Aphorisms of Justification, Thesis 13 – Thesis 15
THESIS. XIII.
IF this were not so, but that Christ had abrogated the first Covenant, then it would follow, 1. That no sin but that of Adam, and final Vnbelief, is so much as threatned with death, or that death is explicitely (that is, by any Law) due to it or deserved by it. For, what the Law in force doth not threaten, that is not explicitely deserved, or due by Law. 2. It would follow, That Christ dyed not to prevent or remove the wrath and curse so deserved or due to us for any but Adams sin, nor to pardon our sins at all: but only to prevent our desert of wrath and curse, and consequently to prevent our need of pardon. 3. It would follow, That against eternal wrath at the day of Iudgment, we must not plead the pardon of any sin, but the first, but our own non-desert of that wrath, because of the repeal of that Law before the sin was committed. All which consequences seem to me unsufferable, which cannot be avoyded if the Law be repealed.
EXPLICATION.
WHen God the absolute Soveraign of the World shall but command, though he expresly threaten no punishment to the disobedient, yet implicitely it may be said to be due; that is, the offence in it self considered, deserveth some punishment in the generall: for the Law of Nature containeth some generall Threatenings, as well as Precepts, (as I shewed before;) Whether this Dueness of punishment, which I call implicite, do arise from the nature of the offence only, or also because of this generall threat in the Law of Nature, I will not dispute. But God dealeth with his Creature by way of legall government? and keepeth not their deserved punishment from their knowledge no more then their duty; it being almost as necessary to be known for our incitement, as the Precept for our direction. Gods laws are perfect laws fitted to the attainment of all their ends: And by these laws doth he rule the world; and according to them doth he dispose of his rewards and punishments: So that we need not fear that which is not threatened: And in this sence it is that I say, That what no law in force doth threaten, that sin doth not explicitely deserve: Not so deserve as that we need to fear the suffering of it. And upon this ground the three fore-mentioned consequences must needs follow. For the new Covenant threateneth not Death to any sin but final unbelief, or at least, to no sin without final unbelief: And therefore if the old Covenant be abrogated, then no law threateneth it: And consequently, 1 Our Sin doth not deserve it (in the sence expressed.) Nor Christ prevent the wrath deserved, but only the desert of wrath. 3. And therefore not properly doth he pardon any such sin, (as you will see after when I come to open the nature of pardon.) 4 We may plead our non deserving of death for our discharge at judgment. 5. And further, then Christ in satisfying did not bear the punishment due to any sin but Adams first: For that which is not threatened to us, was not executed on him. This is a clear, but an intolerable consequence. 6. Scripture plainly teacheth, That all men (even the Elect) are under the Law till they beleeve & enter into the Covenant of the Gospel. Therefore it is said, Ioh. 3. 18. He that beleeveth not, is condemned already: And the wrath of God abideth on him, ver. 26. And we are said to beleeve for Remission of sins. Acts 2. 38. Mark 1. 4. Luk. 24. 47. Act. 10. 43. & 3. 19. Which shew, that sin is not before remitted, and consequently the Law not repealed, but suspended, and left to the dispose of the Redeemer. Else how could the Redeemed be by nature the children of wrath? Ehp. 2. 3. The circumcised are debters to the whole Law, Gal. 5. 3, 4. and Christ is become of none effect to them. But they that are led by the Spirit are not under the law, and against such there is no law. Gal. 5. 18, 23. The Scripture hath concluded all under Sin (and so far under the Law no doubt) that the promise, by faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to them that beleeve. Gal. 3. 22. We are under the Law when Christ doth redeem us. Gal. 4. 5. See also Iam. 2. 9, 10. 1 Tim. 18. 1 Cor. 15. 56. Gal. 3. 19, 20, 21. Therefore our deliverance is conditionally from the curse of the Law; viz. if we will obey the Gospel. And this deliverance, together with the abrogation of the Ceremonial Law, is it which is so oft mentioned as a priviledge of beleevers, and an effect of the blood of Christ: which deliverance from the curse, is yet more full when we perform form the Conditions of our freedom: And then we are said to be dead to the Law. Rom. 7. 4. And the Obligation to punishment dead as to us. ver. 6. But not the Law void or dead in it self.
7 Lastly, All the Scriptures and Arguments, pag. 60. 61. which prove, That afflictions are punishments, do prove also, that the Law is not repealed: For no man can suffer for breaking a repealed Law, nor by the threats of a repealed Law; yet I know that this Covenant of Works continueth not to the same ends and uses as before, nor is it so to be preached or used. We must neither take that Covenant as a way to life, as if now we must get salvation by our fulfilling its condition, nor must we look on its curse as lying on us remedilesly.
THESIS XIV.
