things to him: And St. Paul, speaking of the fame Power, afcribes to it the Preservation of all Things. But in the Hebrews and in the Coloffians, with respect to his Power of Office, he is ftyled Head of the Church: And accordingly, our Saviour, when he says, All Power is given to him, and gives out Commiffions under him to the Apoftles, gives out none but fuch as refer to the Church: All Power is given unto me; therefore I appoint you to teach and baptize. He does not, in virtue of this Power which he then received, give Commiffions for the creating new Worlds, or for governing or preferving the old; but, as by his Power received he then was conftituted Head of the Church, he gives out Commiffions only relating to the Church. As for his Power of creating, which is as evidently ascribed to him as any one Thing, VOL. IV. C

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that surely is diftinct from the Power conferred on him at his Refurrection: for it was fomething too late to receive Power to create the World, after the World had for many Ages been created. I know what is said of a new Creation by Virtue and Holinefs: But were Powers, and Principalities, and Dominions, were Things visible and invifible, nay, were the Foundations of the Earth and the Heavens, which the Apostle fays are the Work of his Hands, thus newly created? Was the material World redeemed, and made holy and righteous? What Abfurdities may we not believe, or teach, if these are the Doctrines of clear and unbiaffed Reason ?

To conclude then; It is evident, that in the Place now before us, and in other Parts of Scripture, there are three diftinct States spoken of, which belong to our bleffed Lord: And this Obfervation is fo material, that, without having an Eye to it, there is no understanding the Scripture, or the early Writers of the Church, in the great and long controverted Points concerning the Eternity and Divinity of the Son of God. For, on one Side, it is abfurd to urge the lofty Expreffions in Scripture, or elsewhere,

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where, which belong to his laft State, and defcribe the Glories which he received in Reward of his Obedience, as Proofs of his natural Dignity, which he had before the Worlds began: And, on the other Side, it is equally abfurd to apply the Limitations in point of Time or Duration, or which in any other Respect belong to the Glories of his Office; to apply them, I fay, to the antecedent and inherent Glories of his Nature.