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his employments were directed to no other earthly end, than the promotion of human happiness. His miracles were directed only to such objects, as feeding the hungry, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and restoring life to the dead. His precepts, and his life, terminated in illuminating the soul, diminishing the power of sin, invigorating virtue, and securing the salvation of

men.

It was the example, also, of a person struggling with suffering and sorrow, unceasing obloquy and bitter persecution. The heathen could say, "The Gods themselves behold not a nobler spectacle, than a good man, firmly enduring Adversity." Christ was supremely good; and encountered extreme Adversity. The patience with which he submitted, and the firmness with which he endured, invest his character with a greatness, to which there is no parallel. The fire of persecution, instead of consuming him, merely lent its gloomy lustre, to show the splendour of the object, which it surrounded.

It was the example of a person, employed in accomplishing the greatest work, which was ever done, and introducing into the universe the most extensive good, which it ever beheld. There is a moral grandeur, a divine sublimity, in this employment of Christ, at which the mind gazes with wonder, and is lost; which Angels behold with amazement and rapture; and which eternity itself will hardly be able to unfold to a created understanding.

It is the example of a person, devoting all his labours, and undergoing all his sufferings, for the benefit of others and proffering with an open hand the immense good, which he procured at an immense price, to strangers, sinners, apostates, enemies to himself, and children of perdition. Not for himself, but for guilty, ruined men, he was born, lived, laboured, suffered through life, and expired on the cross. To every one, who is willing to be like him, he shut the prison of woe, and opened the gates of heaven.

It is an example, in itself pre-eminently beautiful and lovely. His meekness, gentleness, humility, compassion, and universal sweetness of disposition, are not less distinguished, than his greatness and glory. Solomon, beholding his character in distant vision, exclaimed, He is the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely! David, in prophetic view of the excellence of

his life, exclaimed, Thou art fairer than the Sons of men. GOD THE FATHER, beholding him with infinite complacency, announced his character to the world with a voice from heaven, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. To these divine declarations all virtuous beings have subjoined their Amen. Finally, it is an example, in which divine wisdom and excellence united with the most perfect human mind; coinciding with all its designs, and guiding it to unmingled excellence. To the amiableness and beauty of the most finished created virtue, were superadded, and united, the authority and greatness of the Divinity, by which that Mind was inhabited. The combination, therefore, was a combination of all that is lovely with all that is awful, exalted, and divine. What mind, that can be persuaded from sin, must not this Example persuade? What mind, that can be allured to holiness, must not this Example allure?

SERMON LV.

THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST.

HIS ATONEMENT.

ROMANS iii. 24-26.

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. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the Justifier of him, which believeth in Jesus.

In a former discourse, I proposed to consider, as parts of the

Priesthood of Christ,

The Holiness of his character:

The Sacrifice, which he offered for sin: and,

The Intercession which he makes for sinners.

The first of these subjects has been examined at length. The present discourse shall be occupied by the second.

THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST FOR THE SINS OF MEN.

In considering this subject I shall endeavour to show,

1. The Nature;

II. The Necessity; and,

III. The Existence; of an atonement for sin :

IV. The Manner, in which it was performed: and,

V. Its Extent.

I. I shall attempt to show the Nature of an Atonement.

The word, Atonement, in its original sense always denotes some amends, or satisfaction, for the neglect of some duty, or the commission of some fault; a satisfaction, with which, when supposed to be complete, the person injured ought reasonably to be contented, and to demand of the offender nothing more on account of his transgression. This satisfaction may, in certain cases, be made by the offender himself. Whenever he has owed some piece of service, and this was all he has owed, he may, if he have failed to perform this duty, atone for the fault by a future service, which he did not owe; and which is equivalent to that which he neglected, and to the damage occasioned by his neglect. A servant, who owes an estimated day's work to his master, every day, may, if he have neglected to work half a day, atone, thus, for his fault by such future labour, as shall be equivalent to the extent of his neglect, and to the injury occasioned by it to his Master. In this case it will be seen, that the atonement respects only the fault, which has been committed. The Servant owed his master so much labour. The payment of so much labour would be a discharge, therefore, of the debt. But we do not say, that the debt in this case is atoned. The fault, only, which has been committed in neglecting, or refusing, to pay in the proper season, and manner, demands, or admits, of an atonement. In every other case where an atonement exists, it is in the same manner a satisfaction for an injury, or fault.

In some cases, the party offending cannot atone for his offence, but the atonement, if made at all, must be made vicariously, that is, by the intervention of a third person between the offender and the offended. Of this nature is every case, in which the offender owes, as absolutely, every duty, which he could afterwards perform, as he owed that, the non-performance of which constituted his fault. In this case, all his future efforts are necessarily due for the time being; and can, therefore, never become a satisfaction for faults, which are past. Amends for an injury can never be made by services, which are due to the injured person on other grounds, and the refusal of which would constitute a new injury. In other words, they must be services, rendered only on account

of the injury, already received. He, therefore, who owes to another all his services for himself, can never become the means of atoning to him for the faults of another. In all cases of vicarious atonement, the substitute must be under no personal obligation to render the services, which are to be accepted as a satisfaction of the principal; or in other words the offender. Nothing is more plain, than that what is due for himself, cannot be transferred to the account of another.

In every case of personal, or vicarious, atonement, the services rendered must be of such value; as to become a reasonable, and full, satisfaction for the injury done: all, that justice can fairly demand, or render: such, as will place the person injured in as good a situation, as that, which preceded the injury. Where the injury has been great, therefore, or multiplied, the services must also be proportionally great.

An atonement for a crime, committed against a Government, of any kind, supposes the offender, if he is to receive the benefit of it, to be pardoned. In this case, it must be such, as to leave the Government in as good a state, as firm, as honourable, as easily and surely efficacious in its future operations, after the offender is pardoned, as it would have been, if he had been punished with exact justice.

In no other manner can it become a satisfaction for the injury. If all the services of the offender, in this case, were due to the Government, after his crime was committed; it would be impossible for the atonement to be made, unless by another person.

Sin is a crime, committed against the Government of God. All the services of sinners are owed to God, for the time being. No future services of any sinner, therefore, can be any satisfaction for his past sins. If an atonement be made in this case, then, it must be made by a substitute; and this substitute must be able to render services, of sufficient value to repair the injury done. In the performance of these services he must leave the Divine Government as firm, as honourable, as efficacious in its operations, after the atonement is made, as it was before the crime was committed.

It will, perhaps, be objected here, that the Divine Government cannot become less firm, or less honourable. than it originally VOL. II.

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