Rational Creation: The Nature and Character of God Made Known

The Rational Creation

Redemption Makes Known to Rational Creatures the Nature and Character of God

When we examine the varied works of God, we find that every part of the vast creation is governed by its own appropriate laws, and that all these laws bear testimony to the wisdom and goodness of the Creator. We see a system of attractions and repulsions directing the courses of the heavenly orbs, and producing, by their combined operation, that wonderful harmony which characterizes the motions of the stars. We discover another class of determinate regulations directing the growth and reproduction of the vegetable tribes, and clothing the earth, in all its varied climates, in a smiling mantle of green. And we find yet another class of elementary principles, regulating the instincts and actions of animals, and securing not only the enjoyment of the individual, but the preservation of the race. We, therefore, conclude, that if every other part of God's creation be thus placed under the regulation of fixed and appropriate laws, which exhibit, in their very variety, the wisdom and benignity of their Author, there must, in like manner, be some peculiar regulation for directing the actions of rational creatures, and these regulations must exhibit similar evidences of the Divine perfections.

Into these laws, designed for the government of rational creatures, and intended for the promotion of their enjoyment, we now propose to inquire, directing our attention more particularly to the Work of Redemption as the great means of confirming the government and promoting the enjoyment of the rational creation.

If we take man, who is the only rational being with whom we are familiarly acquainted, as the type and representative of the class to which he belongs, Reason and Conscience may be regarded as the peculiar faculties of the soul, Devotion and Benevolence as its appropriate emotions. The manner in which they are severally influenced by the manifestation of the character of God in Christ, we shall briefly investigate, directing our attention, in the first place, to the intellectual powers which we comprehend under the term Reason.

In order to promote intellectual vigour and enjoyment, suitable subjects of inquiry must be provided.—The faculties usually comprehended under the title of the intellectual powers, are many and varied, and the theories proposed in regard to them are diverse and often contradictory; but whatever classification we may adopt, and whatever distinction we may draw between those which are peculiar to man, and those which he possesses in common with the lower creation, every one will readily agree that they are improved by culture, and that when appropriately exercised they become sources of pleasure. There is in the mind of man an appetite for knowledge, as there is in his body an appetite for food, and if that desire be rightly regulated and suitably provided with intellectual sustenance, its gratification will be at once a source of pleasure and a source of strength.

It is on these universally acknowledged principles that parents act when they provide instruction for their children, in order to promote their future comfort, and that enlightened communities proceed when they encourage education, as a means of advancing the general good.

What, then, we ask, is education? When we carefully examine into its nature, we find that it is simply the setting before the mind of the inquirer those subjects which are best fitted for strengthening its powers, and, directly or indirectly, promoting its enjoyment; using, at the same time, the most appropriate means for stimulating and fixing attention upon them. The mind of man is always occupied, but occupation is profitable only when the subject on which the thoughts are engaged is well selected. The man who confines his attention to the gratification of the mere animal appetites, whose only inquiry is, What shall I eat, what shall I drink; wherewithal shall I be clothed? sets before him the very same objects as those which irrational creatures pursue, and, as a natural consequence of such a course, he becomes a sot, and his intelligence rises but a single degree above that of the beast. If, again, the mind be habitually occupied with trifles, it becomes frivolous and vain, whatever its natural capacity may have been; while talents, even of an inferior order, habitually directed to profitable and important pursuits, acquire an energy and strength which the faculties of the uncultivated and ignorant can never attain. It is by presenting to the mind suitable subjects of inquiry that education strengthens and stimulates its powers. At the same time, this increase of strength and activity necessarily promotes the enjoyment of him who possesses them. Experience has abundantly shewn us, that the more important the subjects are about which we are habitually conversant, the greater is the interest and the pleasure which we take in them. The man of educated mind, who has been accustomed to explore the literary treasures of ancient and modern times, manifests at once a livelier relish for intellectual information, and a more ready appreciation of its meaning, than the ignorant clown who scarcely ever peruses a page. The man of enlarged and cultivated mind enjoys a new publication, or the description of some recent discovery, as if it were a feast, while the idler, who has confined his thoughts to the gossips of some paltry village, will fall asleep over the most interesting volume. When the mental talents are directed to enlarged and elevated objects, they not only demand a larger supply of intellectual food, but seek for food, if we may so express ourselves, of a more nourishing and more stimulating kind. The stories that delighted the child will not satisfy the man; the nursery tale that pleased the infant ear, will not gratify the philosophic mind. In order to perfect the pleasure which any intelligent creature derives from the acquisition of knowledge and the exercise of his faculties, it is therefore evident, that the most appropriate subjects of inquiry must be supplied.

