Thus upon the account of the death of Christ, antecedently to all considerations of faith or belief in them for whom he died, thus much is done for the extijnguishing the quarrel about sin: The vindictive justice, law, and tririh of God, are disengaged from pursuing the sen- tence of death and Everlasting separation from God against them as
" Isa. liii. 10, 11.
» Gen. xviii. 25; Ps. v. )l-6, xxxi. 1, xxxv. 24, Ixv. 5, Ixxi. 2, xcvi. 13, xcviii. 2, ciii. 17, cxliii. 1, 11.
» Ps. ii. 7, 8, ex. 3, 7, ^v. 13, 14; Isa. xlix. 5, 6, 8, 9, lii. 13-16, liii. 11, lix. 20; John xii. 31, 32.
VIL] the mediation of CHRIST. 297
sinners, neither have they at all any thing to lay to their charge for which they should be cast out of the presence of God; yea, the Lord is moreover, in his own faithfulness and righteousness, with respect to the covenant of the Mediator, engaged to do that which is needful to the bringing of them to himself.^ After some previous observations, I shall confirm what hath been spoken by sundry argu- ments. I say, then, —
(1.) That it is a most iVain supposat which some make: "What if any one of them for whom Christ died should die in an unrege- nerate condition? would not the justice and condemning power of the law of God, notwithstanding the death of Christ, lay hold upon them?" It is, I say, a supposal of that which i7i sensu coviposito is impossible, and so in that sense (however upon other respects it may) not to be argued from. Christ died that those for whom he died might live, that they might be quickened and born again ;^ and so they shall, in their due season, every one undoubtedly be, and not any of them die in their sins.
(2.) That our affirmation is not in the least liable to that excep- tion which usually men insist upon in opposition unto it, — namely, " That if Christ hath so satisfied justice, and fulfilled the law in reference to all them for whom he died, that the sentence of con- demnation should not be issued out against them, but they must infallibly be saved, then there is no necessity either that they do at all believe, or, if they do, that they live in holiness and the avoid- ance of sin, all that being accomplished which by these mediums is sought for." I say, our position in itself is no way liable to this ex- ception; for, —
[1.] Though the justice, law, and truth of God be satisfied and fulfilled as to their sins, so that he hath not on that account any thing to lay to their charge, yet this hinders not at all but that God may assign and ascribe such a way for their coming to him as may be suited to the exalting of his glory, the honour of Jesus Christ, who hath brought all this about, and the preparing of the soul of the sinner for the full enjoyment of himself: and this he hath done by the law of faith ; which gives him the glory of his grace and all his other attributes; exalts Jesus Christ, whom it is his will we should honour as we honour himself;' and empties the poor sinful creature of itself, that it may be made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.'*
[2.] This consideration of the death of Christ, of his freeing us from condemnation for any or all of our sins, is not to be taken
' Isa. liii. 6; Gal. iv. 4, 5; Heb. x. 5-9; Horn. viii. 33, 34; Isa. liii. 11, 12; Rom. iv. 25; Phil. i. 29; Eph. i. 3-6. » John iii. 16, 17, vii. 38; 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. » Isa. liii. 5, 6, 11, 12; Dan. ix. 24; Rom. viii. 32, 33; Gal. iii. 13; Heb. ii. 14, 15; Rom. i. 16, 17, iii. 23-25, iv. 16, ix. 31, 32; John v. 23. « Rom. iii. 27 ; Eph. i. 6 ; Phil. iii. 8-11; Col i. 12.
298 DOCTEINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
apart or separated from the other, of his procuring the Holy Spirit and grace for us, that we should not commit sin, being born of God, with all the dispensations of precepts and promises, exhortations and threatenings, whereby he morally carries on the work of his grace in the hearts of his saints. Setting us free from the guilt of sin, he so far also sets us free from the power of sin that we should be dead to it, live no longer in it, that it should not reign in us, nor prevail to turn us utterly from God.^
[3.] They seem not much to be acquainted with the nature of faith, holiness, and communion with God, who suppose the end of them is only for the escaping of the wrath that is to come. They are the things whereby we are daily renewed and changed into the image of the glory of God,^ and so not only made useful and ser- viceable to him here, but also prepared for the fulness of his like- ness, wherewith we shall be satisfied, hereafter. Wherefore, ob- serve,—
[4.] That though this complete atonement be made in the death of Christ, yet it remains free in the bosom of God when he mil begin our actual deliverjcC^ce from under that arrest of death that was gone out~ against us,^ and how far in this life he will carry it towards perfection.^ It is, I say, in his bosom when he will bestow his Spirit on us for regeneration and faith, when he will actually absolve us from under the arrest of the law, by the application of his mercies in Christ unto us by the promise of the gospel, and bow far he will carry on the work of our deliverance from sin in this life. Only that is done upon the account whereof it is impossible that the quarrel against sin should be carried on to the utmost execution ^f tae'seiitSIlce denounced towards those sinners for whom Christ ' died;" which I prove l)y these foHowiug arguments : —