Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/276

 264 here I will breake off this controversie, and proceede to that which followeth in this intended discourse.

N the fulnesse of time, the eternall Sonne of God, took unto him our nature, and became God and Man in one person, that he might be an equall middle person between God and man. The necessity of a Mediatour appeares in this, that man is guilty, and God true and righteous; If man had continued in his integrity, he had stood in no need of an expiation: if God had been unrighteous in the passages of mans sinne, there had been due unto him no just debt of satisfaction. But seeing man created good but mutable, did willingly and by voluntary choice transgresse that Law, under the precepts whereof he was most justly created, and unto the malediction whereof he was as necessarily and righteously subject if he transgressed: and God was purposed not to suffer sinne to passe utterly unrevenged, because of his great hatred thereunto, and of his truth and the Law which he had established against it: of necessity either God must execute the severity of his Law, whereby the creature should everlastingly loose the fruition of him, and he should likewise loose the service and voluntary subjection of his creature, or some course or other must be found out to translate this mans sinnes on anothers person, who may be able to beare them, and to interest this mans person in that others righteousnesse, which may be able to cover him. Of necessity a Mediatour must be found out to stand between God and man, who must have one unto whom, and others for whom and in whose behalfe, and somewhat wherewith to make satisfaction to offended justice: In regard of God towards man he must be an officer to declare his righteousnesse, and in regard of man toward God a surety ready to procure pardon and deliverance, not by favour or request, but by way of satisfaction. He must be one with us in the fellowship of our nature, passions, infirmities