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THE 
 
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 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST, 
 
 THE JUSTIFICATION OF TBI SINNER.^ 
 
 '<P^a^^^ 
 
 OKT^ 
 
 ARRANaED FROM THE WRITINaS 
 
 THE REV. ANDREW FULLER, 
 
 M 
 
 m THE EDITOR OP HIS COMPLETE WORKS. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE 
 AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY 
 
 150 NAySAU-STREET, NEW YORK. 
 
Ft 
 
This volume, prepared by the editor of 
 the last American edition of Mr. Puller's 
 Complete Works, is intended to illustrate the 
 leading scripture doctrines of salvation, as 
 presented in the writings of that eminent 
 man. Every paragraph of this volume has 
 been selected from his various works ; and 
 the only task of the editor has been to arrange 
 the thoughts into chapters, with appropriate 
 titles; and occasionally, but very seldom in- 
 deed, to add a connecting sentence, or to 
 change the form of one, to make it correspond 
 with its connection. The volume will be 
 found to present, in a vivid and forcible man- 
 ner, the divine revelation of mercy as given 
 to us in the holy Scriptures. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2007 with funding from 
 
 IVIicrosoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/atonementofchrisOOrevarich 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 DOCTRINE OF THE ATONEMENT OF 
 CHRIST. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Necessity of an atonement, arising from the depravity of man . 7 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 The atonement of Christ the leading doctrine of the Scriptures . 21 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Qualifications of the Lord Jesus to make an atonement ... 46 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 E/easonableness of the doctrine of the atonement — Its harmony with 
 the vast extent of creation, and with the character of God . 79 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Happy results of the atonement of Christ 129 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Importance of correct views of the atonement — "Way in which it must 
 be received — Consequences of its rejection ^ . 152 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Practical improvement of the subject — Solemn appeal to the uncon- 
 verted 193 
 
6 CONTENTS. 
 
 DOCTRINE OF THE JUSTIFICATION 
 OF A SINNER. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The nature of justification 221 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Justification not by works 236 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The redemption of Christ the procuring cause of justification . 256 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The imputed righteousness of Christ the ground of justification . 273 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Faith in Christ the medium of justification 293 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 The holy tendency of the scripture doctrine of a sinner's justifica- 
 tion 314 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 The results of preaching the doctrine of justification .... 354 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Practical improvement of the subject 373 
 
 \ 
 
ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 NECESSITY OF AN ATONEMENT, AHISINa FROM THE 
 DEPRAVITY OF MAN. 
 
 The doctrines inculcated by Christ and his apos- 
 tles, in order to lay men low in the dust before God, 
 were those of human depravity, and salvation by free 
 and sovereign grace through Jesus Christ. The lan- 
 guage held out by our Lord was, that he "came to 
 seek and to save that which was lost." The general 
 strain of his preaching tended to inform mankind, 
 not only that he came to save lost sinners, but that no 
 man, under any other character, could partake of the 
 blessings of salvation. " I came," saith he, " not to 
 call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." " The 
 whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." 
 To the same purpose the apostle of the Gentiles de- 
 clared to the Ephesians, "You hath he quickened, 
 who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in 
 time past ye walked according to the course of this, 
 world, according to the prince of the power of the 
 air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of 
 disobedience." Nor did he speak this of Gentiles or 
 
8 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 of profligates only ; but, thougli himself a Jew, anCt 
 educated a Pharisee, he -added, " Among whom also 
 we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts 
 of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of 
 the mind ; and were by nature the children of wrath, 
 even as others." To the doctrine of the universal 
 depravity of human nature, he very properly and joy- 
 fully proceeds to oppose that of God's rich mercy: 
 " But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love 
 wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in 
 sins, hath quickened us together with Christ." The 
 humbling doctrine of salvation by undeserved favor 
 was so natural an inference, from these premises, that 
 the apostle could not forbear throwing in such a re- 
 flection, though it were in a parenthesis : " By grace 
 ye are saved." Nor did he leave it there, but pres- 
 ently after drew the same conclusion more fully: 
 " For by grace ye are saved, through faith ; and that 
 not of yourselves ; it is the gift of God : not of works, 
 lest any man should boast." Eph. 2 : 5-9. To the 
 same purport he taught in his other epistles : " Who 
 hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not 
 according to our works, but according to his own 
 purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ 
 Jesus before the world began." " Not by works of 
 righteousness which we have done, but according to 
 his mercy he saved us." " Of him are ye in Christ 
 Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and right- 
 eousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, 
 according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him 
 glory in the Lord." 2 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 3 : 5 ; 1 Cor. 
 1 : 30, 31. 
 
NECESSITY OF ATONEMENT. 9 
 
 In looking into tl\e composition of the human 
 mind we observe various passions and propensities; 
 and if we inspect their operations, we shall see in 
 each a marked aversion from the true God, and from 
 all true religion. For example : Man loves to think^ 
 and cannot live without thinking; but he does not 
 love to think of God ; " God is not in all his 
 thoughts." Man delights in activity, is perpetually in 
 motion, but has no heart to act for God. Men take 
 pleasure in conversation, and are never more cheerful 
 than when engaged in it ; but if God and religion be 
 introduced, they are usually struck dumb, and show 
 an inclination to drop the subject. Men greatly de- 
 light in hearing and telling inews ; but if the glorious 
 news of the gospel be sounded in their ears, it fre- 
 quently proves as unwelcome as Paul's preaching at 
 Athens. In fine, man feels the necessity of a God, but 
 has no relish for the true God. There is a remarka- 
 ble instance of this in the conduct of those nations 
 planted by the king of Assyria in the cities of Sa- 
 maria. They were consumed by wild beasts, and 
 considered it as an expression of displeasure from 
 " the god of the land." They wished to become ac- 
 quainted with him, that they might please him. An 
 Israelitish priest is sent to teach them " the manner 
 of the god of the land." But when he taught them 
 the fear of Jehovah, his character and worship do not 
 seem to have suited their taste ; for each nation pre- 
 ferred the worship of its own gods. 2 Kings, 17. 
 
 The following are among the principal proofs of 
 the doctrine of human depravity : 
 
 1* 
 
10 ATONEMENT OF CHRIS-T. 
 
 1. All those passages of Scripture wliich expressly 
 teach it, declaring that " every imagination," purpose, 
 or desire of man's heart is "only evil continually;" 
 that " there is none that seeketh after God ;" " every 
 one of them is gone back ;" " they are altogether be- 
 come filtliy ;" " there is none that doeth good, no, not 
 one." 
 
 2. Those scriptures which declare the utter impos- 
 sibility of carnal men doing any thing to please God; 
 such as, " Without faith it is impossible to please 
 God." " To be carnally-minded is death." "Because 
 the carnal mind is enmity against God ; for it is not 
 subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 
 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." 
 If they who are in the flesh did any part of their duty 
 towards God, or if what they did were good* and vir- 
 tuous in his sight, so far as it goes, their minds would 
 so far be subject to the law of God, and being such, 
 they might and would please him ; for God is not a 
 capricious or hard master, but is pleased with right- 
 eousness wherever he sees it. 
 
 3. Those scriptures which speak of the whole of 
 goodness or virtue as comprehended in love; namely, 
 the love of God and our neighbor : " Love is the ful- 
 filling of the law." " Thou shalt love the Lord thy 
 God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and 
 with all thy mind, and with all thy strength ; and thy 
 neighbor as thyself." If the love of God supremely, 
 and the love of creatures subordinately, comprise the 
 whole of virtue, Avhere these are wanting virtue can 
 liave no existence. And that these are wanting in 
 all ungodly men is evident, for they " have not the 
 
NECESSITY OF ATONEMENT. U 
 
 love of God in" them; and where God is not loved 
 supremely, creatures cannot be loved in subordination 
 to him; but are either disregarded, or regarded on 
 some other account : such love, therefore, has no vir- 
 tue in it, but is of the nature of sin. 
 
 4. Those scriptures which teach the necessity of 
 regeneration to eternal life : " Yo must be born again." 
 " Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he 
 cannot enter the kingdom of God." " If any man be 
 in Christ, he is a new creature ; old things are passed 
 away, all things are become new." If there were any 
 degree of virtue in the carnal heart, or any thing that 
 was pleasing to God, it might be cultivated and in- 
 creased ; and in this case old things need not pass 
 away, and all things become new. Regeneration 
 would be unnecessary; a mere reformation, or an 
 improvement of principles already inherent in man, 
 would suffice. 
 
 5. Those scriptures which promise the blessings 
 of salvation and eternal life to every degree of right- 
 eousness or true virtue: "All things work together 
 for good to them that love God^ " Christ is the au- 
 thor of eternal salvation to all them that obey himJ^ 
 " He that doeth righteousness is righteous." " They 
 that have done good shall rise to the resurrection of 
 life." " He that giveth a cup of cold water to a dis- 
 ciple, in the name of a disdple,^^ or because he belongs 
 to Christ, shall have a disciple's reward. In these 
 passages we must observe that God's gracious declara- 
 tions and promises are not made to this or that degree 
 of goodness, but to every or any degree of it; or 
 rather, it is not the degree, but the nature of it, that 
 
12 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 is considered in the divine promise. Hence we may 
 certainly conclude that unregenerate men have not 
 the least degree of real goodness in them, or of any 
 thing that is pleasing to God. 
 
 Supposing mankind to be in a guilty and perish- 
 ing condition, and that " God so loved the world as to 
 give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth 
 in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," a 
 revelation from heaven was necessary as the ground 
 of faith. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing 
 by the word of God :" without revelation, therefore, 
 there would be no faith, and so no salvation. 
 
 Both revelation and faith may, however, exist in 
 widely different degrees. Revelation was first given 
 in obscure intimations, afterwards in types and shad- 
 ows, in promises and in prophecies; and under each 
 it was the office of faith to keep pace with it. The 
 faith of Abel and that of Paul, though as to their na- 
 ture and object the same, yet, as to degree, must have 
 been widely different, on account of the difference of 
 the degrees of divine revelation which each possessed. 
 Revelation, like the shining light, shone " more and 
 more unto the perfect day," and such was the " path 
 of the just," which corresponded with it. 
 
 From these remarks, we may see the force of such 
 passages as the following: "He showeth his word 
 unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto 
 Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation ; and 
 as to his judgments, they have not known them. 
 Praise ye the Lord." " What advantage then hath 
 the Jew ? or what profit is there in circumcision ? 
 
NECESSITY" OF ATONEMENT. 13 
 
 Much every way; chiefly, because that unto them 
 were committed the oracles of God." " At that time 
 ye were without Christ — being aliens from the com- 
 monwealth of Israel, and strangers from the cove- 
 nants of promise — having no hope, and without God 
 in the world ; but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who some 
 time were far off, are made nigh by the blood of 
 Christ." 
 
 We may also learn, from these remarks, to make 
 allowance for the small degrees of faith where the 
 light of revelation has been but little known. It is 
 not for us to say how small a portion of divine truth 
 may irradiate the mind, nor by what means the Holy 
 Spirit may impart it. According to the ordinary 
 way of the divine proceeding under the gospel, it may 
 be asked, "How shall they believe in him of whom 
 they have not heard ? and how shall they hear with- 
 out a preacher? and how shall they preach except 
 they be sent?" But this has not been the uniform 
 method of the divine proceeding from the beginning. 
 Previously to the time of Moses, there was no written 
 revelation, and till the coming of Christ, no ordinance 
 for preaching the word. No missionaries till then 
 were sent among the heathen. Good men under the 
 Old Testament stood on much lower ground than 
 those under the New Testament. Cornelius the Ro- 
 man centurion, being stationed in Judea, learned 
 enough of the God of Israel to be just and devout, 
 giving much alms to the people, and praying to God 
 alway ; and before he had heard of Jesus being the 
 Messiah, his prayers and his alms were approved of 
 God. Yet the words spoken to him by Peter were 
 
14 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 those by which he was saved; a proof this, not of 
 there being another way of acceptance with God than 
 that which the gospel reveals, nor of its being possi- 
 ble without faith to please God, but that faith may 
 exist while as yet there is no explicit revelation of 
 the Saviour. Finally, it is not for us to say what 
 may be effected in an extraordinary way upon the . 
 minds of men. A ray of divine revelation shot 
 athwart the darkness of paganism into the minds of 
 the Eastern magi, and led them to worship the new- 
 born Saviour. 
 
 The testimony of God in reference to the inhabit- 
 ants of the old world was, " that the wickedness of 
 man was great in the earth, and that every imagina- 
 tion of the thoughts of his heart was only evil contin- 
 ually." Gen. 6 : 5. Hear, ye who pretend that man 
 is naturally virtuous I That the wickedness of man 
 has in all ages, though at some periods more than 
 others, been great upon the earth, can scarcely be 
 called in question ; but that " every imagination of 
 the thoughts of his heart" should be only evil, and that 
 "continually," is more than men in general will allow. 
 Yet such is the account here given. Mark the affect- 
 ing gradation. Evil: evil without mixture — "only 
 evil :" evil without cessation — " continually :" evil from 
 the very fountain-head of action— iho, " imagination of 
 the thoughts of his heart." Nor is it a description of 
 certain vicious persons only, but of " man," as left to 
 himself. And all this " God saw," who sees things as 
 they are. This doctrine is fundamental to the gospel ; 
 the whole of redemption rests upon it ; and I suspect 
 
NECESSITY OF ATONEMENT. 15 
 
 that every false scheme of religion which has been at 
 any time advanced in the world might be proved to 
 have originated in the denial of it. 
 
 By the coats of skins wherewith the Lord God 
 clothed our first parents, it seems to be implied that 
 animals were slain; and as they were not at that 
 time slain for food, it is highly probable they were 
 slain for sacrifice, especially as this practice is men- 
 tioned in the life of Abel. Sacrifices therefore appear 
 to have been ordained of God to teach man his de- 
 sert, and the way in which he must be saved. It is 
 remarkable that the clothing of Adam and Eve is 
 ascribed to the Lord God, and that it appears to have 
 succeeded the slender covering wherewith they had 
 attempted to cover themselves. Is it not natural to 
 conclude that God only can hide our moral naked- 
 ness, and that the way in which he does it is by cover- 
 ing us with the righteousness of our atoning Sacrifice ? 
 
 Had Cain lived before the fall, God would not 
 have been ofi'ended at his bringing an offering with- 
 out a sacrifice ; but after that event, and the promise 
 of the woman's Seed, together with the institution of 
 sacrifices, such a conduct was highly offensive. It was 
 equally disregarding the threatening and the promise ; 
 treating the former as if nothing were meant by it, 
 and the latter as a mattdr of no account. It was 
 practically saying, God is not in earnest. There is 
 no great evil in sin, nor any necessity for an atone- 
 ment. If I come with my offering, I shall doubtless 
 be accepted, and my Creator will think himself hon- 
 
16 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 ored. Such is still the language of a self-righteous 
 heart. But is it thus that Adam's posterity, while 
 " under the first covenant/' or rather, while vainly hop- 
 ing for the promise of the first covenant after having 
 broken its conditions, are required to approach an 
 offended God ? On the contrary, is there not reason 
 to conclude that the case of Cain and Abel was de-. 
 signed to teach mankind, from the very outset of the 
 world, God's determination to have no fellowship 
 with sinners but through a mediator, and that all 
 attempts to approach him in any other way would be 
 vain and presumptuous ? 
 
 In the offerings of these two first-born sons of man, 
 we see the essential difference between spiritual wor- 
 ship and that which is merely formal. As to the 
 matter of which their offerings were composed, it may 
 be thought there was nothing particularly defective : 
 each brought what he had. There is indeed no men- 
 tion made of Cain's being the best of the kind, which 
 is noticed of Abel's. And if he neglected this, it was 
 a sign that his heart was not much in it. He might 
 also, no doubt, have obtained a lamb out of his broth- 
 er's flock for an expiatory sacrifice. But the chief 
 difference is that which is noticed by the apostle: 
 " ^ J faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than 
 Cain." Cain's offering was just what a self-righteous 
 heart would offer : it proceeded on the principle that 
 there was no breach between him and his Creator, so 
 as to require any confession of sin, or respect to an 
 atonement. Such offerings abound among us; but 
 they are "without faith," and therefore it is impossible 
 
NECESSITY OF ATONEMENT 17 
 
 they should please God. The offering of Abel I need 
 not 'describe ; suffice it to say, it was the reverse of 
 that presented by Cain. It was the best of the kind, 
 and included an expiatory sacrifice. 
 
 The result was, " the Lord had respect to Abel, 
 and to his offering; but unto Cain and his offering he 
 had not respect." The one was probably consumed 
 by fire from heaven, the other not so. This we know 
 was afterwards a common token of the divine accept- 
 ance. Lev. 9 : 24 ; Psa. 20 : 3, margin. The order of 
 things is worthy of notice. God first accepted Abel, 
 and then his offering. If he had been justified on the 
 ground of his good deeds, the order should have been 
 reversed; but believing in the Messiah, he was ac- 
 cepted for His sake ; and being so, his works were 
 well-pleasing in the sight of God. And as Abel was 
 accepted as a believer, so Cain was rejected as an 
 unbeliever. Being such, the Lord had no respect to 
 him; he was under the curse, and all he did was 
 abhorred in His eyes. 
 
 The rejection of Cain and his offering operated 
 upon him very powerfully. If the love of God had 
 been in him, he would have fallen before him, as 
 Joshua and his brethren did when Israel was driven 
 back, and have pleaded, " Show me wherefore thou 
 contendest with me !" But " he was wroth, and his 
 countenance fell." This is just what might be ex- 
 pected from a self-righteous, proud spirit, who thought 
 so highly of his offering as to imagine that God must 
 needs be pleased with it, and with him on account of 
 it. He was very wroth ; and that no doubt against 
 God himself, as well as against his brother. He 
 
18 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 went in high spirits, like the Pharisee to the temple, 
 but came away dejected and full of foul passions, of 
 which his fallen countenance was but the index. 
 
 Ancient philosophers have taught many things in 
 favor of morality, so far at least as respects justice 
 and goodness towards our fellow-creatures ; but where 
 are the motives by which the minds of the people, or 
 even their own minds, have been moved to a compli- 
 ance with them ? They framed a curious machine, but 
 who among them could discover a power to work it ? 
 What principles have appeared in the world, under 
 the name either of philosophy or religion, that can 
 bear a comparison with the following? " God so loved 
 the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that 
 whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but 
 have everlasting life." " Herein is love, not that we 
 loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to 
 be the propitiation for our sins." " Beloved, if God 
 so loved us, we ought also to love one another." " Let 
 all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and 
 evil-speaking be put away from you, with all malice : 
 and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiv- 
 ing one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath 
 forgiven you." " Be ye therefore followers," or imi- 
 tators, "of God, as dear children; and walk in love, 
 as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given him- 
 self for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God of a 
 sweet-smelling savor." " Ye are a chosen generation, 
 a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people ; 
 that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath 
 called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." 
 
NECESSITY OF ATONEMENT. 19 
 
 " Come out from among them, and be ye separate^ 
 saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and 
 I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, 
 and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord 
 Almighty." " Having therefore these promises, dearly 
 beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of 
 the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of 
 God." " If there be therefore any consolation in 
 Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the 
 Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy : 
 be of one accord, of one mind." "Let nothing be 
 done through strife or vainglory ; but in lowliness of 
 mind let each esteem other better than themselves." 
 " Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pil- 
 gims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the 
 soul; having your conversation honest among the 
 Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as 
 evil-doers, they may by your good works which they 
 shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation." 
 " Ye are bought with a price ; therefore glorify God 
 in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 
 " The love of Christ constraineth us*; because we thus 
 judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead : and 
 that he died for all, that they which live should not 
 henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who 
 died for them and rose again." "The day of the 
 Lord will come as a thief in the night ; in the which 
 the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and 
 the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth 
 also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 
 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, 
 what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy 
 
20 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting 
 unto the coming of the day of God ?" " Hold that 
 fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." 
 " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me 
 in my, throne, even as I also overcame, and am set 
 down with my Father in his throne." 
 
 These are motives by which Christians in every 
 age have been induced to practise that morality which, 
 while writing against Christianity, Paine, Boling- 
 broke, and many others, have been compelled to ap- 
 plaud. But the far greater part of them are rejected 
 by deists ; and what will they substitute, of equal 
 eflBLcacy, in their place ? The love of Christ constrain- 
 eth us; but what have they to constrain tkem ? Will 
 self-love, or the beauty or utility of virtue answer the 
 purpose ? Let history and observation determine. 
 
THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE. 21 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 IHE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST THE LEADINa DOC- 
 TRINE OF THE SCRIPTURES. 
 
 The history contained in the sacred Scriptm-es is 
 that of the church or people of God : other nations 
 are introduced only in an incidental manner, as being 
 connected with them : and this people were formed 
 for Christ. Him God appointed to be " heir of all 
 things." All that was done by the patriarchs and 
 prophets, under the Old Testament, was preparatory 
 to his kingdom. It was in his field that they labored, 
 and therefore his apostles " entered into their labors. '^ 
 God's calling Abraham and blessing and increasing 
 him, had all along a reference to the kingdom of his 
 Son. He was the principal Seed in whom all the 
 kindreds of the earth were to be blessed. Why did 
 Melchizedek, on meeting Abraham when he returned 
 from the slaughter of the kings, bless him with so 
 much heart ? • Was it not as knowing that he had 
 the promises, especially that of the Messiah? Why is 
 Esau's despising his birthright reckoned profaneness, 
 but on account of its referring to something sacred ? 
 
 The promises made to Abraham's posterity chiefly 
 related to things at a great distance ; but Esau 
 longed for something nearer at hand, and therefore 
 sold his birthright for a present enjoyment. Why is 
 the reproach which Moses preferred to the treasures 
 of Egypt called " the reproach of Christ," but that 
 
22 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 Israel being in possession of the promise of Him, and 
 Moses believing it, cast in his lot with them, though 
 in a state of slavery ? Were not these the " good 
 things " to which he referred, in persuading Hobab to 
 go with them? All that was done for Israel from 
 their going down into Egypt to their settlement 
 in Canaan, and from thence to the coming of Christ, 
 was in reference to Him. The conquest of the seven 
 nations was authorized, and even commanded by Je- 
 hovah, for the purpose of reestablishing his gov- 
 ernment in his own world, from which he had in a 
 manner been driven by idolatry. It was setting up 
 his standard with the design of ultimately subduing 
 the world to the obedience of faith. What but the 
 promise of Christ, as including the covenant that 
 God made with David, rendered it all his salvation 
 and all his desire? It was owing to the bearing 
 which the Old Testament history had on the person 
 and work of Christ, that Stephen and Paul, when 
 preaching him to the Jews, made use of it to intro- 
 duce their subject. Acts, eh. 7, 13. 
 
 The sacrifices of the Old Testament all related to 
 this doctrine. The first object of attention with a 
 worldly man after the deluge, might have been a day 
 of rejoicing, or the beginning to build a house ; but 
 Noah begins by building an altar to Jehovah, on 
 which he offered "burnt-offerings of every clean 
 beast, and of every clean fowl." I think this is the 
 first time we read of a burnt-offering. It was so 
 called, as Moses says, " because of the burning upon 
 the altar all night unto the morning." It was a sub- 
 
THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE. 23 
 
 stitutional sacrifice, for the purpose of atonement. 
 The process is described in Lev. 1 : 2-9. The sinner 
 confessed his sin upon its head ; the animal was killed, 
 or treated as if it were the transgressor, and as if the 
 sin had been actually transferred to it ; the blood of 
 the creature being shed, was sprinkled round abaut 
 upon the altar ; and to show the divine acceptance 
 of it on behalf of the offerer to make atonement for 
 him, it was consumed by fire, either descending im- 
 mediately from heaven, as was the case on some oc- 
 casions, or kindled by the priest from the sacred fire 
 kept for the purpose. Lev. 9 : 24 ; Psa. 20 : 3, mar. ; 
 finally, the sacrifice being sprinkled with salt, and 
 perhaps with odors, ascended up in a sweet savor, and 
 God was propitious to the offerer. 
 
 The burnt-offerings of Noah, according to this, 
 must have been designed for an atonement in behalf 
 of the remnant that was left ; and, as Hezekiah said 
 after the carrying away of the ten tribes, "for the 
 making of a covenant with the Lord." This his offer- 
 ing was graciously accepted : " The Lord smelled a 
 sweet savor," and bestowed upon him, and those 
 who were with him, a covenant promise not to curse 
 the ground any more for man's sake. The reason 
 given for this is singular : " For the imagination of 
 man's hedrt is evil from his youth." If God had 
 dealt with man according to law and justice, this 
 should have been a reason for destroying, rather than 
 sparing him ; and was the reason why the flood was 
 brought upon the earth. But here he is represented 
 as dealing with him through a substitute, for the 
 promise follows the acceptance of the burnt-offering ; 
 
24 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 p 
 
 and in this view the wickedness of man, however of- 
 fensive, should not determine His conduct. He would, 
 as it were, look off from him, and rest his future con- 
 duct towards him on another ground. He would, in 
 short, knowing what he was, deal with him on a foot- 
 ing of mercy and forbearance. 
 
 Surely I need not say that this sacrifice of Noah 
 was one of those which bore a peculiar aspect to the 
 offering of the body of Jesus once for all. It is not 
 improbable that the apostle Paul has a direct allusion 
 to it when he says, " Christ hath loved us, and given 
 himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for 
 a sweet-smelling savor." Ephes. 5 : 2. 
 
 The body of the Jewish institutions was but a 
 shadow of good things to come, of which Christ was 
 the substance. Their priests and prophets and kings 
 were typical of him. The manna on which they fed 
 in the wilderness referred to him, as the "bread of 
 God that should come down from heaven." The rock, 
 from whence the water flowed that followed them in 
 their journeys, is said to be Christ, as being typical of 
 him. Their cities of refuge represent him, "as the 
 hope set before us." The whole dispensation served 
 as a foil, to set off the superior glory of his kingdom. 
 The temple was but as the scaffolding to that which 
 he would build, and the glory of which he would bear. 
 The moral law exhibited right things, and the cere- 
 monial law a shadow of good things ; "but grace and 
 truth came by Jesus Christ." The Christian dispen- 
 sation is to that of the Old Testament, as the jubilee 
 to a state of captivity. It might be in reference to 
 
THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE. 25 
 
 such things as these that the psalmist prayed, " Open 
 thou mine eyes, that I may behold wonderful things 
 out of thy law." 
 
 It is worthy of notice, that the Spirit of inspira- 
 tion in the prophets is called the Spirit of Christ, 
 1 Pet. 1 : 10, because Christ was so frequently the 
 theme of it. The plaintive part of the twenty-second 
 Psalm is applied more than once to him. The excla- 
 mation, verse 1, " My God, my God, why hast thou 
 forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, 
 and from the words of my roaring ?" he adopted as 
 his own. The revilings in ver. 8 were used, inadver- 
 tently no doubt, by his enemies : " He trusted on the 
 Lord that he would deliver him ; let him deliver him, 
 seeing he delighted in him." The kind of death which 
 he endured was expressly pointed out in verse 16, 
 " They pierced my hands and my feet." Even the 
 circumstance of their casting lots for his garments is 
 noticed in verse 18, " They part my garments among 
 them, and cast lots upon my vesture." 
 
 Of the prophecies with which the Scriptures 
 abound, the person and work of Christ were indeed 
 the principal theme. "To Him give all the prophets 
 witness," either in what they wrote or spoke. " The 
 testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." From 
 the first mention of the woman's Seed, to his appear- 
 ance in the flesh, the language of prophecy concerning 
 him became more explicit and distinct. The blessing 
 on Jehovah the God of Shem seems to intimate de- 
 signs of mercy towards his descendants. The promise 
 
 Atonement. 
 
26 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 to Abraham and his seed is more express. Abraham, 
 understanding it as including the Messiah, believed, 
 and it was counted to him for righteousness. He 
 earnestly desired to see his day; he saw it, and re- 
 joiced. Jacob's prophecy is still more explicit and 
 distinct. He foretells his being of the tribe of Judah, 
 and that under his reign the Gentiles should be gath- 
 ered. After this, the house of David is specified as 
 that from which the Messiah should spring. The 
 Psalms abound in predictions concerning him. Isaiah 
 tells of his being miraculously born of a virgin — of 
 his humble and gentle character, not breaking the 
 bruised reed, nor quenching the smoking flax — of his 
 sufferings, death, and everlasting kingdom, which im- 
 plied his resurrection. Acts 13 : 34. Micah named 
 the town of Bethlehem as the place where he should 
 be born. Zechariah mentioned the beasts on which he 
 should make his public entry into Jerusalem. The 
 Spirit of inspiration in the prophets is called "the 
 Spirit of Christ," because it "testified beforehand 
 the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should 
 follow." 
 
 Christ is that of which the Jewish mercy-seat, or 
 propitiatory, was a type. The Jewish mercy-seat was 
 the medium of mercy and communion with God for all 
 the worshippers of God of old. Exod. 25 : 22. Christ 
 is that in reality which this was in figure, and is not, 
 like that, confined to a single nation. He is the me- 
 dium through which all believers of all ages and na- 
 tions have access to God and receive the forgiveness 
 of their sins. 
 
THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE. 27 
 
 And as the sufferings of Christ were the theme of 
 Old Testament prophecy, so also was the glory that 
 followed them. His resurrection and exaltation at 
 the right hand of God, with the glorious success of 
 his gospel in the world, are hinted at from the nine- 
 teenth verse to the end of the twenty-second Psalm. 
 
 From Old Testament statements we learn that the 
 Messiah, prefigured by the Jewish sacrifices, and pre- 
 dicted by the prophets, was to become a sacrifice of 
 atonement or propitiation for the sins of the world. 
 His soul was to be "made an offering for sin." The 
 Lord was to " lay on him the iniquity of iis all." Ho 
 was the " Lamb of God," who was to " take away the 
 sin of the world." But if the Old Testament repre- 
 sentations were in favor of the Messiah's being an 
 atoning sacrifice, the apostles, in declaring Jesus to 
 be the Messiah, virtually declared him to be an aton- 
 ing sacrifice. That the Messiah predicted by the 
 prophets was to be God manifest in the flesh, or God 
 in our nature. Unto the Son it was said, "Thy 
 throne, God, is for ever and ever." The child born 
 was to be called the mighty God. He who was to 
 "feed his flock like a shepherd," to gather the lambs 
 with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, was no 
 other than " the Lord God," who would come with 
 strong hand, and whose arm should rule for him. 
 " The goings forth" of Him who was to be born in 
 Bethlehem, " were of old," from everlasting. 
 
 But if the prophetic representations of the Messiah 
 were in favor of his being God in our nature, the 
 apostles, in declaring Jesus to be the Messiah, virtu- 
 
28 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 ally declared him to be God in our nature. Our 
 Lord, in saying, I am the Son of God, was understood 
 by the Jews as claiming an equality with God ; and 
 he was, on this account, accused of blasphemy, and 
 finally put to death ; and all this without having said 
 any thing that would contradict the idea which they 
 entertained. Jesus said, " My Father worketh hither- 
 to, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more 
 to kill him," because he not only had broken the Sab- 
 bath, but said also, that God was his Father, making 
 himself equal with God. " The Jews said, We have a 
 law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made 
 himself the Son of God." But for the apostles under 
 these circumstances, and without explaining away the 
 supposed blasphemy, to assert that Jesus was the Son 
 of God, was the same thing as asserting him to be 
 equal with God ; and their calling on his murderers 
 to " repent and be baptized in his name, for the remis- 
 sion of sins," was calling them to retract their charge 
 of blasphemy, to embrace him in that very character 
 for claiming which they had put him to death, and 
 to place all their hopes of forgiveness in his name, 
 by which alone they could be saved. Acts 2 : 38 ; 
 4:12. 
 
 "We thus see, that if the Old Testament had a uni- 
 form bearing on the person of Christ, much more the 
 New. This is properly entitled, " The New Testament 
 of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." The one 
 abounds with prophecies; the other relates to their 
 accomplishment. The ordinances of the former were 
 prefigurative ; those of the latter are commemorative. 
 But both point to the same object. Every divine 
 
THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE. 29 
 
 truth bears a relation to him : hence the doctrine of 
 the gospel is called, " the truth as m Jesus." In the 
 face of Jesus Christ we see the glory of the divine 
 character in such a manner as we see it nowhere else. 
 The evil nature of sin is manifested in his cross, and 
 the lost condition of sinners in the price at which our 
 redemption was obtained. Grace, mercy, and peace 
 are in him. The resurrection to eternal life is through 
 his death. In him every precept finds its most pow- 
 erful motive, and every promise its most perfect fulfil- 
 ment. The Jews possessed the sacred Scriptures of 
 the Old Testament, and searched them, John 5 : 39, 
 thinking that in them they had eternal life ; but they 
 would not come to him, that they might have it. 
 
 David says, in the fortieth Psalm, verses 6, 7, and 
 8, " Sacrifice and offeriug thou didst not desire ; mine 
 ears hast thou opened : burnt-offering and sin-offering 
 hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come : in 
 the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight 
 to do thy will, my God : yea, thy law is within my 
 heart." 
 
 No Christian can doubt whether the passage relates 
 to the Messiah, seeing it is expressly applied to him 
 in the New Testament ; and if a Jew should raise an 
 objection, he will find it difficult, if not impossible, to 
 give a fair exposition of it on any other principle. 
 Who else, with propriety, could use the language here 
 used ? Certainly David could not. Whether the Mes- 
 siah, therefore, be already come, as we believe, or be 
 yet to come, as the body of the Jewish nation believes, 
 it must be of his coming that the prophet speaks. The 
 
30 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 question at issue between them and us is, not whether 
 the Scriptures predict and characterize the Messiah, 
 but whether these predictions and characters be ful- 
 filled in Jesus. 
 
 That we may be able to judge of this question, let 
 it be observed that there are three great peculiarities 
 held up in the passage as distinguishing the Messiah's 
 coming: That the sacrifices and ceremonies of the 
 Mosaic law would thence be superseded; that the 
 great body of Scripture prophecy would be accom- 
 plished ; and that the will of God would be perfectly 
 fulfilled. 
 
 I. It is intimated, that whenever the Messiah 
 should come, the sacrifices and ceremonies of the 
 Mosaic law were to be superseded by him. " Sac- 
 rifice and offering thou didst not desire : then said I, 
 Lo, I come." I am aware that modern Jewish writers 
 contend for the perpetuity of the ceremonial, as well 
 as of the moral law ; but in this they are opposed both 
 by Scripture and by fact. 
 
 As to Scripture^ it is not confined to this passage, 
 nor to a few others : it is common for the sacred writers 
 of the Old Testament to speak of sacrifices and cere- 
 monies in a depreciating strain, such as would not, I 
 presume, have been used, had they been regarded for 
 their own sake, or designed to continue always. Such 
 is the language of the following passages : " Hath the 
 Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices 
 as in obeying the voice of the Lord ? Behold, to obey 
 is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of 
 rams." " Hear, my people, and I will speak ; Is- 
 rael, and I will testify against thee : I am God, even thy 
 
THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE. 31 
 
 Godi I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or 
 thy burnt-offerings, to have been continually before 
 me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he- 
 goats out of thy folds ; for every beast of the forest is 
 mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know 
 all the fowls of the mountains ; and the wild beasts of 
 the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not 
 tell thee ; for the world is mine, and the fulness there- 
 of. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood 
 of goats ? Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy 
 vows unto the Most High: and call upon me in the 
 day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt 
 glorify me." " Thou desirest not sacrifice, else would 
 I give it ; thou delightest not in burnt-offering. The 
 sacrifices of God are a broken spirit ; a broken and 
 a contrite heart, God, thou wilt not despise." " To 
 what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto 
 me ? saith the Lord : I am full of the burnt-offerings 
 of rams, and the fat of fed beasts ; and I delight not 
 in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. 
 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required 
 this at your hand, to tread my courts ?" " Thus saith 
 the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Ye heap up your 
 burnt-offerings with your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. 
 But when I brought your fathers out of Egypt, I spake 
 not unto them of burnt-offerings and sacrifices ; but this 
 I commanded them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will 
 be your God, and ye shall be my people." " And in the 
 midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the 
 oblation to cease." "Behold, the days come, saith the 
 Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house 
 of Israel, and with the house of Judah : not according 
 
32 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the 
 day that I took them by the hand to bring them out 
 of the land of Egypt ; which my covenant they brake, 
 although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord : 
 but this shall be the covenant that I will make with 
 the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord : 
 I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it 
 in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall 
 be my people. And they shall teach no more every 
 man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying. 
 Know the Lord ; for they shall all know me, from the 
 least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the 
 Lord: for I will forgive their iniquities, and will 
 remember their sins no more." 
 
 From this passage a New Testament writer argues, 
 "In that he saith a Tiew covenant, he hath made the 
 first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old 
 is ready to vanish away." And respecting their sins 
 and iniquities being " remembered no more," " where 
 remission of these is, there is no more offering for 
 sin." 
 
 Is it not then in perfect harmony with the tenor of 
 the Old Testament scriptures that Messiah, when de- 
 scribed as coming into the world, should say, " Sacri- 
 fice and offering thou didst not desire : mine ears hast 
 thou opened : burnt-oflfering and sin-oJQfering hast thou 
 not required : then said I, Lo, I come :" plainly inti- 
 mating that he would come to accomplish that which 
 could not be accomplished by sacrifice and offerings ; 
 and that as these were but the scaffolding of his tem- 
 ple, when that should be reared, these should of course 
 be taken down. 
 
THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE. 33 
 
 But I have asserted that, in maintaining the perpe- 
 tuity of the sacrifices and ceremonies of the Mosaic 
 law, modern Jewish writers are not only opposed by 
 Scripture, but hj fact. Whether Messiah the Prince 
 be come or not, sacrifice and oblation have ceased. 
 We believe they virtually ceased when Jesus offered 
 himself a sacrifice, and in a few years after they actu- 
 ally ceased. Those of the Jewish nation who believed 
 in Jesus, voluntarily, though gradually, ceased to offer 
 them, and those who did not believe in him were com- 
 pelled to desist by the destruction of their city and 
 temple. 
 
 II. It is suggested, that whenever Messiah should 
 
 come, THE GREAT BODY OF SCRIPTURE PROPHECY SHOULD 
 
 BE ACCOMPLISHED IN HIM : " In the volumc of the book 
 it is written of me." That the prophetic writings 
 abound in predictions of the Messiah, no Jew will 
 deny ; the only question is. Are they fulfilled in Jesus ? 
 You know that " the seed of the woman was to 
 bruise the head of the serpent." You know that 
 God promised Abraham, saying, In thy seed shall all 
 the nations of the earth be blessed. You know that 
 Jacob, when blessing the tribe of Judah, predicted 
 the coming of Shiloh^ unto whom the gathering of the 
 people should be. You know that Moses spoke of a 
 Prophet whom the Lord God should raise up from the 
 midst of them, like unto him, to whom his ancient peo- 
 ple were to hearken, on pain of incurring the divine 
 displeasure. You know that the Messiah is prophet- 
 ically described in the Psalms and the prophets under 
 a great variety of forms, particularly as the Anointed 
 of the Lord — ^the King — the Lord of David, to whom 
 2* 
 
34 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 Jehovali spoke — the " child born," whose name should 
 be called, " the mighty God, the everlasting Father, 
 the Prince of peace " — the " Rod out of the stem of 
 Jesse " — " God's servant, whom he upholds ; his elect, 
 in whom his soul delighteth " — " him whom man despis- 
 eth, and whom the nation abhorreth " — " a man of sor- 
 rows, and acquainted with grief" — " the Lord our right- 
 eousness" — "Messiah the Prince" — "the Branch" — 
 " the Messenger of the covenant," etc. Thus it was that 
 in the volume of the book it was written of him. 
 
 1. The time when Messiah should come is clearly 
 marked out in prophecy. It was said by Jacob, when 
 blessing the tribes, "The sceptre shall not depart 
 from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, 
 until Shiloh come ; and unto him shall the gathering 
 of the people be." All this was true in respect of 
 Jesus. Till he came, though the ten tribes were scat- 
 tered, Judah continued a people, and retained the 
 government ; but soon after his death, they were dis- 
 persed among the nations, and have been so ever 
 since. 
 
 Again, it is clearly intimated in the prophecy of 
 Haggai, for the encouragement of the builders of the 
 second temple, that the Messiah should come during 
 the standing of that temple, and that the honor that 
 should be done it by his presence would more than 
 balance its inferiority, in other respects, to the first. 
 " For thus saith the Lord of hosts. Yet once, it is a 
 little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the 
 earth, and the sea, and the dry land ; and I will shake 
 all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come ; 
 and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of 
 
THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE. 35 
 
 hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, 
 saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter 
 house shall be greater than of the former, saith the 
 Lord of hosts." All this was literally fulfilled in 
 Jesus, But soon after his death the second temple 
 was reduced to ashes ; if, therefore, Jesus was not the 
 Messiah, it is impossible that this prophecy should 
 ever be accomplished. 
 
 Again, the prophet Daniel was informed by the 
 angel Gabriel, " Seventy weeks are determined upon 
 thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the 
 transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to 
 make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in ever- 
 lasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and 
 prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. Know there- 
 fore and understand, that from the going forth of the 
 commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto 
 the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and 
 threescore and two weeks : the street shall be built 
 again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And 
 after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut 
 off, but not for himself : and the people of the prince 
 that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctu- 
 ary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and 
 unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 
 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one 
 week : and in the midst," or half part " of the week he 
 shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and 
 for the overspreading of abominations he shall make 
 it desolate, even until the consummation, and that 
 determined shall be poured upon the desolate." 
 That there should be some difficulty in fixing the 
 
36 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 dates and other minute particulars in this prophecy, 
 is no more than may be said of many others, which yet, 
 upon the whole, are clear and decisive. The predic- 
 tion of the seventy years' captivity was not under- 
 stood by Daniel till he had studied the subject with 
 attention ; and though he made out the number of the 
 years, and concluded that they were about fulfilled, 
 yet he does not appear to have discovered the exact 
 time of their being so. Nevertheless, the prophecy 
 of seventy years was undoubtedly fulfilled in the 
 Babylonish captivity ; and this of seventy weeks of 
 years is as certainly fulfilled in the appearance and 
 death of Jesus. Such was the effect of this and other 
 prophecies upon the minds of the Jewish nation, that 
 about that time there was a general expectation of 
 the Messiah's appearance. Hence, though they re- 
 jected Jesus, yet they soon after believed in Barchocab, 
 and crowned him as their Messiah, which involved 
 them in a war with the Romans, wherein they are 
 said to have had a thousand cities and fortresses 
 destroyed, and to have lost more than five hundred 
 and eighty thousand men. The predicted events 
 which were to be accomplished at the close of these 
 weeks, namely, finishing transgression, making an end 
 of sins, making reconciliation for iniquity, bringing 
 in everlasting righteousness, sealing up the vision 
 and prophecy, and anointing the Most Holy, are in 
 perfect harmony with the New Testament history of 
 Jesus ; and though unbelief may blind the minds of 
 the Jews to some of them, yet the sealing up of the 
 vision and prophecy is a matter so notorious, that one 
 would think it were impossible to deny it. Jesus 
 
THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE. 37 
 
 foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple 
 by the Romans, and his apostles foretold things relat- 
 ing to the Christian church; but from that time 
 their nation has been not only " without a king, with- 
 out a prince, and without a sacrifice," but without a 
 prophet. 
 
 Moreover, it is predicted by Daniel, that shortly 
 after the Messiah should be cut off, the people of the 
 prince that should come would destroy the city and 
 the sanctuary, and that the end thereof should be 
 desolation. And is it not a fact, that about forty 
 years after the death of Jesus, both the holy city and 
 the sanctuary were destroyed by the Romans; and 
 that such a flood of desolation and misery attended it 
 as was unexampled in the history of any nation ? 
 
 2. The place where Messiah should be born, and 
 where he should principally impart his doctrine, is 
 determined. " But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though 
 thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out 
 of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be 
 ruler in Israel ; whose goings forth have been from 
 of old, from everlasting." Speaking of Galilee of the 
 nations, in connection with the birth of the child 
 whose name should be called " the mighty Grod," it is 
 said, " The people that walked in darkness have seen 
 a great light: they that dwell in the land of the 
 shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." 
 These prophecies were literally and manifestly ful- 
 filled in Jesus. 
 
 3. The family from whom Messiah should de- 
 scend, is clearly ascertained. So much is said of his 
 descending from David, that I need not refer to partic- 
 
38 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 ular proofs ; and the rather as no Jew even will deny 
 it. The genealogies of Matthew and Luke, whatever 
 varieties there are between them, agree in tracing his 
 pedigree to David. And though in both it is traced 
 in the name of Joseph, yet this appears to be only in 
 conformity to the Jewish custom of tracing no pedi- 
 gree in the name of a female. The father of Joseph, 
 as mentioned by Luke, seems to have been his father 
 by marriage only ; so that it was, in reality, Mary's 
 pedigree that is traced by Luke, though under her 
 husband's name; and this being the natural line of 
 descent, and that of Matthew the legal one, by which 
 as a king he would have inherited the crown, there is 
 no inconsistency between them. 
 
 But whatever supposed difficulties may at this 
 distance of time attend the genealogies, it is remark- 
 able that no objection appears to have been made 
 to them in the early ages of Christianity; when, 
 had they been incorrect, they might easily have been 
 disproved by the public registries which were then in 
 being. Could the Jews in the time of Jesus have 
 disproved his being of the seed of David, his Messiah- 
 ship would at once have fallen to the ground; and 
 for this they could not be wanting in inclination. 
 Had there, moreover, been any doubt on this subject, 
 the emperor Domitian, in searching after those who 
 were of the seed of David, would not have ordered 
 the relations of Jesus before him, who, when interro- 
 gated, did not deny but that they were descended 
 from him. 
 
 4. The kind of miracles that Messiah should per- 
 form is specified. Isaiah, speaking of the coming of 
 
THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE. 39 
 
 God to save his people, says, " Then the eyes of the 
 blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall 
 be unstopped. Then shall the lame leap as a hart, 
 and the tongue of the dumb shall sing; for in the 
 wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the 
 desert." That such miracles were performed by 
 Jesus, his enemies themselves bore witness, in that 
 they ascribed them to his connection with Beelzebub. 
 "When his Messiahship was questioned, he could say 
 in the presence of many witnesses, " The blind re- 
 ceive their sight, and the lame walk ; the lepers are 
 cleansed, and the deaf hear ; the dead are raised up, 
 and the poor have the gospel preached unto them." 
 The miracles of Jesus were distinguished by their 
 benevolence. They were all works of mercy, as well 
 as of power; and this accorded with the character 
 given of the Messiah in the seventy-second Psalm, 
 that he " should deliver the needy when he cried ; the 
 poor also, and him that had no helper." Hence, the 
 blind cried out, " Son of David, have mercy on us." 
 
 5. It was predicted of the Messiah that he should, 
 as a king, be distinguished by his lowliness, entering 
 into Jerusalem not in a chariot of state, but upon an 
 ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass. " Rejoice greatly, 
 daughter of Zion ; shout, daughter of Jerusalem : 
 behold, thy King cometh unto thee : he is just, and 
 having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and 
 upon a colt, the foal of an ass." To fulfil this proph- 
 ecy, it was necessary that the Messiah should descend 
 from parents in low circumstances, and that the lead- 
 ing people of the land should not accompany him. 
 Had they believed in him, and introduced him as a 
 
40 ATONEMENT OF CHUIST. 
 
 king, it must have been in another fashion. But it 
 was reserved for the common people and the children 
 to fulfil the prophet's words, by shouting, " Hosanna 
 to the Son of David ; blessed be he that cometh in 
 the name of the Lord 1" 
 
 6. It is predicted of the Messiah, that he should 
 suffer and die by the hands of wicked men. " Thus 
 saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy 
 One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the na- 
 tion abhorreth." "As many were astonished at thee ; 
 his face was so marred more than any man, and his 
 form more than the sons of men : so shall he sprinkle 
 many nations." " He is despised and rejected of men ; 
 a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we 
 hid as it were our faces from him ; he was despised, 
 and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our 
 griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem 
 him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he 
 was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised 
 for our iniquities ; the chastisement of our peace was 
 upon him, and by his stripes we are healed." " The 
 Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all. He was 
 oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his 
 mouth : he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter ; and 
 as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth 
 not his mouth. He was taken from prison, and from 
 judgment ; and who shall declare his generation ? for 
 he was cut off out of the land of the living ; for the 
 transgression of my people was he stricken." "It 
 pleased the Lord to bruise him : he hath put him to 
 grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for 
 sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, 
 
THE THEME OF SCmPTURE. 41 
 
 and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his 
 hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and 
 shall be satisfied." "The Messiah shall be cut off, 
 but not for himself." 
 
 Is it not marvellous that the enemies of Jesus 
 should so exactly fulfil the Scriptures in reproaching 
 and crucifying him ; using the very speeches, and in- 
 flicting the very cruelties which it was foretold they 
 would ? " He trusted in the Lord that he would de- 
 liver him ; let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in 
 him. They parted my garments, and for my vesture 
 they did cast lots. They gave me gall to eat, and 
 in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. They 
 pierced my hands and my feet." These things were 
 not true of the writers ; but they were true of Jesus : 
 in him, therefore, they were fulfilled. 
 
 7. It was foretold that the Messiah, after being 
 cut ofi* out of the land of the living and laid in the 
 grave, should rise from the dead. Nothing less can 
 be implied by all the promises made to him as the 
 reward of his sufferings ; for if he had continued un- 
 der the power of death, how could he have seen his 
 seed, or prolonged his days? If his kingdom had 
 been that of a mortal man, how could it continue as 
 long as the sun and moon? .How was he to see of 
 the travail of his soul and be satisfied, unless he sur- 
 vived that travail ? But more than this, it is foretold 
 that he should rise from the dead at so early a period 
 as not to " see corruption." The argument of Peter 
 from this passage has never been answered ; David 
 said, " Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see cor- 
 ruption ;" but David did see corruption ; he refers to 
 
42 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 Him, therefore, of whom it is witnessed that he saw 
 no corruption. 
 
 Lastly, it was foretold that the great body of the 
 Jewish nation would not believe in Him ; and that he 
 would set up his kingdom among the Gentiles. Such 
 is evidently the meaning of the prophet's complaint, 
 " Who hath believed our report ?" and of the Mes- 
 siah's words, in another part of the same prophecies, 
 " Then I said, I have labored in vain ; I have spent 
 my strength for naught, and in vain ; yet surely my 
 judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my 
 God. And now, saith the Lord, that formed me from 
 the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to 
 him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be 
 glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall 
 be my strength. And he said. If is a light thing that 
 thou shouldest be my servant to raise lip the tribes of 
 Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel : I will 
 also give thee^for a light to the Gentiles, that thou 
 may est be my salvation unto the ends of the earth." 
 
 Such are some of the evidences from which we 
 conclude that Jesus is the true Messiah. Time, place, 
 family, miracles, character, sufferings, resurrection, 
 and rejection by his own countrymen — all are fulfilled 
 in Him. Never was such a body of prophecy given 
 and accomplished in any other case. If you will shut 
 your eyes upon the light, you must abide the conse- 
 quence; for our parts, we feel the ground upon 
 which we stand, when we say, " We know that the 
 Son of God is come." 
 
 HI. It is declared, that when the Messiah should 
 come, THE WILL OP God would be perfectly ful- 
 
THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE. 43 
 
 PILLED BY Him : " I delight to do thy will, my God ; 
 yea, thy law is within my heart." Agreeably to this, 
 the Messiah is denominated God's servant, whom he 
 would uphold, in whom he would be glorified, and 
 who should bring Jacob again to him. 
 
 The will of God sometimes denotes what he ap- 
 proves, and sometimes what he appoints. The former 
 is the rule of our conduct, the latter of his own ; and 
 both we affirm to have been fulfilled by Jesus. 
 
 In respect of the divine precepts, his whole life was 
 in perfect conformity to them. All his actions were 
 governed by love. The Jews were challenged to 
 convince him of sin ; and all men are challenged to 
 do the same. Was there ever such an impostor ? Nay, 
 was there ever such a character seen among men? 
 Should the account given of Him by the evangelist 
 be objected to, we might answer from Rmisseau, " The 
 Jewish authors were incapable of the diction, and 
 strangers to the morality contained in the gospels, 
 the marks of whose truth are so striking and invinci- 
 ble, that the inventor would be a more astonishing 
 character than the hero." 
 
 When a sinful creature is said to have the law of 
 God in his heart, it is said to be written there, or put 
 in him by the Spirit of God ; but of the Messiah it is 
 said to be within him. His heart never existed with- 
 out the impression, and therefore needed not to have 
 it put in him. Such was Jesus, and such the spirit 
 that he manifested throughout his life. Let the person 
 besides him be named, who dares to rest the truth of 
 his- pretensions on his being found to be "holy, harm- 
 less, undefiled, and separate from sinners."' 
 
44 ATONEMENT OF CHEIST. 
 
 But it was not merely to fulfil the divine precepts 
 that the Messiah was to come, but to execute his pur- 
 pose in saving lost sinners. Even his obedience to the 
 law was subservient to this, or he could not have 
 been "the Lord our righteousness." He was God's 
 servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, to give light 
 to the Gentiles, and to be his salvation to the ends of 
 the earth. In accomplishing this, it behooved him to 
 endure the penalty, as well as obey the precepts of 
 the law. His soul must be "made an offering for 
 sin ;" he must be " cut off out of the land of the liv- 
 ing — cut off, but not for himself; and this that he 
 might " make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in 
 everlasting righteousness." 
 
 Thus it will be seen that the death of Christ is 
 a subject of so much importance in Christianity as to 
 be essential to it. Without this, the sacrifices and 
 prophecies of the Old Testament would be nearly void 
 of meaning, and the other great facts recorded in the 
 New Testament divested of importance. It is not so 
 much a member of the body of Christian doctrine as 
 the lifeblood that runs through the whole of it. The 
 doctrine of the cross is the Christian doctrine. In 
 determining not to know any thing, "save Jesus 
 Christ, and him crucified," the apostle Paul did not 
 mean to contract his researches, or to confine his min- 
 istry to a monotonous repetition of a favorite point, 
 to the neglect of other things; on the contrary, he 
 " shunned not to declare all the counsel of God." The 
 doctrine of " Christ, and him crucified," compre- 
 hended this. It contained a scope which, inspired as 
 
THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE. 45 
 
 he was, surpassed his powers ; and well it might, for 
 angels could not comprehend it, but are described as 
 merely desiring to look into it. There is not an im- 
 portant truth but what is presupposed by it, included 
 in it, or arises out of it; nor any part of practical 
 religion but what hangs upon it. 
 
46 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 QUALIFICATIONS OF THE LORD JESUS TO MAKE AN 
 
 ATONEMENT. 
 
 The apostles who saw the Lord, and who saw the 
 accomplishment of what the prophets foretold, were 
 not disappointed in him. Their love to him was great, 
 and their representations of his person and character 
 ran in the same exalted strain. "In the beginning 
 was the Word," said the beloved disciple, " and the 
 Word was with God, and the Word was God. The 
 same was in the beginning with God. All things 
 were made by him; and without him was not any 
 thing made that was made. He was in the world, 
 and the world was made by him, and the world knew 
 him not. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt 
 among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of 
 the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and 
 truth." Thomas insisted upon an unreasonable kind 
 of evidence of the resurrection of his Lord from the 
 dead, saying, "Except I shall see in his hands the 
 print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of 
 the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not 
 believe." When reproved by our Lord's offering to 
 gratify him in his incredulous proposal, he confessed, 
 with a mixture of shame, grief, and affection, that 
 however unbelieving he had been, he was now satis- 
 fied that it was indeed his Lord, and no other, saying. 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 47 
 
 " My Lord and my God." The whole epistle to the 
 Hebrews breathes an ardent love to Christ, and is 
 intermingled with the same kind of language. Jesus 
 is there represented as " upholding all things by the 
 word of his power f as the object of angelic adoration ; 
 as he to whom it was said, " Thy throne, God, is for 
 ever and ever;" as he who "laid the foundation of 
 the earth ;" and concerning whom it is added, " the 
 heavens are the work of thy hands;" -as superior to 
 Moses, the one being the builder and owner of the 
 house, even God who built all things, and the other 
 only a servant in it ; as superior to Aaron and to all 
 those of his order, "a great High-priest — Jesus the 
 Son of God;" and finally, as infinitely superior to 
 angels, for, " to which of the angels said he, at any 
 time. Thou art my Son ; or. Sit on my right hand ?" 
 Hence the gospel is considered as exhibiting " a great 
 salvation ;" and those who neglect it are exposed to a 
 recompense of wrath which they shall not escape. 
 
 Paul could scarcely mention the name of Christ 
 without adding some strong encomium in his praise. 
 When he was enumerating those things which ren- 
 dered his countrymen dear to him, he mentions their 
 being Israelites, to whom pertained the adoption, and 
 the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the 
 law, and the service of God, and the promises ; whose 
 were the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, 
 Christ came. Here, it seems, he might have stopped, 
 but having mentioned the name of Christ, he could 
 not content himself without adding, " Who is over all, 
 God blessed for ever. Amen." Rom. 9 : 4, 5. Hav- 
 ing occasion also to speak of him in his epistle to the 
 
48 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 Colosaians, chapter 1, as G-od's dear Son, in whom we 
 have redemption through his blood, even the forgive- 
 ness of sins, he could not forbear adding, " Who is the 
 image of the invisible God, the first-born of every 
 creature. For by him were all things created that 
 are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invis- 
 ible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, 
 or powers : all things were created hy him, and for 
 him. And he is before all things, and by him all 
 things consist." 
 
 As the Father is allowed on all hands to be a 
 divine person, whatever proves the divinity and per- 
 sonality of the Son proves a plurality of divine per- 
 sons in the Godhead. I need not adduce the evidences 
 of this truth, the sacred Scriptures are full of them. 
 Divine perfections are ordinarily ascribed to him, and 
 divine worship is paid to him, both by angels and men. 
 If Jesus Christ is not God, equal with the Father, 
 Christianity must have tended to establish a system 
 of idolatry more dangerous, because more plausible, 
 than that which it came to destroy. The union of the 
 divine and human natures in the person of Christ, is 
 a subject on which the sacred writers delight to dwell, 
 and so should we, for herein is the glory of the gospel. 
 "Unto us a child is born; and his name shall be 
 called, the mighty God." He was born in Bethlehem, 
 yet his " goings forth were from of old, from everlast- 
 ing." He was made " of the seed of David according 
 to the flesh," and " declared to be the Son of God with 
 power." " Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ 
 came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 49 
 
 In his original nature he is described as incapable of 
 death, and as taking flesh and blood upon him to 
 qualify himself for enduring it. Heb. 2 : 14. " He 
 was the Son of God," yet " touched with a feeling of 
 our infirmities ;" " the root and the offspring of Da- 
 vid." The sacred Scriptures lay great stress on what 
 Christ was antecedently to his assumption of human 
 nature, and of the official character of a Mediator and 
 Saviour. The Word was with God, and the Word 
 was God. He who was rich, for our sakes became 
 poor, that we through his poverty might be rich. 
 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the ex- 
 press image of his person, and upholding all things 
 by the word of his power, etc. Who, being in the 
 form of God, thought it not robbery, or usurpation, to 
 be equal with God ; but made himself of no reputa- 
 tion, and took upon him the form of a servant, and 
 was made in the likeness of men. If divine person- 
 ality be not essential to Deity, distinct from all office 
 capacity, and antecedent to it, what meaning is there 
 in this language? An economical trinity, or that 
 which would not have been but for the economy of 
 redemption, is not the trinity of the Scriptures. It is 
 not a trinity of divine persons, but merely of offices 
 personified ; whereas Christ is distinguished from the 
 Father as the express image or character of his per- 
 son, while yet in his preincarnate state. 
 
 The sacred Scriptures lay great stress on the char- 
 acter of Christ as " the Son of God." It was this that 
 formed the first link in the Christian profession, and 
 was reckoned to draw after it the whole chain of evan- 
 gelical truth. " I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son 
 
50 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 of God." From this rises the great love of God in 
 the gift of him : " God so loved the world as to give 
 his only begotten Son"' — the condescension of his obe- 
 dience : " Though he was a Son, yet learned he obedi- 
 ence" — the efficacy of his blood : " The blood of Jesus 
 Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" — the dignity 
 of his priesthood: "We have a great High-priest, 
 Jesus the Son of God" — the greatness of the sin of 
 unbelief: " He that believeth not is condemned already, 
 because he hath not believed on the name of the only 
 begotten Son of God" — ^the greatness of the sin of 
 apostasy: "Who have trodden under foot the Son of 
 God." The incarnation, resurrection, and exaltation 
 of Christ declared, but did not constitute him the Son 
 of God; nor did any of his offices, to all which his 
 Sonship was antecedent. God sent his Son into the 
 world. This implies that he was his Son antece- 
 dently to his being sent, as much as Christ's sending 
 his disciples implies that they were his disciples before 
 he sent them. The same may be said of the Son of 
 God being made of a woman, made under the law. 
 These terms no more express that which rendered 
 him a Son, than his being made flesh expresses that 
 which rendered him the Word. The Son of God was 
 manifested to destroy the works of the devil ; he must 
 therefore have been the Son of God antecedently to 
 his being manifested in the flesh. But does it follow 
 that because a son among men is inferior and posterior 
 to his father, therefore it must be so with the Son of 
 God ? If so, why should his saying that God was his 
 own Father be considered as making himself equal with 
 God ? Of the only begotten Son it is not said he was, 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 51 
 
 or will be, but he is in the bosom of the Father, denot- 
 ing the eternity and immutability of his character. 
 There never was a point in duration in which God 
 was without his Son : he rejoiced always before him. 
 Bold assertions are not to be placed in opposition to 
 revealed truth. In Christ's being called the Son of 
 God there may be, for the assistance of our low con- 
 ceptions, some reference to sonship among men ; but 
 not sufficient to warrant us to reason from the one to 
 the other. The sacred Scriptures often ascribe the 
 miracles of Christ, his sustaining the load of his suf- 
 ferings, and his resurrection from the dead, to the 
 power of the Father, ,or of the Holy Spirit, rather 
 than to his own divinity. I have read in human writ- 
 ings, "But the Divinity within supported him to bear ;" 
 but I never met with such an idea in the sacred Scrip- 
 tures. They represent the Father as upholding his 
 servant, his elect i£i whom his soul delighted ; and as 
 sending his angel to strengthen him in the conflict. 
 While acting as the Father's servant, there was a fit- 
 ness in his being supported by him, as well as his being 
 in all things obedient to his will. But when the value, 
 virtue, or efficacy of what he did and suiGfered are 
 touched upon, they are never ascribed either to the 
 Father or the Holy Spirit, but to himself. Such is 
 the idea suggested by those forequoted passages. 
 " Who being the brightness of his glory, and the ex- 
 press image of his person, and upholding all things 
 by the word of his power, when he had by himself 
 J)urged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the 
 Majesty on high." " Ye are not redeemed by corrupt- 
 ible things, but by the precious blood of Christ." 
 
52 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 " The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from 
 all sin." Much less is said in the sacred Scriptures 
 on the divinity and personality of the Holy Spirit, 
 than on those of the Son. The Holy Spirit not hav- 
 ing become incarnate, it might be less necessary to 
 guard his honors, and to warn men against thinking 
 meanly of him. All judgment was committed to the 
 Son, because he was the Son of man. Yet there is 
 enough said against grieving the Spirit, blasphemy 
 against him, lying against him, doing despite to him, 
 and defiling his temple, to make us tremble. In the 
 economy of redemption, it is the office of the Holy 
 Spirit not to exhibit himself, but to " take of the things 
 of Christ, and show them to us." He is the great 
 springhead of all the good that is in the world ; but 
 in producing it, he himself appears not. We are no 
 otherwise conscious of his influences than by their 
 effects. He resembles the wind, which bloweth where 
 it listeth : we hear the sound and feel its effects, but 
 know nothing more of it. 
 
 The Holy Spirit is not the grand object of min- 
 isterial exhibition, but Christ, in his person, work, 
 and offices. When Philip went down to Samaria, 
 it was not to preach God the Holy Spirit unto them, 
 but to preach Christ unto them. While this was 
 done, the Holy Spirit gave testimony to the word 
 of his grace and rendered it effectual. The more 
 sensible we are, both as ministers and Christians, of 
 our entire dependence on the Holy Spirit's influ- 
 ences the better ; but if we make them the grand 
 theme of our ministry, we shall do that which he him- 
 self avoids, and so shall counteract his operations. 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 53 
 
 The attempts to reduce the Holy Spirit to a mere 
 property, or energy^ of the Deity, arise from much the 
 same source as the attempts to prove the inferiority 
 and posteriority of Christ as the Son of God ; namely, 
 reasoning from things human to things divine. The 
 Spirit of God is compared to the spirit of man ; and 
 as the latter is not a person distinguishable from man, 
 so it has been said, the former cannot be a person 
 distinguishable from God the Father. But the design 
 of the apostle in 1 Cor. 2 : 11, was not to represent 
 the Spirit of God as resembling the spirit of man in 
 respect of his subsistence, but of his knowledge ; and 
 it is presumptuous to reason from it on a subject that 
 we cannot understand. 
 
 Peter, in his first sermon, as recorded in the second 
 chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, addressed the 
 Jews upon principles of the truth of which they, in 
 their consciences, were convinced : " Ye men of Is- 
 rael," said he, " hear these words : Jesus of Nazareth, 
 a man approved of God by miracles and wonders 
 and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, 
 as ye yourselves also know, ye by wicked hands 
 have crucified and slain." Upon these principles he 
 grounded others, of which they were not convinced ; 
 namely, his resurrection from the dead, ver. 24-32, 
 his exaltation at the right hand of God, ver. 33, his 
 being made both Lord and Christ, ver. 36, and of re- 
 mission of sins through his name, verse 38. In his 
 next sermon he asserted him to be the Son of God, 
 Acts 3 : 13, the Holy One, and the Just, the Prince 
 or author of life, whom they had killed, preferring a 
 
54 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 murderer before him, ver. 14, 15. If Jesus was the 
 author of life in the same sense in which Barabbas 
 was the destroyer of it, then was the antithesis proper, 
 and the charge adapted to excite the greatest alarm. 
 It was nothing less than declaring to them that, in 
 crucifying Jesus of Nazareth, they had crucified the 
 Lord of glory; or that the person whom they had 
 slain was no other than the Creator of the world, in 
 human nature ! In the first instance the apostle ap- 
 pealed to what the Jews themselves knew of Christ ; 
 and in the last, to what he knew concerning him, who 
 with his fellow-apostles had beheld his glory, the 
 glory as of the only begotten of the Father. 
 
 The doctrine of atonement by the death of Christ 
 is one of the great and distinguishing principles of the 
 gospel, and its importance is acknowledged by all 
 denominations of evangelical Christians. Yet there 
 are some who suppose that this doctrine is not necessa- 
 rily connected with the divinity of Christ ; and indeed, 
 that it is inconsistent with it. It has been objected, 
 that according to the Scriptures, it was the person 
 of Christ that suffered ; but that this is inconsistent 
 with his divinity, because divinity could not suffer. 
 To which it may be answered, that though the person 
 of Christ suffered, yet that he suffered in all that per- 
 tains to his person is quite another thing. A great 
 and virtuous personage among men might suffer 
 death by the axe or the guillotine, and this would be 
 suffering death in his person ; and yet he might not 
 suffer in his honor or in his character, and so not in 
 all that pertained to him. A Christian might suffer 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 55 
 
 martyrdom in his body, and yet his soul be very 
 happy. To object, therefore, that Christ did not suf- 
 fer in his person, because all that pertained to him was 
 not the immediate seat of suffering, is reasoning very 
 inconclusively. It is sufi&cient if Christ suffered in that 
 part of his person which was susceptible of suffering. 
 It has been objected, that as humanity only is 
 capable of suffering, therefore humanity only is neces- 
 sary to make atonement. But this objection proceeds 
 upon the supposition that the value of atonement 
 arises simply from suffering, and not from the charac- 
 ter or dignity of him who suffers ; whereas the Scrip- 
 ture places it in the latter, and not the former. " The 
 blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanse th us from all 
 sin." He "by himself h&ih. purged our sins." Some 
 who have allowed sin to be an infinite evil, and de- 
 serving of endless punishment, have objected to the 
 necessity of an infinite atonement, by alleging that 
 the question is not what sin deserves, but what God 
 requires in order to exalt the dignity of his govern- 
 ment, while he displays the riches of his grace in the 
 forgiveness of sin. But this objection implies that it 
 would be consistent with the divine perfections to ad- 
 mit not only what is equivalent to the actual punish- 
 ment of the sinner, but of what is not equivalent; 
 and if so, what good reason can be given why God 
 might not have entirely dispensed with a satisfaction, 
 and pardoned sinners without any atonement? On 
 this principle the atonement of Christ would be re- 
 solved into mere sovereign appointment, and the ne- 
 cessity of it would be wholly given up. But if so, 
 there was nothing required in the nature of things to 
 
66 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 exalt the dignity of the divine government, while he 
 displayed the riches of his grace ; and it could not 
 with propriety be said that " it became Him, for whom 
 are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to 
 make the Captain of their salvation perfect through 
 sufferings." 
 
