EOa THE GLOAT OF CHRIST Á$ GOD-MAN. in the next section and it may beyet made plainer still; when- soever I shall publish another dissertation which I have writtenon the naine Son of God*. SECT. V. A Confirmation of this Doctrine by _Arguments drawn from the happy Consequences, and the various Ad -' vantages of it. I think the reason and considerations mentioned in the two foregoing sections have some weight in them : But the argu- nrent will receive new strength it we survey the various ad- antages that attend this opinion of the pre-existent soul of Christ. Advantage I. " This doctrine casts a surprising light upon many dark passages in the word of God it does very naturally and easily explain and reconcile several difficult places both of the Old and NewTestament, which are very hard to be account- ed for any other way.". Some of these I have already mention- ed, and 1 think they appear in a fairer light by the help -of this doctrine. Other passages there are which speak of Christ as the true God, and yet at the same time in the context attribute such properties and characters to him as are,very hard to be reconciled and applied topure godhead : but are explained with utmost ease to us, and honour to Christ, by supposing his pre - existent soul even then united to his divine nature. Let us survey some of these portions of scripture. Text I. Col. i. 15-19. Christ is described as the "image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature, for by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, &c. All things were created by him and for him, and he is befóre all things, andby him all things consist ; and he is the head of the body the church, the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence, for it pleased . the Father that in him should all fulness dwell, or as it is expressed in the second chapter, verse 9. for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily." here are some expressions which seem too sublime for any mere creature, viz. All things were created by hive and for him, and by hint all things consist. But when it is said, Ili is the image of Me invisible God this cannot refer merely to his divine na- iurc, for that is as invisible in the Son as it is in the 'Father ; therefore it seems to refer to his pre existent soul in union with his godhead, who is the brightest, the fairest and mostglorious image of pod ; and so he appears to the world of angels in heaven, andby his frequent assuminga visible shape heretofore, became the image of the invisible God to men, and dwelt here for a season on earth. * This dissertation was never published.
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