supra åleren et ȧvapipe, est extinguere peccata, sive facere ne ultra peccetur; id sanguis Christi facit, tum quia fidem in nobis parit, tum quia Christo jus dat nobis auxilia necessaria impetrandi," Grot. in loc. Falsely and injuriously to the blood of Christ! 'Apaspen àμaprías is nowhere in the Scripture to cause men to cease to sin;" it never respects properly what is to come, but what is past. The apostle treats not of sanctification, but of justification. The taking away of sins he insists on is such as that the sinner should no more be troubled in conscience for the guilt of them, verse 2. The typical taking away of sins by sacrifices was by making atonement with God principally, not by turning men from sin, which yet was a consequent of them. The blood of Christ takes away sins as to their guilt by justification, and not only as to their filth by sanctification. This purification also by blood he expounds in his Annotations, chap. ix. 14: "Sanguini autem purgatio ista tribuitur, quia per sanguinem, id est, mortem Christi, secutâ ejus excitatione et evectione, gignitur in nobis fides, Rom. iii. 25, quæ deinde fides corda purgat, Act. xv. 9." The meaning of these words is evident to all that have their senses exercised in these things. The eversion of the expiation of our sins by the way of satisfaction and atonement is that which is aimed at. Now, because the annotator saw that the comparison insisted on with the sacrifices of old would not admit of this gloss, he adds, "Similitudo autem purgationis legalis, et evangelicæ, non est in modo purgandi sed in effectu;" than which nothing is more false, nor more directly contrary to the apostle's discourse, Heb. ix. x.

(2.) Positively. And here, to lay aside the manner how he was to do it, which relates to his office of priest, and prophet, and king, the conditions imposed upon him may be referred to three heads:

[1.] That he should take on him the nature of those whom he was to bring to God. This is as it were prescribed to him, Heb. x. 5, "A body hast thou prepared me," or "appointed that I should be made flesh,—take a body therein to do thy will." And the apostle sets out the infinite love of the Son of God, in that he condescended to this inexpressible exinanition and eclipsing of his glory, Phil. ii. 6, 7, Being in the form of God, and equal with God, he made himself of no reputation, but took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men," or made a man. He did it upon his Father's prescription, and in pursuit of what God required at his hands. Hence it is said, "God sent forth his Son, made of a woman," Gal. iv. 4; and "God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,” Rom. viii. 3. And properly in answer to this of the Father's appointing him a body is it that the Son answers, "Lo, I come to do thy will,”—“ I will do it, I will undertake it, that the great desirable end may be brought about," as we shall see afterward. So Heb. x. 9. And though I see no sufficient reason of relinquishing the usual

interpretation of σπέρματος Αβραὰμ ἐπιλαμβάνεται, Heb. ii. 16, yet if it be "apprehendit," and expressive of the effect, not "assumpsit," relating to the way of his yielding us assistance and deliverance, the same thing is intimated.

[2] That in this "body," or human nature, he should be a servant," or yield obedience. Hence God calls him his servant, Isa. xlii. 1, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold." And that this was also the condition prescribed to him our Saviour acknowledges, Isa. xlix. 5, "Now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant," etc. And in pursuit hereof, Christ takes upon him "the form of a servant," Phil. ii. 7: and this is his perpetual profession, "I came to do the will of him that sent me;" and, "This commandment I have received of my Father." So, "though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience." All along, in the carrying on of his work, he professes that this condition was by his Father prescribed him, that he should be his servant, and yield him obedience in the work he had in hand. Hence he says his Father is greater than he, John xiv. 28, not only in respect of his humiliation, but also in respect of the dispensation whereunto he, as the Son of God, submitted himself, to perform his will and yield him obedience. And this God declares to be the condition whereon he will deliver man: Job xxxiii. 23, 24, "If there be a messenger (a servant), one of a thousand, to undertake for him; it shall be so, I will say, Deliver man; otherwise not."1

[3.] That he should suffer and undergo what in justice is due to him that he was to deliver;-a hard and great prescription, yet such as must be undergone, that there may be a consistence of the justice and truth of God with the salvation of man. This is plainly expressed, Isa. liii. 10, i D DAD, "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin," or rather, "If his soul shall make an offering for sin, then he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand." As if he should say, "If this work be brought about, and if the counsel of peace which we have consented in be carried on, if my pleasure therein be to prosper, thou must make thy soul an offering for sin." And that this was required of our Saviour, himself fully expresses even in his agony, when, praying for the removal of the cup, he submits to the drinking of it in these words: ""Thy will, O Father, be done;' this is that which thou wilt have me do, which thou hast prescribed unto me, even that I drink of this cup;" wherein he "tasted of death," and which comprised the whole of his sufferings. And this is the third thing in this convention and agreement.

3. Promises are made, upon the supposition of undertaking that which was required, and these of all sorts that might either concern

1 Vid. Cocceium in loc.

the person that did undertake, or the accomplishment of the work that he did undertake.

