DISCOURSE III. Tracing out the early existence of his Human Nature as the first-born of God, or as the first of all Creatures, bfore the Formationof this World. S 1.Introduction. THE various glories of our blessed Lord are the subject of our holy meditation and our joy. Thereare wonders enough in his person, hischaracters and offices, to raise our sacred curiosity and to entertain our delightful enquiries in time and eternity. Many of these are displayed by the gospel in an open and illus- trious light ; others are yet unrevealed and reserved till we shall see himface toface : And there are also some which are reveal- ed but with less glaring evidence, and are contained like hidden treasures in the mines of scripture, to awaken our diligence in the pursuit of this divineknowledge ; and there is reason tohope, that every spark of new discovered glory will richly recompense the labour of our enquiries. The foregoing discourse bath led us to find some surprizing powers and excellencies in the man Christ Jesus, which perhaps have notbeen much known or commonly observed. It is plea- sant and astonishing to think how far the human soul of our ex- alted Lord under the conduct of his divine nature may have a hand in the government of the nations and the judgment of the world. 'phis invites our faith to look forward to the great resur- rection -day with holy pleasure and expectation. And if weturn our eyes backward to the be- ginning of allthings, and read the scripture with studious search, perhaps we may spy some early glories attending his sacred person, which we never thought of before. Now if by a more careful inspection into the word of God, we shall find it revealed there with unexpected evidence, that the " human soul of our Lord Jesus Christ had an existence, and was personally united to the divine nature, longbefore it came to dwell in flesh and blood ;" and that by this glorious person, God the Father managed the affairs of his ancient church as his own supreme minister and as the great Mediator and king of his people, and that at a certain appointed period of time God sent down this blessed soul, willingly divested of primitive joys and glories, to take flesh in the womb of the virgin, to dwell in the body of an infant, and grow up by degrees to the perfection ofa, man, and in this body to suffer a thousand indignities and inju- ries frommen and devils, and to sustain intense pains or agonies 003
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