The Mystery of the Gospel Vindicated and Socinianism Examined, Commentary on text · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII.
Of the Covenant between the Father and the Sonne, the Ground and Foundation of this Dispensation of Christs being punished for us, and in our stead.
THE fourth thing considerable, is the ground of this dispensation§. 1. of Christs being punished for us, which also hath influence into his whole mediation on our behalfe. This is that compact, covenant, convention, and Agreement, that was between the Father, and the Sonne, for the accomplishment of the worke of our Redemption by the Mediation of Christ, to the prayse of the glorious Grace of God.
The Will of the Father, appointing & designing the Son to be the Head, Husband, Deliverer, and Redeemer of his Elect, his Church, his people, whom he did for…know, with the Will of the Sonne voluntarily, freely undertaking tha… worke, and all that was required thereunto, is that compact (for in that forme it is proposed in the Scripture) that we treat of.
It being so proposed, so we call it; though there be difficulty§. 2. in its explication. Rabbi Ruben in Galatinus sayes of Isa. 66. 15. that if the Scripture had not said it, it had not been Lawfull to have said it, but being written, it may be spoken, in fire, or by foreignfire is the Lord Judged; for it is not Sophet, that is, Judging, but misphet, that is, is judged: which by some is …pplied to Christ, and the fire he underwent in his suffering. However the Rule is safe, that which is written may be spoken; for, for that end was it written: God in his Word teaching us, how we should speake of him; so it is in this matter.
It is true; the Will of God the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost,§. 3. is but one. It is a Naturall property, and where there is but one Nature, there is but one Will: but in respect of their distinct personall actings, this Will is appropriated to them respectively; so that the Will of the Father, and the Will of the Sonne, may beconsidered in this businesse. Which though essentially one …nd the same, yet in their distinct personality it is distinctly considered, as the Will of the Father, and the Will of the Sonne; Notwithstanding the unity of Essence, that is between the Father and the Sonne, yet is the work distinctly carried on by them so that the same God judges, and becomes surety, satisfyeth, and is satisfied, in these distinct persons.
Thus though this Covenant be Eternall, and the object of it§. 4. be that which might not have been, and so it hath the nature of the residue of Gods decrees in those regards, yet because of this distinct acting of the Will of the Father, & the will of the Son, with regard to each other, it is more then a decree, and hath the proper nature of a Covenant, or Compact Hence from the moment of it (I speake not of time) there is a new habitude of Will in the Father and Sonne towards each other, that is not in them essentially; I call it new, as being in God freely, not naturally. And hence was the salvation of men before the Incarnation, by the undertaking, mediation, and death of Christ. That the Saints under the Old Testament were saved by Christ, at present I take for granted. That they were saved by vertue of a meer decree, will not be said From hence was Christ esteemed to be Incarnate, and to have suffered; or the fruits of his Incarnation and Suffering could not have been imputed to any: for the thing …t selfe being denied, the Effects of it are not.
The Revelation of this Covenant is in the Scripture: not that§. 5. it was then constituted, when it is first mentioned in the Promises and Prophesies of Christ, but then first declared or revealed. Christ was Declared to be the Sonne of God, by the Resurrection from the dead; but he was so from Eternity. As in other places as shall be evinced, so in Isa. 53. is this Covenant mentioned; in which Chapter there is this Propheticall Scheme; the Covenant between Father and Sonne, which was past, is spoken of as to come; and the sufferings of Christ, which were to come, are spoken of as past, as appears to every one that but reads the Chapter. It is also signally ascribed to Christs coming into the World: not constitutively, but declaratively. It is the greatest folly about such things as these, to suppose them then done, when revealed, though revealed in expressions of doing them. These things being premised, I proceed to manifest, how this Covenant is in the Scripture declared.
Now this Convention or Agreement, as elsewhere, so it is most§. 6. cleerely expressed, Heb: 10. from Ps. 40. Lo! I come to do thy will O God. And what Will? v. 10. The Will by which we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Iesus once for all. The Will of God was, that Jesus should be offered; and to this End, that we might be sanctified and saved: It is called the offering of the body of Jesus, in Answer to what was said before, a body hast thou prepared mee; or an humane nature, by a Synechdoche. My Will, says God the Father, is, that thou have a body, and that that body be offered up, and that to this end, that the Children, the Elect might be sanctified: Sayes the Sonne to this, Lo, I am come to do thy Will. I accept of the Condition, and give up my selfe to the performance of thy Will.
