Psalm 89:14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of your throne: mercy and truth shall go before your face. I. THE NECESSITY THERE WAS OF A THRONE OF GRACE FOR THE BEHOOF OF POOR SINNERS. 1. Sin having entered, they could have no more benefit by the throne of law-goodness, which runs in that channel, "Do this and live" (Genesis 3:22, 24). 2. They were bound over to answer at the throne of strict justice; for so was the law-treaty related and determined (Genesis 2:17). (1) They could have no claim to law-goodness and bounty, but upon perfect obedience (Galatians 3:12). (2) They were utterly unable to stand before the tribunal of justice (Psalm 130:3; Psalm 143:2). (3) The criminal once falling under the weight of the sentence a sacrifice to justice, there is no rising again (Psalm 94:23). (4) Justice had determined the execution-day to be the same with the sinning-day (Genesis 2:17). II. THE NECESSITY OF THESE FOUNDATIONS AND STAYS OF JUSTICE AND JUDGMENT AGAINST SIN FOR THE THRONE OF GRACE TO STAND ON. 1. The justice of God could not suffer it to be erected but on these bases (Genesis 18:25; 1 Thessalonians 1:6). 2. The holiness of God and His hatred of sin would not suffer it (Psalm 5:5; Habakkuk 1:13). 3. The truth of God was a bar in the way of emanations of mercy and grace without satisfaction to justice (Genesis 2:17). 4. The honour of the holy law, the eternal rule of righteousness, stood in the way of erecting a throne of grace but on these foundations; it behoved to be "magnified and made honourable" (Isaiah 42:21). 5. If there had not been an absolute necessity of these foundations for a throne of grace to stand on, they had never been laid at the cost of the blood of the Son of God (Romans 3:25). III. THE LAYING OF THESE FOUNDATIONS AND THE ERECTING OF THE THRONE OF GRACE UPON THEM. 1. The general ends of this new erection. (1) The saving of sinners from the wrath of God due to them for their sins. (2) The making of sinners positively happy in the favour of God for evermore. 2. The necessary foundations of this throne. (1) Justice, as distinguished from judgment, whereby God gives good unto any, agreeably to the laws of righteousness, which the justice of His nature requires to be observed in His government of the world (Genesis 18:25). (2) Judgment, whereby vindictive justice is satisfied for sin, for the breaking of the holy law; vengeance is taken upon it in proportion to the offence, which in a sort is an infinite offence. 3. How these foundations were laid. There being no help among the creatures, God laid help on His own Son (Psalm 89:19).Thus He made provision — 1. For the first foundation of the throne of grace, namely, justice, by His obeying the law completely in the sinner's room, observing exactly and giving obedience to its commands. 2. He made provision for the other foundation, namely, judgment, by suffering in the sinner's stead (Galatians 3:13). (T. Boston, D.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. |
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