brew legislator to close the narrative of the creation of the first man at the end of the 26th verse, chap. i. of Genesis, such acessation in the detail would have rendered very intricate the sense of the words, "image and likeness," and would also, in some measure, have obscured the glory of the Word, the Son of God; but the contents of the 27th or following verse, establishes individual personality, and can only refer to him whom the Father himself has caused to be named Immanuel, God with us.

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him: male and female created he them."

When Jehovah said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness," he began with the co-equal Divinity or same spiritual likeness of each Person comprehended in the Godhead; but when he says, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him: male and female created he them," we indubitably establish a personal identity between that individual now spoken of and the Lord's Christ; and by a reference to the Gospel according to St. John, it is clearly manifest, and accords with every part

of prediction on that head, that the divine Person individually appointed to possess, at one and the same time, the divine and human natures, must be none other than the Word made flesh. The evangelist at the outset of his Gospel, speaks thus of the divinity and humanity of the Creator;

"In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

"The same was in the beginning with God. "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. "In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

"And the Light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

"The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe.

"He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

"He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

"He came to his own, and his own received him not.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

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"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God.

"And the word 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.”

The last verse is at once decisive and confirmatory of that point of argument sought to be demonstrated; because it establishes this important truth, viz. that when Moses by inspiration tells us, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them," the Hebrew legislator speaks of the Word or eternally begotten Son of the Father, who was God and Man in one Christ.

I think it will not be out of place here to advance some observations on the words, "Let

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us make man in our image, after our likeness;" and then to connect with that language some very brief but requisite proofs of the distinct person, but co-equal divinity of the Redeemer with the other persons of the Triune Godhead.

In the first place, the words spoken are regarded by the other persons to whom they are addressed, as the language of justly assumed and admitted co-equality; the immediate execution of the expressed intention to create man does most incontrovertibly confirm this fact; and by referring to a small portion of sacred writ we shall be convinced that the individual personage in question receives that declared co-equality in his own divine right from Jehovah himself, by the prophet Zechariah, who in chap. xiii. 7, speaks thus of the death, &c. of Christ :

"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones."

The first thing observable and requiring notice in the above verse is the word shepherd, which name, whenever used in scripture and in

connexion with the Deity, is applied personally and exclusively to Christ; but when this shepherd is expressly declared to be a man, and the fellow (or equal) of Jehovah, the divine and human natures of the Mediator are at once asserted to constitute one distinct person in the eternal purpose of the Deity; and most assuredly this fellowship or co-equality could only consist in that one and the same spiritual likeness which co-equally and co-eternally constituted the Divinity of the Triune God.

Hitherto I have dwelt intentionally on the distinct person and like spiritual divinity of the Father and the Word; concerning the word image, and its positive and real import, as used by Moses, with respect to its relation to man, it will in an especial manner be treated of in its due place and time; but it is now necessary continuously to investigate the Mosaic narrative, and to speak concerning the person and office of the Holy Ghost.

In chap. ii. 7., Moses resumes, and makes this addition to his former account of the creation of the first Adam:

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nos