CHAPTER XI: There is all in the satisfaction made by Christ which justice can require.
manifested in the human nature must needs infinitely transcend the glory of all those, yea, and in his person doth now shine more of the Godhead dwelling in him than in all his own works of redemption wrought by himself, which yet exceed those of creation wrought by God. And therefore, that he should empty himself of all that glory due to him the first hour he assumed our nature, he must needs lose more than God did or ever can come to lose by sinners, and so the satisfaction in that respect doth superabound. Yea, and this manifestative glory was as truly his due as his Father's glory was due to him, or ought to have been given the Father by us his creatures, either upon the manifestation of his glory in his works or holy law, in which the Godhead shined; for because such a glory was his right, therefore all that great name or dignity he hath above the angels he is said to have 'by inheritance,' Heb. 1:4.
CHAPTER XI
That upon the whole it is evident that there is all in the satisfaction made by Christ which justice can require.—An enumeration of the several pleas which may be framed against the sinner, and how they are all answered by what our Redeemer hath performed.
Now these general grounds of satisfaction for sin being laid, if justice will yet contend, or Satan, or the sinner's conscience, dare to avouch or produce any of those particulars which were found in sin, so transcendently sinful as exceeded all the creature's satisfaction, I make proclamation here in open court, and do challenge heaven and earth, things visible and invisible, to bring in their bills and aggravations of a sinner's sinfulness; and they shall see a just, and full, and particular discharge unto highest satisfaction. And for a trial we will go over all those particular damages in honour which afore were mentioned, and require satisfaction for them, and you shall see that what Christ hath done, will in all things punctually and particularly make amends for them.
First, If we reckon honour due to God left behind unpaid, which all the creatures are never able to restore, because all they can do is due for themselves, and therefore they cannot afford an overplus of glory to repay what is lost, yet Christ is able to make amends. For he who was thus glorious to the highest degree (and it was his due by inheritance), he laid aside his honour, 'made himself of no reputation,' so the text says, yea, emptied himself of all, became vain, left himself disrobed and despoiled of all: 'I am a worm and no man,' says the psalmist, Ps. 22:6, of him; he made himself nothing, became nothing, not in being or substance, but in account and reputation. It is said of Herod and his men, they did set him at nought, made nobody of him; and when we saw him 'we esteemed him not,' says the prophet, speaking concerning the Jews' usage of him, Is. 53:3.
Yea, they called it blasphemy in him when he but meekly challenged his own, and told them for their good he was the Son of God. If God should reckon what manifestation of glory all those that have, or shall sin against him, had been able, or ought to have brought in to him, and which through their negligence and omission is now for ever lost, it will be found to hold no proportion unto what was to have been manifested in Christ God-man the first hour of his assumption. For when he had assumed our nature personally, there must needs be a greater brightness (as the author to the Hebrews styles it, Heb. 1:3), a more glorious gleam or issuing forth of splendour was to accompany and shine forth in that nature so united, than could possibly result to God out of all other ways of revealing himself whatever. Because they all are of a lower kind, and inferior unto this. This is a manifestation of the Godhead altioris ordinis, of a superior kind and order to all other. If himself personally appears, his glory must also appear as the glory of the only begotten Son of God. But he suffered all this utterly to be veiled and clouded, though sometime, perchance, as it were, a beam broke forth through a cranny, that, as John says, 'we saw his glory, as the only begotten Son of God,' John 1:14. Which yet was rather to make them believe what he was, than any way to glorify himself; but otherwise, he stole into the world as a prince disguised, and lived as an exile, debarred and kept from wearing the crown of glory, which
should have been set upon his head the first hour. He stood out of his glory for three and thirty years, which was due to him as soon as he was conceived, therefore it comes in, 'Jesus was not yet glorified,'
