THE

HARMONY

OF

THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES,

IN THE

CONTRIVANCE AND ACCOMPLISHMENT

OP

MAN'S REDEMPTION.

BY WILLIAM BATES, D. D.

WITH

AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAY,

BY A. ALEXANDER, D. D

New-York:

PUBLISHED BY JONATHAN LEAVITT, 182 BROADWAY.

Boston:

CROCKER & BREWSTER, 47 WASHINGTON-ST.

Stereo yped by James Conner.

1831

CW

Entered according to the act of Congress, in the year 1831, by JONATHAN LEAVITT, in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New-York.

CONTENTS.

CHAP. I.-The Introduction. A short view of man's primitive state. His conformity to God; natural,

moral, and in happiness and dominion over the creatures. The moral resemblance, as it refers to all

the faculties. The happiness of man, with respect to his sensitive and spiritual nature. Of all sublu-

nary creatures he is only capable of a law. What the law of nature contains. God entered into a

covenant with man. The reasons of that dispensation. The terms of the covenant were becoming
God and man. The special clause in the covenant concerning the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The reasons of the prohibition.

13

The

CHAP. II.- The Fall of Man. -Man's natural state was mutable. The devil, moved by hatred and

envy, attempts to seduce him. The temptation was suitable to man's compounded nature,

woman being deceived, persuades her husband. 1. The quality of the first sin; many were combined in

it. II. It was perfectly voluntary. Man had power to stand. The devil could only allure, not coin-
pel him. His understanding and will the causes of his fall. III. The punishunent was of the same

date with his sin. He forfeited his righteousness and felicity. The loss of original righteousness, as it

signifies the purity and liberty of the soul. The torment of conscience that was consequent to sin. A

whole army of evils enters with it into the world.

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CHAP. 111.- The Corruption of Human Nature.-I. All mankind is involved in Adam's guilt, and is

under the penal consequences that follow upon it. Adam, the natural and moral principle of mankind.

An hereditary corruption is transmitted to all that are propagated from him. The account the

scripture gives of the conveyance of it. It is an innate habit. It is universal. Corrupt nature con-

tains the seeds of all sins, though they do not shoot forth together. It is voluntary and culpable.
II. The permission of the fall is suitable to the wisdom, holiness, and goodness of God. The imputa-

tion of Adam's sin to his posterity is consistent with God's justice.

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CHAP. IV. The Moral Impotence of Man. The impossibility of man's recovery by his natural

power. I. Man cannot regain his primitive holiness. The understanding and will the superior facul-

Lies are depraved. The mind is ignorant and insensible of our corruption. The will is more depraved

than the mind; it embraces only sensual good; carnal objects are wounding to the conscience, and

unsatisfying to the affections; yet the will eagerly pursues them. The moral impotence, that ariseth

from a perverse disposition of the will, is culpable. Neither the beauty nor the reward of holiness

can prevail upon the unrenewed will. II. Guilty man cannot recover the favour of God. He is

unable to make satisfaction to justice. He is incapable of real repentance, which might qualify him

for pardon.

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CHAP. V.-The Wisdom of God in Redemption. Of the divine wisdom in the contrivance of man's
redemption. Understanding agen agents propound an end, and choose means for the obtaining of it.
1. The end of God is of the highest consequence, his own glory and man's ecovery. The difficulty of
accomplishing it. II. The means are proportionable. The divine wisdom glorified in taking
occasion from the sin and fall of man to bring glory to God, and to raise man to a more excellent state.
It appears in ordaining such a Mediator, as was fit to reconcile God to man, and man to God. It is

discovered in the designation of the second person to be our Saviour; and making the remedy to have

a proportion to the cause of our ruin. It is visible in the manner whereby our redemption is accom-
plished; and in the ordaining of such contemptible means to produce such glorious effects; and laying

the design of the gospel, so as to provide for the comfort and promote the holiness of man.

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CHAP. VI. Practical Inferences.-I. A superlative degree of praise and thankfulness due to God for

the revelation of the gospel. It is not discovered by the creation; it is above the reach of natural

reason; the heathen world is entirely ignorant of it. It is pure grace that distinguishes one nation

from another, in sending the gospel. II. Evangelical knowledge deserves our most serious study.

The gospel exceeds all contemplative and practical sciences; actical sciences; contemplative, in the greatness of its
object, and the certainty of its principle; practical, in the excellency of its end, and the efficacy of

the means.

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CHAP. VII.- The Causes and Unreasonableness of Unbelief. The simple speculation of the gospel

not sufficient without a real belief, and cordial acceptance. I. The reasons why the Jews and

Gentiles conspired in the contempt of it. II. How just it is to resign up the understanding to revela-

tion. God knows his own nature and will, and cannot deceive us. We must believe the things that

are clearly revealed, though we do not understand the manner of their existence; although they are

attended with seeming contradictions. No article of faith is really repugnant to reason. We must

distinguish between things incomprehensible and inconceivable, between corrupt and right reason.

How reason is subservient to faith. Humility and holiness qualify for the belief of the gospel-mysteries.

A naked belief of supernatutal truths is unprofitable for salvation. An effectual assent that prevails

upon the will and renders the whole man obsequious, is due to the quality of the gospel-revelation. 95

CHAP. VIII- The Freeness of the Divine Mercy in Redemption. The mercy of God is represented
with peculiar advantages above the other attributes. It is eminently glorified in our redemption, in
respect of its freeness and greatness. The freeness of it amplified from the consideration, I. of the
original, and, II. of the object of it. God is perfectly happy in himself, and needs not the creature