Theophilie, or, A discourse of the saints amitie with God in Christ by Theophilus Gale.

SECT. 3. How al Divine perfections dwel in Christ, the Mediator, as in a Temple, Col. 2.9.

BUT yet to penetrate, or dive more deeply into this great Evangelick My∣sterie, and wonder of Angels and men; we are to consider, how that, not only the Grace of God, in a Divine plenitude, (ac∣cording to moral estimation infinite) was communicated to the human nature of Christ, but also the whole Deitie, and al the Divine Attributes, perfections, and excellences of God, by virtue of the Hypostatick Ʋnion, dwel therein, which renders Christ as Me∣diator, Infinitely Glorious and desirable for himself. For Christ, the second Person of the Trinitie, although he has but one sub∣sistence, yet has he a double manner of sub∣sisting; one in the Divine Nature from eter∣nitie; the other in the Human Nature upon his Incarnation; which latter manner of sub∣sisting agrees to the Son of God, by reason of the Ʋnion which he has with the Hu∣man Nature, assumed by, and inseparably subsisting in the Divine Person; yet without any commixtion or confusion of the Deitie in

Christ, with the Humanitie, or of the Hu∣manitie with the Deitie. So Mat. 1.23. Emmanuel, God with us: and Job. 1.14.b Hence follows a communication of proprie∣ties; so that whatsoever be∣longs to either Nature may be attributed to, and predi∣cated of the Divine Person. Thus he who is the eternal son of God, is said to be borne in time: he who was the Creator of al the World, becomes a creature: he who was David's Lord, becomes a son of David, as Luk. 20.44. which puzled al the Jew∣ish Doctors; he who was the immortal Lord, dies on the Crosse, 1 Cor. 2.8. Al this is said of the Divine person, though not of the Divine Nature. And oh! what a won∣der of wonders is here, that the Divine and Human Nature, which were at such an infinite distance, should be reconciled in Emmanuel, God with us? What? Does the same person who is God, become man; yea, God and man bypostatically united? Is our Emmanuel, as verily God as man; and as verily man as God? Oh! what a great mysterie of Godlines is this, God manifested in the flesh, 1 Tim. 3.16? How much does this our Emmanuel deserve to be Elected for himself?

Hence it is said, Colos. 2.9. For in him dwelleth al the fulnes of the Godhead

bodily, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, i.e. (1.) Re∣ally, in opposition to al Types and Shadows. The God-head dwelt also in the Tem∣ple at Jerusalem, but it was only as in a Type of Christ's human, and Mystick bodie. So v. 17. the Ceremonial rites are called shadows of things to come, but the bodie is of Christ, i. e. Christ is the truth and substance of al those Cere∣monial Types: Thus also, Joh. 1.14. ful of Grace and Truth; and Joh. 4.24. in Spirit and in Truth: where truth seems to be op∣posed to the ceremonial Shadows and Types. (2.) Bodily, i. e. Essentially and Substanti∣ally, in opposition to men, or Angels. Thus the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is used to signifie essence, according to the notion of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which is used for essence, as wel as bodie. 'Tis true, the Deitie dwels essentially in every creature, in some regard; and graciously in the Saints, Christ's mystick bodie, ay but, he dwels in the human bodie of Christ in a far more essential, substantial, and glorious manner: the Saints are not Godded, or made essenti∣ally and substantially one with God; neither are they espoused, and maried to God, by an hypostatick Ʋnion, as the Human Nature of Christ is. Whence (3.) By Bodily, we may understand personally: For so frequent∣ly, both in sacred and Profane Authors, Bodie signifies a Person. Thus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,

