The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 2 · creed · Question 29
ON THE 11. SABBATH.Queſt. 29. Why is the Son of God called Jeſus, that is, a Saviour?
Anſ. Becauſe he ſaveth us from all our ſinsaMat. 1.21. Heb. 7.25.: neither ought any ſafety to be ſought for from any other, nor can elſe-where be foundbActs 4.12. Job 15.4. 1 Tim. 2.5. Iſa. 43.11. 1 Job. 5.11..
The Explication.
IN this ſecond part of the Apoſtolick Creed, is treated of the Mediatour. The doctrine concerning the Mediatour conſiſteth of two parts: 1. Of the perſon of the Mediatour. 2. Of his office. Of his perſon, the two former articles ſpeak: And in Jeſus Chriſt his only Son our Lord, which was conceived by the holy Ghoſt, born of the virgin Mary. His office is ſummarily expounded in the jame two articles, but particularly in thoſe which follow, even the third part of the Creed, wherein is treated concerning the holy Ghoſt. There are two parts of his office; humiliation or merit, and glorification or efficacie. Of his humiliation, whereby Chriſt hath promerited for us his benefits, namely, remiſſion of ſins, and reconciliation and attonement with God, the holy Ghoſt, and life everlaſting, theſe articles ſpeak: He ſuffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, buried, deſcended into hell. Of his glorification, in reſpect whereof Chriſt is effectuall, and worketh forcibly in us, in applying his merited bleſſings and benefits unto us by his Spirit, theſe articles ſpeak: The third day he roſe again from the dead, hee aſcended into heaven, ſitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty: The ſeventh article touching his coming pertaineth to the conſummation of his glorification, when God ſhall be all in all: From thence ſhall hee come to judge the quick and the dead. The great wiſdom & order in diſpoſing the articles of our Creed.Hence it appeareth with how great wiſdome the articles were written and applied to the queſtion of the Mediatour: For as it deſcendeth in order from the firſt to the laſt ſtep and degree of Chriſts humiliation, which is ſignified by his deſcenſion into hell, and is the feeling of the horrible judgement and wrath of God againſt the ſins of mankind: ſo it aſcendeth from the leſſer glory, which began from his reſurrection, to the higheſt and greateſt, which is betokened by his ſitting at the right hand of God the Father. The ſame order, and the ſame wiſdome is ſeen in the firſt part of the Creed. It is alſo apparent in the third part, which is as it were the fruit of the articles going before, wherein are recited in moſt notable order the benefits which Chriſt, promeriting by his paſſion, applyeth to us by his Spirit.Chriſts office and his benefits differ. For the benefits of Chriſt are different from his office. His benefits are the things themſelves, which Chriſt hath purchaſed for us, and beſtoweth on us, to wit, remiſſion of ſins, or our reconciliation with God, the giving of his holy Spirit, and life everlaſting. His office is to promerit thoſe things for us by his obedience, and to beſtow them on us, by his own power and efficacy.
And in Jeſus.) That is, I beleeve in Jeſus Chriſt. We muſt repeat the words, I beleeve; becauſe as we beleeve in God the Father, ſo we alſo beleeve in the Son of God:John 14.1, 11. John 10.30. John 6.29. John 3.36. John 5.23. Ye beleeve in God, beleeve alſo in me. Beleeve me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me. I and my Father are one. This is the work of God, that ye beleeve in him whom he hath ſent. He that beleeveth in the Son hath everlaſting life. That all men ſhould honour the Son as they honour the Father. This is a certain and invincible argument of the Deity of the Son: for faith is a worſhip due only to God.
OF THE NAME, JESƲS.
