in Contriving Man's Redemption. 1 '2 I mane Nature are requiflte for the performance of all thefe. for nothing is effectual to ~ an End, but what IS proportiOnable and con:men.furate thereunto;_ and to. ~roport.lon~ Excelfes as well as Defects, are oppoflte. ThiS will appear by takmg a dllhnct v1ew of the feveral Offices of our Mediator. 1. The Priefll; Office hath Two parts. 1. To make Expiation for Sin. 2. lnterceflion for Sinners. Now for the maf<ing expiation for Sin, there was a nece~ary concurrence of the two Natures in our Redeemer. He mull: be Man; for the Detty was not capable of thofe Submiffions and SuffCrings which were reqmfite to ex_ftate St~. And he ~ull ~e 11--lan~ that rhe ]inning Nature ~igh~ fuffer,_ and there~y acqmre _a t:tle to the ~ansfaChon that is made. The meritonous tmputatton of Chnfis Suffc:nngs to Man, IS grounded on the Umon between them , which is as well natural in his partaking of Flefh and Blood, as moral in the coafent of their Wills. As the Apofl:le obferves , Heb. 2 . 1 r. That he IVho fonfli{ies, and they that are fan{iijed a.re all one : So ~lC that r~.ffers '.and they for whom he fufTers , mufi hav~ commumon m the fame 1\aturc. For this reafor~ , God hav ing refolvcd . ne1•er tp d1fpenfe Mercy to the Fallen Angels, the Redeemer d1d not a!Tume the Angtltcal Nature, but the feed of Ab1:aham. And as the Humane Nature was neceffary to qu~h.fY him for jttj{erings, and to make them fuitable fo rhe Divme was to make them (11/ficrt1Jt. T~1e. lower nature contlder'd in it felf could make no fatisfaaion: The Digmry of the Dtvm~ Perfon makes a tem.:. pora! pu~ifbmcnt ro be of an. mjinite value in. God's A.ccount. Befides, the Humane Nat ure J1ad funk under the we1ght of Wr.rh, 1f the Dm7 had not been perfonally prefent to fupport it. oriejly, To perform the firft part of Ius Office, he mull: fuffer, yet be impa!Jible; Dye, yet be immortal ; and undergo the Wrath of God, to deliver Man fi·om it. (b) (b) sol"' tha~· hY"m~~e l;;~~,~~/0~v¥:h i~~~~ ~~au~~~~~ffi~\~~~,.pa'!f1~: ~~nb~~;':';::~ ~E:f:::2: vailing Intercfi in the Father, as he teftifies, I kn01v thou heardfl me tt!wap, John 11. 42. non poruir, . A Privilege which neither AbrAham, Mofes, nor any other who were the moft favoured :bf,~:;b;;::'J Saints, enJoyed. And, as Man, he was fit for Pal/ion and Compafjion. The Humane Na- ~~~~~fe t~f E~r~~~~~~cftr~::r,li~f J.~~ff[~:cia~~,'~;:;;:,;'";;~~:~["};~~~n ~~ri: mental fenfe of what one hath fuffer'd, and the fight of the like aflliction in others, revives the Affections which were felt in that fl:ate, and inclines to Pity. The Apofl:le offers this to Believers as the ground of Comfort, that He who took our Nature, and felt our Griefs, intercedes for us. For we ha'Ve not an High·Prie.ft that cannot be touch'd with the feeling of our Infirmities, but was in all things tempted as 1ve arr~yet rvitbout fin, Heb. 4· 1 5, that with an humble Confidence we may come to the Throne of Grace. He bath drunk <leepefl: of the Cup of Sorrows, · that he may be an ~11-Jil/ficient Comforter to thofe that mourn. He hath fuch tender Bowels, we may truft him to follicit OtJ.r Salvation. In f11orc, '£is the great Support of our Faith, that we l:ave accefi to the Father by the Son, Ephef. 2. I8. and ~refent all our Requefls by a Mediator fo worthy and fo dear to him, and by One who lelt the Joys of Heaven, that by endurmg AffiiCtlon on Earth, his Heart rmghr be made tunable to the Hearts of the affircted. fh~:t~"~~· · J:~'·a,~~ejv~;charge of the Prophetical Office, 'twas necelfary the Medi•tor I. He mull: be God, that he might deliver his Counfel' with more Authority and Efficacy than any meer Creature could. He mull: be a Teacher fent fi·om Heaven that reveals to us the Will of God c~nc~rning rh_e _Way thither,. and the Certainty 2.nd Excel· Jency of that Stote. Now Chnfl: IS the Ongmal of all W1fdom; 'tis not faid the Word of the Lord _.~:amc to Hrm, as to the P1:ophe~ ; He is the Foumain of all facred Knowledge. The ~on came from the Bojom of the Father, ( Joh. I. 18.) the Seat of his Counfels and Compaffions, to reveal thofe Secrets which were concealed from the Anaels in that LigJt which is inacceffible. And 'tis God alone can reach the Hr.art and c~nvince the ~1~n{;(fc~~·e~~~~0~0a~~~f~~~~o~ ~~~'}~fio~:lii:~~~;c~~~c~:"df,:~h~)o(hin~ and a delight in 2. , fwas fit IJe Il10uld be ~an, that he might be familiarly converfant with us, and ~~~v~yfit~~ ~~~~r~l~d0fr %~~::s, ~~1lulr c~~fe~u~:;, t~~a~1 ~h~e~:~~~; h~l; {~v~:~tl;~,b~;: R. t~r
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