A26796:204
The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…
The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ, or, Discourses wherein is showed how the wisdom, mercy, justice, holiness, power, and truth of God are glorified in that great and blessed work / by William Bates.The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ, or, Discourses wherein is shewed how the wisdom, mercy, justice, holiness, power, and truth of God are glorified in that great and blessed work / by William Bates.
London: printed by J. Darby for Nathaniel Ranew and Jonathan Robinson and Brabazon Aylmer, 1674
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Or suppose an innocent creature in Misery, the Divine Mercy would speedily excite his power to rescue it: For God is Love to all his Creatures as such, till some extrinsical cause intervenes, which God hates more than he loves the Creature; and that is Sin, which alone stops the effusion of his Goodness, and opens a wide passage for wrath to fall upon the guilty. But how to save the Creature that is undone by its own choice, and is as sinful as miserable, will pose the wisdom of the world. Heaven it self seemed to be divided. Mercy inclined to save, but Justice interposed for satisfaction. Mercy regarded Man with respect to his misery, and the pleas of it are, Shall the Almighty build to ruin? Shall the most excellent creature in the lower world perish, the fault not being solely his? Shall the enemy triumph for ever, and raise ⟨p. 81⟩his Trophies from the Works of the most High? Shall the reasonable Creature lose the fruition of God, and God the subjection and service of the Creature, and all Mankind be made in vain? Justice considered Man as guilty of a transcendent Crime, and 'tis its nature to render to every one what is due; now the wages of Sin is Death, and shall not the Judg of all the world do right? All the the other Attributes seemed to be attendants on Justice. The Wisdom of God enforced its Plea, it being most indecent that Sin which provokes the execution, should procure the abrogation of the Law; this would encourage the commission of Sin without fear. The Majesty of God was concerned, for it was not becoming his excellent Greatness to treat with defiled dust, and to offer Pardon to a presumptuous Rebel immediately after his Offence, and before he made Supplication to his Judge. The Holiness of God did quicken his Justice to execute the threatening, For he is of purer eyes than to behold Iniquity. 1As Goodness is the essential object of his Will, which he loves unchangeably wherever it is▪ so is Sin the eternal object of his hatred, and where 'tis found in the love of it▪ renders the subject odious to him. He will not take the wicked by the hand. 2The Law of contrariety forbids Purity and Pollution to mix together. And the veracity of God required the inflicting the punishment.