54 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XIV.
though not a thorough faith, not rooted in their souls, though as yet they did not betray their insincerity. But ' Jesus knew what was in man.' We cannot infallibly discern the truth and falsehood of a profes- sion before men discover themselves ; but all hypocrites are known to him long before they show their hypocrisy. And known, how ? Not by a conjectural, but by a certain knowledge, as being that knowledge that is from and by himself. As God he doth infallibly know what is most secret in man. Even then, when for the present we have but a moral sincerity, and do not dissemble, the Lord knows whether this is a true, real and supernatural work, for there may be a moral where there is not a supernatural sincerity. Now, if the Lord Jesus was endowed with such an admirable wisdom and understanding even in the days of his flesh, when he was capable of growing in wisdom as well as in stature, Luke ii, as his human capacity was enlarged by degrees (for he would in all things be like us except in sin), what shall we think of Christ glorified, when he comes in that state in which he is now glorious in heaven? When he comes to exercise this judg- ment, certainly he shall bring an incomparable knowledge, so far exceeding the manner and measure of all creatures, men or angels, even as he is man. But his infinite knowledge as he is God, that chiefly shines forth in this work ; and therefore he is fit to judge ; for he can bring forth the secret things of darkness, and the hidden counsels of the heart, 1 Cor. iv. 5, and shall despoil sinners of all their pretences and excuses, and plainly and undeniably pluck off their disguises from them. He knows all the springs, motions, hidden counsels of the heart, and secret things that move you and set you a-work.
2. For justice and righteousness. An incorrupt judge he is that neither hath, doth, or can err in the judgment. As there is a double knowledge in Christ, so there is also a double righteousness ; the one that belongs to him as God, the other as man ; and both are exact and immutably perfect. His divine nature is holiness itself — ' In him there is light, and no darkness at all,' 1 John i. 5. The least shadow of injustice cannot be imagined in God ; for God's holiness is his being, it is not a superadded quality, as it is in us ; the quality may be lost, yet the being remain ; as in angels, holiness was a superadded quality ; they had their angelical being, but lost tlieir holiness ; and when Adam fell, he lost that holiness and righteousness in which he was created, but yet he had his being. But God's holiness is his very nature and essence. The holiness of God may be compared to a vessel that is all of pure gold ; but the holiness of the creature may be compared to a vessel of wood and earth, that is only gilded ; the outside is gold, but the substance of the vessel is another thing. Now, in a vessel of pure gold, there the lustre and the substance is the same. Our holiness is but gilding, it may be worn out ; but God's holiness is gold, he is holiness itself. We cannot call a wise man loisdom. We use the con- crete when we speak of men — we say they are wise, good, holy ; but we use the abstract of God — God is love, light, holiness, purity and mercy itself, which notes the inseparability of the attribute from his nature. God is himself, and God cannot deny himself Peter Martyr sets forth the holiness of God by this comparison — ' Take a carpenter when he
VeR, 10.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 65
hath chalked and drawn his line, tlien he goes and chops the timber. Sometimes he chops right, and sometimes amiss. Why ? becanse he hath an ontward rnle without him — a Hne according to which he cuts the timber. But if you coukl suppose a carpenter that could never chop amiss, but his hand should be his line and rule, if he had such an equal poise and touch of his hand, that his very stroke is a rule to itself, he cannot err/ By this plain and homely comparison he did set' forth the holiness of God and tlie creature. The holiness of the creature is a rule without us, therefore sometimes we chop and miss ; but God's holiness is his rule, it is his nature, he can do nothing amiss.
Now let us consider his human nature ; it was so sanctified since it- dwelt with God in a personal union, that it was impossible that he could sin in the days of his flesh, much more now glorified in heaven ; and there will be use of both in the last judgment ; but chiefly the righteousness that belongs to the divine nature ; for all the operations of Christ, his mediatorial actions, they are all done by God-man, neither nature ceaseth in him. Look, as in the works of man, all the external actions he doth, they are done by the body and soul — the body works, the soul works, according to their several natures, — yet both conspire and concur in that way that is proper to either ; only in some actions there is more of the soul discovered, as in a brutish action, or action that requires strength, more of the body is discovered ; yet the body and the soul concurs, — so the two natures all concur in Christ's actions, only in some works his human, in others his divine nature more appears. Look, as in the works of his humiliation his human nature did more appear, but still his divine nature manifested itself, also he offered up himself as God-man ; but in the works that belong to his exaltation and glorified estate his divine nature appeared most ; so in this solemn transaction, wherein Christ is to discover himself to the world in the greatest majesty and glory, he acts as God- man, only the divine nature more appears and discovers itself, because it belongs to his exaltation.