The display of glorious grace, or, The covenant of peace opened in fourteen sermons…

It behoved Jesus Christ to be a King, who is invested with God-like Power and Authority, upon this Account.

And since it was the Father's good Pleasure to exalt and magnify him with the sole Government of the World, and of the Church, it was necessary he should be Constituted, and Invested with Kingly Authority likewise.

And since it was the Father's good Pleasure to exalt and magnifie him with the sole Government of the World, and of the Church, it was necessary he should be Constituted, and Invested with Kingly Authority likewise.

3. And since we were ignorant of God, and under deep alienation from God,¹ Having the Understanding darkened, being alienated from the Life of God, through the ignorance in them, because of the blindness of their Hearts: It behoved Jesus Christ to be a Prophet; yea, such a Prophet that can not only teach the Knowing, and Understanding Heart, but can give Knowledge to the Heart which is without Understanding; and seeing we were blind and ignorant ⟨p. 75⟩of the way of Salvation, it behoved him that was to make our Peace, to bring us to the knowledge of that Peace and Reconciliation he hath made.

3. And since we were ignorant of God, and under deep alienation from God,¹ Having the Ʋnderstanding darkened, being alienated from the Life of God, through the ignorance in them, because of the blindness of their Hearts: It behoved Jesus Christ to be a Prophet; yea, such a Prophet that can not only teach the Knowing, and Understanding Heart, but can give Knowledge to the Heart which is without Understanding; and seeing we were blind and ignorant ⟨p. 75⟩of the way of Salvation, it behoved him that was to make our Peace, to bring us to the knowledge of that Peace and Reconciliation he hath made.

1. 1Eph. 4.18.

1. 1Christ a Surety.

Also he was to confirm the Covenant of Peace by his Blood,¹ and make his Last Will and Testament, and bequeath many Legacies to all the Legatees; therefore it was necessary that he should be a Testator; yea, the Testator of the New Testament, or Covenant. ²—Furthermore, we were Sick, therefore it behoved him to be appointed our Physician, we were as Sheep gone astray, therefore he is our Shepherd.

1. 1Christ a Testator.
2. 2Christ a Physician, Shepherd, &c.

II. As to the End and Excellencies of Christ's Offices, I have lately opened them in a late Treatise upon Jacob's Ladder, to which I shall direct you; but know this, the whole design and purport of all his Offices are, that he might effectually be empowered with all things necessary, in respect had to the Glory and Honour ⟨p. 76⟩of God, and for our good, and to give us interest in all the Blessings of the Covenant of Peace.

II. As to the End and Excellencies of Christ's Offices, I have lately opened them in a late Treatise upon Jacob's Ladder, to which I shall direct you; but know this, the whole design and purport of all his Offices are, that he might effectually be impowered with all things necessary, in respect had to the Glory and Honour ⟨p. 76⟩of God, and for our good, and to give us interest in all the Blessings of the Covenant of Peace.

Objection. 'Tis objected, That Christ did not suffer for Sinners as a common Person, Head, and Representative of all the Elect, or their Surety, but did all merely as a Mediator, or as one endeavouring to compose the Difference betwixt God and Sinners.

Objection. 'Tis objected, That Christ did not suffer for Sinners as a common Person, Head, and Representative of all the Elect, or their Surety, but did all meerly as a Mediator, or as one indeavouring to compose the Difference betwixt God and Sinners.

1 Answ. I answer,¹ Sad it is to see how in these Perilous Days Men are degenerated from the Apostolic Doctrine in this most important case, and oppose all our Autho•• Protestant Writers, and deny Christ to be a Common Person, Head, Representative, and Surety, &c. but that he, as Mediator, hath by his Death merited a new and mild Law of Grace, i. e. of Faith and Sincere Obedience, and hath made a Compensation to the Justice of God, and Law of Works, and so removed the Law of perfect Obedience, or abolished it for ever; so that now God deals with us not according to the strict Law of perfect Obedience, but according to this New Law, i. e. on easier Conditions, viz. such that believe and sincerely obey, shall be Justified even so far as they do Obey, and are Sanctified; not that Christ's Obedience to the Law, or that his Active and Passive Obedience imputed to us, and our trusting in him according to the Free Promise of God, is the immediate and sole cause of Pardon, by virtue of Christ's Satisfaction; but that tho Christ hath made God a means for Legal Righteousness, having satisfied that Law, and took it away; yet our ⟨p. 77⟩Obedience to this New Law according to these Men, is our Evangelical Righteousness, whereby we fulfil the Gospel, and that our Obedience is the Condition of our Justification before God: Thus Mr. Baxter, Mr. Williams, Mr. Clark of Wickham, and many others.

1 Answ. I answer,¹ Sad it is to see how in these Perilous Days Men are degenerated from the Apostolick Doctrine in this most important case, and oppose all our Autho•• Protestant Writers, and deny Christ to be a Common Person, Head, Representative, and Surety, &c. but that he, as Mediator, hath by his Death merited a new and mild Law of Grace, i. e. of Faith and Sincere Obedience, and hath made a Compensation to the Justice of God, and Law of Works, and so removed the Law of perfect Obedience, or abolished it for ever; so that now God deals with us not according to the strict Law of perfect Obedience, but according to this New Law, i. e. on easier Conditions, viz. such that believe and sincerely obey, shall be Justified even so far as they do Obey, and are Sanctified; not that Christ's Obedience to the Law, or that his Active and Passive Obedience imputed to us, and our trusting in him according to the Free Promise of God, is the immediate and sole cause of Pardon, by virtue of Christ's Satisfaction; but that tho Christ hath made God a means for Legal Righteousness, having satisfied that Law, and took it away; yet our ⟨p. 77⟩Obedience to this New Law according to these Men, is our Evangelical Righteousness, whereby we fulfil the Gospel, and that our Obedience is the Condition of our Justification before God: Thus Mr. Baxter, Mr. Williams, Mr. Clark of Wickham, and many others.

1. 1One error of the Times detected.

And thus is Popery revived amongst us, and Justification by Works asserted by these Law and Work-mongers, for I cannot call them Gospel-Ministe-s; true, they affirm that Christ died for our good, but not in our stead; the Doctrine we maintain, is, that he died for our good; But how for our good? Even so, that he suffered as our Head and Representative in our stead or room, the Just for the Unjust, or the Surety for the Principal, or for the Sinner; and this according to the Terms agreed upon in the Covenant of Peace, (and not simply for our good any otherwise) God being in his own Nature Just, as well as Gracious, could not without Wrong, or Injury to his Justice, Holiness, and the Sanction of his Law Acquit, Justify and Pardon any Sinner, without a full Satisfaction to both Law, and Justice, and this must either be done by us, or by our Surety for us.

And thus is Popery revived amongst us, and Justification by Works asserted by these Law and Work-mongers, for I cannot call them Gospel-Ministe-s; true, they affirm that Christ died for our good, but not in our stead; the Doctrine we maintain, is, that he died for our good; But how for our good? Even so, that he suffered as our Head and Representative in our stead or room, the Just for the Ʋnjust, or the Surety for the Principal, or for the Sinner; and this according to the Terms agreed upon in the Covenant of Peace, (and not simply for our good any otherwise) God being in his own Nature Just, as well as Gracious, could not without Wrong, or Injury to his Justice, Holiness, and the Sanction of his Law Acquit, Justifie and Pardon any Sinner, without a full Satisfaction to both Law, and Justice, and this must either be done by us, or by our Surety for us.

2. We affirm, that the Law of Perfect Obedience results from the Holiness, Purity, and Rectitude of God's Nature; and therefore it stands as a perpetual Law, and can never be abolished as a Rule of Life, tho it be taken away as it required perfect Obedience of us, or as a Law of Works to be fulfilled and satisfied for in our own Persons in point of Justification. ⟨p. 78⟩Do we then make void the Law through Faith? ¹God forbid? Yea, we establish the Law; because by Christ we attain a perfect Righteousness, being interested in his most complete and perfect Obedience to the Moral Law, and by his Spirit to live in more exact Conformity thereunto: My Brethren, Is it not our Duty still, and as much as ever it was, To love the Lord our God with all our Hearts, with all our Souls, and with all our Strength, and our Neighbour as our selves; not only sincerely, but perfectly; nay,² to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect: Tho we are not able to do this, yet the Moral Law still remains, and requires us thus to do; true, we shall not be Damned for want of this perfect Obedienc, because Christ hath in our Nature, and stead, kept the Law perfectly for us; and so he is the end of the Law in respect of Righteousness to all that believe.

2. We affirm, that the Law of Perfect Obedience results from the Holiness, Purity, and Rectitude of God's Nature; and therefore it stands as a perpetual Law, and can never be abolished as a Rule of Life, tho it be taken away as it required perfect Obedience of us, or as a Law of Works to be fulfilled and satisfied for in our own Persons in point of Justification. ⟨p. 78⟩Do we then make void the Law through Faith? ¹God forbid? Yea, we establish the Law; because by Christ we attain a perfect Righteousness, being interested in his most compleat and perfect Obedience to the Moral Law, and by his Spirit to live in more exact Conformity thereunto: My Brethren, Is it not our Duty still, and as much as ever it was, To love the Lord our God with all our Hearts, with all our Souls, and with all our Strength, and our Neighbour as our selves; not only sincerely, but perfectly; nay,² to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect: Tho we are not able to do this, yet the Moral Law still remains, and requires us thus to do; true, we shall not be Damned for want of this perfect Obedienc, because Christ hath in our Nature, and stead, kept the Law perfectly for us; and so he is the end of the Law in respect of Righteousness to all that believe.

