Christ was the Jehovah of the Old Testament, who could say, "Before Me there was no God:I know not any." All the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Him bodily."

He was "Immanuel," and called JESUS (JAH-the Saviour), for "He shall save his people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21).

When Isaiah, in chap. 6, saw the thrice-holy Jehovah of Hosts, he saw, says John, Christ's glory, and spake of Him. (See also Dan.7:9,22; 1 Tim. 6:15:Rev. 19:11-16.)

We read, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God." As far as our mind can go back as to a beginning, there He was:for "by Him were all things created" (Col. 1:16). And that there may be no doubt as to His being a person, John says, "He was in the beginning with God"-always a distinct person. And lest any inferiority should be alleged, Paul tells us, "All the fulness was pleased to dwell in Him" (Col. 1:19), for this is the true force of the passage. And so the fact is declared, "For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." As a person He "emptied Himself." Only as God could He have done so. A creature who leaves his first estate sins therein. The sovereign Lord can descend in grace. In Him it is love.

Then, as in that position, He receives all. All the words He speaks are given to Him. Though unchangeable in nature as God, in His path He is a dependent man. He lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God; He is sealed by the Father; the glory He had before the world is now given Him of the Father. Now in this state of obedient servant, with a revelation which God
gave to Him, the day and hour of His judicial action was not revealed (Mark 13:32). "It is not'^or you," He says to His disciples, "to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power." And to this psalm 110 exactly answers, "Sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool."-When? Sit there in this place of divine glory till–; no more is said. I do not pretend to explain how this is; God forbid I should.

I see in Scripture not only His eternal Divinity (theiotees; Rom. 1:20), but all the fulness of the Godhead (pleeroma theoteetos, Col. 2:9) of Christ is maintained. None can know the Son but the Father; the Father we know simply as the adorable God. The Son's divine nature seemed, so to speak, exposed to danger by His blessed humiliation; not so the Father. It is secured (I mean as to thought) by His being absolutely unfathomable.

Such I believe Christ is. I know He is the Son; I know He is a true, real man. I know He is the "I AM," "the true God." How to put this together I do not know, though I see and know they are together-as a creature, am glad I do not. Did I know, I should have lost that divine fulness, which, if capable of being fathomed when in manhood, would not then be truly divine.

God, through grace, I know; man too, I know, in a certain sense; but God become a man is beyond all- even to my spiritual thoughts. Be it so; it is infinite grace, and I can adore. I am sure for my soul's blessing He is both; and the Son of the Father too-for the persons are as distinct as the nature is clear. Say to a Christian, The Son sent the Father, he would instinctively revolt at once. That the Father sent the Son is the deepest joy of his soul. J. N. D.