A Short and Sure Way to Grace and Salvation, Section 19
Sect. XIX.
But this being a main fundamental point, which every man is bound to know: I will more particularly and fully explain it as thus:
Man being in a moſt miſerable, and undone condition; by reaſon of Originall and actuall ſin, and of the curſe due to both; being liable to all miſeries in this life, and adjudged, to ſuffer eternall torments in hell-fire after death: having no poſſibility to eſcape, the fierce wrath of Almighty God: who had already pronounced ſentence upon him. When neither Heaven Earth nor Hell, could have yielded any ſatisfactory thing beſides Chriſt; that could have ſatisfied Gods juſtice, and merited Heaven for us: then, O then! God of his infinite wiſdome and goodneſs, did not onelyonly find out a way to ſatisfie his juſtice, and the Law: but even gave us his own Son out of his boſom; and his Son gave himſelfe to dye, even the moſt ſhamefull, painfull, and curſed death of the Croſs to redeem us: that whoſoever believeth in him, ſhould not periſh, but have everlaſting life. John. 3. 16. A mercy beſtowed, and a way found out; that may aſtoniſh all the Sons of men on earth, and Angels in Heaven. Wherefore wonder at this, you that wonder at nothing! that the eternall God would die, to redeem our worſe then loſt ſouls; that we might not dye eternally! O the deepneſs of Gods love! O the unmeaſurable meaſure of his bounty! O Son of God, who can ſufficiently extoll thy love, or commend thy pity or extoll thy praiſe! It was a wonder that thou madeſt us for thy ſelf; more that thou madeſt thy ſelf man for us; but moſt of all that thou ſhouldeſt unmake thy ſelfe, that thou ſhouldeſt dye to ſave us.
Which ſalvation ſtands, in two things. Firſt in freeing and delivering us from Hell; ſecondly, in the poſſeſſion of Heaven, and eternall life. Chriſt by his death, merits the firſt for us: and by his obedience, fulfilling the law, merits the ſecond. The parts of our juſtification are likewiſe two: the remiſſion of our ſins, and the imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſs; whereby we have freedome from all evill here, and the perfection of all good and happineſs in Heaven. Inſomuch, that all thoſe Millions of mercies that we have received, from, before, and ſince, we were born, either for ſoul or body; (even to the leaſt bit of bread we eat) or ſhall injoy to eternity: Chriſt of his free grace hath purchaſed for us, with the price of his own pretious blood. For which ſee Pſal. 68. 19. and 145. 15, 16. and 75. 6, 7.
Hear this all you that care to be ſaved! God will pardon all your ſins, he will give you an eternal crown of glory in heaven, if you unfainedly repent, and wholly rely upon Chriſt for your ſalvation, by a lively faith; and that becauſe he is juſt: for although the Lord cannot in juſtice let ſin go unpuniſhed; (for the wages of ſin is eternal death, Rom. 6. 23. death in the perſon, if not in the ſurety.) Yet Chriſt hath ſufficiently ſatisfied for all the ſins of the faithful, and paid their debt even to the utmoſt farthing; as is evident by Iſa. 53. 4. 5. a Cor. 5. 21. Heb. 9. 26. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Rom. 3. 25, 26. 1. Joh. 1. 7, 9. and ſundry other places. As, are we bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law? Chriſt performed it for us. Were we for diſobedience ſubject to the ſentence of condemnation, the curſe of the Law, and death of body and ſoul? He was condemned for us, and bore the curſe of the Law; he died in our ſtead an ignominious death. Did we deſerve the anger of God; hee indured his Fathers wrathful diſpleaſure, that ſo he might reconcile us to hipage missing Father and ſet us at liberty. He that deſerved no ſorrow, felt much; that we who deſerved much, might feel none. And by his wounds we are healed, Iſa. 53. 5. Adam eat the Apple, Chriſt paid the price. I… a word whatſoever wpage missing owed, Chriſt diſcharged; whatſoever we deſerved, he ſuffered, if not in the ſelpage missing ſame puniſhments (for he being God, could not ſuffer the eternal tormentpage missing of Hell,) yet in proportion, the dignity of his Perſon, (he being God and man, giving value unto his temporary puniſhments; and making them of more value and worth, then if all the world ſhould have ſuffered the eternall torments of Hell. For it is more for one that is eternall to dye: then for others to dye eternally. Therefore was the Son of God made, the Son of man: that the Sons of men, might be made the Sons of God: and therefore was he both God and man: leſt being in every reſpect God, he had been too great to ſuffer for man, or being in every reſpect man; he had been to weak to ſatisfie God. And ſo much for explication of the Third Principle, mentioned in the beginning.