God gave of old both kings, priests, and prophets, unto the church. He both anointed them unto their offices, directed them in their discharge, was present with them in their work, and accepted of their duties; yet by none of them, nor by all of them together, was
86 THE PERSON OF CHRIST,
the clmrch snpematurally enlightened, internally ruled, or eternally saved : nor could it so be. Some of them — as Moses in particular — had as much power, and as great a presence of God with him, as any mere man could be made partaker of; yet was he not, in his ministry, the saviour of the church — nor could he be so any other- wise than typically and temporally. The mmistry of them all was subservient unto that end which, by its own power, it could not attam.
It is evident, therefore, that the redemption and salvation of the church do not depend merely on this — that God hath given one to be the king, priest, and prophet of the church, by the actings of which offices it is redeemed and saved ; but on the person of him who was so given unto us : as is fully attested, Isa. ix. 6, 7.
This must be declared.
Two things were required, in general, unto the person of Christ, that his offices might be effectual unto the salvation of the church, and without which they could not so have been. And they are such, as that their contrivance in the constitution of one and the same person, no created wisdom could reach unto. Wherefore the infinite wisdom of God is most gloriously manifested therein.
I. The first of these is, that lie should have a nature provided for him, which originally was not his own. For in his divine nature, singly considered, he had no such relation unto them for whom he was to discharge his offices, as was necessary to communicate the benefit of them, nor could he discharge their principal duties. God could not die, nor rise again, nor be exalted to be a prince and a saviour, in his divine nature. Nor was there that especial alliance between it and ours, as should give us an especial interest in what was done thereby.
It was mankind in whose behalf he was to exercise these offices. He was not to bear them with respect immediately unto the angels ; and, therefore, he took not their nature on him. Ov yap drjTov dyyiXuv iviXaiM^anra.t — "He took not the nature of angels imto him ;" (Heb. ii. 16;) because he was not to be a mediator for them, a saviour unto them. Those of them who had sinned were left unto everlasting ruin ; and those who retained their original lighteousness needed no redemp- tion. But God prepared a body for him — that is, a human nature : Heb. X. 5. The promise hereoif — viz., that he should be of the seed of the woman — was the foundation of the church; that is, he was made so unto the church in and by that promise : Gen. iii. 15. In the accomphshment thereof he was " made of a woman," that so he might be " made under the law;" (Gal. iv. 4 ;) and "took upon him the seed of Abraham." For because the children were partakers of flesh and blood, "he also himself took part of the same:" Heb. ii. 14 For "in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren,
Christ's person essential to his office. 87
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things per- taining to God : " verse 1 7. And this was absolutely necessary unto the discharge of his offices, on the twofold account before mentioned. For—
(1.) Those acts of his offices, whereon the sanctification and salva- tion of the church do principally depend, could not be performed but in and by that nature. Therein alone could he yield obedience unto the law, that it might be fulfilled in us — without which we could not stand in judgment before God. See Rom. viii. 3, x 3, 4. Therein alone could he undergo the curse of the law, or be made a curse for us, that the blessing might come upon us : Gal. iii. 13, 14. It was necessary that, as a priest, he should have something of his own to offer unto God, to make atonement for sin : Heb. viii. 3. The Hke may be said of his whole ministry on the earth — of all the effects of his incarnation.
(2.) Herein that cognation and alliance between him and the church, which were necessary to entitle it unto a participation of the benefits of his mediation, do depend. For hereby he became our goel — the next of kin— unto whom belonged the right of redemption, and from whom alone we could claim relief and succour in our lost condition. Tliis is divinely and at large declared by the apostle, Heb. ii. 10-18. Having at large explained this context in oiu- ex- position of that chapter, and therein declared both the necessity and benefit of the cognation between the church and its High Priest, I shall not here farther insist upon it. See to the same purpose, Eph. V. 25-27. Wherefore, had he not been partaker of our nature, we could have received no benefit — not that without which we must eter- nally perish — by any office that he could have undertaken. This, therefore, was necessary unto the constitution of his person, with re- spect unto his offices. But —