A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 82 (Question 22)
SERMON LXXXII.
QUESTION XXII.
HOW did CHRIST the Son of GOD become Man?
ANSWER.
CHRIST the Son of GOD became Man, by taking to Himſelf a true Body, and a reaſonable Soul; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghoſt, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without Sin.
WE have conſidered the nature of Chriſt's Incarnation under the former Queſtion. It now …llows to look into the manner of it. And here we may obſerve, I. The reality and compleatneſs of the individual humanity aſſumed by the Son of God, II. The way in which he aſſumed it in his conception and birth. A few words to each of theſe.
I. THE reality and compleatneſs of the individual humanity aſſumed by the Son of God. This is expreſſed in two things,
(1.) He aſſumed the two eſſential parts of the humane nature, which conſtitute an entire humanity.
(2.) Both of theſe were true and real: they were not imaginary. I ſhall not need to ſeparate thoſe, but diſcourſe of them together. And here we come to a more particular view of the nature aſſumed, which was pointed at under the former Queſtion, but referred hither for a more diſtinct conſideration. Here then let it be remarked,
1. THAT it was a true, re… ſub…t… humanity which the Son of God … with his Perſon. The Ma…nites, and the Hereticks, abuſing that in, Phil. 2.7. But … himſelf of no reputation, and … upon him the from of a ſervant, and was made in the … of men: infer that he took only the ſimilitude, reſemblance, or appearance of our nature … him, and not the thing it ſelf. But the wh…e current of the Goſpel contradicts ſuch a perverſe interpretation. Joh. 1.14. And the …l to… made fleſh, and dwelt among us. Luk. 24. …. Be…ld my hands any my f…t, that it is … myſelf; handle me, and ſee, for a ſpirit hath … fleſh and bones, at ye ſee me have. 1 Joh. 1.1. T… which was from the be…inning, which we have heard, which … ſeen with …ur … which we have … upon, and …ur hands … handled …f the word …f …ſe. And indeed, if he Incarnation were imaginary, then muſt his life and death, and obedience, and ſatisfaction be ſo too, and conſequently all one faith, and hope, and ſalvation muſt be imaginary, for the effect cannot exceed the vertue of the cauſe.
2. THAT this humane natures of Chriſt, … in all things like unto ours, ſin…nly excepted, and the ſpecial manner of its ſubſiſting. Theſe two exceptions muſt be acknowledged; the former is expreſt in, (Heb 4.17.) and will be farther conſidered in the Sequel; the latter is neceſſarily inſerted from all thoſe Scriptures which aſſert this humanity to be of the Perſons of the Son of God, as Luk 1.35. Act 20.28. &c. But, as theſe hinder not the entireneſs of the nature, ſo we fi…d that he was in it like other men. He is therefore called the Son of man. He anſwered the firſt Adam in whatſoever belonged eſſentially to humanity. And this may be a principal reaſon, why the firſt Adam is ſaid to …e a figure of him, P…n. 5.14. In this likeneſs there are two things to be conſidered, viz. the Fabrick of his …a…ure, and the Accidents that befall it by the influence of …he Apoſtacy. In the former of theſe he was made like man in …cy, having all the faculties and qualities of an humane nature, and connatural p…i…iledges belonging, to a ſtare of integrity. And this belongs to his i…carnation. Hence t…a… Heb. 7.20. For ſ…u… an high Prieſt became us, who i… h…y; harmleſs, and-ſited, ſepa… fr…m ſinners, and …le higher …an the heaven…. As to the latter, he was ſubjected to all the infirmities which man was by ſin fallen under, but only thoſe that were ſinful. And this belongs to his Humiliation, of which afterwards. Hence that, Math. 8.17. That it …ght be fulfilled which was ſpoken by Eſa…s the …es, ſaying, himſelf took our infirmities, and …re …u… ſickneſſes. And all this proved him a true than.
3. HE had all the eſſential and integrating … of a man. And if ſo he had an entire humanity.
(1.) HE had a real humane B…dy, with all its …bers. The body is one eſſential part of the man, and he had one. Heb. 10.5. Therefore when he cometh into the world, he ſaith; …ſice and …ffering thou wouldeſt no…, but a body beſt thou prepared me. For though it there intend the whole nature. … it intends the body and expreſſeth it. We therefore read o…her own body, Phil. 3.21. He had all the …gtal parts of an humane body. We therefore read of his head his face, his eyes, his hands, his feet, his bones, which inferrs the ref…. And this Body of his was endowed with ſuch proper adjuncts, as declared it to be ſo indeed; he might be ſeen and felt, Luk. 24.39, 40. He died, and he roſe again; and they are only corporeal living ſubſtances that a…e mortal.
