eternall person Christ man is fitly called God and therefore in Christ man the God-head is said to dwell properly but Christ his humane nature may not be said to be God and therefore the God-head is not so fitly said to dwell in the humane nature as in the person denominated after it that is in Christ man It will be said if Christ rule in the midst of his enemies then it must follow that he is every where present But that is spoken of the person and not of the man-hood alone Psal 120. 2 and what is said of the person doth not necessarily belong to both natures And Christs dominion over all things doth not require his corporall presence with all things According to his divine nature he is every Joh. 8. 58. Christ in respect of his divine nature is every where present without addition and by the spirituall and effectuall presence of his body he entreth the soules and strengtheneth the hearts of all the faithfull by the power of his grace and truth of his promise Ephes 1. 22. Col. 2. 10. 1 Cor. 11. 3. Christ is the first-borne Col. 1. 18. Heb. 1. 2 4. and heire of all things 2 Cor. 4. 5. where present according to the effects of his providence wisdom power grace c. according to his humane nature he is essentially in heaven and now only in heaven but his dominion is over all things which doth not denote soveraignty power or omnipresence essentially divine but glory and Majesty next to divine as was said before The fift thing implied in Christs sitting at the right-hand of the Father is that in speciall he is the head of his Church The word Head is used sometime for one who in any kind is before or above other and in this large sence Christ is the Head of the Angels that is their ruler or governour one that is above them man is the Head of the woman Christ of man God of Christ But here it signifieth that Christ is so over his Church that he is in a more neare and communicative sort conjoyned with it as the head is with the body and members Looke as the King hath a more intimate and aimiable superiority over his Queen than over any other subjects so it is here in Christ our King whose dominion towards his Church who is his Spouse and Queen is more aimiably tempered and nearly affected then is his government over any other Christ hath taken the selfe same holy and spirituall nature with his Church standing as well of that which is outward and sensitive as of that which is inward and intellectuall The faithfull are united to him here by knowledge of faith and love such as Christ himselfe by his Spirit begettetâ— in them as hereafter by glorious light and love He doth communicate unto them that whole life of grace and glory which they have or shall receive direct and move them outwardly by his signifying will and inwardly by sending his Spirit which moveth with efficacy to that which he sheweth and followeth them with aides inward and outward least their faith should be prevailed against Though betwixt the faithfull and Christs naturall body there be a bodily distance yet the Spirit which commeth from Christ doth so joyne them with him that nothing commeth twixt him and them The same life of grace for kind which is in Christ is in every faithfull soule as fire Caro Christi noâ— vivificare dicitur quatenus pro mundi vitâ— data est fide a nobis manducatur hoc est per modum merite simul ejusmodi efficaciae quae Mediatoris personae propriè conveniat Regnat ubique Deus homo divina humana voluntaâ—e ac nutu Filius vivit propâ—â—r Patrem Joh 6. 57. Fâ—lius à Patre habet aeternam increatam vitam ut homo quoque ab codem beatam creâ—tam vâ—â—am habetiut Mediator vitam beatam nobis carnis suae troditione in mortem acquisivit divina sua virtue in nobis effccit Gal. 3. 14. See Field of the Church 1â— 5. cap. 16. Sobin art 3. de person Christ p. 316. Petimus ut Christus nobis velit dare spiritam idqueâ—am humana quam divina sua voluatate tamen non petimus ut secundum humanam naturam ab ipso procedat incorda nostra Sp S seu ut humana per ipsum operetur nam etiam processio Sp. S. operatio perâ—psum est proprium Dei talis opus alterum ad intra alterum ad extra sed ut etiam humana voluntate velit hanc operationem Dei tatis suae in nobis Heb. 1. 6. Ps 9. 7. Phil. 2. 10. Rò 14. 11. Isa 45. 23 Joh. 5. 22. Psal 2. 12. Joh. 3. 15 16 17 18 36. Joh. 6 29 12. 36. Joh. 14. 1. Rom. 15. 12. Mat. 12. 21. Act 7. 50 60. 2 Joh. 3. Rev. 1. 4 5. Ro. 1. 7. Syr. 1 Co. 1. 3. 2 Co. 1 2. Gal. 1. 