view him as being indifferent to virtue and vice. Yet the very different ways in which God's love of virtue and his hatred of vice express themselves in fruits; and the extremely different effects they produce in the subjects on whom they are severally displayed, naturally lead us to view them as, in some respects, exceedingly different from each other: And that however obvi ously they discover, in their several operations, heautiful harmony and uniformity in the disposition of the divine mind.

SEEING therefore the existence of moral evil naturally furnished occasion for a display of God's hatred of iniquity, and evidently called for it; this would lead us to view the death of Christ as being designed more immediately and directly to make a visible discovery of the anger of God against sin.

THEREFORE, we may reasonably suppose, it is that the people of Christ are so often spoken of as being redeemed by his blood; as though his life went for theirs. The scriptures represent the church of God as being purchased with his own blood(a)—redeemed through the blood of Christ(b)—made` nigh by his blood, (c) &c. So the blood of his cross is that by which he is said to make peace.(d) And the church above is represented as celebrating Christ for his worthiness to open the book, and disclose the future state of the church and world, because he was slain and had redeemed her to God by his blood.(e) In this view of the matter the Apostle asserts that without shedding of blood there is no remission. (f) The reason why so much. efficacy is ascribed to blood evidently is, that it is the life.(g) And therefore it is that the blood makes atonement.(h)

(a) Acts, xx. 28. (b) Ephes. i. 7. (c) chap. ii. 13. (d) Colossians, i. 20. (e) Rev. v. 9. (ƒ) Heb. ix. 22. (8) Gen. ix. 4. (h) Levit. xvii. 11.

TAKING away the life is the most strong and sensible expression of displeasure that is ever visible to us. That displeasure which puts a period to the life, we view as of the highest kind. Therefore doth the

death of Christ more directly exhibit the anger of God than his love: As that affection of the divine mind which is termed anger especially needed to be exhibited in order to a proper exercise of mercy. Virtue and goodness in the creature, furnish occasion for the exercise and manifestation of complacency and love; but vice for the display of anger. And had the occasion for the latter been omitted by the great Governor of the world, when rebellion had actually taken place, we cannot conceive how it would have been for the glory of God to pardon the sinner, or how he could have been just in justifying the ungodly.

5. It appears from the nature of God's design in creation, and from the ground on which an atonement became necessary, that the great end of the coming and death of Christ was not to give evidence of the equity and righteousness of the moral law; but rather to exhibit in its proper colors, the disposition of the divine mind toward us for breaking it. The right eousness of the law, merely as a rule, and the disposition of the divine mind toward creatures who violate it; are distinct objects which are to be separately considered. The objects are as perfectly different from each other, as the divine Mind itself and any of those media or objects through which it is seen. And in regard of these two different objects, when viewed in a separate light, it is to be remembered that, in real importance, the former is infinitely exceeded by the latter. However truly, therefore, a testimony to the righteousness of God's law as a rule of life, might be contained in the design of the coming and death of Christ; a discovery of the divine disposition toward men for violating it, was what, nevertheless, made an

infinitely greater part of the design of Christ's work

than the other.

To suppose that the principal design of the coming of Christ, was to exhibit evidence to the consciences of men, of the righteousness and equity of the divine law, either as a rule of government for God, or of conduct for us; for aught we can see, would be rather a reproach, than an honor to the divine character. For this would suppose that the law of God, though origs inally inscribed in the fullest manner that it could be on the hearts of men, was nevertheless of such a nature and extent that the creature could see neither the propriety of God's governing by it, nor the reason of his own obligation to obey it: And therefore, that the law of God was not originally fitted to discover the true beauties of the divine character.

No rule or law can be good, which is either above the natural abilities and power, or not suited to the situation and circumstances of the creatures who are placed under it. Such a law could not manifest the excellency of the Creator to the view of the creature. For these reasons it must be unsuitable, both as a rule of government for the former and of conduct for the latter. Both these considerations lead us to conclude that no defects of this kind could be originally attributed to the divine law. But if the moral law is in its own nature fit to be regarded by the supreme Being as a rule of government over his creatures; and by men as a rule of their own conduct; and in this way calculated to exhibit to the views of creatures the real excellencies of the divine character; it must be unquestionably true that man, in his original state, was fully capable of seeing the law to be wholly equitable and righteous. And if men were originally capable of this, it now requires, and never did, or will,

require any thing more than candor of mind, to enable any one to discover it.

THESE things being so, it is easy to see that conviction of the righteousness of the law might be wrought in the consciences of men, in a way infinitely less expensive than by the coming and death of the Son of God: Yea, were there no other ground of conviction in the case, this remarkable event would be far from affording it. For so long as we judge a rule itself to be bad, no conduct of any one formed upon it, will make us believe it to be good. While we dispute the righteousness of the rule given we dispute the righteousness of him who gave it. And in that case, his obeying it himself will no more convince us of its equity, than his administering government over us in conformity to it. We may safely conclude, therefore,

that to minister conviction to the consciences of men, of the righteousness of the moral law as a rule, was not the principal object in view, in the coming and work of Christ.

THERE needed no such evidence as the obedience and death of Christ, of the righteousness of the moral law, either as a rule of government for God, or of conduct for his creatures. But when men had violated the law, there needed visible demonstration of the existence of that displeasure in the divine mind, with which the sinner is threatened, in order to convince the creature that the law is indeed a transcript of the divine perfection; and that it truly expresseth the mind and will of God. Otherwise the exercise of pardoning mercy would render it doubtful whether the moral law expressed the divine character, and is really in every part equitable, even in the view of God. The exercise of mercy, therefore, without a sensible exhibition of that divine wrath which is threatened in the law, would give abundant occasion to call in question

D

the perfect real conformity of the divine will, to that moral law which he has given us. This consequently could in no wise be for the glory of God.

more,

Once

6. It appears from the preceding observations that to revive natural religion, the knowledge of which was nearly eradicated from the human mind, was far from being the principal object of the coming and -death of Christ.

To inscribe the original law of our nature on the hearts of men, is every where in scripture represented as a work of God's holy Spirit. And this holy Spirit, in these operations on the minds of men, we are taught to believe, proceeds from the Father and the Son; and is sent by the Father in the name of the Son.* It is a great and inestimable favor to have the holy Spirit sent into the hearts of men, to teach them and lead them into the truth, and revive those original notices of God and duty, which have been nearly obliterated from the human mind by the fall. And if such a favor as this could have been bestowed otherwise than as the fruit of the atonement; every other blessing which is promised in the gospel, might with equal propriety; and so sinners of mankind might have been saved without an atonement. Had there been no necessity that something should be previously done to witness God's irreconcileable aversion from sin, before such a favor could be bestowed; the holy Spirit might have been sent in his enlightening and sanctifying operations: And of course, all the valuable ends which are now actually answered by the work of Christ and the consequent gifts of the Spirit, might have been fully accomplished without his coming and death. Yea, all these valuable ends might have been brought about to

See John xiv. 15, 16, 18, 23, 26; and xv. 26.