Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Thus far touching that centre of Divinity, the Sacred Trinity.

Thus far touching that center of Divinity, the Sacred Trinity.

In the next place I proceed to the rare Supernatural Truths touching Jesus Christ; all which Faith may experiment. And here I shall begin with his Incarnation. Venit universitatis Creator, venit ad homines, venit propter homines, venit homo, saith St. Bernard. He was Immanuel, God with us; [Greek or Hebrew], God and Man in one Person; The Eternal Word was made flesh, 1 Joh. 1.14. God was manifest in the Flesh, 1 Tim. 3.16. And what say the Socinian Rebels to this Truth? Rationi sanae repugnat; duae substantiae proprietatibus adversae coire in unam personam nequeunt, ut sunt mortalem & immortalem esse, principium habere & principie carere, mutabilem & immutabilem existere, saith the Racovian Catechism: One and the same Person cannot be Mortal and Immortal, have a Beginning and no Beginning, or be Mutable & Immutable. But reason it self, though too low a bar for this Truth to appear at, will absolve this truth from repugnancy: Body and Soul meet in one Person, adverse in Properties; the one being Corporal, the other Spiritual; the one Visible, the other Invisible; the one Rational, the other Irrational; the one Mortal, the other Immortal. This is done naturally, ⟨p. 361⟩how much more may it be done Supernaturally? It would be against reason to say, That Christ were Secundum idem, Mortal and Immortal, having a Beginning and none; Mutable and Immutable; But it is not repugnant to say, That he is so in respect of the two Natures Humane and Divine. Had not Christ been Man, he could not have suffered; had he not been God, he could not have satisfied: The Blood was from the Humane Nature, and the excellent Merit from the Divine. He that disbelieves either, must cast away Scripture which asserts both. This Truth stands firm in Scripture, as might be showed at large; but for the Point in hand, Faith may experiment it. The Believer may find in himself such fruits of Christs Incarnation, as carry a resemblance thereunto, and are a kind of inward Seal thereof. The humane Nature of Christ was not brought forth of the blessed Virgin generatione sed jussione, not in an ordinary way by knowing a man, but in an extraordinary, by the power of the highest and overshadowing of the Holy Ghost: Answerably in the Believer, the new Creature is not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God,