A Supplement to Knowledge and Practice, Part 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 2 – Section 3
SECT. II. Of the Perſon of Chriſt.
WE come now to conſider what manner of perſon our Saviour was. He was God and Man in the ſame Perſon: The Eternal Son of God, the ſecond perſon in the Trinity, took to himſelf our humane nature (a humane Soul and Body) and united it after a wonderful manner, to his God-head, and ſo God and Man became one perſon. This I ſhall labour to make out by theſe ſeven following particulars.
1. Jeſus Chriſt who was God before by the Divine nature which he had from Eternity, was in the fulneſs of time made Man, Gal. 4.4.
2. He was made Man by aſſuming our humane nature unto himſelf, and joyning it to his Divine nature.
3. Although our humane nature was joyned with his Divine nature, (that is, with the nature common to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt) yet was that Union made only in the Perſon of the Son. Not the Father nor the Holy Ghoſt, but it was the Son, that was incarnate.
4. The Divine nature did not aſſume an humane perſon; but the Divine Perſon of the Son did aſſume our humane nature. If Chriſt had only taken the Perſon of a man, then there muſt have been two Perſons in Chriſt, (a Perſon aſſuming and a Perſon aſſumed;) Yea, then that only Perſon which Chriſt had aſſumed ſhould have been advanced, and ſaved by him. He therefore aſſumed not an humane Perſon, but he aſſumed the humane nature common to all the Sons and Daughters of Adam and Eve.
5. He took an humane Soul as well as an humane Body. For he increaſed in wiſdom and ſtature, Luke 2.52. In the one, in reſpect of his body, in the other, in reſpect of his Soul. He, whoſe knowledge did increaſe with his years, muſt have a Subject proper for it, which is no other than an humane Soul. This was the Seat of his finite underſtanding, and directed will, diſtinct from the will of his Father, and conſequently of his Divine nature as may appear by that, Luke 22.42. Not my Will, but thine be done.
6. In this union the two natures remain really diſtinct in Chriſt, without either converſion or tranſubſtantiation of the one into the other; and without commixtion or confuſion of both into one. There was no converſion of the humane nature into the Divine, or of the Divine into the humane.
7. Though with us the Soul and Body being united make a Perſon, yet in Chriſt the Soul and Body were ſo united, as to have their ſubſiſtence not of themſelves (as in us) but in the God-head. No ſooner was the Soul united to the Body, but both Soul and Body had their ſubſiſtence in the Second Perſon in the Trinity.
SECT. III. How our Saviour became Man?
THis union between our humane nature and the Deity of the Son of God was wrought in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Yea, our Saviour was not only made man in her, but of her; The humane nature which he aſſumed being made of her ſubſtance. This I ſhall clear and make out by theſe aſſertions.
was conceived by the Holy Ghoſt.1. He was not conceived in her by the help of Man, but by the power of the Holy Ghoſt. Her womb was the Bride Chamber where the Holy Ghoſt did knit this indiſſoluble knot between the Deity of the Son of God and our humane nature. Joſeph was only Chriſts legal Father, his Foſter-Father, Luke 3.23. Being as was ſuppoſed the Son of Joſeph. This conception therefore was wrought by the Holy Ghoſt. He immediately and miraculouſly inabled the Virgin Mary to conceive our Saviour, Luke 1.35. And the Angel ſaid unto her, the Holy Ghoſt ſhall come upon thee, and the power of the higheſt ſhall overſhadow thee, therefore that holy thing which ſhall be born of thee, ſhall be called the Son of God. The Holy Ghoſt did not perform any proper act of Generation, (ſuch as is the foundation of paternity) but framed the humane nature of Chriſt of the ſubſtance of the Virgin.
2. The humane nature of Chriſt was totally ſanctified, and ſo fitted for a perſonal union with the Word, John 17.19. For their ſakes I ſanctified my ſelf. Chriſt out of his infinite love humbled himſelf and became Man: Yet at the ſame time, out of his infinite purity, he would not defile himſelf by becoming ſinful man. The humane nature in its firſt original was formed by the Holy Ghoſt, and in its formation ſanctified and ſo united to the Word; that as the firſt Adam was the fountain of our Impurity, ſo the ſecond Adam might be the fountain of our Righteouſneſs.
3. Chriſt took our nature cloathed with ſinleſs infirmities: Culpable and ſinful infirmities he did not take on him. Indeed poenal infirmities ſuch as are common to all the Sons and Daughters of Adam (as to be ſubject to pain, grief, and ſorrow, hunger, thirſt, cold, &c.) ſuch he took on him, (Iſa. 53. v. 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our ſorrows:) But he took not on him poenal infirmities ſuch as are perſonal. He took our ſinleſs infirmities to ſhew the truth of his humanity. He took them on himſelf that he might pity us, and might teach us by his holy example how to bear them.