No subject of inquiry is so suitable for the rational mind, as the Nature and Attributes of God.—When we ask what is the subject that is fitted for the diversified faculties and tastes of the varied classes of rational creatures, and for the continually progressing knowledge, and the continually progressing powers of immortal beings, a moment's reflection is sufficient to show us that it must be a subject infinite in the variety of its manifestations, and inexhaustible in its extent. We need not say that there is but one subject which can suit these conditions,—that subject is the nature and attributes of God.

One of the most elegant of British poets has said, "The proper study of mankind is man." Alas, how poor, how paltry is the subject that he would set before us! What is man!—a worm. His strength is weakness, and his wisdom is folly. The proper study for man, and for every other intelligent creature, is God. In contemplating His character, we have before us an object which is supremely glorious, which, when beheld in ten thousand thousand varied aspects, is ever full of beauty, and which will continue, throughout eternity, to present to the view of the inquirer, ever new, and ever increasing wonders. If the powers of Observation which distinguish intelligent creatures, be occupied in scanning the works and ways of the Creator; if the powers of reflection and discrimination, peculiar to the rational mind, be engaged in discovering the counsel and purpose of God; and if reason, which delights in tracing events and circumstances to their source, finds its appropriate employment in exploring the mysteries of him who is the great First Cause of all; if the inward eye be filled with the light that cometh from above, and the inward ear be prepared to listen to the lessons of infinite wisdom; if the thought of Jehovah's perfections engage the soul, every faculty will have its appropriate occupation, and the intellectual enjoyment of the rational mind will be complete.

Redemption shews forth more clearly than any other of his works the nature and attributes of God.—The arguments which we have already adduced are sufficient to shew us that the perfections of God are the noblest and most blissful of all the subjects to which the powers of the rational mind can be applied; but it still remains for us to consider the means by which these perfections may be made known. "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is high as heaven, what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what canst thou know?"

When we direct our attention to the nature of God, we very soon find that it is only in so far as his attributes are made known to us by his works, that we can form any distinct idea in regard to them. We may be informed that Jehovah is possessed of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness; and we may be constrained to acknowledge that such is the case; but unless these attributes be brought within the reach of our comprehension by some outward manifestation, no corresponding impression will be made upon our minds. And while this is unquestionably the case with man, it seems evident that it must also be the case with other intelligent creatures. The perfections of God are infinitely exalted above the utmost stretch of created understanding, and the angels that surround the throne require, even as we do, to have the nature of the Deity revealed to them in a manner that is suited to their limited capacity, before they can entertain any adequate conception of his character, or find any enjoyment in its contemplation.

The distance between the Creator and the creature, between infinite excellence and limited intelligence, is so vast, that, without a revelation of his attributes in some appropriate work of his hands, the nature of the Eternal transcends the comprehension both of angels and of men. Jesus, therefore, has appeared, and by the work which he has wrought for man he unfolds the mystery of the Divine perfections. He shews in man's redemption the perfections and character of God, far more clearly than has been done in any other work which has ever been wrought. At the same time, he there reveals the most wonderful of all the attributes of the Godhead, long-suffering, mercy, and grace, which are manifested in it alone. And there, more especially, he exhibits all the varied attributes of the Deity in combined and harmonious operation.

The power and wisdom of the Lord are to be seen in every part of the wide creation; but they are displayed in their fulness only in the person and work of the Redeemer. If we were desired to adduce an example of the Creator's skill, we would naturally refer to the mutual adaptation of the various parts of which the different creatures consist, and to the harmonious combination of seemingly incongruous principles which is so remarkably exhibited in the higher order of beings. We would point to man; in whom a soul, allied in its nature to the hosts before the throne, is joined to affections and appetites resembling those of the lower creation, and to a material frame formed out of the dust, while all is so wonderfully combined that we are constrained with the Psalmist to exclaim, "We are fearfully and wonderfully made." But, in the person of Jesus Christ, we find a combination more wonderful by far. In him we see united together the Creator and the creature, the infinite Jehovah, in whom all fulness dwells, and a mortal man, who having been in all things tempted like as we are, died the accursed death of the cross, and bore the vengeance-stroke of an angry God!

