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The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

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is no meaning, <strong>and</strong> no comfort in an incarnate Christ which does not rest<br />

in the conviction that He is approached <strong>and</strong> approaches both as man <strong>and</strong><br />

as God.<br />

<strong>The</strong> perpetual Identity of Christ’s person. John xvii. 5.<br />

In John xvii. 5, our Lord says: "And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me<br />

with thine own self, with the glory which I had with <strong>The</strong>e before the world<br />

was." In this text is implied, 1. That the person of Christ is divine--His<br />

glory is a common glory with that of the Father; "with thine own self,"<br />

"with thee;" <strong>and</strong> like the Father's, it is from eternity, before the world, that<br />

is, the creation, either in whole or in part "was." It is implied, 2. That the<br />

human nature is taken into the unity of this divine person. For Christ, true<br />

man, speaks of a glory which He had with the Father before the world was.<br />

<strong>The</strong> identity of person is involved throughout. <strong>The</strong> same person who was<br />

then incarnate, was once unincarnate; the same person which was simply<br />

<strong>and</strong> unchangeably glorious in its essence, was now humbled according to<br />

the nature which it had assumed into its personality. It is implied, 3. That<br />

there is a true communion of properties, for we have Christ praying<br />

according to His human nature, that the Father may glorify Him<br />

according to that nature. According to His divine nature He could not<br />

pray, nor have anything given to Him. His prayer, then, means that He<br />

desires to be glorified according to His human nature, as He had been<br />

glorified in His divine nature before the world was. And this glory is not<br />

declarative, but essential, for it is a glory which He had antecedent to the<br />

creation with the Father Himself, not with angels, but before the world of<br />

men <strong>and</strong> angels had being. But even if it were declarative glory, all real<br />

declarative glory presupposes essential perfection. Our Saviour, then, prays<br />

that the plenary exercise of the attributes, <strong>and</strong> the plenary enjoyment of the<br />

majesty which belonged to Him as God, may be shared in by His human<br />

nature.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Godhead dwelling in Christ bodily. Col. ii. 9.<br />

In Colossians ii. 9, it is said: "In Him [Christ] dwelleth all the fulness<br />

of the Godhead bodily." <strong>The</strong> "fulness of the Godhead" is wholly different<br />

from the "fulness of God." <strong>The</strong> "fulness of God" is that fulness of gifts<br />

<strong>and</strong> graces which

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