the sacred Scriptures is to lead

us into the knowledge of

Christ. Therein his person, his
characters, his works, his
authority, etc, are described
with exactness, as a matter of
the utmost importance. His
qodhead is therein
unequivocally affirmed. Isa.
9:6
1
liv. 5. John 1 :1
1
10:30.
Rom, 9:5. Heb. 1 :8. I John
5:20. Divine honours are
demanded as his due. John
5:23. His assumption of
those ministers who do 11.ot
follow their example. " Cor
4:5. I Cor. 1 :22, 2:2.
Can we suppose that qod
would take such constant care,
both by the Scriptures and
through the medium of the
gospel ministJy, to give a just
and clear representation of
Christ, if just conceptions of
him were not of the utmost
importancel
2. Of such importance are
just thoughts of Christ,
When Christ made his
appearance on earth, the
opinions of men respecting his
person and character were
various. The same diversify of
sentiment still prevails even
among those who profess to be
Christians, Some imagine that
he was the most exalted
character among men, but
nothing more than human.
Others suppose that in dignify
of nature, and priorify of
existence, he is inconceivably
superior both to men and
___ ________ that without them we
angels, a kind of inferior ' .. ,',',.,."., """"",.",., ."" .. ,;, ..".' ,,*" . ";"""""" """""''''''''qil'
Deity. Others again What Think Ye of I
cannot form a just
conception of qod. The
perfectiOns of qod are
indeed, in a measure,
displayed in the works of
believe that he is " ;;
Christ? !;
independently possessed ii
f II th t
'al i! ...., . " ...., ........, ..."., ......., ... ..:.1< ..
o a e essen 1 . ::...: ,., ' " ,. ' ,.
perfections of qodhead,
co-equal with the Fathel;
As these sentiments are so
directly opposite to each other,
some of them must, doubtless,
be false. Many suppose it is
comparatively indifferent
which of them we embrace,
and that if we should
inadvertently entertain an
erroneous idea. on this subject,
qod will consider it as an
innocent mistake. The design
of this tract is to guard against
that spirit of indifference
which engenders the
dangerous delusion, and to
show that just thoughts of
Christ are of the utmost
importance.
1. The manifest care qod
has taken to give a clear and
just representation of Christ is
one confirmation of the fact.
The principal design of qod in
human nature is expressly
declared, whereby he became
and continues to be qod and
man in one person. John 1:14.
Phil. 2:5ff. Heb. 2:14ff. With
equal plainness it is asserted,
that this qod-man is the only
Mediator and Savioul; I Tim
2:5. John 14:6. Acts 4:12. I
COI;3:11. Now as qod has
taken care, in the Scriptures, to
give the most dear and express
revelation of Christ, so he
most solemnly charges his
ministers to preach Christ, to
unfold the dignity of his
person, the completeness of his
work, the fulness of his grace,
etc. as the grand design of their
ministry. Eph. 3:8, The
apostles, who spoke under the
immediate influence of the
Holy qhost, closely adhered
to their charge, and woe to
creation and providencel but it
is in the person and work of
Christ alone that we can have
a discovery of the nature, the
purposes, the covenant-
characters of qod, as he stands
related to sinners. John 1 :18.
He is therefore called the
image of qod, or that whereby
qod is represented unto us,
and every other representation
is insufficient. It is in the face
of Christ, in his person and
work, that the glory of qod's
wisdom, his justice, his
goodness, his grace is
discovered. " COl; 4:6. Wrong
views of Christ will therefore
lead us to wrong ideas of qod.
The truth of this remark is
exemplified in those who differ
in their thoughts of Christ. As
a natural conseq!lence they
differ likewise in their thoughts
of qod. Those who have low
August, 1997 'i' THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 'i' 21
conceptions of the person and
work of Christ, are thereby led
to form low and unscriptural
ideas of the strictness of qod's
justice, and lhe riches of his
grace. If then, ollr thoughts (If
Christ have a necessal)'
influence on our ideas of qod,
which experience proves to be
a faef, surely just conceptions
of Christ are vel)' important.
3. Besides, our prevailing'
sentiments of Christ will
necessarily influence and
regulate our deportment
towards him. Do not different
persons act vel)' differently
with respect to Christl Some
pay him divine adoration;
depend oil him exclusively for
salvation; love him as the chief
object of their desire and
delight; and submit to his
authority as SUpreme. Others
pursue an opposite line of
conduct. What can be the
reason of the differencel ;It is .
because they have different
thoughts of If we
believe him to be qod over all,
we shall feel it our duty to
worship him as such. If we
conceive him to be the alone
and SaViour, we
shall exclusively depend on
him. If we esteem him as , ... .
supremely amiable, we shall
love him supremely. If we
admit him to be our rightful
sovereign, we shall yield
cordial and unfeigned
obedience to him. if our
thoughts be different, our
conduct will be different
likewise. If propriety of .
deportmentto Christ be .
important, (and it must be improper thoughts of Christ
inconceivably so,) .then just produce a proportionate
thoughts of him are important. . impropriety of deportment
4. So important are just . towards him, what can the
. conceptions of Christ, that end of this be but ruin I Not
wrong vieWS of his person and belieVing him to be qod, you
offices if persisted in, will will not give him divine
ineVitably issue in etemal honours, the refusal of which
perdition. This, perhaps, may is ruinous. John 8:24. lsa.
sound harsh and awful; but it 45:23,24. Psa. 2:12. Not
is not more awful than true. thinking him to be the all-
John 8:24. If a proper sufficient Saviour, you will not
knowledge of Christ be etemal depend exclusively upon him
, life, which is declared, John ' for salvation; ilnd this is
17:3, then we may infer that threatened with damnation.
the want of it is eternal death. John 3:18, 36. Not esteeming
The vast importance of the him supremely amiable, you
question in dispute, when will not love him supremely,
seriously considered, will and those who do not are
justify the alarming idea. Ifhe marked objects of the heaViest
were, confessedly, only a curse. I Cor. 16:22. Not
creature, and the dispute were admitting him to be your
only his scale of rightful Sovereign, you will
dignity as a creature, a mistake refuse obedience to him, and
herein would be comparatively the certain wages of this
of light importance: but when stubbornness is destruction.
the matter debated is, whether Luke 19:27.
he be the vel)' qod, or only a
creature made by qod, then
the nature of the question is
materially altered. A mistake
in the matterthen necessarily
invQlvesus, either in idoIatJY
on the one hand, or a del1ial of
the tnJe qod on the other.. If
Christ be qod, it must be as
ruinoUS to deny it, as to deny
the qodhead of the Father; if
he be not it is idolatrous to
profess it.
An attention to the leading
idea, under the former
particular, must convince us,
that sO wide a mistake in our
conceptions of Christ will
prove inevitably ruinous: fQr if
You see then, reader, with
what propriety the apostle
coveted and prized the
knowledge of Christ. Phil.
3:7ff. Follow his example.
Think much of Christ; and
especially desire that you may
have just thoughts of him: just,
as to the matter of them, viz.
. scriptural thoughts; and just, as
to their nature and properties;
believing, humbling,
affectionate, transforming,
aspiring thoughts. To this end,
look to the Spirit of qod,
whose office it is to take the
thingsQf Christ and show
them to men. n
22 '" THE CQUNSELof(;halcedon '" August, 1997