government. A king ought to be just to himself, as well as to his subjects.

Let the story be applied to the case, for which it was designed as an illustration. And I ask, has Christ suffered in the place of mankind, without any mitigation, all the evil which they deserve to suffer? If so, would it be just in the King of heaven to bring sufferings on those very persons, in whose room and stead Christ had suffered all the evil which they deserved? If the King of heaven has accepted of Christ as a substitute, in the room of sinners, and has laid upon him all the evil which they deserve, would it now be just to punish them also? It appears to me, that it would not; it seems therefore that the substitution scheme lays a broad foundation for universal salvation. I conceive, that from a correct statement of the doctrine of atone< ment, no such inference can be drawn.

The author, in the illustration of his idea of the atonement, goes upon the supposition, if I understand him, that every transgression of the law, must be punished: that is, if, in the whole moral system, there be ten thousand degrees of criminality, then, there must be ten thousand degrees of suffering. But is this correct? Must suffering always be commensurate with sinning? Must every transgressor be punished according to his crimes in his own person, or in his substitute? It appears to me, not to be necessary, that the degrees of sufferings should be exactly equal to the degrees of trangression. For this would be inconsistent with the idea of pardon; pardon ever supposes the transgressor to be exempted from deserved punishment.

It is a fact, that some men live threescore years and ten, in sin, and then are pardoned, and therefore exempted from all future punishment. Pardon excludes from the moral system infinite evil. What an infinitude of evil will then be excluded from the universe in consequence of the pardon of the sins of those, to whom Christ in the day of judgment will say, Come,

ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!

I wish now to propose a plan for the illustration of the atonement, more consistent, as I conceive, than that which has now been under examination. I shall be very brief; but shall endeavour to harmonize it with the text set at the head of this discourse.

Let the virtuous citizen, the benevolent husband, instead of suffering as a substitute for his wife, be appointed by his Majesty, general of the king's forces, to go against the rebel army, of which the wife was a principal leader.

This worthy man, "beloved and esteemed by his king above any other man in the kingdom," takes his commission as generalissimo of the king's forces, with a mind formed to resist every temptation from bribery, or from any other consideration; and with a fixed determination to crush the rebellion, even if it should cost him his life. He goes forth at the head of his army; he leads them on to face the enemy, and rushes to the battle: in a short time he gains the victory, suppresses the rebellion, and leaves the leader of the rebel army weltering in his blood, with a mortal bruise upon his head. The general of the king's army receives a number of wounds in his hands and feel, and a severe bruise upon his heel.

Now let proposals be made to the wife, that on her sincere repentance, and faith in the benevolence of her husband, and cordial obedience, a pardon be granted her: and let the proposal be made out of regard to the singular virtue, covenant faithfulness, and real forti tude of the husband. The offer of pardon is grounded upon the virtue of the husband; the condition of pardon on the part of the wife, true repentance, sincere loyalty to her king, and love and obedience to her benevolent husband. She readily and thankfully accepts of pardon on the conditions proposed.

The husband and wife will now be unspeakably more happy in each other, than they were before, or

than they could have been, had not all this taken place."

In the illustration of the above the wife represents the church, and the husband represents Jesus Christ, the great and glorious Redeemer, who hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LOrds. Jesus Christ is a victorious Prince; he has bruised the serpent's head, and confounded all the powers of darkness. But we need not repeat what has been already said.

The church, the wife of the lamb, will be eternally filled with the fulness of him, for he is the head of the church, and head over all things thereunto. Between

Christ and his church there will be mutual affection and mutual enjoyment. The church will be eternally delighted with the majesty, beauty, and glory of her victorious King and Redeemer. His people will most cheerfully submit to him as their King, who has subdued them to himself, and conquered his and their enemies. In the overthrow of the prince of darkness they will unitedly rejoice forever and ever. The children of Zion will rejoice in their victorious King:: and Christ will rejoice over his redeemed church, “as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride"

Christ always preached consolation to his disciples, saying to them, Be of good cheer, for I have over-» come the world. The disciples of Christ may be called to many and great sufferings in this world, but in all these things they are more than conquerors through him that loved them;-Who hath on his vesture and on his thigh, a name written, King of kings, and Lord of Lords.

If it seem to the reader that this discourse is left too abruptly, he is referred to the 30th sermon.

41

SERMON XXVIII.

THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST NOT SUFFICIENT OF ITSELF TO INDUCE MEN TO LOVE HIM.

ROMANS V, 11.

---But we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atone

ment,

IMPROVEMENT.

2nd INFERENCE.

ALTHOUGH Christ has finished the work of redemption, and atoned for sin; yet the moral state of man remains the same as if atonement had not been made.

It is the opinion of some, that the phrase, to make atonement, is improper. There is however, great evidence of its propriety: for the Apostle Paul says of Christ, that he was a "merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."* And to make reconciliation is the same as to make atonement. The word in the original is the same for the one as for the other. The same phrase is used in Daniel: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, to finish the transgression, and to make reconciliation for iniquity." And to shadow forth the atonement of Christ, the phrase is used in Leviticus abundantly. "Aaron shall make an atonement for himself and he shall make an atonement for the holy place-and he shall make

* Ileb. ii, 17.

an atonement for the holy sanctuary. And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year." And concerning the leper it is said, "The priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord."

Thus we are justified in the use of the phrase, to make atonement, from the highest authority.

Atonement being made by Christ, by his obedience unto death, even the death of the cross, a door of mercy is open to guilty man, a wide door, which no man can shut. Jesus having died the just for the unjust, a high way is opened for man to God.

For

Atonement renders the situation of man very different from what it would otherwise have been. if Christ had not been lifted up, no man could have been drawn unto him. Had it not been for the atonement of Christ, the apostasy of Adam would have left all mankind in a state of eternal death. We can never be raised from this abyss of woe, to the joys of heaven, only through the atonement.

The atonement, the word of reconciliation, exhibits a glorious light; but while men shut their eyes and turn away from this true light, they are condemned. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil." While men hate the light, and receive not the atonement, they will receive no saving benefit from it. God hath atoned sinners to himself by Jesus Christ, and given to the apostles the ministry of atonement, to wit, that God was in Christ atoning the world unto himself; and says Paul, God hath committed unto us the word of atonement. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye atoned to God.*

2 Cor. v, 18-20. The word in the original is the same for atonement as for reconciliation.