Ralph Erskine (The Sword of Justice awakened against God's Fellow), Sermons 1:72:
As long as God’s justice is demanding vengeance, no man can stand before God: but here justice has no more to crave; for the satisfaction Christ gave was full measure, heaped up, and running over. He offered himself to God, for a sweet smelling savour. Justice was pacified and satisfied, and love got a vent towards man: and hence instead of a cup of wrath, you have a cup of love to drink. What was justice seeking from Christ, when the sword was running through his heart? Why justice was even pursuing him for your debt, and exacting all of the surety that was due by you. May it not affect the heart of any debtor, that has the least spark or remains of ingenuity, to see his cautioner [guarantor] dragged to prison for his debt? But here you see more, the sword of justice not only arresting your surety, but running him through, and killing him. O may not this fill you with hatred of your sins, and love to your surety, that was so well pleased to be thus dealt with for you!
As long as God’s justice is demanding vengeance, no man can stand before God: but here justice has no more to crave; for the satisfaction Christ gave was full measure, heaped up, and running over. He offered himself to God, for a sweet smelling savour. Justice was pacified and satisfied, and love got a vent towards man: and hence instead of a cup of wrath, you have a cup of love to drink. What was justice seeking from Christ, when the sword was running through his heart? Why justice was even pursuing him for your debt, and exacting all of the surety that was due by you. May it not affect the heart of any debtor, that has the least spark or remains of ingenuity, to see his cautioner [guarantor] dragged to prison for his debt? But here you see more, the sword of justice not only arresting your surety, but running him through, and killing him. O may not this fill you with hatred of your sins, and love to your surety, that was so well pleased to be thus dealt with for you!
