order to fulfil this council, he submitted willingly to suffering; there fore he said to Peter, who would protect him from suffering, “The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ?" John xvii. 11. The word of God also teacheth us, (b) that he suffered in or der to fulfil the prophecies. It was often foretold, and particularly in the xxii. Psalm, and Isaiah liii. that Christ should suffer. He would therefore suffer, that he might fulfil the scriptures in this respect wherefore, when he complains of the injustice of his ene mies, that they took him with swords and staves, as if he had been a thief, he still comforts himself therewith, that "all this came to pass, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled," Matt. xxvii. 56. (c) His suffering was not only foretold, but also typified by all the trespass-offerings, sin-offerings, sacrifices of atonement, and of slain beasts, which were shadows of him, Heb. x. i. In or der to show that he was the body of them, "he gave himself up an offering and a sacrifice to God." Eph. v. 2. We must also say that he suffered, (d) to afford a perfect example of obedience to his Father, and of holy patience; for "Christ hath suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps," 1 Pet ii. 21.

But the chief end of his suffering, and of God's appointing foretelling and typifying that he should suffer thus, was that he might by his suffering fully satisfy the justice of God for the sins and guilt of his people," that so by his passion, as the only propitiatory sacri fice, he might redeem our body and soul from everlasting damnation, and obtain for us the favor of God, righteousness and eternal life.” That such a satisfaction was necessary, we have proved on the fifth Lord's day. We must now prove (1) against the Socinians, that he hath by his suffering "really" satisfied the justice of God; and (2) against the Papists, that he hath satisfied fully.

1. We say that the Son of God hath by his suffering really satisfied the justice of God for the sinner. The Socinians, who reject all those particulars in the gospel, that can afford comfort to the people of God, have dared to deny this great ground of salvation also; but the word of God teacheth us this truth, and therefore we cleave to it:

1. Because the suffering of Christ is put in the stead of all the sacrifices of atonement under the Old Testament, which atoned for sin typically. See Lev. iv. snd xvi. Now it was impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins; he nevertheless being willing to reconcile the sinner to God, substituted and offered his body and soul for a trespass-offering, instead of those sacrifices; and thus "by one offering hath perfected for ever, them tha

are sanctified," Heb.x. 4-14. And he thus really effected the atonement, which the sacrifices could not accomplish, but which only pointed to Christ. See John i. 29.

2. Because the sins of the elect were laid upon him, and punished in him, that he might take them away. The ancient church foresaw this long before it came to pass, when she said, "Surely he hath borne our grief, and carried our sorrows. 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. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, when it was required of him,"* Isaiah liii-4-7. Peter having respect to this, saith that "Christ bore our sins on the tree," 1 Peter ii. 24.

3. The reality of the satisfaction appears still more, when we consider that his sufferings were the ransom and price of redemption for the sinner, who was taken captive on account of his guilt. Believers "are not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold but with the precious blood of the Lamb," 1 Peter i. 18, 19. "He gave his life and himself a ransom," Matt. xx. 28. 1 Tim. ii. 6.

4. We add to this, that Christ suffered for the elect, and in their stead: "God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," Rom. v. 8. "Christ was made a curse for us," Gal. iii. 13. So that the sufferings of Christ are considered as the sufferings of the elect, 2 Cor. v. 15. "We judge thus, that if one died for all, then were all dead and he died for all."

5, "God declares his righteousness in the remission of sins through his blood," and suffering, Rom. iii. 25, 26. How can this be, if he did not satisfy the justice of God by his suffering? for when God forgives sin without the satisfaction of his Son, he declares indeed his grace, but not his righteousness; and it would not then be Decessary, that remission should be obtained by the blood of Christ,

6. If the sufferings of Christ were not for satisfaction, why did God then punish his guiltless Son? It could not be only to afford a perfect example of obedience and patience, nor to confirm his doctrine by his sufferings, seeing any ordinary man, who was eminently sanctified by God, was sufficiently qualified for this; but Peter showeth that "Christ suffered in the stead of the unjust, that he might bring us to God," 1 Peter iii. 18.

7. Finally, we say also that Christ by his suffering delivered the

*This is agreeable to the Dutch translation.

elect from eternal damnation: for "Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us," Gal. iii. 13. Eph. i. 7. By his suffering he also obtained for them the favour of God, righteousness, and eternal life: "God made him to be sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," 2 Cor. v. 21. 1 Cor. v. 30. "The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord," Rom. vi. 23.

Whoever considers without prejudice these, and such proofs of the doctrine, that Christ hath really satisfied the justice of God by his suffering for sin, will be obliged to do violence to himself, if he will deny the satisfaction. The Socinians indeed deny this great truth, but it proceeds only from a prejudice, that Christ is not God, coessential with the Father; and therefore they say that the transient sufferings of one man could not satisfy for so many sins of such a number of men, who should have been punished for ever. We also should say this, if Christ were not more than a mere man, but since he is also God over all blessed for ever, and since his blood is thus the blood and sufferings of God, therefore his sufferings were of such an infinite value, that he could take away all the sins of all the elect "in one day," Zech. iii. 9.

