The Substance of Christian Religion, Lecture 14
The fourteenth Lords day.
Mat. 1. 20.
But while he thought on these things, behold the Angell of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.
THese words contain a reason given by the Angell of the Lord, why Ioseph should receive his wife Mary. And the reason is, from removing the cause, for which Ioseph might have been induced to put her away. Now the cause was, that she appeared to be with child by another than her own husband. This cause is removed, by putting another unblamable cause in its place; and this cause is determined by the Angell to be the Holy Ghost. The effect then is placed with its causes in this enunciation. The effect then is Jesus Christ, as to his humane nature. The causes are two; to wit, the Holy Ghost, and the Virgin Mary. Mary is the efficient cause less principal, and supplier also of the material cause; but the Holy Ghost is the most principal and first cause, which brings the less principal efficient, and the material together into acting, for the production of this effect.
Doct. 1. Christ the Son of God took unto himself into the unity of his person, the nature of man truly such, together with the conditions of humane weakness.
This is taught in the Text. When it is said, In time a man born and begotten of a woman▪ it is but the same expressed in these words of the Creed, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary, &c. He might have assumed the nature of another creature, as of Angells; he might also have assumed mans nature in its greatest perfection, as Adam was made (who was never in propriety of speech) either conceived, or born an infant. But it was his pleasure to assume the nature of man truly such, and in this manner of sinless imperfections, and not of Angells.
Reas. 1. That he might do mans businesse and work; that is, make satisfaction for them, and save them.
Reas. 2. He would also take this our nature in its weak and low condition;
First, Because he would come down (as farre as could be without sin) into the same very place and condition, out of which he intended to lift us up higher.
Secondly, That by this means he might some way sanctify all the states and conditions of humane life, least any might imagine that any such low▪ estate separateth a man from communion with Christ.
Thirdly, That he might leave this to us in his own experience as a pledge of his knowledge and like sufferings and affections with us, from whence he might look upon our infirmities.
Use 1. Is of Information, for establishing our Faith on this behalf, that we give no place to phantastical imaginations of Hereticks, who impugne directly or indirectly, and fight against the humane nature of Christ; which sort of errours are some way countenanced by Papists, in their Doctrine of Transubstantiation; and by Ubiquitaries in theirs of Consubstantiation, in as much as they attribute omnipresence and other the like divine attributes to the humane nature, which is no way agreeable unto the same.
Use 2. Is of Exhortation, to extoll and solemnly to praise the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all admiration and thanksgiving, who not only vouchsafes to become man for us, but also in the nature of man disdained not to become an infant, to be conceived, and born after our manner; and to undergo other the like infirmities and humiliations for our sake; it is that the Apostle points at, Heb. 2. 16, 17.
Use 3. Is of Consolation, that we should make no difference between an infant newly conceived, or born, and a perfect man, or one of age; or between any other conditions of the nature and life of man, as to our interest in Christ, as if any sinless condition of nature could make us less regardable by him, … exclude us from him. For Christ descended to the lowest and imperfectest sinless degree and condition of the life of man; in that he was, 1. conceived; and 2. shut up in his mothers womb the ordinary time of other births; and 3. born.
Doct. 2. Christ assumed this humane nature from Mary, as from his Mother.
For though he is said in the Text to be begotten in her; yet elswhere he is said to be made after the flesh of the seed of a woman; and a woman is said to have conceived him, and to have born him as her son; hence also he is called the son of Mary, the son of David, the son of Abraham, and the like; whereby that phrase is expounded, and the truth of it confirmed.
Reas. 1. He should have been born of a woman, as of his mother, to the end that that first Evangelicall promise of the seed of the woman, that was to tread down the serpent's head, might be fulfilled.
Reas. 2. It was according to right that he was born of Mary, that so it might be certain, how he descended of the Tribe of Iudah▪ and of the Family of David, according to the promises, and prophesies that went before of him.
Use 1. Is of Refutation, against Anabaptists, and such like, who phantastically think that the humanity of Christ onelyonly passed through Mary, and was not assumed from her nature. Of which imagination the first reason seems to have been, that some simple men could not conceive, how any could without sin be born of a woman after the fall. But the Anabaptists afterwards, though they took away this ground of their errour, of denying original sin, yet they adhered to this conclusion of meer wilfulness, without any reason.
