The first thing, then, is manifest, that there was a voluntary con- currence and distinct consent of the Father and Son for the accom- plishment of the work of our peace, and for bringing us to God,
2. For the accomplishment of this work, the Father, who is prin- cipal in the covenant, the promisor, whose love " sets all on work," as is frequently expressed in the Scripture, requires of the Lord Jesus Christ, his Son, that he shall do that which, xipon consideration of his justice, glory, and honour, was necessary to be done for the bringing about the end proposed, pi'escribing to him a law for the perform- ance thereof; which is called his " will" so often in Scripture.
What it was that was required is expressed both negatively and positively : —
(1.) Negatively, that he should not do or bring about this work by any of those sacrifices that had been a23pointed to make atone- ment " suo more," and to typify out what was by him really to be performed. This the Lord Jesus professeth at the entrance of his work, when he addresses himself to the doing of that which was in- deed required : " Sacrifice and offering," etc., " thou wouldest not." He was not to offer any of the sacrifices that had been offered be- fore, as at large hath been recounted. It was the will of God that, by them, he and what he was to do should be shadowed out and represented ; whereupon, at his coming to his work, they were all to be abrogated. Nor was he to bring silver and gold for our redemp- tion, according to the contrivance of the poor convinced sinner, Mi- cah vi. 6, 7; but he was to tender God another manner of price, 1 Pet. i. 18.
He was to do that which tlie old sacrifices could not do, as hath been declared : " For it was not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins," Heb. x. 4. ' A(paifih a,aa/3r/aj, quod
502 VINDICI^ EVANGELICiE.
supra dkrsTv et avatpeptiv, est extinguere peccata, sive facere ne ultra peccetur ; id sanguis Christi facit, turn quia fidem in nobis parit, turn quia Christo jus dat nobis auxilia necessaria impetrandi," Grot, in loc. Falsely and injuriously to the blood of Christ! 'AtpaipiTv aiJ.ot.p- riac, is nowhere in the Scripture to cause men to " cease to sin;" it never respects properly what is to come, but what is past. The apostle treats not of sanctification, but of justification. The taking away of sins he insists on is such as that the sinner should no more be troubled in conscience for the guilt of them, verse 2. The typical taking away of sins by sacrifices was by making atonement with God principally, not by turning men from sin, which yet was a conse- quent of them. The blood of Christ takes away sins as to their guilt by justification, and not only as to their filth by sanctification. This jDurification also by blood he expounds in his Annotations, chap. ix. 14: " Sanguini autem purgatio ista tribuitur, quia per sanguinem, id est, mortem Christi, secuta ejus excitatione et evectione, gignitur in nobis fides, Rom. iii. 25, quse delude fides corda purgat, Act. XV. 9." The meaning of these words is evident to all that have their senses exercised in these things. The eversion of the expiation of our sins by the way of satisfaction and atonement is that which is aimed at. Now, because the annotator saw that the comparison in- sisted on with the sacrifices of old would not admit of this gloss, he adds, " Similitude autem purgationis legalis, et evangelicse, non est in modo purgandi sed in effectu ;" than which nothing is more false, nor more directly contrary to the apostle's discourse, Heb. ix. x.
(2.) Positively. And here, to lay aside the manner how he was to do it, which relates to his ofiice of priest, and prophet, and king, the conditions imposed upon him may be referred to three heads : —
[1.] That he should take on him the nature of those whom he was to bring to God. This is as it were prescribed to him, Heb. x. 5, " A body hast thou prepared me,'' or " appointed that I should be made flesh, — take a body therein to do thy will." And the apostle sets out the infinite love of the Son of God, in that he condescended to this inexpressible exinanition and eclipsing of his glory, Phil. ii. 6, 7, " Being in the form of God, and equal with God, he made himself of no reputation, but took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men," or made a man. He did it upon his Father's prescription, and in pursuit of what God required at his hands. Hence it is said, " God sent forth his Son, made of a woman," Gal. iv. 4; and " God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh," Horn. viii. 3. And properly in answer to this of the Father's appoint- ing him a body is it that the Son answers, " Lo, I come to do thy will," — " I will do it, I will undertake it, that the great desirable end may be brought about," as we shall see afterward. So Heb. x. 9. And though I see no suflicient reason of relinquishing the usual