glorious Person Heb. 1.3 who having by himself purged our sins sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Rev. 1.5 He who is Alpha and Omega who is before Abraham was the first and the last who is was and is to come hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God even his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever I shall not proceed by Arguments to evince this great Scripture-truth which hath been so oppugned both by ancient and modern Hereticks and so nobly vindicated by Primitive Councils and Fathers and by nervous and learned Pens of latter days Polyaenus in his Roman Stratagems is but a wrigling slow-worm to this old Serpent in his direful Arts who like a Revelation-Scorpion carries death both in head and tail to bite with the teeth of fiery lyes and with his persecuting tail to slash the third part of the Stars out of the Heaven of the Church This Hydra hath not only hissed but mortally stung many a Soul in the Polonian Hungarian Transylvanian and Belgick Churches and I could hearily wish had never swum after Pelagius through the British Seas with whole folio's tyed about its neck to lay its poisonous eggs in our Seminaries The Lord speedily crush them in pieces that they may never hatch into fiery flying Serpents to provoke the Lord to vengeance What Country in Europe hath sweltred under more tearing scourges bitter State-confusions and convulsions and dreadful shakings than Poland where it had first principal vent and patronage And how far the Belgian Lion hath had his nails pared and his teeth knockt out by that hammer of Gods wrath in Europe since the publication of those blasphemous Treatises I wish both they and we did seriously lay to heart Blessed be God for the many Champions sent out of Israels Camp against Goliah of Gath in the Reformed Churches abroad and at home It may prove some mitigation of Divine displeasure and a prolonging of our tranquillity and I heartily pray that godly Magistrates would stir up their strength against it and put to their seal and sanction I am glad to find thâ—â— holy man bending his searches into this subject I hope to the preservative convinction of many and the establishment of others in that grand point of Christs Satisfaction The Lord of the everlasting Covenant I pray to sprinkle both this Book and all the People with the precious Blood of the Cross Heb. 9.12 By which he is entred into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us Vers 26. Who as he did appear to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself so unto them that look for him he will appear the second time without sin unto salvation Lev. 16.4 Like as the High-Priest of old being cloathed only in linen went into the holy of Holies with the expiation-blood in a golden Bason but came out in all his gorgeous attire to bless the people Vers 23. so did the glorious High-Priest of our profession enter into the Heavens not in so conspicuous a manner being seen but of few when he ascended from Mount Olivet but when he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified by the presentment of his Blood and Intercession to the Father will come again in all his Royalty and receive us to the mansions purchased and prepared for them Zech. 6.13 and will sit down as King and Priest upon his Throne for ever But not to prevent your progress from the threshold into the lovely Building of this Treatise composed by a Person of great worth and approbation in the Churches of Christ pray give me leave in the Porch to point at some material things respecting this holy Author I confess I am not so furnisht with sufficient and copious matter as to digest a full description of his life but what I had from his gracious Son Mr. Thomas Row I shall succinctly contract and add somewhat of my own Observation and then recommend you to God and the Word of his Grace Let me cast all under these four Heads his Personage Qualifications Studies and Sayings His stature inclined to tallness his visage affable and somewhat smiling his gestures grave and decent his behaviour meek and courteous and what is very observable and much to be imitated 1 Thess 4.11 he medled with his own business not interposing much less imposing on other Churches being averse to ostentation and publick appearance of a quiet spirit and replenisht with the desires of Heaven as 't is observed by Naturalists that the dew never falls in a stormy or cloudy night As to his Studies letting pass the usual Cursus in the Arts and Sciences which he followed in the injoyment of the Methods of both Vniversities his skill in the copious and elegant Greek with its curious Criticisms deserves a remarkable accent Among the various Sects of ancient Philosophers he was most addicted to Plato and the shades of the Academick walks From the Grecian Schools he stept into the Roman Cloisters to hear what they had to say before the Reformation sprang The Civilians having found the Justinian Laws as I remember at Pisa and considered the Theodosian Codex began to digest them into some Method The Divines took example and collected a Body of Sentences Among whose numerous Gladiators he most fancied the fencings of Aquinas Bradwardin Suarez and Alvarez being pleased with their