Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Part 2 · Sermon 18
Of the Causes of Christs Passion.
Isaiah 53.10.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him: he hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin:De causis passionis. Or when his soul shall make an off…rfering for sin, he shall see his seed.
Ecclus. 42. ult.WHO can be fill'd in beholding Gods glory! saith the Son of Syrach, speaking of the works of the Creation. And who can be fill'd, may I say,1 Pet. 1.12. in beholding the work of the Passion! The Angels stoop't to look into it, the Patriarchs long'd to see it, the Prophets foretold it, the Evangelists related it, and out of them I have spun a long Narration; and yet notwithstanding all, I have said it is a mystery; and before we can know all we ought (for all in this world we never shall) of it, it must be farther search'd.
Now nothing is ever well searcht, till we arrive at the Cause. Thither till we come, new things beget in us wonder, and sad things amazement; and so may the passion set us to admire, put us to a melancholy dump. Read what goes before this,à Ver. 2. ad 10. and wonder that ever any man should be thus used, despised, rejected, disesteemed, stricken, afflicted, bruised, chastised, brought to slaughter, &c. that was a Just Man, one that had done no violence,Vers. 9. nor any guile to be found in his mouth, should be thus used; Yet this man, this just man was so pitifully handled, as our Eloquent Prophet hath described. Now set aside the cause, and this usage is but a melancholy and heavy sight; that I say not very scandalous; for there are who take offence at it. To remove then this scandal from the Jews, and to cease all admiration, and dry up the tears of believers, the Prophet from Gods mouth in these words acquaints us, why Christ was thus bruised, thus slaughtered, thus put to pain. Now the causes here expressed, are these.
1. The principal efficient was God.
2. The foreign, or that which drew God unto it, His good pleasure, his will, his love; It pleased the Lord.
3. Again the foreign, that induced Christ unto it; the self same, His goodwill and pleasure also. For God he was, and could not be compelled; and therefore it is at the 12. vers. He poured out his Soul; and the old Translation at the 7. vers. Oblatus est quia voluit; and our translation had an eye to this his voluntary offering, that in the Margent of our Bibles read it actively, When his Soul shall make an offering.
4. The foreign or that which outwardly drew him unto it. Sin, our sin, not his own, For there was no violence in his hands, no deceit in his mouth, vers. 9.
5. The final cause, That his soul might be an offering for this sin; Vers. 5. Vers. 7. Vers. 12.or as the Prophet expresseth it before, That he might bear our griefs, that we might have Peace with God; and after, That he might bear the sin of many, and make intercession for the transgressors.
6. The event and consequent, that which God hath here promised, He shall see his seed. This seed is men, and these men are his Church; which at the 11 v. is more fully expressed, He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many, For he shall bear their iniquities.
These were the causes the Son of God took upon him the form of a servant, was obedient as a servant, patient as a servant, spake as a servant, did as a servant, was beaten as a servant, and dyed as a servant; and that you may take the exacter view of them, I shall insist upon them in their order; and speak of the first, which stands first, The good pleasure of God.
1. Voluit Jehovah, Chaphets, Deliciatus est. Jun. & Tremel. It pleased the Lord.
In the Scripture we meet with divers Names of God, some personal as Elohim, some Relative as El strong, Schaddai omnipotent, all-sufficient, &c. But Essential this of Jehovah, which in Exodus is Ehije, I am. Exod. 3.14.A name which teacheth us three points; First that God is foreign, of himself a being. Secondly, that he is the fountain of all being; And thirdly, he is foreign alwayes the same in his promises. Now this word Jehovah, the Holy Ghost hath made choice of here; promised he had that the seed of the woman should break the Serpents head; and what he promised, he here performed.Exod. 6.3. It pleased Jehovah to bruise him. Jehovah brought his people out of Egypt, not known by that name till then. Sin was our spiritual Egypt, the Divel Pharaoh that oppressed us, Christ our deliverer; Jehovah brought us out by brusing him. God that would be known to his people, by his Name of Jehovah at their deliverance from Egypt, will also be known to his Church by the same Name at our delivery from this bondage of sin. That he did it de facto, is the perpetual language of the Scripture; God gave his Son, God spared not his Son, God sent his Son,Joh. 3.16, 17. 2 Cor. 5.12. God made his Son who knew no sin to be made sin for us. It is then beyond all controversie, that in this great work of mans Redemption, the great God of heaven was the first wheel or principal Agent.
2. Chaphets, Voluit, Deliciatus est.
Now if you shall be inquisitive to ask the cause, our Prophet shall return you an answer; He would do it, he took delight to do it, it pleased him. Other reason there is none to be given;Rom. 3.24. Rev. 21.6. Eph. 2.4. Isa. 9.7. Tit. 3.4. Ephes. 1.5. Ephes. 2.4. and this is the free Grace so much contended for, foreign freely, freely he did it. This is sometimes called love, sometimes zeal, as the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this; sometimes foreign, his affection he bore to mankind, or his foreign, his good pleasure; sometimes mercy, or the riches of his mercy. Call it by what name you will, it is but one and the same fountain whence our salvation flows; for except it had been for his loving zeal, and zealous affection; his affectionate pitty, and his piti…ul good pleasure; his meer mercy, and his abundant goodwill; it cannot be conceived what it was that should move him to bruise his Son.
