The divine will considered in its eternal decrees, and holy execution of them. By Edward Polhill of Burwash in Sussex Esquire

CHAP. VIII. Of the Work of Redemption. (Book 8)

I Have now passed over the Work of Creation, with its Appendices of Con∣servation and Gubernation; but behold! a greater than Creation is here, stupendi∣ous Redemption, the wonder of Angels and envy of Devils; at which Creation starts back and gives up its Sabbath. I am come to the Tree of Life growing in Paradise, hanging full of Pardons and Graces, and spreading forth a broad and indefective shadow of Merits over sinful Worms. I am now at the pure Well of Salvation springing out of the Deity of the Son of God, issuing through the bleeding Wounds of his Humanity, and filling every Vessel of Faith. I am now to open my eyes upon the most tremen∣dous Mystery that ever was; God in the Flesh, the brightness of Glory under a Veil, the Fulness of the Godhead taber∣nacling in Dust, and a Sun of infinite light and lustre cloathed in Sack-cloth in his Incarnation, and turned into Blood in his Passion. Oh! for some illapses of that

holy Spirit which takes the things of Christ and shews them in their spiritual Glory.

Redemption may be thus described; It is the procuring of Freedom for a Captive by a Price paid by him who is to redeem, and accepted by him who is the Supreme Detainer in that behalf, that the Captive may be delivered out of a state of Capti∣vity into a state of Liberty according to the Wills of the Payer and Receiver of that price. I say, it is the procuring Freedom: Actual Freedom is the Crown∣ing Issue of Redemption; but the pro∣curing of Freedom is an essential ingredi∣ent in it. Hence Christ is said to obtain e∣ternal Redemption for us, Heb. 9. 12. 'Tis the procuring of Freedom for a Captive, Free-men are not capable of it, but Cap∣tives only; and such are all men become by sin. They owed ten thousand Talents to God as the great Creditor, and Trai∣tor-like they rebelled against God as the great Law-giver; and for those Debts and Rebellions God as a righteous Judge 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, shut them up in the prison of wrath, Rom. 11. 32. 'Tis the procuring of Free∣dom for a Captive by a Price, not by mere Power, but by a Price: when it is

procured by mere Power, 'tis but a naked Deliverance; but when it is procured by a Price, then 'tis a true proper Redempti∣on. Hence in the Evangelical Charter we find 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Price, and that which issues from it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, true proper Redemption. Again, 'tis the procuring of Freedom for a Captive by a Price paid by him who is to redeem, and accepted by him who is the supreme Detainer in that be∣half; for if it be not paid, 'tis no Price; if it be not paid by him who is to redeem, he cannot be a Redeemer; the Detainer must accept of it in that behalf, or else no Freedom can be justly procured; and the supreme Detainer must accept of it, for not the Jailor or Fetters, which are but Under-detainers, but the Creditor & Law∣giver, who is the supreme Detainer, must receive satisfaction, or else the Captive cannot be justly released. And all these are couched together by the Apostle; Christ gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour, Eph. 5. 2. Christ, there's he who was to redeem; gave himself an Offering and a Sacrifice, there's the Price paid down by him; to God, there's the supreme De∣tainer: the Jailor Satan, and the Fetters

of guilt are but under-detainers, but God is the supreme and must have satisfaction; and for a sweet-smelling savour, there's the Price accepted by God in that behalf. Lastly, the end of all is, that the Captive may be delivered out of a state of Cap∣tivity into a state of Liberty, according to the Wills of the Payer and Receiver; Re∣demption moves towards the actual de∣liverance of the Captive, as its proper Centre; and that actual deliverance comes forth according to the Wills of the Payer and Receiver, as its rule and measure. If their Wills be, that upon the very payment and acceptance of the Price the Captive should be ipso facto delivered, then he is delivered without any more adoe; but if their Wills be, that the Captive should be delivered but upon certain conditions to be by him first performed, then he is not delivered till after the performance there∣of. Thus the Redemption wrought by Christ moves towards the actual deliver∣ance of sinful Captives, and that actual deliverance, according to the Will of the Father and the Son, comes forth not im∣mediately upon the payment and accep∣tance of the Price, but upon Faith and Repentance, which are the Terms of the

Gospel. Hence the Apostles testified Repent∣ance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 20. 21. Hence also those expressions of Propitiation through faith in his blood, Rom. 3. 25. and of Receiving the atonement, Rom. 5. 11. which with many more shew us the Terms, upon which a∣ctual deliverance comes forth into being. Now in this discourse of Redemption I shall gather up all under four Heads.

• 1. The Captive.
• 2. The Captivity.
• 3. The Redeemer.
• 4. The Price.

1. The Captive is fallen Man; and here two things are considerable.

• 1. Man fallen in opposition to Man standing.
• 2. Man fallen in opposition to fallen Angels.

1. Man fallen in opposition to Man stand∣ing; Man as he came out of his Makers hands was a spotless Creature, his Mind a pure Lamp of knowledge, his Will a Throne for the holy One, his Heart a Sanctuary of all Graces, his Affections all in harmony with the Rational Faculties, the Image of God sparkling within him, and the Favour of God sunning him round

about. Here all was Freedom, no Chain but that of Graces, no Bands but Cords of Love, no Prison but a Paradise, no Cap∣tive but the Lord's Free-man; the least drop of wrath could not fall on him here. But alas! how soon was this Star shot! Man turned from God, and God departed from Man, and instantly the Captive ap∣peared all in Chains of Sin and Wrath; his Lamp went out in obscure darkness, Satan ascended up into the Throne, the fire of Lust rose up in the Sanctuary, the Affections were all in a mutiny against the upper Powers, and the whole Man became a Prisoner under Sin and Wrath; and all this because he left 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, his original State of rectitude and holiness.

2. Man fallen in opposition to fallen Angels: When Man (though but an ear∣then Pitcher) fell from God, the whole Trinity seemed to be moved at it; the bowels of the Father yearned over him, and as not content with inward compassi∣ons, Grace breaks out at the Lips of the Son, Unto you, O men, do I call, saith the eternal Word, Prov. 8. 4. and (because words, such as made a World, could not do it) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Heb. 2. 16. He catches hold of the Humane Nature, and rather

than fail, he would live and bleed and die in it for our Redemption: And lest after all this Man should not catch hold of his own Salvation, out comes the holy Spirit to make sure work of it in an appli∣cation of it unto us. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, saith St. Chrysostome. When Mankind fled, and fled far from Christ, he pursued and caught hold of it: But when those Vessels of Gold, the Angels, dropt out of Heaven, there was no such matter; the Father's bowels (though of immense largeness) were shut up, not a thought of mercy rose in his heart towards them; the Son's Lips, which drop sweet smelling Myrrh unto men, let fall never a syllable of comfort unto them, he saw them tumbling down from Heaven, yet caught not hold of them: the holy Spirit would not stir a foot to recover 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, their original Rectitude for them again, that so they might be capable of staying in the holy Heavens, but down they must into Chains of darkness, such as for ever shut out every glimpse of Mercy. But why a Philanthropy rather than a Philan∣gely? Why a Redemption for Men and not for Devils? Here men give their con∣jectures.

Man (say some) sinned by sedu∣ction, but Devils by self-motion: In the Fall of Men (say others) all the Humane Nature fell, but in the Fall of Angels all the Angelical Nature fell not. Others alledge that the Sin of Angels was more damnable than Man's, because their Na∣ture was more sublime than his. Others yet affirm, that Men are capable of Repen∣tance, but Devils not, because whatever they once choose, they do immobiliter velle; the Devil sinneth from the begin∣ning, 1 Joh. 3. 8. 'tis not said, he sinned, but he sinneth; because from his first Apo∣stasie he sinneth on uncessantly. But alas! Who can limit the holy One? Might not his boundless Mercy have saved the self∣tempted Devils? What if his devouring Justice had broke out against devil-sedu∣ced Men, nay, against all the Race of Men? Who should accuse him for the Nations that perish, which he hath made and Sin hath marred, Wisd. 12. 12? Could not the Blood of God have washed out the blackest spots of fallen Angels? Was not the Almighty Spirit of Grace able to melt a Devil into Repentance? Had we poor Worms been to dispute with the Devil a∣bout the Body of Christ, as Michael did

with him about the Body of Moses, O how easily would he have reasoned us out of our Redeemer! What (would he have said) shall the tender bowels of God be let down to you on Earth and restrained to us in Heaven? Will the All-wise God repair his Clay-images in the Dunghil of the lower World, and neglect his fairer Pictures once hung up in his own Palace of Glory? May not the Son of God be a Redeemer at an easier rate, without step∣ping a foot out of his Fathers house, and will he travel down so far as an Incarnati∣on? How much better were it for him to spot himself with an assumed Cherubin, than to take Flesh into his glorious Per∣son? But the great God hath neither gi∣ven Angels a day to plead for a Redeemer, nor Man a licence to pry into his Ark. Wonder then, O Man, at this astonishing difference made by the divine Will alone. Angels must be damned and men may be saved; golden Vessels are irreparably bro∣ken, and earthen Pots are set together a∣gain; Inmates of Glory drop to Hell, and Dust and Ashes fly up to Heaven. When I consider thy Heavens and the Stars glister∣ing there, Lord, what is man that thou mindest him, Psal. 8. 4? but when I con∣sider

thy Heaven of Heavens, and thy Angels dropping from thence into utter darkness, Lord! what is man that thou savest him? Misericordiâ Domini plena est terra; quare non dictum est, plenum est coelum? quia sunt spirituales nequitiae in coelestibus, sed non illae ad commune jus indulgentiae Dei, remissionémque peccatorum pertinent, as holy Ambrose expresses it. Even so gra∣cious Father, because so it seemeth good in thy sight. Thus having found the right Captive I pass on

2. To the Captivity; and this I shall set out in three things.

• 1. The Chains.
• 2. The Prison.
• 3. The Jailor.

As for the first, I shall first touch upon the Chains themselves, and then upon the distinct links thereof.

1. The Chains themselves are no other than Original and Actual Sin.

1. Original Sin is a very heavy Chain; and here I shall view

1. The upper end of this Chain, I mean, that first Sin of eating the forbidden fruit, called in the Schools Peccatum originale o∣riginans: here there was truly magnum in parvo, a vast World of Sin in a small Act.

There was an Idol of self-excellency a framing, and to adorn it, a concupiscen∣tial stealth of the forbidden fruit; and in this stealth a bloody Homicide, a slaying of all Humane Nature at one blow; and which is more, a kind of Deicide too, a slaying (as much as in Man lay) even of God himself; the Pride of this pri∣mordial Sin snatching at God's excellen∣cy, the Unbelief stabbing at his Truth, the Rebellion fighting against his Sove∣reignty, the Ingratitude trampling his Goodness under foot, and the Presumpti∣on as it were daring out his Justice into warlike Arms; and all this contra praece∣ptum tam breve ad retinendum, tam leve ad observandum. This is the upper end of this Chain, and it reaches down to us all; for in him we all sinned, Rom. 5. 12. The sweetest Bonaventure cannot say, In Ada∣mo non peccavi: For Adam was not here considered as a private person, but as the Root and Head of Mankind; Adam's person was the fountain of ours, and his Will the representative of ours; we were all in him naturally as latent in his Loins, and legally too as comprized within the Covenant made with him; therefore we all sinned in his Sin. Omnes nos unus ille Adam,

saith one Father; Genus humanum in pri∣mo parente velut in radice computruit, saith another. But that of Nazianzen is fullest of spiritual sence, who cries out, O infirmi∣tatem meam! meā enim duco primi parentis infirmitatem. If any reply, But how could we sin in Adam? I answer, that our hu∣mane Nature was in him, and why might it not sin there? You'l say, It could not for want of a Will; I answer, that our Wills were put into Adam's by that Co∣venant which was made with him for him∣self and all his posterity. If one Man may put his Will into another Man's Will in a Comprimise, why may not God (who is more Lord of our Wills than our selves) put all our Wills into Adam's by a Cove∣nant? and here God did it with abundant Equity, because our Wills were put into Adam's as well for the obteining blessed∣ness upon his Obedience, as for the in∣curring punishment upon his Disobe∣dience.

2. The lower end of this Chain, the universal depravation of Nature, called Peccatum originale originatum; this hangs upon the former, all habitual Sin hath an essential relation to some actual Sin prece∣dent. 'Tis impossible that one should be

a Sinner habitually, who in no kind sinned actually. If Adam had not sinned actual∣ly, he had never been habitually vitia∣ted; nay, if we had not sinned in his Sin, we had never been so. This original De∣pravation is the sinning Sin, the Body of Sin, a Body in our Souls, Flesh in our Spi∣rits, a Nail on our Eyes, a Plague in our Hearts, and a Root of bitterness in our whole Nature; this turns our Minds into Dungeons of darkness, our Wills into Gulfs of Sin, our Memories into leaking Vessels, our Fancies into Forges of Vani∣ty, our Affections into Chambers of Ima∣gery, our Members into Weapons of Un∣righteousness, and our whole Man into a Man of Sin; insomuch that to be carnal is to walk 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 1 Cor. 3. 3. When we are formed in the Womb, this Chain lies upon us, even in primo ardore, in the first warmth of natural Conception, Psal. 51. 5. And when Christ is formed in our Hearts, this Chain presses so hard upon the spiritual Embryo, that as soon as ever it begins to live, it falls a sighing and groaning with tears, Oh! my hard heart! Oh! my unbelieving heart! Oh! my car∣nal sensual heart! Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of

death? Rom. 7. 24. Nay, the very Phi∣losophers themselves (who never kenned so far as the top of this Chain, I mean Adam's Sin) yet seem to feel the weight of it: Wherefore sometimes they com∣plain of a Sepulchrum Corporis, as if 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 were become 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Grave to the Soul; and sometimes they cry out of a Defluvium Pennarum, as if the Soul had lost her Wings. Whither also may be re∣ferred the Trismegists Indumentum Insci∣tiae, Pravitatis Fundamentum, Corruptio∣nis Vinculum, Velamen opacum; with ma∣ny such like expressions touching the weight and pressure of this Chain, involv∣ing Men in a horrid slavery and captivity.

2. Besides the Chain of Original Sin, there is that of Actual; the whole World 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 1 Joh. 5. 19. lies in wickedness, as a Slave in his Chains. Oh! the open Profane∣ness, secret Hypocrisies, spiritual Wicked∣nesses, carnal Pollutions, daring Presump∣tions, faultring Infirmities; Impieties a∣gainst God, Unrighteousness against Men, vast Armies and Hosts of Sin which cover the World. As Original Sin turns Man into a Man of Sin; so Actual Sin turn the World into a World of Sin. This is a long Chain reaching from Adam's Fall to the

Worlds Period, and from first to last en∣wrapping Captives all along.

2. The Links of the Chains are consi∣derable, and those are three great ones.

1. The first Link is Macula peccati, the Stain of Sin; this is the filth of the Chain, a brand of deformity on the naked Cap∣tive God is the beauty of Holiness, and there is no turning from him without a Blot: God is a Sun of infinite light, and there is no holding up our hands against him without casting a dark shadow on our faces. Every Sin is a filthiness; If it be a brutish lust, 'tis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, filthiness of flesh; if a spiritual wickedness, 'tis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, filthiness of spirit, as the Apostle distinguisheth, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Nay, that which is filthiness of flesh in the ex∣ternal commission of the Act, is yet filthi∣ness of spirit in the internal commacula∣tion of the Soul. The wicked cast out mire and dirt, and the more they cast out in the transient Acts of Sin, the more there is within in the abiding spot of it. When the Act of Sin is passed and gone, the Spot and Stain thereof stays behind, and de∣nominates us 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, children of dis∣obedience.

2. The second Link is Reatus peccati,

the Guilt of Sin, a dreadful Link chain∣ing the naked Captive to divine Wrath, fastened within him by the desert of Sin, and bound upon him by the Justice of God; and hence he becomes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a child of wrath. No sooner doth he turn from God as his Law-giver, but he meets him as his Judge, and that in the face; The face of the Lord is against them that do evil. Whilest he flies extra ordinem prae∣cepti, hee falls intra ordinem justitiae, the wages of sin is death.

3. The third Link is Regnum peccati, the Reign of Sin, Sin is an absolute Ty∣rant over us; his Laws are all writ in Let∣ters of blood, his strong Holds are in our very Reasons, 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. His Throne is in our Wills, his winged Chariot in our Affections, his Weapons in our earthly Members; and our whole man is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the slave of sin, Joh. 8. 34.

2. The next thing in the Captivity is the Prison, and that is the Wrath of God: But here we must distinguish the Walls from the Dungeon, the Walls are very strong and dreadful, infinite Justice and Holiness are the flaming Cherubims that guard them; and the Hand-writing upon them is, A curse to the sinner and woe to

the worker of iniquity. The poor Captive (as long as his Chains are unbroken) lies within these Walls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, under the judgment of God, Rom. 3. 19. Wrath abides upon him, Joh. 3. 36. a sad State. Nevertheless, whilest but here, he is a Prisoner of Hope, a Captive capable of Redemption. The Dungeon is Hell it self, a place of Darkness, a gulf of un∣quenchable Fire, a bottomless Pit of Per∣dition, into which impenitent Sinners are still a sinking deeper and deeper, without any hope of ascending out of it; when the Captive is once here, the utmost far∣thing will be exacted of him.

3. The last thing in the Captivity is the Jaylor, even Satan, and he doth three things.

1. He takes the Captive into his custo∣dy, the Natural Man's Heart becomes his Palace, and every room in it is full of hel∣lish furniture; not the Turret of Reason, nay, not the reliques of the divine Image left free, but have (as a learned Bishop speaks) habi∣tatorem * 1.1 Diabolum; and it ap∣pears that a proud Devil dwells under the same roof, because men seek to be justified thereby.

2. He keeps on the Captive's Chains, he sooths up the Old Man, as if there were no such thing as a New-creature, and flat∣ters the earthly Members as if there were no such place as Heaven; he blows up the miserable Captive into proud reflexes, as if he had Reason enough to span all My∣steries, and Will enough to teem all Gra∣ces out of the dead Womb of Nature. He stands at the right hand of Original Cor∣ruption, brooding and fly-blowing cor∣rupt Nature into Concupiscences, Concu∣piscences into Acts, Acts by iteration into Habits and Customs, which are a second corrupt Nature; and all this while he keeps the House in peace, that the Captive may sleep on in his Chains. And if the Chains rattle too much in crying Scandals, he lines them with some Moralities; If legal Con∣victions make them too hot, he sprinkles and cools them with some presumptions of Mercy; if they be weighty and pressing upon Conscience, he lightens them with some forms of Godliness; if after all this the Captive will yet awake, he shall (if Satan can do it) Dives-like open his Eyes in Torments, and Desperation shall swal∣low him up for ever. He works all man∣ner of ways in Men, that he may keep on

their Chains, and add one link of filth and guilt to another.

3. He keeps the Captive (as much as in him lies) within the Walls of the Prison. Oh! what serpentine Windings! what cir∣cumventing Methods! what untraceable Depths! What lying Promises! what shews of Happiness doth he use to keep them there! He is well content to allow the Ambitious one his Pinacles of Honour, the Covetous his Bags of Mammon, the Voluptuous his Paradise of carnal plea∣sures, the Curious his fine-spun Cob∣webs of School-notions, every Captive his peceatum in deliciis, his beloved Corrup∣tion, so as they will but stay where they are, in a state of Wrath.

3. Having seen the Captive and Captivity, let us pass on to consi∣der the Redeemer; and here I would first premise that no Creature could re∣deem us out of this Captivity. Sin is an infinite evil, objectively infinite; 'tis a fighting against an infinite Majesty, a striving against infinite Sovereignty, an enmity to infinite Holiness, a provocation to infinite Justice, a Deicidium, a striking at the very Life and Being of God; God hath no other Opposite but Sin, and were

it possible that the least drop of it could get into him, he would instantly cease to be God; and now where shall God have satisfaction for such an evil as this? Shall the Brutal World be a Sacrifice for the Rational? Alas! the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin. Can the Cap∣tive do ought in it? Can he wear off his Chains with repentant Tears, or work them off with after-holiness? Alas! the Captive is in love with his Chains, and therefore at a vast distance from Repen∣tance and Holiness. But if he had both, doubtless those repentant Tears would be black or salt in some measure, and there∣fore want a Laver; that Holiness in com∣parison of spotless Perfection would be but as a filthy Rag, and therefore want a Co∣ver. But suppose he had such tears as are the pure Blood of a filial heart without any blackness or saltness in them, and such Holiness as is pure Linnen, fine and white without any spot in it; yet all this must be of free Grace and nothing of his own, and then how can he who sins ex proprio, satisfie ex alieno? But admit that these Graces were his own too; yet how can finite Graces satisfie for an infinite Evil? There is no proportion at all between fi∣nite

and infinite. But you'l say, Sin is in∣finite objectively, and so are Repentance and Holiness too; therefore they may sa∣tisfie for Sin. I answer; The difference is vast, for Sin is measured by the Object, and therefore being against an infinite God is in a sort infinite; but Satisfaction is mea∣sured by the Subject, and therefore Re∣pentance and Holiness being subjectively finite cannot satisfie for Sin. But you'l yet reply, These Graces flow from an in∣finite Spirit, and therefore may satisfie for Sin. I answer; This is the grand dispro∣portion between those works which Christ works for us as a Surety, and those works which the Spirit works in us as a Sancti∣fier: In the first there is God and Man in one Person, and therefore they are of an infinite Dignity; but not so in the second, and therefore they are but of a finite Va∣lue. The forlorn Captive can by no means help himself, and what shall he do? Shall he pray in aid of the holy Angels? But O! what trembling fits would there be in them? What paleness in the Cherubims at such a task? But suppose they could all be induced to become a Sacrifice for us, would the holy One open his Eyes upon such a Satisfaction? But if he did,

what would become of them? How soon would our Debts empty all their Coffers, and God's Wrath break all their backs, and who should redeem these Redeemers? Therefore every Creature must say, 'tis not in me to redeem. This premised, the Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Immanuel, the Word made Flesh, the Man God's Fellow, the great Trismegist, a Roy∣al Priest, Priestly Prophet, and Prophe∣tical King all in one; a Priest upon his Throne, a Couquerour on his Cross, a Healer by his Wounds. Oh! could we see his Glory, his Head is a Fountain of holy Oil, his Hairs woolly with Eternity, his Eyes flaming with Omniscience, his Feet brassed with invincible Power, his Robe of Righteousness as long and broad as the Law, his Girdle of Truth all of pure Gold, his Heart graven with the Names of Saints, and his tender Bowels shewing themselves through his bleeding Wounds. This is the Saviour of the World, and Redeemer of Man, this is he; and he hath a threefold Right to be so.

• 1. Jus Proprietatis, as God.
• 2. Jus Idoneitatis, as the Son of God.
• 3. Jus Conjunctionis, as Man, as a Sure∣ty for Men, and as a Head to his Church.

