144 Book IV, 1!.-rolung unto ']du.s. . Iohn 'l.O. 17. Hcb. u. t6. tTim.t.s. poflibly befal the Godhead of Jefus Chrifl:. I lltall not difpute the power of God,whe– ther he was able to lay down another kmd of way of mans Redemption, than by the Incarnation of the Son of God: Without controverfie this was the will of God, and he appointed no other way, becaufe he would nor. 0 my foul, confider of this in relati– on to rhy felf, he is God-man, char he nughr fuffer and fJtisfie for thy fins: he is God– man, that he might be able and ?r, moll. fully to linilh the work of thy falvation; ~s God, he is able, and a~ man, he IS fit to dtfrharge the Office of Mediator; as God, he 'is able to beat' the ptmlllnnem of fin; and as man, he is fir to fuffer for !in : 0 the wifdom of God 1n this very .way! Mans nature can fuff<r death, but nor overcome it. the Divine nature can overcome death and all things; bur hecannot fuffe:- ir : and bene~ there is-a duplicity of natures in Jefus Chrift: 0 mufe on this· it i1 a matter worthy of rby ferious con!ideration. ' 4· Confider the real diftindion of thefe two Natures in Chrill. As the unap– pr~achable light of the Godhead was put into the dun and dark Lamhorn of hu– m~n_e flell~ , fo thefe two natures remained entire, without any converfion, com– ~IXlon, or ~onfufion ; they were not as Wine and Water, that become one by mix– mg; there IS no fuch blendtng the divme and humaoe nature; they were not as Snow and \Vater, rhar become one by dilfolving of rhe s~ow into the Water. there 'is no fuch changing of rhe Humane Nature into the Divine, or of the Di~ v.ine Nature in~o the H~mane: Some fay indec;d that the Godhead was more plen– ttfully commumcated With the Manhood.. afrer hts Refurre<.'bon, rhan now at his Con– ception ; but howfoever, it did not then fwallow up the truth of his Man!wod ; as a whole Sea would [wallow up one drop of OyI; look as at firll: mom<nt of his Conception, he was God and man , fo thefe two Natures conrinued t1ill, dill:inct in fublhnce, properties, and actions, Why confider this, 0 my foul, in ~ef<rence to thy fell; 0 there's comfort 'in this! by this means thou hail: now free accefs unto the ThroAe of Grace, that thou mail! find help in rhy neceffities; and as thou bail: free accefs, fo thou maiil: boldly draw near; his Deity indeed confounds, bur his humanity comforrs faint and feeble fouls; his divine nature amaz.eth, but his hu· m~ne narure encourageth us to come unto him; even after his Refurre<.'l:ion he was pleafed to fend rhis comfortable melfage to the fons of men, Go to my Brethren, aod fay mrturhem,l a[cc11dtomy Father ar~dyOilr Farher,~ndt•myGod and yoJJY God; now as long as he is not alltamed to call us Brethren, G'od i< 11ot ajhamedto be cal/rd our God. 0 rbe fweer fruit rhat we may gather off this Tree, the real diftinCfion of nro Natteres in Chrift. As long as Chrifl is man as well as God, we have a motive ftrong enough to appeafe his Father, and to turn his favourable countenance towards us;, here is our happinefs, that there iJ one Mediatorbetwem God and man, the manChrift fejw. s. Confider the unioR of rhe rwo natures of Chrill: in one and the fame perfon; as he was the BtJnch of the Lord, and the fruit of the Earth, fo rhefe t\\'0 natures were tied with fuch a Gordian knot, as fin, hell, and the grave were never able ro untie; yea thouoh in the death of Chritl:there was a feparation of the foul from the body; yet in that ~paration, the' hypollatical union remained firm unfitaken and indilfoluble : in thts Meditation thou hall great caufe, 0 my Soul, to admire and adore; wonderful things are fpoken of thee, 0 ChriR! he is God in aperfon of a Godhead, fo as neither the Farher, nor rhc holy Gholl were made flelh; and he is man in che narure of man, nor properly rhe perfon, the humane nature of Chrill: never having any perfonal fubfillence ourof rhe Godhead; this is a myll:ery, rhatnoAngel, muchlefsman, is ablero com– prehend : we have not another example of fuch an union (as you have heard) only the neareft fimilirude or refemblance we can find, is chat of the Branch and Tree into which it is ingraffed ; we fee one Tree may be fer into another, and it grow– eth in rhe Stock thereof, and becomerh Qne and the fame Tree, though rhere be two na– tures or kinds of fruit ftill remaining therein ·; fo in the Son gf God made man, though there be two natures, yet both being unired into one perfon,rhere i5 but one Son of God andone Jefus Chrifl. If thou wilt confider rhisgreat Myfteryof Godlin~fsany further; review what harh been faid in the object propounded, where thiS umon 1~ fet ~ort~ more largely and particularly; but efpecially confider the blelfe~ efft.cts of rh1s ·unton m re– ference eo rhy felf; as our nature in the perfon of Chrtll,. ts unrted ro the Godhead, fo our pcrfons in and by this union of Chrifr, are brought mgh ro God. Hence It IS that God dorh fet his Sanctuary and Tabernacle among us; and rhat he' dwdlsn w1t.h us and which is more that he makes us houf~s and habitations, wherein he htm 1 elf,•ds ' ' - · - - p ea1e
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