The love and tenderness of the Deity are shewn in his supplying the wants of all his varied creation, in giving to the beast his food, and to the angel his bright abode, and his joyful theme of praise. But these perfections are much more wonderfully manifested in giving his Son to die for men—in making the elect his sons and heirs—in looking on them with delight, as a fond parent looks on a darling child,—in making them one with Jesus, and in giving them a share in the throne and in the blessedness of the great Redeemer.

In the same manner the justice of God is shewn forth in the death of the Saviour, far more wonderfully than in any other part of the Divine legislation. The importance of justice to the completion of a perfect character is easily seen. No one without it can be an object of confidence or esteem. If a man be deceitful and fraudulent in his dealings, he may be a kind parent, a charitable neighbour, and an agreeable companion; but he will ever be looked on with suspicion and distrust. It is more especially requisite in one who is appointed to rule over others. If a ruler be unrighteous in his enactments, and unequal in his decisions, if he neglect to avenge the injured, to repress the violent, and to punish the transgressors; though his heart should be full of tenderness, and his conduct forbearing and kind, he may awaken our sympathy, but he can never secure our esteem; and his government would be more injurious to the comfort and peace of society, than the iron rule of the man who enforces the law with relentless rigour, regardless alike of the calls of pity and of the feelings of sympathy and love. To God, therefore, as the Head of the universe and King of kings, inflexible justice is indispensable; for, unless the highest esteem and confidence be felt towards Him, his creatures will not readily submit to his decisions; unless the certain infliction of punishment follows his awards, they will not fear his displeasure; and, unless his law be magnified, the peace and security of all who are subject to his authority must be endangered. The more fully, and the more strikingly, the justice of the legislator is exhibited, the better, therefore, will it be for all who are under his rule.

These considerations prepare us for appreciating the display of Divine justice that was made in the sufferings and death of the Redeemer. The fearful consequences of transgression are seen in the ravages of death,—in the pains, and the sickness, and the misery, which the Fall has brought on the children of men. They are yet more terribly exhibited in the punishment of Satan and his associates in hell, in the torture of the burning lake, and in all the accumulated wo of the condemned. But, though these manifestations of Jehovah's vengeance be truly awful, they cannot for a moment compare with that which was made in the crucifixion of our Lord, when God "spared not his own Son," but, to satisfy the demands of the broken law, poured out the vials of his wrath on the head of his only-begotten and well-beloved. The sufferings of all who have fallen, though we were to carry our views onward through the endless ages of eternity, can never shew forth so fully the holiness of God, and his hatred of sin, as did the agony of Immanuel, when, under the forsaking of his Father, he bowed his head and died. An earthly judge would be esteemed just in no ordinary degree, if he were to pass sentence on an only son, even though the conduct of his child had been full of sin; and an earthly monarch would consider himself justified in granting pardon, even to a noted offender, if some one, whose claims on his king and country were great, should plead the culprit's cause, and intercede on his behalf. But the law of God is not so easily satisfied; and the great Monarch of Creation cannot, on such terms as these, release the prisoner. Though Immanuel takes up the cause of man; though he who joined in forming the law intercedes for the offender, the sentence remains,—death has been denounced, and death must be borne. Though Jesus, God and man in one, prays with strong crying and tears, prays again and yet again, while the bloody sweat drops from him on the ground; though he exclaims in agony, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me?" the decree remains, and the Surety must bleed if the guilty are to be set free. He is left to exclaim, "My God, my God! why hast thou forsaken me?" And it is not till he can say, "It is finished," that the law relaxes its hold.

It is in the sufferings and death of the Saviour that the character of the Sovereign Judge is revealed, and the "terrors of the Lord" made known. The endurance of the cross had a higher and more important purpose to serve than the saving of sinners from the punishment they deserve. It was designed to shew forth to every class of intelligent creatures the nature of infinite justice, the extent of the law's requirements, and the fearfulness of its doom.

