Quest. Why must Christ be God and Man?
Ans. Christ must be man that he might suffer for man and teach man familiarly, and be of the same kind with his body; and he was God, that he might enable his humane nature to suffer, and that he might be a most able Prophet, and be able to (--?--) his body, and rule as King.
1. He was man that he might suffer for man; for man had sinned, and man must suffer: and he was God to enable his humane nature to suffer. Heb. 9.14.
2. He was man that he might teach man familiarly after the manner of man, and he was God that he might be an able Prophet, I. Cor. 2.16.
3. He was man that he might be of the same kind with his body, the head and the body must be of the same kind, and yet he must be God, that he might be able to supply his body, and to rule as King, Eph. 1.21, 22. Rev. 1. 17, 18.
Quest. What are the parts of Redemption?
Answ. The parts of Redemption are Christs humiliation, and his Exaltion,
1. His humiliation, whereby he satisfied for offences, and merited life, humbling himself in his life, and especially in his death.
The parts of Redemption are humiliation and Exaltation.
1. Christs humiliation whereby he satisfied for offences.
1. Man had sinned.
2. Hence ought to suffer punishment.
3. Christ as a Surety beareth the punishment.
4. He satisfied for offences by his passive obedience, Gal. 4.4.
2. Merited life.
1. If man had obeyed he should have been rewarded with life.
2. Hence no reward without doing well.
3. Christ doth perform this.
4. Hence Christ merited by his active obedience, Rom. 5. 19 passive obedience did only satisfie for the breach and wrong, but it was his active obedience which did merit the reward, namely life and happiness.
3. Humbling himself in his life, and especially in his death, the consideration of these followeth.
Quest.. What was the Humiliation of Christ in his life?
Answ. Christs humiliation in his life was first in respect of his private life, his body was born of the Seed of the Virgin Mary, and both Soul and body having been made and sanctified by the holy Ghost, in his Infancy he was Circumcised, and offered, and fled into Egypt, and become subject to his Mother, and afterwards laboured with his hands, until he came to his publick life.
The humiliation of Christ in his life, private and publick life.
1. Private life, his admission into the World, commoration in it.
1. His admission, in which his Conception and Nativity.
1. His Conception, his body was born of the Seed of the Virgin Mary, both Soul and body made and sanctified by the hholy Ghost.
1. His body was of the Seed of the Virgin Mary as the passive principle, Luk. 1.35. the holy thing born of her.
2. Thus he was of the Seed of the woman according to the promise, Gen. 3. 15.
3. Mary was of the Seed of David, hence Christ was king of the Jews by birth, being of the Seed of David, Math. 2.2.
2. Both Soul and body were made and sanctified by the holy Ghost as the active principle, Luk. 1. 35.
1. His Soul made immediately out of nothing, created by infusing, and infused by creating, as the Soul of man is.
2. His body formed by the holy Ghost, hence though of the Seed of the woman, yet not of the Seed of man.
2. Hence the course of Original sin was stopt, and he was called that holy thing, Luk. 1. 35.
2. Sanctified by the holy Ghost, Soul and body united and raised to the highest perfection.
1. In respect of habitual perfection there could be no addition.
2. In respect of actual perfection there might be, and was a growth, Luk. 2.52. thus in respect of his humane nature he was a Son without a Father, in respect of his divine nature, a Son without a Mother, tipified by Melchizedech, Heb. 7.3.
2. The Nativity of Christ, he was born of Mary, the wife of Joseph, before they came together, after she had gone a full time, Math. 1.25.
2. His Commoration in the World.
1. His private and publick life, and
1. His private life,
1. In his Infancy circumcised and offered, and thus performed the Ceremonial Law, Luk. 2. 21, 22.
2. Flight into Egypt, he was born to misery, and yet was to deliver his people out of Egypt, Math. 1.21.
3. His subjection to his Mother; thus fulfilled the Moral Law, Luk. 2.51. his dispute with the Doctors when he was about twelve years of Age, to shew that he needed not to be taught of man, Luk. 2.42, 46, 47. and his labouring with his hands, and thus did bear the curse of our labours. Genesis 3.19.
Quest. What was the Humiliation of Christ in his publick life.
Answ. Christ's Humiliation in his publick life was that whereby he entred into his publick life, with baptisme, and temptation, and his course in it was a going about doing good in poverty and much labour, preaching and working of miracles; & towards the conclusion, prepared himself and his Disciples for his death.
1. Christ entred into his publick life with Baptism & Temptation.
1. By Baptisme, Mat. 3.15. shewing himself to be the band of both the Covenants, and that the Covenant of works and the covenant of grace were performed in and by him.
2. By Temptation, Mat. 4. the beginning of that Chap. shewing he was come upon his trial, and should overcome and be able to succor the tempted.
2. His course in his publick life in going about doing, good. Act. 10.38.
1. in poverty 2 Cor. 8.9.
2. In much labour,
1. In preaching, Luk. 4.18.
2. Working Miracles of all forts, which was proper to Christ, Mat. 11.5, 6.
3. Towards the conclusion prepared himself and his Disciples for his death, by his practice, and his speech.
1. His practice.
1. His Example in giving such an excellent pattern of humility and love in washing his Disciples feet, Joh. 13.1 to the 18.
