§. 153. Of Gods putting down Christs enemies.
COncerning the foresaid enemies the Father saith to his Sonne, I make thine ene∣mies* 1.1 thy footstool; or as it is Psa. 110. 1. I will make. &c. The present and future tenses are oft put one for the other. Both being used by the same Spirit, one by the Prophet, the other by the Apostle, implieth that God doth now and ever will continue to subdue the enemies of Christ.
Obj. It is said 1 Cor. 15. 25. that Christ must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
Answ.
- 1. Though the Father and the Sonne be distinct persons, yet they are of one and the same nature, and in that respect the same action is attributed to the one and the other; My Father worketh hitherto and I work; And what things soever the Father doth, these also doth the Sonne likewise, Joh. 5. 17, 19. for as they are one in essence, so in minde, and will, and works.
- 2. Matters are spoken of Christ, sometimes in relation to his divine nature, some∣times to his humane nature, and sometimes to his Office or Mediatorship, which he performeth in his person as God-man.
In relation to his divine nature, he himself putteth all enemies under his feet▪ 1 Cor, 15. 25.
In relation to his humane nature which retains the essentiall properties of a man, the Father makes Christs enemies his footstool; For the humane nature is finite, only in one place at once: All the excellencies thereof, though far surpassing the excellencies of other creatures, are in measure with a certain proportion. That which is said of Gods giving the Spirit to Christ not by measure, Joh. 3. 39. is to be understood comparatively in reference to all other creatures; They have the mea∣sure of vessels, Christ hath the measure of a fountain, which may be accounted with∣out measure: Notwithstanding this fullnesse of Christ, in relation to his humane nature God is said to advance him, to assist him, to do this and that for him; So here God is said to make his enemies his footstool. This act of God may also have re∣lation to the office of Christ as he is Mediatour; For in that respect he is under the Father, and depends upon the Father, and is assisted by the Father. Because sometimes in relation to Christs humane nature, this act of subduing Christs ene∣mies is attributed to the Father; and sometimes in relation to his divine nature, it is attributed to himself: this Apostle useth an indefinite word of the passive voice (be made) till his enemies be made his footstool, Heb. 10. 13.
For the phrase here used and applied to the Father, it declareth this act of sub∣duing all manner of enemies to be a divine act, done by a divine power; so as all the power of all enemies, if it could be united together, could not stand against this power. Who would set the briars and thorns against God in battel? He would go through them, he would burn them together, Isa. 27. 4. This is it that makes the devils to trem∣ble, Iam. 2. 19. Luk. 8. 28.
Did wicked men, persecutors, prophane persons, and all that oppose Christ, his Church, his Gospel, or Ordinances, know and beleeve as much as the devils do in this case, they could not but tremble: A great encouragement this is to the mem∣bers of Christ, that the Church is assisted with a divine power, able to subdue all the enemies; so as they need not fear what any of them or all of them can do.