Christ was really man, as he had a human body—a human soul-and a dependent nature, and was made under law, and placed in a state of dependence and probation. The inspired writers have given us as clear, as full, and as positive evidence of the humanity of Christ, as of any truth or fact they have recorded concerning any man they have mentioned.

I now proceed to improve the subject.

1. If Christ was really man; then the Arian notion of his pre-existence before he came into the world is entirely unscriptural and absurd. The Arians suppose, that Christ was the first and noblest of created beings, and existed before the foundation of the world. They suppose, that this pre-existent spirit was united with the body of Christ and supplied the place of a human soul, and enabled Christ to do and suffer all that he did and suffered to perform the part of a Mediator and Redeemer. And upon this ground they deny, that he possessed any real divinity, or was the second person in the Trinity, united with humanity. They hold, that Christ was neither God nor man, but an intermediate being. In this, they principally dif fer from proper Socinians and grosser Unitarians. These maintain, that Christ had a true body and reasonable soul, and was properly man, and no more than man. But the Arians suppose, that though Christ had a real human body, yet it was united with a super-angelick soul, which existed they know not how long before the creation of the world, and its union with the babe of Bethlehem. But if the babe of Bethlehem, as we have shown, had both a human body and human soul; then it is absurd to suppose, that a pre-existent, super-angelick spirit supplied the place of a human soul in the man Christ Jesus. Though many, who call themselves Trinitarians maintain the doctrine of Christ's pre-existence; yet they suppose that Christ's pre-existent nature was personally united with the second person in the Trinity, and consequently maintain the true doctrine of Christ's divinity. But in this, they are not so consistent as the Arians. For it is absurd, to

suppose, that Christ had both a human soul and a super-angelick soul, and that both these were personalÎy united with the second person in the Trinity, and so constituted him a divine person. The true scriptural doctrine of Christ's divinity is founded upon the true scriptural doctrine of Christ's having a human body and an human soul, which was personally united with the second person in the Godhead. It is necessary, therefore, to believe the real humanity, in order to believe the real divinity of Christ. It has been found by observation and experience, that the denial of Christ's humanity directly leads to the denial of his divinity.

2. If Christ had a human body and a human soul; then we cannot account for the early depravity of children, through the mere influence of bad examples or bodily instincts and appetites. Those who deny original sin, or the native depravity of the human heart, endeavour to account for the well known fact of the early and universal sinfulness of mankind, by ascribing it to bad examples, and to the bodily instincts and appetites of children and youth. They say, though no man is born a sinner; though no native depravity comes in consequence of Adam's apostacy; though the souls of children come into the world as pure and clean of moral impurity as a clean piece of paper; though they are naturally as much inclined to good, as to evil; and are really as good as young moral agents can be: yet through the weakness of their mental powers and faculties, through the force of their bodily instincts and appetites, and through the influence of bad examples, they are led into sin. This is the most plausible account that can be given of the early and universal sinfulness of mankind by Arminians, who deny original sin, or native depravity. But this account of universal depravity is completely refuted, by the state and character of the holy child, the holy youth, the holy man, Christ Jesus. He was an infant; but he did not sin in infancy. He had a frail, mortal body, but it did not corrupt his heart. He lived in a wicked

Christ was really man, as he had a human body-a human soul-and a dependent nature, and was made under law, and placed in a state of dependence and probation. The inspired writers have given us as clear, as full, and as positive evidence of the humanity of Christ, as of any truth or fact they have recorded concerning any man they have mentioned.

I now proceed to improve the subject.

