of God, but an essential property of his nature, namely, his justice or righteousness. What God doth because he is righteous, is necessary to be done. And if it be just with God in respect of his essential justice to punish sin, it would be unjust not to do it for to condemn the innocent and acquit the guilty is equally unjust. Justice is an eternal and unalterable rule, and what is done according to it, is necessary; it may not otherwise be, and justice not be impeached. That which is to be done with respect to justice must be done, or he that is to do it, is unjust. Thus it is said to be "a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to sinners," 2 Thess. i. 6. because he is righteous, and from his righteousness or justice, so that the contrary would be unjust, or would not answer his righteousness. And it is the judgment of God that "they who commit sin are worthy of death," Rom. i. 32. Namely it is that which his justice requireth should be so, that is, the judgment of God. Not only doth he render death to sinners, because he hath threatened so to do, but because his justice necessarily requireth that so he should do. So the apostle farther explains himself, Rom. ii. 5-9. where he calls the last day," the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God," wherein by rendering tribulation to sinners, he will manifest what his righteousness requires. And what that requires cannot otherwise be, God being naturally, necessarily, essentially righteous. And this property of God's nature requir ing that punishment be inflicted on sin and sinners, is often in Scripture called his anger and wrath. For although sometimes the effects of anger and wrath in punishment itself, be denoted by those expressions, yet often also they denote the habitude of the nature of God in his justice towards sin. For anger in itself being a passion and perturbation of mind, including change and weakness, cannot properly be ascribed to God; and therefore when it is spoken of, as that which is in him, and not of the effects which he works on others, it can intend nothing but his vindictive justice, that property of his nature, which necessarily inclines him to the punishment of sin. Thus it is said, that his wrath or anger" is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness," Rom. i. 18. That is, he discovers in his judgments what is his justice againt sin. And thus when he comes to deal with Christ himself, to make him a propitiation for us, he is said to have set him forth, se svdiğiv ans dixmioruvng, Rom. iii. 25, 26. "To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins, that he might be just, and the justifier of them that believe in Jesus." As God would pardon sin, and justify them that believe, so he would be just also. And how could this be? by punishing our sins in Christ; that declared his righteousness: dugis, here, is as much as duyus, documentum, a declaration by an especial instance or example; or as

duy, as he is said to have punished Sodom and Gomorrah, and to have left them, roduya μshow 01311, "an example to' them that should live ungodly," that is, an instance of what his dealings would be with sinners. So God is said here to have declared his righteousness by an example in the sufferings of Christ, which indeed was the greatest instance of the severity and inexorableness of justice against sin, that God ever gave in this world; and this he did, that he might be just as well as gracious and merciful in the forgiveness of sin. Now if the justice of God did not require, that sin should be punished in the Mediator, how did God give an instance of his justice in his sufferings; for nothing can be declared, but in and by that which it requires; for to say, that God shewed his righteousness in doing that, which might have been omitted without the least impeachment of his righteousness, is in this matter not safe.

Thirdly, God is the supreme Ruler, Governor and Judge of all. To him as such it belongeth to do right. So saith Abraham, Gen. xviii. 25. «Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" undoubtedly he will do so, it belongs to him so to do. For, saith the apostle," Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? God forbid, for then how shall God judge the world,” Rom. iii. 5, 6. Right judgment in all things belongs to the universal rectitude of the nature of God, as he is the supreme Governor and Judge of all the world. Now the goodness and rightness of all things, consists in the observance of that place and order which God in their creation allotted to them, whereon he pronounced that they were "exceeding good." And that this order be preserved for the good of the whole, it belongs to the government of God to take care; or if it be in any thing transgressed, not to leave all things in confusion, but to reduce them into some new order and subjection to himself. That this order was broken by sin we all know. What shall now the Governor of all the world do? Shall he leave all things in disorder and confusion? cast off the works of his hands, and suffer all things to run at random? Would this become the righteous Governor of all the world? What then is to be done to prevent this confusion? Nothing remains, but that he who brake the first order by sin, should be subdued into a new one by punishment. This brings him into subjection to God on a new account. And to say that God might have let his sin go unpunished, is to say, that he might be not righteous in his government, or not do that which is necessary for the good, beauty and order of the whole. But hereof somewhat was spoken in the opening of the words, so that it needs not farther be insisted on.

Lastly, There is no common presumption ingrafted in the hearts of men, concerning any free act of God, and which

might have been otherwise. No free decree or act of God is, or can be known to any of the children of men, but by revelation, much less have they all of them universally an inbred persuasion concerning any such acts or actings. But of the natural properties of God, and his acting suitable to them, there is a secret light and persuasion ingrafted in the hearts of all men by nature. At least, those things of God, whereof there is a natural and indelible character in the hearts of all men, are natural, necessary and essential to him. Now that God is just, and that therefore he will punish sin, all sin, is an inbred presumption of nature, that can never be rooted out of the minds of men. All sinners have an inbred apprehension that God is displeased with sin, and that punishment is due to it. They cannot but know, that it is the judgment of God, that they who commit sin are worthy of death. And therefore, though they have not the law written to instruct them, yet their thoughts accuse them on sin, Rom. i. 14, 15. that is their consciences, which is the judgment which a man makes of himself in reference to the judgment of God. And therefore all nations who retained any knowledge of a Deity, constantly invented some ways and means whereby they thought they might expiate sin, and appease the God that they feared. All which manifests that the punishment of sin, inseparably follows the nature of God, and such properties thereof, as men have a natural inbred notion and presumption of. For if it depended merely on the will of God, and his faithfulness in the accomplishing of that threatening and constitution, whereof they had no knowledge, they could not have had such an immoveable and unconquerable apprehension of it. But these things I have handled at large elsewhere.

