Opposition to Errors of William Sherlock, Chapter 2 – Chapter 3
CHAP. II. Of what use the Consideration of Christs Person is, in the Christian Religion.
IN the Entrance of this Chapter, I observe our Author is feelingly concern'd to amove from himself the sinister suspition of a Design to render Christ useless. And he makes a solemn Protestation, not onelyonly of his own Innocency, but is ready to become Surety and Compurgator for all his Accomplices. A design (sayes he) which I confess I am wholly a stranger to, as I believe all those are, who are so much charged with it. When we hear a man zealously purging himself of some Notorious Crime, noysed abroad onelyonly in the general, without praevious Accusation; it's apt to fly-blow our Heads with jealousie he may be Tardy; an over-forward Vindication being reputed more than half an Accusation. But I dare be one of his Twelve-Godfathers in this matter, that he does not make Christ useless; but will allow him to be of some use, that is to say, that Christ is good for something, and in effect, a little Better than, though next to Nothing; and I can with more security become Bound for Him, because he has given me good Counter-security, that I shall not forfeit my Recognizance. P. 330. I could never perswade my self (no not for your heart, though you had attempted it) that the perfect Obèdience and Righteousness of His Life was wholly excluded. So that whatever rendred Christ beloved of God, contributed something to our Acceptation. P. 331. We ought not to think that we receive No Benefit by the Righteousness of Christ. And I hope something is better than Nothing. Nay, (such is his Charity) he can be content to Allow, that God was somewhat more pleased with the Obedience of Christ, than the Faith of Abraham. ibid. And that his Sacrifice was of greater value, than the Blood of Bulls and Goats, p. 19. Naughty men are they then, that wrong Him and Them so, as to insinuate that they design'd to make Christ useless, the rather because they proceed upon so bad a Ground. We are charg'd with making Christ useless, onelyonly because we dare not make his Laws so; And thus it seems they have unhandsomely payd him in his own Coyn, who charges them with making his Laws Useless, onelyonly because they dare not make his Person so. And yet to deal plainly with Him, for all this, I find a Double charge upon the File against him.
(1) That though he has not made Christ altogether Useless, yet he has made him Needless. Though he can use Him, yet he could have spared him; though he can make a shift with him, he could have made a Rubbing shift without Him. Ut tecum possum vivere, sic sine te. So p. 46. I should rather have thought that Gods requiring such a sacrifice as the Death of Christ, was not because he could not do otherwise. And if Gods Iustice could be contented without that sacrifice, I may presume it shall not stick at our Authors good Nature, p. 43. Had Christ never appeared in the World, yet we had Reason to believe that God is thus Wise and Good, viz. to Pardon sinners. And (as he labours to Prove) Enoch, Noah, Iews and Gentiles, who knew nothing at all of Christ, p. 44. yet understood God to be a God pardoning iniquity without him: And surely if the World jogg'd on for four thousand years without Christ, it might have worn out the Remainder without him too.
(2) I find a second Charge against him: That though he make not Christ useless, as to some common, ordinary and general Ends, which might have been attain'd, and reach'd without him; yet he renders him wholly Useless as to those special, those main and glorious purposes for which he came into the World: The making satisfaction to Divine Iustice, the Imputation of his Righteousness to Believers, his powerfull and effectual sanctifying them by his Spirit for whom he undertook. Whereof we shall meet with abundant Evidence in the progress of his Discourse. So that a Declaration contrary to the Fact, is of small weight with considering Readers, and sinks it self below all consideration. But to return: Two things fill up this Chapter.
First, That the Person of Christ is of some Consideration; and Secondly, That the consideration of his Person is of some use▪ onelyonly the difficulty to be assoyled by His Abilities, is, Of what use, the consideration of his Person should be?
[1.] Then, the Person of Christ is of some consideration; but e're he ventures upon that Province, he bethought Himself it would be a Task worthy his great Parts, to indoctrinate our Plumbeous Cerebrosities in the Nice Point, What the Person of Christ is? P. 15. By the Person of Christ I mean, what all men ought to mean, (nay there's no doubt of that; All men at their utmost Peril ought to mean, to a hairs breadth, just as our Author means) Christ Himself. Had it not been a Prodigy as great as ever was in the World, if by Christs Person had been meant any body else? Such then is Christ's Person. The Consideration thereof follows: And (as he assures us) the onelyonly proper consideration here is the Greatness of his Person; This is the onelyonly, or however, The onelyonly Proper, or at least the onelyonly Proper consideration here; whatever other improper considerations of it there may be in other places, or cases, upon other accounts, or occasions, at other times, it skills not; for Here, at this Time, and in this place, the onelyonly Proper Consideration is the Greatness of his Person. And yet methinks, the exceeding loveliness of his Person, standing betwixt God and lost Sinners; his laying down his Life as a Ransome payd to God, his standing as a Surety in our stead, his bearing our sins in his Body on the Cross, might have claimed a Place, and come in for a share in our consideration of his Person. But thus much for that.
