them to make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and makes use of all his Stratagems to make 'em turn Hereticks if not Apostates And that his Projects have been too successful will evidently appear if we consider the many Heresies which have been broacht in the Church concerning the Natures Person and Offices of our blessed Saviour Which I should be sorry to conjure up and therefore I hope my Reader will excuse me if I rather desire to have 'em buried in the darkest Shades of Oblivion CHAP. IV. Of the Vnion of the Divine and Humane Natures in the Person of Christ WE shall not be too curious in inquiring into the Manner of this Hypostatical Vnion Of the union of the two Natures For my design is rather to edifie the sober and conscientious then humour the captious or Sceptical Reader The perfect Knowledge of this Mystery is a Sacred Reserve for the contemplation of the holy Angels and Saints glorified and it would cease to be admirable if we could comprehend or express it But we Christians may conceive tho' not by the energy of Reason yet by the eye of Faith that the Messiah of the World is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Man-hood is taken into the God-head and by the singular virtue and operation of the Holy Ghost without the intervention of an Earthly Father the blessed Virgin became impregnated and did conceive And this was the most sutable way of accomplishing that so necessary Conjunction of the Divine and Humane Natures That he might be perfectly Sanctified as Man and that the Nature which he assum'd might be free from all stain and pollution Thus God and Man make one Person Yet So that the two Natures are preserv'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 entire without Confusion as the Councils and Fathers defin'd against Eutyches And the Person of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si quis non confitetur carni secundum Subsistentiam unitum Dei Patris Verbum Anathemisit Cyril in Ep. Alex. Concil Anath without Division against Nestorius But they were united 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly and perfectly without Confusion of Persons without Commixture of Natures and yet they were united 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a Personal and real Vnion Thus the eternal Son of God took our Nature upon Him which being united to his Divine Nature hath now the same Subsistence which he hath so that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word assuming and the Nature assumed make but one Person God and Man one Christ I would not confound my Reader with Metaphysical and School Notions concerning the Hypostatical Vnion 't is like God himself better understood by its Properties and Effects than in its own Nature 'T is sufficient that all our Creeds and all Antiquity do confess it and unanimously concur in this great Article of our Faith Namely that altho' Christ has two Natures the Word and the Flesh yet do these two make but one Person one Son of God one Saviour of Men. We pass from the Manner of this Vnion to consider in the next Place 1 The Necessity of it 2 The Benefits which we Christians do receive by it And 3 We shall make some Practical Improvement of the Point in hand by way of Application And 1st 'T is by vertue of the Vnion of these two Natures that our Lord Jesus Christ has reconcil'd us to God and works all things for us in the great Business of our Redemption We have consider'd already what a deplorable Estate and Condition mankind was in by the Disobedience and Fall of our first Parents And no expedient could've been more sutable to unite those two distant and otherwise irreconcilable Extremes an offended God to offending Man than the Interposition of a Person consisting of both Natures which were so much at variance For 1 By vertue of that Agreement between the Father and the Son The Necessity of this Union 't is impli'd that the Saviour of the World should be God since no other expedient could mediate a Peace nor make a plenary satisfaction to God's Justice for us Besides our Transgressions being committed against an infinite God and attended with the most heinous aggravations of wickedness and villany the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or price paid for our Atonement must be sutably great otherwise God's Justice would be still unsatisfied But the Bloud of the whole Creation could not redeem one Soul from Death Wherefore he must be God that should undergo this Wrath and God that he might overcome and not sink under the Punishment More particularly if we consider the Price which was to be paid for the Purchase of our Redemption the many and great Obstacles which were to be remov'd the potent and numberless Enemies which were to be conquer'd and subdu'd as Sathan Death Hell c. the Justice of God as before which must be fully satisfied for Man's Delinquency and Disobedience the intolerable Burden of our Sins and the shatter'd Condition of our Nature which was to be rectified and restor'd to its primitive Innocence and Integrity If I say we consider all these Particulars impartially We must necessarily infer that 't was not meer Man that could atchieve our Reconciliation but 't is the immense Merit of the eternal Son of God that must conciliate the difference and reconcile sinful Man to an offended Justice Secondly Why Christ must be Man The Saviour of the World must be Man also to constitute him a Redeemer of Men. And this was absoutely necessary upon several Accounts 1 Because he must be subject to the Law and perform all the Conditions which the Law requir'd at our Hands in making up all our Defects by his Active and satisfying for all our Obliquities by his Passive and unsinning Obedience That as Man had deeply offended so he should highly please God and procure his Grace and Favour The Apostle is very express to this purpose As by the Disobedience saith he of one Man Rom. 5.19 many were made Sinners So by the Obedience of one many shall be made Righteous that is they shall be absolv'd from Guilt rescu'd from Punishment and be restor'd by degrees to the full enjoyment of their lost Innocence and happiness But the Deity being impassible and Christ our Surety having Covenanted to do this sor us 't was necessary therefore that he should assume Our Nature Heb. 2.9 10. that he might be made perfect thro' sufferings and tast Death for every Man 2 'T was requisite that the same Nature should conquer the Devil that was overcome by him and propitiate for our Pardon which had caus'd the Enmity between God and us Otherwise the Promise That the seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's head had been covenanted to no purpose Gen. 3.15 It was the Nature of Man in the first Adam that made the Breach and 't is the same Nature in the second Adam that must satisfie God's Justice and make our Atonement This was
