Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/292

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Melchizedech, Psal. 110. 4. Heb. 7. 14, 15. who hath offered up himselfe a sweet smelling sacrifice, Ephes. 5. 2. and sanctified us by one offering up of himselfe once for all, Heb. 10. 11, 12. And because the sacrifice of Christ may be considered, either as he offered up himselfeHeb. 9.13,23. for all the faithfull in generall, his sheep, and Church, or as every particular faithfull man is comprehended under that universality, and the good things purchased for all, tend to the salvation of every singular beleever, God would have the first should be shadowed forth by the anniversary sacrifice, and some others which were offered for all the people: the latter by the private sacrifices of every sinner, Lev. 5. Exod. 29. 30. Christ then as Mediatour by his death hath made satisfaction for us, and that true, full, reall satisfaction, and not by a certaine fiction of Law or divine acceptilation, as they call it. For why did God exact the bloody death of his Sonne, if it had pleased him to rest in any light satisfaction? The Apostle concludes, the sacrifice of Christ to be necessary, because it is impossible the blood of Bulls and Goats should doe away sinnes, Heb. 10. 4. which argument concludes not, if Christ hath satisfied only, as it pleased the Father to accept of his imperfect satisfaction, as if it had been perfect. The satisfaction of Christ was free, because he was freely given to satisfie, but the decree of God presupposed to shew his mercy and justice, full satisfaction was necessary: because sinne must be punished as the Law requireth, or God is not true as in his promises, so in his threatnings. None other wages is appointed for sinne but death,Rom. 6.23. hence he that is dead is justified from sinne, Rom. 6. 7. But Christ suffered death, and by death made recompence to justice for our debt: and in that he died for sinne, he died once, Rom. 6. 9, 10. He tasted death,Heb. 2.9,14,
15. that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devill, and deliver them who through feare of death were all their life subject to bondage. But when the Scripture nameth death generally, it comprehends all that which God threatned in that sentence, Thou shalt die the death: that penall death, which is the reward of sinne, but not sinne it selfe: which is penall only, not sinfull. Other mens debts are answered diverse wayes: some answer them simply as redeemers, some as sureties. He that answers them as a suretie, must pay the same summe of money that the debtor oweth. Now Christ is not only our Mediatour, but our suretie, Heb. 7. 22. and hence the me-diation