Chapter II.
The Manner In Which The Christian Should Apply And Appropriate To Himself The Consolation Noticed In Chapter I.
The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.—Luke 19:10.
The first or chief foundation on which the Christian depends, when he derives consolation from the doctrines of the remission of sin, and of the merit of Christ, consists in the universal extent of the divine promises; of which that mentioned above is not the least considerable. For if Christ came to save those that are lost, who can possibly doubt, that he will also seek and save thee, since thou art of the number of the lost. It is also said, that God, “commandeth all men everywhere to repent; because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness.” Acts 17:30, 31. This argument is full of consolation. As if the apostle had said, Christ will judge the world; and therefore God commandeth all to repent, that all may escape the dreadful sentence of eternal damnation. This is confirmed by St. Peter, who tells us, that God “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. All which passages plainly assert the universal grace of God, extending itself to all men.
2. The second foundation is the divine oath. In order that no room might be left to doubts and scruples in this grand article, God has confirmed the universal promise of grace with an oath. “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that he turn from his way and live: none of the sins that he hath committed, shall be mentioned unto him.” Ezek. 33:11, 16. As if he had said, How can I delight in the death of a sinner, who am Life itself? Let but the wicked be converted, and he shall certainly live.—Behold! God desires sinners to be converted! And dost thou doubt, that thou, who art a sinner, art by God solicited to conversion? When the apostle explains this oath, he says, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Tim. 1:15. But if Christ came into the world with an intent to save sinners, thou art undoubtedly one of the number of those whom he came to save.
3. In order to show that the Lord will not retain the remembrance of sin, he hath no less than three times engaged his word. First, by the prophet Isaiah, “I, even I,” says he, “am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” Isa. 43:25. Secondly, by Jeremiah he hath thus expressed his mind: “This shall be the covenant: I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jer. 31:33, 34. And, thirdly, by the prophet Ezekiel, “If the wicked,” says he, “will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him.” Ezek. 18:21, 22. This is the [pg 164] divine act of oblivion, solemnly declared in favor of all returning sinners, without exception.
4. Now the cause or reason why God promises that he will not remember sin any more, is no other than the all-sufficient satisfaction and reconciliation wrought by Christ. For whatever is entirely paid, yea, over and above paid, should be altogether buried in an everlasting oblivion. Now, God being once perfectly reconciled and satisfied by the most holy and most complete sacrifice of Jesus Christ, he can no longer be angry, nor perpetuate the remembrance of our transgressions.
5. The same oath is repeated in the prophet Isaiah, “Look unto me,” says the Lord, “and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: I have sworn by myself; the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return.” Isa. 45:22, 23. Which oath, the Epistle to the Hebrews explains in this manner: “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” Heb. 6:17-19. That is, God, by his counsel and promise, having confirmed them with an oath, hath more than sufficiently sealed and established his gracious will; that so none might be discouraged.
6. The third foundation is the eternal covenant of grace, which consists in the pardon of sin: “This shall be the covenant: I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jer. 31:33, 34. And this covenant or testament, because confirmed by the death of Christ, is therefore everlasting. To the same purpose the Lord says by the prophet: “Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee.” Isa. 54:10. And again, “I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David” (i. e., Christ). Isa. 55:3. And Moses declares the same: “The Lord thy God is a merciful God: he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.” Deut. 4:31. And again we read: “He will ever be mindful of his covenant.” Ps. 111:5. On which eternal covenant, that we might the more firmly rely, he hath renewed and established it with every one by Holy Baptism, which therefore is called “The answer (or covenant) of a good conscience towards God.” 1 Peter 3:21. For this end, Christ himself was baptized in Jordan, and thereby entered with us into this covenant. Matt. 3:13.
7. The fourth foundation is the death of Christ, by which the covenant or testament of God was ratified. But if any ask, For whom did he die? St. Paul answers, that “he died for all.” 2 Cor. 5:14, 15. And St. John says, “He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2. So John the Baptist said: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. This, the apostle explains in the following comforting manner: “As by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Rom. 5:18): where a comparison [pg 165] is made betwixt Christ and Adam. As if he had said, “Since the offence of Adam hath been so strong, as to make all men sinners; shall not the righteousness of Christ be far more powerful to make them righteous? If sin hath abounded, shall not grace much more abound?” The same apostle, having occasion to show that the merit of Christ is universal, and extends itself to all, thus reasons: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all.” But if this be true, it also follows, “that God will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Tim. 2:4-6. On all this Paul remarks, that God, by “Christ hath reconciled all things to himself, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” Col. 1:20. And again: “God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all.” Rom. 8:32. In this number, reckon also thyself, because “God is no respecter of persons.” Acts 10:34. Since, therefore, Christ died for sinners, thou, who acknowledgest thyself to be one, must necessarily have an interest in his death, and in all the benefits purchased by it.