a sufficient and satisfactory price unto God for the party Redeemed 1 Cor. 6.20 Therefore we are said to be bought with a price And this Price is called a ransome price Matt. 20.28 A price to ransome us out of our spirituall captivity Matt. 20.28 and it is said to be laied down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as learned men know signifieth a substitution and Surrogation of one in the roome of another As Matt. 2.22 Archelaus is said for to raign 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the roome of Herod Adde further That this Price which Christ laid down for our Redemption is called not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Counter-prise or a price correspondent and answerable 1 Tim. 2.6 to the debt it is paid for It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any shall ask what this price was Saint Peter tells us 1 Pet. 1.19 Act. 20.28 It was the most pretious bloud of Christ and Saint Paul tells us It was the Bloud of God It is called the Bloud of God because shed in his humane nature by him whose Person was God blessed for evermore Rom. 9.5 and hereby it came to have an infinite virtue and efficacy in it Ex infinita Personae dignitate infinitum erat pretium sanguinis et carnis quam pro nobis obtulit Hence it was that the Bloud of one man became sufficient to Redeem all beleevers and the Bloud shed in a little space able to satisfy for sins which deserved eternall punishment because the Person that suffred was God as well as man All this and much more which might be added doth clearly prove That Jesus Christ hath made Satisfaction to God for the Sins of all who beleeve in him This great and fundamentall truth is very pithily soundly Orthodoxly practically and profitably handled in this ensuing Treatise It is written by a grave ancient and religious Minister of very good repute amongst the Godly in Yorkshire A Master-builder in Gods House If any shall not relish and taste the sweetness of it he will thereby make it appear that his Palate is much out of tune For to a real Christian it must needs be very welcom Let not our ignorance of the Author hinder us from buying and reading of it but let us consider that it is recommended to us by one who well knowes him Mr. Edw. Bowles Mininster at York and who is well-known to the world and in whose judgment we may safely confide The subject matter of this discourse is to shew how Jesus Christ who is the fountain of all blessedness volutarily submitted himself to be made a curse not onely accursed but a curse to Redeem us from the curse of the Law due to our sins And that this may not seem a riddle or a Paradox you must know that Christ Jesus may be considered 2 wayes 1. As he was the Sonne of God 1 Pet. 2.24 2. As our surety bearing our sins in his body upon the Cross In the first respect he was alwaies the well-beloved Sonne of God in whome he is well-pleased But as he was our Representative in this respect he underwent the wrath of God and the curse of the law due to us not due to him simply Mâ—tt 3.17 but due to us and born by him as our surety The hatred was against us and our sins God never hated his Sonne But yet as he stood in our stead and was made sin for us who knew no sin he suffered the effects of Gods hatred even the puishment due to our sins 2 Cor. 5.21 And whereas the Socinians and those who are against Christs Soule-sufferings say That Christ is therefore onely said to be made a curse because he suffred the bodily death of the Cross which by the law was a cursed way of dying and this they say is evident by what the Apostle addes in the latter end of the curse for it is written Gal 3.13 Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree This is notoriously false as appears 1. Because that curse which Christ redeemed us from that curse Christ was made or else the Apostle had not reasoned soundly in saying Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us That curse which Christ redeemed us from that curse he was made But Christ redeemed us from the corporal spiritual and eternal curse And therefore such a curse he was made secundum aequipollentiam though not secundum omnimodam Identitatem Jesus Christ for our sins suffered so much of the curse of the law as was possible D. Willet and necessary for him to suffer And as a learned man saith he suffred all such pains of hell which were neither dishonourable to his person nor defiling to his nature nor obstructive to the works of Redemption 2. The bodily death of Christ upon the Cross is brought in by the Apostle as one very well saith not as the formal reason of the Curse Calovâ—us in his Socinismus profligatus but onely as a signe and declaration of it The Curse did not precisely consist in the death of the cross neither were they that were hung upon a Tree therefore accursed because hung upon a Tree but the hanging on the Tree was a signe they were accursed as Hierome excellently Hier. upon Galat. 3.13 Non quicunque pependerit in ligno maledictus coram Deo sed qui propter scoelus suspensus Not every one that hangeth on a Tree is cursed of God but he that hangeth there for his sinne If Haman had prevailed for the hanging of innocent Mordecah upon the gallowes he should not have stood accursed Wherefore it was not the death of the Cross but our sinnes hanging upon the Cross that derived this curse upon Christ. This is evident by the very words of Moses quoted by the Apostle Deut. 21.22 23. If a man hath committed a sinne worthy of death and he be to be put to death and thou hang him on a Tree his body shall not remain c. By which words it appeares That it was not so much the kinde of death as the desert of death which made it ignominious It was our sinnes hanging with Christ upon the Cross which made the same an accursed death Adde what Moses saith Deut. 21.23 He that is hanged is accursed of God But now no death is in it self more ignominious then another before God 3. The shame thereof is external and concerneth men Ergo the Curse was not onely nor especially in the shamefulness of the death The ordinary gloss thus noteth upon the words Non est hoc in contumelia Domini quid mirum si maledictus dicitur a Deo qui habet in se quod Deus odit id est peccatum This redoundeth not to the reproach of God for what marveil if he be said to be accursed of God in 3 Gal. that
cursed Adam when he had sinned Gen. 3.17 and he is said to bring curses on a people and to give a people to the curse and to make them to be an Execration Pro. 3.33 Isa 24.6 43.28 Jer. 42.18 and the curse is said to be powred upon men Dan. 9.11 Sect. 2. A more particular Enquire what the Curse is and wherein it stands BUt it may be worth the labour to enquire more particularly what this Curse is and wherein it stands we may expresse it thus It is the abandoning of the sinner from God and so from all happiness and the throwing of him downe into the folds of his wrath and so into all miserie we read Jos 6. of the accursed thing * God laid a curse on the spoile of Jericho that is devoted it to utter destructions ⸫ Ver. 17 18 * giving a strict charge that no man should meddle with it upon paine of being accursed and devoted to destruction himself which was accordingly executed upon Achan chap. 7. Truly sinne is that Accursed thing there is nothing in all the world so accursed as sinne and whosoever meddles with it God from heaven pronounceth that man accursed and devotes him to the uttermost of his wrath even to eternall destruction Deut. 27.26 God is blessed yea blessednesse it self therefore the blessednesse of the creature must needs stand in the enjoying of God and so of all good in him contrariwise then the cursednesse of the creature stands in its being cast off from God and consequently implunged into his displeasure and the greatest misery It is set forth somtimes by darknesse for God is light and to be separated from him is to be compassed with black darknesse sometimes by death as in the threatning Gen. 2.17 for he is life and to be removed from him is to dwell in the very shadow of death Thus did the Lord curse Adam after his sin q. d. Seeing thou hast a mind to depart from me be it so I do abandon thee out of my presence be gone from me Thou art accursed and accursed thou shalt be and to seal up this sentence he thrusts him out of Paradise Gen. 3.24 Now this Curse even as the sin hath spred and derived it self to all his posterity so that all are accursed in and with him And that we may view it more fully let us consider it in the parts as it lies 1. On the body 2. On the soul 3. On both together I. The curse on the body shews it self miserable 1. Birth 2. Life 3. Death 1. A miserable birth attended with pain and sorrow both to mother and child the mother cries the child weeps there is a curse in the begetting conceiving bearing in the wombe and bringing forth Gen. 3.16 the curse is derived to us and descends upon us all from the loins of our fathers and the wombs of our Mothers Deut. 28.18 it takes hold upon us and is in force against us as soon as ever we have a being 2. A miserable life the Curse attends us and goes along with us during our continuance here in our persons names estates callings and in all that ever we either do or suffer The poyson and power of it breaks forth either 1. In infflicting on us positive evils as on our persons sicknesses diseases deformity weaknesse toilsome labours Gen. 3.19 Deut. 28.21 22 27 60. c. on our estates crosses losses plunderings poverty ver 16.17 31 32. 51 52. on our names disgrace reproach ver 37. on our callings and all our wayes ver 20.29 Or 2. in withholding from us good blessings ver 23. 33. Jer. 5.25 Or 3. in blasting the blessings which we enjoy or putting a sting into them so that they become either hurtfull or unprofitable Mal. 2.2 Yea the earth which is given to the children of men is cursed to the sinner Gen. 3.17 c. denying its strength for his sustenance bringing forth bryars c. 3. A miserable death the body is continually murling away and old age it self tasts deeply of this bitter cup. For although the hoary head be a crown of glory yet that is no thanks to it self its onely when it s found in the way of righteousness Prov. 16.31 still the sinner of an hundred years old shall be accursed Isa 65.20 We are all of the dust and shall at length return to it Gen. 3.19 Psal 89.48 The body by its union to the soul enjoyed life but by separation it becomes a livelesse carkasse This separation is a curse not onely in it self but also 1. in the manner of it for its a parting of two old friends and usually is done with violence and painfulnes as if you would rend an arme from the bodie or pluck the heart out of the bellie 2. In the consequent of it the bodie must lie in the grave and rott there Psal 49.14 so that now the sinner hath no more place in the land of the living a full period is put to all his earthly contentments and sometimes he leaves his name for a curse to posteritie Isa 65.15 and it rotts Psal 10.7 II. But oh all this is nothing in comparison of that curse which falls upon the soule I shall reduce the things which appertaine to this head to 3 particulars 1. An utter forfeiture of the special sweet favour of God even in this life together with a wofull subjection unto his hot displeasure We may suppose the Lord speakes thus to our first Father and in him to us all you had my favour my countenance was towards you I embraced you once with loving kindnes and you were happie in it and if you had continued in your obedience you might have continued in my love and I would still have compassed you about with my goodnes but seeing you have set it so light you shall have no more of it you shall know how you come by it hereafter yea the fire of mine indignation shall smoke against you to the uttermost ye were once my Hephzibah a chosen generation the dearly beloved of my soule now ye are become a smoke in my nostrils the generation of my wrath and a people against whome the Lord will have indignation for ever Thus we are all struck dead with the losse of Gods favour and plunged over head and eares in the sea of his dreadfull displeasure We are deprived of that which is better than life and filled brim-full of that which is worse than death see Isa 27.11 Rom. 1.18 Eph. 2.3 2. An utter losse of the faire pure image of God which was put upon us in the day of our Creation and in stead of that a putting on us the foule black image of the Divel and sinne We may suppose againe the Lord speakes thus I created thee after mine own image I did put upon thee the stampe of the divine nature in wisdome righteousnes and holinese of truth but seeing thou wast so farre from taking care to preserve it that thou didst wantonly
