is it said Every one That so Christ himself saith he might not be excluded Christ who was blessed in his own Righteousness was yet accursed for our sins The curse prevailed so far as to take away Christs life to separate his soul from his body It is true the curse could not prevail so far as to separate either from his person to separate his soul or his body from his person the Person of the Son of God the second Person in Trinity remained united to the soul and body of Christ even when his body and soul were separated each from other and it is our greatest happiness that it was so viz. that the curse could not reach the Person of Christ if I may so express it that is reach his Person so as to dissolve the Union of the two Natures for if the curse could have reached the Person of Christ in the sense I am now speaking of that is if the curse could have extended it self to the Person of Christ so as to dissolve the Union of the two Natures this would have made the death of Christ ineffectual if death could have dissolved the personal Vnion Christs death would have been no more than the death of a meer man of a just man and so his death could not have been meritorious and have satisfied for the sins of the world But though the curse could not take hold of Christs Person so as to dissolve the union between his Person and our nature yet the curse took hold of our nature united to Christs Person The curse did prevail so far as to separate his humane soul from his body To understand this a little more clearly let us consider the Divine nature in Christ was above the Law and above the curse the curse could not reach his Divine nature it could not possibly hurt that but now Christ having assumed our nature and voluntarily made himself subject to the Law and to the curse in our nature the Law hath to do with our nature in Christ We being under sin and under the curse the curse had dominion over us therefore the Apostle tells us That sin reigned unto death Rom. 5.21 Now Christ being our Surety and the Law finding our nature in Christ and that Christ had transferred the guilt of our sins upon himself the Law armed with the curse deals with Christ as a sinner and it proceeds so far as to make the utmost breach upon our nature that it can it rends his holy soul from his pure body And thus for a time the curse seems to triumph over our nature as it stood in Christ Hence is that of the Apostle Rom. 6.9 Christ being dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him This plainly intimates that death and the curse had dominion over Christ for a time and the curse proceeded so far as to the extinction of his natural life his soul was separated from his body though the union between the two natures was not dissolved I come to the third and last Particular and that is this How it was possible for this to be Christ was most blessed in himself how then was it possible for him thus to be made a curse The curse implies anger wrath displeasure in him that pronounceth and inflicts it as hath been shewn how then was it possible for Christ to suffer the wrath of God that was always beloved of God To this several things are to be answered 1. Consider Christ in himself and so he was always beloved of God Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Isa 42.1 Behold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth And Christ as he was man had more titles than one to his Fathers love 1. Christ had a title to his Fathers love as his Humanity is taken into so near a relation to the natural Son of God The humane nature in Christ is made one in person with the natural Son of God so that there is not another subsistence of the second Person in Trinity and the humane nature but there is one subsistence to the second Person in Trinity and to the humane nature therefore the humane nature being taken in as it were to have its subsistence in the person of the natural Son of God being taken into the unity of the same person must needs be beloved of the Father upon that account above all creatures 2. Christ is beloved of the Father as he is a just and an innocent person and he must needs be beloved of the Father upon that account Isa 46.8 The Lord loveth the righteous Christ being a just and a righteous pâ—â—son the Father could not but love him as considered in himself 3. The Father loved Christ upon the account of his obedience Joh. 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life for my sheep and in the next verse This commandment have I received of my Father Christ obeying his Father in laying down his life for his sheep is one title he hath to his Fathers love therefore consider Christ in himself so he was always beloved of the Father 2. Christ suffered the wrath of God as he was our Surety and as he stood in our stead 1 Pet. 4.1 Christ hath suffered for us 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ hath once suffered for sin the just for the unjust This is a clear Text Christ was a just person in himself and as he was a just person so he was always beloved of God and could not but be beloved of him But now as he that was a just person in himself gave himself to suffer for the unjust so it was that he bare the wrath of God The wrath of God was due to the unjust Tribulation and anguish indignation and wrath upon every soul of man that doth evil Rom 2. Therefore if the just will suffer for the unjust in their room and stead he must then suffer what they must have suffered It is a true speech of Austin Mors Christi fuit conditionis non criminis Aug. The death which Christ underwent was not in respect of any crime or offence that he himself had committed but it was in respect of the condition that he brought himself into that is Christ suffered the wrath of God not for any crime or offence of his own but in the condition of a Mediator because of our sins Hence is it said That he was delivered up for our offences Rom. 6. ult So in that of the Prophet Isa 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him Christ took upon him the discharge and payment of our debt therefore though he was always beloved of God in himself yet as personating and representing us who were sinners so it was that he sustained the wrath of God All we like sheep have gone astray saith the Prophet and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Isa 53.6 We
them Now in the serious exercises of faith we ought to attend this we ought to consider how that all the great things of our salvation were transacted by our Head in a part of our nature for us what Christ suffered our nature suffered in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas It is a good speech of Athanasius It was not our Lord himself so much as we that suffered in him The third Direction is We should behold our nature in Christ suffering and undergoing the same things which we deserved and do lye under the fear of As it is a great relief to faith to behold our nature suffering in Christ so that which makes this relief compleat is to see our nature in Christ suffering the very same things which we deserved and are under the fear of The Apostle tells us Rom. 4.5 The law worketh wrath The Law works the fear of wrath in the conscience the Law begets the sense of Gods wrath in the conscience How so The reason is Because by the law is the knowledge of sin sin is the transgression of the law by the Law I know my self to be a sinner because I see I have transgressed such a Law now the breach of this Law worketh wrath that is it works the fear of wrath as that which is due for sin Hence also is that expression of conscience of sin Heb. 10.2 The worshippers once purged should have no more conscience of sin By conscience of sin here in this place I take it that we must understand a conscience burdened and laden with the guilt of sin The meaning is not certainly that those who are once purged by the virtue of Christs Sacrifice should make no more conscience of sin that would be an impious opinion nay the contrary thereunto is most true a conscience purged from the guilt of sin by the Blood and Sacrifice of Christ such a person makes more conscience of sin that is of committing sin Shall we sin because grace abounds God forbid The grace of God teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts But the meaning of the place is that those who have their consciences once purged and cleansed by the blood of Christ they ought to have no more conscience of sin as to guilt that is they ought to look upon their consciences exonerated and discharged from guilt by the Sacrifice of Christ But that which I quoted this Text for was to shew that sin brings a conscience of guilt When sin lyeth upon the conscience it fills the conscience with the fear and horrour of Gods wrath now the great relief to conscience in this case must be for a man to turn his eyes upon Christ and to see Christ in our nature suffer that which we deserve and that which we are afraid of We are afraid of Gods wrath and Christ that was true man our Head and Surety felt and suffered the wrath of God we fear lest God should forsake us lest God should cast us off for ever now we ought to turn our eyes upon Christ and see our nature forsaken and deserted in Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Do you fear the torments of Hell Christ hath born these very pains and torments This is certain there is no such relief or remedy to an afflicted conscience as for a man to turn his eyes upon Christ and to see Christ who was most innocent in himself suffering all that for us which we deserve and fear Deseritur cum desertis pro natura quam assumpserat tributum solvit Christ was deserted with them who were deserted and paid the tribute for that nature which he assumed as we heard heretofore And another of the Ancients expresseth himself to the same purpose God saith he in his righteous judgment exacted all those things from us which are written in the Law which when we our selves were not able to pay our Lord hath paid them for us Christ hath assumed and volunt arily taken upon himself the curse and condemnation which we were obnoxious unto Quae pati debueramus illa ipse pertulit those things which we ought to have suffered he himself hath born for us This is a great support to faith to consider that the things we deserved and feared those are the things which Christ hath suffered and born for us The fourth Direction is this Let us behold our nature in Christ voluntarily suffering what we deserved to suffer this also is a great relief to faith As it is a relief to faith to behold our nature suffering and suffering the same things that we ought to have suffered so this is another great relief to faith to behold our nature in Christ voluntarily suffering what we deserved to suffer As we who are the sinful sons of men have sinned voluntarily so one of our kin one of our stock and linage one that was true man hath voluntarily offered himself to suffer for us poor sinful men So that satisfaction is voluntarily tendered up to God in our room and stead by one who was true man and in all points like unto us sin only excepted Our sin and disobedience was not more voluntary than Christs obedience and offering himself to suffer for us was free and voluntary Christ our Head and Surety when the Justice of God was coming forth armed against us hath most voluntarily run to meet it and to expose himself to those strokes which should have lighted on us Lo I come to do thy will thy law is in my heart Heb. 10. The Justice of God was not more desirous of satisfaction to be made to it than Christ our Head and Surety was willing to tender it Now if a Creditor hath never so great a sum of money owing to him and the Surety undertake the payment of the whole debt and be most free and ready as to the payment of it as free to pay the debt as the Creditor is to demand it what can he desire more Christ our Surety undertook the payment of our debt and was as ready to tender the satisfaction as God was to require it The fifth Direction is Let us direct the eye of our faith to the person of the Son of God acting in our nature and sanctifying all his sufferings by the dignity of his own person To illustrate this let us consider that Scripture Heb. 7.26 Such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners made higher than the heavens and then it follows in vers 28. The Law maketh High Priests which have infirmity but the word of the oath which was since the Law maketh the Son who is consecrated for evermore The scope of the Apostle in this place is to shew that he who is our High Priest is more than a man he is the Son of God The word of the oath makes the Son which is consecrated for evermore He opposeth the Son of God to the Priests under the Law Now
and help us True indeed God is love in himself his name is the Lord gracious merciful long-suffering pardoning iniquity transgression and sin but God being at such a distance from us and also a God of such infinite Purity and Majesty we are apt to doubt whether God will take any notice of such vile and sinful worms as we are therefore in a way of condescension God is come down into our nature that so faith may have the greater incouragement that since God dwells in the nature of man he will not shut up his own bowels against them who are his own brethren and kindred Christ is akin to us nearly allied to us in respect of his humanity one in nature with us in respect of his humanity as he is nearly allied to his Father and one in nature with him in respect of his Divinity Heb. 2.11 The Apostle here speaks of Christ and his Members He that sanctifies and they that are sanctified are of one that is they are one and the same nature of one and the same common nature We may well suppose that part of our nature which Christ wears will put him in mind to be kind to us if he were not otherwise inclined unto us There is a common Law of humanity which commands some compassion in all men even in those who are most degenerate by sin the Law of common humanity will force some bowels from the worst of men to them that are in great distress How powerful then is this Law where the force of it is not abated by any allay from sin but where this Law is heightned and elevated by the greatest measures of grace and the presence of the Divinity inhabiting in the humanity Thus it is in Christ Christ hath the greatest perfection of grace in him and the presence of the Divinity inhabiting in his humanity Hence it is our Saviour comforts the hearts of his Disciples upon this account Joh. 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me It is as much as if he should say You take this for granted this is a confessed Principle among you you ought to believe in God now you believe in God believe also in me Our Saviours meaning is this Look upon God come down into a part of your nature behold God in my humanity Ye believe in God believe also in me Faith in Christ is no prejudice to faith in God the Father at the same time we believe in Christ we believe in God the Father for the Divine Essence is one and the same in all the three persons at the same time we believe in the Son we believe in the Father Now our Saviour to incourage us to believe would have us to behold God in the glass of his humanity You believe in God believe also in me As much as if he should say I that am now speaking to you am God and man in one person you cannot think that I your Lord and Master who have been conversing with you so long and of whose tenderness and compassion you have had so much experience should want any bowels or tenderness in me to do you good now I am God as well as man if you think I am inclined to pity you as I amman I want no power to help and relieve you as I am God 15. The love of Christ in his Incarnation is seen in this In that by means of his Incarnation there is a foundation laid for the work of his Mediatorship in general and also for executing those three great Offices of Prophet Priest and King in particular My design is not at present to treat of Christs Mediatorship at large nor to speak largely of his Offices but only to shew how Christs Incarnation or his taking of our nature lays the foundation for his undertaking the work of Mediatorship in general and also of executing those three great Offices in particular of a Prophet Priest and King and also to shew how his love is demonstrated to us in this 1 Christs undertaking the Office of Mediatorship is the great demonstration of his love to us for Christ as Mediator brings us back to God we were at variance with God now we being at a distance from God and at enmity with him by reason of sin there was need of a Mediator to reconcile the difference and bring God and us together Now here was the great demonstration of the love of Christ that the Son of God would undertake the Office of Mediator and that he might do so he was willing to take up our nature in his Incarnation that he might perform the Office of Mediator in it Hence is that expression of the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.5 There is one Mediator between God and man the man Jesus Christ The Apostles intention in using this expression the Man Christ Jesus is not to exclude the Divine nature from the person of the Mediator for it is here observed by Calvin when the Apostle calls him Man he doth not hereby deny him to be God for this is a sure Rule in Divinity The person of the Mediator accomplisheth the work of Redemption according to both natures so that the work of Redemption is the work of the person working in both natures that which is proper to each nature Hence is it that a Judicious Divine observes By a wonderful temperament it is so ordered that the Hypostatical union of the two natures is made in the person of Christ Vt esset mediatrix humana Divinitas Divina humanitas August that he who is our Mediator should be Man-God and God-man therefore we ought thus to conceive of it Christ took up our nature that he might perform the Office of Mediator in it and this is expressed by the Apostle Heb. 10.5 When he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifices and burnt-offerings thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me When he comes into the world Christ came into the world by his Incarnation by his Assumption and taking up of our nature and wherefore did he come into the world It was to perform the Office of a Mediator to reconcile us to God to offer up the great Sacrifice for sin Other Sacrifices would not serve the turn and therefore the Son of God would offer the great and true Sacrifice namely the Sacrifice of himself and by this means reconcile us to God Now what must Christ do that he may perform the Office of Mediator and reconcile us to God He must take a true humane body Sacrifices and burnt-offerings thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me The Son of God must assume mans nature if he will be a Mediator between God and man It is the office of a Mediator to conjoyn and unite those between whom he is a Mediator The extremes are united in some middle and he that is Mediator had need to have some interest in both parties to be reconciled Christ therefore being to reconcile us to God and to unite
be there were none above him whose will he were bound to take notice of Hence is that expression in the Book of Job Job 21.15 Who is the Almighty that we should serve him This is the language of wicked men this is virtually the language of every sin Every sin is a disavowing of Gods Authority it is virtually and interpretatively a renouncing Gods Authority 3. Man by sin as he doth virtually and interpretatively cast off Gods Authority so he doth properly and formally cast off his own subjection unto God God gives to man a Law as the Rule of his obedience and he doth plainly refuse to be subject to that Law This is that which the Lord complains of in many places Jer. 11.7 8. For I earnestly protested to your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt even unto this day rising early and protesting saying Obey my voice Here is Gods command but what follows Yet they obeyed not but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart Sin is a perfect casting off of the creatures subjection unto God 4. Another account upon which sin is so displeasing unto God is this Man by sin prefers his own will before his Creators will God hath declared this or that to be his will in such or such a Law of his but mans will lies cross and contrary hereunto and when man sins he makes Gods will to stoop to his will now what is this but a manifest contempt of God when man who is but a creature prefers his own private will above the supreme and soveraign Will of his Maker 5. Sin is most displeasing unto God upon this account because man by sin makes himself his last end and refers all to himself Man when he sins seeks not to please God but seeks to please himself only and what is this but to make himself his last end Now as the quintessence of Holiness lies in love to God so the very quintessence of sin lies in self-love Now when man is wholly taken up in self-love and self-pleasing he is perfectly carried off from God as his last end and wholly centers in himself and when man makes himself his last end what doth he do but as it were make himself a God to himself For what is more proper to God than this to be his own end to make himself his last end that which is proper to God is to be the first cause and the last end Now man by sin makes himself his last end and so by consequence makes himself a God to himself If this be the nature of sin that it causeth man to dethrone God and to set up himself for God instead of God this must needs render sin most displeasing unto God and he must needs be highly offended with man by reason of it 5. The fifth Proposition is Man having sinned the Nature of God as he is just as well as the Will of God as he is true and faithful to his word inclines him to punish sin I will not enter into that dispute whether or no God out of his absolute Power might not have pardoned sin without satisfaction This is a Question much agitated but I shall wave that Controversie and shall content my self to lay down such Principles as are more plain and may be more easily taken in by all 1. Then I say That the Nature of God as he is just inclines him to punish sin God is often called in Scripture a Just and a Righteous God and as he is a righteous God so he loves Righteousness Psal 11.7 The righteous God loveth righteousness And in that place the Righteousness of God is given as the reason why it is that God punisheth wicked men for in the verses immediately foregoing it is said Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. And then the reason is added in those words For the righteous God loveth righteousness As much as if it had been said The Righteousness of Gods Nature inclines him to deal righteously with men Justitia est suum cuique tribuere It is the part of justice to distribute to every man his own Therefore since punishment belongs to wicked men it is the Righteousness of God to measure out to them what they do deserve To understand this we must consider that man standing in the relation of a creature unto God and upon that account being under a Law of obedience to his Maker God having also laid so great an obligation upon man by giving him so excellent a Being in case man sin against the duty which he is under as a creature and if he sin against that obligation which is laid upon him by his Creator in giving him a Being and so excellent a Being man in so doing sins against all right and equity and God as he is the Rector and Governor of the World cannot but take notice of such obliquity in man and testifie his displeasure against man for violating the Law of Right and Equity Hence is that of the Apostle Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men The plain meaning I take to be That God is highly offended with men by reason of sin and he testifies his displeasure against sin by executing his Judgments in an open manner many times even as by a hand from Heaven The wrath of God is revealed from heaven c. there is a finger stretched out from Heaven in the Judgments of God whereby God doth testifie and declare to all the world his displeasure against sin So Rom. 1. ult This is the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death This is the Judgment of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Judgment of God I take to be the just and upright determination of God the dictate of the Divine Vnderstanding to speak after the manner of men determining what is just what is fit and equal this is that which the Divine Understanding determines that man sinning he is worthy of death This is the judgment of God saith the Apostle that they that commit such things are worthy of death It is that which the Divine Wisdom and Understanding determines as just fit and equal that mans sinning should be punished with death there is a condignity in the nature of sin that requires punishment so that either God must go contrary to what his infinite and most unerring Wisdom determines to be right fit and equal or else he must punish sin for this is the Judgment of God saith the Apostle that the sinner is worthy of death therefore that must not be done which the Divine Wisdom thinks just fit and equal should be done or else the person that sins must fall under punishment Now the Apostle tells us Rom. 2.2 That the Judgment of God is according to truth and this
