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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53696	Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews also concerning the Messiah wherein the promises concerning him to be a spiritual redeemer of mankind are explained and vindicated, his coming and accomplishment of his work according to the promises is proved and confirmed, the person, or who he is, is declared, the whole oeconomy of the mosaical law, rites, worship, and sacrifice is explained : and in all the doctrine of the person, office, and work of the Messiah is opened, the nature and demerit of the first sin is unfolded, the opinions and traditions of the antient and modern Jews are examined, their objections against the Lord Christ and the Gospel are answered, the time of the coming of the Messiah is stated, and the great fundamental truths of the Gospel vindicated : with an exposition and discourses on the two first chapters of the said epistle to the Hebrews / by J. Owen ...	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1668 (1668)	Wing O753; ESTC R18100	1,091,989	640

the declaration of the Orall Instructions of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles But herein the Jews deal with us far more ingeniously than they They tell us plainly that now their whole Orall Law is written and that they have no reserve of authentick Traditions not yet declared So that where Austin sayes of his Adversaries Nescit habere praeter Scripturas Legitimas Propheticas Judaeos quasdam traditiones suas quas non Scriptas habent sed memoriter tenent alter in alterum loquendo transfundit quam deuterosin vocant either he knew not of the Mishnae that was then written or this opinion of Secret Traditions was continued untill the finishing and promulgation of the Babilonical Talmud which was sundry years after his Death But here the Romanists fail us for although they have given us heaps upon heaps of their Traditions by the means afore mentioned yet they plead that they have still an inexhaustible Treasure of them laid up in their Church stores and Breast of their Holy Father to be drawn forth at all times as occasion shall require And thus have we taken a brief Prospect of the Consent of both the Apostatical Churches in that Principle which hath been the means of their Apostasie and is the great Engine whereby they are rendered incurable therein Exercitatio VIII The First Dissertation concerning the Messiah proving him to be promised of Old Principles presupposed in the Apostles Discourse in his Epistle to the Hebrews First A Messiah promised from the Foundation of the World Of the Evil that is in the World Of Sin and Punishment Original and Entrance of them Ignorance of Mankind about them The Sin and Fall of Adam Their Consequents Jews Opinion about the Sin of Adam Also of the Curse and corruption of Nature Their sense of both at large evinced God not unjust if all mankind had perished in this condition Instance of the Sin and Punishment of Angels Differences between the Sin of Angels and Man Angels lost Mankind relieved Evidences of that Deliverance How attainable Not by Men themselves Not by Angels Nor the Law That proved against the Jews Their Fable of the Law made before the World with the occasion of it The Patriarchs saved before the giving of the Law Observation of the Moral Precepts of the Law no means of Relief nor the Sacrifices of it The New Covenant God the Author of it How to be accomplished The first Promise of it Gen. 3.16 discussed Sense of the Jews upon it manifested Examined Promise of a Deliverer the Foundation of all Religion in the World The Promise renewed unto Abraham Gen. 12.1 2 3. Nature of it as given unto him Testified unto and confirmed Gen. 49.10 Numb 24.17 19. Job 19.25 Opened with sundry other Places End of the Separation of the Posterity of Abraham unto ● peculiar People and Church This Deliverer the MESSIAH Denotation of the Word The Person who WEE proceed now unto our Principal intendment in all these Discourses which is the Consideration and Discussion of those great Principles as of all Religion in general so of the Christian in particular which the Ap●stle supposeth as the Foundation of his whole Treaty with the Hebrews and which § 1 are the Basis that he stands upon in the management of his whole Design For in all Discourses that are Paraenetical as this Epistle for the most part is there are alwayes some Principles taken for granted which give Life and Efficacy unto the Exhortations in them and whereinto they are resolved For as to perswade men unto particul●rs in Faith Opinion or Practice without a previous conviction of such general Principles of Truth as from which the Perswasions used do naturally flow and arise is a thing weak and inefficacious so to be exercised in the Demonstration of the Principles themselves when the especial End aimed is to perswade would bring confusion into all Discourse Wherefore although our Apostle do assert and confirm those dogmata and Articles of Truth which he dealt with the Hebrews in a way of Perswasion to embrace yet he supposeth and takes for granted those more general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first Maxims which are the Foundation both of the Doctrines and Exhortations insisted on as all skill in teaching doth require And these are those which now we aim to draw forth and consider being these that follow First That there was a Messiah or Saviour of mankind from Sin and Punishment promised upon and from the first entrance of Sin into the World in whom all acceptable Worship of God was founded and in whom all the Religion of the Sons of men was to center Secondly That this Messiah long before Promised was now actually exhibited in the world and had finished the work committed unto him when the Apostle wrote this Epistle Thirdly That Jesus of Nazareth was this