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Show 'l~6 The Sandy Foundation Shahen. VoL 1.- 1668. bin the Supremacy of his Power, and Su_perexcellency of hi_s Nature,. tbar he ~rdonuh ·lniQuity, andreroinetb not 1m .A_nger for e'?er. So that If the ~v safisfaaionifis i'hould afk the Qpeftion, who IS a God like _unto o~rs, that cannot ardon Iniquity, n~:>r paiS _by T!'lnfgreffion~ but retameth hts Anger until rJme·body make h1m SatlSfaaion ? I anfwer, Many am~ngfi the badh and fevere Rulers of the Nation; but as for my God, He JS e?tal_ted above them a11 upon the Throne of his Mercy, tvho pardanetb lmlJ..utt], ttnd retaittctb n~t bis .Anger for tVer, hut wiU_ 1Jave ComDpaffion up[oWh·J Mat. 6. u.. .And forgive 1n our Debts, at o:e forgiVe our. tbt~r!• . ere no- thi~g can be more obvious, than th:lt whic~ is forgn•en,_ tsno_t patd: .~nd if it is our Duty to forgive our Debtors, ~Ithout a Sansfafhon ~ece~_ed, and that God is to forgh•e us, as we forgtve them, then is a .Sa.ttsfa~~tort totally excluded: Chriit farther paraphrales upon that Part of~ts Prayer, V For if ye forgive their Trejpa.Jftr, your Heavenly Farber wtU alfo forgiv:~~~~, Where he as well argues the Equity of God's _Forgiving them, from their Forgiving others, as he encou!agcs them to f?rgtve others, from the Example of God's Mercy, in forgivmg them: Whtch Is mo_re a.mply expreft, Cap. 18. where the Ki)lgdom of Heaven (tha~ conf!~s tn Rrgbu- /l oufnefs) is reprefented by a King; Who upon !1'U D~htol s Petrtron, bad. C'.om• pa.ffion, and forgave hi11t:; hut the fame treaftn$ h~s FeUo~·Servant vm~out the !raft Forbearance, tl;e Ki,tg Condemned his Un.rtgbteouf?left, a_nd delivered him over to the Tormentors. But how had thts been~ Fault tn the Servant if his King's Mercy had not been propofcd for hts Example ? How rnoft'unwonhy therefore is it of God, and Blafphemoua, may lJnftly_ter'? it for any to dare to affert that Forg_ivcnefS impoffible to God, WhJch lSi n~t only pofiible, but enjoyn'd to Men. j !ohn 3• 16. • s. For Godfo loved the World, that b~ gave his only beg~tttn ~orr, that whofoever believeth in him fhouid not .fierifh, but have EverlaJlt,ng Life. ~By which it appeirs, that God's Love 1s not the Efic8: ofChnft s SausfaEhon, but Chri!l is the proper Gift and Effefi of God's Love} • Ails to. 43• 9• To him give all the Prophets ~ltnefs, rl~ar through .'JU 1\am_e, v.bofoever bdieverh in him, jhall receive Remij}ion of Smt. [So that Remij}i01t came ~y belie\•ing his Tell:tmony, and obeying hts Precepts, and not by a Sm8: Satisfa8:ion.l Rom. s. 31. 10. lfGodheforus, who can be agamflml He that /Pared "ot_bu own 32. Son hut dehvered hun up for us aY. [Which evi~ently declares lt to be God's AB: of Love, otherwife, if he muft be pa1d, he fhould be at the Charge of his own Satisfaftion, for he delivered ~p the Son.J 2. Cor. ~· 11. And all Things are of God, w~~ bath rtcon(l/e~ ."s. to htmf~lf hy Je[m tS, l9• Cbrift, and hath given to 111 the .MrniftrY. of Ruona(ratJ01!, to w~t, that God wa1 in Chrifl, reconciling. the World to h{mftlf, not unpu_tmg the1r TreJfaffts unto them. [How undemably apparent ts It, that God ts fo far from ~ta~ding ofF in high Difpleafure, and_ upon his' ~wn Terms, contraft.ing ~nh his Son for a Satisfaftion, as betng otherwtfe uncapable to he reconctled, that he became himfelf the Reconciler by Chrift, and afterwards by the Apoftles, hH .Amhaffadorr, to whom was committed, the .Miniflry of Raon~ cili:!~o'j~J whom fJJ( have Redemption through his Blood, the Forgivenefs of ,!Ph· J. 7• Sins, according to rbe Riches of IJis Grace. [Now what Relation, Satisfac· tion has to Forgivenrfs of Sins, or how any can ccmftrue Grace, to be firjftJuftice, the meaneft Underfianding may determine.] 1 Pet. ~ o. J j. But the God of aU Grace, wbo hath called 111 unto his .. Eternal Glory, • 1 by Cbrifl Jefus. (He does not fay that God's Jufiice, in Confideration of Chrift's SatisfaEhon, acquitted us from Sins paft, prefem, and to come, and therefore bath called 111 to his Eternal Glory; but from his Grace.] 