We must further remark, that, in order to perpetuate the remembrance of this wonderful work, to prevent the lesson which the Redeemer's suffering is intended to teach from being forgotten, our Lord retains for ever the traces of his mortal wo. While he sits on the throne above, and sways the sceptre of universal dominion, while angels worship around him, and all the hosts of heaven sing praises to his name, he bears the marks of his former humiliation, and the trace of his mortal wound. He appears, even in the midst of the throne, as the Lamb that was slain; the prints of the nails, and the scar of the spear, may still be seen, and shew to all the intelligent creation, that "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

It is thus that the justice of God is made known to his creatures; and by the same means, by the work and sufferings of Jesus Christ, as the Redeemer of men, every other attribute of the Deity is revealed. Those perfections which in themselves are too transcendent to be understood by created intelligence, when they are embodied in Christ, and exhibited in his work, are brought within reach of creature comprehension, and become the objects of delightful contemplation, and the sources of purest bliss.

This is the great design. It is "by the church the manifold wisdom of God is made known unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places;" it is through Jesus, and the work which he hath wrought in our redemption, that God is made known to the intelligences above. The infinite Jehovah, clothed with honour and with majesty, covering himself with light as with a garment, is too glorious an object of contemplation for the powers even of the highest angel to grasp. But in Jesus this brilliance of Omnipotence is veiled, and in him the exceeding splendour of infinite Deity, which, directly viewed, would overwhelm them, may be regarded by his creatures with safety and delight. The rays of the unclouded sun, when they shine full on the sight, give pain instead of pleasure, and darken the eye with excess of light; but when their radiance is reflected from the various objects of nature that are spread around us, they give all that beauty of colouring to the landscape which delights the eye, and all that cheerfulness to the scene which gladdens the soul. In like manner, the dazzling glory of pure Divinity, on which even the sun-eyed seraph dares not look, when it is reflected from the face of the Lord's Anointed, and exhibited in his work, gives to the counsel of God that varied manifestation which delights the spiritual eye, and imparts to the attributes of the Eternal that softened harmony which fills the hearts of his creatures with confidence and joy.

When we examine the varied works of God, we find that every part of the vast creation is governed by its own appropriate laws, and that all these laws bear testimony to the wisdom and goodness of the Creator. We see a system of attractions and repulsions directing the courses of the heavenly orbs, and producing, by their combined operation, that wonderful harmony which characterizes the motions of the stars. We discover another class of determinate regulations directing the growth and reproduction of the vegetable tribes, and clothing the earth, in all its varied climates, in a smiling mantle of green. And we find yet another class of elementary principles, regulating the instincts and actions of animals, and securing not only the enjoyment of the individual, but the preservation of the race. We, therefore, conclude, that if every other part of God's creation be thus placed under the regulation of fixed and appropriate laws, which exhibit, in their very variety, the wisdom and benignity of their Author, there must, in like manner, be some peculiar regulation for directing the actions of rational creatures, and these regulations must exhibit similar evidences of the Divine perfections.

Into these laws, designed for the government of rational creatures, and intended for the promotion of their enjoyment, we now propose to inquire, directing our attention more particularly to the Work of Redemption as the great means of confirming the government and promoting the enjoyment of the rational creation.

If we take man, who is the only rational being with whom we are familiarly acquainted, as the type and representative of the class to which he belongs, Reason and Conscience may be regarded as the peculiar faculties of the soul, Devotion and Benevolence as its appropriate emotions. The manner in which they are severally influenced by the manifestation of the character of God in Christ, we shall briefly investigate, directing our attention, in the first place, to the intellectual powers which we comprehend under the term Reason.

In order to promote intellectual vigour and enjoyment, suitable subjects of inquiry must be provided.—The faculties usually comprehended under the title of the intellectual powers, are many and varied, and the theories proposed in regard to them are diverse and often contradictory; but whatever classification we may adopt, and whatever distinction we may draw between those which are peculiar to man, and those which he possesses in common with the lower creation, every one will readily agree that they are improved by culture, and that when appropriately exercised they become sources of pleasure. There is in the mind of man an appetite for knowledge, as there is in his body an appetite for food, and if that desire be rightly regulated and suitably provided with intellectual sustenance, its gratification will be at once a source of pleasure and a source of strength.

