htt God iui!t1y pstnifhedChriîtfur vs. 3 o t be candemned,and the wicked acgtiitted,that weewho like 73arrabas were cruell tnurtherers and wicked finners fhould be letbofe, & the immaculate lambe ofGod inwhom there was no fault fhould be delivered vp tobe crucified; for what were thisbut to make the iufl God like vniufl `Pilaf? what were this but to deny his owne word, hauing laid that the righteous fhould liue in his righteouíhcífe,and the firmer die Ezecim in his iniquitie ? To whichI anfwere, firfi, that it would not indeedhaue floodwith Gods iuflice,tohaue punifhed Chrif} as he was innocent and righteous, nor tohaue acquitted_ and abfoluedvs whowerevnrighteous and wicked; but heepu_ nifhedChrif} in refpeá that hee had taken vpon him the lins ofail the faithfull,and abfoluethvs as we are freed from our fins, and clothed with his righteoulnesand obedience. Hee punifhed Chrift,not as he was moll iuft and freefrom finne, but as hee was our flu ety,who had taken vpon him to dill charge our debt, and to fatiffie for our finnes,; and thus the . creditor may ivaly requirehis debt ofthe fureti'e,though in refpeaofhimfelfhe owedhimnothing, & thus he may,nay ought to.releafe the principall, when the furetie hathalrea- die difcharged the debt. Secondly I anfwere that it had been iniuflice inGod, ifheehad forced our Sauiour Chrifl,. who was iufl and innocent, to vndergoe the punifhtnents whichwere duevntovs, who weremalefators& offenders for this were to cordemne the righteous, and to iuflifie the wicked :butour Saviour Chrifl ofhis owne freeaccord, did voluntarilyoffer himfclfc to Band in our place, and to dit= charge that debt whichwe owed,and tomake fatisfaelion to his father,byfuffering thatpunifhrnent which we had defer- tied. And this appeareth, Iohn to. i8. where our Sauiour Ia;s as'b13, faith, that noman tooke his lifefrom ,rm. but that bee lased it dolbne ofbimrelfe.. And the-Apofl'le tellcth vs that he bumbled himfelf'e,and became obedient vntodcath,Phil.2.8. Inwhich re, fpe&,his death is called a facrifice or free oblation, which he voluntarilyoffered vntohis father. Heb.9.14. and therefore Hcb9.I the Lord might ivaly take that which Chriflfreeiy.gat.e,nay ithad been cruelty andiniui1icei-fhe fhouldhaue refufed,thc paicnent.offuchafuffieientftiretie,3,s eu he voluntarily.efe- red .:
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