will be suited to our present and further going on with the subject before us, to consider these two eminent titles and names, which belong to him, as existing before the world was, and both of them expressed in this chapter. The one is the WORD; the other is the SON OF GOD: which two names are given him in the text before us. And John the baptist affirms, that Christ is the Son of God, and was (i. e. existed) before him, viz. prior to his incarnation, verses 15, 18, 30, 34.

As parallel with these two important titles, he is called in the eighth chapter of Proverbs, Wisdom. And the title, the Son of God, you have Proverbs xxx. 4. " What is his name, and what is his son's name?"

This title, the Word, and the only begotten of the Father, are names essential to his personality in Godhead. They are expressive of his relation to the Father; and the first of them fully serves to convey to the mind, a clear idea, how the Father hath been pleased to speak out, and make known all his mind and will, by his essential Word, who has expressed the same fully and clearly, in all his works and ways of creation, providence, and grace. As the title of only begotten of the Father, and Son of God, expressly declares him to be existent in the same nature, and a partaker of the same individual glory, majesty, perfection, and blessedness, with the Father, and the Spirit.

When Christ bears the title of the Word, it should ever put us in remembrance of his speaking the world into being, by his almighty fiat; of his upholding it by the same omnipotent power; and that he, as incarnate, hath revealed and spoke out, all the mind and will of God: so that he is the image of the invisible God, who hath, by his mysterious incarnation, revealed all of God that can be manifested to intellectual minds.

He is the Son of the living God; and is the living God, Heb. iii. 12. the fountain of eternal life; and he assumed human nature into personal union with himself; and so he is God-man in one person for ever: so that in the person of Christ, we have two distinct natures united, the divine and human. In consequence of which hypostatical union, all the fulness of the Godhead dwells in the man Christ Jesus. The human and divine natures remain distinct, yet are they so inseparably united, that they make but one persou.

This is the subject before us. This is next the doctrine of the co-equal and co-eternal Three in one essence, the greatest of all mysteries. And this most important truth is expressed in the words of divine inspiration thus; "And the Word was made flesh." In which we have the distinct natures, the human and divine, clearly expressed, the person in whom they were united, and the method by which they were united.—

wholly of grace; it proceeds from the good pleasure of his own will.

And thus I am brought to the fourteenth verse, which contains the words of my text; and which read thus: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; (and we beheld his glory,) the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

In these words we have this great mystery, God manifest in the flesh, Immanuel, God with us, the essential Word incarnate, in all the glories of his person as God-man, in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead, with all his excellencies and fulness set before us.

Every word in our text is important; not a tittle of it but is of infinite worth. We will therefore aim to explain the whole of it; and for our help and benefit, will consider all contained in this most precious and invaluable text, under the following heads.

First. I will set before you this great mystery of the incarnation of the essential Word, the only begotten Son of God, his becoming a partaker of our nature, by his personal assumption of it into union with his divine person, as expressed in these words of our text, "And the Word was made flesh."

Secondly. His infinite grace manifested in living in our world, which is expressed in our text, " And dwelt among us."

is made use of, "The Word was made flesh." O that we might be led to admire and adore the holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, for their everlasting love to the elect thus displayed!

The Father provided a body for his co-equal Son, to take into union with himself; the Holy Ghost prepared and articulated it; and the essential Word took hold of it, and by taking it into personal union with his person, was made man. O, stupendous love! Unutterable grace! Such as will be matter of wonder and praise for ever and ever. For this union is indissoluble. The essential Word will be God-man for ever and

ever.

I come to my second head of discourse, and am to shew the infinite grace of God incarnate, manifested in living in our world, which is expressed in our text thus; "and dwelt among us."

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." The essential Word, the Son of God, became by his mysterious incarnation, in all things like unto us, yet without sin. Thus "he who sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one;" i. e. of one nature. "The children being partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same," Heb. ii. 11, 24. The essential Word, and only begotten of the Father, took with our nature, all the sinless infirmities of it.

Thus the humanity, as united to him, was impeccable: it was impossible for sin to enter it, for death to touch it, there being nothing in it which could reduce it, and bring it under the power of the grave; and, therefore, our Lord's laying down his life, and submitting to the stroke of death, was altogether voluntary. Hence he says, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again : no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself: I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." John x. 9, 10. Which fully proves that he had an absolute power over his own life, as God-man, to lay it down, and to take it again; and that his doing so was acting in conformity to the eternal transactions which had passed between him and his Father, in the counsel and covenant of peace. Yet his humanity, his body and soul, though hypostatically united to him, was the subject of all sinless infirmities. Hence he knew what it was to need support from the creatures, which received their being and support from him as their Creator and Lord. He was, in his incarnate state, subject to hunger and thirst, to weariness and grief; he knew personally all the sinless affections, feelings, sorrows, and apprehensions of the human mind, which gives us a most exalted idea of his infinite grace.