It is on these universally acknowledged principles that parents act when they provide instruction for their children, in order to promote their future comfort, and that enlightened communities proceed when they encourage education, as a means of advancing the general good.

What, then, we ask, is education? When we carefully examine into its nature, we find that it is simply the setting before the mind of the inquirer those subjects which are best fitted for strengthening its powers, and, directly or indirectly, promoting its enjoyment; using, at the same time, the most appropriate means for stimulating and fixing attention upon them. The mind of man is always occupied, but occupation is profitable only when the subject on which the thoughts are engaged is well selected. The man who confines his attention to the gratification of the mere animal appetites, whose only inquiry is, What shall I eat, what shall I drink; wherewithal shall I be clothed? sets before him the very same objects as those which irrational creatures pursue, and, as a natural consequence of such a course, he becomes a sot, and his intelligence rises but a single degree above that of the beast. If, again, the mind be habitually occupied with trifles, it becomes frivolous and vain, whatever its natural capacity may have been; while talents, even of an inferior order, habitually directed to profitable and important pursuits, acquire an energy and strength which the faculties of the uncultivated and ignorant can never attain. It is by presenting to the mind suitable subjects of inquiry that education strengthens and stimulates its powers. At the same time, this increase of strength and activity necessarily promotes the enjoyment of him who possesses them. Experience has abundantly shewn us, that the more important the subjects are about which we are habitually conversant, the greater is the interest and the pleasure which we take in them. The man of educated mind, who has been accustomed to explore the literary treasures of ancient and modern times, manifests at once a livelier relish for intellectual information, and a more ready appreciation of its meaning, than the ignorant clown who scarcely ever peruses a page. The man of enlarged and cultivated mind enjoys a new publication, or the description of some recent discovery, as if it were a feast, while the idler, who has confined his thoughts to the gossips of some paltry village, will fall asleep over the most interesting volume. When the mental talents are directed to enlarged and elevated objects, they not only demand a larger supply of intellectual food, but seek for food, if we may so express ourselves, of a more nourishing and more stimulating kind. The stories that delighted the child will not satisfy the man; the nursery tale that pleased the infant ear, will not gratify the philosophic mind. In order to perfect the pleasure which any intelligent creature derives from the acquisition of knowledge and the exercise of his faculties, it is therefore evident, that the most appropriate subjects of inquiry must be supplied.

No subject of inquiry is so suitable for the rational mind, as the Nature and Attributes of God.—When we ask what is the subject that is fitted for the diversified faculties and tastes of the varied classes of rational creatures, and for the continually progressing knowledge, and the continually progressing powers of immortal beings, a moment's reflection is sufficient to show us that it must be a subject infinite in the variety of its manifestations, and inexhaustible in its extent. We need not say that there is but one subject which can suit these conditions,—that subject is the nature and attributes of God.

One of the most elegant of British poets has said, "The proper study of mankind is man." Alas, how poor, how paltry is the subject that he would set before us! What is man!—a worm. His strength is weakness, and his wisdom is folly. The proper study for man, and for every other intelligent creature, is God. In contemplating His character, we have before us an object which is supremely glorious, which, when beheld in ten thousand thousand varied aspects, is ever full of beauty, and which will continue, throughout eternity, to present to the view of the inquirer, ever new, and ever increasing wonders. If the powers of Observation which distinguish intelligent creatures, be occupied in scanning the works and ways of the Creator; if the powers of reflection and discrimination, peculiar to the rational mind, be engaged in discovering the counsel and purpose of God; and if reason, which delights in tracing events and circumstances to their source, finds its appropriate employment in exploring the mysteries of him who is the great First Cause of all; if the inward eye be filled with the light that cometh from above, and the inward ear be prepared to listen to the lessons of infinite wisdom; if the thought of Jehovah's perfections engage the soul, every faculty will have its appropriate occupation, and the intellectual enjoyment of the rational mind will be complete.

Redemption shews forth more clearly than any other of his works the nature and attributes of God.—The arguments which we have already adduced are sufficient to shew us that the perfections of God are the noblest and most blissful of all the subjects to which the powers of the rational mind can be applied; but it still remains for us to consider the means by which these perfections may be made known. "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is high as heaven, what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what canst thou know?"

