IN THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PERSON OF CHRIST. lOg and is to be saved. Por whereas God gave the law un- same nature with us. This therefore, in the first place, became the wisdomofGod, that the workof deliverance should be wrought in our own nature, in the nature that had sinned. 2. That part of human nature, wherein or whereby this work was to be effected, as unto the essence or sub- stance of it, was to be derived from the common root or stock of the same nature, in our first parents. It would not suffice hereunto, that God should create a man out of the dust of the earth, or out of nothing, of the same nature in general with ourselves. For there would be no cognation or, alliance between him and us, so as that we should be any way concerned in what lie did or suffered. For this alliance depends solely hereon, " that God bath of one blood made all nations of men," Acts xvii. 26. Hence it is that thegenealogy ofChrist is given us in the gospel, not only from Abraham, to declare the faithfulness of God in the promise that he should be of his seed, but from Adam also, to manifest his relation unto the common stock of our nature, and unto all mankind therein. The first discoveryof the wisdomof God herein, was in that primitive revelation, that the deliverer should be of " the seed of the woman," Gen. iii. 15. No other but he who was so, could break the serpent's head or destroy the work of the devil, so as that we might be delivered and restored. He was not only to be partaker of our nature, but he was so to be, by be- ing " the seed of the woman," Gal. iv. 4. He was not to be created out of nothing, nor to be made of the dust of the earth, but so made of a woman, as that thereby he might receive our nature from the common root and spring of it. Thus he " who sanctifieth, and theywho are sanctified, are all of one," Heb. ii. 11. bis, that is, bspì saem, of the same mass, of one na- ture and blood; whence he is not ashamed to call them brethren. This also was to be brought forth from the treasures of infinite wisdom. 3. This nature of ours, wherein the work of our re- covery and salvation is to be wrought and performed, was not to be so derived from the original stock of our kind or race, as to bring along with it the same taint of sin, and the same liableness unto guilt upon its own account, as accompany every other individual person in the world. For, as the apostlespeaks, such an High Priest became us, (and as an High Priest was he to ae- to man, as an effect of his wisdom and holiness, which he transgressed in his disobedience, wherein could the glory of them or either of them be exalted, if the same law were complied withal and fulfilled in and bya na- ture of another kind, suppose that of angels? For not- withstanding any such obedience yet the law might be unsuited unto the nature of man whereunto it was ori- ginally prescribed. Wherefore there would be a vail drawn over the glory of God, in giving the law unto man, if it were not fulfilled by obedience in the same nature. Nor can there be any such relation between theobedience and sufferings of one nature, in the stead and for the disobedience of another, as that glory might ensue unto the wisdom, holiness, and justice of God, in the deliverance of that other nature thereon. The scripture abounds in the declaration of the neces- sity hereof, with its condecency unto divine wisdom. Speaking of the way of our relief and recovery; ve- rily, saith the apostle, " he took not on him the na- ture of angels," Heb. ii. 16. Had it been the reco- very of angels which he designed, he would have taken their nature on him. But this would have been no relief at all unto us, no more than the assuming of our nature is of advantage unto the fallen angels; the obedience and sufferings ofChrist therein extended not at all unto them, nor was it just or equal that they should be relieved thereby. What then was required unto our deliverance? Why, saith he, " Forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same," ver. 14. It was human nature (he expressed by flesh and blood) that was to be delivered, and therefore it was human nature wherein this deliverance was to be wrought. This the same apostle disputes at large, Rom. v. ver. 12-19. The sum is, that as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (of one man, ChristJesus, ver. 15) are many made right- eous. The same nature that sinned must work out the reparation and recovery from sin. So he affirms a- gain, 1 Cor. xv. 21. Forsince by man came death, by man came also the resurrectionfrom the dead. No other- wise could our ruin be retrieved, nor our deliverance from sin with all the consequents of it be effected, which came by man, which were committed and de- served in and by our nature, but byman, by one of the
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