endeavour to demonstrate. Penmen of the New Testament were not translators of the Old, but only quoted them for proof of the point in hand, so as they were not tied to syllables and letters, but to the sense. That which the prophet speaketh of himself, the apostle applieth to Christ, say some. This may be readily granted ; for David being a special type of Christ, that may in history and type be spoken of l3avid, which, in mystery and truth, is understood of Christ. But that which David uttered in the aforesaid text, is questionless, uttered by the way of prophecy, concerniug Christ, as is evident by these reasons.*'
First, In David's time, God required sacrifices and burnt-oiferings, and took delight therein, 1 Chron. xxi. 26 ; 1 Sam. xxvi. 19 ; for God answered David from heaven by fire, upon the altar of burnt-offering ; and David himself advised Saul to offer a burnt-offering that God might accept of it.
Secondly, David was not able so ' to do the will of God,' as by doing it, to make all sacrifices void ; therefore this must be taken as a prophecy of Christ.
Thirdly, In the verse before, namely, Ps. xl. 5, such an admiration of God's goodness is premised, as cannot fitly be applied to any other evidence, than of his goodness in giving Christ ; in reference to whom, it may be truly said, ' That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath pre- pared for them that love him,' 1 Cor. ii. 9.
Fourtldy, These words used by the apostle, ' when he cometli into the world, he saith,' are meant of Christ ; which argue that that which followeth was an express prophecy of Christ. These tilings being premised, out of the texts last cited we may observe these following particulars that make to our purpose,
[1.] First, That the Holy Spirit opens and expounds the covenant of redemption, bringing in the Father and the Son, as conferring and agreeing together about the terms of it; and the first thing agreed on between them is the price ; and the price that God the Father stands upon is * blood ;' and that not ' the blood of bulls and goats, but the blood of his Son ;' which was the best, the purest, and the noblest blood, that ever ran in veins. ^ Now Christ, to bring about the redemption of fallen man, is willing to come up to the demands of his Father, and to lay down his blood. The scripture calls the blood of Christ, rlfiLov alfia, precious blood. Oh, the virtue in it, the value of it ! Through this red sea we must pass to heaven ; Sanguis Christi clavis cceli, Christ's blood is heaven's key. ' Precious in the sight of the Lord is the blood of the saints,' Ps. cxvi. 15, and truly ' precious in the sight of the saints is the blood of Christ.' Una guttula plus valet quam ccehim et terra, One little drop is more worth than heaven and earth, [Luther.] Christ's blood is ' precious blood,' in regard of the dignity of his person. It is ' the blood of God himself,' Acts xx. 28, it is the blood of that person, who is very God as well as very man. Christ's blood was noble blood, and therefore precious. He came of the race of kings, as touching his manhood ; but being withal the Son of God, This renders his nobility matchless and peerless. It was
1 Hel.. X. 4, and ix. 22 ; John x. 11, 15, 17, 18, and i. 29; 1 Pet. i. 18, 19.
VERY CLEARLY AND LARGELY OPENED. 345
Pharaoh's brag that he was the son of ancient kings, Isa. xix. 11. Who can lay claim to this more than Christ ? Who can challenge this honour before him ? He is the Son of the ancientest king in the world, he was begot a king from all eternity, Dan. vii. 9, 13, 27 ; and the blood of good kings is precious ; ' Thou are worth ten thousand of us,' said David's subjects to him, 2 Sam. xviii. 3 ; and therefore they would not suffer him to hazard himself in the battle. The nobleness of his person did set a high rate upon his blood. And whom doth this argument more commend unto us than Christ ? And the blood of Christ is precious blood in regard of the virtues of it. By this blood, God and man are reconciled ; by this blood, the chosen of God are redeemed. It was an excellent saying of Leo, ' The effusion of Christ's blood is so rich and available, that if the whole multitude of captive sinners would believe in their Redeemer, not one of them should be detained in the tyrant's chains.' i This precious blood justifies our persons in the sight of God, it frees us from the guilt of sin, and it frees us from the reign and dominion of sin, and it frees us from the punishments that are due to sin, it saves us, airb rrj<i 6pyr]<; t^? epxo/JievTj'i, ' from that wrath that is to come,' Acts xiii. 38, 39 ; Rom. iii. 24, 25 ; 1 John i. 7 ; 1 Thes. i. 10. Now were not Christ's blood of infinite value and virtue, it could never have produced such glorious effects. The blood of Christ is precious, beyond all account ; and yet our Lord Jesus did not think it too dear a price to pay down for his saints. God the Father would be satisfied with no other price ; and therefore God the Son comes up to his Father's price, that our redemption might be sure. But,
[2.] Secondly, Observe that God rejects all luays of satisfaction hy men. Could men make as many prayers as there be stars in heaven and drops in the sea, and could they weep as much blood as there is water in the ocean, and should they ' give all their goods to the poor, and their bodies to be burned,' 1 Cor. xiii. 3, as some have done, yet all this would not satisfy for the least sin, not for an idle word, not for a vain thought : Heb. x. 5, ' Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not ;' that is, thou wilt not accept of them for an expiation and satis- faction for sin, as the Jews imagined. The apostle shews the im- potency and insufficiency of legal sacrifices by God's rejecting of them. The things here set down not to be regarded by God — as sacrifices, ofierings, burnt-offerings, and sacrifices for sin, together with other legal ordinances comprised under them — do evidently demonstrate tliat God regards none of those things in a way of satisfaction ; they are no current price, they are no such pay that will be accepted of in the court of heaven. Remission of sin could never be obtained by sacrifices and offerings, nor by prayers, tears, humblings, meltings, watchings, fastings, penances, pilgrimages, &c. Remission of sins cost Christ dear, though it cost us nothing. Remission of sins drops down from God to us through Christ's wounds, and swims to us in Christ's blood. It was well said by one of the ancients : ' I have not whence I may glory in my own works, I have not whence I may boast myself, and therefore I will glory in Christ ; I will not glory that I am righteous, but I will glory that I am redeemed ; I will glory, not
^ Leo de pas., serm. xii. c. 4.
346 THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION