A47542:1031
A golden mine opened, or, The glory of God's rich grace displayed in the mediator to believers, and his direful wrath against impenitent sinners containing the substance of near forty sermons upon several subjects / by Benjamin Keach.
London: printed by the author, 1694
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Object. I like not, say some, your Notion, viz. That Christ died in our stead or room: For though he died for our good, yet not in our stead, I doubt of that: And if you can make it appear that he so died for us as you affirm, namely, in the room or stead of all his Elect, then your Argument is not to be answered.
Answ. I answer; That Jesus Christ did not suffer Death for our Good only, but in our room or stead, also I shall prove and make clearly to appear.
1. This Notion (if you will so call it) of Christ dying for us, must denote his dying in our stead; because it is so always generally taken, when one Person is said to die for another, one is condemned, and another dies for him, that is, in his Room, to save the guilty Person from Death. And should not this be granted, we should be all confounded, and not know either what Men or the Scripture means, when they say, such a Man, such a Person, died for another, or for others, when the Person for whom that great Love and Favour was showed to, was as a Criminal, and condemned to die; which moved his Friend or Surety to step in and suffer the Penalty for him, or in his stead. Now it was so here, we were all Criminals, guilty of the highest Treason against the God of Heaven; and were by the holy Law of our offended Sovereign, condemned to die, and to bear Eternal Wrath; and our Blessed Saviour was chosen in our room, and given up as an Act of the Father's Infinite Love and Favour (and as an Act of no less Love, Favour and Compassion in Christ) to die for us, and to satisfy Divine Justice for us, or to bear the Punishment we were to have born, and must (had not he born it for us) for ever.
1. This Notion (if you will so call it) of Christ dying for us, must denote his dying in our stead; because it is so always generally taken, when one Person is said to die for another, one is condemned, and another dies for him, that is, in his Room, to save the guilty Person from Death. And should not this be granted, we should be all confounded, and not know either what Men or the Scripture means, when they say, such a Man, such a Person, died for another, or for others, when the Person for whom that great Love and Favour was shewed to, was as a Criminal, and condemned to die; which moved his Friend or Surety to step in and suffer the Penalty for him, or in his stead. Now it was so here, we were all Criminals, guilty of the highest Treason against the God of Heaven; and were by the holy Law of our offended Soveraign, condemned to die, and to bear Eternal Wrath; and our Blessed Saviour was chosen in our room, and given up as an Act of the Father's Infinite Love and Favour (and as an Act of no less Love, Favour and Compassion in Christ) to die for us, and to satisfy Divine Justice for us, or to bear the Punishment we were to have born, and must (had not he born it for us) for ever.
2. Is it not plainly foretold, that the Messiah should be cut off, 1but not for himself? Now since he had no Sin of his own, and yet was cut off for Sin, it follows, he was put in our Place, and stood charged with our Guilt or Debt, and so was penally cut off; he was cut off for us, to save us from Divine Wrath and Vengeance: It was not for himself, it was not for the fallen Angels; it was therefore for us, that we might not die, but live eternally.
3. Pray, Brethren, see what our Saviour saith upon this Account; Greater Love hath no Man than this, that a Man lay down his 1Life for his Friends. Can this Expression intend any thing more or less, than in the room or stead of his Friend, or die for them? Thus Christ died. Even the Just for the Unjust; the Just in the place or 2stead of the Unjust, or us the guilty Persons. Hereby perceive we the Love of God; Because he laid down his Life for us, we ought to lay ⟨p. 238⟩down our Life for the Brethren. These Texts fully prove the Notion; He that lays down his Life for his Brother, or dies for the Brethren, dies in their stead to save them from Death, as some have done: For scarcely for a righteous Man will one die; yet peradventure 3for a good Man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his Love towards […], in that while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us. Now then seeing Christ underwent Death, and bore that Punishment that was due for Sins, and there being no Cause in himself why he should suffer that Pain and Penalty, it unavoidably follows, that it was because he stood in our Place charged with our Offences.
