SECTION XI.

The Incarnation of the Son of God.-His frequent Appearance in the likeness of Man, a prelude of this.-Prefigured by the Smoking Furnace and Burning Lamps-the Burning Bush ;-Jacob's Ladder-the Cloud of Glory.-Refpected in the Rights of Primogeniture ;-Law of the Levirate ;-Circumcifion;-Patriarchal Mode of Swearing-Abftinence from the Sinew that

fhrank.

JESUS CHRIST is the great subject of the Holy Scriptures. "The fpirit of prophecy is the tef "timony of Jefus." The mystery of the incarnation of a divine perfon is "without contro"verfy great." On this mystery, refts the whole doctrine, revealed in the word of God, concerning our falvation. We need not wonder then, that, while this is the subject of fo many prophecies and promifes, it fhould alfo have been exhibited to the faith of the Church, by various fymbols and preludes; or that it was taught, not merely in a doctrinal way, but by historical illuftration.

Before

Before entering on the confideration of what is chiefly in view, it may be neceffary to obferve, that the foundation of the Church's faith, as to the incarnation of a divine perfon, lay in the firft promife. In this it was declared, that the feed of the woman should bruife the head of the ferpent. The perfon, whofe appearance is here foretold, being called the feed of the woman; faith, in embracing the promise, muft have viewed him as truly man. But fuch is the nature of the work afcribed to him, that there was an equal neceffity for confidering him as God. The old ferpent had already fhewn, that man could not enter the lifts with him. He had deceived, and been the instrument of deftroying our nature; although he found it in a state of innocency. Now, when it is faid, "It fhall brujfe thy head," the meaning is, that the feed of the woman fhould retort on himself the fatal ftroke given by this destroyer; that he should overthrow that external dominion in the world, which he had acquired in confequence of the fall; nay, that he fhould fubdue his power in the heart of man, by the deftruction of fin, which, as it is the offspring of the serpent, is the great fupport of his kingdom. Could faith ever expect the accomplishment of such a work by any mere creature?

If any doubt had remained as to this being the meaning of the firft promife, it must have been fully removed by the prediction of Enoch, the feventh from Adam, who exprefsly declared who it was that should come and "deftroy the works

"of

"of the devil." For he "prophefied, faying, Be"hold the Lord cometh y:" and this prophecy is by no means to be confined to Chrift's fecond coming, although it fhall have its full and final completion in this great event.

It has been fuppofed by many learned writers, that our first parents, after being turned to God, were fo big with expectation of a divine deliverer, that Eve miftook Cain for him. Therefore they thus render the words that the uttered, on the birth of her firft-born; "I have gotten a 66 man the Lord z.”

be

With refpect to the preludes of the incarnation of the eternal Word, the following things may obferved.

1. This glorious Perfon frequently appeared in the likeness of human nature. His appearance, as the Angel of the LORD, or the Angel-JEHOVAH, we have already confidered, as an evidence that the doctrine of the Trinity was revealed under the Old Teftament. But here it demands our attention, that when he revealed himfelf in this character, he often affumed the likeness of man; and made himfelf known by fuch language, or fuch acts, as clearly expreffed the work that he was to perform, as "the Word made flesh," and respected his various functions, as the Prophet, Prieft, and King of his Church. When the LORD, attended by two of his miniftering fpirits, appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre,

y Jude, ver. 14.

z Gen. iv. I.

they

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they feemed to be all clothed with humanity, Hence Abraham took them for three ordinary travellers; and made the fame preparations for them, that he was wont to do, when exercifing hospitality. It was only by the language of one of these celestial vifitors, particularly as foretelling the birth of the promifed feed, and by the difcovery he made of his heart-fearching power in rebuking Sarah for her fecret ridicule, that Abraham was undeceived b. But during the whole of the interview, this divine perfon retained the fame likeness; and when he arofe to depart, was brought on his way by Abraham, as a man is accompanied by his friend.

In the fame manner did he appear unto Jacob, when he was preparing to meet with his incensed brother Efau. The patriarch "was left alone; "and there wrestled a man with him until the "breaking of the day." This expreffion," he "was left alone," efpecially as connected with what is previously mentioned concerning his fending all his family "over the brook," is plainly meant to inform us, that he, who wrestled with him, was not one of the fons of men. On this occafion, the Son of God not only affumed the likenefs of our nature, so that he might be feen; but condefcended to affume fo near a resemblance of its reality, that he might be felt. What a wonderful prelude of that grace which was afterwards to be manifested, when the eyes of the difciples

fhould

a Gen. xviii.

b Ver. 10. 13.-15.

c Gen. xxxii. 24.

fhould not only fee, but handle the felf-fame Word of life d!

Jacob knew that he had wreftled with God; for the thing for which he wrestled was the bleffing, which no creature could confer. As the appearance of God in the likeness of man, especially as he made himself known both to the fight and to the touch, was a ftriking prelude of the incarnation; the teftimony given to Jacob, as to his fuccefs, included no inconfiderable intimation with respect to the union of the divine and human nature in one perfon. The Angel faid to him: "As "a prince haft thou power with God, and with

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men, and haft prevailed." The word men is in the plural, indeed; as implying an affurance of protection wherever he should go, and particularly of his having power over his enraged brother. But what was the pledge of this? His prevalence in this aftonishing interview, when he "had

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power," even in the way of bodily wrestling, "over the angel" who appeared in the form of man; because he had power with" him as "God," by his faith and importunity, his tears and fupplications e.

To inform Jacob, and the Church in fucceeding ages, that the condefcenfion of the Son, in afsuming our nature, fhould nowife impair or derogate from his effential majefty and power; this divine wrestler, during the ftruggle, touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh, fo that it was out of joint. This is understood of the focket in which

di John i, 1.

e Hof. xii. 4.

the