To make this more distintly evident, the nature of such a§. 7. compact, Agreement, or convention, as depends on personall service, such as this, may be a little considered.
There are five things required to the compleat establishing, and accomplishing of such a compact & agreement: 1. That there be sundry Persons, two at least, namely a Promiser, and undertaker, agreeing *Nec dari quicquam necesse est, ut substantiam capiat obligatio; sed sufficit eos qui negotia gerunt consentire. Institut. l. 3. de oblig. ex consensu.voluntarily together in Counsell and designe, for the Accomplishment, and bringing about some common End, acceptable to them both, so agreeing together; being both to do somewhat, that they are not otherwise obliged to doe, there must be some common end agreed on by them, wherein they are delighted; and if they do not both voluntarily agree to what it on each hand incumbent to doe, it is no Covenant or Compact, but an imposition of one upon the other.
2. That the Person promising, who is the principall engager§. 8. in the Covenant, do require something at the hand of the other, to be done, or undergone, wherein he is concerned. He is to prescribe something to him, which is the Condition, whereon the Accomplishment of the end aimed at, is to depend.
3. That He make to him who doth undertake, such Promises, as are necessary for his supportment and encouragement, and which may fully ballance in his judgement, and esteeme, all that is required of him, or prescribed to him.
4. That upon the weighing, and consideration of the Condition and Promise, the Duty and Reward prescribed, and ingaged for, as formerly mentioned, the undertaker do voluntarily addresse himselfe to the one, and expect the Accomplishment of the other.
5. That the Accomplishment of the Condition, being *foreign. Formula Jur. institut. lib. 3. c. Tollitur. §. item per: Numerius Nigidius interrogavit Aulum Augerium: Quicquid tibi hodierno die, per Aquilianam stipulationem spopondi, id ne omne habes acceptum. Respondit Aulus Augerius, habeo, acceptum{que} tuli. ibid.pleaded by the undertaker, and approved by the Promiser, the common end originally designed, be brought about and established.
These five things are required, to the entring into, and compleat Accomplishment of such a Covenant, Convention, or Agreement, as is built on personall Performances: and they are all eminently expressed in the Scripture, to be found in the Compact between the Father and the Sonne, whereof we speake; as upon the consideration of the severalls will appeare.§. 9.
On the account of these things, found at least virtually, and effectually, in this Agreement of the Father and Sonne, we call it a Covenant; not with respect to the Latine word Faedus, and the precise use of it, but to the Hebrew foreign, and the Greeke foreign, whose signification and use alone is to be attended, in the businesse of any Covenant of God; And in what a large sence they are used, is known to all that understand them, and have made inquirie into their import. The rise of the word faedus, is properly paganish and superstitious; and the legall use of it, strict to a mutuall ingagement upon valuable considerations: The forme of its entrance, by the Sacrifice and killing of a Hogge, is related in Polybius, Livius, Virgil, and others. The generall words used in it were, *Faecialis sumpto in manibus lapide, postquam de faedere inter partes convenerat, haec verba dixit, Si recte ac sine dolo malo, hoc faedus at{que} hoc iusiurandum▪ facio, dii mihi cuncta felicia praestent; sin aliter aut ago, aut cogito, caeteris omnibus salvis, in propriis legibus, in propriis laribus, in propriis templis, in propriis sepulchris, solus ego peream, ut hic lapis de manibus meis decidet. Polyb. lib. 3. Audi Iupiter, audi pater patrate, ut illa palam prima postrema, ex illis tabulis recitata sunt sine dolo malo, ut{que} ea his hodie rectissime intellecta sunt: illis legibus populus Romanus prior non desiciet: si prior defecerit public… consilio, dolo malo, tu ille Diespiter, populum Romanum sic ferito, ut ego hunc porcum hodie, feriam; tanto{que} magis ferito, quanto magis potes, polles{que} id ubi dixit, porcum saxo silice percussit▪ Livius. Armati, Jovis ante aram, pateras{que} tenentes, Stabant, & caesa jungebant foed…ra porca. Virgil. Aeneid. lib. 8. Ad quem locum Servius: faedera dicta sunt, à porea faede & crudeliter occisa: nam cum a…te gladiis configeretur, a fecialibus inventum, ut silice feriretur, ea caus… quod antiquum Jovis signum, lapidis …silicem putaverunt esse.Ita foede me percutiat magnus Jupiter, … foede hunc porcum macto, si pactum faederis non servaver…: whence is that phrase of one in danger; sto inter sacrum & saxum. The H…g being killed with a stone; so faedus is a feriendo.
