Rational Creation, Rev. James Brodie

We now come to consider the union of the human nature with the Divine in the person of Jesus Christ; that wondrous mystery, which has proved to so many a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, while to the humble believer it is the ground of all his rejoicing and of all his hope. We may preface our inquiry by remarking, that it is a subject made known to us by revelation alone, and that in examining it we must receive the statements of Scripture according to the simple and natural meaning of the terms that are employed. We may further observe, that, while we necessarily expect that these statements shall contain nothing contrary to the character of God as made known to us by the work of creation, we are naturally led to look for difficulties and mysteries beyond the power of our understanding to comprehend. And while we believe that all things have been revealed that are necessary for us at present to know, we, at the same time, conclude that it is but a small portion of the whole truth which has been communicated, and that wonders innumerable remain behind, which surpass the utmost stretch of the faculties we at present possess.

Jesus Christ was God.—This is proved in the first place by the names and attributes of God being ascribed to him. In the Gospel by John, chap. i. ver. 1 and 14, we are told that, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; ... and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." In the Epistle of Paul to Timothy, it is said, "Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh." In the book of the Apocalypse, Jesus is called "the Almighty," chap. i. 8. He is also called "Immanuel," or God with us. All the attributes belonging to the Deity as God, or the Excellent One, must therefore be considered as ascribed to the Redeemer. He is also called the "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is and which was and which is to come." He is said to be the "first and the last," "the same yesterday, today, and for ever." The attributes of the Eternal Jehovah are thus spoken of as his; and these attributes, we must remember, are claimed by God as His "name and memorial to all generations." Infinite wisdom is also ascribed to him. Peter says, "Lord, thou knowest all things;" and we are told that "He knew what was in man." He speaks of himself as everywhere present: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," (Matt. xviii. 20;) and in parting with his disciples, he told them, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world," (Matt. xxviii. 20.) It is almost needless to say that a multitude of passages might be quoted, in which the names and attributes of Deity are given to Jesus. This ascription of divine honours to the Saviour, clearly proves him to be God. The Lord is said to be "jealous," and "He will not give his glory unto another;" and unless the Redeemer had been entitled to claim these perfections and titles as his own, we may rest assured they never would have been spoken of as his.

The divinity of Christ is also proved by the works of God being attributed to him. "All things," we are told, "were made by him." (John i. 3.) Miracles were not only wrought by him; but by his servants in his name. Peter, fastening his eyes upon the lame man, said, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk; and he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle-bones received strength." (Acts iii. 7.)

The worship due to God having been paid to the Saviour, is to be regarded as another proof of his divinity. Stephen at his death exclaimed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." The apostle Paul usually concludes his epistles with a benediction, in which the Father and Son are associated together as equal in power and glory; and baptism, which may be regarded as one of the most solemn acts of worship, is appointed to be administered in the name of "the Father, Son, and Spirit."

We have no need to multiply proofs of Christ's divinity. In almost every page of the New Testament scriptures we can find evidence that he is God, and it is not difficult to find an abundance of passages in the Old Testament, more or less distinctly testifying to the same truth. The concurring opinion of all who deserve the name of Christian, may also be referred to as shewing the clearness with which the doctrine has been revealed.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became man.—He had a body of flesh and blood like other men. He was seen engaging in the ordinary avocations of life, his voice was heard addressing those around him; he was "handled" as well as seen, and many rejoiced at the touch of his hand. His body was sustained by the ordinary means of support,—he ate, he drank, and he slept. He was liable to the weaknesses of our nature, for we read of him being wearied, hungry, athirst, and in pain. Like his brethren according to the flesh, he was born, he increased in stature as he increased in years, he grew up to manhood, he shared in our infirmities, and he was subject to death.