But that it may be the better underſtood, that by the name Jeſus, the office of the Sonne of God the Mediatour is deſigned, theſe foure queſtions are to be conſidered:
1. What is ſignified by the word Jeſus.
2. From what evils he ſaveth or delivereth.
3. How hee ſaveth.
4. Whom hee ſaveth.
1. What the name Jeſus ſignifieth.
THe queſtion touching the name Jeſus, concerneth not ſo much the Etimologie and peculiar ſenſe which this name importeth, but eſpecially reſpecteth the office of the Son of God therin implyed. The word Jeſus (in Greek foreign,Mat. 1.21. and in Hebrew Jehoſcuah or Jeſcuah) ſignifieth a Saviour and Authour of ſafety: which Name God himſelf gave unto the Mediatour 0166 0 in the new teſtament. This true Etymon or original ſignification of this word is aſsigned by the Angel, ſaying: For he ſhall ſave his people from their ſinnes. Luke 1.31.The Son of God therefore is called Jeſus, in reſpect of his office, by an excellencie: 1. In that he is our Mediatour, who ſaveth and delivereth from the evils both of crime and puniſhment. 2. And that alone. 3. Yea, and moſt perfectly: whether we reſpect the number of theſe evils, hee delivereth us from them all; or the degrees of them, hee hath utterly annihilated the greateſt, yea, and ſmalleſt portion of them. And the ſalvation which he tendereth unto us, is righteouſnes, and life everlaſting.Jeſus is our Saviour. This is gathered out of his very name, becauſe he hath not a bare title without the thing it ſelfe, but farther therewith performeth and executeth the office of a Mediatour. Object. Many others were called by the Name Jeſus, and were Saviours of their People; as for example, Joſuah the Captaine of Iſrael, and divers other: Therefore from this name it is not neceſſarily argued and inforced, that Chriſt onelyonly is our Saviour. Anſw. Others had this name, becauſe they were typicall Saviours, prefiguring and reſembling this true Saviour. Repl. Yea, but the Parents of Joſuah, when they gave their young Infant this name, could not ſo much as ſuſpect that by him ſhould come the delivery of the people of Iſrael: Anſw. What then? yet GOD knew, and thereupon ſo directed their wils, that they ſhould call him Joſuah. Now there is a great difference between thoſe other, and this our Jeſus.Differences between the true Jeſus our Saviuor; and others of the ſame name. 1. Others had this name impoſed on them by the will of men; this our Jeſus had his name given him by an Angel. 2. Others were but types and ſhaddowes, this was the true prefigured Jeſus. 3. God by them beſtowed onelyonly corporall and temporall benefits upon his people the Iſraelites; but by this Jeſus he ſaveth all the choſen, diſperſed through the whole world, from all evils both of body and ſoule, from ſin and death everlaſting. 4. they were only inſtruments and miniſters, by whom Chriſt gave ſafety, and benefits temporall to the people; Chriſt is the authour of all good things both temporall and eternall, and theſe he by his own efficacy beſtoweth on whom he will. Thus the Son of God is called Jeſus by an excellency above others, being the true Saviour: 1. Becauſe he exempteth and freeth us from all evils of crime and paine. 2. Becauſe he alone worketh this freedome and delivery.
That the Sonne of God onelyonly is that Saviour, is ſhewed by the places of Scripture following: There is no ſalvation in any other. 2. Jeſus alone is our Saviour. Acts 4.12. John 3.18. 1 John 5.11. 1 Tim. 2.5. Eſa. 43.11, 25. Rom. 5.19. How the whole three perſons are ſaid to be Saviours.For among men there is given no other name under heaven whereby wee muſt be ſaved. Hee that beleeveth not in the Sonne is condemned already, becauſe hee beleeveth not in the name of the onelyonly begotten Son of God. God hath given unto us eternall life, and this life is in his Son. There is one God, and one Mediatour between God and man, which is the man Chriſt Jeſus. I am the Lord, and beſides me there is no Saviour. I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne ſake. By the obedience of one ſhall many be made righteous. Object. The Father and the holy Ghoſt alſo are our Saviours: Therefore not the Sonne alone. Anſ. 1. It is a fallacy, affirming that to be ſimply and wholly ſo, which is but in ſome reſpect only ſo. True it is, they all ſave mankinde: but the difference is in the manner of their ſaving. For, The Father by ſending the Son.The Father ſaveth, as the fountaine of our delivery; becauſe he ſendeth his Sonne into fleſh, by him to deliver us: but the Father himſelfe is not ſent. The holy Ghoſt by being ſent of the Sonne.The holy Ghoſt ſaveth, as an immediate effector or worker of regeneration, ſent from the Father by the Sonne into the hearts of the choſen. The Son only by ment and efficacy.The Sonne ſaveth b… his merit and efficacy, and thus becometh ſole Mediatour, paying the ranſome, giving the holy Ghoſt, regenerating and raiſing us up unto life eternall. Wherefore this efficacy and effectuall working it ſelf, is common to all three perſons: yet the order and manner of working is different, and appropriate to each. But the ranſome, the Sonne onley hath paid.The particle alone executes all creatures from being Saviours. 1. Cor. 2.11. Anſ. 2. The Sonne is called the onelyonly Saviour, in reſpect of the creature, to whom he is oppoſed, and from whom he is deſcerned: that is, from the word of ſalvation, not the Father and the holy Ghoſt, but the creatures onelyonly are excluded. For no creature delivereth from ſin and death. So it is ſaid, The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God: but it followeth not hereof, that the Father and the Son know not themſelves. For the Spirit in that place is compared with the creature, not with the Father and the Son.
