2. As for his kingly office a finite power would never suffice for that. Christ is to break the force of enemies, to raise the dead, to pour
VeR, 13.] SEKMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. 235
out the Spirit, to bestow grace and glory ; all these are Christ's donatives as king of the church. As a king he is to be an original fountain of life to all the elect : ' As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me,' John vi. 57. All these things are the glory of God, which he will not give to another, and they cannot be performed by any but God. The creatures are limited ; they have not such a vastness in them, that out of their fulness we might receive grace for grace, as we do from Christ : John i. 16, ' Of his fulness have we all received, and grace for grace.'
3. For his priestly office, this shows he ought to be God. Of this there be two acts — his oblation and intercession.
[1.] For his oblation and sacrifice, he must offer up himself, one for all, and that but once, and that to expiate sin, and procure the favour of God for ever ; now who could do this but God ? He must offer up himself ; he must be priest as well as sacrifice, therefore must have a power over his own life, to lay it down^ and take it up ; and that no creature hath ; for whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. And thus had Jesus Christ an absolute power of life and death over that nature he assumed ; therefore it is said, Heb, ix. 14, 'Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God.'' Then one must be offered for all : 2 Cor. v. 14, ' If one died for all, then were all dead.' Therefore that person which suffered was to be virtually all those for whom he suffered, that is, infinitely as good and better than all. Look, as they said to David, Thou art better than ten thousand of us, so Jesus Christ, that was given one for all, must be such a person as is better than all men. A general given in ransom will redeem thousands of private soldiers ; so the worth of Christ's person made him equiva- lent in dignity to the worth of all those whose persons he sustained. In all ages his death is a standing remedy ; God had more satisfaction than if angels and men had been made a sacrifice. And mark, it was done but once. The wages of sin was eternal death ; now something there must be to recompense and countervail the eternity of the punish- ment, and nothing could counterpoise this but the infiniteness and excellency of Christ's person ; therefore we are said to be redeemed by the blood of God : Acts xx. 28, "' Feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood ; ' that is, with the blood of that person that was God. It was necessary he should come out of his sufferings, for if he were always suffering we could have no assurance that God was satisfied. If our surety were not taken from prison and judgment, how should we know the debt was paid ? Isa. liii. 8. How shall this be reconciled, that he is to suffer but once, and but a while, and yet to do that which should countervail eternity ? It was because of the value of his person, as a payment in gold takes up lesser room than if paid in silver. Then his aim in all was to expiate sin, and nothing but an infinite good could remedy an infinite evil. The person wronged is infinite, so is the person suffering ; and then he was not only dvTiXvrpop, a ransom to redeem us from hell, but avToXXajf^a, a price given to God, to purchase for us heaven and eternal glory. An ordinary surety, if he pays the debt, he frees the debtor from bonds, and hath done his work ; but Jesus Christ was no ordinary surety ; he was to bring us to grace and favour with God, and to merit heaven for
236 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [SeR. XVIII.
US ; now such, a person as could lay an obligation upon God must needs be infinite.
[2.] Then for intercession, the other act of his priesthood. He that intercedes with God must be God, to know our wants and necessities. As the high priest had the names of the twelve tribes upon his breast and shoulders, Exod. xxxix. 8-14, so Jesus Christ hath the names of all the elect ; he knows their desires, wants, conflicts ; he is to negotiate with God in behalf of all believers, that he may despatch blessings suitable to their state. Now who can do this but God, who knows the hearts and tries the reins ? Who could know our needs, our wants, our thoughts, sins, prayers, groans, desires, purposes, throughout all the world ? Who can wait upon our business day and night, and continually interpose, that wrath do not break out upon us, but such an all-suffi- cient Saviour as he is ?