PRE Here bravium victories: iterum autem impossibile erat ut salutem perciperet, qui subpecatto ceciderat, utraque o- peratus est Filium VerbumDei existons, a Patre descen- der et inearnatususque ad mortem descendens, èt dis- pensationem eonsummans salutis, nostreo. so Being the " Son of God with the Father, and being made man, " he reconciled or gathered up in himself, the long con- " tinned exposing of men (unto sin and judgment), ., bringing in salvation in this compendious way, in s, this summary of it, that what we had lost in Adam, . " that is, our being in the Image and likeness of God; u that we should recover in Christ. For it was not as possible that man that had been once conquered, and " broken by disobedience, should (by himself) be re- es formed, and obtain the crownof victory; nor was it u again possible, that he should recover salvation who " had fallen under sin. Both were wrought by the Son, " the Word of God, who descending from the Father, as and being incarnate, submitted himself to death per- r, fecting the dispensation of our salvation." And Clemens Alexandrines to the same purpose; Asb hart. ad Gentes. Neei Neu ó Aóyas o rä ©cíï ibar;7rdf Yme í- ros, I'm ?i xsei oì, aagd .ir4gd,re za9ts, A- ere äga 11,9gm,ros ysw lam ©,l,. "The Word of. God was made man, that thou mightest learn of a man; howman may become " (as) God." And Ambrose in Psal. cxviii. Octon. 8. Imago, id est, Verbum Dei, adman. quiest adimaginem, hoc est, hominem venit, et qucerit imago eum qui est ad similitudinem, ut iterum signet, ut iterum confirmit, quia amisit quad accepit. " The image of God, that is, the " Wordof God came into him who wasafter the image " of God, that is man. And this image of God seeks " himwho was after the image of God, that he might " seal him with it again, and confirm him, because he ss had lost that which he had received." And Austin in one instance gives a rational account why it was condecent unto divine wisdom, that the Son, and not the Father, or the Holy Spirit, should be incarnate; which we also inquire' into,. lib. de Definition. Ortho. (lofts, cap. 2.. Non.paterearnem assumpsit, nequeSpiri- tus Sanctus sed Filius tantum; utqui eroi in divinitale Dei PatrisFilius ipseferet in homine, homints matris Filius; ne Filii nomenn ad alterttm transiret, qui non FACE.' X1X esset ceterna nativitate Pilius. as The Father did not " assume flesh, nor the Holy Spirit, but the Son only; " that he who in the Deitywas the Son of the Father, u should be made the Son of man, in his mother of his w man race; that the name of the Son should not pass " unto any other, who was not the Son by an eternal "nativity. ". I shall close with one meditation of the same author, concerning the wisdom and righteousness of God in this mystery. Enchirid.ad Laurent. cap. Si). Videuniversum genus humanism tamjusto judicio divino in apostatica ra- dice damnation, ut etiam si nollus indeliberaretur, Hem recte possit Dei vituperari justitiam; et qui- liberantur, sic oportuisse liberari, ut ex pluribns non liberatis, at- que damnationejustissima deretictis, ostenderetur, quod meruisset universa conspersio, et quo diem tstos debitum jsdicinm Dei duceret, nisi ejos indebita misericordia sub- vestiret. a Behold, the whole race of mankind by the " just judgment of God, so condemned in the apostate " root, that if no one were thence delivered, yet " no man could rightly cotnplein of thejustice of Godr and that those who are freed, ought so to be freed, " that from the greater number who are not freed, but .a' left under most righteous condeínnation, it might be manifest what the whole mass had deserved, and' " whither thejudgment of God due unto them would " lead them, ifhis mercy, which wasnot due, did not " relieve them." The reader may see what is discoursed unto these purposes: and because the great end of the description given of the person of Christ, is that we may love him, and thereby betransformed into his image. I shall close this preface with the words of Hierom, concerning that divine love unto Christ which is at large declared. Sire legas, (saith he) sire scribas, sirevigiles, sive dormias, amor tibi semper buccina in auribus sonet; hic litotes excitet animam team; hoc amore furebundus, pare in lecto tuo, quem desiderai anima tua. Epist. ad Pammach. cap. 4. "Whether thou readest or writest,, qwhether thou watchest or sleepest, let the voice of " love (to Christ) sound in thine ears; let this trumpet " stir up thy soul; being overpowered (brought into an " ecstasy) with this love, seekhimon thybed, whom thy se soul desireth and longeth for."
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