saved? This shows us what an horrible thing the sin of man is. Sin, as
to the nature of it, is little known in the world. O! it sticks so fast
to us, as not to be severed from us by all the mercy of God: do but
exclude redemption by the blood of Christ. I will say it over again.
All the mercy of God cannot save a sinner, without respect to
redemption from the curse of the law, by the death and blood of Christ.
‘Without shedding of blood is no remission’ (Heb 9:22). No remission,
no pardon, or passing by of the least transgression, without it. Tears!
Christ’s tears will not do it. Prayers! Christ’s prayers will not do
it. An holy life! the holy life that Christ lived, will not do it, as
severed from his death and blood. The word redemption, therefore, must
be well understood, and close stuck to, and must not be allowed, as
properly spoken, when we talk of deliverance from sin, the law, and
God’s curse, unless it be applied particularly to the death and blood
of Christ (Eph 1:7). We have redemption through his blood (Rev 1:5).
‘Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree’
(Gal 3:13). He has redeemed us to God by his blood. ‘For thou wast
slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood’ (Rev 5:9). This is the
redemption that is joined with mercy, yea, that is the fruit thereof;
and it is that without which sin cannot be removed out of the sight of
God. Moses, that was a better preacher of the law, and the sufficiency
of the righteousness thereof, than any now can pretend to be, yet he
full well declared by all his bloody sacrifices, that the blood and
death of Jesus Christ is of absolute necessity for the redemption of
the soul. Besides, he tells us that the man that should flee to the
city of refuge, from the avenger of blood, should not be at liberty
from the law, unless he kept himself close in that city until the death
of the high-priest. Mark the words, ‘Ye shall take no satisfaction for
him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again
to dwell in the land, until the death of the’ high ‘priest’ (Num
35:32). Wherefore, Christian man, know thou thy sin in the nature of it
and persuade thyself, that the removing of it from before the face of
God is by no less means than the death and blood of Christ. But it is a
poor shift that the enemies of the truth are put to, when, to defend
their errors, they are forced to diminish sin, and to enlarge the
borders of their fig-leaf garments, and to deny or cast away, as much
as in them lies, one of the attributes, the justice of God. Indeed they
will say they abhor to do thus, and all erroneous persons will put the
best face they can upon their bad matters; but the natural consequences
of things amount to it; nor can they, when men stick close to their
sides, avoid the charge.
Fourth. Then here you see the reason of that free course that mercy
hath among the sons of men, and why it doth, as has been showed before
what it doth. Why justice is content. Blood hath answered the demand of
justice. The law hath nothing to object against his salvation that
believeth in Jesus Christ. Blood has set the door open for us with
boldness to go to God for mercy, and for God to come with his abundant
grace to us. We have ‘boldness, brethren, to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated
for us through the vail, that is to say, his flesh’ (Heb 10:19,20).
This is the way that Moses desired to find, when God so largely spake
to him of his mercy. ‘Thou hast said,’ says Moses to God, ‘I know thee
by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now, therefore, I
pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way that
I may know thee,’ &c. (Exo 33:12,13). What if it should be applied
thus? thou now talkest of mercy, but in thy words to us from the Mount,
thou spakest fire and justice; and since thou hast delivered us to holy
a law, and are resolved that the least tittle thereof shall by no means
fall to the ground; by what means is it that mercy should come unto us?
Well, saith God, I will show thee my way, I will put thee in a clift of
the rock, which was a figure of Christ, for Christ says, ‘I am the way’
(Exo 34; John 14:6). This done, he proclaimed his name, and showed him
how he could be gracious, and gave him the sign of his being merciful,
a promise that his presence should go with him. The breaking then of
the body of Jesus was, the renting of the vail, that out of which came
blood, that the way to God might be living; and not death, or sword, or
flame, to the poor children of men. Out hence therefore bubbleth
continually the tender mercy, the great mercy, the rich mercy, the
abundant mercy, the multiplying mercy, and every other mercy of God to
us for our present and everlasting good.