3. Ephes 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. â— kindled fire kindling is of the same nature And Christ having fulnesse of grace and glory for all his he cannot be but most ready to communicate with them every thing for their good Christ is the Head of his Church both as God and man our Mediatour For did not the divine nature which is the fountaine of all life naturall and supernaturall dwell with this man or humane nature we could not be enlightned or quickned by it He that eateth my flesh saith Christ hath life in him not that this nature of it selfe can doe these things but because the Deity dwelleth with it and by it as by an instrument joyned personally with it doth properly and efficiently worke these things The omnipotent power of creating spirituall graces is not in the humane nature nor the omnipotent actions which doth produce them doe or can proceed from the humane nature but they are in God only and from God in and with the humane nature working to the same effects according to its property Christs humane nature hath both understanding and will whereby he worketh and is an internall instrument united within the person of God the Son as a part of his person in a sort yea more neerly but these divine works which Christ the Mediatour worketh the chiefe vertue and action which properly effecteth them is in God not communicated really with the other nature though it doth worke them in this humane nature with it yea and by it as a most nearly conjoyned instrument which within the person of God the Son hath his proper actions concurring in an inferiour degree of efficiency to that which the divine nature properly and principally worketh God worketh graces Christ man worketh the same the divine nature createth them and infuseth them into this or that man through Christ man being as a common conceptacle or conduit-pipe The humane nature worketh them not by powerfull creating them but by taking away sin and the cause that so way
God manifested in the flesh But here it is to be noted that the Scripture speaketh of worship which is graciously communicated of the Father to Christ as Mediatour and not simply of that which is given unto him as the only begotten Sonne of God As God Phil. 2. 9. Jâ—h 5. 26. hath exalted him so he hath graciously communicated this honour and dignity of worship unto him as God and man The adoration of Christ may be considered two wayes either as it doth respect Chemnit harm cap. 46. the essentiall properties of the God-head alone or the properties of both natures and the office of Christ If it respect the properties of the God-head alone adoration is predâ—cated of the person denominated from either or both natures and is understood to be true of that person according to the divine nature as the essential properties themselves are understood to be true of that persoÌ„ according to the divine nature But if adoration respect the properties of both natures and the office of Christ it is spoken of the person according Solmius art 3. de person Christ pag. 3. 6. to both natures and is understood to be true but the difference of both natures being kept For we aske blessings of Christ God and man in performing whereof we desire and understand that he doe what is proper to the Deity according to the Divine and proper to the humanity according to the humane nature For as the office so adoration respecting the office doth not take away the difference of natures that is doth not confound or equall the natures or the properties of the natures So we crave of God that he would intercede for us which he doth according to both natures because Intercession is the office of the whole person which parts in this office he performes one way according to his Deity another according to his humanity and so of the rest CHAP. IIII. How Christ doth bring his people into Covenant or fellowship with himselfe CHrist being appointed of the Father the King and Head of his Church and after a most excellent manner thereunto annointed and advanced of the Father and having subjects given unto him it cannot be but he must have his Kingdome and subjects He is a King as in personall right so in act He hath his Kingdome and territories wherein he exerciseth his regall power He is a King as to punish enemies so to feed and governe his people Joh. 17. 6. which are given unto him to be made obedient unto his Scepter The way whereby Christ enters upon his kingdome is ever by Conquest For though the soules of the Elect are his given by free donation purchased with a great price yet his enemies have Psal 68. 28. Rom. 8. 7 8 10. Joh. 3. 5 6. As for the works of the Spirit the fruits of faith c. if he have any at all in him they proceed only of the holy Ghost Hom. 2. part for W 〈…〉 s the first possession which must be cast out by strong hand and his people themselves by nature rebellious unwise disobedient untill they be subdued and brought into subjection High imaginations must be abated and proud rebellious lusts battered and beaten downe before Christ come to rule and reigne in the soule The conversion of the nations to the faith of Christ is made by an holy warre destruction and desolation wherein the King of kings fighteth against subdueth and bringeth under the disobedient which formerly did rise up against him But this wasting or desolation is not the losse of temporall life or spoiling of corporall goods or any outward desolation which is seen with the eyes or heard with the eares but a most happy desolation whereby pride and haughtinesse of minde is depressed and the minde lifted up to things above the power of the flesh is quelled and the Spirit doth gather strength the edge of vices is dulled and all kinde of vertue doth bud and blossome and where the flesh did rule the Spirit doth rule But what then doth Christ compell men to subject themselves unto him In no sort but of unwilling he makes them willing totally or throughly willing The people of Christ are free and Psal 110. 