August 25, 2009

Stephen Lobb (c.1647–1699) on Christ's Sufferings

Propos. 1.


1. That on the account of Christ's sufferings in humane nature all mankind is, in some sense, so far redeemed from that misery, in which, antecedently unto the Promise of Christ's death, they did lie, that they are not in a much more happy condition than the faln Angels, not only upon the account of their receiving at least a temporarie reprieve from everlasting flames, but also because their Salvation is become possible.

EXPLICATION.


Faln man, antecedently unto the promise of the Messiah, being in as helpless, and as desperately miserable condition, as the Devils themselves, and as unable to satisfy divine justice, any other way, than by remaining in chains of darkness for ever, Christ's sufferings afford that relief unto all mankind, as to deliver them from this misery that is so desperate; for their salvation is not now as impossible, as it was before the promise of the Lord Jesus: For the Lord Christ satisfying infinite justice, no one man can truly say, that the reason why he perished is because there was not enough in the blood of Christ to ransom him: for whosoever doth sincerely believe, shall be actually redeemed from the wrath to come. Our remaining in our sin is the great reason, why the wrath of God abideth on us; so St. Austin, that great enemie to Pelagianism, so much envied by the Arminians. "Quod ergo ad magnitudinem et potentiam pretii; & quod ad unam pertinet causam generis humani: Sanguis Christi Redemptio est totius mundi, sed qui hoc seculum, fine fide Christi, & sine regenerationis sacramento, pertranseunt, redemptionis alieni sunt. Aug. lib. ad Artic. sibi imposit. ad Artic. I.

Again, "Sed hoc inter malos homines, et Dæmones distat: quod hominibus etiam valde malis superest, si Deus misereatur, Reconciliatio: Dæmonibus nulla servata est conversio. Aust. ubi sup. ad Art. 6.
Stephen Lobb, The Glory of Free-Grace Displayed (London: Printed by T.S. for B. Alsop, at the Angel and Bible against the Stocks-market, 1680), 66–67.

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