Choice Grounds and Principles of our Christian Religion, Treatise · Question 10
Quest. 10. Was it of necessitie, in regard of our saluation, that Christ should hauehave two Natures, and be in one person, both God and Man?
Answ. It was a matter of so great necessity, in regard of our saluation, that Christ should hauehave two Natures, and be in one Person, both God and Man; that he could not otherwise hauehave ouercome death, and the Diuell, vnderunder whose captiuitie we were holden; neither hauehave satisfied Gods iustice for our sinnes, nor reconciled vsus vntounto him, 1. Ioh. 3.8. Heb. 2.14. Gal. 4.4, 5. 2. Cor. 5.21. 1. Pet. 2.24. 1. Ioh. 2.1, 2.
EXPOSITION.
THe strength of sinne and death, and the power of Satan bee such, as that no vertue, or strength of Man, no nor of Angels, can doe any good to dissolue the same. The strength of man cannot, because all mankind are naturally suppressed, and held captiue in this bondage. And therefore as Iob demandeth, chap…er 14.Iob 14.4, Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse? So may I say, Who is able (being himselfe a prisoner, & bound) to deliuer him that is bound, and in prison also? The strength of Angels could doe no good herein: for the nature of Angels cannot take away the euill of sinne from mankinde, by which Satan doth raigne in the World. Wherefore the strength of God was in any case requisite; Reason 1 yea, such a Redeemer, as being indued with the power of God, should both take away the euill of sinne, which is in our flesh, and also destroy the kingdome of Satan. But Christ being in one person both God and Man, did all this, he being stronger then Satan, and whose Spirit alone is able to heale our hearts, and to deliuer vsus from the power of condemnation. By this means also he had ye right of redemption. For as touching his Godhead, he Reason 2 is our Creator, and wee his creatures; & concerning his manhood, by taking our flesh, he is become our brother, as the Apostle teacheth, Heb. 2.Heb. 2.11, 12. Hee is not …shamed to call vsus brethren, saying, I will declare thy Name vntounto my Brethren.
Ob.But here it may be demanded: If Christ redeemed vsus by giuing a ransome: how then did he violently take vsus away from Satan, and destroy his kingdome? That hee redeemed vsus for a price, or ransome; the Apostle 1. Cor. 6. and 7.1. Cor. 6.20. chap. 7.23. doth witnesse, saying; Ye are bought for a price. And againe, that he stoutly ouercame Satan, and His guard destroyed his kingdome, and violently carried away the spoile: thus witnesseth he of himselfe, and of his conflict with Satan, Luke 11.Luke 11.21, 22. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, the things that he possesseth are in peace▪ But when a stronger then he commeth vponupon him, and ouercommeth him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and diuideth his spoiles. And the Apostle also Heb. 2.Heb. 2.14. making mention of the triumph of Christ, in the spoile of Satan, saith, that hee destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the Diuell.
Sol.For the better vnderstanding of this, wee must know that those things are spoken of Christ, in sundry respects. Whereas hee redeemed vsus by a ransome; that is not to bee referred vntounto Satan, but vntounto God the Father, vntounto whom hee gaue in ransome for vsus his own bloud. According to that Ephes. 1.Ephes. 1.7▪ By whom (saith the Apostle) wee hauehave redemption through his bloud. And 1. Pet. 1.1. Pet. 1.18, 19. Ye are not redeemed with corruptible things, as siluer and gold &c. but with the precious bloud of Christ. And 1. Tim. 2.1. Tim. 2.6. who gaue himselfe a ransome for all men. This ransome he gaue (I say) to God his Father. For he offered himselfe vntounto him as the Mediator, & the price of his bloudshed for a sacrifice: Not to Satan (as I said) but to God his Father. And therefore Heb. 9.Heb. 9.14. How much more then shall the bloud of Christ, which through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God, &c? Againe, whereas hee is said to deliuer vsus with strong hand: that is to bee referred vntounto Satan, the Prince of this World, whose power and kingdome hee destroyed, deliuering them who were detained captiues.
But here againe, if it bee demanded,Ob. 2. wherefore he gaue a ransome to God the Father, seeing we were not his, but Satans prisoners?