imputing of righteousness go together as it appears by the Apostles explication of the Prophet David's meaning Psal 32.1 2. Romans 4.6 7 8. God sees no iniquitie in Jacob and when the sins of Judah are sought for they shall not be found Jer. 50.20 understand this not in regard of the inordinacie and blameableness of the acts nor yet simply in reference to the just desert of sin considered in it self for these are of the very nature of sin and cannot be separated from it but in respect of the particular guilt and punishment of those persons which being taken away they do thereupon stand right in the Court of heaven We see it here in Courts below if nothing come in against a man if there be no accuser he is quit and stands as innocent in point of Law as if he had not been questioned So when Christ hath by his satisfaction disabled the Law from giving in any evidence against the poor sinner he then is absolved and stands clear before the great Judg when the Lord hath found a ransome then he doth not onely say Deliver the sinner but he shews unto him his uprightness that is he makes him partaker of the righteousness of Christ Iob 33.23 24. c. and so looks upon him as righteous through his satisfaction This was one end why the Lord made Christ sin for us 2 Cor. 5 21. Let the poor convinced soul take notice of this also Thou feelest much guilt on the spirit thou groanest under it and fearest damnation but here is thine acquittance When the poor woman's accusers were slunk away Christ said to her Woman hath no man condemned thee neither do I John 8.10 11. so saith the Lord to thee See poor soul the Law saith nothing against thee the mouth of thine accusers are stopp'd none can condemn thee neither will I yea thou mayest make the same challenge that the Apostle make's Who shall lay any thing to my charge God justifies c. Rom. 8.33 34. Sect. 3. Other four benefits flowing from Redemption 4. Adoption by Creation we were the sons of God we bare his image as a son bears the image of his father Luke 3.38 but yielding to Sathan's temptation and affecting a new fancied Divinity we fell from God lost the title and dignitie of sons forfeited all our birth-right and made our selves no better then the bratts of hell But the son of God manifested in the flesh hath not onely washed off our sin in the guilt and curse due to us but hath restored us to the dignity of children This was one of those high ends which the Lord had in his eye when he sent him in that humbled posture to redeem us it was that we might receive the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4.4 5. The Apostle Paul reckoning up eight several honours which God had conferred upon the people of the Jews wherein they excelled all other nations he sett's adoption first as the most eminent Rom. 9.4 according to that Exod. 4.22 Israel is my son even my first born This being but an external dignity to continue for a time till the partition wall should be broken down was a shadow and resemblance of that Gospel-honour which we have by the work of Redemption even the right or dignity to be the sons of God Jo. 1.12 the Congregation of the first born Heb. 12.23 and if children then heirs yea joint heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 for being now in Christ and made partakers of his righteousness we have fellowship also with him in his Sonship Gal. 3.26 This is a fruit of the abundant grace of Christ and an high advance of the work of Redemption applied If the Lord be pleased to have pity on base runagate prodigalls he might have bought us out into the condition of hired servants that had been favour far beyond expectation But to adopt us into his family Luk. 15.19 22 23. Dignitas quaedam sablimis Ames to kill the fatted calf for us to put upon us the best robe to set us at his table and to grace us with the honour of sonnes yea heirs of God a better estate than Adam lost what an high dignity is this behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed on us and admire it 1 Jo. 3.1 2. Indeed it doth not yet appear what we shall be our happiness lyes under a cloud vailed from the eyes of the world and in a great part from our selves also but yet we are even here the Lord's first born and the glory of this condition shall one day be revealed in despite of hell and the world Judge not your selves miserable because your neighbours so account you but know that your Redeemer hath purchased your enfranchisement and now the Lord takes you for his sonnes and daughters never to be disinherited or cast out any more 5. Sanctification The first Adam having wantonly engaged in a rebellion against his Maker did thereby not onely implunge himself and all his into the gulf of Gods curse but also forfeit that matchless Jewel of his Image which was infinitely too good to be prosticuted to his inordinate lust Whence followes a wofull change in our natures by a depravation of the whole frame of our soules in all the powers of them and making us like unto Sathan So that now we are every way dead as to our spiritual estate both by sin in the loss of God's favour which is better then life and in sin by the loss of that conformity to him which once we enjoyed But our great redeemer frees us from this death also by Sanctification This was one end of Christs giving himself for the Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it Eph. 5.25 26. his death hath a soveraign vertue to work the death of sin as his life hath to work the life of righteousness Rom. 6.4 5 6. He is made of God to us Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 and now as there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ so they are set free from the Law of sin and death by that law of the spirit of life which is in Christ and all this ariseth from God's sending him to condemn sin in the flesh Rom. 8.1 2 3. Christ was put to death in the flesh and for a requital he puts to death the flesh that is the body of sin in us The law laid the Curse upon him and he having borne it turn's it upon the Law of sin which is in our members and blasts that rotten stump saying to it as once he said to the unprofitable fig-tree Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever Matth. 21.19 and seting a new plant of holiness in the soul to bring forth fruit unto God Indeed we see it not yet fully done but the Curse is gone out against the old man and he is wasting and shall be utterly destroyed in time Let the Lords people see their happiness in this also Poor soul thou cryest out unclean unclean I
26.70 c. yet the Lord Jesus passed by all these provocations and he became both a witness of his sufferings and a partaker of the glory to be revealed Acts 13.9 1 Pet. 5.1 Saul who was also called Paul did not onely reject Christ and the tender of Salvation by him but also was injurious a persecuter a blasphemer plaid the mad man against the Saints and compelled them to blaspeme Might not Paul have despaired of favour and said surely God will plead the cause of his Justice against me he will never put up such high affronts against mercie But we hear no such language No the grace of our Lord saith he was exceeding abundant c. 1 Tim. 1.13 14. Herein he was set for a pattern to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 16. Let the same minde be in us 2. For the latter The converted soule who is actually made partaker of the grace of Redemption and all his scores cleared as to his estate of unregeneracy yet even he may see matter of discomfort by reason of 〈◊〉 1. It s presence or in dwelling Oh saith the Godly soul I feel a lump of sinne still â—â—â—â—ing in me there is a troublesome Inmate that still hampers me a continual dropping 〈◊〉 â—oâ—ome-enemy which besets and clogs 〈◊〉 wofully it is as near me as my very bowels I cannot be quiet for it if I lie down or if I rise up if I go forth or if I come in it is still about me In the business and imployments of my ordinary calling it't ' puting in an oar and in performance of Religious duties but it act's with all its might raising up oftentimes such base passions and lusts as like a malignant East-winde are ready to blast my best fruits Oh sad complaint But pause a while and take one thing with another Thou thinkest thou art still under the Curse while the case is thus with thee but it is not so The great designe of thy Redeemer in destroying sinne and delivering thee from it doth not take place fully whilest thou art in this mortality His meaning was not to remove it wholly out of thy soul so as no footstep of it should remain but onely to take away the sting and deadly ruining power of it for the present The total abolishing of it must be a gradual work not to be perfected till thou shalt put on incorruption Thy happiness here stands not in the not having sin but in the Lords not imputing of sin through the satisfaction of Christ It is the wisedome of our heavenly Father thus to exercise those whom he prepares to be vessels of mercy He will have their remaining time here to be a warfare that they may know the fellowship of Christs sufferings He was burthened with thy sin and could not be rid of it till death thou must be conformed to thine head and make account it will be thy neighbour while thou art in the body But remember that while thou art yoked with this body of sin and groaning under it thy Redeemer hath compassion on thee If the Canaanite be in the Land he will be a thorn in Israels side yet he shall not prevail Holy Paul had a law in his members which led him captive to the law of sin and made him cry out Oh miserable man yet even then he can thank God in the view of full deliverance by Christ Rom. 7.21 23 c. Thine head is now conforming thee to himselfe and will not cease till hee hath wrought out thy victory with triumph 2 It is prevalency or domineering Oh! if I had it under I could have some ground of comfort but alas it is exceeding masterful it doth not onely lead but hold me captive Oh! how doth sin rage within me Strong lusts like the Anakims If there be any grace in me any thing of the new man it is but as a grashopper in comparison of a Gyant One cryes out of the lust of the flesh which soon kindles and gets up into a flame of inclination to bodily uncleanness Another of the lust of the eyes in too eager desires after the world A third of pride of life in ambitious aspirings after great things A fourth of rash anger which bears him down as with the stream and puts him upon unseemly language and carriage And although I pray and strive against my lust saith the Christian yet it still ever and anon gets the upper hand I have been overtaken with a gross sin I have fallen into it again and again yea I have sinned willingly against knowledge and with delight I fear I shall one day perish by the hand of sin But stay a while and hearken what the Lord will speak to thee It is a sad thing that Christs free-man should be so hankled in a snare and so trampled under the feet of a masterful lust and more sad if he should lay under the power and command of a gross sin in the actual committing of it yet there is hope in Israel concerning this Onely take notice that I have no designe to bolster up the sinner in his way of inquity my endeavour is to speak peace to the disconsolate Saint I say then thou art not alone poor soul others of the Lords people have been and may be in this very condition Noah foulely overcome with wine yet commended by God himself to be a righteous man Sampson intangled in the love of one Harlot after another yet numbred among those which by faith obtained a good report David deeply implunged into those two gross sinnes Adultery and murder and abiding under the guilt of them a long time yet who among all the Lords Worthies registred in Scripture was comparable to him There were sacrifices in the Law for sins against knowledge as well as sins of ignorance A man that was grievously infected with the Leprosie Levit. 6.1 2 6 7. Levit. 13. â— 14 4 c. had means of cleansing at hand as well as he that was defiled with ordinary uncleanness The blood of the Redeemer can purge all sorts of sins and therefore the mercy of God doth reach out to pardon all Exod. 34.7 Is thy sin in too great power Remember that Christ crucified is the power of God he will break the head of Leviathan he came to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 Hast thou sinned willingly and with delight Jesus Christ delighted to do his Fathers will Ps 40.8 he suffered willingly for thy sin The Lord sometimes gives lust and sin leave to rage and master his servants for a season but it shall not totally prevail Although thy corruptions be as the sons of Zeruiah to David too hard for thee yet if the bent of thy soul bee against them if thou fightest against them with the heart of an enemy thou shalt at last bee conquerour over them through the Cross of Christ See the promise Rom. 6.14 3 The advantage which Justice might get against him by
Mount EBAL Levell'd OR REDEMPTION FROM THE CURSE Wherein are Discovered 1. The wofull condition of Sinners under the Curse of the Law 2. The nature of the Curse what it is with the symptomes of it in its Properties and Effects 3. That wonderful dispensation of Christs becoming a Curse for us 4. The Grace of Redemption wherein it stands in opposition to some gross Errors of the times which darken the truth of it 5. The excellent Benefits Priviledges Comforts and Engagements to duty which flow from it By Elkanah Wales M. A. Preacher of the Gospel at Pudsey in York-shire O piissime frange esurientibus panem tuum meis quidem si dignaris manibus sed tuis viribus Bernard super Cantic Serm. 1. London Printed by R. Trott for Tho. Johnson at the Golden Key in St. Pauls Church-yard 1659. The Epistle Dedicatory To the Right Honourable THOMAS Lord FAIRFAX Right Honourable IT may seem somewhat strang that one of so low a name and as low desert especially being so far gone towards the Sunset of his day here below should now in this press-oppressing Age hazard himself thus upon the publike stage I hope I may speak it in truth it is not any itching desire to be seen in print that hath prevailed with me to make this adventure The great Motive was this Sundrie of my worthy freinds both Ministers and private Christians which conceive a better opinion of me than I doe of my self have sometimes expressed their desires that I would leave something behind me before I shall goe hence and be no more which might conduce to the building up of my hearers in their most holy faith and obedience This invitation comming from several hands and so frequently renewed after along time of serious debating it within mine owne brest I inclined to think it might be the call of God VVhereupon I resolved to make choice of some fit subject to handle in mine ordinarie ministration at home and having pitched upon this and brought it to a period by the good hand of God upon me notwithstanding many interruptions I shall now send it forth to shift for it self in the crowd I have no reason to account it any thing worth as it commeth from me I freely acknowledg that I fail very much in the manner of handling yet the Argument it self is of special necessity and worth touching upon the three maine Pillars or principles of Christian Religion viz. Mans miserie by the fall his Recoverie by Christ and his Duty arising thereupon If the Lord be pleased to give it favour in the eyes of his people and to make it usefull to raise the price of the grace of Redemption in the hearts of those that heard it or of any others and to engage them more strongly to the love and service of their dear redeemer I have my whole desire I humbly crave leave that I may inscribe it to your Lordships Name thereby to manifest some small Testimonie of my thankfulness for your many undeserved favours You were pleased to take notice of me in the time of the fiâ—st wars and ever since as occasion was offered to looke upon me with a far fairer aspect than I could desire Although I am a man of a mean parentage and condition in the world and formerly a stranger to your Honour yet you received me as a minister of Jesus Christ and have shewed forth a tender care of my welfare a rare condescension in persons of so high rank besides many reall kindnesses making me at sundrie times very noble offers of places of considerable profit for my better support and more comfortable progress in the Lords work How much your Lordship hath deserved of this Nation by managing the militarie affaires of it to the apparent hazard of your estate health and life too is so famously known to all that I am willing to hope that this age although otherwise unthankfull enough