Not that God was sparing of his mercy, and would not part with it
unless paid for it; for this way of redemption by blood was his
contrivance, the fruit of his wisdom (Eph 1:8). So then, God was big
with mercy for a sinful world; but to be continually extending of
mercy, since sin and justice, because of the sanction of the law, lay
in the way as a turning flaming sword, there did lie the work (Gen
3:24); so it was concluded, that mercy might, in a way of justice, be
let out to sinners; Christ, the Son of God, should die for the sin of
man. By which means the outcries of the law and justice against us for
our sins did cease, and mercy flowed from heaven like the waters of
Noah, until it became a sea (Micah 7:18,19).
By redemption by blood, therefore, is this great mystery—That a just
God can save that man that has broken that law, that God has said he
will inflict the penalty for the breach thereof upon, and do his
justice no wrong—expounded; not by a relaxation of the punishment, as
the doltish wisdom of this world imagines; but by an inflicting of the
exactest justice upon that nature that has offended. If the question be
asked, How a just God can save that man from death, that by sin has put
himself under the sentence of it? any fool can answer, ‘By a pardon.’
And if it be asked, But what will become of the threatening wherewith
he threatened the offender? He that knows no mysteries can say, Why,
man must repent of his sin, and God of his threatening. But if it be
asked, How God can execute his threatening to the utmost, and yet
deliver the sinner by his mercy from it; the sinner that has deserved
it, and yet be just to his law, faithful to his law, and one that will
stand by every tittle of his law? this, to expound, is too high for a
fool; therefore these men are for despising of mysteries, and for
counting of mysteries in the gospel, follies.
But this key of heaven is no where but in the Word of the Spirit; it is
not seen in the law, nor in the reason or righteousness of the world.
To punish ‘the just for the unjust,’ and to make him ‘to be sin for us,
who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him,’ seems unreasonable; so cross to the wisdom of man are the wards
of this lock (1 Peter 3:18; 2 Cor 5:21). Wherefore usually, when they
come at this doctrine, they belch out their frumps, their taunts, their
scoffs, and their scorns against it; and in opposition thereto,
comment, exalt, cry up, and set on high, Socinianism, Mahometanism,
man’s ragged righteousness, or anything. But we will pass these things.
Fifth. The knowledge of redemption, and the faith of redemption, is the
only means of settling, composing, and upholding the soul of the
thoroughly awakened, in the hope of enjoying a portion in mercy for
ever. What senseless, secure, besotted, and deluded men, conclude of
themselves, and of the means of future happiness, is one thing; and
what the thoroughly awakened soul concludes upon, is another. And I
say, one thoroughly awakened about the nature of God, the nature of
sin, and the worth of the soul, will find but little ease of mind,
notwithstanding notions of mercy, until he comes and sees that he must
be saved by mercy and justice both; and that to be sure he shall never
do, until he is taught that by the blood of Christ the law is, as to
the curse that is in it against the sinner, taken out of the way (Col
2).
These things, sin and justice, are too great to be played with by him
that shall see them in the light of the law, and that shall feel them
in their terror upon a trembling conscience. But when the soul shall
see that a propitiation is made to justice by blood, then, and not till
then, it sees sin taken away: and when it sees, by this means, sin
taken away, then it can behold to hope in the mercy of God. Yea, and it
will be as hard to wring off him that is settled here, from this belief
to another, as it would be to persuade him that stands upon sound
ground to venture his life upon a shaking bottomless quag. O! It is a
pleasant thing for the wounded conscience to taste the sweetness of
redeeming blood! (John 6:51-56). This is like the best wine that goes
down sweetly; this carries with the last of it the very tang[25] of
eternal life! (Heb 9:14). And know that dead works, or works of death,
will abide in the conscience, notwithstanding all talk and notions of
mercy, until that be purged with blood applied thereto, by the Spirit
and faith. This is one of the three that abide to witness on earth,
that ‘God hath given us eternal life, and that this life is in his
Son’; because he died for us, and rose again (1 John 5:8-11).
