their Happiness as if themselves had done and suffered what Christ did Reader were these Men duly tender or honest when they pervert Words â—o plain and ascribe to me what is as directly contrary to my Words as yea and no. They say I affirmed what I do deny and that I denied the very thing I affirmed But the Turn could not be served without these Methods 3. The Ground of Jealousie I 'll give and judge you how just it is 1. I did affirm that Christ did bear the Punishment of our Sins yea and he bare the Guilt of our Sins which is that respect of Sin to the threatning of the Law whereby there is an Obligation to bear the Punishment of Sin But I denied that Sin it self as to its Filth and Fault was transacted on Christ and that Christ was made and accounted by the Father the very Transgressor the Adulterer and Blasphemer Gospel-Truth p. 10 11. Here 's my Crime for Mr. M. hath oft preached up the later 2. I affirm as thou seest of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness but my Fault is that I deny that God accounts that we legally died and obeyed that we made Satisfaction to God though I grant that Christ died for us yea in our Place and stead 3. I have through the Goodness of God lived to declare in this Book enough to confute his Prophesie and his Opinion too though I think he should pray for a more calm and charitable Spirit before he prâ—tend to Predictions concerning his Brethren 4. Will he repent of his rigid censorious Slander For I 'll here declare that I assent to his own Words p. 18. By imputed I mean that it Christ's Righteousness is looked on by God as belonging to us in order to our being judicially dealt with according to the Merit thereof This I have oft affirmed but it 's far short of what elsewhere he strains it too 4 Charge The Son of God was united to an Embrio which is a Piece of ignorant Blasphemy Repl. My Words were Oh! For God-Man to be at any time unactive as an Embrio or Child in the Womb for him to be born of a Woman I said not that the Son of God was united to an Embrio unactive as an Embrio is another thing And I 'll â—â—ing him twice Ten to oppose his two Witnesses But had I said it where is the Blasphemy when the divine Nature I hope was united to Christ's dead Body in the Grave as all grant And very many say that the divine Nature was united to the Flesh before it was organized or animated of whom Turretin's Instit. Theol. p. 372. Etsi anima infundi non potuit in Corpus nisi jam organizatum c. Non sequiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non potuisse carnem statim sibi unire cum Opus ejus non possit aut praesente aut absente anima sibi coarctari Pierson and Multitudes are Blasphemers with this bold Man But supposing that though the Virgin conceived by the Power of the Holy Ghost and went her usual Time and that Christ was like other Children and the Faetus had Matter and Nourishment ministred thereto by the Virgin who conceived by the Power of the Spirit Yet that the Divine Person was not united to the Flesh before it was animated But are not many Phisicians so ignorant as to judge the Soul is united to the Body unorganized and if so either the humane Nature of Christ had a separate Subsistence from the Divine Person which is false or the Divine Person assumed it when the Body was unorganized But it 's a Theme not fit for me to pursue who must confess my Ignorance therein in Comparison of Mr. M. who can tell us how the humane Nature of Christ leans on the God-head in the Son and hath the eternal Power of the Deity clasping about it and holding it in that Vnion p. 63. May not this seraphical yet very dull Author call what he please in this Point a Piece of ignorant Blasphemy whatever greater Divines or skilful Phisicans say to the contrary 5 Charge Because I would wash off all his Dirt at once I 'll give you one Charge out of his Book that he forgets in his Postscript though it hath been their best Tool viz. That I lick up Bellarmin's Vomit in my Exposition of Phil. 3.8 9. Repl. This is as true as the rest for when I expounded that Text I plainly affirmed thaâ— 1. We are justified by Christ's imputed Righteousness only 2. That all Holiness compared with winning Christ is to be esteemed as Dung 3. The best thing in us is vile compared with Christ's Righteousness And indeed if that Text speaks only of Justification and that the Apostle designes to oppose his own Righteousness to Christ's then his own and ours are as unfit as Dung to be found in 4. But I then judged and still do that the Apostle there designed to proclaim the Preferrableness of Christianity to Judaism and what was Pharasaical yea or self-invented And therefore as he enumerates all the Dignities of Judaism so he ascribes to Christ the whole Glory of his entire redeemed State shewing that not only his Justification but his Sanctification too came from and