law, and the justice and righteousness of God, that hath
made so inseparable a connection between sin and death. This gives sin a
destroying and killing virtue. Justice arms it with power and authority to
condemn man, so that there can be no freedom, no releasement from that
condemnation, no eschewing that fatal sting of death, unless the sentence
of God's law, which hath pronounced "thou shalt die," be repealed, and the
justice of God be satisfied by a ransom. And this being done, the strength
of sin is quite gone, and so the sting of death removed.

Now, this had been impossible for man to do. These parties were too strong
for any created power. The strength of sin to condemn may be called some
way infinite, because it flows from the unchangeable law of the infinite
justice of God. Now, what power could encounter that strength, except that
which hath infinite strength too? Therefore, it behoved the Son of God to
come for this business; to condemn sin and save the sinner. And being
come, he yokes first with the very strength of sin, for he knew where its
strength did lie, and so did encounter first of all with that,--even the
justice of his Father, the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us;
for if once he can set them aside, as either vanquished or satisfied, he
hath little else to do. Now, he doth not take a violent way in this
either. He doth it not with the strong hand, but deals wisely, and (to
speak so with reverence) cunningly in it; he came under the law, that he
might redeem them who were under the law, Gal. iv. 4. Force will not do
it, the law cannot be violated, justice cannot be compelled to forego its
right. Therefore our Lord Jesus chooseth, as it were, to compound with the
law, to submit unto it: He was "made under the law," he who was above the
law, being lawgiver in mount Sinai, Acts vii. 38; Gal. iii. 19. He cometh
under the bond and tie of it, to fulfil it: "I came not to destroy the law
but to fulfil it," Matt. v. 17. He would not offer violence to the law, to
deliver sinners contrary to the commination of it, or without satisfaction
given unto it, for that would reflect upon the wisdom and righteousness of
the Father who gave the law. But he doth it better in an amicable way,--by
submission and obedience to all its demands. Whatsoever it craved of the
sinner, he fulfils that debt. He satisfies the bond in his own person by
suffering, and fulfils all the commandments by obedience. And thus, by