per to the remission of sins; therefore I conceive the nature of forgiveness of sins is rather to be understood by the consideration of all such ways and means which were used by God in the working and performing of it, than in this, or any other which is made use of in expressing it.

Now that we may understand what was done toward the remission of sins, that from thence we may conclude what was done in it; it is first to be observed, that "almost all things by the Law were purged by blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission." (Heb. ix. 22.)* And what was then legally done, was but a type of that which was. to be performed by Christ, and therefore the blood of Christ must necessarily be involved in the remission of sins; for he "once in the end of the world hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Heb. ix. 26.) It must then be. acknowledged, and can be denied by none, that Christ did suffer a painful and shameful death, as we have formerly described it; that the death which he endured, he did then suffer for sin; for "this man (saith the apostle) offered one sacrifice for sins;" (Heb. x. 12.) that the sins for which he suffered were not his own, for "Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust;" (1 Pet. iii. 18.) he was "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners," (Heb. vii. 26.) and therefore had no sins to suffer for; that the sins which he suffered for, were ours, for "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities;" (Isa. liii. 5.) he "was delivered for our offences," (Rom. iv. 25.) he "gave himself for our sins,” (Gal. i. 4.) he died for our sins according to the Scriptures;" (1 Cor. xv. 3.) that the dying for our sins was suffering death as a punishment taken upon himself, to free us from the punishment due unto our sins; for God "laid on him the iniquity of 'mixun bɔb xwi xai ãpes wáoɑç ràs So Tertullian: Diximus de remissa àμagrías pov. And in that remarkable peccatorum.' adv. Marc. 1. iv. c. 18. place which St. Paul made use of to St. Cyprian: 'Qui blasphemaverit in declare the nature of remission of Spiritum Sanctum non habet remissins, Psal. xxxii. 1. YUD "W" sam, sed reus est æterni peccati.' I. Dominus μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι. Some-iii. ep. 14. §. 1. al. ep. 10. times it is taken for as, Numb. baptizatur a servo, et remissam peccaxiv. 19. Do apec torum daturus, ipse non dedignatur laTv ȧμaρríav Tý λay TOúry. Lev. iv. vacro regenerationis corpus abluere.' 20. o kai apenσeraι avroic Idem, de bon. Patient. §. 3. Of an innauapria. Now being apuvat in relation to sins, is used for signifying expiation and reconciliation; for NW signifying elevation, portation, or ablation; for signifying pardon and indulgence; we cannot argue from the word alone, that God in forgiving sins doth only and barely release the debt. There is therefore no force to Χωρὶς αἱματεκχυσίας οὐ γίνεται be aid upon the words ἄφεσις ἁμαρ- ἄφεσις. Tiv, remissio peccatorum, or, as the ancient fathers, remissa peccatorum.

fant: Qui ad remissam peccatorum recipiendam hoc ipso facilius accedit, quod illi remittuntur non propria sed aliena peccata.' Idem, 1. iii. ep. 8. §. 4. al. ep. 59. Add the interpreter of Ire

næus concerning Christ: Remissam peccatorum exsistentem his qui credunt in eum." Adv. Hares. l. iv. c. 27. §. 2.

+ It is not only ἄφεσις, cut ἀθέτησις àμaprias.

us all," (Isa. liii. 6.) and "made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin:" (2 Cor. v. 21.) “he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes are we healed;" (Isa. liii. 4, 5.) that by the suffering of this punishment to free us from the punishment due unto our sins, it cometh to pass that our sins are forgiven, for, "This is my blood (saith our Saviour) of the New Testament (or Covenant), which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matt. xxvi. 28.) "In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace." (Eph. i. 7.)

In which deduction or series of truths, we may easily perceive that the forgiveness of sins which is promised unto us, which we upon that promise do believe, containeth in it a reconciliation of an offended God, and a satisfaction unto a just God: it containeth a reconciliation, as without which God cannot be conceived to remit; it comprehendeth a satisfaction, as without which God was resolved not to be reconciled.

