the last wonderful cry, the lifeless body, the deposit placed in Joseph's tomb, all proclaim that this Christ was man, and as the Article expresses it, "very man."

In proving this point, however, we are not to lose sight of the peculiarity of that nature which was assumed by the Son of God, inasmuch as He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. His being very man did not involve the necessity of His being corrupted man. All that the covenant of redemption required, in this respect, was, that the nature which is human should be assumed. This was effected when Jesus was conceived, and partook of the substance of His mother: but as this body was produced by the power of the Holy Ghost, according to the testimony " a body hast thou prepared me," it did not partake of that taint of original sin, which is transmitted to men by ordinary generation. It is therefore called by the angel "that holy thing" and we must seek to be fully informed, by the history of our Lord, of that certain fact, that Satan had "nothing in Him,”—He being devoid of sin, or any degree of obliquity. Every affection was in holy subordination, every feeling was unmixed with evil, His mind was incapable of sinful distemper, His heart equally unruffled by rebellion, and His soul untainted and pure: even the tremendous conflicts, which agitated His whole frame, served but to show this glorious peculiarity."

No "mire or dirt" were cast up from these swelling waves; and all the tempests that beat upon Him, did but the more fully demonstrate, that He had no sin. The Father's will was always His delight, and always done and the result, of every temptation, was this,―triumphant acquiescence in the divine purpose. Thus we may see, that whilst the Lord did indeed humble Himself, to take the nature of man, and the form of a servant, and to become obedient unto death, He had no participation in any of those effects of the fall, which produce corruption and guilt. This circumstance gave another peculiarity to the nature of Christ, for it freed Him from the penal sentence of death, and had He not voluntarily laid down His own life, no man could have taken it away, nor would He have necessarily descended to the grave like other men. Death is a sentence, upon a sinner, brought into the world by the transgression of the first Adam this second Adam was no transgressor, and death had no right over Him. This is a glorious mystery; and in it we possess, what this Article affirms, the provision of the Christ, or anointed one, who is the healer of the breach, and the Prince of Peace, in whom "two whole and perfect natures" subsisted," the Godhead and the manhood joined together in one Person never to be divided," yet so joined as not to occasion a confusion of substance: "the Godhead one, the manhood one." Thus

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ve perceive, in our Lord, the distinct actings of divinity, and equally so the distinct exercises. of humanity; and yet, we consider, that it is only in the union of these two natures, that we have a deliverer, or such a Christ, as the extremity of our case required. So also, we are taught, that this union was not for a temporary period, or the time only of ministry on earth : once formed by the incarnation of the Son of God, it became indissoluble; and though the human nature was laid awhile in the tomb, it was re-assumed at the resurrection, ascended into the eternal glory, is seated at the right hand of the majesty on high, and still exhibited as the Lamb that had been slain !

The accomplishment of this great act of power and mercy, leads us to the gospel period; and we delight to meditate upon that particular age, so full of wonders; nevertheless, our minds should go back to the first promise, and pass through the scriptures, discovering thereby the determinate counsel of God in this work for the incarnation was but the performance of an everlasting oath; it was according to the covenant, everlastingly formed for man, that this mystery was fulfilled: and. therefore, the subject, of the coming of the Son of God in flesh, formed one of the chief themes of the whole revelation: and in the various appearances made by Jehovah to men, previously to the gospel dispensation, we have likewise the lively testimony of this design

exhibited to our eyes, by way of anticipation, and as pledges of this great work.

The condition of man rendered this arrangement necessary, because Jehovah is unchangeable in his laws, his word is inviolable, and his justice is incapable of surrendering its severe resolve. Man had been placed under solemn obligation his obedience was to be followed by the gift of eternal life—his disobedience with the sentence of death: the first Adam also stood in the character of representative of the whole human race, and with him they were to stand or fall: they fell, for Adam transgressed, the sentence followed, and dreadful way was made for the curse of the Judge! Nothing in creation could prevail to remove these consequences, for conditions made on the part of the infinitely wise, and true God, cannot admit of change, or variation. The same infinitely wise and true God did, however, devise this method of recovering man, and by providing another representative opened a way for salvation. The Son of God is that second representative, but as such. we now see it necessary He should be man also ; for the conditions of life were unchanged,-obedience, full and entire, must be produced in the responsible nature, that so God might be just whilst justifying the believer: and, what is more to be considered, since the nature of man was now spoiled, and ruined, and under an arrest to punishment, therefore the second Adam had to

assume it under these its lower circumstances, and did so in all things, "sin only excepted: so that He submitted to the law, not only as a rule of duty, but as having a sentence of death to inflict. So, likewise, it was necessary, that the Redeemer should be man, in order to render union with Him possible to the creature. It is by oneness with Him, and an engrafting into Him, that virtue is derived to man from this His undertaking; and such union could not have been possible had He not taken that nature, which would admit of His being as the "Elder brother," "the Head" and "the everlasting Father." Such are the blessed truths contained in this part of the Article, and replenished with every gladdening demonstration of divine mercy and love!

By what scriptures can we determine that this is a just statement of the plan of redemption ? Have we any that prove the reality of the assumption of human nature by the Son of God, as here said to be evidenced in His life on earth? See Luke ii. 7, 11, 12, 16, 51, 52. John xi. 35. iv. 6. Mark xiv. 33-35. xv. 37.

Can we prove that this nature was without sin? Matt. i. 20. Luke i. 35. John xiv. 30. Heb. vii, 26.

Did this peculiarity place Jesus out of the power of death, excepting by a voluntary surrender of himself? John x. 17, 18.

Can we prove that the union, of the divine

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