Our Claims for Mercy and Justice

Extract

What love can be compared with this, that Thou, seeing that I was condemned to burn in eternal flames, moved by the compassion of Thy heart, shouldst descend from heaven to the prison of this world and taking the likeness of a sinner, shouldst stand in my place and be sentenced to death for my debts? What plea of charity urged Thee so far, and was to urge Thee much farther, were it needful?

O Jesus, our Redemption, our Love and our whole desire, what was the pity that moved Thee to take such a burden on Thee? How could I not love Him who showed me such clear testimonies of His intense love? He would be more senseless than the beasts, more cruel than tigers, harder than the rocks and iron, who would not let himself be conquered by such love.

Not only our love but our confidence is strengthened by this blessing. For how should I not hope for grace and glory and forgiveness of my sins when I have such payment and such a Paymaster, who came forth from the presence of God for them. If it was just that the innocent should he so punished and the treasure should be so cheapened because He wished to pay the debts of sinners, would it not be just that the guilty, for whom He paid, should be delivered from their evil doings and justified before God? Would it be right for justice to enter the bouse of the saint who owed nothing and execute on him such a terrifying rigour of justice and yet not have the mercy to visit the guilty, release him from his misdeeds and free him from penalties? It is more marvellous that God should be judged, condemned, publicly disgraced, and should die on the cross than that His enemy should be treated as a friend, and the traitor adopted as son after he had repented of his past treachery and turned to God; and since the greater action has been performed there is no reason for doubting of the lesser.