Fourthly, Besides all this, there ensues upon what went before, that great and wonderful issue in the death of the So7i of God. This thing was great and marvellous, and we may a little inquire into what it was that was designed therein. And hereof the Scripture gives us a full account; as, —
1. That he died to make atonement for sin, or "reconciliation for iniquity," Dan. ix. 24. He "gave his life a ransom for the sins of many," Matt. xx. 28 ; 1 Tim. ii. 6. He Avas in it " made sin," that others " might be made the righteousness of God in him," 2 Cor. v. 21; E,om. viii. 3. Therein he " bare our sins in his own body on the tree," 1 Pet. ii. 24. This was the state of this matter: — Notwithstanding all the love, grace, and condescension before mentioned, yet our sins were of that natm-e, and so directly opposite unto the justice and
Yer.4.] EVIDENCE OF FORGIVENESS WITH GOD, 491
holiness of God, that unless atonement were made and a price of re- demption paid, there could be no pardon, no forgiveness obtained. This, therefore, he undertook to do, and that by the sacrifice of him- self; answering all that was prefigured by and represented in the sacrifices of old, as the apostle largely declares, Heb. x. 5-10. And herein is the forgiveness that is in God copied out and exemplified so clearly and evidently, that he that cannot read it will be cursed unto eternity. Yea, and let him be accursed ; for what can be more re- quired to justify God in his eternal destruction? He that will not believe his grace, as testified and exemplified in the blood of his Son, let him perish without remedy. Yea, but, —
2. The curse and sentence of the law lies on record against sin- ners. It puts in its demands against our acquittance, and lays an obli- gation upon us unto punishment: and God will not reject nor destroy liis law; unless it be answered, there is no acceptance for sinnera This, therefore, in the next place, his death was designed imto. As he satisfied and made atonement by it unto justice (that was the fountain, spring, and cause of the law), so he fulfilled and answered the demands of the law as it was an effect of the justice of God : so Bom. viii. 1-4. He suffered " in the likeness of sinful flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled'' and answered. He answered " the curse of the law" when he was " made a curse for us," Gal. iii. 13 ; and so became, as to the obedience of the law, " the end of the law for righteousness unto them that do believe," E-om. X. 3, 4. And as to the penalty that it threatened, he bore it, re- moved it, and took it out of the way. So hath he made way for for- giveness through the very heart of the law; it hath not one word to speak against the pardon of them that do believe. But, —
3. Sinners are under the j^ower oj Satan. He lays a claim unto them ; and by what means shall they be rescued from his interest and dominion? This also his death was designed to accomplish: for as he was " manifested to destroy the works of the devil," 1 John iii. 8, so " through death he destroyed him that had the power of death," Heb. ii. 14; — that is, to despoil him of his poAver, to destroy his do- minion, to take away his plea unto sinners that believe ; as we have at large elsewhere declared.
And by all these things, with many other concernments of his death that might be instanced in, we are abundantly secured of the forgiveness that is with God, and of his willingness that we should be made partakers thereof
Fifthly, Is this all? Did his work cease in his death? Did he no more for the securing of the forgiveness of sins unto us, but only that he died for them? Yes; he lives also after death, for the same end and pujyose. This Son of God, in that nature which he assumed to
492 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM cxxx. [Ver.4.
expiate sin by death, lives again after death, to secure unto us and to complete the forgiveness of sins. And this he doth two ways: —
1. Being raised from that death which he imdenvent, to make atonement for sin, by the power and good will of God, he evidenceth and ■ testifieth unto us that he hath fully performed the work he undertook, and that in our behalf, and for us, he hath received a discharge. Had he not answered the guilt of sin by his death, he had never been raised from it.
2. He lives after death a ^mediatory life, to make intercession for us, that we may receive the foi'giveness of sin, as also himself to give it out unto us; which things are frequently made use of to encourage the souls of men to believe, and therefore shall not at present be farther insisted on.
Thus, then, stands this matter: — That mercy might have a way to exercise itself in forgiveness, with a consistency unto the honour of the righteousness and law of God, was the Son of God so sent, for the ends and purposes mentioned. Now, herein consisteth the greatest work that God did ever j^erform, or ever will. It was the most emi- nent product of infinite wisdom, goodness, grace, and power; and herein do all the excellencies of God shine forth more gloriously than in all the works of his hands. Let us, then, wisely ponder and consider this matter ; let us bring our own souls, with their objec- tions, unto this evidence, and see what exception we have to lay against it. I know nothing will satisfy unbelief. The design of it is, to make the soul find that to be so hereafter which it would per- suade it of here, — namely, that there is no forgiveness in God. And Satan, who makes use of this engine, knows full well that there is none for them who believe there is none, or rather will not believe that there is any ; for it will, at the last day, be unto men according unto their faith or unbelief He that believeth aright, and he that believeth not that forgiveness is with God, as to their o'\\ti parti- culars, shall neither of them be deceived. But what is it that can be reasonably excepted against this evidence, this foundation of our faith in this matter? God hath not sent his Son in vain; which 3^et he must have done, as we have showed, had he not designed to manifest and exercise forgiveness towards sinners. Wherefore, to confirm our faith from hence, let us make a little search into these things in some particular inquiries: —