John 7:39. What! not yet; not after thirty-three years' dwelling in flesh and debasement? Why, to stay for his crown one hour, in that one hour he should lose more than ever God could lose, in all that the creatures could afford him, in all those ways he had manifested himself to them by, unto eternity, or in any other way than by the assumption of a creature he could ever shew. And yet, I say, this glory was his due the first minute; for when he came into the world, when he first landed, it is proclaimed, 'Let all the angels of God worship him,' Heb. 1:6, and even as much was due then as he now wears in heaven, or as he put forth 'on the holy mount.' He hath not increased his personal glory by his own merits; nil meruit sibi; in that respect he deserved as great and high a name for personal glory as he hath now in heaven, for the great name he hath by inheritance,
Heb. 1:4. I say, personal glory as much was his due the first day; for I confess there is a glory shines out of his works of mediation, and a glory of his offices, which is additional to his personal glory due unto his person. If a mere creature, that had done never so much service to God, had been content to have stood out of that glory, which, as a reward, God had promised unto him, this would not have satisfied for God's loss of honour by sin, as this of Christ doth; for, besides that the loss of the creature had not been equal to what God lost, as his was (as hath been shewn), even more than God could otherwise expect in his manifestation in his works; the glory due to that creature as a reward of its service being but by promise, out of favour, could never have come up to satisfaction. But the glory due to Christ was by inheritance descended to him, when once united to God, by natural right, so as though he was man, yet that man being one in person with the Son of God, is not to be reckoned the adopted
Son of God, but the natural Son of God; and so his glory was answerable, not borrowed, but natural to him and by right; not as one who holds it by promise only, but as inheriting it. 'We saw his glory, as of the only begotten Son of God,' John 1:14; a glory that was proper to him, such as he who was the Son of God must necessarily
have, and that by inheritance, as his right. Thus much for the first part of the bill—honour lost to God.
Well, but justice will plead yet further damage, not only of honour omitted and neglected to be given, but of honour robbed, stolen from God and given away to creatures, and so debased; 'Changing the glory of the incorruptible God, into an image made like to corruptible man and fowls,' &c., Rom. 1:23. Now, behold, Christ did that which well may make amends, for he not only emptied himself, and stood out of honour, but humbled himself to the death of the cross; which, besides the pain, had also the highest shame accompanying it, put upon his person in it; therefore we find both joined, Heb. 12:2—'He endured the cross, and despised the shame.' And now, bring in all the objections and aggravations of dishonour done to God, and see them all equalled and exceeded in his debasement.
First, Doth the evil of sin lie in a dishonour done by such base creatures as we are, to a God so glorious? And is it indeed the infinite disproportion between him and us makes the guilt thereof so heinous? Why, if this person, so great as Christ was, and whose essential glory is equal with his Father, if he will subject himself to the lowest debasement that is possible, so as between that his glory, the glory of his person, and this his debasement, shall be as great a distance every way found as between the creatures and the glory they are able to give to God, or God to receive from them; this must needs answer to, and fill up the disproportion. But there was a greater distance; for he that is equal with God, takes 'upon him the form of a servant,' and will subject himself to God; and if that be not low enough, he subjects himself to the basest of creatures, yea, and will fall lower yet, to the basest condition of creatures, yea, as low as hell itself, and for substance endure the same anguish which the damned there do; and shall not this make amends? If sin hath offended God's glory as far he can be offended, quantum offendibilis est, he subjects himself quantum subjicibilis est, as far as he can be subject. If sin exalts a creature above God, in lieu of it God will debase himself
below all creatures, and of all conditions take the basest; will not this his falling so low rise up in all apprehension to highest satisfaction?
Again, Secondly, If you say God's prerogative and sovereignty is affronted by every sin; Christ, though he can stand upon his prerogative as much as God, being equal with him, yet he lets it fall, lays it down, yea, stands and holds up his hand at a bar as a malefactor. Yea, it is that very prerogative of his, and his being a king, that was the greatest exception which they had against him, gloria fit crimen, his glory is turned into his shame; he is condemned to death for an usurper and an impostor, for saying he was the Messiah, and king of the Jews. It was written as the title on his cross, of what he suffered for; and though he tells them that he was a king, and above a king, which was that good confession which Paul puts
Timothy in mind of, which he made afore Pilate, yet Pilate thinks himself a better man than he: 'Have I not power to condemn thee?'
And will not Christ, thus divesting himself of all his royalty, in like manner make amends?
