V it Ro io. Epifile to the,t1 B B >t. $ v s. . Yuen into a new condition ofbeing for Gad, to fuffet in their Reed. For whereas the Vindictive Jufticeof God, which is the,refped of the univerfallteditudeofhis Holy Nature, unto the deviation of his rational creatures from the Law of their Creation, required that thatdeviation fhould be revenged, and themfclves brought into a new may ofbeingfor Clod, or ofglorifying him by theirfufrings, when they had refuted to do to byObedience, it was neceffary on the account. thereof, that if they were tobe delivered from that condition, that the Author oftheir deliverance fhould fufferfor them. And this excellently faits the design oldie Aponte, which is toprove the necefJity oftbefufring ofthe Mefab, which the jars fo ftumbled at. For if the JuÆice ofGod required that fo it fhould be, how could it be difpenfed withal ? Would they have God unjuft ? Shall he forego the glory of his Righteoufnefs and Holinefs, to pleafe them in their prefumption and prejudices ? It is true indeed, if God had in- tended no falvation ofhis fons butone that was temporal, like that granted unto the peopleofold under the conduct ofJofbua, there had been no need at all of the fuff r- ingsof the Captain oftheirfalvation.' But they being fach, as in themfclves had finned, and come fhort of the glory ofGod, and the falvationintended them being#iritual, confiding in a new ordering ofthem for Gad, and thebringing of them unto the eter- nal enjoyment of him in Glory, there was no way to Maintain the Honour of the Miceof God, but by his fufferings. And ashere lay the great miftake of the 3ewr, fo the denial of this condecency ofGods 3uJtiee, as to the fuffering: of the Mush, is the «Hirst 46ïó& ofthe Socinians. Schldlingius on this place would have no more in- tended, but that the way óf bringing Chrift to fuffer was anfwerable unto that de- fign which God had laid toglorifie himfelf in the falvation of man. But the Apolile Pays not, that it became, or was likable unto an arbitrary free decree of God, but it became himfelfas the Supreme Rulerand judge ofall .5 he fpeaks nor of what was meet unto the executionofa free Decree, but what was meet on the account ofGods Holinefs and Righteoufnefs to the conflitution of it,' as the defcription of him an- nexed dorhplainly thew. And herein have wewith our Apostle difcovered the great indifpenfible and fundamentalcaufi ofthefairings ofatilt. And we may henceob- ferve, that, V. Such is the defers offin, andflab is the immutability of the JaniceofGod, that there was nomay pafble to bringfanner: unto glory, but by the death andfufrings ofthe Son of God, who undertookto be the Captain oftheirfalvation. It would have been unbecoming Gad, the Supreme Govermour ofall the world, to have palled by the defert of fiti without this fatisfadion. And this being a truth of great importance, and the foun- dation of-modof the Apofiles enfuing difcourfes, muff be awhile insetted on. In there Vera. ,s that fore-going, thi , and fome ofthofe following, the Apotlle di- redly treats ofthe Caufes ofthe fufrings and deathof Chrift. A matter, as ofgreat im- portance in it fell, comprizingno fmall part of the myfteryof the Gofpel, fo indifen. fibly neceffary to be explained andconfirmed unto the Hebrews, who had entertained many prejudices against it. In the fore-goingVert he declared the caul, reonye nv; the inducing, leading, moving eaufe, which was theGrace ofGod; by the grace of God hewas to tafte death formen : This grace he farther explains inthis Vèrfe, Chewing that it confided in the Defign ofGod to bring marry fans toglory. All had finned and come Chore of his glory. He had according to the exigence of his Juthee denounced and declared Death and Judgment to bebrought upon all that finnedwithout exception. Yet fuchwas his infinite Love and Grace, that he determined or purpofed in himfelf to deliver fome ofthem, to make them and to bring them unto glory. Unto this end he refolved to fend or give his Son to be a Captainof falvation unto them. And this Love orGraceof God isevery where let forth in the Gofpel. How the fit rin s of this Captain offalvation became ufeful unto the Cons, upon the account Of the manifold union that was between them, he declares in thefollowing Verfes, farther explaining the Reafons and Caufes why thebenefit of his fulterings fhould redound unto them. In this Verf he expreffeth the eaufe vtOssTapsviOìr, theproouringesuf o the deathandfuf rings of CbriJt, which is theJuliet olGod, upon frippofitionof fin, and his purpofe tofave frnners. And thisupon examination we (ball findto be the great caufeof the death ofChrift. That the SonofGod, who didno fin, in whom his foul wasalways well pleated oà the account ofhis obedience, fhould fuffer and die, and that a death under the fen- cer=andcarte of the-Law, is agreat and aftonifhablu myftery ; all the Saints of God admire zqt
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