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
not admit to be justified by the Law of Works in any sense if it be of works in any sense then grace is no more grace Besides Christ is not a Second Adam because he is in the room of the First as the head of his Covenant as one King succeeds another in the same Government But he is a Second Adam on a new foundation the head of a new Covenant that should bring in a new and a living way not by legal satisfaction but by meritorious intercession Christ is represented in Scripture to be like and unlike the First Adam he is like in the humane Nature cloathed with humane Infirmities that are not in themselves sinful but he is unlike the First in any thing that is sinful and in the excellencies of gracious and spiritual Communications he is the Lord from Heaven and a Life-giving Spirit which the first was not R. 2. This Assertion doth not agree with the method of Divine Grace expressed in Rom. 8.3 4. Rom. 5.19 and 2 John 22. The method in Rom. 8 is Christ condemned sin in the Flesh that is obeyed God fully in Mans nature against all tentations by the power of the Spirit by which he was conceived to the end that one that is born of the same Spirit and walks by the same Spirit might be able to perform the righteousness not the rigour of the Law which he cannot perform by the power of Nature But this Assertion says in effect That Christ was condemned by our sin that his condemnation might be imputed to us for our fulfilling the righteousness and rigour of the Law tho we walk after the Spirit In like manner it doth as it were make Rom. 5.19 say as by the disobedience of one many are made Sinners so by the punishment of the disobedience of one many shall be imputed not made Righteous and 1 Pet. 3.18 must sound thus Christ suffered for Sin the Unjust for the Unjust And 1 John 2.2 We have an Advocate Jesus Christ the sinner such ill Interpretations seems to follow and our rejoycing must be that God accounts Christ a Sinner in our stead and punisheth him in our stead tho he was most Righteous R. 3. Christ is an Example to us in his Sufferings to follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 But if he suffered as punisht as a guilty Sinner in our stead his Sufferings are unimitable by us we can imitate them only as Tryals R. 4. In suffering punishments for sin Man is meerly passive Christ in his Sufferings was very Active and not meerly Passive Ergo his Sufferings were not Punishments The Activity of Christ in his Sufferings 1. His Sufferings were Voluntary John 10.17 18. He yielded himself to his Enemies when he might have avoided them He gave up his Spirit before they could take it away by compulsion 2. His Sufferings were Acts of Obedience Phil. 2.7 8. Heb. 10.7 I come to do thy Will thy Law is in my Heart 3. His Sufferings were Victorious he conflicted with and conquered in all Tentations he resisted unto Blood striving against Sin for the Joy that was set before him he endured the Cross and despised the shame His Agonies and the Travail of his Soul were not his Punishments but his Fightings the good Fight of Faith and Patience and Love conquering distrust impatience and revenge by Prayer Watchfulness and Praying for the Transgressors wherein tho as the natural Adam he was weak and subject to fear yet as the Spiritual Adam he was ready undaunted and fearless and by Death overcame him who had power to put him to Death Heb. 2.12 4. His Sufferings were Sacrificing Sufferings in Obeying he Conquered in Conquering he offered himself a Sacrifice or Acceptable Gift to God he loved us and gave Himself for us Eph. 5.2 which Sacrifice or Holy Gift was adumbrated by the Legal Sacrifices in respect to our Nature he was a whole Burnt-offering and an Offering of a Sweet Smelling Savour in respect of our persons he was a Sin-offering and a Peace-offering He was an Holocaust or whole Burnt-offering presenting Himself in Soul and Body blameless in Flames of Faith and Love to his Father He was a Sacrifice of a sweet smell by reason of the Bloud and the Fat both which were reserved to God of every Sacrifice as most Holy Numb 18.17 Eph. 5.2 He was a Sin-offering in respect of remembrance of personal and particular Sin with profession of Faith and Repentance in the person that brought the Sacrifice Heb. 10.17 18. He was a Peace-offering because by him our Gifts and Sacrifices of Thanksgiving are acceptable to God Heb. 13.15 5. His Sufferings were a Meretorious price for Mans Redemption 1 Pet. 11.8 19. To put all together the Sufferings of Christ were all acts of voluntary obedience to the command of the Father to break the head of the Serpent in all his injurious Tentations and present the nature of Man as an acceptable Gift to God and a valuable price of Mans Redemption from the Guilt Power and Condemnation of the Law of Works into the enjoyment of a full Remission a new Heart and Adoption to Eternal Life by the Law of Grace But if the Sufferings of Christ were punishments of him as a Guilty Sinner in our stead they were not these acts of Obedience but mere Passions Ergo his Sufferings were not punishments R. 5. In Heb. 5.8 9. there are three Expressions against this Assertion 1. Christ learned Obedience by his Sufferings 2. He was perfected by his Sufferings 3. Christ being Consecrate by his Sufferings became after that the Author of Salvation to them that obey him in his ministerial call for if this Assertion be true we are in Christ before his Sufferings and perfect by his Sufferings as by our surety for debt but by this Text we are not accounted saved by Christ until we obey his call R. 6. David was a Type of Christ in his Sufferings and Glory as appears in Ps 2. and Ps 22. He suffered many injuries and Tentations but none of them Punishments for Sin And God is represented in Ps 2. as Judge betwixt Christ and the Rulers deriding their false Judgment but not Condemning Christ with them I have set my King c. R. 7. This Assertion describes our Salvation by a penal satisfaction by a Surety to make good the Debt by a Covenant of Works But the Scripture describes our Salvation by the obedient satisfaction of the Captain of our Salvation as a surety to confirm the promises to forgive the debt on seeking Mercy The Third Inquiry Why it was necessary Christ should enter into Glory as well as suffer these things Our Blessed Saviour explains this he says John 17. That the hour is come wherein he finished the work God gave him to glorifie him on Earth and says on the Cross it is finished and prays that God would now glorifie him with himself by which it appears that Christ was to do the Will of the Father in
