"for our iniquities," shews the reason of this, by adding, that "the Lord laid," or caused to meet, 66 on him the iniquity of us all:" so that it was exacted, and he became answerable: according to the genuine meaning of the next words, rendered in our version, "He was oppressed, " and he was afflicted." Thus he would "justify many, for " he would bear their iniquities," and not merely the punishment due to them. We may, in many cases, say that the innocent suffers for the guilty, when one is exposed to loss or pain by means of another's fault, or for his benefit: but can it be said, with propriety, that the Lord lays upon the innocent sufferer the iniquity of the offender, or that the latter bears the sins of the former; when no translation or imputation of guilt is intended, and no real atonement made? If so, what words can convey the ideas of imputation and atonement? What determinate meaning can there be in language? Or what doctrine can be deduced with certainty from the sacred oracles? The terms, ransom, redemption, purchased, bought with a price, propitiation, and several others, concur to prove this doctrine.

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II. The testimony of John. the Baptist, "Behold the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world," 2 contains a very conclusive argument on this subject. ever other reasons may be thought of, for a lamb being the selected emblem of the Lord Jesus: he could not, as a Lamb, take away sin, except "by the sacrifice of himself." His teaching, rule, and example, tend in different ways to reform mankind; and the influences of his Spirit sanctify the believer's heart. In these respects he may be said in some sense to take away sin: but, as a Lamb, he could take away the guilt of it only by giving himself to be "slain," that he might redeem us to God with his blood;" being the antitype of the paschal lambs and daily sacrifices, even "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

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III. When the apostle argued, that "if Christ were not "risen, the Corinthian Christians were yet in their sins;' what could he mean, but that, as nothing could prove the reality and efficacy of Christ's atonement, except his resurrection, so nothing could take away their guilt but that atonement? For, their reformation and conversion to the worship and service of the true God were facts, which could not be denied, whatever men thought of the doctrines in question.

IV. The same apostle says, that "Christ will appear the "second time without sin unto salvation."4 But did he not appear the first time without sin? What then is the Bishop Lowth's Translation of Isaiah. John i. 29. 31 Cor. xv• 14-18. 4 Heb. ix. 26.

meaning of this opposition, that at his first coming he bare our sins, but at his second he shall appear without sin? The words can have no other imaginable sense, but that at his first coming he sustained the person of a Sinner, and 'suffered instead of us; but at his second coming he shall appear, not as a sacrifice, but as a judge.'1

V. The grounds upon which the apostles exhort men to holiness evince the same point. They uniformly draw their arguments, motives, and encouragements from the cross ofChrist; "His own self bare our sins in his own body on the "tree, that we being dead to sin, might live unto righte"ousness." "Ye are bought with a price; therefore, glorify "God with your bodies and spirits which are his!" 2 This is indeed the distinguishing peculiarity of their exhortations, in which they differ from those of all others, who have attempted to excite men to virtue or morality.

VI. The appointment of the Lord's Supper, in remèmbrance of the body of Christ broken, and his blood poured out, and as a representation of the manner in which we become interested in the blessings of his salvation, even by "eating his flesh and drinking his blood," 3 is a most conclusive argument on this subject. The peculiar nature and intent of this ordinance will be considered in a future Essay: but the special event commemorated, and the words of our Lord when he appointed it, "This is my blood of the New "Testament, which is shed for you and for many, for the re"mission of sins;" do manifestly prove that his death was a real atonement; that this atonement is the grand peculiarity of the gospel; and that no man is a genuine Christian, unless by a true faith he become a partaker of that inestimable benefit.

VII. Lastly, the songs of the redeemed in heaven, even of those "who had come out of great tribulation," and had shed their blood as martyrs in the cause of Christ, may well close these brief, but unanswerable, arguments in proof of this important doctrine. Without one discordant voice, they ascribe their salvation to the "Lamb that was slain, " and had redeemed them to God with his blood; "Who "had washed them from their sins in his own blood." But in what sense could the lamb that was slain wash them from their sins in his own blood, unless he were truly and literally an atoning sacrifice for them? This likewise shews the vast importance of the doctrine in the Christian system. It is indeed essential to it: for he who denies, or overlooks it, cannot have the same judgment of the divine perfections, law, and government, or of the evil and desert of sin, as real Tillotson. 1 Cor. vi. 20. 1 Pet. ii. 24. 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. Eph. v. 1, 2, 25, 26. \Tiţ. įi. 11-14. 1 Pet. i. 1320. 3 Jobr. vi. 48–58.

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Christians have. He cannot approach God in the same way, or with the same plea. He cannot exercise the same kind of repentance, or faith; or feel himself under the same obligations, and influenced by the same motives as they are. He cannot pray, or thank and bless God, for the same benefits; or have the same reasons for gratitude, humility, patience, and meekness. In a word, he cannot be meet for the same heaven; but would dislike the company, dissent from the worship, and disrelish the employments and pleasures of those who ascribe all their salvation to the atoning blood of the Lamb. And is not this sufficient to prove that he cannot possibly be partaker of the hope, the love, the joy, which are peculiar to the religion of the crucified Emmanuel? It is, however, to be feared that numbers assent to this 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 glory and beauty of the divine character; the reasonableness and excellence 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 state of man; the presumptuous nature of every self-righteous confidence; the inestimable value of this foundation for our hope; the sinner's motives and encouragements to repentance, and the believer's obligations to the most self-denying and devoted obedience to his reconciled God and Father. He therefore, who truly believes, and understands this doctrine, and who glories in the cross of Christ alone, habitually gives his eternal concerns a decided preference to every worldly object. He feels an earnest desire to promote the salvation of mankind, especially of those who are most dear to him. He is "crucified to the world, "and the world to him." He repents of all his sins, forsaking and hating them, and seeking the crucifixion of every sinful propensity. Though he entirely renounces all confidence, save in the unmerited mercy of God in Christ Jesus; he yet deems it his pleasure, privilege, and honour to "live to him, "who died for him and rose again." The example and love of Christ reconcile him to reproach, contempt, self-denial, and persecution for righteousness sake;" and dispose him to forgiveness, love of enemies, enlarged benevolence, 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 every one not to " imprison the truth in unrighteousness." They, who vilify the atonement, are not the only "enemies "of the cross of Christ:" for, such as hold the doctrine in a

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carnal heart, and disgrace it by a sensual life, fall under the same condemnation. It is to be feared, that many, who are zealous against the fatal Socinian heresy, are tainted with the abominable infection of Antinomianism: and that numbers of another description, who contend for the doctrine of the atonement, do nevertheless rest their hope of salvation principally upon their own moral goodness, and not on the merits and expiatory sufferings of Christ. But, as that "God of all grace," "who spared not his own Son, "but delivered him up for us all," will" with him freely give all things" to the true believer; so, assuredly in his awful justice he will not spare any of those, who oppose, neglect, or abuse his great salvation: for "our God is a "consuming fire."

ESSAY X.

On the Exaltation of Christ, and his Appearance in the Presence of God in our behalf.

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, concerning his obedience, conflicts, and sufferings: whatever the glory of God, the honour of the law, or the rights and satisfaction of divine justice, required; and whatever was necessary, in order to his own final victory, triumph, and exaltation at the right hand of the Father, as our advocate and friend, was then fully accomplished; that is, as far as it could be, previously 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: and at that crisis commenced the glory which was to follow his sufferings.

The evidences of our Lord's resurrection have been already considered; the ends answered by that great event may here be briefly mentioned. He thus confirmed beyond all reasonable doubt, every part of the doctrine which he had taught; proving especially that he was the Son of God, in the 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 Essay i. p. 7, 8.

'Phil, iii. 18-21.

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had been accepted, and had effectually answered those great and gracious purposes, for which it had been made. He thus became capable of possessing 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.

I shall not further enlarge on the circumstances of our Lord's resurrection, or on the instructions which may be de duced from it: but as his mediation is naturally divided into two distinct parts, it regularly falls within the plan of this work, 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." I "For the heavens must receive him, until the "restitution of all things." 2 "I go," says he to his disciples," to prepare a place for you; and if I go to prepare a "place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, "that where I am, there ye may be also."3We 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 introduces Jehovah declaring with an oath, which denoted, "the immutability of his counsel," that the Messiah was constituted " a priest for ever, after "the order of Melchizedek; "4 and the apostle thence argues, that the Aaronick priesthood was never intended to be perpetual. Now Melchizedek's priesthood especially differed from that of Aaron, in that it united the regal power with the sacerdotal office; which shewed that the Messiah was to "be a priest upon a throne." 5 Before we proceed with the subject, however, I would observe, that this affords us a most conclusive proof of our Lord's Deity. The sacred historian makes no mention of Melchizedek's "father, mother, "pedigree, beginning of life, or end of days;" but introduces him to our notice, with mysterious abruptness; he "being," says the apostle, " made like unto the Son of God."6 'Ps. lxviii. 18. Eph. iv. 7-16. Acts iii. 21. 3 John xiv. 2, 3. Ps. cx. 4. Gen. xiv. 18. Heb. vij. 5Zech. vi. 12, 13. 6 Heb. vii. 2, 3.

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