[2] The Use of this consideration follows. And some good Use he has assign'd it.
(1) And first, it's a plain demonstration of Gods love to Mankind, that he sent so dear, and so great a Person into the World, as his onelyonly begotten Son, to save Sinners. It is so indeed, but a very weak demonstration of Gods Love to his own Son, to send him into the World, to grapple with all those Miseries he met withall in his Soul, in his Body, from Enemies, from Friends, from Men, from Devils; nay, from himself, whom it pleased to bruise him, and lay upon him the Iniquities of us all, to make his soul an Offering for sin, nay, to be made sin for them, who himself knew none, to Die a cursed Death, and all this without any Absolute, or Indispensible necessity: Contrary to all the Rules of Decorum; Nec Deus intersit nisi dignus vindice Nodus inciderit. And it would be of use to consider also the Love of Christ, his Willingness to Accept the Terms of being a Redeemer, though He knew well they were severe, and would cost him Sweat, and Blood, and yet He cheerfully Undertook, Underwent, and went through with them. He voluntarily assumed a Body, that He might become a Sacrifice, Heb. 10. He was willingly for a little while, made lower than the Angels by Dispensation, who was above them by Nature, for the suffering of Death, Heb. 2. 9. He understood well the Debtor was Insolvent, and yet he became Surety; He knew well the Righteousness of God, and yet He was ready to put in sufficient Caution, to Declare his Righteousness, to Clear, and Vindicate it, that God might be Iust, and the Iustifier of them that should believe in Him, Rom. 3. 25, 26. These things would have had their Use; but alas, this Head was brought in by the Shoulders, only to make way for more of our Authors excellent Theology. Religion is the Theam he has singled out to practise upon; and he considers it first in General, and then in its particular Species.
(1.) For Religion in General. 'Tis founded (says he) on a belief that God is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Heb. 11. 6. That this is a Postulatum, somewhat to be presupposed in all Religion, is easily granted; and and no more can be necessarily inferred from the Place. All Religion does suppose the Existence of God, and that it is not in vain to seek Him: But if hence our Author would conclude, that nothing more is required as a Foundation for Sinners to Build their hopes of Acceptation with God, in their Approaches to him, and Service of him; he gathers what the Apostle strewed not, and Reaps what, &c. where he Sowed not. There are no Infidels in Hell, the Devils believe God to Be, and Tremble at their own Belief, wishing they could perswade themselves, what they have perswaded others, that there is no God: They know too that God is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and yet they have no Foundation to come to God. A despairing Cain, a self-condemned Iudas may know this to be a Truth, and yet not seeing a Mediator, through whom they may securely come, and find Acceptation in their seeking of Him, they dare not, they have no ground to come; but if this be in very Deed the Foundation of all Religion, why durst not our Author Trust to it, but flie (as Bellarmine to his Tutissimum est) to the Lord Jesus Christ: For, pag. 15. He freely tells us, That the Foundation of his Hope, is that which is the Foundation of the Christian Religion, the Sacrifice and Intercession, of our Lord Iesus Christ.
(2.) For the Sorts, and particular Kinds of Religion, he is pleas'd to Instance only in three, but he might as well, would he have Created himself the trouble, have named Threescore. A various Mode, or Circumstance, does not Constitute a new Religion: It may appear in various Garbs and Dresses, be represented under other Oeconomies, and Forms, and yet continue the same for Substance. The Ocean as it salutes differing Shoars, falls under divers Denominations, yet is but the same vast Body of the Sea: There may be many false Religions (Errour is Multiform, Truth is Uniform) but as to any that can plead for acceptance with God, there never were but Two: That of Integrous and upright Innocent Persons in Paradice; and that other of Sinners retrieved and brought back to God by a Mediatour. But I attend his Motions.
