for cutting off part of the payment due. We see how conceited proud nature is of its own performances; and notwithstanding that God, to convince it of its own inabilities, has set forth his Son as making so transcendent a satisfaction, yet it would needs esteem that little which it is required to do, merely as an acknowledgment of thankfulness, to be in lieu of satisfaction, and accordingly it stands upon it; and we have much ado to break ourselves of this conceit. How much more then would we have done this if God had required no other?

(3.) As to prevent the false conceits of our hearts, so also for the full quiet and security of our spirits, God did ordain that there should be a full satisfaction made, that so we might have perfect peace in our spirits, as it is Isa. xxvi. 3, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee;' and trust perfectly upon it, as 1 Peter i. 21. If it had been an imperfect satisfaction, the soul of man would still have been solicitous and doubting, it would still have been prying and questioning whether God would have accepted it or no, fearing it had not been full enough. Wherefore, as to take away our unthankfulness, so to prevent our infidelity, it was to be a perfect satisfaction, even such as his justice shall require no more at our hands.

Quest. But a question may here arise. How can God be said to pardon freely by his grace, when yet his justice requires a full satisfaction?

Ans. The answer is, that both may well stand together. And therefore we have both joined together: Rom. iii. 24, 25, Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ.' And clearly to solve this doubt, consider,

1. That it is of grace that this satisfaction is transmitted, and translated from us unto another; which satisfaction, when it should come from another for us, God was no way bound to accept of; and yet he doth accept it freely. To illustrate which, there is this difference between satisfaction for damage in goods, and for injuries in point of honour (which is the thing wherein God accounts himself mainly wronged), that satisfaction for goods (which we call restitution) may be performed for the debtor by another person, and stand as good and valid as if himself had done it. But if it be to be made in point of honour, or that the punishment be to reach the life of the party wronging, then to commute or transmit it, it was a matter of free grace and pardon.

2. It was free grace unto us, however, because we were wholly spared. All is freely remitted to us, although he spared not his own Son,' as it is said, Rom. viii. 32, and especially in that this was done to this end, that he might spare us. A type of this were those two goats in the old law, whereof the one was sacrificed, and the other let go free, and was called the scape-goat. And although mercy would not have been so much shewn in accepting what was a defective and imperfect satisfaction from ourselves, as if mercy had wholly and alone supplied and made up all, yet it was shewn as much in accepting what another performed for us (though that satisfaction was never so perfect) as if it had wholly forgiven it.

3. If furthermore we consider, that it was his Son from whom this satisfaction was exacted, one so dear to him, and one who of himself was free from all such obligations, and put upon it by God, the more to shew his grace, this makes it to be mere grace; and indeed the more grace, by how much the satisfaction was greater. And therefore God is said to commend his love in this, that Christ died for us,' Rom. v. 8. And Eph. i. 7, we are said by him to have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness

of sins, according to the riches of his grace.' Had Christ been one nearer to us than to him, or had he been wholly a stranger to God, it might then have been esteemed to have less of grace in it; but in that he spared not his own Son, that he might spare us, this makes grace the more to abound in it, though the satisfaction be never so perfect.

CHAPTER II.

That in Christ alone there was sufficient ability to take away sin.—The weakness and insufficiency of any creature for this work demonstrated. That it is for the greater honour of Christ to effect that, which none could do besides him. The insufficiency of any creature proved by an enumeration of particulars. That the blood of all sacrifices could not have such an efficacy.— That we were unable to satisfy God by anything which we could suffer, or do.-That all the saints are as unable to help us in this case.-That it is beyond the power of angels themselves.

These observations having been sent before to make way, we come now to the main point at the first propounded, viz., That in Christ, and in him alone, there is an all-sufficiency of abilities to take away sins; and that seeing God stood upon a full and perfect satisfaction, he alone was able to effect it. Which proposition we will branch out into two, and those both of them founded upon the text.

I. That it was not possible for any of the creatures to have made satisfaction, and to have taken sins away.

II. That in Christ's offering up himself as a sacrifice, there was an allsufficiency to do it.

I. The creatures could not satisfy God, nor take away sin. The handling and proving of this tends so much the more to set forth and advance Christ's all-sufficiency. As therefore, in shewing his fitness, we made it appear that his office was fit for no creature, but only for himself, so now in declaring his abilities for this office, we will shew that none besides him was able to perform it. And for proof of this, we need go no further than the apparent drift and scope of this text, and of this epistle, which as it is to shew the perfection of Christ's oblation once offered, so it was withal to shew the weakness of all other offerings, even of those appointed by God himself under the old law; and to that end, comparing them all along with this sacrifice of his Son. In which comparison you may observe,

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1. That a sufficient worth and value was the thing that God stood upon, (as hath been said). So Heb. ix. 23: 'It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.' The apostle speaks of the worth and betterness of sacrifices, 'better sacrifices than these.' So he speaks of a sacrifice that should perfect them for whom it was offered: Heb. x. 14, For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.' And chap. vii. 26, 27, he mentioneth abilities to save, as being required in him who was our high priest: Heb. vii. 25-27, 'Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.' Ver. 26, For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;' ver. 27, Who needeth not

daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.'

