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The document provides links to various test banks and solution manuals for computer forensics and related subjects available for download at testbankmall.com. It includes specific titles such as 'Guide to Computer Forensics and Investigations, 5th Edition' and 'Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd Edition.' Additionally, it contains sample questions and answers related to computer forensics investigations and methodologies.

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ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 32

3. The list of problems you normally expect in the type of case you are handling is known as the ____.
a. standard risk assessment c. standard problems form
b. chain of evidence d. problems checklist form
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 33

4. The basic plan for your investigation includes gathering the evidence, establishing the ____, and
performing the forensic analysis.
a. risk assessment c. chain of custody
b. nature of the case d. location of the evidence
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 35

5. A(n) ____ helps you document what has and has not been done with both the original evidence and
forensic copies of the evidence.
a. evidence custody form c. initial investigation form
b. risk assessment form d. evidence handling form
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 36

6. Use ____ to secure and catalog the evidence contained in large computer components.
a. Hefty bags c. paper bags
b. regular bags d. evidence bags
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 39

7. ____ prevents damage to the evidence as you transport it to your secure evidence locker, evidence
room, or computer lab.
a. An antistatic wrist band c. An antistatic pad
b. Padding d. Tape
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 39

8. ____ investigations typically include spam, inappropriate and offensive message content, and
harassment or threats.
a. VPN c. E-mail
b. Internet d. Phone
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 41

9. To conduct your investigation and analysis, you must have a specially configured personal computer
(PC) known as a ____.
a. mobile workstation c. forensic lab
b. forensic workstation d. recovery workstation
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 48

10. You can use ____ to boot to Windows without writing any data to the evidence disk.
a. a SCSI boot up disk c. a write-blocker
b. a Windows boot up disk d. Windows XP
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 49

11. To begin conducting an investigation, you start by ____ the evidence using a variety of methods.
a. copying c. opening
b. analyzing d. reading
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 51

12. A ____ is a bit-by-bit copy of the original storage medium.


a. preventive copy c. backup copy
b. recovery copy d. bit-stream copy
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 52

13. A bit-stream image is also known as a(n) ____.


a. backup copy c. custody copy
b. forensic copy d. evidence copy
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 52

14. To create an exact image of an evidence disk, copying the ____ to a target work disk that’s identical to
the evidence disk is preferable.
a. removable copy c. bit-stream image
b. backup copy d. backup image
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 52

15. ____ from Technology Pathways is a forensics data analysis tool. You can use it to acquire and
analyze data from several different file systems.
a. Guidance EnCase c. DataArrest SnapCopy
b. NTI SafeBack d. ProDiscover Basic
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 53

16. Forensics tools such as ____ can retrieve deleted files for use as evidence.
a. ProDiscover Basic c. FDisk
b. ProDelete d. GainFile
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 56

17. When analyzing digital evidence, your job is to ____.


a. recover the data c. copy the data
b. destroy the data d. load the data
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 56

18. ____ can be the most time-consuming task, even when you know exactly what to look for in the
evidence.
a. Evidence recovery c. Data analysis
b. Data recovery d. Evidence recording
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 58

19. When you write your final report, state what you did and what you ____.
a. did not do c. wanted to do
b. found d. could not do
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 64
20. In any computing investigation, you should be able to repeat the steps you took and produce the same
results. This capability is referred to as ____.
a. checked values c. evidence backup
b. verification d. repeatable findings
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 64

21. After you close the case and make your final report, you need to meet with your department or a group
of fellow investigators and ____.
a. critique the case c. present the case
b. repeat the case d. read the final report
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 65

COMPLETION

1. When you are dealing with password protected files, you might need to acquire
____________________ or find an expert who can help you crack the passwords.

ANS: password-cracking software

PTS: 1 REF: 31

2. During the ____________________ design or approach to the case, you outline the general steps you
need to follow to investigate the case.

ANS: preliminary

PTS: 1 REF: 32

3. A(n) ____________________ lists each piece of evidence on a separate page.

ANS: single-evidence form

PTS: 1 REF: 36

4. A(n) ____________________ is usually conducted to collect information from a witness or suspect


about specific facts related to an investigation.

ANS: interview

PTS: 1 REF: 47

5. A(n) ____________________ is where you conduct your investigations and where most of your
equipment and software are located, including the secure evidence containers.

ANS:
computer forensics lab
data-recovery lab

PTS: 1 REF: 48

MATCHING
Match each item with a statement below
a. FTK’s Internet Keyword Search f. Norton DiskEdit
b. Data recovery g. MS-DOS 6.22
c. Free space h. Multi-evidence form
d. Interrogation i. Self-evaluation
e. Forensic workstation
1. an essential part of professional growth
2. extracts all related e-mail address information for Web-based e-mail investigations
3. process of trying to get a suspect to confess to a specific incident or crime
4. a type of evidence custody form
5. also known as a computer forensics workstation
6. is the more well-known and lucrative side of the computer forensics business
7. can be used for new files that are saved or files that expand as data is added to them
8. the least intrusive (in terms of changing data) Microsoft operating system
9. an older computer forensics tool

1. ANS: I PTS: 1 REF: 33


2. ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 42
3. ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 47
4. ANS: H PTS: 1 REF: 36
5. ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: 48
6. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 48
7. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 56
8. ANS: G PTS: 1 REF: 49
9. ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: 31

SHORT ANSWER

1. What should you do to handle evidence contained in large computer components?

ANS:
To secure and catalog the evidence contained in large computer components, you can use large
evidence bags, tape, tags, labels, and other products available from police supply vendors or office
supply stores. When gathering products to secure your computer evidence, make sure they are safe and
effective to use on computer components. Be cautious when handling any computer component to
avoid damaging the component or coming into contact with static electricity,which can destroy digital
data. When collecting computer evidence, make sure you use antistatic bags.

Be sure to place computer evidence in a well-padded container. Padding prevents damage to the
evidence as you transport it to your secure evidence locker, evidence room, or computer lab. Save
discarded hard disk drive boxes, antistatic bags, and packing material for computer hardware when
you or others acquire computer devices.

