120 Of the l(nowled_~ of (jod tbe Fatber, - ,--- -- --:---:---:----::--:--:-:-:----:----;:--:---:---:– ~And fo, by the advancement of this Nature, he preferreth and advancet~t BooK Ill. once the whole Creation, and every kind or part thereof, for fomething corn– ~ mon to every one is in him. There is an &v«>.-<qJ«l\cW,.,,, (as I have elfe-where ihewn ) a gathering together of all Things in Earth and Heaven ; and not of Creatures realonable, only Angels, and Men, under his Dominion as an Head; but even of all Creatures alfo in bis Perfon. He is the Corner Stone of the wbole Creation. Yea, and God, and all comes in to make one, and is gat!Jered together in one, with all things elft in him : So as God hath thereby knit all Creatures to himfdf. And therefore Hugo brings in God, (peaking of his making his Son a Man, thus, Do not think._ that in tbh I aim only at the Reconciliation of Men; but in him ly thil me.uu the whole C~eation i; become amiable and lovely TJnto me; look– ing upon it in this Model or Epttome.. But more efpeeially his Love is ihewn hereby to Man, the Darling of his Cre. ation. Suppofe Chrill, God-Man, had only been given to Men as an Head and Hufband, (and they had nor needed Reconciliation by him ) this had been in– finite Love ; yea, this Gift had excelled, and cloth excel all the Benefits of Re– demption, if abflraetly confidered fi·om this other. What would Adam have given for (i.JCb an Hufband ? Now, verf 18. of this Colo.J! I. he is called, The Head of tbis Body, his Church, an Head more worth than all the Body. But of this, more by and by. I come to the fecond Head, the Communication of the Goodnefs of the God-head unto Creatures reafonable : And for this, the Union of the Son of God, with the Man Chrifi Jefus, ferves in the highefi way. Good we know is communicable of it felf. Now God is Good, and fo cloth Good, (as the Pfal– mifl fpeaks) ; He only is Good, as Chrifl fays, the chiefefi Good: Now by this f.1me Law, That BonHm eft Jiti Communicativum; that is, that Goodnefs is Communicative: By the fame alfo, Sunm,11mt Bonum ifl JimtmC Communicativl!nt foi; that is, the highefl Good is Communicative of himfelf the highefl way. And as to communicate himfelf to Creatures, moved him to create ; fo he was refolved to communicate himfelf to the utmofi, or he would never create at all ; he would never have put his Hand to this Work elfe. Now he could not have made a Communication of Himfelf the highefl way ; but by a perfonal Union of fome Perfon with a Creature reafonable; for all Communication depends up– on an Union. The Creature mu(l be one with God, e're it communicate of his Goodnefs in a way of Ble!fednefs. Now therefore by this Rule, frill, The nearer Union, the nearer Communication. And by the fame proportion, the highefi Communication cannot be without the highefl Union. Now that highe!l Union alone, is perfonal Union of a Creature with one who was God. So then to attain this End, this was nece!Iary, for the highefi Communication would not have been attained without it. Now by this Union, you !ball fee is effetl:ed the highefl Communication; and that, Firfl, To that Creature, or Individual Man Jefus, that was aifumed. And, fecondly, in that Nature to us that are united to him. Firfl, To that Creature, or Nature it felf: For in him thereby the Fulnefs of the God-head dwells Perfonalf;·, as fome well tranOate that word [Bodily J; and fo it is the highefl Union that may be, or might have been. He was united tO God, or one that is God ; not as to an Oljetl only, or as to a Perficient only, as we all !ball be in Heaven unto God, 11rade perfea ;, One, John 17. 23. but tO the Son of God, who is God, as Tcrminrn E.ffinti<£, to terminate, and give boundsof fubliflence and perfonality to that Humane Nature: So as the Hu– mane Nature, and the Son of God, are not only on{ Flefo, as Man and Wife, which is the nearefl Union with us; nor one Spirit only, as we with Cbrifl, but one Perj011, (of which I have fpoken elfe·where); And hence this Humane Na– ture is made God's FeUow, as Zecharia/J calls him, Zech. 13. 7· The Mwn, God's Fellow, is advanced to a Fellowihip in this Society of Trinity; and therefore .to him God communicates himftlf proportionably, witbout 1JJCafore, as Chrifl in the Gofpel of John fpeaks. Which was not due to any meer Creature, but it was his due when firfi a!fumed; No Man bat/; focn God at any time hut the Son, Joh. I. 18.
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