 If God required less than the real demerit of sin 
 for an atonement, then there could be no satisfaction 
 made to divine justice by such an atonement. And 
 though it would be improper to represent the great 
 work of redemption as a kind of commercial transac- 
 tion between a creditor and his debtor, yet the satis- 
 faction of justice in all cases of offence requires that 
 there be an expression of the displeasure of the offended 
 against the conduct of the offender, equal to what the na- 
 ture of the offence is in reality. The end of punishment 
 is not the misery of the offender, but the general 
 good. Its design is to express displeasure against 
 disobedience ; and where punishment is inflicted ac- 
 cording to the desert of the offence, there justice 
 is satisfied. In other words, such an expression 
 of displeasure is uttered by the Lawgiver, that in 
 it every subject of his empire may read what are 
 his views of the evil which he forbids, and what are 
 his determinations in regard to its punishment. If 
 sinners had received in their own persons the reward 
 of their iniquity, justice would in that way have been 
 satisfied; and if the infinitely blessed God, whose 
 ways are higher than our ways, and whose thoughts 
 are higher than our thoughts, has devised an expedi- 
 ent for our salvation, though he may not confine him- 
 self to a literal conformity to those rules of justice 
 
3 
 
 QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 57 
 
 whicli he has marked out for us, yet he certainly will 
 not depart from the spirit of them. Justice must be 
 satisfied even in that way. An atonement made by a 
 substitute in any case, requires that the same end be 
 answered as if the guilty party had actually suffered. 
 It is necessary that the displeasure of the offended 
 should be expressed in as strong terms, or in a way 
 adapted to make as strong an impression upon alL/ , 
 concerned, as if the law had taken its course ; other- 
 wise atonement is not made, and mercy triumphs at 
 the expense of righteousness. ,^./ 
 
 Let it be inquired, then, whether this great end of 
 moral government could have been answered by the 
 sufferings of a mere creature. Some who deny the 
 divinity of Christ appear to be apprehensive that it 
 could not ; and have therefore supposed that God, in 
 order, it should seem, to bring it within the compass 
 of a creature's grasp, required less of his Son than 
 our sins deserved. It is true, indeed, if Christ be 
 only a creature, it must be less, infinitely less, that 
 was accepted, than what was strictly deserved. In 
 the atonement of Christ, God is said to have ^'' set 
 him forth to be a propitiation, to declare his righteous- 
 ness for the remission of sins." Now this, as well as 
 the nature of things, implies that one who makes an 
 atonement must be of so much account in the scale of 
 being as to attract the general attention. But the 
 sufferings of a mere man, whose obedience could be 
 no more than duty, or whose humiliation contained in 
 it no condescension below the place that became him, 
 would be no more adapted to excite the general at- 
 tention of the intelligent creation, than the sufferings 
 
 3* 
 
58 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 of an insect would be to attract the attention of a 
 nation. It were as rational to talk of the king of 
 Great Britain setting forth a worm tortured on the 
 point of a needle to declare his regard to righteous- 
 ness while he pardoned the deluded votaries of a 
 Pretender, as to talk of a mere creature being set 
 forth as a propitiation for the declaration of the right- 
 eousness of God in the remission of human guilt. 
 
 To suppose, because humanity only is capable of 
 suffering, that therefore humanity only is necessary to 
 make atonement, is to render dignity of character of 
 no account. When Zaleucus, one of the Grecian 
 kings, had made a law against adultery, that whoso- 
 ever was guilty of this crime should lose both his 
 eyes, his own son is said to have been the first trans- 
 gressor. To preserve the honor of the law, and at 
 the same time to save his own son from total blind- 
 ness, the father had recourse to an expedient of losing 
 one of his own eyes, and his son one of his. This 
 expedient, though it did not conform to the letter of 
 the law, yet was well adapted to preserve the spirit 
 of it, as it served to evince to the nation the de- 
 termination of the king to punish adultery, as much, 
 perhaps even more, than if the sentence had literally 
 been put into execution against the offender. But if 
 instead of this, he had appointed that one eye of an 
 animal should be put out, in order to save that of his 
 son, or if a common subject had offered to lose an 
 eye, would either have answered the purpose ? The 
 animal and the subject were each possessed of an 
 eye, as well as the sovereign. It might be added, 
 too, that it was mere bodily pain j and seeing it was 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. ' 59 
 
 in the body only that this penalty conld be endured, 
 any being that possessed a body would be equally 
 capable of enduring it. True, they might endure it ; 
 but would their suffering have answered the same 
 end? Would it have satisfied justice? Would it 
 have had the same effect upon the nation, or tended 
 equally to restore the tone of injured authority? 
 
 Some have placed all the virtue of the atonement 
 in the appointment of God. But if so, why was it " not 
 possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should 
 take away sin?" It does not accord with the divine 
 proceedings to be prodigal of blood, especially in a 
 superior person, where one far inferior might answer 
 the same end. When, in order to try Abraham, Isaac 
 was bound, and ready to be sacrificed, a lamb was 
 found for a burnt-offering ; and if any gift from the 
 divine Father, short of that of his only begotten Son, 
 would have answered the great purposes of moral 
 government, there is no reason to think that he would 
 have made him a sacrifice -, he would have spared him, 
 and not freely have " delivered him up for us all." 
 
 It has been objected against the necessity of 
 Christ's being a divine person in order to his making 
 atonement, that if he who makes atonement be infi- 
 nite, it must needs be followed by the salvation of the 
 whole human race. But this objection supposes that 
 the number of the saved is to be proportioned to the 
 ability of the Saviour ; and then it would seem that 
 Christ being a mere man, he saved all that his finite 
 merit would extend to. With just as much propriety 
 might it be alleged, that the power by which we were 
 created could not be infinite ; for if it had, there 
 
60 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 must then have been an infinite number of worlds in 
 existence. And the wisdom and goodness by which 
 we are saved cannot be infinite; for if so, all the 
 world, and the fallen angels too, would be interested 
 in that salvation. 
 
 In short, the Deity and atonement of Christ hav6 
 always, among thinking people, stood or fallen to- 
 gether ; and with them almost every other important 
 doctrine of the gospel. The person of Christ is the 
 foundation-stone on which the church is built. An 
 error, therefore, on this subject affects the whole of 
 our preaching, and the whole of our religion. In the 
 esteem of the apostle Paul, that which nullified the 
 death of Christ was accounted to be another gospel ; 
 and he expressed his wish that those who propagated 
 it, and so troubled the churches, were cut off. The 
 principle maintained by the Galatians, it is true, did 
 not consist in a denial of the Deity of Christ ; but the 
 consequence is the same. They taught that justifica- 
 tion was by the works of the law, from whence the 
 apostle justly inferred that " Christ is dead in vain." 
 And he who teaches that Christ is a mere creature, 
 holds a doctrine which renders his sufferings of none 
 effect. If the Deity of Christ be a divine truth, it 
 cannot reasonably be denied that it is of equal impor- 
 tance with the doctrine of justification by his right- 
 ousness. If therefore a rejection of the latter was 
 deemed a perversion of the gospel, nothing less can 
 be ascribed to the rejection of the former. 
 
 In the great work of atonement, there are three 
 parties concerned : the Father, the criminal who has 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 61 
 
 sinned against him, and the "^Mediator who under- 
 takes his cause. The Father, in this case, sustains the 
 character of a judge : " God the Judge of all." The 
 criminal is supposed to stand before the judgment-seat ; 
 not, however, in an impenitent state of mind, but like 
 Job when he said, " Behold, I am vile ; what shall I 
 answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth. 
 Once have I spoken, but I will not answer j yea, twice, 
 but I will proceed no further. I abhor myself, and 
 repent in dust and ashes." Or like David when he 
 said, " I acknowledge my transgressions ; and my sin 
 is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I 
 sinned, 'and done this evil in thy sight ; that thou 
 mightest be justified when thou speakest, and clear 
 when thou judgest." Here comes in the Mediator. 
 The sinner could not be heard for himself, nor par- 
 doned in his own name ; but believing in Christ, he 
 undertakes to plead his cause. He had said himself, 
 in effect. Do not condemn me. To this the Mediator 
 adds. Do not condemn him. 
 
 On this part of the subject we must be still more 
 particular. A Mediator, especially one that under- 
 takes the cause of sinners, requires to have an interest 
 with the Judge ; to be interested for the sinner ; while 
 pleading for him, not to palliate, but condemn his sin ; 
 to be fully acquainted with his case ; and to have 
 something to plead that shall effectually overbalance 
 his unworthiness. Let us inquire whether all these 
 qualifications be not found in our "Advocate with the 
 Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 
 
 He has the higJiest interest in the favor of the Judge, 
 Why? He is his only begotten Son, who dwelleth 
 
62 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 in his bosom, and who never offended him at any- 
 time, but always did that which was pleasing in his 
 sight. So well pleased was the Father with his obe- 
 dience unto death, that he highly exalted him, giving 
 him " a name which is above every name, that at the 
 name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in 
 heaven and things in earth, and that every tongue 
 should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory 
 of God the Father." " The Father loveth the Son, 
 and hath given all things into his hand." "Well might 
 he say, when on earth, " I knew that thou hear est me 
 always," for he had, in prophecy, invited him to 
 prefer his request: "Ask of me, and I shall give 
 thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the utter- 
 most parts of the earth for thy possession." Who can 
 doubt the success of a cause in the hands of such a 
 Mediator? 
 
 He is deeply interested in favor of the sinner. If we 
 had to be tried before an earthly tribunal, and wished 
 to engage an advocate, we should certainly prefer 
 one that would so identify himself with us as to be 
 deeply interested in the issue. When, at Horeb, Mo- 
 ses pleaded for Israel to be forgiven, he requested to 
 die rather than not succeed: "Oh," said he, "this 
 people have sinned a great sin. Yet now, if thou wilt, 
 forgive their sin ; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, 
 out of thy book which thou hast written." This was 
 the true spirit of an advocate, and he succeeded. But 
 our Mediator has gone further than requesting to die : 
 he actually died for us ; and his death " is the pro- 
 pitiation for our sins," on which his advocacy is 
 founded. 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 63 
 
 While pleading for sinners, he does not palliate, hut 
 condemns their sin. If Moses had attempted to apolo- 
 gize for Israel's idolatry, his interposition must have 
 been rejected. And if it had been possible for Christ 
 himself to have been an Advocate for sin, he could 
 not have been heard. But he was no less averse from 
 sin than the Judge himself. If he was made " in the 
 likeness" of sinful flesh, yet was there no participation 
 of it. Though he descended, and lived among sinners, 
 yet, in respect of character, he was " holy, harmless, 
 undefiled, and separate" from them. While advocat- 
 ing their cause, it was in his own proper character 
 of " Jesus Christ the rightemisJ^ It was because of his 
 proceeding on these just and honorable principles, that 
 the Father approved and honored him : " Thou lovest 
 righteousness, and hatest iniquity ; therefore God, thy 
 God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above 
 thy fellows." 
 
 He is perfectly acquainted with the case of those whose 
 cause he undertakes. There are cases which, if the 
 advocate had known all, he would not have under- 
 taken ; and which, for want of his being in possession 
 of the whole truth, fail in his hands. But our Medi- 
 ator knows the worst of us. He needs not that any 
 should testify of man, for he knows what is in man. 
 When Simon the Pharisee saw a woman who was a 
 sinner standing at the feet of Jesus, washing them 
 with her tears, wiping them with the hairs of her 
 head, kissing them, and anointing them with oint- 
 ment, and all this without receiving any repulse from 
 him, he suspected that he was deceived, and con- 
 cluded that he could not be that prophet who should 
 
64 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 come into the world. Had lie known her true char- 
 acter, he supposed he would not have permitted her 
 to touch him. To convince Simon that he was not 
 ignorant of her character, he, by answering his private 
 thoughts, proved himself to be fully acquainted with 
 his; and proceeded to plead the cause of the penitent 
 sinner, though her sins were many, and to justify him- 
 self in receiving and forgiving her. Our Mediator 
 not only knows all our sins, but all our wants; and 
 therefore knows how to provide for them. If previous 
 to the prayer for Peter, it had been referred to him 
 what should be asked on his behalf, having no sus- 
 picion of any peculiar temptation being at hand, he 
 might not have been able to say what it was that he 
 most needed. But his Advocate, knowing the temp- 
 tation that awaited him, framed his plea on his behalf 
 accordingly : " I have prayed for thee, that thy faith 
 fail not." 
 
 Though he finds no worthiness in the sinner on which 
 to gr(Mnd his pleas, but the greatest unworthiness, yet he 
 has that to plead which effectually overbalances it. It is 
 remarkable that in the admirable speech of Judah on 
 behalf of Benjamin, he did not draw his pleas from 
 the innocence of the young man, nor from the possi- 
 bility of the cup being in his sack without his know- 
 ledge, nor from the smallness of his offence, but 
 from his father's love to him, and his own engage- 
 ment to bring him back and set him before him. I 
 need not say that on this principle our Mediator has 
 proceeded. The charges against Benjamin were mys- 
 terious and doubtful, yet as Judah could not prove his 
 innocence, he admitted his guilt. But our guilt is 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 66 
 
 beyond doubt; in pleading our cause, the Advocate 
 • is supposed to rest it on the propitiation, in consider- 
 ation of which our unworthiness is passed over, and 
 our sins are forgiven. The connection of things is 
 often signified by the order of time in which they 
 occur. Thus the outpouring of the Spirit, that it 
 might appear to be what it was, a fruit of the death 
 of Christ, followed immediately after it; and thus, 
 on his having died and risen from the dead, his fol- 
 lowers are directed to pray in his name. His direct- 
 ing us to pray in his name conveys the same idea, as 
 to the meritorious cause of forgiveness, as his being 
 made Advocate with the Father on the ground of his 
 propitiation. 
 
 In order to understand this subject, we need to 
 have clear views of the scriptural doctrine of imputa- 
 tion. This term signifies, in general, to charge, reckon, 
 or place to account, according to the dijfferent objects to 
 which it is applied. This word, like many others, has 
 a, proper and a figurative meaning. 
 
 First, it is applied to the charging, reckoning, or 
 placing to the account of persons and things that which 
 properly belongs to them. This I consider as its 
 proper meaning. In this sense the word is used in the 
 following passages: "Eli thought she," Hannah, "had 
 been drunken." " Hanan and Mattaniah, the treas- 
 urers, were counted faithful." " Let a man so account 
 of us as the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the 
 mysteries of God." " Let such a one think this, that 
 such as we are in word by letters when we are absent. 
 Such will we be also in deed when we. are present." 
 
66 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 " I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are 
 not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall 
 be revealed in us." Reckoning, or accounting, in the 
 above instances, is no other than judging of persons 
 and things according to what they are, or appear to 
 be. To impute sin in this sense, is to charge guilt 
 upon the guilty in a judicial way, or with a view to 
 punishment. Thus Shimei besought David that his 
 iniquity might not be imputed to him ; thus the man 
 is pronounced blessed " to whom the Lord imputeth 
 not iniquity ;" and thus Paul prayed that the sin of 
 those who deserted him might not be laid to their 
 charge. 
 
 In this sense the term is ordinarily used in com- 
 mon life. To impute treason or any other crime to a 
 man, is the same thing as charging him with having 
 committed it, and this with a view to his being 
 punished. 
 
 Secondly, it is applied to the charging, reckoning, 
 or placing to the account of persons and things that 
 which does not properly belong to them, as though it did. 
 This I consider as its figurative meaning. In this 
 sense the word is used in the following passages : 
 " And this your heave-offering shall be reckoned unto 
 you as though it were the corn of the threshing-floor, 
 and as the fulness of the wine-press." " Wherefore 
 hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?" 
 " If the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the 
 law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circum- 
 cision?" " If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee 
 aught, put that on mine account.''^ 
 
 It is in this latter sense that I understand the term 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 67 
 
 when applied to justification. "Abraham believed 
 God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." 
 " To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that 
 justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for right- 
 eousness." The counting, or reckoning, in these in- 
 stances, is not a judging of things as they are, but as 
 they are not as though they were. I do not think that 
 faith here means the righteousness of the Messiah, for 
 it is expressly called believing. It means believing, 
 however, not as a virtuous exercise of the mind which 
 God consented to accept instead of perfect obedience, 
 but as having respect to the promised Messiah, and so to 
 his righteousness as the ground of acceptance. Justi- 
 fication is ascribed to faith, as healing frequently is 
 in the New Testament — not as that from which the 
 virtue proceeds, but as that which receives from the 
 Saviour's fulness. 
 
 But if it were allowed that faith in these passages 
 really means the object believed in, still this was not 
 Abraham's own righteousness, and could not be prop- 
 erly counted, by Him who judges of things as they are 
 as being so. It was reckoned unto him as if it were 
 his; and the effects, or benefits of it, were actually 
 imparted to him: but this was all. Abraham did not 
 become meritorious, or cease to be unworthy. 
 
 " What is it to place our righteousness in the obe- 
 dience of Christ," says Calvin, "but to affirm that 
 hereby only we are accounted righteous ? because the 
 obedience of Christ is imputed to us as if it were our 
 ownJ^ 
 
 It is thus also that I understand the imputation of 
 sin to Christ. He was accounted in the divine admin- 
 
68 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 istration as if he were or had been the sinner, that those 
 who believe in him might be accounted as if they were 
 or had been righteous. 
 
 I apprehend that many important mistakes have 
 arisen from considering the interposition of Christ 
 under the notion of paying a debt. The blood of Christ 
 is indeed the price of our redemption, or that for the 
 sake of which we are delivered from the curse of the 
 law ; but this metaphorical language, as well as that 
 of head and members, may be carried too far, and may 
 lead us into many errors. In cases of debt and credit 
 among men, where a surety undertakes to represent 
 the debtor, from the moment his undertaking is ac- 
 cepted the debtor is free, and may claim his liberty, 
 not as a matter of favor, at least on the part of the 
 creditor, but of strict justice. Or should the under- 
 taking be unknown to him for a time, yet as soon as 
 he knows it he may demand his discharge, and it may 
 be, think himself hardly treated by being kept in bond- 
 age so long after his debt had been actually paid. 
 But who will imagine this to be analogous to the 
 redemption of sinners by Jesus Christ ? Sin is a debt 
 only in a metaphorical sense ; properly speaking, it is 
 a crime, and satisfaction for it requires to be made, 
 not on pecuniary, but on moral principles. If Phile- 
 mon had accepted of that part of Paul's offer which 
 respected property, and had placed so much to his 
 account as he considered Onesimus to have " owed '^ 
 him, he could not have been said to have remitted his 
 debt, nor would Onesimus have had to thank him for 
 remitting it. But it is supposed of Onesimus that he 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 69 
 
 might not only be in debt to his master, but have 
 " wronged " him. Perhaps he had embezzled his goods, 
 corrupted his children, or injured his character. Now 
 for Philemon to accept of that part of the offer, were 
 very different from the other. In the one case he 
 would have accepted of a pecuniary representative, in 
 the other of a moral one, that is, of a mediator. The 
 satisfaction in the one case would annihilate the idea 
 of remission, but not in the other. Whatever satis- 
 faction Paul might give to Philemon respecting the 
 wound inflicted upon his character and honor as the 
 head of a family, it would not supersede the necessity 
 of pardon being sought by the offender, and freely 
 bestowed bj the offended. 
 
 The reason for this difference is easily perceived. 
 Debts are transferable, but crimes are not. A third 
 person may cancel the one, but he can only obliterate 
 the effects of the other ; the desert of the criminal re- 
 mains. The debtor is accountable to his creditor as a 
 private individual, who has power to accept of a sure- 
 ty, or, if he please, to remit the whole without any 
 satisfaction. In the one case he would be just, in the 
 other merciful ; but no place is afforded by either of 
 them for the combination of justice and mercy in the 
 same proceeding. The criminal, on the other hand, is 
 amenable to the magistrate, or to the head of a family, 
 as a public person, and who, especially if the offence 
 be capital, cannot remit the punishment without in- 
 vading law and justice, nor, in the ordinary discharge 
 of his office, admit of a third person to stand in his 
 place. In extraordinary cases, however, extraordi- 
 nary expedients are resorted to. A satisfaction may 
 
70 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 be made to law and justice, as to the spirit of them, 
 while the letter is dispensed with. The well-known 
 story of Zaleucus the Grecian lawgiver, who con- 
 sented to lose one of his eyes to spare one of his 
 son's eyes, who, by transgressing the law, had sub- 
 jected himself to the loss of both, is an example. 
 Here, as far as it went, justice and mercy were 
 combined in the same act ; and had the satisfaction 
 been much fuller than it was, so full that the au- 
 thority of the law instead of being weakened should 
 have been abundantly magnified and honored, still 
 it had been perfectly consistent with free forgive- 
 ness. 
 
 Finally, in the case of the debtor, satisfaction be- 
 ing once accepted, justice requires his complete dis- 
 charge; but in that of the criminal, where satisfac- 
 tion is made to the wounded honor of the law and 
 the authority of the lawgiver, justice, though it ad- 
 mits of his discharge, yet no otherwise requires it 
 than as it may have been matter of promise to the 
 substitute. 
 
 I do not mean to say that cases of this sort afford 
 a competent representation of redemption by Christ. 
 That is a work which not only ranks with extraordi- 
 nary interpositions, but which has no parallel ; it is a 
 work of God, which leaves all the petty concerns of 
 mortals infinitely behind it. All that comparisons 
 can do is to give us some idea of the principle on 
 which it proceeds. 
 
 If the following passage in our admired Milton 
 were considered as the language of the law of inno- 
 cence, it would be inaccurate : 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 71 
 
 " Man disobeying .... 
 He with his whole posterity must die; 
 Die he, or justice must; unless for him 
 Some other, able, and as willing, pay 
 The rigid satisfaction, death for death." 
 
 Abstractedly considered, this is true; but it is not 
 expressive of what was the revealed law of innocence. 
 The law made no such condition or provision; nor 
 was it indifferent to the Lawgiver who should suffer, 
 the sinner or another on his behalf. The language 
 of the law to the transgressor was not, Thou shalt 
 die, or some one on thy behalf, but simply. Thou shalt 
 die : and had it literally taken its course, every child 
 of man must have perished. The sufferings of Christ 
 in our stead, therefore, are not a punishment inflicted 
 in the ordinary course of distributive justice, but an 
 extraordinary interposition of infinite wisdom and 
 love ; not contrary to, but rather above the law— de- 
 viating from the letter, but more than preserving the 
 spirit of it. Such, as well as I am able to explain 
 them, are my views of the substitution of Christ. 
 
 There are several other important tacts, the con- 
 sideration of which is essential to a clear view of this 
 subject. Obedience is not all that the law requires 
 of a guilty creature — and in the place of such crea- 
 tures our Saviour stood : a guilty creature is not only 
 obliged to be obedient for the future, but to make 
 satisfaction for the past. The covenant made with 
 Adam had two branches : " Obey, and live ; sin, and 
 die." Now the obedience of Christ did honor to the 
 preceptive part of the covenant, but not to the penal 
 
72 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 part of it. Mere obedience to the law would have 
 made no atonement, would have afforded no expres- 
 sion of the divine displeasure against sin ; therefore, 
 after a life spent in doing the will of God, he must 
 lay down his life; nor was it "possible that this cup 
 should pass from him." 
 
 As obedience would have been insufficient with- 
 out suffering, so it appears that suffering would have 
 been insufficient without obedience; the latter was 
 preparatory to the former. " Such a High-priest be- 
 came us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and sep- 
 arate from sinners." And such a meetness could not 
 have appeared^ but by a life of obedience to God. As 
 a Mediator between God and man, it was necessary 
 that he should be, and appear to be, an enemy to sin, 
 ere he should be admitted to plead for sinners. Such 
 was our Redeemer to the last, and this it was that 
 endeared him to the Father. " Thou hast loved right- 
 eousness, and hated iniquity ; therefore God, thy God, 
 hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy 
 fellows." Finally, the sufferings of Christ could go 
 only to the removal of the curse ; they could afford no 
 title to eternal life, which being promised on condition 
 of obedience, that condition must be fulfilled in order 
 to insure the blessing. Hence it is by " the righteous- 
 ness of one " that we partake of "justification of life." 
 
 The great ends designed were to express God's 
 love of righteousness and his abhorrence of unright- 
 eousness ; and these ends are answered by the obedi- 
 ence and sufferings of Christ, and that in a higher 
 degree, owing to the dignity of his character, than if 
 man had either kept the law or suffered the penalty 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 78 
 
 for the breach of it. But if Christ had only obeyed 
 the law and had not suffered, or had only suffered 
 and not obeyed, one or other of these ends must, for 
 aught we can perceive, have failed of being accom- 
 plished. But his obedience unto death, which includes 
 both, gloriously answered every end of moral govern- 
 ment, and opened a way by which God could honora- 
 bly, not only pardon the sinner who should believe in 
 Jesus, but bestow upon him eternal life. Pardon be- 
 ing granted with a view to Christ's atonement, would 
 evince the resolution of Jehovah to punish sin ; and 
 eternal life being bestowed as a reward to his obedi- 
 ence, would equally evince him the friend of righteous- 
 ness. 
 
 From these statements it will be seen that all re- 
 wards to a guilty creature have respect to the media- 
 tion of Christ. Through the intimate union that sub- 
 sists between Christ and believers, they are not only 
 accepted in him, but what they do is accepted and 
 rewarded for his sake. " The Lord had respect to 
 Abel, and to his offering ;" and we are said to " offer 
 up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, by Jesus 
 Christ." As there is no sin so heinous but God, for 
 Christ's sake, will forgive it ; no blessing so rich, but 
 he will bestow it ; so there is no service so small, but 
 he will reward it. A cup of cold water given to a 
 disciple for Christ's sake will insure a disciple's re- 
 ward. 
 
 God's graciously connecting blessings with the 
 obedience of his people, serves to show not only his 
 love to Christ and to them, but his regard to rightems- 
 
74 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 Tiess. His love to ns induces him to bless us, and his 
 loye to righteousness induces him to bless us in this 
 particular mode. An affectionate parent designs to 
 confer a number of favors on his child, and in the end 
 to bequeath him a rich inheritance. He designs also 
 to have his mind suitably prepared for the proper en- 
 joyment of these benefits ; and therefore, in the course 
 of his education, he studiously confers his favors by 
 way of encouragement, as rewards to acts of filial 
 duty. He gives him a new garment for this, and a 
 watch for that: for his attention to the flocks and 
 herds, he shall have a sheep or a cow, which he shall 
 call his own ; and for his assiduity in tilling the soil, 
 he shall have the product of a particular field. It is 
 easy to perceive in this case that the father does not 
 consider these things as properly the child's due, upon 
 a footing of equity, but to manifest his approbation 
 of filial obedience. Thus our heavenly Father gives 
 grace and glory. Thus it is that finding is connected 
 with seeking, and crowns of glory with overcoming. 
 It is thus, as well as by the atonement of Christ, that 
 "grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal 
 life." Those who at the last day shall be saved, will 
 be sufficiently convinced that it is all of grace, and 
 that they have no room for glorying but in the 
 Lord; while, on the other hand, the moral govern- 
 ment of God will be honored, the equity of his pro- 
 ceedings manifested, and the mouths of ungodly 
 sinners stopped; even when the Judge declares in 
 the face of the universe, concerning the righteous, 
 " These shall walk with me in white, for they are 
 worthy." 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 75 
 
 A few inferences from the doctrines we have now 
 stated shall close this chapter. 
 
 If the Deity of Christ be a divine truth, it must 
 be the Father's will that all men should honor the 
 Son in the same sense, and to the same degree, as 
 they honor the Father ; and those who honor him not 
 as God, will not only be found opposing the divine 
 will, but are included in the number of those who, by 
 refusing to honor the Son, honor not the Father who 
 hath sent him; which amounts to. nothing less, than 
 that the worship which they pay to the Father is un- 
 acceptable in his sight. 
 
 If the Deity of Christ be a divine truth, he is the 
 object of trust; and that not merely in the character 
 of a witness, but as Jehovah, in whom is everlasting 
 strength. This appears to be another characteristic 
 of true Christians in the New Testament. "In his 
 name shall the Gentiles trust." "I know whom I 
 have believed, and that he is able to keep that which 
 I have committed unto him." "In whom ye also 
 trusted, after ye heard the word of truth, the gospel 
 of your salvation." But if it be a characteristic of 
 true Christianity so to trust in Christ as to commit 
 the salvation of our souls into his hands, how can we 
 conceive of those as true Christians who consider him 
 only as a fellow-creature, and consequently place no 
 such confidence in him ? 
 
 •If men by nature be in a lost and perishing con- 
 dition, and if Christ came to seek and save them 
 under those characters, as he himself constantly testi- 
 fied, then all those that were whole in their own eyes, 
 and seemed to need no physician, as the scribes and 
 
76 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 Pharisees of old, must necessarily be excluded from 
 an interest in his salvation. And in what other light 
 can those persons be considered who deny the de- 
 pravity of their nature, and approach the Deity with- 
 out respect to an atoning Saviour ? Further, 
 
 If the death of Christ, as an atoning sacrifice, be 
 the only way of a sinner's salvation — if there be 
 " no other name given under heaven among men, by 
 which we must be saved"' — if this be the foundation 
 which God hath laid in Zion, and if no other will 
 stand in the day of trial, how can we conceive that 
 those who deliberately disown it, and renounce all 
 dependence upon it for acceptance with God, should 
 be yet interested in it? Is it supposable that they 
 will partake of that forgiveness of sins which believ- 
 ers are said to receive for his sake, and through his 
 name, who refuse to make use of that name in any of 
 their petitions ? 
 
 If the doctrine of atonement by the cross of Christ 
 be a divine truth, it constitutes the very substance of 
 the gospel, and consequently is essential to it. The 
 doctrine of the cross is represented in the New Testa- 
 ment as the grand peculiarity and the principal glory 
 of Christianity. It occupies a large proportion among 
 the doctrines of Scripture, and is expressed in a vast 
 variety of language. Christ "was delivered for our 
 offences, wounded for our transgressions, bruised for 
 our iniquities." "He died for our sins." "By his 
 death purged our sins." He is said to " take," or bear, 
 " away the sin of the world " — to have " made peace 
 through the blood of his cross" — "reconciled us to 
 God by his death " — " redeemed us by his blood " — 
 
QUALIFICATIONS TO ATONE. 77 
 
 "washed us from our sins in his own blood" — "by 
 his own blood obtained eternal redemption for us " — 
 "purchased his church by his own blood," etc., etc. 
 This kind of language is so interwoven with the doc- 
 trine of the New Testament, that to explain away 
 the one, is to subvert the other. The doctrine of the 
 cross is described as being not merely an important 
 branch of the gospel, but the gospel itself. " We 
 preach Christ crucified : unto the Jews a stumbling- 
 block, and to the Greeks foolishness ; but unto them 
 which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the 
 power of God, and the wisdom of God." " I deter- 
 mined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus 
 Christ and him crucified." " An enemy to the cross of 
 Christ " is only another mode of describing an enemy 
 to the gospel. It was reckoned a suflScient refutation 
 of any principle, if it could be proved to involve in it 
 the consequence of Christ's having "died in vain." 
 Christ's dying for our sins is not only declared to be 
 a divine truth, " according to th^ Scriptures," but a 
 truth of such importance that the then present stand- 
 ing and the final salvation of the Corinthians were 
 suspended upon their adherence to it. In a word, 
 the doctrine of the cross is the central point in which 
 all the lines of evangelical truth meet and are unit- 
 ed. What the sun is to the system of nature, that 
 the doctrine of the cross is to the system of the 
 gospel; it is the life of it. The revolving planets 
 might as well exist and keep their course without 
 the attracting influence of the one, as a gospel be 
 exhibited worthy of the name that should leave out 
 the other. 
 
78 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 From the whole, we are directed to commit our 
 cause to Christ. We have a cause pending, which, if 
 lost, all is lost with us, and that for ever. We shall 
 not be able to plead it ourselves; for every mouth 
 will be stopped, and all the world become guilty 
 before God. Nor can any one in heaven or earth, 
 besides the Saviour, be heard on our behalf. If we 
 believe in him, we have everlasting life ; but if not, 
 we shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth 
 on us. 
 
 We are also directed by this subject how to obtain 
 relief under the distress to which our numerous sins 
 subject us as we pass through life. We all have re- 
 course to some expedient or other to relieve our con- 
 sciences, when oppressed with guilt. Some endeavor 
 to lose the recollection of it among the cares, com- 
 pany, or amusements of the world; others have re- 
 course to ceremonial observances, and axe very strict 
 in some things, hoping thereby to obtain forgiveness 
 for others ; on some the death and mediation of Christ 
 have the effect to render them unconcerned, and even 
 to embolden them in their sins. Painful as our bur- 
 dens are, wq had better retain them than get relief in 
 any of these methods. The only way is to come unto 
 God in the spirit of Job, or of David, seeking mercy 
 through the propitiation. Thus, while we plead. Do 
 not condemn me, our Mediator will take it up, and 
 add. Do not condemn him. 
 
HARMONY WITH REASON. 79 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 REASONABLENESS OF THE DOCTRINE OF ATONE- 
 MENT— ITS HARMONY WITH THE VAST EXtI^NT 
 OF CREATION, AND WITH THE CHARACTER OF 
 
 aoD. 
 
 Section I. Harmony of the doctrine with 
 REASON. If there is a God who created us, if we 
 have all sinned against him, and if there is reason 
 to believe that he will call us to account for our 
 conduct, all which principles are generally admitted, 
 a gloomy prospect must needs present itself, sufficient 
 indeed to render man " the slave of terror." It is not 
 in the power of any man living who rejects the Bible, 
 to assure us that pardon will have any place in the 
 divine government ; and however light he may make 
 of the scripture doctrine of hell, He who calls men to 
 account for their deeds will be at no loss how or 
 where to punish them. But allowing that God is 
 disposed to show mercy to the guilty, the question is, 
 whether his doing so by or without a mediator be 
 most consistent with what we know of fitness or pro- 
 priety. 
 
 That pardon is bestowed through a mediator in a 
 vast variety of instances among men, cannot be de- 
 nied ; and that it is proper it should be so, must be 
 evident to every thinking mind. All who are ac- 
 quainted with the common affairs of life must be 
 
 I 
 
80 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 aware of the necessity of such proceedings, and the 
 good effects of them upon society. 
 
 It is far less humbling for an offender to be par- 
 doned at his own request, than through the interpo- 
 sition of a third person; for in the one case, he 
 may be led to think that it was his virtue and peni- 
 tence which influenced the decision ; whereas, in the 
 other, he is compelled to feel his own unworthiness : 
 and this may be one reason why the mediation of 
 Christ is so offensive. It is no wonder, indeed, that 
 those who deny humility to be a virtue, as Yolney 
 and many other infidels have done, should be disgust- 
 ed with a doctrine the professed object of which is to 
 abase the pride of man. 
 
 As forgiveness without a mediator is less hum- 
 bling to the offender, so it provides less for the 
 honor of the offended, than a contrary proceeding. 
 Many a compassionate heart has longed to go forth, 
 like David towards Absalom, but from a just sense 
 of wounded authority could not tell how to effect it, 
 and has greatly desired that some common friend 
 would interpose to save his honor. He has wished 
 to remit the sentence, but has felt the want of a me- 
 diator, at the instance of whom he might give effect 
 to his desires, and exercise mercy without seeming to 
 be regardless of justice. An offender who should ob- 
 ject to a mediator would be justly considered as hard- 
 ened in impenitence, and regardless of the honor of 
 the offended; and it is difficult to say what other 
 construction can be put upon the objections of sinners 
 to the mediation of Christ. 
 
 Again, to exercise pardon without a mediator, 
 
HARMONY WITH REASON. 81 
 
 would be fixing no such stigma upon the evil of the ^ 
 offence as is done by a contrary mode of proceeding. 
 Every man feels that those faults which may be over- 
 looked on a mere acknowledgment, are not of a very 
 heinous nature ; they are such as arise from inadver- 
 tence, rather than from ill design, and include little 
 more than an error of the judgment. On the other hand, 
 every man feels that the calling in of a third person 
 is making much of the offence, treating it as a serious 
 affair, a breach that is not to be lightly passed over. 
 This may be another reason why the mediation of 
 Christ is so offensive to the enemies of the gospel. 
 It is no wonder that men who are continually speak- 
 ing of moral evil under the palliating names of error, 
 frailty, imperfection, and the like, should spurn a doc- 
 trine the implication of which condemns it to everlast- 
 ing infamy. 
 
 Moreover, to bestow pardon without a mediator 
 would be treating the offence as private, or passing i 
 over it as a matter unknown, an affair which does not 
 affect the well-being of society, and which therefore 
 requires no public manifestation of displeasure against 
 it. Many a notorious offender would, doubtless, wish 
 matters to be thus conducted, and from an aversion 
 to public exposure, would feel strong objections to 
 the formal interposition of a third person. Whether 
 this may not be another reason of dislike to the me- 
 diation of Christ, I shall not decide ; but of this I am 
 fully satisfied, that the want of a proper sense of the 
 great evil of sin, as it affects the moral government 
 of the universe, is a reason why its opponents see no 
 
 necessity for it, nor fitness in it. They prove that 
 
 4*c 
 
82 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 they have no delight in the moral excellency of the 
 divine nature, no just sense of the glory of moral gov- 
 ernment, and no proper views of the pernicious and 
 widely extended influence of sin upon the moral sys- 
 tem : is it any wonder, therefore, that they should 
 be unconcerned about the plague being stayed by a 
 sacrifice? Such views are too enlarged for their 
 selfish and contracted minds. The only object of 
 their care, even in their most serious moments, is to 
 escape punishment; for the honor of God, and the 
 real good of creation, they manifest no concern. 
 
 The amount is this : If it oe indeed improper for 
 a guilty creature to lie low before his Creator, if it be 
 unfit that any regard should be paid to the honor of 
 his character, if the offence committed against him be 
 of so small account that it is unnecessary for him to 
 express any displeasure against it, and if it have been 
 so private and insulated in its operations as in no 
 way to affect the well-being of the moral system, the 
 doctrine of forgiveness through a mediator is unrea- 
 sonable. But if the contrary be true — if it be proper 
 for a guilty creature to lie in the dust before his 
 offended Creator, if the honor of the divine character 
 deserve the first and highest regard, if moral evil be 
 the greatest of all evils, and require, even where it is 
 forgiven, a strong expression of divine displeasure 
 against it, and if its pernicious influence be such, 
 that if suffered to operate according to its native 
 tendency, it would dethrone the Almighty, and deso- 
 late the universe, the doctrine before us must accord 
 with the plainest dictates of reason. 
 
 The sense of mankind with regard to the necessity 
 
HARMONY WITH REASON. 83 
 
 of a mediator, may be illustrated by the following 
 similitude : Let us suppose a division of the army of 
 one of the wisest and best of kings, through the evil 
 counsel of a foreign enemy, to have been disaffected to 
 his government ; and that, without any provocation on 
 his part, they traitorously conspired against his crown 
 and life. The attempt failed ; and the offenders were 
 seized, disarmed, tried by the laws of their country, 
 and condemned to die. A respite however was 
 granted them during his majesty's pleasure. At this 
 solemn period, while every part of the army and of 
 the empire was expecting the fatal order for execution, 
 the king was employed in meditating mercy. But 
 how could mercy be shown ? "To make light of a 
 conspiracy," said he to his friends, " would loosen the 
 bands of good government : other divisions of the 
 army might be tempted to follow their example ; and 
 the nation at large be in danger of imputing it to 
 timidity, fear, or some unworthy motive." 
 
 Every one felt, in this case, the necessity of a me- 
 diator, and agreed as to the general line of conduct 
 proper for him to pursue. " He must not attempt," 
 said they, " to compromise the difference by dividing 
 the blame; that would make things worse. He 
 must justify the king, and condemn the outrage com- 
 mitted against him ; he must offer, if possible, some 
 honorable expedient, by means of which the bestow- 
 ment of pardon shall not relax, but strengthen just 
 authority ; he must convince the conspirators of their 
 crime, and introduce them in the character of suppli- 
 cants ; and mercy must be shown them out of respect 
 to him, or for his sake." 
 
84 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 But who could be found to mediate in such a cause ? 
 This was an important question. A work of this 
 kind, it was allowed on all hands, required singular 
 qualifications. " He must be perfectly clear of any 
 participation in the offence," said one, " or inclination 
 to favor it ; for to pardon conspirators at the inter- 
 cession of one who is friendly to their cause, would be 
 not only making light of the crime, but giving a 
 sanction to it." 
 
 " He must," said another, " be one who on account 
 of his character and services stands high in the 
 esteem of the king and of the public ; for to mediate 
 in such a cause, is to become in a sort responsible for 
 the issue. A mediator, in effect, pledges his honor 
 that no evil will result to the state from granting his 
 request. But if a mean opinion be entertained of 
 him, no trust can be placed in him, and consequently 
 no good impression would be made by his mediation 
 on the public mind." 
 
 " I conceive it is necessary," said a third, " that the 
 weight of the mediation should bear a proportion to 
 the magnitude of the crime, and to the value of the 
 favor requested; and that for this end it is proper 
 he should be a person of great dignity. For his maj- 
 esty to pardon a company of conspirators at the in- 
 tercession of one of their former comrades, or of any 
 other obscure character, even though he might be a 
 worthy man, would convey a very diminutive idea of 
 the evil of the offence." 
 
 A fourth remarked,'that " he must possess a tender 
 compassion towards the unhappy offenders, or he would 
 not cordially interest himself on their behalf." 
 
HARMONY WITH REASON. 85 
 
 Finally, it was suggested by a fifth, that " for the 
 greater fitness of the proceeding, it would be proper 
 that some relation or connection should subsist between 
 the parties." " We feel the propriety," said he, " of 
 forgiving an offence at the intercession of a father, or 
 a brother ; or if it be committed by a soldier, of his 
 commanding officer. Without some kind of previous 
 relation or connection, a mediation would have the ap- 
 pearance of an arbitrary and formal process, and prove 
 but little interesting to the hearts of the community." 
 
 Such were the reasonings of the king's friends; 
 but where to find the person in whom these qualifica- 
 tions were united, and what particular expedient could 
 be devised, by means of which, instead of relaxing, 
 pardon should strengthen just authority, were subjects 
 too difficult for them to resolve. 
 
 Meanwhile, the king and his son, whom he greatly 
 loved, and whom he had appointed generalissimo of 
 all his forces, had retired from the company, and were 
 conversing about the matter which attracted the gen- 
 eral attention. 
 
 " My son," said the benevolent sovereign, " what 
 can be done on behalf of these unhappy men? To 
 order them for execution violates every feeling of my 
 heart ; yet to pardon them is dangerous. The army, 
 and even the empire, would be under a strong temp- 
 tation to think lightly of rebellion. If mercy be exer- 
 cised it must be through a mediator : and who is qual- 
 ified to mediate in such a cause ? And what expedient 
 can be devised by means of which pardon shall not 
 relax, but strengthen just authority ? Speak, my son, 
 and say what measures can be pursued." 
 
86 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 "My father," said the prince, "I feel the insult 
 offered to your person and government, and the injury 
 thereby aimed at the empire at large. They have 
 transgressed without cause, and deserve to die without 
 mercy. Yet I also feel for them. I have the heart - 
 of a soldier. I cannot endure to witness their execu- 
 tion. What shall I say ? On me be this wrong. Let 
 me suffer in their stead. Inflict on me as much as is 
 necessary to impress the army and the nation with a 
 just sense of the evil, and of the importance of good 
 order and faithful allegiance. Let it be in their pres- 
 ence, and in the presence of all assembled. When 
 this is done, let them be permitted to implore and 
 receive your majesty's pardon in my name. If any 
 man refuse so to implore, and so to receive it, let him 
 die the death." 
 
 " My son," replied the king, " you have expressed 
 ray heart. The same things have occupied my mind; 
 but it was my desire that you should be voluntary in 
 the undertaking. It shall be as you have said. I 
 shall be satisfied ; justice itself will be satisfied ; and 
 I pledge my honor that you also shall be satisfied in 
 seeing the happy effects of your disinterested conduct. 
 Propriety requires that I stand aloof in the day of 
 your affliction ; but I will not leave you utterly, nor 
 suffer the beloved of my soul to remain in that condi- 
 tion. A temporary affliction on your part will be 
 more than equivalent to death on theirs. The dignity 
 of your person and character will render the suffer- 
 ings of an hour of greater account, as to the impres- 
 sion of the public mind, than if all the rebellious had 
 been executed ; and by how much I am known to have 
 
HARMONY WITH REASON. 87 
 
 loved you, by so much will my compassion to them, 
 and my displeasure against their wicked conduct, be 
 made manifest. Go, my son, assume the likeness of a 
 criminal, and suffer in their place." 
 
 The gracious design being communicated at court, 
 all were struck with it. Those who had reasoned on 
 the qualifications of a mediator saw that in the prince 
 all were united, and were filled with admiration ; but 
 that he should be willing to suffer in the place of rebels, 
 was beyond all that could have been asked or thought. 
 Yet seeing he himself had generously proposed it, 
 would survive his sufferings, and reap the reward of 
 them, they cordially acquiesced. The only difficulty 
 that was started was among the judges of the realm. 
 They at first questioned whether the proceeding were 
 admissible. " The law," said they, " makes provision 
 for the transfer of debts, but not of crimes. Its lan- 
 guage is, 'The soul that sinneth shall die.'" But 
 when they came to view things on a more enlarged 
 scale, considering it as an expedient on an extraordi- 
 nary occasion, and perceived that the spirit of the law 
 would be preserved, and all the ends of good govern- 
 ment answered, they were satisfied. "It is not a 
 measure," said they, " for which the law provides, yet 
 it is not contrary to the law, but above it." 
 
 The day appointed arrived. The prince appeared, 
 and suffered as a criminal. The hearts of the king's 
 friends bled at every stroke, and burned with indigna- 
 tion against the conduct which rendered it necessary. 
 His enemies, however, even some of those for whom 
 he suffered, continuing to be disaffected, added to the 
 afiiiction by deriding and insulting him all- the time. 
 
8S ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 At a proper period, he was rescued from their outrage. 
 Returning to the palace amidst the tears and shouts 
 of the loyal spectators, the suffering hero was em- 
 braced by his royal father, who, in addition to the 
 natural affection which he bore to him as his son, 
 loved him for his singular interposition at such a 
 crisis. "Sit thou," said he, "at my right hand. 
 Though the threatenings of the law be not literally 
 accomplished, yet the spirit of them is preserved. 
 The honor of good government is secured, and th)s 
 end of punishment more effectually answered, than if 
 all the rebels had been sacrificed. Ask of me what I 
 shall give thee. No favor can be too great to be 
 bestowed, even upon the unworthiest, nor any crime 
 too aggrav&;ted to be forgiven in thy name. I will 
 grant thee according to thine own heart. Ask of me, 
 my son, what I shall give thee." 
 
 He asked for the offenders to be introduced as 
 supplicants at the feet of his father, for the forgive- 
 ness of their crimes, and for the direction of affairs 
 till order and happiness should be perfectly restored. 
 
 A proclamation addressed to the conspirators was 
 now issued, stating what had been their conduct, what 
 the conduct of their king, and what of the prince. 
 Messengers also were appointed to carry it, with 
 orders to read it publicly, and to expostulate with 
 them individually, beseeching them to be reconciled 
 to their offended sovereign, and to assure them that if 
 they rejected this, there remained no hope of mercy. 
 
 A spectator would suppose that in mercy so freely 
 offered, and so honorably communicated, every one 
 would have acquiesced ; and if reason had governed 
 
HARMONY WITH REASON. 89 
 
 the offenders, it had been so : but many among them 
 continued under the influence of disaffection, and dis- 
 affection gives a false coloring to every thing. 
 
 The time of the respite having proved longer than 
 was at first expected, some had begun to amuse them- 
 selves with idle speculations, flattering themselves 
 that their fault was a mere trifle, and that it certainly 
 would be passed over. Indeed, the greater part of 
 them had turned their attention to other things, con- 
 cluding that the king was not in earnest. 
 
 When the proclamation was read, many paid no 
 sort of attention to it; some insinuated that the mes- 
 sengers were interested men, and that there might be 
 no truth in what they said; and some even abused 
 them as impostors. So, having delivered their mes- 
 sage, they withdrew ; and the rebels, finding them- 
 selves alone, such of them as paid any attention to 
 the subject expressed their mind as follows : 
 
 " My heart," said one, " rises against every part of 
 this proceeding. Why all this ado about a few words 
 spoken one to another ? Can such a message as this 
 have proceeded from the king ? What have we done 
 so much against him, that so much should be made of 
 it? No petition of ours, it seems, would avail any 
 thing ; and nothing that we could say or do could be 
 regarded, unless presented in the name of a third per- 
 son. Surely if we present a petition .in our own 
 names, in which we beg pardon, and promise not to 
 repeat the offence, this might suffice. Even this is 
 more than I can find in my heart to comply with; 
 but every thing beyond it is unreasonable, and who 
 can believe that the kins; can desire it ?" 
 
90 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 " If a third person," said another, " must be con- 
 cerned in the affair, what occasion is there for one so 
 high in rank and dignity ? To stand in need of such 
 a mediator, must stamp our characters with everlast- 
 ing infamy. It is very unreasonable : who can believe 
 it ? If the king be just and good, as they say he is, 
 how can he wish thus publicly to expose us ?" 
 
 "I observe," said a third, "that the mediator is 
 wholly on the king's side; and one whom, though he 
 affects to pity us, we have, from the outset, considered 
 as no less our enemy than the king himself. If, in- 
 deed, he could compromise matters, and would allow 
 that we had our provocations, and would promise us 
 redress and an easier yoke in future, I should feel 
 inclined to hearken ; but if he have no concessions to 
 offer, I can never be reconciled." 
 
 " I believe," said a fourth, " that the king knows 
 very well we have not had justice done us, and there- 
 fore this mediation business is introduced to make us 
 amends for the injury. It is an affair settled some- 
 how between him and his son. They call it grace^ and 
 I am not so much concerned what they call it, so that 
 my life is spared ; but this I say, if he had not made 
 this or some kind of provision, I should have thought 
 him a tyrant." 
 
 " You are all wrong," said a fifth ; " I comprehend 
 the design, and am well pleased with it. I hate the 
 government as much as any of you; but I love the 
 mediator, for I understand it is his intention to de- 
 liver me from its tyranny. He has paid the debt, 
 the king is satisfied, and I am free. I will sue out 
 for my right, and demand my liberty !" 
 
HARMONY WITH REASON. 91 
 
 In addition to this, one of the company observed, 
 he did not see what the greater part of them had to 
 do with the proclamation, unless it were to give it a 
 hearing, which they had done already. " For," said 
 he, " pardon is promised only to them who are willing 
 to submit, and it is well known that many of us are 
 unwilling; nor can we alter our minds on this sub- 
 ject." 
 
 After a while, however, some of them were brought 
 to relent. They thought upon the subject-matter of 
 the proclamation, were convinced of the justness of 
 its statements, reflected upon their evil conduct, and 
 were sincerely sorry on account of it. And now the 
 mediation of the prince appeared in a different light. 
 They cordially said Amen to every part of the pro- 
 ceeding. The very things which gave such offence 
 while their hearts were disaffected, now appeared to 
 them fit and right and glorious. " It is fit," said 
 they, " that the king should be honored, and that we 
 should be humbled ; for we have transgressed mthout 
 cause. It is right that no regard should be paid to 
 any petition of ours for its own sake, for we have 
 done deeds worthy of death. It is glorious that we 
 should be saved at the intercession of so honorable a 
 personage. The dignity of his character, together 
 with his surprising condescension and goodness, im- 
 presses us more than any thing else, and fills our 
 hearts with penitence, confidence, and love. That 
 which in the proclamation is called grace, is grace, 
 for we are utterly unworthy of it ; and if we had all 
 suffered according to our sentence, the king and his 
 throne had been guiltless. We embrace the media- 
 
92 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 tion of the prince, not as a reparation for an injury, 
 but as a singular instance of mercy. And far be it 
 from us that we should consider it as designed to de- 
 liver us from our original and just allegiance to his 
 majesty's government. No, rather it is intended to 
 restore us to it. We love our intercessor, and will 
 implore forgiveness in his name ; but we also love our 
 sovereign, and long to prostrate ourselves at his feet. 
 We rejoice in the satisfaction which the prince has 
 made, and all our hopes of mercy are founded upon 
 it; but we have no notion of being freed by it pre- 
 viously to our aquiescence in it. Nor do we desire 
 any other kind of freedom than that which, while it 
 remits the just sentence of the law, restores us to his 
 majesty's government. Oh that we were once clear 
 of this hateful and horrid conspiracy, and might be 
 permitted to serve him with affection and fidelity all 
 the days of our life I We cannot suspect the sincerity 
 of the invitation, or acquit our companions on the 
 score of unwillingness. Why should we ? We do not 
 on this account acquit ourselves. On the contrary, it 
 is the remembrance of our unwillingness that now 
 cuts us to the heart. We well remember to what it 
 was owing that we could not be satisfied with the just 
 government of the king, and afterwards could not com- 
 ply with the invitations of mercy : it was because we 
 were under the dominion of a disaffected spirit — a 
 spirit which, wicked as it is in itself, it would be 
 more wicked to justify. Our counsel is therefore 
 the same as that of his majesty's messengers, with 
 whom we now take our stand. Let us lay aside 
 this cavilling humor, repent, and sue for mercy in 
 
HAEMONY WITH REASON. 93 
 
 the way prescribed, ere mercy be hid from our 
 eyes." 
 
 The reader, in applying this supposed case to the 
 mediation of Christ, will do me the justice to remem- 
 ber that I do not pretend to have perfectly represent- 
 ed it. Probably there is no similitude fully adequate 
 to the purpose. The distinction between the Father 
 and the Son is not the same as that which subsists 
 between a father and a son among men: the latter 
 are two separate beings; but to assert this of the 
 former would be inconsistent with the divine unity. 
 Nor can any thing be found analogous to the doctrine 
 of divine influence, by which the redemption of Christ 
 is carried into effect. And with respect to the inno- 
 cent voluntarily suffering for the guilty, in a few ex- 
 traordinary instances this principle may be adopted ; 
 but the management and application of it generally 
 require more wisdom and more power than mortals 
 possess. We may, by the help of a machine, collect a 
 few sparks of the electrical fluid, and produce an effect 
 somewhat resembling that of lightning ; but we can- 
 not cause it to blaze like the Almighty, nor " thunder 
 with a voice like Him." 
 
 Such are the leading ideas which the Scriptures 
 give us of redemption by Jesus Christ. The apostle 
 Paul especially teaches this doctrine with great pre- 
 cision : " Being justified freely by his grace, through 
 the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God 
 hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his 
 blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission 
 of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God ; 
 
94 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness : that 
 he might be just, and the justifier of him which be- 
 lieveth in Jesus." Rom. 3 : 24-26. From this pas- 
 sage we may remark, first, that the grace of God, as 
 taught in the Scriptures, is not that kind of liberality 
 which Unitarians and Deists ascribe to him, wlych 
 sets aside the necessity of a satisfaction. Free grace, 
 according to Paul, requires a propitiation, even the 
 shedding of the Saviour's hlood, as a medium through 
 which it may be honorably communicated. Secondly, 
 redemption by Jesus Christ was accomplished, not by 
 a satisfaction that should preclude the exercise of 
 grace in forgiveness, but in which the displeasure of 
 God against sin being manifested, mercy to the sinner 
 might be exercised without any suspicion of his hav- 
 ing relinquished his regards for righteousness. In 
 " setting forth Jesus Christ to be a propitiation," he 
 "declared his righteousness for the remission of sins." 
 Thirdly, the righteousness of God was not only de- 
 clared when Christ was made a propitiatory sacrifice, 
 but continues to be manifested in the acceptance of 
 believers through his name. He appears as just while 
 acting the part of a justifier towards every one that 
 believeth in Jesus. Fourthly, that which is here ap- 
 plied to the blessings of forgiveness and acceptance 
 with God, is applicable to all other spiritual blessings : 
 all, according to the Scriptures, are freely communi- 
 cated through the same distinguished medium. See 
 Ephes. 1. 
 
 If the idea of the innocent suffering in the room of 
 the guilty were in all cases inadmissible, and utterly 
 
HARMONY WITH REASON. 95 
 
 repugnant to the human understanding, how came the 
 use of expiatory sacrifices to prevail as it has, in every 
 age and nation? Whether the idea first proceeded 
 from a divine command, as Christians generally be- 
 lieve, or whatever was its origin, it has approved 
 itself to the minds of men ; and not of the most uncul- 
 tivated part of mankind only, but of the most learned 
 and polite. The sacrifices of the Gentiles, it is true, 
 were full of superstition, and wi*dely different, as might 
 be expected, from those which were regulated by the 
 Scriptures ; but the general principle is the same : all 
 agree in the idea of the displeasure of the Deity being 
 appeasable by an innocent victim being sacrificed in 
 the place of the guilty. The idea of expiatory sacri- 
 fices, and of a mediation founded upon them, is beau- 
 tifully expressed in the book of Job, a book of grejat 
 antiquity. "And it was so, that after the Lord had 
 spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz 
 the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and 
 against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of 
 me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. 
 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and 
 seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up 
 for yourselves a burnt-offering; and my servant Job 
 shall pray for you, for him will I accept; lest I 
 deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not 
 spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant 
 Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shu- 
 hite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did ac- 
 cording as the Lord commanded them: the Lord also 
 accepted Job.'"' The objections which are made to 
 the sacrifice of Christ equally apply to all expiatory 
 
96 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 sacrifices, the offering up of which, had not the for- 
 mer superseded them, would have continued to this 
 day. 
 
 If an innocent person offer to die in the room of a 
 guilty fellow-creature, it is not ordinarily accepted ; 
 nor would it be proper that it should, for he may have 
 no just right to dispose of his life ; or if he have, he 
 has no power to resume it : there may likewise be no 
 such relation between the parties, as that the suffer- 
 ing of the one should express displeasure against the 
 conduct of the other. Besides this, there may be no 
 great and good end accomplished to society by such 
 a substitution : the loss sustained by the death of the 
 one .might be equal, if not superior to the gain from 
 the life of the other. If the evil to be endured might 
 be survived — if the relation between the parties were 
 such, that in the sufferings of the one, mankind would 
 be impressed with the evil of the other — and if by 
 such a proceeding great advantage would accrue to 
 society, instead of being accounted inadmissible, it 
 would be reckoned right and wise and good. If a 
 dignified individual, by enduring some temporary 
 severity from an offended nation, could appease their 
 displeasure, and thereby save his country from the de- 
 stroying sword, who would not admire his disinter- 
 ested conduct ? And if the offended, from motives of 
 humanity, were contented with expressing their dis- 
 pleasure by transferring the effect of it from a whole 
 nation to an individual who thus stepped forward on 
 their behalf, would their conduct be censured as " in- 
 discriminate revenge ?" The truth is, the atonement 
 of Christ affords a display of justice on too large a 
 
VASTNESS OF CREATION. 97 
 
 scale, and on too humbling a principle, to approve 
 itself to a contracted, selfish, and haughty mind. 
 
 Section II. Harmony of the doctrine with 
 
 THE VAST EXTENT OP CREATION. It Is COmmon for 
 
 unbelievers to impute the progress of their principles 
 to the prevalence of true philosophy. The world, 
 they say, is more enlightened ; and a great number of 
 discoveries are progressively making, which render 
 the credibility of the Scriptures more and more sus- 
 picious. It is now a commonly received opinion, for 
 instance, among men of science, that this world is but 
 a point in creation; that every planet is a world, and 
 all the fixed stars so many suns in the centres of so 
 many systems of worlds ; and that, as every part of 
 creation within our knowledge teems with life, and 
 as God has n\ade nothing in vain, it is highly prob- 
 able that all these worlds are inhabited by intelligent 
 beings, who are capable of knowing and adoring their 
 Creator. But if this be true, how incredible is it 
 that so great a portion of regard should be exercised 
 by the supreme Being towards man as the Scriptures 
 represent ; how incredible, especially, it must appear 
 to a thinking mind, that Deity should become incar- 
 nate, should take human nature into the most inti- 
 mate union with himself, and thereby raise it to such 
 singular eminency in the scale of being, though 
 compared with the whole of creation, if we compre- 
 hend even the whole species, it be less than a nest 
 of insects compared with the unnumbered millions 
 of animated beings which inhabit the earth! This 
 objection, there is reason to think, has had a very 
 
 Atonement. f) 
 
98 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 considerable influence on the speculating part of man- 
 kind. 
 
 Admitting that the intelligent creation is as extensive 
 as modern philosophy supposes^ the credibility of redemp- 
 tion is not thereby weakened; but on the contrary, in 
 many respects is strengthened and aggrandized. I shall 
 offer a few observations on each of the branches of 
 this position. 
 
 The scripture doctrine of redemption, it is ac- 
 knowledged, supposes that man, mean and little as 
 he is in the scale of being, has occupied a peculiar 
 portion of the divine regard. It requires to be no- 
 ticed, however, that the enemies of revelation, in 
 order, it should seem, to give the greater force to 
 their objection, diminish the importance of man as a 
 creature of God, beyond what its frieniis can admit. 
 The hope of a future state is objected to by many as 
 a selfish principle ; and others have attempted to hold 
 it up to ridicule. But the immortality of man is a 
 doctrine which redemption supposes; and if this be 
 allowed, man is not so insignificant a being as they 
 might wish to consider him. A being that possesses 
 an immortal mind, a mind capable of increasing 
 knowledge, and consequently of increasing happiness 
 or misery in an endless duration, cannot be insig- 
 nificant. It is no exaggeration to say that the salva- 
 tion of one soul, according to the scriptural account 
 of things, is of inconceivably greater moment than 
 the temporal salvation of a nation, or of all the na- 
 tions in the world, for ten thousand ages. The eter- 
 nal salvation, therefore, of a number of lost sinners 
 
VASTNESS OF CREATION. 99 
 
 which no man can number, however it may be a mat- 
 ter of infinite condescension in the great Supreme to 
 accomplish, is not an object for creatures, even the 
 most exalted, to consider as of small account. 
 Having premised thus much, I shall proceed, 
 I. To offer a few observations in proof that there 
 is nothing in the scripture doctrine of redemption which is 
 inconsistent with the modern opinion of tlie magnitude of 
 creation. 
 
 1. Let creation he as extensive as it may, and the num- 
 ber of worlds he multiplied to tJie utmost boimdary to 
 which tJie imagination can reach, there is no proof that any 
 of t/iem, except men and angels, have apostatized from 
 God, If our world be only a small province, so to 
 speak, of God's vast empire, there is reason to hope 
 that it is the only part of it where sin has entered, 
 except among the fallen angels, and that the endless 
 myriads of intelligent beings in other worlds, are all 
 the hearty friends of virtue, of order, and of God. 
 
 2. Let creation be ever so extensive, there is nothing in- 
 consistent with reason in supposing that some one particu- 
 lar part of it should be chosen out from the rest, as a thea- 
 tre on which the great Author of all things would perform 
 his most glorious works. Every empire that has been 
 founded in this world has had some one particular 
 spot where those actions were performed from which 
 its glory has arisen. The glory of the Csesars was 
 founded on the event of a battle fought near a very 
 inconsiderable city : and why might not this world, 
 though less than twenty-five thousand miles in cir- 
 cumference, be chosen as the theatre on which God 
 would bring about events that should fill his whole 
 
100 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 empire with glory and joy? It would be as reason- 
 able to plead the insignificance of Jidium or Agin- 
 court, in objection to the competency of the victories 
 there obtained — supposing them to have been on the 
 side of righteousness — to fill the respective empires of 
 Rome and Britain with glory, as that of our world to 
 fill the whole empire of God with matter for joy and 
 everlasting praise. The truth is, the comparative 
 dimension of our world is of no account. If it be 
 large enough for the accomplishment of events which 
 are sufficient to occupy the minds of all intelligences, 
 that is all which is required. 
 
 3. If any one part of GodJs creation, rather than an- 
 other, possessed a superior fitness to become a theatre on 
 which he might display his glory, it should seem to be that 
 part where the greatest efforts have been made to dishonor 
 him. A rebellious province in an empire would be 
 the fittest place in it in which to display the justice, 
 goodness, and benignity of a government. Here 
 would naturally be erected a banner of righteous- 
 ness; here the war would be carried on; here par- 
 dons and punishments to different persons would be 
 awarded; and here the- honors of the government 
 would be established on such a basis, that the re- 
 motest parts of the empire might hear and fear, and 
 learn obedience. The part that is diseased, whether 
 in the body natural or the body politic, is the part 
 to which the remedy is directed. Let there be what 
 number of worlds there may, full of intelligent crea- 
 tures, yet, if there be but one world which is guilty 
 and miserable, thither will be directed the operations 
 of mercy. The good shepherd of the sheep will leave 
 
VASTNESS OF CREATION. 101 
 
 the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and seek and 
 save that which is lost. 
 
 4. The events brought to pass in this world, little and 
 insignificant as it may be, are competent to Jill all and 
 every part of God^s dmninions vnth everlasting and in- 
 creasing joy. Mental enjoyment differs widely from 
 corporeal : the bestowment of the one upon a great 
 number of objects is necessarily attended with a 
 division of it into parts, and those who receive a 
 share of it diminish the quantity remaining for others 
 that come after them ; but not so the other. An in- 
 tellectual object requires only to be known, and it is 
 equally capable of affording enjoyment to a million 
 as to an individual, to a world as to those, and to the 
 whole universe, be it ever so extensive, as to a world. 
 If, as the Scriptures inform us, " God was manifest in 
 the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached 
 unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and re- 
 ceived up into glory;" if there be enough. in tl^s mys- 
 terious transaction to fill with joy the hearts of all 
 who believe it ; if it be so interesting that the most 
 exalted intelligences become comparatively indiffer- 
 ent to every other object, " desiring to look into it ;" 
 then is it sufficient to " fill all things," and to exhibit 
 the divine glory "in all places of his dominion." 
 1 Tim. 3 : 16 ; 1 Pet. 1:12; Eph. 4 : 10 ; Psa. 103 : 22. 
 
 The Scriptures, it is true, do not teach the doctrine 
 of a multitude of inhabited worlds ; but neither do 
 they teach the contrary. Neither the one nor the 
 other forms any part of their design. The object 
 they keep in view is infinitely superior to this, both 
 
 \— 
 
102 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 as to utility and magnitude. They were not given to 
 teach us astronomy, or geography, or civil govern- 
 ment, or any science which relates to the present 
 life only; therefore they do not determine upon any 
 system of any of these sciences. These are things 
 upon which reason is competent to judge, sufficiently 
 at least for all the purposes of human life, without a 
 revelation from heaven. The great object of revela- 
 tion is to instruct us in things which pertain to our 
 everlasting peace; and as to other things, even the 
 rise and fall of the mightiest empires, they are only 
 touched in an incidental manner, as the mention of 
 them might be necessary to higher purposes. The 
 great empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Kome 
 are predicted and described in the Scriptures by the 
 rising and ravaging of so many heasts of prey. Speak- 
 ing of the European part of the earth, which was in- 
 habited by the posterity of Japheth, they do not go 
 about to give an exact geographical description of it ; 
 but by a synecdoche,^ call it the " isles of the Gentiles," 
 Gen. 10 : 5 ; Isa. 49 : 1 ; and this, as I suppose, because 
 its eastern boundary, the Archipelago, or Grecian 
 Islands, were situated contiguous to the Holy Land. 
 And thus, when speaking of the whole creation, they 
 call it " the heavens and the earth," as being the whole 
 that comes within the reach of our senses. 
 
 It is no dishonor to the Scriptures that they keep 
 to their professed end. Though they give us no sys- 
 tem of astronomy, yet they urge us to study the works 
 of God, and teach us to adore him upon every dis- 
 
 * A figure by which the whole of a thing is put for a part, 
 or a part for the whole. 
 
 i 
 
I 
 
 VASTNESS OF CREATION. 103 
 
 covery. Though they give us no system of geography, 
 yet they encourage us to avail ourselves of observa- 
 tion and experience to obtain one ; seeing the whole 
 earth is in prophecy given to the Messiah, and is 
 marked out as the field in which his servants are to 
 labor. Though they determine not upon any mode 
 or system of civil government, yet they teach obedi- 
 ence in civil matters to all. And though their atten- 
 tion be mainly directed to things which pertain to 
 the life to come, yet, by attending to their instructions, 
 we are also fitted for the labors and sufferings of the 
 present life. 
 
 The Scriptures are written in a popular style, as 
 best adapted to their great end. If the salvation of 
 philosophers only had been their object, the language 
 might possibly have been somewhat different ; though 
 even this may be a matter of doubt, since the style is 
 suited to the subject, and to the great end which they 
 had in view: but being addressed to men of every 
 degree, it was highly proper that the language should 
 be fitted to every capacity, and suited to their com- 
 mon modes of conception. They speak of the founda- 
 tions of the earth, the ends of the earth, the greater 
 and lesser lights in the heavens, the sun rising, stand- 
 ing still, and going down, and many other things in 
 the same way. If infidels object to these modes of 
 speaking, as conveying ideas which are inconsistent 
 with the true theory of the heavens and the earth, let 
 them, if they can, substitute others which are consist- 
 ent: let them, in their common conversation, when 
 describing the revolutions of evening and morning, 
 speak of the earth as rising and going down, instead 
 
104 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 of the sun, and the same with regard to the revolu- 
 tion of the planets, and see if men in common will 
 better understand them, or whether they would be able 
 even to understand one another. The popular ideas 
 on these subjects are as much used in the common 
 conversation of philosophers, as they are in the Scrip- 
 tures ; and the constant use of such language, even 
 by philosophers themselves, in common conversation, 
 sufficiently proves the futility and unfairness of their 
 objecting to revelation on this account. 
 
 Some infidel writers wish to convey the idea, that 
 so contracted were the views of the scriptural writers, 
 that even the glohularity of the earth was unknown to 
 them. If, however, such a sentence as that of Job, 
 " He hangeth the earth upon nothing," chap. 26 : 7, 
 had been found in any of the old heathen writers, it 
 would have been readily concluded that this idea was 
 familiar to the ancients. Or if a heathen poet had 
 uttered such language as that of Isaiah, " Behold, the 
 nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted 
 as the small dust of the balance ; behold, he taketh up 
 the isles as a very little thing : all nations before him 
 are as nothing ; and they are counted to him as less 
 than nothing, and vanity," he might have been ap- 
 plauded as possessing a mind as large, and nearly as 
 well informed, as the geniuses of modern times. But 
 the truth is, the scriptural writers were not intent on 
 displaying the greatness of their own conceptions, nor 
 even of creation itself ; but rather of the glory of Him 
 "whofillethallinall." 
 
