but ever sinning, which man cannot but be, is not the way to disentangle himself from sin. §10. If, then, any deliverance be ever obtained for mankind, it must be by some other, not involved in the same misery as themselves. This must be either God himself, or good angels; other rational agents there are none that we know of. If we look to the latter, we must suppose them to undertake this work, cither by the appointment of God, or of their own accord, without his previous command or direction. The latter cannot be supposed. As remote as men are from all thoughts of recovering fallen angels, so far were they from contriving the recovery of man. But it may be said, that God himself might design them to work this deliverance. But this makes God, and not them, to be the Savior, and them only the instrument of this work. But yet he has neither done so in fact, nor were they meet to be so employed. Whatever is purely penal in the misery of man, is an effect of the righteous judgment of God. This, therefore could be no otherwise diverted from him, but by the undergoing of it by some other in his stead. And two things are indispensably required, to qualify any for that purpose: First, that they were not themselves obnoxious to it, either personally, or upon the common account; should they be so, they ought to look to their own concernment in the first place. Secondly, that they were such, as that their benefit of undergoing the penalty might, according to the rule of justice, redound to them, in whose stead they underwent it; otherwise they would suffer in vain. Now, although the angels might answer the former of these, in their personal immunity from obnoxiousness to the curse; yet the latter they were totally unsuited for. They had no relation to mankind, except that they were the workman ship of the same Creator. But this is not sufficient to warrant any substitution of that kind. Had angels been to be delivered, their redemption must have been wrought in the angelical nature, as the apostle declares, Heb. ii, 16. But what justice is it that man should sin, and angels suffer? or, from whence should it arise, that, from their suffering, it would be righteous that he should go free? by what notions of God could we have been instructed in the wisdom and righteousness of such a proceeding? To which add, that this God hath not done; and we may safely conclude, that it be'came him not so to do. * §11. But what need all this inquiry? The Jews, with whom we have to do in this matter, plead constantly, that God hath appointed for men, at least to themselves, a way of deliverance out of this condition; and this is, according to them, by observing the law of Moses. This they trusted in of old, Rom. ix, 32; this they continue to make their refuge at this day. And whereas they cannot deny, but that they sometimes sin against the moral precepts of this law, and so stand in need of help against the Helper, they fix in this case upon a double relief. The one is their own personal repentance; and the other the sacrifices that are appointed in the law. But whereas they now are, and have been for many generations, deprived of the privilege, as they esteem it, of offering sacrifices according to the law, they hope that their own repentance with their death, which they pray may be expiatory, *Answers to certain questions proposed to the Jews, published by Brenius, Quest. v. This gentleman, (and it would be well if he had no modern imitators) in his reply, hath betrayed the most important doctrines of the Christian religion. When will men have done attempting, what is no less ungrateful than impious, to rob the Messiah of his crown and sceptre, and then "recoin mend him to the Jews?" will be sufficient to obtain for them forgiveness of sin. Only they say this might better, and more easily, be effected, if they might enjoy the benefit of sacrifices. But where do they find that their sacrifices were ever designed for this end, to enable them the more easily to obtain the remission of sins, by another means which they use? For it was said directly, that the sacrifice on the day of expiation did expiate their sin, and make atonement for it, that they might not die; and not that it helped them in procuring pardon another way. But this is now taken from them, and what shall they do? Why, rather than they will come to him, who was represented in that sacrifice, and on whose account alone it had all its efficacy, they will find out some new way of doing that, which their sacrifices were appointed to effect; and this they must do, or openly acknowledge that they all perish eternally. If the remedy be only the observance of the law of Moses, as the Jews pretend, I desire to know what became of them; what was their estate and condition, who lived and died before the giving of that law? Not only the patriarchs before the flood, some of whom had this testimony, "that they pleased God," and one of whom was taken alive to heaven, but Abraham also, himself, who received the promises, must, on this supposition, be excluded from a participation of deliverance, and perish eternally. But the contrary appears from this very consideration, and is undeniably proved by our apostle, in the instance of Abraham, Gal. iii, 17; that he "received the promise," and was taken into covenant with God, four hundred and thirty years before the giving of the law. And that covenant conveyed to him the love and favor of God, with deliverance from sin and the curse, as themselves will not deny. There was, therefore, a remedy in this case provided, long before the giving of the law on mount Sinai; and, therefore, the law was not given for that purpose. If they shall say, they had a way of deliverance, but God provided another afterwards; as this would be spoken without warrant, or authority from scripture, so I desire to know both what that way was, and why it was rejected. Of God's appointment it seems it was, and effectual it was to them that embraced it; but why it should be laid aside, who can declare? §12. Again, there are two parts of the law; the moral precepts of it, and the instituted worship appointed in it. Unto this latter part do the sacrifices of it belong. But neither of these are sufficient to the end proposed; nor jointly can they attain it; for, 1. The moral precepts of it are the same with those that were written in the heart of man, by nature, or the law of his creation, which he transgressed in his first rebellion. And he must be delivered from that guilt, before any new obedience can be accepted of him. His old debt must be satisfied for, before he can treat for a new reward, which inseparably follows all acceptable obedience. But this the precepts of the law take no notice of, nor direct to any way for its removal. Hence our apostle concludes, that it could not give life, but was weak and insufficient in itself to any such purpose. Besides, it could not absolutely preserve men in its own observance; for it required that obedience, which never any sinner did, or could, in all things, perform; as the scriptures of the Old Testament abundantly manifest. For they tell us, that "there is no man that "sinneth not,” 1 Kings viii, 46; 2 Chron. vi, 36. That, "if the Lord should mark iniquity, no man could stand," Psal. cxxx, 3. And that, "if he enter into judgment, "according to the law, no man living can be justified "in his sight," Psal. cxliii, 2. To this purpose see the excellent discourse, and invincible reasonings of our apostles, Rom. iii, and iv. This the holy men of old confessed; this the scriptures bear testimony to, and this experience confirms, seeing every transgression of that law was put under a curse, Deut. xxvii, 26. If, then, there is no man that sinneth not, and every sin is put under a curse, the preceptive part of the law can be no means of delivery. Neither is there any testimony given concerning any one under the Old Testament, that he was any other way justified before God, but by faith and pardon of sins, which are not of the works of the law. This the Jews themselves confess concerning Abraham; "Thou findest, that Abraham, "our father, inherited not this world and the world to "come, any otherwise than by faith; as it is said he "believed God."* 2. It remains, then, that the sacrifices of the law must yield the relief, or we are still at a loss in this matter. And these the Jews would willingly place their chief confidence in, as they did of old. Since, indeed, they have been driven from their observance, they have betaken themselves to other helps, that they might not appear to be utterly hopeless. And, therefore, being driven from all other hopes,† they trust, at length, to their own death! (for in life they have no hope) making this one of their constant prayers, “Let "my death be the expiation of all sins." But this is the curse, and, therefore, is no means to avoid it. Omitting, therefore, these horrid follies of men under despair, an effect of that "wrath, which is come upon *Vid. etiam Bereshith Rabba, sect. xxiv. |