Luxe i. 35. The Holy Ghoft fhall come upon thee, and the Power of the Highest hall overshadow thee. Hof TERE we have the Incarnation of the Son of God, described by, I. Its efficient Caufe: The Holy Ghoft fhall come upon thee. II. The Subject: Upon thee the Virgin Mary. III. The Refult: The Union of the Two Natures in one Perfon. Therefore that Holy Thing, &c. 1. The efficient Caufe: The Holy Ghoft. Where in our Creed it is faid, He was conceived by the Holy Ghoft; that is, He did caufe the Virgin to conceive, Luke i. 31. 1. As to his Conception by the Holy Ghoft, I fhall only observe, That, 1. As it is a great Myftery, it is here myfterioufly expreffed, fνομα ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ὀλι, Οr, καὶ διώαμις υψίς επισκιάσει σοι, as in the Creation, Gen. i. 2. and the Production of Man, c. ii. 7. There was fubject Matter, but the Spirit moved upon it, as Pfal. civ. 30. John vi. 63. Hence Chrift's firft Name is Wonderful, Ifa. ix. 6. 2. It was neceffary our Saviour fhould be thus conceived, that fo he might be free from Sin. For, 1. The Divine Nature could not be united to the Humane, unless pure and perfect. 2. He could not have expiated our Sins, unlefs he had been without 'Sin himself, 1eb. Vii 26, 27. 3. Hence our Saviour, even as Man, is called the Son of God, becaufe produced immediately by God himself, as Adam was, Luke iii. 28. 2. As to the Perfon of whom he was born, we need only obferve, 1. Her Name was Mary, Luke i. 27. Matt. i. 18. Mich. vi. 4. 2. She was a Virgin when the bear him, Gen. iii. 15. Ifa. vii. 14. Luke i. 27. I 3. It is very probable fhe continued to be fo after, Matt. i 25. compared with Sam. xv. 35. His Brethren were his Kinfmen, or fofeph's Children by another Wife, they are not called hers. 4. She was certainly an excellent Perfon, yet not without Sin, at leaft Original, Rom. iii. 23. c. v. 18. for the needed a Saviour, Luke i. 46, 47, and died. 5. We ought to reverence, but not to worfhip her, Luke i. 28, 48. Matth. iv. 10. Ἡ μαρία ἐν τιμή, ὁ Κύριθ προσκωνείπω. Ει καλλίςη ἡ Μαρία καὶ ἁγία καὶ τετιμημένῃ ἀλλ ̓ ἐκ εἰς To TegoxUNG Joy. Epiph, USE. 1. Hence fee the Condefcenfion of the Son of God in being born of a Woman, and yet poor, Lev.xii. 8. Luk. ii. 24. 2. Learn of him to be meek and lowly, Matt. xi. 29. 3. The Result of this, the Union of the Divine and Humane Nature. For, 1. That he is God, we have proved already. 2. That he became truly Man, is plain from his being born of a Woman, Heb. ii. 14. 16 1. He had a real Body, John i. 14. Luke xxiv. 39. 1 John iv. 3. Simon Magus, Saturnus, Ifidorus Secundus, Marcofiani,Heracleonita,Ophita,Cerdon, Marcion,&c. were sonra qavranas, fuppofing Chrift to have no real Body. 2. A Soul, Matt. xxvi. 38. Luke ii. 52. Luke xxii. 42. 3. Arius and Eunomius faid, Osóra fugu's črnggeκέναι τὴν χρείαν. Theodoret. 3. His Soul and Body were united together, Luke xxiii. 46. His Humane and Divine Nature were both united in one Perfon. Θεάνθρωπον. Hence, ο λόγΘ ο μόνΘ ἀμφὶν. Θεὸς TEX VASWT. Clem. Alex. So that, 1. His Natures were not mixed or confounded together, for then he would have been neither. 42, 2. Nor changed one into the other, as the Eutychians thought the Humane was turned into Divine ; but ἀσυγχώτως, ατρέπτως αδιαιρέ Tsdweiss. Concil. Chalced. Luke xxii. Matt. i. 23. So that he was perfect God, and perfect Man, in one and the fame Perfon. The Humane Nature had no Subfiftence out Hence flowed the Value and Efficacy of his K4 USE. USE. 1. Hence fee what Cause you have to truft to Chrift for your Salvation, he being GodMan, is able to reconcile God to you, and you to God. 1. On God's Part, Heb. v. 1. 1. By Satisfying for your Sins, Heb. ii. 19. I Tim. ii. 6. αντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων. 2. By interceding for you, 1 John xxii. Heb. vii. 25. 2. On our Part, Col. i. 19. John i. 16. 2. Go to Chrift, by trufting wholly in him, Matt. xi. 28. 3. Obey all his Commands; as certain that he commands nothing but what is for your Good. Matt. xi. 30. 1 John v. 3. I PET. iv. 1. Forafmuch then as Chrift bath fuffered for us in the Flefb. ! WH THatfoever Chrift fuffered, was in the II. It was for us. III. What it was he thus fuffered, for us in the Flesh. 1. Whatsoever Chrift suffered was in the Flesh. 1, Chrift as God, was, and is, incapable of fuffering; being Actus puriffimus. 2. But he was in Time made Flefh, John i 14. that is, Took our Nature upon him. 3. In this Flesh it was that he fuffered, 1 Pet. iii. 18. 4. By reafon of the Union of our Nature to his Divine Perfon, what he fuffered in our Nature is reckoned as fuffered by him that was truly God, the Attributes, and by confequence the Actions of the one Nature being attributed to the other. Per indiffolubilem unitatem verbi & carnis omnia This is the Communicatio idiomatum spoke of by 2. What |