The ransome was giuen,Sol. not to the wrongfull Tyrant, but vntounto him that had right to condemne vsus, that is, to GOD, whom our first Parents and our selues Reason 3 had grieuously offended; his iustice was to bee satisfied; and whereas there was none that could doe this, but he alone that was free from all transgression,Heb. 4.15. and disobedience: He therefore sent his eternall Word, the second person in the Trinitie, to take vponupon him our flesh, that beeing man like vntounto vsus in all things, except sin, he might, as the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 8.Rom. 8.3. condemne sinne in the flesh. For this purpose, did our Lord Iesus Christ offer himselfe to God the Father, as a ransome of redemption for vsus all; that being deliuered frō the right of condemnation, and guiltinesse of sinne, we might be made at one with him.
And this atonement destroyed the strength and power of sinne, and Satan: it being vnpossible that Satan should hold them any longer prisoners, who were made at one with God, by the ransome of redemption. Now all this was done vponupon the Crosse; both the ransome of our redemption was giuen to GOD the Father, to reconcile mankinde, when he shed his bloud for vsus, and the power of sinne, and Satan was destroyed withall; according to that, Heb. 2. which I noted before: and Col. 2.Col. 2.14. putting out the handwriting of Ordinances that was against vsus, which was contrary to vsus, he euen tooke it out of the way, and fastened it vponupon the Crosse, &c.
Thus you sée some reasons, wherefore the eternall Word, and Sonne of God, Christ Iesus, tooke vponupon him our nature, and ioyned the same to his Godhead, and so became both God and Man in one person, that so hee might bee a fit Reconciler, and Atonement-maker betwixt God and man. Hee vtterly to this end abolishing and taking away sinne, which was the cause of Gods iust anger. And so, as the Lord God, by his intercession, is not onelyonly appeased, and pacified; but also by, and for his Mediators sake, hath bound himselfe with this Couenant and promise, that he will freely forgiue the sinnes of all those that truely beleeue, and that hee will not faile to giuegive them eternall life. This is the Couenant which the Lord hath made with vsus through Christ; the which Couenant of reconciliation is dayly confirmed vntounto vsus in the Sacraments, as wee shall prooue (God willing) in that which followeth.
Reason 4 Nay, we may sée further, that it was a matter of so great necessitie, that our Lord Iesus Christ should hauehave two natures, and be in one person both God and Man, that vnlesse he had been so, it had beene vtterly vnpossible for any flesh to be saued. So great is otherwise the disagréement betwixt our sinne and corruption, and the most excellent purenesse and cleanenesse that is in God. For seeing all our misery and destruction doth spring from hence, that wee by the corruption of our nature, are estranged, and separated from God: it must needes follow on the other side, that from hence springeth our whole saluation, that wee bee ioyned againe with God, the fountaine of life, and true felicitie. The which coniunction, by reason of the corruption of our nature, and wickednesse of our hearts, is vtterly vnpossible to be had, without a Mediator and reconciler. For we in Adam are become darkenesse, the seruants of sinne, and subiect to death and condemnation: whereas on the other side, God is Light, and in him is no darknesse at all; yea, most excellent pure, and perfect righteousnes. And what agreement can there bee betwixt light and darknes; betweene righteousnes, and vnrighteousnes; Christ, and Belial? as 2. Cor. 6.2. Cor. 6.14, 15. Now if the Lord Iesus had not been in one person both God and Man, he could not thus hauehave performed the office of a Mediator; he could not by intercession, death, and redemption, hauehave set vsus frée from the guiltinesse of sinne and death, nor from the tyranny of Satan; his righteousnes could not hauehave béen imputed vntounto vsus; he could not hauehave purged vsus from all iniquitie, nor hauehave made vsus coheires with him of the Kingdome of Heauen.
Some other reasons may bee added,Other Reasons, to proue the necessity of two natures in his one person. It was necessary that Christ should hauehave a diuine nature, and bee God, that he might know the will of God, and reueale the same vntounto vsus. For wee of our selues cannot see God, and his will: but we know (as Saint Iohn saith 1. Epist.) that the Son of God is come, 1. Ioh. 5.…and hath giuen vsus an vnderst…nding, that we may know him that is true. And Ioh. 1.Ioh. 1.12.26.14.2, 3. No man hath seene GOD at any time, the onelyonly begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father, hee hath declared him.
