The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise

Reason 2 Secondly, the justice of God requires this at the hands of Jesus Christ to wit, that he should not only suffer for sinners, but also take the very guilt of sinners upon himself by imputation, and be in their room. And that the justice of God doth require this at the hands of Christ, may thus be conceived:

Reason 2 Secondly, the justice of God requires this at the hands of Jesus Christ to wit, that he should not onely suffer for sinners, but also take the very guilt of sinners upon himselfe by imputation, and bee in their roome. And that the justice of God doth require this at the hands of Christ, may thus be conceived:

The anger, justice, and severity of God, were manifested in the fall of man; for when man back sinned and fallen, then anger and justice began to work, and now Adam saw God to be an angry and a just God; now the glory of those attributes appeared, and now all the complaint stands upon mercies side; and therefore mercy appeals to the great Court in Heaven, and then it saith, wisdom, and power, and goodness, have all been manifested in the Creation; and anger and justice, they have been glorified in the fall of Adam: but I have not yet been manifested; Oh let some poor souls be comforted and saved, that they may know there is a merciful God, and then the case is debated, only justice steps in, and takes it self as wronged: It is true, saith justice, it is fit that mercy should be honoured, yet it is not fit that I should be wronged: must my glory be injured? would you have a company of sinful rebels pardoned and forgiven, when they have thus abused holiness, and goodness, and resisted the Will of God? nay, except they ⟨p. 178⟩be punished, I cannot have my due: mercy must be honoured, but yet justice must not be wronged. Now God is a just God, and he must give every one their due; glory to whom glory belongs, and justice to whom justice belongs: justice must not be offended, but must be apaid, and have its right: this is the controversy, therefore the Lord Jesus Christ steps in, and makes up all even on both sides; and there is a way devised whereby justice may be fully satisfied, and yet mercy magnified, and so much the more is mercy magnified, by how much justice was wronged: Then Christ comes in and saith, that justice shall punish all unbelievers, and so it shall be satisfied for all the wrong done to it, and mercy shall be magnified upon the believing souls, because the believer is not able to bear divine justice himself: therefore Christ Jesus is contented to be accounted guilty, that justice may inflict punishment upon him as deserving it; for otherwise, to punish the innocent, and to acquit the guilty, will not stand with justice: Now therefore that justice may have his due from him, and yet do him no wrong; therefore he was content to be accounted guilty; and though he were innocent, yet he was contented to be accounted noce.