shall open that in several particulars 1. In that the Son of God came into a nature so inferiour to his own What comparison is there between God and the creature That the eternal God should joyn himself so nearly to the nature of his own creature this is admirable This was that made Bernard say When I consider the person of him who comes Dignationis magnitudinem expavesco I cannot comprehend the excellency of his Majesty when I consider to whom he comes I tremble at the greatness of his condescension To whom was it that this great person came He came to us poor men who dwell in houses of clay And will God indeed dwell with men Yea he dwells with man The Word was made flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and dwelt among us Joh. 1.14 He pitched his Tent and Tabernacle in a part of our nature he did not only converse familiarly and was seen among men but he pitched his Tent and Tabernacle in a part of our nature Without controversie great is the mystery of godliness God manifested in the flesh God was in that very flesh which the Son of God assumed God was in that flesh that was once seen here on earth and was afterwards given as a Sacrifice for the life of the world yea so in it as to dwell personally in it Therefore doth the Son of God call the flesh he assumed his own flesh Joh. 6.53 Now consider it what a disproportion is there between God and our flesh Yet the eternal Word is made flesh he who was with God in the beginning and who was God this very Word is made flesh Joh. 1.14 It is a notable expression one useth to illustrate this Although it was not suitable to humane flesh according to the condition of its own nature to be united to God in the unity of person yet this was becoming God in the infinite excellency of his own goodness It was nothing but infinite goodness could move God to condescend so low as to take a part of our flesh and cloath himself with it 2. The condescension of Christ in his Incarnation appears in this in that the Son of God took a part of our nature after humane nature had been infected and when the whole mass of humane nature lay infected with original sin Let none mistake here that part of humane nature which was united to the person of the Son of God had no taint or pollution of sin in it but thus we ought to conceive of it The mass of humane nature out of which this part or particle of humane nature was taken was infected with original sin and in the same moment that the Word the second person in Trinity joyned himself to our nature that part or parcel of humane nature that was joyned to his person was sanctified by the Holy Ghost so that in the same moment or instant the union was made that part of humane nature which was assumed was sanctified by the Holy Ghost neither was it sanctified before assumed nor assumed before sanctified but both were done in the same instant as soon as there was flesh so soon was it the flesh of the Word We must not suppose any instant of time when that part of humane nature that was joyned to the Son of God should have a subsistence of its own before it was united to his person no but at the same time it was flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the same time it was the flesh of the Word but this is that which commends the love of Christ and his great condescension that he should take part of our nature when the whole mass of it lay under the contagion of original sin God who was Purity and Holiness it self might justly have loathed and abhorred such impurity as ours he might justly have disdained to have sought out a habitation for himself among such polluted creatures None of the children of Adam was exempt and free from the contagion of original sin no not the Virgin her self who was the Mother of our Lord now that God should seek out and prepare for himself a habitation out of such an impure sink as our nature was by reason of sin this is that which greatly commends the love and condescension of the Son of God 3. The greatness of Christs love in his Incarnation with respect to his condescension appears in this in that he took our nature together with its infirmities He was in all things made like to us sin only excepted The Son of God did not only take flesh but he took passible mortal flesh such a nature as was subject to suffering and death this was a great commendation of his love For we must know the Divinity inhabiting in Christs humane nature could have prevented all suffering and death the Godhead which was personally united to the humane nature could have made the humane nature impassible and above suffering Therefore it is observed by a Learned man It was by the good pleasure of the Divine will Beneplacito Divinae voluntatis permittebatur carni pati operari quae propria that it was permitted to the humanity to do and suffer the things which were proper to it self The great end why the Son of God assumed our nature was that he might satisfie for the sins of men Now one is then said to satisfie for the offence of another when he takes upon himself the punishment that is due for such offences now suffering and death was the punishment due for sin By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin Rom. 5. Therefore the Son of God out of his great love to us was not only willing to take our nature but also the infirmities of our nature Isa 53.4 He hath born our griefs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and carried our sorrows That which was not assumed was not healed if Christ had not born our infirmities our infirmities had not been healed 4. The greatness of Christs condescension in his Incarnation appears in this in that he suffered the glory of his Divinity to be hid and veiled for a time in our nature after he had assumed it This is that which the Scripture calls his emptying himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.7 We read it He made himself of no reputation in the Original it is He emptied himself How did Christ empty himself The former words compared with those that follow do acquaint us He was in the form of God Now that he that was in the form of God should take upon him the form of a servant should be made in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a man there was his emptying himself He might always have continued in the form of God only without taking to himself the form of a servant or if he will take the form of a servant he might presently and immediately shew forth the glory of his Divinity in that humane nature which he
Deity who hath the same whole and intire nature of God in him as the Father hath yet as he is the Son so we conceive of him as begotten by the Father and proceeding from the Father by eternal Generation this is his manner of subsisting Here is one and the self same Essence still the Father hath the whole Essence in him and is depending upon no other the Son hath the same Essence but as he is the Son so he is begotten by the Father and proceeding from him by eternal Generation Now by the person of the Son incarnate we are brought in to communion with the Father How so Whilst we apprehend and conceive of the person of the Son who is incarnate we may reflect upon the Father from whom the Son proceeds and between whom and the Father there is the most perfect communion of natures the nature of the Son being the nature of the Father also and thus by having fellowship with the Son we have fellowship and communion with the Father also It is a great Scripture to illustrate this Joh. 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me Fides in Christum non est praejudicio fidei in Deum Patrem c. Nihil vetat quò minùs sit fides in plures personas modò essentia sit una eadémque Roloc in Joh. 14. It is the observation of a Holy man and Learned Divine upon that Text Faith in Christ is no prejudice to faith in God the Father neither is faith in the Holy Ghost any prejudice to faith in the Father and in the Son for there is one and the same God although the persons are distinct in that one nature of God And he adds Nothing forbids us but that faith may be in more persons than one so we be sure to retain one and the self same Essence To understand which we must consider When we conceive of one person in the Trinity or direct an act of faith to one person we must take in the whole Deity or whole God in our apprehension or conception when we conceive of another person or direct an act of faith to another person of the Trinity we must take in the whole Deity or Essence in our apprehension we must take heed that we never part or divide the Essence in our conception of any of the persons When you conceive of each person be sure you take in the whole Essence in that conception as for instance When I conceive of God the Father I conceive of the first person in the Deity whole God subsisting in the Divine Essence after such a manner when I conceive of the Son I conceive of the second person in the Deity whole God subsisting in the Essence after such a manner The Essence is common to all the persons and the persons do subsist in the self same Essence therefore in the conception of each person we must be sure to take in the whole Essence Now by the Son incarnate we are brought to communion with the Father the humanity of Christ leads us to the Divinity we begin at the humanity and we ascend from thence to the consideration of that person who assumed the humane nature Now in this one person is whole God there is the Divinity of the Father and of the Spirit now when by the eye of faith we can contemplate the Divinity in the person of the Son we may be the same eye of faith reflect upon the person of the Father as subsisting in the same Divinity and who is no otherways distinguished from the Son but by his relative property Nihil absurdi est dum concipimus Deitatem Patri Filio Spiritui communem si intuitus Filii mentes nostras reflectit ad Patris personam Calvin It was a wise and great speech of Calvin to this purpose There is nothing of absurdity in this if when we do conceive of the Deity or Godhead which is common to the Father Son and Spirit the aspect and contemplation which faith hath of the Son do reflect and turn back our minds upon the person of the Father for the distinct respects which are between the Father and Son as such make no division or partition in the Essence although the Son be not the Father nor the Father the Son yet both the Father and the Son are one and the same God and there is one and the same Essence common to them both I and the Father am one Joh. 10.30 Therefore when by the eye of faith we cast an aspect upon the person of the Son and see him subsisting in the Divine Essence we may by the same eye of faith reflect upon the person of the Father and see him subsisting in the same Essence and thus our fellowship is both with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ as the Apostle speaks Learn from what hath been opened Vse 1 that they who leave out Christ in their Religion or do fancy or imagine to themselves any other Christ besides the Word incarnate can never attain to God or communion with him Marvel not at such an inference as this is this doth naturally arise from the doctrine I have delivered and this is no other conclusion than the Apostle lays down 2 Joh. vers 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God Whosoever he be who transgresseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whosoever he be that swerves or turns aside from Apostolical doctrine the doctrine delivered by Christ himself and the Apostles concerning Christ the same hath not God he that continues not in the doctrine of Christ What is the doctrine of Christ Christ is the name of that person who subsists in both natures Christus est nomen personae in duabus subsistentis naturis Christ is the name of the person of the Mediator which is constituted of both natures the Divine and humane nature neither is the Divine nature without the humane nature nor the humane nature without the Divine that Christ which the Scripture reveals but both natures united in the person of the Son of God Who is that Christ the Scripture reveals to us His name shall be Emmanuel God with us God manifested in the flesh declared to be the Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness Rom. 2.3 The Scripture when it speaks of Christ as Meâ—iator when it speaks of that person who must bring us to God it speaks of him as that person that subsists in both natures in the nature of God and of man They therefore who deny the Divine nature to be in Christ as the Socinians do and they who deny the truth of his humanity by affirming Christ hath no longer any humane body these cannot be said to continue in the doctrine of Christ and all such have not God all that continue not in the doctrine of Christ have not God Whatsoever knowledge of God men may pretend unto unless they owne God in the person of the
truth of a thing more vehemently and strongly The Apostle lays much weight and stress upon this Verily he took not upon him the nature of Angels It is as much as if he had said Truly herein is our nature advanced above Angels in that the Son of God did take part of our nature and did not assume Angelical nature If we look upon Angelical nature in it self and consider the nature of Angels simply so Angelical nature is superiour a nature superiour to our nature therefore is it said that man is made a little lower than the Angels Humane nature simply considered in it self is inferiour to Angelical nature but then look upon our nature as it is advanced in Christ the Head of the Church and so it is preferred above Angels therefore is it said that Christ is exalted far above principalities and powers might and dominion and every name that is names not only in this world but in that which is to come Eph. 1.20 21. The Apostle in that place is speaking of Christ-man Now Christ-man is exalted above Principalities and Powers that is above the Angels yea and above every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come hence is it that the Angels are commanded to worship Christ Heb. 1.6 Now although it be true that the Divine nature in Christ is the proper and formal object of worship yet the Angels are commanded to worship the Son of God in our nature to worship the Son of God cloathed with our nature Therefore is it said When he brings in his first-begotten Son into the world he saith Let all the Angels of God worship him The Angels were not only to worship the Son of God before his Incarnation but after his Incarnation The Son of God when incarnate and cloathed with our flesh did not cease to be the natural coessential Son of God he was the Son of God and God before he took the nature of man upon him In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God Joh. 1.1 This is spoken of him before his Incarnation therefore as the Angels were to worship him before he was cloathed with our nature so they were to worship him after he was cloathed with our nature 2. The second Consideration is this The advancement of our nature by the work of Incarnation appears in this In that by means of the Incarnation a part of our nature is joyned to the second person in Trinity continueth in personal union with him so that the Son or that Person whom the Scripture calls the Word with the humane nature assumed is and continues to be the second person in Trinity We have already heard how that by means of the Incarnation of the Son of God we come to have communion with the whole Trinity That which I have to add in this Proposition is to shew what that near relation is which the humane nature assumed hath unto the Trinity and how that by means of the personal union the humane nature assumed hath a nearer relation unto the Trinity than any creature whatsoever It is a Position and a Maxime both of ancient and modern Divines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum proprià sua carne socunda persona Trinitatis Chemnit lib. de duabus in Christo Naturâ—s That that person of the Trinity whom the Scripture calls the Word with his proper flesh is the second person of the Trinity Now we must understand this aright when Divines say The Son or the Word with his proper flesh is the second person of the Trinity 1. we must not suppose that hereby is intended any conversion in the natures as if so be the humane nature assumed were taken into the substance or essence of the Trinity for that is impossible we must still remember how that the two natures the Divine and humane nature after this union is made in the person of the Son always remain essentially different and distinct