The harmony of the divine attributes dif played, in the redemption and falvavation of finners by JESUS CHRIST. BEING A SERMON preached at Dumfermline upon the 29th of September, 1723, immediately after the celebration of the Lord's fupper. By the Rev. Mr. RALPH ERSKINE. PS AL. lxxxv. 10. Mercy and truth are met together: Righteousness and peace bave killed each other. MY Y friends, at a folemn marriage-fupper there is ufually a friendly company who meet together; and when, at fuch an occafion, all things are managed with fobriety and decency, it is very joyful and pleasant to the parties concerned, to fee the members of the meeting, with mutual kindness to one another, harmoniously gracing the folemnity Even fo at the marriage-fupper of the lamb, I mean, the facrament of the Lord's fupper, which we have been celebrating, there is a joyful company, not of men and women, for that would make but a poor earthly meeting; nor yet of faints and angels, for that would make but at best a mean creature-meeting; but it is a glorious delightful company of divine attributes and perfections, in the sweetest concord meeting together, and embracing one another. This wonderful conjunc tion of divine excellencies is the friendly company that meets together, to put honour upon this nuptial folemnity; and to fee them thus harmoniously embracing one another in the falvation of finners, is the fweeteft fight that the bride, the lamb's wife, shall ever see at the marriage-fupper, whether it be at the lower or upper table. There is a great meeting in this houfe, but an infinitely greater in this text; a meeting of divine excellencies, to grace the folemnity of the marriage-fupper of the lamb : Mercy and truth are met together, righteoufuefs and peace bave killed each other. When God made heaven and earth out of nothing, he made them by a word, without any other ceremony; but, when he made man, there was fome particular folemnity, a grand council, as it were, of the glorious Trinity called; Come, let us make man after our image. But now man having unmade himself, if God hath a mind for the praise of his own glorious grace to make him up again, by a new creation in Chrift Jefus, there must be a more glorious folemnity yet; not only a council of the adorableTrinity, but a grand meeting of all the attributes of God, to confult their own glory that was marr'd, and reconcile their own interests, and feemingly contradictory claims: For the fin of man had brought real confufion among all the creatures of God on earth, yea, and a feeming war among all the attributes of God in heaven, concerning the execution of the fentence of the law upon mankind, the tranfgreffor thereof; fome of thefe attributes, fuch as Mercy, faying, if the fentence of death be executed upon them, how shall I be glorified? Others, fuch as Truth, faying, if the sentence be not executed, how fall I be glorified? Is it to be expected that fuch oppofites can meet together? Or, if they meet, that they will agree together cordially? Yea, tho' it be beyond the expectation of men and angels, yet, behold, it is here celebrated with a fong? Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace lave kiffed each other. This Pfalm confifts of a prayer of faith, and an anfwer of peace. 1, The Church's prayer, from the beginning to the 8th verfe, where they are praying for the removal of many tokens of God's displeafure they were under, notwithstanding their return out of the Babylonish captivity. 2dly, The anfwer of peace that is made to their prayer, fiom ver. 8. and downward. We have here the pfalmift liftening and waiting for the anfwer; I will hear what God the Lord will speak; the answer itself in general is peace, He will speak peace to his people, &c. If he give not outward peace, yet he will fuggeft inward peace, fpeaking that to their hearts by his fpirit, which he had spoken to their ears by his word. Whatever other fort of peace and profperity they enjoyed, when at length the children of the captivity, after a great deal of toil, had gained a fettlement in their own land, yet peace with God, and fpiritual profperity under the Meffiab's kingdom, was the great thing here promised, and prophefied of; and that is a peace that lays the foul under the ftrongeft obligation to keep at a diftance from all fin, which is the greateft folly, and to beware of backfliding thereto. But let them not re turn turn again to folly: For true peace with God brings in war with fin. But this is further explained in the main leading part thereof, namely, falvation. and glory, ver. 9. Surely bis falvation is near to them that fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Now, whatever other falvation be here imported, Chrift is the great falvation intended: When he is near in view, then the believer cries out, with old Simeon, Now mine eyes have feen thy falvation: And whatever other glory and honour be here imported, Chrift is the chief glory here intended: When he goes away from a land, then I-chabod, the glory is departed; but, where he abides, glory dwells; for he is called, A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Ifrael. But now, if we would know what fort of glory it is that appears when Chrift is revealed, why it is even the glorious harmony of all the divine attributes illuftriously thining in him, who is both our falvation and our glory: Mercy and truth are met together, righteoufnefs and peace bave kiffed each other. Now, tho' these words may be applied to the happy meeting of graces in men, upon the revelation of Chrift in the foul, which I may afterwards obferve in the sequel, and in which fenfe fome interpreters understand it; yet I take it mainly to import the happy meeting of perfections in God to be glorified in the finner's falvation by Jefus Chrift, which is a glofs that no interpreter I have had occafion to confult does neglect or omit; and if any of them fhould miss it, I think they would mifs the very ground-work and foundation of all other happy meetings Mercy and truth have met together, righteoufnefs and peace have killed each other, In the words you may observe, 1, The members of the meeting. 2dly, The manner of the meeting 3dly, The harmony of the meeting. 4thly, The frangeness of it. Obferve, I fay, 1. The members of the meeting mercy, truth, righteousness, peace. I hope I need not caution fome in this affembly, that they beware of imagining thefe various perfections of God, under the names of mercy, truth, righteousness and peace, as if they were really diftinet and different things in God: Or, as if they were really different parties, making a formal confultation, in order to their agreement: For God is one, and cannot be divided; he is one infinite, eternal and unchangeable Being; there are not diftinct and different things in his nature and effence, however his perfections be thus reprefented to our weak, finite capacities, which cannot understand the perfections of God but in feveral parts, as it were. By mercy then, here, we are to understand God himself, as he is a merciful and gracious God: By truth we are to understand the fame God, as he is a true and faithful God: By righteousness we may understand his juftice, or God himfelf, as he is a juft and righteous God; and, by peace, the fame God, as he is the God of peace, and a God reconciling the world to himfelf. So that the whole comes to this; it is the great and eternal God himfelf, confulting with himfelf, in a manner becoming his infinite and adorable perfections, how to glorify himself in all his glorious attributes, in the way of faving finners in and by Jefus Chrift. 2. The manner of the meeting. Thefe excellencies and perfections of God meet together, as it were, in pairs; mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, |