First, Natural Religion (as he says) is founded on the natural Evidences of the Divine Bounty and goodness, in making, and Governing the World. I now see my Errour, and it's well it is not too late. He had told us, pag. 14. That Religion in its first Natural Estate, knew no Priest nor Sacrifice nor Mediatour. Whence I innocently concluded, that he spoke of a State of Pure and uncorrupt Nature, which indeed knew none of these; but I see I was but Choust; for here we have a Natural state of Religion, on this side the general Revolt from God, below the common Apostacy of Mankind, a Sublapsarian Posture of Affairs, which yet is a meer stranger to Priest, Sacrifice, and Mediatour, founded on Natural Evidences of Divine Bounty and Goodness. To which I humbly offer: That these Natural Evidences were not, could not be a Foundation firm enough to bear the weight of the Religion of sinners in their Return to God, so as to render them secure of Acceptation with him. For, 1. Those natural Evidences could not assure the guilty World that God would enter into a new Covenant with them, nor Treat with them upon other Terms, or upon another Account; and as to the old Terms, they were Lost as to any hope by them. This we see plainly in Adam; Who when he had sinned, and Guilt Recoyled upon his Conscience, in stead of Returning to God, he became Vain in his Imaginations, thinking to flie from him that is Omnipresent, or to Abscond from him that is Omniscient, he takes Covert in the Trees of the Garden; and he gives this Reason, He heard the Voice of God, and was afraid: And yet I see not but 'twas as Rational acourse, as to think of Returning to God, when in that Covenant wherein he had stood, and now had broken, there was no provision for an After-game, or salving Matters by Repentance: The Law he had Violated in the Sanction thereof, tells him he must Die. Natural Evidences from Creation or Providence, or present Patience, and Reprieve, spoke nothing, till Supernatural Evidence came in, in that Protevangelium, the Oare and Bullion of Evangelical Discoveries, The Seed of the Woman, shall break the Serpents Head, Gen. 3. 8, 9, 10. 15. But, 2. I say that Natural Evidence would discover only common Goodness, and general Bounty, which God might afford the sinner, without any security that he should not Perish eternally. 3. Whatever Evidences man might have that God made the World, which were Pregnant enough, yet the Evidences that God did Govern the World would afford him but cold comfort: Seeing that the Righteous Governour of the World could not be supposed by any other Laws or Rules to Administer it, than those he had given at first; which being now broken, and the Creature withdrawn from Gods Order by Disobedience, what could Natural Light discover, but that God would Reduce the Creature again into Order by Punishment? 4. Nor could the Evidences of Gods making the World, give any Glimps of Assurance, that first or last he would not destroy it (though at present he suspended the Execution, upon a Secret Design of Grace lodged in his own Bosom) unless a Mediatour had Interpos'd, and that Interposition Accepted, and both Revealed to those Consciences which were fill'd with hideous Apprehensions about the Holiness of God.
Secondly, The Mosaick Religion was founded on those Miraculous deliverances which God wrought for Israel, and that particular Providence which watched over them. To which I return: 1. The Mosaick and the Christian, are not different Religions, but one and the same for Substance, differing in Ceremony and Circumstance. What they foresaw, that we enjoy: They had Christ in Sacrifices, and we have all their Sacrifices in Christ: What they had at sundry times, and in divers manners, that have we in one Uniform way by Christ: They had scattered Particulars, we have them all summ'd up in one, Heb. 13. 8. Iesus Christ yesterday, to day, and the same for ever. 2. The Miraculous deliverances which God wrought for Israel, were indeed Cogent Motives, super-added to those many others vouchsafed them, but not the Foundation of their Religion under any Notion: When God gave the Law upon Mount Sinai, He Prefaces it with this strong Inducement; I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the House of Bondage.—Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. May we now upon our Authors Warrant, say, That Gods delivering them out of Egypt, was the Foundation of their Religion in Worshipping the true God, and none besides Him; or rather that it was an Additional Enforcement to command Obedience to that Law, which yet Antecedent to such particular Obligation, approved its Authority to their Consciences? But that these Deliverances and Providences, were no Foundation for the Mosaick Religion, I shall endeavour to prove.
1. In that God himself declares, that he had laid another Foundation, Isa. 28. 16. Behold, I lay in Zion a sure Foundation: And this is not constitutive of what was New, but declarative of what was Old; not only a Prophesie of what he would do, but a clearer Discovery of what he had done; that he might lead them into stronger Expectations of that Messiah, which from time to time was promised would come, and in fulness of Time should come; and this Foundation God laid in Zion: Which though it may express the Gospel-Church, yet surely must not exclude the Iewish, to which the Name Primarily appertains.