This, therefore, is that that will establish a man with that peace that
shall not be shaken, because by this such an one seeth the justice of
God is quieted. For peace is made by the blood of the cross; peace with
God for sinners (Col 1:20). Yea, God himself, by the blood of the
cross, has made it, that by him, Christ, he might reconcile to himself
all things, whether they be things on earth, or things in heaven. Nor
will a man that is truly spiritually wise, rest till he comes where God
towards man doth rest; but that can be only there, where such means are
offered for the taking away of sin, that are of a sweet-smelling savour
to God. Now this is the offering that Christ offered, to wit, himself;
for Christ loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a
sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling savour (Eph 5:2). Therefore it
is by it, the body of his flesh, through death, that we are presented
holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight (Col 1:21). Wherefore
it must be true which was said before, to wit, That the knowledge of
redemption, and the faith of redemption, is the only means of settling,
composing, and upholding of the soul of the thoroughly awakened, in the
hope of enjoying a portion in mercy for ever. He that hath the Son of
God, hath the Father, hath life; because with him is the means of peace
with the Father, and so of eternal life (1 John 2:23). But then, to
have the Son, is to believe on him, and on the Father through him (1
John 5:10-12). On him, that he is the Saviour by his blood; and on the
Father through him, as believing that he, for his Son’s sufferings, is
pacified with us, and of his grace hath forgiven us, through him, all
trespasses (2 John 9; Eph 4:32).
Sixth. The knowledge and faith of this redemption fortifieth the
Christian against temptations. We that do believe, know what it is to
be assaulted by the devil, and to have knotty objections cast into our
minds by him. We also know what advantage the vile sin of unbelief will
get upon us, if our knowledge and faith in this redemption be in the
least, below the common faith of saints, defective. If we talk of
mercy, he can talk of justice; if we talk of grace, he can talk of the
law. And all his words, when God will suffer it, we shall find as
sharp, and subject to stick in our minds, as bearded arrows are to
stick in flesh. Besides, he can and doth, and that often, work in our
fancies and imaginations such apprehensions of God, that he shall seem
to be to us one that cannot abide us, one that hates us, and that lieth
in wait to destroy us. And now, if any body speaks to us of mercy, we
think we might hope in that, had we nothing to trouble us but the guilt
of actual sins. But we see our nature as full of the filth of sin, as
the egg is of meat, or the toad of poison: which filth vilely recoileth
against the commandments, flieth in the face of God, and continueth all
his judgments.[26] This is felt, this is seen by the sinner, who cannot
help it; nor can he be brought to that consideration as to say, ‘It is
no more I’ (Rom 7). Now, what shall this man do? Shall he look to the
commandment? There is death? Shall he look to God? There is justice!
Shall he look to himself? There is sin out of measure! Let him look,
then, to one as dying, to the ‘lamb as it had been slain,’ and there
let him see himself by this Lamb, as cursed, and a dying of a cursed
death for this sin that doth so fright and so distress the soul (Rev
5:6). Then let him turn again, and behold this Lamb alive and well, and
highly exalted by this God, that but just before laid the curse of the
law upon him; but let him be sure to reckon that he has died for his
sins by the person of Christ, and it will follow that this man is now
acquitted, because Christ is still alive. Say I these things as a man?
Saith not the gospel the very same? 1. As to Christ’s dying for us; as
also that we are dead to the law by the body of Christ (Rom 6:6; 7). 2.
And that we should so reckon as to this matter, because that God has
transferred our sin from us to him.
1. Did not Christ die for us; and dying for us, are we not become dead
to the law by the death of his body? or will the law slay both him and
us, and that for the same transgression? (Rom 7:1,2). If this be
concluded in the affirmative, what follows but that Christ, though he
undertook, came short in doing for us? But he was raised up from the
dead, and believing marrieth us to him as risen, and that stops the
mouth of all. I am crucified with Christ, our old man was crucified
with him, and we are become dead to the law by the body of Christ (Rom
5:3,4). What then?
