literally an atoning sacrifice for them? And this shows us of what vast importance this doctrine is in the system of Christianity, and that it is indeed essential to it; for he who denies or overlooks it, cannot have the same judgment of the divine character and law, or of sin, that others have; he cannot approach God in the same way, or with the same plea; he cannot exercise a repentance, or faith, of the same kind; he cannot feel himself under the same obligations, act from the same motives, pray, thank, and bless God for the same things, or have the same reasons for meekness, patience, gratitude, humility, &c. &c.; and, finally, he cannot be fit for the same heaven; but would dislike the company, dissent from the worship, and disrelish the pleasures and employments of those who ascribe all their salvation to God, and to the Lamb that was slain. And is not this sufficient to prove, that he cannot possess the faith, hope, love, and joy, which are peculiar to the religion of the crucified Emmanuel ?

But it is also to be feared, that numbers assent to this most important doctrine, who neither understand its nature and tendency, nor are suitably influenced by it. The cross of Christ, when contemplated by an enlightened mind, most emphatically teaches the perfect glory and beauty of the divine character; the obligations, reasonableness, and excellency of the moral law; the value of immortal souls, the vanity of earthly distinctions, the misery of the most prosperous transgressors, the malignity of sin, the lost estate of mankind, the presumption of every self-righteous hope; the inestimable value of that foundation which God hath laid; the encouragements given to sinners to return to, and trust in him, and their obligations to serve and obey him, as their reconciled father and friend. He, therefore, who truly believes this doctrine, and who glories in the cross of Christ

alone, will habitually give the concerns of eternity a decided preference to every worldly object: he will have an earnest desire to promote the salvation of souls, especially the souls of those who are most dear to him; he will be crucified to the world, and the world to him; he will repent of, hate, and forsake all his sins, and seek the crucifixion of every sinful passion; he will admit of no other hope of salvation than that which rests on the mercy of the Father through the atonement of the Son; he will deem it his privilege, honour, and pleasure, to live to him who died for him and rose again; the example and love of Christ will reconcile him to reproach, self-denial, and suffering for righteousness' sake; and dispose him to forgiveness, love of enemies, patience, &c.; and whatever can adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour.

Whilst we would, therefore, "contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints," we would also caution men not to "imprison the truth in unrighteousness." Not only are they "enemies to the cross of Christ," who vilify the doctrine of his atonement; but they also who hold it in a carnal heart, and disgrace it by a worldly, sensual life (Phil. iii. 18—21): and it is to be feared, that many, who are zealous against the fa- · tal Socinian heresy, are tainted with the abominable infection of Antinomianism; and that some others, who contend for the doctrine of the atone ment, rest their hope of heaven principally upon their own works, and not on Christ. But as "he that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all," will give the true believer all things with him; so he will not spare any of those who neglect, oppose, or abuse so great salvation.

ESSAY X.

ON OUR LORD'S EXALTATION, AND HIS APPEARANCE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD FOR US.

WHEN our Saviour upon the cross was about to commend his spirit into the Father's hands, he said, "It is finished." Whatever the types had prefigured or the prophets foretold of his obedience, conflicts, and sufferings; whatever the glory of God, the honour of his law, or the rights and satisfaction of his justice required; and whatever was necessary, in order to his final victory, triumph, and exaltation at the right hand of the Father, in our behalf, was then fully accomplished; that is, as far as it could be, previous to his death, which immediately followed. He then became conqueror over the world, sin, and Satan, (triumphing over them even on the cross); and having consecrated the grave by his burial, to be a sacred repository for the bodies of his disciples, he arose on the third day, a mighty victor over the king of terrors himself: and at that crisis commenced the glory, which was to follow his sufferings.

The evidences of his resurrection have been already considered (Essay I. p. 8-11); the ends which were answered by that great event may here be briefly mentioned. He thus confirmed, beyond all reasonable doubt, every part of the doctrine he had taught; proving especially that he was the Son of God, in that peculiar and appropriate sense in which he had claimed that high relation to the Father, and for which he had been condemned as a blasphemer :-he fully evinced, that his atonement had been accepted, and had effectually answered those great and gracious purposes for which it had been made:-he was thus capable of pos

sessing in our nature the mediatorial throne, which had been covenanted to him as the reward of his obedience and sufferings; and to appear as our advocate and intercessor in the presence of the Father; being our brother, and glorying in that condescending relation to us;-and finally, he was the first-fruits of the general resurrection, the earnest and pledge of that grand and interesting event.

We need not here enlarge on the circumstances of our Lord's resurrection, or enter further upon the instructions that may be deduced from it: but, as his mediation is naturally divided into two distinct parts, it regularly falls within our plan to consider, at present, that part which he now performs in his heavenly glory; as we before did that which he fulfilled during his humiliation on earth. From the depth of his voluntary abasement "he ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things." He then "led captivity captive, and received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also; that the Lord God might dwell among them;" (Psalm lxviii. 18; Eph. iv. 7-16). "For the heavens must receive him, until the restitution of all things.' "He is now gone to prepare a place for us; and he will come again, and receive us to himself, that where he is, there we❞ (who are his true disciples)" may be also ;" (John xiv. 2, 3; Acts iii. 21). We will, therefore, in this Essay, point out the purposes for which Jesus, our forerunner, "hath for us entered into heaven," and the means by which he prepares the way for our admission to the same place of holy felicity.

The royal prophet (Psalm cx. 4), introduces Jehovali declaring, with an irreversible oath, that the Messiah was constituted a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek (Gen. xiv. 18; Heb. vii.); and the apostle thence argues, that the Aaronic priesthood was never intended to be per

petual. Now Melchizedek's priesthood especially differed from that of Aaron, in that it united the regal power with the sacerdotal office; which showed that the Messiah was to "be a priest upon a throne," (Zech. vi. 9-15). But before we enter more particularly on the discussion of this important subject, I would observe, that it affords us a most conclusive proof of our Lord's deity. No mention is made by Moses of Melchizedek's "father, mother, pedigree, beginning of life, or end of days;" but he is introduced to our notice with mysterious abruptness, "being," says the apostle, "made like unto the Son of God" (Heb. vii. 3). But in what sense could this render him " like to the Son of God," or a proper type of him, except as it was a shadow of his eternal pre-existence ?— As man, he had beginning of life, "like his brethren;" and if he, who tabernacled in our nature, had been a pre-existent creature of the highest order, he must nevertheless have had "beginning of life;" and the emphatic silence of Moses respecting the birth of Melchizedek could not have represented him, in any sense, as "like to the Son of God."

On the

The high-priesthood of Christ, in the sanctuary above, first requires our consideration. great day of atonement (Lev. xvi.) the high-priest (not arrayed in his robes of glory and beauty, but clad in linen garments like his brethren) having offered the sin-offerings for himself and for the people, entered the holy of holies, with the sprinkling of blood, and the burning of incense by fire taken from the altar of burnt-offering; and thus, as Israel's typical intercessor, he appeared before the mercy-seat, as in the presence of God, for them. Thus, from the holy nation a holy tribe was selected, from that tribe a holy family, and from that family a holy person, (that is, typically, and by consecration): yet even this individual,