of the PERSON of CHRIST. 153 unto faith, and fallen into manifold contradiftions among themfelves. Hence Aquinas affirms, that three of the ways ofdeclaring the hyposta- tical unionwhich are propofedby thewafter ofthe fentences, are fo far from probable opinions, as they are downright hereties. I !hall therefore con- fine my felf in the explication of this mystery unto the propofitions of divine revelation, with the juft and neceffary expofitions ofthem. What the fcripture reprefents ofthe wifdom of God in this great work, may be reduced unto thefe four heads. (r.) The affumption of our nature into perfonal fubfiftence with the Son of God. (2.) The union of the two natures in that tingle person which is con- fequential thereon. (3.) The mutual communicationof thofediftinft natures, the divine and humane, by virtue ofthat union. (4.) The enuntiations or predications concerning the perfon of Chrift, which followon that union and communication. (I.) The firft thing in the divine conftitution of the person of Chrift as God and man, is affumption. That ineffable divine ad I intend, where- by the perfon of the Son of God, Aimed our nature, or took it into a personal fubfiftence with himfelf. This the fcripture expreffethfometimes aftively with refpeft unto the divine nature ailing in the perron of the Son, the nature affmning; fometimes passively with refpeft unto the hu- mane nature, the nature affumed. The firft it doth, Heb. ii. 14, -16. Forafmuch as the children are partakers offlefb and blood, be alfa bim- felflikewife took part of thefame. For verily be took not on him thenature of angels, but he took on him the feed of Abraham, Phil. ii. 6, 7. Being in theform of God, he took on him the form of a fervent; and in fundry other places. The affumption, the taking ofour humane nature tobe his own, by an ineffableaft of his power and grace, is here clearly, expreffed. And to take it to be his own, his own nature, can be no otherwife but by giving it a fubfiftence in his own perfon; otherwife his own nature it is not, nor' can he. Hence God is faid to purcbafe his church with his own blood, Alts XX. 28. That relation and denomination of his own is from the tingle perfon of him whofe it is. The latter is declared, John i. 14. The wordwas madeflesh, Rom. viii. 3. Godfens bis own Son in the likenefroffn-. ful fefb, Gal. iv. 4. made of a woman made under the law, Rom. i. 3. made of the feed David according to the flefb. The eternal word, the Son off of God, was not made plejh, not made of a woman, nor of the feed of David, by the conversion of his fubftance or nature into fleth, which implies a contradiétion, and befides is abfolutely deftru&ive of the divine nature. He could no otherwife thereforebe made flesh, ormade of a woman, but in thatour nature was made his, by his affumtngof it to be his own. The fame perfon who before was not flesh, was not man, was made flelh as inn, inthat he took our humane nature to be his own. 1.) This ineffable aft, is the foundation of the divine relation between theSon of God, and the man Chrift Jefus. We can only adore the my- fferions nature ofit; Great is thismystery ofgoddnefs. Yet may we ob- ferve fundry things to direft us inthat duty. [x) As unto original efficiency, it was the a& ofdivine nature, and fo confequently of the, Father, Son andSpirit. For fo are all outward ails of God, the divine nature being the immediate principle of all fact ope- rations. Thewifdom, power, grace and goodnefsexerted therein are effen- tial properties of the divine nature. Wherefore the afting of them origi- nally belongs equallyunto each perfon, equally participant of that nature. Q ' . 42.] As
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