he not worthy of your Heart and Lives and your all That parted with his Life and his all for you 3. Shall he die for your Sins and will you hugg and love your Sins Shall he bear your Sins And shall he be press'd down to death for your Sins and will you hugg that Knife that did let out the Heart Blood of your Saviour Will you make much of those things that are the Enemies of your Lord Jesus Christ Pray consider this A Plain and Familiar DISCOURSE ON Justification c. SERMON IV. ROM 3. xxiv Being justified freely by his Grace thro' the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ DOctrin That Justification is wholly of the free Grace of God through or by the Imputation of what Christ hath done for us or his perfect Righteousness I shall now speak of the Material and Formal Causes of our Justification Matter and Form I told you most not be divided And my Beloved the matter or that which Justifies us according to the word of God is the Righteousness of Christ Ques But some may Query What Righteousness is this that you say is the Righteousness of Christ Is it the Righteousness of Christ as he is God Ans To which I answer no it is not the Righteousness of Christ as he is God 1. Because that is the Essential Righteousness of the God-head and if we were Justified by that we should also be deified 2. It is not the Righteousness of Christ as he is God because the essential Righteousness of God being his Essence cannot be communicated to any Creature 3. If it were by the Righteousness of the God-head then it would follow that it is the Righteousness of the whole Trinity and then it may be as well said that we are Justified by the Righteousness of the Father and by the Righteousness of the Holy Ghost as by the Righteousness of the Son But 2. It is therefore positively the Righteousness of Christ as Mediator namely as he is God-Man the Righteousness he performed for us in the days of his Flesh while he lived for us upon the Earth this is by St. Paul call'd the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of the Righteousness of God went about to establish their own Righteousness c. I will give you the Reasons why it is called the Righteousness of God And 1. Because this Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ which is his Active and Passive Obedience which he acted and suffered for us in our room and stead I say this Righteousness is called the Righteousness of God because it was a Righteousness found out by the infinite Wisdom of God and that to this very end and purpose that we might be Justified and defended from divine Wrath and the Curse of the Law to which we had made our selves liable by our Sins It was I say a Righteousness found out by the Infinite and all-wise God for us after we had lost our original Righteousness 2. Because it is the Righteousness of him that was truly God so well as Man He being in the form of God thought it no Robbery to be equal with God and therefore saith he I and the Father are one 3. Because it is not the Righteousness of a meer Creature the Lord Jesus was God as well as Man and therefore his Righteousness is not the Righteousness of a meer Creature but the Righteousness of God-man therefore it is called the Righteousness of God that it may be distinguished from the Righteousness of a Creature and because it is not our own Inherent Righteousness I say therefore it is call'd the Righteousness of God because it is to be found only in God man but to us it is Imputed and not Inherent it is not our Righteousness which are meer Creatures therefore it is called the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 For they being Ignorant of the Righteousness of God and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God Why what doth he mean by the Righteousness of God You 'll see in the next words ver 4. For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth therefore God's Righteousness here is that that was fulfill'd by Christ while he was upon the Earth How so Why because Christ did perfectly and compleatly keep the Law maintain its Sanction and Holiness how do you prove that may some say Why it appears by the very next verse v. 5. For Moses describeth the Righteousness which is of the Law that the Man which doth these things shall live by them Now this is equivolent to the forgoing verse Christ Jesus he is the end of the Law for Righteousness because he did do those things perfectly and compleatly did he keep the Law and so brought in a Righteousness by his Obedience for our Use and Advantage 4. It is called the Righteousness of God because it is a Righteousness approved and accepted as well as appointed by the holy God God the Father hath accepted this Righteousness he is fully satisfied with it he is well pleased with his Son Jesus Christ i.e. in his Obedience and Conformity to his Will therefore it is called the Righteousness of God because it is a Righteousness that pleaseth God and that God accepteth of for the Good of us and in the Behalf of us But further to prove the third thing viz. That the material Cause of our Justification is that Righteousness by which Christ did fully and compleatly answer the demands of Justice to every Jot that it is this Righteousness and not Inherent Righteousness How do you prove that say some That it is not Inherent Righteousness Why if we are Justified by Inherent Righteousness then it would