1. Jus Proprietatis, as God, who should redeem a Creature but the true Owner? And who is he but God the Creator? O∣vem perditam quis requirit, (says Tertullian) nonne qui per∣didit? * 1.2 Quis autem perdidit, nonne qui habuit? Quis autem habuit, nonne cujus fuit? Homo non alterius res est quàm Crea∣toris. He that is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, truly a Sa∣viour (as the Expression is, Joh. 4. 42.) must be God indeed. Should one mere Crea∣ture redeem another, he should ipso facto pluck away a Creature from his Creator, inasmuch as Redemption is a greater Tie than Creation. Now Jesus Christ, who came to redeem us, is very God, not a Metapho∣rical but the true God, 1 Joh. 5. 20. not a petty, but the great God, Tit. 2. 13. not an under subordinate God, but over all God blessed for ever, Rom. 9. 5. not a God by of∣fice, but a Jehovah, Jer. 23. 6. a God by nature; though not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as to his Sub∣sistence, yet 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as to his Essence. Gods name is in him, Exod. 23. 21. One great Letter of that Name is Eternity, and his going forth was from everlasting, Mic. 5. 2. another is Immutability, and he is ye∣sterday, to day and for ever the same, Heb. 13. 8. another is Omniscience, and he knoweth

all things, Joh. 21. 17. another is Omnipo∣tence, and he hath all the power in heaven and earth, Matth. 28. 18. another is Im∣mortality, and he hath life in himself, Joh. 5. 26. another is Immensity, and he whilest on earth was in heaven, Joh. 3. 13. and though long since ascended to heaven, is still on earth, Matth. 28. 20. All these golden Letters are graven on the God∣head, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him, Col. 2. 9. all these shed forth a divine Glory and Ma∣jesty, & he is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the bright∣ness of divine glory, Heb. 1. 3. and what need we any more witnesses of his Deity? His Name is wonderful, Isai. 9. 6. far above all Creatures; his Generation is unutterable, being 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the proper Son of the Father, Rom. 8. 32. not as Creatures made ex nihilo, but as a proper Son begotten out of his ve∣ry Substance; his standing is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the essential form of God, the very divine nature, Phil. 2. 6. and his special Ubi there is the Fathers bosom, Joh. 1. 18. and from thence together with him he breathes forth the holy Ghost. His Works are divine and all one with the Fathers, Joh. 5. 19. He sat in counsel with him in framing his Eternal Decrees, and since wrought with him in

making first a World of Creatures and then a Church of Saints; and still he works with him in the preservation and guberna∣tion of both. Lastly, his two Testaments (which face each other as the Cherubims upon the Ark) by their sweet glances and respective aspects upon each other do dis∣close his Deity. For in the Old Testa∣ment 'tis said, that Jehovah brought Israel out of Egypt, Exod. 20. 2. in the New Te∣stament 'tis said, that Christ did it, Jude 4. and 5. Ver. in the Old Jehovah circumcises the heart, Deut. 30. 6. in the New Christ doth it, Col. 2. 11. in the Old Jehovah pour∣ed out the Spirit, Joel 2. 28. in the New Christ, Acts 2. 33. in the Old every knee bowes to Jehovah, Isai. 45. 23. in the New to Christ, Rom. 14. 11. in the Old miracles were done in Jehovah's Name, 2 Kings 2. 21. in the New in Christ's, Acts 9. 34. in the Old Jehovah is the first and the last, Isai. 44. 6. in the New Christ is Alpha and Ome∣ga, Revel. 1. 11. in the Old there is Deus absconditus, Isai. 45. 15. in the New Deus manifestatus in carne, 1 Tim. 3. 16. All which do most pregnantly prove the Deity of Christ unto us. Nevertheless proud Rea∣son will be babling, How can the Father beget the Son ex propriâ Substantiâ? Can

any part of the Divine Essence be discind∣ed in such a Generation? Or if not, can the whole be given to the Son? And if so, how is it retained to the Father? I an∣swer; The Father gave unto the Son the whole Essence, non alienatione sed commu∣nicatione, non generatione emanante, sed immanente; the Father so begets the Son, as that he still possesses him, Prov. 8. 22. the Son so goes forth from the Father as that he still abides in him; his eternal egress, Micah 5. 2. is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, not by defluxi∣on, but immansion, I am in the Father and the Father in me, saith Christ, Joh. 14. 10. Indeed if we speak accurately, the Fa∣ther begets the Son out of himself rather in Essentiâ divinâ, than ex essentiâ divinâ. Hence the entire Essence is in the Father; and the entire Essence is in the Son too; and what if it could not be thus in a finite Essence? yet why may it not be so in an infinite? What if Reason cannot fathom it? must therefore Faith reject it? I con∣clude then, that Christ is very God, and as God hath a right to redeem us his Crea∣tures.

2. Jus Idoneitatis, as the Son of God, he was most fit to be our Redeemer; what can be more perfectly congruous than Re∣conciliation

by God's beloved one, Ad∣option by his Natural Son, Reparation of his gracious Image by his substantial, a shine of Favour by the brightness of his Glory, beams of Light by his Wisdom, Restitution of Life by the Prince of Life, and Mediation between God and Man by the middle Person in the sacred Trinity? There be three great goings forth of God, into which all others may be resolved; the first is that fundamental one of Creation, and upon Sins Entry, which is but an A∣postasie from Creation, in comes the se∣cond, viz. Redemption, and out of this as out of a Fountain flows the third, and that is Sanctification; these hang in order one upon another. Unless there had been a Creature, and that Apostate, there had been no place for Redemption; and un∣less there had been a Redemption, there had been no room for Sanctification; for God would never have reimplanted his Image of Holiness in a Creature left under the eternal stroke of his Justice, nor have plucked away the spot of Sin there, where the guilt of Sin is left behind. Now al∣beit it is a most sure Rule, that Opera Tri∣nitatis ad extrà sunt indivisa, yet among Divines Creation is in a sort peculiarized

to the Father as the first, Redemption to the Son as the second, and Sanctification to the Spirit as the third Person in the Glo∣rious Trinity. Thus in these three goings forth of God, each person in the Trinity hath his special Shine, and that in the ve∣ry Order of his Subsistence; wherefore it was very congruous that the Son, of all the Persons in the Trinity, should be out Redeemer.

3. Jus Conjunctionis; he that redeems a Captive must be Persona conjunct a with him, and so was Christ with us in a three∣fold respect.

1. Conjunctione naturali, he was our Goel, Isai. 59. 20. that is, our next kinsman by his Incarnation, and our Redeemer by his Passion; he assumed our Nature in∣to himself that he might redeem us; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was made 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the great God a sucking Child; regens Sydera, yet sugens Ubera, he that ruled the Stars sucked the Breasts. The word was made flesh, Joh. 1. 14. and a strange making it was; all other Creations are (as it were) extra Deum, but here was a Creation in the very person of God. The glorious Trinity in the very in∣stant of drawing the Humane Nature ex¦nihilo interweaved it with the Person of

the Son, so that it never was any where but there; all other Creations stand un∣der the Roof of Providence and Preser∣vation, but here the Humane Nature is an Inmate in the very same Person with the Divine: all other Creatures have their proper sutable seats and Ubi's in the Sphere of Nature, but here's the Sackcloth of an Humane Body cast upon, and the Rush∣candle of a Reasonable soul lighted up in the Sun it self. The glorious Son of God espoused Flesh and Blood, and the Bride∣chamber (where the knot was tied) was the Virgins Womb; there was he made of a Woman, consubstantial with us as to his Humanity, who was consubstantial with the Father as to his Divinity. O how great is this Mystery, God manifest in the flesh! O Domine! quàm ad∣mirabile nomen tuum! non * 1.3 modò mundi hujus staturam admiror, non stabilitatem Terrae, non Lunae defectum & incrementum, non Solem semper integrum & laborem ejus perpetuum: Miror Deum in utero Virginis, miror Omnipoten∣tem in cunabulis, miror quomodo Verbo Dei caro adhaeserit, quomodo incorporeus Deus corporis nostri tegumentum induerit; in cae∣teris aliquae satisfaciant rationes, hîc solus

me complectitur stupor. God never came so near to us as in this wonderful Con∣junction. In the Creatures we see God above us, in the Law we see God against us; but here we see Immanuel, God with us: he is one with us by a natural Con∣junction, but that's not all; for being in our Nature he became one with us

2. Conjunctione Legali, he was our Spon∣sor or Surety, and so in Law one person with us; his Stile is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Surety of the covenant, Heb. 7. 22. and the Cove∣nant being mutual on both parts, from God to Man and from Man to God, he is in both respects a Surety of it; a Surety on God's part that his Promises should be performed to us, and a Surety on our parts that our Debts should be paid to God. We were double Debtors to God; as Rational Creatures we owed perfect Obedience, and as Sinful Creatures we owed eternal Sufferings; the first is a debt to God's Holiness, and the second to his Justice. Now Jesus Christ was our Surety for both, a Surety to fulfil all Righteousness for us, and the Fidejussorial Bond which he gave for this was his Circumcision; for he had no sinful flesh to be cut off, but would be∣come a debtor to the whole Law for us; and

in Circumcision he signed security for it with his own Blood: and also a Surety to take our Sins on him. Hence the Righte∣ous God (who cannot but judge accord∣ing to truth) charged our iniquities upon him, Isai. 53. 6. and he as our Surety ac∣cepted the charge, and those words, my sins are not hid from thee, Psal. 69. 5. are (as St. Jorom thinks) spoken ex personâ Christi, for he was though not commissor, yet sus∣ceptor delictorum; our Flesh and Blood was taken into his Divine Person, and our Sins (which could by no means enter in there) were yet cast upon him, and being cast upon him, God exacted satisfacti∣on of him, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 it was exacted and he answered, Isai. 53. 7. Satisfaction was exacted from him as our Surety, and he answered for us; and what was his An∣swer? Why, I'le lay down my Life, I'le pour out my Soul, saith he; let all the Wrath due to those Sins be squeezed into one Cup and I'le drink it up to the bot∣tom; let the Fire of God's Anger drop down from Heaven, and I'le be the Pa∣schal Lamb roasted in it. Thus Jesus Christ was a Surety, nay, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the noblest of Sureties, putting his Soul in our Souls stead, to bear our Sins and God's Wrath; and

for this very purpose was he one with us in Nature that he might be one with us in Law too. But neither is this all, for both these Conjunctions are crowned with a third, and so he is one with us

3. Conjunctione Mysticâ, Christ is the Head, and the Church is the Body, and both together make up one mystical Christ, 1 Cor. 12. 12. the Head in Heaven, and the Body on Earth; and the spiritual Conti∣nuity between both is one and the same holy Spirit, which is on the Head without measure, and on the Members according to measure. If the Jew ask us where is Christ? we can truly answer, He is at the right hand of God in Heaven; and on Earth, loc here is Christ and there is Christ living and breathing in his Saints; every Saint is a piece of him, and all together are his fulness, Eph. 1. 23. so that he doth not count himself complete without them. This Conjunction is so near and full of spiritual Sense, that a poor Member can∣not suffer on Earth, but instantly the Head in Heaven cries out of Persecution, Acts 9. 4. and even the suffering Member reckons himself sitting in Heaven, as long as his Head is there, Eph. 2. 6.

Thus our Redeemer comes very near

unto us in a threefold Conjunction, and in each Conjunction there is a rare Conde∣scention. In the first he came down into our Natures by a stupendious Incarnation, in the second he came down into our Hell by a Fidejussorial Passion, in the third he comes down into our Hearts by the Spirits Inhabitation; the first opens a way to the second, the second is the purchase of the third, and the third, as in design, was a Motive to, and, as in existence, is a Crown upon the Work of Redemption.

4. Having considered the Redeemer, I pass on to the Price; and here I shall re∣duce all to three Questions.

• 1. What this Price is?
• 2. What manner of Price it is?
• 3. For whom it was paid?

1. What this Price is? and this is the Humane Nature of Christ, as subjected to the Law. When the Son of God came forth to redeem us, he was made of a wo∣man, made under the Law, to redeem us that were under the Law, Gal. 4. 4, 5. Made of a Woman, there's his humane Nature; made under the Law, there's his subjection to the Law, and the End of all is our Redem∣ption: Christ through the eternal Spirit of∣fered up himself to God, Heb. 9. 14. and that

in a way fully answering the demands of the Law. The Law demanded of the Cap∣tives two things; perfect Obedience from them as rational Creatures, and penal Suf∣fering from them as sinful Creatures; and Christ gave up his Humane Nature a price both ways, in doing and in suffering; he gave himself, that is, his humane Nature for us an offering and a sacrifice, Eph. 5. 2. an Offering in his Active Obedience, and a Sacrifice in his Passive, and both these to∣gether were the entire Price of our Re∣demption.

1. Christ gave up himself in his Active Obedience. That holy thing, his humane Nature, as soon as it came out into the World, fell a breathing forth of Holiness, burning with zeal for God, melting in compassions over Men, bowing it self down in miraculous humility, and in a rape of love doing all the Will of God, even to the last gasp upon the Cross. His thoughts were all births of Holiness, his words o∣racles of Truth, his works a fulfilling all Righteousness, and his meat and drink was to do his Father's Will: He ascended up to the top or pinacle of the Moral Law in the sweetest strains of Love, and fetched about the breadth or vast compass of it in

the largeness of his Obedience, and pass∣ed down to the very hemm or border of it in the lowness of his Humility. Rather than fail, he would be subject to his own Creature, Luk. 2. 51. pay tribute to his own Subject, Matth. 17. 27. and wash his Disciples feet with those very hands which had all the power in Heaven and Earth in them, Joh. 13. 3, 4, 5. Nay, he stooped down as low as the fringe of the Ceremo∣nial Law; his sinless flesh was circumcised, Luke 2. 21. his holy Mother purified, Luk. 2. 22. the true Passeover kept the typical one, Matth. 26. 20, 21. and so obedienti∣ally stood under his own shadow. In eve∣ry respect he was obedient unto death: His Obedience was a fair Commentary on the whole Law, written in glorious Cha∣racters of Holiness and Righteousness all his life long, and at his death clasped and sealed up with his precious Blood. Thus the Mandatory part of the Law was an∣swered; now for the Minatory.

2. He gave up himself in his passive o∣bedience, he was in some sence crucifyed in the womb, in that he was made of his creature; and coming forth into the world, all his life was a perpetual passion. The Gospel shews us the immense God in

swadling clouts, the builder of all things working as a Carpenter, the holy one hurried up and down by a tempting De∣vil, the filler of all things hungry, the fountain of living water thirsty, the power of God weary, the eternal joy of the Fa∣ther weeping, the owner of all things ex∣treme poor; and not knowing where to lay his head in his own world. Thus as a man of sorrows he passes on towards his Cross; one of his own Apostles betray∣ing him, another denying him, the rest forsaking him, the chief Priests bloodily conspiring against him, false witnesses un∣justly accusing him, the tumultuous rabble crying out, crucify, crucify, and Pilate first confessing his innocency, and then condemning his person. And now arriving at his Cross, sorrows break in upon every part, his head raked with thorns, his face besmeared with spittle, his eyes af∣flicted with the tears of friends, his ears filled with the blasphemies of enemies, his lips of grace wet with vinegar and gall, his hands and feet nailed to the Cross, and his sacred body hanging be∣tween thieves, racked and tortured to death in a Golgotha of stench and rotten∣ness. But all this is but the outside of his

passion; at the same time hell was let loose, and from thence the Devils as so many roaring Lyons came with open mouth to devour him, and (which is much more) Heaven thundred over his head, and the righteous God, as angry as our sins could make him, fell a smiting of him, Isai. 53. 4. and smote him in his Soul too, verse 10. and with smiting wounded and bruised him, verse 5. the smart and anguish where∣of was so great that he was afraid, Hebr: 5. 7. and his fear was so high, that he be∣gan 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to faint away, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to be sore amazed, Mark 14. 33. and in this amazement, the Eclipse was so dark, that he was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 surrounded with sorrows even unto death, verse 34. and in this spiritual Siege, he falls a praying, Father if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt, Matth. 26. 39. and in prayer he sinks into an agnony. His soul became like that poor ship, that fell into a place where two seas met, the fore-part sticking fast, and remaining unmoveable, and the hinder∣part broken with the violence of the waves, Acts 27. 41. Even so here were two seas met, a sea of wrath storming a∣gainst him as our Surety, and a sea of love

breathing in him after our Redemption: His humane will as nature shrunk at the sense of Gods wrath, but as reason it sted∣fastly pointed at the work of our Salva∣tion. Redemption stood fast and unmove∣able in his heart, yet the same heart (though without the least spot of sinful contrariety) was broken with the waves of amazing horrors, and so dreadful was this agony, that it cast this grand Heroe (the strength of all the Martyrs) into a bloody sweat, there fell from him great drops of blood, Luke 22. 44. The sins of the world ascending up as a vast cloud be∣fore Gods Tribunal, now came dashing down upon him in an horrible tempest of incomprehensible wrath, and this makes him cry, nay (as the Psalmist hath it Psal. 22. 1.) roar out upon the Cross, My God! my God! Why hast thou forsaken me? Mat. 27. 46. One would have thought at the first blush, that the humane nature had been dropt out of his divine person; but though that were not, yet the sense of Gods favour was for a time suspended from his humane nature. Never was sorrow like to his sorrow. In all the legal sacrifices there was destructio rei ob∣latae, and all those destructions were sum∣med

up in his sufferings. As the corn he was bruised, as the wine and oil poured out, as the Lamb slain and rosted in the fire of Gods wrath, and as the scape-goat dri∣ven into the dismal wilderness of desertion. He did as it were sport in Creation▪ but in Redemption he sweats, suffers, bleeds and dyes.

Now his humane nature thus made un∣der the Law, both in his active and pas∣sive obedience, is the complete and inte∣gral price of our Redemption; I say, both in his active and passive obedience, for these were not sundred either in existence or merit.

1. Not in existence; for there was pas∣sion in his actions, and action in his pas∣sions: from first to last, his obedience was with suffering, and his suffering with obedience. There was passion in his acti∣ons; 'twas a great suffering for the great Law-giver to be under the Law, for the Lord of the Sabbath to observe it. The noblest and purest piece of the Law is the knowing and loving of God, and yet e∣ven in that there was a great suffering; for he who eternally knew the Father in an infinity of light, now knew him as it were by candle-light in a finite reason;

he who eternally embraced the Father in an infinity of love, now loved him in the narrow compass of a finite will; and there∣fore even in these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 he emptied himself as the Apostle speaks, Phil. 2. 7. And on the other side, there was action in his passion; his passions were with knowledge, he shut not his eyes when he drunk off the cup of wrath; his passions were free-will offerings, Loe I come, saith he, to do thy will O God, Hebr. 10. 7. Gods will was, that he should suffer, and his will runs before, and as it it were antici∣pates his sufferings, Loe, I come: nay, in his passage he breaks out 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, How am I straitned till it be accomplish∣ed? Luke 12. 50. He was as it were in pangs of forward obedience to be bap∣tized in his own blood, and posted on to∣wards an agony of wrath in an agony of love; and when he arrived at his extre∣mest sufferings, his signal willingness turn∣ed his suffering into doing, and his Cross into a triumphant Chariot, he triumphed in it, saith the Apostle, Col. 2. 15. even there his obedience and love rode in tri∣umph; triumphant obedience spread out his hands upon the Cross, and trium∣phant love opened his naked heart to the

wrath of God. His Soul was not snatched away but poured out, Isai. 53. 12. his life was not meerly taken away, but laid down, Joh. 10. 18. He was willing to be forsaken of God himself for a time, that thereby he might fulfil the will of God; and before the fire of Gods wrath could fall on him, he was all in a flame with his own love. Thus the active and passive obedience of Christ were not severed in their existence; but like his seamless coat were interwoven from the top throughout even to his last gasp upon the Cross.

2. Neither were these severed in merit; Christ is not so to be divided as if his suf∣ferings apart by themselves were the price of Remission, and his righteousness apart by it self the price of Glory. If the active obedience of Christ apart make us per∣fectly righteous, where is the glory of the passive? if the passive obedience of Christ apart purchase all for us, where is the glory of the active? But if both toge∣ther make up the total sum, the glory of both is preserved. Our Redeemer was made under the Law that he might re∣deem us; now as he was under the whole Law as to the command, and as to the curse of it, so his active and passive obe∣dience

adequately answering both, is the entire price of our Redemption.

But here I am obviated by 2 Objections.

1. Saith the Socinian, there is no price at all.

2. Say some of our Divines, the pas∣sive obedience of Christ is all the price▪ and the active no part at all of it.

As to the first, I shall not need spend many words about it, because the Scri∣pture is so pregnant in it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ye are bought with a price saith S. Paul, 1 Cor. 6. 20. and this price (as S. Peter tells us) is not corruptible things as Silver and Gold, but the precious blood of Christ, 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19. a transcendent price able to purchase as much, nay far more in the spiritual world, than silver and gold can in the material; and 'tis not meerly a price of emption, but of Redemption: Christ gave his life, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a price of Redemption, Matth. 20. 28. and which is more em∣phatical, he gave himself 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a counterprice of Redemption, 1 Tim. 2. 6. doing and suffering in the room of poor captives; and this price was paid into the right hand, viz. into Gods, Eph. 5. 2. and hence issues out, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 proper Redemption, the prison doors are opened▪

and the poor captives may go out 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 free indeed, John 8. 36. That then there is a price is as clear in Scripture, as if it were written with a Sun-beam; But yet the Socinian shuts his eyes, and cryes out, all is but a Metaphor. God redeemed (saith he) Israel * 1.4 out of Egypt, and Moses is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Acts 7. 35. and yet there was no price at all paid. But alas! that ever such vain consequences should drop from the masters of Reason; Redemption in some Scriptures is metaphorical, therefore 'tis so in all; Moses was but a naked deliverer, therefore Christ is not a proper Redeemer; Moses's Redemption was a Redemption by power only, therefore Chists Redemption is no Redemption by price; Redemption out of the hands of an unjust Pharaoh was without price, therefore Redemption out of the hands of a righteous God was so too. But on the other side how cogent is the ar∣gument? If Moses paying down no price was but a naked deliverer, then Christ paying down one was a proper Redeem∣er. If I believe that to be but a Meta∣phorical Redemption, because the Scrip∣tures speak of no Price paid for the same; pari ratione I must believe this to be a

proper Redemption, because the Scriptures tell us of a Price. If there must be Power to redeem a Captive from humane Oppres∣sion, surely theremust be a Price to re∣deem him from divine Justice. We were all as Captives locked up under the Curse of the Law and Wrath of God, and Christ was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, both a Re∣deemer and a Ransom for us: Wherefore concluding that there was a Price, I pass on.

