BOOK II.

The sole and peculiar fitness of Christ's person for the work of redemption.

For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.— HEB. ii. 16, 17.

CHAPTER I.

The fitness of Christ's person for the work of a mediator, hath a great influence to make it successful and prosperous.

In the first chapter, the apostle shewed that our mediator was God, and the Son of God. In this second, he shews that he is man also, and a man made of the same lump with other men, and flesh and blood as well as we. And he knits up all with this, that thus it behoved him to be, that he might be a priest to reconcile us to the Father. That therefore which these two chapters drive at, is to shew the personal fitness, in all relations and respects, that was in Christ for the work of mediation between God and us. A point therefore to be insisted on, because it is the drift of these two whole chapters, and is indeed the foundation of all that follows, concerning his offices and works; which therefore he mentions not here only, but had intimated it before, in ver. 10. To which we may add that in Heb. vii. 26, For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.' So that his singular fitness for this work is a thing that the Scriptures would have us to take special notice of, and which God aimed at in choosing him unto it, for,

First, In general, to give a reason or two of it. Fitness in the person that goes about a matter of reconciliation, is more behoveful and available to further it, than all the means and satisfaction besides that can be made. For reconciliation is a matter of friendship, and therefore it is to be wrought in a friendly way, and a word from a fit person will ofttimes more prevail to effect it, than a great ransom from, and much entreaty by another. 'How forcible are right words!' as Job says-fit words, rightly placed and ordered, but especially when from a fit person; the person adds grace and accepta

tion to them.

Secondly, In reconciling us, God likewise had a special regard to this. He aimed not only to have satisfaction made to his justice, and so to be sure to have an equivalent ransom, but that he might be fully pleased. He would have it carried on in the most pleasing and suitable way that might be, that so his mind might receive full content in it, and that his love might rest in it with delight, and that his wisdom also might infinitely please itself

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in the sweet harmony, the consent, and the fit accommodations of all things in it; to see all aptly meet and accord for the making of his covenant, as it might be sure, so ordered in all things (as the phrase is, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5). But above all, that this confluence of fitness should be especially in the person that was to perform it; one that should be most pleasing to himself and most fit for the business, even so fit, as none fitter. Thus the apostle, in the text, giving the reason why God made him the Captain of our salvation,' and appointed him to suffer: It became him,' says he, 'for whom and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings; that is, seeing this work of redemption was the grand plot and master-piece of him who is both the efficient and end of all things, and that the bringing of many sons to glory was of his works and ends the master-piece, it became him therefore to take such a course to do it as was worthy of him, and as might most of all and best of all suit with all his ends, and with that work which contains all his other works eminently in it. And therefore it was meet for him to make choice of the fittest person that could be found in heaven or earth to be his captain, and to make him, in saving us, as perfect as was possible, as full and complete a Saviour in his person and in his works as could be. And that nothing might be wanting in him which might be thought fit for him who was our Saviour to perform, he was to suffer the utmost of sufferings, rather than he should not be a full, perfect, and complete Saviour; God made him perfect through sufferings;' for (as Christ tells his disciples, Luke xxiv. 4) it behoved him thus to suffer.' And it was his speech to John, Mat. iii. 15, Thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness.' And surely that God, who did all things else in a due proportion, in weight and measure, and this, in his works of an inferior kind and mould, the works of creation (wherein we yet see he hath artificially suited one thing to another), will much more in this transcendent work of redemption cause the greatest harmony to meet in the plot and contrival of it. And so I come to the point delivered, namely,

That there is a fulness of fitness in the person of Christ for this great work of reconciliation between us and God.

First, I say, 'In the person of Christ.' For although in the works of his mediation there may a great correspondent fitness be observed, and a harmonious proportion, both in relation to the benefits they are to procure for us, and between themselves (as was before observed), yet we must now in this head bind ourselves only to the fitness in his person; and therein also carefully sever such considerations as tend to discover his fulness of abilities for this work, many of which are apt to fall under this head. Which notwithstanding we will keep as immixed as we can from these, which argue his fitness, and reserve those other for a second head.

