639 TIM GLORY OF GFÏRtsr Ae 001)-MAN. Yet further, let us suppose the soul of the greatest philo- sopher or mathematician united to the body of a new-barn infant : This soul would find no images or traces on the brain of the babe correspondent to his ancient ideas ; but on the other hand it would receive incessant impressions and sensations from this infant brain, according to the laws of union, derived from the sensible objects around it, or the natural inward motions and ap- petites that attend the infant state and thus all its ancient and learned ideas would be as it wereobliterated for a season, or rather concealed and overwhelmed, or buried by the impetuousimpres- sions of animal nature, and by the constant importunity of such sensations and images as belong to a new-born child. It is true indeed that such a learned soul would recover its own ideas by much swifter degrees than one that had never possessed them ; and it would form proper traces and images on the young human brain with mach greater speed and. facility than oilier children could attain them, whose souls never had these learned ideas. And is it not possible that this may be the case of the holy child Jesus i His glorious soul might submit to have its former numerous and sublime ideas at its first union to animal nature, so concealed and overwhelmed by the importunate and overbearing impressions of infant-animal nature, that it might recover them again only by such degrees as flesh and blood would admit ; and thus he was made for a little while lower than angels; as Heb. ii. 9. and so might grow in wisdom, and knowledge and stature together ; as in Luke ii. 52. And indeed if we compare ibis with Isa. ix. 6. and Isa. vii. 14, 15. those verses may be na- turally explained to this sense. He was a child horn, 'he was a son given.; a virgin conceived and bare a son, and called his name Immanuel : Butter and honey did he eat, that he might know to refuse the evil and chase the, good ; that is, he was nourished with the common food which they gave young child- ren, that he might grow up by degrees to human understanding, and knowledge of distingtion between good and evil. It seems also agrtlbable to the history of the gospel, that our blessed' Lord attained the knowledge of. things by much swifter degrees, and far greater facility than common children; for at twelve years old he was found discoursing with the Doe- tors in the temple : And when he first preached to the Jews, they wondered how this man should know letters, having never learned; John viit.15. And then in his manly state, he knew his near relation to God, andhis pre - existent glory, as many of his own speeches testify. According to this représentation, Mr. Fleming in his Cltristulogy, book III. page 455." supposes " the notices of fúrtner things to be so far obliterated from the memory of this glorious spirit, as was just necessary- to his being fitted for a state of trial its a human body. But lie did so far reamed-
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