stance, and rejecting it in the latter, without recurring to the idea of its being radically wrong. And, FIRST, his life is a blessing, which no man is authorised to part with at his pleasure, and which, therefore, none can have a right to surrender as a ransom for his brother. But, SECONDLY, supposing for a moment, such a right to exist, yet, who does not see that the exercise of that right, would be highly prejudicial to the general weal, and destructive of those very ends for which all government is established. The most valuable members of society might, in this case, be often taken from the world, while the worthless were emboldened by impunity, and spared only that they might still farther both vitiate themselves, and infest the public by the repetition of their crimes.

But against, these evils, could a suitable provision be made? Could one, having a right to dispose of his own life, be found, and, by the surrender of that life, both able and willing to redeem the forfeited life of another, without either weakening the authority of the law, or injuring the interests of virtue; could one, I say, so

qualified, be found? doubtless, neither justice nor wisdom would refuse his generous proffer-would reject his voluntary and magnanimous sacrifice, because by admitting it, every good and valuable end would be attained, which the death of the criminal himself can be supposed to serve. Ample satisfaction to insulted justice would thus be made, due respect and obedience to lawful authority secured, and the highest degree of forbearance and mercy to the offender displayed.

Carrying these considerations then along with it, the unbiassed mind must acknowledge the death of Christ to be a reasonable sacrifice, and all the objections which are valid against one mere man, dying in the room of another, to be altogether irrelevant when applied to him. The son of God possessed a full and undisputed right over his own life, and was, therefore, at perfect liberty to lay it down, for the life and salvation of those whom he was not ashamed to call his brethren. Nor by exercising this right, did he permit any evil to befall the world by his own loss, or endanger the general harmony and happiness, by the impunity of those whose pardon he obtained.

For though he died, he triumphantly rose again, and the world, far from being a loser by his death, is in consequence of this very event, daily receiving the richest communications of his love, and the most delightful anticipations of that complete salvation, which as a Prince and Saviour, he is exalted finally to bestow. Neither doth the general good sustain the smallest injury, by that exemption from merited punishment which sinners thus receive. For all who by Jesus are delivered from guilt, are also by him inspired with the love, and prompted to the exercise of goodness. All who have their sins forgiven through his merits, are at the same time enlightened, purified, and reformed, by the effectual operations of his holy spirit. So that though once they may have been the slaves of Satan, they are now become the children of God: Though once they may have been a reproach to their nature, and even a nuissance to society; they are now made the lights of the world, and the excellent ones of the earth.

Thus fully then doth it appear, that our iniquities might, without any contradiction to reason, be laid upon Christ. And as our

iniquities were laid upon him, so his merits may be imputed to us. Indeed, in the former, the latter is necessarily implied; for if the merits of his sufferings could not extend to us, then these sufferings could not be said to be endured by him, as our substitute, for our sakes and in our stead. But though we say that his merits may be imputed to us, we mean not to say, that they can strictly, and properly, be made our merits, any more than we mean to say, that our iniquities could ever strictly and properly be made his iniquities; but as we have seen that the punishment of our iniquities, though not the iniquities themselves, might justly be transferred to him, in like manner, and for the same reason, we believe, that the reward of his merits, though not the merits themselves, may justly be conferred upon us. Clearly to apprehend the reasonableness of this, we need only exemplify it by a familiar instance. A person has done his country some signal service, for which the most lucrative employments, and the most splendid honours are offered him; he declines accepting them himself; but desires that they may be bestowed upon some other one, whom he sincerely loves, and whom

he knows to be qualified to receive them, and declares, that in this case, he shall regard them as bestowed upon himself. Now, if in such conduct we can see nothing absurd, or unreasonable, why not allow that our blessed Saviour might confer the rewards of his merits in the same way, as we can dispense our favours? Whatever privileges he acquired, by his voluntary humiliation, and unexampled sufferings for the children of men, such privileges were his own, and if his own, he might surely dispose of them as his own, and place them to our account, provided he did not by so doing, misplace them upon improper objects, and prostitute them to beings habitually and incorrigibly immoral.

Thus by the obedience of one, might many be made righteous. Their iniquities might be visited upon him, and his merits be rewarded upon them. And Jesus, therefore, though he knew no sin, might be made sin, or a sinoffering for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him*.

* This Sermon ends abruptly. Had the Author lived to have sent it to the press, it would possibly have appeared in a more finished state.