OBSERV. That in the salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ, the glorious attributes and perfections of God do harmoniously conspire and embrace one another. Or thus, That in Christ crucified, for the redemption of sinners, all the glorious attributes of the divine Majesty do harmoniously conspire, and embrace one another.

of

When God is well pleased, no perfection of God is displeased; but God is well pleased in Christ, and therefore every perfection of his nature is well-pleased; none of them displeased or dissatisfied, but all pleased and satisfied to the full, see Hos. ii. 19, 20. This is declared by an audible voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased, Mat. ii. 17. And why, even for the reason you have, Isa. xliii. 21. “The Lord is well-pleased for his righteousness sake, he will magnify the law, and make it ho. nourable."We see he hath brought in a righteousness answering the demands of all that stood in the way your salvation. Did divine Truth and Righteousness say, That the threatening of the law must be execute, so sure as God is true, as well as its precept obtemperate and obeyed? Well, can a Righteousness satisfying both these demands, do the business? Yea, says Justice itself, in concert with Mercy, if there be one righteous man in the Sodom of this earth, that can satisfy my broken and violated law, in its demand of complete satisfaction, then I will spare all the elect world, for the sake of that one righteous man; and by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many. Well, says Mercy, Here is one whose name is WONDERFUL, and whom they call IMMANUEL, God-man, who hath brought in an everlasting righteousness, both active and passive, suiting the precept and penalty of the law why then, might one attribute say to another, We are all pleased, and with one consent let it be proclaimed on earth, that " The Lord is well-pleased, for his righteousness sake; he hath magnified the law, and made it honourable." And now the great affair of man's salvation is so well concerted and contrived, that God may have mercy upon them, and be at peace with poor sinners without any wrong to his Truth and

Righteousness. The attributes of God have met and agreed, and sealed their agreements with a kiss of infinite kindness, harmony, and satisfaction; "Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other."

Now, that I may speak to this purpose a little more fully, the method I propose is,

I. To touch a little at this question, Who are the
members of this meeting? or, what are these at- ·
tributes of God, which do thus harmoniously con-
spire together, proposing their various claims?
II. I would inquire when and where it is that they
meet together and embrace one another.

III. How, and after what manner it is that they meet together, and embrace one-another.

IV. Why, or for what reason it is that they have met together, thus harmoniously.

V. Make some application of the subject.

I. I would speak a little of the members of this meeting, or the attributes of God that thus harmoniously conspire together. We need not ask at whose instance this meeting is called; it is at the instance, and by the order of JEHOVAH, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one God; his sovereign will and pleasure resolving, in a manner like himself, to concert with himself; neither need we ask, what is the occasion of the meeting? Why, man had sinned, and all mankind, by their sin was involved under the curse of the law, and wrath of God: and yet God had resolved and decreed, for the glory of his grace and mercy, to save a world of sinners, elect according to the foreknowledge of God. And while Grace, Mercy, and Peace are upon this loving plot of saving sinners, it was fit that Justice, Truth, and Righteousness should be called into the same council, to appear for their interest; since the proposal of such a salvation of sinners seems to encroach upon their honour, which required the vengeance due to be executed upon the sinner. Well, the meeting being called, compare these glorious perfections, Mercy, Truth, Righteousness, and Peace: Mercy and Peace, full of pity; Truth and Justice, full of fury; which made a seeming

controversy in heaven. We may suppose Adam ar raigned in the name of all mankind, and standing as a trembling pannel; yea, his very tongue chained up in silence, by reason of sin and guilt, sentenced to eternal death, and ready to have sentence execute upon him, and all his posterity.

We may suppose next, the several members of the meeting opening the assembly, by putting in their several claims: and we may notice them in the order of the text.

