in Contriving Man's Redemption. t. He is not able to make fatisfa£1:ion to God's Juflice for the difhonour brought to ~ hiin. Chap. 4• 2 • He is incapable of rca_l Rcpen~ancc, \\: hid~ migh~ qualify him for P~rdon. ~~ Firjf, He is unable to fatisfy ]uflKe for l11s offence,. either by exalt obedrence for the future, or by cnc\urmg the puni01ment that ts due to. Sm. . , r. Suppofing that Man could perform exa£1: Obedrence after hrs Fa-;, yet that could not be f.1tisfatl:ion. '1 is ejfenttal.to Sausfafbon, that the .Ac7ton by winch us mad_e, be.m the power of the Perfon that fansfics. A Servant~ as a Servant, cannot mal.;e fansfaC:bo!l for an inj ury done to his Lord, for whatfoever fcr·nce he p7rforms was due before the offence, and is not properly a rellitution, becauf~ 't~s not of hts own. Now ~he corn pleat Obe~ dience of the Creature is due to God. He 1s the Lord of all our ACbons, and whatever Man doth is but the payment of the Orit,inal Debt. The Law requires a perpetual reverence of the l aw-giver, and exprefs Obedience to his Will in all thmgs. So that 'tis impoffible that the highefl refpeCt to it afterwards, fhould compenf.1te for the leaf! via. lation of it. Befides, To make SatisfaCtion · for a Fault, 'tis necelfary the Offender do fame volun. tar] Ait, that may be as honourable to the perfon, and as much above what he was before obliged to, as the con~em~t was _dlfhono~rable, and below th~t wh1ch wa~ ~ue. Unlcfs God receive that wh1c~ 1s as cfhmable m the nature ?f O~ed!ence, as the mJury he received is io the nature of Contempt, there can be no fatistaCbon. Now there is a greater di01onour b~ought to God by the comm1ffi?n of _one Sin! than there_ is honour by the perfect Obedrence of all the Angels : For,. m then· Obedrence, God IS preferr'd by the Creatur~, b~fOre thi~ps l01 In1tely ~eneath l~Im,_ w_luch IS but a fmall honour ; bot by one Sin he rs d1fvalued m the companfon, whtch IS zn.fimte Contempt. o. Man cannot make fatisfall:ion by Suffering. For the Punifhment mufl be equalto the Offe~ce, "hich derives its guilt from the. dignity. of th? Perfon ofTended, and the indignity of the Offender. Now God 1s the Vmverfal Kmg, hrs Juflrce IS Injimte, which Man bath injur'd, and his Glory, which Man hath obfcur'd ; and Man is finite. And what proportion is there between ftnitf and mftmte ? Ho\~ cat} a worthlefs Rebel, that is hateful to God, expiate the offence of fa excellent a Majel!y ? If he facri6cc himfelf, he can never appeafe the Divine Difpleafure; for what dorh he offer but a lump of Re· hellion and Ingratitude? He cad make no other Sati•faltion but that of the Devils which continues for cv~r. and is not compleated. .; · ' Secondt,. Fain Man, con!idered only in his corrupt ahd miferable flare, is incapable of real Repentance, which is a nereffary Condition to guahfy him for Pardon. For whereas Repentance includes an ingenuous farrow for Sin pafl , and a fincere f01-faking of it, he is utterly indifpos'd for both. 1. He cannot be ingenuoufly forrowful for his offence. 'Tis true, when the circumftances arc changed, that which was pleafing will caufe trouble of Spirit ; As when a Malefactor fu l1ers for his Crimes, he reAeEts upon his Actions with Sorrow. But this hath no . Mo;al wort~ i1~ it: ~or ~tis a forc'd A~, (M7111 ~·ni. $16,. 2 C~r. 7· to.) proceeding fi·om a vtolent Pn~ctple, and IS confifi"ent wtth as great a love to Sm.as he had before, and is entirely termmated on himfelf. But that Grief which is Divme, anrl is accompanied with a. change in Heart and Life, re~pe~s the flain mo~·e than the punil11ment of Sin; and anfes from Love to God, who rs drfobeycd and drn1onoured by it: Now 'tis not concet\'able, th<Jt th.c guilty Creature can love God, whilfl: he looks on him as an irreconcilable Enemy. Drflrufl of the favour of a Perfon, which is a degree of Jlear, is attended wit~ c~ldnefs of afft:Etion: A ftrong fear, which fiill intimates an uncertainty in the event, mchnes to hc:ttrcd: But when Fear is turn'd into Dcfpair, it caufcth .direCt ha· tred. An. inl~ance of th;s we have in the Devils, who curfe the POunt.1in of 13/effednefl. If the Evrl be pafl Remedy, the fenfe of it is attended with Rage, and tranfports of Blafphemy agamfl God hrmfelf. A defpairing Sinner bcguJS in this Life the gnafhing of teeth agam!l hrs}udg, and kmdles the Fire that fJJall torment him for ever, Rev. I6. 2 r. ,Tis for this rcafon the Scnpture propounds the Goodnefs of God, as the moft. powerful Perfuaftve to ~ea.d Alen to repe'!tance, Rom. z. 4· There can be no kind!} Relentmgs withOut .filz.tl t\ffcchon, and that ts always temper'd with the t:xpeEtarion of Favonr. With'"' ou~ hope.of Pardon ;1ll ot her 1'.-iotives are incffecrual to melt the Heart, Now the. fir(t Covenant obliged Man to Obedience. or P~nifbmcnt. · It required Jmro· cer.ce, and dtd not accept of Reprntance. 1 he final VoJtc of the Law ts, Do, or Die. Guil· ty Man ca~moc I_ook on G~d with ~omfor~ under the notion of a Ho~y Creator, that de· · lights to VIew Ins own rcjt:mblance 10 the_ mnocent Creaturt:, nor of a compaffionate Fa· ther th~t fpares an oft cndmg Son, but ap~rehc~ds him to be an incxorabk J.udgc. who bath Rrght and Power to avenge the Drlobedrence. He can lind 110 exped!cnt for his Q. ~ Dchvcran,o,
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