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quate resemblance of the fubjects which they represent others are imperfect, and exprefs but fome particular, nay that too with inaccuracy; having not properly in them the fame features, and the fame effence which belong to their original. In this fecond rank we place all artificial images, whether painted, or engraved, or carved, or otherwife fafhioned; which reprefent nothing but the colour, the figure, and the lineaments of men, animals, plants, &c. and have, in truth, nothing in them of their life and nature. To the fame order must be reduced that which Mofes writeth, that Adam was made after the image of God. It is not to be thought, he had fuch an effence as that of God is; but this is faid, because his natural endowments bore fome refemblance to the properties of God, inafinuch as he was endowed with intellect and will, and had the dominion over animals and earthly creatures. In the fame fense must we take what Paul fays, when, comparing the two fexes of our nature, he terms the Man the image and the glory of God; whereas the Woman is the glory of the Man. He calleth the man the image of God, because of the advantage and fuperiority he hath over the wo man, having none above himself but God, who is his head; whereas man is the head of the woman, because she was created of him, and for him, as the apoftle teaches. But befide thefe kinds of images, which reprefent their originals but imperfectly, there are others that have a perfect refemblance of them. Thus we call a child, the image of his father; a prince, the image of his predeceffor. For a fon hath not merely the fhadow, or the colour, or the figure of his father; he hath his nature, his qualities, his properties, and if we may fo fay, the whole K 2 fulness

fulness of his being; a foul, a body, a life, the fame with thofe his father hath. A prince, in like manner, has not only the fhadow, or the appearance of his predeceffor's authority and power; he hath the whole fubftance and reality of it. Thus it is that Mofes faith, Adam begat Seth in his own likeness, and after his image; fignifying thereby, that Seth had a nature the fame in all things with Adam's own.

Now the question is, in which of these two senses must we take the word Image, when the fcriptures ftate that JESUS CHRIST is the IMAGE of GOD.-The very nature of the subject in queftion fheweth us clearly, that we must apprehend it not in the former way, but in the latter; for furely, when the apoftle Paul faith of our Lord, that he is the image of God, he means quite another thing than what he fignifies elfewhere, when he fays, that man is the image of God. For intending to exalt the Lord Jefus, and to demonftrate that his dignity is fo high as to capacitate him for the work of falvation; he would ill answer this defign, if he attributed to him nothing but what was true of any man whatso.ever. And yet, if we do not understand it, that Jefus Chrift is a PERFECT image of God; we make the apoftle affirm of Him no other thing, than what he elsewhere afferts of man, when he fays that he is the image of God. Befides the apoftle's end, the thing itself whereof he speaks declares it plainly: for our Lord informeth us, He that hath feen me, hath feen the Father; and,—— He that feeth me, feeth Him that fent me. Where is the representation, of which it may be faid, that he who hath feen it, hath feen the fubject which it reprefents? Manifeftly, this is not to be found, but in fuch an image as is perfect,

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and fully contains in it all the BEING of its ori ginal. Whence it appears, that it is in this fenfe that Jefus Chrift is the image of God. And from the apoftle himself we fhall derive further evidence upon the fubject, if we read his declaration in the first chapter to the Hebrews, as more literally tranflated, that Jefus Chrift is the refplendence (or bright effulgence) of his Father's glory, and the character (or engraven ftamp) of his perfon (or fubftance): terms exceedingly elegant and expreffive, and fuch as clearly decide this cafe, that the Lord is the image of God, in another view than man is; and that the fame glory, which fhineth in the Father, is refplendent alfo in the Son; and that' the fame nature, which is in the perfon of the one, is likewife in the person of the other. We conclude therefore, according to the analogy of this doctrine, and the reafon of the thing itself, that Jefus Chrift is a PERFECT IMAGE of Godyea the most perfect that can be an image which exhibits to us, and reprefents, not the appearance or the fhadow, but the truth and fubftance of the Deity. The fcripture, our only guide in thefe great things, teaches it thus clearly. And in order to prefent this truth more plainly to the understanding, we muft fpeak of it according to the weaknefs of our faculties, to which God himself hath not difdained to accommodate his revealed glory; and therefore, though the Godhead be moft fimplein itfelf, exempt from all mixture and compofition, we fhall yet confider Him in three points of view; viz. his nature, his properties or qualities (commonly called attributes), and his works.

As for his nature, it is perfectly reprefented in Jefus Chrift; forafmuch as he hath really and

in truth the fame being, and the same substance with God the Father: as, amongst us, a child, whom we call the image of his father, hath the fame nature with him, and is, like him, perfect man. The fcripture inculcates this truth in very many places; declaring (for instance), that Jesus Chrift is GOD (John i. 1.): that he is the true God (1 John v. 20.): our great God and Saviour (Tit. ii. 13.): God over all, bleed for ever (Rom. ix. 5.): JEHOVAH of old tempted by the Ifraelites in the desert (compare 1 Cor. x. 9. with Num. xxi. 5, and 6): he, whofe glory Isaiah faw in the vifion (compare Ifa. vi. 5. with John i. 18. or vi. 46. or 1 Tim. vi. 16.): &c. &c. &c. It fpeaks the fame language alfo, as often as it represents him a due object of adoration to the creatures; faying, that all men fhould honor the Son, even as they honor the Father; and-let all the angels of God worship him; it being evident, that according to fcripture, there is nothing but a nature truly Divine, to whom adoration may be lawfully given.

But the Lord Jefus no lefs perfectly reprefents the Father in his properties, than in his nature. The Father is eternal, fo is the Son. Before Abraham was HE IS. HE was in the beginning with God; and before the world was created, even then He was in the bofom of the Father, his love, and his delight. The heavens fhall perish; but HE is permanent. They fhall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vefture fball GOD fold them up, and they fhall be changed; but thou LORD JESUS art the fame, and thy years fhall not fail.-The Father is immutable, admitting no change or variablenefs, either in his being, or in his will. The Son is the fame yesterday, to day, and for ever. -The Father is infinite, filling heaven and earth;

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neither is there any thing within or without the world, that boundeth the prefence of his being. The Son is in like manner infinite. He is in heaven, whilst he fpeaketh to Nicodemus on earth: He is here below on earth, in our hearts and in our affemblies, at the fame inftant that he is fitting at the right hand of the Father, in the highest room of the universe: and though the heavens contain that human body which he affumed, yet they do not enclose his majesty and all-prefent Divinity.-The Father hath a fovereign understanding, knowing all things prefent, paft, and to come. The Son is wifdom itself, and knoweth all things: HE fearcheth the reins and hearts; a quality which the fcriptures fet forth as characterifing and fpecifically marking the knowledge of God, afferting, that there is none but HE only, who knoweth the hearts of men. The Father knoweth himself, and no man or angel, to fpeak properly, ever faw him. The Son fo perfectly knoweth him, that he hath even declared and revealed Him unto men. The Father is almighty, and doeth whatsoever he will. The Son hath all power in heaven and in earth, and there is nothing too difficult for Him to ac-complish.-The Father is fupereminently good, hating evil, and loving rectitude and justice. The Son is the Saint of Saints, altogether feparate from finners, goodnefs and juftice itfelfThe Father is merciful, and delighteth to pity: He maketh his fun to fhine, and his rain to fall, on the men that blafpheme him and hate him. The Son likewife is full of compaffion : He died for enemies, and prayed for those that crucified him. In fhort, the Father hath not any other effential quality, but the Son hath it likewife, and in the fame measure with the Father.

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