Ioan. Tract â— is the same for substance with that of the Ancient Jews under the Old Dispensation The Patriarchs and Prophets had the same Faith Religion and Worship common with us Christians Nor did they expect then or do they inherit eternal Happiness now upon any other Terms then by a sincere and stedfast Belief of the purchas'd Redemption by their promis'd Messiah 8 And lastly By many other Arguments summ'd up in this Paragraph To these Topics many others might be added if it were necessary to testifie the Divinity and Excellency of our Saviours Doctrine As the Purity of his Life the Sublimity of his Religion the Perfection of its Laws the Force of its Arguments the Testimony of his holy Spirit in Mens Consciences the Operation of his Grace the Fruits and Comforts of the Christian Devotion c. And in a word the whole Contexture and Design of it can be no other then to glorifie God and to make us Holy and Vertuous here that we may be eternally Glorious hereafter Seing then we have the most convincing Attestations that can be given to confirm us in the Belief of the Christian Religion in General and since there 's nothing in the whole Constitution as will more fully appear in the Sequel of this Discourse but what 's most worthy of God and consentaneous to the rectified Reason and Interest of Mankind We must hence necessarily infer that it derives it's Original from Heaven and can be no less than the Contrivance and Product of an infinite and eternal Wisdom and Goodness Thus much concerning the Truth and Excellency of the Christian Religion in General PAss we on now to Particulars Wherein I shall endeavour to give you the clearest Account I can of God's infinite and Inconceivable Love to Mankind and what admirable Means and Methods the Divine Wisdom Col. 1.20 and Goodness was pleas'd to make use of to reconcile the World unto himself And in treating of this great Mistery of Man's Redemption We shall consider 1st The Partition of the Booâ—â— The several Names and Appellations which are promiscuously ascrib'd to our blessed Saviour in Holy Scripture the explication whereof will give great Light to and make the Doctrine of the Gospel much more intelligible 2dly We shall Discourse distinctly of his Divine and Humane Natures and their Hypostatical Vnion in the Person of Christ And proceed to assign some special Reasons why the Mediator of the New Covenant must be God Why he must be Man and why God and Man in the same Person to constitute him a fit Mediator between both 3dly We shall enquire Particularly into the Nature of Christ's Offices and the Manner of their Administration All which will clearly illustrate the great End and Design of our Blessed Saviour's Incarnation and what great things he has done and suffer'd for us that we should live comfortably here and be happy for ever To Treat of all which we now proceed distinctly and in Order CHAP. I. Of the Names and Titles ascrib'd to our Blessed Saviour in Holy Scripture OF those sundry Names and Appellations ascrib'd to the Eternal Son of God and Saviour of the World in Holy Scripture some have respect to his Person others to his Offices And are variously distinguisht into Proper and Figurative Denominations agreeable thereto As to his Divine Nature in the greatest propriety of Speech He is call'd God â—â—iles relating to Christ's God-head Isa 9.6 The true God 1 John 5.20 The great God Micah 5.4 5. The Son of God Mark 15.39 and Luke 8.28 And the only begotten Son of God John 3.16 And in the same respect he is said to be tho' Figuratively the Word of God John 1.1 2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Image of the invisible God Col. 1.15 or the Character of his Person As to his Humane Nature To his Manhood he is properly term'd the Son of Man Luke 9.56 A Man of Sorrows Isa 53.3 The Son of Abraham the Son of David c. Luke 3.23 24 c. And upon the some account tho' Figuratively he is said to be the Seed of the Woman Acts 13.23 The Seed of Abraham the seed of Isaac the Seed of Jacob c. Gen. 17.19 Mat. 1. the righteous Branch and he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 25.5 6. As to his two Natures Hypostatically united in the same Person of the Son of God And to both as united in the same Person of Christ he is call'd Emmanuel Mat. 1.23 The Lord of all things Col. 1.16 17 18 19. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 Again in Relation to his Offices in general Titles relating to his Offices in general he is called Jesus Mat 1.21 which is an Hebrew word and alwayes written in the Syriack Translation of the New Testament signifying to Save and therefore 's a Name most agreeable to his Mediatorship He is also called Christ John 6.69 Which is a Greek word signifying to Anoint From which two Names it may be reasonably conjectur'd that he is the anointed Saviour of the whole Race of Mankind of the Hebrews and Greeks both of the Jew and Gentile To which may be added the Titles of the Messiah the Saviour Acts 5.31 Salvation it self in the Abstract Luke 1.69 and Luke 19.9 The Mediator of the New Covenant Heb. 12.24 The Redeemer of the World Tit. 2.14 The hope and expectation of the Gentiles Mat. 12.21 The Desire and Delight of all Nations Isa 2.2 And properly speaking he is all and every one of these And in the same respect tho in a Figurative Sense He 's intituled the Bridegroom Mat. 9.15 The Head over all things to his Church Eph. 1.22 23. The Foundation of a Building 1 Cor. 10.4 A Lion Rev. 5.5 Bread from Heaven John 6.48.50 The Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 Light it self Joh. 1.4 8 9. The Morning Star Num. 24.17 A Vine John 15.1 The Tree of Life Rev. 22.2 But more Particularly And to his several Offices in particular and with special reference to his Offices As 1st To his Priestly Office To his Priestly Office He is call'd our High Priest Heb. 3.1 The Priest Heb. 7.3 11. Oblation or Sacrifice Heb. 9.26 The Lamb of God Job 1.29 36. The Paschal Lamb Exod. 13.13 Comp. Rev. 13.8 The Passover it self 1 Cor. 5.7 2dly As to his Prophetical Office To his Prophetical Offices he is said to be our Pastor and great Shepherd John 10.14 16. Rabbi Mâ—ster Mark 10.17 John 1.28 Apostle Heb. 3.1 Minâ—ster of the Circumcision Rom. 15.8 c. 3dly As to his Kingly Office To his Kingly Office he bears the Titles of King Luke 23.2 3. Prince Acts 5.31 King of Peace Heb. 7.2 Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 The Ruler of all things Micah 5 2. Phil. 2.10 11. and Judge of all men Acts 10.42 Titles deriv'd from his Types And sometimes his Titles are deriv'd from the Types as the