Rom. 12.1. imports persons. Then he saies, that al the plenitude of the Deitie [dwelleth]. This seems to be an allusion to the Divine Shekinah, or Inhabitation of the Deitie, before mentioned, Joh. 1.14. Look as God once had a visible, glorious residence in the Holy of Holies, as in a Type of Christ's human na∣ture, so he now dwelleth in the Antitype, really, essentially, and personally: For, al the fulnes of the Deitie dwelleth in Christ's human Nature, not only essentially, but also personally, by virtue of the Hypostatick Ʋnion. And oh! what a glorious and admirable Mysterie is this, that Human Nature should be extended, and elevated to such a raised ca∣pacitie, and glorious dignitie, as to be, by an Hypostatick, personal union, espoused to the Son of God, and so become a Temple, where∣in al the plenitude of the Deitie dwels really, essentially, and personally? What? doth the fulnes of the Deitie so far condescend, as to come down, and dwel bodily, or personally, in Human Nature? Is it possible that there should be such a Name, and Thing as God∣man? Oh! what an ineffable, incompre∣hensible, unparalled Name, and Thing is this? What a glorious miracle, what an astonish∣ing wonder is Emmanuel, God with us, Mat. 1.23? Who can declare his generation? May not we conclude, with Augustin, that our Emmanuel was the Angel, that said unto Manoah, Judg. 13.18. Why askest thou after my name, seing it is secret? or admirable, monderful. Is not every letter, yea tittle, of

this name Emmanuel, God with us, or God dwelling bodily in Human Nature, beyond al mesure, wonderful? Oh! what infinite won∣ders of condescendent love, what transcen∣dent riches of Free-Grace, are wrapt up in this one Name Emmanuel? How could poor mortals, yea sinners, whose eyes are so weak and dim, have ever hoped to behold the dazling lustre, and shining glories of the In∣finite Deitie, had he not thus vouchsafed to come down, and dwel bodilie in human Nature? Are our bodily eyes so dim and weak, as that they cannot, in a direct line, behold the Sun in its Noon-day Glorie, and brightnes, but must wait for some reflexe Image in a Bason of water, or some such glasse? how impossible then is it, for a created understanding, so much enfeebled by sinful distillations, and humors, to contem∣plate the glorious, and dazling Deitie, should he not reflect the beams, and lustre of his shining Majestie, on the Glasse of Emmanuel's human Nature? Does not al this render Christ, God-man, infinitely eligible for himself; seing al the fulnes of the God∣head dwels in him bodily, really, essentially, personally? Surely, if al the beams of the Father's love, Grace, and Glorie centre in the human Nature of Christ, and are from him reflected on his friends, wel may they elect him for himself: deservedly is he the object of their contemplation, admiration, adoration, and Fruition to al Eternitie. O! how should the friends of Christ studie, gaze

on, and ravish their hearts with so amiable, and glorious a friend, in whom dwels al the fulnes of the God-head bodily? What an excellent, curious, rare piece of work is this human Nature of Christ, formed and framed by the Spirit of God, Luk. 1.35?i How far does it out-shine the Nature of Adam, even in his Innocent state? What a noble Fabrick is the human bodie of Christ, which was framed, and sanctified by the overshadowing power of the most High? Of what a glorious make is Christ's human soul, which was so curiously framed, adorned, and beau∣tified with such an infinite masse of pure Grace? In sum; what a glorious Temple must Christ's Human Nature needs be, wherein the plenitude of the Deitie dwels bodily?

Notes

• How the Deitie and Divine Perfections dwel in Christ as Mediator?
• See Am••s. Medul. Theol. l. 1. c. 17.
• b

  Ex hac unione sequitur per∣senalis communicatie proprie∣tatum quae non est realic transfusio, sed est communio vel concursus ad easdem ope∣rationes.— Hinc fit quod om∣nes Actiones & Passiones Chri∣sti referuntuy propriè ad ejus personam, tanquam ad termi∣num corum proprium, Ames. Medul. Theol. l. 2. c. 17. Thes. 21.22.
• Col. 2.9.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, i.e. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Oecumen. in loc. V. T. Deus in Templo Hiero∣sol. Et super Acca soederis in propitiatorio habitabat, sed tantummodo 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: at postquam venit pleaitudo temporis toto pleaitutudo Dei∣tatis, non 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, sed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, verè modo eminen∣tissimo., & personaliter, in Christi natura humana inhabi∣tat. Glass. Philolog. S.
• Mat. 1.23.
• i

  Give me leave to think, that there was more of God in the human Nature of Christ, as Nature is a vessel coming out of the Porters house, than ever was in Adam created according to Gods Image. Rutherfurd's Christ's Dying, &c. p. 5.