The solar thing to the present pur

eclipse no

pose.

for us; since, by that consolation, he neither intended to rob Christ of his glory, to whom alone the praise of satisfying remains entire; nor to oppose the decree of God, for he animated Christ to execute that with resolution; nor to put any bar in the way of our salvation, for he encouraged our Lord to acquire the right to that by constancy in his sufferings. i XLVII. To pretend to infer from the beginning and end of the solar eclipse, during the passion of Christ, the beginning and end of his satisfaction, is a cabalistical fancy, founded neither on Scripture, nor solid reason. I do not deny, that, in that darkness, there was a kind of type of the very thick darkness, with which the greatly distressed soul of the Lord Jesus was then overwhelmed, without a single ray of consolation breaking in upon him, but what his unshaken faith, grounded on the inviolable promises of his father, and not staggering as to the certainty of the future reward, darted in at times upon his trembling soul. But the question is not, whether Christ was then actually satisfying! This we all allow the question is, whether then only?

Conclusion

XLVIII. But let us now conclude this debate, which has so much disquieted the mind of this very learned person, as his friends wished the world to know from letters, published after his death. But God and my conscience are my witnesses, that nothing but the love of truth, which is only to be derived from, and defended by the Scriptures, obliged me to enter upon this subject. I know not in what I can be blamed, unless in the liberty I have taken to dissent from the author. But if, by taking a wrong path, I have strayed from the truth, how acceptable will the kind admonition be! How readily shall I own and correct the error! I heartily wish we could generally endeavour to please ourselves less, in order to please God more. I ever had a veneration for this learned person, though, after our dispute, I found he was much disgusted. But I thought this should be no hinderance to my profiting by his learned commentaries, which I own I did; with a just commendation of the author, as my other writings abundantly testify.

204

Christ by his satisfaction obtained a right to all

the elect.

CHAPTER VII.

Of the Efficacy of Christ's Satisfaction.

I. THE efficacy of Christ's satisfaction is twofold. The first regards Christ himself; the other, the elect. Christ, by his satisfaction, obtained for himself, as Mediator, a right to all the elect, which the Father willingly and deservedly bestows upon him, Ps. ii. 8, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." This is Christ's, work with his God, that he should not only be his servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel; but that he should be given for a light to the Gentiles, that he might be God's salvation unto the end of the earth,' Is. xlix. 4, 6. It appears also, from that promise, Is. liii. 10," If his soul shall make itself an offering for sin, he shall see his seed." And thus we become "his inheritance," Eph. i. 11: "his peculiar treasure," Ps. cxxxv. 4: "his peculiar people," Tit. ii. 14, and 1 Pet. ii. 9.

Which right

exercise.

II. Besides, it is not possible, but Christ should exhe cannot but ercise that right, which he acquired at so dear a rate. For when, according to the determinate counsel of God, the time of the gracious visitation of every one of the elect is come, he actually delivers them, as his property, by an outstretched arm. And why should he not, seeing he can easily effect it by the power of his Spirit, turning and inclining their hearts? Is it credible he should suffer those who are his lawful right to be and to remain the slaves of Satan? Is it worthy of Christ, that he should not be actually glorified in the sanctification and happiness of those, for whom he underwent so much infamy; or should suffer any of those to perish, whom he purchased for his own possession by his precious blood? Christ himself hath taught us thus to reason, John x. 16, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice." Because these sheep were of right his property, it therefore became him, actually to lay hold of them as his own, and bring them into his fold. Nor can the right of Christ be made ineffectual, or remain without actual possession; especially as he was not promised by the Father a

I have rendered this Efficacy, rather than Effect, as that expresses all the effects of Christ's satisfaction, treated of in this chapter.

bare right, but also a possession by right, upon his making satisfaction, as the places above quoted evince.

immunity

and a right to

III. The Lord Jesus obtained for the elect, by his He obtained satisfaction, an immunity from all misery, and a right for the elect to eternal life, to be applied unto them in effectual from misery, calling, regeneration, sanctification, conservation, and life eternal. glorification, as the Scripture declares. Thus Matt. xxvi. 28, "This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins." Gal. i. 4, "He gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Tit. ii. 14, "Gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Eph. v. 25, 26, 27, "Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify it, that he might present it to himself a glorious," &c. In a word, "This is that faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," I Tim. i. 15. By these and many other passages to the same purpose, which it would be needless to mention here, it evidently appears, that the effect of Christ's satisfaction was not a bare possibility of the remission of our sins, and of our reconciliation with God, but an actual remission and reconciliation, an abolition of the dominion of sin, and at length salvation itself: and it is not possible, the elect should have no share in this, unless Christ should be deemed to have satisfied for them to no purpose. It is certainly incumbent on us never to weaken the force of the words of the Holy Ghost; especially in those places and expressions of Scripture where the subject of our salvation is treated of, nor to detract in any thing from the value of the satisfaction of our Lord.