2. From what evils he ſaveth or delivereth.
HE delivereth us from all evils both of crime, and paine, moſt fully and perfectly. From the evill of crime, for ſo the Angel teſtifieth. Hee ſhall ſave his people from their ſinnes. The bloud of Jeſus Chriſt cleanſeth us from all ſinne; that is, that it may not be imputed unto us,Mat. 1.21. 1 John 1.7. and that it may not raigne in us, but be aboliſhed, and ſo we at length leave off to ſin. Wherefore alſo he delivereth us from all paine, and puniſhment. For the cauſe being taken away which is ſinne, the effect is taken away, which is puniſhment.Rom 8.1. Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt Jeſus. I give unto them eternall life. This ſalvation then, which this our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt bringeth us, is righteouſneſſe and life everlaſting. Seventy weeks, are determined to finiſh the wickedneſſe, and to ſeale up the ſinnes, and to reconcile the inquity, and to bring in everlaſting righteouſneſſe. Dan 9.24. 1 Cor. 1.30.Hee is made unto us wiſedome, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification, and redemption.
3. How hee ſaveth.
Chriſt ſaveth us, 1. By his merit.HE ſaveth us after two ſorts; by his merit, and by his efficacy. 1. Hee ſaveth us by his merit or ſatisfaction; becauſe by his obedience, paſsion, death, and interceſsion, he hath merited for us remiſsion of ſinne, reconciliation with God, the holy Ghoſt, ſalvation, and life everlaſting. Teſtimonies hereof are theſe; If any man ſin, we have an advocate with the Father, 1 John 2.2.Jeſus Christ the juſt. And hee is the reconciliation for our ſinnes and not for ours onelyonly, but alſo for the ſinnes of the whole world: that is, for the ſinnes of all ſorts of men, of what ſoever age, place, or degree. The bloud of Jeſus Chriſt the Sonne of God purgeth us from all ſinne. 1 John 17. Rom 3.25.Whom God hath ſet forth to be are conciliation through faith in his bloud, to declare his righteouſenſſe by the forgiveneſſe of ſinnes. By the obedience of one, many ſhall be made righteous. He was wounded for our tranſgreſsions, Rom. 5.19. Eſa. 53.5.he was broken for our iniquities; the chastiſement of our peace was upon him, and with his ſtripes wee are healed. All we like ſheep have gone aſtray, we have turned every one to his owne way, and the Lord hath laid upon us the iniquitie of us all. 2 Cor. 5.2. Gal. 3.13.Hee hath made him to be ſinne for us, which knew no ſin, that we ſhould be made the righteneouſneſſe of God in him. Chriſt hath redeemed us from the curſe of the law, when hee was made a curſe for us, that the bleſsing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Chriſt Jeſus,Galat. 4.4. Galat. 3.13. that we might receive the promiſe of the Spirit through faith. God ſent forth his Son made of a woman, and made under the Law (that is, made an execration or curſe; For wee are delivered not from the obedience, but from the curſe of the Law,) that he might redeeme them that were under the Law, that wee might receive the adoption of the ſonnes. Heb. 9.14.How much more ſhall the bloud of Chriſt, which through the eternall Spirit offered himſelfe without ſpot to God, purge your conſciences from dead workes, to ſerve the living God? By the which will we are ſanctified, even by the offering of the body of Jeſus Chriſt once offered. By theſe and very many the like places of Scripture, it is manifeſt that for Chriſts merit we are not only freed from puniſhment, the remiſſion of our ſins being obtained: but are alſo reputed righteous before God, adopted of him to be his Sons, bleſſed, endued with the holy Ghoſt, ſanctified, and made heires of everlaſting life. By his efficacy and powerfull