They deny this truth also from another prejudice, to wit, they look upon sins, as pecuniary debts, and therefore say, that if the sufferings of Christ satisfied for sins, there can then be no forgiveness nor grace shown to men. This would be true, if sins were pecuniary debts, which are not forgiven from kindness, when they are paid: but inasmuch as sins are debts that deserve punishment, which God can exact of the sinner himself, therefore great grace is shown to him, when they are forgiven him on account of a satisfaction; because God demands this, not of the sinner himself, but of his Surety, and because God will admit of a surety, bestows one himself, and particularly his Son, and that just for this, and not for that sinner.

2. Having thus proved the reality of Christ's satisfaction against the Socinians, we must also prove the perfection of his satisfaction against the Papists. These will have that he satisfied merely for sins committed before baptism; or if he satisfied for all sins, that he then satisfied only for the guilt, and not for the punishment of sin; and if he satisfied for any punishment, that it was only for eternal, and not for temporal punishments, thinking that they themselves must satisfy for these in this life by afflicting their bodies, and after this life in purgatory. But the word of God teacheth us,

1. "That with one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified," Heb. x. 14. If he satisfied only for some sins, and

not for guilt, but only for certain punishments, then he did not per fect his delivered people with one offering; and so these men contradict the apostle to his face.

2. The sufferings of Christ were of infinite value, as hath been shown; the Papists must also allow this, for they say that he could redeem the whole world with one drop of his blood. Now to say that he hath not fully satisfied, what is it but reproaching him, and his great work?

3. The Saviour himself said, "It is finished," John xix. 30. His Father, also showed that he had finished all things, when he raised him from the dead, and so gave him an acquittance, certifying that he had discharged the debt, Acts ii. 24. 1 Tim. iii, 16. 1 Peter iii. 21. How could all this be, if he did not satisfy fully?

4. Believers obtain by his suffering redemption, the favour of God, righteousness and eternal life, and so all that they need. How can this be if he did not satisfy fully?

When the apostle saith, Cell. i. 24. "I now rejoice in my suffering for you, and fill up that which is behind of the affliction of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church," he doth not teach by these words the imperfection of Christ's satisfaction, and that he left any punishment for us, that we might satisfy by bearing it: for he doth not say that he suffered for himself, but for the church, which was nevertheless not for satisfaction, according to 1 Cor. i. 13, but for her confirmation and edification. When he speaks of that which was behind of the affliction of Christ, he means not the Person of Christ, but the church, which is by virtue of her union with him the mystical Christ, 1 Cor xii. 12, and therefore her affliction, which she suffereth for his sake, is also called the affliction of Christ. See all this, 2 Cor. i. 5, 6. "As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings, which we also suffer."

When we say that Christ satisfied by his suffering, we do not then exclude his obedience, but suppose that he satisfied by his obedience also; for the law demands, in order to a satisfaction, not only a bearing of the curse, Gal. iii. 10, but also keeping the law by obedience, that we may live, Rom. x. 5. He suffered also in obedience, Philip. ii. 8. And so "many are made righteous by the obedience of one," Rom. v. 19.

And therefore the Remonstrants must also be condemned, when they assert that Christ did not satisfy the justice, but only the will of

God, who required merely something of his Son, in order that he might merit a covenant ef grace for all men, of which they must accept by their freewill, which is sufficiently able to believe; for Christ did not merit faith, according to them: but at this rate he would not have reconciled God with man, but only rendered him reconcileable, and it would depend upon man to reconcile God with himself, and himself with God actually. But, as we have proved just now, the sins of the elect were punished in him; his sufferings were the ransom; he was punished in their stead; God forgives sins through the blood of Christ, in order to declare his rihteousness, and so he hath satisfied the justice of God, which was also necessary, as hath been shown on the fifth Lord's day. Moreover," he hath fulfilled the righteousness of the law in us," Rom. viii. 4, and so bath obtained redemption, race, righteousness, and therefore faith also; for faith is grace, Eph. ii. 8. Philip, i. 29.

E. We must finally observe with respect to the word "suffered," for whom Christ suffered. The instructor saith that he suffered the wrath of God" against the sins of all mankind" He doth not teach us by these words that Christ suffered for every man in particular; for he had denied this in the thirteenth question; but he declares the grieviousness of Christ's sufferings, inasmuch as he sustained the wrath of God, which was kindled against the sins of all mankind; or he shows that he sustained the wrath of God, not only for the sins of the Jews, but also for the sins of all the kindreds of the Gentiles; as therefore the multitude of the delivered praise him for "redeeming them to God by his blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation," Rev. v. 9. Add to this 1 John ¡i.. 1. We will not say any more on this subject at present, having exhibited it more largely on the twentieth question.

II. But why did he suffer" under Pontius. Pilate?" This man was a heathen, severe, and cruel, nevertheless appointed by the Roman emperour governour of Judea; he was however deposed on. account of his evil government, and banished to Vienne in France, where he stabbed himself to death. But though he was such an evil man, nevertheless the compilers of our creed thought proper to introduce him here, not only to evidence that we speak of Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of Mary, and suffered under Pontius Pilate ; but also to show that he was the true Messiah, since it thus appeared, that, a heathen being judge of the Jews, "the sceptre was departfrom Judah, and the Shiloh was therefore come," according to the prophecy of Jacob, Gen. xlii. 10, as Augustus and Tiberius, ours, are also mentioned for this reason by the evan