And two circumstances there are in this verse, which do wonderfully amplifie and magnifie this his goodwill and mercy.
1. The first is in eum the pronoune, that he should bruise him, that he should put him to grief, make his soul the sacrifice. First, For this person was no less then God; the greater the person, the greater the mercy; for Jehovah then to lay upon him that was God of God, light of light, our iniquity, to cause him who was to receive sacrifices to become a sacrifice, must needs be a strong argument of love. Secondly, Again, this Eum here was his Son; had he been ours, the winde might not blow on him.2 Sam. 18.33. We reckon of a son as David did of his Absalom, O Absolom my son, my son, would God I had dyed for thee! What riches then of mercy was this unto mankind, that he would not spare his own son,Joh. 3.16. but take delight to bruise him! In the creation of the world, Dilexit he loved; but it was not sic dilexit, so he loved, till it came to mans redemption.1 Joh. 3.1. In the preservation of all things ostendit charitatem, he shews his love; but till it came to this point, it was not Ecce quantam charitatem! Behold how great love he shewed! not how great love with an Ecce before, Come and behold it; enough I confess it had been, considering our estate, to have been relieved by any, and men in misery care not by whom it be done so they be relieved. Here then is goodwill indeed, and it makes the measure of his goodwill full, that for mans salvation he would bruise no less person then his Son. Thirdly, And yet there is one thing behind that makes it fuller; Had this Son been a disobedient child, then good reason to bruise him; or had God had more sons, this matter had not been so much to sacrifice him. Here there is zeal and love, and goodwill, that he would make this his onelyonly Son bear the burden, that he would make that Son in whom he was well pleased, the sacrifice;Gen. 22.12, 16. God himself extols this love in Abraham, that he would not withhold his son, his onelyonly son, his Isaac that he loved, the son of h…s age, the son of his desires, the heir of his love. How then shall we stand amazed at the goodwill of this Jehovah, that not onelyonly gave, but took delight to give his onelyonly Son, the Son of his love, who had never displeased him, to death for our sin!
2. And that's the other circumstance that heightens, this love, because it was for sin; to it vengeance is due, and not love. What then did God love our sin?Rom. 5.6, 8. No, he hated that, but he loved the sinner; his intention was that sin should dye, but the sinner live, though an enemy, a weak enemy, an ungodly enemy. In this then he commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us. But of this more by and by.
The question is moved by Thom. Aquin. Whether it was Necessary for Christ to suffer for the Redemption of mankind? A curious question,Thom. 3. part. q. 46. Artic. 1. and not easie to resolve; for peremptorily to avouch, that God could not have remitted the sins of the world without a full satisfaction, is a bold and sawcy doctrine; yet on the other side, to say that sins could have been forgiven without an amends made, would be a rash and unsound assertion. The best way then to resolve this doubt, will be to remember, that some things are done upon Necessity, other upon convenience: And this Necessity is again twofold.
1. The first is absolute, without which it is impossible the thing can be brought to pass. Now to tye God out of an absolute Necessity to do as he did, and not to leave him at liberty to do all things according to his own will and wisdom, were to revive the old error of the Manichees; and in this case not absolutely requisite, whether you respect God, who was to redeem, or man to be redeemed. For out of question he could,Zanch. in Philip. 2. Calvin. in Joh. 15. if he had pleased by his sole word, will, nod, have redeemed man; or else he might have empowred some Angel, or other creature to have done it, and a creature so empowred might have trod Satan under his feet.
2. But out of his meer love he Decreed to have it done by his Son; and this Decree being presupposed, then we say, Oportet it behooved Christ to suffer; his Son must dye and so dye. And this is the sense of all those texts, that seem to impose a Necessity of his death; as, The Son of man must be betrayed, Mat. 26.54, 20, 17. Mat. 9.31. Luc. 24.7.must be delivered to the hand of sinners; must give his soul a sacrifice for sin, &c. of which decree if you yet enquire the reason, the Prophet shall give the answer, Jehovah voluit, It pleased the Lord.
2. But if you shall again cast an eye upon the congruity and convenience of this way, in that sense, none so necessary, none better to shew his love and goodwill, as I shewed but now; none like this to demonstrare his Wisdom, Power, Goodness, Justice.
1. The Wisest way (if wisdom can contrive it) to cure a man stunge by a Viper, is to do it by the blood of the Viper; that what brought the mischief might be cause of the remedy. Hence it is, that wise Artists have found out the oyl of Scorpions, to cure the bitings of Scorpions, and Mithridate made of Serpents, to prevent the poyson of Serpents.
2. The most powerful way (if power can effect it) is to make strength to appear in weakness, and by infirm and unlikely means, to bring to pass the greatest things.
3. The next way (if goodness will admit it) to engage man, is to lay the Bond upon his own Nature, and not to engage him to man or Angel for his delivery.
4. And now let Justice take her weights, and weigh all in her scale, and found it will be that there can be no juster way found out, then that that self same nature which hath offended, do also make recompence. Now in this work of mans Redemption, there was the concurrence of all these, Wisdom, Power, Goodness, Justice.
1. The flesh, the Venemous flesh of our Viperous Nature was by the wisdom of God taken, and first purified and cleansed from the poyson of sin; then bruised and punned, that the blood of it might be as a Balsom or Treacle to heal the biting and venemous sting of the old Serpent; I mean Satan. Behold Wisdom!