PTS: 1 REF: 39

2. What is required to conduct an investigation involving Internet abuse?

ANS:
To conduct an investigation involving Internet abuse, you need the following:
* The organization’s Internet proxy server logs
* Suspect computer’s IP address obtained from your organization’s network administrator
* Suspect computer’s disk drive
* Your preferred computer forensics analysis tool (ProDiscover, FTK, EnCase, X-Ways Forensics, and
so forth)

PTS: 1 REF: 40

3. What is required to conduct an investigation involving e-mail abuse?

ANS:
The following list is what you need for an investigation involving e-mail abuse:
* An electronic copy of the offending e-mail that contains message header data; consult with your e-
mail server administrator
* If available, e-mail server log records; consult with your e-mail server administrator to see whether
they are available
* For e-mail systems that store users’ messages on a central server, access to the server; consult with
your e-mail server administrator
* For e-mail systems that store users’ messages on a computer as an Outlook .pst or .ost file, for
example, access to the computer so that you can perform a forensic analysis on it
* Your preferred computer forensics analysis tool, such as Forensic Toolkit or ProDiscover

PTS: 1 REF: 41|42

4. What are the differences between computer forensics and data recovery?

ANS:
In data recovery, you don’t necessarily need a sterile target drive when restoring the forensics image.
Typically, the customer or your company just wants the data back. The other key difference is that in
data recovery, you usually know what you’re trying to retrieve. In computer forensics, you might have
an idea of what you’re searching for, but not necessarily.

Be aware that some companies that perform computer investigations also do data recovery, which is
the more well-known and lucrative side of the business.

PTS: 1 REF: 48

5. Describe some of the technologies used with hardware write-blocker devices. Identify some of the
more commonly used vendors and their products.

ANS:
There are many hardware write-blockers on the market. Some are inserted between the disk controller
and the hard disk; others connect to USB or FireWire ports. Several vendors sell write-blockers,
including Technology Pathways NoWrite FPU; Digital Intelligence Ultra- Kit, UltraBlock, FireFly,
FireChief 800, and USB Write Blocker; WiebeTECH Forensic DriveDock; Guidance Software
FastBloc2; Paralan’s SCSI Write Blockers; and Intelligent Computer Solutions (www.ics-iq.com)
Image LinkMaSSter Forensics Hard Case.

PTS: 1 REF: 49

6. What are the items you need when setting up your workstation for computer forensics?

ANS:
With current computer forensics hardware and software, configuring a computer workstation or laptop
as a forensic workstation is simple. All that’s required are the following:
* A workstation running Windows XP or Vista
* A write-blocker device
* Computer forensics acquisition tool
* Computer forensics analysis tool
* A target drive to receive the source or suspect disk data
* Spare PATA or SATA ports
* USB ports

PTS: 1 REF: 50

7. What additional items are useful when setting up a forensic workstation?

ANS:
Additional useful items include the following:
* Network interface card (NIC)
* Extra USB ports
* FireWire 400/800 ports
* SCSI card
* Disk editor tool
* Text editor tool
* Graphics viewer program
* Other specialized viewing tools

PTS: 1 REF: 50

8. What items are needed when gathering the resources you identified in your investigation plan?

ANS:
You need the following items:
* Original storage media
* Evidence custody form
* Evidence container for the storage media, such as an evidence bag
* Bit-stream imaging tool; in this case, the ProDiscover Basic acquisition utility
* Forensic workstation to copy and examine your evidence
* Securable evidence locker, cabinet, or safe

PTS: 1 REF: 51

9. Describe the process of creating a bit-stream copy of an evidence disk.

ANS:
To create an exact image of an evidence disk, copying the image to a target disk that’s identical to the
evidence disk is preferable. The target disk’s manufacturer and model, in general, should be the same
as the original disk’s manufacturer and model. If the target disk is identical to the original, the size in
bytes and sectors of both disks should also be the same. Some software tools that acquire images can
accommodate a target disk that’s a different size than the original.

PTS: 1 REF: 52

10. Mention six important questions you should ask yourself when critiquing your work.

ANS:
Ask yourself assessment questions such as the following:
* How could you improve your performance in the case?
* Did you expect the results you found? Did the case develop in ways you did not expect?
* Was the documentation as thorough as it could have been?
* What feedback has been received from the requesting source?
* Did you discover any new problems? If so, what are they?
* Did you use new techniques during the case or during research?

