IV. That wherein the exercise of the priestly ofiice of Jesus Christ whilst he was on earth doth consist, cannot be rejected nor denied without damnable error; but the exercise of the priestly ofiice of Jesus Christ whilst he was upon the earth consisted in this, to bear the punishment due to our sins, to make atonement with God, by iinclcrgoing his wrath, and reconciling him to sinners upon the satis- fiiction made to his justice: therefore cannot these things be denied without damnable error.
That in the things before recounted tlie exercise of Christ's priestly office did consist is most apparent, — first, From all the types and sacrifices whereby it was prefigured, their chief end being propitia- tion and atonement; secondly, From the very nature of the sacerdotal office, appointed for sacrificing, Christ having nothing to offer but his own blood, through the eternal Spirit; and, thirdly. From cUvers, yea., innumerable texts of Scripture affirming the same. It would be too long a work to prosecute these things severally and at large, and there- fore J will content myself with one or two places Avherein all those testimonies are comprised; as Heb. ix. 13, 14, " If the blood of bulls
OF THE SATISFACTION AND MERIT OF CHRIST. 283
and of goats," etc., " how mucli more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God?" etc. Here the death of Christ is compared to, exalted above, and in the anti- type answereth, the sacrifices of expiation which were made by the blood of bulls and goats ; and so must, at least spiritually, effect what they did cai^nally accomplish and typically prefigure, — namely, deli- verance from the guilt of sin by expiation and atonement: for as in them the life and blood of the sacrifice was accepted in the stead of the offerer, who was to die for the breach of the law, according to the rigour of it, so in this of Christ was his blood accepted as an atone- ment and propitiation for us, himself being priest, altar, and sacrifice. So, Heb. X. 10-12, he is said expressly, in the room of all the old, in- sufficient, carnal sacrifices, which could not make the comers thereunto perfect, to offer up his own body a sacrifice for sins, for the remission and pardon of sins through that offering of himself; as it is verse 19. And in the performance also do we affirm that our Saviour underwent the wrath of God which was due unto us. This, because it is by some ques- tioned, I shall briefly confirm, and that with these following reasons : —
First, The punishment due to sin is the wrath of God: Rom. i. 18, " The wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness;" chap. ii. 5, " The day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;" Eph, ii. 3, "Children of wrath;" John iii. 36. But Jesus Christ underwent the punishment due to sin: 2 Cor. v. 21, " Made sin for us;" Isa. liii. 6, " Iniquity was laid upon him;" 1 Pet. ii. 24, " He bare our sins in his own body on the tree." Therefore he underwent the wrath of God.
Secondly, The cin-se of the law is the wrath of God taken pas- sively, Deut. xxix. 20, 21. But Jesus Christ underwent the curse of the law: Gal. iii. 13, " Made a curse for us," the curse that they lie under who are out of Christ, who are " of the works of the law," verse 10. Therefore he underwent the wrath of God.
Thirdly, The death that sinners are to undergo is the wrath of God, Jesus Christ did taste of that death which sinners for them- selves were to undergo; for he died as "our surety," Heb. vii. 22, and in our stead, Matt. xx. 28. Hence his fear, Heb. v. 7; agony, Luke xxii. 44; astonishment and amazement, Mark xiv. 33; derelic- tion. Matt, xxvii. 46; sorrow, heaviness, and inexpressible pressures, chap. xxvi. 37-89.
V. That doctrine cannot be true nor agreealjle to the gospel which strikes at the root of gospel faith, and plucks away the foundation of all that strong consolation which God is so abundantly Avilling we should receive; but such is that of denying the satisfaction made ])y Christ, his answering the justice and undergoing the wrath of his Father. It makes the poor soul to be like Noah's dove in its dis- tress, not knowing where to rest the soles of her feet. When a soul is
284 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK III.
turned out of its self-righteousness, and begins to look abroad, and view the heaven and earth for a resting-place, and perceives an ocean, a flood, an inundation of wrath, to cover all the world, the wrath of God revealing itself from heaven against all ungodliness, so that it can obtain no rest nor abiding, — heaven it caniiot reach by its own flight, and to hell it is unwilling to fall; — if now the Lord Jesus Christ do not appear as an ark in the midst of the waters, upon whom the floods have fallen, and yet has got above them all for a refuge, alas ! what shall it do ? When the flood fell there Avere many mountains glorious in the eye, far higher than the ark; but yet those mountains were all drowned, whilst the ark still kept on the top of the waters. Many appearing hills and mountains of self-righteous- ness and general mercy, at the first view, seem to the soul much higher than Jesus Christ, but when the flood of wrath once comes and spreads itself, all those mountains are quickly covered ; only the ark, the Lord Jesus Christ, though the flood fall on him also, yet he gets above it quite, and gives safety to them that rest upon him.