2. Man, the Nature of man, a weak creature God knows, and so much the weaker now, because it was in the form of a servant, yet enabled to break and bruise the serpents head. Behold power!
3. For this, God would not have us beholding to any of the Angels, to any of the creatures, but meerly to himself. Behold goodness!
4. Lastly, since as the Lawyers tell us, that those are alwayes the fairest and justest satisfactions and commutations, when the wronged party is fully in identity recompensed; for as they say, proxima sunt idem & tantundem. Therefore this way must needs be most convenient, where Death was to be suffered for Death, pain for pain, man for man, foreign, that the honor and penalty of the law might be preserved. Behold Justice!
Ephes. 1.8.How justly now doth the Apostle teach us, that we were redeemed foreign, in all wisdom and prudence, since when there could be no Necessity to force God to make choice of this way, yet ex congruo, it pleased him to take such a course, by which his Wisdom, his Power, his Goodness, and his Justice should be most made known to men.
3. Thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, or When his soul shall make an offering for sin. Cum exposuerit in sacrificium. Piscator. Si posuerit in sacrificium animam suam,Lectiones variae e. i. Seipsum. Rivet. Quandoquidem exponebat seipse sacrificium pro reatu. Jun. Tremell. Heb. Se reatum anima ipsius. Cum posuerit seipsam sacrificium pro delicto anima. Scult.
But what Justice was this to bruise his Son? To cause a man, a just man, so great a person, his dear Son to be put to this pain? None indeed, had he been against it; but since he was willing with it, it must be justly done, which our Prophet hath not here forgotten neither; for he goes on, and tells us thus much in the judgement of most Divines, as you may see by their version of these words, His soul shall make an offering for sin; or He shall expo…e himself a sacrifice for the Guilt of sin; Phil. 2.7, 8. Ephes. 5.2. Gal. 1.4. Joh. 10.18.consonant to what the Prophet saith, vers. 12. He poured out his soul. And this the Scripture every where puts us in minde of. He emptyed himself, He humbled himself, He gave himself; None took his life from him, but he laid it down himself.
Athanas. August. Chrysost. Ambros. Hieron. Gregor. Beda. Damasc. Bernard. Psal. 40.6, 7, 8.And the Fathers of the Catholique Church have been very careful to continue this Truth in Christs Church, and to deliver it with one voice to posterity, foreign, Nulla necessitate, sed plena voluntate; that not upon compulsion, but upon meer good will, that not out of any Necessity, but freely, Christ of God became a servant, of rich became poor, of high low, of strong weak; was voluntarily Incarnate, voluntarily bruised, voluntarily crucified for our sake. The Psalmist had said it in his person long before, In burnt offerings and sacrifice for sin thou hadst no pleasure; then said I, Lo I come, of my own accord, willingly, cheerfully, without any co-action, to do thy will, O my God.
And of this truth we have this evidence; There was no moment in which his death, and the kind of his death, together with the very hour, and all the indignities and pains of it, was not represented to his minde; yet the will of God was so powerful, and his love for mans salvation so fervent in him, that the remembrance of it was full of joy and content to him; of which joy and pleasure we have a sufficient argument from his own mouth, I have a Baptism to be baptized with (it was Baptismus sanguinis, Luc. 12.50.his baptism of blood at his Passion) and how am I straitned, how pinched till I am at it! as if he were in pain,Luc. 18.31. till in pain to deliver us. This could not be till he came to Hierusalem; thither he ascended,Mar. 10.32. and told his Disciples to what purpose; and yet he went before them with such alacrity, that they wondered at it. Into the City he rode in Triumph, with palms, with acclamations, with so much solemnity, as he never admitted all his life before.
Farther yet, at his last Supper he gave a full signification of this his will, when he said to his Disciples,Luc. 22.15. This, this is the Passoever, which Desidererio desideravi, I have so longed for, as embracing and welcoming his death. No marveil therefore if the Spouse in the Canticles, Cant. 3.11.called the day in which his mother the Synagogue crowned him with thornes,Heb. 12.2. the day of the gladness of his heart. In his heart this joy and gladness arose out of a thought that he was to save man, and for this joy set before him, he endured the Cross, and despised the shame; this was to be most painful and most shameful; none but Malefactors, none but slaves of a base condition were liable to it; and not one of these did suffer it willingly, or out of obedience; but for want of power to eschew it. Had it been in the power of the most abject slave that ever suffered to have called so many Romane souldiers to his rescue,Mat. 26.53. as Christ Jesus could have commanded Legions of Angels, he would have sold his life at a deare rate.
But the man Christ Jesus was brought to the cross as a Lamb;Isa. 53.7. he opened not his mouth, gave not one high word; even Lambs dye not willingly, but with some strugling and reluctation. Whereas this Lamb of God to shew himself the mirror of patience, and voluntary obedience; after the pangs of death more then natural had seized upon him; after he had been apprehended and bound as a theif; after he had been buffeted, spit on, scourged, crowned with thornes, reviled; after he had endured the lingring and cruel torments of the cross; after all the indignities and jeers of his malicious persecutors,Mat. 27.48. that poured Vinegar into his wounds in stead of Oyl, yet gave not the least signification of discontent.
