a human mediator. He says, concerning God, "For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, and that we should come together in judgment; neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not His fear terrify me; then would I speak, and not fear Him; but it is not so with me." Job ix. 32-35. Now, Elihu was sent to answer Job. He said, "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the Almighty hath given me life. If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me; stand up. Behold, I am, according to thy wish, in God's stead; I also am formed out of the clay. Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee." Job. xxxiii. 4-7. the breath of These words of Elihu, as being typical of the nature of Jesus, as a Mediator, are very remarkable. "The Spirit of God hath made me." The very body of Jesus was conceived of the Holy Ghost. "Behold I am in God's stead"-did not Jesus come as the fellow, as the representative, the very incarnation, of God? "I also am formed out of the clay "-Jesus also was made of a woman- -a descendant of him, whom the Lord made of the dust of the ground. Was not Elihu a type of Christ? Christian Reader, says not Jesus, in virtue of His humanity, to thee, and me, "Behold My terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee"? Christian, does not your own renewed heart tell you that Jesus is a Man-bone of your bone, and flesh of your flesh? Did it not tell you so from the first moment that you believed? Why did you feel drawn to Jesus? You knew not why; but something told you that Jesus was your Friend-One, that could feel for you-One, whom you could rely upon. Your heart seemed melted into the heart of Jesus. You felt an indescribable union with Jesus. Never had you felt yourself thus drawn to any one, or any thing, before. Your soul was fascinated with Jesus. Jesus, and you seemed to be no longer two, but one. In the fulness of your conviction-in the warmth of your love-you thought not but of Jesus-you livednot but for Jesus -you thirsted after Jesus, " as a thirsty land." What was all this, but reposing on the Manhood of Jesus? You knew it not; but the Spirit had knit you to God manifested in the flesh. In the unconscious discovery of having found a Mediator in human nature-One, whom you could love as a Brother, and be intimate with, as a Friend-you rested upon the humanity of Jesus, and rejoiced. The very first feeling, (though it be an unconscious one) deposited by the Spirit in the believer's soul concerning Jesus, must be that He is a human Mediator-God manifest in the flesh. What message could the Spirit have to bring— what feeling to implant-apart from this ? To tell of a God of Justice, not satisfied; of a God of power, not reconciled; of God apart from man; of God not drawing near to man; of God eternally, and inevitably, separate from man--what would this be, but to tell of judgment, of darkness, of despair-but to light in the soul (that which it revealed God to be) a consuming fire! But to bring a Mediator-a Man! In bringing God, to bring Him as Man! In bringing Man, to bring Him as the eternal God; one with God, by reason of the divine nature; one with man, by reason of His humanity! To bring God, and Man, in one Christ! To bring Him that was born at Bethlehem-tempted in the wilderness-crucified in Calvary-the very Man, Christ Jesus! To bring Him, in all the reality of His Godhead; in all the eternity of His existence; in all the infinitude of His nature; to present Him to the soul as our nearest of kin, according to the flesh! This is indeed something to repose upon-this is indeed to give us rest. REPOSING ON JESUS, AS THE SON OF MAN. JESUS CHRIST is the Son of Man as truly as He is the Son of God. It is true, He had no human father. Even as Man, He was "conceived of the Holy Ghost." Even as the Son of Man, He was also the Son of God. Jesus Christ had no human father. But, with this exception, He had human progenitors, like any other man. Jesus had a human grand-father -for the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was related to Him in this manner-though Jesus was, and is, the Eternal God. Jesus Christ is called "the seed of the woman -even of our first mother, Eve. But Jesus was, in like manner, a child of Adam too; He was the seed of the woman, who, herself, was descended from one, whom Adam had begotten. Jesus is a Child of Adam-though He was, and is, the Eternal God. Jesus Christ is the Son of Man, inasmuch as He is the seed of Abraham. He came out of the loins of Abraham (though in a more remote degree) the same as Isaac did, whose seed, or descendant He also was though He was, and is, the Eternal God. - Jesus Christ is the Son of Man, inasmuch as He "sprang out of Judah." Heb. vii. 14. Jesus was as truly a descendant of Jacob, as Judah himself. He is as much a descendant also of Judah, as any Jew may be, that walks our streets-though Jesus was, and is, the Eternal God. Jesus Christ is the Son of Man, inasmuch as He is of the seed of David, from whom, as His earthly progenitor, His descent is most carefully traced. It is as the Son of David, that He will sit upon His mediatorial throne. Luke i. 32; Acts ii. 30. Ezek. xxi. 27. As the Son of David, He rose from the dead. 2 Tim. ii. 8. As "The root of David," He is now "in the midst of the throne of God." Rev. v. 5, 6. Jesus is as much a descendant of David, as Solomon, or Hezekiah, or Zerubbabel--though Jesus was, and is, the Eternal God. How striking is the first verse of the New Testament-"The Book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham." Matt. i. 1. Compare with this statement the opening of the Gospel according to St. John; "In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God." Well |