2. You may observe, all other sacrifices were laid aside as weak, and wanting of this worth and value. So the apostle saith, The law made men high priests who had infirmities:' Heb. vii. 28, For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.' There was an infirmity and a weakness that accompanied all the sacrificers and sacrifices. And for this weakness of theirs, there was a 'disannulling of that commandment,' for the 'weakness and unprofitableness' of it, ver. 18. And Heb. ix. 9, he tells us, They could not make him perfect who did the service,' and also that all those sacrifices, as they could not make the offerer himself that did the service perfect, much less could they make them perfect for whom they were offered: Heb. ix. 9, Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience' Heb. x. 1, For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices, which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect.' All which argues, that God would have such a satisfaction as should make men perfect, that is, should be fully able to satisfy his justice, and their consciences. And therefore also here in the text God is brought in, consulting about, or considering and weighing all other sacrifices; and when he had found them all too light, the text says, he laid them all aside, and pitched upon, and established this of Christ. And therefore you see this proffer of Christ, Lo, I come,' comes in after God's refusal of all others as ineffectual; then said I, Lo, I come :' Heb. x. 5-7 'Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:' ver. 6, In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure:' ver. 7, Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God.' Thus Gal. iii. 21, If there had been a law that could have given life, righteousness had been by the law.' The apostle speaks as if God would have taken that, or any other course, if it could have been sufficient. And Gal. ii. 21, 'Do I frustrate the grace of God?' says he, If righteousness be by the law, then Christ died in vain.' What he says of the law may be said of all means else, if any other could be supposed. The same reason that is there given against the law (namely, that the grace in Christ's dying and justifying us, would be frustrated) holdeth as well, to exclude the supposed possibility of any other means to make us righteous. For by that reason it appears, that God's aim and end in Christ's dying was to advance the glory of his grace, which consists in having the monarchy and sole prerogative in saving sinners attributed unto it; the height of whose honour and eminency is this, that it alone reigns, and hath nor could have any competitor therein. And therefore if there could be supposed to be any other means, Christ's death would then lose something of its peculiar glory; which if it should, he would account himself to have died in vain; for the glory of his aim had been defaced and frustrated, and his end in his account as good as lost. As it is the excellency of God, that he is God alone, and there is none besides him, so of Christ, that he alone is our saviour, and that there is none besides him. But take this as still spoken in opposition to all creatures only; for otherwise that former supposition, that God could have pardoned us by a mere act of grace without Christ's satisfaction, doth

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not detract from this glory of Christ's death, which is not to take away from free grace, and to be accounted in comparison of it, the principal and only saviour. Christ is content that the free grace of his Father should share with him in it, and himself to be in this work God's servant. But this competition of Christ is with all other means by creatures; the excluding the possibility of which to perform our redemption, makes Christ sole heir to this kingdom and monarchy of grace, which is destructive of the dominion of sin, and so endears his death to us: 'He hath a priesthood that passeth not away,' Heb. vii. 24, as the high priest did by reason of death. But he dies not; and his office is such, as if he should lay it down, there is not any creature in heaven or earth that could take it up. The fullest trial and manifestation of this is made in a case of less difficulty (which evidently reacheth this of satisfaction), in the fifth chapter of, the Revelation, where, as a prologue to that ensuing prophecy (which begins chap. vi.), there is a solemn proclamation made by a strong angel, who spake with a loud voice,' ver. 2 (as that which might come to the hearing of all creatures) and the matter of this proclamation was this challenge, Who is worthy to open the book' (namely of the Revelation, which was sealed in the hand of God, that sat upon the throne, ver. 1), and to loose the seals thereof? And there was none' (so it is in the original, that is, no reasonable creatnre; we read 'no man,' but that is too much limited), man or angel, in heaven, or in earth, or under the earth, that was able to open the book, or so much as to look thereon.' And John was at this discouraged, and 'wept much,' ver. 4, as thinking, here must be an end of all, and that he should have no further vision. But God did premise this on purpose to shew the difficulty of the work, and to spoil all creatures of the glory of it, and the more to set off and make illustrious the sole power and worth that was in Jesus Christ for this work; even as men in their fictions use to do, when they would greaten some one man, whose story they write. For after this nonplus and dejection, a stander-by comforts him, and bids him not weep: for lo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah hath obtained to open the book,' &c. And presently a lamb comes, approacheth the throne, and takes the book out of his right hand, ver. 6, 7. And upon that all the chorus of twentyfour elders and four beasts (who are there the church representative of saints on earth), do fall down before the lamb, and set this crown of glory upon his head alone, with this new song and shout, Worthy art thou,' &c., and thou alone; unto which the angels give a respond of praise, ver. 11, 12, and heaven, and earth, and all creatures, echo to it, ver. 13. Now how much more might all this solemnity have been used about satisfaction to be made for sin? To approach the throne, and take the book, and open it, was far less than to have the heart to break through an army, and approach God in his fury and fulness of wrath for sin, and to sustain that wrath, and satisfy it by overcoming it. And this is more than intimated in that very chapter; for (ver. 9) the elders in their song do attribute this power of Christ to open the book, unto the merit of a far greater work done, even this of our redemption, and Christ's satisfaction for sin : Thou art worthy,' say they, to take the book, because thou wast killed, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood.' And how far off then will all creatures be found to be, and how short of worth and power to redeem a sinner by their blood, who were all not worthy so much as to look on that book, much less to open it, not worthy to reveal this redemption, much less to effect it? Than which there cannot be a stronger proof for this my assertion. Thus much in general. Now secondly,