 The foregoing observations may suffice to remove 
 the frequent objection; but if in addition to them it • 
 
VASTNESS OF CREATION. 105 
 
 can be proved, that upon the supposition of a great 
 number of inhabited worlds, Christianity, instead of 
 appearing little and ridiculous, is the more enlarged, 
 and that some of its difficulties are the more easily 
 accounted for, this will be still more satisfactory. Let 
 us therefore proceed, 
 
 II. To offer evidence that the Christian doctrine of 
 redemption is strengthened by the supposed magnitude of 
 creation. 
 
 1. The Scripture teaches that God^s regard to man is 
 an astonishing instance of condescension, and that on ac- 
 count of the disparity between him and the celestial creation. 
 " When I consider thy heavens," saith David, " the 
 work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which 
 thou hast ordained ; what is man, that thou art mindful 
 of him ? and the son of man, that thou visitest him ?" 
 " Will God in very deed," asks Solomon, " dwell with 
 men on the earth?" Psa. 8 : 3, 4; 2 Chron. 6 : 18. 
 
 The divine condescension towards man is a truth 
 upon any system; but upon the supposition of the 
 heavenly bodies being so many inhabited worlds, it is 
 a truth full of amazement, and the foregoing language 
 of David and Solomon is forcible beyond all concep- 
 tion. The idea of Him who upholds a universe of 
 such extent " by the word of his power " becoming 
 incarnate, residing with men, and setting up his king- 
 dom among them, that he might raise them to eternal 
 glory, as much surpasses all that philosophy calls 
 great and noble, as the Creator surpasses the work of 
 his hands. 
 
 2. The Scriptures inform us, that before creation was 
 begun, our world was marked out by eternal Wisdom 
 
106 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 as the tJieatre of its joyful operations. This idea is 
 forcibly expressed in the eighth chapter of Prov- 
 erbs : " Before the mountains were settled, before 
 the hills was 1 brought forth: while as yet he had 
 not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest 
 part of the dust of the world. When he prepared 
 the heavens, I was there ; when he set a compass upon 
 the face of the depth ; when he established the clouds 
 above; when he strengthened the fountains of the 
 deep; when he gave to the sea his decree, that the 
 waters should not pass his commandment ; when he 
 appointed the foundations of the earti!; then I was 
 by him, as one brought up with him : and I was daily 
 his delight, rejoicing always before him: rejoicing 
 in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights 
 were with the sons of men." 
 
 On this interesting passage I shall offer a few 
 remarks. First, among the variety of objects which 
 are here specified as the works of God, the earth is 
 mentioned as being in a sort his peculiar property. 
 Doubtless the whole creation is the Lord's, but none 
 of his works is here claimed as his own in the manner 
 that the earth is. It is called his earth. And this 
 seems to intimate a design of rendering it the grand 
 theatre on which his greatest work should be per- 
 formed, a work that should fill all creation with joy 
 and wonder. Secondly, the wisdom of God is de- 
 scribed as rejoicing in the contemplation of this part 
 of the creation. Whether Wisdmn in this passage be 
 understood of the promised Messiah, or of a divine 
 attribute personified, it makes no difference as to 
 the argument. Allow it to mean the latter, and 
 
VASTNESS OF CREATION. 107 
 
 that the rejoicing of Wisdom is a figurative mode 
 of speaking, like that of mercy rejoicing against 
 judgment, James 2 : 13, still, redemption by Jesus 
 Christ is the object concerning which it was exer- 
 cised: nothing less can be intimated than this, that 
 the earth was the place marked out by eternal Wis- 
 dom as the theatre of its joyful operations. Thirdly, 
 the hahitabk part of the earth was more especially the 
 object of Wisdom's joyful contemplation. The abodes 
 of men, which through sin had become scenes of abom- 
 ination, were, by the interposition of the Mediator, to 
 become the abodes of righteousness. Here the ser- 
 pent's head was to be bruised, his schemes confounded, 
 and his works destroyed ; and that by the " woman's 
 seed," the human nature which he had despised and 
 degraded. Here a trophy was to be raised to the 
 glory of sovereign grace, and millions of souls, deliv- 
 ered from everlasting destruction, were to present an 
 offering of praise to Him "that loved them, and washed 
 them from their sins in his own blood." Here, in a 
 word, the peculiar glory of the Godhead was to be 
 displayed in such a manner as to afford a lesson of 
 joyful amazement to the whole creation " throughout 
 all ages " of time, yea, "world without end." Ephes. 
 3 : 21. Lastly, not only were the abodes of men con- 
 templated with rejoicings but the sons of men them- 
 selves regarded with delight. The operations of eter- 
 nal Wisdom were directed to their salvation ; and 
 their salvation was appointed to become, in return, a 
 mirror in which the whole creation should behold the 
 operations of eternal Wisdom. This expressive pas- 
 gage contains a fulness of meaning, let the extent of 
 
108 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 t 
 
 the intelligent creation be what it may ; but if it be 
 of that extent which modern philosophy supposes, it 
 contains a greater fulness still. It perfectly accords 
 with all those ideas suggested of this earth being the 
 chosen theatre upon which events should be brought 
 to pass that shall fill creation with everlasting joy; 
 and well they may, if the prospect of them rejoiced 
 even the heart of God. 
 
 3 . The mediation of Christ is represented in Scripture 
 as h^inging the whole creation into union with the church 
 or people of God. In the dispensation of the fulness of 
 times, it is said that God would "gather together in 
 one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, 
 and which are on earth, even in him." Ephes. 1 : 10. 
 Again, " It pleased the Father that in him should all 
 fulness dwell; and having made peace through the 
 blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto 
 himself; by him, I say, whether things in earth, or 
 things in heaven." Col. 1 : 19, 20. 
 
 The language here used supposes that the intro- 
 duction of sin has effected a disunion between men 
 and the other parts of God's creation. It is natural 
 to suppose it should be so. If a province of a great 
 empire rise up in rebellion against the lawful govern- 
 #ment, all communication between the inhabitants of 
 such a province and the faithful adherents to order 
 and obedience must be at an end. A line of separa- 
 tion would be immediately drawn by the sovereign, 
 and all intercourse between the one and the other 
 prohibited. Nor would it less accord with the incli- 
 nation, than with the duty of all the friends of right- 
 eousness, to withdraw their connection from those who 
 
VASTNESS OF CREATION. 109 
 
 were in rebellion against the supreme authority and 
 the general good. It must have been thus with regard 
 to the holy angels, on man's apostasy. Those who at 
 the creation of our world had " sung together," and 
 even " shouted for joy," would now retire in disgust 
 and holy indignation. 
 
 But, through the mediation of Christ, a reunion is 
 effected. By the blood of the cross we have peace 
 with God; and being reconciled to him, are united 
 to all who love him throughout the whole extent of 
 creation. If Paul could address the Corinthians, con- 
 cerning one of their excluded members who had been 
 brought to repentance, " To whom ye forgive any 
 thing, I also ;" much more would the friends of right- 
 eousness say, in their addresses to the great Supreme 
 concerning an excluded member from the moral sys- 
 tem, " To whom thou forgivest any thing, we also." 
 Hence angels acknowledge Christians as brethren^ and 
 become ministering spirits to them while inhabitants 
 of the present world. Rev. 19 : 10 ; Heb. 1 : 14. 
 
 There is another consideration which must tend to 
 cement the holy part of God's creation to the church ; 
 which is, their being all united under one Head. A 
 central point of union has a great effect in cementing 
 mankind. We see this every day in people who sit 
 under the same ministry, or serve under the same com- 
 mander, or are subjects of the same prince ; whether 
 minister, general, or prince, if they love him, they will 
 be more or less united together under him. 
 
 Now it is a part of the reward of our Eedeemer, 
 for his great humiliation, that he should be exalted 
 as head over the whole creation of God. "Being 
 
f^\ 
 
 no ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and 
 became obedient unto death, even the death of the 
 cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, 
 and given him a name which is above every name ; 
 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow," of 
 heavenly beings, of earthly, and of those under the 
 earth. He is the Head of all principality and power. 
 God raised him from the dead, and " set him at his own 
 right hand in the heavenly places, far above all prin- 
 cipality, and power, and might, and dominion, and 
 every name that is named, not only in this world, but 
 also in that which is to come : and hath put all things 
 under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all 
 things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of 
 him that filleth all in all." Phil. 2 : 8-10 ; Col. 2:10; 
 Eph. 1 : 20-22. 
 
 These passages, it is true, represent the dominion 
 of Christ as extending over the whole creation, ene- 
 mies as well as friends, and things as well as persons. 
 But if the very enemies of God are caused to subserve 
 the purposes of redemption, much more his friends : 
 what the others do by constraint, these do willingly ; 
 and the consideration of their having one Head must 
 make them feel, as it were, nearer akin. And as 
 Christ is " Head over all things to the church, which 
 is his body," it is hereby intimated that the happiness 
 of the church is by these means abundantly enlarged. 
 
 To what extent creation reaches, I do not pretend 
 to know ; be that however what it may, the foregoing 
 passages teach us to consider the influence of redemp- 
 tion as commensurate with it ; and in proportion to 
 the magnitude of the one, such must be the influence 
 
VASTNESS OF CREATION. Ill 
 
 of the other, as the accomplishment of reunion and 
 the restoration of happiness. 
 
 4. Through tlie mediation of Christ, riot only is the 
 whole creation represented as augmenting the blessedness of 
 the church, hut the church as augmenting the blessedness 
 of the whole creation. As one member, be it ever so 
 small, cannot suffer without the whole body in some 
 degree suffering with it ; so, if we consider our world 
 as a member of the great body or system of being, it 
 might naturally be supposed that the ill or well being 
 of the former, would in some measure affect the hap- 
 piness of the latter. The fall of a planet from its 
 orbit in the solar system, would probably have a less 
 effect upon the other planets, than that of man from 
 the moral system upon the other parts of God's in- 
 telligent creation. And when it is considered that 
 man is a member of the body, distinguislied by sover- 
 eign favor, as possessing a nature which the Son of 
 God delighted to honor by taking it upon himself, 
 the interest which the universe at large may have in 
 his fall and recovery may be greatly augmented. 
 The leprosy of Miriam was an event that affected the 
 whole camp of Israel ; nor did they proceed on their 
 journeys till she was restored to her situation ; and 
 it is not unnatural to suppose that something analo- 
 gous to this would be the effect of the fall and recov- 
 ery of man on the whole creation. 
 
 The happiness of the redeemed is not the ultimate 
 end of redemption, nor the only happiness which will 
 be produced by it. God is represented in the Scrip- 
 tures as conferring his favors in such a way as that 
 no creature shall be blessed merely fm- his own sake, 
 
112 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 but that he might communicate his blessedness to 
 others. With whatever powers, talents, or advan- 
 tages we are endued, it is not merely for our gratifica- 
 tion, but that we may contribute to the general good. 
 God gives discernment to the eye, speech to the tongue, 
 strength to the arm, and agility to the feet, not for 
 the gratification of these members, but for the accom- 
 modation of the body. It is the same in other things. 
 God blessed Abraham : and wherefore ? That he might 
 he a blessing. He blessed his posterity after him ; and 
 for what purpose? That "in them all the nations of 
 the earth might be blessed." Gen. 12:2; 22 : 18. 
 Though Israel was a nation chosen and beloved of God, 
 yet it was not for their righteousness, nor merely 
 with a view to their own happiness, that they were 
 thus distinguished ; but that he " might perform the 
 oath which he sware unto their fathers," Deut. 9:5; 
 7:7, 8 ; the substance of which was, that the true 
 religion should prosper among them, and be commu- 
 nicated by them to all other nations. The ungodly 
 part of the Jewish nation viewed things, it is true, in 
 a different light ; they valued themselves as the favor- 
 ites of heaven, and looked down upon other nations 
 with contemptuous dislike. But it was otherwise 
 with the godly; they entered into the spirit of the 
 promise made to their fathers. Hence they prayed 
 that God would " be merciful to them, and bless them, 
 and cause his face to shine upon them;" to the end 
 that his " way might be known upon earth, and his 
 saving health among all nations." Psa. 67. 
 
 The same spirit was manifested by the apostles 
 and primitive Christians. They perceived that all 
 
VASTNESS OF CRE'ATION. 113 
 
 that rich measure of gifts and graces by which they 
 were distinguished, was given them with the design 
 of their communicating it to others; and this was 
 their constant aim. Paul felt himself a debtor both to 
 Jews and Greeks, and spent his life in diJQfusing the 
 blessings of the gospel, though in return he was con- 
 tinually treated as an evil-doer ; and the same might 
 be said of the other apostles. 
 
 Nor is this social principle confined to the present 
 life. According to scripture representations, the hap- 
 piness of saints in heaven will be conferred on them, 
 not that it might stop there, but be communicated to 
 the whole moral system. The redemption • of the 
 church has already added to the blessedness of other 
 holy intelligences. It has furnished a new medium 
 by which the glory of the divine perfections is beheld 
 and admired. To explore the wisdom of God in his 
 works is the constant employment of holy angels, and 
 that in which consists a large proportion of their 
 felicity. Prior to the accomplishment of the work of 
 redemption, they contemplated the divine character 
 through the medium of creation and providence ; but 
 "Tio^^unto principalities and powers in heavenly places, 
 is known by tJie church the manifold wisdom of God." 
 Eph. 3 : 10. And so much does this last display of 
 divine glory exceed all that have gone before it, that 
 those who have once obtained a view of it through 
 this medium, will certainly prefer it to every other ; 
 " which things the angels desire to look into." 1 Pet. 
 1 : 12. They do not, however,. become indifferent to 
 any of the divine operations ; creation and providence 
 continue to attract their attention, and are abundantly 
 
114 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 more interesting ; they now study them according to 
 the order in which thev exist in the divine mind, that 
 is, in subserviency to redemption, Col. 1 : 16, % him, 
 and /or him. 
 
 But that which is already accomplished is but 
 small in comparison with what is in reserve. At the 
 final judgment, when all the faithful will be collected 
 together, they will become a medium through which 
 the Lord Jesus will be glorified and admired by the 
 whole creation : " He shall come to be glorified in his 
 saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, in 
 that day." 2 Thes. 1 : 10. It is a truth that the saints 
 of God will themselves glorify and admire their great 
 Deliverer ; but not the truth of this passage — the de- 
 sign of which is to represent them as a medium through 
 which he shall be glorified by all the friends of God in 
 the universe. The great Physician will appear with 
 his recovered millions, every one of whom will afford 
 evidence of his disinterested love and efficacious 
 blood to the whole admiring creation. 
 
 Much the same ideas are conveyed to us by those 
 representations in which the whole creation are either 
 called upon to rejoice on account of our redemption, 
 or described as actually rejoicing and praising the 
 Redeemer. Thus David, having spoken of God's 
 mercy which was from everlasting to everlasting tow- 
 ards the children of men, addresses all his works, in 
 all places of his dominion, " to bless his name." Psa. 
 103 : 17-22. John also informs us, saying, "I heard 
 the voice of many angels round about the throne, and 
 the " living creatures, " and the elders : and the number 
 of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and 
 
EASINESS OF CREATION. 115 
 
 thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, 
 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, 
 and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and 
 glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in 
 heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and 
 such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard 
 I saying. Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, 
 be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto 
 the Lamb, for ever and ever." Rev. 5 : 11-13. 
 
 The phraseology of these passages is such that no 
 one can reasonably doubt whether the writers intend- 
 ed to express the whole upright intelligent creation, 
 be it of what extent it may ; and if it be of that 
 extent which philosophy supposes, the greater must 
 be the influence and importance of the work of re- 
 demption. 
 
 5. The Scriptures represent the punishment of tlm 
 finally impenitent as appointed for an example to the rest 
 of creation. Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities 
 about them, in giving themselves over to fornication, 
 and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an ex- 
 ample, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. " And 
 her smoke," the smoke of Babylon, " rose up for ever 
 and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the 
 four " living creatures " fell down and worshipped God 
 that sat on the throne, saying. Amen; Alleluia." 
 Jude 7 ; Rev. 19 : 3, 4. 
 
 The miseries of the damned are never represented 
 as inflicted upon them from such a kind of wrath or 
 vengeance as bears no relation to the general good. 
 ' God is love ;" and in none of his proceedings does 
 he violate this principle, or lose sight of the well- 
 
116 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 being of creation in general. The manifestation of 
 his glory is not only inseparably connected with this 
 object, but consists in accomplishing it. 
 
 It is necessary for the general good that God^s 
 abhorrence of moral evil should be marked by some 
 strong and durable expression of it, so that no one 
 subject of his' empire can overlook it. Such an ex- 
 pression was the death of Christ, his only begotten 
 Son ; and this availeth on behalf of all who acquiesce 
 in his salvation : but all who do not, or who possess 
 not such a temper of heart as would acquiesce in it if 
 it were presented to them, must themselves be made 
 sacrifices to his justice; and so, like enemies and 
 traitors to a human government, must be made to an- 
 swer such an end by their death as shall counteract 
 the ill example afforded by their life. What is said 
 of the barren vine is applicable to the finally impen- 
 itent, "It is not fit for any work — it is good for 
 nothing but to be burned." Ezek. 15 : 2-5. The 
 only way in which they promote the general good is 
 by their overthrow ; like the censers of Korah and 
 his company, which were made into "broad plates 
 for a covering to the altar, that they might be a sign 
 to the children of Israel in future generations," Num. 
 16 : 38 ; or like Lot's wife, who was converted into a 
 " pillar of salt," as a lasting monument of divine dis- 
 pleasure. 
 
 If the grand end of future punishment be example, 
 this must suppose the existence of an intelligent crea- 
 tion, who shall profit by it ; and it should seem of a 
 creation of magnitude, as it accords with the conduct 
 
CHARACTER OF GOD. 117 
 
 of neither God nor man to punish a great number for 
 an example to a few. 
 
 This truth affords a satisfactory idea of the divine 
 government, whether there be a multiplicity of in- 
 habited worlds or not; but if there be, it is still 
 more satisfactory, as on this supposition the number 
 of those who shall be finally lost may bear far less 
 proportion to the whole of the intelligent creation, 
 than a single execution to the inhabitants of a great 
 empire. It is true, the loss to those who are lost will 
 be nothing abated by this consideration ; perhaps, on 
 the contrary, it may be augmented, and to them the 
 divine government will ever appear gloomy ; but to 
 those who judge of things impartially, and upon an 
 extensive scale, it will appear to contain no more of 
 a disparagement to the government of the universe, 
 than the execution of a murderer once in a hundred 
 years would be to the government of a nation. 
 
 Section III. Harmony of the doctrine with 
 THE character OF GoD. It has been objected that 
 this view of the atonement presents God as a vindic- 
 tive being, and that as such he cannot be loved. The 
 issue in this case entirely depends upon the question 
 whether vindictive justice be in itself amiable. 
 
 I believe it is very common for people, when they 
 speak of vindictive punishment, to mean that kind of 
 punishment which is inflicted from a wrathful dispo- 
 sition, or a disposition to punish for the pleasure of 
 punishing. Now if this be the meaning of our oppo- 
 nents, we have no dispute with them. We do not 
 suppose the Almighty to punish sinners for the sake 
 
118 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 of putting them to pain. Scripture never conveys 
 any such idea. Vindictive punishment, as it is here 
 defended, stands opposed to that punishment which is 
 merely corrective: the one is exercised for the good of 
 the party ; the other not so, but for the good of the 
 community. Those who deny this last to be amiable 
 in God, must found their denial either on scripture 
 testimony, or on the nature and fitness of things. As 
 to the former, the Scriptures will hardly be supposed 
 to represent God as an unamiable being; if, there- 
 fore, they teach that vindictive justice is an unamia- 
 ble attribute, it must be maintained that they never 
 ascribe that attribute to God. But with what color 
 of evidence can this be alleged? Surely not from 
 such language as the following : " The Lord thy God 
 is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." " Our God 
 is a consuming fire." " God is jealous, and the Lord 
 revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the 
 Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he 
 reserveth wrath for his enemies." "Who can stand 
 before his indignation? and who can abide in the 
 fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like 
 fire." " Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; 
 God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself.'' 
 " He that showeth no mercy shall have judgment with- 
 out mercy." "He that made them will not have 
 mercy on them, and he that formed them will show 
 them no favor." " For we know him that hath said, 
 Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, 
 saith the Lord." " It is a fearful thing to fall into 
 the hands of the living God." " I lift up my hand to 
 heaven, and say, I live for ever. If I whet my glit- 
 
CHARACTER OF GOD. 119 
 
 tering sword, and my hand take hold on judgment, I 
 will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will re- 
 ward them th^t hate me." " The angels which kept 
 not their first estate, he hath reserved in everlasting 
 chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great 
 day." " Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about 
 them, are set forth for an example, suffering the ven- 
 geance of eternal fire." " The Lord Jesus shall be 
 revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flam- 
 ing fire taking vengeance on them that know not 
 God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ." Deut. 4; Heb. 12; Nah. 1; Psa. 94; Jas. 
 2; Isa, 27; Heb. 10; Deut. 32; Jude ; 2 Thess. 1. 
 
 As to the rmture and fitness of things, we cannot 
 draw any conclusion thence against the loveliness of 
 vindictive justice as a divine attribute, unless the 
 thing itself can be proved to be unlovely. But this 
 is contrary to the common-sense and practice of man- 
 kind. There is no nation or people under heaven but 
 what consider it, in various cases, as both necessary 
 and lovely. It is true, they would despise and abhor 
 a magistrate who should punish beyond desert, or who 
 should avail himself of the laws of his country to grat- 
 ify his own caprice, or his private revenge. This, 
 however, is not vindictive justice, but manifest injus- 
 tice. No considerate citizen who values the public 
 weal, could blame a magistrate for putting the penal 
 laws of his country so far in execution as should be 
 necessary for the true honor of good government, the 
 support of good order, and the terror of wicked men. 
 When the inhabitants of Gibeah requested that the 
 Levite might be brought out to them, that they might 
 
120 ATONEMENT OF CHUIST. 
 
 abuse him, and on their request not being granted, 
 abused and murdered his companion, all Israel as one 
 man not only condemned the action, but called upon 
 the Benjamites to deliver up the criminals to justice. 
 Had the Benjamites complied with their request, and 
 had those sons of Belial been put to death, not for 
 their own good, but for the good of the community, 
 where had been the unloveliness of the procedure? 
 On the contrary, such a conduct must have recom- 
 mended itself to the heart of every friend of right- 
 eousness in the universe, as well as have prevented 
 the shocking effusion of blood which followed their 
 refusal. Now if vindictive justice may be glorious in 
 a human government, there is no reason to be drawn 
 from the nature and fitness of things why it would not 
 be the same in the divine administration. 
 
 But the idea on which our opponents love princi- 
 pally to dwell is that of 2, father. Hence the charge 
 that we represent God in such a light that no earthly 
 parent could imitate him without sustaining a charac- 
 ter shocking to mankind. In this matter, however, 
 God is imitable. We have seen already that a good 
 magistrate, who may justly be called the father of his 
 people, ought not to be under the influence of blind 
 affection, so as in any case to show mercy at the 
 expense of the public good. Nor is this all. There 
 are cases in which a parent has been obliged, in benev- 
 olence to his family, and from a concern for the gen- 
 eral good, to give up a stubborn and rebellious son, 
 to bring him forth with his own hands to the elders 
 of his city, and there with his own lips bear witness 
 against him ; such witness, too, as would subject him 
 
CHARACTER OF aOD. 121 
 
 not to mere salutary correction, but to be stoned to 
 death by the men of his city. We know such a law 
 was made in Israel, Deut. 21 : 18-21, and such a law 
 was wise and good ; it was calculated to enforce in 
 parents an early and careful education of their chil- 
 dren ; and if in any instance it was executed, it was 
 that all Israel might hear and fear. And how do we 
 know but that it may be consistent with the good ot 
 the whole system, yea, necessary to it, that some of 
 the rebellious sons of men should, in company with 
 apostate angels, be made examples of divine ven- 
 geance; that they should stand, like Lot's wife, as 
 pillars of salt, or as everlasting monuments of God's 
 displeasure against sin ; and that while their smoke 
 riseth up for ever and ever, all the intelligent universe 
 should hear and fear, and do no more so wickedly ? 
 Indeed, we must not only know that this may be the 
 case, but if we pay any regard to the authority of 
 Scripture, that it is so. If words have any meaning, 
 this is the idea given us of the " angels which kept 
 not their first estate,'^ and of the inhabitants of Sodom 
 and Gomorrah, who are said to be " set forth for an 
 example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." 
 
 We thus see that the doctrine of the atormment is, in 
 itself, the life of the gospel system. Yiew it as a glorious 
 expedient devised by infinite Wisdom for the reparation 
 of the injury done by sin to the divine government, and 
 for the consistent exercise of free mercy to the unwor- 
 thy, and you are furnished with considerations the most 
 humiliating, and at the same time the most transport- 
 ing, that were ever presented to a creature's mind, 
 
122 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 The principles of this divine interposition are set 
 forth in the Scriptures in various forms ; but probably 
 in none so fully as in the substitutional sacrijices, which, 
 from the fall to the coming of Christ, formed a con- 
 spicuous part of instituted worship. The great truth 
 inculcated by these sacrifices from age to age would 
 be, "Without shedding of blood there is no remission." 
 Some of the leading sentiments which they were cal- 
 culated to inspire, may be seen in the sacrifice of Job 
 on behalf of his three friends. " The Lord said to 
 Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against 
 thee, and against thy two friends ; for ye have not 
 spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant 
 Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks 
 and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer 
 up for yourselves a burnt-offering; and my servant 
 Job shall pray for you, for him will I accept ; lest I 
 deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not 
 spoken of me the thing that is right, like my servant 
 Job." This reproof and direction would, if rightly 
 taken, excite the deepest repentance and self-abase- 
 ment. To be told that they had sinned, that the 
 wrath of heaven was kindled against them, that an 
 offering, and even a petition for mercy, would not be 
 accepted at their hands, that it must be presented by 
 a mediator, and that this mediator should be the very 
 person whom they had despised and condemned as 
 smitten of God and afflicted, was altogether so humil- 
 iating, that had they been unbelievers, and left to 
 their own spirit, they would have rejected it with 
 a sullen scorn, equal to that with which many in our 
 day reject the mediation of Jesus Christ. But they 
 
CHARACTER OF GOD. 123 
 
 were good men, and followed the divine direction, 
 humiliating as it was, with implicit obedience. " They 
 did as the Lord commanded them: the Lord also 
 accepted Job." To them, therefore, this direction 
 must have imparted a new set of views and feelings; 
 as full of humility, thankfulness, conciliation, and 
 brotherly love, as their speeches had been of pride, 
 folly, and bitterness. 
 
 Such is the nature and tendency of the Christian 
 doctrine of atonement. But humbling as this doc- 
 trine is in itself, it may be so perverted as to become 
 quite another thing, and productive of an opposite 
 effect. If God as a lawgiver be held up as an Egyp- 
 tian taskmaster, and the mercy of the Saviour be 
 magnified at his expense — if his atonement be consid- 
 ered rather as a victory over the law, than as an honor 
 done to it — if his enduring the curse be supposed to 
 exonerate us from obeying the precepts — if in conse- 
 quence of his having laid down his life, we think 
 more lightly of sin, and imagine it to be a less dan- 
 gerous evil — ^finally, if, from the full satisfaction which 
 he has made to divine justice, we reckon ourselves to 
 be freed not only from punishment, but from the desert 
 of it, and warranted not merely to implore mercy in 
 his name, but to claim it as a right, we are in posses- 
 sion of a scheme abhorrent to the gospel, and not a 
 little productive of spiritual pride. Such views of 
 the atonement excite an irreverent familiarity with 
 God, and in some cases a daring boldness in ap- 
 proaching him ; yet such is the strength of the Anti- 
 nomian delusion, that it passes for intimate communion 
 with him. 
 
124 ATONEMENT OF CHllIST. 
 
 An atonement has respect to justice, and justice to 
 the law or rule which men have violated. If this be 
 worthy of being traduced by a servant of Christ, it 
 was worthy of the same treatment from his Lord and 
 Master ; and then, instead of being honored by his 
 life and death, it ought to have been annulled, both in 
 respect of him and of us. The doctrine of the cross, 
 according to this view of things, was so far from being 
 a display of the divine glory, that it must have been 
 a most shocking exhibition of injustice. 
 
 Every instance of punishment among men is a sort 
 of atonement to the justice of the country, the design of 
 which is to restore the authority of government, which 
 transgression has impaired. But if the law itself be 
 bad, or the penalty too severe, every sacrifice that is 
 made to it must be an instance of cruelty ; and should 
 the king's own son interpose as a substitute, to save 
 the lives of a number of offenders, whatever might be 
 the love expressed on his part, it would be shocking 
 in the government to permit it, even though he might 
 survive his sufferings. Could the public opinion be 
 expressed on such an occasion, it would be to this 
 effect : There was no necessity for any atonement ; it 
 does no honor, but dishonor to the king, and though 
 he has liberated the unhappy men, there was no grace 
 in the act, but mere justice ; the law, instead of being 
 maintained by a suffering substitute, ought to have 
 been repealed. It is easy to see, from hence, that in 
 proportion as the law is depreciated, the gospel is 
 undermined, and the necessity, glory, and grace of ^ 
 the atonement rendered void. 
 
 It is probable there are not many who would ii 
 
CHARACTER OF GOD. 125 
 
 SO many words deny the law to be holy, just, and 
 good : on the contrary, there is little doubt but most 
 would in argument acknowledge as much as this ; but 
 if on all other occasions they speak of it with disre- 
 spect, comparing it to the taskmasters of Pharaoh, 
 and disown the authority of its precepts to be binding 
 on them, such acknowledgments can be considered as 
 nothing more than compliments to the express words 
 of Scripture. If they really believed the law to be 
 holy, just, and good, and holiness, justice, and good- 
 ness were their delight, however they might renounce 
 all dependence upon the works of it for acceptance 
 with God, they could not object to being under it as a 
 rule of duty. It is the law as abused, or as turned into 
 a way of life in opposition to the gospel, for which it 
 was never given to a fallen creature, that the apostle 
 depreciates ; and not as the revealed will of God, or 
 as the immutable standard of right and wrong. In 
 this view he delighted in it; and if we are Christians, 
 we also shall delight in it; and if so, we shall not 
 object to being under it as a rule of duty, for no man 
 objects to be ruled by the precepts which he loves. 
 Still less shall we allow ourselves to disparage it, 
 and to represent the redemption of Christ as deliver- 
 ing us from its tyrannical yoke. So far as any man 
 is a Christian he is of Christ's mind, and that was to 
 account it his meat and drink to do the will of his 
 Father. 
 
 If the law be really an oppressive and tyrannical 
 yoke, it was requisite that our deliverance from it 
 should have been by power, and not by price. This 
 is the way in which we are delivered from the power 
 
12G ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 of darkness. No satisfaction was made to Satan, inas- 
 much as his dominion was usurped. Captivity was 
 led captive, and the prey taken from the mighty. If 
 such had been the power which the law had over us, 
 such would have been the nature of our redemption 
 from the curse of it. But here the case is different. 
 Christ, however strong his love was to us, did not ask 
 our salvation at the expense of law or justice. He 
 would rather die, than admit of such a thought. He 
 was actually set forth to be a propitiatory sacrifice, 
 that he might declare his righteousness in the remis- 
 sion of sins, and be just in justifying them that believe 
 in him. 
 
 The mediation and intercession of Christ are 
 founded on his propitiatory sacrifice, and carry on 
 the great design of saving sinners in a way honorable 
 to the law. Mediations require to be conducted ac- 
 cording to the nature of the case. If a father and a 
 son be at variance, and a common friend interpose to 
 effect a reconciliation, his first inquiry is, Is there any 
 fault in the case ? If it be a mere misunderstanding, 
 an explanation is sufficient. If fault exists, and it be 
 on both sides, there will be ground for mutual conces- 
 sion. But if the father be wholly in the right, and 
 the son have offended him without cause, he must do 
 every thing to honor the one and humble the other. 
 To propose that after the reconciliation the former 
 system of family government should be superseded, 
 and that the son in future should be under a different 
 rule, or any thing implying a reflection on the father's 
 former conduct, would render the breach wider, in- 
 stead of healing it. Such is the nature of the case 
 
CHARACTER OF GOD. 127 
 
 between God and man. If our Mediator with the 
 Father had pleaded for the superseding of God's 
 authority as Lawgiver, he had proved himself utterly- 
 unqualified for his undertaking. But he " loved right- 
 eousness, and hated iniquity ;" and therefore God, his 
 God, anointed him with the oil of gladness above his 
 fellows, and granted him the desire of his heart. 
 Though he undertook the cause of sinners, yet he 
 never pleaded in extenuation of their sins ; but pre- 
 sented his own blood as a consideration that they 
 might be forgiven. The Mediator for sinners is, as 
 it was requisite he should be, " Jesus Christ the 
 righteous." 
 
 Permit me to request that this subject may be seri- 
 ously considered. A reflection or two may be offered, 
 and with these I shall conclude this chapter. 
 
 1. If that system which embraces the deity and 
 atonement of Christ, with other correspondent doc- 
 trines, be friendly to a life of sobriety, righteousness, 
 and godliness, it must be of God, and it becomes us 
 to abide by it, as being " the gospel which we have 
 received " from Christ and his apostles, " wherein we 
 stand, and by which we are saved." 
 
 2. If that system of religion which rejects the 
 deity and atonement of Christ, with other correspond- 
 ent doctrines, be unfriendly to the conversion of sin- 
 ners to a life of holiness, and of professed unbelievers 
 to faith in Christ ; if it be a system which irreligious 
 men are the first, and serious Christians the last to 
 embrace; if it be found to relax the obligations to 
 virtuous affection and behavior, by relaxing the great 
 
128 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 standard of virtue itself; if it promote neither love to 
 God under his true character, nor benevolence to men 
 as it is exemplified in the spirit of Christ and his 
 apostles ; if it lead those who embrace it to be wise 
 in their own eyes, and instead of humbly deprecat- 
 ing God's righteous displeasure, even in their dying 
 moments arrogantly to challenge his justice; if the 
 charity which it inculcates be founded in an indiiffer- 
 ence to divine truth ; if it be inconsistent with ardent 
 love to Christ and veneration for the holy Scriptures ; . 
 if the happiness which it promotes be at variance with 
 the joys of the gospel ; and finally, if it diminish the 
 motives to gratitude, obedience, and heavenly-mind- 
 edness, and have a natural tendency to infidelity, it 
 must be an immoral system, and consequently not of 
 God. It is not the gospel of Christ, but " another 
 gospel." Those who preach it, preach another Jesm 
 whom the apostles did not preach; and those who 
 receive it, receive another spirit which they never im- 
 bibed. It is not the light which cometh from above, 
 but a cloud of darkness that hath arisen from beneath, 
 tending to eclipse it. It is not the highway of truth, 
 which is a way of holiness, but a by-path of error 
 which misleads the unwary traveller^ and of which, 
 as we value our immortal interests, it becomes us to 
 beware. 
 
ITS HAPPY RESULTS. 129 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 HAPPY RESULTS OF THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 Every circumstance which had any relation to the 
 death of Christ, teaches us in the most forcible man- 
 ner that Jehovah had some great design in permitting 
 it to take place. In every age of the world, and per- 
 haps in every nation, sacrifices were offered to the 
 deities whom men adored, to procure the pardon of 
 sin ; nor is it easy to account for the uniform practice 
 of these rites on any other principle than that of an 
 originally divine institution. We cannot, for instance, 
 conceive what should have induced Abel to bring the 
 firstlings of his flock to the altar, had it not been 
 required by the Governor of the world, and the fact 
 revealed, that without shedding of blood there is no 
 remission. That sacrifices form no part of natural 
 religion, is clear from the fact that the heathen phi- 
 losophers almost universally protested against them. 
 The sacrifices of the Jewish church, Paul tells us, 
 were typical of the one sacrifice which should put 
 away sin. The law was "a shadow of good things 
 to come," and therefore all its institutions were of 
 divine appointment. He who had an unchangeable 
 priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, was to offer 
 in the end of the world a sacrifice which was to ratify 
 the new and everlasting covenant, to supersede the 
 necessity of every other oblation, to deliver us from 
 
 6 
 
130 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 the world and the dominion of sin, to destroy idol- 
 atry, to put a stop to the economy which was exclu- 
 sively adapted to the Jewish nation, and to make 
 Jews and Gentiles one family. The special design 
 of the death of Christ was to atone for sin, and to 
 redeem his people — a statement which cannot be 
 made as to the death of any other person. In this 
 single instance only was death associated with perfect 
 innocence. 
 
 Every genuine convert to Christ is saved from the 
 condemnation of sin. Though Peter's hearers were 
 the very persons who with wicked hands had cruci- 
 fied and slain the Lord of life, yet he gives them hopes 
 of mercy and salvation, by directing their attention 
 to the very person they had crucified. In his name 
 he preaches repentance and remission of sins, even 
 in Jerusalem, assuring them that Jhere is salvation in 
 no other. When they fled to the only refuge, they 
 found mercy, and felt that though Christ's dying for 
 sin was a transient event, it was of perpetual efi&cacy. 
 The blood of atonement retains its cleansing powers, 
 and makes the message of mercy an everlasting gos- 
 pel. All who come to God pleading this atonement, 
 are saved to the uttermost, the guilt of sin is removed, 
 the sentence of the law is reversed, and they can. 
 never come into condemnation. 
 
 If we contemplate the death of Christ without its 
 relation to the evangelical system, we shall only see a 
 suffering person at Jerusalem, and feel the pity and 
 disgust which are usually excited by injustice and 
 
ITS HAPPli. RESULTS. 131 
 
 cruelty. But let us view it as connected with the 
 moral government of God, as a glorious expedient to 
 secure its honors, a " propitiation" wherein " God de- 
 clared his righteousness for the remission of sin," and 
 we shall have a new set of feelings. While the 
 apostles continued to view this event unconnectedly, 
 their minds were contracted, and sorrow filled their 
 hearts ; but when their eyes were opened to see it in 
 its connections and consequences, their sorrow was 
 turned into joy. Those very persons who but a few 
 weeks before could not bear to think of their Lord's 
 departure, after they had witnessed his ascension to 
 glory, "returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and 
 continued daily in the temple praising and blessing 
 God." 
 
 How was it that tha apostle Paul became dead to 
 the world by the cross of Christ? I suppose on 
 much the same principle that the light of the stars is 
 eclipsed by that of the sun ; or that a man, having 
 drunk old wine, ceases to desire new, for he saith the 
 old is better. It is by drinking deeply into religion 
 that we become disaffected to sinful objects. No 
 effect of this kind can be produced any further than 
 we receive the truth. 
 
 Faith towards God, or a believing view of the 
 being and glory of the divine character, is reckoned 
 among the first principles of the doctrines of Christ. 
 If we have just ideas of this very important subject, 
 we have the key to the whole system of gospel truth. 
 He who beholds the glory of the divine holiness, will 
 
132 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 in that glass perceive his own polluted and perishing 
 condition ; and when properly impressed with a sense 
 of these things, he will naturally embrace the doc- 
 trine of a Saviour ; yea, and of a great one. Salvation 
 by mere grace, through the atonement of Jesus, will 
 appear the very object of his soul's desire. And 
 with these principles in his heart, other scripture doc- 
 trines will appear true, interesting, and harmonipus. 
 There are but few erroneous sentiments in the Chris- 
 tian world which may not be traced to a spirit of self- 
 admiration, which is the opposite of repentance, or to 
 false views of the divine character. 
 
 The apostle Paul, when writing to the Ephesian 
 church, speaks of sinners as being brought nigh to 
 God " by the blood of Christ." Chap. 2 : 13. In this 
 text the blood of Christ may be considered in three 
 views: as shed upon the cross, as proclaimed by the 
 preaching of the gospel, and as believed in for salva- 
 tion by the perishing sinner. These, being united, 
 bring near those who were once far off. 
 
 1. By the hlood of Christ, as shed upon the cross, 
 atonement was made, sin was expiated, and a way opened 
 for God to draw near to the sinner, and the sinner to God, 
 In punishing transgressors, displeasure is expressed 
 against transgression. In substitutionary sacrifices, 
 displeasure was expressed against transgression ; but 
 withal, mercy to the transgressor : the former, as sig- 
 nifying that thus the offerer deserved to have been 
 treated ; the latter, as accepting a substitute in his 
 stead. In the sacrifice of Christ, both these senti- 
 ments were expressed in the highest degree: "God 
 
ITS HAPPY RESULTS. 133 
 
 sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and 
 for sin/' or by a sacrifice for sin, ^^ condemned sin in 
 the flesh." " He that spared not his own Son, but de- 
 livered him up for us all, how shall he not with him 
 also freely gii^e us all things?" In proportion as 
 God's own Son was dear to him, and, as possessed of 
 divine dignity, estimable by him, such were the hatred 
 of sin and the love to sinners manifested in smiting 
 him. 
 
 If mercy had been exercised to men without such 
 an expression of displeasure against their sin, it must 
 have appeared to the creation to be connivance, and 
 the character of God must have sunk in their estima- 
 tion. He must have appeared to be very strict in- 
 deed in his precepts, and severe in his threatenings ; 
 but as lax in enforcing them as though he had known 
 from the beginning that they would not bear to be 
 acted upon. The fallen angels in particular must 
 have felt that it could not be justice that consigned 
 them to hopeless perdition, for justice is impartial. 
 If the Creator could connive at sin in one instance, 
 he could in another. Thus the bands of moral gov- 
 ernment had been broken, and the cords which held 
 creation together cast away. 
 
 But by the atonement of Christ a way is opened 
 for the consistent exercise of mercy. There was a 
 kind of atonement made by the vengeance taken on 
 the old world ; also by that on the Benjamites, as re- 
 corded in the last chapters of Judges. Each of these 
 events served to express the divine displeasure against 
 sin, and each made way for the exercise of mercy ; the 
 one towards Noah and his posterity, and the other 
 
134 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 towards the remnant that had taken refuge in the 
 rock Rimmon. Thus, in the death of Christ, though 
 he died " the just for the unjust," yet God herein ex- 
 pressed his displeasure against sin ; and having done 
 this, could be "just, and the justifier of him which 
 believeth in Jesus." There is now no bar, in respect 
 of the government of God, why any sinner should 
 not, on returning to him in the name of his Son, find 
 mercy. On this ground, sinners, without distinction, 
 are actually invited to come unto him and be saved. 
 The only bar that remains is a spirit of pride and 
 unbelief. If they can believe in Jesus, receiving sal- 
 vation as God's free gift through him, " all things are 
 possible to him that believeth." 
 
 When, on visiting a dying man, I hear him talk of 
 having made his peace with God, I tremble for him. 
 If our peace be made with God, it is by the blood of 
 the cross. What are our confessions, or prayers, or 
 tears ? Can they heal the awful breach ? If so, God 
 would have spared his own Son, and not have deliv- 
 ered him up to be made a sacrifice. It had then been 
 possible for the cup to pass from him, and it would no 
 doubt have passed from him. If without the shedding 
 of blood there be no remission, and if it were impossi- 
 ble for the blood of bulls and of goats to take a,way 
 sin, the consequence is, that either Christ must be the 
 sacrifice, or we must die in our sins and perish. He 
 hath made peace by the blood of his cross : it is not 
 for us to assume to be peacemakers, but to accept of 
 his mediation. 
 
 2. The blood of Christ, as proclaimed in the preaching 
 of the gospel, is the appointed means of bringing sinners 
 
ITS HAPPY RESULTS. 135 
 
 'mar to God. It is the doctrine of salvation through 
 the blood of Christ that is, by way of eminency, called 
 the gospel. It was the doctrine which Christ com- 
 missioned his disciples to preach to every creature: 
 " Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to 
 suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day ; and 
 that repentance and remission of sins should be 
 preached in his name among all nations, beginning at 
 Jerusalem." This doctrine is good news to every 
 creature, and that whether it be received or re- 
 jected. It is good news that a way is opened by the 
 death of Christ for any sinner to return to God and 
 be saved; and that if any sinner walk therein, he 
 shall be saved. It is the ministry of reconciliation, 
 in which the servants of Christ, as though God did 
 beseech by them, pray men in Christ's stead, saying, 
 " Be ye reconciled to God." Its being made light of 
 by the greater part of men does not alter its nature ; 
 and this they shall know another day. God brings 
 near his righteousness, even to them that are stout- 
 hearted and far from righteousness. " Into whatso- 
 ever city ye enter," said our Lord, " and they receive 
 you, eat such things as are set before you; and heal 
 the sick that are therein, and say unto them. The 
 kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into 
 whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go 
 your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, 
 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, 
 we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding, be ye 
 sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh 
 unto you. But I say unto you, that it shall be more 
 tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city." 
 
136 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 3. By the doctrine of solvation through the blood of 
 Christ we are actually brought nigh. As tlie prodigal 
 was brought home to his father's house and family, so 
 we are brought home to God. It is thus that we be- 
 come actually reconciled to God. " If when we were 
 enemies," says the apostle, "we were reconciled to 
 God by the death of his Son ; much more, being recon- 
 ciled, we shall be saved by his life." The term " recon- 
 ciled " is here manifestly used in different senses. In 
 the former instance, it refers to the making of atone- 
 ment ; in the latter, to our believing acquiescence in 
 it; or, as it is expressed in the following verse, to 
 our "receiving the atonement." It is in this way 
 that our sins are forgiven ; that we are justified, or 
 accepted in the Beloved ; that we are invested with 
 the privilege of being the sons and daughters of the 
 Lord Almighty; that God is our God, and we his 
 people, by a new and better covenant ; that we have 
 access to him as our heavenly Father, and to all the 
 ordinances and privileges of his house : finally, it is 
 as believing in Him who died and rose again, that we 
 live in hope of eternal life. 
 
 There is a term used by the apostle, in Eph. 3 : 12, 
 which conveys a very expressive idea, not only of the 
 nearness to which believers are admitted by the faith 
 of Christ, and which is denoted by the term " access," 
 but of their being introduced by him, as by one taking 
 them by the hand, and presenting them to the king. 
 We could not be admitted into the divine presence by 
 ourselves ; but our Mediator, taking us as it were by 
 the hand, presents us to God. It is thus that we are 
 " accepted in the Beloved " on our first believing, and 
 
ITS HAPPY RESULTS. 137 
 
 in all our approaches to the throne of grace have 
 access to God. 
 
 There is another set of truths which illustrate the 
 same great subject. For what purpose was the Son 
 of God manifested in human nature? Was it not 
 that " he might destroy the works of the devil ?" To 
 what are we elected ? That we should " be holy, and 
 without blame before him in love." To what are we 
 predestinated ? That we might " be conformed to the 
 image of his Son." Why did he give himself for us, 
 but that he " might redeem us from all iniquity, and 
 purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good 
 works ?" Why are we called out of a state of dark- 
 darkness into his marvellous light, but that we might 
 " walk as children of light ?" Of what use are the 
 " exceeding great and precious promises" of the Scrip- 
 tures ? Is it not that, having them, we should " cleanse 
 ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, 
 perfecting holiness in the fear of God ?" That is not 
 Christianity which does not operate in this way. He 
 who sinneth habitually is of the devil, and hath not 
 seen or known God. Wicked men seek a system of 
 religion which may consist with their lusts ; and God, 
 in righteous judgment, often suffers them to find it ; 
 but it is not the gospel : the language of the gospel 
 is, " These things are written to you, that ye sin 
 not." 
 
 The Scriptures guard the doctrine of grace, not 
 indeed by limiting its operations to lesser sinners, 
 but by insisting on its mortifying and sanctifying 
 effects. The apostle Paul, notwithstanding all that he 
 
138 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 had written on justification by faith, exempts none 
 from condemnation but those who are "in Christ 
 Jesus f and admits none to be " in Christ Jesus," but 
 those who "walk not after the flesh, but after the 
 Spirit." He still declared, " If ye live after the flesh, 
 ye shall die." There is a universality pertaining to 
 true holiness, which distinguishes it from all that is 
 spurious. We must be " holy in all manner of con- 
 versation," or there is no real holiness in us. A sin- 
 gle "wicked way" will lead to destruction. If any 
 man depart utterly from God, he ought to conclude 
 that the fear of God was not in him. If the blossom 
 go up as the dust, the root was rottenness. If in 
 times of temptation we fall away, it is because we 
 have "no root in ourselves." "If," says the apostle 
 John, "they had been of us, they would no doubt 
 have continued with us ; but they went out, that they 
 might be made manifest that they were not all of us." 
 Even our partial departures from God must render 
 our state doubtful. When the Galatians doubted 
 the gospel, the apostle stood in doubt of them; de- 
 claring he was afraid of them, lest he had " bestowed 
 upon them labor in vain." And had they judged 
 according to evidence, as he did, they must have 
 stood in doubt of themselves. To represent, as some 
 do, that doubts and fears of this kind are the tempta- 
 tions of Satan, or the workings of unbelief, and require 
 to be resisted as that which is dishonorable to God, 
 is to promote the most dangerous delusion, and to 
 bring the blood of souls upon their own heads. The 
 things which they call the temptations of Satan, may 
 be found to be the dictates of an awakened con- 
 
ITS HAPPY RESULTS. 139 
 
 science, which they endeavor to lull asleep. Doubts 
 of the goodness or veracity of God, or of the all-sufiS- 
 ciency or willingness of the Saviour to receive those 
 that come to him, are indeed dishonorable to God; 
 but doubts of our own sincerity, founded upon our 
 departures in heart and conduct from him, are so far 
 from being sinful that they are necessary to awaken us 
 to self-examination. Thus the Corinthians, who had 
 sunk into many and great evils, were called upon, not 
 to hold fast the persuasion that notwithstanding this 
 their state was safe, but to examine themselves whether 
 they were in the faith, and to prove their own selves ; 
 and assured, that except indeed they were reprobates, 
 or disapproved of God, Jesus Christ was in them, that 
 is, by his word and Spirit, bringing forth fruit. 
 
 Did the Lord Jesus satisfy divirie jmtice, and there- 
 by open the way of salvation? Certainly it is not 
 for us to attempt any thing like this ; but by believ- 
 ing in him, we acquiesce in what he has done and suf- 
 fered, and so are made conformable to it. Nor is this 
 confined to our first believing : the more we know of 
 Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and the fel- 
 lowship of his sufferings, the more we are in this way 
 made conformable to his death. The death of Christ 
 will give the impression to the very enjoyment of 
 heaven. "The Lamb that was slain" will be the 
 theme of the song for ever. 
 
 Was he " manifested to destroy the works of the 
 devil?" If we are made conformable to his death, 
 we also shall wage war with them. If we live in sin, 
 we are of the devil, and must needs be at variance 
 
140 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 with, the death of Christ; sparing that which. he was 
 manifested in human nature to destroy. The finished 
 work of Christ upon the cross did not supersede the 
 necessity of our being active in overcoming evil. We 
 must set our feet upon the necks of these spiritual 
 enemies, taking a part in their destruction. Neither 
 did it supersede the necessity of our active persever- 
 ance in the use of all means by which we may disen- 
 gage our souls from the entanglements of sin, praying 
 and struggling from under its dominion, perfecting 
 holiness in the fear of God. It is thus that we have 
 to " work out our own salvation with fear and trem- 
 bling," which, instead of superseding the death of 
 Christ, is being made conformable to it. From his 
 having died for sin, we are exhorted to die to it, and 
 to live unto God. We cannot enter into the end of 
 Christ's death, which was to make an end of sin, un- 
 less we become dead to sin ; nor into his resurrection, 
 without rising with him into newness of life. 
 
 In waging war with sin, it is necessary to begin 
 with ourselves, but not to end there. If we are made 
 conformable to the death of Christ, we shall be ad- 
 verse to sin wherever we find it ; avoiding all parti- 
 cipation in it through complaisance or worldly inter- 
 est, and uniting to promote sobriety, righteousness, 
 and godliness in its place. 
 
 Moreover, Christ died " to save sinners f and if we 
 are made conformable to his death, we also shall seek 
 their salvation. Some of the first thoughts which 
 occur to a believer's mind, on having found rest for 
 his own soul, respect the salvation of his kindred and 
 friends ; and the direction given to one who had ob- 
 
ITS HAPPY RESULTS. 141 
 
 tained mercy, gives entire sanction to such thoughts 
 and desires : " Go home to thy friends, and tell them 
 how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and 
 hath had compassion on thee." 
 
 It is not for ministers only to take an interest in 
 the salvation of men ; the army of the Lamb is com- 
 posed of the whole body of Christians. Every dis- 
 ciple of Jesus should consider himself as a missionary. 
 All indeed are not apostles, nor evangelists, nor preach- 
 ers, but all must be engaged in serving the Lord ; some 
 by preaching, some by contributing of their substance, 
 and all by prayer, and recommending the Saviour by 
 a holy conversation. 
 
 It is of importance to remember that the benefits of 
 the atonement of Christ are still flowing to us, because 
 he is yet living in heaven on our behalf. In his inter- 
 view with his beloved disciple John, as recorded in 
 the Apocalypse, he speaks of his life as succeeding to 
 his death : " I am he that liveth, and was dead^ This 
 part of the description would remove all doubts, if 
 any existed, as to who he was. The disparity between 
 his present appearance and what he was when the 
 apostle saw and conversed with him in the flesh, must 
 be exceedingly great, and might tend to stagger his 
 belief in his being the same person ; but this speech, 
 whatever doubts he felt, would at once remove them. 
 Yes; it is my Lord himself, and not another. It is 
 he whom I saw expire upon the cross. 
 
 The connection between the death of Christ on 
 earth and his succeeding life in glory, renders each of 
 them more interesting. There is great joy derived 
 
142 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 from the consideration of salvation through the death 
 of Christ. It is the burden of the heavenly song. 
 But this would be no joy were it not for the consider- 
 ation of his life. What if we could all have obtained 
 salvation, yet if it must have been at the expense of the 
 everlasting blessedness of our Deliverer, who could 
 have enjoyed it? What would the feast be if the 
 Lord of the feast were not there ? Though in endur- 
 ing the death of the cross, he had "spoiled principali- 
 ties and powers," and " made a show of them openly," 
 yet, if he had not lived to enjoy his triumphs, what 
 would they have been to the redeemed, and even to 
 the angelic world ? If the King's Son had been lost, 
 the victory of that day would have been turned into 
 mourning. If it had been possible for him to be 
 holden of death, the loss to the moral empire of God 
 must have exceeded the gain, and the saved them- 
 selves must have been ashamed to appear in heaven 
 at the expense of the general good. But we are not 
 called to so painful a trial. Our salvation, expensive 
 as it was, was not at this expense. He was dead, but he 
 liveth. " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy 
 hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the res- 
 urrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 
 
 And as the life of Christ adds to the joy arising 
 from his death, so the death of Christ adds to the joy 
 arising from his life. There is great joy, as we have 
 seen, derived from his life ; but it would not be what 
 it is, if this his life had not succeeded his death. The 
 life of Isaac was dear to Abraham before he attempted 
 to offer him up as a sacrifice ; but it would be much 
 
ITS HAPPY RESULTS. 143 
 
 more so when he had received him as from the dead. 
 The life of Joseph was dear to Jacob when he dwelt 
 with him in the vale of Hebron ; but it would be much 
 more so after his having in a manner buried him. If 
 Christ had never divested himself of the glory which 
 he had with the Father before the world was, it would 
 not have been to us that which it will be. The very 
 angels, though he died not for them, nor for any of 
 their species, yet honor him as " the Lamb that was 
 slain. And as to the redeemed themselves, their 
 song is sweeter still : " Thou art worthy," say they, 
 "for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God 
 by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and 
 people, and nation ; and hast made us unto our God 
 kings and priests ; and we shall reign on the earth." 
 He describes himself not only as " he that liveth, 
 and was dead," but as being " alive for evermore^ He 
 was raised not only to life, but to an immortal life. 
 "He dieth no more ; death hatli no more dominion over 
 him." This cheering truth arises from the perfection 
 of his sacrifice. The sacrifices under the law could 
 not take away sin, but were mere shadows of good 
 things to come, and therefore required to be often 
 repeated ; but the sacrifice of Christ was " once for 
 all." The Scriptures lay great stress upon the term 
 once^ as applied to the sacrifice of Christ; it is used 
 no less than six times in this connection : " Christ 
 being raised from the dead," saith the apostle, "dieth 
 no more : death hath no more dominion over him ;" 
 and thus he accounts for it : " For in that he died, he 
 died unto sin oTice; but in that he liveth, he liveth 
 unto God." A transient suffering in so divine a per- 
 
144 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 son was sufficient to expiate that which would have 
 subjected us to everlasting punishment, and to lay the 
 foundation of a permanent life with God, both for 
 himself and for all those who believe in him. Such 
 was the value of his sacrifice, that its influence will 
 continue for ever. Even when the work of mediation 
 shall be perfected, and the kingdom as mediatorial 
 be " delivered up to the Father, that God may be all 
 in all," Christ will live, and be the life of the church 
 for ever. In that state where " there will be no tem- 
 ple," " the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb " are 
 said to be " the temple thereof;" and the reason given 
 for there being no need of the sun, nor of the moon, 
 is, that " the glory of God will lighten it, and the 
 Lamb will be the light thereof." 
 
 We may here remind you again of the great cause 
 to which all this blessedness is to be ascribed. The 
 apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians, that Christ 
 " loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he 
 might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of 
 water by the word." I think it not improbable that 
 the apostle may allude to the parable concerning the 
 Jewish church in the sixteenth chapter of Ezekiel. 
 The substance of it is this : A female infant, the fruit 
 perhaps of an illicit connection, whose wretched par- 
 ents in order to hide her shame had left it in the 
 fields, was discovered by a humane prince who hap- 
 pened to be passing that way at the time. He looked 
 at the perishing babe, and pitied it. I will save thy 
 life, said he ; and as thou art fatherless and mother- 
 less, I will be both father and mother to thee, and thou 
 
ITS HAPPY RESULTS. 145 
 
 shalt be mine. He then washed and clothed her ; and 
 taking her to his palace, gave her an education suited 
 to his intentions, which in fact were, at a proper time, 
 to marry her. On her arriving at years of maturity, 
 he carried his design into execution ; she became his 
 wife, and the crown royal was placed upon her head. 
 
 Look at this representation, and at His conduct 
 who " loved the church, and gave himself for it, that 
 he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of 
 water by the word, that he might present it to him- 
 self a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, 
 or any such thing; but that it should be holy and 
 without blemish." Look, I say, at both these repre- 
 sentations, and judge if the one has not some refer- 
 ence to the other. 
 
 For the accomplishment of so great a deliverance, 
 it was necessary that Christ should love the church. 
 The thought of this is overwhelming. His wisdom 
 and power and majesty may induce us to admire and 
 adore him, but to thinlc of his loving sinful men ex- 
 cites amazement. 
 
 There are several properties pertaining to the 
 love of Christ which require to be taken into the ac- 
 count, if we would form any thing like a just view of 
 it. Love may be founded upon character, Christ him- 
 self speaks of loving his disciples on this account : " If 
 ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love ; 
 even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and 
 abide in his love." But that of which we are speak- 
 ing could not be founded upon any thing of this kind, 
 for its object is supposed to be altogether polluted. 
 He loved his church, and gave himself for it, not be- 
 
146 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 cause it was sanctified and cleansed, or in yiew of its 
 being so, but " that he might sanctify and cleanse it." 
 Again, love towards an unworthy object is commonly 
 no other than general benevolence. Such was that com- 
 passion which our Saviour felt when he wept over 
 Jerusalem, and such that good- will towards men of 
 which his being born into the world was an expres- 
 sion. God's giving his only begotten Son to be made 
 a sacrifice, and declaring that whosoever believes in 
 him shall not perish, but have everlasting life, was a 
 great expression of divine goodness towards sinners, 
 whether they believe and be saved or not. But the 
 love which Christ is said to have borne to the church 
 was discriminating, and effectual to its salvation. 
 The church is supposed, to have been given him of 
 the Father, to be unto him as a bride to a husband, 
 and ultimately the reward of his undertaking. The 
 love of Christ, therefore, in this connection, can be 
 no other than electing love ; and the passage may be 
 considered as parallel with that at the beginning of 
 the epistle, "He hath chosen us in him before the 
 foundation of the world, that we should be holy and 
 without blame before him in love." 
 
 For the accomplishment of the church's redemp- 
 tion, it was necessary that Christ should give himself 
 a sacrifice. In this way his love must operate, or be 
 ineffectual. We are now speaking on the most inter- 
 esting part of the most interesting subject that was 
 ever presented to men or angels. It was on this that 
 Paul wrote so feelingly : " The life which I now live 
 in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who 
 loved me, and gave himself for me.^' It was this that 
 
ITS HAPPY RESULTS. I47 
 
 furnished John with his affecting doxology: "Unto 
 Him that loved its, and washed us from our sins in his own 
 blood, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. 
 Amen." It is this that furnishes the church in heaven 
 with its "new song :" "Thou art worthy— for thou wast 
 slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of 
 every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." 
 
 From these great facts we learn that the cross of 
 Christ, instead of issuing in disgrace, is followed with 
 glory. His friends learned to glory in it ; yea, and 
 to glory in nothing else : and well they might. It 
 was glorious to see the powers of darkness stripped 
 naked, as it were, to their shame ; to see Satan foiled 
 by the woman's Seed, and his schemes exposed to the 
 derision of the universe ; to see him taken in his own 
 net, and falling into the pit that himself had digged. 
 It was glorious to contemplate the numerous and im- 
 portant bearings of this one great event. By this the 
 divine displeasure against sin is manifested in stronger 
 language, than if the world had been made a sacri- 
 fice ; by this a way is opened for the consistent exercise 
 of mercy to the chief of sinners ; by a believing view 
 of this, peace arises in the mind, and at the same time 
 purity in the heart ; for this he is crowned with glory 
 and honor in the heavens, principalities and powers 
 being made subject to him. This is the only hope of a 
 lost world, the only medium of acceptance with God, 
 and the only admissible plea in our approaches before 
 him. This it is which will put every grace in exer- 
 cise in this world, and impart all the happiness in 
 that to come of which created minds are susceptible. 
 
148 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 These are a few of the bearings of the doctrine of 
 the cross. Is it any wonder that angels should de- 
 sire to look into it ? Rather, is it not matter of won- 
 der and shame that we,^ who are more immediately 
 interested in it than they, should be so far behind? 
 How is it that we should be the last to bring back 
 the King, who are his bone and his flesh. Our Re- 
 deemer took not upon him the nature of angels ; yet 
 they love him, and the gospel of salvation by him : 
 and wherefore? They love God, and therefore re- 
 joice in every thing that glorifies him in the highest ; 
 they love men, and therefore rejoice in that which 
 brings peace on earth and good-will to them; they 
 rejoice in every instance of the prosperity of Christ's 
 kingdom, and in being themselves made subject to 
 him. Had we but their love with our interest, we 
 should not only emulate, but exceed their highest 
 praise. While they, in innumerable myriads, were 
 saying with a loud voice, " Worthy is the Lamb that 
 was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, 
 and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing," we 
 should not only say, "Amen," but add, "Thou art 
 worthy ; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to 
 God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, 
 and people, and nation." 
 
 • 
 Every thoughtful reader will perceive how much 
 the value of the atonement of Christ is enhanced by 
 a due consideration of the manner in which we are 
 made the partakers of its benefits. Much is said con- 
 cerning faith in the holy Scriptures, especially in the 
 New Testament ; and great stress is laid upon it, es- 
 
ITS HAPPY EESULTS. 149 
 
 pecially by the author of the epistle to the Hebrews. 
 This, I apprehend, is not very difficult to be accounted 
 for. Ever since the fall of man, we have been en- 
 tirely dependent on the mercy of God through a Me- 
 diator. We all lie at his discretion, and are beholden 
 to his mere sovereign grace for all the happiness we 
 enjoy. We have nothing on which we can rely for 
 the possession or continuance of any good, but the 
 word and will of God. The only life, therefore, proper 
 for a fallen creature in our world, is a life oi faith — • 
 to be constantly sensible of our dependence upon God, 
 continually going to him, and receiving all from him, 
 for the life that now is and that which is to come. 
 
 All our approaches to Christ, and all our fellow- 
 ship with him, are by faith in the account which God 
 has given of him in his word. The excellence of 
 Christ's undertaking and benefits are the joy and 
 even the life of our souls, if indeed we are true Chris- 
 tians. But what evidence have we of all or any of 
 these? yea, what evidence have we that there is, 
 or ever was, such a person as Jesus Christ? or if 
 there was, that he was the Messiah, the Son of God ? 
 We neither saw him alive, nor die, rise again, nor 
 ascend to heaven. We never saw the miracles he 
 wrought, nor heard the voice from the excellent glory, 
 saying, " This is my beloved Son ; hear ye him." We 
 speak of his personal excellence, divine and human; 
 of his love, zeal, righteousness, meekness, and patience; 
 but what know we of them ? We rejoice in his being 
 constituted our Surety to obey the law, and endure 
 the cui'se in our stead ; but how know we that so in- 
 
150 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 deed it is ? We glory in the imputation of his right- 
 eousness, and exult in the hope of being found in him, 
 and being for ever with him, faultless before his 
 throne, to serve him day and night in his temple ; but 
 on what do we rely for all this ? If our expectations 
 are but just, truly they are noble ; but if groundless, 
 extravagant. Are they, then, well founded ? yes, the 
 testimony of God is the rock whereon they rest. He 
 has told us by the mouth of his servants the inspired 
 writers, all that is necessary for us to know of the 
 character, conduct, and errand of his Son ; of every 
 ofi&ce he sustained, and every end for which he came 
 into the world. To all this he has added, that "who- 
 soever believeth on him shall not perish, but have 
 everlasting life." So they have preached, and so we 
 have believed. We have, through grace, ventured 
 our everlasting all in his hands ; nor is it in the 
 hands of we know not whom : we know in whom we 
 have believed, and are persuaded that he is able to 
 keep that which we have committed unto him against 
 that day. For, though none of these things are visi- 
 ble to our mortal eye, yet, having evidence that God 
 has said them, we are satisfied. We would as readily 
 trust God's word as our own eyes. Thus we walk, 
 like Moses, "as seeing Him who is invisible;" and 
 thus answer to that description, "Whom having not 
 seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, 
 yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full 
 of glory." 
 
 In all our applications to Christ, we have to rely 
 merely upon the testimony of God. Here is a poor 
 self-condemned sinner, who comes pressing through 
 
ITS HAPPY RESULTS. 151 
 
 the crowd of discouraging apprehensions, that he 
 may, so to speak, touch the hem of the Redeemer's 
 garment, and be made whole. As he approaches, one 
 set of thoughts suggests, How can such a sinner hope 
 for mercy ? Is it not doubtful whether there be effi- 
 cacy enough in the blood of Christ itself to pardon 
 such heinous crimes? I know my crimes are heinous 
 beyond expression, replies the burdened soul, and I 
 should doubtless give up my case as desperate, but 
 that I have heard of him, that he is able to save to 
 the uttermost all that come unto God by him. I will 
 go therefore; who can tell? As he goes, other ob- 
 jections assail him, questioning whether Christ can be 
 willing to accept of such an one ? I should not think 
 it, indeed, says the poor man ; but he has said, " Him 
 that Cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." I 
 know that, were I to consult nothing but my feelings, 
 and only to fix my eyes on the enormity of my sin, I 
 should utterly despair ; but encouraged by his word, 
 I will go forward; I will "walk by faith, not ^y 
 sight." Oh, I hear him say, " Come unto me, all ye 
 that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you 
 rest." This, this is what I want. Depart from me, 
 all ye that vex my soul : I will go in the strength of 
 the Lord God. 
 
 Let us never forget, that whatever encourage- 
 ments are afforded us, they are altogether of grace, 
 and through a Mediator. There is no room for phar- 
 isaical pride ; and if such a spirit be at the root of our 
 labors, it will prove " as rottenness, and the blossom 
 shall go up as dust." 
 
152 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 IMPORTANCE OF CORRECT VIEWS OF THE ATONE- 
 MENT—WAY IN WHICH IT MUST BE RECEIVED- 
 CONSEQUENCES OF ITS REJECTION. 
 
 Section I. Correct views of the subject. If 
 Christianity had not been comprehended in the doc- 
 trine of the atonement, the apostle, who shunned not 
 to declare the whole counsel of God, could not have 
 determined to know nothing else in his ministry. 
 The whole of the Christian system appears to be pre- 
 supposed hy it, included in it, or to arise from it; there- 
 fore the whole system of truth should be regarded 
 with a view to this principle. In its favor the fol- 
 lowing things may be alleged : 
 
 ■ 1. It accords with truth. All things are said to 
 have been created not only by Christ, but for him. 
 All things in creation, therefore, are rendered sub- 
 servient to his glory as Redeemer; and being thus 
 connected, they require to be viewed so, in order to 
 be seen with advantage. 
 
 By viewing all divine truths and duties as related 
 to one great object, as so many lines meeting in a 
 centre, a character of unity is imparted to the subject 
 which it would not otherwise possess, and which 
 seems properly to belong to the idea of a system. 
 A system, if I understand it, is a whole^ composed of a 
 number of parts so combined^and arranged as to show 
 
IMPORTANCE OF JUST VIEWS. 153 
 
 their proper connections and dependencies, and to ex- 
 hibit every truth and every duty to the best advan- 
 tage. The unity of a number in one great object, and 
 so forming a whole, gives an interest to the subject 
 which it would not otherwise possess. It is interest- 
 ing, no doubt, to view the works of nature as revolv- 
 ing round the sun as their centre ; but to view nature 
 and providence as centering in the glory of the Re- 
 deemer, is much more interesting. 
 
 3. The object in which all the parts of the system 
 are united being Christ, must tend to shed a sweet 
 savor on the whole. We have often heard the epi- 
 thet dry applied to the doctrines of the gospel, espe- 
 cially when systematically treated; but this must 
 have arisen either from the faults or defects of the 
 system, or from the uninteresting manner of treating 
 it, or from a defect in the hearer or reader. The 
 doctrine of the gospel, if imparted in its genuine sim- 
 plicity, and received in faith and love, drops as the 
 rain, and distils as the dew upon the tender herb. I 
 may not be able thus to impart it ; but whether I do or 
 not, it may be done ; and so far as I or any other may 
 fail, let the fault be imputed to us, and not to the 
 doctrine of God our Saviour. 
 
