Hence arose the delight and pleasure God had in it ;. this made him take pleasure in bruising him, Isa. liii. 10. God smelled a sa- vour of rest in this sacrifice. The meaning is, that as men are offended with a stench, and their stomachs rise at it, and on the contrary delighted with sweet odours and fragrancies ; so the bles- sed God speaking after the manner of man, is offended, and filled with loathing and abhorrence by our sins; but infinitely pleased and delighted in the offering of Christ for them, which came up as an odour of sweet smelling savour to him, whereof the costly perfumes under the law were types and shadows. This was the oblation.
Thirdly, This oblation he brings before God, and to him he of- fers it up : So speaks the apostle, Heb. ix. 14. " Through the eter- " nal Spirit he offered himself without spot to God." As Christ eustained the capacity of a surety, so God of a creditor, who exacted satisfaction from him ; that is, he required from him, as our surety, the penalty due to us for our sin. And so Christ liad to do immediately with God, yea, with a God infinitely wronged, and incensed by sin against us. To this incensed Majesty, Christ our High-priest approached, as to a devouring fire, with the sacrifice.
Fourthly, The parsons for whom, and in whose stead he offered himself to God, was the whole number of God's elect -j-, which were given him of the Father, neither more nor less: So speak the scriptures. He laid down his life for the sheep, John x. 15, for the church, Acts xx. 28. for the children of God, John xi. 50, 51, 52. It is confessed, there is sufficiency of virtue in this Sa- crifice to redeem the whole world, and on that account some di- vines affirm he is called the " Saviour of the world," John iv. 42. et alibi. We acknowledge also, that he purchased the services of others, besides the elect, to be useful to them, as they many ways are. In which sense J others take those scriptures that speak so
* Smelling is attributed to God, to denote his being well pleased, his compla- cency, and favourable acceptance, as a man is refreshed and delighted with a good smell: — to this belongs the Hebrew expression, r~)irP3 D11, favour of rest or of sweetness, which is often applied to the sacrifices offered to God, Exod. xix. 25. Lev. i. 19. Glass. Philolog. Sacra.
f Divines teach that Christ died sufficiently for all, efficaciously for the elect Cameron, as aboveYf. 535.
160 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. Xll*
universally of the extent of his death. We also acknowledge that the elect being scattered in all parts, and among all ranks of men in the world, and unknown to those that are to tender Jesus Christ to men by the preaching of the gospel; the stile of the gospel (as it was necessary) is by such indefinite expressions suited to the general tenders they are to make of him : but that the effi- cacy and saving virture of this all-sufficient sacrifice, is co-extended with God's election, so that they all, and no others can, or shall reap the special benefits of it, is too clear in the scriptures to be denied, Eph. v. 23. John xvii. 2, 9, 19, 20. John x. 26, 27, 28, 1 Tim. iv. 10.
Fifthly, The design and end of this oblation was to atone, pa-* cify, and reconcile God, by giving him a full and adequate com- pensation or satisfaction for the sins of these his elect : so speaks the apostle, Col. i. 20. " And having made peace, through the " blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; " by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in " heaven." So 2 Cor. v. 19- " God was in Christ, reconciling " the world to himself." Reconciliation is the making up of that breach caused by sin, between us and God, and restoring us again to his favour and friendship. For this end Christ offered up him- self to God; I say, not for this end only, but more especially; hence it is called ika^og, a propitiation ; and so the Seventy ren- der that place, Numb. xv. iXaa^vog xgioc, the propitiating ram. But here I would not be mistaken, as though the reconciliation were made only between us and God the Father, by the blood of the cross ; for we were reconciled by it to the whole Trinity. Every sin being made against the divine Majesty, it must needs follow, that the three Persons, having the same divine essence, must be all offended by the commission, and so all reconciled by the expia- tion and remission of the same. But reconciliation is said to be with the Father, because, though the works of the Trinity, ad extra, be undivided, and what one doth, all do ; and what is done to one, is done to all ; yet by this form and manner of expresssion (as a learned* man well observes), the scriptures point out the proper office of each Person. The Father receives us into favour ; the Son mediates, and gives the ransom which procures it; the Spirit applies and seals this to the persons and hearts of believers. However, being reconciled to the Father, we are also reconciled to the Son, and Spirit, as they are one God in three Persons. And if it be objected, that then Christ offered up a sacrifice, or laid down a price to reconcile us to himself; I shall more fairly and directly meet with, and satisfy that objection, when I come
* Zanch. de tribus Elohinu
5ERM. XII. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE, 161
to speak of Christ's satisfaction, which is one of the principal fruits of this excellent oblation. For the present, this may inform you about the nature and precious worth of Christ's oblation. The uses whereof follow in these five practical inferences.
Inference 1. Hence it follows, That actual believers are fully freed from the guilt of their sins, and shall never more come wider condemnation.