diation of Christ is called a propitiation. Rom. 3. 25. 1 Joh. 2. 2. and the surety is of debt and justice to make full satisfaction, because he hath voluntarily promised it, and God the Father did in justice exact it. Rom. 3. 24, 25. and 8. 32.
In the sufferings of Christ we must consider the circumstances, and substance of his sufferings. The circumstances, as the person of the sufferer, the cause of suffering, and efficacy of the passion: in which respect it was more then the Law required: for the Law did not require that God should die, nor that any one should die that had not sinned, nor such a death, and of such efficacie, as not only to abolish death, but to bring in life, and that by many degrees more excellent then that which Adam had lost: but if we respect the substance of punishment, it was that which the Law required, which he paid of love free and voluntary, and yet of justice. Justice requireth the same summe of debt, the dignity of Christs person nothing hindering: and according to justice Christ made satisfaction. As concerning the substance of punishment, Christ suffered what was due to us, but in the circumstances, which pertained not to the substance of the debt, some thing was pardoned, to the dignity of the person. In this stands the dignity of Christs person, that he might be fit meritoriously to pay our debt, so farre was it from freeing or acquitting him for any part of our debt. He that knew no sinne, was made sinne for us, 2 Cor. 5. 21. Surely he hath born our griefes, and carried our sorrowes. Isai. 53. 4. When the Scripture speakes so fully, why should humane curiosity limit the sufferings of Christ, as if they were not fully satisfactory, but by divine acceptilation only? Christ suffered not every particular punishment that every particular sinner meeteth withall: but his passion was a common price payed at once for all his people, satisfying justice for all their offences, Rom. 5. 19. Heb. 10. 14. Rom. 8. 33. He bore our sinnes in his body upon the tree. 1 Pet. 2. 24. We are redeemed by his bloud. Eph. 1. 7. The bloud of Christ cleanseth us from all sinne. 1 Joh. 1. 6. Phil. 2. 8. Col. 1. 20. He hath made peace by the bloud of the crosse.Voss. respons. ad. Iudic. Ravens.
cap. 6.
Robert. Loeus
Examen. Eccl. Thesaur effigiet veri Sabbath.
Touching the punishments which Christ suffered, they were not ordinary, but beyond measure grievous, bitter and unsupportable; yea, such as would have made any meere creature to sinke down under the burthen of them to the bottome of hell. For hesuffered
