to confirme his promises by sundry arguments some whereof we will here repeat because the ample promises of their returne and the repaire of the City and Temple doth give some light what Covenant the Lord made with them after their returne First God promiseth to deliver them because they had been beloved of him of old time I am the Lord thy God the holy One of Isai 43. 3 4 5 6. Isai 46. 3 4. Israel thy Saviour I gave Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life Feare not for I am with thee I will bring thy seed from the East and gather thee from the West I will say to the North Give up and to the South Keepe not back bring my sonnes from farre and my daughters from the ends of the earth Even every one that is called by my Name for I have created him for my glory I have formed him yea I have made him Secondly The Lord hath not sold them for price or gaine therefore he might redeeme them without money Awake awake Isai 52. 1 2 3. fortem posce animum put on thy strength O Zion put on thy beautifull garments O Ierusalem the holy City for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the uncleane Shake thy selfe from the dust arise and sit down O Jerusalem loose thy selfe from the bands of thy necke O captive daughter of Zion For thus saith the Lord Ye have sold your selves for nought and ye shall be redeemed without money Thirdly By former experience he doth assure them of their future Isai 52. 4 5. return into their own place For thus saith the Lord God My people went downe aforetime into Egypt to sojourne there and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause Now therefore what have I here saith the Lord that my people is taken away for nought they that rule over them make them to howle saith the Lord and my Name continually is blasphemed Therefore my people shall know my Name therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speake Behold it is I. Fourthly This shall be to the Lord for a name and glory For Isai 48. 11. and 42. 8. mine own sake even for mine own sake will I doe it for how should my Name be polluted and I will not give my glory unto another I will cause the Captivity of Iudah and the Captivity of Israel to return and will build them as at the first And I will cleanse them from all Jer. 33. 7 8 9. Ezek. 36. 22 23. their iniquity whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me And it shall be unto me a Name of joy a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth that shall heare all the good that I doe unto them and they shall fâ—are and tremble for all the goodnesse and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it c. Fifthly That they might not faint through the long and great calamity which went before deliverance the Prophet in the Name of the Lord setteth before them the glory and dignity of the Messiah which followed his humiliation Behold my servant shall deale prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and be very Isai 52. 13 14. high As many were astonied at thee his visage was so marred more than any man and his forme more then the sonnes of men so shall he sprinkle many nations the Kings shall shut their mouths at him for that which had not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider Another Prophet directing the faithfull how to behave themselves in that long and grievous Captivity scil to wait patiently for the accomplishment of the Promise because the vision would speake in its appointed season and not lie he doth unfold the Doctrine of free Justification by faith in Christ more plainely then formerly it had been expressed in the Law of Moses adding Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright Hab. 2. 4. in him but the just shall live by his faith Whence the Apostle inferreth that we are justified by free grace and not by the works of the Law in the fight of God In the Originall Gal. 3. 11. it is The just shall live in his faith but that particle is oft very well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred by a Deut. 6. 5 Mar. 12. 30. Luke 10. 27. Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 3. 11. Heb. 10. 38. Deut. 32. 21. Hos 12. 13. Psal 78. 2. Act. 17. 28. Psal 18. 30. Matth. 17. 21. Phil. 4. 13. Of or By and it is all one whether we reade it The just shall live by of or in faith the sense being The just shall live the life of grace here and of glory hereafter in or by faith That which the Prophet speaketh in generall of all the Promises of God that the godly might certainly and constantly hold in what thing they ought to rest in the midst of all stormes and tempests and whence they may live securely in the distresses of death that the Apostle doth specially interpret of Justification and life eternall which we obtaine by faith The Prophet and Apostle both speake of a lively faith which is effectuall to bring forth good works but we obtain life eternall by faith and not by works To live here is to obtaine life or glory not to leade our life according to the Law or rule of righteousnesse as the drift of the Prophet and Exposition of the Apostle opposing the life which is by faith to that which is by the works of the Law which could not be if to live by faith had been to direct our life according to the Law Though then the righteous man must exercise himselfe in righteousnesse yet he is justified and liveth that is obtaineth life eternall by faith and not by the works of faith Now the Lord the strong Redeemer of his people according Jer. 24. 6 7. and 50. 20 34. Ezek. 20. 34 35 37. to the word of his Prophets brought back their Captivity with joy in his time appointed planted them in their own Land brought them into the bond of his Covenant and set up his Tabernacle amongst them When the Lord saith the Psalmist brought back the Captivity of Zion we were like them that dreame Psal 126. 1 2. Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing then said they amongst the Heathen The Lord hath done great things for them And the Prophet Zachary As for thee also by the blood Zech. 9. 11. of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water By this great speciall late and new blessing the Lord did bind his Israel unto him more strongly then heretofore
and blessing and cursing Take command without blessing or cursing and it is no more Law with Moses take simplâ— denuâ—ciation of blessing and curse from command and then it is threatning and promise but no Law This abstract of the Law here considered from the rest of Moses his Oâ—conomy is pure Law flashing wrath upon the fallen creature and therefore called a fiery Law or fire of Law Deut. 33. 3. And for speciall cause expressed in generall by the Apostle Gal. 3. The Law that is thus abstracted was added because of transgression For first in that long course of time betwixt Adam and Moses men had forgotten what was sinne and had obliterated the very Law of nature Therefore God sets out the lively Image of it by Moses in this draught and abstract to which end all the commands saving two are propounded in the negative that so men by the Church might know the nature of sinne againe Rom. 3. 19. Secondly God propounds the Law with curse eternall to work death and to shew Gods eternall displeasure against sin Rom. 4. 15. which was usefull not only to the world and wicked in generall but specially to the stiff-necked and refractory Nation to be as a rod to scourge all their rebellions and backslidings The Law thus laced with blessings and cursings eternall abstracted from the rest of his frame makes Moses now to begin to breath blessings and no lesse then Gospel This comming from a pacified God as Exod. 33. 6 7 8. may be looked on by the fallen creature with comfort and from this consideration it is that we affirme this Covenant made with the body of Israel to be a Covenant of Grace for it is one and therefore never by Moses called Covenants Again It cannot be denied that so farre as it concerned the spirituall Iâ—raelite whom God especially eyed and for their sakes infolded the carnall in the compact it was a Covenant Thus farre for confirmation of that distinction But these distinctions seeme not to remove the doubt Not the first because it cannot be conceived how the old Covenant should as a condition of the Covenant exact perfect obedience deserving life as necessary to Salvation and yet promise pardon to the repentant believer for these two are contrary the one to the other Not the second because the Covenant that God made with the Jewes is but one and how should we conceive the Law in one and the same Covenant to be propounded as a rigid draught of prime nature and with moderation also as the Covenant of works and the Covenant of Grace likewise when the Covenant is but one and the conditions the same Besides where the Apostles doe oppose the Law and Gospel or the old and new Testament not only the Morall Law as it was given upon Mount Sinai but the whole Jewiâ—h Pedagogie or Law of Moses is understood as it is manifest in sundry passages Other things to be observed in that explication I will not insiâ—t upon at this present because they will come to be touched hereafter as we passe along The Law was never given or made positive without the Gospel neither is the Gospel now without the Law although the old Testament be usually called the Law and the new the Gospel because the Law is predominant in the one and the Gospel in the other Exod. 19. 4 5. Some Divines hold the old Testament even the Law as it was given upon Mount Sinai to be the Covenant of Grace for substance though propounded in a manner fitting to the state of that people time and condition of the Church It was so delivered as it might serve to discover sin drive the Jews to deny themselves and â—lie to the mercy of God revealed in Jesus but it was given to be a rule of life to a people in Covenant directing them how to walk before God in holinesse and righteousnesse that they might inherit the promises of grace and mercy This I take to be the truth and it may be confirmed by many and strong reasons out of the word of God As first by the contract of that spirituall marriage a little before the promulgation of the Law described in these words Yee have seene what I did unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagles wings and brought you unto myselfe Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keepe my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine And yee shall be unto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel whereunto the Prophet Jer. 11. 2 3 4. Jeremiah hath reference saying Heare ye the words of this Covenant and speak unto the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and say thou unto them thus saith the Lord Deut. 4. 13. 1 King 8. 21. 2 King 23. 2. Booke of the Covenant Ex. God of Israel Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant which I commanded your Fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt from the iron fornace saying obey my voice and doe them according to all which 24. 7. Deut. 4. 23. 5. 2. 9. 9. Jer. 3. 16. Hos 8. 1. Jer. 7. 23. 2 Chro. 6. 11. Ex. 34. 27 28. Eph. 2. 1 2. Rom. 5. 10 I command you so shall ye be my people and I will be your God And this without doubt is to be understood of the Decalogue as it was given upon Mount Sinai seeing Moses himselfe doth in expresse words testifie it God himselfe saith he declared unto you his Covenant which he commanded you to performe even ten words and he wrote them upon two tables of stone In these passages observe that the Law is called a Covenant as it is often els-where the Covenant of the Lord. What Covenant but of grace and mercy even that wherein God promiseth to be their God and take them to be his people if they obey his commandments For since the fall of Adam the Covenant which the Lord hath entered into with his people was ever free and gracious For when all men are sinners by nature dead in trespasses and enemies to God how can a Covenant betwixt God and man be stricken without forgivenesse of former transgressions If in the state of innocency perfect obedience should have been rewarded with life from justice now that man is fallen by transgression Chald. Paraph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Exod. 19. 5. Onkelos Reges sacerdotes multitudo regum sacerdâ—tum Regiae potestatis est praevalere apud DeuÌ„ res illas ab illo auâ—erre quaruÌ„ nulla pridem facultas suit D SimoÌ„ log c. 10. Basil 1527. R Salâ—m R. Abrah R. David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vox Segulah
ingraven in tables of stone is one for substance so is the new and the old Testament The Law is not opposed to the Law but the writing to writing Writing in tables of stone pertained to Moses or to the Old Testament writing in the heart to Christ or the new Covenant The Law is the same but otherwise administred in the hand of Christ then in times past in the hand of Moses Moses gave the Law in tables of stone but could not give power or ability to doe what the Law required but Christ writeth the Law in the heart and inableth the faithfull in some measure to doe what he commandeth And in the same place the Lord by the Prophet sheweth that when he made this Covenant with Jer. 31. 32. the Fathers which they brake he declared himselfe to be an husband unto them or joyned himselfe in marriage unto them But God never joyned himselfe in marriage unto a people but by the Covenant of grace It may be said the Apostle sheweth the former Jer. 3. 14. Covenant to be faultie or that another Covenant was lacking But that is not mentioned to prove the Covenants to be two in substance opposite one to the other but because the first Testament did not containe the Image of the things themselves and therfore was not to be rested in as if we could be justified by Heb. 10. 1. the workes of the Law or ceremoniall observances annexed but must be used as an introduction to leade us unto Christ who is the very Image of the things themselves This first Covenant therfore could not be fulfilled or effectuall but by the bringing in of a second which was prefigured thereby For the blood of Bulls and Goats was not availeable to purge away sinne but did prefigure the blood of Christ which is effectuall to purge our consciences from dead workes The blood of Bulls and of Goats and Heb. 9. 13. 14. the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the uncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh sc from a trespasse meerely committed against the Law of Ceremonies but the bloody sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour Christ whereof the legall Sacrifices were tipes and shadowes was alone appointed of God and is effectuall to cleanse us from all sinnes committed against the Morall Law of God and to purifie us from such dead works as not expiated by his blood would bring forth everlasting death Of necessity therfore the first Covenant because it is of grace must bring forth a second Joh. 1. 17. Joh. 5. 46. in which is fulfilled that which in the first is prefigured The Law was given by Moses and the righteousnesse of faith was taught by Moses as our Saviour testifieth Why then doth the Apostle in the words following add by way of opposition but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ The sence of the place seemes to be this That the Law prefiguring Christ and redemption in him and teaching and commanding what ougâ—â— to be done but neither giving grace to doe it not containing the substance of the thing prefigured was given by Moses but grace to doe what was commanded came from Christ in whom also the substance of what was prefigured by the Ceremonies is fulfilled But if the Law of Moses sent the Jewes to Christ and directed them how to walke believing in him but of it selfe did not give grace or truth of necessity it must make knowne Christ 2 Cor. 3. 6 7 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as some bookes have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. verba viva Ar. Sermâ—nem vivum in some sort and command faith in him which is proper to the Covenant of grace The Law is a killing letter saith the Apostle and the ministration of death and condemnation But the same Law which is called a dead or killing letter is stiled a lively word or lively oracles that is such as give life The words of Paul therfore are not to be understood absolutely of the Law but as it was Act. 7 38. Lev. 18 5. Ezek. 20. 13. Neh. 9. 29. separated from Christ and the Gospell of men who did rest in the Law and sought to be justified by it whereas Christ was the end of the Law which the Jewes not perceiving they erred from the truth and perverted the true sence and scope of the Law For the ministery of Moses as it is referred to the mind and counsell of the Lord is bright and illustrious but the carnall people could not behold that brightnesse and therefore the Law is vailed to the carnall Jew that he cannot behold the light that shineth therein Even unto this day when Moses is read the vaile 2 Cor. 3. 15 16. is upon their heart Neverthelesse when it shall turne unto the Lord the vaile shall be taken away That is when Israel shall be turned unto the Lord the vaile shall be taken away that in the law it selfe they may see Christ whom now being blind by reason of their indurate mind they could not fee. For there was a double vaile drawne over their eyes the first of hatred against Christ the second of the Law it selfe in which Christ was revealed but not so clearely as in the Gospell which double vaile shall be taken Isa 25. 7. Rom. 4. 15. 3. 20. 7 9. away when they shall be converted unto Christ The Law worketh wrath and discovereth sinne yea reviveth it What the Apostle speaketh of the Law in these and other above rehearsed passages is to be understood of the whole Jewish pedagogie viz. the Law Morall and Ceremoniall as it was given by Moses And as here the Law is said to worke wrath and terrifie so Psal 19. 7 8 9. 119. 47. elsewhere it is said to cause the soule to returne to enlighten the eyes and rejoyce the heart Of necessity for the reconciliation of these sayings of the Prophet and Apostle in shew contrary it Beza in Rom. 2. 27. Calv. in 2 Cor. 3. 17. Col. 2. 13. The ceremonies are visible words preaching Christ and they preached our guile and wrath belonging unto us must be granted that the Law animated by Christ is pleasant and delightfull but as it is barely considered in opposition to Christ and to the Gospell as it exacteth perfect obedience but giveth no ability or power to performe what is required it woundeth terrifieth killeth and worketh wrath Of the Law there is a twofold use and consideration One as it is a rigid exactor of intire obedience and hand-writing against us for sinne and thus of it selfe barely considered it woundeth but healeth not it reviveth sinne but mortifieth it not The other as it pointeth to Christ in whom Salvation is to be found and directeth how to walke in all well-pleasing before the Lord and thus it is an easy yoke The Law considered without Christ woundeth killeth and reviveth sinne by reason of our Corruption But the Law considered in Christ and as it
the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep in the Land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee Thou shalt be blessed above all people and there shall not be male or female barren amongst you or among your cattell And the Lord will take away from thee all sicknesse and will put none of the evill diseases of Egypt which thou knowest upon thee but will lay them upon all them that hate thee The Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good Land a Land Deut. 8. 7 8 9. 11. 14 15. of brookes of water of fountaines and depths that spring out of the vallies and hils a Land of wheat and barley and Vines and Fig-trees and Pomegranates a Land of Oile Olive and Honey A Land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarcenesse thou shalt not lacke any thing in it a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hils thou maist digge brasse The Lord hath vouched thee this day to be his peculiar Deut. 26. 18 19. people as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldest keep all his Commandements And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honour and that thou maiest be Deut. 28. 1 2 c. an holy people unto the Lord thy God as he hath spoken Secondly The Lord promised to chuse a place to cause his name to dwell there and set his Tabernacle amongst them and walke with them But when you goe over Jordane and dwell in the Land Lev. 26 4 5 6 7 8 9 11. Deut. 12. 10 11 12. 16. 6. which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about so that ye dwell in safety Then shall there be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there thither shall ye bring all that I command you And I Lev. 26. 10 12. will set my Tabernacle amongst you and my soule shall not abhorre you And I will walke among you and will be your God and ye shall be my people For the Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation Psal 132. 13. 14. This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Thirdly Free forgivenesse of sinnes is likewise promised in this Covenant This is implyed in that he promiseth to be their God for if he be theirs he will be favourable to their iniquities and remember their sinnes no more And so much is expressed when upon repentance and turning unto him he hath proclaimed himselfe ready to receive them into favour If from thence Deut. 4. 29 30. thou shalt seeke the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seeke him with all thine heart and with all thy soule And it shall come to Deut. 30. 1 2 3. passe when all these things shall come upon thee the blessing and the curse which I have set before thee and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee And shalt returne unto the Lord thy God and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day thou and thy children That then the Lord thy God will turne thy Captivity and have compassion upon thee and will returne and gather thee from all nations When thy people Israel be smitten downe before the enemy because they have sinned 1 King 8. 33 34. Man as capable of Justification is â— sinner as be actually receiveth Justification a Believer against thee and shall turne againe unto thee and confesse thy Name and pray and make supplication unto thee in this house Then heare thou in heaven and forgive the sinne of thy people Israel and bring them againe unto the Land Moreover the Lord made himselfe knowne to be the God that pardoneth iniquity transgression and sinne when he gave this Covenant unto his people But of this before Fourthly Eternall life is promised in the Covenant for God is not the God of the dead but of the living and therefore the faithfull Jewes which have God for their God doe live still not Math. 22. 32. Math. 19. 17. Luk. 10. 25 28. in earth but in heaven The life which is promised to them that keepe the Law is eternall but in this Covenant life is promised to them that keepe the Commandements Not only long Psal 34. 12 13. life and good dayes in the Land of Canaan but eternall life is assured by the promise to them that keepe Covenant as eternall death and destruction is comprehended under the curse denounced against them that breake the Covenant Expresse mention of Gal. 3. 13. the King some of Heaven perhaps is not found in the Old Testament but eternall life is comprehended under the termes of life and blessing as eternall death under the tearmes of death and the Curse Eternall life in heaven eternall death in hell the Law noteth though it doe not expressely name them Which things unlesse they had been commonly knowne in the dayes of our Saviour the penitent Thiefe about to die had not thought of a Kingdome nor the Lord promised Paradice to him when he asked a place in the Kingdome of the Mâ—ssiah But all these promises were made of freâ— grace and of free love accomplished Speake not thou in thine heart after that the Lord Deut. 9. 4 5. thy God hath cast them out from before thee saying For my righteousnesse the Lord hath brought me in to possesse this Land but for the wickednesse of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee Not for the righteousnesse or for the uprightnesse of thine heart doest thou goe to possesse their Land but for the wickednesse of these Nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee and that he may performe the word which the Lord sware unto thy Fathers Abraham Vers 6. Isâ—â—k and Jacob. Vnderstand therefore that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good Land to possesse it for thy righteousnes for thou art a stiffe-necked people True it is the promises runne upon this condition If ye obey my voice and doe my Commandments But conditions are of two sorts antecedent or consequent Antecedent when the condition is the cause of the thing promised or given as in all civill contracts of Justice where one thing is given for another Consequent when the condition is annexed to the promise as a qualification in the Subject or an adjunct that must attend the thing promised And in this latter sence obedience to the Commandments was a condition of the promise not a cause why the thing promised was vouchsafed but a qualification in the subject capable or a consequence of such great mercy freely conferred Of them that slip aside and transgresse the Covenant God calleth for and commandeth repentance that is it is his will and command that they
