Chapter VII
That Christ hath repaired the loss of honour which God sustained by sin.
Satisfaction in point of honour being to be measured by the excellency, dignity, and reputation of the person satisfying. Christ being God-man, in this re
spect makes the greatest which could be.
But the greatest evil of sin lies in the injury by it done unto the honour, and sovereign glory, and to the person of God himself, which is the thing that makes sin so heinous, that the difficulty of satisfying God herein is
insuperable by all the creatures (as hath been shewed), unto which, not
withstanding, we shall see Christ is as much enabled, as we have seen him
to be unto the former, to make amends for the damage which God sustained.
Honour (as was said) being a personal thing, and a due resulting out of
personal perfections, answerably therefore satisfaction therein is fundamen
tally to rise out of, and to be measured by, the personal worth, dignity, ex
cellency, and reputation of the person who undertakes to satisfy. Where
fore, as the foundation of this great demonstration, let us consider briefly the personal worth of Christ our surety, as from whence all his satisfaction
receives its force and value, and so we will go on to shew what his person hath done to make amends therein ; and then by comparing (as we go along) both what he is, and what he hath done to satisfy, with what is in the dis honour done to God by sin (which is the thing to be satisfied for), you will
see all the disproportions that have been mentioned and can be thought of, to make sin so above measure sinful, exceeded, and wholly overcome. Now as a ground-work to this, I will take but that one place ; Who, being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God : but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant)
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and was made in the likeness of men : and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
PHIL. ii. 6-8. A place full and adequate to my scope, wherein (you see) the apostle argues the efficacy of Christ s merit, and the worth of it, from hence, that
being equal with God, viz., in glory (as the opposite to he humbled himself
shews), he should be humbled ; and that he should humble himself, and be come obedient, &c., and all for the glory of God the Father. Every word
is weighty, and speaks satisfaction ; and that he, so great a person, for
greatness of glory equal with God ; for right to glory, one that thought it no
robbery to challenge it ; for the kind of glory which was his due, it was not
* being in the form of God ; that he should be
accidental, but
a substantial,
emptied of all, and lay aside that honour, which was due unto him, yea, suffer all his glory to be debased, and his honour laid in the dust, and him
self to be humbled to the greatest and basest of evils, death, and of all deaths the most shameful, the death of the cross, and not humbled passively
* humble himself, and become obedient, and that the object of this subjection should be but actions only, not* himself, his person, so as all that he did or suffered reflected on himself, and his
only, but that he should voluntarily
person was humbled in all ; and all this, to recover God s honour lost,
it was to the glory of God the Father (as the closure of all hath it) ; surely all this (as you will see) must needs make a full amends.
Now for the clearing of this point and demonstration, whence it is that
this satisfaction ariseth, I will proceed by degrees, until a full satisfaction
shall rise up to all your apprehensions, in a way of just reason, as there did unto God himself, by that one oblation of Christ himself for us.
And, first, let us consider the worth of the person, upon which the worth of the satisfaction doth depend. And to the manifesting of this, consider we first, that Christ had an essential glory, as he is God, which was the foundation and groundwork. This I need not insist upon, all knowing it, and taking it for granted, though divers interpreters judge it not to be that
glory which the text doth directly and in the first place intend, yet to be
ultimately supposed, as that which is the original ground of all that oriental transcendent glory, which as God-man he parted withal, for satisfaction to God. And though it be true that this glory of his, as he is merely God, cannot be debased or diminished, and so can never properly become the matter of satisfaction for sin, but it is another glory, which I shall speak of
presently, is the matter of it ; yet this is it that was the cause and rise of that God-man s glory, and that doth give the original worth and value to
all that Christ did or suffered. You shall still find that the Scripture puts the efficacy of his actions upon the worth of his person ; for, indeed, it is the dignity of the person that dignifies the work. God had respect first to
Abel, then to his sacrifice, for the sake of Abel. Therefore, in a proportion, the more worth and esteem the person is of with God, the more worth the
actions are. And therefore, as the worth of Christ s person was infinite, so must the worth of his actions be. His person raiseth his actions in statum sibi similem, unto a state suitable to himself, as a king doth his
children to a state answerable to his own. And as the human nature, being
personally united to the Godhead, is raised unto a transcendent privilege by virtue of that union, which no other creature hath, so the actions
thereof do, by virtue of the Godhead, come to have similem statum,, they are raised to a proportionable state also. And as the human nature is * Qu. not actions only, but ? ED.