cannot so easily forget it as not to send down the memorie of it to posteritie Your love to true godliness in the power of it your readines to supply the necessity of the S t s your affectionatness to faithful Ministers your care to provide godly Preachers for all places where you have power or interest and to allow them comfortable saleries for their labours these and the like good works do praise you in the gates in the hearts tongues of all those which either know or have heard the report of them But I am perswaded that the lowlines of your spirit cannot willingly heare a trumpet sounding forth your praises Therefore I forbeare The Lord direct your heart into the love of God and the patience of Christ put under his hand to support you in all your weaknesses and afflictions and conferre upon you all spirituall blessings in heavenly places preparing for salvation which shall be the dayly prayer of Your Lordships humble servant Elk Wales To the Reader THe doctrine of Christs Satisfaction by his bloudy death to the Justice of God for the sins of all who beleeve in him is so clearly held forth in Scripture that there are none found to contradict it but such who deny his eternall Godhead and thereby are forced by adding one Heresy to another to renounce the Doctrine of his satisfaction also For who but a God could rescue us out of the hand of the Divel give a Ransome for sin satisfy infinite Justice and redeem us from the curse of the law Who but a God could reconcile us to God and purchase Justification sanctification and eternal salvation for us And therefore let all those who beleev that Christ Jesus is the true God one in essence with the Father be also confirmed in the Doctrine of his Satisfaction The whole comfort and happiness of a Christian is wrapt up in these two fundamentall truthes For if Christ be not God or if he be a God onely by Office as Magistrates are called Gods and not by nature then is Christian religion a Compound of folly Madness and Idolatry in worshipping a meer creature or a made God as the Socinians blasphemously call him with Divine worship in praying to him in trusting and beleeving in him And if he hath not made satisfaction for our Sins then are we still under the curse of the Law liable to the revengfull justice of God must of necessity perish everlastingly Indeed the word satisfaction is not in Scripture no more then the word Trinity or Sacrament but there is that in Scripture which is every way aequivalent to it For it sayeth That we are Redeemed by Christ. Col. 1.14 And not Redeemed by way of Permutation as when one Prisoner is exchanged for another or by way of free manumission as Ahab freely dismissed Benhadad or by way of force and power as the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt unless it be in reference to the Divel out of whose clutches we are by force rescued by Christ. But by way of Justice by paying
hath in himself that which God hateth namely sinne not his own but ours And therefore I conclude That Christ was made a Curse for us not onely by the ignominious manner of his death but by suffering in our stead the Curse due to our sinnes The Lord give us grace so to study Christ's being made a curse for us that by faith in him and love to him we may be freed from it and the blessings of Abraham may be our portion Thy servant in Christ Jesus Edm. Calamy TO THE READER ALthough this Treatise in regard of its worth and weight might without any Testimonial have adventured it self even upon this censorious and froward generation yet seeing something by way of recommendation is desired I look upon it not onely as a duty but an honour that I may be serviceable in leading forth so usefull a book into the world as I apprehend this to be and certainly I can make no better use of my Name than to prefix it to this discourse if it may be an inducement unto any one to read it The Authour concerning whom my affectionate esteem will not suffer me to be wholly silent is a person of long standing in the faith and much experience in the things of Christ now passing the seventieth year of his age and about the forty fifth year of his Ministery And having well-nigh fulfilled the dayes of our yeares which are said to be Threescore and ten Psal 90.10 being within sight of Eternitie he hath set before his eye the infinite obligations of eternal Redemption and not thought it sufficient to serve his own generation by preaching the Gospel but hath been perswaded to leave this labour of Love as a Legacy to the generation to come that the people yet to be borne may know and praise their Redeemer The work thou hast in thine hand is the fruit of a well-grown tree that brings forth fruit in its old age and though the leaves and branches thereof may not be so seemingly fair and luxuriant as some younger plants do afford yet taste of the fruit and thou shalt finde it of good relish sound and nourishing It grew indeed in a cold Northern Climate which men think brings little to perfection but it had the advantage of a warme heart which is the best soil and the beames of the sonne of righteousness for the ripening of it If any say It is a common Subject let him remember Titus 1.4 that it is Common Faith and Common Salvation Iude 3. and must be known by more then a common knowledge It 's plain indeed as being reached not to Curiosity but to Conscience but plain work clean wrought is very commendable and many times where is most of Art there is least of Use Yet it is not so plain but the lines and engravings of the Holy Ghost may be discerned in it by an eye well enlightened and although the Treatise was entended mainly for Practise yet our reverend Authour like a wise and vigilant builder hath as the exigents of these times require carried on his work with a weapon on the one hand Neh. 4.17 and a working Instrument in the other defending the Truth against its adversaries as well as recommending its followers Let it not therefore be grievous to thee for it is safe for thee Christian Reader to retire a little from the Curiosities and Contentions of this pretending Age to a serious Consideration of this most necessary and weighty subject For though thou understood all Mysteries and all knowledge and hadst Faith to remove mountains it will profit thee nothing unless thou canst finde this Mount EBAL levell'd zechar 4.7 this great Mountain of CURSES made to thee a plain before the Lord JESUS who buildeth up his Church as an Holy Temple unto God But I will not detain thee from the work it self whith set's before thee DEATH and LIFE a CURSE and a CHRIST The Lord by his special grace incline thine heart unto and establish it in a sincere choise of the Lord Jesus that thy soul may live So prayes Thy servant in the Gospel Edw. Bowles YORK April 19. 1658. To the Inhabitants of PUDSEY LEEDS and BRADFORD Beloved Brethren I Need not say much to you concerning the Reverend Authour of the ensuing Treatise You fully know his doctrine manner of life purpose 2 Tim. 3.10 Faith Long-suffering Charitie Patience That he hath laboured long in his masters Vineyard as with great diligence so not without some success It is the high commendation of blessed Paul that from Jerusalem and round about even to Illyricum Rom. 15.19 he fully preached the Gospel of Christ So our Reverend brother not onely in the populous places near unto us but in lesser Villages hath frequently sounded the Gospel of Salvation not confining his labours to that obscure Congregation wherein he hath officiated as a painful overseer for many yeares but communicating the sweet savour of Christ to many others and let us adde this He hath been so farre from heeding the preferments of this world though tendered him at several times as he hath contented himself with a mean allowance not worthy to be named considering his worth and industry but I shall say no more of him though I might say exceeding much as knowing his modestie to be such as he would rather blame than thank me for it Give me leave to say a little unto you who have so often been partakers of his Ministerial labours and 1. To you of Pudsey whose Pastor he hath been and still is much precious seed he hath sown among you and therefore from you is expected much precious fruit If you after so much Preaching Catechising and expounding be found either ignorant or secure prophane or dissolute as you are left without excuse so the many yeares pains of so faithfull a Teacher will rise up in Judgement against you Luke 12.45 To whom much is given of him much is required God hath given in to you much instruction He exspects from you much knowledge of the best things endeared affections thereunto and abundance of those fruits Matth. 3.8 which John the Baptist calls Fruits meet for Repentance worthy of amendment of life Which I desire may be considered that so you may not be found barren and unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming 2 Pet. 1.18 The goodness of the soil should be seen in the plentifulness of the Crop and the pains of the Pastor in the peoples knowledge of God and Christ in their Faith hope love meekness humilitie patience holiness and obedience 2. For you of Leeds and Bradford as you have all and often participated of his godly labours so I heartily wish and desire it may appear you have not done so in vain and therefore exhort you to remember how you have heard Revel 3.3 and received and hold fast and repent Yea to hold fast these good and ancient truths you have
cast filth upon it therefore I doe remand it from thee it shall no longer abide in that base unworthie soule of thine henceforth let that ugly image of sinne and hell which it seemes pleaseth thee better seize upon thee take it to thee and fils thy self with it Thus we are all alienated from the life of God Eph. 4.18 This part of the curse lyes heavie on the whole soule 1. On the Mind and understanding part which is impotent and unable to conceive the things of God and to discerne of things that differ our understandings are darkened Eph. 4.18 see 1. Cor. 2.14 2. On the Conscience which is defiled Tit. 1.15 being either sensles and so excusing when it should accuse Eph. 4.19 or when awaked wanting just matter of excusing and so unpeaceable Isa 57.21 3. On the will which is rebellious against the truth and wayes of God revealed to the mind depraved in its power of chusing can will onely that which is evil cannot will that which is good see Pro. 17.11 Jer. 5.23 Math. 23.37 4. On the affections which being the Wills Waiting-Maids are of the same temper disordered affecting evil disaffecting good running into extremitie of excesse or defect and so spoyling the conversation Thus man once made upright yet by seeking out many inventions Eccl. 7.29 is become without God in the world Eph. 2.12 ergo accursed 3. When the soule and body are parted then the wretched soule is sent down to hell to take possession of those everlasting flames As soone as ever the first death hath done its office forthwith the doome of the second death passeth upon the immortall soule and then the great Jaylour of hell layeth hold upon it and drags it into the presence of the Almighty on whom it shall look with horror and amazment Thy now sleeping conscience shall then be awakened and all thy sinnes shall be set in order before thee thou wilt not see them now but they shall then stare in thy face yea thy secret sinnes shall be set in the light of Gods countenance and thy most pleasing iniquities shall appeare before thee in their proper black hiew to gaster thy soule into finall desperation No place left for repentance the doore of mercie and the gate of heaven shall be thenceforth shut up against thee for ever thy wretched soul must take up its lodging in the lothsome prison of hell with the Divell and his Angels Luk. 16.22 23. 1 Pet. 3.19 where it shall lie filled with the wrath of God for the present astonished and swallowed up with the apprehension of the eternitie of that to come and tremblingly waiting for the great day of reckoning and the dreadfull houre when it shall be poured downe in full vials upon the whole man III. The curse which comes upon body and soule together or the whole man may be summed up in these 3 particulars also 1. The losse of his right unto and soveraignty over the creatures The Lord invested Adam in the day of his creation into a title and power * Jus 〈◊〉 potâ—staâ—e vâ— over the work of his hands especially the creatures here below he had free libertie to use them and they were given to be serviceable to him even the Sun Moone and starres to give him light the garden and all the trees of it except that one for his necessarie and comfortable sustenance and refreshing God hath given the earth to the children of men Psal 115.16 yea the Patent extended to dominion over the creatures Gen. 1.28 in which respect the Psalmist greatly admires the Lords high honouring of mankind Psal 8.4 6. c. But now by the fall Adam hath forfeited all this interest so that the creatures might justly deny us their service the Sun Moon and starres might withhold their light heat and influences from us the fire aire water c. might refuse to act or work for our good yea contrarily the creature setts it self against us in the quarrell of its Creatour as if it owed us a mischeif the Lion Bear Woolf would devoure us the beasts of the feild make head against us yea every worme will turne againe All the hosts of heaven and earth are readie even like to rebell against us This is a curse which all the sonnes and daughters of Adam feele in some measure and sometimes reacheth to the taking away of life limbe and all comforts And although the sinner enjoy the benefit of the creatures both for necessitie and delight yet that is onely by the indulgence of the most High who makes his Sun to shine and his raine to fall upon all and the choicest enjoyments are but as the Accommodations afforded to a Traitour in the Tower there 's a deadly curse lying hid in the bowels of them which will make sad work in the latter end 2. The general Judgement after death which is called the Judgement of the great day Jude 6. The Lord Jesus shall come in the clouds and shall be revealed from heaven with his mightie Angells in flameing fire 2. Thes 1.7 8. He shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God 1. Thes 4.16 When the trumpet sounded at the giving of the law Exod. 20 18 Heb. 12.19.20 21. it was doubtles to set forth the terribleness of the curse which attends the Law but at this great day it shall sound farr lowder to fill the eares and hearts of sinners which have broken it with the dreadfull report of it to their conviction and confusion Jude 14.15 Their bodies shall be raised out of the dust and united to their soules and their persons shall be presented before this glorious Judge and arraigned at the barr of his great Tribunall The books shall be opened and all their foule businesses although now cast behind their backs and laid to sleep in the darkest vaults of forgetfulness shall be unmasked before the whole world Eccl. 12.14 The processe and result of the transactions of that day will be no small part of this curse when the Goats which shall stand at Christs left hand shall heare him solemnly sounding out that most dolefull sentence Depart ye cursed c. Math. 25.41 3. The full and finall Execution after Judgement As soone as ever this great work of judging the world is over and the last doome awarded then shall follow the execution thereof accordingly then shall the great black curse be poured downe upon sinners all the curses of the Law and Gospell too shall meet together as in one Sea and fall upon the soules and bodies of all impenitent ones in their perfect strength and furie and abide on them for ever this is called everlasting punishment Math. 25.46 and it stands in 2 things 1. Some that 's privative called the punishment of losse * Paenae damni an utter expulsion or banished from the blessed face and presence of God and the glorie of heaven Depart from me Math. 7.23