For the first of these, we may be assured of forgiveness of sins, because Christ by his death hath reconciled God unto us, who was offended by our sins; and that he hath done so, we are assured, because he which before was angry with us, upon the consideration of Christ's death, becomes propitious unto us, and did ordain Christ's death to be a propitiation for us. For we are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood." (Rom. iii. 24, 25.) "We have an advocate with the Father, and he is the propitiation for our sins." (1 John ii. 1.) For God "loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins." (Ibid. iv. 10.) It is evident therefore that Christ did render God propitious unto us by his blood (that is, his sufferings unto death), who before was offended with us for our sins. And this propitiation amounted to a reconciliation, that is, a kindness after wrath. We must conceive that God was angry with mankind before he determined to give our Saviour; we cannot imagine that God who is essentially just, should not abominate iniquity. The first affection we can conceive in him upon the lapse of man, is wrath and indignation. God therefore was most certainly offended before he gave a Redeemer; and though it be most true, that he "so loved the world that he gave his onlybegotten Son:" (John iii. 16.) yet there is no incongruity in this, that a father should be offended with that son which he loveth, and at that time offended with him when he loveth him. Notwithstanding therefore that God loved men whom he created, yet he was offended with them when they sinned, and gave his Son to suffer for them, that through that Son's obedience he might be reconciled to them.

This reconciliation is clearly delivered in the Scriptures as wrought by Christ; for all things are of God, who hath recon

ciled us to himself by Jesus Christ;" (2 Cor. v. 18.) and that by virtue of his death, for "when we were enemies, we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son," (Rom. v. 10.) "making peace through the blood of his cross, and by him reconciling all things unto himself." (Col. i. 20.) In vain it is objected that the Scripture saith our Saviour reconciled men to God, but no where teacheth that he reconciled God to man; for in the language of the Scripture, to reconcile a man to God, is in our vulgar language to reconcile God to man, that is, to cause him who before was angry and offended with him to be gracious and propitious to him. As the princes of the Philistines spake of David, "Wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?" (1 Sam. xxix. 4.)* Wherewith shall he reconcile Saul who is so highly offended with him, wherewith shall he render him gracious and favourable, but by betraying these men unto him? As our Saviour adviseth, "If thou bring thy gift before the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother," (Matt. v.23,24.)† that is, reconcile thy brother to thyself, whom thou hast injured, render him by thy submission favourable unto thee, who hath something against thee, and is offended at thee. As the apostle adviseth the wife that "departeth from her husband, to remain unmarried, or to be reconciled to her husband," (1 Cor. vii. 11.) that is, to appease and get the favour of her husband. In the like manner we are said to be reconciled unto God, when God is reconciled, appeased, and become gracious and favourable unto us; and Christ is said to reconcile us unto God, when he hath moved, and obtained of God to be reconciled unto us, when he hath appeased him and restored us unto his favour. Thus "when we were enemies we were reconciled to God," that is, notwithstanding he was offended with us for our sins, we were restored unto his favour "by the death of his Son." (Rom. v. 10.)

Whence appeareth the weakness of the Socinian exception, that in the Scriptures we are said to be reconciled unto God;‡ but God is never said to be reconciled unto us. For by that very expression, it is to be understood, that he which is re

'Ev rivi diadλayńσETAL OVTOS TÝ KVρίῳ αὐτοῦ; οὐχὶ ἐν ταῖς κεφαλαῖς τῶν ἀνSpwv škeivwv ; ' acceptum se reddet, ita se geret, ut Saul eum in gratiam recipere velit.

