Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Chap .z.Secr. 2. Looking unto.:Jefus. Book II. 95 This is the great myftery of the Gofpel;no wonder ifa poor man could not reach it: This is that which fet tne infinite wifdome of God on work from all eternity, how to find away to fave finners, and to be infinitely righteous notwithfl:anding. Nay , yet 0 my foule confider , a little further ; not onely is the mer- . cy ofGod in this way glorified, but the glory of his jufl:ice is as much , yea more then ifthe finner were eternally damned : - It is made good thus. - . x. When God appointed a furety, his Sonne: and charged our debts upon him to fatisfie his jufl:ice: in that God would not fpare his Son the leafl: farthing token, I mean,not tbe leafl: degree ofpunifbmenr, hereby the Lord thewes a fl:rong<r love to jufiice then ifhe had damned ten thoufand, thoufand creatures. Suppofe a Malefa Cl:or comes before a Judge, the Judge will not fpare the Malefactor, but commands fatisfaction to the Law; this iliewes that the Judge loves jufiice, but if the Judges own son be a delinquent , and it appeares before all the Country that the Judge will riot fpare him: the Judge now doth more honour jti!hce in this then in condemning a thoufand others: So when the! Lord thall call: many thoufands to hell there to be tormented . for ever; and ever, and ever,this lhewes that God loves jufl:ice, but when his own Son lhall take ourfinnes upon him, and ~®d R 831~ . • will not [pare him; (that is the very word in the Scrip~ure, he l)m. · · Jpared not his own Son) thisJurely this declares Gods love to righteoufnefs more then ifall the World ihould be damned. z.Suppofe the !inner that is-reconciled had been damned,then · the ju!l:ice ofGod had been but in fatisfying, . and never b.· d been fully fatisfied :but in that way that God hath found out to fave a finner his ju!l:ice is not onlyfatisfying,but it comes fully to be fatiffied:to have enou-gh.As tor inftai1ce,fuppofe a man to be a creditor to one,who ows him, rooooo.l this man is poore,.and the utmofl: he c;~n pay"is but a penny a day; fuppofe the creditor lhould lay him in the Goaleuntill he had paid the utmofl: farthing, it is , true he would be rece1ving day after day, but be would never be! paid fo l.ong as the debtor lives; now ifanother rich man lhould come , and Ia y down an r ooooo.l. at once, thecreditor is prefently fatisfied. Why here is the difference betwixt God fatisfying his juftice upon finnm and upon Jefus Chrift; God c:_omes upon !he ~oner, and requires !h~ de~~ of p_uni~e~t, ~ec~ufe he di~ .Jlot :

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