1. The first Resolution to Redeem, and the means appointed for Redemption, could have no other inducement but Divine Goodness. We cannot too highly value the Merit of Christ; but we must not so much extend the Merit of Christ, as to draw a value to Eclipse the Goodness of God: Though we owe our Redemption and the Fruits of it to the Death of Christ, yet we owe not the first Resolutions of Redemption, and assumption of our Nature, the means of Redemption, to the Merit of Christ. Divine Goodness only, without the association of any Merit, not only of Man but of the Redeemer himself, begat the first purpose of our Recovery: He was singled out, and predestinated to be our Redeemer, before he took our Nature to Merit our Redemption. God sent his Son, is a frequent Expression in the Gospel of St. John†. To what end did God send Christ, but to Redeem?* The purpose of Redemption therefore preceded the pitching upon Christ as the means and procuring Cause of it, i. e. of our actual Redemption, but not of the Redeeming purpose; the end is always in intention before the means. God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son; The love of God to the World was first in Intention and the Order of Nature, before the will of giving his Son to the World. His Intention of saving was before the Mission of a Saviour: So that this Affection rose not from the Merit of Christ, but the Merit of Christ was directed by this Affection. It was the Effect of it, not the Cause. Nor was the union of our Nature with his Merited by him; All his Meritorious acts were performed in our Nature: The Nature therefore wherein he performed it, was not Merited; that Grace which was not, could not Merit what it was: He could not Merit that Humanity, which must be assumed before he could Merit any thing for us, because all Merit for us must be offered in the Nature which had offended. 'Tis true Christ gave himself, but by the order of Divine Goodness; he that begat him pitched upon him, and called him to this great work:† He is therefore called the Lamb of God, as being set apart by God to be a propitiating and appeasing Sacrifice. He is the Wisdom of God, since from the Father he reveals the Counsel and Order of Redemption. In this regard he calls God his God in the Prophet,* and in the Evangelist;†
1. The first Resolution to Redeem, and the means appointed for Redemption, could have no other inducement but Divine Goodness. We cannot too highly value the Merit of Christ; but we must not so much extend the Merit of Christ, as to draw a value to Eclipse the Goodness of God: Though we owe our Redemption and the Fruits of it to the Death of Christ, yet we owe not the first Resolutions of Redemption, and assumption of our Nature, the means of Redemption, to the Merit of Christ. Divine Goodness only, without the association of any Merit, not only of Man but of the Redeemer himself, begat the first purpose of our Recovery: He was singled out, and predestinated to be our Redeemer, before he took our Nature to Merit our Redemption. God sent his Son, is a frequent Expression in the Gospel of St. John†. To what end did God send Christ, but to Redeem?* The purpose of Redemption therefore preceded the pitching upon Christ as the means and procuring Cause of it, i. e. of our actual Redemption, but not of the Redeeming purpose; the end is always in intention before the means. God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son; The love of God to the World was first in Intention and the Order of Nature, before the will of giving his Son to the World. His Intention of saving was before the Mission of a Saviour: So that this Affection rose not from the Merit of Christ, but the Merit of Christ was directed by this Affection. It was the Effect of it, not the Cause. Nor was the union of our Nature with his Merited by him; All his Meritorious acts were performed in our Nature: The Nature therefore wherein he performed it, was not Merited; that Grace which was not, could not Merit what it was: He could not Merit that Humanity, which must be assumed before he could Merit any thing for us, because all Merit for us must be offer'd in the Nature which had offended. 'Tis true Christ gave himself, but by the order of Divine Goodness; he that begat him pitcht upon him, and call'd him to this great work:† He is therefore call'd the Lamb of God, as being set apart by God to be a propitiating and appeasing Sacrifice. He is the Wisdom of God, since from the Father he reveals the Councel and Order of Redemption. In this regard he calls God his God in the Prophet,* and in the Evangelist;†
- †John 3.34. Joh. 9.24. Joh. 17.3.
- *Lessius.
- †Heb. 5.5.
- *Isaiah 49.4.
- †Joh. 20.17.
