God, and to be the Lord whichHeb. 12.25. speaketh from heaven,and the doctrine which he taughtJoh. 3.12. an heavenly doctrine, evenHeb. 2.3. great Salvation. The woman of Samaria could say,Joh. 4.25. I know when the Messiah cometh, he will tell us all things: And our Saviour professeth to his disciples,Joh. 15.15. All things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you.
And in this the new Covenant is lifted up above former expressions of the same Covenant for substance.Heb. 1.1. For God who in sundry times, and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in these last daies spoken unto us by his Sonne: ver. 3. who is the brightnesse of his glory, and the expresse Image of his person;Col. 1.15. that is, he in whom the glory and Majesty of the Father, otherwise invisible and inconspicuous, doth shew forth it selfe, and that which is hid in the Father as in a ring, is manifested, as on the seale. And as God is manifested in Christ, so was he manifested and made knowne by Christ. In ChristCol. 2.3. are hid all the treasures of wisdome, and he hath made knowneEph. 3.9,10. the manifold wisdome of God. The discovery of misery and sin is that which sweetens mercy, and gaines it esteem: and therefore as the mercy of God was plentifully unfolded, so was the Law laid open, and sin discovered by our Saviour more fully then it had been in the old Testament, that as sin abounded, mercy might abound much more. And where the maladie appeares hideous and desperate, there is need that we be well acquainted with the soveraigne remedie, and hence as the doore of the Law and curse is cast quite open, that men might throughly know themselves, so Christ in his person, natures, office and benefits is lively deciphered, that when men feele themselves lost in themselves, they might runne unto him for righteousnesse, grace, life and salvation.
Secondly, Christ hath satisfied offended justice, and answered whatsoever the Law had against us. The word satisfaction the Scripture hath not, but the thing signified thereby is plainly noted by the phrases of Redemption, Expiation, Reconciliation, and many such like every where in Scripture. Justice did release the debtour, or the punishment of the person offending: but would not simply release the punishment of the offence, or pardon the fault without satisfaction. If then the guilty be spared, the surety must suffer punishment.
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