in Contriving Man's Redemption.\·. the fury of the Almighty, the apprehenGons of which made the Soul of Chrifl heavy unto~ Dc.thl Have they patience to bear that for ever, wh ich was to Chri~, who cad the · ap. 15· flrength of the Deity to fupport him, intolerable for a few hours? If •t were fo with l..,('"'o/""\,J the green Tree, what will become of the Dry when expofed to the fiery Trial? If he that was Holy and Innocent fuffered fo dreadfully, what mufl: they expect who add lmpenitency to their Guilt, and live in the bold commiflion of fin, without reflection and remorfe? What prodigious Madnefs is it to dl"ink, In iquity li4._e Water, as a harmlefs thing; when 'tis a Poifon fo deadly, that the leafl drop of it brings certain ruin i What defpe~ rate Folly, to have Uightapprehenfions of that, which is attended with theftryr and fecMd Death? Nothing but unreafonable Infidelity and lnconfideration can make Men venturous to provoke the living God, who is infinitely fenGble of their fins, and who both can and will mofl terribly punifh them for ever. · 2. The O:rictnefs of divine Juflice appears, that required fatisfaction : equivalent to the defert of fin. The natural Notion of the "Deity, as the Governour of the World, inftructed the Heathens, that the tranfgreflion of his Laws was 1vorthy ofDeath, Rom. I. 31. This proves that the Obligation to punilhment doth not arife from the meer Will of God, which is only difcovered by. Revelation; but is found ed i(\ the nature of things, and by its own Li~ht is manifefted to reafonable Creatures. From hence they inferred, that it was not becoming the Divine Nature, as qualified with the relation of Supreme Ruler, to pardon fin without Satisfaction. This appears by the Sacrifices and Ceremonies, the Religions and Expiations which were performed by the mofl ignorant Nations. And although they infinitely abufed themfelves in the conceit they had of their pretended Efficacy and Virtue; yet the univerfal Confent of Mankind in the belief that Satisfaction was necelfary, deClares it to be true. This, as other natural DoClrins, is more full:t revealed by Scripture. Under the Law wi9h011t foedding of blood there Wtls no remijfion, Heb. 9· 22. not that common Blood could make fatisfactioll for Sin, but God commanded there 010uld be a vilibie mark of ,its neceflity in the Worfhip otfer'd to him, and a prefiguration that it lhould be accomplifb'd by a Sacrifice eternally efficacious. And the Oeconomy of our Salvation clearly proves, that to preferve the Honour of God's Government, ' twas mofl fit fin fhould be puniOt'd, that finners might be pardoned. For nothing was more repugnant to the Will of God abfolutely confidered, than the Death of his Beloved Son; and the niuural Will of Chrlfl was averfe from it, What then moved that Infinite Wifdom, which wills nothing but what is perfectly reafonable, to ordain that Event? Why fhould it take fo great a circuit, if the way was fo fhort, that by pure Favour, without fa tisfaction, Sin might have been pardoned? Our Saviour declares the neceflity of his fuffering Death, fuppofing the merciful Will of l,tis Father to fave us, when he faith, that M Mofes lifted up the Serpent in the Wi/dernefi, even fo muft the Son ofMa11 be lifted up, that whofoever believes iJz bi11t fhould not perijh. Tis true, • fince God had foretold and prefigured his Death by the Oracles and Actions under the Law, it necelfarily came to pafs. But to conGderthings exact ly, the unchangeable truth of Types and Prophecies is not the primitive and main reafon of the neceflity of things, but only lt fign of the certainty of the Event. Tn1 flrictnefs, things do not arrive becaufe of their Prediction, but are foretold becaufe they !hall arrive. !t is apparent there was a Divine Decree before the Prophecies; and that in the Light of God's infinite Knowledge things are, before they were foretold! So 'tis not (aid, a Ma11 mufl: be of a ruddy Complexion, becaufe his Picture is fo; but on the contrary~ becaufe he is rirddy his Pictur~ mufl be fa. That Chrifl by dying on tHe Crofs fhou!d tedeem Man; , \vas · the reafo11that the SerpentofBrafs was ereCted on a Pole .to heal· the lfraelitef, . and not on the ~on.trary. Briefly, the Apoflle fuppofes this n~ceflity of Satisfaction as an evident Pnn~•ple, when he proves wilful Apoflates to be incapable of Salvation, beca•fi· there remams no more Sacrifice for Sm: For the Confequence were of no force if fin might be p:udoned wahout Saet1fice, that 1s, without Satisfad:fon. ' 3· T~is Accou~t ~f "Chr!n's Death takes off the fcandal of the~rofs, and ch1tfges the Offence mto adm~ratlon. Twas foretold of Chrift, thJt he jbould be a Stone of{/umbllng, •nd a E.oc4._of offence, Luke 2. 34· not a jufr Caufe, bm an occ.afio,n of offence to the corr~pt Hearts of Men, and principally for his Sufferings. The Jew{ were pleafect ·~ith t~e titles of Honour g•ven to the MeffiaC, that he 010uld be a King, Powerful arid Glorious: But that Poverty, Dtfgrace and the fulfering Death lhoultl be his Character, they co.uld no.t endure: therefore they endeavoured to pervert the fenfe of the Prophets. His D!fc•pl~s w?o attended him in his mean State, expected thofe fad Appearances "Could termmate m Vlfible Glory and Greatners: bu"t when they f,iw him arrefied by his Enemies, Condemned ~nd C~ucified, this was fo opp?fite to !heir~ expefration, that they .f~iiited under the D•fappomtment; and when Chnfl was Preach'd to the" Gentile World, they rejected
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