that is the Divinity doth always remain to be the Divinity and the humanity to be the humanity that is it remains true humane nature after the personal Union 2. Neither must we suppose that the Son of God assumes a humane person but a humane nature for if the Son of God had assumed a humane person then there had been a Quaternity not a Trinity four persons not three any longer and this the doctrine of the Gospel is most abhorring from For the Gospel tells us That there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost 1 Joh. 5.7 The Gospel speaks but of three and this the Gospel speaks of after the Incarnation of one of these persons namely after the Incarnation of the Word which is the second of these three for when John wrote this Epistle the Word was made flesh and had carried that nature assumed of his into Heaven and yet notwithstanding the Apostle saith there are but three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost so that the Word with his own proper flesh is but one and the same person There is a new person added to the Trinity by the Word 's being made flesh as he is said to be Joh. 1.14 But that person whom the Scripture calls the Word or the Son of God I say the Word assuming humane nature is and continues to be the second person of the Trinity therefore we ought to conceive of it thus The humane nature in Christ subsists not of it self or by it self neither doth the humane nature constitute any peculiar person by it self but the humane nature is taken into the unity of the person of the Word and subsists wholly in and by the person of the Word who is the second person in Trinity The Word who was a person from Eternity and subsisted in the Divine nature only before the Incarnation by reason of the Incarnation subsists in both natures the Divine and humane so that the Word which the humane nature assumed is and remains to be the second person in Trinity Mark the Word's assumption of humane nature doth not make him cease to be a person in the Trinity which he was before the Incarnation That he was a person in the Trinity before his Incarnation is clear from Joh. 1. Neither doth the Word's assuming of humane nature make an addition of any new person to the Trinity but thus we ought to conceive of it One and the same person who subsisted in the Divine nature only before his Incarnation by means of his Incarnation subsists in both natures so that we may truly say The Word with his proper flesh that is the Word with the humane nature assumed is and remains to be the second person in Trinity It is a speech which Austin hath Homine assumpto non auctus est numerus personarum Trinitatis sed eadem Trinitas mansit When the nature of man was assumed by
same glory as the Father had from Eternity now he prays that that glory which he had as the Son and as God might be manifested in and by the humane nature therefore we must remember the Divine nature received nothing but only a new manifestation of the glory it had before in and by the humane nature assumed but the humane nature is that which hath properly Power and Authority given to it Hence is that speech of one of the Ancients Vthomo accepit quod ut Deus habebat Theodor. Christ received that as he was man which he had always as he was God As he was God he always had Power and Authority invested in him now he received that as man which he had always in him as God The Son as he was God did always reign with the Father before his Incarnation And hence that speech of Christ My Father worketh hitherto and I work Joh. 5.17 But although the Son did reign before his Incarnation yet it was then as God nakedly and simply considered as God not as yet cloathed with our flesh Vt Deus sine carne but since his Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven he reigns as God manifested in the flesh Aâ—tè regnabat ut Deus nudus seu suâ tantùm gloriâ in latus at pòst ut Deus carne nostrâ etiam vestitus Before his Incarnation saith a Learned Divine he reigned with the Father as God nakedly and simply considered as cloathed with his essential glory but after his Incarnation he reigned as God cloathed with our nature That is says he God the Father did not account the Son unworthy of this Honour and Authority although covered with our vile flesh and admitted him as the Son incarnate into a Copartnership with him in his Kingdom casting this honour upon the humane nature because it was joyned to his own Son in personal Union Just as if a Kings Son had taken some old garments to himself and cloathed himself therewith far inferiour to the dignity of that Relation he bears unto his Father and his Father should admit him with those garments to sit down with him in his Throne so the Son of God though cloathed with our nature covered with our flesh is not divested of his Government but he together with the Father governs this World This was that which made one of the Ancients use this expression That he who is God should sit with God that he who is the Son should reign with the Father is no such wonderful thing for he that hath the sameness of nature may well have the same power and dominion but that a part of our nature should have the same honour with him that assumed it this is that which exceeds all wonder But when Divines say whole Christ that is Christ not only as God but as man hath power over all creatures or the humane nature in the person of the Son of God reigns over all creatures we must understand this aright We must not suppose that Christ considered as meer man without his Divinity or that the humanity separate and abstract from the Divinity hath this Soveraignty and supreme Dominion over all creatures for supreme Power Dominion and Soveraignty over all creatures is proper to God only it is such a Dignity as is proper to God only therefore is it said Isa 45.22 I am God and beside me there is no other and what follows To me every knee shall bow every tongue shall swear He must needs be God to whom every knee must bow and every tongue must confess therefore it is not compatible to any creature simply and by it self considered to have dominion over all things But we ought thus to conceive of it The humanity of Christ is to be lookt upon as an Instrument that is conjoyned with the Deity the Son of God because he hath the humane nature united to him exercises all Rule Power and Authority by the humanity as by an instrument conjoyned with him The Power remains in the Divine nature primarily radically and fundamentally and this Power is exercised by the humane nature secondarily and ministerially that is to say whatsoever Christ wills by his Divine will the same doth he will by his humane will whatsoever he doth in the Church as God he doth it also as man Not that the humane nature is omnipotent but the person who subsists in the humane nature as well as in the Divine is omnipotent and there is a concourse of both natures in every action the person working by each nature what is proper to each nature We come now to make some use of what hath been opened there are several Uses will arise from the Doctrine that hath been delivered We may learn from what hath propounded Vse 1 that there is a vast difference between Christ and Believers Believers have Union with the Father and the Son yet the humane nature in Christ or Christ as he is man hath a preheminence above all Believers and that will appear by reflecting a little upon what hath been spoken 1. Consider this the humane nature in Christ hath that relation to the Trinity that no Believer in the world hath It is a Maxime with Divines The humanity of Christ belongs personally to the Trinity Humanitas Christi personaliter pertinet ad Trinitatem Now when Divines say That the Humanity of Christ belongs personally to the Trinity their meaning is not that the humanity of Christ brings in a new person for then there would be a Quaternity four persons instead of three but when they say the humanity of Christ belongs personally to the Trinity their meaning is the humanity of Christ belongs and hath relation unto the Word who is one of the persons in the Trinity and that it stands in personal Union with him so that the second person in Trinity subsists personally in the humane nature assumed which he doth not in any other creature whatsoever So that none of the Elect hath that kind of relation to the Trinity which the humane nature in Christ hath for the humane nature in Christ doth not subsist of it self out of the second person in Trinity but the second person in Trinity takes the humane nature into the subsistence of his own person so that the humane nature in Christ hath that relation to one of the persons in the Trinity to whom in person it is united and thereby to the whole Trinity that no other creature whether Angels or men ever had or shall have 2. The humane nature in Christ is the Temple of the Divinity God manifests himself to us in and by that humanity which the Son hath assumed This cannot be said of Believers For though it be said of Believers that they are the Temple of the Holy Ghost and that the Spirit of God dwells in them yet it is no where said of Believers Col. 2.9 that the fulness of the Godhead dwells in them bodily It is a memorable speech of one of the Ancients which may clear the matter in hand By that nature which
infinite Justice and Righteousness then he must needs see himself worthy of condemnation and nothing can give ease and quiet to trembling consciences in this case but for a man to turn his eye upon the Satisfaction of Christ and see the Justice of God satisfied in Christ In Christ the Justice of God is satisfied to the utmost upon him was the wrath of God poured out to the full and the whole punishment that was due to us was inflicted upon him hither it is therefore that we must flye for refuge when-ever we are under the sense of guilt and under fears of condemnation by reason of sin there is no refuge but by flying to the Satisfaction of Christ The end of the fourth Sermon SERMON V. Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends I Proceed now to the seventh Proposition which is this It was the compact and agreement between the Father and the Son that the Son the second Person in Trinity should take our nature and in that nature become our Surety and undertake the payment and discharge of our debt for us I say this was the compact and agreement between the Father and the Son hence is it said The counsel of peace was between them both Zach. 6.13 Some Learned men render it Between those two Inter illos duos that is between the Father and the Son the counsel of peace was between them both Here it may be said Object How could there be such a compact or an agreement as this is between the Father and the Son concerning mans Redemption and Salvation God is but one the Divine Essence is but one and the Divine Will but one How then could there be this compact and agreement between the Father and the Son since they are both one and the same God and have one and the same essential Will To this the Answer is plain Answ that as the Essence of the Father and the Son is but one so the Will is but one But for as much as the Father and the Son are considered as distinct Persons so the counsel of peace is said to be between them both Here are two Persons spoken of from which also the third the Holy Ghost is not to be excluded but all the three Persons agree in one and the same will Now according to the counsel of the whole Trinity the Son the second Person of the three is to take our nature and in that nature to become our Surety hence is it said That Jesus is made a surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 And Christ being made a Surety by virtue of the compact that was between him and the Father he is to undertake the payment of our debt for that is the nature of a Surety A Surety is properly an Vndertaker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that undertakes anothers cause and debt There are some Divines that call this compact between the Father and the Son the Covenant of Redemption and this Covenant of Redemption they describe after this fort namely The Covenant of Redemption say they it is the agreement between the Father and the Son who was designed to be Mediator concerning the Elect who are supposed to lye in sin and misery by their own demerit together with the rest of men I say concerning the Elect to be converted sanctified and saved by virtue of the obedience of the Son as Mediator which was to be performed to the Father this they call the Covenant of Redemption The Apostle doth plainly intimate this compact or agreement that was between the Father and the Son Heb. 10.5 6 7. Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me In burnt-offering and sacrifice for sin thou hast had no pleasure Then said I Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will O God When Christ saith here Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will O God he plainly refers to that ancient Decree and Compact that was between the Father and himself It was the Fathers will from Eternity that the Son should take a body and offer up that body to make satisfaction for the sins of the Elect and the Son consented to this will of the Father and what he did in time in assuming a body and in offering up that body was in pursuance of that ancient Decree and Compact that was between him and the Father therefore it is said In the volume of the book it is written I come to do thy will O God The eighth Proposition is this That Christ becoming our Surety stands responsible to the Law and is liable to pay all the debt we owe to God Hence are those expressions that he was made under the Law Gal. 4.4 That he was made a Curse for us Gal. 3.10 To understand this we must know that Christ is to be considered as a common Person as sustaining the persons of all the Elect. Look as the first Adam was a common person the obedience which he was bound to perform we were obliged unto and therefore when he sinned we sinned in him and when he became obnoxious to the curse and to death by reason of sin we also became obnoxious to the same Curse and death in him Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned So Christ is to be considered as a common Person Christ undertaking to be our Surety the obedience which we were bound to perform Christ is bound to perform and the punishment which we are obnoxious unto by reason of our violation of the Law Christ becoming our Surety is obnoxious to the same punishment Hence is it said of the first Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he is the figure of him that was to come Rom. 5.14 The figure of him that was to come that is the Type of Christ the first Adam is the Type of the second Adam How so As the first Adam was a common person and all his seed were comprehended in him and represented by him so the second Adam is to be looked upon as a common person and all his seed are comprehended in him and represented by him therefore Christ is called the second Adam 1 Cor. 15.45 The first Adam was made a living soul the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit Here it may be inquired How was it that the first Adam was made a common person And how was it that Christ the second Adam became a common person I answer briefly The first Adam was made a common person by Divine ordination and appointment and by the Law of his Creation he being the head and root of all mankind and Christ was made a common person partly by Divine ordination and appointment and
