meeting is defigned for the breaking up of all these, and the like unhappy meetings. They met togethe in glorious band, to loose all the knots that

the devil had tied.

4. These glorious attributes of God do conspire harmoniously, they meet together and kifs each other, that hey might concert and carry on fome happy meetings, and make up fome bleffed matches. Thefe oppofite-like attributes harmoniously meet, that oppofites and irreconcileable things might meet together harmonioufly, and kifs each other, whether real or feeming oppofites.

(1.) There are real oppofites that meet together harmoniously, by virtue of this glorious meeting; particularly these fix,

1. Thefe oppofite-like attributes meet together harmoniously, that oppofite natures might meet together, even that God and man might meet together, and embrace each other. And there are these two meetings betwixt God and man, that were concerted at this meeting: The one is the meeting betwixt God and man, in the hypoftatical union of the two natures of Chrift, our Emmanuel, God-man, in one perfon; this is the great mystery of godliness, God manifefted in the flesh; and this is the foundation of all other faving and merciful meetings betwixt God and man: The other is the meeting betwixt God and man, in the fpiritual union betwixt Christ and his members, in one mystical perfon, by the bond of the fpirit; For he that is joined to the Lord is one fpirit: And this union is the foundation of all spiritual communion with God. We were not only at an infinite natural distance from God, as we are creatures; but at an infinite moral distance from him, as we are criminals and finners:

But

But the attributes of God met together and kiffed each other in Chrift, that God and man might meet together in a close fpiritual union, and kiss each other in a sweet spiritual communion: Whatever fpiritual communion you have with God, believer, this day, it flows from this glorious meeting of the divine attributes in Chrift; and this union and communion is indeed a meeting of oppofire natures: God became man, and took on our nature, and he makes us partakers of his nature, &c.

2. These oppofite-like attributes met together, and kiffed each other, that oppofite wills might meet and embrace each other. God's will and ours are oppofite; this is indeed a branch of the former, but our wills are the great forts of corrupt nature, that ftand out against God and his will: We are enmity against God, and not fubject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Now, how comes the will to be reconciled to God's will? It is only by Chrift, in whom the perfections of God meet together: Thy people fhall be willing in the day of thy power.

3. These oppofite-like attributes meet and kifs each other, that oppofite perfons, Jews and Gentiles, man and man, that were enemies and haters of one another, might meet together; that Jews and Gentiles might meet together, and men at variance with men might meet together: Hence it is faid of him, in whom the attributes of God do meet, He is our peace, Eph. ii. 14. who hath made both one, and bath broken down the middle wall of partition: Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, &c. If any thing flay the enmity to God or man, this is it.

4. Thefe oppofite-like attributes of God meet and kifs each other, that oppofite climates might

meet

meet together; I mean, that heaven and earth might meet together, the church militant and the church triumphant. Heaven and earth were at variance by our fin; but now, in Chrift, faints in heaven and faints on earth meet together: Hence we are faid to be come to the general assembly and church of the firstborn that are written in heaven, to the spirits of just men made perfect. All believers are faid to be thus come to mount Zion, the heavenly Jerufalem, Heb. xii. 22. Yea, in Chrift, angels in heaven, and men on on earth, do meet together: Hence alfo believers are faid to be come to the innumerable company of angels; and the angel of the Lord encamps about them, &c. Yea, all things in heaven and earth do meet together, and kifs each other in Chrift, the meetingplace, Col. i. 20. Having made peace by the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things to himself, whether things in heaven, or things in earth, Eph. i. 10. See how, upon the back of this meeting in the text, heaven and earth are faid to meet together in the following verfe; Truth fhall Spring out of the earth, and righteousness fhall look down from heaven; which I infift not upon here.

5. These oppofite-like attributes of God meet and kifs each other, that oppofite covenants might meet and embrace each other, even the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, in Chrift the meetingplace of the divine perfections: These two covenants do, as it were, join hands and agree. Did the covenant of works command perfect obedience? and, being broken, did it demand complete fatisfaction? Behold, Chrift's obedience to the death answers both; God's covenant of grace, difpenfed to us, is juft Chrift fülfilling for us the covenant of works: And fo in him they meet, and kifs each other; For

he is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Again,

6. Thefe oppofite-like attributes of God meet and kiss each other, that oppofite thoughts might meet together, and embrace each other, even God's thoughts and our thoughts. How oppofite these are, you may fee, Ifa. Iv. 8, 9. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your way's my ways; for, as the heavens are higher than the earth, fo are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Some have prefumptuous thoughts, while they look only to God's mercy, and fo they think certainly God will have mercy upon them, tho' yet they are ftrangers to Chrift; these are oppofite to God's thoughts, he hath no thoughts of fhewing mercy that way. Others have despairing thoughts, while they look merely or moftly to God's justice, and fo their thought is, O, will God have mercy on fuch as I am! and, he cannot in juftice fave fuch a one as I! Thefe thoughts are alfo opposite to God's thoughts: My thoughts are not your thoughts. O then, how shall thefe oppofite thoughts meet together? Why, let a man view the mercy and juftice of God met together, and harmoniously kiffing each other in Chrift, fo as to fee God in Chrift reconciling the world to himself. If your thoughts be fpiritualized, to difcern mercy venting itself through the facrifice that fatisfies divine juftice, then God's thoughts and your thoughts meet together, and kifs each other. Thus the divine attributes meet together harmonioufly, that real oppofites may meet together harmonioufly: This glorious meeting lays a foundation for thefe happy meetings.

(2.) There

(2.) There are feeming oppofites, that meet together harmoniously, by virtue of this glorious meeting; as,

1. Thefe oppofite-like perfections of God meet together, and kifs each other harmoniously, that oppofite-like providences might meet together, and kifs each other. There are frowning providences, and fmiling providences, croffes and comforts in the believer's lot; here is providence that favours the promife, and there is a providence that seems to contradict the promise; here is an up, and there is a down: Well, how fhall thefe walk together? Why? They meet and embrace each other in Christ, the meeting-place; for all things work together for good to them that love him, and are the called according to his purpose. Hence we will find, not only light and darkness in the believer's lot, but fometimes light and darknefs meeting together. Zech. xiv. 7. there you read of a day, that is neither day nor night; yet a day known to the Lord; neither clear nor dark, but at evening-time it shall be light: There eveningdarkness ushering in the morning-light. Hence they have occafion both to fing of mercy and of judgment, because of their meeting together, and kiffing each other, and working together for good: Behold the cross and the crown meeting together.

2. These oppofite-like perfections of God meet together, and kifs each other, that oppofite-like defires may meet, and embrace each other. While mercy defires our life, and juftice feems to demand our death; these are reconciled only in Chrift, in whom mercy and truth, righteousness and peace meet and embrace each other. But look to our own defire of God's glory, and our falvation, men and angels could never have contrived how these two

defires