Jesus had also a human soul. Some of those who allow that the Redeemer had the body and outward appearance of a man, deny, or forget, that he had also a human or "reasonable" soul, and seem to imagine that the Divinity of the Son, instead of being united with the rational soul, supplied its place. This opinion, however, is altogether untenable. In proof of the doctrine we are now considering, it might be sufficient to remark, that Jesus is said to have been "man," that he calls himself "the son of man," and is spoken of as being made "like unto his brethren." If, therefore, the soul be a part of the human constitution, if, in fact, it be the chief and most important part of our nature, Jesus could not have been man unless he possessed not only a body, but a soul, like ours; and these expressions intimate that such was the case. This is yet more clearly proved by the statements of Scripture regarding him. We are told that he "grew in wisdom." This expression can only apply to the rational soul. As God he was infinitely wise, and his wisdom admitted of no increase. In one place he says, "Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." This evidently refers to the knowledge he possessed as a man, which from the very nature of a created being is necessarily limited. He is represented also as having the feelings of man: he experienced, for example, sorrow of heart. The Deity, in His own nature, is incapable of suffering; when Jesus therefore says, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death," he must be regarded as speaking as a man. We are again told of his being "tempted like as we are." This could not properly be said either of his material frame, or of the Divine Spirit of the Son within him. It must, therefore, refer to the rational and accountable soul.

It is thus abundantly evident, that the Redeemer had a true body and a reasonable soul; in other words, that while he was God, he was also, in all respects, a man.

We may well exclaim, how can these things be! How could he be at once the Alpha and the Omega, and the babe in Bethlehem? How could it be said of him who knew all things, that he increased in wisdom? How could He who upholdeth all things by the word of his power, come under the law, and be obedient? How could He, who is the universal Lord, who thought it no robbery to be equal with God, become a servant, and be obedient unto the death, even the death of the cross? We cannot tell. To such inquiries as these the Scriptures give no reply; but that these are the truths of revelation, no candid inquirer will venture to deny.

How wonderful, then, is the work of Messiah's incarnation! How amazing the union between God and man! In creation we see a gradual ascent in the scale of being, as we rise from the insect to the man, and from man to the angel before the throne. But between the highest of the angelic host, and the great Creator, there is a gulf of separation that may not be passed over. If we examine, with a powerful microscope, a leaf, or flower, or drop of water, philosophers tell us, we shall probably find it the abode of life, and peopled with creatures so small, that it seems to them a world. Were creatures, so minute, to direct their attention to man, how utterly incomprehensible would his nature be to them! Yet great as is the distance between the animalcule and the man, that distance is but as a speck when compared to the space that divides the highest of created beings from God. Had man strength of arm and size of limb to grasp the globe in which we dwell, and toss it to and fro as the school-boy's ball, he would still be as nothing when compared to his Maker. And had he vigour of mind proportioned to strength so vast, and were he to employ its every energy in studying the perfections of God, when million millions of ages had passed, he would find, after all, that he had only stretched his wretched inch along the interminable line of Jehovah's immensity. Yet this glorious, unsearchable, everlasting God, was manifest in the flesh, and became man!

The union of the two natures in Christ Jesus is perfect and perpetual.—When the fulness of time had arrived, the Son of God became man, and was conceived in the womb of the Virgin, according to the promise brought by the angel: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore, also, that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God." His birth was miraculous; he had no father according to the flesh, but the power of the Highest came upon Mary his mother, and, in the words of the Apostle, "The Lord prepared a body for him." He was truly "the seed of the woman," and partook of our nature in virtue of his descent from her; but he had no earthly father, and even in regard to his human nature, he was the Son of God.

If, as man, Christ had descended from Adam, by ordinary generation, the words of the angel imply, that, in that case, he would not have been holy. Those who derive their being from Adam, by the ordinary succession of nature, are partakers of the covenant made with him at the beginning, and consequently share in the sentence which his sin incurred. Had Jesus thus entered into the world, he would not have been free; but by natural inheritance would have been under the law, and under the curse. All his sufferings would consequently have been required to effect his own deliverance, and would have been utterly inefficient for ours.

