gin's blood or feed whereof the body of Chrift was of a chi'd be fully formed: now, it was otherto be framed, was fo cleanfed and fanctified, that wife with the body of Chrift, for in the very inin it there fhould be neither spot nor itain of ori-lant of his conception, he was made perfect in ginal pollution. body and foul, void of fin, and full of grace, in the very inftant of his conception he was perfectly framed, and inftantly united into the eternal word, perfect God, and perfect man. Surely this was extraordinary, and this is the property of the holy Ghoft fubito operari, to work inftantly, and perfectly, As foon as ever the flesh was conceived, it was prefently united and made the flesh of the Son of God,' Aug. L. de fide ad et C. 18. It was fuddenly made, perfectly made, holily made. The fecond action afcribed to the holy Ghoft, is adumbartion or overshadowing of the virgin. This teacheth us that we fhould not search over much into this great mystery, alas! it is too high for us: if the courfe of ordinary generation be a fecret, how paft all comprehenfion is this extraordinary operation? The holy Ghoft did caft a fhadow over the virgin, and withal a shadow over this myftery; why fhould we feck a clear light, where God himself will have a fhadow? I know the word was made flesh, (faith Chryfoftome) hom. 5. but how he was made I know not.

2. 1 he fruit or effect was the framing of Chrift's manhood, in which we may obferve the matter and manner. I. For the matter, obferve we the matter of the body, and of the foul of Chrift. 1. The matter of the body of Christ, it was the very fleth and blood of the virgin, He was made of a woman, faith the apostle, Gal. iv. 4. i. e. of the fleth and blood, and substance of the woman, And be was made of the feed of David, (faith the apofle) according to the flesh, Rom i. 3. Otherwife he could not have been the fon of David according to the flesh; and if it be true which the philofophers fay, That the feed of the man doth not fall into the fubftance of the child, but only doth difpofe the feed of the woman (as a workman frameth ⚫ and difpofeth his work) to make the fame into the form of a man:' Why then, I know not wherein the conception of Chrift fhould differ in the matter at all from our conception; fave only in the agent, or worker of his fubftance, who was the holy Ghost. 2. The matter of fubftance of the foul of Chrift was not derived from the foul of the virgin, as a part thereof; but it was made as the fouls of other men be, i. e. of nothing, by the power of God; and fo infufed into the body by the hand of God, but of thefe things (of his body, and foul, and human nature) we shall fpeak more largely in the next fection.

1. Ufe. In way of confutation, this word conception is the bane of divers herefics, 1. That of the Manichee, who held he had no true body; if fo, as one fays well, that had been virgo decipiet, not concipiet, rather a deceiving of us, than a conceiving of him. 2. That of the Valentinian revived lately in the anabaptift, who hold that he had a true body, but made in heaven, and fent into the virgin here on earth; and if fo, that had been virgo recipiet not concipiet, rather a receiving, than conceiving; yet I cannot but wonder how confidently the anabaptifts tell us, That the flesh of Chrift came down from heaven, and paffed through the virgin Mary as water through a conduit pipe, without taking any fubftance from her : their objections are raifed out of thele texts.

2. For the manner of framing Christ human na ture it was miraculous; the angel afcribes two actions to the holy Ghost in this great work, the one to come upon the virgin, the other to overshadow her; by the first is fignified the extraordinary work of the holy Gholt in fashioning the human nature of Christ, as it was faid of Samfon, The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, Judg. xiv. 6 i. e. The holy Ghost infpired him with an extraordinary strength; fo the Spirit of the Lord came upon her, i. e. the 1. No man afcendeth int heaven, but he that holy Ghost wrought in her an extraordinary way. came down from heaven, even the Son of man which As for inftance, in ordinary generation our fubftance is in heaven, Johnii 13. Lanfwer, 1 This fprech and parts are framed fuccefively by degrees, as mult be understood, firstly in refpect of his Godfirst the feminal humours becomes an embrio, then head, which may be faid in fome fort to defcend, a body inorganical, then are fashioned the liver, in that it was made manifeft in the manhood here heart, and brain, and then the relt one after ano- on earth. 2. This fpeech mat Dunderflood ther; and it is at leaft forty days before the body truly of the whole perion of Chrat, to whom the

pro

in fome fort heavenly, or from heaven in his hu. 3.

