q6 'The Harmony of the 'Divine Attributes ~--~~~~~~~--~~--~------------- L~. ~~vr~~ ~;;~~~tt~;sh;:;;~ys :~p~~~ ~~~~i~~e~si~,~:::~~:'ron~~rJ~g~~~ ~~g~~a~;~ l./V'\..J Charity to Men. He was compared to a Lamb, (for his Paffion and his Patience) that quietly dies at the Foot cf the Altar. Befides, we may confider in our Mediator not only a perfeCt Freedom from Sin, but in lmpoflibility that be lliould be toucb'd by it. The .Augelical Nature was liable to Folly ; bu r the Humane Nature by its intimate and unchangeable Union with the Divine is d\ablilli'J ahove all poflibility of Falling. The Deity is Holinefs it felf; and by its perfonal Prefence, is a greater Prefervative from Sin, than either the Vifion of God ir. Hea· ven, or the mof\: permanent habit of Grace. Our Saviour tells us, John 5· r9. The Son can do nothing of himfelf, but according to the Pnttcrn the Father fll.r him. Now the perfeCt Holinefs of our Redeemer bath a fpecia l Efficacy in making his Death to be the Expiation of Si n, as the Scripture frequently declares, Heb. 7· 26, 27 . For fi~ebm, High · Pruft became 111, who i.r holy, harmleji, mtdcft/ed, mul feparate from Sinners. A1zd he tl.1at ~'Co;~v ::"; I~11W:1:~; ~:£:,:J :;a~~h ;:~:~~~~,;~b~;;;,e ~;i3::;:;i;:(; ~o~~db::: ::z the precio1u Blood of Chrijl, a.r of a Lamb without blemifb, aud wit bout [pot, I Pet. I. I 8. And by bi.r k_nowledge fottU 1llJ righteout Servant jttjl ijie many, I fa. 53· 11 . 4· 'Twas requifite the Mediator fhould be God and Man. He mu[\ affume the Nature . of Man, that be might be put in his !lead in order to make fatisfai.lion for him. He was to be our Reprefentative, therefore fuch a ConjunCtion between us mufl be, thar God might efleem all his People to fuffer in him. By the Law of /frael the Right of Redemption belonged to him that was next in Blood: Now Chrifl took the Seed of .Abraham, the ori~inal Element. of our Nature, that having a Right of Propriety in us as God, he might have a Right of Propinquity as Man. He was allied to all Men, as Men; that his Suffe rings might be univerfally beneficial. And he mull be God: 'tis not his Innocency only, or Deputation, but the Dignity of his Perfon that qualifies him to be an all-fuflicien t Sacrifice for Sin, fo that God may difpenfe Pardon, in a way that is honot•:-- able to Juflice. For Ju!\ice requires a proportion between the Punilliment and the Crime : and that receives its Quality from the Dignity of the Perfon offended. Nmv fince the Majefly of God is infinite againfl whom Sin is committed, the Guilt of it can never be expiated but by an infinite SatisfaCtion. There is no "Jilame 1mder Heaven, ( ACts 4· 12. ) nor in Heaven that could fave us, but the Son of God who being equal to him in greatnefs, became Man. be:~:~~rJu~i~eb:~d ~~~ht;.~~~~~~ ~e~h~u~~g:~ /~,'~b~:~tr~i:n~~:h~~l~0 ~~~r;'{~ account of their different Nature, fo that by fubflitution they could not fatisfie for us; nor that being immaterial Subflances, they are exempted from the Dominion of Death, which was the Punilliment denounc'd againfl the Sinner, and to which his Surety mull ~c~~~!~a~~~. bu~~~~%~~~ ~~t~h~~;nit~r~~~sc~~~~r~eJu~~e{p~:~:~ro~~1fot~oa~fun~i~~ a fire? Who could have been an Altar whereon to fanetifie a Sacrifice to Divine Juflice? No meer Creature how worthy foever could propitiate the fupreme Majefly when juflly p ro,•oked. Our Redeemer was to be the Lord of Angels. The Apo!lle tells us that it pleafed the Father tbat in him aU Fulnefs fbould dweU. This refpeCts not his Original Natme, bm hi s Office, and the reafon of it is, to reconcile by tbe Blood of the Croji, thing; in Heaven aml in the Eartb. From the Greamefs of the Work ~ve may infer the quality of the Means, and from the quality of the means, the Nature of tne Perfon that is to perform it. Peace with God who was provoked by our Rebellion,could only be made by an infini te Sacrifice. Now in Chri[\ the Deity it felf, not its Influences and the fulnefs of i t, not any particular PerfeCtion only, dwelt reall y and fub!lantially. God was prefent in the Ark in a lliadow, and Reprefentation; He is prefent in Nature by his fuflaining Power, and in hi s Saints by fpecial Favour, and the eminent effeCts, the Graces and Comforts that proceed from it; but he is prefent in Chrifl in a fingular and tranfcendent manner. The Humanity is related to the World, not only as a Creature to the Author of its Being, for in this regard it bath an equal refpeet to all the Perfons, but by a peculiar Conjuni.lion: For ' ti s atluated by the fame fubliflence asthe Divine Elfence is in the Son, but with this di ffe renc~, the one is voluntary, the other necelfary; th~one -is efpoufed by Love, the other rece tved by Nature. · Now from thi s intimate Union, there is a communication of the fpecial Qualiti es of. both Natures to the Perfon of Chrifl: Man is exalted to be the Son of God, and tbe Word abafed to be the Son of Man. As by reafon of the vital Union between the Soul and Body, the etfemial Parts of Man, 'tis truly fa id that he is rational in refpei.l o~0~1\:
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