When we direct our attention to the nature of God, we very soon find that it is only in so far as his attributes are made known to us by his works, that we can form any distinct idea in regard to them. We may be informed that Jehovah is possessed of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness; and we may be constrained to acknowledge that such is the case; but unless these attributes be brought within the reach of our comprehension by some outward manifestation, no corresponding impression will be made upon our minds. And while this is unquestionably the case with man, it seems evident that it must also be the case with other intelligent creatures. The perfections of God are infinitely exalted above the utmost stretch of created understanding, and the angels that surround the throne require, even as we do, to have the nature of the Deity revealed to them in a manner that is suited to their limited capacity, before they can entertain any adequate conception of his character, or find any enjoyment in its contemplation.

The distance between the Creator and the creature, between infinite excellence and limited intelligence, is so vast, that, without a revelation of his attributes in some appropriate work of his hands, the nature of the Eternal transcends the comprehension both of angels and of men. Jesus, therefore, has appeared, and by the work which he has wrought for man he unfolds the mystery of the Divine perfections. He shews in man's redemption the perfections and character of God, far more clearly than has been done in any other work which has ever been wrought. At the same time, he there reveals the most wonderful of all the attributes of the Godhead, long-suffering, mercy, and grace, which are manifested in it alone. And there, more especially, he exhibits all the varied attributes of the Deity in combined and harmonious operation.

The power and wisdom of the Lord are to be seen in every part of the wide creation; but they are displayed in their fulness only in the person and work of the Redeemer. If we were desired to adduce an example of the Creator's skill, we would naturally refer to the mutual adaptation of the various parts of which the different creatures consist, and to the harmonious combination of seemingly incongruous principles which is so remarkably exhibited in the higher order of beings. We would point to man; in whom a soul, allied in its nature to the hosts before the throne, is joined to affections and appetites resembling those of the lower creation, and to a material frame formed out of the dust, while all is so wonderfully combined that we are constrained with the Psalmist to exclaim, "We are fearfully and wonderfully made." But, in the person of Jesus Christ, we find a combination more wonderful by far. In him we see united together the Creator and the creature, the infinite Jehovah, in whom all fulness dwells, and a mortal man, who having been in all things tempted like as we are, died the accursed death of the cross, and bore the vengeance-stroke of an angry God!

The love and tenderness of the Deity are shewn in his supplying the wants of all his varied creation, in giving to the beast his food, and to the angel his bright abode, and his joyful theme of praise. But these perfections are much more wonderfully manifested in giving his Son to die for men—in making the elect his sons and heirs—in looking on them with delight, as a fond parent looks on a darling child,—in making them one with Jesus, and in giving them a share in the throne and in the blessedness of the great Redeemer.

In the same manner the justice of God is shewn forth in the death of the Saviour, far more wonderfully than in any other part of the Divine legislation. The importance of justice to the completion of a perfect character is easily seen. No one without it can be an object of confidence or esteem. If a man be deceitful and fraudulent in his dealings, he may be a kind parent, a charitable neighbour, and an agreeable companion; but he will ever be looked on with suspicion and distrust. It is more especially requisite in one who is appointed to rule over others. If a ruler be unrighteous in his enactments, and unequal in his decisions, if he neglect to avenge the injured, to repress the violent, and to punish the transgressors; though his heart should be full of tenderness, and his conduct forbearing and kind, he may awaken our sympathy, but he can never secure our esteem; and his government would be more injurious to the comfort and peace of society, than the iron rule of the man who enforces the law with relentless rigour, regardless alike of the calls of pity and of the feelings of sympathy and love. To God, therefore, as the Head of the universe and King of kings, inflexible justice is indispensable; for, unless the highest esteem and confidence be felt towards Him, his creatures will not readily submit to his decisions; unless the certain infliction of punishment follows his awards, they will not fear his displeasure; and, unless his law be magnified, the peace and security of all who are subject to his authority must be endangered. The more fully, and the more strikingly, the justice of the legislator is exhibited, the better, therefore, will it be for all who are under his rule.