(1) THe Tenor of the new Covenant is this, That Christ having made sufficient satisfaction to the Law. Whosoever will repent and believe in him to the end, shall be justified through that Satisfaction from all that the Law did charge upon them, and be moreover advanced to far greater Priviledges and Glory then they fell from: But whosoever fulfilleth not these conditions, shall (2) have no more benefit from the blood of Christ, then what they here received and abused, but must answer the charge of the Law themselves? and for their neglect of Christ must also suffer a far greater condemnation. Or briefly, Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish, but have everlasting life; but he that believeth not shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Mark 16. 16. Iohn 3. 15, 16, 17, 18, 36. & 5. 24. & 6. 35, 40, 47. & 7. 38. & 11. 25, 26. & 12. 46. Acts 10. 43. Rom. 3. 26. & 4. 5. & 5. 1. & 10. 4. 10. 1 Iohn 5. 10. Mark 1. 15. & 6. 12. Luke 13. 3. 5. & 24. 47. Acts 5. 31. & 11. 18. & 20. 21. & 2. 38. & 3. 19. & 8. 22. & 26. 20. Rev. 2. 5, 16. Heb 6. 1. 2 Pet. 3. 9.
EXPLICATION.
(1) CHrists Satisfaction to the Law goes before the new Covenant, though not in regard of its payment, (which was in the fulness of time,) yet in regard of the undertaking, acceptance and efficacy: There could be no treating on new terms, till the old obligation were satisfied and suspended.
I account them not worth the confuting, who tell us, That Christ is the only party conditioned with, and that the new Covenant, as to us, hath no conditions; (so Salt marsh, &c.) The place they alledg for this assertion in that, Ier. 31. 31, 32, 33. cited in Heb. 8. 8, 9, 10. which place containeth not the full Tenor of the whole new Covenant: But either it is called the new Covenant, because it expresseth the nature of the benefits of the new Covenant as they are offered on Gods part, without mentioning mans conditions, (that being not pertinent to the business the prophet had in hand; or else it speaketh only of what God will do for his elect in giving them the first Grace, and enabling them to perform the conditions of the new Covenant, and in that sence may be called a new Covenant also, as I have shewed before, pag. 7. 8. Though properly it be a prediction, and belong only to Gods Will of Purpose, and not to his legislative Will.
But those men erroneously think, that nothing is a condition, but what is to be performed by our own strength. But if they will believe Scripture, the places before alledged will prove, that the new Covenant hath conditions on our part, as well as the old.
(2) Some benefit from Christ the condemned did here receive, as the delay of their condemnation, and many more mercies, though they turn them all into greater judgments: But of this more when we treat of generall Redemption.
THESIS XV.
THough Christ hath sufficiently satisfied the Law, yet is it not his Will, or the Will of the Father, that any man should be justified or saved thereby, who hath not some ground in himself of personall and particular right and claim thereto; nor that any should be justified by the blood only as shed or offered, except it be also received and applyed; so that no man by the meer Satisfaction made, is freed from the Law or curse of the first violated Covenant absolutely, but conditionally only.
EXPLICATION.
I Have shewed before, p. 57. 58. &c. That Christ intended not to remove all our misery as soon as he dyed, nor as soon as we believed. I am now to shew, That he doth not justifie by the shedding of his blood immediately, without somewhat of man intervening, to give him a legall title thereto. All the Scriptures alledged pag. 79. prove this: We are therefore said to be justified by faith. Let all the Antinomians shew but one Scripture which speaks of Justification from eternity. I know God hath decreed to justifie his people from eternity, and so he hath to sanctifie them too, but both of them are done in time: Justification being no more an imminent act in God then Sanctification, as I shall shew afterward.
The Blood of Christ then is sufficient in fuo genere, but not in omni genere sufficient for its own work, but not for every work. There are severall other necessaries to justifie and save, quibus positis, which being supposed▪ the Blood of Christ will be effectuall: Not that it receives its efficacy from these, nor that these do add any thing at all to its worth or value; no more then the Cabinet to the Jewel, or the applying hand to the medicine: or the offenders-acceptation to the pardon of his Prince; yet without this acceptation and application this blood will not be effectuall to justifie us. For (as Grotius) Cum unusquisque actui ex suâ voluntate pendenti legem possit imponere, sicut id quod pure debetur novari potest sub conditione, ita etiam possunt, is qui solvit pro alio, & is qui rei alterius pro alterâ solutionem admittit, pacisci, ut aut statim sequatur remissio, aut in diem, item aut pure, aut sub conditione, Fuit autem & Christi satisfacientis & dei satisfactione in admittentis hic animus ac voluntas, hoc denique pactam & foedus, non ut deus statim ipso perpessionis Christi tempore paenas remitteret, sed ut tum demum id fieret; cum homo, vera in Christum fide ad deum conversus, supplex veniam precaretur, accedente etiam Christi apud deum advocatione sive intercessione. Non obstat hic ergo satisfactio quo minus sequi possit remissio satisfactio enim nonjam sustulerat debitum, sed hoc egerat, ut propter ipsam debitum aliquando tolleretur, Grot. de satis. cap. 6. So that, as Austin▪ he that made us without us, will not save us without us, He never maketh a relative change, where he doth not also make a reall. Gods Decree gives no man a legall title to the benefit decreed him, seeing purpose and promise are so different: A legall title we must have, before we can be justified; and there must be somewhat in our selves to prove that title, or else all men should have equall right,