(5.) And from hence, that our nature is engrafted into the Godhead, it followeth, that what was done in our nature was of wonderful extension, force, and dignity ; because it was done when our nature was knit to the Godhead, and therefore it maketh up all objections. As,
How could the death of one man satisfy for the deaths of many millions ?
Secondly, It was the death of Christ, whose human nature was engrafted into the second person of the Trinity. For, because they were but one person, whatsoever the human nature did or suflered, God did it. If they had been two persons, God had not died, God had not suffered, God had not redeemed his church.
And therefore the scripture runneth comfortably on this : ' God hath redeemed the church with his own blood,' 1 Peter i. 18. Hath God blood ? No. But the natm-e that God took into unity of persons hath blood ; and so being one person with God, God shed his blood. It is God that purchased a church with his blood. It is God that died. The Virgin Mary was mother of God, because she is the mother of that nature which was taken into unity with God.
Hereupon comes the dignity of whatsoever Christ did and suffered. Though he did it in our nature, yet the Godhead gave it its worth, and not only worth, but God put some activity, some vigour, and force into all that Christ did. It doth advance Christ Mediator according to both natures. And from hence ariseth communication of properties, as divines call it, which I will not now speak of. It is sufficient to see that whatsoever was done by Christ was done by God, he being Emmanuel, and therefore had
* Qu. ' one ' ?— Ed.
122 MIRACLE OF MIRACLES.
its worth and dignity to prevail with God. Hence cometh a forcible reason, that God must satisfy divine justice, because it was the action of a God- man. His great sufferings were the sufferings of the second person in our nature. And hereupon ifrom satisfaction and merit comes reconciliation between God and us. God being satisfied by Christ, God and we are at terms of peace. Our peace is well founded if it be founded in God the Father, by God the Son taking our nature into unity of his person. These things must have influence into our comforts and into our lives and con- versations, being the grand articles of faith. And therefore we ought to think often of them. We must fetch principles of comfort and holiness from hence, as from the greatest arguments that can be. Therefore I desire to be punctual* in them. God is Emmanuel, especially to make God and us one. Christ is our friend in taking our nature to make God and us friends again.
Quest. But how doth friendship between God and us arise from hence, that Christ is God in our nature ? I will give two or three reasons of it.
■ (1.) First, It is good reason that God should be at peace with us, because sin, the cause of division, is taken away. It is sin that separateth between God and us, and if sin be taken away, God is mercy itself, and mercy will have a current. What stoppeth mercy but sin? Secondly, take away sin, it runneth amain. Christ therefore became Emmanuel, God with us, because * He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.'
Before Adam had sinned there was sweet agreement and communion between Adam and God, but sin, that divided between God and the creature. Now Christ having made satisfaction for all our sins, there can be nothing but mercy.
(2.) Again, Christ is a fit person to knit God and us together, because oar nature is pure in Christ, and therefore in Christ God loveth us. After satisfaction God looks on our nature in Christ, and seeth it pure in him. Christ is the glory of our nature. Now if our nature be pure in our head, which is the glory of our nature, God is reconciled to us, and loveth us in him that is pure, out of whom God cannot love us.
As Christ is pure, and our nature in him, so he will make us pure at length.
(3.) Thirdly, Christ being our head of influence, conveyeth the same Spirit that is in him to all his meynhers, and by little and little by that Spirit purgeth his church, and maketh her fit for communion with himself, for he maketh us • partakers of the divine nature,' 2 Peter i. 4. He took our frail human nature, that we might partake of his divine nature ; that is, of his divine qualities, to be holy, pure, humble, and obedient as he was.
And thus Christ being a head, not only of eminence to rule and govern, but of influence to flow by his Spirit into all his members, is fit to be a reconciler, to bring God and us together, partly because our nature is in him, and partly because he doth communicate the same Spirit to us that is in himself, and by little and little maketh us holy like himself.
I hasten to the main use of all.
(4.) Then God the Father and we are in good terms, for the second person is God in our nature for this end, to make God and us friends. There IS a notable place of Scripture whichi note for the expression's sake, he speak- ing there of a ' day's-man : ' ' There is no day's-man between us, that might lay his hand on us both,' Job ix. 33 ; that is, a middle person to lay his hand on the one and the other. Now Christ is the middle person, as the * That is, ' exact,' ' accurate.' — G.