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of itself, but it fubfifted in union with the divine. perfon of the Son of God; and this union took place before the human nature was prepared or formed-the Word was made flesh.

Some tell us that Chrift took on him a "human form" from everlasting; but how he could affume a human form when there were no human beings is what I cannot conceive; there can be no form of a thing that never exifted, any more than the fun could have a fhadow from everlasting when the fun had no being. I read that Christ was found in the form of God, and that he thought it no robbery to be equal with God. And this form does not mean any outward fhape; for who bath heard God's voice, or feen his fhape? But it means that he poffeffed, in the highest degree, all divine perfections which are peculiar to the divine being; being the brightness of the Father's glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon. What has led fome poor, blind, prefumptuous fouls into this mistake is, the Saviour's being feen by Abraham and by Joshua in a human appearance: and by the fame rule they might prove that he affumed the nature and form of angels from everlafting; for he appeared to Mofes, to Jacob, and to Manoah, as an angel of God. But the truth is, Chrift is neither an angel nor a man; not an angel, because he is the creator of angels-He maketh his angels fpirits, and his minifters a flaming fire; nor a man, for as fuch he never had personal subsistence or existence..

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- But they tell us that the human foul of Chrift, and the form of a human body which Chrift took from everlasting, and which they call "the glory

man," and in which he appeared to the ancient patriarchs, was part of our nature; fo that, when he became incarnate, he took only a human body, not a reasonable foul; which they prove from these words-For verily he took not on him the nature of angels. "Human fouls," they fay, "are angelic; "but he took not on him the nature of angels." But, if this can be any proof, we fhall not know what the scriptures mean by things; there is a diftinction between an innumerable company of angels, and the Spirits of just men made perfect. Nor are the fouls of men ever called angels, though minifters of the gofpel are; but even this refpects their office, not their nature; for both angels and preachers are minifters to the heirs of falvation: but preachers are only angels by office, not by nature. Nor can it be proved from the words of Chrift, when he fays, They neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels of God in heaven; for this only respects their glorified state: and the words were intended to confound the Sadducees, who afked, Whofe wife of the feven the woman should be in the refurrection? The Saviour informs them that marriage is peculiar to this life, and for the procreation of children; but in the world to come there would be no more of this than there is among the angels. Otherwise there will be a great deal of difference between anE 3

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gels and faints; the former being the Lord's fervants, the latter the Lord's wife-Thy Maker is thy bufband, the Lord of hosts is his name; but this never was faid of angels.

One would wonder (were it not for the power and dominion that the devil has over mankind) how any man dare to affert fuch things in plain contradiction to the word of God. For, if this human bodily form and the human foul of Chrift were from eternity, and nothing taken at his incarnation but the body, how can this fcriptúre be true-Wherefore, in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren (Heb. ii. 17), when there was none of his brethren ever made like unto him? And, if this behoved him, if it was meet and fit it should be so, it ill becomes men to make fuch a difference. Nor could Adam be a figure of him that was to come; for Adam came not into being this way. Adam, Chrift's figure, was made body and foul at once, and all Chrift's brethren come into the world with a body and a foul; and they are all born under the law and under the curfe of it, being by this natural birth children of wrath even as others; and the heaviest sentence of the law is levelled at the foul-the foul that fins fhall die. Now Chrift, as our furety, must be made like unto his brethren; and fo he was; he was made of a woman, and made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, by making his foul an offering for fin; and then he was to fee of the travail of his foul and be fatisfied. But,

if his human foul exifted from eternity, it was not made under the law, and therefore could not be subjected, by virtue of his furetyfhip engagements, to endure the wrath and curfe of God for us. They that fuffer the law, whether they fuffer as furety or as debtors, must be made under the law, and be subject to the law. Men have bodies and fouls, and both are under the law, and both have finned. And he that redeems them must be of the fame nature with them, and near of kin to them, or the former inftitution of God will not admit of it. He that redeems must be a brother, or one near of kin. Lev; xxv. 48, 49. Chrift is both brother and goal; but a human body is neither a brother nor a kinfman, it is only half a brother, and the worst half; yea, a dead brother, for the body without the fpirit is dead. James ii, 26. The truth is, Chrift took not on him the nature of angels to redeem fallen angels; but he took on him the feed of Abraham, the whole human nature, body and foul; and this is plain by the growth of both; for Jefus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man, Luke iì. 52. His foul grew in wisdom, and his body grew in ftature; but, if his foul had exifted from all eternity, his wisdom and understanding muft have been mature and fully ripe before the world began, and therefore incapable of fuch a growth.

O, my brother, my pen has run on at a strange rate; double letters, I fear, will bring thee to poverty, unless thy faith increaseth more than it has hitherto done. I received

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I received yours, and thank you for it; and shall ftill entreat thee to find fault where you fee cause, and you will much oblige your affectionate friend and brother in Chrift Jefus,

W. HUNTINGTON.

LETTER VII.

To the Rev. J. JENKINS, at the New Vicarage, near the Deanery, Lewes, Suffex.

Companion in travail,

By the contents of your last I perceive that your fits of incredulity are returned upon you. I was in hopes that you had been in a great measure recovered from this disease; but epidemical diforders are not eafily eradicated. "In the ministry you are lifeless, in bodily fickness just ready for the grave, and in circumftances almost a bankrupt." you must think me one of Solomon's fimple ones, indeed, if I can believe all this, when you do not believe one word of it yourself. I fhall go on with my former subject, and not suffer the devil to em

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