nians, and of late, the Mennonites, that the human nature of Christ was formed in heaven, and came down from thence into the virgin, and passed through her as water through a pipe, as their expression was; so that, according to them, he was not conceived in her, nor took flesh of her: to countenance this, it is observed, that the second man is said to be the Lord from heaven, 1 Cor. xv. 47. But the words are not to be understood of the descent of the human nature of Christ from heaven; but of his divine Person from thence; not by change of place, but by assumption of the human nature into union with him; by virtue of which union, the man Christ has the name of the Lord from heaven; and not because of the original and descent of the human nature from thence; and in this sense, and in this sense only, are we to understand the words of Christ, when he says, I came down from heaven, John vi. 38. namely, that he descended in and by the human nature; not by bringing it down from thence, but by taking it into union with his divine Person.-2. This conception was through the power and influence of the Holy Ghost overshadowing the virgin. His operations in this affair may be considered in this manner, and after this order: He first took a part and portion of the virgin, of her semen, or blood, and conveyed it to a proper place; and purified and sanctified it, or separated it, not from any moral impurity, which it was not capable of, being an unformed mass; but from a natural indisposition in it, which, had it not been removed, might hereafter have occasioned sin; to prevent which this was done; and then he im pregnated it with a fructifying virtue, and formed the members of the human body, in order, at once, and in a fitness (being properly organized) to receive the human soul; for to consider its immediate formation in such a state, is much more agreeable to the formation of the first man, more becoming the workmanship of the Holy Ghost, and more suitable to the dignity of the Son of God to assume it into union with himself, than to suppose it an unformed and unshapen embryo. Yet this is to be understood, not as if it was in such a state as not to admit of a future increase, both before and after birth; nor to contradict its Now continuance in the womb of the virgin the usual time of every man. though this affair has been spoken of as in several processes, yet must be understood as all instantaneously done by the almighty power of the holy Spirit: in the same instant the human body was thus conceived, formed, and organized, the human soul of Christ was created and united to it, by Him who forms the spirit of man within him; and in that very instant the body was conceived and formed, and the soul united to it, did the Son of God assume the whole human nature at once, and take it into union with his divine Person, and gave it a subsistence in it; so that the human nature of Christ never had a subsistence of itself; but from the moment of its conception, formation, and creation, it subsisted in the Person of the Son of God: and hence the human nature of Christ is not a person; a person is that which subsists of itself; but that the human nature of Christ never did; wherefore, 3. It was a nature, and not a person Socini Disput, Adv. Mennonitas in Oper, tom. 2. p. 461.

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that Christ assumed so early as at its conception; it is called the holy Thing, and not a person; The seed of Abraham, or the nature of the seed of Abraham; the form and fashion of a man, that is, the nature of man; as the form of God' in the same passage, signifies the nature of God. The Nestorians asserted the human nature of Christ to be a person; and so made two persons in Christ, one human and one divine; and of course four persons in the Deity, contrary to 1 John v. 7. but there is but one Person of the Son, one Son of God, one Lord of all, one Mediator between God and man; if the two natures in Christ were two distinct separate persons, the works and actions done in each nature could not be said of the same Person; the righteousness wrought out by Christ in the human nature, could not be called the righteousness of God; nor the blood shed in the human nature the blood of the Son of God, nor God be said to purchase the church with his blood; nor the Lord of life and glory to be cru cified; nor the Son of man to be in heaven, when he was here on earth: all which phrases can only be accounted for, upon the footing of the personal union of the human nature to the Son of God, and his having but one Person; of which these several things are predicated. Besides, if the human nature of Christ was a person of itself, what it did and suffered could have been of no avail, not of any benefit to any other but himself; the salvation wrought out in it, and by it, would not have been the common salvation, or common to elect men; but peculiar to that individual human person; and the righteousness he is the author of, he would only have had the benefit of it, being justified by it, and accepted with God in it; whereas, it being wrought out in the human nature, as in personal union with the Son of God, this gives it an enlarged virtue, and spread; and so it comes to be unto all, and upon all them that believe.

I treat of the union of the two natures, divine and human, in the person of the Son of God, under the article of conception, and before the birth of Christ, as it certainly was; hence when Mary paid a visit to her cousin Elizabeth, before the birth of Christ, and just upon the conception of him, she was saluted by her thus; Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? Luke i. 34. Wherefore before I proceed to consider the second part of the incarnation, the nativity of Christ, I shall farther observe some things concerning the union, which took place at the conception; and of the effects of it.