doe this and they doe it He blinds their minds hardens their hearts and works in them powerfully Eph. 2.2 Indeed they spitt at him and say they defie him yet neverthelesse they are his drudges and carry his pack and doe his worke And while they professe that they scorne to serve him yet even then they serve him willingly and with both their hands Oh miserie beyond all expression 3. Unfruitfulness towards God He may complaine of Mankind as once of Israel Jer. 2.21 I had planted the a noble Vine wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto me All our fruit is fruit unto death we can bring forth no fruit unto God The curse of the Law hath blasted us we are as it were Thunder-struck and made unserviceable We can doe nothing that is truly good or wel pleasing to God Rom. 8.8 When Christ came neere to the figtree and saw nothing on it but leavs he cursed it and then it withered Mat. 21.19 So the Lord seeing Adam and his posteritie now by their Apostasie become degenerate plants pronounced a curse upon them saying Never fruit grow on you any more and so we are become no better than withered stumps Thou thinkest that thou dost good duties this and that good work thou hadst thy hand in such and such good fruits thou canst shew but alas it s nothing so thou art a drie and a barren tree 4. Liablenes to all the plagues and judgments of God The curse setts us in such a posture as we are continually exposed to some mischiefe or other The ground which brings forth bryars and thornes being neere unto cursing its end is to be burned Heb. 6.8 The foolishman thinks his tongue is his owne to use as he will Psal 12.4 But Solomon tells him his mouth is neere to destruction Pro. 10.14 See Ezech. 7.5 6 7. 2. Pet. 2.3 Speaking of false Teachers he saith their judgment lingers not but is hastening on its way their damnation slumbreth not it keeps waking to seize on them in due time And indeed what is it that hindreth vengeance from falling on sinners but onely the Lords patience Thaâ— consuming fire is at hand readie to lick thee up and to destroy thee there is but one stepp betwixt thee and death The Lord might forthwith stop thy breath anâ— then thou art gone for ever the ladder iâ— every moment like to be turned thoâ— hangest but by one weake threed and wheâ— that is broken then thou droppest into thâ— flames of hell 5. Punishing sinne with sinne a very sad effect of the curse when the Lord hath determined to set home the curse upon a sinner with a witnesse then he leaves him to himself for his former provocations either to run himself deeper into the same sinnes or else to fall into more vile and vicious courses and so to heap up wrath against himself As sometimes a father saith of an hopeless child Seeing he will not be reclaymed let him take his course let him run himself out of breath and hasten to his owne ruine Thus he scourged the Gentiles for their wilde courses against the light of Nature Rom. 1.26.28 And the Jewes for their contempt of the word Psal 81.11 12. And their opposing the Gospell 1. Thes 2.15 16. Thus the Lord deales with many of the secure sleepie sinners they give no regard to the offer of mercie therefore the Lord shutts them up in ignorance and saith let him that is ignorant filthy carnall be so still they are not bettered by mercies or judgments therefore they shall be made worse The close deceiver becomes a grosse robber and God gives him over to lying swearing forswearing c. The immoderate use of the creatures becomes grosly riotous God gives him up to beastly drunkenness mispending of his time wasting his estate yea sometimes to wantonness and bodily filthyness to hatred yea scorning of good counsel and the like abhominable practices 6. Hellish terrours startlings of conscience feare of death and of the Judgment to come These are the sparkles which flie up out of these everlasting burnings while the furnace is in heating to devoure the ungodly of the earth Isa 33.14 Fearfulness surprizeth the hypocrites Heb. 2.15 It s one maine branch of mans naturall miserie that through feare of death he is all his life subject unto bondage Act. 24.25 When the Aostle Paul preached of the Judgment to come Felix trembled The sinner feeles many a privie nippe while he is walking on in the wayes of his owne heart he hath gripings in his spirit that torment him and he feeles the flashing of hell fire sometimes in his conscience so that he is appaled with the foresight of the wrath to come His heart smites him and tels him that Vengeance lyes in wait for him because of ignorance drunkenness contempt of the Gospell c. The thoughts of death and judgment damp him and strike him to the heart and he saith oh I must once goe downe into the dust what shall then become of this poore soule * Animula vagula blandula Quae nunc abâ—bis in loca I must be brought to judgment how shall such a sinful wretch as I look the great Judge of heaven and earth in the face Alas poore sinner thou settest a good face on the matter before men but thy heart knowes that it is thus 2. The strange properties or qualities of the curse Strange properties of the Curse are especially these 5. I call them strange because 1. Most of them lie out of the road of the naturall mans apprehension and beliefe they are hid from his eyes he will not easily be perswaded of them 2. Yea the godly themselves doe not so clearly discerne nor so carefully observe or make use of them as they might 1. It is a grievous and a bitter curse Can there be any thing more grievous and bitter than the abandoning of the creature from God It was a very girevous curse which Shimei the Benjamite shott against King David as David himself termes it 1. Kin. 2.8 A strong sore forcible curse so the originall word signifies How much more rightly may all this be spoken of the curse of Gods Royall Law When the Angel of the Lord would measure out a curse against the Merozites according to the bredth of their sinne he bids curse them bitterly Jud. 5.23 Gods curse against sinners is bitter Jer. 4.18 It s made up of gall and worme-wood * Ier. 8.14.9.15 When Solomon would give warning of the danger which may come by the ensnaring of an whorish woman he tells us that in his owne experience he finds her more bitter than death Eccl. 7.26 If he had knowne any thing more bitter he would have mentioned it Now the curse of the Law is the death 〈◊〉 â—he sinner Gen. 2.17 The curse of the people upon Merciles self-seeking persons is grievous it bites sore Pro. 11.26 28.27 Oh
lighter skirmishes for having emptied himself of his glory so that he did not appear to be that which indeed he was and subjected himself to the state of a servant and so a meet object of suffering he became a man of sorrows all his life long Isa 53.3 compassed about with infirmity Heb. 5.2 as soon as he was born he was laid in a manger because there was no room for him in the Inne while he was very young he was persecuted and forced to flie into Aegypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was tempted of Sathan Quod illud dictum civium satis arguit Usser Annal. per poster p. 552. he wrought for his living at the trade of his reputed father as it is more than probable by that speech of the Mazarenes Mar. 6.3 Is not this the carpenter c He was the object of mans reproach he was called a wine-bibber a friend of publicans and sinners an enemy to Caesar one that hath a devil he was subject to the infirmities which are incident to mankind as hunger thirst poverty he was betrayed by Judas forsaken by his disciples abused by the Jews mocked buffetted spit upon crowned with thorns accused arraigned condemned as the vilest malefactor In one word he was a worm and no man Psal 22.6 2. The main brunt it self was that he was struck with death The Sacrifice in the Law was to be slain the goat which was to be offered for a sin-offering for the people must be killed and the blood of it must be brought within the veil Lev. 16.15 The same courses as to killing was to be taken with the burnt-offering peace-offering and trespass-offering as we may see in the 1 3 5 6 7. chapters of Leviticus So it was prophesied Isa 53.12 he poured out his soul unto the death and elsewhere often Now this death which Christ did undergo was both of the body and soul 1. He suffered the death of the body called the first death this Gabriel the Angel revealed to the Prophet Daniel some 1006 years before Dan. 9.26 the Messiah shall be cut off the accomplishment whereof the stories of the Evangelists relate very largely Isa 53.8 Acts 8.33 his life is taken from the earth We by sin had deserved the first death the taking down of this earthly frame by the separation of the soul and body therefore Christ our surety must die that death for us the particular end of death which he should and did suffer was the death of the cross which was so designed and ordered by the all-wise counsel and providence of God both because it was very painfull and grievous and also because it was a most shamefull and ignominious death but especially because it was even by divine appointment stigmatized with this brand of infamy that whosoever was hanged on a tree was to be accounted ceremonially accursed as it is avouched in the close of the verse It was not necessary that he should suffer all the several sorts of death as stoning burning sawing beheading c. it was sufficient that he suffered that one kind of death which the wisdom of God saw to be most fit and suitable neither yet was it necessary that his death should be attended with such cruelties as some men have been enforced to suffer as pulling the flesh from the bone pinching it with hot pincers and the like These are rather personal than natural and meerly accidental not essential to the first death Therefore the legs of Christ were not broken and although his body was laid in the grave yet he saw no corruption because these infirmities did not consist with the dignity of his person and the latter would have made void the fruit and effect of his sufferings Therefore the Scripture declares both these to be contrary to Gods will See Jo. 19 33-36 Acts 2.31 2. He suffered the death of the soul or that which is called the second death Sin brought death into the world not onely that death which pulls down this earthly frame but also that which makes a wofull separation of the whole man from God Therefore the Lord Jesus must undergo this death too Isa 53.10 he made his soul an offering for sin And this death stood in these two things 1. There was a stoppage or withdrawing of the sense of his fathers love and favour from his soul This he complains of as a forsaking Psal 22.1 and it answers to that poena damni punishment of loss which we should suffer But we must understand this to be done in such manner and measure as becomes the person suffering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was not a pulling the Godhead from the manhood this union continued entire all the time of his sufferings and shall do to all eternity Neither was it a deprival of the spirit wherewith his humane nature was filled even from the womb that did still abide in him and shall never be taken away from him according to that precious promise Isa 59.21 which I conceive must be fulfilled first in him and then in his seed with him Neither was it a total or perpetual withdrawing but onely in part and for a time the Lord turned away his face from him for a little season he hid himself out of his sight and would not be found he took off the sweet influence of the joy and comfort of the spirit suspending them for a time and keeping off from him at a great distance Psal 22.1 yet all this while God was present with him by his supporting grace so that he had some intermissions and an Angel came to comfort him Luke 22.43 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he was heard in that he feared Hâ—b 5.7 or he was heard from his feare that is he was heard and delivered 2. There was a letting out and seizing of the Lords wrath and indignation upon his soul God did put into his hand a cup of the red wine of his wrath full of the mixture of the bitterest ingredients and he drank it off This answers to that pâ—na sensus punishment of pain which we should suffer All the waves of Gods displeasure went over his head See Psalm 18.4 5. 88.6 7 16 17. This supernatural death he suffered in both the kinds before mentioned first in the garden and after that on the cross In the garden Mat. 26.36 John 18.1 there the wrath of God did encounter him and he was put to grapple with it hand to hand he bare three several storms one after another and so took a deep draught of this bitter cup. The manner of it is described by sundry expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 14.33 he began to be sore amazed which notes a dreadfull astonishment arising from a sudden commotion of all the powers of his soul together and to be very heavie that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be surprized and possessed with a very great and pressing anguish of spirit through the unspeakable horrour of divine
