I. To touch a little at this queftion, Who are the members of this meeting? or, what are thefe attributes of Ged, which do thus harmonioufly confpire together, propofing their various claims?

II. I would enquire when and where it is that they meet together, and embrace one-another.

III. How, and after what manner it is that they meet together, and embrace one-another.

IV. Why, or for what reafon it is that they have met together, thus harmonioufly.

V. Make fome application of the fubject.

I. I would fpeak a little of the men bers of this meeting, or the attributes of God that thus harmoniously confpire together. We need not afk at whofe inftance this meeting is called; it is at the inflance, and by the or der of JEHOVAH, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one God; his fovereign will and pleafure refolving, in a manner like himself, to concert with himfelf; neither need we afk, what is the occafion of the meeting? Why, man had finned, and all mankind, by their fin, was involved under the curfe of the law, and wrath of God; and yet God had refolved and decreed, for the glory of his grace and mercy, to fave a world of finners, elect according to the foreknowledge of God. And while Grace, Mercy, and Peace are upon this loving plot of saving faners, it was fit that Juftice, Truth, and Righteoufneis fhould be called into the fame council, to appear for their intereft; fince the propofal of fuch a falvation of faners feems to encroach upon their honour, which required the vengeance due to be executed upon the finner.. Well, the meeting being called, compare thefe glorious perfections, Mercy, Truth, Righteoufnefs, and Peace; Mercy and Peace, full of pity; Truth and Juftice, full of fury; which made a feeming controverfy in heaven. We may fuppofe Adam arraigned in the name of all mankind, and flanding as a trembling pannel; yea, his very tongue chained up in filence, by reafon of fin and guilt, fentenced to eternal death, and ready to have the fentence execute upon him, and all his pofterity,

We

We may fuppofe next, the several members of the meeting opening the aflembly, by putting in their fe veral claims and we may notice them in the order of the text.

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1. MERCY, being full of pity towards the miferable, comes walking along in the cool of the evening, and meekly craving leave to fpeak, notwithstanding that Truth and Juftice be prefent at the meeting. It is true, fays Mercy, that man hath finned, and juft that man fhould die; but art not thou, O Lord, full of pity and compassion, The Lord, the Lord God, pardoning iniquity, tranfgreffion, and fin?” What though man hath finned, and is all over befmeared with mire and blood, yet look upon him in love, and deftroy not the work of thy own hand: he was made a child after thy own image, though now his garment be rent and all bloody: yet fee, is not this thy fon's coat? Jofeph is gone, and wilt thou lofe Benjamin alfo? Angels are gone, and fhall men be loft alfo? Miriads of angels are fallen, and that irrecoverably, and shall man perifh also? O fpare him, is he not a little one, and his foul fhall live, I fee, might Mercy fay, that Truth and Righteoufnefs, or Juftice, which have the poor finner in their chains, are here prefent, ready to fpeak in this af fembly, for their intereft and honour, against the criminal: but let it be marked in the minutes of this court, that Mercy craves to be magnified, and muft have honour at this meeting. Well, Mercy having spoken her mind,

2. TRUTH Comes in, naked and with open mouth, in favours of God's Faithfulnefs, and in oppofition to man's perfidy and treachery, faying, I have heard what Mercy craves in favours of this criminal; but, Q thou faithful and true God! the word is gone out of thy mouth, and there is no revoking it thou haft faid to Adam, In the day thou cateft thou fhalt furely die:' and now he hath eaten, he hath finned, and fhall he not die? What! is there yea and nay with God, who hath faithfulness for the girdle of his loins? Muft not God's word of threatning take effect; "Yea, heaven and earth hall pass away, but a jot of his word fhall not fall to the

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ground."

ground." And therefore, whatever be the demand of Mercy, let it be marked in the records of this meeting, that Truth craves to be magnified; and that its honour be not infringed in the leaft, by any claim or plea that Mercy hath brought in. Well, Truth having spoken, gives way to her filter Juftice; and there

