Library › Metropolitan Platon of Moscow › Orthodox Doctrine (Summary of Christian Divinity)
Orthodox Doctrine (Summary of Christian Divinity)
Metropolitan Platon of Moscow, tr. Pinkerton, 1814
Part 2, Section 18: For the Salvation of Mankind, God Himself Became Incarnate
God could, in justice, have doomed such a guilty creature as man to eternal punishment; but being moved by unspeakable mercy, and by the counsel of his infinite wisdom, he sent to him a Deliverer, his only begotten Son.
1. Sin always draws punishment after it. Therefore, it was not only not contrary to the justice of God, but his justice inevitably required, that man, as a free-will transgressor and despiser of the law, should for ever have been cast out from God, had not the diversified and infinite wisdom of Deity, devised a way to pour out his mercy upon this wretched creature, without any infringement of his equity. The Scriptures every where declare the inviolable justice of God. “O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself;” Psalm xciv. 1. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Rom. xii. 19.
2. What God saith by the prophet Isaiah, is well known: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee;” Chap. xlix. 15. The love and mercy of God to all his creatures, but particularly to man, is greater than we are capable of comprehending. How could that being then, whose goodness transcends our comprehension, suffer man, the chief among the creatures, to perish; and who, according to the design of God himself, was created for eternal happiness? But the justice of God is no less real than his mercy, and could not suffer the least violation. Thus, if any where, more especially here, we must use the words of the gospel: “The things which are impossible with men, are possible with God;” Luke xviii. 27. What can be hid from the infinite wisdom of God? To it, the most secret means are all open and revealed. It beheld, that on the part of man there was no way by which he could obtain salvation; because every individual stood in need of this for himself. The angels were not possessed of adequate powers to execute this great work, which required nothing less than infinite might. There remained no hope but in God himself. And hence, in the most secret counsels of the Holy Trinity, which are impenetrable to the powers of angels, it was appointed, that the most exalted Son of God should himself become the Redeemer of the human race, and this office he assumed.
The world could never have expected to behold such a glorious, wonderful, and merciful display of God’s working, as was the embassy of the Son of God upon the earth. While the divine Paul views in it the inexpressible and infinite wisdom of God, he exclaims in raptures, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” Rom. xi. 33. The holy evangelist, in like manner, is amazed at the incomprehensible love of Deity, and thus exclaims: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son;” John iii. 16. But in what manner this divine Mediator has satisfied the justice of God, and bestows upon us his mercy, we shall soon see from the word of God.