wrath And verse 34. he complains thus my soul is exceeding sorrowfull or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crux anto crucem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beset round with sorrow unto death So Luke comprehends all this in one word calling it an agony Luke 22.44 where he also describes it by the effects both that it put him upon more than ordinary vehemency and as it were more outstretchedness in prayer which the Apostle expresseth by strong crying and tears Hebr. 5.7 and also that it caused him to sweat as it were great drops of blood trickling downe to the ground 2. On the cross here was the main blow he bare our sins on the tree 1 Pet. 2.24 here the wrath of Almighty God lay on his soul in the whole weight of it Now the justice of God musters all his forces and gathers together all his regiments to fall upon Christ with his whole army as if he would rout him at once He descended into hell I mean not locally into the place of the damned for after death his body went down to the grave and was locally there for the space of three days and his soul went into paradice that is into heaven the place of bliss and glory as Luke 23.43 but onely virtually and effectively in that being Mediator and standing in our stead he did even while he was on the cross before he gave up the ghost undergo those hellish pains and sorrows in his soul which were due to us for sin The Lord took him and plunged him into the sea of his wrath all the waves and billows of it came rouling over his head and he sunk down into the very depths of death The Prophet Jonah being in the belly of the whale was a type of Christ both in his corporal and spiritual death therefore those things may truly be applied to his soul-sufferings which he complains of John 2.3 4 c. the extremity whereof forced him to cry out with a loud voice Why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27.46 even as Jonah had said long before I am cast out of thy sight Jon. 2.4 To conclude this Christ on the cross hath the fury of the battel poured down upon him so that he bare the very heat and burden of it here he drank up the very dregs and bitterness of the cup even to the bottom Sect. 2. Some usefull observations tending to clear it further FRom all these particulars we may observe onely as by the way these three things 1. That the sufferings of Christ were not seeming and in shew onely but real and indeed 2. That the bodily sufferings and death of Christ were not sufficient to satisfie for the sins of the world but he must also undergo the sufferings and death of the soul For the proper seat and subject of sin is the soul not the body which is but as the souls shop using it as the Smith doth his hammer and anvile therefore if he had not suffered in soul the plaister had been narrower than the sore 3. That the sufferings of the soul were not barely mediate or by consent from the body as sympathizing onely with it but proper and immediate The soul is the first and principal in sin the body but the instrument It is most agreeable to justice that the principal should be rather deeper in the punishment than the instrument which holds not here if the body suffer immediately and the soul onely by sympathy Doubtless that same wrath of God those terrors and torments of hell for the substance of them fell down-right upon the soul of Christ which sinners should and reprobates must endure in their souls for sin Yet still this must be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in such a way as suits with the dignity of the person suffering there was a mitigation or abatement in his soul-sufferings from the rigour which the damned shall be put to in three particulars 1. In the place of suffering this is but a circumstance in the business hell the place of the damned is no part of the debt therefore neither is suffering there locally any part of the payment of it no more than a prison is any part of an earthly debt or of the payment of it The surety may satisfie the creditor in the place appointed for payment or in the open court which being done the debtor and surety both are acquitted that they need not go to prison if either of them goe to prison it is because they do not or cannot pay the debt for all that justice requires is to satisfie the debt to the which the prison is meerly extrinsecal even so the justice of God cannot be satisfied for the transgression of his Law but by the death of the sinner but it doth not require that this should be done in the place of the damned The wicked goe to prison because they do not they cannot make satisfaction otherwise Christ having fully discharged the debt needed not to go to prison 2. In the time of continuance the damned must bear the wrath of God to all eternity because they can never satisfie the justice of God for sin therefore they must lie by it world without end but Christ hath made an infinite satisfaction in a finite time by undergoing that fierce battel with the wrath of God and getting the victory in a few hours which is equivalent to the creatures bearing it and grapling with it everlastingly The lenth or shortness of durance is but a circumstance not of any necessary consideration in this case Suppose a man indebted 100 l. and likely to lie in prison till he shall pay it yet utterly unable if another man comes and lays down the money on two hours warning is not this as well or better done That which may be done to as good or better purpose in a short time what need is there to draw it out at length The justice of the Law did not require that either the sinner or his surety should suffer the eternity of hells torments Non aeternitatem sed duntaxat extremitatem but onely their extremity It doth abundantly counterpoise the eternity of the punishment that the person which suffered was the eternal God Besides it was impossible that he should be detained under the sorrows of death Act. 2.24 and if he had been so detained then he had not spoiled Principalities and Powers nor triumphed over them but had been overcome and so had not attained his end 3. In a companion of the pains of the second death unavoidably attending it in reprobates to wit desperation an utter hopelesnesse of any good a certain expectation and waiting on the worst that can befall I shall not enter into a dispute whether the despair of the damned in hell be properly a sin ot not there be good Divines both ancient and modern that hold the negative which to me seemes most probable not so much from that ground on which they go that there is no sin
condemned sinners by their knowledge of him or by faith in his Name for he shall take upon him their iniquities and acquit them from blame And this Covenant of God with Christ is the very basis or bottome of the Covenant of Grace God made a Covenant with Christ the spiritual David Psal 89.3 4. that he might make a Covenant with all his Elect in him Rom. 11.26 27. He made this Agreement with Christ as the Head and on this is reared up the whole frame of precious promises comprised in the Covenant of Grace as a goodly building upon a sure foundation And herein the Levitical Priesthood was a type of the Priesthood of Christ That was settled on Aaron and his successors and continued unto them by Covenant their anointing was to be an everlasting Priesthood Exod. 40.15 and more fully Numb 25.12 13. he gave to Phineas and to his seed the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood and by vertue thereof they were inabled to manage the Covenant of life and peace which was with them Mal. 2.5 as to the Legal and Ceremonial administration of it even so the true Priesthood is settled on Christ and continued to him by Covenant and by vertue of this he manageth the Covenant of Grace in its Evangelical and Spiritual administration And as they must bear the iniquity of the Congregation and so be made typically a Curse for them Lev. 10.17 So Christ must be made a Curse truly by imputation by bearing the iniquity of the Congregation of the first-born which are written in heaven Only the Apostle gives us this difference betwixt these two Covenants that those in the Law were made Priests without an oath but Christ was made with an oath Heb. 7.20 21. For the proof of which he brings Psal 110.4 noting out a special preheminence of his Priesthood above theirs that theirs was changeable and so had an end but his is unchangeable and perpetual the Lord having confirmed the Covenant by his Oath and so infeoffed him in it by a grant never to be revoked Therefore Covenant and Oath are sometimes put together as Psal 89.3 But I am sensible that I have expatiated too far The issue of all is this in short Christ being made a Curse for us proceeds from the purpose and good pleasure of God appointing him and calling him out thereunto and it is the execution of a wonderfull and glorious design or contrivement agreed upon by God and Christ for working out the salvation of the Elect. I hasten to the Application Sect. 4. Use 1. Information in four particulars ANd first This Truth will afford us matter of very useful Information to establish our judgements in some particulars of special concernment 1 It holds forth unto us the strange mischievousness of sin in the nature and workings of it Oh the excessive sinfulness the unspeakable poysonfulness of sin that could reach as high as heaven and bring the Son of the Eternal God under the Curse Oh that the sons and daughters of Adam would look about them begin at length seriously to consider what an hideous Monster they nourish what a venemous Serpent they keep yea hug in their bosomes Look upon it in this glass and see how black and ugly it appears If you have not seen it by the Ministry of the Law so as to humble you and to lay you low before the Lord I beseech you turn your eyes unto Jesus Christ and see what foul work it hath made what mischief it hath brought on him Behold here a strange sight a sad spectacle the blessed Son of God made acursed The justice of the Law hath found him amongst sinners and singled him out from all the company and set him as a mark to shoot at yea hath spent all the arrows of its quiver upon him and thereby hath mangled and rent and torn and wounded him grievously yea hath brought him down to the gates of death even as low as hell When thou hast presented him to thy minde in this pittiful pickle then reflect upon thy self and say What evill beast hath done this Was it any offence that he hath done against the Law in his own person that hath provoked it to pour out such a flood of curses upon him Oh no he was holy harmless undefiled there was no spot of unrighteousness in him It was for my rebellion treason apostacy from my Maker Me me adsum qui feci I have sinned and Christ hath suffered the curse for my sin Take now a survey of the several branches of this curse and see how it dogged him all along from his birth to his burial especially the griefes and the groans the sorrows and the sweats the tears the terrors and the torments of his soul under the power of the second death and then say in thy heart Oh fool that I was I did not beleeve that sin had been so exceeding bad as it is I see now it is no tame beast but an unreasonable ravenous devouring Serpent full of deadly poyson Canst thou see all this heavy load lying on the back of Christ and yet judge any sin to be small or go on with a proud heart and a high look maintaining thine old league with sin and continuing in the hell of thine accursed natural condition as if it were thy heaven 2 It re-mindes us further of the greatness of that misery whereinto man is implunged by sin For if Christ be made a curse who had no sin of his own but onely ours laid upon him What a grievous curse then must needs lye upon them who have the guilt of their personal sins sticking close to their consciences and still lye weltring in their own gore-blood especially on those wretched souls which must bear the wrath due to sin in their own persons for ever The men of the world put the evil day far from them they feel no harme they fear no danger and therefore they blesse themselves in their present state and say No curse shall take hold upon them But oh how much better were it to reason thus Christ was made a curse for sinners therefore surely sinners in themselves and without Christ are in a desperate condition If we should see a man grievously tormented and put to death with extraordinary tortures and should withall understand that he suffered all these things for another mans crimes and not for his own we would conclude thus Surely that man was a notorious Malefactor and if the stroke of Justice had fallen upon his own head what a terrible death must he have indured If this curse was so bitter his wrath so heavy on Christ our Surety how unspeakably bitter and heavy would it be on us the principals Yea bring it home to thy self and say Alas What have I done I have surely spun a fair thred I have brought my self into a lamentable condition that either the Son of God must come down from heaven and be made a curse for me or else I