(2) He had a real humane rational Soul. We therefore read of it. Some have fondly thought that he only took a body, from Heb. 10.…. and that the divinity was in the room of a Soul; but that is againſt Scripture; He had a Soul that was made in offering for ſin, Iſai. 53.10. and that could not be the divine nature. He had a Soul that could be ſorrowful, Math. 26.38. A Soul that he reſigned into the hands of God, Luk. 23.39. He had the faculties of an humane Soul; an Underſtanding which was capable of encreaſing in knowledge and wiſdom. Luk. 2.49. …ult. A Will that was capable of miſſing its cravings, and was in entire ſubordination to the divine will Mat. 26.39. Nevertheleſs, not as I will, but … thou wilt. And as his Death proves that he had a Body, ſo his Reſurrection proves that he had a Soul; for it conſiſts in the reunion of the Soul to the Body, whoſe union was diſſolved in Death by a ſeparation.
4. HE had all the conditions in h…re which are re…ite to on humane nature; whether, … m…n with othe… beings, or pr…ni…r and p…pe… to humanity. He had a corpereal finite bei…g… which is eſſential to all bodies. And hence he had dimenſions, and was circumf…r…bed, Ma… 28.…. He as not here: for be is riſ…n, at he ſaid: come, ſee the place where the Lord l…y. He had a temmporary being, there was a time when he was not as man. We are therefore told of the very time when he was produced, in the circumſtances of it. He had a principle of humane exiſtence in him; and accordingly had an humane origination. He was therefore conceived, and his mother went out her full time with him. Luk. 2.6. He was a ſubject of augmentation, He grew from a Child to a Man, Luk. 2.40.
5. HE performed actions truly humane. The Goſpels give us an account of multitudes of them. He ſpake with his mouth as other men do, Alas. 5.2. He went up and down from place to place; He preached to them, Mat. 9.35. He eat and drank after the faſhion of other men, Mat. 11.19. He ſlept as other men, Mar. 4.38.
6. HE had humane Senſes. Theſe are up and down frequently aſcribed to him, ſeeing, heating, touching.
7. HE underwent humane Sufferings. He was capable of bearing ſuch things as the divine nature is not capable of, not yet a meer imaginary body. He have all our ſorrows and griefs. Iſai 53.4. Surely he hath born our griefs, and carried our ſorrows. He underwent the contradition of ſinners; he was buffetted, ſpit upon, crucified; his hands, and feet and ſide were pierced. He ſuffered hunger, and thirſt, and wearineſs, as other men. See Mat 21.18. Joh. 19.28. Chap. 4.6. He bore affronts, ſtripes, and death it ſelf, which prove his humanity real.
8. HE had humane Affections. He had an humane love. See Joh. 11.3. Chap. 19.26. Humane joy. Joh. 11.15. Luk. 10.21. Sorrow, and his gr…ans and tears were the index of it, Joh. 11.33, 35. Humane diſire, Luk 22 15. Fear and amazement, Heb. 5.7. Pity & compaſſion, Mat. 9.36. And what more needs to evince the truth, and compleatneſs of his humanity?
II. THE way in which he aſſumed this nature of ours; which is ſet forth in his conception and birth. And here let us obſerve, That the conception and birth of Chriſt may be conſidered two ways, viz. either in themſelves, as they were the media of the production of his humanity, and ſo they relate to the manner of his Incarnation, and belong hither; or with regard to the circumſtances of them; and ſo they refer to his Humiliation, and are there to be conſidered. In the former reſpect we way now obſerve them; where we may trace the origination of his humane nature
TOUCHING his Conception: I ſhall wave the niceties which are unprofitably handled about this, and only conſider what is expreſt in the …ſm. And …ere is to be o…erved,
(1.) The ſubject or paſſive principle of this conception.
(2) The efficient or active principle of it.
(1) THE ſubject …r paſſive principle. He was c…tired in the wo…b of the Virgin Mar… I ſhall endeavour the making of this plain briefly, in theſe few aſſertions,
1. THAT the Virgins …ch was … a …eer r…cept… to enteri…n th… Body in it for a w…le. This was an odd dream, and of late re…ived, that the Body of Chriſt was formed in Heaven, of heavenly matter, and was only miraculouſly put into the Vi…gi…s womb, where it was lodged for a while, without participation of its material principle from her; which is both contrary to Scripture, and tends to the ſubverſion of our faith in Chriſt as our Redeemer; as will appear in the Sequel. And had it been only ſo, Mary had very improperly been called, the M…her of our Lord, Luk. 1.43.
