By the late DAVID DICKSON, Irvine.
XI. Of the Covenant of Redemption.
(Continued from page 76).
THE last degree of Christ’s sufferings (wherein He may be said to have “descended into hell,” so far as Scripture in the Old Testament, or the history of Christ’s passion in the New, will suffer us to expound that expression), is that curse, wherein the full wrath of God, and the dregs of that terrible cup, were poured forth upon His holy human nature, while heaven, and earth, and hell, seemed to conspire to take vengeance on Him, and fully to punish our sins in the person of our Surety, by that cursed death of the cross, which was the evidence foretold of the malediction of God lying on Him, in so far as was necessary to complete the punishment of loss and feeling both in soul and body. And, therefore, not without ground have orthodox divines taken in Christ’s sufferings in His soul, and the detaining of His body in the grave (put in as the close and last part of Christ’s sufferings) as the true meaning of that expression, “He descended into hell,” not only because these pains which Christ suffered both in body and soul, were due to us in full measure; but also, because that which Christ suffered in the point of torment and vexation, was, in some respect, of the same kind with the torment of the damned. For in the punishment of the damned, we must necessary distinguish these three things; (1). The perverse disposition of the mind of the damned in their sufferings; (2). The duration and perpetuity of their punishment; and (3). The punishment itself, tormenting soul and body. The first two are not of the essence of punishment, albeit by accident they are turned into a punishment; for the wickedness, vileness, and unworthiness of the damned, who neither will nor can submit themselves to the punishment (and put the case they should submit, are utterly unable to make satisfaction for ever), do make them in a desperate doleful condition for ever; though obstinate sinners do not apprehend nor believe this, but go on in treasuring up wrath against themselves, pleasing themselves in their own dreams, to their own endless perdition. Of these three, the first two could have no place in Christ. Not the first, because He willingly offered Himself a sacrifice for our sins; and upon agreement, paid the ransom fully: not the second, because He could no longer be held in the sorrows of death, than He had satisfied justice, and finished what was imposed on Him, and His infinite excellency made His short sufferings to be of infinite worth, and equivalent to our everlasting suffering.
The third then remains, which is the real and sensible tormenting of soul and body, in being made a curse for us, and to feel it so in His real experience. And what need we question hellish pain, where pain and torment, and the curse, with felt wrath from God falls on, and lies still, till justice be satisfied? Concerning which, it is as certain, that Christ was seized upon by the dolours of death, as it is certain in Scripture, that He could not be held by the sorrows of death (Acts ii. 24).
Question.—But what interest had Christ’s Godhead in His human sufferings, to make them both short, and so precious and satisfactory to justice for so many sins of so many sinners, especially when we consider that God cannot suffer? Answer.—Albeit this passion of the human nature, could not so far reach the Godhead of Christ, that it should in a physical sense suffer (which indeed is impossible), yet these sufferings did not so affect the person, that it may truly be said, that God suffered, and by His blood bought His people to Himself (Acts xx. 28). For albeit the proper and formal subject of physical sufferings, be only the human nature; yet the principal subject of sufferings, both in a physical and moral sense, is Christ’s person, God and man, from the dignity whereof, the worth and excellency of all sort of sufferings, the merit and the satisfactory sufficiency of the price did flow. And let it be considered also, that albeit Christ, as God, in His Godhead could not suffer, in a physical sense; yet in a moral sense He might suffer, and did suffer. For inasmuch as He, being in the form of God, and without robbery equal to God, did demit His person to assume human nature, and empty Himself so far as to hide His glory and take on the shape of a servant, and expose Himself willingly to all the contradiction of sinners which He was to meet with; and to all railings, revilings, contempt, despisings, and calumnies,—shall it seem nothing, and not enter in the count of our Lord’s payment for our debt? Objection.—But how could so low a down-throwing of the Son of Man, or of the human nature assumed by Christ, consist with the majesty of the person of the Son of God? Answer.—We must distinguish in Christ these things which are proper to either of the two natures, from these things which are ascribed to His person, in respect of either of the natures, or both the natures; for infirmity, physical suffering, or mortality, are proper to the human nature. The glory of power, and grace, and mercy, and super-excellent majesty, and such like, are proper to the deity; but the sufferings of the human nature, are so far from diminishing the glory of the divine nature, that they do manifest the same, and make it appear more clearly; for by how much the human nature was weakened, depressed, and despised, for our sake; by so much the love of Christ, God and man in one person, toward man, and His mercy, and power, and grace to man, do shine in the eyes of those that judiciously look upon Him.
Objection.—But seeing Christ’s satisfaction for sinners does not stand in any one part of His doings and sufferings, but in the whole and entire precious pearl, and complete price of His whole obedience from His incarnation, even to His death on the cross, how comes it to pass, that in Scripture, the whole expiation of our sins is ascribed so oft to His passion, and particularly to His blood? Answer.—This comes to pass, (1). Because the certainty and verity of His assumed human nature, and the certainty of His real sufferings, and the fulfilling of all the Levitical sacrifices, did most evidently appear unto sense in the effusion of His blood. (2). Because the expression of His sufferings both in soul and body, appeared in the effusion of His blood; for in the garden, while His body was not as yet touched or hurt by man, from the mere pains of His soul drops of blood fell down out of His body to the earth. (3). Because His blood-shedding and death, was the last act of completing the payment of the ransom to the Father for us; which payment began in His humble incarnation, and went on through all His life, and was completed in His bloodshed and death, whereof our Lord gave intimation on the cross, when He cried as triumphantly victorious, “It is finished!”
The Use of this Article of the Covenant of Redemption.
We have at some length spoken of the price of redemption, and of Christ’s defraying of the debt by His passion, (1). That hereby the demerit of our sins may the more clearly be seen. (2). That the sublimity and excellency of divine majesty offended by sin may appear. (3). That we may behold the severity of God’s justice till He have satisfaction and reparation in some sort of the injuries done to Him. (4). That the admirable largeness of God’s mercy may be acknowledged and wondered at. For in the price of redemption paid, as in a mirror, we may see how greatly the Lord hates sin; how great His love is to the world, in sending His Son Christ among us; how heavy the wrath of God shall lie upon them that flee not to Christ’s satisfaction for their delivery; how great the dignity and excellency of the Lord our Redeemer is, for whose sake reconciliation is granted to all that take hold of the offer of grace through Him; how great the obligation of believers is to love God, and serve Him; and how greatly the glory of all the attributes of God shine in the work of redemption.
By this doctrine, it appears, how vain and wicked the devices of superstitious men are, who, for pacifying of God’s wrath, have appointed penances, and pilgrimages, and self-scourgings, and soul-masses, and purgatory, and such like other abominations, whereof the word of God has not spoken, but forbidden all the inventions of men, as unworthy conceits, to bring about men’s salvation; which inventions tend only to derogate from the dignity of the price of Christ’s ransom, and to cry down the fulness and perfection of the price paid by our blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ, and set up other Saviours in His room. Hence also it is manifest, how fit a high priest is appointed over us, who is touched with our infirmities and temptations; by whom we may have so solid consolation in all the pangs of our tormented consciences; and in whom we have a solid foundation laid down to all that flee to Him, for settling our faith and hope in the son of God; who has of set purpose, with the Father’s consent, suffered so many and great evils, that He might redeem us. And hereby we may perceive also, how well divine justice is satisfied, and with what warrant the consciences of the weak believers may be quieted, who so use to exaggerate the grievousness and the multitude of their sins, that they forget to put a right estimation upon the satisfaction made by Christ, for all that come unto God through Him.
(To be continued).