[3.] Abounding in this duty is the most effectual means of freeing us, in particular, from the shame and bane oi profession in earthly- mindedness. There is nothing so unbecoming a Christian as to have his mind always exercised about, always filled with thoughts of, earthly things. And according as men's thoughts are exercised about them, their affections are increased and inflamed towards them. These things mutually promote one another, and there is a kind of circulation in them. Multiplied thoughts inflame affections, and inflamed affections increase the number of thoughts concerning them. Nothing is more repugnant unto the whole life of faith, nothing more obstructive unto the exercise of all grace, than a prevalency of this frame of mind. And at this season, in an especial manner, it is visibly preying on the vitals of religion. To abound in the contemplation of this mystery, and in the exercise of faith about it, as it is diametrically opposed unto this frame, so it will gradually cast it out of the soul. And without this we shall labour in the fire for deliverance from this pernicious evil.
[4.] And hereby are we prepared for the enjoyment of glory above. No small part of that glory consists in the eternal contemplation and adoration of the wisdom, goodness, love, and power of God in this mystery, and the effects of it ; as shall afterward be declared.
1 KamrrrpiZ,'^ does not admit of the signification here ascribed to it by Dr Owen. It denotes looliing into a mirror, not throui,'h a telescope: " Beholdint; the Jjlorj' of the Lord as reflected and radiant in the Gospel." — See Dr Robinson's Lexicon. Another view is taken of the passage, by whicli a tacit antitliesis is instituted be- tween Ko-TO'TTfov and t/xojv : " Dominus nos xaroTTpiXn, splenilorem faciei suae in corda nostra, tavqumn in apeciila immittens : nos ilhnn splendorem suscipimus et refcritnus. Elegans antitbeton ad ivriTUTuiyAyn, iiiscidpUi. Nam qnte infrvlpuntur fiiint paullatim : qnTC in speculo reprcEsentatitnr, fiunt celerrinie." Jiengelii Gnomon in locum. Owen himself gives a correct explanation of the passage in his work on the Mortification of Sin, chap. xii. — Ed.
THE HYPOSTATICAL UNION. 223
And how can we better or otherwise be prepared for it, but by the implanting a sense of it on our minds by sedulous contemplation v/hilst we are in this world? God will not take us into heaven, into the vision and possession of heavenly gloiy, with our heads and hearts reeking with the thoughts and affections of earthly things. He hath appointed means to make us " meet for the inheritance of the saints in light," before he will bring us into the enjoyment of it. And this is the principal way whereby he doth it; for hereby it is that we are " changed " into the image of Christ, " from glory to glory," and make the nearest approaches unto the eternal fulness of it.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Nature of the Person of Christ, and the Hypostatical Union of his Natures Declared.
The nature or constitution of the person of Christ hath been com- monly spoken unto and treated of in the writings both of the ancient and modern divines. It is not my purpose, in this discourse, to handle anything that hath been so fully already declared by others. How- beit, to speak something of it in this place is necessary unto the pre- sent work ; and I shall do it in answer unto a double end or design : —
First, To help those that believe, in the regulation of their thoughts about this divine person, so far as the Scripture goeth before us. It is of great importance unto our souls that we have right conceptions concerning him ; not only in general, and in opposition unto the per- nicious heresies of them by whom his divine person or either of his natures is denied, but also in those especial instances wherein it is the most ineffable effect of divine wisdom and grace. For although the knowledge of him mentioned in the Gospel be not confined merely unto his person in the constitution thereof, but extends itself unto the whole work of his mediation, with the design of God's love and grace therein, with our own duty thereon ; yet is this knowledge of his person the foundation of all the rest, wherein if we mistake or fail, our whole building in the other parts of the knowdedge of him will fall unto the ground. And although the saving knowledge of him is not to be obtained without especial divine revelation. Matt, xvi. 1 7 — or saving illumination, ] John v. 20— nor can we know him perfectly until we come where he is to behold his gloiy, John xvii. 24 ; yet are instructions from the Scripture of use to lead us into those farther degrees of the knowledge of him which are attainable in this life.
Secondly, To manifest in particular how ineffably distinct the re-
224 THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
lation between the Son of God and the man Christ Jesus is, from all that relation and union which may be between God and believers, or between God and any other creature. The want of a true under- standing hereof is the fundamental error of many in our days. We shall manifest thereupon how "it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell," so that in all things " he might have the pre-eminence," Col. i. 18, 19. And I shall herein wholly avoid the curious inquiries, bold conjectures, and unwarrantable determinations of the schoolmen and some others. For many of them, designing to explicate this mystery, by exceeding the bounds of Scripture hght and sacred sobriety, have obscured it. Endeavouring to render all things plain unto reason, they have expressed many things unsound as unto faith, and fallen into manifold contradictions among them- selves. Hence Aquinas affirms, that three of the ways of declaring the hypostatical union which are proposed by the Master of the Sentences,^ are so far from probable opinions, as that they are down- right heresies. I shall therefore confine myself, in the explication of this mystery, unto the propositions of divine revelation, with the just and necessary expositions of them.