Secondly, There is not only a fitness,' but a 'fulness of fitness;' so that suppose others besides him had been able, yet none so fit, or in whom there is an universal concurrency both of fitnesses and abilities. And therefore he is designed out for this work with an emphasis: Col. i. 20, And (having made peace through the blood of his cross) by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.' By him, by him, I say; and so in him' is with the like emphasis repeated, as denoting him to be eminently fit above all others, in Eph. i. 10, that, in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him.'

This premised, we will proceed by degrees, and we shall find, that there was nothing in his person but what fitted him for this work.

Consider what he was before he took our nature; what this he was, mentioned in the 16th ver., He took,' &c. For he was a person of himself ere he took our nature. And this refers to the first chapter, where the apostle shews that he was God, and the Son of God: Heb. i. 3, 5, Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;' ver. 5,For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?' And thus it behoved him to be, that was our

priest.

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It behoved him to be God. It was not fit that any mere creature should have the honour to be the mediator and reconciler. Could we suppose that a creature had been able to have performed it, yet it had been no way fit. The honour of this place and office was too transcendent for any mere creature; and nothing is more unseemly and uncomely than an office of dignity and honour misplaced, as Solomon tells us. And this crown of honour would not have fitted and sat well on any creature's head. An honour I call this office, and that the most transcendent; for to be a priest, was to be taken out, and separated from, and above other men, to draw nigh to God for them; Heb. v. 1, For every high priest, taken from among men, is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.' And therefore it is such an honour' (says he at the 4th ver.) as no man takes to himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.' And yet, what was the high priesthood of Aaron in comparison with this? A mere shadow; not so much as an image of it, as is said of the types of the law: Heb. x. 1, For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices, which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect.' It was but as the office of a king-atarms in comparison of a real king indeed. And therefore this priesthood, to offer real satisfaction, is accounted such a glory, as Christ himself (though full of all infinite perfections, and in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells) took not upon him till he was called; as chap. v. ver. 5, 'So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.' The phrase used is, that he glorified not himself to be made an high priest,' &c. It is not an honourable office only this, by which phrase Aaron's is expressed to us, but it is glorious. He being to be not an high priest' only, but to be a great high priest:' chap. iv. 14, Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.' Yea, it is so glorious as is fit for none but the King of glory, who is the only wise God. Which therefore, as it is so glorious, as Christ, till called unto it, takes it not on him, so it is so transcendent a glory, as God will not bestow it on, or call any to it, but him who is God. 6 My glory' (says God) I will not give unto another,' Isa. xlii. 8. And this office he accounts part of it. Read the words going before (and which occasioned that speech), and you shall find that they are spoken of the bestowing this office upon Christ, and the glorifying him by calling him to it: ver. 6, 7, I the Lord have called thee, and will give thee for a covenant,' &c. And then follows, My glory will I not give unto

another.' As God will not give his praise and worship to graven images (as in the words following), so nor this glory to any creature, not to any other but to one who is God equal with himself. And consider but that one main end and consequent of his mediation there expressed, that he was to be made a covenant for the people; that is, the founder and striker up, and mediator of a new covenant for us (as he is called, Heb. ix. 15)— yea, a surety, not only of a new covenant, when an old one is made void, but of a better covenant' (as he is called, Heb. vii. 22), ' established upon better promises' (as it is Heb. viii. 6)-a better covenant than the angels stand under, who yet are the most glorious of all the creatures. And therefore he hath obtained' (says the text there) a more excellent ministry, by how much he is the mediator of a better covenant:' not brought into a better covenant, or made under a better covenant (which is our happiness), but the maker of that better covenant itself, yea, so as to be made that covenant; and it will be evident that it was not fit for any mere creature to undertake so great an office.