upon,

or

3. RIGHTEOUSNESS, OF JUSTICE, comes in and impleads against the rebel finner; Righteoufnefs, I fay, bringing her fcales in her hand, in which he had tried him, and found him lighter than vanity itself; he is weighed in the balances, and found wanting; yea, not only wanting and deftitute of all that perfection and obedience that the law required, but full of all that rebellion which the law difcharged, having finned and come fhort of the glory of God: and so is righteoufly fubjected to the fanction of the law, and fentence of eternal death: and therefore, fays Righ teoufnefs, thou infinitely righteous and juft Judge, Mercy can have no hearing in this court to the preju dice of thy honour and glory, as a juft and righteous God, as Truth hath pronounced the fentence of wrath and vengeance against fin; fo, if thou be a juft God, the infinite vengeance due to fuch an infinite evil must be execute to the full. This pannel is my prifoner, and loofed he fhall not be till I get full fatiffaction, and my foul fhall be drunk with blood: for, "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay it, faith the Lord, And I will by no means clear the guilty." And therefore, let it be registrate in this court, that Righteoufnefs craves to be magnified, and Juftice to be glorified in a full fatisfaction; and this is claimed and demanded in the name of the righteous and juft Judge of the univerfe; and fhall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Here is the language of Juftice, What then? O fhall the demand of Mercy be utterly run down by thefe powerful oppofing pleas of Truth and Righteoufnefs? Is there no friend in this court to take Mercy's part? Yea, there is: and therefore,

4. PEACE immediately fteps in with an olive branch in her hand, faying, "Fury is not in me;" and may I

fpeak

I

fpeak a word in behalf of forlorn mankind! may offer a meek anfwer to the claim of Truth and Righteousness, which they have advanced in oppofition to the demand of Mercy? For, "A foft anfwer turneth away wrath." Well, Peace being allowed a hearing, proposes a healing overture, faying, O thou God of peace! may not an atonement be made, a reconciliation thought of betwixt thy majefty and thy creature ? May not one be found out to ftand in the gap, and bear off this wrath, to become furety for this great debtor, to acquit and liberate this poor miferable prifoner and criminal? May not one be found out, that will make up the breach, by vindicating the honour of Truth, and fatisfying the demands of Juftice, and fo making way for the claim cf Mercy? And then all differences may be peaceably compofed, fo as we may harmoniously agree, and kifs one-another. O! may not then a Peace-maker be found out, in whom we may find all our demands fatisfied at once, without prejudging one-another? Why, if fuch an one can be found, furely his name fhall be called, "Wonderful Counsellor, the Prince of Peace."

Well, the overture and propofal of Peace being recorded among the reft of the archives of the glorious. Court; and it being fuch a peaceable overture, no member of the meeting could difprove it: but the great queflion then is, how it could be effectuate; for if one man fin against another, a man might determine it; but if a man fin against JEHOVAH, who fhall intreat for him? for when an infinite Majefty is offended, who among finite creatures is able to fatisfy it? or, What can countervail the King's lofs? "Wherewith then fhall he come before the Lord, or bow himself before the moft high God will thousands of rams do it, or ten thoufand rivers of oil, or the fruit of the body for the fin of the foul" No, no: "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not; for it is impoffible that the blood of bulls. or goats fhould take away fin," Heb. x. 5. What then, will angels become furety for the fin of man? No, no though they had a will, they have not power;

they

they have but oil enough in their veffels for their own lamps. What then fhall be done? Why, might Peace fay, let us not ftand in a demur, we have infinite Wif dom here present with us at this meeting, let us hear her judgment concerning this peaceable propofal, if it be poffible that fuch a perfon can be found, in whom we may harmoniously centre at last.

Then WISDOM fits down upon the privy councilbench, and being full of eyes, doth gravely determine this doubtful cafe with a happy iffue. It is expedient, fays Wisdom, that one die for the people, that the whole nation of mankind perish not; but he must be such a righteous One, that can juftify many; yea, he that will undertake this, muft be finite, that he may die; and infinite, that he may conquer death, and fatisfy infinite juftice but lo! there is none fuch to be found among ail the creatures that ever God made; neither can fuch an one be found, unless the Son of God himself, the fecond Perfon of the glorious Trinity, fhall be pleased, by an unfpeakable myftery, to become flesh, "Made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that are under the law, that they may receive the adoption of fons," Gal. iv. 4. That fo when he who hath no fin, fhall become fin for man; man, who hath no righteoufnefs, may become the righteoufnefs of God thro' him, 2 Cor. v. 21. And thus Mercy may be magnified, Truth juftified, Righteoufnefs cleared, Juftice fatisfied, Peace concluded; and all contented.

WISDOM having determined how this propofal of Peace might be effectuate, all parties hearkened, as it were, with pleasure, and willingly fubfcribed to the happy overture, and then heaven and earth confpired toge. ther, in folemn thanksgiving, faying, Glory to God in the higheft, on earth peace and good-will towards men." --Thus the jarring attributes of God, are now reconciled, and behold the members of the meeting, that feemed to be at the greatest variance, are embracing one-another in their arms: "Mercy and truth are met together, righteoufnefs and peace have kiffed each other."

II. The