state equal with the Jews The general notion of Redemption is also set forth by these general Expressions viz. Christ dy'd for us all he was deliver'd for our Sins he suffer'd for Sin where the word us all signifies us Men of all Nations and the word Sin or Sins signifies the natural Apostacy and frequent Actings of it That us all is meant of Men of all Nations appears in 1 Tim. 2. where all in v. 6. refers to Men. In v. 1 4. it signifies Men of all Nations It 's also observable in reference to the general notion That the Work of Redemption and Reconciliation refers to certain Times and Seasons Rom. 5.6 Christ according to the Season dy'd for the Ungodly Christ was sent in the fulness of Times Gal. 4.4 He gave himself a Ransome witnessed in the proper seasons 1 Tim. 2.6 In the dispensation of the fulness of Times God gathers or reconciles all things to himself by Christ Eph. 1.10 Here Things signifies Persons as the Substantive is often put for the Adjective the Abstract for the Concrete More Hebraico This seems to be the true Universal Redemption which the Apostle seems to comprehend in one sentence with admiration of the Wisdom and unsearchable Ways of God the sentence is this viz. God hath set up all Nations in Unbelief that he might have mercy upon all Nations in their times and turns Rom. 11.31 32. Now concerning the Personal Reconciliation and Redemption which amounts to a Personal Election As the Reconciliation of our Nature in the Person of Christ is expressed by the Blood and Death of Christ for us so our Personal Reconciliation is expressed by the Righteousness of God manifested in all and upon all that believe Rom. 3.21 22. By the Righteousness of God is meant the Faithfulness of God in performing his merciful Promises especially touching his sending Christ and the Spirit to the Gentiles The Apostle saith This is witnessed as a distinct thing in the Law and the Prophets from the Law of Works For instance in the Law this Faithfulness of God is called the Name of God Exod. 34.6 In the Psalms it 's called the Mercy and Truth of God Psal 100. 117. and the Righteousness of God Psal 71.2 15 16. Psal 103.17 and Mercy and Truth and Righteousness of God are put together Psal 98.2 3. Salvation and Mercy and Truth Righteousness and Reconciliation are join'd together Psal 85.10 11. In the Prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah this Faithfulness of God in his merciful Promises in sending Christ and his Spirit which is the ground of the New Covenant is called the Righteousness of God and his Salvation Isa 56.1 In Jeremiah it is called the New Covenant Jer. 31.31 This Righteousness of God the Apostle saith is now manifested by the Faith of Christ This Expression of the Faith of Christ is often used to signifie the preaching the Doctrine of Faith in Christ whereof Christ is the Author by his Spirit which is also called the Law of Faith Ministry of the Spirit and Ministry of Reconciliation or of reconciling our Persons to God that we may partake of the Benefit of God's being reconciled to us by the Death of Christ This manifestation of the Righteousness of God by the Faith of Christ is in us and upon us that believe It is in us This in one word is the Work of Faith in two words it 's the Similitude of the Life and Death of Christ imprinted in our Hearts in three words it's Faith Hope and Love And this Righteousness is by the Ministry of Reconciliation upon us and apply'd unto us by forgiveness of Personal Sins with inward Peace and Joy and Adoption to Eternal Life This notion of reconciling the Nature and Persons of Men runs in the Veins of the Apostle's Discourse of Justification in Rom. 3.24 he saith We are justified freely by Grace This Grace is the Law of Grace and that Law he saith is the Redemption that is by Christ This is the general notion of Christ's taking our Nature And then he adds the notion of Personal Redemption when he saith that God hath set him forth ministerially to be a Mercy-seat through Faith in his Blood for the remission of our Personal Sins Rom. 4.25 He dyed for our Sins here is the Reconciliation of our Nature and he arose for our Justification there is the Reconciliation of our Persons And in Rom. 5. from v. 6 to 10. There is an Atonement made by Christ's Death when we were Enemies in the highest degree of Apostacy ripe for Destruction this is the Atonement in our Nature And then he mentions the Atonement received which is our Personal Reconciliation That Pattern of wholsome words in Tit. 3.3 4 5 6 7 8. is very remarkable for the method of Divine Wisdom in the Na tional and Personal Reconciliation put together as it is in 2 Cor. 5. from v. 16. to the end which place gives light to this in Titus and this to that being thus paraphrased We all were sometimes foolish disobedient c. but after the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour to Mankind appeared in sending his Son in the nature of Man by him to reconcile