A26796:546
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.
2. The Death of Christ hath procured Grace for Men. We made a Forfeiture of our Original Holiness, and were righteously deprived of it. And till Divine Justice was appeased, all influences of Grace ⟨p. 281⟩were suspended. Now the Death of Christ opened Heaven, and brought down the Spirit, who is the Principle of Renovation in us. The world lay in wickedness as a Carcass in the grave,1 insensible of its horror and corruption. The Holy Spirit hath inspired it with a new life, and by a marvellous change hath caused Purity to succeed Pollution.
3. The receiving Believers into Heaven is a convincing proof of the all-sufficiency of his Sacrifice. For Justice will not permit that Glory and Immortality, which are the Privileges of the Righteous, should be given to guilty & defiled Creatures. Therefore our Saviour's first and greatest work was to remove the bar, that excluded us from the place of Felicity. 'Tis more difficult to justify a Sinner, than to glorify a Saint. The Goodness of God inclines Him to bestow Happiness on those who are not obnoxious to the Law; but his Justice was to be atoned by Sufferings. Now what stronger Argument can there be, that God is infinitely pleased with what His Son hath done and suffered for his People, than the taking of them into his Presence to see his Glory? The Apostle sets down this order in the work of our Redemption,1 That Christ being made perfect by Sufferings, that is, having consummated that part of his Office which respected the expiation of Sin; He became the Author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him. To sum up all, 'tis observable, that the Scripture attributes to the Death of Christ not only Satisfaction, whereby we are redeemed from Punishment; but such a redundant Merit, as purchases for us Adoption,