Archive for March 4th, 2011
Bellamy:
SHOWING A DOOR OF MERCY IS OPENED BY JESUS CHRIST FOR A
GUILTY WORLD.
I COME now to another thing proposed, namely,
III. To show more particularly what way to life has been opened, by what Christ, our Mediator, has done and suffered. In general, from what has been said, we may see that the mighty bar which lay in the way of mercy is removed by Jesus Christ; and now a door is opened, and a way provided, wherein the great Governor of the world may, consistently with the honor of his holiness and justice; his law and government, and sacred authority, and to the glory of his grace, put in execution all his designs of mercy towards a sinful, guilty, undone world. But to be more particular,
1. A way is opened, wherein the great Governor of the world may, consistently with his honor, and to the glory of his grace, pardon, and receive to favor, and entitle to eternal life, all and every one of the human race, who shall cordially fall in with the gospel design; believe in Christ, and return home to God through him.
What Christ has done, is, in fact, sufficient to open a door for God, through him, to become reconcilable to the whole world. The sufferings of Christ, all things considered, have as much displayed God’s hatred to sin, and as much secured the honor of his law, as if the whole world had been damned; as none will deny, who believe the infinite dignity of his divine nature. God may now. therefore, through Jesus Christ, stand ready to pardon the whole world. There is nothing in the way. And the obedience of Christ has brought as much honor to God, and to his law, as the perfect obedience of Adam, and of all his race, would have done; the rights of the Godhead are as much asserted and maintained. So that there is nothing in the way, but that mankind may, through Christ, be received into full favor, and entitled to eternal life. God may stand ready to do it, consistently with his honor. What Christ has done is every way sufficient. “All things are now ready.”
And God has expressly declared that it was the design of Christ’s death to open this door of mercy to all. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.1 That whosoever, of all mankind, whether Jew or Greek, bond or free, rich or poor, without any exception, though the chief of sinners, that believes, should be saved.” For this end, God gave his only-begotten Son. “He set him forth to be a propitiation for sin, that he might be just, and the justifier of him,–without any exception, let him be who he will,–that believes in Jesus.”