Page045

Page045

THE PRACTIC'AL CHRISTIAN:


VOL. I:


Dc v 0 ted toT r II t 11 a ' it cI Rig h teo II s n e s s ,


!\ lENDOX, MASS., OCTOBER 15, 1840. No. 12.


THE PRAOTIOAL OHRISTIAN


Is Jlultlished twic e every calendar . month- s- nt


' One Dollar per annum. payable always in advan ce


- no credit beyond No. 2 of each volume, Per-


- snns responsible for six copies receive the seventh


~ rati! . Nu ' subscriptiou received ' for less than one


' Year. , '


[ tegular Contributors to the ' Vork,- ADIN


BALLOU, ( Edi tor and Publishing Agent ;) DAVID


R, LAMSON, GEORGE W. STACY, D.'\. NIEL S.


WHITNEY, \ VILLI AM H. FI SH, SAMUEL J. '


MAY.


, All leiters, remittances and communications to


' be sent ( po st paid) to ADIN B.... LLOU, Mendon.


bIas. , '


We love all, hot can flatt er none. Th erefore


we soliei; no person to subscri/; e who is not willing


we should utt er all ' 0 111 moral convi ction s as freely


as the wind s blow and the wa te rs run. To all


such, of whatsoever nam e or persuasion, we make


our respectful salutation, lind would say " Corne


and see if any good thing can come out of Naza ­reth."


: EXPOSITION OF FAITH:


CHAPTER m.


Concerning Jesus ' Christ .


I heli ev e :- that J esus Christ i ~ the Son of


, God , ill wh om th e human lind divine natures


' perle ct ly harmoni z e ; that he appeared in th e


fl esh, exemplified a perfect righteou sness,


preached th e gos pe l, wrought rnirnel es. rlied o n


nhe cross , nrnse from th e dead, ascended into


' hen" e ll, and wns exa lteel to IIniv er slll domin- '


Ion a t ' the right hand of th e F ather ; that he is


', l, e l\! l'lliat ol' between God a nd men- the


Lord, JlJIIl! e,[ lIn, 1SlIvior oftllH worltl, without


wholll no lost so ul clIn oht llill ete rnal life.


SECTION 1.


. J p,~ n s ChriRt i ~ rhe Slt n of Go, I, in '';' hom th e


Imman 8nd divine uatures perfectl y hanllo,


lIize.


" We believe and are sure that thou art that


Chri., t, the Son ofthe living God." J ohn, 6: 69.


, I n nrll'rstDnl l thut Jesus iif NuzlIreth \ V8S tl'll­Iy


IIn. 1 properly, a , hnman heing- ll mun, soul


lin, I hod y. I nlso understHnd thllt the etern lll


Lngos, hecllm e incarnate in his hnman natVI'e,


rnlllpletely pervaded his son', e1welt in him


wirltout mellsure, commu ne ll wirh him in a


perfect hurmony, and eonstitnted him " the


Christ, the Son of God.", As th e Son of man


1 1f~ WRS flesh of flesh and soul of soul witli


OIl1l1kind. As th e Son of God he W8E. Spirit


of S pir it with God- a radiation, an emnnation,


,1111 efflux, a mllllifeslntion of the Divinity. 1! nt


perhaps I shall he asked to expla in more plli' ­li


enlRrly Wflllt I mean by iJ0'" the eternal Ln­,


gas. LogOR is u Greek , term, s igui fying that


' whic h ex pres ses or ' manifests th e ullrihutes of


, the minll. It is commonly translated WORD


111 our · lungIlRge , becuuse word is onl' ordinary


le rm to denote any se ns ihle sOllnd or sign


\~ hi(, h e x presses all idea of th e milld. But


' some of the most eminent uf tli e ' Greek lind


, luteI' J ewish wriler s , IIsed th e terrr r fog os in 1I


hi/.! her sense- Io sigllify ' divin e reason, holy


wisdom, puredivinily, emille d, or rnelhlled fiom


the gr eat Source of ull good. TJ'o/' d is the re­fore


ofiell a veri unmeauing tl'llllslUlion of 10'


gas. It eertumly" is so in th e fir st chupte r of


Sl. John's gOl1f1el,- where it is evide ntlyem­ployed


in its su hlimest sense. The E vnnge list


says, llS rendered in the couPrnon version : " In


Ihe heginning WllS the ' VORD, Dnd th e ' VORD


wus' with God, and the ' VORIl wus God. The


sume was in th e beginning with , God. All


', things were . fllllde hy hil ' n, ; lIJd Wilhout him


' was not : my thing 1II1Ifie th ~ t wns marie. " If


onr trllnsl a ~ ors had leli the Greek L ogo s UII­tran


slated ill thi s instnn ce, its meaning woul. 1


probably hnv e heen quite as wellunderslood.