2. As to the second Objection, I con∣ceive that the Active and Passive Obedi∣ence of Christ do both together make up the perfect Price of our Redemption; I say, both together. The Active is part of the Sum: And this I shall demonstrate

1. In general by those Scriptures which set out the Managery of Redemption. Long before our Saviour Christ came about it, the Father calls him his servant, Isai. 42. 1. and one part of his service was his Active Obedience; and just at his entrance into the World he expresses himself, Loe I come to do thy will, O God, Heb. 10. 7. He came in his Incarnation, his errand was Redem∣ption, and the way to compass it was by do∣ing God's Will, and that he did partly in his Active Obedience; being come, his state was subjection, he was made under the Law

to redeem us, Gal. 4. 4, 5. His humane Na∣ture was so far a Price as 'twas made under the Law in part as to his Active Obedi∣ence; this being his state, his ear was bored, Psal. 40. 6. which the Apostle renders, a body was prepared, Heb. 10. 5. His humane Nature was (as I may so say) all Ear to the Commands of God, among which one was that he should fulfil Active Obedience; this Obedience he fulfilled all along even unto Death, nay, and in Death: and by this entire Obedience accomplished in doing and suffering we are made righteous, Rom. 5. 19. and so righteous, that the righteous∣ness of the Law is fulfilled in us, Rom. 8. 4. and so fulfilled, that the Law hath its end, Rom. 10. 4. and this so accurately, that one jot or tittle doth not pass from the Law but all is fulfilled, Matth. 5. 18. In all which series of Scriptures his Active Obedience concurrs as part of the Price.

2. In particular, I evince this Truth by three Reasons.

1. Because he fulfilled his Active Obe∣dience not merely for himself, but main∣ly for us; he was our Surety, and so re∣ceived the Obligation of Obedience on himself. Hence he would be baptized, be∣cause it was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it became him to fulfil

all righteousness, Mat. 3. 15. it became him, not as for himself, for he was the spotless Lamb, and needed no Baptism at all, he could baptize with the holy Ghost, and needed no Water-baptism; but it became him as our Surety, to be subject to Gods command even in this. And so in all o∣ther his Active Obedience: For the imple∣tion of the Law was by God translated upon him: What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God send∣ing his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, Rom. 8. 3, 4. Here all the Obligations of the Law are cast upon Christ as our Surety; we could not satisfie for our sins, Christ did it; we could not fulfil Righte∣ousness, Christ did it. But you'l say, this place only concerns his Passive Obedi∣ence; for it speaks of condemning Sin, and that was done in his Passive only. I an∣swer, that this place extends to all Christs Obedience, Active as well as Passive, and this seems clear by the first and last part of the words compared together: the first are, What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh; and what was that? Could it not curse the Sinner?

Yes undoubtedly; And here the flesh, that is, Sin was the strength of the Law; but for want of perfect Obedience, it could not give life, Gal. 3. 21. and here the flesh, that is, Sin was the weakness of the Law. Now Christ (the Power of God) came to supply this weakness: but how doth he do it? The latter words tell us, Sin was condemned in his flesh, that is, his humane Nature; and it was condemned there not only by his Passive Obedience, but by his Active too. Every Act thereof did as it were sit in judgment on Sin; even as eve∣ry knock of Noah on the Ark condemned the old World: Sin was so condemned, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us, the Law hath its rightful demands, one whereof is perfect Obedience; the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us, that is, for us, in our stead and room: Wherefore Christ's Active O∣bedience being fidejussorial and on our behalf, must needs be part of the Price. But you'l say, Christ's Active Obedience was not fidejussorial, for it was the debt of his humane Nature, as a rational Creature; and therefore being due as for himself, it could not be paid down as for us. I an∣swer, that Christ's humane Nature was but a

Creature, and so its Will could not possibly be supreme, but indispensably subject to the Will of God; yet nevertheless his Active Obedience was paid down for us, and was part of the Price; and this will appear if we view it in these four particulars.

1. As to the Spring of it, 'twas free∣dom, his humane Nature was necessarily subject to the Will of God, but it was free∣ly assumed into the Person of God; Christ as Man was bound to the Law, but as God was not bound to become Man. As he freely took a Body with its circumscriptive dimensions, so he freely took a Soul with those legal Obligations, which are as it were the moral Circumscriptions of it; he freely assumed the Humanity, and with it all incident Duty.

2. As to the Circumstances of it, 'twas unobliged. Christ was bound by the Law as Man; but he was not bound to perform it in such a debased manner, for such a space of Time, in such a place as Earth, unless as our Surety; for he might have carried up the humane Nature in∣to Heaven in the first instant of its As∣sumption.

3. As to the end of it, 'twas for us, it points at the same end with the humane

Nature to which it was incident: As he was made Man for us; to us a Son is born, Isai. 1. 9. 6. so his Active Obedience was for us. Hence the Apostle joins both these together; he was made of a woman, made under the Law, and then superadds as the end common to both, that he might re∣deem us, Gal. 4. 4, 5.

4. As to the Value of it 'twas infinite; a finite Righteousness may serve for its single performer, but Christ's Righteous∣ness stamped with his Deity amounts to an infinite Sum, enough for himself and a World besides. Hence the very same Righteousness is Christ's, Rom. 5. 18. and ours too, 1 Cor. 1. 30. St. Bernard sweetly expresses it. Domine, memo∣rabor Justitiae tuae solius ipsa * 1.5 est enim & mea, nempe fa∣ctus es mihi tu justitia à Deo; nunquid mi∣hi verendum, nè non una ambobus sufficiat? Non est pallium breve, quod non possit ope∣rire duos; Justitia tua in aeternum, me & te pariter operiet, quia largiter larga & ae∣terna Justitia. To sum up all in one word; though Christ as Man were under the Law, yet his active Obedience performed in an humane Nature freely assumed, and in a way as to that Nature unobliged period∣ing

in our Redemption, and elevated into a kind of Infinity by his Deity, was paid down for us, and was part of the Price.

2. Because Christ's whole Obedience, Active as well as Passive, being fulfilled for us makes us righteous before God: fa∣mous is that place, Rom. 5. 19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. But you'l say, the Passive O∣bedience is only meant there; but if so, why doth the Apostle oppose it to Adam's Actual Disobedience? and why doth he say Obedience in general? and when he says so, who may pare off ought, and say, it was not all but some? Why doth he call it Christ's righteous∣ness, Ver. 18? and where are his Sufferings alone so stiled in Scripture? or what is so properly such as his Active O∣bedience? Nay further, he speaks of such a Righteousness as brings justification of life, Ver. 18. The Promise of life was, Do this and live, and Christ's Active Obedi∣ence fully answered the terms of it; where∣fore Christ's Active Obedience is within this Text, and jointly with the Passive makes us righteous, and consequently is part of the Price. But here it will be ob∣jected,

That if Christ obeyed the Law for us, so as to make us righteous, then we need not obey it in our own Persons: To which I answer two things.

1. This Argument presses as much up∣on those that are for his Passive Obedi∣ence only, as upon those that are for his Active also; for they assert that the Pas∣sive alone purges away all sin, as well of Omission as Commission, and consequent∣ly makes us as Righteous before God, as if we had done all and omitted nothing; and then by their Principles, what need we obey in our own persons? But

2. That Christ obeyed for us, and there∣fore we need not obey, is as vain a Con∣sequence as to say, Christ died for us, and therefore we should not die. But the dif∣ferent Ends reconcile all: Christ died that there might be Satisfaction for Sin as to the Guilt of it, and we die that there may be a Destruction of Sin as to the Be∣ing of it: Also Christ obeyed that our Justification might be effected, and we o∣bey that our Sanctification may be pro∣moted; Christ obeyed that we might reign in life, and we obey that we may be more and more meet for it. Nay, Christ obeyed that we might obey; for one fruit

of Redemption was, that we might be a peculiar people zealous of good works, Tit. 2. 14. and we obey that his Obedience may not be in vain as to us; for he is the author of eternal redemption to them that obey him, Heb. 5. 9. Hence it appears that Christ's Obedience and ours may as well consist together as Justification and Sanctification, Life and the way to it, Redemption and the fruit thereof.

3. Because the Price of our Redempti∣on is a thing of superexcellent fulness and superimaginable glory, redeeming Cap∣tives in a way completive and perfective of the Law broken by them. Do we make void the Law by Faith, or by its Object our Redeemer and Redemption? Nay, we establish the Law, Rom. 3. 31. When Man was in Innocency, the Royal Law sate in Glory commanding upon its Throne, hold∣ing forth in its right hand a Crown of Life in the Promise, and in its left a Sword of Vengeance in the Threatning: But when Monstrous Sin entred into the World, the very Throne of the Law seemed to shake, and the Crown in its right hand to wi∣ther, only the Sword was glittering and fiery in the left, the Minatory part of the Law stood fast captivating and cursing the

Sinner; but the Mandatory and Promis∣sory parts thereof fell a trembling and staggering, as if their natural and prima∣ry End, viz. perfect Obedience and all the ensuing Bliss were utterly lost. Now Je∣sus Christ our wonderful Redeemer re∣deemed us in such a way as that he esta∣blished the Law in every respect; by his Active Obedience he fastened and new∣pinned the very Throne of the Law, and made the old Promise to bud again with Life; and in his Passive Obedience the fiery Sword of God's wrath did awake a∣gainst him, Zach. 13. 7. and smote and wounded him for our iniquities; he paid down his humane Nature in doing and suffering, and what could the Law desire of him more? Thus Jesus Christ became the end, the fulness, the perfection of the Law, Rom. 10. 4. But if the Passive Obe∣dience of Christ be only the Price, then indeed the Curse or Wrath, which is in the left hand of the Law, and which comes accidentally by sin, is satisfied: But where is the primary and natural end of the Law? Where is that perfect Obedience which is in the right hand and right eye of the Law? You'l say, 'tis in the Person of Christ our Redeemer: But how is it there? the A∣postle

says, that Christ is the end of the Law to the believer; now if it be there only personally as for himself, then as to that he is the end of the Law only for himself; but if it be there also fide jussori∣ally as for us, then 'tis part of the Price, and so he is the end of the Law to us al∣so. But you'l reply, that though Christ's Active Obedience be no part of the Price, yet his Passive suffices; for that takes a∣way Sin and Death from us, and Sin being removed, Righteousness follows, and Death being removed, Life follows; and so the Law hath its end. I answer; I might deny these consequences, for Adam in In∣nocency was free from Sin and Death, yet in that state had neither all the Righte∣ousness performable, nor all the Life at∣tainable by him. But if I admit, that upon the remotion of Sin and Death Righ∣teousness and Life do follow, yet these may follow from Christ's whole Obedi∣ence as their total Principle, and not only from the Passive. If they follow from the Passive only, the Glory of Redemption is much darkned; for who sees not that the Law is not, nor cannot be so com∣pletely accomplished by the mere Suffer∣ings of Christ, as if over and besides those

he also performed perfect Obedience for us? Who sees not more Glory shining out when perfect Righteousness is a part of the Price, than if it be only an effect thereof issuing by consequential result∣ance from the remotion of Sin? Where∣fore the Messiah is set out to us in the Pro∣phet not only as making an end of sin, but as bringing in everlasting righteousness, Dan. 9. 24. and in the Evangelist, not only as giving his life, but as fulfilling all righte∣ousness, Matth. 3. 15. and in the Apostle, not only as made sin, but as made righte∣ousness too, 1 Cor. 1. 30. and thus the Law hath its perfect accomplishment by our Redeemer. Wherefore concluding that the humane Nature of Christ paid down in his Active and Passive Obedience is the entire and integral price of our Re∣demption, I pass on to the second Quaere,

2. What manner of Price this is? and this I shall open in three things.

• 1. 'Tis a Price Redemptive from Evil.
• 2. 'Tis a Price Procurative of Good.
• 3. 'Tis a Price Sufficient for both.

1. 'Tis a Price Redemptive from Evil, even from all the evils of our Captivity, viz. the Chains of Sin, the bloody Jaylor Satan, and the Prison of Wrath; our

great Redeemer by laying down this price hath hroke off our Chains, vanquished the Jaylor, and opened the Prison-doors for us; only here is an observable difference: for

1. As to the Guilt of Sin and the Wrath of God this Price is redemptive in a more immediate way by it self.

2. As to the stain of Sin, the power of Sin, and the tyranny of Satan, this Price is redemptive in a consequential way by procuring the holy Spirit for us.

1. This Price is Redemptive from the Guilt of Sin and Wrath of God; and this in a more immediate way by it self. Now albeit the entire Price concurr herein, yet because as to this there is a special relucen∣cy in some parts thereof, I shall only insist on five things, viz.

• 1. Our Sins were laid upon Christ.
• 2. He suffered the same punishment (for the main) that was due for these Sins.
• 3. He suffered it in our stead.
• 4. Suffering in our stead, he satisfied God's Vindictive Justice and Minatory Law.
• 5. These satisfied, God is reconciled.

1. Our sins were laid upon Christ. Whilest the Chains are upon the Captive, Captivity is unavoidable; whilest Sin is

on the Sinner, Redemption is impossible; God therefore gave Sin a remove from its proper Ubi, I will remove iniquity in one day, saith he, Zech. 3. 9. that is, in the day of the Messiah, Ver. 8. But how far will he remove it? The Psalmist tells us, as far as the East is from the West, Psal. 103. 12. and so he did, he removed it from us, who were in occasu Adami, as far as Christ, who is oriens Sol Justitiae; by this remove all our sins met upon him, as the Prophet speaks, Isai. 53. 6. Never such a concourse of Sins as here, Sins of all weights, Pence and Ta∣lents; Sins of all magnitudes, Gnats and Camels; Sins of various degrees, Frailties and Presumptions; Sins of vast distances as far remote in place as the parts and quarters of the Earth, and in time as the Morning and Evening of the World met all together upon him; he is the Lamb of God that takes or bears away the sin of the world, Joh. 1. 29. he saith not Sins, but Sin; because all the Sins of the World were as it were made up into one burthen, and so laid upon him. Sins past were present to him; for there was a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Transmissi∣on of them unto him, Rom. 3. 25. there was indeed an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Remission, as to the faithful, but a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Transmission as to

the Surety; Sins future were all one to him as if already existent, all our Sins met upon him. Hence he cries out, My ini∣quities have taken hold upon me, Psal. 40. 12. My iniquities, a strange word to drop from the holy one of God; but the A∣postle clears it, God made him for us to be sin, 2 Cor. 5. 21. there was no Sin in him by Inhesion, but God made him Sin by Im∣putation; not only a Sacrifice for Sin (which yet includes that imputation) but Sin it self: the double Antithesis in the Text carries it this way; he was made that Sin he knew not, and that was Sin it self; he was made that Sin which is op∣site to Righteousness, and that was Sin it self. Hence Luther brings in the Father casting all our Sins on him with these words; Tu sis Petrus ille nega∣tor, Paulus ille persecutor, Da∣vid * 1.6 ille adulter, peccator ille in paradiso, latro ille in cruce, person a illa quae fecerit omnium hominum peccata, all our sins were imputed unto him. But you'l say, How can these things be? Can the righ∣teous God, who judges according to truth, impute Sin to his holy one? I an∣swer; As there are in the Apostle two di∣stinct Comings of Christ; in the first he

bore our sins, in the second he appears 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, without sin, Heb. 9. 28. So in his first coming he susteined two distinct persons, his own and ours: as he was in his own person, he was without sin; but as he was our Surety and susteined our per∣sons, so our Sins were imputed to him, and imputed to him according to truth, because he was such. The holy One was righteously made sin, because first he was a Surety for sinners; a World of Sins was justly cast on the innocent Lamb, because he stood in the room of a World of sinners. In eadem persona Christi (saith Luther) congrediuntur illa duo, summum & maximum peccatum, & summa & maxima justitia; this is one of the won∣ders in Theology. Reason and Philoso∣phy can shew Sin in the sinner, but the sub∣limer Gospel shews Sin on a spotless Lamb; here darkness seized upon the Sun; here the abomination of iniquity stood where it ought not; I say, where it ought not, be∣cause upon the holy place; yet withal where it ought, because of an holy Im∣putation. God can by no means clear the guilty, Exod. 34. 7. that is, the guilty remain∣ing such, therefore he first translated the guilt upon Christ, and then he justifies the ungodly through him, Rom. 4. 5. Oh the glo∣ry

of the divine Will! Its Purity cannot but hate Sin, yet its Power removes it; its Justice cannot but punish Sin, yet its Mer∣cy translates it from the Sinner to the Surety, that it may be condemned there where it was never committed, even in the flesh of Christ, Rom. 8. 3.

2. Our Sins being laid on him, he suf∣fered the same punishment (for the main) that was due to us for them; for how doth the Scripture express the punishment of Sin? 'Tis death, Gen. 2. 17. and he died for us; 'tis the second death, Rev. 20. 14. or death unto death, 2 Cor. 2. 16. and he suffer∣ed deaths, Isai. 53. 9. not the death of the Body only, but all the deaths in moriendo morieris, as far as his holy Humanity was capable thereof; 'tis wrath, Rom. 1. 18. and he was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a man set in the stroke of Gods wrath, as the Septuagint hath it, Isai. 53. 3. 'tis a curse, Deut. 27. 26. and he was made a curse, Gal. 3. 13. not only a ceremonial but a real Curse, even that which he redeems us from. Tu Christe (saith Luther) es peccatum meum & maledictum meum, seu potius ego sum peccatum tuum & maledictum tuum; 'tis hell, Psal. 9. 17. and he descended thither; though not by a local Motion, yet by an

immense Passion, his Soul travelling under the wrath of God. He began to descend into Hell, when he sweat drops of Blood, and he descended yet further into it when he cried out, My God, my God! why hast thou forsaken me? There are two Essentials of punishment in Hell, poena sensûs & poena damni, and he suffered both: when the fire of God's Wrath melted him into a bloody sweat, there was poena sensùs; and when the great Eclipse of God's Favour made him cry out of forsaking, there was poenadamni. Christ suffered the same punish∣ment (for the main) which we should have suffered; the chief change was in the Per∣son, the just suffering for the unjust, the Surety for the Sinner. But you'l say, Christ did not suffer the same punishment, for he neither suffered eternal Death, nor yet the Worm of Conscience.

As to that of eternal Death I answer by two Distinctions.

1. In eternal Death we must distinguish between the Immensity of the Sufferings and the Duration; the Immensity is es∣sential to it, but the Duration is but mor a in Esse and accidental. Christ suffered e∣ternal Death as to the Immensity of his Sufferings, though not as to the Duration

of them; he paid down the idem, as to Essentials of punishment, and the tantun∣dem as to the Accidentals; what was wanting in the Duration of his Sufferings, was more than compensated by the Digni∣ty of his Person: for it was far more for God to suffer for a moment, than for all Creatures to suffer to Eternity.

2. We must distinguish between pu∣nishment as it stands in the Law absolute∣ly, and punishment as it stands there in relation to a finite Creature, which can∣not at once admit a punishment commen∣surate to its offence; and so must ever suf∣fer, because it cannot satisfie to Eternity. Punishment as it stands in the Law abso∣lutely, is Death; punishment as it stands there in relation to a finite Creature, is e∣ternal Death: the first was really suffered by Christ, and the second could not be justly exacted of him; for he paid down the whole sum of Sufferings all at once, and so swallowed up Death in victory.

As to that of the Worm; I answer, the Worm attends not Sin imputed but Sin in∣herent, 'tis bred out of the putrefaction of Conscience, and that putrefaction is from the in-being of Sin. Now Christ being withot spot, suffered punishment

not as it follows Sin inherent, but as it fol∣lows Sin imputed; and so he suffered the same punishment (for the main) as was due to us.

3. Christ suffered this punishment in our stead, he died 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for us, Rom. 5. 8. and which is more emphatical, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in stead of many, Matth. 20. 28. the Parti∣cle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth sometimes in Scripture signi∣fie only the utility or benefit of another, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 properly imports a Subrogation or Substitution of one in the Room of an∣other; and so Christ as our Surety died in our room or stead. Hence the Apostle argues thus; If one died for all, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, then all died, 2 Cor. 5. 15. all died in the death of one, in as much as that one died as the Surety of all. Hence our Sins were condemned in his flesh, Rom. 8. 3. and so condemned there, that upon Gospel terms they are remitted to us. But unless he had stood in our room, di∣vine Justice could neither have adjudged him to punishment, nor yet have admitted us to an absolution from Sin.

4. Suffering thus in our stead, he satis∣fied both God's vindictive Justice and mi∣natory Law.

1. He satisfied God's vindictive Justice.

God is a righteous God, a God that lov∣eth righteousness and hateth iniquity; nay, he so perfectly hateth it, that his pure eyes cannot look upon it; and his righteous hands cannot but punish it, he will by no means clear the guilty, Exod. 34. 7. not un∣less his Justice be satisfied, for he is a righte∣ous judge, 2 Tim. 4. 8. so righteous, that he cannot but do right, Gen. 18. 25. his judg∣ment is righteous judgment, Rom. 3. 8. and every sin must have a righteous recompense, Heb. 2. 2. and no wonder, for Sin is an hor∣rible Ataxy, and God will not inordina∣tum dimittere; the subjection of a ratio∣nal Creature to its Creator is indispensa∣ble. God whilest God must be above, and the Creature whilest a Creature be∣low; and this dependance so far as it is broken off by Sin, must be salved up by punishment, or else God loses his domi∣nion over his Creature. This is that which the Apostle calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the righte∣ousness of God, Rom. 1. 32. and this is so naturally in him, that the very Heathens knew it by the light of Nature. The Vi∣per upon Paul's hand made the Barbari∣ans cry out of a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Acts 28. 4. Now what doth this vindictive Justice require? Not precisely that the Sinner himself

should be punished, for then Redemption should be impossible; but that the Sin should be punished, and so it was in Christ; he for our debt was cast into Prison, and paid every farthing of it. The damned in Hell pay a little and a little, and can never satisfie, but he paid down the total sum of Sufferings all at once; they are al∣ways striving with God's wrath, but he wrastled with it and prevailed: Hence in Isai. 49. Ver. 3. he is called Israel a Prince with God. His Sufferings were so satisfa∣ctory to divine Justice, that the pains of death could not hold him, Acts 2. 24. neither could the Prison of Wrath detain him, Isai. 53. 8. and all because there was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a redemption of trans∣gressions, Heb. 9. 15. that is, a compensation or satisfaction made to divine Justice for them. I go to my Father (saith he) and ye shall see me no more, Joh. 16. 10. Justice did not stop him in his passage to Heaven; neither did his Father send him back a∣gain to mend his work. You shall see me no more, no more bleeding under the burthen of Sin, no more paying down sufferings to divine Justice, for all's dis∣charged; and to assure us of it, God who received the sum, pawns Heaven and

Earth in mortgage that he will forgive our Sins without any further satisfaction, Jer. 31. 34, 35, 36. By all which it appears that Justice was fully satisfied.

But here 'twill be objected, That the inno∣cent should suffer for the nocent is unjust, & that which is such cannot satisfie Justice.

