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"Numb. xiv. 20. 1 Sam. vii. 8-10. Job "xlii. 7, 8. Jer. xv. 1. Ezek. xiv. 13—20. "So Phineas, by executing an act of justice, "turned away the wrath of God from the "children of Ifrael, Numb. xxv. 11

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§. 26. BETWEEN the nature of the cafes here mentioned, and that of facrifices, there is fuch a diffimilarity, that no argument can be taken from the one to illuftrate the other. The obedience of Abraham was, indeed, a medium by which bleffings were conveyed to his posterity, and, perhaps, a reafon for the conveyance of them: but then his obedience was no facrifice; nor is it any where faid, that it made atonement for the fins of his pofterity, or that it procured the remiffion of fin for any one of them. And, therefore, no argument can be taken from the efficacy and effect of Abraham's obedience to illuftrate the nature, efficacy, and effect of the facrifice of Jefus Chrift.-In like manner, the prayers and righteousness of Mofes and other good men, and an act of juftice executed by Phineas, were the means of averting the wrath and judgments of

See Scripture-doctrine of Atonement examined, Chap. X. §. 162.

of God from other perfons: and they are actually faid to have atoned, or made atonement, for their fins: but then, thefe prayers and acts of righteoufnefs of Mofes and other good men, and the act of juftice which was executed by Phineas, were not facrifices; and the atonements, which were made by them, as the Dr. very well obferves, were extra-levitical, and fuch as had no relation to facrifices ".-Not to enlarge here; before, the Dr. can make any of the cafes, here alledged, fubfervient to his purpose, he must prove two things, which I despair of ever feeing proved. He must prove, (1.) that prayer, acts of righteoufnefs, juftice, and virtue, are true and proper facrifices. And, (2.) that the facrifice, which Christ offered, was the perfect obedience and goodness of his whole life.-The proof of the last of these the Dr. has attempted, and has, I think, altogether failed in the attempt. And for the first, inftead of proving it, he hath overthrown it by his very definitions of facrifice, by which he makes facrifices to be, not prayer, nor acts of righteoufness, juftice, and virtue; but fymbols or emblems of prayer and praife, and of the internal defires, affections, difpofitions, and virtues of

the mind.

Upon

m See Scripture-doctrine of Atonement examined, Chap. V. §. 70. and Chap. VI. §. 107.

Upon the whole, fince, in all the cafes here produced by the Dr, the means, by which the effects were produced, were not facrifices, but things of a different nature; and fince, withal, the effect, in one of these cafes, was not the remiffion of fin, but a different one; I may, I think, venture to conclude, that the Dr's notions of the nature and efficacy of Chrift's facrifice can receive no illuftration, in the way of analogical reafoning, from any of thefe cafes.

The Dr's Scripture illuftrations continued.

§. 27. THE Dr. adds, "And that the fcriptural notion of atonement will fairly "admit this way of accounting for our redemption by Chrift, he that hath care

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fully perufed the foregoing examination of "the fcriptural-fenfe of atonement, will, I "think, be convinced. For if, in various "inftances, the virtue, piety, and prayers "of good men, were the reafon of God's "bestowing pardon, and fundry bleffings, upon others; how much more must the perfect righteoufnefs and goodness of the "fon of God, be a reason for remitting the "fins of mankind"?"

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A N

See Scripture-doctrine of Atonement examined, Chap. X. §. 163.

ANSWER.

§. 28. WITH the utmost care, have I read over and examined the Dr's examination of the fcriptural-fense of extra-levitical atonements; and yet can receive no light from it, concerning the fcripture-fenfe of Levitical or facrifical atonements. And till the Dr. has cleared up the fcriptural-fense of the last mentioned atonements, (which he has neither done, nor attempted to do, as I have before fhewn,) his way of accounting for our redemption by Chrift cannot, in reafon, be admitted. Till this is done, 'tis impoffible to know, what the fcripturalfenfe of facrifical atonement is; or whether, it will, or will not, admit that way of accounting for our redemption by the facrifice of Chrift.-The Dr, indeed, has clearly proved, that the pardon of fin, and fundry other bleffings, have been procured for other perfons by extra-levitical atonements, that is, by the prayers, piety, and virtue of good men. But pray, what is this to his purpofe? Were the prayers, piety, and virtue, by which these bleffings were procured, true and proper facrifices? The Dr. himfelf, by making facrifices the fymbols or emblems of them, and by acknowledging that the atonements, which were made by them, had no relation to facrifices, declares

that

. that they were not. Or can it be thought, that fymbols and mere-fhadows could have the fame efficacy, and produce the fame effect, as the fubftance itself? this is fhocking to common sense. Or did facrifical atonements, under the law of Mofes, like extra-levitical atonements, procure bleffings for any perfons but the offerers? This, I prefume, will not be affirmed. As far, therefore, as I can yet fee, the fcriptural-sense of extra-levitical atonements affords us no light at all about the scriptural sense, or the nature and efficacy of Jewish facrifices; and ftill lefs, if poffible, about the nature, efficacy, and fcriptural fenfe, of the facrifice of Chrift, by which we are redeemed. This last mentioned facrifice, though offered by one whose obedience and goodness were perfect, yet, if we will believe the fcriptures, it was not his perfect obedience and goodness, but death voluntarily chosen and fubmitted to, blood fhed upon the cross, and offered to make atonement for the fins of mankind. How then fhould the nature and efficacy of this facrifice admit the fame way of being accounted for, as those of extra-levitical atonements, which were made by different means, fuch as prayer, and acts of piety, and virtue?

§. 29. HAVING now finished my examination of the Dr's fcripture-evidence, and fcripture-illuftrations, of his notion of the facrifice

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