the Nature which was tempted by Satan and this is the same Nature which shall for ever triumph over him 3 This New Covenant of Peace and Reconciliation by Christ must be seal'd in Bloud Heb. 9.22 For without shedding of Bloud there 's no Remission to be expected Now 't is not the Bloud of Bulls Heb. 10.4 nor of Goats that could atone for our Sins and the Deity being impassible as before therefore Christ by his own Bloud entred once into the Holy Place Heb. 9.12 having by his Obedience and Sufferings if we faithfully apply 'em purchas'd our Peace and ratified and Seal'd our Pardon 4 He must be Man also that being toucht with our Infirmities He might be sensible of our Wants tender of our Welfare merciful and compassionate in bearing with our Weaknesses solicitous for the Pardon of our Sins and the comforts of God's Grace to support us under the burdensome Asslictions which spring and flow from 'em and finally that he might bear with all the Imperfections of our Nature and repair the Breaches of our declining Faith For as he must be unskilful in instructing others to bear Afflictions patiently who has not been passive himself So 't is as difficult for any to apply seasonable and successful Remedies to the Afflicted who is a stranger to their Sufferings Wherefore saith the Apostle That the High Priest of our Profession might be more apprehensive and sensible of our Infirmities he became like unto his Brethren in all things that he might be a merciful High Priest in things pertaining to God Heb. 2.17.18 and intercede effectually and make Atonement for the sins of the People For in that he suffer'd being tempted he knows how and is willing to succour those that are tempted Having then such a compassionate Advocate and Intercessor with the Father we may be encourag'd to come with bolduess to the Throne of Grace where we shall meet with a comfortable return to our Prayers and the favourable Acceptance of our Persons in time of need Thus we have seen that the Saviour of the World must be God and that he must be Man to constitute him a Redeemer of Men But neither of these two Natures distinct from the other were proper Instruments to make up the Breach Therefore Thirdly Why Christ must be God and man in the same Person There must be a Conjunction of the God-head and Manhood by an Hypostatical and real Vnion in the Person of Christ To evince and illustrate this Point 6. If God in his Justice had rooted out Mankind from the Earth his Mercy could not have been manifested in pardoning Trespasses and Offences If he had created a new Generation pure and spotless without sin which by Sufferings were to satisfie for the Offences of the former it would 've been severity in God to have punish'd the Innocent for the wicked If God had appointed an Angel to have taken upon him the Nature of sinful Man the Justice of God could by no means have been satisfied with the finite Obedience of a Creature If God had pardon'd Man's Apostacy without satisfaction Justice had still been violated and the Decree broken which was issued out against him Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Almighty God therefore out of his inconceivable Love to Mankind whom he had so wonderfully created and withal so jealous of his own Honor that he would neither violate the great Attribute of his Justice nor yet obscure the Glory of his Mercy was pleas'd to appoint his only begotten Son the express Image and Character of his Father's Person to take our Nature upon him Gal. 4.4 5. and be made of a Woman under the Law to redeem us from the curse of it and that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Thus Christ the Saviour of the World is God and Man in the same Person and this Vnion was necessary that he might be a fit Mediator between both to compose the difference and solicite a Peace between God and our Souls and by the merit of his obedience and sufferings make our Access to the Throne of God's Heavenly Grace more tolerable and easie Christ is God to speak to the Father for us and he became Man that he might declare God's Will to us in a more familiar less amazing and more obliging Way then otherwise it could have been Hereby shewing us an Example by his own wonderful condescention how we should submit to the meanest condition and entertain the worst Events with a Patience and Courage sutable to the submissive yet Magnanimous Spirit of Christianity Thus much of the Vnion of the Divine and Humane Nature in the Person of Christ Which the Heavens do admire all the Inhabitants of the Earth may be astonished at and the Devils in Hell are afraid to think of We pass forward 2dly To discourse of those admirable Benefits and Priviledges which result from this blessed Vnion of the Divine and Humane Natures in the Person of Christ to the unspeakable Comfort and Happiness of all true Believers And 1 Our Nature is wonderfully Enobl'd exalted since it became a Temple for the Divinity of Christ to dwell in No Creature but Man did ever arrive at that pitch of Honour to be personally united to and be adorn'd with the God-head And that our Nature is thus dignified I have clearly evicted from the Premisses To which may be added ex abundanti these two remarkable Passages from Antiquity The one is of Saint Austin in these Words Whosoever saith he shall despise Aug. de Verb. Dom 2 Joan. Serm. 38. Luke 1.71.72 Neque tamea creaturam adoramus absit sed Dominum rerum Creatam incarnatum verbum Deum adoramus Athan. Or 5. contra Arianos or refuse to worship Christ with Divine Worship shall undoubtedly suffer the Pains of Eternal Death The other is of St. Athanasius who writing against the Arrians vindicated the orthodox Christians from the imputation of Idolatry which these Hereticks endeavour'd to brand 'em with God forbid saith he that we should worship the Creature but we do worship the Lord of all the Creatures God the Word Incarnate c. But concerning the Communication of Properties and whereas God is said to 've purchas'd our Redemption that he redeem'd the Church with his own Bloud and that the blessed Virgin is term'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God c. These are all inconceivable Mysteries yet do fully import the Exaltation of our Humane Nature But tho' we should not too curiously pry into them yet are oblig'd hereby to admire and adore God's infinite Goodness and Mercy who has thus advanced our Nature from the very dregs of Corruption to a State of absolute Perfection and eternal Bliss 2 And as our humane Nature is thus wonderfully dignified by its Vnion to the God-head Gal. 3.22 Luk. 4.18 So we who were Enemies to God by wicked Works are again restor'd