As there never was any sorrow like his sorrow,Lam. 3.12. so never was there obedience like his obedience; never any so voluntary, never any so free; He gave his soul a sacrifice, se ipse, He, himself. He humbled, saith the Apostle; He the Son of God, what person greater? He, himself, of a willing minde, not upon force and constraint; for he had no superior. And so great was this humility, so strange this obedience,Oecum. in Eph. 1.6, 7, 8, 14, 18, 19. that the Apostle uses Hyperboles to set it forth, foreign, sometimes riches, sometimes the riches of his Grace, the riches of his glory; and that this foreign, abounded.
1. Now this willing offer of Christ, as it sets forth the riches of Gods goodwill to man; so it was also the very life and soul of that admirable obedience of his Humane will, to do and suffer whatsoever he did or suffered in his flesh; that which gave the infinite value and everlasting efficacy to his everlasting sacrifice, which was offered once for all.
No service that we do to God, is welcome except it proceed from a glad heart, and a cheerful spirit. God loves a cheerful giver,2 Cor. 9.7. Psal. 32.9. Isa. 2.2. and so he loves a chearful supplicant, and a cheerful servant; to be drawn along with b…t and bridle, is for a horse and mule, whereas his servants enter his house with gladness, as water confluunt they flow, they flow together to his service; and this willing minde is it that makes all their devotions acceptable to their God. How much more then must this readiness, this alacrity, this cheerfulness of his Son, that He exposed, He poured out, He emptyed himself, He freely gave his blood, make all the Acts of Christ meritorious for the world.
2. Again this willingness of his is that which justifies God in his proceeding against him; For God forbid, that as Ananias the High Priest,Act. 23.2. Gen. 18.25. Isa. 53.9. God should cause him to be smitten without a cause; God forbid, that as Abraham said in the case of Sodom, the Judge of the world should do wrong to any; to any, much less to his Son, the Son of his love, to him a righteous person, in whom there was found no guile. How then came it to pass, that so righteous a person was thus bruised, thus sacrificed? Whence? Meerly from himself, he may thank no body but himself, Ipse voluit, He would have it so; 'tis all I can say to it, and more need not be said.
Volenti non fit injuria; You cannot call that an injury which a man calls for on himelf; pity it is to see a man pay that he never took, great pity; but if that man willingly will become a Surety, and make himself a debtor, what remedy? satisfie the debt he must: Pity it is to see a poor Lamb lie bleeding under the knife, but if the Lamb be chosen for a sacrifice, such is the Nature of a sacrifice, so it must be. And great pity it was to see a just man to pay, to bleed, to be bruised, to be sacrific'd, to dye: But since this just man would take upon him to be our Surety, our sacrifice, of his own accord to offer himself for us, justice might take its course and proceed against him.
Ezech. 18.4.Yea, but hath not justice it self said it, The soul that sins shall dye? True, and it is as True here; for in a safe sense Christ may be called the Grand-sinner; for so saith the Prophet,Isa. 53.4. 1 Pet. 2.24. He bare our sins; and for the sins he bare, his Soul became a sacrifice for sin; and so unawares I am fallen upon the outward Impulsive cause of our Saviours sufferings, sin.
4. For Sin.
Sin was the cause of his and our sorrows also; for had man stood in his integrity, he had needed no Saviour; but falling from that perfection in which God had created him, in stead of love, he procured Gods anger; instead of an immortal life, he brought upon himself eternal death. God who was his Creator, became now his Judge; of his Father, a severe revenger. God and man then standing upon these terms of variance,2 Cor. 5.21. his Son steps in, and is content to make up the peace; to free us, and translate the sin upon himself: Or, to be made sin for us.
Now that you may understand this point aright, know you must that sin is either committed, as by Adam, and the Angels; or inherited, as by Adams posterity; or else assumed, as by Christ, and this way onelyonly he was made sin for us, Not so sin as if he committed any, for no Lamb so innocent; not so as if he inherited or contracted any,Exod. 29.14. Levit. 4.29. & cap. 7.7. for he was undefiled; but as the sacrifice in the Law was called sin that was the creature on which the delinquent laid his sin, and for this sin put to death; which being done, the anger of God was appeased, and the sinner received to favour. It was so here, Christ was made sin, that is a sacrifice for sin; and upon his death, Gods anger was pacified, and man the sinner received to mercy.
Man having offended, just it was with God to receive satisfaction from the delinquent. Now a man becomes Reus, i. e. Guilty, two ways, either by himself, for his own offence, and so Christ was not guilty, nor could be punished; or else by affinity, connexion, conjunction, neerness, alliance, or Relation, which ariseth out of a threefold bond.
The first is of Nature; such is betwixt man and man, Father and Son.
The second is of Union; such a relation there is betwixt a King and his people.
The third is of the Will; and such is the obligation of the debtor and the Surety. And as men have and do stand in these relations one to another, they have been and are justly punished one for another; as Achans children for the fathers theft;Josh. 7.24, 25. 2 Sam. 24.15, 17. seventy thousand poor sheep of Israel for Davids sin, and the Surety every day pays for the creditor.
Now every one of these ways Christ was joyned to us. By nature, for he was bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, but this onelyonly made him capable of punishment. By relation, for he became our King, we his people; he our head, we his members. By his own free-will, for he became our Surety, and therefore taking our flesh to that purpose, and our debt upon him freely and voluntarily, God might justly lay upon him our sins, that is the punishment of our sins, as I said before.
