BOO THE GLORY OF CHRIST AS GOD-MAN. SECT. IV.Miscellaneous Arguments to prove the same Doctrine. Though the Considerations already offered carry with them a good force of argument, yet all the reasons which support the doctrine of Christ's pre - existent soul cannot be reduced to one general head. There are several others which are not so easily ranged tinder any head, that can give their assistance to this work; and therefore I call them miscellaneous, and propose them thus : Argument I. " It seems needful that the soul of Christ should be pre existent, that it might have opportunity to give its previous actual consent to the great and painful undertaking of atonement for our sins." It was the human soul of Christ that endured all the weak- ness, poverty and pain of his infant state, that sustained all the labours and fatigues of life, that felt the bitter reproaches of men, and the sufferings of a shameful and bloody death, as well as the buffetings of devils, and the painful inflictions of the justice of God. This is evident, for neither the divine nature,,nor the mere flesh or body abstractly considered, are capable of pain nor shame without the human soul. Surely then it seems to be re- quisite that the soul of Christ should give its actual free consent to this undertaking before his labours, pains or sorrows began, which was as soon as ever he was born. One cannot but think it very congruous and highly reason- able, that he who was to undergo so much for our sakes should not be taken from his childhood in a mere passive manner into this difficult and tremendous work. And afterwards only give his consent to it when he was grown up a man, upon a secret divine intimation that he was born for this purpose. It looks most likely and condecent in respect of the nature of things, and the justice of God, that Christ's human soul which endured all the pains, should well know before hand what the glorious work of mediation would cost him, and that lie should voluntarily ac- cept the proposal from the Father : Otherwise it rather seems a a task imposedupon him, than an original and voluntary engage- ment of his own ; whereas such an imposition would seem to diminish the merit and glory of this noble undertaking, and is alsocontrary to scripture in itself. But if we suppose the human soul, united to the divine na- ture at its first creation, and being thereby fully capacitated for this amazing work, receiving theproposal with chearfiilness from God his Fattier from the foundation of theworld, and then from an inward delight toglorify his Father, and from a compassionate principle to the children of men, undertaking this difficult and bloody service, and coining down into a human body to fulfil it : ¿ids highly exalts the merit of his love, and the condescending
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