CHAPTER II.

That it was necessary for our mediator to be God.-He could not otherwise have been present at the making of the eternal covenant of redemption.— None but God could have the power to bestow such great blessings as are those of the covenant.-None but God could be the object of our trust, faith, and hope, and obedience.—None but God could be sufficiently able to succour us at all times.

That Christ the Son of God was the only fit person to be the mediator, will appear plainly to us upon these considerations:

I. If you consider that it was fit that he who thus made a covenant for us should be present at the making of it, and at the first striking of the bargain, and should be privy to the plot, and know the bottom of God's counsel in it, and the depth of all his secrets, and should know for whom and what he was to purchase, and upon what conditions; now then this plot and covenant, having been as ancient as eternity, even an everlasting covenant, and it being requisite that God should have our mediator by him from eternity, with whom he might strike it for us, and also that he should know all God's secrets, and be admitted into all his counsels from eternity, therefore no creature could be capable of this. For who of them hath been his counsellor ?' And who knows his depths of election, which are past finding out? as Rom. xi. 33, 34, O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!' ver. 34, For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?' God may say to all the creatures as he said to Job, Where were you when the plot of redemption was laid, and the platform thereof drawn, and the book of life penned, and the names of my redeemed ones put in? None but he whose name is Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, and everlasting Father,' as Isa. ix. 6, was capable of all this; which names of his are put into that promise of him as mediator, because it was requisite that our mediator should be all this. And now he being the mighty God, he might be of counsel with God from eternity, he was present at the first pricking down our names, and foreknew all God's choice. He stood at God's elbow and consulted with him whose

names to put in ('Then I was by him,' says he, Prov. viii. 30), and so became their everlasting Father, begetting them in the womb of eternal election.

II. If we consider the conditions of the covenant, no mere creature was fit to undertake them; neither those on God's part, nor those on ours.

1. Not those on God's part. Was it fit that a mere creature should be God's executor, and have power to leave such legacies, as the promises of heaven, pardon of sin, &c., are? Without whom, and without whose blood, all those promises had been of no force, but had been nothing worth; as Heb. ix. 15-18, And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.' Ver. 16, For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.' Ver. 17, 'For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the testator liveth.' Ver. 18, Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.' Was it fit that a mere creature's hand and seal should be required to God's own will and testament, or else it could not be of force? Certainly it was too much. And therefore the apostle, ver. 14, having shewed how Christ by the eternal Spirit offered up himself' (that is, by his Godhead, &c.), he adds, ver. 15, 'For this cause he is the mediator of the new testament.' Hence it was that he became the founder of it, that he was the eternal Spirit,' God immortal, else he had not been capable of being mediator of such a testament; a testament also, whereby he not only was to undertake to make satisfaction, and to make good all God's legacies, but to make good in us the conditions on our part, by writing the law in the heart. For that is the new covenant, as Heb, viii. 10, 11, For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:' ver. 11, And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.' And if the mediator had not engaged to do this, God would not have dealt with him, for he will make sure work in the covenant, since it was to be a covenant ordered in all things, and sure; 2 Sam. xxiii. 5, Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.' And what creature could do this? Or was it fit that God should put so much trust in any creature, who 'finds folly in his angels, and puts no confidence in his saints?' God would not vouchsafe to treat or trade with any mere creature, upon so high and deep engagements, nor enter into partnership with them, to share alike, as in that covenant thus made God and the mediator of it were to do.

2. The part which we bear in the covenant, and our actings in it, rendered it unmeet that any but the Son of God should have the administration of it committed to him. For,

First, If we consider what is the business and acts of our faith, it will be evident that it was fit and requisite that our mediator should be such a one as we might rely upon, and trust in. Now was it fit that any mere creature should be made and set forth to us as the object of our faith? And yet it is that faith which is the most suitable condition for the covenant of grace; as Rom. iv. 16, 'It is therefore of faith, that it might be by grace; and sure