many and strong arguments from scripture and reason advanced, to support it, one difficulty or two which at present seem hard to be solved, should not utterly forbid our assent, since, as Bishop Fowler well observes, There are scarce any notions so plain as to be incapable of being obscured and called in question, except the first and self-evident principles, or the immediate conse. quences of them. Because we understand not what is difficult, we must not merely for that reason deny that which is clear and plain; and if we will refuse to believe any proposition until we are perfectly able to master all objections against it, we may be sceptics all our days, both in matters of philosophy and religion, and even in some doctrines of the highest importance, and with all our pretences to learning, may finish our lives like mere fools.

7. That they would acknowledge that the glories of our blessed Lord are so many, so various, and so sublime, that there is but very little of them yet known, in comparison of the unknown glories which he possesses; and that a sincere love to Christ and a zeal for his honour, should lead them out with pleasure and expectation to meet any further discoveries of this kind, which may be drawn from the word of God. That they would withhold themselves they from a hasty refusal to receiveall such manifestations, lest they should prevent the growing honours of their Saviour.

8. While I am tracing these early and sublime glories of our blessed Redeemer, by the gleams or the rays of light which are scattered in several parts of his word, I entreat my friends, that they would not be too severe in their censures of any mistaken step, while I own myself fallible, and am ready to retract any mistake. If they should meet with any expressions which in their opinion do not stand so perfectly just and square with other of my sentiments in some distant pars of these essays, I would persuade myself they will be so candid as to interpret them in a consistence with the general scope and design of my argument, and with my avowed sense of things in the more important points of religion.

It is an easy matter to be led a little astray in pursuing such an uncommon track through the third heavens, the present exalted residence of our glorified Saviour: and in tracing the foot-steps of our blessed Lord through long past ages of his pre-existent state, be they never so certain which commenced before these lower heavens were formed, or time was measured by the sun and moon. Succeeding writers may more happily conduct themselves in so glorious an enquiry, and correct my wanderings: But I am persuaded my gracious Redeemer will forgive what errors he remarks in these sincere attempts to advance his honour: and I hope my pious readers will find some degrees of entertainment, as well as improvement, and feel some devout thoughts awakened in them sufficient to influence their charity and candour.

9. That they would not imagine that all these notions and opinions, which may be something new and strange to them, are pure inventions of my own, and mere sallies of imagination. I must acknowledge indeed that I have endeavoured to carry on the hints I have met with in some great and honoured writers to a further length, and to trace the golden thread of these discoveries through far distant scenes and ages, by the light both of reason and scripture: But as I have no ambition to assume these discoveries to myself, so I ought in justice to stand secure from these censures which a heated and warm zeal for ancient land-marks, is ready to throw upon every thing that bears the appearance of novelty.

I have therefore in the end of some of these discourses or enquiries, cited several writers of name and eminence, and called in the assistance of their authority to cover these essays from the sudden and severe reproaches of those who reverence the names of those great, and learned, and pious men. And what such venerable authors thought very consistent with orthodox doctrine, and so useful and necessary to support the honours of our blessed Lord, I humbly hope and request that my readers will not hastily abanbon and reject as heresy, and renounce it at once without due consideration of the argu. ments. And as for those who have a great regard for the writings of so ingenious and so pious a man, so evangelical an author, and so great a divine us Dr. Thomas Goodwin, I might recommend to them the perusal of his treatise of the " Royalty of Jesus Christ, as God man," which I have abridged here; and before they read these essays I might entreat them to read this abridgement, though I dare not pretend to give my assent to all his opinions in these papers, or support them.

Give me leave to finish this preface, so far as it relates to the discourses on the pre-existent soul of Christ, and the extensive powers of his glorified human nature, in the modest and amiable language of that ingenious gentleman who wrote a many years ago of the progressive knowledge of souls in the future state. "If any thing should drop from my pen in the progress of this discourse which may seem too affirmative, and hardly reconcileable with a becoming modesty and jealousy, I desire those luxuriances of ex. pression may receive some abatements, and be made fairly agreeable there. unto. For although I may possibly be indifferently well persuaded of the truth of what I shall discourse, yet I am not certain : It is not improbable that I should be mistaken: I am of human race, and have no privilege of exemption from human infirmities and errors."

"Whether the proofs that I shall make of this proposed theme be valid or invalid, the reader must determine when he hath weighed and considered them. I am content that they be esteemed just as they are. If my argu ments be thought invalid, and my opinion rejected, it will be no matter of provocation to me. If they be thought cogent, and my opinion worthy of ac. ceptation with pious and ingenious men, perchance I may be a little pleased therein. But if it may advance the honour and the love of God, my Saviour, and make heaven the more acceptable to the thoughts and meditations of christians, because we have so glorious a Mediator dwelling there, I am sure I shall greatly rejoice."

