The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, Book 3 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
Of Sanctification, and of the cause of faith, and the procurement thereof by the death of Christ.
ANother Argument may be taken from the effect, and fruit of the death of Christ unto sanctification; which we thus propose: §. I if the bloud of Jesus Christ, doth wash, purge, cleanse, and Arg. 8 sanctifie them for whom it was shed, or for whom hee was a sacrifice; then certainly he dyed, shed his bloud, or was a sacrifice, onelyonly for them that in the event are washed, purged, cleansed, and sanctified; which that all or every one are not, is most apparent, faith being the first principle of the hearts purification, Acts 15. 9. and all men have not faith, 1 Thes. 3. 2. it is of the elect of God. Titus 1. 1. The consequence I conceive is undenyable, and not to be avoided with any distinctions: but now we shall make it evident that the bloud of Christ, is effectuall for all those ends of washing, purging, and sanctifying, which wee before recounted; and this we shall doe first from the types of it, and secondly by plaine expressions, concerning the thing it selfe. First, for the type, that which we shall now consider in the sacrifice of expiation, which the Apostle so expressely compareth—with the sacrifice and oblation of Christ: of this he affirmeth Hebr. 9. 13. that it legally sanctified them, for whom it was a sacrifice; for saith hee, The bloud of Bulls and Goats, and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the uncleane sanctiffieth to the purifying the flesh: Now that which was done carnally, and legally in the type, must be spiritually effected in the antitype, the sacrifice of Christ, typified by that bloudy sacrifice of Beasts. This the Apostle asserteth in the verse following: How much more (saith he) shall the bloud of Christ, who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot unto God, purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God? If I know any thing, that Answer of Arminius, and some others to this, viz. that the sacrifice did sanctifie not as offered, but as sprinkled: and the bloud of Christ, not in respect of the oblation, but of its application answereth it, is weake and unsatisfactory: for it onelyonly asserts—a division between the Oblation and Application of the bloud of Christ, which though we allow to be distinguished, yet such division we are now disproving, and to weaken our Argument, the same division which we disprove is proposed. Which (if any) is an easie facile way of answering: We grant, that the bloud of Christ sanctifieth in respect of the Application of the good things procured by it, but withall prove, that it is so applyed to all, for whom it was an oblation, and that because it is said to sanctifie and purge, and must answer the type which did sanctifie to the purifying of the flesh. Secondly, it is expressely in divers places affirmed of the bloud-shedding, and death of our Saviour, that it doth effect these things, and that it was intended for that purpose: many places for the clearing of this were before recounted. I shall now repeat so many of them, as shall bee sufficient to give strength to the Argument in hand; omitting those which before were produced, onelyonly desiring that all those places which point out the end of the death of Christ, may be considered as of force to establish the truth of this Argument, Rom. 6. 5, 6. For if wee have been planted together in the likenesse of his death, we shall bee also in the likenesse of his resurrection, knowing this that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sinne might bee destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sinne. The words of the latter Verse yeeld a reason of the the former Assertion in verse 5. viz. That a participation in the death of Christ, shall certainly be accompanyed with conformity to him in his resurrection: That is both to life spirituall, as also to eternall; Because our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sinne might be destroyed, that is, our sinfull corruption and depravation of nature, are by his death and crucifying, effectually and meritoriously slaine, and disabled from such a rule and dominion, over us, as that we should be servants any longer unto them: which is apparently the sense of the place, being it is laid a foundation, to presse forward unto all degrees of sanctification, and freedome from the power of sinne. The same Apostle also tells us: 2 Cor. 1. 20. that, all the promises of God are in him, yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us: yea and Amen, confirmed, ratified, unchangeably estastablished, and irrevocably made over to us; now this was done in him, that is, in his death and bloud-shedding, for the confirmation of the Testament, whereof these promises, are the conveyance of the Legacies to us, are confirmed by the death of him the Testator, Hebr 9. 16. for he was, the surety of this better Testament, Heb. 7, 22. which Testament or Covenant he confirmed with many by his being cut off for them, Dan. 9. 26, 27. Now what are the promises that are thus confirmed unto us, and established by the bloud of Christ? The summe of them you have, Jer. 31. 