"If repentance is the only condition required, on the part of any being, in order to the sinner's forgiveness, it must be considered either as full equivalent to full obedience, or an atonement for sin-if not, the claims of Justice, as to the time spent in wickedness, are totally set aside." "Besides, how can even the Divine Veracity, be raised above suspicion, if God, in the very act of justifying the ungodly, be not unequivocally declared to be just?"

"God has threatened, that tribulation and anguish shall fall upon every soul of man that doeth evil." Rom. 2. 9.: and in the death of Christ, the believer discovers a striking pledge of the Veracity of God: He sees that his perfections must engage him to execute every purpose declared to mankind." -Spirit of Theological Journals, for March, 1830.

In replying to the foregoing, it must, however, be premised, that what these writers term, "the Evangelical system"-"the system of the Gospel" and "the Atonement," are merely, their own views of them. What are really such, is the question at issue.

1. The first thing that obviously presents itself in the statements of these writers, is, the want of a clear and definite sense of the word, "Justice." It is most likely that persons, entertaining opposite views on this subject-if they were to define their sense of this term-would be found to differ widely; and consequently, differing in the whole of their conclusions respecting it. And as this is a point, which must be decided altogether upon scripture testimony, we ought to begin by examining scripture for a correct definition, by ascertaining the sense in which it is THERE used; instead of laying down an abstract definition of the term, which, however clear and satisfactory to some persons, is not alike so to all, and which, consequently, may be met by others, which claim an equal semblance of truth.

What then is the scripture sense of the term, Justice?— When the inhabitants of the Old World sinned, it was they who were punished. When those of Sodom and Gomorrah sinned, they also, were punished; but we find that, upon the intercession of the Patriarch, Abraham, the Divine compassion was such, that it was promised to him. "If but ten righteous persons were found in it," the whole city should be spared, "for their sakes" yet there is no more ground to conclude, that God would have been unjust in not inflicting the merited punishment, than that those ten persons were to have borne the punishment due to the spared inhabitants, if they had been spared.

In the account we have given us, Exod. 32, of the Jewish people relapsing into idolatry, during the delay of Moses in the mount, we are told that the Divine displeasure was great, and signal destruction was intimated; but, upon the intercession of Moses, it is said, "the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people." And in the sequel, we find the punishment was mitigated; yet, in this case, there appears no transfer of punishment; for it was expressly declared to Moses, "whosoever hath sinned against me, HIM will I blot out of my book."

When, upon the farther disobedience of the same people, they were threatened with utter destruction, Moses again interceded, and again the Divine Being was propitious. His language on this occasion was very striking. Num. 14, 17. "And now I beseech thee," &c.—pleading the long-sufferingthe mercy and forgiveness of God-and the Divine Being graciously recognized his own previous declarations. "I have pardoned according to thy word." Thus, under the height of provocation and transgression, the divine mercy was extended, without any intimation that it was inconsistent with Justice. Some, indeed, were signally and awfully punished; but this does not affect the case of those who were pardoned.

Thus we see, that God has, in fact, both executed his judg ments in punishing sin; and extended his mercy in the forgiveness of it, as he saw fit. Nor is there any more reason to conclude, that he exceeded the limits of justice in the former case, than that he violated them in the latter.

What idea had David of Divine Justice? We are told in the 21st chapter of 1st Chro.-that, when David had transgressed so that the Divine judgments were denounced,and he was left to choose of three modes, by which it should be inflicted, he said, "Let me now fall into the hand of God, for, great are his mercies." Did he apprehend any defect of Justice, or injustice on the part of God, when he said this?His language, on another occasion, was-"Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions."

The recapitulation, which Nehemiah makes of the divine. dealings with the Jews, in his 9th chap., and which is very similar to that in the 106th Psalm, is strikingly illustrative of God's administration. When his multiplied favors are recited, and their ingratitude and disobedience, that "they dealt proudly," &c., he says: "But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not," &c. "Yea, when they had made a mol

ten calf, and had wrought great provocations, yet thou, in thy manifold mercies, forsookest them not," &c.; and after again reciting successive instances of rebellion, disobedience, &c., and the visitations of divine displeasure, in delivering them into the power of their enemies, and the severe chastisements which was inflicted upon them, he sums up thus:-"Nevertheless, for thy great mercies sake, thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them, for thou art a gracious and merciful God." Can we suppose that the Divine Justice was violated, in this dispensation of long-suffering mercy?