THE

GLORY OF CHRIST AS GOD-MAN DISPLAYED,

BY A

Survey of the Visible Appearances of Christ as God, before

his Incarnation.

DISCOURSE I.

SECTION I.-An Historical Account of these Appearances.

SINCE the Socinian doctrines have been effectually refuted by many learned writers, especially in the last century, it is now, I hope, confessed almost universally in the British islands, that our blessed Saviour had a real existence long before he appeared in flesh and blood, and dwelt among men. It is also generally acknowledged that he often appeared in a visible manner under the patriarchal and mosaical dispensations, assuming the names, and sustaining the character and person of the great and blessed God. Yet it has been a matter of contest in these latter years, as well as in the ancient days of Arius, whether Christin his complex person, include godhead or not: or whether he be nothing else but a creature or a mere contingent being, and is only called God, as sustaining and representing the character and person of one who is infinitely above him, even the great and eternal God. This is the great and important question of the age.

Now that this matter may be determined with more evidence and certainty, let us first trace out the account which the Old Testament gives us of the various seasons and occasions on which God, the Lord*, the Lord God, Jehovah, the Almighty, the God of Abraham, &c. is said to appear amongst men, with a few remarks on him in passing; and afterward we shall be en

abled to draw more particular inferences from these scriptures concerning the deity of Christ and his appearances before his incarnation.

7 Whosoever will read the four first chapters of Genesis with due attention, will find a very plain and easy representation of the great God; first creating all things, and afterwards appearing to Adam, Eve, and Cain, and conversing with them with a human voice, and very probably in a human shape too. I am well assured that any common reader who begins the bible without prejudices or prepossessions of any kind, would naturally frame this idea under the words and expressions of Moses, the sacred writer. In the first place, God represents his own design of creating man in this manner, viz.

Gen, i. 26. And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, &c. Verse 27. So God created man after his own image: in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them; And God blessed them and said unto them, be fruitful and multiply, &c. Verse 29. And God said, behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, to you it shall be for meat, and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, &c.

Now it is very probable, that when God had made man, he appeared to him in man's own shape, and thus made it known to Adam, that he had formed him in his own image, even as to his body; that is, in such a form or figure as God himself did, and would frequently assume, in order to converse with man: And perhaps God also might acquaint Adam with the natural and moral perfections of his own soul, viz. knowledge, righteousness and holiness, wherein he resembled his Maker, and bare his likeness, as well as that God himself sometimes assumed the figure of a man. Let it be noted here also, that when God blessed some part of the animal creation, it is expressed only, God said, but not to them as hearers, be fruitful and multiply, as verse 22. that is, God put forth a divine volition or command concerning the multiplication of inferior creatures; but he spake to Adam and Eve directly as his hearers, and most likely with a human voice, for he said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply; and told them that he had given them the fruits of the earth for their food, and that he had given it also to the fowls and the beasts: Whereas God is not said to speak thus concerning food to the beasts or to the fowls themselves, but only told Adam what he had appointed for their common food, This looks a human appearance conversing with him, and will appear more evidently in what follows:

Gen. ii. 16. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat; but the tree

of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it. Verse 19. And the Lord God brought every beast of the field and every fowl of the air to Adam to see what he would call them. Verse 22. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. All this seems to be the transactions and language of the Lord God appearing in human shape, and with human voice to Adam. Gen. iii. 8. " And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adata and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.-9. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou ?-10. And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.-11. And he said, who told thee that thou wast naked, &c. Verse 13. And the Lord God said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, the serpent beguiled me and I did eat. Verse 21. Unto Adam and his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them," &c.

I think there is a very plain description of a visible appearance and a human voice in this scene and these dialogues. Adam and his wife could never be said to hide themselves from the presence of the Lord, if he had not before manifested a visible presence to them; nor could they know his voice, if he had not conversed with them by a human voice before: This is a pretty plain proof that God conversed with them in a human manner in the foregoing instances. Nor yet could they have hid themselves from a mere voice, amongst trees, nor could they have been ashamed of their nakedness before a mere voice, if they had not known God before by a visible presence and appearance, whose face they now avoided among the trees.

It is probable that God not only conversed with Adam and Eve, but with their children and family in the same manner in the beginning of the world; for you read a plain dialogue between God and Cain; Gen. iv. 6. " And the Lord said unto Cain, why art thou wroth ? If thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted? And the Lord said unto Cain, where is Abel thy brother? And Cain said, I know not: am I my brother's keeper? And God replied again, what hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground, &c. A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth: And Cain said unto the Lord, my punishment is greater than I can bear: Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from thy face I shall be hid. Ver. 16. And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord." Surely every reader among the Jews, for whom Moses wrote this, would have an idea of the great God's appearing and conversing with Adam and bis