(1.) For the person himself that was to undertake, or the Lord Jesus Christ, seeing there was much difficulty and great opposition to be passed through in what he was to do and undergo, promises ! of the assistance of his Father, by his presence with him, and carrying him through all perplexities and trials, are given to him in abundance. Some of these you have, Isa. xlii. 4, "He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth;" and verse 6, "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people;"-"Whatever opposition thou mayst meet withal, I will hold thee, and keep thee, and preserve thee." "I will not leave thy soul in hell, nor suffer mine Holy One to see corruption," Ps. xvi. 10. So Ps. lxxxix. 28, "My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him." And hence was our blessed Saviour's confidence in his greatest trial, Isa. 1. 5-9. Verses 5, 6, our Saviour expresses his undertaking, and what he suffered therein; verses 7-9, the assistance that he was promised of his Father in this great trial, on the account whereof he despises all his enemies, with full assurance of success, even upon the Father's engaged promise of his presence with him. This is the first sort of promises made to Christ in this convention, which concern himself directly, that he should not be forsaken in his work, but carried through, supported and upheld, until he were come forth to full success, and had “ sent forth judgment unto victory." Hence, in his greatest trial, he makes his address to God himself, on the account of these promises, to be delivered from that which he feared: Heb. v. 7, "Who in the days," etc. So Ps. lxxxix. 27, 28.

(2.) There were promises in this compact that concerned the work itself that Christ undertook, namely, that he did what was required of him, not only he should be preserved in it, but also that the work itself should thrive and prosper in his hand. So Isa. liii. 10, 11, "When thou shalt make," etc. Whatever he aimed at is here promised to be accomplished. "The pleasure of the LORD shall prosper;"-the design of Father and Son for the accomplishment of our salvation shall prosper. "He shall see his seed,"-a seed of believers shall be raised up, that shall "prolong their days;" that is, the seed shall prolong or continue whilst the sun and moon endure; all the elect shall be justified and saved. Satan shall be conquered, and the spoil delivered from him. And this our Saviour comforts himself withal in his greatest distress, Ps. xxii. 30, 31. And for this "joy that was set before him," the joy of "bringing many sons unto glory" that was promised to him, "he endured the cross, and despised the shame," Heb. xii. 2. So also Isa. xlii. 1-4.

And this is the third thing in this compact, He who prescribes the hard conditions of incarnation, obedience, and death, doth also make the glorious promises of preservation, protection, and success. And to make these promises the more eminent, God confirms them solemnly by an oath. He is consecrated a high priest for evermore by the "word of the oath," Heb. vii. 28. "The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever," etc., verse 21.

4. The Lord Jesus Christ accepts of the condition and the promise, and voluntarily undertakes the work: Ps. xl. 7, 8, "Then said I, Lo, I come: I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." He freely, willingly, cheerfully, undertakes to do and suffer whatever it was the will of his Father that he should do or suffer for the bringing about the common end aimed at. He undertakes to be the Father's servant in this work, and says to the LORD, "Thou art my Lord," Ps. xvi. 2;-"Thou art he to whom I am to yield obedience, to submit to in this work." "Mine ears hast thou bored, and I am thy servant;”—“ I am not rebellious, I do not withdraw from it," Isa. 1. 5. Hence the apostle tells us that this mind was in him, that whereas he was "in the form of God, he humbled himself to the death of the cross," Phil. ii. 6-8. And so, by his own voluntary consent, he came under the law of the mediator; which afterward, as he would not, so he could not decline. He made himself surety of the covenant, and so was to pay what he never took. He voluntarily engaged himself into this sponsion; but when he had so done, he was legally subject to all that attended it,-when he had put his name into the obligation, he became responsible for the whole debt. And all that he did or suffered comes to be called "obedience;" which relates to the law that he was subject to, having engaged himself to his Father, and said to the LORD, "Thou art my Lord; lo, I come to do thy will."

5. The fifth and last thing is, that on the one side the promiser do approve and accept of the performance of the condition prescribed, and the undertaker demand and lay claim to the promises made, and thereupon the common end designed be accomplished and fulfilled. All this also is fully manifest in this compact or convention.

(1.) God the Father accepts of the performance of what was to the Son prescribed. This God fully declares, Isa. xlix. 5, 6, "And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth." And eminently, verses 8, 9, "Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I

heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; that thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves," etc.;-" Now, I have been with thee, and helped thee in thy work, and thou hast performed it; now thou shalt do all that thy heart desires, according to my promise." Hence that which was originally spoken of the eternal generation of the Son, Ps. ii. 7, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee," is applied by the apostle to his resurrection from the dead: Acts xiii. 33, " God hath fulfilled his word unto us, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." That is, God by the resurrection from the dead gloriously manifested him to be his Son, whom he loved, in whom he was well pleased, and who did all his pleasure. So Rom. i. 4, "He was declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead." Then was he declared to be the Son of God. God, approving and accepting the work he had done, loosed the pains of death, and raised him again, manifesting to all the world his approbation and acceptation of him and his work; whence he immediately says to him, Ps. ii. 8, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance; "-"Now ask what thou wilt, whatever I have promised, whatever thou didst or couldst expect upon thy undertaking this work; it shall be done, it shall be granted thee." And,

(2.) Christ, accordingly, makes his demand solemnly on earth and in heaven. On earth: John xvii., throughout the whole chapter is the demand of Christ for the accomplishment of the whole compact and all the promises that were made to him when he undertook to be a Saviour, which concerned both himself and his church; see verses 1, 4–6, 9, 12-16, etc. And in heaven also: he is gone into "the presence of God," there "to appear for us," Heb. ix. 24, and is "able. to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them," chap. vii. 25; not as in the days of his flesh, with strong cries and supplications, but by virtue of his oblation, laying claim to the promised inheritance in our behalf. And,

(3.) The whole work is accomplished, and the end intended brought about: for in the death of Christ he "finished the transgression, and made an end of sins, and made reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in everlasting righteousness," Dan. ix. 24; and of sinful man God says, "Deliver him, for I have found a ransom, Job xxxiii. 24. Hence our reconciliation, justification, yea, our salvation, are in the Scripture spoken of as things actually done and accomplished in the death and blood-shedding of Jesus Christ. Not

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