the fcriptures, of the existence of an operation of the divine will, before the world was, by which Chrift was brought forth and set up in the glory of the eternal heaven; and that he had thus a real form: this, together with the manner of his appearing in the world previous to his incarnation, originated the opinion of the pre-existence of his human foul, and that the wisdom and word of God was united to it before the world began. This opinion of the union of the divine word with a human foul, appears to have been entertained by the people of God previous to the incarnation of Chrift; and it has been adopted more or lefs in almost every Chriftian age.--Doubtlefs, Arius, and others have made ufe of this opinion for a bad purpose; this, however, does not prove it false; the most indifputable doctrines have been perverted for the worst of purposes.

But, refpecting this opinion, it may be obferved, that a weighty objection is found against it, in the difficulty of admitting the fuppofition of the existence of the human foul before the body; it is also observed, that the facts which have led to the fuppofition, are fully explained in the Divine Theory without it: yea, moreover, it is manifest that the matter, which chiefly originated the opinion, belongs effentially to the divine will; and that the operation itself, and all the immediate result of it, is included neceffarily in the eternal divine existence.

If this opinion be admitted, however, it does not materially affect the theory; it is

merely contemplating one more link in the chain of divine operation; which, if a fact, must exist between the divine purpose and primary operation, which is the eternal principle, and the framing of the worlds.—But as this opinion is in its nature fubject to great embarrassments, and as that matter of the pre-existent glory of Chrift, which originat ed, and has principally fupported the fentiment, may be demonftrated to belong effentially to the Godhead, or the eternal principle; as alfo, the use of it is not discovered, and the divine theory appears to be complete without it; there does not appear evidence of its being a fact; and it will not, therefore, be confidered as belonging to the theory.

And when the truth of the divine princi ple is admitted, and it is confidered that the primary divine operation, or the beginning of the creation of God, is eternal, being co-exis tent, and one with the divine purpose, it is thought this question will wholly fubfide; for, undoubtedly, the primary operation of the divine will gave rife to the opinion of the preexistence of the human foul, and has been its principal fupport; but it is evident, both from reafon and the fcriptures, that this mat ter exifts in the divine principle itfelf-In contemplating this fact, therefore, we are led too far to find fupport for the opinion of the pre-existence of the human foul, which is not fuppofed to exift from eternity, and to belong effentially to the Godhead.-Let the divine theory appear complete, and the idea of Chrift's being brought forth as a Son, and his

being, in the form of God, inftalled in the kingdom and glory of heaven, be found to belong to another fubject, and the mind fearching for truth, as to this question, will reft fatisfied.

The divine theory, however, is not underftood as rejecting the idea of the pre-existence of the human foul; on the contrary, it offers the idea of the pre-exiftence of all things, or of their existence in a beginning or principle; but this is eternal existence.-Wisdom, herself, hath a foul: Wijdom fhall praise her foul; and a foul is human exiftence.-What though the human nature has been Wisdom's darling, and before the heavens were prepared, and before the earth and the depths, her delights were with the fons of men? Still the human foul was not all that pre-existed in the wisdom of God: For the faith, The Lord poffeffed me, the beginning of his ways, Prov. viii, 22.-And the Apostle writes,Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed of the Word of God, fo that not of things appearing were the vifible things made, Heb. ix. 3. In Chrift, therefore, we are led to contemplate the beginning, the pre-existence, the great inftitute and glorious type of all God's works.

Another circumstance relative to the truth of Chrift, which has led to the idea that, in his pre-existent ftate, he was a complex being, or that he existed with two natures, is this, that in the divine record we are referred to his divinity, as being fomething that bears e diftin&t name, which either he dwells in, or

which dwells in him. See the following paf fages: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.-Dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto. -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.-For it pleafed the Father, that in him fhould all fulness dwell,-In whom are hid all the treafures of wisdom and knowledge. For in him dweileth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. God hath given to us eternal life: and this life is in his Son,-And it is obferved, that the record of God concerning the divinity of Chrift was expreffed in the fame manner before his incarnation, as it has been fince, and gives us the fame complex idea, if this be a proper term, of this glorious Perfon, that we have now in the New Teftament.-The name of God was in the angel, Exod. xxiii. 21; and alío, in the beginning was the Word.

But, confidering the subject in the light of the divine theory, it may be eafily perceived, that this is the fame thing which has been fo fully illuftrated, as being effential to the nature of the divine principle, and mode of divine exiflence, viz, that the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father. The Word that was in the beginning, the name that was in the angel, and the eternal life, which is in the Son, is plainly no other thing than that parental will, or commandment, which Chrift the Lord received before the world was; which formed his own filial character, and

which he has given to us, that we also may be made the Sons of God. Again, being rewarded as a Son, with the glory of the Father, and installed upon the throne, in his eternal kingdom, which completes our view of the purpose or will of God, he is thus truly in the form of God, and in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead.

The divine will, in thefe diftinct parts, the truth of which is effential to the filial character, and is imported by the name of the Son of God, conftitutes the divinity of Chrift; and this fame bleffed will, as has been fhewn, is as effential to the parental character, is imported by the name, and conftitutes also the divinity of the Father.-The divinity of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, subsists manifeftly in this one eternally bleffed and adorable principle of parental and filial love. So that the great obfcurity and perplexity, which has fo much prevailed concerning the divinity of Chrift, has arifen evidently from darkness respecting the form of God, and the mode of divine existence, or in what divinity truly confifts: It is a darknefs, equally grofs, as it refpects the Father himself, and in what divinity effentially confifts, as it does the true character of the Son. And, in the fame degree that a man is in the dark refpecting the divinity of the Son, he is really in the dark respecting the divinity of the Father.

Some have conceived, that in eternity, Chrift was merely fet up in the purpose of God, and that neither himself, nor the glory