Gof jsel-Converfation, 89 ut then Eighthly, which is as principal an one almofl as any and needy concerns us, and that's this : The Gofpel difcovers unto azs,thegreat honor that Godhathput uponhumane Nature above the Angels. This could never have been knownbut by the Go- fpel, this is as proper a thing to the Gofpel as any I have fpoken of: And one fpiecial defign that God had in the Gofpel, was, To reveal thofe thoughts and counfels that he had from all eter- nity, to put mighty and great Excellencies npon our humane Nature in thefe two particulars. Firft,In the Perfonal7Jnion ofMans Nature to thefccond Perfon in Trinity ; That's the uirfi, and great wayof honor that God bath crowned human Nature with. Hence the Apoflle in i Tim. I. 6. H'ithout controverfie, great is the myfterie ofgodlinefe. What is it ? God was rnanifefled in the flefh. God manifefled in the flefh ! that's a great myflery of god linefs. Now it could not be fuch a myflery, if God had only taken an humane fhape upon Him, (for fo it was in the time of the Law) Jefus Chrift often took humane fhape; as when He firove with facob, it was Je- fus Chrill, as might ealîly appear. But great is the myflerie of godlinefs, without controverfie it's great. God manifefted iss the fiefh: that is, God taking f'efh of man into a perfonal uni- on, which is more fully expreft in fohn, 1.4. The Wordwas madefefh. This was a orange fpeech, but proper to the Go- fpel. An Heathen wouldhave thought this a orange fpeech, and efpecially if he knew, that by the Word was meant, He that was true and eternal God, And then, in Heb. a. 16. it is faid,That Chrifi did not take theNature ofAngels upon him ; but thefeed ofAbraham. So that it appears by the perfonal union ofour Natures to the Son of God, God hath advanced human Natureabove Angels,above all creatures. Truly my Brethren, in Chrifis taking our Nature upon him, which the Gofpel holds forth to us, me thinks we may fee God (as it were) refol- ving to do a work from Himfelf, to the uttermofl, to manifefl the uttermofi of his glory in a work out of Himfelf, the work ofGod within Himfelf, it is, His eternal generation, and the poffeßïonof the holy Ghofl : but nowGod would work out of Himfelf, and work out ofHimfelf to the uttermofl extent ; I' le, make a world (faithGod,) Heavens and Earth by my Word, n Ibut .
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