Again. When the wickedness of the Ninevites had become very great, the Prophet, Jonah, was sent with a peremptory denunciation of destruction, "Yet forty days, and Ninevah shall be overthrown." Yet, upon the humiliation and repentance of the people, we are told that, "God saw their works, that they turned from their evil ways, and God repented of the evil that he said He would do unto them, and he did it not." And although this dispensation of the Divine Being towards them, excited in the mind of Jonah vexation and chagrin, yet it did not excite surprise, as though it had been contrary to the usual tenor of the Divine procedure; it was rather anticipated by him; "was not this my saying," said he, "when I was yet in mine own country; for I knew that thou wert a gracious God, and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil." And the Divine Being condescended to justify his own conduct towards this people, in a manner that deserves particular attention, viz: by an appeal to the principle of compassion, in the breast of Jonah, and transferring that principle to his own character as Creator (a relation that must be antecedent to every other, although so little attended to, or rather, almost wholly lost sight of in modern systems of self-assumed orthodoxes, while the gospel revelation responds to this glorious manifestation, and reiterates-"a faithful Creator.") "Thou hadst pity for the gourd, for which thou hast not labored, neither madest it to grow," &c.; "and Should I not spare Ninevah," &c.

If we turn from facts and transactions, to declarations only, of the inspired writers, respecting the divine dealings to men, we shall find such as the following:-"Unto Thee, O Lord, belongest mercy; for thou renderest to every man according to his works:" Ps. 62, 12. Here mercy is connected with distributive justice, not opposed to it.-Again. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me; but, verily, God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my

prayer. Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me." Here it may be remarked, that, if the first part of this description related to a sinless character, there would have been no need of the application of mercy. Ps. 88, 38.

Speaking of the repeated apostacies of the Jewish people, the Psalmist says: "But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not; yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again." Again, Ps. 89: "I will sing of Mercy and Judgment-Mercy shall be built up forever-thy faithfulness shalt thou establish, in the very heavens." "Justice and Judgment are the habitation of thy throne-Mercy and Truth go before thy face." Ps. 103. "The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed." "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." Ps. 106, 1. "O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever." And, "Who keepest truth forever." In Ps. 146, 17: "It is declared that the Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." Yet, in the same Psalm we are told, "that the Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy."That "the Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." Here, then, it is observable, that Justice, Judgment, Righteousness, Holiness, and Faithfulness, are not mentioned in contrariety to Mercy, but in combination with it-as being, each of them, respectively different modes of carrying on the same grand dispensation; varying, as the relative characters and circumstances of men, render either the one or the other most suitable and efficacious.

In the Prophecies of Isaiah, chap. 30, 18, after describing the calamities denounced upon the Jews, for disobedience, it is added-"and therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of Judgment; blessed are all they who wait for him." This corresponds with the above. In considering the above quoted facts, transactions, and declarations, attentively, several observations present themselves. 1. That Justice, as attributed to the Divine Being, is not the unconditional infliction of punishment -either when positively denounced or implied-upon the of fender.

2. Nor is it the infliction of severity, unmitigated, or untempered with compassion and mercy, when in repentance

and contrition, the sinners confessed their guilt: in two instances, we find pardon was granted upon the intercession of Mo

ses.

3. Neither is there any mention made of a substitute being provided, to satify the claims of Justice, in the cases where forgiveness was dispensed; or the least intimation of such a procedure.

4. Nor are we at liberty to suppose that justice was not administered in those cases, since the inspired declarations, relating to them, expressly state, that his Justice, Judgment, Faithfulness, Truth, Compassion, and Mercy, were unitedly dispensed in his dealings, as well to the Jews, as to all men generally.

When the fact, then, is both so strikingly exhibited, and so expressly declared, that forgiveness and pardon are dispensed, in connection with the administration of justice, under the moral government of God, without reference to any substitute, lest the claims of justice should be "totally set aside." There appears to be no alternative but the admission, that such a procedure is not inconsistent with the Divine character and attributes.

2. What is the Scripture sense of the terms, Veracity, Truth, &c.?

1.

Besides the positive denunciations, threatenings, &c. against disobedience, already mentioned, and which it has been seen in the sequel of those occurrences, were not LITERALLY fulfilled, I shall now consider some others, which are often cited as being more partiularly connected with the Divine Veracity. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Exod. 18, 4. In the first place: if this denunciation be taken in its unconditional construction, no soul that sinneth, can possibly be saved; since no reserve whatever is made; no substitute, whatever, is alluded to; but the connection is inseparable, between the soul that sinneth, and the threatened death; and to substitute any one person in the place of the sinner; or he who committeth sin, would, even upon this supposition, evidently come short of a fulfilment of such a construction. It follows, therefore, that this language is conditional. What these conditions are, remains to be examined. But, to gain a right understanding of this sentence, we must view it in its connection.

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die." It is obvious, that the threatened punishment-of death for sin-is expressly restricted to the individual, who should commit it. "The soul that sinneth, it," and not another, "shall die." "The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor the father that of the