The only ufe I would make of fuch comparisons, is, to discover the difference between intuitive and abiiracted knowledge. I call that intuitive, which arifes from fight and experience; and that abftraded, which refults from reafoning and teftimony. For inftance: A man, blind from his birth, has only an abftracted knowledge of many agreeable and wonderful objects around him, of which perfons in common have an intuitive knowledge. Now, fuppofing you fpeak to fuch an one about light and colours; about the brightnefs of the fun, in his meridian glory, or concerning the vegetable beauties of fpring; his ideas of what you mean are all confufed. Nay, if you enter into particulars with him, on fubjects of this kind, he will confider many things you fay, as quite inconfiftent one with another. He will not know how, and he will think it impoffible for any other perfon, to reconcile fo many apparent contradictions. Whereas if you mention the feveral particulars to one who enjoys the bleffing of fight, and, efpecially, if he have been ftudious of nature; he understands what you fay, and has not the least doubt in the cafe. The grand reafon of this difference is, those things which are incomprehenfible, when they are known merely with an abftracted knowledge, appear in a very different light when they are known intuitively; and, frequently, the difficulties we suppose to be in the objects, are in our own minds, and arife from our manner of knowing them. Hence it appears, that difficulties and seeming contradictions may be found in the most common objects, when they are known merely in an abstracted way; and that the fuppofed inconfiftencies vanish, fo foon as they come to be viewed intuitively. We have, therefore, little reason to be surprised, if, when contemplating the mystery of the incarnation, difficulties occur and feeming contradictions appear; fince in the prefent ftate, our knowledge of it is purely abstracted The two following reflections fhall conclude this Treatife. As there are difficulties in almost every subject of inquiry, it is by a comparative view that wife mer have always been determined to take one fide of a queftion, rather than the other. This is a certain rule of good fenfe, and should be followed in the cafe before us. We ought not to reject the doctrine of the incarnation as erroneous, becaufe difficulties attend it; nor because very plaufible objections have been made against it. It is the fault of young perfons, and the character of rafh and weak understandings, that are not capable of viewing feveral objects, and their relations, at once; to determine queftions of importance, on the appearance of an infupérable difficulty: or else it is an evidence of a negligent and lazy temper, which will not permit them to examine things maturely. We ought here, as it is a queftion of infinite importance, to the glory of God and the falvation of men; to compare arguments with arguments, and difficulties with difficulties, and that with diligence and prayer. On fuch an examination it will be found, that the most plaufible arguments of our adverfaries confift, either in metaphyfical fpeculations; or in fuch paffages of Scripture as explain themselves, by others, to a very different fenfe: whereas ours are formed on fuch Divine declarations as are clear and exprefs, frequently repeated and closely connected; fo that either the obvious and natural meaning of the terms must utterly be rejected, and then any expreffions will ferve any purpose; or our interpretation must be received. And as to the difficulties it will appear, that the most formidable of those which are ftarted by our opponents, are taken, either from their being incapable of comprehending the mystery; or from the gloffes of fome whimsical schoolmen, which we freely give up and heartily defpife, as much as our oppofers themselves. But the difficulties which we improve against them, arife from a confideration of fuch things as are abfolutely effential to the Scriptures; which are, truth, perfpicuity, and piety For without these the Bible is unworthy of God: deftitute of thefe, whoever attributes it to Him, reproaches his Maker. Difficulties multiply t and load their hypothefis, by confidering, the analogy of faith-that by which God's love to mankind is moft highly recommended--that on which are founded the reality of the atonement by Jefus Chrift, and all the merit of his death-and, above all, that which the apofles, who were infpired and commiffioned to reveal and publifh the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, have moft faid, repeated, urged; and upon which they have grounded the practice of worshipping Jefus Christ, the Son of God, as OVER ALL, GOD BLESSED FOR LVER. So that the difficulties which we object, are fuch as affect THE BIBLE, as a Divine Revelation and CHRISTIANITY, as a Divine Religion. Again: Though the Socinian interpretation of controverted texts, is, in many inftances, the moft probable that can be given, in oppofition to the arguments we form upon them, in defence of our Lord's Divinity; yet they appear unnatural, far-fetched, and invented merely to ferve an hypothefis. So that, as we are not required. to interpret the oracles of God by a Spirit of divination, nor to decypher unfearchable riddles; we cannot be under any obligation to know, much lefs to approve, such refined fubtilties as are calculated to lower, to obfcure, to destroy, thofe fublime ideas which the Scriptures give us, of the effential and mediatorial glories of Jefus Christ. The former of thefe reflections proves the truth of our principles, the latter fhews the fafety of them. The one fatisfies our minds, the other our confciences; and both together give a juft idea of the design of this Treatife, which I now dedicate to the eternal honour of my DIVINE REDEEMER, the ADORABLE IMMANUEL.- Forgive, O GOD, the imperfections of the work, and the fins. of the author! Eltablish and fpread the infallible truths of thy gofpel; that as thou has been pleased to manifeft thyfelf in the flesh, all flesh may behold thy glory and bow at thy footstool! Amen.' D d |