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"The justice and mercy of God are united in a joint applause. He becomes merciful without being unjust, and just without impairing the honour of His compassion. Justice hath the highest right, and mercy its utmost intention; the cries of His justice, and the yearnings of His bowels, are united, without depriving either of their rights. No complaints can be found in the mouth of the one, nor any discontent in the looks of the other, but mutual smiles and mutual applauses. The world is preserved, which in justice ought to be destroyed, without any reproach to the righteousness of God, as the governor of it; an eternal marriage is made between mercy and justice; both shake hands, and not only acquiesce but rejoice, for the sin is punished by justice in the surety, and pardoned by mercy in the sinner; both pleased and both gratified in seeing the honour of the law preserved, and the guilt of the sinner removed."
-- Stephen Charnock (1628-1680)
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