never thirst if we be naked he will cloath us with the Robes of his Virtue and the Garments of his Righteousness Psal 45.8 Gen 27.27 which smell of Myrh Alloes and Cassia and are like the smell of a pleasant Field which the Lord hath blessed if we be simple or ignorant he 's our Wisdom to instruct us if we be sinful he 's our Righteousness to save us if we desire to be holy he is our Sanctification to bless us Acts 3.26 in turning us away from our Iniquities Tit. 2.14 and purifying to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works if the Devil tempt and allure us to sin he is the Captain of our Salvation who has not only in a great measure countermanded Satan's Commission but dissolv'd his Authority 1 Joh. 3.8 Now as all sincere Believers are thus abundantly supply'd with all things needful and convenient an hundred fold in this Life and in the World to come Life everlasting Luk. 18 3â— So on the Contrary All the pompous Delights of this visible World tho' they be seemingly never so specious or profitable unless they be sanctified to us by the Grace of Christ's holy Spirit instead of being a Comfort and Blessing they will become our Plague and Punishment In like manner all our Wisdom Righteousness Learning c. which are not deriv'd from this Fountain and purified by the Bloud of Christ are but as a menstruous Cloth or filthy Rags and neither pleasing to God nor beneficial to our Selves as might be instanc'd if 't were needful in many Particulars Those outward Accomplishments may indeed make us appear Great but can never make us Good They may puff us up with Pride and Self-conceit but they seldom or never make men more holy and vertuous John 15.5 Without Christ we can do nothing but by the Assistance of his Grace and Spirit we are enabl'd to do all things 2 Cor. 9.8 Our Sufficiency is of him and we must ascribe all our holy Performances not to any Endeavours of our own but to the Riches of God's Grace in Christ And whatever we do that is Holy or Vertuous 't is no more We but Christ who by the Power and Presence of his Holy Spirit dwelleth and worketh in Us. In a Word We hold all that we have in Capite from him and 't is the best Tenure too We are his by Purchase he has paid a dear Price for us and therefore how dear and precious should he be to us We are Oblig'd to forsake all and follow him Matth. 19.27 1 Cor. 6.19 20. This is the most effectual Plea against Satan's Stratagems that we are not our own for we are bought with a Price and therefore intirely at his not our own Disposal This is that seasonable Expedient which will vanquish this and all other Enemies even our Faith in Jesus Christ God and Man in the same Person 6 And Lastly This Point of Doctrine duly consider'd will remind us of the State and Condition of other Men as well as our Selves Has God set such an inestimable Value upon Mens Souls as to purchase 'em at so dear a Price Could nothing less then the Bloud of the eternal Son of God pay a sufficient Ransom for the Redemption of them How should we then respect honour and indulge Christ's Humane Nature in the poorest and meanest of his Servants And since Good has been pleas'd to think us worthy of so much Care and Indulgence we 've Reason to use all possible Endeavours to keep these precious Jewels pure and unspotted both in our selves and others Have we contracted such an honourable Alliance with and do we stand so nearly related to the holy Trinity and our fellow Christians by the Vnion of our Nature to the Person of Christ How then should our Thoughts Desires Dispositions Words and Actions be conformable to the Nature Laws and Dignitie of such Relations How should we be afraid to submit to any thing that 's base or ignoble lest we reflect Dishonour upon God and that Nature of ours which he has so much dignified by his Incarnation Let us therefore indeavour as we are oblig'd both in Duty and Interest in every Iustance and Circumstance of our Lives to be and to do good to avoid all things evil in themselves and of evil Report That we may thereby glorifie God in our Bodies and in our Spirits which are his This would prove the most certain Expedient to bring this excellent Religion of the Holy and Eternal Jesus into Repute and Credit with those that differ from us and by our hearty Compliances with all its reasonable Constitutions we cannot fail both of the present and future Rewards which spring and flow from it Thus I have treated distinctly on the first Branch of this great Mystery of Man's Redemption and herein Particularly of the Names and Natures of Christ and that wonderful Vnion of 'em both in the same Person I have alleg'd several important Reasons why the Saviour of the World should be God why he should be Man and why God and Man in the same Person of Christ I have consider'd those special Advantages and Priviledges resulting from this heavenly Doctrine with the peculiar Influences which it should have upon the Lives and Practices of all Christians God Almighty give us all Grace so to believe these Truths faithfully and practice them conscientiously That the whole frame and contexture of our Lives may be truly conformable to the Kingdom and Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. IV. Of the Offices of Christ in general BY discoursing of the Offices of Christ and the Manner of their Administration we may understand more particularly the great End and Design of our Saviour's coming into the World And the many great things which he has done and suffer'd for the Redemption and Happiness of lost Mankind The Name of Christ as we noted before is a Title which imports Office and Dignity The Name Christ imports his Offices 'T is a Greek word in the Original and answereth to the Hebrew Messiah both which signifie our Anointed Saviour Historians tell us that 't was an ancient Custom in the Easten part of the World to Anoint their Public Officers Kings and Prophets especially with material Oyl denoting and symbolizing thereby the liberal and plentiful Effusion of extraordinary Endowments such as might qualifie them for and presignifie the hopeful and happy success of their Administrations But our Christ the eternal Son of God coming into the World to manage that great and important Office of Mediatour between God and Man must be sanctified Christ's unction differ'd from all others and set a part in a more peculiar manner than any of the Ancients were For they were only anointed with material Oyl but he was Sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost they were set apart by Men but he was confirm'd by the Father in this Office they were invested with Authority and Ability
