The Substance of Christian Religion, Lecture 15
The fifteenth Lords day.
1 Pet. 3. 18.
For Christ also hath once suffered for sinners; the just for the unjust; that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
AN argument is brought in these words, whereby all Christians may be perswaded, that undeserved afflictions are patiently to be born. The argument is taken from the greater to the less, in which also is contained the force and nature of a simily, or example, and also of some dissimilitude. For such Logical assertions are oft joyned together in the same thing, as they make to the same purpose. The argumeat is this; If Christ that was just, hath suffered for sinnes, and for unjust men, then much more ought we to suffer afflictions imposed upon us; but the first is true, and therefore the latter also. Christ considered in himself is the greater, and his sufferings are the greater; and so the argument is from the greater. But considered as our head, and Saviour, he hath the place and nature of a simily or example to be imitated by us in tolerating afflictions, so it is an argument from a like, or from an example. Lastly, considered as just, suffering for the sinnes of others that are uniust, he is altogether unlike unto us; and so also some force and emphaticalness of this argument is from the unlikeness. They are ordered in this enunciation, in which as the assumption of the Syllogism, the cause is contained with the effect; to wit, Christ with his suffering. For though suffering of its own nature be an adjunct of the sufferer; yet as it's voluntarily admitted and undertaken it is an effect. Yet these arguments are so ordered, that they have mixed with them the affection or property of the argument so called, from diversit. For Christ and his passions of their own nature are dissentaneous; When therefore it is said, Christ suffered, it is as if he had said, Though Christ were the Son of God, yet was he not fr…e from …. That this may be the better understood, it is to be known, that suffering in this place, and in such others, is attributed to Christ by the … of Synecdoche▪ of the more general for the special; and that it signifies the special suffering of a grievous evill: Then are these two very dissentaneous between themselves, that Christ should suffer a great evill: Now that he is said to have suffered for sinnes, and for the unjust; the particle for designes the cause of his suffering, and that is threefold; a meritory or material, a formal cause and a final. The meritory cause, because Christ suffered for the things, which the sinnes of unjust men had deserved. The formal cause, because for our sinnes Christ was induced, as the form, as of divine imputation; as of that which by God was imputed; so of the suretiship undertaken by Christ, or that form which by Christ was undertaken, or accepted to be accounted his, when he underwent these sufferings. Lastly, also the final cause, because for this end set before him, or for this very purpose Christ suffered, that he might take away the sins of unjust men, and make unjust men to become just, and so might bring them to salvation.
Doct. 1. Christ the Lord suffered all these evills of punishment, which were due to us for our sins.
This is not so to be understood, as if in kind and particularly he had undergone all the evills, but in value onelyonly, and generally; in the summe or upcast of all, and in that which was equivalent and equipollent to all; and so, he is said to have suffered all the evills of punishment.
Reas. 1. Because he suffered generally all sorts of evill; to wit, as well spiritual in the agony and horror of his mind, as corporal in his body; and the extreme, as well positive, as privative, both in a kind of loss, and in kind of sorrow or feeling.
Reas▪ 2. Because he suffered from all, from whom any evill could be inflicted. He suffered from men, as well Jews, as Gentiles; as well his own domesticks, as forrainers; he suffered from the powers of darkness and Hell, which were the murtherers from the beginning, and the authors of all these evills, which Christ suffered from them, and their instruments; lastly, he suffered from God himself, whose cup full of wrath he drunk out.
Reas. 3. Because he suffered in every part of himself, every way that he could suffer. For he suffered in his soul horrors and unspeakable sorrowes; he suffered in his body hunger, thirst, nakednesse, wounds, spitting, stripes, and buffetings, and whatsoever witty malice and cruelty could devise.
Use 1. Of Direction, that continually in meditating on the passion of Christ, we may look upon the singular and incomprehensible goodnesse, grace, love, mercy, justice and wisdome of God, by which he sent his eternal Son to suffer such things for us, and for our salvation; and together also the abundant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was willing to it, and did suffer so many and so grievous things for us.
