neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." Here is furnished us, rational views of our fall from innocency, rational arguments, why man should die, and wherefore this transgression could not be pardoned, unransomed; why man could not be redeemed from the penalty of the law, and its condemnation, without his salvation from the sentence, was "bought with a price."

It is very plain and express, also, that the veracity, and Word of the Lord God, was pledged to execute the penalty of this law, in case it should be broken; and the kind and quality of the penalty he would inflict was declared; and the time they came under the condemnation, was expressed, "in the day that thou eatest thereof, &c.

We are aware, however, that some divines, do not approve of the phrase, price paid for redemption, but as these, and the like expressions, occur so often in the new testament, we need not be afraid to advance them. Paul, 1st. Corinth. 6, 20, saith, "For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." Therefore, it is concluded that soul and body were indeed in the purchase. Again 7th chapt. verse 23, the same apostle repeats, "Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men." Again 1st. Timothy 2, 6, "Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time"-that is a price paid for sin, which is the definition of the word, ransom. "That he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."-Titus, 2, 14.

Numerous are the expressions of the apostles on this point, and it would be unnecessarily te

dious, in this place, to cite chapter and verse, for the support of this fundamental truth, which the apostles made their chief study to understand, and teach, as one of the first principles of the gospel of Christ.

And on the belief we "are bought with a price," and resting for its verity upon gospel authority, some important enquiries present themselves. It will be here borne in mind, that we have contended that Jesus Christ possessed two whole natures, viz. the God-head and manhood; and as the English article states, "never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God, and very man ;" one of these important enquiries, which will naturally present itself to the mind is, whether the human and divine natures were both included under the law broken by man?We must answer in the affirmative.

They surely were, and the assembly of divines, so called, in their confession of faith, as it is in their catechism, have done justice on this point, unless in some expressions, it may be apprehended they have gone too far. If there was nothing but the human nature of our Lord, included under the law, we have nothing but a human righteousness to plead, for the remission of past sins. Or, as it is expressed by Paul, after charging sin upon Jews and Gentiles, he concludes by saying, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to de

clare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."

Another inquiry has arisen in some minds, we hope, however, of very few, which is, if Jesus Christ condescended to become, under the law broken by man, whether the law would not require that the divinity itself should die to satisfy that divine law? We answer in the negative; being persuaded it would be absurd, in the most comprehensive sense of the word, to say, divinity itself died; we esteem it a doctrine highly dangerous, and blasphemous. Several critical inquiries, present themselves, if our sentiments are correct.

How can we make it appear on just principles, that there is in the righteousness and sufferings of Christ, an infinite merit. Two things seem to be extremely necessary to be understood in this question. 1st. His righteousness-2dly. his victorious death.

Bishop Pierson has on these topics exhibited some things worthy our attention; he saith "if we be truly sensible of our sins, we must acknowledge, that in every one, we have offended God; and the atrociousness of every offence must increase, proportionately to the dignity of the party offended, in respect of the offender; because the more worthy any person is the more reverence is due unto him, and every injury tendeth to his dishonor; but between God and man, there is an infinite disproportion, and therefore every offence committed against him must be esteemed as in the highest degree of injury."

Here we know, as the apostle hath assured us, "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." And we may ve,

ry well doubt, how the blood of him, who hath no other nature, than that of mere man, can take away the sins of other men; There appearing no such difference, as will show a certainty in the one, and an impossibility in the other.

The Bishop proceeds-" But since we may be bought with a price, well may we believe the blood of Christ sufficiently precious, when we are assured that through the union of the human nature with the divine, "it is the blood of God," as St. Paul calls it, Acts 20, 28. Nor can we question the efficacy of it, in purging our consciences from dead works, if we believe Christ offered up himself through the eternal Spirit. For as the atrociousness of the offence beareth proportion to the person offended, so the value of reparation ariseth from the dignity of the person satisfying; because the satisfaction consisteth in the reparation of that honor, which by the injury was eclipsed; and all honor doth increase proportionably, as the person yielding it is honorable. Notwithstanding therefore by every sin we have offended God; who is of infinite emineuce, according unto which the injury is aggravated, yet we may be secure of our reconciliation with God, because the person who hath undertaken to make the reparation, is of the same infinite dignity; so that the honor rendered by his obedience, is proportionable to the offence, and that dishonor which arose from our disobedience."

On these points, last stated, by the Bishop; turns the dispute between the Unitarians, and the primitive Trinitarians, consequently we shall not pass over them without making further remarks on some of the leading principles contained in the two points last referred to, viz. the blood and

righteousness of Christ. The apostle Paul has exhibited these points in the clearest light, in the 5th chapter of his epistle to the Romans; he first speaks of the glorious fruits and effects of the righteousness and blood of Christ in these words. "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

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"And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also knowing that tribulation worketh patience; "And patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed," &c.

The apostle immediately proceeds to inform us, from whence these inestimable blessings flow, viz. from the virtue of the blood and righteousness of Christ; his first and most elegant remarks, are found in the 8th, 9th, and 10th, verses of the same epistle and chapter.

"But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God, by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled we shall be saved by his life"

In the 18th verse of the same chapter, the apostle further informs us, that in one point, justification and condemnation run parallel, he says, "Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." In 19th verse he