The passage wOllld tit en huv.. reud :_" In th e


Ih eg inning was Ih e Logo~, and th e Lo gos WIlS


with God , at1l1 th e L ogos was Goel." In rhnt


, case ma, ny who now l: ellli the ' pu ssllge without


, uny particnlar unxiety to undel'st llllli whnt is


signified hy " the Word." would hav e heen ex ­dted


hy the singula rity o( thu te rUl Logos, to


, inlJnir e in to its import. Besid es, IVord can


with gre a t diffi cul ty he lIIade to co m'ey th e


origina l idell cx pretlsed hy the Greek term.- '


I th er eforeprcf er tlte original to th e lran sla­tioll.


St. John e videotly mean s by th e Log os,


the c~ llImuni cable es~ nce of Goo - the divine


ev ol vin g LIFE, POWER, WISDOM ami GOODNESS


- llc ling ' itpon, and operating ill finit e natures.


In thi s sublime sense th e Logo s is " God mani­j


esl ," God developed, " God with us. " So me


Biblicul sc holars have co ns idere d the Logos llS


an oth er Il: IlIIe fill' di vine \ Vi s,) om, and hav e


translated the ver se just quoted thus : " ( n the


heginning was Wisdom, and . W isdom was


with God, and \ Villdom . was .. God." But to


my understanding the Word WI SDO~ is not


suffic ient ly signifieant and compreh en sive to


express the ' wh ole meaning of the original


term: LOf{ oS signifies 1111 that the word Wis­dom


do es in its most exalted sense, lind al s'o


mu ch mure. \ Ve have no word in our lan- ,


guage, which nlon e expresses all that is meant


hy th e Logos of th e Evangelist. Let me th en


retain th e _ use of th e Greek word as an nppro­pri


ate appe llation for that glorio us efflux o f the


Divinity which constitnted J esu s th e S on of


God. " ' ith what mey we compare th is eter­nal


Logos? it . is · IIS th e light of the sun to


th e g reat fountuin wh en ce it proceed s. " L ighl


oflight , God of God." , The Logos emanates


direetly fro 111, and is of th e very nature of the


Deity ; e ve n as light emanates directly from;


and is of the very nature of the sun .


This is th e fuln ess of the Godhead ,( eternnl


life, power, wisdom and good ness] dwelling


bodily ill ' the mun, Christ Jesu s. \ Vithout the


indwelling ~ ogos he might ind eedhnve been


u uoh lHhUlIHiU hein g, bnt he would not have


heeu Ih e perfect Chris t. It is th e indwelling


II III I conlmuiliou of Ihe Logos with , t ile man


whieb perf ects his official diguily, anti eonsti­tllt


es liim the anoiuted head of the new crell­tiull


. .


\ Vhen I ~ ay lIlat the human and divine na­lUres


perfectly hal'lllouize in J esus Chr! st, I


mean , not thal'these two natures are a/ llalga ­mllted


inlo one being, ( hy a " confusioll ofsuh­s


lllnce ,". Ds. l lle , sc! looLlIleu, express . it, ), hu t. thnL


th e divine natlll'e dwells in ; pr esill es over, and


act uates the hnman nuture; in such II manner


tbut both coexist in th eir true relation to each


other ;- the divine natlll'e ruling and hles1oing,


ulHl th e hllman nalUre oheying and enjoying.


This is the perfect eomrlJlll1ion- uf man with


Go el, wh ereof J esus Christ is the grellt und


g lor io ns Exempllll · . Anll her ein consists that


e xee llency of Iris mediation between God and


r~ en, IIntler ,; hic h nlone the childrell of Adam


· ca n be restorell to lh eir originul hl issfirl one­.


ness with the Creator.


Hnving thus ex pluined th e meaning of my


ter/ lls nnd phrnsel<, [ wiil now pro ceed to the


proof of my docll'in e, hy au appeal to the


S criptures. " ,


What is th e prooftll8t J esn s Chl'ist is truly


allll propel'ly mun?, It is abundant. ' 1' 11/; fol­lowillg


. hls will snffice .


