it is not materiall to dispute this matter in more words; for seeing God hath determined that his justice shall take her revenge, if by breach of Covenant she be wronged, he cannot but punish sin according to its desert, neither may he set us free from the same, but so as wronged justice may receive satisfaction. The decree of God is unchangeable, and the sentence of God denounced against sin must stand firme for ever, therefore punishment must be executed, if the commandment be transgressed.
And the reasons of this decree be weighty. Omne agens quod agit naturaliter, agit in objectum suae actionis naturaliter receptivum: quare si punire esset naturale (illa nimirum acceptatione, quae secum fert necessitatem) non possit actio talis de persona peccatoris in personam aliam transire. Neque etiam sapientia Dei, quae in hoc negotio maximè elucet, locum habitura videtur; si per naturam nequisset Deus aliter agere: sapientia enim est electrix mediorum. Luk. 24. 26, 27. Joh. 10. 18.For hereby God manifesteth his just indignation against sin, and magnifieth the riches of his grace and tender compassion towards the sinner, whom he is pleased to save from deserved wrath. Seeing then God decreed not to deliver man from the sentence of death contracted by sin, but upon satisfaction made to divine justice, and the punishment of sin borne by his surety, of necessity if Christ become a Mediatour to intercede for us, he must undertake to pay our debts, and in our roome and steed to suffer what we deserved. And as he undertook, so he hath borne the chastisement of our peace, and by bearing the punishment hath taken away our sins.
That Christ did under-goe the punishment due to sinners, as their surety, is evident in this, that he died for us. For the wages of sinne is death, Rom. 6. 23 & 5. 12. which God inflicteth upon none but either a sinner, or him that beareth the person of a sinner:1 Cor. 15.21,22.
Col. 1.14.
Eph. 1.7.
Heb. 12.2.
Act. 20.28.
Col. 1.20.
Rom. 3.25.
Gal. 3.13.
Heb. 12.24. wherefore seeing Christ in himselfe most innocent, did suffer death, it necessarily followeth, that he suffered not in his owne, but in our name, and satisfied the Father for us. Hitherto it makes, that he suffered not any kind of death whatsoever, but ignominious, violent, judiciall and accursed, such as had the sence of Gods wrath adjoyned. For no reason can be imagined, why Christ should so much dread death, which the Martyrs endured without feare, but that for the time he was deprived of that refreshing of divine grace and favour2 Cor. 4.8,9. wherewith they were sustained and confirmed in the midst of the fire. Nor is there any thing, whither we can referre, those tremblings of Christ, those groanes and teares, in which he was heard, that desire that the cup might passefrom