1. If Christ was really man; then the Arian notion of his pre-existence before he came into the world is entirely unscriptural and absurd. The Arians suppose, that Christ was the first and noblest of created beings, and existed before the foundation of the world. They suppose, that this pre-existent spirit was united with the body of Christ and supplied the place of a human soul, and enabled Christ to do and suffer all that he did and suffered to perform the part of a Mediator and Redeemer. And upon this ground they deny, that he possessed any real divinity, or was the second person in the Trinity, united with humanity. They hold, that Christ was neither God nor man, but an intermediate being. In this, they principally dif fer from proper Socinians and grosser Unitarians. These maintain, that Christ had a true body and reasonable soul, and was properly man, and no more than man. But the Arians suppose, that though Christ had a real human body, yet it was united with a super-angelick soul, which existed they know not how long before the creation of the world, and its union with the babe of Bethlehem. But if the babe of Bethlehem, as we have shown, had both a human body and human soul; then it is absurd to suppose, that a pre-existent, super-angelick spirit supplied the place of a human soul in the man Christ Jesus. Though many, who call themselves Trinitarians maintain the doctrine of Christ's pre-existence; yet they suppose that Christ's pre-existent nature was personally united with the second person in the Trinity, and consequently maintain the true doctrine of Christ's divinity. But in this, they are not so consistent as the Arians. For it is absurd, to

suppose, that Christ had both a human soul and a super-angelick soul, and that both these were personalÎy united with the second person in the Trinity, and so constituted him a divine person. The true scriptural doctrine of Christ's divinity is founded upon the true scriptural doctrine of Christ's having a human body and an human soul, which was personally united with the second person in the Godhead. It is necessary, therefore, to believe the real humanity, in order to believe the real divinity of Christ. It has been found by observation and experience, that the denial of Christ's humanity directly leads to the denial of his divinity.

2. If Christ had a human body and a human soul; then we cannot account for the early depravity of children, through the mere influence of bad examples or bodily instincts and appetites. Those who deny original sin, or the native depravity of the human heart, endeavour to account for the well known fact of the early and universal sinfulness of mankind, by ascribing it to bad examples, and to the bodily instincts and appetites of children and youth. They say, though no man is born a sinner; though no native depravity comes in consequence of Adam's apostacy; though the souls of children come into the world as pure and clean of moral impurity as a clean piece of paper; though they are naturally as much inclined to good, as to evil; and are really as good as young moral agents can be: yet through the weakness of their mental powers and faculties, through the force of their bodily instincts and appetites, and through the influence of bad examples, they are led into sin. This is the most plausible account that can be given of the early and universal sinfulness of mankind by Arminians, who deny original sin, or native depravity. But this account of universal depravity is completely refuted, by the state and character of the holy child, the holy youth, the holy man, Christ Jesus. He was an infant; but he did not sin in infancy. He had a frail, mortal body, but it did not corrupt his heart. He lived in a wicked

world, where he saw many bad examples, but they did not lead him to follow them. He was a free moral agent, but he never chose to sin. He had a human soul and a human body, and placed under the same circumstances that other children were. Why did he not disobey his parents, quarrel with his companions, speak wicked words, and profane the sabbath, like other children? He was hungry and thirsty. Why did not his appetites for food and drink lead him into intemperance? He suffered weariness and pain. Why did he not murmur at his unhappy situation? When he was reviled, why did he not revile again? If Christ had a human body and human soul, which was exactly like the human body and human soul of other children and other men, it is impossible to account for his perfect innocency, from his birth to his death, upon Arminian principles: or to account for the universal depravity of other men and children, upon the same principles. It is contrary to scripture and to the universal experience and observation of mankind to suppose, that infants come into the world as pure and innocent, as the holy child Jesus.

3. If Christ was really man; then there is no naturalimpossibility of men's becoming perfectly holy in this life. It seems to be a very common opinion, that there is not only a moral, but a natural impossibility of men's becoming perfectly holy while they remain this side of the grave. Many suppose, that the present state of things, the influence of Satan, the weakness of the mind, and the infirmities and frailties of the body are such, that men cannot cease from sinning, till they lay aside these gross bodies, and leave this dark and sinful world. But this is an egregious mistake. Christ, under all these unfavourable circumstances, kept himself free from every moral evil. He was always pure, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, though clothed in a frail, mortal body, and surrounded by as many impediments to virtue as any other man ever was. And his perfectly holy life shows, that mankind may live in the same manner in this present