252 On Christ, during his Abode on Earth. [Ess. x. the Son of God, in his preexistence, points to his deity, and to his deity alone. In connexion with those other stages of our Lord's history which are subsequent to the event of his incarnation, the Scriptures frequently promulgate the doctrine of his humanity as well as that of his divinity; and some persons have proceeded so far in error as to consider the statements which have respect to Jesus, as a man, to be subversive of those which have respect to him as God. But, as far as relates to Christ preexistent, there is no room for any mistake of the kind; because the testimonies of Scripture on the subject of his deity, in connexion with his preexistence, are not only plain and decided, but simple and unmixed. The whole substance of those testimonies is, in fact, found concentrated in the doctrine of the apostle, that the Word was in the beginning-that the Word was with God-and that the WORD WAS GOD.

PART II.

ON JESUS CHRIST, DURING HIS ABODE ON EARTH.

In one of the preceding Essays, I have adverted to the many ancient prophecies which describe the human descent, birth, life, ministry, violent death, and resurrection, of the Messiah; and also to the actual accomplishment of those predictions, as it is recorded in their respective histories, by the four evangelists. Now, I conceive that no one, who takes a just and comprehensive view of these prophecies on the onehand, and of the Gospel narratives on the other, can refuse to admit the doctrine of the real and proper humanity of Jesus Christ. He who descended from Abraham, from Judah, and from Jesse, and "was

Ess. x.]

His actual Humanity.

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made of the seed of David, according to the flesh" -who was born of the virgin Mary, and lay a helpless infant in the manger-who increased in "stature," and in "wisdom," as he advanced in years-who performed all the laborious functions of a minister and a prophet-who thought, and spake, and wept, and was afflicted, and prayed, like ourselves-who, lastly, expired on the cross, and was consigned a corpse to the gráve was unquestionably MAN-a creature of God, endued with a human body and a human soul.

And who was that Person who thus became incarnate, was born, lived, died, and rose again, a man? It was he who shared the glory of the Father before the world was the Only-begotten Son of God, who dwelt in his bosom-the Word by whom all things were made, by whom all men were enlightened, and who was himself Jehovah. Since, then, eternity is the very first of the attributes of Deity, since the divine nature is unchangeable, so that he who was God in the beginning is God for ever-it plainly follows that, when the Son or word of the Father assumed our nature, and was born a child into the world, he who before had been God only, became God and Man.

As this doctrine is a sound deduction from all the various testimonies of Scripture respecting the preexistence and the human life of our Saviour, so it more especially distinguishes certain parts of the New Testament, in which the two subjects are immediately connected, and which declare the original divinity, and the incarnation of Christ, in the order of their succession. This description applies in its full force to that sublime passage which forms the exordium of the Gospel of John. For it is after having declared the absolute deity, and described the wonderful works of Christ peexistent, that the apostle proceeds to say, "And the Word was made (or became) flesh, and

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Union of the Two Natures

[Ess. x. dwelt amongst us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth" i, 14. Formerly, the eternal Word of God, although he was accustomed at times to manifest himself in an angelic form, had for the most part subsisted as an invisible agent. But now he became flesh, that is man, (for the term flesh often denotes men, as thinking, acting, responsible, agents, see Gen. vi, 12: Numb. xvi, 22: Isa. xlix, 26, &c.) and he dwelt among his people, so that they actually beheld his person, and were eye-witnesses of his glorious works. That "Eternal life," who had been with the Father, was now manifested to the disciples, and in such a manner submitted to their senses, that they saw, heard, and handled him: 1 John i, 1, 2; comp. iv, 2.7

Thus also the apostle Paul, in immediate connexion with his doctrine, that Christ was "in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God," declares, that this glorious Person "made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men :'

7 "Hereby know we the spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." The confession which is thus declared by the apostle to have been a proper and sufficient test of a divinely-authorized faith, virtually embraced the doctrines both of the deity and of the humanity of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ had become incarnate. Before this event, he existed in a higher nature, in which he is the Son of God. In the nature which he assumed at his incarnation, he is the Son of Man.

8 Vide Whitby in loc. Jesus Christ is described as having been made in the likeness of men, because he took upon him the same nature and faculties. Schleusner explains the original of this passage (év óμoiúμati åvogúπwv yevóμevos) as follows: "verus homo factus, vera humana natura et proprietatibus adjunctisque humanis gaudens,” in voc. Thus Adam is said to beget a son in his own likeness; and in Heb. ii, 14—17, Christ is again said to be made like unto men, (öμoiwoñvai) because he participated in the same "flesh and blood," that is, in the same human nature.

Ess. x.]

in the One Saviour,

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Phil. ii, 7. And it is evidently on the same principle that, on another occasion, he makes mention of "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ," that "though he was rich," yet for our sakes "he became poor," that we "through his poverty might be rich :" 2 Cor. viii, 9.

I take it for granted that it is this apostle who has made a yet more explicit statement on the subject now under consideration, in the Epistle to the Hebrews. After citing several passages of the Old Testament, which relate to the Deity of the Son, in order to prove his superiority over the angels, he proceeds to dwell on the humiliation of Jesus, "who was made a little (or for a short time)1 lower than the angels for the suffering of death," see ch. ii, 9; and on this point he reasons as follows; "For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, (that is, the Father) in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect (or complete as a Saviour) through sufferings; for both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, &c.... Forasmuch, then, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage; for verily he took not on him (the nature) of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham:" ii, 10-16. Here I must pause to observe, that this last verse is probably mistranslated; for the verb rendered "took on him" more properly signifies, "takes hold of, or puts his hand to, in order to assist." It was the cause of men, ETTúXEVOE. Vide Schleusner in voc. Rosenmüller, Schol. in loc.

9

1 Bgaz T, "per breve tempus,"-Rosenmüller.

2 Étikaμlávesai. Vide Schleusner in voc. and comp. ch. viii, 9. So also Newcome, Rosenmüller, &c.

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Our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Ess. x. not of angels, in which the Son of God engaged himself: it was men, and not angels, that he came into the world to assist. 66 Wherefore," concludes the apostle, in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people; for in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted:" ver. 17, 18. From this passage we learn, first, that the purpose of the Father, in the whole Christian dispensation, was to bring many sons unto glory; secondly, that the Son of God, whose deity had already been so fully proved by the apostle, was the person whom the Father appointed to be the captain of our salvation, and who himself undertook to assist mankind; thirdly, that, in order to accomplish this purpose, and in order to his being a perfect Saviour, it was necessary (in pursuance of the counsels of infinite wisdom) that he should suffer and die; and lastly, that therefore he took part of "flesh and blood," or of the human nature, and was made in that nature "like unto his brethren."

Plain and substantial, therefore, are the scriptural grounds on which we build our faith, that, when the Son of God was fore-ordained of the Father to be the Saviour of mankind, and when he undertook that sacred office of mercy, he existed only in the divine nature; and that when, in consequence of this covenant of light and life, he reduced himself from his original glory, and took part in flesh and blood, the nature of God and the nature of man became united in him. Of the mode of that mysterious union we are as little capable of forming any conception as we are of the mode of that other union, already considered, by which the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, are one God.