Again; Christ, by his death, and in it, is said to "bear our sms: so 1 Pet. ii. 24, " His own self bare our sins;" — where you have both what he did, " Bare our sins" {avr^nyxi, he carried them up with him upon the cross) ; and what he intended, "That we, being dead unto sins, should live unto righteousness." And what was the effect? " By his stripes we are healed : " which latter, as it is taken from the same place of the prophet where our Saviour is aflirmed to " bear our ini- quities, and to have them laid upon him" (Isa. liii. 5, 6, 10-12), so it is expository of the former, and will tell us what Christ did by " bear- ing our sins ;" which phrase is more than once used in the Scripture to this purpose. 1. Christ, then, so bare our iniquities by his death, that, by virtue of the stripes and afflictions which he underwent in his offering hinisclf for us, this is certainly prociu-ed and effected, that we should go free, and not suffer any of those things which he underwent for us. To which, also, you may refer all those places which evidently hold out a commutation in this point of suffering between Christ and us: GaL iii. 13, "He delivered us from the
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curse of the law, being made a curse for us ;" Avith divers others which we shall have occasion afterward to mention.
Peace, also, and reconciliation with God, — that is, actual peace by the removal of all enmity on both sides, with all the causes of it, — is fully ascribed to this oblation : Col. i. 21, 22, " And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked Avorks, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you lioly and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight;" as also Eph. ii. 13-16, "Ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ : for he is our peace ; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments, that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." To which add all those places wherein plenary deliverances from anger, wrath, death, and him that had the power of it, is likewise asserted as the fruit thereof, as Rom. v. 8-10, and ye have a farther discovery made of the immediate effect of the death of Christ. Peace and reconciliation, deliverance from wrath, enmity, and whatever lay against us to keep us from enjoying the love and favour of God, — a redemption from all these he efliected for his church " with his own blood," Acts xx. 28. Whence all and every one for whom he died may truly say, " Who shall lay any thing to our charge? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us," Rom. viii. 33, 34. Which that they are procured for all and every one of the sons of Adam, that they all may use that rejoicing in full assurance, cannot be made appear. And yet evident it is that so it is with all for whom he died, — that these are the effects of his death in and towards thera for whom he underwent it: for by his being slain "he redeemed them to God by his blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and made them unto our God kings and priests," Rev. v. 9, 10; for "he made an end of their sins, he made reconciliation for their iniquity, and brought in everlasting righteous- ness," Dan. ix. 24
Add also those other places where our life is ascribed to the death of Christ, and then this enumeration will be perfect : John vi. 33, He " came down from heaven to give life to the world." Sure enough he giveth life to that world for which he gave his life. It is the world of " his sheep, for which he layeth down his life," chap. x. 15, even that he might " give unto them eternal life, that they might never perish," verse 28. So he appeared " to abolish death, and to bring life and immortality to light," 2 Tim. i.lO; as also Rom. v. 6-10.
Now, there is none of all these places but will afford a sufficient strength against the general ransom, or the universality of the merit of Christ. My leisure will not serve for so large a prosecution of the
21 4 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK II.
subject as that would require, and, therefore, I shall take from the whole this creneral arOTment: — If the death and oblation of Jesus Christ (as a sacrifice to his Father) doth sanctify all them for whom it was a sacrifice; doth purge away their sin; redeem them from wrath, curse, and guilt; work for them peace and reconciliation with God ; procure for them life and immortality ; bearing their iniquities and healing all their diseases ; — then died he only for those that are in the event sanctified, purged, redeemed, justified, freed from \\Tath and death, quickened, saved, etc. ; but that all are not thus sancti- fied, freed, etc., is most apparent: and, therefore, they cannot be said to be the proper object of the death of Christ. The supposal was confirmed before; the inference is plain from Scripture and expeii- ence, and the whole argument (if I mistake not) solid.