one of the persons of the Trinity the number of the persons was not increased but the same Trinity still remains But here we may observe the singular advancement of our nature which is all that I aim at in what hath been spoken By what we have heard we may see how by reason of the Incarnation a part of our nature stands in so near a relation to the Trinity The humane nature in Christ hath a nearer relation to the Trinity than any creature whatsoever Humanitas Christi licèt sit creatura tamen quia sola nulla alia ita adhaeret Deo ut una sit persona cum Divinitate oportet igitur tam altiorem supra extra omnes alias creaturas esse tamen sub solo Deo Luther whether Angels or men It is a speech of Ambrose Humane nature is not to be despised which is taken into so near society and fellowship with the holy Trinity And it is a great speech of Luther The humanity of Christ although it be a creature yet because this only and no other creature doth so adhere to God as that it is one person with the Divinity it is higher than all other creatures and above all other creatures yet under God alone 3. The third Consideration is this the advancement of our nature by the work of Christs Incarnation appears in this In that by means of the Incarnation a part of our nature is become the Temple as it were of the Divinity Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up but he spake of the Temple of his body Joh. 2.21 Here we see the body of Christ or the humanity of Christ is plainly called a Temple and whose Temple was it the Temple of the Divinity Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up He that could raise up the Temple of his body when it was destroyed by death must needs be God therefore the person dwelling in this Temple was God so that Christ calls his own humanity the Temple of his Divinity Col. 2.9 In him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily The fulness of the Godhead dwells in the humanity of Christ as in its proper seat or Temple It is a saying of one of the Ancients Totum ejus corpus implet tota Divinitas The whole Divinity fills his whole humanity Yet we must take this aright when we say that the humanity of Christ is the Temple of the Divinity we must not suppose that the God head is or can be circumscribed but thus we ought to conceive it that by means of the personal Union the Godhead dwells in the humane nature of Christ so as it dwells not in any other creature whatsoever Now what an advancement is this to our nature that a part of our nature should be as it were the proper seat and Temple of the Divinity That God should manifest himself in by and through our nature assumed that the Divinity should shine through our nature and shew it self to us by our nature A notable Scripture to illustrate this in Joh. 1.14 The word was made flesh and what follows We beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God The meaning is we beheld some rays and beams of the Divinity breaking forth through that flesh of his God was made visible to us in the person of his Son who had assumed a part of our nature Hence is it that the body of Christ or the humane nature of Christ is called a Tent or Tabernacle Heb. 8.2 9.11 Why is the body of Christ or the humane nature of Christ called a Tabernacle For this reason Look as the glory of God filled the Tabernacle of old so the glory of the Divinity hath filled his humane nature The body of Christ or his humane nature as Calvins expression is up on that place It is that Temple in which the whole Majesty of God dwells Templum in quo tota Dei Majestas habitavit Calvin 4. The fourth and last Consideration to shew how our nature is advanced by the Incarnation of the Son of God is this By means of the Incarnation Christ-man hath supreme Authority Jurisdiction and Dominion over all creatures and the Government of the World and the ordering of all the affairs of it are committed to him by the Father There are clear Texts of Scripture to prove this Joh. 5.22 27. The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son And hath given him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of man Matth. 28.28 All power and authority is given to me in heaven and in earth Psal 110.2 The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand Hence is that speech of Austin Est haec fiducia gloriatio nostra quòd nostrûm singulorum portio caâ—o sanguis sedeat in coelo ad dextram Dei Patris aeterni August This is our confidence and the matter of our rejoycing that a part of our nature flesh of our flesh bone of our bone sits at the right hand of God the eternal Father Christs sitting at the right hand of God imports two things 1. His advancement and preheminence above all creatures God hath given him a Name above every name Phil. 2.9 2. It imports his supreme Power Authority Jurisdiction and Dominion over all creatures Eph. 1.22 Psal 8.6 He hath put all things under his feet The Radix or root of this Power which Christ is said to have over all creatures lyeth primarily and originally in the Divine nature of the Son The Son the second person in Trinity as he is one and the same God with the Father and the Spirit hath power and dominion over all creatures and as he is the Son incarnate as he is made man so he hath all power in a way of Dispensation all power is committed to him and he exerciseth that power ministerially as the Delegate of the Father which yet is in him originally and essentially as he is one God with the Father Hence is it that Divines observe If the question be asked According to which nature it is that Christ is said to sit at the right hand of God The answer must be That it is according to both his natures for as Christ is appointed to be Mediator according to both natures so he is King of the Church according to both natures only there is this difference to be observed The Divine nature in Christ receives nothing new which it had not before When all Power and Authority is said to be given to Christ the Divine nature in Christ receives nothing new which it had not before only there is a new manifestation of the Divine power and glory by the humane nature as Christ prays Joh. 17.8 Glorifie me with the glory which I had with thee before the foundation of the world As he was the eternal Son so he was possessed of the
us to him that he might be a fit Mediator takes upon him the nature of man that so being God and man in one person and having interest in both parties he might bring God and man together Hence is it that the Mediator hath this appellation of Christ given to him Luk. 2.17 Vnto you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Christ you know signifies the anointed Under the Old Testament Kings Priests and Prophets were wont to be anointed Now Christ being to undertake the office of Mediator in general and those three Offices in particular of Prophet Priest and King he also is anointed Christs Vnction or Anointing properly belongs to his humane nature Act. 10.38 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost For although it be true that Christ is the name of the person subsisting in both natures and the name of Christ doth not only agree to Christ as he is man but as he is God manifested in the flesh yet Christs anointing properly respects his humane nature As God he needed not any anointing for he had all fulness in himself therefore he was properly anointed as man If it be asked what this anointing of Christ was I answer It is that plenitude and fulness of the gifts of the Holy Ghost yea the fulness of the Godhead which dwells personally in the humane nature assumed whereby he is qualified to perform the office of Mediator Christ being to undertake the Office of Mediator hath his humanity filled with all habitual grace and also the presence of the Divinity inhabiting personally in his humane nature So that Christs assumption of our nature anointing it with the Spirit of all grace lays the foundation for the great work of his Mediatorship It is well observed by a Judicious Divine That we may more firmly believe Chemnitius that the benefit of Redemption doth belong to us therefore did the Son of God assume a nature that was of the same substance with ours and near akin with us by which in the virtue of the Divinity he might accomplish our Redemption that as by humane nature in Adam sin and death entred into the world so by the same nature in Christ righteousness and life might be restored to the world 2. As the Incarnation of Christ lays the foundation and prepares the way to the work of Mediatorship in general so by the Incarnation Christ is fitted and prepared as it were to enter upon the execution of those three great Offices of his the Office of a Prophet Priest and King 1. The Lord Jesus assuming mans nature performs the office of a Prophet to the Church in the humane nature assumed The great work of the Prophets of old was to be the Messengers of God to the people the Interpreters of Gods mind and will they were to reveal Gods mind and will to the people The Lord Jesus undertaking our nature is the great Messenger of the Covenant the Interpreter of the Fathers counsels he hath revealed the whole will and mind of the Father to us Heb. 1.2 God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son Joh. 15.15 All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Should God speak to us immediately from Heaven we should be affrighted at his presence and terrified with his Majesty as they were when they heard God speaking to them from Mount Sinai and said Let not God speak to us but let Moses speak to us Exod. 20.19 Therefore hath the Son of God assumed our nature and appeared visibly in flesh and conversed among men like one of us that we might receive the Law at his mouth The humanity of Christ is the Organ of the Divinity And this is one great commendation of the office of the Ministry as Peter Martyr hath observed That the Son of God who was God over all blessed for ever was pleased to take up humane nature that he might perform the office of a Minister in it Therefore is Christ called Rom. 15.8 A Minister of the Circumcision that is to the Jewish Church There is some Controversie among Divines concerning the knowledge that was in the humane soul of Jesus Christ but this is certain Christ as man had all things made known to him that did concern our salvation now whatsoever the Lord Jesus as man received from the Father that as the great Prophet of the Church he hath faithfully revealed to his people Joh. 17.8 I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me Christ as man receives all from the Father and he gives out all to the Church Thus his Incarnation prepares him for the execution of his Prophetical Office 2. The Son of God by assuming mans nature is prepared for the execution of his Priestly Office Two great works were incumbent on the Priests under the Law 1. To offer Sacrifices and make atonement for the people 2. To intercede and pray for the people 1. One Office of the Priest was to offer Sacrifice and make atonement So Heb. 8.3 Every High-Priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices 2. Another office of the Priest was to pray for the people Therefore saith Samuel God forbid that I should cease to pray for you Now the Son of God by assuming our nature is qualified to perform both these works of a Priest 1. Christ by his Incarnation is fitted to offer Sacrifice God took no delight in the Sacrifices of beasts and cattle Sacrifices and burnt-offerings thou wouldst not therefore did the Son of God take a true humane body and offered himself for a Sacrifice Heb. 9.26 Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Christ is Priest Altar and Sacrifice Christ is the Sacrifice that is offered so vers 28. Christ was offered to bear the sin of many Christ is the name of the person subsisting in both natures so that there is a concourse of both natures the Divine and humane nature in the work of Satisfaction The humane nature was the nature suffering and the Divine nature that sanctified the sufferings of the humanity The Divinity was in the humanity in the time of its offering that body which hung upon the Cross which suffered and dyed was the body of him who was God it was filled and replenished with God the Godhead did personally inhabit in it in the time of its suffering Although the Godhead did not put forth its operation as it might have done but did rest and suspend its operations for a time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it might give liberty to the humane nature to suffer for if the Godhead should have put forth its operation as it might it could have hindred all passion and suffering in the humane nature yet the personal union always remained the Son of God did always retain and keep the humane nature in the bond of personal union in the height of his sufferings and he
humane nature assumed so that the humane nature as it is well exprest by one is by means of this union rooted in the Divine stock To understand this we must know that the Son of God was a person before his Incarnation and subsisted in the Divine nature by the work of his Incarnation the humane nature having no subsistence of its own hath the Divine person of the Son communicated to it and so subsists in and by that person so that now here is one and the same person that subsists in two natures The same person who subsisted in the Divine nature only before his Incarnation after his Incarnation subsists in both natures the Divine and humane nature All this is implied in that great Scripture Joh. 1.14 The Word was made flesh The Evangelist speaks of Christ the Son of God the eternal Word The Word was made flesh that is the Son of God the second person in Trinity was made flesh or became man That Christ was a person and had his subsistence in the Divine nature before his Incarnation that the Evangelist had shewn us in the two first verses In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God Here the Evangelist shews us plainly that Christ had his subsistence before his Incarnation he subsisted in the Divine nature he subsisted with the Father in the same Divine Essence Now after he comes to acquaint us that this very person whom he calls the Word and who did first of all subsist in the nature of God only did afterwards become man and was made flesh and after his Incarnation subsists in both natures the nature of man as well as the nature of God who before his Incarnation subsisted in the nature of God only The Word was made flesh How is this to be understood made flesh Not by any conversion in the natures as if so be the Divinity was absorpt by or turned into the humanity or as if so be the humanity was swallowed up into the Divinity but the Word is made flesh thus we ought to conceive of it the Word that is the eternal Word the second person of the Trinity who was a person before draws the humane nature into the Vnity of his own person so that the natures remain distinct and unconfounded but the person is but one The Word who was a person before his Incarnation assumes and takes the humane nature destitute of any personal subsistence of its own into the unity of his own personal subsistence so that now by means of the Incarnation of the Word there is one and the same person of the Word and the humane nature assumed This is in short the sum of that Doctrine which we call the Hypostatical or personal Union which is therefore called the Hypostatical or personal Union because both the natures the Divine and the humane nature are united into that one Hypostasis or person of the Son of God Now consider the greatness of Christs love in this Union This union the union of the two natures in that one person of Christ is the greatest of all unions next to the union of the three persons of the Sacred Trinity which indeed may not so properly be called a Vnion as a Vnity Summa illa TrinÃtas nobis hanc exhibuit Trinitatem The highest Trinity hath exhibited to us this Trinity that these three the Word the flesh and humane soul of Christ should be one one not by any confusion of substance but one in person In the Sacred Trinity the persons remain distinct but the nature is one in the personal Vnion the natures remain distinct but the person is but one Now this is the highest of all unions next that of the three persons in the Trinity in one and the same Essence namely that a created nature as the humane nature in Christ is should be made one person with the Son of God who also himself is God By this union God communicates himself after the highest manner that was possible unto the creature and the nature of the creature is united to God in the most perfect manner as it was possible for the creature to be united to God In the Incarnation of the Son of God man who is the last creature in Creation is joyned with his first Cause and Principle in such a union as that there is none greater under God To illustrate yet farther the greatness of this union that is made in the two natures in the person of Christ consider There is a presence of God and an inhabitation of his Spirit in the Saints but this falls far short of the personal Vnion which we are now speaking of for notwithstanding the mystical Union notwithstanding the inhabitation of the Spirit in Believers yet a Believer remains a true person the person of a Believer and the person of Christ remain distinct persons though Christ and Believers be one mystically and spiritually The Scripture He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit There is a mystical spiritual Union between Christ and Believers yet Christ and Believers remain distinct in their persons but in this other union the personal union the union of the two natures in the person of Christ the humane nature of Christ hath no subsistence of its own but subsists wholly in and by the person of the Son of God who was a person from Eternity and gives his own person to the humane nature destitute of any personality of its own so that could we suppose it were possible for the humane nature to be deserted by the Divine person that supports it it would be reduced to nothing so that here is a vast difference between this union and all other unions Yet a little farther to illustrate this It is the observation of a Learned Divine this Union is so near individual inseparable indissoluble that the Divine nature of the Son will not cannot ought not to be thought on sought for apprehended out of this union which it hath with the humane nature but it ought to be thought of sought for apprehended in that most near union and conjunction it hath with the humanity and the humane nature which is assumed ought not not to be thought of conceived or apprehended out of but within the most intimate embracings of the second person in Trinity who assumed it And that God is not to be sought for any where but in Christ is clear from that passage 1 Joh. 5.20 The Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we might know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God The sum of this Scripture saith Calvin is this When once we have Christ then we have the true and eternal God because God is to be sought for no where else The Son of God hath so assumed a part of our nature as that he hath made it his own proper flesh so