 4. There is a singular advantage attending the 
 study of other truths through this medium. We might 
 know something of God and of ourselves through the 
 medium of the divine law; and it is necessary for 
 some purposes to understand this subject as distinct 
 from the gospel. But a sense of the holiness and jus- 
 tice of God, contrasted with our depravity and guilt, 
 might be more than we could bear. To view these 
 
 7* 
 
154 ATONEMENT OF CHUIST. 
 
 great subjects, on the other hand, through the cross of 
 Christ, is to view the malady through the medium of 
 the remedy, and so never to want an antidote for 
 despair. 
 
 With the idea of all divine truth bearing an inti- 
 mate relation to Christ, agrees that notable phrase in 
 Eph. 4 : 21, " The truth as in Jesus." To believe the 
 truth concerning Jesus, is to believe the whole doc- 
 trine of the Scriptures. Hence it is, that in all the 
 brief summaries of Christian doctrine, the person and 
 work of Christ are prominent. Such are the follow- 
 ing : " Brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which 
 I preached unto you, which also ye have received, 
 and wherein ye stand ; by which also ye are saved, if 
 ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless 
 ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you, 
 first of all that which I also received, how that Christ 
 died for our sins according to the Scriptures." "Great 
 is the mystery of godliness : God was manifest in the 
 flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached 
 unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received 
 up into glory." " This is a faithful saying, and worthy 
 of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the 
 world to save sinners ; of whom I am chief." " This is 
 the record, that God hath given unto us eternal life, 
 and this life is in his Son." " He that believeth that 
 Jesus is the Christ, is born of God." " Who is he that 
 overcometh the world, but he that believeth that 
 Jesus is the Son of God?" Fully aware that this 
 golden link would draw along with it the whole 
 chain of evangelical truth, the sacred writers seem 
 careful for nothing in comparison with it. It is on this 
 
IMPORTANCE OF JUST VIEWS. 155 
 
 ground that faith in Christ is represented as essential 
 to spiritual life : see John 6 : 53-56, " Jesus said unto 
 them, Verily, verily, I say unto you. Except ye eat 
 the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye 
 have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and 
 drinketh my blood, hath eternal life ; and I will raise 
 him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, 
 and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my 
 flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in 
 him.'^ We may be Christians by education, may be 
 well versed in Christianity as a science, may be able 
 to converse and preach and write in defence of it; 
 but if Christ crucified be not that to us which food is 
 to the hungry, and drink to the thirsty, we are dead 
 while we live. It is on this ground that error con- 
 cerning the person and work of Christ is of such im- 
 portance as frequently to become spiritual death to 
 a man. We may err on other subjects and survive, 
 though it be in a maimed state ; but to err in this, is 
 to contract a disease in the vitals, the ordinary effect 
 of which is death. When Peter confessed him to be 
 the Son of the living God, Jesus answered, " Upon 
 this rock will I build my church, and the gates of 
 hell shall not prevail against it." Upon this prin- 
 ciple, as a foundation, Christianity rests; and it is 
 remarkable, that to this day a deviation concerning 
 the person and work of Christ is followed by a dere- 
 liction of almost every other evangelical doctrine, and 
 of the spirit of Christianity. How should it be other- 
 wise? If the foundation be removed, the building 
 must fall. 
 
 What is it that is denominated the great mys- 
 
156 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 tery of godliness? Is it not that " God was manifest 
 in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, 
 preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, 
 received up into glory?'' It is this that the apostle 
 John introduces at the beginning of his gospel under 
 the name of " the Word :'' " The Word was with God, 
 and was God ;" by whom all things were made, and 
 who was made flesh, and dwelt among us. It is this 
 upon which he dwells in the introduction of his first 
 epistle : "That which was from the beginning, which 
 we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, 
 which we have looked upon, and our hands have 
 handled, of the Word of life ; for the life was mani- 
 fested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and 
 show unto you that eternal life, which was with the 
 Father, and was manifested unto us : that which we 
 have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye 
 also may have fellowship with us ; and truly our fel- 
 lowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus 
 Christ." Christ is here described, 1. As to what he 
 was in his preincarnate state, namely, as that which 
 was from the beginning, the Word of life, and that 
 eternal life which was with the Father. 2. As to 
 what he became by his incarnation : he was so mani- 
 fested that his disciples could see him, and look on 
 him, and handle him ; and thus be qualified to bear 
 witness of him, and to show unto others that eternal 
 life that was with the Father. 3. As having opened 
 a way in which those who believed in him were ad- 
 mitted to fellowship with God, and with him, and 
 were commissioned to invite others to partake with 
 them. I have long considered this passage as a de- 
 
IMPORTANCE OF JUST VIEWS. 157 
 
 cisive proof of the divinity of Christ, and as a sum- 
 mary of the gospel. 
 
 Consider well the following passages of Scripture, 
 as expressing the sum of the glorious gospel of the 
 blessed God : " God so loved the world that he gave 
 his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in 
 him should not perish, but have eternal life. This is 
 a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that 
 Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners ; of 
 whom I am chief. I declare unto you the gospel 
 which I preached unto you, which also ye have re- 
 ceived, and wherein ye stand, unless ye have believed 
 in vain, how that Christ died for our sins according 
 to the Scriptures ; and that he was buried, and that 
 he rose again the third day, according to the Scrip- 
 tures. The Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek 
 after wisdom ; but we preach Christ crucified. I de- 
 termined not to know any thing among you, save 
 Jesus Christ and him crucified. God was in Christ, 
 reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their 
 trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us 
 the word of reconciliation. Now then we are am- 
 bassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you 
 by us : we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye recon- 
 ciled to God. If we confess our sins, he is faithful 
 and just to forgive us our . sins, and to cleanse us 
 from all unrighteousness. The blood of Jesus Christ 
 his Son cleanseth us from all sin. By him all that 
 believe are justified from all things, from which they 
 could not be justified by the law of Moses. Come 
 unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I 
 
158 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 will give you rest. Him that cometli unto me, I will 
 in no wise cast out." 
 
 This, dear reader, was the all-efficacious doctrine 
 by which the pressure of guilt was removed from 
 thousands in the times of the apostles, and has been 
 removed from millions in succeeding ages. When a 
 perishing sinner inquired, "What must I do to be 
 saved?" the answer was at hand, "Believe in the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." This 
 was the plenteous redemption which even Old Testa- 
 ment sinners embraced by faith. These were the 
 water, the wine, and the milk, which they were freely 
 invited to buy, "without money, and without price." 
 This is the wedding supper which the Lord hath pre- 
 pared, and concerning which he hath declared, " All 
 things are ready ; come ye to the marriage." 
 
 We sinners in this world are as lepers in a " sev- 
 eral house." The great High-priest from above has 
 condescended, and still condescends to visit us. 
 Happy will it be for us if during his visitations we 
 are purified from our uncleanness. If so, we shall be 
 reunited to the society of the blessed ; but if other- 
 wise, if we die in impenitence and unbelief, what is 
 said of the confiriiied leper will be true of us — without 
 the camp must our habitation be. 
 
 We thus see that if the doctrine of atonement be 
 viewed in the connections in which it stands in the 
 sacred Scriptures, it is the lifeblood of the gospel 
 system. Consider it as a method devised by the 
 infinite wisdom of God, by which he might honor his 
 
IMPORTANCE OF JUST VIEWS. 159 
 
 own name by dispensing mercy to the unworthy in a 
 way consistent with righteousness, and we shall be 
 furnished with considerations at once the most humil- 
 iating and transporting that were ever presented to 
 ^ a creature's mind. 
 
 But there are ways of viewing this doctrine which 
 will render it void, and even worse than void. If, 
 for instance, instead of connecting it with the divinity 
 of Christ, we ascribe its efficacy to divine appoint- 
 ment, the name may remain, but that will be all. On 
 • this principle it was possible that the blood of bulls 
 and of goats should have taken away sin, and that 
 the cup should have passed away from the Saviour 
 without his drinking it. As there would on this prin- 
 ciple be no necessity for the death of Christ, so nei- 
 ther could there be any great love displayed by it; 
 and as to its constraining influence, we need not look 
 for it. 
 
 Or if the atonement be considered as a reparation 
 to man for the injury done him by his being con- 
 nected with his first parents, it is rendered void. 
 Whatever evil we derive from our first parents, while 
 we ourselves choose it, we are no more injured than 
 if we derived it from our immediate parents ; and it 
 will no more bear to be pleaded at the last judgment, 
 than it will bear to be alleged by a thief at an earthly 
 tribunal, that his father had been a thief before him. 
 To argue therefore, as some have done, that if Christ 
 had not come into the world and given us grace, so 
 as to remove the inability for doing good under which 
 we lay as the descendants of Adam, we should not 
 have been blameworthy for not doing it, is to make 
 
160 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 grace no more grace, and the atonement a satisfaction 
 to man rather than to God. If man would not have 
 been blameworthy without the gift of Christ and a 
 provision of grace, it would seem a pity that both 
 had not been withheld, and that we had not been left 
 to the justice of our Creator, who surely might be 
 trusted not to punish for that in which we were not 
 in fault. 
 
 Or if the doctrine of atonement lead us to enter- 
 tain degrading notions of the law of God, or to plead 
 an exemption from its preceptive authority, we may 
 be sure it is not the scripture doctrine of reconcilia- 
 tion. Atonement has respect to justice, and justice to 
 the law, or the revealed will of the sovereign, which 
 has been violated, and its very design is to repair its 
 honor. If the law which has been transgressed were 
 unjust, instead of an atonement being required for the 
 breach of it, it ougKt to have been repealed, and the 
 lawgiver have taken upon himself the disgrace of hav- 
 ing enacted it. Every instance of punishment among 
 men is a sort of atonement to the justice of the coun- 
 try, the design of which is to restore the authority of 
 good government, which transgression has impaired. 
 But if the law itself is bad, or the penalty too severe, 
 every sacrifice made to it must be an instance of cru- 
 elty. And should a prince of the blood royal, in com- 
 passion to the offenders, offer to suffer in their stead, 
 for the purpose of atonement, whatever love it might 
 discover on his part, it were still greater cruelty to 
 accept the offer, even though he might survive his 
 sufferings. The public voice would be. There is no 
 need of any atonement ; it will do no honor, but dis- 
 
IMPORTANCE OF JUST VIEWS. 161 
 
 honor, to the legislature; and to call the liberation 
 of the convicts an act of grace, is to add insult to 
 injury. The law ought not to have been enacted, 
 and now it is enacted, ought immediately to be re- 
 pealed. It is easy to see from hence, that in propor- 
 tion as the law is depreciated the gospel is under- 
 mined, and both grace and atonement rendered void. 
 It is the law as abused, or as turned into a way of life 
 in opposition to the gospel, for which it was never 
 given to a fallen creature, that the sacred Scriptures 
 depreciate it; and not as the revealed will of God, 
 the immutable standard of right and wrong. In this 
 view the apostles delighted in it; and if we are Chris- 
 tians we shall delight in it too, and shall not object to 
 be under it as a rule of duty, for no man objects to 
 be governed by laws which he loves. 
 
 We may form some idea of the manner in which 
 the gospel ought to be received, from its being repre- 
 sented as an embassy. "We are ambassadors for 
 Christ," saith the apostle, "as though God did be- 
 seech you by us : we pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye 
 reconciled to God." The object of an embassy, in all 
 cases, is peace. Ambassadors are sometimes employed 
 between friendly powers for the adjustment of their 
 affairs, but the allusion in this case is manifestly to a 
 righteous prince, who should condescend to speak 
 peaceably to his rebellious subjects, and as it were 
 to entreat them for their own sakes to be reconciled. 
 The language of the apostle supposes that the world 
 is engaged in an unnatural and unprovoked rebellion 
 against its Maker ; that it is in his power utterly to 
 
162 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 destroy sinners; that if he were to deal with them 
 according to their deserts, this must be their portion ; 
 but that through the mediation of his Son, he had as 
 it were suspended hostilities, had sent his servants 
 with words of peace, and commissioned them to per- 
 suade, to entreat, and even to beseech them to be 
 reconciled. But reconciliation to God includes every 
 thing that belongs to true conversion. It is the oppo- 
 site of a state of alienation and enmity to him. Col. 
 1 : 21. It includes a justification of his government, 
 a condemnation of their own unprovoked rebellion 
 against him, and a thankful reception of the message 
 of peace, which is the same for substance as to repent 
 and helkve the gospel. 
 
 It is not your believing from the tradition of your 
 fathers that there was a person called Jesus Christ, 
 who came into the world about eighteen hundred years 
 ago, and who is in some way or other the Saviour of 
 sinners, which constitutes saving faith. The gospel 
 is a divine system, the wisdom of God in a mystery. 
 It implies a number of important truths to which the 
 corrupt heart of man is naturally averse, and cannot 
 properly be said to be believed while they are rejected 
 or overlooked. Such are the equity and glory of the 
 divine law, and the guilty, lost, and perishing condi- 
 tion of those who have transgressed it. More particu- 
 larly, that God is worthy of being loved with all the 
 heart, however depraved that heart may be ; that our 
 transgressions against him have been withmit cause; 
 that we are justly deserving of his eternal displeasure ; 
 that there is no help in us, or hope of recovery by our 
 
IMPORTANCE OF JUST VIEWS. 163 
 
 own efforts ; finally, that we are utterly unworthy of 
 mercy, and must be saved, if at all, by mere grace. 
 These truths are plainly implied in the doctrine of 
 atonement and of a free salvation ; and without ad- 
 mitting them, it is impossible wer should admit the 
 other. While we conceive of ourselves as injured 
 creatures, and of the gift of Christ and of salvation 
 by him as a recompense for the injury, it is no wonder 
 we should imagine it to be confined to the compar- 
 atively worthy, or the least criminal, and so begin to 
 despair as we perceive the magnitude of our guilt. 
 Or if in words we disavow all merit, and confess our- 
 selves to be in a helpless and hopeless condition, yet 
 we shall view it as our misfortune rather than our sin, 
 and ourselves as more deserving of pity than punish- 
 ment. And while this is the case, our supposed love 
 to the Saviour is certain to operate at the expense of 
 the Lawgiver. 
 
 To come to Jesus as a sinner ready to perish, justi- 
 fying God and condemning self, suing for mercy as 
 utterly unworthy, as one of the chief of sinners, plead- 
 ing mercy merely for the sake of the atonement, is a 
 hard lesson for a self-righteous heart to learn. The 
 shiftings of pride in such cases are fitly expressed by 
 the sinner's "going about" to establish his own right- 
 eousness, and not submitting to " the righteousness of 
 God." Like the priests of Dagon, he will set up his 
 idol as long as he can possibly make it stand. But if 
 ever he obtain mercy, he must desist. There is no 
 rest for the soul but in coming to Jesus. And if he 
 be once brought to this, all his self-righteous strivings, 
 
164 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 and the hopes which he built upon them, with all 
 his hard thoughts of God for requiring what in his 
 then present state of mind he could not comply with, 
 will appear in their true light, the odious workings of 
 a deceitful and dedeived heart. 
 
 Do any inquire what they must do that they may 
 work the works of God? The answer is, "This is 
 the work of God, that ye believe in Him whom he 
 hath sent." This is the first and chief concern, with- 
 out which all others will be of no account. While 
 you either openly reject Christianity, or imbibe an- 
 other gospel which is not the gospel of Christ, the 
 curse of the Almighty is upon your head, and all your 
 works are no other than " sowing to the flesh." Come 
 •off without further delay; come off from that fatal 
 ground. Renounce thy self-dependences, and submit 
 to the righteousness of God ; then every thing will be 
 in its proper place. The curse shall no longer be 
 upon thee, nor upon any thing which thou doest. The 
 Lord will rejoice over thee to do thee good. Thou 
 mayest " eat thy bread with joy, arid drink thy wine 
 with a merry heart ; for God now accepteth thy 
 works." 
 
 Section II. Illustration of confidence in 
 Christ in the Syrophenician woman. We have a 
 fine illustration of application to Christ and confi- 
 dence in him, in the conduct of the Syrophenician 
 woman, as recorded in the fifteenth chapter of the 
 gospel by Matthew. Let us remark the repeated appli- 
 cationSj the repeated repulses, and the ultimate success which 
 
UiLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 165 
 
 crowned the whole. Here were no fewer than four ap- 
 plications, three of which were made by the woman 
 herself, and one by the disciples on her behalf. Three 
 out of the four failed, but the fourth succeeded. Let 
 us examine them, and the success they met with, dis- 
 tinctly. 
 
 The^r^^ was made by the woman, and is described 
 as follows : " She cried unto him, saying, Have mercy 
 on me, Lord, thou Son of David ; my daughter is 
 grievously vexed with a devil." We might remark 
 the brevity, the fulness, and the earnestness of this 
 petition ; but there is one thing which our Lord him- 
 self afterwards noticed, and which therefore is partic- 
 ularly deserving of our attention ; it was the prayer 
 of faith. She believed and confessed him to be the 
 Messiah. Her addressing him under the character of 
 " Lord," and as " the Son of David," amounted to this. 
 It was a principle universally acknowledged among 
 the Jews, that the Lord, or King Messiah, should be 
 of the seed of David. To address him therefore under 
 this character, was confessing him to be the Christ. 
 This was the appellation under which he was more 
 than once invoked by certain blind men, and in every 
 instance the same idea was meant to be conveyed. 
 These poor people did not address our Saviour in a 
 way of unmeaning compliment ; they understood that 
 the Messiah, "the Son of David," was to be distin- 
 guished by the exercise of mercy ; hence they continu- 
 ally associated these ideas. "Have mercy on me, 
 Lord, thou Son of David." " Jesus, thou Son of David, 
 have mercy on us." And this is the very character 
 given to the Messiah in the Old Testament, especially 
 
166 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 in the seventy-second Psalm : " He sliall deliver the 
 needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that 
 hath no helper." Thus they had heard, thns they 
 believed, and thus their faith wrought in a way of 
 effectual prayer. 
 
 But whence had this woman, an alien from the 
 commonwealth of Israel, a stranger to the covenants 
 of promise, this wisdom? Providence had placed her 
 on the borders of the Holy Land, and she appears to 
 have profited by it. The true religion contained in 
 the oracles of God had its influence not only on Israel, 
 but on many individuals in the neighboring nations. 
 It was foretold that they who dwelt under his shad- 
 ow should return ; and here we see it accomplished. 
 Probably this poor Canaanite had often gone into the 
 Jewish synagogue to hear the reading of the law and 
 the prophets ; and while many of those who read them 
 gained only a superficial acquaintance with them, 
 she understood them to purpose. One would almost 
 think she must lately have heard the seventy-second 
 Psalm read at one of these assemblies, and have made 
 up her petition out of the passage forecited. " He 
 shall deliver the needy when he crieth ; the poor also, 
 and him that hath no helper;" then why not me? 
 I will go, and turn this prophecy into a prayer: 
 "Have mercy upon me, Lord, thou Son of David." 
 It is good to have our residence near to the means of 
 grace, and to have a heart to make use of them. It 
 is good to grow upon the banks of this river of the 
 water of life. It is pleasant also to think of the good 
 effects of the true religion among the posterity of 
 Abraham. It is thus we see the fulfilment of the 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 167 
 
 promise to that faithful man, "I will bless thee, and 
 thou shalt be a blessing." 
 
 But while these things afford pleasure to us, they 
 must, methinks, have been very provoking to the 
 Jews ; and happy had it been for them if they had 
 been provoked to a godly jealousy. Many among 
 them were far behind these strangers in knowledge 
 and in faith, though they enjoyed very superior ad- 
 vantages. The Saviour was continually among them, 
 crying, and calling at their gates, and at the entering 
 in of their cities, yet they generally disregarded 
 him ; whereas, in this case, he only took an occasional 
 journey, and that in secret, for when he entered into 
 a house, " he would have no man know it ;" yet here 
 this poor woman found him out, and presented her 
 supplication. How true is that saying of our Lord, 
 " The last shall be first, and the first last ;" and how 
 often do we still see persons of inferior advantages 
 enter into the kingdom of God before others who 
 have possessed the greatest abundance of means. 
 
 But what treatment did she receive from our Sav- 
 iour on this her first application? "He answered 
 her not a word." Who would have expected this ? 
 Does it accord with his usual conduct? In what in- 
 stance had he been known to refuse such an applica- 
 tion? It was very mysterious, and very discourag- 
 ing. Is his ear heavy, then, that it cannot hear? or 
 his arm shortened, that it cannot save? "Answered 
 her not a word!" Who could understand this as any 
 other than a repulse ? If the faith of the petitioner 
 had been weak, she might have concluded that he 
 would not answer her because he could not help her. 
 
168 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 If her heart had been cold, she might have gone 
 away, as many do after having said their prayers, con- 
 tented without the Messing. If her spirit had been 
 haughty, she must and would have resented it, and 
 have asked no more. In short, had she been any 
 thing but what she was — great in faith, in love, and 
 in humility — she would have turned away. And here 
 we may see the wisdom of our Saviour's conduct; 
 had he immediately granted her request, we had seen 
 little or nothing of the exercise of these graces. But 
 let us proceed. 
 
 Here is a second application made on her behalf, 
 and this is by the disciples ; they " came and besought 
 him to send her away." I hope they meant that he 
 would grant her petition. One might have expected 
 something considerable from the intercession of the 
 twelve apostles. Jesus had consented, to go and heal 
 the centurion's servant at the request of the Jewish 
 elders ; and surely his own disciples must have an in- 
 terest with him equal to theirs. If the poor woman 
 knew of their becoming her advocates, it is natural to 
 suppose her expectations must have been raised : and 
 this it is likely she did ; for while they were speak- 
 ing, she seems to have held her peace. Neither need 
 they have been at a loss for a precedent ; for though 
 she was a heathen, yet they had lately witnessed his 
 kind attention to a Roman centurion ; and had they 
 pleaded this, he might have shown mercy at their re- 
 quest. But to what does their intercession amount? 
 Alas, it is mean and pitiful ; it does not appear to 
 have a spice of benevolence in it, but to have been 
 merely the effect of self-love : " Send her away," said 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 169 
 
 they, " for she crieth after us." disciples, and does 
 the voice of prayer trouble you? How little at pres- 
 ent do you resemble your Master I We never read of 
 his being troubled with the cry of the poor and needy. 
 And this is all you have to urge, is it? Your charity 
 amounts to just so much as that of some wealthy per- 
 sons, who give a poor man a penny, not out of com- 
 passion, but in order to get rid of him. 
 
 What is the answer to this miserable petition? 
 Our Lord takes no notice of the mercenary nature of 
 the plea; and this was like himself: amidst the nu- 
 merous faults of his disciples, he often exercised a 
 dignified forbearance towards them. But what an- 
 swer did he make? "I am not sent but unto the lost 
 sheep of the house of Israel." It was true that his 
 commission was especially directed to Israel; and 
 previously to his resurrection, he even forbade his 
 disciples to go " in the way of the Gentiles :" nor is it 
 any wonder that he should avail himself of this gen- 
 eral truth still to withhold his favor, rather than 
 grant it at such a request as this. The motive which 
 they had urged was not likely to work upon him. 
 
 But think how it must affect the poor petitioner. . 
 Silence was discouraging, but this must have been 
 more so. That might be imputed to other causes: 
 she might suppose he was considering of her request ; 
 and though he had said nothing in her favor, yet he 
 had said nothing against her : this, however, is not 
 only giving her a denial, but giving the reason of it ; 
 which would seem to render it irrevocable. To an 
 eye of sense, it would now seem to be a lost case. It 
 is not so, however, to an eye of faith. 
 
170 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 Let US proceed to the third application. The dis- 
 ciples had been poor advocates. Make way for her, 
 and let her plead her own cause ; she can do it best 
 It is not one, nor two repulses, that will silence the 
 prayer of faith ; nor will aught else so long as Jesus 
 lives, and the invitations and promises of his word 
 continue unrevoked. It was written, "He shall de- 
 liver the needy when he crieth ; the poor also, and him 
 that hath no helper ;" and the efficacy of this declara- 
 tion must be tried again. " Then came she and wor- 
 shipped him, saying, Lord, help me!" 
 
 Observe, she prefaces her petition with an act of 
 worship. She had before acknowledged him as Da- 
 vid's Son ; now she approaches Him as his Lord. 
 Prostrate at his feet, she adores him, and renews her 
 supplication. It is short, yet very full. It has only 
 three words, but more than three ideas, and these full 
 of importance. She here, in effect, tells him that her 
 case is urgent ; that she is truly helpless ; that no 
 help is to be expected from any other quarter; that 
 she is persuaded of his being able to save to the ut- 
 termost ; and that it belongs to his character as Mes- 
 siah, to help those who have no helper. Though a 
 Canaanite, assuredly she possesses the spirit of an 
 Israelite : " I will not let thee go, except thou bless 
 me." 
 
 If there be such a thing as holy violence, or tak- 
 ing the kingdom of heaven, as it were, by force, surely 
 this is it; and knowing the character of Christ, we 
 should have concluded that this petition must be suc- 
 cessful. But "Jesus answered and said. It is not 
 meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 171 
 
 dogs." What imperfect judges are we of times and 
 seasons. Just now we should have supposed her cause 
 was gained, and yet it was not so; and now we 
 should have been ready enough to conclude it was 
 lost, and yet it is not so. Let us learn to wait -pa- 
 tiently for the Lord, and neither conclude, when we 
 enjoy great fervor and freedom in our approaches to 
 him, that our prayers must be answered immediately, 
 or not at all ; nor when thrown back into darkness 
 and discouragement, that now there is no hope. Had 
 this poor woman rested her expectation on her own 
 feelings, or on any thing short of the Lord's own word, 
 she had fainted in this trying moment. What a 
 crowd of thoughts might she at this time have cher- 
 ished — hard thoughts, proud thoughts, and despairing 
 thoughts. And is this the Messiah, of whom such 
 glorious things are spoken? Is this the compassion 
 that he is to exercise " to the poor, and to them that 
 have no helper?" No mercy, no help for a stranger, 
 even though prostrate at his feet ; and as if it were 
 not enough to refuse his assistance, he must call me a 
 dog ! I will ask no more ; whatever be my lot, I will 
 bear it. Such might have been her reflections, and 
 such her conduct; but she was a believer, and faith 
 operates in a different way. 
 
 Yet what could our Saviour mean by such lan- 
 guage ? Did he really intend to countenance that con- 
 temptuous spirit with which the ungodly Jews treat- 
 ed the Gentiles? Surely not. Did he feel towards 
 this poor stranger as his words would seem to indicate? 
 No; his roughness, like that of Joseph towards his 
 brethren, was assumed for the purpose of trying her ; 
 
172 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 and she endures the trial with singular perseverance. 
 She neither resents being called a dog, nor despairs 
 on account of it; but is resolved still to follow up 
 her suit. Yet what new plea can she find to offer ? 
 
 Let us hear the fourth and last application : " Truth, 
 Lord ; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from 
 their master's table." Most admirable! Such an 
 instance of spiritual ingenuity, of holy and humble 
 acumen, was perhaps never known before, nor since. 
 Now the conflict is at an end ; the victory is gained ; 
 the kingdom of heaven is taken by the prayer of faith. 
 Jesus, like Joseph, can restrain himself no longer, but 
 appears in his true character : " woman, great is 
 thy faith : be it unto thee even as thou wilt." Let us 
 review this charming crisis, and mark the ground 
 from which this last and successful plea proceeded. 
 It was the ground on which the Lord had placed her. He 
 intimated that she was a dog, unworthy of the chil- 
 dren's bread ; she readily admitted it, and as a dog 
 presented her petition. Here then is the grand 
 secret how to succeed in our approaches for mercy. 
 We must stand upon that ground where the Scripture 
 places us, and thence present our petition. Does the 
 Lord tell us in his word that we are guilty, unworthy, 
 ungodly, deserving of eternal death? On this ground 
 we must take our stand, and plead for that mercy 
 which is provided for persons of this description. 
 All applications for mercy on any other ground will 
 be unsuccessful. 
 
 The last answer of Jesus, as well as the last prayer 
 of the woman, is worthy of special notice. There are 
 three things remarkable in it: the recommendation 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 173 
 
 of her faith, the granting of her desire, and the affec- 
 tionate manner in which both were addressed to her. 
 "Jesus answered and said unto her, woman, 
 great is thy faith I" This accords with his general 
 practice. The blessings of healing, as well as those 
 of a more spiritual nature, were ordinarily suspended 
 on believing, and when obtained, were ascribed to it. 
 Hence such language as this : " If thou canst believe, 
 all things are possible to him that believeth." " Thy 
 faith hath saved thee." "Thy faith hath made thee 
 whole." Did our Lord, by this language, mean to 
 give away the honor of salvation from himself? No ; 
 it is not used for the purpose of transferring honor to 
 us, but for giving encouragement to faith. Neither 
 is there any opposition of interests between Christ 
 and faith : those who are saved by faith are saved by 
 Christ; for it is of the nature of faith to go out of 
 itself, and draw all from him. Christ's power and 
 grace operate as the cause of our salvation, faith as 
 the means of it ; yet being a means absolutely neces- 
 sary for the bringing of Christ and the soul together, 
 as well as for the promotion of all other graces, it is 
 constantly held up as the one thing needful. 
 
 Perhaps, if we had commended the Canaanitish 
 woman, we should have admired her great importuni- 
 ty and great humility ; but our Lord passes over these, 
 taking notice only of her faith : and wherefore ? Be- 
 cause faith was the root, or principle, from which the 
 others sprang, and by which they were kept alive. 
 
 Our Lord often commended the faith of believer^ ; 
 but I recollect only two instances in which he speaks 
 of it as being great, and they are both of them Gen- 
 
174 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 tiles: one is the RoiTian centurion, and the other the 
 woman of whom we are discoursing. There doubtless 
 was an eminency, or peculiar strength, in the faith of 
 each of them ; but that which more than any thing 
 rendered it great in our Lord's account, was its being 
 exercised under such great disadvantages. To Israel 
 pertained the promises. If Gentiles partook of the 
 root and fatness of the olive-tree, it was by being 
 grafted into it contrary to nature. Yet, amidst 
 these disadvantages, they abounded in faith which, 
 for the degree of it, was not to be found in Israel. 
 Thus we are often provoked to jealousy. Persons 
 whose religious advantages have been small, com- 
 pared with ours, are nevertheless before us in faith 
 and love and heavenly-mindedness. Thus it is that 
 the pride of man is stained, and no flesh suffered to 
 glory in the divine presence. 
 
 Having commended her faith, our Saviour pro- 
 ceeds ta grant her desire: "Be it unto thee even as 
 thou wilt." The Lord does not excite a willing mind 
 with a view finally to cross it, or an earnestness of 
 desire in order to disappoint it ; such willingness and 
 such desires, therefore, are indicative of his designs. 
 Christ only can satisfy the desires of the mind ; and 
 Christians are the only men in the world whose de- 
 sires are satisfied. Caesar, in the full possession of 
 empire, is said to have exclaimed, " Is this all ?" And 
 such is the disappointment that every sinner will 
 meet with who sets his heart on any thing but Christ. 
 It is not in the power of the whole creation to say to 
 an immortal, guilty creature, " Be it unto thee even as 
 thou wilt ;" but Jesus hath the words of eternal life. 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. l75 
 
 The tender and affectionate manner in which our 
 Saviour commended the faith, and fulfilled the desire 
 of the poor petitioner, is deserving also of remark. 
 It is introduced with an interjection, woman ! In 
 the 4ips of a speaker abounding in affectation, such 
 words signify but little ; but Jesus never affected to 
 fee] when he did not. Whenever, therefore, an inter- 
 jection is seen in^his speeches, we may be certain he 
 felt. He felt compassion towards her on account of 
 her aJSliction ; but chiefly admiration and delight, on 
 witnessing the peculiar energy of her faith. Thus he 
 marvelled at the Roman centurion. The genuine, 
 and especially the eminent exercises of grace are, 
 more than any thing, the delight of Christ's heart. 
 In looking at the poor and contrite spirit, he over- 
 looks heaven and earth. 
 
 It may be rather surprising to us that our Saviour 
 should hold this poor woman so long in suspense ; but 
 if he had not, her graces would not have been so ap- 
 parent, nor the exercise of them so grateful to him. 
 And thus we may account for many of the afflictions 
 through which the Lord brings his servants. If trib- 
 ulation work patience, and patience experience, and 
 experience hope ; an^ if, in his esteem, the exercise of 
 these graces be of greater account than our present 
 ease, it is not surprising that he should prefer the 
 former to the latter; and this consideration should 
 reconcile us to those providences which for a time 
 hold us in painful suspense. 
 
 From the whole we may remark, that genuine, yea, 
 great grace may be exercised in respect of temporal 
 mercies. It was not for the salvation of her soul, or 
 
176 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 the soul of her daughter, that this poor woman was 
 so importunate j but for the removal of an affliction. 
 Yet such was the grace which was exercised in it, 
 that there is no doubt of her being eternally saved. 
 The exercise of spirituality is not confined to the 
 seeking of spiritual blessings. We may serve the 
 Lord in our daily avocations; and it is essential to 
 true religion that we do so. Such prayer may be 
 offered, and such faith exercised, in respect of our 
 daily bread, as have the promise of everlasting life. 
 
 Finally, if our Saviour suffered himself to be over- 
 come by one who sought for a temporal blessing, much 
 more will he accept those who come to him for such 
 as are spiritual and eternal. His promises are much 
 stronger in the one case than in the other. Though 
 there were several general intimations that the Mes- 
 siah would exercise compassion towards the bodies as 
 well as the souls of men, and the numerous miracles 
 which he wrought afforded full proof of his readiness 
 to do good in every way, yet he nowhere bound him- 
 self, that I recollect, to heal all who came to him. I 
 believe he never sent away an individual without a 
 cure ; but still he seems to have reserved to himself a 
 discretionary power to do so. But in matters of 
 everlasting moment, the word is gone out of his lips, 
 " Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." 
 Here, every one who seeketh findeth, and to him that 
 knocketh, we are assured by the Keeper of the gate, 
 it shall be opened. If any man, therefore, be hereaf- 
 ter shut out of the kingdom of heaven, it will appear, 
 in the end, that he sought not after it in the present 
 life ; or at least, that he sought it not by faith. 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 177 
 
 We shall all be importunate, sooner or later ; but 
 importunity will one day be unavailing. Many will 
 then seek to enter in, and shall not be able. Yes, 
 they will cry earnestly, saying, " Lord, Lord, open 
 unto us." " We have eaten and drunk in thy pres- 
 ence, and thou hast taught in our streets." But he 
 shall say, " Depart from me, all ye workers of iniqui- 
 ty." my readers, let us agonize to enter in at the 
 strait gate. All the zeal and earnestness which we 
 may feel in other things is spending our money for 
 that which is not bread, and our labor for that which 
 satisfieth not. Incline your ear, and come unto Him ; 
 hear, and your souls shall live ; and he will make an 
 everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies 
 of David. 
 
 It is not uncommon- to meet with persons, espe- 
 cially in seasons of great religious excitement, whose 
 minds have been sincerely impressed with a view of 
 their sinfulness, and who have, perhaps very sud- 
 denly, obtained relief. What is it, I would ask, that 
 has given you relief ? Is it any thing in the gospel ? 
 any thing in the doctrine of the cross ? If so, rejoice 
 in your associates, and let your associates rejoice in 
 you. If it be so, you have no reason to doubt or fear, 
 or cherish any misgivings of heart. That consolation 
 which proceeds from these sources is undoubtedly of 
 God. But you will ask. Is there no true consolation 
 but what is derived directly from the doctrine of the 
 cross? may we not be comforted by a consciousness 
 of that in our own souls to which God has promised 
 everlasting life? I answer, We certainly may: the 
 
178 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 Scriptures point out many things as evidences of a 
 work of grace ; and if we are conscious that we are 
 the subjects of them, we are warranted to conclude 
 ourselves interested in eternal life. But it becomeis 
 us to beware of reckoning those things as. evidences 
 of grace which are not so, and to which no promises 
 are made in the word of God. It may be the case, 
 that the evidence from which your encouragement 
 was drawn was mere distress — distress in which your 
 heart was too hard to repent, and under which you 
 could not believe. Yet, on account of this distress, 
 you have perhaps been complimented with possessing 
 a broken heart, a poor and contrite spirit ; and the 
 promises made to such persons have been applied to 
 you. If these things are just, a hard heart and a con- 
 trite spirit may be found in the same person, and at 
 the same time. To this may be added, though believ- 
 ers derive consolation from a consciousness of that 
 within them to which the Scriptures promise everlast- 
 ing life, yet this is not the way in which the Spirit of 
 God frst imparts relief to the soul. The first genuine 
 consolation that is afforded is by something without 
 ourselves, even by the doctrine of the cross: while 
 this is rejected or disregarded, we are unbelievers, 
 and cannot possibly be the subjects of any disposition 
 or exercise of mind which is pleasing to God, or to 
 which he has promised salvation, and consequently 
 cannot be conscious of any thing of the kind. 
 
 The first relief enjoyed by the manslayer was from 
 a city of refuge being provided ; after he had entered 
 in, he would derive additional consolation from know- 
 ing that he was within its gates ; and thus it is that 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 179 
 
 rest to the soid is promised to them that come to 
 Jesus, take his yoke, and imbibe his spirit. But the 
 rest which you have found was not by coming to him 
 as weary and heavy laden, but from a consciousness 
 that you were weary and heavy ladeii, and by being 
 taught that this was a true sign of future deliverance. 
 You have found rest, it seems, without coming to Jesus 
 that you may have life. 
 
 If indeed your spirit is poor and contrite — if it be 
 a grief of heart to you to reflect on your conduct 
 towards the best of beings — if a view of the cross of 
 Christ excite to mourning on account of that for 
 which he died, then is thy heart with my heart ; and 
 with the greatest satisfaction I can add, give me thy 
 hand. Yes; if so, your heart is with God's heart, 
 with Christ's heart, and with the heart of all holy 
 beings, and all holy beings will offer thee their hand. 
 But in this case you not only can, but do repent and 
 believe in Jesus. The question is, Is that distress of 
 soul which is antecedent to all godly sorrow for sin, 
 and in the midst of which the sinner is not willing to 
 come to Jesus as utterly unworthy that he may have 
 life, any evidence of a work of grace ? If it be, Saul 
 during his last years, and Judas in his last hours, 
 were both converted persons. If ever men were 
 weary and heavy laden they were ; but neither of them 
 came to Jesus with his burden, neither of them found 
 rest for his soul. 
 
 Consider, I beseech you, whether that distress of 
 soul which has preceded and issued in true conversion, 
 is ever represented in the Scripture as an evidence of a 
 work of grace j or whether the parties were ever com- 
 
180 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 forted on that ground. Do reperuse the cases of Pe- 
 ter^s address to the murderers of Christ, and that of 
 Paul and Silas to the jailer. 
 
 Section III. Trust in ^Christ shown in the 
 CONDUCT OF THE DYING THIEF. As the nature of faith 
 in Christ should be well understood, it may be well 
 to examine another instance of it in the penitent 
 thief, as recorded in the twenty-third chapter of the 
 gospel of Luke. 
 
 It is an opinion entertained by some who imbibe 
 what is sometimes called rational Christianity, that 
 character being formed by habits, and habits by a 
 series of actions, sudden conversions are impossible. 
 It would seem to be in support of this hypothesis that 
 doubts have been suggested as to the previous charac- 
 ter of the converted thief, as whether his crime might 
 not consist in some affair of a political nature, which 
 being accounted seditious, affected his life ; and whether 
 he might not, upon the whole, have had a good char- 
 acter notwithstanding. There is nothing, however, 
 in the story that countenances such an idea. He is 
 called a malefactor, or evil-doer, and the term here 
 rendered a thief signifies as much as a robber. It is 
 the same word that is used of Barabbas, who was a 
 robber and murderer. Besides, he condemns himself; 
 who then shall go about to justify him ? 
 
 • Those who entertain this opinion could have noth- 
 ing to say to a condemned malefactor, unless it were 
 to examine him as to the reality and heinousness of 
 his crimes, hoping to find him less guilty than was 
 alleged. If on inquiry they find he has been a bad 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 181 
 
 man, they must give Mm up as to any change being 
 effected in this life. The gospel which they preach 
 will not reach his case. He must die, therefore, in 
 his sins, and whither the Saviour is gone he can- 
 not go. 
 
 Some who have not carried matters to this length, 
 have yet considered the conversion of bad men as 
 every thing but hopeless. They do not say it is im- 
 possible, but conceive it to be exceedingly improbable ; 
 as if the probability of a sinner's conversion depended 
 on his previous character, and was influenced by it. 
 Jesus, however, commissioned his disciples to " preach 
 repentance and remission of sins, in his name, among 
 all nations, beginning at Jerusalem," the crimes of 
 whose inhabitants, in crucifying the Lord of glory, 
 were such that, compared with them, those of ordinary 
 malefactors are but little follies. 
 
 The doctrine of grace to the chief of sinners never 
 seems to be guarded in the Scriptures in the manner 
 we sometimes see it in human writings. The salva- 
 tion of a great sinner is not there held up as a singular 
 instance, which we are not to expect to see repeated ; 
 but rather as a proof that no sinner need despair on 
 account of the magnitude of his sins. "For this cause 
 I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might 
 show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them who 
 should hereafter believe on him to everlasting life." 
 1 Tim. 1 : 16. 
 
 The way in which the Scriptures guard the doc- 
 trine of grace is not by limiting its operations, but by 
 insisting upon its effects. They put no questions to a 
 sinner coming to Jesus for mercy as to the magnitude 
 
182 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 of Ms sms, but they declare without reserve, that " if 
 any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things 
 are passed away ; behold, all things are become new." 
 2 Cor. 5 : 17. On this principle let us carefully ex- 
 amine the case of the converted thief, and apply it as 
 we go along to cases in our own times. 
 
 1. He frankly acknowledges his guilt, and the jus- 
 tice of his condemnation. "We, indeed, justly ; "we 
 receive the due reward of our deeds." The sinner 
 who palliates or prevaricates as to any part of his 
 conduct is not a new creature, and therefore is not 
 in Christ. 
 
 It is possible, however, that a convict may, 
 through the fallibility of the most upright judge and 
 jury, be condemned to die for a crime of which he is 
 not guilty, although he has been guilty of many other 
 crimes ; while, therefore, he acknowledges the justice 
 of God in his condemnation, he cannot in respect of 
 the proceedings of man say, with the dying thief, I 
 suffer justly. Such a case as this may occur, and 
 where it does it is doubtless right for the party to 
 speak the truth. But before he is entitled to credit, 
 the credibility of the evidence against him requires to 
 be carefully and impartially considered. Truth also 
 is consistent, and very rarely devoid of evidence. 
 Before he is entitled to credit in the denial of what 
 has been legally proved against him, it should be con- 
 sidered also that he may have an interest in trying to 
 persuade those about him of his innocence in respect 
 of the crime for which he is condemned to suffer, as 
 it is by this only that he can hope for an application 
 being made on his behalf for the mitigation of his pun- 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 183 
 
 ishment. When a compassionate minister attends a 
 convict in such circumstances, and hears him confess 
 how great a sinner he has been in other things, though 
 as to the crime for which he is about to suffer he is 
 innocent, he may be induced to believe him, and this 
 the convict will quickly perceive, and will go on by 
 every means in his power to work up his feelings. 
 The convict may even exaggerate his other crimes, 
 for the sake of producing a belief of his innocence of 
 the crime for which he stands condemned. But it 
 ought to be considered, that for the crimes which he 
 confesses he lies under no indictment, and therefore 
 they do not affect his life ; but for the crime which 
 he denies, he stands not only indicted but condemned ; 
 this therefore affecting his life, he is under the strong- 
 est temptation that can be conceived to deny it. The 
 sum is, that when a person is found guilty by a hu- 
 mane judge and an impartial jury, it may be laid 
 down as a general rule that he is guilty, and no pro- 
 fessions of repentance while he continues to deny it 
 can be sincere ; and though there are particular excep- 
 tions to this rule, yet no convict ought to be consid- 
 ered as one of them on his own bare word, unaccom- 
 panied with evidence, especially when he is under the 
 greatest possible temptation, though he were guilty, 
 to wish to be thought innocent. 
 
 2. The few things uttered by the dying thief had 
 no bearing on his temporal interest, but were the 
 pure dictates of truth and righteousness. In con- 
 demning his own conduct, he justified his countrymen 
 as to their treatment of him ; yet at the same time he 
 condemned them as to their treatment of Jesus. If, 
 
184 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 by the former, he might be supposed to conciliate 
 them, and induce them to make interest for his being 
 taken down from the cross, the latter would have a 
 contrary effect. His words, therefore, taken together, 
 must have arisen from a regard to what was true and 
 right. 
 
 3. His repentance towards God was accompanied 
 with "faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ." The 
 prayer that he offered was that of faith, and consid- 
 ering his circumstances, of great faith. A man of 
 his habits cannot be supposed to have been much 
 acquainted with the prophecies or the miracles of 
 Christ. Excepting the general idea, which may be 
 considered as common to every Jew, that the Messiah 
 would come, he would probably know little or nothing 
 of religion. It is not unlikely that, till he saw Jesus 
 in the hands of the rulers, he knew nothing of him ; 
 and now that he saw him, it was under every circum- 
 stance of weakness and disgrace : his enemies were 
 triumphing over him, his friends had mostly forsaken 
 him, public opinion was against him, and his very 
 crucifixion was deemed inconsistent with his Mes- 
 siahship. The lowliness of his condition from the 
 beginning was a great stumbling-block to the Jews, 
 and the circumstances of his death must render it 
 more so, especially to one who had never seen him 
 but in this situation. Even those who had believed 
 in him were made to doubt by his crucifixion. Yet 
 under all these disadvantages he had the fullest con- 
 viction of his Messiahship, or he could not have 
 offered the prayer which he did, "Lord, remember 
 me when thou comest into thy kingdom." By the 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 185 
 
 request to be remembered, he must have meant as 
 much as if he had asked to be saved, which implies 
 his belief in Jesus as the Saviour. Indeed he must 
 have believed him to be the Saviour even of the chief 
 of sinners, or he would not have hoped to be remem- 
 bered by him. A self-righteous spectator would have 
 cried shame on such a petition ; and had he himself 
 been influenced by that spirit, he might have sup- 
 pressed it, as being unworthy of so great a favor. 
 He must also have believed that this Jesus, though 
 now expiring upon the cross, would shortly be in pos- 
 session of a kingdom in the heavenly world. In this, 
 again, he was before the apostles, whose notions of 
 an earthly kingdom blinded their minds. Finally, it 
 would seem as if he believed that in that blessed 
 kingdom Jesus would "make intercession for trans- 
 gressors ;" why else did he ask to be remembered by 
 him ? This is certain, that if he had possessed the 
 clearest views of the intercession of Christ, he could 
 not have expressed himself better. 
 
 How full and appropriate was the term which his 
 heart dictated. It is as if he had said. Think of me 
 when it shall be well with thee. He might have 
 said. Pardon me, save me, bless me ; but the words '• re- 
 member me " include them all. An interest in Christ's 
 heart will comprehend an interest in all his benefits. 
 Nor was the term less appropriate to the condition 
 of the petitioner ; an outcast from society, who will 
 remember him ? The public would think no more of 
 him ; his friends would be glad to forget him, as hav- 
 ing disgraced the family ; but there is one with whom 
 he ventures to lodge a petition, " Lord, remember me '' 
 
186 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 How shall we account for so large a portion of faith 
 and spiritual understanding in one circumstanced as 
 he was, and in so short a time ? Without divine influ- 
 ence it cannot be accounted for, but with it that 
 which he saw and heard was sufficient for every pur- 
 pose. When led to the place of execution, he heard 
 the answer of Jesus to the women who lamented him : 
 " Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep 
 for yourselves, and for your children ; for behold, the 
 days are coming in the which they shall say, Blessed 
 are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and 
 the paps which never gave suck. Then they shall 
 begin to say to the mountains. Fall on us ; and to the 
 hills. Cover us : for if they do these things in a green 
 tree, what shall be done in the dry?" He had also 
 heard the prayer for his enemies when they were 
 nailing him to the cross, " Father, forgive them ; for 
 they know not what they do." To a heart which the 
 Lord had opened, these sayings would be more than 
 so many sermons. Nor was this all ; he would gather 
 from the very jeers of his enemies that Jesus pro- 
 fessed to be Christ, the Son of God, and the Saviour 
 of men. Even the impenitent thief knew this, and 
 joined in reproaching him for it. The superscription 
 written over him, "This is the Kin^- of the Jews," 
 was equal to saying, This is the Messiah; and so 
 contained a testimony for him, on which account the 
 Jews wished to have it altered. He would also per- 
 ceive the spirit of the sufferer and that of his perse- 
 cutors. Altogether, he saw that he had " done noth- 
 ing amiss;" and his mind, being open to conviction, 
 would quickly admit the consequences : He must be 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 187 
 
 what he professes to be, Christ, the Son of God, and 
 the Saviour of the world. 
 
 From this conviction proceeded his petition to be 
 remembered by him ; and considering the well-known 
 character of Christ, it was not surprising that it 
 should be heard and answered. He had declared in 
 his discourses, " Him that cometh unto me I will in no 
 wise cast out f and he acted up to it. " Jesus said 
 unto him, Yerily, I say unto thee. To-day shalt thou 
 be with me in paradise." Of the reproaches that 
 were cast upon him by his enemies he took no notice j 
 but the prayer of the contrite and believing sinner 
 arrested his attention. At a time when he was grap- 
 pling with the powers of darkness, and sustaining the 
 load of human guilt, we should have thought he might 
 have been excused from attending to individual ap- 
 plications ; but a sinner can never come to him in an 
 unacceptable time. He gives him an answer of peace, 
 and that without delay. There was a case, which we 
 have already considered, in which he held the peti- 
 tioner a while in suspense, alleging, " It is not meet to 
 take the children's bread, and cast it to the dogs ;" 
 but this was an urgent case. In a very little time 
 the spark of life would be extinguished. The word 
 must be nigh him, or it will be unavailing. Had he 
 been required to ascend to heaven or to descend into 
 the deep for the blessing, it had been utterly out of 
 reach. Had it been necessary for him to possess a 
 set of virtuous habits, each acquired by a series of 
 virtuous acts, the way had been too circuitous for 
 him ; but the word of faith was nigh him, and he laid 
 hold of it ; with his heart believing unto righteous- 
 
188 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 ness, and with his mouth making confession unto sal- 
 vation. 
 
 As the request to be remembered included much, 
 so did the answer. To be with Christ in paradise, 
 not only supposes that his soul would exist when sep- 
 arated from the body, but intimates the forgiveness 
 of his sins, and all that was necessary to salvation. 
 It exceeds all that he asked or thought : he asked to 
 be remembered by him, and is told he shall be with 
 him ; he asked to be remembered at a future time, 
 he knew not when, and is assured that before the 
 day should end they would be together in paradise. 
 And lest it should seem too much to be true, Jesus 
 prefaced the assurance with the solemn asseveration, 
 •' Verily I say unto thee." The dying man no doubt 
 believed him, and rejoiced in hope of eternal life. 
 
 4. Though assured of being with Christ in para- 
 dise, there is no mention of his making this a part of 
 his confession, or telling the spectators that he was 
 going to heaven. What was said on this subject was 
 by Christ, and not by him. Is it unnatural to sup- 
 pose that the circumstances under which he died 
 would induce him to suppress things which might 
 have been proper in other circumstances? Had he 
 been a martyr to the truth, he might have declared, 
 with great propriety, that though they had cast him 
 out, God would receive him ; or had he died in his 
 bed, like righteous men, he might have said with an 
 apostle, *' If the earthly house of this tabernacle were 
 dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not 
 made with hands, eternal in the heavens ;" but dying 
 as a malefactor, whatever were his hopes or joys, he 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 189 
 
 would not be forward to speak of them. If, in cases 
 where men are " buffeted for their faults," the most ex- 
 emplary patience loses its glory and thankworthiness, 
 much more where they are executed for their crimes. 
 It must appear to the dying thief, and I think to 
 any true penitent in his situation, that the expressions 
 of a lively hope would have no glory, but must rather 
 appear incongruous and disgusting. In such circum- 
 stances, therefore, he would rather choose to steal out 
 of the world in silence. Duty required him to ac- 
 knowledge his sin, and he did so without prevarica- 
 tion or reserve. Let the world think ill of his con- 
 duct ; the more they do this, the better ; but as to 
 their thinking well of his future state, he discovered 
 no concern about it. 
 
 Besides, except his acknowledgment of the justice 
 of his sentence, he had no claim to the credence of 
 the spectators for the sincerity of his repentance. 
 Unless his life had been prolonged, he could give no 
 proof of it ; what right then had he to expect to be 
 credited as to his future happiness ? The testimony 
 of a single witness was not admitted in certain cases, 
 under the Mosaic law ; whatever, therefore, such a 
 witness might know, he would not be forward to utter, 
 and still less to claim credit for the truth of that of 
 which he could produce no legal proof ; so the truly 
 penitent convict, knowing that he has no such means 
 of proving his sincerity as he would have if his life 
 were prolonged, will not be eager in proclaiming it. 
 
 If the views we have presented are correct, the 
 justification of sinners by the work of their hands 
 
190 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 utterly falls to the ground. The foundation on which 
 sinners in general build their hopes is something like 
 this : They have more virtue than vice, more good 
 works than evil ones ; that as none are without fault, 
 and which they conceive affords a good excuse for 
 them, God will not be strict to mark iniquity, but will 
 weigh the good against the evil, and so balance the 
 account. But if all the works of unregenerate sin- 
 ners be of the nature of sin, there is an end to all 
 hope of being accepted of God on their own account. 
 When ministers have endeavored to dissuade sinners 
 from a reliance on their own righteousness, I have 
 heard them reason to this effect : " Your good deeds 
 are all mixed with evil, and therefore cannot be accept- 
 able to God." I acknowledge that this is just, and 
 that the least mixture of sin is an eternal bar to our 
 being justified by our own righteousness; but me- 
 thinks, if they could have alleged that all their works 
 were essentially and entirely evil, their arguments 
 must have been more effectual as to the cutting up of 
 self-righteous hopes. And such a doctrine would leave 
 no room for the supposition of Christ dying to render 
 our imperfect but sincere obedience acceptable to God, 
 instead of that which is perfect ; for in this case, the 
 idea of imperfect sincere endeavors in unregenerate 
 men is inadmissible — there are no such endeavors in 
 existence. 
 
 Alas, what multitudes are yet in a state of unbe- 
 lief, and therefore exposed to the wrath of God. 
 Let us however remind you, dear reader, that great 
 as is the sin of unbelief, it is not unpardonable; it 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. 191 
 
 becomes such only by persisting in it till death. Saul 
 of Tarsus was an unbeliever, yet he " obtained mercy ;" 
 and his being an unbeliever, rather than a presumptu- 
 ous opposer of Christ against conviction, placed him 
 within the pale of forgiveness, and is therefore assigned 
 as a reason of it. 1 Tim. 1:13. 
 
 This consideration affords a hope even to unbe- 
 lievers. ye self-righteous despisers of a free salva- 
 tion through a Mediator, be it known to you that 
 there is no other name given under heaven, or among 
 men, by which you can be saved. To Him whom you 
 have disregarded and despised, you must either volun- 
 tarily or involuntarily submit. To Him every knee 
 shall bow. You cannot go back into a state of non- 
 existence, however desirable it might be to many of 
 you, for God hath stamped immortality upon your 
 natures. You cannot turn to the right hand, or to 
 the left, with any advantage; whether you give a 
 loose to your inclination, or put a force upon it by an 
 assumed devotion, each will lead to the same issue. 
 Neither can you stand still. Like a vessel in a tem- 
 pestuous ocean, you must go this way or that ; and go 
 which way you will, if it be not to Jesus as utterly 
 unworthy, you are only heaping up wrath against the 
 day of wrath. Whether you sing, or pray, or hear, 
 or preach, or feed the poor, or till the soil, if self he 
 your object and Christ be disregarded, all is sin, and 
 all will issue in disappointment ; " the root is rotten- 
 ness, and the blossom shall go up as the dust." Whither 
 will you go ? Jesus invites you to come to Mm. His 
 servants beseech you, in his name, to be reconciled to 
 God. The Spirit saith. Come; and the bride saith, 
 
192 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 Came; and "whosoever will, let him come, and take 
 of the water of life freely." An eternal heaven is 
 before you in one direction, and an eternal hell in the 
 other. Your answer is required. Be one thing or 
 another. Choose you this day whom ye will serve. 
 For our own parts, we will abide by our Lord and 
 Saviour. If you continue to reject him, so it must be ; 
 " nevertheless, be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of 
 God has come nigh unto you.'' 
 
PRACTICAL SUaaESTIONS. 193 
 
 CHAPTER YII. 
 
 PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT OF THE SUBJECT. 
 
 The doctrine and the faith of the primitive Chris- 
 tians were summarily avowed every time they cele- 
 brated the Lord's supper. The leading truth exhib- 
 ited by that ordinance is the same which John calls 
 "the record;" namely, that " God hath given unto us 
 eternal life, and this life is in his Son." Under the 
 form of a feast, of which we are invited to take, to 
 eat, and to drink, are set forth the blessings of the 
 new testament, or covenant, and the medium through 
 which they were obtained, namely, the blood of Jesus, 
 shed for many for the remission of sins ; and the way 
 in which they must be received, that is to say, as a 
 free gift bestowed on the unworthy for his sake. If 
 this simple doctrine were believed with the spirit of 
 a little child, and lived upon as our meat and drink, 
 we might take an everlasting leave of speculations on 
 things beyond our reach ; and that without sustaining 
 the loss of any thing but what were better lost than 
 retained. 
 
 Let us affectionately say to each of our readers, 
 Be not forgetful of the medium through which all 
 your offerings, whether of your souls or your worship, 
 become acceptable, "Jesus Christ." We must not 
 
 Atonement. 
 
194 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 carry our offerings in our hand, like Cain, presuming 
 to be accepted on account of them. The order of the 
 divine proceedings is the reverse of this. The Lord 
 had respect, not to the offering of Abel, and so to him, 
 but to Abel, and so to his offering. The good works 
 of sinful creatures, even those which are most " spir- 
 itual," are no otherwise acceptable to God than by 
 " Jesus Christ." The case of Job and his three 
 friends, which we have before referred to, serves to 
 illustrate this principle. The Lord was so displeased 
 with them, that he refused to accept even a petition 
 at their hands. " My wrath," saith he, " is kindled 
 against you. Take your offerings, and go to my ser- 
 vant Job : he shall pray for you, and him will I accept, 
 lest I deal with you after your folly." Such is our 
 case, and such the intercession of our Redeemer. Him 
 God accepts, and through him our prayers and praises 
 become acceptable to God. 
 
 The love of God is manifested in the gift of his Son. 
 " God so loved the world, that he gave his only begot- 
 ten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not 
 perish, but have everlasting life." " Herein is love, 
 not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent 
 his Son to be a propitiation for our sins." " God 
 commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we 
 were yet sinners, Christ died for us." "He that 
 spared not his own Son, but delivered him- up for us 
 all." " Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to 
 love one another." The benevolence of God to men 
 is represented in the New Testament as consisting not 
 in his overlooking their frailties, not so much even in 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 195 
 
 his forgiving their sins, as in giving his only begotten 
 Son to die for them. Herein was loDe; and herein was 
 found the grand motive to grateful obedience. As 
 this is a matter of fact, it may be worth while to make 
 some inquiry into the reason of it, or why it is that so 
 great a stress should be laid in the Scriptures upon 
 this motive. To say nothing of the strong presump- 
 tion which this affords in favor of the doctrine of 
 atonement, suffice it at present to observe, that in all 
 other cases, an obligation to gratitude is supposed to 
 bear some proportion to the magnitude or value of the 
 gift. But if it be allowed in this instance, it will fol- 
 low that the system which gives us the most exalted 
 views of the dignity of Christ, must include the strong- 
 est motives to obedience and gratitude. 
 
 If there be any meaning in the words, the phrase- 
 ology of John 3 : 16, " God so loved the world, that 
 he gave his rnily begotten Son,^' conveys an idea of the 
 highest worth in the object bestowed. So great was 
 this gift, that the love of God in the bestowment of it 
 is considered as inexpressible and inestimable. We 
 are not told how much he loved the world, but that 
 he so loved it that he gave his only begotten Son. If 
 Jesus Christ be of more worth than the world for 
 which he was given, then was the language of the 
 sacred writer fit and proper ; and then was the gift of 
 him truly great, and worthy of being made the con- 
 sideration upon which the Scriptures should lay the 
 greatest stress, as a motive to gratitude and obedience. 
 But if he be merely a man like ourselves, and was 
 given only to instruct us by his doctrine and example, 
 there is nothing so great in the gift of him, nothing 
 
196 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 that will justify the language of the sacred writers 
 from the charge of bombast, nothing that should ren- 
 der it a motive to gratitude and obedience, upon 
 which the greatest stress should be laid. 
 
 The expense at which our forgiveness was obtained, 
 is a consideration which endears to us both the gift 
 and the giver. We do not conceive of Christ, in his 
 bestowment of this blessing upon us, as presenting us 
 with that which cost him nothing. If the portion 
 given by Jacob to his son Joseph was heightened 
 and endeared by its being obtained "by the sword 
 and the bow," much more is a title to eternal life, 
 by its boing obtained through the death of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ. It is this that attracts the hearts of 
 those who are described as singing a new song to 
 their Redeemer : " Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed 
 us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and 
 tongue, and people, and nation." 
 
 Let us select a particular instance of ardent love 
 to Christ in the person of Paul. This apostle seems 
 to be swallowed up in love to Christ. His mercy to 
 him, as one of the chief of sinners, had bound his heart 
 to him with bonds of everlasting gratitude. Nor was 
 this all ; he saw that glory in his person, office, and 
 work which eclipsed the excellence of all created ob- 
 jects, which crucified the world to him, and him unto 
 the world. " What things were gain to me^ those I 
 counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count 
 all things but loss, for the excellency of the know- 
 ledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suf- 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 197 
 
 fered the loss of all things." Nor did he now repent ; 
 for he immediately adds, " And do count them but 
 dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him ; 
 not having mine own righteousness, which is of the 
 law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the 
 righteousness which is of God by faith." "That I 
 may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and 
 the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conform- 
 able unto his death." When his friends wept because 
 he would not be dissuaded from going to Jerusalem, 
 he answered, " What mean ye to weep, and to break 
 my heart ? For I am ready, not to be bound only, 
 but also to die at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord 
 Jesus." Feeling in himself an ardent love to Christ, 
 he vehemently desired that others might love him too. 
 For this cause he bowed his knees to the Father of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, in behalf of the Ephesians; 
 praying that Christ might dwell in their hearts by 
 faith. He represented him to them as the medium of 
 all spiritual blessings ; of election, adoption, accept- 
 ance with God, redemption, and the forgiveness of 
 sins ; of a future inheritance, and of a present earnest 
 of it ; as Head over all things to the church, and as 
 Him that fiUeth all in all. He described him as the 
 only way of access to God, and as the sole foundation 
 of a sinner's hope; whose riches were unsearchable, 
 and the dimensions of his love passing knowledge. 
 
 I appeal to your own hearts, as men who have been 
 brought to consider yourselves as the Scriptures rep- 
 resent you, Is there any thing in that preaching which 
 leaves out the doctrine of salvation by an atoning sac- 
 
198 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 crifice which can afford you any relief? Is it not like 
 the priest and Levite, who passed by on the other 
 side ? Is not the doctrine of atonement by the blood 
 of Christ like the oil and wine of the good Samaritan ? 
 Under all the pressures of life, whether from inward 
 conflicts or outward troubles, is not this your grand 
 support ? What but " an Advocate with the Father," 
 one who " is the propitiation for our sins," could pre- 1 
 vent you, when you have sinned against God, from 
 sinking into despondency, and encourage you to sue 
 afresh for mercy ? What else could so divest affliction 
 of its bitterness, death of its sting, or the grave of its 
 gloomy aspect ? In fine, what else could enable you 
 to contemplate a future judgment with composure ? 
 What hope could you entertain of being justified at 
 that day, upon any other foundation than this, " It is 
 Christ that died?" 
 
 I am aware I may be told that this is appealing 
 to the passions, and to the passions of enthusiasts. 
 To which it may be replied, In a question which 
 relates to happiness, the heart is the best criterion ; 
 and if it be enthusiasm to think and feel concerning 
 ourselves as the Scriptures represent us, and con- 
 cerning Christ as he is there exhibited, let me live 
 and die an enthusiast. So far from being ashamed 
 to appeal to such persons, in my opinion they are 
 the only competent judges. Men of mere speculation 
 play with doctrines; it is the plain and serious 
 Christian that knows most of their real tendency. 
 In a question, therefore, which concerns their happy 
 or unhappy influence, his judgment is of the greatest 
 importance. 
 
PRACTICAL SUG-G-ESTIONS. 199 
 
 It was by a believing view of this great subject, 
 that the apostle Paul counted all his former privileges 
 and attainments loss; and though, in consequence 
 of renouncing Judaism, he had exchanged all his 
 earthly prospects for hunger and thirst and naked- 
 ness and perils and bitter persecutions, yet, after 
 thirty years' experience, he does not repent, but in 
 a tone of heavenly triumph, adds, " Yea, doubtless, 
 and I count all things but loss for the excellency 
 of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." 
 
 A mind thus imbued with the sacred theme, we 
 should think must have known much of Christ al- 
 ready, and compared with us, he must ; yet, after all 
 that he had thought and preached and written, he 
 makes nothing of his attainments, but adopts the lan- 
 guage of one who had in a manner every thing to 
 learn : " That I may know Him, and the power of his 
 resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being 
 made conformable unto his death." 
 
 The last of these vehement desires seems to be ex- 
 planatory of some, if not all that precede it. That is, 
 he would know him, and the power of his resurrection, 
 and the fellowship of his sufferings, as " being made 
 conformable unto his death." 
 
 The sentiment here conveyed appears to be, that 
 the death of Christ is a model to which Christians must 
 aspire to he conformed. This sentiment we shall en- 
 deavor to illustrate and confirm. 
 
 There are other models besides the death of Christ, 
 but they are included in this. The laiu of God is that 
 t(5 which we must become conformed. If we are born 
 from above, it is " written in our hearts." But as one 
 
200 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 great end of Christ's death was to honor the divine 
 law, not only in its precept, but its penalty, a con- 
 formity to the one must include a conformity to the 
 other. The character of God also is represented as a 
 model to which believers are conformed. The new 
 man is created " after God, in righteousness and true 
 holiness f but as in the death of Christ God was glo- 
 rified in the highest, a conformity to this must be a 
 conformity to the divine character. The lives of holy 
 men are also held up for our imitation ; but as this is 
 only in proportion as they are followers of Christ, 
 a conformity to him includes all that is required of us 
 respecting them. 
 
 We shall consider the death of Christ in four 
 views : namely, in respect to the principles on which 
 it proceeded, the motives by which it was induced, 
 the spirit with which it was endured, and the ends 
 which it accomplished. Under each of these views 
 we shall find things to which we must be conformed: 
 Observe, 
 
 I. The principles on which the death of Christ pro- 
 ceeded. In them we shall find a standard by which to 
 form our principles, and shall be able to judge whether 
 they are of God. 
 
 1. The death of Christ presupposes that we de- 
 served to die. A sense of this truth is at the founda- 
 tion of all true religion ; it requires, therefore, that we 
 be made conformable to it. God, in the gift of his Son 
 to die, judged us to have been worthy of death ; Christ, 
 in giving himself to die, evinced himself to be of the 
 same mind; and such must be our mind, or we can 
 have no interest in the glorious results. Until we see 
 
PRACTICAL SUaaESTIONS. 201 
 
 and feel that God is in the right, that we are in the 
 wrong, and that if he had cast us off for ever it had 
 been no more than we deserved, we shall be strangers 
 to repentance, and as incapable of believing in Christ 
 for salvation as he that is whole is of appreciating 
 the value of a physician. 
 
 2. The death of Christ presupposes that sin is ex- 
 ceedingly sinful. If it were a matter of small ac- 
 count, it may be presumed that the Father would not 
 have made so much of it as to give his Son to be made 
 a sacrifice to atone for it ; and that the Son of God 
 would not have laid down his life for that purpose. 
 The curses of the law, and the judgments inflicted at 
 different times on sinners, furnished strong proof of 
 the malignant nature of sin ; especially when the na- 
 tive goodness of God is taken into consideration ; but 
 the blood of the cross furnishes much stronger. It 
 was a great thing for the Creator to destroy the work 
 of his hands, and it is so represented : " The Lord said, 
 I will destroy man whom I have created from the 
 face of the earth f but to smite his beloved Son was 
 greater. To be made conformable to this principle, 
 we must not conceive of sin as the weakness or frailty 
 of human nature, a mere imperfection which an infi- 
 nitely benevolent Being must needs overlook. Neither 
 must we give heed to those systems of religion which 
 are founded upon these depreciating notions, which, 
 however they may flatter us for the present, will in 
 the end assuredly deceive us. 
 
 3. The death of Christ presupposes that there was 
 nothing, in all our doings or sufferings, which could 
 furnish a ground of salvation, or a single considera- 
 
202 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 tion for which we might be forgiven. Had it been 
 otherwise, Christ would not have died. Men have 
 always been busily employed in endeavors to propi- 
 tiate the Deity ; some by ceremonial observances, and 
 some by moral; but instead of accomplishing the 
 object, they have only made the case worse. Even 
 those services which were of divine appointment be- 
 came, in their hands, offensive ; God was weary of 
 their offerings. Christ is represented as taking the 
 work out of their hands : " Sacrifice and offering thou 
 didst not desire ; mine ears hast thou opened : burnt- 
 offering and sin-offering hast thou not required. Then 
 said I, Lo, I come !" They were, indeed, required as 
 duties for the time, but not for the purpose of making 
 atonement. Not tears, nor prayers, nor alms, nor 
 any other of our doings, will avail as terms of accept- 
 ance with God. If we are conformed to the death of 
 Christ, we shall know and feel this to be the case, 
 and shall seek salvation by grace only, through the 
 Mediator. If we are not conformed to the death of 
 Christ in this respect, we have no reason to expect 
 any interest in it. 
 
