186 7 he Harmony of the Vivine Attributes ~loved Son, his Clemency towards us guilty Rebels is full)' commenfurate. For he parChap. 14 dons us without the expence of one drop of our Blood, though the Soul of Chrifl: ~·was poured forth as an Offering for Sin. Nay hereby the Divine Clemency is more commended, than by an abfolute forgivenefs of fin, without refpefr to fatisfatlion. For the Honour of God being concern'd in the punifi1ment of fin, that Man might not continue under a fad Obligation to it, he was pleafed, by the af\onifi1iog wonder of his Son's Death, to vindicate his Glory, that repenting Believers may be jufl:ified before him. Thus in an admirable manner he fatisfies Juflice, and exalts Mercy: And this could have been no other way elfefred; for if he had by mee.r Sovereigntydilfolved our Guilt, and by his Spirit renewed his Image in us, his Love had eminently appear'd, but his Ju- !lice had not been glorified. But in our Redemption they are both infinitely magnified ; His Love could give no more than the Life of his Son, and Jnflice required no lefs: For Death being the Wages of Si11, there could be nb fatisfafrion without the Death of our Redeemer. CHAP. XIV. The Complearnefs of Chrifl's Satisfa8ion proved from the Caufes and Effetl:s of it. The Caufes are the Q!!.altty of his Perfon, and Degrees of his Suff"ings. Tbe Effetl:sare his Kefurre8ion, Afcention, lntercefJion atGod'1 right Hand, and bis exercijing the Supreme Power in Heaven 'and Eartb. The excellent Benefits whicb God reconciled bejlows on Men, are the Effe8s and Evidences of his compleat Satisfallion. 1/;ey are Pardon of Sin, Grace, and Glory. That Repentance and Faith are required, in order to the partak,jng of the Benefits purcbafed by Cbrifl's Veatb, doth not lejfon the Merit of his Sufferings. That Afllrtlioru and Death are iltjliCied on Beliwers, doth not derogate from their AU-fuffi<iency. T ~};ri~~~hT~,i;fe,tobybewh~~fii~e\~~11 ;~~~~ ~~~b~~~~1~,(\~e ~~e ,;::;s;~'t~~c~~; fully glorified in his Sulferings. For the ptaof of this I will, Firjl, Confider the Caufes from whence the compleame[s of his Satisfafrion arifes. Secondly, The Elfefrs that proceed from it, which are convincing Evidences that God is fully appeas'd. The Caufes of his compleat Satisfafrion are tw•. x. The Quality of his Perfon derives an infinite value to his obedient Sulferings. Our Surety was equally God, and as truly infinite in his Perfefrions as the Father, who was provoked by our Sins, therefore he was able to m•ke fatisfafrion for them. He is the Son of God, not meerly in verrue ofhis Office, or the fpecial Favour of God, for on fuch accounts that Title is communicated to others ; but hil only Son by Nature. The foie Pre-eminence in Gifts and Dignity would give him the Title of the fir{l born,but not deprive them of the quality of Brethren. Now the Wifdom and Juf\ice of all Nations agree, that Punifbments receive their ef\imate from the quality of the Per[ons that fulfer. The Poet obferves, _ Plurir enim Decii, quam qui fcrvantur aL iOis. }U\'en. That the Death of a Vertuous Perfon is rhore precious than of Legions. Of what ine!limable value then is the Death of Chrifl:, and how worthy a Ranfom for lofl: Mankind. For although the Deity is impa!lible, yet he that . was a divine Perfon fulfered. A King fulfers more than a private Perfon, although the fl:rokes directly inflil.l:ed on his Body, cannot immediately reach his Honour . And 'tis fpedally to be obferved, that the Efficacy of Chrifl:'s Blood is afcribed to his divine Nature: This the Apofl:le declares, Col. 1. 14. In whom we have Redemption tbrough his Blood, even the forgivenefs of Sins, who is the Image of the invifible God: Not an artificial Image which imperfefrly reprel(:nts the Otiginal ; As a Pifrure that fe ts forth the Colour and Figure of a Man, but not ,his Life and Nature: But the elfential and exa/.1: Image of his Father, that expreifes ,all •his glorious Perfel.l:ions in their Immenfity and Eternity. This is teflified exprefly in ' Heb. I •
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