more sweet and comfortable is that speech of Ambrose My mind or spirit is crucified in Christ Mens mea in Christo crucifixa est Ambr. the meaning of which I take to be That the punishment which was due to my mind or spirit is laid upon Christ and I having suffered that in my mind or spirit in Christ my Head which I deserved to suffer I hope hereby to be set free from that punishment Christ I say suffered in his Soul hence is it said that Christ was smitten of God Isa 53.4 We did esteem him stricken smitten of God and it pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief vers 10. Christ was stricken of God immediately stricken in his Soul Psal 69.26 They persecute him whom thou hast smitten Mat. 26.31 I will smite the shepherd If Christ was smitten of God how should that be but immediately in his Soul Hence is that of one of the Ancients God saith he was justly angry with us for our sins and Christ interposing himself as the middle person took off the stroke and bare the punishment that hung over us Neither may it seem strange to us that our Saviour should suffer in his Soul for as much as he was pleased to take upon him the guilt of all our sins It is a memorable passage of a late modern Divine The guilt Dickson Therapeut Sacr. saith he of all our sins wickednesses and most hainous offences which from the beginning of the world to the end of it have been committed by any of the Elect all these were imputed to one Christ altogether and all at once and although Christ by taking the guilt of all these sins upon him did not pollute or defile that holy Soul of his yet nevertheless he did burthen his Soul with them by obliging himself to suffer the punishment that was due to the sins of the Elect as if so be those very sins had in some sort been his own sins Now saith he whenas we see the most profligate and impure sinners lyars thieves adulterers and the like when we see these they cannot patiently hear themselves to be called lyars or thieves or adulterers though guilty of such enormous crimes although it is manifest that they are guilty of them neither can they bear the shame and disgrace of their own guilt that yet doth manifestly lye upon them with how great a grief and passion of mind with how great a darkening of that sanctity and glory that was in our Saviour must we suppose that Christ did take upon his shoulders this most noisom dunghil of all our sins than which nothing could be more abhorring from the purity and sanctity of nature 4. Christ suffered death it self for us hence is it said That he tasted death for everyman Heb. 2.9 Nothing less than death could satisfie the Law the sentence of the Law was That the soul that sins shall dye therefore he that will be our surety and bear the punishment due to us must undergo death it self for us Some of the Papists tell us That such was the dignity of Christs person that the least drop of his Blood the least tear the least sigh of his heart would have been sufficient to redeem us But our Divines do well answer To what purpose then were all the rest of Christs sufferings his temptations his grief his reproaches and all that which he underwent both in his life and death If one drop of Christs blood had been sufficient to redeem us then all the rest that Christ suffered must needs be supposed to be superfluous and unnecessary But we must know that notwithstanding the dignity of Christs person the Law requires death In the day that thou eatest thou shalt dye the death therefore Divine Justice demanded the same punishment to be undergone which was threatned by the Law therefore death being threatned by the Law nothing less than death would satisfie Divine Justice The Apostle tells us in the Epistle to the Hebrews That under the Law without shedding of blood there was no remission the sacrifice must be killed and slain before there could be remission of sins Christ therefore being the true Sacrifice for our sins he was to be slain and put to death before remission of sins could be obtained for us It is true there were many advantages that did accrue by the dignity of Christs person some of which are such as these which Divines mention 1. That the death of one should be sufficient for the Redemption of so many If Christs person had not been of that dignity and worth it could not have been supposed that the death and suffering of one person would have sufficed for the Redemption of so many It is well observed by one of the Ancients If Christ had not been God how could he alone have been sufficient to have been a price for our Redemption Therefore there is that advantage which ariseth from the dignity of Christs person that the excellency of his person is such he being an infinite person that he is able to make satisfaction for all 2. The dignity of Christs person made the death of Christ to be meritorious for what may we not suppose that so great a Person who was of equal Majesty and Glory with the Father should not merit at the hand of his Father 3. The dignity of Christs person was available as to this That some circumstances of punishment which were not fit for him to undergo Christ undergoing that which was equivalent might be omitted as one circumstance which Divines mention is this namely That the torments of Hell which were to be suffered and undergone by us in the next life were suffered and undergone by Christ in this life These advantages did accrue from the dignity of Christs person yet notwithstanding this dignity of Christs person he that was to be our Surety was to undergo the substance of that punishment that we were to undergo Now death being the punishment that was to be suffered by the transgressors of the Law as being threatned by the Law Christ being our Surety was to undergo and suffer death for us 5. Christ did not only undergo natural death but he also tasted of supernatural death and so by consequence suffered the pains and torments of Hell for us Christ suffered the whole curse of the Law as to the substance of it Hence is that of the Apostle Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 Now the Curse of the Law was In the day that thou eatest thou shalt dye the death or as it may be rendred In dying thou shalt dye that is thou shalt dye doubly thou shalt dye a twofold death thou shalt dye naturally and thou shalt dye spiritually thou shalt dye a natural death in having thy soul separated from thy body and thou shalt dye a spiritual death in having thy soul separated from me Therefore it is well observed by one
which was That he did not only feel the wonted presence of his Father withdrawn from him but he saw God alienated from him yea he saw his Justice armed against him to revenge upon him the sins of the Elect. O this was more than a thousand deaths Learn from what hath been opened Vse 1 how great a pain the pain of loss is Learn how great a misery it is to be separated from the sight of God This was so grievous to our Saviour that he could not contain himself from that bitter out-cry we heard of before he crys out in the bitterness of his soul My God my God why hast thou forsaken me O if Christ could not bear the want of the sight of God for so short a season and space foâ—â—â— was but for a short space of time this desertion continued with him how wilt thou bear to be separated from God for ever Mark what the sentence is that will be pronounced upon wicked men at the great Day Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire O in those words Depart from me is the very Hell of Hell there is not any thing worse in Hell than this Depart from me Consider also what the Apostle saith 2 Thess 1. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. How canst thou bear the thoughts of being separated from God for ever I often think of the expression I heard from a troubled Soul O said that person I have lost God and must be separated from him for ever O can you think what a misery it is to sustain the loss of God and be separated from him for ever It is true wicked men love not God and care not for his presence and therefore they think it will be no great loss for them to be separated from him whom they do not love But when wicked men shall come to understand that there is no happiness but in the injoyment of God and that the last perfection that their Being was capable of was to injoy him though they love not God yet they love themselves though they love not God yet they love happiness therefore though they think it a little thing to be separated from God now they will not think it a little thing to be separated from happiness at last With thee saith the Psalmist is the fountain of life and in thy light we shall see light Psal 36.9 Being separated from God they are separated from light separated from joy separated from happiness separated from every thing that is good God that is the chief good makes every thing good that is so and what can be good where the chief good is absent therefore this will be matter of eternal torment to lost souls that they are destitute and come short of that happiness which their Beings were capable of Here is comfort to deserted Souls Vse 2 Christ himself was deserted therefore if thou be deserted God dealeth no otherwise with thee than he did with Christ thou mayst be beloved of God and not feel it Christ was so he was beloved of the Father and yet had no present sense and feeling of his love This may be a great comfort and support to holy Souls under the suspension of those comforts and manifestations which sometimes they have felt Christ himself underwent such a suspension therefore such a suspension of Divine comfort may consist with Gods love Thou mayst conclude possibly I am a Hypocrite and therefore God hath forsaken me this is the complaint of some doubting Christians I am a Hypcorite and therefore God hath forsaken me but thou hast no reason so to conclude there was no failure in Christs obedience and yet Christ was forsaken in point of comfort therefore desertion in point of comfort may consist with truth of grace yea with the highest measure of grace so it did in our Saviour It is true there is a root in us of this desertion some sin of ours that oftentimes occasions this desertion It was not so with Christ Christ had no sin of his own for which he was deserted he only bare the guilt of our sins and he was deserted for a time that we might not be deserted for ever But though there be that in us that may occasion desertion yet this is some relief to us that Christ hath undergone desertion though not for any sin of his own as we do and the greatest relief of all is that Christ was deserted that we might not be deserted the face of God was hid from him for a time that so it might not be hid from us for ever Wherefore to conclude this point If thou be one that hast fled for refuge to the hope that is set before us if thou hast come to Christ and believed on him in truth thou needst not fear that thou shalt be deserted of God for ever because Christ hath born desertion for us the Lord may hide his face from thee for a time but he will not hide it for ever because Christ hath suffered this part of the punishment due to us he hath born that absence of Divine comfort which thou deservest to lye under for ever Christ hath suffered dereliction for us The end of the eighth Sermon SERMON IX Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends HAving shewed already how our Saviour underwent the Pain of loss in his spiritual dereliction or desertion it remains that I should shew how it was that he suffered the pain of sense in being made a Curse for us That which Divines call the Pain of sense is a most perfect sense of the wrath of God and all the miseries that do attend it it doth I say In vivo efficaci sensuâ—irae Divinae consist in a quick and lively sense of the wrath of God Now our Saviour in being made a curse for us had this perfect sense of Gods wrath and felt those miseries that do attend it as we shall shew more by and by That Christ was made a curse for us the Scripture is clear the Apostle tells us expresly in that known Text Gal. 3.10 That Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Sin was the inlet of the Curse and the Curse was the punishment of sin When Adam had sinned the Lord saith to him Cursed is the ground for thy sake Gen. 3.17 Now if the ground be accursed for Adams sake Adam himself must needs be much more accursed Quod efficit tale est magis tale for that which makes any other thing to be what it is is much more so in it self If therefore Adam be the cause why the ground is cursed Adam himself must needs be much more accursed This is more fully explained in that sentence of the Law Deut. 27.26 Carsed be he that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to do them Every transgressor of the Law is
know that his sin was forgiven him Lev. 4.31 The Priest shall make an atonement for him and it shall be forgiven him Now the Faithful having such an express promise in the time of the Law that if they came and brought their Sacrifice to the Priest after the due order and did exercise faith on Christ in that Sacrifice that their sins should be pardoned in this way they might conclude that when they had offered their Sacrifice according to the due order that their sins were pardoned and forgiven to them for they had the promise and the Word of God to shew for it All saith is grounded upon the World Now having a promise that when they had brought their Sacrifice according to Gods appointment they had the Word of God for it that their sins should be pardoned Now when Christ the true Sacrifice and the end of all the other Sacrifices hath come and offered himself a Sacrifice for sin if Believers applying themselves to the virtue of his Sacrifice should not have pardon and might not know that they are pardoned then it would follow that the priviledges of Believers under the Gospel were less than the priviledges of the Faithful under the Law for they might know when they had brought their Sacrifice that their sins were pardoned and if we may not know when we apply our selves to the Sacrifice of Christ that our sins are pardoned our priviledges would be less than theirs were If the blood of bulls and goats have such efficacy if the legal Sacrifices be able to cleanse the conscience how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God cleanse our consciences from dead works The Apostle doth here oppose the blood of Christ to the blood of bulls and goats The blood of bulls and goats and those Sacrifices that were offered under the Law had their effect as to cleansing persons in a typical way much more shall the blood of Christ who was the true Sacrifice and unto whom all the other Sacrifices were referred have this effect to cleanse mens consciences really the legal Sacrifices have their effect in a typical way therefore the blood of Christ shall purge our consciences really Christ was God as well as man therefore his Sacrifice doth excel all their Sacrifices therefore doth the Apostle add this How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God cleanse our consciences from dead works As much as if he should say Christ offered himself up to God in the virtue of his Deity in the virtue and power of his Divinity the Godhead was conjunct with his flesh in suffering not that the Godhead suffered but the Godhead was united to the humane nature when he suffered therefore he that had the virtue of his Divinity to sanctifie his Sacrifice his sufferings must needs be effectual to take away sin therefore not to expect pardon and atonement in the virtue of Christs Sacrifice and Satisfaction when we have in an humble manner applied our selves to it is to forget the dignity of the person who offered the Sacrifice who was God as well as man and did contribute the virtue of his Deity to make his Sacrifice meritorious The Apostle puts a mighty weight upon this If the Sacrifices under the Law were effectual to take away sin much more shall the blood of Christ who was God as well as man be able to purge away the guilt of sin from the consciences of those that apply themselves to him 2. Not to have an humble confidence of pardon and acceptance after we have applied our selves to the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ is derogatory to many of the Attributes of God 1. It is derogatory to the Wisdom of God as if he had not appointed a sufficient Sacrifice 2. To the Goodness of God as if God had not mercy and goodness enough in him to receive and pardon sinners after he had received a sull satisfaction for their sins 3. It is derogatory to the Truth and Faithfulness of God as if God would not be true and faithful to his own word and to the provision which he hath made The Sacrifice of Christ is the provision which God hath made for the taking away of sin Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world Joh. 1.29 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 This also is his own word Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 There is a Divine sanction and appointment upon it that the blood of Jesus Christ should be the means of atonement therefore if we should not have atonement when we fly for refuge to the grace that is set before us the appointment and ordination of God would be in vain we should make God not to be true to his own word Therefore after we have applied our selves by humble faith to the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ for pardon and acceptance it is our duty to expect in an humble manner pardon and acceptance by virtue of it I come now to another Use of the Doctrine Vse 4 Learn from what hath been opened concerning the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction the dignity and excellency of Christs Satisfaction Christs Satisfaction is the most excellent satisfaction yea there is no other satisfaction besides it Many inventions have been in the hearts of men to make satisfaction to God man would fain make God some amends when he hath sinned if he knew how there is an impress upon every mans heart by nature when he hath sinned to make God amends it is natural to man to think of some such thing but all the projects and contrivances of men in this kind and to this end have been in vain and frustrate whatever men have invented thinking by it to pacifie God and make fatisfaction to him for the sins they have committed hath been to no purpose There are many ways which the sons of men have thought upon to make satisfaction to God by 1. Sometimes by afflicting the body exercising severities upon it the Papists think to make satisfaction to God this way by macerating the body punishing the flesh injoyning Penances Pilgrimages and Tortures upon themselves thinking to satisfie God hereby 2. Sometimes men think to satisfie God by costly Sacrifices thus the Heathens thought to satisfie their Gods by their Hecatombs the multitude of their Sacrifices and those most pompous costly rich magnificent Sacrifices 3. Men have thought to make satisfaction to God by some reformation of their conversations by living a more strict and austere life than they did formerly A strict life is good in it self and none can be saved without it but yet it is too short to satisfie God However this is the course some have taken when conscience hath been awakened and they see the hainousness of their sins they think to satisfie
standing in such near relation to Christ as to be his body a part of himself this is the reason that Christ hath preserved it and will preserve it to the end of the world Mat. 18. I will build my Church See here he calls it his Church he challengeth a peculiar interest in it Feed the Church of God which he hath redeemed with his own blood Act. 20.28 Therefore the Church standing so nearly related to Christ no wonder Christ takes such care of it Learn from hence to whom to attribute all the deliverances of the Church it is our faithful omnipotent sympathizing compassionate Head that hath been the Author of all the preservations and deliverances we have seen and upon him we must depend for the time to come Lastly Vse 5 This may serve as a ground to confirm our faith touching the certian glorification of the Saints A part of our nature is already in the Head of the Church Christ man who is the Head of the Church is exalted to the highest state of glory God hath highly exalted him c. Phil. 2.9 Now though it be true Christ must be allowed his preheminence the head hath a preheminence above the members yet the members shall follow the head they shall have their measure of glory though not the same degree of glory In Heb. 6. ult we read how Christ is entred into heaven as our fore-runner If Christ be in Heaven the Saints who are members of his body shall certainly follow after It is the last passage in that last prayer of our Saviour That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them Joh. 17. ult It is the inestimable priviledge of the Saints saith Calvin upon this Text that Christ was beloved of the Father for our sakes that we might be partakers of the same love If the Father hath glorified Christ he will certainly glorifie us if we be his members Only we must consider what is spoken in the last clause of all and I in them As we expect to be comprehended in that love with which our Head is embraced we must be sure to be in him We must see that we be in Christ and Christ in us we must have true and real union with him and if we be thus united to him then the love wherewith the Father hath loved him shall be communicated to us therefore let us endeavour to make sure of our Union with Christ and in-being in him and then as the Father hath commended his love to him the Head of the Church in glorifying him he will also commend his love to us in glorifying us in like manner The end of the fifth Sermon SERMON VI. Eph. 3. vers 17 18 19. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by saith that ye being rooted and grounded in love May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge 7. THE seventh Particular to demonstrate the greatness of the Love of Christ in the work of his Incarnation is this The love of Christ in his Incarnation appears in this In that by means of the Incarnation of the Son of God our nature as it is in the Head of the Church is restored to its ancient purity integrity and perfection It is a good observation of one of the Ancients Filius Dei naturam nostram sibi conjunxit ut eam in se primò per seipsum ad pristinam pulchritudinem restitueret Cyril The Son of God hath joyned our nature to himself that first of all he might repair our nature in himself and by himself restore our nature to its ancient beauty To understand this we must know that Adam had lost original Righteousness infected and corrupted mans nature with the contagion and taint of Original sin Now the Son of God by his Incarnation hath repaired our nature and restored it to its primitive beauty and perfection The first Adam by his Fall left our nature under the contagion of Original sin the Son of God in his Incarnation took up our nature without sin and as the second Adam represents our nature in himself pure and spotless Such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners Heb. 9.26 So that this is the singular priviledge of Believers although they be poor sinful creatures in themselves groaning under the body of sin and death yet they have this to glory in that their Head the Lord Jesus is without sin and presents their nature pure and spotless before the Throne of God In him is no sin 1 Joh. 3.5 He doth not say In him was no sin that is true indeed for in him was no sin neither was there any guile found in his mouth But the Apostle saith here In him is no sin It is as much as if he should say As Christ was without sin here on Earth so he is without sin in Heaven he presents our nature pure and spotless before the Throne of God This is the singular priviledge of Believers that they may glory in Christ their Head when they have nothing to glory in of their own Hence is it that which the Apostle faith We glory in Christ Jesus or we boast in Christ Jesus c. Phil. 3.3 as much as to say We do not boast in our selves we do not glory in our own righteousness but we glory in the Righteousness of Christ we glory and boast in this that we have that righteousness and perfection in our Head which we have not in our selves 8. The love of Christ in his Incarnation appears in this In that by means of the Incarnation of the Son of God there is a foundation laid for our acceptance with God This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3. ult This is spoken of the Son incarnate after he was made man God the Father delights in the Son when incarnate To understand this we must know as he was the eternal Son the express image of the Fathers person proceeding from the Father by eternal Generation so he was eternally his delight This is clear from Prov. 8.30 I was daily his delight Now that which we are farther to consider is As the Father delights in the Son as his eternal Son so he delights in the Son when incarnate when made man he delights in the Son when cloathed with our nature the eternal Son being the object of his Fathers delight and complacency and the Son taking our nature into personal Union with himself the love delight and complacency of the Father redounds and overflows if I may so express it unto the humane nature assumed Joh. 3.35 The Father loveth the Son And how doth he love him Not only as the Son simply considered but he loves him as the Son incarnate he loves him as the Son come into our nature he loves him as he is Mediator To open this a little