effectual calling Jesus Christ was made a curse and so became a sacrifice for sinners not that they might immediately without any more ado be made partakers of the redemption purchased thereby or be actually redeemed upon the very offering made but that having first made this benefit feasible so that now there is such a thing to be had which without him neither is nor could be he might afterwards communicate it to the Elect and give them the personal possession of it that they might enjoy it for themselves And this he doth by a powerful drawing them to himself and so by union to him they have a real interest in this benefit Therefore the Apostle sometimes speaks of it as appropriated to beleevers Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 and Jehovah stiles himself the Churches Redeemer Isa 49.26 as often elsewhere and Job calls him his Redeemer Job 19.25 Both these considerations are here implied as depending necessarily the one upon the other in respect of those that shall be saved and that they are not to be confounded but distinguished appears by Heb. 9.15 where we may observe a clear difference betwixt the death of the Mediator for the redemption of transgressions and receiving the promise of the inheritance This latter being laid down as a consequent or fruit of the former and limited to them that are called To conclude Take the whole in this short summe Redemption is the buying out and delivering of sinners from the curse of the Law and so from the guilt of sin and the wrath of God and the condemation of hell due thereunto by the death and satifaction of Christ the Mediator Sect. 2. Proof from Scripture-reason FOr the latter this main truth concerning the redemption of sinners by Christ now made a curse for them may receive further confirmation from grounds of Scripture-reason whether we consider the fitness of the person to undertake such an enterprise or the efficaciousness of his sufferings 1 The person was every way fit to redeem us being both God and man 1 He is true God 1 Joh. 5.20 blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 the only begotten of the Father Joh. 1.14 the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father vers 18. and therefore very gracious with him which the Father himself did solemnly testifie by a voice from heaven Matth. 3.17 He is the mighty God Isa 9.6 therefore the Father hath laid help on him Ps 89.20 the Horn of David Psal 132.17 and the Horn of salvation Luke 1.69 mighty to save Isa 63.1 he was infinite lyable to break through all difficulties and with an holy scorn to sleight an whole host of the most terrible enemies to march through them without danger and in despite of them all to fetch waters of life for us out of the Well of Bethlehem He is the Lord 1 Chro. 11.18 Is there any thing too hard for him Jer. 32.27 2 He is true man also in one and the same person flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone next a kin to us therefore he is not ashamed to call us brethren Heb. 2.11 It was a Levitical Ordinance that if an Israelite were fallen into decay and had sold himself to a stranger any of his brethren or nigh of kin unto him might redeem him Lev. 25.47 48 49 and the same might be done if he had sold any part of his possession vers 25. therefore these two phrases are used indifferently to note the same thing a near kinsman and one that hath right to redeem Ruth 2.20 3.9 Of this we have an instance in Hanameel Cosen-german to the Prophet Jeremy Chap. 32.7 8. c. This doubtless had some reference to Christ We had sold our selves to a stranger even to Satan to serve him Christ is a near kinsman one of the same stock and blood with us therefore the right of redemption is his It was also a statute and a custome in Israel That if a man dyed having no childe to inherit after him then his brother or next kinsman should take his wife and raise up seed to his deceased brother Deut. 25.5 c. and withall if the inheritance were alienated or set to sale he was to buy it out or redeem it for the use of the first-born that so it might continue settled upon the Family of the dead man Wee have a clear instantial Gospel-truth lys hid as I conceive Old Adam dyed and left no seed behinde him that might inherit heaven and moreover the inheritance was quite extinct and lost as to him and all his and therefore the Lord thrust him out of Paradise Gen. 3.24 Onely Jesus Christ is found the next kinsman who begetting sons and daughters by the word of Truth doth therby raise up a seed of God redeem the forfeited inheritance and so settle it upon the first-born of Adams family for ever yet with this difference that this seed shall not be called after the name nor inherit in the right of the first Adam but they shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name Isa 62.2 And they shall inherit in the right of the second Adam onely Act. 26.18 Eph. 1.11 2 The sufferings of Christ were fully efficacious to redeem us for thereby 1 He hath given abundant satisfaction to the justice of God and so hath weakned yea nullified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and taken away sin in the guilt and condemning power of it God sent his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sin that is upon the sad and woful occasion of sins being in the world or that he might abolish and destroy it And what is the fruit of this glorious designe Why he hath condemned sin in the flesh that is by laying the curse which the Law threatned against sinners upon that very flesh or nature which had sinned he hath cast sin in its own plea. A mans work may be said to plead for his pay the crime of a Malefactor cryes for the execution of the Law upon him so sin pleads against the sinner and calls for death its wages to be inflicted upon him Sin although as an act it be transient yet in the guilt of it lyes in the Lords high Court of Justice filed upon record against the sinner and calling aloud for deserved punishment saying Man hath sinned and man must suffer for his sin But now Christ having suffered for sin that plea is taken off Lo here saith the Lord the same nature that sinned suffereth mine own Son being made flesh hath suffered death for sin in the flesh the thing is done the Law is satisfied and so he non-suits the action and casts it out of the Court as unjust Thus whereas sin would have condemned us he hath condemned sin and there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 3. The blood of the Mediator out-cryes the clamor of sin We read Lev. 16.7 c. of two Goats which were
by his absolute power or why he would do it thus rather then otherwise His Word tells us what he would do and we see by the event what he hath done This way was the will of God and none other and therefore this way Christ took and none other and thereby attained his end Heb. 10.9 10. We may safely rest here and make no further search for who hath known the mind of the Lord Rom. 11.34 His meer will and pleasure Volunt as Dei est pro lege pro causa causarum pro ratione rationum is a reason abundantly sufficient and beyond exception 2. The Lord hath revealed his minde so farr in this particular that we may be bold to go a little further and to resolve thus God who is great in counsell and excellent in working had store of means at hand whereby to set free and recover lost mankinde yet he was pleased to pitch upon this as being most agreeable to his holy nature and most suteable to his high and soveraign ends man's salvation and his own glory I explain it thus God is infinite in all his attributes in his justice as well as his mercy These two cannot interfeere as justice may not intrench upon mercie so neither may mercie encroach upon justice the glory of both must be maintained Now by the breach of the Law the Justice of God is wronged Nec misericordia Dei praescribit justitiam nec justâ—tia aufert misericordiam Aug. so that although mercie be apt to pardon yet Justice requires satisfaction and call's for vengeance on sinners Every transgression must receive just recompence Heb. 2.2 and God will not in any case absolve the guiltie Exod. 34.7 till this be done the hands of Law-mercy are tied that she cannot act And seing satisfaction could not be made to an infinite Majestie but by an equal person and price therefore the Son of God must become a Curse for us by taking our nature and pouring out his soul to the death and by this means Justice and Mercie are reconciled and mercy hath her free course to save sinners So that now presupposing God's Decree we may safely say It must be thus and it could be no otherwise God will have his Justice satisfied to the full and therefore Christ must bear all the punishment due to our sin or else God cannot set us free For he cannot go against his own just will Quod vuli necesse est esse Observe the force of that phrase Luke 24.26 46. Christ ought to suffer and Matth. 26.24 Thus it must be A just earthly Prince holds himself bound to inflict punishment impartially upon the malefactour or his surety it stands upon his honour he saith it must be so I cannot do otherwise This is true much more of God who is Justice it self And as this great design of Christs redeeming sinners by being made a curse for them doth sound out aloud the glory of divine Justice so it also bears visible characters of some other Attributes as 1. His Truth He had passed a peremptory doom and made a solemn declaration of it in his word that he that sinneth shall die the death Gen. 2.17 Rom. 6.21 23. and he will not break his word So he had foreordained Jesus Christ and set him forth to take upon himself this burthen to become a propitiation for sin through his blood Rom. 3. 25. 1 Pet. 1.20 and made known his minde eoncerning it in his written word plainly Isa 53.7 If we read the words It is exacted or strictly required meaning Exigitur as Junius and some others the iniquity or punishment of us all vers 6. is required at his hands he must answer for it in our stead and so he is afflicted and this affliction reacheth even to the cutting him off ver 8. yea the Spirit of Christ in the Prophets did signifie unto them not onely his sufferings but also the very particular time of them 1 Pet. 1.11 Therefore when Christ puts this work upon an ought and must be hee laies the weight of all on the Scriptures thus it is written as we may see in the texts before-cited as if he should say God hath spoken it and his truth ingageth him to see it done 2. His wisdome For hereby 1. he maintains the authority of his righteous Law when a law is solemnly enacted with a penalty in case of transgression all those whom it concerns may conclude for certain that the Lawgiver will proceed accordingly And it is a rule in policie That Laws once established and published should be vigorously preserved If the Lord should have wholly waved the execution of the Law upon sinners or their surety it might have tended greatly both to the weakening of its authority and the diminishing of the reverence of his Soveraignty in the hearts of the sonnes of men 2. He provided a curse against Licentiousness Impurity is apt to lay the reins loose upon the necks of sinners If sin had been pardoned without exacting the penaltie of the Law it might have emboldened men in their sinfull wayes their hearts would have been wholly set upon mischief Eccles 8.11 they will say Where is the God of Judgement Mal. 2.17 But now he lets sinners see that he will not pardon sin no not to repenting persons but upon condition of Christ's bearing the curse for them whence they may conclude that he will not spare them if they be bold to continue in their rebellion 3. And probably that he might hereby also cut of all occasions which the devil his enemy might take to calumniate and traduce him He might accuse him 1. of inconstancy and changeableness that having threatned death to transgressours he did quite forget himself in waving the threatning and dispensing wholly with his Law by granting them free remission Yea 2. of partiality and respect of persons that he should be so easie and forbearing as to let them pass without any punishment at all Quasi tam facilis fuisset antea sâ—verus erga seipsum having been formerly so severe and rigid against himself in casting him and his angels into everlasting flames without hope of recovery Sathan might say Lord thou mightest have spared me as well as man But the Lord may answer man hath made satisfaction he hath borne the curse and thereby fully discharged all the demands of the Law if he had not I would not have spared him any more than thee 3. His goodness and loving kindeness God the great Lord and Governour of the world might have rigorously exacted the penalty of the Law on the persons of sinners themselves but he hath so farr dispensed with the Law as to admit of a Suretie by whom the end of the Law that is the manifestation of his justice and hatred of sin might be fulfilled and yet a considerable part of mankinde might be preserved from the jaws of the second death which otherwise must have perished eternally Saith the Lord I
may not I will not suffer this high affront of Adam and his posterity against my holy Law whereby the honour both of my justice and truth are in danger to be trampled under foot And yet if I should let out all my wrath upon them the spirit would fail before me and the souls which I have made Isa 57.16 I will therefore let it out upon their Surety and he shall bear it for them that they may be delivered and thus the Lord in wrath remembers mercie Hab. 3.2 I have done with the doctrinal part of this Conclusion I proceed to the Application CHAP. V. Use 1. Confutation of Papists and Socinians 1. THis main Gospel-truth may afford us some help towards the Confutation of the damnable Doctrine of two grand Enemies of the cross of Christ and of this great and glorious work of Redemption by his becoming a curse for us 1. Papists who not being content with this way of Christ have devised other means and put into the hands of sinners something else to make up the price of their Redemption They present us with several parcels to this purpose as Bellar. De poenitentia lib. 4. cap. 2 3 6 7. 1. That a man may redeem himself from the temporal punishment of his sins by some notable and extraordinary good works while he lives as by fasting pilgrimages almes-deeds building and endowing of Churches hospitalls and the like They grant that Christ by his sufferings hath made satisfaction immediately for the guilt of eternal death but then when the sin is remitted there remains still on the sinners an obligation to temporal punishment for which we must make satisfaction our selves one way or other and so in part redeem our selves But oh where shall we find that man except Jesus Christ that can shew us such a good work Verily the best choicest the eminentest works of any meer man that ever the Sun saw or shall see are poor weak blemished things like a menstruous cloth infinitely short of the puritie of God's Law and therefore no way equivalent to the injurie done to him by sin 2. That there is a Purgatory-fire wherein all those must be purged Bellar. de purgatorio which die in the guilt of Venial sin who yet may redeem themselves at length by their own sufferings there or they may be ransomed before by the prayers and offerings of the living But the Scripture holds forth nothing to us concerning this nay it affords us many strong arguments against it if it were worth the while to produce them They say this fire is every whit as hot as hell-fire but I am confident it never burnt any body nor do I know to what use it serves but onely to warme the kitchin of that Man of sin 3. That there is a certain Treasury in the Church Idem De Indulgentâ—â—s Vide Ames wherein are laid up the remainder of the superabundant satisfaction of Christ and those sufferings of the virgin Mary and other Saints which were more and greater than they needed for themselves and the keyes of this chest are committed to the Pope of Rome that he may upon just and reasonable cause dispence Indulgencies either by himself or by his Delegates unto them that need and desire them to make satisfaction for the temporal punishment oftheir sins But this is no better than the former For besides that Christ's satisfaction although in it self infinite hath nothing more in it than needs as to the application of it to those for whom God did intend it where shall we finde the man that hath done or suffered more then he ought to have done or deserved to suffer In truth these are but as Babies for children to play with or as when a