Though sometimes even that word be used in a very large sence, for any orderly disposed Government: as in the Poet:
—Regem{que} dedit qui faedere certoVirg. Aeneid. 1.
Et premere, & laxas sciret dare jussus habenas, &c. But unto the signification and Laws hereof, in this businesse, we are not bound: it sufficeth for our present intendment, that the things mentioned, be found virtually in this compact, which they are.
1. There are the Father and the Sonne, as Distinct Persons agreeing§. 10. together in Counsell, for the accomplishment of the common end; the Glory of God, and the Salvation of the Elect. The end is expressed, Heb …. 9, 10. Heb. 12. 1. Now thus it was, Zech. 6 13. and the Counsell of Peace shall be between them both, Inter foreignambos ipsos. That is the two Persons spoken of, not the two Offices there intimated, that shall meet in Christ; and who are these? The Lord Jehovah, who speakes, and the Man whose name is foreign the Branch, v. 12. who is to do all the great things there mentioned. He shall grow up &c. But the Counsell of peace, the designe of our Peace▪ is between them both: They have agreed and consented to the bringing about of our Peace. Hence is that name of the Sonne of God, Isa 9 6. Wonderfull Councellour. It is in reference to the Busines there spoken of, that be is so called. This is expressed at the beginning of the verse: to us a Child is borne, to us a Sonne is given; to what end that was, is known; namely, that he might be a Saviou… or a Redeemer: whence he is afterwards called the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace; that is, a Father to his Church and People, in Everlasting Mercy; the grand Author of their Peace, that procured it for them, and established it unto them. Now as to this work, that he who i… foreign the mighty God, might be foreign a sonne given, a child borne; and carry on a work of mercy and peace towards his Church, is he called the wonderfull Councellour, as concurring in the Counsell and designe of his Father, and with him, to this end and purpose. Therefore when he comes to suffer in the carrying on of this work, God calls him his fellow, foreign, my Neighbour in Counsell and advise, as David describesZec. 13. 7. his, fellow or companion, Psal. 55. 14▪ We took sweet, counsell together. He was the fellow of the Lord of Hosts, on this account that they took Councell together about the work of our Salvation to the Glory of God. Prov. 8. 21. to …. makes this evident: that it is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternall Word, and Wisdome of the Father, who is here intended, was before evinced. What then i… here said of him? I was …ly the delight of God, rejoycing before him, rejoycing in the habitable parts of the Earth, and my delight was in the Sonnes of Men. When was this, that the Wisdome of God the Father did so rejoyce before him, on the account of the Sonnes of men, v. 24, 25. When there was no depths, when there were no fountaines abounding with water, before the Mountains were setled &c. whilest as yet he had not made the Earth, &c. But how could this be? Namely by the Counsell of Peace, that was between them both, which is the Delight of the soule of God, and wherein both Father and Son rejoyce.
The first thing then is manifest; that there was a voluntary concurrence, and distinct consent of the Father and Sonne, for the Accomplishment of the worke of our peace, and bringing us to God.
2. For the Accomplishment of this work, the Father who§. 11. is principall in the Covenant, the promiser, whose Love sets all on worke, as is frequenly expressed in the Scripture, requires of the Lord Jesus Christ his Sonne, that he shall do that which upon consideration of his Justice, Glory, and Honour, was necessary to be done, for the bringing about the …nd proposed; prescribing to him a Law for the performance thereof; which is called his will so often in Scripture.
What it was that was required, is expressed both negatively and positively.