the World to himself in doing his Will in all his Commands against all Temptations to the contrary he was pleased to save our Persons not by Works of Righteousness which we had done or Surety for us or as imputed to us in a legal way but of his meer and absolute Free Mercy making us new Creatures which he did in this method He first brought us into a state of Regeneration and then perfected the Work of Regeneration by the Ministry of his own Spirit which he poured on us the Apostles by the Intercession of Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven to the end that we being by the operation of his Grace made righteous in the Gift of a new Heart and perfect Remission of Sin as by the Spirit and Blood of Christ we might by the Spirit of Adoption be made Heirs of Eternal Life whereof we hope according to his Promise John 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting Life In this Pattern of wholsome words our Apostle answers a Case of Conscience which every Soul is concerned in viz. How a Person that hath some time been foolish disobedient serving divers Lusts and Pleasures c. may have hope of Eternal Life He answers in effect thus much That there are three things done by Christ and three things to be done by the Sinner 1. Christ hath made an Atonement for Mankind that any that hath the Nature of Man may come to God in the way of his Mercy and in the day of Mercy 2. Christ hath provided Means of Grace to make them new Creatures which are Baptism and a Spiritual Ministry 3. When the Work of Renovation is truly wrought so as the Love of God is poured into
the Soul he hath provided a Seal to confirm his Adoption to the Inheritance of Eternal Life by the Witness of his own Spirit filling his Heart with Joy and Peace in hope and expectation of it The three things to be done on Man's part are 1. He is to believe the Atonement and receive it with all readiness notwithstanding his many and great Offences though his Sins be of Crimson of a deep dye for Christ came into the World to save the Chief of Sinners 2. He must yield himself to the Means of Grace for his Renovation 3. In the conscionable use of the Means of Grace he must pray for the Manifestations and Confirmarion of Christ's Love and wait for the Motions of the Spirit of Adoption rejoycing in Hope Thus a Sinner may be truly said to convert himself to God and no Glory due to Man in the Work and Christ truly said to work all things in all Persons And it 's observable that the Apostle in directing a Sinner how to know his Salvation doth not begin at the eternal purpose of God in Election but at the way of working out his Salvation for although it's God's way to work all things according to his Eternal Purpose and known to God are all his Works from the beginning of his Purposes yet our way of knowing his Purposes is by his Work in the dispensation of the fulness of Times Eph. 1.10 unless it be by Special Revelation Another Observation to demonstrate the manifold Wisdom of God in the Work of Man's Redemption considered generally and particularly is from that word to himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applied distinctly to the Father in 2 Cor. 5.18 19. Eph. 5.2 3. to Christ God the Father hath reconciled the World of Mankind were they Jews or Gentiles by Jesus Christ to himself which seems to signifie to his own use and service as that wherein he delights to display his Glory and the Riches of his Grace It 's by Christ's Atonement that Mankind lives and moves and have their being continued that God causes his Sun to shine on the Just and Unjust that Seed-time and Harvest are yet continued that rare Inventions are found out that a Blessing attends Mens honest Endeavours that Princes decree Justice and Human Societies are preserved It is from Christ's Atonement that Sentence against an Evil Work is not speedily executed and Judgments executed have an end many times and Sin no longer imputed and Mercy revived in God's Government of this World This Love of the World of Mankind God gave them on the account of Jesus Christ who was the Lamb slain in God's holy purpose from the beginning of the World of Mankind to take away that Confusion which Sin had brought into the World of Mankind But besides this common Love which God hath to Mankind from Christ's Atonement he hath an higher degree of Love for Mankind on the account of Christ's Atonement which respects Eternal Life which Adam lost which is noted by the Word So in John 3.16 He so loved to such a degree he loved all Mankind in the positive but his Church in the superlative degree and fence This superlative Love in bringing many Sons unto Glory Christ hath a peculiar Commission from the Father to take care of and to promote Mat. 28.19 20. which he accordingly doth in washing with Water them that believe his Word Eph. 5.26 or washing them from their Sin with his Blood Rev. 1.5 for the Water and Blood go together 1 John 5.6 and