man nature, in that the human nature was united to the divine, and withal in that the human nature was formed by the holy Ghoft; fo John's baptifm is faid to be from heaven, though neither he, nor the water wherewith he baptifed defcended from heaven, but because he received it from God who is in heaven. Chrift was conceived (as you heard) by the holy Ghost, and in that regard his generation was divine and heavenly, or from hea

many dangerous errors, that fo he may prejudge the hearts of God's people in the receiving and entertaining fo many glorious truths. But that we may not pafs over fuch a foundamental error as this, fome faying with Martian, That he is God, but not man; and others, with Arius, That he is man, but not God; I fhall therefore confirm this truth of the two natures of Christ against the adverfaries of both fides.

And, 1. That Chrift is true God, both apparent fcriptures, and unanfwerable reafons drawn from fcriptures do plainly evince.

1. The fcriptures call him God. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, John i. 1. And unto the Son he faith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever, Heb. i. 18. And Thomas anfwered and faid unto him, My Lord, and my God: and take heed to yourfelves, and to all the flock. -To feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood, John xx. 28. Aûs xx. 28. And hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, 1 John iii. 16. And we know that the Son of God is come. This is the true God, and eternal life, 1 John v. 20. And without controverfy, great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifefted in the fefh, 1 Tim. iii. 16.

2. Unanswerable reafons drawn from fcriptures prove him God: thus it appears,

1. From thofe incommunicable properties of the Deity, which are properly afcribed unto him, he is eternal as God, Rev. i. 17. He is infinite as God, Matth. xxviii. 20. He is omnifcient as God, Mat. ix. 4. He is omnipotent as God, He that cometh frem above, is above all, John iii. 13. He is able to fubdue all things unto himself, Philip. iii. 21. He hath the keys of heil and death, Rev. i. 18.

2. From these relations he hath with God, as to be the only begotten on of God, John i. 18. The image of the Father, 2 Cor. iv. 4. Col. i. 15. 3. From these acts ascribed to him, which are only agreeable to the divine nature, as to be the author of our election, John xiii. 18. To know the fecrets of our hearts, Matth. ix 4. To hear the prayers of his people, John xiv. 14. To judge the quick and the dead, John v. 22. And thus he creates as God, John i. 4. He commands as God, Matth. viii. 26. He forgives as God, Mat. ix. 6. He fanctifies as God, John i. xi. He glorifies as

God, John x. 28.

4. From all thofe acknowlegements given to him by the faints, which are only proper unto God; and thus he is believed on as God, John i 18. He is loved as God, I Cor. xvi. 22. He is obeyed ́ as God, Matth. xvii. 5. He is prayed to as God, Acts vii. 59. He is praised as God, Rev. v. 13. He is adored as God, Heb. i. 6. Phil. ii. 10. Surely all these are strong demonstrations, and prove clearly enough that Jefus Chrift is God. But why was it requifite that our Saviour fhould be God? I anfwer, 1. Because none can fave fouls, nor fatisfy for fin but God alone; There is none, (faith the Pfalmift, Pfal. xlix. 7, 15.) that can by any means redeem his brother, or give God a ranfom for him.-But God will redeem my foul from the power of hell. 2. Because the fatisfaction which is made for fin, must be infinitely meritorious: an infinite wrath cannot be app afed but by an infinite merit; and hence our Saviour must needs be God, to the end that his obedience and fufferings might be of infinite price and worth. 3. Because the burden of God's wrath cannot be endured and run through by a finite creature: Chrift therefore must needs be God, that he might abide the burden, and fultain the manhood by his divine power. 4. Because the enemies of our falvation were too ftrong for us! how could any creature overcome Satan, death, hell, damnation? Ah! this required the power of God; there's none but God that could deftroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil. he was

2. As Chrift is God, fo he is true man, born as man, and bred as man, and fed as man, and flept as man, and wept as man, and forrowed, as man, and fuffered as man, and died as man; and therefore he is man.

