Queflions,andCali' ofCorifcience Chap,' z9 Now the Godhead is of that infinite perfeâion,that its not fubje& to any pat_ lion : and therefore if Chrift hadbeen only God,he could not have paid this debt, which confined of fuffering and dying : Befides, Gods Juffice muff be fatisfied in that nature that had finned , and the famenature mull fuffer punishment , that had committed the offence, Heb.2.t 45 5. therefore Ch rill became man that hemight fuffer, Phil.2.8. Heb.io.5,7,9,1o. Quefl. Whymuss our Saviourbe more then man ? erInfro. B.caufe if he had not been God too,-he could never have gone through with fuch a work. For if a man had been as righteous as Adam and willing to fuffer for the offence of others, poffibly his fufferings might have fatisfied for one: But here innumerable multitudes were tobe redeemedro God, 'key. 5.9 v 7.9 Neither could man, or Angel have held out , if a punishment equivalent CO the endleffe fufferings oft all the (inners in the World had at once been laid upon him. It ihaked the powers ofChrift himfelf, on whom the Spirit did ref?, Ifa. a s. z. Itamazed him , Mar. i. 3 3. made him fend up thong cries, Heb. 5.7. and prayers, Mar .14.35, 36. The bloud whereby the Church is purchafed mutt be Gods bloud , Ac`fs zo. 28. the Lord of glory mutt be crucified, 1 ¿or.2.8. the Prince and Author of life kil- led, -Aiis 3.15. the man who is Gods own fellowmuff be thusImitten, Zack. 13. 7. withMatt.z6.3i . Again, if the lifeof any fingular man mi,,ht have been equi- valent to the lives of all mankind : yet the laying down of that life wouldnot have been fufficient , unleffe that he that hadpower to lay it down , had power alto to take it up again, hence Paul concludes, r Cor. 15.17. IfChrift be not rifen, our faith is in vain,you are yet inyour fins. Hence alto, R°m. 4.25. Had Chrift bro- ken prifon, and made an efcape , the payment of the debt , which as our furety he had taken upon him,being not fatisfied , Heaven would not have held him, more then Paradefe didAdam after he had fallen into Gods debt , and danger : But raifing himfelffrom the dead , prefenting himfelf in Heaven before him, to whom the debt was owing , and maintaining his Handing there, he thereby hath given goodproof thatheis now aféeeman, and bath fully difcharged that debt of ours' for which he flood committed : and this is that evidence,whìch we have to !hew, of that righteoufneffe whereby we (land juftified in Gods fight , according to that of the Apoftle, Rom.8. 33, 34 hence /0h.10,1 7, rr. and 2.19, 21. The Manhood indeedcould fuffer , but not overcomedeath : the Godhead couldover- come any thing, but notfuffer ; He therefore that was to fuffer , and overcome death for us, mull be partaker of both natures, that he might doboth, z Per. 3.18. Quell. How is thir Redemption purchafed by Chriff , conveyed to us ? yÁnfw. It was indeed a dear purchafe when wewere redeemedby the blood of God : but what fhould the purchafeof a £+ranger have beento us ? or what fhould we have been the better for it, ifwe could notderive our defcent from the pur- chafer ? The manner in Ifraelwas concerning redemption, that to him that was next ofkin belonged that right to be God, or the Redeemer, Ruth 33 12. & 4. I, 3, 4 ,7. Hence Job calls Chrishis Goel, ob 5 &c. 19.2 For if he had not thus affumedour flefh, how fhould we have been of his blood , or claimed any kin- dred to him ? and unlefs the Godhead had by a perfonal union been "unfeparably conjoyned to that flefh,how could he therein have been accounted our next of kin ? Hence 1 Cor. 15.47. Chrift is reckoned the fecond man, though there were manymillions betweenAdam andhim, and thatbecaufe thefe two were the only men, who could be accounted the prime fountains from whence the reft ofall man-kind did derive their exif+ence and being. For as all in the worldde- rive their defcents from the first man : fo inthe refpe& of amore immediate in- fluenceof efficiency, and operation,doe theyowe their being to the fecond man, theLord fromheaven,as is ìmplyed, Jer. I . g. Pfal. ;19.73. & 139. 13. & 71. Avain:MI
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