reason but not their subtilties their substantial Arguments but not their Quiddities finding some little Pearls in great Dunghils was wont to say They had great heads but little hearts And indeed when the original Fountains of Scripture were stopt up by the Philistins and little but rage and fury filled most places with the blood of the slain Professors of the Truth who could expect but the Owl which once should often fly in the Lateran Wherefore from the Papal Schools he went beyond Sea and stood under the Fathers Pulpits and delighted in hearing the African Wits Athanasius Cyril and Austin Athanasius he highly honoured for his notable Writings against the Arians and his strenuous Vindication of the Deity of Christ and the Doctrine of the three Persons by the holy Scriptures and was wont to say That he wrote so like an Apostle that he was even ravished with him Cyril he also greatly esteemed for his Ephesine conflicts on the same account Austin of the Latin Communion he passed from Alexandria to Hippo on purpose to see and discourse with him because of his shining holiness and especially his irresistible Defence of irresistible Grace And indeed I may add there 's no hearty Enemy of free Grace but such as want it and those that feel its power in the heart are its greatest Lovers His Book of the Trinity though he judged somewhat obscure yet not without some light He had a value also for Basil and the two Grecian Gregories and indeed in
truth of a thing more vehemently and strongly The Apostle lays much weight and stress upon this Verily he took not upon him the nature of Angels It is as much as if he had said Truly herein is our nature advanced above Angels in that the Son of God did take part of our nature and did not assume Angelical nature If we look upon Angelical nature in it self and consider the nature of Angels simply so Angelical nature is superiour a nature superiour to our nature therefore is it said that man is made a little lower than the Angels Humane nature simply considered in it self is inferiour to Angelical nature but then look upon our nature as it is advanced in Christ the Head of the Church and so it is preferred above Angels therefore is it said that Christ is exalted far above principalities and powers might and dominion and every name that is names not only in this world but in that which is to come Eph. 1.20 21. The Apostle in that place is speaking of Christ-man Now Christ-man is exalted above Principalities and Powers that is above the Angels yea and above every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come hence is it that the Angels are commanded to worship Christ Heb. 1.6 Now although it be true that the Divine nature in Christ is the proper and formal object of worship yet the Angels are commanded to worship the Son of God in our nature to worship the Son of God cloathed with our nature Therefore is it said When he brings in his first-begotten Son into the world he saith Let all the Angels of God worship him The Angels were not only to worship the Son of God before his Incarnation but after his Incarnation The Son of God when incarnate and cloathed with our flesh did not cease to be the natural coessential Son of God he was the Son of God and God before he took the nature of man upon him In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God Joh. 1.1 This is spoken of him before his Incarnation therefore as the Angels were to worship him before he was cloathed with our nature so they were to worship him after he was cloathed with our nature 2. The second Consideration is this The advancement of our nature by the work of Incarnation appears in this In that by means of the Incarnation a part of our nature is joyned to the second person in Trinity continueth in personal union with him so that the Son or that Person whom the Scripture calls the Word with the humane nature assumed is and continues to be the second person in Trinity We have already heard how that by means of the Incarnation of the Son of God we come to have communion with the whole Trinity That which I have to add in this Proposition is to shew what that near relation is which the humane nature assumed hath unto the Trinity and how that by means of the personal union the humane nature assumed hath a nearer relation unto the Trinity than any creature whatsoever It is a Position and a Maxime both of ancient and modern Divines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum proprià sua carne socunda persona Trinitatis Chemnit lib. de duabus in Christo Naturâ—s That that person of the Trinity whom the Scripture calls the Word with his proper flesh is the second person of the Trinity Now we must understand this aright when Divines say The Son or the Word with his proper flesh is the second person of the Trinity 1. we must not suppose that hereby is intended any conversion in the natures as if so be the humane nature assumed were taken into the substance or essence of the Trinity for that is impossible we must still remember how that the two natures the Divine and humane nature after this union is made in the person of the Son always remain essentially different and distinct that is the Divinity doth always remain to be the Divinity and the humanity