give his life a ransom for many.' 1 Cor. vi. 20. vii. 23. 'For ye are bought with a price.' 1 Tim. ii. 6. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.' Tit. ii. 14. 'Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity.' 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. For we were not redeemed with silver and gold and corruptible things; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.'

3. That he bare our sins, or the punishment due unto them. Isa. liii. 5. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.' Ver. 11. For he shall bear their iniquities.' 1 Pet. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on

ii. 24. the tree.

4. That he answered the law and the penalty of it. Rom. viii. 3. ́ God sent forth his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us.' Gal. iii. 13. 'Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.' Chap. iv. 4, 5. God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law.'

5. That he died for sin, and sinners, to expiate the and in the stead of the other. Rom. iv. 25. He was one, delivered for our offences.' Rom. v. 10. When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son." 1 Cor. xv. 3. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.' 2 Cor. v. 14. For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead;' 1 Thess. v. 9, 10.

6. Hence on the part of God, it is affirmed that he spared him not, but delivered him up for us all;' Rom. viii. 32. and caused all our iniquities to meet upon him;' Isa.

liii. 7.

7. The effect hereof was,

(1.) That the righteousness of God was glorified. Rom. iii. 25, 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for

the remission of sins.' (2.) The law fulfilled and satisfied, as in the places before quoted; Rom. viii. 3. Gal. iii. 13, 14. Gal. iv. 5. (3.) God reconciled. 2 Cor. v. 18, 19. 'God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.' Heb. ii. 17. 'He made reconciliation for the sins of the people.' (4.) Atonement was made for sin. Rom. v. 11. By whom we have now received the atonement ;' and peace was made with God. Eph. ii. 14. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.' (5.) Made an end of sin. Dan. ix. 24. To finish transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness.' The glory of God in all these things being exalted, himself well pleased, righteousness and everlasting redemption or salvation purchased for sinners; Heb. ix. 14. In that the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and that by his stripes we are healed; he being punished that we might go free, himself became a captain of salvation unto all that do obey him.

I have fixed on these particulars, to give every ordinary reader an instance how fully and plainly what he is to believe in this matter is revealed in the Scripture. And should I produce all the testimonies which expressly give witness unto these positions, it is known how great a part of the Bible must be transcribed. And these are the things which are indispensably required of us to believe, that we may be able to direct and regulate our obedience according to the mind and will of God. In the explanation of this doctrine unto farther edification, sundry things are usually insisted on, which necessarily and infallibly ensue upon the propositions of Scripture before laid down, and serve to beget in the minds of believers a due apprehension, and right understanding of them. As,

1. That God in this matter is to be considered as the chief, supreme, absolute rector and governor of all; as the Lord of the law, and of sinners; but yet so as an offended ruler. Not as an offended person, but as an offended ruler, who hath right to exact punishment upon transgressors, and whose righteousness of rule requires that he should so do.

2. That because he is righteous and holy, as he is the supreme Judge of all the world, it is necessary that he do right in the punishing of sin, without which the order of the creation cannot be preserved. For sin being the creature's deduction of itself from the order ofits dependance upon, and obedience unto, the Creator and supreme Lord of all, without a reduction of it by punishment, confusion would be brought into the whole creation.

3. That whereas the law and the sanction of it is the moral or declarative cause of the punishment of sin, and it directly obligeth the sinner himself unto punishment; God as the supreme ruler dispenseth, not with the act of the law, but the immediate object; and substitutes another sufferer in the room of them who are principally liable unto the sentence of it, and are now to be acquitted or freed; that so the law may be satisfied, requiring the punishment of sin, justice exalted, whereof the law is an effect, and yet the sinner saved.

4. That the person thus substituted was the Son of God incarnate, who had power so to dispose of himself with will and readiness for it; and was upon the account of the dignity of his person, able to answer the penalty which all others had incurred and deserved.

5. That God upon his voluntary susception of this office, and condescension to this work, did so lay our sins in and by the sentence of the law upon him, that he made therein full satisfaction for whatever legally could be charged on them for whom he died or suffered.

6. That the special way, terms, and conditions whereby and wherein sinners may be interested in this satisfaction made by Christ, are determined by the will of God, and declared in the Scripture.