are both signified in Baptism as containing the compleat Work of Regeneration by the Blood and Spirit of Christ and being so made clean without spot or wrinkle he presents them to himself as true Members of his mystical Body and then presents them to the Father to be justified in Judgment and being judged righteous to be adopted to Sonship or glorified Ephes 1.5 1 Tim. 4. GOD is the Saviour of all Men especially of them that believe The Wisdom of God in Christ's Ministerial Work is set forth in Gal. 3. from v. 19 to the end The Apostle had positively asserted in Gal. 2.16 That we are Justified by the Law of Faith and not by the Law of Works c. and here he enquires the Reason in the Divine Wisdom why the Law was given after the Promise and answers to this effect After the Promise of Salvation by a reconciling and redeeming Mediator was made to Abraham God gave a Law at Sinai by way of Covenant solemnly transacted as between two Friends by a Friendly Mediator which seemed contrary to a reconciling Mediator And verily Man should have been justified by this Covenant if he had kept it for God is One and constant to one way of Salvation bue God foreseeing the Weakness of Man's Nature without a farther Special Grace and that he would break this Covenant declareth in the Scripture that this Law was given after the Promise not to abolish but to establish it not to seek Righteousness by doing it in our own Strength but to be ministred as our Covenant only as a Means to make us know our Sin and Misery and cause us to hunger and thirst not after the Mediator of Friendship but after the Mediator of Reconciliation and Redemption Thus Faith is an Act of Obedience to the Law of Grace and as it is written Christ is the Author of Salvation to them that obey him Of the Third End The third End or Effect according to our manner of conception why Christ ought to suffer these things and enter into Glory was to vindicate the Severity of Divine Vindictive Justice against the Neglect or Contempt of God's Promise of Mercy to miserable Mankind by a Mediator in the first place freely offered This is hard to be explain'd but probably thus Mankind for the first Sin was presently judged to the loss of Eternal Life on Earth and after a sorrowful Life to perish in Death as the Beasts do as may be gathered from Psal 49.12 and last Verse Man being in henour abideth not he is like the beasts that perish he became a rational Beast compared with John 3. Immediately after this Judgment it pleased God out of his Love to Mankind and not from any other legal satisfaction to make a voluntary Promise of a new way to Eternal Life by a Mediator which Promise should have Mercy in the first place with sufficient strength to resist Temptation attending it but should be attended with greater Punishment upon the neglect and contempt of it which was an Hell in the Conscience in this Life and a Second Death after the Resurrection of the Body in fellowship with the Devil and his Angels but such as were obedient according to the measure of their Light should receive Eternal Life as a Reward according to the measure of Mercy Hos 10.12 Sow to your selves in righteousness reap in mercy Hereupon those of Mankind who embraced not the way of Mercy remained under the Law of Works with
Heaven as well as on Earth for the compleating our Redemption His work on Earth was compleat as to the meritorious work of Teaching and Suffering But for the effectual Application of it the Will of the Father was to be done in Heaven his Will on Earth was done as it were in an hour but his Will in Heaven is a work of Ages so long as the Church is in Gathering so long is the Church in Redeeming until all be compleat in the Resurrection of the Body and therefore our Saviour enters upon this part of Redemption at his Resurrection and ascends to the right hand of the Father to receive the promised Ministerial Spirit to give forth for the proclaiming this glad Tidings and perswading Men to receive it and then to be a Priest for ever at the Fathers right Hand after the order of Melchisadech whose Throne is Justice and Judgment and Mercy and Truth go before his Face He is made a Throne of Grace a Mercy-seat for sinners to address unto to obtain Remission of Sin by and through Faith in his Blood and all good things promised And he is entred into Glory not only to Judge his people in perfecting the Work of their Redemption according to the Law of his Grace but also to succour them in all Dangers and Temptations for which end he is beyond the reach of all his Adversaries and made the Monarch of the World tho not a worldly Monarch the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Fourth Enquiry For what great Ends or Effects it was necessary that Christ should suffer these things and enter into Glory This is an unsearchable depth it is safe for us to keep to what is revealed and to bring our notions to the Text and not the Text to our conceptions