And this fully discovers the vile and horrid nature of sin. "Fools," as the wise man tells us, "make a mock of it." Stifling for a while their natural convictions, they act as if sin were a thing of nought, at least not so horrible as by some it is represented. And few there are who endeavour aright to obtain a true notion of it, contenting themselves in general, that it is a thing that ought not to be. What direct opposition it stands in to the nature, properties, rule and authority of God, they consider not. But the last day will discover the true nature of it, when all eyes shall see what it deserves in the judgment of God, which is according to righteousness. Is it a small thing for a creature to break that order which God at first placed him and all things in? to cast off the rule and authority of God, to endeavour to dethrone him, so that he cannot continue to be the supreme Governor of all things, and Judge of all the world, unless he punish it? Is it a small thing to set up that which hath an utter inconsistency with the holiness and righteousness

of God, so that if it go free, God cannot be holy and righteous? If these things will not now sink into the minds of men, if they will not learn the severity of God in this matter from the law, on the threatening and curse whereof he hath impressed the image of his holiness and justice, as was said, they will learn it all in hell. Why doth God thus threaten and curse sin and sinners? Why hath he prepared an eternity of vengeance and torment for them? Is it because he would? Nay, because it could not otherwise be, God being so holy and righteous as he is. Men may thank themselves for death and hell. They are no more than sin hath made necessary, unless God should cease to be holy, righteous and the Judge of all, that they might sin freely and endlessly. And this appears most eminently in the cross of Christ, for God gave in him an instance of his righteousness, and of the desert of sin. Sin being imputed to the only Son of God, he could not be spared. If he be made sin, he must be made a curse. If he will take away our iniquities, he must make "his soul an offering for sins," and, bear the punishment due to them. Obedience in all duties will not do it, intercession and prayers will not do it, sin required another manner of expiation. Nothing but undergoing the wrath of God and the curse of the law, and therein answering what the eternal justice of God required, will effect that end. How can God spare sin in his enemies, who could not spare it on his only Son? Had it been possible, this cup should have passed from him; but this could not be, and God continue righteous. These things I say will give us insight into the nature of sin, and the horrible provocation wherewith it is at, tended.

And this also opens the mystery of the wisdom, and love, and grace of God, in the salvation of sinners. This is that which he will for ever be admired in; a way he hath found out to exercise grace, and satisfy justice, at the same time, in and by the same person; sin shall be punished, all sin, yet grace exercised; sinners shall be saved, yet justice exalted-all in the cross of Christ.

VER. 11-13-THE great reason and ground of the necessi ty of the sufferings of Christ hath been declared. It became God that he should suffer. But it doth not yet appear on what grounds this suffering of his could be profitable or beneficial unto the sons to be brought unto glory. It was the sinner himself against whom the law denounced the judgment of death. And although the Lord Christ, undertaking to be a Captain of salvation unto the sons of God, might be willing to suf fer for them, yet what reason is there, that the punishment of one should be accepted for the sin of another? Let it be grant

ed, that the Lord Christ had an absolute and sovereign power over his own life, and all the concerns of it, in the nature which he assumed, as also that he was willing to undergo any sufferings that God should call him unto; this indeed will acquit the justice of God, in giving him up unto death. But whence is it, that sinners should come to be so interested in these things, as thereon to be acquitted from sin, and brought unto glory. In these verses, the apostle enters upon a discovery of the reasons hereof also. He supposeth indeed, that there was a compact and agreement between the Father and Son in this matter; of which he afterwards expressly treateth, ch. x. He supposeth also, that in his sovereign authority, God had made a relaxation of the law, as to the person suffering, though not as to the penalty to be suffered, which God abundantly declared unto the church of the Jews in all their sacrifices, as we shall manifest. These things being supposed, the apostle proceeds to declare the grounds of the equity of this substitution of Christ, in the room of the sons, and of their advantage by his suffering; the proposition whereof he lays down in these verses, and the especial application in those that ensue.

VER. 11-13. Ό τι γαρ άγιάζων και οι ἁγιαζόμενοι, εξ ένας παλες. Δι' ήν αιτίαν εκ επαισχυνεται αδελφός αυτους καλείν, λέγων Απαγγέλω το ονομα σου τοις αδελφοις μου, εν μέσω εκκλησίας ύμνησω σι. Και παλιν Εγω εσομαι πεποιθως επ' αυτω. Και παλιν Ιδι εγω και τα παιδια ἔδωκεν ο Θεος.

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There is no variety in the reading of these words in any copies, nor do translators differ in rendering the sense of them. The Syriac renders the last testimony, as if the words were spoken unto God, Behold I and the children, nba b nanrı, whom thou hast given unto me, O God.' The Ethiopic, Wherefore they who sanctify, and they who are sanctified are altogether;' to what purpose I cannot guess.

Aysa is used in this Epistle both in the legal sense of it, to separate, consecrate, dedicate, and in the evangelical, to purify, sanctify, to make internally and really holy. It seems in this place to be used in the latter sense, though it include the former also, xat' avanordnow, by just consequence,' for they who are sanctified, are separated unto God. The word then expresseth what the Lord Christ doth unto and for the sons, as he is the Captain of their salvation: he consecrates them unto God, through the sanctification of the Spirit, and washing in his own blood.

Eivos. It may be of the masculine gender, and so denote one person, or of the neuter, and so one thing, one mass, one common principle, whereof afterwards.