follow 1. That the Formal Cause of our Justification is by infusing a Righteousness and not by Imputation it would follow then that a Righteousness implanted in us and not imputed to us is the Cause of our Justification 2. It would then follow that if we were Justified by Grace Inherent it would be by a Complication of Graces and not by Faith only which would antiquate that Text Rom. 4.5 But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that Justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness But this would be I say not only Faith but the Grace of Love and the Grace of Humility and the Grace of Long Suffering the Grace of Meekness and Temperance together with the Grace of Faith 3. If it were by a Righteousness Inherent in us then it would follow that Faith would not be Imputed or accounted to us for Righteousness in respect of the object Jesus Christ but Faith would be accounted to us for Righteousness as a holy Act or divine Grace in us together with other Graces 4. If it were by a Righteousness Inherent then also it would follow that Works may as well be said to be our actual Righteousness to Justification as Inherent Grace How
considered that Man is in a lost and undone State i. e. all Mankind by reason of the Fall and Transgression of our first Parents are brought into a state of Sin and Death besides our own actual Sins by which we have aggravated our Misery and strengthened those Cords that bound us under the wrath of God This must be taken in that all Men are concerned with Adam as considered in his Loyns and his Apostasie from God He was a publick person and did personate all Mankind that should proceed from him His Standing was our Standing his Fall was our Fall his Gain had been our Gain Our Stock was all put into his Hands and into his keeping and he proved Bankrupt and broke and lost all and we by his Sin are brought into a state of Sin prone to Sin and bound over to eternal Wrath having rebelled against God and grieviously offended that holy Law-giver This the Apostle shews at large in the same Chapter from Verse the 10. to 19. how miserable we are by Nature how sad and woful our case is by reason of Sin 2. This must also be considered that Mankind You and I every one of us by Nature are Children of Wrath and stand charged at God's Barr where we must plead and either must be Justified or Condemned we having proved Traytors and Rebels to the Sacred and Divine Majesty and he will call us and most Righteously will he judge us and we must plead He will call us to an account for our Sins and Rebellions because they were against him Now when the Sinner comes and appears be-before God and is accused and charged with horrid Guilt and Crimes even of the highest and greatest Treason and Rebellion that ever was committed I say when the Sinner shall appear before God and is thus charged what will he then plead For he must plead either guilty or not guilty Now to prove that he is guilty there appears against him three substantial Witnesses First God himself is a Witness against the Sinner Mal. 3.5 I will be a swift Witness against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers c. saith God He that knows every vain Lust and unprofitable Thought he that sees in the dark as clearly as at Noon-day and hath an account of all the works of Iniquity In whose memory is recorded all the Thoughts that ever thou didst think all the words that ever thou didst speak he will be a swift Witness against thee that thou art guilty of many grievious Sins And his dreadful Justice will pursue thee as the Avenger of Blood did persue the Man-slayer under the Law So I say will God's Justice persue the Sinner and by substantial Evidences will manifest that the Sinner is grieviously guilty Secondly as God will be a witness against thee so the Law will accuse the Sinner The Law is broken and trampled upon and that will rise up against the Sinner and will plead against him that it was despised and trampled under foot There is one saith Christ that accuses you even Moses in whom you trust The Jews trusted in their own works that were agreeable to the Law they rested on their external Obedience to the Law of Moses And this saith Christ will plead against you Though you trust in him yet this very Law will condemn you Moses accuses or his Law accuses every Soul who continues not in all things contained therein to do them Gal. 3.10 That Soul must perseveringly continue in doing all things that the Law requires that expects to be Justified by it For if you step but one Inch awry you are under the curse of the Law and the Law broken will be a swift Witness against the Law breaker The Law was added because of Transgression Gal. 3.19 Not only to deterr and restrain from Sin but it was added to condemn even to aggravate the heinous Crimes and abominable Offences on the Soul of the Sinner The Law was added to make Sin appear exceeding sinful it was not given that we might be Justified by it but to shew us the need we have of another Righteousness and the deplorable state we were brought into by the breach of it Not but that the Law is holy just and good What shall we say then saith St. Paul is the Law Sin God forbid because the Law is said to discover Sin and to strengthen Sin is it therefore Sin God forbid Nay saith he I had not known Sin by the Law i. e. I had not known Sin so fully and so clearly The Law