of course, proportionally lower our ideas of divine justice, and accommodate our views of it to the standard of human imperfection.
Respecting his mercy, also, we may make the same observations. If we suppose the guilt that man has contracted to be beyond all measure and conception great, and the judgments to which he is exposed to be commensurate with his deviations from God's perfect law ; if we suppose his sins to be more in number than the sands upon the sea shore ; and every one of those sins to be deserving of God's eternal wrath and indignation ; then we shall indeed stand amazed at the mercy of God, who, instead of executing his threatened vengeance, has provided a remedy for the whole world ; a remedy suited to their wants, and sufficient for their necessities ; a remedy, whereby he may restore them to his favour, not only without compromising the honour of his other per- fections, but to the everlasting advancement of them all. Yes, truly, with such views of his law, we shall magnify his mercy, that can pardon so much guilt, and relieve from so much misery, and exalt to glory such unworthy creatures. But, if we suppose man's offences to have been comparatively few, and his desert of vengeance to be comparatively light, who does not see that we reduce almost to nothing the mercy of our God, which has been so little needed, and which has effected for us so inconsiderable a deliverance ? I think that there is nothing strained in this statement, nothing which must not approve itself to every candid mind : and I am the more con- cerned that this view should be clearly understood, because it will open the way for a just apprehension of what I have yet further to offer under this head.
I proceed then to observe, that, without a clear knowledge of the law we can have no just views of Christ and his offices. From whence arose a necessity for a Saviour ? was it not because we were con- demned by the law, and incapable either of atoning for our past sins, or of restoring ourselves to the Divine image ? Now, suppose our guilt to have been