3. Pray, Brethren, see what our Saviour saith upon this Account; Greater Love hath no Man than this, that a Man lay down his 1Life for his Friends. Can this Expression intend any thing more or less, than in the room or stead of his Friend, or die for them? Thus Christ died. Even the Just for the Vnjust; the Just in the place or 2stead of the Unjust, or us the guilty Persons. Hereby perceive we the Love of God; Because he laid down his Life for us, we ought to lay ⟨p. 238⟩down our Life for the Brethren. These Texts fully prove the Notion; He that lays down his Life for his Brother, or dies for the Brethren, dies in their stead to save them from Death, as some have done: For scarcely for a righteous Man will one die; yet peradventure
4. Again, it must be thus taken and understood, because it is said, The Lord laid on him the Iniquity of us all: Our Sins were made 1to meet in him—He was wounded for our Transgressions, he was bruised for our Iniquities. It was not by Christ's praying and interceding to the Father for us to forgive us our Iniquities; No, no, that was not enough, it was his dying for them: He bore our Sins in his own Body on the Tree. He prayed again and again, but that Cup could not pass by; if we are delivered and saved from our Sins, he must die, nay his Soul must be made an Offering for Sin.
5. That Christ died in our stead, will further appear, because he was made Sin for us, that knew no Sin. He bore the Sins of 1many, that is, the Punishment of them. Our Sins were charged upon him, though he had no Sin of his own in a moral Sense, but was pure from all Iniquity; yet in a judicial Sense he was made Sin, as he was constituted and put in the Sinner's Place, dying and making Satisfaction in our stead, as our blessed Head and Surety. And how frivolous is the Cavil of the Socinians, who would have it be understood, where it is said, Christ was made Sin, that he was accounted a Sinner by wicked Men. This cannot be the meaning of the Place, because as he was made Sin for us that knew no Sin, so it was that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him. Do wicked Men account Believers to be made the Righteousness of God in him? Or does not God look upon us, or count us in him so to be?
6. But why is it said by the Holy Ghost, But when the fullness of Time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under 1the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law? &c. Had he not stood in our Law-place, why is it thus expressed? Certainly God saw it necessary to substitute him, and to accept of him in our stead; and therefore he was made under the Law, i. e. he was ⟨p. 239⟩obliged to keep the Law perfectly for us, God requiring that of us in order to Justification, which we being fallen, were not able to do, therefore he did it for us, and in our Nature; being made of a Woman, he took our Nature upon him, and suffered Death, making a full and complete Satisfaction for our Breach thereof; whose Sufferings and Obedience, upon the account of his being God as well as Man, had an infinite Worth and Merit in them. And if this which the Apostle saith in this place, doth not prove that he suffered in our room, I must confess I know nothing of this great Gospel-Mystery.
6. But why is it said by the Holy Ghost, But when the fulness of Time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under 1the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law? &c. Had he not stood in our Law-place, why is it thus expressed? Certainly God saw it necessary to substitute him, and to accept of him in our stead; and therefore he was made under the Law, i. e. he was ⟨p. 239⟩obliged to keep the Law perfectly for us, God requiring that of us in order to Justification, which we being fallen, were not able to do, therefore he did it for us, and in our Nature; being made of a Woman, he took our Nature upon him, and suffered Death, making a full and compleat Satisfaction for our Breach thereof; whose Sufferings and Obedience, upon the account of his being God as well as Man, had an infinite Worth and Merit in them. And if this which the Apostle saith in this place, doth not prove that he suffered in our room, I must confess I know nothing of this great Gospel-Mystery.
