Ver. i 8. the 17thChapter of St. J O HN. 265 2. This Sending, implies his Fitnels and Qualification to do the Work for which he was fent. (1.) He had fit Natures. (2.) He had fit Endowments. (I.) Fit Natures. He was God -Man; God, elfe how could he fend ? Man, elfe how could he be font into the World ? This Sending, implies he was a Perron truly exifting before he carne into the World, as a Man mull be before he is fent, and there- fore he is faid to be fent forth from God. Gal. 4. 4. God feet forth his Son made of a Woman. Sent forth, that (hews his Being before he took Flefh ; Chrill was fornewhere from whence he was fent forth. And then, made of a Woman, that implies his incarna- tion. This Sending doth fuppofe his Divine Nature, and imply his Incarnation, or God's beftowing upon him a Humane Nature. God he was, in the Bofom of the Father, from whence he was Cent forth into theWorld. Such an Errand as Chrift came about, required a God, no inferior Mediator would ferve the turn. Nothing but an Infinite Good can remedy an Infinite Evil : Sin had bound us over to an Eter- nal Judgment, and nothing can counterpoife Eternity, but the Infinitenel and the Ex- cellency of Chrift's Perron: His Divine Nature was requifite in many Regards. Partly, to give Efficacy, and Virtue, and Value to his Sufferings; and therefore it is laid, that we are purchafed by the Blood of God, A &s 2o. 28. the meaning is, the Blood of that Perlon, to whom the Divine Properties belonged. God is a Spirit, and bath not Flefh, Blood, and Bones, as we have ; How then are we laid to be redeemed with the Blood of God? that is, the Blood of him who was God ; which makes ii to be of infinite Value, and enough to counterpoife that Eternity of Torment which we fhould have endured. Again, the Dignity of his Perlon conduced to the acceptance of One for All. 2 Cor. 5. 15. ../Ind that he died for 44 &c. in the room and (lead of all the Ele&; and therefore that there might be fuch a value in his Sufferings, his Perlon malt be thus worthy. As they laid to David, Thou art worth ten thoufand of us, 2 Sam.t8.3. A General or Commander, given in Ranfom, will redeem thoufands of private Souldi- ers : So the worth of Chrift's Perfon made him equivalent in dignity to the Perlons of all thole whom he fuftained ; yea, much more, God was more fatisfied from Chrift, than if all the World had fuffered, and all Angels and Men had been made a Sacrifice. Again, God he mull be, becaufe of the exuberancy of his Merit : Chrift's Suffering was not only a Ranfom from Death, but the Merit of Eternal Life. By his Death he fatisfied the Old Covenant, and ratified the New. The Scriptures do not only fet forth the Death of Chrift as a Ranfom for Souls, but as a Price given to purchafe Everlafting Glory.A Surety to an ordinary Creditor, if he pay the Debt, he only frees the Creditor fronuBonds,but doth not bring him into Grace and Favour.But now Chrift hath merited Happinefs for us,and not only freed us from Wrath to come,and delivered us from Bon- dage,there was a price paid to Divine Juflice. Again, the Dignity of his Perron was ne- ceffary, by way of Compenfation, for thofe Circumflances of Punifhment which did not befeem Chrift. The Civility of Nations, remits to Princes and Nobles force difgraceful Circumflances; tho the Punifhment is infii&ed,yet the kind of Death is changed,becaufe of the Dignity of their Birth, and place in the Common - Wealth. So here, the Sen- tence which paffed upon Men, was Eternal Death, the Sentence it felf is not reverted, that would leffen the Authority of the Law, and the Glory of God's Juflice. The truth is, there are Come Circumftances abated, which flood not with the worthinef of Chrift's Perlon ; as for inflance, The Eternity of the Punilhment is abated, Chrift rue fered but a few Hours, becaufe of the greatnefs of his Sufferings, and the Dignity of bis Perfon. A paiment in Gold, is as full and valid as a paiment in Silver, tho it may take up lets room, becaufe of the excellency of the Metal : So here, the Suffering and Death of Chrift was of full value, tho it was dilpatched in a leffer Time; the Eternity that is abated, becaufe of the Dignity and Worth of his' Perlon. Once more, the Godhead of Chrill was neceffary, that he may be able to dilcharge the Office of a Priefl, as that he might fatisfy on the Crof<, and know all chofe whom he did perfonate and reprefent before the Tribunal of God. As the High Prieft had the Names of the twelve Tribes upon his Shoulders, and upon his Breaft, Exod. 28. 12, 29. upon his Shoulders, to reprefent them to God, and upon his Breaft, to (hew how dear they were to himfelf: So Jefus Chrift hath, as it were, the Names of all thofe for whom he was to fuffer and intercede; he was to know them Man by Man. And it was meet that he fhould know all the Sins that were imputed to him ; and therefore the Perlon thus Cent, for fuck a Work as this was, mull needs be God. Again, he mull be God, that he L111 might
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