We are also informed, not only that the body of our Saviour was fashioned in the womb, by the operation of the Spirit, but that the Holy Ghost abode continually on his soul. The office of the Third Person in the Trinity is to sanctify and preserve, and this care was extended to the human nature of our Lord. He was fitted for the work assigned to him, not only by the Divine Spirit of the eternal Son uniting in indissoluble union with him, but by the Holy Ghost dwelling in him, and strengthening and upholding him. We are also given to understand that, as duties and temptations increased, these heavenly influences were enlarged. When he was baptized, we are told that the Spirit descended like a dove, and abode upon him. And quoting the words of the prophet, Jesus said of himself, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." As the bodily frame of the Saviour was sustained like that of other men, by a due supply of the necessaries of life, so his soul was upheld by the power of the Holy Ghost, and endowed by him with gifts, as are the souls of those who believe. In this respect, as in all things else, he was made like unto his brethren.

It is important to keep in remembrance that the two natures in Christ, though perfectly united, remained distinct. There was no diminution of any of the attributes of Deity, because they were clothed in flesh and blood, nor any absorption, if we may so express it, of the properties of humanity, in consequence of their union with the Divinity of the Son. He was truly God, and truly man, combining in one person all that is glorious in the Creator, with all that is excellent and lovely in the creature.

This union, moreover, endures forever. When he lay in the manger at Bethlehem, he was the Everlasting One; when he walked on earth, as the Man of Sorrows, he was the Lord of glory; when he hung on the cross, he was the Immanuel; and while, in his human nature, he endured agony and death, it was the indwelling of the Son of God that enabled him to bear the heavy load. As man he was laid in the grave, but, being still the Holy One, he saw no corruption. As God and man in one he arose from the torch; as God and man he ascended up on high, and now sits on the throne before which the hosts of heaven adore; as God and man he comes again to judge both angels and men; and, as his nature now is, such will it for ever be.




