the Redeemer is the fame fort of Man as the Perfons Redeem'd by him. Thus the fame Apoftle faies, there is one Mediator between. God and men, the man Chrift Jefus, 1 Tim. 2. 5. And again, be bas appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he has ordained: whereof be bas given affurance unto all men, in that he has raised him from the dead, Acts 17. 31. So that our Mediator and Judge is as much a Man, as thofe for whom he intercedes, and who fhall be judged by him. To these I might add diverse other Texts. And what is the plain Senfe of them? What did our Savior and his Apoftles understand by the Word Man ? What fort of Creature did they take Adam, and all other Men, to be? Even fuch as was our Lord himself. The human Soul is by much the principal Part of Man, and his chief conftituent Part; and therefore to fuppofe a Man (a true, perfect, and proper Man, and fuch as our Lord is notorioufly defcrib'd and affirm'd to be) without an human Soul, is the height of Abfurdity. I will not enter into a Metaphyfical Inquiry, what conftitutes the Effence or Subftance of an human Soul or human Body. The Effences or Subftances of Things are little understood by us. We can't precifely determin, what makes an Identity of Nature or Kind.. But tho' we can't precifely determin, what makes an Identity: yet a fmall fhare of common Senfe can difcern a manifeft Diversity ; for inftance, that the WORD which created all things, is not an human Soul. And confequently for any one to affirm, that the WORD joined to an human Body makes a Man, is much more ridiculous, than to affirm, that an human Soul joined to the Body of a Lion, is a Man. For there is a . wider Difference between the WORD and an Whofoever therefore affirms, that our Savior Again, let us obferve, how the Author to the Hebrews argues. Having fhewn in his firft Chapter, that our Lord Jefus Chrift is a Perfon of greater Dignity than the Angels, he infers from thence, in the former Part of the fecond Chapter, the Neceffity of our Obedience to the Laws of the Gofpel. Then he proceeds to evince our Savior's Exaltation from the Old Teftament, by quoting fome Words of the Eighth Pfalm, thus, But one in a certain place teftified, faying, What is man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of man, that thou vifiteft him? Thou madeft him a little lower than the Angels thou crown edft him with glory and honour, and did fet him over the works of thy bands: Thou bast put all things in fubjection under his feet, Heb. 2. 6, 7, 8. He then obferves the Univerfality of this Subjection, saying, For in that be put all in subjection under bim, he left nothing that is not put under bim, v. 8. He then concludes, that this must be understood, not of Man in General, but of one Particular Man, viz. our Lord Jesus Chrift, faying, But now we fee not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the Angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that be by the grace of God should taft death for every man, v. 8, 9. 'Tis notorious therefore, that Chrift Jefus was a Man in the fame Senfe with other Men in General,that is,he had the fame human Nature with our felves. Otherwife the Apoftle's Argument is impertinent, and a mere Cheat put upon his Readers. Now if Chritt Jefus was as much a Man as others, he certainly had an human Soul, as well as an human Body. .. But, what is ftill more remarkable, now follows. He informs us, that Chrift ought to be of the same Nature with our felves, in order to his being the Redeemer of Mankind. For these are his Words, Wherefore in all things it behoved him (dual) to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the fins of the people. For in that he himself bath fuffered, being tempted, he is able to fuccour them that are tempted, ver. 17, 18. I confefs, this Paffage is the Conclufion of his Argument for the Neceffity of Chrift's having Flesh and Bloud, as we have: but then, the Expreffions are fuch, as manifeftly fuppofe and imply, that he had alfo an human Soul. For he fays, it behoved Chrift to be made like unto his Brethren, x návra, in all things. Now this does miya, indeed demonftrat, that he ought to be cloath'd with Flesh and Bloud, as we are (for if he had not had Flesh and Bloud, he would in that one thing have been unlike his Brethren) but furely his being cloath'd with Flefh and Bloud did not make him like us, or of the fame Nature with us, in all things. For the principal Part of our Nature would be ftill wanting in him, if he had not an human Soul. And fince his having Flesh and Bloud is but one Inftance of Similitude, I would fain know, what other he could have, upon Suppofition that he had not an human Soul and confequently with what Propriety of Speech he could be faid to be like us in all things, which muft imply two things at least. Befides,if twas neceffary that he fhould have Flesh and Bloud for this very Reason, that he might be like his Brethren, or of the fame Nature with them; 'twas much more, or at leaft 'twas equally neceffary, that he should have an human Soul alfo, the Enjoyment of which wou'd give him the principal Likeness to Mankind. So that, tho' the Apostle did indeed attempt to prove no more, than that our. Savior ought to have a Body like ours (for he did. not suspect, that any wou'd doubt of his having an Human Soul; and therefore did not defignedly guard against that Error) yet the whole Tenor of his Discourse, and the whole Force of his Argument, do neceffarily infer, that in the Apostle's Opinion, Christ had an human Soul, as well as an human Body. } Nay,the very End of his being cloath'd with Flesh and Bloud demonftrats, that he had an human Soul. For the Apoftle fays, in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the fins of the people. For in that he him felf edft him with glory and honour, and didft fet him over the works of thy hands: Thou haft put all things in fubjection under his feet, Heb. 2. 6, 7, 8. He then obferves the Univerfality of this Subjection, faying, For in that he put all in fubjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him, v. 8. He then concludes, that this must be understood, not of Man in General, but of one Particular Man, viz. our Lord Jefus Christ, saying, But now we fee not yet all things put under him. But we fee Jefus, who was made a little lower than the Angels, for the fuffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that be by the grace of God should taft death for every man, v. 8, 9. "Tis notorious therefore, that Chrift Jefus was a Man in the fame Sense with other Men in General, that is,he had the fame human Nature with our felves. Otherwife the Apoftle's Argument is impertinent, and a mere Cheat put upon his Readers. Now if Chrift Jefus was as much a Man as others, he certainly had an human Soul, as well as an human Body. ... But, what is ftill more remarkable, now follows. He informs us, that Chrift ought to be of the fame Nature with our felves, in order to his being the Redeemer of Mankind. For these are his Words, Wherefore in all things it behoved him (dual) to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the fins of the people. For in that he himself bath fuffered, being tempted, he is able to fuccour them that are tempted, ver. 17, 18. I confefs, this Paffage is the Conclufion of his Argument for the Neceffity of Chrift's having Flesh and Bloud, as we have: but then, the Expreffions are fuch, as manifeftly fuppofe and imply, that he had alfo an human Soul, For he fays, it behoved Chrift to be made like unto his Brethren, my, in all things. Now this does |
