heart-changing grace, even the most apposite remedies applied to this disease, will be in vain), and to excite and work such sentiments concerning the transgression of the divine. law, the nature of sin, or the disobedience of the creatures. A persuasion how fit and proper, those who have spiritual eyes will easily perceive.

To those happy persons, whose sins are forgiven, and to whom God will not impute iniquity,' because he hath laid their transgressions upon Christ, the knowledge of this divine truth is as a spur to quicken them to the practice of every virtue, and to sincere obedience: for in what high, yea, infinite honour and esteem must God be held by him, who, having escaped from the snares of death and the destruction due to him, through his inexpressible mercy, hath thoroughly weighed the nature of sin, and the consequences. of it, which we have mentioned before? for whosoever shall reflect with himself, that such is the quality and nature of sin, and that it is so impiously inimical to God, that unless by some means his justice be satisfied by the punishment of another, he could not pardon it, or let it pass unpunished, will even acknowledge himself indebted to eternal love for the remission of the least transgression; because in inexpressible grace and goodness it hath been forgiven. And hence too we may learn, how much beyond all other objects of our affection, we are bound to love with our heart and soul, and all that is within us, our dear and beloved deliverer, and most merciful Saviour, Jesus Christ, who hath delivered us from the wrath to come.'

When Tigranes, son of the king of Armenia, had said to Cyrus that he would purchase his wife's liberty at the price of his life, and she was consequently set free by Cyrus; while some were admiring and extolling one virtue of Cyrus, and some another; she being asked what she most admired in that illustrious hero, answered, My thoughts were not turned upon him.' Her husband again asking her, Upon whom then?' She replied, Upon him who said that he would redeem me from slavery at the expense of his life.' Is not he then to be caressed and dearly beloved, to be contemplated with faith, love, and joy, who answered for our lives with his own; devoted himself to punishment: and at the price of his blood, while we were yet enemies,' purchased

us, and rendered us a peculiar people to himself?' We, now secure, may contemplate in his agony, sweat, tremor, horror, exclamations, prayers, cross, and blood, what is God's severity against sin, what the punishment of the broken law and curse are. Unless God, the Judge and Ruler of all, after having thoroughly examined the nature, hearts, breasts, ways, and lives of us all, had thence collected whatever was contrary to his law, improper, unjust, and impure; whatever displeased the eyes of his purity, provoked his justice, roused his anger and severity, and laid it all on the shoulders of our Redeemer, and condemned it in his flesh; it had been better for us, rather than to be left eternally entangled in the snares of death and of the curse, never to have enjoyed this common air, but to have been annihilated as soon as born. 'Wretched men that we are, who shall deliver us' from this most miserable state by nature? Thanks be to God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' May we always then be 'sick of love,' towards our deliverer; may he always be our 'beloved, who is white and ruddy, and the chiefest among ten thousand.'

The acknowledging of this truth has a respect not only to the manifestation of his justice, but also of the wisdom, holiness, and dominion of God over his creatures: for that justice, which in respect of its effect and egress we call vindicatory, which as we have before demonstrated is natural to God, and essential; and therefore absolutely perfect in itself, or rather perfection itself; this very truth, which we have thus far defended, evidently illustrates: as also his supreme rectitude in the exercise of it, 'when he sits on his throne judging righteously;' and how severe a judge he will be towards impenitent sinners, whose sins are not expiated in the blood of Christ. That justice is not a free act of the divine will, which God may use or renounce at pleasure; nor is sin only a debt of ours, which as we were unable to pay, he might forgive, by only freely receding from his right: for what reason then could be assigned why the Father of mercies should so severely punish his most holy Son on our account, that he might, according to justice, deliver us from our sins; when without any difficulty, by one act of his will, and that too a most free and holy act, he could have delivered both himself, and us wretched sinners, from this evil? But it exists

in God in the manner of a habit, natural to the divine essence itself, perpetually and immutably inherent in it; which, from his very nature, he must necessarily exercise in every work that respecteth the proper object of his justice; for sin is that ineffable evil, which would overturn God's whole right over his creatures, unless it were punished. As then the perfection of divine justice is infinite, and such as God cannot by any means relax, it is of the last importance to sinners seriously and deeply to bethink themselves how they are to stand before him.

Moreover, the infinite wisdom of God, the traces of which we so clearly read in creation, legislation, and in the other works of God, are hereby wondrously displayed, to the eternal astonishment of men and angels: for none but an infinitely wise God, could bring it about, that that which in its own nature is opposite to him, inimical, and full of obstinacy, should turn out to his highest honour, and the eternal glory of his grace. Yea, the divine wisdom not only had respect to God himself, and to the security of his glory, honour, right, and justice, but even provided for the good of miserable sinners, for their best interests, exaltation, and salvation; and from the impoisoned bowels of sin itself. 'Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness;' by interposing a surety and covenanthead between sin and the sinner; between the transgression of the law and its transgressor, he condemned and punished sin, restored the law, and freed the sinner both from sin, and from the law. He hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence;' Eph. i. 8. When he made all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God;' chap. iii. 9. "For in Christ Jesus all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid ;' Col. ii. 3.

It will be read and attended to, as an eternal miracle of God's providence, that he should have made the captivity, or wicked sale of Joseph, by means of so many windings perplexed mazes, and strange occurrences, issue at last in his own exaltation and the preservation of his brethren, who impiously sold him. But if any one, though endowed with the tongues of angels and of men, should attempt to describe this mystery of divine wisdom, whereby it is evident that

God exalts his own name, and not only recovers his former honour, but even raises it, manifests his justice, preserves inviolable his right and dominion in pardoning sin, wherewith he is highly pleased, and incredibly delighted (and unless this heavenly discovery, a truly God-like invention, had intervened, he could not have pardoned even the least sin), he must feel his language not only deficient, but the eye of the mind overpowered with light, will fill him with awe and astonishment: that that which is the greatest, yea, the only disgrace and affront to God, should turn out to his highest honour and glory; that that which could not be permitted to triumph without the greatest injury to the justice, right, holiness, and truth of God, should find grace and pardon to the eternal and glorious display of justice, right, holiness, and truth, was a work that required infinite wisdom: an arduous task, and every way worthy of God.

Finally. Let us constantly contemplate in the mirror of this truth, the holiness of God, whereby he is of purer eyes than to behold evil: in whose presence the wicked shall not stand:' that we ourselves may become more pure in heart, and more holy in life, speech, and behaviour.

END OF VOL. IX.

Printed by J. F. Dove, St. John's Square.

D.R.JS".