mother promises her child an apple to till it on to some good action Bell. Eâ—â— de Indulg cap 6. which yet she doth not give it as some Papists do confess O rely because they come off at good round rates they serve to fill the coffers of the great merchant of Rome In a word all these are meer fancies yea lying vanities which cannot stand with this Truth For if Christ was made a curse for us and thereby hath wrought our Redemption then either there is no other way to effect it in whole or in part or else it will follow that Christ's work is imperfect which who dares once imagine As for us we may ascribe to the Psalmists Resolve Psa 49.7 8 9. No man can redeem his brother If not from temporal death how much less from eternal we shall leave these offals to the dogs of Rome for we have enough in Christ 2. Socinus and his followers who teach that Christs becoming a Curse for us and the whole course of his humiliation in doing and suffering was not at all for satisfaction but onely to set forth himself to us an example for our imitation and in his own person both by doing and suffering to shew us the way to heaven This Heresie was first hatched by Pelagius about the time of S. Augustine and about 700 years after revived by Abailardus in the time of holy Bernard as it seems by his writing against him Vide Grâ—tii dâ—fâ—ns cap. 1. Vâ—scii respons cap. 3. ex Socino aliis and now of late started again by Socinus with an advantage of more liveliness as it is usual with heresies when they come to a second and third resurrection For thus they deliver themselves more particularly Jesus Christ came into the world on this errand both to declare unto sinners the way to eternal life and to bestow it on them in case they will follow his counsel And for this purpose he was content to suffer death that thereby he might 1. Seal confirm and put out of question the truth and certaintie of his doctrine 2. Purchase to himself the right of bestowing eternal life upon them 3. Perswade them to that which is necessary for the obtaining of it to wit faith to believe his word and promise and sure hope to wait for the accomplishment of it 4. Hold forth himself before them a remarkeable matchless example of patience and obedience And whereas the Scripture doth frequently ascribe remission and salvation to the death of Christ that say they is a figurative speech They are the proper effects of his resurrection and the glorie which followed and are attributed to his death onely because he must necessarily die before he could rise again But now that Christ was so made a curse for us as to suffer the punishment due to our sins in way of a satisfaction to divine justice and thereby to redeem us from the curse this they will flatly denie and condemn it Seâ—tentia vaâ—d pâ—â—n 〈◊〉 Dâ—â—naâ—◠〈◊〉 â—laâ—phemis as an opinion that is deceitfull erroneous and very pernicious yea false absurd and horribly blasphemous and it is observable that when they make use of any Scripture either for the strengthening
of their own Tenents or the answering of Objections brought against them they do generally turn aside from the usuall and received signification of the words and offer violence to the Text to make it speak what they please For to touch a little on the 4 ends before-mentioned To the first Where doth the Scripture make the confirmationâ— of his Doctrine the professed adequate end of his sufferings He saith indeed that he came into the world that he might bear witness to the truth but this most properly belongs to his prophetical office Jo. 18. â—7 whereas his death belongs to his priesthood and besides his miracles served more peculiarly for the confirmation of his doctrine To the second Christ had power to forgive sinnes even while he lived on earth Mat. 9.6 and exercised that power frequently There was therefore no absolute necessity of his death for the purchasing of a priviledge which he had in possession already although it was necessary for the satisfying of Justice Jâ—h 10.28 17.2 He died to purchase for sinners a right to recâ—iv â—ot for himself a power to give them eternal life that mercie might have a free course to give out pardons which otherwise could not be To the Third It is credible that the death of Christ and such a death as it was in all the circumstances of it should be able to perswade sinners to that faith and hope nay rather it should be the ready way to diswade and knock them off Luke 21.21 To the Fourth it is granted as a secondary subordinate end 1 Pet. 2.21 Nec humilâ—tatis exempla nec charitatis insignia praeter Redemptionis sacramentum sâ—nt aliquid Bern. but doth not take away the other which is the chiefe and principal These two accord well hee dyed to satisfie for our sins and he dyed to to leave us an example of patience and obedience Great is the example of his humility and of his charity but they have no foundation to rest upon if there be no redemption But to go no further than the Text. There be three expressions which they wrest for the supporting and maintenance of their Errour 1 He was made a curse True say they as he was made sinne 2 Cor. 5.21 that is hee was judged by men to be a sinner and he was used accordingly so he was accounted a cursed man and therefore was sentenced to suffer a bodily death on the Cross which was a death proper to an accursed person But this falls short for God saith the Apostle made him to be sin and consequently a curse for us Man was no more but an instrument sinfully acting what God had holily purposed and Christs voluntarily undertaken Besides the Text which is here cited from Moses Deut. 21.23 runs thus He that is hanged is the curse of God or a curse unto God which being applied to Christ can import no less than this that God laid upon him our sin and the punishment due unto it by the doom of his righteous Law that the pleasure of the Lord might be executed upon him for answering whatsoever the Law could exact Nostra causa nostro bono Ut a peccatis retrahamur Nostra vâ—ce nostro loco 2 He was made a curse for us yea say they for us that is for our cause on our behalf for our good and so he gave himself he dyed for our sins that is our sins were the occasion of his death and he died that we might be drawn back from sin We yeeld all this but is there no more Yes assuredly We say for us that is in our room and stead who should else have born the curse in our own persons and for our sins to wit as the foregoing meriting cause thereof and that satisfaction being made to justice the curse might not fall on our heads The Greek word which is most frequently used in this argument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is rendred for although sometimes it be put to note no more So Rom. 5.7 but the good or profit of another yet it signifies also in anothers stead and in some places cannot be fitly taken otherwise as 2 Cor. 5.14 If one dyed for all then were all dead which implies plainly that the death of that One was in stead of the death of All. And when the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13. Was Paul crucified for you Thereby denying it he must mean that he was not crucified in their stead for he professeth elsewhere that he suffered for the Church and for the Elects sake that is for their spiritual benefit as Col. 1.24 2 Tim. 2.10 But to put all out of doubt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scripture sometimes makes use of another word which signifies commutation or exchange or being in the place or room of another and must necessarily be so taken when it s applied to this business as Matth. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 He bare the curse and gave himself a ransome in our stead 3 Hereby he hath redeemed us from the curse Being made a curse for us he brought us out of the hands of the curse so that God was moved hereby to set us free from the guilt and punishment of our sin Here they bring two things to darken the clear truth 1 That the terme of Redemption Apud Grot. in defens c. 8. must be taken improperly for a deliverance without price or satisfaction such as that of the Children of Israel from Egypt whom God redeemed by the hand of Moses yet he paid no price nor gave in consideration either by death or otherwise for the compassing of it To this we say when the Scripture makes Redemption the effect of Christs bearing the curse of his suffering death of the shedding of his blood c. it can signifie no less than redemption in propriety of speech that is the freeing of poor sinners from the stroak of justice by giving due satisfaction This high extraordinary cause should in all reason produce a nobler effect than such a loose and frozen gloss gives to it Yea how doth this derogate from the worth of that glorious benefit to say it comes at so cheap a rate As for the redeeming of Israel by Moses although it was a type of our redemption by Christ yet wee know that the type and thing typified do not answer one another in all things Christ and Moses are compared as Redeemers but with a vast difference both as to the nature of the thing and the special means by which it was effected That of Moses was onely corporal from the servitude of the body This of Christ is chiefly spiritual from the bondage of eternal death Therefore there was no need that Moses should dye for them and if he had as it could have been no way effectual to their spiritual deliverance so it might probably have been rather destructive to their temporal freedome But Christ our Redeemer must necessarily dye for us else no possibility of
in their first birth this Livery that they are children of wrath Eph. 2.3 and his wrath is revealed from heaven against sin Rom. 1.18 yea the Lord is said to hate not onely sin but sinners Psal 11.5 Hos 9.15 and they are called haters of God Psal 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dei osores Deo exosi Pareus sic Theophyl Deut. 5.9 Rom. 1.30 But now by the Redemption which is in Christ as the Curse is taken off so the enmity also is slain wrath is turned away reconciliation is wrought The Messiah was to make reconciliation for iniquity Dan 9.24 which is as much as that 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Being enemies we are reconciled by his death Rom. 5.10 and when poor sinners being by sin enemies and strangers do receive Jesus Christ then in him they receive the Attonement Rom. 5.11 so that now they are actually reconciled Col. 1.20 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and set in an estate of firm amitie and friendship with the glorious God through the blood of the Covenant In the first Adam he disclaimes us as base Rebels but in the second he owne's us as reconciled friends Let the Lord's Redeemed ones lift up their heads and know their happiness Jesus Christ hath slain the enmity which was betwixt God and you This price of Reconciliation hath broken down the wall of separation and although the Lord be still a consuming fire marching against the briars and thornes and burning them altogether yet even then he saith to his vineyard Furie is not in me Isa 27.4 2. Remission of sinnes This goes hand in hand with reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 As the violation of the Law of an earthly Governour brings upon the offender besides the Governour 's displeasure an obligation to punishment and when that obligation is voyded then he is said to be pardoned so man's disobedience against the great Lord of heaven and earth did oblige him to such punishment as the royal Law had threatned but Christ our Surety by bearing it for us hath voided that obligation and so we are discharged from it and in this stands our Pardon Therefore the Apostle joynes Redemption and Remission together as being upon the matter both one Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 and expresly ascribes them both to his blood as the meritorious cause Vide Grot. defens cap. 6. Ludov. Luc. Assert contra Mich. Gittich arg Iun. Non idem sed tantundem Whence by the way we may discover the weakness of that Socinian Argument against Redemption by Christ's satisfaction because our Redemption is called Remission For where satisfaction is made say they by undergoing due punishment or paying a valuable price there is no place for pardon But surely the Holy Ghost knowes better then we how to speak properly It 's Redemption by his blood and yet it is forgiveness of our sinnes And their argument hath more shew then weight For this satisfaction was not made by paying the very same but the as much not the proper strict debt which the Law changeth upon the sinner but the full value or weight of it with some alteration The Law saith The soul that sinneth shall die even the self same person and it must be death eternal because the sinner can never pay the uttermost farthing Had this been there had been no place for pardon Psa 69.4 But now Christ comes in and voluntarily undertakes to restore the things which he took not away that sinners which took them away might be set free Suppose a subject hath committed a crime deserving in rigour of Law perpetual imprisonment if now the King's Son be content to undergo 6 moneths imprisonment in his stead which considering the quality of the person is as much as a mean man's suffering it during life the King indeed may refuse this way of satisfaction because it is not the very letter of the Law but if he accept it what doth it import less then a pardon to the subject This is the Case The Son of God giving himself a sacrifice for sin doth in a short time wrastle through and master those sufferings which would have mastered sinners and hold them under to all eternity Now although Almighty God the great Law-giver might have refused this kinde of payment as not being the very same which the Covenant of works exacteth yet having not onely consented but devised and settled it as the most covenient way for the security of sinners and the manifestation of his glory thereupon he is well pleased with it being as full satisfaction to justice as if the sinner had satisfied in his own person So that the Lord 's accepting of it upon this account is so far from excluding remission that it rather makes way for it and gives it a being This appears further by the Apostles ruled case Heb. 9.22 See Jun. paral Pareus without shedding of blood no remission which holds both in Legal sacrifices and in the great sacrifice of Christ typified thereby as the scope of the place shews But to return The Law chargeth the curse upon the sons of men The Lord Jesus takes the curse upon himself and thereby makes an end of sinnes for this was one of the works which he was to do Dan. 9.24 the debt being paid the book is cross'd the bond is cancelled No forfeiture to be taken no penalty to be undergone Let wretched sinners take notice of their happiness in this also Christ was sent to purge away all your iniquities 1 Ioh. 1.7 Psal 65.3 Redemption blots out all your Items and layes up pardons in heaven for your use to be readie for you in the time of need 3. Justification of our persons Obligation to punishment doth imply liableness to accusation and condemnation for the offence which deserves such punishment The righteous Law of God finding man a transgressour and so unrighteous threatens death as his due And in order to the inflicting of it stands up as an Accuser and passeth sentence against him Now Christ being made sinne and a curse in the sinners stead doth thereby with one and the same labour both set him free from the punishment of sin and acquit him from the accusation and condemnation of the Law Whereupon he may plead that although the demerit of his sin doth crie aloud for punishment yet it is not due to his person because Jesus Christ hath borne it for him and made full satisfaction to justice Rom. 3.24 The Apostle makes justification an effect of the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus Dan. 9.24 the Messiah was to bring in everlasting righteousness Jer. 23.5 6. a righteous Branch is promised to be raised up to David and his name shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness And thus he is made of God to us Righteousness 1 Cor. 1.30 When the offence is taken away by a pardon the person is accounted righteous Therefore the not imputing of sin and the