2. Exod. 35. 21. 2 Chro. 30. 8. Joh. 6. 45. Isai 55 5. 1 Chron. 28. 9. voluntary who offer themselves willingly unto the Lord and yeeld themselves unto his service Therefore they are said to come unto Christ to runne unto him to serve him with a perfect heart and a willing minde Men are gathered into the Kingdome of Christ by effectuall holy vocation whereby Christ doth not only invite them by his Word to repent and beleeve but by his Spirit doth assuredly bring 2 Tim. 1. 9. them unto himself or unto the participation of the Covenant of mercy Vocation according to the purpose of God is free not Rom. 8. 28. depending upon any precedent condition on our part required or whereby we are fitted or prepared to receive grace offered nor upon the good use of any naturall gift vouchsafed Justification is of grace by faith in Christ and so is Salvation but Vocation is of free grace without any condition at all It is not of him that Rom. 9. 16. willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy who of his rich mercy quickneth them that are dead in sinne and Eph. 2. 4 5. Isai 65. 1 2. Mat. 11. 25 26. saith Behold me to them that inquire not after him and hideth the great things of the Gospell from the wise and prudent but revealeth them unto babes according to that good pleasure of his will Thus Abraham was called when he served other gods Josh 24. 2. Act. 9. 6. Matt. 9. 9. and Paul when he breathed out threatnings against the Saints and Matthew when he sate at the receipt of custome The persons called into fellowship with Christ are all and only they that are given unto him of the Father To these Christ Mat. 11. 27. Rev. 3. 20. Joh. 10. 11 15 16. Joh. 17. 9 20. Joh. 10. 28. and 17. 2. revealeth the Father these open unto Christ and he commeth unto them for them he hath laid downe his life they shall heare his voyce for them he hath prayed that they might beleeve through the Word and unto them he will give eternall life The Subjects called in the Kingdome of grace or under the new Covenant are Jewes and Gentiles both neere and farre off but specially the Gentiles when the Jewes were broken off Matt. 8. 11 12. Act. 2. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idem est quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constat enim praepâ—sitionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ejusmodi adverbiis adjunctam saepè vacare taliâ— junt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 staâ—â— subitò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adbuc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semel Act. 17. 30. and 28. 28. and 13. 46 47. Rev. 5. 9. for a time Many shall come from the
shall be joyned to the Lord in that day and shall be my people and I will dwell in the midst of them and thou shalt know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me unto thee The Prophets describe the Psal 11. 1. Messiah to be the Sonne of David and Davids Lord The Lord said unto my Lord The Chaldee hath it The Lord said unto his Psal 110. 1. Word namely the Messiah or Christ who is the eternall Word of God by whom he made and doth conserve all things And in other places the Paraphrasts put the Word of God for God or Lord and that sometimes when the second person in Trinity is not necessarily to be understood and Isai 1. 14. my soul Targ. my word Jer. 1. 8. I am with thee Targ. my word Isai 45. 17. By the Lord. Targ. By the word of the Lord. Gen. 3. 8. The voice of the Lord. Targ The voice of the word of the Lord or the word the Lord Gen. 22 15 1â— I have sworne by my selfe Targ By my word Psal 103. 13. The Lord. Targ. The word of the Lord. Psal 16. 1. In thee Chald. In thy word Psal 103. 18. The Lord hath Targ. The word of the Lord. Gen. 31. 24. God came to Laâ—an Targ. The word came So Gen. 20. 3. Gen. 28. 15. I will be with thee Targ. my word shall be thy help Hos 1. 7. I will save them by the Lord their God Chald. I will redeeme them by the word of God their Lord. sometimes the word or promise they so render as Psal 119. 76. According to thy word unto thy servant where the Chaldee hath Memar And so Psal 130. 