seek after reconciliation with God and to labour that we may be made friends with God Christ laid down his life for us not because we were made friends before but to make us friends Since therefore the end of Christs death was to reconcile us to God we should seek after reconciliation with him This is the Apostles Argument 2 Cor. 5.19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God It is as much as if the Apostle had said God is willing to be reconciled to us and he hath testified his willingness in giving his Son to dye for our sins and making satisfaction to his Justice Now since God hath expressed himself to be so willing to be reconciled to us we ought to be willing to be reconciled to him We pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God Here it may be inquired But what is it for us to be reconciled to God When the Apostle prays us here with so much earnestness in Christs stead to be reconciled to God what is the reconciliation he aimeth at how ought we to be reconciled to God Two or three things I conceive are here intended 1. We ought to seek after reconciliation with God Isa 55.6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found that is seek his face and favour seek reconciliation with him Secure sinners are not aware of the difference that is between God and them although the sinner thinks little of it sin makes a vast breach an hostile difference between God and him God is angry with the wicked every day saith the Psalmist Psal 7.11 And The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Rom. 1.18 God doth maintain his controversie against thee whilst thou goest on in the ways of sin therefore seek reconciliation with him Agree with thy adversary quickly whilst he is in the way Mat. 5.25 Labour to take up all differences between God and thee 2. To be reconciled to God is to accept of the reconciliation which God tenders humbly to embrace that grace which God offers God is in Christ reconciling the world and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation As much as if he should say God hath put himself into Christ on purpose to exhibit and give forth grace and mercy to sinners and he sends his Ministers and Ambassadors on purpose to make a tender of grace and mercy to him Now then are we reconciled to God when we do humbly embrace this grace and mercy offered to us Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth unto righteousness We ought with the full bent of our affections to embrace the grace of God offered to us in the Gospel 3. If we would be reconciled to God we ought to pray for renewing grace that we may lay aside the old enmity that lurks in our hearts against God It is sin that first of all made the quarrel and difference between God and us and how can we expect in reason that ever we should be brought into perfect reconciliation with God so long as that which first bred the quarrel and made the difference between God and us is retained and kept by us Isa 59.2 Your iniquities saith the Prophet have separated between you and your God Sin is that which sets us at a distance from God If therefore we would have the breach made up and the difference reconciled we must pray for that grace from God whereby we may lay aside that which first made the quarrel The Apostle tells us we are enemies in our minds by evil works Col. 1.21 So long as our minds are set upon sin so long as we continue in the love and practice of any thing that God hates Amicorum est idem velle nolle how is it possible we should be friends with God It is the property of friends to will the same thing and nill the same thing If we would be the friends of God we must will what God wills hate what God hates and love what God loves You that love the Lord hate evil Psal 97.10 This therefore is the second Use an Use of Exhortation to exhort us to seek after reconciliation with God In the third and last place Vse 3 Learn from what hath been opened to admire the greatness of Christs love to us who in some sense accounts us friends whereas indeed we are enemies Greater love than this hath no man that a man lay down his life for his friends We are all by nature enemies so we have heard and yet in some sense Christ accounts us friends Christ had a purpose of good will to us even when we were enemies towards him It was from his love that God sent his Son to dye for us when we were enemies Herein God commended his love towards us in that whilst we were yet enemies Christ dyed for us Rom. 5.8 So that God had a purpose of good will in his heart towards us when we were full of enmity in our hearts towards him Only that none may abuse this Doctrine take this caution No man can conclude that God hath a purpose of good will to him that remains an enemy to God and persists in his enmity but he hath reason on the contrary to think that he being an enemy to God by nature and continuing still to be so God remains so to him But however this was the love of God to the world in general that when the whole world were enemies and all were found in a state of enmity against God God loved the world so far as to find out and prepare a means of Salvation for the world God loved the world so far as that he gave his only begotten Son to deliver the world from its perishing condition and to bring it eternal life this was the love of God to us and this commends and sets forth the greatness of Gods love to us that when we were enemies to him he had a kindness for us and so great was his kindness to us that he sent his Son to bring us unto life Joh. 4.9 In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him The end of the second Sermon SERMON III. Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends THE general Proposition that I have laid down as the foundation of our Discourse from these words hath been this That our Lord Jesus Christ hath laid down his life for his people In speaking to this Doctrine I have propounded to speak to these four Heads 1. To open the import of this Phrase what it is to lay down a mans life
the second Person in Trinity was conjoyned with the flesh and it was his own flesh that he gave for the life of the world Hence is that speech of Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas That very flesh was not the flesh of any other person but it was the flesh of the Word himself And the same Athanasius hath another expression to the same purpose They do erre saith he who say that there was another Son which did suffer and another which did not suffer for there was not another besides the Son of God who underwent death and sufferings for us The Word the second Person in Trinity was conjoyned with the flesh Though the flesh only was capable of suffering yet the Word was in conjunction with the flesh therefore our Saviour saith It is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Joh. 6. It was his own flesh and not the flesh of any other To illustrate and confirm this yet farther we ought to consider that in the sufferings of Christ there was the voluntary humiliation of that great Person who was God as well as man He who was in the form of God emptied himself taking on him the form of a servant and he humbled himself and became obedient to the death even the death of the Cross Phil. 2.6 7. Here are two Acts spoken of 1. His emptying himself 2. His humbling himself His emptying himself was discovered in his Incarnation and taking on the form of a servant His humbling himself was seen in his sufferings and in the work of his Satisfaction in being obedient to death even the death of the Cross Not but that his Incarnation was also a part of his humbling of himself but the Apostle speaks of these two distinctly He tells us That he who was in the form of God emptied himself taking on him the form of a servant and he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Now both these Acts of his his humbling and his emptying himself they are the Acts of the Person they are the acts of that Person who was in the form of God It was he who being in the form of God who emptied himself by taking upon him the form of a servant and it was he that was in the form of God that humbled himself and became obedient to the death even the death of the Cross So that in the Satisfaction of Christ we ought to consider more than the bare oblation of the humane nature we ought to consider the conjunction of the Word the second Person in Trinity with the flesh and we ought to consider the voluntary humiliation of that glorious Person the Son of God who being in the form of God did not only stoop so low as to come into our nature but being in that nature humbled himself so far as to become a Sacrifice for us I say in the Sacrifice of Christ we ought to consider the will of the Person who being God as well as man there was the condescension of the Divine will as well as the concourse of his humane will The Son of God being in our nature voluntarily offers himself in that nature as a Sacrifice for our sins 4. The fourth Particular to be spoken to is this The form of Christs Satisfaction and that consists in this That Christ made a full compensation to the Justice of God for the sins of his people There are three things that concur to make up this 1. That Christ suffered the substance of what we ought to suffer Hence it is said That Christ suffered for us 1 Pet. 2.21 And The chastisement of our peace was upon him Isa 53. And By his stripes we are healed 1 Pet. 2.24 The stripes that should have been laid upon us were laid upon Christ so that Christ suffered the substance of what we ought to suffer The Law pronounced a Curse upon all the transgressors of it Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Now Christ was made a curse for us Gal. 3.10 If Christ did not suffer the whole punishment due to us for our sins then that part of the punishment which he did not suffer remains still for us to be suffered for this is certain Not one iota or tittle of the Law shall pass away till all be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 The whole preceptive part of the Law must be fulfilled the minatory or threatning part of the Law must be fulfilled Therefore if there be any part of that punishment which the Law would inflict upon us not undergone it remains to be fulfilled by us But now Christ hath redeemed us from the whole Curse of the Law Gal. 3.10 Therefore Christ hath born the punishment that we ought to undergo but of this more hereafter 2. Christ hath suffered what Divine Justice could demand otherwise there was not a full compensation to Divine Justice But now this is the excellency of Christs Satisfaction that in the Satisfaction of Christ there is as much given as Divine Justice could demand Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood The scope of the Apostles argument tends to this That it is a righteous thing with God to forgive sins when he hath received satisfaction for them Now if the compensation had not been perfect that was given the Righteousness of God had not so much appeared in the forgiveness of sins but God having received a full compensation having received whatever Divine Justice could require at the hand of Christ now he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins It being therefore a part of Gods Justice to give remission of sins to as many as Christs Satisfaction is applied it is a certain sign Christ hath suffered as much as Divine Justice could demand or require 3. Lastly Christ having suffered the substance of what we were to suffer and Christ having suffered what Divine Justice could demand God is perfectly pleased and satisfied in what Christ hath suffered and hath nothing more to lay to the charge of his people Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed When the debt is fully paid the Creditor hath full satisfaction he desires no more Thus Christ having fully discharged our debt God expects no more from us to answer his Justice he is fully satisfied in what Christ hath done that is the fourth thing in the description 5. The fifth and last thing is this What the effects of Christs Satisfaction are and they are three 1. The averting and turning away of Gods wrath 2. The purchase of pardon of sin 3. The procuring of eternal life for us 1. One effect of Christs Satisfaction was the averting and turning away of Gods wrath God is highly offended and displeased with us as we are sinners Sin
justa As to the power of God all things are possible unto God but as to the justice of God nothing is possible but what is just Therefore God having decreed and that most justly to punish sin God could not but punish sin 6. The sixth Proposition is That God being merciful as well as just doth in his infinite Wisdom find out a way how his Justice may be salved and man not perish This is that which the Apostle declares to us Rom. 3.24 25 26. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus The scope of the Apostle is plainly this To shew that God hath a mind to forgive sin and yet he would be just too therefore that he might be merciful and just both at once God found out a way how he might forgive sin and yet his Justice not be prejudiced Hence was it that God appointed Christ to be a ransom for us that so Christ bearing the punishment that we deserved the Justice of God might be satisfied in what Christ suffered and yet his Mercy might be glorified in remitting the punishment to us Him hath God ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his blood saith the Apostle God remits sin freely as to us and so his mercy is glorified as to us and yet he receives full satisfaction from Christ and so his Justice is glorified in him Thus mercy and truth are met together righteousness and peace have kissed each other Psal 85.10 God having found full satisfaction to his Justice in the blood of Christ there is a sweet reconciliation between those two seeming contrary Attributes the Justice and Mercy of God This is elegantly set forth by one of the Ancients after this manner There is a controversie or a strife as it were between the Justice and the Mercy of God Altercatio est inter Dei justitiam misericordiam but this strife is ended in the death of Christ because in the death of our Saviour Divine Justice is satisfied in all that it did desire Divine Justice saith If Adam dye not I am lost and Mercy on the other hand saith If Adam doth not obtain mercy one way or other I am lost now Christ interposing by his death each of these Attributes have what they do desire Learn from what hath been said the Justice Vse 1 Equity and Righteousness of God in punishing of sin Psal 98.9 With righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equity Ezek. 18.29 Art not my ways equal are not your ways unequal The ways of God are full of equity when God punisheth sin there is the greatest equity that he should do so there is that demerit in sin and there is that Holiness and Justice in the Nature of God that calls upon him to punish sin Sin is after a sort infinitely evil not that it is simply and in it self so but sin may be said to be infinitely evil with respect to the object as it is contrary to the glory of God who is Bonum infinitum an infinite good God also who is the Governor of the World seeing how much the Sinner had violated the Law of Right and Equity judges it a just and righteous thing that Sinners should undergo punishment therefore no man hath cause to quarrel with God and to think hardly of him for inflicting punishment upon him because of sin for This is the judgment of God that they which do such things are worthy of death Rom. 1.32 This is the judgment of God as much as if it had been said God hath determined this in his infinite Understanding It is the upright and just determination of the most wise God that the Sinner is worthy of death God is not too rigorous in his judgment in this case he judges according to the equity of the cause Rom. 2.2 The judgment of God is according to truth Isa 3.11 Wo unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him The reward of his hands shall be given him O this is certain every mans condemnation will be found just at last and it will appear to him that it is most just God condemns no man but for sin and there is that desert in sin for which God may justly condemn men and I conceive that a great part of the torments of the Damned consists in this That they shall have their eyes opened and their understandings inlarged which are now shut and closed up to see that turpitude baseness unworthiness monstrousness unreasonableness that was in sin and that they are justly punished for committing that which was so contrary to the Law of their Creation and to the Principles of their own Beings as they are reasonable creatures For what is more just equal and reasonable than that the creature should honour obey and serve his Creator and take notice of his Laws and yield conformity to them And what more unjust unreasonable and unequal than the creature should cast off Gods Authority and live in contempt of his Maker and defiance of his Laws Now when men shall have their understandings opened to take in this more fully then they will see that God is just in punishing sin and that their condemnation is most just Learn from hence Vse 2 that there is no way for a guilty Soul to appear before God but by flying to the Satisfaction of Christ God is so holy that he cannot but hate sin so just that he cannot but punish sin How then can a poor guilty creature appear before the presence of the Divine Majesty laden with all his sins O it is an easie thing for a secure Sinner that knows neither what the nature of sin is nor what the nature of God is to slight sin But he that once comes to see a little of the turpitude and deformity that is in sin and will summon himself into Gods presence and consider what the Holiness Purity and Justice of Gods Nature is will soon have other thoughts of sin and of his own condition by reason of sin God is of purer eyes than to behold the least iniquity and he will by no means clear the guilty therefore he that hath but a little sight of Gods Holiness and of his infinite Justice and Righteousness will soon cry out with the Prophet I am undone Isa 6.5 And nothing can ease or quiet a poor trembling Soul in this case but flying to the Satisfaction of Christ When a man compares his impurity with Gods infinite Purity and Holiness when he compares his own sinfulness and unworthiness with Gods
infinite Justice and Righteousness then he must needs see himself worthy of condemnation and nothing can give ease and quiet to trembling consciences in this case but for a man to turn his eye upon the Satisfaction of Christ and see the Justice of God satisfied in Christ In Christ the Justice of God is satisfied to the utmost upon him was the wrath of God poured out to the full and the whole punishment that was due to us was inflicted upon him hither it is therefore that we must flye for refuge when-ever we are under the sense of guilt and under fears of condemnation by reason of sin there is no refuge but by flying to the Satisfaction of Christ The end of the fourth Sermon SERMON V. Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends I Proceed now to the seventh Proposition which is this It was the compact and agreement between the Father and the Son that the Son the second Person in Trinity should take our nature and in that nature become our Surety and undertake the payment and discharge of our debt for us I say this was the compact and agreement between the Father and the Son hence is it said The counsel of peace was between them both Zach. 6.13 Some Learned men render it Between those two Inter illos duos that is between the Father and the Son the counsel of peace was between them both Here it may be said Object How could there be such a compact or an agreement as this is between the Father and the Son concerning mans Redemption and Salvation God is but one the Divine Essence is but one and the Divine Will but one How then could there be this compact and agreement between the Father and the Son since they are both one and the same God and have one and the same essential Will To this the Answer is plain Answ that as the Essence of the Father and the Son is but one so the Will is but one But for as much as the Father and the Son are considered as distinct Persons so the counsel of peace is said to be between them both Here are two Persons spoken of from which also the third the Holy Ghost is not to be excluded but all the three Persons agree in one and the same will Now according to the counsel of the whole Trinity the Son the second Person of the three is to take our nature and in that nature to become our Surety hence is it said That Jesus is made a surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 And Christ being made a Surety by virtue of the compact that was between him and the Father he is to undertake the payment of our debt for that is the nature of a Surety A Surety is properly an Vndertaker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that undertakes anothers cause and debt There are some Divines that call this compact between the Father and the Son the Covenant of Redemption and this Covenant of Redemption they describe after this fort namely The Covenant of Redemption say they it is the agreement between the Father and the Son who was designed to be Mediator concerning the Elect who are supposed to lye in sin and misery by their own demerit together with the rest of men I say concerning the Elect to be converted sanctified and saved by virtue of the obedience of the Son as Mediator which was to be performed to the Father this they call the Covenant of Redemption The Apostle doth plainly intimate this compact or agreement that was between the Father and the Son Heb. 10.5 6 7. Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me In burnt-offering and sacrifice for sin thou hast had no pleasure Then said I Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will O God When Christ saith here Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will O God he plainly refers to that ancient Decree and Compact that was between the Father and himself It was the Fathers will from Eternity that the Son should take a body and offer up that body to make satisfaction for the sins of the Elect and the Son consented to this will of the Father and what he did in time in assuming a body and in offering up that body was in pursuance of that ancient Decree and Compact that was between him and the Father therefore it is said In the volume of the book it is written I come to do thy will O God The eighth Proposition is this That Christ becoming our Surety stands responsible to the Law and is liable to pay all the debt we owe to God Hence are those expressions that he was made under the Law Gal. 4.4 That he was made a Curse for us Gal. 3.10 To understand this we must know that Christ is to be considered as a common Person as sustaining the persons of all the Elect. Look as the first Adam was a common person the obedience which he was bound to perform we were obliged unto and therefore when he sinned we sinned in him and when he became obnoxious to the curse and to death by reason of sin we also became obnoxious to the same Curse and death in him Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned So Christ is to be considered as a common Person Christ undertaking to be our Surety the obedience which we were bound to perform Christ is bound to perform and the punishment which we are obnoxious unto by reason of our violation of the Law Christ becoming our Surety is obnoxious to the same punishment Hence is it said of the first Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he is the figure of him that was to come Rom. 5.14 The figure of him that was to come that is the Type of Christ the first Adam is the Type of the second Adam How so As the first Adam was a common person and all his seed were comprehended in him and represented by him so the second Adam is to be looked upon as a common person and all his seed are comprehended in him and represented by him therefore Christ is called the second Adam 1 Cor. 15.45 The first Adam was made a living soul the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit Here it may be inquired How was it that the first Adam was made a common person And how was it that Christ the second Adam became a common person I answer briefly The first Adam was made a common person by Divine ordination and appointment and by the Law of his Creation he being the head and root of all mankind and Christ was made a common person partly by Divine ordination and appointment and
