in Contriving Man's . Redemption. i85 ~~;Pff.te~:0~d~~do~n~~~ t~~~~;;~gfor~7~ ~~f~~::~d.~;r~!~~~~.~ t~~h~1 r~;~~d~·~~~~ then invited to come into his Prefence, and in token of Reconciliation feaO:ed before~ him. Thus the Eternal Covenant is efiablilb'd by the Blood of the Medi atqr, a.nd ali theBenefitsitcontains, as R.emillion of fins, freedom to draw near to the Throne of Grace, and the Enjoyment ofGod in Glory, are the fruiisofhisreconcilin& S acrific7. . The fum of all is this, That as under the Law God was not appeared wuhou t lbedd"lg of Blood, nor Sin expi~ted without fuffering the Punilbnient, nor the Sinner pardoned without the fubllitutiorl of a Sacrifice; fo all thefe are emin.etitly accomp lilb'd in the Death of Chrifi. He reconciled God to us by his mofi precious Blood , a nd expiated fin by enduring the Curfe, and bath procured our Pardon by being 111ade fin f or 1it. So that ' tis mofi evident, that the proper and direct end of the Death.of Chri !t was, that God might exercife his Mercy to the guilty Sinner in a way that is honou rable to his Jullice. 'Tis objected, That if God from infinite Mercy gave his Son to us, then an teceden tly to the coming of Chrifi he bad the highefi Lo~for Mankind, and confequently the\e was no need that Chrifi by his Death !hould fatisfie Jullice, to reconcile him to us. But a clear Anfwer may be given to this by conudering, t. That Anger and Love are conufient at the fame time, and may in feveral r efpectS be terminated on the fame Subject. A Father refents a double Affection to wards a re- bellious Son; he loves him as his Son, is angry with him as difobedient. Thus id our Iaps'd State, God had Compa·llion on us as his Creatures, and was angry wi rh us as Sin- ners. A,s rhe injured Party he laid afide his Anger, but as the preferver of J ufiice he re- quired fatisfaction. ' '• 2 . We mufi difiinguilb between a love of Good-will and Compallion, and a lo ve of Complacency. The firfi is that which moved God to ordain the means, that withOtJt pre- judice to his other Porfeaions he might confer Pardon and all Spiritual Benefits upon us: The other !s that whereby he delights in us being reconciled to him, ; md renewed ~~~:~\~g.t~i~~~;Tn"&:~ce~1et~[~i~u~re'~~sreh~£ f;z.~·~~·e:f~ Iat~l,:h~o!': !:i,?;;·~g: phaz. the Temanite, (Job. 42. 7, 8.) My A1rger it kjndled againft thee, and thy two {;::;fss; ~~~~~J~:~vf ~~Jo!~g:{ 11;e:~~i:~i~~: 1!i~t~;~ ~~g~~v~: "¥orsi~vf~fiJ~~; therefore ta/ze 111110 JOlt now fcven BuUock.f, and [even Raou, and go to mJServant Job~ and offer up for JOHr felvet a B~trnt-offering, and my Ser~anl Jobfb,U pray for JOlt, for hini wiU I accept. He loved them when he directed the way that they might be refiored tO his Favour ; yet he was not reconciled, for then there had been no need of Sacrifices to attone his Anger. 2. 'Tis further objeCI:ed, That fuppofing the SatisfaCI:ion of Chrifi to J ufiice, both the freenefs and greatnefs of God's Love in pardoning Sinners, will be mu ch lelfen'd. But it will appear that the Divine Mercy is not prejudiced in either of thofe refpccts. Firfl, The freenefs of God's Love is not diminilbed, for that is the oiiginal Mover iri our Salvation, and bath no cau[e above it, to excite or draw it forth, but meerly ari[es from hi; own Will: This Love is fo abfolute, that it bath no refpeCI: to the Sufferings of Chnfi as Med~ator: For God fo loved the World, tbat he gave hit Son to die for ut, R.om. 9· 18. And that which is the Effect and Tefiimony of his Love, can- ' not be the impulfive Caufe of it. This firfi Love of God to Man is co mmended tO us in Chrifi, who is the Medi11m to bring it honourably about. Secondly , Grace in Scripture is never oppofed to Chrifi's Merits, but to ours. If we had made fatisfafrion, Jufiice it felf had abfolved us. For the Law having two parts, ~~nf~~~~~n~a~fi~~r ~~7,c~~~~~l ~o~~~~:n 0~ ;;;ofu'}e~~~~e:e'ff!r~~e n~~n~~~ ~r,t~f~i:;~~~[;~ we .had prov!ded a Surety, fuch as the Judge could not reject, we had be en infinitely " f'"'[.a;,. obhged .to htm, but not to the favour of the Judge. But •ris otherwi[e here. God ;Jm;;'~,:~hm fent the Reconciler when we were Enemies, and the Pardon that is difpens'd to us upon '"~ po_JJrr rt!~ the account of his Sufferin~s, is th: Effect of meer Mercy. ff't arc juflificcl freely bJ hif~~~;::;q?;;e~ Grace, thro~tghthe Redempt1on that 11 in Jeflll Chrijl (!). Tis pure Love that appointed and "fi''••ffi<'"' accepted, that imputes and applies his Righteouinefs to us. htb~t 1rfe con· ~nd as the Freenefs, _fo the Riches of his Mercy is not Ieffened by the fatisfaCHon ;~:~~q~'::;~. Chnft.made for us. 'Ttstrue, we have a patternofGod'sJuflice, 11ever~o be paral-dtt m.chrifli lel'd, m the Death of Chrifi : But to the Severity of Jufiice towards his ortly be·ti1i~;:g;~;; 1l b lovefl
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