1. Negatively, that he should not do, or bring about this work, by any of those Sacrifices that had been appointed to make Attonement suo more, and to typify out what was by him really to be performed. This the Lord Jesus professeth at the entrance of his work, when he addresses himself to the doing of that, which was indeed required. Sacrifice▪ and burnt offerings, &c. thou wouldest not have. He was not to offer any of the Sacrifices that had been offered before, as at large hath been recounted: it was the will of God that by them, He, & what he was to do, should be shaddowed out & represented; whereupon, at his comming to his worke, they were all to be abrogated▪ Nor was He to bring silver or gold for our Redemption, according to the contrivance of the poore convinced sinner, Mic. 7. 6. but he was to tender God another manner of price, 1 Pet. 1. 18.
He was to do that which the old Sacrifices could not do, as§. 12. hath been declared. For it was not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sinnes, Heb. 10. 5. foreign, quod supra foreign & foreign est extinguere peccata, sive facere ne ultra peccetur; id sanguis Christi facit, tum quia fidem in nobis parit, tum quia Christo jus dat nobis auxilia necessaria impetrandi. Grot in Loc. Falsely and injuriously to the blood of Christ. foreign, is no where in the Scripture, to cause, men to cease to sinne; it never respects properly what is to come, but what is past. The Apostle treats not of Sanctification, but of Justification. The taking away of sins he insists on, is such; as that the sinner should no more be▪ troubled in conscience for the guilt of them: v. 2. The typicall taking away of sinnes by Sacrifices, was by making Attonement with God principally, not by turning men from sinne, which yet was a consequent of them. The blood of Christ takes away sin, as to their guilt, by justification, & not only as to their filth by Sanctification. This purification also by blood, He expounds in his Annotations C. 9. v. 14. Sanguini autem purgatio ista tribuitur, quia per sanguinem, id est, mortem Christi, secuta ejus excitatione, & evectione, gignitur in nobis fides, Rom. 3. 25▪ quae deinde fides corda purgat. Act. 15. 19. The meaning of these words is evident to all that have their sences exercised in these things. The eversion of the Expiation of our sinnes, by the way of Satisfaction and attonement, is that which is aymed at. Now because the Annotatour saw, that the comparison insisted on with the Sacrifices of old, would not admit of this glosse: He addes▪ Similitudo autem purgationis legalis, & evangelicae, non est in modo purgandi, sed in effectu. Then which nothing is more false, nor more directly contrary to the Apostles discourse, chap. 9, 10.
2. Positively, and here, to lay aside the manner how he was to§. 13. do it, which relates to his Office of Priest, and Prophet, and King, the conditions imposed upon him may be referred to three Heads.
1. That he should take on him the nature of those, whom§. 14. he was to bring to God. This is as it were prescribed to him, Heb. 10. 5. a body hast thou prepared me; or appointed that I should be made flesh, take a body therein to do thy will. And the Apostle sets out the infinite Love of the Sonne of God, in that he condescended to this inexpressible exinanition, and eclipsing of his Glory, Phil▪ 2. 6, 7. being in the forme of God▪ and equall to God, he made himselfe of no reputation, but tooke upon him the forme of a Servant, and was made in the likenesse of man; or made a man. He did it upon his Fathers prescription, and in pursuit of what God required at his hands. Hence it is said, God sent forth his Sonne, made of a woman, Gal. 4. 4. and God sent his own Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh, Rom. 8. 3. and properly in answer to this of the Fathers appointing him a body, is it that the Sonne answers, Loe! I come to do thy will. I will do it, I will undertake it; that the great desirable end may be brought about, as we shall see afterwards. So Heb. 2. 14, 15. And though I see no sufficient reason of relinquishing the usuall interpretation of foreign Heb. 2. 16. yet if it be apprehendit, and expressive of the effect; not assumpsit, relating to the way of his yeilding us assistance and deliverance, the same thing is intimated.
2. That in this body or humane nature, he should be a Servant §. 15.or yeild obedience; hence God calls him his Servant, Isa. 42. 1. Behold my Servant whom I uphold; & that this was also in the condition prescribed to him, our Saviour acknowledges▪ Isa. 49. 5. Now saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his Servant; And in pursuit hereof, Christ takes upon him the forme of a servant Phil. …▪ 6. and this is his perpetuall profession, I come to do the will of him that sent me.