of Nature it is true doth convince of all Immoral Acts of Sin but not so fully as the written Law doth especially as it opened in the Gospel The Law written in Men's Hearts cannot convince them of all Sin nor of any Sin so fully and so clearly as the Law opened in the Gospel We had not known the Spirituality of the Law in that degree had it not been for the Law The Law is called The strength of Sin 1 Cor. 15.59 How the strength of Sin Yes because it makes Sin more strong against the Sinner so that he sees he cannot help himself for the Law curses him And therefore in this case the Law is said to strengthen Sin Why because it strengthens the accusation of Sin it strengthens the guilt of Sin therefore it is said that the Law is the strength of Sin Thirdly This must also be considered every Man's Conscience will also naturally accuse him not only God will be a swift Witness against the Sinner and his Law but the Sinner's own Conscience doth accuse him now and it will accuse him at the great Barr of God's Justice if the Soul be not Justified Rom. 2.14 15 16. The Apostle speaking of the Gentiles saith he For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their Hearts their Conscience also bearing Witness and their Thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another in the day when God shall judge the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ So that you see that Conscience will accuse the Sinner if he be not Justified Then Conscience will receive a clear Light that he may Sum up all the Crimes and wicked Acts and Speeches and Thoughts that ever the Sinner was guilty of If therefore the Sinner should deny the matter of Fact that he is not guilty or that he is not guilty to such a degree yet you sind God hath Witnesses for it Then will be Conscience ready to prove it against you and we need have no other Witness to prove the Charge against us then our own Consciences for that will be more then a Hundred Thousand Witnesses But 3. It is necessary to Consider what the guilty Sinner must do in this case Suppose the Judge of Heaven and Earth should say Sinner what hast thou to say why the Sentence of
to the Righteousness of Christ is because they see a Righteousness in themselves and conclude to be Justified by Inherent Righteousness But it is only such Persons that see their Misery by reas on of their Apostacy and the want of perfect Righteousness in themselves that fly to Christ 3. You must consider the Greatness Power Holiness Justice and Righteousness of God as well as his Mercy and Goodness Sinners they meditate on his Mercy and Goodness and they forget his Justice his Wisdom his Power and his Faithfulness They don't consider that God is a faithful God but they think if they do but melt he must forgive them They little consider that God is a wise and just God and that these Thoughts of theirs are but vain They little consider that God is most pure and holy they do not meditate on the holy nature of God which would presently inform them that God cannot accept of one into his Bosom that is unclean and impure II. This brings me to shew you what Justification is And 1. To Justifie doth not here intend to declare a person innocent or that he hath never sinned or is not guilty of the Fact That is not the meaning of it as you may see Rom. 4.5 But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that Justifieth the Ungodly c. or that defendeth the Ungodly it is not to make the person faultless for all have sinned and are guilty before God in themselves And to justifie them doth not annihilate their Sin so as to proclaim them innocent in them selves and without inherent Sin 2. Neither is Justification a meer and bare Pardon and Forgiveness of SIN 3. Consider none but such Persons who be Inherently Just or made Just can be Justified If God be said to justifie the Ungodly it is because they are made Just tho' they are not Just in themselves yet they are made Just thro' the Imputation of anothers Righteousness 4. Consider none that were once unjust can be made just again or acquitted without Satisfaction made to the Justice of God And 1. What can do this Sorrow for offence will not make compensation to the Justice of God This will not satisfie the Law when the Thief is brought before the Judge for him to shed Tears the Judge will not set him free because he mourns and weeps 2. The Confession of the East is no Ground in Law for Absolution therefore when the Apostle saith If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins c. 1. Joh. 1.9 we are to consider First it refers to God's Promise and Faithfulness He is Just and Faithful to forgive us our Sins in his Son for he hath promised this and all things else in Christ and he would be unjust if I may so speak with Reverence if he was not so good as his word Secondly That which is the Ground of it with respect to Justice is the Blood and Merits of the Lord Jesus Christ For the Lord hath received Satisfaction by the Death of the Mediator By the Death of our Trustee who stood our Room and bore our Sins in his own Body on the Tree Now this would reflect on his Justice if he did not set the Sinner free for whom he had received satisfaction so that it is just with God to forgive us our Sins i. e. he approves himself just in forgiving our Sins But 3. Remission of Sin doth not make a Man who was guilty to become guiltless I say Remission