lapsus peccati statu alijsque peccatis excepta sola impenitentia considerantur c. Sicut fidelibus quatalibus fructus impetratae gratiae proprié obtingit ita infidelibus rebellibus qua talibus gratia impetrata non est c. pag. 312. The second sort of Divines distinguish the sufficiency and efficiency of Christs death In respect of the worth and greatnesse of the price he died for all men because it was sufficient for the redemption of every man in the world if they did repent and believe and God might without impeachment of justice have offered Salvation to every man in the world upon that condition if it had been his pleasure In the efficiency as every man or any man hath fruit by the death of Christ so Christ died for him But this is not of one kind some fruit is common to every man for as Christ is Lord of all things in heaven and earth even the earthly blessings which infidels injoy may be tearmed fruits of Christs death Others proper to the members of the visible Church and common to them as to be called by the word injoy the Ordinances of grace live under the Covenant partake of some graces that come from Christ which through their fault be not saving and in this sence Christ died for all that be under the Covenant But other fruits of Christs death according to the will of God and intention of Christ as Mediatour be peculiar to the sheep of Christ his brethren them that be given unto him of the Father as faith unfained regeneration pardon of sinne adoption c. and so they hold Christ died efficiently for his people only in this sence namely so as to bring them effectually to faith grace and glory Now let us come to examine what the Scriptures teach in this particular The Apostle writeth expressely that by the grace of Heb. 2. 9. God Christ tasted of death for all men or distributively for every man Some referre this to the sufficiency of Christs death but all men cannot be referred to man-kinde considered in the common masse or lapse for the words must be understood of the death of Christ as it was suffered in time and not as it was decreed of God and of men considered as at that time But at what time Christ suffered mankind could not be considered as in the transgression of our first Parents The Jewes were of opinion that Christ the Messiah was promised a Saviour to them only How to impetrate Salvation No but to be applied as in Covenant Now to beate downe their pride the Apostle saith Christ tasted of death for all sc both Jew and Gentile who stood in relation by virtue of the Covenant as the Jewes did So that the Apostle speakes of the application of Christs death which is not absolutely common to all and every man in the world and by every man is meant every man who heareth receiveth and is partaker of the fruit and benefit of Christs death offered in the word of reconciliation every man who is under the new Covenant as it is propounded of God in the Gospell and accepted of them But every man under the new Covenant as he is under the Covenant is partaker of the fruit benefit of Christs death That the passage is to be understood of them that apply and possesse the fruit of his death is manifest by divers reasons from the verses precedent and subsequent The world to come verse 5. may well be that all or every man for whom Christ tasted death but that world to come is that happy age which the Prophets did foretell should begin at the comming of Christ whose accomplishment or fulfilling we expect as yet Beza an not in Heb. 2. 5. Corvin in Mal. cap. 29. § 1. Heb. 2. 10 11. 13 Isa 53. 10. Heb. 2. 16. They for whom Christ died are in the same Chapter described to be one that is of the same nature and spirituall condition with Christ to be his brethren such as trust in God the children of God given unto Jesus Christ the generation or posterity of Christ as the Prophet speaketh whom Christ tooke by the hand and lifted up from their fall the seed of Abraham But these things agree to them only that possesse the fruits and benefits of Christ for whom he died by way of application If the maintainers of universall redemption consider their owne grounds it will be hard to fit this Text to their purpose or rather from them the former exposition may be confirmed For either by all men they must understand mankind in the common lapse as fallen in Adam and then Christ by his death hath restored them into the favour of God they stand actually reconciled they be regenerated and if they die before by actuall sinne committed in their owne person they fall from that estate are undoubtedly saved or they must understand all men considered as obstinate impenitent rebellious unbelievers And then Christ died for all and every man as obstinate impenitent and unbelievers which I cannot find that any of them hath or dare affirme or by all men they must understand all beleevers who apply and possesse the benefits of Christs death which is that we affirme They say how truly I dispute not his dominion over all men that they are bound to obey him and live unto him is grounded upon his dying for every one But if that be granted is it not necessary that his death should be applied to every one in some sort at least made knowne unto them in the word of life For men are bound to obey and live unto Christ as they will grant not because he hath impetrated righteousnesse and salvabilitie but because he hath entred into Covenant with them made knowne unto them the way of life imparted unto them his blessings and they have accepted of the condition and received him to be their Saviour And these words By the grace of God I should thinke import more to them then that velleity or common mercy or generall affection of doing good which Armin. and Corvin make naturall and as they teach God beareth towards them that he hateth Corvin in Molin cap. 29. Sect. 2. which was the cause why he gave Christ to die for all men even that free grace and love whereby he quickens them that were dead in trespasses and saveth them that believe Ephes 2. 5. As for the particle All or every one examples are usuall in Scripture where it is used with fit limitation though neither all precisely nor the most part be signified and that confessed by all sides But what need paralell places to prove it may be when the circumstances of the text shew it must be limited and they that most presse universall redemption are enforced to acknowledge a limitation in this matter It is objected that the holy Ghost speaketh generally in the beginning of the Chapter What is man But how to frame any Heb.
of God the people of God Saints by calling and so Christ died for them efficiently and by way of application as they be within the Covenant made in Christ and doe partake of those fruits and benefits of his death which of themselves tend to salvation but are perverted of them to destruction through their owne default But others comprehended under the world be faithfull indeed living members of Jesus Christ sealed by the Spirit and for these Christ died efficiently in a peculiar manner scil to bring them to life and happinesse as already they are called savingly and effectually to faith and repentance The argument à pari is of no weight manifestly confuted both by Scripture and experience it selfe For to many that perish is the word of Salvation sent they receive it professe it rejoyce in it live under the Ordinances of grace be partakers of sundry graces of the Spirit all which be speciall fruits of Christs death speciall to some not common to all men and in which respects Christ is said to die for them But to affirme the same things of every particular man in the world is to offend against common sence If Christ had died for one wicked man that perished because he had been wicked or for that reason there had been some truth in the argument but some fruits of Christs death are imparted to some although they be wicked not because they are wicked or for that reason Besides it is one thing to say Christ died for some that perish as they partake the fruits of his death in themselves belonging to Salvation which is granted another to say Christ died for all men considered as fallen according to the will of God and intention of Christ as Mediatour with full purpose to purchase for them actuall reconciliation on Gods part which is that they contend for So that this objection will be of no force untill it can be proved that impretation is application they be in Covenant who be not nor never were in Covenant they have the Gospell who never heard of the Gospell they have received the promise of Salvation who are rejected and cast off of God as aliens from the Covenant Christ is amongst them who never had possible meanes imaginable to come to the knowledge of the truth and they are enlightned and have tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the life to come who all their life long have lived in ignorance and infidelity and not heard that there is a Christ 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. We thus judge saith Paul that if one died for all then were all dead And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe Here the Apostle saith expressely Christ died for all simply meant in respect of the impetration of a new Covenant and salvation according to that Covenant common misery is concluded from this that Christ died for all men sc that all were dead which is universally true of every man And upon this ground he exhorts men to live unto Christ scil that Christ died for all men Some learned Divines not partiall referre See Estium in 2 Cor. 5. 14. pag. 586. this to the greatnesse of the price and dignity of Christs death which was sufficient for the redemption of man-kind if they did repent and believe but the Apostle rather speaks of Christs death for all in respect of application event or effect for all not simply but for all to whom the fruit and benefit of Christs death is offered in the Gospel and received by faith Thus Vorstius Vorst in 2 Cor. 5. 14 loc com Illud quoque hic obiter notandum Christ died and was raised up for all men in generall if we consider the amplitude of divine grace offered in Christ but in respect of the event or effect both are done for all the elect and believers only And in this latter sence that phrase is used of the Apostle in this place And this the circumstances of the text will plainly enforce For he speaks of the death of Christ not as it was purposed and decreed of God but as it was actually suffered by Christ when the farre greatest part of the world was for present state drowned in Infidelity and Idolatry wherein they had continued a long time being rejected and cast off of God The end of Christs death and resurrection there named by the Apostle sheweth it is to be meant of the fruit and application that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but to him which died for them that is that by force of that communion which they have with him their head being dead unto sinne they should live unto righteousnesse But that can agree unto none who are not partakers of the fruits of Christ none are fitted by grace to live unto Christ but they that have put on Christ by faith That All for whom Christ died is that world which God in Christ hath reconciled unto himselfe not imputing their sins ver 19. whereby is meant the world of Jew and Gentile of which we have spoken before in the fore-cited places which must have the same meaning and cannot be affirmed of the world universally according to that present state wherein it stood when Christ suffered How then doth the Apostle conclude common misery from this If one died for all then were all dead It may well be understood of death unto the world and sinne and not of death in sinne as if he had said if Christ died for all then all that are his are dead to sinne and to the world The words and scope of the Apostle do both agree well to this interpretation It hath been alleadged that the words speake of a death passed not present as our translation sheweth and so could not be understood of death unto sin But Vorstius upon that very word noteth that he understandeth Vorst in 2 Cor. 5. 15. Schol. all Christians in which the efficacie of Christs death sheweth forth it self as they also by the example of Christ are dead to sin and the flesh Confer Rom. 6. 2 c. 1 Pet. 4. 1. Some foolishly understand this of the guilt of death that the sense should be because Christ is dead for all men hence it is truly gathered that all men are guilty of death which is refuted in the verse following This is Vorstius his censure of that interpretation As for the words seeing they speake of the death of Christ applyed in the time past it was requisite these that intreat of the death of sin in them that be Christs should be put in the time past also And so the words doe more confirme then weaken the interpretation It is further objected that it will not agree with the argument of the Apostle who by Christs death for all could not prove all to be dead to sin nor so much as all
all men unto justification of life Rom. 5. 18. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe Rom. 8. 34. I am come that they might have life and that thâ—y might have it more aboundantly Joh. 10. 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Sonne into the world that we might live through him 1 Joh. 4. 9. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Heb. 10. 10. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified vers 14. The passages of Scripture are plentifull which testifie application to be the end of Christs death for he died to establish and ratifie the everlasting Covenant of grace Heb. 9. 15 16 17. to abolish him that had the power of death that is the devill Heb. 2. 14 15. conquer death 2 Tim. 1. 10. destroy and kill sinne Rom. 6. 10. sanctifie his people through the truth Joh. 17. 19. give life unto the world Joh. 6. 33. redeeme us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3. 13. and from all iniquity Tit. 2. 14. obtaine eternall redemption Heb. 9. 12. that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. that he might deliver us from this present evill world Gal. 1. 4. that being dead unto sinne and alive unto God Rom. 6. 4 5 6. we might not live to our selves but unto him which died for us and rose againe 2 Cor. 5. 15. and that we might receive the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4. 5. And it is absurd to reason it selfe that Christ by the decree of God should purchase that for men which is not given unto them that he should acquire what they obtaine not that by divine imputation Christ should die for every man when the merits of Christ be not communicated unto them that the promised seed should be given to Abraham no blessing or multiplication following If Christ have purchased a new Covenant faith redemption reconciliation for every man without question they are or shall be delivered from the condemnation and dominion of sinne the Spirit is given or shall be given to abide with them they arâ— or shall be renewed after the Image of God If Christ be a King he hath a Kingdome subjects and territories wherein he doth exercise his regall power He is a King not only in personall right or to punish enemies but a King to feed and rule a people God hath given his Sonne the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession and shall men with-hold it Shall God give men unto Christ and shall they detaine themselves from him If Christ came to destroy the workes of the devill that is sinne as the Apostle shewes 1 Joh. 3. 8. Joh. 8. 41 44. and to deliver men from the feare of death and the devill shall we not thinke that Satan is cast downe and death abolished Christ is a Saviour as in merit so in efficacy else should his purchase be in vaine the end of his comming into the world be uncertaine his purpose in laying downe his life be frustrate and Christ should merit by the appointment of God what God doth not give therfore the impetration of righteousnesse must not be plucked from the application nor doth the giving of benefits purchased by the death of Christ depend upon the pleasure of men any more then the acquisition doth Betwixt the purchase and application of Christs death faith comes between but that faith is merited by the death of Christ and for Christ vouchsafed to them for whom he died Tit. 3. 6. Ephes 1. 3. Phil. 1. 29. Ephes 6. 23. Some have answered that all men are the sheep of Christ as the dispersed torne and devoured of evill pastors and beasts of the field and the seduced and destroyed are acknowledged to be sheep Jer. 23. 1 2. Ezek. 34. 5 6. But the Prophets speake only of the people of the Jewes which at that time was distinct from the Gentiles as the flock and inheritance of the Lord so that hence nothing can be gathered but that they who live in Christs Church and fold are his people and sheep of his pasture Againe the Scripture speakes of the sheep of Christ two wayes according to vocation or according to election According to vocation they are sheep who externally pertaine to the number of Gods people and the Church according to election Jer. 23. 3. Rom. 9. 27. Ezek. 34. 5 6. many sheep are without many wolves within and many sheep within many wolves without Although there be a distinction betwixt the merit of Christ by his obedience even to death and his intercession yet one of them cannot be separated from the other for he maketh intercession for them to his Father for whom he hath merited reconciliation by his death and we cannot thinke he should lay downe his life for them for whom he would not pray If we looke unto the signification of the words Mediatour and Intercessor note the same thing and if Christ have put himselfe betwixt the wrath of God and man to obtaine reconciliation by making satisfaction to offended justice can it be thought he will not request that for the virtue of his sacrifice they for whom he hath satisfied might be accepted of the Father If we looke to these two functions of Mediation suffering death and making intercession they are conjoyned in Scripture It is Christ that Rom. 8. 34. died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us If any man sinne we have 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our our sinnes Christ is our Advocate if he be our propitiation if we will receive the testimony of the Apostle and not separate things that God hath conjoyned Incredible it is that Christ out of his incredible love should vouchsafe to lay downe his life for them as well as others for whom the time of his passion being at hand he would not power out a prayer How these two be conjoyned in the intention of our Saviour sc to pray Joh. 17. 19. for men and to offer himselfe a Sacrifice for them may appeare by the words of our Saviour himselfe for these I sanctifie my selfe that is for these am I prepared to offer my selfe that they might be sanctified by the truth for these that is them for whom he prayed And if Christ had intended to offer up himselfe an holy and propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of all and every man he would rather have prayed his Father to accept his sacrifice for all men then professe that he prayed not for all men For whom Christ hath offered up himselfe a Sacrifice to put away sinne for them doth he appeare before God in heaven and if he doth appeare before Heb.