And th… commandemene…▪ I have received of my Father. So though he was a Son yet learned … obedience. All alon… in the carrying on of his worke he professes that this condition was by his Father prescribed him, that he should be his Servant, and yeild him▪ obedience, in the worke he had in hand. Hence he saies, his Father is greater then he, not only in respect of his humiliationJoh. 14. 28. but also in respect of the dispensation▪ whereunto he as the Son of God, submitted himselfe▪ to performe his Will▪ and yeild him obedience: And this God declares to be the condition whereon he will deliver man▪ Job 33. 23. …f there be a messenger (a servant)Vid Cocceium in locum. one of a thousand to undertake for him, it shall be so▪ I will say, deliver man; otherwise not.
3. That he should suffer and undergoe what in Justice is§. 16. due to Him, that he was to deliver; A hard and great prescription: yet such as must be undergone▪ that there may be a consistence of the Justice and Truth of God, with the Salvation of man. This is plainely expressed Is. 53▪ 10. Wher thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, or rather if his soul shall make▪ an offering for sin, foreignthen he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his pay…, and the pleas…e▪ of the Lord shall prosper in his hands. As if he should say, if this worke be brought about, and if the Counsell of peace which we have consented in, be carryed on, if my pleasure therein be to prosper, thou must make thy soule an offering▪ for sinne. And that this was required of our Saviour, himselfe fully▪ expresses even in his Agony, when praying for the removall of the cup, He submits to the drinking of it, in these words: thy will O Father be done; this is that, which thou wilt have me doe; which thou hast prescribed unto me, even that I drink of this cup, wherein he tasted of death, and which comprised the whole of his suffering; and this is the third thing in this Convention and Agreement.
4. Promises are made upon the supposition of undertaking§. …7. that which was required; and these of all sorts, that might either concerne the person that did undertake, or the Accomplishment of the worke that he did undertake.
1. For the Person himselfe that was to undertake, or the Lord Jesus Christ, seeing there was much difficulty, and great opposition to …e passed through, in what he was to do, and undergoe; Promises of the Assistance of his Father by his presence with him, & carrying him through all perpl…xities and tryalls, are given to him in abundance▪ Some of these you have Isa. 42. 4. He shall not faint, nor be discouraged, untill he hath set judgement in the earth. And v. 6. I the Lord have called thee in Righteousnesse, and▪ will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee▪ a Covenant of the People. What ever opposition▪ thou mayst meet withall, I will hold thee, and keep thee, and preserve thee, I will not leave thy soule in Hell, nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption Psal. 16 3. So Psal. 89. 28. My mercy will I keep for him evermo…e, & my Covenant shall stand fast with him. And hence was our blessed Saviours confidence in his greatest tryall. I…a. 50. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. v. 5, 6. our Saviour expresses his undertaking▪ &, what he suffered herein v. 7, 8, 9. The assistance that he was promised of his Father in this great tryall, on the account whereof he despises all his Enemies, with full Assurance of successe: even upon the Fathers ingaged promise, of his presence with him. This is the first sort of promises made to Christ in this Convention, which concerne himselfe directly; that he should not be forsaken in his worke, but carryed through, supported, and upheld, untill he were come forth to full successe, and had sent forth judgement into victory. Hence in his greatest tryall, he mades his addresses to God himself, on the account of these promises, to be delivered from that which he feared, Heb. 5. 7. Who in the dayes &c. So Psal. 89. 27, 28.
2. There were promises in this compact, that concerned the§. 18. worke it selfe, that Christ undertook; namely, that if he did what was required of him, not only that he should be perserved in it▪ but also, that the worke it selfe should▪ th…i…e and prosper in his hand▪ So Isa. 53. 10, 1…. When thou shalt make &c. What▪ ever he aymed at is here promised to be accomplished; the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper: the designe of Father and Sone, for the accomplishment of our Salvation, shall prosper: He shall see his seed, a seed of Believers▪ shall be raised up, that shall prolong th… days: that is, the seed shall prolong, o… continue whiles the Sunne and Moon… ind…res▪ all the▪ Elect▪ shall be justifyed and Saved. …han shall be conquered, and the … delivered from him. And this our▪ Saviour comforts himselfe withall in his greatest distresse, Psal. 22. 30, 31. and for this glory that was set before him, the glory of bringing many Sons to glory that was promised to him, He despised the shame, and endured the Crosse, Heb. 12. 2. So also Isa. 42. 1, 2.