 4. The death of Christ presupposes that, for mercy 
 to be exercised in a way consistent with the honor of 
 God, it required to be through a sacrifice of infinite 
 value. When the apostle declares that " it was not 
 possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should 
 take away sins," he plainly intimates that the inherent 
 value of the sacrifice was of essential importance as 
 to its effect. If it were impossible for animal sacrifi- 
 ces to atone for sin, it must be on account of their in- 
 sufficiency to demonstrate either the hatred of God to 
 
PRACTICAL SUaO-ESTIONS. 203 
 
 sin or his love to sinners ; but the same reason would 
 apply to the sacrifice of Christ, if he were merely a 
 creature. Hence those who deny his divinity, with 
 perfect consistency deny also his atonement. But on 
 the principles of his divinity, his sufferings were of 
 infinite value ; and to this the Scriptures ascribe their 
 efficacy. A careful reader of the New Testament 
 will perceive, that in exhibiting the vahie and efficacy 
 of his death, it connects it with the inherent dignity 
 of his person: "Who being the brightness of his 
 glory, and the express image of his person, and up-, 
 holding all things by the word of his power, when he 
 had hy himself purged our sins, sat down on the right 
 hand^ of the Majesty on high." " We have a great 
 High-priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the 
 Son of God.'' "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son 
 cleanseth us from all sin." 
 
 The result is, that to be made conformable to the 
 death of Christ, we must think highly of it, and not 
 reduce it to the death of a mere martyr. It is a seri- 
 ous thing to make light of the Saviour, and of the 
 work of salvation : " He that despised Moses' law, 
 died without mercy under two or three witnesses ; of 
 how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be 
 thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son 
 of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, 
 wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy," or common, 
 "thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of 
 grace ? For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance 
 belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. 
 And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a 
 fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." 
 
204 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 Let us observe, 
 
 II. The motives by which the death of Christ was 
 induced. In these we shall find a blessed example to 
 imitate. They may all be summed up in hve : love to 
 God and men ; love, great, disinterested, and unpar- 
 alleled. 
 
 There never was such an example of the " love of 
 God" as that which is furnished by the obedience and 
 death of Christ. It was his meat and drink to do the 
 will of his Father. He did not know his dearest rela- 
 tions, but as doing his Father's will. When the bitter 
 cup was presented to him, he said, " Now is my soul 
 troubled ; and what shall I say ? Father, save me from 
 this hour ; but for this cause came I unto this hour. 
 Father, glorify thy name." What was this but ex- 
 posing his breast, as we should say, to the sword of 
 justice ; consenting to be made a sacrifice, that God 
 might be glorified in the salvation of sinners? It was 
 love working in a way of grief which caused that 
 affecting exclamation, " My God, my God, why hast 
 thou forsaken me ?" He could endure the cross, and 
 even despise the shame ; he could bear to be betrayed, 
 denied, and forsaken by his own disciples ; but to be 
 forsaken of God wounded him beyond any thing else. 
 Oh to be made conformable to his death in these 
 things: to love God so as to account it our meat and 
 drink to do his will ; so as to reckon his friends our 
 friends, and his cause om- cause ; to be willing to do 
 any thing, or suffer any thing, for his name's sake; 
 and to feel the withholding of his favor our severest 
 
 As there never was such love to God as that which 
 
PRACTICAL SUaGESTIONS. 205 
 
 was manifested by Christ, so neither was there ever 
 such love to men. " He loved ns, and gave himself ioT 
 us — loved us, and washed us from- our sins in his own 
 blood" The love of creatures is ordinarily founded on 
 something lovely in the object, but Christ died for us 
 while we were yet enemies. To be made conformable 
 to his death in this, is to bear good-will to men, to 
 seek their present and everlasting welfare in every 
 way that is within our power ; and this notwithstand- 
 ing the unloveliness of their character and conduct : 
 " Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them 
 which despitefuUy use you, and persecute you." Un- 
 believers who know no principle superior to self-love, 
 have represented this precept of our Lord as unnatu- 
 ral and extravagant. Yet they themselves are daily 
 partaking of his bounty, who causeth his sun to rise 
 on the evil and the good, and his rain to descend on 
 the just and on the unjust. If they were the children 
 of that Being whom they acknowledge, they would in 
 some degree resemble him. Such was the example of 
 Jesus, and such must be ours, if we be made conform- 
 able to him. 
 
 Let us observe, 
 
 III. The spirit with which the sufferings and death of 
 Christ were endured. In this we shall find a model for 
 our spirit. The Lord Jesus was possessed of all the 
 original passions of human nature, as love, joy, sor- 
 row, grief, anger, indignation, etc. When reproached 
 and injured, he felt it ; his enduring the cross, and de- 
 spising the shame, was not owing to his being insen- 
 sible to either, but to " the joy that was set before 
 him." The purity of his nature did not extinguish its 
 
206 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 passions, but rendered them su|)ordmate to the will of 
 his Father. With the greatest sensibility to reproach 
 and injury, he was meek and lowly of heart. Under 
 all the reproaches and false accusations that were pre- 
 ferred against him on his trial, he preserved a dignified 
 silence ; not a word was uttered tending to save his 
 life : but when questioned on the truth of his Messiah- 
 ship, he with equal dignity and firmness avowed it, 
 though he knew the avowal would cost him his life. 
 Nor did the contradiction and abuse which he received 
 from his executioners extinguish his compassion tow- 
 ards them : while they were nailing him to the cross 
 he prayed, saying, "Father, forgive them; for they 
 know not what they do." 
 
 If we observe the spirit of the apostles, we shall 
 find them to have made him their pattern : " Being 
 reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; 
 being defamed, we entreat ; we are made as the filth 
 of the world, and the off-scouring of all things, unto 
 this day." There appears to have been a holy emula- 
 tion in the apostle Paul to be a follower of his Lord, 
 even unto death. In all that befell him, he kept his 
 eye on Christ : "If we suffer, we shall also reign with 
 him." " We are troubled on every side, yet not dis- 
 tressed ; perplexed, but not in despair ; persecuted, 
 but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 
 always bearing about in the body the dying of the 
 Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made 
 manifest in our body. For we which live are always 
 delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also 
 of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." 
 Such was that conformity to the death of Christ, after 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 207 
 
 which he panted with the most vehement desire. 
 Nothing was further from his thoughts than partak- 
 ing with him in the work of redemption ; but so far 
 as fellowship in his sufferings was admissible, it was 
 the object of his most ardent desire. Oh to be thus 
 made like him, and like his faithful followers ! 
 
 In view of this grand doctrine and its results, let 
 the constant theme of Christian ministers be " Jesus 
 Christ, and him crucified." 
 
 Exhibit his divinity and glorious character. The 
 New Testament dwells much on his being the Son of 
 God — equal with God. It was this that heightened 
 the gift of him. John 3:16. Hence the efficacy of his 
 blood. 1 John, 1:7. Hence the condescension of his 
 obedience, and the dignity of his priesthood. He- 
 brews 4 : 14-16. Hence the greatness of the sin of re- 
 jecting him, John 3 : 18 ; and of apostasy. Heb. 10 : 9. 
 
 Hold up his atonement and mediation as the only 
 ground of a sinner's hope. It is the work of a Chris- 
 tian minister to beat off self-righteous hope, which is 
 natural to depraved man, and to direct his hearers to 
 the only hope set before them in the gospel. Be not 
 concerned merely to form the manners of your con- 
 gregation, but bring them to Christ. That will best 
 form their manners. The apostles had no directions 
 short of this: "Repent, and believe the gospel." 
 They never employed themselves in lopping off the 
 branches of sin, but laid the axe to the root. Your 
 business with the sins of mankind is, to make use of 
 them to convince your hearers of the corruption of 
 their nature, and their need of a radical cure. 
 
208 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 Hold up the blessings of his salvation for accept- 
 ance, even to the chief of sinners. " This is a faithful 
 saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ 
 Jesus came into the world to save sinners ; of whom I 
 am chief." The gospel is a feast, and you are to 
 invite guests. You may meet with many excuses and 
 refusals; but be you concerned to do as your Lord 
 commands. And when you have done your utmost, 
 there will still be room. Dwell on the freeness and 
 fulness and all-sufficiency of his grace, and how wel- 
 come even the worst sinners are, who, renouncing all 
 other refuges, flee to him. 
 
 Never, brethren, let us forget that the person and 
 work of Christ must be the leading theme of our 
 ministry. In this, if we be Christians, we have be- 
 lieved; and this we must preach to others. We 
 must preach him as divine. How else could we know 
 whom we had believed? We must preach him as 
 having assumed our nature, and thereby qualified 
 himself to be our Saviour. Heb. 2 : 14, 15. We must 
 preach him as dying for our sins, etc. 1 Cor. 15 : 1-4. 
 We must preach him as the Saviour of the lost, 
 taking the place of the chief of sinners. We must 
 preach him as the only way of acceptance with God. 
 " Being justified freely by his grace, we have peace 
 with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." In short, 
 he is suited to all our wants. To whom else shall we 
 go? He hath the words of eternal life. So preach 
 Christ. 
 
 Every sermon, more or less, should have some 
 relation to Christ, and bear on his person or work. 
 
PRACTICAL SUa&ESTIONS. 209 
 
 This is the life of all doctrine, and it will be our own 
 fault if it is dry. Do not consider it as one subject 
 among others, but as that which involves all others, 
 and gives them an interest they could not otherwise 
 possess. Preach not only the truth, but all truth, " as 
 in Jesus." However ingenious our sermons may be, 
 unless they bear on Christ, and lead the mind to Christ, 
 we do not preach the faith of the gospel. 
 
 Again we repeat, that the doctrine we teach 
 must be that of Jesus Christ and him crucified. The 
 person and work of Christ have ever been the corner- 
 stone of the Christian fabric : take away his divinity 
 and atonement, and all will go to ruin. This is the 
 doctrine taught by the apostles, and which God in all 
 ages has delighted to honor. It would be found, I 
 believe, on inquiry, that in those times wherein this 
 doctrine has been most cordially embraced the church 
 has been most prosperous, and that almost every de- 
 clension has been accompanied by a neglect of it. 
 This was the doctrine by which the Reformation was 
 effected; and to what is the Reformation come in 
 those communities where it is rejected? This was 
 the leading theme of the puritans, non-conformists, and 
 pilgrim fathers ; and what are their descendants be- 
 come who have renounced it? Many of them rank 
 with infidels, and many who retain the form of Chris- 
 tianity deny the power thereof. 
 
 If it be alleged that the church of Rome retains 
 this doctrine amidst its greatest apostasy, and some 
 Protestant churches do the same, which, notwithstand- 
 ing, have exceedingly degenerated ; I answer, it is 
 one thing for a community to retain doctrines in its 
 
210 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 decrees and articles, and another for ministers to 
 preach them with faith and love in their ordinary- 
 labors. Divine truth requires to be written not 
 merely with ink and paper, but by the Spirit of God 
 upon the fleshly tables of the heart. If the church of 
 Rome had retained the doctrine of Christ's divinity 
 to any purpose, its members would have worshipped 
 him, and not have turned aside to the adoration of 
 saints and relics ; and if his atoning blood and only 
 mediation between God and man had been properly 
 regarded, we had never heard of mediators, pardons, 
 and penances of another kind. 
 
 Christ crucified is the central point, in which all 
 the lines of evangelical truth meet and are united. 
 There is not a doctrine in the Scriptures but what 
 bears an important relation to it. Would we under- 
 stand the glory of the divine character and government ? 
 It is seen in perfection "in the face of Jesus Christ." 
 Would we learn the evil of sin, and our perishing 
 condition as sinners? Each is manifested in his suf- 
 ferings. All the blessings of grace and glory are 
 given us in him, and for his sake. Practical religion 
 finds its most powerful motives in his dying love. 
 That doctrine of which Christ is not the sum and sub- 
 stance is not the gospel; and that morality which 
 has no relation to him, and which is not enforced on 
 evangelical principles, is not Christian, but heathen. 
 
 I do not mean to be the apologist for that fastid- 
 ious disposition apparent in some hearers, who require 
 that every sermon shall have Christ for its immediate 
 theme, and denominate every thing else legal preach- 
 ing. His sacred name ought not to be unnaturally 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 211 
 
 forced into our discourses, nor the holy Scriptures 
 turned into allegory for the sake of introducing it; 
 but in order to preach Christ, there is no need of 
 this. If all scripture doctrines and duties bear a 
 relation to him, we have only to keep that relation in 
 view, and to urge practical religion upon those prin- 
 ciples. If I leave out Christ in a sermon, and allege 
 that the subject did not admit of his being intro- 
 duced, I fear it will only prove that my thoughts 
 have not been cast in an evangelical mould. I might 
 as well say there is a village which has no road to 
 the metropolis, as that there is a scripture doctrine 
 or duty which has no relation to the person and work 
 of Christ. Neither can I justly allege that such a 
 way of preaching would cramp the powers of my soul, 
 and confine me to four or five points in divinity : we 
 may give the utmost scope to our minds, and yet, 
 like the apostle, determine to know nothing but Jesus 
 Christ and him crucified. There is breadth and 
 length and depth and height sufficient in his love 
 to occupy our powers, even though they were ten 
 thousand times larger than they are. 
 
 In all our labors, brethren, in the church or in the 
 world, in our native country or among the heathen, 
 be this our principal theme. In this case, and not 
 otherwise, the Lord will delight in us, will bring us 
 into the land, and give it us for a possession. 
 
 Let us close by considering the woes denounced 
 upon them who reject this great salvation. " If any 
 man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be 
 Anathema Maran-atha." 1 Cor. 16 : 22. 
 
212 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 The sentence here pronounced is awful. " Let him 
 be accursed when the Lord cometh." It probably 
 alludes to the Jewish excommunications, which they 
 tell us were of three sorts, or degrees. In the lirst, 
 the offender was put out of the synagogue, or merely 
 excommunicated ; in the second, he was not only ex- 
 communicated, but anathematized, or cursed ; in the 
 third, which was only for the worst and most incor- 
 rigible persons, he was not only anathematized, but 
 consigned over ^to the judgment of the great day. 
 The meaning of the word here seems to be. Let him 
 be excommunicated from the presence of God and all 
 holy beings ; and as he did not love the Lord Jesus 
 Christ as a Saviour, let him fall before him as a 
 Judge. This sentence, however awful, is strictly 
 equitable. The truth of this will appear by the joint 
 consideration of three things. 
 
 I. He who loves not the Lord Jesus Christ must 
 be an enemy to God^ to virtue, and to all moral excellence. 
 Such a oneness is there between God as a Lawgiver 
 and Christ as a Saviour, that what is done to the one 
 is done to the other. The Jews, in our Saviour's time, 
 wished to be thought friends to God, while they were 
 enemies to Christ ; but, " if God .were your Father," 
 saith he, " ye would love me." And again, " I know 
 you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am 
 come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not." 
 The same thing is observable now among deists, who 
 would be thought friends to the one Supreme Being, 
 but enemies to Christianity. And indeed this deisti- 
 cal spirit seems greatly to prevail in multitudes who 
 are not professed deists, especially among some in the 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 213 
 
 higher ranks of society, who, though they can now and 
 then assume so much fortitude as to speak respectfully 
 of the Supreme Being, yet would be ashamed that a 
 word should be heard froni their lips in defence of 
 Christ or Christianity. It were to be wished, too, 
 that none of those who sustain the character of Chris- 
 tian ministers had ever discovered the same spirit. 
 This is very awful. But whatever we may think here, 
 and whatever character we may sustain, it will be 
 found at last that "whosoever denieth the Son, the 
 same hath not the Father.^' 
 
 1. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, he 
 can have no regard to the authority of God as a Law- 
 giver, seeing it was this that he came into the world 
 to maintain. When devils had cast off God's yoke as 
 grievous, and practically declared him a tyrant ; and 
 men had followed their example, judging it too mean 
 a thing, it seems, for ever to be so kept under rule ; 
 then the Son of God came down, and in the presence • 
 of these revolters, was subject to the very law which 
 they had discarded. Though he was under no natural 
 obligation to come under the law, yet, that he might 
 show how worthy he thought it of being obeyed, and 
 thus wipe off the foul reproach, "he learned obe- 
 dience." Yea, that it might be seen how " easy " a 
 yoke it was, and thence the unreasonableness and wick- 
 edness of their revolt, he declared, whatever others 
 might think, it was his "meat to do the will of his Fa- 
 ther." If any man, therefore, love not the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, he cannot love the law of God, but must be of 
 Satan's mind, accounting it a severe law, and obedience 
 to it slavery ; and thus he must be an enemy to God. 
 
214 ATONEMENT OF CHUIST. 
 
 2. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, he 
 can have no regard to the honor of God's justice be- 
 ing secured. If we had a proper regard to the justice 
 of God, we could not bear the thought of salvation 
 itself being erected upon its ruins. To desire such a 
 thing would be nothing less than desiring to depose 
 the King of the universe, for justice and judgment 
 are the basis of his throne. If a fallen creature loved 
 God, and could see no way for his own salvation but 
 what must be at the expense of truth and equity, his 
 soul must be filled with inexpressible distress. If the 
 way of salvation by Jesus Christ were then to be 
 preached to him — a way wherein, through his glorious 
 sacrifice, God could be just, and the justifier of him 
 that believed in Jesus — how would his spirit revive 
 within him. With what joy of heart would he ac- 
 quiesce in a plan wherein mercy and truth could meet 
 together. The more he loved God, the more he would 
 love Him who out of love to equity invited the sword 
 of vengeance to plunge itself in his heart, saying, 
 "Father, glorify thy name." But if Christ and his 
 way of salvation have no charms in our eyes — if we 
 would barely wish to be justified, that is, freed from 
 condemnation, but care not how; and think, as to 
 God being just therein, he must see to that — is it not 
 evident that we have no love to God, truth, or right- 
 eousness ? 
 
 3. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, he 
 gives proof that God's grand enemy being defeated, 
 and all his counsels turned into foolishness, afi'ords 
 him no pleasure ; and consequently he can be no friend 
 of God, but an enemy. If we love our prince, we 
 
PRACTICAL SUG-aESTIONS. 215 
 
 shall rejoice at his enemies being overthrown, and 
 admire that noble commander who, by hazarding his 
 life in the high places of the field, should put them to 
 confusion. If any monster had been so unfeeling, in 
 the day when David slew Goliath and saved Israel, as 
 to have had no love to the young hero, would he not 
 have been deemed an enemy to his king and country, 
 and suspected of being on the side of the Philistines ? 
 Now, as the Lord Jesus Christ entered the field, and 
 with his own arm spoiled principalities and powers, 
 broke the serpent's head, routed his forces, and ruined 
 his scheme, if we love not him, whatever we may pre- 
 tend, we must be enemies to God, and on the side of 
 Satan. 
 
 4. In short, if any man love not the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, he must be an enemy to all moral excellence ; 
 for of this he was a perfect model, both living and 
 dying. God himself hath borne witness of him that 
 "he loved righteousness, and hated iniquity." He 
 lived to set forth the amiableness of the one, and died 
 that God in him might show his abhorrence of the 
 other. He lived and died that God's character in 
 saving sinners might be untainted with moral turpi- 
 tude. It may well therefore be said of him, " The up- 
 right love thee." Christ is the sum and centre of all 
 excellence. Perhaps we cannot form a better idea of 
 him than as an assemblage of all goodness, a Being in 
 whom all excellences meet. To have no love to him, 
 then, is to have no love to moral excellence, and so to 
 be an enemy to all good. Such a person surely de- 
 serves to be anathematized from God and all holy 
 beings. 
 
216 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 . II. He who loves not the Lord Jesus Christ, must 
 be an enemy to mankind. Perhaps it might be asked, 
 Cannot people be possessed of humanity without being 
 the subjects of Christianity ? It is answered. No, not 
 in the full extent of that term. It is not denied but 
 that people may wish well to each other's temporal 
 interests — may wish to promote their health and 
 wealth and reputation — may live in friendship with 
 mankind, and be of a compassionate spirit to the 
 poor — and may have no design in what they do to 
 destroy the soul. But all this is no more than an 
 over-indulgent parent may feel, who yet interpreta- 
 tively, by sparing the rod, is said to hate his son ; and 
 it is common to say, in such cases, the parent was the 
 child's enemy. Yea, it is very little, if any thing, 
 more than thieves and robbers may exercise towards 
 their comrades. Here is one of that character, for 
 instance, draws a young man into his practices : he 
 has no intention to bring him to the gallows, or him- 
 self either ; and he may wish his health and prosperity, 
 and pity and relieve him in distress. All • this is 
 good ; but could it appear from this that he was not 
 his enemy in setting him against his own interests, 
 and seducing him away from his best friends ? Is he 
 not his en£my ? But to come nearer to the point : 
 
 The Lord Jesus Christ is the best Friend to man- 
 kind that ever existed: if therefore any man bear 
 true love to the souls of men, and seek their real wel- 
 fare, it is impossible but that he should love the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. We should deem him an enemy to 
 mankind who, if a skilful and generous physician 
 came into our parts and healed all gratis who applied 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 217 
 
 to him, should endeavor to prejudice the minds of peo- 
 ple against him. An enemy to Joseph, who was the 
 saviour of Egypt and the adjacent countries, would 
 have been deemed an enemy to mankind. But what 
 were these ? Christ has healed the tremendous breach 
 between God and man, has rescued millions and mill- 
 ions from eternal ruin, and is still " able and willing 
 to save to the uttermost all them that come unto God 
 by him." If any man therefore love not the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, surely he deserves, as an enemy to the 
 public good, to be excommunicated from the society 
 of the blessed. 
 
 But may there not be a neutrality exercised in 
 this affair ? If some do not love Christ, does it fol- 
 low that such are his enemies? Yes, it does. This 
 is a cause wherein the idea of neutrality is inadmissi- 
 ble and impossible. They that are not with him are 
 declared to be against him. 
 
 III. He who loves not the Lord Jesus Christ must 
 be an enemy to himself. To be an enemy to Christ is 
 to be guilty of the most awful kind of suicide. "All 
 they that hate him " are said to " love death." Christ 
 is the only door of hope for any lost sinner ; to hate 
 him, therefore, is to hate ourselves. Had Naaman 
 continued to despise the waters of Jordan, people 
 would have thought that he had no love for himself. 
 If a company of unhappy men who had escaped a 
 shipwreck were in an open boat at sea, and if, on the 
 appearance of a friendly vessel bearing down upon 
 them, they were so infatuated that, instead of implor- 
 ing assistance, they should treat it with every mark 
 of indignity and contempt, we should say, they love 
 
 Atoncmpiit 1 
 
218 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 death — they deserve to perish. If the power of 
 Christ's anger be considered, it will amount to the 
 same thing. For a man to rouse a lion would seem 
 as if he were weary of his life ; much more to pro- 
 voke the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Of Him it may 
 well be said, " Who shall rouse him up ?" 
 
 If a person then be an enemy to God, to mankind, 
 and to himself, surely it is but right he should be 
 excommunicated from the society of God and all holy 
 beings, as an enemy to being in general. Surely he 
 that loves not God ought to be accursed from God; 
 he that loves not mankind ought to be banished, to 
 take his lot among devils, as we should banish a mur- 
 derer from the society of men ; and he that loves not 
 himself, but seeks his own ruin, ought to find it. 
 
 Upon the whole, if these thoughts be just, the dis- 
 tinction has been made without ground, that sinners 
 will not be punished for their not loving the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, but only for the breach of God's law ; 
 as if the want of love to Christ were not a breach 
 of the law. So far from this, it is such a breach of 
 it as perhaps cannot be equalled by any other case 
 whatever. It is at once a breach of the whole law, 
 and that in the highest degree. What doth the law 
 require, but love to God, love to our neighbor, and 
 love to ourselves ? These are the whole of what is 
 included in that summary given of it by our Lord ; 
 and these we have seen are all broken, and that in 
 the highest degree, in the want of love to Christ. 
 
 Oh how is it that we are not all excommunicated 
 and accursed of God ? Are we better than others ? 
 No, in no wise. God might justly have banished us 
 
PRACTICAL SUaaESTIONS. 219 
 
 from the abodes of the blessed. It is all of grace, 
 free, sovereign, and great grace, if we are brought to 
 love him, and so escape the awful curse ; and for this 
 we can never be sufficiently thankful. 
 
 thoughtless sinner, trifle no longer with Christ 
 and your souls, trifle not longer with the murder of 
 time, so short and uncertain in its duration; the 
 morning of your existence; the mould in which you 
 receive an impression for eternity; the only period 
 in which the Son of man has power to forgive sins. 
 Should the remaining part of your life pass away in 
 the same careless manner as that has which has al- 
 ready elapsed, what bitter reflection must needs fol- 
 low. How dreadful it must be to look back on all 
 the means of salvation as gone for ever ; the harvest 
 past, the summer ended, and you not saved ! 
 
 Suppose a company, at the time of low water, 
 should take an excursion upon the sands near the sea- 
 shore; suppose yourself of the company ; suppose that, 
 on a presumption of the tide's not returning at present, 
 you should all fall asleep ; suppose all the company, 
 except yourself, to awake out of their sleep, and find- 
 ing their danger, endeavor to awake you, and to per- 
 suade you to flee with them for your life ; but you, like 
 the sluggard, are for " a little more sleep, and a little 
 more slumber :" the consequence is, your companions 
 escape, but you are left behind to perish in the waters, 
 which, regardless of all your cries, rise and overwhelm 
 you. What a situation would this be. How would 
 you curse that love of sleep which made you refuse to 
 be awaked — that delaying temper which wanted to 
 
220 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 indulge a little longer. But what is this situation 
 compared with that of a lost soul ? There will come 
 a period when the bottom of the ocean would be 
 deemed a refuge ; when, to be crushed under falling 
 rocks and mountains, instead of being viewed with 
 terror as heretofore, will be earnestly desired; yes, 
 desired, but desired in vain. The sinner who has 
 neglected the great salvation will not be able to " es- 
 cape," nor hide himself "from the face of Him that 
 sitteth upon the throne," nor from " the wrath of the 
 Lamb." 
 
 Consider your condition without delay. God says 
 to you. To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not 
 your hearts. To-day may be the only day you have to 
 live. Enter the closet, and shut to the door ; confess 
 your sins; implore mercy through our Lord Jesus 
 Christ ; " kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish 
 from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. 
 Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." 
 
THE 
 
 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 CHAPTEK YIII. 
 
 THE NATURE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 The apostle Paul, when writing to the Christian 
 church at Rome, speaking of the love of God towards 
 those who believe in his word, says, that they are 
 "justified freely by his grace, through the redemption 
 that is in Christ Jesus." Rom. 3 : 24. 
 
 The doctrine expressed in this passage runs through 
 the epistle, and constitutes the scope of it. It is taught 
 in many other parts of Scripture, but here it is estab- 
 lished by a connected body of evidence. Both hea- 
 thens and Jews are proved to be under sin, and con- 
 sequently incapable of being justified by a righteous 
 God on the ground of their own obedience. As to 
 the former, they were wicked in the extreme. If any 
 thing could have been alleged in excuse of them, it 
 had been their ignorance; but even this failed. They 
 had means of knowledge sufficient to render them 
 "without excuse;" but having neglected them, and 
 cast off God, he gave them up to their own corrupt 
 affections and propensities; so that even the philo- 
 sophic Greeks and Romans were " full of all ungodli- 
 
222 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 ness and unrighteousness, holding," or rather with- 
 holding, "the truth," which they understood above 
 the common people, "in unrighteousness." But if 
 heathens could not be justified, yet did not they who 
 had the oracles of God stand on higher ground ? Not 
 so ; for those very oracles describe men as " all gone 
 out of the way," as having become " unprofitable," as 
 none of them "doing good, no, not one;" and what 
 revelation says, it says of them who were under the 
 light of it. Israel, therefore, was a part of the cor- 
 rupt mass. The sum is, Every mouth is stopped, and 
 all the world become guilty before .God. By the 
 deeds of the law no flesh living can be justified in his 
 sight. 
 
 These sentiments, contained in the first three chap- 
 ters of the epistle, make way for the interesting state- 
 ment, " But now the righteousness of God without 
 the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and 
 the prophets ; even the righteousness of God, which is 
 by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them 
 that believe ; for there is no difference : for all have 
 sinned, and come short of the glory of God : being 
 justified freely by his grace, through the redemption 
 which is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to 
 be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare 
 his righteousness for the remission of sins that are 
 past, through the forbearance of God ; to declare, I 
 say, at this time his righteousness : that he might be 
 just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus." 
 
 I call this an interesting statement ; for of all the 
 questions that can occupy the human mind, there is 
 none of greater importance than that which relates to 
 
NATURE OF JUSTIFICATION. 223 
 
 the way of acceptance with God. We learn from our 
 own consciences, as well as from the Scriptures, that 
 we are accountable creatures ; but how we shall stand 
 before the holy Lord God, is a question that over- 
 whelms us. If there were no hope from the gospel, 
 we must despair. We must appear before the judg- 
 ment-seat, but it would be only to be convicted and 
 condemned. The doctrine, therefore, that shows a 
 way in which God can be just, and yet a justifier, 
 must be interesting beyond expression. This is, in 
 substance, the good news to be proclaimed to every 
 creature. 
 
 Justification by grace has been thought by some 
 to be inconsistent with justification through the.atone- 
 ment and righteousness of Christ. Yet it is here ex- 
 pressly said to be of grace ; and as though that were 
 not enough, freely by grace : nor is the sacred writer 
 less express concerning its meritorious cause, than 
 concerning its source or origin: it was not only of 
 free grace, but " through the redemption which is in 
 Christ Jesus." 
 
 In every kind of justification in which justice is 
 regarded, there is some ground, or reason, for the pro- 
 ceeding. In ordinary cases among men, this ground, 
 or reason, is found in the character of the prisoner. 
 He is considered as innocent, and therefore is ac- 
 quitted. In the justification of a sinner by the Judge 
 of all, it is " the redemption which is in Christ Jesus." 
 That which innocence is to the one, the redemption of 
 Christ is to the other : it is his righteotcsness, or that 
 in consideration of which, being imputed to him, lie is 
 justified. 
 
224 doctrine of justification. 
 
 Let us endeavor to ascertain the meaning op 
 THE term justification. Many errors on this impor- 
 tant subject may be expected to have arisen from the 
 want of a clear view of the thing itself. Till we under- 
 stand what justification is, we cannot affirm or deny 
 any thing concerning it, but with great uncertainty. 
 
 It is not the making a person righteous by an in- 
 herent change from sin to righteousness : this is sanc- 
 tification, which, though no less necessary than the 
 other, yet is distinguished from it; Christ is made 
 unto^us righteousness and sanctification. The term 
 is forensic, referring to the proceedings in a court of 
 judicature, and stands opposed to condemnation. This 
 is evident from many passages of Scripture, particu- 
 larly the following : " He that jmtifieth the wicked, 
 and he that cmdemneth the just, even they both are 
 abomination to the Lord." " The judgment was by 
 one to condemnatixm ; but the free gift is of many 
 offences unto justification.^^ " There is therefore now 
 no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." 
 " It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth V 
 " He that believeth on him that sent me, hath ever- 
 lasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; 
 but is passed from death unto life." If a prisoner who 
 stands charged with a crime be convicted of it, he is 
 condemned; if otherwise, he is acquitted, or justified. 
 
 But though it be true that the term is forensic, 
 and stands opposed to condemnation, yet, as in most 
 other instances in which the proceedings of God al- 
 lude to those of men, they are not in all respects 
 alike. He that is justified in an earthly court, unless 
 it be for want of evidence, which cannot possibly ap- 
 
NATURE OF JUSTIFICATION. 225 
 
 ply in this case, is considered as being really inno- 
 cent, and his justification is no other than an act of 
 justice done to him. He is acquitted because he ap- 
 pears to deserve acquittal. This, however, is not the 
 justification of the gospel, which is " of grace, through 
 the redemption of Jesus Christ." Justification, in the 
 former case, in proportion as it confers honor on the 
 justified, reflects dishonor on his accusers; while, in 
 the latter, the justice of every charge is admitted, and 
 no dishonor reflected on any party except himself. 
 Justification among men is opposed not only to con- 
 demnation, but even to pardon ; for in order to this, 
 the prisoner must be found guilty ; whereas, in justifi- 
 cation, he is acquitted as innocent. But gospel justi- 
 fication, though distinguishable from pardon, yet is 
 not opposed to it. On the contrary, pardon is an 
 essential branch of it. Pardon, it is true, only re- 
 moves the curse due to sin, while justification confers 
 the blessing of eternal life ; but without the former, 
 we could not possess the latter. He that is justified 
 requires to be pardoned, and he that is pardoned is 
 also justified. Hence a blessing is pronounced on him 
 whose iniquities are forgiven ; hence also the apostle 
 argues from the non-imputation of sin to the imputa- 
 tion of righteousness ; considering the blessedness of 
 him to whom G-od imputeth not sin as a description 
 of the blessedness of him to whom he imputeth right- 
 eousness without works. Finally, justification at a 
 human bar prevents condemnation ; but gospel justi- 
 fication finds the sinner under condemnation, and de- 
 livers him from it. It is described as " passing from 
 death to life." 
 
226 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 From these dissimilarities, and others which I 
 doubt not might be pointed out, it must be evident 
 to every thinking mind, that though there are certain 
 points of likeness, sufficient to account for the use of 
 the term, yet we are not to learn the scripture doc- 
 trine of justification from what is so called in the 
 judicial proceedings of human courts, and, in various 
 particulars, cannot safely reason from one to the 
 other. The principal points of likeness respect not 
 the grounds of the proceeding, but the effects of it. 
 Believing in Jesus, we are united to him ; and being 
 so, are treated by the Judge of all as one with him : 
 his obedience unto death is imputed to us, or reck- 
 oned as ours; and we, for his sake, are delivered 
 from condemnation as though we had been innocent, 
 and entitled to eternal life as though we had been 
 perfectly obedient. 
 
 But let us further inquire what is gospel justifica- 
 tion. Alluding to justification in a court of judica- 
 ture, it has been common to speak of it as a sentence. 
 This sentence has been considered by some divines 
 as passing, first, in the mind of God from eternity ; 
 secondly, on Christ and the elect considered in him 
 when he rose from the dead; thirdly, in the con- 
 science of a sinner on his believing. Justification by 
 faith, in the view of these divines, denotes either jus- 
 tification by Christ the object of faith, or the manifes- 
 tation to the soul of what previously existed in the 
 mind of God. 
 
 Others, who have been far from holding with jus- 
 tification as a decree in the divine mind, have yet 
 seemed to consider it as a manifestation, impression, 
 
\ 
 
 NATURE OF JUSTIFICATION. 227 
 
 or persuasion in tKe human mind. They have spoken 
 of themselves and others as being justified under such 
 a sermon, or at such an hour ; when all that they ap- 
 pear to mean is, that at such a time they had a strong 
 impression, or persuasion, that they were justified. 
 
 In respect of the first of these statements, it is 
 true that justification, and every other spiritual bless- 
 ing, was included in that purpose and grace which 
 was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began ; 
 but as the actual bestowment of other blessings sup- 
 poses the existence of the party, so does justification. 
 Christ was " raised again for our justification," in the 
 same sense as he died for the pardon of our sins. 
 Pardon and justification were virtually obtained by 
 his death and resurrection ; and to this may be added, 
 our glorification was obtained by his ascension ; for 
 we were not only " quickened together with him," and 
 "raised up together," but "made to sit together in 
 heavenly places in Christ Jesus." But as this does 
 not prove that we were thenceforth actually glorified, 
 neither does the other prove that we were actually 
 pardoned or justified. 
 
 Whatever justification be, the Scriptures represent 
 it as taking place on our believing in Christ. It is not 
 any thing that belongs to predestination, but some- 
 thing that intervenes between that and glorification. 
 " Whom he did predestinate, them he also called ; and 
 whom he called, them he also justified ; and whom he 
 justified, them he also glorified." That which the 
 Scriptures call justification, is by faith in Jesus Christ; 
 and is sometimes spoken of as future, which it could 
 not be if it were before our actual existence. For 
 
228 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 example : " Seeing it is one God who shall justify the 
 circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through 
 faith." " Now it was not written for Abraham's sake 
 alone, that it was imputed to him ; but for us also, to 
 whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that 
 raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead." "The 
 Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the hea- 
 then through faith," etc. If justification were God's 
 decree finally to acquit, condemnation must be his 
 decree finally to condemn. But every unbeliever, 
 whether elect or non-elect, is und^r condemnation, 
 as the Scriptures abundantly teach; condemnation, 
 therefore, cannot be God's decree finally to condemn. 
 Saul of Tarsus, while an unbeliever, was under con- 
 demnation, yet God had " not appointed him to wrath, 
 but to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ." The sum 
 is, that neither condemnation nor justification consists 
 in the secret purpose of God, but in his will as re- 
 vealed, or declared, as by a sentence in open court. 
 
 And as justification is not a purpose in the divine 
 mind, neither is it a manifestation to, an impressixm on, 
 or a persuasion of the human mind. That there are 
 manifestations to believers is admitted. God mani- 
 fests himself unto them as he does not unto the world. 
 The things of God, which are hidden from the wise 
 and prudent, are revealed to them. But these are 
 not things which were previously locked up in the 
 divine purposes, but things which were already re- 
 vealed in the Scriptures, and which were previously 
 hidden from them, as they still are from unbelievers, 
 by their own criminal blindness. God does not re- 
 veal his secret counsels to men, otherwise than fulfil- 
 
NATURE OF JUSTIFICATION. 229 
 
 ling them. To pretend to a revelation, or manifesta- 
 tion of that which is not contained in the Scriptures, 
 is pretending to be inspired in the same extraordi- 
 nary manner as were the prophets and apostles. 
 
 If justification consists in a manifestation, impres- 
 sion, or persuasion that we are justified, condemnation 
 must be a like impression, or persuasion that we are 
 condemned ; but this is not true. The Jews who op- 
 posed Christ were under condemnation; yet so far 
 from being impressed, or persuaded of any such thing, 
 they had no doubt but God was their Father. Be- 
 lievers in Jesus, on the other hand, may at times be 
 impressed with strong apprehensions of divine wrath, 
 while yet they are not exposed to it. Neither justifi- 
 cation, therefore, nor condemnation consists in a per- 
 suasion of the mind that we are under the one or the 
 other. Besides, to make a thing consist in a persua- 
 sion of the truth of that thing, is a palpable absurdity. 
 There can be no well-grounded persuasion of the truth 
 of any thing, unless it be true and evident antece- 
 dently to our being persuaded of it. 
 
 Justification is a relative change, not in, or upon, 
 but concerning us. It relates to our standing with 
 respect to God, the Lawgiver and Judge of all. It is 
 " passing from death to life," in respect of the law ; as 
 when the sentence against a malefactor is not only 
 remitted, but he is, withal, raised to honor and digni- 
 ty. It is our standing acquitted by the revealed will 
 of God declared in the gospel. As " the wrath of God 
 is revealed from heaven" in the curses of his law, so 
 " the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to 
 faith " in the declarations of the gospel. It is in this 
 
230 DOCTE.INE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 revelation of the mind of God in his word, I con- 
 ceive, that the sentence both of condemnation and jus- 
 tification consists. He whom the Scriptures bless, is 
 blessed ; and he whom they curse, is cursed. 
 
 As transgressors of the holy, just, and good law 
 of Glod, we are all by nature children of wrath ; all 
 the threatenings of God are in full force against us, 
 and were we to die in that condition, we must perish 
 everlastingly. This is to be under condemnation. 
 But condemnation, awful as it is, is not damnation. 
 The sentence is not executed, nor is it irrevocable: 
 "God so loved the world that he gave his only be- 
 gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should 
 not perish, but have everlasting life." Hence, the 
 sinner stands in a new relation to God as a Lawgiver. 
 He is no longer " under the law," with respect to its 
 condemning power, but " under grace." As the man- 
 slayer, on having entered the city of refuge, was, by 
 a special constitution of mercy, secure from the aven- 
 ger of blood ; so the sinner, having " fled for refuge 
 to lay hold on the hope set before him," is, by the 
 gracious constitution of the gospel, secured from the 
 curse. All those threatenings which belonged to him 
 heretofore no longer stand against him, but are reck- 
 oned by the Judge of all as having been executed on 
 Jesus his substitute, who was " made a curse for us." 
 On the other hand, all the blessings and promises in 
 the book of God belong to him, and, die when he may, 
 eternal life is his portion. This is that state into 
 which every believer is translated, on his becoming a 
 believer ; and herein, I conceive, consists the blessing 
 of justification. 
 
NATURE OF JUSTIFICATION. 231 
 
 There are points pertaining to the subject which 
 yet require illustration : What it is, in the redemp- 
 tion of Christ, to which the Scriptures ascribe its 
 efficacy; what is the concern oi faith in justification, 
 and why it is ascribed to this grace rather than to 
 any other. 
 
 1. Let us inquire what it is, in the redemption of 
 Christ, to which the Scriptures ascribe its efficacy. 
 Justification is ascribed to his blood, and to his obedi- 
 ence. By the blood of Christ, is meant the shedding 
 of his blood, or the laying down of his life ; and by 
 his obedience, all that conformity to the will of God 
 which led to this great crisis. He was "obedient 
 unto death.^' By the death of Christ sin is said to be 
 " purged," or expiated • and sinners to be " redeemed," 
 "reconciled," and "cleansed from all sin;" and by 
 his obedience many are said to be " made righteous." 
 This his obedience unto death was more than the 
 means of salvation ; it was the procuring cause of it. 
 Salvation was the effect of the " travail of his soul." 
 We may be instruments in saving one another, but 
 Christ was "the aicthor of eternal salvation." The 
 principle of substitution, or of one standing in the place 
 of others, being admitted by the Sovereign of the uni- 
 verse, he endured that which in its effect on the divine 
 government was equivalent to the everlasting punish- 
 ment of a world, and did that which it was worthy of 
 God to reward with eternal glory, not only on him- 
 self, but on all those on whose behalf he should inter- 
 cede. What is there, then, in this his obedience unto 
 death, that should render it capable of producing 
 such important effects ? To this question the Scrip- 
 
232 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 tures make answer, as follows: We are "redeemed 
 with the precious blood of Christ." " The blood of 
 Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 
 " Who being the brightness of his glory, and the ex- 
 press image of his person, and upholding all things 
 by the word of his power, when he had by himself" 
 expiated "our sins, sat down on the right hand of 
 the Majesty on high." If there be any meaning in 
 language, the efficacy of the sufferings and work of 
 Christ is here ascribed to the dignity of his person ; 
 and that dignity amounts to nothing short of his 
 proper Deity. The Scriptures often ascribe the mir- 
 acles of Christ, the strength by which he was borne 
 up in his sufferings, and his resurrection from the 
 dead, to the power of the Father ; for being " in the 
 form of a servant," it was fit that he should be sup- 
 plied and supported and vindicated by Him whose 
 servant he was ; but when the value or virtue of his 
 interposition is spoken of, it is ascribed to the intrin- 
 sic glory of his person, as the Son of God. We 
 Inquire, 
 
 2. What is the concern of faith in justification, and 
 why it is ascribed to this grace rather than to any other. 
 Were we to conceive of the gospel as a new " remedial 
 law," and of faith as the first principle of obedience 
 constituting the condition of it, or that which God 
 graciously consented to accept as the term of justifica- 
 tion, instead of a perfect conformity to the old law, 
 we should be greatly beside the gospel plan. The 
 gospel plan of justification excludes boasting, and 
 that is excluding works; but justification on this prin- 
 ciple excludes not works, but merely works of a cer- 
 
NATURE OF JUSTIFICATION. 233 
 
 tain description. There is, on this principle, a law 
 that can give life ; and righteousness, after all, is by 
 law. If we are justified by any doings of our own, 
 whatever they are, we have whereof to glory. Wheth- 
 er we call them legal or evangelical, if they be the 
 consideration on which we are forgiven and accepted, 
 we are not justified freely by grace, and boasting is 
 not excluded. 
 
 It is said to be "of faith, that it might be by 
 grace." There must, therefore, be something in the 
 nature of faith which peculiarly corresponds with the 
 free grace of the gospel — something which looks out 
 of self, and receives the free gifts of .Heaven as being 
 what they are, pure undeserved favor. We need not 
 reduce it to a mere exercise of the intellectual faculty, 
 in which there is nothing holy; but whatever holi- 
 ness there is in it, it is not this, but the obedience of 
 Christ, that constitutes our justifying righteousness. 
 Whatever other properties the magnet may possess, 
 it is as pointing invariably to the north that it guides 
 the mariner ; and whatever other properties faith may 
 possess, it is as receiving Christ, and bringing us into 
 union with him, that it justifies. 
 
 In order to be interested in justification, and other 
 blessings arising from the obedience and death of 
 Christ, we must first be interested in Christ himself ; 
 for it is as having the Son, that we "have everlasting 
 life." The benefits of Christ's obedience unto death 
 require to be received in the same order as that in 
 which they are given. As God first gives him, so we 
 must first receive him, and with him all things freely. 
 Many would wish for the benefits of Christ's death, 
 
234 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 who yet have no desire after Christ. Like him who 
 was nearest of kin to the family of Elimelech, they 
 would on various accounts be pleased with the inher- 
 itance ; but when it is understood Hhat, in order to 
 possess it, they must take him with all that pertains 
 to him, and that this would mar their present inher- 
 itance, they give it up. 
 
 Thus it is that justification is ascribed to faith, 
 because it is by faith that we receive Christ; and 
 thus it is by faith only, and not by any other grace. 
 Faith is peculiarly a receiving grace, which none 
 other is. Were we said to be justified by repentance, 
 by love, or by any other grace, it would convey to us 
 the idea of something good in us being the considera- 
 tion on which the blessing was bestowed ; but justifi- 
 cation by faith conveys no such idea. On the con- 
 trary, it leads the mind directly to Christ, in the 
 same manner as saying of a person that he lives by 
 begging, leads to the idea of his living on what he 
 freely receives. 
 
 It is thus that justification stands connected, in 
 the Scriptures, with union with Christ: *' Of him are 
 ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us 
 righteousness." " There is therefore now no condem- 
 nation to them that are in Christ Jesus." " That I 
 may be found in him, not having mine own righteous- 
 ness, which is of the law, but that which is through 
 the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God 
 by faith." From these and other passages, we per- 
 ceive that faith justifies, not in a way of merit, not on 
 account of any thing in itself, be it what it may, but 
 as uniting us to Christ. It is that which the act of 
 
NATURE OF JUSTIFICATION. 235 
 
 marriage is on the part of a woman ; by it she becomes 
 one with her husband, and whatever might be her 
 former poverty, legally interested in all that he pos- 
 sesses. Having him, she has all that is his. Thus it 
 is that, Christ being " heir of all things," believers in 
 him become " heirs of God," not in their own right, 
 but as "joint-heirs with him." And as, in a marriage 
 union, the wealth which an indigent woman might de- 
 rive from the opulence of her husband would not be 
 in reward of her having received him; so neither is 
 justification the reward of faith, but of the righteous- 
 ness which is of God by faith. 
 
 Great things are ascribed to faith, in a way of 
 healing. Many of the miraculous cures performed by 
 our Lord are ascribed to the faith of the parties. 
 The virtue, however, proceeded not from faith, but 
 from him. It is the same in justification. By faith 
 we receive the benefit; but the benefit arises not 
 from faith, but from Christ. - Hence the same thing 
 which is ascribed in some places to faith, is in others 
 ascribed to the obedience, death, and resurrection of 
 Christ. 
 
236 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION, 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS. 
 
 Having shown what I conceive to be meant by 
 justification, I proceed to show that we are not jus- 
 tified BY ANY works OP OUR OWN, BUT OP FREE GRACE, 
 THROUGH THE REDEMPTION OP JeSUS ChRIST. There 
 
 are but two ways in which creatures can be justified 
 before God : one is by works, the other by grace. If 
 we had been obedient to the holy, just, and good law 
 of our Creator, that obedience would have been our 
 righteousness^ and we should have been justified on the 
 ground of it ; for the man " that doeth these things 
 shall live by them." But having all sinned, we have 
 come short of the glory of Cod. Instead of gaining 
 his favor, we stand exposed to his righteous curse; 
 for thus it is written, " Cursed is every one that con- 
 tinueth not in all things written in the book of the 
 law to do them." 
 
 We need not, on this subject, inquire into the 
 degrees of evil, or whether we have gone greater 
 lengths in sin than other men ; for if we had only 
 broken one of God's righteous commandments, that 
 were an everlasting bar to our justification. As well 
 might a murderer plead in arrest of judgment, that he 
 had killed only one man. The number of our sins 
 will doubtless heighten the degrees of punishment, 
 but it is the nature of them that insures condemnation. 
 
JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS. 237 
 
 Nor does this disprove the equity of the law ; for we 
 cannot break a single precept without contemning 
 the divine authority, which at once destroys the prin- 
 ciple of obedience to every other. We may not ac- 
 tually go into all other sins ; but it is not the love of 
 God that restrains us : it is interest, or fear, or regard 
 to our own reputation that holds us back. On this 
 principle, he who offendeth but in one point is said to 
 be guilty of all: "For he that said, Do not commit 
 adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit 
 no adultery, yet, if thou kill, thou art become a trans- 
 gressor of the law." But if a single offencOi-be an 
 everlasting bar to justification by our own works, 
 what ground can there be to hope for it, when our 
 whole lives have been one continued series of revolt? 
 
 We are all transgressors, and as such under the 
 curse. Here, too, we might have been left to perish. 
 God was not obliged, in justice or in honor, to inter- 
 pose in behalf of a seed of evil-doers. The law by 
 which we stand condemned being holy, just, and good, 
 might have been executed, and no reproach would 
 have attached to the divine character. Having sided 
 with Satan against God, we might justly have had our 
 portion with him and his angels. All who were not 
 themselves implicated, and disaffected to the divine 
 government, would have said, " True and righteous 
 are thy judgments, Lord." And we ourselves, at 
 the last judgment, should not have been able to open 
 our mouths against it. 
 
 And now that " God^ who is rich in mercy, for his 
 great love wherewith he loved us, even when we 
 were dead in sins," has interposed and revealed a 
 
238 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 way in which he can be "just, and the justij&er of him 
 that believeth in Jesus," shall it be objected to by us? 
 Shall man, lying as he does under the dominion of 
 sin, and the righteous condemnation of Heaven on 
 account of it — shall man take dignity to himself, and 
 be ever aspiring to be justified on the ground of at 
 least his comparative righteousness? Such, however, 
 is the fact. When the first-born son of fallen Adam 
 brought his offering, he came as though he had never 
 sinned — bringing no sacrifice, and yet entertaining 
 high expectations of success. Hence, when the signal 
 of acceptance was withheld, his countenance fell. 
 Thus it is that millions are bringing tl^eir offerings 
 to this day, overlooking " the Lamb of God that taketh 
 away the sin of the world." All the false religions 
 that have existed, or do now exist, in the world, are 
 so many modifications of a self-righteous spirit, so 
 many devices to appease the conscience and propi- 
 tiate the Deity. 
 
 Nor is it confined to heathens, Mahomedans, and 
 Jews; there are professing Christians who are very 
 explicit in avowing their dependence upon their own 
 works. Where the divinity and atonement of Christ 
 are disavowed, this is no more than may be expected. 
 But neither is it confined to such. Many who profess 
 to believe these doctrines, yet seem to consider the 
 grand object of the death of Christ to have been that 
 he might obtain for us, that repentance, faith, and sin- 
 cere obedience should be accepted as the ground of 
 justification, instead of sinless perfection. 
 
 Many who, in consequence of being educated under 
 a gospel ministry, disavow in words all dependence 
 
JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS. 239 
 
 on their own works, are nevertheless manifestly under 
 the influence of a self-righteous spirit. They do not 
 confess their faults one to another, but justify them- 
 selves as far as possible ; and wherein they fail in this, 
 will invent so many pleas and excuses as shall exten- 
 uate the sin to little or nothing. They are not self- 
 difl&dent nor humble, but the contrary, trusting in 
 themselves that they are righteous, and despising 
 others, just as the Pharisee did the publican. They 
 " thank God" for being what they are, and so did the 
 Pharisee ; but as words in the one case signified noth- 
 ing, neither do they in the other. 
 
 To this may be added, it is not an unusual thing 
 for those who have been awakened to a serious con- 
 cern about salvation to overlook the Saviour, and to 
 build their hopes on the consideration of the tears 
 they have shed, the prayers they have offered, and 
 the pains they have taken in religion. But if it 
 should prove that all confidences of this sort are only 
 a refined species of self-righteous hope, and that the 
 first substantial relief of a sinner arises from a belief 
 of the gospel way of salvation, the consequences may 
 be no less fatal than if they had never wept nor 
 prayed, nor taken any pains in religion. 
 
 One thing is certain, we must be justified wholly 
 of grace, or wholly of works ; for there is no medium : 
 " If by grace, then is it no more of works ; otherwise 
 grace is no more grace. But if," on the other hand, 
 " it be of works, then is it no more of grace ; other- 
 wise work is no more work." Taking it for granted 
 that what God has revealed in his word is the only 
 sure ground on which to rest a matter of such high 
 
240 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 importance, I shall state what appears to me the 
 scripture evidence for the first of these methods of 
 justification, under the following particulars : 
 
 1. The righteousness of God does not admit of a sin- 
 ner'' s being justified on the ground of his own doings. It 
 belongs to the righteousness or justice of God to do 
 justice to his own character. But to pardon and 
 accept of sinners on account of any thing done by 
 them, were to oppose his own law and government; 
 and if any thing could cause both them and him to be 
 treated with contempt, this proceeding must do it. 
 " It became Him for whom are all things, and by whom 
 are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to 
 make the Captain of their salvation perfect through 
 sufi'erings." " Whom God hath set forth to be a pro- 
 pitiation through faith in His blood, to declare his 
 righteousness for the remission of sins." " For they 
 being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going 
 about to establish their own righteousness, have not 
 submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." 
 If these passages do not convey the idea of its being 
 inconsistent with the righteous character of God to 
 pardon and accept of sinners in consideration of their 
 own doings, I can conceive of no determinate idea 
 conveyed by them. If it was becoming the divine 
 perfections to bring sinners to glory through a suffer- 
 ing Saviour, it would have been unbecoming those 
 perfections to have brought them to glory in virtue 
 of their own doings. If Christ were set forth to be 
 a propitiation that God might declare his righteous- 
 ness for the remission of sins, his righteousness would 
 not have been declared in the remission of sins with- 
 
JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS. 241 
 
 out it. Finally, if ignorance of God^s righteousness 
 were the reason of the non-submission of the Jews to 
 the gospel way of justification, there must have been 
 in that truth something directly opposed to justifica- 
 tion in any other way, and which, had it been properly 
 understood, would have cut up all hopes from every 
 other quarter. It was in this way that Paul, when 
 the righteous law of God appeared to him in its true 
 light, " died" as to all hopes of being accepted of God 
 by the works of it. It was " through the law" that 
 he became " dead to the law," that he might live unto 
 God. 
 
 2. The Scriptures in a great variety of language exclude 
 all works perfor^ned by sinful creatures as the ground of 
 acceptance with God. In proof of this the following 
 passages are very express: "Moses describeth the 
 righteousness which is of the law: That the man 
 that doeth those things shall live by them. But the 
 righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise : 
 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, 
 and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised 
 him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." "By the 
 deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his 
 sight. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By 
 what law ? of works ? Nay ; but by the law of faith. 
 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith 
 without the deeds of the law." " If Abraham were 
 justified by works, he hath whereof to glory." " Now 
 to him that worketh is the reward reckoned not of 
 grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but 
 believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith 
 is counted for righteousness. Even ^s David also 
 
 Atonement. J 1 
 
242 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom 
 God imputeth righteousness without works ." " Israel, 
 which followed after the law of righteousness, hath 
 not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? 
 Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by 
 the works of the law : for they stumbled at that stum- 
 bling-stone." " Knowing that a man is not justified 
 by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus 
 Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that 
 we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not 
 by the works of the law : for by the works of the law 
 shall no flesh be justified." " As many as are of the 
 works of the law are under the curse ; for it is writ- 
 ten, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all 
 things which are written in the book of the law to do 
 them." " But that no man is justified by the law in 
 the sight of God, it is evident; for the just shall live 
 by faith. And the law is not of faith : but the man 
 that doeth them shall live in them." "Christ is become 
 of no effect unto you : whosoever of you are justified 
 by the law, ye are fallen from grace." " Not of works, 
 lest any man should boast." " Not by works of right- 
 eousness which we have done, but according to his 
 mercy he saved us, that being justified by his grace, 
 we should be made heirs according to the hope of 
 eternal life." 
 
 Distinctions have been made on this subject be- 
 tween the works of the ceremonial and those of the 
 moral law ; also between the works of the law and 
 those of the gospel ; as though it were not the design 
 of the Scriptures to exclude moral duties from being 
 grounds of justification, but merely those which are 
 
JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS. 243 
 
 ceremonial; or if it were, yet not the evangelical 
 duties of repentance, faith, and sincere obedience. 
 But whatever differences there may be between these 
 things, they are all works; and all works of man are 
 excluded from justification. If the foregoing passages 
 be considered in their connection, they will be found 
 to respect all obedience of every kind which is per- 
 formed by men, be it ceremonial or moral, or what it 
 may. They teach a justification by a righteousness 
 received, in opposition to a righteousness done or per- 
 formed, and which leaves no room for boasting. If 
 we were justified by faith itself, considered as a duty 
 of ours, or if the Lawgiver had respect to any con 
 formity to God in us, as the cause or reason of the 
 sentence, there would be no meaning in such language 
 as this : " To him that worketh not, but believeth on 
 Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted 
 for righteousness.'' 
 
 The language of the apostle to the Galatians goes 
 not only to exclude obedience to the ceremonial and 
 the moral law, but obedience to law in general, as 
 the ground of justification. The reason given why 
 the law is not against the promises, or why it cannot 
 furnish an objection to the free grace of the gospel, is 
 this: "If there had been a law which could have 
 given life, verily righteousness should have been by 
 the law." This is equal to saying, the patient was 
 given up as incurable by law, before the promised 
 grace of the gospel took him. in hand ; whatever, 
 therefore, is done by the latter cannot be objected to 
 by the former. The Greek terms translated law and 
 by the law, in Gal. 3 : 21, as observed by Dr. Guyse, 
 
244 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 show it, according to Mr. Locke's rule of interpreta- 
 tion, to relate to law in general, or to any or every 
 law. But if the works of every law be excluded, 
 all distinctions between ceremonial and moral, or 
 between moral and evangelical, are of no account. 
 
 3 . Being justified freely by grace is itself directly opposed 
 to being justified by works. The term grace denotes 
 free favor to the unworthy. If God had been obliged, 
 in justice or in honor, to have done what he has 
 done — if the law by which we were condemned were 
 too strict, or the penalty annexed to it too severe — if 
 Christ, and the offer of salvation through him, were a 
 compensation given us on account of the injury we 
 received from our connection with our first parents, 
 that which is called grace would not be grace, but 
 debt. There is just so much grace in the gospel as 
 there is justice in the law, and no more. The oppo- 
 sition between grace and works, in this important 
 concern, is so clear in itself, and so plainly marked by 
 the apostle, that one can scarcely conceive how it can 
 be honestly mistaken : " If it be by grace, then it is 
 no more of works ; otherwise grace is no more grace." 
 
 But strong as the term grace is, the apostle adds 
 to its force. As though it were not enough for him 
 to affirm that we are justified by grace, he says we 
 are justified freely by his grace. There is a redun- 
 dancy in the expression, but the design of it is to 
 strengthen the thought. Thus, when he would for- 
 cibly express his idea of future glory, he uses a kind 
 of tautology for the purpose, calling it a "far more 
 exceeding and eternal weight of glory." We are not 
 only justified without any desert on our part, but con- 
 
JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS. 245 
 
 traiy to it. As high as the heavens are above the 
 earth, so are His thoughts, in the forgiveness of sin, 
 higher than our thoughts, and his ways than our ways. 
 They who are justified are said to receive abundance 
 of grace, or grace abounding over all the aboundings 
 of sin. Sin reigns over our species, subjugating them 
 all to death ; but grace conquers the conqueror, reign- 
 ing through righteousness to eternal life, by Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. 
 
 4. The terms used relative to gospel justification render 
 it evident that it is not our own righteousness that is im- 
 puted to us, but the righteousness of another. " Abraham 
 believed God, and it was counted unto him for right- 
 eousness." " Now to him that worketh is the reward 
 not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But he that be- 
 lieveth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is 
 counted for righteousness." " David also describeth 
 the blessedness of the man unto whom God impute th 
 righteousness without works, saying. Blessed are they 
 whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are 
 covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will 
 not impute sin." The terms imputed and counted, in 
 this connection, are manifestly used to express, not 
 that just reckoning of righteousness to the righteous 
 which gives to every man his due, but the gracious 
 reckoning of righteousness to the unrighteous as 
 though he were righteous. When the uncircumcised 
 Gentile kept the law, his uncircumcision was counted 
 for circumcision ; not that it really was such, but it 
 was graciously reckoned, in the divine administra- 
 tion, as if it were. When Paul, writing to Philemon 
 concerning Onesimus, says, " If he hath wronged thee, 
 
246 DOCTHINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 or oweth thee aught, put that on mine account," he 
 did not mean that he should treat him according to 
 his deserts, but that he should forgive and accept him, 
 for his sake. 
 
 When/aiYA is said to be counted for righteousness, 
 it is as relating to Christ. The faith by which 
 Abraham was justified had immediate relation to him 
 as the promised seed ; and it is easy to perceive, in 
 the New Testament accounts of justifying faith, a 
 marked attention to the same thing. " Abraham be- 
 lieved God, and it was imputed to him for righteous- 
 ness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that 
 it was imputed to him, but for us also, to whom it 
 shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up 
 Jesus our Lord from the dead ; who was delivered for 
 our offences, and raised again for our justification." 
 " By him all that believe are justified from all things." 
 "That Grod might be just, and the justifier of him 
 that believeth in Jesus." " It is evident," says Presi- 
 dent Edwards, in his Sermons on Justification, " that 
 the subject of justification is looked upon as destitute 
 of any righteousness in himself, by that expression, 
 'It is counted,' or imputed, 'to him for righteousness.' 
 The phrase, as the apostle uses it, Rom. 4 : 5, and in 
 the context, manifestly imports that God, of his sover- 
 eign grace, is pleased, in his dealjugs with the sinner, 
 to take and regard that which indeed is not righteous- 
 ness, and in one that has no righteousness, so that 
 the consequence shall be the same as if he had right- 
 eousness ; and which may be from the respect that it 
 bears to something which is indeed righteous. It is 
 as if he had said, As to him that works, there is no 
 
JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS. 247 
 
 need of any gracious reckoning, or counting it for 
 righteousness, and causing the reward to follow as if 
 it were a righteousness ; for if he has works, he has 
 that which is a righteousness in itself, to which the 
 reward properly belongs." 
 
 5. TJie rewards promised in the Scriptures to good 
 works suppose the parties to he believers in Christ; and so, 
 being accepted in him, their works also are accepted and re- 
 warded for his sake. That good works have the prom- 
 ise of salvation is beyond dispute. Nothing that God 
 approves shall go unrewarded. The least expression 
 of faith and love, even the giving of a cup of cold 
 water to a disciple of Christ because he belongs to 
 him, will insure everlasting life. But neither this nor 
 any other good work can be a ground of justification, 
 inasmuch as it is subsequent to it. For works to have 
 any influence on this blessing, they require to precede 
 it ; but works before faith are never acknowledged by 
 the Scriptures to be good. It was testified of Enoch 
 that he pleased God ; whence the apostle to the He- 
 brews infers that he was a believer, inasmuch as 
 " without faith it is impossible to please God." " It 
 does not," says the author already quoted, "consist 
 with the honor of the majesty of the King of heaven 
 and earth to accept of any thing from a condemned 
 malefactor, condemned by the justice of his own holy 
 law, till that condemnation be removed." The Lord 
 had respect " first to Abel," and " then to his oifering." 
 Even those works which are the expressions of faith 
 and love have so much sinful imperfection attached 
 to them, that they require to be presented by an in- 
 tercessor on our behalf. The most spiritual sacrifices 
 
248 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION, 
 
 are no otherwise acceptable to God than by Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 Perhaps I ought not to conclude this part of the 
 subject without noticing the apparent opposition be- 
 tween Paul and James: the one teaching that "we 
 are justified by faith, without the deeds of the law ;" 
 the other, that " by works a man is justified, and not 
 by faith only." The words are apparently opposite ; 
 and so are those of Solomon, when he directs us, in 
 one proverb, not to answer, and in the next, to answer 
 a fool according to his folly. In reconciling these 
 apparently opposite counsels, we are led, by the rea- 
 sons given for each, to understand the terms as used 
 in different senses : the former, as directing us not to 
 answer a fool in a foolish manner, for this would 
 make us like unto him ; the latter, to ailswer him in a 
 way suited to expose his folly, lest he be wise in his 
 own conceit. In like manner, the terms faith and jus- 
 tification were used by Paul and James in a different 
 sense. By faith, Paul meant that which worketh by 
 love, and is productive of good fruits; but James 
 speaks of a faith which is dead, being alone. By jus- 
 tification, Paul means the acceptance of a sinner be- 
 fore God; but James refers to his being approved of 
 God as a true Christian. "Both these apostles bring 
 the case of Abraham in illustration of their princi- 
 ples ; but then it is to be observed, they refer to dif- 
 ferent periods and circumstances in the life of that 
 patriarch. Paul, in the first instance, says of Abra- 
 ham, that he was justified by faith while yet uncir- 
 cumcised: this was his justification in the sight of 
 God, and was without any consideration of his works. 
 
JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS. 249 
 
 James refers to a period some years subsequent to this, 
 when, in the offering up of his son, he was justified by- 
 works also ; that is, his faith was shown to be genuine 
 by its fruits. Paul therefore refers to the acceptance 
 of a sinner; James to the approbation of a saint." 
 The word "justification" is used in this sense. Matt. 
 12 : 37 ; 1 Cor. 4 : 4. 
 
 Or this subject may be represented in a few words, 
 thus: 
 
 Paul treats of the justification of the ungodly, or 
 the way in which sinners are accepted of God,' and 
 made heirs of eternal life. James speaks of the jus- 
 tification of the godly, or in what way it becomes 
 evident that a man is approved of God. The former 
 is by the righteousness of Christ; the latter is by 
 works. The former of these is that which justifies ; 
 the latter is that by which it appears that we are jus- 
 tified. The term justification, in the former of these 
 passages, is taken in a primary sense; in the latter, 
 it is taken in a secondary sense only, as in Matt. 
 11 : 19, and in other places. 
 
 Supported by this body of scripture evidence, as 
 well as by the experience we have had of the holy 
 and happy influence^of the doctrine, I trust we shall 
 continue unmoved in our adherence to it. Let others 
 boast of the efficacy of their own virtues, we with the 
 apostle will " count all things but loss for the excellen- 
 cy of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord ;" will 
 " count all things but dung, that we may win Christ, 
 and be found in him, not having our own righteous- 
 11* 
 
250 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 ness, which is of the law, but that which is through 
 the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God 
 by faith." 
 
 The likeness which is drawn by our Saviour of the 
 Pharisees in his time, bears a minute resemblance to 
 the character of great numbers in every age; all 
 their works are done to be seen of men, and consti- 
 tute the ground of their hope of acceptance with God. 
 The sentiments of their hearts in their devout ad- 
 dresses to their Maker, if put into words, would be to 
 this effect : " God, I thank- thee that I am not as other 
 men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this 
 publican." It is not common for those who pay any 
 regard to the Scriptures expressly to arrogate to 
 themselves the honor of making themselves to differ. 
 Most men will thank God that they are what they 
 are ; and the Pharisee did the same. Many will now 
 acknowledge,' in addition to this, that their hopes of 
 being accepted of God are "through the merits of 
 Jesus Christ;" but it is not by such language that a 
 self-righteous spirit is to be disguised. Nor is it 
 peculiar to those whom we call respectable persons 
 " to trust that they are righteous and despise others ;" 
 for the same spirit may be seen in the most profligate 
 of mankind. Judging of themselves by others, they 
 derive comfort ; for they can always find characters 
 worse than their own. Reprove a common swearer, 
 and he will thank God he means no harm ; for he is 
 frank and open, and not as that liar. Convict a liar, 
 and he will argue that in this wicked world a man 
 cannot live if he always speak truth ; and he is not a 
 
JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS. 251 
 
 thief. The thief pleads that he never was guilty of 
 murder ; and even the murderer says that he was pro- 
 voked to it. Thus they can each find worse charac- 
 ters than their own : the motto of each is, " God, I 
 thank thee that I am not as other men." 
 
 The Rev. Thomas Scott, the commentator, was 
 some years since appointed chaplain to a charitable 
 asylum, where his constant business was to visit and 
 converse with persons who by their own misconduct 
 were reduced to the most deplorable condition. On 
 receiving his appointment, he thought within himself, 
 I shall have one advantage : I shall not have to en- 
 counter a self-righteous spirit. But on entering upon 
 his office he soon perceived his mistake, and that there 
 was no less pharisaism in these dregs of society, than 
 among the more refined and sober part of mankind. 
 