II. To demonstrate this by an induction and an enumeration of all particular means, which may be any way supposed able to help us.

1. First, Take the blood of bulls and goats, and add to them all the creatures which man is lord of, and which are his to give; yet this whole world of creatures would not be a sufficient sacrifice for sin. In Micah vi. 7, there is one comes off with a good round price, 'Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with thousands of rivers of oil? or shall I give my first-born for my transgression?' And nature is apt to be thinking of such sacrifices. But if justice could have afforded it so cheap, God would not have turned away so fair a chapman; yet he there turns him away. One reason for which is there intimated, namely, that sin is the sin of the soul, but all these are but the appurtenances of, or at the highest, but fruits of the body: Shall I give the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?' The soul, which is lost and forfeited by sin, is (as Christ says) more worth than a whole world, Mat. xvi. 26. Yea, the life of the body is more worth in a man's own estimation than all that he possesseth; All that a man hath will he give for his life,' Job ii. 4; but the redemption of the soul is yet much more precious,' as the psalmist speaks, Ps. xlix. 8. And as a king's ransom is more than another man's, so is the redemption of the soul, which in worth exceeds all creatures, more than of all other creatures besides. And yet further, the sin of the soul cannot be recompensed by the loss and sacrifice of the soul itself; for by sin the glory of God suffers detriment, but by a soul's loss the good of a creature only is damaged. It is a rule current in cases of morality and justice, that the injury of a supreme order is not made good by things of an inferior rank unto it. What recompence will the forfeiture of a murderer's goods give to a man for his life, or for that of his friends? What satisfaction can money give for a dishonour cast upon a man's good name, which Solomon says is better than riches'? Prov. xxii. 1. So what is the fruit of a man's body (as it is in Micah vi. 7) to the sin of his soul? Verily there is no proportion. Yea, it falls short in the estimation of a man's own conscience. Unto this disproportion the apostle adds another, Heb. ix. 23, that the blessings to be purchased and obtained by this satisfaction are heavenly; but all such sacrifices as these are but things earthly; and therefore better sacrifices than these are required. All such external sacrifices are but enough (if enough) to sanctify the pattern of heavenly things;' that is, the types of the law; and this too, but only as they were shadows of things to come.' Wherefore it was necessary that the heavenly things themselves' (the substance) should be purified with better sacrifices than these.' Now grace is heavenly, and pardon of sin must come from heaven, even out of God's bosom; and will God (think we) exchange heavenly commodities for earthly treasures?

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Again, the apostle adds a third disproportion unto these, Heb. ix. 14, all such sacrifices cannot reach to the conscience. We have consciences to be purged, and what are such outward things to purge a man's conscience? As plasters outwardly applied cannot reach to benefit the heart or lungs; so neither can these reach the conscience. They might sanctify the outward man (as he there speaks), to purge away a ceremonial outward uncleanness, but not the inward, Jer. ii. 22, Though thou wash thee with nitre, thy iniquity is open before me,' says the Lord. All these could not satisfy a man's conscience, much less God's justice. Therefore those that were exercised in sacrifices, their consciences were unquiet, as both the Jews' and heathens' were.