1. Seeing the Son of God died in that way and manner that he did, according to the determinate counsel and will of God, wherefore did he do so, and Avhat aimed he at therein?
Ans. It is plain that he died for our sins, Rom iv. 25; that is, " to make reconciliation for the sins of the people," Heb. ii. 1 7, 1 S. This Moses and the prophets, this the whole Scripture, testifieth
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uuto. And without a supposal of it, not one word of it can be aright beheved; nor can we yield any due obedience unto God without it.
2. Whatj then, did God do unto him? What was in transaction between God as the Judge of all, and him that was the Mediator of the church?
Ans. God indeed " laid on him the iniquity of us all," Isa. liii. 6, — all the sins of all the elect; yea, he made him " a curse for us," Gal. iii. 13 ; and making him a " sin-offering," or " an offering for sin," he " condemned sin in the flesh," Rom. viii, 3, 2 Cor. v. 21 : so that all that which the justice or law of God had to require about the punish- ment due unto sin was all laid and executed on him.
3. What, then, did Christ do in his death? What did he aim at and design? what was his intention in submitting unto and under- going the will of God in these things?
Ans. " He bare our sins in his own body on the tree," 1 Pet. ii. 24; " he took our sins upon him," undertook to answer for them, to pay our debts, to make an end of the difference about them be- tween God and sinners, Dan. ix. 24. His aim undoubtedly was, by all that he underwent and suffered, so to make atonement for sin as that no more could on that account be expected.
4. Had God any more to require of sinners on the accovmt of sin, that his justice might be satisfied, his holiness vindicated, his glory exalted, his honour be repaired, than what he charged on Christ? Did he lay someivhat of the penalty due to sin on him, execute some part of the curse of the law against him, and yet reserve some turath for sinners themselves?
Ans. No, doubtless. He came to do the ivhole will of God, Heb. x. 7, 9 ; and God spared him not any thing that in his holy will he had appointed to be done unto sin, Rom. viii. 32. He would never have so dealt with his Son, to have made a half- work of it ; nor is the work of making satisfaction for sin such as that any, the least part of it, should ever be undertaken by another. Nothing is more injurious or blasphemous against God and Christ than the foolish imagination among the Papists of works satisfactory for the punish- ment due to sin or any j^art of it ; as also is then- j^urgatory pains to expiate any remaining guilt after this life. This work of making- satisfaction for sin is such as no creature in heaven or earth can put forth a hand unto. It was wholly committed to the Son of God, who alone was able to undertake it, and who hath perfectly accom- plished it ; so that God now says, " ' Fury is not in me.' He that will lay hold on my strength that he may have j)eace, he shall have peace," Isa. xxvii. 4, 5.
5. What, then, became of the Lord Christ in his undertaking? Did he go through with it? or did he faint under it? Did he only
494. AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM cxxx. [Yer.4.
testify his love, and show his good will for our deliverance? or did he also effectually pursue it, and not faint, until he had made a way for the exercise of forgiveness ?
Ans. It was not possible that he should be detained by " the pains of death," Acts ii. 24. He knew beforehand that he shoidd be carried through his work, that he should not be forsaken in it, nor faint under it, Isa. 1. 5-9. And God hath given this unquestionable evidence of his discharge of the debt of sin to the utmost, in that he was acquitted from the whole account when he was raised from the dead; for he that is given up to prison, upon the sentence of the law, for the debt of sin, shall not be freed until he have paid the ut- most farthing. This, therefore, he manifested himself to have done, by his resurrection from the dead.
6. What, then, is now become of him ? where is he, and what doth he? Hath he so done his work and laid it aside, or doth he still continue to carry it on until it be brought unto its perfection?
Ans. It is true, he was dead, but he is alive, and lives for ever; and hath told us that " because he liveth we shall live also," and that because this is the end of his mediatory life in heaven : " He ever liveth to make intercession for us," Heb. vii. 25-27; and to this end, that the forgiveness of sin, which he hath procured for us, may be communicated unto us, that we might be partakers ot it, and live for ever.