CHAP. VII.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 105
sanctified through that union with the divine, with a sanctification beyond that of habitual graces (as the schoolmen have rightly observed and de
scried), so the actions thereof are deitate perfusce, they have a divinity in
them. As the human nature of Christ, by reason of its union with the
Godhead, hath more worth and dignity communicated to it than is or
could be in all creatures in all things he had the pre-eminence, Col. i. 18 and therefore when he comes into the world, it was said, Let all the
angels worship him, which honour no creature must have ; so his actions and graces are translated into as high a rank of dignity, above the graces and actions of creatures, and this by his person, even as his very human
nature is exalted above the rank of all creatures. And this makes his blood
to be precious blood indeed, in that it is the blood of God, Acts xx. 28. The worth of this person being substantial, it doth se totum tramfundere, it
transfuseth, or rather casts its whole worth upon his actions, to the utmost
of it. And as all the fulness of the Godhead is said to dwell in (Col. ii. 9), and to be personally communicated to, the manhood, making it as glorious as a creature can possibly by God be made, so the whole person doth cast
a glorious brightness or lustre, and reflecteth upon the actions he doth in
that nature all that personal worth that is communicable. And surely this
will equal the proportion of evil that is in our sins ; for as the offence was
against an infinitely glorious God, so the works done to take away the
offence were wrought by one as infinite. And as the chiefest accent* of the
offence lies in this, that it was against an infinite majesty, so the greatness of the satisfaction made lies in this, that it was performed by the mighty God ; which proportion could never have been filled up by any creature who was not God, satisfaction in point of honour depending upon the equal worth of the person honouring, and the person dishonoured. And though the human nature (which is in itself finite) be the principium quo, and the
instrument by which and in which the second person doth all that he doth ; and therefore answerably the physical being of those actions is but finite
in genere entis, yet all those articles being attributed to the person who is
principium quod, the principle which doth, and unto which all is to be
ascribed (for actiones sum suppositonun, actions are attributed to the persons, because that is said only to subsist), therefore the moral estimation of them
is from the worth of the person that performs them. And thus though the immediate principle, the human nature, be finite, yet the radical principle, the person, is infinite. And both natures being one in person, what the one is said to do or suffer, the other is said to do and suffer ; and therefore
his blood is called the blood of God. Yet this is not so to be understood
(nor was it necessary unto satisfaction to God) as if the worth of the actions
of this person should be as infinite as the person is, essentially and sub
stantially ; for Christ s merits could not be infinite, as God s attributes are; but it is enough to satisfaction, that they might be valued such in a moral
estimation ; for thereby it holds an answerable proportion unto the evil of
sin. For as the evil of sin is said to be infinite morally only, and in repute, and objective, as it is against an infinite person, and not essentially infinite, as the object of it is ; so answerably the satisfaction that it requires to be made for it, needs not to be essentially and physically infinite (for that were
impossible), but it is enough if it be, as sin itself is, morally such, and in
its value such, which then it will arise to be, when the person that per forms it is infinite ; and so this will come to be subjectively infinite, as from an infinite person, as sin is objectively infinite, as against an infinite
* Qu. ascent ? ED.
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God. And such a person is the second person in the Trinity, and such
therefore is his righteousness, it being the righteousness of him who is God.