" Jesus of Nazllr eth, a ~ I A : V approved, ofGod


am on g you hy miracl e~ , alld wonder s aud signs


whi eh God did by hiin in th e mid st of you."


Acts, 2: 22. Ih. 13: 38 . " God Imth appointed


II day in th ~ which he will jndge th e worl ll in


right eousn e~ s by thut MAN whom he huth or­dained.


whereof he Imth given Hssurance unto


ull ' ln en, in thnthe ' Iullh rllised him fro/ ll ' the


dearl." lb. 17: 31. "}<' or s inc e hy man came


death, hy MAN ciulle also the resurrection of


the deuel ; fOl' us in Adum all ( lie, . e ve n so in


, Christ s ha ll nil he made ali,' e." 1 Cor. 15: 21 ,


22. " Fol' th cl'e is on e God, anll on e lIlediato. r,


between Gud uud meu, th e ~ u x Christ J esus."


1 Tim. 2: 5.


What is tire pl'Ooftlllll th is mun Christ Je,


us is rh e S on o f God ?


" No mllnhnth seCII God at allY tim e j the


o nly- heg ou,! n S on, which is ill th e husom of


tlw Father, he II: 1: h tleel ured him." '] J ohn, I :


18. " No man hath nscencled np to heaven,


but he thar carne tlowlI fi'olli he. lvcll, e ve n the


so n of mlln, who is ill heav en ." Ib. 3: lao " I


cume down from hcaveu not to do ~ n i n e own


will hnt th e will of him that se nt me." i L. 6:


38 . " ' Vha t and if ye s ha ll see th e, S on o f lTIan


a ~ c entl np wher e he was he fore ?" Ih. 6: 62. ­"


I pro ceed ed forlh und ca ll1e from God j ne ith ­er


came I of myself but he ~ c n t me. " lb. 8:'


42. " Say ye of him whom th e PlIlhe r SilIlCt i- ,


fied, und se nl into th e world, Thou IJlasphelll-es


t ! ilecause I said I am the Son of God ?" ­lit


. 10: 36. " The first mun Adam wns mud e a


livin g soul ; the last Adum , a quick euing


spiri t. Howbeit, that wa s not first jwh i ~ h was


spiritual, hut that which is uatural ; and after­ward


that w IIich is spiritual, The first man


is uf thecurtlr. earthy r the second man is the


Lord from heaven," 1 Cor. 15: 45- 47• • " In


thi s WIIS manifested the - love of God toward


us, because that God sent his ouly- begotten


S ou int o the world, that we might live through


hilll." I John, 4: 9.


The eternal Logos, ( 01' God by his Spirit,)


wus in him and wi th him on earth. und coutin­ues


to be nolO in heaven. This is taugLIt iu rua­ny


pllssUgCS, among which are th e fiJllowing. ,


" The Spirit of th e Lord s ha ll rest upon him,


th e s pirit of wisdorn lind undersruuding, the '


spirit of, cou nse l and weight, th e spirit of


knowledge and ofth e fear of the Lord." Isa .


II : 2. " Tlte spirit of the Lord is up on me be ·


ca use he hath anointed me to preach the go s­pel


10 the poor; he huth se nt me to Ileal the


br ok en hea rted, to pr each ' deliverancH to th e


captives, lind recovery ofsight 10 th e hlind, to


set at liberty them thnt ar e bruised, ' to pr eilch


th e ueeeptable year o f th e Lord." Luke, 4: 18.


, " AIIlI th e Logos was made flesh, [ WIIS made


manifest' in th e flesh] and dwelt among us,


, [ uud we behold h is gl ory, the glory us of th e


f '


onl y. hegotten of the Father,) fullofgrllee and


truth." J ohn, il: It " For Ite wh om God


hath sent speRketh th e words ofGod : fill' God


g i~ cth 1I0t the spirit by Ulea SUl'e unto him:' II...