And this is the 3d thing in this compact, he who prescribes the hard Conditions of Incarnation, obedience, & death, doth also make the glorious promises of Preservation, Protection, and Successe. And to make these promises the more eminent, God confirmes them solemnely by an Oath; he is consecrated an High Priest for evermore by the word of the Oath, Heb. 7. 28. The Lord swear and will not repent, thou art a Priest for ever, &c.
4. The Lord Jesus Christ accepts of the Condition, and the§. 19. Promise, and voluntarily undertakes the worke. Psal. 40. 7, 8. Then said I, loe! I come to do thy will, yea I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea thy Law is within my heart. He freely, willingly, cheerfully, undertakes to do, and suffer whatever it was the will of his Father, that he should do, or suffer, for the bringing about the common end aymed at; He undertakes to be the Fathers servent in this worke: And sayes to the Lord, thou art my Lord, Psal. 16. 2. thou art He, to whom I am to yeild obedience, to submit to thee in tihs worke. Mine eare hast thou bored, and I am thy Servant. I am not Rebellious, I do not withdraw from it, Isa. 50. 8. Hence the Apostle tels us, that this mind was in Him; that whereas he was in the forme of God, he humbled himselfe to the death of the crosse, Phil. 2. 8. and so by his own voluntary consent he came under the Law of the Mediatour, which afterwards as he would not, so he could not decline. He made himselfe surety of the Covenant, and so was to pay what he never tooke. He voluntarily ingaged himselfe into this sponsion; but when he had so done, he was legally subject to all that attended it; when he had put his name into the Obligation, he became responsible for the whole debt, and all that he did, or suffered comes to be called Obediene…, which relates to the Law that he was subject to: having engaged himselfe to his father, and said to the Lord, thou art my Lord, loe! I come to do thy will.
5. The fith and last thing is, that on: the one side, the promiser §. 20.do approve & accept of the performance of the condition prescribed, and the Ʋndertaker demand, and lay clayme to the promises made, and thereupon the common end designed be accomplished and fulfilled. All this also is fully manifest, in this Compact or Convention. God the Father he accepts of the performance of what was to the Sonne prescribed. This God fully declares Isa. 49. 5, 6. And now sayth the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob againe to him, though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength: And he said, it is a light thing that thou should…st …e my servant to rayse up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou maist be my Salvation to the ends of the earth. And eminently v. 8, 9. Thus saith the Lord, in an acceptable time have I heard thee: and in a day of Salvation have I helped thee and I will preserve thee & give thee for a Covenant of the people, to establish the earth to cause to inherit the dessolate heritages. That thou mayst say to the prisoners go forth; to them that are in darkenes sh…w your selves, &c. Now I have bin with thee & helped thee in thy work & thou hast performed it, now thou shalt do al that thy heart desires, according to my promise. Hence that which was originally spoken of the Eternall generation of the Son Ps. 2. 7. Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee, is applyed by the Apostle to his Resurrection from the dead. Act. 13. 33. God hath fulfilled his word unto us, in that he hath raised up▪ Jesus from the dead, as it is also written in the 2. Psal. Thou art my Sonne, this day have I begotten thee. That is, God by the Resurrection from the dead, gloriously manifested him to be his Son, whom he Loved, in whom he was w…ll pleased, and who did all his pleasure. So Rom. 1. 4. He was declared to be the Sonne of God with power, by the Resurrection from the dead. Then was he declared to be the Son of God. God approving and accepting the worke he had done, loosed the paines of death, and raised him againe, manifesting to all the world his approbation and acceptation of him and his worke. Whence he immediately sayes to him, Psal. 2. 8. Aske of me, and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance: now aske▪ what thou wilt, what ever I have promised, what ever thou didst, or couldest expect upon thy undertaking this worke, it shall de done, it shall be granted thee. And
2. Christ accordingly makes his demand solemnly on Earth,§. 21▪ and in Heaven; On earth Ioh. 17. throughout; the whole Chapter is the Demand of Christ, for the Accomplishment of the whole Compact, and all the Promises that were made to Him, when he undertook to be a Saviour, both which concerned himselfe and his Church; see v. 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. &c. and in Heaven also; He is gone into the presence of God, there to appeare for us, Heb. 9. 24. and is able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by him, seeing he liveth for ever, to make intercession for them, Heb. 7. 25. not as in the daies of his flesh, with strong cryes and supplications, but by vertue of his Oblation, laying claime to the promised Inheritance in our behalfe. And,