1. Of the union itself; concerning which let it be observed,- 1. That though Christ, by assuming the human nature, united it to his divine Person: yet there is a difference between assumption and union; assumption is only of one nature; union is of both: Christ only assumed the human nature to his divine Person; but both natures, human and divine, are united in his Person; that he has two distinct natures is evident; in that, according to the flesh, or human nature, he is the Son of David; and according to the spirit of holiness, or the divine nature, he is the Son of God: he was of the fathers, according to the flesh, or human nature; but, according to the divine nature, God over all,

a

blessed for ever: he was put to death in the flesh, in the human nature; but quickened in or by the Spirit, the divine nature, Rom. ix. 5. 1 Pet. i. 18. yet but one Person.-2. This union is hypostatical,, or personal; but not an union of persons: the union of Father, Son, and Spirit, in the Deity, is an union of three Persons in one God; but this is not an union of two persons; but of two natures in one person.-3. This is an union of natures; but not communication of one nature to another; not of the divine nature, and the essential properties of it, to the human nature; for though the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Christ, Col. ii. 9. that is, substantially and really, not in shadow and type; yet the perfections of the Godhead are not communicated to the manhood, as to make that uncreated, infinite, immense, and to be every where, &c. the properties of each nature remain distinct, notwithstanding this union.-4. This union lies in a communication of, or rather in making the personality of the Word, common to the human nature; or giving it a subsistence in the Person of the Word or Son of God; hence because of this union and community of person, it has the same name with the Word; and is called, the Son of God, Luke i. 35. And hence it appears, that the human nature of Christ is no loser, but a gainer, and is not inferior, but superior to other individuals of human nature, by its not being a person, subsisting of itself; because it has a better subsistence in the Person of the Son of God, than it could have had of itself; or than any creature has, angel or man. - 5. dissoluble though death dissolved the union between the Christ, it did not, and could not dissolve the union between the human nature and person of Christ; wherefore, in consequence of this union, he raised up the temple of his body, when destroyed, the third day, and thereby declared himself to be the Son of God with power, John ii. 19.

This union is inbody and soul of

II. The effects of this union, both with respect to the human nature, and to the Person of Christ. With respect to the human nature; 1. Pre-eminence to all other individuals of human nature; it is chosen and preferred to the grace of union with the Son of God, above them all; it has a better subsistence than they have, and has obtained a more excellent name than they, and even than the angels; and is possessed of glory, blessings, and privileges above all creatures; as will appear from what will be further observed. All which is not of any merit in it, but of the free grace of God.-2. Perfect holiness and impeccability: it is called, the holy thing; it is eminently and perfectly so; without original sin, or any actual transgression; it is not conscious of any sin, never committed any, nor is it possible it should.-3. A communication of habitual grace to it in the greatest degree; it is, in this respect, fairer and more beautiful than any of the sons of men; grace being poured into it in great plenty; it is anointed with the oil of gladness above its fellows: that is, with the gifts and graces of the holy Spirit; it has the Spirit given unto it, but not by measure; the Spirit of God rests upon it, in his several gifts and graces, in a most glorious and perfect manner, Isai. xi. 2. John iii. 34. And should it be asked, if the

same graces were in it, and exercised by it, as love, faith, and hope, in the saints? it may be answered, they were, and were exercised by it in its state of humiliation, as its circumstances required: Christ trusted and hoped in God, when upon his mother's breasts, Psal. xxii. 9, 10. When in suffering circum stances, he exercised faith on him, that he would justify, help, and deliver him,' Isai. 1. 7-9. When the time of his death drew nigh, he expressed his love to to God by a readiness to submit to his will, and obey his command, John xiv. 31. And when his body lay in the grave, he rested in hope of the resurrection of it, Psal. xvi. 10.4. A very high and glorious exaltation of it, after his death and resurrection from the dead: it was highly exalted by being united to the Person of the Son of God; and though he came into a state of humiliation in it, yet being raised from the dead, it is highly exalted, far above all principality and power, and might and dominion, and above every name that is named in this world or in that to come; it is set down at the right hand of God, where angels are never bid to come; and where angels, authorities, and powers, are made subject to it, Phil. ii. 9, 10. 1 Pet. iii. 22.

