621 THE GLORY OF CHRIST AS GOD-MAN. say, this interpretation carries full and sufficient conviction with it ; yet both the sacredpen -men of this hook, as well as the seventy Jewish interpreters, in this passage may be fairly explained in this manner, and cast no unfavourable aspect on the pre- existence of the soul of Christ. 8. This doctrine in the judgment of some great authors gives us a fair idea of those passages of scripture wherein God is said to create all things by Jesus Christ ; Eph. iii. 9. not merely by his divine nature, but by him considered as God-man, and called by the names Jesus and Christ. This I confess has something so sublime in it, that I dare not indulge my own thoughts too far on this subject. Creation is a divine work, and the scripture always describes it as the prerogative of God to create. Nor can I believe that the real and proper power of harming any thing out of nothing is less than infinite, or that it em be communicated to any creature whatsoever. The light of nature and scripture fully agree in making this work an incom- municable prerogative of godhead : Nor can I persuade myself that Godwould give so much as a shadow of this glory to a mere creature who was not personally united to God, and thereby be- came one with God, lest it should too much intrench upon those divine titles, prerogatives and operations, wherebyhe distinguishes himself from his creatures. And upon this account I think it is a good proof that Christ is God, because the scripture joins him with the Father in the work of creation. Yet there may be some proprieties and condecencies in it, that when this first- created spirit or soul of Christ was.framed, and united to the divine nature, be should not be a mere idle or or inactive spectator of the first works of God. But I chose to represent this matter here no further in my own language, but propose it as it is represented by two great divines, Doctor Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Robert Fleming. Doctor Goodwin in his treatise of the " I{nowledge of God, page 177." asserts, That all things were created by Christ, " he having been some way the instrument, as he is Christ God- man, anointed, of the creation as well as, actually, of redemp- tion." And though the Doctor supposes the human nature to be then united to the godhead only in decree, yet he says concerning Christ, page 178. " If he were at all to be made a creature, it was his due personal privilege to have been first himself made, and himself to have been God's instrument in creation, and to have uttered those words which were spoken by God, Let there be light: But for other ends it was suspended." The same author makes it the title of chapter XI. page 180. " That Christ as God-man is the Creator of all things, proved by scrip- ture, viz. 1 Cor. viii. 6. by whom are all things. John i. i, 2, 3. All things were made by him, and without him was nothing
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