of the PERSON o/ CHRIST. 165 fed faints. In thefe things, namely, our union with God, and his com- munications unto us, dote our bleflednefs and glory confift. In this world believers are united unto God by faith. It is by faith that they cleave unro himwith purpofe of heart. In heaven it Ihall be by love. Ardent love with delight, complacency and joy, from a clear apprehenfioti ofGod's infinite goodnefs and beauty now made prefent unto us, now enjoyed by us, !hall be the principleof our eternal adherenceunto him and union with him. His communications unto us here, are by an external efficiency of power. He communicates of himfelf unto us inthe effeits of his goodnefs, grace and mercy, by the operations of his fpirit in us. Of the fame kind will all the communications ofthe divine nature be untous unto all eternity. It will be by what he worketh in us by his fpirit and power. There is no other wayof the emanation of virtue from God unto any creature. But theft things in Chrift are ofanother nature. This union of his humane nature unto .God, is immediate in the perfon of the Son ; ours is mediate by the Son as cloathed withour nature. The way of the communications of divine nature unto the humane in his perfon, is what we cannot comprehend ;we have nonotionof it ; nothing whereby is may be illulirated. There is nothing equal.to it, nothing like it- in all the worksof God. As it is a creature it muff fubfft in eternal dependence on God; neither path- it anything but what it receives from him. For this belongs elfentially unto the divine nature, tobe the only independent eternal fpring and fountain of all being and goodnefs. Nor can omnipoten- cy it felf exalt a creature into any fuch condition, as that it fhould not al- ways and in all things depend abfolutely on the divine being. But as unto the way of the communications between the divine and humane nature in the perfonal union, we know it not. But whether they be of life, power, light or glory, they are of another kind, than that whereby we do or !hall receive all things. For all things aregiven unto us, are wrought in us, as was faid, by an external efficiency of power. The glorious im- mediate emanations of virtue from the divine unto the humane nature of Chrift, we underfland not. Indeed the aftings ofnatures of different kinds, where both are finite in the fame perfon one towards.the other, is ofa difficult apprehenfion. Who knows how direflive pówer and efficacy proceeds from the foul, and is communicated unto the body, unto every the lean minute aftion, in every member of it; fo as that there is no dif- tance between the direction and the aftion, or the accomplifhment of it ; or how on the other hand the foul is affelted with forrowor trouble in the moment wherein the body feeleth pain, ,fo as that no diftinition can he made between the body's fufferings, and the foul's forrow ? How much more is this mutual communication in the fame perfon of divers natures above our comprehenfion, where one of them is abfolutely infinite? Some- what will be fpoken to it afterwards. And herein dotlr this eternal glory differ from that of all other glorified creatures whatever: And' 3.) Hence the humane nature of Chrift, in his divine perfon, and toge- ther with it, is the obje& of all divine adoration and worfhip, Rev, v. 13. All creatures whatever do for ever afcribe biting, honour, gloryandpower, unto the lamb, in the fame manner as unto him who fits on the throne. This we have declared before. But no other creature either is, or ever can be exalte3 into fuch a condition ofglory, as to the objelt of any divine worfhip, from the meaneft creature which is capable of the performance of it. Thofe who afcribe divine or religious honour unto the faints or angels, as is done in the church of Rome, do both rob Chrift of the prin- 'I' t cipal
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=