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SECT. IV.

Expiation and atonement of the Gospel-All other expiation and atonement at best but typical-History of Christian atonement— Allusions to it-Preparatory occurrences—The law and its sacrifices necessary - The character of Christ not merely that of a divine teacher-The justifying and redeeming efficacy of his suffering, as stated in the New Testament—The mystery and complication of means involved in the sacrifice of the cross, no objection— Repentance not sufficient-Redemption, though the wisdom of God in a mystery, not wholly incomprehensible in its nature, its cause, or its effects-Three lights in which it may be viewed and justified —Considered as it refers to God, to Christ, and to mankind—The awful and affecting lesson which it affords --Consolatory to the upright-Admonitory to the guilty-Edifying to all—Retrospective view.

THE doctrine of atonement for the sins of man, by some sacrifice more precious and more acceptable than priests and kings had ever been able to procure, is, frequently, and with great clearness and precision, announced in Scripture. Of this sacrifice, every other, from the beginning of time, was to be considered but as a shadow and a type. All the blood which had ever been shed upon the altar by Jew or Gentile, was, in this view alone, of any value. What connexion can exist between the oblation of the animal and the guilt of man? Is there, or can there be, any redeeming virtue in the blood of bulls or of goats? Or shall we believe that the justice of God can consent to transfer the crime and the punishment of the offending sinner, to the head of the unoffending beast? Tradition affords nothing to sanction, and reason and nature are wholly at variance with, such a belief. We are taught, therefore, to regard the sacrificial oblations of men as typical of an oblation to be one day offered of a more perfect nature; and

we are directed to look from the hecatomb or the holocaust of the heathen, or of the Israelite, to that prefigured and final peace-offering of Calvary, which, by satisfying the justice of God, was to redeem the sins of mankind.

The history of this stupendous event is recorded in the New Testament, and the preparatory plans of Providence which were necessary for its accomplishment, are detailed, or alluded to, in the Old. When the first man had departed from the covenant of innocence, and thereby not merely forfeited his title to immortality, but subjected himself to the penalty of the violated law, the voice of God was heard to pronounce the sentence he merited. The sentence was death, death to the first offender, and to the race, which the sin he had introduced into the world was to vitiate and to degrade. But the terrors of the just Judge were softened by the mercies of promised salvation. The head of the serpent was to be finally bruised by the seed of the woman; and a new æra was, in due time, to commence, when, all things being accomplished, a voice from heaven should pronounce peace on earth, and good will

to man.

Through many succeeding years the providence of God was exercised in preparing the world for this sublime and august occurrence. The patriarchs were permitted to see afar off the day of salvation. The prophets alluded to it in their predictions. A chosen people were rendered the repositories of the promise which pointed to it; and the occurrences of ages were rendered necessary to the acceleration of a period which was to be distinguished for ever by the accomplishment, in this instance, of the beneficent purposes of heaven.

By various institutions, and by types and figures, : the hopes of men were perpetually directed to the coming of Messiah. Was the sacrifice appointed, the rite ordained, the ceremony announced, the blood of the paschal lamb sprinkled on the door of 7. the Israelite, to avert the hand of the destroying angel? All was allusive to Him who was to become a passover, not to the Jew only, but also to the Gentile, and to accomplish the redemption, not merely of a favoured people, but of all mankind. If we read of the smitten rock, from whence gushed forth the salutary waters to quench the thirst of the tribes of Israel; here too we discover, with Saint Paul, a type of Him who was to become the fountain of living water springing into everlasting life. If the brazen serpent was lifted up in the wilderness for the preservation of the people, in this image also we contemplate a shadow of Him who was lifted up on the cross for the redemption of the world. Or, if we behold the lamb without blemish, to be sacrificed only at Jerusalem *, we recognise a manifest type of Christ, and a plain prefiguration of the manner of his death. We may, therefore, be permitted to

* Exod. xii. 5, 46; Deut. xvi. 5, 6; Numb. ix. 12. + There is a wonderful agreement of this type with the thing typified. Our Saviour's death occurred on the very same day, and on the very same hour of the day, on which the paschal lamb was appointed to be slain; and as a bone of the paschal lamb was not broken, so, by a signal Providence, a bone of Christ was not broken, though it was customary to break the bones of those who were crucified, and the bones of the two thieves who were crucified with him were actually broken. It is in allusion to this agreement, that John the Baptist says to the people, "Behold the Lamb of God;" that Saint Paul speaks of "Christ our passover," and that Saint Peter announces him as the Lamb without blemish and without spot; John i. 29; 1 Corinth. v. 7; 1 Pet. i. 19.

conclude, that the legal and devotional economy of the Jews was designed to prepare for, and to introduce, that better dispensation of which Moses and the prophets were the harbingers, and which, at the appointed time, was to ratify a new and perfect covenant between God and man.

The plan which was to hasten the accomplishment of this intended mercy, was not confined by Providence to the Jewish nation. It seems, on the contrary, to have embraced the whole earth. If nations were divided by war, or united by peace; if arts and sciences were diffused; if empires were founded or overthrown; if the monarchies of the East or West contended for the subjugation of each other, or were finally to obey the despotism of a single master, all appears to have been carried on by the secret decree of the Almighty, to dispose the world for that hour when Christ was to enter upon his august mission, and to become the legislator and redeemer of man. The whole scene of preparation impresses us with a sublime idea of the Divine government. It includes all the principal regions of the earth; all ancient history is occupied or concerned in the occurrences which it involves; and it exhibits to us, statesmen, princes, kings, the masters and legislators of the earth, all employed in accomplishing the purposes of God, while they thought only of accomplishing their own.

During this progression of things, the religious dispensations of the Jews were progressive also. At first, the will of God was made known by more obscure and mysterious revelations. To these succeeded a less dark and indistinct annunciation of precept, of promise, and of command. In proportion as time advanced, the divine scheme was gra

adually opened and advanced. Light after light arose with increasing brightness to illuminate the Israelite. From Adam to the patriarchs, from the patriarchs to Moses, from Moses to the prophets, institutions and doctrines were made known by the will of God, and adapted to the periods in which they were announced; and the church of the Old Testament was instructed by these repeated interpositions of divine wisdom, to anticipate, with expectation and hope, that epoch when the Sun of righteousness was to arise with healing upon its wings, and to pour its light on the habitations of Zion, and on every nation of the earth.

In this manner the way was prepared for the new and more perfect dispensation of Christ. The law and the sacrifice, which had been previously communicated and required, were necessary but inadequate, and, being inadequate, were to be temporary. There had been no remission of sin, for there had been no ransom. The old law, as the apostle argues, "could not stand, because of the weakness of the means; for it was not possible that the blood of "bulls or of goats should take away sin." This insufficiency was, consequently, to be supplied, or the sin was to remain; and the remission, which mankind had hitherto been unable to procure, was to be purchased by the new and more costly sacrifice of Christ. "If perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, what need had we that another priest should arise after the order of Melchisedech? And if "the first had been faultless, then should no place "have been sought for the second. There is, there

fore, a disannulling of the commandment going be"fore by the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bring