2. In that God had actually laid another Foundation, from the Foundation of the World, for sinners to Build their Hopes upon in their addresses to God. Thus was Christ the Lamb, slain from the Foundation of the World, Apoc. 13. 8. Slain particularly in the Sacrifices, which commencing with the New Covenant, ran a Line parallel with the Old World, to the one great Sacrifice of Christ our High Priest upon the Cross. In that first Promise then made to our first Parents, and afterwards Amplified to Abraham, was the Foundation of all acceptable Religion, and Worship, Gen. 12. 2, 3. God promises to Abraham: In thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed; which promise that it contained Christ, the Apostle assures us, Gal. 3. 8… The Scripture fore-seeing that God would justifie t… Heathen through Faith, Preacht before the Gosp… to Abraham: In thee shall all the Nations of t… Earth be blessed, ver. 16. Now to Abraham a… his Seed, were the Promises made; he saith not t… Seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy See… which is Christ. Now unless we will find out … Quintum Evangelium, that has nothing of Chri… in it, Abraham had Christ, for he had the Gosp… Preacht to him; and I do not understand what Gosp… signifies without Christ. Our Author, I me sure, (of all the Men under Heaven) has Reason to allo… it; for he would have Christ signifie Gospel, an… therefore cannot blame us who would have Gosp… to include Christ, because we are loth his Perso… should be quite shut out of it. And again, Th… Promises were made to Abraham; And is it not strange that Promises should be made to him, and he not understand one word of them? What wa… the Foundation of Abraham's, was the Foundation of the Iewish Religion: Nothing at all in their Service or Worship, could plead for Acceptation, b… as it came under the Influence of those Types which were of no value in themselves, but upon the Account of Christ. In Levit. 6. 1, 2, 3, 4. If … Soul sin, and commit a Trespass against the Lord, &c. I cannot but give the Reader, a Breviate of some Remarkables in this Scripture. 1. That the Sins here mention'd, were not ceremonial Pollutions, legal Defilements, but such Wickednesses as were discoverable by the Light, and condemned by the Law of Nature: Lying, Cozening, Falseswearing, Unfaithfulness in Trust, &c. 2. That these sins did bring a proper Guilt upon the Conscience, as being committed against the Lord; and therefore the Sinner was guilty before God, that is, Obnoxious and liable to his Displeasure, and bound over in conscience to answer it at Gods Tribunal; ver. 1. If a Soul sin, and commit a Trespass against the Lord, ver. 4. Then it shall be because he hath sinned and is guilty. 3. That for that part of his Fact which was Injurious to his Neighbour, that which he violently took away, or the thing he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found; he was to restore the principal in Specie, and to add a fifth part more, because of the Damnum emergens. 4. That notwithstanding he had thus compounded with man, he must bring his Trespass-offering to the Lord, a Ram without blemish, ver. 6. 5. The Priest was to receive the Trespass-offering at his hand, and offer it up to the Lord. 6. The design of this Offering was Attonement, procuring Favour from God. 7. Here's a Promise of the full Pardon of sin, annexed unto this Sacrifice, ver. 7. It shall be forgiven him, for any thing of all that he hath done in Trespassing therein: Now upon the whole Matter, we observe here was Pardon of sin annext to a Sacrifice; and yet their Reasons could tell them, as Paul has told us, Heb. 10. 4. It's not possible that the blood of Bulls and Goats, should take away sin: And I think we may venture to say the same of the blood of Rams too. How shall these then be Reconciled? I know no other way, but by owning the Respect which they bore to the Lord Iesus Christ, who was from the Foundation of, and all along the World the only Lamb slain, of value for these ends, in Gods Account.
Thirdly, The Christian Religion [is founded] on the Incarnation, Death and Resurrection, of the Son of God. Our Author had founded his own, and the Christian Religion on the Sacrifice, and Intercession of Christ, p. 15. But perhaps, fearing or finding the Foundation too narrow, has here widened it at the bottome, and taken in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. But I hope now the Storm will blow over, and the Indignation conceived against those Persons who Love, Honour, and admire Christs Person, a little Slake; for if their Religion, the Acceptation of their Persons and Services be built upon Him, as Sacrificed for them on the Cross, and Interceding for them on the Throne, they do judge it their duty to love him against the World. Nay, what will you say if our Author himself should become a Convert; his own Hope, and that's his All (he says) is Built on the Sacrifice, and Intercession of Christ: And can you imagine but he should Admire, and Adore his Person? And then may there not arise a danger that he should set up a Religion of Christs Person? However that goes, This I know, it was Christs blessed Person, that endured the Shock, and abode the Storm of that Displeasure which was due to our sin; and no Reason can be assigned, why a Person should endure all the Sorrow, and not have also the Love, Honour, and Admiration of them for whom he endured it: And if some few Holy men be a little Transported with the Love of Christ, methinks it's easily pardonable; very few die of that Disease; no danger this Age should be Hot in the fourth Degree of Love to a Redeemer, that our Author should be necessitated to Write a Book for fear it should Poyson us: For my part I meet with no such Paroxisms of Divine Love, that his Iulip should be so much cry'd up; but I would fain please my self with this, that whilst he seems Frigidam suffundere, his Real Design is to make us all more in Love with Christ by a Spiritual Antiperistasis.