But more particularly, 1. Chrift had a human `body; Wherefore when he came into the world, he said, facrifice and offering thou wouldst net, but a body hast thou prepared me, Heb. x. 5. And when the apofties thought they had feen a phantafm, or a fpirit, he faid unto them, handle me and fee, because a spirit hath not fejh and bones, as you fee me have, Luke xxiv. 39. Here's a truth clear as the fun, and yet, O wonder! fome in our times, (as Cochlaeus witneffeth) do now avouch, That he had but an imaginary body, an aerial body, a phantafm, only in thew, and no true body,

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2. Chrift

2. Chrift had an human reafonable foul, Myground.' So then he had not our personal infoul is heavy unto death, said Chrift, Matth. xxvi. firmities, but only our natural, and good reason, 38. And, again, Father, into thy hands I com- for indeed he took not upon him an human perfon, mend my Spirit, Luke xxiii. 46. Surely, (faith but only an human nature united to the perfon of Nazianzen) either he had a foul, or he will not fave his Godhead. a foul. The Arians oppofed this, faying, Chrift had no human foul, but only a living flesh; becaufe the evangelift faith, that the word was made flesh, John 1. 14. But this is a nechdoche very ufcful in fcripture to put the part for the whole, and fignifieth as much, as though he said, The word was made muan. I know fome reasons are rendred why the evangelift faith, he was made flesh, rather than be was made man. As, 1. to fhew what part of Christ was made of his mother; not his Deity, nor his foul, but only his fleth 2. To exprels the greatnefs of God's love, who for our fakes would be contented to be made the vileft thing, flesh, which is compared to grafs. All fefb is grafs, Ifa. xl. 6. 3. To fhew the greatness of Chrift's humility, in that he would be named by the meanelt name, and bafeft part of man; the foul is excellent, but the flesh is base. 4. To give us fome confidence of his love and favour towards us, because our flesh, which was the part most corrupted, is now united to the Son of God.

But why was it requifite, that our Saviour should be man? I anfwer, 1. Becaufe our Saviour mult futter and die for our fins, which the Godhead could not do. 2. Because our Saviour must per. form obedience to the law, which was not agree able to the law giver; the Godhead certainly is free from all manner of fubjection. 3. Because our Saviour mail fatisfy the juice of God in the fame nature wherein it was offended, For, fince by man came death, by man came alfo the refurrecti on of the dead, 1 Cor. xv 21. 4. Becaufe by this means we might have free access to the throne of grace, and might find help in our necefities, hav ing fuch an high pricft, as was in all things tempted like unto us, and was acquainted with our infirmi ties in his own perfon, Heb. iv. 15. and v. 6,

3. Chrift had all the properties that belong ei- 4. ther to the foul or body of a man: nay, more than fo, Chrift had all the infirmities of our nature, fin only excepted: 1 fay the infirmities of our nature, as cold and heat, and hunger and thirst, and wearinefs and weakness, and pain, and the like; but I cannot fay, That Chrift took upon him all our perfonal infirmities: infirmities are either natural, common to all men, or perfonal, and proper to fome men, as to be born lame, blind, difeafed; as to be affected with melancholy, infirmity, deformity; how many deformed creatures have we amongst us? Chrift was not thus, his body was framed by the holy Ghost of the pureft virgin's blood, and therefore I queftion not, it was proportioned in a moft equal fimetry and correfpondency of parts, He was fairer than the fons of mex, his countenance carried in it, An hidden vailed ftar-like brightnefs, (faith Jerome) which being ' but a little revealed, it fo ravifhed his difciples hearts, That, at the first fight thereof they left all, and followed him: and it fo aftonifhed his 'enemies, that they ftumbled, and fell to the

SECT. VI.

Of the diftinction of the two natures in Chrift.
Real diftinction of thefe two natures is

A

evident, I. In regard of effence, the Godhead cannot be the manhood, nor can the manhood be the Godhead, 2. In regard of properties, the Godhead is most wife, jutt, omnipo tent, yea, wildom; juftice, omnipotency itself, and fo is not the manhood, neither can it be. 3. They have diftinct wills, Not my will, but thy will be done, Father, Luke xxii. 42. Plainly differen cing the will of a creature from the will of a Creator. 4 The very actions in the work of redemp tion are indeed infeparable, and yet diffinguishable, I lay down my life and take it up again. John x. 18. To lay it down was the action of man, not of God; and to take it up was the action of God, not of man In these refpects, we fay, cach na ture remains in itfelf intire, without any converfi on, compofition, commixion, or confusion: there is no convertion of one into the other, as when he changed water into wine, no compofition of both, no abolition of either, no confufion at all. It is ealy to obferve this real distinction of his two natures, from firit to laft; as, firit, he was conceived

as