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VII.

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DISC. lier ages, haraffed and distracted the Chrif tian church, on the point of the incarnation; and in oppofition to which, the four most famous ancient general councils of Nice, Conftantinople, Ephefus, and Chalcedon, were called. Whatever was by them decreed, either in declaration of Chriftian belief, or refutation of herefy, may all be comprised, as judicious Hooker well noteth, in four words, truly, perfectly, indivifibly, diftinctly ";" truly God, perfectly man, indivisibly one person, distinctly two natures. "Within the compass of "which four heads," faith he, "I may truly "affirm, that all herefies, which touch "the perfon of Jefus Chrift, (whether they have risen in thefe latter days, or " in any age heretofore) may be with great facility brought to confine themselves."

66

66

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The apostle to the Hebrews, writing on the subject of the incarnation, thus expreffeth himself: "He taketh not hold of

η Αληθώς, τελεως, αδιαιρέτως, ασυνχυτως.

• Book v. Sect. 54.

"angels,

s

VII.

angels, but he taketh hold of the feed DISC. "of Abraham ";" he took, or affumed the manhood into God. As the reasonable foul and flesh is one man, fo God and man is one Chrift. The foul is not turned into, nor compounded with the body; yet they two, though diftinct in nature, form one The natures are preferved, without confufion; the perfon is entire, without divifion 2.

man.

Thus, then, as the neceffity of the cafe, and the counfels of the moft High required, "The Word was made flesh; and, being made flesh, "dwelt amongst "us;" not appearing occafionally, as in ancient times, but making his abode with his creatures; "rejoicing in the habita"ble parts of the earth, and delighting "to be with the fons of men;" infomuch,

? Ου γαρ δηπε αγγελων επιλαμβανεται, αλλα σπέρματος Αβρααμ επιλαμβανεται.

Sic factum est Caro, ut maneret Verbum; non immutando quod erat, fed affumendo quod non erat: noftra auxit, fua non minuit; nec facramentum pietatis detrimentum Deitatis. CONCIL. CHALCED.

that

DISC. that we read of thofe, who were not afraid

VII.

66

to ask him, Mafter, where dwelleft
"thou?" and received this gracious an-
fwer, "Come and fee."
"He pitched

"his tent among us," a ftranger and a
fojourner, as his fathers were, concerning
whom it is the apoftle's obfervation, that,
though the heirs of the promise, they lived
in tents, shifting from place to place, and
declaring, that here, on earth, they had
no permanent city, but looked for one to
come. The fleshly tabernacle, in which
he refided, at the close of his pilgrimage,
was to be taken down, in order afterwards
to be re-erected in a more glorious manner,
and for ever fixed at the right hand of
God; like the GLORY of old, which first
travelled with Ifrael through the wilderness,
in a moveable tent, and then, at length,
rested in a durable temple, on the hill of
Sion. As the Captain of our falvation,
the Leader of the Ifrael of God, he pre-
ceded his people to the battle against their
fpiritual enemies and now, as King of

;

• Εσκηνωσεν εν ημίνο

Glory.

VII.

Glory, crowned with victory and honour, DISC. he is feated on his throne, holding forth rewards to all his faithful foldiers and fervants, which they are to receive at his hands, when the days of their pilgrimage and warfare fhall be ended.

But let us not imagine, that, even in the state of humiliation, his glory was altogether obfcured by the veil, within which it dwelt; or that it's frequent irradiations were not fufficient to convince those who beheld the house, how illuftrious a guest it had the honour to contain. Eye-witnesses have given a different account. "The

"Word was made flesh, and dwelt among

« us;

and we beheld his glory, the glory "as of the only begotten of the Father." The fun was covered with a cloud; but it was the fun ftill; and often manifefted, through the cloud, the power and brightnefs of it's beams.

That Chrift was man, the labours and the forrows, the ftripes, the wounds, the

VII.

DIS C. pains, and the death, which, as man, he fuffered, did fully atteft. But they who faw the moft boisterous elements in nature ceafe from raging, and compofe themselves into a perfect calm, when he said, "Peace, "be ftill;" they who faw a foul and inveterate leprosy done away in a moment, by the words, "Be clean;" they who faw a body, that had been four days dead, arise from it's tomb, when he called, “Lazarus, "come forth;" thefe might well afk, "What manner of man is this, that even "the winds and the fea," disease, and death itself, obey him?" Outwardly indeed he appears to be a man; to be a man; but furely, under that form, a celeftial vifitant is come among us. Is not this the Lord of nature? Is not this man's Almighty Redeemer ?

When, at the marriage in Cana, he had caufed water to change it's nature and properties, and to become wine, it is faid, "This beginning of miracles did Jefus in "Cana of Galilee, and manifefted forth his

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glory; and his difciples believed on him."

But

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