† Πρῶτον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου. Ad hæc vero quod nos Deo reconciliarit, quid affers? Primum, nusquam Scripturam asserere, Deum nobis a Christo reconciliatum, verum id tantum quod nos per Christum aut mortem ejus simus reconciliati, vel Deo reconciliati; ut ex omnibus locis, quæ de reconciliatione agunt, videre

est.' Catech. Rac. c. 8. To this may be added the observation of Socinus: 'Ita communem ferre loquendi consuetudinem, ut scilicet is reconciliatus fuisse dicatur, per quem stabat, ne amicitia aut denuo exsisteret, aut conservaretur.' De Christo Servatore. p. 1. c. 8. Which observation is most false, as appeareth in the case of Saul and David, and in the person mentioned in the Gospel, who is commanded to be reconciled unto him whom he had offended, and who had something against him.

conciled in the language of the Scriptures, is restored unto the favour of him who was formerly offended with that person which is now said to be reconciled. As when David was to be reconciled unto Saul, it was not that David should lay down his enmity against Saul, but that Saul should become propitious and favourable unto David: and therefore where the language is, that David should be reconciled unto Saul, the sense is, that Saul, who was exasperated and angry, should be appeased and so reconciled unto David.

Nor is it any wonder God should be thus reconciled to sinners by the death of Christ, who " while we were yet sinners died for us," (Rom. v. 8.) because the punishment which Christ, who was our surety, endured, was a full satisfaction to the will and justice of God. "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matt. xx. 28.)* Now a ransom is a price given to redeem such as are in any way in captivity; any thing laid down by way of compensation to take off a bond or obligation, whereby he which before was bound becometh free. All sinners were obliged to undergo such punishments as are proportionate to their sins, and were by that obligation captivated and in bonds, and Christ did give his life a ransom for them, and that a proper ransom, if that his life were of any price, and given as such. For a ransom is properly nothing else but something of price given by way of redemption,† to buy or purchase that which is detained, or given for the releasing of that which is enthralled. But it is most evident that the life of Christ was laid down as a price; neither is it more certain that he died, than that he bought us: "Ye are bought with a price," saith the apostle, (1 Cor. vi. 20. vii. 23.) and it is the "Lord who bought us," (2 Pet. ii. 1.) and the price which he paid was his blood; for "we are

* Δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν. What is the true notion of Xurpov will easily appear, because both the origination and use of the word are sufficiently known. The origination is from Xúɛv solvere, to loose, λύτρον quasi λυτήριον. Εtymol. Θρέπτρα τὰ θρεπτήρια, ὥσπερ λύτρα τὰ λυτήρια. Eustath. Λέγει δὲ θρέπτρα (ita leg.) τὰ τροφεῖα ἐκ τοῦ θρεπτήρια κατὰ συγκοπήν· ὡς λυτήρια λύτρα, σωτήρια σῶστρα. Iliad. Δ. 478. Λύτρον igitur quicquid datur ut quis solvatur. Ἐπὶ αἰχμαλώτων ἐξωνέσεως οἰκεῖον τὸ λύεσθαι· ὅθεν καὶ λύτρα τὰ δῶρα λέγονται τὰ εἰς τοῦτο διδόμενα Eustathius upon that of Homer, Il. A. 13. Avoóμevóc τε θύγατρα. It is properly spoken of such things as are given to redeem a captive, or recover a man into a free condition. Hesych. Πάντα τὰ διδόμενα εἰς ἀνάκτησιν ἀνθρώπων (so I read it,

not ἀνάκλησιν). So that whatsoever is given for such a purpose, is λύτρον, and whatsoever is not given for such au end, deserveth not the name in Greek. As the city Antandrus was so called, because it was given in exchange for a man who was a captive. "Οτι Ασκάνιος αἰχμάλωτος ἐγένετο ὑπὸ Πελασγῶν καὶ ἀντ ̓ αὐτοῦ τὴν πόλιν δέδωκε λύτρα, καὶ ἀπελύθη. Εtym. So that there can be nothing more proper in the Greek language than the words of our Saviour, Δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐ τοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν· Δοῦναι λύτρον, for λύτρον is τὸ διδόμενον, and ἀντὶ πολλῶν, for it is given ἀντὶ ἀνθρώπων, as that city was called, "Avravopog ἤγουν ἀντὶ ἀνδρὸς δεδομένη. And therefore, 1 Tim. ii. 6. it is said, 'O dove lavτὸν ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων.

