The fountain of life opened, or, A display of Christ in his essential and mediatorial glory wherein the impetration of our redemption by Jesus Christ is orderly unfolded as it was begun, carryed on, and finished by his covenant-transaction, mysterious incarnation, solemn call and dedication ... / by John Flavell ...

End 1.

First,* 1.1 One principal design and End of shedding the blood of Christ was to deliver his people from danger, the danger of that

wrath which burns down to the lowest Hell. So you find, 1 Thes. 1.10. Even Iesus who delivered us from the wrath to come. Here our misery is both specified, and aggravated. Spe∣cifi'd, in calling it wrath, a word of deep and dreadful significati∣on. The damned best und••rstand the importance of that word. And aggravated in calling it wrath to come, or coming wrath. Wrath to come implies both the futurity▪ and perpetuity of this wrath. It's wrath that shall certainly and inevitably come upon sinners. As sure as the night follows the day. As sure as the Winter follows the Summer; so shall wrath follow sin, and the pleasures thereof. Yea, it's not only certainly future, but when it comes it will be abiding wrath or wrath still coming. When millions of years and Ages are past and gone, this will still be wrath to come. Ever coming, as a r••ver e••er flowing.

Now from this wrath to come, hath les••s delivered his people by his death. For that was the price laid down ••or their redemption from the wrath of th•• gr••at and terrible God Rom. 5.9. Much more then being ••ustified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. The blood of Jesus was the price that ran∣somed man from his wrath. And it was shed not only to deliver them from wrath to come, but to deliver them freely, fully distin∣guishingly, and wonderfully from it.

First, Freely, by his own voluntary interposition and susception of the mediatorial office, moved thereunto by his own bowels of compaossion; which yearned over his Elect in their misery. The Saints were once a lost generation, tha•• had sold themselves, and their inheritance also;* 1.2 and had not wherewithall to Redeem ei∣ther: but they had a near kinsman (even their elder Brother by the Mothers side) to whom the right of Redemption did belong; who being a mighty man of wealth▪ the heir of all things, under∣took to be their Goell; and out of his own proper substance to Re∣deem both them and their inheritance. Them to be his own inhe∣ritance, Eph. 1.10. And heaven to be theirs 1 Pet. 1.4. All this he did most freely, when none mad•• supplication to him. No sighing of the prisoners came before him. He design'd it for us before we had a being. And when the purposes of his grace were come to their parturient fulness, then did he freely lay out the infinite treasures of his blood to purchase our deliverance from wrath.

Secondly, Christ by death hath delivered his people fully. A full deliverance it is, both in respect of Time and Degrees. A full deliverance in respect of Time. It was not a Reprieve, but a de∣liverance. He thought it not worth the shedding of his blood to respite the execution for a while. Nay, in the procurement of their eternal deliverance from wrath, and in the purchase of their eternal inheritance, he hath but an even bargain, not a jot more than his blood was worth. Therefore is he become the Author of [Eternal Salvation] to them that obey him, Heb. 5.9. And as it is full in respect of Time, so likewise in respect of Degrees. He died not to procure a mitigation or abatement of the rigor or severity of the sentence, but to rescue his people fully from all degrees of wrath. So that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ, Rom. 8.1. All the wrath of God to the last drop, was squeezed out into that bitter cup which Christ drank off, and wrung out the very dregs thereof.

Thirdly, This deliverance obtained for us by the death of Christ, is a special and distinguishing deliverance. Not common to all, but peculiar to some; and they by nature no better than those that are left under wrath. Yea, as to natural disposition, moral qua∣lifications and external endowments often times far inferiour to them that perish. How often do we find a moral righteousness, an harmless innocencie, a pretty ingenuity a readiness to all offices of love; in them that are notwithstanding less under the dominion of other Lusts, and under the damning sentence of the Law; whilst on the other side, proud, peevish, sensual, morose, and unpol∣lisht natures, are chosen to be the subjects of this Salvation. You see your calling, brethren, 1 Cor. 1.26.

Fourthly, And lastly, it is a wonderful salvation. It would wea∣ry the arm of an Angel to write down all the wonders that are in this salvation. That ever such a Design should be laid, such a project of grace contrived in the heart of God; who might have suffered the whole species to perish; That it should only concern man, and not the Angels, by nature more excellent than us; that Christ should be pitcht upon to go forth upon this glorious Design. That he should effect it in such a way, by taking our nature and suffering the penalty of the Law therein. That our deliverance should be wrought out and finisht when the Redeemer and his design seem'd both to be lost and perished. These with many more are such wonders as will take up eternity it self to search, admire, and adore them.

Before I part from this first End of the Death of Christ, give me leave to deduce two useful Corollaries from it, and then pro∣ceed to a second.

Notes

• * 1.1

  End 1.
• * 1.2

  Vide Mr. Ca•••• his Mount P••sgah. p. 85.