AEGUMENTS AGAINST UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION. 265
CHAPTER VII.
Of the nature of the satisfaction of Christ, with arguments from thence.
Arg. XIII. A third way whereby the death of Christ for sinners is expressed is SATISFACTION, — namely, that by his death he made satisfaction to the justice of God for their sins for whom he died, that so they might go free. It is true, the word satisfaction is not found in the Latin or Enghsh Bible applied to the death of Christ. In the New Testament it is not at all, and in the Old but twice. Num. XXXV. 31, 32; but the thing itself intended by that word is everywhere ascribed to the death of our Saviour, there being also other words in the original languages equivalent to that whereby we express the thing in hand. Now, that Christ did thus make satis- faction for all them, or rather for their sins, for whom he died, is (as far as I know) confessed by all that are but outwardly called after his name, the wretched Socinians excepted, with whom at this time we have not to do. Let us, then, first see what this satisfaction is; then how inconsistent it is with universal redemption.
Satisfaction is a term borrowed from the law, applied properly to things, thence translated and accommodated unto persons; and it is a full compensation of the creditor froin the debtor. To whom any thing is due from any man, he is in that regard that man's creditor; and the other is his debtor, upon whom there is an obligation to pay or restore what is so due from him, until he be freed by a law- ful breaking of that obligation, by making it null and void ; which must be done by yielding satisfaction to what his creditor can require by virtue of that obligation: as, if I owe a man a hundred pounds, I am his debtor, by virtue of the bond wherein I am bound, until some such thing be done as recompenseth him, and moveth him to cancel the bond ; which is called satisfaction. Hence, from things real, it was and is translated to things personal. Personal debts are injuries and faults; which when a man hath committed, he is liable to punishment. He that is to inflict that punishment, or upon whom it lieth to see that it be done, is, or may be, the ci'editor; which he must do, unless satisfaction be made. Now, there may be a twofold satisfaction : — First, By a solution, or paying the veri/ thing that is in the obligation, either by the party himself that is bound, or by some other in his stead : as, if I owe a man twenty pounds, and my friend goeth and payeth it, my creditor is fidly satisfied. Secondly, By a solution, or paying of so much, although in another kind, not the same that is in the obligation, which, by the creditor's acceptation, stands in the lieu of it ; upon which, also, free- dom from the obligation followeth, not necessarily, but by virtue of an act of favour.
266 THE DEATH OF DEATlf. [BOOK III.
In the business in hand, — First, the debtor is man; he oweth the ten thousand talents, ]\[att. xviii. 24. Secondly, The debt is sin: "For- give us our debts," Matt. vi. 12. Thirdly, That which is required in lieu thereof to make satisfaction for it, is death : " In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die," Gen. ii. 17; " The wages of sin is death," Rom. vi. 23. Fourthly, The obligation whereby the debtor is tied and bound is the laiv, "Cursed is every one," etc., Gal. iii. 10; Deut. xxvii. 26; the justice of God, Rom. i. 32; and the truth of God, Gen. iii. 3. Fifthly, The creditor that requireth this of us is God, considered as the party offended, severe Judge, and supreme Lord of all things. Sixthly, That which interveneth to the destruc- tion of the obligation is the ransowi paid by Christ: Rom. iii. 25, " God set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood."
I shall not enter upon any long discourse of the satisfaction made by Christ, but only so far clear it as is necessary to give liglit to the matter in hand. To this end tAvo things must be cleared : — First, That Christ did make such satisfaction as whereof we treat ; as also wherein it doth consist. Secondly, What is that act of God towards man, the debtor, which doth and ought to follow the satisfaction made. For the FIEST, I told you the word itself doth not occur in this business in the Scripture, but the thing signified by it (being a compensation made to God by Christ for our debts) most frequentl3\ For to make satisfaction to God for our sins, it is required only that he undergo the punishment due to them ; for that is the satisfaction re- quired where sin is the debt. Now, this Christ has certainly effected ; for "his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree," 1 Pet. ii. 24; " By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities," Isa. liii. 11. The word i^'?'^ {nasa), also, verse 1 2, arguing a taking of the punishment of sin from us and translating it to himself, signifieth as nmch, yea all that we do by the word satisfaction. So also doth that of di/ijviyxsv, used by Peter in the room thereof: for to bear iniquity, in the Scripture language, is to undergo the punishment due to it, Lev. v. 1 ; Avhich we call to make satisfaction ibr it; — which is farther illustrated by a declaration how he bare our sins, even by being "wounded for our transgres- sions, and bruised for our iniquities," Isa. liii. 5 ; whcreunto is added, in the close, that " the chastisement of our peace Avas upon him." Every chastisement is either vov()iTix,yj, for instruction, or rrapabuy'MaTiy.rt, for example, punishment and correction. The first can have no place in our Saviour; the Son of God had no need to be taught Avith such thorns and bi'icrs. It must, therefore, be for punishment and correc- lion, and that for our sins then upon him; Avhereby our peace or freedom from punishment was procured.