And the mystery is well expressed by Maxentius: (Biblioth. Patr. pars prima:) "Non confundimus naturarum div^rsitatem ; veruntamen Christum non ut tu asseris Deum factum, sed Deum factum Chris- tum confitemur. Quia non cum pauper esset, dives factus est, sed cum dives esset, pauper factus est, ut nos divites faceret ; neque enim cum esset in forma servi, formam Dei accepit; sed cum esset in
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forma Dei, formam servi accepit; similiter etiam nee, cum esset caro, verbum est factum ; sed cum esset verbum, caro factum est." — " We do not confound the diversity of the natures, howbeit we beheve not what you affinn, that Christ was made God ; but we beheve that God was made Christ. For he was not made rich when he was poor; but being rich, he was made poor, that he might make us rich. He did not take the fonn of God when he was in the form of a servant ; but being in the form of God, he took on him the fomi of a servant. In hke manner, he was not made the Word when he was flesh ; but being the Word, he was made flesh."
And Jerome, speaking of the effects of this mystery : (Comment. in Ezekiel, cap, xlvi. :) " Ne miretur lector si idem et Princeps est et Sacerdos, et Vitulus, et Aries, et Agnus; cum in Scripturis Sanctis pro varietate causarum legamus eum Dominum, et Deum, et Homi- nem, et Prophetam, et Virgam, et Radicem, et Florem, et Principem, et Regem justum, et Justitiam, Apostolum, et Episcopum, Brachium, Servum, Angelum, Pastorem, Fihum, et Unigenitum, et Primogeni- tum, Ostium, Viam, Sagittam, Sapientiam, et multa alia." — " Let not the reader wonder if he find one and the same to be the Prince and Priest, the Bullock, Ram, and Lamb ; for in the Scripture, on variety of causes, we find him called Lord, God, and Man, the Prophet, a Rod, and the Root, the Flower, Prince, Judge, and Righteous King ; Righteousness, the Apostle and Bishop, the Arm and Servant of God, the Angel, the Shepherd, the Son, the Only-begotten, the First-begotten, the Door, the Way, the Arrow, Wisdom, and sundry other things." And Ennodius hath, as it were, turned this passage of Jerome into verse : —
" Corda domat, qui cuiicta videt, quern cuncta treiniscunt; Fons, via, dextra, lapis, vitulus, leo, lucifer, agnus; Janua, spes, virtus, verbum, sapieritia, vates. Ostia, virgultum, pastor, mous, rate, columba, Flamma, gigas, aquila, sponsus, patientia, iiervus, Filius, excelsus, Dominus, Deus; omnia Christus."
{In natalem Pa2)ce Epiphanii.)
" Quod homo est esse Christus voluit ; ut et homo possit esse quod Christus est," saith Cyprian : De Idolorum Vanitate, cap. iii. And, " Quod est Christus erimus Christiani, si Christum fuerimus imitati:" Ibid. And he explains his mind in this expression by way of admiration : (Lib. de Eleemosyn. :) " Christus hominis filius fieri voluit, ut nos Dei filios faceret; humiliavit se, ut populum qui prius jacebat, erigeret; vnlneratus est, ut vulnera nostra curaret."
Chap. IV. That he was the foundation of all the holy counsels of God, with respect unto the vocation, sanctification, justification, VOL. I. 2
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and eternal salvation of the churcli, is, in tlie next place, at large declared. And he was so on a threefold account. 1. Of the in- effable mutual delight of the Father and the Son in those counsels from all eternity. 2. As the only way and means of the accomplish- ment of all those counsels, and the communication of then- effects, unto the eternal glory of God. 3. As he was in his own person, as incarnate, the idea and exemplar in the mind of God of all that grace and glor}?^ in the church which was designed unto it in those eternal counsels. As the cause of all good unto us, he is on this account acknowledged by the ancients. Ourog yovv 6 Xcyo;, 6 Xpiarhg xai Tov ihai 'zdXai rifxag, ^v yap h 0sw, %cf.i roD su s/ra; airiog. Nuv fis ivtipu.vrt dvSpu)':roig, aurog olrog 6 Xoyog, 6 fiovog ufx^poj Qsog n xa/ avSpwirog, dTavTOjv 7][m7'j a'irtog dyaduv, saith Clemens, Adhort. ad Gentes. — " He, therefore, is the Word, the Christ, and the cause of old of our being; for he was in God, and the cause of our wellbeing. But now he hath appeared unto men, the same eternal Word, who alone is both God and man, and unto us the cause of all that is good." As he was in God the cause of our being and wellbeing from eternity, he was the foundation of the divine counsels in the way explained ; and in his incarnation, the execution of thesm all was committed unto him, that through him all actual good, all the fruits of those coun- sels, might bet.communicated unto us.
Chap. V. He is also declared in the next place, as he is the image and great representative of God, even the Father, unto the church. On what various accounts he Is so called, is fully declared in the discourse itself In his divine person, as he was the only- begotten of the Father fi'om eternity, he is the essential image of the Father, by the generation of his person, and the communication of the divine nature unto him therein. As he is incarnate, he is both in his OAvn enthe person God and man, and in the administration of his office, the image or representative of the nature and will of God unto us, as is fully proved. So speaks Clem. Alexandrin., Adhort. ad Gentes: 'H ij^v yap rou Qnov iiX.odv 6 Xoyog avrou, xai v'/hg rov vou yv7i<Stog, 6 '^sTog Xoyog, (purog dp^srvTov <pug, iixuv d'c tou Xoyou 6 avSpoj-Trog.— " The image of God is his own Word, the natural Son of the " (eter- nal) " Mind, the divine Word, the original Light of Light ; and the image of the Word is man." And the same author again, in his PsedagOgus: Tlpoffwxov rou Qiov 6 Xcyog, w jjwr/^sra/ o Qihg xai yvoipi- Zirai. — ■■' The Word is the face, the countenance, the representation of God, in whom he is brought to light and made known." As he is in his divine person his eternal, essential image ; so, in his iucama- tion, as the teacher of men, he is the representative image of God imto the church, as is aftenvard declared.