whether mercy be not glorified in this astonishing mystery, which the Gospel has so fully revealed ?
And truth, also, has derived to itself no less a measure of glory from this stupendous mystery. God had said, " In the day that thou eatest of the forbidden fruit, thou shalt surely die." When, there- fore, man had eaten, what remained but that the threatened penalty should be inflicted on him ? The word had gone forth : it could not be revoked : nor could its sentence be reversed, consistently with the sacred rights of truth. What then shall be done ? If the sentence is executed on man, the veracity of God is displayed and honoured : but how can man be spared, and truth be kept inviolate ? The sug- gestions of wisdom being approved, and the sub- stitution of God's only-begotten Son in the sinner's place admitted, truth willingly accepts the proposal, gladly transfers the penalty, and joyfully inflicts on the victim the sentence due to the offender™: — and thus is consummated that mystery which none but God could ever have devised, " Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other"." Thus are not only the different per- fections of God made to harmonize in the salvation of man ; but justice is exercised in a way of mercy, and mercy is exercised in a way of justice ; and both of them, in a way of holiness and truth.
But the glory and excellency of the Gospel yet further appear, in that the Gospel, as I observed in the third place, lays a foundation for greater happi- ness, both to men and angels, than either of them could ever have enjoyed, if man had never fallen.
The felicity of angels doubtless is great ; as would that of men also have been, if man had never fallen. But, from the Gospel, both the one and the other derive a vast accession to their happiness, beyond all that they would otherwise ever have possessed. In reference to angels, I may say, that if in no other respect they were benefited by the Gospel, they
m Isai. liii. 10. " Ps. lxxxv. 10.