working.Chriſt ſaveth us by his efficacy, power, and operation; becauſe he not only obtaineth, by his meriting for us, remiſsion of ſins, and that life which wee had loſt; but alſo applyeth effectually unto us, by vertue of his Spirit through faith, the whole benefit of our redemption. For what benefits he merited by his death, he doth not retain them unto himſelf, but beſtoweth them on us. For ſalvation and life everlaſting (which himſelf had before) he purchaſed, not for himſelf, but for us, as being our Mediatour. Therefore he revealeth unto us his Fathers will, inſtituteth and maintaineth the miniſtery of his word, whereby he giveth the holy Ghoſt, by whom he worketh in us both faith, whereby we, applying Chriſts merit unto our ſelves, may be aſſured of our juſtification in the ſight of God through the force thereof; and alſo converſion, or the deſire and love of new obedience. So by his word and ſpirit he gathereth his Church, he beſtoweth and heapeth on in all bleſsings neceſſary for this life, defendeth and preſerveth it in this life againſt the force of Divels and the world, and againſt all corporall and ſpirituall aſſaults of all enemies, even to the end; ſo that not one of thoſe which are converted, periſheth finally: at length, their bodies being raiſed in the laſt day from the dead, hee fully delivers the Church from all ſin and evill, advancing it unto everlaſting life and glory, & caſting the enemies thereof into perpetual pain and torment. To compriſe the whole in a word, his efficacy by his word and ſpirit regenerateth us in this life,The efficacy of Chriſts merit performeth three things unto us. 1. Our regeneration. Mat. 18.17. and preſerveth or ſuſtaineth us being regenerate, leſt we fall away, & in the end raiſeth us unto life eternall. Of his revealing himſelf unto us, and regenerating us, ſpeak theſe places; No man knoweth the Son but the Father: neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveale him No man hath ſeen God at any time: John 1.18.the onelyonly begotten Son, which is in the boſome of the Father, he hath declared him. Mat. 3.11. John 15 26. Epheſ. 4.8, 10, 11. 1. John. 3.8.He that cometh after mee, will baptiſe you with the holy Ghoſt, and with fire. I will ſend unto you from the Father the Spirit of truth. When he aſcended up on high he gave gifts unto men. He aſcended up on high, that he might fill all things. For this purpoſe appeared the Son of God, 2. Our perſeverance therein. John 14.1. Mat. 28.20. John 14.18, 23.that he might looſe the workes of the Divel. Of his raiſing us from death, theſe Scriptures make evident mention: I will raiſe him up in the last day. No man ſhall take my ſheep out of mine hands. I give unto them eternall life, and they ſhall never periſh. 3. Our Reſurection from death. Joh. 6.54. & 10.28 1 Cor. 15.28. Epheſ. 5.27.When all things ſhall he ſubdued unto him, he ſhall make unto himſelfe a glorious Church in the ſight of God, which he gathereth from the beginning of the world unto the end. Hereby we may underſtand, that the giving of the holy Ghoſt is a part of our ſalvation or delivery by Chriſt Jeſus our Mediatour. For the holy Ghoſt is he by who Chriſt effectually performeth this, which he, being our Interceſſor with his Father, hath promiſed his Father in our behalfe: that is, he teacheth us by illuminating our minds with the knowledge of God and his divine will: and regenerateth or ſanctifieth, and guideth and ſtabliſheth us, that we may begin the ſtudy of holines, perſiſt and profit therein, untill ſin be fully aboliſhed in us; and ſin being aboliſhed, death muſt needs be aboliſhed: which that he might together with death deſtroy, Chriſt was ſent of his Father into the world.
