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SERM. Xx
rv.]
THE ATONEMENT
OF
CHRIST.
6t
3.
His
forms
of
'government among
his
creatures
"might
have
appeared
as
a
matter
of
small importance
:
His threatenings might have been counted a trifling
and
`useless
formality,
and mere
vain
terrors,
if
he had
given
laws,
and
took no care whether they were obeyed or
no
:
and
if
he
let
those
creatures
that
broke them
come
öff,
without
any
tokens
of
his
displeasure, without any
reparation
of
the
honour
due to
his law
and govern-
ment:
Let
not
sinners deceive themselves with
vain
hopes, and dress
up
the
great God
in
their
own imagi-
nations,
as a being
of
mere
mercy, as
an
almighty
Crea-
tor,
that
keeps no discipline
or authority among
his
creatures;
Gal.
vii.
7.
"
Be
not
deceived,
God
is
not
mocked
He
that
soweth to the
flesh
shall reap.
destruc-
tion."
4.
God
had
a mind
to make
a very
illustrious display,
both of
his
justice and of
his
grace among mankind;
which
should
be
the
solemn
spectacle and the wonder
of
other
worlds besides
this,
even
the world
of
angels,
prin-
cipalities and powers
;
and
therefore
he
bath
designed his
grace
and
his
justice
should
mutually
set
forth
each
other, in
his
transactions
with
sinful man
:
On
this
ac-
count
he would
not pardon
sin,
without
a
satisfaction
;
but
he
thought
fit
to
require and
demand
that
sin be
punished, and
that
the
honour
of
the
law be
repaired to
the
full,
that
his
justice
might shine in
full
glory: And
at
the same time,
in
order
to display his rich mercy,
he
would
find
out a
way to
save
multitudes
of
these
rebelli-
ous
creatures.
These,
and other
reasons, infinitely
superior
to
all
our
thoughts, might
be
in the
divine mind,
why
God
would
not pardon
sinners without
a
satisfaction.
P!loPosITToN
IV.. Man,
poor
sinful man,
is
not
able to
make
any satisfaction to
God
for
his
own
sins,
by his
utmost labours
of
future obedience:
Fór
all
that'
he
can do
for
time to come,
is
but
mere necessary
duty,
if
he
had
not
sinned
at
all;
and
therefore
this
can
never
make
any
recompence to the governing
justice
of
God, for
his
past transgressions.
It
is
a' most
strange
vain
doctrine
of
the
papists,
that
some
persons are such
great
saints,
that
they do works
of
heroic virtue, beyond what they
are required
to
do; and
,these
they
call works
of
superèrogation,
whereby
they