equall to us Christians in all substantiall graces of the Covenant Fourthly and from the same grounds we may conclude that the soules of the faithfull who departed this life before the comming of Christ in the flesh were immediately received into Heaven For they were taken to glory and saved as we Now such as are taken to glory are taken to Heaven For the Scripture knoweth Act. 15. 11. no place in which God doth ordinarily display his glory but Heaven And what should hinder their translation into the heavenly Jerusalem when they are removed out of this earthly tabernacle Not their sinnes for they which could not hinder them from Sanctification fitting them for Heaven could not hinder them from Heaven Not want of Faith who now have that faith which Abraham and many of them had No want of efficacie in Christ he was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world he was yesterday to day and for ever his death was effectuall to cause them to find pardon and the Spirit of Sanctification Not any priviledge of Christ for not simply to ascend into Heaven was Christs priviledge but to ascend soule and body as heire of all things and the Authour of Salvation to all that obey him David is said not to have ascended into Heaven but that is spoken Act. 2. 34. in respect only that he was not raised in body and gone into Heaven body and soule as the heire of all things and person who was to sit at Gods right hand It is also said The Fathers received Heb. 11. 39. not the Promise scil of Christs comming in the flesh to performe the worke of our Redemption but as they received the promise of forgivenesse and of the Spirit of Sanctification so after their death they were taken into Heaven They whose Pilgrimage and sojourning ceased with this life they could not but be in their Countrey at home after this life But Heaven is the Countrey of the Saints for where their Father is there is their Countrey Those who walked as strangers here on earth because they looked Heb. 11. 13 14 15 16. Heb. 11. 5. 2 King 2. 11. Luke 9. 31. for an heavenly Jerusalem a City whose Maker was God they leaving this earth were translated thither The translating of Enoch Moses and Elias seeme to figure out no other thing Christ was the fore-runner of Enoch not in act in respect of the assumption of his humanity into Heaven but in vertue and merit From the beginning of the world a place was prepared for all whom God had chosen in Jesus Christ Matth. 25. 31. and 20. 23. but a place was to be prepared of Christ for us in respect of the promised paiment by the force and efficacy whereof the effect was before obtained but with respect to future labours which were both certaine and present with God For a morall cause though it be not present in act if it be supposed as future may have its effect The faithfull before Christ when they removed out of these earthly tabernacles were received into everlasting habitations Luke 16. 9. Now if the godly at the instant departed were bestowed in any place but Heaven they then did goe to mansions which they were to leave in a short time even then when Christ did ascend Our Saviour promised to the penitent Theefe upon the Crosse This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise which if it was not Luke 23. 43. into Heaven but into Limbus it was but for a short time for that was to be broken up within a few houres space But to returne to the matter in hand The Covenant of Promise and the new Covenant are so one for substance that what is in the first for weight and essentiall is in all the degrees following and to be understood though not mentioned and whatsoever in any after degree appeares as substantiall to the Covenant that was included in the first propounding of it but in sundry accidents which nothing hinder their substantiall unity they are distinguished First on the part of the Object Christ exhibited in the New 1 Ioh. 1. 1 2. 4. 14. Mal. 3. 1. Isai 59. 15. Covenant is promised as to come in the Covenant of promise For it was meete the promise should goe before the Gospell and be fulfilled in the Gospell that so great a good might earnestly be desâ—red before it was bestowed and that the expectation of them that waited for the consolation of Israel might not be frustrated Secondly In the manner of administration and measure of faith For the knowledge of Christ and faith in him to come was more obscure and darke then the knowledge of him already come and faith which doth behold him present The manner of Christs Mediation was more sparingly and obscurely revealed his person the manner of execution of the office of Mediatour and the benefits that we receive in him more darkly unfolded sometimes propounded in generall words sometimes shadowed in types and figures seldome more specially described And the reason why these things at first were more darkely delivered may be first because things present or past are seene more clearely then things to Heb. 11. 17. come prophesies be obscure before the accomplishment 2. The Church was then in her Infancy and rude not come to her ripe age the Lord in his infinite wisdome so disposing the matter 3. It was meete the cleare and full revelation of this mystery should be reserved to Christ the chiefe Prophet The Authour of life was to lay open and make manifest the way to life Till the way into Heaven was really entred by the true high Priest after the order of Melchisedech it was not fully manifested Heb. 9. 8. Under the Old Testament the way into the Holiest was not absolutely shut but vailed not altogether untraced but not fully laid open because our true and reall high Priest had not made satisfaction by the offering up of himselfe a sacrifice once for all nor consecrated that new and living way through the vaile that is to say his flesh 4. The minds of men were to be held in a longing desire and expectation of Christ and the obscure revelation of Christ and his benefits did serve to raise their hearts to an earnest desire of his comming in respect of the cleare revelation and great and glorious blessings they might then expect But in this obscurity we may observe some degrees Before the Law given by Moses the promise was more obscure the Law being given even to the times of the Prophets lesse cleare in the times of the Prophets even to Iohn the Baptist more cleare Even from the first giving forth of the promise untill the comming of Christ in the flesh the revelation was more cleare distinct ample as the comming of the Messiah did approach neerer and neerer For the Church by how much it was neerer to her beginnings by so much it was the ruder and therfore to be instructed
with money of the stranger which is not of his seed Thus Ishmael Esau and others were circumcised counted Abrahams seed and under Covenant untill they fell away and discovenanted themselves but their posterity are not counted for the seed because they utterly fell away and departed from the faith The whole Nation of the Jewes descending from Jacob was accounted the seed of Abraham untill the time of Reformation though many amongst them were wicked and oft-times fell away I know saith our Saviour to the Pharisees ye are Abrahams seed but yee John 8. 37. seeke to kill me so did not Abraham In respect of the externall administration of the Covenant they were counted the seed but they walked not in the steps of the faith of Abraham and therefore indeed and truth they were not the seed And the Apostle speaking to the Jewes who had put Christ to death saith Ye are the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with Act. 3. 25. our Fathers saying unto Abraham And in thy seed shall all the Kinreds of the earth be blessed Further it is to be observed that in all the seed the Covenant reacheth to Infants borne of the seed under the Covenant which was the reason why they must receive the seale of the Covenant at eight dayes old Neither must we put off this that Infants have only jus foederis for they be foederati Your children are holy saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 14. Holy by Covenant though by nature sinfull Indeed it is true they be not capable of many actuall injoyments under the Covenant nor of actuall Faith but through the free grace and acceptation of God the Promise of forgivenesse and the Kingdome of Heaven belongeth unto them So that if any person come into Covenant and procreate children that man and his issue are foederati and may grow up into a further body from that beginning From this we may see the true ground of all Covenants as they receive difference Luk. 18. 9. from the parties injoying whether personall family-Covenants or nationall Personall is the cause of family-Covenants as Abrahams Covenant the ground of his Families entrance and so the Covenant made with the Family the ground of nationall as in the Families of Jacob cast together made all Israel under Covenant And herein appeares the truth of the former distinction that the Covenant is made according to internall force and efficacy or outward administration only The things on Gods part promised under this manifestation to Abraham and his subfederates are held forth in these and the like expressions I will make thee a great Nation and I will blesse thee Gen. 12. 2 3. and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing And I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse him that curseth thee and in thee shall all Families of the earth be blessed Vnto thy seed will I give this land ver 7. Lift up now thine eyes and look from the place where thou art Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward For all the Land Gen. 18. 18. Gen. 13. 14 15 16. which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth so that if a man can number the dust of the earth then shall thy seed also be numbred Feare not Gen. 15. 1. ver 5. Abraham I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward Looke now towards Heaven and tell the starres if thou be able to number them And he said unto him So shall thy seed be I am the Almighty Gen. 17. 1. 2. 3. 6. 7. 8. ver 19. God and I will make my Covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly and thou shalt be a Father of many Nations And I will make thee exceeding fruitfull and I will make Nations of thee and Kings shall come out of thee And I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the Land wherein thou art a stranger all the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I will be their God By my selfe have I sworne saith the Gen. 22. 16 17. and â—4 7. Lord for because thou hast done this thing and hast not with-held thy Sonne thy only Sonne That in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the starres of heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore and thy seed shall possesse the gates of his enemies And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice The grand Promises of this Covenant are that God would be the God of Abraham and of his seed whereby is signified that God would be to him what he had revealed himselfe to be his King Psal 33. 1â— and 144 15. Psal 4â— 14. Hieron in Ez. 1. Shadâ—ai Syâ— Theod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transtuâ—erunt quod nos fortem râ—bustum possumus dicere Isâ—â— 13. 6. and Father his Portion and Protectour that he would pardon his sinne write his Law in his heart leade him into all truth defend him from all evill and in due time receive him unto glory Happy are the people that be in such a case yea blessed are they that have God for their God This God is our God for ever and ever he shall be our guide untill death And this is implyed in that the Lord expressed himselfe unto Abraham to be Almighty or All-sufficient the nurse of all living things strong and potent to doe whatsoever he will who can bring all things to nothing as he made all things of nothing can give and take away give plentifully abundantly as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen 49. 25. Gen. 17. 1. and 28. 3. and 35. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleaseth himselfe whose goodnesse doth copiously reach unto all his creatures The Sept. Interpreters sometimes expresse this title by the common name of God sometimes they omit it altogether and for I am God Almighty they translate I am thy God sometimes they put for it the God of heaven Psal 91. 1. sometimes they render it by a word that signifieth fit sufficient strong and potent Job 31. 2. but most commonly Almighty Omnipotent able to doe all things Job 15. 25. and 22. 25. and 23. 16. and 26. 16. and 27. 11. and paraphrastically who hath made all things Job 8. 3. Sometimes they turne it heavenly Psal 68 15. once they retaine the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezek. 10. 5. and once they use an expression which comes nigh to selfe sufficiency and contentation Job 29. 5. qui materia copiosus est valde But 〈◊〉
2. 6. reason from those words to disprove the former limitation I see not For this word man designes the nature of man in generall but with relation to the person of Christ and is spoken of the nature of man as to be united to the person of Christ and alleadged by the Apostle to prove that the world to come is put in subjection unto him as man And if it be extended further then to Christ as man it must be restrained unto the faithfull to whom that which followeth may be applied by communication and fellowship with Christ Againe it is objected that Christs dominion over all is grounded on his death but if that be granted it is not necessary his death should be simply for all men For the Apostle speaks of Heb. 2. 6 7. Phil. 2. 9. Joh. 3. 35. Mat. 11. 27. Christs dominion not only over all men but over all things the Angels themselves not excepted but it was not requisite Christ should die for all things even for the Angels as they themselves confesse His power extendeth it selfe unto all creatures to whom he can command obedience at his pleasure and unlesse they performe it inflict punishment For he is made Lord of the world and all power is given unto him in heaven and earth Christ hath Soveraignty over all things and doth rule over all men the faithfull to life the unfaithfull to death Corvin in Molin cap. 12. § 26. This dominion of Christ stands well with reason is consonant to the Scripture but was not purchased by his death simply for them Lastly It will be said the Apostle threatneth punishment for not receiving or retaining Christ and exhorteth to care of it which argueth generall purchase or else such exhortations and threatnings would be without force Touching the thing it selfe it is freely acknowledged that the sufficiencie of Christs death and greatnesse of the price was such that God might salva justitia not only invite all man-kind to come unto Christ but also bring them unto faith and salvation by him if it had seemed good unto him in his infinite wisdome and the efficiencie of it so great that God doth seriously invite many that live in the visible Church to come unto Christ and bestow many spirituall gifts and graces upon them by their own fault unavaleable to whom he doth not give grace to repent and believe unfainedly But exhortations and threatnings argue not that generall purchase in question For the obstinate and rebellious they whose eyes are closed and hearts hardened least seeing they should see or hearing they should heare and be converted even they are exhorted to repent and threatned for their impenitencie but I have not found that the purchase was made absolutely for all such as such For some rebellious I can beleeve that Christ hath purchased not salvabilitie alone but faith regeneration pardon and salvation because it is written of Christ That he is ascended on high and hath led Psal 68. 18. Atque etiam rebelles captivâ—â— duxisti ut habitent eum Iâ—h Deo captivity captive and hath received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them or as Piscator renders it thou hast led captive the rebellious that they might dwell with the Lord God But the maintainers of universall redemption have not undertaken as yet to proove generall purchase for all and every obstinate rebellious and treacherous revolter from the Lord. In this place the objection is more vaine for the Apostle might well speake of the application and possession of the fruits of Christs death when he exhorteth them that had heard and received the word of truth to retaine and keepe that which they had heard Exhortations and threatnings both are usefull to them who have not received the truth for God is pleased by such means to worke what he doth exhort men unto and to them who have received the truth and doe possesse the benefits of Christs death that they might continue and persevere And may we not argue more probably that seeing they are exhorted to take heed to the things they had heard therefore salvation had been preached unto them and in some sort received by them God so Joh. 3. 16 17. loved the world as we reade in the Evangelist that he gave his only begotten sonne that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him Joh. 1 â— 47. might be saved And I came not to judge the world but to save the world Here the motive from which the gift of Christ is derived is The particle Who is not ever distributive of the subject to which it is attributed See Revâ—l 2. 25 26. 2 Cor. 5. 15. common love The word World cannot be taken for the elect only for then it will be as if it had bin said God so loved the elect that he gave his only Sonne that whosoever of them believed in him should not perish The world that Christ came to save was that world into which he came and that comprehended both beleevers and unbelievers and in the same place it is divided into them that shall be saved and them that shall be damned and there should be no force of reasoning in the latter place if the world did not comprehend unbelievers under it Thus these passages are urged for universall redemption But the principall texts speake plainly Isa 54. 5. Deâ—â— totius terrae vocabitur Vt 1 Joh. 2. 2. Joh. 4. 42 Rupert Tuit in Joh. Mundum â—anè quem dilexit Deus humanum genus accipimâ—â— id est vivos mortuos mortuos scil qui venturum in fide expect averint vivos qui in illum sive ex Iudaeis five ex Gentibus credituri erant of the daies of grace when God sent his Sonne into the world and when according to the prophesies and promises made before the Gentiles were to be called to the faith added to the Church and received into Covenant And the world is taken communiter indefinitè for the world as it is opposed to the Jewish Nation alone not universaliter pro singulis for every man in the world of what time or age soever or of this time in speciall The sence then is In the fulnesse of time God manifested so great love unto the world of Jew and Gentile not of the Jew alone That he gave his only begotten Sonne and in the Ministery of the Gospel seriously invited them to beleeve and entered into Covenant to bestow life and happinesse upon condition of their unfained faith on Jesus Christ As God loved Israel whom he chose to be his peculiar people under the old Testament so in the times of grace he extended his love to the world of Jew and Gentile And as amongst the Jews God manifested so much love to the body of that Nation as to enter
