2. We have here the way and manner in and by which this is done ; and that is by a full price paid down, and that price paid in the room of the sinner *, both making up a complete and full satisfaction. He pays a full price, every way adequate and propor- tionable to the wrong. So much this word, -/j/xag tfyyooatfev, which we translate redeemed, imports; he hath bought us out, or fully bought us ; that is, by a full price. This price with which he so fully bought or purchased our freedom from the curse, is not only called Xt/7gou, Mat. xx. 28. or ransom, but more emphati- cally av1i\v1gov, in 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6. which might be translated an adequate or fully answerable ransom. And so his freeing us by this price, is not only expressed by jjyo^acag rw @sw 7)>au$, " Thou hast " bought us to God by thy blood," Rev. v. 9. but sgrr/ooasev r^ug, he hath fully, perfectly, bought us out.
And as the price or ransom paid was full, perfect, and sufficient in itself; so it was paid in our room, and upon our account: so saith the text, -f* " By his being made a curse for us," the meaning is
* As he who is free, redeems a captive by substituting himself in his room, and by putting on the chains, the other puts them off: so Christ was willing to be ob- noxious to the fulfilling of the law that be might acquire immunity to us. Calv, on Gnl. iv.
f He is said to be made a curse and to be made sin : but he is not made the curse itself, to wit, formally, but our curse was imputed to him. Cyril,
173 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. gERM. XIV.
not, that Christ was made the very curse itself, changed into a curse ; no more than when the word is said to be made flesh, the divine nature was converted into flesh, but it assumed or took flesh ; and so Christ took the curse upon himself; therefore it is said, 2 Cor. v. 21* " He was made sin for us who knew no sin ;" that is, our sin was imputed to our surety, and laid upon him for satisfac- tion. And so this word j«rsg [for] implies a substitution of one, in the place and stead of another. Now the price being full, and paid in lieu of our sins, and thereupon we fully redeemed or de- livered from the curse, it follows, as a fair and just deduction, that,
Doct. The death of Christ hath made a full satisfaction to God for all the sins of his elect.
" He (to wit our surety, Christ) was oppressed, and he was a£. *c flicted," saith the prophet, Isa. lii. 7. it may be fitly rendered, (and the words will bear it without the least force) it was exacted^ and answered. But how, being either way translated, it establish- eth the satisfaction of Christ, may be seen in our learned Annota- tions on that place. So Col. i. 14. " In whom we have anoXvrpojgit u dia rx a i 'tare; redemption through his blood, even the forgive- ifc ness of sin." Here we have the benefit, viz. redemption inter- preted by way of opposition, " even the remission of sins;" and the matchless price that was laid down to purchase it, the blood of Christ. So again, Heb. ix. IS. " By his own blood he entered " once into the holy place, having obtained aiuviav 'Avrougiv, eternal " redemption for us." Here is eternal redemption, the mercy purchased : his own blood, the price that procured it.
Now forasmuch as this doctrine of Christ's satisfaction is so necessary, weighty, and comfortable in itself, and yet so much opposed and intricated by several enemies to it ; the method I shall take for the clearing, establishing, and preparing it for use, shall be,
Fiist, To open the nature of Christ's satisfaction, and shew what it is.
Secondly, To establish the truth of it, and prove that he made full satisfaction to God for all the sins of the elect.
Thirdly, To answer the most considerable objections made against it.
And lastly, To apply it.
First, What is the satisfaction of Christ, and what doth it imply ?
Wh t dSv ' ^ answer, satisfaction is the act of Christ, God-man9
f f f • presenting himself as our surety in obedience to J l ' God and love to us ; to do and to suffer all that tlie
SERM. XIV. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 179
law required of us: thereby freeing us from the wrath and curse due to us for sins.
1. It is the act of God-man*; no other was capable of giving satisfaction for an infinite wrong done to God. But by reason of the union of the two natures in his wonderful person, he could do it, and hath done it for us. The human nature did what was necessary in its kind ; it gave the matter of the sacrifice : the divine nature stampt the dignity and value upon it, which made it an adequate compensation : so that it was opus faavbyxov, the act of God-man ; yet so, that each nature retained its own properties, notwithstanding their joint influence into the effect. If the angels in heaven had laid down their lives, or if the blood of all the men in the world had been poured out by justice, this could never have satisfied ; because that ag/w<r/j, worth and value which this sacri- fice hath, would have still been wanting. " It was God that re- " deemed the church with his own blood," Acts xx. 18. If God redeem with his own blood, he redeems as God-man, without any dispute.
2. If he satisfy God for us, he must present himself before God, as our surety, in our stead, as well as for our good ; else his obedience had signified nothing to us ; to this end he was " made under the law," Gal. iv. 4. comes under the same obli- gation with us, and that as a surety, for so he is called, Heb. vii. 22. Indeed his obedience and sufferings could be exacted from him upon no other account. It was not for any thing he had done that he became a curse. It was prophesied of him, Dan. ix* 26. " The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself;" and being dead, the scriptures plainly assert it was for our sins, and upon our account: so 1 Cor. xv. 3. " Christ died for our sins, " according to the scriptures."
And it is well observed by our divines, who assert the vicege- rency and substitution of Christ in his sufferings, that all those Greek particles which we translate [for] when applied to the suf- ferings of Christ do note the meritorious, deserving, procuring cause of those sufferings. So you find, Heb. x. 12. " He offered " one sacrifice uvsg a^aormv^ for sins." 1 Pet. iii. 18. " Christ " once suffered, crag/, for sins." Rom. iv. 25. " He was deliver- " ed, &a, for our offences." Mat. xx. 28. " He gave his life a " ransom, ai/r/, for many." And there are that confidently af- firm this last particle is never used in any other sense in the whole
* This satisfaction had in it sufficient and in some respect infinite value. I In respect of the person offering it, who was God. 2. In respect of what be offered ; for he offered himself, God and man. 3. In respect of the manner of offering, in which there was a certain divine perfection in regard of the bypostatical (or perso- nal union). Ames, medul. p. 98.
180 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XIV.