And lest you should forget this, the Prophet tells us it seven times over,Isa. 53.4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12. He took upon him our griefs, our sorrows; he was wounded for our iniquities, and broken for our transgressions; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, with his stripes we are healed; The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all; all, all, every one of us. We were the men, who for our many sins should have been so despised, so rejected, suffered such sorrows in body in soul, that should have been thus smitten of God, wounded, bruised.
Let us return a true verdict, and it will appear, that we were men that thus used the Son of God, we and our fathers together; we and our friends and children together; we who gave him those wounds, those stripes, we that so chastised him, so bruised him; we were the principals in the murder; Judas, Caiphas, the Jews and Pilate the instruments onelyonly to execute what by our sins we had effected, Peccatum solum homicida est, Sin alone was the murderer, that, of which we are guilty.
There is not one of us here who had not a hand in his death, except he that dare say his heart is clean; however we desire to post it off to others, yet we had a hand in it as well as they. Why stand you gazing one upon another? like Josephs brethren, wondering that you should be charged with so heinous a fact, as if every one of you were ready to ask me in the disciples language,Marc. 14.19. Master, is it I? and another, Is it I? Yes, as Nathan told David, so I tell you,2 Sam. 12.7. Tu es homo, Thou art the man; 'tis thou, and thou, and thou, and I, and every one of us, that put to death the Son of God; thou and I as well as others were the transgressors for whose sins God hath smitten, wounded and bruised him. There's not an oath we vainly or falsly take, but was a thorne in his crown; not a leud action we commit but was a stripe on his back; no mischief we plot; but was the spear that runs him to the heart. Fools make a make a mock of sin; but see here what comes of their fooling and mocking; the Son of God to redeem them, is fain to make his soul a sacrifice.
5. An offering or sacrifice.
You have seen what inwardly moved God, what moved his Son to undertake this work, viz. his foreign, It pleased him, voluit Jehovah, and He would do it: Again, considered we have what outwardly drew him to it; our misery, our sin; and that which in this must give us comfort is the end; This done, that his soul might be a sacrifice,1 Joh. 2.2. a Propitiation for the sins of the whole world.
In the Law there were two kind of sacrifices; the one foreign,Levit. 7. a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; The other foreign, propitiatory, which served to satisfie for sin, and this was a Holocaust, a whole burnt-offering, for it was consumed wholly upon the Altar; and such was the sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross, an offering in Body and Soul, the sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to God; Totus Christus pro toto mundo; Ephes. 5.2.whole Christ offered for the whole world.
All the world lay under the curse; it began with the Serpent for tempting,Gen. 3.14, 17. Cursed art thou; and it proceeded to the earth in bearing, Cursed is it; and it ended in Adam and Eve, Cursed are they, and as many as came from them;Deut. 27.15, &c. if they continued not in the words of Gods book to fulfill it. All the Goods in the world were not able to free one soul from this curse; gold would not do it, nor silver ne…ther, no nor yet man the Lord of this gold and silver:1 Pet. 1.18. Psal. 49.7. For man may not redeem his brother; no nor yet any thing else that man could give; not the blood of beasts, nor ten thousand rivers of oyl; It must be the Son of God that must be the sacrifice, or else no satisfaction;Heb. 10.9. Mic. 6.7. his blood the price, or else nothing bought; his life the ransome, or nothing redeemed. But this Sacrifice being offered, his blood being paid, his life laid down, then there was foreign,Mat. 20.18. 1 Tim. 2.6. 1 Joh. 2.2. a Ransome; then there was foreign, a sufficient commutation; then there was foreign, a pacification made for the sinne of Man.
His person was the only Sacrifice that God would accept; his blood the only price which God would esteem; his death the sole Ransome that God would receive for the Transgressors.Rom. 3.25. Heb. 9.26, 28. Rom. 8, 3. 1 Joh. 1.7. Rom. 6.12. Rom. 8.1, 5, 10. So that by the Sacrifice of his Body, the price of his blood, and the Ransome by his death, Remission of sin can only be obtain'd; In his flesh then sin was condemned, which Saint Paul calls foreign, Saint John foreign, the taking away, destroying, and losing sinne by the Sacrifice of himself. And it containes the remove of the guilt; the blood of Christ purgeth. Then the weakening of the power, that it reign not. Farther, the pulling out the sting that it condemn not. And lastly, a liberty to enter heaven.Heb. 10.20. Eph. 2.14. By the blood of Jesus we may be bold to enter the holy place by a new and living way, which is his flesh. The partition wall is broken down, and he hath, as I may so say, trailed the way with his own blood. To Summ up all;
If we look for Redemption, 'tis to be had in his Passion; if for absolution, in his condemnation; if a discharge from the curse, 'tis to be found in his death; if for satisfaction, look to his Sacrifice; if for a purgation, expect it from his blood; if reconciliation, in the pouring out his soul; if mortification, seek it in his death; if newness of life, in his Resurrection. In a word, if glory and immortality, and an inheritance in heaven, it must flow from his ascent and exaltation. In him all the Treasures of God are operti, Col. 2.3.hid; and by him they must be aperti, opened and bestow'd upon us.
