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ON THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST.

WHO being in the form of God,-was made in the likeness of men, Phil. 2:6,7. Not only the divinity, but the humanity of Christ has been denied. So mysterious is the union of human and divine nature, that at an early period of Christianity, even in the apostle's time, some attributed to the Savior only one nature. One sect believed him to be only human; another believed him to be only divine. The same unscriptural sentiments, with some modifications, have been continued till the present day. If there be none in the present age, who denies that the Son of God was united with any degrees of humanity, there are those, who deny that the body of Christ was animated by a human soul. As it is designed to exhibit a general view of the nature and character of the Savior, it is necessary to consider his humanity.

Christ is repeatedly called in the sacred Scriptures man, and the Son of man. When Peter denied his Lord, he called him a man, saying, "I know not the man." When the centurion witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus, he exclaimed, "Truly this man was the Son of God." When Pilate expressed his opinion respecting the allegations brought against Christ, he said, "I find no fault in this man." The Jews called Christ a man. They accused him of blasphemy, saying, "because thou being a man, makest thyself God." In these and other instances, Christ is called a man by persons, who were not under the influence of divine

inspiration. They spoke of him according to appearance. He appeared to them to be a man. But we are not confined to human appearance for evidence of Christ's humanity. The apostle Paul, who was under the inspiration of God's Spirit, called Jesus Christ a man. Preaching to the Athenians concerning the resurrection, he said, "Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man, whom he hath ordained." In his epistle to the Romans, he contrasts Christ with Adam. He speaks of the extensive and deleterious effects of Adam's sin; and in view of this, he declares the extensive and beneficial effects of the obedience of Christ. His language is, "As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." The phraseology of this passage authorizes a belief that one, in the latter part of the text, means one man, which is Jesus Christ. "For, since by man came death, by man, (i. e. Christ,) came also the resurrection of the dead." "The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Christ repeatedly called himself the Son of man. Interrogating his disciples concerning peoples' opinion of himself, he said, "Whom do people say that I the Son of man am?" This appellation is frequently given by the Evangelists to Christ.

The two angels who were sent to Sodom to destroy the place, and to save Lot and his family, had the appearance of men. On account of this appearance they were called men. But it is presumable that they did not actually assume flesh and blood. They probably assumed this appearance because they could, in this manner, more intelligibly communicate information, and avoid the appearance of miraculous interposition. Christ, before his incarnation, appeared at times in the likeness of a man. When he wrestled with Jacob, he appeared as a man, and he was called

a man. The scriptures give this account of the transaction. "Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel; for I have seen God face to face."

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Because angels appeared, at times, in human likeness, and were called men; because Christ, in the early ages of the world, appeared in human likeness, and was called a man, though neither he nor they were encompassed by humanity, it does not follow, that Christ, when he abode upon earth, was not invested with human nature; that he only had the appearance of a man, without the reality. He was the seed of the woman. He descended from the house of David. If his conception was different from the ordinary course of nature, this circumstance does not affect his humanity. Adam was formed in a manner different from any of his posterity. But he was not the less human on account of the peculiar mode of his origination. Christ was born of Mary. He, undoubtedly, was nourished as other children. He increased in stature. He ate and drank. After long abstinence from food, "he was an hungred." It cannot be supposed that this was merely appearance; that there was no reality. It seems to be an impeachment of the human understanding to attempt to prove that Christ had a human body. But it is a greater impeachment to deny it.

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Some, who admit that Christ had a human body, deny that he had a human soul. As this denial materially affects the character of Christ, it is necessary to investigate this point. When Christ is called in the sacred Scriptures, man and Son of man, there is no intimation given that these words are not to be understood according to their usual and natural import. By the word man, is understood a particularly organized body, animated by rational powers. A human body, which has been deprived of its spirit, cannot with propriety be called a man. Nor is it proper to apply

this term to a disembodied human spirit. It requires both of these substances, matter and spirit, to constitute a man. If the body of Christ was animated and actuated only by the Son of God, there would be no propriety in calling him a man; because it was destitute of an essential, and of the most important part of human nature. If the body of Christ was not animated by a human soul, it is not true that the Son of God was united with humanity. A piece of matter, organized like a human body, but destitute of a soul, is no more capable of human sensations, than a piece of matter differently organized. Consequently it could not be considered possessing the essentials of human nature.

The apostle Paul, speaking of Christ, asserts that he "was made in the likeness of men." The original word (ópowpari) translated likeness, signifies more than likeness of appearance. It signifies a real likeness, a likeness of nature. Christ was not made in the real likeness of men, if he resembled them only in the organization of his body. This would be comparatively a small resemblance. The apostle Paul, representing Christ undertaking the redemption of man, asserts, that "in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren." If he had not a human soul, he was not made like his brethren in all things. In the most important points he was not made like them. The reason the apostle assigned why it behoved Christ to be made like his brethren was, "that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the ple. For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. The consequence of Christ's being made like his brethren was, he had human feelings. Christ in his divine nature knew what were the feelings, the passions, the infirmities and temptations of humanity. But in his divine nature he never felt them. In consequence of the divine Son's union with human nature he became

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a merciful, as well as a faithful high Priest. He was tried by temptation. When he had fasted a long time, he felt the sensation of hunger. He had a desire for food like any man. In this situation he was tempted, when Satan proposed to him to supply himself with bread in a miraculous manner. He undoubtedly had a desire for the conveniences of life; but higher motives counteracted this desire. He was therefore subject to temptation, when all the kingdoms of the world were offered to him. In view of the sufferings, which awaited him, he desired, if it were possible, that they might pass from him. He was, therefore, tempted to shrink from the tortures of the cross. Christ speaking to his disciples concerning their faithfulness to him, said, "Ye are they, which have continued with me in my temptations." The apostle to the Hebrews says, "We have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." It is impossible that Christ should be subject to temptations as we are; that he should be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, if he had not a human soul. Separate the mind from the body, and it is hard to conceive how the body can have perceptions and sensations. Can the eye see and perceive; can the ear hear and understand, independently of the intellectual faculties? When intelligence is withdrawn, the body has no perception nor sensation. If there be a distinctión between the sensitive and intellectual powers of man, there cannot be a proper man without such intellectual powers. If a humanly organized sensitive body may be supposed, it can have only animal sensations; it cannot have human feelings and passions, excepting on principles of modern philosophy, which makes the human soul a necessary result of a particular organization of matter.*

Such a being may have the appearance of a man; but it is not true that in all things he is made like unto

* See Priestley on Matter and Spirit.

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