A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures

First, Those whose sins God hath pardoned, he may afflict for the declaration of his Holiness, that they may see, and know what a Holy God they have to deal with; who so perfectly hates sin, that he will follow it with Chastisements even upon those whom his free Grace hath pardoned.

First, Those whose sins God hath pardon'd, he may afflict for the declaration of his Holiness, that they may see, and know what a Holy God they have to deal with; who so perfectly hates sin, that he will follow it with Chastisements even upon those whom his free Grace hath pardon'd.

Secondly, God inflicts no Chastisements upon those whom he hath pardoned, for the satisfaction of his Justice: and therefore they are not Curses, nor properly Punishments, but only Corrections and Fatherly Chastisements. Christ hath satisfied the demands of Justice for their Sins, and God is more just, than to exact ⟨p. 80⟩double satisfaction for the same Offence, one in Christ's Punishment, and another in theirs. The Apostle tells us, Gal. 3.13. Christ hath Redeemed us from the Curse of the Law, being made a Curse for us. It is not the Evils that we suffer, that makes them Curses, or Punishments, be they never so great; but only the Ordination of these Evils to the satisfaction of Divine Justice upon us. And therefore Christ in Scripture is said to be made a Curse, not simply because he suffered, but because he was adjudged to his Sufferings, that thereby satisfaction might be made unto the Justice of God. Hence therefore with what calmness and peace may a Pardoned Sinner look upon any Afflictions, though they are sore and heavy, tho they seem to carry much of God's Anger in them; yet there is nothing of a Curse, or of the nature of a Punishment; the Sting was all of it received into the Body of Christ, and now God's Righteousness will not suffer him to punish them again in their own Persons, whom he hath already punished in their Surety. Imagine what Affliction thou canst. Art thou pinched with Want and Poverty? Doest thou sustain ⟨p. 81⟩