Many and admirable are those good things which Christ hath bestowed upon us; but the means by which it was brought about, surpasseth all admiration; and so you will say, when I shall acquaint you with an Elegant Prosopopeia out of St. Bernard; Bern. Serm. 1. de Annunciat.of which I shall make use to declare it, and indeed to illustrate all that I have set down touching the Causes of Christs Passion. The matter is his, the manner of Delivery mine only.
Psa. 85.10, 11.Obscurely the whole frame of it is hinted to us in the 85. Psalm in these words, Mercy and truth shall meet together, Righteousness and Peace did kiss each other. How came these graces asunder, that it should be such a marvel to see them meet and kiss? You shall see now both when and how.
At the Creation of man they all meet, and are joyn'd in him. Mercy was his Guardian to protect him, his servant to attend him in all his wayes. Truth his Tutor to teach him, and bring him up in all goodness. Righteousness his Rule to proceed by in all his Actions. Peace to be his faithful friend to delight him, to secure him, that nor fears within, nor troubles without, should molest him. At Adams fall they left their charge; and forsaking their dwelling below, return'd back to him that sent them, making report of what was fallen out in the earth, and earnestly soliciting the Almighty concerning this his wretched and forlorn creature Man; yet in a very different sort and manner.
Rom. 3.4. Psal. 116.11. Rom. 13.4.Of these Mercy seems to favour man, and peace also; these wish all well in heaven and earth: But of righteousness and truth I dare not say it. For truth proclaimes, All men are lyars, all vaine in their imaginations. And righteousness bears a Sword, and it is not in vaine. Two then are for us, and two against us.
First, Mercy taking into consideration the depth of mans misery, begun and spake first; And well might; for if you consider it,Tit. 3.4. Tit. 2.11. Eph. 2.4. Rom. 9.23. Luk. 1.78. you shall in no text reade of mans Redemption, but still mercy leads the way. Sometimes it is the Bounty of our Lord and Saviour, sometimes the love, sometimes the grace of God appeared, sometimes the riches of his mercies, sometimes his bowels of mercy. This most useful Attribute is never omitted, nay is the forwardest for our Salvation. Never, never (which is the comfort of a miserable sinner) looking to the party what he is, or what he hath deserved, but what he suffers, and in how wretched a case he is.
Mercy then ever lying in the bowels of a merciful God, thus whispers unto him, Numquid in vanum? What hast thou made all men for naught? Psal. 89.47.All, all to destruction? That were over-severe, and their case worse than the lapsed Angels. They fell, and I ask no mercy for them: For when some fell, yet others stood, and so they did not all perish. They fell again, being not tempted by any other to it; it was out of their own pride and malicious wickedness: whereas mans fall was out of credulity and weakness; he was drawn by the subtilty and temptation of the Serpent unto his sinne and Apostacy; & levius est alienâ mente quam propriâ peccasse; Gen. 3.it is a less offence to sin upon anothers perswasion, than by his own inclination. Besides, the fall of man is universal; with one all men sinned; Rom. 5.12.and if thy justice proceed, all men must die, all men must perish; and wilt thou then create so many millions of men for fuel in Hell? What profit is there in mans blood, if he descend into the pit? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Ps. 30.9. Ps. 77.9. Ps. 145.9.will he shut up his loving-kindness in displeasure? Thy mercy is over all thy works, and therefore infinitely beyond mans Sinne. Let not then Sinne bring to destruction the creature framed after thy own Image. Let it suffice, O Lord,2 Pet. 2.4. Jude 6. let it suffice for demonstration of thy justice and indignation, that thou hast thrust the proud Angels out of heaven, and reserved them in chaines of darkness. For them I plead not: 'Tis for poor man, made out of the dust of the earth,Psa. 51.12. and seduced by malice, lapsed by ignorance, not contempt; Restore him againe to thy love. And as thou hast made the ambitious Angels examples of thy justice, so make poor man a monument of thy mercy;Deut. 9.26. Destroy not thou the work of thine own hands.
These were the pij susurri, the pious and powerful whispers of mercy, with which she entred, or rather lay in the bowels and bosome of her Father, and made them yerne and melt upon his Son;Luk. 15.20. and no doubt she had prevailed, had not Truth and Righteousness much to plead against her. I am a debtor, saith God, to thy two Sisters, Truth and Justice; they must be heard too; let them then be call'd, and hear I will, what they can plead why thy request may not be granted.
Secondly, Truth then first appearing, puts in her plea to this effect,Heb. 6.18. Gen. 2.17. Lord, thou that canst not lye, sayd'st first to Adam, Morte morieris, In the day thou eatest the forbidden fruit, thou shalt die the death; Ezek. 18.20. Num. 23.19.After to his posterity, The soul that sinnes shall die. And shall God be like man, to falsifie his word? or as the sonne of man, that he should repent? Nay, nay, what he hath said may never be revers'd. The sentence is past. What's God but his Word? Mercy it self, if respect be had of my honour, cannot grant an indulgence: And therefore Totus moriatur Adam. Let the sentence for truths sake be executed upon Adam, and all his rebellious off-spring. As the whole earth hath corrupted its way before thee, so let the whole earth perish.Gen. 6.11, 12. Let God be true, and all men lyars.
