The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, Book 3 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Being a second part of the former digression. Arguments to prove the satisfaction of Christ.
IF Christ so tooke our sinnes, and had them by God so laid and imposed on him, as that he underwent the punishment due unto § I them in our stead, then he made satisfaction to the justice of Arg. 1 God for them that the sinners might go free: but Christ so tooke and bare our sinnes, and had them so laid upon him, as that he underwent the punishment due unto them and that in our stead: therefore he made satisfaction to the justice of God for them: The consequent of the proposition is apparent and was before proved, of the assumption there be three parts severally to be confirmed. First, That Christ tooke and bare our sinnes, God laying them on him. Secondly, That he so tooke them, as to undergoe the punishment due unto them. 3ly. That he did this in our stead.
For the first that he tooke and bare our sinnes, ye have it, 1 § II John 1. 29. foreign &c. who taketh away the sinnes of the world, 1 Aufert. sustulit. ipbajulabit. tulit.Pet. 2. 24. foreign who his owne self bare our sinnes in his own body. Isay. 53. 11. foreign their iniquities he shall beare, and v. 12. foreign he bare the sinne of many. That God also laid or imposed our sinnes on him is no lesse apparent. Isay. 53. 6. the Lord foreign made to meet on him the iniquity of us all. 2 Cor. 5. 21. foreign, he made him to be sinne for us.
The second branch is, that in thus doing our Saviour underwent the punishment due to the sinnes which he bare, which were laid upon him; which may be thus made manifest: death, and the curse of the Law, containe the whole of the punishment due to sinne. Gen. 3. 17. foreign dying thou shalt dye, is that which was threatned. Death was that which entred by sinne, Rom. 5. 12. which word in those places is comprehensive of all misery due to our transgression: which also is held out in the curse of the Law Deut. 27. 26. Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them: that all evils of punishment whatsoever are comprised in these, is unquestionably evident. Now Jesus Christ, in bearing our sinnes, underwent both these, for by the grace of God he tasted of death. Heb. 2. 9. By death delivering from death, v. 14. he was not spared, but given up to death for us all, Rom 8. 32. So also the curse of the Law, Gal. 3 13. foreign he was made a curse for us, and foreign, cursed. And this by the way of undergoing the punishment that was in death and curse: for by these, it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and put him to griefe, Esa. 53. 10. yea foreign, he spared him not, Rom. 8. 32. but condemned sinne in his flesh, Rom. 8. 3. it remaineth onelyonly to shew that hee did this in our steads, and the whole Argument is confirmed.
Now this also our Saviour himself maketh apparent, Matth 20. 28. He came foreign, to give himselfe a ransom for many, the word foreign alwayes supposeth a commutation, and change of one person or thing instead of another, as shall be afterwards declared (So Matth 2. 22.) So 1 Tim. 2. 6. 1 Pet. 3. 18. He dyed for us, the just for the unjust. And Psalme 69. 4. I restored or paid that which I did not take, viz. our debt so farre as that thereby we are discharged; as Rom. 8. 34. where it is asserted upon this very ground, that he dyed in our stead; and so the severall parts of this first Argument are confirmed.
If Jesus Christ paid into his Fathers hands, a valuable price and § IV ransome for our sins, as our Surety, so discharging the debt that we Argu 2 lay under that we might goe free; then did he beare the punishment due to our sins, and make satisfaction to the justice of God for them; (for to pay such a ransome, is to make such satisfaction) but Jesus Christ paid such a price and ransome as our surety into his Fathers hands, &c. Ergo,
There be foure things to bee proved in the Assumption, or second Proposition: First, that Christ payd such a price and ransome. Secondly, that hee payd it into the hands of his Father. Thirdly, that he did it as our surety. Fourthly, that we might go free. All which we shall prove in order.
First, for the first, our Saviour himself affirmes it, Matth. 20. 1. 28. He came to give his life foreign a ransome or price of Redemption for many, Mat. 10. 45. which the Apostle termes, foreign 2 Tim. 2. 6. a Ransome to bee accepted in the stead of others, whence we are said to have deliverance foreign, by the ransome paying of Christ, Rom. 3. 24. He bought us with a price, 1 Cor. 6. 20. which price was his owne bloud, Acts 20. 28. compared to, and exalted above silver and gold in this worke of Redemption. 1 Pet. 1. 18. So that this first part is most clear and evident.
