A47437:405
Christ alone the way to Heaven, or, Jacob's ladder improved containing four sermons lately…
Christ alone the way to Heaven, or, Jacob's ladder improved containing four sermons lately preached on Genesis XXVIII, XII : wherein the doctrine of free-grace is displayed through Jesus Christ : also discovering the nature, office, and ministration of the holy angels : to which is added one sermon on Rom. 8, 1 : with some short reflections on Mr. Samuel Clark's new book entitled Scripture justification / by Benjamin Keach.Christ alone the way to Heaven, or, Jacob's ladder improved containing four sermons lately preach'd on Genesis XXVIII, XII : wherein the doctrine of free-grace is display'd through Jesus Christ : also discovering the nature, office, and ministration of the holy angels : to which is added one sermon on Rom. 8, 1 : with some short reflections on Mr. Samuel Clark's new book intituled Scripture justification / by Benjamin Keach.
London: printed by Benja. Harris, 1698
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Glory of his Justice: God is Just; he can as soon cease to be, as cease to be Just.1 God declared, if Man Sinned he should dye; therefore either he must destroy Man to preserve his Truth and Justice, and see his Law not violated and turned upside down, and so conceal his Mercy; or else find out a way to satisfy his Justice, and preserve his Truth, that his Love and Mercy may appear; therefore his Wisdom found out a way for the Honour both of Justice and Mercy, by laying our Sins upon his own Son as our Surety, and to undergo that Wrath and Punishment, which we must otherwise have undergone for ever.
The Glory of his Justice: God is Just; he can as soon cease to be, as cease to be Just.1 God declar'd, if Man Sinn'd he should dye; therefore either he must destroy Man to preserve his Truth and Justice, and see his Law not violated and turned upside down, and so conceal his Mercy; or else find out a way to satisfy his Justice, and preserve his Truth, that his Love and Mercy may appear; therefore his VVisdom found out a way for the Honour both of Justice and Mercy, by laying our Sins upon his own Son as our Surety, and to undergo that Wrath and Punishment, which we must otherwise have undergone for ever.
- 1Dr. Tho. Goodwin
Here is, Brethren, no changing the Sentence against Sin, but of the Person; our Sins and Punishment are transferred upon Jesus Christ; and since it was infinite Justice our Sins had wronged, an infinite Punishment must be Suffered, which none but one that was God could bear, nor satisfy for: and now the full Payment or Satisfaction Christ made to divine Justice, put a Bar, or delivered h•m ⟨p. 78⟩from the eternal duration of the Punishment: for the cause why Sinners lye in Hell, or in Prison for ever, arises from their inability to satisfy or pay their Debts; but from the worth and dignity of Christ's Person, Justice is Satisfie, and he acquitted, and discharged out of Prison, and we in him. Besides, none but God could be a proper Judge; what could be a sufficient Satisfaction to his vindictive Wrath and Justice, but when God declares that in his Son he is well pleased, and satisfied? who shall say this could not be a proper and legal discharge for us? Moreover, this discovers Go's infinite Holiness and hatred of Sin, more than if we had suffered for ever, in his making his own Son a Sacrifice for our Sins, and not sparing him when he stands in our Law-place. Here (as one observes) was the Beauty of his Holiness, as well as the exactness of his Justice, with the vindication of the Honour of his Law, displaying the Purity of his Nature, by sheathing his Sword with Indignon in the Bowels of Sin, while he pierced the Heart of his beloved Son.