that that body which he hath assumed is not the body of any other person or individual but it is the proper body of the Son of God therefore is it called the Temple of his body Joh. 2.21 elsewhere it is said Feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Act. 20.28 And we have that expression The body of his flesh Col. 1.22 That particle or parcel of our nature which the Son of God assumed and took up was so individually inseparably indissolubly united to him that it became his own proper flesh therefore is it said The bread I will give is my flesh Joh. 6.51 To sum up this particular what love is this that the Son of God so great a person as we have heard should take up a part of our nature joyn it to himself in the bond of near union and doth wear it and will wear it to all Eternity 5. The admirableness of the work of Christs Incarnation appears in this in that by means of the Incarnation all the Trinity are brought near to us and by the Son incarnate we come to have communion with all the Trinity Hence is that expression of the Apostle John 1 Joh. 2.24 If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father By continuing in the Son we come to continue in the Father This is the order we must continue in the Son if ever we mean to continue in the Father He had said before He that denies the Son the same hath not the Father now he saith By abiding in the doctrine of the Son we shall continue in the Son and in the Father What is the doctrine of the Son which if we continue in we shall continue in the Son and in the Father The doctrine of the Son is That the Word is made flesh Compare this with 1 Joh. 4.2 and 2 Joh. 7. and we shall see it clear that the doctrine concerning the Son is That the Son is come into the flesh or that the Word is made flesh Now by continuing in this doctrine we shall continue in the Father by continuing in the doctrine of the Son incarnate we shall continue in the Father How so He that hath the Son hath the Father The Divinity of the Father is brought down to us in the person of the Son incarnate It is a great speech of a Learned Divine Divinitas in una sui hypostaseâ—â—â— tota nobis communicavit The whole Divinity hath communicated it self to us in the Incarnation of one of the Persons To understand which we must know although the Son only be the person who is incarnate not the Father or the Spirit yet both the Father and the Spirit are to be found in that one person of the Son who is incarnate and the reason is because the Divine persons although they are distinct yet they have an inbeing in each other Joh. 14.10 The Father is in the Son and the Spirit proceedeth from the Father and the Son so that in the person of the Son who only is incarnate the other persons are to be found Hence is that speech of Luther and it is a great speech Vbi ille Deus Christus Jesus est ibi est totus Deus seu tota Divinitas ibi invenitur Pater Spiritus S. Luther Where that God Christ Jesus is there is whole God or the whole Divinity there the Father and the holy Spirit is found The Son hath assumed our nature now the Father is in the Son and the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son therefore in the Son incarnate all the Trinity are represented to us We begin first of all at the flesh of Christ we conceive first of all of the humanity of Christ and from thence we ascend to the contemplation of the Divinity of the Son inhabiting and dwelling in the humane nature and by that means we come to communion with the whole Trinity This may be illustrated further to us by two Considerations 1. At the same time we apprehend the Divinity of the Son we do also apprehend the Divinity of the Father Joh. 14.9 He that hath seen me hath seen the Father There is one and the same undivided Divinity Trium personarum una eadem individua est Divinicas Essentia Omnipotentia Sapientia Essentia unius personae est essentia alterius Essence Omnipotency Wisdom of all the three persons therefore when we apprehend and conceive of the Divinity of the Son we do at the same time apprehend the Divinity of the Father and Spirit which is common to all the three persons The essence of one person is the essence of another We must not fancy or imagine because we speak of more persons than one in the Deity therefore there are more Deities as if there were as many Deities as persons no all the three persons are but one and the self same Deity or Godhead and when we apprehend the Divinity or Deity of one of the persons we apprehend the same Deity that is common to them all 2. By the apprehension of the person of the Son we are led into communion with the Father so that we may say with the Apostle 1 Joh. 1.3 Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ The Divinity of the Father and the Son is the same so that when we apprehend the Divinity of the one we must necessarily apprehend the Divinity of the other Yet there is a distinction between the Father and the Son the distinction is not in point of Essence for there is one and the self same Essence or Divinity common to them both Therefore if there be a distinction between the Father and the Son and that distinction be not in point of Essence the distinction must necessarily be conceived to be as to the person of the one and of the other each person includes the whole Essence and when we conceive of one person we must conceive of the whole Essence Yet thus we ought to take it the same Essence is to be conceived after a distinct manner of subsisting in the Father and the self same Essence is to be conceived after a distinct manner of subsisting in the Son Or we may take it in other words thus One and the self same God after such a manner of subsisting is the Father one and the same God after such a manner of subsisting is the Son For that which we call a person in the Godhead is nothing else but the Divine Essence it self distinguished by some proper manner of subsisting as for instance When we conceive of the Father we conceive of him as the first person in the Deity who is of himself and from no other and gives being to the Son as the Son this is his manner of subsisting When we conceive of the Son we conceive of him as the second person in the
Médiator and Christ in the truth of both his natures the same have not God they have no such knowledge of him as to have any interest in him and at last to be brought to the injoyment of him 1 Joh. 4.15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God How must Jesus be confessed to be the Son of God He must be so confessed to be the Son of God as to be God the Son of God and God that is the meaning compare this with 1 Joh. 5.20 He that is the Son of God is the true God to confess Jesus to be the Son of God is to confess him so to be the Son of God as to be the true God Now if he only dwells in God and God in him that thus owns the Divinity of Christ what shall become of them that deny his Divinity Certainly God doth not dwell in them nor they in God they are never like to have any thing to do with God To owne Christ in words Vse 2 and yet in deed and in truth to deny him this is as dangerous Some tell us that the light within that is Christ but take heed of being deceived in so great a matter as salvation is Believe it your salvation lies at stake here the light within is not that that can save us that Christ who must save us is no other but the Word incarnate he who in the beginning was with God and who in the beginning was God he by whom all things were made and without whom nothing was made that was made and who afterward in the fulness of time was made flesh this is he by whom you must be saved if ever you be saved It was not by the light within that we were made no the light within is but a creature Christ the eternal Word is the light of men Joh. 1.4 All the light that is in men is but a created spark from Christ who was the first increated light it is by him you must be redeemed and saved by whom you were at first made and created The same eternal Word who was with God in the beginning and by whom all things were made at first is he who afterwards was made flesh and by whom we must be saved Was the light within from Eternity or will you call the creature of God God himself The light within is a thing of Gods creation where was that which some call the Light within before Adam was If it had a beginning then it was a creature If men will tell you there is something of God a measure of God that is let down into every man unless by something of God they understand some created thing they do apparently confound the Being of God and the being of the creature and so do make the creature it self to be God but it is God himself must be our salvation so the Church sings in that triumphant Song of hers Isa 12.2 Take heed how you go off from how you frame to your selves any other Saviour besides this great Saviour whose Name is the Lord our Righteousness who is God and man in one person Learn from what hath been said Vse 3 what the true way is of getting the nearest and sweetest communion with God and the whole Trinity and that is by studying much the Son incarnate The study of one Christ will bring us to the highest knowledge of God that we are capable of Joh. 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life He that injoys Christ hath all that can be desired and therefore it is a good observation Calvin hath upon that Text If Christ be the way the truth and the life he must needs soar beyond perfection aspire at something beyond the last perfection who is not content with one Christ Christ is the way the truth and the life he is the beginning middle and end in him we must begin in him we must go on and make progress and in him we must end Christ-man is the way and Christ as he is one and the same God with the Father so he is the life The humanity of Christ is the gate or portal that opens the way to the Divinity when by the sight of his humanity we are led to the sight of him as God then is he to be acknowledged to be wholly in the Father and the Father to be wholly in him He that hath seen him hath seen the Father 2 Joh. 9. Most sweet are those promises of the Lord Jesus Joh. 14.21 23. If any man love me he shall be beloved of my Father and I will love him and we will come and make our abode with him If we would have the Father and the Son make their abode with us we must first begin at the Son incarnate we must be fond of him if I may so speak make much of him have an high esteem of him If any man love me he shall be beloved of my Father and I will love him Christ speaks now as being present in our nature as cloathed with the humanity and saith He that loves me shall be beloved of my Father that is he that loves me who am the Son incarnate God hath brought down himself to us in the person of the Son who is incarnate All the Trinity is brought near to us in that one person the Divine persons though they are distinct in their relative properties yet they are inseparable where the one is the other is wherefore let us keep close to the Son love the Son adhere to the Son the Son incarnate will lead us to the Father By this Son we shall have the sweetest communion with God therefore make much of Christ it is a vain thing to think of getting God any other way The end of the fourth Sermon SERMON V. Eph. 3. vers 17 18 19. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge WE have already mentioned five Propositions to discover the greatness of the love of Christ in the work of his Incarnation we now come to the sixth 6. The sixth Proposition is this The greatness of the love of Christ in the work of his Incarnation will appear in the great advancement that cometh to our nature by the Incarnation of the Son of God It is the greatest advancement of humane nature imaginable that God should take a part of our nature into unity of person with himself This I shall illustrate by four Considerations 1. By means of the Incarnation of the Son of God a part of our nature is advanced above the Angels Heb. 2.16 Verily he took not on him the nature of Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Adverb of confirmation a word that is used to assert the
is seen Per naturam quae cernitur adoretur quae non cernitur Divinitas the Divinity which cannot be seen may be worshipped We worship God in and by the humane nature of Jesus Christ but this cannot be said of any of the Saints we cannot worship God in and by any of the Saints as we do in and by the humane nature of Jesus Christ 3. Consider Christ-man hath Dominion and Soveraignty over all creatures as hath been shewed at large This cannot be said of Angels or men that they have this Soveraignty over all creatures So that we see Christ hath the preheminence in all things as the Apostles expression is Col. 1.18 These things are necessary to establish our judgments when many have been so injurious to the honour of the Lord Jesus as to level his person and dignity with the persons of the Saints Learn to admire the great Love of God in Christ Vse 2 We have heard how our nature is advanced in the Head of the Church now what God hath done for Christ he hath in some measure done for us therefore is it said Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ Eph. 1.3 And in another place He hath made us to sit together in heavenly places with him Christs advancement in some sort is our advancement his exaltation is our exaltation God hath honoured our nature in advancing Christ-man so high the Divine nature in Christ needed nothing it was capable of receiving nothing as he was the Eternal Son so he was coequal and coessential with the Father all the glory that comes to him in time is cast upon the humane nature Now that God should advance our nature so much as he hath done in our Head this should affect our hearts greatly What is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldst magnifie him Psal 8.4 That the Divinity should shew it self in and by a part of our nature that a part of our nature should stand and continue in personal union with the second person in Trinity that a part of our nature should be advanced above Angels set in authority above all creatures this should astonish us Chrysostome saith he was swallowed up by this consideration It is a great thing saith he a thing full of wonder and amazement that our flesh should sit at the right hand of God and be adored by Angels and Archangels When I think of this says he I find my self put into an ecstasie Learn from what hath been opened Vse 3 where to seek for God how we ought to come to God Would we know where to seek for God and where we may expect to find him We must seek for God in and by the humanity of Jesus Christ the humanity of Jesus Christ is the Temple of the Divinity here therefore it is we must seek for God and here may we hope to find him It is an expression that Luther hath Deus nec vult nec pocest inventri nisi in hac humanitate per hanc humanitatem Luther God neither will nor can be found but by the humanity of Jesus Christ which says he God