2. THE conception of Chriſt in the …k of the Virgin, was like to o…her humane concept…s. The way in which ſh… came to conceive was different, and wonderful, as we ſhall ſee preſently; but the conception it ſelf hath nothing extraordinary af…ted to it in the word of God; and therefore to believe any ſuch thing is not of divine faith, which relies on the teſtimony of God. Some have taught that the humanity of Chriſt was formed and compleated in the Virgin is an inſtant: But why then is ſhe ſaid to conceive? Iſai. 7.14. Luk. 1.31. Conception in a ſtrict ſenſe intends the firſt beginning towards the young one: but in a large ſenſe it comprizeth all that is from that to the birth, in the formation, animation, and ripening of the thing for its production; thus it was then here. And hence we have an account of the Virgins going out her full time with this conception of hers; and that this was the uſual time with other Women, is evident by the ſtory.
3. THAT the Body of Chriſt had its material original from his Mother. And for this we have the evidence of the word of God; and a ſufficient demonſtration of it is thence to be ſ…icht. We are therefore fully informed that our Redeemer muſt not only be a man; for ſo he might have been, and not related to us; but he was to be of the ſtock and lineage of mankind. He was not only to be of the ſame nature, but of the ſame original. He muſt be one of Adam's Family: to be near of kin to us; to be our brother; to take part of the ſame fleſh and blood that we ſhare in Heb. 3.14. For aſ…uch then as the children are partakers of fleſh and blood: he alſo himſelf likewiſe took parts of the ſame, that through death he might deſtroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil. He muſt not only be a man, but the Son of man. And hence how often doth he take that ri…e to himſelf? The Moſaical law requiring that the next hi…io…a muſt redeem the l… tance, had a proper reſpect to this. Now … Chriſt may be thus related to us, be … ſome may or other derive his hu… from …an, and that could not be by a … for Chriſt as m… had no father. Heb. 7.…. It muſt needs therefore be by his …. Hence it is not ſaid that he was made … …man, but of a woman, G…. 1.…. No…ing … material pr…ciple of his humanity. And hereby God brought the Salvation of … kind into the world, by the ſame ſ… … inſtrument that their r…ine was introdu… i. e. by a wo…n. Chriſt therefore is … the Seed of the … Gen. 3.15. And we are told tha… he took o… him the Seed of … him. Heb. ….16. There muſt then of nece… be a ſe…nal deſcent of Chriſt form …, and that, not being nextly paternal, … material: He is therefore called the … of Da…d's body, Pſal. 132.11. And this … not be true, it he had not the ſubſtance … Body from the ſubſtance of his ….
4. THAT it was from Mary that he … and …er …ock and …gs is deſcribed … Goſpel, it was needful that his M… ſhould be particularly and perſonally … that ſo our faith might thereby be … in this truth, that t…e Perſon …o born of … was the true Mo…h. As therefore … Scriptures of the Old Teſtament did … ſome revelation of him to man from … tall, ſo, the longer men had waited, … nearer the time drew on to the acto… ment, theſe diſcoveries were more … and particular, that believers might be a… to diſcern the anſwer of their long exp… tions: and it needed them; elſe tho… rity of his Humiliation might have … ed their dou…ting and unbelief. He … it was revealed that he ſhould be of … ſ…ck, Gen. 3.15. then to be of A… family, Gal. ….16. then of Iſ…'s Gen. … then of the Tribe of Judah, Gen. … finally, of the family of David, Pſal. 132.…. And hence they were to look for him …. Nor was it enough that Joſeph his … father was of that lineage, for then he … not have been called the fruit of his ….
5. THAT he was concieved of Mary b… Virgin. So the prediction runs conce…, him, Iſai. 7.14. And whatſoever the J… object about the meaning of the word, … vidence hath given this interpretation af… and there was great reaſon why his … tion ſhould be ſuch. For,
[1.] HE was not to have an humane …. The humane nature was to be aſſu…d … the perſonality of the Son of God, and … one perſon might not have two fathers, … was not propagated as other men … the great reaſon was that he might be … out ſin, which deſcends upon Adam's … poſterity, in the cha…ne… od natural … tion, Gen. 5.3. whereas he, being con… after an extraordinary and wonderful … ner, came to be, though born of a ſinful wo… you … fin a Cor 1. 21. her … hath make him … is ſin for …, who …. l… the Pr…ſ…, that the Virgia was without ing…re…, is fond and talle.