5. And in thy Word or promise I trust But if the second person be not ever meant by the word of God as the Paraphrast useth it yet certainly in many places it must be so understood and that this word was to be incarnate was most certainly fore-told Psalm 102. 11 26. Heb. 1. 10. For the very literall meaning of the Psalmist will enforce thus much that this place was to be meant of God not simply or absolutely but of God incarnate For the eternall duration of the God-head is not measurable by daies or yeares but the incarnation of the Sonne of God or his duration in the flesh may be accounted by number of yeares for the time past yet are his yeares as man to continue without end without any decay or diminution of that nature which he assumed And Psal 68. 19. Psal 103. 13 14 15 16 17. Tit. 3. 3 4 5 6 7. if out of any one place of the Psalmes where he doth intreat of the deliverance of the Church it doe appeare that the Messiah is true and very God by the same reason wheresoever he speaks of the deliverance of the Church God and the Messiah shall be the same But it is most certaine in sundry passages he that is God is also the Messiah And for that reason what is spoken of the mercy of God in the Psalme following may be understood not of the mercy of God absolutely or considered in the God-head only but the mercy of God to be incarnate to be made King and Judge of the earth which may be cleared by the very letter and circumstance of the text For the expected comfort whereupon this Psalmist pitcheth is this The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens vers 18. and his Kingdome ruleth over all And this is that Kingdom and that throne which Daniel fore-told that God long after his time would erect Da. 2. 44. To be born of God what is it but to Joh. 1. 12 13. be born of immortall seed what is that immortal seed wherof St Peter saith we are born again but the flesh and bloud of the Son of Isai 40. 6 7 â— man who is also the Son of God whose flesh is meat indeed whose bloud is drinke indeed which nouâ—isheth us not to a bodily but to 1 Pet. 1. 23 14. a spirituall and immortall life which presupposeth an immortall seed We are begotten and borne againe by the preaching of the Word as by the instrument or meanes and by the the eternall word that is by Christ himselfe as by the proper and efficient cause of our new-birth Thus much St Peters words in that place will enforce us to grant according to the letter For having before declared that the word of God by which we are borne againe doth live and endure for ever he thus concludes and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you 1 Pet. 1. 25. Moses also and the Prophets did fore-tell that the Messiah or mercifull one or gracious Saint as he is called Psal 16. 10. should Psal 8. 6. Hâ—b â— 7. Psal 16. 10 Deut. 18. 15 16 17 18 19. Psal 110. 1 2 3. be made for a little time lower then Angels and after crowned with glory and honour and set over the works of the Lords hands that he should suffer death and rise againe be laid in the grave but not see corruption That he should be the great Doctour of the Church a Priest after the order of Melchisedech the King of Kings and Lord of Lords whom God would set upon his holy hill of Sion His death and resurrection Kingdome and Priesthood was prefigured by the Sacrifices and Serpent the Priest hood of Aaron and Kingdom of Israel But of these things more fully in the new Covenant This Covenant was made in Christ the promised Messiah in and through whom the faithfull obtained the blessings promised but according to the administration of this Covenant Moses was the Mediatour and herewith in this expression is embellished above the former The Law was ordained by Angels in the hand Lâ—v. 26 46. Deut. 5. 5. 27. 28. of a Mediatour Gal. 3. 19. that is by the labour and ministery of Moses which though some doâ—â—t of is yet confirmed from this that Christ reserves himselfe to be a Mediatour of a better Testament Heb. 8. 6. There is but one Mediatour true and spirituall scil Christ but Moses was a Mediatour only typicall The Mediation whereby men are truly and effectually united unto Christ cannot fall upon any person who is not endued with infinite power and vertue who is not God as well as man but the Mediation of Moses was of this use to shew what was the true manner of worshipping God but did not inspire force and power to follow it nor reconcile men to God but propound those things whence it might easily appeare that there is need of another reconciliation Moses an Israelite and part of that people with whom God made the Covenant was comprehended under the one part confederate but as he undertook the function of Mediatour imposed upon him of God he was not now simply an Israelite but a Mediatour interceding betwixt God and the people Israel that he might be a more illustrious type of Christ Moses was