of Sin in respect to Pardon so considered doth not make a Man who was guilty to become guiltless a Thief tho' pardoned is a Thief still Forgiveness discharges only from Penalty 4. The suffering the Penalty doth not make him that is unjust to become Just therefore thou wilt not be Just nor Justified though thou dost suffer the penalty A Thief burn'd in the Hand is a Thief still tho' he hath suffered the Law tho' it dischargeth him it doth not justifie him 5. Therefore in order to Justification there must be a plenary Satisfaction for the fault done Nor is this plenary satisfaction always to be made by the offending Party it may be done by the Surety and so it is here 6. God only who is offended knows best what Satisfaction comports and suits with his Holiness and Justice We must not be Choosers in this great case We must not think nor set down this will satisfie God's Justice if we cry and call for Mercy that this will do it Or if I Repent of my Sins that will do it We must have a care what we say God only who is offended knows best what Satifaction suits with his Holiness and if he in Christ declares himself well satisfied shall we seek out another way When God declares that he is well pleased in no other way Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved Act. 4.12 7. And lastly Therefore to be Justified is to be acquitted and declared Just through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ or that Satisfaction that he hath made to divine Justice It is God's pronouncing of us Just 't is not his making of us inherently so but his pronouncing of us Just and Righteous through the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Justification is taken in Scripture namely to declare a Man Just that is Justification in a Gospel sence and that is Condemnation for a Man to be declared Unjust through the Fall of the first Adam So now we are declared even every Bellever Just through the Imputation of the Righteousness of the second Adam and that is by the Lord Jesus A Plain and Familiar DISCOURSE ON Justification c. SERMON II. ROM 3. xxiv Being Justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ DOctrine That Justification is wholly of the free Grace of God through or by the Imputation of what Christ hath done for us or his perfect Righteousness I shall now proceed to the next thing namely to prove to you that Justification is taken in Scripture to declare or pronounce a Man Just or Righteous upon Tryal which includeth pardon of Sin but is more than bare Pardon of Sin Vide Deut. 25.1 If there be a Controversie between Men and they come unto Judgment that the Judge may judge them then they shall justifie the Righteous and condemn the Wicked What make him inherently Just No that is not the meaning of the Holy Ghost but they shall pronouce or declare him acquitted And shall Condemn the Wicked i. e. they shall pronounce or declare him Wicked he doth not say they shall pardon the Righteous for that is not to justifie him nor doth the Text mean the infusing inward Righteousness into him to be Justified no more than their making the Wicked wicked I say it is not infusing Wickedness into the Wicked that makes him wicked nor their infusing
one from the other i.e. the Active Obedience of Christ and his Passive Obedience Now I say it is not safe for any to say we are Justified by the Passive Obedience of Christ only i. e. By his Death and Sufferings alone I say 't is very dangerous for any to believe thus For thus I argue Argument That alone by which the Law is fulfilled and God's Justice satisfied by that alone we are Justified But by the Righteousness of Christ that is to say the Righteousness of his Life which is his Active Obedience And by the Righteousness of his Death which is his Passive Obedience the Law is fulfilled and God's Justice fully satisfied Therefore by the whole Righteousness of Christ namely his holy Life and Meritorious Death we are Justified not by his Death excluding his holy Life but his holy Life and bitter Death justifies us and is the Meritorious Cause of our Justification And my Beloved consider 1. That the first part is proved thus There is no Justification before God without a perfect and compleat Righteousness as that which is agreeable to God's holy nature and which is agreeable to his holy Law and this I have already proved that a Man must be perfectly Just or declared so upon just Grounds or he cannot be Justified 2. Consider that there is no perfect Righteousness but that which exactly and fully fulfilleth the Law that is accepted of God and this is done I mean the Law fulfilled two ways 1. By a perfect and perpetual Conformity to the Law not only a perfect Conformity to it for the present but by a perpetual Conformity to it in doing all that the Laws injoyns according to the Tenure of it do this and live or do this and thou shalt be Justified I will defend you from all and every thing that can do you hurt 2. By a full Satisfaction and Compensation to the Sentence of the Law i. e. to bear and undergo the Penalty and punishment thereof which was Death and the Curse and Wrath of God this was our due and this Christ did in our stead as our Surety he did perfectly and perpetually keep the Law while he was on Earth in our Nature for us and he did fully satisfie and make Compensation to the Sentence of the Law he did undergo the penalty and punishment