But, secondly, although this essential glory of the Godhead gives the worth and value to all the actions that Christ did, yet in itself it was not capable of being debased, nor he of being emptied of it ; nor could this therefore
properly become the object matter which should be offered up to God for
satisfaction. For as, in our sinning, God s essential glory is not nor cannot be injured by us, but it is wronged only in the shine and lustre of
it, in the putting of itself forth before us creatures, or the manifestations of
it (wherein though the essential glory of his Godhead is not obscured, but the manifestation of it only, yet the injury reflects upon that his essential
glory, because that was it that was manifested), so in like manner is it in
Christ s satisfaction. Christ s essential glory, as he is only God, could of
itself alone never have satisfied for sin ; for satisfaction in point of honour
being to be effected by the lessening of glory in the satisfier, to give glory to him that is to have satisfaction, thence therefore the essential glory of the Godhead (which cannot be impaired of itself), if it remained unmanifested,
it could never satisfy. But if this second person, putting himself forth to be manifested, will suffer himself to be obscured in that glory which is due
to him when he comes to manifest himself, this indeed will come in to be
fit matter for satisfaction.
For, thirdly, if the Godhead of Christ had gone about to manifest itself
in works only, or such ways as are common to the other persons of the
Trinity with himself, as by creating of worlds, making of laws, &c., he had not by those ways satisfied neither ; because the other persons had had
as joint an interest in all such kind of manifestations as himself had, and
the obscurement of him in such manifestations had reflected equally upon the other two persons as upon himself. Wherefore over and above that
his essential glory, he must have a manifestative glory, an outward, visible
brightness of glory, and that also such as must become personal, and pro
per, and peculiar to him, so as to none of the other persons ; that as it may be capable of being obscured, so also that obscurement of it may reflect
upon his person, and upon it alone.
Therefore, fourthly, the Son of God, if he make satisfaction for sin, must
necessarily be supposed first to take, or to have taken on him the nature of some reasonable creature, either of mankind or of the angels, into personal
fellowship with himself; which would be both a peculiar way of manifest
ing himself and of his glory not common to the other two persons, and would also draw in all his personal excellencies into such an engagement, as that, both in the manifestation of himself in that nature assumed, his
personal glory may be interested, and also, in the obscurement and clouding of Jhimself in that manifestation, all these his excellencies may be said to be abased likewise, and so come to reflect upon the whole person himself, who
is thus glorious, and upon all that is in him : and thus fitly come to make
a full satisfaction.
Now, in the fifth place, let us consider what a manifestative glory is due
to the Son of God, if he assume a creature into one person with himself. And herein consider we, that that nature or creature which he shall assume
(be it man or angel) must by inheritance exist in the form of God, Phil,
ii. 6 ; which form of God I here take not to be put for the essence of
God, as neither is the form of a servant, in the following sentence, taken
for the nature of man simply considered, but for that debased appearance in which he in our nature came into the world, not as a Lord, glorious, but
CHAP. VII. J OF CHKIST THE MEDIATOR. 107
covered with infirmities ; and this expression seems to be all one with that, Bom. viii. 3, He came in the likeness of sinful flesh. And so in like manner the form of God here, is that God-like glor}^ and that manifesta
tion of the Godhead, which was, and must needs be due to appear in the nature assumed; for form is put for an outward appearance and manifesta
tion, in respect of which Christ, as God-man, is called the brightness of
his Father s glory, Heb. i. 2. Brightness (you know) is not the substance of light, but the appearance of it. And so also he is called the image of the invisible God, Col. i. 15. The meaning of which is this, that whereas God s essential glory is invisible (for he dwells in light that no man can
approach unto, 1 Tim. vi. 16). Christ assuming our human nature, becomes the image of it, and so makes it visible to us, God having stamped
* For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our
all his glory upon his face, that we might see it in him : 2 Cor. iv. 6,
hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. So that if the Son of God will assume our nature, then
it will follow that unto that nature there is due a God-like glory, so much
transcending all creatures, that all might plainly see and say, certainly that nature is united to God ; surely that man must needs be God as well as man : Hence, 1. He was to be endowed with privileges answerable to the dignity of the person assuming that nature ; for if that nature becomes one in person with the Son of God, he becomes one in the privileges of the person also, and so that nature is to have a glory, as of the only begotten Son of God
