450 QUESTJONS CONCERNING JESUS. present the covenant of redemption between. the Father and the Son according to scripture, upon the supposition of the pre-exis- tence of Christ's human soh], : But according to the common or scholastic explicationofthedistinction of persons in theTrinity, and the denialof this pre-existent soul of Christ, we can haveno ideas tinder all their glorious and affectionate representations of this transaction between the Father and the Son. Let us enquire a little into this matter. The common or scholastic explication of theTrinity, which has been 'long universally received by our protestant writers, and has been called orthodox for these several hundred years, is this, viz. That (iod is but one simple, infinite and eternal Spirit : Thence it follows, that the divine essence, powers, and essential properties of the Father, the Son and the Spirit in the godhead, are numerically the very same essence, powers, and essential properties : That it is the same numerical consciousness, under. Standing, will and power which belongs to the Father that be- longs also to the Son and to the holy Spirit ; and that the sacred three are distinguished onlyby the superadded relative properties of paternity, filiation and procession ; but their thoughts, ideas, volitions and agencies, according to this hypothesis, must be the very same numerical thoughts, ideas, actions, and volitions, in all the sacred three. Now having these excellent Sermons of Mr. Flavel before me, who has well represented this doctrine of the covenant of Redemption, and the transactions between God the Father and his Son before the world was; I would cite some part of that dis- course, in order to shew howwell his representionof this matter agrees with the doctrine of the pre -existent soul of Christ, though it can never agree to the common explication of the Tri- nity without it. See Sermon III. page 23, &c. " 1. Consider the persons transacting and dealingwith each ether in this covenant These are God the Father, and God the Son : the former as a creditor, the latter as a surety the Father stands upon satisfaction, the Son engages to give it" " 2. Consider the business transacted between them, and that was the redemption and recovery of all God's elect." u 3. The manner or quality of this transaction : It was federal, or in the nature of a covenant : It was by mutual en- gagements and stipulations, each person undertaking to, perform his part in order to our recovery, The Fatherpromised' that he will hold his hand and keep bins ; Isa. xlii. O. The Son promis- ed' that he will obey his Father's call to suffering, and not be rebellious ; Ise. 1. 5. and having promised, each holds the other tó his engagement." " 4. Consider the articles to which they both aqgree.: God the Father promises to invest him with a three-fold office, viz. to make'him it Priest; Ps. ex. 4. The Lord bath swornandwill
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=