3: 34. " I know wh en ce I came, and whithel'


I go ;"~ t ye , cannot tell wheuce I cRlne and


whithet 1 g o. Y e judge after the flesh; I


j ndge no 1! lan. Alii! yet if I jndge Illy jUllg.


me, IIt, is true: for I lu n not nlon e, hnt I IIn,~


the Father which s~ nt me." " " ''' Ye nei. th­er


know me, nor my Fllther. Ifye had kno~ n


! ~!' Yo!' dfu1 '


l., 1mye J t!. 2m!... n. ly....... IJ!.!..! I~~::


" Buins llIy, J~ nlher IlIlIh tallght llIe, Illpeak


the. e thilll( s. And he tllnt sent ' lIIe is Wilh


me: the Father hath not left me alone; fill' I


do niwllys those thin gs lIllIt pl e~ se him. J oltn,


l: l': 14. 15, 16, iI 19, " 28 , 29. " If1. do . n ot the


works of Illy Fathel', helieve me not. But if


I do, though ye beli eve not me, helieve the


works; lhat ye mny know alld heli eve . thut


the Fnthel' is in " me anll I in him." Ih. l0: 37,


: 38. " I hnve not s po ke ll of myself; hut the


Fa the r whic11 selll me, he gave me a COIII­lIIundment,


whut I sh onld Sll) · nnd what I


s ho uld sllea k. " lb. 13: 4D. " He thnt huth seen


me Imth seen tim , F lIlllf! r; amI ' how snyc, st


thon, S how, lIs tlte F alher? Beli evest , thou


, not thnt I am in' the Futher and th e Futher in


me? . The words that ( spenk IInto you I


s r enk not of myself: bllt the Futher lhnt


dwell et h in me, he do eth Ihe wurks." " For


my F ather is greut er tllUld: " lb. 14: 9 , 10, "


28. " He thnt , hn/ eth Ute, hatelh : my F uth er


also." l b. 15: 23. " I alll! Illy F~ th er lire one."


lh. 10: 30. " He that honorethnot th e Sun,


hOllor edl 110t th e 1~ lIth er which hatli llellt hil/ l.",


lb . 5: 23. " i came forlh fi'om th e Flither alld


urn con; e into ' the worl. l, lI~ ain I' leav e the


world and go to the Futher., His disciples


said un : o him, 10, now spea kes t th oll plaillly


and s peake st no pnruble. Now are we sn re


that th~ 1I knowest nil things, a' 1lI1 needest 110t


th at an y mall should ask thee: ' by. this we he.


lie ve Ihlt thou cames t forlh from God." lb.


16: 28 - 30. " Neithe l' pmy 1 for these alone,


hilt fonhem also whi eh s ha ll helieve 011 lIle


throll g~ lth eir word: That they all m! IY be one;


as , thOl1 Futher art in llIe ullli I in th ee; ­that


thfY nlso may bfl one in liS; tllltt th e world


IIIny believe tlmt thou hnst sent , me ," I h. 17:


20 , 21. " God ' an oillled J esu s ofNazureth with


th e Holy Ghost 1I'lId with power; who went


uhout ( oing good, allel heuring all thut were


o pl' res; e d ofthe e1 e" il ; fur God was with him."


Act s; 10: 38. i ' Atld nil things arc of God,


, who huh reconcil ed us . to himself hy J esns


Chr isl,' : lIId ' llIIth giv en to us ; he lIIiniSlry of


reeondilltion ; to will, fhat God wns in Chr ist


reconC iling the world , nllto himself." 2 COl'. 5:


18,1 9 ! " Bu t of Itim ar e ye in Chrisl ' Jcsul!',


\ V h; lo( God is mad e unto ns wiRdoill, and


rig hteti, . ness, lind sllnctificlition, Dlltl red emp­lion."


J Co r. 1:, 30. " W ho is tlie illlag e o f


the invisible God, the first- born of every crea- ' ,


ture"....;.[ the ininge of God, as receiving unto


himself lind reflecting abroad the eterD'al Lo-


, gas- the all - glorious LIGHT of LIGHT. The


' firs t horn of every creature; not in pointof


time, but in order of precedence in honor and


1Ill1je8ly- as filled with the Logos, and there­by


united to the Deity in the nearest possible


affinity.] " For by him [ that is, by the eternal


Logos which dwelt in, characterized, and be-:


clime identified with him] were all things cre-!


ated, that lire ill heaven , and that a r~, in furth,


visible lIud invisihle, whether thrones, 01' do­minions,


or principalities or powers: all things


were created by him uIIII for him: Aud he is


before all things, and by him all things con­sist.