1, John 4, 9, 14. In tbU was manifeflrbe Love of God towards ur, btca11jt that God fent hH only begotten Son, into the World, that «'t might live tbrCNtgh him. [Which plainly attributes Chrift in his DoEl:rine, Life, Miracles, Death, and Sufferings, to God, as the Gift and Expreffion of his Etemal Love, fotthe Salvation of Men,] In Vot. I. Ute Slillli:J Fo~~ntla't]~m> S!Jnl.~ !,j~ l 1. Iu abol~!hing that other Covenant, which confifte~ in External and l;s'ti. :fhadowy Ordmances, and that made norleclean as concermng theConfcience. ~ 2 , In promul~ating his Meffage,, o.f a mofi Free and . uni~:er.faJr Te~e.r- of Life and Salvatwn. unto all that l:ie'l1eved and followed- tirm, ,(th<; Light) in all his Righreoufnef~, the very. end Of his Appearance being" to dellroy. the Works of the DeV:Jl, an'd whtch every Man onlY comes. to Exgeri'ence;; as h'e walks in an holy SubjeEtion, to tl:tat MeafUre pf Light ' and' G.race1 wherewith tlre Fulnefs hath enlighmed him. · j . In feconding his Dotlrines with Signs, Mhacles, and a mofi Innocent fell-denying Life. 4· In Ratifying and confirming all{with great Love and holy' Refignati· on) by the oft"ering up of his Body, to be crucified by wickea Hands: who isnowafCcnded far above all Heavens, and is thereby becorttea moft 06n'l.• pleat Captain, and Perf eel Example. Sothatl can by no Meansconc:lude, but openly declare; that the Scriptures of Truth, are nor only filent in Refetence to chis Doftrine of Ritid Satis[aflion, but that its altogether inconfiftent with the DigRityJ of God and very repugnant to the Conditions, Nature, a'nd Tendencrofthat sC: cond Covenant, concernjng which their Teftimony is fo clear. The Abfurdities, that unavoidably follow the Co,parifon of thu Doflrine, with the Senfe of Scripture. r. THAT God is gracious to forgive, and yer'tis impoffible for Him, unlefs the Debt be fully fatisfied. 2 .. That the Finite ~nd Impotent Creatu!e, is more capable of extendmg Mercy and Forgtv.enefs, than t. he lnfi~tte and Omnipotent Creator. 3, Tbat Godjo ~ove'!-rhe ft~orld, be gave bts onjy Son tojflve it; and· yet that God ftood off1n htgh Dtfpleafitre, and Chrilt ga\•e himfelf to G~d as a compleat Satisfaction to his ofFended Juftke: With many more .fitolt, like grofs Confequences that might be drawn. · Refuted from Right Rea[Jn. Bnt if we fhould grant a Scripture·Sflence; as to the Necdli\y of Cli rl!l's fo fatisfying his Fathers Juftice:; y'et ' fo manifcft would be the Contradlc~ , ti.ons, and foul. the ~epugnancies to Right_ReafOn, that Who had not vail'a hts Underftandtng With .the darkj Soggeibons of unw.:Jtt.::mtlble TraC!~tion or contraCted his Judgment to the implicit Apprehenfions of fqine over~ valued Acquaintance, might wi(h ·great Facility difcriminate to a full Re ... folurion in this Point: For admitting God ro be a Creditor, or he to whom the Debt (hould be paid, and Chrift, he that fatisfies or pays it 9n the Be· h:1lf of Man, the Debtor, this Q.uefiion will arife, wherher be -paid that Debt, as GodJ or Man, or both (to ufe their own Terms.) Not at God. r. In that it divides the !Jnlty of the God-head, ?Y two di~l bOl Aas; ofbemg offended, and not offended ; of condemning J uftice and redeeming Mercy:; of requiring a Satisfaction, and then making-of it. 2. Becaufe if Chrift pays the Debt as God, then the Father and ~he Spi ... rit being God, they alfo pay the Debt. . 3· Since God is to he fatisfied, and that Chrift is God, he confequently"' ts to be fatisfied :; and who fhall Satisfie his infinite JU1fice? 4: But ifChtifth3S fatisfied God the Father, C~H!l being alfo God, 'rwtll follow then that he has fatisfied hirnfelf, (which can't bl:.) ~.But fince God the Father was once to be fJtisfied, and rh<tt it"s ·impoffible he fht>uld do it himfelf,. nor yet the Sqn or Spirir, becaufe the fame God"i it naturally folloWs, thu the Debr remains unpaid, and thefc Sarisfaltionifts thua4ar are ftill at a Lofs. ' L 1 Not |