shalt thou return Gen. 3.19 was the Curse pronounced upon man for sin Terra es in terram reverteris Earth thou art and unto earth shalt thou return By this expression Divines both ancient and modern understand a state of mortality that should come upon man by reason of sin Earth thou art and to earth shalt thou return that is thou shalt become mortal Terra es ostendit hominem in deterius commutatum Aug. Austin observes that expression Thou art earth it shews that the whole man was changed for the worse Man that had been immortal had it not been for sin is now become mortal by means of sin there is nothing that men fear more than death The Apostle tells us That men through fear of death are all their life-time subject to bondage Heb. 2. When man by sin was brought into a mortal state he was always in fear and expectation of death A man that is condemned doth not dye presently but he is in a dying condition and he is always in expectation of death and a man that is infected with the plague doth not it may be dye presently but he carries his deaths wound about him so man having sinned he had the matter of death in him he had that in him which would certainly and infallibly bring him unto death man having sinned brought himself into a mortal state therefore the Lord Jesus Christ our Surety that he might deliver us from this part of the Curse put himself into a state of mortality makes himself liable to death Hence is that of the Apostle Phil. 2. He took upon him the form of a servant and became obedient to the death even the death of the cross that is he took our nature and made himself mortal in it Had the Divinity in Christ exerted it self in its full power and strength it could have prevented suffering and death in Christ but it being a part of the Curse that we sâ—â—uld be subject to suffering and death the Divinity did so far suspend it self that Christ might become passible and mortal therefore Christ who was immortal in himself made himself mortal for our sakes In Rom. 8.2 we read of the Law of sin and of death The Law of sin is as Austin observes that whosoever sins shall dye Lex peccati ut quicunque peccârit moriatur August the soul that sins shall dye The Law of death is Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Therefore man being subjected to a state of mortality by the Curse Christ underwent this Curse for us Heb. 2.14 That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil That through death he might destroy him c. The end why the Son of God assumed our nature was that he might suffer and dye in it he so assumed our nature as that being in our nature he might become passible and mortal in it Ought not Christ to have suffered these things Luk. 24. He that would be our Surety and pay our debt must suffer and dye for us and therefore that Christ might fully discharge our debt he was pleased to put himself into a state of suffering and death Learn from hence Vse 1 in the first place the infinite love of Christ that Christ who was free would become our Surety and bring himself under bonds for us and make himself liable to the Law and to the penalty of it for our sakes yea not only so that Christ who was most free would take upon him the payment of our debt but that he who in some respect was the Creditor and had the debt owing to him should yet in another respect and in a wonderful way of dispensation become the Surety and pay the debt for us Consider Christ as God sin was an offence against him as well as against the other Persons of the Trinity and Christ might have demanded and exacted punishment from men but yet Christ in a wonderful way of dispensation by assuming our nature and bearing the punishment due to us in it would become our Surety and pay the debt that was owing to himself Have we not reason here with the Apostle to cry out O the depth O the heights and depths and lengths and breadths of the love of Christ that when Christ might have demanded satisfaction from us he was pleased to take our nature and make satisfaction for us This shews us the great happiness and the singular priviledge of Believers Vse 2 who have an interest in Christ The priviledge of Believers lies in this That Christ who is their Surety hath undertaken to satisfie and discharge their debt for them Now if the debt of punishment which we owe to Divine Justice be already satisfied if the punishment which we owe to Gods Justice be already undergone Divine Justice can demand no more this consideration may be of unspeakable use and comfort to us when we come to be under agonies and terrors of conscience Those that truly belong to God may sometimes have such thoughts as these are What if I should be put to lye under the wrath of God What if the torments of the Damned should be inflicted upon me Holy Souls themselves have had some sips and tastes of Divine wrath Now that which may be of unspeakable comfort in such a case is this If thou be a true Believer if thou hast closed with Christ by faith thou hast already suffered punishment in Christ thy Head thou hast after a sort satisfied Divine Justice and born the torments of Hell in Christ thy Head Paul said I am crucified with Christ Gal. 2.20 I am crucified together with Christ concrucified When Christ was crucified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we were crucified together with him Christ suffering the punishment in our nature which was due to us it is in Gods account as if we had suffered Hence it is said He was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 and we are made the righteousness of God in him Now thou that art a true sincere Believer who lovest Christ and prizest him above all the world if thou hast already suffered the wrath of God and the torments of Hell in Christ thy Head it is to be hoped thou shalt not be put to suffer it in thy own person Who shall condemn saith the Apostle it is Christ that hath dyed Rom. 8.33 If Christ hath dyed thou shalt not dye and if Christ hath been condemned thou shalt not be condemned This shews the unspeakable misery of such who have no interest in Christ Vse 3 and no part in his Satisfaction Their misery appears in this That they are liable to bear the punishment of their own sins As this is the singular priviledge of Believers that they are exempted from punishment because Christ their Head and Surety hath born it for them so this is the unspeakable misery of all Unbelievers of all such as lye out of Christ that they are liable to bear
saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 undequaque tristis est anima mea My soul is exceeding sorrowful My soul is sorrowful on every side so the word properly signifies my soul is environed or compassed about with sorrow sorrow and grief possess me all over Yet that is not all but he adds farther My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death So great was his grief and sorrow before he came to the Cross and the sufferings that he underwent there that the greatness of his grief and sorrow had almost brought him to death before-hand yea we may well suppose that had not our Saviour had the power of the Divinity to support him the strength of his sorrows in the Garden before he came to the Cross might have taken away his natural life He saith his soul was heavy to the very death We see how many are killed with grief when grief and sorrow rises to a great height many have had their natural spirits suppressed and dyed away under it Now our Saviours sorrows did far exceed the sorrows of all other men yea if all mens sorrows were put together our Saviours sorrows exceeded them all and the reason is because he sustained the person of all the Elect and he bare the punishment not only of a few sins but of all the sins of all his people at once Therefore if he had not had the power of the Divinity to have supported him the greatness of his sorrows might have sunk him and brought him down to death but having other things to suffer upon the Cross besides those things he suffered in the Garden he was not sorrowful unto death absolutely that is not sorrowful so as to dye in and by those sorrows but yet he was sorrowful next to death setting aside death it self his sorrow and grief in the Garden was so great as it could not have been greater even in death it self My soul is sorrowful unto death Thus I have shewed how our Saviour suffered a great deal of anxiety and perplexity in his mind in respect of fear in respect of grief but this is only in general But to come a little nearer the matter and the thing it self 2. Our Saviour conflicted with the sense of Gods wrath in his soul I have shewed how he suffered the greatest anxiety perplexity and grief in his mind Now I shall shew how the great sorrows our Saviour underwent did arise from the conflict he had with Gods wrath in his soul Mat. 26. Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me What cup was this Truly the cup of Divine wrath The cup of God is the wrath of God Calix Dei ira Dei est ira Dei justa est vindicta quae imponitur à justo Judice the wrath of God is the just revenge which is inflicted by a just Judge for our sins and this is the cup our Saviour drank of our Saviour that he might bear the punishment that was due to us for our sins tasted of the wrath of God conflicted with the sense of Gods wrath The better to take in this we must consider that the sense of Divine wrath is part of the punishment that is due to us for our sins yea it is a principal part of the punishment and a great part of the pains and torments of Hell consists in it It is a speech of Luther The greatest temptation of all others is that temptation by which God is set in direct opposition to a man and appears contrary to him Quâ Deus contrarius homini ponitur This temptation saith he is an unsupportable temptation and is properly Hell it self and no man can tell how great this temptation is but he that hath felt it Now when a man is under the sense of Gods wrath he apprehends God to be contrary to him and to be set in direct opposition against him and as was said this is part of the punishment that is due to us for sin Observe what is spoken to this purpose Rom. 2.8 9. But to hem that are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil The Apostle is here speaking what is the punishment that shall come upon men for sin now he describes it by this Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish Now by these expressions indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish I conceive the Apostle doth not only intend the effects of Divine wrath all the miseries that shall be laid upon the damned as the effects of Divine wrath but he also intends the impression of Divine wrath upon the conscience of the sinner and therefore he expresseth it by so many words that intimate so much indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish these words plainly intimate the horror and anguish that shall be upon the spirit of the damned and whence doth this tribulation and anguish arise certainly from the fense of Gods wrath When our first Parents had sinned God appeared to them as an angry God in an angry manner to Adam he saith Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I said thou shalt not eat and to the Woman he said What is this that thou hast done Both these are expressions of anger When therefore man had sinned God appears to him as an angry God Now our Saviour being to take upon him the guilt of our sins he was to conflict with the sense of Gods wrath and therefore he had great and deep apprehensions fastned upon his soul concerning the displeasure that was due from God to us by reason of sin Christ when he came to suffer for our sins saw the Justice of God armed with revenge against us for our sins he saw the Justice of God ready to take hold on him as our Surety who had taken upon him the guilt of our sins There is a Learned man who is no friend to the Soul sufferings of Christ but makes it his business to oppose them that yet in discussing that argument is at last brought to this confession Christ saith he in his sufferings had a present sight of the Divine Majesty sitting as it were in Judgment and armed with the infinite power of Divine Justice to avenge the sins of men This is the confession of an Adversary that opposes the Soul-sufferings of Christ Now they which do assert the Soul-sufferings of Christ do only add thus much more That Christ did not only see Gods wrath that was due to us for our sins but he tasted of it and felt it and conflicted with the sense of it for to what purpose should he see it and not feel it Or how could Christs seeing the weight of Divine wrath that was due to us and not bearing it have expiated and taken away the guilt of our sins The sense of Divine wrath was that which was due to us as the punishment of sin for the Law saith Cursed is he that continueth not in all
art and unto dust thou shalt return Gen. 3.9 Here is a present denunciation of evil upon sin and the general sentence of the Law is The soul that sins shall dye 4. We are under the Curse in as much as many penal evils are already inflicted upon us as part of the Curse and part of the punishment that is due to us by reason of sin Sickness pain infirmity of the body anguish grief sorrow in the mind are part of the miseries that we suffer in this life and these things materially considered are part of the Curse for as much as if there had been no sin there had been none of these things It was sin that brought in sickness infirmity pain grief and whatever miseries men have experience of in this life and these are part of the Curse and therefore the happy state of the New Jerusalem is described by this That there shall be no more curse there Rev. 22.3 When sin shall be removed the effects of sin all those miseries which sin hath brought in shall be removed 5. We are under the Curse that is we are liable to destruction of soul and body in Hell for ever as the just revenge which God executes upon us by reason of sin this is in the nature of the Curse that it brings destruction with it So that when we are said to be under the curse the meaning is that we are liable to the destruction of soul and body in Hell for ever The Curse hath not spent it self it hath not exhausted all its venom till it hath brought the sinner to the utmost degree of misery that the sinner is capable of Therefore when our Saviour pronounceth the sentenco of punishment upon the damned he expresseth it thus Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire Mat. 25.41 It is as much as if he had said You are cursed persons the Curse hath taken hold of you the Curse is come in its full power and strength upon you and there is none to deliver you from it therefore will the Curse carry you into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Nothing will satisfie the Curse but the utmost misery and destruction of the sinner 2 Thess 1.9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. That which the Curse aims at is destruction Now wicked men are punished with destruction from the presence of the Lord destruction is brought upon them by the Curse as the just punishment of their sin Though wicked men have a being still in Hell yet their well being is taken away the Curse takes away their well being and brings them to the utmost degree of misery that they are capable of The second thing we have to speak unto is How it was that Christ was made a curse for us Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.10 This I shall endeavour to open in some Particulars 1. Christ was made a curse for us in that the displeasure of God and his indignation against us for sin was poured forth upon Christ to the utmost Our Saviour began to conflict with the sense of Gods wrath in his Agony in the Garden there he saw the wrath of God approaching to him But now in his sufferings upon the Cross there it was that he bare the Curse fully there was the wrath of God fully poured out upon him The Curse speaks anger and displeasure as we have heard if therefore Christ be made a curse for us as the Scripture affirms plainly that he was then of necessity it follows that he must bear Gods wrath and anger in some sort or other for us Benedictus in justitia sua maledictus ob peccata nostra Aug. Maledictum est Deo quod odit Deus Beda It is a speech of Austin Christ that was blessed in respect of his own Righteousness was yet cursed by reason of our sins Another Learned man hath this expression If Christ were accursed then was he as one loathed and abhorred That is said to be cursed of God which God loaths and hates Isa 53.3 it is said there That Christ was despised and rejected of men He was cut off from the land of the living as a person not fit to live that was a sign that he was accurst of men But that is not all Christ was not only accurst of men but in some sense he was accurst before God himself For in that Text in Deuteronomy which I shall touch upon hereafter he that hangs upon a tree was accounted accursed by God himself So that Christ was not only accurst before men but in some respects he was said to be accurst of God himself Christ was accurst of God not in respect of himself as I shall shew more hereafter when I come to shew you how this could be that he that was most blessed could be made a curse but in respect of us whose sins he bare Yet Christ in respect of us the guilt of whose sins he bare was accurst of God The Apostle tells us that Christ was made a curse Who hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.10 If Christ were made a curse of whom or by whom was it that he was made a curse Of his Father certainly He that made him sin for us made him also a curse for us Now who was it made him sin for us That was God himself so the Apostle tell us 2 Cor. 5.20 He hath made him to be sin for us He that might be made sin for us might be made a curse for us Christ was made sin therefore he was made a curse and it was God that made him sin therefore God that made him a curse If Christ then were made a curse by God himself for us then he was not only accursed before men and in the sight of men but as he was our Surety and as he bare the guilt of our sins though he were an innocent person in himself and as considered in himself always beloved of God he was accursed by him by whom he was made a curse That which also confirms this is this consideration That Christ was made a curse for us as undergoing that punishment the Law exacted so the Apostle teaches us He hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us If therefore Christ be made a curse in conformity to the Law he must sustain that Curse that the Law threatens and will inflict Now this is certain that the wrath of God is comprehended in the curse of the Law for what is the curse of the Law The curse of the Law is this Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil Rom. 2.8 9. Therefore if Christ bare the curse of the Law he must of necessity bear the sense of Gods wrath in his soul for us Neither let us wonder at this That
