Page:Harmony of the divine attributes displayed in the redemption and salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ.pdf/6



opposite claims; for that mercy and peace shall meet together, and agree in favour to save us, and that truth and righteousness shall meet together, and agree in justice to destroy us, were not so strange and remarkable ; and if they had kept such separate meeting, and remained at odds without meeting together, man had been forever separate from God, and some darling Attributes had never been glorified in man’s salvation ; our sin and rebellion having in a manner set the Attributes of God at such variance, as nothing else but infinite wisdom could provide a sufficient answer to all their contradictory claims and interest, which behoved to be done ere the proposal anent the salvation of any sinner could be gone into. Why, says mercy, it is my interest that the sinner live and not perish, that I may be magnified, since I have said, ' That I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy;’ Well, but says truth, it is my interest as a God of truth, that the sinner die, since I have said, ‘ That the soul that sinneth shall die:’ yea, and says righteousness, I must join with truth and claim the sinner’s damnation, for the advancement of my interest and honour, for I have said and will not gainsay it, ‘ That I will by no means clear the guilty.’ Oh ! but says peace, I will join in with “mercy, and claim the sinner’s salvation, for advancing my interest, ‘ For who created the fruit of the lips, 'peace, peace to him that is afar off, and to him that is near ?’ So there appears to be a war in heaven among infinitely adorable Attribntes and perfections, while mercy and peace are saying, we must have glory in having undeserved pity on the sinner, and yet truth and righteousness are saying we must have glory in executing the deserved vengeance. And now, O men and angels! will you tell, can these together? Can these jarring-like Attributes of the divine majesty embrace each other in the salvation of the sinner, so as to get all their demands answered and their different interests advanced. What say,you children of men? Can you devise how these differences can be composed for your own safety ? No, no, human wisdom says, it is not in me. What say ye angels