I answer; 'Tis unjust if the innocent suffer compulsorily, but not if he suffer freely; 'tis unjust if the innocent sink under his sufferings, but not if he be able to bear them; 'tis unjust if there be no good in his sufferings commensurate to the evil, but not if the evil be exceeded by the subsequent good; 'tis unjust if the in∣nocent stand in no relation to the nocent for whom he suffers, but not if he stand in relation to him. Suppose a natural re∣lation; Saul's Sons were hanged up for Saul's sins, 2 Sam. 21. 9. Suppose a politi∣cal relation; seventy thousand fall for David's sin, 2 Sam. 24. 15. which makes him cry out, Lo! I have sinned, but these sheep what have they done? Suppose a volunta∣ry relation; Sureties must pay for their Principals, and that not only in Money∣matters but in Capital punishments: thus the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 engaged life for life, which the Apostle seems to insinuate in that pas∣sage,

Peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die, Rom. 5. 7. and why then may not Christ who by all these ways is conjoin'd to us, naturally as a Man, legal∣ly as a Surety, and mystically as a Head, justly suffer for us? Especially seeing there was free Action in his Passion, victorious Strength under his Burthen, and the penal Evil crowned by such a grand Good as Redemption is, why may not he justly suffer for us? The Scriptures are positive in it, Christ died for the ungodly, Rom. 5. 6: the just for the unjust, 1 Pet. 3. 18. and one for all, 2 Cor. 5. 14. Wherefore if humane Reason will not subscribe, it fights against God himself.

2. He satisfied the Minatory Law; for this is no other than the voice of vindi∣ctive Justice uttering Death and a Curse against Sinners, and to satisfie this he died and died an accursed Death in their room. But you'l say, though he died for us, yet the Law is not satisfied, because it requires that the Sinner himself should die, thou shalt die the death, Gen. 2. 17. and cursed is he that doth not all the words of this Law, Deut. 27. 26. in which places [he and thou] relate to the person of the Sinner; and therefore though Vindictive Justice as in

it self might have been satisfied with pu∣nishing Sin in another, yet the Minatory Law (which is the voice of Justice) cannot be satisfied, unless the punishment fall on the Sinner himself; and the reason is, because in this Minatory Law the Veracity of God is engaged, which it was not be∣fore; now Justice speaks out, which it did not before, and that which it speaks must be true. For answer whereunto,

1. Some (as the Learned Grotius) say, that here was Dispensatio Legis, quâ Legis manentis obligatio circa quasdam personas tollitur: But I take it, that God's Threat∣nings are indispensably Yea and Amen as well as his Promises; for albeit God doth not dare aliquod jus creaturae in his Threat∣nings, as he doth in his Promises, yet is he debitor sibi-ipsi in both, and not one jot or tittle of either can fail, because of his infinite Veracity; God will not call back his words of threatning, Isai. 31. 2. nei∣ther will he himself turn back from them, Jer. 4. 28. his words stand surely for evil, Jer. 44. 29. That Threatning that Nine∣veh should be destroyed, had a tacit Con∣dition in it; which had it been expressed, the Threatning would have run thus: It shall be destroyed except it repent; there∣fore

it repenting, there was a remotion of the Judgment, according to the tenour of the Threatning, but no dispensatio Juris at all. Wherefore

2. I answer that here God did in∣terpret his Law 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in an e∣quitable way; equity is nothing else but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a filling up of a gene∣ral Law by a benign interpretation in that part which was not precisely deter∣minate. The divine sanction was, the sinner shall die; but it was not precisely deter∣minate, that he should die in his own per∣son; for then God's unalterable truth should have barred out a Surety: neither was it precisely determinate, that he should die in his Surety; for then the threatning should originally have been a promise, and a promise unto sin, such as God never made: But the sanction was general, the sinner shall die, and two in∣terpretations lay before God; the first, that the sinner shall die in his own person; the latter, that he shall die in his surety; the first is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, just severity; the latter is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 condescending mer∣cy; in the first there is more of the sound of the law-letter; in the latter more of the sounding of the Law-givers bowels;

the first is much like the first delivery of the Law with thundrings and lightnings and devouring fire, Exod. 19. 16, 17, 18. the latter is like the second delivery of it with a Proclamation of grace and goodness and pardoning mercy for thousands, Exod. 34. 6, 7. Now these two interpretations lying before God, he as the Supreme Law∣giver in order to redemption interpreted his Law according to a merciful equity, the sinner shall die, that is, in his surety Christ. Oh the immense love of the Fa∣ther and the Son! the Fathers love fills up the Law by a gracious interpretation, and then the Sons love fulfils it by a perfect satisfaction; mercy and truth are met to∣gether, mercy in a favourable constructi∣on of the Law, and truth in the evident veracity of the Law-giver; the person of the sinner may be saved, and yet the truth of the threatning is salved, through Christ's satisfaction, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 we are abrogated from the Law, Rom. 7. 6. and yet we do not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 abrogate the Law, but establish it, Rom. 3. 31. because it is fulfilled in Christ. Neither doth this equitable interpretation sup∣pose any defect in the divine Law, as it doth in humane Laws; for humane Laws

are made general for want of providence in men to forsee all particular cases which fall out; but this Law was made general out of the perfection of providence in God, that there might be room for a sure∣ty to come in and satisfie it. But you'l say, if God interpret the threatning in such an equitable way, the sinner shall die in his surety, then no sinner is in a state of wrath here, nor can be condemned in hell hereafter; for both these issue out from the first interpretation, thou shalt die in thine own person, and that is now wav∣ed by the Judge. I answer, that God doth not totally and absolutely either wave the first rigorous interpretation; for the e∣lect are under wrath till they believe and repent, and the reprobate not believing and repenting are cast into hell, and both by virtue of the first interpretation; but he waves the first and makes the second interpretation in order to redemption, and only so far forth as redemption re∣quires it: Now what doth that require? It requires that all that embrace Christ should be saved from the death in the threatning, and therefore thus far the first interpretation is waved and the second takes place; but it requires not, that any

person should either be out of a state of wrath before faith, or be saved without faith, and therefore the equitable inter∣pretation doth not go thus far, and so far as that goeth not, the rigorous interpreta∣tion takes place, because pro tanto it is con∣sistent with redemption; redemption is the end, and the all-wise God measures and proportions out the equitable inter∣pretation in such a way as serves unto it, and the rigorous interpretation in such a way as stands with it. In a word, according to this equitable interpre∣pretation, Christ hath so satisfied the threatning, as that all believers shall be saved from it; yet this satisfaction hinders not, but that the rigorous interpretation should abide upon unbelievers whilst such; for whilst such, they embrace not that sa∣tisfaction, and therefore are justly cursed by the Law till they receive the Gospel.

Fifthly, God's vindictive Justice and mi∣natory Law being thus satisfied, he be∣comes reconciled. There are two degrees of reconciliation; the first is that where∣by God is ready to receive men into grace and favour if they believe; the second is that whereby God is actually reconciled to them upon their believing. The Apostle

mentions both these, Col. 1. 20, 21. for first he tells us, ver. 20. That God did re∣concile all things to himself by the blood of his Cross, and then it follows, ver. 21. Yet now hath he reconciled you, you O believ∣ing Colossians! All were reconciled in the first degree, and believers in the second; the first was done all at once upon the Cross, and the second is yet now a doing, and so will be till the Believers are all come in; therefore the Apostle says, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, 2 Cor. 5. 19. Reconciling, which imports a continued Act, a carrying on the work of Reconciliation from one degree to ano∣ther by particular applications. Now both these degrees of Reconciliation are wrought by the Death of Christ; the first was wrought by it ipso facto, without it God would have breathed out nothing but wrath, but through it he is ready to forgive, Psal. 86. 5. As full of mercy as he is, he could not forgive in a way opposite either to his Justice, which in its nature calls for satisfaction for Sin, or to his Truth which in the Law pronounces death on the Sinner; but Justice and Truth be∣ing satisfied by Christ's death, he is ready to forgive. The mercy-seat was covered

with a cloud of incense, Levit. 16. 13. and the reason there rendred is very remark∣able, lest he that was before it should die. What, die before the Mercy-seat? Yes, e∣ven there, unless the Merits of Christ be as a Cloud round about it. Mercy as of it self alone would not save us, but every Sinner must have died before it, had it not been surrounded with the Incense of Christ's Merits. God out of Christ is a consuming Fire to Sinners, but in Christ he is reconciling them to himself. The second is wrought by Christ's death as ap∣plied by Faith; therefore 'tis called pro∣pitiation through faith in his blood, Rom. 3. 25. and both these were typified by the sprinkling of the blood of the Sacrifice under the Law. That blood was sprinkl∣ed on the mercy-seat, Levit. 16. 15. prefigu∣ring the first degree of Reconciliation by Christ's death in it self; and it was sprinkl∣ed on the people, Exod. 24. 8. prefigu∣ring the second degree of Reconciliation by Christ's death as applied to us by Faith. But you'l say, If God be first angry, and then reconciled, and reconciled by degrees, there must be a change in God and his Will, which cannot be admitted.

I answer, that Reconciliation is not an

immanent Act but a transient, not so pro∣perly abiding in God, as passing from him upon the Creature: As when the Scripture saith, the Wrath of God at such a time was kindled or arose, 'tis not meant that the Will of God was novelly inflamed, but that the flame of wrath then broke forth in transient effects from thence; so when it saith, God is reconciled, it imports not a cooling alteration in the Will of God, but a gracious effluxion of Love breaking out from thence. As in punish∣ment wrath goes out from the Lord against sinners, Num. 16. 46. and is upon them, 2 Chron. 29. 8. So in reconciliation Love goes out from the Lord towards Believers and is upon them; so that the change is not in God but in the Creature. Proportion∣ably to the nature of Reconciliation as a transient Act, Christ reconcileth us unto God, not by making a new Will in God, but by doing his Will; for so he himself saith, when he came about the work, Loe! I come to do thy will O God. God's Will as to this point may be considered under a double notion; either as naturally pre∣gnant with Vindictive Justice, and decre∣tively issuing out the Minatory Law, both requiring that Sin (if committed) should

be punished; or else as decreeing within it self the way and manner how this Justice & Law should be satisfied by a Surety in order to the Redemption of sinners. Now Christ perfectly fulfilled God's Will in all these respects; in him our Sins were punished according to the exaction of Justice, and the equitable interpretation of the Law, and that in such a way as was preordain∣ed by God's Will for our Redemption. This Will being thus satisfied, God is truly reconciled, not only (as the Socinian would have it) we reconciled to him, but he to us: and this appears in three things.

1. In that Sin is not objected before God's Will as it would have been, had not Christ satisfied; it would have been objected before it, as that just cause for which God might, nay, according to the naturality of his Justice and veracity of his Law must have punished us Sinners to all Eternity: But now it is not so objected before it; for albeit there be an intrinse∣cal and inseparable desert of wrath in the nature of it, yet now its obligation or redundancy upon the Sinner appears not, because expiated in the Surety: this the Apostle calls the reconciling of sin, Heb. 2. 17. Without Christ's death Sin like a fury

would have cried and clamoured for wrath and vengeance to be poured down on the Sinner, but through his death Sin as one reconciled hath nothing to say against him, but that he may have Life and Salvation on Gospel-terms.

2. In that the effects of wrath do not issue out from God's Will against the Sin∣ner as they would have done. God who is infinite Holiness and essential Rectitude cannot but hate Sin, and in this hatred there is nothing less than a velle punire; and from thence condign punishment must have poured down upon the Sinner, if it had not by the Will of God been derived upon the Surety; but being derived thi∣ther, that righteous Will is satisfied, and the merited Wrath comes not forth against the Sinner, but instead thereof

3. Effects of Love break forth from God's Will towards him; Grace appears to all men, Tit. 2. 11. to all men in a graci∣ous Reconciliability, and to Believers in actual Reconciliation; Believers are actu∣ally accepted or ingratiated in the beloved, Eph. 1. 6. and so shall all others as soon as they become Believers. Thus God is tru∣ly reconciled, yet without any change in his Will; only Sin doth not cry to that

Will against the Sinner, punishment doth not break out of that Will upon him, and Grace beams and sparkles out of that Will towards him; whilest in all these his Will remains unchangeable. Hence in Scrip∣ture we are rather said to be reconciled to God than God to us; not (as the Soci∣nian would have it) because we only are reconciled to God, and not God to us; but because God is reconciled to us in such a way, as is not alterative, but per∣fective and completive of his unchange∣able Will.

Thus Christ bore our Sins and God's Wrath, in a way so satisfactory to God's Justice and Law; that thereby God is re∣conciled to us, and we are redeemed from Sin and Wrath. But here I am obviated by an Objection.

If there be such a compensatory Price paid for Sin, where is free Remission? Free Remission cannot stand with plenary Sa∣tisfaction; what is fully paid cannot be at all remitted.

I answer; It cannot, if there be a so∣lution by the Debtor, but it may, if there be a satisfaction by a Surety; it cannot, if that Surety were of the Debtors own pro∣viding, but it may, if he were of the Cre∣ditour's

procuring; it cannot, if the Sure∣tie's paiment be irrecusable, but it may, if the Creditor's acceptance be free; it can∣not, if the remission were to the same per∣son who makes satisfaction, but it may, if one person make satisfaction and another find remission. And thus it is in this case; our debts were paid to God, but by a Surety Jesus Christ, and this Surety was of God's own sending, and that his payment went for ours was of God's own Grace: and hence it comes to pass that God hath full satisfaction, and we free remission, and this without any repugnancy; for Christ who satisfied had no remission, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Rom. 8. 32. God did not spare or bate him a farthing, and we who are remitted make no satisfaction; all our Tears, Prayers, Sor∣rows, Services pay not a mite to divine Justice. Why should corrupt Reason mut∣ter as if Satisfaction and Remission, which are matches in Scripture, were inconsisten∣cies in Nature? What saith God, Levit. 4. 31. the Priest shall make an atonement, there's satisfaction, and it shall be forgiven, there's remission? What saith the great Apostle, Rom. 3. 24. We are justified freely by his grace, there's remission, through the redemption that is in Christ, there's

satisfaction? Take both in three words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you, Eph. 4. 32. for Christ's sake, there's satisfaction, hath forgiven you, there's remission, and free remission; for 'tis not only 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a dismission or dis∣charge of Sin, but 'tis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a dis∣mission or discharge of it in a gracious way. In Christ our Surety there was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Rom. 3. 25. but towards us there was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Tit. 2. 11. Christ may say, totum exsolvi, and God may say, totum remisi; there was nothing forgiven to Christ, for he paid all, but there was all forgiven to us, for we paid no∣thing.

Thus this Price is Redemptive from the Guilt of Sin and Wrath of God; but this is not all.

2. This Price is Redemptive from the stain of Sin, the power of Sin and the ty∣ranny of Satan, and that by procuring the holy Spirit for us; We are saved by the re∣newing of the holy Ghost, and that is shed on us through Jesus Christ, Tit. 3. 5, 6. and where it is shed, there it redeems.

1. From the stain of Sin; Sin is the dross or rust of the Soul, Isai. 1. 22. but the Spi∣rit refines and purifies from it; Sin is the

wrinkle of the old man, Eph. 5. 27. but the Spirit smooths and removes it. Christ came by water and blood, 1 Joh. 5. 6. and the water sprung out of the blood; the Spirit is that clean water, Ezek. 36. 25. which fetcheth out the spots and stains of Sin, and that healing water coming out from the side of the Temple, even the pierced side of Christ, Ezek. 47. 1. which by degrees cures all the Ulcers and Plague-sores of the heart. The Corinthians were all over mire and dirt, but they were washed in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 6. 11. the Spirit washed them, and washed them in the name of Jesus, that is, for his Merits sake. The Soul in sinning runs to the Cabul of the Creature, dirtying and fouling it self; but the Spirit brings it back again to the holy one, and as it approaches nearer and nearer to him the macula peccati goes off, and the nitor animae appears.

2. It redeems from the power of Sin. Sin merited Christ's Crucifixion, and Christ's Crucifixion merited the Crucifixi∣on of Sin; and upon this account out comes the holy Spirit and nullifies the Law of Sin, batters down the strong holds of it, plucks up the very Throne of it, and

crucifies the old Man with all his members, by outward restriction nailing his hands and his feet, and by inward circumcision cutting and piercing into his heart, and from thence gradually letting out his vi∣tal blood, even the love of Sin; hence his motions wax feeble, his members weak, his natural heat of original lust spent and exhausted, and his whole body drooping and languishing to his dying day; and all this by a secret virtue from Christ's death. We are planted together 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, saith the Apostle, Rom. 6. 5. he saith not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the conformity, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the conformation of his death, because his death procured that conformity in us. Hence Sin doth not reign in us as a Prince upon his Throne, but die as a man upon the Cross; Thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ.

3. It redeems from the tyranny of Sa∣tan. Christ in his own person spoiled prin∣cipalities and powers on the cross, Col. 2. 15. and Christ by his Spirit spoils them in the hearts of men; Satan hath his Palace there, but Christ hath bought him out, and the Spirit will cast him out; Satan would keep on our chains, but Christ dissolves them,

1 Joh. 3. 8. As he by his Spirit enlightens, off go the chains of the Mind; as he con∣verts, off go the chains of the Will; as he spiritualizes, off go the chains of the Affections; and as he sprinkles his blood upon us, off goes the weighty Guilt of all these: Satan would keep us within the Prison, but Christ comes with an Habeas Animam, translating us from the power of darkness into his own kingdom, Col. 1. 13. a Region of Grace and Light, where Sa∣tan the Ruler of Sin and Darkness cannot have the Victory; because Christ the Wis∣dom and Power of God fights against Him who is (as I may so say) the wisdom and power of Sin. Hence he falls as light∣ning from heaven, Luke 10. 18. falls and breaks his Serpents head, even his design against poor souls; the ruine of Souls is a heaven to him, and in falling short of that, he falls as it were from heaven. The Prince of this world shall be cast out, saith Christ, Joh. 12. 31. and he adds as a reason, If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me, Ver. 32. Lifted up upon the Cross, he purchased the Spirit, and lifted up into Heaven he sends down the Spirit, which draws men out of Satans World into Christ's, where the Gates of Hell can ne∣ver

prevail. The God of peace bruises Sa∣tan underfoot, Rom. 16. 20. the Apostle saith not, the God of Mercy or Power shall do it, but the God of Peace; because, unless Peace had been made through the blood of the Cross, Satan would have kept us in everlasting Chains. But now Justice being satisfied, the Spirit comes forth with a Quo jure; first rescuing the Captive-soul, and then treading down Satan under its feet. Thanks be unto God for this victory also through Jesus Christ.

Thus this Price is redemptive from Evil, but

2. This Price is procurative of Good. Infinity is a boundless Ocean, and may run over in effects as far as it pleaseth; infinite Power might have run over in making millions of Worlds more, and infinite Mer∣cy might have run over in saving millions of Sinners more. The Price of Redempti∣on hath a kind of Infinity in it; no won∣der then, if after remotion of Evils, it run over by its transcendent excess of Value in the procuration of Good; such was the glorious redundance and superefflu∣ence of its Merit, that it paid divine Ju∣stice to the last mite, and over and besides made a purchase of three Worlds; I mean

the lower World of Nature, the middle World of Grace, and the upper World of Glory.

1. As to the World of Nature, Christ procured two things.

• 1. The Standing of it.
• 2. The Deliverance of it.

1. The Standing of it, and that in a threefold respect.

1. The Standing of it in Being. Sin filled it with so much spiritual stench and rottenness, that the Power of the holy One would not have endured to have been there supporting and bearing it up in Being, if the Death of Christ had not been 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a sweet-smelling savour, Eph. 5. 2. to perfume and sweeten it; the World was as it were new founded by the Cross, or else Sin, that abomination of de∣solation, would have dashed it down a∣bout the Sinners Ears; Justice (if unsatis∣fied) would not have spared so much as the Stage whereon Sin was acted, but hurl∣ed it down into its first Nullity. Christ upholdeth all things by the word of his power, Heb. 1. 3. Before Sins entry they stood merely by the word of his Power, but since they stand not without the blood of his Cross. Redemption is the great But∣tress

of Creation; as it rears up the little World after its fall, so it keeps up the great World from falling.

2. The Standing of it in Order. When the Prophet describes God's Judgments, he speaks as if the old Chaos were come a∣gain; Loe! the earth was without form and void, Jer. 4. 23. All the Orders and Har∣monies in Nature were at first set by the Wisdom of God, and afterwards cement∣ed by the Blood of God, or else Sin would have unframed all. By Christ all things consist, Col. 1. 17. not only subsist in their Beings, but consist in their Orders.

3. The Standing of it in its Usefulness to us. Sin was the blast and forfeiture, but Christ is the Purchaser and heir of all things, Heb. 1. 2. and in and through him all are as it were new-given to us. We became such wretches by Sin, that the Earth would not have bore our persons, if Christ had not bore our iniquities? the Sun in the Firmament would not have lighted the material World, if the Sun of Righteousness had not appeared in the spiritual; these lower Heavens would not have spun out a day for us, if Christ had not purchased the upper ones of Glory; the Blood of Creatures should never

have been shed for the life of our Bodies, if the Blood of God had not been poured out for the Life of our Souls. Under the Law, before Harvest began the Passeover was killed; at Harvest a Sheaf of the first-fruits was brought to the Priest to be of∣fered to God; and after Harvest there was the Feast of Tabernacles to bless God for the Fruits of the Earth, which by the Jews was kept with Booths and Hosannahs. Had not Christ our Passeover been sacrificed for us, there would have been no Harvest of Creature-blessings at all; and now that there is one, the praise of every Sheaf must be brought to Christ the high-priest of good things, and in and through him offered up to God: therefore there is a spiritual feast of tabernacles under the Gospel, Zach. 14. 16. Whilest we sit under the Booths of the Creature, we must sing Hosannahs to the Son of God, who tabernacled in our flesh, and in it merited all comforts for us. Every bough of Nature hangs upon his Cross, every crum of Bread swims in his Blood, every Grape of blessing grows on his Crown of Thorns, and all the sweet∣ness in Nature streams out of his Vinegar and Gall. A right-born Christian is the best Philosopher; for he sees the Sun of

Righteousness in the Luminaries of Hea∣ven, the waterings of Christ's Blood in the fruits of the Earth, the Word incar∣nate in Creature-nourishment, and the Riches of Christ in all the Riches of Na∣ture. All are ours, and we are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

2. Christ by this Price procured the Deliverance of it. God made the House of the World for Man, and whilest there is Sin in the Inhabitant, the Curse-mark is on the House; the Heavens wax old as if there were Mothes in them, the Stars have their malignant Aspects, the Earth hath its Thorns and Thistles, and the whole Creation groans and travels with an uni∣versal Vanity; the Sun groans out his light on the Workers of darkness, the Air groans with Vollies of Oaths and Blasphemies, and the Earth groans forth its Corn and Wine into the lap of the Riotous; and as Sin grows heavier, so the Creature∣groans wax lowder every day. But at last in and through Christ, there shall be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a restitution of all things, Acts 3. 21. the Balm of his Blood will per∣fectly heal all the stabs and wounds in the Body of Nature; the groaning and travel∣ing Creature shall be delivered from the

bondage of Corruption, Rom. 8. 21. there shall be new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, 2 Pet. 3. 13. and all the steps and traces of the old Curse shall be razed out of the World.

Thus Christ hath purchased the World of Nature; but this (as appears by the Purchaser's own 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Matth. 6. 33.) is not the main bargain, but the cast∣ing in or overplus thereof; therefore

2. Christ by this Price purchased the World of Grace. Grace may be consider∣ed two ways; either as it is in the Map or Charter of the Gospel, or as it is in the Subject or receptacle of the Heart; and both ways 'tis Christ's purchase.

