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XVIII. Nor is it less subservient to the promotion And serves of piety. It teaches us to tremble before the majesty piety. of the most high God, who, from his being God, cannot clear the guilty. It heightens the horror of sin, which it becomes us to believe is of so atrocious a nature, that nothing short of the blood of a most holy and truly divine Sacrifice, could wash it away. It sets before us the unspotted holiness of God for our pattern, that, like him, we may entertain a mortal hatred to sin, and have no manner of fellowship with it. In a word, it inflames our hearts with the most deserved returns of love, willingly to devote ourselves to his service who, out of pure grace, delivered up his Son for us unto death, without which we should have remained miserable through eternity. And thus our opinion is that true doctrine which is according to godliness.

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XIX. And it does not derogate in the least from any of the divine perfections. Not from his absolute power ; because, doubtless, God cannot deny himself and his own perfections; nor, by his actions, testify sin not to be contrary to his nature; nor ever behave as if he took pleasure in it, by communicating himself to the sinner. Not from his most free will: as God neither wills, nor can will, any thing, but what tends to his glory, which requires his appearing as unlike the sinner as possible. Seneca spoke well, quest. Nat. lib. 1: "God is not hereby less free or less powerful; for he is his own necessity. Nor does it derogate from the liberty of those actions of God which are called ad extra, or without him. For though he is, by no necessity of nature, constrained to external operations, considered in the gross or together; yet, supposing the existence of one operation without him, many others necessarily follow. For instance: God was at liberty to create a world out of nothing; but having done it, it became necessary that he should govern the same in a way agreeable to his justice, holiness, wisdom, and goodness. In like manner, here, God was at liberty to permit sin; but then, having permitted it, his essential justice requires it to be punished. He was also at liberty to save some sinners; yet, having declared his will with respect to this, there was a necessity for a suitable satisfaction to intervene, on account of those immutable divine perfections which he cannot, in any of his actions, disavow. As little does this derogate from the wise counsel of God, in ordering the punishment of it, as to the time, the degree, and the persons. For though we do not think that God inflicts punishment from his nature, in such a manner as fire burns (though even in this respect he compares himself to fire, Is. xxvii. 4, and Deut. iv. 24), yet his nature is a strong reason why he orders and inflicts punishment in a most wise manner. Now the nature of God requires, that he so display the glory of his justice, as that he may likewise manifest

the riches of his grace. Nor does it derogate from the infinite goodness of God, as if by that he could grant repentance to the sinner, and so receive him into favour, without any satisfaction. For the bestowing of the spirit of regeneration is an effect of the highest love. But that God should so much love a sinner, continuing still impenitent, without the consideration of a satisfaction, is a conduct inconsistent with his other perfections, as we have already so frequently shown. God cannot but take his Spirit from him, who maketh a mock of him. It is not becoming to grant repentance by means of the same Spirit, without the intervention of the sacrifice of the priest, whereby sin may be expiated.

The conclu

XX. Seeing, therefore, both the nature and actions sion from it. of God, and the reasoning of the sacred writers, teach us the necessity of a satisfaction; since by that doctrine the eminent perfections of God are placed in the most shining light; because the right observance thereof tends very much to promote piety; and as thereby there is no derogation made from any of the divine perfections, we conclude it is the safest course soberly to embrace it.

Its due

XXI. Yet we must observe, when speaking in general limitation. of the necessity of a satisfaction, or of such a punishment of sin, wherein the righteous and holy God may be justified and sanctified, we set no bounds to the time, the degree, or the special manner of the punishment. The history of the life and death of Christ makes it very evident, that dispensations and mitigations, at least a compensation by an equivalent, took place here, and consequently could justly take place. And who will assert, or, if he should presume to say so, can plainly prove, that it was impossible that Christ, in order to make satisfaction, should undertake and submit to sufferings, fewer in number, shorter in duration, less intense in quantity, as to the parts of the body, and faculties of the soul, the moments and periods of his life spent here upon earth? And here let that saying of Paul, Rom. xii. 3, be ever a rule to us: "Not to think more highly than we ought to think, but to think soberly."

225

CHAPTER IX.

Of the Persons for whom Christ Engaged and Satisfied.

tisfied only

I. WE should have no certainty of all those things Christ sawhich it is proper for us to know, for the glory of our for those who Lord Christ, and our own consolation, concerning this are saved. suretiship and satisfaction, did it not also appear for whom he satisfied, according to his covenant-engagement. The solution of this question is indeed of very great moment, but it does not appear so very difficult, if we only carefully attend to the nature of Christ's suretiship and satisfaction, which we have already explained, proved, and defended. For since Christ did, by his engagement, undertake to cancel all the debt of those persons for whom he engaged, as if it was his own, by suffering what was meet, and to fulfil all righteousness in their room; and since he has most fully performed this by his satisfaction, as much as if the sinners themselves had endured all the punishment due to their sins, and had accomplished all righteousness: the consequence is, that he has engaged and satisfied for those, and those only, who are actually saved from their sins; as is evident to reason. For Christ neither engaged nor satisfied but for those whose person he sustained. Which Arminius himself, Adversus Perkinsum, p. 72, frankly owns. Moreover, that Moreover, that any of those whose person Christ sustained, and for whom he satisfied as their surety, should be obliged to satisfy for the same debt by eternal death, is most inconsistent with and contrary to the faithfulness and justice of God. Nor can we, on any account, think it possible that any one should in earnest plead, that Christ died for all and every one in particular, till he has weakened the force of that expression, "to die for any one," by which, as we lately made appear against the Socinians, is denoted a substitution in the place of another. But it is worth while distinctly to set forth the true doctrine in these following positions.

