nal reign of good. He is the Universal Father, and he will never abandon his children, nor cease to love them, nor cease to act in their behalf, until the last wandering sheep is restored to the fold, and the work of redemption is complete.

But how is this redemption to be accomplished? What are the agencies by which sin is to be put away, and the race of man delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God? The Bible reveals the fact that God, in the scheme of redemption, works through appointed means, by instrumentalities, and by agents specially chosen and consecrated for the purpose. He is the source of truth and knowledge; from him proceed all grace and spiritual power; but he bestows these divine gifts on his Son Jesus Christ, and sends him into the world, that through him the world may be saved. God is, indeed, "the Saviour of all men;" but he saves them through Christ and his Gospel; and hence Christ is also called "the Saviour of the world," and the Gospel "the power of God unto salvation."

We are, therefore, led by the natural development and connection of the argument to consider next, the nature and person of Christ, his office, the sacrifice of his death, the atonement, and his relation to the world as its Redeemer.

§I. The person and office of Christ. His exalted character and pre-existence. Throughout the Scriptures, Jesus is represented as the Son of God, and this is the title which he claims for himself, and never anything higher than this. But it is plain enough, from the usage of this expression in connection with the Saviour, that it has a larger and deeper meaning than the same or similar language when applied to others. The phrases "sons of God," "children of God," &c., are often used to designate believers in the truth, or those who obey the truth; but the "Son of God," when applied to Jesus, is significant of something more than faith and obedience. It is obviously expressive of character, position, spiritual power, and a special relation to God.

Hence he is said to be "heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power." Heb. i. This is never said of believers, nor of any other beings; nor is it written of any but Jesus, that "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Col. ii. 9. And constantly he is spoken of in the

Bible as something more than man; as standing in a peculiar relation both to God and to us; as one to whom the spirit was given "without measure," and having "all power in heaven and in earth." John iii., Matt. xxviii. It is he whom "God hath exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour," Acts v. 31; "being made so much better than the angels, as he hath, by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name than they." Heb. i. 4. And this name is "above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil. ii.

9-11.

Such language as this, which abounds in the New Testament, is never employed in reference to any other created being. It reveals to us the fact that Jesus is indeed "the first born of every creature, ... that in all things he might have the pre-eminence," Col. i.; that he was endued with Divine wisdom and knowledge, gifted with miraculous power, and sent into the world on a special mission, that through his life, and teachings, and grace, he might save the world; and through his death and resurrection, "might abolish death," and bring into the light, the glorious fact of "life and immortality," and thus "deliver those who, through fear of death, were all their life-time subject to bondage." 2 Tim. i., Heb. ii.

His nature was both divine and human. He is the "Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus," 1 Tim. ii. 5; claiming to be both the "Son

of God," and the "Son of man." John viii. 40. He stands between us, with one hand reaching up to God, and with the other reaching down to man, and thus bringing us together, and reconciling the world to God.

There are many passages which seem to intimate very strongly, his pre-existence, his personality prior to his appearance in the flesh, his dwelling with the Father from the beginning. "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." "Jesus said unto them, verily I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am." John xvii., viii. Again he says: "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven." John iii. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that yë, through his poverty, might be rich.' 2. Cor. viii. "Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God (more properly, "thought it not to be sought after to be equal with God; i. e. was content to be in the likeness of God, without seeking to be his equal), but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man.' Phil. ii. "And the Lord was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Johni. "Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, . . . for verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham.” Heb, ii.

Now all these passages certainly look strongly in the direction of pre-existence. I am not ignorant of the current criticism of these texts, but the most natural and easy interpretation, it would seem, even in the face of prejudice, is, that Christ existed personally with the Father, before he came into this world as the Saviour of men. His own language that he had glory with the Father before the world was, that he was in heaven, and came down from heaven, that he was older than Abraham (for this,. and not pre-eminence, was the point of the argument of the Jews-" Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am,") - all this, surely, is in evidence that the Saviour had personal existence before the creation of mankind.

And the language of the apostles seems founded on this belief" he was rich, yet became poor;" and "took upon him the form of a servant," which implies a prior individuality and choice, on his part, as to the conditions of his earthly life. He took part in flesh and blood voluntarily, the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, &c.; which shows that there was a spiritual existence before that in the flesh, which was taken, accepted, for the sake of saving those of like nature.

At all events, this seems a legitimate conclusion from the passages quoted; and if the interpretation be correct, it gives a point and meaning to the expressions already cited, that he is both "the Son of God," and "the Son of Man," "the only begotten of the Father," the "first born of every creature," and that "when he bringeth in the first begotten into the