we wilfully despise or dishonour that high and holy Name whereby we are call'd God's Honour in Christ our anointed Saviour is a Prerogative He 's exceeding jealous of and therefore whosoever shall arrogate that Glory to themselves or substract that Obedience which is due to the Eternal Son of God shall certainly feel the Power of his God-head We 've a great many sad Instances upon Record of God's Justice and Vengeance on purpose to deter us from the like Offences How conspicuous are the tragical Memoirs of the fallen Angels of Herod Pontius Pilate Judas and many others who would have set themselves in God's stead What shall I tell you of the whole Jewish Nation that derided betray'd condemn'd and Crucified the Lord of Life Not one of all these could flie from Justice but suffer'd the severest Punishments in proportion to their Crimes for their wretched Prophaneness Cruelty and Irreligion What might I add of the later Hereticks as Arrius Nestorius Eutyches Servetus c. whose Lives and Deaths are and shall be for ever infamous to all Posterity Seing therefore that God will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and that he will by no means endure that his Glory should be given to another And seing we have such a Cloud of Witnesses before us who have suffered by the Contempt and Neglect of his Worship it stands us in hand to be very prudent and circumspect in our Demeanor and Deportment towards him lest we wilfully blaspheme his Name derogate from his Glory abuse and trample upon his Word and Sacraments despise his Servants neglect our Duties transgress his just and reasonable Commands or continue in any one unlawful Act of Sin or Disobedience unrepented of unreform'd 'T is our Saviour's own Rule and confirm'd by every day's Experience Ioh. 2. Ep. â— He that loveth God will keep his Commandments And what heinous Ingratitude as well as Disobedience must we Christians be guilty of if we make not our Lives the Transcript of his Divine and Excellent Doctrine and with the highest Expressions of Love Joy and Thankfulness recognize his inconceivable Goodness and Mercy to the Children of Men. But if on the contrary we should render him evil for good and hatred for good-will this Abuse and Contempt of his Grace and Clemency shall not be able to escape the just Resentments of his Wrath and Vengeance And judge what a miserable Condition those poor Wretches will be in who not only trample under foot the Son of God but have so disregarded the Sanctions of his Laws and the Charitable Tenders of his Grace and Goodness that Salvation it self cannot save them Thus much concerning our Saviour's God-head I have been the longer about it because the Devil has been more sedulous in his Endeavours to corrupt and undermine this than any other Article of our Christian Faith Which every Man will readily grant that has the least Acquaintance with Ecclesiastical History and Decrees of Councils Wherefore no Person of any Candor or Christianity can think my Time or Pains mis-imploy'd and mis-spent in explaining and confirming this Article of our Faith wherein the Excellency and Dignitie of the Person of the Son of God and our own present and eternal Welfares are so Emimently concern'd CHAP. III. Of our Saviour's Manhood THis is another Fundamental Article of our holy and excellent Religion The Humane Nature of Christ constder'd that the Eternal Son of God became true and real Man for our sakes That he assum'd the Humane Nature into the reality of his Person tho' in a manner most incomprehensible And yet he was fully invested with it and precisely at the time appointed of the Father and predicted by the Prophets was really conceiv'd in the Womb and born of the Virgin Mary He was made that he might be a perfect Man not begotten of the Seed and Substance of the Woman as all other Men are differing from Vs only in the Miraculous Conception by the Power of the Holy Ghost And 't was necessary that it should be so that he might be free from all sin Himself especially since He came to suffer for Ours For indeed all other Men being conceiv'd by natural Generation must needs be tainted with the Guilt and Stain of Adam's first Sin which has been thus transmitted to and propagated by his miserable Posterity But tho' Christ the Eternal Son of God was conceiv'd by the Holy Ghost yet he was made of the Flesh of the Virgin Gen. 3.15 Gen. 22.18 Mat. 1.1 otherwise he could not have been what he really was The seed of the Woman the seed of Abraham the seed of David Besides this was absolutely necessary to qualifie him for nor could he've been otherwise capable of that Mediatorship whereby he was to procure and establish a Peace between God and Man Thus he took our Nature and therefore no Starry Substance as the Marcionites cerdonians and Manichaean Hereticks vainly dream'd nor yet a Spiritual or Elementary Body as Valentinus and others conjectur'd And tho' those several Heresies were censur'd and exploded by the Decrees of Councils in the four first Centuries yet there 's still a Spawn of those Errours amongst us And therefore for the Conviction of those that have espous'd them and to confirm others in the stedfast Belief of this important and saving Truth I shall make it fully evident That our Lord Jesus Christ did not only assume our Flesh but our whole Nature That is 1st Arguments for it A true Humane Body and a rational Humane Soul 2dly He suscepted in that real Body and reasonable Soul all the Properties and Infirmities of both First he took our whole Nature Christ assum'd a real humane body viz. I A real Humane body figur'd and circumscrib'd as ours which had all the Parts and Members of a true Body compounded of Flesh and Blood was visible and tangible did eat drink sleep encrease in strength and stature sensible of pain and want and was at last subject to a conspicuous Death for the conviction of the obstinate and unbelieving World The Holy Scripture has confirm'd and fortified this Truth with variety of Arguments for Christ is said to be of the Seed of Abraham the Seed of Isaac Rom. 1.3 Rom. 9.5 the Seed of Jacob and particularly of the Seed of David For Christ saith the Apostle expresly descended from David and the Fathers according to the Flesh And again when the sulness of time was come Gal. 4.4 God sent forth his Son made of a woman c. and in the likeness of sinful flesh Rom. 8.3 Eph 4.16 that he might condemn Sin in the flesh by which means he became the Head of his Body the Church For asmuch then as we are partakers of Flesh and Bloud He also likewise himself took part of the same Heb. 2.9 that he might tast Death which he could not otherwise have done for every Man and therefore he took not on him the Nature of
