V. Moreover, the means are of two sorts : — First, Such as have a true goodness in themselves without reference to any farther kind; though not so considered as we use them for means. No means, as a means, is considered as good in itself, but only as couducible to a fturther end ; it is repugnant to the nature of means, as such, to be considered as good in themselves. Study is in itself the most noble employment of the soul ; but, aiming at wisdom or knowledge, we consider it as good only inasmuch as it conductetli to that end, other- wise as " a weariness of the flesh," Eccl. xii. 12. Secondly, Such as have no good at all in any kind, as in themselves considered, but merely as conducing to that end which they are fit to attain. They receive all their goodness (which is but relative) from that whereunto they are appointed, in themselves no way desirable; as the cutting off a leg or an anu for the preservation of life, taking a bitter potion for
END OF Christ's death as eternally intended. 1 63
health's sake, throwing corn and lading into the sea to prevent ship- wreck. Of which nature is the death of Christ, as we shall afterward declare.
VI. These things being thus proposed in general, our next task must be to accommodate them to the present business in hand; which we shall do in order, by laying down the agent working, the means wrought, and the end effected, in the great work of our re- demption ; for these three must be orderly considered and distinctly, that we may have a right apprehension of the whole : into the first whereof, aw ©sp, we make an entrance in [chapter third.]
CHAPTER III.
Of the agent or chief author of the work of our redemption, and of the first thing distinctly ascribed to the person of the Father.
I. The agent in, and chief author of, this great work of our redemp- tion is the v\fhole blessed Trinity; for all the works which outwardly are of the Deity are undivided and belong equally to each person, their distinct manner of subsistence and order being observed. It is true, there were sundry other instrumental causes in the oblation, or rather passion of Christ, but the work cannot in any sense be ascribed unto them; — for in respect of God the Father, the issue of their en- deavours was exceeding contrary to their own intentions, and in the close they did nothing but what the " hand and counsel of God had before determined should be done," Acts iv. 28; and in respect of Christ they were no way able to accomplish what they aimed at, for he himself laid down his life, and none was able to take it from him, John x. 17, 18: so that they are to be excluded from this consideration. In the several persons of the holy Trinity, the joint author of the whole work, the Scripture proposeth distinct and sundry acts or operations peculiarly assigned unto them; which, ac- cording to our weak manner of apjDrehension, we are to consider severally and apart; which also we shall do, beginning with them that are ascribed to the Father.
II. Two peculiar acts there are in this work of our redemption by the blood of Jesus, which may be and are properly assigned to the per- son of the Father: — First, The sending of his Son into the world for this employment. Secondl}^ A laying the punishment due to our sin upon him.
1. The Father loves the world, and sends his Son to die: He " sent his Son into the world that the world through him might be saved," John iii. 1 6, 1 7. He " sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness
164; THE DEATH OF DEATH. [COOK I.
of the law might be fulfilled in us/' Rom. viii. 3, 4 He "set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood," chap. iii. 25. For "when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made imder the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons,'" Gal. iv. 4, 5. So more than twenty times in the Gospel of John there is mention of this sending; and our Saviour describes himself by this peiiphrasis, "Him whom the Father hath sent," John x. 86; and the Father by this, "He who sent me," chap. v. 37. So that this action of sending is appropriate to the Father, according to his promise that he would " send us a Saviour, a great one, to deliver iis," Isa. xix. 20 ; and to the profession of our Saviour, " I have not spoken in secret from the beginning ; from the time that it was, there am I : and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me," Isa. xlviii. 16. Hence the Father himself is sometimes called our Saviour: 1 Tim. i. 1, " According to the commandment Qiou aoiTripog i\[Mcijv," — " of God our Saviour." Some copies, indeed, read it, ©sou %at ffurnpog ^/xSJv, — " of God and our Saviour;" but the interposition of that particle xai arose, doubtless, from a misprision that Christ alone is called Saviour. But directly this is the same with that parallel place of Tit. i. 3, Kar' s-TTiraYYiv roD suTripog rifi£v 0£&D, — " According to the command- ment of God our Saviour," where no interposition of that conjunc- tive particle can have place ; the same title being also in other places ascribed to him, as Luke i. 47, " My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." As also 1 Tim. iv. 10, " We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe;" though in this last place it be not ascribed unto him with reference to his redeeming us by Christ, but his saving and preserving all by his providence. So also Tit. ii. 10, iii. 4; Deut. xxxii. 15; 1 Sam. X. 19 ; Ps. xxiv. 5, xxv. 5 ; Isa. xii. 2, xl. 10, xlv. 15 ; Jer. xiv. 8 ; Micah vii. 7; Hab. iii. 18; most of which places have reference to his send- ing of Christ, which is also distinguished into three several acts, which in order we must lay down : —