the Elect or all at Corinth And the drift of the place is to prove not that all men simply are dead to sinne for that is notoriously false and was neither taught nor confirmed by any Pen-man of holy Writ nor that all the Elect or all at Corinth are dead to sin for he speaketh to the Church or faithfull in Corinth not to the place or inhabitants universally but that the faithfull who had believed in Christ as himself and the converted Corinthians had done and did for the present were dead to sin which he strongly confirmeth from the communion they have with Christ in his death and resurrection that is that Christ died for them in effect and event that the vertue and efficacy of his death did shew forth it self in them If the other Interpretation be admitted the consequence is good thus Christ died for all believers therefore all men by nature are dead in sin for the state of believers before conversion is the same with the others and if they by the merit power and efficacy of Christs death be delivered from the guilt and dominion of sin who so is not set free by the death of Christ from the power of sin must needs be dead therein Arguments not much unlike we have 1 Cor. 15. 22. As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive In the first part all simply in the latter all with limitation scil that be in Christ must be understood See Gal. 3. 22. And Rom. 5. 18. and 11. 32. But of that there is no need to make many words because the former interpretation is most naturall The 15. verse they say need not be restrained because all are bound to live unto Christ Whether all men be simply bound to live unto Christ because he simply died for them though his death had never been signified unto them I will leave to another place But the discourse of the Apostle is of them for whom Christ died and who believe in him and in whom the efficacy of Christs death doth exercise it self They that are dead with Christ should live unto God They object moreover that reconciliation is predicated of the vers 19. whole world which is reconciled thus farre through Christ that God will not deale with man as he might have done to cast him away utterly without hope so as he hath the Angels that sinned but he will accept of him upon termes fitting according to a new Corvin in Mol. cap. 28. §. 35. Covenant In which sense a Father is reconciled to his Son a Master to his Servant when he is content upon repentance submission and amendment to receive him into favour Upon this Text they would build a two-fold reconciliation one generall as some expresse it another speciall one not an actuall taking away of sins not actuall remission of sins not Justification not actuall redemption of these or these but an impetration of remission Justification and redemption whereby God may his justice not hindring remit sins to men transgressours which doth imply another member to wit reconciliation justification and redemption actuall Arm. in Perkin § 25. pag. 76. or a reconcileablenesse whereby men might be delivered from the captivity of sin or the necessity of thraldome and reconciliation whereby they are delivered from captivity Voss Hist Pelagian lib. 7. part 1. thes 3. Others call it an actuall reconciliation on Gods part and an actuall reconciliation whereby it comes to passe that all sinners do actually please God Exam. Censur cap. 8. pag. 59. Vorst in 2 Cor. 5. 15. and 1 Joh. 2. 2. Christ sufficiently and efficiently doth expiate the sins of all and reconcile the world to God quantum in ipso est that is as much as pertaines to the execution of his office laid upon him by his heavenly Father What distinction they make of reconciliation and actuall reconciliation or reconcileablenesse and actuall reconciliation the same may be made of redemption remission of sins justification and adoption regeneration and sanctification so that we may distinguish of them also that there is an actuall redemption and redemption actuall remission of sins and remission actuall justification and justification actuall sanctification and sanctification The terme actuall remission or reconciliation being set against reconciliation as the distinct member doth require that reconciliation potentiall be understood which may be called reconcileablenesse And then Christ hath not obtained of the Father by his death that he should remit sins but that he hath power to remit them he hath not obtained redemption but a possibility of redemption or the redemption purchased is a potentiall remission of sinnes he hath not merited sanctification but a right that he may sanctifie or sanctifiablenesse he hath obtained also that God might pardon sin as well as that man might be pardoned or reconciled and notwithstanding any redemption that Christ hath purchased every man might perish and be condemned for ever But if reconciliation potentiall or a possibility of remission only be purchased by the death of Christ how is this made actuall by application If it be actuall and effectuall why is it not applyed and given to every man will not God give to every man that which Christ hath merited and purchased for every man The merit of reconciliation by Christ and the application thereof must be distinguished but for whomsoever eternall redemption is purchased for them he hath obtained grace and glory and upon them he will actually conferre that grace and mercy sanctifying them to be a peculiar people to himselfe Heb. 9. 12. Matth. 1. 21. Joh. 4. 14. Application is as necessary an effect of redemption or reconciliation purchased as burning is of fire and there can be no redemption but of necessity it must bring application both in respect of Gods justice and Christs sacrifice Dan. 9. 24. Heb. 10. 10 14. Therefore there is but one reconciliation and that actuall and effectuall though it may be universally proposed in the Gospell and that particular actuall reconciliation is none other but that very same which God meritorie and impetratorie hath proposed by the death of Christ As for the present Text alleadged reconciliation is not predicated of the whole world taking the world for every man in the world nor reconciliation put for reconcileablenesse For it is manifest the Apostle speaks of the world as it was to be considered in the times when Christ suffered or after when in respect of present state the farre greater part were impenitent if not obdurate sinners aliens from the common-wealth of Israel without God in the world and I desire to see that Text of Scripture where God is said to reconcile unto himselfe the whole world of impenitent and obdurate sinners as such or where we shall find that all such Eph. 2. 12. Rom. 3. 8 17. Gal 3. 26. Eph. 2. 3 4. be brought under a new Covenant It is also as plaine that he speakes of the surrogation of the
Gentiles in the place of the Jewes and is to be understood of the world opposed to the Jewish Nation That world concerning whom the Lord had spoken before to Abraham saying In thy seed shall all the Nations of Gen. 12. 3. and 18. 18. Psal 2. 8. and 22. 27 28. Isai 11. 9 10. Psal 72. 11. the earth be blessed That world which the Prophets foretold should be added to the Church and given to the Messiah This world I say which God hath promised to blesse and adde to the Kingdome of the Messiah he hath reconciled unto himselfe to wit as they are blessed in Abrahams seed actually and effectually This is the Priviledge of the New Testament that God was Synod ubi supra Illi hoc loco per vocem Mundi intelligantur ad quos sermo reconciliationis pertinet in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe as is most apparent in the words next following and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation and by the sentence it self God was in Christ But what is proper to the times of the New Testament cannot be attributed to every man in the world even those that sate in darknesse and the shadow of death before the light did shine upon them The reconciliation here mentioned is actuall effectuall particular reconciliation purchased by Christ published by the Apostles to the world of Jew and Gentiles and received Meritum Christi subordinatur gratiae dilectionis generali ex ea enim fluit ordinatio hujus medii c. non enim ut vellet nostri misereri fecit Christus sed ut salva justitia nostri misereri posset Stegma pag. 54. Rom. 5. 9 10. by them in the Covenant of grace For it is explained by the non-imputation or remission of sinnes at least as one part or branch of reconciliation which is a transient act conferred in time and inferreth a change of state and condition in the partie justified or reconciled and of other reconciliation betwixt God and man the Scripture speaketh not And it is to be observed that the Apostle saith not Christ hath purchased that God is reconcileable or actually reconciled on his part as if before he were irreconcileable but God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself where the world is the subject or matter of reconciliation which is changed in respect of state or condition now received into actuall favour whereas heretofore it lay under wrath In another place the Apostle puts reconciliation by the death of the Sonne of God and justification by Christs bloud for the same where justification cannot be taken for possibility of justification but for actuall justification by faith in the bloud of Christ wherewith Salvation is joyned whereby we are acquitted from the guilt and punishment of sinne and so the justified or reconciled are opposed to sinners ungodly and enemies In respect of vers 6 8. our antecedent state we were enemies when In Scriptura ut saepè res dicitur quod paulò antè fuit ut coeci vident surdi aâ—diunt claudi ambulant Matth. 11. 5. esurientes qui prius miserè victitabant in solo sterili â—sal 107. 36. Joh. 9. 17. leprosus qui jam mundus est Matth. 26 6. Virgo quae jam nupta Matth. 10. 35. baculus qui est serpens Exod. 7. 11. publicanus qui est Christi discipulus Matth. 10. 3. discipulum Christi qui eum reliquit Joh. 6. 66 Sic contra saepè in sacris literis res describitur qualis â—utura est non qualis nunc est Ephes 5. 20. Ita Christi oves dicuntur qui tunc adhuc erant lupi Joh. 10. 16. Dei filii qui tum aâ—huc erant filii diaboli Joh. 11. 52. Tarn exercit l. 2. Job 3. 2. 561. reconciled to God by the death of his Son but by reconciliation we are received into grace and of enemies made friends and sons In these passages we cannot find reconciliation put for reconcileablenesse nor predicated of all the world nor all the enemies of God nor in any other Scripture For though all were enemies before reconciliation yet all enemies are not reconciled but they that be converted to the faith Thus we are taught in the word of truth to distinguish the state of the Gentiles living in their infidelity without God from the state of the Gentiles reconciled But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were farre off are made nigh by the bloud of Christ c. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity thereby Eph. 2. 13 16. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works yet now are reconciled Col. 1. 21. Now scil the Messiah being exhibited they are reconciled and their sins pardoned the promise of mercy pertaining to them as well as to the Jewes when formerly abalienati à foedere promissionum they were not reconciled And when in the precedent verse he saith that it pleased the Father by him scil Christ to reconcile all things unto himselfe whether they be things in heaven or things in earth he speaks of actuall reconciliation not reconcileablenesse and all things must be limited as that signification of the word and scope of the place doth necessarily require The sentence is diversly interpreted some think it not absurd to extend it simply to all things without exception but especially to reasonable creatures Angels and men Others think it must necessarily be restrained to creatures of a certaine kind and interpret it of Angels and men reconciled one to another who were formerly separated by mans disobedience Others restraine it to the faithfull in heaven and earth and expound it of Vorst in Col. 1. 20. Sch Eph. 1. 10. the Church and men in Covenant who are received into favour and reconciled by the death of Christ laid hold on by faith But to interpret it simply of all men penitent impenitent believers infidels obstinate separated from God by their evill works is directly contrary to the Text and hath scarce a second Author No man is to be excluded from seeking the benefit of reconciliation but from the benefit it self the Apostle excludes them that be not in Covenant and in the state of grace to whom only this spirituall blessing doth pertaine And in the same manner this and the like words are to be limited in other places Eph. 1. 10. Rom. 11. 32. And this they must not deny if they would be at one with themselves for they say all men are under a new Covenant and received into favour and that pardon of sin is promised unto all that shall continue in that Covenant and not transgresse against it Arm. respon ad Art 13 14. so that to consummate happinesse there is need of continuance only in the state which evermore hath effectuall communication conjoyned And restitution into the state of grace and actuall reconciliation if they be not one thing they
be inseparable And this doth take away the objection which they raise from the words following And hath committed vers 19 20 unto us the word of reconciliation Now therefore we beseech you we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God For not to say the Apostle speakes to the Corinthians at that time beleevers and in the state of persons reconciled hath not God committed the word of reconciliation to the Ministers who are to beseech mankind actually restored into grace and admitted into the new Covenant to be reconciled The word of reconciliation is of use both to them that be not restored into grace that they might be called and to them that be reconciled that they might continue and be builded forward That passage of the Apostle 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. If any man sinne we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And he is the propitiation for our sinne and not for ours only but also for the sinnes of the whole world is like to the former as all men confesse and hath the same answer For as Christ is our Advocate by office to plead our cause and defend us against the accusation of all our enemies so is he our propitiation But Christ is not the Advocate of every man simply but of his people And as he is the propitiation of the beleeving Jewes so he is of the whole world 1 Joh 4. 10. but he is the propitiation of the beleeving Jewes in that God is propitious unto them in Christ and not propitiable or reconcileable only He is their propitiation through faith in his bloud Rom. 3. 25. by whom their sinnes are covered not coverable and Cyril in Ioh. â— 11. cap. 19. Aug. tract 87. in Iob. Autor de vocat Gent. l. 2. c. 1. Euseb Hist l. 4. c. 15. Estius in 1 Ioâ— 2. 2. expiated and done away not expiable only Therefore the Apostle speakes of the application of Christs death and by the whole world man-kind in common considered as under the fall cannot be understood but the whole world of the Gentiles now called to the faith and admitted into Covenant Thus Vorstius himself though in his common places upon this Chapter he would understand these words as if Christ sufficiently and efficiently quantum in se was the propitiation for the sinnes of all mankind yet in his paraphrase he giveth this sence of the Text Where fore let Vorst in 1 John 2. 2. him consider that the Lord Jesus is the propitiation for our sins as who hath purchased full remission of them all for us And not only for us who at this time embrace his doctrine but for all men of the whole world as many as by faith receive or appehend the blessing of the Gospell offered unto them In this sence the world is taken as they themselves confesse Rom. 11. 12 15. Their fall is Scrip. Syn. pag. 307 308. See Chemnit Har. Evang. cap. 8. Quod gaudium erit omni populo the riches of the world and their casting off the reconciliation of the world that is of the Gentiles converted to the faith which did make a great part of the world and before conversion were worldly and profane men The rejection of the Jewes was an occasion by which the Gentiles hitherto without that gratious communication was made rich and being converted to the faith did returne into favour with God And the same argument they bring out of the former Text to confute the distinction of Christs death effectually for some sufficiently for all because then the adversative particle doth loose his emphasis if the Apostles words be thus understood Christ died effectually for us and not only so but sufficiently for the sinnes of the whole world doth confirme the other interpretation for the adversative should loose it weight if the sentence be thus resolved Christ is our propitiation by faith in whom God is actually reconciled and not only so but he is reconcileable to the whole world that lieth not in infidelity The maintainers of universall redemption thinke it may strongly be proved by this reason All men are bound to beleeve in Christ but Christ died for all men that are bound to believe in him which some propound in this forme Every man is bound to beleeve that Christ died for him but whatsoever a man is bound to beleeve that is true therefore he died for every man But if by beleeving in Christ they understand nothing but bare assenting to this proposition that Christ died for all men and for me as a man for the impetration of righteousnesse quantum in se or to purchase the grace of the Father and pardon of sinnes no man is bound to beleeve it because it is not revealed in Scripture much lesse made knowne to every man in the world by meanes sufficient Every man called whether he hearken to God calling or not is bound to beleeve that Christ is offered unto him as a Saviour so as if he beleeve he shall be saved but that Christ died for him in particular for the impetration of righteousnesse and for every particular man in the world that he is not bound to beleeve because it is not found in Scripture nor can he beleeve it according to their grounds that urge this argument neither can such perswasion be the ground of justifying faith I say every man in the world good or bad cannot beleeve it as they teach For either they be considered as in the common Masse as all Infants and then they be actually restored into grace or as impenitent and unbeleevers fallen from the Covenant themselves or as Arminius addeth in their parents and then Christ died not for them as such If they be admitted into Covenant and continue therein Script Rem advers coll Hag. art 2. Christ died for them in respect of application if they be fallen from that state by impenitency obstinacy rebellion Christ died not for them as such If they be cast off and not so much as outwardly called how can they beleeve that Christ died for them specially when by transgression they have departed from that Covenant and fallen from that state unto which they say they were admitted Neither can this perswasion be the ground of faith justifying for many ungodly men are perswaded that Christ died for all mankind that neither will nor can nor ought as such to beleeve in Christ or rest upon him for Salvation and many beleeve it not that beleeve truly in Christ and know they beleeve and that they ought to beleeve If by beleeving in Christ be meant faith justifying the proposition may be granted with two limitations First that under this terme they be not comprehended who never heard of Christ or had possible at least probable meanes to come to the knowledge of Christ or were admitted into Covenant So Vorstius seemes to limitit unlesse saith he Christ had died for all that are called in vaine should they all