Thirdly, And immediately Justice steps up, and seconds her Sister Truth;Rom. 3.4. Psal. 145.17. Gen. 18.25. Exod. 23.7. Act. 10.34. and it is no hard matter to judge what she had to say, viz. That as God is true of his word, so is he righteous in his wayes, and shall not the Judge of all the World do right? Art thou a God that will justifie the wicked, or respect persons in judgement? Thou hast decreed, that no sinne shall go unpunished; call then all the sinners of the earth before thee, and let them render an account for their rebellions. Pereat mundus, & fiat justitia; As man hath plowed iniquity, so let him reap the same; by the blast of thy mouth let him be Consumed, Job 4.8, 9.and by the Breath of thy Nostrils let him perish.
Fourthly, A severe and harsh Conclusion, which made Peace, that stood by and heard what was said by Truth and Justice, weep bitterly, and all the Angels of peace wept with her. Oh saith Peace, forbear, forbear, I beseech you my two deare Sisters,Psal. 85.10, 11. these harsh words. This contention becomes not the Ladies of vertue. Mercy and Truth should meet together, Righteousness and I should kiss each other.
But they as stirr'd, the more went on, and made it their own cases; What shall become of us, said Justice and Truth, if Mercy be heard? Perijmus, nisi homo moriatur, We die, if man die not; No justice in God, no truth in his Word, if man be suffer'd to live.
And what use of me, replied Mercy, if Justice and Truth prevail? Truth her self knows, that if man die, I must die too; And if I die, then the Father of mercies must die with me.2 Cor. 1.3.
Nec mihi mors gravis est, positurae morte dolores;
Hic qui diligitur, vellem diuturnior esset.
Nunc duo concordes animâ moriemur in unâ.
Hard hold there was; and all this while, mans salvation lay a bleeding; like a poor Prisoner at the Bar, it was not known, what would become of him.Gen. 6.6. Who would not say, that it had been good, man had ner'e been born…, about whom there was so much ado, so much contention?
At last, the Almighty having heard the pleas of all partyes, refers the final judgement to his Son. What, saith he, is Justice and Truth so earnest? will they die, if Adam die not? and is Mercy againe so pitiful, that she will die, if he do die? I will finde a way to content all parties; and with that he steps down, and writes upon the earth, Fiat mors bona, Let death be made good; Joh. 8.6.and so all parties may have what may give them content. Truth and Justice would have man dye, and he shall dye. Mercy would have him live,1 Cor. 15.55, 56. and he shall live. Take away the curse, the sting of death, and both parties may receive full satisfaction.
Truth upon this Verdict began a little to yield, and Justice was also contented, so she might have satisfaction: That she stood upon, and for that she call'd still; and till that was given, resolved she was, that Mercy should not save man; but the way to obtain this, yet she saw not. Answer was made, that this might be done, if one could be found, who out of meer love and good-will would be content to die for the world. One yet so innocent, and free from sin, that he never had deserv'd to die.
With this answer Justice and Mercy departed from the Throne of God. Justice goes through the earth. Mercy leaves no quarter of heaven unsearch'd to see, if it were possible to finde a person composed of so much love, qualified with so much Innocency. But in earth Justice could not meet with the man.Job 14.4. Psa. 51.5. Every child she met with, were it but of a day old, was conceiv'd of unclean seed, and warm'd in a sinful womb. For men, as they grew in age, so they grew in sin, they all were unfit for this work.
In heaven Mercy, though she met with creatures devoyd of sin, yet none indued with so much love or confidence, that they durst undergo the wrath of God, and die for a company of lost people. And yet had they been willing, they never could have satisfied; they wanted a body to do it: They were not persons of infinite worth, of infinite vertue, which he must be, that would satisfie for this infinite wrong, or else Justice would be clamorous still.
Justice now returnes in Triumph, and Mercy neer dead and despairing to the Throne of God, and both agreeing that Truth should speak for them;Isa. 59.16. she delivers this great truth, I see there is no man, and confess there is no Intercessor. But in that instant Peace steps up, and closes all. You my deare Sisters, know nothing at all, nor understand. Qui dedit consilium, ferat auxilium. He that hath given the counsel to look for such a man, let him help now, and finde the man himself.Isa. 9.6. Psa. 40.7. Luk. 19.10. And the Prince of Peace well understanding what was said, proffers himself, Ecce venio, Behold I come to help. I, (for I know that's the desire of Peace) will become the Sonne of man to save what is lost. By partaking the Nature of man, I am content to partake of his miseries, and subject my self unto his punishments. And by uniting my Divine Nature unto his, fill it with all grace and heavenly perfections: And if it appeare that I shall do what he was bound to do, and pay for him what for his disobedience he was bound to suffer, the Bond must be voyd, and penalty satisfied, and then though death doth arrest him, yet it shall not be able to detaine him, but erit optima, shall be good, as the Sentence was. And thus by this free and voluntary offer of the Son of God, to become the Son of man, and to make his Soul a Sacrifice for sinne, the desires of these Litigants were satisfied. Man was punished as Justice exacted; Man dyed as Truth required; Man was pardoned as Mercy intreated; and God and man reconcil'd as Peace expected. When therefore Truth flourished out of the earth, the second person in the Trinity became the Sonne of man, then Righteousness looked down from heaven. It beheld and saw not only an equal satisfaction, but a superabundant also: Merits of that infinite worth, that they were able to make amends for the sins of ten thousand worlds, and to deserve that reward which God had to give.
