The Fountain of Life Opened

but upon the absolute mercy, goodness, and free-will of God. But conceiving that absolute goodness and mercy of God, reconciling sinners to himself, there is a deep silence throughout the Scriptures. And whatever is spoken of it upon that account, is as it works to us, through Christ, Eph, 1.3, 4, 5. Acts 4.12. Joh. 6.40. and we cannot imagine, either how God could exercise mercy to the prejudice of his Justice, which must be, if we must be reconciled without full satisfaction; or how such a full satisfaction should be made by any other than Christ. Mercy indeed moved in the Heart of God to poor man, but from his heart, it found no way to vent it self for us, but through the Heart Blood of Jesus Christ. And in him the Justice of God was fully satisfied, and the misery of the Creature fully cured. And so as Augustine speaks; God neither lost the severity of his Justice, in the goodness of mercy; nor the goodness of his mercy, in the exactness of his severity. But if it had been possible God could have found out a way to reconcile us, without satisfaction; yet it's past doubt now, that he hath pitched and sixth on this way. And for any now to imagine to reconcile themselves to God, by any thing but Faith in the Blood of this Mediator: is not only most vain in it self, and destructive to the Soul; but most insolently derogatory to the wisdom and grace of God. And to such I would say as Tertullian to Marcion whom he calls the Murderer of Truth; spare the only hope of the whole world. O thou who destroyest the most necessary glory of our Faith.¹ All that we hope for, is but a Phantasm without this. Peace of Conscience can be rationally settled on no other Foundation but this. For God having made a Law to govern man, and this Law violated by man; either the penalty must be levied on the delinquent, or satisfaction made by his surety. As good no Law, as no penalty for disobedience; and as good no penalty, as no execution. He therefore that will be a Mediator of Reconciliation betwixt ⟨p. 88⟩God and Man, must bring God a price in his hand; and that adequate to the offence, and wrong done him: else he will not treat about Peace, and so did our Mediator. Thirdly, Christs being a Mediator of reconciliation and intercession implies, the infinite value of his Blood and sufferings, as that which in it self, was sufficient to stop the course of Gods Justice;