for them both and being graciously invited he is without further dispute or delay to cast his soule upon the promises of mercy and come unto Christ that he might be refreshed But they are in vaine commanded to believe if Christ died not for them because they cannot believe Is it then in vaine that the obstinate and rebellious are commanded and invited to believe who as such cannot believe Was it in vaine that God commanded Pharoah to let Israel goe that our Saviour would have gathered Jerusalem when the things concerning her peace were hid from her eyes Might not men argue by the same reason that it was in vaine for God to intreate and perswade them to believe when he did fore-know that by such invitation they would not be allured to come unto him And if they cannot believe it is not through the unreasonablenesse or absurdity of the thing commanded which doth excuse nor impotency of weaknesse as if they would believe but cannot which is to be pitied but impotency of wilfulnesse and prave affection the more unable to believe the more wilfull to refuse which is inexcusable And though I cannot say God hath given to every man to believe if he will Yet sure God is not wanting to any man in that which either in justice or promise he is bound to give and did men deny themselves nourish the motions of Gods Spirit and earnestly desire to believe without question they should find the Lord gracious If men believe it is of grace not only that whereby they are inabled to believe but whereby they are discerned from other men if they believe not it is of themselves of their own pravity and they be not further from believing then from desire to believe It is objected further that Christ as he died to impetrate remission of sins for me in particular is the object of justifying faith The mercy of God reaching to the pardon of sin in and through Jesus Christ is the object of faith justifying as it is proffered unto us in the word of life but it is one thing to believe that mercy is to be had through the death of Christ and that it is offered unto us in the Gospell and we called to imbrace it another to believe that Christ according to the compleate and full will of God hath laid downe his life for us in particular to purchase for us both grace and glory Proportionable to the perswasion a man hath of Gods willingnesse to be mercifull is his perswasion of the sufficiency of Christs satisfaction and proportionable to his perswasion that God is mercifull to him in the pardon of his sin is his perswasion that Christ died for him in particular Justifying faith is not without an apprehension of mercy in Christ to be obtained but implieth not an apprehension of mercy reaching to the pardon of sin already obtained It is not without an application of recumbency reliance or imbracing which presupposeth the offer oâ— mercy in and through Jesus Christ to be received but the application of particular perswasion that Christ died for me in particular as well as for any other or hath purchased for me grace and glory is Corvin in Mol. cap. 29. Sect. 24. not required in justifying faith Some have affirmed that faith whereby I believe that Christ died for me is the foundation of faith whereby I believe in Christ but I should desire better proof than their bare word for it seeing the Scripture makes the mercifull offer of salvation in Christ to the burdened hungry and thirsty the ground of this affiance and that perswasion according to their positions may be in good and bad them that never shall be justified neither will nor can rest upon Christ for salvation To believe that Christ is an all-sufficient Saviour and that salvation is offered to me in his name is lesse then to believe in Christ for remission of sins and in order of nature goeth before it But to believe that according to the purpose of God Christ is my Redeemer who hath purchased for me in particular grace and remission of sins and eternall redemption and hath actually reconciled me unto God this is the consequent of resting upon Christ for salvation and cannot be believed according to the Scripture unlesse a man doe first believe in Christ and according as men rest upon Christ superficially or soundly with a soveraigne and well-rooted affiance so they believe the other For when we reade in Scripture that Christ tasted of death for every man Heb. 2. 9. died for all 2 Cor. 5. 15. is the reconciliation for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2. 2. shed his bloud for many Mat. 26. 28. gave his life for the ransome of many Mat. 20. 28. Mar. 10. 45. purchased the Church by his blood Act. 20. 28. Ephes 5. 25. gave himselfe for us all Tit. 2. 14. Rom 8 32. for his people Mat. 1. 21. for his sheepe Joh. 10. 15. for them that were given unto him of the Father Joh. 17 9 19. In these and such like passages by All the World Many and Vs are meant men in Covenant partakers of the benefits of Christ redeemed from all iniquity and purified unto him as a peculiar people delivered from this present evill world Gal. 1. 4. that they might live unto God 2 Cor. 5. 15. Peter Act. 3. 26. saith to the Jewes that crucified Christ Vnto you first God having raised up his Sonne Jesus sent him to blesse you in turning away every one of you from your sinnes But he spake to them who were in Covenant the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant and as they were in Covenant so God raised up Christ for them which cannot be referred to the impetration of righteousnesse but the application of Christs death in some sort Otherwise if it be observed that the Apostle speaks of the Jews according to the present state when Christ was incarnate or actually raised from the dead I thinke the greatest Patrons of universall redemption will not affirme that Christ died for every man good and bad believer or Infidell obstinate and rebellious to purchase for them actuall reconciliation on Gods part according to that state wherein they stood when Christ came into the world or was raised from the dead Once againe it is objected that if this proposition Christ died for all men be not the ground of particular affiance it can have no ground at all neither promise of mercy absolute nor conditionall generall nor speciall But already it hath been shewed that bare assent or belief that Christ died for all men cannot be the ground much lesse the only ground of justifying faith and it may further be made evident by these reasons First That is the foundation of faith whereupon particular affiance leaneth or is immediately grounded But no mans particular affiance on Christ for salvation can be grounded on his generall belief that Christ died for all men because this
17. of John ver 21. That the world may beleeve that thou hast sent me Some by the world in that place understand the elect who then were dispersed abroad or them that were to be converted from infidelity to the faith But because the word world in the whole Chapter is taken in another sence it is most naturall in this place to understand it as before for men that be of the world not illightened or converted to the faith and the word Beleeve to be put improperly for to acknowledge or confesse The sense is that the world although unbeleeving although Maldonat in Joh. 17. 21. Iansen hac 136. an adversary to me yet seeing the great love and concord of my Disciples may be compelled to beleeve that is to acknowledge and confesse that I was sent of God that is that I am not as now it thinketh a seducer but that I am truly sent of the Father or that the Infidels may by experience be convinced to confesse my glory and be compelled to acknowledge and confesse that thou hast sent me a Saviour into the world This sense is so plain and easie that we need not seek any further for the meaning but if we grant it to be meant of true and sound faith it will not follow thence that Christ made intercession for every man in the world that he might beleeve For the world is usually taken for men in the world indefinitely and not simply for every man nor yet for the greater part of men in the world There went out a decree from Cesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed Luk 2. 1. but this cannot be extended to every nation much lâ—sse to every man The Vide Psal 118. 10. 1 Chro. 14. 17. Jer. 27. 7. Dan. 2. 38. Matth. 10. 22. Rom. 15. Rev. 18. 3 23. impure spirits goe forth unto the Kings of the earth and of the whole world Rev. 16. 14. All the world wondred after the beast Rev. 13. 3. The whole world lyeth in iniquity 1 Joh. 5. 19. He was in the world and the world knew him not Joh. 1. 10. Behold the world is gone after him Joh. 12. 19. The Syriacke Interpreter vulgar Interpreter and Mannus the Greeke Paraphrast adde the universall particle and reade it the whole world But if the world be taken for every man in the world we must conclude that every man in the world did follow Christ and that no man in the world did know him They aske again what is it the Intercession of Christ required Psal 2. 8. Aske of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine Inheritance Is it not for unbeleevers to bring them to the faith and doth not Christ intercede for the comming of Gods Kingdome as he taught his Disciples to doe There is therefore an Intercession of Christ for them that beleeve But here we cannot find that generall Intercession of Christ they speake of that every man might come to the faith by fitting meanes but for the most part ineffectuall The prayer required in the second Psalme Arminius Armin. Orat. de Sacerdot Chr. referreth to the prayer which Christ offered to the Father for himselfe according to the commandement and promise of the Father Aske of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine Inheritance to which Promise of the Father Christ having respect said Father glorifie thy Sonne that thy Sonne also may glorifie thee as thou Joh. 17. 2. hast given him power over all flesh that he might give eternall life to as many as thou hast given him And from this prayer are to be distinguished saith he those supplications which with strong cries and teares he offered to his Father in the dayes of his flesh by those he craved to be freed from his Agony by this he prayeth that he might see his seed and that the will of God might prosper in his hand But howsoever it be the prayer spoken of in that place is absolute certain and effectuall for what God there promised Christ prayed for in particular and he was heard therein and therefore it cannot be applyed to that generall Intercession of Christ which they would maintaine as every man may plainly see They further reply that this Intercession of Christ Joh. 17. pertaineth to the application of Christs death that Christ maketh Intercession for beleevers and by the world they are signified who did or would contemne and reject Christ offered to them in the word of his Gospell as the word world is used in many other places Joh. 1. 10. and 3. 19. and 14. 17. 16. 8 9. 14. 22. But if it pertain to the application of Christs death it followeth thence that the death of Christ shall be applyed to them who were given unto him of the Father that in speciall manner he might lay down his life for them seeing Christ offered up himselfe a sacrifice to the Father for them and them only for whom according to his office of Mediatorship he made speciall Intercession If by the world obstinate contemners of the Gospell be understood what shall we thinke of them to whom the word of reconciliation was never sent or Christ offered in the Ministery of the Gospell are they partakers of the benefits of Christs speciall Intercession or is the death of Christ applyed unto them If only contemners of the Gospell be meant by the world for which Christ would not pray why should it be interpreted of speciall Intercession seeing our Saviour as they confesse neither laid down his life nor made generall Intercession for such as such that they might be brought to the faith or be partakers of the merits of his death Our Saviour in that his prayer opposeth the world to them that are given unto him of the Father and as to be given unto him of the Father notes somewhat precedent to effectuall vocation and lively faith though every one that is given unto him doth or shall beleeve so the world notes a state antecedent to wilfull contempt though they that be of this world if they live under the Gospell will prove themselves contemners Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me and him that commeth unto me I will in no wise cast out saith Christ But to come unto Christ is to beleeve in him by effectuall vocation Joh. 1. 10. The world knew not Christ but they were the world before they shut their eyes against the light and refused Christ offering himselfe unto them Joh 3. 19. They are the world who are not given unto Christ are not his sheep his people his brethren believe not in him be disobedient cast out though they never stubbornly contemned the Gospell because the sound therof never came into their eares that light never shined amongst them And now for conclusion of this argument let this one thing be added that if we search the Scripture we shall find no mention of this two-fold Intercession of Christ properly
talis de persona peccatoriâ— in per sonam aliam transire Neque etiam sapientia Dei quae in boc negotio maxâ—mè elucet locum babitura videtur si per naturam nequisset Deuâ— aliter â—gere sapientia enim est electrix mediorum Luk. 24. 26 27. Joh. 10. 18. weighty For hereby God manifesteth his just indignation against sin and magnifieth the riches of his grace and tender compassion towards the sinner whom he is pleased to save from deserved wrath Seeing then God decreed not to deliver man from the sentence of death contracted by sin but upon satisfaction made to divine justice and the punishment of sin borne by his surety of necessity if Christ become a Mediatour to intercede for us he must undertake to pay our debts and in our roome and steed to suffer what we deserved And as he undertook so he hath borne the chastisement of our peace and by bearing the punishment hath taken away our sins That Christ did under-goe the punishment due to sinners as their surety is evident in this that he died for us For the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 23 5. 12. which God inflicteth upon none but either a sinner or him that beareth the person of a sinner 2 Cor. 15. 21 22. Col. 1. 14. Eph. 1. 7. Heb. 12. 2. Act 20. 28. Col. 1. 20. Rom. 3 25. Gal. 3. 13. Heb. 12. 24. wherefore seeing Christ in himselfe most innocent did suffer death it necessarily followeth that he suffered not in his owne but in our name and satisfied the Father for us Hitherto it makes that he suffered not any kind of death whatsoever but ignominious violent judiciall and accursed such as had the sence of Gods wrath adjoyned For no reason can be imagined why Christ should so much dread death which the Martyrs endured without feare but that for the time he was deprived of that refreshing of divine grace and favour wherewith they were sustained and confirmed 2 Cor. 4 8 9. in the midst of the fire Nor is there any thing whither we can referre those tremblings of Christ those groanes and teares in which he was heard that desire that the cup might passe from him but to the imposition of our sinnes and that conflict with the wrath of God which followed from it The death of our Saviour is referred to his unspeakeable love towards us Joh. 14. Rev. 1. 5. Gal. 2. 20. 13. Gal. 2. 20. Ephes 5. 2 23. But if he could not but I de because he was man he shewed his infirmity in dying rather then the fervour of his love For though Christ had loved us unto death Soc. lib. 3. de Serv. c. 5. yet had he not commended his love in dying if he dyed by condition of nature and had not being innocent laid downe his life for us mortall because sinners In like manner Christ is said to have Lev. 5. 1. 10. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 5. 10. Ezek. 18. 20. 2 King 7. 9. Syr. portavit et ascendere secit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sursum serre Luk. â—4 51. sursum ducere Matth. 17. 1. Mar. 9. 2. Heb. 7. 27. Jam. 2. 21. Heb. 13. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 24. carried our sinnes and that in his body upon the tree which in usuall phrase of Scripture is to be punished for our sinnes and pay the punishment of our sinnes Isa 53. 11. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Lev. 19 8. 20. 17. 24 15. Numb 14. 23. 30. 16. Lam. 5. 7. Ezek 18. 20. And such a carrying is described to which smiting is adjoyned and the chastisement of our peace from the translation of all our iniquities upon Christ Isa 53. 5. For as it followeth in the same place immediately He was afflicted that is with the punishment due to sinne which was laid upon him Isa 53. 6 7. Whereunto those passages of Scripture might be referred which say that Christ made his soule an offering for sinne Isa 53. 10. that he that knew no sinne was made sinne for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. that he hath redeemed us from the curs of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. in which he must of necessity be understood who bears the punishments of sinne And it is against reason that he should be said to beare the sinnes of others who suffers by occasion of sin only unlesse he beare the punishment of sinne and take it upon himselfe For who will say he that suffers losse or dammage from the fault of a thiefe doth beare his sinne when he doth not beare the punishment of theft nor is punished for it The Evangelist translates this saying of the Prophet to corporall diseases which Christ did not receive upon himselfe it is by way of similitude and Math. 8. 16 177 agreement in the thing it selfe although the manner of the thing be diverse as also by such miracles Christ declared himselfe to be that Messiah who was to beare and by bearing to take away our sinnes Moreover the Scripture saith Christ died for our sinnes 1 Cor. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 15. 3. Gal. 1. 4. Heb. 10. 12. 1 Pet. 3. 18. and was delivered to death for our offences Rom. 4. 23. and for sinners and wicked Isa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 53. 6. Rom. 5. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 21. to be made sinne for us 1 Pet. 3. 18. to suffer the just for the unjust which import that sinne was the efficient meritorious cause of the death of Christ for sinne cannot Psal 39. 12. Psal 73 18 19. 10â— 17. Ephes 5. â— otherwise be the cause of punishment but by way of merit nor can any man be said to be punished for sinne but the meritorious cause of punishing is noted thereby And those particles applied to other things may note the finall cause applied to sufferings they point out the efficient or meritorious only and sinnes deserve affliction per modum paenae Lev. 26. 39. Deut. 18. 12. 1 King 14. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 5. 38. Luk. 11. 11. Rom. 12. 17. 1 Cor. 11. 15. Heb. 12. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the impulsive cause Rom. 15. 9. 2 Cor. 1. 11. Ephes 1. 16. 5. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 20. 2 Cor. 7. 4. 9. 2. 12. 5. 2 Cor. 12. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 4. Jud. ver 15. Sic Latini pro beneficijs gratias agere ulcisci pro injurijs c. Christ is said to die not only for our sinnes but for us not for our good alone but in our roome and steed as the phrase importeth and the one particle used signifieth opposition or subrogation and commutation Mat. 20. 28. Mar. 10. 45. Joh. 11. 50. Rom. 5. 7 8. 2 Cor. 5. 15. Heb. 2 9. 1 Pet. 2. 2. and the latter though sometimes it admit a different sence in this matter must be expounded by the former Rom. 9. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 14. Christ