These and the like things are usually insisted on in the explication or declaration of this head of our confession ; and there is not any of them but may be sufficiently confirmed by divine testimonies. It may also be farther evinced, that there is nothing asserted in them, but what is excellently suited unto the common notions which mankind hath of God and his righteousness; and that in their practice they answer the light of nature and common reason, ex

emplified in sundry instances among the nations of the world.

I shall therefore take one argument from some of the testimonies before produced in the confirmation of this sacred truth, and proceed to remove the objections that are commonly banded against it.

If the Lord Christ according to the will of the Father, and by his own counsel and choice, was substituted, and did substitute himself as the mediator of the covenant, in the room and in the stead of sinners that they might be saved, and therein bare their sins, or the punishment due unto their sins, by undergoing the curse and penalty of the law, and therein also according to the will of God offered up himself for a propitiatory, expiatory sacrifice to make atonement for sin, and reconciliation for sinners, that the justice of God being appeased, and the law fulfilled, they might go free, or be delivered from the wrath to come; and if therein also he paid a real satisfactory price for their redemption, then he made satisfaction to God for sin. For these are the things that we intend by that expression of satisfaction. But now all those things are openly and fully witnessed unto in the testimonies before produced; as may be observed by suiting some of them unto the several particulars here asserted.

As 1. What was done in this matter, was from the will, purpose, and love of God the Father; Psal. xl. 6-8. Heb. x. 5-7. Acts iv. 28. John iii. 16. Rom. viii. 3.

2. It was also done by his own voluntary consent; Phil. ii. 6-8.

3. He was substituted, and did substitute himself as the mediator of the covenant in the room and stead of sinners, that they may be saved; Heb. x. 5-7. vii. 22. Rom. iii. 25, 26. v.7,8. 4. And he did therein bear their sins, or the punishment due to their sins; Isa. liii. 6. 11. 1 Pet. ii. 23. And this, 5. By undergoing the curse and penalty of the law; Gal. iii. 13. or the punishment of sin required by the law; 2 Cor. v. 21. Rom. viii. 3.

6. Herein also, according to the will of God, He offered up himself a propitiatory and expiatory sacrifice to make atonement for sin, and reconciliation for sinners;' Eph. v. 2. Rom. ii. 17. Heb. ix. 11-14. Which he did that the

justice of God being satisfied, and the law fulfilled, sinners might be freed from the wrath to come; Rom. iii. 25. 1 Thess. i. 10.

7. And hereby also, he paid a real price of redemption for sin and sinners; 1 Pet. i. 17, 18. 1 Cor. vi. 20. These are the things which we are to believe concerning the satisfaction of Christ. And our explication of this doctrine, we are ready to defend, when called thereunto.

The consideration of the objections which are raised against this great fundamental truth, shall close this discourse. And they are of two sorts. First, In general, to the whole doctrine, as declared, or some of the more signal heads or parts of it. Secondly, Particular instances, in this or that supposal, as consequences of the doctrine asserted. And in general,

First, they say, 'This is contrary to, and inconsistent with, the love, grace, mercy, and goodness of God, which are so celebrated in the Scripture as the principal properties of his nature and acts of his will, wherein he will be glorified.' Especially contrary to the freedom of forgiveness, which we are encouraged to expect, and commanded to believe. And this exception they endeavour to firm by testimonies, that the Lord is good and gracious, and that he doth freely forgive us our sins and trespasses.

Ans. 1. I readily grant that whatever is really contrary to the grace, goodness, and mercy of God; whatever is inconsistent with the free forgiveness of sin, is not to be admitted. For these things are fully revealed in the Scripture, and must have a consistency with whatever else is therein revealed of God, or his will.

2. As God is good, and gracious, and merciful, so also he is holy, righteous, true, and faithful. And these things are no less revealed concerning him than the other ; and are no less essential properties of his nature than his goodness and grace. And as they are all essentially the same in him, and considered only under a different habitude or respect as they are exerted by acts of his will; so it belongs to his infinite wisdom, that the effects of them, though divers, and produced by divers ways and means, may no way be contrary one to the other, but that mercy be exer