(1.) From the nature of sin, which deserves that the sinner should suffer for it. Penal evil, in a course of justice, follows moral evil. Sin and sorrow ought to go together ; betwixt these is a necessary connection, Rom. vi. 13. " The wages of sin is death."
(2.) The veracity of God requires it The word is gone out of his mouth ; Gen. ii. 17. " in the day that thou eatest thereof, " thou shalt surely die :" certo ac statim moricris. From that time he was instantly and certainly obnoxious and liable to the death of soul and body. The law pronounces him cursed, " that continues " not in all things that are written therein to do them,11 Gal. iii. 9. Now, though man's threatenings are often vain and insignificant things, yet God's shall surely take place ; " not one tittle of the " law shall fail, till all be fulfilled,11 Matt. v. 18. God will be true in his threatenings, though thousands and millions perish.
(3.) The wisdom of God, by which he governs the rational world, admits not of a dispensation or relaxation of the threaten- ings without satisfaction * : for, as good no king, as no laws for government ; as good no law, as no penalty ; anct as good no pe- nalty, as no execution. To this purpose one well observes ; " It " is altogether indecent, especially to the wisdom and righteous- " ness of God, that that which provoketh the execution, should
* Dr. Reynolds on PsaL ex. p, 409.
148 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XI.
" procure the abrogation of his law ; that that should supplant and P undermine the law, for the alone preventing whereof the law " was before established. " How could it be expected, that men should fear and tremble before God, when they should find them- selves more scared than hurt by his threats against sin ! So then God stood upon satisfaction, and would admit no treaty of peace, on any other ground.
Object. Let none here object, that reconciliation upon this only score of satisfaction, is derogatory to the riches of grace ; or that we allow not God what we do men, viz. to forgive an injury freely * without satisfaction.
Sol. Free forgiveness to us, and full satisfaction made to God by Jesus Christ for us, are not atfupara, things inconsistent with each other, as in its proper place shall be more fully cleared to you. And for denying that to God which we allow to men ; you must know, that man and man stand on even ground: man is not capable of being wronged and injured by man, as God is by man, there is no comparison between the nature of the offences.
To conclude, man only can freely forgive man ; in a private capacity, so far as wrong concerns himself; but ought not to do so in a public capacity, as he is judge, and bound to execute justice impartially. God is our Law-giver and Judge : he will not dis- pense with violations of the law, but strictly stands upon complete satisfaction.
2. Man can render to God no satisfaction of his own, for the wrong done by his sin. He finds no way to compensate and make God amends, either by doing, or by suffering his will.
(1.) Not by doing : this way is shut up to all the world ; none can satisfy God, or reconcile himself to him this way ; for it is evident our best works are sinful ; " All our righteousness is as " filthy rags,1' Isa. lxiv. 6; And it is strange any should imagine, that one sin should make satisfaction for another. If it be said, not what is sinful in our duties, but what is spiritual, pure and good, may ingratiate us with God? it is at hand to reply, that what is good in any of our duties, is a debt we owe to God, yea, we owe him perfect obedience ; and it is not imaginable how we should pay one debt by another ; quit a former by contracting a new engagement. If we do any thing that is good, we are be- holden to grace for it, John xv. 5. 2 Cor. iii. 5. 1 Cor. xv. 10. In a word, those that have had as much to plead on that score as any now living, have quitted, and utterly given up all hopes of appeasing and satisfying the justice of God, that way. It is like, holy Job feared God, and eschewed evil as much as any of you ; yet he saith, Job ix. 20, 21. " If I justify myself, mine own * mouth shall condemn me ; if I say I am perfect, it shall also
8ERM. XT> THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE, 140
" prove me perverse. Though I were perfect, yet would I not " know my soul ; I would despise my life." It may be David was a man as much after the heart of God as you ; yet he said, Psal. cxliii. 2. " Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in " thy sight shall no man be justified." It is like Paul lived as holy, heavenly, and fruitful a life as the best of you, and far, far beyond you ; yet he saith, 1 Cor. iv. 4. " I know (or am conscious to " myself) of nothing, yet am I not hereby justified." His sincerity might comfort him, but could not justify him. And what need I say more ? The Lord hath shut up this way to all the world ; and the scriptures speak it roundly and plainly : Rom. iii. 20. " Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be j usti- " fled in his sight.1,1 Compare Gal. iii. 21. Rom. viii. 3.
(2.) And as man can never reconcile himself to God by doing, so neither by suffering : that is equally impossible ; for no suffer- ings can satisfy God, but such as are proportionable to the offence we suffer for. And if so, an infinite suffering must be borne : I say infinite, for sin is an infinite evil, objectively considered, as it wrongs an infinite God. Now sufferings may be said to be infi- nite, either in respect of their weight, exceeding all bounds and limits ; the letting out of the wrath and fury of an infinite God : or in respect of duration, being endless and everlasting. In the first sense, no creature can bear an infinite wrath, it would swal- low us up. In the second, it may be borne as the damned do ; but then, ever to be suffering, is never to have satisfied.
So that no man can be his own priest, to reconcile himself to God by what he can do or suffer. And therefore, one that is able by doing and suffering, to reconcile him, must undertake it, or we perish. Thus you see plainly and briefly the general nature and necessity of Christ's priesthood.
From both these, several useful corollaries, or practical deduc- tions, offer themselves.