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preservation; and, moreover, it teacheth us that creation, and providence, and redemption, are one thing, one work of God in Jesus Christ. This inclusion, I say, in the constitution of Christ is the high birth-right and prerogative of every creature, and to be cast out of it is the eternal misery of the damned. This is the outness so often spoken of in the Scriptures; the outer darkness, where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth: the "without the city, where are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." And when sin hath lost unto the creature this its highest birth-right, then it is the work of the Holy Spirit, to restore us again thereto, to graft us into Christ, and to unite us with Him for ever and ever. Indeed, the being of the reprobate shall still continue upheld by Christ, to shew forth a part of that fulness which is in him; namely, the endless contrariety which there is between God and sin, and the great and fierce anger which he hath against sin. But this their condition would not be seen as a vindication of holiness, and a punishment of wickedness, unless it could be seen in the way of loss sustained and misery inflicted. Now what is the loss sustained? It is the loss of that birth-right of every creature, which it hath from the bounty of God, of constituting a part of the fulness which is in Christ; and what is the misery entailed? It is the receiving that standing of eter'nal death, which is considered as the outness, the casting out from the house of Christ. But as the righteous severity of a father would not be seen in the casting of a wicked son out of his house, unless that son had been known to possess originally an equal standing therein; so would not the righteous wrath and indignation of God, against the reprobate of his creatures, be shewn, unless they likewise had possessed an equal standing with every other creature in Christ Jesus in their original creation. And as the ejected son doth not cease to have his being from his Father because he is ejected; so neither do the outcasts of hell cease to have their being from Christ because they are ejected. That they should have such a being of misery from such an Author of goodness, is indeed the demonstration of that Good One's hatred of and enmity against sin and therefore he is the being of all present things, of all past things, and of all things to come; the being

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whose name is “Which is, and which was, and which is to come."

Upon the next name, "The Almighty," we have little to say, beyond what we have already expressed under the title Lord, and the word Dominion, contained in the doxology. It signifies All-ruler, and the word Ruler is rule of the same kind which is expressed by the word Dominion; and it expresses very nearly the same with our word Omnipotence: being nearly the same which is expressed by the Hebrew Elohim; and referring to God, as Creator, and Sustainer, and Director, and Governor of creation. When Elijah brought before the children of Israel the question between God and Baal, it is thus, "How long halt ye between two opinions? if Jehovah be Almighty, then follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And when it had been put to the test of answering by fire, the people answered, “Jehovah, he is the Almighty; Jehovah, he is the Almighty." This same attribute of Godhead I take to be the thing contained in Christ's title "the Almighty,” shewing that God had committed into his hand the sovereign guidance and direction of all things.

CONCLUSIONS.

Now, forasmuch as the manifestation of God in Christ must stretch as far and wide, and completely cover all that is known of God, it is a most erroneous mode of speech, and subversive of the whole doctrine of Christ's Divinity, to speak of a God out of Christ. Inasmuch, indeed, as Christ is one with the creature in his human nature, God is wholly out of him; but Christ's human nature is not Christ. Christ consisteth of two distinct natures, in one person united for ever; and therefore to speak of God out of Christ, is to separate the substance of his Divine nature from the substance of God, and to bring in, either the doctrine that he is a mere creature, or the doctrine that there be more Gods than one. Yet these sensitive declaimers, and most inadequate debaters about the Divinity of Christ, will talk most roundly about a God out of Christ. Forasmuch, then, as God's being is dark and inscrutable, otherwise than as it is seen in Christ, let us exercise ourselves a little to read and to know what in him is given for our knowledge and perusal. In Christ, then, what do we see of Godhead? Three things chiefly

concerning us to know: the first, That Godhead dwelleth there in harmony perfect and unbroken, with manhood such as mine. Manhood such as mine, soul reasonable, body mortal and corruptible, he took and so possessed by method of Incarnation, as that, though its passions and temptations were one and the same with the passions and temptations of all mankind, it never ceased to be dearly beloved-beloved so dearly as not to be despised in the virgin's womb, nor in the stable of Bethlehem, nor in the sinful world, nor in the corruptible grave. Beloved, I say, above all these, the shameful accidents of our being, it was not despised nor abhorred, but owned, sustained, inhabited, sanctified, glorified and magnified to the throne of God. After which magnificent demonstration of Godhead's affections towards manhood, shall any man say that there is a portion of Adam's substance which is not well beloved of God? The very angels of heaven will reverence and admire manhood as the object of God's special delight; and it seemeth to me, that they would almost be tempted to adore it did they not see a portion of it cast into outer darkness, where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. And notwithstanding this stupendous expression of the Divine favour for mankind, many of those, considering themselves farthest advanced in the truth, dare hardly preach unto the people, that God loves them. This comes of their monstrous figment, their execrable lie, that he took the nature of man unfallen, and avoided the nature of man fallen; that he took some pure and holy portion of our nature, but took not part of the same with the brethren. Out upon such abominable doctrine: anathema maranatha unto an angel from heaven, if he dared to preach it. School-boys should know better; but it is written of a time of the church when babes shall rule over them: "I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them." Let us beware that that time is not now. I for one believe that it is now.

