The Online Library of Liberty

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• The Divine Feudal Law Represented
• §1.
• §2.
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• §9
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• §14.
• §15
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• §24.
• §25
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• §30
• §31
• §32
• §33
• §34
• §35
• §36
• §37
• §38
• §39.
• §40
• §41
• §42
• §43
• §44
• §45
• §46
• §47
• §48
• §49
• §50
• §51
• §52
• §53
• §54
• §55
• §56
• §57
• §58
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• §64
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• §70
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• §74
• §75
• §76
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• §79
• §80
• §81
• §82
• §83
• §84
• §85
• §86
• §87
• §88
• §89
• §90
• §91
• §92
• §93
• §94

§44

The Nature of the Personal Union.That the most strict Conjunction therefore of God and Man in one Person may be express’d, the Things which are concrete of each Nature are predicated reciprocally one of the other. For since the Lord Jesus Christ is one, 1 Cor. 8:6. One Mediator between God and Man, the Man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim. 2:5. Add Rom. 5:17. it is equally said, The Word or Son of God was made Man, Joh. 1:14. as that the Son of the Virgin, or what is Born of thee is call’d, or is the Son of God, Luk. 1:35. The Son of God, for whom are all Things, and by whom are all Things, took part of Flesh and Blood, as the Children are Partakers of the same, that he might be capable of dying, Heb. 2:10, 14. All the Fulness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily, Col. 2:9. That we might be Members of his Body, and he might be our Mystical Head, which is what a meer naked Man could not represent, Eph. 5:30. That is to say, No one could be Mediator between God and Man, but he who was so God and Man, as to be one and the same Person. It would not have been of Advantage to Men if he had been only God, nor could he have sufficed to sustain the Office of Mediator if he had been only Man. It would not have been sufficient to this end that there might have been concerning him some Change or Reciprocation of Words or Expressions: But those very Reciprocal Expressions are founded in the Nature of the Thing, and do express what does really exist in the Person of the Saviour: But it must be said too, that because that Union exceeds the utmost Reach of the Humane Understanding, we must not let loose the Reins to Curiosity, nor determine too boldly any thing concerning that Mystery; by which it would be very easie for us to fall into such Mistakes as would overthrow, or be inconsistent with, the whole Mystery. Whence it is that all Similitudes, as for instance, that of a red hot Iron, or of the Conjunction of the Soul and Body, must be taken with due Qualifications. So also the Word περιχώρησις, which was used by some of the Grecians on this Subject, must not be strictly taken, as if there were a mutual and equal Permeating or local Co-extension herein of the Divine and Humane Nature, such as comes to pass, for instance, when Wine and Water are mingled. Which so gross a Conception does not agree with the Divine Nature, whose Immensity is not to be conceiv’d of after the manner of Corporeal Extension: Which has one part set beside another, and does besides destroy the very Form of the Humane Nature; that is, if one should affirm that this is extended through all the Extent of the Universe. If therefore any one should imagine that there is here such a Conjunction, as whereby the Humane Nature were plainly turn’d into the Divine, he would manifestly imagine a Contradiction, and would therein destroy the true Notion of a Mediator, in making him to be only God. Neither does the natural Conjunction which is between the Soul and Body less destroy that, forasmuch as that Conjunction is a thing naturally necessary; but the Conjunction of Two Natures in Christ is made by a previous Covenant. So also such a Conjunction, as whereby God might remain meerly God, and Man meerly Man, would also destroy the Nature of a Mediator, because in this Way the Bond of our Reconciliation with God would be broken.