8. On this state of things, on the necessary exercise of this right- eousness of God upon the supposition mentioned, depend both the necessity and especial nature of the priesthood of Christ. Designed it was in grace, as we have before proved, on supposition that God would save sinners. But it was this justice that made it necessary,
104 NECESSITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST [EXERC. XXIX.
and determined its especial nature; for this was that which indis- pensably required the punishment of sin, and therefore was it ne- cessary that he who would save sinners should undergo for them the punishment that was due unto them. This was therefore to be done by the Son of God, in the interposition that he made with God on the behalf of sinners. He was to answer the justice of God for their sin. But because this could not be done by mere suffering or enduring punishment, which is a thing in its own nature indif- ferent, the will and obedience of Christ in the manner of undergoing it was also required. This made his priesthood necessary, whereby whilst he underwent the punishment due unto our sins, he offered himself an acceptable sacrifice for their expiation. This is that, therefore, which is now distinctly proposed unto confirmation, namely, that the justice or righteousness of God, as exercised in the rule and government of his rational creatures, did indispensably and neces- sarily require that sin committed should be punished, whence ariseth the especial nature of the priesthood of Christ. And this I shall do,—First, By premising some observations making way unto the true stating and explication of the truth; Secondly, By relating the judgment or opinion of the Socinians, our professed adversaries in and about these things; Thirdly, By producing the arguments and testimonies whereby the truth contended for is established, where- withal the exceptions of the adversaries unto them shall be removed out of the way.
9. First, There are some attributes of God which, as to their first exercise ad extra, require no object antecedently existing unto their acting of themselves, much less objects qualified with any sort of conditions. Such are the wisdom and power of God, which do not find but produce the objects of their first actings ad extra. These, therefore, in their actings must needs be absolutely and every way free, being limited and directed only by the sovereign will and plea- ‘sure of God; for it was absolutely free to God whether he would act any thing outwardly or no, whether he would make a world or no, or of what kind. But on the supposition of the determination of his will so to act in producing things without himself, it could not be but he must of necessity, by the necessity of his own nature, act according to those properties, that 4s, infinitely powerfully and infi- nitely wisely. But herein were they no way limited by their first objects, for they were produced and had being given unto them by themselves. But there are properties of the divine nature which cannot act according unto their nature without a supposition of an antecedent object, and that qualified in such or such a manner. Such are his vindictivejustice and his pardoning mercy; for if there be no sinners, none can be punished or pardoned. Yet are they not
SECT. 9.] ON THE SUPPOSITION OF SIN AND GRACE. 105
therefore to be esteemed only as free acts of the will of God; for not their existence in him, but their owtward ewercise only, depends on and is limited by the qualification of their objects. So then,—
Secondly, The rule of God’s acting from or by his vindictive jus- tice is not a mere free act of his will, but the natural dominion and rule which he hath over sinning creatures, in answer unto the recti- tude and holiness of his own nature; that is, he doth not punish sin because he will do so merely, as he made the world because he would, and for his pleasure, but because he is just and righteous and holy in his rule, and can be no otherwise, because of the holiness and rectitude of his nature. Neither doth he punish sin as he can, that is, to the utmost of his power, but as the rule of his government and the order of things in the universe, disposed unto his glory, do re- quire.
Thirdly, This justice exerted itself in one signal act antecedent unto the sin of man, namely, in the prescription of a penal law; that is, in the annexing of the penalty of death unto the transgression of the law. This God did not merely: because he would do so, nor be- cause he could do so, but because the order of all things, with respect unto their dependence on himself as the supreme ruler of all, did so require. For had God only given men a law of the rule of their dependence on him and subjection unto him, and not inse- parably annexed a penalty unto its transgression, it was possible that man by sin might have cast off all his moral dependence on God, and set himself at liberty from his rule, as it was some such thing that was aimed at in the first sin, whereby man foolishly hoped that he should make himself like unto God; for having broke and disan- nulled the sole law of .his dependence on God, what should he have had more to do with him? But this case was obviated by the jus- tice of God, in predisposing the order of punishment to succeed.in the room of the order of obedience, if that were broken. And that this provision should be made, the nature of God did require.