wrath of God for ever O it is of infinite concernment to us to make haste to him and to embrace him that was made a curse for us that we might be delivered from the curse Christ was made a curse for us that he might deliver them from the curse who flee for refuge to the hope set before them Nothing can pacifie the sin-revenging Justice of God but holding up Christ in the arms of our faith who was made a curse and upon whom the curse hath spent all its venom all its force and strength He that believes on the Son is not condemned Joh. 3.18 Oh let the Doctrine of the Curse which hath been opened make Christ more and more precious to us let us embrace him with both the arms of our faith If we can hide our selves in the Righteousness and Satisfaction of Christ the curse which we have deserved shall never overtake us The end of the ninth Sermon SERMON X. Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends I Come to a third Particular to shew you how it was that Christ was made a curse for us The third Particular is this In Christs being made a curse the wrath of God was consummated upon him Christ in being made a curse for us bare the whole punishment that was due to us It was not part of the punishment only but the whole punishment which was due to us that Christ underwent All the curses of the Law did as it were meet upon him and there was nothing wanting which the Law would inflict upon sinners as sinners but the curse brought upon Christ as our Surety The curse notes the utmost execution of evil upon the sinner It is in the nature of the curse to imprecate the greatest evil upon a person and to bring the utmost evil upon him that it can Therefore Christ being made a curse for us he bare all the punishment that the Law could inflict Maledictio Christi continet omnem poenam nostram Christs being made a curse says a Learned man contains in it all our punishment Whatever punishment was due to us was contained in this That Christ was made a curse And another Judicious Divine hath a passage to this purpose In Christs being made a curse the fulness of Gods wrath and the dregs of that horrible cup was wholly poured out upon that sacred head of his when together and at once Heaven and Earth and Hell seemed to conspire together to exact from our Surety that punishment that was due to our sins in that cursed kind of death which was a sign or Symbol of the Divine curse that lay upon him The whole punishment that was due to us for our sins was laid upon Christ in his being made a curse Hence is that expression Isa 53.6 10. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all or as it is in the Margent He hath made the iniquity of us all to meet upon him The sins of all the Elect did meet on Christ that is God did charge all the sins of the Elect upon Christ Christ was reckoned a sinner by imputation as it is in the last verse of that Chapter He was numbred with the transgressors and he bare the sins of â—â—ny He was numbred with the transgressors Christ though he was no sinner in himself yet he was reckoned a sinner 1 Cor. 6.20 He made him to be sin that knew no sin Now as all the sins of the Elect were charged upon Christ in a way of imputation so the punishment of their sins was laid upon him Hence is that expression The chastisement of our peace was upon him Isa 53.3 that is the whole punishment due to us was laid upon Christ and this is called the chastisement of our peace because Christs undergoing of this punishment was that which was necessary to make our peace the Justice of God required satisfaction and unless the punishment which the Law threatens were some way born and undergone God would not be at peace with us therefore saith the Prophet The chastisement of our peace was upon him that is the punishment that was due to us was inflicted and laid upon our Surety that so we that were at variance with God before might now be brought into peace with him Therefore it follows in the same place By his stripes we are healed the chastisement of our people was upon him and by his stripes we are healed Christ bearing that which we should have born he undergoing our punishment this is the means to make our peace with God Hence also is that expression of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree Christ our Surety bare all our sins he hath born the guilt and punishment of all the sins of the Elect and that wholly and fully whatever the Law and Divine Justice would inflict upon us as sinners that Christ our Surety hath born for us Hence is it that our Saviour immediately before his death uttered these words It is finished Joh. 19.30 It is finished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acta transacta omnia Beza consummated or perfected all things were done and transacted by Christ that were necessary to be done by him Christ did not make an end of his sufferings until he had suffered all that he was to suffer It is finished that is as another expounds that expression Christ fulfilled all the Scripture-prophecies the subst ance of the Types were fulfilled in him and he fulfilled all that which God determined to be paid for the expiation of sin Christ finished the whole work of our Redemption he left nothing undone and unsuffered that was to be done and suffered in order to the accomplishment of our Salvation It is finished as much as if it had been said Nothing remains more to be suffered but the very act of dying and giving up his life which he was now just about to do all that the Law and Justice could inflict upon him was inflicted upon him and therefore he said It was finished Hence are those expressions we have in the Book of Daniel Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity Consider those expressions to make an end of sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity That expression which we translate to make an end of sin it is in the Originai to seal up sin Christ hath sealed up sin in respect of the guilt of it as to condemnation Christ by his death hath so sealed up sin that sin hath no more power to condemn those who believe on him he hath perfectly taken away the condemning power of it Hence is it said That Christ hath rased out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing
it to his cross Col. 2.14 and he is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world Joh. 1.29 that is he hath perfectly taken away sin as to the guilt and condemnation of it Now this could not have been if Christ had not suffered all that was to be suffered he could not have made an end of sin he could not have taken away the condemning power of it if all the punishment that was to be inflicted upon the sinner had not been inflicted upon him but now Christ by offering himself a Sacrifice for our sins hath born the whole punishment so that nothing more remains to be suffered that Divine Justice can demand This is implied in his being made a curse namely that the wrath of God was spent upon Christ to the utmost and that Divine Justice could desire no more than what was laid upon him The last Particular to clear this how Christ was made a curse is this The curse took hold on Christ so far as that Christ was exterminated and cut off by it The utmost punishment that can be inflicted upon a Malefactor amongst men is death the extermination of him from mankind cutting him off from the land of the living separating him from the society of mankind Now the curse proceeded upon Christ so far as that Christ was cut off by it Hence are those expressions of the Prophet He was cut off from the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he smitten or stricken Isa 53.8 So likewise we have the same expression in the Book of Daniel Dan. 9.26 After sixty two weeks shall Messias be cut off but not for himself Christ the true Messias was to be cut off but not for himself that is not for any sin of his own but he was cut off for us because he bare the guilt of our sins To understand this we must know that nothing satisfies the Law but the death of the sinner We know what the sentence was that God pronounced upon our first Parents In the day that thou eatest thou shalt dye the death and this is the general sentence of the Law The soul that sins shall dye and The wages of sin is death Death is part of the curse yea death is as it were the consummation of the curse Death as it is the inlet unto eternal death so it is the consummation of the curse The curse aims at the extermination and utter destruction of the sinner A man that is taken away by a corporal death he is for ever destroyed as to men though his soul survive yet he is taken from amongst men he hath no communion with mankind Death is the destruction of a person as to any fellowship and communion that he is to have with mankind any longer in this world and therefore death is the utmost consummation of punishment amongst men Thus the curse cuts off Christ and Christ dyes as bearing the curse yea the curse is consummated in the death of Christ Christ was accursed even as Adam was It is a good expression of one of the Ancients Christ descended as low as Adam did and so dissolved the curse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ by descending where Adam had brought himself by his Fall dissolves the curse that Adam had brought upon himself and his posterity the curse that was upon Adam brought him to death Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return The curse lying upon Adam subjected him to a state of mortality and brought him under the power of death Christ therefore being made a curse for us the curse subjects him to death and takes away his life Hence is that expression Heb. 2.9 That Christ tasted death for every man Death is the completion of the curse because the death of the body is the inlet to eternal death to those who are still under the power of the curse It is true Christ did not taste the pains of eternal death after his natural life was ended but Christ tasted the pains of supernatural death before the taking away of his natural life as I have shewed heretofore and here we may observe this difference in Christs sufferings and the damned's sufferings The damned suffer the pains of Hell after this life Christ suffered the pains of Hell here in this life corporal death is but the beginning of the damned's punishment but Christ at his death finished his sufferings So that in the order of suffering there is some difference between what Christ suffered and what the damned suffer The damned suffer the pains of Hell after this life Christ suffered them in this life yet Christ underwent death as a part of the curse and death as it is a part of the curse and a fruit of Gods wrath is a terrible thing yea most terrible and yet Christ that he might make satisfaction for us conflicted with this King of Terrors Christ as he was man had a natural fear of death as we have yet without sin and the reason is because Christ taking on him our nature took also upon him the infirmities of our nature Now there may be a natural fear of death without sin nature abhorring that which is contrary to it self and this was in our Saviour Christ being our Surety and seeing death coming upon him as part of the curse and as a part of the punishment due to us for our sins this made him to fear death Hence is that expression Heb. 5.7 He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him from death and was heard in what he feared Christ feared death as he was man especially he feared it as he saw it a part of the curse that was due to us and yet though he feared it the thing that he feared came upon him It is true the Apostle saith He was heard in what he feared How was he heard Was Christ heard so as to his fear of death as to be delivered from death No certainly if Christ had not dyed we must have dyed in our sins If Christ had not dyed we must have undergone death as a part of the curse How then is it said He was heard in what he feared He was heard so as that he was supported when he dyed and he was heard in being raised from the dead the third day so that he was heard in what he feared in his supportation under his sufferings and in his Resurrection but dye he must death was part of the curse yea the completion of the curse therefore Christ our Surety cannot escape death Christus sponsor noster communi maledictione nobis debitâ feriendus erat Christ says one being our Surety was to be struck with that common curse that was due to us death was due to us the great thing threatned upon sin therefore Christ being our Surety must of necessity undergo it Hence is that of Austin Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Why
were the offenders and yet the punishment was laid upon Christ who was an innocent person Therefore it is a good expression of one of the Ancients Non ille maledictus sed in te maledictus Christ was not accursed in himself but he was accursed in thee It was we that deserved the curse the curse was due to us but the curse lighted upon Christ that so it might not fall upon us Therefore it is wisely observed by another of the Ancients That no one ought to be offended at this that Christ is said to be made a curse who himself was without sin Because saith he Christ was made a curse Factus est ille maledictus non natus he was not born a curse Christ was most free from the curse in himself but he most voluntarily took the curse upon him Therefore another of the Ancients observes Christ was made a curse Non per necessitatem sed per obedientiam not out of necessity but in a way of obedience He was made under the Law and therefore he subjected himself to the curse of the Law he that would be made under the Law must undergo all that the Law required of him now the Law required obedience and the Law requires suffering therefore Christ being made under the Law must not only do but suffer what the Law requires Divines observe That Christ was born and dyed after a special Law different from other men Christ was born not for himself but for others and he dyed not for himself but for others Manifestum est Christum potuisse non mori sed voluisse ut mors sua nobis prodesset Ambros Christ is to be considered as a common person Hence it follows Christs bearing the curse was not for himself but for others Christ suffered and underwent the wrath of God which we should have born Hence is that of one of the Ancients It is manifest that Christ might have chosen whether he would have dyed but he therefore chose to dye that his death might become profitable Learn from what hath been opened Vse 1 what an infinite evil sin is that he who was most blessed in himself should yet be made a curse for us that the fountain of blessing should become a curse O how great a venom is there in sin that Christ having no sin of his own but being a sinner only by imputation should be made a curse that sin should cause him that was the Author of all blessing to become a curse Learn from hence the severity of Gods Justice Vse 2 that when Christ had no sin of his own but only took upon him the guilt of our sins that yet Divine Justice should fall so foul upon so innocent a person He spared not saith the Apostle his own Son Rom. 8. Christ taking upon him the guilt and punishment of our sins God did not spare him but executed upon him the severity of his Justice Now if Divine Justice did not spare him who was but a Surety how shall it spare us if we be found under the guilt of our sins Certainly every impenitent sinner may read his own destiny in the sufferings of Christ If Christ suffered such things who was meerly a Surety and bare the guilt of other mens sins not his own what is like to become of us that must bear the guilt and punishment of our own sins as certainly we must if we continue in unbelief and impenitency He that believes not on the Son the wrath of God abides upon him Joh. 3. ult O it is of infinite concernment to us all to secure our part and interest in the sufferings and satisfaction of the Lord Jesus for if the Justice of God arrested Christ seized upon him and proceeded so severely against him as we have heard if the curse did cut off him we cannot expect but Divine Justice will seize on us and cut us off unless we be hid in the clefts of this Rock Oh let us endeavour to get a part in him that was made a curse that we may be delivered from the curse The end of the tenth Sermon SERMON XI Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends THere is one thing more to be answered to that inquiry to make the answer full and compleat over and above what was said in the last Discourse How was it possible for Christ to suffer the wrath of God that was always beloved of him The third thing therefore that is to be said is this It was possible for Christ by faith to know that he was beloved of God and he did know that he was beloved of God when yet as to sense and feeling he tasted of Gods wrath Faith and the want of sense are not inconsistent there may be no present sense of Gods love nay there may be a present sense of his wrath and yet there may be faith at the same time This is manifest from that description of faith which the Apostle gives Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Faith makes those things evident which are not evident and apparent unto sense This also is manifest from the experience of several of the Saints It is said of Abraham That he believed in hope against hope Rom. 4.18 Abraham had the hope of faith against the dictates of sense his faith prevailed against sense he believed when all things in sense made against him Thus was it with Job in one place he saith That God hunted him as a fierce lyon and that he shewed himself amrvellous upon him And yet in another place he saith Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Here was faith against sense In like manner in another place he saith That God counted him for his enemy in his sense and feeling God seemed as an enemy to him And yet in another place he saith I know that my Redeemer liveth Here was an opposition to sense Thus was it with Heman he complains Psal 88.7 That Gods wrath lay hard upon him that God had afflicted him with all his waves and in the sixteenth verse of that Psalm he saith Thy fierce wrath goeth over me and yet in the beginning of the Psalm he calls God the God of his salvation O Lord God of my salvation vers 1. here was faith contradicting sense Thus was it with our Saviour Christus licèt se in anima derelictum sentiret ut in nobis fuit tamen in anima intellexit in sese semper deamatum fuisse our Saviour had a present sense and feeling of Gods wrath and yet by faith he might know he was beloved of God Hence is that of a Learned man Christ although he felt himself forsaken as he was in us yet he understood that he was always beloved considered as in himself Thus have I spoken that which I think may be sufficient for the clearing of that objection
the Law hath no more to demand When there is a full payment made there is no more debt can be exacted Christs obedience was full and compleat there remained nothing more for him to suffer Therefore is it said That he hath brought in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9.24 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 Who was delivered up for our offences and raised again for our justification Rom. 5. ult Christ was delivered up for our offences that is delivered up to death Christ in dying bare the guilt and punishment of our sins but he was raised again for our justification Now if Christ had not satisfied and discharged the debt to the utmost he could not have been raised for our justification for if there had been any part of the punishment not suffered the Law might have exacted part of us but saith the Text Christ was raised again for our justification Therefore it is plain and evident that Christ in dying bare the whole punishment that the Law would have inflicted upon us When the debt is paid the prisoner is let out of prison Christ being our Surety was under an arrest by the Law and by Divine Justice but now Christ our Surety having fully paid the debt Christ is released out of prison having paid the debt which he owed in his sufferings he is raised again for our justification Christs Resurrection was an evidence that our debt was fully paid and discharged by our Surety Hence also is that of our Saviour himself Joh. 16.8 9. The Spirit shall convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment Why of righteousness Because I go to the Father Christs Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven was a certain evidence that Christ was a righteous person For if Christ had not fully answered the Law he had never been raised up from the dead and taken up into glory he had been detained and kept in prison still and the reason is plainly that which was intimated before that Christ was not born for himself nor dyed for himself but he was born a common person he was born for us and dyed for us therefore Christ being a common person and our Surety and so transacting our cause the Law would not have been satisfied neither would Divine Justice have been quieted till all that had been undergone that we deserved Therefore when it is said that Christ went to his Father after his suffering and when it is said He was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification it is plain and evident that the Law and Justice had taken their fill of Christ and had nothing more to demand of him The fourteenth Proposition is That Divine Justice being satisfied in what Christ hath suffered God acquits and discharges Believers from the guilt and punishment of their sins Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemns it is Christ that dyed It is as much as if the Apostle should say A Believer is acquitted and discharged from the guilt of his sins no one can lay any thing to his charge because God hath justified him no one can condemn him because Christ hath born the punishment that he should have born who is he that condemns it is Christ that dyed A Believer is not liable to condemnation because Christ hath been condemned for him and the Law hath sate in Judgment upon Christ and hath arraigned and condemned him now the Law is not wont to punish the same crime twice The Justice of God having punished sin in Christ the Head and Surety of the Elect will not punish sin the second time in Believers themselves It is a good expression of one of the Ancients Caput corpus unus est Christus satisfecit ergo caput pro membris Christus pro visceribus suis Ambros The head and body are but one Christ Christ therefore being the head hath satisfied for his members Christ hath satisfied for Believers who are his own bowels The last Proposition is this That Christs Satisfaction hath merit in it though merit and satisfaction are near akin yet they are distinct notions Satisfaction doth properly signifie the turning away of some evil that is impending and Merit properly respects some good to be procured Now Christ by his Satisfaction doth not only turn away that evil from us that we deserve but he also merits and procures good for us 1. Christ by his Satisfaction turns away evil from us He turns away the wrath of God from us he turns away the curses of the Law and all the effects of Divine wrath Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Hence also is that expression Rom. 11.26 The Redeemer shall come from Zion and turn away ungodliness from Jacob that is he shall turn away the guilt and punishment of sin from Believers he shall turn away all the evils and miseries that sin would bring upon us His name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Mat. 1. But this is not all Christ by his Satisfaction doth not only turn away evil but 2. He procures good for us he procures righteousness and the favour of God the Spirit the grace of the Spirit and eternal life for us The Sufferings of Christ have merit in them to purchase good things for us Hence is that expression of our Saviour in the Ordinance of the Supper This cup is the new Testament in my blood The meaning is that all the good things in the new Covenant all the blessings comprehended in the Covenant of Grace are purchased by the blood of Christ The Covenant of Grace is the Charter in which all good things are contained and all these things are the purchase of the blood of Christ The end of the eleventh Sermon SERMON XII Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends IT remains now that I should come to make some general Application of this great Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction Although there have been some particular Uses of this Doctrine all along in the several branches of it yet it may be meet in the close to annex some general Application as to the whole Doctrine about Christs Satisfaction The first Use shall be an Use of Confutation to confute the Adversaries of this Truth There are two great Adversaries to this Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction 1. The Socinians who deny the Satisfaction of Christ altogether 2. The Papists who bring in other Satisfactions besides that of Christ's 1. The Socinians they are the most professed Adversaries to the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction they tell us that the sufferings of Christ were only a kind of Martyrdom that Christ dyed to confirm the truth that he had preached also that his sufferings were for an example but they wholly deny that what Christ suffered
