(5.) It offers violence unto the text. For herein Christ’s offering of himself is expressive of the way whereby his blood purgeth our consciences; which in their sense is excluded. But we may observe, unto our purpose,—
Obs. 1V. This was the greatest expression of the inexpressible love of Christ; “ he offered himself.’”—-What was required thereunto, what he underwent therein, have on various occasions been spoken unto. His condescension and love in the undertaking and discharge
302 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IX.
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of this work, we may, we ought to admire, but we cannot compre- hend. And they do.what lies in them to weaken the faith of the church in him, and its love towards him, who would change the nature of his sacrifice in the offering of himself; who would make less of difficulty or suffering in it, or ascribe less efficacy unto it. This is the foundation of our faith and boldness in approaching unto God, that Christ hath “ offered himself” for us. Whatsoever might be effected by the glorious dignity of his divine person, by his pro- found obedience, by his unspeakable sufferings, all offered as a sac- rifice unto God in our behalf, is really accomplished.
Obs. V. It is hence evident how vain and insufficient are all other ways of the expiation of sin, with the purging of our consciences before God.—The sum of all false religion consisteth always im con~ trivances for the expiation of sin; what is false in any religion hath respect principally thereunto. And as superstition is restless, so the inventions of men have been endless, in finding out means unto this end. But if any thing within the power or ability of men, any thing they could invent or accomplish, had been useful unto this end, there would have been no need that the Son of God should have offered himself. To this purpose, see Heb. x. 5-8; Mic. vi. 6, 7.
2. The next thing in the words, is unto whom he offered himself; that is, “to God.” He gave himself an offering and a ‘ sacrifice to God. A sacrifice is the highest and chiefest act of sacred worship; especially it must be so when one offereth himself, according unto the will of God. God as God, or the divine nature, is the proper object of all religious worship, unto whom as such alone any sacrifice may be offered. To offer sacrifice unto any, under any other notion but as he is God, is the highest idolatry. But an offering, an expiatory sacrifice for sin, is made to God as God, under a pecu- liar notion or consideration. For God is therein considered as the author of the law against which sin is committed, as the supreme ruler and governor of all, unto whom it belongs to inflict the pun- ishment which is due unto sin. For the end of such sacrifices is “averruncare malum,’—to avert displeasure and punishment, by making atonement for sin. With respect hereunto, the divine na- ture is considered as peculiarly subsisting in the person of the Father. For so is he constantly represented unto our faith, as “the judge of all,” Heb. xii. 23. With him, as such, the Lord Christ had to do in the oftering of himself; concerning which, see our exposition on chap. v. 7. It is said, ‘If Christ were God himself, how could he offer himself unto God? That one and the same person should be the offerer, the oblation, and he unto whom it is offered, seems not so much a mystery as.a weak imagination.’
Ans. (1.) If there were one nature only in the person of Cheig it may be this might seem impertinent. Howbeit there may be
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eases wherein the same individual person, under several capacities, —as of a good man on the one hand, and a ruler or judge on the other,—may, for the benefit of the public, and the preservation of the laws of the community, both give and take satisfaction himself. But whereas in the one person of Christ there are two natures so infinitely distinct as they are, both acting under such distinct capa- cities as they did, there is nothing unbecoming this mystery of God, that the one of them might be offered unto the other. But,—
(2.) It is not the same person that offereth the sacrifice and unto whom it is offered. For it was the person of the Father, or the divine nature considered as acting itself in the person of the Father, unto whom the offering was made. And although the person of the Son is partaker of the same nature with the Father, yet that nature is not the object of this divine worship as in him, but as in the person of the Father. Wherefore the Son did not formally offer himself unto himself, but unto God, as acting supreme rule, government, and judgment, in the person of the Father.
As these things are plainly and fully testified unto in the Scrip- ture, so the way to come unto a blessed satisfaction in them, unto the due use and comfort of them, is not to consult the cavils of carnal wisdom, but to pray “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give unto us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, that the eyes of our under- standings being enlightened,” we may come unto “the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.”