[2.] HIS ge… being to be … God … to both ſa…ed if that …, … it might appear that be was not organiced in the ſe…t … that ether …en are. And this is one reaſon of that Letter in his Name, Iſai 6.8. And her Name ſhall be called …ſsi. And belongs to the firſt Artici… the gren myſtery of godliceſs, …. 3.16. He … alſo to be her fiſt born … the M…ed laws about the firſt born Sons, in Gods chuſing them to be his pecullar, and in the peer gatires be gave them all of which were …. Hence that, Mar. 1. al…. And know … brought j…rth her … ſe…, e…l…c ca…ed …s Ne… ſeſus. …ether ſhe remaired a Virgia afterwards, is we matetial. The …, who idol…ze Virgia, maintain … and ſome Pr…teſi…is, in reverence, though I think ever-ſuperſtiti…us, found for it …. But all the ends of her Virginity were attaiced when Chriſt was born if her, not did any law c…orn her ſo to …, not … ſhe any ſpecial precept for it ſo far as is …ealed. Beſides, it could not be more ditho…our to Chriſt to have brethen of the ſame mother, that …indred of the ſame family; but might be a farther … of … have to mankind.
(2) THE … or … …ple of this Gar…: … it was by the …ly Ghoſt. I ſhall not com…tate h…re, it is a myſtery. We have the moſt ſaid of it in Luk. 1.…. And the Angel enjwered end ſaid unto her, The … G…t … we up …, and the … of the Highed … the; t…eref are that … …ing … ſhall be born …f thee, ſhall be … the Son of God. And that is very obſ…e to us. There are two …adages which declare it,
1. THE Holy Ghoſt ſhall come upon thee. The beaning whereof is, that by the Almighty power of the Spirit of God, ſhe ſhould receive power to conceive after an …ordinary mannner, and wholly above the power of nature.
2. THE power of the reſt High ſhall over ſhad to thee. Meaning that there ſhould be an Almighty efficacy in it, and that God himſelf ſhould do it immediately. It ſhould be an effect wrought by the hand of Own…porency. This is called an ever ſhad …oing, both to ſhew that the Holy Ghoſt ſhould ſupply the room of a natural father, by cauſing her to fructify; and is a metaphor from birds that ſet on their eggs. So ſhould the Holy Ghoſt cauſe …er to conceive, rouriſh the conception, form it into an humane body; create and …fuſe an humane Soul into it. This is the meaning of Heb. 10.5. A body haſt thou prepured me. As alſo that he did it after a ſewer wonderful manner. A ſhadow intimates ſacrecy, Pſal. 91.1. And from ſecrecy proceeds admitation, when the effect is ſeen, and the cauſe not diſcerned. And here, (1.) THE Spirit to…ight this Con… immeter…lly. He afforded no material pr… ple of this nature, but only ſpake the word, and Mery believed it, and ſo conceived, La…. 1.36. There was …is …at, and her ſ…d. (2.) HE wrought it …. Uſed no natural inſtrumertal cauſes, the remained a Virgia, and for conceived, and it was ſo ſecret, that ſhe her ſelf knew not the manner or it, only believed that it ſhould be, becauſe he ſaid it. (3.) BY this manner of Conce… the Holy Ghoſt prevented the deſcent or … of eriginal ſin to the humane nature of Chriſt. Sin comes in the way of natural generation, but this was ſupernatural; it was the operation of the Holy Ghoſt, and therefore immaculate. Luk. 1.35. And it we cannot tell how this could be; yet we have reaſon to believe that both God could do it, being Almighty, and that he did do it, becauſe he hath ſaid he was ſuch an one. Heb. 7.26. Chap. 4.15 her we have … an high Priceſs which cannot be teached with the ſeeling f…our …ſ…r…ies, but was in … …ints tenpied like as we are, yet withoul ſin 1 Pet 2.22. Why did no ſin, ne…er was g… found in his mouth. (4.) THAT yet the Holy Ghoſt cannot be ſaid to be the Father of the hamene nature of Cor…ſt. For though be ſupplyed the room of a father, yet this operation could not give him that title. For generation, active, which gives that denomication, is the proceeding of the nature derived from like principles to its original, and therefore every thing begers its like; whereas Chriſt in his humane nature is not of the nature of the Holy Ghoſt, which is divine.