The second thing taught us by this manifestation of God in Christ, is a lesson concerning the Holiness, as the former was a lesson concerning the Love of God. Of the holiness of God, as of his other attributes, we know nothing otherwise than as it is revealed in Christ. All the rest

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is an abstraction, and not a being; a form of fallen reason and not a form of God, shining himself through the perfect reason in Jesus Christ? And what do we see of Godhead's holiness displayed in Jesus Christ? We see Godhead bringing its holiness out of the fallen substance of manhood. God's holy activity is no otherwise seen than in the members of the Man Christ Jesus: in whom do I see a holiness avoiding the fallen creature? Nay, but I see a holiness drawing near to the fallen creature, working in it, and brought out of it. Christ is the Holy One of God. Holiness is summed up in him. Holiness standeth only in him. Every thing seen, every thing known else is unholy; for he chargeth even his angels with folly, and what holiness there is in them, is only through sustentation of Christ. The angels that fell not, fell not through sustentation of Him. He was the strength of their holiness. They are holy in him, as we are holy in him. And out of what was this well-head of holiness stricken? It was stricken out of earthly fallen manhood. The spring welleth pure as the dew of heaven from the bosom of the earth, so came the holiness of God out of the human nature of Christ. Is holiness then an attribute which avoideth the fallen; which saith, Stand off until thou art reformed? No verily. How then would the holy God have consorted with fallen flesh; and wedded it to his person, and applied himself to it to redeem and save it, yea and glorified it to the right hand of the Majesty on high? Holiness in God being known only as it is manifested in the person of our blessed Saviour, I do therefore perceive to be that disposition in Him which condemns not the sinner until it hath first besought him and endeavoured to redeem and sanctify him. Adam had no sooner fallen, and become obnoxious to the judgment of God's holiness, than God himself applied to him with the voice of grace and forgiveness. He had mercy upon him, though he took vengeance upon his deeds; he gave him the promise of a Redeemer before he expelled him from paradise. He shewed him grace before he inflicted on him judgment. He gave him a word of prophecy to rest upon, before he took from him the fulness of his creation state, and debarred his approach to the paradise of Eden. And thus hath God ever dealt with sinful men; his holiness ever

inducing him to grace and mercy, before the coming on of judgment and wrath. He is a King, whose nature it ever is to present a pardon and reprieve before the execution of sentence: he ever hath done so, and so he ever will do. It is an error therefore to say that God inclines to punish, and needs something to come between and stem his wrath in its direful purpose of revenge. This is the vulgar error of all nations, that God's holiness is vindictive, and not merciful in the first instance; and it ariseth from the ungrateful and churlish disposition of man's heart to be more observant of the evil than of the good which is continually present and occurrent in the providence of God. Paul, in his discourses with the Heathen, continually reminds them of the rain and fruitful seasons by which God kept up the memorial of his goodness to them and the holy Scripture every where teacheth us the goodness of God to the evil as well as to the righteous, to the just as well as to the unjust. His name is, "The Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin." And it is added, "which will not clear the guilty." There is a guilt indeed which he will not clear; that is the guilt of living in the bosom of this the remedial world of grace, and living all unthankful and ungodly. Not only are all things created in Christ, but in him the ages or dispensations are constituted. Every thing in creation, every thing in providence preacheth the same Gospel-giving God, whom Christ preacheth. The prophetic office of Christ, and of his church doth not alter God but only declare God, and cast light upon his dispensations. So that the nations which

have not the Gospel, as those which have it, are living under the love and grace of the same God, whom Christ makes known, whom Christ doth not make or change in the preaching of him, but whom he only makes known, as he is eternally and unchangeably. This gracious, good, and holy God, is to us seen living and acting in a person; to those who know not that person, or believe not on him, he is seen and felt in every feature of creation, in every act of Providence, yea, and in a person he is known to every one, and that person is every one's self. We are created in the image of God, and for that image of himself written in our conscience, God will hold us all re

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