reason for which is this: that the apostle might explain what he meant by the word us, viz. us, his disciples, he dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, before he left the world: he is speaking of James, Peter, and himself, who were eyewitnesses of Christ's majesty, when he was transfigured ou the holy mount. Hence he says, "And we beheld his glory." It was a fulness of transcendent glory, such as fully proved that he who shone forth with such light, splendour, and glory, was the only begotten Son of God." We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father."

Isaiah had a glimpse of the personal glory of Christ, as he was to be incarnate, and fill the temple of his body with all the fulness of Godhead, represented to him in a vision, which he records in the sixth chapter of his prophecy. "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above about it, or round about it, stood the seraphims; each one had six wings, with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory." That it was Christ, and belonged to him, see John xii. 41. "We beheld his glory," says John: and there was such an impress of majesty upon his glory, there was such an effulgency of glory,

that all us, or all who ever shall be admitted to the same knowledge of him, and vision of him in heaven, must and will everlastingly confess, as we, James, Peter, and myself do, that the glory of the Godhead breaking forth, and darting its rays through, and on his human nature, fully proved him to be the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his

person.

"We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father:" and he includes these words in a parenthesis, that he might finish his account and testimony of it, before he further proceeded in giving an account of what this most divine Immanuel was, in his converse with poor sinners, to whom he preached, and among whom he dwelt in his incarnate state.

The glory then of Christ, is the glory of the Godhead dwelling personally in him, breaking forth in, and shining through his human nature. To use Dr. Goodwin's words, it is such as if the sun being encompassed with a case of crystal, how glorious would that crystal be: a glory, such as is worthy only to appear in him that is one person with God. This the apostle speaks of as the highest evidence of his being the Son of God. All the apostles record our Lord's appearance on the mount. Our John cries out in this parenthesis of wonder, "and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the

Father," though shining in him, but in the days of his flesh. And Peter magnifies and exalts it above all things else he had to say of him, or could alledge in testimony of his being the Christ and Son of God. "We were eye-witnesses of his majesty; for we saw his person in glory for we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you, the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty. For he received from God, the Father, honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which caine from heaven, we heard when we were with him in the holy mount," 2 Pet. i. 16, 17, 18. And to see him as he is, will be the utmost perfection in heaven. John says, "When Christ shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is," 1 John iii. 2. Our divine Lord suspended the breakings forth of his personal glory, and laid it aside in his incarnate state. It was but here a little, and there a little, that he shone forth in some rays of it on the apostles.

Hence it may be out of an holy longing, that all believers, when they read of and meditate on the incarnation of the essential Word, might not overlook his efflux of brightness and glory, as God manifested in the flesh, the apostle draws their minds to behold him, as he and other apos

Thirdly. The glory of his person, which John and others, were eye-witnesses of, which is declared in these words: "And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father;" which words are included in a parenthesis, the reason for which shall be given.

Fourthly. His fulness. He was in his incarnate state, in all his conversation with poor sinners, who came to him for salvation, help, and succour, full of grace and truth: a fountain ever flowing and overflowing.

These are our heads. May the Lord the Spirit, be present with my mind, and give me supernatural light into this portion of his holy word, that I may explain it to a hair's breadth, with the oracles of truth.

I begin with my first head.

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."

In our introductory observations on the verses preceding the text, it fully appears that Christ, as a person in Jehovah, existed before the world was; he being with the Father and the Spirit, in the unity of the one incomprehensible Godhead, Jehovah, the Most High, over all the earth. It

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.