33. whence they are repeated by the Apostle, Heb. 8. 10. 11. 12. To set out the nature of that Covenant, which was ratified in the bloud of Jesus: in which you have the summary description of all that free grace towards us, both in sanctification, verse 10. 11. and in justification, verse 12. amongst also these promises, is that, most famous, of circumcising our hearts, and of giving new hearts & spirits unto us, as Deu 30. 6. Eze. 36. 26. so that our whole sanctification, holinesse, with justification, and reconciliation unto God, is procured by, and established unto us, with unchangeable promises in the death and blood-shedding of Christ, The heavenly or spirituall things being purified with that sacrifice of his, Heb. 9. 23. For we have redemption by his bloud, even the forgivenesse of sinnes, Col. 1. 13. By death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the Devil, that he might free those who by reason of death, were obnoxious to bondage all their lives. Heb. 2. 14 15. Do but take notice, of those two most cleare places. Tit. 2. 14. Ephes. 5. 25, 26. In both which, our cleansing, and sanctification, is assigned, to be the end and intendment of Christ the worker, and therefore the certaine effect of his death and oblation, which was the worke, as was before proved: and I shall adde but one place more, to prove that, which I am sorry—that I need produce any one to doe; to wit, that the bloud of Christ purgeth us from all our sinne, and it is: 1 Cor. 1. 30. Who of God is made unto us wisedome, and righteousnesse, and sanctification, and redemption, of which because it is cleare enough, I need not spend time to prove, that he was thus made unto us of God, in as much as he set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud, as Rom. 3. 25. So that our sanctification, with all other effects of free grace, are the immediate procurement of the death of Christ. And of the things that have been spoken this is the summe, sanctification and holinesse, is the certaine fruit and effect of the death of Christ, in all them for whom he dyed, but all and every one are not partaker of this sanctification, this purging, clensing, and working of holinesse, therefore Christ dyed not for all and every one, quod erat demonstrandum. It is altogether in vaine to except, as some doe, that the death of Christ is not the sole cause of these things, for they are not actually wrought in any, without the intervention of the spirits working in them, and faith apprehending the death of Christ. For first, though many totall causes of the same kind, cannot concurre to the producing of the same effect, yet severall causes of severall kinds; may concurre to one effect and be the sole causes, in that kind wherein they are causes. The Spirit of God is the cause of sanctification, and holinesse; but what kind of cause I pray? even such a one as is immediately, really efficient of the effect; faith is the cause of pardon of sinne, but what cause? in what kind? why meerely as an instrument, apprehending the righteousnesse of Christ: now do these causes whereof one is efficient, the other instrumentall, both naturall and reall, hinder that the bloud of Christ, may not onelyonly concurre, but also be the sole cause morall and meritorious of these things? doubtlesse they doe not: Nay they doe suppose it so to be: or else they would in this work be neither instrumentall nor efficient, that being the sole foundation of the Spirits operation, and efficience, and the sole cause of faiths being and existance. A man is detained captive by his enemie, and one goeth to him, that detaines him, and payes a ransome for his delivery, who, thereupon grants a warrant to the keepers of the prison, that they shall knock off his shackles, take away his ragges, let him have new cloaths, according to the agreement, saying, deliver him for I have found a ransome: because the Jaylor knocks off his shackles, and the warrant of the Judge, is brought for his discharge; shall he, or we say, that the price and ransome which was paid, was not the cause, yea the sole cause of his delivery? considering that none of these latter had been, had not the ransome been paid; they are no lesse the effect of that ransome, than his own delivery: in our delivery from the bondage of sinne, it is true there are other things, in other kinds, do concurre besides the death of Christ, as the operation of the spirit and the grace of God, but these being in one kinde, and that in another, these also being no lesse the fruit, and effect of the death of Christ, than our deliverance wrought by them, it is most apparent that, that is, the onelyonly maine cause of the whole. Secondly, to take off utterly this exception, with all of the like kinde, we affirme that faith it self is a proper immediate fruit, and procurement of the death of Christ in all them for whom he dyed: which because if it be true, it utterly overthrowes the generall ransome, or universall redemption; and if it be not true, I will very willingly lay downe this whole controversie, and be very indifferent which way it be determined, for go it which way it will, free will must be established, I will prove a part by it selfe, in the next argument.