by Christ both which were of a diviner Nature as well as appointment than what he arrived to whiles he was a Stranger to Christ and therefore expected and pressed after a Perfection therein whiles he despised all Things Priviledges and Attainments which stood in Competition with Christ Yea was glad he had lost them all for Union with him a Perseverance in whom with higher Communications from him was the very main Aim of his Life and Endeavours I am sure this Sense best agrees with the Context and is far enough from Bellarmin's Sense neither want I Reasons sufficient to prove it had I room yea my Exposition of that Text is so far from militating against Justification by Christ's Righteousness that it proves it strongly 2. I come now to consider Mr. M's Defence of his own Errors He confines them to two Saying I kept Silence as to more When others read this Book they 'll see a greater Number though it seems he could not perceive them when he read my Notes and hath left out of his printed Sermons many obnoxious Passages yet he 'll meet with his Suretiship Righteousness the Debtor being as clear as the Surety P. 24. With his limiting so far Christ's Merit to his active Obedience p. 13. With his Position that all Graces of the Spirit are Effects of our being justified and not at all the Means thereof p. 32. That all our Obedience avails no more to our Justification than our worst Sins p. 71. Though he ascribes a Causality to Faith that the Crown of Glory is due to us in Justice p. 12. Even a remunerative Justice is exerted to us p. 15. c. But let us take what he thinks most concerns him the first whereof is that Christ's Incarnation was no
Nature was taken as an obscuring Vail and in the manner of Assuming it that Vail was exceeding thick which will appear in these Things 1. Christ was conceived in a Woman's Womb there was he confined the usual time he was born he sâ—ent part of his time in the unactive state of Infancy and Childhood He was capable of growing in knowledge Luke 2.52 This points to the manner of his Incarnation and is there no concâ—alment of his Glory herein no laying it aside Oh for God-Man to be at any time unactive as an Embrio or Child in the Womb for him to be born of a Woman for him to pass through the Incapacities of Infancy and the like necessary Consequences of the manner of his Incarnation Sure here 's a Suspension of Glory Eve was formed in a way more Glorious Whereas the Apostle notes it of Christ that he was made of a woman made under the law Gal. 4.4 2. Christ in his very Incarnation assumed the Humane Nature when in a low State yea after the Fall and subject to many Effects of that Fall It was not a Glorious Body a Spiritual Body a Body cloathed with Immortality but a Body subject to Hunger Thirst Weariness yea Death it self The Apostle leaves a Remark on this 2 Cor. 5.16 Thô we have known Christ after the Flesh yet know we him so no more Further what a Vail was it that he assumed our Nature after Man had sinned after he was condemned and part of the Sentence executed Yea there was need of an extraordinary way of Generation to prevent the propagation of Guilt and Defilement to him our Lord was subject to Grief Fear Trouble Temptations from without c. and the same Infirmities as we fallen Men are Sin only excepted Heb. 4.15 And was all this no Humiliation his meer Incarnation was his assuming a Body in the frame and habit whereof these Infirmities had actual place and not a Body exempted from these He was in the likeness of sinful flesh Rom. 8.3 3. The Apostle includes Christ's Incarnation in his Inferiority below Angels Heb. 2.9 We see Iesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death c. Thô his Exaninition in assuming our Nature be not all yet it is a great part of his Minoration as taking a Nature below the Angelical Thô he could soon raise it above Angels when he had assumed it and finished his Work therein and hence some render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a little while But it 's plain that the Humane Nature in it self is below the Angelical and therefore in taking this lower Nature he was so far Humbled and went so far further from his Glory 2. Christ's receding from his Glory in taking our Nature in this state and after this manner in obedience to God and for the ends for which he assumed such a Body was truly a degree of Humiliation That Christ should become Man was one Article submitted to by him Heb. 10.5 It was a Debt Heb. 2.16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was Incarnate and that in the very described manner that he might be capable of enduring those full effects of Sin that he might tast Death for every Man be Tempted and the like Had not he assumed our Flesh he was not capable of enduring these yea had he not assumed our Nature in an humbled State and submitted to a Vail on his Glory