PTS: 1 REF: 65
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up by the saints here on earth, which God accepts of, or smells a
sweet savour in, as perfumed with odours of Christ’s righteousness.
This may be illustrated by those political emblems, that are used in
public solemnities; such as the coronation of kings, in which the
regalia are carried by the prime ministers of state, not to signify that
they have any branch of kingly dignity belonging to them: but the
whole ceremony is expressive of his honours and prerogatives, who
is the principal subject thereof; so when the heavenly inhabitants
are represented, in this vision, in such a way, as they are here
described, it only signifies, that the prayers, which are put up by
God’s people here on earth, through the mediation of Christ, are
graciously heard and answered by him.
As for the other scripture, in which it is said, Another angel stood at
the altar, and there was given him much incense, that he should
offer it, with the prayers of all saints, that is generally understood,
by those who do not give into this absurd opinion of the Papists, as
spoken of our Saviour, and then it makes nothing to their purpose,
but rather militates against it. But if it be objected, to this sense of
the text, that our Saviour cannot properly be called another angel,
and therefore it must be meant of one of the created angels; the
sense but now given of the foregoing scripture may be
accommodated to it, and so the meaning is, this angel, or one of the
angels, stood at the altar before the Lamb, and, in an emblematical
way, is set forth, as having incense put into his hand, which he
presents to him; not as offering it up for himself, but as signifying
that it was for the sake of Christ’s merits, that the prayers of his
people, here on earth, ascended with acceptance in the sight of
God. And it is as though he should say to Christ, “The incense is
thine, thou hast a right to the glory thereof; and therefore let all
know, that this is the only foundation of the church’s hope, that their
wants shall be supplied by thee.” So that this does not give the least
countenance to the Popish doctrine, of there being other mediators
between God and man besides our Lord Jesus Christ.
Some of the Papists, indeed, are sensible that this opinion tends to
detract from the glory of our great Mediator, and therefore they
chuse rather to assert, that the saints and angels are mediators
between Christ and men, so that we are through their means, to
have access to him, and by him, to the Father: but, since Christ not
only condescended to take our nature upon him, and therein to
procure redemption for us; but invited his people to come to him;
and since it is said, through him we have an access unto the Father,
Eph. ii. 18. and no mention is made of any, by whom we have
access to Christ; and our access to God is founded only in his blood,
we have nothing else to do, but, by faith, in what he has done and
suffered to draw nigh to God, as to a Father, reconciled to this great
and only Mediator.
II. This Mediator is described, as to his Person, as God incarnate, or,
as it is expressed, the eternal Son of God, of one substance, and
equal with the Father, who became Man, and that, in the most
proper sense, by assuming to himself a true body, and a reasonable
soul, which are the two constituent parts of man. Here we are to
consider,
1. The Person assuming the human nature. He is styled the eternal
Son of God, of one substance with the Father, and, with respect to
his personality, equal with him.[115] This is the same mode of
speaking that was used by the Nicene fathers, in defence of our
Saviour’s divinity against the Arians, which we have largely insisted
on, in our defence of the doctrine of the ever-blessed Trinity,[116] and
having also explained what we mean by Christ’s Sonship, as
referring to his Person and character, as Mediator,[117] we shall add
no more on that subject at present, but take it for granted, that our
Saviour is, in the most proper sense, a divine Person, and shall
consider him as assuming the human nature; accordingly we may
observe,
(1.) That it was the second Person in the Godhead who was
incarnate, and not the Father, nor the Holy Ghost. This we affirm
against the Sabellians, who deny the distinct Personality of the
Father, Son, and Spirit; and assert that the Father, or the Holy Ghost,
might as truly be said to have been incarnate, as the Son, since their
Personality, according to them, is not so distinct, as that what is
done by one divine Person, might not be said to have been done by
another.[118]
(2.) It follows, from hence, that the divine nature, which belongs in
common to the Father, Son, and Spirit, cannot be properly said to
have been incarnate. It is true, we read, that God was manifest in
the flesh, 1 Tim. iii. 16. and elsewhere, that in him, namely, in the
human nature, dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead, Col. ii. 9.
from whence some take occasion to conclude, that the human
nature was united to the Godhead, or that the Godhead of Christ
was said to be incarnate: but if this be asserted, it must be with
caution and a distinction. I cannot therefore suppose, that the
Godhead absolutely considered, but as including in it the idea of its
subsisting in the Person of the Son, was incarnate; which is very well
expressed, when we say that the human nature was united to the
second Person in the Godhead, rather than to the Godhead itself.
(3.) Christ being farther considered, as the eternal Son of God; it
follows from hence, that he existed before his incarnation, which has
been largely insisted on, under a foregoing answer, in defence of
Christ’s proper deity. In this we oppose not only the Socinians, who
deny that he existed before he was conceived in the womb of the
blessed Virgin; but also the Arians, especially those of them who
take occasion to explain, without disguise, or ambiguity of words,
what they mean when they speak of him, as being before time,
which comes infinitely short of what is intended by his being styled
God’s eternal Son, and so existing with him before time. Thus we
have an account of the Person assuming the human nature.
2. We are now to consider the nature assumed, or united to the
divine Person, which was an human nature, consisting of a true
body, and a reasonable soul; so that as Christ is, in one nature, God
equal with the Father, in the other he is Man, made, in all the
essential properties of the human nature, like unto us. Here we may
consider,
(1.) That, since this is a matter of pure revelation, we have sufficient
ground, from scripture, to assert, that our Saviour is both God and
Man. Many of the scriptures, that have been before referred to, to
prove his deity, expressly attribute to him an human, as well as a
divine nature, and speak of the same Person as both God and Man;
as when God styles him, The Man that is my Fellow, Zech. xiii. 7. or,
when he, who is Jehovah, our righteousness, is also described as a
branch raised unto David, Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. that is, of the seed of
David; or, as the apostle says, he, who is over all, God blessed for
ever, was of the fathers concerning the flesh, or his human nature,
Rom. ix. 15. Moreover, when we read of the same Person, as styled,
The mighty God, and yet a Child born unto us, a Son given, Isa. ix.
6. or of the same Person’s being called Emmanuel, God with us, and
yet born of a Virgin, Isa. vii. 14. compared with Matt. i. 23. or, when
we read of the Word’s being made flesh, and dwelling among us:
and elsewhere, being called the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord,
and yet made of the seed of David, according to the flesh, Rom. i. 3.
or, God manifest in the flesh, 1 Tim. iii. 16. These, and many other
scriptures, as plainly prove him to be man, as they do that he is
God.[119] And, indeed, the arguments to prove his humanity, taken
from thence, are not so much contested, as those that respect his
proper deity; and therefore, if these scriptures prove him to be God,
they contain as strong and conclusive arguments to prove him to be
Man, so that the bare mention of them is sufficient, especially when
we consider, as it cannot be denied, that all these scriptures speak of
the same Person; therefore,
(2.) When Christ is said to be both God and Man, it does not imply
