e Q'ö/ ano ami pZa;3fi. 447 i2. The reafonof Chrift's fufferings, were as a Sacrifice to expiate our fins byhis fuffering in our ftead, to demonftrate theholinefs ofGod, his Juftice and Truth, and the Authority and equity of his Law, that God and hisLaws may not be defpifed, nor the world encouragedby impunity tounbelief and fin. By fuffering, he fulfilled that Law which required him to fiiffer , But he did not fulfil that Law which made fuffering due to us ; For it was not the punifhment of another for him, hilt of everySinner himfelf, which was due by that Law. Eut it wasfate fa5tionto theLawgiver whichhe made byhis fufferings : by givinghim that which was equivalent to all our fufferings Not that fame thingby which the threatningof the Law is pro- perly and fully performed (For that is nothing but our de- fîru&ion :) But it is fomething in its (lead. Not altogether of the famekind neither : For our great punifhment is, to be left in our fin it felf, (which is the mifery of the foul,) and tobe denied the fpirit of life, and to be hated of God as unholy Creatures, anddeprived of that love of his which all holy fösls are the proper Objeaof, and to be tormented of our guilty Confciences for each fin, and to be tormented by Devils in Hell, and to defpairofdeliverance ; All which Chrifl was never capable of, nor didundergo. But he fuffered the curled death of theCrofs, after a life of humiliation ; and fenfitble forrows alto in his Soul ; and not a little in his Intelle$ual Nature, fo far as was confiftent with.perfeaholinefs, and its neceflary confc- quents. And Chrifis fufferings are fatisfaaory to Divine Juflice, not becaufe they are the very fame,in fubjee7, matter or duration, with what was due to us; but becaufe they better attained the Ends of the Governor and Lawgiver aforefaid, than the Damnation of all theWorld would have done. Their.: aptitude to that end, was their fatisfadory and meritorious dignity. 13. Chrift fuffered for our fins, and in our ftead, becaufe it was to free us from fufferings : And it freeth us as certainly (luppofing us Believers) as if we had made fatisfadion our felves. But yet he fuffered in the Perfon of a Mediator, tvho in- deed is one that undertook to fuller in the sinners Read ; but never was nor contented to be efleeined the very Sinner him- felf.. If a man pay a Debt byhis Servant, it is imputed to him as his ownad and Payment : Eecaufe the Law alloweth him to do it bya Servant; And the Servant is but his Infirument. Bus this is not our cafe. thrift fuRered in our flead ; Eut not as our Delegate, nor in our Name and Perlon properly, but as a Vo- luntary-
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