Secondly, that the price of our Redemption might be equiualent, and of the like worthinesse, as the offence was in the sight of God, which could not hauehave beene, vnlesse that person, which was the Sonne of God, had dyed for vsus. For neither gold nor siluer, nor any other precious thing could redeeme vsus, but onelyonly the precious bloud of Christ, who was a Lambe without blemish, 1. Pet. 1.18, 19.and without spot, as the Apostle Peter speaketh, 1. Epist. 1. Vnlesse, he had been God, he could not hauehave giuen vsus power to become the sonnes of God;Ioh. 1.12. Heb. 7.17. he could not hauehave beene our eternall high Priest, nor perpetually sit at the right hand of God,Rom. 8.34. to make intercession for vsus. Hee could not hauehave been present, at all times, and in all places, to gather his Church, to direct the hearts of the faithfull, to heare their prayers, and to forgiue their sinnes. He could not hauehave raised the dead to life, abolish death, exercise iudgement, nor giuegive eternall life to those that louelove his comming.
Of the like necessitie was it, that hee should be man. First, the iustice of God did require, that as man had offended, and brake his law and commandement: so man should also fully satisfie for the same, that his righteousnesse may iustly bee imputed vntounto others. Secondly, that the appointed Messiah and Sauiour might sustaine that punishment, which by Gods sentence was due for sin, as namely Death, but GOD alone could not hauehave died. Thirdly, that wee might hauehave the more sure comfort & confidence, in our necessities to appeale to the throne of Gods grace, seeing hee being our high Priest,Heb. 4.15. was very man as we are, and partaker of our infirmities. And lastly, that we might be the more certainely assured of our resurrection, and that both in body and soule wee shall vndoubtedly enioy eternall life, séeing our Lord Iesus Christ, hauing the same nature that wee hauehave in all things, except sinne, hath raised it from death, and carried it with him into heauen, there as our Head, kéeping possession for vsus, vntill the time, that wee, as members of his mysticall body, shall be ioyned to him. For where the Head is, there must the members be, as Ioh. 12.Ioh. 12.26. Where I am, there shall also my seruant be. And chap. 14 Ioh. 14.2, 3.I goe to prepare a place for you, I will come againe, and receiue you vntounto my selfe, that where I am, there ye may bee also. Now for some vse.
Vse 1 In that God sent downe in this sort, his eternall, and onelyonly begotten Sonne, to take our flesh, and to become man, like vntounto vsus in all things, except sinne, that he comming betwixt Gods iustice and our sinnes, satisfying his iustice, and making amends for all our iniquities, might turne from vsus his wrath and displeasure, and purchase for vsus reconciliation with his Father, remission of sinnes, righteousnesse before GOD, and eternall life in heauen. Heerein (I say) hath God commended his louelove and fauour towards vsus, much more effectually and aboundantly then in any other thing whatsoeuer. When he created the world for our sakes, hee declared therein a manifest testimony of his good will towards vsus; and so also when he created vsus, and all other creatures for our vse: but yet in neither of these respects is his louelove so apparant, as in the giuing of his Sonne: For what should wee hauehave beene the better for the world, or what would our creation hauehave any thing at all auayled vsus, vnlesse wee had beene made acceptable vntounto him in his Beloued? especially considering how soone we degenerated from that integrity, and perfection wherein hee created vsus, so as by nature we are now no better, then the very children of wrath, and heires of condemnation? Of this louelove of God, testifieth the Scripture in many places, as Rom. 5.Rom. 5.8, 9. God commendeth his louelove towards vsus in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ dyed for vsus, much more being iustified by his blood, wee shall be saued from wrath through him. And 1. Ioh. 4.1. Ioh. 4.9, 10. In this was manifested the louelove of God towards vsus, because that God sent his only begotten Sonne into the world, that we might liue through him. Herein is louelove, not that we loued God, but that hee loued vsus, and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sinnes. And Ro. 8.Rom. 8.32. He spared not his owne Sonne, but deliuered him vp for vsus all. Abraham is greatly commended in the Scripture,…. 