that there are two Persons in the Mediator; and accordingly it is said,
in the answer we are explaining, that though these natures are
distinct, yet the Person who has them, is but one. This is to be
maintained against those who entertain favourable thoughts of that
ancient heresy, first broached by Nestorius,[120] whose method of
reasoning cannot be reconciled with the sense of those scriptures,
which plainly speak of the same Person, as both God and Man, and
attribute the same actions to him in different respects, which is
inconsistent with asserting, that the Mediator is both a divine and a
human Person; and it cannot be denied but that it is a contradiction
in terms, to say, that two Persons can be so united, as to become
one. However, it must be acknowledged, that this is one of the
incomprehensible mysteries of our religion; and when divines have
attempted to explain some things relating to it, they have only given
farther conviction, that there are some doctrines contained in
scripture, which we are bound to believe, but are at a loss to
determine how they are what they are asserted to be.
If it be objected, that we cannot conceive of an human nature, such
an one as our Saviour’s is that has not its own Personality, since
there is no parallel instance hereof, in any other men, which I take
to be the principal thing that gave occasion to the asserting, that he
had a human Person, as well as a divine;
The answer that I would give to this objection, is, that though, it is
true, every man has a distinct subsistence of his own, without being
united to any other person, yet we have no ground to conclude, that
the human nature of Christ, even in its first formation, had any
subsistence separate from the divine nature. Had it been first
formed, and then united to the divine nature, it would have had a
proper subsistence of its own; but, since it was not, its Personality,
considered as united to the second Person in the Godhead, is
contained therein, though its properties are infinitely distinct from it.
3. These two natures are distinct; united but not confounded. This is
asserted, in opposition to an old exploded heresy, which was
maintained by some, who, to avoid the error of Nestorius, and his
followers, went into the other extreme,[121] and asserted, that the
divine and human nature of Christ were confounded, or blended
together, after the similitude of things that are mixed together in a
natural or artificial way, whereby the composition is of a different
nature from the parts of which it is compounded, by which means
they debase his Godhead, and advance his manhood; or rather,
instead of supposing him to be both God and man, they do, in
effect, say, he is neither God nor man. The main foundation, as I
apprehend, of this absurd and blasphemous notion, was, that they
could not conceive how he could have a divine and human
understanding and will, without asserting, with Nestorius, that there
were two persons in the Mediator, whereby they split against one
rock, while endeavouring to avoid another. And to fence against both
extremes, the fathers, in the council of Chalcedon, explained the
doctrine in words to this purpose: That the two natures of Christ
were indivisibly and inseparably united, without supposing that one
was changed into the other, or confounded with it.
Therefore we must consider, that though these two natures are
united, yet each of them retains its respective properties, as much
as the soul and body of man do, though united together, which is
the best similitude by which this can be illustrated, though I do not
suppose that, in all respects, it answers it. Thus, in one nature,
Christ had all the fulness of the Godhead, and in nothing common
with us; nothing finite, derived, or dependent, or any other way
defective. In his other nature, he was made in all things like unto us,
sin only excepted: in this nature, he was born in time, and did not
exist from all eternity, and increased in knowledge, and other
endowments, proper thereunto. In one nature, he had a
comprehensive knowledge of all things; in the other, he knew
nothing but by communication, or derivation, and with those other
limitations that finite wisdom is subject to. In one nature he had an
infinite sovereign will; in the other, he had such a will as the creature
has, which though it was not opposite to his divine will, yet its
conformity thereunto was of the same kind with that which is in
perfect creatures; so that though we do not say that his human will
was the same with his divine, as to the essential properties thereof;
yet it may be said to be the same, in a moral sense, as conformed
thereunto, in like manner, as the will of man is said to be subjected
to the will of God.
Had this been duly considered, persons would not have been so
ready to give into an error so dangerous and blasphemous, as that
which we are opposing. And we have sufficient ground, from
scripture, to distinguish between his divine and human
understanding and will, inasmuch as it is said, in one place, speaking
of his divine understanding, Lord, thou knowest all things, John xxi.
17. and of his human, Of that day and hour knoweth no man; no,
not the Son, Mark xiii. 32. and so of his will, it is sometimes
represented as truly divine, in the same sense as the Father’s, as
when it is said, As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth
them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will, John v. 21. and
elsewhere, If we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us, 1
John v. 14. and, Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out,
John vi. 37. And, in other places, he is represented as having an
human will, essentially distinct from the will of God; as when he
says, Not my will, but thine, be done, Luke xxii. 42.
4. The nature that was assumed by the Son of God, is farther
described, as truly and properly human. It was not an angelic
nature; as the apostle says, He took not on him the nature of
angels, inasmuch as he did not design to redeem the angels that
fell, but he took on him the nature of the seed of Abraham, Heb. ii.
16. And, this nature is farther described, as consisting of a true
body, and a reasonable soul.
(1.) Christ is described as having a true body. This is maintained
against those who, in an early age of the church,[122] denied that he
had a real human nature. These, it is true, do not deny his deity; but
they suppose, that it was impossible for God to be united to human
flesh, and therefore that he appeared only in the likeness thereof; as
some heathen writers represent their gods, as appearing in human
forms, that they might converse with men. Thus they suppose, that
the Godhead of Christ appeared in an human form, without a real
human nature, in which sense they understand that scripture, He
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness
of men, Phil. ii. 7. as though, in that place, the similitude of a man
were opposed to real humanity; or, at least, they suppose, that he
had no other human nature when he dwelt on earth, than what he
had, when he appeared to the church, under the Old Testament-
dispensation, viz. to Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and several others, in
which they conclude, that there was only the likeness of a human
body, or an aerial one, which, according to some common modes of
speaking, is called a spirit. To give countenance to this, they bring
some other scriptures, as when it is said, after his resurrection, that
he appeared in another form to two disciples, as they walked into
the country, Mark xvi. 12. so when he appeared to Mary, it was in
such a form, as that she knew not that it was Jesus, but supposed
him to be the gardener, John xx. 14, 15. and especially when it is
said, in another scripture, Luke xxiv. 21. when his two disciples at
Emmaus knew him, he vanished out of their sight;[123] which they
understand of his vanishing, in the same sense, as, according to the
popular way of speaking, a spectrum is said to do.
But this opinion is so absurd, as well as contrary to scripture, that it
only shews how far the wild and extravagant fancies of men may
run, who are so hardy, as to set aside plain scriptures, and take up
with some few passages thereof, without considering their scope and
design, or their harmony with other scriptures. And, indeed, there is
