presented the same Angel of the Lord, who appeared to Abraham, whom Abraham calls Jehovah, and whom he addressed as the Judge of all the earth, who must do right. Christ is the Judge. "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." Yet the Judge is God. Paul says, "We are sure the judgment of God is according to truth, against them who commit such things."--" And thinkest thou, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?"" And treasurethup unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God?"" "Is there unrighteousness with God? How then shall God Judge the world?"-Surely then, though Christ is the Judge; yet, in the New Testament, as well as the Old, the Judge is God himself. "The Lord himself shall be revealed from heaven, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God." Here is the Son of man coming in his glory. This text appears to be in allusion to that passage in the 50th Psalm, "A fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him." The two passages relate to the same Person and event,--the appearing of Christ, the Judge of the world. The apostle calls it the glorious appearing of the great God, our Saviour Jesus Christ. It is evident, from the view taken of these passages, which relate to the judgment, that Jesus Christ is the very God, as well as man. He is in some mysterious, sense distinct from the Father, who judgeth no man: Yet he is infinitely superior to a derived dependent being. "God is Judge himself." God and the Judge are essentially one. There is no doubt but the three Persons in the Godhead will all be engaged in the great work of the final judgment. But the divine exhibition is represented as being made through the Person of Christ. When it is said, "the Father judgeth no man," it cannot mean, that he is excluded from the solemn scene, or has nothing to do with the judgment. Nor can it mean, that the Person, who is the manifest Agent in the judgment, is essentially inferior to the Father. For neither of these ideas does the Bible admit. But the sense appears to be this: The Judge will be rendered visible, by his glorified humanity; it will appear that this humanity is united to infinite Divinity; that this infinite Divinity of the Judge is possessed of some personal distinction from the Father, who is at the head of the economy of mediatorial grace; yet that there is an essential unity between the Person of the Judge, and the Father; and that the whole Godhead are united in that momentous and final Assize. Some explanations of difficulties relative to things seemingly contradictory being said of Christ, will be given toward the close of the next section. SECTION VII. JESUS CHRIST HAS A HUMAN SOUL, AS WELL AS BODY. This has been repeatedly taken for granted, in the preceding section. I shall now endeavor to prove it from the word of God. That Some are of the opinion, that the soul of Christ, being inconceivably superior to humanity, was literally derived from God, as a son from a father, some time before the creation of the world. this derived literal Son of God was the Logos, or Word, the Messiah. That the names and attributes of Godare ascribed to him, as being of the essence of the divine nature, and by divine constitution. That the Father sees fit, that this his own literal Son should be honored, as himself; though he is a being totally distinct from him, as was Isaac from Abraham; and is as dependent, as a creaThis Being, who they teach is a God by nature, and is constituted a real God, is the soul of Christ. He came down, and took only a human body, when he was born of the virgin. ture. This view of the soul of Christ, I think, is refuted in the preceding section. I now purpose to show that the Logos, the second in the divine Trinity, did take into personal union with himself, manhood, a human soul and body; and is hence really man as well as God. I will attempt to exhibit some of the evidence that this sentiment is clearly taught in the word of God. Jesus Christ himself says, "I am the Root and offspring of David." Could he, according to any known sense of language, be David's offspring, without possessing a human soul? An assertion in the use of language, contrary to its known import, with unknown mental reservations, has ever been esteemed falsehood. Christ assures us, he is David's offspring. And in a multitude of instances he calls himself the Son of man. Do we find the offspring, the sons of man, without human souls? Have we ever been taught to affix to the terms, offspring, and son of man the idea of a human body only? If not, what right have we so essentially to vary from the common use of language, without express warrant thus to do, when the words are applied to Christ? At such a rate, man may construe any sentence in the Bible in any way, which his fancy may suggest. - We are informed, that" Christ was made of the seed of David, according to the flesh." This may seem at first view (or taken most literally) to favor the idea of the opponent, that Christ took only a human body. But this is indeed "judging after the outward appearance." Let the word of God explain itself. What is the common use, in the Bible, of the word flesh, when used in such a connexion? Let this point be ascertained by the following passages. Relative to the flood, we are informed, "All flesh died." God afterward said, "Nor shall all flesh be cut off any more." "For who is there of all flesh, that heard the voice of the living God, speaking out of the midst of the fire, as ye have, and lived?" "If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto him the spirit, and his breath, all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust." Unto thee shall all flesh come." "The glory of the Lord shall be re |