+ Hesychius: Λύτρον, τίμημα.

not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ." (1 Pet. i. 18, 19.)* Now as it was the blood of Christ, so it was a price given by way of compensation: and as that blood was precious, so was it a full and perfect satisfaction. For as the gravity of the offence and iniquity of the sin is augmented, and increaseth, according to the dignity of the person offended and injured by it; so the value, price, and dignity of that which is given by way of compensation, is raised according to the dignity of the person making the satisfaction. God is of infinite majesty, against whom we have sinned; and Christ is of the same Divinity, who gave his life a ransom for sinners: for God "hath purchased his Church with his own blood." (Acts xx. 28.) Although therefore God be said to remit our sins by which we were captivated, yet he is never said to remit the price without which we had never been redeemed:† neither can he be said to have remitted it, because he did require it and receive it.

ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου, γεvóμevoç vπÉρ ýμшv катáρα and Gal. iv. 4,5. γενόμενον ὑπὸ νόμον, ἵνα τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ. Now this ἐξαγορασμός is proper redemption, oι λύτρωσις, upon a proper price, though not silver or gold, yet as proper as silver and gold, and far beyond them both: Où φθαρτοῖς, ἀργυρίῳ ἢ χρυσίῳ, ἐλυτρώθητε ἐκ τῆς ματαίας ὑμῶν ἀναστροφῆς πατροπαραδότου, ἀλλὰ τιμίῳ αἵματι ὡς ἀμνοῦ ἀμώμου καὶ ἀσπίλου, Χριστοῦ. 1 Pet. in 18, 19.

If then we consider together, on our side the nature and obligation of sin, in Christ the satisfaction made and reconciliation wrought, we shall easily perceive how God forgiveth sins, and in what remission of them consisteth. Man being in all conditions under some law of God, who hath sovereign power and dominion over him, and therefore owing absolute obedience to that law, whensoever any way he transgresseth that law, or deviateth from that rule, he becomes thereby a sinner, and contracteth a guilt which is an obligation to endure a punishment proportionable to his offence; and * This is sufficiently expressed by two words, each of them fully significative of a price: the first simple, which is ἀγοράζειν, the second in composition, ἐξαγοράζειν. That the word ayopala in the New Testament signifieth properly to buy, appeareth generally in the evangelists, and particularly in that place of the Revelations xiii. 17. ἵνα μή τις δύνηται ἀγοράσαι ἢ πωλῆσαι. In the same signification it is attributed undoubtedly unto Christ in respect of us, whom he is often said to have bought, as 2 Pet. ii. 1. Tòv ȧyoράσαντα αὐτοὺς δεσπότην ἀρνούμενα and this buying is expressed to be by a price, 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. ovк έσtè lavTwν, hyорáσ¤ηTε yàp runs, Vulg. non estis vestri, empti enim estis pretio magno: and 1 Cor. vii. 23. τιμῆς ἠγοράσθητε, μὴ γίνεσθε δοῦλοι ἀνθρώπων. What this price was is also evident, for the 7 was the rimov alua the precious blood of Christ, or the blood given by way of price, Rev. v. 9. ört ἐσφάγης, καὶ ἠγόρασας τῷ Θεῷ ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου. Which will appear more fully by the compound word ἐξαγοράζω, Gal. iii. 13. Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς

† As λύτρον is a certain price given or promised for liberty, so ἀφιέναι λύrpov is to remit the price set upon the head of a man, or promised for him; as we read in the Testament of Lycon the philosopher: Anunrpíw μèv ideu, θέρῳ πάλαι ὄντι ἀφίημι τὰ λύτρα. Demetrius had been his servant, and he had set him free upon a certain price which he had engaged himself to pay for that liberty; the sum which Demetrius was thus bound to pay, Lycon at his death remits, as also to Criton: Κρίτωνι δὲ Καρχηδονίῳ, καὶ τούτῳ τὰ λúrpa àpinui. Diog. Laert. in Vit. ad fin.