Thirdly, Is not only God's prerogative, which he backs his law with, contemned, but all his glorious perfections slighted and denied, as his wisdom, holiness, &c.? So were all the excellencies in Christ debased.
1. His person was debased; 'He said he was the Son of God; let God save him if he will have him,' say they of him when he hung on the cross. Mat. 27:43.
2. All his offices are blasphemed.
(1.) Prophetical; 'Prophesy to us,' say they in a jeer when they buffeted him, Mat. 26:68, 'and tell us who it was that smote thee.' He will one day tell him that did it, at the day of judgment!
(2.) Also, his kingly office; Mat. 27:42, 'If he be the king of Israel, let him come down,' said they, mocking him.
And (3.) his priestly office also; 'He saved others, himself he cannot save,' say they in despite, Mat. 27:42. They say this when he was doing that very thing they mocked him for, namely, saving others; it was his business he hung upon the cross to finish.
As thus his person and offices, so all his attributes suffered contempt. Though he was the Wisdom of his Father, and discovered more than appears in all the works of creation and the law, yet how is he slighted as unlearned! He knows not letters (say they, John 7:15).
And who are his followers? None but the people that know not the law, John 7:49. And how is Moses preferred before him! John 9:29,
'As for this fellow, we know not whence he is.' So how do they scoff at his omniscience, 'Tell us who it is that smote thee,' Mat. 26:68. As if when they had blinded him, and covered his eyes, they thought they had hoodwinked his all-seeing eye also. He that is truth itself is counted a deceiver of the people; yea, he that is holiness itself is reckoned amongst transgressors, Isa. 53:12, yea, the greatest of sinners; and this not by men only, but by God himself, by whom he was made sin that knew no sin, 2 Cor. 5:21, so that by imputation he was the greatest sinner that ever yet the world had, as Luther used to speak. He was made, as it were, a sink into which the guilt of all sin was drained: 'The iniquities of us all did meet in him,' Isa. 53:6. His body on the tree was made the centre of all sins, as so many lines coming in upon him from the circumference of all ages. Yea, and he was not only to be accounted a sinner by others, but he was himself to do such actions whereby he ipso facto acknowledged himself such, as to fulfil the ceremonial law, to be circumcised, &c., which was our bond, whereby we acknowledged ourselves debtors to the law; and he set his hand to it, as acknowledging the debt. And now methinks he that was holiness itself should least of all have brooked this dishonour. What? Made sin! Why? It is that which he only hates, which his pure eyes abhor to look upon, and yet he must quietly bear the name of it, and take upon him the guilt of it, as if it were his own; a greater indignity than for the chastest woman to be called a whore.
I will say no more but this; he that was the great God was called devil, and content to put it up.
Lastly, The being and life of God makes sin most odious, as being that which sin, in the nature of the act, tends to take away from God: for (as was said) as he that hateth his brother is a murderer, 1 John
3:15, so he that hateth God is a murderer of him (though it doth him no hurt) in the attempt or rather tendency of the act, though not in the attempt or intention of the sinner; and therefore the life of all mere creatures will never make amends, no more than the life of a traitor ever can for murdering his prince; only it is all the satisfaction that can be had. And so in hell God takes their lives for it, because it is all that can be gotten. But now come we to Christ; he of whom it is said that he 'hath life in himself,' John 5:26, and is the 'living God,' is content really to be murdered and put to death. Murderers (says
Peter to the Jews, Acts 3:15), 'ye have killed the Prince of life;' and Paul says, 'They crucified the Lord of glory.' And though it was but in the flesh that he was crucified, as Peter elsewhere distinguisheth, yet the life he laid down was the life of his person; and as it is called the blood of God which was shed, so this was the life of God which was taken away; therefore, John 10:17, 18, Christ there calls it his life;—'I have power to lay down my life, and take it up again.' None could say so much but he who was God, but he who is the Lord of life; and it is more plainly expressed, 1 John 3:16, 'Hereby we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.' It was the life of God, and that in so true and real a sense, as therein the utmost of his love appeared. Yea, further, he not only died, but death held him a while under it, as a conqueror of him, therefore, Rom. 6:9, death is said to have once had dominion over him. Now this true and real laying down of his life must needs be more satisfactory unto God than the attempt, or rather tendency, that is in the act of sin to take God's life away can be reputed heinous.
