colouring; in which one also fancies something divine: as for example in the style or language of a saying that has here been quoted before, and perhaps more than once; being our Saviour's heavenly invitation to all who are troubled, whether spiritually or temporally-in themselves or in their circumstances, " Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For MY YOKE IS EASY, AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT” (Matt. xi. 28, &c.).

.

Was this ever uttered by a mere human being? Could ever any angel become this expression? In truth, it was no word for either. Yet this is only one of many such traits as might still be adduced; of traits, which if not human, were still exhibited by the Subject in that form. And who can do justice to those which follow? Faint indeed must be our expression when applied

2, To those properties of the Subject the character of which was more clearly divine; although a way has been prepared for them by the consideration of others more human as before proposed: and the task is also shortened by what has been premised of the Sole Subjective, being also the First Mediate and one with the Second. For in the divine Nature, now to be partly reconsidered, there are no kinds, as before observed, to make a particular description necessary in this instance: Divinity is all one in all to whom it comes alike, or in the same relation, and everywhere perfect or unimprovable; and nothing can be attributed to it absolutely that might not be attributed also to the same relatively in whatever subject or sphere, however unequal or unlike to the same: thus for example

as well as in the properties first mentioned. Divinity is divinity through all, and in all,—in Heaven and in earth ; the same every where, and in every person. It cannot be one thing in one person, and another thing in another,one thing in little things, and another thing in great. It is one thing in all, whether they be persons or things. It is all one in David, in Jesus the Son of David, and in every child of God. It is all one in heavenly things, in earthly things, and in things under the earth.

Therefore in the divinity of this Subject compared with any other, the difference will not be one of quality; but of constancy, purity, nativity, plenitude, and every other sort of peculiarity before ascribed to the Subject in this respect. "For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him" (John iii. 34), "a Lamb without blemish and without spot" (Pet. I. i. 19), conceived by the Holy Ghost (Luke i. 35), and born with it into the world; instead of being assimilated thereto, as usual, by the effect of regeneration. For he was the Son of God, that is divine before baptism, and not after only; sanctifying the ordinance by his use, and not sanctified by it. He came "not by water only, but by water and blood" (John I. v. 6). In this instance human nature had a character wholly divine; while in other sons of men it is only more or less according to their several endowments;-as in one phial the liquid may be pure ether; in others, different combinations with the same; and in others mere water or dregs. In him every thought, word and deed was perfectly divine; while it can hardly be said, that in others generally any one thought

word or deed was ever perfectly, although in many they have been partly, and in some very decidedly, of that character. For example: to die for one's country, or to give one's life for a single friend, has something divine in it: to die for another country, or for a stranger only in respect to their intrinsic worth, something more; but to die, as the Subject did, not only for strangers as well as countrymen, but for the least deserving as well as the most, and for enemies as well as friends,-is most, or rather QUITE divine, is divinity itself without any alloy. "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; (says St. Paul) yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die: but God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Rom. v. 7,8); being the act of God, or of divine love.

It may seem much to say, that not only love but every human ingredient in Christ was divine; whether it were spiritual like this, or more intellectual or even material, though God is neither. And although the epithet "divine" cannot be applied to any other person, except as before observed of "angelic,” in a figurative sense and with gross exaggeration, it may still be said of this man, without hyperbole or metaphor, that there was nothing either in his character or person that would shame divinity; no, nor aught belonging to him that was not equally of God, if not equally divine. The body and blood of Christ were of God, as much as his spirit and intellect; the church that he purchased was the church of God, and purchased with the blood of God (Acts xx. 28); the life that he laid down for it was the life of God (John x. 15); and all HIS things are of God, whether directly from himself or indirectly through his; as St. Paul observes, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. AND ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD; WHO HATH RECONCILED US TO HIMSELF BY JESUS CHRIST" (Cor. II. v. 17, 18). In all that he did, in all that he suffered, from the combination to the

consummation of his earthly existence, the agent and patient was both God and man; as will more fully appear, when these two natures come to be considered together in different states of the Subject after the manner above proposed. For thus much having now been observed of the Subject's divinity, or humanly speaking divine constituents in general, it will be proper, before any other topics, to notice some of these in particular; as, for example, 1, Dis vine Unity; 2, Eternity; 3, Infinity; 4, Incomprehensibility; 5, Impersonality; with other properties or endowments of a divine nature and heavenly origin: but chiefly the last mentioned; those first enumerated having been formerly mentioned under the general head of Divinity; which makes their notice in the present application the more easy and concise,-Divinity itself being, as just observed, the same in all its associations. Thus

-1, The Unity of the Godhead will be the same in the Subject as in itself: as the grosser unity of light is the same in every part of the earth on which it happens, or shines. Thus

2, The Eternity of the Subject, especially in its outgoing and his pre-existence, or first estate-to be hereafter noticed, is in no respect different from the eternity of God, the Father; having, like this, neither beginning, nor inThus likewise

crease.

-3, His Infinity will be the same: which occurs in his Image or presentation as the eternal Word, of That which is infinite. "For by him were all things created that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible; whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things; and by him all things consist" (Col. i. 16, 17).

Whence may also appear the identity of these three forementioned attributes-the divine unity, eternity, infinity of the Subject, with each other as well as with the

VOL. III.

I

A

same in the original and universal Godhead to which they are absolutely ascribed. If all things were created by the Father and for him, so were they created by and for the Son; and if all things consist or endure by the Father, so do they likewise by the Son. And

—4, With all these decided traits, the Divinity of the Subject, or in him is still marked with the same Incomprehensibility as that before attributed generally to God. So that with all the knowledge that we possess of Jesus Christ by means of his sacred record and otherwise, he still essentially, or, as it might be as well said, IN HIS DIVINITYwill remain as incomprehensible as the Father himself; being like, or rather with, the Father-" one who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see (Tim. I. vi. 16). For where a disciple and cotemporary, the divine St. John, mentions, "That which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life" (John I. i. 1), we find one word, and that a little one too—“ of”, which may enough to shew, that he did not mean it was the Word itself that he handled; but all that was palpable, visible and intelligible of the same incarnate. So later divines, and divines generally, are said to handle, not the transcript of the eternal Word which is delivered to them and put into their hands, but simply the WORD by a figurative or elliptical expression that is well enough understood. Lastly, of those before considered

be

-5, Impersonality, another attribute of Divinity consequent upon the other properties or attributes, especially those of infinity and incomprehensibility the two last mentioned is as much a property of the Subject in his divine nature, and as identical with the same in the Godhead generally as either of those of which there will be more to be said with the Subject's pre-existing state.

-And now, having so far considered the premises al