therefore said

IV. This truth also appears from those places of The satisfacScripture in which the satisfaction of Christ is called tion of Christ аπоλúrρwσiç a redemption, made by the payment of to be a reAurpov, a ransom, or avriλurpov, a price of redemption. demption. For the proximate effect of redemption, and of the payment of a ransom, is the setting the captive at liberty, and not a bare possibility of liberty. It is neither customary nor equitable that, after paying the price, it should still remain uncertain whether the captive is to be set free or not. A true redeemer procures the restitution of liberty to the miserable captive, whereever good faith and an agreement are of force. One may possibly be upon terms about the price, though uncertain of the event; but it is neither prudent nor just to make any payment, before what is stipulated be made sure and firm. The Scripture itself declares, that the proximate effect of redemption is the actual remission of sins, and restoration to liberty, Rom. iii. 24, "Justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in

chased by

Christ Jesus." Eph. i. 7, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" and Col. i. 14, to the same purpose: in like manner, Heb. ix. 12, " By his own blood obtained eternal redemption for us;" the fruit or effect of which is eternal liberty and salvation. And believers V. Of the like nature are those phrases, by which said to be pur- the elect are said to be bought with a price, purchased Christ. with blood, redeemed by Christ's subjection to the law: as 1 Cor. vi. 20, "Ye are bought with a price.' Acts xx. 28, "To feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Gal. iv. 4, 5, " Made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law." But whoever makes a purchase of any thing has an unquestionable right to it; and it not only may, but actually does, become his property, in virtue of his purchase, upon paying down the price. And herein consist our liberty and salvation, that we are no longer our own, nor the property of sin, nor of Satan, but the property of Christ. Whence it appears, that the effect of Christ's satisfaction is not a bare possibility of our salvation, but salvation itself.

the testament

once to all

A right to all VI. A right to all the benefits of the covenant of the benefits of grace is purchased at once to all the elect by the death purchased at of Christ, so far as that, consistently with the truth the elect by and justice of God, and with the covenant he entered Christ'sdeath into with his Son, he cannot condemn any of the elect, or exclude them from partaking in his salvation; nay, on the contrary, he has declared, that satisfaction being now made by his Son, and accepted by himself, there is nothing for the elect either to suffer or do, in order to acquire either impunity or a right to life; but only that each of them, in their appointed order and time, enjoy the right purchased for them by Christ, and the inheritance arising from it. And this is what the apostle says, 2 Cor. v. 19, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." That is, seeing God accepted of the offering of his Son, when he gave himself up to death for his people, he received at the same time into favour, not only the preserved of Israel, but all nations, and all families of the earth, which, in other respects, lay in wickedness, and were liable to the wrath of God, declaring that satisfaction was now made to him for their sins, and that these could no longer be imputed to them for condemnation, nor for excluding them from his saving grace.

Zech. iii. 9,

VII. We have a further proof of this, Zech. iii. 9, explained. "For behold the stone, which I have laid before Joshua: upon one stone shall be seven eyes; behold I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day." The stone here is, doubtless, the Lord Jesus Christ, as Dan. ii. 34, Ps. cxviii. 22, on which

the church is built, on which it is founded, and by which it is supported. It is laid before Joshua, and his companions, the priests, as architects, to lay it for the foundation of faith, acknowledge it as the corner-stone, and build thereon both themselves and other believers. This stone is but one: "For other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. iii. 11. Upon this stone there are seven eyes, either of God the Father, viewing it with care and pleasure, or of the church universal, looking to it by faith. Its gravings, engraved by God, represent those very clear indications or characters, by which he may and ought to be distinguished, as one given by the Father to be a Saviour; among these characters were those sufferings by which he was to be made perfect. These things being done, to show that all the signs of the Messiah were in him, God declares that "he would remove the iniquity of all that land" (clearly signifying the whole world, according to the synecdoche just explained) "in one day," at once, in the last day of Christ's passion: and thus, by Christ's satisfaction we are taught, that deliverance from sin, and all the happy effects of that immunity, were purchased at once for all the elect in general.

Hence the

elect, even be

fore their ef

fectual calling, have seleges above

veral privi

the reprobate.

VIII. It is however certain, that true saving benefits are bestowed on none of the elect, before effectual calling, and actual union to Christ by a lively faith: nevertheless, Christ did, by his satisfaction, purchase for all the elect at once a right to those benefits, that they might have and enjoy them, in their appointed time. Nay, before actual conversion, and the possession of saving blessings, they are favoured with no contemptible privileges above the reprobate, in virtue of the right which Christ purchased for them. Such as, 1st, That they are in a state of reconciliation and justification* actively considered, Christ having made satisfaction for them, as we see from 2 Cor. v. 19. That is, that God considers them as persons for whom his Son has satisfied, and purchased a right to eternal life. 2dly, That God loves them with a peculiar love of benevolence, according to the decree of election; which love of benevolence will, at the appointed time, certainly issue in a love of complacency. For, as it was from a love of benevolence that Christ was given to be their Saviour; so, satisfaction being made, God, in consequence of the same love, will form them, so as he may deservedly acquiesce in them as fit objects of his love of complacency. May we not refer to this what God says, Jer. xxxi. 3, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee?" 3dly, To this also it is owing, that they have the means

* See the last Section of this Chapter, where this is further explained.