therein denounced which was our due 3. And that it must be thus evident because the Doctrine of Justification doth not make void the Law but establish it See Rom. 3. ult Faith or Justification by Faith doth not make void the Law but establish it The Law is Confirmed i. e. Established by our being Justified by the compleat Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ by the perfect and compleat Conformity of the Lord Jesus to the Law the Law is Established as Holy Just and Good But Christ did fully and perfectly keep the Law and make a full satisfaction to the Justice of God for the Breach of it He in every Precept Type Promise and Prophesie compleatly fulfilled it to justifie us thereby as our Surety Therefore 4. Consider that by the Passive Righteousness or Meritorious Death and Suffering of Christ we are not Justified this doth not justifie us alone that is singly considered and the reasons follow Reason 1. Because it is by his Suffering for us and in our nature as our head Surety and Representative bearing the penalty of the Law he frees us from Hell 2. Because by his Righteousness both Habitual and Actual he intitles us to Heaven neither of which we were capable to perform therefore his Passive Obedience alone doth not justifie for by his Passive Obedience bearing our Punishment he only frees us from Hell and by his Active Obedience in keeping perfectly and perpetually the Law he gives us a Title to the promise of Glory Now it is one thing to be freed from punishment and another to be raised again into the King's Favour and Presence Wherefore 3. As without the Imputation or Satisfaction of his Sufferings we could not be freed from Hell So without his perfect Obedience and Conformity to the holy Law imputed to us we could not be Justified and Saved By the former viz. the Sufferings of our Saviour He hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law and from the Wrath of God being made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 And by the latter he makes us Partakers of the promised Blessedness or gives us a Title to or Interest in the promises of Eternal Life by performing for us in our nature that Righteousness which was the condition of the Promise Do this i. e. perform this there 's the Precept and thou shalt live that 's the Promise Now this Life is not only Temporal but Spiritual It is a Life of Peace in the Favour and Love of God a Life of great Consolation in God's Love and Favour Do this and thou shalt live This Christ did therefore the promise is ours he did it for us And God the Father to speak with Reverence is obliged to make good the promise We shall live Therefore 4. Consider as we are Justified from our Sins by the Blood of Christ that we might not be damned So we are just by the actual Righteousness of Christ that we might be Saved or Glorified The first defends us from the Curse and Wrath of God the seconds intitles us to the Mercies and Blessings of God or as we were Reconciled to God by the Death of Christ so we are as well Justified and Saved by the Life of Christ i. e. by that Life that he lived for us while on Earth the Benefits and Blessings of which he pleads now for us in Heaven for it is to this end he lives now for us in Heaven There not only doth he plead his bitter Death and Passion but also his holy Life which was a perfect Conformity to God's Law Vide Rom. 5.10 For if while we were Enemies we were Reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being Reconciled we shall be saved by his Life So it is by his Life that we are saved because he now lives to plead the virtue of his Death and of his Undertakings for us By this you may see the Doctrin of St. Paul is Confirmed Rom. 5.19 For as by the Disobedience of one Man even Adam against the Law many were made Sinners by Imputation so by the obedience of one Man even Christ the second Adam shall many be made Righteous Having thus opened the point that which I am to prove is this viz. That Christ's Death is the Meritorious or procuring Cause of our Justification That Christ's Sufferings did merit this Favour at the Hand of God nor us and defends us from the Curse and Wrath of God Now that which we affirm is this That what Christ did and suffered he did it as a common Head Representative and Surety for all the Elect which are his Mystical Body But there is an unsound Notion spread abroad
viz. That Christ was not a proper Head Representative and Surety but did all as a Mediator only i. e. as one endeavouring to compose the Difference betwixt God and us but the contrary I shall now prove namely that Christ suffered as our Head Representative and Surety First We must prove that he became our Surety Secondly That he died in our stead place and room and these two will magnifie the Grace of God in our Justification And 1. Consider God he is Just so well as Gracious and his Justice required Satisfaction Now some Men amongst us would be Pardoned but not Justified They would have Life in a way of Mercy but not in a way of Righteousness They would have their Debts pardoned and forgiven but they would not have their Debts paid In a word They would come to Heaven but not by the Merits of Christ's Blood tho' they may pretend they believe no coming there but by his Merits yet they understand it in a remote Sâ—â—ce they would I say attain eternal Glory and a deliverance from every thing that is