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel Christs naturall Kingdome doth belong unto him as God coeffentiall and coeternall with the Father Christs dispensatory Kingdome is his by donation as Mediatour Matt. 18. 19. Rev. 1. 1. Dedit autem haec Iesu Christo quatenuâ— Medâ—atori nou ut coessentiali filio Joh. 17. 5. Haec ordinem magiâ— docent quo Deus cognitioneâ— Ecclesiâ— impertit quam origiâ—em scientiâ— respeâ—â—â—ilii Act 5. 31. He hath ordained him to be a Iudge of quick and dead Act. 10. 4â— He hath appointed him over his own house Heb. 3. 2 6. He hath crowned him and put all things in subjection under his â—â—it Heb. 2. 7 8. He hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name Phil. 2. 9. Therefore he calleth him my King set up by him upon his own holy hill and that in the vertue of a solemne decree Psal 2. 6 7. Therefore to sit on the right hand of the Father doth not note glory and dominion properly divine which doth belong to the Sonne as coessentiall and coeternall with his Father and is his by nature but glory and dominion next unto that which is essentially divine which belongeth to Christ as Mediatour and which is his not by nature but by donation and unction from his Father being made the Head of his Church a Prince of Peace and King of Righteousnesse This glory and dominion was given unto Christ and so was not that eternall glory naturall and essentiall which he had with his Father before the foundations of the world This glory Christ had not before his ascension into heaven but the other as it is naturall so it was from everlasting Saint Paul and Peter doe construe it by raigning immediately over every creature till the Mysterie of our redemption shall be finished 1 Cor. 15. 25. Psal 110. 1. The setting Christ in the throne of Majestie Heb. 1. 3. and 8. 1. and 12. 2. at the right hand of the throne of God the making of him Christ and Lord Act. 2. 35 36. and 5. 31. It is not then Si sessionenâ— Christi non pro jure tantum regende ecclesiae sed pro ipso regnandi actu accipiamuâ— cooperatio illo de qua agitâ—r parâ— ipsius sessionis rectè voâ—â—bitur Mart. de person Christ p. 11 87. Psal 110. 1. Joh. 5 27. the might of divine soveraignty over the creatures which is given unto him for this doth so follow the nature of God that it is necessary with every person that hath this nature This the Son could not relinquish this he cannot be taken unto as which doth necessarily agree to him as God blessed for evermore What is it then A right of executing immediately and in a manner appropriate to this person the soveraigne dominion of God over every creature This soveraignty is given to the person of the Sonne both as God and man now ascended as God for it is a power which none that is a pure creature can take or execute As man because it is given him now ascended into heaven with his humane nature and is to be executed by him as man for his man-hood doth concurre as an instrument working with his God-head in the administration of it The meaning then of this phrase is not to be admitted to Neque per ejusdem essentiae communicationem neque per physicam aliquam transfusionem seâ— transitionem â—e subjecto in subjectum sed per solam ejusdem personae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equality to the divine nature for this Christ ever had as God and could not but have neither to be admitted into the divine blessednesse setledly to injoy it for Christ as God ever had and could not but have that essentiall beatitude Neither doth it import thus much That the humane nature of Christ is elevated to this honour that it may freely use the divine Attributes omniscience omnipresence omnipotency so as to become by them omniscient omnipresent omnipotent no lesse properly then the divine though after a manner farre otherwise the divine nature being thus by naturall necessity the humane being thus by union with the divine by gracious communication of these unto it with liberty to Non essendo sed habendo non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non per naturam sed per gratiam non in seipsa sed persona 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. use them for the perfecting of it selfe So that according to this opinion the humane nature of Christ is made omnipresent with the omnipresency of the divine nature not as a thing subjectively inhering in it but so really communicated with it that it is made truly omnipresent by it though the divine Attribute never goe forth of the nature of God in which as the proper subject they grant it immoveably inherent The ground of this errour is that they suppose upon the union of the two Vrsin tom 2. de lib Concord cap. 8. p. 598. Inseparabilis unio non inducit coextensionem duarum in Christo naturarum quippe quarum una finita est altera infinita Tâ—tâ— Christâ—â— sed non totum Christi est ubique Sicut caro habet immensitatem i. arctè câ—pulata est immenso verbo