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cessary for the expiation of sin, and hath opened the throne of grace, which was before shut against us, and by this God hath declared how willing he is to save sinners; if they are wilful to be damned, and frustrate the blessed methods of grace, it is most equal they should inherit their own choice: "they judge themselves unworthy of eternal life." Conscience will justify the severest doom against them.

2. It makes their condemnation certain and final. The sentence of the law is reversible by an appeal to an higher court; but that of the gospel against the refusers of mercy will remain in its full force for ever. "He that believes not, is condemned already." John 3. 18. It is some consolation to a malefactor, that the sentence is not pronounced against him: but an unbeliever hath no respite. The gospel assures the sincere believer, that "he shall enter into condemnation, to prevent his fears of an after sentence; but it denounces a present doom against those who reject it."The wrath of God abides on them." Obstinate infidelity sets beyond all possibility of pardon: "there is no sacrifice for that sin." Salvation itself cannot save the impenitent infidel: for he excludes the only means whereby mercy is conveyed. How desperate then is the case of such a sinner? To what sanctuary will he fly? All the other attributes condemn him, holiness excites justice, and justice awakens power for his destruction; and if mercy interpose not between him and ruin, he must perish irrecoverably. "Whoever loves not the Lord Christ, is Anathema Maranatha ;" he is under an irrevocable curse, which the Redeemer will confirm at his coming.

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3. Wilful neglect of redeeming mercy aggravates the sentence, and brings an extraordinary damnation upon sinners. Besides the doom of the law which continues in its vigour against transgressors, the gospel adds a more heavy one against the impenitent, "because he believes not in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3. 18. Infidelity is an outrage not to a man or an angel, but to the eternal Son. For the redemption of souls is reckoned as a part of his reward," he shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied." Isa. 53. Those therefore who spurn at salvation, deny him the honour of his sufferings; and are guilty of the defiance of his love, of the contempt of his clemency, of the provocation of the most sensible and severe attribute when it is incensed. This is to strike him at the heart,

and to kick against his bowels. This increases the anguish of his sufferings, and imbitters the cup of his passion. This renews his sorrows, and makes his wounds bleed afresh. Dreadful impiety! that exceeds the guilt of the Jews; they once killed him being in his humble inglorious state, but this is a daily crucifying him now glorified. Ungrateful wretches! that refuse to bring glory to their Redeemer, and blessedness to themselves: * that rather choose that the accuser should triumph in their misery, than their Saviour rejoice in their felicity. "This is the great condemnation, that Christ came into the world" to save men from death, and they refuse the pardon. John 3. 19. It is an aggravation of sin above what the devils are capable of; for pardon was never offered to those rebellious spirits. In short, so deadly a malignity there is in it, that it poisons the gospel itself, and turns the sweetest mercy into the sorest judgment. The Sun of Righteousness who is a reviving life to the penitent believer, is a consuming fire to the obdurate. How much more tolerable had been the condition of such sinners, if saving grace had never appeared unto men, or they had never heard of it? For the degrees of wrath shall be in proportion to the riches of neglected goodness. The refusing life from Christ, makes us guilty, of his death. And when he shall come in his glory, and be visible to all that pierced him, what vengeance will be the portion of those who despised the majesty of his person, the mystery of his compassions and sufferings? Those that lived and died in the darkness of heathenism, shall have a cooler climate in hell, than those who neglected the great salvation.

Ut denuo malus, recuperata præda sua, adversus dominum gaudeat. Tertul. de poen.

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Divine justice concurs with mercy in the work of our redemption. The rea.

sons why we are redeemed by the satisfaction of justice are specified: to declaré God's hatred of sin, to vindicate the honour of the law, to prevent the secure commission of sin. These ends are obtained in the death of Christ. The reality of the satisfaction made to divine justice considered. The requisites in order to it. The appointment of God, who in this transaction is to be considered not as a judge, that is minister of the law, but as governor. His right of jurisdiction to relax the law as to the execution of it. His will declared to accept of the compensation made. The con. sent of our Redeemer was necessary. He must be perfectly holy. He must be God and man.

THE Deity in itself is simple and pure, without mixture or yariety: the scripture ascribes attributes to God for our clearer understanding. And those as essential in him are simply one : they are distinguished only with respect to the divers objects on which they are terminated, and the different effects that proceed from them.