3. The whole work is Accomplished, and the end intended§. 22. brought about; For in the Death of Christ he finished the Transgression, and made an end of sinne, and made Reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in everlasting Righteousnesse, Dan. 9. 24. and of sinfull man, God saies, deliver him, for I have found a Ransome, Job. 33. 24. Hence our Reconciliation, Justification, yea our salvation, are in the Scripture spoken of, as things actually done and accomplished, in the death, and blood-shedding of Jesus Christ, not as though we were all then actually justified and saved, but upon the account of the certainty of the performance, and accomplishment of those things in their due time towards us, and upon us, are these things so delivered: for in reference to the undertaking of Christ in this Covenant, is he called the second Adam, becoming a common head to his people, with this difference; that Adam was a common head to all that came of him, necessarily, and as I may so say, naturally, and whether he would or no; Christ is so to his, voluntarily, and by his own consent and undertaking, as hath been demonstrated; now as we all dye in Adam faederally and Meritoriously, yet the severall individualls are not in their persons actually dead in sinne, and obnoxious to eternall death, before they are by naturall Generation united to Adam, their first head; So though all the Elect be made alive, and saved faederally and meritoriously in the Death of Christ, wherein also a certain foundation is laid of that efficacy, which workes all these things in us, and for us, yet we are not viritim made partakers of the good things mentioned, before we are united to Christ, by the communication of his spirit to us.
And this I say is the Covenant and Compact, that was between§. 23. Father and Sonne, which is the great foundation of what hath been said, and shall farther be spoken, about the merit and Satisfaction of Christ; here lyes the ground of the Righteousnesse of the dispensation treated of: That Christ should undergoe the punishment due to us, it was done voluntarily of himselfe; and he did nothing but what he had power to doe, and command from his Father to doe; I have power, saith he, to lay downe my life, and Power to take it againe, this command have I received of my Father; whereby the glory both of the Love, and justice of God is exceedingly exalted. And,
1. This stops the mouth of the Socinian clamour, concerning the Unrighteousnesse of one mans suffering personally, for another mans sinne. It is true, it is so; if these men be not in such Relation to one another, that what one doth, or suffereth, the other may be accounted to do, or suffer▪ but it is no unrighteousnesse, if the hand offena, that the head be smitten; but Christ is our head, we are his members. It is true; if he that suffereth hath not power over that wherein he suffers; but Christ had power to lay down his life, and take it againe. It is true, if he that is to suffer, or he that is to punish, be not willing, or agreed to the commutatin: But here Father and Sonne as hath been manifested, were fully agreed upon the whole matter. It may be true; if he who suffers cannot possibly be made partaker of any good afterward, that shall ballance, and overweigh all his suffering; not, where the Crosse is endured, and the shame despised, for the Glory proposed, or set before him, that suffers: not, where he is made Low for a season, that he may be Crowned with Dignity and Honour. And,
2. This is the foundation of the merit of Christ: The Apostle§. 24. tells us, Rom▪ 4. 4. what merit is; it is such an adjunct of obedience, as whereby the Reward is reckoned, not of Grace, but of debt. God having proposed a Law for Obedience unto Christ, with Promises of such and such Rewards, upon condition of fulfilling the obedience required: He performing that Obedience, the Reward is rekoned to him of debt, or he righteously merited what ever was so promised to him. Though the compact was of grace, yet the reward is of debt. Look then what ever God promised Christ, upon his undertaking to be a Saviour, that, upon the fulfilling of his Will, he merited, that himselfe should be exalted, that he should be the Head of his Church, that the should see his seed, that he should justify and save them, sanctify and glorify them, was all promised to him; all merited by him. But of this more afterwards.
Having thus fully considered the three fold notion of the death§. 25. of Christ, as it was a Price, a Sacrifice, and a Punishment, and discovered the foundation of Righteousnesse in all this, Proceed we now to manifest, what are the Proper Effects of the Death of Christ, under this three fold Notion; now these also answerably are Three.
1. Redemption as it is a Price.
2. Reconciliation as it is a Sacrifice.
3. Satisfaction as it is a punishment. Upon which foundation, Union with Christ, Vocation, Justification, Sanctification, and glory are built.