BOOK 4. THE INCARNATION.
CHAPTER 1.
4.1.3. Of the Duplicity of Natures in Christ.
Of the Duplicity of Natures in Christ.
The duplicity of natures in Christ appears in that he was truly God, and truly man. "To us a child is born," saith the prophet. There is a nature human, and "he shall be called the mighty God," Isa. ix. 6. There is a nature divine; "God sent his Son," saith the apostle, therefore truly God, and his Son, "made of a woman," Gal. iv. 4. therefore truly man: One would have thought this truth would never have come into controversy in our days: but these are the last days, and that may take off the wonder; "In the last days shall come perilous times," 2 Tim. iii. 1. "Men shall resist the truth," etc. Zech. xii. 8. In the last days I know there will be abundance of truth revealed, "The knowledge of the Lord shall be as the waters that cover the sea, and every child shall be as David," Dan. xii. 4. And the book that was sealed, must be opened, and knowledge shall be increased; but Satan even then will be as busy to sow his tares, as God in sowing of his wheat: then is Satan active to communicate errors, when he sees God begin to discover truths; he hopes in the heat of the market, to vent his own wares, and I believe this is one reason why now the devil sets on foot so many dangerous errors, that so he may prejudge the hearts of God's people in receiving and entertaining of many glorious truths. But that we may not pass over such a fundamental error as this, some saying with Martin, That he is God, but not man: and others with Arius, That he is man, but not God; I shall therefore confirm this truth of the two natures of Christ against the adversaries of both sides. And,
1. That Christ is true God, both apparent scriptures, and unanswerable reasons drawn from scriptures do plainly evince.
(a). The scriptures 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 saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever," Heb. i. 8. And "Thomas answered and said unto him. My Lord, and my God: and take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock. -- To feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood," John xx. 28, Acts 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 controversy great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifested in the flesh," 1 Tim. iii. 16.
(b). Unanswerable reasons drawn from scriptures prove him God: thus it appears,
(i). From those incommunicable properties of the Deity, which are properly ascribed unto him, he is eternal as he is God, Rev i. 17. He is infinite as God, Matth. xxviii. 20. He is omniscient as God, Matth. ix. 4. He is omnipotent as God, "He that cometh from above, is above all," John iii. 31. "He is able to subdue all things unto himself," Phil. iii. 21. "He hath the keys of hell and death," Rev. i. 18.
(ii). From these relations he hath with God, as to be the only begotten Son of God, John i. 18. The image of the Father, 2 Cor. iv, 4. Col. i 15.
(iii). From these acts ascribed to him, which are only agreeable to the divine nature, as to be the Author of our election, John xiii. 15. To know the secrets of our hearts, Matth. ix. 4. To hear the prayers of his people, John xiv. 14. To judge the quick and dead, John v. 22. And thus he creates as God, John i. 4. He commands as God, Matt, viii. 36. He forgives as God, Matt. ix. 6. He sanctifies as God, John i. 12. He glorifies as God, John x. 28.
(iv). From all those acknowledgments given to him by the saints, which are only proper unto God; and thus he is believed on as God, John iii. 18, He is loved as God, 1 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 Jesus Christ is God. But why was it requisite that our Saviour should be God? I answer,
- Because none can save souls, nor satisfy for sin but God alone; "There is none," (saith the Psalmist, Psalm xlix. 7, 15.) "that can by any means redeem his brother, or give God a ransom for him. -- But God will redeem my soul from the power of hell."
- Because the satisfaction which is made for sin, must be infinitely meritorious: an infinite wrath cannot be appeased, but by an infinite merit; and hence our Saviour must needs be God, to the end that his obedience and sufferings might be of infinite price and worth.
- Because the burden of God's wrath cannot be endured and run through by a finite creature: Christ therefore must needs be God, that he might abide the burden, and sustain the manhood by his divine power.
- Because the enemies of our salvation were too strong for us! how could any creature overcome Satan, death, hell, damnation? Ah! this required the power of God: there is none but God that could destroy "him that had the power of death, that is the devil."
2. As Christ is God, so he is true man, he was born as man, and bred as man, and fed as man, and slept as man, and wept as man, sorrowed as man, and suffered as man, and died as man; and therefore he is man. But more particularly,
(a). Christ had a human body; "Wherefore when he came into the world, he said, sacrifice and offerings thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared for me," Heb. x. 5. and when the apostles thought they had seen a phantasm, or a spirit, he said unto them, "handle me and see, because a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see me have," Luke xxiv. 39, here is a truth clear as the sun, and yet, O wonder! some in our times, (as Cochlaeus witnesseth) do now avouch. That he had an imaginary body, an serial body, a phantasm only in show, and no true body.
(b). Christ had an human reasonable soul, "My soul is heavy unto death," said Christ, Matth. xvvi. 38. And, again, "Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit," Luke xxiii. 46. Surely, (saith Nazianzen) "either he had a soul, or he will not save a soul." The Arlans opposed this, saying, "Christ had no human soul, but only a living flesh because the evangelist saith, "that the word was made flesh," John i. 14. But this is a synechdoche, very usual in scripture, to put the part for the whole, and signifieth as much, as though he had said, "The word was made man." I know some reasons are rendered why the evangelist saith, "he was made flesh," rather than "he was made man." As,
(i). To show what part of Christ! was made of his mother; not his Deity, nor his soul, but only his flesh.
(ii). To express the greatness of God's love, who for our sakes would be contented to be made the vilest thing, flesh, which is compared to grass. "All flesh is grass," Isa. xl. 6.
(iii). To show the greatness of Christ's humility, in that he would be named by the meanest name, and basest part of man; the soul is excellent, but the flesh is base.
(iv). To give us some 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.
3. Christ had all the properties that belong either to soul or body of a man: nay, more than so, Christ had all the infirmities of our nature, sin only excepted: I say the infirmities of our nature, as cold, and heat, and hunger, and thirst, and weariness, and weakness, and pain, and the like; but I cannot say that Christ took upon him all our personal infirmities: infirmities are either natural, common to all men, or personal, and proper to some men, as to be born lame, blind, diseased: as to be affected with melancholy, infirmity deformity; how many deformed creatures have we amongst us? Christ was not thus, his body was framed by the Holy Ghost of the purest virgin's blood, and therefore I question not, it was proportioned in a most equal symmetry and correspondency of parts. He "was fairer than the sons of men," his countenance carried in it, "An hidden veiled star -- like brightness, (saith Jerome) which being but a little revealed, it so ravished his disciples hearts. That, at the first sight thereof they left all, and followed him: and it so astonished his enemies, that they stumbled and fell to the ground." So then he had not our personal infirmities, but only our natural, and good reason, for indeed he took not upon him an human person, but only an human nature united to the person of his Godhead.
But why was it requisite, that our Saviour should be man? I answer,
- Because our Saviour must suffer, and die for our sins, which the Godhead could not do.
- Because our Saviour must perform obedience to the law, which was not agreeable to the lawgiver; the Godhead certainly is free from all manner of subjection.
- Because our Saviour must satisfy the justice of God in the same nature wherein it was offended, "For, since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead" 1 Cor. xv. 21.
- Because "by this means we might have free access to the throne of grace, and might find help in our necessities, having such an high priest, as was in all things tempted like unto us, and was acquainted with our infirmities ill his own person," Heb. iv. 15, and v. 6.