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may be objects of hatred and indignation. As there are vessels of mercy, there may be veffels of wrath fitted alfo to deftruction. It is eafy to say, that the great God might have pardoned fin without satisfaction offered to his law and juftice. But poffibly we may not fufficiently understand the fulness of the divine perfections in the divine nature, or may not be competent judges in what cafes fin fhall be freely (withou a valuable attonement) forgiven, and in what not. If one lefs heinous crime may be forgiven, it does not follow, that the most presumptuous and the most aggravated, must be so too. If the fin of a fingle perfon may be forgiven, it may not follow, that all the fins of a whole world may be fo pardoned too. That may be too great a waving of the divine honour and juftice; and may be of ill confequence. Here may ly a great difficulty in our view, and perhaps, in that of Angels too; yea,poffibly, in theirs, the difficulty may be much the greater, as they difcern far more of the divine holiness, purity and grandeur, than we do. If fin is fuffered to reign here in its power and guilt, a whole race is loft. This world and all its curious furniture is as good as made in vain. The great God is provoked to retire, has no habitation, no honour, no love, or fervice there. The Devil triumphs in his conquefts, and gains this globe (or the inhabitants of it) as added to his own dominions. The Lights of Heaven, the Beafts of the Field, and Fowls of the Air (if they are continued for man's ufe) do but serve the Devil's vaffals. Sad, that fuch a defection fhould be made from the blessed God, and owner of all things! It fhould feem more meet, that this world fhould be quite put to an end,than be fo defperately alienated from it's original state, and use, and author. If Salvation be defigned for the world, Juftice has enough to fay against it. Muft not the holiness and rectitude of divine juftice be displayed? Must not the honour of Divine authority and government be congruously fuftain'd! Must not the equity of Divine law be fupported? Muft it not appear, that it was defigned as the rule of government? Muft not the due (or duty) of obdience be made evident? Must not the offenfive, ness and demerit of fin be demonftrated? Muft the righteous sanction of the Law be quitted without fome valuable execution? Befides, we know not the cafe and fenfe of other worlds, that may be. fpecta, tors of this. Some criminals that are irreversibly condemned for their

fin,

fin, may wonder and ftomach it, that we fhould be forgiven without the propitiation of justice. They may envy us the propitiation indeed : But they are filenced in their fufferings, by the apparent inflexibility of juftice. Others may be tempted to tranfgreffion by the cafinefs of our impunity and pardon. But the impoflibility of obtaining it without just compenfation to Divine Majefty, ftrikes terror, reverence and aw. Befides, in our cafe, a proclamation of pardon of all fins againft heaven, must be sent abroad into the world. Now,it fhould be confidered, what a wife governour would do, that were to ifuc out a publick edict, for the forgiveness of all fins committed against the government (either by the prefent or future subjects) upon their repentance and return to allegiance. Nay, he would scarce be thought a wife governour, that would iffue forth fuch an edict. It would look like an encouragement of the fubjects to licentioufnefs and rebellion. But in cafe, fuch an edict must be publish'd, furely, he would take care, that the honour, authority and juftice of the government should be fecured, as well as may be, in confiftence with fuch a pardoning cdict. Some demonftration of justice ought to be made for the fupport of the government, and terror of delinquents.

In our cafe, the demonstration of justice, and of some legal severity, will be the more requifite, the more excellent the governour is, the more rightful, juft and pure his government is, and the more prone his fubjects are to rebel against him. Here the purity and rectitude of the divine Nature ought to be first illustrated. The dignity of the divine government should be confpicuoufty fupported. Original law fhould be famously vindicated, and vengeance (taken in fome commodious way) on the violation of it, and the penalty congruously inflicted on fome worthy fubftitute. Care is to be taken, that no encouragement to fin be given to a refractory, licentious world, either, 1. By the relaxation. of the original law, fo far as it is relaxed by the proclamation of pardou. The law may be as much honour'd by its execution on an incomparable furety, as on the delinquents themselves. Or, 2. By the patience and indulgence of God, while he is treating with the world, in order to their repentance and reconciliation. That patience and indulgence may depend upon the fatisfaction made to his juftice. To declare

his

his righteousness, for (or upon the account of) the remission of fins that are paft (or were formerly committed) through (or in) the forbearance of God. (a) Though God forbears, righteoufnefs muft, in due time be demonftrated. Or, 3. By the fending abroad of the pardoning edict. It is meet, it fhould be founded upon a demonftration of righteoufness and governing juftice. So the news of a pardon and a punishment will go together. Forgiveness and attonement by blood, will,. at the fame time, be preached to all nations. Accordingly, it must be faid, What hath the Lord done! What goodnefs and feverity is here! The heart must be broken for, and from fin; and diffolved into a kindly repentance by a joint demonstration of mercy and justice.

