Hence, as this power is imparted or given, it must be of a different kind from His divine inherent power. The right of judicature, (since God hath committed all judgment to the Son,) is part of this imparted dominion; as is the power of forgiving sins; and the power of altering the law, as Christ asserted when He declared Himself Lord even of the Sabbath. These powers were not all imparted at once; but part before, and part after, His death and resurrection, when He finally became Lord of the dead and the living, and had all things put under His feet. As all this power had not the same beginning, so it will not have the same duration; some being only economical, and aiming at some particular end, will cease when that end is accomplished; as, for instance, Christ's dominion over His enemies, which will continue till their final subjection, when "He shall then deliver up the kingdom to His Father, that God may be all in all." Nevertheless, Christ will still retain a certain sort of dominion, as heir of His Father's kingdom; and as our Redeemer, whom He hath purchased, and who shall reign with Him as Kings and Priests for ever. Thus Christ has two sorts of dominion; one naturally inherent in Him as Creator; the other imparted and partly economical, and to be resigned, and partly attached to His humanity eternally. Christ is our Lord-1st. in a general and universal sense, whereby He is Lord of all; and 2nd. in a particular sense, as our Redeemer; for as He conquered our enemies, sin and death; as He purchased us with His blood; He is our Lord, both by conquest and purchase. As to Him we are indebted for all our blessings, and from Him derive all our hopes of future happiness, He is our Lord by right of promotion. As by our baptismal vows we (as anciently men used to sell themselves,) have sold and devoted ourselves to His service, He is our Lord by right of obligation. This belief is necessary-1st. to shew us our condition; we are not our own, but His, and therefore ought to live to Him-2nd. to enforce, and invite us to obedience; the former from consideration of His power, and the latter from the consideration of His character, as the Messias; and of what He did for us in it. Shall all angels and archangels bow before Him, and shall not we?-3rd. to regulate our conduct as rulers or subjects, servants, or masters; knowing we have all a common Lord and Master in Heaven, to whom we must give account-4th. for our encouragement and comfort to trust in Him, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and has all power in heaven and in earth. Recapitulation. I believe that Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, is the true Jehovah, having that being which is originally and eternally of itself, and on which all other beings depend; that by right of emanation from Him, He has power over all things as God; that, as Son of Man, He has a particular power in heaven and earth, which is partly economical, partly attached inseparably to His humanity. And though He be Lord of all, by right of creation, yet He is more particularly so of us, in virtue of our faith; for by redeeming us, He is our Lord by conquest, purchase, and promotion of us; as He is also by our obligation, through the covenant entered into by us at baptism. CHAPTER III. ARTICLE III.-SECTION 1. "Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary." THESE words distinguish the conception from the nativity, which was not anciently done, both being understood in the word born. We shall consider, 1st. Who it was that was born: 2d. By whose operation He was conceived: 3d. She who did conceive and bear Him. Now the relative, who, clearly points out that it was the only and eternal Son of God, who was thus conceived; and in this place, the words conception and birth apply to what was done towards the production of Christ's human nature, when the "Word was made flesh." Since the Word was God, and what is God cannot cease to be, it follows that Christ was made man by joining the divine to the human nature: but though the divine nature belongs to the Father and Son, yet it was joined to humanity, only in the person of the latter. Then we say He was conceived and born, we mean He was really and truly man. Hence He is frequently called Son of Man; hence He was promised to Eve as her seed*; to Abram and to David as a Son † ; and therefore “it behoved Him to be made like unto his brethren ‡.” As man consists of two parts, body and soul; so doth Christ. That He had a body, is evident from His life; He was sustained by food, suffered hunger, pain, thirst, &c., as we do; and even after His resurrection, His own words confirm this; "Feel and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have §." As He had our frailer part the flesh, so He did not omit our nobler part, the soul. We read "He increased in wisdom;" which belongeth not to the flesh; neither can be spoken of the Godhead, whose wisdom is incapable of increase. He had likewise a will distinct from that of His Father, and consequently from His own divine nature, as we learn from His own words: "Not my will, but thine be done." The expressions, "my soul is exceeding sorrowful;" "Into thy hands I commend my spirit;" are proofs of Christ's possessing a reasonable soul, like man, subsisting in human flesh. And since His divine nature could never cease to be, nor become what it was not before; therefore, He who was God, *Gen. iii. 15. † Gen. xxii. 13. Rom. i. 3. |