Quest. What is the punishment of sin?
Answ. The punishment of sin is death, which is a privation of a happy life, and being subject to the contrary misery, both the first death, the body deprived of the comforts of this life, and at last severed from the Soul, and the second death which is the death of the Soul.
1. Death is the punishment of sin, Gen. 2.17.
2. It is a privation of a happy life not meerly a privation of life, for then Being should cease, and the Subjects of misery be taken away, and so the punishment ended, but it is a privation of a happy or comfortable life, hence the parts of death are,
1. A privation of the good, and
2. The sense of the contrary misery.
3. The kinds of death, the first death, the second death. The first death, a corporeal death, the beginning of which is in a privation of the comforts of this life in some degree, & the contrary miseries, poverty, shame, sickness, 2 Cor. 7. 10.
2. The perfection of this is when Soul & body are seperated, & the body returns to the Elements, Eccl. 12.7.
The second death, which is the death of the Soul.
Quest. What is the death of the Soul?
Answ. The death of the Soul is first a privation of that which is Essential to Spiritual life, as the principle of life, the Image of God, and the contrary evil possessing (namely) a principle of Enmity in mans nature against God, and a privation of the acts of life, and a swerving of mans actions from God, the first may be called original sin, and the other actual sin.
In the death of the Soul we may consider it as it is a privation of that which is essential to spiritual life.
2. Of that which belongs to its well Being.
1. Of that which is Essential, as first, a privation of a principle of life, and so of the Image of God, Eph. 4.18. man opposing the Law, defaced the Image of God, and spoyled himself.
2. Hence was subjected to a principle of Enmity against God, and thus a swerving of his whole nature, Rom. 8.7. Gen. 6.5 & thus sin taketh occasion by the Law, Rom. 7.8.
2. A privation of acts of life, and the contrary to this a swerving of the actions from the Law, Rom. 3. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.
The first of these is called Original sin, as it is the beginning and spring of the other, and the latter is called actual sin, as it is the acting of vicious principles which are in mans nature, Math. 15. 18,19.
Quest. What is the death of the soul in the second place?
Answ. The Death of the Soul in the second place is a privation of the favour of God, and being possessed with fear and shame: a privation of the confirming presence of God, and being subject to the power of Satan: and the consummation of this death shall be when the Soul immediately after its departure out of the body shall be cast into hell, and both soul and body after the day of judgment.
In the former we hear of a privation of that which is essential to a spiritual life, next of that which belongs to the well being and compleating of that life.
1. A privation of the favour of God. Lam. 3.43, 44. And the contrary to this possessed with fear and same, Isai. 57, ult. Gen. 3. 7, 8.
2. A privation of the confirming presence of God: Man should have been established in the way of life if he had obeyed; but the disobeying is deprived of this: and the contrary to this is a being subject to the power of Satan the tempter. Heb. 2.1, Eph. 2.3.
3. The perfection of this death.
1. The Soul immediately after its departure out of the body shall be cast into hell.
2. The Soul and Body after the day of Judgment together cast into hell fire: Mat. 13.50. Rev. 20.14, 15. Math. 16.26.
Quest. What is the propagation of Adams sin unto his Posterity?
Answ. Adams Transgression is extended to all his posterity; for all mankind was in him as the common root, and he acted as a publick person, and therefore his sin is imputed to all his posterity, and he hath really communicated the same sinfull nature, that we are inclined to act as he did.
We may consider the union of Adams posterity to him, and their communion with him.
1. The union, Natural, Moral.
1. Natural: all mankind was in him, as he was the common root of all mankind. Act. 17.26. Hence what he acted all Mankind did act.
2. The moral union: He acted as a publick person, if he had obeyed, all his posterity had been happy; he disobeying all become miserable. Rom. 5.12.
2. Communion with him by imputation, and real communication.
1. Imputation: his sin is reckoned to his posterity as if they had done it, hence in respect of the merit of it accounted theirs, hence guilt and punishment upon all. Rom. 3.19.
2. A real communication of the same sinful nature Original sin, Psal. 51..5. Eph. 2.3. Thus it is natural, such as the Root such are the Branches,
2. Sin is conveyed either from God, or from the Parents, not from God, for he cannot be the author of sin, hence the Soul as it comes out of his hand is not positively holy, for then there might be a falling from grace, seeing many Children appear to be wicked afterwards, and yet the Soul as it comes out of his hand is not positively vicious, for he cannot be the author of sin.
