of the PERSON Of CHRIST. 33 this invifible God fhould be fo reprefented unto us by fore image of him, as that we might know him, and that therein he might be worshiped ac- cording unto his own mind and will. But this muff be of his own contrivance, an effea of his own infinite wifdom. Hence as he abfolutely rejedeth all images and reprefentations of him of teens deviling for the rea- fons before mentioned, and declares that the honour that any fhould think would therebyredound unto him, was not givenunto him, but Unto the de- ói1; fo that which he bath providedhimfelf, unto his ownholy ends and pur- pofes, is every way approved of him. For he will have all men honour the Son, even as they honour the Father, and fo, as that he who honoureth not the San, bonoureth not the Father, John v. 23, - -- 25. This image therefore is the perfon ofChris; be is the image ofthe invi- fble God. This in the firs place refpefts the divineperfon abfolutely as he is the effential image of the Father; which ems briefly be declared. s. The Son is fometimes faid to be it weitet, in the Father, and the Fa- ther in the Son. Johnxiv. so. Believefl thou not that l am intbe Father, and the Father in me ? This is from the unity or famenefs oftheir nature ; for he and the Father are one, John x. 3o. Thence all things that the Fa- ther bath are his, chap. xvi. z g. becaufe their nature is one and the fame. With refpeft unto the divine effence abfolutely confidered, wherein the Fa- ther is in the Son, and the Son in the Father, the one cannot be faid to be the image of the other. For he and the Father are one; and one and the faine thing cannot be the image of it felf in that wherein. it is one. 2. The Son is faid not only to be b Mize", in the Father, in the unity of the fame effence; but alfo wogs %l- IIazéeyi or (User, with the Father, or with God in the diftinftionof his. perfon. John i. s.The wordwas with God, and thewordwas God. Theword was God, in the unityof the divine of- fence; and theword was with God in its disinft perfonal fuhfisence. The word, that is, the perfon cf the Son, as diftinft from the Father, was with God, or theFather. And in this refpeft he is the efential image of the Father, as he is called in this place, and Heb. i. 3. and that becaufe he par- takes of all the fame divine properties with the Father. But although the Father on the other fidebe partaker of all the effential divine properties of the Son, yet is not he faid to be the image ofthe Son. For this property of an image refpefts not the things themfIves, but the manner of the participation ofthem. Now the Son receives allfrom the Fa- ther, and the Father nothing from the Son. Whatever belongs unto the perfon ofthe Son, as the perfonof the Son, he receives it all from the Fa- ther by eternal generation; For as the Father loath life in himfelf, fo bath be given unto the Son to have life in himfelf, John v. 26. He is therefore theefential imageof the Father, becaufe all thepropertiesofthe divine nature are communicated unto him, together with perfonality from the Father. 3. Inhis incarnation the fon was made the reprefentative imageof God un- tous, as he was inhis perfon the effential image of the Fatherby eternal generation. The invifible God whofe nature and divine, excellencies our underftandings can makeno approach unto, doth in him reprefent, exhi- bit, or make prefent unto our faith and fpiritual fenfe, both himfelf and all the glorious excellencies of his nature. Wherefore our Lord Jefus Chris the Son of God may be confidered three ways. r. Meerly withrefpect unto lais divine nature. Titis is one and the fame with that of the Father. In this refpect the one is not the image of the o- Cher, for botta are the fame. IC 2. With
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