scarce any thing said concerning him in the New Testament, but
what confutes it; where we have an account of him, as being born,
passing through all the ages of life, conversing familiarly with his
people, eating and drinking with them, and, at last, dying on the
cross, which put this matter out of all manner of dispute; as also
when he distinguishes himself from a spirit, when the disciples were
terrified upon his standing unexpectedly in the midst of them,
supposing that he had been a spirit, he satisfies them that they were
mistaken, by saying, Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I
myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as
ye see me have, Luke xxiv. 29.
As for those scriptures in the Old Testament, which speak of his
appearing in a human form, assumed for that purpose; whether
there was, in every one of those instances, a real human body that
appeared, though, in some of them, it is beyond dispute that there
was, I will not pretend to determine; yet it must be considered, that
this is never styled his incarnation, or becoming man, but it was only
an emblem, or prelibation thereof; and when it is said, in the
scripture before mentioned, that he was made in the likeness of
men, it does not from hence follow, that he was not, after his
incarnation, a real man, for the likeness of man is oftentimes so
understood in scripture; as when it is said, on occasion of the birth
of Seth, that Adam begat a son in his own likeness, Gen. v. 3. And
as to that other scripture, in which Christ is said to appear in
different forms, it is not to be supposed that there was a change in
his human nature, but only a change in his countenance, or external
mein; or he appeared with other kind of garments, which rendered
him not immediately known by them. And when, in the other
scripture, it is said, he vanished out of their sight, nothing is
intended thereby, but an instantaneous withdrawing of himself from
them, which, it may be might contain something miraculous.
(2.) Christ is farther described, as having taken to himself a
reasonable soul, to which his body was united. This is maintained
against the Arians, who deny that he had an human soul, concluding
that the divine nature, such an one as they will allow him to have,
was, as it were, a soul to his body; which is founded partly on their
misunderstanding the sense of those scriptures, in which it is said,
The Word was made flesh, John i. 14. and God was manifest in the
flesh, 1 Tim. iii. 16. and, Forasmuch as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, Heb.
ii. 14. and, Of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, &c. Rom.
ix. 5. But the principal argument, by which this opinion is supported,
is, because they suppose, that, if he had an human soul, distinct
from his divine nature, he must have had two understandings and
wills, to wit, a divine and an human, and then it would have been
possible for him to have had contrary ideas in his mind, and
determinations in his will, as man, to what he had as God, which
would infer a sort of confusion of thought, and irregularity of
actions: but to this it may be answered,
1st, As to the former, relating to his assuming flesh, it is a very
common thing, in scripture, by a synecdoche, of the part for the
whole, for flesh to signify the whole man, consisting of soul and
body, of which we have many instances in scripture; as when it is
said, All flesh had corrupted his way, Gen. vi. 12. that is, all men had
corrupted their way; and the prophet speaking concerning the vanity
of man, as mortal, says, All flesh is grass, Isa. xl. 6.
2dly, As to the other branch of their argument; we allow that Christ,
as Man, had a distinct understanding and will, from what he had as
God, and that his human understanding was not equally perfect with
his divine, neither had his human will the sovereignty and glory of
his divine will. And, if it should be also allowed, that if his human
understanding and will had not always been under the influence and
direction of his divine, he might have had contrary ideas, and
determinations, as man, to what he had as God; yet we cannot allow
that the divine nature would so far suspend its direction and
influence, as that his human understanding should have
contradictory ideas to his divine, so that this inconvenience should
ensue, which would occasion a confusion and disorder in his actions,
or methods of human conduct. It was no disparagement to him, nor
hindrance to his work, to suppose that his human soul was subject
to some natural imperfections, which were inconsistent with the
infinite perfection of his deity; however, it is sufficient to assert, that,
as Man, he knew every thing, which he was obliged to perform, in a
way of obedience, and consented to, and delighted in every thing
that was agreeable to his divine will, which would render his
obedience compleat; though we suppose, that the nature, in which
he performed it, was less perfect than that to which it was united;
therefore this method of reasoning is not conclusive, and we must
suppose, that he had a human soul, distinct from his divine nature.
This is evident, because he could not perform obedience in the
divine nature, his human soul being the only subject thereof, and it
is proper to the deity to be dispassionate; therefore those sinless
passions which he was subject to, were seated in his soul, as united
to the body; and that he had such passions, is very plain from
scripture; for he says, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto
death, Matt. xxvi. 38. And there are various other passions besides
sorrow, which he was subject to, which, though free from sin, were
altogether inconsistent with the infinite perfection of the divine
nature.
9. This human nature is said to have been conceived by the power
of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her,
yet without sin. Here we may observe,
(1.) That there was something in the formation of Christ’s human
nature, in which he resembled the rest of mankind, in that he was
not produced, and brought into a state of manhood in an instant, or
created out of the dust of the ground, as Adam was, but was born,
or as the apostle expresses it, made of a woman, Gal. iv. 4. to
denote his being formed out of her substance; and accordingly he
began his state of humiliation in infancy, that he might, in all
respects, be made like unto those whom he came to redeem. Herein
the promise made to our first parents, relating to his being the seed
of the woman, Gen. iii. 15. was not only fulfilled; but another
express prediction, by the prophet Isaiah, who says, Unto us a Child
is born, Isa. ix. 6.
(2.) There was something peculiar and extraordinary in his
formation, as he was an extraordinary Person, and to be engaged in
a work peculiar to himself; so he is said to have been born of a
Virgin, not because, as some suppose, that that is a state of greater
sanctity, than any other condition of life, but, as was before
observed[124], that he might be exempted from the guilt of Adam’s
first sin, which he would have been liable to, though sanctified from
the womb, had his human nature been formed in an ordinary way. It
was certainly necessary that his human nature, which was, in its first
formation, united to his divine Person, should be perfectly sinless;
since it would have been a reproach cast on the Son of God, to have
it said concerning him, that he was, in the nature which he assumed,
estranged to, and separate from God, as all mankind are, who are
born in an ordinary way. And this was also necessary for his
accomplishing the work of our redemption, since as the apostle says,
Such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
and separate from sinners, Heb. vii. 26. And, in order to his being
born of a Virgin, there was an extraordinary instance of the power of
God; and therefore it is said, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, Luke i. 35.
His being born of a Virgin, was an accomplishment of that prediction
which we read of in Isa. vii. 14. The Lord himself shall give you a
sign; Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call
his name Immanuel. This text being so convincing a proof of
Christianity, and, as such, referred to in the New Testament, Matt. i.
22, 23. the Jews, and many of the modern Deists, have
endeavoured to weaken the force thereof, which renders it
