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him for ever: ἵνα αιωνιον αὐτον απέχῃς, where you will perceive the same word, aiavrov, is used. Will it be contended here that St. Paul had any reference to the eternal existence of Onesimus? I think it cannot be: nor to any period after his death. For the services of Onesimus is the subject of this letter; and Paul informs Philemon, that, if he owes him any thing, to charge it to his, i. e. Paul's, account; and that he would repay it. (v. 18, 19.) "Words," says Dr. Clarke, "in all languages, have, in process of time, deviated from their original acceptations, and have become accommodated to particular purposes, and limited to particular meanings. This has happened both to the Hebrew Dy álam, and the Greek alwv: they have been both used to express a limited time, but, in general, a time, the limits of which are unknown.” The Doctor has laboured hard to prove that the unlimited is the proper use of these words; and that the limited is an accommodated one. How well he has succeeded is not material to our purpose, since the words are acknowledged to have been used in a limited sensehence the words, when applied to things which, from their nature, must have a limited duration, are properly to be understood in this sense." (See Dr. Clarke's Note on Gen. xxi. 33.)

Now, even according to this learned writer, what must I prove, in order to prove that the punishment, in the text under consideration, is limited. Why, only to show that punishment is limited in its nature: and then, according to this learned writer's own confession, it is limited in its duration.

To show this I have only to show that the punishment is designed for the good of the punished; for then the punishment is limited by the good, which the punishment is designed to effect: and I conclude that no argument is necessary to prove that this is the design of all good beings who punish or chastise their dependent children. Although the chastisement for the present is not joyous but grievous, nevertheless, afterward, it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby. (See Heb. xii. 11.) Now, if chastisement were

to be continued without end, there would be no afterward to it; neither would it yield the fruits of righteousness to the punished. It can be only a malevolent being who can punish, but not for the good of the punished.

If, therefore, the punishment be limited at all, in any sense of the word, there is no necessity, from the word, of carrying the idea of it into a future state of existence; because it is acknowledged, on all sides of the question, that these words are applied to things which have had both their commencement and end in time. If so, why may it not be hus limited in this passage equally as well?

But I have conceded more to the learned Doctor than was necessary. I shall endeavour to show, in my last lecture, that an indefinite period, or rather a hidden unknown period of time, is the original import of these words; and that an absolute eternity is the accommodated one which will put the labouring oar into the other hand. They must prove that punishment is, in its nature, endless, before we can concede to the doctrine.

This

It may be asked, after all, what then are the final consequences of sin? Answer: Death. The wages of sin is death! "The soul that sinneth, it shall die!" is the final sentence; with which, we may connect all the miseries consequent on sin previous to the execution of this final sentence, death, which puts a final stop to the sinner's career. But, he that is dead is freed from sin. (Rom. vi. 7.) And he that is freed from sin, in my apprehension, is equally freed from its consequences. But simply receiving the wages of sin-death-and, of course, being freed from sin, would, of itself, give us no assurance of receiving also the gift of God, which is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. This, therefore, will be the subject of our next lecture.

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LECTURE V.

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Rom. v. 11.

I AM to speak this evening of salvation: to show in what it consists, and by whom effected: to refute the vulgar notion of satisfying an infinite dissatisfaction; and to explain the doctrine of reconciliation.

The text, therefore, which I have chosen, will not be considered unappropriate; especially when it is noticed that the Greek word, zaruλλayn, rendered atonement, in the text, should have been translated reconciliation, as it is in the marginal reading; and also, in 2 Cor. v. 18, 19; which see.

If this word had been correctly translated, the word atonement, and, of course, the doctrine of atonement, as it is now understood, would not have been found (as it is not contained) in the New Testament. Neither is the doctrine of atonement, i. e. in the sense of making satisfaction to divine justice, by the means of a suffering victim, any where to be found in the Bible. In the Old Testament, wherever we read of making atonement, &c. the Greek word, in the Septuagint, is ixasnerov, a propitiatory, or mercy-seat. It alludes to the lid or covering of the ark, which was made of pure gold, and on and before which, the high priest used to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifices on the great day of atonement. This signifying, that, as the mercy-seat covered the ark of the covenant, so the blood of sprinkling covered, concealed, or put away, their sins, and hid them from the face of Jehovah.

Ιλατηριον comes from ίλαομαι, oι ἱλασκομαι, to be propitious; or, with an accusative of the thing, to make atone

ment for. Heb. ii. 17. Εἰς το ιλασκεσθαι τας αμαρτίας, το make atonement (or reconciliation) for the sins of the people.

In the LXX, (i. e. Septuagint,) iλasngov generally answers to the Heb. 2, from the V. 155, to cover, expiate. See Parkhurst's Greek Lexicon, under the word Ιλατήριον.

But, not to be too critical, we shall proceed, as has been proposed, to speak of salvation. Salvation, as revealed in the scriptures, may be considered in a twofold sense. First, salvation, by faith in the truth, i. e. the truth which is brought to light by the gospel of Jesus Christ: and, secondly, salvation, by being brought into the actual enjoyment of that truth, in another world, which we now only enjoy by faith. Salvation, in the first sense, is enjoyed, or may be enjoyed, by every believer in the truth. Salvation, in the second sense, is enjoyed, i. e. now, by none; except those who have entered upon a state of immortality; but will be enjoyed by ALL; i. e. when they shall enter upon this immortal state. For then will be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." (Isa. xxv. 8. 1 Cor. xv. 54.) Thus, "we trust in the living God; who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." (1 Tim. iv. 10.)

Salvation, in the second sense, as named above, will come under our consideration in the seventh lecture; when we come to speak of the deliverance of the creature from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. This lecture, therefore, will only embrace salvation, in the first sense of the word; i. e. a salvation by faith in the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

This salvation implies reconciliation to God; i. e. not only a calm submission to his laws, to his government, and the dispensations of his providence, but also a hearty acquiescence in the same; believing them to be all right, just, and good. For while the mind is in a state of unreconciliation to God, it is supposed to be in a state of

opposition; and while in opposition, it is in a state of

sin.

This reconciliation is produced wholly by a manifestation of the love of God to the sinner; and hence, for the reconciliation to be perfect, the manifestation must be made in such a manner, and to such a degree, as to overcome and completely destroy all opposition. This complete manifestation of the love of God to the sinner is tantamount to, and all that can be understood by, the forgiveness of sin: as the forgiveness of sin can by no means imply a change in the disposition of God toward the sinner. Hence the apostle says, "We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John, iv. 19.) And if the manifestation of the love of God in a Redeemer, or through the ministration of his son Jesus Christ, when fully realized, and perfectly understood, be not sufficient to reconcile the sinner to God, and thereby save him from sin, I know of nothing which can save him; i. e. in the sense in which believers are specially saved, in which sense we are now speaking. "For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts, iv. 12.) Now it is very evident, that all men are not saved, in this sense of speaking; but I have reason to believe it is either owing to an ignorance of, or else a disbelief in, the truth and not to any want of divine efficacy in the truth, were that only known and believed. But it is the believer only who is saved in this special sense. "We walk by faith and not by sight." There may be, it is true, degrees of faith, according to the strength of evidence which is made clear to the understanding; but let the evidence be ever so strong in favour of immortality and eternal life, we still walk by faith, as well as hope for things which we see not: and this will continue to be the case, as long as we continue in this state of existence.

Salvation, in the second sense of the word, will take place when this mortal puts on immortality; i. e. in the resurrection; when we shall be children of God, being children of the resurrection." But of this I shall speak hereafter.

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