Messiah and that what he had done and suffered was the work and duty promised of old concerning him There is not a Line in the Epistle to the Hebrews that doth not virtually begin and end in these Principles not an Assertion not a Doctrine not an Exhortation that is not built on this Triple Foundation They are also the great Verities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Christian Profession or Religion A sincere endeavour therefore in their Explanation and Vindication especially in these dayes wherein as on the one hand there are various thoughts of heart about the Jews their present condition and expectation so on the other there are many who are ready with a presumptuous boldness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to call in question the fundamentals of all Religion may not be unacceptable Now the first of these Principles is at this day by several vain imaginations obscured by the Jews to their utter loss of all benefit by it and hath been so for many Generations although it were the Life and Soul of the Religion of their fore-fathers as shall be demonstrated and the two latter are by them expresly denyed and maliciously contended against Here then we shall fix and confirm these Principles in the order wherein we have laid them down declaring on every one of them the Conceptions and Perswasions of the Jews concerning the promised Messiah removing in the Close their Objections against the Faith of Christians in this matter in a peculiar Exercitation to that Purpose And the Confirmation and Vindication of the first of these Principles is that which our present Discourse is designed unto Besides the Testimony of God himself in his Word we have a concurrent suffrage § 2 from the whole Creation that man in the Beginning was formed as in the Image so in the Favour of God and unto his Glory And as he was not liable unto any evil which is the effect of Gods displeasure nor defective in any Good necessary to preserve him in the condition wherein he was made so he was destitute of nothing that was any way requisite to carry him on

not Moses but their Church under the Law refused that Angel of Gods Presence who was to conduct them that obey him into everlasting rest And the Church of Believers under Joshua which was a Type of the Church of the New Testament adhering unto him found rest unto their souls And this Angel of whom we have spoken was he whom the Talmudists call § 23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Metatron Ben Vzziel in his Targum on Gen. 5. ascribes this name unto Enoch He ascended saith he into Heaven by the Word of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his name was called Metraton the great Scribe But this Opinion is rejected and confuted in the Talmud There they tell us that Metatron is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prince of the world Or as Elias calls him in Tishbi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prince of Gods Presence The mention of this name is in Talm. Tract Saned cap. 4. where they plainly intimate that they intend an uncreated Angel thereby For they assign such things unto him as are incompetent unto any other And as Reuchlin informeth us from the Cabbalists they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Metatron was the Master or Teacher of Moses himself He it is saith Elias who is the Angel alwayes appearing in the Presence of God of whom it is said my name is in him And the Talmudists add that he hath power to blot out the sins of Israel whence they call him the Chancellor of Heaven And Bechai a famous Master among them affirms that his Name signifies both a Lord a Messenger and a Keeper on Exod. 23. A Lord because he ruleth all A Messenger because he standeth alwayes before God to do his Will and a Keeper because he keepeth Israel The Etymologie I confess which he gives unto this Purpose of that name is weak and foolish Nor is that of Elias one jot better who tells us that Metatron is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Tongue One sent But yet it is evident what is is intended by these obscure intimations which are the corrupted relicts of antient Traditions namely the increated Prince of Glory who being Lord of all appeared of old unto the Patriarchs as the Angel or Messenger of the Father And as for the word its self it is either a corrupt expression of the Latin Mediator such as are usual amongst them or a more Gematrical Fiction to answer unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Almighty there being a coincidence in their numericall signification of their Letters And this was another way whereby God instructed the Church of old in the Mysterie of the Person of the Messiah who was promised unto them Exercitatio XI Messiah promised of Old Faith of the antient Church of the Jews concerning him State of the Jews at his coming Expectations of it Exposed to the seducements of Impostors Faith of their Fore-fathers lost among them Sadducees expected a Messiah On what Grounds Consistency of their Principles True Messiah rejected by them General Reason thereof Story of Barcosba and Rabbi Akiba Miracles to be wrought by the Messiah State of the Jews after the dayes of Barcosba Faith of their Fore-fathers utterly renounced Opinion of Hillel denying any Messiah to come Occasion of it Their Judgement of him The things concerning the Messiah mysterious Seeming inconsistencies in the Prophesies and Descriptions of him Reconciled in the Gospel That rejected by the Jews Their imagination of two Messiah's Messiah Ben Joseph and Messiah Ben David Story of Messiah Ben Joseph Of Annillus Rise and occasion of the Fable concerning him Jews acqainted with the Revelation Their story of the building of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what Death of Ben Joseph The Fable concerning him disproved The same with that of the Romanists