[1.] There is much comfort in this, that Christ is our kinsman, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, and therefore certainly will not be strange to his own flesh. He did redeem us, not only jure proprieiat is, by virtue of his interest in us as our Creator, but jure propinquitatls, by virtue of his kindred, one of us, of our stock and lineage ; the Son of Adam, as well as the Son of God. The apostle tells us, Heb. ii. 11, ' For he that sanctitieth and they that are sanctified are all of one ; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.' As the
' Qu. 'from ungodliness in'? — Ed.
Job XIX. 25.] the twelfth sermon. 295
first-fruits offered to God were taken out of the same heap, so he was of the same muss with us. Christ is not only man, but ' the Son of man.' He might have been man if God had created him out of nothing, or he had brought his substance from lieaven. But he is the Son of man, one descended of the loins of Adam, as we are ; even thus 'he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one.' He is of the same stock with all mankind, but the kindred is reckoned to the sanctified, because there it holdeth of both sides. Christ is born of a woman, and they are born of God, and so he is a kinsman doubly — ratione incarnationis suce, and regencratioms nostrce ; in regard of his own incarnation and our regeneration. He partaketh of the human nature, and we partake of the divine nature. And it fol- loweth, ' therefore he is not ashamed to call us brethren.' We are said to be ashamed when we do anything that is filthy, dishonest, or base, or misbecoming our dignity and rank which we sustain in the world. The former consideration is of no place here. For the latter, those that bear any port and rank in the world are ashamed to show too much familiarity towards their inferiors ; but such is the love of Jesus Christ towards his people, that though he be infinitely greater and more worthy than these, he is not ashamed to call us brethren. Well, then, here is the first step of our comfort and hope, to see God in our natures. The eternal Son of God became our kinsman that he might have the right of redemption, and recover the inheritance which we had forfeited. We could not have such familiar and confident recourse to an angel, and one who was of another stock and different nature from ours, nor put ourselves into his hands with such trust and assur- ance. Now he and we are of one nature, we may be the more con- fident. It is a motive to man : Isa. Iviii. 7, ' Thou shalt not hide thy- self from thine own flesh.' In Christ all the perfections of man were at the highest. This made Laban, though otherwise a churlish man, kind to Jacob : Gen. xxix. 14, ' Surely thou art my bone and my flesh.' One of our stock and lineage will pity us more than a stranger.
[2.] This kinsman was to pay the price and ransom of his captivated brother ; that also is implied in the notion of a Redeemer : Lev. xxv. 48, 49, ' After that he is sold, his uncle, or his uncle's son may re- deem him, or any that is nigh of kin to him of his family may redeem him.' So when we had sold ourselves, Jesus Christ, who only of the kindred was free and able to do it, paid a price for us : 1 Cor. vi. 20, ' We are bought with a price.' And this price was no less than his own precious blood, 1 Peter i. 18, 19. A price was necessary ; for God was not an enemy that could be overcome, but must be satisfied, and amends made for the wrong done to his majesty, that the notions which are ingrafted in man's heart concerning God might be kept inviolate. The Lord knows how apt we are to please ourselves with the thoughts of impunity, as if it were nothing to sin against God, and . a small matter to break his laws. Now, to prevent this thought in us, before his justice would let go the sinner, he demanded satisfaction, and equivalent satisfaction to the wrong done, to expiate the oftence done to an infinite majesty. Therefore no less could be a sufficient ransom for lost sinners than the blood of Christ. This is the price
206 THE TWFXFTII SERMON. [JoD XIX. 25.
which our kinsman hath paid down for us. In sliort, the wronf:^ was done to an infinite majesty, the favour to be purcliased was the eternal enjoyment of the ever-blessed Hfe, tlie sentence to be reversed was the sentence of everhisting death ; and therefore Christ ah)ne coukl serve tlie turn. Here is another ground of comfort. Cyril calls it, Kav)(ri^a ri}<; Ka6o\tK}]<; eKKXr]aia<;.
[3.] This kinsman Avas to revenge the quarrel of his slain kinsman upon the nmrderer. So he is a Kedeemer, and that not only by merit, but by power ; not only as a lamb, but as a lion. There needed no price to be paid to Satan : we are redeemed from him, not by satis- faction, but by rescue. The apostle tells us, Col, ii. 15, ' He spoiled principalities and powers.' Luke xi. 21, ' He bindeth the strong man, and taketh away his goods.' Heb. ii. 14, 15, ' That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil ; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.' The devil had })artly a usurped power over man, as the god of this world, or at least as the enemy of mankind ; so Christ rescues us by force : partly a ministerial and permitted power, as the executioner of God's curse and vengeance ; so he outlaweth him, and puts him out of office by the merit of his passion. Satan had no power over death as dominus mortis, as the supreme lord, that hath pow-er to save and to destroy ; but as minister mortis, as a hangman and executioner hath power from the law to put the male- factor to death. So Christ destroyed him not in regard of essence, as if there were no more a devil to tenijjt and hurry us to destruction ; nor in regard of malice, as if he did no longer seek to devour; but in regard of office and ministry ; he is put out of office, and hath no more law-power to destroy those that have fled to Christ for refuge; and so hath freed us from all the fears of death and hell, which our guilt and Satan's temptations subjected us to.