THE SPECIAL FITNESS OF THE SON TO BE OUR REDEEMER, 219
restored in us, there was a condecency that it should be done by him who was the essential image of God ; for it consists in the commu- nication of the effects and likeness of the same image unto us which was essentially in himself
(2.) We were by nature the sons of God. We stood in relation of sons unto him by virtue of our creation — the communication of his image and likeness — with the preparation of an inheritance for us. On the same accounts the angels are frequently called the sons of God. This title, this relation unto God, we utterly lost by sin, becoming aliens from him, and enemies unto him. Without a recovery into this estate we cannot be restored, nor brought unto the enjoyment of God. And this cannot be done but by adoption. Now, it seems convenient unto divine wisdom that he should recover our sonship by adoption, who was himself the essential and eternal Son of God.
(3.) The sum of what we can comprehend in this great mystery ariseth from the consideration of the order of the holy persons of the blessed Trinity in their operations ; for their order herein doth follow that of their subsistence. Unto this great work there are peculiarly required, authority, love, and power — all directed by infinite Avisdom. These originally reside in the person of the Father, and the acting of them in this matter is constantly ascribed unto him. He sent the Son, as he gives the Spirit, by an act of sovereign authority. And he sent the Son from his eternal love ; — he loved the world, and sent his Son to die. This is constantly assigned to be the effect of the love and grace of the Father. And he wrought in Christ, and he works in us, with respect unto the end of this mystery, with the " exceeding great- ness of his power," Eph. i. 19. The Son, who is the second person m the order of subsistence, in the order of operation puts the whole authority, love, and power of the Father in execution. This order of subsistence and operation thereon is expressly declared by the apostle, 1 Cor. viii. 6, " To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." The Father is the original fountain and spring, e^ ou, from whom — [from] whose original authority, love, good- ness, and power — are all these things. That expression, " from him," peculiarly denotes the eternal original of all things. But how are this authority, goodness, love, and power in the Father, whence all these things spring and arise, made effectual — how are their effects wrought out and accomplished? "There is one Lord," even Jesus Clirist, a distinct person from the Father, Bi' o5, " by whom are all things." He works in the order of his subsistence, to execute, work, and accomplish all that originally proceedeth from the Father. By the Holy Spirit, who is the third person in order of subsistence, there is made a per- fecting application of the whole unto all its proper ends.
220 THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
Wherefore, this work of our redemption and recovery being the especial effect of the authority, love, and power of the Father — it was to be executed in and by the person of the Son ; as the application of it unto us is made by the Holy Ghost. Hence it became not the person of the Father to assume our nature ; — it belonged not thereunto in the order of subsistence and operation in the blessed Trinity. The authority, love, and power whence the whole work proceeded, were his in a peculiar manner. But the execution of what infinite wisdom designed in them and by them belonged unto another. Nor did this belong unto the person of the Holy Spirit, who, in order of divine operation following that of his subsistence, was to perfect the whole work, in making application of it unto the church when it was wrought. Wherefore it was every way suited unto divine wisdom — unto the order of the Holy Persons in their subsistence and operation — that this work should be undertaken and accomplished in the person of the Son. What is farther must be referred unto another world.
These are some few of those things wherein the infinite wisdom of God in this holy contrivance giveth forth some rays of itself into en- lightened minds and truly humbled souls. But how little a portion of it is heard by us ! How weak, how low are our conceptions about it ! We cannot herein find out the Almighty unto perfection. No small part of the glory of heaven will consist in that comprehension which we shall have of the mystery of the wisdom, love, and grace of God herein.
Howbeit, we are with all dihgence to inquire into it whilst we are here in the way. It is the very centre of all glorious evangelical truths. Not one of them can be understood, believed, or improved as they ought, without a due comprehension of their relation here- unto ; as we have showed before.