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the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me." St. Paul says to the Galatians, "God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts." Thus, Christ sends the Spirit of GOD, and GOD sends the Spirit of Christ; for Christ is in the Father, and the Father is in Him, and they are one**."

The Deity, "the fulness of the GODHEAD"," comprises, Him who is spoken of as Father, Him who is spoken of as Son, or Christ, and Him who is spoken of as Holy Ghost; but these characters under which the GODHEAD is spoken of, denote but ONE GOD, who is spoken of, in a variety of instances, indiscriminately, by either, or by all, of these titles.

The Deity, in His character of Mediator, assumed the character of man, and put on flesh, in order that He might, at the same time, vindicate His justice, and establish His mercy, by satisfying the former by the sacrifice of Himself, and by accomplishing the latter in giving redemption to mankind. He who appeared as our Redeemer, was "GOD manifest in the flesh;" " in Him dwelleth the fulness of the GODHEAD,

P John, xv, 26.

9 Gal. iv. 6.

John, xvii. 21; x. 38;

xiv. 11.

See PART II. SECT. II. $ Col. ii. 9.

t1 Tim. iii. 16.

bodily "." He, who "was God"," humbled Himself, and "made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." In this character, the Deity was lowered from that dignity which He had possessed "from the beginning;" thus Christ says, with a reference to His incarnate state, "My Father is greater than I';" but, when Christ speaks of Himself with a reference solely to His divine essence, he identifies Himself with the Supreme Being, and asserts the unity of the divine essence*. Although our blind understandings, and limited perceptions, then, cannot form an adequate notion of the nature and properties of that " High and lofty ONE that inhabiteth eternity";" although our feeble imaginations may become bewildered and confused in the contemplation of a Being,

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* "The fulness of the GODHEAD," then, comprises three manifestations of Divinity. Under one of these, is displayed the Supreme Ruler of all beings, anu of all things, self-existent and omnipresent; under another of these manifestations is displayed the creative energy of Almighty Power, the atoning Mediator between the Supreme Ruler and His imperfect and sinful creatures; under a third manifestation is displayed the sanctifying, vivifying, and operative Power, which emanates from the GODHEAD, and which is termed The Holy Spirit.

z Isaiah, lvii. 15.

who, while He preserved distinct the divine essence, and reigned supreme, linked Himself also with a form of flesh, and became subject to sinful man and to death, while in that incarnation He maintained distinct the divine nature; manifesting, at the same instant, Himself as Supreme God, as the Incarnate WORD, and as sanctifying Spirit; still, there is no one point more clearly, and more strongly, and more frequently asserted and illustrated in Holy Writ, than that GOD is Father, is Son, and is Holy Ghost; and that these three constitute the fulness of the GODHEAD. Such is the language of the word of truth, which we must humbly receive and acknowledge as a matter of faith, not entering into "idle disputations," "for they will increase unto more ungodliness";" in vain shall we, who cannot comprehend "earthly things," strive to understand "heavenly things;" "for now we see through a glass darkly." Thus, while we receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save our souls," we must acknowledge with St. Paul, "Great is the mystery of godliness; GOD was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

Rom. xiv. 1.

2 Tim. ii. 16.

1 Cor. xiii. 12.

d James, i. 21.

1 Tim. iii. 16.

In the foregoing analysis of the Holy Scriptures, we have seen, that the whole record of the Bible has a reference to the mysterious scheme of salvation through the blood of our crucified Redeemer. The person of Adam; the creation of male and female man; the tree of life; the promise respecting the seed of the woman; the institution of sacrifices as figures of vicarious atonement; the history of Cain and Abel; the préference given, in so many instances, to the younger child; the history of the Deluge; the personal character of Noah ; the prophecy of Noah; the call of Abraham, and the promise to his seed, so frequently repeated in succeeding generations; the histories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the history of Sarah and Hagar; the character of Melchizedek; the prophecy of Jacob; the history of Joseph; the personal character of Moses; the bondage of Egypt; the deliverance from that bondage, and the several circumstances and events connected with that deliverance; all the ordinances and ceremonies of the Mosaic institutes; the history of the pilgrimage of the Israelites in the wilderness; the sweetening of the waters of Marah; the rock that yielded water; the manna; the brazen serpent; the predictions of Moses; in short, the whole record of the Pentateuch, which embraces a period of

2550 years; the entrance into the land of Canaan; the personal appellation and character of Joshua; the leading particulars in the history of the children of Israel from Joshua to David; the personal character and history of David; the promises made to David; the prophetic writings of David; the division of the twelve tribes into two kingdoms; the annihilation of the kingdom of Israel; the captivity of Judah; the restoration of Judah; the rebuilding of Jerusalem; in short, the whole historical record from Joshua to Nehemiah inclusive; the predictions relative to Israel and Judah; the announcement of the restoration of dominion in Jerusalem; the denunciations against the enemies of the children of Israel; the predictions which relate to the promised Messiah; in a word, the whole contents of the prophetic writings; the whole of the books of the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi inclusive; all these have a reference to the Christian scheme of redemption, which was to receive its full and final ratification in the incarnation, humiliation, and passion of Him "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting f."

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We find, that when Adam was put in "the garden of Eden," the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" and the "tree of life," were both "in the midst of the gardens." Where

↑ Micah, v. 2.

Gen. ii. 9; iii. 3.

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