hath lifted up as a Standard that by it he may gather to himself all his children out of the world Christ himself hath told us He is the way to the Father Joh. 14 6. How is he the way to the Father The Son incarnate the Son become man is the way to the Father Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father he hath revealed him How doth the Son reveal him In and by the humane nature assumed He that hath seen me hath seen the Father Joh. 14.9 How is it that he that hath seen Christ hath seen the Father The meaning is the Divinity lay hid in that humanity of his and the Divinity was to be seen and apprehended by that humanity of his This is notably set forth by the Apostle Heb. 10.19 20. Having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us thorough the veil that is to say his flesh It is an observation which Calvin hath upon this Text The flesh of Christ is not be despised because it is as a veil that doth cover the Majesty of God and yet directs us the way to injoy all that is in God Look as the veil in the Temple did cover all those things that lay hid and secret in the Sanctuary Nec quisquam Deum inveniet nisi cui via ostium erit Christus homo Calv. and yet withal was the way that opened unto all so the Divinity that lay hid in the flesh of Jesus Christ brings us to Heaven No man shall ever find God unto whom Christ-man is not the way and the door This is that our Saviour means when he says Ye believe in God believe also in me Joh. 14.1 The naked absolute Divinity is at too great a distance from us and we know not where to find God in his naked simple Essence therefore our Saviour directs us to look to God manifest in his flesh By the Son incarnate there is a fair way opened for us to the Father Vse 4 This may inform us whence the Church hath had all its preservations and what may be a ground to our faith that the Church shall still be preserved in all Ages Eph. 1.22 And hath put all things under his feet That is he hath put all things under Christs feet God the Father hath subjected all things to Christ-man the Head of the Church the government is upon his shoulders Now saith the Apostle No man ever hated his own flesh c. Eph 5.29 The Church is near akin to Christ flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone no wonder therefore that Christ takes care of the Church which is so nearly related to himself The Church is as it were a part of Christ the head and members make up Christ mystical so also is Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 The Apostle speaks there of Believers As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ All Believers together with Christ their Head make up Christ mystical Christ may be considered personally and he may be considered mystically Christ personally considered is that person who was born of the Virgin dyed on the Cross rose again the third day ascended up into Heaven and sits on the right hand of God Christ mystical is Christ and all Believers the head and members in conjunction The Church is said to be the Body of Christ the fulness of him who filleth all in all Eph. 1.22 Now then the Church
further we may consider that the humane nature by means of the Incarnation of the Son of God hath its standing as it were in the Divine Person yea I find how some of the Ancients go further 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suae personae Damasc Pertinet ad integritatem Verbi incarnati Chemnit Damascene's expression is That the humane nature is a part as it were of his person And a modern Divine observes The humane nature belongs to the integrity and compleatness of the person of the Word incarnate Yet to prevent all mistakes we must understand this cautiously That person whom the Scripture calls the Word or the Son which is the second of those three the Scripture speaks of There are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit was a Person from Eternity and the humane nature is not properly and strictly a part of his person neither doth it add any thing to the compleating of his person simply considered but on the contrary the humane nature having no personal subsistence of its own receives personality from the Word or the Son of God who was a person from Eternity Hence is it that Divines observe That the person of Christ in one respect may be called a Person that is simple and uncompounded look upon Christ simply as the second person in Trinity and so his person is most simple and uncompounded and his humanity adds nothing to it but in another respect look upon him as he is Mediator in a way of Dispensation and so they say Christs person is a person that may be said to be compounded that is to say in plain terms consider Christ under the notion of Mediator so the humane nature is not to be excluded from the person of the Mediator it is not to be excluded from the consideration of Christ as Mediator For Christ is not Mediator according to one nature meerly not according to his Divine nature meerly nor according to his humane nature meerly but Christ as Mediator is Mediator according to both natures and is to be considered as Mediator according to both natures Christus est ex duabus naturis in duabus naturis Christ as Mediator is to be considered as consisting of both natures and as subsisting in both natures It is a passage of one of the Ancients It is a thing of equal danger to believe Christ to be God only without believing him to be man or to believe him to be man only without believing him to be God for the Mediator is to be believed to be both God and man the Mediator is both God and man in one person Now to return to what was first proposed The Mediator being both God and man the love of the Father extends it self to the whole person of the Mediator who is man as well as God and all the complacency and delight of the Father is taken up in him so that a part of our nature being taken into unity of person with the Son of God there is a foundation laid for the Fathers delight and complacency in us Hence it is said He hath made us accepted in the beloved Eph. 1.6 Christ is first beloved and we are beloved in him The Father hath a part of our nature always before him which is ever in his eye which stands in personal union and communion with his own Son and Christ man hath no sin in him but is perfectly pure and righteous and being so is perfectly pleasing and delightful to the Father and he being Head of the Church all that are members of his body are looked upon in him and are accepted in him To understand this more clearly we must consider that our nature by sin is alienated and estranged from God lyes under wrath and the curse but now by the Incarnation of the Son of God our nature is again brought near to God The Son incarnate and made man is perfectly the object of the Fathers delight and our nature being represented pure and spotless before the Thone of God in the person of the Son of God the Father reflecting on our nature as it stands in personal union and conjunction with his Son accepts of us and delights in us through his Son so that by means of the Incarnation of the Son of God there is a foundation laid for our acceptance with God 9. The love of Christ in his Incarnation appears in this In that by means of the Incarnation of the Son of God Grace is brought down deposited and lodged as it were in our nature as in a fountain near at hand that we may know where to go and have recourse for all grace The Godhead it self is the original spring and fountain of all grace it is proper only to God to create grace therefore is it we have that expression The God of all grace 1 Pet. 5.10 But look upon the Divinity or Godhead simply or absolutely considered and so it is as a spring that is more remote and kept hidden and secret from us but in the Incarnation of the Son of God God is manifested in the flesh and so the Godhead which is the Original and head-spring of all grace is brought near unto us With thee is the fountain of life Psal 36.9 Now in Christ the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily therefore the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in Christ bodily by necessary consequence the fulness of life and grace must necessarily dwell in Christ The Divine nature empties it self as it were into the humanity of Christ and from God in Christ we receive all grace Hence is it said Joh. 1.14 The Word is made flesh and what follows upon that full of grace and truth Immediately upon the Words being made flesh the humane nature which the Word assumed comes to be replenished with grace and truth Observe the order or gradation that is here set down first the Word the second person in Trinity assumes our nature the Word is made flesh what follows upon this The Word being made flesh he having the Godhead in him fills the humane nature with all grace Hence is that expression The Word is made flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth What follows upon this Out of his fulness we receive grace for grace The Word incarnate the Word made flesh the Son of God becoming man he is now the proximate and next fountain of grace to us The Godhead of the Son which is one and the same with the Godhead of the Father is the original fountain of all grace and the Son in our nature is the proximate and next fountain of grace to us and hence is it that the Ancients call the humanity of Christ the Receptacle of grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The humanity of Christ is the first receptacle of all grace Of his fulness we receive and grace for grace The Evangelist doth not say Of him we receive grace for grace that is true but
us to himself by Jesus Christ And that passage of our Saviour is most remarkable to this purpose Joh. 17.7 where he makes this to be the property of the Elect They have known that all things that thou hast given me are of thee The Saints do know that whatever Christ is that God himself is to them by Christ so that as God hath brought himself near to us in that way in the first place to make himself more facile and easie to be apprehended by us and to render himself more sweet and kind for us to approach to him so God in Christ doth actually communicate and give himself to us and God in Christ is the Author of our salvation and doth all that is done in the business of our salvation 13. The thirteenth Proposition for the clearing of this great Mystery is the love of Christ in his Incarnation is seen in this In that by means of the Incarnation of the Son of God as God is brought near to us so we are brought near to him Christ is the bond of our union unto God Nexus unionis nostrae ad Deum Christus est Cyril Quod homo est Christus esse voluit ut homo posset esse quod Christus est Cyprian Christ is he that ties the knot between God and us Christ as man is united unto us Christ as God so he is naturally united to the Father It was a good speech of Cyprian Christ would be that which man is that man might be that which Christ is This will be illustrated by considering that great Scripture Joh. 14.20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you These words are some of the most mysterious words in all the Book of God and I remember Cyril saith of this Text It is a difficult Text and prays for Divine grace to help him to understand it I shall modestly give as I am able the interpretation of this Text here are three great Vnions insinuated in this Text. 1. The essential Union 2. The Incarnation of the Son of God the Vnion of the two Natures in the person of Christ 3. The mystical Union All these three great Unions are held forth to us in this Text. 1. The essential Union the Union of the Son and Father in the self-same Essence In those words In that day you shall know I am in my Father that is you shall know that I am the natural Son of God and that the Father hath communicated all his perfections unto me by eternal Generation Joh. 16.15 All that the Father hath is mine You shall know that I am in the Father by the unity of the Divine Essence Inspecto Christo videtur illa unitas essentiae ac gloriae Patris ac Filii Or else as another Learned Divine expounds this Phrase You shall know that I am in the Father Christ being once looked upon and beheld by the eye of faith the unity of the Essence and the glory of the Father and the Son is seen both at once You shall know that I am in the Father that is you shall know me to be the Son of God true God of one and the same Substance Essence and Divinity with the Father 2. There is the Union of the two Natures in Christ implied in these words You shall know that you are in me Percipietis Divinae meae incarnationis mysterium that is as a Learned man expounds those words You shall perceive the Mystery of my Divine Incarnation by means of which the humane nature is united to my Divinity and taken into unity of person with the Son of God by means of which you also after a sort may be said to be in me To understand this we must know although it be true that the Son of God assumed humane nature not the whole mass or lump of it but in a certain part and particle of it and hereupon that part of humane nature which is taken into personal union with the Son of God hath a nearer relation to the Trinity than any creature whatsoever yet the Son of God assuming a part of our nature into personal union with himself all the Elect being united to Christ by faith are included in Christ as Members relating to the Head and so injoy the benefit of his Incarnation Heb. 2.14 For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself took part of the same So that although the union be personally made in one part of humane nature viz. that part which was personally united to the Son of God yet all the seed have benefit by Christs Incarnation and being implanted into Christ by faith are made members of his body Sicut membra in capite sicut contentum in continente sicut palmes in vite sicut effectus in fontali principio of his flesh and of his bone and are comprehended in him as in their Head You shall know that you are in me that is as one explains this Phrase As the members are in the head as the thing contained in the thing containing as the branches in the Vine as the effect is in its fontal Principle This interpretation is further confirmed by that Scripture Eph. 1.10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of time he might gather together in one in Christ The word in the Original is an emphatical word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Chrysostome interprets thus To reduce all things under one head All the Elect are reduced and brought under Christ as their common Head and thus we are said to be in him You in me We are in him as members in the head And it is observed further by a Learned man That the Elect are said to be in Christ in respect of both his natures 1. As Christ is man Per communionem naturae ut in causa servante conservante sicut in ultimo fine so we are said to be in him by communion of nature 2. As Christ is God so we are in him as in the saving and conserving cause and as in the last end Hence are those expressions Preserved in Jesus Christ Jude 1. Col. 1.16 All things were created by him and for him 3. Here is the Mystical or Spiritual Union set down and I in you As Christ is in the Father by Vnity of Essence we in Christ as being taken in to be members of his body and standing related to him as a Head so Christ is in us by his Spirit 1 Cor. 6.16 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit This is another part of the love of Christ in his Incarnation that by this means we are brought near to God as one of the Ancients expression is Consummati sumus reductique ad unionem Dei Patris mediatione Salvatoris Cyril We are consummated and brought back again into union with God the Father by the mediation of Christ our Saviour This
