The treatise was first i)ublished in 1679. We are not informed under what particular circumstances Owen was led to prejiare it. There is internal evidence in the work itself that he laboured under a strong impression of the peril in which evangelical religion would be involved, if views of the jierson of Christ, either positively unsound or simply vague and defective, obtained currency in the British churches. His acquaintance with the eaily history of the church taught him that against this doctrine the persevering assaults of Satan had been directed; and, with sagacious foresight, he anticijiated the lise of heresy on this point in England. He speaks of " woful contests" resj)ecting it, — increasing rather than abating " unto this very day;" and intimates his conviction, in language which elucidates liis main design in this work, that the only way by which they could be terminated ■was to enthrone Christ anew in the hearts and consciences of men.
Events ensued which justified these apprehensions of Owen. A prolonged con- troversy on the subject of the Trinity arose, whicli drew forth the works of Bull (1685), Sherlock (1690), and South (1695). In 1710, Whiston was expelled from Oxford for his Arianism. Dr S. Clarke, in 1712, published Arian views, for which lie was summoned before the Convocation. Among the Presbyteiian Dissenteis, Pierce and Hallet (1717) became openly committed to Arianism, Dr Isaac Watts, who succeeded (1702) to the charge of the same congregation in London wiiich had been under the care of Owen, broached the I ndu-ellhig Scheme; according to which the Father is so united to the man Christ Jesus, whose human soul pre- existed his coming in the flesh, that, through this indwelling of the Godhead, he became properly God.
Tlie Christology of Owen has always been highly valued, and will be of use to all ages of the church :■ — " A work," says the late Dr M'Ciie, " which, together with its continuation, the ' Meditations on the Glory of Christ,' of all the theolo- gical works published by individuals since the Reformation, next to 'Calvin's In- stitutions,' we would Iiave deemed it our highest hoKOur to have produced."— Ed.
THE PREFACE.
It is a great promise concerning the person of Christ, as he was to be given unto tlie church, (for he was a child born, a son given unto us, Isa. ix. 6,) that God would " lay him in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tiied stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation," whereon "he that believeth shall not make haste:" Isa. xxviii. 16. Yet was it also foretold concerning him, that this precious foundation should be " for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence, to both the houses of Israel ; for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;" so as that " many among them should stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken:" Isa. viii. 14, 15. According unto this promise and prediction it hath fallen out in all ages of the church ; as the apostle Peter declares concerning the first of them. "\Vherefore also," saith he, "it is contained in the Scrip- ture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief comer-stone, elect, precious ; and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you there- fore which believe, he is precious; but unto them which be disobe- dient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient : where- unto also they were appointed :" 1 Pet. ii. 6-8.
Unto them that believe unto the saving of the soul, he is, he always hath been, precious — the sun, the rock, the life, the bread of their souls — every thing that is good, useful, amiable, desirable, here or unto eternity. In, from, and by him, is all their spiritual and eternal life, light, power, growth, consolation, and joy here ; v/ith everlasting salvation hereafter. By him alone do they desii'e, expect, and obtain deliverance from that woful apostasy from God, which is accompanied with — which containeth in it virtually and meritoriously — whatever is evil, noxious, and destructive unto our nature, and which, without relief, will issue in eternal misery. By him are they brought into the nearest cognation, alliance, and friendship with God, the firmest union imto him, and the most holy communion with him, that our finite natures are capable of, and so conducted unto the eternal enjoyment of him. For in him " shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory;" (Isa. xlv. 25;) for "Israel shall be
4 THE PREFACE.
saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation;" they " shall not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end:" verse 17.
On these and the like accounts, the principal design of their whole lives unto whom he is thus precious, is to acquaint themselves with him — the mystery of the wisdom, grace, and love of God, in his person and mediation, as revealed unto us in the Scripture, which is '■'life eternal;" (John xvii. 3 ;) — to trust in him, and unto him, as to all the everlasting concernments of their souls — to love and honour him with all their hearts — to endeavour after conformity to him, in all those characters of divine goodness and holiness which are represented unto them in him. In these things consist the soul, life, power, beauty, and efficacy of the Christian religion ; without which, whatever outward ornaments may be put upon its exercise, it is but a useless, lifeless carcass. The whole of this design is expressed in these heavenly words of the apostle : (Phil. iii. 8-12 :) "Yea doubt- less, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the know- ledge of Christ Jesus my Lord : for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteous- ness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death ; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect ; but I follow after, if that I may appre- hend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." This is a divine expression of that frame of heart— of that design — which is predominant and efficacious in them unto whom Christ is precious.