The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, Book 3 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Containing two other Arguments from the person, Christ sustained in this businesse.
FOr whom Christ dyed, he dyed as a sponsour in their stead, as is § I apparent Rom. 5. 6, 7, 8. For when we were yet without a strength in due time Christ dyed for the ungodly, for scarcely for a righteous man will Arg. x. one dye, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to dye; but God commended his life towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us, Gal. 5. 13. He was made a curse for us. 2 Cor. 5. 21. He hath made him to be sinne for us. All which places do plainly signifie and hold out a change or commutation of persons, one being accepted in the roome of the other. Now if he dyed as the sponsour or surety of them for whom he dyed, in their stead, then these two things at least will follow: First, that hee freed them from that anger, and wrath, and guilt of death which hee underwent for them, that they should in and for him bee all reconciled, and be freed from the bondage wherein they are by reason of death: for no other reason in the world can bee assigned, why Christ should undergoe any thing in anothers stead, but that, that other might be freed from undergoing that, which he underwent for him: And all justice requires, that so it should be; which also is expressely intimated, when our Saviour is said to bee foreign a surety of a better Testament, Heb. 7. 22. that is, by being our Priest, undergoing the chastisement of our peace and the burthen of our iniquities, Isa 53. 5, 6, 7. He was made sinne for us, that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him. 2 Cor. 5. 21. But now all are not freed from wrath and the guilt of death, and actually reconciled to God, which is to be justified through an imputation of righteousnesse, and a non-imputation of iniquities; for untill men come to Christ, the wrath of God abideth on them, Joh. 3. 36. which argueth and intimateth a not removall of wrath by reason of not believing. Hee doth not say it comes on them, as though by Christs death they were freed from being under a state and condition of wrath, which we are all in by Nature, Ephes. 2. 3. but foreign it remaineth or abideth: it was never removed; and to them the Gospell is a savour of death to death, bringing a new death, and a sore condemnation by its being despised, unto that death the guilt whereof they before lay under. Some have indeed affirmed that all and every one are redeemed, restored, justified, and made righteous in Christ, and by his death: but truely this is so wretched, I will not say perverting of the Scripture, which gives no colour to any such assertion, but so direct an opposition to them, as I judge it fruitlesse, and lost labour to goe about to remove such exceptions (More page 45.) Secondly, it followes that Christ made satisfaction for the sinnes of all and every man, if he dyed for them; for the reason why he underwent death for us as a surety, was to make satisfaction to Gods justice for our sinnes, so to redeem us to himselfe, neither can any other be assigned: but Christ hath not satisfied the justice of God for all the sinnes of all and every man, which may be made evident by divers reasons: for,
First, for whose sinnes hee made satisfaction to the justice of God, for their sinnes the justice is satisfied, or else his satisfaction was rejected as insufficient: for no other reason can bee assigned of such a fruitlesse attempt; which to averre is blasphemy in the highest degree: but now the justice of God is not satisfied for all the sinnes of all and every man, which also is no lesse apparent than the former: for they that must undergoe eternall punishment themselves for their sinnes that the justice of God may be satisfied, for their sinnes, the justice of God was not satisfied without their owne punishment, by the punishment of Christ; for they are not healed by his stripes,: but that innumerable soules shall to eternity undergoe the punishment due to their own sinnes, I hope needs with Christians no proving: Now how can the justice of God require satisfaction of them for their sinnes, if it were before satisfied for them in Christ. To be satisfied, and to require satisfaction that it may be satisfied, are contradictory and cannot bee affirmed of the same in respect of the same; but that the Lord will require of some the utmost farthing is most cleare Matth. 5. 26.