The two great ́attributes which are exercised towards reasonable creatures in their lapsed state, are mercy and justice: these admirably concur in the work of our redemption. Although God spared guilty man for the honour of his mercy, yet he "spared not his own Son," who became a surety for the offender, but delivered him up to a cruel death for the glory of his justice, For the clearer understanding of this, three things are to be considered ;

1. The reasons why we are redeemed by the satisfaction of justice. · II. The realịty of the satisfaction made by our Redeemer.

III. The completeness and perfection of it. · I. Concerning the first, there are three different opinions, among those who acknowledge the reality of satisfaction.

That it is not possible that şin should be pardoned without satisfaction. For justice being a natural and necessary excellency in God, hath an unchangeable respect to the qualities which are in the creatures : that as the divine goodness is necessarily exercised towards a creature perfectly holy, so justice is in punishing the guilty, unless a satisfaction intervene. And if it be not possible, considering the perfection of the Deity, that holiness should be unrewarded, far less can it be, that sin should be unpunished : since the exercise of justice upon which punishment depends, is more necessary than that of goodness, which is the cause of remuneration. For the rewards which bounty dispenses are pure favour, whereas the punishments which justice inflicts, are due. In short, since justice is a perfection, it is in God in a supreme degree, and being infinite it is inflexible, this opinion is asserted by several divines of eminent learning.

The second opinion is, that God by his absolute dominion and prerogative, might have released the sinner from punishment without any satisfaction. For as by his sovereignty he transferred the punishment from the guilty to the innocent; so he might have forgiven sin, if no Redeemer had interposed. From hence it follows, that the death of Christ, for the expiation of sin, was necessary only with respect to the divine decree.

The third opinion is, that considering God in this transaction, as qualified with the office of supreme judge and governor of the world, who hath given just laws to direct his creatures in their obedience, and to be the rule of his proceedings with them as to rewards and punishments. He hath so far restrained the exercise of his power, that upon the breach of the law, either it must be executed upon the sinner, or if extraordinarily dispensed with, it must be upon such terms as may secure the ends of government: and those are his own honour, and public order, and the benefit of those that are governed. And upon these accounts it was requisite, supposing the merciful design of God to pardon sin, that his righteousness should be declared in the sufferings of Christ. I will distinctly open this.

In the law the sovereignty and holiness of God eminently appear: and there are two things in all sins which expose the offender justly to punishment:

1. A contempt of God's sovereignty, and in that respect there is a kind of equality between them. “ He that offends in one, is guilty of all," Jam. 2. 10. they being ratified by the same authority. And from hence it is, that guilt is the natural passion in; that always adheres to it. For as God has, a judicial

to inflict punishment upon the disobedient by virtue of his sovereignty, so the desert of punishment ariseth from the despising it in the violation of his commands.

2. In every sin there is a contrariety to God's holiness. And in this the natural turpitude of sin consists, which is receptive of degrees. From hence arises God's hatred of sin, which is as es

. sential as his love to himself: the infinite purity and rectitude of his nature, infers the most perfect abhorrence of whatever is opposite to it. “The righteous Lord loves righteousness, but the wicked his soul hates." Psal. 11.5, 7.

Psal. 11.5, 7. Now the justice of God is founded in his sovereignty, and in his holiness; and the reason why it is exercised against sin, is not an arbitrary constitution, but his holy nature, to which sin is repugnant. These things being premised, it follows, that. God in the relation of a governor, is protector of those sacred laws which are to direct the reasonable creature. And as it was most reasonable, that in the first giving the law, he should lay the strongest restraint upon man for preventing sin, by the threatening of death, the greatest evil in itself, and in the estimation of mankind; so it is most congruous to reason, when the command was broke by man's rebellion, that the penalty should be inflicted, either on his person, according to the immediate intent of the law, or satisfaction equivalent to the offence should be made, that the majesty and purity of God might appear in his justice, and there might be a visible discovery of the value he puts on obedience.

The life of the law depends upon the execution of it; for impunity occasions a contempt of justice, and by extenuating sin in the account of men, encourages to the free commission of it. If pardon be easily obtained, sin will be easily committed. Crimes unpunished seem authorised. The first temptation was prevalent by this persuasion, that no punishment would follow. Besides, if upon the bold violation of the law no punishment were inflicted, not only the glory of God's holiness would be obscured, as if he did not love righteousness and hate sin, but suffered the contempt of the one, and the commission of the other without controul; but it would either reflect upon his wisdom, as if he had not upon just reason established an alliance between the offence and the penalty; or upon his power, as if he were not able to vindicate the rights of heaven. And after his giving a law, and declaring that according to the tenor of it, he would dispense rewards and punishments, if sin were unrevenged, it would lessen

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