Angels but the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 17. Thus it behov'd him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God that he might make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People And upon St. Thomas the Apostle's Doubting of the reality of his Humane Nature our blessed Saviour to convince him of his Errour and to confirm the rest of the Apostles and in them all succeeding Christians in the belief of this necessary Point of Faith Luk. 24.39 He said unto them handle me and see for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have Now what can be more evident since the Scripture is every where full to this purpose then this that the Son of God assum'd the true Nature of Man and the very substance of his Mother and that he was not only made in her but born of her To which the Testimony of all Antiquity might be added to confirm us in the Belief of it But Theodoret and Gelasins present us with a Collection of excellent Arguments out of the Councils and Fathers to this purpose whither I refer the judicious Reader if he require further satisfaction in this Point Secondly The Humane and real Body of Christ was inform'd And a rational Humane Soul actuated and enliven'd with a perfect rational and immortal Soul And as He had all the Members Organs Dimensions and Properties of the one So He assum'd all the Powers Faculties and Functions of the other as Understanding Will Memory Affections Passions c. Which I could easily make out Heb. 1.17 if 't were necessary by an Induction of Particulars For he was made like us in all things Sin only excepted and therefore could not be deficient in the most minute and much less in the primary and most constituent Part of his Manhood and besides he that was to be Mediator between God and us must needs be a perfect Man Of which hereafter Again Mat. 26.38 He complain'd a little before his Passion saying My soul is very sorrowful and heavy even unto Death And in his last Agony he said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit This Truth is every where so evident in the History of our Saviour's Incarnation that I need not multiply Instances to prove it But yet for all this tho Christ was really invested with all the Members and Faculties and all the Essentials of the Soul and Body of a Perfect Man Yet 2dly In this true and real Body in this reasonable and immortal Soul he assum'd took upon him all the Properties and Infirmities of both Sin only excepted He assum'd all the sinless insirmities of both His Birth manner of Life Death Burial Resurrection and Ascention are full and perfect Demonstrations of the reality of his Manhood But with reference to our Infirmities he was subject to Cold and Heat Hunger and Thirst Sweating and Bleeding Weariness and Weakness Pain and Sorrow Heaviness and Fear Passion and sinless Anger yea Torment and Death it self All which Arguments are so cogent and convictive that neither the Hereticks of Old nor the Socinians and Libertines of our Age ever were nor ever shall be able to elnde the Power and Energy of them Let us now endeavour to make some practical Improvement of the Point under Consideration And 1 In the Incarnation of our Lord Application of this Point by considering its Influence on Practice we have an admirable Instance of God's tenderest Love and Compassion to poor sinful Man For what kindness could parallel this that the Father should send and the Son condescend to come from his Bosom and Bliss upon that great Ambassie of making our Peace even then when by our sin and Disobedience we had violated his just Laws broken the Covenant between God and us and put our selves into a state of Hostility and Rebellion against him But besides all this 't is an evident matter of Fact as will fully appear afterwards that Christ the Son of God and Heir of eternal Majesty did not only descend from those Regions of Bliss and assum'd our whole Nature with all its Properties and Infirmities But he also underwent the Burden and Smart of all our sins and sorrows and having finished his innocent Life he submitted to all the Tortures and Indignities of a painful and ignominious Death for our sakes And these were all such Tokens and Evidences of Love and Bounty as both the Hierarchy of Angels and the whole Race of Mankind stood amaz'd at And that the Son of God should lay down his dearest Life for his most daring and bitter Enemies even for the Salvation of those who were the immediate Instruments in his Condemnation and Crucifixion is such a Mystery as no Humane Reason is able to comprehend O the ineffable and infinite Love and Mercy of God in Christ How should this consideration affect our Souls with Love Joy and Wonder Has he given us his Son whilst we were Enemies unto him Rom. 5.10 How much more will he bless us with the Abundance of Grace and Glory if we live as the redeemed of the Lord being thus reconcil'd Indeed this Love was beyond all possibility of Parallel and if we seriously consider our Interests and Obligations we can do no less than devote our Souls and Bodies entirely to his Service thro' the whole course of our Lives We should hate all things in respect of him that is Matth. 10.37 so far as they stand in Opposition to him or pretend an equal share of Affection with him Let us then follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes in doing and suffering for him and his And if any that bears the Name of Christian should be so ungrateful as not to love the Lord Jesus Christ with the greatest intenseness of Gratitude and Affection 1 Cor. 16.22 Let him be Anathema Maranatha 2 We can no less admire and should be as careful to imitate his singular and unparallel'd Humility who came down from the highest Pinacle of heavenly Grandeur and vertical point of Soveraignty to become incarnate in the obscure Womb of a poor Virgin And therefore well might the Evangelist prefix an Ecce to the Mystery behold a Virgin shall conceive This was a Miracle indeed Faith must assist Reason in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.15 'T is a faithful Saying that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners Quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi Charior Bern. Ser. 1. de Epioh Now that the Ancient of Days should abase himself to become a little Child and the Word and Wisdom of the Father not be able to utter a word was such a wonderful Instance of Humility as can never be sufficiently admir'd How then should we Christians study and endeavour to be like Him As in all other Instances of Piety and Vertue so particularly in this and I 'me sure there can be no Inducement either Internal