my God why hast thou forsaken me He was deprived of the sense and comfort of his Fathers love Secondly Christ suffered natural death his humane soul was truly separated from his body Now Christ having satisfied that Law In the day that thou eatest thou shalt dye the death by suffering the penalty of that Law hath fully delivered his people from the curse Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us A Learned man observes Because according to the sentence of the Divine Judgment in that day Adam fell and sinned humane nature ought to have been punished with eternal perdition therefore the Son of God offered himself to assume humane nature and afterwards did assume it that so man might not dye the death And the same Learned man hath another expression to the same purpose Because humane nature was depraved and lost so that it became the body of sin and death therefore the Son of God in lieu thereof was pleased in the humane nature assumed to condemn sin and abolish death and in his own person restore humane nature to righteousness life and happiness Christ having dyed for sin once dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6.9 10. Our nature as it is in Christ it is above death and the fear of death O let us think of these things these things are the most solid grounds of comfort Our nature in Christ is above death and the fear of death it is possessed of life and immortality and brought to perfect happiness Hence is that expression 2 Tim. 1.10 Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Christ hath already brought life and immortality into our nature Christ doth already stand possessed of immortality in his own person And this is the singular comfort of Believers that they may see a part of their own nature set above sorrow misery and death and brought to the greatest happiness they can wish or long for and that they may be assured they shall be possessed of the same happiness in their measure which Christ their Head is possessed of This Christ assures them of Joh. 17.22 The glory which thou hast given me I have given them Christ had glory with the Father from Eternity as he was his natural and coessential Son this he speaks of vers 5. Glorifie me with thy self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Now besides this there is a glory which is given to him the glory which thou gavest me I have given them Christ had a glory given to him as man and Mediator Now the glory which was given to Christ as man and Head of the Church is given to the Elect so that all the Elect do participate and share in it in their measure The glory which thou hast given me I have given them Calvin observes upon that Text The Samplar or pattern of perfect happiness is so exprest and set forth in Christ that nothing is confined to Christ only but Christ was therefore inriched that he might inrich Believers the glory which thou hast given me I have given them Christ and his Members share in glory in common only reserving the difference between Head and Members Christ hath the glory of the Head Believers have glory as Members Christs glorification is the surest pledge of our glorification for how is it possible that he who is our Head and is now in glory with the Father should leave us to those miseries we are now obnoxious to whenas we are so nearly related to him we being members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.30 and he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit The Church being so nearly related to Christ and Christ being in glory how is it possible Christ should leave them under those miseries they are now subject unto 17. The greatness of Christs love in his Incarnation appears in this In that by means of the Incarnation all the Elect shall have a standing Monument before their eyes wherein they may see and behold the infiniteness and transcendency of the love of God to all Eternity And the reason of this Proposition is this Because the Hypostatical or personal Union shall not be dissolved in Heaven the humane nature shall remain and abide united to the Divinity to all Eternity As in Heaven we shall be admitted to the sight of God we shall see the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity we shall see the Unity of the Essence and the three persons Father Son and Spirit subsisting in this one Essence of God so in Heaven we shall see the great Mystery of the personal Union the Mystery of the two Natures in the person of Christ more than now we can And this will be one part of the happiness of Heaven that we shall see our nature united to the Divinity in the person of the Son of God and by this means we shall come to understand the greatness of the love of God by seeing how near our nature is taken unto God in the person of our Head The Hypostatical or personal Union is the foundation of the mystical Union viz. of our union and communion with God God hath taken a part of our nature into personal union with himself and by means of this we have union and communion with him Now in Heaven we shall have a clear sight what that glory is which Christ our Head is advanced unto by the personal union And this I take to be carried in that great Text Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me The happiness of Heaven will be to gaze upon the glory of Christ as a Learned Divine expresseth it That they may behold my glory as if so be this would be Heaven enough for the Elect to see the glory their Head is possessed of And what glory is this That they may behold my glory certainly the glory of his Divinity Christ had glory with the Father before the foundation of the world Joh. 17.5 He was in the form of God saith the Apostle now all the Elect shall see and behold his glory that is they shall see the glory of his Divinity and how so They shall see and behold the glory of his Divinity shining forth through his humanity The humane nature is united to the Divinity in the person of the Son now the Elect in Heaven shall see that person who hath assumed their nature to be true God and to have all the glory of the Divinity in him As the second person in Trinity is true God and hath all the glory of the Divinity in him so the Elect in Heaven shall see the humane nature united to the Divinity in the person of the Son Therefore is it added in the close of the verse For
and eminent effects of his love 1. The first great effect of Christs love which hath been instanced in and already finished is this the work of his Incarnation That the Son of God who was God by Nature and had his subsistence as the second person in Trinity in the Divine Essence from Eternity should take to himself a created nature in time and become true man so that he that was a true person before his Incarnation should by means of his Incarnation become God and man in one person this is one great effect and demonstration of the love of Christ 2. I come now to speak of the second great effect of Christs love and that is his being made under the Law for us And for this end I have chosen this Scripture But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that are under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons This was another great demonstration of the love of Christ that he would not only take our nature and become true man but that he would be made under the Law for us To understand which we must know that the Son of God might have been incarnate and yet not have subjected himself to the Law in that manner as he did for he might have glorified the humane nature in the same moment that he assumed it but that Christ would become subject to the Law and pass under such a course of obedience before he entred into his glory this was the great love of Christ to us There are great Articles of Faith contained in these words Paueis verbis multa complexus est in a few words there are many things comprehended We shall find seven or eight great Articles of Faith comprehended in these few words 1. The first great Article of Faith is this That God had a Son one that was in a peculiar manner his Son and distinguished from all other sons God sent forth his Son There is a great Emphalis lyes in that expression his Son God sent a Son that was peculiarly his Son his Son in a way of eminency and peculiarity from all others sons Therefore is this Son elsewhere called his own Son his proper Son Rom. 8.32 and his only begotten Son Joh. 1.18 The Son of the living God Joh. 6.69 The Angels and Adam were the sons of God by creation but these were not such sons as this Son was This Son that the Text speaks of was not the Son of God by Creation but by eternal Generation Joh. 16.28 I came out from the Father and ar◠come into the world Christ came forth from the Father by eternal Generation he came into the world by his Incarnation There we see his coming forth from the Father and his coming into the world are distinguished one from the other He came forth from the Father by his eternal Generation and he came into the world by his Incarnation Heb. 1.5 To which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Prov. 8.25 Before the mountains were setled was I begotten Hence is Christ said to be the first-begotten of every creature Col. 1.25 It is not said the first created of every creature but the first begotten of every creature The meaning is that before the creatures were made and created Christ was begotten by the Father He is not therefore to be placed in the rank of creatures he was begotten not created he was before the creature had any being and existence and therefore by consequence from Eternity 2. The second Article of Faith delivered in these words is this That the Son of God had a preexistence and was in being before he took our nature Mark how the Apostle expresseth it God sent forth his Son He sent him forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 emisit it is not simply expressed he sent him but he sent him forth Now if God sent forth his Son it supposeth he was in being before he was so sent forth And if we would know where this Son was before he was sent forth the Evangelist tells us Joh. 1.2 The same was in the beginning with God That very Son who afterwards he saith was incarnate and made flesh vers 14. this very Son in the beginning was with God Therefore the Son was with the Father coexistent with him before he was sent forth into mans nature Some Hereticks have denied that Christ is the Son of God in respect of eternal Generation and that Christ had no existence before he took flesh from the Virgin but this Scripture cuts the throat of that Heresie for this Scripture plainly teacheth us That Christ was the Son of God before he was sent before he was made of a woman before he was made under the Law God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law He was first his Son before he was sent forth before he was made of a woman before he was made under the Law 3. The third Article of Faith contained in these words is this That God had decreed and promised to send forth his Son before he did actually send him into our nature God sent forth his Son This is implied God had a purpose to send him forth before and he had promised to send him forth and when the fulness of time was come then did he actually send him forth In the fulness of time God sent forth his Son as much as if it had been said What he he had purposed and promised before he did in due time accomplish If it be asked Where did God promise to send forth his Son The first great promise was in Gen. 3.15 The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents head The meaning of that promise was the Son of God should take flesh of the seed of the woman and so become a Redeemer to the Elect. This promise was renewed to Abraham when God told him In his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed This promise also was renewed to David when God told him Of the fruit of his loyns according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his Throne Act. 2.30 It was also made to the Prophets in those many promises that were made concerning the Messias 4. The fourth Article contained in these words is this That the Son of God who was promised long before was actually exhibited and manifested in the flesh God sent forth his Son that is he sent him into our nature to take flesh Joh. 1.14 The Word was made flesh He sent forth his Son We must conceive of this aright not that Christ as to his Divine person did cease to be where he was before no it is said of him Joh. 1.18 The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking in the present tense Who is in the bosom of the Father
not able to pay so that whatever the debt is the surety who is ingaged stands under an obligation to see it satisfied Christ then becoming our Surety all that obligation that lay upon us from the law is now derived upon him Now Christ brings himself under this obligation to the law two ways 1. By his own free consent and stipulation to the Father He that is otherwise free if he enter into Bonds and Covenants to discharge anothers debt become an engaged person Though he were free before he is now no longer free but becomes engaged by his own voluntary consent Thus Christ who was free and disingaged in himself did enter into a Covenant and agreement with the Father to undertake our cause and to do and suffer what was necessary to be done and suffered in order to our Salvation Heb. 10.7 Then I said Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me To do thy will O God When Christ saw the Fathers heart was set on the Salvation of man and that for that end the Father was willing Christ should undertake the cause and business of their Salvation Christ was as willing as the Father was and he saith Lo I come to do thy will Hence is it that the Counsel of Peace is said to be between them both Zac. 6.13 The Father to speak after the manner of men propounds and the Son consents so that the Son who was free and disingaged in himself brings himself under an obligation by his own free promise and stipulation Hence it is that Christ becomes the Head of the second Covenant the second Adam and all the Elect are his seed and Christ undertakes for them Isa 53.10 2. Christ brought himself under obligation to the Law by his own voluntary assumption of our nature for that end that he might become subject to the Law in it This the Apostle sets forth at large Phil. 2.6 He was in the form of God and counted it no robbery to be equal with God but he made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient Here are two things by which the Apostle sets forth the greatness of Christs Condescension 1. That he being in the form of God and who might have continued in the form of God only yet that he was pleased to take upon him the form of a servant and become true man this is one part of his condescension The other part of his condescension is that he would take upon him the form of a servant and become man for this very end that he might become obedient and that he might perform all the acts of obedience in the humane nature assumed Christ was not bound to take our nature at all but he might have continued always in the form of God only or if he will take our nature he was not bound to take it in that servile way so as to be bound to all acts of obedience but here was the greatness of Christs condescension as he will take our nature so he will take it for that end that in our nature he may obey and fulfil the Law for us And therefore it is emphatically expressed in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Factum seu redactum sub lege He was made obedient and so in the Text He was made under the Law Christ was made or reduced under the Law so some render it Christ was reduced to that state and condition as to be in a state of subjection to the Law whereas he was naturally above it Christ was made or reduced under this power and authority of the Law by his own free consent whereas naturally the Law had no such power or authority over him 3. The third and last Proposition is this For Christ to be under the Law is to be under the Judirisction of the Law and to be actually subject to it Christ having put himself under the obligation of the law the law hath full power and authority over him and the law requires perfect and exact obedience from him as it doth from any other man and Christ doth now stand bound and obliged to yield and perform that obedience which the law requires Hence Christ is called Isa 42.1 the Fathers servant he is said to love the Father to do and keep the Fathers commandments Joh. 14.31 15.10 Christ as man was under a law of love and obedience to his Father he was also subject to his Parents after the flesh he submitted to the Baptism of John and gives this reason for it Thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness Mat. 3.15 Christ being made man becoming our surety and being made under the law for us was bound to all the moral Duties which the law requires and so to fulfil all righteousness for us And the reason of it is If Christ had left any thing undone that the law requires of us then there had been so far a defect in that which was to become our righteousness for the obedience of Christ was to be the matter of our righteousness Rom. 5.19 By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous The law accepts of nothing but a perfect compleat righteousness therefore if Christ had left any thing to be done that the law requires to be done there had been so far a defect in that which must be our righteousness for Justification therefore Christ was obliged to all that obedience which the law required from us 2. I come now to the second thing to shew wherein the greatness of the love of Christ doth appear and discover it self in his being made under the Law I shall lay down several Propositions for the clearing of this 1. The love of Christ in being made under the law appears in this In that Christ in respect of his Original right was free from all subjection to the law Christ in respect of his person and his Divine nature was above the law Christ as he was God was Supreme and the Author of the law as he was the second person in the Trinity so he was equal to the Father and of equal authority with him It is true the humane nature in Christ was a creature and therefore in a state of subjection as every creature must necessarily be supposed to be But then we must consider that although the humane nature of Christ be a creature and considered simply so is in a state of subjection yet Christ in respect of his Original right is free from all subjection And this may be evidenced from these following Considerations 1. Although it be true that the humane nature in Christ be a creature yet the humane nature hath its subsistence in and by that person who is Divine and increated And hence is it that the Schoolmen do deny that Christ is to be called a Creature There is a
