xlix. 9. Prifoners in the pit, wherein there is no water, Zech. ix. 11. the captives of the mighty, and the prey of the terrible, Ifa. xlix. 25. under a captivity that must be led captive, Pfal. Ixviii. 18. this puts us in bondage, Heb. ii. 14. 3. The perfon committing thus to prifon and into bondage, is God himself. To him we owe our debts, Matth. vi. 12. and xviii. 27, 28, 29. against him are our offences, Pfal. li. 5. He is the Judge and Law-giver, James iv.. 12. to fin, is to rebel against him. He huts up men under disobedience, Rom. xi. 32, and he fhall cast both body and foul of the impenitent into hell fire, Matth.. x. 28. To his wrath are men obnoxious, John iii. 36. and ly under it by the fentence of the law, which is their prison. 4. The miferies that attend this condition are innumerable, bondage to Satan, fin,, and the world, comprizes the fum of them, from all which we are delivered by the death of Chrift, as a price or ranfom. God hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and bath tranflated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, Col. i. 13, 14 And he redeems us from all iniquity, Tit. ii. 14. from our vain converfation, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. even from the guilt and power of our fin, purchasing us to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works, Tit. ii. 14. fo. dying for the redemption of tranfgreffors, Heb. ix. 15. Redeeming us alfo from the world, Gal. iv. 5. 5. And all this is by the payment of the price mentioned into the hand of God, by whofe fu pream authority, we were detained captives under the fentence of the law. The debt is due to the great Houfholder, Matth. xviii, 23, 24. And the penal penalty, his curfe and wrath, from which by it we are delivered, Rev. ii. 5. This the Holy Ghoft frequently infifts on, Rom. H. 24, 25. Being juftified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift, whom God hath fet forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remiffion of fins: fo alfo 1 Cor. vi. 20. Pet. i. 1.8. Mat. xx. 28. 1 Tim. ii. 6. Eph. i. 7. Col. i. 13. Gal. ii. 13. And this is the firft confideration of the death of Christ, as it hath an influence into the procurement of that grace wherein we hold communion with him..... Secondly, It was a facrifice alfo, he had a body prepared him, Heb. x. 5. wherein he was to accomplish what by the typical oblations and burntofferings of the law was prefigured. And that bodyhe offered, Heb. x. 1o. that is his whole humannature, for his foul alfo was made an offering for fin, Ifa. lin. 10. on which account he is faid to offer himfelf, Eph. v. 2. Heb.i. 3. Heb. ix. 24. He gave himfelf a facrifice to God of a fweet finelling fa vour. And this he did willingly, as became him who was to be a facrifice. The law of this obedience being written in his heart, Pfal. xl. 9. that is, he had a readiness, willingness, defire for its performance. ! Now the end of facrifices, fuch as his was, Bloody and for fin, Rom. iv, 3. Heb. ii. 17. was atonement and reconciliation. This is every where afcribed to them, that they were to make atonement, that is in a way fuitable to their nature. And this is the tendency of the death of Chrift, as a facrifice, atonement and reconciliation with God. Sin had broken friendship between God and us, Ifa. lxiii. 10. whence his wrath was on us, John iii. 36. and we are by nature obnoxious to it, Eph. ii. 3. This is taken away by the death of Christ, as it was a facrifice, Dan. ix. 24. when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, Rom. v. 10. And thereby do we receive the atonement, ver. 11. For God was in Chrift reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their fins, and their iniquities, 2 Cor. v. 19, 20, 21. So alfo Eph. ii. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. and in fundry other places: and this is the fecond confideration of the death of Chrift, which I do but name, having at large infifted on these things elfewhere. Thirdly, It was also a punishment, a punishment in our ftead. He was wounded for our fins, and bruifed for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was on him, Ifa. liii. 5. God made all our iniquities (that is the punishment of them) to meet upon him, ver. 6. he bare the fins of many, ver. 12. Elis own felf bare our fins in his body on the tree, 1 Pet. ii. 24, 25. And therein he who knew no fin, was made fin for us, 2 Cor. v. 21. what it is in the fcriptures to bear fin, fee Deut. xix. 5, 20, 17. Numb. xiv. 33. Eph. xviii. 20. The nature, kind, matter, and manner of this punishment, I have, as I faid before, elsewhere difcuffed. Now bearing of punishment tends directly to the giving fatisfaction to him who was offended, and on that account inflicted the punishment. Juftice can defire no more than a proportional punishment due to the offence. And this on his own voluntary taking of our perfons, undertaking to be our Mediator, was inflicted on our dear Lord Jefus. His fubftituting himself in our room, being allowed of by the the righteous Judge, fatisfaction to him doth thence properly enfue. And this is the threefold confideration of the death of Chrift, as it is a principal fpring and fountain of that grace wherein we have communion with him: for, as will appear in our procefs, the figle and most eminent part of purchafed grace, is nothing but the natural exurgency of the threefold effects of the death of Chrift, intimated to flow from it, on the account of the threefold confidération infifted on. This then is the fecond rife of purchafed grace, which we are to eye, if we will hold communion with Chrift in it, his death and blood fhedding, under this threefold notion, of a price, and offering, and punishment. But, Fourthly, This is not all, the Lord Chrift goes farther yet; he doth not leave us fo, but follows on the work to the utmoft; he died for our fins, and rofe again for our justification; he rose again to carry on the compleat work of purchafed grace; that is, by his interceffion, which is the third rife of it. In refpect of this, he is faid to be able to fave to the uttermoft them that come to God by him, feeing he liveth ever to make interceffion for them, Heb. vii.25. Now the interceffion of Chrift, in refpect of its influence into purchafed grace,is confidered two ways. 1. As a continuance and carrying on of his oblation, for the making out of all the fruits and effects thereof unto us. This is called, his appearing in the prefence of God for us, Heb. ix. 24. that is, as the high priest having offered the great offering for expiation of fin, carried in the blood thereof into the most holy place, where was the reprefentation of the prefence of God, fo to perfect the atone atonement he had made for himself and the people: fo the Lord Christ having offered himself as a fweet fmelling facrifice to God, being sprinkled with his own blood, appears in presence of God, as it were to mind him of the engagement made to him, or the redemption of finners by his blood, and the making out the good things to them which were procured thereby; and so this appearance of his hath an influence into purchased grace, in as much as thereby he puts in his claim for it, in our behalf 2. He procureth the holy Spirit for us, effectually to collate and bestow all this purchased grace upon us that he would do this, and doth it for us, we have his engagement, John xiv. 16. This is purchased grace, in refpect of its fountain and fpring; of which I fhall not fpeak farther at prefent, feeing I muft handle it at large, in the matter of the communion we have with the Holy Ghoft. CHAP. VII. The nature of purchased grace: referred to three heads. 1. Of our acceptation with God. Two parts of it. Of the grace of fanctification. The feveral parts of it. T HE fountain of that purchased grace, wherein the faints have communion with Chrift being difcovered, in the next place, the nature of this grace itself may be confidered. As was faid, it may be referred unto three heads: 1. Grace of acceptation with God. 3. Grace |