foretold by the Jewish Prophets: and the nearer they lived to that time, the clearer and fuller were their intimations concerning the Character and Fortunes of him, who was fent to REDEEM Ifrael, and to bring again to light that life and immortality which was loft by the tranfgreffion of Adam. The manner in which he was to discharge his MEDIATION, is our next enquiry: whether he did it fimply by INTERCEDING for the remiffion of the Forfeiture; or whether by SATISFYING, at the same time, for the Debt is the Queftion. Now, as it refted in God's good pleafure, which of these he would accept, we must again have recourse to Scripture for information: where we find, that the interceffion was by way of SATISFACTION for the Debt. This Satisfaction is called in Scripture, REDEMPTION; a term taken from civil tranfactions amongst Men, where the things or perfons redeemed were paid for, with a price. Hence St. Paul, speaking of our Redemption from the forfeiture of Adam, Adam, expreffeth it by this Periphrafis, re are bought with a price *. fays he. The price paid was the DEATH of the Son of God. Chrift died for the ungodly†, And again, Chrift died for our Sins he died for all §-to obtain falvation, our Lord Jefus Chrift died for us ||. On this account, and in allufion to the like transactions amongst Men, the Redeemer is called the LORD of those whom he redeemed-For to this end (says he) Chrift both died and rofe and revived, that he might be the LORD both of the dead and living **. And now let us proceed to the nature of that DEATH which had the efficacy of REDEMPTION. 1. First, it must be VOLUNTARY-Hereby we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us ++, fays St. John.I lay down my life for the Sheep (faith Jefus himself) no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay * 1 Cor. vi. 20. 1 Cor. xv. 3. Theff. v. 9, 10. tt Ep. John iii. 16. + Rom. v. 6. it down; and I have power to take it again. This COMMANDMENT have I received of my Father *. Here he represents the laying down his life as a power bestowed, in confequence of a Command received. And this will lead us to confider, 2. The fecond requifite of a voluntary death efficacious of redemption; which is, that it must be OFFERED UP, in confequence of pre-ordained acceptance, called, in the text, a COMMAND. And what is a religious offering up to God, but a SACRIFICE? In this fenfe (the proper fenfe of the word) the holy Scriptures exprefly call the death of Chrift a SACRIFICE. St. Paul fpeaking (as is his wont) in the Language of the Law †, fays-Chrift our Passover is SACRI * John x. 15-18. To this an objector may reply-if St. Paul speaks in the Language of the Law, why is not the word Sacrifice part of that language, as well as Paffever? And if so, fays fuch a one, your argument from this text, in proof of a real Sacrifice, is enervated. To this I answer, the language of the law may extend to names without extending to things. It plainly does fo, here. The word Pafover is language peculiar to the Law: the word SACRIFICE, though the language of the Law, is not peculiar SACRIFICED for us*. The Writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, who rarely fpeaks any other Language, fays-Christ needeth not daily, as thofe high Priefs, to offer up SACRIFICE, first for his own fins, and then for the People's; for this he did once when he OFFERED UP HIMSELF †. Again-Chrift bath appeared to put away fin, by the SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF. And again-He was once OFFERED to bear the fins of many §. But the virtue of expiatory Sacrifices confifted in procuring ATONEMENT, by fome fort of SATISFACTION. And thus the expiatory Sacrifice of Chrift on the Crofs operated for our REDEMPTION. One could hardly have thought it poffible, that any Man, who had read the Gospels, with their best Interpreters, the Authors of the Epiftles, fhould ever have entertained a doubt, WHETHER THE DEATH OF CHRIST WAS A REAL SACRIFICE? peculiar to it, but in use throughout the whole religious World to denote a Rite, common, at that time, to all Men, * 1 Cor. v. 7, Heb. ix, 26. + Heb. vii. 27. K 3 But But mistaken notions, concerning the origin and nature of this facred Rite, have so obscured the Rationale of it, that the SOCINIANS, who boaft to have interpreted Scripture on the feverest and justest Laws of Logic and Criticism, have, in this instance, as well as in many others, deviated more from thefe Laws than the moft licentious of the Allegorifts, or the wildest of the Spiritualizers. Here, in their care to avoid an imaginary abfurdity, they have fallen into a real one, and of the groffeft kind, while they confider the death of Chrift as nothing more than THE SEAL OF HIS MISSION. For, were this all, fo bloody an Impreffion might have been well fpared; fince the proper Seal of his Miffion, or the evidence of his being SENT, were MIRACLES performed and PROPHECIES fulfilled, His DYING, if it were only in fupport of what he taught, could be nothing more than the feal of his integrity. But Ignorance of the ORIGIN AND NATURE OF SACRIFICE hath mifled these our Rationalifts into the grofs and femipagan errors concerning the Rite itself. And there fore |