Use 2. Is of Information, for directing our Faith about Christs son-ship. For he is the Son of God and the son of man both, yet so, as he is not two sons, but in a certain way twice one son in one person. The first, from eternity; the next, in time; and consequently two wayes a son, as both by generation eternal, and by generation in time; yet but one son of God, and of man, because but one person, who according to his divine nature is the Son of God, and according to his humane nature is the son of man: So is every man twice a Son, in essence first to father and paternal generation, and then to mother and maternal generation.
Doct. 3. Christ was born of Mary, remaining still a virgin after he was born.
This is gathered from the scope of the words; the question being about this, whether Mary were a virgin or no; and the words of the Angell were to assure him, that she was.
Reas. 1. Is, that this might be a singular and miraculous signe to the whole house of Israel, and this is it that is pointed at, in Isa▪ 1. 14.
Reas. 2. That the prophesies going before of this thing might be fulfilled.
Reas. 3. That Gods omnipotency in this so divine a mystery, and principal a work of God, might be evidently shewn. Now it was not difficult to the power of God, that a son should be born of a virgin. For seeing all second causes act by their vertue which they received from God, it is not to be doubted, but that God can produce all these effects, without this o… that cause co-operating, which otherwayes use to exist by them. Yet not onelyonly the power of God appeared in that work, but also his wisdome, to which it was most agreeable, that so singular a substance of humane nature, should in as singular a manner be brought to pass, that differed from all others. For in three manners all men were made before, 1. Without the concurrence of either man or woman, as in the creation of Adom. 2. Without the concurrence of woman, as in the production of Eve. 3. By the concurrence of man and woman, as in all ordinary generation afterwards. And this onelyonly is the proper and peculiar one of Christ, by and of a woman, without concurrence of a man.
Reas. 4. That it might easily appear how the contagion of sin might be removed from the humane nature of Christ.
Use, Is of Confirmation, for strengthening of our Faith about the person of Christ; to wit, that he was both the Messias of old promised, and the promised seed of the woman in that peculiar manner, as that promise seems to have intended; to wit, the son of man; that is, of a woman descending of Adam and other men in ordinary way, but made mother of a son not vulgarly or after the common manner, but miraculously and without the company of a man begotten, and born; so that from his first conception all things were in him supernatural; about which our mindes being busied, ought alwayes to be lifted up to supernatural contemplations, laying aside carnal and worldly thoughts.
Doct. 4. The Holy Ghost was the principal efficient cause of this generation.
It is from these words in the Text; is of the holy Ghost; the particle of denotes not any material cause, but the efficient; so that of the Holy Ghost, signifies as much, as if it had been said, by the power of the Holy Ghost, and his operation. Now this is attributed to the Holy Spirit for these reasons.
Reas. 1. Because it was a miracle; and all miracles by appropriation are attributed to the Holy Spirit.
Reas. 2. Because the principal work here was of Sanctification, forasmuch as the lump of the humane nature, which was to be assumed by Christ, was in a singular manner sanctified and cleansed from all spot of sin, and all Sanctification peculiarly attributed to the Holy Spirit.
Reas▪ 3. Because the Holy Spirit was without measure to rest on, & to dwell in Christ. It … but reason therefore, that the Holy Spirit should prepare and make such a dwelling for himself, as he also prepares his dwelling in the sons of God by adoption.
Quest. It may be th…n questioned, whether Christ may be called the Son of the Holy Ghost?
Ans▪ It cannot be said; 1. Because it would bring some confusion of relations and proprieties personal in God, and in the persons. 2. Because the Holy Spirit neither produced a new person, when he made Christ to be begotten, or generated; neither produced the nature, which he produced, after his own nature, or of the same essence with his own.
Use 1. Is of Direction, in our Faith, and in all our thoughts, that we have of Christ; that we admit of all that is in him, to be spiritual, holy, and full of mystery; nor that we ever doubt of any part of this mystery; because all this, as it is above common order, so is it above the reach of common nature. Yet we may always receive and conceive this, that none of all these things are above the divine power of the Holy Spirit; nor any thing impertinent or unfitting in that thing, which is wholly mannaged by the Holy Ghost.
Use 2. Is of Direction, in our practice, as to the certainty of our salvation; which depends upon this, if we be sure, that we are conformable to Christ in his nativity, life, death, and resurrection. And from thence is the beginning of this conformity to be taken, if we be spiritually regenerated by the Holy Spirit, as Christ was borne of Mary through the efficiencie and operation of the holy Ghost. And this is the self same thing, which the Apostle Peter admonisheth us to, that we study to make our vocation and election sure.