The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

3. The Wrath of God was inflamed against him. For although he was perfectly Innocent, and more distant from sin than Heaven is from the Earth, yet by the ordination of God, and his own consent being made our Sponsor, ¹the Iniquity of us all was laid upon him. He suffered as deeply as if he had been guilty. Vindictive justice was inexorable to his Prayers and Tears. Although he renewed his request with the greatest ardency, as 'tis said by the Evangelist, that being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly, yet God would not spare him. The Father of Mercies saw his Son humbled in his presence, prostrate on the Earth, yet deals with him in extreme severity. He was stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. And who is able to conceive the weight of God's Hand when he punishes sin according to its desert? who can understand the degrees of those Sufferings when God exacts satisfaction from one that was obliged, and able to make it? how piercing ⟨p. 175⟩were those sorrows whereby Divine Justice, infinitely incensed, was to be appeased? Who knows the consequence of those words, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? 'Tis impossible to comprehend, or represent that great and terrible Mystery. But thus much we may understand, That Holiness and Glory being essential to the Deity, they are communicated to the Reasonable Nature when united to it; But with this difference, that Holiness necessarily results from Union with God: For Sin being infinitely repugnant to His Nature, makes a Separation between Him and the creature: But Glory and Joy are dispensed in a free and arbitrary manner. This dereliction of our Saviour must be understood with respect to the second, not the first Communication. In the extremity of his Torments all his Affections were innocent and regular, being only raised to that degree, which the vehemency of the object required. He expressed no murmur against God, nor anger against his enemies. His Faith, Love, Humility, Patience were then in their Exaltation. But that glorious and unspeakable Joy which in the course of his Life the Deity conveyed to Him, was then withdrawn. An impetuous torrent of pure unmixed Sorrows broke into his holy Soul; He felt no refreshing emanations, so that having lost the sense of present Joy, there remained in his Soul only the hope of future Joy.

3. The Wrath of God was inflamed against him. For although he was perfectly Innocent, and more distant from sin than Heaven is from the Earth, yet by the ordination of God, and his own consent being made our Sponsor,