of his kingdom, exifted, in fact, till the exhi bition in time; but it is thought, as to this, that enough has been faid, to fhew that it is a mifconception.-Chrift was fet up, or ordained, before the world began, and eternal life was given to us in him before the world was. But a mere purpose to fet up and ordain, is not fetting up and ordaining; and the purpose of bestowing a gift is not giving. Setting up or ordaining is a fact, and beflowing a gift is a real deed, an actual transfer of property. Chrift, therefore, pre-exifled the creation; and the pre-exiftence of Chrift implies, that there exifled a heavenly world, and eter nal things of a certain form and fyftem.

Section 3. THE ARCHETYPE OF THE CREA

TION.

The word or will of God dwelling in Chrift, or the divine principle first opening in him as the beginning of the creation of God; opening and expanding ftill farther in him as the Angel of the Church; and, finally, fully dif played in him as the Son over his own House, is the truth manifefted by the whole creation, and the one infinite and adorable fact recorded and witnessed throughout the inspired volume.-As, therefore, all things declarative

are merely the evidence of Jefus Chrift's divinity-and as the works of creation and providence, and alfo the fcriptures, are of him, and through him, and to him;

and are only expreffive or declarative of his glory; all this excellence must exist distinctly in him, as his effential divinity, and be thus the Archetype of all God's works.

In a view, therefore, of the pre-exiftent glory of Chrift, we are led to contemplate the perfect fampler, or inftitute of the creation; the foundation, according to which all things were framed; the head by which all things confift; the primary operation from which all fecondary and progreffive operations proceed; the one omnipotent fact, of which all the works of creation and providence are the expreffion, and to which they all conform, as to a moft perfect rule or pat

tern.

The reafon has been already affigned, why the divine principle is contemplated under the name of the second perfon of the bleffed Trinity, the Logos or Word, and that our view is fo drawn to Chrift, viz. because he is the covenant fubject, and the word or will of God is in him, and the whole divine difplay is made through him.-Thus Chrift, as the Beginning, must have been in the form of God, and poffeffed of a kingdom, power and glory, full of life, light and felicity.

This primary eternal work of God must have been a finished work; for it is evident that the operation in which it exifts, is effential to the Divine Being, and that a right view of the divine principle will no more admit of the fuppofition of a fucceffion of operations, than it will admit of that of a fucceffion of volitions and purposes.--And to this

agree the fcriptures. By him all things confift, Col. i. 17.-The works were finished from the foundation of the world, Heb. iv. 3.-Before me there was nothing formed of God, neither Jhall there be after me, Ifaiah xliii. 10.Here then we have in view the finished work of God; and as before this nothing existed in fact, we may neither form conceptions, nor ufe terms denoting the existence of any thing or being, before this effential and true glory of God, which is the beginning or principle of all things; for fuch conceptions must be mere imaginations, and fuch terms must be ufed without inftruction.

The Beginning, as has been fhewn, is Chrift's primary name. Then faid they unto him, Who art thou?-And Jefus faith unto them, The Beginning One, and that I fay to you,* John viii. 25.-Who is the Beginning, Col. i 18. And in him was the Word: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, John i 1.-This is the most plain declaration, that there was in him true divinity, and an expreffion of the effential glory of God, And this pre-exiftent glory was the foundation of the earth, and the beginning of the creation of God.-İn the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, Gen. i. 1.And thou, Lord, in the beginning, haft laid the foundation of the earth, Heb. 1. 10.-The beginning of the creation of God, Rev. iii. 14. It appears therefore that Chrift is not merely the efficient caufe, but also is

* Την αρχήν ο, τι και λαλος υμών,

himself the foundation and beginning of the

creation.

The fhekinah, or cloud of God, was altogether fupernatural; and the glory which appeared there, was doubtlefs the uncreated form, and pre-exiftent glory of Chrift. And it appears to be called a cloud, not only on account of its general aspects, but particularly, because it prefented a power, the most inconceivably active and commanding; fuch as may be contemplated in that first and most wonderful agent, the electric fire, which, in the visible world, though every where diffused, most clearly offers itself to view in the natural cloud.

This, then, is given as a view of our prefent argument, or of the truth of Chrift as the Beginning, viz. he was fet up from everlafting, in the realm and dominion of the Father, in heaven, and fo was in the form of God; which pre-existent glory of Christ was the perfect inftitute, the foundation and be→ ginning of the creation. According to which, the divine exhibition, in the creation, will be feen to open in a state of perfect harmony and felicity; and, in a covenant relation to Chrift, with a crown of glory and honor; all expreffive of the invifible things of God, even, his eternal power and Godhead,

Y

CHAPTER II.

OF THE UNFOLDING OF THE TRUTH OF CHRIST IN THE FIRST CREATION.

Section 1. The Work of Creation. THE work of creation is attributed in the holy fcriptures to the Trinity; and, according to the theory, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft being neceffarily in the firft caufe, the divine efficiency, or the exiftence of the whole universe, must be afcribed to them equally. But the repeated divine declarations, that the heavens and the earth were created in Chrift, and confift by him, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence, evidently intend that he is the Creator and Upholder of all things in a diftinct fenfe.

By fuch declarations, we are led to contemplate Chrift, as the conftituted efficient head of the creation, and, as being laid in the wisdom and purpose of God, as the chofen, all meritorious foundation of the whole work; we are led, both by the fcriptures, and by reafon, to contemplate a matter that took place in the work of creation, respecting Christ, so entirely diflinct from his being, with