Before I come to presse the argument intended, I must premise Arg. 10 some few things, as § II
What ever is freely bestowed upon us, in and through Christ, that is all wholly the procurement and merit of the death of Christ: nothing is bestowed through him, on those that are his, which he hath not purchased, the price whereby he made his purchase being his own bloud. 1 Cor. 6. for the Covenant between his Father and him, of making out all spirituall blessings to them that were given unto him, was expresly founded on this condition, that he should make his Soule an offering for sinne. Isay. 53.
That confessedly on all sides, faith is in men of understanding, of such absolute indispensable necessity unto salvation, there being no sacrifice to be admitted for the want of it, under the new Covenant, that what ever God hath done, in his love sending his Sonne, and what ever Christ hath done or doth, in his oblation and intercession for all or some, without this in us, is, in regard of the event, of no value, worth or profit unto us; but serveth onelyonly to encrease and aggravate condemnation: for whatsoever is accomplished besides, that is most certainely true, He that believeth not shall be damned. Mar. 16. 16. (So that if there is in our selves a power of believing, and the act of it doe proceed from that power, and is our owne also, then certainly and undeniably, it is in our power, to make the love of God, and death of Christ, effectuall towards us or not, and that by believing we actually doe the one, by an act of our own: which is so evident that the most ingenious Display of Armini:& perspicacious of our adversaries have in termes confessed it, * as I have declared else where) This being then the absolute necessity of faith, it seemes to me that the cause of that, must needs be the prime and principle cause of salvation: as being the cause of that without which the whole would not be, & by which the whol is, and is effectuall.
I shall give those, that to us in this are contrary minded, their choyce and option, so that they will answer directly categorically, and without uncouth insignificant cloudy distinctions, whither § III our Saviour by his death and intercession (which we proved to be conjoyned) did merit or procure faith for us, or no? or which is all one, whither faith be a fruit and effect of the death of Christ or no? and according to their answer I will proceed: If they answer affirmatively, that it is, or that Christ did procure it by his death, (provided alwayes that they doe not wilfully equivocate, and when I speake of faith, as it is a grace in a particular person, taking it subjectively, understand faith as it is the doctrine of faith or the way of salvation declared in the Gospel, taking it objectively, which is another thing and besides the present question; although by the way, I must tell them, that we deny, the granting of that new way of salvation in bringing life and immortallity to light by the Gospel in Christ, to be procured for us by Christ, himselfe being the chiefest part of this way, yea the way it selfe; and that he should himselfe be procured by his owne death and oblation, is a very strange contradictory assertion, beseeming them that have, who have used it (More: pag. 35.) It is true indeed, a full and plenary carrying of his elect, to life and glory by that way, we ascribe to him, and maintaine it against all, but the granting of that way, was of the same free grace and unprocured love, which was also the cause of granting himselfe unto us, Gen. 3. 15.) if I say they answer thus affirmatively; then I demand, whither Christ procured faith for all for whom he dyed, absolutely, or upon some condition on their part to be fulfilled? if absolutely: then surely if he dyed for all, they must all absolutely believe: for that which is absolutely procured for any, is absolutely his no doubt: he that hath absolutely procured an inheritance, by what meanes soever, who can hinder that it should not be his? but this is contrary to that of the Apostle, all men have not faith, and faith is of the elect of God. Tit. 1. 1. If they say that he procured it for them, that is, to be bestowed on them, conditionally: I desire that they would answer, bona fide, & roundly in termes—without equivocation, or blind distinctions, assigne that condition, that we may know what it is, being it is a thing of so infinite concernment to all our soules: let me know this condition which ye will maintaine, and en herbam amici, the cause is yours. Is it as some say, if they doe not resist the grace of God? now what is it not to resist the grace of God? is it not to obey it? and what is it to obey the grace of God? is it not to believe? so the condition of faith is faith it selfe. Christ procured that they should believe upon condition that they doe believe: are these things so? but they can assigne a condition on our part required of faith, that is not faith it selfe: can they doe it? let us heare it then, and we will renew our inquity concerning that condition, whither it be procured by Christ or no. If not? then is the cause of faith still resolved into our selves, Christ is not the authour and finisher of it. If it be? then are we just where we were before, and must follow with our quaeries whither that condition was procured absolutely, or upon condition: depinge ubi sistam.