(2.) This gives great Reverence and Authority to his Gospel, that it was Preacht by so Great a Person as the Son of God. And therefore whilst he is in the good Humour, let him Retract those Severe and Toothed Satyrs, wherewith he has Torn and Lasht those poor Honest Men for loving his Person, but Neglecting his Laws; when he tells us here, The greater Reverence we have for his Person, the more sacred Regard we have for his Laws. Perhaps he was then under an Accession of Gout, Stone, or Cholick, or some of the peevish Distempers, which made him so Testy, and Teachy, with his best Friends; but now he's a little come home to himself, he's in as Sweet, Treatable, and Debonaire a Humour as one could wish, if it would but last. I confess, some may think that All this is nothing but a Complement which he passes upon Christ's Person, or a little Holy-water he sprinkles in his Face; and that there Lurks a Snake under these fair Flowers.—For he plainly makes Laws and Gospel, Edaequate, and Commensurate Terms. This gives Reverence to the Gospel, [for] Laws always partake of the Fate, and condition of the Law-giver: The Gospel as Contradistinguisht to the Covenant of Works, denotes the glad Tidings of Salvation by a Mediatour, or the joyful News that there was Forgiveness with God, that He might be feared. As contradistinguisht to the Old Testamentstate, it is the glad Tidings of the Son of God sent into the World, that taking upon him our Nature, he might therein become a Curse for us, and by his perfect Obedience to the Law, might Purchase and Procure Eternal Life: And are Christs Laws and His Gospel become Convertible? Is there no Revelation? No Promise? Nothing done for us, which cannot come under the Nature of a Law? The Laws of Christ then are Holy, and Just, and Good; that the Greatness of his Person Consiliates Reverence, and due Regard to them we acknowledge; that Law and Gospel are words of equal Extent, we deny, and do think our Author will be harder put to it to prove Christ to signifie Law, than to signifie Gospel: Much less are we satisfied in his Comparison. Numa pretended he received his Laws from the Goddess Aegeria, to procure a greater Veneration to them. Thus God, &c. Say you so? Did God procure Veneration for his Laws with such a cunning Trick, a Pia fraus, as Politick Numa did? Or is Christ grown an Instrument of Government, as he tells us hereafter Gods Justice is? Well, I hope he Meant honestly, or else it will be somewhat hard to be tied to Mean just as he Means.
(3.) The Greatness of his Person gives great Authority to his Example, for he came to be our Prophet, and our Guide, to Teach us by his Precepts and his Life. Believe it, this is something like? The World is well amended since pag. 5. For then Preaching the Gospel was the Exercise of his Regal Power. And now here he has brought it into Decorum again, and at present is under a Pang of Modern Orthodoxy. But his Example gives us an Evident Demonstration, wherein the Perfection of Humane Nature consists; for he lived up to the Perfection of Humane Nature, and the only way to be Perfect is to Live as he Lived. Why then, I doubt, we must never be in any sence Perfect all the days of our Lives; for in the very next Page, he proves, That Christs becoming Poor, though he was Rich; a Servant, though he was Lord of Life, are such Expressions of Love as we can never fully Imitate; and so Adieu to all Perfection to the Worlds end. It was, indeed, Prudently done to Imitate the Wisdome of Nature, to Plant his Antidote so near his Poyson, that if he scatter'd Infection in one Page, to fortifie our feeble Spirits against the Impressions of it in another. A little Observation will Dismiss this Period. And,
1. One would think that to live as Christ lived, was not so much the way to Perfection, as Perfection it self. Your dull Syntagmatical Divines use to distinguish between the Means and the End; or the way to the Wood, and the Wood it self; but great Spirits are above Pedantick Laws, and therefore to please all Parties, for once let the way to be Perfect, be to be Perfect.