2. TOUCHING the birth of Chriſt: All that I have here to take notice of about it, is only as it reters to his Incarnation: what belongs to his Humiliation will follow there. Though the Conception taken in the largeſt ſenſe comprehends the Incarnation in it, his Humanity being compleated in his Mothers womb; yet this birth was an adjunct to it, and immediately conſequent upon it: and the conception was accompliſhed and iſſ…ed in the birth. Touching which there is nothing extraordinary to be obſerved, as there was in the Conception; unleſs it be the conſideration of the ſubject of whom he was born, viz. that ſhe was a Virgin, and yet a Mother. h…r as touching the miracles, which the Paſpiſts feign about his birth, and the ſtrange manner of it, as they are not neceſſary and ſupernatural, ſo many of them are plainly ridiculous, and have neither footing for them in Scripture, not any uſefulneſs in Divirity. That his mother remained a Virgin, in that reſpect that ſhe had no car…el knowledge of a man before he was born, is plain, Mat. 1. …s. For any thing elſe the Scripture is ſilent. Only there is that to be remarked in this as well as in the Conception, i. e. it was without Sin; ſo that his Conception and Birth were Holy. The ſecond Adam was brought into the World with as perfect integrity as the firſt was; and it was meet that he ſhould be ſo; for if he had had any fin of his own perſonally he could never have anſwered the Law for us ſinners: although he took upon him the imputation of our ſin in and with his Incarnation. Touching the name of his Mother, the time and place, and manner of his birth, and other circumſtances attending it, I ſhall not ſpend time about them; many of them will be enquired into in their proper place. Only his being born a Child, in a ſtate of Infancy, from which he did by degrees grow up till he arrived at the ſtature of a man, doth give us a clear and undeniable evidence of his real humanity, that he did truly and properly aſſume our nature, and that it was not a thing meerly imaginary. And this may ſuffice for the opening of the myſterious doctrine of the Incarnation of the Son of God, in which there is ſo much of the divine wiſdom exerting it ſelf, as is matter of aſtoniſhment to the Angels themſelves.
USE. LEARN we hence how ſit the Lord Jeſus Chriſt was to ſtand in our room, as our Surety and Redeemer. We obſerved, that his Incarnation was one thing in which he was ſitted to this work. And there are two things in his Conception and Birth which ſerve to illuſtrate it.
1. THAT he was not only a man, for ſo he might have been, and yet nothing askin to us; but he was one of our ſtick and lineage. He was our brother, derived from the ſame original that we did, and ſo he anſwered the law of Redemption, yea and being ſo nearly related to us, he had a philanthropy in him, he could not but love us, and have a tender compaſſion for us. He was fleſh of our fleſh, and bone of our bone; He had the ſame Blood running in his veins that we have. And what encouragement ſhould this afford poor ſinners to go to him, and that with holy boldneſs, as we are directed. Heb. ….16. Let … therefore come boldly to the throne of great, the we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help is time of need. And let as many as ſeel their own want take heart by this conſideration to come to him.
2. THAT he was conceived and … in original purity, and with fulneſs of all … grave with which he was furniſhed from the …. He was not conceived after the manner of other men, but by the wonderful efficacy of the Holy Spirit, and ſo, not only was that original pollution which the Sins and D… ters of Adam contract in their conception and birth prevented, but alſo all that grace which was requiſite to the moral perfection of … was put into him, even the image of God; nay ſuch a fulneſs as was fit for the Second Adam as a publick Perſon ſtanding in … room. He had the Spirit, he had the … of knowledge, righteouſneſs and holineſs; and he had them beyond meaſure, as Juſ… 34. For God giveth not the Spirit by … unto him. And how fit was ſuch an … undertake our Redemption? Hereby us a foundation laid for his active obedience … the whole law, whereby he might merit for us life and glory; and hereby alſo was be fined to take away or anſwer for the fin with cleaves to us in our conception and bider, yea, indeed to be a pure and ſpotleſs Sacrifice, and without blemiſh, to anſwer … whole law of God on our account. Let us then contemplate him as ſuch an one, and from thence be encouraged to lean the whole weight of our hope for Salvation upon …, as One that can fully anſwer the juſtice of God for us, and ſave us to the uttermoſt.
[MARCH 19. 1694.]