N00342:282
The mystery of Christ opened and applied. In several sermons, concerning the person, office,…The mystery of Christ opened and applyed. In several sermons, concerning the person, office,…
The mystery of Christ opened and applied. In several sermons, concerning the person, office, and glory of Jesus Christ. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in N. England. ; [Twelve lines of quotations]The mystery of Christ opened and applyed. In several sermons, concerning the person, office, and glory of Jesus Christ. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in N. England. ; [Twelve lines of quotations]
Boston: printed by Richard Pierce for Joseph Browning, 1686
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.
6. God would not have caused Christ to have suffered such bitter things, if there had not been a necessity of Satisfaction. Would God have caused his only begotten Son to come into the world & to dye such an accursed death to save sinners, if there had bin a possibility of pardon and Salvation without Satisfaction. Rom. 8. 32. These things then make it appear that God does naturally & necessarily punish sin. Only we must know, that when God is said naturally to punish sin, natural is not to be taken in every respect in that sense as when it is said, that it's natural for the Fire to burn, or the like: as if God should necessarily punish sin as soon as it's committed or to the utmost of His Power &c. but ⟨p. 166⟩natural is taken in that sense as when we say it is natural to a man to speak, or laugh, or weep; but the exercise of these properties which are natural is subject to Wisdom and Liberty. Also, One may be said to act freely, that yet upon supposition of this or that doth act necessarily. God always acts freely in whatever he doth. It is free to Him to speak to his Creatures or not to speak to them, but upon Supposition that he will do so, it is necessary that he should speak Truth, nor can he speak otherwise. 2. Tim. 2. 13. Tit. 1. 2• Heb. 6. 18.
6. God would not have caused Christ to have suffered such bitter things, if there had not been a necessity of Satisfaction. Would God have caused his only begotten Son to come into the world & to dye such an accursed death to save sinners, if there had bin a possibility of pardon and Salvation without Satisfaction. Rom. 8. 32. These things then make it appear that God does naturally & necessarily punish sin. Only we must know, that when God is said naturally to punish sin, natural is not to be taken in every respect in that sense as when it is said, that it's natural for the Fire to burn, or the like: as if God should necessarily punish sin as soon as it's committed or to the utmost of His Power &c. but