Aud he is the head of the body, the


ch urc h ; who is the beginning, the first - born


from - rhe dead ; that in all things he might


have the preeminence. For it pleased the Fa­th


er til/ it in him should all fullness dwell; alii)


having made peace, through the blood of his


cross, hy him to reconcile all thin gs unto him­self;


by him, wh eth er things in earth or things


in heav en." Col. I: 19- 20. " God hath in


th ese last days spoke n unto liS hy his Son,


whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by


whom aLso.. he made th e worlds. Who being


th e brightness of his glory and the express


imnge of his person, and npholding all things


hy tlte word of' power, wh ell he had hy him­se


lf purged 01; 1' sins, SlIt dowil on the right


halHI of the maj esly on high." Heh. 1: 2, 3. ­"


Grellt is the mystery of godline! lS; God [ liS


th e et ernal, Logos] wus IIIllllifellled in th e flesl l,


[ i. e. in the / IIall Christ J esu s] ju stified in i ha


Spirit, se en of angels , pr eached Ullto th e Gell;


tiles, lJelieved o n ill th e wol'ld, nnd re ceivel!


tip inlo glory." I Tim. 3: 16. " That which


was from the hegilluillg, whieh we have


heard, whieh we have seen with our ey es,


which we hnv~' look ed IIpon, and ou r 1lUlllis


' ha ve handlel! of th e Word [ Logos] . of Lite. ­For


th e Life [ Logo s] WIIS 1lIlIlIifested - llnd we


hllve seell it, IInd', heur wi: neSll, alll! show Ullio


you that e te rna l Life [ eternal Logus) whieh


was with tlte Father, and WIIS mllnifestl! li IIl1to


us." [ i. e. in Jesus Christ.] 1 John 1: 1,2.


I need not multiply texts. These are clear


nnd co n cl nsi v~. " They fully establish the doc­trin


e thnt J esus Christ is tl'llly the SOli ofGod,


in who/ ll the hlllllun 01111 divine perfer'fly hhl' ­/


lioni ze. • Well mi ght he he pl'Oph etj~ lIl1y / 111_


nonncell Il l' Ii dlil. 1 hol'll, II SO I ~ givell whose ti­tlus


s llOlIld he-"' Xolld erfill, Cuunsel/ or., tho


l\ Ii~ ht) · God , tlte e" erlnsting Father, the Prince


of Pellee." Freely dill G, j, 1 fr~ 1lI Itellven pro­cla


illl ' hilil , wh en ' he said- " This is my he ­loved


· ' S on ill whom I 11111 well , pleased." ­Wlten


in th e dllys of Itis flesh, he inql; ired of'


his disciple on a eer taill occnsion-"' Vhom do


mell say thut I, th~ Son of man, am ?"- tiley


I


nllsw ered-" Some say that thou art John the


l3aplist; l.' ome, Elias; a/ ll1 others Jeremias, or


I ,


oll e of th e prophets." He then demanded-


" Hilt whom say ye thllt 1 am ?" " Simon Pe­ter


IInsw~ red a/ lll suid, Thou' ~ rt the Christ,


th e S on of the li ving Gud." As su.: h Jet Uti


beli eve in, honol', imitale and olicy him forev­er.


From this exhilJition of mv ,' iews con­cerning


the nature al; d di8tincti~ e ntlrihllte~,


it will he seen tlmt I do not entire ly agree


with either the Triniturians, the .-\ ria ns , the


Socinillns, or the :' Huma nita r iallll ; ' though in


some things with them ull. I cunno' helll be­lieving


thnt all these contending pe~ Ull8iOflS


, of professed Christians have some yery' impor­tant


truths, liS well as soi ue errors. And after


Jelll'lling, hy a studious a nd somewhat per­plexing


experi ence, th e greal intricacies ' i> fthe


llubjeet, I am willing to think thllt eq l} ully pnre


110,1 goo, 1 men have been found on 1111 sides of


this · contro vers ia l ! herne. Nor a ; n ~ vai",


enollgh to imllgine lIIyself infa llihle, as to the


positions I have ernhraced. But I reot in the


pr~ fuund cOllvicti on ' illllt I ' hold a do etrine


,: ollcerning Jesus Christ- h is peculillr Millre


1I1111 , perle.~ tions, ess olllially accordnnt with air


parts of Scripture. Therefore, till otir erwiB/: l'


advised lind ' persuaded, th is is Illy faith. in the


Son of Go d ; tllI'I> ugh w, hom he , giory to God


Most Hi gh, world, wirli ollt end! Amen.


OJ"" Love yunr ene mies- despise 110 on e.

Page 45 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840