ings differ as much in their issue, as the kingdoms of heaven and hell.

That death remains to believers, doth not lessen the perfection of Christ's satisfaction. It is true, considered absolutely, it is the revenge of the law for sin, and the greatest temporal evil; so that it may seem strange, that those who are redeemed by an all-sufficient ransom, should pay this tribute to the king of terrors. But the nature of it is changed; it is a curse to the wicked inflicted for satisfaction to justice, but a privilege to believers : as God appointed the rainbow to be the sign of his covenant, that he would drown the world no more, ordained the same waters to be the token of his mercy, which were the instrument of his justice. "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord." Rev. 14. 13. And the psalmist tells us, Psal. 16. 19. that "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints: Christ hath taken away what is truly destructive in it. It is continued for their advantage.

1. Corruption hath so depraved the sensitive appetite, that during our natural state we are not entirely freed from it: but death that destroys the natural frame of the body, puts an end to sin. And in this respect, there is a great difference between the death of Christ and of believers: the end of his was to remove the guilt of sin, of theirs to extinguish the reliques of it.

2. It is a delivery from temporal evils, and an entrance into glory. Death and despair seize on the wicked at once, "but the righteous hath hope in his death."

3. The grave shall give up his spoils in the last. It retains the body for a time, not to destroy, but purify it. Our Saviour tells us, that "whoever believes on him shall not see death, for he will raise them up at the last day." John 11. He that dies a man, shall revive an angel, clothed with light and immortality. I will conclude this argument with the words of St. Austin: (Lib. 13. de Civ. Dei, c. 4.) Ablato criminis nexu, relicta est mors. Nunc vero majore & mirabiliore gratia salvatoris in usus justitiæ peccati pœna est conversa. Tum enim dictum est homini, morieris si peccaveris, nunc dictum est martyri, morere ne pecccs. Et sic per ineffabilem dei misericordiam & ipsa pæne vitiorum. transit in arma virtutis, & fit justi meritum etiam supplicium peccatoris. Although the guilt of sin is removed, yet death remains. But by the admirable grace of the Redeemer, the pu

nishment of sin is made an advantage to holiness. The law threatened man with death if he sinned; the gospel commands a martyr to die, that he may not sin. And thus by the unspeakable mercy of God, the punishment of vice becomes the security of virtue; and that which was revenge upon the sinner, gives to the righteous a title to a glorious reward.

CHAP. XV.

Practical inferences. In the death of Christ there is the clearest dicovery of the evil of sin. The strictness of divine justice is most visible in it. The consideration of the ends of Christ's death takes off the scandal of the cross, and changes the offence into admiration. The satisfaction of justice by Christ's sufferings affords the strongest assurance that God is ready to pardon sinners. The absolute necessity of complying with the terms of the gospel for justification. There are but two ways of appearing before the Supreme Judge: either in innocence, or by the righteousness of Christ, The causes why men reject Christ are, a legal temper that is natural to them, and the predominant love of sin. The unavoidable misery of all that will not submit to our Saviour.

First. FROM hence we may discover more clearly the evil of

sin, which no sacrifice could expiate but the blood of the Son of God. It is true, the internal malignity of sin, abstracted from its dreadful effects, is most worthy of our hatred: for it is in its own nature direct enmity against God, and obscures the glory of all his attributes. It is the violation of his majesty, who is the universal sovereign of heaven and earth. A contrariety to his holiness, which shines forth in his law. A despising his goodness, the attractive to obedience. The contempt of his omniscience, which sees every sin when it is committed. The slighting of his terrible justice and power, as if the sinner could secure himself from his indignation. A denial of his truth, as if the threatening were a vain terror to scare men from sin. And all this done voluntarily, to please an irregular corrupt appetite, by

a despicable creature, who absolutely depends upon God for his being and happiness.

These considerations seriously pondered, are most proper to discover the extremity of its evil. But sensible demonstrations are most powerful to convince and affect us: and those are taken from the fearful punishments that are inflicted for sin. Now the torments of hell, which are the just and full recompence of sin, are not sensible till they are inevitable. And temporal judgments cannot fully declare the infinite displeasure of God against the wilful contempt of his authority. But in the sufferings of Christ it is expressed to the utmost. If justice itself had rent the heavens, and come down in the most visible terror to revenge the rebellions of men, it could never have made stronger impressions upon us than the death of Christ duly considered. The destruction of the world by water, the miraculous burning of Sodom and Gomorrah by showers of fire, and all other the most terrible judgments, do not afford such a sensible instruction of the evil of sin. If we regard the dignity of his person, and the depth of his sufferings, he is an unparralleled example of God's indignation for the breach of his holy law. For he that was the Son of God, and the Lord of glory, was made a man of sorrows. He endured derision, scourgings, stripes, and at last a cruel and cursed death. The Holy of Holies was crucified between two thieves. By how much the life of Christ was more precious than the lives of all men, so much in his death doth the wrath of God appear more fully against sin, than it would in the destruction of the whole world of sinners. And his spiritual sufferings infinitely exceeded all his corporeal. The impressions of wrath that were inflicted by God's immediate hand upon his soul, forced from him those strong cries, that moved all the powers of heaven and earth with compassion. If the curtain were drawn aside, and we should look into the chambers of death, where sinners lie down in sorrow for ever, and hear the woful expressions and deep complaints of the damned, with what horror and distraction they speak of their torments, we could not have a fuller testimony of God's infinite displeasure against sin, than in the anguish and agonies of our Redeemer. For whatever his sufferings were in kind, yet in their degree and measure they were equally terrible with those that condemned sinners endure. Now, how is it possible that rational agents should freely, in the open light, for pe

