obedient ye shall cat the good of the tund. If holiness, the great end of all positive institutes, be secured, about offerings and burnt-offerings, which were only means subordinate to that end, they seem not very anxiously to concern themselves. Micali vi. 6, 7, 8. Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul! He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Such appears to have been the opinion of the ancient Prophets concerning sacrifices they did not regard them as the 1 foundation, and most essent essential

parts of their religion; but only as auxiliaries, that were useless when they failed to promote piety, virtue and goodness, and an abonnnation when associated with moral turpitude, or obtruded into the place of justice and mercy. The word sacrifice has been used figuratively in all times, and by all nations: it is so used in several places in the Old Testament, David speaks of the sacrifices of a broken heart, of a broken and contrite spirit : Psa. li. 7. of the sacrifices of thanksgiving: Psá. cvfi. 22. of the sacrifices of righteousness: Psa. iv. 5. and of sacrifices of joy. Psa. xxvii. 6.

In the New Testament the word sacrifice is used figuratively, as applied to various subjects. Christians

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are called to present their bodies a living sacrifice. Rom, xii. 1. Paul speaks of his readiness to be offered upon the sacrifice, and service of the faith of his fellow christians: Phil. ii. 17. and he speaks of the liberality of the Philippians as a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God. chap. iv. 18. Praise to God, and benevolence to men, are both called sacrifices. Heb. xiii, 15, 16. Peter speaks of christians offering up spiritual sacrifices. 1 Pet. ii. 5. It is not in the least surprising that the same writers should apply the word sacrifice in a figurative sense to Christ and what he has done for the benefit of mankind.

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When the Prophet Malachi predicted the discontinuance of the jewish sacrifices, and what should be substituted in their place among the Gentiles, Mal. i. 10, 11, he gave not the least hint that the sacrifice of Christ should be substituted in the place of the former, but mentions what the Gentiles themselves. should offer as coming in the place of the jewish offerings he uses such modes of expression as the former œconomy would, suggest; but there can be no doubt that, by incense and a pure offering, he in tends those sacrifices of praise, and of righteousness, which the true worshippers of God, in every place, present to him.

In this chapter I have barely stated a few general thoughts respecting sacrifices to judge of their propriety the reader must give himself the trouble of searching the scriptures on the subject.

CHAPTER FIFT H.

Remarks on passages in the New Testament.

It is easy to refer to passages of scripture upon any point; but such a reference merely proves nothing it is necessary the passages referred to should relate to the point in hand, in order to their furnishing proof. Could our opponents refer to passages in the writings of the Apostles in which their doctrine of atonement, or satisfaction, is expressly mentioned, it would be doing something to purpose; but, finding that impossible, they quote a number of texts which have nothing to do with the subject; and, by an arbitrary exposition of detached expressions, and a literal construction of figurative language, they conclude they have established their point. It wil be sufficient for me at present to show that the passages they quote have nothing to do with the doctrine in support of which they quote them.

Matt. xx. 28. Mark x. 45. The Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many. Having in another part of this work, explained the word ransom, as applied to Christ, I barely add, that the plain meaning of the above passages is, that he came to devote his life to the effecting of the salvation of men. 1 Tim. ii. 6. Who gave himself a ransom for all : i. e

to effect the deliverance of all.

places, in the New Testament,

som occurs

These are the only

where the word ran.

and these have no reference to Christ's giving God a price for our salvation; but to his dying to effect our deliverance by the gospel.

Matt. xxvi. 28. This is my blood of the New Testament, mhich is shed for many for the remission of sins. The fact asserted in these words is plain, i. e. that Christ shed his blood to produce an important effect in the creature, to bring sinners to the enjoyment of forgiveness of sins, to cleanse their consciences. His saying "my blood of the New Testáment,' places his death before us as that which confirms the truth and grace revealed to us by the goŝpel. As he shed his blood to ratify the gospel, which communicates the knowledge of salvation by remission of sins, it is with the utmost propriety said, he shed his blood for the remission of sins.

John, i. 29. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. This passage simply speaks of Christ's taking away sin: and so far as sin is rèmoved what the words express is accomplished. Though this is one of the passages which our oppo

The Aurpos, or Ransom given, is not any price paid to the person who detains us captives; but it signifies that which Christ did in order to obtain his end.'

• To redeem then does not imply the paying a price to the person holding us in captivity, but only the setting us at liberty from any slavery, or slavish state."

DR. SYKES on Redemption. P. 149.

nents quote, they do not believe that sin will ever. be completely taken away from the world; but we, believe that both it, and all its painful consequences, will be entirely removed; how then can they bring this passage into argument against us? It is clear that sin never did exist any where but in the creature, that it can be taken away only from where it is, and that when taken away it does not remain : consequently, sin was not taken away merely by, Christ's dying, for it still remains; and the taking it away cannot relate to God's receiving a consideration for the pardon of it, but to the creature's being actually freed from it. It is by the gospel Christ takes away the guilt, the power, the love, and the pollution of sin.

John, vi. 51. The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. It may well be doubted whether, in this passage, Christ had any immediate reference to his sufferings, when it is remembered that the words are figurative, and occur in a highly figurative discourse, He was evidently speaking in figurative language when he said that the bread, which he called his flesh; came down from heaven, and was to be eaten by the person who derived life from it; for surely no one will say that the body of Christ, which was nailed to the tree, came down from heaven, or ever was eaten by any man. He seems throughout to be speaking of his heavenly, doctrine, what was manifested in the flesh, (1 Tim. iii. 16) or made known by his ministry, and was, calculated to give life to the world. But if we let,