 Much of this spirit is seen under the convictions and 
 alarms of awakened sinners. The conflicts of mind by 
 which many for a long time are deprived of all peace 
 and enjoyment, are no other than the struggles be- 
 tween the gospel way of salvation and a secret attach- 
 ment to self-righteousness. When terrified by the 
 threatenings of the word, or the near approach of 
 death, the first refuge to which the sinner usually be- 
 takes himself is the promise of amendment. He vows 
 to reform, and this affords him a- little ease. For a 
 time it may be his gross vices are relinquished ; he 
 carefully attends to religious duties ; and while this 
 lasts, he flatters himself that he is a better man, and 
 supposes the Almighty is no less pleased with him 
 than he is pleased with himself. If he rest here, his 
 pride proves his eternal overthrow. 
 
252 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 But it may be his rest here is short. It commonly 
 proves that the yows and resolutions thus made are 
 like the morning cloud and the early dew that goeth 
 away. A new temptation to some old sin, which was 
 not mortified, but had merely retired during the pres- 
 ent alarm, undoes all. Now remorse and fearful ap- 
 prehension take possession of the soul, not only on 
 account of its having sinned against greater light 
 than heretofore, but for destroying its own refuge. 
 The gourd is smitten, and the sinner, exposed as to a 
 vehement east wind, fainteth. Yet even here spirit- 
 ual pride will insinuate itself and offer a species of 
 false comfort. While he is weeping over his sins, 
 and bemoaning the unhappiness of his case, that he 
 should thus undo all his hopes, a soothing thought 
 suggests itself: Will not the Almighty have compas- 
 sion on me for these penitential tears? surely my 
 mournings will be heard, and my lamentations go up 
 before him. Many have stopped short here, and it is 
 to be feared, have missed of eternal life. 
 
 But it may be he is disturbed from this repose also. 
 Conscience becomes more enlightened by reading and 
 hearing the word. He is convinced that neither 
 tears nor prayers, nor aught else but the blood-shed- 
 ding of the Saviour, will take away sin; and that 
 there is no way of being saved by Him, but by believ- 
 ing in him. Yet a thought occurs, Can such a sinner 
 as I believe in Christ? Would it not be presump- 
 tion to hope that one so unfit and unworthy as I am 
 should be accepted ? This thought proceeds upon a 
 supposition that some degree of previous fitness or 
 worthiness is necessary to recommend us to the Sav- 
 
JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS. 253 
 
 iour, which is repugnant to the whole tenor of the 
 gospel, and so long as it continues to influence our 
 decisions will be an insuperable bar to believing. 
 
 Self-righteousness, at some stages, will work in a 
 way of despair. Ther sinner, finding that no duties 
 performed in impenitence and unbelief are any way 
 available, or in the least degree pleasing to God — 
 that no means are pointed out in the Scriptures by 
 which a hard-hearted sinner may obtain a' heart of 
 flesh — and that, nevertheless, he is told to repent and 
 believe in Jesus, or perish for ever, sinks into de- 
 spondency. Hard thoughts are entertained of God. 
 He thinks he has taken all possible pains with him- 
 self; and if what he possesses be not repentance nor 
 faith, he has no hopes of ever obtaining them. God, 
 it seems to him, requires impossibilities, and can 
 therefore be no other than a hard master, reaping 
 where he has not sown, and gathering where he has 
 not strewed. The religious efforts of some, like those 
 of the slothful servant, end here. All is given up as 
 a hopeless case, and the things which their hearts, 
 amidst all their convictions, have been lingering 
 after, are again pursued. 
 
 It is from the exceeding depravity of the soul that 
 our necessities arise. We are sinners. Every man 
 who believes there is a God and a future state, or even 
 only admits the possibility of them, feels the want of 
 mercy. The first inquiries of a mind awakened to 
 reflection will be, how he may escape from the wrath 
 to come — ^how he shall get over his everlasting ruin. 
 A heathen, previously to any Christian instruction, 
 
254 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 exclaimed in the moment of alarm, " What must I do 
 to be saved ?" Acts 16 : 30. And several Moham- 
 medans, being warned by a Christian minister of their 
 sinful state, came the next morning to him with this 
 very serious question, " How shall we get over ?" To 
 answer these inquiries is beyond the power of any 
 principles but those of the gospel. Philosophy may 
 conjecture, superstition may deceive, and even a false 
 system of Christianity may be aiding and abetting ; 
 each may labor to lull the conscience to sleep, but 
 none of them can yield it satisfaction. It is only by 
 believing in Jesus Christ, the great sacrifice that tak- 
 eth away the sin of the world, that the sinner obtains 
 a relief which will bear reflection — a relief which at 
 the same time gives peace to the mind and purity 
 to the heart. For the truth of this also I appeal to 
 all who have made the trial. 
 
 Where, but in the gospel, will you find relief under 
 the innumerable ills of the present state? This is 
 the well known refuge of Christians. Are they poor, 
 afflicted, persecuted, or reproached? They are led 
 to consider Him who endured the contradiction of sin- 
 ners, who lived a life of poverty and ignominy, who 
 endured persecution and reproach, and -death itself, 
 for them; and to realize a blessed immortality in 
 prospect. By a view of such things their hearts are 
 cheered, and their afflictions become tolerable. Look- 
 ing to Jesus, who for the joy set before him endured 
 the cross, despising the shame, and is now set down 
 at the right hand of the throne of God, they run with 
 patience the race which is set before them. But what 
 is the comfort of unbelievers? Life being short, and 
 
JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS. 255 
 
 having no ground to hope for any thing beyond it, if 
 they be crossed here they become inconsolable. Hence 
 it is not uncommon for persons of this description, 
 after the example of the philosophers and statesmen 
 of Greece and Rome, when they find themselves de- 
 pressed by adversity, and have no prospect of recov- 
 ering their fortunes, to put a period to their lives. 
 Unhappy men 1 Is this the felicity to which ye would 
 introduce us ? Is it in guilt, shame, remorse, and des- 
 peration that ye descry such charms ? Admitting that 
 our hope of immortality is visionary, where is the 
 injury? If it be a dream, is it not a pleasant one? 
 To say the least, it beguiles many a melancholy hour, 
 and can do no mischief ; but if it be a reality, what 
 will become of you ? 
 
256 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST THE PROCURINa 
 CAUSE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 Having endeavored to explain and establish the 
 doctrine of justification, I shall now proceed to show 
 
 THE CONSISTENCY OF ITS BEING OF FREE GRACE, AND 
 YET THROUGH THE REDEMPTION OF JeSUS ChRIST. 
 
 This is a subject of the highest importance. Al- 
 most every thing pertaining to the way of salvation is 
 affected by it. The principal reason alleged by those 
 who reject the doctrine of atonement, is its inconsist- 
 ency with grace. God needed nothing, they say, but 
 his own goodness, to induce him to show mercy ; or, 
 if he did, it is not of grace, seeing a price is paid to 
 obtain it. The question, however, does not respect 
 the first moving cause of mercy, but the manner of 
 showing it. The friends of the doctrine of atone- 
 ment allow that the sacrifice of Christ was not the 
 cause, but the effect of the Father's love. They do 
 not scruple to admit that his love was sufficient to 
 have pardoned sinners without an atonement, pro- 
 vided it had been consistent with the righteousness 
 of his character and government. " It is not the sen- 
 timent, but the expression of love," that requires an 
 atonement. David was not wanting in love to his 
 son Absalom, for " his soul longed to go forth to him ;" 
 
BY THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST. 257 
 
 but he felt for his honor, as the head of a family and 
 of a nation, which, had he admitted him immediately 
 into his presence, would have been compromised, and 
 the crime of murder connived at. Hence, for a time, 
 he must be kept at a distance, and when introduced, 
 it must be by a mediator. This statement, which has 
 been made in substance repeatedly, has seldom, if 
 ever, been fairly met by writers who oppose this doc- 
 trine. I never recollect, at least, to have seen or 
 heard any thing like a fair answer to it. 
 
 It is remarkable, too, that those who make this 
 objection never appear to regard the doctrine of grace 
 but for the purpose of making void' the atonement. 
 On all other occasions grace is virtually disowned, 
 and works are every thing ; but here it is magnified 
 in much the same manner as the Father is honored 
 as the object of worship, to the exclusion of the Son. 
 
 Cases may be supposed, I acknowledge, in which 
 the ideas of grace and atonement would be incon- 
 sistent. 
 
 1. If the atonement were made by the offender 
 himself enduring the full penalty of the law, his deliv- 
 erance would be a matter of right, and there would 
 be no grace, in it. But, as in a case of murder, it is 
 not in the sinner's power to make atonement for him- 
 self, so as to survive his punishment. The punishment 
 threatened against sin is everlasting, which admits of 
 no period when the penalty shall have been endured. 
 No man therefore can, by any length of suffering, 
 redeem his own soul. 
 
 2. If the sufferings of another could avail for the 
 offender, and he Mmself were to provide the substi- 
 
 I 
 
258 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 tute, his deliverance miglit be a matter of right, and 
 there might be no grace in it. But neither of these 
 suppositions can exist in the case before us. Strict 
 distributive justice could not admit of the innocent 
 suffering for the guilty, even though the innocent 
 were willing. Its language is. Whosoever hath sin- 
 ned against me, him will I blot out of my book. But 
 if it could, the guilty party could not find a substitute 
 either able or willing to stand in his place. 
 
 3. If God himself should both consent to accept of 
 a substitute, and actually provide one, yet if the acts 
 and deeds of sinners be considered as literally becoming 
 his, and his theirs, whatever grace there might be in the 
 acceptance and provision of the substitute, there would 
 be no place for the forgiveness of the sinner, and justi- 
 fication would be merely an act of justice. If Christ, 
 in having our sins imputed to him, became a sinner, 
 and, as some have said, the greatest of all sinners, 
 then in his sufferings he was only treated according 
 to his desert ; and that desert belonging to him, could 
 no longer belong to us ; so that, had we been in exist- 
 ence, and known of it, we might from that moment 
 have claimed our deliverance as a matter of right. 
 And if we, in having the righteousness of Christ imputed 
 to us, become that which he was, namely, meritorious, 
 or deserving of eternal life, then might we disown the 
 character of supplicants, and approach the Judge of 
 all in language suited to those who had always pleased 
 him. But neither can this be. The acts and deeds 
 of one may affect others, but can in no case become 
 actually theirs, or be so transferred as to render that 
 justice which would otherwise have been of grace. 
 
BY THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST. 259 
 
 The imputation of our sins to Christ, and of his right- ' 
 eousness to us, does not consist in a transfer of either 
 the one or the other, except in their effects. Christ 
 suffered, not because he was^ but merely as if he had 
 hem the sinner: notwithstanding the imputation of 
 sin to him, he died, " the just for the unjust." On the 
 other hand, we are justified, not because we are, but 
 as though we were righteous; for the worthiness be- 
 longs to him, and not to us. 
 
 Finally, if justification through the redemption of 
 Christ were considered as not only consistent with 
 justice, but required by it, it must, I think, be allowed 
 that every idea of grace is excluded. That favor 
 towards creatures which justice requires must needs 
 be their due, which leaves no room for grace. It is 
 only of God's essential justice, however, that this is 
 true, and not of his covenant righteousness, which 
 relates to his own free engagements. God having 
 pledged his word, would be unrighteous to forget 
 the work and labor of love of his believing people ; 
 and thus it is that, *'if we confess our sins, he is 
 faithful and just to forgive us our sins." The right- 
 eous fulfilment of engagements made in a way of 
 grace is not opposed to it ; but that which is required 
 by essential justice is. 
 
 This representation of things cannot in any wise 
 depreciate the merit of Christ; for be this what it 
 may, it is not ours, and cannot therefore constitute 
 any claim on our behalf, but in virtue of God's free 
 promises, which, being made in grace, continue such 
 in all their fulfilments. 
 
 It is enough if the justification of sinners be con- 
 
260 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 sistent with justice; and this renders the whole in 
 harmony with grace. Such was the value of Christ's 
 blood-shedding, as, in regard to its effects on the 
 divine government, to be equivalent to our being 
 everlastingly punished ; and such the merit of his 
 obedience, as to be worthy of all that God has be- 
 stowed on us in reward of it; yet, as there is no 
 transfer but of the effects, it does not in the least 
 interfere with grace. 
 
 If the principles on which the doctrine of atone- 
 ment proceeds be carefully considered, they will not 
 only be found consistent with grace, but will rank 
 among the strongest evidences in favor of it. 
 
 In proof of this, let the following observations be 
 duly considered: 
 
 1. It is common among men, in showing kindness to 
 the umvorthy, to do it out of regard to one that is worthy; 
 which kindness is nevertJiekss considered as a matter of 
 free favor. You had a friend whom you loved as your 
 own soul. He died and left an only son. The son 
 proves a dissolute, worthless man, and reduces himself 
 to beggary. Still he is the son of your friend, and 
 you wish to show him kindness. If your kindness be 
 unaccompanied with an explanation of your motives, 
 he may think you have no dislike to his vices. Young 
 man, say you, therefore, I am sorry it is not in my 
 power to be your friend from a respect to your own 
 character; but I knew and loved your father, and 
 what I do for you is for his sake. Here is an exercise 
 of both justice and grace ; justice to the memory of 
 the worthy, and grace in the relief of the unworthy. 
 The worthiness of the father is imputed to the son, 
 
BY THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST. 261 
 
 inasmuch as, in consequence of it, lie is treated as 
 though he were himself worthy ; but it makes no dif- 
 ference as to his real character or deserts, nor in any- 
 wise renders what is done to him less a matter of 
 grace, than if it had not been done in considera- 
 tion of his father's worthiness. If Onesimus were 
 forgiven by Philemon at the intercession of Paul, as 
 there is no reason to doubt that he was, he would 
 not on that account think of its being less an act of 
 grace, 
 
 2. God, in his dealings with mankind, has frequently 
 proceeded upon the same principle, bestowing blessings on 
 the unworthy out of respect to on£ that was worthy; 
 which blessings, nevertheless, have been of pure grace. 
 God promised the posterity of Noah exemption from 
 a future flood ; but knowing that they would utterly 
 corrupt themselves, his covenant was primarily made 
 with him. It was thus in the blessings promised to 
 the posterity of Abraham. The Lord, knowing that 
 they would be very corrupt, spoke thus to Abraham 
 himself: "As for me, behold, my covenant is vnth 
 thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.'' 
 Hence, in a great number of instances wherein mercy 
 was shown to the rebellious Israelites, they were 
 reminded that it was "not for their sakes," but on 
 account of the covenant made with their father Abra- 
 ham, and renewed with Isaac and Jacob. Thus, also, 
 in the covenant made with David, God blessed his 
 posterity for his sake, saying, "My covenant shall 
 stand fast loith himJ^ And when the heart of Solo- 
 mon was turned away from the Lord God of Israel, 
 he was told, that if the Lord did not rend the kingdom 
 
2G2 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 utterly from him, it would not be for his sake, but for 
 David his servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, 
 which he had chosen. In these instances, ihere was 
 a display of both justice and grace, and the righteous- 
 ness of the fathers was, as I may say, imputed to the 
 children, inasmuch as, in consequence of it, they were 
 treated as if they themselves were righteous; but it 
 makes no difference as to their deserts, nor in any 
 wise renders what was done to them less a matter of 
 grace, than if it had proceeded merely from the divine 
 goodness, and without any consideration of the right- 
 eousness of their fathers. So far from this, the very 
 language, " Not for your sakes do I this, be it known 
 unto you, but for my holy name's sake, and for the 
 covenant that I made with your fathers," would tend 
 more than any thing to humble them, and to impress 
 them with the idea that what they had was altogether 
 of grace. 
 
 If it be objected that in these cases, though the 
 blessing was of grace to the party receiving it, yet 
 it was in reward of the party for whose sake it was 
 given ; I answer. It is in respect to the party receiv- 
 ing, and him only, that it is called grace ; and this is 
 sufficient for its being so denominated. It is of what 
 justification is to us, and not what it is to Christ, that 
 the apostle speaks. It is enough if it be of grace to 
 us, and if God's bestowing it upon us out of respect to 
 the worthiness of his Son do not diminish that grace, 
 but on the contrary augment it. 
 
 But it may be said, that in these cases there was 
 no example of the innocent suffering for the guilty ; 
 no atonement ; no redemption of the parties by a sac- 
 
BY THE EEDEMPTION OF CHRIST. 263 
 
 rij&ce offered in their stead. We therefore proceed to 
 observe, 
 
 3. God, in the appointment of animal sacrifices, though 
 they were only shadows of good things to come, sancti- 
 fied the principle of sin being expiated by the sufferings 
 of a substitute, and yet represented t/ie sinner as freely 
 FORGIVEN. The process of the burnt-offering is thus 
 described : " If his offering be a burnt-sacrifice of the 
 herd, let him offer a male without blemish ; he shall 
 offer it of his own voluntary will," or, as Ainsworth 
 renders it, for acceptance, "at the door of the taber- 
 nacle of the congregation before the Lord. And he 
 shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offer- 
 ing : and it shall be accepted for him to make atone- 
 ment for him," etc. The current language concerning 
 these sacrifices is, "And the priest shall make an 
 atonement for him as concerning his sin that he hath 
 committed, and it shall be forgiven himJ' In all these 
 transactions there was justice and grace : justice in 
 requiring a sacrifice, and grace in forgiving the trans- 
 gressor. There was also imputation : the sin of the 
 party was imputed to the appointed victim, which was 
 reckoned as though it were the sinner, and treated as 
 such in the divine administration. The atonement 
 made by the sacrifice was, on the other hand, imputed 
 to him that offered it ^ that is, it was reckoned to his 
 account, and he was treated accordingly. This is 
 clear from what is said of one the flesh of whose offer- 
 ing was neglected to be eaten before the third day, 
 according to appointment : " It shall not be accepted, 
 neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it : 
 it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of 
 
 I 
 
264 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 it shall bear his iniquity ;" implying that if offered 
 according to the divine appointment, it was accepted 
 for him, and imputed to him, and he should not bear 
 his iniquity. 
 
 In all these substitutional sacrifices, atonement 
 did not operate to the diminution of grace ; they were 
 not such a payment of the sinner's debt as that he 
 should be entitled to deliverance as a matter of claim ; 
 since the issue of all was, "And his sins shall be/or- 
 given him." On the contrary, every thing was calcu- 
 lated to magnify the grace of God, and to humble the 
 sinner in the dust before him. Of this tendency par- 
 ticularly, was his having to lay his hand upon the 
 head of the sacrifice, confessing his sin, and acknow- 
 ledging, in effect, that if he had been treated accord- 
 ing to his deserts, he himself must have been the 
 victim. 
 
 The doctrine of sacrifices receives an interesting 
 illustration from the case of Job and his three friends: 
 " And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these 
 words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Teman- 
 ite. My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy 
 two friends ; for ye have not spoken of me the thing 
 that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore 
 take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, 
 and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves 
 a burnt-offering ; and my servant Job shall pray for 
 you, for him will I accept ; lest I deal with you after 
 your folly." 
 
 We see here that the three friends could not be 
 justified on the ground of their own conduct. They 
 must either be accepted through a sacrifice and inter- 
 
[ BY THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST. 265 
 
 ccssor, or be dealt with according to their folly. And 
 this sacrifice and intercession, instead of making void 
 the grace of the transaction, goes to establish it. It 
 must have been not a little humiliating to Eliphaz 
 and his companions to be made to understand that 
 all their zeal for God had been folly, and required an 
 atonement ; that the Lord would not receive a petition 
 at their hands ; that the sacrifices must be brought 
 to Job, and offered up in his presence ; and that, after 
 all their contumelious language to him, they must owe 
 their acceptance to his intercession. Had they been 
 forgiven without this process, their sin must have ap- 
 peared light, and the grace of God in its forgiveness 
 have been diminished, in their apprehension, in com- 
 parison of what it was. 
 
 4. The JYew Testament, while it represents the interpo- 
 sition of Christ as necessary for the consistent exercise of 
 mercy, ascribes the whole of our salvation, nevertheless, to 
 the free grace of God. I need not prove this position 
 by a number of references. The doctrine of the New 
 Testament on this subject is summarily comprehended 
 in the third chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans. 
 Having stated that we are "justified freely by grace, 
 through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," he 
 adds, " whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, 
 through faith in his blood, to declare his righteous- 
 ness for the remission of sins that are past, through 
 the forbearance of God ; to declare, I say, at this time 
 his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justi- 
 fier of him which believeth in Jesus." 
 
 " Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation." 
 We see here in what " the redemption of Christ," by 
 
 k Atonement. 1 2 
 
266 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 which we are justified, consisted. He himself was 
 made an expiatory sacrifice, through which God might 
 be propitious to sinners, without any dishonor attach- 
 ing to his character. 
 
 "Through faith in his blood." In order to an 
 Israelite being benefited by the appointed sacrifices, 
 it was necessary for him, or for the priest on his be- 
 half, to put his hands upon the head of the animal, 
 and there to make confession of sins. Hence the 
 offerers of sacrifices are denominated "the comers 
 thereunto." And thus it is necessary to our deriving 
 benefit from the propitiation of Christ, that we should 
 believe in him. 
 
 " To declare his righteousness for the remission of 
 sins." The first thing necessary in our justification is 
 the remission of sin. The grand impediment to this 
 was, that it would throw odium upon the " righteous- 
 ness" of God; representing either his precepts and 
 threatenings as too rigid to be put in execution, or 
 his mercy as being mere connivance. Hence, when 
 a great act of mercy was to be shown, it became 
 necessary to preface it by a declaration or demonstra- 
 tion of righteousness. God, by making his beloved 
 Son a sacrifice, practically declared or demonstrated, 
 in the presence of the universe, his determination to 
 maintain the honor of his government, and his utter 
 abhorrence of sin. Having done this, he can now 
 forgive the believing sinner without any suspicion of 
 connivance attaching to his character. 
 
 "Sins that are past, through the forbearance of 
 God." The propitiation of Christ was not only ne- 
 cessary in behalf of believers under the times of the 
 
BY THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST. 267 
 
 gospel, but of those in former ages. Those who had 
 offered sacrifices were not given in virtue of them, but 
 of this. On the ground of Christ's undertaking to 
 become a propitiation in the fulness of time, the " for- 
 bearance of God" was exercised towards them. And 
 now that his righteousness is declared, he can be "just, 
 and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." 
 
 Supposing the foregoing comments to be the sub- 
 stance of the apostle's meaning, what is there in any 
 part of it which renders void, or in any wise dimin- 
 ishes the free grace of God? Does the declaration 
 or demonstration of his righteousness "for the remis- 
 sion of sins " render it no remission ? Would it have 
 been more of a favor for God to have pardoned sin 
 without any regard to righteousness, than with it? 
 Is there any thing in the whole proceeding that puts 
 the sinner in possession of a claim on the ground of 
 essential justice, or which warrants him to hope for 
 an interest in its blessed results without coming to 
 the Saviour as guilty and unworthy ? 
 
 There is nothing in the New Testament which 
 represents the death of Christ as superseding the 
 necessity of repentance, confession, and humble sup- 
 plication, or as investing the believer with any other 
 claim of spiritual blessings than that which arises 
 from the free promise of God through his dear Son. 
 We never read there of " suing out our right," nor 
 of mercy being a matter of demand since Christ has 
 paid the debt. All is in the language of supplication 
 in the name of Christ. 
 
 The intercession of Christ himself on our behalf 
 proceeds upon the same principle. It would not 
 
268 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 otherwise be intercession. " Grace/' as Dr. Goodwin 
 observes, "requires to be applied for in a way of 
 entreaty and intercession." 
 
 Those who plead for the intercession of Christ in 
 a way of authority or demand, ground it on his sacri- 
 fice and merits ; which being of infinite worth, must, 
 they suppose, entitle him to ask favors for his people in 
 this manner. That God in love to his dear Son should 
 reward this voluntary obedience unto death with the 
 bestowment of eternal salvation on them that believe 
 in him, and even lay himself under obligation to do 
 so, is perfectly consistent with its being of grace ; but 
 obligation of this kind furnishes no ground for de- 
 mand, nor does it appear from the Scriptures that the 
 Majesty of heaven and earth was ever so approached. 
 In the gospel way of salvation, grace and justice meet, 
 or are combined in the same thing. Grace, through 
 the righteousness of Jesus, " reigns" nqt in one or two 
 stages, but in every stage, " unto eternal life ;" but on 
 the principle of salvation being an object of demand, 
 it must, in some stages of it, become a matter of mere 
 justice : it might be grace to provide the deliverer, 
 but there would be none in the delivei:ance itself. 
 
 However worthy Christ was to receive power, and 
 strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing, yet, 
 when pleading for sinners, it required to be in the 
 language of intercession. His worthiness is that in- 
 deed on account of which we are treated as if we were 
 worthy, but it does not render us meritorious. Thci 
 righteousness of Christ is imputed to us; but it is 
 only in its effects that it is transferred, or indeed 
 transferable. The sum is, there is nothing in thoj 
 
BY THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST. 269 
 
 atonement or justifying righteousness of Christ that 
 in any wise supersedes the necessity of our being 
 freely forgiven, or freely blessed. 
 
 Before proceeding to another branch of our sub- 
 ject, I beg leave here to offer a few reflections : 
 
 1. If the doctrine here stated and defended be 
 true, there is in the nature of sin something much more 
 offensive to God than is generally supposed. Is it 
 conceivable that God, whose nature is love, would 
 have cursed the work of his hands for a matter of 
 small account ? He does not delight in cursing ; he 
 afflicts not willingly, nor grieves the children of men. 
 Yet every transgressor of his law is declared to be 
 accursed. All the curses in the book of God stand 
 against him : in his basket, and in his store ; in the city, 
 and in the field ; in his going out, and in his coming 
 in; and in all that he setteth his hand unto. Nor is 
 it confined to the present life, but includes everlasting 
 punishment. Is it conceivable that God would have 
 made his Son a sacrifice, or that the Lord of glory 
 would have come into the world for this purpose, if 
 sin had not been an evil and a bitter thing ? If it 
 were no more than men in general conceive it to be, 
 assuredly so much would not have been made of it. 
 It is upon light thoughts of sin that a disbelief of 
 justification through the blood-shedding of Christ is 
 grafted ; but let us think of it as lightly as we may, if 
 God thinks otherwise we shall be in the wrong, for 
 *' the judgment of God is according to truth." 
 
 2. If this doctrine be true, the danger of our being 
 lost arises, not from the magnitude of our sin, be it 
 what it may, but from a self-righteous rejection of the 
 
270 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 only way of acceptance with God. Let the nature or 
 degrees of sin be w^hat they may, there is no reason 
 on that account to despair of salvation. On the con- 
 trary, there is the utmost encouragement for the most 
 guilty and unworthy to return to God by Jesus Christ. 
 Every bar in the way of acceptance which respected 
 the government of God is removed. God can be just, 
 and yet the justiiier of the believer in Jesus. More 
 glory redounds to him, even to his justice, from salva- 
 tion, than from damnation. Nor is there any cause to 
 doubt the willingness of God to show mercy. He is, 
 indeed, unwilling to show mercy to those who seek it 
 in any other way than Christ, or rather, is determined 
 they shall not find it; but every one that seeketh in 
 his name findeth. There is one great and overwhelm- 
 ing fact that answers all objections : " He that spared 
 not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how 
 shall he not with him also freely give us all things ?" 
 The pardon of sin and acceptance with God are bless- 
 ings of such magnitude, that nothing in this world is 
 to be compared with them ; yet these are less than 
 what has been given already, for the argument of the 
 apostle is from the greater to the less. If we be 
 willing to receive Christ, and with him all things 
 freely, there is nothing to hinder it. If the door of 
 mercy be shut upon us, it is a self-righteous spirit that 
 shuts it. Look at a self-justifying spirit in respect of 
 faults committed between man and man. Persons of 
 very ordinary capacity in other things will here be 
 ingenious to admiration in framing excuses. They 
 who seem scarcely able to speak on other subjects 
 will be quite eloquent in defending themselves ; dwell- 
 
BY THE EEDEMPTION OF CHRIST. 271 
 
 ing on circumstances that make in their favor, keep- 
 ing out of sight what makes against them, alleging 
 their good intentions, even in things which in them- 
 selves cannot be justified ; and shunning, as one would 
 shun the road to death, a frank acknowledgment of 
 their sin, and a humble petition for mercy. Of the 
 same nature is a self-righteous spirit in respect of sin 
 committed against God; and this it is which shuts 
 the door of mercy. If a convict, under a just sentence 
 of death, be assured from authority, that if he confess 
 his guilt and petition for mercy, he will be forgiven ; 
 and if, instead of making such confession and suppli- 
 cation, he either pleads not guilty^ or at least insists 
 upon his comparative innocence, or upon some cir- 
 cumstance which may entitle him to mercy, should we 
 not say of such a man. He shuts the door of mercy on 
 himself? He dies not on account of the magnitude of 
 his crime, but of his pride and obstinacy. His origi- 
 nal crime is still indeed the formal cause of his pun- 
 ishment, but it is owing to his self-justifying spirit 
 that it was finally laid to his charge. And thus it is 
 that the Scriptures ascribe the loss of the soul to un- 
 belief : " He that believeth on the Son hath everlast- 
 ing life ; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not 
 see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him" " Israel, 
 which 'followed after the law of righteousness, hath 
 not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? 
 Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were 
 by the works of the law ; for they stumbled at that 
 stumbling-stone," 
 
 It is remarkable, that in drawing a conclusion 
 from the doctrine of absolute sovereignty, in which 
 
 r 
 
272 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 the apostle had taught that God had " mercy on whom 
 he would have mercy," he ascribes the failure of the 
 Jews, not to their non-election, but to their unbelief. 
 
 3. Though justification be of " grace, through the 
 redemption which is in Christ Jesus," yet without good 
 works we can give no proof of our being justified. The 
 whole argument of the apostle in the sixth chapter 
 of his epistle to the Romans, teaches that believers 
 cannot live in sin, being dead to it, and alive to God. 
 Those who are in Christ Jesus, to whom there is now 
 no condemnation, are said to " walk not after the flesh, 
 but after the Spirit." We need not wish for stronger 
 evidence in favor of the doctrine of free justification, 
 than that which is furnished by the objections which 
 are answered by the apostle. No other notion of jus- 
 tification than that which is of grace, through Christ, 
 would admit of such objections as he encounters ; no 
 other doctrine, therefore, can justly pretend to be 
 apostolical. 
 
 It follows, however, that while we contend for the 
 doctrine, it concerns us so to walk as not to furnish 
 its adversaries with grounds for reproaching it as un- 
 friendly to a life of holiness. The law of God, though 
 not the medium of life, is nevertheless the rule of con- 
 duct ; and though we are justified by faith alone, yet 
 good works are necessary to prove it to be genuine. 
 Thus it is that faith is shown and made perfect by 
 works. All who profess to believe the doctrine do 
 not live under its influence, and they who do are ex- 
 posed to other influences. Whatever peace of mind, 
 therefore, it may be adapted to produce, it furnishes 
 no ground for carnal or presumptuous security. 
 
RiaHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 273 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE IMPUTED RiaHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST THE 
 GROUND OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 Two things are observable in the solemn renewal 
 of the covenant with Isaac, as recorded in the twenty- 
 sixth chapter of Genesis. 1. The good things prom- 
 ised. The sum of these blessings is, the land of Ca- 
 naan, a numerous progeny, and what is the greatest 
 of all, the Messiah in whom the nations should be 
 blessed. On these precious promises Isaac is to live. 
 God provided him with bread in the day of famine ; 
 but he lived not on bread only, but on the words 
 which proceeded from the mouth of God. It was in 
 reference to such words as these that Moses said unto 
 Hobab, " We are journeying to the place of which the 
 Lord said, I will give it you : come thou with us, and 
 we will do thee good ; for the Lord hath spoken good 
 concerning Israel." 2. Their being given for Abra- 
 ham's sake : " Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, 
 and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, 
 and my laws." We are expressly informed in what 
 manner this patriarch was accepted of God, namely, 
 as believing on Him who justifieth the ungodly ; and 
 this accounts for the acceptance of his works. The 
 most spiritual sacrifices, being offered by a sinful crea- 
 ture, can no otherwise be acceptable to God than by 
 12* 
 
274 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 Jesus Christ. But a sinner being accepted as believ- 
 ing in Jesus, his works also are accepted for His 
 sake, and become rewardable. It was in this way, 
 and not of works, that Abraham's obedience was 
 honored with so great a reward. The blessings here 
 promised are called the mercy to Abraham. Mic. 7 : 20. 
 Hence, we perceive the fallacy of an objection to the 
 New Testament doctrine of our being forgiven and 
 blessed in Christ's name, and for his sake : that this is 
 no more than was true of Israel, who were blessed 
 and often forgiven for the sake of Abraham. " Instead 
 of this fact making against the doctrine in question," 
 says Thomas Williams, a late judicious writer, "it 
 makes for it ; for it is clear from hence, that it is not 
 accounted an improper or unsuitable thing, in the 
 divine administration, to confer favor on individuals, 
 and even nations, out of respect to the piety of another 
 to whom they stood related. But if this principle be 
 admitted, the salvation of sinners, out of respect to 
 the obedience and sufferings of Christ, cannot be ob- 
 jected to as unreasonable. To this may be added, 
 that every degree of divine respect to the obedience 
 of the patriarchs was in fact no other than respect to 
 the obedience of Christ, in whom they believed, and 
 through whom their obedience, like ours, became ac- 
 ceptable. The light of the moon, which is derived 
 from its looking as it were on the face of the sun, is 
 no other than the light of the sun itself reflected. But 
 if it be becoming the wisdom of God to reward the 
 righteousness of his servants, and that many ages after 
 their decease, so highly, which was only borrowed 
 lustre, much more may he reward the righteousness of 
 
RiaHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 275 
 
 his Son, from which it originated, in the salvation of 
 those that believe in him." 
 
 Another general illustration may be drawn from 
 the history of Joseph. As Potiphar favors the Lord's 
 servant, the Lord will not be behindhand with him, 
 but will favor him. From this time forward every 
 thing is blessed and prospered for " Joseph's sake." 
 We see here that it is good to be connected with them 
 who fear God, but mucli better to cast in our lot with 
 them. In that case we shall not only gain by them 
 for this life, but as Moses told Hobab, whatever good 
 thing the Lord doeth to them shall be done to us. 
 Here also we see the promise to Abraham fulfilled in 
 his posterity : he not only blesses them, but " makes 
 them a blessing." Such was Jacob to Laban; such 
 was Joseph to Potiphar, and afterwards to all Egypt ; 
 and such has Israel been to the world, who from them 
 derive a Saviour, and all that they possess of true 
 religion. Even the casting away of them has proved 
 the reconciling of the world, and how much more 
 shall the receiving of them at a future day be as life 
 from the dead. It might also be the design of God, 
 by this as well as other of his proceedings, to set 
 forth under a figure the method in which he would 
 bless the world; namely, "for the sake of another 
 that was dear unto him." Potiphar was not blessed 
 for his own sake, or on account of any of his good 
 deeds, but for the sake of Joseph. Even his receiv- 
 ing Joseph into favor was not that on account of 
 which he was blessed, though that was necessary to 
 it ; it was Joseph to whom the eye of the Lord was 
 directed: he looked on him, and blessed Potiphar. 
 
276 DOCTHINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 So that for the sake of which we are accepted and 
 saved is not any work of righteousness which we have 
 done, nor even our believing in Christ, though this 
 is necessary to it, but the name and righteousness of 
 Jesus. Thus, in both cases grace is displayed, and 
 boasting excluded. Finally, it was a proverb in 
 Israel, that " when it goeth well with the righteous, 
 the city rejoiceth." This was singularly exemplified 
 in the prosperity of Joseph, and still more in the 
 exaltation of Christ. From the day that he was 
 made head over all principalities and powers, from 
 that time forward the Lord hath blessed the world 
 for his sake. 
 
 To impute, as has been remarked in the treatise 
 on the Atonement, signifies, in general, to charge, 
 reckon, or place to account, according to the diJfferent 
 objects to which it is applied. 
 
 This word, like many others, has a proper and a 
 figurative meaning. 
 
 First, it is applied to the charging, reckoning, or 
 placing to the account of persons and things that which 
 
 PROPERLY BELONGS TO THEM. This of COUrse is itS 
 
 proper meaning. In this sense the word is used in the 
 following passages : " Eli thought that she," Hannah, 
 " had been drunken." Hanan and Shelemiah the 
 treasurers were " counted faithful." " Let a man so ac- 
 count of us as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards 
 of the mysteries of God." " Let such an one think 
 this, that such as we are in word by letters when we 
 are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are 
 present." " I reckon that the sufferings of this present 
 
{ 
 
 RiaHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 277 
 
 time are not worthy to be compared with the glory 
 which shall be revealed in us." 1 Sam. 1 : 13 ; Neh. 
 13:13; 1 Cor. 4 : 1 ; 2 Cor. 10 : 11 ; Rom. 8 : 18. 
 
 Reckoning or accounting here is no other than 
 forming an estimate of persons and things according 
 to what they are, or appear to be. To impute sin in this 
 sense, is to charge guilt upon the guilty in a judicial 
 way, with a view to his being punished for it. Thus 
 Shimei besought David that his iniquity might riot be 
 imputed to him ; thus the man is pronounced blessed 
 to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity; and thus 
 Paul prayed that the sin of those who deserted him 
 might not be laid to their charge. 2 Sam. 19 : 19 ; 
 Psa. 32:2; 2 Tim. 4 : 16. 
 
 In this sense, the term is ordinarily used in com- 
 mon life. To impute treason or any other crime to a 
 man, is the same thing as charging him with having 
 committed it, and with a view to his being punished. 
 
 Secondly, it is applied to the charging, reckoning, 
 or placing to the account of perso7is and things that 
 
 WHICH DOES NOT PROPERLY BELONG TO THEM, AS THOUGH 
 
 IT DID. This of course is its figurative meaning. In 
 this sense the word is used in the following passages : 
 " And this your heave-offering shall be reckoned unto 
 you as though it were the corn of the threshing-floor, 
 and as .the fulness of the wine-press." " Wherefore 
 hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?" 
 " If the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the 
 law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for cir- 
 cumcision?" "If he hath wronged thee, or oweth 
 thee aught, put that on my account.^' Num. 18 : 27-30 ; 
 Job 13 : 24 ; Rom. 2 : 26 ; Philemon 18. 
 
278 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 It is thus I understand the term, when applied to 
 justification. "Abraham believed God, and it was 
 counted unto him for righteousness. To him that 
 worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the 
 ungodly, his faith is counted unto him for righteous- 
 ness." Rom. 4 : 3, 5. I do not suppose that " faith," in 
 these passages, means the righteousness of the Messiah, 
 for it is expressly called " believing." It means be- 
 lieving, however, not as a virtuous exercise of the 
 mind, which God consented to accept by a composi- 
 tion, taking a part for the whole; but as having 
 respect to the promised Messiah, and so to his right- 
 eousness, as the ground of acceptance. Justification 
 is ascribed to faith as healing frequently is in the 
 New Testament, not as that which imparted the ben- 
 efit, but that which afforded occasion to the great 
 Physician to exercise his power and mercy. 
 
 But if it were allowed that faith, in these passages, 
 means the object believed in, still this was not Abra- 
 ham's own righteousness, and could not be properly 
 imputed or counted by Him who judges of things as 
 they are, as being so. It was reckoned to him as if it 
 were his, and the effects or benefits were actually 
 transferred to him; but this was all. Abraham did 
 not become meritorious, or cease to be unworthy. 
 " What is it else to set our righteousness in the obe- 
 dience of Christ," says Calvin, "but to affirm that 
 hereby only we are accounted righteous, because the 
 obedience of Christ is imputed to us as if it were our 
 own?" 
 
 It is thus also that I understand the imputation of 
 sin to Christ. He was made sin for us in the same 
 
RiaHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 279 
 
 sense as we are made the righteousrwss of God in him. 
 He was accounted in the divine administration as if he 
 were, or had been the sinner, that those who believe 
 on him might be accounted as if they were, or had been 
 righteous. 
 
 There were two things belonging to the sin-offer- 
 ing, under the Levitical economy : 1. The imputation 
 of the sins of the people, signified by the priest's lay- 
 ing his hands on the head of the animal, and confess- 
 ing over it their transgressions, and which is called 
 " putting them upon it," Lev. 16 : 21 ; that is, it was 
 counted in the divine administration aS if it had been 
 the sinner, and the only sinner of the nation. 2. 
 Making it a sacrifice, or " killing it before the Lord 
 for an atonement." Lev. 1 : 4, 5. Now the phrase 
 made sin, in 2 Cor. 5 : 21, appears to refer to the first 
 step in this process, in order to the last. It is expres- 
 sive of what was preparatory to Christ's suffering of 
 death, rather than of the thing itself; just as our 
 being made righteousness expresses what was prepara- 
 tory to God's bestowing upon us eternal life. 
 
 To remove some difficulties which have existed on 
 this subject, it may be well to remind the reader of 
 two or three great principles. 
 
 1. There is an important difference between pun- 
 ishment and suffering. All punishment is suffering, 
 but all suffering is not punishment. If a soldier have 
 his hand cut off for lifting it up against his com- 
 mander, it is punishment ; but if it be shot off in battle, 
 it is mere suffering. 
 
 t 
 
280 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 2. Though an innocent creature cannot be justly 
 exposed to punishment, yet may it not be to suffering? 
 If a commander-in-chief order a troop of his best 
 soldiers to scale a wall in the mouth of danger, they 
 are exposed to suffering; nor would they think of 
 replying, as in case of his ordering them to receive 
 each a hundred lashes, " What have we done to de- 
 serve this treatment?" But if a human commander, 
 for the accomplishment of a wise, just, and good 
 object, may thus expose his innocent men to suffering, 
 why may not the same be said of the great Master 
 of the universe? Have we not been too much in the 
 habit of concluding that suffering necessarily sup- 
 poses the party to have sinned ; and so because we 
 saw the human race suffer, even in their earliest in- 
 fancy, we have concluded that they must have sinned 
 in the person of their grand progenitor. But do not 
 the brute creation also suffer? yet they have not sin- 
 ned. Did not the family of Achan suffer death, as 
 well as his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep? yet 
 they were not transgressors in " the accursed thing," 
 any more than the cattle. Are we not so linked 
 together in society that in millions of examples one 
 suffers the consequence of another's crime, though he 
 partook not with him in the guilt? It may be true 
 that all suffering supposes sin smnewhere. The suffering 
 of the brutes may be a part of the punishment of the 
 sin of man, who has a propriety in them ; and the suf- 
 fering of Achan's family was undoubtedly a part of 
 the punishment of his sin. But yet it does not neces- 
 sarily suppose sin in the suffering party. 
 
 3. May not the same event be a punishment to tlie 
 
RiaHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 281 
 
 guilty party, and to the innocent mere suiBfering? The 
 death of Achan's sons and daughters, and oxen and 
 asses and sheep, as well as his own death, was to him 
 a punishment, but to them mere suffering. And sup- 
 posing his children to be grown up, and to be entirely 
 under the influence of the love of God and righteous- 
 ness, they must have hated their father's crime, and 
 have acquiesced in the doom — not on the principle of 
 being participants of his guilt, but of such a measure 
 being a just punishment to him, and on their part 
 adapted to the general good. " Let our lives," they 
 would say, " be made a sacrifice that may stand as a 
 lasting monument to Israel never more to touch the 
 accursed thing." . In such a case, their death, though a 
 part of their father's punishment, yet to them would be 
 merely an afiliction — an affliction that should, through 
 the grace of God, introduce them to everlasting life. 
 Some righteous persons might perish in the overthrow 
 of Judea by the Romans, who had all along sighed 
 and cried for the abominations of the land. To the 
 nation that event was punishment, but to them it might 
 be mere affliction, and of the nature of a blessing. 
 
 There are other instances of imputation as well as 
 that of Adam's sin to his posterity, from which it is 
 possible some light may be derived to this important 
 subject. For example, our sin was imputed to Christ, 
 and his righteousness is imputed to us. "He was 
 made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be 
 made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Cor. 5 : 21. 
 And as both these instances of imputation are men- 
 tioned together, it should seem that they both proceed 
 on the same principle. 
 
282 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 In what sense then was our sin imputed to Christ, 
 or how was he " made sin ?" Surely not by a partici- 
 pation, for he is expressly said, in the same passage, to 
 have known no sin. God did not judge him to be 
 the sinner, for his judgments are according to truth. 
 The whole seems to have been, that for wise and 
 gracious ends he was treated as though he had been the 
 sinner, and the greatest sinner in the world. 
 
 Further, in what sense is Christ's righteousness 
 imputed to us, or how are we made the righteousness 
 of God in him ? Not by a participation of it. It is 
 not true, nor will it ever be true, that the holy excel- j 
 lence of Christ is so ours as that we cease to be un- 
 worthy, and are deserving of eternal life. The whole 
 appears to be the same as in the former instance, God 
 for the sake of the obedience of his Son treats us as 
 though we were righteous, worthy, "or meritorious. 
 
 It is not necessary here to decide whether Christ's 
 obedience to the Father was necessary bji his own 
 account. Whether it was or not makes nothing as to 
 his being qualified to accomplish our salvation. The 
 imputation of righteousness, as the Scriptures repre- 
 sent it, appears to me to be this: God for wise and 
 holy ends blessed one, or many, in reward of the obedience 
 of another, to whom they are related^ in a manner as though 
 it were performed by themselves. Thus, if the first Adam 
 had continued obedient, God would have expressed 
 his approbation of his conduct by confirming not only 
 him, but his posterity after him, in a state of holiness 
 and happiness. And thus the obedience unto death 
 yielded by the second Adam is represented as that 
 
RiaHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 283 
 
 with which God is so well pleased, that in reward of 
 it, he not only exalted him far above all principality 
 and power, but bestowed full, free, and eternal salva- 
 tion on all those who believe in him, how great soever 
 had been their transgressions. 
 
 But it may be said, if this be the idea which the 
 Scriptures give us of the imputation of righteousness, 
 and it be applicable to the first as well as the sec- 
 ond Adam, whence arises the necessity of the divin- 
 ity of Christ, in order that his righteousness should 
 be imputed to us? I do not suppose that it was 
 necessary to imputation itself, but rather to its being 
 available to the justification of the ungodly. Imputed 
 righteousness may take place, whether it be that of 
 a mere man or of one who is both God and man; 
 but the righteousness of a mere creature would not 
 avail for the pardon and justification of rebellious 
 men. 
 
 There is an important difference between the sup- 
 posed imputation of the righteousness of the first 
 Adam, and that of the second. God's promising to 
 bless the sinless posterity of the former, by confirming 
 them in a state of holiness and happiness, had nothing 
 in it which could clash with any of *his perfections. 
 He might thus have blessed them without any previous 
 obedience being performed on their behalf, as it ap- 
 pears that he actually did the elect angels. His prom- 
 ising to bless the children, in reward of the obedience 
 of the parent, was, that while he expressed his love to 
 both, he might also express his love of righteousness. 
 But in receiving rebellious sinners to favor, there 
 required a proviso for the security of his honor, that 
 
284 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 he might appear to be what he was, jmt as well as 
 the justifier. "It became him, in bringing many sons 
 to glory, to make the Captain of their salvation per- 
 fect through sufferings." The glory of the divine 
 character must not be tarnished. That for the sake 
 of which we are pardoned and justified, therefore, 
 be it what it may, must at least be equivalent^ as to 
 its influence on moral government, to justice having 
 taken its natural course. Hence arises the necessity 
 of the deity of Christ in order to our justification. 
 Though the obedience of a mere creature might be 
 the medium of conveying blessedness to his sinless 
 posterity, yet none but that of a divine person could 
 accomplish the salvation of sinners, because the obe- 
 dience of a mere creature could not have done such 
 honor to the divine law as should have been equal to 
 the dishonor which it had received from us ; nor could 
 the sufferings of any one that was not God have ex- 
 pressed the divine displeasure against sin in so strik- 
 ing and impressive a manner as if every transgressor 
 had received his just recompense of reward. But 
 admitting the Redeemer to be divine, all is plain and 
 easy. Hence, that which is peculiarly ascribed to the 
 deity of Christ in regard of his sufferings, is their 
 value ^ or virtue. " By himself he purged our sins." 
 " The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from 
 all sin." Heb. 1 : 3 ; 1 John, 1 : 7. 
 
 It is in perfect harmony with these New Testa- 
 ment views, that we find the prophet Jeremiah saying 
 of the church of God, " This is the name wherewith 
 she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness." Jer. 
 33 : 16. It may seem too much for the church of 
 
RiaHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST 285 
 
 Christ to bear a name which is properly applicable 
 only to Christ himself, and is expressly given to him 
 in chapter 23 : 6 of the same prophecy. Interpreters 
 have attempted to account for this in different ways. 
 Some have rendered the words, " And this is the name 
 of Him that shall call her," as we should say, by his 
 grace, " The Lord our righteousness." But the words 
 clearly import an appellation given to the church. 
 Others have supposed the church to be called after 
 the name of Christ on account of her intimate union 
 with him, as a wife is called after the name of her 
 husband. But this is a modern practice, to which, 
 therefore, there can be no allusion. 
 
 The name in the Hebrew is Jeh-ovah-tsidkenu ; and, 
 if I am not mistaken, the use of several other of these 
 compound terms in the Old Testament will determine 
 the meaning of the passage in question. When Abra- 
 ham was about to offer up his son, in the very moment 
 of extremity his hand was stayed, and a lamb was 
 provided. Abraham, in commemoration of this signal 
 interposition, called the name of the place Jehovah- 
 jireh, the Lord will see, or provide. When God gave 
 Israel the victory over Amalek, Moses built an altar, 
 and called it Jehovah-nissi, the Lord my banner. When 
 Gideon, having seen an angel of God, was apprehen- 
 sive that he should die, and the Lord comforted him, 
 saying, " Peace be unto thee, fear not ;" he built an 
 altar, and called it Jehovah-shalom, the Lord send 
 peace. Finally, when the church in the latter day, 
 under the form of a city, is described in prophecy, it 
 is said that its name shall be called Jehovah-shammah, 
 the Lord is there. Gen. 22 : 14 ; Ex. 17 : 15 ; Judg. 
 
286 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 6 : 24 ; Ezek. 48 : 35. Now the place where Abraham 
 received the lamb was not Jehovah^ nor either of the 
 altars erected by Moses and Gideon. They were only 
 memorials of what Jehovah had wrought. Neither 
 will the city described by Ezekiel be Jehovah ; but 
 the presence of Jehovah shall be so sensibly and man- 
 ifestly in it, that this shall be its name, or distinguish- 
 ing character. Thus it is that the church, under the 
 gospel dispensation, shall be called Jehovah-tsidkenu, 
 the Lord our righteousness ; not because she is Jeho- 
 vah, but because her justification, by the righteousness 
 of Jehovah, forms a kind of prominent feature in her 
 countenance. This leading truth is inscribed upon 
 her in deep and legible characters, like those upon 
 the altars of Moses and Gideon. She is even a stand- 
 ing memorial of it to all generations. 
 
 Such, I think, is the meaning of this prophecy. 
 Let us inquire whether it accords with fact. If there 
 be a leading principle which distinguishes the gospel 
 church more than any other, it may be expected to oc- 
 cupy a conspicuous place in the New Testament. It is 
 true, the Old Testament church was accepted of God 
 through the same medium that we are ; but the right- 
 eousness of JesiLs not being actually wrought, it does 
 not form so prominent a feature in that dispensation. 
 As soon as our Lord entered on his ministry he de- 
 clared his errand to be, "to seek and to save that 
 which was lost." The self-righteous Pharisees, who 
 were whole in their own eyes, were most of them left 
 to perish in their own deceivings, while publicans and 
 harlots entered into the kingdom of God before them. 
 Every encouragement was given to faith in the Re- 
 
RiaHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 287 
 
 deemer. In answer to this the diseased were cured, 
 and the guilty forgiven, whatever had been their for- 
 mer character. Those who embraced the Saviour from 
 among the sect of the Pharisees, and who were right- 
 eous in their own eyes, were brought to an open renun- 
 ciation of every thing of this kind, and to sue for mercy 
 among the chief of sinners. This was particularly 
 the case of Saul of Tarsus, who "counted all things but 
 loss, that he might win Christ, and be found in him; 
 not having his own righteousness, which was of the 
 law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the 
 righteousness which is of God by faith." Phil. 3 : 8, 9. 
 
 When the apostles, commissioned by their Lord, 
 went forth preaching the gospel to every creature, 
 this was their errand. To the Jews they thus ad- 
 dressed themselves: "Be it known unto you there- 
 fore, men and brethren, that through this man is 
 preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by 
 him all that believe are justified from all things, from 
 which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." 
 Acts 13 : 38, 39. As to the G-entiles, their address to 
 them was in substance as follows : " Now then we are 
 ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech 
 you by us : we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye recon- 
 ciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, 
 who knew no sin, that we might be made the right- 
 eousness of God in him." 2 Cor. 5 : 20, 21. 
 
 In almost all the epistles, we find this great truth 
 written in legible characters. It is almost the sole 
 object of that to the Romans. To quote all the evi- 
 dence from it, were to quote the epistle itself. I shall 
 only observe that there arc some errors referred to in 
 
288 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 that epistle, among believers, and which were to be 
 objects of forbearance; but justification by faith in 
 the righteousness of Christ, to the renouncing of all 
 dependence on the works of the law, is not repre- 
 sented as a question that divided believers, but as a 
 principle of such importance as to distinguish be- 
 lievers from unbelievers. " The Gentiles, which fol- 
 lowed not after righteousness, have attained to right- 
 eousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But 
 Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, 
 hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Where- 
 fore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as 
 it were by the works of the law ; for they stumbled 
 at that stumbling-stone." " Being ignorant of God's 
 righteousness, and going about to establish their own 
 righteousness, they have not submitted themselves unto 
 the righteousness of God." Rom. 9 : 30-32 ; 10 : 3. 
 
 The disorders of the Corinthians were greater 
 than those of any other of the primitive churches. 
 This, with some who profess to believe this important 
 truth in the present day, would have been thought a 
 sufficient reason for withholding it in this instance, 
 lest it should be abused ; but Paul did not withhold 
 it. " Of him," says he, " are ye in Christ Jesus, who 
 of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, 
 and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Cor. 1 : 30, 
 31. He had found them sunk in vice and profligacy. 
 Speaking of fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effemi- 
 nate, abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, cov- 
 etous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners, " And such," 
 says he, " were some of you ; but ye are washed, but 
 ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name 
 
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 289 
 
 of the Lord Jesus, and by tlie Spirit of our God." 
 1 Cor. 6 : 9-11. 
 
 The epistle to the Galatians, like that to the Ro- 
 mans, is principally composed of this doctrine. It is 
 here considered of such importance, as that the rejec- 
 tion of it perverted the gospel of Christ. Those 
 teachers who set themselves against it, and thereby 
 troubled the churches, the apostle wished to have 
 " cut off" from among them. And those professors of 
 Christianity who received another system, he consid- 
 ered as "fallen from grace," or as having deserted 
 the truth of the gospel ; and told them plainly that 
 Christ was " become of no effect to them." Gal. 1:7; 
 5 : 4, 12. 
 
 The epistle to the Ephesians, the object of which 
 seems to be to endear Christ, and the knowledge of 
 him, enumerates the spiritual blessings with which 
 God hath blessed us in him, and among these is his • 
 having made us "accepted in the Beloved." And 
 again, "By grace ye are saved, through faith; and 
 that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of 
 works, lest any man should boast." 
 
 Similar observations might be made on almost all 
 the remaining epistles. I shall content myself with 
 only referring the reader to the following passages : 
 Phil. 3 : 7-9; 1 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 3 : 4-7 ; 2 Pet. 1:1; 
 1 John, 2:1; Rev. 19 : 8 ; and offering a few remarks 
 on the apparent inconsistency of Paul and James on 
 this subject, to which I have already alluded. If the 
 justification on which these sacred writers insist were 
 the same, their doctrine would certainly wear every 
 appearance of contradiction, inasmuch as that the one 
 
 Atonement. 1 o 
 
290 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 affirms we are justified " by faith without the works 
 of the law ;" while the other insists that a raan is jus- 
 tified " by works, and not by faith only." Yea, and 
 what is more, each of them appeals to the case of 
 Abraham, as an example of his doctrine. Rom. 4 : 1- 
 6 ; James 2 : 21-26. But if the justification on which 
 they severally insist be difi'erent, different things may 
 be affirmed concerning each, without any contradic- 
 tion. And this is manifestly the case. Paul dis- 
 courses on the justification of the ungodly, or of sin- 
 ners being accepted of God, which is by faith in the 
 righteousness of Christ, without works ; James, on the 
 justification of the godly, or of a saint being approved 
 of God, and which is by works. Abraham is said to 
 have been justified by faith, when he first believed the 
 promise, prior to his circumcision ; but by works, 
 many years after it, his faith was made manifest, 
 when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar. The 
 one therefore relates to his acceptance with God as a 
 sinner, the other to his being approved of God as a 
 saint. Both together completed his character. He 
 believed, and it " was accounted to him for righteous- 
 ness ;" he obeyed, and was " called the friend of God.'' 
 Upon the whole, if these observations be just, we 
 are, by this appellation given to the Christian church, 
 furnished with a criterion by which to judge of it. It 
 is composed of such people as, renouncing all depend- 
 ence upon their own righteousness, rely only upon 
 the righteousness of Christ for acceptance with God ; 
 while at the same time their faith is not a dead, in- 
 operative opinion, but a vital principle, productive of 
 good works. 
 
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 291 
 
 We also see the justice with which divines have 
 insisted on the importance of this great article of 
 faith. It was with good reason that Luther, in par- 
 ticular, considered it as a kind of corner-stone in the 
 Reformation. Those reformed communities, whether 
 national or congregational, which have relinquished 
 this principle in their confessions of faith, or which, 
 retaining it in their confessions, yet renounce or neg- 
 lect it in their ordinary ministrations, have with it 
 lost the spirit and power of true religion. 
 
 Believers in Jesus Christ shall, in the day of judg- 
 ment, be delivered from the doom that lies on men as 
 the violators of God's law, through the sacrifice and 
 second coming of Christ. Not from subjection to cor- 
 ruption, nor yet from appearing before God in judg- 
 ment. Good and bad, young and old, healthy and 
 afiSicted, wise and foolish, all must die. We must 
 shortly, without distinction, part with all our earthly 
 enjoyments, friends, property, etc., and all our relig- 
 ious opportunities will soon be over. Our bodies will 
 be reduced to dust, and our souls appear before God. 
 All this we must pass through, whatever we are, and 
 notwithstanding the mediation of Christ ; but yet we 
 are delivered by him from every thing in death or 
 judgment that can render it truly terrible. If we in- 
 quire how^ the gospel provides an answer : 
 
 1. It is through his having died for us, " to bear 
 the sin of many." Observe, it is sin that is the sting 
 of death ; and Christ, by his death, has removed this 
 sting away in behalf of all who believe in him : as the 
 sacrifices bore the sins of Israel, and bore them away, 
 
292 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 SO Christ by Ms death " hath borne our griefs, and 
 carried our sorrows." "He was wounded for our 
 transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities : the 
 chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with 
 his stripes we are healed." He bore the wrath due 
 to our sin. The shaft of vengeance spent itself in 
 his heart. Hence, death becomes a sleep, sleeping in 
 Jesus — a putting off this tabernacle — a departure. 
 Hence, Christians have met death with pleasure, 
 though in himself the king of terrors. Death was 
 originally under the power of Satan ; but Christ by 
 death has destroyed that power of Satan over death, 
 and death now becomes Christ's servant and theirs: 
 " Death is yours." 
 
 2. As our deliverance from the sting of death is 
 through Christ's death, so our deliverance from the 
 terror of judgment will be owing to Christ's standing 
 our friend in that day. The terror of judgment is 
 condemnation for sin, but Christ will be our advocate. 
 Observe, He came before to hear sin, but now vyithmt 
 sin. He comes to salvation; to save our bodies from 
 the grave, and body and soul from condemnation ; to 
 give the final blow. " Who shall lay any thing to the 
 charge of God's elect ?" This is to them, and them 
 only, that look for him — that love his appearing. 2 
 Pet. 3 : 12 J 2 Tim. 4 : 8. 
 
FAITH IN CHRIST. 293 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 FAITH IN CHRIST THE MEDIUM OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 The grand foundation of all good hope is tJie 
 Lord Jesus Christ, GodJs revealed Mediator, embraced hy 
 faith. On this rock the people of God in all ages 
 have built their hope, whatever other foundations 
 sinners have devised. Of old, God laid this in 
 Zion. This was the subject of apostolic ministra- 
 tions; they held forth none other than Him "whom 
 God had set forth to be a propitiation through faith 
 in his blood." 
 
 That the mediation of Christ is the primary ground 
 of all good hope, will appear evident if we recollect — 
 and 0, let u^ never forget — the hopeless condition in 
 which sin involved us. By our breach of covenant 
 with God, the very idea of future good for us was 
 totally annihilated. Nothing but eternal tribulation 
 and anguish, as the reward of evil-doers, was now to 
 be expected. The image of God being totally effaced 
 in us, his favor towards us was absolutely forfeited. 
 Hence, the least idea of hope from any other ground 
 than the mediation of Christ, is not only a declaration 
 of opposition to God's way of salvation, but is alto- 
 gether a wild chimera. By the state of the fallen 
 angels we may learn what ground is left for hope 
 where no mediation is provided ; and what must have 
 
294 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 been our state had we been left in their condition? 
 These, void of all hope whatever, "are reserved in 
 everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment 
 of the great day." 
 
 We are not unacquainted with the many false 
 grounds on which sinners rest their hopes, but we as 
 well know who has said, " Other foundation can no 
 man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 
 We doubt not, brethren, but you have perceived the 
 vanity of a multitude of those things which buoy up 
 the hopes of a great part of mankind. Yourselves, 
 it may be, were once the subjects of those delusory 
 dreams whereof we trust ye are now ashamed. It 
 yields us great pain to see such numbers of our fellow- 
 sinners standing on such slippery places. The mere 
 mercy of God, to the exclusion of Christ's mediation — 
 not being so bad as some others — common honesty 
 and civility between man and man — descent from 
 pious parents — a place and a name among the godly — 
 suffering much affliction in this life — Ifegal convic- 
 tions — superior knowledge — superstitious zeal — these 
 are some of the dangerous foundations on which vast 
 numbers of deluded mortals build their eternal all! 
 But ye have not so learned Christ. Be it your reso- 
 lution, with holy Paul, to " know nothing " in this 
 matter, " but Christ and him crucified." 
 
 You will remember, it was necessary that this 
 glorious Mediator should be revealed ere he could be- 
 come a ground .of hope. The amazing design of mercy 
 was first laid in the eternal council ; hence, the blood 
 of Christ is termed the blood of the covenant, through 
 which prisoners in the pit become prisoners of hope ; 
 
FAITH IN CHRIST. 295 
 
 but whatever design of mercy might exist in the mind 
 of God, that could not become a ground of hope till 
 revealed by the word of God. Hence the promise of 
 the woman's Seed afforded the first and only dawn of 
 hope to a. lost world. Hence also the word of God is 
 frequently represented in Scripture as that whereon 
 our hope resteth. 
 
 Equally necessary is it that the mediation of Christ 
 should be embraced by faith We trust you need not 
 be told, that though this mediation be the sole meri- 
 torious ground of our hope, yet a special work of the 
 Spirit of God must take place in us, before we can 
 reasonably put in our claim for eternal bliss. The 
 work of Christ gives to the elect sinner a title to its 
 possession ; the work of the Spirit gives a meetness 
 for its enjoyment. If we experience the latter, we 
 may lay claim to a personal interest in the former. 
 These God has joined together, and let no man dare 
 to put them asunder. Christ must be in us, ere he 
 can be to us the hope of glory. The hope that maketh 
 not ashamed is wrought by experience. The graces 
 of the Spirit, however, become a ground of hope, 
 not through any inherent merit, but in virtue of the 
 promise of God ; or rather, they are the evidence of 
 our interest in the promise. In numerous passages 
 of holy writ, God has promised eternal life to all such 
 as bear certain characters ; namely, to those who are 
 of a broken and contrite spirit, that mourn for sin, 
 believe in Christ, love him in sincerity, deny 'them- 
 selves, take up their cross, follow him, etc. Hence 
 all who through grace are the subjects of these spirit- 
 ual dispositions enjoy a right, founded on such prom- 
 
296 DOCTHINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 ises, to hope for eternal bliss; and this is another 
 reason why the word of God is frequently represented 
 in Scripture as that whereon our hope resteth. 
 
 There are some doctrines which may properly be 
 termed fundamental truths. Whatever difficulty may 
 attend the specification of those doctrines, it will not 
 be found more difficult than a distinct enumeration of 
 those Christian graces which are essential to true re- 
 ligion. The precise degree of holiness necessary to 
 salvation is not more easily to be defined than the 
 degree of truth to be believed, yet no one can doubt 
 that a certain degree of truth and holiness is essential 
 to Christianity. 
 
 The importance of a principle must be determined 
 by the relation it bears to other principles and duties 
 of religion. Truth is a system, though it is not taught 
 in the Scriptures in a systematic form. The gospel is 
 not a mass of discordant sentiments, but possesses a 
 lovely proportion, a beautiful analogy. Rom. 12 : 6. 
 The oracles of God contain their "first principles," 
 Heb. 5:12, which suppose a scheme or system of prin- 
 ciples. To show the importance of the doctrine of the 
 resurrection, the apostle proceeds to prove that it in- 
 volves in it the resurrection of Christ, and that this in- 
 volves in it the truth of Christianity. 1 Cor. 15 : 13-15. 
 There is no part of the works of God but bears a re- 
 lation to the great system. The infinitely wise God 
 does nothing in a loose^ unconnected, or inharmonious 
 form ; connection and consistency run through all his 
 works. And it would be strange if redemption, the 
 greatest of all his works, were accomplished without 
 
FAITH IN CHRIST. 297 
 
 a plan, or without a system. But if the work itself 
 form a complete system, just conceptions of it will be 
 the same ; otherwise our conceptions must be at vari- 
 ance with truth. 
 
 It is from this consideration that a denial of one 
 divine truth generally leads on to the denial of many 
 others. It is by the gospel as it is by the moral law, 
 " to offend in one point is to be guilty of all." You 
 cannot break any command without violating the 
 authority of the Lawgiver; and this being once vio- 
 lated, there are no bounds where to stop. "He who 
 said, Do not commit adultery, said also. Do not kill. 
 And if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou 
 art a transgressor of the law." The same principle 
 which leads tjiee to despise the divine authority in one 
 instance, would lead thee to do the same in all, as 
 occasion might offer. It is much the same in refer- 
 ence to evangelical truth ; we cannot reject one part 
 of it, especially if that part be among its fundamental 
 principles, without either rejecting or becoming less 
 attached to the rest. 
 
 There are two things which offer themselves to 
 our consideration in reference to the deity of Christ on 
 whom saving faith rests, each of which, while it tends 
 to confirm the truth of the doctrine, exhibits its impor- 
 tance. The one is, calling on the name of the Lord 
 Jesus; the other is, trusting in him for salvation. 
 These are of importance, or there is nothing in Christi- 
 anity which is so ; but a denial of the deity of Christ 
 would render them both improper, if not impracticable. 
 
 Calling on the name of the Lord Jesus is consid- 
 ered, in the New Testament, as of equal importance 
 
 13# 
 
298 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 with believing in him, having the same promise of 
 salvation annexed to it. " Whosoever shall call upon 
 the name of the Lord, shall be saved." And seeing it 
 is asked, " How shall they call on him in whom they 
 have not believed?" Rom. 10 : 13, 14, it is strongly 
 intimated that all who truly believe in Christ do call 
 upon him. This is one of the distinguishing charac- 
 teristics of the primitive Christians. Paul's epistle 
 to the Corinthians was addressed to them, in connec- 
 tion with " all who in every place call upon the name 
 of Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Cor. 1 : 2. Now as a re- 
 jection of the divinity of Christ renders it idolatry to 
 worship him, or call upon his name ; so it must involve 
 a rejection of that by which primitive Christians were 
 distinguished, and which has the promise of salvation. 
 And where these things are rejected, there is no longer 
 any possibility of Christian union ; for how can those 
 who consider Christ to be a mere man, join in the 
 worship of such as are employed in calling upon his 
 name, and ascribing " blessing, and honor, and glory, 
 and power, unto the Lamb for ever?" Rev. 5 : 13. If 
 there were no objection on the part of Trinitarians, 
 there ought to be on the part of Unitarians, to ren- 
 der their conduct consistent. If we are guilty of idol- 
 atry, they ought to come out from among us, and be 
 separate, as the Scriptures command Christians to 
 do with respect to idolaters. 2 Cor. 6 : 16, 17. But 
 if they are so indifferent about the importance of re- 
 ligious principle as not to hesitate on such matters, 
 there is no reason that we should be so ; and we have 
 no warrant to acknowledge those as fellow- Christians 
 who come not under the description given of such in 
 
FAITH IN CHRIST. 299 
 
 the New Testament ; that is, who call not upon the 
 name of Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 Trusting in Christ for salvation is represented in 
 the gospel as equivalent and of equal importance 
 with believing in him. " In his name shall the Gen- 
 tiles trust." " I know whom I have believed, and am 
 persuaded he is able to keep that which I have com- 
 mitted unto him against that day." Matt. 12 : 21 ; 2 
 Tim. 1 : 12. But trusting in Christ must be intimately 
 connected with a belief in his proper deity. Without 
 this, all committing of ourselves to him, and trusting 
 in his ability to keep that which we have committed 
 to him, would be placing confidence in an arm of flesh ; 
 and would bring down the curse upon us instead of 
 the blessing. God has expressly appropriated trust 
 to himself alone, and prohibited our placing it in a 
 mere creature. " Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the 
 man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, 
 and whose heart departeth from the Lord." " Blessed 
 is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope 
 the Lord is." Jer. VI : 5, 7. 
 