to be the humanity that is it remains true humane nature after the personal Union 2. Neither must we suppose that the Son of God assumes a humane person but a humane nature for if the Son of God had assumed a humane person then there had been a Quaternity not a Trinity four persons not three any longer and this the doctrine of the Gospel is most abhorring from For the Gospel tells us That there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost 1 Joh. 5.7 The Gospel speaks but of three and this the Gospel speaks of after the Incarnation of one of these persons namely after the Incarnation of the Word which is the second of these three for when John wrote this Epistle the Word was made flesh and had carried that nature assumed of his into Heaven and yet notwithstanding the Apostle saith there are but three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost so that the Word with his own proper flesh is but one and the same person There is a new person added to the Trinity by the Word 's being made flesh as he is said to be Joh. 1.14 But that person whom the Scripture calls the Word or the Son of God I say the Word assuming humane nature is and continues to be the second person of the Trinity therefore we ought to conceive of it thus The humane nature in Christ subsists not of it self or by it self neither doth the humane nature constitute any peculiar person by it self but the humane nature is taken into the unity of the person of the Word and subsists wholly in and by the person of the Word who is the second person in Trinity The Word who was a person from Eternity and subsisted in the Divine nature only before the Incarnation by reason of the Incarnation subsists in both natures the Divine and humane so that the Word which the humane nature assumed is and remains to be the second person in Trinity Mark the Word's assumption of humane nature doth not make him cease to be a person in the Trinity which he was before the Incarnation That he was a person in the Trinity before his Incarnation is clear from Joh. 1. Neither doth the Word's assuming of humane nature make an addition of any new person to the Trinity but thus we ought to conceive of it One and the same person who subsisted in the Divine nature only before his Incarnation by means of his Incarnation subsists in both natures so that we may truly say The Word with his proper flesh that is the Word with the humane nature assumed is and remains to be the second person in Trinity It is a speech which Austin hath Homine assumpto non auctus est numerus personarum Trinitatis sed eadem Trinitas mansit When the nature of man was assumed by
for another 2. To shew how it was that Christ hath laid down his life for us 3. To shew how it is said here in the Text that Christ hath laid down his life for his friends whereas else where it is said that Christ dyed for us whilst we were enemies And 4. I propounded to speak something from hence concerning the great Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction Having already spoken something to the three first of these Particulars it remains now that I should treat of the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction The Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction is a Doctrine much impugned The Socinians deny it altogether and the Papists do in a manner enervate this Doctrine by bringing in other Satisfactions besides that of Christ This Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction is a Doctrine of great moment it is the great Pillar upon which our Saivation stands and the main Hinge upon which our comfort turns for if Christ have not satisfied for us then are we liable to make satisfaction to God in our own persons That I may therefore speak something to this great Doctrine I shall 1. Explain the name or word a little 2. I shall come to speak to the thing it self 1. To explain the name some are offended at the name it self As they are offended at the word Trinity and at the word Person and at the word Sacrament because they are not Scripture-words so some have been offended at the word Satisfaction because it is not a Scripture-word But our Answer to this is very plain Names are but expressive of things and necessity compels us to think of the most proper names or words to express things by If therefore the things themselves be to be found in Scripture there seems very little reason why any should reject the names and words that are used to express those things by Therefore to touch briefly upon those words that some have been offended at Although the word Trinity be not found in Scripture yet the thing it self is certainly found there There are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 1 Joh. 5.7 If there be three then there must needs be a Trinity so for the word Person although we have not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture in that sense that we commonly apply it to a person in the Trinity yet we have another word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.3 where it is said Christ is the Character of his Fathers Person so we render it and indeed the word in the Original is equivalent with the former word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phavor