non minus verbum habet finitionem i. arctè unitum est carni fiaitae Martia de person pag 637. Dici de â—liquo requirit inesse ergo si verè praedicaâ—tur de humana natura verè etiam eideâ— inesse â—pâ—rtet sive per naturam sive per gratiam sive ut in subjecto primario sive secundariâ— natures in Christ a reall communication of divine Properties to follow as that the humane nature is made truly omnipotent or omniscient not by any confusion of Properties nor yet by any bare communion and concourse of it to the same effect each nature working that which belongeth to it with communion of the other but by a reall donation by which the divine omnipotency doth so become the omnipotency of the humane nature that it may work omnipotently with it no lesse then the divine nature doth it selfe But the union cannot cause the humane nature partake more in the Properties of the divine then it causeth the divine partake in the Properties of the humane Againe if a true and reall communication did follow of divine attributes it must needs be of all as eternity and infinitenesse seeing these are the divine essence which can no way be divided Beside in the union of soul and body which is personall the life of the soul is not communicated with the body but an effect of it only And to what end should created gifts serve when now more noble Properties doe enter Not to mention that infinite perfections cannot perfect finite natures no more then reasonable perfections can make perfect unreasonable creatures Finally this opinion maketh the divine Properties become instrumentary
every day impart unto his Church not as a materiall beginning but as an efficient In himselfe Christ shall ever have sufficiency and in respect of us perpetually redundance But the same wisdome and holinesse which Christ hath in himself he doth not infuse into us but he doth worke in us by his efficacie wisdome and holinesse answerable or proportionable in a sort Numb 11 25. With such gifts we are adorned as our head but not with so great 2 Pet. 1. 4. Christ is the annointed and doth annoint us but we are only annointed the redeemers of others we are not The fountaine of grace is in Christ alone the streame flowes to the faithfull but the streame is from the same fountaine though lesse then it Christ is annointed above his fellowes The things here compared are Gal. 4. 6. Psal 45 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chald. Plus seu amplius prae consortibus Vulg. prae particibus Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sym. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vox Gr. Heb sig participationem quamcunque rei alicujus pluribus communiâ— Heb. 7. 13. 2. 14. 1 Cor. 10. 21. Heb. 5. 13. 1 Cor. 9. 12. Christ and his fellowes and the meane wherein they are compared is the annointing for which the Lord is called Christ and we Christians together annointed not together annointing We are like to Christ and shall be liker unto him but equall in dignity we are not nor never shall be Concerning his office Christ hath no fellow he alone is Mediatour as concerning his person there is none in heaven or earth who dares to boast that he is the fellow of Christ But according to his humane nature the faithfull are his fellows whom he doth acknowledge for brethren Our union with Christ and the union of the humane nature with the Word differ in kind and in very deed but both these are freely effected of God and the one is like to the other although the one doe farre excell the other Christ is annointed as our head with most abundant grace we as his members in degree convenient for us The fulnesse of grace is of two sorts First in respect of the grace it selfe And secondly in respect of him that hath it The fulnesse of grace in respect of grace it selfe is then when one attaineth to the highest and uttermost of grace both quoad essentiam virtutem intensivè extensivè in the essence and vertue of it intensively and extensively that is when he hath it as farre forth as it may be had and to all effects and purposes whereunto grace doth or can extend it selfe as he is said to have life perfectly or the fulnesse of life that hath it not only in the essence but according to all the operations and acts of life sensitive intellectuall rationall spirituall and naturall This kind of fulnesse of grace is Tho. Sam. Tâ—eâ— par â— qu 7. Art 9. proper to Christ only The fulnesse of grace in respect of the subject or him that hath it is then when one hath grace fully and perfectly according to his estate and condition both intensively to the uttermost bound that God hath prefixed to them of such a condition and extensively in the vertue of it in that it extendeth to the doing and performing of all those things that may any way pertaine to the condition office or estate of such as are of his place and ranke Or we may say there is a fulnesse according to measure the fulnesse of a measure or vessell a fullnesse for themselves only a fulnesse of activity courage and resolution and so Luk. 1. 