But now some men think to wipe away all that hath been said m a word, and tell us that all this is so but only in their OAvn appre- hension ; not that those things are so indeed and in themselves. But if these things be so to them only in their apjirehension, why are they otherwise to the rest of the whole world? The Scripture gives Tis no difference nor distinction between them. And if it be so with ■'ll, then let all get this apprehension as fast as they can, and all
OF THE SATISFACTION AND MERIT OF CHRIST. 279
shall be well with the whole world, now miserably captived under a misapprehension of their own condition; that is, let them say the Scripture is a fable, and the teiTor of the Almighty a scarecrow to fright children ; that sin is only in conceit ; and so square their con- versation to their blasphemous fancies. Some men's words eat as a canker.
4. Of particular j)laces of Scripture, which might abundantly be 2:)roduced to our purpose, I shall content myself to name only one : Johu iii. 36, " He that believeth not the Son, the wrath of God abideth on him." Itabideth: there it was, and there it shall remain, if unbelief be continued; but upon believing it is removed. " But is not God's love unchangeable, by which we shall be freed from his wrath?" Who denies it? But is an apprentice free because he shall be so at the end of seven years? Because God hath purposed to free his in his own time, and will do it, are they therefore free before he doth it? " But are we not in Christ from all eternity?" Yes, chosen in him we are; therefore, in some sense, in him. But how? Even as we are. Actually, a man cannot be in Christ until he be. Now, how are we from eternity? are we eternal? No; only God from eter- nity hath purposed that we shall be. Doth this give us an eternal being? Alas! we are of yesterday; our being in Christ respecteth only the like purpose, and therefore from thence can be made only the like inference.
This, then, being cleared, it is, I hope, apparent to all how miserable a strained consequence it is, to argue from God's decree of election to the overthrow of Christ's merit and satisfaction; the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ being, indeed, the chief means of carrying along that purpose unto execution, the pleasure of the Lord prosper- ing in his liand. Yea, the argument may be retorted, xara to [Blaiov, and will liold undeniable on the other side, the consequence being evident, from the purpose of God to save sinners, to the satisfaction of Christ for those sinners. The same act of God's will which sets us apart from eternity for the enjoyment of all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, sets also apart Jesus Christ to be the purchaser and procurer of all those spiritual blessings, as also to make satisfaction for all their sins; which that he did (being the main thing opposed) we prove by these ensuing arguments.
CHAPTER IX.
Being a second part of the former digression — Arguments to prove the satisfaction of Christ.
I. If Christ so took our sins, and had them by God so laid and imposed on him, as that he underwent the punishment due unto
280 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK III.
them in our stead, then he made satisfaction to the justice of God for them, that the sinners might go free ; but Christ so took and bare our sins, and had them so laid upon him, as that he underwent the punisimient due unto them, and that in our stead : therefore, he made satisfaction to the justice of God for them. The consequent of the proposition is apparent, and was before proved. Of the assumption there be three parts, severally to be confirmed : — First, That Christ took and bare our sins, God laying them on him. Secon Jl}^, That he so took them as to undergo the punishment due unto them. Thirdly, That he did this in our stead.
For the first, that he took and bare our sins, ye have it, John i. 29, 'O a/Vwj',^ etc., — " Who taketh away the sin of the world;" 1 Pet. ii. 24,' Os dv7jvsy/.iv,—"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body ;" Isa. liii. 11, ^'^^\ i^li^, — "He shall bear their iniquities;" and verse 12, ^^'^, — " He bare the sin of many." That God also laid or im- posed our sins on him is no less apparent: Isa. liii. 6, " The Lord, V^^'}, made to meet on him the iniquity of us all;" 2 Cor. v. 21, ' Afiaprlav sToiriGi, — " He hath made him to be sin for us."
The second branch is, that in thus doing our Saviour underwent the punishment due to the sins which he bare, which were laid upon him ; which may be thus made manifest: — Death and the curse of the law contain the whole of the punishment due to sin, Gen. ii. 17, nion DiD^ " Dying thou shalt die," is that which was threatened. Death was that which entered by sin, Rom. v. 12: which word in these places is comprehensive of all misery due to our transgres- sions; which also is held out in the curse of the law, Deut. xxvii. 26, " Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them." That all evils of punishment whatsoever are comprised in these is unquestionably evident. Now, Jesus Christ in bearing our sins underwent both these: for "by the grace of God he tasted death," Heb. ii. 9; by death delivering from death, verse 14. He was not " spared, but given up to death for us all," Rom. viii. 82. So also the curse of the law: Gal. iii. IS, Tivo^xivog zardi>a, — he " was made a curse for us;" and e'^iTcardparog, " cursed." And this by the way of undergoing the punishment that was in death and curse : for by these " it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and put him to grief," Isa. liii. 10; yea, oux sfs/Varo, "he spared him not," Rom. viii. 32, but " condemned sin in his flesh," verse 3. It remaineth only to show that he did this in our stead, and the whole argument is con- firmed.