On the other hand, the generality of expositors, ancient and modern, of the Roman and Protestant churches, on the place, affirm that the Lord Christ, as the surety of the covenant, was properly a surety or undertaker unto God for us, and not a surety and under- taker unto us for God. And because this is a matter of great impor- tance, wherein the faith and consolation of the church is highly con- cerned, I shall insist a little upon it.
And, first, We may consider the argument that is produced to prove that Christ was only a surety for God unto us. Now, this is taken neither from the name nor nature of the office or work of surety, nor from the nature of the covenant whereof he was a surety, nor of the ofiice wherein he was so. But the sole argument insisted on is, that we do not give Christ as a surety of the covenant unto God, but he gives him unto us; and therefore he is a surety for God and the accomplishment of his promises, and not for us, to pay our debts, or to anstver what is required of us.
But there is no force in this argument ; for it belongs not unto the nature of a surety by whom he is or may be designed unto his offite and work therein. His own voluntary susception of the office and work is all that is required, however he may be designed or in- duced to undertake it. He who, of his own accord, doth voluntarily undertake for another, on what grounds, reasons, or considerations soever he doth so, is his surety. And this the Lord Christ did in the behalf of the church: for when it was said, " Sacrifice, and burnt-offering, and whole burnt-offerings for sin, God would not have," or accept as sufficient to make the atonement that he required, so as that the covenant might be established and made effectual unto us; then said he, " Lo, I come to do thy will, O God," Heb. x. 5, 7. He willingly and voluntarily, out of his own abundant goodness and love, took upon him to make atonement for us ; wherein he was our
1S4 ON JUSTIFICATION.
surety. And accordingly, this undertaking is ascribed unto tliat love which he exercised herein, Gal. ii. 20 ; 1 John iii. 1 6 ; Kev. i. 5. And there was this in it, moreover, that he took upon him our nature or the seed of Abraham ; wherein he was our surety. So that although we neither did nor could appoint him so to be, yet he took from us that wherein and whereby he was so ; which is as much as if we had designed liim unto his work, as to the true reason of his being our surety. Wherefore, notwithstanding those antecedent transactions that were between the Father and him in this matter, it was the voluntary engagement of himself to be our surety, and his taking our nature upon him for that end, which was the formal reason of his being instated in that office.
It is indeed weak, and contrary unto all common experience, that none can be a surety for others unless those others design him and apiDoint him so to be. The principal instances of suretishijD in the world have been by the voluntary undertaking of such as were no Avay procured so to do by them for whom they undertook. And in such undertakings, he unto whom it is made is no less considered than they for whom it is made : as when Judah, on his own account, became a surety for Benjamin, he had as much respect unto the satisfaction of his father as the safety of his brother. And so the Lord Christ, in his undertaking to be a surety for us, had respect unto the glory of God before our safety.
Secondly, We may consider the arguments whence it is evident that he neither was nor could be a surety unto us for God, but was so /or «s unto God. For, —
1. "'Hyyvog or ey/ujjri^j, " a surety," is one that undertaketh for an- other wherein he is defective, really or in reputation. Whatever that undertaking be, whether in words of promise or in depositing of real security in the hands of an arbitrator, or by any other per- sonal engagement of life and body, it respects the defect of the person for whom any one becomes a surety. Such a one is " sponsor," or " fidejussor," in all good authors and common use of speech. And if any one be of absolute credit himself, and of a reputation every way unquestionable, there is no need of a surety, unless in case of mortality. The words of a surety in the behalf of another whose ability or reputation is dubious, are, " Ad me recipio, faciet, aut fa- ciam." And when lyy-Mq is taken adjectively, as sometimes, it sig- nifies " satisdationibus obnoxius," — liable to payments for others that are non-solvent.
2. God can, therefore, have no surety properly, because there can be no imagination of any defect on his part. There may be, indeed, a question whether any word or promise be a word or promise of God. To assure us hereof, it is not the work of a surety, but only