the second Person in Trinity was conjoyned with the flesh and it was his own flesh that he gave for the life of the world Hence is that speech of Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas That very flesh was not the flesh of any other person but it was the flesh of the Word himself And the same Athanasius hath another expression to the same purpose They do erre saith he who say that there was another Son which did suffer and another which did not suffer for there was not another besides the Son of God who underwent death and sufferings for us The Word the second Person in Trinity was conjoyned with the flesh Though the flesh only was capable of suffering yet the Word was in conjunction with the flesh therefore our Saviour saith It is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Joh. 6. It was his own flesh and not the flesh of any other To illustrate and confirm this yet farther we ought to consider that in the sufferings of Christ there was the voluntary humiliation of that great Person who was God as well as man He who was in the form of God emptied himself taking on him the form of a servant and he humbled himself and became obedient to the death even the death of the Cross Phil. 2.6 7. Here are two Acts spoken of 1. His emptying himself 2. His humbling himself His emptying himself was discovered in his Incarnation and taking on the form of a servant His humbling himself was seen in his sufferings and in the work of his Satisfaction in being obedient to death even the death of the Cross Not but that his Incarnation was also a part of his humbling of himself but the Apostle speaks of these two distinctly He tells us That he who was in the form of God emptied himself taking on him the form of a servant and he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Now both these Acts of his his humbling and his emptying himself they are the Acts of the Person they are the acts of that Person who was in the form of God It was he who being in the form of God who emptied himself by taking upon him the form of a servant and it was he that was in the form of God that humbled himself and became obedient to the death even the death of the Cross So that in the Satisfaction of Christ we ought to consider more than the bare oblation of the humane nature we ought to consider the conjunction of the Word the second Person in Trinity with the flesh and we ought to consider the voluntary humiliation of that glorious Person the Son of God who being in the form of God did not only stoop so low as to come into our nature but being in that nature humbled himself so far as to become a Sacrifice for us I say in the Sacrifice of Christ we ought to consider the will of the Person who being God as well as man there was the condescension of the Divine will as well as the concourse of his humane will The Son of God being in our nature voluntarily offers himself in that nature as a Sacrifice for our sins 4. The fourth Particular to be spoken to is this The form of Christs Satisfaction and that consists in this That Christ made a full compensation to the Justice of God for the sins of his people There are three things that concur to make up this 1. That Christ suffered the substance of what we ought to suffer Hence it is said That Christ suffered for us 1 Pet. 2.21 And The chastisement of our peace was upon him Isa 53. And By his stripes we are healed 1 Pet. 2.24 The stripes that should have been laid upon us were laid upon Christ so that Christ suffered the substance of what we ought to suffer The Law pronounced a Curse upon all the transgressors of it Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Now Christ was made a curse for us Gal. 3.10 If Christ did not suffer the whole punishment due to us for our sins then that part of the punishment which he did not suffer remains still for us to be suffered for this is certain Not one iota or tittle of the Law shall pass away till all be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 The whole preceptive part of the Law must be fulfilled the minatory or threatning part of the Law must be fulfilled Therefore if there be any part of that punishment which the Law would inflict upon us not undergone it remains to be fulfilled by us But now Christ hath redeemed us from the whole Curse of the Law Gal. 3.10 Therefore Christ hath born the punishment that we ought to undergo but of this more hereafter 2. Christ hath suffered what Divine Justice could demand otherwise there was not a full compensation to Divine Justice But now this is the excellency of Christs Satisfaction that in the Satisfaction of Christ there is as much given as Divine Justice could demand Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood The scope of the Apostles argument tends to this That it is a righteous thing with God to forgive sins when he hath received satisfaction for them Now if the compensation had not been perfect that was given the Righteousness of God had not so much appeared in the forgiveness of sins but God having received a full compensation having received whatever Divine Justice could require at the hand of Christ now he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins It being therefore a part of Gods Justice to give remission of sins to as many as Christs Satisfaction is applied it is a certain sign Christ hath suffered as much as Divine Justice could demand or require 3. Lastly Christ having suffered the substance of what we were to suffer and Christ having suffered what Divine Justice could demand God is perfectly pleased and satisfied in what Christ hath suffered and hath nothing more to lay to the charge of his people Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed When the debt is fully paid the Creditor hath full satisfaction he desires no more Thus Christ having fully discharged our debt God expects no more from us to answer his Justice he is fully satisfied in what Christ hath done that is the fourth thing in the description 5. The fifth and last thing is this What the effects of Christs Satisfaction are and they are three 1. The averting and turning away of Gods wrath 2. The purchase of pardon of sin 3. The procuring of eternal life for us 1. One effect of Christs Satisfaction was the averting and turning away of Gods wrath God is highly offended and displeased with us as we are sinners Sin
is it said Every one That so Christ himself saith he might not be excluded Christ who was blessed in his own Righteousness was yet accursed for our sins The curse prevailed so far as to take away Christs life to separate his soul from his body It is true the curse could not prevail so far as to separate either from his person to separate his soul or his body from his person the Person of the Son of God the second Person in Trinity remained united to the soul and body of Christ even when his body and soul were separated each from other and it is our greatest happiness that it was so viz. that the curse could not reach the Person of Christ if I may so express it that is reach his Person so as to dissolve the Union of the two Natures for if the curse could have reached the Person of Christ in the sense I am now speaking of that is if the curse could have extended it self to the Person of Christ so as to dissolve the Union of the two Natures this would have made the death of Christ ineffectual if death could have dissolved the personal Vnion Christs death would have been no more than the death of a meer man of a just man and so his death could not have been meritorious and have satisfied for the sins of the world But though the curse could not take hold of Christs Person so as to dissolve the union between his Person and our nature yet the curse took hold of our nature united to Christs Person The curse did prevail so far as to separate his humane soul from his body To understand this a little more clearly let us consider the Divine nature in Christ was above the Law and above the curse the curse could not reach his Divine nature it could not possibly hurt that but now Christ having assumed our nature and voluntarily made himself subject to the Law and to the curse in our nature the Law hath to do with our nature in Christ We being under sin and under the curse the curse had dominion over us therefore the Apostle tells us That sin reigned unto death Rom. 5.21 Now Christ being our Surety and the Law finding our nature in Christ and that Christ had transferred the guilt of our sins upon himself the Law armed with the curse deals with Christ as a sinner and it proceeds so far as to make the utmost breach upon our nature that it can it rends his holy soul from his pure body And thus for a time the curse seems to triumph over our nature as it stood in Christ Hence is that of the Apostle Rom. 6.9 Christ being dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him This plainly intimates that death and the curse had dominion over Christ for a time and the curse proceeded so far as to the extinction of his natural life his soul was separated from his body though the union between the two natures was not dissolved I come to the third and last Particular and that is this How it was possible for this to be Christ was most blessed in himself how then was it possible for him thus to be made a curse The curse implies anger wrath displeasure in him that pronounceth and inflicts it as hath been shewn how then was it possible for Christ to suffer the wrath of God that was always beloved of God To this several things are to be answered 1. Consider Christ in himself and so he was always beloved of God Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Isa 42.1 Behold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth And Christ as he was man had more titles than one to his Fathers love 1. Christ had a title to his Fathers love as his Humanity is taken into so near a relation to the natural Son of God The humane nature in Christ is made one in person with the natural Son of God so that there is not another subsistence of the second Person in Trinity and the humane nature but there is one subsistence to the second Person in Trinity and to the humane nature therefore the humane nature being taken in as it were to have its subsistence in the person of the natural Son of God being taken into the unity of the same person must needs be beloved of the Father upon that account above all creatures 2. Christ is beloved of the Father as he is a just and an innocent person and he must needs be beloved of the Father upon that account Isa 46.8 The Lord loveth the righteous Christ being a just and a righteous pâ—â—son the Father could not but love him as considered in himself 3. The Father loved Christ upon the account of his obedience Joh. 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life for my sheep and in the next verse This commandment have I received of my Father Christ obeying his Father in laying down his life for his sheep is one title he hath to his Fathers love therefore consider Christ in himself so he was always beloved of the Father 2. Christ suffered the wrath of God as he was our Surety and as he stood in our stead 1 Pet. 4.1 Christ hath suffered for us 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ hath once suffered for sin the just for the unjust This is a clear Text Christ was a just person in himself and as he was a just person so he was always beloved of God and could not but be beloved of him But now as he that was a just person in himself gave himself to suffer for the unjust so it was that he bare the wrath of God The wrath of God was due to the unjust Tribulation and anguish indignation and wrath upon every soul of man that doth evil Rom 2. Therefore if the just will suffer for the unjust in their room and stead he must then suffer what they must have suffered It is a true speech of Austin Mors Christi fuit conditionis non criminis Aug. The death which Christ underwent was not in respect of any crime or offence that he himself had committed but it was in respect of the condition that he brought himself into that is Christ suffered the wrath of God not for any crime or offence of his own but in the condition of a Mediator because of our sins Hence is it said That he was delivered up for our offences Rom. 6. ult So in that of the Prophet Isa 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him Christ took upon him the discharge and payment of our debt therefore though he was always beloved of God in himself yet as personating and representing us who were sinners so it was that he sustained the wrath of God All we like sheep have gone astray saith the Prophet and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Isa 53.6 We