But secondly, if they wil answer negatively, as, agreeably to their § IV own principles, they ought to doe, and deny that faith is procured by the death of Christ; then,
1. They must maintain, that it is an act of their own wills, so our own, as not to be wrought in us by Grace, and that it is wholly sited in our power to perform that spirituall act; nothing being bestowed upon us by free Grace, in and through Christ (as was before declared) but what by him in his death and oblation and was procured: which, first, is contrary to expresse Scripture in exceeding many places, which I shall not recount.
2. To the very nature of the being of the new Covenant, which doth not prescribe and require the condition of it, but effectually work it in all the covenanters Jer. 31. 32, 33. Eze. 36. 26. He. 3. 8.
3. To the advancement of the free Grace of God, in setting up the power of free will, in the state of corrupted nature, to the sleighting and undervaluing thereof.
4. To the received doctrine of our naturall depravednesse & disability to any thing that is good: yea by evident unstrained consequence overthrowing that fundamentall article of originall sin.
Yea, fiftly to right reason, which will never grant that naturall faculty is able of it self without some spirituall elevation, to produce an act purely spirituall as 1 Cor. 2. 14.
Secondly, they must resolve, almost the sole cause of our salvation into our selves ultimately; it being in our own power to make all, that God and Christ doe unto that end, effectuall; or to frustrate their utmost indeavours for that purpose: for all that is done, whither in the Fathers loving us and sending his Sonne to die for us, or in the Sonnes offering himself for an oblation in our stead, or for us, (in our behalf) is confessedly (as before) of no value nor worth in respect of any profitable issue, unlesse we beleive, which that we shall do, Christ hath not effected, nor procured by his death, neither can the Lord so work it in us but that the sole casting voice (if I may so say)—whither we will believe or no, is left to our selves. Now whither this be not to assigne unto our selves, the cause of our own happinesse, andto make us, the chief builders of our own glory, let all judge: these things being thus premised, I shall briefly prove that, which is denyed viz. That faith is procured for us by the death of Christ, and so consequently he died not for all and every one, for all men have not faith: and this we may doe by these following reasons.
The death of Jesus Christ purchased holinesse and sanctification for us, as was at large proved, Arg. the eight: But faith as it is a § V grace of the spirit inhaerent in us, is formally a part of our sanctification and holinesse, there fore he procured faith for us. The assumption is most certaine and not denyed; the proposition was sufficiently confirmed in the foregoing argument, and I see not what may be excepted against the truth of the whole: if any shall except and say that Christ might procure for us some part of holinesse (for we speake of parts and not of degrees and measure) but not all, as the sanctification of hope, love, meeknesse and the like, lask, first, what warrant have we for any such distinction, betweene the graces of the spirit, that some of them should be of the purchasing of Christ, others of our owne store? Secondly, whither we are more prone of our selves to believe, and more able, than to love, & hope? and where may we have a ground for that? § IV
All the fruits of election, are purchased for us by Jesus Christ, for, we are chosen in him, Eph. 1 4. as the only cause and fountaine of all those good things, which the Lord choseth us to, for the praise of his glorious Grace, that in all things he might have the preheminence: I hope I need not be solicit ous about the proving of this, that the Lord Jesus, is the onelyonly way and meanes by, and for whom, the Lord will certainly and actually collate upon his elect, all the fruits and effects or intendments of that love, whereby, he chose them: but now faith is a fruit, a principle fruit of our election, for (saith the Apostle) we are chosen in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy. Eph. 1. 4. of which holinesse, faith, purifying the heart, is a principle share. Moreover whom he did predestinate them also he called. Rom. 8. 29. That is with that calling which is according to his purpose, effectually working faith in them, by the mighty operation of his Spirit, according to the exceeding greatnesse of his power, Ephes. 1. 19. and so they beleeve (God making them differ from others, 1 Cor. 4. 7. in the enjoyment of the meanes) who are ordained to eternall life, Acts 13. 48. they being ordained to eternall life, was the fountaine from whence their faith did flow: and so the election obtained, when the rest are hardned, Rom. 11.
Thirdly, all the blessings of the new covenant, are procured and purchased by him, in whom the promises thereof are ratified, and § VII to whom they are made; for all the good things thereof are contained in and exhibited by those promises, through the working of the Spirit of God. Now concerning the promises of the Covenant, and their being confined in Christ, and made unto his, as Gal. 3. 16. with what is to bee understood in those expressions, was before declared. Therefore all the good things of the Covenant are the effects, fruits, & purchase, of the death of Christ. He, and all things for him, being the substance and whole of it. Further, that faith, is of the good things of the New Covenant, is apparent from the description thereof, Jer. 31. 33. Hebrewes 8. 10, 11, 12. Ezekiel 36. 26. with divers other places, as might clearely be manifested, if we affected copiousnesse in causa facili.