Such a Title to heaven, such a Plea for a pardon,Bish. Andrews. Serm. 11. de Nativ. no Religion in the world can shew besides the Christian. That some satisfaction is necessary, they evidently manifest by their Sacrifices, cutting of their flesh, petitions, prayers, charmes, and other kinds of will-worship; but that any of these can soundly satisfie justice, rests upon them to prove; nay,Cherb. de veritate. upon the point they disclaim it; for being put to it, they maintaine this blinde and false Paradox, Justitiae divinae bonitatem divinam esse foreign, That Gods mercy is a full satisfaction to his justice; wh…ch in other words is as if they should affirme, That because he is merciful, and will forgive sinners, therefore justice, will she, nill she, must be contented with it. For more she shall not have, nor more expect. This were a quick way to obstruct all proceedings of justice; I will, saith the Judge, save this Malefactor out of the mercy I bear to mankind, never therefore proceed farther against him.
Among the Socinians there is no other way; among the Turks no other way; among our New practical Atheists no other way. Marvel not that I link them together. For I conceive much of their Religion is out of the Alcoran. Mahomet doth acknowledge Christ to be a holy Prophet; and Socinus doth no more; for a good example he will grant him to be; for to be foreign, his soul an offering for sin, he doth deny. Thus they deny the Lord that bought them, and give the lye to our Prophet, who affirms,2 Pet. 2.1. That he gave his soul a sacrifice for sin. A sacrifice, and that (though Legal) when time was, was accepted for satisfaction.
Accepted I say, for it was not so in it self. The Jew will tell you of his scape-Goat, his Calves, his red Heifer, and a multitude of other Rites ordain'd by God to that purpose. But all they had their power, if any, from this one Sacrifice of Christ to be Sacrific'd.Heb. 9.13, 19. Vers. 9. Heb. 10.4. In themselves the Apostle affirms, that they could not satisfie for sin; no more power in any of these, without relation to Christ, than in a Heathen Ramm, or a Graecian Hecatomb. Heb. 10.1. Heb. 7.18.They made no man perfect; short they came of satisfaction to justice. Types they only were of that blood which was to be shed; which being shed, they have no farther use, but are abrogated, foreign, for their weakness and inutility. There is not then any thing, no not in the Jewish Religion, nor ever was, that could save what was lost, in strict termes of Justice.
And if not there, then sure nothing either among the Mahometans, or Heathens. Ask the Musselman how he hopes for Remission of sin; and his answer will be, That his Prophets prayer shall be upon you. Say his Prophet had been, what he was not, a just, holy man, yet his motion only could have been for mercy. But justice exacts, and expects satisfaction, not intreaties; for real payment, not for words. There is not then in the Alcoran, Alcoran.a Sacrifice to be found for sin. From these, turn to their Predecessors the Heathens; and among them somewhat is to be found, that comes nearer to the point. A satisfaction they held was necessary, and to that purpose at the Altar slew a Beast,Virg. Aen. 2. sometimes a man. Sanguine litastis, &c. Sanguine quaerendi reditus.
But these their satisfactions were not satisfactory. Of theirs, nay of better Sacrifices,Heb. 10.4. the Apostle delivers his Vote, That it was impossible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should satisfie for sinnes; What, a man sin, and a beast die? Justice will ne're be corrupted with that.
Mic. 6.7. Seid. de dijs Syris. cap. de Moloch. Psal. 106.37. Caes. Com. l. 6.Yea, but what say you to the fruit of the body for the sin of the soul? for such a custome there was among the Heathens, begun by the Canaanites, continued by the Carthaginian…, follow'd by the Massilians, Graecians, Gauls, nay almost all Nations, to offer their sonnes and daughters unto Divels; for it ranne in their heads, Pro vitâ hominum nisi vita hominis r…ddatur, numen deorum non posse placari. A true Maxime, but not true in their sense. For it was not the life of a meer man could do this. For had it been one of their best men, as it was commonly one of their worst, yet the best had been borne in sinne, and brought up in sinne; and sinne for sinne can never satisfie.
Is there then no sacrifice to be found for sinne? none among the Jews? none among the Mahometans? None among the Heathens? Then bless God who hath made thee a Christian, and acquainted thee with a way, how Mercy and Truth meet; Righteousness and Peace meet and kiss. You that are out of the way, be of good cheer, for truth will direct you. You that are affrighted with the justice of God, be not dismay'd, your debt is paid, his mercy will save you. You that are disheartned with his anger and hot indignation, take heart again, for your peace is made.
This may quiet thy soul; and finding this peace within, enjoyn thy tongue without,Psa. 103.1, 2, 3. Davids task, Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me praise his holy Name: And binde thy knee to performe the Prophets and Apostles command,Phil. 2.10, 11. Bow to the Name of Jesus who made his soul an offering for sinne for thee; fall low at his Name, even to his very footstoole. Psa. 132.7.And this service began and performed by the heart on earth, will, I doubt not, be ended and perfected in heaven; where the foure and twenty Elders cast down their Crowns, and acknowledge, Thou Lord art worthy (and worthy is the Lamb that was stain) who hast Redeemed us by thy blood out of every Kingdome, Rev. 5.9, 12.and tongue, and people, and nation; to receive power, and riches, and wisdome, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And therefore let every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and in the sea, and all that in them is, cry with a loud voice; Blessing,Vers. 13. Glory; Honour, Power be unto him that sits upon the Throne, and unto the Lambe for ever and ever, Amen, Amen.