The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

And as I have showed it you in the Causes (what Comfort even General Mercy may afford) so let me a little show it you in the Effects. I mean, not only in that God is now satisfied; but as to your self and every sinner, these three things are produced hereby.

And as I have shewed it you in the Causes (what Comfort even General Mercie may afford) so let me a little shew it you in the Effects. I mean, not only in that God is now satisfied; but as to your self and every sinner, these three things are produced hereby.

1. There is now a Possibility of Salvation to you. And certainly even that should be a very great Comfort. I know you will meet ⟨p. 44⟩with some Divines, who will tell you that this is no effect of Christs death; and that else Christ should die for God, if he procured him a Power to save which he had not before: But this is no better then a Reproaching of our Redeemer. Suppose that a Traitor have so abused a King, that it will neither stand with his own Honour, nor Justice, nor Laws to pardon him: If his Compassion were so great that his own Son shall suffer for him, that so the King might be capable of pardoning him, without any diminution of his Honour or Justice; were it not a vile reproach, if this Traitor should tell the Prince that suffered for him [It was for your Father that you suffered to procure him a Power of pardoning: it was not for me.] Its true, the King could not pardon him, without satisfaction to his Honour and Justice. But this was not through any Impotency: but because the thing was not fit to be done: and so was Morally Impossible. For in Law we say, Dishonest things are Impossible. And it had been no loss to the King if the Traitor had not been pardoned. So is it in our Case. And therefore Christs sufferings could not be more eminently for us, then by enabling the offended Majesty to forgive us; and so taking the greatest impediment out of the way: for when ⟨p. 45⟩impediments are once removed, Gods Nature is so Gracious and prone to Mercy, that he would soon pardon us when once it is fit to be done, and so Morally possible in the fullest sense: only mens own Unwillingness now stands in the way, and makes it to be not fully fit to be yet done. Its true, in a Remote sense, the Pardon of sin was alway Possible; but in the nearest sense it was Impossible, till Christ made it Possible by his Satisfaction.