DISCOURSE III. 825 made that was made. That the Logos or Word connotes the person sustaining before God the personage of God-man, by whom, as such, all things were created." And he interprets the eighth of Proverbs to the same sense. If it be enquired, How it is possible that the human nature of Christ, even though it be united to the godhead, can have any thing to do in the work of Creation, I might give an answer to it out of this author's own words, that is, Christ might utter those words, Let there be light ; and as God's word and instru- ment might create all things, as he wrought miracles here on earth. Now to speak that word, Let there be light, which the Almighty power of God attended with divine efficacy, was a most illustrious honour put upon the human nature or soul of Christ; but surely it is not above the power of a creature to speak such a word. It may be objected, That no words could be spoken when there was no air to form the sound of a voice; therefore in the description of Moses this language is metaphorical, and signifies the act of the will, or a volition that there should be light. But as the Doctor explains Christ's instrumentality in the creation of the world by his way of working miracles, this may as well be applied to a volition of the soul, as to a word of the tongue. We may suppose this human spirit might as well will there should he light, as when he cleansed the leper. Mat. viii. 3. he said, I -will, be thou clean. As in that miracle the human soul put forth this volition and the divine power performed the cure, so in the creation this same glorious spirit- might have this honour put on it, as to exert such a volition con- cerning the several creatures, and the almighty power or god- head united to it seconded this volition with its own creative efficacy. Though the will of this human soul might have no more real influence in causing creatures to exist than the tongue of Je- sus had in.curing the leper, yet God may be said to create all things by Jesus Christ, even as lie wrought miracles by him ; and Jesus Christ himself also may be properly called the Crea- tor, in as much as the divine nature, being personally united to the human soul, performed this work. Now the godhead cannot be said to give away any of its own incommunicable pre- rogatives to a mere creature by any sublime expressions of this kind, which attribute thecreation to Christ, because the soul of Christ is not a mere creature ; for by its near and intimate union to the divine nature, it becomes one with God : which honour is not given to any creature whatsoever, but to the man Cl.rist Jesus. This representation of things perhaps may prevent the \'ùi.. vi. R a
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=