had any influence as to the satisfying of Gods Justice Now the whole Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction that hath been opened doth oppugn this assertion of theirs for it hath been proved at large that Christ hath suffered the substance of what we ought to have suffered and that what Christ did suffer was with this intention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnus exolvit quod ab omnibus debebatur Ambros to make satisfaction for us Mat. 20.28 The Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many It is a speech of one of the Ancients One hath paid that which was due from all If the death of Christ were only a kind of Martyrdom and to confirm the truth which he had taught and were only for an example and for no other ends but these then the death of Christ would be very little different from the deaths of other of the Saints for other of the Saints have laid down their lives to confirm the truths they have professed and the sufferings of other of the Saints are given to us for an example We have an express Scripture for this Jam. 5.10 Take my brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience Here we see the Prophets sufferings are given for an example to us but certainly the sufferings of Christ are far of another nature than the sufferings of the Prophets or of any of the Saints whatsoever It is an excellent speech of one of the Ancients Although saith he the death of many of the Saints hath been precious in the sight of God yet notwithstanding the death of no innocent person besides Christ himself was the propitiation for the world It is the expression which the Apostle John useth 1 Joh. 2.2 where he tells us That Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world Though the deaths of the Martyrs were precious yet none of their deaths was the propitiation for the sins of the world and then our Author goes on Acceperunt justi non dederunt coronas exempla nata sunt patientiae non dona justitiae Those just persons who have been martyred for the truth have received not given Crowns and from the courage and fortitude of the Martyrs in their sufferings we have examples of patience afforded to us not any gifts of merit Theirs were but single deaths that were undergone by them neither doth one pay anothers debt there was only one Lord Jesus Christ found among the sons of men in whom all were crucified all have dyed all have risen again They who deny and take away the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction endeavour to take from us a principal part of the Gospel and to remove from us the principal pillar of all our comfort and support for one of the great Truths which the Gospel reveals is the Righteousness of Christ for the justification of a sinner So the Apostle tells us Rom. 1.16 17. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith The Apostle here gives us an account of the Gospel what it is that the Gospel reveals it reveals to us the Righteousness of God the great and fundamental Truth revealed in the Gospel is that righteousness whereby men may be justified in the sight of God What this righteousness is the Apostle doth more fully make known to us in another place of this Epistle Rom. 3.25 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousness So that the righteousness which the Gospel reveals is That God is willing to pardon sinners and to accept them as righteous upon the account of the death and sufferings of his Son and upon the account of the satisfaction which he hath made So that they who go about to subvert the Satisfaction and Righteousness of Christ do in effect undermine the whole Gospel and do as much as lyes in them disannul it For if the scope of the Gospel be to reveal the Righteousness of Christ which is the result of his death and sufferings the result of his obedience active and passive then they that would take away this would take away a main part of the Gospel from us So likewise as the denying of Christs Satisfaction is the overthrow of a principal part of the Gospel so it is that which takes away the main pillar of our comfort For if Christ hath not satisfied for us we are still liable to satisfie the Justice of God in our own persons for God is a just and righteous God He hath said That he will by no means clear the guilty and the sentence of the Law remains firm upon us That the soul that sins shall dye and Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Therefore unless Christ hath made satisfaction for us all these things must of necessity stand firm against us unless there be a ransom found for us we are still liable to answer to Divine Justice It is a great Scripture to confirm this Job 33.23 24. If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness then is he gracious to him and saith Deliver him I have found a ransom for him To shew unto man his uprightness The uprightness here spoken of is conceived by Learned men not the uprightness of man himself but the uprightness of God To shew unto man his uprightness that is the uprightness of God What is this uprightness of God It is Gods uprightness in dealing with man according to the tenour of Gospel-grace Compare this with Rom. 3.22 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ Here we have a description of the tenour of Gospel grace the grace of the Gospel consists in this That we are justified freely by Gods grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ Now this is the uprightness of God Gods dealing with men according to the tenour of his grace promulgated in the Gospel God having discovered this to be his mind that he will pardon mens sins upon the account of the death and sufferings of his Son when this uprightness of God is thus discovered to men and they by faith lay hold of the grace of God thus promulgated and made known to them then God hath found a ransom Now when God hath found a ransom for men then he saith Deliver them then is he gracious and saith Deliver him from going down into the pit for I have found a ransom for him Had there not been a ransom found for us there had been no deliverance from the pit of destruction here
himself up by the eternal Spirit that we now have liberty of access to God Having therefore liberty by the blood of Jesus saith the Apostle let us draw near that is let us draw near unto God in confidence of this Sacrifice in the virtue of this Sacrifice Whenever we draw near to God we must have respect to the great and eternal Sacrifice of Christ and why so because sin separates between us and God and till sin be removed and taken out of the way there is no access for us to God Now it is by having recourse to the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ that the guilt of sin is removed and so we have access to God therefore doth the Apostle add Having your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience We must draw near to God having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience we must first dip our consciences in the blood of Christ as Luthers expression is that is get the blood of Christ upon our consciences look after the pardon of our sins by the blood of Christ before we can expect to have access to God or acceptance with him This is one great part of the life of faith to have a constant recourse to the Satisfaction of Christ and to make use of that great and eternal Sacrifice of the Son of God in order to the pardon of our sins and our acceptance with God The Scriptures teach us That the just must live by faith Rom. 1.16 Now our living by faith notes a continued course living by faith is more than a single act it notes a constant course Now wherein doth this life of faith consist Certainly one main part of the life of faith consists in this In having a constant recourse to the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ and making use of that for the pardon of our sins and our acceptance with God This is very clear and evident from that of the Apostle Paul Gal. 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God Paul here speaks of his living by faith The just shall live by faith and Paul lived by faith and how was it that he lived by faith I live by the faith of the Son of God who hath loved me and given himself for me Pauls living by faith consisted in this In having respect to Christ as giving himself for him Now how was it that Christ gave himself for Paul Certainly it was in the virtue of that great and eternal Sacrifice of his compare this with Eph. 6.2 Christ hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice unto God So that Christ giving himself for Paul was his giving himself an Offering and Sacrifice for him Now Paul lived by the faith of the Son of God who loved him and gave himself for him that is he lived by saith on the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ he had continual recourse to the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ this was his living by faith Now here it may be said 1. Why ought we thus to live by faith on the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ And 2. How ought we to make use of the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ so as to draw down the virtue and benefit of Christs Satisfaction to our selves 1. Why ought we to make use of the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ and live by faith upon it The first reason is Because the Satisfaction of Christ is the only means of our Reconciliation with God Hence is it said That Christ hath made peace through the blood of his cross Col. 1.20 And We are reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5.10 When-ever we would treat with God about terms of peace and reconciliation with him we must be sure to have recourse to the death sufferings and satisfaction of Christ all our peace with God is founded in the blood of Christ Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins c. Here are two means of our reconciliation with God set down the principal and the instrumental The principal means of our reconciliation with God is the blood of Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood The instrumental means of our reconciliation is our faith Faith in his blood That expression his blood comprehends the whole work of Christs Satisfaction Christs laying down his life was the compleating or consummating act of his sufferings and therefore all his sufferings in the whole work of his Satisfaction are comprehended under that expression of his blood Christs Satisfaction then is the principal means of our reconciliation with God Now that which must make this Satisfaction of Christ profitable and available unto us must be our faith Whom God hath ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his blood there must be the acting of our faith to make Christs Satisfaction profitable unto us I call it our faith not as if so be faith were a work of our own either wrought at first or exerted afterwards by any power and strength of our own but I call it our faith because it is such an act as is wrought in us and by us faith it self is the gift of God so the Apostle tells us Eph. 2.8 It is not of our selves it is the gift of God Yet it is an act in us and put forth by us though God works it yet it is such a work as God works in us not without us we make use of our faculties Faith I say is an act in us and put forth by us and there must be something done in us and by us in order to our receiving benefit by Christs Satisfaction Christs Satisfaction is a work wrought without us wrought by Christ himself in our nature for us without us yet there must be an act put forth in us by the help and assistance of the Spirit of God whereby we may reach forth unto and take hold of the Satisfaction of Christ that is wrought without us and without this acting of faith we cannot expect the benefit of Christs Satisfaction to our selves The Lord expects it at our hands that we should apply and betake our selves to the Satisfaction of his Son before ever we be admitted into favour and reconciliation with him This is confirmed to us by another Scripture Joh. 3.14 15. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life The lifting up of the Serpent in the Wilderness was a Type of Christs being lifted up upon the Cross Now saith our Saviour whoever will have benefit by me and would be delivered from perishing and condemnation he must direct the eye of his faith to me as crucified he must behold me in my Satisfaction there is no other means of reconciliation or peace with God but this he
that believes on me as crucified he that looks upon me as lifted up on the Cross to make satisfaction for the sins of men he it is that shall not perish but have eternal life Therefore it is that Paul said He determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.3 Paul knew that the foundation of our happiness lay in Christs crucifixion and sufferings and in the satisfaction that was made to God by them therefore this was the fundamental Doctrine that he insisted upon and in another place where he tells what the substance of the Gospel is he says That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing to them their trespasses but imputing to them the righteousness of his Son 2 Cor. 5.19 20 c. So that the substance of the Gospel consists in this That God offers reconciliation unto men by the death sufferings and satisfaction of his Son If therefore the death of Christ and his satisfaction be the only foundation of our peace with God and the alone means of our reconciliation with him it concerns us to make much of Christs satisfaction and to apply our selves by faith unto it 2. Christs sufferings and satisfaction are the food and nourishment of our souls Christs sufferings and satisfaction are the means to continue us in the love and favour of God as well as to bring us into the love and favour of God at first This is notably set forth by our Saviour in that mysterious Sermon of his in the sixth of John which many of his Hearers were not able to bear because it was so spiritual In that Sermon our Saviour calls himself the bread of life and he tells us The bread which he will give is his flesh which he will give for the life of the world vers 51. This Text doth plainly point out to us the work of Christs Satisfaction Christ gives his flesh for the life of the world that is to say he gives himself to suffer that in a part of our flesh which he assumed which we ought to have suffered and in this respect it is that he saith He gives his flesh for the life of the world this is a plain intimation of his satisfaction Now what is it that our Saviour saith of this work of his satisfaction vers 55. My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed It is as much as if he had said My sufferings and my satisfaction are the true food and nourishment of souls Here it is that souls must repair for spiritual food and nourishment When-ever guilt lies upon the conscience when the load and burden of sin oppresseth the soul there is no remedy but by flying to the flesh of Christ who was crucified and to his blood which was shed to make atonement for sin My flesh is meat indeed Look as natural life is maintained by the constant use of our food and taking of it in omit the use of food but for a few days and the body is starved natural life ceaseth so the life of our souls is maintained by a daily living upon Christ crucified by living upon his sufferings and satisfaction and the reason is plainly this The life of the soul consists in the favour of God In thy favour there is life saith the Psalmist and thy loving-kindness is better than life Without the favour of God there is no life there can be no life to the soul for God to frown upon the soul to manifest himself as an enemy this is the death of the soul Now it is a constant recourse to the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ that is the only means to keep us in the favour of God for it is sin that separates between God and us Now the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ are the means to take away the guilt of sin The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 Therefore as we would have the life of our souls maintained which consists in the favour of God and in the sense of his love we must have a constant recourse to the Satisfaction of Christ for we cannot expect one smile from God out of Christ This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Sin doth in its own nature tend to alienate the heart of God from us Now it is the respect that God hath to the Satisfaction of his Son Christ having born that displeasure that punishment which we deserved that is the only means to turn away Gods displeasure from us Therefore is it said We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins 2 Joh. 1.1 It is as much as if the Apostle had said Sin doth in its own nature incline God to anger and displeasure towards us but God respects the satisfaction of his Son he respects what Christ hath done and suffered and so he turns away his anger and becomes propitious kind and savourable upon the account of what Christ hath done and suffered for us therefore it becomes us to keep the satisfaction of Christ much in our eye because this is the means of preserving us in the favour of God as well as of bringing us into it at first Hence are we said to be preserved in Christ Jesus Jude 1. The merit of Christs obedience and sufferings is a means to preserve us in the love of God We might soon fall from the love of God did not Christ preserve us and continue us in his love by the merit of his satisfaction Hence also are we said to be saved by his life Rom. 5.10 If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Saved by his life that is continued in the love and favour of God brought to the perfection of salvation The Apostle supposeth that we are brought into the love and favour of God when he tells us We were reconciled when we were enemies therefore this expression of being saved implies our being kept and continued in the favour of God and our being brought to the consummation and perfection of salvation We are saved by his life that is Christs living to make Intercession for us and pleading by his Intercession the virtue and merit of his sufferings this is the means to keep us in the favour of God till we be brought to salvation therefore we ought to have a constant recourse to the death sufferings and satisfaction of Christ because it is the means of continuing us in the love and favour of God all along as it was to bring us into the favour of God at first Hence is that expression in Jude 21. Keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life It is that grace and mercy which is given to us in Christ through his merit and satisfaction that carries us along
this great Person who is our High Priest sanctifies his Sacrifice by the dignity of his person he is the Son of God not a meer man as the Levitical Priests were and by the dignity of his own person puts the highest value upon the Sacrifice which he offered Hence is that expression in vers 27. Who needed not daily as those high Priests to offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people for this he did once when he offered up himself Christs one Sacrifice was of more value than all the multitude of the Sacrifices offered by the Levitical Priests Why so He offered himself up saith the Apostle The reason why Christs Sacrifice was beyond all theirs was because he offered himself Christ was both the Priest and the Sacrifice He offered up himself so saith this Text and Heb. 1.3 it is said That by himself he hath purged away our sins It was the Son that was the Priest offering and it was the Son that was the Sacrifice that was offered For though it were the humane nature of the Son only that was capable of suffering and dying yet the person of the Son was conjunct with the Humanity in the sufferings of the humane nature Hence is that expression of Leo Verbo inviolabili non separato à carn◠passibili Leo. The inviolable Word that is the Son of God the second Person in Trinity who was inviolable and impassible was not separated from his passible flesh in the time of his suffering And another of the Ancients expresseth himself to this purpose and it is a memorable passage The Son of God that he might shew that he was not absent from the Temple of his body in the time of his Passion but that he was present with it in his suffering therefore it was that as he was God by the power of his Divinity at the same time when he suffered in his flesh he caused darkness to come over the Sun brake the rocks in pieces and raised the dead So that though it was the flesh that suffered yet God was personally united to that flesh that suffered Hence is that 1 Pet. 4.1 Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh Now we ought to turn the eye of our faith upon this great Person the Son of God transacting all in our nature It is true it was our nature in Christ that obeyed that suffered that dyed but still we ought to look upon it as influenced by the person of the Son of God who assumed it and did all in it and by it The humane will in Christ was governed by the Divine will yea the humane will in Christ was strengthened and corroborated by the Divine will In the work of Christs Satisfaction the Divine nature was the principal efficient cause the humane nature the less principal ministring or subservient cause as Divines speak Now this is a great relief unto faith that Christ in regard of the dignity of his Person is equal to him to whom the satisfaction is made For though in respect of his humane nature he be inferiour to the Father and the Father is said to be greater than he Joh. 14.28 yet in respect of his Divine nature he is equal with the Father Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and this was the Word that took flesh and gave his flesh for the life of the world The same was with God in the beginning he was with God in the same equality of Power Glory and Majesty he was in the form of God and counted it no robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2.6 Now this is a great relief to faith the person who tenders the satisfaction is of equal Power Majesty and Glory with him to whom the satisfaction is tendered This may greatly comfort such as are distressed in conscience Great indeed is the person offended by thy sins O but great is the person tendering the satisfaction the person offended is God and the person who makes the satisfaction is God as well as man Consider that Text Joh. 10.18 No man taketh my life from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again Divinitas filii est quae ponit rursus animam hominis quem serebat c. It is the Divinity of the Son that doth lay down and take again his life as he was man 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God that he laid down his life for us Christ as he was man had power over his own life as he was man no meer man hath power over his own life but his life is under the dispose of God but Christ being God as well as man had the dispose of his own life and therefore as he was God he laid down his life as he was man The end of the thirteenth Sermon SERMON XIV Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends I Come now to the sixth Direction which is this If we would make use of the Sufferings and Satisfaction of Christ so as to draw down the virtue and benefit of them to our own souls we must lay the stress of our faith upon Christ and rely entirely upon the virtue of that eternal Sacrifice of his This was shadowed forth under the Law in the day of atonement the Priest was to lay both his hands upon the head of the live-goat Lev. 16.21 This the Priest was to do in the name of the people by this sign discharging them as it were and laying all their sins upon the beast which was a figure of Christ Whoever brought his Sacrifice under the Law was to lay his hand on the head of the Sacrifice Lev. 1.4 Now this Rite of laying the hand on the head of the Sacrifice as it did carry in it a tacite confession of guilt as hath formerly been shewn so also there was in it a profession of faith an expectation of pardon and atonement in the virtue of the Sacrifice that was to be offered up The man that brought his offering was to lay or impose his hand upon it himself while it was yet alive thereby disburdening himself of sin as it were and laying it on the Sacrifice and thereby testifying his faith in Christ the true Sacrifice that was to be slain for him Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Christ calls all such as are weary and heavy laden with the guilt of their sins to come to him and lay the burden of the guilt of their sins on him The Jewish Writers tell us That he that did impose or lay his hand on the head of the Sacrifice was to do it with all his might he was to lay both his hands upon the beasts head and what doth this teach us but that our