These considerations prepare us for appreciating the display of Divine justice that was made in the sufferings and death of the Redeemer. The fearful consequences of transgression are seen in the ravages of death,—in the pains, and the sickness, and the misery, which the Fall has brought on the children of men. They are yet more terribly exhibited in the punishment of Satan and his associates in hell, in the torture of the burning lake, and in all the accumulated wo of the condemned. But, though these manifestations of Jehovah's vengeance be truly awful, they cannot for a moment compare with that which was made in the crucifixion of our Lord, when God "spared not his own Son," but, to satisfy the demands of the broken law, poured out the vials of his wrath on the head of his only-begotten and well-beloved. The sufferings of all who have fallen, though we were to carry our views onward through the endless ages of eternity, can never shew forth so fully the holiness of God, and his hatred of sin, as did the agony of Immanuel, when, under the forsaking of his Father, he bowed his head and died. An earthly judge would be esteemed just in no ordinary degree, if he were to pass sentence on an only son, even though the conduct of his child had been full of sin; and an earthly monarch would consider himself justified in granting pardon, even to a noted offender, if some one, whose claims on his king and country were great, should plead the culprit's cause, and intercede on his behalf. But the law of God is not so easily satisfied; and the great Monarch of Creation cannot, on such terms as these, release the prisoner. Though Immanuel takes up the cause of man; though he who joined in forming the law intercedes for the offender, the sentence remains,—death has been denounced, and death must be borne. Though Jesus, God and man in one, prays with strong crying and tears, prays again and yet again, while the bloody sweat drops from him on the ground; though he exclaims in agony, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me?" the decree remains, and the Surety must bleed if the guilty are to be set free. He is left to exclaim, "My God, my God! why hast thou forsaken me?" And it is not till he can say, "It is finished," that the law relaxes its hold.

It is in the sufferings and death of the Saviour that the character of the Sovereign Judge is revealed, and the "terrors of the Lord" made known. The endurance of the cross had a higher and more important purpose to serve than the saving of sinners from the punishment they deserve. It was designed to shew forth to every class of intelligent creatures the nature of infinite justice, the extent of the law's requirements, and the fearfulness of its doom.

We must further remark, that, in order to perpetuate the remembrance of this wonderful work, to prevent the lesson which the Redeemer's suffering is intended to teach from being forgotten, our Lord retains for ever the traces of his mortal wo. While he sits on the throne above, and sways the sceptre of universal dominion, while angels worship around him, and all the hosts of heaven sing praises to his name, he bears the marks of his former humiliation, and the trace of his mortal wound. He appears, even in the midst of the throne, as the Lamb that was slain; the prints of the nails, and the scar of the spear, may still be seen, and shew to all the intelligent creation, that "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

It is thus that the justice of God is made known to his creatures; and by the same means, by the work and sufferings of Jesus Christ, as the Redeemer of men, every other attribute of the Deity is revealed. Those perfections which in themselves are too transcendent to be understood by created intelligence, when they are embodied in Christ, and exhibited in his work, are brought within reach of creature comprehension, and become the objects of delightful contemplation, and the sources of purest bliss.

This is the great design. It is "by the church the manifold wisdom of God is made known unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places;" it is through Jesus, and the work which he hath wrought in our redemption, that God is made known to the intelligences above. The infinite Jehovah, clothed with honour and with majesty, covering himself with light as with a garment, is too glorious an object of contemplation for the powers even of the highest angel to grasp. But in Jesus this brilliance of Omnipotence is veiled, and in him the exceeding splendour of infinite Deity, which, directly viewed, would overwhelm them, may be regarded by his creatures with safety and delight. The rays of the unclouded sun, when they shine full on the sight, give pain instead of pleasure, and darken the eye with excess of light; but when their radiance is reflected from the various objects of nature that are spread around us, they give all that beauty of colouring to the landscape which delights the eye, and all that cheerfulness to the scene which gladdens the soul. In like manner, the dazzling glory of pure Divinity, on which even the sun-eyed seraph dares not look, when it is reflected from the face of the Lord's Anointed, and exhibited in his work, gives to the counsel of God that varied manifestation which delights the spiritual eye, and imparts to the attributes of the Eternal that softened harmony which fills the hearts of his creatures with confidence and joy.