To the only wise God our Saviour
By whom is meant, not the Trinity of Persons in general, nor the
Father in particular; but the Lord Jesus Christ, who is truly
God, though not to the exclusion of the Father and Spirit; and is
the wisdom of God, and the author of all wisdom, natural and
spiritual; and is the only Saviour of his people; and to him may
be, as is ascribed, the
glory
of his deity, and divine sonship, of his mediatorial works, and
of salvation:
and majesty:
which belongs to him as God, and which he has in his human
nature, being crowned with glory, and honour, and enthroned and
set down at the right hand of God:
dominion;
both natural, the kingdom of nature and providence belonging to
him, and mediatorial, which is above all, reaches far and wide,
and will last for ever:
and power;
in making and upholding all things; in redeeming his people; in
protecting and defending them, and in destroying his and their
enemies; in raising the dead, and judging the world. Though the
Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin version,
read, "to the only God our Saviour, by Jesus Christ our Lord",
and leave out the word "wise"; and so they are to be understood
of God the Father; but the Ethiopic version reads, "this is the
only God our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom" And all this is to be
attributed to him,
both now, and ever;
in the present life, and to all eternity.
Amen:
which is an assent unto it, that so it should be; and a wish that
so it may be; and an expression of faith, and strong
asseveration, that so it shall be.