necessary for us to illustrate and explain it, agreeably to the scope
and design of the prophecy, contained in the context; which we shall
endeavour to do, in the following Paraphrase. Says God to the
prophet, “Go to Ahaz, and bid him not be faint-hearted, by reason of
the threatened invasion by the confederate kings of Israel and Syria;
but let him ask a sign for the confirmation of his faith, that I may
hereby assure him, that they shall not be able to do him any hurt:
but I know, before-hand, his unbelief, and the sullenness of his
temper, that he will refuse to ask a sign; therefore, when thou goest
to meet him, take thy young son Shear-jashub in thine hand, or in
thine arms, from whom thou mayest take occasion to deliver part of
the message which I send thee with to him; tell him, that though he
refuse to ask a sign, nevertheless[125], the Lord shall give thee a sign,
to his people, whom thou shalt command to hear this message, as
well as Ahaz, they being equally concerned herein; therefore let
them know, that, though their obstinate and wicked king calls a
compliance with my command a tempting me, and therefore will not
ask a sign, I will not give him any other sign, than what the whole
house of Israel shall behold, in future ages, which, though it cannot
be properly called a prognostic sign, yet it will be, when it comes to
pass, a rememorative sign[126], and that shall be a glorious one; for,
Behold a Virgin[127] shall conceive, and bear a Son, and thou shalt
call his name Immanuel. When this wonderful thing happens, a thing
new and unheard of, which shall be created in the earth, that a
woman should compass a man, as it is said elsewhere, Jer. xxxi. 22.
then the house of David shall understand the reason why I have not
suffered these two kings to destroy Judah, so that it should be
broken, that it be not a people, as Ephraim shall, within threescore
and five years, [ver. 8.] for then the Messiah could not come of the
house of David; and what he shall do for them, when he comes, is
the ground and reason of all the temporal deliverances that I work
for them, and particularly of this from the intended invasion of these
two confederate kings. Tell them, moreover, that as this shall be a
rememorative sign, so I will give them to understand, at present,
that they shall be delivered in a little time; for before this Child,
which thou hast here brought with thee, shall know to refuse the
evil, and chuse the good, or shall know the difference between
moral good and evil, that is, in two or three years time, The land
that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings; or those two
kings, which thou dreadest, shall be driven, by the king of Assyria,
out of their own land. And inasmuch as my people may be afraid,
that, before these two years are expired, they shall be brought into
such straights, through famine, or scarcity of provisions, which
generally attend sieges, that they shall want the necessaries of life;
let them know that this child, meaning Shear-jashub, shall not want
butter and honey, that is, the best and most proper food for it, that
he may know, or rather, until[128] he know to refuse the evil, and
chuse the good, that is, till these two kings, Rezin and Pekah, be
utterly destroyed.”
Thus having considered our Saviour’s being born of a Virgin, there is
one thing more that is to be observed under this head, namely, that
he was of her substance, which is particularly mentioned in this
answer, with a design to fence against an ancient heresy, maintained
by the Gnostics in the second century, and hath been defended by
others, in later ages, who supposed, that our Saviour did not derive
his human nature from the Virgin Mary, but that it was formed in
heaven, and sent down from thence; and that the Virgin’s womb is
only to be considered as the first seat of its residence in this lower
world, which they found on those scriptures which speak of his
coming down from heaven, John iii. 13, 14. which they understand
concerning his human nature; whereas, nothing is intended thereby
but the manifestative presence of his divine nature, in which respect
God is, in other scriptures, said to come down into this lower world,
Gen. xi. 5, 7. And another scripture, which they bring to the same
purpose, is that, in which, they suppose, he denies his relation to his
mother, when he says, Who is my mother? and who are my
brethren? Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, which is in
heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother, Mat. xi. 48,
50. in which he does not deny his natural relation to them, but
designs to shew, that his regard to persons in the exercise of his
public ministry, was principally founded on their doing the will of his
Father. And whereas they farther suppose, that if his human nature
had, in any respect, been derived from the substance of the Virgin,
either she must be concluded immaculate, as the Papists do, or else
he must have been born a sinner; this hath been already proved to
be no just consequence, inasmuch as the formation of his human
nature, though it were of the substance of the Virgin, was in an
extraordinary and miraculous way, whereby he was exempted from
the guilt of original sin.
There is another opinion maintained by some of the school-men,
which, though it be not generally received, seems, to me, not
altogether improbable, namely, that Christ’s human body, though
formed in the womb of the virgin, and a part of her substance, yet,
as to the manner of its formation, it differed from that of all other
human bodies, inasmuch as the matter, of which they consist,
receives its form in a gradual way, and they cannot properly
speaking be styled human bodies, till organized and fitted to have
their souls united to them; whereas these suppose that the body of
Christ, in its first formation, was rendered fit to receive the soul,
which was, in an instant united to it; and both soul and body, at the
same time, without having any separate subsistence, were united to
the divine nature. This account of the formation of Christ’s human
body, though I think it most adapted to the union of his soul and
body with the divine nature, in the very instant of its formation, and
therefore cannot but conclude it a more probable conjecture than
what is generally received, yet I do not lay it down as a necessary
article of faith; nor would I, from hence, be supposed to deny that
the body of Christ grew in the womb like other human bodies, after
the soul is united to them; nor would I set aside the account the
scripture gives of the virgin’s accomplishing the full number of days,
in which she should be delivered, Luke ii. 6. Gal. iv. 4. Thus we have
considered our Saviour, as having a true body and a reasonable soul,
and both united to the divine nature, whereby he is denominated
God incarnate, in this answer.
6. Our Mediator is farther said to have been incarnate, in the fulness
of time; and it is added, he shall continue to be both God and man
for ever.
(1.) Let us consider what is meant by Christ’s becoming man in the
fulness of time. The human nature could not be united to the divine
from all eternity; since it is inconsistent with its being a created
nature, that it should exist from eternity; notwithstanding he might,
had it been so determined, have, assumed this nature in the
beginning of time, or immediately after the fall of man, who then
stood in need of a Mediator; but God, in his sovereign and wise
providence, ordered it otherwise, namely, that there should be a
considerable distance of time between the fall of man and Christ’s
incarnation, in order to his recovery, which is called, in scripture, the
fulness of time, Gal. iv. 4. that is, the time foretold by the prophets,
and particularly Daniel, Dan. ix. 24, 25. whose prediction had an
additional circumstance of time annexed to it, which gave occasion
to the Jews to expect his coming at the same time that he was
incarnate.
That there was an universal expectation of the Messiah at this time,
appears from the disposition of many among them to adhere to any
one, especially if he pretended himself to be a prophet, or that he
would make some change in their civil affairs; and the Jewish
historian[129] tells us of many tumults and seditions that were in that
age. Some of their ring-leaders he styles magicians; and persons
pretending to be prophets, though, indeed, he does not expressly