Secondly, he payd this price into the hands of his father; a price must be payd to some body, in the case of deliverance from Captivity by it, it must bee paid to the Judge or Jaylor; that is to God, or the Devill: to say the latter, were the highest blasphemy: Sathan was to be conquered, not satisfied. For the former, the Scripture is cleare: it was his wrath that was on us, John 3. 36. it was hee that had shut us up all under sinne, Rom. 3. Hee is the great King to whom the debt is owing, Mat. 18. 23. 34. He is the only Law-giver that can kil and make alive, Ja. 4. 12. Nay, the ways, whereby this ransome-paying is in the Scripture expressed, abundantly inforce the payment of it into the hands of his Father. For his death and bloud-shedding is said to be foreign & foreign an Oblation and Sacrifice, Eph. 5. 2. and his soule to be foreign a Sacrifice or offering for sinne: Isa 53. 10. Now certainly Offerings and Sacrifices are to be directed unto God alone.
Thirdly, that he did this as Surety, we are assured Hebrewes 7. 22. He was made foreign, a Surety of a better Testament: and in performance of the duty which lay upon him as such, Hee paid that which he never tooke, Psal. 69. 4. All which could not possibly have any other end, but that we might goe free.
To make an attonement for sinne, and to reconcile God unto § V the sinners, is in effect to make satisfaction unto the justice of Arg. 3 God for sinne▪ and all that wee understand thereby. But Jesus Christ by his Death and Oblation did make an attonement for sinne, and reconcile God unto sinners; Ergo,
The first Proposition is in it selfe evident, the assumption is confirmed Rom. 3. 24, 25. we are justified freely by the ransome-paying that is in Christ, whom God hath set forth to be foreign, a Propitiation, an attonement, a mercy seat, a covering of iniquity, and that foreign, for the manifestation of his justice, declared in the going forth and accomplishment thereof. So likewise Heb. 2 17. He is said to be a merciful High Priest, foreign to make reconciliation for the sins of the people, to reconci…e God unto the people; the meaning of the words being foreign to reconcile God who was offended with the sinnes of his people; which reconciliation we are said to receive, Rom. 5. 11 (the word foreign there, in our common Translation rendered attonement, is in other places in the same rendred Reconciliation: being indeed the onelyonly word used for it in the New Testament.) And all this is said to be accomplished foreign, by one righteousnesse or satisfaction that is of Christ; (the words will not beare that sense wherein they are usually rendred by the righteousnesse of one, for then must it have beene foreign) And hereby were we delivered from that, from which it was impossible we should be otherwise delivered. Rom 8. 3.
That wherein the exercise of the Priestly Office of Jesus Christ § VI whilst he was on earth doth consist, cannot be rejected nor denyed without damnable error: But the exercise of the Priestly Office Argu. IV of Jesus Christ whilst hee was upon the earth, consisted in this, to beare the punishment due to our sinnes, to make attonement with God, by undergoing his wrath, and reconciling him to sinners upon the satisfaction made to his justice. Therefore cannot these things be denied without damnable error. That in the things before recounted, the exercise of Christs Priestly Office, did consist, is most apparent, first from all the types & sacrifices whereby it was prefigured; their chief end being, propitiation, & attonement. 2ly. from the very nature of the sacerdotal office appointed for sacrificing, Christ having nothing to offer but his own bloud, through the eternal Spirit. And 3ly. from divers yea innumerable texts of scripture, affirming the same. It would be too long a work to prosecute those things severally and at large, and therefore I wil content my selfe with one or two places, wherein all those testimonies are comprized, as Hebr. 9. 13, 14. If the bloud of Bulls and Goats, &c. how much more shall the bloud of Christ, who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God? &c. Here the death of Christ is compared to, exalted above, and in the Antitype answereth the sacrifices of expiation, which were made by the bloud of Bulls and Goats: and so must, at least spiritually, effect what they did carnally accomplish, and typically prefigure, viz. deliverance from the guilt of sinne by expiation and attonement. For as in them the life and bloud of the sacrifice, was accepted in the stead of the offerer, who was to dye, for the breach of the Law according to the rigour of it: so in this of Christ was his bloud accepted as an attonement and propitiation for us, himself being Priest, Altar, and Sacrifice. So Hebr. 10. 10, 12. he is said expressely in the roome of all old insufficient carnall Sacrifices which could not make the commers thereunto perfect, to offer up his owne body a sacrifice for sinnes, for the remission and pardon of sinnes, through that offering of himselfe, as it is verse 19. And in the performance also doe we affirme, that our Saviour underwent the the wrath of God, which was due unto us. This, because it is by some questioned, I shall briefely confirme, and that with these following Reasons.