				Chapter II. The Incarnation. We now come to consider the union of the human nature with the Divine in the person of Jesus Christ; that wondrous mystery, which has proved to so many a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, while to the humble believer it is the ground of all his rejoicing and of all his hope. We may preface our inquiry by remarking, that it is a subject made known to us by revelation alone, and that in examining it we must receive the statements of Scripture according to the simple and natural meaning of the terms that are employed. We may further observe, that, while we necessarily expect that these statements shall contain nothing contrary to the character of God as made known to us by the work of creation, we are naturally led to look for difficulties and mysteries beyond the power of our understanding to comprehend. And while we believe that all things have been revealed that are necessary for us at present to know, we, at the same time, conclude that it is but a small portion of the whole truth which has been communicated, and that wonders innumerable remain behind, which surpass the utmost stretch of the faculties we at present possess. Jesus Christ was God.—This is proved in the first place by the names and attributes of God being ascribed to him. In the Gospel by John, chap. i. ver. 1 and 14, we are told that, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; ... and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." In the Epistle of Paul to Timothy, it is said, "Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh." In the book of the Apocalypse, Jesus is called "the Almighty," chap. i. 8. He is also called "Immanuel," or God with us. All the attributes belonging to the Deity as God, or the Excellent One, must therefore be considered as ascribed to the Redeemer. He is also called the "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is and which was and which is to come." He is said to be the "first and the last," "the same yesterday, today, and for ever." The attributes of the Eternal Jehovah are thus spoken of as his; and these attributes, we must remember, are claimed by God as His "name and memorial to all generations." Infinite wisdom is also ascribed to him. Peter says, "Lord, thou knowest all things;" and we are told that "He knew what was in man." He speaks of himself as everywhere present: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," (Matt. xviii. 20;) and in parting with his disciples, he told them, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world," (Matt. xxviii. 20.) It is almost needless to say that a multitude of passages might be quoted, in which the names and attributes of Deity are given to Jesus. This ascription of divine honours to the Saviour, clearly proves him to be God. The Lord is said to be "jealous," and "He will not give his glory unto another;" and unless the Redeemer had been entitled to claim these perfections and titles as his own, we may rest assured they never would have been spoken of as his. The divinity of Christ is also proved by the works of God being attributed to him. "All things," we are told, "were made by him." (John i. 3.) Miracles were not only wrought by him; but by his servants in his name. Peter, fastening his eyes upon the lame man, said, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk; and he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle-bones received strength." (Acts iii. 7.) The worship due to God having been paid to the Saviour, is to be regarded as another proof of his divinity. Stephen at his death exclaimed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." The apostle Paul usually concludes his epistles with a benediction, in which the Father and Son are associated together as equal in power and glory; and baptism, which may be regarded as one of the most solemn acts of worship, is appointed to be administered in the name of "the Father, Son, and Spirit." We have no need to multiply proofs of Christ's divinity. In almost every page of the New Testament scriptures we can find evidence that he is God, and it is not difficult to find an abundance of passages in the Old Testament, more or less distinctly testifying to the same truth. The concurring opinion of all who deserve the name of Christian, may also be referred to as shewing the clearness with which the doctrine has been revealed. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became man.—He had a body of flesh and blood like other men. He was seen engaging in the ordinary avocations of life, his voice was heard addressing those around him; he was "handled" as well as seen, and many rejoiced at the touch of his hand. His body was sustained by the ordinary means of support,—he ate, he drank, and he slept. He was liable to the weaknesses of our nature, for we read of him being wearied, hungry, athirst, and in pain. Like his brethren according to the flesh, he was born, he increased in stature as he increased in years, he grew up to manhood, he shared in our infirmities, and he was subject to death. Jesus had also a human soul. Some of those who allow that the Redeemer had the body and outward appearance of a man, deny, or forget, that he had also a human or "reasonable" soul, and seem to imagine that the Divinity of the Son, instead of being united with the rational soul, supplied its place. This opinion, however, is altogether untenable. In proof of the doctrine we are now considering, it might be sufficient to remark, that Jesus is said to have been "man," that he calls himself "the son of man," and is spoken of as being made "like unto his brethren." If, therefore, the soul be a part of the human constitution, if, in fact, it be the chief and most important part of our nature, Jesus could not have been man unless he possessed not only a body, but a soul, like ours; and these expressions intimate that such was the case. This is yet more clearly proved by the statements of Scripture regarding him. We are told that he "grew in wisdom." This expression can only apply to the rational soul. As God he was infinitely wise, and his wisdom admitted of no increase. In one place he says, "Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." This evidently refers to the knowledge he possessed as a man, which from the very nature of a created being is necessarily limited. He is represented also as having the feelings of man: he experienced, for example, sorrow of