That there is a second person, the Son of God, in the holy trin- unity of the Godhead, we have proved before. That this i^erson did, of his infinite love and grace, take upon him our nature, — human nature, — so as that the divine and human nature should become one person, one Christ, God and man in one, so that whatever lie doth in and about uur salvation, it is done by that one person, God and man, is revealed unto us in the Scripture as the object of our faith: and this is that
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wliidi we believe concerning the person of Christ. Whatever acts are ascribed unto him, however immediately performed, in or by the human nature, or in and by his divine nature, they are all the acts of that one person, in whom are both these natures. That this Christ, God and man, is, because he is God, and on the account of what he hath done for us as man, to be believed in, worshipped with worship religious and divine, to be trusted and obeyed, this also is asserted in the Scripture. And these things are, as it were, the common notions of Christian religion,— the common principles of our profession, which the Scriptures also abundantly testify unto.
Isa. vii. 14, " Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel ;" that is, he shall be God with us, or God in our nature. Not that that should be his name whereby he should be called in this world ; but that this should be the condition of his person, — he should be " God with us," God in our nature. So are the words expounded, Matt. i. 20-23, " That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus ; for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel ; which, being interpreted, is, God with us." His name whereby he was to be called, was Jesus; that is, a Saviour. And thereby was accomplished the prediction of the prophet, that he should be Immanuel; which, being interpreted, is, " God with us.'" Now, a child born to be " God with us," is God in that child taking our nature upon him ; and no otherwise can the words be understood.
Isa. ix. 6, " Unto us a child is bom, unto us a son is given: and his name shall be called The mighty God." The child that is bom, the son that is given, is the mighty God ; and as the mighty God, and a child born, or son given, he is the Prince of Peace, as he is there called, or our Saviour.
John i. 14, "The Word was made flesh." That the Word was God, who made all things, he had before declared. Now, he affirms that this Word was made flesh. How? converted into flesh, into a man, so that he who was God ceased so to be, and was turned or changed into flesh, — that is, a man? Besides that this is utterly im- possible, it is not aflirmed. For the Word continued the Word still, although he was " made flesh," or " made of a woman," as it is else- where expressed, — or made of the seed of David, — or took our flesh or nature to be his own. Himself continuing God, as he was, became man also^ which before he was not. " The Word was made flesh ;" this is that which we believe and assert in this matter.
See John iii. 13, 31, vi. 62, xvi. 28. All which places assert the
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person of Christ to have descended from heaven in the assumption of human nature, and ascended into heaven therein [in that nature] being assumed ; and to have been in heaven as to his divine nature, when he Avas on the earth in the flesh that he had assumed.
Acts XX. 28, " Feed the church of God,^ which he hath purchased with his own blood." The person spoken of is said to be God abso- kitely, — " the church of God." And this God is said to have blood of his own ; — the blood of Jesus Christ, being the blood of him that Avas God, though not the blood of him as God ; for God is a spirit. And this undeniably testifies to the unity of his person as God and man.
Rom. i. 3, 4, " Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh ; and declared to be the Son of God Avith power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the" resurrection from the dead." Rom. ix. 5, " Whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." This is all we desire that we may believe without disturbance from the clamours of these men, — namely, that the same Christ, as concerning the flesh, came of the fathers, of David, and, in himself, is over all, God blessed for ever. This the Scripture asserts plainly; and why we should not believe it firmly, let these men give a reason when they are able.