us for the Diversion and Reparation of our weary Thoughts as well as the Support and Comfort of our Bodies Religion is no Enemy to moderate Pleasures nor does it infringe the Priviledges of humane Nature in the Use of innocent Divertisementt But then we are oblig'd to observe such Measures in our Recreations as not to make our Sports our Business We should use them as we do Sawces to our Meat to set an edge upon our Faculties and revive our Spirits that we may be the more vigorous and active in all the Works and Duties both of our Callings and Religion Again Covetousness should be no Ingredient in our Pastimes And we must also see to 'em that they be not evil in themselves or if lawful that they become not otherwise by the undue Circumstances of Time and Place as on the Lord's Day on Days of Humiliation c. All Violence Passion Anger Fury Quarreling Cursing and Swearing must be utterly abandon'd in all our Sports and Divertisements For these Irregularities instead of refreshing will discompose us and become vexatious both to our selves and others Lastly our Recreations should be short so that they encroach not on our necessary Business or Religion in a fruitless Expence of that Time which might be imploy'd to better Purposes For indeed no prudent Man has so much Time lying upon his hands but he knows better how to imploy it then to spend it vainly about Trifles Thus all our Merriments should be bounded with the necessary Rules of Reason and Sobriety and if we keep our selves within these Bounds Religion does not only connive at our Mirth but commends and approves of it 2dly Chastity or Abstinence from bodily Pleasut csâ— This Virtue of Sobriety as it relates to the Body consists in the Moderation of the Lusts and Appetites of the Flesh which properly speaking is Chastity or Abstinence from bodily Pleasures The Laws of Nature and Christianity do expresly forbid all sorts of Vncleanness as Adultery Fornication Self-pollution and all the other kinds and degrees of Effeminacy and do put an absolute Restraint upon all the concurrent Motions Affections Desires lustful Appetites both of the Soul and Body For if any of these be indulg'd and complied with they will set on fire the whole Course of Nature and sud dainly plunge the whole Man into unavoidable and irreparable Mischiefs We should therefore rather flie from this Sin then dispute against it And to this End 't will be necessary to consider 1 That all sorts of Venery and Vnclenness The Dangers attending this Sin Hos 4.11 do not only suppress and stifle all the divine and spiritual Operations of the Soul but do effectually draw them away from God and his Worship This was notoriously remarkable in the Case of Solomon 1 Kings 11 12. who tho' otherwise a Prince of unparallel'd Wisdom and Prudence yet he tells us from his own miserable Experience that when inconsiderate Men have plung'd themselves into the Pit of Filthiness 't is very difficult for them to retreat For they are led saith he by the contrivances of their wanton Prostitutes as an Ox to the slaughter Prov. 7.22 23. or as a Thief to the Correction of the Stocks 'till a Dart strike through their Livers or as a Bird hasteth to the Snare and knoweth not that it is for his Life Pro. 23.27 And a Whore is a deep Ditch and a strange Woman is a narrow Pit All which imply the unavoidable dangers and Mischiefs which lustful Persons run upon who give way to and indulge their sensual and bruitish Appetites and Passions 2 The Sins of Vncleanness are usually attended with Poverty and an infirm Constitution Prov. 6.6 This has been too remarkable in the decay'd Bodies and shatter'd Estates of too many sad and miserable Instances especially of late years in this sinful Nation to the great scandal of our pure and undefiled Religion and has been no small Disparagement to the excellent Constitutions of our Government both in Church and State But tho' perhaps a vicious Libertine may which is very rare escape these temporal Punishments yet the just Vengeance of God will certainly overtake him in another World For 't is express from Scripture that God will judge Whoremongers and Adulterers and whosoever shall live and die under the Power and Prevalence of these sins unrepented of unsubdued shall never enter into the Kingdom of God 3 These Deeds of darkness cannot be hid from God's all-seeing Eye For whither can we go from his Spirit or whither shall we flie from his Presence Psa 139.7 He beheld David's Adultery as before tho' committed with the greatest Secrecy 1 Sam. 12.12 and our blessed Saviour knew the practice of the adulterous Woman of Samaria Joh. 4.18 It must needs then be a great Falacy and Cheat which Whoremongers and Adulterers put upon themselves whilst they endeavour to conceal those Works of Darkness from the Eye of the World For the infinitely wise God registers all these Offences in the black Book of his eternal Memoirs and will bring them all to a sad Account at the Day of Judgement unless they be sincerely repented of to the unspeakable Shame and Horrour of those that commit them Give no way then to your Lusts and hold no Parley with your sensual Appetites for if you do you are in great danger of being overcome Solomon tho' the wisest of Men did prostitute his Wit Learning Honour Experience and all to gratifie a lustful and wanton Appetite It stands us in hand therefore to be always upon our Guard and the best way to be so is to be watchful over our Thoughts to make a Covenant with our Eyes and to keep our Hearts with all diligence Matth. 23.26 Prov. 14.23 from whence all these Abominations flow and derive their Original For if we keep the Fountain incorrupt the Streams will be so too and if the Fear of God and the serious Apprehension of Death and Judgement dwell in our Hearts like a strong Porter they will keep the Door against and dislodge all vain and sensual Desires This was Joseph's Security against all the lustful Dalliances of his wanton and importunate Mistris And this will effectually guard all the Ports and Avenues of the Soul against the incursion of carnal Temptations so that if they should creep in by surprize or unawares such Apprehensions as these will not suffer 'em to fix there but either cast them out or kill ' em Again set a strict watch over all your Senses lest they be charm'd and allur'd by the delicate and soft Embraces of forbidden Objects Have no Communieation with lustful Persons of either Sex Alexander the great would not see the Wife of Darius lest by the Charms of her admirable Beauty he might be tempted and overcome And certainly he that dares not look on a beautiful Woman to please his eye cannot come within the danger of Wantonness and Folly And