hurtful to them but this they would not have to run in the Channel of Christ's Obedience and Righteousness but in the Channel of their own Obedience But 2. Consider that as God is Just so well as Gracious therefore our Debts must must be paid so well as pardoned or we cannot be Justified and consider Christ is called a Surety in the word of God Vide Heb. 7.22 There our Saviour is called the Surety of a better Covenant By so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Testament i. e. Covenant Beloved a Surety is one that undertakes or engages to satisfie for another It signifies to strike Hand in the behalf of another And 1. For one whose Credit is gone or whose Credit is suspected as being not good therefore a Surety stands in his place and strikes Hands with the Creditor Thus did the Lord Jesus Christ strike Hands with the Father and become our Surety that he might stand Pay-master for us and in our room and stead God the Father foresaw that the Creature that he would make would fall and fore-designed to leave him to the liberty of his own Will at first and fore-seeing the misery that he would plung himself into and yet remembering Mercy and Pity which was a gloâ—ious Attribute in God so well as Justice That he might magnifie his Mercy and not wrong his Justice and that his Justice might be satisfied and his Mercy not impeach'd did enter into a Covenant with his own Son his Eternal Son And his Son strook Hands with him on the Behalf of the Sinner whose credit God fore-saw as lost c. 2. A Surety is to give Stability and Security in Case of Bond and Covenant Not only because Man had plunged himself under God's Wrath therefore Christ shook Hands in the Behalf of the Sinner whose Credit was gone to deliver him from Wrath But Christ strook Hands with the Father and set his Hand to the Sinner's Bond and became oblâ—ged to keep the Covenant in the behalf of the Sinner Christ set his Hand to the Covenant to keep it for the Sinner God fore-saw the Breach of this Covenant on our side and did therefore enter into a Covenant with his Son and the Son strook Hands with the Father that he would keep the Covenant for Man 3. A Surety dâ—th not only undertake for Debts but sometimes for Criminals sometimes Persons are bound as Surety Body for Body and Life for Life and this is a common thing in some Countâ—eys Now Jesus Christ did not only become Surety to pay our Debts as we were Debters but he became our Surety as we were Criminals and Traytors also and so was bound Body for Body Soul for Soul Life for Life in the Behalf of the Sinner 4. If the Party which the Surety engages for fail the Surety is then to make a full Compensation and pay the Debt and die for the Criminal Thus it was here we did fail and were not able to pay our own Debts and because we had heinously broken the holy Law of God and despised the Law-Giver and Contemned and trampled under our Feet his Royal Authority we became Traytors to the Divine Majesty and Jesus Christ he did not only become Paymaster of our Debts but did die in our room and his Life was taken for ours 5. A Surety imports the Obligation to be voluntary for the Law compels none to be bound for another unless they are willing the Law will only force the Man that is concerned if any Man engages for him it is not because the Law compels him but he doth it of his own Will so the Lord Jesus Christ did For what he did was of his own Will he did freely lay down his Life John 10.15 18. I lay down my Life for the Sheep No Man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self Which is to signifie to us his willingness his readiness and freeness to yield up himself to the Justice of God to be made a Sacrifice for us But 6. For a Man to become a Surety manifests great Love and great Pity To become a Surety for one that is greatly in Debt there is great Love and Pity but to become a Surety for a Criminal to die in his room this is Love indeed so it is with Christ see Rev. 1.5 Unto him that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood He loved us and let out all that he had for us and parted with his Life for us Who loved me saith St. Paul and gave himself for me But my Beloved here is a difference our great Surety is separate from all other Sureties for amongst Men the Debter commonly finds the Surety but here there is a great Disparity for our Surety is of God's procuring the Creditor himself procures the Surety but the next thing I am to prove is this viz. That Christ died as our Surety in our very stead and room And. 1. He underwent Death which was the punishment of Sin And because there was no reason nor cause why the Lord Jesus Christ should suffer the Penalty for himself it therefore unavoidably follows he suffered as he stood in our stead charged with our Sins Vide Dan. 9.26 And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself c. Not for his own Sin for he was sinless in himself he was pure and unspotted in himself He was cut off but not for himself but for his People This appears to be so because our Sins was laid upon him our Sins did all meet in his Person Isa 53.6 7 8. The Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all and again in another place He hath born our Grief that which we should have bore our selves He hath carried our Sorrows that which we should have carried our selves He was bruised for our Iniquity for which we should