and is so explained by the ancient Criticks in the Greek Tongue So also for the third Word mentioned which was Sacrament Though the word Sacrament be not found in Scripture yet we have such Representations and Symbols as Baptism and the Lords Supper are to signifie and set forth some spiritual Mysteries unto us and this is what we understand by the word Sacrament Invisibilis gratiae visibile signum A Sacrament is a visible sign of some invisible grace as Austin expresseth it We must have some word or other to express things by So now for this very word that we are here treating of although we have not the word Satisfaction mentioned in Scripture yet we have the thing it self frequently and copiously set before us what else is the meaning of those expressions that God hath laid on him the iniquity of us all and that he hath born the chastisement of our peace Isa 53.5 6. If the punishment that should have been laid on us was laid on Christ this is properly Satisfaction what else shall we call Satisfaction Now this is clear from that expression when it is said The chastifement of our peace was upon him Hence also it is said That Christ was made sin for us That he made his Soul an offering for sin That he gave his life a ransom for many And there are other places which I may urge in their proper place but these are enough to shew that the thing it self is in Scripture and the thing it self being there there is little reason why any should quarrel at the name or word Now for the import and signification of this word the Latine word satisfacere to satisfie the Criticks tell us Satisfacere sacere quod satis alicui sit quo ille acquiescat contentus sit Satisfacere est tantum facere quantum sit irato ad vindictam That it is to do that which may be accounted enough by the person unto whom it is done so that he may be content with it and acquiesce in it This is the notion of Satisfaction and in matters of offence they tell us That to satisfie is to do so much as is necessary to pacifie the offended person in reference to the wrong or injury which he hath sustained And thus Christ is said to have satisfied God who was angry and offended by reason of our sins for as much as the punishment that we had deserved was transferred upon Christ our Surety and he bearing the punishment for us God is hereby pacified and appeased I come now to the consideration of the thing it self and here 1. I shall give a description of the nature of Christs Satisfaction and open the parts of that description And then 2. I shall lay down several Propositions for the clearing of the whole Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction 1. For a description of the nature of Christs Satisfaction we may take a description of it thus The Satisfaction of Christ is one of Christs Mediatorial actions A description of Christs Satisfaction particularly an act of his Priesthood whereby Christ offering up himself a facrifice for our sins hath made a full compensation to the Justice of God for the sins of his people and thereby pacified or turned away Gods wrath and hath procured pardon of sin and eternal life for us This description will take in the whole nature of Christs Satisfaction Here we have the several parts of this description to unfold and here 1. We must shew how the Satisfaction of Christ is one of Christs Mediatorial actions 2. We must shew how it is an Act of his Priesthood 3. We must shew what the matter of this Satisfaction is Christ offers himself a sacrifice for our sins so we have it in the Scriptures 4. What the form of this Satisfaction was Christ made a-full compensation to the Justice of God for the sins of his people 5. What the effects of this Satisfaction are and they principally three 1. The turning away of Gods wrath 2. The obtaining pardon of sin 3. The procuring eternal life for us These things explained will give us some light into the nature of Christs Satisfaction 1. We say That the Satisfaction of Christ is one of Christs Mediatorial actions To understand this we must take in two things 1. Consider
humane nature assumed so that the humane nature as it is well exprest by one is by means of this union rooted in the Divine stock To understand this we must know that the Son of God was a person before his Incarnation and subsisted in the Divine nature by the work of his Incarnation the humane nature having no subsistence of its own hath the Divine person of the Son communicated to it and so subsists in and by that person so that now here is one and the same person that subsists in two natures The same person who subsisted in the Divine nature only before his Incarnation after his Incarnation subsists in both natures the Divine and humane nature All this is implied in that great Scripture Joh. 1.14 The Word was made flesh The Evangelist speaks of Christ the Son of God the eternal Word The Word was made flesh that is the Son of God the second person in Trinity was made flesh or became man That Christ was a person and had his subsistence in the Divine nature before his Incarnation that the Evangelist had shewn us in the two first verses In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God Here the Evangelist shews us plainly that Christ had his subsistence