But not to be tedious, it is evident that God, by the works of his providence, in the government of this world, gives a most copious testimony to his vindicatory justice, not inferior to that given to his goodness, or any other of his attributes; which testimony concerning himself and his nature he makes known, and openly exhibits to all, by innumera])le examples, constantly provided and appointed for that purpose. He, then, who shall deny this justice to be essential to God, may, for the same reason, reject his goodness and long-suffering patience.
IV. The fourth argument shall be taken from the revelation of that name, glory, and nature, which God hath exhibited to us in
AEGUMENTS FOR VINDICATORY JUSTICE — REDEMPTION. 547
and tlirongh Christ : John i. 1 8, " No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him ;" — him who, though he be light itself, and dwelling in light inaccessible, yet in respect of us, who without Christ are naturally blinder than moles, is covered with darkness. In creation, in legislation, and in the works of providence, God, indeed, hath plainly marked out and discovered to us certain traces of his power, wisdom, goodness, justice, and long-sufferance. But, besides that there are some attributes of his nature the knowledge of which could not reach the ears of sinners but by Christ, — such as his love to his peculiar people, his sparing mercy, his free and saving grace, — even the others, which he hath made known to us in some measure by the ways and means above mentioned, we could have no clear or saving knowledge of unless in and through this same Christ; for " in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." In him God hath fully and clearly exhibited himself to us, to be loved, adored, and known; and that not only in regard of his heavenly doc- trine, in which he hath " brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,"^ God finishing the revelation of himself to mankind by the mission and ministry of his Son, but also, exhibit- ing, both in the person of Christ and in his mediatorial office, the brightness of his own glory and the express image of his person, he glorified his own name and manifested his nature, to all those at least who, being ingrafted into Christ and baptized into his Spirit, enjoy both the Father and Son. But in the whole matter of salva- tion by the Mediator, God-man, there is no excellence of God, no essential property, no attribute of his nature, the glory of which is the chief end of all his works, that he hath more clearly and emi- nently displayed than this punitory justice.
It was for the display of his justice that he set forth Christ as a propitiation, through faith in his blood. He spared him not, but laid the punishment of us all upon him. It was for this that he was pleased to bruise him, to put him to grief, and to make his soul an offering for sin.
The infinite wisdom of God, his inexpressible grace, free love, boundless mercy, goodness, and benevolence to men, in the constitu- tion of such a Mediator, — namely, a God-man, — are not more illus- triously displayed, to the astonishment of men and angels, in bring- ing sinful man from death, condemnation, and a state of enmity, into a state of life, of salvation, of glory, and of union and communion with himself, than is this punitory justice, for the satisfaction, mani- festation, and glory of which this whole scheme, pregnant with in- numerable mysteries, was instituted. But that attribute whose glory and manifestation God intended and accomplished, both in the ap-
' 2 Tim. i. 10.
648 A DISSERTATION ON DIVINE JUSTICE. [PART I.
pointment of liis only-begotten Son to the office of mediator, and in his mission, must be natural to him; and there is no need of argu- ments to prove that this was his vindicatory justice. Yea, supposing this justice and all regard to it entirely set aside, the glory of God's love in sending his Son, and delivering him up to the death for ns all, which the Scriptures so much extol, is manifestly much obscured, if it do not rather totally disappear; for what kind of love can that be which God hath shown, in doing what there was no occasion for him to do?
We will not at present enter fully into the consideration of other arguments by which the knowledge of this truth is supported ; among which that of the necessity of assigning to God (observing a just analogy) whatever perfections or excellencies are found among the creatures, is not of the least importance. These we pass, partly that we may not be tedious to the learned reader, partly because the truth flows in a channel already sufficiently replenished with proofs. It would be easy, however, to show that this justice denotes the highest perfection, and by no means includes any imperfection, on account of which it should be excluded from the divine nature. Neither, in the definition of it, does one iota occur that can imply any imperfection ; but all perfection, simple or formal, simj)ly and for- mally, is found in God. But when this perfection is -employed in any operation respecting another being, and having for its object the common good, it necessarily acquires the nature of justice.