pend a douces and its maret, the the Eft and bineret crociers of the gare never once denied it. It is als more cars ateraned the propagation and condonance of Cartancy in the world. For whence did this faben es nie; or how could it have been coomes; r mere zad never been fuch a Texter as eas Chrit? But are me records, which describe his life and character, genuine accounts, and what may fafely be relied on? The acfwer is covious: the books of the New Telament have a more convincing evidence of their authenticity, than any other writings of the like ancient date. The bitory of our Lord is tranfmitted to us by those, who pottered the moft certain information upon the fubject. The Evangelifts, Matthew and John, were diciples and contant attendants of Jefus; Mark and Luke, alfo, had the best opportunities of being acquainted with his actions and difcourfes from the apoftles themfelves; the former it is believed being the companion of Saint Peter, as the latter was of Saint Paul. These published their narrations very foon after the transactions which they relate, and in the midst of enemies; so that their accounts, if falfe, might, and no doubt would have been denied and confuted. But they have ftood the teft of ages; and every attempt to overturn them, tends to confirm their authority the more. Indeed, their integrity appears by many indubitable marks. The manner of their writing is peculiar to themselves: for their artless fimplicity is fuch as proves, that they not contrive a fyftem of their own. They delid plain facts without difguife, and generally withany reflections, which might bias their readers; that, from the cirumftances fairly reprefented, we left to draw the neceffary conclufions for our ves. What Found is their report concerning the great ligion? This is an extenfive fub ject, which it will be our benefit, as it is our duty, to contemplate; for it will tend to excite the most devout affections in our hearts. We fhall endeavour to draw the general outlines of this aftonishing character; and, as an introduction to the fubject, we fhall point out fome particulars, the knowledge and belief of which feem of great importance, in order that we may form right conceptions of the life of Chrift. We confider, therefore, I. His pre-existence. We do not enquire after any condition, in which we were placed, previous ta our birth; for this, clearly, is our firft ftate. But his appearance in human flesh is described by fuch expreffions, as cannot be applied to any mere man, and prove that he was poffeffed of a glorious being, prior to his nativity. "He was fent into the world," as his Father's meffenger; "He came down from heaven," and took our nature, of his own accord; all which are mentioned as inftances of his amazing condefcenfion; but fuch they could not be, if his existence had commenced only at his incarnation. He speaks of himself as having " glory with the Father, before the world was," and Saint Paul afferts, that " he made himself of no reputation," or "emptied himself of his glory," that he might be obedient unto death *. And does not this language imply an antecedent state and dignity? Our life was not the effect of our choice; but he is reprefented as voluntarily entering upon that, which he had in common with us, to fulfil his own gracious purposes: and this very confideration lays us under unspeakable obligations of gratitude, love, and obedience to him. "Lo! I come;" faid he †, which expreffion evidently denotes, that he poffeffed fome other mode of being, before he was born of his virgin mother. John xvii. 5. Phil. ii. 7. + Heb. x. 7. It 1 ala dore, be connet, and food lift †.' Asd to for the mag ingin bead an exist*ch, var to that of every creature? It might lows frange to learn for agents in port of this trank, if we were not furrounded by toole, who will w/w the bario nothing more than the properties A Ligading. An error this, which frikes at the foundation of our faim. For if we accede to such a fentiment, we muft either fay, that fin is not fo offenlive to God as to require any expiation (and #herein we should deny his righteous character, and the fenitions of his holy law), or eise we must abandon our hopes of heaven, fince no adequate atonement can have been made by a mere man like ourselves; and therefore "we are yet in our fins.” We have advanced but a little way in our subject, in affecting the pre-existence of Jefus. If we enquire, what was his former ftate, what his attributes and glory, we fhall find ourselves obliged to maintain His Deity. Not only did he partake of the perfections of the Godhead, in confequence of his indon with the Father, but he was in himfelf very and eternal God. If this be not granted, a confider part of the cleareft declarations of fcripture, on hich the doctrine is founded, must be either exfsly contradicted, or, by an unhappy refinement of Food, will, ao, ar. Ifa. Ixiii. 9. As vii. 38. criticism, criticism, explained into nothing. It were easy to produce a multitude of texts, which prove the point in the moft full and direct manner. But this would lead us too far from our purpose. It must, however, be noted, that if Chrift be no more than a creature, though of a superior order, or one exalted to be God merely for his office, the Bible appears too abftrufe and difficult to be defigned for common people, and of all other books most dangerous and deftructive, as being the cause of much idolatry, in the worship of the Son of God. Suffice it in this place to refer to that fublime defcription of our Lord's perfon and dignity, which ftands at the beginning of Saint John's Gospel, and is a proper introduction to the life and character of Jefus. It feems to have been the grand defign of the Evangelift to vindicate the divine glory of our Redeemer, in oppofition to those very errors, which then began to fhew themselves, and have been only broached afresh by modern heretics. In what terms could he have delivered the doctrine more expressly, than he has done when he afferts, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God *?" It is obvious, that he fpeaks, not of a mere attribute, but of a real perfon; for he adds that "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us +". He meant, therefore, to defcribe his beloved Mafter; and he has evidently applied to him the very fame title of "the Word," and "the Word of God" in fome other places t. Nor is it an unsuitable appellation; for (not to infift on the import of the term LOGOs, as the wifdom, or the intellectual image of God) as our words difcover the fentiments of our minds, fo he has revealed the divine will, and declared the Father to us. John i. 1, &c. VOL. III. 1 John i. 1. Rev. xix. 13. + 14. " He "He was in the beginning," not only at the first production of this world, but before the exiftence of any creature. "He was with God," in the fame ftate of unlimited happiness and glory, and one with JEHOVAH by an ineffable and myiterious union of nature. Nor was he railed to this exalted rank, by an act of peculiar favour; but he always poffeffed it, as of his own right, fince" he was God," partaking of the perfections of Deity in all their fulness.-In confirmation of this, the Apostle ascribes the origin of the univerfe to him: for " all things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” And will it not be allowed, that "he, who built all things, is God?" Some indeed, have maintained, that in the formation of the world he acted by a delegated power, and not by his own effential Divinity. But how is this confiftent with Saint Paul's account, that “all things were created FOR HIM," as well as "by him," and that" by him all things confift +?” În what can he be inferior to Jehovah, who is not only the author, but the final caufe, of all? Further, the Evangelift declares, that he had existence in himself as its original fource, from which the whole human race derive all their understanding, happiness, and comfort. "In him was life; and the life was the light of men.' The fplendour of his majefty was in a great meafure concealed, during his refidence upon earth; but there were thofe, who faw through the veil of his humanity; and they have borne a decided teftimony. We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-bestten of the Father ." This could not be any exnal luftre; for his condition was attended with cirnftances of peculiar meannefs; and, probably, he rried marks of affliction in his countenance. Yet John i. 14. + Col. i. 16, 17. he |