174 THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF TIIE TRINITY. tive. If ii be real, it must be some inferior natureunited to the godhead. If it be relative, it must be some inferior character or office; sustained by one of the. sacred persons : And upon either of these accounts, we may suppose something inferior to the supreme dignity of godhead, to be ascribed to one or more of the sacred three. Let us enquire particularly concerning this. There are many things inferior to the dignity of godhead, whichare evidently attributed to the Son in scripture ; such as these, that he was " made of a woman ;" Gal. iv. 4. That he. was in the " form of a servant ;" Philip. ii. 7. That he "in- creased in wisdom and stature ;" Luke ii. 52. That he " knew not the day of judgment ;" Mark xiii. 32. That the was hungry and thirsty, and asleep that he wept, that he groaned, that he was forsaken of his Father, that his soul was exceeding sorrow- ful, thathe was cricified, and died, that he rose again, and as- cended to heaven. But all these things are easily accounted for, by the union of the godhead, to the inferior nature of man, in theperson of Jesus Christ. For he who was born of the virgin was "Ein manuel, or God with us;" Luke i. 54. He who was true and real God, was also true and real man, and Of the " seed of Da- vid according to the flesh ;" Rom. i. 3. He who was God over all, blessed for ever, according to his divine nature, as came from the Jewish fathers according to the flesh, or his luinran nature ;" Rom: ix. 5. He who was the true God was " manifested in the flesh ;" 1 Tim. iii. 16. This is called the "incarnation of Christ," and the New Testament is full of it. Hence it comes to pass, that the properties and actions of one nature are ascribed sometimes to the whole person, and some- times to the other nature. So the Son of man is said to be in heaven ; John iii. 13. and that while the man Jesus was here upon earth ; because, as God, he was in heaven and earth, and every where present. So the Lord of glory is said to be cruci- fied ; 1 Cor. ii. 8. because the man Christ Jesus was crucified, ayho in his divine nature is the Lord of glory. So the church is said to be " purchased . with God's own blood ;" Acts xx. 28. because the blood of the man who was also God purchased the church. So " God laid down his life for us ;" 1 John iii. 16. that is, he who was God laid down his human life. This is what divines usuallycall a communication of properties. If there be any thing inferior to the dignity of godhead at- tributed to the Son or Spirit, which cannot be imputedto some real inferior nature, united tothe godhead in that person, then it arises from something relative, and it must be attributed to some inferior character or office, suctained.bythat person in theeconomy of our salvation.
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