were all their life subject to bondage But when the Scripture nameth death generally it comprehends all that which God threatned in that sentence Thou shalt die the death that penall death which is the reward of sinne but not sinne it selfe which is penall only not sinfull Other mens debts are answered diverse wayes some answer them simply as redeemers some as sureties He that answers them as a suretie must pay the Heb. â— 6. same summe of money that the debtor oweth Now Christ is not only our Mediatour but our suretie Heb. 7. 22. and hence the mediation of Christ is called a propitiation Rom. 3. 25. 1 Joh. 2. 2. and the surety is of debt and justice to make full satisfaction because he hath voluntarily promised it and God the Father did in justice exact it Rom. 3. 24 25. and 8. 32. In the sufferings of Christ we must consider the circumstances and substance of his sufferings The circumstances as the person of the sufferer the cause of suffering and efficacy of the passion in which respect it was more then the Law required for the Law did not require that God should die nor that any one should die that had not finned nor such a death and of such efficacie as not only to abolish death but to bring in life and that by many degrees more excellent then that which Adam had lost but if we respect the substance of punishment it was that which the Law required which he paid of love free and voluntary and yet of justice Justice requireth the same summe of debt the dignity of Christs person nothing hindering and according to justice Christ made satisfaction As concerning the substance of punishment Christ suffered what was due to us but in the circumstances which pertained not to the substance of the debt some thing was pardoned to the dignity of the person In this stands the dignity of Christs person that he might be fit meritoriously to pay our debt so farre was it from freeing or acquitting him for any part of our debt He that knew no sinne was made sinne for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. Surely he hath born our griefes and carried our sorrowes Isai 53. 4. When the Scripture speakes so fully why should humane curiosity limit the sufferings of Christ as if they were not fully satisfactory but by divine acceptilation only Christ suffered not every particular punishment that every particular sinner meeteth withall but his passion was a common price payed at once for all his people satisfying justice for all their offences Rom. 5. 19. Heb. 10. 14. Rom. 8. 33. He bore our sinnes in his body upon the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. We are redeemed by his bloud Eph. 1. 7. The bloud of Christ cleanseth us from all sinne 1 Joh. 1. 6. Phil. 2. 8. Col. 1. 20. He hath made peace by the bloud Voss respons ad Iudic. Ravens cap. 6. Robert Loeus Examen Eccl. The saur effigiet veri Sabbath of the crosse Touching the punishments which Christ suffered they were not ordinary but beyond measure grievous bitter and unsupportable yea such as would have made any meere creature to sinke down under the burthen of them to the bottome of hell For he suffered grievous things from all the things in heaven earth and hell He suffered at the hands of God his Father and of men of Jewes of Gentiles of enemies insulting of friends forsaking of the Prince of darknesse and all his cruell and mercilesse instruments But whereas of the punishments of sinne some be sinnes and punishments both others punishments only and some common to the nature of man others personall growing out of some imperfection and defect in the vertue and faculty forming the body disorder in diet or some violence offered and some for sinne inherent others for sinne imputed Our Saviour Christ suffered the punishments that are only punishments and not sinne common to the whole nature of man not personall to this or that man the punishments of the sinnes of other men not his own and that of them that should breake off their sins by repentance not of them that would sin for ever if they might live for ever The whole life of our Saviour was a life of suffering but his speciall sufferings were those he endured in the Garden or upon the crosse In the Garden he was in an agony upon the crosse he was pressed with the weight of grievous and unsupportable evils His agony was that sorrow wherein his soule was beset round with heavinesse and feare even unto death Thus the Evangelists describe it He began to be sorrowfull and very heavy Matt. 26. 37 38. Then saith he to them scil Peter James and John My soul is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death He began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy And saith unto them My soule is exceeding sorrowfull Mar. 14. 33 34. Joh. 12. 27. unto death Now is my soul troubled His soul was smitten with horrour that all powers and faculties for a time left their proper functions and did concurre to relieve nature in that extremity as when a man hath received some gashly wound the bloud doth at first retire to comfort the heart But this stay came not from any internall defect which had been sinfull but from an externall cause to wit the horrour which fell upon him as the wheeles of a Watch may cease from motion without any fault in them when they are stayed by the hand of the Artificer He feared also the stroke of the justice of God his Father sitting on the Tribunall or Judgement seat to punish the sins of men for whom he stood forth to answer this he feared as a thing impossible to be escaped in respect of the resolution and purpose of God his Father that by his satisfactory death and no other way man should be delivered And he declined everlasting destruction as a thing he knew he should escape without all doubt or uncertaintie of event though not without conflicting with the temptations of Sathan and the enduring of many grievous and bitter things These passions in Christ were most pure because he himselfe was most free from all taint of sin as if you put cleare water into a cleare glasse though you shake and stirre it never so much it will raise no mud The effects of this agony were two Earnest prayer and bloudie sweat Being in an agony he prayed more fervently He Luk. 22 44. fell on his face and prayed He prayed thrice the same words O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me neverthelesse Matt. 26. 39. not as I will but as thou wilt As the sense of nature and inferiour reason presented death and the ignominy of the crosse unto him as they are in themselves evill without the consideration of any good to follow he desired to decline them But as superiour reason considered them with all circumstances knowing Gods resolution to be such that the
seeke attonement and to walke sutably He doth remove the guilt of sinfully from the conscience of the offending brethren Heb. 9 14 15. He is potent with God to satisfie revenging Gal. 3. 13 14. justice by presenting his bloud to remove the curse of the Law that those which are called might receive the inheritance He alone hath in his owne person performed obedience to the broken Law of God and fulfilled all righteousnesse and by his crosse hath cancelled the hand-writing that was against us and broken downe the partition and slayed hatred and enmity betwixt the brethren Ephes 2. 14 15. But of this more hereafter The Fathers received Heb. 11. 13 14. not the promises but saw them afarre off and were perswaded of them and saluted them with great sweetnesse but under the new Covenant we have recived the promise God hath sent his Son into the world borne of a woman and made under the Law and openly manifested him to be the Son of God And if Gal 4. 4 5. the appearing of Christ God and man did adde much to the joy and comfort of the Saints in glory the manifestation of Christ in the flesh must adde to the faith and comfort of them that waited for the salvation of Israel The Incarnation of Christ was the day of his Coronation and of his espousals wherein in speciall manner Cant. 3. 11. he contracted him unto his Church Goe forth O ye daughters of Zion and behold King Salomon with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals and in the day of the gladnesse of heart The Fathers expected deliverance from the curse of the Law and to inherit the promises in and through the Messiah and the Sacrifices did prefigure and Prophets fore-tell the death of the Messiah but we may well thinke the faithfull did not distinctly understand how the Saviour promised was to satisfie justice and by death to overcome him that had the power of death But in the new Testament we learne expressely that Christ is made of God unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption how he satisfied justice by one oblation of himselfe removed the curse of the Law destroyed him that had the power of death purchased the promised Spirit and ratified all the promises of the Covenant by his death and bloud-shed Heb. 9. 15. Thirdly He is entred into heaven appeareth before the Father and maketh request for his people unto which there is pre-required a power and prevalencie over all his enemies to breake through the guilt of sin the curse of the Law and the chaines of death with which it was impossible that he should be held And this power of Christ was shewed in his Resurrection wherein he was declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1. 4. and in his ascension wherein he led all his enemies captives Ephes 4. 8. and in his sitting at the right hand of God farre above all principalities and powers Ephes 1. 19 20. All which did make way to the presenting of his Sacrifice before the Mercy-seat which is the consummation of it and without which he had not been a Priest We have such an high Priest saith the Apostle as is set downe at the right hand of the Majestie in the heavens for if he were on earth he should not be a Priest seeing that there are Priests which offer gifts according to the Law Heb. 8. 1 4. Christ our high Priest having offered up himselfe an expiatory Sacrifice once for all by his divine power rose againe from the dead and is entered into the very heavens to appeare in the presence of God for us Heb. 9. 24. Levit. 16. 11 15. It was the same continued action whereby the Priest did offer without the holy place and did then bring the bloud into the holiest of all Heb. 13. 11. For the reason why it was shed was to present it to the mercy-seat and to shew it unto the Lord there Heb. 9. 8. Inchoari potest functio veri Sacerdotis stante typico Sacerdotio perfecta esse non potest illo staÌ„â—e Oblatio peracta in terra perfectissima fâ—it sed perfectione partis non perfectione totius Aliud est offerre in terra aliud peracta oblatione manere in terra Heb. 1. 3. 10 5 6 9. 1â— 1 Cor. 5. 7. So Christs act or office was not ended nor fit to denominate him a compleate Priest till he did enter with bloud and present his offering in the holiest of all not made with hands Heb. 9. 24. And therefore he had not been a Priest if he should have continued on the earth for there was another Priest-hood there which was not to give place but upon the accomplishment of his for the whole figure was to passe away when the whole truth was come Now Christs oblation was the truth prefigured in the Priests sacrificing of the beast and his entrance into heaven was the truth prefigured in the Priests carrying of the bloud into the holiest of all And therefore both these were to be accomplished before the Leviticall Priest-hood did give place Some referre this to the oblation of Christ whereof they make two parts the one expâ—atory when Christ suffered upon the crosse the other presentatory when he doth appeare in heaven before God for us the one of killing or suffering the other of ostension the one finished on earth when Christ suffered without the gate because as no sin so no punishment can come within the holy place the other performed in heaven satisfaction being Heb. 13. 11 12. first made on earth The first was not a preparation of a Sacrifice but a Sacrifice the latter was not so much a Sacrifice as the commemoration of the Sacrifice made for appearing in heaven is not properly a sacerdotall act unlesse it leane upon the vertue of the Sacrifice performed the first was an act of humiliation the latter Heb. 10 8 â—â— of glory the first performed once for all the latter done continually that the explatory Sacrifice or obtaining of redemption this the application of redemption The Sacrifice consisted in the Videtur etiam spect are consuetudines Regum Iudicum inter homines Reges enim soederati in suis aulis matuo habent Legatos pacis obsides qui quamdiu apparent in Regis conspectu firma stat confoederatio death of Christ alone the application thereof is grounded upon Christs death as its merit but effected by the life of Christ as its immediate cause When the Apostle saith Christ appeareth before the Father for us the expression is borrowed from the custome of humane Courts for as in them when the Plaintiffe or Defendant is called their Atturney appeareth in their name and behalfe so when we are summoned by the justice of God to defend our selves against those exceptions and complaints which it preferreth against us we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ
might be made for this promised Spirit by interceding Mediator-like for them and by willing the going of such graces from him as who is with God the Son but one worker though a distinct principle of working that is though distinct in nature yet the same person He therefore worketh them as his own workes from his owne power for Gods power is by unity of person made his the divine power not being without him as the power of another person then he is but being personally with him And those things which his humane nature worketh which are wrought after his humane nature the workes not of an humane but a divine person for though the nature according to which they are wrought be humane yet the person working is the person of the Sonne of God Hence it is that Christ-man doth give graces authoritativè effectivè yea according to humane action doth effect them in the highest degree that an instrumentall operation can effect any thing St Paul gives graces by laying on of hands with prayer ministerialiter not as his worke but as intreating it from God in Christ and signifying what God doth in Christ not from any power any way within his person but the power of another not as conjoyned with God as the body with the soule but as an instrument with God Christ the Head of his Church is over all to whom all things are subject He who must be a saving head to us there is great need he should be over all Could he not bind that strong one and cause him re-deliver his possession how should we ever be set at liberty Could he not dissolve the worke of Satan swallow up death create life and quickning in us our case were lamentable The sixt thing implied is That Christ God and man is the object of divine odoration Let all the Angels of heaven worship him All knees shall bow unto him All shall honour the Sonne as they honour the Father Yee believe in God believe also in me saith our Saviour In him shall the Gentiles trust So Steven called upon the Lord Jesus saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit And the Apostles in the entrance of their Epistles desire grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ not the Lord of Jesus Christ as some Heretikes would corrupt the text and so in the shutting up of their Epistles The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 23. Gal. 6. 18. 2 Cor. 13. 13. Phil. 4. 23. 1 Thess 5. 28. 2 Thess 3. 18. Philem. v. 25. 2 Tim. 4 22. But some object that if adoration be due to Christ God and man then it will follow that the humane nature is omniscient and almighty which followeth not because that which is spoken of the concrete or whole person is restrained to the one nature which should not be The person adored or called upon is man but the humanity it selfe only or solely or in it selfe properly taken is not the proper subject or object of that worship Albeit we may and should adore the man Christ with divine worship yet may we not adore his man-hood or his flesh and bloud Because though the man Christ be God yet his man-hood is not God and by consequence not to be worshipped with that worship which is properly and essentially divine Againe if adoration agree to the humanity of Christ then may his humanity helpe and save us But the humanity of Christ cannot helpe and save us because omnis actio est suppositi whereas the humane nature of Christ is not suppositum None of those who defend the adoring of the humanity of Christ with divine worship doe well and warrantably expresse their opinion First Some of the Schoole-men have found none other respect Aquin. 3. q. 25. Art 2. wherefore the man-hood of Christ can be said to be adored except this that the flesh of Christ is adored by him who adoreth the word incarnate even as the Kings cloathes are adored by him who adoreth the King And thus they make the flesh of Christ to be adored only by accident Ego vero saith the Arch-bishop of De Rep. Eccl. lib. 7. cap. 12. n. 43. Spalato non puto à quoquam Regis vestimenta quibus est indutus adorari And why doth he that worshippeth the King worship his cloathes more then any other thing that is about him or beside him perhaps a Hawke upon his hand c. There is no more but the Kings owne person set by the worshipper to have any state in the worship and therefore no more worshipped by him Others devise another respect wherefore the man-hood of Christ may be said to be worshipped namely that as the divine worship agrees only to the God-head and not personis praecisè sumptis i. Fr. S. Clara Expos art confess Angl. art 28. sub ratione formali constitutiva personarum quae est relatio but only as these relations identificantur with the essence of the Godhead so the man-hood of Christ is to be adored Non per se praecisè sed prout suppositatur à Deo But if by suppositatur they meane as they must meane that the man-hood is assumed into the unity of the person of the Sonne of God for otherwise if they meane that the man-hood is made a person they are Nestorians that which they say cannot warrant the worshipping of the manhood with divine worship because the man-hood even after this assumption and hypostaticall union is still for all that a creature and a distinct nature from the God-head so that it cannot yet be said to be worshipped with divine worship Dr Field layeth out a third way for whiles he admitteth the phrase of the Lutherans who say not only concretively that the Of the Church lib. 5. cap. 15. man Christ is omnipotent but the humanity also he thus distinguisheth when we speake saith he of the humanity of Christ sometimes we understand only that humane created essence of a man that was in him sometimes all that that is implied in the being of a man as well subsistence as essence But this distinction is as if a man should say sometimes by blacknesse I understand blacknesse and sometimes the subject wherein it is together with the blacknesse it selfe An abstract is no more an abstract if it have a subsistence It is the tenet of the Schoole that though in God Aqu. â—qu 13. art 1. the concrete and the abstract differ not because Deus Deitas are the same yet in creatures whereof the man-hood of Christ is one they are really different For the concrete signifieth something compleat subsisting but the abstract such as humanity signifieth something not as subsisting but as that whereby something is Wherefore when some say the flesh of Christ is to be adored the speech is not proper but figurative because properly Polan Syntag. lib. 6. cap 16. the flesh secundum se is not adored because it is a creature but
