God's Mercy to Adam versus God's Mercy to Sinners

Adam had the image of God upon him and had communion with God. But there is greater glory now shining in the gospel, in Jesus Christ, to poor sinners. For when man stood in innocence, God did good to a good man, and God was amiable to a friend. Now to do good to one who is good and to maintain sweet communion with a friend is good indeed, and it was a great glory of God's mercy that he would raise such a creature as man to that height. But now in Jesus Christ there is a further glory of mercy, for God does good to evil men, and the goodness of God is victorious over the greatest ill of man. Now in the gospel God does good to his enemies. God set forth and gloriously commended his love, that ‘when we were enemies, he gave his Son for us' (Rom. 5:10). Therefore, greater glory of mercy and love shines forth to fallen man in Christ than to Adam in innocence.
But to go higher, consider the angels themselves. It is not the love of angels, but the love of humans, that outshines all. God is not called the lover of angels. He took upon himself not the nature of angels, but the nature of man; and man is the bride of Christ. Nothing is more terrifying than to consider that without regard to Christ, God is a 'consuming fire’ (Heb. 12:29). But nothing is sweeter than to consider his glorious mercy in Jesus Christ. For in Jesus Christ God has taken the relation of a Father, ‘the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort' (2 Cor. 1:3). The nature of God is lovely in Christ, and our nature in Christ is lovely to him. And this made the angels, when Christ was born, to sing from heaven, 'Glory to God on high' (Luke 2:14). They themselves do not enjoy the grace by Christ but enjoyed increase of glory when Christ was born. What glory? Why, the glory of his mercy, of his love, of his grace to sinful men.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Glorious Freedom, pp. 75-76 [82-84]
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