1. Grace in the Map or Charter is the Covenant of Grace, comprized in the Pro∣mises, called the Covenant of Promise, Eph. 2. 12. In this Covenant there are Promi∣ses reaching down as low as the World of Nature, and Promises reaching up as high as the World of Glory; and betwixt these two run the Promises which water the World of Grace, and these are either Pro∣mises of Grace such as those, I will give an heart to know me, Jer. 24. 7. I will cir∣cumcise the heart to love me, Deut. 30. 6. I will put my laws into their minds and write

them in their hearts, Heb. 8. 10. I will give a new heart and a new spirit; I will take a∣way th•• stony heart, and give an heart of flesh, Ezek. 36. 26. or else they are Promises to Grace, such as those, God will justifie the believer, Rom. 3. 26. beautifie the meek with salvation, Psal. 149. 4. dwell in a bro∣ken heart, Isai. 57. 15. comfort the mourners, fill the hungry, and be seen of the pure in heart, Matth. 5. 4, 6, 8. Now all these Pro∣mises are the purchase of Christ, and the whole Covenant made up of them is the New-testament in his blood, 1 Cor. 11. 25. Without his satisfactory Blood there would have been no room for Promises, no, not for the least twinkling of a Promise to the sons of men; for unsatisfied Justice would have hurried all to Hell. All the Promises issue out to us in and through Christ, the Rivers of Life gushed out of the true Rock, the Gospel-wine run forth from the true Vine; if God meet us and commune with us in words of Grace, we must thank the true Propitiatory, or Mercy∣seat for every syllable.

2. Grace in the proper Seat or Recep∣tacle of it is Christ's purchase; and this I shall make out

1. In general; Christ purchased the

Spirit of all Grace. There is a double Ob∣lation of Christ; a personal Oblation on the Cross, and that is Moritum Spiritûs; and a doctrinal Oblation in the Gospel, and that is Ministerium Spiritûs; and so the holy Ghost is shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, Tit. 3. 6. Christ ascended up on high that he might fill things, Eph. 4. 10. One would have thought that his descent should rather have done it; but he ascended up in the glory of his Merits, he carried up all the Purchase-money to his Fathers house, and from thence the Spirit came pouring down upon men; some droppings of it were before, but then it was richly poured out; it came down in cloven fiery tongues and a rushing mighty wind, Acts 2. 2, 3. Tongues to utter magna∣lia Dei, and above all, the master-piece of Redemption, and cloven tongues to ut∣ter them to all Nations in their own Lan∣guage, and fiery tongues to enlighten and enflame the Auditors hearts with the knowledge and love of Christ, and a mighty rushing wind to blow home that fire strongly and insuperably in a thorough Conversion; and all this was shed forth from Christ, Ver. 33. Never any Tongue truly preached Christ, but by a secret

touch from him; never any holy fire kindled on the heart, but by a coal from his Altar; never any gales of Grace on the Soul, but from the breathings of his Spirit: not one drop of his Blood is spirit∣less, but full fraught and flowing with the Spirit of Life.

2. In particular; and so Christ hath pur∣chased three things.

• 1. The Radical Grace of Faith.
• 2. All other Graces of the Spirit.
• 3. All the Crowns of these Graces.

1. Christ hath purchased the Grace of Faith; the Apostle is express in it, To you it is given, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for Christ's sake not on∣ly to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake, Phil. 1. 29. the Apostle evidently points out the merits of Christ as the spring of Faith, and Faith persevering unto suf∣fering. And in another place he saith, we joy in God through Jesus Christ, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, by whom we have now received the atonement, Rom. 5. 11. he doth not only say, that by and through him the Atonement was made but that by and through him the Atonement is received; and what is this receiving of the Atonement but Faith it self? That therefore is part of Christ's Purchase. These express places might suf∣fice

us; but because the Remonstrants op∣pose this Truth, I shall propose two Quae∣ries unto them.

1. Is not Faith comprized within the Covenant of Grace? Let's come to the Touch-stone; Is it not written there, I will give an heart to know me, and is not Faith a justifying knowledge, a sight of the just One, and a beam or dawning of eternal life? Is it not written there, I will take a∣way the heart of stone, and is not Unbelief a part of that stone? doth it not directly resist the Blood and Righteousness of Christ? and can there be a worse Stone than this? Is it not written there, I will give a new heart, and is not Unbelief the heart and life of the old Man, and Faith of the new? Is it not written there, I will put my Spirit within you, and is not the Spirit a spirit of faith, and faith a fruit of the Spi∣rit? is not Unbelief of our Spirit, and Faith of Gods? Is it not written there, I will circumcise the heart, and is not Un∣belief flesh? God saith, there is life in his Son, and the Unbeliever saith, No, and does what in him lies to make God a lyar, and can there be any filthier or rottenner flesh in the old man than this? and unless this be cut off, can there be a true Circum∣cision?

By all this it clearly appears that Faith is within the Covenant, and if so, is not the whole Covenant Sanctio à san∣guine, the New-testament in Christ's blood? Is not he the Mediator and pur∣chaser of the whole? Are not all the Pro∣mises Yea and Amen in him? Who dares distinguish and say, Christ purchased part of the Promises and not all? he purcha∣sed notional knowledge and not justify∣ing, he breaks the stone in the heart, all but that which opposes his own Blood and Righteousness, the old man is crucifi∣ed with Christ, all but his heart and life of Unbelief, the Spirit of Grace flows out from Christ, all but the Spirit of Faith, the circumcision of Christ, Col. 2. 11. (so call∣ed because it is procured by the Merits, and produced by the Spirit of Christ) cuts off the flesh of the heart, all but that of Un∣belief which upbraids God with a lye; who dares thus tear in sunder the Cove∣nant, mangle the Promises, dimidiate Christ and divide the Spirit by unscriptu∣ral distinctions? Such shuffling is unwor∣thy of Christians. Wherefore I conclude my first Quaere thus; Faith is within the Covenant, and the Covenant is Christ's purchase; therefore Faith is such also.

2. Is not Faith a Grace of the Spirit? It seals to the Gospel, sanctifies the heart, works by Love, waits by Patience, over∣comes the visible World, and sensibly presentiates the invisible; for shame let it be a Grace, and if so, it must be Christ's purchase. The Spirit never effected that Grace in fallen Man which Christ never merited. As every Creature in the World is of God's making, so every Grace in the Church is of Christ's meriting: He that saith, Yonder is a precious Stone but 'tis not of God's making, blasphemes the Cre∣ator; and he that saith, Yonder is a pre∣cious Faith but 'tis not of Christ's merit∣ing, does no less to the Redeemer. But further; Is not Faith the Grace of Union with Christ? Doth not Christ dwell in the heart by faith? Is not Faith the Mother-grace of all? First Faith gives a touch to Christ, and then Love is enflamed with him, Joy triumphs in him, and Obedi∣ence follows him. Where do all the ri∣vers of living water flow but in the Believers belly, Joh. 7. 38? What holds all the star∣ry Graces of the Church but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the firmament of faith, as the Apostle calls it, Col. 2. 5? Now will it not grate thine ears, O Christian, to hear that the Spirit

of Holiness is from Christ, but not the Spirit of Faith; all the starry Graces are Christ's but the Firmament of Faith is our own; we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ, but not with the Mo∣ther-grace which broods and teems out all the rest, not with the Grace of Union which lies nearest to Christ eating his flesh and drinking his blood; that Faith which is nearest to the Merits of Christ in its Union, is furthest off from them in its Origination. What is this but to darken the Sun of Righteousness, damm up the Well of Salvation, and trample the Blood of the Covenant under foot? at which e∣very sober Christian cannot but tremble. Therefore I conclude my second Quaere thus; Faith is a prime and excellent Grace, wrought by the Spirit and purchased by the Merits of Christ.

2. Christ hath purchased all other Gra∣ces; for all Graces are the fruits of the Spi∣rit, and the Spirit is shed on us through Christ. But in stead of proving, let me parly with the Saints. Speak, O ye excellent ones, whence came your lovely Meekness, your undissembled Love, your untired Pa∣tience, your holy Unction, your melting Compassions, your broken Hearts, your

repentant Tears, your Law-engraven Spi∣rits, and all your sweet-smelling Perfumes of Grace? Speak for the Glory of Christ. Methinks I hear them all with one con∣sent cry out, Thus, O thus it is; all our Meekness came from the Lamb, our Love from the beloved one, our Patience from the Captain-sufferer, our Unction from the Christ of God, our Compassions from the bowels of Christ, our broken Hearts from a broken Christ, our repentant Tears from his bleeding Wounds, our Law-engravings are the Epistle of Christ, and all our sweet∣smelling Graces are the powders of the mer∣chant, Cant. 3. 6. even of Jesus Christ who bought them all with his sweetest Blood. The Church is the House of God made up of lively stones, floored with Humility, roofed with Knowledge, cemented with Charity, warmed with the fire of Zeal, and filled with the spiritual Glory of hea∣venly Graces; but Christ is the chief cor∣ner-stone which bears up all: all the Churches Humility is from Christ's 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or self-emptying, all our Knowledge from Christ the Sun of righteousness, all its Cha∣rity from the Hyperbole of his love, all its Zeal is from a coal of his Altar, and all the spiritual Glory which fills it, comes by the

way of the East, Ezek. 43. 2. even from Je∣sus Christ who is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the East or day-spring of all graces, Luk. 1. 78.

3. Christ hath purchased all the Crowns of these Graces, I mean such as are set on the Saints head in this life; the Believers shall be justified, but 'tis by the righteous Christ; the Meek shall be beautified with Salvation, but 'tis because of the Lamb; the broken Heart shall have God dwelling in it, but 'tis for the Merits of a broken Christ; the Mourners shall be comforted, but 'tis by the consolation in Christ; the Hungry shall be filled, but 'tis from the fulness of Christ; the pure in Heart shall see God, but 'tis through Christ the bright∣ness of his Glory: all the Crowns of Grace must be cast down at the feet of Jesus Christ the great Purchaser of them.

Thus Christ hath bought the World of Grace; but yet we are not at the top of the Purchase: For

3. Christ hath purchased the World of Glory; that is the none-such, the World of Worlds, to which all Natures Glories are but a shadow, and the Churches Graces but a Portal; there are Plenitudes of Joy, Crowns of Life, Weights of Glory, Trea∣sures of Bliss and Oceans of Sweetness,

and all of Christ's purchasing: All the Mansions of Glory are of his preparing; Joh. 14. 2. all the Wine in Heaven is for his marriage-supper, Revel. 19. 9. his Blood is the Key to open the holy of holies, Heb. 10. 19. the pure River of Life clear as Cry∣stal issues out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, even out of Gods Grace and Christs Merit, Rev. 22. 1. Christ on the Cross pur∣chased a Heaven for us, Christ in the Gos∣pel proffers it unto us, and Christ in the heart gives us an actual hope thereof. Had it not been for Christ, we could never have entred into such a place as Heaven, where the Walls are Pearls, the Rivers Pleasures, the Hills Frankincense, the Air Purity, and the Light, Life, Love and all in all God himself. Now Christ did not on∣ly purchase Heaven for us, but purchased it in a way completive of the Law. The old Promise of the Law was, Do this and live, and that seemed quite blasted and withered by our sins; but Christ by his perfect Obedience made it revive and bud again with life. God would not give eter∣nal life, but upon a Do this; and Christ fulfilled all Righteousness for us, and by that Righteousness we come to have 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, justification of life, Rom. 5. 18. such

a Justification as is crowned with eternal Life.

But you'l say, that old Do this required Obedience in our own persons; and there∣fore Christ could not fulfil it in our stead, and so purchase life for us.

I answer, that God did here also inter∣pret his Law in an equitable way; the di∣vine Sanction [Do this] on which Life did depend, was not precisely determinate that we must do it in our own persons, for then a Sureties obedience should have been to∣tally excluded; neither was it precisely determinate that we should do it in our Surety; for there was a Do this in the state of Innocency where there was no need of a Surety; but the Sanction was general, Do this, and two interpretations lay be∣fore God; the first that it should be done in our own persons, the second that it should be done in our Surety; the first a rigorous and literal, the second an equi∣table and merciful interpretation. Now these two interpretations lying before God, he as supreme Law-giver takes the equitable interpretation; had he taken the rigorous one, there would have been no room for a Surety, nor life for the Sinner; but in rich mercy he takes the equitable

one, and so through a Surety's Obedience eternal Life is purchased for us. These two interpretations of the Law seem to me to be figured out by the double making of the Tables; the Law in the rigorous interpretation is like the first Tables which were broken: For as the Law was first written in those Tables, so the rigorous in∣terpretation firstly rises out of the Letter of the Law; and as those first Tables were broken, so Sin made such a breach upon the Law, that the Apostle puts a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 upon it, Rom. 8. 3. it could not give life according to the rigorous interpretation. And the Law in the equitable interpreta∣tion is like the second Tables which were put into the Ark: for as those Tables were kept inviolate in the Ark, so the Law was kept inviolate in the equitable interpreta∣tion; and as the Mercy-seat covered the Tables in the Ark, and from the Mercy∣seat so covering them God manifested his presence; so Christ, the true 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or mercy-seat, did by his perfect Obedience cover the Law all over, and in and through him so covering it God manifests his pre∣sence, not only his back-parts on Earth but his face in Heaven. Thus by the admirable Wisdom of God Heaven was purchased,

and yet the Law established, the Do this turned upon the Surety, and the promised Life made good to us Sinners.

But you'l object further, If the Law be thus interpreted in an equitable way, viz. to be done by a Surety, then it is not so much as a Rule of life to us; for that issues out of the first interpretation, viz. the do∣ing of it in our own persons.

I answer, that still the Law is a Rule of life to us; and the reason is, because God doth not wave the rigorous and take the equitable interpretation totally and abso∣lutely, but in order to Redemption, and so far only as Redemption requires it. Now what doth that require? It requires that the Obedience of a Surety should be ad∣mitted for the impletion of the Law; and therefore thus far the rigorous interpreta∣tion is waved, and the equitable takes place. But it requires not that the re∣deemed ones should be exempted from the Law as a Rule; and therefore the e∣quitable interpretation doth not go thus far; and so far as that goes not, the rigo∣rous one takes place; because pro tanto it is consistent with Redemption. Hence it comes to pass that Christ as our Surety ful∣filled the Law for us, and yet still the Law

is a Rule of life to us; Christ is the end of the Law to the believer, and yet the Believ∣er is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, under the Law to Christ, 1 Cor. 9. 21.

Thus this Price is redemptive from Evil and procurative of Good, but the Crown of all is yet behind.

3. It is a Price sufficient for both the former. There is a double Sufficiency, Sufficientia nuda, and Sufficientia ordinata; the first consists in the intrinsecal value of the thing, the thing in value transcending or at least equalizing the thing to be re∣deemed; the second consists in the Will of the Payer and Receiver, the one inten∣tionally paying and the other intentional∣ly accepting that thing as a Price of Re∣demption: the first is that radical Suffici∣ency whereby the thing may possibly be∣come a Price; the second is that formal Sufficiency whereby the thing doth actu∣ally become a Price. Let the thing be in it self of never so vast a value, the former without the latter doth not constitute it a Price. Now the glorious price of our Re∣demption hath both these Sufficiencies in it.

1. It hath Sufficientiam nudam; the A∣ctive and Passive Obedience of Christ

have intrinsecal value enough to equalize, nay infinitely superexcede all our Debts, and over and besides to purchase three Worlds for us; and the reason is because his Deity poured out a kind of Infinity into his Doings and Sufferings. The Righ∣teousness which he fulfilled was the righte∣ousness of God, Rom. 1. 17. the Blood which he shed was the blood of God, Rom. 20. 28. & the Life which he laid down was, the life of God, 1 Joh. 3. 16. And what nakedness cannot the Righteousness of God cover? What debts cannot the Blood of God pay for? And what Worlds cannot the Life of God purchase? Remember, O poor trembling Soul, remember, he that was pierced for thee was Jehovah, he that was smitten for thee was the man God's fellow, and he that obeyed for thee was in the form of God. O what manner of Actions and Passions were those wherein the Law-giver stood under his own Law, and the Creator suffered in his own World? How was his Obedience elevated into Infinity, and transfigured in∣to glory by his Godhead? What a Mass of sweet-smelling Merits must that be into which the Deity it self transfused Riches and Odours? This may be one reason why Christ is stiled the heir of all things, Heb. 1. 2.

though he be the Purchaser of all, yet he is Heir of all; because he received his di∣vine Nature from his Father, and that di∣vine Nature stamped an infinite value upon the Purchase-money which bought all. May I shadow it out by an imperfect Simi∣litude: A Son receives vast sums from his Father, and with them purchases an estate in Lands to himself; that Son is the Pur∣chaser of those Lands in respect of his own payment of the Money, and yet in a sence he is Heir to them in respect of his receipt of the Money from his Father; So the E∣ternal Son of God is the Purchaser of all, for he paid down his own Blood and Righ∣teousness as the Price; and yet he is Heir of all, for that Price had its value from the divine Nature, and that divine Na∣ture was received from his Father in the Eternal Generation. There is no doubt then (as long as Christ is God) but that his Obedience hath value enough in it self.

2. It hath Sufficientiam ordinatam, and this appears

1. By the Will of Christ who paid down the Price.

2. By the Will of God who received it; both their Wills concentre in the work of Redemption, and the counsel of peace is be∣tween them both, Zach. 6. 13.

1. It appears by the Will of Christ: when he paid down his Obedience, what was his meaning? Surely not a tittle of his Obedience was irrationally done, nor a drop of his Blood irrationally shed; what then was his meaning in it? Was it not to dissolve the Chains of Sin, open the Prison of Wrath, and spoil and triumph over the bloody Jaylor Satan? Was it not to pro∣cure the standing of the Body of Nature, the shedding down of the Spirit of Grace, and the opening a door to Heaven and eternal Life? These were the things on which the divine and humane Will of Christ were both set: his divine Will was set upon them; for before the foundations of the World, even in his joyous Eternity with his Father, his delights were with the sons of men, Prov. 8. 31. and when the World was up, he appeared to Abraham in a hu∣mane shape, and to Moses to usher in a temporal Redemption; the first as a prae∣ludium to his Incarnation, and the latter as a praeludium to our Redemption, and both as a demonstration that the work of Salvation was in his Heart. And after∣wards in the days of his flesh, his humane Will never parted from his divine, but in a rape of Love always run upon Redempti∣on;

this he sought for in a long circuit of Obedience, and sought with a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 till it was finished; this he sought for in his bloody Agony, and when his humane Will as Nature shrunk back from the Cup of Wrath, yet the same Will as Reason kissed and drunk it off to the bottom in order to Redemption; this he ardently pursued after through Cross-tortures and Soul-travels, and rather than fail of it, he would for a time be forsaken even of God himself; and when he cried out, I thirst, his greatest thirst of all was after this, and could never be quenched till he came to a consummatum est. Thus stood the mind of Christ in the business.

2. It appears by the Will of God, and that in two things.

• 1. God decreed this Price to be paid for the ends aforesaid.
• 2. God accepted it being paid for the ends aforesaid.

1. God decreed this Price to be paid; Christ did not glorifie himself in making himself an high-priest or surety; but he that said unto him, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee, Heb. 5. 5. Christ's Person was begotten out of the Substance of God, and his Office as it were begotten out of

the Will of God, God eternally ordained him to that Office, 1 Pet. 1. 20. and in the fulness of time called him to it, Heb. 5. 10. and for more assurance, superadded his Seal to his Call, Joh. 6. 27. and his Oath to both, Heb. 7. 21. and all to shew forth his immutable purpose touching the same. Christ was booked down for a Redeemer in the eternal Volumes, and slain above in the Decree long before he was slain be∣low in time. Infinite Love impregnated the divine Will with the Decree of Re∣demption, and that Decree sent forth our Redeemer, and put a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 upon his righ∣teousness, Matth. 3. 15. a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 upon the cup of wrath, Joh. 12. 27. and a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 upon his death and sufferings, Matth. 16. 21. and all this that the mystery of Redemption, hid from ages in the will of God, Col. 1. 26. might come abroad into the World; When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, Gal. 4. 4, 5. O what a fair window is here opened into God's heart! Redemption was decreed, and therefore God sent forth his Son; the time was decreed, and there∣fore he sent him forth in the fulness of time; and the Price was decreed, and therefore

he sent him forth made of a woman, made under the Law, that is, to take a humane Nature, and pay it down in all Obedience as the Price of our Redemption.

2. As God decreed this Price to be paid, so he accepted it being paid, and this includes in it two things.

• 1. That this Price was paid to him.
• 2. That this Price was accepted by him.

1. This Price was paid to him; Christ offered himself to God, Heb. 9. 14. Whether we consider this Price as redemptive from evil, or as procurative of good, both ways it was paid to God; as redemptive from evil it was paid to him as a righteous Law∣giver and Judge, and as procurative of good it was paid to him as a great Remu∣nerator and faithful Promiser. God is the Law-giver against whose Laws we rebel∣led, and God is the Judge who for our re∣bellions against his Law, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, shut us all up in prison, Rom. 11. 32. there we lay 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, under the judgment of God, Rom. 3. 19. and his wrath abode upon us, Joh. 3. 36. therefore this Price as redemptive from evil was paid to God as the Law-giver and Judge. That Socinian cavil, That if this were a proper

Redemption, the Price should be paid to Sin and Satan, because we are redeemed from them, is but a mere trifle; for God is the supreme Law-giver and Judge, he only hath the Keys of Death and Hell; strictly and properly Sinners are Prisoners only to him, Satan is but as the Jaylor or Under-officer, acting under the authority of this Judge; the Guilt of Sin is but as the Chains or Fetters, binding under the Justice of this Law-giver; and who ever read or heard of a Price of Redemption paid to the Jaylor or Fetters? and yet upon the payment thereof the Captive is delivered from them both. Hence it is that our Saviour Christ was both Merca∣tor and Bellator, Mercator as to God to whom he paid the Price, and Bellator as against Satan whom he conquered; and both these the Apostle expresses together, He blotted out the hand-writing, nailing it to his cross, and spoiled Principalities and powers triumphing over them in it, Col. 2. 14, 15. He paid God the Price and not Sa∣tan, he spoiled and triumphed over Satan, and not over God. Again; as this Price as redemptive from evil was paid to God as a Law-giver and Judge, so this Price as procurative of good was paid to God as

the great Remunerator and faithful Pro∣miser. God is a great Remunerator, for he rewards according to the condecency of his goodness; and a faithful Promiser, for he will not suffer one jot or tittle of his Promises to fall to the ground; he en∣gaged himself to Christ, that his blood should be returned in all good things, he gave him the Promise of a seed, and to raise it up, the Promise of his Spirit, and to crown it, the Promise of eternal life; he bound himself by express compact to make him a light to the Gentiles, a covenant to the people, and salvation to the ends of the earth, Isai. 49. 6, 8. Wherefore this Price as procurative of good was paid to God as a Remunerator and Promiser.

