was; because it is supported in its full strength by Infinite power and wisdom. To this objection I answer, that the Government of God over his moral creatures is a moral Government; that is, a Government of rules and motives; or of laws, rewards, and punishments. Such a Government, even in the hand of Omnipotence, may become weak and inefficacious, in the view of its subjects. A law, which, after it has been violated, is not vindicated by punishing the violator, loses, of course, a part of its authority. A moral Governor will cease to be regarded with veneration, if, when he is insulted by his subjects, he does not inflict on them the proper punishment. A Government of mere power may be upheld in its full strength by the exercise of power only. But a moral Government cannot be thus preserved, unless the motives to obedience are continued, to the view of its subjects, in their full force. An atonement for sin, therefore, that is, a complete atonement, must be such, as to leave these motives wholly unimpaired. It must consist of such services, as, whatever else may be their nature, will, after the sinners are pardoned, leave the Government of God in no degree less venerable, less efficacious, or less likely to be punctually obeyed, than before the sins were committed. As these sins have been numerous, and very great; it is further evident, that the services, rendered as a satisfaction for them, must be of great value. II. I shall endeavour to show the Necessity of an Atonement.

In order to understand this part of the subject, and I forewarn my hearers that it is a part, of high importance to the subject itself, and to all just views of the Christian system, it will be necessary to bring up to view the state of man, as a transgressor of the divine law.

The language of this law, and its only language, was, He that doth these things shall live by them. This do, and thou shalt live. Cursed is every one, that continueth not in all things, written in the book of the Law, to do them. This law God published, as the rule, by which his own infinite wisdom and rectitude determined to govern the world. Of course, it is a right and just rule. Of course also, it is a rule, which the same wisdom and rectitude are pledged to maintain in its full force. The very reasons, for which it was enacted, require with their full strength, that it should be

also maintained. If it was wise and right to enact it, it was equally wise and right to maintain it. If to enact it was the dictate of Infinite wisdom and rectitude; to maintain it must equally be the dictate of the same attributes.

If these observations be admitted; and it is believed that they cannot be refused an admission; it follows, of necessity, that no sinner can be forgiven, consistently with this law, or the honour of the Lawgiver, unless on the ground of an Atonement. In the law he had declared, that the soul which sinneth shall die. To pardon the sinner, without any change from that state of things, which existed when the law was published, would be to declare, by declining to carry the sentence of the law into execution, that Infinite wisdom and rectitude had formed new views concerning the sentence of the law, and the demerit of the sinner; views, contrary to those, with which the law was published. When the law was published, God declared, that the sinner should die. Now he must declare, by pardoning the sinner, that he should not die. Yet no change in the state of things had taken place; nor is any supposed to have taken place; to occasion this change in the divine conduct. No reason is even supposed, why the conduct of God should be thus changed. The change itself must, of course, be wanton, causeless, and disgraceful to the divine character. If the law was originally just, it was now just. Justice, therefore, required the execution of its penalty upon every transgressor. In pardoning the transgressor, God would declare, that the law was not just; in direct contradiction to the declaration, which he made of its justice, when he published it, as the rule, by which he intended to govern the world. If the Law was originally wise; it must now be wise to execute it. But in pardoning the sinner God must declare, that the execution of the Law was not consistent with wisdom. If the Law was

originally good; that is, formed by a benevolent mind, so as to promote benevolent purposes; it was now equally good. But in pardoning the sinner God must declare, that the execution of the law was inconsistent with the dictates of benevolence. The change, therefore, manifested in the divine character, and conduct, by pardoning the sinner, where no change of circumstances existed to justify it. would, on the one hand, be great and essen

tial; no less than God's denying himself; and, on the other, would be causeless, weak, and contemptible. Can such a change be attributed, even in thought, to the immutable and perfect JEHOVAH ?

In the Law, God had manifested an infinite love to holiness, and an infinite hatred to sin; or, if the language should be preferred, a supreme love to the one, and a supreme hatred to the other. But, to pardon the sinner, without any change in the state of things, would be to treat the sinner and the faithful subject exactly in the same manner; or to treat the sinner in the same manner, as if he had faithfully obeyed. Declarations, made by conduct, are altogether the most solemn and efficacious of all declarations. In this conduct, therefore, God would in the most solemn manner declare, that he regarded holiness and sin alike; because he treated the sinner and the saint alike; and that neither of them was an object of his serious regard. The views of a lawgiver are always expressed in the whole of his Government, taken together; and from this cannot but be distinctly understood. If his Laws are unwise; he will be pronounced to be unwise. If his administration be unwise; he will be considered as sustaining the same character. If either of them be unjust; he will be pronounced to be unjust. If they be inconsistent; inconsistency will necessarily be attributed to his character. How perfect a violation would this conduct be of the attributes of justice, wisdom, and immutability?