4. As the Virgin Mary conceived our Saviour by the power of the Holy Ghoſt, ſo ſhe brought him forth into the world. He was born of her. And under this head theſe particulars are to be taken into conſideration.
1. Chriſt was born of a woman that was a pure Virgin, Born of the Virgin Mary.untouched by man, even when ſhe brought him forth. The promiſed Meſſias was to be born after a miraculous manner, Jer. 31.22. The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, a woman ſhall incompaſs or incloſe a man. It is a new Creation becauſe wrought in a woman without the help of man. The Propheſie in Iſaiah muſt be fulfilled, Iſa. 7.14. Behold, a Virgin ſhall conceive, and bear a Son and ſhall call his name Immanuel. The Meſſias promiſed before and under the Law was to be born of a Virgin.
2. The Meſſias was to be of the houſe and lineage of David. Of whom the Apoſtle ſays, Acts 2.30. that he being a Prophet, knew that God had ſworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins according to the fleſh, he would raiſe up Chriſt to ſit on his Throne. And it is from many places of Scripture evident and certain, that Mary and ſo Chriſt did lineally deſcend from David.
3. Obſerve the time when Chriſt was born. It was when Auguſtus was Emperor and taxed the Jews and all Nations under his dominion, as we find, Luke 2.
4. Obſerve the place where our Saviour was born. It was in Village of Judah called Bethlehem, that the Propheſie in Micah might be fullfilled, Mich. 5.2. But thou Bethlehem, Ephratah, though thou be little among the thouſands of Judah, yet out of thee ſhall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Iſrael.
5. Let us conſider the manner of his Birth, which was very mean, namely in the Stable of a common Inn.
6. Obſerve the firſt tidings or manifeſtation of his birth, which was made by Angels to poor Shepherds, Luke 2.10, 11. And the Angel ſaid unto them. Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which ſhall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the City of David, a Saviour, which is Chriſt the Lord And thus we have ſhewed how our Lord and Saviour was born into the World, and became man. Before I ſhut up this particular, it will be needful that I ſhew why it was requiſite he ſhould be both God and Man.
1. It was requiſite he ſhould be God for theſe reaſons.
1. That by his Divine and mnipotent power, he might uphold his Humanity that it ſhould not ſink under the weight of Gods wrath l…id upon him for our ſins.*This ſ…nne think was ſhadowed in …e Altar …n which the Sacrifice wa… to be burned, which was made of wood but covered with braſs to keep it from bei…g co…umed. So Chriſt was Man, but the weakneſs of the humane nature was covered with … pow…r o… Divinity, ſo that it might be ſupported under its ſufferings. The wrath of God was ſo heavy, that no meer Creature could bear up under it. The man-hood of Chriſt would have ſunk under thoſe ſufferings, had not the Divine power upheld it.
2. That he might make his obedience and ſufferings in the h… mane Nature of infinite value and merit. This One-man, this God-man was more worthy then all the men of the World put together. Th… humane Nature of Chriſt being Perſonally united to the God-head, is of more worth than all the Race of mankind. So that Chriſts obedience and ſufferings do make a full ſatisfaction to God for all the diſhonour done him by our ſins.
3. That he might do thoſe great things for us (after he had laid down his life for us) which none but God could do, viz.
1. To Baptize us with the Holy Ghoſt. None can ſend the Spirit of God into the hearts of men, but he who is God.
2. To repair his Image in us.
3. To ſubdue ſin in us.
4. To conquer Satan for us.
5. To guide and carry his Church to Eternal life, through all thoſe hindrances, that lie in their way.
6. To conquer Death and raiſe our bodies to a glorious Immortality.
Secondly, It was requiſite he ſhould be Man, for theſe reaſons.
1. Mans Nature had ſinned; therefore it was requiſite mans Nature ſhould ſuffer. It ſeems fit and requiſite in reſpect of the juſtice of God, that the ſame Nature ſhould be puniſh'd which had offended.
2. He could not have ſuffered, if he had not been man.
3. If our Mediator were only God, he could have performed no obedience, the God-head being free from all manner of ſubjection.
4. It was fit he ſhould be man, that Satan might be vanquiſh'd in that Nature he had ſupplanted, Gen. 3.15. And I will put enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy ſeed and her ſeed: it ſhall bruiſe thy head and thou ſhalt bruiſe his heel.
5. That he might be a merciful High-Prieſt. For in that, in our Nature he experienced temptation, he knows how to ſuccour and pity us when we are tempted. And laſtly, He was both God and Man, that he might be a meet Mediator to deal between God and Man, and to work a Reconciliation between them.