rishing vanities, dare to commit sin? Can they avoid or endure the wrath of an incensed God? If God spared not his Son when he came in the similitude of sinful flesh, how shall sinners who are deeply and universally defiled, escape? Can they fortify themselves against the Supreme Judge? Can they encounter with the fury of the Almighty, the apprehensions of which made the "soul of Christ heavy unto death? Have they patience to bear that for ever, which was to Christ, who had the strength of the Deity to support him, intolerable for a few hours? If it were so with the green tree, what will become of the dry when exposed to the fiery trial? If he that was holy and innocent suffered so dreadfully, what must they expect who add impenitency to their guilt, and live in the bold commission of sin, without reflection and remorse? What prodigious madness is it to drink iniquity like water, as a harmless thing, when it is a poison so deadly, that the least drop of it brings certain ruin? What desperate folly, to have slight apprehensions of that, which is attended with the first and second death? Nothing but unreasonable infidelity and inconsideration can make men venturous to provoke "the living God," who is infinitely sensible of their sins, and who both can and will most terribly punish them for ever.

Secondly. The strictness of divine justice appears, that required satisfaction equivalent to the desert of sin. The natural notion of the Deity, as the governor of the world, instructed the heathens, that the transgression of his laws "was worthy of death." Rom. 1. 31. This proves that the obligation to punishment doth not arise from the mere will of God, which is only discovered by revelation; but is founded in the nature of things, and by its own light is manifested to reasonable creatures. From hence they inferred, that it was not becoming the divine nature, as qualified with the relation of supreme ruler, to pardon sin without satisfaction. This appears by the sacrifices and ceremonies, the religions and expiations which were performed by the most ignorant nations. And although they infinitely abused themselves in the conceit they had of their pretended efficacy and virtue; yet the universal consent of mankind in the belief that satisfaction was necessary, declares it to be true. This, as other natural doctrines, is more fully revealed by scripture. Under the law "without shedding of blood there was no remission,"

Heb. 9. 22. not that common blood could make satisfaction for sin, but God commanded there should be a visible mark of its necessity in the worship offered to him, and a prefiguration that it should be accomplished by a sacrifice eternally efficacious.

And the economy of our salvation clearly proves, that to preserve the honour of God's government, it was most fit sin should be punished, that sinners might be pardoned. For nothing was more repugnant to the will of God absolutely considered, than the death of his beloved Son; and the natural will of Christ was averse from it. What then moved that infinite wisdom, which wills nothing but what is perfectly reasonable, to ordain that event? Why should it take so great a circuit, if the way was so short, that by pure favour, without satisfaction, sin might have been pardoned? Our Saviour declares the necessity of his suffering death, supposing the merciful will of his Father to save us, when he saith, that "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believes in him should not perish." It is true, since God had foretold and prefigured his death by the oracles and actions under the law, it necessarily came to pass. But to consider things exactly, the unchangeable truth of types and prophecies is not the primitive and main reason of the necessity of things, but only a sign of the certainty of the event. In strictness, things do not arrive because of their prediction, but are foretold because they shall arrive. It is apparent there was a divine decree before the prophecies; and that in the light of God's infinite knowledge things are, before they were foretold. So it is not said, a man must be of a ruddy complexion, because his picture is so; but on the contrary, because he is ruddy, his picture must be so. That Christ by dying on the cross should redeem man, was the reason that the serpent of brass was erected on a pole to heal the Israelites, and not on the contrary. Briefly, the apostle supposes this necessity of satisfaction as an evident principle, when he proves wilful apostates to be incapable of salvation, "because there remains no more sacrifice for sin :" for the consequence were of no force, if sin might be pardoned without sacrifice, that is, without satisfaction.

Thirdly. This account of Christ's death takes off the scandal of the cross, and changes the offence into admiration. It was foretold of Christ, "that he should be a stone of stumbling, and