120 THE NATURE OF THE PERE said to be assumed, as the human is. Wherefore as-MI sumption denotes the acting of the one nature, and the passion of the other; union, the mutual relation that is between them both. These things may be safely affirmed, and ought tobe firmly believed, as the sense of the Holy Ghost in those expressions; ea He took on him the seed of Abraham: He took on him the form of a servant;" and the like. And who can conceive the condescension of divine good- ness, or the actings of divine wisdom and power there- in! 2. That which followed] hereon is the union of the two natures in the same person, or the hypostatical union. This is included and asserted in a multitude of divine testimonies; Ise. vii. 14. ss Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Im- manuel," as Matth. i. 29. He who was conceived and born of the virgin was Immanuel, or God with us; that is, God manifest in the flesh, by the union of his natures in the sameperson; lsa. ix. 6. ei To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace." That the same person should be the mighty God, and a Child born, is neither conceivable nor possible, nor can be true, but by the union of the divine and human natures in the same person. So he said of himself, Before Abraham was I am, John viii. 58. That he, the same person who then spake unto the Jews, and as a man was little more than thirty years of age, should also be before Abraham, undeniably confirms the union of a- nother nature in the same person, with that wherein he spake those words, and without which they could not be true. He had not only another nature, which did exist before Abraham, but the same individual person, who then spake in the human nature, did then exist. See to the same purpose, John i. 14. Acts xx. 28. Rom. ix. 5. Col. ii. 9. 1 John iii. 16. This union the ancient church affirmed to be made árgs,roäs without any change in the person of the Son of God, which the divine- nature is not subject unto; Alaska, with a distinction of natures, but without any division of them byseparate substances; rcevyx&ros with- out mixture or confusion; zxgíras without separation or distance. And irmi5i, substantially, because it was of two substances, or essences in the same person, in op- ON OF CHRIST, AND THE position unto all accidental,union, as the fulness ofthe Godhead dwelt in him bodily. Those expressions were found out and used by the ancient church, to prevent the fraud_of those who cor- rupted the doctrine of the person of Christ, and (as all of that sort ever did, and yet continue no to do) ob- scured their pernicioussentiments under ambiguous ex- - pressions. And they also made use of sundry terms, which they judged significant of this great mystery, or the incarnation of the Son of God. Such are ;rrdgaar,s, incarnation, i,raparars, imbodying, i,s,Aga,rnms, inhu- manation, i hr,rerañ 1a14¡sía, 1 ,raluría, i wxorFa, to the same purpose, i 81d ragaès . sOa, his conversation in or by the flesh, ñ 8st â.Bgw,rdrnros ¢x.gars, his manifestation by humanity, i r .wr,s, the advent, is aévarls, the exinan- ition, or humiliation, ; r5 x11,-5 a.gavaa, the appearance ormanifestation of Christ, i rv.orarápars, the condescen- sion. Most of these expressions are taken from the scripture, and are used therein with respect unto this mystery, or some concernments of it. Wherefore, as our faith is not confined unto any one of these words or terms, so as that we should be obliged to believe not only the things intended, but also the manner of its ex- pression in them: so, so far as they explain the thing intended, according unto the mind ofthe Holy Ghost in the scripture, and obviate the senses of men of cor- rupt minds, they are to be embraced and defended, as useful helps in teaching the truth. That whereby it is most usually declared in the writ- ings of the ancients, is, x41 inicies, gratia unions, the grace ofunion; which form of words, some manifesting themselves strangers unto, do declare, -how little con- versant they are in their writings. Now, it is not any ha- bitual inherent grace, residing subjectively in the per- son or human nature of Christ that is intended; but things of another nature. 1. The cause ofthis union is expressed in it. This is the free grace and favour of God towards the man Christ Jesus, predestinating, designing, and taking him into actual union with the person ofthe Son, with- out respect unto, or foresight of any precedent dignity, or merit in him, 1 Pet. i. '20. Hence is that ofAustin, Eagratiafit ab initiofedei sure horns quicunque Christianes, quagratia homo ille ab itsitio foetus est Christus. De predest. sand. cap. 15. For whereas all the inherent grace of the human nature of
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