15. â— 55. Act. 6. 3. 1 King 7. 1â— John the Baptist Steven and others are said to be full of the holy Ghost of wisdome and understanding But fulnesse without measure like the fulnesse of light in the Sun or water in the sea which hath an unsearchable sufficiency and redundancy for the whole Church is proper to Christ alone So that as he was furnished with all spirituall endowments of wisdome judgement Eph. 4. 8. Isa 11. 2 61. 1. power love holinesse for the dispensation of his own office So from his fulnes did there run over a share and portion of all his graces unto his Church Certaine it is our Saviour from the very Col. 2. 3. Christ as man knows God more fully then all the creatures though not so fully as God is knowne of himselfe But the Apostle speaketh not of the man-hood of Christ only but of his whole person nor of his man-hood as in the time of his humiliation but of Christ now glorified In every age Christ had actually given him all such gifts as might fitly stand with the mysterie of his humiliation Luk. 2. 52. time that he tooke our nature was perfectly sanctified and received the Spirit above measure but the personall union did not endow the humane nature with the reall titles of the divine otherwise Christs strength as man should have been infinite from the wombe and his body should have been every where And it would be lesse unreasonable to say that his body is at this day infinite and his humane nature every where then that his wisdome or knowledge as man should have been infinite or as great whilst he was in the wombe as now it is If the divine nature did not communicate his infinity to the humane nor make the Son of God so compleate a man for strength or ability of body from the wombe as at thirty yeares he was what reason have we to imagine that our blessed Lord and Saviour did not as truly grow in wisdome and knowledge as he did in strength and stature of body Simple nescience can be no sin in any child nor in any man unlesse it be of those things which Tâ—â— fuit corpus unitum Dâ—â—tati quam anima Heb. 5. 8. Obedientiam didicit ex ijs quae passus est quam sc res ardua gravis sit in tam acâ—rba ignomâ—nâ—osa morte sufferenâ—a Deo parâ—re Mark 13 32. Maâ— 2â— â—9 he is bound to know but proficiency in wisdome and knowledge is to the Sons of men a praise-worthy perfection which must not be denied unto our Lord and Saviour in his infancy or his youth no more then he is to be robbed of any royall attributes now he is made King That he was without all staine of sin the most holy Sanctuary of the most holy and blessed God is stedfastly to be believed But that he had the same measure of knowledge at his circumcision which he had and gave proofe off when his Parents found him in the Temple or at his Baptisme as since his resurrection and ascension he hath this the Scripture testifieth not As man he was ignorant of the day of judgement which now in heaven he knowes as all other things pertaining to his office However therefore our Saviour had the habit of all knowledge from the beginning
execute this in such manner as the Sonne doth who hath received a right of executing immediatly and in a manner appropriat to his person the soveraigne dominion of God over every creature The Sonne by voluntary dispensation sent by the Father did emptie himselfe of exercising and shewing forth his right and dominion over every creature and the Father by voluntary dispensation doth resigne to the Sonne the immediate execution of all power over every creature till that time that all things be subdued under him This the Scripture doth lay downe as in regard of earthly powers Rev. 1. 5. they are subject for he is ruler of the Kings of the earth He hath this royall state written on his thigh as it were King of Kings Lord of Lords Rev. 19. 16. That he hath power over the Heb. 1. 4 6. col 2. 10. Angells is plaine both by the reverence they doe him and their obedience towards him Every knee boweth unto him the evill Angells yeeld signes of subjection either deceitfully to wrong ends or by force compelled though their state is such they cannot doe it religiously as the other And if Christ have power to send forth dispose of and imploy the Angells he hath power to take account how that he setteth them about is dischardged The evill Angells could not enter the Swine without his leave and they are subject to his judgement when the Saints shall judge the Angells what power hath Christ himselfe this way And as for the excellencies on earth they all receive their power from Christ and are at his dispose yea the Apostle saith He is crowned with glory and honour and all things are put under his feet Heb. 2. 7 8. Joh. 17. 