the Divine Law. For by virtue of the Perfonal Union of his Divine with his Humane Nature, all Christ's Sufferings receiv'd an infinite Value and Merit, and became entituled and afcrib'd to God himself, because they were undergone by that Perfon, who is God as well as Man, though they were not undergone by him in his Divine, but only in his Humane Nature.

Thus God is faid to have purchased his Church with his own Blood, A&ts xx. 28. For Actions and Paffions in any Perfon are Perfonal, and are attributed to the whole Perfon; and fometimes thofe Actions and Paffions, which can be perform'd in one of those Natures only, which conftitute a Perfon, are yet attributed to the other Nature, which is uncapable of them otherwise than by that Relation which results from the Union of both Natures; whereby all things that befal the Perfon, may be affirm'd of it as fuch, and therefore have refpect to both the Natures, of which it confifts, and may be apply'd to it, under the Denomination of either of them. All the Souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy Souls, Exod. i. 5. If a Soul touch any unclean thing, Lev. v. 2. And the Soul that eateth of it, shall bear his iniquity, Lev. vii. 18, 20. In thefe, and many other places of Scripture, Actions and Paffions peculiar to the Body, are, by reafon of the Union of the Soul and Body, attributed to the Soul. Nay, both in the Hebrew and the Greek Text the Soul is fometimes put for the Body, even of a dead Man, Lev. xxi. 11. xxii. 4. in which Senfe Bishop Pearfon explains Acts ii. 27. Pfal. xvi. io. as divers others had done before him.

a

b

And in other places the Body or Flesh is often taken for the whole Man, and that is attributed to it, which the Flesh is of it felf uncapable of. The Flesh diftinctly confider'd, and apart from the Soul, can nei

a On the Creed, Art. v. fuites Challenge, p. 305′′

b Archbishop Ufher's Answer to the Je

ther

ther fin, nor pray, nor understand, nor worship, nor partake of the Spirit, nor be justify'd; and yet all these things are afcribed to the Flesh, without any mention made of the Soul. All Flesh bad corrupted his way upon the Earth, Gen. vi. 12, O thou that bearest Prayer, unto thee fhall all Flesh come, Pfal. lxv. 2. And all Flefh fhall know, that I the Lord am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob, Ifai. xlix. 26. All Flefh fhall come to worship before me, faith the Lord, Ifai. Ixvi. 23. And all Flesh shall see the Salvation of God, Luke iii.6. I will pour out of my Spirit upon all Flesh, Acts ii. 17. Joel ii. 28. By the works of the Law fhall no Flesh be justified, Gal. ii. 16. And we fay in our own Language, any Body thinks, or any Body understands; tho' we all know, it is the Soul, and not the Body, which thinks, and understands. It is very ufual in other Books, and very agreeable to the Style of Scripture, and to the common Speech and Senfe of Men, for those Actions or Paffions of a Person to be attributed to him, under the Denomination of one of the united Natures, which could be perform'd only in the other. And the Union between the Godhead and the Manhood being like that which is between the Soul and the Body, the Son of God is faid to have fuffered, and the Son of Man to have come down from Heaven; not that the Godhead fuffered, or that the Humane Nature of Chrift was in Heaven before his Incarnation, but according to the ufual Style of Scripture, the Union between the Divine and Humane Natures entitles the Perfon confifting of them both, under the Denomination of either Nature, to that which was done in the other, tho' as the Humane Nature did not partake of the Perfections of the Divine; fo neither did the Divine Nature partake of the Sufferings of the Humane. But both Natures being perfonally united, the Perfon is fometimes denoted by one, and fometimes by the other Nature.