say that they assume the character of Messiah, yet he observes, that
the time in which this was done, gave occasion hereunto[130]; by
which he means that it being at that time that the Jews expected
that the Messiah, their king, should come, they thought it a fit
opportunity to make these efforts, to shake off the Roman yoke; and
they were so far from concealing the expectation they had thereof,
that it was well known by the heathen, who were not without
jealousies concerning them, with respect to this matter; so that
some celebrated writers among them observe, that it was generally
received throughout the east, according to some ancient predictions,
that, at that time, the Jews should obtain the empire;[131] and there
are several expressions, in scripture, which intimate as much: thus
Gamaliel speaks of one Theudas, who boasted himself to be
somebody, by which, it is probable, he means the Messiah, to whom
a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves, and were
slain, Acts v. 36, 37. which some think to be the same person that
Josephus mentions, the name being the same; though others are
rather inclined to think that it was another pretender to this
character, from some critical remarks they make on the circumstance
of time referred to by Gamaliel, being different from that which is
mentioned by Josephus.[132] However, this does not affect our
argument; for it is plain, from hence, that, about that time, the Jews
were disposed to join themselves to any one who endeavoured to
persuade them that he was the Messiah.
And this farther appears, from what our Saviour says, All that ever
came before me, are thieves and robbers, John x. 8. by which,
doubtless, he means, several that pretended to be the Messiah, in
that age, before he came; and it is said elsewhere, Luke xix. 11. a
little before our Saviour’s crucifixion, that they, that is, the Jews,
generally thought that the kingdom of God, and consequently the
Messiah, whom they expected, should immediately appear; and he
also foretels, that between this and the destruction of Jerusalem,
that is, before that age was at an end, many false Christs, should
arise, and warns his followers not to adhere to them, Mat. xxiv. 24-
26.
Moreover, had not the Jews expected that the Messiah would appear
at that time, they would never have sent in so formal a manner, as
they are said to have done, to enquire, Whether John the Baptist,
when he exercised his public ministry amongst them, was he? John
i. 19-21. And, when he had convinced them that he was not the
Messiah, but that our Saviour would soon appear publicly amongst
them, who had the only right to this character, he found it no
difficult matter to persuade them to believe it; and accordingly
Jerusalem and all Judea, that is, the people almost universally
attended on his ministry, and were baptized, making a profession of
this faith, and of their expectation of, and willingness to adhere to
him; and it was the report, that the wise men, who came from the
east, had received from the Jews, who were conversant with them,
that this was the time that the Messiah should appear, that brought
them to Jerusalem, from their respective countries, otherwise that
preternatural meteor, or star, which they saw, could not have given
them a sufficient intimation concerning this matter, so as to induce
them to come and pay their homage to him; and when they came,
and enquired of Herod, Where is he that is born king of the Jews?
how surprizing soever it might be to that proud tyrant, to think that
there was one born, who, as he supposed, would stand in
competition with him for the crown, yet it was no unexpected thing
to the Sanhedrim, whose opinion in this matter he demanded, in an
hypocritical manner; therefore they say, he was to be born in
Bethlehem, according to the prediction of the prophet Micah;
whereas, if they had not known that this was the time in which he
was to be born, they would have replied, that it was an
unseasonable question, and a vain thing, to ask where a person was
to be born, whose birth was not expected in that age; and they
might easily have satisfied Herod, and removed the foundation of his
jealousy and trouble, and thereby have prevented that inhuman
barbarity committed on the infants of Bethlehem, if they had told
him that the time spoken of by the prophet Daniel, in which the
Messiah was to be born, was not yet come: but they knew
otherwise; and in this respect, Christ might be said to be born in the
fulness of time. That which we shall farther observe, concerning it,
is,
1st, That it was at that time when God had sufficiently tried the faith
of the Old Testament-church, in waiting for his coming, and thereby
glorified his sovereignty, who hath the times and seasons of his
bestowing all blessings in his own power.
2dly, It was at that time when the measure of the iniquity of the
world was abundantly filled, whereby his people might observe the
deplorable state into which sin had brought mankind, and the utter
impossibility of our recovery without a Mediator, and that the light of
nature could not discover any method by which the redemption and
salvation of man might be brought about.
3dly, It was at that time that the Jewish church was at the lowest
ebb, and therefore the most seasonable time, and they were laid
under the highest obligations to adore and magnify him: their
political state was broken, the sceptre departed from Judah, and
they were brought under the Roman yoke, which sat very uneasy
upon them; neither could they ever expect to make that figure in the
world as they once had done, therefore now was the time for the
Messiah to come, and erect his kingdom. And, besides this, they
were given up to a very great degree of judicial blindness and
hardness, and were disposed to make void the law of God by their
traditions; so that religion, among them, was at a very low ebb;
therefore it was the fittest time for God to display his grace, in
reviving his work, and preventing his cause and interest from wholly
sinking in the world. This was the time in which the Son of God
became Man.
(2.) Christ shall continue to be God and Man for ever, or the union of
these two natures is indissoluble: as to his divine nature, he is
necessarily eternal and unchangeable; and the human nature shall
continue for ever united to it, as the result of the divine purpose, in
which God intends that some ends, glorious to himself, honourable
to the Mediator, and advantageous to his people, should be attained
thereby. For,
1st, If he had had a design to lay aside his human nature, he would
have done it when he finished his work of obedience and sufferings
therein, and thereby had so far answered the end of his incarnation,
that nothing more was necessary for the purchase of redemption:
but when he rose from the dead, as a Conqueror over death and
hell, and was declared to have accomplished the work he came into
the world about, it is certain he did not lay it aside, but ascended
visibly into heaven, and shall come again, in a visible manner, in that
same nature, to judge the world at the last day.
2dly, The eternity of Christ’s human nature appears from the eternity
of his mediatorial kingdom, of which more under a following answer,
when we come to speak concerning the glory of Christ’s kingly
office. It appears, also, from the eternity of his intercession, which,
as the apostle expresses it, He ever liveth to make, Heb. vii. 25. for
his people: thus he does, by appearing in the human nature in the
presence of God, in their behalf; therefore he must for ever have an
human nature.
3dly, His saints shall abide for ever in heaven, and, as the apostle
says, Shall ever be with the Lord, 1 Thess. iv. 17. and their
happiness shall continue both as to soul and body; and, with respect
to their bodies, it is said, they shall be fashioned like unto Christ’s
glorious body, Phil. iii. 21. therefore his glorious body, or his human
nature, shall continue for ever united to his divine Person.
4thly, His retaining his human nature for ever, seems necessary, as it
redounds to the glory of God: it is an eternal monument of his love
to mankind, and an external means to draw forth their love to him,
who procured those mansions of glory, which they shall for ever be
possessed of, by what he did and suffered for them therein.
Quest. XXXVIII., XXXIX., XL.

