None but Christ, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. We muſt ſtudy to know Chriſt in his Satisfaction.
ANd thus we have heard how we are to ſtudy to know Chriſt in his crucifixion. It followes, thirdly and laſtly, We muſt ſtudy to know Chriſt in his ſatisfaction, in two particulars. 1. That there is no other name under heaven whereby we can be ſaved, but onelyonly by the name of Jeſus Chriſt. Not by Saints, Angels, our merits, orOpera noſtra ſunt dona dei, per pauca, & multis malis per▪ mixta. Aug. Quiſqui… enumerat merita ſua, quid enumerat niſi mertia tua Aug. good works; Alas what could we merit that were ungodly, ſinners, enemies? Or what good thing could we doe to inherit eternall life? If wee could ſcourge out rivers of bloud, out faſt Moſes and Elias, glaze our eyes with teares, naile them to heaven with devotion, weep a ſea of tears, yea of bloud; Should we pray never ſo much (yea weare out our knees in prayer) read never ſo much the Word of God and other good books, heare never ſo many ſermons, refraine from all groſſe ſins, build Hoſpitals, give all our goods to the poore, and our bodies to be burned; yet can we not make God ſatisfaction thereby or obtain ſalvation, Mich. 6. 8. 1 Cor. 13. 1. 2 Nay. Though we ſhould attaine to never ſo great a degree of repentance, and ſanctity of life, yet could we not obtain ſalvation thereby; nay our perfect holineſſe in heaven, is not the meritorious cauſe of our ſalvation there, but the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt; much leſſe a Chriſtians graces here on earth: which made Paul deſire with the loſs of al his own righteouſneſſe to be found in Chriſt, Not having Phil. 1. 9. 6. Tutius eſt &c. …ell.his own righteouſneſſe, but that which is in him by faith.
Its true, Chriſtians may look to their graces as evidences of their part in Chriſt and ſalvation (and the clearer they are, the greater will be their comfort) but not as cauſes; They may likewiſe make uſe of duties as meanes to bring them to Chriſt and ſalvation, but not to be ſaved by them: As the Dove made uſe of her wings to fly to the Ark, but truſted not in her wings, but in the Arke. Suppoſe thoſe that were ſtung with fiery ſerpents, had uſed any other remedies or medicines to cure the poyſon, beſides looking upon the brazen ſerpent, had they not been of no value? Or as thoſe that in the time of Noahs flood truſted to their own houſes, the higheſt trees or mountains, or any other thing beſides the Ark, were they not all drowned? ſo muſt they all periſh that expect ſalvation by any other name, but only by the name of Ieſus Chriſt, whether Turks, Iews, Pagans, Papiſts, ignorant and civill perſons among our ſelves, or whoever.
2. As we are to believe there is no ſalvation out of Chriſt, ſo we are to know that Chriſt is a ſufficient Saviour, to ſave Heb. 7. 25.perfectly thoſe that come to him and truſt in him; from theſe two grounds.
Firſt, becauſe he hath perfectly fulfilled the law for us, whereby we ſtand as1 Joh. 4. 17. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 5 19. righteous in the ſight of God, as Chriſt was for us; and God accepteth of us as if we had fulfilled the law in our owne perſons.
And ſecondly, becauſe he hath fully ſatisfied the wrath of God for all our ſins and pacified him towards us, as if we had never ſinned, or as if we our ſelves had ſuffered for them in hell for ever, Col. 2. 14. blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances againſt us, ſo as now nothing can be read againſt us.
And this appeares by his reſurrection, Aſcenſion, and ſitting at the right hand of God, in his glory, triumphing over all his enemies, which were not for ſatiſfaction, but to make application of our redemption, & for teſtification of the ſufficiency of his ſatisfaction. Hence ſaith Paul it is Chriſt that died, yea Rather that is riſenRom. 8. 34. again, thereby ſhewing the ſufficiency of his death, that God is ſatisfied, and all is finiſhed.
Nay certainly Chriſt hath ſatisfied God more abundantly for us, then if we our ſelves had gone to hell for ever, for we had been but alwaies ſatisfying, and God had not been fully ſatisfied, but in Chriſt he is fully and for ever ſatisfied, ſo as now we may plead pardon not only from mercy but from righteouſneſſe and juſtice it ſelf, Rom. 1. 17. and Rom. 3. 15. 16.
So then we muſt conclude that Chriſts ſatiſpaſſion is our ſatisfaction, (as Luther pleaſeth to call it, for by Chriſt crucified we are juſtified; and if the leaſt of his ſufferings were meriti infiniti, of infiniteNon moriendo Greg. Sine Chriſti adventu. Athanaſ. Minima Chriſti poena. So Cypr. and Bern. merit, ſo that God could have ſaved us without Chriſt, (as Athan.) or with Chriſt not dying for us (as Greg.) or with the leaſt degree of his ſufferings (as Cypr.) yet I am ſure all his ſufferings were meriti definiti determined of God, and now we are ſure all is finiſhed.