Thus, because hereby you may see that whatsoever Christ did, or suffered, though but in his humane nature, yet it was of infinite value and efficacy, and the infinite value and efficacy of what Christ did and suffered, doth arise from the union of the two Natures, because it was that Person that was God, did such things, and suffered such things. I remember I my self once knew a very godly man in the time of his sickness was in a great Agony, under a very great temptation, and at Mid-night sent a mile or two for a Minister, and he comes to him, and this was his temptation: Fearing he should dye,1 and the Devil came with this temptation, Why, thy sin doth deserve an infinite punishment, thou hast sinned against an infinite God, and thou dost deserve eternal death; but Christ in whom you have trusted, he being man, and suffering only in his humane nature, he could suffer only that that was finite, ⟨p. 62⟩and his death was but a few days, a day or two, how can he by suffering that that was but finite, by enduring a little while pain upon the Cross, and by being under death but a day or two, how can he deliver you from an infinite suffering, and from eternal death? This was the temptation that lay upon him, and he was in a most lamentable agony of spirit upon this temptation; but now in his calling to mind this, that though Christ in his humane Nature was but finite, and that that he suffered could be but finite, yet because his humane nature was united in one Person unto the Divine Nature, hence what the humane nature did suffer, though finite, came to be of infinite value and worth, and though his death that he was under, was but for a day or two, yet it was of merit sufficient to ransom from eternal death, because the Person that was God as well as man, was under the power of death; and by recalling what he had heard heretofore about Christ being God and man in one Person, he came to be eased, and the Temptation began to vanish; and the truth is, there is no way that I know of, to satisfy ones heart and conscience in the sufficiency of Christs merits, but in this, that it was the merit of him that was both God and man in one Person. It is true, those that do not see a necessity of an infinite merit, they can easily satisfy themselves, and say they believe in Christ Jesus that dyed for them.
Thus, because hereby you may see that whatsoever Christ did, or suffered, though but in his humane nature, yet it was of infinite value and efficacy, and the infinite value and efficacy of what Christ did and suffered, doth arise from the union of the two Natures, because it was that Person that was God, did such things, and suffered such things. I remember I my self once knew a very godly man in the time of his sickness was in a great Agony, under a very great temptation, and at Mid-night sent a mile or two for a Minister, and hee comes to him, and this was his temptation: Fearing hee should dye,1 and the Devil came with this temptation, Why, thy sin doth deserve an infinite punishment, thou hast sinned against an infinite God, and thou dost deserve eternal death; but Christ in whom you have trusted, hee being man, and suffering onely in his humane nature, hee could suffer onely that that was finite, ⟨p. 62⟩and his death was but a few dayes, a day or two, how can he by suffering that that was but finite, by induring a little while pain upon the Cross, and by being under death but a day or two, how can hee deliver you from an infinite suffering, and from eternal death? This was the temptation that lay upon him, and hee was in a most lamentable agony of spirit upon this temptation; but now in his calling to minde this, that though Christ in his humane Nature was but finite, and that that hee suffered could bee but finite, yet because his humane nature was united in one Person unto the Divine Nature, hence what the humane nature did suffer, though finite, came to bee of infinite value and worth, and though his death that hee was under, was but for a day or two, yet it was of merit sufficient to ransome from eternal death, because the Person that was God as well as man, was under the power of death; and by recalling what hee had heard heretofore about Christ being God and man in one Person, hee came to bee eased, and the Temptation began to vanish; and the truth is, there is no way that I know of, to satisfie ones heart and conscience in the sufficiency of Christs merits, but in this, that it was the merit of him that was both God and man in one Person. It is true, those that do not see a necessity of an infinite merit, they can easily satisfie themselves, and say they beleeve in Christ Jesus that dyed for them.
- 1A temptation of the Devil to a godly man
