2. What should hinder the death of Christ to be a sacrifice, a proper sacrifice, and, according to the nature, end, and use of sacri- fices, to have made atonement and satisfaction for sin? (1.) It is expressly called so in the Scripture; wherein he is said to "offer himself, to make his soul an offering, to offer himself a sacrifice," Eph. V. 2; Heb. i. 3, ix. 14, 25, 26, vii. 27. And he is himself di- rectly said to be a " priest,'' or a sacrificer, Heb. ii. 1 7. And it is nowhere intimated, much less expressed, that these things are not spoken properly, but metaphorically only. (2.) The legal sacrifices of the old law were instituted on purpose to represent and prepare the way for the bringing in of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, so to take away the sin of the world ; and is it not strange, that true and real sacrifices should be types and representations of that which was not so ? On this supposition, all those sacrifices are but so many seductions from the right understanding of things between God and sinners. (3.) Nothing is wanting to render it a proper propitiatory sacrifice. For, — [1.] There was the jierson offering, and that was Christ himself, Heb. ix. 14, "He offered himself unto God." "He," that is, the sacrificer, denotes the person of Christ, God and man; and " himself," as the sacrifice, denotes his human nature • Avhence God is said to " purchase his church Avith his own blood," Acts xx. 28 ; for he offered himself through the eternal Spirit : so that, — [2.] There Avas the matter of the sacrifice, which was the human nature of Christ, soul and body. " His soul was made an offering for sin,"
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Isa. liii. 10; and his body, " The offering of the body of Jesus Christ/' Heb. X. 10, — his blood especially, which is often synecdochically men- tioned for the whole. (4.) His death had the nature of a sacrifice : for, — [1.] Therein were the sins of men laid upon him, and not in liis entrance into heaven ; for " he bare our sins in his own body on the tree," 1 Pet. ii. 24. God made our sins then " to meet upon him," Isa. liu. 6 ; which gives the formality unto any sacrifices. " Quod in ejus caput sit," is the formal reason of all propitiatory sacrifices, and ever was so, as is expressly declared. Lev. xvi, 21, 22; and the phrase of " bearing sin," of " bearing iniquity," is constantly used for the undergoing of the punishment due to sin. [2.] It had the end of a proper sacrifice ; it made expiation of sin, propitiation and atonement for sin, with reconciliation with God ; and so took away that enmity that was between God and sinners, Heb. i. 8; Kom. iii. 25, 26; Heb. ii. 17, 18, v. 10; Rom. viii. 3; 2 Cor. v. 18, 19. And although God himself designed, appointed, and contrived, in wisdom, this way of reconciliation, as he did the means for the atoning of his own anger towards the friends of Job, commanding them to go unto him, and with him offer sacrifices for themselves, which he would accept, chap, xlii. 7, 8 ; yet, as he was the supreme Governor, the Lord of all, at- tended with infinite justice and holiness, atonement was made with him, and satisfaction to him thereby.
What hath been spoken may suffice to discover the emptiness and weakness of those exceptions which in general these men make against the truth before laid down from the Scripture. A brief examination of some particular instances, wherein they seek not so much to oppose as to reproach the revelation of this mystery of the gospel, shall put a close to this discourse. It is said, then, —
First, " That if this he so, then it will follow that Ood is gracious to forgive, and yet [it is] impossible for him, unless the debt be f idly satisfied."
Ans. 1. I suppose the confused and abrupt expression of things here, in words scarcely affording a tolerable sense, is rather from weakness than captiousness ; and so I shall let the manner of the proposal pass. 2. What if this should follow, that God is gracious to forgive sinners, and yet will not, cannot, on the account of his own holiness and righteousness, actually forgive any, without satisfaction and atonement made for sin? the worst that can be hence concluded is, that the Scripture is true, which affirms both these in many places. 3. This sets out the exceeding greatness of the grace of God in for- giveness, that when sin could not be forgiven without satisfaction, and the sinner himself could no way make any such satisfaction, he provided himself a sacrifice of atonement, that the sinner might be discharged and pardoned. 4. Sin is not properly a debt, for then it
4.32 OF THE SATISFACTION OF CHRIST.
might be paid in kind, by sin itself; but is called so only because- it binds ov^er the sinner to punishment, which is the satisfaction to be made for that which is properly a transgression, and improperly only a debt. It is added, —