At the same time, all subjects of the Divine Government would be encouraged to disobedience by these proofs of a changeable, weak, and inconsistent character. Angels, we know, can disobey. This is complete proof, that all inferior creatures are capable of the same disobedience. Angels have disobeyed; when, at least, they supposed the law to mean exactly what it threatens; and without the least hope, founded on any declaration of God, of any possible exemption from the penalty, actually denounced. Man also disobeyed in the same circumstances. Both also revolted, when, antecedently, they had been only, and perfectly, holy. In these facts we have complete evidence, that no class of holy beings is secure from disobedience, even under a law, which gives not a single encouragement of escape to those

who disobey. Should such encouragement, then, be holden out by the actual forgiveness, much more by the universal forgiveness, of the penitent, without an atonement, who might not be expected to rebel? Who, when temptation powerfully assailed, and the wish to sin was strongly excited, would not feel assured of his own future repentance, and his consequent safety from future punishment?

Of such beings, as men now are, it ought to be observed, that they themselves furnish ample proof of what might be rationally expected under such a dispensation. This will appear, if we consider,

1st. That the atonement of Christ has completely opened the door, for the exemption of all penitents from the punishment, threatened by the law; and yet, that the number of those, who really repent, is ordinarily very small, compared with the number of those, who transgress.

2dly. That not even one of these becomes a penitent, of his own accord; as the Scriptures abundantly assure us; but assumes this character, only in consequence of the immediate influence of the Divine Spirit upon his heart.

3dly. That, of this number, few, very few, are ever awakened, or convinced, by the encouragements and promises of the Gospel; but almost all by the denunciations of the law. The blessings of immortality, the glories of heaven, are usually, to say the least, preached, with little efficacy, to an assembly of sinners. I have been surprised to see how dull, inattentive, and sleepy, such an assembly has been, amidst the strongest representations of these Divine subjects, combining the most vivid images with a vigorous style, and an impressive elocution.

4thly. That those persons, who disbelieve a future punishment, are distinguished by a licentiousness of character, even beyond other licentious men. Repentance, and religion, are certainly never seen by the common eye among infidels, or universalists; and no revival of religion, no considerable prevalence of religion, has, so far as I know, been the consequence of preaching Unitarian doctrines.

All these are direct proofs, that men, who now sin so extensively, and perseveringly, would, if the denunciations of the Law

were proved to be false, by the extension of forgiveness to sinners without an atonement, sin with a harder heart, with a bolder hand, and throughout a more uniformly guilty life.

Restraint is a necessary part of every law, and every government: Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, being invariably the language of both. All restraint is a hindrance of inclination ; a prohibition of the indulgence of desire. In itself, it is always regarded as an evil; and is really such, whenever it does not prevent some other evil or accomplish some good. Adam, in a state of innocence, in the end considered the prohibition of the forbidden tree as an evil. We, with sinful propensities only, should undoubtedly regard, and naturally do in fact regard, every restraint in the same manner. If, then, God were not to execute the sentence of the law upon us for our transgressions, but were to forgive the sinner without an atonement, we should undoubtedly sin, not only invariably, but with a boldness, constancy, and extent, not often seen, even in this guilty world.

If any person should think this conclusion harsh, and severe; let him remember how soon after the apostasy mankind, in the possession of long life, and abundant enjoyments, forgot the loss of their immortality; and corrupted themselves, to such a degree, that the infinitely benevolent Author of their being thought it necessary to sweep away the whole human race, except one family, with the besom of Destruction. Let him remember how little reformation followed the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah; or the terrible plagues of Egypt. Let him remember, that the Israelites worshipped a calf, at the foot of Mount Sinai; and sunk into all the abominations of the Canaanites, as soon as the generation, which destroyed them, had gone to the grave. Let him remember, that, amid all the judgments, and mercies, which they received, they apostatized from God, at the end of every little period, and were finally given up, as hopeless, to captivity and ruin. Let him remember, that their descendants crucified Christ; and that, after the sufferings of eighteen hundred years, and those extreme, they are still unbelieving, impenitent, and harder than the nether millstone. Let him remember, finally, how soon the Christian world itself degenerated into idolatry, impurity, persecution, forgetfulness of God, a general corruption of Christianity,