8.

With respect to the Person of Christ, the effects of this union are, 1. A communication of idioms, or properties, as the ancients express it; that is, of the properties of each nature; which are, in common, predicated of the Person of Christ, by virtue of the union of natures in it; for though each nature retains its peculiar properties, and does not communicate them to each other; yet they may be predicated of the Person of Christ; yea, he may be denominated in one nature, from a property which belongs to another; thus in his divine nature he is God, the Son of God, the Lord of glory; and yet in this nature is described by a property which belongs to the human nature, which is to be passible, and suffer; hence we read of God purchasing the church with his blood; and of the blood of the Son of God cleansing from all sin; and of the Lord of glory being crucified, Acts xx. 28. 1 John i. 7. 1 Cor. ii. And on the other hand, in his human nature he is called the Son of man; and yet as such, is described by a property which belongs to the divine nature, which is to be omnipresent, to every where. So it is said; No man hath ascended to heaven but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man, which is in heaven, John iii. 13. who was in heaven at the same time he was here on earth; which was true of his Person, though denominated from his human nature; and thus what cannot be said of Christ in the abstract, is true of him in the concrete, by virtue of this union; it cannot be said, that the Deity of Christ suffered; or that the humanity of Christ is every where: but it may be said, that God, the Son of God suffered; and that the Son of man was in heaven when on earth, or every where. It cannot be said, that the Deity is humanity; nor the humanity Deity, nor equal to God: but it may be said, that God the Word is man, and the man Christ is God, Jehovah's Fellow; because these names respect the Person of Christ, which includes both natures. A communion of office, and of power and authority to exercise it in both natures: thus by virtue of this union

be

2.

Christ bears the office of Mediator, and exercises it in both natures; there is one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim. ii. 5. but he is not Mediator only in his human nature, and only exercises it in that; he took upon him, and was invested with this office before his assumption of human nature; and could and did exercise some parts of it without it, as has been shewn in its proper place; but there were others that required his human nature; and when, and not before it was requisite, he assumed it; and in it, as united to his divine Person, he is God-man, is Prophet, Priest, and King, Judge, Lawgiver, and Saviour; and has power over all flesh, to give eternal life to as many as the Father has given him; and upon his resurrection, had all power in heaven and earth given him, to appoint ordinances, and commission men to administer them; and had authority also to execute judgment, both in the world and in the church; because he is the Son of man, John xvii. 2.-V. 27.3. A communion of operations in both natures, to the perfecting of the same work; which, therefore, may be called theandric, or the work of the God-man; there being a concurrence of both natures in the performance of it; which, when done, is ascribed to his Person: thus, for instance, the sacrifice of himself, as the propitiation for the sins of men; as God-man and Mediator, he is the Priest that offers; his human nature, consisting of soul and body, is the Sacrifice; and his divine nature is the altar which sanctifies it, and gives it its atoning virtue; his blood was shed in the human nature, to cleanse from sin but it is owing to its union with the Son of God that such an effect is produced by it. The redemption of men is by the ransom-price of the life and blood of Christ; but it is the divine nature, to which the human is united, in the Person of the Son of God, that makes it a sufficient one. The mission of the Spirit, by Christ, is owing both to his intercession in the human nature, and to his power and authority in the divine nature, according to the oeconomy of things settled between the divine Persons. 4. The adoration of the Person of Christ, having both natures united in him, is another effect of this union. The human nature of Christ is not the formal object of worship; it is a creature, and not to be worshipped as such; nor is worship given for the sake of it, or as singly considered; but then the divine Person of Christ having that nature in union with him, is the object of worship; the flesh of Christ is not worshipped, but the incarnate God is; a whole Christ is worshipped, but not the whole of Christ. When he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, which was at the time of the incarnation, he saith, Let all the angels of God worship him, Heb. i. 6. And upon his resurrection from the dead, God has given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow; that is, in a way of religious adoration, Phil. ii. 9. 10. and though Christ, as man, is not the object of such adoration; yet what he has done in the human nature, is a motive and argument why blessing and honour should be given to his Person, having both natures united in him; Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, &c. Rev. v. 12, 13.