concerning Anti-christ Of Messiah Ben David The faith and expectation of the Jews concerning him The Opinion of Maimonides Summ of the Judaicall Creed Ground and Reason of their present Vnbelief Ignorance of their miserable condition by Nature Ignorance of Acceptable Righteousness And of the Judgement of God concerning Sin Also of the Nature and End of the Law Corrupt Assertions Envy against the Gentiles Because of the Priviledges claimed by them And their Oppressions Judaical Faith concerning the Messiah The Folly of it Of the Promises of the Old Testament Threefold Interpretation of them § 1 WEE have proved the Promise of a Person to be born and annointed unto the Work of relieving mankind from sin and misery and to bring them back unto God And what kind of Person he was to be we have also shewed It remains that we consider what was the Faith of the Antient Church of the Jews concerning him as also what are and have been for many Generations the Apprehensions and Expectations of the same People about the same object of faith with the Occasions and Reasons of their present Infidelity and obstinacy § 2 For the faith of the Antient Church it hath been already sufficiently discoursed What God revealed that they believed They saw not indeed of old clearly and fully into the sense of the Promises as to the way and manner whereby God would work out and accomplish the Mercy and Grace which they lived and dyed in the Faith and hope of But this they knew that God would in his appointed time in and by the nature of man in one to be born of the seed of Abraham and house of David caused Attonement to be made for sin bring in Everlasting Righteousness and work out the Salvation of his Elect. This was abundantly revealed this they stedfastly believed and in the faith thereof obtained a good report or Testimony from God himself that they pleased him inherited the Promises and were made partakers of Life eternal and farther at present we need not enquire into their Light and Apprehensions seeing they must be considered in our Exposition of the Epistle it self which now way is making unto § 3 For the Jews as divested of the Priviledges of their Fore-fathers we may consider them with reference unto two Principal Seasons First From the time of the actual exhibition of the promised seed or the coming of the Messiah to the time of the composition of their Mishnae and Talmuds that ensued thereon Secondly from thence unto this present day and in both these seasons we may consider the prevailing Opinions amongst them concerning the promised Messiah his coming and the work that he hath to do That towards the close of Prophesie in the Church of old the hearts and Spirits of men were intently fixed on a desire and expectation of the coming of the Messiah the last of the Prophets clearly testifies Mal. 3. v. 1. The Lord whom ye are seeking the Angel of the Covenant whom you are desiring shall come suddenly As the time of his coming drew nigh this expectation was encreased and heightned so that they continually looked out after him as if he were to enter amongst them every moment No sooner

given out with the Law various Promises of intervenient and mixed mercies to be enjoyed in earthly things in this world that had their immediate respect unto the mercy of the Land of Canaan representing spiritual Grace annexed to the then present Administration of the Covenant of Grace Some of these concerned the collation of good things others the preventing of or delivery of them from Evils both expressed in great variety § 8 Of the Promises whose accomplishment depended on the Institution of God by others that is the principal and comprehensive of the rest which is expressed Exod. 20.12 Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may be prolon●ed This saith our Apostle is the first commandment with promise Ephes. 6.2 Not that the fore-going Precepts have no Promises annexed to the observation of them nor meerly because this hath a Promise literally expressed but that it had the special kind of Promise wherein Parents by Gods institution have power to prolong the lives of obedient Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall prolong thy days that is negatively in not cutting of their life for disobedience which was then in the power of natural Parents and possibly by praying for their prosperity blessing them in the name of God and directing them into the ways and means of universal obedience whereby their days might be multiplied and on sundry other accounts § 9 For the penalties annexed unto the transgression of the Law which our Apostle principally hath respect unto in his discourses on this subject they will require somewhat a larger consideration and they were of two sorts First such as God took upon himself to inflict and secondly such as he appointed others to see unto the execution of The first are of three sorts First That Eternal punishment which he threatned unto them that transgressed and disannull'd his Covenant as renewed and ordered in the Administration of the Law and the Ordinances thereof This we have manifested elsewhere to be the importance of the Curse which every such transgressor was obnoxious unto Secondly The punishment which the Jews express by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excision or cutting off It is first mentioned Gen. 17.14 in the matter of Circumcision Sometimes emphatically Numb 15.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cutting off that soul shall be cut off from among his people and frequently afterwards Exod. 12.15 19. chap. 31.14 Levit. 