2. Why, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ. Ay, but says the soul, ‘How can I reckon
thus, when sin is yet strong in me?’ Answ. Read the words again, He
saith not, Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, in yourselves;
but dead unto it through Jesus Christ. Not alive unto God in
yourselves, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ. For Christ in his
death and resurrection representeth me. As I died by him, I arose again
by him, and live through the faith of the gospel in the presence of God
by him. This must in the first place be allowed and believed, or no
true peace can come near the soul, nor the soul be prepared to assoil
the assaults of the adversary. Let therefore thy faith, if thou wouldst
be a warrior, O thou faint-hearted Christian, be well instructed in
this! Then will thy faith do thee a twofold kindness. 1. It will
conform thee to the death and resurrection of Christ. And, 2. It will
give thee advantage, when thou seest sin strong in thyself, yet to
conclude that by Christ thou art dead thereto, and by him alive
therefrom. Nor can there but two objections be made against this. The
first is to question whether any are said to die and rise, by the death
and resurrection of Christ? or if it so may be said; yet whether thou
art one of them? To the first the scripture is full. To the second, thy
faith must be strong: for let go faith here, and all falls flat to the
ground, I mean as to comfort and consolation. Christ died for us, or in
our stead; therefore, by the Word of God, I am allowed so to reckon.
Christ rose and revived, though he died for me; therefore I rose and
revived by Christ: unless any does hold, that though he died in a
common, yet he arose as considered but in a single capacity. Now, then,
if Satan comes and tells me of my sins, I answer, ‘Christ has taken
them upon himself.’ If he comes and tells me of the death that is due
to me for sin, by the curse of the holy law, I answer, I have already
undergone that by Christ. If he asks me, How I know that the law will
not lay hold of me also? I answer, Because Christ is risen from the
dead. If he asks me, By what authority I take upon me thus to reason? I
tell him, By the authority and allowance of the holy and most blessed
gospel, which saith, He ‘was delivered for our offences, and was raised
again for our justification’ (Rom 4). And to encourage thee thus to
believe, and thus to hold, when thou art in an hour of temptation, this
is the way to see mercy stand and smile upon thee; for mercy will smile
upon him that shall thus believe (2 Cor 3:16-18). This is the way to
put faith and hope both to work against the devil; and to do this is
very pleasing to God. This the way to make that hell-hound retreat and
leave off to assault (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9). And this is the way to
find an answer to many scriptures, with which else thou wilt not know
what to do, as with many of the types and shadows; yea, and with the
moral law itself.
Besides, thus believing setteth thy soul against the fear of death, and
judgment to come; for if Christ be raised from the dead who died for
our sins; and if Christ who died for our sins is entered into glory: I
say again, if Christ who died for our sins has purchased us to himself,
and is purposed that the fruit of this his purchase shall be, that we
may behold his face in glory; then, cast off slavish fear of death and
judgment: for Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death
hath no more dominion over him!
Seventh. The knowledge and faith of this redemption prepareth man to a
holy life. By a holy life, I mean a life according to the moral law,
flowing from a spirit of thankfulness to God for giving of his Son to
be my Redeemer. This I call a holy life, because it is according to the
rule of holiness, the law, and this I call a holy life, because it
floweth from such a principle as giveth to God the heart, and life, for
the gift bestowed on us. What pretences soever there are to holiness,
if it floweth not from thankfulness for mercy received, it floweth from
a wrong principle, and so cannot be good. Hence, men were required of
old, to serve the Lord with joyfulness, ‘for the abundance of all
things’; and threatened, if they did not, that ‘they should serve their
enemies in hunger and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in the want of
all things’ (Deut 28:47,48). But then, though there are many mercies
that lay an obligation upon men to be holy, yet he that shall want the
obligation that is begotten by the faith of redeeming mercy, wanteth
the main principle of true holiness: nor will any other be found
sufficiently to sanctify the heart to the causing of it to produce such
a life; nor can such holiness be accepted, because it comes not forth
in the name of Christ. That that obliged David was forgiving and
redeeming mercy; and that that obliged Paul was the love that Christ
showed to him, in dying for his sins, and in rising from the dead (Psa
103:1-5; 2 Cor 5:14,15). Paul also beseecheth the Romans, by the
redeeming, justifying, preserving, and electing mercy of God, that they
present their body ‘a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God; which
is,’ saith he, ‘your reasonable service’ (Rom 12:1). For we must be
holy and without blame before him in love (Eph 4:1).
