.6e5 SERMONS ùpòg Serm.36. might fupport his Humane Nature, and overcome his Sufferings. Jefus Chrift was to be raifed, and allo to mile himfelf; heitvas to be railed by God the Father, as a Judg As the Apoftles would not go out of Prifon, till the Magifirates came to fetch them out themfelves ; fo God as Judg is faid to raife Chrift, and exalt him, he muff give him power to rife. But now Chrift was alfoto raife himfelf; John 2. 19. Defiroy thisTem- ple, and in three days I will raife it again. He was to raife himfelf, to declare the Glory of his Perron. Chrift was to rife by his Father's Authority,and to rife by his own Power. He was to rife by the Father's Authority ; therefore, as a Pledg of it, an Angel is Cent to roll away the Stone, and open the Prifon Door, and let our Surety out of Prifon, the Debt being paid. AndChrift was to rife alto by the ftrength of his own Godhead : Why? This was neceffary for our Satisfa &ion. He that would undertake our Cafe,with Comfort and Satisfa&ion to theCreature, had need be able to overcome Divine Wrath, for the Creature could never havé fatisfied. If our Surety were kept in Prifon, and held un., derWrath, we could have no Security that the Debt was paid ; the great Affurance that is given to the World, is the fiefurre&ion of Chrilt; Alts 17.31. Whereof he hath given arance to all Men, in that he bath raid him from the Dead ; this was his publick Acquittance and Difcharge. Again; it was neceffary he fhould be God for fo much of his Prophetical Office, as he accomplished upon Earth. Clint} came to bring the ever- lasting Gofpel out of the Bolom of God, and to ratify it with Miracles, to chufe Dilci- pies to preach it, to give the Holy Ghost, to give them Power to work Miracles, fui- table to the Tenor of the Gofpe! ; as railing the Dead, giving Sight to the Blind, Ôrc. Thus his Godhead was neceffary to his Work. But now, upon his Sending, (and that is more formally and exprefly intended in the Phrafe) he had new Qualifications, and a new Power ; for as God he could not fuller, therefore theManhood is bellowed upon him. Pfal. 40.7. .4 Body haft than prepared for me. This is formally implied in that Expreffion, He fens him ; that is, prepared a Body for him. God's fending of Chrift, doth not imply his change of Place ; for Christ, as God, before was every where, the Heaven of Heavens could not contain him; but it implies the Aflhmption of another Nature : He was lint, that is, took Flesh, affumed another Nature into his own Perlon. Now this was neceffary, that Chrift should be Man, that he might have an Intereft in us, and have compaffion on us, and be in a capacity to die for us. That he might have an Intereft in us, and be of our. Blood. The next of Blood had a right to redeem, Ruth 3. 9. Therefore Chrift, he took our Nature, that he might be of our Blood, that fo he might have a right to re- deem us, having an Intereft in us ; and therefore he was not only Man, but the Son of Man. Chrift might have been true Man, if God had formed him out of the Dull of the Ground, as he did Adam, he might have given him a true Humane Nature :.But Christ was not only Man, but was of our Stock and Lineage; and therefore it istaid, Heb. 2. 14. Forafmuch then as the Children are partakers of Flesh and B.'ood, he a fo himfelf lil¿ewife took part of the fame. And, Perf. I1. For both he that fanáifietb, and they that are fanfíified, are all of one. They are all of one ; How is that ? Of one Stock. Jo- nice required, that the fame Nature that had finned, should be punithed.: It was not fit our Sins thould be punished in the Nature of an Angel, nor in the Nature of Man, that was made out of Nothing, or out of the Duft of the Ground; but in one that was of the fame Stock. Again ; that he might have Compaf &on on us, as well as an Intereft in us. Chrift bath a Nature that inclines him to his Office ; betides his Effen- tial Mercy as God, there is a Humane Compaffion, which arifeth from Feeling, and from Experience. Heb. 4. 1 g. For we have not an High Priest which cannót be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities : but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without Sin. He took our Nature, that he might have experience of our Sorrows, Miferies, Temptations, and fo intender his own Heart, by an experimental Pity and Compaf- lion. As Man, Chrift had a feeling what it was to be in the fate of Men, that we . might have an affurance of his Pity. As a Man that bath felt the racking of the Gout and Stone, is more fit to pity others in the fame Cafe : So Jefus Chrift having had a, feeling of the Buffetings of Satan, and Wrath of God, and of the Negle&s and Scorns of Men, feeling of all Conditions that are miferable, his Heart is the more intendered, his humane Compaffion is increafed ; and God would have it to be fo for our greater Aflurance. Again ; his Humane Nature gave him a capacity to fuffer. As God, he could not fuffer; and therefore when God would have no more Sacrifices, but all were to be abolished, he prepared Chrift a Body. Heb. to. q. God invelted him with a Humane Nature, that he might offer one Sacrifice to abolilll all the ref. Thus you fee
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