7.10 chap. 20.3 5 6. It is rendred by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 3.23 shall be destroyed from among the people that is by the hand of God as is declared 1 Cor. 10.10 Heb. 11.28 Twenty five times is this punishment threatned in the Law still unto such sins as disannul the Covenant which our Apostle expresly respects chap. 2.2 as shall be declared on that place Now this punishment the Jews generally agree to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the hand of § 10 Heaven or that which God himself would immediately inflict and it is evidently declared so to be in the interpretation given of it Levit. 17.10 chap. 20.4 5 6. But what this punishment was or wherein it did consist neither Jews nor Christians are absolutely agreed the latter on this subject doing little more then representing the opinions and judgments of the other which course also we may follow Some of them say that Vntimely Death is meant by it so Abarbinel on Numb 5.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the cutting off the days of the sinner and his death before the natural term of it inflicted by the hand of Heaven This untimely death they reckon to be between the years of twenty and sixty whence Schindler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exterminium cum quis praematurâ morte inter vigessimum sexagessimum annum à Deo è medio tollitur ita tamen ut relinquat liberos Cutting off is when any one is taken away by untimely death between the twintieth and sixtieth year of his age yet so as that he leave children That clause or condition so that yet he leave posterity or children behind him is as far as I can find no where added by them nor doth any thing in the Scripture give countenance thereunto Yea many of the Hebrews think that this punishment consisted in this that such a one should leave no children behind him but that either he should be wholly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without children or if he had any before his sin they should all die before him and so his name and posterity be cut off which say they is to be cut off from among his people So Aben-Ezra on Gen. 17.14 And this opinion is not without its countenance from the Scripture it self And therefore Jarchi on the same place with much probability puts both these together He shall be cut off by untimely death and leave no children behind him to continue his name or remembrance amongst the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they speak He that hath no children is accounted as dead but he that hath is as if he lived and his name is not cut off They have a third opinion also that by this cutting off the death of the soul is intended § 11 especially when the word is ingemminated Cutting off he shall be cut off as Numb 15.31 So Maimonides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that soul shall perish it shall not live or subsist any more for ever Few embrace this opinion as being contrary to their general perswasion of Eternal punishments for the transgressions of the Covenant Wherefore it is disputed against by Abarbinel on Numb 15. who contends that the death of the soul in everlasting separation from God is intended in this threatning And both the principal parts of these various opinions namely that of immature corporal death and eternal punishment ate joyned together by Jonathan in his Targum on Numb 15.31 He shall be cut off in this world and that man shall be cut off in the world to come and bear his sin in the day of Judgment For my part as I have shewed that eternal death was contained in the curse of the Law so this especial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or extermination from among the people seems to me to intend some especial judgment of God in taking away the life of such a person answering unto that putting to death by the Judges and Magistrates in such cases when they were known which God did appoint And herein also was an eminent Representation of the everlasting cutting off of obstinate and final transgressors of the Covenant Thirdly In Judgments to be brought providentially upon the whole Nation by Pestilence § 12 Famine Sword and Captivity which are at large declared Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. Fourthly Total Rejection of the whole body of the people in case of unbelief and disobedience upon the full and perfect Revelation that was to be made of the will and mind of God upon the coming of the Messiah Deut. 18.18

Exposition of another part of Christs Mediation as prophesied of in this place For though he was so lessened yet it was not on his own account but that by the grace of God he might taste death for every man Secondly For the other part of the testimony We see saith he upon the evidences mentioned that he is crowned with glory and honour and consequently that all things are put under his feet So that the whole testimony in both parts of it is verified in him and in him alone And hereby he fully evinceth what he had before proposed unto confirmation namely the preheminence of Jesus the Messiah above the Angels or principal Administrators of the Law in this especial instance That the world to come was put into subjection unto him and not unto them and therefore in the state of the Church intended in that expression are his Teachings his Doctrine his Worship diligently to be attended unto by all those who desire to be partakers of the promises and good things thereof Secondly There seems to be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the words by a transposition of some expressions from their proper place and coherence which must be removed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some would have those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to belong to the subject of the Proposition whose praedicate alone is crowned with glory and honour whereof the suffering of death is inserted as the meritorious cause So reading the words to this purpose We see that Jesus who was for a little while made lower than the Angels for his suffering of death is crowned with glory and honour Others would have Jesus alone to be the subject of the Proposition of