heart. The Deity, in His own nature, is incapable of suffering; when Jesus therefore says, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death," he must be regarded as speaking as a man. We are again told of his being "tempted like as we are." This could not properly be said either of his material frame, or of the Divine Spirit of the Son within him. It must, therefore, refer to the rational and accountable soul. It is thus abundantly evident, that the Redeemer had a true body and a reasonable soul; in other words, that while he was God, he was also, in all respects, a man. We may well exclaim, how can these things be! How could he be at once the Alpha and the Omega, and the babe in Bethlehem? How could it be said of him who knew all things, that he increased in wisdom? How could He who upholdeth all things by the word of his power, come under the law, and be obedient? How could He, who is the universal Lord, who thought it no robbery to be equal with God, become a servant, and be obedient unto the death, even the death of the cross? We cannot tell. To such inquiries as these the Scriptures give no reply; but that these are the truths of revelation, no candid inquirer will venture to deny. How wonderful, then, is the work of Messiah's incarnation! How amazing the union between God and man! In creation we see a gradual ascent in the scale of being, as we rise from the insect to the man, and from man to the angel before the throne. But between the highest of the angelic host, and the great Creator, there is a gulf of separation that may not be passed over. If we examine, with a powerful microscope, a leaf, or flower, or drop of water, philosophers tell us, we shall probably find it the abode of life, and peopled with creatures so small, that it seems to them a world. Were creatures, so minute, to direct their attention to man, how utterly incomprehensible would his nature be to them! Yet great as is the distance between the animalcule and the man, that distance is but as a speck when compared to the space that divides the highest of created beings from God. Had man strength of arm and size of limb to grasp the globe in which we dwell, and toss it to and fro as the school-boy's ball, he would still be as nothing when compared to his Maker. And had he vigour of mind proportioned to strength so vast, and were he to employ its every energy in studying the perfections of God, when million millions of ages had passed, he would find, after all, that he had only stretched his wretched inch along the interminable line of Jehovah's immensity. Yet this glorious, unsearchable, everlasting God, was manifest in the flesh, and became man! The union of the two natures in Christ Jesus is perfect and perpetual.—When the fulness of time had arrived, the Son of God became man, and was conceived in the womb of the Virgin, according to the promise brought by the angel: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore, also, that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God." His birth was miraculous; he had no father according to the flesh, but the power of the Highest came upon Mary his mother, and, in the words of the Apostle, "The Lord prepared a body for him." He was truly "the seed of the woman," and partook of our nature in virtue of his descent from her; but he had no earthly father, and even in regard to his human nature, he was the Son of God. If, as man, Christ had descended from Adam, by ordinary generation, the words of the angel imply, that, in that case, he would not have been holy. Those who derive their being from Adam, by the ordinary succession of nature, are partakers of the covenant made with him at the beginning, and consequently share in the sentence which his sin incurred. Had Jesus thus entered into the world, he would not have been free; but by natural inheritance would have been under the law, and under the curse. All his sufferings would consequently have been required to effect his own deliverance, and would have been utterly inefficient for ours. We are also informed, not only that the body of our Saviour was fashioned in the womb, by the operation of the Spirit, but that the Holy Ghost abode continually on his soul. The office of the Third Person in the Trinity is to sanctify and preserve, and this care was extended to the human nature of our Lord. He was fitted for the work assigned to him, not only by the Divine Spirit of the eternal Son uniting in indissoluble union with him, but by the Holy Ghost dwelling in him, and strengthening and upholding him. We are also given to understand that, as duties and temptations increased, these heavenly influences were enlarged. When he was baptized, we are told that the Spirit descended like a dove, and abode upon him. And quoting the words of the prophet, Jesus said of himself, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." As the bodily frame of the Saviour was sustained like that of other men, by a due supply of the necessaries of life, so his soul was upheld by the power of the Holy Ghost, and endowed by him with gifts, as are the souls of those who believe. In this respect, as in all things else, he was made like unto his brethren. It is important to keep in remembrance that the two natures in Christ, though perfectly united, remained distinct. There was no diminution of any of the attributes of Deity, because they were clothed in flesh and blood, nor any absorption, if we may so express it, of the properties of humanity, in consequence of their union with the Divinity of the Son. He was truly God, and truly man, combining in one person all that is glorious in the Creator, with all that is excellent and lovely in the creature. This union, moreover, endures forever. When he lay in the manger at Bethlehem, he was the Everlasting One; when he walked on earth, as the Man of Sorrows, he was the Lord of glory; when he hung on the cross, he was the Immanuel; and while, in his human nature, he endured agony and death, it was the indwelling of the Son of God that enabled him to bear the heavy load. As man he was laid in the grave, but, being still the Holy One, he saw no corruption. As God and man in one he arose from the torch; as God and man he ascended up on high, and now sits on the throne before which the hosts of heaven adore; as God and man he comes again to judge both angels and men; and, as his nature now is, such will it for ever be.
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