Perhaps while we dwell on Earth, there will always remain fome Difficulty in adjufting feveral Particulars that relate to the Perfon, the Offices and the Operations of our Bleffed Saviour: but fince we firmly believe that his Name is Immanuel, or God with us, and that God and Man are united to conftitute the compleat Person of our Mediator; fince we are perfuaded also that the Characters and Offices which he sustains, require Powers fuperior to all created Nature for the most compleat Execution of them; therefore where we are at a lofs in determining how far the Divine Nature operates, and how far the Human, in any special part of his Offices, we may refer it in general to the complex Perfon of the Mediator as God-Man. In this Perfon we are fure there are Powers abundantly fufficient to answer all the Neceffities and Demands of every Office which he fuftains. When we confider him as God, it is as God united to Man: When we confider him as Man, it is as Man united to God; and his Perfon as God-Man, our Governor and our Judge demands our Adoration, and Faith and Love.

To conclude this Subject, tho' fuch Speculations as I have indulged in this Difcourfe, are by no means neceffary to our Salvation, yet they may be applied to several excellent Purpofes in Chriftianity. They may cure us of our old narrow Con ceptions of the Glories of the exalted Human Nature of Chrift, and raise in us nobler Ideas of that illuftrious Perfon, whom God the Father hath advanced to fo fublime a degree of Power and Majefty at his own right Hand.

Thefe Speculations may give us a much higher efteem of our Bleffed Saviour, and a more affecting Sense of his Sorrows and Sufferings in the Value and Dignity of them, when we obferve how glo

rious a Perfon he is in himself, and what a rich and furprizing Recompence God the Father has made him upon this account. They may teach us to pay more juft and agreeable Honours to the Perfon of our Redeemer God-Man, and excite us to a nobler Practice of Gratitude, to do and fuffer any thing for his fake, who has done and fuffered fo much for us on Earth, and who continues to do fo much for us in Heaven. Sure it must be a culpable Defect in us, willingly to withhold any part of that Efteem, Affection and Love from the Man Chrift Jefus, which he has fo richly merited at our hands by his amazing Condefcenfion, by his former mortal Agonies, and by his prefent extenfive Benefits. We would not willingly treat any of our Fellow-Creatures at fo low and unworthy a rate, as too often we treat the Son of God who died for us and is exalted to the Father's Throne, Rev. 3. 27. and 4. 21.

It has pleafed the Father that all the Fulness of Godhead fhould dwell bodily in the Man Jefus, that there should be a perfonal Union between God and Man, that fo the human Nature being a part of the complex Person of the Mediator, it might be affumed into the complex Object of Worship: and indeed if we do not include the Human Nature of Chrift in the Honours which we pay him, I think we can be hardly faid to give him any of that fpecial Honour in a proper Senfe, to which the Father has advanced him by this Union: and we feem to deprive his facred Perfon also of that peculiar Glory which he received from the Father by way of Gift or Reward for his Sufferings. For 'tis not the Divine Nature properly, but the Human which endured the Sufferings, and is intitled to the Reward. Whatsoever fublime Honours therefore we pay to the pure Godhead of Chrift, while we have no actual

regard

regard to the Man Jefus who is united to the Deity, we feem to neglect that peculiar Honour due to him, for which we have perhaps the most frequent Precepts and Examples in the New Teftament, i, e. the Honour due to him as God-Man and Mediator.

I grant that we must not separate the Divine Nature of Chrift from the Human, while we addrefs him with religious Worship; for the mere Man abftracted from Godhead doth not seem a proper Object, nor justly capable of it, according to the Rules of Scripture: yet while we direct our Devotions to his whole facred Perfon, our Forms of Addrefs may and ought to have frequent Refpect to the past Sorrows and the prefent Glories and Powers of his human Nature: This is to worship him; according to the Patterns of Worship paid to him, which ftand recorded in Scripture for our Imitation. See Rev. 1. 5, 6. and 5. 9. and 7. 9, 10.

All the Honour which we pay to the Man Jefus, muft redound to the Glory of the indwelling Godhead, and to the Honour of the Father; yet we fhould look upon ourselves under fpecial Obligations, to pay particular Honour and Love to whom Honour and Love are due, and not forget the Intereft of the human Nature of Chrift in the Smart of his Sufferings, and in the Glory of his Exaltation, when we pay religious Worship to our Emmanuel, or God with us. See these things more discoursed at large in my third Differtation on the Trinity.

Such raised Sentiments as thefe concerning the Power and Dignity of our exalted Redeemer, may discover to us the Senfe and Beauty of feveral Expreffions of Scripture which before were unobferved or unknown; and may make it appear with what Propriety the Scripture fpeaks concerning the Rewards and Recompences which Chrift received,

on

139 on the account of his Sufferings: It difcovers alfo the diftinct Capacities with which he is furnish'd to fulfil thofe glorious Offices of Government and Judgment, that the Father has invefted him with,

While we give a facred Freedom to our Meditations on this Subject, we may feel ourselves infpired with holy Breathings toward the upper World, where the Perfon of our great Redeemer dwells at the Right-hand of God. Such an Elevation of Thought may awaken in us yet further Degrees of humble and facred Curiofity to arrive at a better acquaintance with the great Theanthropos, or God in our Nature, whom having not feen we love, and in whom, tho' now we see him not, yet believing we rejoice. This fhould make us long 'till the time comes, when our doubtful and imperfect Gueffes at his Glory fhall vanish; when we fhall view him no longer thro' the darknefs of a Glass, but fee him as he is, and behold him face to face. Then fhall it appear, that eternal Life in our Poffeffion of it, as well as in our way to it, confifts in the Knowledge of the one true God, and Jefus Chrift whom he has fent, John 17. 3. Then fhall the Son of God himself, and all his Saints together, rejoice in the Accomplishment of that glorious Language of his Inter ceffion; John 17. 24. Father, I will that they also whom thou haft given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me : and this will be a great part of our Heaven. Amen.

SECT.

Teftimonies from other Writers.

INCE I have finished this Difcourfe, I have

SINC

met with feveral Authors who were zealous and hearty Friends of the Doctrine of the Deity of Christ, and yet have raised their Meditations to a fublime Degree concerning the extenfive Powers and Capacities of his buman Nature now glorified. Perhaps it will allure fome Readers into a more favourable Sentiment of this Doctrine, when they fhall find that it is not a loose and wild Flight of Imagination, but the fettled and fedate Judgment of former Writers of Worth and Eminency; and for this Reason I have made the following Citations,

If we were to confult the Writings of the ancient Fathers, Dr. Whitby* affures us in his Annotations on Philip. 2. 9. that "They refer this high Exal"tation of Christ, not to his Divine but Human "Nature; and that the Apostle speaks not here of "the Exaltation of his Divine Nature by the Ma"nifeftation of his concealed Glory and Power, "but of the Exaltation of that Nature which had

fuffered, for this is reprefented in Scripture as "the Reward of his Paffion. Heb. 2. 9. We fee bim, faith the Apostle, who was made a little "lower than the Angels for the fuffering of Death "crowned with Glory and Honour. And again, "The Elders about the Throne faid, Worthy is the Lamb "that was flain to receive Power and Riches, Rev.

5.

However, Dr. Whitby in his latter Days fell in pretty much with Dr. Samuel Clarke's Opinion; yet when he wrote his Annatations, he was zealous against Arianifm, and a fervent Defender of the proper Deity of Chrift, fo that his Senfe on this Point cannot be fufpected here.