Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/303

 Rh he upon whom the benefit undue is conferred, doth conferre nothing.

It is further objected, that Christ satisfied not justice fully, but by divine acceptilation only: because he suffered but for a time, whereas we deserved to die eternally.

Sundry answers are made to this doubt. Some say his suffering for a time was more then if all man-kind had suffered eternally, in respect of the excellency of his person. But the worth and excellency of his person, was neither to dispence with time, nor grievousnesse of his punishments, but to make the passion of one availeable for many. Otherwise if it might have dispensed with one degree of extremity of punishment due to sin, it might also have dispensed with two, and consequently with all.

Others answer, that the punishments of sin eternally remaining, must according to the rules of divine justice, be eternall: but it is no way necessary, neither doth the justice of God require, that the punishments of sin repented of, ceasing and forsaken, should be everlasting. For as Divines note, there are three things to be considered in sin; the aversion from an infinite and incommutable good; the inordinate conversion to a finite good, and the continuing in the same, or ceasing from it: and to these severall things in sin, there are three severall things answering in the punishment of it. For to the aversion, which is objectively infinite, there answereth the losse of God, which is an infinite losse. To the inordinate conversion of the sinner to things transitory, there answereth a sensible smart and griefe intensively finite, as the pleasure the sinner taketh in the transitory things he inordinately loveth is finite. To the eternity of sin remaining everlastingly in staine or guilt, or continuance of it for a time, answereth the eternity of punishment, or the suffering of the same, but for a time. Now our Saviour Christ suffered only for those sins, which he meant to breake off by framing the sinners to repentance, and therfore it was no way necessary for the satisfying of divine justice, that he should endure eternall punishment.

A third answer is, that Christ suffered for a time, because he suffered to satisfie, and so to overcome upon the crosse, he triumphed meritoriously over principalities and powers, therefore his sufferings could not continue for ever, but must have an end. For in suffering he had not satisfied justice, nor conquered the enemies