before his Incarnation he subsisted in the Divine nature he subsisted with the Father in the same Divine Essence Now after he comes to acquaint us that this very person whom he calls the Word and who did first of all subsist in the nature of God only did afterwards become man and was made flesh and after his Incarnation subsists in both natures the nature of man as well as the nature of God who before his Incarnation subsisted in the nature of God only The Word was made flesh How is this to be understood made flesh Not by any conversion in the natures as if so be the Divinity was absorpt by or turned into the humanity or as if so be the humanity was swallowed up into the Divinity but the Word is made flesh thus we ought to conceive of it the Word that is the eternal Word the second person of the Trinity who was a person before draws the humane nature into the Vnity of his own person so that the natures remain distinct and unconfounded but the person is but one The Word who was a person before his Incarnation assumes and takes the humane nature destitute of any personal subsistence of its own into the unity of his own personal subsistence so that now by means of the Incarnation of the Word there is one and the same person of the Word and the humane nature assumed This is in short the sum of that Doctrine which we call the Hypostatical or personal Union which is therefore called the Hypostatical or personal Union because both the natures the Divine and the humane nature are united into that one Hypostasis or person of the Son of God Now consider the greatness of Christs love in this Union This union the union of the two natures in that one person of Christ is the greatest of all unions next to the union of the three persons of the Sacred Trinity which indeed may not so properly be called a Vnion as a Vnity Summa illa TrinÃtas nobis hanc exhibuit Trinitatem The highest Trinity hath exhibited to us this Trinity that these three the Word the flesh and humane soul of Christ should be one one not by any confusion of substance but one in person In the Sacred Trinity the persons remain distinct but the nature is one in the personal Vnion the natures remain distinct but the person is but one Now this is the highest of all unions next that of the three persons in the Trinity in one and the same Essence namely that a created nature as the humane nature in Christ is should be made one person with the Son of God who also himself is God By this union God communicates himself after the highest manner that was possible unto the creature and the nature of the creature is united to God in the most perfect manner as it was possible for the creature to be united to God In the Incarnation of the Son of God man who is the last creature in Creation is joyned with his first Cause and Principle in such a union as that there is none greater under God To illustrate yet farther the greatness of this union that is made in the two natures in the person of Christ consider There is a presence of God and an inhabitation of his Spirit in the Saints but this falls far short of the personal Vnion which we are now speaking of for notwithstanding the mystical Union notwithstanding the inhabitation of the Spirit in Believers yet a Believer remains a true person the person of a Believer and the person of Christ remain distinct persons though Christ and Believers be one mystically and spiritually The Scripture He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit There is a mystical spiritual Union between Christ and Believers yet Christ and Believers remain distinct in their persons but in this other union the personal union the union of the two natures in the person of Christ the humane nature of Christ hath no subsistence of its own but subsists wholly in and by the person of the Son of God who was a person from Eternity and gives his own person to the humane nature destitute of any personality of its own so that could we suppose it were possible for the humane nature to be deserted by the Divine person that supports it it would be reduced to nothing so that here is a vast difference between this union and all other unions Yet a little farther to illustrate this It is the observation of a Learned Divine this Union is so near individual inseparable indissoluble that the Divine nature of the Son will not cannot ought not to be thought on sought for apprehended out of this union which it hath with the humane nature but it ought to be thought of sought for apprehended in that most near union and conjunction it hath with the humanity and the humane nature which is assumed ought not not to be thought of conceived or apprehended out of but within the most intimate embracings of the second person in Trinity who assumed it And that God is not to be sought for any where but in Christ is clear from that passage 1 Joh. 5.20 The Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we might know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God The sum of this Scripture saith Calvin is this When once we have Christ then we have the true and eternal God because God is to be sought for no where else The Son of God hath so assumed a part of our nature as that he hath made it his own proper flesh so