1. MERCY, being full of pity towards the miserable, comes walking along in the cool of the evening, and meekly craving leave to speak, notwithstanding that Truth and Justice be present at the meeting. It is true, says Mercy, that man hath sinned, and just that man should die: but art not thou, O Lord, full of pity and compassion, "The Lord, the Lord God, pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin?" What though man hath sinned, and is all over besmeared with mire and blood, yet look upon him in love, and destroy not the work of thy own hand: he was made a child after thy own image, though now his garment be rent and all bloody: yet see, is not this thy son's coat? Joseph is gone, and wilt thou lose Benjamin also? Angels are gone, and shall men be lost also? Myriads of angels are fallen, and that irrecoverably, and shall men perish also? O spare him, is he not a little one, and his soul shall live. I see, might Mercy say, that Truth and Righteousness, or Justice, which have the poor sinner in their chains, are here present, ready to speak in this assembly, for their interest and honour, against the criminal: but let it be marked in the minutes of this court that Mercy craves to be magnified, and must have ho nour at this meeting. Well, Mercy having spoken her mind,

2. TRUTH Comes in, naked and with open mouth, in favours of God's Faithfulness, and in opposition to man's perfidy and treachery, saying, I have heard what Mercy craves in favours of this criminal; but, O thou faithful and true God: the word is gone out of thy mouth, and there is no revoking it: thou hast said to

Adam, In the day thou eatest thou shalt surely die : and now he hath eaten, he hath sinned, and shall he not die? What is there yea and nay with God, who hath faithfulness for the girdle of his loins? Must not God's word of threatening take effect; "Yea heaven and earth shall pass away, but a jot of his word shall not fall to the ground." And therefore, whatever be the demand of Mercy, let it be marked in the records of this meeting, that Truth craves to be magnified; and that its honour be not infringed in the least, by any claim or plea that Mercy hath brought in. Well, Truth having spoken, gives way to her sister Justice; and thereupon,

3. RIGHTEOUSNESS, or JUSTICE, comes in and impleads against the rebel sinner: Righteousness, I say, bringing her scales in her hand, in which she had tried him, and found him lighter than vanity itself; he is weighed in the balances, and found wanting; yea, nɔt only wanting and destitute of all that perfection and obedience that the law required, but full of all that rebellion which the law discharged; having sinned and come short of the glory of God: and so is righteously subjected to the sanction of the law, and sentence of eternal death: and therefore, says Righteousness, O thou infinitely righteous and just Judge, Mercy can have no hearing in this court to the prejudice of thy honour and glory, as a just and righteous God, as Truth hath pronounced the sentence of wrath and vengeance against sin; so, if thou be a just God, the infinite vengeance due to such an infinite evil must be execute to the full. This pannel is my prisoner, and loosed he shall not be till 1 get full satisfaction, and my soul shall be drunk with blood: for, "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay it, saith the Lord And I will by no means clear the guilty." And therefore, let it be registrate in this court, that Righteousness craves to be magnified, and Justice to be glorified in a full satisfaction; and this is claimed and demanded in the name of the righteous and just Judge of the universe; and shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Here is the language of Justice. What then? O shall the demand of Mercy be utterly run down by these powerful oppos

ing pleas of Truth and Righteousness? Is there no friend in this court to take Mercy's part? Yea, there is: and therefore,

4. PEACE immediately steps in with an olive branch in her hand, saying, "Fury is not in me;" and may I speak a word in behalf of forlorn mankind! may I offer a meek answer to the claim of Truth and Righteousness, which they have advanced in opposition to the demand of Mercy? For, "A soft answer turneth away wrath." Well, Peace being allowed a hearing proposes a healing overture, saying, O thou God of peace! may not an atonement be made, a reconciliation thought of betwixt thy majesty and thy creature? May not one be found out to stand in the gap, and bear off this wrath, to become surety for this great debtor, to acquit and liberate this poor miserable prisoner and criminal? May not one be found out, that will make up the breach, by vindicating the honour of Truth, and satisfying the demands of Justice, and so making way for the claim of Mercy? And then all differences may be peaceably composed, so as we may harmoniously agree, and kiss one another. O! may not then a Peace-maker be found out, in whom we may find all our demands satisfied at once, without prejudging one another? Why, if such an one can be found, surely his name shall be called, "Wonderful Counsellor, the Prince of Peace."

Well, the overture and proposal of Peace being recorded among the rest of the archives of the glorious Court; and it being such a peaceable overture, no member of the meeting could disprove it: but the great question then is, how it could be effectuate; for if one man sin against another, a man might determine it; but if a man sin against JEHOVAH, who shall intreat for him? for when an infinite Majesty is offended, who among finite creatures is able to satisfy it? or, What can countervail the King's loss?" Wherewith then shall he come before the Lord, or bow himself before the most high God? will thousands of rams do it, or ten thousand rivers of oil, or the fruit of the body for the sin of the soul?" No, no: "Sacrifice and offering thou