2. Hence sin comes to the Child nextly from the Parents, and that first, is either immediately, but not so for the Soul of a Child is not immediately united to the Parents, therefore can have no such communion with them.
2. Or mediately, and that is either by the Body of the Spirits which unite Soul and body, not fro the body nextly, for that is united to the Soul by the Spirits, hence it is by the deordination of those Spirits which unite Soul and body, and these are conveyed from the Parents, and not under the power of distempter and disorder, and Communications is by union, and union by the uniting means.
Qu. What Attributes shine forth in the Apostacy of man?
Answ. The holiness and Justice, and yet the mercy of God in gentleness and bounty to fallen man do shine forth, in, or by occasion of mans Apostacy.
1. The holiness of God which is that whereby he cannot approve of any, but those who do agree with him, to advance him as he is most glorious, hence he distasted man, and abhorred man, Heb. I:13.
2. His Justice inclined to give every one his due.
1. Remunerative, in rewarding him who doth well, Rom. 4.4.
2. Vindictive, in punishing him who doth evil, Rom. 2.9 and the degrees of this.
1. the Sentence called Judgement.
2. The Execution of it, Eccl. 8.11. the degrees of this, first, if more mild called anger, if more sharp called wrath and fury, Deut. 29.23.
3. His mercy inclined to succour the undeserving, hence first, gentleness inclined to spare a sinner in bearing, called patience, if long, his long sufferance, 2 Chron. 11.36. 15, 16.
2. His bounty inclined to afford supplies to the undeserving, Rom. 2.4. Man suffers gods displeasure for sin, but this man through his weakness can not bear, and therefore breaks under it, and cannot satisfy, and therefore it is just he should alwayes suffer.
Quest. What is the Anastacy of Man?
Answ. The Anastacy of man is that whereby the mercy of God recovereth some sinners out of a state of sin & death, into a state of grace and life by the redemptioin of the Son of God, whose work it is to reconcile God and man as he is Priest, and man to God as he is a Prophet and King, and by his Spirit sent to apply this Redemption.
1. The Anastacy of man is his recovery out of a state of sin and death, into a state ofg race and life, Eph. 2.1.
2. This proceeds from the mercy of God, hereby he is inclined to succour the miserable, and the undeserving, and therefore this is done for his own Names sake, Isai. 43.25.
The parts of this are, Redemption, Application.
1. Redemption, which is a payment of a just price to divine Justice, and thereby satisfaction.
1. God governs man as he is a reasonable creature.
2. Hence according to Justice.
3. Hence if man had obeyed he should have been rewarded with life, but he having disobeyed, he cannot live without just satisfaction made, Rom. 5.19.
Concerning Redemption we may consider the person and his work.
1. The person who is the Redeemer, the Son of God.
1. God and man at variance, the Father in special, the person offended, man by his sin having made a breach upon the work of Creation, in which work the Fathers manner of working did shine forth, as we heard in the Efficiency of God, hence it was not meet for him to mediate.
2. This work is propounded to the Son of God, and he accepts it, and his manner of working doth especially shine forth in this, who is the second divine person, and this is the second great work, and he worketh from the Father by the Spirit, 1 Tim. 2.6. Acts 4.12.
2. His first work, to reconcile god to man, as a Priest, Heb. 2.17.
2. To reconcile man to God, first, as a Prophet making known the way of life, Luk. 4.18.
2. As a King dispensing life with a Kingly Authority, Psal. 1.10. 1, 2, 3. And by his Spirit sent to apply this Redemption, Joh. 16.8, 9, 10, 11 but of this afterwards. The first being the Sufficiency, the second the Efficiency of mans Anastacy or recovery.
Quest. What is the first place ought to be considered concerning this work?
Answ. We ought in the first place to consider the fitness of Christ to be a Redeemer, for his two natures being personally united, and yet remain in the same in Essence and Essential properties, and he was anointed, that is, called and furnished to this great work of Redemption.
To the performing of the work of a Redeemer, we may consider, first, a fitness of Christ to redeem.