II. We therefore conclude: 1st, That the obedience and sufferings of Christ, considered in themselves, are, on account of the infinite dignity of the person, of that value, as to have been sufficient for redeeming, not only all and every man in particular, but many myriads besides, had it so pleased God and Christ, that he should have undertaken and satisfied for them.

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III. 2dly, That Christ, as man, subject to the law of love, did in a holy manner love all men without distinction, as his neighbours, heartily wished them well, Mediator, he seriously lamented the ruin of those that perished, whom yet, as God, he knew were reprobates, and for whom, as Mediator, he had not engaged. Yet he submitted this human affection, commanded by the law, common to us and to Christ, to the divine appointment, and restricted it to the purpose of the decreeing will of God; in this manner proving the holiness of his will, in the glorifying of the divine counsel, and in due subjection thereunto. This appears from the tears which Christ, as man, shed over the calamities that were coming upon that abandoned city, which had partly slain and partly loaded with contempt and ignominy the prophets;-nay, had been the only butchery in the whole world for them; and was at length, by a most horrid deicide, to devote itself, with its unhappy posterity, to the lasting curse of God, Luke xix. 41.

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much good

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IV. 3dly, The suretiship and satisfaction of Christ tisfaction an have also been an occasion of much good, even to the reprobate. For it is owing to the death of Christ, that reprobate. the Gospel is preached to every creature; that gross idolatry is abolished in many parts of the world; that wicked impiety is much restrained by the discipline of the word of God; that they obtain at times, many and excellent, though not saving, gifts of the Holy Spirit; that "they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," 2 Pet. ii. 20. And who can in short enumerate all those things which they enjoy, not through accident only, and beside the intention of God and of Christ, but by the appointment of God? Not, indeed, with a design and purpose of saving them according to the testament; but from a view to make known his long-suffering towards the vessels of wrath, that is, those who are to perish, who dwell among those who are to be saved. For nothing falls out by accident, with respect to the intention of God; every thing being according to his determinate counsel.

Of such worth, that all men without exception, coming

to him, may find salvation in him.

V. 4thly, That the obedience and sufferings of Christ are of such worth, that all, without exception, who come to him, may find perfect salvation in him : and it was the will of God, that this truth should, without distinction, be proposed both to them that are to be saved, and to them that are to perish; with a charge not to neglect so great salvation, but to repair to Christ with true contrition of soul; and with a most sincere declaration, that all who come to him shall find salvation in him, John vi. 40.

But by the will of the

VI. 5thly, That, nevertheless, Christ, according to the will of God the Father, and his own purpose, did

tisfaction was

the elect.

neither engage nor satisfy, and consequently in no Father, samanner die, but only for all those whom the Father made only for gave him, and who are actually saved. This is that truth which is controverted, and which we are now to confirm, in a concise but solid manner, from the sacred writings. VII. The Scripture declares, that Christ satisfied for the whole body of the elect, when it declares, that he 2 Cor. v. 15. "died for all," and " by him reconciled all things," as,

Proved from

From

2 Cor. v. 15, Heb. ii. 9, Col. i. 20. And as this is not to be understood of all and every man in particular, it must be meant of all and every one of the elect. That it cannot be understood of all and every individual, I prove from the passages quoted in the following manner. That "all" for whom Christ is said to "have died," 2 Cor. v. 15, are those "who are also dead," namely, as to the old man, whom, in virtue of the crucifixion of Christ, they have crucified, Rom. vi. 6, and who "live not to themselves, but to Christ," and to Christ, indeed, "who rose again for them. But these things can be applicable only to the elect. None but they are dead to themselves, to the world, and to sin; none else live to Christ. In a word, according to the very hypothesis of the remonstrants, the efficacy of Christ's resurrection is restrained to believers alone. In like manner, the "all," for whom Christ is said, by the grace of God, to have Heb. ii. 9. tasted death," Heb. ii. 9, are "sons brought," or to be brought, "unto glory," who have Christ for the "captain of their salvation;" who "are sanctified;" whom he calls his brethren, which God gave him," ver. 10, 11, 13. These things can be applied, not to the reprobate, but only to the elect. In like manner, the "all things, ," who are said to be 66 conciled to God, by the peace made through the blood of Christ," Col. i. 20, can only mean the elect. The thing is self-evident. For reconciliation and peace with God are peculiar to elect believers, Rom. v. 1. On the contrary, the reprobate are perpetual enemies to God; "the wrath of God abideth on them," John iii. 36. By "those things which are on earth," are understood believers, who are still in the world; as by "those things which are in heaven," are meant, not angels, but men in the state of bliss, who enjoy, in the fullest manner, the fruits of Christ's atonement and reconciliation.

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From

Col. i. 20.

From 1 Tim.

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VIII. Let us add that remarkable passage, 1 Tim. ii. 4, 6: "God will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge (acknowledgment) of the truth: Christ gave himself a ransom for all." Where by "all," we are not to understand all and every one in particular, but the elect of whatever nation and condition; which I make evidently to appear in this manner. 1st, They, for whom Christ gave himself a ransom, are actually rescued from the dominion of Satan, are

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