'Ef o/jboiui/Mari dvdpui'Trojv yivofisvog. "Cum similis esset hominihus, illis nempe primis, id est, peccati expers," 2 Cor. v. 21 ; — "Whereas he Avas hke men, namely, those first ; that is, without sin."
That Christ was without sin, that in his being made like to us there is an exception as to sin, is readily granted. He was o<stog, axaxog, d/Miavrog xi^upiSfihog airh ruv a,/Ji,apTCt)XSjv, Heb. vii. 26. But, — 1. That Christ is ever said to be made like Adam on that account, or is compared with him therein, cannot be proved. He was hvTipog avOpuTTog and 'iff^arog ' Add/M, but that he was made sv 6/io/w/xar/ rod 'Add/M is not said. 2. This expression was sufficiently cleared by the particular places formerly urged. It is not of his sinlessness in that condition, of which the apostle hath no occasion here to speak, but of his love in taking on him that condition, in being sent in the like- ness of sinful flesh, yet without sin, that these words are used. It is a likeness of nature to all men, and not a likeness of innocency to the first, that the apostle speaks of ; a likeness, wherein there is a Tuvro-Tig, as to the kind, a distinction in number, as, "Adam begat a son in his own likeness," Gen. v. 3.
All that follows in the learned annotator is only an endeavour to make the following words speak in some harmony and conformity
294 VINDICIJE EVANGELIC^.
to what he had before dehvered; which being discerned not to be suited to the mind of the Holy Ghost in the place, I have no such delight to contend about words, phrases, and expressions, as to insist any farther upon them. E.eturn we to our catechists.
The place the}'- next propose to themselves to deal withal is 1 Tim. iii. 16, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness : God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, revealed unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into
glory"
If it be here evinced that by "God" is meant Christ, it being spoken
absolutely, and in the place of the subject in the proposition, this business is at a present close, and our adversaries' following attempt to ward themselves from the following blows of the sword of the word, which cut them in pieces, is to no purpose, seeing their death's wound lies evident in the efficacy of this place. Now, here not only the common apprehension of all professors of the name of Christ in general, but also the common sense of mankind, to be tried in all that will but read the books of the New Testament, micjlit righte- ously be appealed unto; but because these are things of no import- ance with them with whom we have to do, we must insist on other considerations : —
First, then. That by the word Qs6g, "God," some person is intended, is evident from hence, that the word is never used but to express some person, nor can in any place of the Scriptures be possibly wrested to denote any thing but some person to whom that name doth belong or is ascribed, truly or falsely. And if this be not certain and to be granted, there is nothing so, nor do we know any thing in the world or the intendment of any one word in the book of God. Nor is there any reason pretended why it should have any other acceptation, but only an impotent begging of the thing in question. " It is not so here, though it be so everywhere else ; because it agrees not with our hypothesis." Al^pos ! Secondly, That Christ, who is the second person [of the Trinity], the Son of God, is here intended, and none else, is evi- dent from hence, that whatever is here spoken of @s6g, of this "God," was true and fulfilled in him as to the matter; and the same expres- sions, for the most of the particulars, as to their substance, are used con- cerning him and no other; neither are they possible to be accommo- dated to any person but him. Let us a little accommodate the words to him: 1. He who as "God" was " in the beginning with God," in his own nature invisible, s(pavipu)dri h gapxl, " was manifested in the flesh," when aap^ sysnro, when he was " made flesh," John i. 14, and made iv oiMoiui'iari GapTtog, Rom. viii. 3, " in the likeness of flesh," 'ysvo/xsvog sx STripiMarog AaQld xaToc ffdpxa, chap. i. 3; SO made "visible and con- spicuous," or s(panpu)Orj, when sffxyjvugiv h rifj^Tv, " dwelling among men; who also saw his glory, as the glory of the only-begotten of the
OF IRK INCARNATION OF CHRIST. 295
Father," Jolm i. 14. Being thus "manifest in the flesh/' having taken our nature on him, he was reviled, persecuted, condemned, slain, by the Jews, as a malefactor, a seditious person, — an impostor. But, 2. 'Edr/.aiu)dri sv TLvii)[ia,rt, he was "justified in the Spirit" from all their false accusations and imputations. He was justified by the eternal Spirit, when he was raised from the dead, and " declared to be the Sou of God with power" thereby. Bom. i. 4; for though he was " crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God," 2 Cor. xiii. 4. So he also sent out his Spirit to " convince the world of sin, because they believed not on him, and of righteousness, V)e- cause he went to his Father," John xvi. 8-10; which he also did, justifying himself thereby to the conviction and conversion of many thousands who before condemned him or consented to his condem- nation, upon the account formerly mentioned, Acts ii. 47. And this is he who, 3. wp^jj ayylXoig, was " seen of angels," and so hath his witnesses in heaven and earth; for when he came first into the world, all the angels receiving charge to worship him, by Him who said, Ylposxvvr^sdr(,)(Sa,v aJrw "XavTig ayjiXoi alrov, Heb. i. 6, one came down at his nativity to declare it, to whom he was seen, and in- stantly a multitude of the heavenly host saw him, Luke ii. 9—14, and afterward went away into heaven, verse 15. In the beginning also of his ministry, angels were sent to him in the wilderness, to minister to him, Matt. iv. 11; and when he was going to his agony in the garden, an angel was sent to comfort him, Luke xxii. 43, and he then knew that he could at a word's speaking have more than twelve legions of angels to his assistance. Matt. xxvi. 53; and when he rose again the angels saw him again, and served him therein, chap, xxviii. 2. And as he shall come again with his holy angels to judgment, Matt. xxv. 31, 2 Thess. i. 7, so no doubt but in his ascension the angels accompanied him; yea, that they did so is evi- dent from Ps. Ixviii. 17, 18. So that there was no eminent concern- ment of him wherein it is not expressly affirmed that uj(pdn ayyiXoig. At his birth, entrance on his ministry, death, resurrection, ascension, w<p9ri dyysAoig. 4. 'Eznpvx^^ ^^ Uneiv, He was " preached imto the Gentiles," or among the people or Gentiles ; which, besides the fol- lowing accomplishment of it to the full in the preaching of the gos- pel concerning him throughout the world, had a signal entrance in that declaration of him to " devout men dwelling at Jerusalem, out of every nation under heaven," Acts ii. 5. And hereupon, 5. 'Et/cj-eu^jj sv }(.6a[j.ffi. He was " believed on in the world." He that had been rejected as a vile person, condemned and slain, being thus justified in the Spirit and preached, was believed on, many thousands being daily converted to the faith of him, — to believe that he was the Messiah, the Son of God, — whom before they received not, John i. 10, 11. And, for his own part, 6. dxs'hrifh '-v od^ji, he was "received