2. The angels do shew that he is God: (1.) In that they do obey him. (2.) In that they worship him.
(1.) That they obey him is clear if we compare Revelation 21:9 with 22:6. In the first of these places, we find that there came one of the angels of the seven vials, which had the seven last plagues, and talked with John. He came not of himself; for in that 22nd chapter, verse 6, he saith, 'The Lord—sent his angel to shew unto his servants, the things which must shortly be done.' Now in the 16th verse, you may see who this Lord God is: He saith there, 'I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify—these things in the churches [compare Rev 1:1]. I am the root and [as well as] the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.' I say this obedience of the angels doth testify that Jesus, who is the Son of Mary, is the faithful and very God; for they do obey God only.
(2.) The angels do shew that the Son of Mary, is the true God, in that they do not only obey him, but worship him also; yea, they are commanded so to do (Heb 1:6) where it is written, 'When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he [i.e. God,] saith, And let all the angels of God worship him,' viz. the Son of Mary. Now the angels themselves command that we worship none but God (Rev 22:8,9). When John fell down to worship the angel, the angel said, 'See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant,—worship God.' Now if the angels should command to worship God, and they themselves should worship him that by nature is no god, they should overthrow themselves, in commanding one thing, and doing another, and so lose their own habitations, and be shut up in chains of darkness, to be punished with everlasting destruction from God himself at the great day. And thus much concerning the testimony of angels touching Jesus the son of Mary, the Son of God, yea, very and proper God (Isa 9:6).
3. [The testimony of men witnessed by the scriptures do shew that Christ is very God.] Now followeth David his testimony among other of the saints, who witness Jesus the Son of Mary to be true God; and that you may find in Psalm 110:1 where he saith, 'The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.' Also, Isaiah in the 9th chapter, verse 6 saith, 'For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, [which is not, nor ever was the heart of any believer] and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.' Again, see Peter's testimony of this Son of Mary; When Jesus asked his disciples, Who say ye that I am? Peter, as the mouth of the rest, said, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God' (Matt 16:16). Also when Thomas, one of Christ's disciples, would not be persuaded by the others that they had seen the Lord, except he did also see in his hands the print of the nails, and put his fingers into the print of the nails, and thrust his hand into his side, he would not believe. Saith the Son of Mary, 'Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless but believing.' And then Thomas breaks out with a mighty faith, and a glorious testimony for his master, and saith, 'My Lord, and my God' (John 20:27,28). Again, see Paul's testimony of him (Rom 9:5) where speaking of the Son of Mary, he saith, That Christ came of the Father, who is over all, God blessed for ever, Amen.' And the apostle John doth also witness as much (1 John 5:20), where speaking of Jesus Christ, he saith on this wise, 'And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [Who is that? Why, saith John, even in his Son Jesus Christ.' Who is he? Why, 'This is the true God, and eternal life.'
I could here also bring in the testimony of the very devils themselves, as Luke 4:41, 8:28, where he is by them acknowledged to be the Son of the living God: But it is needless so to do; for we have plainly proved it already.
Third, now followeth the several scripture arguments, which will prove that Jesus the Son of Mary is very God.
1. There is none but he that is the true God, can satisfy the justice of the true God, for the breach of his holy law. Still, if you compare Isaiah 53:6 with Matthew 3:17, you shall find that Jesus, the Son of Mary, did give God a full and complete satisfaction for the breach of his holy law; therefore, Jesus, the Son of Mary, must needs be the great and true God.
2. He that hath power of his own to lay down his life, and hath power of his own to take it up again, must needs be the true God: but this did Jesus the Son of Mary the virgin; therefore he must needs be the true God (John 10:17; Rom 1:4).
3. There was never any able to bear the sins of all the believers in the world, that ever were, now are, or hereafter shall be, but the true God: But Jesus, the Son of the Virgin Mary, did bear them all, 'in his own body on the tree' (1 Peter 2:24; Isa 53:6). Therefore Jesus the Son of Mary must needs be the true God as well as man.
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