What the Scripture affirms in this particular we laid down in the entrance of the whole discourse; which now, having enlarged in ex- plication of our sense and meaning therein, must be more particularly asserted, by an application of the particular places (which are very many) to our thesis as before declared, whereof this is the sum: — " Jesus Christ, according to the counsel and will of his Father, did offer himself u^Don the cross, to the procurement of those things before recounted ; and maketh continual intercession with this intent and purpose, that all the good things so procured by his death might be actually and infallibly bestowed on and applied to all and every one for whom he died, according to the will and counsel of God." Let us now see what the Scripture saith hereunto, the sundry places whereof we shall range under these heads: — First, Those that hold out the intention and counsel of God, with our Saviour's own mind; whose will was one with his Father's in this business. Secondly, Those that lay down the actual accomplishment or effect of his ob- lation, what it did really procure, effect, and produce. Thirdly, Those that point out the^^erso^s for whom Christ died, as designed peculiarly to be the object of this work of redemption in the end and purpose of God.
I. For the first, or those which hold out the counsel, purpose, mind, intention, and will of God and our Saviour in this work: Matt, xviii.
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11, "The Son of man is come to save that which was lost;" which words he repeatetb again upon another occasion, Luke xix. 10. In the first place, they are in the front of the parable of seeking the lost sheep ; in the other, they are in the close of the recovery of lost Zaccheus; and in both places set forth the end of Christ's coming, which was to do the will of his Father by the recovery of lost sinners: and that as Zaccheus was recovered by conversion, by bringing into the free covenant, making him a son of Abraham, or as the lost sheep which he lays upon his shoulder and bringeth home; so unless he findeth that which he seeketh for, unless he recover that which he cometh to save, he faileth of his purpose.
Secondly, Matt. i. 21, where the angel declareth the end of Christ's coming in the flesh, and consequently of all his sufferings therein, is to the same purpose. He was to " save his people from their sins." Whatsoever is required for a complete and perfect saving of his peculiar people from their sins was intended by his coming. To say that he did but in part or in some regard effect the work of sal- vation, is of ill report to Christian ears.
Thirdly, The like expression is that also of Paul, 1 Tim. i. 15, evi- dently declaring the end of our Saviour's coming, according to the will and counsel of his Father, namely, to "save sinners;" — not to open a door for them to come in if they will or can ; not to make a way passable, that they may be saved ; not to purchase reconciliation and pardon of his Father, which perhaps they shall never enjoy; but actually to save them from all the guilt and power of sin, and from the v/rath of God for sin: which, if he doth not accomplish, he fails of the end of his coming; and if that ought not to be affirmed, surely he came for no more than towards whom that effect is pro- cured. The compact of his Father with him, and his promise made unto him, of " seeing his seed, and caiTying along the pleasure of the Lord prosperously," Isa. liiL 10-12, I before declared; from which it is apparent that the decree and purpose of giving actually unto Christ a believing generation, whom he calleth " The children that God gave him,''' Heb. ii. 13, is inseparably annexed to the decree of Christ's "making his soul an ofifering for sin," and is the end and aim thereof.
Fourthly, As the apostle farther declareth, Lleb. ii. 14, 15, "For- asmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also him- self likewise took part of the same ; that through death he might de- stroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death," etc. Than which words nothing can more clearly set forth the entire end of that whole dispensation of the incarnation and offering of Jesus Christ, — even a deliverance of the children whom God gave him from the j)ower of death, hell, £ind the devil, so bringing them nigh unto God. Nothing at all of
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the purchasing of a possible deliverance for all and eveiy one ; nay, all are not those children which God gave him, all are not delivered from death and him that had the power of it: and therefore it was not all for whom he then took flesh and blood.
Fifthly, The same purpose and intention we have, Eph. v. 25-27, "Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thiug; but that it should be holy and without blemish:" as also. Tit. ii. 14, " He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." I think nothing can be clearer than these two places ; nor is it possible for the wit of man to invent ex- pressions so fully and livelily to set out the thing we intend, as it is in both these places by the Holy Ghost. What did Christ do? "He gave himself," say both these places alike: "For his church," saith one; " For us," saith the other; both words of equal extent and force, as all men know. To what end did ho this? "To sanctify and cleanse it, to present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle," saith he to the Ephesians; "To redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works," saith he to Titus. I ask now, Are all men of this church? Are all in that rank of men among whom Paul placeth himself and Titus? Are all purged, purified, sanctified, made glorious, brought nigh unto Christ? or doth Christ fail in his aim towards the greatest part of men? I dare not close with any of these.