whose praedicate there are two parts or two things are affirmed concerning him First that he was made lower than the Angels the reason whereof is added namely that he might suffer death which is farther explained in the close of the verse by the addition of the Cause and End of that his suffering That by the grace of God he might taste of death for every man so reading the words to this purpose We see Jesus made lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned or and crowned with glory and honour The difficulty principally consists in this only namely whether the Apostle by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the suffering of death intend the final cause of the humiliation of Christ he was made low that he might suffer death or the meritorious cause of his Exaltation for or because he suffered death he was crowned with glory and honour And the former seems evidently the intention of the words according to the latter resolution of them and our application of the testimony fore-going For 1. if the cause and means of the Exaltation of Christ had been intended it would have been expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 requiring a Genitive case where the cause or means of any thing is intended but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresseth the end of what was before affirmed 2. These words for the suffering of death must express either the minoration and humiliation of Christ or the end of it if they express the end of it then we obtain that which is pleaded for he was made less that he might suffer If they express his minoration it self then the end of it is contained only in the close of the verse that he might taste of death for every man In which exposition of the words the sense would be that he suffered death that by the grace of God he might taste death which is no sense at all 3. If those words denote only the means or meritorious cause of the Exaltation of Christ I enquire what is the medium intended of that end in the close 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he by the grace of God he might taste death The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that so plainly refers unto some preparatory means preceding which in this way can be nothing but the crowning him with glory and honour which we know was not the means but the effect of it He was humbled not exalted that he might taste of death 4. The Apostle doth not meerly take it for granted that Jesus was for a little while made lesser than the Angels but asserts it as proved in the testimony insisted on whereunto he subjoyns the end of that his comparative minoration because he intended it as the especial subject of his ensuing discourse This therefore is the importance and natural order of the words But we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour who was for a little while made lower than the Angels for the suffering of death that he by the grace of God might taste death for every man And the only reason of the transposition of the words consisteth in the Apostles following the order of the things testified unto by the Psalmist first his Humiliation then his Exaltation and yet connecting that which he would next treat of unto that which was first laid down passing by the other as now sufficiently confirmed Thirdly The general design of the words and their order being cleared we shall open them in particular seeing that besides the application of the testimony of the Psalmist unto the Lord Jesus now vindicated there is an assertion in them containing that which of all other things was of most difficult acceptation with the Jews upon the account whereof the Apostle confirms it with many reasons in the verses following to the end of this Chapter And indeed we have here the sum of the Gospel and the Doctrine of it concerning the Person and Office of the Messiah asserted and vindicated from the prejudicate opinions of many of the Jews under these two heads 1. That the salvation and deliverance that God had promised and intended to accomplish by the Messiah was spiritual and eternal from death sin Sathan and hell ending in everlasting glory not temporal and carnal with respect unto the world and the concomitants of it in this life as they vainly imagined 2. That this salvation could be no otherwise wrought nor brought about but by the Incarnation Suffering and death of the Messiah not in especial by Arms War and mighty Power as the People was of old led into Canaan under the conduct of Joshua the Captain of that salvation and as some of them expected yet to be saved and delivered by the Messiah Now the Apostle strengthning his discourse by multiplicity of reasons and arguments he doth not only in these words apply his testimony to what he had before proposed unto confirmation namely the subjection of the world to come unto Christ but also lays in it the springs of those two other Principles which we have mentioned and whose proof and confirmation in the next verses he pursues Sundry things as we have partly seen are contained in the words as first the Exinanition and Humiliation of Christ We see Jesus for a little while made lower and brought into a