2. More especially in his Transfiguration, Mat. 17.2. And his Celebration of the Passover, and abolishing of that, thereby shewing he was the lamb to be offered up, and appointing his Supper in the place of it, Matth. 26. 17.26
2. By his speech,
1. To God in prayer, Joh. 12.27. his most solemn prayer in Joh. 17.
2. His speech to his disciples in the 14, 15, 16. Chapters of John.
Quest. What was the Death of Christ?
Answ. Christ's death was the extream punishment he suffered, first before his Crucifixion especially in his agony in the Garden, and his being arrested by a band of men with Judas, & being arraigned, he suffered extream ignominy by derision and whipping, and the sentence of condemnation; but principally his suffering the Crucifixion itself.
Christs death was the extream punishment he suffered before his Crucifixion, especially in his Crucifixion.
1. Before his Crucifixion;
1. Before his arraignment,
1. His Soul trouble, especially his Agony in the garden Luk. 22.44.
2. His being arrested by a band of men with Judas, ver. 47 and 52.
2. His being arraigned before civil and ecclesiastical Tribunal, Luk. 22.54. Thus Justice pursued our Surety. Isai. 53.12.
3. Upon his arraignment followed,
1. His Extream ignominy by derision and scourging, Mat. 26.67. A Sentence of condemnation, Mat. 26.27. He was reproached as a Deceiver, a false Prophet, a Blasphemer, and many other horrible crimes, for he suffered for all sorts of sins, Isai. 53.5.
Quest. What was Christs Crucifixion?
Answ. Christs Crucifixion was that whereby he was lifted up and hanged upon a cross, and so being made a curse, languished to death, and suffering both a bodily and spiritual death, gave up the Ghost, and his body continued in the grave three dayes.
1. His Crucifixion is that whereby he was lifted up and hanged upon the cross, Matth. 27.35.
2. And thus was made a curse and languished to death. Gal. 3.13. hence the death he suffered was,
1. A cursed death, the hanging upon the cross being a symbolum, or sign of the curse.
2. A most shameful death, hanged up between the heaven and the earth, as if the heaven at present rejected him, and as if the earth would not bear him.
3. A most tormenting death in pain and languishing, especially considering the perfection of his spirits and senses, and consequently the pain he felt was the greater, being perfectly sensible of pain.
3. Suffering both a bodily and a spiritual death.
1. A spiritual death, wholly deprived, if the sense of the sweetness of the love of the Father, and possessed with the sense of the contrary bitterness, Mat. 27. 46.
2. Bodily death, He gave up the Ghost, Mat. 27.50.
1. He was a Surety for sinners.
2. Hence he was to suffer death.
3. Hence must shed his heart blood.
4. Hence wholly deprived of the life of joy and comfort in Soul and body.
5. But yet not left to sin, for that fefals man because he is weak and breaks under the punishment of sin, but Christ was able to endure the worst and extremity of the punishment.
The consequence of his death, his body continued in the grave three dayes; Luk. 24. 7.
1. He had endured the punishment respecting sense, when he said it is finished.
2. Yet continued in the state of death.
1. His body buryed.
2. His Soul seperated from it, though not suffering pain.
3. The union of his Soul, and likewise of his body continued unto his divineperson, that although they were severed one from another, yet they remain united to his divine person, Acts. 2.31.
The second part of Redemption (namely) Christ's Exaltation.
Quest. What is Christ's Exaltation?
Answ. The Exaltation of Christ is his Tryumph over his and our Enemies; the degrees of which are his Resurrection from the dead, his ascension into Heaven, his session at the right hand of the Father, and at the end of the World, his return in glory to be the Judge of the World.
1. His Exaltation, that is his Tryumph over his and our Enemies, Acts 2.35, 36. Phil. 2. 8, 9.
2. The degrees of which Exaltation.
1. Before the end of the World.
2. At the end of the world
1. Before the end of the world.
1. His Resurrection, his body raised, Soul and body reunited, and this done by his God-head, Rom. 1.4. and seen by his Disciples forty dayes, Acts. 1.3.
2. His Ascension
1. His humane nature ascended into the highest Heavens by the power of his God-head, Eph. 4. 10, 11, his Disciples being witnesses, Acts 1. 10, 11
3. His session at the right hand of his Father, which holds forth
1. His entertainment by his Father, Psal. 110.1 having accepted him and put all things under him, I Cor. 15. 21, 22, 27.
2. He well satisfied with his reward, Psal. 16.11
3. Hence his Intercession, he presents his merits, claimeth the performance of what was promised him, respecting his glory and the good of his people, Heb. 9.24, 25.
2. At the end of the World, his return in glory to be the Judge of the World. I Thes. 4.16, 17.
1. In Christ's humiliation the glory of Christ's divine nature was hidden, but not diminished, in his Exaltation it is manifested, but not augmented.
2. His humane nature was really abased, and really exalted, enjoying the actings of the glory of his divine nature according to its manner and measure.
3. When the day of Judgement is come and finisht, he will deliver up his Kingdome to his Father, as compleat, and so to continue for ever, but not so as to put an end to his Head-ship, and Mediator-ship, I Co. 15.24, 28.
4. The degrees of his Exaltation are according to the degrees of his humiliation.
1. Christ dyed and he rose again.
2. He descended into Hell, and he ascended into Heaven.
3. His body lay in the grave three dayes, that is, a part of all the three dayes, and he fits now at the right hand of his Father, and shall come in great glory to judge the World.
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