2. As this Price was paid to God, so it was accepted by him for the ends afore∣said. Indeed simply and abstractively from his own Decree he was not bound to ac∣cept of this price (though of an immense and infinite value) as for us; I say, as for us; for he might have stood upon the ri∣gour of the Law, Do this and live, trans∣gress this and die in thine own person; the Tables of the Law might never have been put into the Ark, nor covered with a Mercy-seat; but this is the joy of our

Faith, that he hath accepted it. When Christ was baptized, there was a Voice from Heaven, This is my beloved Son, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in whom I am well-pleased, Mat. 3. 17. Duo grata vocabula, silius & dilectus, saith an Ancient, and that sweet word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 makes up the third. When Christ was sa∣crificed, there was a sweet smell to God, Eph. 5. 2. God cries out, I have found a ransom, Joh 33. 24. and Christ, It is finished, Joh. 19. 30. Afterwards when he came into the Grave, off flew the bands of Death, Acts 24. 24. as a pregnant evidence that Justice was satisfied; he was taken from prison and from judgment, Isai. 53. 8. because all was paid; God's Power raised him up, and God's Justice could say nothing against it. And when he was risen from the dead, he raises up the Faith of his Disciples, Why do thoughts arise in your hearts? saith he, Luk. 24. 38. Do you doubt whether I am he who paid down the Price of Redem∣ption? Behold! my hands and my feet; fos∣sus est saccus, & manavit pretium orbis, the Sack of my Humanity was broke, and out run the Price of Redemption. Do you scruple whether that Price were accepted of God or not? Lo! here are the returns of it, I'le breath the holy Ghost upon you, I'le

betrust the Gospel with you, go preach it to every creature, make the World know, that Redemption, Remission, Grace, Peace, Sanctity, Salvation are the returns of my Blood. And afterwards just at his parting he blessed them and ascended up into heaven; he blessed them, to shew that the Curse was gone, and ascended up into heaven to pos∣sess the purchase of Glory, and being there, he sate down at God's right hand; his work was now done, and therefore he sate down, and his work was now accept∣ed, and therefore he sate down at God's right hand; there he received gifts for men, and from thence he gave them out a∣gain; he gave out what he received, and received what he purchased. Christ's Sa∣crifice was so sweet a favour to God, that the Minister, who preaches it, is a sweet sa∣vour to him, 2 Cor. 2. 15. and the Believer who accepts it is accepted of him, Eph. 1. 6. nay, so far accepted, that he becomes a Priest, Revel. 1. 6. and his good works plea∣sing sacrifices, Heb. 13. 16. his prayers are turned into odours, Revel. 5. 8. and his cha∣rity into a sweet smell, Phil. 4. 18. and all this by a perfuming touch from Christ's Merits. In a word; all the Proclamati∣ons of Mercy in the Scripture, all the Par∣dons

of sin in the Conscience, all the In∣fluences of Grace on the Heart, and all the Openings of Heaven in the Promises are as so many pregnant proofs unto us, that God accepted the Price.

Thus having shewed what manner of Price this is, viz. redemptive from Evil, procurative of Good, and sufficient for both, I pass on to the last Question.

3. For whom was this Price paid? and this I shall cleave asunder into two Quaeries.

• 1. Whether Christ died for all men?
• 2. Whether he died equally for all men?

In both which, whilest I name the Death of Christ only according to the usual lan∣guage of Divines, I comprehend his whole Obedience Active and Passive, whereof his Death was the complement and ex∣treme Act.

1. As to the first Quaere, Whether Christ died for all men? I answer affirmatively, that he did; and here I shall do two things.

1. I shall lay down the Reasons of my Opinion.

2. I shall answer the Objections made against it; and in both it will appear how far, or in what sence I assert that Christ died for all men.

1. I shall lay down my Reasons for it, and these are drawn

• ...

• 1. From the Will of God as the Foun∣tain of Redemption.
• 2. From the Covenant of Grace as the Charter of it, and the Promises comprized therein.
• 3. From the Ministers Commission who publish it.
• 4. From certain blessings which are the fruits of it.
• 5. From the Unbelief of men which is the denial of it.
• 6. From the fulness and glorious Re∣dundance of Merit in Christ's Death which paid for it.
• 7. From the large and general Ex∣pressions in Scripture concerning the same.

1. I argue from the Will of God. God's Will of salvation as the fontal Cause there∣of, and Christ's Death as the meritorious Cause thereof are of equal latitude; God's Will of Salvation doth not extend beyond Christ's Death; for then he should intend to save some extra Christum: Neither doth Christ's Death extend beyond God's Will of Salvation, for then he should die for some whom God would upon no terms save; but these two are exactly coexten∣sive. Hence 'tis observable, that when the

Apostle speaks of Christ's Love to the Church, he speaks also of his giving him∣self for it, Eph. 5. 25. and when he saith God will have all men to be saved, 1 Tim. 2. 4. he saith withal, Christ gave himself a ransom for all, Ver. 6. Therefore there cannot be a truer Measure of the extent of Christ's Death, than God's Will of Salvation, out of which the same did issue; so far forth as that Will of Salvation extends to all men, so far forth the Death of Christ doth extend to all men. Now then how far doth God will the Salvation of all? Surely thus far, that if they believe they shall be saved: No Divine can deny it, especially seeing Christ himself hath laid it down so positively, This is the will of him that sent me (saith he) that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life, Joh. 6. 40. Wherefore if God will the Salvation of all men thus far, that if they believe they shall be saved; then Christ died for all men thus far, that if they believe they shall be saved. But you'l say that Promise, Whosoever believes shall be saved, is but Voluntas signi and not Voluntas beneplaciti, which is the adequate Measure of Christ's Death. Unto which I answer; If that Promise be Voluntas signi,

what doth it signifie? What but God's Will? What Will but that good pleasure of his, that whosoever believes shall be sav∣ed? How else is the Sign of the true God a true Sign? Whence is that universal con∣nexion betwixt Faith & Salvation? Is it not a plain efflux or product from the Decree of God? Doth not that evidently import a Decree, that whosoever believes shall be sav∣ed? Surely it cannot be a false Sign; where∣fore so far God's Will of Salvation extends to all men, and consequently so far Christ's Death extends to them.

2. I argue from the Covenant of Grace, and the Promises comprized therein. Christ is the Mediatour of the Covenant, and the Covenant is the New-testament in his blood; Christ's Death doth not extend beyond the Covenant, for then there should be less in the Charter than in the Purchase; neither doth the Covenant extend beyond Christ's Death, for then there should be more in the Charter than in the Purchase: but both these run parallel in extent. Therefore so far forth as the Covenant extends to all men, so far forth the Death of Christ extends to all men. Now then for the extent of the Covenant; Are not those Promises [Whosoever believes shall be

saved; whosoever will, let him take of the wa∣ter of life freely] with the like, a part of the Covenant? and are they not extensive to all men? Both are as plain as if they were written with a Sun-beam: Where∣fore so far doth Christ's Death extend to all men, as the Covenant in any part there∣of doth extend unto them. Moreover; these general Promises undeniably extend to all men, and in that extent are infalli∣bly true; they are all faithful sayings, and words of truth, and their truth is sealed up by Christ's Blood; wherefore as these Pro∣mises extend to all men, so the Death of Christ (in which they are founded) doth extend to all men. If Christ did no way die for all men, which way shall the truth of these general Promises be made out? Whosoever will may take the water of life. What, though Christ never bought it for him? Whosoever believes, shall be saved. What, though there were no 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, no Price paid for him? Surely the Gospel knows no Water of Life but what Christ purchased, nor no way of Salvation but by a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Price paid. But you'l say, that albeit Christ died not for all men, yet are those general Promises ve∣ry true, and that because their truth is

founded. upon the Sufficiency of Christ's Death, which hath worth enough in it to redeem millions of Worlds. I answer, there is a double Sufficiency, Sufficientia nuda consisting in the intrinsecal value of the thing, and Sufficientia ordinata consisting in the intentional paying and receiving that thing as a Price of Redemption; the first is that radical Sufficiency, whereby the thing may possibly become a Price; the second is that formal sufficiency, where∣by the thing doth actually become a Price. Let a thing be of never so vast a value in it self, 'tis no Price at all, unless it be paid for that end, and being paid, 'tis a Price for no more than those only for whom it was so paid; because the intrinsecal worth how great soever doth not constitute it a Price. Hence it is clear, that if Christ's Death (though of immense value) had been paid for none, it had been no Price at all; and if it were paid but for some, it was no Price for the rest for whom it was not paid. These things premised, if Christ no way died for all men, how can those Promises stand true? All men, if they be∣lieve, shall be saved; saved, but how? Shall they be saved by a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Price of Redemption? there was none at all paid for

them; the immense value of Christ's death doth not make it a Price as to them for whom he died not; or shall they be saved without a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Price? God's unsatis∣fied Justice cannot suffer it, his Minatory Law cannot bear it, neither doth the Gos∣pel know any such way of Salvation; take it either way, the truth of those Promises cannot be vindicated, unless we say, that Christ died for all men. But you'l yet reply, that albeit Christ died not for all, yet is the Promise true; because Christ's death is not only sufficient for all in it self, but it was willed by God to be so. I answer, God willed it to be so, but how? Did he will that it should be paid for all men, and so be a sufficient Price for them? then Christ died for all men; or did he will that it should not be paid for all men, but only be sufficient for them in its intrinsecal va∣lue? then still it is no Price at all as to them, and consequently either they may be saved without a Price, which is contra∣ry to the Current of the Gospel; or else they cannot be saved at all, which is con∣trary to the truth of the Promise. If it be yet further demanded, To what pur∣pose is it to argue which way Reprobates shall be saved, seeing none of them ever

did or will believe? Let the Apostle an∣swer, What if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect? God forbid; yea, let God be true, but every man a liar, Rom. 3. 3, 4. And again, If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful and cannot deny himself, 2 Tim. 2. 13. No Re∣probate ever did or will believe, yet the Promise must be true, and true antece∣dently to the Faith or Unbelief of men; true, because it is the Promise of God, and antecedently true, because else it could not be the Object of Faith. Wherefore I conclude that Christ died for all men so far, as to found the truth of the general Promises, which extend to all men.

3. I argue from the Ministers Commis∣sion which is, Go, preach the Gospel to every creature; by virtue of this, they command all men every where to repent, and to in∣duce them thereunto, they open a door of Hope to them, and to raise up that Hope, they set forth Jesus Christ evidently be∣fore their eyes, as if he were crucified a∣mong them, opening his bleeding Wounds, and through them shewing his naked Heart, and the inward bruises there made by Gods Wrath for man's Sin; they lift up their voices and cry, Come, O poor sin∣ners!

come, for all things are ready, here's Christ and his redeeming Blood ready, here's an Act of free Grace & Pardon seal'd in that Blood, here's a Heaven of Recon∣ciliation, and at the end thereof a Heaven of Glory open before you; Come, O come without delay; Behold! now is the accept∣ed time, the day of salvation, come, and your Sins shall be blotted out, come and your Souls shall live for ever; whilest it is call∣ed to day, we beseech you, be you recon∣ciled unto God; why should your immor∣tal Souls, saveable through Christ, be choaked with worldly Thorns, or inchant∣ed with base Lusts, or inhabited by un∣clean Devils? Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die? And in all this, they bespeak not the Elect only, but others too; for their Com∣mission reaches to every creature: neither do they utter their own humane Passions, but pursue their divine Commission; for in all their pathetical beseechings God him∣self beseeches, 2 Cor. 5. 28. in all their loud out-cries Wisdom it self cries out, Prov. 8. 1, 4. in all their earnest expostulations, Christ himself stands at the door and knocks, Rev. 3. 20. in all their holy Doctrines the Kingdom of Heaven comes nigh unto men, Luk. 10. 11. and in all their invitations to

the Evangelical Feast made up of Christ's Flesh and Blood, which is meat in∣deed, and drink indeed, God him∣self invites, and bids men, eat and drink for his heart is with them. These things being so, it necessarily follows that Christ died for all men; because the Ob∣lation of Christ in the Gospel is founded on his Oblation on the Cross, and the Mi∣nistery of Reconciliation is founded on the Mystery of it. Hence the Apostle joins both together; God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, and hath committed to us the word of reconcilia∣tion, 2 Cor. 5. 19. And in another place, Christ gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 1 Tim. 2. 6. The word of Reconciliation is extensive to all, there∣fore so is the work; the Price of Redem∣ption may be testified to all, therefore it was paid for all, so far as to found that te∣stimony of Jesus which is the spirit of Pro∣phecy. But if Christ no way died for all men, how came the Ministers Commission to be so large? They command men to repent that their sins may be blotted out, but how can their sins be blotted out for whom Christ was not made sin? They beseech men to be reconciled to God, but

how shall they be reconciled for whom Christ paid no Price at all? They call and cry out to men to come to Christ that they may have life, but how can they have life for whom Christ was no Surety in his Death? If then Christ died for all men, the Ministery is a true Ministery as to all; but if Christ died only for the Elect, what is the Ministery as to the rest? Those Ex∣hortations, which as to the Elect are real undissembled offers of Grace, as to the rest seem to be but golden Dreams and Shadows; those Calls, which as to the Elect are right Ministerial Acts, as to the rest appear as Extraministerial Blots and Errata's; those Invitations to the Gospel-feast, which as to the Elect are the cordial wooings and beseechings of God himself, as to the rest look like the words of mere men speaking at random and with∣out Commission: for alas! why should they come to that Feast for whom nothing is prepared? How should they eat and drink for whom the Lamb was never slain? Wherefore I conclude that Christ died for all mens so far as to found the truth of the Ministery towards them.

4. I argue from the Blessings purchased by Christ's Death; one great Blessing is

Salvation on Gospel Terms. Lapsed An∣gels must be damned, but Men, nay, all Men may be saved on Gospel-terms; there is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a common Salvation to them; and O what a blessing is this, espe∣cially to such as live under the Gospel! there is nothing stands between them and Heaven but their own Will, they will not come to Christ that they may have life: Oh! what would the damned Spirits in Hell give for such a door of Hope, as hath no other bar but what is in their own Hearts! how would they sweat and strive with tears and strong cries to enter in at it! A second Blessing is the Patience of God, which waits upon Sinners, and by some glimmerings of Mercy leads them to repen∣tance. A third Blessing is the Dispensa∣tion of Gifts; even in the Wilderness of the Pagan-world there are Moral Vertues, and in the Eden of the Church there are even in those that perish, some touches of the holy Ghost, tastes of the heavenly Gift and feelings of the Powers of the World to come, and whence are these but from the Death of Christ? As David call∣ed the water of Bethlehem the blood of his worthies, so may I call these Blessings the blood of Christ. Wherefore Christ died so

far for all, as to procure some Blessings for them.

5. I argue from the Unbelief of Men, which is wonderfully aggravated in Scri∣pture: through Jesus Christ there is a real offer of Grace made, but Unbelief receives it in vain, 2 Cor. 6. 1. great Salvation is pre∣pared, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••nbelief neglects it, Heb. 2. 3. Eternal 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is promised, but Unbelief comes short of it, Heb. 4. 1. the Kingdom of Heaven comes nigh to men, but Unbelief draws back from it, Heb. 10. 39. God him∣self bears witness that there is Life in his Son, even for all if they believe, but Un∣belief saith No to it, and doth what it can to make him a liar, 1 Joh. 5. 10. Christ is set forth before our eyes as the great Expia∣tory Sacrifice, and evidently set forth as if he were crucified among us, his Blood runs fresh in the Veins of the Gospel, but Unbelief recrucifies the Son of God, Heb. 6. 6. tramples his precious blood under foot, Heb. 10. 29. and doth as it were nullifie his glo∣rious Sacrifice; so that as to final Unbeliev∣ers 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, there no more re∣maineth a sacrifice, Heb. 10. 26. as to their Salvation, 'tis as if there were no Sacrifice at all for them: But if Christ died not for all men, how can these things be? How

can those men receive Grace in vain for whom it was never procured? or neglect Salvation for whom it was never prepared? How can they fall short of eternal Rest for whom it was never purchased? or draw back from the Kingdom of Heaven which never approached unto them? How can there be life in Christ for thos•• for whom he never died? and if not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 way doth their Unbelief give God the lye? How can they recrucifie the Son of God for whom he was never crucified? or trample on that precious Blood which was never shed for them? The Devils, as full of malice as they are against, Christ, are never said to do it, and why are men charged with it? I take it, because men have some share in him, and Devils none at all.

6. I argue from the Death of Christ, which hath a superexcellent Redundance of Merit in it, not only because of its in∣trinsecal value, but because of the divine Ordination; there are unsearchable riches in Christ, enough to pay all mens Debts; there are Pleonasms of Grace in him, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Grace superabounded, saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 1. 14. Salvation flows out from him actually upon all Be∣lievers, and by a glorious supereffluence

it would run over upon all men if they did believe: As it was with the Widows litte Pot of Oil, 2 Kings 4. 6. the Oil did run till all the Vessels were full, and then it staid; the Widow called for another Vessel, and if she had had many more there, the Oil in the Pot would have fill∣ed them all; Even so (pardon the Com∣parison) it is with the immense Sea of Christ's Merits, it actually fills all the Ves∣sels of Faith, and then it stays as it were for want of Vessels; mean-while Christ calls and cries out for more and if all men would come and bring their Vessels to him he would fill them all; doubtless if all men did believe, all would see the Glory of God, all would have the Ri∣vers of living water flowing in them, all would feel spiritual Miracles wrought in their Hearts, by that Christ who sits at the right hand of Power, and consequent∣ly all would find an experimental witness in themselves that Christ died for them all.

7. I argue from the general and large Expressions in Scripture touching Christ and his Death; Christ died for all, 2 Cor. 5. 15. for every man, Heb. 2. 9. he gave him∣self for the world, Joh. 6. 51. for the whole world, 1 Joh. 2. 2. he is stiled the Saviour of

the world, 1 Joh. 4. 14. and his Salvation is called a common salvation, Jude Ver. 3. a salvation prepared before the face of all peo∣ple, Luk. 2. 31. and flowing forth to the ends of the earth, Isai. 49. 6. the Gospel of this Salvation is to be preached to all nations, Matth. 28. 19. and to every creature, Mark 16. 15. there is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, grace bring∣ing salvation to all men, Tit. 2. 11. a door of Hope open to them, because Christ gave himself a ransom for all, 1 Tim. 2. 6. I know not what could be more emphatical to point out the Universality of Redempti∣on? But you'l say, all these general Ex∣pressions do but denote genera singulorum, some of all sorts, the World of the Elect, or the All of Believers.

In answer to which I shall only put two Quaeries.

1. If those general Expressions denote only the World of the Elect, or the All of Believers, why is it not said in Scripture, that God elected all and every man, the World and the whole World? in that sence 'tis as true that God elected them all, as 'tis that Christ died for them all; Why then doth the holy Spirit altogether for∣bear those general Expressions in the mat∣ter of Election, which it useth in the mat∣ter

of Redemption? Surely it imports thus much unto us, that Redemption hath a larger Sphere than Election; and therefore the Scriptures contract Election in words of Speciality only, whilest they open and dilate Redemption in emphatical Gene∣ralities.

2. If those general Expressions denote only the World of the Elect or the All of Believers, why doth the Scripture use such very different language in the same thing? Sometimes Christ is called the saviour of the world, and sometimes the saviour of the body; sometimes 'tis said that Christ died or gave himself for all, or for the world, & some∣times it is said that he died or gave him∣self for the Church or for his sheep. Who can imagine that such words of universali∣ty, and such words of speciality should be of the same latitude? that one and the same thing should be imported in both? Moreover, the Scripture doth make a sig∣nal distinction; when it speaks of his giv∣ing himself or dying for all, it says only that he died for all or gave himself a Ran∣som for all: But when it speaks of giving himself for his Church, it says that he san∣ctified himself that it might be sanctified through the truth, Joh. 17. 19. and that he

gave himself for it, that he might purisie to himself a peouliar people, Tit. 2. 14. and that he gave himself for it, that he might sanctifie and cleanse it by the word, and present it to himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, Eph. 5. 25, 26, 27. Never in all the Scripture is it said that he gave him∣self for all, or for the World, that he might sanctifie, or cleanse it, or make it a pecu∣liar People, or glorious Church, which yet might have been truly said, if the All were no more than the All of Believers, or the World than the World of the Elect; wherefore to me it seems clear from those various Expressions and the observable di∣stinctions in them, that the All for whom Christ died is larger than the All of Be∣lievers, and the World for whom Christ gave himself larger than the World of the Elect.

2. Having laid down my own Reasons, I procede to answer the Objections made against this Opinion.

Object. 1. If Christ died for all men, then all would believe, for Christ's Death pro∣cures all Graces, and in particular, Faith; seeing then all men have not Faith, either Christ did not die for them all, or else he loseth part of his Purchase.

I answer that Christ's Death is procura∣tive of all Graces and particularly of Faith, so far as it is a Price; and it is a Price so far, as it was paid down by Christ and ac∣cepted by God for that purpose: for in a Price there must be both Sufficientia nuda consisting in the intrinsecal value of the thing, and Sufficientia ordinata consisting in the intentional paying and receiving that thing as a Price. Now Christ's death was paid down by him and accepted by God as a Price with a double re∣spect. As for all men it was paid and ac∣cepted as a Price, so far forth, as to pro∣cure for them a ground for their Faith, viz. that they might be saved on Gospel∣terms. And as for the Elect it was further paid and accepted as a Price; so far as to procure the very Grace of Faith for them. Thus our Saviour Christ (who best knew both upon what Terms he paid down the price, and upon what Terms his Father received it) opens this mysterious Dispen∣sation; I came down from heaven (saith he) not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me, Joh. 6. 38. and what was that? As to all men, 'twas that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have ever∣lasting life, Ver. 40. and as to the Elect,

'twas that all those should by faith come unto him, Ver. 37. and never be lost, Ver. 39. Christ then died for all men, not so far forth as to procure the Grace of Faith, but so far forth as to procure Salvation on Gospel-terms for them; therefore, albeit all do not believe, it follows not either that Christ did not at all die for them, or that he loseth part of his Purchase. Christ's Death is procurative of Faith, not in re∣ference to all, but to the Elect.

Object. 2. If Christ died for all men, why is not the Gospel revealed to them? many Pagan Nations have no glimpse of a Christ.

I answer two things.