 Every creature is entirely dependent on the Crea- 
 tor, and is totally incompetent to answer the charac- 
 ter of a Saviour, especially with respect to that sal- 
 vation which mankind need. That there may exist a 
 proper foundation for trust, the character of a Saviour 
 must unite omnipresent and omnipotent power, to 
 control every intelligent creature and every particle 
 of matter in the universe, and render every thing sub- 
 servient to the great purposes of salvation; omnis- 
 cient understanding, to know perfectly, and at all 
 times, their hearts, their dangers, and their wants; 
 
300 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 infinite wisdom, to select unerringly, from an infinite 
 number of supposable schemes for the accomplish- 
 ment of the great object, that which is best both with 
 respect to the end and the infinitude of antecedent 
 means ; absolute immutability, to prosecute invariably 
 the same designs; and infinite love, to rise above 
 millions of provocations, and embrace perpetually the 
 same good. 
 
 That scheme, therefore, which denies Christ to be 
 possessed of these divine prerogatives, and considers 
 him as a mere dependent creature, leaves no ground 
 for its abettors to trust unreservedly and ultimately 
 in him for salvation ; for, according to their principles, 
 Christ cannot be an adequate object of trust. 
 
 Those who deny the divinity of Christ, may plead 
 that they confide in the truth of his declarations ; but 
 they might also confide in the declarations of Peter 
 or Paul, seeing that their testimony is equally true. 
 But to commit our souls into their hands would be 
 unwarrantable and presumptuous, and it would be 
 equally so to commit them into the hands of Christ, 
 if he were a mere creature like them. To deny his 
 proper divinity, therefore, is to destroy the foundation 
 of a sinner's hope, and to make void the distinctive 
 evidence of primitive Christianity: calling upon the 
 name of the Lord Jesus, and committing our souls into 
 his hands for salvation. 
 
 What is believing the gospel, but heartily admit- 
 ting what it implies and what it declares ? What but 
 admitting that God is an infinitely amiable Being, and 
 that his law is " holy, and just, and good ?" for, other- 
 
FAITH IN CHRIST. 301 
 
 wise, the sacrifice of Christ for the breach of it would 
 have been injustice and cruelty. What but admitting 
 that sin is an infinite evil, and that we are infinitely 
 to blame for breaking God's law without any provo- 
 cation ? for if otherwise, an infinite atonement would 
 not have been required; God would have accepted 
 some other sacrifice, rather than have given up his 
 own Son. What but admitting that we are utterly 
 depraved and lost, lying entirely at God's discretion ? 
 If he save us alive, we live ; or if we have our portion 
 with devils, with whom we have sided against him, 
 he and his throne are guiltless. This is implied in 
 the gospel of a crucified Saviour ; for if we had not 
 been utterly lost, we had not needed a Saviour, at least 
 such a great one. In fine, what is it but admitting 
 that the plan of redemption is a plan full of infinite 
 glory, the device of infinite wisdom, the expression of 
 infinite love, the work of infinite power, and the dis- 
 play of infinite glory, justice, and faithfulness ? a plan 
 originating in the heart of God, effected by means the 
 most astonishing, and productive of ends the most glo- 
 rious ; no less glorious than the - eternal honor of its 
 Author, the triumph of truth and righteousness, the 
 confusion of Satan, the destruction of sin, and the holi- 
 ness and happiness of a number of lost sinners which 
 no man can number ; a plan this, therefore, " worthy 
 of all acceptation" — worthy of being approved and ac- 
 quiesced in with all the heart. These, I think, are some 
 of the principal truths which the gospel exhibits, and 
 whosoever really believes them shall be saved. 
 
 On the other hand, what is it to disbelieve the 
 gospel, but to remain under a persuasion that God is 
 
302 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 not such an infinitely amiable Being as to be worthy 
 of being loved with all the heart and soul, and mind 
 and strength? that therefore his law is too strict, and 
 if it must extend to the heart, too broad, requiring 
 more than ought to be required, especially of fallen 
 creatures ? that consequently a breach of it is not so 
 very criminal as to deserve damnation ? that if God 
 were to damn us, it would be a very hard and cruel 
 thing? that we are not so depraved and lost, but that 
 if God were but to deal fairly with us we should do 
 very well without a Saviour, or at least without such 
 a Saviour and such a salvation as is altogether of 
 grace ? that there is no such excellence in the Saviour 
 that we should desire him, no such glory in his way of 
 salvation that we should choose it — so choose it, how- 
 ever, as to be willing to have our pride mortified, and 
 our lusts sacrificed to it ? in fine, that there is no need 
 for such an ado about the concerns of our souls, no 
 need to become new creatures, to be at war with all 
 sin, and to make religion our daily business ? This I 
 consider to be what the Scriptures mean by unbelief. 
 Whether my ideas of the gospel are right or wrong 
 affects not the present question; for be the gospel 
 what it may, the belief of it has attached to it the 
 promise of salvation, and the disbelief of it the threat- 
 ening of damnation. 
 
 It is of infinite importance that we be right in our 
 first outset, and that we take up our rest in nothing 
 short of Christ. When a sinner is convinced of his 
 dangerous condition, fears and terrors will commonly 
 possess him. If, under these impressions, he is led to 
 relinquish all other confidences, and to flee for refuge 
 
FAITH IN CHRIST. 303 
 
 to the hope set before him, all is well. But if, having 
 left off a few of his immoralities, and conformed to 
 the outward exercises of religion without betaking 
 himself wholly to Christ, he comforts himself that now 
 he is at least in a fair way to eternal life, he is build- 
 ing on the sand, and may live and die a mere self- 
 righteous Pharisee. 
 
 Or should he be deprived of his rest, should his 
 fabric be demolished by the blasts of new temptations, 
 and his mind become rather appalled with fear, than 
 elated with self-confidence — if by this he is brought to 
 give up his self-righteous hope, and come to Jesus as 
 a sinner ready to perish, still it is well. " Such things 
 worketh God oftentimes with man, to bring back his 
 soul from the pit." But this is not always the issue. 
 Longing for ease to his troubled spirit, he is in the 
 most imminent danger of taking up his rest in any 
 thing that will afford him a present relief ; and if in 
 such a state of mind he receive an impression that 
 God has forgiven and accepted him, or read a book 
 or hear a sermon favorable to such a mode of obtain- 
 ing comfort, he will very probably receive it, and 
 become inebriated with the delicious draught. And 
 now he thinks he has discovered the light of life, and 
 feels to have lost his burden. 
 
 Let us pause and reflect upon this deplorable case. 
 There is no situation, perhaps, more perilous than that 
 of an awakened sinner prior to his having closed with 
 Christ. He is walking as upon enchanted ground, 
 and is in the utmost danger of falling asleep in one or 
 other of its arbors. Nor is there any case in which 
 it is of greater importance to administer right coun- 
 
304 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 sel. To go about to comfort such persons on the 
 ground of their present distress, telling them, as some 
 do, that the Lord first wounds and then heals, and 
 that their feeling the former is a sign that in due time 
 they will experience the latter, is to be aiding and 
 abetting them in what may prove their eternal ruin. 
 The mischief in these instances arises from a false 
 notion of the case of the awakened sinner, as though 
 he were really willing and even anxiously desirous of 
 being saved in God's way, if it would but please God 
 to consent that he might, and to signify that consent 
 by revealing it to him. So he thinks of himself, and 
 BO his advisers think of him. But the truth is, he is 
 not straitened in God, but in himself. The fountain 
 is open; the Spirit saith. Come, and the bride saith. 
 Come, and whosoever will, may come, and partake of 
 the water of life freely. God's word directs him to the 
 good way, and counsels him to walk in it, promising 
 that in so doing he shall find rest to his soul. Nothing 
 hinders his coming but a secret attachment to his idols, 
 which on coming he is aware must be relinquished. 
 The only comfort that we are warranted to hold up to 
 one in such circumstances is, that of Jesus Christ hav- 
 ing come into the world to save sinners, and of his 
 being able and willing to save all them who come 
 unto God by him. If this afford no consolation, it is 
 at our peril to console him from what he feels in him- 
 self, which, till he falls as a sinner ready to perish at 
 the feet of Jesus, is nothing better than the impeni- 
 tent distress of a Cain, a Saul, or a Judas. It may 
 terminate in a better issue, and it may not. Our 
 business is to point to the gospel refuge; teaching, 
 
FAITH IN CHRIST. 305 
 
 entreating, and warning him to flee thither from the 
 wrath to come. . 
 
 If once a sinner derives comfort from any thing 
 short of Christ, he from thence falls asleep in secu- 
 rity ; and it is well if he awakes in this world. He 
 has obtained a kind of "rest for his soul" without 
 coming to Christ for it, which must needs therefore 
 be delusive. Stupefied by the intoxicating draught, 
 he dreams of being a favorite of heaven, and. if any 
 attempt to disturb his repose, it is commonly without 
 effect. " They have smitten me," saith he, " and I 
 was not sick ; they have beaten me, and I felt it not ; 
 when shall I awake ? I will seek it yet again." 
 
 Believers, on the other hand, are described as 
 thinking highly of Christ ; reckoning themselves un- 
 worthy to " unloose the latchet of his shoes," or that 
 he should " come under their roof ;" treating his gos- 
 pel as " worthy of all acceptation," and " counting all 
 things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of 
 him." They are of the same mind with the blessed 
 above, who sing his praise, " saying with a loud voice, 
 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, 
 and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and 
 glory, and blessing." In fine, they are of the same 
 mind with God himself : him whom God has chosen, 
 they choose ; and he who is precious in his sight, is 
 precious in theirs. 1 Pet. 2 : 4-7. And do they over- 
 estimate his character ? Is he not worthy of all the 
 honor they ascribe to him, of all the affection they 
 exercise towards him ; and that whether he actually 
 receive it or not ? If all the angels had been of the 
 
306 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 mind of Satan, and all the saints of the spirit of the 
 unbelieving Israelites who were not gathered, yet 
 would he have been "glorious in the eyes of the 
 Lord." The belief or unbelief of creatures makes no 
 difference as to his worthiness, or their obligation to 
 ascribe it to him. 
 
 In drawing this chapter to a close, we may re- 
 mark that much is made by the apostle Paul, in the 
 fourth chapter of his epistle to the Romans, of a pas- 
 sage respecting Abraham's belief of God's giving him 
 a son : " And he believed in the Lord ; and He 
 counted it to him for righteousness." Gen. 15 : 6. 
 Much, we say, is made of this passage by the apostle, 
 in establishing the doctrine of justification by faith ; 
 and much has been said by others, as to the meaning 
 of both him and Moses. One set of expositors, con- 
 sidering it evident that by faith is here meant the act 
 of believing, contend for this as our justifying righteous- 
 ness. Faith, in their account, seems to be imputed to 
 us for righteousness by a kind of gracious compro- 
 mise, in which God accepts of an imperfect, instead of 
 a perfect obedience. Another set of expositors, jeal- 
 ous for the honor of free grace, and of the righteous- 
 ness of Christ, contend that the faith of Abraham is 
 here to be taken objectively, for the righteousness of 
 Christ believed in. To me it appears that both these 
 expositions are forced. To establish the docti:ine of 
 justification by the righteousness of Christ, it is not 
 necessary to maintain that the faith of Abraham means 
 Christ in whom he believed. Nor can this be main- 
 tained; for it is manifestly the same thing, in the 
 
FAITH IN CHRIST. 307 
 
 account of the apostle Paul, as believing, Rom. 4 : 5, 
 which is very distinct from the object believed in. 
 The truth appears to be this, as remarked by Calvin 
 in his " Institutes :" It is faith, or believing, that is 
 counted for righteousness; not however as a right- 
 eous act, or on account of any inherent virtue con- 
 tained in it, but in respect of Christ, on whose righteous- 
 ness it terminates. 
 
 That we may form a clear idea of the doctrine, let 
 the following particulars be considered. 
 
 1. Though Abraham believed God when he left 
 Ur of the Chaldees, yet his faith in that instance is 
 not mentioned in connection with his justification ; nor 
 does the apostle, either in his epistle to the Romans, 
 or in that to the Galatians, argue that doctrine from 
 it, or hold it up as an example of justifying faith. 
 I do not mean to suggest that Abraham was then in 
 an unjustified state ; but that the instance of his faith 
 which was thought proper by the Holy Spirit to be 
 selected as the model for believing for justification 
 was not this, nor any other of the kind, but those 
 only in which there was an immediate respect had to 
 the person of the Messiah. The examples of faith 
 referred to in both these epistles, are taken from his 
 believing the promises relative to his seed; in which 
 seed, as the apostle observes, Christ was included. 
 Rom. 4 : 11 ; Gal. 3 : 16. Though Christians may be- 
 lieve in God with respect to the common concerns of 
 this life, and such faith may ascertain their being in a 
 justified state ; yet this is not, strictly speaking, the 
 faith by which they are justified, which invariably has 
 respect to the person and work of Christ. Abraham be- 
 
808 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 lieved in God as promising Christ ; they believe in him 
 as having " raised him from the dead." " By him, all 
 that believe," that is, in him, "are justified from all 
 things from which they could not be justified by the 
 law of Moses." It is through faith in his blood that 
 they obtain remission of sins. He "is just, and the 
 justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." 
 
 2. This distinction, so clearly to- be seen both in 
 the Old and New Testaments, sufficiently decides in 
 what sense faith is considered as justifying. "What- 
 ever other properties the magnet may possess, it is 
 as pointing invariably to the north that it guides the 
 mariner ; so, whatever other properties faith may pos- 
 sess, it is as pointing to Christ, and bringing us into 
 union with him, that it justifies. Eom. 8 : 1 ; 1 Cor. 
 1 : 30 ; Phil. 3:9. It is not that /or the sake of which 
 we are accepted of God ; for if it were, justification by 
 faith could not be opposed to justification by works j 
 nor would boasting be excluded ; neither would there 
 be any meaning in its being said to be by faith, that 
 it might be of grace : but believing in Christ, we are 
 considered by the Lawgiver of the world as one with 
 him, and so are forgiven and accepted /or his sake. 
 Hence it is, that to be justified by faith is the same 
 thing as to be justified by the blood of Christ, or made 
 righteous by his obedience. Rom. 5 : 9, 19. Faith is 
 not the grace wherein we stand, but that by which we 
 have access to it. Rom. 5:2. Thus it is that the 
 healing of various maladies is ascribed in the New 
 Testament to faith : not that the virtue which caused 
 the cures proceeded from this as its proper cause; 
 but this was a necessary concomitant to give the par- 
 
FAITH IN CHRIST. 309 
 
 ties access to the power and grace of the Saviour, by 
 which only they were healed. 
 
 3. The phrase " counted it for righteousness" does 
 not mean that God thought it to be what it was, which 
 would have been merely an act of justice ; but his gra- 
 ciously reckoning it what in itself it was not, namely, 
 a ground for the bestowment of covenant blessings. 
 Even in the case of Phinehas, of whom the same phrase 
 is used in reference to his zeal for God, it has this 
 meaning ; for one single act of zeal, whatever may be 
 said of it, could not entitle him and his posterity after 
 him to the honor conferred upon them. Psa. 106 : 30, 
 31 ; comp. Num. 25 : 11-13. And with respect to the 
 present case, " The phrase, as the apostle uses it," says 
 President Edwards, "manifestly imports that God, of 
 his sovereign grace, is pleased, in his dealings with 
 the sinner, to take and regard that which indeed is 
 not righteousness, and in one who has no righteous- 
 ness, so that the consequence shall be the same as if 
 he had righteousness, and which may be from the 
 repsect which it bears to something which is indeed 
 righteousness." The faith of Abraham, though of a 
 holy nature, yet contained nothing in itself fit for a 
 justifying righteousness ; all the adaptedness which 
 it possessed to that end was the respect which it had 
 to the Messiah, on whom it terminated. 
 
 From these remarks we may be able to solve an 
 apparent difficulty in the case of Cornelius. He 
 "feared God," and "his alms and prayers came up for 
 a memorial before God." He must therefore have 
 been at that time in a state of salvation. Yet after 
 this he was directed to send for Peter, who should tell 
 
310 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 Mm words by which he and all his house should be 
 saved. Acts 10 : 2, 4 ; 11 : 14. What Abraham was in 
 respect of justification, before he heard and believed 
 what was promised him concerning the Messiah, Cor- 
 nelius was in respect of salvation before he heard and 
 believed the words by which he was to be saved. 
 Both were the subjects of faith according to their light. 
 Abraham believed from the time that he left Ur of the 
 Chaldees ; and Cornelius could not have feared God 
 without believing in him : but the object by which they 
 were justified and saved was not from the first so 
 clearly revealed to them as it was afterwards. 
 
 4. Though faith is not our justifying righteous- 
 ness, yet it is a necessary concomitant and means of 
 justification ; and being the grace which above all 
 others honors Christ, it is that which above all others 
 God delights to honor. Hence it is that justification 
 is ascribed to it, rather than to the righteousness of 
 Christ without it. Our Saviour might have said to 
 Bartimeus, Go thy way; I have made thee whole. 
 This would have been truth, but not the whole truth 
 which it was his design to convey. The necessity of 
 faith in order to healing would not have appeared 
 from this mode of speaking, nor had any honor been 
 done or encouragement given to it ; but by his saying, 
 " Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole," each 
 of these ideas is conveyed. Christ would omit men- 
 tioning his own honor, as knowing that faith, having 
 an immediate respect to him, amply provided for it. 
 
 Some have inferred from the doctrine of justifica- 
 tion by faith in opposition to the works of the law, 
 
FAITH IN CHRIST. 311 
 
 that sinners ought not to be exhorted to any thing 
 which comprises obedience to the law, either in heart 
 or life, except we should preach the law to them for 
 the purpose of conviction ; and this, lest we should be 
 found directing them to the works of their own hands 
 as the ground of acceptance with God. From the 
 same principle it has been concluded, that faith itself 
 cannot include any holy disposition of the heart, be- 
 cause all holy disposition contains obedience to the 
 law. If this reasoning be just, all exhorting of sin- 
 ners to things expressive of a holy exercise of heart, 
 is either improper, or requires to be understood as 
 merely preaching the law for the purpose of convic- 
 tion ; as our Saviour directed the young ruler to keep 
 the commandments, if he would enter into life. Yet 
 the Scriptures abound with such exhortations. Sinners 
 are exhorted to " seek" God, to "serve" him with fear 
 and joy, to " forsake " their wicked way and " return " 
 to him, to " repent " and " be converted." These are 
 manifestly exercises of the heart, and addressed to 
 the unconverted. Neither are they to be understood 
 as the requirements of a covenant of works. That 
 covenant neither requires repentance nor promises 
 forgiveness. But sinners are directed to these things 
 under a promise of " mercy " and " abundant pardon." 
 There is a wide difference between these addresses 
 and the address of our Lord to the young ruler : that 
 to which Ae was directed was the producing of a right- 
 eousness adequate to the demands of the law, which 
 was impossible ; and our Lord's design was to show 
 its impossibility, and thereby to convince -him of the 
 need of gospel mercy; but that to which the above 
 
312 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 directions point is not to any natural impossibility, 
 but to the very way of mercy. The manner in which 
 the primitive preachers guarded against self-right- 
 eousness was very different from this. They were not 
 afraid of exhorting either saints or sinners to holy 
 exercises of heart, nor of connecting with them the 
 promises of mercy.. But though they exhibited the 
 promises of eternal life to any and every spiritual 
 exercise, yet they never taught that it was on account 
 of it, but of mere grace, through the redemption that 
 is in Jesus Christ. The ground on which they took 
 their stand was, " Cursed is every one who continueth 
 not in all things written in the book of the law to do 
 them." Hence, they inferred the impossibility of a 
 sinner being justified in any other way than for the 
 sake of Him who was " made a curse for us ;" and 
 hence it clearly follows, that whatever holiness any 
 sinner may possess before, in, or after believing, it is 
 of no account whatever as a ground of acceptance 
 with God. If we inculcate this doctrine, we need not 
 fear exhorting sinners to holy exercises of heart, nor 
 holding up the promises of mercy to all who thus 
 return to God by Jesus Christ 
 
 God not only accepts all who believe in his Son, 
 for his sake, but their services also become acceptable 
 and rewardable through the same medium. If our 
 works while unbelievers had any thing truly good in 
 them, which they have not, still, it were impossible 
 that they should be acceptable to God. But being 
 "accepted in the Beloved," our works are accepted 
 likewise. " The Lord had respect unto Abel, and to 
 
FAITH IN CHRIST. 313 
 
 his offering." " He worketh in us that which is well 
 pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ." "Ye 
 are a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, 
 acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." 
 
 Being " accepted in the Beloved," our services 
 become impregnated, as it were, with his worthiness ; 
 our petitions are offered up with the " much incense" 
 of his intercession ; and both are treated in a sort as 
 though they were his. God, in blessing and rewarding 
 Abraham's posterity, is represented as blessing and 
 rewarding him. " By myself have I sworn, saith the 
 Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast 
 not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I 
 will bless thee, and thy seed shall possess the gate of 
 his enemies." Accordingly, though it be said of Caleb, 
 " Because he followed the Lord fully, him will I bring 
 into the land whereinto he went, and his seed shall 
 possess it;" yet it was no less a fulfilment of the 
 promise to Abraham, than of that to him. In like 
 manner, in approving the services of believers, God 
 approves of the obedience and sacrifice of his Son, of 
 which they are the fruits; and in rewarding them, 
 continues to reward him, or to express his well-pleas- 
 edness in his mediation. 
 
 14 
 
314 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE HOLY TENDENCY OF THE SCRIPTURE DOC- 
 TRINE OF A SINNER'S JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 In the great controversy in the time of Elijah, 
 recourse was had to an expedient by which the ques- 
 tion was decided. Each party built an altar, cut in 
 pieces a bullock, and laid the victim upon the wood, 
 but put no fire under ; and the God that should answer 
 by fire was to be acknowledged as the true God. 
 We cannot bring our controversies to such a criterion 
 as this : we may bring them to one, however, which, 
 though not so suddenly, is not much less sensibly evi- 
 dent. The tempers and lives of men are books for 
 common people to read, and they will read them, even 
 though they should read nothing else. They are, in- 
 deed, warranted by the Scriptures themselves to judge 
 of the nature of doctrines by their holy or unholy ten- 
 dency. The true gospel is to be known by its being 
 a " doctrine according to godliness ;" teaching those 
 who embrace it "to deny ungodliness and worldly 
 lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in 
 the present world." Those, on the other hand, " who 
 believe not the truth," are said to " have pleasure in 
 unrighteousness." " Profane and vain babblings," as 
 the ministrations of false teachers are called, " will 
 increase unto more ungodliness," and their word " will 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 315 
 
 eat as doth a canker." To this may be added, that 
 the parties themselves engaged in this controversy, 
 have virtually acknowledged the justice and impor- 
 tance of the above criterion, in that both sides have 
 incidentally endeavored to avail themselves of it. A 
 criterion, then, by which the common people will 
 judge, by which the Scripture authorizes them to 
 judge, and by which both sides, in effect, agree to be 
 judged, cannot but be worthy of particular attention. 
 
 True evangelical religion is represented as a build- 
 ing, the foundation of which is laid in the faith of 
 Christ: "Building up yourselves on your most holy 
 faith." Jude 20. Whether it relate to personal or to 
 social religion, this must be the foundation of the fabric, 
 or the whole will fall. Many persons are awakened 
 to some serious concern about futurity, and excited to 
 inquire what they must do to be saved ; and in that 
 state of mind it is not unusual for them to have 
 recourse to reading and prayer as a preparation for 
 death. Many preachers, too, will think it sufficient 
 to direct them to the use of these means. But if the 
 death and mediation of Christ be overlooked, it is not 
 reading or prayer, or any other religious exercise, 
 that will avail us. Why did John the Baptist, Christ, 
 and his apostles, lay the foundation of the gospel 
 kingdom by calling on sinners to " repent and believe 
 the gospel?" Was it not because all other duties, 
 prior to these, were of no account ? When some who 
 followed Christ for loaves, inquired what they must 
 do to work the works of God, his answer was, " This 
 is the work of God, that ye believe on Hira whom he 
 
316 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 hath sent/' plainly intimating that no work prior to 
 this could be pleasing to God. The Scriptures direct 
 men to pray, but it is in faith. To the question, 
 " What must I do to be saved ?" there is but one an- 
 swer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou 
 shalt be saved." Christ is the door ; by him if any 
 man enter in, he shall be saved. To direct inquirers 
 to any thing short of this, is to direct them to that 
 which, if complied with, will leave them short of sal- 
 vation. This the Scriptures never do : there is not a 
 direction in the oracles of God, but, if truly followed, 
 will lead to everlasting life. 
 
 One lays the foundation of his religion in what he 
 calls reason, but which in fact is his own reasoning. 
 The same inspired writer who in one sentence com- 
 mends understanding, in the next warns us against 
 leaning to our own understanding. To strengthen 
 ourselves and one another in this way, is to build up 
 ourselves on our own conceits. Another founds his 
 religion on his good deeds. Good deeds undoubtedly 
 form a part of the building, but the foundation is not 
 the place for them. They are not the cause, but the 
 effects of faith. They prepare us for heaven as meet- 
 ening us for it, but not as rendering us deserving of 
 it. A third builds his religion on impressions. It is 
 not from the death of Christ for sinners, or any other 
 gospel truth, that he derives his comfort, but from an 
 impulse on his mind that his sins are forgiven, and 
 that he is a favorite of God, which is certainly no- 
 where revealed in the Scriptures. We may build 
 ourselves up in this way, but the building will fall. 
 A fourth founds his religion on faith, but it is not a 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 317 
 
 holy faith, either in respect of its nature or its effects. 
 It is dead, being alone, or without fruit. The faith 
 ^n which the first Christians built up themselves, in- 
 cluded repentance for sin. As when forgiveness is 
 promised to repentance, faith in Christ is supposed ; so 
 when justification is promised to believing, repentance 
 is supposed. However distinct they are as to their 
 nature and objects, they have no separate existence. 
 Hence, in the preaching of Christ and the apostles, 
 they are united ; and hence the faith of Christ, sup- 
 posing a renunciation of every thing opposed to it, 
 and including a cordial acquiescence in the gospel 
 way of salvation, through his death, is most holy. 
 
 In the true Christian we may see the holy efficacy^ and 
 by consequence the truth of the Christian religion. It 
 was long since asked, "Who is he that overcometh 
 the world, but he who belie veth that Jesus is the 
 Son of God?" This question contained a challenge 
 to men of all religions who were then upon the earth. 
 Idolatry had a great diversity of species, every nation 
 worshipping its own gods, and in modes peculiar to 
 itself: philosophers also were divided into numerous 
 sects, each flattering itself that it had found the truth ; 
 even the Jews had their divisions, their Pharisees, 
 Sadducees, and Essenes : but great as many of them 
 were in deeds of divers kinds, an apostle could look 
 them all in the face, and ask, " Who is he that over- 
 cometh the world?" The same question might be 
 safely asked in every succeeding age. The various 
 kinds of religion that still prevail, the Pagan, Mahom- 
 edan, Jewish, Papal, or Protestant, may form the ex- 
 
318 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 terior of man according to their respective models ; 
 but where js the man among them, save the true 
 believer in Jesus, that overcometh the world? Men 
 may cease from particular evils, and assume a very 
 different character ; may lay aside their drunkenness, 
 blasphemies, or debaucheries, and take up with a kind 
 of monkish austerity, and yet all may amount to noth- 
 ing more than an exchange of vices. The lusts of the 
 flesh will on many occasions give place to those of the 
 mind; but to overcome the world is another thing. 
 By embracing the doctrine of the cross, to feel not 
 merely a dread of the consequences of sin, but a holy 
 abhorrence of its nature ; and by conversing with in- 
 visible realities, to become regardless of the best and 
 fearless of the worst that this world has to dispense, 
 this is the effect of genuine Christianity, and this is a 
 standing proof of its divine origin. Let the most in- 
 veterate enemy of revelation have witnessed the dis- 
 interested benevolence of a Paul, a Peter, or a John, 
 and whether he would own it or not, his conscience 
 must have borne testimony that this is true religion. 
 It is utterly inconsistent with the nature of moral 
 government, and of the great designs of mercy as 
 revealed in the gospel, that believers should be freed 
 from obligation to love God with all their hearts, and 
 their neighbors as themselves. The requirement of 
 love is founded in the nature of the relation between 
 God and a rational creature ; and cannot be made 
 void so long as the latter exists, unless the former 
 were to deny himself. The relation between a father 
 and son is such that an obligation to love is indis- 
 pensable ; and should the son, on having offended his 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 319 
 
 father, be forgiven and restored, like the prodigal, to 
 his family, to pretend to be free on this account were 
 an outrage on decency. Every one must feel that his 
 obligations, in such a case, are increased, rather than 
 diminished. 
 
 The subject may be enforced by weighty consider- 
 ations. Such as : to pursue this end is, fit and right. 
 God's glory is worthy of being our ultimate end. 
 Rev. 5 : 13, 14. He is worthy in himself, and for what 
 he has done for us. It is the only return, too, that 
 he asks for all his love and mercy : " Ye are bought 
 with a price, therefore glorify God," 1 Cor. 6 : 20 ; and 
 again, " He died for all, that they which live should 
 not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him 
 which died for them." 2 Cor. 5 : 15. To pursue this 
 end is to pursue the general good* and to promote 
 universal happiness. Wherefore is the world so full 
 of misery? Because all seek their own; therefore all 
 are at variance. If all loved God supremely, they 
 would love each other for his sake, and be happy. To 
 pursue this end is to pursue our own good, which is 
 not only included in the general good, but hath a 
 special promise : " Them that honor me I will honor." 
 To pursue this end is the most effectual preservative 
 from the abuse of mercies. If we eat and drink that 
 we may be strengthened to serve the Lord, and to do 
 good in our generation, such an object in view would 
 be sure to preserve us from intemperance, immodera- 
 tion, and excess. And if we keep this end in view, we 
 shall not be hindered in religion, but rather assisted 
 by the necessary cares and avocations of life. Let us 
 
320 DOCTHINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 but serve the Lord in them, and we shall never be 
 out of the path of duty. Worldly business, and stat- 
 ed and occasional devotions, instead of clashing with 
 each other, would then form one beautiful whole. 
 Why is it that prayer and other religious duties are 
 driven into a corner by worldly business ? Because 
 in that business we lose sight of God, and serve our- 
 selves. It is the service of God and mammon, and 
 not the different parts of G-od's service, which are at 
 variance. 
 
 Some persons will object, " How can we be always 
 thinking of God in our worldly pursuits?" It is not 
 necessary, in glorifying God, that God should always 
 be the direct and immediate object of your thoughts ; but 
 if you LOVE him supremely, this love will have an influ- 
 ence, whether you perceive it or not, upon the whole 
 tenor of your life. A virtuous woman who loves her 
 husband may not always be directly thinking of pleas- 
 ing and honoring him ; but such love, like the blood 
 in the human body, which runs through every vein, 
 will influence every action. If she reflect on the 
 operations of her mind, she will perceive that not only 
 in her daily business she has his accommodation in 
 view, but even in all the little ornaments of dress, and 
 in all the turns of conversation and deportment, her 
 habitual study and delight is to render herself agree- 
 able to him. Nothing but love, supreme love, is nec- 
 essary, that whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever 
 we do, we do all to the glory of God. 
 
 If we have rejected the atoneTnent of Christ, it is 
 not difficult to prove that we reject the doctrine of 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 321 
 
 the cross, which is the grand doctrine that God hath 
 blessed, and will bless, to the salvation of men. If 
 we reject the deity of Christ, besides relinquishing 
 the worship of him, which was manifestly a primitive 
 practice, and withdrawing all well-founded trust in 
 him for the salvation of our souls, we reject the only 
 ground upon which an atonement can be supported, 
 and by resting all its efficacy upon divine appoint- 
 ment, render it possible that the blood of bulls or of 
 goats, or the ashes of a heifer, might have taken away 
 sin. Heb. 10 : 4. If we reject the doctrine of justifi- 
 cation by faith in the righteousness of Christ, we are 
 on a footing with those Jews who " attained not to 
 the law of righteousness, because they sought it not 
 by faith, but as it were by the works of the law ; for 
 they stumbled at that stumbling-stone." And if we 
 reject the doctrine of regeneration and sanctification 
 by the Holy Spirit, we need not expect him to set his 
 seal to our labors. 
 
 What are the conceits of the self-righteous by 
 which they buoy up their minds with vain hopes, and 
 refuse to submit to the righteousness of God? Of the 
 two first-born sons of man who presented their offer- 
 ings to God, one came without a sacrifice; and the 
 greater part of professed worshippers in all ages, it 
 is to be feared, have followed his example. It. is 
 deeply rooted in every human heart, that if the dis- 
 pleasure of God be appeased towards us, or if he 
 show us any favor, it must be on account of some 
 worthiness found in us. To go to God as utterly un- 
 worthy, pleading the worthiness of a Mediator, and 
 14* 
 
322 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION.. 
 
 building all our hope of acceptance on his obedience 
 and sacrifice, is a hard lesson for a proud spirit. Yet, 
 till we learn this, we in effect learn nothing ; nor will 
 God accept our offering, any more than he accepted 
 the offering of Cain. 
 
 It is difficult to conceive whence the notion of 5m- 
 kss perfection in the present life, and all the spiritual 
 pride that attaches to it, could arise, unless it was 
 from ignorance of the glorious holiness of God, the 
 spirituality of his law, and the corruption of the 
 human heart. A proper sense of these truths would 
 impel the best man upon earth to exclaim with the 
 prophet, " Woe is me ! I am a man of unclean lips." 
 
 And how is it that an obligation to love the Lord 
 supremely, and with all our hearts, should be so hard 
 to be understood? Yet few think themselves obliged 
 to love him. " We are sinners," say they, " and can- 
 not love him! and if we now and then yield him a 
 little formal service, though it be by putting a force 
 upon our inclinations, we imagine we do great things, 
 nearly as much as ought to be required of us, and 
 much more than many do whom we could name." 
 
 Thus the sin of not loving God from our heart, 
 and our neighbor as ourselves, is made nothing of in 
 the world, though it be the fountain and sum of evil. 
 "iThe conscience itself is so defiled, that if we manifest 
 but a decent behavior in our relations among men, it 
 very nearly acquits us. We claim a kind of exemp- 
 tion from every thing else. And whether it be by 
 the dint of repetition with which this claim has been 
 preferred, or whether those who ought to resist it be 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 323 
 
 themselves too much inclined to favor it, so it is, that 
 
 too many ministers give it up, contenting themselves 
 with exhorting their hearers to things with which 
 they can comply consistently with reigning enmity to 
 God in their hearts — to things which contain nothing 
 truly good in them, and which a sinner may therefore 
 perform through his whole life, and be shut out of 
 heaven at last as " a worker of iniquity." There is 
 not a precept in the Bible that can be obeyed with- 
 out love, or with which a man may comply and be 
 lost for ever: to exhort sinners, therefore, to things 
 which merely qualify them for this world, or even to 
 reading, hearing, or praying in such a manner as can- 
 not please God, is deviating from the Scriptures, and 
 yielding up the first principles of moral government 
 to the inclinations of depraved creatures. In short, 
 it is no better than to enforce the tithing of mint and 
 cummin, to the neglect of judgment, mercy^, and the 
 love of God. 
 
 On this sandy foundation rests the whole fabric of 
 self-righteous hope, and all the spiritual pride which 
 attaches to it. So long as we are blinded to the 
 spirituality and requirements of the divine law, we 
 are in effect without the law and alive in our own 
 conceit ; and while this is the case, we shall see no 
 necessity for salvation by free grace through a Media- 
 tor, nor any fitness in it. Seeking to be justified as 
 it were by the works of the law, we shall continue to 
 stumble at the stumbling-stone. But when the com- 
 mandment in its true extent comes home to the con- 
 science, we find ourselves the subjects of abundance 
 of sin, of which we never before suspected ourselves; 
 
324 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 and then, and not till then, we die, or despair of ac- 
 ceptance with God by the works of our hands. 
 
 We are clearly and expressly taught what that 
 doctrine is which excludes boasting, and by conse- 
 quence, what it is that nourishes and cherishes it. 
 " Being justified freely by his grace through the re- 
 demption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath 
 set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his 
 blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission 
 of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God : 
 to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness ; that 
 he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth 
 in Jesus. Where is boasting then ? It is excluded. 
 By what law ? of works ? Nay ; but by the law of 
 faith." " Not of works, lest any man should boast." 
 But if, in direct opposition to this, men are taught 
 and induced to believe that Christ came into the 
 world only to give us good instruction, and set us a 
 good example — that there is no need of any atone- 
 ment, for that repentance and a good life are of them- 
 selves sufficient to recommend us to the divine favor, 
 and that all hopes founded upon any thing else than 
 a good moral life are merely imaginary; where is 
 boasting now ? Is it excluded ? 
 
 It is a general truth, manifestly taught in the 
 Scriptures, that spiritual pride is fed by false religion. 
 All the false teachers of whom they give us an ac- 
 count were distinguished by this spirit. They loved 
 to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners 
 of the streets, that they might be seen of men. They 
 loved the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 325 
 
 seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, 
 and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. — There was a 
 certain man called Simon, who beforetime in the same 
 city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Sama- 
 ria, giving out that himself was some great one. I 
 will come unto you shortly, and not know the speech 
 of them that are puffed up, but the power ; for ye suf- 
 fer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour 
 you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a 
 man smite you on the face. Let us not be desirous of 
 vainglory; if a man think himself to be something 
 when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. As many 
 as desire to make a fair show in the flesh constrain 
 you to be circumcised. Beware lest any man spoil 
 you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the rudi- 
 ments of the world, and not after Christ. Let no man 
 beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility, 
 and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things 
 which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly 
 mind. Presumptuous are they, self-willed ; they are 
 not afraid to speak evil of dignities. When they 
 speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure 
 through the lusts of the flesh those that were clean 
 escaped from them who live in error. Diotrephes, 
 who loveth to have the preeminence, receiveth us not. 
 
 Though the divinity and atonement of Christ be 
 allowed, yet if men are taught and induced to believe 
 that the grand object obtained by his death is, that 
 repentance, faith, and sincere obedience should be ac- 
 cepted as the ground of justification, instead of sinless 
 perfection, the effect will be to cherish spiritual pride. 
 
V 
 
 326 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 On this principle, the gospel is as really a covenant of 
 "works as the law, only that its terms are supposed to 
 be somewhat easier. Nor is boasting excluded by it. 
 The ground of acceptance with God, be it what it 
 may, must be that which is made our plea for mercy. 
 If faith, considered as a virtue, be that ground, we 
 may then plead it before God, as that for the sake of 
 which we hope to be saved ; and if this be not boast- 
 ing, nothing is. This, I am persuaded no real Chris- 
 tian ever did, or dare attempt. Many good men, I 
 doubt not, have been entangled with these disputes in 
 theory ; but when upon their knees, it is in the name 
 of Jesus that their petitions for mercy are presented, 
 and for his sake only that they hope for their sins to 
 be forgiven them. Faith, in the one case, is paying a 
 composition, and all that in such circumstances ought 
 to be required ; but faith, in the other case, is acqui- 
 escing in the bestowment of mercy as a free and un" 
 deserved favor : not as the reward of any thing good 
 in us, but of the obedience and death of the Saviour. 
 The intercession of Christ, in the first instance, would 
 be an apology for the well-disposed, resembling that 
 which he offered for Mary of Bethany, They have 
 done what they could ; but in the last, it is what the 
 Scripture denominates it, an intercession for trans- 
 gressors. Here the divine government is justified, 
 the conduct of sinners condemned, and the all-prevail- 
 ing worthiness of the Intercessor alleged as the only 
 ground, or reason, for the sake of which mercy should 
 be bestowed. Thus it is, that while ojfficiating as 
 the Advocate of sinners, he sustains the character of 
 " Jesus Christ the righteous." Finally, influenced by 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 327 
 
 the former of these statements, I feel myself on respect- 
 able terms with my Creator ; though not sinless, yet 
 entitled to mercy, as doing my best : influenced by the 
 latter, I approach my Creator as a sinner ready to 
 perish, without a single plea for mercy but what arises 
 from his own gracious nature operating through the 
 atonement of his Son. And through my whole life, 
 whatever be my repentance, my faith, or the sincerity 
 of my obedience, I never ground a single plea on any 
 of these things as a procuring cause of mercy, but in- 
 variably desire that I may " be found in Him." 
 
 The doctrine of justification by faith in Jesus 
 Christ, without the works of the law, is in itself 
 exceedingly humbling; for it is no other than God's 
 justifying the ungodly, or accepting to favor a believ- 
 ing sinner, not for any worthiness in him, but for the 
 ^ke of His righteousness in whom he believeth. It 
 relates to the way in which we who are unrighteous 
 are accepted of God as the Lawgiver of the world, and 
 treated as righteous. If we had retained our original 
 righteousness, justice itself would have justified us ; 
 but having sinned, the question. How shall man be 
 justified with God ? is too difficult for human wisdom 
 to solve. Whatever delight the Creator takes in 
 honoring and rewarding righteousness, there is none 
 left in this apostate world for him to honor or reward. 
 "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." 
 If any child of Adam, therefore, be now accepted and 
 rewarded as righteous, it must be entirely on difiTerent 
 ground from that of his own righteousness. What 
 ground this could be, God only knew. 
 
328 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 This great difficulty, however, is solved by the 
 gospel. We are "justified freely by grace, through 
 the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God 
 hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in 
 his blood, to declare his righteousness in the remis- 
 sion of sins that are past, through the forbearance of 
 God : to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness j 
 that he might be just, and the justifier of him that 
 believeth in Jesus.'' Hence it is that justification is 
 ascribed to fait\ not as a virtue which God consented 
 to accept for righteousness instead of perfect obedi- 
 ence, but as receiving the righteousness of his Son, 
 of which our justification is the reward. Justification 
 by faith, and being made righteous by the obedience 
 of Christ, are the same thing. Believing in him, we 
 are united to him, and so possess a revealed interest 
 in him, and in all the benefits and blessings arising 
 from his obedience unto death. This righteousness 
 is imputed to us, or counted by the Lawgiver of the 
 world, in his treatment of us, as if it were our own. 
 Not that it really is our own, for then should we cease 
 to be guilty and unworthy, and might draw nigh to 
 God as meritorious beings; but as Christ was " made 
 sin for us," though in respect to his real character he 
 " knew no sin," so we are " made the righteousness of 
 God in him," though in respect to our real character 
 we are worthy of death. 
 
 To believe for righteousness is to receive it as a 
 free gift, and so stands opposed to justification by the 
 works of the law, which is to receive it as the reward 
 of our own doings. Hence it is said to be " of faith," 
 that it may be of grace. Faith is necessary to justi- 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 329 
 
 fication, and so is repentance to forgiveness ; but nei- 
 ther the one nor the other is necessary as a cause, or 
 as being that for the sake of which we are justified or 
 pardoned. With respect to the meritorious or pro- 
 curing cause, nothing is necessary but the righteous- 
 ness of Christ. The sinner in his justification is con- 
 sidered as altogether unworthy, and even ungodly. 
 As such our Redeemer died for us, and as such he 
 justifies us. 
 
 Being accepted in the Beloved, our services also 
 are accepted through him. The Lord had respect 
 not only to Abel, but to his offering. Thus it is that 
 our duties become rewardable, and that the promises 
 of God are made to them. There are no promises 
 made to the doings of unbelievers, however fair they 
 may appear in the eyes of men. 
 
 In fine, being thus justified by faith, we have peace 
 with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and draw 
 near to a throne of grace with humble boldness, as to 
 a father. 
 
 There is no doubt but that true Christians do 
 possess, though not without interruption, peace of 
 mind, joy in the Holy Ghost, and a solid, well ground- 
 ed persuasion of their interest in eternal life; and 
 some have represented these enjoyments as conveyed 
 to the heart by immediate revelation from heaven, or 
 by the suggestion of some passage of Scripture to the 
 mind, the import of which seems to include the happy 
 intelligence. Suppose, for example, a person to be 
 under great dejection and fear respecting his interest 
 in Christ, and while ho is poring over his case the 
 
330 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 passage is suggested to Hs mind, "I am thy salva- 
 tion ;" some would suppose this was no other than the 
 voice of God speaking peace to his soul, and that for 
 him to question the goodness of his state after this 
 would be unbelief. 
 
 The question may here be asked, In what way does 
 God speak peace to his people, or say unto a soul, I 
 am thy salvation ? 
 
 If I were to answer, by bestowing gospel peace 
 upon them, or enabling them to discern and approve the 
 gospel way of salvation, it would be a just application 
 of the passages of Scripture where these expressions 
 are found, and would accord with other scriptures. 
 The Lord directs poor sinners, saying, " Ask for the 
 good old way, and walk therein, and ye shall find 
 rest for your souls." Jer. 6 : 16. Our Lord takes up 
 this language, and applies the good old way to him- 
 self, saying, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are 
 heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke 
 upon you, and learn of me, and ye shall find rest to 
 your souls." Matt. 11 : 28, 29. Thus it is by an ap- 
 proving view of God's way of salvation, such a view 
 as leads us to walk in it, that we may obtain peace ; 
 and thus it is that God speaks peace to the soul, and 
 says, " I am thy salvation." 
 
 It is of small importance by what means we are 
 brought to embrace the gospel way of salvation, if we 
 do but cordially embrace it. It may be by silent 
 reflection, by reading or hearing the word, or by some 
 suitable part of Scripture occurring to the mind, by 
 means of which the soul is led to see its lost condition, 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 331 
 
 and the only door of hope opened by the gospel. 
 There is such a harmony in divine truth, that a 
 proper view of any one branch of it will lead on to a 
 discovery of others ; and such a connection, that we 
 cannot cordially approve of a part, but that the whole 
 will follow. And no sooner is the gospel in posses- 
 sion of the heart, than joy and peace will ordinarily 
 accompany it ; for if we behold the glory of God's 
 way of saving sinners, and approve of it, we must, in 
 a greater or less degree, be conscious of it ; and know- 
 ing that the whole tenor of the New Testament prom- 
 ises eternal life to believers, we cannot but conclude 
 ourselves interested in it. Believing on the Son of 
 God, we are justified; and being thus justified, we 
 have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 Rom. 5:1. 
 
 Go, if you would know the value of the peace of 
 God, look at the case of a man who is borne down by 
 worldly sorrow, and who is a stranger to God. Go, 
 visit a poor man on whom the Lord hath poured out 
 much trouble and distress, under which he almost 
 sinks, and yet he is a stranger to God. He has no 
 refuge to which he can flee in the hour of distress. 
 From this you will judge, in some degree, what a 
 blessed thing it is to have the peace of God. This it 
 was which made our Lord say, " I send you forth like 
 sheep among wolves ;" but I give you that which shall 
 be a balance to every load : " Into whatsoever house 
 ye enter, say. Peace be to this house." Would you 
 know something of the value of this blessing ? go to 
 ihe room of a poor sinner whose eyes are opened, 
 
332 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 whose conscience is awake, but who is without God 
 in a dying hour. Did you never visit such a sinner, 
 and take notice of him when he did not expect that 
 he had an hour to live ? Did you never see with what 
 a frightened countenance he views you? Oh, that 
 pale face ! that mind which looks upon the past with 
 bitter regret, as gone for ever, and on that which is 
 to come with horror and dismay! Did you never 
 know such a case ? You might know many such cases ; 
 they are not rare. There you might learn something 
 of the value of the peace of God ; there a man would 
 give a thousand worlds, if they were his own, for a 
 well-grounded hope that his sins were forgiven ; there 
 he that once despised religion, the man who has joked 
 and derided serious people, is alarmed, and wishes 
 that those very people whom he once derided would 
 come and pray with him. Who can estimate the 
 value of the peace of God ? If you can tell the worth 
 of the salvation of a soul — if you can estimate the 
 pains of the damned in hell — if you can reckon the 
 loss of an immortal creature, then can you tell the 
 value of the peace of God. If you can calculate the 
 worth of celestial enjoyments, all the pleasures result- 
 ing from God's favor, then you may calculate the 
 value of the peace of God. 
 
 That which endears this blessing to us is, not 
 only the importance of it, but .the medium through 
 which it comes, " through Christ Jesus." Do not you 
 think, for example, that the parcel of ground which 
 Jacob gave to Joseph his son, was endeared to Joseph 
 because it was the dying bequest of his beloved father? 
 No doubt it was; that was the " singular portion" he 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 333 
 
 gave to his son Joseph : and what made it still more 
 valuable was, that his father had wrested it from the 
 Amorites : " Which I took out of the hand of the 
 Amorites with my sword and with my bow." And the 
 peace of God must be* endeared, because it was ob- 
 tained by the shedding of Christ's blood. How it will 
 enhance its value to the people of God, that it was 
 the price of blood — the blood of the Lamb. Heaven 
 itself would not be a thousandth part so pleasant to 
 us, if it had not been obtained in this way. It was 
 obtained by the shedding of Christ's blood. But we 
 pass on to consider, as illustrative of the value of 
 justification, and its tendency to produce holy feelings 
 in the souls of believers, 
 
 The nature of the peace which flows to us 
 
 FROM justification THROUGH THE ATONEMENT OP 
 
 Christ. It includes, 
 
 1. That sweet tranquillity of soul which arises from a 
 well-grounded persuasion of being accepted by God. This 
 is what the apostle means when he says, " Being jus- 
 tified by faith, we have peace with God." Being 
 accepted through the righteousness of the Redeemer, 
 we have peace with God. I need not inform you 
 that, in our native state, we are all at war with God, 
 and God with us. Sin is the great enemy. It has 
 separated great friends. God and man, you know, 
 were once great friends ; but sin separated those chief 
 friends, and drew a veil of separation between them. 
 Man became an enemy to God, and God to man. 
 God in the character of a righteous governor was 
 required, his own rectitude required him to be an 
 
334 ' DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 enemy to man ; for he hateth all the workers of 
 iniquity: but through the mediation of the Son of 
 God, atonement is made ; the blood of the cross heals 
 the breach, and opens the way of communion. God 
 declares himself well pleased with his dear Son ; and 
 every poor sinner who sues for mercy in his name 
 finds relief. The past is forgiven, is forgotten ; the 
 soul is justified through the redemption of Jesus 
 Christ. The effect of all this is sweet peace. 
 
 Who can estimate the sweetness of that enjoyment 
 which arises from a well-grounded persuasion that 
 God is my Father ? To be .permitted to say, I am 
 an heir of blessing; I am no longer under the law, 
 but under grace j I am no longer an alien, but a son 
 or daughter; the blessings of the gospel are to be 
 made my own. Where such are the persuasions, there 
 is the peace of God. 
 
 2. The peace of God includes that sweet satisfaction 
 which possesses the mind from a view of God sitting at the 
 helm of the universe, and having the management of all 
 our concerns. We are like people who are sailing on 
 the ocean in a storm. This troubled ocean casts up 
 mire and dirt, and we are continually subject to tem- 
 pests ; and were it not for the consideration that we 
 have a Pilot at the helm, a God who has the turbu- 
 lent ocean under his control ; were it not for tlie con- 
 sideration that the cares of the world were under his 
 direction, what peace could we enjoy? Let me ask 
 you, thinking Christians, when you consider the tem- 
 per of the world, when you see man hating his fellow- 
 man, and see them combining against one another by 
 thousands — ^when you see the enmity of the heart to 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 335 
 
 be such that there is hardly any rational hope of 
 peace under the sun, what would quiet your soul but 
 the consideration that God reigns, and that the inhab- 
 itants of the earth are but as grasshoppers — that he 
 maketh the wrath of man to praise him, and the 
 remainder thereof he doth restrain? The thought 
 that Jesus Christ is Head over all things to his church,' 
 and that all shall contribute to the spread of the gos- 
 pel, begets that peace in the mind which enables the 
 psalmist to sing, in the midst of tumult and confusion, 
 " Though the mountains be cast into the depths of the 
 sea, there is a river the streams whereof shall make 
 glad the city of God." There is a source of conso- 
 lation to the children of God to which others are 
 strangers. God will help his people, and that right 
 early. 
 
 3. It is necessary that we should feel some degree of 
 peace in our own consciences. We cannot experience 
 the peace of God, and joy in the Holy Ghost, unless 
 we have the testimony of our own consciences, that in 
 simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our con- 
 versation in the world. Enoch had the peace of God 
 when he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 
 By the history which we have of him, which is very 
 short, it appears that he pleased very few people. 
 He was a thundering preacher in his day, the object 
 of the ill-will of his hearers ; but he had the testimony 
 that he had pleased his God. 
 
 Nor should we forget to study the holy tendency 
 of this blessing in the great use op peace in the 
 Christian conflict. The apostle Paul, speaking to 
 
336 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 the Philippian Christians of his day, assures them, 
 " The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, 
 shall keep your hearts and minds." The word here 
 translated " keep " is very expressive : it is a military 
 term, and alludes to soldiers that are in a besieged 
 town ; or rather, to soldiers that come in aid of others 
 who are besieged. So the peace of God is that to a 
 believer's heart and mind which a relieving army is 
 to those who are besieged. The heart and mind are 
 supposed to be besieged by the temptations of the 
 present world, and in danger of being taken ; and the 
 peace of God, like a reinforcement thrown in, affords 
 relief, and prevents their being obliged to give up the 
 contest. This word might perhaps be expressed by 
 the term fortified — " the peace of God, which passeth 
 all understanding, ^\i2l\ fortify your hearts and minds." 
 The terms heart and mind comprehend the whole soul : 
 the one is put for the affections, the other for the 
 judgment ; the peace of God serves as a relief, a for- 
 tification for both. Let us here be a little more par- 
 ticular. 
 
 There is one set of temptations which assail the 
 heart, another the mind ; and the peace of God serves 
 to fortify our souls against them both. 
 
 1. Let us inquire what are those temptations which 
 assail tJie heart. In times of persecution, the wrath, 
 enmity, and outrage of a wicked world were such as 
 assailed the heart. It must have been trying to the 
 feelings of the primitive Christians, and all others 
 who have lived in times of persecution. We have 
 BO long enjoyed religious peace that we can scarcely 
 realize the scene. But only consider that those who 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 337 
 
 were persecuted were men like you and I, and their 
 property was perhaps obtained by the sweat of their 
 brow, and it was hard to have that wrested from 
 them by fines and imprisonment. They had families. 
 It was hard to be torn flesh from flesh, bone from 
 bone. Perhaps the tears of the wives and children 
 might say, " Spare him for our sakes." It was cruel ; 
 it must needs come close to the heart, for they had the 
 feelings of men. Nothing but the peace of God could 
 fortify them. " Behold, I send you forth as lambs 
 among wolves." If they throw you into dungeons — 
 if they deprive you of the honest fruits of your indus- 
 try, of your friends, your liberty — if they deprive you 
 of all these, they shall not deprive you of one thing, 
 the peace of God. This you shall be able to carry 
 with you into the darkest dungeons, and it shall cause 
 you to sing praises to God at midnight. 
 
 There is another set of temptations which assail 
 the heart: these are the allurements of the world. 
 The former were in the days of old principally ; these 
 in our times. The world seems to be friendly to us ; 
 its pleasures melt resistance. It sometimes captivates 
 the heart ; and I know not but enemies of this descrip- 
 tion are more dangerous to Christians than the others. 
 Many have stood in the hour of persecution; they 
 could fight like Samson against thousands, when the 
 Philistines set on them; but when the smiles of a 
 Delilah come upon them, they, like him, would fall. 
 There is nothing so good an antidote to this as the 
 peace of God in the heart. But peace in the heart 
 does not include carnal ease. I grant that this is no 
 friend, but an enemy. Peace and union with God are 
 
 AtODenieot. lO 
 
338 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 the best fortification of the heart against the allure- 
 ments of sense. Not all the terrors of Sinai, nor the 
 curses of the law, are so good a preservative as the 
 peace of God in the heart ; and why so ? It affords 
 superior pleasure to that of the world. It rises infi- 
 nitely above it. You know very well, that when a 
 superior light shines forth it eclipses an inferior one ; 
 so, when the sun shines forth, the smaller lights, the 
 moon and stars, hide their heads — they are lost. The 
 peace of God affords a so much superior pleasure in 
 the soul as to overcome flesh and sense. Thus it is 
 that faith overcomes. You have often read that ex- 
 pressive passage, "Who is he that overcometh the 
 world, but he that believeth that Jesus Christ is the 
 Son of God?" • Faith penetrates futurity; it rends 
 the veil and pierces into an unknown world ; it fixes 
 'its eye on eternity, and these little worlds disappear — 
 the heart becomes dead to the pleasures of sense. It 
 was thus that Moses, " seeing him that was invisible," 
 became dead to the pleasures of the Egyptian court. 
 It is not, then, very difl&cult to perceive how the peace 
 of God — a solid, well-grounded peace, communion 
 with God through our Lord Jesus Christ — tends to 
 make a man dead to the world through the cross of 
 Christ. 
 
 Again, there is a third temptation with which the 
 heart is assailed, and this is, the sorrows of the world : 
 the losses, the bereaving losses, trials, and disappoint- 
 ments which befall the children of God, which on some 
 occasions are so complicated, so heavy, and so lasting, 
 that the heart is in danger of yielding to despondency. 
 " Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 339 
 
 calamity laid in the balances together. For now it 
 would be heavier than the sand of the sea ; therefore 
 my words are swallowed up ;" that is, I want words 
 to express my grief, to express that intolerable grief 
 which rankles in my bosom. My heart is in danger 
 of yielding to despondency. Nothing but the peace 
 of God can now preserve it : the thought that God 
 rules and overrules all — that whatever befalls us is 
 under his appointment — that every evil is overruled 
 by him for our good. Such thoughts as these, which 
 constitute the peace of God, bear up the soul, and 
 keep it from sinking under all the loads of distress 
 by which it is burdened. 
 
 Once more, there is another temptation ; and that 
 is, despair under a load of guilt. I do not know 
 but this may be the heaviest of all. When guilt is 
 fixed on the conscience, and fixed with such strong 
 chains that it becomes impossible for us to break 
 them, the temptation to sink into despair becomes 
 very great. how many wretched souls, under a 
 consciousness of guilt, are swallowed up in despera- 
 tion. It was thus that Cain was swallowed up : 
 " My punishment is greater than I can bear." It was 
 thus that Judas was swallowed up : "I have sinned, 
 in that I have betrayed the innocent blood ;" and in 
 his despair, he went and hanged himself. Such a load 
 of guilt as this is greater than a poor sinner can bear. 
 But there is that which will bear us up : the peace of 
 God will keep, will sustain, will fortify the heart, 
 even under this load. 
 
 Here is the difference between a good man, when 
 he falls into sin, and a bad man. When Saul re- 
 
340 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 belled against God, and God expressed his displeas- 
 ure against him, he sunk into despair. When David 
 sinned against God, and God by Nathan had reproved 
 him for his sin, he flew into the arms of divine mercy. 
 " Have mercy upon me, God, according to thy lov- 
 ing-kindness ; according to the multitude of thy tender 
 mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thor- 
 oughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my 
 sin." A view of the divine goodness bore him up. 
 Though at a great distance from God, yet some faint 
 gleam of the mercy of God preserved him from de- 
 spair. It is true the waves of sin rolled over him; 
 but the mercy of God was like a rope held out to him, 
 by the laying hold of which he was saved. " Out of 
 the depths have I cried unto thee, Lord ; Lord, hear 
 my voice : let thine ears be attentive to the voice of 
 my supplications. If thou. Lord, shouldest mark in- 
 iquities, Lord, who shall stand ? But there is for- 
 giveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." 
 
 What terms could the apostle have used that could 
 be more expressive ? " The peace of God, which pass- 
 eth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and 
 minds" — shall support you under afflictions, and afford 
 relief under the impressions of a guilty conscience. 
 
 2. The mind also is assailed by various temptations 
 and difficulties. The peace of God is a fortification to 
 the mind as well as the heart. The mind is expres- 
 sive of the intellectual part of man. The temptations 
 to which the mind is exposed are, chiefly, pernicious 
 principles and distracting cares. 
 
 The pernicious principles which are circulated in 
 the world are like so many poisoned arrows aimed at 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 341 
 
 the heart, and we need to be as much fortified against 
 these as against any others which I have mentioned. 
 God has thought fit to try his people by suffering 
 them to go forth. It must needs be that there must 
 be scoffers walking after their own ungodly lusts. 
 There must be infidels who should ridicule the Bible 
 and those who profess its doctrines. These are so 
 many fans by which God thoroughly purges his floor, 
 which is composed, methinks, of grain and chaff. 
 There are many professors who are merely chaff ; and 
 these pernicious principles, these scoffs, these jeers, 
 that are uttered against the gospel, are like so many 
 blasts of wind by which the chaff is blown away, 
 while the grain shall stand and withstand. 
 
 God permits pernicious principles, under the name 
 of Christianity, to go forth. There must needs be 
 heresies among you : these are poisoned arrows which 
 are aimed at the mind, the judgment, and if they 
 stick, the poison of them very soon infects the whole 
 frame; for that which once fixes on the judgment 
 presently affects the whole soul, the whole man. 
 Here we need, therefore, to be particularly fortified ; 
 we need the arm of God to keep us. One of the seven 
 churches is commended because it had kept the faith ; 
 and therefore God says, " I also will keep you in the 
 hour of temptation." Keep right with God — keep 
 close to Godr— keep conversant with the gospel of 
 peace — walk close to the God of peace, and these 
 arrows shall not touch you. You shall be secure 
 from every fiery dart. 
 
 To these I would add distracting cares. For as 
 the mind is in danger of being pierced and tainted 
 
342 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 with pernicious principles, it is equally liable to be 
 hurt and interrupted by distracting cares. The mind, 
 or the judgment, is in man like one who sits at the 
 helm of a ship — it is that superior thing which gov- 
 erns and controls all other things. The mind has the 
 reins of the soul in its hand, and the apostle says, 
 "In patience possess ye your souls." But when dis- 
 tracting cares come upon us, the mind is in danger of 
 being swept away from the helm; the mind, if once 
 confounded, is in great danger. But I may say, as I 
 said before, the peace of God, that sweet peace which 
 arises from communion with God, is the best pre- 
 servative. Let that once get possession, and you will 
 ride out the storm, and enjoy serenity amidst all the 
 tumultuous scenes which are passing before your eyes. 
 
 Oh what a blessed art is this, to be able to rejoice 
 in God, come what will! The primitive Christians 
 had learned this heavenly art of not being moved 
 by any of the vicissitudes of fortune : they rejoiced 
 always. If persecutions broke out against them, they 
 rejoiced that they were thought worthy to suffer ; so, 
 come what will, they would rejoice. They were like 
 the industrious bee, who extracts honey from every 
 opening flower. Be it to others sweet or bitter, it is 
 all alike to him. Such is Christianity; and if we 
 entered into it, it would teach us to rqjoice in God, 
 whatever befalls us : though there should be no fruit 
 on our vine, or no flock in our folds, yet we should 
 rejoice in God. Cultivate this spirit, and then the 
 peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds. 
 You will bQ armed with this armor of God, and will 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 343 
 
 be able successfully to defend yourself against any 
 enemy. 
 
 In reading the deeply interesting history of Joseph, 
 we should have expected to find the chief butler in- 
 terceding with the king, in behalf of an amiable and 
 injured young Hebrew whom he had met with in 
 prison. But instead of this we are told, " Yet did 
 not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him." 
 Alas, what a selfish creature is manl How strangely 
 does prosperity intoxicate and drown the mind I How 
 common is it for people in high life to forget the poor, 
 even those to whom they have been under the great- 
 est obligations! "Well, be it so; Joseph's God did 
 not forget him; and we, amidst all the neglects of 
 creatures, may take comfort in this, Jesus does not 
 neglect us. Though exalted far above all principal- 
 ities and powers, he is not elated with his glory, so 
 as to forget his poor suffering people upon earth. 
 Only let us be concerned not to forget him. He who 
 needs not our esteem, as we do his, hath yet in love 
 condescended to ask us to do thus and thus in remem- 
 brance of him. 
 
 The apostle Jude contemplates this subject in con- 
 nection with the future, and describes the present 
 duty of the Christian as " looking for the mercy of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ unto eterual life." 
 
 By " the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ," I un- 
 derstand that which is communicated through his 
 death, and with the dispensation of which he is in- 
 vested, both now and at the day of judgment : " Of 
 
344 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 his fulness have all we received, and grace for 
 grace." " The Lord grant unto him that he may find 
 mercy of the Lord in that day." 
 
 We have already received much of the mercy of 
 Christ. It was mercy that induced him to assume 
 our nature and undertake our salvation, to give him- 
 self an offering and a sacrifice to God for us, to send 
 his Holy Spirit to renew us when we were dead in 
 sin, to intercede for us at the right hand of God, 
 and to be with us in all our labors and sufferings for 
 his name's sake ; but in respect of actual enjoyment, 
 there is inuch more yet to be expected. The mercy 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ is communicated in greater 
 and greater degrees, till, like rivers terminating in 
 the ocean, it issues in eternal life. 
 
 The first exercise of mercy which the Scriptures 
 direct us to look for, on our leaving the body, is an 
 immediate reception into the presence of Christ, and the 
 society of the spirits of just men made perfect. " The 
 beggar died, and was carried by the angels into 
 Abraham's bosom." " Lord, remember me when thou 
 comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, 
 Verily I say unto thee. To-day shalt thou be with me 
 in paradise." " Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." " We 
 are confident and willing rather to be absent from the 
 body, and to be present with the Lord." " I am in a 
 strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to 
 be with Christ, which is far better." "And I heard 
 a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed 
 are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth : 
 Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their 
 labors ; and their works do follow them." What this 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 345 
 
 overwhelming tide of mercy will prove, we have yet 
 to learn. When the Lord turned again the captivity 
 of Judah, they were like those that dream ; the deliv- 
 erance seemed too great to be real. And thus it may 
 be with believers on their departing from the body, 
 and entering into the joy of their Lord. 
 
 If an inspired apostle could say, " We know not 
 what we shall be," it is vain for us to think of forming 
 an adequate conception of it. 
 
 Another stream of mercy for which we are direct- 
 ed to look, will attend the second coming of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and consist in the dead being raised, and 
 the living changed. " The Lord himself shall descend 
 from heaven with the voice of the archangel, and 
 with the trump of God ; and the dead in Christ shall 
 rise first ; then we which are alive and remain shall 
 be caught up together with them in the clouds, to 
 meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be 
 with the Lord." It has been usual for nations to 
 reserve the most remarkable acts of grace to the 
 appearance or coronation of their kings, as tending to 
 honor their entrance on the government. And thus 
 both the first and second appearing of Christ are 
 periods which God has distinguished by the most 
 glorious displays of mercy. The former was a jubilee 
 to the Gentile world ; and the latter will be the same 
 to the whole creation. As, on the sounding of the 
 jubilee trumpet, the captives were liberated ; so, when 
 the trump of God shall sound, the righteous dead shall 
 be raised, and their resurrection will be to the crea- 
 tures of God the signal of emancipation from under 
 the effects of sin. 
 
 16* 
 
346 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 View the grave as a long, dark, and comfortless 
 abode, and it is sufficient to appall the stoutest spirit ; 
 but take into consideration that here the Lord lay — 
 that he was raised from the dead, that he might be 
 the first-fruits of them that slept — and that of all that 
 the Father gave him he will lose nothing, but will 
 raise it up at the last day, and it will wear a different 
 aspect. Job, when contemplating the grave as a long 
 and dreary habitation, describes it in the most plain- 
 tive language : " Man lieth down, and riseth not — till 
 the heavens be no more!'^ But when his views are 
 fixed on the deliverance which he should obtain at 
 that great and glorious day, his complaints are ex- 
 changed for triumphs. It is delightful to observe the 
 erection of soul which a believing prospect of the 
 resurrection gave him, after all his depression : " 
 that my words were now written! that they were 
 printed in a book ! that they were graven with an iron 
 pen and lead in the rock for ever I For I know that 
 my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the 
 latter day upon the earth ; and though after my skin 
 worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see 
 God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes 
 shall behold, and not another; though my reins be 
 consumed within me." In a strain very similar to 
 this, the apostle Paul, in his first epistle to the Co- 
 Tinthians, describes the victory over death and the 
 grave, representing believers as actually raised from 
 the dead, and as standing upon their graves, looking 
 the conquered enemy in the face, and exclaiming, 
 "0 death, where is thy sting? grave, where is 
 thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 347 
 
 strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, 
 which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus 
 Christ." By looking for this part of the mercy of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be reconciled to death, 
 even before we meet it. 
 
 But there is another stream of mercy beyond this, 
 to which we are directed to look, and which pertains 
 to the last jicdgment. We have an impressive idea 
 given us of this in PauFs prayer for Onesiphorus: 
 " The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus ; 
 for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my 
 chain ; but when he was in Rome, he sought me out 
 very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant unto 
 him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day." 
 
 We have needed mercy on many days, and have 
 found it ; but that is a day in which we shall need it 
 more than ever. To be acquitted at the judgment- 
 seat of Christ, to find the Judge to be our friend, to 
 be absolved of all our offences, and more than ab- 
 solved, approved in a great degree — approved in so 
 far as we have followed the Lamb in the present 
 state — to hear him thus address us, " Come, ye blessed 
 of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
 from the foundation of the world" — this will be the 
 grace that shall be brought unto us at the revelation 
 of Jesus Christ. 
 
 It is a notion entertained by some, that the sins of 
 believers will not be brought into judgment. We are 
 assured, however, that we must all appear before the 
 judgment-seat of Christ; that every one of us shall 
 give an account of himself to God ; and that of every 
 idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account 
 
348 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 thereof at the day of judgment. The mercy of the 
 Lord in that day will not consist in connivance ; but, 
 as in all other instances, be exercised consistently 
 with righteousness. In our present state of mind, we 
 may wish to have it otherwise. David might wish 
 that the evil he had wrought in secret should be kept 
 secret, but the Lord determined to expose it before 
 the sun. It does not comport with the character of 
 God to conceal the truth, but to make it manifest. If 
 the sins of believers were not brought into judgment, 
 there would be no occasion for the exercise of forgiv- 
 ing mercy. It is from the strictness of the trial, and 
 the awfulness of the sentence to which, if dealt with 
 according to their deserts, they would be exposed in 
 that day, that mercy wiU be needed. The world shall 
 know their guilt and their repentance, and the way 
 in which they are forgiven; so as to glorify God, 
 though it be unwillingly, and to feel the justice of 
 their own condemnation. In this view of the last 
 judgment, the manifestation of guilt and wrath and 
 mercy will each surpass all our present conceptions. 
 