First, the punishment due to sinne, is the wrath of God, Rom. 1. 18. The wrath of God is revealed against all ungodlinesse, chapt. 2. 5. the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgements of God, Ephes. 2. 3. Children of wrath, John 3. 36. Jesus Christ underwent the punishment due to sinne, 2. Cor 5. 21. Made sinne for us, Isa. 53. 6. Iniquity was laid upon him, 1 Peter 2. 24. Hee bare our sinnes in his own body on the Tree: Therefore he underwent the wrath of God.
Secondly, the curse of the Law, is the wrath of God taken passively, Deut. 29. 20, 21, but Jesus Christ undervvent the curse of the Lavv, Gal. 3. 13. made a curse for us, the curse that they lye under vvhichwhich are out of Christ, who are of the workes of the Law, verse 10. therefore he underwent the wrath of God
Thirdly, the death that sinners are to undergoe, is the wrath of § VII God: Jesus Christ did taste of that death, which sinners for themselves Arg. 5 were to undergoe; for hee dyed as our Surety, Hebr. 7. 22. and in our stead, Matth. 20. 28. Hence his feare, Hebr. 5. 7. agony, Luk. 22. 44. astonishment, and amazement, Mat. 14. 33. dereliction, Matth. 27. 46. sorrow, heavinesse, and unexpressible pressures.
That Doctrine cannot bee true nor agreeable to the Gospell, which strikes at the root of Gospell faith, and plucks away the foundation of all that strong consolation which God is so abundantly willing we should receive: but such is that of denying the satisfaction made by Christ, his answering the justice, and undergoing the wrath of his Father. It makes the poore soule to bee like Noah's Dove in its distresse, not knowing where to rest the soale of her feet; when a soule is turned out of its self-righteousnesse, and begins to looke abroad, and view heaven and earth for a resting place, and perceives an Ocean, a Floud, an Inundation of wrath to cover all the world; the wrath of God revealing it selfe from heaven, against all ungodlinesse, so that it can obtain no rest nor abiding, heaven it cannot reach by its owne flight, and to hell it is unwilling to fall: if now the Lord Jesus Christ doe not appeare as an Arke in the middest of the waters, (upon whom the flouds have fallen, and yet is got above them all) for a refuge, alas what shall it doe? When the Floud fell, there were many Mountaines, glorious in the eye, farre higher than the Arke, but yet those Mountaines were all drowned, whilst the Arke still kept on the top of the waters. Many appearing hills and Mountaines of selfe-righteousnesse, and generall mercy at the first veiw seeme to the soule much higher than Jesus Christ; but when the floud of wrath once comes and spreads it selfe, all those mountaines are quickly covered; onelyonly the Arke, the Lord Jesus Christ, though the Floud fall on him also, yet he gets above it quite, and gives safety to them that rest upon him. Let me now aske any of those poore soules, who ever have been wandring, and tossed with the feare of the wrath to come, whether ever they found a resting place, untill they came to this: God spared not his onelyonly Sonne, but gave him up to death for us all: that he made him to bee sinne for us: that hee put all the sinnes of all the Elect into that Cup which he was to drinke of: that the wrath and floud which they feared, did fall upon Jesus Christ (though now as the Arke hee be above it, so that if they could get into him they should bee safe) the storme hath beene his, and the safety shall be theirs: as all the Waters which would have fallen upon them that were in the Arke fell upon the Arke, they being dry and safe; so all the wrath that should have fallen upon them, fell on Christ, which alone causeth their soules to dwell in safety? Hath not I say, this beene your bottome? your foundation? your resting place? if not; (for the substance of it) I feare you have but rotten bottomes. Now what would you say, if a man should come and pull this Arke from under you, and give you an old rotten post to swim upon in the floud of wrath. It is too late to tell you, no wrath is due unto you; the word of truth, and your owne consciences have given you other information: you know, The wages of sinne is death, in whomsoever it bee; hee must dye on whomsoever it is found; so that truely the soule may well say, bereave mee of the satisfaction of Christ, and I am bereaved. If he fulfilled not justice, I must; if he underwent not wrath, I must to eternity. O rob me not of my onelyonly Pearle. Denying the satisfaction of Christ, destroys the foundation of faith and comfort.
