in Contriving ly!an's Redemption. 193 was cransterr'd to the Innocent, who voluntarily undertook for them. In this refpeQ: r'\....A./1 God truly pardons Sin, though he received imire Satisfallion; for he might in right Chap. I+. have refu fed it. ~ Now thefe things being fuppofed, although the Blood of Chrif'c was a Price fo preci- .ous that it can only be valued by God that received it, and might worthil y have redeemed a thoufand Worlds; yet the Effe/}s of it are to be difpenfed accord ing to the eternal Covenant between the Father and the Son, and the tenour of it is revealed in the Gofpel, viz. that Repentance and faith are the Conditions , upon which the obtaining Pardon of Sin, and all the Blefiings which are the confequents of it, depends: Thus Chrif'c who makes SatisfaClion, and God that accepts it, declare. T he Commiflion of the ApofHes from his own Mouth, was, to preach Repentance and Remijfiou of Sins in his' ~T;:;et~?~~~~~:~~~nt; J:~ :!J 4J;r;~~~if;~{ ~7~~~ei~s~~d ;: .be a Prince, a Saviour, for The ef'cablifhing of this Order is not a meer poGtive Command, wherein the Will of the Law-giver is the foie Ground of our Duty; but there a fpecial Congruity and Reafan in the Nature of the thing it felf. for Chrif'c bath fatisfied Junice, that God may exercife pardoning Mercy in fuch a manner as is fuitable to his other PerfeClions. Now 'tis contrary to his Wifdom to difpenfe the precious Benefit! of his Son's BloJd to impenitent Unbelievers; to give fuch rich Pearls, •nd fo dearly bought, to Swine that will trampl e them under their feet; to bef'cow Salvation on thofe who defpife the Saviour. 'Tis contrary to his Holinefs to forgive thofe who will fecurely abufe his Favour, as if hi s ~~~~~~~~r~~~~~;~~~r.e a~~r~~~~~j~a~~r)~il~~~~d i1:!c'y ~~~~~~b~~~=~~~'~,u~~~ an impenitent Sinner is necelfarily under the revenging J uf'cice of God. 'Tis no difparagement to his Omnipotency that he cannot fave fuch : For although God can do whatfoever he wiJJ,yet he can will nothing but what is agreeable to hi sNature. Not that there is any Law above God that obliges him to aCt, but he is a Law to himfelf. And the more excellent his PerfeClionsare, the lefs he can contradill them. As 'tisno Reflellion upon his Power that he cannot die, neither is it that he can do nothing unbecoming his PerfeClions. On the contrary, it implies Weaknefs to be liable to any fuch Aft. Thus fuppoGng the Creature holy, it is impoflible but he fhould love it: Not that he ows any thing ro the Creature, but in regard he is infinitely good: And if impenitent and obf'cin ate in Sin, he cannot but hate and puni!b it; not that he is accountable for his A/lions, but becaufe he is infinitely Juf'c. And from hence it appears, that the requiring of Repentance and f aith in order to the allual partaking of the Bleflings our Redeemer purchafed, doth no t diminifh the value of his Satisfallion; they being not the cau[es of Pardon, but necelfary Qualifications in the Subjed that receives it. 2. It doth not lelfen the Compleatnefs of his SatisfaClion, that Believers are liable to ~n~i~~~~:~e~~t~~r dt~~:~~d:r;h~~n~~~~~~ru~~r~~nfu~~c~~e~~;~~n:~~: ~~\~e:~c~~~ plifhed by him. This will appear by feveral Confiderations : I. Some Atlliftions have not the nature of a Punifhment, but are intended only for the exercife of their Graces; that the trial of their Faith, Pa~iencc, and Hope being much more precioui than of Gold that perifbeth, though it be tried with Fire, might be foJmd under Praife, I Pet. I. 7· Now thefe Atlliftions are the occafion of their Joy, and in order to their Glory. Of this kind are all the Sufferings that Chrif'cians endure for the promotion of the Gofpel. T hus the Apo{llei ef'ceemed themfelves dignified, in fuffering what was contumelious and reproachful for the Name ofChrif'c, Alh 5· 41. And St. Paul interprets it as a fpecial favour, that God call'd forth the l'hilippiani to the Combat, Phi/. I. 29. To JOII it if given itz the behalf of Chrifl to foffer: Not only the Graces of faith and fortitude, but the Afllillion was given. So Believers are declared HappJ, I Pet. 4· 14· when theJ are Partak!riof Chrifl', Suffering, : for the Spirit of Glory rej/I on thevt. Now it is ev ident that Afllftions of this Nature are no Punilhments. For ltnce 'tis elfential to Punifhment to be inflil}ed for a Fault, and every Fault bath a turpitude in it; it necelfarily follows, that Punifhment which is the Brand of a Crime muf'c be always attended with In famy, and the Sufferer under Shame. But Chrif'cians are honourable by their Sulferings for God, as they conform them to the Image ofhh Son, who was confecrated by Sufierings. 2. AffiiCl:ions are fent .fometimes not wirh refpetl: ro a Sin committed, buc to prevent the commiflion of it: And this dif'cinguilhes them from Punifhments. For the Law dete~s from E~il, not by infliCling, but threatning the Penalty: But in the Divine Difciphne the re IS another R.eafon: God all\ills to ref'crain from Sin: As Sr. Paul, 2 Cor. 12 . 7· had a Thorn in the Flefb to prevent Pride. cc 3· Thofe
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