Concerning The Personality Of The Son

Proving The Personality And Deity Of The Holy Ghost 4. We must remove every thing that carries in it imperfection from the divine generation and Sonship of Christ; such as divisibility, or multiplication of essence, priority and posteriority, dependence and the like. We are not to make natural or carnal generation the rule and measure of divine generation, which is hyper physical, or above nature; nor to run the parallel between these two in every respect; It is enough that there is some kind of analogy and agreement between them, which occasions the use of the terms, generation, sonship, etc. for instance, as in human generation, person begets person, and like begets like; so it is in divine generation. But,

5. The modus or manner of it, is not to be conceived of, or explained by us. Nor need we wonder that so it should be: We cannot account for our own generation, much less for Christ’s. We “know not what is the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child.” ( Ecclesiastes 11:3) The regeneration of the saints is a riddle to the natural man. He says, with Nicodemus, ( John 3:9) “ How can there things be ?” And it need not be surprising, that the divine generation of Christ should be so, even to a spiritual man. If the incarnation of Christ, and the union of two natures in one person, are, without controversy, a great mystery of godliness; we should also be content to have Christ’s eternal filiation so accounted.

CHAPTER 8 Concerning The Personality Of The Son.

Having considered the character of the Word, which the second person bears; proved his Deity, and inquired into his Sonship, I proceed,

IV. To establish his divine and distinct personality. The definition of a person agrees with him. He is an individual that subsists of himself, lives, wills, and understands. He has life in himself, and is the author of life in others. He has a will distinct from his Father’s, though not opposite to it; and knows his Father as perfectly as his Father knows him. To go about to prove Christ to be a person, and a distinct person from the Father, and the Holy Ghost, is just such another undertaking, as to prove that there is such a glorious and luminous body as the fun, when it shines at noon day, and we are encompassed with its dazzling beams and light. To give the whole proof of this truth in its utmost compass would be to transcribe great part of the New Testament, where it is to be met with in almost every verse

96 CHAPTER 8 Concerning The Personality Of The Son. and line. I’ll just give some few hints:

1. All those ( John 1:14,18. and 3:16. Romans 8:3,32. with many others.) scriptures which speak of Christ as the Son of God, as his own Son, and his only begotten Son, show him to be a person, and a distinct one. Was he not a person, he could not properly be said to be begotten; and if he is a Son, he must be distinct from him whose Son he is, and by whom he is begotten. As it is the distinctive personal character of the Father to beget, so it is the distinctive personal character of the Son to be begotten. As the Son and Spirit are never said to beget, so it is never said of the Father, or of the Holy Ghost, that they are begotten.

2. All those ( Proverbs 8:30. John 1:1. 1 John 1:2.) scriptures which declare that Christ was with God the Father, and was as one brought up with him, and the like, plainly bespeak his distinct Personality; for he must be a person to be with another; and he must be distinct from him with whom he is. He cannot properly be said to be with himself; nor is there any reason to conclude, that this is the sense of those scriptures.

3. All those ( Proverbs 8:22,23. John 6:37 and 10:28. Ephesians 1:3. 2 Timothy 1:9. Isaiah 48:16.) scriptures which assert that he was set up from everlasting, as the covenant-head, and Mediator; and that all the persons of the elect, with all blessings and grace for them, were put into his hands as such, confirm this truth. He must be a person, and not a mere name or character, or he could not be said to be set up, and to have all the elect of God, with all spiritual blessings for them, given unto him; and he must be a distinct person from him who set him up, and entrusted him with all those persons and things.

4. All those ( Galatians 4:4. 1 John 4:9,10,14) scriptures which assure us that he was sent in the fullness of time, to be the Saviour of sinners, are so many proofs of his distinct Personality. Was he not a person, he could not be sent; and he must be distinct from him, or them, by whom he is sent. He that sends, and he that is sent, cannot be the same person; or else it must be said, that he sent himself.

5. All those scriptures ( Ephesians 5:2. Hebrews 9:14. Revelation 5:9. Romans 5:10) which speak of his satisfaction and sacrifice; as when he is