7. That he suffered, not only for our Good or Profit, but also in our room and stead, doth further appear, because it is said, He 1died for our Sins; Who was delivered for our Offences, and rose again for our Justification. "This Particle, saith a Learned Man,2 joined with an Accusative, doth generally signify the impulsive Cause, and not final, Mat. 10. 22. & 13. 5. & 14. 9. John 20. 19. 2 Cor. 4. 11. And particularly when it is used in reference to Sufferings, it hath that signification and no other; see Levit. 26. 18, 28. Deut. 28. 11. 2 Kings 23. 26. Jer. 13. 22. John 10. 32. In all these Places it necessarily signifies the Meritorious and Impulsive Cause, and nowise the Final; for our Offences must needs be understood, that our Offences were the Meritorious and Impulsive Cause of Christ's Sufferings. Another Particle the Holy Ghost useth, is [Greek or Hebrew], Rom. 6. 8. For when we were without strength, Christ died for the Ungodly. He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. I lay down my Life for my Sheep. This is my Body that is given for you. 3Now the Particle [Greek or Hebrew], among other Significations (saith he) that it hath, signifieth sometimes the Impulsive Cause,
8. Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many. Now to bear 1Sin, usually in Scripture-Phrase, is to bear the Punishment of Sin, Levit. 5. 1. & 7. 8. Numb. 14. 33. He hath born our Griefs, and carried our Sorrows. For the Transgression of my People was be stricken. Which clearly shows the Ground and Cause of his Suffering, and 2not the Issue and the Event.
8. Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many. Now to bear 1Sin, usually in Scripture-Phrase, is to bear the Punishment of Sin, Levit. 5. 1. & 7. 8. Numb. 14. 33. He hath born our Griefs, and carried our Sorrows. For the Transgression of my People was be stricken. Which clearly shews the Ground and Cause of his Suffering, and 2not the Issue and the Event.
9. If all the other pretended Grounds and Causes are frivolous and vain, that Men bring of Christ's dying for us, suffering for us, besides this of dying in our stead or room; then that is the proper and only meaning thereof: but all other pretended Grounds are vain and frivolous. How idle is it for any to say, He died only to remove or take away the rigid Law of Works, and to merit a milder Law of Grace? Which seems to imply, as if God repented he ever gave the Law of perfect Obedience: Or as if God could allow of Sin; or else, as if the Law of perfect Obedience did not result from his Holy Nature, but that he might have given a Law at first, like their new Law of Grace: Or according to others, that he died to fulfil and take away the Ceremonial Law, and to be a Pattern of Abasement, Humility, and Self-denial. Now had that been, could not God have substituted Peter to have been such a Pattern as well as his own Son, and set him up as an Example; or else some other most choice and renowned Saint or Prophet; or have caused and Angel to be incarnate to have done it, that we might have followed his Steps? And how vain is that which some of the Arminians assert, viz. That he died to satisfy for Original Sin, or for the Breach of the first Covenant, and to purchase Salvation upon the Condition of Repentance, Faith and Obedience, or to merit God's Acceptance of the Creature's Faith, Love, Holiness, and sincere Obedience, instead of perfect Obedience to the Law of Works, so that God is become reconcilable through Christ's Death? But that he may be actually reconciled, lies wholly upon the Creature as his part; and thus he died for the Good of all Men, but not in the place or stead of any one. Now by this Notion, Salvation is principally wrought out by the Creature, God having put Man into a Condition or Capacity to work it out for himself: And according to this Notion Man may or may not be saved, God having left the whole of Salvation, in order to the making Christ's Death to become effectual, to the Will of Man. So that Man's Will, as I before intimated, determines the Case, whether Christ's Death shall effect any Eternal Blessing unto Sinners in general, or to any one Sinner in particular, or not. ⟨p. 241⟩God (as one of them once preached) puts Man into a Capacity to work and to do, but works not in any the Will or the Deed of his own good Pleasure.
Now how false and frivolous all these pretended Grounds or Designs of Christ's Death are, I have already showed.
Now how false and frivolous all these pretended Grounds or Designs of Christ's Death are, I have already shewed.
Arg. 1. And from the first Argument taken from the Death of Christ, I argue thus; All those that Jesus Christ died in the room or stead of shall never die or eternally perish. But Christ died in the room or stead of all his Elect, or all such who believe and are his Sheep; therefore not one of them shall die, or eternally perish.
Arg. 2. If Christ died for all the Sins of his Elect, both before Grace, or before they are called; and for those committed after Grace, or after they are called, so that they might not be condemned for any of them; then none of them can eternally perish. But this I have proved; therefore none of them shall ever eternally perish.