Hence, all along, they that are exhorted to holiness in the New
Testament, are exhorted to it upon the supposition of the benefit of
redemption which they have received by Jesus Christ. ‘Walk in love as
Christ also hath loved us’ (Eph 5:2). ‘If there be any consolation in
Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any
bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having
the same love,’ &c. (Phil 2:1,2). ‘If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the
earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with
him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth,’
&c. (Col 3:1-5). ‘Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile, and
hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil-speakings, as new-born babes
desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, if so be
ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious’ (1 Peter 2:1-3). I will
conclude this with that of Peter, to those to whom he wrote concerning
this very thing. Be ‘obedient children,’ saith he, ‘not fashioning
yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance; but as he
which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation: because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy, And if
ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according
to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition
from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot’ (1 Peter 1:14-19).
From all which it appears, that mercy by Christ, or from the benefit of
redemption by the precious blood of Christ, I say, from the faith of
that, flows that which is holiness indeed. And I believe that those
very men that are pleased to taunt at this kind of inference, would
condemn a man was he laid under these obligations concerning things of
this life, and yet did carry it as one not touched thereby. We will
make an instance: Suppose a Socinian should, through his contracting a
great debt, be forced to rot in prison, unless redeemed by silver and
gold: and suppose a man, unto whom this Socinian was an enemy, should
lay down the whole debt to the creditor, that this Socinian might be at
liberty, might trade, and live comfortably in this world; and if, after
this, this Socinian should taunt at them that should tell him he is
engaged to this redeemer, ought to love and respect this redeemer; what
would they say but that this Socinian that was a debtor is an
inconsiderate and stupefied rascal? Why, this is the case; Paul was a
debtor to the law and justice of God; Jesus Christ his Son, that Paul
might not perish for ever, paid for him a price of redemption, to wit,
his most precious blood. But what! Shall Paul now, though redeemed from
perpetual imprisonment in hell, be as one that never was beholden to
Jesus Christ; or if others say he was, taunt at them for their so
saying? No, he scorns it. Though the love of Christ, in dying to pay a
price of redemption, will not engage a Socinian, yet it will engage a
true Christian to think and believe that he ought to live to Jesus,
that died for him and rose again.
I know it will be objected that the Satisfactionists, as the quaking
Penn is pleased to call them, show but little of this to the world; for
their pride, covetousness, false dealing, and the like, since they
profess as I have said, shows them as little concerned to the full as
to the Socinian under consideration. I answer, it must be that the name
of Christ should be scandalized through some that profess him; and they
must answer it at the tribunal of the great Judge; yet what I have said
stands fast as a rock that cannot be moved.
Eighth. The knowledge and faith of redemption is a very great
encouragement to prayer. It is great encouragement for the poor to go
even to a prince for what he wanteth, when he considereth that what he
goeth to him for is the price of redemption. All things that we want,
we must ask the Father for, in the name of Christ: we must ask it of
him for the sake of his redeeming blood, for the sake of the merit of
his passion (John 15:16). Thus David means, when he says, ‘For thy
name’s sake’ do it (Psa 25:11); and Daniel when he saith here, ‘For the
Lord’s sake’ (9:17). For Jesus Christ is God’s great name; and to do
for his sake is to do for what worthiness is in him.
Unworthiness! The consideration of unworthiness is a great
stumbling-block to the tempted when he goes to seek the Lord. But now,
remembering the worthiness of Christ, and that he is now on the right
hand of God, on purpose to plead that on the behalf of the petitioner,
this is great encouragement. The Jews, by God’s ordinance, when they
went morning and evening by their priest to speak with God, were to
offer a lamb for a burnt-offering, and it must be thus continually (Exo
29:38-46). Now this lamb was a figure of the sacrificing of the body of
Christ which was to be offered for them in time to come; and, in that
it was to be continually, morning and evening, so repeated, what doth
it signify, but that we should remember to go, when we went to God, in
the name and faith of the merits of Jesus Christ for what we stood in
need of? This will support, and this will encourage, for now we see
that the thing desired—it being according to his will—is obtained for
us by the sacrificing of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all.
When Israel begged of Samuel that he would not cease to cry to the Lord
their God for them, it is said he took a sucking lamb and offered it
for a burnt-offering wholly unto the Lord; and Samuel cried unto the
Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him (1 Sam 7:8,9). But why did he
take a sucking lamb, and why did he offer it, and that wholly unto the
Lord, as he cried, but to show to Israel that he was not heard for his
own, or for his righteousness sake, but for the sake of Christ, whose
merits were prefigured by Samuel’s burning of the lamb?