Isa 11. 9. 54. 13. 1 Cor. 1. 7. 2. 10. Joh. 6. 45. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 32. 28. 1 Sam. 8. 7. Eph. 6. 12. We wrestle not against flesh bloud i. only Act. 16. 14. 2 Cor. 3. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 22. God would pour upon his Church in the times of the new Testament leading the true children of the Church by his blessed Spirit into all truth necessary to Salvation The like phrases are often found in the Scriptures and the adversitive particle but is not put as exceptive But the anointing i. e. except as Internall Vocation is by the operation of the holy Spirit effectually inabling and drawing us unto Christ enlightening the minde and affecting the heart seriously to attend unto those things which are spoken and by faith to receive and embrace them The principall effectuall help which maketh us come to God by belief is the efficacy of Gods Almighty power put forth to such a purpose It is the effectuall working of Gods Almighty Col. 2. 12. 2 Cor. 4. 6. power which worketh faith in us to Salvation For the creating us anew in Christ is a greater work then giving us our naturall being in Adam and therefore may not be ascribed to any power Eph. 2. 1 â— Luk. 11. 20 21. 2 Tim. 2. 26. that is not almighty We are by nature dead in trespasses held in bondage by strong powers whom none but the strongest can over-master and by believing we are lifted up to an estate without comparison more excellent then that we formerly received Now to bring us from death under which so mightie ones held us captive to such a life so unutterably glorious must needs be the working of a power almighty Besides so farre as God doth intend to work so farre he putteth forth his omnipotent power to accomplish but God doth intend to make some before other some come unto him and therefore he doth stretch out the arme of his power to effect this A second helpe is the inward illumination and inspiration wrought in us by which as the internall Word God speaketh in the minde The conversion of sinners is called a conviction because it is ever wrought in us as we are reasonable and intelligent creatures the judgement going before is a directour what to chuse And if the minde of man were once throughly and in a spirituall manner as it becommeth such objects as are altogether spirituall Saepe fit intellectus haefitanter suadeat languâ—de tractet habenas aut serò se ad judicandum applicet Ex adverso autem appâ—titus sensitivi saepe tam subitò tam veâ—ementèr concitantur ut voluntas ab apperitu impulsa jubeat intellectum judicare ex appetitus imperio possessed of the adequate goodnesse and truth which is in grace and glory and did consider it deliberately both simply and in comparison with all circumstances and occurrences and did apply it selfe to the serious study and thought thereof the heart could not utterly reject them For humane liberty is not a brutish but a reasonable thing it consisteth not in contumacy and head-strongnesse but in such a manner of working as is apt to be regulated varied or suspended by the dictates of right reason and sound judgement if things be distinctly and certainly apprehended seriously weighed and pondered and the thought thereof preserved and kept in minde The only cause why men are not willing to submit unto Christ is because they are not throughly and in a manner sutable to the excellency of the things inlightened in their minde or they do not keep in minde and thought that which they are taught in the Word of God and cannot but know in some sort Sinners in Scripture are said to be blinde simple fooles brutish inconsiderate that remember not that God seeth them consider not their latter end Sinne is naturall not as nature is opposed to liberty but as nature is opposed to grace 1 Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 5 6. 2 Cor. 11. 3. 1 Tim. 2. 14. And so without Christ and the holy Spirit miserable naturall or mortall men would sinne necessarily The first sinne of our first parents was an errour for whatsoever a man doth will that he doth will being led by certaine reason true or in appearance The act of willing hath in it power whatsoever is subject to it but it selfe is not in it own power but in the power of reason whose prescript it doth follow whether right or corrupt Necessarily good is preferred before evil and the greater good certainly and distinctly knowne before the lesser but not knowne it is not preferred with equall necessity The will is not enforced of it selfe either of it selfe resting or forcing it selfe for then it should be in act and not in act at one and the same time The will cannot bend into the direct contrary for then it might most willingly desire that condition which it certainly knew to be most miserable and refuse that condition which it most certainly and distinctly knew to be most blessed Nor suspend of it selfe without the intervention of the understanding because the will is not the mistresse of it selfe but of the act which depends upon the inferiour faculties They that know the gift of God they desire and aske it They that know God they will trust in him and keep his Commandements They that are taught of God they will come unto Christ and faith is lively and operative to draw men to the love of God and obedience to his precepts The act of judgement is two-fold 1. Naturall which ariseth from the sharpnesse or dulnesse of the wit 2. Morall according to which we are said to be good or evil There be two degrees of light 1. Directing and warning what is to be done 2. Perswading and effectually moving forward the will This perswasion is when with such force the holy Spirit doth accompany the Gospell that it doth not only move the will but move it effectually or throughly and beget faith lively and well rooted What the minde judgeth best the will followeth as best what lesse good the minde judgeth the will lesse followeth What the In singulis quidem actionibus voâ—unt as regitur ab intellectu in genere tamen voluâ—tas iÌ„ aperat intellectui nec intellectus fe applicat ad intelligendum nisi jussut à voluntate 1 Cor. 8. 2. Joh. 17. 3. minde judgeth the greatest evil the will doth specially avoid what it judgeth a lesse evil it doth lesse flee from Unlesse the minde should either wax idle or loose the reines to the affections which must needs proceed from a most grievous and most perverse errour of the minde right reason would obtain not only by right but in deed and fact the command and rule Knowledge is either prescribing or perswading true and solid either of the thing simply considered or of the thing considered with all his circumstances certaine just
profitable and pleasant answerable in some sort to the nature excellency and use of the thing known And in this case the heart is not over-ruled contrary to the full spirituall and infallible evidence of divine truth seriously thought upon unto a practicall judgement This is the learning of Christ the teaching of the Father the knowing of things which passe knowledge Christ is not known if he be not acknowledged as he is propounded what perfect Si ignorare accipitur pro non attendere dici potest voluntatem humanam vix unquam peccare sine aliqua ignoratione quia quando voâ—untas peccat intellectus ut plurimum aliud agit nec attendit ad regimen voluntatis knowledge doth perfectly that imperfect knowledge doth imperfectly As the end acknowledged cannot be refused by like right neither can the meanes acknowledged the meanes I say necessary only necessary and without which there is no possibility or likelihood to obtaine the end For will is a reasonable appetite and therefore doth not stirre from such a good as is fully and spiritually represented unto it with evidence certainty profit and delight as the most universall adequate and unquestionable object of the desires and capacities of an humane soule and that both simply and in comparison for the freedome and willing consent of the heart is not lawlesse or without rules to moderate it but it is therefore said to be free because whether out of a true judgement it move one way or out of a false another yet in both it moveth naturally in a manner sutable to its owne condition If it be objected the heart being unregenerate is utterly averse unto any good The answer is that it is true the will must not only be moved but renewed and changed before it can yeeld to Christ But withall God doth never so fully and spiritually convince the judgement in that manner without a speciall work of grace upon the soule whereby the will is framed and fashioned to accept embrace and love those good things of which the minde is thus prepossessed The third help is a formall cause a free gracious disposition or Scimus non impetrari remissionem ante prece â—ed dicâ— decretam esse ante preces eam peti precibus quamvis sit decreta P. Malin de eâ—ect ex fide pag. 316. habite of faith by which the will is inclined agreeable to the disposition of it to come unto God This habite is necessary because without it the will being in bondage stained and defiled it is altogether unable to will or desire that which is spiritually good If there could be a will without such habite man might performe the act of a man spiritually alive before he was made alive So that the full answer to this question viz. what is that effectuall help whereby I come to God is this It is a mixt thing standing partly of that almighty power of his put forth for my good partly of that inward Word and inspiration by and with which his power is put forth partly in that spirit of faith and supernaturall life which his almighty power through his Word bringeth forth in my soule What was that help whereby Christ made Lazarus able to come to him out of the grave of naturall death The principall was Christs power the instrumentall his voyce the formall cause immediately helping to it or working it was the spirit of naturall life which the power of Christ by his Word restored to this dead corps which now was fallen And thus we have the effectuall help or grace by which we come actually to convert which are all given from Gods free grace and favour towards us And when God doth infuse the habite of faith into the minde of one of ripe age he doth cause him actually to beleeve as the nature of the thing it selfe and condition doth manifest For if the Spirit by inlightening the minde and renewing the heart doe perswade and move the soule effectually to embrace adhere unto and love the Lord Jesus Christ then the condition of the thing will not beare that grace should be given effectually but the act and motion of the soule must necessarily follow But though the connection of these two be indivisible yet the flexion or turning it selfe is not indivisible or in a point or moment but it may be sooner or slower more speedy in one more remisse in another The will is necessarily bowed or bended but more vehemently in one more slackly in another freely or willingly in all that are turned and yet necessarily And this first thing is well to be noted for from hence we may gather in what standeth the efficacy of grace effectuall to Conversion viz. In Gods effectuall power put forth to execute his intention which he hath of converting some actually before other some It Quaestio non est de irresistibilitate sed de insuperabilitate finali Nam quomodo traberemur gratia irresistibili cum id ipsum quod nolumus Deo resistere â—it ipsa Deigratia Illud ipsum velle resistere nihil aliâ—d est quam resistere doth not stand in any congruity or temperature of grace correspondent to our nature For this doth argue there is inward an incorrupted connaturall disposition to receive grace This maketh the effect of Conversion as much if not more to depend on the active capacity of the will as on the grace of God For it maketh the grace of God worke it morally and externally by perswasion only and the will of man from a power within it selfe which doth more inwardly enter the effect of Conversion then the other It may be questioned in what order doth the Spirit make us come unto God whether immediately or by some preparation going before wherein it is further to be considered what that preparation is or wherein it consisteth To the first branch of the Question it is truly answered that God doth use so to worke our comming to him by beliefe that he doth first for the most part prepare us thereunto As before we engraffe a Sciens we cut it and set it for incision and if a Timberlogg lie sunke in mudd men set to their tacklings first to draw it out of the mire before they lay it on a Cart to carry it away Thus God doth by his power often worke some preparative change in a sinner before he doth by his power and word worke the spirit of faith in them and make them come unto him So God by afflictions is said to boare the eare and prepare to conversion 2 Chron. 33. 11 12. Act 2. 37. When Manasseh was humbled in great misery he sought the Lord. Thus by conviction of sin others were pricked in heart and said What shall we doe to be saved and then speedily they received the Gospel beleeving Sometimes by extraordinary terrours rising from externall accidents yea hidden naturall causes God is pleased to bring men nearer unto him Thus the Jaylor Act. 16.
26 27. was prepared to receive the Gospel by the shaking of the Castle and that feare he fell into supposing the prisoners had been fled And Paul himselfe by an extraordinary vision was brought to Act 9. 6. great astonishment Sometimes by restraining grace or common gifts which make men for degree nearer that is in their kinde and state not so much removed as others in the same kinde and state with them God doth prepare men thus Christ said to the young man who was nigh and unconverted Thou art not farre Mar. 12. 34. and 10. 21. from the Kingdome of God Nay God may by giving a man up to the height of some sin or sins prepare him to conversion as Paul and Manasseh the one left to persecuting the other to those horrible out-rages And God in wisdome knew it best for Peter to give him up to be tempted of Satan and left to himselfe to deny his Master for the curing of his self-confidence Physicians by ripening diseases make way to cure them for sick matter is never more easily brought away then when in ripenesse and quantity it exceedeth Concerning this matter let these conclusions be remembred First These preparations are not absolutely necessary for we see God doth give sanctifying grace to Infants in whom none of these preparatory operations can take place Secondly We doe not finde that they have been alwayes used though perhaps it be a thing most commonly falling forth How was Matthew called even at his custome and he followed presently Mat. 9. 9. Luk. 19. 6. not as Judas but as a true convert of Christ So Zacheus upon the very call came downe hastily and received Christ joyfully So it is said of Lydia God opened her heart that she attended Act. 16. 14. unto those things which Paul spake For life and death being such contraries as have no third thing between them which doth partake in them both the one may be changed into the other without any thing preparatory The entring of grace doth expell corruption and spirituall quicknesse in newnesse of life is the mortification of sin Terrours doe not drive men to Christ of themselves nor stirre men up to imbrace the promises and God is able to draw men unto Christ by the allurements of the Gospell By Evangelicall enticements men may be allured as well as driven Hos 2. 14. by the convictions and comminations of the Law Thirdly All things which God doth prepare to the receiving of grace and comming to him they make not of themselves any thing to the introducing of grace farther then God intendeth this effect by them Feare of hell conscience of sin never such afflictions morall parts and all gifts which may be without sanctifying grace and true beliefe many have all these who yet never turne unfainedly unto God When the sicknesse is growne greater in quantity this absolutely taken maketh the patient further off health The feeling of the disease is no part of the recovery though the Physitian may worke by it Phrensie in it selfe is no preparation to health but to the Physitian who can worke on the patient more fitly in this taking then in a deadly Palsey it may be a preparative to health Thus to be like an aguish man on his good dayes or like to some mad-men in the time of their intermissions is in it selfe as faâ—re from state of health as otherwise but yet the Physitian may use such a state as a way to health choosing rather to deale witâ— him in this taking then in the fit And so it is not the height of sin nor the feare of hell nor a morall course of life that of themselves can make nearer the state of grace but only in regard of God who doth intend to turne them hereunto Afflictions of themselves profit not if God open not the ear fear and horrour drive to despaire if God support not vertuous life according to the light of nature turneth a man further from God if he adde not thereunto the effectuall worke of his Spirit And all or any of these in regard of Gods intention may prepare man to receive the Gospell or the grace of effectuall vocation Fourthly A man that is sunke deeper into sin may be converted with lesse sorrow or legall terrour as the Thiefe upon the Crosse and he that hath not so grievously offended may be kept longer under for the ripenesse and aboundance of the humour may make way for the more speedy removall thereof when it is for the safety of others that have not gathered so much corruption to be kept under for a season Fifthly A Christian must not quarrell his conversion because he hath not been terrified or brought so low as others or kept under so long for it matters not how deeply thou hast been wounded but how soundly thou hast been cured It is not materiall what paine thou hast felt but whether thou be brought unto Christ Sixthly Châ—â—stians in temptations or distresse must not desire or pray that God would terrifie them or humble them with deepe apprehensions of his indignation for they know not their owne strength whether they be able to beare it if God should deale severely they forget that it is God that must make all afflictions profitable and that of themselves these things tend to despaire and hardnesse of heart and it is no small unthankfulnesse to complain of the Physitians care because he is inclined to deale tenderly with you Godly sorrow is to be cherished and so is the desire of and prayer for more tendernesse of heart but when we pray for more horrour we relie too much upon our selves and yet consider not our own weaknesse Seventhly This preparation is neither saving grace nor a thing between nature and grace done by the externall aide of the Spirit It is not saving grace because it is that whereby God is pleased to bring us to Christ and not that whereby we are renewed to believe or engraffed into Christ Nor a thing between nature and grace as if the Spirit without any habit of grace did lift us up to the supernaturall acts of beliefe hope love for then we should be-lifted up to acts of life without the habit which is to make a blinde man see without sight and to make us bear good fruit without sap or before we be good trees Eighthly These things may dispose us to faith but not to justification immediately because the smart of the wound may provoke to seeke a plaister but serveth not to the curing of it Justification is of the free grace of God through the bloud of Jesus Christ and not through any habit of grace infused into us much lesse through feare of hell or initiall hope or desire or such like Ninthly Where the effectuall raising up of the heart to faith beginneth there Gods preparative workes take an end for as that which prepares the ground for seed now ceaseth when the seed is to be sowne So all these
