The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise

Reason 1 First, because the Father was the party that was properly offended: the Father is the first person in the Trinity, and he was directly offended by Adams sin; it is true, the Son and the holy Ghost were offended too, as being friends with the Father, and having a relation to the Father, and a sweet fellowship with the Father; but the sin was directly against the Father, and indirectly against the Son, and the holy Ghost. The ground of the point is this, it wronged that work of Creation, wherein the manner of the work of the Father appeared in a special manner, and the manner of the work of the Son appeared in redemption, and the manner of the work of the holy Ghost appeared in sanctification: so that God the Father was the first in the work of the Creation, the Son second in the ⟨p. 136⟩work of redemption, the holy Ghost third in the work of sanctification: Now creation being the work wherein the power of the Father did most show it self, Adam falling away from this, did principally wrong the Father, for his manner of work appearing herein: therefore Adam did herein go directly cross to God. Excellent is that phrase, 1 John 2.1. Little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not; but some may say, what if we do sin? why saith he, we have an Advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the Just. Now no man saith, we have an Advocate with an advocate, no, for that were absurd: for no advocate pleads to another advocate, but he pleads to the party offended, for the party which hath offended: now in that the Apostle saith, We have an Advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ: It is plain that God the Father was the Person directly offended; the issue then is thus much; The Father being the Creditor, and the Person directly offended, the Lord Jesus Christ became our Surety, and the creditor doth require the debt at the hands of our Surety, and acquits the debtor; the creditor requires this, but the acquittance comes mainly and properly from the Father, because the debt was due to him: so that God the Father is the Creditor, the Son is the Surety, the poor sinner is the debtor, the holy Spirit is the messenger, that brings the acquittance from God the Father, and saith, lo the Father hath accepted of thee in his Son, the Surety hath paid the debt for thee, and see here ⟨p. 137⟩is the acquittance for thee;