Chriſt is our moſt perfect Saviour.Chriſt ſaveth us from all evils whether of crime or puniſhment, by his merit and efficacie▪ fully and moſt perfectly, inchoating and beginning our ſalvation in this life, but conſummating and finiſhing it in the life to come. Which is proved firſt, In that his merit is moſt perfect, and that for two cauſes before expreſſed; 1. The worthineſſe of the perſon, becauſe he that ſuffered it, is God: (for,Acts 20.28. God hath purchaſed the Church with his owne bloud. Christ through the eternall Spirit offered himſelfe. Whence alſo it is that the obedience of the Son in puniſhment or ſatisfaction ſurpaſſeth the righteouſnes and puniſhment, or ſatisfaction of all the Angels, and is a ſufficient price and merit for ſo many, and ſo great bleſsings.) 2. The greviouſneſſe of the puniſhments which he ſuſtained for us. Againe, in that hee in moſt perfect and abſolute manner applieth and imparteth ſalvation unto us. Col. 2.10.Ye are complete in him, that is, ye have all things appertaining to everlaſting bleſſednes, ye for Chriſts ſake are become the perfect and bleſſed ſons of God.Col. 1.19. For it pleaſed the Father, that in him ſhould all fullneſſe dwell. The bloud of Jeſus Chriſt the Sonne of God, cleanſeth us from all ſinne, Now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jeſus. John 1.7. Rom. 1.8. Heb. 7.24, 25.But this man, becauſe he endureth for ever, hath an everlaſting Prieſthood: Wherefore he is able alſo perfectly to ſave them that come unto God by him.
4. Whom hee ſaveth.
HEe ſaveth all and only the Elect and Beleevers, which have been, are, or ſhall be, even from the beginning, to the end of the world, and that both by his merit, and by his efficacy. For in them onelyonly, which imbrace the benefit of redemption with a true faith, hath God his end, even his worſhip and glory. For hee hath decreed to gather and reſerve a Church unto himſelf in this life, but with this condition, that it apprehend that benefit, and be thankfull for the ſame. God ſo loved the world, John 3.16.that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whoſoever beleeveth in him ſhould not periſh, John. 17.20.but have everlaſting life. I pray not for theſe alone; but for them alſo which ſhall beleeve in mee through their word, that they all may be one. I am the living bread which came downe from heaven: John 6.51. Epheſ. 1.4, 12.if any man eat of this bread, hee ſhall live forever. Hee hath choſen us in Chriſt, that we ſhould be holy and without blame before him in love, and that wee ſhould be unto the praiſe of his glory.
A brief ſumme of all that hath bin ſaid in foure queſtions.The ſumme of all that hath been hitherto dilated and inlarged, may in brief be thus concluded: Queſt. 1. Who is he that ſaveth us? Anſ. The Sonne of God is our Jeſus, that is to ſay, our Saviour. Queſt. 2. Whom ſaveth hee? Anſ. His people, to wit, all and only the Elect which are given him of his Father. Queſt. 3. From what evils delivereth he his Elect? Anſ. From all ſin, and the puniſhments of ſin. Queſt. 4. By what meanes? Anſ. Two manner of waies: by his merit, and by his efficacy; and both theſe waies he moſt perfectly delivereth his choſen.The true meaning of the Article.
Now then, what meane the words of this Article, I beleeve in Jeſus? 1. I beleeve that there is ſome Saviour of mankind. 2. I beleeve that this perſon Jeſus, born of the Virgin Mary, is that Saviour, of whom the Father pronounced from heaven, This is my beloved Son, Mat. 17.5. John 5.23.in whom I am well pleaſed: Heare him: whom God will have worſhipped and honored of us. He that honoreth not the Son, the ſame honoreth not the Father, which hath ſent him. 3. I beleeve that this Jeſus by his merit and efficacie freeth us from all evils both of crime and penalty, beginning in us this freedome in this life, and finiſhing it in the life to come. 4. I beleeve that this Jeſus is not onelyonly the Saviour of other his Elect, but my onelyonly perfect Saviour alſo, working in mee here in this world the beginnings of ſalvation, and perfecting the ſame at length in the world to come.