• Bo~k.lV. Locking unto 1e{us. Chap. r. Seer. 5 --------------~---- tures (the divine and the humane nature) there is a compofition, not hujm ex his, but h11j1~ d he, not ofa third nature arifing out of thefe, but of the humane nature added , or united to ths: divine, in unity of the fame perfon: fo that now we may fay , asthis Vme is an Olive-tree; and this Olive-tree is a Vine; or as this Vine bearsOlives, 11nd this Olive-tree bears grapes; fo the Son ofman is the Son ofGod , and the Son of God is the Son of man; or this Son of man laid the foundation of the earth, and this Son ofGod was born of M11ry, and crucified by the Jewes. This fimilitude (I take it) is the apteft, and full eft ofall the other , though in fome things alfe it doth faile; for the branch hath firft a feparate fubfiftence in it fdf, and lofing it after , then it is drawn into the unity ofthe fubfiftence of that tree into which it is implanted; but it is otherwife with the humane na- , ture of Chrift, it never had any fubfiftence of its own, until! it was united to the perfon, or fubfifience of the Son of God. 5. For the perion a!fuming , and the nature alfu~ed, and for the reafon of this way; we fay , I. That the perfon affuming was a divine perfon; it was not the divine nature that alfumed an humane perfon, but the divine ,perfon that a{fumed an humane nature;and that of the three divine perfons it was neitherthe firft, nor the third , neither the Father ,nor the holy Ghoft that did affume this nature, but it was the Son , the middle rerfon , who was to be the middle one, that thereby, 1. He might undertake the meditation between God and us. 2. He might better preferve the integrity of the blefled Trinity in the Godhead 3. He ruight higher advance mankind by means of that relation which the fecond perfon, the Media tour did bear unto his Father: for this vefy end, faith the ApoHJe, God fent his own Son made of a G,1.4.>f>5,6' woman •· thM we might receive the Adoption ~f [onnes; -r:herefore thou ar-t nQ more a fervant but afon, 11nd if a fon,tn:nf!n h:etre of G_ed thnugh.[hriJh intimating thereby, that whar. relatiOn Chnft hath unto GDd by nature, we bemg four,.d in him ba ve the very fame by grace: . he w~s. Gods Son by nature , and we are hts fons by grace , he wa-s in a peculiar manner the (irft "barne 11moni ma~y· brethren--;. and; in him , and for him , the 1t0m.B<.~g. , ~:eft ofche brethren l>y grace of Adoption are accounted ,as jirft- ~J.pd •• p~,~3· barn, _ Heb.1 .2.~3 .' , z. The
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=