Secondly, Christ by undergoing death for us, as our surety, satisfied for no more than he intended so to doe: so great a thing as satisfaction for the sinnes of men could not accidentally happen besides his intention, will, and purpose; especially considering that his intention and good will, sanctifying himselfe to be an oblation, was of absolute necessity to make his death an acceptable offering: but now Christ did not intend to satisfie for the sinnes of all and every man: for innumerable soules were in hell under the punishment and weight of their owne sinnes, from whence there is no redemption before, and actually then, when our Saviour made himselfe an Oblation for sinne; now shall wee suppose that Christ would make himselfe an offering for their sinnes, whom he knew to be past recovery, and that it was utterly impossible that ever they should have any fruit or benefit by his offering? Shall we thinke that the bloud of the covenant was cast away upon them, for whom our Saviour intended no good at all? to intend good to them he could not, without a direct opposition to the eternall Decree of his Father, and therein of his owne eternall Deity. Did God send his Sonne, did Christ come to dye for Caine and Pharoah, damned so many ages before his Suffering? credat Apella? the exception that Christ dyed for them, and his Death would have been availeable to them, if they had beleeved & fulfilled the condition required, is in my judgment of no force at all. For first, for the most part they never heard of any such condition. Secondly, Christ at his death knew ful wel, that they had not fulfilled the condition, and were actually cut off from any possibility ever so to do; so that any intention to do them good by his death, must needs be vain and frustrate, which must not be assigned to the Son of God. Thirdly, this Redemption conditionate if they beleeve, we shall reject anon. Neither is that other exception, that Christ might as well satisfie for them, that were eternally damned at the time of his suffering (for whom it could not be usefull) as for them that were then actually saved (for whom it was not needfull) of any more value. For first, those that were saved, were saved upon this ground, that Christ should certainly suffer for them in due time, which suffering of his was as effectuall in the purpose and promise, as in the execution and accomplishment. It was in the minde of God accounted for them as accomplished: the compact and covenant with Christ about it being surely ratified upon mutuall unchangeable promises, (according to our conception) and so our Saviour was to performe it, and so it was needfull for them that were actually saved: but for those that were actually damned, there was no such inducement to it, or ground for it, or issue to be expected out of it. Secondly, a simile will cleare the whole: if a man should send word to a place where Captives were in prison, that he would pay the price and ransome that was due for their delivery, and to desire the Prisoners to come forth, for hee that detains them accepts of his word and engagement; when he comes to make paiment, according to his promise, if he finde some to have gone forth according as was proposed, and others continued obstinate in their Dungeon, some hearing of what he had done, others not, and that according to his owne appointment, and were now long since dead; doth hee in the paiment of his promised ransome intend it for them that dyed stubbornly and obstinately in the prison? or onelyonly for them who went forth? Doubtlesse onelyonly for these last: no more can the passion of Christ be supposed to be a price paid for them that dyed in the prison of sinne and corruption before the paiment of his ransome; though it might full well be for them that were delivered by virtue of his engagement for the paiment of such a ransome. Thirdly, if Christ dyed in the stead of all men, and made satisfaction for their sinnes, then he did it for all their sinnes, or onelyonly for some of their sinnes; if for some onelyonly, who then can be saved? if for all, why then are not all saved? they say it is because of their unbeliefe, they will not beleeve, and therefore are not saved: that unbeliefe, is it a sinne, or is it not? if it bee not, how can it be a cause of damnation? if it be, Christ dyed for it, or he dyed not; if he did not, then he dyed not for all the sinnes of all men; if he did, why is this an obstacle to their salvation? is there any new shift to bee invented for this? or must wee be contented with the old? viz. Because they do not believe: that is, Christ did not dye for their unbeliefe, or rather, did not by his death remove their unbeliefe, because they would not believe, or because they would not themselves remove their unbeliefe; or he dyed for their unbeliefe conditionally, that they were not unbelievers. These doe not seeme to mee to bee sober assertions.
For whom Christ dyed, for them he is a Mediator, which is apparent; § XI for the Oblation or offering of Christ, which hee made of himselfe unto God, in the shedding of his bloud, was one of Arg. 7 the chiefest acts of his mediation. But he is not a Mediator for all, and every one, which also is no lesse evident, because as Mediator he is the Priest for them, for whom he is a Mediator: now to a Priest it belongs as was declared before, to sacrifice and intercede, to procure good things and to apply them, to those for whom they are procured, as is evident Heb. 9. and was proved before at large; which confusedly Christ doth not for all. Yea, that Christ is not a Mediator for every one, needs no proofe: experience sufficiently evinceth it, besides innumerable places of Scripture. It is I confesse replyed by some, that Christ is a Mediator for some, in respect of some acts, and not in respect of others; but truly this, if I am able to judge, is a dishonest subterfuge that hath no ground in Scripture, and would make our Saviour a halfe Mediator in respect of some, which is an unsavory expression. But this Argument was vindicated before.