heartily zealous for and extremely tender of our Welfare with the Censer of his own Merits in his Hand to stop the Plague and apply sovereign and saving Remedies to our wounded and languishing Spirits He prays most affectionatly and incessantly for the Pardon of our Sins for the pity and care of our Infirmities Rom. 8.33 34. 1 Joh. 2.1 Heb. 4.14 15 16. for the relief of all our Necessities for the defence of our Persons for victory over Temptations for the Sanctification of our whole Nature for our nearer Union with him and the Father Joh. 14.16 Joh. 17.1 2 9 15 17 20 24. even in this World and for our future Glorification with him in Heaven and that eternally And this is our great Comfort and Happiness that if we be good Christians his Prayers will be successful for us and he will be no less concern'd for his Votaries now then formerly for the Shepherd of Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep Ps 121.4 but is the same merciful Intercessor for his Servants yesterday this day and for ever And as he prays effectually for us So 2 He is graciously pleas'd to offer up all our Prayers and holy Performances to God the Father for us And presents our Prayers to him Tota congregatio Societasque sanctorum offertur Deo per sacerdotem magnum Aug. de Civit. Dei Lib. 10. and Intercedes powerfully for their Reward and Acceptance All our spiritual Sacrifices as Confessions Petitions Thanksgivings Intercessions voluntary Restraints Self-resignations all our seasonable Words and Actions our pious Thoughts and Inclinations our virtuous and gracious Dispositions our Passions and Sufferings are continually offer'd up with all Earnestness and Importunity for their Acceptance by our compassionate faithful High-priest at the Throne of God's heavenly Grace And to encourage us herein tho' we sometimes fail in our Duties to God or Man and are drawn into Sin unawares by Infirmity or Surprize yet he pities and prays for our Pardon 1 Joh. 2.1 2. and if we be humble and penitent his redundant Merits will atone for the Pardon of our manifold Defects And indeed if we consider the many Slips and Infirmities we are daily guilty of and the great Neglects even in our best Performances we 've need of such a High-priest to intercede continually to the Father for us But here we must remarque That Christ prayeth not for the World not for those who are wilfully disobedient impenitent Joh. 17.9 Rev. 6.10 1 Ioh. 5.6 or who live in an habitual Course of Sin and Wickedness But does rather deprecate the Father against those wretched Enemies of his Church and Religion And as this may be a Terrour to the wicked and dissolute so it may be the greatest Incouragement imaginable to the conscientious and upright Christian It must therefore nearly concern us to be very prudent and circumspect in all our Duties both to God and Man lest by our Disobedience and Unbelief we lose our Propriety and Interest in those merciful Intercessions and omnipotent Prayers whereby if we be faithful obedient 't is impossible we should miscarry 3 By his meritorious Intercession if we comply with the recited Conditions he procures us a free Access by the Spirit unto the Father that we may present our Petitions our Selves for all things we stand in need of if we ask them in his Name For 't is by Christ only Ioh. 16 2â— 24 26 26 Rev. 8.3 that we come with Boldness to the Throne of Grace and have Admission into the holiest of all And if our devout and earnest Prayers be sprinkled with his Bloud and perfum'd by the Grace of his Merits and Intercession we need not doubt of their Reward and Acceptance with the Father for the sake of his dear Son Wherefore all our Prayers Thanksgivings c. must be concluded according to the Church's Prescription which is grounded upon Apostolical Practice in his Name To whom be ascrib'd all Honour and Glory now and for ever Now as Christ our most merciful High-priest doth powerfully and effectually intercede for us for the Acceptance of our Services and disposes us by his Grace to pray successfully for our Selves So 2dly He blesseth us Ps 84.11 He does sanctifie and Bless us both in our Souls and Bodies with the Abundance of his Grace and Glory For he blesseth us in our many temporal and spiritual Deliverances from the Temptations and Tyranny of Devils and wicked Men. He blesseth us in turning away every one of us from our Iniquities Acts 3.26 in sanctifying our whole Nature by the lively Influence and Operation of his holy Spirit and by the wonderful Effusions of his exciting preventing and restraining Grace whereby he keeps us back from Sin and makes us holy here as before that we may be happy for ever 'T is very observable since our blessed Saviour's Exaltation that his true and faithful Converts are far more expert in the Knowledge of Divine Mysteries more religious and circumspect in their Words and Actions more seraphic and affectionate in their Devotions And those very Slips and Indiscretions they are guilty of do seldom escape without some Regret and Reluctancy and are therefore doubtless consistent with the Sincerity of their regenerate State And that he will bless us immeasurably after this Life is most certain and evident from holy Scripture But we cannot yet comprehend the Degrees of that Blessedness and therefore 't is rather our Duty to Hope and wait for it with Patience then by a wanton Curiosity to pry too eagerly into that boundless and inconceivable Mystery 1 John 3.2 1 Cor. 2.9 Hitherto of the Intercessory Part of our Saviour's Melchisedekian Office which he is now transacting in Heaven for us Let us now apply this Point in two or three Instances And 1 We have not an absolute Title to the Privileges of our Saviour's Mediation in Heaven for us The Application of this Point for all the Promises of the Gospel as we 've noted at large in this Treatise are Conditional If we believe we shall be saved if we die with him we shall also live with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12 13. if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him c. And so on the contrary if we deny him he will also deny us c. Therefore we are oblig'd by the Laws of that New Covenant which Christ's now mediating in Heaven for us to believe repent pray read and meditate on the holy Scriptures hear God's Word receive the holy Sacraments and endeavour to be sincere in all Duties both to God and Man And that general Term of Godliness whereby we are rendred capable of the Blessings of this and a future Life does eminently comprehend all these nor have we any real Title to the Benefits of Christ's Mediatorship in Heaven but by our sincere Endeavour to observe and comply with these tolerable and easie Conditions Besides there can be no