DISCOURSE IIl. 589 But how easy, plain, and obvious is the sense of these words, if we suppose the soul of our Lord Jesus Christ to be the first-born of every creature ; as Col. i. 15. and thus to enjoy real glory and dignity in theFather'spresence before the world was, as well as in all the following ages, until he emptied himself of it at his incarnation ? And then he prays thus, " Father I have finished the work on earth, whichthou gayest me to do in my state of humiliation here ; and now, O Father, take me to thy- self in heaven whereI once was, and glorify me with the real glory which I had there before the creation : My days of appoint- ed abasement are past, therefore let the power, splendor and dignity which I have possessed in thy presence before the world was, be restored to me." The words, with thy ownself, in our Saviour's prayer, seem to determine it to be a real glory which he once had in God's own presence. This seems so evidently to be the sense and meaning of our Lord inhis prayer, that if persons were not unacquainted with this doctrine, of the pre-existence of the soul of Christ ; or if they had not some prejudice against it, one would think that every reader should naturally, and necessarily take it in this sense. That it is the human nature of Christ that was thus glorified in its pre-existent state, may be confirmed from verse 24. Thou lovedst ene before the foundation of the world. Now this would be a very small thing forChrist to say, as to his divine nature, or godhead, that the Father loved hint before the creation ; but it is great and glorious, and every way suitable to his purpose, to be spoken by him as a man, referring to his pre- existent state and nature, for it gives a grand idea of him as the early and ancient object of his Father's love. Nor can this ancient love be referred only to the decree of God, for this decretal love of God may be spoken of the saints also ; the Father loved them as foreseen in his eternal de- crees : Whereas the plain design of Christ is, to request that enjoyment of divine love for the saints in their measure, which he himself actually tasted and enjoyed before the foundation of the world. so that with regard to his divine nature, he prays only for the manifestation of the glory ; but in respect of his human nature, he prays for the real communi- cation of that glory which might belong to such a sublime' union with the eternal godhead. All that I shall reply to this at present is. That it is so much more difficult and intricate for any reader to find out this exposition than that which I have given, that I leave any impartial person to judge which is the most natural and ea9y sense, and which must the apostles most naturally receive and under- Stand when these words were spoken in their hearing. Indeed all other exposi- tions, besides this which I here support, are forced, and strained, and distant from the natural ideas which occur to every reader. And all divines who believe not the doctrine of Christ's pre- existent soul, hate been always puzzled to find any tolerablesense to put upon these words.
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