I 34. (4 'Declaration of the Glorious M Y s TE It Y were fubjeti unto gùilt on its own account, it could make no fatisfaftion for the fin of others: Here therefore again occurs Nodtu vindice dign:ir, adiffic_gtty which nothing but divine wifdom could expedite. Tocake a little farther view hereof, we muff confider on what grounds there things (fpiritual defilement and guilt) do adhere unto our nature as they are inall our individual perfons. And the firft of there, is, that our entirenature as unto our participation of it was in Adam as our headand teprefentative. Hence his fin became the fin ofus all, is juftly imputed unto us, and charged on us. In him weallfined; all did fo who were in him as their common reprefentative when he finned. Hereby we be- Came the natural children of wrath, or liable unto the wrath of God for the common fin of our nature, in the natural and legal head or fpring of it. And the other is, that we derive our nature fromAdam by the way of natural generation. By that means alone is the nature of our firft pa- rents as defiled communicated unto us. For by this means do we become to appertain unto the flock, as it was degenerate and corrupt. Wherefore that part of our nature wherein and whereby this great work was to be Wrought, muft as unto its effence and fubftance be derived from our fuit parents, yet fo as never to have been in Adam as a common reprefentative; nor be derived from him by natural generation. The bringing forth of our nature in fuch an inftance, wherein it fhould relate no lefs really. and truly unto the firft adam than we do our felves, whereby there in the ftrift- eft alliance of nature between him fo partaker of it, and us, yet fo, as not in the leaft to participate of the guilt of the firftfin, nor of the defile- ment of our nature thereby, muft be an effect of infinite wifdom, beyond the conceptions of any created underftanding. And this, as we know, was done in the perfonof Chrift. Forhis lhuinane nature was neverin Adam as his reprefentative, nor was he comprized in the covenant wherein he flood. For he derived it legally, only from and after the firft promife, when Adam ceafed to be a common perfon. Nor did it proceed from hint by naturalgeneration, the only means of the derivation of its depravation and pollution. For it was an holy thing created in the womb of the virgin by the power of the moll high. O the depths of the wifdomand knowledge of God! It was neceffary therefore on all there confiderations, it was fo unto the glory of the holy properties of the divine nature, and the reparation of the honour of his holinefs and righteoufnefs, that he by whom the workof our recovery was to be wrought, fhould bea man partaker of the nature that finned,yet free from all fin, and all the confequents of it.. And this did divine wifdom contrive and accomplifh in the humane nature ofJefus Chrift. But yet in the fecond place on all the confiderations before mentioned it is no lefs evident that this workcould not be wrought or effefted by him who was no more than a meer man, who liad no nature but ours, who was an humane perfon and no more. There was no one aft which he was to perform inorder unto our deliverance, but did requireadivine power to tender it efficacious. But herein lies that great myftery of godlinefs, whereunto a continual oppofition hath been made by the gates of hell, as we manifeftedin the entrance of this difcourfe. Butwhereas it belongs un- to the foundation ofour faith, we muft enquire into it, and confirm the truth of it with fuch demonftrations, as divine revelation doth accom- modate us withal. And three things are to be fpoken unto. Fief!, We are to give in rational evidences, that the recovery of man- kind was not to be effetted, by any one who was a meer man and no more though it were abfolutely necelfary that 'aman he fhould be he mull
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