wrath and condemnation of God; who had sent his Son, in the form and nature of man, to undergo in his own person the penalty incurred by sin, and to proclaim the offer, of eternal happiness to as many as became his faithful and obedient disciples.

Now, when we reflect on these propositions, and divest our minds of the familiarity derived from long acquaintance with them, do they appear such as would be likely to occur to any man, or party of men, as the foundation of a religious system, which they were intending to promulgate to the world? Can we believe that imposture, having an unlimited field open before it, would choose this ground to expatiate upon? There is no reason to think that, as Jews, the authors would entertain this view of the state of mankind; still less, that supposing such to be their opinions, they would make this the groundwork of a religion which was to be proposed for acceptance to their countrymen, and to all nations.

These, however, are the doctrines on which the religion of Jesus is built. The basis of the whole, is the alienation of mankind from God, and their consequent state of darkness, error, and condemnation. This is no after-thought, or comment of a later age: it is declared by Jesus himself, in express terms, and in various ways. It is declared by him, when he explains the object of his coming into the world, and applies to himself the prophetic passage of Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to "heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord3." He affirms it expressly, when he says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." He implies it, when he affectionately complains of those who rejected "Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life 5." He implies it, when he

his message,

Luke, iv. 18, 19. ↑ John, xiv. 6. 5 John, v. 40.

says, "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." He implies it, in ascribing his incarnation to the merciful design of God: who " had not sent his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God."

This point, so laid down by the Author of the religion, is mainly insisted on by its teachers after him. It is affirmed by Peter, in his address to his countrymen, when he says, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins 3 " And, again, when he calls upon them to repent and be converted, that their sins may be blotted "Unto you first, God

out and assures them,

6 John, v. 24.

8 Acts, ii 26.

7 Ibid. iii. 17, 18.

9 Ibid. iii. 19.

having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities 10." And on another occasion he de

clares, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved ""

The same point is very particularly urged by Paul, as the foundation of Christian truth taught by him to those who professed the religion. He systematically argues, from a comprehensive view of the actual state both of Jews and Gentiles, that "every mouth must be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 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: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus 12" In another epistle he affirms more generally; "the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that

10 Acts, iii. 26. " Ibid. iv. 12. 12 Rom. iii. 23, &c.

the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe"." And throughout his writings, without making such elaborate statements, he so alludes to this as an acknowledged doctrine, as to prove that it was familiarly received and understood to be the basis of the Christian faith. He teaches the Colossians to be thankful to the Father, who had "delivered them from the power of darkness, and translated them into the kingdom of his dear Son in whom they had redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins 14." And to the Ephesians he writes, very remarkably, "You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: wherein in times 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: 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 others 15,"

13 Gal. iii. 22.

14 Col. i. 13.

15 Eph. ii. 1