Fourthly, that, without which it is utterly impossible that we should be saved, must of necessity be procured by him, by whom § VIII we are fully and effectually saved: let them that can, declare how he can be said to procure salvation fully and effectually for us, and not be the author and purchaser of that, (for he is the author of our salvation by the way of purchase) without which it is utterly impossible we should attain salvation, now without faith it is utterly impossible that ever any should attaine salvation. Heb. 11. 6. Mark 16. 16. But Jesus Christ (according to his name) doth perfectly save us, Mat. 1. 21. procuring for us eternall redemption, Hebr. 9. 14. being able to save to the uttermost, them that come unto God by him, Hebrewes 17. 24. and therefore must faith also be within the compasse of those things that are procured by him.
Fiftly, the Scripture is cleare in expresse termes, and such as are § IX so equivolent that they are not liable to any evasion, as Phil. 1. 29. It is given unto us, foreign on the behalfe of Christ, for Christs sake, to helieve on him. Faith or beliefe is the gift, and Christ the procurer of it; God hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in him in heavenly places, Ephes. 1. 3. If faith be a spirituall blessing, it is bestowed on us in him, and so also for his sake: if it bee not, it is not worth contending about in this sense and way; so that let others looke which way they will, I desire to look to Jesus, as the author and finisher of our faith. Hebr. 12. 2. Divers other reasons, arguments, and places of Scripture might bee added for the confirmation of this truth, but I hope I have said enough, and do not desire to say all: the summe of the whole reason may be reduced to this head.
If the fruit and effect procured and wrought by the death of Christ, absolutely, not depending on any condition in man to be fulfilled, be not common to all, then did not Christ dye for all; but the supposall is true, as is evident in the grace of faith, which being procured by the death of Christ to bee absolutely bestowed on them for whom he dyed, is not common to all, therefore our Saviour did not dye for all.
We argue from the type to the antitipe, or the thing signified by Arg. 11 it, which will evidently restraine the oblation of Christ to Gods elect. The people of Israel were certainly, in all remarkable things that happened unto them, typicall—of the Church of God, as the Apostle at large, 1 Cor. 10. 11. especially their Institutions and Ordinances, were all representative of the spirituall things of the Gospell, their Priests, Altar, Sacrifices, were but all shadowes of the good things to come in Jesus Christ: their Canaan was a type of Heaven, Heb. 4. 3. 9. as also Hierusalem or Sion, Gal. 4. 26. Hebr. 12. 22. The whole people it selfe was a type of Gods Church, his elect, his chosen and called people, whence as they were called an holy people, a royall Priest-hood, so also in allusion to them are beleevers, 1 Pet. 2. 5. 9. Yea Gods people are in innumerable places called his Israel, as it is further expounded Heb. 8. 8. a true Israelite is as much as a true beleever, John 1. 47. and he is a Jew who is so in the hidden man of the heart. I hope, it neede not bee proved that that people, as delivered from bondage, preserved, taken nigh unto God, brought into Canaan, was typicall of Gods spirituall Chruch, of Elect, Beleevers. Whence we thus argue, those onelyonly are really and spiritually redeemed by Jesus Christ, who were designed, signified, typified by the people of Israell in their carnall, typicall Redemption, (for no reason in the world can be rendred, why some should bee typed out, in the same condition partakers of the same good, and not others) but by the people of the Jewes, in their deliverance from Egypt, bringing into Canaan, with all their Ordinances and Institutions, onelyonly the Elect, the Church of God was typed out, as was before proved. And in truth, it is the most senselesse thing in the world, to imagine that the Jewes were under a type to all the whole world, or indeed to any but Gods chosen ones, as is proved at large, Hebr. 9. 10. were the Jewes and their ordinances, types to the seven Nations whom they destroyed and supplanted in Canaan, were they so to Egyptians, Infidells, and haters of God, and his Christ: we conclude then assuredly, from that just proportion that ought to be observed betweene the types, and the things typified, that onelyonly the Elect of God, his Church and chosen ones are redeemed by Jesus Christ.