(as the evangelist speaks, John i. 14), proper and peculiar to him. And
so, besides that essential glory of his Godhead, there will necessarily be due to that person, in that nature assumed, a more manifestative glory shining forth, than could have arisen to God any other way ; for God mani
fested in the flesh personally, must needs have (as his due) more manifesta
tive glory, and so manifest more of the essential glory of the Godhead, than God manifested in all his other works, be they never so transcendent : even
as there is more honour due unto a king, if he in person shew himself, than
if his arms only be set up, or proclamation be made in his name. And in this
tespect Christ God-man may be said in a safe sense to be equal with God, as here in the text, not in essence, but in a communication of privileges
that as God hath life in himself alone, and it is a royalty incommunicable to any mere creature, so this Son of man, when once united thus unto the
* have life in himself, John v. 26, this equality, or /(ToVjjg, not being to be understood of equality in proportion, but of like
Godhead, is also said to
ness, and is all one with that which Zechariah speaks of his manhood, when he calls him the man God s fellow, Zech. xiii. 7, one in joint com mission with him. And thus Christ himself interprets it, John v., when the Jews, looking at him as a mere man, had objected it unto him as blas phemy that he made himself equal with God ; ver. 18 (it is the same word that is here used in the text), Christ answered them, ver. 19. And you find that his answer runs upon this, that even as he was Son of man
(which was it that made them to stumble so at his former words), his privi
leges were such by the union with the second person, that he had a true kind of partnership with God the Father in his privileges, and such as did
arise to a likeness, though not to an essential equality
: so ver. 19. It is true (says he), The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do ; and yet whatever things he doth, these also doth the Son like wise. And so, he goes on to shew, that he could do like things to his
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Father, and how he was to be honoured as his Father, ver. 23 ; and had
life in himself, as his Father had, ver. 26 ; and had all judgment com mitted to him, &c. And that he might be understood to speak this of himself as God-man, he expressly adds,
l Because he is the Son of man, ver. 27.
2. And hence, secondly, unto the Son of God thus dwelling in a human nature (when it shall be first assumed), all this honour and glory is due :
it is proper to him ; and therefore it is here said in the text, he thought
it no robbery for him to challenge it. Yet of all things God is tender of his glory ; I will not give my glory to another, Isa. xlii. 8. But Christ God-man dares challenge such a glory as we have been speaking of, as his
due, and it is no robbery for him to do it, because it is his right. As, is
worship to be performed unto God ? So it is to be given to Christ as
dwelling in a human nature : Ps. xlv. 11, He is thy Lord, worship thou him. Yea,
* let all the angels worship him, when he comes into the
world, and so as considered with his manhood, Heb. i. 6 : and Worthy art thou (say the saints and angels, and all creatures) to receive honour and glory; and so they fall down before him, Rev. v. 12. And therefore
this high character of him is put in, 1 Cor. ii. 8, that they crucified the Lord of glory. He was Lord, and possessor of all the glory that God
hath, for as his Father hath given him to have life, so glory in himself also, as in that John v. And here in the Philippians he is said to exist in this
glory, Phil. ii. 6, not that his human nature had this glory actually put upon it at first (for he was born as we are, and took upon him the form of a servant) ; but because thus to exist in this glory was his due, from which he could not be put by ; so as, if God would ordain him to subsist per sonally in a human nature, it was his due to have existed thus gloriously in the form of God, and not in the form of a servant, which is put in to shew how the form of a servant was merely arbitrary in him, in that another form was due to him, and in respect of that dueness is accounted as really
existent, with an existency of right (for it should so have done), which is a
real existency ; even as one that is born a king, though he for some end take on him a mean condition, yet he being born a king does so exist, and
it prejudiceth not his right all that while, for it is innate and bred with his
existing. And therefore the Scripture speaks of Christ even as Son of man, as if as Son of man he had been in heaven, and had come down : not that
actually he had been there, but because it was his right to have been there the first moment of the assumption of that nature. Thus John iii. IB, And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from
heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven. He (you see) says, that he is in heaven.
Thus much shall suffice to have shewn the foundation of satisfaction, from the qualifications and requisites in the person.