acceptance through the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ After we have betaken our selves to the Satisfaction of Christ and made use of it in a due manner we ought to hope for pardon and acceptance in the virtue of it To take hold of pardon before we have betaken our selves to the remedy and before we have made use of the means which God hath appointed for obtaining pardon this were presumption therefore for any person to run away with this doctrine Christ hath made full satisfaction to the Justice of God for the sins of men Christ hath suffered as much as we deserve therefore we need not trouble our selves our sins shall never condemn us this is but presumption for any man to reason after this manner until there be a serious application of the soul by faith to the Satisfaction of Christ for the pardon of sin For although there be an infinite treasure of merit and virtue in the death and sufferings of Christ to all that come to him yet this treasure and store house of merit that is in the death and satisfaction of Christ is opened unto none but unto such who by humble faith apply themselves to Christ for the virtue of his death Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Mat. 5.6 There must be then hungering and thirsting after Christs righteousness before we shall be satisfied and there must be faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 Him hath God ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his blood therefore it is but presumption for any man to say Christ hath dyed and satisfied Gods Justice therefore my sins shall never condemn me without any more ado without troubling himself with any more than saying so for what is presumption Presumption is to expect the end without using the means Though there be an alsufficiency in the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ to save as many as come to him yet the satisfaction and sufferings of Christ are available and effectual to none but to such as by humble saith do apply themselves to him He is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him Heb. 7.25 There must be a coming then otherwise there is no salvation to be expected We must first see the necessity of the Mediation and Satiffaction of Christ and in an humble manner address our selves to God by faith before we can expect benefit by his satisfaction therefore unless thou have seen thy perishing condition without Christ unless thou art sensible of the infinite need of his satisfaction to make thy peace with God and dost in an humble manner with holy desire apply thy self to Christ for the virtue and benefit of his satisfaction thou canst expect no benefit by him It is the hungring thirsting humble soul which seeth his perishing condition without the satisfaction of Christ and thereupon applies himself to it that only can expect benefit by it But now on the other hand after a person in due manner hath applied himself to the satisfaction of Christ and made use of it by faith as the remedy which God hath appointed it is so far from being presumption in such a person to lay hold of pardon as that it is his duty to take hold of pardon and acceptance and with humble confidence to expect it There is an express Text for this Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith The Apostle is here speaking of the Priesthood of Christ and of the use we should make of his eternal Sacrifice Now saith he having pitcht our faith upon Christ as our Priest and upon the merit and virtue of his Sacrifice Let us draw near in full assurance of faith or with full certainty of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meaning is having made use of Christ as our Priest having pitcht our faith upon his Sacrifice let us not doubt of pardon and acceptance let us bear up our selves with a full confidence upon the merit of Christs Satisfaction This full assurance of faith is says a Judicious Divine a setled and full perswasion to be accepted through Jesus Christ When we have laid the stress of our faith upon the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ we ought to bear up our selves with an humble confidence that we shall be pardoned and accepted upon the account of the virtue and merit of Christs Satisfaction and not to do this not to have a humble confidence of pardon and acceptance after we have applied our selves to the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ would be greatly derogatory to the honour of Christs Satisfaction and also derogatory to the honour of many of Gods Attributes 1. If we might not have an humble confidence of pardon and acceptance through the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ after we have applied our selves to it this would be greatly derogatory to the honour of Christs Satisfaction Heb. 9.13 14. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flosh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead work to serve the living God That which the Apostle asserts here is That the blood of Christ is able to purge tho conscience from dead works so as to serve the living God To perge the conscience from dead works is to purge the conscience from the guilt of sin to clear the conscience to absolve the guilt of sin in the eye of conscience so that the conscience shall have no more fear of guilt Now consider the Apostles argument If the blood of bulls and goats and the like were able to cleanse as to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God The force of the Apostles argument comes to this If the Levitical Rites if those Purifications that were used under the Law were sufficient to cleanse a person after a legal manner much more is the blood of Christ which is the blood of that person who is God as well as man be able to cleanse their conscience who do apply themselves by saith to him The Apostle argues thus They that lived under the Law had some purifying and cleansing yea some help as to their consciences by the Sacrifices that were then offered therefore much more they that apply themselves to the blood of Christ shall have benefit by virtue of his Sacrifice which was the true Sacrifice Under the Law when a person had committed a sin and brought his Offering to the Priest and had laid his hand on the head of the Sacrifice and when the beast that was brought to be sacrificed was slain and the blood was put upon the Altar there was atonement made for him and he might
how is it that men entertain these offers of grace and good things made to them in Christ read vers 5. They made light of it and went their ways one 18 his farm another to his merchandise O but mark the issue how doth God take this flighting of his grace rejecting of his Son and despising of the marriage-feast read vers 7. When the King heard of this he was wroth and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murtherers and burnt up their city This was the revenge which God took for his despised and rejected grace He sent the Armies of the Romans burnt up Jerusalem destroyed the Nation of the Jews to whom Christ and the Gospel was first sent That the Son of God who was God blessed for ever should come from Heaven in person that he should take to himself the nature of man and do and suffer such things for man in the nature of man and yet be contemned and rejected by men this makes the sin of men very great In Joh. 6.51 our Saviour tells us That he was the living bread that came down from heaven and the bread which he would give was his flesh which he would give for the life of the world I am the living bread which came down from heaven The Son of God who was life happiness salvation and all good things came down into our nature assumed a part of our flesh and gave that flesh for the life of the world Now when the Son of God himself so great a person and all his sufferings shall be contemned and despised this must needs be great sin This is more fully explained to us in another Scripture Heb. 10.26 27 28 29 30. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries He that despised Moses law dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite to the Spirit of grace for we know him that said Vengeance belongeth unto me I will recompense saith the Lord. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God The scope of the Apostle is to shew how severely God punisheth the contemners and despisers of Gospel-grace The sin of such who contemn the Gospel and reject the grace of it consists in this That they neglect and contemn the great Sacrifice that was offered for sin that is plainly implied in that expression when it is said There remains no more sacrifice for sin If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin It is as much as if the Apostle had said There was a sacrifice for sin there was a sacrifice appointed there was a means to pacifie and atone God namely the death of his Son But they that neglect and reject the grace of the Gospel they contemn this sacrifice this great and only sacrifice they contemn the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ by which they might have peace with God Now let us consider what is the sentence that is passed upon such What is like to become of such who thus contemn the Gospel and despise the grace of it who contemn the great and only sacrifice That which is reserved for such is this It is judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversary 1. Consider God accounts such adversaries as persist and continue in sin after the offer and tender of grace to them God would be reconciled to men but they will not be reconciled to him therefore they are adversaries they continue in open hostility against God 2. There is judgment reserved for such a certain and fearful looking for of judgment God will judge them according to their deserts he will execute judgment upon them according to their demerit and that we may fully understand this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he calls it fiery indignation Beza renders it Heat of fire as much as if it had been said The hottest of Gods wrath is reserved for such and shall fall upon such as contemn and reject the Gospel And then the Apostle goes on to confirm this in vers 28 29. He that despised Moses law dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who tramples under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace The force of his argument comes to this He that transgressed the Law of Moses was punished he therefore that despiseth the Gospel shall be much more punished He that despised Moses law dyed without mercy Why doth the Apostle call it Moses Law That which was called Moses Law was indeed the Law of God Moses was only the Minister to whom and by whom it was delivered but the Law was God's But Moses is set here in opposition to Christ Moses was a Minister and Servant only but Christ was more than a Minister and a Servant Christ was the Son of God therefore doth the Apostle say Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who trod under foot the Son of God Here lies the force of the argument If God did not suffer the transgressours of the Law which was published by Moses a Minister and Servant to go unpunished much less will he suffer the rejection of the Gospel which was published by his own Son that came out of his bosom to go unpunished The Law came by Mases but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.17 But this is not all the Doctrine of the Gospel hath not only a more excellent Publisher than the Law which is the Son of God whereas Moses was a Minister and Servant only but there is something more in it the matter published and the great object of saith propounded in the Gospel is the Son of God himself that expression Who hath trampled under foot the Son of God doth not only intimate that Christ the Son of God is the Publisher of the Gospel but it also intimates the great sin of them who reject the Gospel in that they reject so excellent a Person as the Son of God is who is the subject matter of the Gospel Compare this with other Scriptures Rom. 1.3 Separate unto the Gospel of God concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The great thing which the Gospel reveals is the Son of God 2
Cor. 1.19 The Son of God Jesus Christ who preached among you by us The Gospel then is the revelation of the Son of God Now that so great and excellent a Person as the Son of God and God should be rejected this is that which makes the sins of the despisers and contemners of the Gospel to be so great Now as that is one thing that aggravates the sin of them that reject the grace of the Gospel that they contemn Christs person they tread under foot the Son of God so another thing is they contemn his sufferings they count the blood of the Covenant wherewith they are sanctified an unholy thing the meaning is such as despise the Gospel despise the satisfaction and sufferings of Christ which are declared and made known to them in the Gospel they make the sufferings of Christ to be no other than the sufferings of a common or an ordinary man they put no difference between Christs sufferings and another mans sufferings this is impious and horrid indeed The Son of God and God the Creator of all things becomes man for man and when he is so gives his life sheds his blood for men and after all this love and condescension his sufferings are counted no more but as the sufferings of an ordinary man Is this a little thing that God should assume flesh and give that flesh to be crucified in love to men for their Redemption and that his sufferings should be counted no more than as the sufferings of an ordinary common man Is this an ordinary sin Blush O Heavens and be astonished O Earth They counted it an unholy thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To make the sufferings of that person who was God as well man to be no more than the sufferings of a common person this is to make the sufferings of Christ a profane or common thing The Apostle aggravates this sin yet further and calls it A doing despite to the Spirit of grace but I shall not farther insist upon that In the next place the Apostle doth amplifie yet farther the judgment upon them that reject the grace of the Gospel We know him that hath said Vengeance is mine and I will recompense saith the Lord. And again the Lord shall judge his people It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Here are two things affirmed 1. That God will certainly avenge the contempt and rejection of the Gospel Vengeance is mine and I will recompense saith the Lord. 2. That the revenge God takes on Gospel-rejecters is most dreadful It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God There is much implied in this sentence 1. That when God takes Gospel-sinners into his hand to punish them his judgments on them are most terrible The judgments which God brings for abusing the Gospel and the grace of it are not common ordinary judgments no they are stupendious and amazing judgments It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God When God comes to take a people in hand and to call them to account how they have carried it towards his grace and behaved themselves towards the Gospel which he hath sent to them for a long time he will deal with them to the purpose We have had too sad instances of this witness the destruction of Jerusalem where there was not a stone left upon a stone witness the two last great Judgments upon the great City of our own Land that were successive one upon another the Plague and Fire which were unparalleled Judgments the like never known in our days nor in the days of our Fathers no nor since it was a Nation 2. This is also implied in it That when God takes in hand and begins to punish Gospel-sinners such as have despised his grace he doth not soon make an end with them It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God As much as if it had been said When God hath once taken men into his hand to punish them he doth not so soon make an end with them he is a living God and hath time enough before him to speak after the manner of men to avenge himself upon his adversaries God is the living God he lives this year and the next year and he hath various ways and various seasons to avenge himself on such as do reject his grace God doth not pour out all his wrath in one Judgment upon them that contemn his Son and reject the grace offered by them but he sends variety of Judgments on them and if they will not understand his wrath by one Judgment they shall be forced to understand it by variety of Judgments It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God God lives to right himself to avenge the quarrel of his slighted abused grace and Gospel It is much to be feared that we are fallen under the influences and effects of this Scripture Truly the Lord seems to be calling the Churches of the Gentiles to an account for their behaviour and carriage under the Gospel as he hath the Jews before us Let us consider that Text Rom. 11.22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them which fell severity but towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off Here the Lord doth plainly threaten the Churches of the Gentiles that if they abuse his grace as the Jews have done they shall be cut off by his Judgments as the Jews were and if we consider what God hath done and is doing in the world have we not reason to fear and tremble hath not Judgment began at the house of God And have not they which make profession of Christ in opposition to Antichrist been the subjects of Gods Judgments Let us consider one Scripture more Rev. 14. at the latter end of that Chapter it is a Prophecy of the times wherein we are fallen I looked and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one sate like unto the Son of man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle And another Angel came out of the Temple crying with a lond voice to him that sate on the cloud Thrust in thy sickle and reap for the time is come for thee to reap for the harvest of the earth is ripe And he that sate on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in Heaven he also having a sharp sickle And another Angel came out from the Altar which had power over fire and cryed with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle saying Thrust in thy sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth for her grapes are fully ripe And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great wine-press
great thing for God to become man but it was a greater thing for that person who was God to put himself into the nature of man to dye for man Joh. 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven and the bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Christ is said to come down from Heaven by his Incarnation when the Son of God took our nature into unity of person with himself this was his coming down from Heaven Now that the Word as he is called Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the Word that the Word the second Person in Trinity should not only assume flesh but give that flesh for the life of the world this was the highest demonstration of love Hence is that expression of the Apostle 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby preceive we the love of God that he lay down his life for us As if he should say This is the most illustrious and glorious manifestation of the love of God to us that that Person who was God laid down his life for us He that was God by nature took up the humanity in a voluntary way of condescension and having voluntarily taken up our nature voluntarily laid down the life of his humanity for us It was not possible for him to lay down the life of his Divinity but that Person who was God took up the humane nature and in that nature laid down the life of his humanity for us This is that which sets forth the greatness of Christs love that he should lay down his life for us What more contrary or unsuitable to the Nature of God than sin suffering and death and yet Christ who was God as well as man God and man in one person although he had no sin of his own no sin inherent in him yet was he content to be accounted a sinner He was numbered among the transgressors as the Prophet speaks Isa 53. yea He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Christ also who was above suffering and death exposed himself to suffering and death for us He tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 Thus was the Son of God pleased out of the greatness of his love to us to put himself as it were out of Heaven into Hell and to descend from the height and top of happiness to the lowest degree of misery and abasement He humbled himself saith the Apostle and became obedient to the death even the death of the cross This Doctrine of the Cross is the greatest stumbling-block and offence to carnal reason to hear of a crucified God to hear that he that was to be the Saviour of the world should suffer and dye this is that which carnal reason cannot away with 1 Cor. 1.23 We preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness A crucified Saviour was the great stumbling-block to the world and yet that which was accounted foolishness by the men of the world was the Wisdom of God to save the world by it This I say was the lowest degree of Christs humiliation or exinanition that the Lord of glory should expose himself to suffering and death for our sakes this is commonly expressed in that Article of our Faith That Christ descended into Hell When we say that Christ descended into Hell we are not to understand any local descension as if Christ did descend into the place of the Damned thus indeed Bellarmine and some others have understood that Article of a local descension but by Christs descending into Hell we are to understand the lowest degree of his humiliation his descending into a state of mortality and death first being content to put himself into a passible and mortal state who himself had been impassible and immortal and then actually undergoing suffering and death for us Eph. 4.9 That he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth What are those lower parts of the earth into which Christ descended Compare it with Acts 2.27 Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell that is thou shalt not leave it in the grave So that Christs descending into the lowest parts of the earth is his descending into the grave Christ indeed suffered the pains of Hell but we do not read he descended into Hell locally and Christ suffered the pains of Hell in this life as I had occasion to shew heretofore But his soul did not locally descend into Hell no his soul was taken into Paradise This day saith Christ to the repenting Thief shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thou shalt be with me that is as a Learned man understands it thy humane soul shall be with my humane soul in Paradise Christ as to the presence of his Divinity is every where therefore when he speaks of his being in Paradise this is most properly to be understood of his humane soul that his humane soul was to be in Paradise Christs descending into Hell therefore notes his descending into the state of the dead which was the completion of all his sufferings and the lowest state of his humiliation 2. The love of Christ in his sufferings and in the work of his Satisfaction appears in this That we were the offending persons and Christ a person most innocent It was we that had done the wrong and injury unto God and yet Christ who had not committed the least offence was content to suffer for us Isa 53.6 All we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all So in vers 9 10. He had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him Hence also is that of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ suffered for sin the just for the unjust Christ who was a just and an innocent person gave himself to suffer for us who were the unjust and nocent persons yea which is much more admirable Christ who was one of the persons offended unto whom the wrong and injury was done he comes to suffer and bear the punishment for them that had committed the offence The injured person is content to bear the punishment for them who had done him the wrong and injury Sin is an offence against all the Persons of the Trinity for as all the Persons of the Trinity have but one Essence one Majesty one and the same Will so sin strikes at all the Persons and is an offence against all because it is one and the same common Divinity that is offended in all and yet the Son of God who is one of the Persons of the Trinity and had received wrong and injury from men by reason of their sins was pleased to take upon him the nature of man and to bear the punishment which man had deserved for his offence against himself as well as against the other Persons Hence is it said