There are Four Principal Ends or Effects mentioned in the Scriptures As 1. To Manifest the Grace of God in its Freedom Riches and Extent 2. To Manifest the Marvellous and Manifold Wisdom of God 3. To Manifest and Vindicate the Severity of God's Judgments against the Neglectors and Contemners of his Mercy 4. To Manifest the sympathetical Power of Christ in succouring his Church in her Suffering for his Name sake Of the First End And First Of the Freedom of the Grace of God This Freedom of the Grace of God in the work of Man's Redemption seems to exclude any Consideration of a penal satisfaction to the wrath and vindictive Justice of God by the Mediatour as Antecedent to the Remission of Adams Sin but implys that God was pleased to remit Adams Sin upon the Account of the Mediators obedience to the Justice of his free promise without a penal Satisfaction so that the face of Man's Redemption from the beginning was Mercy and Truth and not vindictive Justice This doth abundantly appear in Holy Scripture As First In the Old Testament in Exod. 34. when God proclaims His Name it is Mercy in the first place forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin and Judgment in the Second place In the description of the Throne of God The Prophet David describes God sitting on his Throne to have Mercy and Truth go before his Face Ps 89.14 And David describes his own Throne as King of Israel who was to be like unto God in his Government in this manner Ps 101.1 I will sing of Mercy and Judgment unto thee O Lord will I sing And the Evangelical Prophet Isa 55.8 after he had promised abundance of Pardon without any penal satisfaction he Answers the Objections which unbelieving Men are ready to make against this Free Mercy of God as if it were against his just proceedings he Answers all Mens thoughts about it with this saying from the Lord My ways are not as your ways nor my thoughts as your thoughts In the New Testament our blessed Saviour Himself declares this glorious Truth in a Parable Matth. 18.23 c. he saith the Kingdom of Heaven which is the Kingdom of Grace is not like the Man that took him that owed him 500 Pence by the Throat and said pay me that thou owest me before he would shew him any kindness But the Kingdom of Heaven is like to a King that took Account of his Servant who owed him a Thousand Talents and when he had nothing to pay upon his Intreaty forgave him all And our Apostle the Teacher of the Gentiles declares the Doctrine of Christs Redemption in this manner Rom. 3.24 25. he saith the Redemption that is by Jesus Christ is freely by Grace and this freedom he explains by two remarkable Expressions in the Context the first expression is that he saith the Redemption of Christ declares the Righteousness of God for the Remission of Sins which Righteousness of God cannot be understood of his vindictive Justice but of his Mercy and Truth in Performance of the Grace of the New Covenant according to St. John's Expression if we confess our sin God is righteous and just to forgive sin 1 John 1.9 The Second Expression is in vers 28. where he saith we are justified by Faith without the law of Works Where without the Law of Works must necessarily exclude all Penal Satisfaction for breaking the Law The Notion of Christs being Adams surety for debt as bound in the same Bond with him is Defective for these Reasons As 1. It supposeth Christs satisfaction to penal vindictive Justice to be the first Act of Christs Mediation which is against the absolute freedom of the Law of Grace 2. It supposeth Christ to be guilty of Adams Sin which is against the Reward of the Law of Grace 3. It infers that Christ should restore Adam to the state wherein he was before he sinned which is against the Nature of the Law of Grace Secondly Christ suffering these things and entring into Glory doth also manifest the Riches and full measure of Grace not only for the pardon of transgressors against the Law of Works but also for obtaining a new Heart and Adoption to Eternal Life And Thirdly The Extent also of Divine Grace is hereby manifested because Christ did not only suffer and enter into Glory as the Son of David of the seed of Abraham but also as the Son of Adam in the common nature of Mankind Luk. 3. Of the Second End viz. Christ suffered these things and entred into Glory to manifest the manifold Wisdom of God in the Work of Man's Redemption Ephes 3.10 The Wisdom of God in this Glorious Work is neither comprehensible nor expressible by us it may suffice to observe what the Scripture saith touching the marvellous Constitution of the Person of the Redeemer and the Order of the Work in us and upon us The Person of Christ is sometimes set forth by a description of the Divine Nature as he is called the Son of God sometimes by a description of the Human Nature as he is called the Son of Man sometimes by Expressions that signifie the admirable Union of both Expressions referring to the Divine Nature are