Use 2. Of Exhortation, that from the consideration of this suffering of our Lord and Saviour, we strive to stir up our selves powerfully, that we may daily have more faith and hope about grace and our salvation to be perfected by Christ; and that our hearts may be kindled with greater heat of love towards God and Christ, and with greater zeal of the glory of his name; lastly, that with more courage, constancy, and patience, we bear all the troubles of this life, for Christ's sake, who suffer'd all things for us.
Doct. 2. Christ suffer'd all these things, neither out of any necessity of nature, neither by constraint, neither by casualty and chance, but of his own …ree choice of wisdome and will.
This is gathered from the Text, in that it is put amongst Christ's praises, as an example of obedience, that he thus suffered. But there is no place for praise, nor obedience, in such things as one suffers out of necessity, or chance, without the free consent of the will.
Reas. 1. Because this was the will of the Father, whereunto he would conform his will in all things, so far forth as he laid this charge upon him.
Reas. 2. Because this was the very thing, for which Christ came into the world, according to the form of covenant made between the Father and the Son, Isa 53 10.
Reas. 3. Because in this consisted the most perfect obediences, which is the way to the most perfect glory, Phil 2. 9.
Object. Every evill of punishment is against the will of the sufferer; but what Christ suffered for us were very great evills of punishment; They were therefore suffered against his will.
Ans. That evills of punishment are said alwayes to be against the will of the sufferer;
First, Because they are against his natural inclination. For therefore punishment is onelyonly evill, because it tends to the destroying of nature, and so is against inclination of nature, whereby every thing seeks the conservation of it self.
Secondly, The evill of punishment is against the will of the sufferer, conditionally; to wit, if by no other means the sufferer can attain to his wished end; but it is not alwayes against his will absolutely. The first had place in Christ, because these passions were against the inclinations of nature, since otherwise they had brought him no pain; and they were also against his conditional will, as appears by these words; Father, if it be possible, let this cup pas… from me: But they were not against his deliberate, determinate, and absolute will. The reason is, because he suffered all out of obedience to the Father, and of love to us, and our salvation.
Use …. Of Instruction, how we may from this ground arme our mindes against those tentations, that use to come by occasion of Christ's sufferings. For in this respect Christ was a stumbling stone unto the Jewes, and foolishness unto the Grecians. But if we will well weigh with our selves, that Christ suffered all these things not out of coaction, or any necessity, or any external violence, but from the obedience of love towards mankind, and that he might give us a most perfect pattern of obedience in his own person: We shall be so far from finding any stumbling block, or foolishness in these sufferings, that on the contrary, nothing could be found that was, or is more suitable to the Saviour of the world.
Use 2. Of Exhortation, that calling seriously to mind this grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, out of thankfulness and mutual love to him, we may be ready with all willingness and chearfulness of mind to undergo all sufferings, and afflictions for his sake.
Doct. 3. Christ's sufferings were an expiatory Sacrifice for our sins.
This is it, which is said in the Text, That he suffered for sins, for the unjust▪ that is, he had the virtue to take away the punishment from us, the guilt also and the spot, and to acquire to us the favour of God, and righteousness, and life eternal. It is the same that useth to be signified by satisfaction, by merit, by redemption, by restitution, or restauration made by Christ.
Reas. 1. Because this was the covenant between the Father and the Son, that if he would undergo that obedience for us, then we should be freed from our disobedience, and death, and should live thorough him, Isa. 53. 10. For this suffering was the perfecting of all his obedience.
Reas. 2. Because Christ by his suffering made satisfaction to divine justice, and repayed God as much of his honour in our name, as he had suffered in it by our sins. Therefore Gods justice is now appeased; the grace of God hath had its free course, that it may derive all good upon us.
Reas. 3. Because that Christ now by virtue of his passion and consummate obedience, as it were of his own right that he acquired, makes intercession with the Father for us, that we may be, and live with him, Ioh. 17. 24.
Use 1. Of Consolation, to the faithfull against the guilt of their sin, and terrors of their conscience, that arise from sin. For in Christ, and his sufferings, we have a remedy against these wounds, that are otherwayes deadly.
Use 2. Of Admonition, that we would detest all sinnes, as things that brought our Saviour to death, and would wave brought a thousand deaths upon us, unless he had turned them away from us.