582 THE GLORY OF CHRIST AS GOD -55ÁN. from some unknown manifestations of the wrath of God against sin, and at last submit to death and the grave ; I say, if we should find such a doctrine contained in The scripture, will not such thoughts as these spread anew lustre over all our former ideas of the glory of Christ, even in his human nature, and add to thecondescensions of our blessed Saviour considered as God and man in one person ? How happily will it make the whole scheme of our religion, and the book of God which reveals it, more intelligible and delightful to all those who love Christianity ? And it will render this sacred volume much more defensible against the men whodoubt or deny the blessed doctrines of it. But that I may not anticipate my design, let us proceed to un- fold this doctrine by degrees, according to the following pro- positions. iS.ECT. II.Some Propositions leading- to the Proof of the Doc- trine Proposed. Proposition I. " It is evident from many places of scrip- ture, that Christ had an existence beforehe took flesh upon him, and came into this world." John i. 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was With God, and the Word was God. Verse 3. All things were made by him. Verse 14. And the Word was madeflesh, and dwelt among. us. John xii. 41. These things said Lsaias When he saw his glory, and spake cf hirn : Wherein the apostle John attributes to our Lord Jesus Christ that actual glorious ap- pearance which Isaiah saw of the Lordof hosts, chapter vi. 1 -4. John iii. 13. No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man, which is in heaven: o my ev ros opavw, or, whichwas in heaven, for both senses are agreeable' to the greek. John viii. 58. Before Abraham was, I am. John i. 15. He that cometh after me is preferred before me, says John the Baptist, because he was before nie : op.igoan, µs yEyovV óD zposros pa m. One of these words which we render as before me, seems'necessarily to signify a priority of time, and it is hard to say which or both of them cannot do so, but the same thing cannot be proved by itself. The verse may beconstrued thus, " This is he of whom I said, he that comes after me had a being before me, for indeed he was before me, that is, he is more excellent than I ; or thus, he was preferred beforeme, because he had his being before I had mine, though as to his natural birth as man, Christ was six months younger than John. So Dr. Goodwin and many others interpret this text. But I proceed to other scriptures, which prove the exist. epee of Christ before his incarnation. ' John iii. 30, 31. He that cometh from above, is above all ; he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth : He that cometh from above, is above all. 1 Cor. xv. 47. The first
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