HYPOSTATICAL UNION OF HIS NATURES DECLARED. 119 made his, by his assuming of it to be his own. The same person who before was not flesh, was not man, was made flesh as man, in that he took our Lumen na- ture to be his own. This ineffable act -is the foundation of the divine rela- tion between the Son of God, and the man Christ Jesus. We can only adore the mysterious nature of it; great is this mysteryof Godliness. Yet may we observe sundry things to direct us in that duty. (L) As unto original efficiency, it was the act of the divine nature, and so consequently of the Father, Son, and Spirit. For so are all outward- acts of God, the divine nature being the immediate principle of all such operations. The wisdom, power, grace, and goodness exerted therein, are essential properties of the divine nature. Wherefore the acting of thens originally be. longs equally unto each person equally participant of that nature. (2.) As unto authoritativedesignation, it was the act of the Father. Hence is he said to ", send his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh," Rom. viii. 3.' Gal. iv. 4. (3.) As unto the formation of the human nature, it was the peculiar act ofthe Spirit, Luke i. 35. (4.) As unto the term ofthe assumption, or the taking of our nature tinto himself, it was the peculiaract of the person of the Son. Herein, as Damascene observes, the other persons had no concurrence, but only ach , isloc a. by counsel and approbation. 2. This assumptionwas the only immediate act of the divine nature on the human in the person of the Son. All those that follow in subsistence, sustentation, with all others that are communicative, do ensue thereon. S. This assumption and the hypostatical union, are distinct and différent in the formal reason of them. (1.) Assumption is the immediate act of the divine nature in theperson of the Son on the human; union is mediate, by virtue of that assumption. (2.) Assumption is unto personality; it is that act whereby the Son of God and our nature became one'person. Union is an act or re- lation of the natures subsisting in that one person. (3.) Assumption respects the acting of the divine, and the passion of the human nature; the one assumeth, the o- ther is assumed. Union respects the mutual relationof the natures unto each other. Hence the divine nature may be said to be united unto the human, as well as the human untothe divine; but thedivine nature cannot be in this great work, may be reduced unto these four heads. (l..) The assumption of our nature into personal sub- sistence with the Son of God. (2.) The union of the two natures in that single per- son, which is consequential thereon. (3.) The mutual communication of those distinct na- tures, the divine and human, by virtue of that union. (4.) The enuneiations or predictions concerning the personof Christ, which follow on that union and com- munion. The first thing in the divine constitution of the per- son of Christ,, as God and man, is assumption. That ineffable divine act I intend, whereby the person of the $ion of God assumed our nature, or took it into a personal subsistence with himself. This the scripture expresseth sometimes actively, with respect unto the di- vine nature, acting in the person of the Son, the na- ture assuming; sometimes passively, with respect unto the human nature, the nature assumed. The first it doth, .Hob. ii. 14, 16. i, Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also' himself like- wise took part of the same: for verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham." Phil. ii. 6, 7. .. Being in the form of God, he took on him the form of a servant:" and in sundry other places. The assumption, the taking of our human nature to be his own, by an ineffable act of his power and grace, is clearly expressed. And to take it to be his own, his own nature, can be nootherwise, but by giving it a subsistence in his own person; otherwise his own nature it is not,, can be. Hence God is said to purchase his church with his own blood, Acts xx. 28. That relation and denomination of his own, is from the single person of himwhose it is. The latter is declared, John i. I4. The word was made flesh. Rom. viii. 3. . God sent his own Son in the likeness ofsinful flesh," Gal. iv. 4. a Made of a woman, made under the law," Rom. i. 3. " Made of the seed of David according to the flesh." Theeternal Word, the Son of God, was not made flesh, not made of a woman, nor of the seed of David, by the conversion of his sub- stance or nature into flesh; which implies a contra- diction, andbesides is absolutely destructive of the di- vine nature. He could no otherwise therefore be made flesh, or made of a woman, butin that our nature was
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