Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n
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A67685
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The end of Christ's advent a sermon preached in the cathedral-church of Norwich on the two and twentieth of June, 1684 / by Erasmus Warren, rector of Worlington in Suffolk.
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Warren, Erasmus.
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1684
(1684)
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Wing W965A; ESTC R33562
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20,221
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40
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unless they be so in way of duration And should any undertake to suffer punishments always to endure thereby to satisfie for the sins of Men when would this satisfaction so making be finisht How would our Salvation ever be accomplisht And because none could do this mighty Work besides that adorable one in the Text therefore he was pleased to set his hand to it CHRIST JESVS came into the World to save sinners But by what means is it done Why by entire satisfaction he made for our trespasses Which satisfaction lyes chiefly if not only in his ruful sufferings For being made under the Law by virtue of his condition he was strictly oblig'd to yield an Adequate obedience thereunto on his own accompt Nor does his active Obedience seem to be an ingredient into his satisfaction but only as it may be reckoned a piece of his passion in his free and voluntary submission to and meek and lowly susception of the Obediential state And therefore I say His sufferings are the Matter of his satisfaction And these are either corporeal in regard of which he is said to bear our sins in his body Or else Spiritual in reference to which his Soul is said to be made an offering for sin The Efficacy of his Satisfaction results from his transcendent merit That merit from the superlative dignity of his Person That dignity from the peerless excellence of his Nature that is his Divinity Which in his miraculous conception was complicated or connected to our despicable Flesh and stooped to an intimate conjunction with humanity And tho the way of its union and humble copulation was ever so mysterious as to be unintelligible yet in reproof and condemnation of daring Haeresiarchs it is fairly elucidated by the Council of Calcedon For there the Fathers adhering to Decrees of Antecedent Synods Orthodoxly defined that CHRIST is perfect GOD and real Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unconfusedly unchangedly individedly inseparately Thereby rightly defending the unity of his Person Truly maintaining the duplicity of his Nature and plainly asserting and piously indicating the respective proprieties of each Nature to be still retained in their genuine distinctness and integrity But not to digress This Satisfaction Socinus denies affirming positively Divinae Justitiae neque satisfecisse Disp par 1. cap. neque ut satisfieret opus fuisse That CHRIST neither hath satisfied the Divine Justice nor was it necessary that it should be satisfied Yea which is worse he ranks this Doctrine amongst planè nugatoria meer trifles And which is grossest of all he calls the opinion Frigidum Lib. 3. de Servat cap. 10. falsum absurdum faedè summéque injustum horribiliter blasphemum Cold false absurd vilely and extremely injust and horribly blasphemous But in confutation of this black and wild and pernicious figment we are taught from above that CHRIST died 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For us And that not only as an Example but as a REDEEMER And therefore he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a price and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransom And we are farther instructed that he died 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our sins and was delivered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our offences and suffered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our iniquities All which phrases to them that understand the Greek Idiom and the sense of the expressions as commonly used by Masters of that language and Writers in it do clearly signifie that our sins are not only the final but impulsive and meritorious cause of CHRIST'S death And therefore we are told farther still that he was a sacrifice for us Not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an offering but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a propitiation Yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a curse Which implies again and irrefragably proves that he did not only die nostro bono for our Good but nostro loco in our stead And that his death was really satisfactory in that sense which our Church emphatically teaches in her common Office He suffered death upon the Cross for our Redemption and made there a full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole World And by means of this satisfaction the displeasure of ALMIGHTY GOD who was provoked is appeased The Equity of his inexorable Justice which was injured is vindicated The Authority of his indispensable Law which was prevaricated is fenced and secured The guilt of the Criminous wherewith they were corrupted is exterminated and abolished And the guilty most guilty sinners which must have been condemned may now be certainly and eternally saved But there is one Query still behind Vpon what conditions may we through CHRIST obtain Salvation They are these two Faith and Righteousness And therefore it is said He that believeth shall be saved and The Righteous shall go into life Eternal But if in this faith there happens a failure or an intercision salls out in our Righteousness then Repentance comes in as an useful Supplement and where it is unfeigned makes amends for all deficiencies Upon this Question another may be grafted Namely Whether we are to be saved by CHRIST'S imputed Righteousness The judgments of most have leaned to the affirmative And tho I must not undertake to determine the Problem yet I may venture to assert of this prevailing opinion that notwithstanding its great reputation and Authority it is liable at least to one notable exception and meet to be received with one prudent caution The Exception is this It is not so perspicuously laid down in Scripture as the Patrons and Propugners of it do pretend It is said indeed in the 4th of Rom. That Abraham believed GOD and it was IMPVTED to him for Righteousness But the sense of that Text can only be this GOD gave Abraham a Promise and Abraham gave credit to the Promise he made as it was fit he should upon the accompt of his veracity And in so doing he did a righteous act and for so doing GOD reckoned him in that instance a righteous person But what 's this to the imputing of CHRIST'S righteousness In the same Chapter it is remembred that David describeth the Blessedness of that man unto whom GOD imputeth righteousness And his words are these Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD will not impute sin So that all the imputing of Righteousness here amounts to no more than a non-imputation of sin And therefore this place does planely subvert rather than support the controverted Article It is said also 1 Cor. 1.30 That CHRIST is made unto us Righteousness But how should this be done say the favourers of the opinion unless by imputation Yet the whole verse runs thus But of him are ye in CHRIST JESVS who of GOD is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption Now durst any maintain that CHRIST is our Redemption by imputing it to