Christ testifies of the woman that was a sinner that her sinnes which were many are forgiven her Luke 7.47 Be thy sinnes never so many if they fill a roll that reacheth from the East to the West or from earth to heaven they can but wrap thee in the curse and Christ hath taken upon him the whole curse that he might redeem thee from it If thou hast multiplied to sin God will multiply to pardon Isa 55.7 he will cast all our iniquities into the depths of the Sea Mic. 7.19 If thou shouldest fill a thousand baskets with sand and cast them all into the midst of the Sea the waves would so sweep them all away that no remnant of them would appear so the streames of Christ's blood are able to wash away thy manifold sinnes that not one of them shall remain When the dew is fallen upon the ground thou mayest see infinite millions of drops but when the Sun breaks out and shines in its strength it licks up and scatters them all in a very short time and thou seest not one left So the Sonne of righteousness can dispel thy numberless transgressions as a cloud or a mist that they cannot be found Isa 44.22 Jer. 50.20 3. Long continuance in the state and trade and under the guilt and power of sin Oh I am a sinner of a long standing I am old and aged in sin Ierem. 2.33 Ier. 22.21 Eze. 23.43 I am soaked in iniquity I have served many apprentiships in it and am grown gray-headed I have drawn out a long train of vanitie and sin as it were with cartropes Isa 5.18 Methinks I feel the guilt of it so sodered into my spirit by dayly custome that it cannot be plucked out But stay a while poor soul if the Lord hath begun to draw thy heart to seek an interest in the grace of Redemption let not this dismay thee Although thou hast spent all thy dayes in a course of sin spun out a long thread of iniquity lived under guilt even to the age of Methuselah yet the Redemption that is in Christ is richly able to set the free He to whom a thousand years are but as one day can take of thy guilt of 1000 years standing There were means for cleansing an old Leprosie of long continuance and sacrifices to be offered to that end Lev. 13.11 and 14.2 The Israelites after the death of every Judge returned to their old trade of sin and ceased not from their stubborne way Judg. 2.19 Yet the Lord stirred them up Saviours still and though thou hast continued long in sin yet Christ continues still a Saviour The sinner that is 100 year old is accursed Isa 65.20 but the curse which thy Redeemer did undergoe is strong enough to shatter in peices the most inveterable curse and to turn it into a blessing The removal of guilt so deeply rivetted into thy soul by length of time seems to thee impossible but to him all things are possible To shut up this I would have the humbled soul to resolve thus Christ Jesus hath offered up himself to God through the eternal spirit and wherefore thus surely that he might by his blood purge my conscience from dead works and so deliver my soul from that eternal guilt and curse wherein it is intrapped Heb. 9.4 4. The advantage which Justice might have against the sinner for rejecting or neglecting the offer and season of grace Oh how often hath the Lord made a render of salvation to me by the Gospel how affectionately hath he invited me to come in and to take hold on the strength of this great Redeemer yet I have resisted the spirit and trampled this great grace under my feet or at least slighted it shamefully therefore I have cause to fear that the time is past and that mercy shall never reach to my soul Had I thoroughly closed at the first call or seen some reasonable time to lay down armes and submit I could hope that the Lord would have passed by all my former offences But that he should now accept me after the abuse of so much mercy such unprofitableness under his ordinances strong opposition against grace so unweariedly offered and settling my self on the lees of mine old sinful condition contrary to the light which I had received this is quite beyond mine expectation These and the like aggravating circumstances cannot but exasperate divine Justice and even compel it to vindicate its own honour and to avenge it self on such a notorious wretch as I am Surely the Lord hath determined to glorifie himself in my finall condemnation Thus the poor afflicted soul is apt to plead against its interest in this redemption But oh my dear heart be not so peremptory open thine eyes thou shalt see mercy glorying against Judgement James 2.13 None of these aggravations shall obstruct the sweet fruit of this glorious benefit but it shall break through them all True it is one of the Lords ends in suffering sin to abound and shewing forth so much patience to sinners is the manifesting of his Justice upon the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 9.22 as in the case of Pharaoh Exod. 9.16 But what is this to thee who hast laid down thine armes and art gasping for mercie He hath another and a more desirable end in respect of thee namely that grace may much more abound and may raign thorough righteousness unto life Rom. 5.20 21. And what wilt thou say if the glory which he gets by delivering thee from the curse be double to that which he might have by leaving thee under it By this he onely glorifies his justice but by the former he glorifies both his justice and mercy this in rescuing thee from guilt and wrath that in laying the curse upon his onely Son that mercy might have free way to serve thee Why then dost thou not rather conclude thus surely the Lord which doth all things for his own glory will more regard a greater then a lesser glory my unbelieving heart saith it will be his choicest glory to destroy me being guiltie of such foul rebellions But the mercy of the redeemer saith No not so I have borne the whole curse for thee that justice might have no advantage by thy rebellion therefore I will rather raise up my glory by thy deliverance The Jews did alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Acts 7.51 and trample the grace of God under their feet even to the shedding of the blood of the Son of God yet a great number of them are and shall be ransomed by the merit of that same blood which they shed Zach. 12 1â— 13 1â— Ioh. 6.9 Peter having plainly confessed that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God Matt. 16.16 yet shortly after he rebukes Christ for speaking of his suffering and death vers 22. whereby although ignorantly he opposed the work of redemption and when the time of suffering came he disowned him with swearing and cursing Matth.
blessing Deut. 23.3 4. So if thou be redeemed out of thy cursed condition and art travelling heaven-ward thou shalt meet with curses by the way but thy Redeemer will turn them into a blessing yea he hath blessed thee already so that all their imprecations censures slanders are but the flashings of powder without shot or like squibs which breath out fire but suddenly vanish and dye Thou mayest pitty their folly in speaking evill of the things which they know not The day is comming wherein they shall hang down their heads for shame and say We counted their life madness but indeed we are the mad-men they are the Lords Redeemed and numbred among the Saints we are the Devils bondmen and must go in the black band How have we raved against them by cursing and railing and all malicious language But now we finde that they are the blessed of the Lord and we Wo wo unto us are the children of the curse 4 Against outward temporal afflictions which they meet with in this life These are the lot of the Lords people whereunto they are appointed 1 Thess 3.3 Every one must have his several cup of one kinde or other None of us can be wholly discharged from this war while we are in the body yet here is safety in the hand of our great Reedeemer The Châ—ldren of Israel being brought out of the house of bondage had a troublesome journey through the wilderness to the Land of Canaan by reason of many difficulties they must encounter withall in the way but the Angel of the Covenant went before them and carried them forward as on Eâ—gles wings and at length gave them rest You that are happily rescued from the Curse and bondage of hell may expect to meet with much tribulation in the way to the Kingdome of God Act. 14.22 But this may be your comfort Jesus Christ your strong Deliverer looks after you and will not suffer you to be trodden under foot Hee is the Captain of your salvation and he knows by experience what it is to be afflicted for the Father thought it most convenient to make him perfect by sufferings Heb. 2.10 and he hath drunk the bitterest cup even to the bottome and will so sweeten yours as you shall have no cause to shrink at it I shall inlarge this further in some particulars Not to insist on such grievances as the godly suffer in common with the men of the world The grace of Redemption affords some reliefe against these There be three sorts of Afflictions very remarkable which do oftentimes deject and weaken the spirits of Gods people so that they need to bee comforted with the savoury and restorative Apples which grow upon this Tree 1. Persecutions for righteousness By this excellent benefit we are made capable of high enjoyments but it is with the proviso of suffering persecutions so hath Christ himself determined Mark 10.29 30. and his chosen witness Paul tells us positively All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.13 which hath been abundantly verified in all ages See Davids complaint Psal 38.20 119.86 Act. 8.1 1 Cor. 4.12 Gal. 4.29 But now the Saints which suffer for the truth or for well-doing may chear up their hearts when they consider that the Redeemer himself hath led them the way in this fiery trial Did ever any undergo so much his whole life was a continued persecution Herod sought his life while he was a childe and when hee was grown up the Jews persecuted him to the death and he hath given us warning before hand that we may not think it strange if we be baptised with the same baptisme Joh. 15.20 Let the poor suffering Christian then resolve thus Luke 4.28 29. Ioh 5.16 18. and 8 59. 10.30 c. If my Redeemer was persecuted for righteousness sake in defence of his heavenly doctrine the avouching of his eternal God-head the Fathers sending him to be the Saviour of the lost world and the doing of good works and all this for me and on my account then it is but equal thâ—t I should undergo any kinde of persecution for him and not stick at it This is but to help to fill up the remainder of Christs sufferings Col. 1.24 and for thine encouragement take notice that he hath pronounced those blessed that are thus persecuted Matth. 5.10 c. Look up unto him who for the joy that was set before him indured the Cross Heb. 12.2 and do thou likewise 2 Sufferings in their innocency The godly are exposed to hardships in the world not onely for bearing witness to the truth and for well-doing but also when there is no cause at all save the unreasonable will and malice of men Thus it was with David Psal 13 4. 35.7 59.3 Prov. 1.11 They lurk privily for the innocent without cause So Joseph Gen. 39.8 12 20. and Daniel 16.4 16 22. Some men are so malignantly affected against sincerity that rather then fail they will forge and invent matter of mischiefe against the godly If this be thy case thine integrity and innocency may bear up thy spirit thou needest not fret against the Agents but consider that the Lord hath an hand in it for thy good at least for the trial of thy faith self-denial patience Above all remember that this also was the lot of thy Redeemer He had no sin neither was guile found in his mouth yet he suffered he was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter yet opened he not his mouth Isa 53.7 1 Pet. 2.21 22. Say then Although I suffer without cause yet I will not be cast down but I will commit my way unto the Lord and he shall bring forth my righteousness as the light Psal 37.5 6. The Redeemer which pleads my cause with God will plead it also with men Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise Mic. 7.8 He will awake to judge my cause in due time 3. Punishments for sin The Redeemed of the Lord by giving way to the temptations of the wicked one and the prevailing of lust do so far forget themselves that they even waxe wanton against him and provoke him to take them underhand and to inflict some judgement upon them Thus he punished David for his sin in the matter of Bathsheba 2 Sam. 12.10 11 14. and Moses for not sanctifying him before the people Num. 20.12 Deut. 32.50 51. and the Saints of Corinth for unworthy communicating 1 Cor. 11.30 which is called judging vers 31. The godly sometimes by their miscarriages bring upon themselves sickness poverty losses crosses in children or good name yea bodily death By complying with the sins of the times they become partners in the judgements Ezek. 21.3 Wise Solomon observes it as very remarkable prefixing a Behold to it that the righteous shall be recompenced in the earth Prov. 11.21 even he is not spared but paid home for his folly there is a time that judgement