flow from persons It was therefore the person of the Word that made satisfaction for our sins Now that a person of that infinite worth and excellency as the Son of God the second Person in Trinity should come to subsist in our nature and being in our nature should be the person satisfying for our sins this was great condescension and abasement Thus the Son who was yet equal with the Father in respect of his Divine nature by his Incarnation and sufferings doth not only make himself inferiour to the Father but to himself also The Son though he was one of the persons offended yet he comes to make the satisfaction and considered as Mediator as God-man doth not only make satisfaction to the Father but to himself considered as God simply The fourth Consideration is this That whole Christ or the whole person of the Mediator was the price of our Redemption 1 Joh. 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins It is Christ then that is the propitiation for our sins Now Christ is the name of the person subsisting in both natures When we speak of Christ Christus est nomen personae in duabus subsistentis naturis we understand that person who subsists in both natures in the nature of God and in the nature of man Christ doth not signifie one of the natures simply but Christ is the name of the person subsisting in both natures Now this is he who is the propitiation for our sins that person who is God and man he is the propitiation for our sins Persona Christi sive Christus satisfecit pro peccatis tanquamquod It was the person of Christ or Christ that did satisfie for our sins as the Principle making satisfaction To understand this we must consider that which was before hinted That Christ is our Mediator according to both natures he is not our Mediator as to one of his natures only but according to both natures and as he is Mediator according to both natures so he gives himself for us according to both his natures For though it were the humane nature only that suffered yet it was the Divine nature that sanctified the sufferings of the humane nature and gave virtue to them therefore is it said Himself bare our sins in his own body on the tree and that by himself he hath purged our sins Heb. 1.3 It is not said By his humane nature meerly though it is true it was the humane nature only that was capable of suffering but it is not so expressed but by himself Christ himself is the Sacrifice for our sins Gal. 2. He loved me and gave himself for me and Christ was once offered up Heb. 9. And that expression of the Apostle Peter is very emphatical 2 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ himself who was God-man made satisfaction for sins and laid down the price of our Redemption yea he himself was the price of our Redemption God hath redeemed the Church with his own blood To understand this two things are to be considered in the Satisfaction of Christ as Alvarez hath observed 1. One is that species or kind of humane actions by which Christ did satisfie and this proceeded from the humane nature as the formal principle of them Thus the Son of God obeyed suffered dyed in the humane nature 2. There is another thing to be considered in Christs Satisfaction and that is the infinite value and worth that was found in it Now the infinite value and worth that was in the Satisfaction of Christ proceeded from the person satisfying that is from the Divine Word or the person of the Son of God subsisting in the humane nature the actions and sufferings of the humane nature are the matter of his Satisfaction but that which gives the virtue and value to them is the Divinity Hence are those expressions of the Ancients If he had not been true God he had not brought a remedy for us Si non esset verus Deus non afferret remedium Quia ille qui moriebatur erat Deus Another observes That therefore did the death of Christ bring salvation to the world because the person who dyed was God And another hath a passage to this purpose Death saith he becoming as it were the death of God hath demolished death for the person that dyed was God and man both the sufferings of Christ being made the sufferings of that person who was God received their virtue from the Divinity As much as if he had said By virtue of the Divine person which suffered in the humane nature those sufferings received their virtue to save us and to make satisfaction for our sins This is another thing that discovers the humiliation of Christs person That he who was God and in his Divine nature simply considered was the person offended yet as God man was pleased to become a ransom for us 1 Tim. 2.6 He gave himself a ransom for all That person who gave himself a ransom for all is the Mediator and who is the Mediator but God-man 1 Joh. 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin There is a great Emphasis upon those words Jesus Christ his Son It is the blood of that person who was no other than the Son of God and God which cleanseth us from all sin It is a memorable speech of Luther He gave saith he not silver not gold neither was it a meer man that he gave neither did he give all the Angels but it was himself that he gave as the price of our Redemption than which nothing was greater neither had he any thing greater to give Consider this price aright and we shall find it infinitely greater than the whole Creation 5. In the sufferings of Christ we may see the humiliation of his person from hence namely that in the death of Christ the glory of his Divinity seemed to be most obscured and darkened and suffered the greatest Eclipse What more unworthy of God than suffering and death What more absurd and incongruous in the eye of carnal reason than a crucified God Now herein did Christ commend the greatness of his love to us That he permitted the glory of his Divinity by means of his death and suffering to be eclipsed for our sakes That he who was the immortal God should expose himself to suffering and death for our sakes as if he had been no more than a passible and mortal man for though he were really and indeed the Son of God and God the Lord of Glory yet by reason of his death and sufferings he was by the generality of men thought to be but as an ordinary man This is that which the Apostle intimates 1 Cor. 2.8 Whom none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not
him giving himself to us for these are no vain words This is my body which was broken for you setting aside those gross conceits of the Papists That the bread is transubstantiated into the body of Christ and that Christ is corporally present under the outward form of the Elements I say setting aside their gross conceits there is certainly a real though spiritual presence of Christ to every believing soul in the Sacrament The humane nature of Christ indeed is really present in Heaven therefore is it said Whom the heavens must contain till the time of the restitution of all things Act. 3. Yet the virtue of Christs body and blood is still really communicated to every believing soul Corpus ipsum in quo passus est resurrexit yea not only so saith Calvin Not only the virtue of his Death and Resurrection but that very body that dyed and rose again this is offered to us in the Sacrament these are great Mysteries indeed Now not to have a due reverence to such great and sublime Mysteries as these are to come to these as if they were common and ordinary things or to come to them with a common and slight spirit this is to come unworthily 2. Then do we come unworthily to the Sacrament when we live in the practice of any gross sin or retain the love of any sin We profess by our coming to the Sacrament that we believe that Christ dyed for such and such sins and yet we love these sins or continue in the practice of those sins that cost Christ his life this is to offer the greatest indignity to the Son of God This is as if a Traitor should come to sit at Table with the King to dine or sup with him and yet never repent of his treason but retain a traiterous mind and intention in his heart all the while When a man sits at the same table to eat and drink with another it is a sign of friendship no one would willingly admit another to his table but whom he accounts to be his friend When we come to the Lords Table we profess the highest friendship to Christ now when we profess the highest friendship to Christ and yet retain that in our love and practice that is most directly contrary to the honour and glory of Christ this is the greatest indignity that can be This is that the Apostle calls the crucifying the Son of God afresh and putting him to an open shame Heb. 6.6 What is this but crucifying Christ afresh and making Christ as contemptuous as possibly we can whenas we profess to expect salvation by the death and sufferings of Christ and yet in the mean time love harbour entertain and practise those very things we say we believe Christ dyed for Certainly every loose Christian that makes a profession of Christ and yet lives in gross open sins makes a plain mock of Christ and his sufferings for he professeth that he believes he shall be pardoned by the sufferings and death of Christ and yet he continues in the love and practice of those sins as if so be the end of Christs death were that men might continue in their sins and not be delivered from them 3. Then do men come unworthily to the Sacrament when they come without examining themselves Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup 1 Cor. 11.28 It is observable the Apostle opposeth this examining a mans self to his eating unworthily In the former verse he had said He that eats this bread and drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord now he adds But let a man examine himself so then if a man do not examine himself then he eats unworthily But it may be said Object What ought a man to examine himself about Concerning two things Answ 1. Concerning his state 2. Concerning the present frame and dispostion of his heart 1. A man ought to examine himself concerning his state whether he be in Christ whether he have a right to such an Ordinance 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobate We must examine our selves concerning our fundamental estate whether that be good yea or no to examine what standing we have in Christ 2. We ought to examine our selves concerning the frame and disposition of our souls whether we be in a fit frame to partake of such an Ordinance We ought to examine our selves whether our hearts be strongly bent and inclined to any sin whether we be under the power of any sin this is the examination of our repentance We ought to examine what the frame of our hearts is God-ward whether the bent of our hearts be towards God and the ways of God this is the examining of our other graces Now when we rush upon the Sacrament without reflexion and examination of our spiritual state this is unworthy coming And here let us observe That the children of God themselves may in a degree come in an unworthy manner for there are several degrees of unworthy receiving They that have slight and contemptuous thoughts of this Ordinance they that live in gross and scandalous sins they are guilty of unworthy receiving in the highest degree But then they that have true grace and do not retain in their hearts the love of any sin yet if they are remiss in searching into their hearts to find out their secret corruptions and to judge themselves for them they come unworthily in a lesser degree and God may correct his own children for their spiritual remisness in this kind The Apostle tells us For this cause many were sickly and weak and many were fallen asleep 1 Cor. 11.30 that is for coming to the Sacrament without due preparation Others who grosly profane this Ordinance that come to this Ordinance and live in gross sins and continue to live and dye in them God punisheth them otherwise he punisheth them with eternal condemnation He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself or judgment to himself as the word may be rendred The godly themselves coming in a rude and careless manner to this Ordinance may and oftentimes do bring the judgment of temporal chastisement upon themselves for not coming in a right manner to so great an Ordinance But such as are profane who come to this Ordinance and yet live in sin they eat to themselves the judgment of eternal condemnation Now to return unto what we first propounded to come unworthily to the Sacrament is one way of contemning Christs sufferings And if it be asked What is the reason of it why is the unworthy receiving of the Sacrament a contemning of Christs sufferings I answer 1. Because the Sacrament is a plain revelation and exhibition of Christ crucified This is my body which was broken
Elders and chief Priests and Scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day Our Saviour was not ignorant of his own sufferings but had a perfect contemplation of them in his mind before-hand he knew how great and bitter and sore they would be and yet he was content to undergo them for our sakes Consid 8 The love of Christ in his sufferings appears in this That so great a person should give himself to suffer such things to expiate so vile a thing as sin which yet he hated so much and had power to punish that the life of the best person should go to expiate the worst thing this is admirable Sin is the worst of evils the vilest thing in the world Now that the life of the most excellent person the life of the Son of God should be given to expiate so vile a thing as sin this is admirable indeed The Lord hath caused to meet on him the iniquity or perversness of us all Isa 53. Sin is the perversness of the creature it is the crookedness or depravation of a mans actions sin is a defection or turning aside from a right path and yet the Son of God gave himself to expiate so vile a thing as sin is Dedit tam inaestimabile pretium pro tam despecta odioque dignissima re Luther It is a speech of Luther He gave so inestimable a price for our sins for a thing so vile so despicable so worthy to be hated What more abominable what more odious in the sight of God than sin and yet the Son of God gave himself to expiate our sins Sin is most hareful to Christ Heb. 1.9 Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity it is spoken of Christ and yet though Christ hated sin so much he gave himself for our sins Gal. 1.4 Who gave himself for our sins and as Christ hated sin so had he power to punish and to be avenged for it and yet rather than we should undergo the punishment that was due to us he himself who had power to inflict the punishment and might justly have done it was content to suffer the punishment for us Well may we cry out with Luther O the condescension and love of God to wards man God was the person offended and yet God came to suffer the punishment that man deserved Consid 9 The love of Christ in his sufferings appears in this That Christ had all the Elect before him at once and suffered for all the Elect. It was not for one or a few of the Elect only that he suffered or for some or a few of their sins that he suffered but it was for all the sins of all the Elect Eph. 5.25 Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it It was the Church that Christ gave himself for Christ knew all his sheep by name and he laid down his life for his sheep Paul could say He hath loved me and given himself for me and every true Believer may say He hath loved me and given himself for me Why now what an insinite Sea and Ocean of love must there needs be in the heart of Christ when as Christ out of the greatness of his love gave himself as a Sacrifice to expiate the guilt of all the sins of all the Elect that ever had been committed or should be committed to the end of the world This is set forth by the Apostle 1 Joh. 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world that is Christ is not only the propitiation for ours sins who do now live and believe on him but he is also the propitiation for the sins of all others who shall live after us and believe on him even to the end of the world The virtue of Christs death and the efficacy of his sufferings to the Elect of all Ages Consid 10 The love of Christ in his sufferings appears in this That Christ by his death and sufferings hath delivered us from that which was the greatest matter of fear to us The great thing which all the sons of men have feared hath been death and the consequence of death The great thing threatned for sin was death In the day that thou eatest thou shalt dye the death Death was the great punishment threatned for sin hence it comes to pass that all mankind ever since the Fall have been under a slavish fear of death and the consequence of death The great things which we do naturally dread are death and what follows death Hell and the wrath of God Now Christ by laying down his life hath taken away the fear of death and the consequences of death This is fully expressed by the Apostle Heb. 2.14 That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage There are two things which the Apostle intimates are the great things that do keep men in bondage all their days the one is the fear of death and the other is the power that the Devil had over men That he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil The Devil hath not the power of death simply and absolutely but he is said to have the power of death as he is the Executioner of Gods wrath and drags men to the torments of Hell Now Christ by his death delivers us from both these he delivers us from the fear of death and from the power of the Devil 1. Christ by death delivers us from death the strength and venom of death is spent in the death of Christ Christ underwent death as it was the Curse that was denounced upon us for sin Now death is no more a part of the Curse to a Believer because Christ hath undergone it as a curse for us 2. Christ hath also undergone the pains and torments of Hell as formerly hath been shewed and therefore he hath enervated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made void or frustrated the power of the Devil as the word signifies Christ by his death hath taken away Satans power The Devil after a sort as he was the Executioner of Gods wrath might be said to have the power of death that is of eternal death after a sort and in a sense he hath power over those torments which the damned feel But now Christ having born those pains and torments for his people the Devil hath nothing to do with them he hath no power over them Could we contemplate death as we ought to do in the death of Christ we might see death to have lost all its strength all its venom in the death of Christ It is the observation of Luther Could we believe so firmly as we ought to do that Christ dyed for our sins and rose again for our justification there would remain nothing of fear or terrour in us for saith he the
is when he is speaking of this very judgment of his in inflicting death upon the sinner The judgment of God is according to truth that is God in determining to punish men for sin determines according to right and equity God is not too rigorous and severe in so doing but he doth determine according to the equity and righteousness of the cause Now that the Nature of God as he is a just and a holy God inclines him to punish sin will appear from three considerations 1. God hates sin infinitely Jer. 44.4 O do not that abominable thing which I hate Sin is that abominable thing which God hates and Gods hatred of sin ariseth from the Holiness of his Nature God is so holy that he cannot but hate sin It is not a matter of liberty to God for him to hate sin or not to hate it God hates sin necessarily he cannot but hate it as he is necessarily holy so he doth necessarily hate sin Now if God do hate sin if he hate it infinitely if he hate it necessarily then he cannot to speak after the manner of men but have an infinite aversation from it for what we hate we have a perfect aversation from and if God hath an infinite aversation from sin as we may suppose that he hath because he hates it how should he manifest and declare this aversation but by punishing of it This is sufficiently declared in the Text I mentioned before Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men As much as if it had been said God hates sin infinitely and hath all along manifested this his hatred and indignation against sin by the judgments which he hath executed in all Ages of the World The drowning of the old World the burning of Sodom and Gomorrha by fire and brimstone from Heaven the swallowing up of Corah Dathan and Abiram and all those remarkable Judgments which we read of in the Word of God what are these but so many infallible proofs of Gods hatred of sin and his indignation against it His nature is set against it and he declares the Holiness and Righteousness of his Nature by the Judgments he inflicts upon men for the commission of it 2. That the Nature of God as he is a holy and just God inclines him to punish sin this also will evince it That it is a Principle that is inlaid in the minds of men that there is corrective or punitive Justice in God whereby he is inclined to punish men when they sin Hence was it that the Heathens spake of an avenging Eye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an Eye as saw and beheld all mens evil actions and was ready to avenge them The Apostle speaks of the Gentiles in common who knowing the judgment of God in the Text I mentioned before Rom. 1. ult As there is such a thing as corrective or punitive Justice in God so all men by the light of Nature retain some sense of it in themselves It is one of those common notions that is impressed in the minds of men and I think we may say it is indelible that God is just most just and as he is just so he is inclined to render to all men according to their works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This the Apostle calls the righteous judgment of God and this righteous judgment of God consists in this that he will render to all men according to their works The Apostle speaks of this at large Rom. 2.5 c. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God The Apostle calls it the righteous judgment of God and wherein doth this righteous judgment of God consist he tells us in the next verse Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil but glory honour and peace to every one that worketh good This is the righteous judgment of God And if we compare this with the foregoing verses it will appear that men have some sense of this righteous judgment of God in themselves for in the first verse of the second Chapter it is said Thou art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that judgest What is it that men judge They judge that which is spoken of in the last verse of the first Chapter Who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death Men have this judgment in themselves that when they sin they are worthy of death this is the judgment which they have in their own consciences 3. As this impression is left in the hearts of men that God is just so men are under some fear and expectation of punishment after they have sinned upon this account because God is just Hence is it that God tells Cain In case thou do evil sin lieth at the door Gen. 4.7 Sin lieth at the door that is the guilt of sin No sooner doth a man commit sin but conscience if it be awakened will tell him presently that punishment is due for that sin Now these three considerations shew that God is holy and just and as he is holy and just so his nature inclines him to punish sin 2. The second thing is this The Will of God as he is true and faithful to his word inclines him to punish sin God threatned that in the day that man sinned he should dye the death Now God must be true to his own word This is certain God decreed to punish sin and he could decree nothing but what was just God having therefore justly decreed to punish sin and manifested that Decree in his word of threatning God must be true to his own Decree and his Word in punishing man when he sinned Pertinent to this is that passage which I have met with in a Learned man God saith he cannot act or do any thing contrary to his own will now God wills that which is just and this was just that the punishment and all the punishment that was due by the Law should be suffered and undergone Hence he infers that this Proposition is always true That God could not have delivered mankind from misery but by a full satisfaction and that all that which the Law requires to be undergone should be undergone Dei posse velle est non posse nolle God could not because he would not he could not because he had determined that the punishment which the Law did denounce should be undergone and inflicted It is a good speech of one of the Ancients Quod ad potentiam Dei omnia ei possibilia funt quod adjustitiam possibilia sola quae