3. This objection militates as much against the extensive powers of CHRIST's soul now in its exalted state, which are far above all men and angels, as it does against them in his pre-existent state; and yet in his now glorified state he is still the man JESUS CHRIST.

And though it be granted, that no mere creature is capable of the powers and honors attributed to CHRIST in his exalted state, yet we cannot comprehend nor determine what amazing capacities a creature nature may be endued with, who was always united to Deity; and it is in this view,— it is Christ as man united to Deity, who has such extensive powers as fit him to govern and judge the world.

And I am persuaded that an impartial perusal and study of the extensive knowledge and power attributed to CHRIST, in his present glorified state, would lead into an easy belief of the powers and glories of his ancient state; of which glories he divested himself at his incarnation, and were restored to him, on his finishing salvation work, with most illustrious additions, as a reward of his suf ferings.-John xvii.

Obj. 2. Some persons cry out against this doctrine, as if it supposed, the pre-existent nature or natures of CHRIST, to be united to a mere carcase, if it were united to an animal body without a soul or spirit.

Ans. 1. In ancient and more ignorant ages, this might stumble some weak philosophers; who were fond of mingling their mistaken philosophy with their christianity, and falsely imagined that an animal body was a mere dead carcase, without some immaterial being in it, some superior, vital soul or spirit: but in the present age, when all the best

philosophers believe, that animal bodies may have animal life in and of themselves, and all correspondent animal powers and motions, without any spiritual, intelligent, thinking substance superadded to them, this objection vanishes. CHRIST's soul, united to Deity, assumed a living animal body when he became incarnate; for it is agreed that the human, thinking, rational soul, does not give animal life to the organized body, which life arises from the circulation of the blood, inspiration and expiration of air, &c.

2. But suppose the human body were lifeless, without a rational soul, why may not CHRIST's preexistent rational soul be united to this body, and give life to it as well as a new created soul? So that this objection vanishes in all views of it.

Obj. 3. How can it be supposed that so glorious a being as you have described, who was present at the creation of the world, who governed the nation of Israel, and transacted the affairs of the church for four thousand years, should lose all its vast treasures of ideas, and its extensive faculties, and become ignorant as a human infant, and grow up by degrees to knowledge and wisdom? Yet this is asserted concerning CHRIST in his childhood, Luke ii. 52. "JESUS increased in wisdom and stature."

Ans. If this sentiment can be fairly accounted for according to reason and scripture, the objectors must certainly allow that it adds a most astonishing lustre to the humility, condescension, self-denial, and love of our blessed LORD.

Amongst the common laws of union between a human soul and body, which are appointed by

GOD our Creator, it is evident from manifold experience that this is one, That though the soul may have in itself ever so rich ideas, or powers ever so glorious and extensive, yet while it is united to animal nature in this manner, it can exert them no further than the organs of the animal will admit, or than these organs are fit to assist in such operations.' There have been many instances wherein persons of eminence and skill in arts and sciences, have had the brain, with all the traces and images which were impressed upon it, so confounded that they have lost almost all their ideas and skill; they have even forgotten their native language, and knew not their own names: sometimes by slow degrees they have recovered their ideas and words again, and in some years have come to their former excellencies: the brain recovered its traces and images, and the soul recognized them with pleasure, in much less time than at first it acquired them.

Further. Let us suppose the soul of the greatest philosopher or mathematician united to the body of a new born infant: this soul would find no traces or images on the brain of the babe correspondent with his former ideas; it would rather 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 appetites which attend the infant state: thus aH its learned ideas would be obliterated for a season. It is true that such a learned soul would much sooner recover its own ideas than one that never possessed them; and it would form images upon the brain, and attain the knowledge of them with greater speed and facility than other children could, whose souls never had these learned ideas.

Why might not this be the case with the holy child JESUS? His glorious soul might submit to have its former sublime ideas at its first union to animal nature so concealed and overwhelmed by the overbearing impressions of infant animal nature, that it might recover them again by such degrees as flesh and blood would admit;-and thus he was made for a little while lower than angelsand so might grow in wisdom and knowledge and stature together. Isaiah says of him, he was a child born, a son given—a virgin conceived and bore a son, and called his name IMMANUEL; " Butter and honey did he eat, that he might know to refuse the evil and choose the good;" that is, he was nourished with the common food of children, that he might grow up by degrees to human understanding, and the knowledge of distinction between good and evil.

The history of our LORD in the gospels assures us that he attained the knowledge of things much sooner and with greater facility than common children; thus at the age of twelve he was discoursing with the doctors in the temple. When he began to preach, the Jews wondered how this man should know letters having never learned. He knew his near relation to GOD, and his ancient glory, as many of his discourses testified. In short, the notices of former things were so far obliterated from the memory of this glorious spirit as was necessary to fit him for a state of trial in a human body: but he so far remembered his former glory as frequently to mention it, and sometimes pray for it, particularly in John xvii. 5.

I hope the reader will not reject this representation of things merely because he is not accustomed to indulge any opinion different from the common track: but let him try if it is incon

sistent with reason or scripture before he conclude it is false. I am certain it gives the highest honor to our blessed SAVIOR for this surprizing instance of his obedience to his Father, and condescending love to mankind: nor is there any thing that can set his admirable self-denial, humility, and inimitable love in a nobler light; or more aggrandize the love of GoD in giving such a Son, and confining him to such a state of union to a body, and such amazing humiliation.

Obj. 4. Is it not said frequently in scripture, that CHRIST was exalted to glory and honor, and to the government of all things after his resurrection, as a reward for his sufferings and death? Now if he had glory and happiness before the world, and was employed in the glorious works of creation and providence, then how can he be said to be exalted as a reward of his suffering, by having the government of the world given to him, or being advanced to glory, honor, and happiness in heaven?

Ans. 1. It was formerly hinted, that however great the powers of CHRIST were before his incarnation, yet he might be governor only of the church during former ages, thus he is called "King of the Jews;" but after his sufferings he was advanced to sovereignty over all nations, and made head over all things, and all nations of mankind for the sake of the church.

2. What affairs he transacted, and what honors he received formerly, were for the most part, as sustaining the character of GOD: but since his sufferings he is advanced to receive those honors in his own name, and raised to a government of much larger extent. Before the creation he had