the World would have been dazled with his Brightness above the Sun 's and none durst have blasphemed or assaulted him But our Lord was thus Incarnate his Humane Nature was in this humbled Condition and not in an exalted State when he assumed it and begun not to be humbled afterwards he laid by his Glory when he put on our Flesh in his Conception and therefore Iohn 17.5 he prays Glorifie me with that glory which I had with thee before the world began And the Apostle reckons it as a degree of his Humiliation Gal. 4.1 Made of a woman made under the law Yea I think it might be demonstrated that the Lord 's quitting the Display of his Divine Glory in his Conception Birth and the whole time of his Life was the greatest degree of his Humiliation And what can exclude his Incarnation especially in such a manner from being a part of Humiliation unless this following Objection for it was in a way of Obedience his Glory obscured and this to abasing Purposes Obj. How could the Divine Nature be humbled A. It was the Eternal Word or the Second Person that was humbled as far as his Incarnation obscured his Glory in the way above described 1. The Divine Nature essentially considered could neither be humbled nor exalted nothing can add to or take from it 2. Neither could the Divine Nature feel or resent Sufferings in the same manner as the Humane Nature it was not capable of Passion 3. Yet the Eternal Word was capable of laying aside his Manifestative Glory of subjecting himself to do so in obedience to the Father and persuant to his Covenant Undertaking and to make himself capable of drinking the whole of the Cup by being cloathed with such Flesh and that in a manner so obscuring of his Glory It 's more strange that this should be questioned by such who ascribe to Christ Acts properly Mediatorial before his Incarnation 3. R. Christ for his very Incarnation among other things received Authority as a Reward Iob. 5.27 He hath given him authority to execute judgment because he is the son of man If you say he was not capable of such a Gift but as the Son of Man even that argues a degree of Humiliation that the Person to whom all was due by virtue of his Divine Essence should assume another nature to be capable of this as a Gift But the words express his being the Son of Man to have a Causality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Authority is a Reward for his Incarnation among other things And if this be rewarded it must come within the compass of his Humiliation for all Christ's Meritorious Acts come under the consideration of his being humbled and the Acts of his exalted State are not properly Meritorious I might add other Reasons as from the dependant State to which Christ became subject by assuming our Nature and from the way how the Glory of Christ's Person added to value the Sufferings of the Humane Nature c. But I think what is already offered is sufficient Obj. If Christ's Incarnation was a part of his Humiliation then he is in a state of Humiliation in Heaven A. 1. Christ's continuing in the Nature assumed when he hath exalted it may not be a part of his Humiliation and yet his assuming that Nature was a part of his Humiliation The Act of Assumption is one thing remaining United is another The Nature in a humble State as it was when he was Incarnate is one thing that Nature in a perfected glorious State as it is now in
Heaven is another Christ doth not in Heaven assume our Nature Denovo but remains United to that Nature which he assumed in the Womb And the state of this Nature is now Glorious whereas he took our Flesh when it was Inglorious A Prince may humble himself in marrying an ignoble deformed sickly Beggar and yet it will not follow he humbleth himself still because he lives with her as a Wife especially if he hath ennobled beautified healed and enriched her 2. Saying That Christ's Humane Nature is exalted in Heaven is an acknowledgment that Christ was humbled in taking our Nature in the manner and condition he assumed it in Would Christ's Body be in an exalted State if it were in the form it had in its first Conception Yet so it was in the moment of Incarnation Were it exalted if still to be Born Yet so it was Would he be in an exalted State if still an Infant or Child Yet this was necessary from the manner of Christ's Incarnation Would this Nature be exalted if still subject to Weariness Pain Grief Hunger Shame Temptation and Death Yet such was the frame and habit of it when he assumed it This vast difference in the state of Christ's Body in Heaven and when he became Incarnate may convince us that Christ humbled himself in assuming it unless you will suppose it was first a Glorious Body i. e. when he took it and after he assumed it it was deprived of that Glory and humbled and then again exalted But such Conceits I pass by 3. I might add Thô the exalted Body of Christ be now a more fitted Medium whereby the Divine Glory is exerted and manifest and also the Glorious Purposes attained by the Hypostatical Union continued do compensate it Nevertheless the Human Nature is in a sense at present some Vail upon the Glory of Christ as the Eternal Word notwithstanding the Exaltation of the Humane Nature 1 Cor. 15.28 But these things are so beyond our comprehension that an humble Reverence doth best set Limits to our Thoughts But what hath been insisted on without enlarging on this may suffice to give us juster Thoughts of our selves as Men at least so as not to furmise it was no Act of Humiliation in the Lord of Glory to become Man by being Conceived and Born for him to be a Child to assume Flesh subject to Weariness Pain Sorrow Faintness Temptation Death c. for the Creator of the World to assume to a Personal Union with himself the lowest sort of intelligent Creatures and for the Lord of Glory to become a Subject and Servant I shall conclude this Point by giving you the Westminster Assemblies Judgment Less Catech. Q 27. Wherein did Christ's Humiliation consist A. Christ's Humiliation consisted in his being born and that in a low condition made under the Law c. You see that they thought Christ's being boâ—â— was a part of his Humiliation And not only the Miseries that followed his being born nor the Low Condition wherein he was born 〈◊〉 tech. Q. 46. The Estate of Christ's Humiliation was that low condition wherein he for our sakes emptying himself of his Glory took upon him the form of a Servant in his Conception and Birth Life Death and after his Death till his Resurrection Q. 47. Christ humbled himself in his Conception in that being from all Eternity the Son of God in the Bosom of the Father he was pleased in the fulness of Time to become the Son of Man made of a Woman of a low Estate and to be born of her with divers Circumstances of more than ordinary Abasement You see his very becoming the Son of Man and his Conception whereby he was Incarnate were Parts of Christ's Humiliation 3. Enq. Did Christ by his Death and Sufferings merit any thing and that for us A. Christ by his Death and Sufferings merited yea even saving Blessings for us I shall 1. Premise somewhat that may tend to clear this 2. I shall prove the Thing I affirm 1. Let this be premised Christ's Death and Sufferings may be conceived of first as Satisfactory and then Meritorious On the other hand Christ's active Obedience is to be conceived as first fit to be Meritorious and then Satisfactory The reason of the former is this Had not Christ's Death and Sufferings been for to make satisfaction God had not admitted them or delighted therein as the merit of any Benefits nay God would have looked at them with dislike in stead of accounting them a meet Price of Blessings The reason for the later is That had not Christ's Active Obedience been perfect and so fit to merit it could not satisfie or be a recompense for Man's Disobedience by vindicating the injured Glory of God's righteous Government Imperfect Obedience had tempted Creatures to offend instead of atoning God for the Offence 2. I shall prove that Christ's Death and Sufferings did merit greatly and that for us Short Hints will suffice to confirm a Position to plain 1. R. That for which Christ was rewarded both as to himself and as to us did truly merit and that for us But Christ was rewarded both as to himself and us for his Death and Sufferings That Christ was rewarded for his Death and Sufferings as to himself is past Question Phil. 2.9 Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name The Covenant of Redemption adjusteth this Christ claimeth this oft as of Right and the Father is oft said to perform it as of Justice That Christ was for his Death and Sufferings rewarded as to us is as evident All the saving Benefits we receive are part of Christ's Reward and dispensed as such Isa. 53.11 12. He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul untâ— death c. I shall presently instance the Saving Blessings which we receive for the Sufferings of Christ as the procuring Caâ—se thereof 2. That which is the Price of our Redemption did merit for us but Christ's Death and Sufferings were the Price of our Redemption c. 1 Cor. 6.20 For ye are bought with a price 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things but with the precious blood of Christ c. Acts 20.28 To feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood You cannot doubt but that by which we are redeemed and bought did merit the just God was a detainer of us as guilty Offenders until Christ by Death made reparation to his Glory 3. That which is part of the Righteousness of Christ for which we are justified did merit for us But Christ's Death and Sufferings are part at least of the Righteousness of Christ for which we are justified c. Rom. 5.9 We are