this great Person who is our High Priest sanctifies his Sacrifice by the dignity of his person he is the Son of God not a meer man as the Levitical Priests were and by the dignity of his own person puts the highest value upon the Sacrifice which he offered Hence is that expression in vers 27. Who needed not daily as those high Priests to offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people for this he did once when he offered up himself Christs one Sacrifice was of more value than all the multitude of the Sacrifices offered by the Levitical Priests Why so He offered himself up saith the Apostle The reason why Christs Sacrifice was beyond all theirs was because he offered himself Christ was both the Priest and the Sacrifice He offered up himself so saith this Text and Heb. 1.3 it is said That by himself he hath purged away our sins It was the Son that was the Priest offering and it was the Son that was the Sacrifice that was offered For though it were the humane nature of the Son only that was capable of suffering and dying yet the person of the Son was conjunct with the Humanity in the sufferings of the humane nature Hence is that expression of Leo Verbo inviolabili non separato à carn◠passibili Leo. The inviolable Word that is the Son of God the second Person in Trinity who was inviolable and impassible was not separated from his passible flesh in the time of his suffering And another of the Ancients expresseth himself to this purpose and it is a memorable passage The Son of God that he might shew that he was not absent from the Temple of his body in the time of his Passion but that he was present with it in his suffering therefore it was that as he was God by the power of his Divinity at the same time when he suffered in his flesh he caused darkness to come over the Sun brake the rocks in pieces and raised the dead So that though it was the flesh that suffered yet God was personally united to that flesh that suffered Hence is that 1 Pet. 4.1 Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh Now we ought to turn the eye of our faith upon this great Person the Son of God transacting all in our nature It is true it was our nature in Christ that obeyed that suffered that dyed but still we ought to look upon it as influenced by the person of the Son of God who assumed it and did all in it and by it The humane will in Christ was governed by the Divine will yea the humane will in Christ was strengthened and corroborated by the Divine will In the work of Christs Satisfaction the Divine nature was the principal efficient cause the humane nature the less principal ministring or subservient cause as Divines speak Now this is a great relief unto faith that Christ in regard of the dignity of his Person is equal to him to whom the satisfaction is made For though in respect of his humane nature he be inferiour to the Father and the Father is said to be greater than he Joh. 14.28 yet in respect of his Divine nature he is equal with the Father Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and this was the Word that took flesh and gave his flesh for the life of the world The same was with God in the beginning he was with God in the same equality of Power Glory and Majesty he was in the form of God and counted it no robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2.6 Now this is a great relief to faith the person who tenders the satisfaction is of equal Power Majesty and Glory with him to whom the satisfaction is tendered This may greatly comfort such as are distressed in conscience Great indeed is the person offended by thy sins O but great is the person tendering the satisfaction the person offended is God and the person who makes the satisfaction is God as well as man Consider that Text Joh. 10.18 No man taketh my life from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again Divinitas filii est quae ponit rursus animam hominis quem serebat c. It is the Divinity of the Son that doth lay down and take again his life as he was man 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God that he laid down his life for us Christ as he was man had power over his own life as he was man no meer man hath power over his own life but his life is under the dispose of God but Christ being God as well as man had the dispose of his own life and therefore as he was God he laid down his life as he was man The end of the thirteenth Sermon SERMON XIV Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends I Come now to the sixth Direction which is this If we would make use of the Sufferings and Satisfaction of Christ so as to draw down the virtue and benefit of them to our own souls we must lay the stress of our faith upon Christ and rely entirely upon the virtue of that eternal Sacrifice of his This was shadowed forth under the Law in the day of atonement the Priest was to lay both his hands upon the head of the live-goat Lev. 16.21 This the Priest was to do in the name of the people by this sign discharging them as it were and laying all their sins upon the beast which was a figure of Christ Whoever brought his Sacrifice under the Law was to lay his hand on the head of the Sacrifice Lev. 1.4 Now this Rite of laying the hand on the head of the Sacrifice as it did carry in it a tacite confession of guilt as hath formerly been shewn so also there was in it a profession of faith an expectation of pardon and atonement in the virtue of the Sacrifice that was to be offered up The man that brought his offering was to lay or impose his hand upon it himself while it was yet alive thereby disburdening himself of sin as it were and laying it on the Sacrifice and thereby testifying his faith in Christ the true Sacrifice that was to be slain for him Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Christ calls all such as are weary and heavy laden with the guilt of their sins to come to him and lay the burden of the guilt of their sins on him The Jewish Writers tell us That he that did impose or lay his hand on the head of the Sacrifice was to do it with all his might he was to lay both his hands upon the beasts head and what doth this teach us but that our
great thing for God to become man but it was a greater thing for that person who was God to put himself into the nature of man to dye for man Joh. 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven and the bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Christ is said to come down from Heaven by his Incarnation when the Son of God took our nature into unity of person with himself this was his coming down from Heaven Now that the Word as he is called Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the Word that the Word the second Person in Trinity should not only assume flesh but give that flesh for the life of the world this was the highest demonstration of love Hence is that expression of the Apostle 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby preceive we the love of God that he lay down his life for us As if he should say This is the most illustrious and glorious manifestation of the love of God to us that that Person who was God laid down his life for us He that was God by nature took up the humanity in a voluntary way of condescension and having voluntarily taken up our nature voluntarily laid down the life of his humanity for us It was not possible for him to lay down the life of his Divinity but that Person who was God took up the humane nature and in that nature laid down the life of his humanity for us This is that which sets forth the greatness of Christs love that he should lay down his life for us What more contrary or unsuitable to the Nature of God than sin suffering and death and yet Christ who was God as well as man God and man in one person although he had no sin of his own no sin inherent in him yet was he content to be accounted a sinner He was numbered among the transgressors as the Prophet speaks Isa 53. yea He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Christ also who was above suffering and death exposed himself to suffering and death for us He tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 Thus was the Son of God pleased out of the greatness of his love to us to put himself as it were out of Heaven into Hell and to descend from the height and top of happiness to the lowest degree of misery and abasement He humbled himself saith the Apostle and became obedient to the death even the death of the cross This Doctrine of the Cross is the greatest stumbling-block and offence to carnal reason to hear of a crucified God to hear that he that was to be the Saviour of the world should suffer and dye this is that which carnal reason cannot away with 1 Cor. 1.23 We preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness A crucified Saviour was the great stumbling-block to the world and yet that which was accounted foolishness by the men of the world was the Wisdom of God to save the world by it This I say was the lowest degree of Christs humiliation or exinanition that the Lord of glory should expose himself to suffering and death for our sakes this is commonly expressed in that Article of our Faith That Christ descended into Hell When we say that Christ descended into Hell we are not to understand any local descension as if Christ did descend into the place of the Damned thus indeed Bellarmine and some others have understood that Article of a local descension but by Christs descending into Hell we are to understand the lowest degree of his humiliation his descending into a state of mortality and death first being content to put himself into a passible and mortal state who himself had been impassible and immortal and then actually undergoing suffering and death for us Eph. 4.9 That he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth What are those lower parts of the earth into which Christ descended Compare it with Acts 2.27 Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell that is thou shalt not leave it in the grave So that Christs descending into the lowest parts of the earth is his descending into the grave Christ indeed suffered the pains of Hell but we do not read he descended into Hell locally and Christ suffered the pains of Hell in this life as I had occasion to shew heretofore But his soul did not locally descend into Hell no his soul was taken into Paradise This day saith Christ to the repenting Thief shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thou shalt be with me that is as a Learned man understands it thy humane soul shall be with my humane soul in Paradise Christ as to the presence of his Divinity is every where therefore when he speaks of his being in Paradise this is most properly to be understood of his humane soul that his humane soul was to be in Paradise Christs descending into Hell therefore notes his descending into the state of the dead which was the completion of all his sufferings and the lowest state of his humiliation 2. The love of Christ in his sufferings and in the work of his Satisfaction appears in this That we were the offending persons and Christ a person most innocent It was we that had done the wrong and injury unto God and yet Christ who had not committed the least offence was content to suffer for us Isa 53.6 All we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all So in vers 9 10. He had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him Hence also is that of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ suffered for sin the just for the unjust Christ who was a just and an innocent person gave himself to suffer for us who were the unjust and nocent persons yea which is much more admirable Christ who was one of the persons offended unto whom the wrong and injury was done he comes to suffer and bear the punishment for them that had committed the offence The injured person is content to bear the punishment for them who had done him the wrong and injury Sin is an offence against all the Persons of the Trinity for as all the Persons of the Trinity have but one Essence one Majesty one and the same Will so sin strikes at all the Persons and is an offence against all because it is one and the same common Divinity that is offended in all and yet the Son of God who is one of the Persons of the Trinity and had received wrong and injury from men by reason of their sins was pleased to take upon him the nature of man and to bear the punishment which man had deserved for his offence against himself as well as against the other Persons Hence is it said
Christ as one God with the Father and the Spirit so Satisfaction is made to him Consider Christ as Mediator and so he is that Person that makes the Satisfaction Every sin is an offence committed against the Divine Majesty Now for as much as all the Trinity have the same Essence of the Divinity in them therefore we must of necessity suppose that when Satisfaction is made to one of the Persons Satisfaction is made to the other also because they have all one and the same Essence and it is the Divine Majesty that is offended in all The Son therefore the second Person in Trinity considered as God so Satisfaction is made to him as well as to the Father and the Spirit but now consider him as God-man and Mediator so he is the Person that makes the satisfaction and Christ considered as Mediator makes satisfaction to himself considered as God Hence are those expressions Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people Here we see how Christ hath redeemed and purified to himself a peculiar people So Eph. 5.7 That he might present it to himself a glorious Church Neither is it incongruous or improper to say that Christ hath made satisfaction to himself because amongst men one man doth not satisfie himself but one man makes satisfaction to another I say this is not incongruous or improper in respect of Christ and the reason is because Christ may be considered two ways 1. Christ may be considered in respect of his Divine Nature as he is one with the Father Hence it is said I and my Father are one Joh. 10.30 In this respect Christ is the Person offended Consider Christ in respect of his Divine Nature meerly so he is the Person offended 2. Christ may be considered as to his Office which he voluntarily undertook and so though he were the Person offended yet was he willing to take our nature and in that nature to become a Mediator between God and us by his own voluntary condescension so that the same Person after a different respect or consideration receives the satisfaction and also gave it Christ received the Sacrifice of Atonement considered as God he also offered the Sacrifice as Mediator as God-man in a way of voluntary condescension 2. Another thing that is to be laid down is this We say that Christs Satisfaction is one of his Mediatorial actions because there was the concourse of both the Natures in Christ in this work of his Satisfaction Christ is Mediator according to both Natures and in all the Mediatorial actions of Christ the Person acts in both Natures influencing each nature to do that which is proper to it self It is a known Rule in Divinity Vtraque Natura agit cum communione alterius Each of the Natures in Christ acts with a communion of the other Nature The work of Satisfaction is neither accomplished by the Divinity without the Humanity neither is it performed by the Humanity without the influence and virtue of the Divinity The Divine Nature in Christ is the principal efficient cause and the humane Nature is to be considered as the ministring or subservient cause Joh. 6.63 our Saviour tells us That the flesh profits nothing it is the Spirit that quickens Although the actions and sufferings performed by him in his Humanity were the matter of his satisfaction yet it was the Divinity that gave virtue and efficacy unto all It is in the humane Nature that Christ obeyed suffered dyed but it is by virtue of the Divine Nature that his obedience becomes meritorious and his sufferings become satisfactory 2. We say in the description That the Satisfaction of Christ is one of his Mediatorial actions and particularly an act of his Priesthood To understand this we must consider that there were two things that did belong to the Office of the Priests under the Law 1. To offer Sacrifice 2. To pray and intercede for the People Christ therefore being made of God a High-Priest according to the order of Melchisedec Heb. 6.20 he also must have some Sacrifice to offer without a Sacrifice he could not be a Priest This the Apostle teacheth clearly Heb. 8.3 Every High-Priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices therefore it is of necessity that this man have something also to offer If Christ be a Priest he must have something to offer there must be some Sacrifice that he must offer 3. The third thing we have to inquire into is this What the matter of this satisfaction is for we say in the description Christ offers himself a Sacrifice for our sins I know it is commonly said That the humane Nature was the Sacrifice that was offered Now although this expression if rightly understood may be admitted because it is said Christ suffered in the flesh for us so we have the expression 1 Pet. 4.1 That for as much as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh that is in his Humanity it was by means of the humane Nature that Christ was capable of suffering and it was in that nature that he did suffer also we read that Christ had a body prepared for him and that body was offered up Heb. 10.10 By the which will we are sanctified by the offering up the body of Jesus once for all Yet notwithstanding this is evident that the Scripture when it speaks of the Sacrifice of Christ doth most commonly and frequently call it the Sacrifice of himself There are many Texts to this purpose Gal. 1.4 He gave himself for our sins Gal. 2.20 He gave himself for me Eph. 5.2 Christ hath loved us and given himself for us Eph. 5.25 Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people Heb. 1.3 When he had by himself purged our sins sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Heb. 7.27 This he did once when he offered up himself Heb. 9.14 By the eternal Spirit he offered himself without spot to God And he put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself And it is an emphatical Scripture 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ipsemet sui ipsius oblatione ut simul Sacerdos esset victima Beza in loc By all these expressions it appears that Christ himself was the Sacrifice we may not exclude either of the Natures in Christ in any of his Mediatorial actions Christ is our Mediator according to both Natures and he is Prophet Priest and King of the Church according to both Natures and in this work of his Satisfaction he gave himself according to both Natures For though it were the humane Nature only that was capable of suffering yet the Divine Nature was united to the humane nature in the time of Christs suffering The Word