You may remember, when we did set forth (in that first part of this discourse) sin's sinfulness, and the evil of it against God, wherein it was that it exceeded all the goodness of the creature (which yet was for God, as well as sin is said to be against God), we pitched it upon this, the undueness of the act of dishonour done to God by the creatures; whereas all the honour their graces bring in to him, is due
from them towards him. Now therefore let us see if, even in this particular, the evil of sin be not exceeded by Christ's satisfaction also, that nothing may be omitted that may satisfy a sinner's reason about the all-sufficiency of this satisfaction. This undueness of the act of dishonour was the highest and utmost aggravation of man's sinfulness, and did cast the balance, and was found to weigh heavier than all the creatures' goodness. Now let us put Christ's debasement of himself into the balance with it, and we shall see it far overbalanced even by this, that all this debasement of his to glorify God was infinitely more undue; which naturally riseth thus to all men's apprehensions.
1. In that it was such a way of giving honour to God by him, as God himself could no way challenge as his due from the second person towards him; for he was equal with him. He did owe indeed (as all the persons do one to another, a mutual honour) an honour unto
God, even as kings mutually honour one another; yet still but as equals use to do. And if as man, being made inferior to God, he owed subjection, yet still not in this way of debasing himself. He honoured his Father, and his Father the Son, from all eternity; for as they love one another, so they give honour one to another. But that God should have honour this way, by having his Son, a person his equal, become inferior to him, and obedient, and that so far as to death, and to profess that he did it freely at his command, this was in itself more than could be challenged, as due from him, by God, and therefore must needs be a full amends for any dishonour thrown on him by sin. It is as if the king of Spain should come out of his own kingdom, and admit himself into this of ours, and subject himself to our king and his laws, thereby to make our king seem greater; what an honour were it to him! More than all his subjects can do to him all sorts of ways in which they can be subject.
And 2. As Christ's debasement was thus undue, in respect that God could not exact it from him but by his own voluntary compact, so most of all undue it was, if we consider that which so often hath been inculcated, viz., the glory that himself could challenge as his due, and
that by right of inheritance; and how great that was, and how due it was, hath been declared; and for him to be so debased, how infinitely undue was it in this respect also! Of sin's undueness it may be said,
'Hear, O heavens; and hearken, O earth;' that men should sin and rebel against the great God, to undue an act it is, and unworthy of the creature. But when we think or speak of this debasement of the Son of God, equal with God, to whom so much glory is due, O stand astonished at it, all you angels and men; and with mere amazement fall and shrink into your first nothing, to think that ever it should be said, and be a truth, that the great God, the Lord of glory, should be crucified, the Lord of life killed. I appeal to you all, if this be not an act infinitely more unworthy, and as much out of course, more horrid to the thoughts of men and angels, than sin can be supposed to be.
That a base creature should sin against God, it is a thing to be wondered at indeed as a strange indignity; but yet the creatures, if they know themselves, may well know, yea, and fear, that they being but creatures, they may do it too soon, as the best of them did; and it was a wonder rather that any stood. But that the Lord of glory should be thus debased and killed, no creature durst have thought it, if they had conceived it possible; but it is so abhorrent as it could never have entered into their thoughts, had not God done it; and it is marvellous in our eyes.
And lastly, That sin may have nothing left to boast of, and that we may omit nothing that may or hath been any way pleaded about sin's sinfulness, but see it out-pleaded, and cast, and exceeded by this satisfaction of Christ's, let us put into the balance likewise those evil effects mentioned also in that first part of this discourse, whereby the heinousness of sin was demonstrated to transcend the goodness of the creatures' graces in any effects of their goodness: you shall find the effects of Christ's righteousness to abound far above them.
For, first, his actions, by reason of the dignity of his person, do please God more than sin can displease him. For if our works, although full of sin, are yet, by reason of our union with Christ as our head, made so acceptable as to please God more than the sin in them doth