2. Camer in Heb. 7 8. Par Ibid. Antithesis est inter Christi statuâ— sedentis aâ— dextram Patris expientu in cruce peccata nostra The Apostle speakes of that dominion which Christ received over all the creatures of God none excepted but if all things be subjected to the feet of Christ is not the humane nature every where No for the phrase in Scripture is not to be understood of subjection locall or corporall but imperiall sc that the man Christ is King of heaven and earth having all things subjected to his command This power and glory which Christ as man received is not infinite simply for then it should be the deity it selfe which he should not have had in the state of humiliation but the deity he had before not by habituall infusion but by personall union And if Christ by vertue of the hypostaticall union had received all fulnesse of the God-head that is all divine Properties as some interpret it it is not possible he should have received greater or more ample glory for greater then that which is infinite cannot be bestowed But the Scripture speaketh expressely that Christ as man was truly and really glorified or that he obtained that glory and Majesty which before he had not sc as man And if the humane nature be infinite or eternall of necessity the Incarnation of Christ and sitting at the right hand of the Father must be really the same if they be not abolished and the humane nature made equall unto if not the same with the divine The right hand of God absolutely considered must not so be interpreted as if it was all one with the phrase of sitting at the right hand of God For by the right hand of God is signified his power wisedome protection providence c. but by the other the exaltation of Christ and communication of Majesty and rule which he may exercise and shew forth every where without the omnipresence of his humane nature Neither are we to imagine that Christ hath all things or places or times so subjected to himselfe that he doth forth-with change their natures by this subjection Col. 1. 19. â— â— Vorst Deo placuerit in Christo â— per Christum iâ—habitare totam pleniâ—udinem be totam ecclesiam much lesse that he doth make them to be and not to be at the same time as to make all places to be one indivisible title or all times to be one point for so it should be divisible and indivisible the same and not the same together It is objected that the fulnesse of the God-head dwelleth bodily in Christ that is the whole essence Majesty and glory of God dwelleth in the humane nature And we are to conceive the person there spoken of sc the beloved Sonne as man as incarnate The reason is because the second person in Trinity the Sonne of Tota Dei plenitudo est universa Dei voluntas Majestas quatenus a nobis cognosci potest debet Id. Vrsin Vbi supra Pag. 601. Omnis plenitudo Deitatis inhabitat in Christo homine non sicut in alijs sanctu gratia tantum in habitationis seu assistentiae nec reali communicatione seu confirmatione seâ— reali unâ—one cum humanitare sic ut unitae sint duae naturae inseperabiliter personaliter 2 Cor. 6. 16. God absolutely considered hath all fulnesse not by voluntary dispensation but by naturall necessity in as much as the eternall Father never was nor could be without his eternall Sonne God with himselfe In Christ his person there is a threefold fulnesse the first fundamentall sc the fulnesse of the divine nature which doth personally dwell with that man-hood in Christ whence it comes to passe that this man is truly called God that is the manhood taken into fellowship of the selfe perfect and eternall person of the Sonne of God so that it is become as a part of his person The second is the fulnesse of office to which even Christ man is called For in regard of his humane nature now united to the second person he is man called to be the Christ of God that is annointed our Prophet Priest and King The third the fulnesse of created or habituall graces wherewith the soule of Christ is filled which are not divine properties for no created gift can be a Propertie divine but effects which the God-head worketh distinct from it as the soule giveth life to the body Now for the dwelling of all fulnesse in Christ man the latter two are in him subjectively the former that as the God-head doth dwell in Christ man not as in the Saints by relation of love and communion of the effects of it in grace nor as in the glorified Saints in regard of aboundant love manifested in the gift of glory nor any such simple cohabitation but it dwelleth in the manhood as with a nature which is taken to unity of person in the Sonne of God and so is through grace become of the substance of the second person So that Christ as man hath the second person of Trinity God with the Father and Spirit dwelling personally in it so that this manhood is essentially and substantially coupled with the deity in unity of one selfâ—-perfect and