 It is commonly represented in the Scriptures, that 
 every man will be judged " according to his works f 
 and true it is, that all our actions and words, and 
 even thoughts, will undergo an impartial scrutiny, 
 and be considered as the test of character. They, for 
 example, who have ministered to Christ's members in 
 their necessities, will be treated as having ministered 
 unto him; and they who have disregarded them, as 
 having disregarded him: but if, by being judged 
 according to our works, were meant, that God will 
 proceed with us on the principles of mere justice, giv- 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 349 
 
 ing to every one his due, we should all be condemned : 
 "If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, Lord, who 
 shall stand ? But there is forgiveness with thee, that 
 thou mayest be feared." 
 
 Nor will the mercy of our Lord J[esus Christ, in 
 that day, be confined to the forgiveness of sin : even 
 the rewards of that day, though expressive of right- 
 eousness and faithfulness, yet have their origin in 
 mercy. The crown of righteousness, which the Lord 
 the righteous Judge shall give in that day to all who 
 love his appearing, will not be a reward of debt, but 
 of grace. But for grace, we should have had no good 
 deeds to be rewarded ; or if we had, they could no 
 more be named in that day, than the good behavior 
 of a murderer will bear to be alleged as a balance 
 against his crimes. But being accepted in Christ, 
 what is done for him is rewarded for his sake. Hence 
 the crown of glory that shall be bestowed on his 
 appearing is denominated, "the grace that is to bo 
 brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 
 
 And then, an abundant entrance will be ministered 
 unto us into God's everlasting kingdom. I wish I 
 had both a discernment of mind and an opportunity 
 to investigate the vast fulness there is in these terms. 
 An abundant entrance shall be ministered unto you 
 into God's everlasting kingdom. I think the terms 
 express not only that the Christian shall enter the 
 kingdom of God, but that he shall enter as we should 
 say with a high hand — not steal in, not enter one at 
 a time, and scarcely dare to be seen, but rather like 
 a company who shall march in with their colors fly 
 
350 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 ing, with their banners displayed, with their Com- 
 mander at their head ; entering in with all the pomp 
 of God, with the approbation of the Judge of the uni- 
 verse, with the shouts of heaven and earth, with the 
 welcome of the Lord of glory, yes, with the welcome 
 of all holy intelligences: this is that abundant en- 
 trance which will be ministered unto us at the appear- 
 ing of Jesus Christ. 
 
 Put all these things together. Is not this enough 
 to stimulate us to gird up the loins of our minds ? Do 
 not let us faint under a few present difficulties and 
 burdens. Gird up the loins of your minds — ^be sober 
 in the present state — hope to the end for the grace 
 that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus 
 Christ. Oh, our enjoyment of God there will oblit- 
 erate the remembrance of all our former sorrows. 
 Yes, a moment's communion with God there will an- 
 nihilate the misery of ten thousand years. Be not 
 therefore distressed under present difficulties, but gird 
 up, press forward, hope a little longer, and God will 
 put you in possession of that blessed immortality. 
 
 "We must not forget that the possession of all this 
 glory stands connected with justification by faith in 
 Jesus Christ. The whole rests on this doctrine. 
 Whom he "justified, them he also glorified." It is a 
 very serious question, on what ground we rest our ac- 
 ceptance with God. It was at this doctrine that the 
 Jewish nation stumbled and fell. Let their fall be 
 our warning. " The Gentiles, which followed not 
 after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, 
 even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 351 
 
 which followed after the law of righteousness, hath 
 not attained to the law of righteousness. Where- 
 fore ? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it 
 were by the works of the law j for they stumbled at 
 that stumbling-stone." 
 
 The view of the holy and happy assembly of heaven 
 might well excite in the apostle John emotions of ad- 
 miration and joy. And when one of the elders asks 
 him what he conceives them to be, and whence they 
 come — though it would seem as if they must be pure 
 celestial beings, whose whole existence had been filled 
 up with righteousness and blessedness — he does not 
 presume to say what he thought they were, whether 
 men or angels, nor to offer any opinion as to whence 
 they came, but modestly refers it to his instructor to 
 inform him. The answer is, in effect, that they are 
 men — men who were lately upon earth, exposed to 
 great tribulations, but who had come out of them. 
 And as to their " white robes," they had been once 
 impure, but were washed and made white, not in their 
 own blood, though that in innumerable instances had 
 been shed, but "in the blood of the Lamb." It was 
 as believing in his death that they were justified and 
 sanctified ; and having lived by faith oji him, they 
 were without fault " before the throne of God." 
 
 StiJl more to stimulate the servants of God in this 
 world to persevere, he adds, "And He that sitteth 
 upon the throne shall dwell among them. They shall 
 hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither 
 shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the 
 Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed 
 
352 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of 
 waters ; and God shall wipe away all tears from their 
 eyes." 
 
 The whole church of God in heaven is described 
 as falling down before the Lamb, and joining in a 
 chorus of praise. The "golden vials full of odors'' 
 doubtless allude to those of the priests who offered 
 incense, and denote that the church on earth is ever 
 employed in presenting its petitions before the throne. 
 They had also "harps" as well as vials, and "sung a 
 new song," denoting the great occasion there now 
 was for joy and praise. A.new song is suited to a 
 new manifestation of mercy. The Lamb is found 
 worthy to take the book, and to open the seals ; and 
 they perceive the ground of it to lie in his having 
 redeemed them at the expense of his blood. 
 
 Nor could the angels on such an occasion be silent, 
 but must join in the choir. Myriads of myriads, a 
 number that no man could number, unite in ascribing 
 worthiness to the Lamb, and that on the same ground 
 as redeemed men had done, namely, his having been 
 " slain ;" a proof this of disinterested affection, both to 
 the Redeemer and the redeemed. " He took not on 
 him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham ;" 
 yet angels unite in praising him for his love to men. 
 
 In enumerating the things which he was worthy 
 to receive, it is remarkable how they keep their eye 
 on those perfections of which he had emptied himself 
 in his humiliation. He did not lay aside any thing 
 pertaining to his goodness, but merely what belonged 
 to his greatness. He was no less holy, just, faithful, 
 
ITS HOLY TENDENCY. 353 
 
 and merciful, when on earth, than he is now in heaven ; 
 but he emptied himself of " power," as laying aside his 
 authority, and taking upon him the form of a servant ; 
 of " riches," as becoming poor, that we .through his 
 poverty might be made rich ; of " wisdom," as making 
 himself of no reputation ; of " strength," as becoming 
 weak and subject to death like other men ; of " honor," 
 as not appearing in his native divinity, but as a man, 
 and a man of obscure birth, despised of the people ; of 
 " glory," as subjecting himself to shame and disgrace ; 
 and of " blessing," as receiving not the benedictions 
 so much as the execrations of those among whom he 
 sojourned. The purport of the song is, by how much 
 he hath emptied himself on earth, by so much let him 
 be magnified and exalted in heaven. 
 
354 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 CHAPTER XIY. 
 
 THE RESULTS OF PREACHINa THE DOCTRINE OF 
 JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 That the gospel of Christ has an influence on the 
 souls of men cannot be denied ; as a means, it is natu- 
 rally adapted to this end. Even where it is not cor- 
 dially believed, it is often known to operate power- 
 fully upon the mind and conscience. It is natural to 
 suppose that it should do so : the human mind is so 
 formed as that words, whether spoken or written, 
 should influence it. We cannot read or hear a dis- 
 course of any kind, if it be interesting, without being 
 more or less affected by it ; and it would be very sur- 
 prising if the gospel, which implies our being utterly 
 undone, and relates to our everlasting well-being, 
 should be the only subject in nature which should 
 have no effect upon us. The gospel also being indited 
 by the Holy Spirit, the influence which it has upon 
 the minds of men is ascribed to him. It was in this 
 way, that is, by the preaching of Noah, that the Spirit 
 of Jehovah "strove" with the antediluvians. It was 
 in this way that he was " resisted " by the Israelites ; 
 that is, they resisted the messages which the Holy Spirit 
 sent to them by Moses and the prophets. Hence the 
 expressive language in the confession recorded in Neh. 
 9 : 30 : " Many years didst thou testify against them 
 hy thy Spirit in thy prophets." Also the pointed ad- 
 
RESULTS OF PREACHINa IT. 355 
 
 dress of Stephen to those who rejected the gospel of 
 Christ,. in Acts 7 : 51: "Ye do always resist the Holy 
 Ghost : as your fathers did, so do ye." This, for aught 
 I can conceive, may with propriety be called the com- 
 mon operation of the grace of God. 
 
 As the gospel has an effect upon the minds and 
 consciences even of many who do not cordially believe 
 it, much more does it influence those who do. In 
 them it works effecttLoUy^ transforming them into its 
 own likeness. 1 Thess. 2:13. Their hearts are cast 
 into it as into a mould, and all its sacred principles 
 become to them principles of action. The grace, the 
 wisdom, the purity, the justice, and the glory of it, 
 powerfully subdue, melt, and attract their hearts to 
 love and obedience. The pmjoer of God had often 
 been exerted by various means, and to various ends. 
 Thunder and smoke, and blackness and darkness and 
 tempest, as displayed on mount Sinai, were the power 
 of God unto conviction. Overwhelming floods and 
 devouring flames, in the case of the old world and of 
 Sodom and Gomorrah, were the power of God unto 
 conviction. Nor were these means better adapted 
 to their ends than is the gospel to be the power of 
 God unto salvation. It has ever pleased God by 
 this means, weak and despised as it is in the account 
 of men, "To save them that believe." "This is the 
 victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 
 
 But what is the gospel? I shall not attempt to 
 specify particulars, but mention certain scriptural me- 
 diums by which you yourselves may judge of it. 
 
 1. We may form a judgment wherein the gospel 
 
356 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 consists, by the brief descriptions which are given of it. 
 The New Testament abounds with these descriptions ; 
 it delights in epitome. For example : " God so loved 
 the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that 
 whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but 
 have everlasting life." This is the common salva- 
 tion ; and surely I need not ask whether the doctrine 
 which denies the perishing condition of sinners by 
 nature, and supposes the unspeakable gift of Heaven 
 to be a mere fellow-creature, sent only to instruct us 
 and to set us a good example, can comport with this 
 representation. Again, " The Jews require a sign," 
 or miracle, " and the Greeks seek after wisdom ; but 
 we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling- 
 block, and to the Greeks foolishness ; but unto them 
 that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the 
 power of God, and the wisdom of God." This is the 
 common salvation. We hear of preachers knowing 
 their auditors, and preaching accordingly ; but Paul 
 went straight forward, regardless of the desires of 
 men. Again, " I determined not to know any thing 
 among you but Jesus Christ, and him crucified." In 
 each of these passages the gospel is supposed to be 
 summarily comprehended in what relates to the per- 
 son and work of Christ. This is the foundation 
 which God has laid in Zion ; this is the common sal- 
 vation. Again, " I declare unto you the gospel which 
 I preached unto you, which also ye have received, 
 and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if 
 ye keep in memory," or hold fast, "what I have 
 preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 
 For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also 
 
RESULTS OF PREACHING IT. 357 
 
 received, how that Christ died for our sins according 
 to the Scriptures ; and that he was buried, and that he 
 rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures." 
 Here also we see what is the gospel, and what that is 
 on which the present standing and final salvation of 
 Christians depend ; and I appeal to every thing that 
 is candid and impartial in my readers, whether such 
 importance can be attached to the death, burial, and 
 resurrection of Christ upon any other principle than 
 that. of his dying in our stead, and rising again as our 
 forerunner. Finally, " This is a faithful saying, and 
 worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into 
 the world to save sinners ; of whom I am chief." This 
 language supposes that, in coming into the world, our 
 Lord was voluntary , or that it was with design, which 
 supposes his preexistence ; and that this design was 
 to save sinners, the chief of sinners. In calling it a 
 faithful or true " saying," it is intimated that it was 
 so much the theme of the apostle's ministry, and so 
 well known among Christians, as to become prover- 
 bial. A saying grown into credit by experience of 
 its truth, is the definition which has been given of a 
 proverb ; and such was the true saying of Paul. This, 
 therefore, must be the gospel — "the common salva- 
 tion." 
 
 2. We may judge wherein the "common salva- 
 tion" consists by the brief descriptions which are given 
 of the faith of primitive Christians. This, as well as 
 the gospel, is frequently epitomized in the New Testa- 
 ment, and it may be expected that the one will agree 
 with the other. " So we preach, and so ye believed." 
 The creed of the first believers, it has often been re- 
 
358 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 marked, was very simple. " I believe that Jesus Christ 
 is the Son of God." " Whosoever believeth that Jesus 
 is the Christ, is born of God." " Who is he that over- 
 cometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is 
 the Son of God ?" Believing is called " receiving the 
 witness," or record, " of God. And this is the record, 
 that God hath given to us eternal life, and that this 
 life is in his Son." There are many other important 
 truths, no doubt, the belief of which is necessary to 
 salvation ; such as the being and perfections of God, 
 the evil of sin, etc., but they are all involved in the 
 doctrine of " Christ and him crucified." This all-im- 
 portant principle is a golden link, which if laid hold 
 of, draws with it the whole chain of evangelical truth. 
 Let a man cordially embrace this, and you may trust 
 him for the rest. 
 
 There are, I conceive, four things which essentially 
 belong to the " common salvation :" its necessity, its 
 vicarious medium, its freeness to the chief of sinners, 
 and its holy efficacy. If we doubt whether we stand 
 in need of salvation, or overlook the atonement, or 
 hope for an interest in it any otherwise than as un- 
 worthy, or rest in a mere speculative opinion, which 
 has no effectual influence on our spirit and conduct, 
 we are at present unbelievers, and have every thing 
 to learn. 
 
 But why is the gospel called the word? It is 
 sometimes denominated the word of the truth of the 
 gospel; sometimes the word of reconciliation, some- 
 times the *word of life. Why, I ask, is the gospel 
 called the word of God? Here we can be at no loss 
 
RESULTS OF PREACHINa IT 359 
 
 in giving an answer. It is because it is expressive of 
 the mind or heart of God. Words are, or should be, ex- 
 pressive of the heart. This word is expressive of God's 
 heart. There is not any expression of his heart equal 
 to it. There are many things pertaining to the works 
 of God which manifest his perfections. The heavens 
 declare his power and goodness, and the firmament 
 showeth his handy works. The providence of God, 
 and the judgments of God, which have been abroad 
 in all ages, have been expressive of his faithfulness 
 and righteousness. In fact, there are many things 
 which show a part of the divine character. Here all 
 the rays of divinity meet together, and concentrate 
 in a focus. Here they form one general blaze. There 
 is not an attribute in the divine nature, or a feature 
 in his character, but what is expressed in the gospel 
 of salvation, in the gospel of the Son of God. This 
 is, in a peculiar sense, called his word, because it is 
 expressive of his whole heart. And I might say it is 
 expressive of his final decision : it is God's last mind. 
 There are many things expressive of the mind of God, 
 but not of his final decision. For instance, the holy 
 law of God is expressive of his holiness, and of his 
 mind in part ; and the curses of that law are expres- 
 sive of his displeasure against sin, and so far they are 
 expressive of the mind or heart of God. But they do 
 not express his final decision ; because a sinner may 
 be under the curse of the law, and yet that curse, by 
 his fleeing to the hope set before him in the gospel, 
 may be removed, and turned into a blessing. The 
 curse of God's law is not irrevocable. But the curse 
 of the Saviour on him that persists in unbelief is, see- 
 
360 DOCTEINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 ing he rejects tlie only name given under heaven 
 among men whereby he can be saved. The gospel, 
 therefore, runs in this language, " Go ye, and preach 
 the gospel to every creature : he that believeth and 
 is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not 
 shall be damned." There is no more hope, no other 
 way, no other name. It is God's last decision. It is 
 the final resolve of the eternal Jehovah. So that he 
 who rejects it, rejects the only way of salvation, and 
 shall inevitably perish. Considering these things, you 
 feel, I trust, the peculiar propriety of denominating 
 it the word of God. 
 
 If we seek a religion which meets the necessities 
 and relieves the miseries of human life, Christianity 
 alone can claim to do this. Every one who looks 
 into his own heart, and makes proper observations on 
 the dispositions of others, will perceive that man is 
 possessed of a desire after something which is not to 
 be found under the sun, after a good which has no 
 limits. We may imagine our desires are moderate, 
 and set boundaries beyond which we may flatter our- 
 selves we should never wish to pass ; but this is self- 
 deception. He who sets his heart on an estate, if he 
 gain it will wish for something more. It would be 
 the same if it were a kingdom, or even if all the king- 
 doms of the world were united in one. Nor is this 
 desire to be attributed merely to human depravity, 
 for it is the same with regard to knowledge: the 
 mind is never satisfied with its present acquisitions. 
 It is depravity which directs us to seek satisfaction 
 in something short of God ; but owing to the nature 
 
RESULTS OF PREACHING IT. 361 
 
 of the soul, we are never able to find it. It is not 
 possible that a being created immortal, and with a 
 mind capable of continual enlargement, should obtain 
 satisfaction in a limited good. Men may spend their 
 time and strength, and even sacrifice their souls, in 
 striving to grasp it, but it will elude their pursuit. 
 It is only from an uncreated source that the mind 
 can drink its fill. Here it is that the gospel meets 
 our necessities. Its language is, "Ho, every one 
 that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that 
 hath no money ; come ye, buy and eat ; yea, come, 
 buy wine and milk without money and without price. 
 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not 
 bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? 
 Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is 
 good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. In- 
 cline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your 
 soul shall live." " In the last day, that great day of 
 the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying. If any man 
 thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." " He that 
 cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that be- 
 lieveth on me shall never thirst." How this lan- 
 guage has been verified, all who have made the trial 
 can testify. To them, as to the only competent wit- 
 nesses, I appeal. 
 
 Of this gospel the apostle Paul said to the Ro- 
 mans, " I am not ashamed." There is nothing in the 
 gospel, or in true religion, of which we need to be 
 ashamed; yet as things go in this world, there is 
 danger of our being so. The contempt with which 
 the doctrine of the cross is treated by unbelievers 
 
 Atonement. 1 
 
362 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 requires great firmness. Among the Jews, to whom 
 the apostle preached Christ, they looked down with 
 scorn upon his parentage, his appearance, and his 
 ignominious end ; yet, saith the apostle, " I am not 
 ashamed." Among the Greeks, the doctrine of eter- 
 nal life by a man who expired on the cross, appeared 
 so unphilosophical, that they pronounced it "foolish- 
 ness ;" yet here also the apostle could say, " I am not 
 ashamed." There is that in the gospel which opposes 
 all those high notions which proud men entertain of 
 themselves ; and as they form the great majority in 
 society, they assist in keeping each other in counte- 
 nance. Tell such men, that if they obtain salvation 
 they must seek it by faith, standing upon the same 
 low ground as the chief of sinners, and that their 
 prayers cannot be heard, except in respect to the Me- 
 diator, and thUY hearts will rise against it as a nar- 
 row and illiberal doctrine. Nevertheless, we must 
 not be ashame^^ A necessity is laid upon us, and woe 
 unto us if we preach not the gospel. 
 
 It is not difficult from hence to perceive what the 
 gospel is. If Christ had been exhibited by the apos- 
 tles merely as a good man, teaching a pure morality, 
 setting an amiable example, and dying a martyr to 
 confirm his mission, it is difficult to conceive how the 
 world could have despised his doctrine, or what occa- 
 sion the apostle could have for declaring himself not 
 ashamed of it. But understanding the gospel to be 
 the doctrine of salvation by mere grace, through an 
 atonement, we easily perceive the propriety of the 
 language. 
 
 We may again ask, Why was he not ashamed of 
 
RESULTS OF PREACHINO IT. 363 
 
 the gospel ? Because it was " the power of God unto 
 salvation, to every one who believed" it. How was 
 it productive of this effect ? As revealing " the right- 
 eousness of God," or a way of acceptance with God, 
 by faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The 
 sense of the apostle is, I conceive, that the gospel is 
 God's grand means, by believing which the greatest 
 sinners are raised from the depths of guilt and misery 
 to everlasting life ; and this, its powerful and salutary 
 effect, armed him against all unworthy shame on 
 account of the reproaches it lay under from unbe- 
 lievers. In declaring he was not ashamed of it, he 
 meant more than he said — he meant that he accounted 
 it his highest glory. They tell us of Archimedes, that 
 he invented engines of such prodigious power as to 
 enable the Syracusians to throw large pieces of rock 
 into the ships of their besiegers, so as to sink them 
 and deliver their country. Would Archimedes or the 
 Syracusians be ashamed of their engines? Would 
 they not rather glory in them ? Much more would 
 the apostle glory in an engine which overthrew the 
 power of Satan, and saved all those who believed with 
 eternal salvation. 
 
 Every thing pertaining to the gospel was glorious, 
 but there was one principle which was the glory of 
 the gospel itself: " Therein is the righteousness of 
 God revealed from faith to faith." This is the doc- 
 trine of justification by faith, which runs through the 
 epistle. Not that faith is our justifying righteous- 
 ness ; for the righteousness which justifies is revealed 
 " from faith to faith :" from a faithful God to a believ- 
 ing sinner, or from one degree of faith to another, 
 
364 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 according as it is written, "The just shall live by 
 faith." 
 
 Such were the principles which emboldened the 
 apostle, in the pursuit of his multifarious labors; 
 which loaded him with a deep sense of his obligations 
 both to Greeks and Barbarians, both to the wise and 
 to the unwise; and which made him, as much as in 
 him was, ready to preach the gospel to them that 
 were in Rome also. If we possess a portion of the 
 same spirit, it will render us, as much as in us is, 
 ready to preach it, or to promote the preaching of it, 
 to the ends of the earth. 
 
 It is Christianity, and nothing else, which has 
 destroyed the odious idolatry of many nations, and 
 greatly contracted its attendant immoralities. It 
 was in this way that the gospel operated in the prim- 
 itive ages, wherever it was received ; and it is in the 
 same way that it continues to operate to the present 
 time. Real Christians must needs be adverse to these 
 things, and they are the only men living who cordially 
 set themselves against them. 
 
 This truth will receive additional evidence from 
 an observation of the different degrees of morality 
 produced in different places, according to the degree 
 of purity with which the Christian religion has been 
 taught, and liberty given it to operate. In several 
 nations of Europe, popery has long been established 
 and supported by sanguinary laws. By these means 
 the Bible has been kept from the common people, 
 Christian doctrine and worship corrupted, and the 
 consciences of men subdued to a usurper of Christ's 
 
RESULTS OF PREACHINO IT. 365 
 
 authority. Christianity is there in prison, and anti- 
 christianism exalted in its place. In other nations 
 this yoke is broken. Every true Christian has a Bible 
 in his family, and measures his religion by it. The 
 rights of conscience also being respected, men are 
 allowed, in religious matters, to judge and act for 
 themselves; and Christian churches are formed ac- 
 cording to the primitive model. Christianity is here 
 at liberty ; here, therefore, it may be expected to pro- 
 duce its greatest effects. Whether this does not cor- 
 respond with facts, let those who are accustomed to 
 observe men and things witli an impartial eye deter- 
 mine. 
 
 In Italy, France, and various other countries, 
 where the Christian religion has been so far corrupted 
 as to lose nearly all its influence, illicit connections 
 may be formed, adulterous intrigues pursued, and 
 even crimes against nature committed, with but little 
 dishonor. Kousseau could here send his illegitimate 
 offspring to the foundling hospital, and lay his accounts 
 with being applauded for it, as being the custom of 
 the country. It is not so in Britain, and various 
 other nations where the gospel has had a freer course ; 
 for though the same dispositions are manifested by 
 great numbers of persons, yet the fear of the public 
 frown holds them in awe. If we except a few aban- 
 doned persons who have nearly lost all sense of shame, 
 and who by means either of their titles or fortunes on 
 the one hand, or their well-known baseness on the 
 other, have almost bid defiance to the opinion of man- 
 kind, this observation will hold good, I believe, as to 
 the bulk of the inhabitants of Protestant countries. 
 
366 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 Some of tlie most striking effects, both in early 
 and later ages, were not accompanied with the cir- 
 cumstance of novelty. The sermon of Peter to the 
 inhabitants of Jerusalem contained no new doctrine; 
 it only pressed upon them the same things, for sub- 
 stance, which they had heard and rejected from the 
 lips of Christ himself; and on a prejudgment of the 
 issue by the usual course of things, they would proba- 
 bly have been considered as more likely to reject 
 Peter's doctrine than that of Christ; because, when 
 once people have set their hands to a business, they 
 are generally more unwilling to relinquish it, and 
 own themselves in the wrong, than at first to forbear 
 to engage in it. And as to later times, the effects 
 produced by the preaching of Whitefield, Edwards, 
 and others, were many of them upon people not re- 
 markably ignorant, but who had attended preaching 
 of a similar kind all their lives without any such effect. 
 The former, it is well-known, preached the same doc- 
 trines in Scotland and America as the people were used 
 to hear every Lord's day ; and that with great effect 
 among persons of a lukewarm and careless description. 
 The latter, in his "Narrative of the Work of God in 
 and about Northampton," represents the inhabitants 
 as having been " a rational and understanding people." 
 Indeed, they must have been such, or they could not , 
 have understood the compass of argument contained 
 in Mr. Edwards' "Sermons on Justification," which 
 were delivered about that time, and are said to have 
 been the means of great religious concern among the 
 hearers. Nor were these effects produced by voice 
 and gestures, or any of those extraordinary things in 
 
RESULTS OF PREACHING IT. 367 
 
 the manner of the preacher which give a kind of 
 novelty to a sermon, and sometimes tend to move the 
 affections of the hearers. Mr. Prince, who had often 
 heard Mr. Edwards preach, and observed the remark- 
 able conviction which attended his ministry, describes, 
 in his " Christian History," his manner of preaching. 
 "He was a preacher," says he, " of a low and moderate 
 voice, a natural delivery, and without any agitation 
 of body, or any thing else in the manner to excite 
 attention, except his habitual and great solemnity, 
 looking and speaking as in the presence of God, and 
 with a weighty sense of the matter delivered." 
 
 Great things have been done among the heathens, 
 of late years, by the Moravians. About the year 
 1733, they sent missionaries to Greenland, a most 
 inhospitable country indeed, but containing about ten 
 thousand inhabitants, all enveloped in pagan dark- 
 ness. After the labor of several years, apparently in 
 vain, success attended their efforts ; and in the course 
 of twenty or thirty years, about seven hundred hea- 
 thens are said to have been baptized, and to have 
 lived the life of Christians. They have done great 
 good also in the most northern parts of North Amer- 
 ica, among the Esquimaux ; and still more among the 
 negroes in the West India islands, where, at the close 
 of 1788, upwards of thirteen thousand of those poor 
 injured and degraded people were formed into Chris- 
 tian societies. They appear to possess a great deal 
 of godly simplicity ; and the doctrine of atonement by 
 the death of Christ, in particular, forms the great sub- 
 ject of their ministry. The first person in Greenland 
 
368 DOCTHINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 who appeared willing to receive the gospel, was an old 
 man who came to the missionaries for instruction. 
 " We told him," say they, " as well as we could, of 
 the creation of man, and the intent thereof, of the fall 
 and corruption of nature, of the redemption effected 
 by Christ, of the resurrection of all men, and eternal 
 happiness or damnation." They inform us after- 
 wards, that the doctrine of the cross, or " the Crea- 
 tor's taking upon him human nature, and dying for 
 our sins," was the most powerful means of impressing 
 the minds of the heathen, and of turning their hearts 
 to God. " On this account," they add, " we deter- 
 mined, like Paul, to know nothing, save Jesus Christ, 
 and him crucified." 
 
 If, Christians, you are ready in every possible way 
 to extend the gospel of Christ, allow us to caution you 
 against one prevailing error, and to recommend one 
 important rule. The error to which we allude is, 
 taking it for granted that a man has no doubts as to the 
 gospel way of salvation, and no unwillingness to he saved 
 by it, provided God were but willing to save him. Such 
 are probably his thoughts of himself; and the only 
 question with him is, whether he have an interest in 
 Christ and spiritual blessings. Hence he is employed 
 in searching for something in his religious experience 
 which may amount to an evidepce of his conversion ; 
 and in talking with you, he expects you to assist him in 
 the search. But do not take this account of things as 
 being the true one ; it is founded in self-deception. If 
 he understood and believed the gospel way of salva- 
 tion, he would know that God was willing to save 
 
- RESULTS OF PREACHINa IT. 369 
 
 any sinner who is willing to be saved by it. A will- 
 ingness to relinquish every false confidence, every 
 claim of preference before the most ungodly man, and 
 every ground of hope save that which God has laid 
 in the gospel, is all that is wanting. If he have this, 
 there is nothing in heaven or earth in the way of his 
 salvation. In conversing with such a person, we 
 should impress this truth upon him, assuring him that 
 if he be straitened it is not of God, but in himself; 
 that the doubts which he entertains of the willingness 
 of God, especially on account of his sinfulness and un- 
 worthiness, are no other than the workings of a self- 
 righteous opposition to the gospel, as they imply an 
 opinion that if he were less sinful and more worthy, 
 God might be induced to save him ; and that if he be 
 not saved, it will be owing to his thus continuing to 
 stumble at the stumbling-stone. Instead of allowing 
 ^at he believes the gospel, and is willing to be saved 
 in the gospel way, while yet his very moans betray 
 the contrary, we should labor to persuade him that 
 he does not yet understand the deceit of his own 
 heart ; that if he were willing to come to Christ for 
 life, there is no doubt of his being accepted ; in short, 
 that whenever he is brought to be of this mind, he 
 will not only ask after the good way, but walk in it, 
 and will assuredly find rest unto his soul. 
 
 The rvk we recommend is this : point tliem directly 
 to the Saviour. It may be thought that no Christian 
 can misunderstand or misapply this important direc- 
 tain, which is everywhere taught in the New Testa- 
 ment. Yet, if you steer not clear of the error we have 
 referred to, you will be unable to keep to it. So long 
 
 16* 
 
370 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 as you admit the obstruction to believing in Christ to 
 consist in something distinct from disaffection to the 
 gospel way of salvation, it will be next to impossible 
 for you to exhort a sinner to it in the language 
 of the New Testament. For how can you exhort a 
 man to that which you think he desires with all his 
 heart to comply with, but cannot? You must feel 
 that such exhortations would be tantalizing and in- 
 sulting him. You may indeed conceive of him as 
 ignorant, and as such, labor to instruct him ; but your 
 feelings will not suffer you to exhort him to any thing 
 in which he; is involuntary. Hence, you will content 
 yourselves with directing him to wait at the pool of 
 ordinances, and it may be to pray for grace to enable 
 him to repent and believe, encouraging him to hope 
 for a happy issue in God's due time. But this is not 
 pointing the sinner directly to Christ. On the con- 
 trary, it is furnishing him with a resting-place short 
 of Him, and giving him to imagine that duties per- 
 formed while in unbelief are pleasing to God. 
 
 If you point the awakened sinner directly to the 
 Saviour, after the manner of the New Testament, you 
 will not be employed in assisting him to analyze the 
 distresses of his mind, and administering consolation 
 to him from the hope that they may contain some of 
 the ingredients of true conversion, or at least the 
 signs that he will be converted. Neither will you 
 consider distress as ascertaining a happy issue, any 
 otherwise than as it leads to Christ. If the ques- 
 tion were. Do I believe in Jesus for salvation ? then, 
 indeed, you must inquire what effects have been pro- 
 duced. But it is very different where the inquiry is, 
 
RESULTS OF PREACHING IT. 371 
 
 What shall we do ? or, What shall I do to be saved ? 
 The murderers of Christ, were distressed ; but Peter 
 did not attempt to comfort them by alleging that this 
 was a hopeful sign of their conversion, or by any way 
 directing their attention to what was within them. 
 On the contrary, he exhibited the Saviour, and ex- 
 horted them to repent and be baptized in his name. 
 The same may be said of the Philippian jailer. He 
 was in great distress, yet no comfort was adminis- 
 tered to him from this quarter, nor any other, except 
 the salvation of Christ. Him Paul and Silas exhib- 
 ited, and in 'him directly exhorted him to believe. 
 The promise of rest is not made to the weary and 
 heavy -laden,, but to those who cmie to Christ under 
 their burdens. 
 
 Our usefulness depends much on our being strong 
 in the Lord, and in the power of his might. If our 
 souls be in a languishing state, what good can we do 
 in the world ? "Ye are the salt of the earth ; but if 
 the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be 
 salted ? It is' henceforth good for nothing." What 
 good can we do in society, among our immediate 
 connections, or in our families, but as we diffuse a 
 savor of Christ ? And how can this be done if we 
 ourselves have lost that savor, and are become lifeless 
 and unfruitful in the ways of God ? At the close of 
 every day it becomes us to inquire, Has any one been 
 improved by our conversation ? Will any one think 
 the better of Christ from what they have heard or 
 seen in us? Or have we been among men merely 
 as men of the world : and might they not say of us, 
 
372 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 What do you more than others ? He who possesses 
 much religion will impart more or less of it to those 
 about him ; he will not make a show of it, yet it must 
 be seen. There is that in the temper, and daily con- 
 versation of a man of genuine piety, which indicates 
 that he has been with Jesus. The modesty of his 
 countenance, the meekness and cheerfulness of his 
 disposition, the sweet familiarity and seriousness of 
 his intercourse with men, enliven the circle in which 
 he moves, and recommend the religion which he pro- 
 
PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT. 373 
 
 CHAPTEK XY. 
 
 PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT OF THE SUBJECT. 
 
 That great numbers of people, even in this Chris- 
 tianized country, are ignorant of the way of salvation, 
 is too evident to be denied. It is manifestly no part 
 of their concern, any more than if they were in no 
 danger of being lost, or there had never been such a 
 thing as salvation heard of. Nor is this true only of 
 weak and illiterate people: men who in all other 
 concerns are wise, in these things have no knowledge 
 or sense to direct them. The evil, therefore, cannot 
 be ascribed to simple ignorance, which, as far as it 
 goes, tends to excuse ; but to be willingly ignorant — 
 saying unto God, " Depart from us ; we desire not the 
 knowledge of thy ways." 
 
 God, however, has a witness in every man's con- 
 science. Every man, whatever he may pretend, feels 
 himself to be a sinner, and to need forgiveness. Igno- 
 rant and idolatrous as the Philippian jailer had been 
 all his life, yet when death looked him in the face he 
 trembled and cried for mercy. And if it were thus 
 with the heathen, much more with those who have 
 been educated under the light of revelation. The 
 most careless and thoughtless cannot stand the ap- 
 proach of death. The courage of the most hardened 
 infidel commonly fails him at that solemn period. 
 
374 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 Reader, are you one of the many who scarcely ever 
 think of these things; and whose chief concern is 
 what you shall eat, what you shall drink, and where- 
 withal you shall be clothed? Let the anxiety of a 
 heathen reprove you. 
 
 IJ] like other animals^ you were made only to eat and 
 drink y and figure away for a few years, and then to sink 
 into nothing, you might well throw aside; every care, 
 except that which respects your present gratification. 
 But you are of an order of beings distinguished from 
 all others in the creation. In your nature is united 
 mortality and immortality; the dust of the ground 
 and the breath of the Almighty. Life to you is but 
 the introduction to existence, a short voyage which 
 will land you on the shores of eternity. You are sur- 
 rounded by a number of objects, and feel an interest 
 in each. You build houses, plant orchards, rear ani- 
 mals, and form, to yourselves a home, but you are not 
 at home. Your feelings associate with these things, 
 but they are not fit associates for you. You may have 
 a portion in all that is doing in your family, and in 
 your country ; yea, in some degree, in all that is done 
 under the sun ; but this is not sufficient for you. The 
 time draweth nigh when there will be an end to all 
 these things, and they will be as though they had not 
 been ; but you will still live. You will witness the 
 wreck of nature itself, and survive it ; and stand before 
 the Son of man at his appearing and kingdom. Can 
 you think of these things and be unconcerned? 
 
 Or, though you be an immortal and accountable 
 creature, as your conscience tells you you are whenever 
 you consult it, and sometimes when you would gladly 
 
PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT. 375 
 
 shut your ears against it, yet, if ymi had not sinned 
 against your Maker, there would be no cause for 
 alarm. A sinless creature has nothing to fear from a 
 righteous God. The approach of an assize, with all 
 its solemn pomp, does not terrify the innocent ; nei- 
 ther would judgment or eternity inspire the least 
 degree of dread, if you were guiltless. But you are 
 a sinner, a corrupt branch of a corrupt stock. God 
 placed, as I may say, a generous confidence in our 
 species, and required nothing in return but love ; but 
 we have returned him evil for good. You, for your- 
 self, are conscious that you have done so, and that it 
 is in your very nature to do evil. 
 
 Or, though you are what is called a sinner, yet, 
 if sin were your misfortune rather than ymir faiiM, you 
 might fly for refuge to the equity of your Maker.' 
 But this is not the case. Whatever may be said as 
 to the manner in which you became a sinner, and how- 
 ever you may wish to excuse yourself on that ground, 
 your own conscience bears witness that what you are 
 you choose to be, and occasionally reproaches you for 
 being so. You may speculate upon sin as a kind of 
 hereditary disease, which is merely a misfortune, not 
 a fault J but if so, why do you feel guilt on account 
 of it, any more than of the other ? Why do you not 
 also acquit others of blame, where the evil is directed 
 against you ? You do not think of excusing a fellow- 
 creature when he injures you, upon any such grounds 
 as you allege in excuse of transgression against God. 
 If the party be rational and voluntary, you make no 
 further inquiry, but without any hesitation pronounce 
 him criminal. Out of your own mouth therefore shall 
 
376 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 you be judged. The inability that you feel to do good 
 is entirely owing to your having no heart to it. It is 
 of the same nature as that of an unprincipled servant, 
 who cannot seek his master's interest, but is impelled 
 by his selfishness to be always defrauding him. You 
 would not hold such a servant blameless, nor will God 
 hold you so. You are not destitute of those powers 
 which render us accountable beings, but merely of a 
 heart to make use of them for God. You take pleas- 
 ure in knowledge, but desire not the knowledge of his 
 ways — ^in conversation, but the mention of serious 
 religion strikes you dumb — in activity, but in his ser- 
 vice you are as one that is dead. You are fond of 
 news, but that which angels announced, and the Son 
 of God came down to publish, gives you no pleasure. 
 Xll these things prove, beyond a doubt, where the 
 inability lies. 
 
 Or, if sin should be allowed to be your fault, yet, 
 if it were a smaU offence, an imperfection that might 
 be overlooked, or so slight a matter that you could 
 atone for it by repentance, prayers, or tears, or any 
 effort of your own, there might be less reason for alarm j 
 but neither is this the case. If sin were so light a 
 matter as it is commonly made, how is it that a train 
 of the most awful curses should be denounced against 
 the sinner ? Is it possible that a just and good Being 
 would curse his creatures in basket and in store, in 
 their houses and in their fields, in their lying down 
 and rising up, and in all that they set their hands to, 
 for a mere trifle, or an imperfection that might be 
 overlooked ? If sin were a light thing, how is it that 
 the Father of mercies should have doomed all man- 
 
PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT. 377 
 
 kind to death, and to all the miseries that prepare its 
 way, on account of it ? How is it that wicked men 
 die under such fearful apprehensions? Above all, 
 how is it that it should require the eternal Son of 
 God to become incarnate, and to be made a sacrifice, 
 to atone for it? But if sin be thus offensive to God, 
 then are you in a fearful situation. If you had the 
 whole world to offer for your ranson, and could shed 
 rivers of tears, and give even the fruit of your body 
 for the sin of your soul, it would be of no account. 
 Were that which you offered ever so pure, it could 
 have no influence whatever towards atoning for your 
 past guilt, any more than the tears of a murderer can 
 atone for blood ; but this is not the case : those very 
 performances by which you hope to appease the divine 
 anger, are more offensive to him than the entreaties 
 of a detected adulteress would be to her husband, 
 while her heart, as he well knows, is not with him, 
 but with her paramours. You are, whether you know 
 it or not, a hst sinner, and that in the strongest sense 
 of the term. Men judge of sin only by its open acts, 
 but God looketh directly at the heart. Their cen- 
 sures fall only on particular branches of immorality, 
 which strike immediately at the well-being of society ; 
 but God views the root of the mischief, and takes into 
 consideration all its mischievous bearings. "Know 
 therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, 
 that thou hast forsaken the living God, and that my 
 fear is not in thee, saith the Lord of hosts." 
 
 Finally, though your sin be exceedingly offensive 
 to your Creator, and though you can make no atone- 
 ment for it, yet, if you could resist his power, escape his 
 
378 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 hand^ or endure his wrath, your unconcernedness might 
 admit of some kind of apology. Surely I need not 
 prove to you that you cannot resist his power : what 
 is your strength when tried ? You may in the hour of 
 health and festivity, and when in company with others 
 like yourself, look great, and utter great words, but 
 they are words only. If God do but touch you with 
 his afflicting hand, your strength and your courage 
 instantly forsake you : and will you go on to provoke 
 Omnipotence ? " If thou hast run with the footmen, 
 and they have wearied thee, how wilt thou contend 
 with horses ? If in the land of peace thou hast been 
 overcome, how wilt thou do in the swellings of Jor- 
 dan ?" Neither canst thou " escape " his hand ; for 
 whither wilt thou flee? If attentive to thy safety, 
 the rocks could fall on thee, or the mountains cover 
 thee, yet should they not be able to hide thee " from 
 the face of Him that sitteth upon the throne, and from 
 the wrath of the Lamb." God hath beset thee behind 
 and before, and laid his hand upon thee. Whither 
 wilt thou go from his Spirit ? Whither wilt thou flee 
 from his presence? If thou ascend to heaven, he is 
 there ; or if thou make thy bed in hell, behold, he is 
 there. The only question that remains is, whether you 
 can " endure his displeasure." And this must surely 
 be a forlorn hope. By the horrid imprecations which 
 we so commonly hear from hardened sinners, who call 
 upon God to damn their bodies and souls, it would 
 seem as if they laid their account with damnation, and 
 wished to familiarize it ; as if they had made a cove- 
 nant with death, and with hell were at agreement : 
 but when God shall lay judgment to the line, and 
 
PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT. 379 
 
 righteousness to the plummet, these refuges of lies 
 will suddenly be swept away. 
 
 Reader, " Can thy heart endure, and thy hands be 
 strong, in the day that He shall deal with thee?" 
 Think of the " wrath to come." If it were founded 
 in caprice or injustice, supported by conscious inno- 
 cence you might possibly bear it; but should you 
 perish, you will be destitute of this. Conscience will 
 certainly say Amen to the justice of your sufferings. 
 If you had mere justice done you, unmixed with mercy, 
 your sufferings would be more tolerable than they will 
 be. If you perish, you must have your portion with 
 Bethsaida and Chorazin. Goodness gives an edge 
 to justice. The displeasure of a kind and merciful 
 being, and such is the wrath of the Lamb, is insup- 
 portable. 
 
 If after having heard these things, and lived in a 
 country where they are fully declared, you do not feel 
 interested by them, you have reason to fear that God 
 has given you up to hardness of heart, and that that 
 language is fulfilled in you : " Go unto this people, 
 and say. Hearing ye shall hear, and not understand ; 
 and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: for the 
 heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are 
 dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed ; lest 
 they should see with their eyes, and hear with their 
 ears, and understand with their heart, and should be 
 converted, and I should heal them." Remember that 
 in Old Testament times, when God blessed his people 
 Israel with singular temporal blessings, he punished 
 their transgressions chiefly by temporal judgments; 
 but now that we are favored with singular spiritual 
 
380 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 privileges, the neglect of them is commonly punished 
 with spiritual judgments. 
 
 But whether you will hear, or whether you will 
 forbear, I will declare unto you the only way of sal- 
 vation. That which was addressed to the Philippian 
 jailer is addressed to you. " God hath so loved the 
 world as to give his only begotten Son, that whoso- 
 ever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever- 
 lasting life." He has given him not only to teach us 
 the good and the right way, but to be made a sacrifice 
 for sin, and as such to be himself the way. He suf- 
 fered from the hands of wicked men; but this was 
 not all: "It pleased the Lord to bruise him. He 
 hath put him to grief," and made " his soul an offering 
 for sin." He commanded his sword to awake against 
 him, that through his death he might turn his hand in 
 mercy towards perishing sinners. He hath set him 
 forth " to be a propitiation to declare his righteousness ; 
 that he might be just, and the justifier of him that be- 
 lieveth in Jesus." This is the only sacrifice which is 
 well-pleasing to God. All that went before were of 
 no account, but as they pointed to it; and all the 
 prayers and praises of sinful creatures are no other- 
 wise acceptable than as presented through it. It 
 is not for you to go about to appease the divine dis- 
 pleasure, or to recommend yourself to the Saviour 
 by any efforts of your own ; but, despairing of help 
 from every other quarter, to receive the atonement 
 which Christ hath made. To this you are invited, 
 and that in the most pressing terms. He who made 
 Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might 
 be made the righteousness of God in him, hath on this 
 
PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT. 381 
 
 ground committed to his servants the ministry of rec- 
 onciliation ; and they as ambassadors for Christ, as 
 though God did beseech you by them, " pray you, in 
 Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 
 
 The blessings of pardon, peace, and eternal life are 
 compared to a feast or marriage-supper, which the 
 King of heaven and earth hath made for his Son ; and 
 he hath commanded his servants to go forth, as to the 
 highways and hedges, and to invite without distinc- 
 tion, yea, to " compel them to come in." Nor is this 
 all ; you are exhorted and commanded to believe in 
 Christ, on pain of damnation. All your other sins 
 expose you merely to the curse of the law ; but the 
 sin of unbelief, if persisted in, will expose you, like 
 the barren fig-tree, to the curse of the Saviour, from 
 which there is no redemption. 
 
 Say not in thy heart, All these things I have be- 
 lieved from my youth up. You may indeed have been 
 taught them, and have received them as a tradition 
 from your fathers ; but such faith is dead, and conse- 
 quently inoperative. It is the same as that of the 
 Jews towards Moses, which our Saviour would not 
 admit to be faith. " If ye believed Moses," saith he, 
 " ye would believe me, for he wrote of me." It is no 
 better than the faith of devils, and in some respects 
 has less influence, for they believe and tremble; 
 whereas you believe and are at ease. 
 
 But it may be you will say, I have examined Chris- 
 tianity for myself, and am fully persuaded it is true. 
 Yet it has no effect upon you, any more than if you 
 disbelieved it, unless it be to restrain you within the 
 limits of exterior decorum. Your faith, therefore, must 
 
382 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 still be " dead, being alone." Believing in Christ is 
 not the exercise of a mind at ease, casting up the evi- 
 dence for and against, and then coldly assenting, as in 
 a question of science, to that side which seems to have 
 the greatest weight of proof. To one whose mind is 
 subdued to the obedience of faith, there is indeed no 
 want of evidence ; but it is not so much from external 
 proofs as from its own intrinsic glory, and suitableness 
 to his case as a perishing sinner, that he feels himself 
 impelled to receive it. The gospel is too interesting, 
 and has too much influence on our past and future 
 conduct, to be an object of unfeeling speculation. It 
 is a "hope set before us," which none but those who 
 are " ready to perish " will ever embrace. To believe 
 it, is to renounce our own wisdom, our own righteous- 
 ness, and our own will, each of which is directly op- 
 posed to it, and to fall into the arms of mere grace, 
 through the atoning blood of the cross. If the good 
 news of salvation be not in this manner believed, it 
 signifies but little what speculative notiwis we may 
 entertain concerning it ; for where there is no renun- 
 ciation of self, there is no dependence upon Christ for 
 justification ; and where there is no such dependence, 
 there is no revealed interest in that important bless- 
 ing ; but the curses and threateniugs of God stand in 
 all their force against us. 
 
 If after all your examinations you continue to 
 make light of the gospel feast, and prefer your farm, 
 merchandise, or any thing else before it, you will be 
 found to have no part in it. Yet be it known unto 
 you that the feast shall not be unattended. Heaven 
 shall not go without inhabitants, nor Christ without 
 
PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT. 383 
 
 reward, whether you are saved or lost. The Stone 
 set at naught by man is nevertheless " the Head of 
 the corner." 
 
 Had the question, proposed by the Philippian 
 jailer to the apostles Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must 
 I do to be saved ?" been addressed to the first genius 
 upon earth unacquainted with the gospel, it could not 
 have been answered. Had it been proposed to all the 
 great philosophers of antiquity one by one, and to all 
 the learned doctors among the Jews, none of them could 
 have resolved it to any good purpose. Nor, amidst all 
 the boasted light of modern times, can a single unbe- 
 liever be found who would know what to do with it. 
 Yet it is a question which arises in almost every man's 
 mind at one period or other of his life, and a question 
 that must be answered, or we are lost for ever. 
 
 Reader, is it possible this important question has 
 already occupied your mind ? An alarming sermon, 
 a death in your family, a hint from a faithful friend, 
 or it may be an impressive dream, has awakened your 
 attention. You cannot take pleasure as formerly in 
 worldly company and pursuits, yet you have no pleas- 
 ure in religion. You have left off many vices, and 
 have complied with many religious duties, but can 
 find no rest for your soul. The remembrance of the 
 past is bitter ; the prospect of the future may be more 
 so. The thoughts of God trouble you. You have 
 even wished that you had never been born, or that 
 you could now shrink back into non-existence, or that 
 you were any thing rather than a man. But you are 
 aware that all these wishes are vain. You do exist ; 
 your nature is stamped wifh immortality; you must 
 
384 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 go forward and die, and stand before this holy Lord 
 God. 
 
 If these or such like exercises occupy your mind, 
 the question of the Philippian jailer is yours ; and to 
 you let me address a few directions included or im- 
 plied in the answer. 
 
 If by this question you mean, "What can you do to 
 appease the wrath of God, or recommend yourself as 
 a fit object of his mercy ? What can you do as a 
 good deed, or the beginning of a course of good deeds, 
 in reward of which he may bestow upon you an inter- 
 est in the Saviour ? I answer, nothing. An interest 
 in Christ and eternal life is indeed given as a reward, 
 but not of any thing we have done, or can do ; no, not 
 even by divine assistance; it is the reward of the 
 obedience of Christ unto death. To us it is of mere 
 grace, and as such must be received. Faith, though in 
 itself a holy exercise of the mind, yet, as that by which 
 we are justified, is directly opposed to doing. " To him 
 that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but 
 of debt ; but to him that worketh not, but believeth 
 on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted 
 for righteousness." He who worketh seeks to obtain 
 life and the favor of God in some way or other as a 
 reward ; but he that believeth receives it as a free 
 gift to the unworthy. And let me apprise you that 
 this is the state of mind you must be brought to, or 
 you must perish for ever. So far as you think of do- 
 ing any thing, call it what you may, with a hope of 
 being pardoned and justified for its sake, so far you 
 reject the only way of salvation, and have reason to 
 expect your portion with unbelievers. 
 
PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT. 385 
 
 Let me deal freely with you. Yours is a most 
 serious situation. The gospel rest is before you; 
 and if you enter not in, it will be because of unbelief. 
 You know the answer given to the jailer ; and this is 
 the only answer tliat can with safety be given to you. 
 Consider and beware, as you regard your eternal sal- 
 vation, that you take up your rest in nothing short 
 of it. 
 
 But, in the first place, let me declare unto you the 
 gospel of God, which you are directed to believe. If 
 this meet your case ; if rightly understood ; if it ap- 
 prove itself not only to your conscience, but your whole 
 soul ; if it accord with your desires, as it undoubtedly 
 does with your necessities, all is well, and well for 
 ever. I shall not trouble you with the opinions of 
 men as to what the gospel is, nor even with my own, 
 but direct you to the accounts given of it by Him 
 whose it is. The New Testament abounds with epit- 
 omes, or brief descriptions of it, delivered in such 
 plain and pointed language that he who runs may 
 read it. Such are the following : " God so loved the 
 world that he gave his only begotten Son, that who- 
 soever believeth in him should not perish, but have 
 everlasting life." " Moreover, brethren, I declare unto 
 you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also 
 ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which 
 also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I 
 preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 
 For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I 
 also received, how that Christ died for our sins ac- 
 cording to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, 
 and that he rose again the third day, according to the 
 
 Atonement. 17 
 
386 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 Scriptures." " This is a faithful saying, and worthy 
 of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the 
 world to save sinners ; of whom I am chief." " We 
 preach Christ crucified." " I determined not to know 
 any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him cru- 
 cified." " This is the record, that God hath given to 
 us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." 
 
 It is not meant, by these brief descriptions of the 
 gospel, that there is no other truth necessary to be 
 believed ; but that the doctrine of the cross, properly 
 embraced, includes all others, or draws after it the 
 belief of them. 
 
 The import of this gospel is, that God is in the 
 right, and we are in the wrong ; that we have trans- 
 gressed against him without cause, and are justly 
 exposed to everlasting punishment ; that mercy, orig- 
 inating purely in himself, required for the due honor 
 of his government to be exercised through the atone- 
 ment of his beloved Son ; that with this sacrifice God 
 is well pleased, and can, consistently with all his per- 
 fections, pardon and accept of any sinner, whatever 
 he hath done, who believeth in him. 
 
 What say you to this ? The truth of it has been 
 confirmed by the most unquestionable proofs. It first 
 began to be spoken by the Lord himself, and has been 
 confirmed unto us by them that heard him ; God also 
 bearing them witness, with signs and wonders, and 
 divers miracles. The witness of the three in heaven, 
 the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, is borne 
 to this ; namely, that " God hath given to us eternal 
 life, and this life is in his Son;" and to this also is 
 directed the witness of the three on earth, the spirit, 
 
PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT. 387 
 
 and the water, and the blood. Can you subscribe to 
 this truth in all its bearings, and rest the salvation of 
 your soul upon it ? or do you doubt whether you are 
 so guilty, so helpless, and in so dangerous a state as 
 this doctrine supposes ? Is it as one of the chief of 
 sinners that you view yourself? or does it grate with 
 your feelings to receive forgiveness in that humble 
 character? In suing for mercy, are you content to 
 stand on the same low ground as if you were a con- 
 vict actually going to be executed ? or does your heart 
 secretly pine after a salvation less humiliating, in 
 which some account might be made of that difference 
 of character by which you may have been distin- 
 guished from the vilest of men, and in which you 
 might be somewhat of a cooperator with God ? Does 
 that which pleases God please you? or does your 
 mind revolt at it ? It meets all your wants ; but not 
 one of your prejudices, proud thoughts, or vicious 
 propensities : all these must come down, and be 
 made a sacrifice to it. Can you subscribe it on these 
 terms ? 
 
 I am well aware that the great concern of per- 
 sons in your situation is to obtain peace of mind; 
 and any thing which promises to afford this attracts 
 your attention. If this gospel be believed with all 
 your heart, it will give you peace. This is the good, 
 and the old way : walk in it, and you will find rest 
 for your soul ; but it is not every thing which prom- 
 ises peace that will ultimately afford it. It is at our 
 peril to offer you other consolation, and at yours to 
 receive it. 
 
 Consider and beware, I say again, as you regard 
 
DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 your eternal salvation, that you take up your rest in 
 nothing short of Christ. Allow me to suggest a few 
 serious cautions against some of your principal dan- 
 gers. 
 
 First, beware of brooding over your guilt in a way of 
 unbelieving despondency, and so standing aloof from the 
 hope of mercy. Say not, My sins have been too great, 
 too numerous, or too aggravated to be forgiven. " The 
 blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from aU 
 sin :" believest thou this ? You are not straitened in 
 him, but in your own selves. God's thoughts are not 
 as your thoughts, nor his ways as your ways : as the 
 heavens are higher than the earth, so are his thoughts 
 higher than your thoughts, and his ways than your 
 ways. On the sinner who returns to our God he 
 bestows abundant pardon. It is not. If thou canst do 
 any thing, help me ; but, " If thou canst believe — all 
 things are possible to him that believeth." Of what 
 dost thou doubt — of his all-sufficiency ? " He is able 
 to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by 
 him." Of his willingness ? Ought not his gracious 
 invitations to satisfy thee on this head? Can you 
 imagine that he would proclaim, saying. Whosoever 
 thirsteth, let him come unto me and drink, and yet be 
 reluctant to gratify the desires of those who come to 
 him ? Objections on the ground of the greatness of 
 guilt and unworthiness may seem to wear the face of 
 humility; but, after all, it becomes you to consider 
 whether they are any other than the workings of a 
 self-righteous spirit. If you could find in your heart 
 to accept of mercy as one of the chief of sinners, all 
 your objections would vanish in a moment. One sees 
 
PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT. 389 
 
 in your very tears of despondency a pining after ac- 
 ceptance with God by something in yourself. Were 
 they put into words, they would amount to something 
 like this : If I had but somewhat to recommend me to 
 the Saviour, I could go to him with assurance ; or, if 
 I had been less wicked, I might hope for acceptance. 
 And what is this but confirming the complaint of our 
 Saviour ? " Ye will not come to me, that ye might 
 have life." Such longing after something to recom- 
 mend you to the Saviour, is no other than " going 
 about to establish your own righteousness ; and while 
 this is the case, there is great danger of your being 
 given up to imagine that you find the worthiness in 
 yourself which your soul desireth. 
 
 Secondly, beware of dwelling in a way of self-compla- 
 cency on those reformations which may have been produced 
 by the power of conviction. This is another of those 
 workings of unbelief by which many have come short 
 of believing, and so of entering into rest. There is no 
 doubt but your convictions have driven you from the 
 commission of grosser vices, and probably have fright- 
 ened you into a compliance with various religious 
 duties; but these are only the loppings-off of the 
 branches of sin : the root remains unmortified. It is 
 not the breaking off of your sins that will turn to any 
 account, unless they are broken off by righteoicsness ; 
 .and this will not be the case but by believing in 
 Christ. The power of corruption may have only 
 'retired into its strong-holds, from whence, if you em- 
 brace not the gospel way of salvation, it will soon 
 come forth with increased energy, and sweep away 
 
 all your cobweb reformations. Nay, it is very pos- 
 
 17* 
 
390 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 sible, that while the "lusts of the flesh" have seemed 
 to recede, those of the mind, particularly spiritual 
 pride, may have already increased in strength. If 
 indeed you dwell on your reformations, and draw 
 comfort from them, it is an undoubted proof that it 
 is so ; and then, instead of being reformed, or nearer 
 the kingdom of heaven than you were before, your 
 character is more offensive to God than ever. Publi- 
 cans and harlots are more likely to enter into it than 
 you. Besides, if your reformations were ever so vir- 
 tuous, which they are not, in His sight by whom actions 
 are weighed, yet, while you are an unbeliever they 
 cannot be accepted. You yourself must first be ac- 
 cepted in the Beloved, before any thing that you offer 
 can be received. " It does not consist with the honor of 
 the majesty of the King of heaven and earth to accept 
 of any thing from a condemned malefactor, condemned 
 by the justice of his own holy law, till that condem- 
 nation be removed." 
 
 Thirdly, beware of deriving comfort from the distress 
 of mind which you may have undergone, or from any feel- 
 ings within you. Some religious people may tell you 
 that these workings of mind are a sign that God has 
 mercy in reserve for yojj, and that if you go on in the 
 way you are in, waiting as at the pool, all will be well 
 in the end ; but do not you believe them. They have 
 no warrant for what they say. It is not your being 
 distressed in mind that will prove any thing in your 
 favor, but the issue of it. Saul was distressed, as. 
 well as Davi(i ; and Judas, as well as Peter. When 
 the murderers of our Lord were pricked in their 
 hearts, Peter did not comfort them by representing 
 
PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT. 391 
 
 this their unhappiness as a hopeful sign of conversion ; 
 but exhorted them to repent and be baptized, every 
 one of them, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the 
 remission of sins. And thus it was with Paul and 
 Silas, when the jailer was impressed with fear and 
 dismay ; they gave him no encouragement from thence, 
 but preached Jesus Christ as the only source of hope. 
 If one who had slain a man in Israel had stopped 
 short of the city of refuge, and endeavored to draw 
 comfort from the alarm which he had felt lest the 
 avenger of blood should overtake him, would he have 
 been safe ? There is no security to you, or to any 
 man, but in fleeing immediately to the gospel refuge, 
 and laying hold of the hope set before you. If you 
 take comfort from your distress, you are in imminent 
 danger of stopping short of Christ, and so of perish- 
 ing for ever. Many, no doubt, have done so ; and 
 that which they have accounted waiting at the pool 
 for the moving of the waters, has proved no other 
 than settling upon a false foundation. Indeed, it must 
 needs be so ; for as there is no medium in one that 
 has heard the gospel, between faith and unbelief, he 
 who does not believe in Jesus for salvation, if he have 
 any hope of it, must derive that hope from something 
 in himself. 
 
 Fourthly, beware of making faith itself, as an act of 
 yours, the ground of acceptance with God. It is true 
 that believing is an act of yours, and an act of obedi- 
 ence to God. Far be it from me that I should con- 
 vey an idea of any thing short of a cordial reception 
 of the gospel being accompanied with salvation, a 
 reception that involves a renunciation of self-right- 
 
392 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 eousness, and a submission to the righteousness of 
 God. But if you consider it as a species of sincere 
 obedience which God has consented to accept, instead 
 of a perfect one, and if you hope to be justified in 
 reward of it, you are still " going about to establish 
 your own righteousness" under an evangelical name. 
 This is the commandment of God, that ye believe on 
 the name of his Son. Faith is an act of obedience 
 to God, yet it is not as such that it justifi.es us, but 
 as receiving Christ, and bringing us into a living 
 union with him, ybr whose sake ahne we are accepted 
 and saved. If you truly believe in the Lord Jesus 
 Christ for salvation, you will think nothing of the 
 workings of your own mind, but of His work who 
 came into the world to save the chief of sinners. 
 
 Finally, beware of taking comfort from any impulse 
 or unfounded persuasion that your sins are forgiven, and 
 that you are a favorite of God. Many are deceived 
 in this way, and mistake such a persuasion for faith 
 itself. When a sinner is driven from all his former 
 holds, it is not unusual for him, instead of falling at 
 the feet of Christ as utterly lost, to catch at any 
 new conceit, however unscriptural and absurd, if it 
 will but afford him relief. If in such a state of 
 mind he receive an impression, perhaps in the words 
 of Scripture, that God has forgiven and accepted him, 
 or dream that he is in heaven, or read a book or 
 hear a sermon which is favorable to such a method of 
 obtaining relief, he eagerly receives it, and becomes 
 'intoxicated with the delicious draught. The joy of 
 hope being so new and unexpected a thing, and 
 succeeding to great darkness and distress, produces 
 
PEACTICAL IMPROVEMENT. 393 
 
 a wonderful change in his mind. Now he thinks he 
 has discovered the light of life, and feels to have 
 lost his burden. Now he has found out the true 
 religion, and all that he read or heard before, not 
 affording him relief, is false doctrine or legal preach- 
 ing. Being treated also as one of the dear children 
 of God by others of the same character, he is at- 
 tached to his flatterers, and despises those as grace- 
 less who would rob him of his comforts, by warning 
 him against the lie which is "in his right hand." 
 
 I do not mean to say that all consolation which 
 comes suddenly to the mind, or by the impression 
 of a passage of Scripture, any more than by reading 
 or hearing, is delusive. It is not the manner in 
 which we obtain relief that is of any account, but 
 what it is that comforts us. If it be the doctrine of 
 the cross, or any revealed truth pertaining to it, 
 this is gospel consolation ; but if it be a supposed 
 revelation from heaven, of something which is not 
 taught in the Scriptures, that is a species of com- 
 fort on which no dependence can be placed. A be- 
 liever may be so far misled as to be carried away 
 with it ; but if a man has nothing better, he is still 
 an unbeliever. 
 
 If ever you obtain that rest for your soul which 
 will bear the light, it must be, not from any thing 
 within you, but by looking out of yourself to Christ 
 as revealed in the gospel. You may afterwards 
 know that you have passed from death unto life by 
 the love you bear to the brethren, and by many 
 other scriptural evidences ; and from the time of 
 your embracing the gospel remedy, you may be con- 
 
394 DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 scious of it, and so enjoy the hope of the promised 
 salvation ; but your first relief, if it be genuine, 
 will be drawn directly from Christ, or from finding 
 that in the doctrine of salvation through his death 
 which suits your wants and wishes as a perishing 
 sinner. 
 
INDEX OF REFERENCES. 
 
 The design of this Index is to show from what particular work of 
 Mr. Fuller each and every extract composing this volume is taken ; 
 that the reader may, if he be so disposed, examine each passage in 
 the connection in which the author originally placed it, and may see 
 also the very few and slight changes which have been made. For the 
 facility of reference, a wider space is left between the paragraphs 
 which end one quotation and begin another. The edition of Fuller's 
 Works to which nearly all these references are made, is that of the 
 American Baptist Publication Society at Philadelphia, 1845. 
 
 Page. fuller's works. 
 
 7 Vol. II. 172. 
 
 9- -top-- " " 663,664. 
 
 " « " 665,666. 
 
 12 " 1.698. 
 
 14 " III. 27. 
 
 15 " " 17. 
 
 " " 11.368. 
 
 16 " III. 19. 
 
 18 " 11.22,23. 
 
 21 " 1.703. 
 
 22 " 111.36,37. 
 
 24 " 1.703,704. 
 
 25 « " 549. 
 
 *i » " 704. 
 
 26 " 11.499. 
 
 27- -top-- " 1.549. 
 
 « « 11.262. 
 
 28 " 1.704. 
 
 29 " " 210-218. 
 
 44 " "310. 
 
 46 " 11.190,191 
 
 48 " 1.709-711, 
 
 53 " 11.260 
 
 54 " III. 693.695. 
 
 60 " 1.325-327. 
 
 65 " 11.681,682. 
 
 68 " " 688,689. 
 
 71 " III. 786. 
 
 73 " " 743. 
 
 75- -top-- " TI. 181, 182. 
 
 78- -top-- " 1.327. 
 
 79 " 11.74-80. 
 
 93 " " 82. 
 
 94-- " " 84,85 
 
 97 " " 86-89. 
 
 117 " " 155-157. 
 
 121 -- " " 753-756. 
 
 127 " " 233. 
 
 129 Domestic Preacher, Vol. I. 61, 62. 
 
 130 « " » « 46, 47. 
 " Vol. I. 167. 
 
 131 " "169,170. 
 
 " " " 162.163. 
 
 Page. fttller's works. 
 
 132 Vol. 1.302,303. 
 
 137 " "32.3,324. 
 
 139 " " 315. 
 
 141 " "313,319. 
 
 144 « "249,250. 
 
 147 « « 665. 
 
 148 « " 117. 
 
 149 « « 127,123. 
 
 151 « « 182. 
 
 152 " " 690-692. 
 
 157 " III. 554. 
 
 158 " " 828. 
 
 " " 1.687,688. 
 
 161 " 11.35.1 
 
 162 « 111.555. 
 
 163 « " .567. 
 
 164 " 1.183. 
 
 " •• " 238-243. 
 
 177 " TIL 562, 563 
 
 180 " 1.647-651. 
 
 189 " 11.675,676. 
 
 190 « « 385,386 
 
 193 " III. 526. 
 
 " " 1.434. 
 
 194 « 11.214,215. 
 
 196 « « 194. 
 
 " « " 192. 
 
 197 « « 212,213. 
 
 199- -top-- " I. 311-314. 
 
 207 " " 503. 
 
 208 " « 516. 
 
 209 « " 190,191 
 
 211 " " 438-441. 
 
 219 " " 151. 
 
 221 " " 276-282. 
 
 236 " « 283-2S8. 
 
 249 « " 673. 
 
 " « u ogg 
 
 250 " " 565^67. 
 
 253 " 11.52,53. 
 
 256 " 1.238-296. 
 
 273 " 111.105,106. 
 
 275 " " 151,152. 
 
396 
 
 INDEX OF REFERENCES. 
 
 Page. fuller's works. 
 
 276 Vol. 11. 70-2-704. 
 
 279 " " 704. 
 
 " " III. 7-20-722. 
 
 28^ " " 719,720. 
 
 284 " " 709-712. 
 
 291 " 1.476,477. 
 
 293 " 111.309,310. 
 
 296 " " 695-697. 
 
 300 " " 589,590. 
 
 302 " " 739,740. 
 
 305 " 11. 350, 351. 
 
 306 " III. 62-64. 
 
 310 " " 392,393. 
 
 312- - " 1.178,179. 
 
 314 " 11.112. 
 
 315 ♦' 1.34-2,343. 
 
 317 *' III. 444. 
 
 318 " " 586. 
 
 319 " " 820,821. 
 
 320 *' » 487. 
 
 321 " 1.437,4.38. 
 
 322 " 111.576,577. 
 
 324 " " 575. 
 
 325 « " 577,578. 
 
 Page. puller's vtokks. 
 
 327 Vol. III. 757,758. 
 
 329 *' 1.624. 
 
 330 " " 625,626. 
 
 331 " " 364. 
 
 333 " " 36-2,363. 
 
 335 " " 364-367. 
 
 342 " " 307. 
 
 343 " III. 157. 
 
 " « 1.346-348. 
 
 350 " " 307. 
 
 351 " III. 229. 
 
 352 " " 2-21,222. 
 
 354 " " 774. 
 
 3.55 " 1.410,411. 
 
 358 " " 83:3,834.' 
 
 3f5Q u jT 22 
 
 361 Eng. Bap. Mag. 1812, 354-356 
 
 364 Vol. 11.46,47. 
 
 366 -top-- " " 123. 
 
 .367 " " 128. 
 
 368 " 111.349,350. 
 
 371 " 1.431,432. 
 
 373 " III. 640-549 
 
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