2. I observe that the Scripture owns some to be Perfect who never lived, all out, nay, nothing near so well as Christ lived, 1 Chron. 15. 17. The heart of Asa was perfect all his days; and yet we read, that In his Disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the Physitian; he took not away the High places; he was wroth with the Prophet Hanani, and put him in Prison; and yet perhaps our Author can Evade, That notwithstanding this, he might come up to his Pattern; for Christ himself, once or twice, put on the Person of a Iewish Zealot. There was then a time when a man might have been perfect, and yet not Live up to the absolute Perfection of Christ, but I perceive its lost, and is to be numbered amongst the Resperditae of Pancirol. To conclude, How far Christ is to be Imitated, is a Question of greater Difficulty, than at first sight may be Imagined. Some Works he performed as God, others as Mediatour, and others as a Man. Those which he performed as God, the Miraculous Operations of the Deity, none need be disswaded from Imitation of; for no stronger a Reason, than because 'tis Impossible: To Raise the Dead, cast out Devils, Cure Diseases with a Word, or Touch, are Matter of our Admiration, not Imitation. I know, indeed, some of our Modern Schoolmen, will tell us, That though we cannot Imitate Christ herein to the height, yet we may imitate him as far as we can. Thus though Raising the Dead, be a little too Many for you, yet you may come to the Grave of your dead Friend, command him to come forth; but if he be Sullen, and will not stir hand nor foot, let him take his Course, and lie there still like his Grace in cold Clay clad: You have done your Duty, and may satisfie your Conscience, that you have Imitated Christ as far as you can, by as Useful a Figure as any is in Rhethorick, called foreign. The Works which Christ performed as Mediatour, though we cannot Imitate them for those special Ends which Christ had in His Eye; yet must we Imitate that Moral principle from which, and the General End unto which, he Levelled those Actions: Thus we cannot Die for that end for which Christ Died, especially to Attone sin, yet may we, must we Conform our Souls to that Love which carried him out to the Work, and Eye the general Advantage of the Church, in laying down our Lives when called to it, 1 John 3. 16. Herein perceive we the Love of God, that he laid down his Life for us, and we ought to lay down our Lives for the Brethren. And the Argument concludes strongly: If Christ [a Person so great] laid down his Life, [a Life so precious] for us [so unworthy] and in such a way to be a Propitiation for our sins; how much more, ought we [Inconsiderable Creatures] to lay down our Lives [so useless] for the Brethren, [so dear to God] when our single Death, may by the Providence of God, prevent some Impending danger, or notable Ruine, that Threatens the Community? So again, Col. 3. 13. As Christ forgave you, so also do ye. We are to forgive, as Christ forgave: And yet the [As] is a Note of Similitude, not of Equality: Christ's forgiveness is one thing, ours another; they differ Specifically, yet there's a Moral equity which holds, that if Christ freely pardons our sins, much more ought we (in our way) to pass by, and not Rigidly exact those Trespasses committed against us. But the Actions of Christ, as a Man Living in Obedience to the Moral Law, and especially that Frame of Cheerfulness, Readiness, Sincerity therein, these call for our Imitation.
(4) This assures us of the Infinite value of his Sacrifice, and the power of his Intercession. I have heard some Travellers, when they have met with a spot of good way, after long tedious laping in the Dirt, say, they could be tempted to ride it over again, but the consideration, how long they have been, and how soon again they must be engaged in wayes of the same difficulty, has reformed the vanity of that Crotchet. I could gladly dwell upon some pleasant passages in this Chapter, (which prove undenyably that there's no such thing as summum malum in the world,) but that I am importun'd by the approaching foul way to make haste into it, that I may get the sooner through it. Sun-shine is pleasant, but it often proves a breed-storm; and a Dead calm in our Master Aristotles Philosophy is the Prognostick and Prodrome of an Earth-quake. But yet why should we kill our selves for fear of dying, and make our selves miserable for fear another should do it for us? We will then make the best we can of the present Halcyon tranquillity: This assures us of the Infinite value of his Sacrifice, and the Power of his Intercession, 'Tis so indeed; for though the Manhood onelyonly was the Sacrifice, yet the Person God-Man was the Priest; and though the Sacrifice was not God, yet was it the Sacrifice of him who was God; none can therefore wonder that our Author calls it of Infinite value. Nor on the other hand let any surmise, that he uses the Term Infinite to impose upon us; though some perhaps may carry a jealous Eye over him, because he has dropt an odde word or two elsewhere which seem to warp the sence of Infinite to Finite, or Indefinite; In p. 208. he denyes that the Divine Nature it self hath endless, boundless, bottomless Grace in it; Though God be rich in Grace, he hath no where told us, that his Mercy was bottomless and boundless, (which yet is that Notion of Infinite that we have ever Received) and yet the same Author, in the same Page, will allow Grace to be Infinite. A world of sin is somewhat, though it bear no Proportion to infinite Grace. Hence I perceive some would inferre, that if the Grace of the Father may be infinite, and yet not boundless, the Blood of the Son may be so too, of Infinite value, that is, of a great uncertain worth, in which sence Vorstius will allow God to be Infinite: They do also foment their own suspicion from what here follows, as it were by way of Exegesis: His Sacrifice was of greater value than the Blood of Bulls and Goats. Nay then, if there was onelyonly a Magis and a Minùs in the case, all this might be, and yet Christs Sacrifice come infinitely short of Infinite. These things may be objected, but for my own part, (though he be angry at it in other places, when he is not concerned) I shall interpret his words according to their Chime and clink, and charitably expound his meaning by the sound of words.