Quest. XXXVIII. Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be


God?
Answ. It was requisite that the Mediator should be God, that he
might sustain and keep the human nature from sinking under
the infinite wrath of God, and the power of death, give worth
and efficacy to his sufferings, obedience, and intercession; and
so satisfy God’s justice, procure his favour, purchase a peculiar
people, give his Spirit to them, conquer all their enemies, and
bring them to everlasting salvation.
Quest. XXXIX. Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be
Man?
Answ. It was requisite that the Mediator should be Man, that he
might advance our nature, perform obedience to the law, suffer,
and make intercession for us in our nature, have a fellow-feeling
of our infirmities, that we might receive the adoption of sons,
and have comfort and access with boldness unto the throne of
grace.
Quest. XL. Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be God
and Man in one Person?
Answ. It was requisite that the Mediator, who was to reconcile
God and Man, should himself be both God and Man, and this in
one Person, that the proper works of each nature might be
accepted of God for us, and relied on by us, as the works of the
whole Person.
Our Mediator having been considered as God and Man, in one
person, we have a farther account of the necessity of being so. And,
I. It was necessary that he should be a divine Person, for several
reasons here assigned, with others that may be added. As,
1. If he had not been God, he could not have come into the world,
or been incarnate, and have had the guilt of our sins laid on him,
with his own consent; for he could not have been a party in the
everlasting covenant, in which this matter was stipulated between
the Father and him; and, had he not consented to be charged with
the guilt of our sin, he could not have been punished for it,
inasmuch as God cannot punish an innocent person; and, if such an
one be charged with this guilt, and consequently rendered the object
of vindictive justice, as our Saviour is said to have been, in scripture,
it must be with his own consent. Now the human nature could not
consent to its own formation, and therefore it could not consent to
bear our iniquities; since to consent supposes the person to be
existent, which Christ, had he been only Man, would not have been
before his incarnation, and therefore he could not have come into
the world as a Surety for us, and so would not have been fit, in this
respect, to have discharged the principal part of the work, which he
engaged in as Mediator.
2. There is another thing, mentioned in this answer, which rendered
it requisite that the Mediator should be God, namely, that he might
sustain and keep the human nature from sinking under the infinite
wrath of God, and the power of death. It must be allowed, that the
weight of the wrath of God, due to our sin, was so great, that no
mere creature could, by his own strength, have subsisted under it.
We will not deny, that a mere creature, supposing him only innocent,
but not united to a divine Person, might have been borne up, under
the greatest burthen laid on him, by the extraordinary assistance of
God, with whom all things are possible; nor that God’s giving a
promise that he should not fail, or be discouraged, is such a security,
as would effectually keep it from sinking; yet when we consider the
human nature, as united to the divine, this is an additional security,
that he should not sink under the infinite weight of the wrath of
God, that lay upon him; for then it would have been said, that he,
who is a divine Person, miscarried in an important work, which he
undertook to perform in his human nature, which would have been a
dishonour to him: so far this argument hath its proper force. But,
3. There is another reason, which more fully proves the necessity of
the Mediator’s being a Divine Person, viz. that this might give worth
and efficacy to his sufferings, obedience, and intercession, that so
what he did might have a tendency to answer the valuable ends
designed thereby, namely, the satisfying the justice of God,
procuring his favour, and purchasing a peculiar people to himself.
Had he been only man, what he did and suffered, might indeed have
been sinless, and perfect in its kind; nevertheless, it could not be of
infinite value, for a finite creature, as such, cannot pay an infinite
price, and thereby answer the demands of justice. Had nothing been
demanded of him but a debt of obedience, which he was obliged to
perform for himself, as a creature, it would not, indeed, have been
necessary that it should be of infinite worth and value, any more
than that obedience, that was due from our first parents, while in a
state of innocency: But when this is considered as a price of
redemption paid for us, and as designed to procure a right to the
favour of God, and eternal life, this must be of such a value, that the
glory of the justice of God might be secured, which nothing less than
an infinite price could do; and the law of God must not only be
fulfilled, but magnified, and made honourable; and therefore the
obedience, which was required, must not only be sinless, but have in
it an infinite worth and value, that hereby, when in a way of
intercession, it is pleaded before God, it might be effectual to answer
the ends designed thereby; but this it could not have been, had he
not been an infinite Person, namely, God as well as Man.
4. Another reason assigned for this, is, that he might give his Spirit
to his people. It is necessary that redemption should be applied, as
well as purchased; and that the same Person, as a peculiar branch
of glory due to him, should perform the one as well as the other;
and, in the application of redemption, it was necessary that the
Spirit should be glorified, that hereby he might appear to be a divine
Person; and, as he acts herein in subserviency to the Mediator’s
glory, as has been before observed[133], he is said to be sent by him,
which he could not have been, had not Christ had a divine nature, in
which respect he was equal with him; nor could he be said to give
that which the Spirit works, as he promised to do, when he told his
disciples, If I depart, I will send him unto you, John xvi. 7.
5. It was necessary that Christ should be God, that he might
conquer all our enemies, and so remove every thing out of the way
that tends to oppose his name, interest, and glory; these are sin,
Satan, the world, and death. Sin, which is opposite to the holiness of
God, is that which spirits, excites, and gives being to all opposition
there is against him, either in earth or hell, and endeavours to
eclipse his glory, controul his sovereignty, and reflect dishonour on
all his perfections. This must be subdued by Christ, so that it may no
longer have dominion over his people, Rom. vi. 14. and, in order
hereunto, its condemning power must be taken away, by his making
satisfaction for it, as our great High Priest; and also its enslaving
power subdued by the efficacy of his grace, in the internal work of
sanctification.
And, upon his having obtained this victory over sin, Satan is also
conquered when his prisoners are brought from under his power;
and he finds himself for ever disappointed, and not able to detain
those, who were, at first, led captive by him, nor to defeat the
purpose of God relating to the salvation of his elect, or to boast as
though he had wrested the sceptre out of his hand, or robbed him of
one branch of his glory.
Moreover, the world, which is reckoned among the number of God’s
enemies, must be conquered inasmuch as it opposes his name and
interest in an objective way, from whence corrupt nature takes
occasion either to abuse the various gifts and dispensations of
providence, or by contracting an intimacy with those who are
enemies to God and religion, to become more like them, as the
apostle says, The friendship of the world is enmity with God, James
iv. 4. Now Christ must be God, that he may discover its snares, and
enable his people to improve the good things of providence to his
glory, and over-rule the evil things thereof for their good.
And as for death, which is reckoned among Christ’s and his people’s
enemies, which the apostle calls, The last enemy that is to be
destroyed, 1 Cor. xv. 26. this is suffered to detain the bodies of
believers, as its prisoners, till Christ’s second coming; but it must be
destroyed, that so they may be made partakers of complete
redemption; and this is also a part of the Mediator’s work, as he
raises up his people at the last day. And all these victories over sin,
Satan, the world, and death, as they require infinite power, so it is
necessary that he, who obtains them, should be a divine Person.
6. It is necessary that the Mediator should be God, that he might
bring his people to everlasting salvation, that is, first fit them for,
lead them in the way to Heaven, and then receive them to it at last;
for this reason, he is styled, The author and Finisher of our Faith,
Heb. xii. 2. and it is said, that as he began the good work, so he
performs it, Phil. i. 6. or carries it on to perfection. Grace is Christ’s
gift and work; as he purchased it by his blood, while on earth; it is
necessary that he should apply it by his power; even as Zerubbabel,
who was a type of him, after he had laid the foundation-stone of the
temple, at last, brought forth the head-stone thereof, with shoutings,
crying, Grace, grace, unto it, Zech. iv. 7. so Christ works all our
works for us, and in us, till he brings them to perfection, and
presents his people unto himself a glorious church, not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy, and without
blemish, Eph. v. 27. and this is certainly a divine work, and
consequently he, who performs it, must be a divine Person. And to
this we may add,
7. It was necessary that our Mediator should be God, inasmuch as
the everlasting happiness of his people consists in the enjoyment of
him. He is not only the Author of their complete blessedness, but, as
we may express it, the matter of it; they are made happy, not only
by him, but in him; accordingly heaven is described as a state, in
which they behold his glory, John xvii. 24. and see him as he is, 1
John iii. 2. therefore, since he is the Fountain of blessedness, it is
requisite that he should be God, as well as Man.
II. It was requisite that the Mediator should be Man. When we speak
of the necessity of Christ’s incarnation, we are not to understand
hereby, that this was absolutely necessary, without supposing the
divine will, or purpose, to redeem man; for since our redemption
was not in itself necessary, but was only so, as the result of God’s
purpose relating thereunto; so Christ’s incarnation was necessary, as
a means to accomplish it. This is what divines generally call a
conditional necessity[134]; so that since Christ was ordained to be a
Mediator between God and man, it was requisite that he should
become Man: The reason assigned for it is, that he might perform
obedience to the law. That obedience to the law was required, in
order to his making satisfaction for sin, we shall have occasion to
consider, when we speak of his Priestly office; therefore all that need
be observed under this head, is, that this obedience could not be
performed by him in the divine nature, in which respect he cannot
be under any obligation to perform that which belongs only to those
who are creatures, and as such subjects; therefore, if he be made
under the law, he must have a nature fitted and disposed to yield
obedience.
Some have enquired, whether it was possible for Christ to have
answered this end, by taking any other nature into union with his
divine Person; or, whether this might have been brought about by
his taking on him the nature of angels? I shall not enter so far into
this subject, as to determine whether God might, had he pleased,
have accepted of obedience in any other nature, fitted for that
purpose; but we have ground, from scripture, to conclude, that this
was the only way that God had ordained for the redemption of man;
and therefore, though Christ might have performed obedience in
some other finite nature, or might have taken the nature of angels,
this would not, in all respects, have answered those many great
ends, which were designed by his incarnation. And therefore, since
this was the way in which God ordained that man should be

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