1. God hath not left himself altogether without witness, no, not in the Pagan∣world; the invisible Spirit renders him∣self visible in the Glass of the World, Rom. 1. 20. and as it were palpable in the body of Nature; the very Heathens may see and feel him in every creature, Acts 17. 27. nay, and in themselves too, for his Presence is not far off from them, & his candle burns within them, Prov. 20. 27. & when by this Candle it appears, that there is Justice in God and Sin in them; yet that they may still seek after him, he lets out some glimmerings of mercy & placability towards them; the very stand∣ing

of the World utters somewhat of this. This Psalmist tells us of a line in the heaven, Psal. 19. 4. God in the Creation drew lines of Power and Wisdom over the Sphere of Nature, but Christ in Redemption struck a line of Mercy quite through it, and that legible even to the Heathens, foras∣much as they know 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the vindictive justice of God, Rom. 1. 32. and yet see the World standing, and not dashed down about the Sinners Ears; they know there is a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a divine vengeance, Acts 28. 4. and yet they are not consumed; they see Justice as it were winking, Acts 17. 30. judgment slumbring, 2 Pet. 2. 3. and infinite Patience and Long-suffering waiting and leading them to Repentance, Rom. 2. 4. they have some glimpses of pardoning Mercy; where there is no pardoning mercy at all, there is no room for repentance: but the Pa∣tience of God is a kind of temporal pardon of the punishment, & that temporal pardon of the punishment points out that Mercy which can give an absolute pardon of the Sin, and the true duct and tendency of that Mercy is to lead men to Repentance; and if there were any man in the Pagan-world who did in truth repent and convert to God, I make no question at all, but that

he should be saved, and probably not without the express knowledge of Christ indulged to him; for upon all that fear Gods Name will the Sun of rigteousness arise with healing under his wings, Mal. 4. 2. Here then is aliquid Evangelii, though not the express knowledge of Christ.

2. As to the Argument, let us weigh what may be deducted from Christ's death as universal: If Christ died for all men, it follows from thence that Christ may be preached to all, but it follows not from thence that Christ shall be preached to all; it follows that Christ may be preached to all, for he, who was offered for all on the Cross, may be offered to all in the Gospel; there is no Pagan in the World to whom Christ may not be offered. And if there were but one great Ear or Organ of Hear∣ing common to all, how would Christ's Mi∣nisters always be filling it with Gospel? But it follows not that Christ shall be preached to all; for the Gospel is God's own, and he may do with his own as he pleaseth; and Christ who purchased for all the Be∣ing of the Gospel as far as the general Pro∣mises go, yet purchased not for all the publication thereof. In a word; the Pagans have some glimmerings of Gospel, and

may be saved on Gospel-terms, which shews that Christ so far died for them; and that they have not the express knowledge of Christ, is a deep Abyss much fitter to be adored than dived into by us.

Object. 3. If Christ died for all men, then he intercedes for all; but he inter∣cedes only for the Elect, therefore he di∣ed for them only.

I answer that Christ doth in some sort intercede for all men; and this I shall clear several ways.

1. From the Nature of Christ's Inter∣cession; that is not a formal Prayer, but an appearing in the Holy of Holies before the face of God as an Advocate, and there presenting his Blood and Righteousness in their freshness and endless life of Merit, with a Will that all the Grace pur∣chased thereby may be dispensed to the sons of men; therefore Christ even in Glory stands 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as one slain, Rev. 5. 6. shewing his bleeding Wounds to make Intercession with God. Hence it follows, that his Intercession (being a kind of celestial Oblation) perfectly an∣swers to his Oblation on the Cross; he is an Advocate above, so far as he was a Surety here below; his Blood speaks the

very same things in Heaven as it did on Earth, and his Will stands in the same po∣sture towards Sinners there as here. Now, how far was Christ a Surety for all? Sure∣ly thus far, that all may be saved if they believe; else either they cannot be saved at all which is contrary to the truth of the Promise, or they may be saved without a Surety, which is contrary to the current of the Scriptures. But if he were so far a Surety for all, then he is so far an Advo∣cate for all; for he appears an Advocate in Heaven for all those for whom he ap∣peared as a Surety on the Cross. Hence the Apostle saith in general, If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, 1 Joh. 2. 1. he saith not strictly, if the Elect sin, but at large, if any man sin, we have an advocate; and as the true ground-work of this general Advocation, he adds, he is the propitiation for the whole world, Ver. 2. So far forth as he was a Propitiation for the World, so far forth he is an Advocate for it. And another Apostle affirms that Christ is a Mediator between God and men, 1 Tim. 2. 5. he saith not betwixt God and his Church, but betwixt God and men; and the following words give the true reason of it, Christ gave himself a ransom for all,

Ver. 6. he is no less a Mediator for all, than he was a Ransom for all. Christ's Blood shed on the Cross spake thus far for all men that they might have their pardon on Gos∣pel-terms; and afterwards being carried to Heaven it speaks the very same language for them; for the voice or speech of that Blood is its Merit, and that Merit is of an indeficient virtue. Hence that Blood can∣not be speechless, because it cannot be meritless; and so far on Earth as it merit∣ed for all, so far in Heaven it speaks and intercedes for all. Moreover, as Christ's Blood speaks the same things for them in Heaven, as it did on Earth, so Christ's Will in Heaven stands in the same posture towards them as it did on Earth; where∣fore in a sort he intercedes for all.

2. From the Patience of God which waits on men, even such as at last perish. If Christ did not stand with the Incense of his sweet-smelling Merits between the living and the dead, between the reprieved Sinners on Earth and the damned Spirits in Hell, the Patience of God would not wait one moment upon them.

3. From the working of God's Spirit; for as Christ is our Paraclete or Advocate in heaven, 1 Joh. 2. 1. so the holy Spirit is Gods Para.

clete or Advocate on earth, Joh. 16. 7. Sure∣ly if the Advocate in Heaven spake no∣thing for the Non-lect, the Advocate on Earth would not wooe them to salvation; if the Blood of Christ did not at all plead for them, the Spirit of Christ would give no touches at all upon them, much less such touches as to make them taste the powers of the World to come.

4. From the liberty of Prayer. Simon Magus (even whilest in the gall of bitterness) was commanded to pray, Acts 8. 22. but, what without a Mediator? No surely, that sinful man, who hath no Mediator in Hea∣ven, must not presume to pray on Earth. I see no reason why a man merely media∣torless should have more lieve to pray than a Devil, who is therefore without hope because without a Mediator. The Apostle commands men to pray every where, 1 Tim. 2. 8. but a little before he lays down this as the ground-work, there is one Me∣diator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all, Ver. 5 and 6. The Mediation of Christ opens the door to Prayer.

Wherefore as to this Objection I answer thus; Christ intercedes for all men in such sort as he died for them; I say in such sort,

for there is a vast difference between his general Intercession for all, and his speci∣al Intercession for the Elect: For as Christ by his Blood shed on the Cross merited for all in general that they might be saved on Gospel-terms, and merited for the E∣lect in special that they should believe and be saved; so by the same blood pre∣sented in Heaven he intercedes for all that they may be saved on Gospel-terms, and intercedes for the Elect that they may be∣lieve and be saved. And thus he is the complete Mediator of the Covenant; as the general Promises extend to all, so an∣swerably he intercedes for all; and as the special Promises point only at the Elect, so proportionably he intercedes for the Elect.

Object. 4. If Christ died for all men, then he was a Surety for all and satisfied for the sins of all, and consequently God hath a double Satisfaction; one in Christ the Surety, and another in the persons of the Damned, which is against the nature of his Justice.

In this Argument are two consequen∣ces to be weighed.

1. If Christ died for all, then he was a Surety for all & satisfied for the sins of all.

2. If Christ so satisfied for the sins of all,

then God hath a double Satisfaction, which is against Justice.

As to the first consequence I admit it as a very Truth, that Christ was a Surety for all, and satisfied for the sins of all; for if all did believe and repent, the sins of all should be remitted, and remitted they could not be without a Surety, and a Sure∣ty making Satisfaction; therefore such a Surety was Christ for them all.

As to the second consequence, If Christ satisfied for the sins of all, then God hath a double Satisfaction, and that is against Justice. I shall first premise some distincti∣ons and then answer.

1. I shall premise three distinctions.

1. Either the first Satisfaction was made to the Creditor or Law-giver by the Deb∣tor or Offender himself, or else it was made by a Surety; if it was made by himself, Ju∣stice forbids a second Satisfaction.

2. The first Satisfaction being made by a Surety, was either made by a Surety of the Debtors or Offenders own procuring, or else by a Surety procured by the Cre∣ditor or Law-giver; if it was made by a Surety procured by the Debtor or Offen∣der himself, Justice forbids a second Satis∣faction; for 'tis all one as if he had satisfi∣ed by himself.

3. When a Surety provided by the Creditor or Law-giver makes the first Sa∣tisfaction, either he makes Satisfaction in such sort, as that the Debtor or Offender shall be thereby immediately, ipso facto, without any more ado discharged, or else he makes Satisfaction in such sort, as that the Debtor or Offender shall be thereby discharged, but upon the performance of some Conditions and not otherwise; if the Surety make Satisfaction in the former way, still Justice forbids a second Satisfa∣ction; but if he make Satisfaction in the latter way, then upon the final non-per∣formance of those Conditions, Justice may admit a second Satisfaction. I will illustrate this by two instances: Suppose a man indebted to another in 1000. l. the Creditor procures his Son to lay down the mony in satisfaction of the Debt, but with∣al it is agreed between them, that the Deb∣tor shall be discharged from his Debt, if he assent to this payment and not otherwise; if then the Debtor dissent, the Creditor may justly demand of him a second Satis∣faction. Again; suppose multitudes of attainted Traitors be shut up in Prison, and the King procures his Son to suffer pu∣nishment in their stead, but withal the

King and his Son proclame it as a Law, that none of the Traitors shall be thereby ab∣solved, unless such as honour and do Ho∣mage unto them; if any Traitor refuse to do it, the King may justly exact a second Satisfaction: and the reason of both is this, because the Debtor or Traitor not performing the Conditions can have no be∣nefit by the first Satisfaction, and therefore must be subject to a second, as if there had been no first at all.

2. These distinctions premised, I an∣swer, Mens Sins are Debts and Rebellions, and satisfaction for them is due to God as the great Creditor and Law-giver; but this Satisfaction was not made by men themselves, but by Jesus Christ as their Surety, and this Surety was not procured by men, but provided by God himself; and being provided by God, he did not pay down his satisfactory Blood in such sort, as that men should be thereby imme∣diately, ipso facto, absolved from their Debts and Rebellions, but in such sort, as that men may be acquitted from their Debts and Rebellions if they repent and believe: wherefore if they do neither, they can have no benefit by Christ's Satis∣faction, and by consequence a second Sa∣tisfaction

may be justly exacted from them.

Now for the more distinct clearing of this momentous Objection I shall propose Four things.

1. God out of mere Grace procured Christ to be a Surety for men; and there∣fore it was in his power to prescribe the Conditions, upon the performance or non∣performance whereof men should have or not have benefit by Christ's Satisfaction.

2. According to this power, God hath plainly set down the Conditions in the Gospel, viz. He that believes shall be saved, and he that believes not shall be condemned.

3. These Conditions being thus set down by God himself, no man falling short of them, can have benefit by Christ's Sa∣tisfaction: If men will not receive the a∣tonement, Rom. 5. 11. how can they be at peace? If they will not receive remission of sins, Acts 10. 43. how can they be par∣doned? We are all in a worse Dungeon than Jeremy's, and if we will not put the cords of Grace under our Arms, we can∣not get out; we are all servants of Sin, and if we say to it, We love thee, and will not go out free, we must be bored for e∣ternal Slaves. Christ hath opened the

Fountain of his Blood, but we must wash in it, Zach. 13. 1. Christ hath made a pur∣chase of Souls, but we must believe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to the purchasing of the soul, Heb. 10. 39. not that Faith is part of the Purchase-money, but that it is the Con∣dition of the Gospel, without which the glorious Purchase of Christ profits not; if men live and die in Unbelief, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, there remaineth no more sacri∣fice for them, Heb. 10. 26. Indeed Christ of∣fered a Sacrifice for them, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the benefit of that Sacrifice doth no more re∣main unto them; upon their final Unbe∣lief they have no more benefit by it than if there had been none at all for them: In which sence I understand that of the Fa∣ther, Si non credis, non tibi descendit, non tibi passus est Christus.

4. If final Unbelievers can have no be∣nefit by Christ's Satisfaction, then God may justly require a second Satisfaction of them, because they cannot plead the first; and so 'tis in Law as to them as if there had been no first at all. Shimei had a par∣don from Solomon, but passing over Kidron lost it; and therefore (notwithstanding the same) was justly put to death for his offence: Jesus Christ as a Surety made Sa∣tisfaction

for men, but they through their final Unbelief lose the benefit of it; and therefore (notwithstanding the same) God may justly require a second Satisfaction from them. If Shimei had pleaded his pardon, Solomon would have told him, that's nothing to thee ever since thou didst pass over Kidron; and if Unbelievers should plead Christ's Satisfaction, God would tell them, that's nothing to you, seeing you have lived and died in Unbelief.

Object. 5. Millions of men in the World reject Christ, and drop into Hell, and God eternally foresaw that it would be so; if then Christ died for these, there seems to be a blot upon the divine Wisdom, a failure in his efficacious Will, and a loss in the precious Purchase made by Christ.

I answer; 'Tis true that God eternally foresaw those Rejecters of Christ, and that Christ in time died for them, nevertheless there is no blot hereby cast on the divine Wisdom; 'tis no disparagement to the All-wise God to bestow Means of Eternal Bliss on such as he eternally foresaw would abuse the same to their own destruction: Oh! what rare Perfections did he set up in the Angels, and yet he eternally fore∣saw a great part of them apostatizing and

dropping to Hell; What an excellent I∣mage of Holiness did he stamp upon A∣dam? and yet he eternally foresaw him falling, and breaking all his Glory by the the Fall; what waitings of Patience, woo∣ings of the Gospel and touches of the holy Spirit doth he dispense to such men as he eternally foresaw would abuse all these? and yet in all this God's Wisdom suffers not. The very same I may say of Christ's dying for such as abuse this great blessing; neither is there here any failing in the effi∣cacious Will of God, for he wills that the Elect shall believe and be saved, and he wills that the rest shall be saved if they believe, and both these Wills are accom∣plished, the first in the Event of Faith and Salvation, and the latter in the Connexi∣on between Faith and Salvation, even as to all men. God may be said to will the Salvation of men through Christ's Death two ways; either because he wills that Christ's Death should be a Price infallibly procuring their Faith and Salvation, or else because he wills that there should be in Christ's Death an aptness and sufficiency to save them on Gospel-terms: the former Will points only at the Elect, and is ful∣filled in their Grace and Glory; the

latter extends to all men, and is fulfilled in the aptness and sufficiency of Christ's Death to save them on Gospel-terms; in both God's Will hath its effect. Neither lastly is there any loss in Christ's purchase, for what did he purchase? As for the E∣lect, he purchased Faith and Salvation, and as for the rest, he purchased Salvation on Gospel-terms, in both he hath what he paid for; for the Elect believe and are saved, and the rest may be saved if they believe: therefore when men by their Unbelief barr themselves of the benefit of Christ's Death, and make him in that re∣spect cry out, I have laboured in vain, yet he adds, surely my judgment is with the Lord, Isai. 49. 4. as if he had said, For all this never a drop of my Blood is irratio∣nally shed, for God (with whom my judg∣ment is) knows, that I purchased Salvati∣on for them on Gospel-terms, although they by their Unbelief deprive themselves of the benefit of the Purchase. If final Unbelievers should be saved, Christ should have more than his Purchase, but if they are not saved, he hath no less; for he pur∣chased Salvation for them on Gospel-terms which they do not perform through their own voluntary Unbelief.

Object. 6. If Christ died for all men, then he loves all with the greatest de∣gree of Love; for greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends, Joh. 15. 13. and this must needs be the greatest degree of love, because it draws all other things after it; If God gave his own Son for us, how shall he not with him freely give us all things, Rom. 8. 32? But Christ doth not love all with the great∣est degree of love, neither doth God give all things to them; therefore Christ did not die for all.

I confess that Christ doth not love all men with the greatest degree of love, nei∣ther doth God bestow all blessings on them: wherefore we must examine these places from whence these Inferences are made. As for the first place, greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, it doth import one of these two things; either it doth import, that he that dieth for his friends hath the great∣est degree or height of internal love to∣wards them, or else it imports, that a mans death for his friends is the greatest exter∣nal effect and proof of his love: the first cannot be the meaning of the place; for if it be the greatest and most intense de∣gree

of love to die for our friends, what is it to die for our enemies as Christ did? If it be the height and top of love to lay down our lives, how can that be done without any love at all as the Apostle sup∣poseth, 1 Cor. 13. 3? The Apostle com∣mands us to lay down our lives for the bre∣thren, 1 Joh. 3. 16. but when a man doth it, he is not to have the same degree of love towards all the Brethren; for he is to love those most in whom there is most of God, and to whom he is nearest in Nature. Je∣sus Christ laid down his life for all the E∣lect, yet without doubt his love was grea∣ter to his Apostles than to ordinary Chri∣stians; nay, and among the Apostles, there was one dearly beloved, one who lay in his bosom, Joh. 13. 23. Wherefore the meaning of the words is not, that he that dieth for his friends hath the greatest de∣gree or height of internal love towards them, but that such a death is the great∣est effect and proof of his love. Christ in the 12. Verse exhorted his Disciples to love one another, and in this 13. Verse he shews what is the greatest outward evi∣dence of love, viz. to die for our friends. Now albeit Christ died for all men, and that Death was a great and high proof of

his Love, nothing hinders but that Christ, over and besides his common Philanthro∣py to all, may bear a special affection to the Elect; the Universality of his Death infers not a Parity in his Love. If Jacob had died for all his Sons, yet he might have loved Joseph and Benjamin above the rest, and left them some special Legacies: If Christ died for all men, yet he may and doth love his Elect above others, and leave some secret Love-tokens upon their hearts. As for the second place, If God delivered up his Son for us, how shall he not with him freely give us all things, Rom. 8. 32. the Key to unlock this Text is the word [Us;] Who are the Us in the Text? Who but the Elect of God? Ver. 33. who according to Ele∣ction are effectually called, Ver. 28. and upon their Callings are justified and glorified, Ver. 30? These are the Us in the Text; wherefore the plain meaning of it is, not that if God gave his Son for all men, he would give them all things, but that if God gave his Son for the Elect, he would give them all things, viz. all things necessary to Salvation; the Text extends not to all men. But you'l say, though the Text extend not to all men, yet the Ar∣gument doth: for if the Argument be

good, that if God gave his Son for the E∣lect, he would give them all things; then the Argument is as good, that if God gave his Son for all men, he would give them all things. I answer, that if God's Intention and Love in giving his Son for all were one and the same towards all, the consequence were undeniable; but seeing God in giving his Son, had towards the Elect a special Love and Intention to bestow Grace and Glory on them, and to∣wards the rest but a common Philanthro∣py and Ordination that they might be saved on Gospel-terms, hence it is clear, that albeit the giving of all things to the Elect may be inferred from his giving his Son for them, yet the giving of all things to all men cannot be inferred from his giv∣ing his Son for them all; because in that gift there was not the same Love and In∣tention towards all: Wherefore I con∣clude that Christ died for all, and yet nei∣ther are all loved with the greatest degree of love, nor yet are all blessings conferred upon them.

Object. 7. If Christ would not pray for all men, then he died not for all; but Christ would not pray for all, for he saith, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, Joh. 17. 9.

Answ. This Argument must be formed one of these two ways; either thus, If Christ prayed not at all for the Non-elect, then he did not at all die for them; but he prayed not at all for them, Ergo, he died not for them. Now here I must deny the Minor; for even upon the Cross he prayed for his Crucifiers, Father forgive them, Luk. 23. 34. not that he would have them for∣given though final Impenitents and Unbe∣lievers, for that would have been against his Father's purpose and his own purchase, but that he would have them forgiven if they did believe and repent, which was congruous to both. But suppose there had been no vocal Prayer of Christ for them, yet surely there was a mental one; for he could not but desire of God to have all the fruits of his Passion, amongst which one was, that all men might be saved on Gospel-terms; that grand Gospel-axiom [whosoever believes shall be saved] was no doubt one of his desires, for it cost his pre∣cious Blood; wherefore the Non-elect were not totally excluded from his Prayers. Or else the Argument must be formed thus; If Christ prayed not for the non-elect in that famous Prayer, Joh. 17. then he did not die for them; but he prayed not for them in

that Prayer, therefore he died not for them. Now here the consequence fails; for what kind of Prayer was that, Joh. 17? 'Twas a Prayer peculiarly fitted for Apo∣stles and Believers; a Prayer for their per∣severance in Faith, Ver. 11. for their per∣fection in Unity, Ver. 23. for their growth in Sanctification, Ver. 17. for their abode with him in Glory, Ver. 24. and in all re∣spects a Prayer which could be congruous∣ly prayed for no other but Believers, Ver. 20. Now that Christ did not pray such a Prayer for all men as was only proper for Believers, doth not conclude, either that he did not at all pray for them, or that he did not at all die for them. Thus much in answer to the first Quaere, Whether Christ died for all men? I pass on to the second.

Quaere 2. Whether Christ died equally for all men? I answer, that albeit Christ died in some sort for all men, and, by vir∣tue of his Death, all men (if Believers) should equally be saved; nevertheless Christ did not die equally for them all, but after a special manner for the Elect, a∣bove and beyond all others; and this I shall demonstrate by several Arguments drawn

• ...

• 1. From the Will of God.
• 2. From the Covenant of Grace.
• 3. From the Issue of Christ.
• 4. From the Working of the holy Spirit.
• 5. From the Blessings purchased.
• 6. From the Intercession of Christ.
• 7. From the Event following upon Christ's Death.
• 8. From the special Expressions in Scri∣pture.

