The second member is, therefore, added for the elucidation of the first: "We are in the True One, in his "Son Jesus Christ;" i. e. We enjoy a mental and moral union with the Father of mercies, by the faith, devotedness, and obedience which we exercise towards him; and this union is also, concurrently and equally, with our Gracious Redeemer, since it is only by a spiritual union with him that we can enjoy the favour and love of the Father.' Thus the sentiment is the same with that of various other passages of Scripture: as, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one cometh to the Father except through me. Abide "in me, and I in you. He who confesseth the Son, "hath also the Father. Ye shall continue in the Son " and in the Father. He who hath seen me, hath seen "the Father. I am in the Father, and the Father is " in me. God hath given to us eternal life, and this "life is in his Son." Dr. Samuel Clarke so felt the force of this argument, that he inclined to the extravagant expedient of dividing the reference of the two attributives; making the first apply to the Father, and the second to Christian knowledge.15

3. That, with this idea of the spiritual union of true believers with the Father AND the Son, the apostle, by a reasonable association, connects the fact that the

way violence is done to the text, is evident from the order of the clauses; and the subjoined declaration of the apostle clearly proves that the second dλŋfɩvòs is applied to the Son.--The connexion determines the signification of the preposition iv. The apostle would have written in an extremely obscure, perplexed, and unintelligible manner, if, in a case of apposition, [which this is,] he had used the preposition in two senses. Leipzig Varior. Bible, vol. xviii. p. 675.

15 Script. Doct. of the Trinity, Text 410.

Son is, equally with the Father, THE TRUE GOD. He, therefore, annexes the declaration, as a further ground for the stability and consolation of sincere Christians.

4. That the characteristic epithet, "the True," (o 'Annivòs,) is repeatedly given to Christ in the writings of the Apostle John: "The True Light; "the True Bread; the True Vine; the Holy, the True; the Faithful and True Witness; He is called "Faithful and True."

5. That the designation,

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THE ETERNAL life,” is never given to the Father, but is peculiar and appropriate to the Saviour: "The Life has been manifested "that Eternal Life which was with the Father." 17 While thus the abstract term is metonymically applied to Christ, the same sentiment is held forth by its being the constant style of Scripture, that Jesus Christ is the Author and Giver of "eternal life," true and perpetual happiness, the reconciliation and holy reunion of man to God. If, however, we adopt the interpretation, "the life is eternal," this remark is superseded: but its spirit will remain, that the blessing which is so divinely great is bestowed by One who is of correspondent dignity.

6. It does not appear that any good reason can be laid for the affirmation, "This is the True God," in relation to the subject of the former part of the sentence. The argument of the passage involves no alluding to difficulty, upon the question whether the Father were the True God. On the contrary, this position is evidently assumed as a point on which no hesitation could possibly exist. "We are of God,"

16 John i. 9; vi. 32; xv. 1. Rev. iii. 7, 14; xix. 11.

17 Chap. i. 2.

says the apostle; "We know him; we are in him." He has already twice recognised the Father as "the True One:" and there seems to be no necessity, nor even propriety, for subjoining the clause under consideration.

7. But the reference of the argument to the Lord Jesus is very different. The connexion of sentiment is this: It is HE that has given us this unspeakable blessing, this knowledge of the True One: he has come, he has been manifested in the flesh, for that very purpose: yea, our holy and happy union with the True One is, in fact, our union by the living principle of religion, with the Saviour himself: him we have before declared to be "the Eternal Life," and to him we look with gratitude and joy, saying, "THIS is the True God!" 18 And it is not merely Monotheism, but Christianity, the revelation of the Son of God, which is opposed to idolatry.

Thus it appears to my own mind, that the more strictly we analyze this paragraph, the more closely we attend to the nature and sequence of its sentiments, the more carefully we enter into its spirit and argument; the more we find the evidence to preponderate in favour of the latter interpretation.

is Seiler was a very careful interpreter, and far from being inclined to forced or doubtful applications. He understands the reference to be to Jesus Christ, and renders the clause, "This is the True God and the source of eternal life." Grössre Erbauungsbuch, vol. xvii. p. 446. Lücke takes the other side of the question, in his Comment. on the Epistles of John; but I think his arguments have been anticipated in the remarks submitted above.

SECT. III.

EVIDENCE FROM THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION.

Divine authority of the Revelation.-I. The greatest blessings attributed to Christ, as their Author.-II. Ascriptions of honour to Christ.-Reasons for regarding those ascriptions as expressing a proper adoration.-Objections of Dr. Carpenter and the Calm Inquirer.-III. Divine supremacy and efficiency attributed to Christ.-IV. Various properties and acts affirmed of Christ, which imply divine perfections. i. Dominion over the minds and moral condition of men. ii. Penetration of the thoughts and real characters of men.-Objections of the Calm Inquirer. iii. Agency of Christ in his churches. iv. Supremacy over the created universe. v. Perfection of power and wisdom. vi. Being the cause of heavenly happiness. vii. Unfolding of futurity.

As a general resort from all argument in favour of the preexistence and Deity of Christ, from this book, Mr. Belsham provided himself with the assertion, repeatedly introduced; "That the authenticity of the book is doubtful: no doctrine therefore is to be admitted upon this evidence, which is not clearly to be proved from other undisputed Scriptures." If the assertion were granted, I cannot think that this is the most logical conclusion from it. Instead of sitting down in such a careless scepticism, our duty would be to address ourselves vigorously to the investigation of the matter, in order to arrive at a rational satisfaction on one side or the other.

During the last fifty years, while, in our country, there has been a great degree of inattention to this question and the subordinate inquiries which it in1 Pages 371, 183, 270.

cludes, the Biblical critics of the continent have employed upon it prodigious exertions of labour, learning, and acuteness.2 That the difficulties are great, they have abundantly shown. But, if we were even so oppressed by those difficulties as to surrender the testimonies, so clearly pronounced, of Justin the Martyr, who lived within one life-time from the death of the Apostle John, and of Irenæus, whose instructor in Christianity was one of the hearers and personal friends of John; the book would not be deprived of its value, as a genuine document of the apostolic age, the work of a disciple of Christ who was a native of Judæa, deeply versed in the sacred literature of his country, a man of the highest piety and fidelity, and perfectly competent to give evidence upon the faith of the true Church of Christ in its native seat and its primitive period. The name John was common among the Jews of Palestine, as is manifest from the New Testament; and there was a John, usually surnamed the presbyter, who was an immediate disciple of Jesus Christ, who is said also (though there is some obscurity about the evidence) to have closed his life at Ephesus, and to whom one of the most learned and candid of the fathers, Dionysius of Alexandria, in the third century, was inclined to ascribe this Book of Revelation and Eusebius apparently was of the same opinion. If, then, we were to admit the evidence of

3

2 See Note [A], at the end of this Section.

3 The accounts which we have of John the Presbyter, have descended from Papias, in citations preserved by Irenæus and Eusebius. Papias affirms that he had availed himself of every opportunity to derive the most exact information concerning Christianity, by interrogating persons who had received their religious knowledge from the apostles, seven of whom he mentions by name ; and he finishes