22.12, 16. for that he would hauehave offered his sonne Isaac; and it is recorded as a token of great louelove: but is not this an argument of farre greater louelove, that God should giuegive his Sonne for vsus? Hee is the God of heauen, and earth, and yet had he a gracious respect vntounto vsus wretched sinners, who being naked in our selues, he cloathed vsus with the righteousnesse of his Sonne, so as now our righteousnesse excelleth the righteousnesse of all others. The experience and consideration of which wonderfull louelove, and kindnesse of God towards vsus, ought to perswade our hearts with an vndoubted assurance and resolution, that there is nothing else of what nature and quality soeuer it be, but the Lord, out of his rich treasury, will most willingly and cheerefully impart, and communicate the same vntounto vsus, if in his heauenly wisedome and prouidence he seeth it to be fit for his own glory, and our good. He hath already bestowed vponupon vsus, the best and the most precious Iewell that hee had, namely, his dearely beloued Sonne, vntounto whom no one, nor all the things in heauen and in earth, are worthy in any measure to be compared. How then (as the Apostle addeth) shall hee not with him also freely giuegive vsus all things? It cannot be, that the Lord should denie his children any good thing, seeing for their sakes, he hath not spared his owne Sonne.
Vse 2 Secondly, as a rare and wonderfull louelove GOD the Father shewed towards man, in the sending of his Sonne, so no lesse rare and vnspeakeable louelove did the Sonne himselfe expresse, in that he vouchsafed to come downe from heauen, where hee raigned in equall glory and maiestie with the Father, to take vponupon him our flesh, and to submit himselfe to all our infirmities, sinne onelyonly excepted. For by Christ we hauehave not onelyonly all spirituall and heauenly blessings, as Ephe. 1.Eph. 1.5. hee being made vntounto vsus (as the Apostle speaketh, 1. Cor. 1.1. Cor. 1.30.) Wisedome, Righteousnesse, Sanctification, and Redemption: but whatsoeuer also belongeth to this present life, as 1. Cor. 3.1. Cor. 3.22, 23. All are yours, and ye are Christes, and Christ is Gods. Hee is the heire of all things, as Heb. 1.Heb. 1.2. and whatsoeuer the Father hath, belongeth vntounto him: as Ioh. 16.Ioh. 16.15. All things that the Father hath, are mine. And wee through the grace and mercy of God, are adopted co-heires with him, as Rom. 8.Rom. 8.17. Whereupon it must needes follow, that if we hauehave Christ the Lord, and heire of all good things, there is no cause for vsus to doubt, but that whatsoeuer is fit and necessary, shall be imparted vntounto vsus.
Vse 3 Thirdly, whereas our Lord Iesus Christ, being in one person both God and man, hath ouercome Death and the Deuill, vnderunder whose captiuity we were holden, hath satisfied Gods iustice for our sinnes, and reconciled vsus vntounto him: It is not that we should liue at our owne liberty and disposition, and behaue our selues as we think good: but that (as the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 14.Ro. 14.8, 9.) Whether wee liue or die, we might be the Lords. For Christ therfore dyed, rose againe, and reuiued, that hee might be Lord both of the dead and liuing. That which a man hath dearely bought, and duly payd for, he may well account it to stand with great reason, that the same should be wholly at his direction, and not at the wil and commandement of another. Our Lord Iesus Christ hath dearely bought vsus, being vtterly lost in our selues, not with gold or siluer, but with his owne precious blood, as I noted before; and therefore doth it stand with great equity and reason, that we should now be wholly imployed in the seruice of his Maiesty, and not in the seruice of our owne lusts, and corrupt affections, as by nature wee are enclined. This was the end of Christes incarnation, wherefore he tooke vponupon him our sinnes, with the curse and condemnation due vntounto them, that we being deliuered from the guiltinesse of sin,Luke 1.74, 75. Tit. 2.14. from the wrath of God, and torments of hell, might be his peculiar people, sanctified to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life; euermore acknowledging, that the best seruice we can doe, is vtterly of no value, in comparison of the least of his mercies towards vsus.