Here love fets wisdom on work, to provide the attonement for offended honour and juftice. But what fhall be presented to God in facri fice for the fi ns of the world? Behold Lebanon is not fufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof fufficient for a burnt-offering! The whole creation may be reckoned as nothing before him. What has the most excellent creature to give for us, but what he owes for himself: when divine dignity and juftice infifts upon attonement, it must be by fomething more fuitable to it self. And that must be fomething more honorary and noble than mere created being, which owes all it has. Here wisdom and love provide the glorious Son of God. So God loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. The love of the Son gives us himself. Te know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that when he was rich (so rich as to be Lord of all), for our fake, be became poor (lo poor, as not having where to lay his head), that we through his poverty might be made rich (so rich, as to be poffel. fors of an eternal kingdom).

In order to this grand propitiation and attonement, the eternal Son of God will become Immanuel, God with us, God in our nature and fojourning among us. He becomes a member of our world, fharer in human spirit, and flesh and blood; fhames our difobedience, and pays deference to the divine law, by the accurate obedience of 33 years, pays deference to divine juftice, government and fanction, in

(a) Rom. iii. 25.

humbling

humbling himself to the painful, fcandalous, accurfed death of the cross. Thereon he sheds his blood, and pours out his foul an offering for fin, and makes reconciliation for the fins of the terreftrial people. Herein God isgloryfied, and he himself alfo is gloryfied in, and together with him. Here he demonftrates his righteousness, that now he may be (and appear to be) just, and withal, the justifyer of him, that believeth on Jefus. Here is discouragement to fin and finners, even while mercy and impunity is offered to them. For, if thefe Things are done to the green tree (one that is not in himself the object of vindictive justice), what shall be done to the dry (to those that have fitted themselves for the consuming fire)?

Here, 1. Sin is condemn'd in the flesh; in the flesh of the executed redeemer. 2. As by man came fin and death, fo by man alfo comes the abolition of fin and the extinction of death. 3. The grave is defeated and must resign its Captives. 4. With honour, impunity and peace is proclaimed and offered to the penitent, believing world. 5. The original law is honourably satisfyed and filenced, and pleads no more against the pardon of the ransomed company. 6. Death is flain by death; the devil lofes his Prey. The ranfomer has all right and power to destroy death and him that has the power of death (fo far as he stands in the way of his purchased rights) even the devil and all his agents.

The Pagan world has generally acknowledged, that in our circumftances, the way to divine mercy must be by attoning the offended juftice, The great God prescribed it in the typical worship he ordained to his antient people. But they, in their fuperftitious conformities to the idolatrous Gentiles, carry'd it further than ever God ordain'd; They offer'd the fruit of their bodies for the fins of their fouls. God would accept the oblation of beasts, 'till the grand propitiation fhould come, that was to abolish fin for ever. Here mercy rejoyces against justice, and justice against mercy; or rather both resolve to triumph. Here love and holiness are united, grace and righteousness kifs each other. Here wisdom contrives, love provides, power executes, and righteoufness applauds. Thus grace reigns thro' righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jefus Christ, our Lord And thus in him, we have redemption through his blood (fhed in and for our redemption) even the remiffion of fins, according to the riches of his Grace (defigning us fuch remiffion by that Redemption) wherein (in which

grace

grace and the method it has taken) he hath abounded to us in all wisdom and prudence. O wondrous mystery! and unfearchable complication of wisdom, righteousness and grace! Here the divine perfections are illustrated and harmoniz'd; human reach and difcovery is furmounted. Hell envies and trembles. Heaven is like to be replenish'd; and Angels rejoyce, and fing Glory to God in the highest!

J

SECT. VII.

The Chiftian Inftitution contains a wondrous Intermixture of Law and Love; of Grace and Obligation to Duty; both wonderfully interwoven and combin'd for our Conduct unto Glory.

TH

HERE's law for the government of the redeemed world; and grace for the encouragement and affiftance of it. We here take leave to call the preceptive part of the chriftian religion, by the Name of law; as being the royal will of heaven; tho' in the chriftian code and among christian divines, the term, the law (emphatically taken) may be of a different import. Here, in our prefent fenfe, the law of christianity, the law of the gospel (or gofpel-law) will be allowable enough. The law is here fuited to the cafe of a redeemed World, and is attended with promises and exhibitions of grace. Mere law or precept will not serve our turn. It will be weak, and unable to fave us, through the flesh, and the depravation of our nature. Yet we want it for direction and exhortation; and the redeemer is worthy to give us law, fince he has purchased us for himself. But he muft improve our nature, as well as give us law, and, in fome measure, raife us up to the obligation he has laid

upon us. The new rule of divine government and difpenfation towards us, is if sued forth under the name of a covenant. This covenant or difpofition

F

begins

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