DISCOURSE II: 579 dwelt on 'earth. He may perhaps as easily inspect the whole globe of this earth, and the heavens that encompass and surround it, as any of us can view a globe or circumference of an inch diameter ; for he is the sovereign of mankind. He is prince of the kings of the earth: He is the governor of the world. The laws by which they ought to live, and by which they must be judged are his laws. " Besides, he is our great intercessor with God almighty; but how can he intercede for what he knows not, or know what he does not hear ? IIow can all the prayers of his people come before him, unless his presence be very diffusive, and extend with the fabric of earth and heaven ? I am not about to affirm the ubiquity of Christ's bodily presence, nor to determine the manner how he is present ; but that Jesus Christ even in his human nature, does view and take cognizance of the affairs of man, I think cannot be doubted. Page 49, Christ is the head of his church even in his human nature : How can he know the usefulness and the necessity of special communications to the several and single members of his body, without a largeness of presence ? " Inbrief, Christ Jesus considered as man and mediator is the great and general administrator of all the affairs of this hu- man world ; what is-done in it, he does it, for all power inhea- ven and in earth is given unto him. Great is the mystery of godliness; and certainly, even the man Christ Jesus is a far more glorious person than the most of christians, yea, or of chris- tian divines, do conceive or apprehend. He is called the San of righteousness, and compared te light, and (loth enlighten all the intellectual world. Ile is the express imagé of his Father's per- son; that ¡is, perhaps the most lively character and expression of the deity, that is, among created beings. He is sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high that is, he is, next the pure godhead, the most illustrious essence in the world. " Let no man misunderstand me in what .I have said con- cerning the human nature of Christ Jesus. I do not deny his divine nature, nor the union thereof to the human ; I extend the presence of his human nature no farther than the nature of his mediatory office doth require it. And touching the doctrine of the Trinity, and the union of the eternal word with the humait nature, I esteem it tlíe great essential as well as the great mys- tery of the christian religion, and do very heartily believe it." Dr. ThomasGoodwin in his treatise of theHeart of Christ in Heaven,' part iii. says, " The understanding of the human nature of Christ bath notice and cognizance of all the occurrences that befal his members here. And for this thetext is clear ; for the apostle speaks this for our encouragement, that Christ is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Which could not be 0 0 2 li tII
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=