Ralph Erskine (The Sword of Justice awakened against God's Fellow), Sermons 1:28:
This sword of justice was not satisfied with the blood of Sodom and Gomorrah; it was not satisfied with the blood of the old world; it was not satisfied with the blood of bulls, goats, and all the legal sacrifices of old; yea, the blood of the whole creation cannot give it satisfaction, though it were bathed therein: without the shedding of more blood, better blood, there is no remission, no satisfaction to justice, no real satisfaction with God; no salvation of the sinner. Therefore, “Awake, O sword, against the man that is my fellow;” till it be drunk with the blood of this man, it never gets a satisfying draught of blood. Well then, says this man, “Lo, I come!” let justice take a full draught of my blood. Well, “Awake, O sword!” let the blood of this man, my fellow, be shed; shed at his circumcision, shed in the garden, shed in his being crowned with thorns, shed in his being scourged, shed in his crucifying; well, thus the blood of God’s fellow was shed. What say you now, sword of justice, are you pleased? Are you satisfied with blood? Yes, I have got my fill of blood; “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased:” I am pleased and satisfied to the full with his obedience to the death; I have got all the satisfaction I wanted from my shepherd, and I have no more to demand of him, or his sheep either. O glory to God, that ever this bloody and insatiable sword did awake against one that could give it blood enough, satisfaction enough.
This sword of justice was not satisfied with the blood of Sodom and Gomorrah; it was not satisfied with the blood of the old world; it was not satisfied with the blood of bulls, goats, and all the legal sacrifices of old; yea, the blood of the whole creation cannot give it satisfaction, though it were bathed therein: without the shedding of more blood, better blood, there is no remission, no satisfaction to justice, no real satisfaction with God; no salvation of the sinner. Therefore, “Awake, O sword, against the man that is my fellow;” till it be drunk with the blood of this man, it never gets a satisfying draught of blood. Well then, says this man, “Lo, I come!” let justice take a full draught of my blood. Well, “Awake, O sword!” let the blood of this man, my fellow, be shed; shed at his circumcision, shed in the garden, shed in his being crowned with thorns, shed in his being scourged, shed in his crucifying; well, thus the blood of God’s fellow was shed. What say you now, sword of justice, are you pleased? Are you satisfied with blood? Yes, I have got my fill of blood; “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased:” I am pleased and satisfied to the full with his obedience to the death; I have got all the satisfaction I wanted from my shepherd, and I have no more to demand of him, or his sheep either. O glory to God, that ever this bloody and insatiable sword did awake against one that could give it blood enough, satisfaction enough.
