. But now, I say, all this difficulty,
and these clouds of doubts will evanish at the bright appearance of this
Sun of righteousness, that is, at the solid consideration of the glorious
excellency of him that was given a ransom for us. Herein the soul may be
satisfied, that God is satisfied, when he considers what a person hath
undertaken it, even Jesus the righteous, the only Son of God, in whom his
soul delighteth, whose glorious divine Majesty puts the stamp of infinite
worth upon all his sufferings, and raiseth up the dignity of the
sacrifice, beyond the sufferings of all creatures. For there are two
things needful for the full satisfaction of a troubled soul, that
apprehends the heinousness of sin, and height of wrath, nothing can calm
and settle this storm, but the appearance of two things _first_ of God's
willingness and readiness to pardon sin, and save sinners, _next_ of the
answerableness of a ransom to his justice, that so there may be no
impediment in his way to forgive. Now, let this once be established in thy
heart that such an one, so beloved of God and so equal to God, is the
propitiation for our sins that, "God hath sent his only begotten Son," for
this very business, unrequired and unknown of us then, there is the
clearest demonstration of these two things that can be--of the love of God,
and of the worth of the ransom. What difficulty can be supposed in it,
actually to pardon thy heinous sins, when his love hath overcome
infinitely greater difficulties, to send One, his own Son, to procure
pardon, John iii. Certainly, it cannot but be the very delight of his
heart to forgive sins, since he "spared not his Son" to purchase it, since
he hath had such an everlasting design of love, which broke out in
Christ's coming. And then, such a person he is, that the merit of his
sufferings cannot but be a valuable and sufficient compensation to justice
for our personal exemption, because he is one above all, of infinite
highness. And therefore his lowness hath an infinite worth in it,--of
infinite fulness, and therefore his emptiness is of infinite price of
infinite glory, and so his shame is equivalent to the shame and
malediction of all mankind. So then, whatsoever thou apprehendest of thy
own sins or God's holiness, that seemeth to render thy pardon difficult,
lay but in the balance with that first, the free and rich expression of
the infinite love of God, in sending such an one for a ransom, and sure,
that speak