The fountain of life opened Author:John Flavel Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SERMON V. OF CHRIST'S WONDERFUL PERSON. JOHN I. 14 ADD THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, AND DWELT AMONG US. You have heard the covenant of redemption opened. I... more »t is such as infinitely exceeds the power of any mere creature to perform. He that undertakes to satisfy God, hy obedience for man's sin, must himself be God; and he that performs such a perfect obedience, by doing and suffering all that the law required, in our room, must be man. These two natures must be united in one person, else there could not be a concourse or co-operation of each nature in his mediatorial work. How these natures are united, in the wonderful person of our Immanuel, is the first part of the great mystery of godliness : a subject studied and adored by angels! and the mystery thereof is wrapped up in this text. Wherein we have, 1. The incarnation of the Son of God plainly asserted. 2. That assertion strongly confirmed. 1. In the assertion we have three parts. (1.) The Person assuming, o Aoyoe, the Word, that is, the second Person or Subsistent in the most glorious Godhead; called the Word, either because he is the scope or principal matter, both of the prophetical and promissory word; or because he expounds and reveals the mind and will of God to men, as verse 18. The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared or expounded him. (2.) The nature assumed, aapŁ, flesh, that is, the entire human nature, consisting of a true human soul and body. For so this word rapŁ, in Rom. iii. 20, and the hebrew word 1IP3 which answers to it, by a usual metonomy of a part for the whole, is used, Gen. vi. 12. And the word flesh is rather used here, than man, on purpose to enhance the admirable condescension and abasement of Christ; there being more of vileness, weakness, and opposi...« less