in its full splendour. Some intimations, there fore, were given from the beginning, that mercy would be exercised in harmony with justice; and that Jehovah would, through the promised Seed "be a just God and a Saviour;" yet, under the old dispensation, his servants seem rather to have believed that it would be so, than to have had clear perceptions of the mysterious way in which it would be effected; but the New Testament hath removed the veil from the subject itself, provided the veil do not still remain upon our hearts. This, however, seems to be the only way in which the divine character could be displayed to us in all its glory: at least, all created understanding must for ever have proved incapable of conceiving, in what way the largest exercise of pardon and love to the vilest sinners could consist with and illustrate the infinite justness and holiness of God, and establish his law in honour and authority. Infinite wisdom alone could devise a plan adequate to these purposes; it must spring from boundless love; and we may be sure that the plan revealed to us was the most approved of all that were possible, by infinite wisdom and love.

Every intimation, therefore, of a Messiah, a Mediator, a mercy-seat, a high-priest, or an atoning sacrifice, should lead our minds to the great doctrine of redemption through Emmanuel's blood, as the central point in which every part of the revelation God hath made of himself to man must meet. But without farther anticipating this part of the subject, we may observe, that the scriptures everywhere describe our God as perfect in wisdom, holiness, justice, truth, goodness, and mercy in all its manifold exercises: they represent these attributes as the glory of his nature, and as constituting him the proper object of our supreme love, adoration, and service; as all harmonizing in

his consummate character, and each of them subserving the exercise and glory of all the rest.

II. In more exactly investigating the scriptures, we find these attributes exemplified in the works and dispensations recorded of our God. The display of his omnipotence, and other natural perfections, in the works of creation; or the miracles he wrought, in delivering his servants, or punishing his enemies, is too obvious to need a particular discussion in this place; nor is it requisite to enlarge on his providential goodness. But that combination of justice, holiness, truth, and mercy, which hath been stated as comprising the character of God, is manifested in his dealings with his rational creatures. Infinite in holiness and jus tice, "he spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell," &c. : he denounced on fallen Adam and his race the awful sentence, "dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return;" and unnumbered millions have been swept into the grave by most dire and torturing diseases. The destruction of the old world by the deluge; that of Sodom, &c. by fire; the plagues of Egypt; the vengeance executed on the Canaanites; and all the judgments inflicted on the rebellious Israelites in the wilderness, in the promised land, and through every age, are such exhibitions of these awful attributes, that our minds naturally turn from the narrative with aversion; nor can any man fully understand them, till he hath acquired a deep sense of the evil of sin, and the justice of God. Nay, the corrections inflicted on Lot, David, and other offending believers whose sins were eventually pardoned, display the same attributes, and authorise the same conclusions; so that the Psalmist might well say, "My flesh trembleth for fear because of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments." On the other hand, his patience, compassion, mercy, and grace, are exhibited in all his

dealings with fallen man: "he endured with much long-suffering even the vessels of wrath :" he ever appeared ready to forgive the penitent, to pity the wretched, to relieve the distressed, to lift up the self-abased, and comfort the broken-hearted."His mercy was upon those that feared him from generation to generation:" his dealing with Israel as a nation, and with individuals, proved this; nor did any sinner ever humbly seek his face in vain. The faithfulness of God is so illustrated in accomplishing his promise concerning the Seed of the woman, &c. four thousand years after it was given, that other instances need not be adduced: his judgments coincided with his threatenings, except as repentance intervened; and a reserve of mercy was in that case implied in them all. The manifold wisdom of God is also most conspicuous in arranging these displays of justice and mercy, so as to secure the glory of all his attributes, and to leave no man any ground to presume, or to despair. And the whole of the discoveries given us of the future judgment, and the eternal state of happiness or misery, most perfectly coincides with the declarations relative to his harmonious perfections. But of this, and redemption by the incarnation of Emmanuel, and his atoning blood, we must forbear to speak further in this place. We may, however, observe concerning this last, (which is doubtless the greatest of all the discoveries that God hath given of himself), that it leads us to contemplate those mysteries of the Deity which are so peculiar to revelation, that they who "lean to their own understandings," would represent them as contradictory and impossible. Yet it will be shown, that they are certainly revealed in scripture; and thence it will follow, that they are appropriated to the true object of all adoration, and distinguish him from every idol: so that they can. not be said to worship the God of the Bible, who

reject the peculiar mysteries which it reveals, and adore not the one name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, into which Christians are baptized. And as all the divine perfections are only seen in perfect harmony" in the face of Jesus Christ,' so they "whose eyes are blinded, that they should not see the light of this glory," (2 Cor. iv. 3-6.), certainly worship the invention of their own minds, and not the God who hath revealed himself to man in the person of Jesus Christ. Indeed this is manifest from the imperfection of the object of their worship, whom they imagine so clement that he cannot hate and punish sin as it deserves; by the blasphemies which they often utter against God's justice and holiness, and the judgments which he hath executed and threatened. Let us then regard this as a matter of the greatest possible importance, and seek the knowledge of God from his word, and the teaching of his Spirit, as the fundamental concern in all our religious inquiries, that so we may be engaged, above all things, to fear, love, confide in, worship, and serve him; and to seek all our happiness in enjoying his favour and glorifying his name.

FROM the scripture character of God, we proceed to the consideration of his moral government, as made known to us by revelation; and a clear knowledge of his holy law is peculiarly requisite in forming our judgment on this subject. This was

delivered to Israel by Jehovah himself, from Mount Sinai, with most tremendous displays of his majesty, power, and justice; and though other scriptures must be adduced as a divinely inspired comment, yet the decalogue may properly be taken for our text, in examining the demands of the moral law. It is evident, that there is a distinction between moral precepts and positive institutions. Some things are in themselves so indifferent, that the same authority which commanded might have forbidden them; as the use of bread and wine in one ordinance, and that of water in another: but it is absurd to suppose that God could have required his creatures to despise him, or to hate one another; or have forbidden them to speak truth and to do justice.

Some traces of the moral law are discoverable by our natural reason; and the whole accords to it: it has its foundation in the nature of God and man, in the relations men bear to him and to each other, and in the obligations that result from them: so that it is immutable in its nature, and demands obedience from all mankind, as far as they have an opportunity of becoming acquainted with it. Different circumstances may indeed occasion a coincident variation; as the entrance of sin hath rendered patience, and forgiveness of injuries, exercises of our love to God and our neighbours; but though these will cease in heaven, yet the grand principles whence they are deduced will continue the same to eternity.

The law is also spiritual: it takes cognizance of our inmost and most secret thoughts, desires, purposes, and dispositions, and demands the exact regulation of the judgment, will, and affections. Love is its principal requisition, without which the best external obedience is condemned as hypocrisy. This is peculiar to the law of God, who alone can search the heart; but, in common with