66 if, on account of mere earthly power and dignity, men were called "Gods, and children of the Most High; "3 much more might he, "whom the "Father sanctified, and sent into the world," in so vastly superior a character, be styled, by way of eminence, the Son of God."4 And thus he is accordingly styled, on this account: "I will be "his Father, and he shall be my Son :"5 also, I will make him, my first-born, higher than the "kings of the earth." Thirdly, he is the Son of God, as being by the power of God, "the first-begotten of the dead,"7 restored to life to die no more: For thus St. Paul expresses it--" God hath raised up Jesus again, as it is also written, Thou art my Son: this day "have I begotten thee."8 Fourthly, he is so, as being "heir of all things;' and, "by this inheritance having obtained a more "excellent name than men or angels:" they being as servants in the house of God-he as a "Son."2 66 : But the most important and eminent sense, in which Christ is the Son of God, remains yet to be mentioned as, in respect of his divine nature, he derived his being from the Father, by an eternal generation; not as creatures do, who are made out of nothing, and were made by him; but in a manner peculiar to himself, and inconceivable to us; by which "all the fulness of the Godhead "dwells in him ;" and "he and the Father are "(in the strictest union) one."4 For God was his "Father, with whom he had glory, before the "world was:"5 and he, "in the beginning was (3) Ps. lxxxii, 6. (4) John x. 34, &c. 1 Chron. xvii. 13. Heb. i. 5. (7) Rev. i. 5. (9) Heb. i. 2. (2) Heb. iii. 5, 6. (4) John x. 30. (5) John xvii. 5. "with God, and was God;" "God over all, "blessed for ever." 7 Of this mysterious doctrine I shall speak somewhat further, under the Article of the Holy Ghost; and, therefore, shall only say at present, that being expressly revealed, it ought to be implicitly believed, without attempting, in vain, to be wise above what is written, to know more than God hath enabled us. And now, Fourthly, from all these things arises, what the Creed mentions in the last place, his relation to us: our Lord. For being the only Son of God, he is heir and lord of all in his Father's house. Having triumphed over the power of darkness, which held mankind in bondage, we are his by right of conquest; and though "other lords have had domi"nion over us, we are now to make mention of his "name only," as such: having purchased us to himself for "a peculiar people," with his own blood, we are not our own: for we are bought "with a price:"1 "and he died for all, that they, "which live, should not henceforth live unto "themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." 172 "For to this end Christ both "died, and rose, and revived, that he might be "lord both of the dead and living:"3 that he might be such, not in name only, but in deed and reality also. 'For, not every one that saith unto 66 66 66 him, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom "of heaven: but he that doeth the will of his "Father, which is in heaven."4 To all others his words will be at the great day, what they were whilst on earth; "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, "and do not the things which I say "5 Obedience, constant, universal obedience, is the only manner of acknowledging him, that will finally prove acceptable to him; and in that manner we have solemnly promised that we will acknowledge him, and serve him all our days. Thus, then, let us ever honour him-thus let us ascribe to him, who is our Prophet, our Priest, and our King, our Saviour, our Lord, and our God, "glory and "6 dominion, for ever and ever. Amen. 66 LECTURE VIII. CREED. Article III. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary. AFTER setting forth, in general, the name and office of our blessed Redeemer, his relation to the Father and to us, our Creed goes on to recount the several particulars of what he did and suffered, what he continues to do still, and will do finally, for our salvation. The first of these is, that "the Word was made "flesh :" that the eternal Son of God, wonderfully joining to himself a body and soul like ours, united the human nature with the divine into one person, thus becoming liable to the same necessities and wants, infirmities and pains; and endued with the same innocent passions, appetites, and affections that we are; on which account we read in the Gospels of his feeling hunger, and pity, and grief, and anger; nay, and "increasing as in "stature, so in wisdom also ;"2 not, surely, in re (6) Pet. iv. 11. v. 11. Rev. i. 6. (1) 1 John i. 14. spect of that nature, which "in the beginning was "with God, and was God," but of the other, by which he was the Man Christ Jesus. Further than these facts we are not distinctly acquainted with the extent and properties of this unparalleled union; and it is no wonder that we are not; for even that of our own souls, with our own bodies, hath many things in it utterly beyond our comprehension. We must, therefore, in all reason, without insisting to know "how these things can "be," confine ourselves to learn from Scripture what they are. And it hath plainly taught us that our blessed Lord "was conceived by the Holy "Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary." Concerning the Holy Ghost, there will be a proper place to speak more at large, in that article of the Creed, which directly relates to him. At present we are only to consider his influence in the conception of our Saviour; which conception was not in the ordinary course of things: but God himself, being already his Father with respect to that divine nature which he had from the beginning, became again so, in a new sense, with respect to his human nature too, by the incomprehensible operation of the Spirit. For the birth "of Jesus Christ (to use the words of Scripture) "was on this wise. When, as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came to "gether, she was found with child of the Holy "Ghost;" in pursuance of what the angel had told her, "Thou shalt conceive and bring forth a 66 son, and shalt call his name Jesus. Then said Mary unto the angel: How shall this be, seeing "I know not a man? And the angel answered, “and said unto her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall (3) John i. I. (4) 1 Tim. ii. 5. "overshadow thee: therefore, also, that holy thing, "which shall be born of thee, shall be called the "Son of God."7 66 And thus, in the fulness of time, was accomplished, what had been intimated as early as the fall of man, by that remarkable expression, that the "seed of the woman should bruise the ser"pent's head;" and what had been expressly spoken out by the Prophet Isaiah, seven hundred years before our Saviour's incarnation, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a 66 son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel: "which being interpreted, is, God with us."9 When the Scripture says, that such a person, or thing, shall be called by such a name, it frequently means no more, than that they shall have a right to be so called; that what that name signifies shall be verified in them, shall be true in relation to them. There are many instances of this in the Old Testament. And, therefore, as our Saviour's coming in the flesh was the most effectual and illustrious manifestation of God's presence with men, and favour towards them, that could be; though perhaps in common speech he was seldom, if ever, called, yet in the language of prophecy he was very justly called Emmanuel, or, God with us. For in his person God was really amongst men, in such a manner, and to such purposes of grace and salvation, as he had never been before. And, therefore, this name agrees perfectly in sense, though it differs in sound, from his common name, Jesus, i. e. Saviour. After saying that he was born of a virgin, the Creed adds, that it was of the Virgin Mary; not that we are to seek for any peculiar mystery in her being called Mary; as some in the Church of (7) Luke i. 31, 34, 35. (8) Gen. iii. 15. Matt. i. 23. |