Secondly, The Death of Christ doth deliver every true Believer 1from Eternal Wrath and Condemnation, I prove thus; Because the Sufferings of Christ, or the Sacrifice of Christ, is imputed to them, or is accounted to them that do believe: This follows from what I said last, He took our Sins upon himself, and satisfied for them, as if he had actually sinned, and freely of his own Grace gives us the Benefit of his Suffering, as if we had actually suffered; our Sin was imputed to him, that his Righteousness and Obedience might be imputed to us, even both that which is called his Active and Passive Obedience. Sin was imputed to Christ, yea, every Sin we have, or ever shall commit; so that in Christ we have born already all that Vindictive Wrath and Vengeance of God that was due to them, according to his Holy Law and Threatening denounced against us. Christ and his Elect are as one Person, or as one entire Corporation; and what he did, was as if every one that he represents had done it. The Sufferings of our Saviour was in lieu of the Life of the Sinner; the Just for the Unjust. By his 2Stripes we were healed: And that by God's charging our Sin judicially upon him, he as our Surety standing in our room. He was (as the Apostle says) made Sin for us that knew no Sin, that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him.
Secondly, The Death of Christ doth deliver every true Believer 1from Eternal Wrath and Condemnation, I prove thus; Because the Sufferings of Christ, or the Sacrifice of Christ, is imputed to them, or is accounted to them that do believe: This follows from what I said last, He took our Sins upon himself, and satisfied for them, as if he had actually sinned, and freely of his own Grace gives us the Benefit of his Suffering, as if we had actually suffered; our Sin was imputed to him, that his Righteousness and Obedience might be imputed to us, even both that which is called his Active and Passive Obedience. Sin was imputed to Christ, yea, every Sin we have, or ever shall commit; so that in Christ we have born already all that Vindictive Wrath and Vengeance of God that was due to them, according to his Holy Law and Threatning denounced against us. Christ and his Elect are as one Person, or as one entire Corporation; and what he did, was as if every one that he represents had done it. The Sufferings of our Saviour was in lieu of the Life of the Sinner; the Just for the Vnjust. By his
Arg. 3. If Christ hath born all that Vindictive Wrath that was due to his Elect for their Sins, then not one of them can eternally perish. But Christ hath born all that Vindictive Wrath that was due to his Elect for their Sins; therefore not one of them can eternally perish.
7. That he suffered, not only for our Good or Profit, but also in our room and stead, doth further appear, because it is said, He 1died for our Sins; Who was delivered for our Offences, and rose again for our Justification. "This Particle, saith a Learned Man,2 joined with an Accusative, doth generally signify the impulsive Cause, and not final, Mat. 10. 22. & 13. 5. & 14. 9. John 20. 19. 2 Cor. 4. 11. And particularly when it is used in reference to Sufferings, it hath that signification and no other; see Levit. 26. 18, 28. Deut. 28. 11. 2 Kings 23. 26. Jer. 13. 22. John 10. 32. In all these Places it necessarily signifies the Meritorious and Impulsive Cause, and nowise the Final; for our Offences must needs be understood, that our Offences were the Meritorious and Impulsive Cause of Christ's Sufferings. Another Particle the Holy Ghost useth, is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Rom. 6. 8. For when we were without strength, Christ died for the Ungodly. He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. I lay down my Life for my Sheep. This is my Body that is given for you. 3Now the Particle 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, among other Significations (saith he) that it hath, signifieth sometimes the Impulsive Cause, Phil. 2. 13. Ephes. 5. 16. Rom. 15. 9. Sometimes the Substitution of one in the room of another, 2 Cor. 5. 10. Philem. v. 13. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Demost. Ego pro te molam, Terent. Particularly when the Sufferings of one for another is expressed by it, it always signifies the Substitution of one in the place of another. Whenever it is used to imply one's dying for another, it signifies the dying in his stead; even as the Son of Man came to give his Life a Ransom for many, repeated again, Mark 10. 45. This Preposition, (says he) whenever applied to Persons or Things, it always imports a substituting of one in the room of another." So that from the whole we may confidently conclude, that Christ did not only suffer for our Good, but in our room.
