The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature…

When he would manifest his Justice, he layeth the dark vault of Hell, and layeth in, and storeth it with fire, and brimstone, and chains, and blackness of darkness, and gnawing worms, and pure wrath, and Devils, and all the instruments of eternal death, Rom. 9.22. When he would make known his wisdom, he findeth out a fit Mediator, and thereby reconcileth those attributes which before were at odds, his justice and his mercy. When man was fallen, justice pleaded for his deserved damnation, according to the threatenings of the law; mercy pleadeth for his gracious salvation, he being deluded by the Devil. Now it would have non-plust the heads of all the men and Angels in the World, had they been united in a consultation, to have found out a way to satisfy both the demands of justice, and the entreaties of mercy; but God did it; he causeth mercy and justice to meet together, pity and righteousness to kiss each other; therefore the Mediator is called the Wisdom of God, 1 Cor. 1.14 and the finding out this way is called the manifold wisdom of God, or the embroidered Wisdom of God, Eph. 3.10. Its an allusion to a curious piece of Needle-work, wherein there are various expressions of Art. So in this way of mans recovery, there are various ⟨p. 296⟩and curious expressions of divine wisdom. But when God would proclaim his love, that attribute which like Oil swimmeth at the top of them all, which is most in favour, which he delighteth so exceedingly in, what will he do? Why, he layeth down his life, greater love then this hath no man, then that a man lay down his life for his friends. Joh. 15.13. Jacob showed his love to Rachel by enduring the heat of the day, and the cold of the night for her. But Jesus showed his love to his beautiful Spouse, by undergoing the cursed, painful, and shameful death of the Cross for her. O what love was that? It is storied of the Pelican, that when her young ones are stung with some poisonous Serpent, she beats her breast with her beak, till the warm blood gusheth out, which they suck and recover. We were all stung mortally by the Old Serpent the Devil, but behold the love of this heavenly Pelican, he lets out his heart blood to recover us. In his birth and life he manifested his love, the midst of that Chariot in which he drew his Spouse before, was paved with love;