That which follows is Truely excellent. God cannot but be pleas'd, when his own Son undertakes to be a Ransome, and to make an Attonement for sinners, which is so great a Vindication of Gods Dominion and Sovereignty, of the Authority of his Laws, the Wisdom and Iustice of his Providence, that he may securely pardon humble and penitent sinners, without reproaching any of his Attributes. What pity 'tis a single word should here be lost.
1. God will not, indeed cannot, pardon any sin to the reproach of his Attributes. The hopes of sinners are small, if these be their hopes, that to pardon them God will destroy Himself: It would be the reproach of pardoning Mercy it self, should we conceive it ready to pardon without respect to the Interest of other Attributes. As therefore God is ready to pardon, a way must be contrived that he may securely pardon; and when 'tis said [he cannot] 'tis no Impeachment of His Omnipotency; He is therefore Omnipotent because he cannot Doe some things, the Doing whereof would imply want of Power. He cannot Dye, and is therefore the rather Omnipotent, because he cannot: He cannot Deny himself, and therefore he can doe all things, because he cannot doe that; for he that can Deny Himself, his Word, Promise, or Threatning, may be presumed Able to doe very little: Thus therefore God cannot pardon sin, without security that his Attributes be not reproached, for so to doe, would argue a Remisseness, and languid easiness in a Governour which is a weakness, and no perfection.
2. We gather from our Author, That even humble and penitent sinners need the Interposition of Christ, that God may securely pardon them: for besides that even they are but imperfectly such, and that sin still cleaves to their Repentance and Humiliation, and further that the displicency of God against sin, as it is sin, small or great, is essential to Him; besides all this, those however humble and penitent ones, turning from sin for the future, have yet old scores to discharge, former Reckonings to clear, and have need of Christ to cross the Book for old Arrears, though for the time to come they should reach the foreign; which yet it's much to a little, they will not doe: but when Christ undertakes to be a Ransome, God may securely pardon humble and penitent sinners, and not till then.
3. In pardoning of these humble and penitent sinners, Gods Dominion, Sovereignty, and the Authority of his Laws must be vindicated; for God being the Righteous Iudge of all the Earth, should he discover a facile Indulgence, and indifferent connivence at Sin, the Authority of his Lawes were gone in a moment, and the sinews of Government cut asunder; God then must be declared to be a Righteous God; the Sanction of the Law, as to Promise running thus; Doe this and live: Doe this personally, doe this exactly, doe this constantly and perpetually, and then live; and as to Threatning thus: Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Book of the Law to doe them, Gal. 3. 10. And of the same mind with our Author is, (as I remember) one Dr. I. O. who is very peremptory, that the Iustice of God may have its actings assigned to the full; which is not done by Any that ever yet was heard of, but the Lord Jesus Christ: Now whilest I see the sweet Agreement of these two at present, I fancy my self with Aeneas in the Elysian fields, pleasing himself with the Amicable correspondence held between Caesar and Pompey; and yet his delight mixt with another passion, even grief in the foresight of their Civil Wars and Friendly Debates.
Illae autem, Paribus quas fulgere cernis in Armis, Concordes Animae nunc, & dum nocte Premuntur, Heu! quantum inter se bellum, si Lumina Vitae Attigerint, quantas Acies stragémque ciebunt▪? Aeneid. lib. 6.
4. Jesus Christ having undertaken to be a Ransome, and to make Attonement for Sinners, and his blood being of Infinite value, the oldest, greatest, and stubbornest Sinners, through Faith may possibly come to be concern'd in Christs Ransome, and Attonement, and so may be saved with a Notwithstanding their sins; for seeing Gods Dominion, S… vereignty, the Authority of his Laws, the Wisdom and Iustice of his Providence, are all vindicated by this Means, and security given that none of his Attributes shall be reproached, what can Now hinder repenting sinners from coming to God? and what can hinder God from rewarding those that so come, and diligently seek him? Nay,
5. God cannot but be well pleased when his own Son undertakes to be a Ransome, and to make Attonement for sinners. And the Reason is evident, The price being of Infinite value, and payd into God… hands, he cannot but be satisfied with it. Nay further, We can Reasonably desire no greater security for the Performance of the Gospel-Covenant, than that it was sealed with the Blood of Christ, the surety of a better Testament, Heb. 7. 22. who is foreign, one that undertakes for the Performance of it. I could willingly lose my self, my Reader, and my Time in the Throng of these good words. Say not; This is only the Sealing of a Covenant on Gods part, undertaking for him whose veracity needs none to undertake for it; but not for us, whose guilt and weakness needs an undertaker. The Covenant being mutual, the undertaking must be supposed Reciprocal also; and so I hope our Author intends it; that as Christ undertakes for God, with Man, so he undertakes with Man unto God. Perhaps you will say, A word or two might have been added, to have put matters out of dispute; why so there might in any bodies Writings besides his, and as many spared, hanc veniam petimúsque damúsque. As 1. It's likely you would have had him say, The Vertue of Christs Sacrifice depends not onelyonly very much on the Greatness of his Person, but Altogether, and the Acceptation thereof with God depends on the Compact between them both; seeing that which depends altogether, does depend very much on the Greatness of his Person; and therefore pray let that break no squares. 2. Whereas he sayes, The Blood of the Son of God, is such a Confirmation of the Covenant, as the World never had before. Perhaps you would add Actually, because the World had it before Virtually exhibited in Sacrifices, and accepted as already Performed: But set your hearts at Rest, whether he meant well or ill in this Chapter, I'le engage you shall not be prejudiced, if he happens to discover an ill meaning in the next Chapter; and in the mean time, let us go seek all over Pauls Church-yard, Little-Britain and Duk-lane, for an old Treatise, De modo tenendi Anguillam Aequivocationis per Caudam.