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
and will hold thine hand and I will keep thee And our Saviour believed this Promise John 8.29 He that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone And 4. Our Saviour himself expounds these words when he saith The Spirit is ready but the Flesh is weak and the Apostle when he saith That Christ in the days of his flesh made strong Cries unto God and was heard in that he feared Heb. 5.7 V. Gal. 3.13 2 Cor. 5.21 He redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us that the Blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith He was made Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in or by him These two places are of parallel signification and are frequently misinterpreted and misapplied being taken to signifie the Justice of God in his Proceedings towards Christ as a guilty Sinner in our stead and subject to the Curse of the Moral Law which Curse is mentioned Gal. 3.10 when the scope of both places is apparently to set forth the Wisdom and Grace of God in ordering and over-ruling the unjust Sentence of Men according to the Judicial Law in making Christ a notorious cursed Sinner to the manifesting of his Grace and Wisdom in bringing the Blessing of the Spirit of Regeneration upon us Gentiles for Christ in our Nature avoided the moral Curse in fulfilling the Law and God the Father did not agree with the Rulers of the Jews to judge Christ a Blasphemer a False Prophet and an Enemy to Caesar they judged him a Sinner God judged him his beloved Son and his righteous Servant they made him a Curse but God made him a Blessing VI. 1 Cor. 5.21 That we might be made the Righteousness of God in or by him That these words are a description of the Work of Regeneration and the Work of Faith in us by Christ the very repeating of the words do sufficiently shew but it 's evident by these circumstances the New Creature v. 17. and to be reconciled to God v. 20. and to be made the Righteousness of God by Christ in this Verse are parallel Phrases God and Christ in this sentence are two distinct notions God signifies the Father and Him signifies the Mediator and so the Righteousness of God cannot signifie the Righteousness of Christ And that the word made signifies created and not imputed and the word in him signifies by Christ appears by Paul's positive Expressions Ephes 2.10 We are his workmanship created by Christ And that the word Righteousness of God signifies the Righteousness whereof God is the Author in opposition to our own Righteousness whereof we are the Authors appears by the aforesaid place Eph. 2.10 We are his workmanship and 2 Cor. 5.18 And all things are of God And here in this 21. Verse are no comparative terms by as and so but positive 1. The End that we might be made the Righteousness of God 2. The Means by Christ or his Ministry 3. The Motive to be perswaded by Christ from the consideration of his honourable Sufferings VII Levit. 16. The Law of the scape-goat This is usually alledged for God's laying our Sin upon Christ as a guilty Sinner how fitly will appear by what follows The High-Priest presents two Goats at the Door of the Tabernacle before the Lord then he casts Lots on them and one is the Lord's Lot and the other is the Peoples the Lord's Lot is slain and the Blood sprinkled before the Mercy-seat the Peoples Lot is presented alive before the Lord and the Priest in the name of the People lays both his Hands on the Head of the alive Goat confessing their Sins and then sends away the alive Goat who bears or carries away their Sins into a Land of Forgetfulness This is a most lively and full representation of Christ's Redemption both in the meritorious and ministerial work and of the transactings of Christ with the Father on one hand and with us on the other and of the reconciliation of our Nature and the reconciliation of our Persons And this is plainly interpreted by St. Paul who saith We must believe in him who raised Christ from the dead and then our Faith will be accounted to us for Righteousness because Christ was delivered for our Sins the Lord's Lot and being declared to be the Son of God by his Resurrection and being presented alive before the Lord he rose again for our Justification or to make us righteous by believing in him Hence we may observe The order of Divine Grace The description of Divine Grace 1. The Order and first the reconciliation of our Nature as the Lord's Lot then the reconciliation of our Persons as our Lot 2. The Description of Faith and Justification 1. Of Faith Faith is the laying both Hands on the Head of Christ as risen from the dead with Confession of Sin Rom. 10.10 the Hands of Belief of the Heart and Confession of the Mouth 2. Of Justification of our Persons It 's a sending our Sin into a Land of Forgetfulness and receiving of us among the number of the Righteous when we lay both Hands on the Head of Christ risen from the dead confessing our Sins and embrace him as our Head VIII Rom 4.5 To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is imputed to him for righteousness This place is abused 1. by applying the word worketh not to the Work of Faith as well as to a legal Work which is not a Work of Grace 2. By taking the word justifieth for justifying in Judgment 3. By making those words God justifieth the Vngodly a single sentence not joyning what is before and what is after to it The true sence is gather'd by comparing this Verse with the four precedent Verses and the 23 24 25. following and then it will appear that this Verse belongs to the explication of Abraham's Faith and the Apostle applies it to us in v. 23 24 25. so that to believe on him that justifieth the Ungodly is to us the same thing as to believe in God who raised Christ from the dead who rose again for our justification i. e. to make us righteous as it 's phrased Rom. 5.19 which is the same thing as of ungodly to be made godly IX James 2.24 A man is justified by works and not by faith only This place receives much light by comparing it with Paul's Pattern of sound words in 2 Thess 1.11 We pray that our God would fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power Hence are these remarkable Observations as 1. That Faith is a Work wrought in us according to the good pleasure of his Goodness by the ministry of the Gospel 2. That Faith is a gradual Work begun and fulfilled begun in form fulfilled in power begun in the baptismal work fulfilled in the sealing work