2. the parts of Redemption. First, of his fitness to redeem appearing in his Incarnation and Unction. First, his Incarnation, the Son of God was made man in all things (--?--) only excepted, and the manner of his Subsistence.
1. He was like to us, Phil. 2.7.
2. in all things, Heb. 2.17.
3. except sin, he was without sin, Heb. 4.15. and the manner of the Subsistence of his humane nature, for that subsists in his divine person, in which we may consider the union of his natures, and their Communion. Their union, which is that whereby the Son of God assumed a humane nature, to subsist inseperably in his own person.
1. The person assuming, was the Son of God, Gal. 4.4. hence it was God assumed a humane nature, and yet not a God, for then all the three persons had assumed.
2. But the Son of God assumed mediately by his person.
2. That which is assumed is a humane nature, Soul and body, hence
1. a twofold understanding, Mark 13.32.
2. A twofold will, divine and humane, accompanied with a natural desire of his safety, Math. 26.39.
3. And a twofold presence, Omnipresent as God, but not so as man.
3. The assumption itself, his humane nature did not subsist by its self, for then it had been a person, and then two persons mediating, but there is but one Mediator, I Tim. 2.5.
2. His humane nature subsisted in his person.
1. It was sustained by it from the beginning of its Being, and thus was related to the divine nature as an Effect, or an Adjunct.
2. It was filled with the divine nature, Col. 2.9 and thus the divine nature had a twofold respect of Subsistence, one in the Godhead as he was the second person, this was from Eternity; another in the humane nature in time, and yet but one Subsistence, for this works no change in the divine nature, only a relation is added to it.
3. Subsisteth in it inseperably, for if this union had been broken, then no Mediator, not God-man in one person, hence when Soul and body were severed, yet the divine nature preserved its union to both of them, Acts 2.31.
4. Hence assuming was no act of Christs Humiliation for,
1. It was an act of his divine person, and that cannot suffer.
2. If it were an act of Humiliation, it should be laid aside in the state of his Exaltation, then the union of Christs natures should cease in heaven, but this cannot be.
Thus of the union, Next of the Communion of Christs natures: only we must remember,
1. Their Communion.
2. But no Confusion.
1. Their Communion which is personal, for such is their union.
1. Hence they co-operate to the same effect, if the divine nature doth effect that to which the humane nature doth not concur, then no work of God-man, if the humane nature did that in which the divine did not concur, then no act of the Person; hence they co-operate to the same effect.
2. Its according to their properties and distinct manner of working: when the humane nature was the Sacrifice, the divine nature was the Altar, which sanctifieth the Sacrifice: and as he was God and man he was the Priest, and when his body was raised out of the grave this divine nature acted in that work by virtue of its relation to the humane nature.
Hence what is proper to the Person is attributed to the humane nature by reason of its relation, as to be in the beginning; and what belongs to one nature is attributed to another, as God manifested in the flesh, &c.
And Hence the humane nature is to be worshipped, not in respect of itself, but as united to the divine nature. Heb. 1.6.
And yet the distinction of his natures remain, that is they remain the same in essence and essential properties.
1. In essence, his divine nature cannot be a humane nature, that cannot change; his humane nature cannot be a divine nature, for finite cannot become infinite.
2. Distinct in their essential properties, that although they doe makeuse of one anothers propertys, yet the essence remaining distinct, their essential properties are distinct; a divine and an humane understanding, will and presence, as we said before.
Thus of the Incarnation, next of Christs Unction, Call, Furniture.
1. His Call, his Father called him, that is
1. Chose him to this work, Isai. 42.1, 2.
2. Gave him a Commission, John3.17.
3. Promised to prosper and rewards him Isai. 53.10, 11. And Christ accepted of this work, Psal. 40. 6, 7. Hence a Covenant between the Father and the Son, and thus in this respect our Mediator was eternal. Heb. 13.8 & 7.17.
2. His Furniture.
1. A fullness of grace, Joh. 1.16. beyond measure, Joh. 3.39. Isai. 42. 1, 2.
Hence all the three Persons have their hand in Redemption.
1. In making the humane nature.
2. In uniting the humane nature to the divine nature; for these belong to the efficiency of God as he is God.
3. But the second Person only assumes it, he alone is the term of that Relation, their act terminates only on and in him.
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