(5) The Person of Christ is of no other Consideration in the Christian Religion, than as it has an influence upon the great Ends of his Undertaking. I confess, I had thought, our Author had not been upon the Head, What Consideration the Person of Christ is of? but, Of what Use the Consideration of his Person is? but let that pass. I had thought too, that the former four particulars had shewn us, What influence Christs Person has upon the great Ends of his Undertaking; and therefore this seems not to be a fifth Particular, but the total summe of the other four, but I wave that too. The Lord Jesus Christ undertook both with God and with Man; for God, and for Man, and he had special Ends of his undertaking in both. He undertook for God, that he should be willing to pardo… sinners; and for man, that he should return and come back to God: He undertook to God, that his Attributes should not be reproached, but all secured, his Righteousness cleared, his Holiness vindicated; he undertook to man that God should make every word and letter of the Promises good; as they stand in the Covenant of Grace: He undertook that God… Iustice, should not break out upon the believing, repenting creature, to consume him; and he undertook that Man should not break in upon Gods glory, nor break away from Gods Wayes, in a manner inconsistent with a New Covenant. What a horrid Absurdity then must it be, to imagine that his Person will destroy these Ends, or to expect more from the excellency of his Person, than his Gospel has promised Most wretchedly therefore doe they deceive themselves, and wrong the Redeemer, who Trusting to the goodness of his Nature, Renounce his Mediation; that trust in his Person without a Promise, nay in contradiction to the Terms of that Covenant which he hath seal'd with his Blood; that quit hi… Promise, to rely and rowl on his Person: For should he acquit those men whom his Gospel condemns, wilfull and incorrigible sinners, this would flatly disannull the Covenant: Though he may absolve such sinners as the Covenant of Works condemns, through the Intervention of Christs Sacrifice.
But I perceive we are besides the Cushion all this while, nay besides the Book, for he knows none tha… will in so many words own it, nor does he, dares he charge any man with it; but yet it's the natural I… terpretation of Trusting in the Person of Christ. That is, It's impossible to Trust in Christs Person, but you doe ipso facto Renounce his Mediation: or to Trust in his Blood, but you must …o Nomine doe it in Contradiction to the Terms of the Covenant sealed therewith; or which is all one, it's impossible but that things subordinate should be opposite; The blood of Christ and the Covenant of Christ are perfectly foreign; The Person of the Mediator, and his Mediatory work cannot be conceived, but they involve the thoughts in a thousand Contradictions; Positio unius, est Remotio Alterius; Nay soft sayes he, I onelyonly mean, in case they understand any more by these things, than expecting to be saved according to the Terms of the GospelCovenant. I do not think they doe. And as our Author gave his word for those that are suspected to make Christs Person useless; if my word would go as far as his, I would readily engage it for them who are suspected to make his Laws useless. And so once again, all is Husht and still; and the fearfull skirmish that was towards, is at present stinted, Pulveris exigui jactû.
Let me therefore in the Close, give our Author one wholsome Caution: That he would not be too rash and peremptory in drawing, or wracking Conclusions from other mens Expressions. Some will think, he has mistaken in his own, and may with more ease in others Principles, and the Conclusions from thence. A Ladder of Deductions and Inferences forty Rounds long, is not easily master'd: A Sorites or Climax may quickly impose upon us; we are never sooner cheated than in a Chain of many links, the smallest interruption may secr…tly and insensibly discompose the whole series and concatenation of Dependencies, wherein we fancy an infallible Connexion; I would not anticipate … Hericano; ill weather comes unsent for; and is alwayes too soon, and unwelcome when it comes the latest; let us therefore keep our selves well, whilest we are well.
Thus smoothly we conclude; and say,
Here ends your Worships Chapter for the Day.