1. I argue from the Will of God. Christ's Death is the meritorious Cause of Salvati∣on, and respects men more or less proporti∣onably as God's Will (which is the fontal Cause thereof) doth more or less respect them: God wills that all men should be sav∣ed if they believe, & proportionably Christ died for them all; God wills that the E∣lect should infallibly believe and be saved, and sutably Christ died for them in a spe∣cial way; there is a peculiarity in Christ's Redemption answering to the peculiarity of God's Love. God eternally resolved with himself that he would have a Church and a peculiar people, and Christ gave himself for it, that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself à

glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, Eph. 5. 25, 26, 27. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and puri∣fie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works, Tit. 2. 14. If Christ had given him∣self thus far for all, all would have been his Church and People. You will say, Unbelief is the only Obstacle. I answer, that if Christ had given himself for all, that he might wash them as he washes the Church, and redeem them from all iniqui∣ty as he redeems his peculiar ones, there would have been no such thing as Unbelief left among men; that Christ, who washes out every spot and wrinkle, would not have left Unbelief; that Christ, who redeems from all iniquity, would not have left Unbelief, no, not in any one man's heart; nay, I may truly say, he could not leave it there, because he could not lose his end, nor shed one drop of his Blood in vain. There are among men some chosen ones, such as are chosen out from among men, and chosen out of the World, Joh. 15. 19. and Christ in his Death had a special eye upon these: Hence, proportionably to their Election, they are said to be redeemed from among men, Rev. 14. 4. and redeemed out of every kindred and tongue and people and

nation, Rev. 5. 9. Now how is it possible that all men should be thus▪ redeemed? Christ's Death as it respects all men, re∣deems them (as I may so say) from among Devils, for that it renders them capable of mercy which Devils are not; but Christ's Death as it respects the Elect redeems them even from among men, for that it procures Faith for them, and thereby pulls them out of the unbelieving World; and what is peculiar Redemption if this be not? But you'l say these are said to be redeemed from among men, not because Christ specially died for them above o∣thers; but because these particularly ap∣plied his Death by Faith which others did not. I answer, that either this Applica∣tion by Faith was merited by Christ's Death or not; if so, then Christ redeem∣ed them in a special manner, because by his Death he impetrated Faith for them, which he did not for all; if not, then they were redeemed from among men by them∣selves and their own free Will, and not by Christ and his Death, which (I tremble to think) puts the lye upon the Church trium∣phant, who sing the new Song to the Lamb in these words; Thou wast slain and hast re∣deemed us to God by thy blood out of every

kindred & tongue & people & nation, Rev. 5. 9. How can that Blood of Christ, which merit∣ed alike for all men, redeem one man from another? How can it redeem some from among men, unless it merit for them that Faith which is the grand distinction be∣tween man and man in the matter of Sal∣vation? Christ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, purchased the church with his blood, Acts 20. 28. and pur∣chased it in a special manner: hence 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a purchased people, is not a title common to all, but proper to the Church, 1 Pet. 2. 9. God's Children lay scattered up and down the wide World, and Christ died that he might gather them all together 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, into one, one Faith here and one Glory hereafter, Joh. 11. 52. If Christ had died so for all, all should have come into the same Unity. We find in Scripture many signal distinctions made among men; there are some on whom God will have mercy, and others whom he will harden, Rom. 9. 18. some written in the Lambs book of life, and others left out of it, Rev. 13. 8. some given unto Christ, Joh. 6. 36. and others ••eft to themselves; some are Gods own jewels, Mal. 3. 17. and others but as dross. Now how incredible is it that Jesus Christ (who came to do his Father's

Will) should in his Death respect those whom God will harden, as much as those whom he will have mercy on; those that are out of the Book of Life, as much as those that are in it; those that are left to themselves, as much as those that are given to him, and those that are the dross of the World, as much as God's own Jewels? Believe it who can, 'tis a monstrous Opini∣on, worthy of nothing but exile from Christians: Seeing God's Will hath so di∣stinguished men, it is no more possible that Christ should die alike for all, than that he should dissent from his Father's Will, which to do was his great errand in the World. Christ suffered between two Thieves, a Type of the Elect and Repro∣bate World; but who dare say that he had as much respect to the one as to the other?

2. I argue from the Covenant of Grace. Christ is the Mediator of the Covenant, and the Covenant is the New-testament in his blood; as then the Covenant is more or less respective of men, so the Mediator's Death is more or less respective of them. There are in the Covenant two sorts of Promises; the one general and conditio∣nal, such are those, Whosoever believes shall be saved, Whosoever will, may take of

the water of life, If any man come to Christ he will not cast him out; the other special and absolute, such are those, I will circum∣cise thy heart to love me, I will put my fear in their hearts, I will take away the heart of stone and give an heart of flesh, I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, I will put my Laws in their mind and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people; there is a vast difference between these Promises: For

1. The general and conditional Pro∣mises are as it were the hands of the Co∣venant, pointing out the true way and path leading to Salvation, but the special and absolute Promises are as it were the Veins of the Covenant, carrying in them the blood and spirit of life and power to enable us to walk in that way. Here God himself engages to work all saving Graces in us: Are our hearts hard? he'l roll a∣way the stone from them; do our hearts resist holy impressions? he'l give us hearts of flesh capable thereof; are our hearts void of God's Law? he will write it there and turn them into the Epistles of Christ, and for the effectual doing hereof, he will put his Spirit into us, and as a real proof of

it, he will cause us to walk in his ways; and in this Walk Love shall be the Motive, for he will circumcise the heart to love him, and Fear the Bridle, for he will put his Fear in the heart never to depart from him; and, which is the Crown of all, he himself will be a God to us, and we shall be a people to him in an everlasting Cove∣nant. Stand still O Saints! and adore; here, loe, here is the ministration of the Spirit indeed, 2 Cor. 3. 8. here are words which are spirit and life, Joh. 6. 63. here is the supernal Jerusalem the mother of spiritual freedom, Gal. 4. 26. here is the immortal seed which begets all the Sons of God, 1 Pet. 1. 23. here is that Vis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or formative Virtue which moulds us into the divine na∣ture, 2 Pet. 1. 4. here is the day of God's power, which makes his people willing to serve him in the beauties of holiness, Psal. 110. 3. Happy, yea thrice happy they, who dwell in this Land of Promise and drink of these Wells of Salvation.

2. The general and conditional Promi∣ses are extensive to all men, but the speci∣al and absolute Promises respect the Elect and them only, for they are fulfilled in them, and them only; had these extend∣ed to all, that God (who cannot lye, nor

deny himself) would have fulfilled them in all. You will say, He would have ful∣filled them in all, but that men themselves will not: But what a strange word is this [they will not]? Will they not, if God give them a Will, a new heart and a new spirit? Will they not, if God take away the nilling and resisting Principle, the heart of stone? Will they not, if God write his Laws in their hearts and inward parts? O what is this, but by an absurd Blasphemy to change God's Truth into a lye, his Om∣nipotence into weakness, and his Glory into the old broken Idol of Creature-free∣dom? Surely if God (who is Truth and Power) engage to make a new Heart, the old one cannot hinder it; if he promise to remove Hardness, Hardness cannot resist it; if he say that he will write the Law in the Heart, the Heart will not say Nay to his Almighty Fingers. Seeing then these Promises are not fulfilled in all but in the Elect only, I may safely affirm that they re∣spect not all but the Elect only. These things being so, it appears how & in what manner Christ's Death respects men, even more or less, as the Promises of the Covenant found∣ed on his Blood do more or less respect them: As the general Promises extend to all

men, so the Death of Christ the Me∣diator proportionably extends to them all; and as the special Promises point only at the Elect, so the Death of Christ the Mediator hath a peculiar respect to them. Christ by his Death (over and be∣sides the general Promises) founded those special Promises for the Elect; hence they come to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, sons of pro∣mise, Gal. 4. 28. begotten by it to spiritual life, which others, standing only under the general Promises, are not. All the sa∣ving Graces of the Elect suting to those special Promises are no other than the fruits of Christ's Merits; they are renew∣ed with the renewings of the holy Ghost, but that is shed on them through Jesus Christ; they have the Law written in their hearts, but that is the Epistle of Christ; their filthy flesh is cut off from their hearts, that they may love God who is a pure Spirit, but this is the circumcision of Christ, Col. 2. 11. In a word, all the saving Graces of the E∣lect are as so many Legacies of the New∣testament, and the New-testament is found∣ed in his Blood: Wherefore it is clear from the Covenant of Grace and its special re∣spect to the Elect, that Christ died in a spe∣cial and peculiar manner for them.

3. I argue from the Issue of Christ; Christ was to have a Seed, and this I shall demonstrate three ways.

• 1. From the Preciousness of his Blood.
• 2. From the Purpose of his Father.
• 3. From the Promise of his Father.

1. From the Preciousness of his Blood. That there should be a Laver made of God's Blood, and never a Sinner washed in it, that such a vast sum of precious Me∣rits should be paid down, and never a Captive released by it, is to me no less than prodigious Blasphemy; every little Grain in Nature doth confute it; if that do but fall into the ground and die, it bringeth forth much fruit, and shall the Son of God bleed and die in his assumed Flesh and be fruitless? God in his waky Providence gives to every little Seed his own body, and shall the peerless Flower of Heaven sow his Blood and Righ∣teousness and have none at all? A Cup of cold water given in Charity shall in no wise lose its reward, and can it be so with the Blood of Christ poured out in a tran∣scendent excess of Love, and glorified in∣to an infinite Merit by his Deity? When Christ fed the multitude but with Barley∣loaves & small Fishes, nothing was lost, and

can all be lost when he makes a Feast of spiritual Marrow and Fatness, and gives his Flesh to be meat indeed and his Blood to be drink indeed? Oh! far be the thought from every Christian

2. From the Father's purpose, which (as the Scriptures hold forth) clearly was, that his Son should be a King, a Captain, a Shepherd, an Husband, an Head and a Fa∣ther: And what is a King without Subjects, a Captain without Souldiers, a Shepherd without a Flook, an Husband without a Spouse, an Head without a Body, and a Father without Posterity? Empty Names are below him whose name is above every name. Wherefore this King must have a Sion a mountain of holiness to reign in, Psal. 2. 6. this Captain a Militia, an army with banners to fight under him, Cant. 6. 4. this Shepherd a flock to hear his voice and fol∣low him, Joh. 10. 4. this Husband a spouse, a Queen in Gold of Ophir maried to him, Psal. 45. 9. this Head a body to be anima∣ted with his Spirit and filled with his life, Col. 1. 18. and this Father a numerous issue, begotten and brought forth into the spiri∣tual World to honour and serve him, Heb. 2. 13.

3. From the Father's Promise, which

was in terminis, That he should have a seed, Isai. 53. 10. a Seed begotten by his Spirit, and by that Generation bearing his Image, and in that Image serving of him; and to make it sure, God engages by special Pro∣mises to take away the stony Heart, to write the Law there, to put his holy Spi∣rit into them, and so infallibly to raise up a seed to him; and for the continuance of this Seed successively, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 filiabitur no∣men ejus, his name shall be sonned or child∣ed from generation to generation, Psal. 72. 17. The special Promises shall be ever budding and blossoming and bringing forth the fruits of Grace; thus Christ shall see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied, Isai. 53. 11. and as a sign of this Satisfaction, he breaks out, Behold I and the Children which God hath given me, Heb. 2. 13. Should he miss but one of his Seed or Children, his Heart would not rest or be satisfied; for they are in a peculiar manner the travel of his Soul.

But now if Christ died alike or equally for all, what becomes of his precious Blood? How can the Purpose and Pro∣mise of God stand? Which way shall Christ have a Seed? Shall his Seed be be∣gotten out of Man's Will? No such Gene∣ration

ever was there, Joh. 1. 13. 'Tis not of him that willeth, Rom. 9. 16. Nothing less than the holy Spirit, which formed Christ in the Womb, can form him in the Heart: but shall they be begotten by the holy Spirit? That Spirit doth nothing in the work of Regeneration but what Christ merited in his Passion; every new Crea∣ture which is efficiently begotten by the Spirit, was first meritoriously begotten by the Death of Christ, or else it would not be the Seed of Christ, at least not the travel of his Soul. Now Christ did not travel or merit for all men that they should be begotten again by the holy Ghost; for then either all would be so be∣gotten, which Experience denies, or else the Merit and Travel of Christ must be lost, which the preciousness thereof ab∣horrs: And if Christ did not merit it for all, then neither did he (if he died alike for all) merit it for any, and how then shall he have a Seed? His Seed must be begotten by the Spirit, and the Spirit be∣gets no new Creatures but what Christ merited, and Christ dying equally for all did not merit such a thing for any, because not for all. Moreover; when God pro∣mised Christ a Seed, either the meaning of

that Promise was, that some men should become his Seed, or that all should be so; if that some, then Christ died not e∣qually for all; if that all, then all must be begotten by the Spirit, and renewed after Christ's Image, the Stone must be cut out of every heart, and the Law writ∣ten there; for in these things is the very spirit and life of Regeneration: But see∣ing these things are not wrought in all, it appears, that the promised Seed is not all, but some, for whom Christ merited the very work of Regeneration.

4. I argue from the Working of the holy Spirit. As the holy Spirit eternally procedes from the Father and the Son in his personal Subsistence, so he goes forth in time from the Father and the Son in his working in Men. Hence he is called the Spirit of the Father, and the Spirit of the Son, the Father sends him, and the Son sends him; and as the holy Spirit works in Men from the Father and the Son, so he works in them more or less, as the Love of the Father and the Merits of the Son do more or less respect them. The Father doth in some sort love, and the Son did in some sort die for all men. Hence the holy Spirit hath some workings in the Non-elect.

Within the Church many of them taste the Powers of the World to come; nay, in the Pagan-world the holy Spirit drops some moral Vertues and Beams of light, from whence have issued many excel∣lent Sayings, some of which the holy Spirit hath so far owned as to quote them in his own Book: But the Father doth in a spe∣cial manner love, and the Son did in a special manner die for the Elect. Hence proportionably the holy Spirit works in them after more glorious strains of Power and Grace; as a Spirit of Grace and Sup∣plication he melts them into Repentance; as a Spirit of Faith he makes them catch hold upon Christ for Righteousness and Life; as a Spirit of Wisdom he unveils their hearts, and makes the Light to shine out of Darkness; as a Spirit of Liberty he unshackles and unbinds their Wills, and makes them free indeed in the ways of God, and as a Spirit of Truth and Holi∣ness he leads them into Truth, and by in∣ward Law-engravings moulds and changes them into it. Moreover, the holy Spirit, after such glorious workings on them, comes and dwells in them, and that inti∣mately in the very secrets of their hearts, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I will indwel in them,

saith he, 2 Cor. 6. 16. there are two [in's] to denote an intimate inhabitation, as if God could never be near enough to them: As in Christ Personal, who is the Head, there is God in the flesh by an hypostatical Union; so in Christ Mystical, which is the Body, there is God in the Flesh by a gracious Inhabitation; and to shew that he is there, he cries Abba Father in their Devotions; he is a Spirit of Love in their charities, a Spirit of Power in their infir∣mities, a Spirit of Comfort in their dis∣tresses, and a Spirit of Glory in their suf∣ferings. Seeing then the holy Spirit (who works in men more or less according to the Fathers Love and Sons Merits) works in such a special way in the Elect, 'tis as clear as if it were written with a Sun∣beam, that the Father loves them and the Son died for them in a special way. Hence we find these three folded and wrapt up together by the Apostle, Elect according to the foreknowledge of the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 1. 2. And again, The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all, 2 Cor. 13. 14, If the Father's Love and the Son's Blood had

respected all men as much as the Elect, doubtless the holy Spirit (who in Subsist∣ence procedes and in Operations works from them both) would have converted all as well as the Elect; why then are not all men actually converted? Is it because the holy Spirit works not equally in all, or because the holy Spirit is resisted in some? Is it because the holy Spirit works not equally in all? I answer, That the Spi∣rit is sent forth from the Father and the Son, and works exactly according as it is sent; the inward impulsive Cause of pour∣ing out the Spirit is the Father's Love, and the outward meritorious cause of it is the Son's Blood: Wherefore if the Father e∣qually love all, and the Son equally died for all, the Spirit works equally in all; for there can be no breach in the sacred Trinity. Or is it because the Spirit is resisted in some? I answer; Their resist∣ance is a grand Obstacle to the work, but if the Spirit did roll away the Stone, and new-mould the Heart, and work the Will in all, as he doth in the Elect, that Obstacle would at last be removed out of the way.

5. I argue from the Blessings purchased. Christ's Death is more or less respective of men, as it is more or less procurative of

Blessings for them: Christ purchased a Sal∣vability for all, but over and besides he purchased many choice Blessings for the Elect, he purchased Repentance for them; for he is a prince and a saviour to give re∣pentance to Israel, Acts 5. 31. He purchased a room for Repentance even for all men; but he purchased Repentance it self for his chosen Israel; he purchased Faith for them, Unto you it is given for Christs sake to believe in him, Phil. 1. 29. For others he purchased a ground-work for Faith, but for them he purchased the very Grace of Faith; he purchased effectual Vocation for them: others have a Call by the Gos∣pel, but these have a Call by the Gospel coming in power, and in the holy Ghost, and in much assurance; he purchased Holiness and Sanctification for them. Indeed there is no man living on the Earth, but (if he did really believe) he should have the ri∣vers of living water, the Spirit of holiness flowing in his heart, Joh. 7. 38. but the E∣lect were destined and chosen in Christ to be holy, Eph. 1. 4. and Christ sanctified him∣self in a special manner for them, that they might be sanctified 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in truth, actual∣ly & truly, Joh. 17. 19. Lastly, he purchased Heaven and Glory for them; others may

have Heaven upon believing, but these shall certainly arrive at it, these are the sheep, to which Christ gives eternal life, Joh. 10. 28. these are the sons, which without fail shall be brought to Glory, Heb. 2. 10. Now seeing Christ purchased so many Blessings for the Elect, 'tis evident he died for them in a special way.

6. I argue from the Intercession of Christ. Christ intercedes for men more or less pro∣portionably as he more or less respected them in his Death, for his Death is the foundation of his Intercession; the very same Blood of Christ, which as shed on Earth made Satisfaction, as presented in Heaven makes Intercession. Now how far doth Christ intercede in Heaven? What doth his Blood speak there? For all men it speaks thus, Father, let them all be sav∣ed on Gospel-terms; but for the Elect it speaks thus, Father, let them have Repen∣tance; this the Apostle hints out, Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince & a saviour to give repentance to Isra∣el, Acts 5. 31. Israels Repentance on Earth comes from Christ exalted in Heaven; for there he intercedes for it by his Merits, and from thence he works it by his Spirit. Again it speaks for them thus, Father, let

them be made a willing people; this I ga∣ther from the 110. Psalm, where we find Christ sitting at the right hand of God, Ver. 1. and sitting there he intercedes for us, and from this Session and Intercession comes forth a willing people, Ver. 3. Here's the true original of spiritual willingness; the right Hand of God (which is a right Hand of Power) works it in our Hearts, and works it at the instance of Christ, who sits and intercedes there for it. Again, it speaks for them thus, Father, sanctifie them with thy Grace, preserve them with thy Power, and crown them with thy Glory in Heaven. Thus Christ in his sweet Pray∣er a little before his bitter Passion, inter∣ceded for them for their Sanctification, Sanctifie them through thy truth, Joh. 17. 17. for their Perseverance, Keep them through thine own name, Ver. 11. and for their Glo∣ry, I will that they be with me where I am to behold my glory, Ver. 24. And what he spake for them by his oral Intercession on Earth, that he speaks for them by his real Interces∣sion in Heaven. Thus Christ doth in a special manner intercede for the Elect, which proves that he died for them in a special manner; because his Intercession is but the presenting of the Merits of his

Death to his Father in Heaven.

7. I argue from the Event following up∣on Christ's Death; some men do believe, when others draw back, and whence comes this distinguishing Faith? either it comes merely of Man's Free-will, or of God's free Grace; if we say the first, 'tis the very mire and dirt of Pelagianism, 'tis to set up Free-will as an Idol to cast lots upon Christ's Blood, whether any one person in the World shall be saved thereby or not: If we say the latter, then God and Christ had a special eye upon some above others; for God ordained, that Christ should be the grand Medium to Salvation, and that Faith should be the only way to Christ: If then he gave Christ for all, and Faith but to some, it is because he did in a special way intend their Salvation, and conse∣quently Christ (who came to do his Fa∣thers Will) had in his Death a special re∣spect to them.

8. I argue from the special Expressions in Scripture: As the Death of Christ is set out there in words of universality, so it is set out there in words of special peculiarity. Christ died for the elect, Rom. 8. 33, 34. died for the children of God scattered abroad, Joh. 11. 52. gave himself for the Church,

Eph. 5. 25. gave himself for a peculiar peo∣ple, Tit. 2. 14. laid down his life for the sheep, Joh. 10. 15. sanctified himself for the given ones, Joh. 17. 9. and 19. purchased the church with his own blood, Acts 20. 28. redeemed a people from among men, Rev. 14. 4. is a Jesus to his own people, Matth. 1. 21. and a saviour to his own body, Eph. 5. 23. And is there no Emphasis of Love? Are there no strains of free Grace? Is there no import of singu∣lar respect and affection in all these Expres∣sions? We cannot say so without dispirit∣ing the Scripture: Experience it self tells us, that all are not Christ's Elect, Children, Church, peculiar People, Sheep, given Ones, Body, & redeemed Ones from among men; wherefore when the Scripture saith that he died for these, it imports that he died for them in a peculiar manner. But you'l say, These Scriptures speak rather of the Ap∣plication of Christ's Death, than the Im∣petration; and though the Impetration be equally for all, yet the Application is proper to Believers only. I answer, that if those Phrases, of dying for the elect or children of God, giving himself for a church or peculiar People, laying down his life for his sheep, pur∣chasing the Church with his blood, and san∣ctifying himself for the given ones, do not

import Impetration, I know not what can import it. You will reply, that these Ex∣pressions import not Impetration as it is barely and nakedly in it self, but as it hath Application following upon it, and this is the Emphasis of them: But if these Ex∣pressions import Impetration with Appli∣cation following upon it, whether doth that Application follow upon Impetration as a fruit thereof or not; if so, then Christ merited that Application for the Elect, and consequently died in a special manner for them; if not, then there is no Emphasis of special Love & Grace in all those expres∣sions of his dying, giving himself, sanctifying himself and laying down his life for them: for there was no Merit in all this to procure the Application of his Death unto them. But let us further enquire, what these E∣lect Children, Church, peculiar People, Sheep, given ones and redeemed ones from among men were before or without the Purchase made by Christ; were these E∣lect called and justified without Christ or not? If so, why did he die for them? If not, then he died for them that they might be so called and justified. Were these chil∣dren meritoriously begotten by Christ's Blood or not? If so, then that Blood did

more for them than for others; if not, then they were not the Seed of Christ. Was that Church an actual Church before or with∣out Christ's purchase? or was it a Church in his Intention? If an actual Church, what need he purchase it? If a Church in intention, then the special design of his Death was to make it an actual Church. Was that peculiar People such without the Merit of Christ's Death or not? If so, why did he give himself for it? If not, then he gave himself for it that it might be such. Were those Sheep brought into Christs fold without his Death or not? If so, why did he lay down his life for them? If not, he laid it down to bring them thither. Were those given Ones actually sanctified without the virtue of Christs Sacrifice or not? If so, then why did he sanctifie himself for them? If not, then he sanctified himself for them, that they might be sanctified. Were those redeemed from among men redeemed by Christ or not? If so, then he redeemed them in a special manner; if not, then they are the redeemed ones of their own Free-will. But let the Texts themselves breath forth their own native strains of Love and Grace; he so died for the Elect as to effectually call and actually justifie them, Rom. 8. 30, 33. he

so died for his Children as to gather them together into one, one Faith on Earth and one fruition in Heaven, Joh. 11. 52. he so gave himself for the Church, as to make it a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, Eph. 5. 25, 27. he so gave himself for his People as to make them his peculiar ones, Tit. 2. 14. he so laid down his life for his Sheep as to bring them into his fold, and make them hear his voice, Joh. 10. 15, 16. he so sanctified himself for the given ones as to sanctifie them through the truth, Joh. 17. 19. he so redeemed his chosen Ones from among men as to make them first fruits to God and the Lamb, Rev. 14. 4. In all these special Scriptures, it evidently appears that Christ in his Death had a special respect to his Elect. Wherefore I will shut up all with that of an Ancient, Et∣si Christus pro omnibus mortu∣us * 1.7 est, pro nobis tamen speci∣aliter passus est, quia pro Ecclesia passus est.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rob. Sar. De Ver. Grat. 66.
• * 1.2

  Adv. Merc. Li. 4.
• * 1.3

  Cypr. de Nativ. Christi.
• * 1.4

  Racov. Ca∣tech. de mor∣t•• Christ.
• * 1.5

  Super Cant. Serm. 61.
• * 1.6

  Com. in Galat. cap. 3.
• * 1.7

  Ambr. Li. 6. Luc. cap. 7.