All

All the Objections against the Incarnation of the Son of God proceed upon the like Mistake with theirs, who are apt to imagine that it is unworthy of God to be every where, and in all places, to behold and be present at the worst of Actions; as if the Sun's Brightness would not be the more refplendent and glorious, if it could penetrate into the obfcureft Corners and Receffes of the Earth; or as if his Rays could be fully'd and defiled by the Foulnefs of any Object which they fhine upon. And if it be no Diminution to God's Infinite Glory and Majesty to be Omniprefent, it can be none to be more nearly and even perfonally united to fome Part of the Creation; and therefore it cannot be unworthy of God to be fo united to the Humane Nature, to manifeft his Love and Favour, and extend his Goodness to Mankind. As God is every where prefent, fo he is in a more efpecial manner prefent in fome places, than in others, by the Acts of his Power, or of his Grace and Favour; and he has vouchfafed a more especial Prefence to fome Perfons than to others; and thus he was prefent with his Prophets, who were fent to prepare for and foretel Christ's Coming. But he was perfonally united to the Humane Nature of Chrift. And this is the highest Honour and Advancement to our Nature, for God thus to affume it; but it can be no Diminution to the Divine Majefty, because God continues as he was from all Eternity, without any Alteration; only by his perfonal Prefence and Union with our Humane Nature, he caufes all the Performances and Sufferings of it to be meritorious, for the Salvation of Mankind.

The Son of God did not fo come down from Heaven as to be no longer there, but to forfake his Father's Kingdom: He ftill continued in Heaven in the fame Blifs and Glory, that he enjoy'd with his Father from all Eternity, tho' he fo manifefted himself to the World, as to come and abide in it by affuming our

Humans

Humane Nature. Our Saviour tells Nicodemus, John iii. 13. No Man hath afcended up to Heaven, but he that came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man which is in Heaven. He who fills Heaven and Earth with his Prefence, was ftill in Heaven as much as ever, with respect to his Godhead, tho' he made a more peculiar refidence than he had before done on Earth, by dwelling in our Nature here. The Son of God who is at all times every where prefent, is yet in a peculiar manner prefent, where-ever he is pleas'd to manifest himself by peculiar Acts of his Goodness and Power, as he was pleas'd to do in a most stupendous manner in that Flesh which he took upon him of the Blessed Virgin. And it cannot be thought inconfiftent with the Majefty of God to actuate the Humane Nature, and to be joined in the moft ftrict and vital Union with it, fuppofing God only to act upon it, and not to be acted upon by it, nor to fuffer the Miferies and feel the Pains which the Humane Nature endures, (which would be Blafphemy to affert of the Divine Nature of Christ,) but to be in Heaven still in his full Power and Majefty.

But fome Man will fay, how is this Union between the Divine and Humane Nature in Chrift made, or wherein doth it confift? To whom we may reply, as our Saviour fometimes did to the Scribes and Pharifees, by asking another Question, and enquiring, how the Body and Soul in Man are united? or, how God is prefent in all places? and how in him we live, and move, and have our Being? And if no Man can tell how these things are, tho' no Man can deny the truth and reality of them, then it is not to be expected, that we fhould be able to tell how the Union between the Divine and Humane Nature in Chrift is made, or in what it confists. We must acknowledge it a Mystery, which it is above any Man's capacity to explain; but that there is fuch an Union, we learn from the Scriptures, and thither we appeal for the truth of it.

And

And the putting fuch Questions, argues either a great mind to cavil, or great inconfideration, and fhortness of thought. For what Man is there pretending to Reason and Argument, of fo little obfervation, as not to take notice, that of all the things which we daily fee and perceive to be in the World, the nature and manner of Existence of very few, or rather of none of them, is fully understood by us? It is fufficient for us to know, that great Reasons may be given for this difpenfation of the Son of God incarnate, and that no material Objection can be framed against it.

Secondly, No other way (as far as we can apprehend) could have been fo proper and expedient, as the Incarnation of the Son of God, to procure the Salvation of Mankind, and therefore none could fo well become the Divine Wisdom and Goodness. The proof of this must depend upon the Reafons for Chrift's coming into the World, and they are all comprehended in this one thing, the abolishing or taking away of Sin. And ye know that he was manifefted to take away our Sins, and in him is no Sin, 1 John iii. 5. We are to confider then, that the manifestation of Christ in the Flesh, did more powerfully and effectually take away Sin, than any other way or means of Salvation could have done.

I. The Doctrine and Preaching of the Son of God had more Power and Authority with it than the Preaching and Doctrine of a Man or Angel could have had. God, who at fundry times, and in divers manners, fpake in time paft unto the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in thefe last days fpoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed Heir of all things, by whom alfo be made the Worlds, Heb. i. 1, 2. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, left at any time we should let them flip. For if the word Spoken by Angels was ftedfaft, and ftedfaft, and every tranfgref fion and difobedience receiv'd a just recompence of reward, how fhall we efcape, if we neglect so great Salvation, whigh

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