Another Argument wee may take from some few particular § VIII Arg. 6 places of Scripture, which in stead of many I shall produce: as first, 2 Cor. 5 21. He made him to be sinne for us, who knew no sinne. Hee made him to be sinne for us; how could that be? are not the next words, he knew no sinne? was be not a lambe without spot, and without blemish? Doubtlesse hee did no sinne, neither was guile found in his mouth. What then is this, God made him to bee sinne? it cannot be that God made him sinfull, or a sinner by any inherent sinne; that will not stand with the justice of God, nor with the holinesse of the person of our Redeemer. What is it then? he made him to be sinne who knew no sinne? why clearly, by dispensation and consent he laid that to his charge, whereof he was not guilty. He charged upon him, and imputed unto him all the sins of all the elect, and proceeded against him accordingly. He stood as our Surety; really charged with the whole debt, and was to pay the uttermost farthing, as a Surety is to doe if it be required of him: though he borrow not the money, nor have one peny of that which is in the Obligation, yet if hee bee sued to an execution, hee must pay all. The Lord Christ (if I may so say) was sued by his Fathers justice unto an execution; in answer whereunto he underwent all that was due to sinne, which we proved before to be death, wrath, and curse. If it be excepted (as it is) that God was alwayes well pleased with his Sonne, hee testified it againe and againe from heaven, how then could he lay his wrath upon him?
Answ. It is true he was alwayes well-pleased with him, yet it pleased him to bruise him and put him to griefe. He was alwayes well pleased with the holinesse of his Person, the excellency and perfectnesse of his righteousnesse, and the sweetnesse of his obedience; but he was displeased with the sinnes that were charged on him, and therefore it pleased him to bruise and put him to griefe, with whom he was alwayes well pleased. Nor is that other exception of any more value, That Christ underwent no more than the Elect lay under; but they lay not under wrath and the punishment due to sin.
Answ. The Proposition is most false; neither is there any more truth in the Assumption: for first, Christ underwent not onelyonly that wrath, (taking it passively) which the Elect were under, but that also, which they should have undergone, had not hee borne it for them: hee delivered them from the wrath to come. Secondly, the Elect doe in their severall Generations, lye under all the wrath of God in respect of merit and procurement, though not in respect of actuall endurance; in respect of guilt, not present punishment, so that notwithstanding these exceptions, it stands firme, That hee was made sinne for us, who knew no sinne.
Isaiah 53. 5. He was wounded for our Transgressions, hee was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. Of this place something was said before, I shall adde some small enlargements that conduce to discover the meaning of the words; The chastisement of our peace was upon him; that is, he was chastised or punished that we might have peace, that wee might goe free; our sinnes being the cause of his wounding, and our iniquities of his being bruised, all our sinnes meeting upon him, as verse 6. That is, he bare our sinnes, in Peters interpretation: He bare our sinnes (not as some thinke by declaring that we were never truely sinfull, but) by being wounded for them, bruised for them, undergoing the chastisement due unto them, consisting in death, wrath, and curse; so making his soule an offering for sinne: Hee bare our sinnes; that is, say some, he declared that wee have an eternall righteousnesse in God, because of his eternall purpose to doe us good: but is this, to interpret Scripture? or to corrupt the Word of God? Aske the Word what it meanes by Christs bearing of sinne, it will tell you: his being smitten for our Transgressions, Isaiah 53. 8. his being cut off for our sinnes, Dan. 9. 26. Neither hath the expression of bearing sinnes any other signification in the word, Lev. 5. 1. He that heareth swearing and doth not reveale it, shall beare his iniquity. What is that, he shall declare himselfe or others to bee free from sinne? No doubtlesse, but he shall undergoe the punishment due to sinne, as our Saviour did in bearing our iniquities. He must be a cunning gamster indeed that shall cheat a Beleever of this foundation.
More Arguments, or Texts on this Subject, I shall not urge or produce, though the cause it selfe will inforce the most unskilfull § IX to abound. I have proceeded as farre as the nature of a digression will well beare: Neither shall I undertake at this time the answering of Objections to the contrary: a full discussion of the whole businesse of the satisfaction of Christ, which should cause mee to search for, draw forth, and confute all objections to the contrary, being not by me intended: and for those which were made at that debate, which gave occasion to this discourse, I dare not produce them, lest happily I should not be able to restraine the conjectures of men, that I purposely framed such weak objections, that I might obtaine an easie conquest over a man of straw of mine owne erection; so weake were they, and of so little force to the shaking of so fundamentall a truth, as that is which we doe maintaine so of this Argument hitherto.