example to suffer for the truth But his Doctrine carried its own evidence with it that it was from God and was besides uncontrollably confirmed by the Miracles that he wrought So that his sufferings on that account might have been dispensed withall And surely this great and stupendous matter of the dying of the Son of God is not to be resolved into a Reason and Cause that might so easily be dispensed with God would never have given up his Son to die but only for such causes and ends as could no otherwise have been satisfied or accomplished The like also may be said of the other cause assigned by them namely to set us an example It is true in his death he did so and of great and singular use unto us it is that so he did But yet neither was this from any precedent Law or Constitution nor from the nature of the thing it self nor from any property of God indispensibly necessary God could by his grace have carried us through sufferings although he had not set before us the example of his Son so he doth through other things no less difficult wherein the Lord Christ could not in his own Person go before us as in our conversion unto God and mortification of indwelling sin neither of which the Lord Christ was capable of We shall leave them then as those who acknowledging the death of Christ do not yet acknowledge or own any sufficient cause or reason why he should die Christians generally allow that the sufferings of Christ were poenal and his death satisfactory for the sins of men but as to the cause and reason of his so suffering they differ Some following Austine refer the death of Christ solely unto the Wisdom and Sovereignty of God God would have it so and therein are we to acquiesce Other ways of saving the Elect were possible but this God chose because so it seemed good unto him Hence arose that saying That one drop of the blood of Christ was sufficient to redeem the whole world only it pleased God that he should suffer unto the utmost And herein are we to rest that He hath suffered for us and that God hath revealed But this seems not to me any way to answer that which is here affirmed by the Apostle namely that it became God as the Supreme Governour of all the world so to cause Christ to suffer nor do I see what demonstration of the glory of Justice can arise from the punishing of an innocent Person who might have been spared and yet all the ends of his being so punished to have been otherwise brought about And to say that one drop of Christs bloud was sufficient to redeem the world is derogatory unto the Goodness Wisdom and Righteousness of God in causing not only the whole to be shed but also his Soul to be made an offering for sin which was altogether needless if that were true But how far this whole Opinion is from truth which leaves no necessary cause of the death of Christ will afterwards appear Others say that on supposition that God had appointed the Curse of the Law and death to be the penalty of sin his faithfulness and Veracity were engaged so far that no sinner should go free or be made partaker of glory but by the intervention of satisfaction And therefore on the supposition that God would make some men his sons and bring them to glory it was necessary with respect unto the engagement of the truth of God that he should suffer die and make satisfaction for them But all this they refer originally unto a free constitution which might have been otherwise God might have ordered things so without any derogation unto the glory of his Justice or Holiness in the Government of all things as that sinners might have been saved without the death of Christ. For if he had not engaged his Word and declared that death should be the penalty of sin he might have freely remitted it without the intervention of any satisfaction And thus all this whole work of death being the punishment of sin and of the sufferings of Christ for sinners is resolved into a free purpose and Decree of Gods Will and not into the exigence of any essential property of his Nature so that it might have been otherwise in all the parts of it and yet the glory of God preserved every way entire Whether this be so or no we shall immediately enquire Others grant many free Acts of the Mind and Will of God in this matter as 1. The Creation of man in such a condition as that he should have a moral dependance on God in reference unto his utmost end was an effect of the Sovereign Pleasure Will and Wisdom of God But on supposition of this Decree and Constitution they say the Nature Authority and Holiness of God required indispensibly that man should yield unto him that obedience which he was directed unto and guide● in by the Law of his Creation so that God could not suffer him to do otherwise and remain in his first state and come unto the end first designed unto him without the loss of his Authority and wrong of his Justice Again they say that God did freely by an Act of his Sovereign Will and Pleasure decree to permit man to sin and fall which might have been otherwise But on supposition that so he should do and would do and thereby infringe the Order of his dependance on God in reference unto his utmost end that the Justice of God as the Supreme Governour of all things did indispensibly require that he should receive a meet recompence of reward or be punished answerably unto hi● crimes so that God could not have dealt otherwise with him without an high derogation from his own Righteousness Again they say that God by a meer free Act of his Love and Grace designed the Lord Jesus Christ to be the way and means for the saving of sinners which might have been otherwise He might without the least impeachment of the glory of any of his Essential Properties have suffered all mankind to have perished under that penalty which they had justly incurred but of his own meer Love free Grace and good pleasure he gave and sent him to redeem them But on the supposition thereof they say the Justice of God required that he should lay on him the punishment due unto the sons whom he redeemed it became him on the account of his Natural Essential Justice to bring him unto sufferings And in this Opinion is contained the truth laid down in our Proposition which we shall now farther confirm namely that it became the Nature of God or the Essential Properties of his Nature required indispensibly that sin should be punished with death in the sinner or in his surety And therefore if he would bring any sons to glory the Captain of their salvation must undergo death and sufferings to make satisfaction for them For First Consider that description