referred to that glorious prophecy of Daniel, where the Son of man is represented as receiving from the Father an universal and everlasting dominion p. Instantly the high-priest rent his clothes, and said, " What need we any further witnesses ? Ye have heard the blasphemy : what think ye ? And they all con- demned him to be worthy of death*." Now, if the name " Son of man" did not import that he was God also, why did not our Lord rectify their mistake, and inform them that he did not intend to arrogate divine honour to himself, or to insinuate that he was any more than a common prophet ? By this he would have invalidated in an instant the charge of blasphemy, and have obliged them either to release him, or to find some other pre- text for putting him to death. But our Lord knew that they were right in their interpretation of his words ; and therefore he submitted in silence to the sentence that was dictated by their blind infuriated zeaK]
It will be found an easier task to shew,
II. For what purpose he came into the world —
In our Lord's assertion respecting this, we cannot fail to notice,
1. The humiliating description which he gives of the human race —
[Every living man is characterized b}' this description, " That which zvas lost." All are " by nature children of wrath s:" and by practice they have aggravated their guilt and condemna- tion a thousand-fold. To understand the full import of this word, " lost," let us reflect on the state of those that are already in hell, their guilt, their condemnation by the law, their banishment from the Divine presence, their inconceivable and irremediable misery, then we shall see our own state, with this only difference ; that we are yet on mercy's ground, and may have our sentence reversed, and our misery prevented ; whereas they are gone beyond redemption : they are criminals already executed ; and we are under the same sentence, un- certain whether we shall not the very next hour be called forth for execution, but with a pardon offered us on certain terms. O that we could realize this awful thought ! ]
P Dan. vii. 13, 14. q Mark xiv. 61 — 64.
r Thus it fully appears that " the Son of man" is none other than " God manifest in the flesh." And though there are many passages that more directly prove this point, yet are these peculiarly strong, inasmuch as they prove the divinity of. Christ from things which are spoken of him under that title, which most of all denotes his humanity, s Eph. ii. 3.