doth give life and sence to the body and not the whole Trinity If the speciall Offices of Christ be considered severally much more if all of them be considered joyntly it will evidently appeare that both natures must necessarily concurre in the formall execution of them For he cannot worthily performe the office of the chiefe Doctor of the whole Church and heavenly Prophet nor execute the office of an eternall high Priest that is offer a Sacrifice truly propitiatory daily heare the prayers of all his people and present them before God nor exercise kingly power and authority in heaven and earth who worketh to the forme of meere humanitie or onely as he is man When in those offices there must be a divine excellencie and efficacie The end of personall union is the administration of his office Qualis substantia personae tâ—â— liâ— operatie qualis operatio talis substantia and the personall union of two natures in Christ had not been necessary unlesse both had concurred as a formall beginning to that worke For every agent necessarily worketh according to and by its forme whence it followeth either that the person of the Mediatour doth not consist of two natures or both natures of Christ as proper formes doe necessarily concurre to the proper works of a Mediatour because the proper operations must be conjoyned in one worke of a Mediatour as both natures are joyned and united in one person There is one God saith the Apostle and one 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. Mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus adding the man Christ to shew that in him were both natures that is he was God and man in one person and so a fit middle person or Mediatour And man may be taken personally not naturally it being most usuall to name the whole person of Christ from either 1 Cor. 2 â— nature as he is called the Lord of glory when his person is understood And so in this place the man Christ that is that person Iaâ— animad in Bell. contr l. 5. 6. 3. not 11 12. who hath that nature by which he is truly called man and of that appellation there may be divers weighty reasons more amongst the rest this that the Apostle would encourage us to put our trust and confidence in him as being our elder brother By voluntary dispensation Christ is Mediatour as God incarnate and not by nature as God And according to that dispensation Christ Joh. 17. 3 and 14. 1. 1 Joh. 2 1 2. is Mediatour to the Father who is personally called God sometimes in this respect and distinguished from Christ as Mediatour and Christ is our Advocate to the Father but never represented in Scripture praying to the Son or holy Spirit but the Father only which dispensation is carefully to be observed from which we must not depart upon any vain speculation which humane curiosity might suggest A Mediatour must be a middle person equally distant and equally drawing nigh to both parties betwixt whom he doth mediate Bellarm. de Christ l. 5. c. 2. §. Praeterâ—a Ille solus est verè medius inter Deum hominem cum utriusq naturam habeat And thus Christ God incarnate is a fit middle person for he draws as neare to the Father as God as to us as man and is as farre distant from God as he is man as he is from us as God and he comes as neare to the Father as he departeth from us and comes as neare to us as he doth to the Father But Christ as a just man is not so a middle person for he comes not so nigh to the Father as just as he doth to us as man nor is so farre distant from us as just as he comes nigh to us as man Then as Mediatour he should be joyned to the Father in will only but in nature dis-joyned and be distant from man not in nature but in quality only then should he be Mediatour not as substantially one with the Father but only as he is united to him in will If it be alleadged that if Christ be Mediatour as God incarnate then he is Mediatour to himselfe because he is God and then also he should differ from himselfe because a Mediatour is a middle person We answer it is not necessary a thing should differ from the Iun. ibid. cap. 5. not 1 3 5 15. extreames according to all that in respect whereof it is of a middle condition but it is sufficient if it differ in some thing from one and in some thing from another as is before explained So the Son of God incarnate by voluntary dispensation differeth not only from the Father and the holy Ghost but from himselfe as God only scil as man he differeth from himselfe as God and as God from himselfe as man The whole Trinity being offended with us for sin was to be pacified but the Scripture teacheth Christ was our Mediatour to the Father and we must silence our conceits and learne of God what to believe And assuredly if the Father be reconciled the whole Trinity is reconciled And further it may be added that he who according to absolute essence or nature is the partie offended may according to voluntary dispensation sustaine the person and doe the office of a Mediatour and so Christ was primarily a Mediatour to the Father for us and by consequence and secundarily to the whole Trinity and so to himselfe as God It is further objected if Christ be Mediator according to his divine nature then all three persons in Trinity be Mediatours but this is a meere deceit for the divine nature is taken essentially for the divine nature common to Father Son and holy Ghost or personally for the divine essence considered distinctly in the Father Son and holy Ghost In the latter sence we say Christ according to his divine nature is our Mediator as he was incarnate and did assume our nature unto his divine person and not the Father or the holy Ghost But then it will be said he was inferiour to the Father In office it is true by voluntary dispensation he is inferiour but in nature Iun. ibid. not 13. he is equall to the Father and nothing hinders but one equall to another in nature may by voluntary and free choice under-take Phil 2. 6 7. an office of inferiority Being in the forme of God he humbled himselfe The Scripture teacheth expressely that God the Father Joh. 1. 18. 3. 16. 3. 13. Rom. 5. 8. Ephes 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. 1 Joh. 1. 7. â— 1. 4. 10. Act. 20. 28. gave his only begotten Son to death for us and the only begotten or proper Son of God according to both natures and in both states is said to administer his office the property of either nature observed as also the only begotten Son of God is said to descend from heaven to earth for our sakes and to suffer death for us
and to have done and suffered other such things and that by the bloud of his Son we are reconciled to God the Father This office of Mediation Christ hath performed First as the great Doctour of his Church by revealing unto us the way to life even 1 Cor. 2. 7 8 9. the last full and perfect will of God concerning mans salvation the wisdome of God in a mysterie even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory which none of the Princes of this world knew Such things as eye hath not seen eare hath not heard or ever entred into the heart of man to conceive Such as the naturall inquirie of Angels could never Mat. 11. 27. Joh. 1. 1â— have discovered No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne hath revealed him No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him He only it is that openeth the bosome of his Father that is who revealeth the secret and mysterious counsels and the tender and compassionate affections of his Father unto the world He is said to be a teacher sent from Joh. 3. 2. God and to be the Lord which speaketh from heaven and the doctrine which he taught an heavenly doctrine even great Salvation The woman of Samaria could say I know when the Messiah cometh he will tell us all things And our Saviour professeth Heb. 12. 25. Joh. 3. 12. Heb. 2. 3. Joh. 4. 25. Joh. 15. 15 to his disciples All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you And in this the new Covenant is lifted up above former expressions of the same Covenant for substance For God who in sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers Heb. 1. 1. ver 3. by the Prophets hath in these last daies spoken unto us by his Sonne who is the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse Image of his person that is he in whom the glory and Majesty of the Father Col. 1. 15. otherwise invisible and inconspicuous doth shew forth it selfe and that which is hid in the Father as in a ring is manifested as on the seale And as God is manifested in Christ so was he manifested and made knowne by Christ In Christ are hid Col. 1. 3. Ephes 3. 9 10. all the treasures of wisdome and he hath made knowne the manifold wisdome of God The discovery of misery and sin is that which sweetens mercy and gaines it esteem and therefore as the mercy of God was plentifully unfolded so was the Law laid open and sin discovered by our Saviour more fully then it had been in the old Testament that as sin abounded mercy might abound much more And where the maladie appeares hideous and desperate there is need that we be well acquainted with the soveraigne remedie and hence as the doore of the Law and curse is cast quite open that men might throughly know themselves so Christ in his person natures office and benefits is lively deciphered that when men feele themselves lost in themselves they might runne unto him for righteousnesse grace life and salvation Secondly Christ hath satisfied offended justice and answered whatsoever the Law had against us The word satisfaction the Scripture hath not but the thing signified thereby is plainly noted by the phrases of Redemption Expiation Reconciliation and many such like every where in Scripture Justice did release the debtour or the punishment of the person offending but would not simply release the punishment of the offence or pardon the fault without satisfaction If then the guilty be spared the surety must suffer punishment It is here questioned whether God could not pardon sin without satisfaction or satisfaction be absolutely necessary the decree and pleasure of God so to have it excepted Many sound orthodox and learned Divines hold the affirmative Martin de pers Christi lib. 1. Sect. ex mundi redempâ— p. 154 155. because justice is essentiall to God and it is a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to them that afflict and that every transgression receive a just recompence 2 Thess 1. 6. Heb. 2. 2. Rom. 1. 32. Exod. 34. 7. And if recompence be just it is injustice to let sin goe unpunished The Lord testifieth that he that justifieth the wicked is an abhomination to his highnesse and he will not doe what he abhorreth in others Prov. 17. 15. Isa 5. 23. God cannot but love his Image and so he cannot but hate the corruption of it and severely punish that which is dissentanie from it This seemes to be engraven in the heart of man by nature that God is just and that sin cannot be done away without satisfaction and hence come those many fond devices amongst the Heathen Lex non est aliquid internum in Deo aut ipsa Dei voluntas sed voluntatis quidameffectus Lactant. de 〈◊〉 Dei cap. 19. Index peccatis veniam dare nâ— potest quia voluntati servit alienae Deus autem potest quia est legis suae ipse disceptator judex quam cum poneret non utiâ— ademit sibi omnem potestatem sed habet ignoscendi licentiam Senec. Occidere contra Legem nemo non potest servare nemo prâ—ter te to pacifie offended justice they were ignorant of the true God and how his wrath and displeasure was to be appeased but assured of this that he was offended by sin and that without satisfaction the sin could not be expiated or done away For these and such like reasons many have thought that it is absolutely repugnant to divine justice to pardon sin without satisfaction Others and those learned and orthodox are of opinion that the necessity of satisfaction depends upon the will and pleasure of God and that God by his absolute power salva justitia might have pardoned sin without satisfaction For God might out of his absolute soveraignty not have punished Adams sin both because it was against himselfe not others to whom he is tied to doe justice and especially for that the demonstration of his revenging justice springeth not from the necessity of his nature but from his voluntary disposition as well as the giving life perpetuall to obedience for a certaine space performed For with-draw that voluntary Covenant who doubteth but that had the creature kept his innocency a thousand yeares God was free to have annihilated him Also God is able were he pleased to shew his power to turne it to his glory which mens impotency not attaining being also forbidden by the Law of their Superiour maketh them that they cannot alwaies with justice forgive even that wherein themselves are trespassed If God of his absolute power cannot pardon sin without satisfaction then not to punish sin is simply a thing impossible or God in so doing should be deficient or inconformable to the rule of his will but to let
died the Just for the unjust that is being just he was substituted for us unjust and suffered not only for our good as the Martyrs may be said to doe Isa 53 9 10. Rom. 5. 5 6 7 8. 1 Pet. 3. 18. 1 Cor. 1. 13. The same is demonstrated by this that Christ is said to be the Mediatour who gave himselfe a ransome for all men 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. that by redemption of transgressions which were under the former Covenant they that are called might receive the inheritance Heb. 9 15. and the mediation it selfe is joyned to the sprinkling of blood Heb 12. 24. so that none other mediation is to be understood then that whereby parties disagreeing are set at one Hitherto it is to be referred that we are said to be reconciled to God by the blood of Christ Rom 5. 10 11. 2 Cor. 5. 18. Ephes 2. 16. Col. 1. 20. whereby our conversion to God is not understood as if we who hated God before had now departed there from and did set our love upon him but that we which formerly were under wrath are restored into favour that which caused that seperation being taken away by the satisfaction of Christ and free condonation of grace Therefore Christ is called our Heb. 2. 17. sig ibi expiatiâ—nem sedeam quae fit placâ—ndâ— propitiatorie Rom. 3. 25. and propitiation 1 Joh. 2. 2. 4. 10. not a testimony of placation because God in Christ is made propitious unto us and not we propitious to God In Scripture God is said to reconcile the world unto himselfe according to the usuall manner of speaking wherein he that offendeth is therefore said to be reconciled because as he gave occasion to hatred so he hath need of reconciliation and the pacifying of him whom he hath Sophocles in Ajace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dijs conciliari i. ipsâ—s reddere propâ—tios Punitio omnis qua talis sive impersonaliter spectata causam habet justitiam Dei. Procataâ—ctica verâ— causa sunt peccata itidem impersonaliter in genere spectata sine determinatione punitio verò quae pro alio est plane miseriâ—ordiae divinae opus est procatarctica vero causâ— sunt peccara nostra satisfâ—ctionem exigentia Voss resp cap. 12. offended although the reconciliation of them that be offended be not excluded The deliverance which we obtaine by Christ is called redemption which was made by the paiment of a price Rom 3. 24. Gal. 3. 13. Ephes 1. 7. Heb. 9 12. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Matth. 20. 28. Mar. 10. 45. 1 Cor. 6. 20. 7. 23. and redemption made by a price can be no other then by satisfaction or substitution as the Apostle saith Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. 1 Tim. 26. Faith and repentance and preaching of the Gospell come betwixt that we might obtaine spirituall deliverance from the captivity of sinne but no man will say that we are redeemed by them as by a price whereby we obtaine deliverance In the legall sacrifices sinnes were expiated no other way but by substitution how much more was Christ who is the bodie of those shadowes substituted for the sinnes of the faithfull Wherefore the Apostle saith Christ was appointed to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people Heb. 2. 17. that is that by expiating the sinnes of the people he might pacifie God in the same sence wherein the blood of Christ is said to purge the conscience Heb. 9. 13 14. Therefore the Scripture useth those words in this businesse which note recompence and subrogation as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth both to pacifie and reconcile Gen 3. 20 Prov. 16 14. and to recompence or satisfie 2 Sam. 21. 3. Exod. 21 30. Psal 49. 8. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to recompence or pay Gen. 31. 39. In the legall sacrifices there was a typicall expiation but the conscience was not purged nor sinne taken away or heavenly Heb. 9. 9 10. 4. 9. 23â— things sanctified by such sacrifices but the sacrifice of Christ was necessary by which things of so greaâ— moment were effected which was tipified by the legall sacrifices and was effectuall as a morall cause of Salvation before Christ was exhibited in the flesh And if the Fathers of the â—lâ— Testament were saved by Christ of necessity the satisfaction of Christ was true and reall for when it was not distinctly understood it could not profit them as an example or confirmation of doctrine but as a reall satisfaction only If Christ by his death had confirmeâ— his doctrine only and not Heb. 5. â— made satisfaction be had not died as a Priest whose office it is to offer sacrifice and make attonement but the Scripture sheweth plainly that Christ is our high Priest according to the order of Melchizedech Psal 110. 4. Heb. 7. 14 15. who hath offered up himselfe a sweet smelling sacrifice Ephes 5. 2. and sanctified us by one offering up of himselfe once for all Heb. 10. 11 12. And because the sacrifice of Christ may be considered either as he offered Heb. 9. 13 23. up himselfe for all the faithfull in generall his sheep and Church or as every particular faithfull man is comprehended under that universality and the good things purchased for all tend to the salvation of every singular beleever God would have the first should be shadowed forth by the anniversary sacrifice and some others which were offered for all the people the latter by the private sacrifices of every sinner Lev. 5. Exod. 29. 30. Christ then as Mediatour by his death hath made satisfaction for us and that true full reall satisfaction and not by a certaine fiction of Law or divine acceptilation as they call it For why did God exact the bloody death of his Sonne if it had pleased him to rest in any light satisfaction The Apostle concludes the sacrifice of Christ to be necessary because it is impossible the blood of Bulls and Goats should doe away sinnes Heb. 10. 4. which argument concludes not if Christ hath satisfied only as it pleased the Father to accept of his imperfect satisfaction as if it had been perfect The satisfaction of Christ was free because he was freely given to satisfie but the decree of God presupposed to shew his mercy and justice full satisfaction was necessary because sinne must be punished as the Law requireth or God is not true as in his promises so in his threatnings None other wages is appointed for sinne but death Rom. 6. 23. hence he that is dead is justified from sinne Rom. 6 7. But Christ suffered death and by death made recompence to justice for our debt and in that he died for sinne he died once Rom. 6. 9 10. He tasted death that by death he might destroy him that had the Heb. 2. 9 14 15. power of death that is the devill and deliver them who through feare of death