the first clause of this ther, full of grace and verse? 1. The doctrine of the Incarnation of the Word of God. truth." What does the apostle assert in this clause? That Christ's glory was 2. The need of this In- manifested. carnation. 3. That John insisted on this doctrine, in consequence of the heresies which had sprung up in the church. 4. That Christ proved His actual manhood, by submitting to the same sufferings as His creatures, and by continuing with them for forty days after his resurrection. 5. That the purity of Christ's human nature, is established by His having no human father, and by the typical sacrifices being without blemish. 6. That the whole subject disproves one of the heresies of the present day. Repeat the second clause of this verse. "And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Fa What glory does he speak of? That of "the only-begotten of the Father?" In what way was it displayed? As "full of grace and truth." What parts of Christ's history show that during His humiliation, there were occasional beamings forth of, and attestations to, His divine original. Matt. iii. 17. xvii. 5. Mark i. 10, 11. ix. 3-7. Luke iii. 21, 22. ix. 28-35. John i. 32-34. xii. 28-30, 41. In what sense is Christ called the only begotten Son of God, as believers are also called Sons of God? Christ was the only Son of God, who partook entirely of the same nature with him, who was "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person," Heb. i. 3, and "who was one with the Father." John x. 30. Believers are the sons of God only by adoption and grace. See verse 12, and the proofs given under it. To what particular manifestation of Christ's glory does the apostle appear to refer in this verse? To that which was exhibited in the grace and truth, which shone through his life, actions, and declarations. What is grace? 3. By the declarations which he made of his willingness to receive sinners, which he exemplified by pardoning the thief on the cross. Give proofs of each. 1. The many miracles which Christ performed in curing the sick and casting out devils. Matt. iv. 23, 24. viii. 2-17, 28- 34. xii. 10-13, 22. xiv. 14, 35, 36. XV. 22-31. xvii. 14-18. XX. 30-34. Mark i. 23-34, 40-42. ii. 3-12. iii. 1-5, 10, 11. v. 2-13, 25-34. vi. 5, 55, 56. vii. 25-37. viii. 22-25. ix. 14-27. x. 46-52. Luke iv. 33-41. v. 12-15, 18-26. vi. 7-10, 17-19. vii. 2—10, 21, 22. Mark vii. 38. ix. 42-48. xiii. 1-32. Luke x. 12-15. xii. 9. xiii. 34, 35. xix. 41-46. xxi. 5--36. xxiii. 27-31. 2. Christ is true to his promises. Matt, vii. 7—11. x. 28-32. xviii. 18, 19. xxiv. 22, 33-40. Luke xi. 9-13. xii. 31-38. xviii. 7. John x. 28. xii. 32. xiii. 37. John xiv. 1-3, 12—20, 23-26. XV. 1-16. xvi 7-16, 23-27. What do we learn from the second clause of this verse? 1. That Christ's glory was seen by his Apostles. 2. That it was that of God's only begotten Son, and that it was confirmed to be such by attestations from heaven. 3. That he was proved to be the Son of God, by the grace he displayed, in healing the sick, raising the dead, and pardoning sinners. 4. By His faithfulness both to His threatenings and to His promises. M. |