1. 1Rom. 3.31.
2. 2Matt. 6.28

Christ did not come to engage, or undertake as a Mediator, that we should perfectly in our own Persons, keep the Moral Law, and so be Justified in God's Sight; nor did he come to undertake that we should sincerely keep any other Law to that end; much less, leave us to the exercise of our Natural, or Spiritual Abilities, to keep such a Law, as the Condition of our Justification, and Acceptation with God; but he came to procure for us such a Righteousness by his own Obedience and Suffering, that the Holiness, Justice, and Law of God doth require of us if we are Justified with God, for what the Law could not do, ¹in that it was weak through the Flesh, God sent forth his Son, &c. Tis ⟨p. 79⟩a hard case, my Brethren, that these degenerate Presbyterians, or any pretending to be Gospel-Preachers, should deny Christ to be a Common Head and Surety for the Elect; for he that dies in the stead and room of others, is by the consent of the Law-giver substituted in their Law place, and so takes upon him the Capacity of a Surety, Representative, or common Person, undertaking to do, and suffer what others should, but these Men deny this Relation or Capacity of Christ as a Surety, in this Sense, and therefore deny he obeyed and died in our stead. And from hence it follows also that Christ did not do that for us, which our own Perfect Obedience did do, whilst Man stood, and would have done, had he not sinned, i. e. Justified him, or have given him a Title to Life.

Christ did not come to engage, or undertake as a Mediator, that we should perfectly in our own Persons, keep the Moral Law, and so be Justified in God's Sight; nor did he come to undertake that we should sincerely keep any other Law to that end; much less, leave us to the exercise of our Natural, or Spiritual Abilities, to keep such a Law, as the Condition of our Justification, and Acceptation with God; but he came to procure for us such a Righteousness by his own Obedience and Suffering, that the Holiness, Justice, and Law of God doth require of us if we are Justified with God, for what the Law could not do, ¹in that it was weak through the Flesh, God sent furth his Son, &c. Tis ⟨p. 79⟩a hard case, my Brethren, that these degenerate Presbyterians, or any pretending to be Gospel-Preachers, should deny Christ to be a Common Head and Surety for the Elect; for he that dies in the stead and room of others, is by the consent of the Law-giver substituted in their Law place, and so takes upon him the Capacity of a Surety, Representative, or common Person, undertaking to do, and suffer what others should, but these Men deny this Relation or Capacity of Christ as a Surety, in this Sense, and therefore deny he obeyed and died in our stead. And from hence it follows also that Christ did not do that for us, which our own Perfect Obedience did do, whilst Man stood, and would have done, had he not sinned, i. e. Justified him, or have given him a Title to Life.

1. 1Rom. 8.2, 3

3. Moreover, if Christ was not put in our Law place, as our Representative and Surety, Why was he made of a Woman, ¹and made under the Law? Was it not that the Law might reach him?

1. 1Gal. 4.

(1.) As to its commanding Power as our Surety, to pay the Debt of Perfect Obedience thereunto.

(2.) And as a Sinner, in a Law Sense, to die, or be made Sin for us, (that is by Imputation;) for had not he been under the Law, the Law could not have reached him in either sense, i. e. either to do or suffer, and had not he took our Law place upon him, we could not have been the better; for what could his taking our Nature on him have profited us, had he not been substituted in our room? But as we were obliged by the Law, Justice, and Holiness ⟨p. 80⟩of God, to keep the Law perfectly, so he was made under the Law to keep it for us, and as we were sinful Men, and liable to the Just Sentence of the Law for our Violation of it, so he was made under the Law, and as our Representative and Surety, to die and to satisfy Divine Justice for our Transgressions that were against it.

(2.) And as a Sinner, in a Law Sense, to die, or be made Sin for us, (that is by Imputation;) for had not he been under the Law, the Law could not have reached him in either sense, i. e. either to do or suffer, and had not he took our Law place upon him, we could not have been the better; for what could his taking our Nature on him have profited us, had he not been substituted in our room? But as we were obliged by the Law, Justice, and Holiness ⟨p. 80⟩of God, to keep the Law perfectly, so he was made under the Law to keep it for us, and as we were sinful Men, and liable to the Just Sentence of the Law for our Violation of it, so he was made under the Law, and as our Representative and Surety, to die and to satisfie Divine Justice for our Transgressions that were against it.

He was made under the Law, i. e. under the Preceptory part of it, to fulfil and establish that; he satisfied for that part of the Law.

He was under the Law, as being liable to the Punishment, or Penalty of the Law, that he might answer and fulfil that, and for ever deliver us from the Punishment thereof, and all this as our Surety standing in our Law place.