the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf which Aaron made." Hence arises that saying of some of the Jewish writers, that in every calamity which hath befallen their nation ever since, hath been mingled an ounce of the golden calf...

Thirdly, All the appointed atonements seem to relate only to the propriety and decorum of the external services of public religious worship in the tabernacle, and the manifestation of the divine presence. This, I think, appears very plain in the atonement at the consecration of the tabernacle, altar, vessels, and minister; also in all those atonements appointed for restoring persons to the privileges of public wor ship, who had for some time lain under disqualifica tions, on account of which, like the childbearing t woman, it was unlawful for them to touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, till the disqualifying circumstances were removed. Hence it appears reasonable to conclude, that the solemn annual atonements, appointed for the day of expiation, were not intended to convey a plenary forgiveness of all the sins of the children of Israel, considered coll lectively or individually, but only a yearly general removal of all'incapacities or disqualifications for the public worship of God, which either the nation or individuals might have contracted during the course of the preceding year, and which had not otherwise been atoned for. Whenever, therefore, we find forgiveness connected with the priest's making atonement, we must understand it only in respect to

the particular matter of the forgiveness of the forfeiture of the privilege of attending on public worship, which had been incurred.

Fourthly, It may be observed farther, that no atonements are appointed for transgression of the moral law, excepting the case mentioned before. Although we allow, that all the transgressions and sins of the children of Israel were atoned for on the day of expiation, yet, as was observed under the first head, this relates only to the privilege of attending the public worship of God, as appears from the purpose of the other appointments of atonement, and from those, which were made at the same time for the tabernacle, altar, and vessels, to cleanse and to hallow them from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. Agreeably to this observation we find David, lamenting his sin in the matter of Uriah, says among many other things to this purpose, Psalm li, 16; "Thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering." The law had appointed none of these things for cases like his. He adds, "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Hence also St. Paul says to the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia, Acts xiii, 39; By him, all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." For this law made very few provisions for the forgiveness of transgressions of the moral precepts, but on the contrary denounced, Num, xv, 30;

"The soul that doth aught presumptuously (whether he be born in the land or a stranger) the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people; because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off: his iniquity shall be upon him." It is very true, that ample declarations are made in the writings of Moses concerning the divine placability and readiness to forgive penitent sinners; and beside the exhortations he gave to the people to repentance in his life time, he recorded others of the same kind for the use of succeeding ages, when they should suffer rebukes for their sins, assuring them, that, if they returned to God by repentance, he would not fail to return to them by mercies and deliverance. But then, as our Lord said of circumcision, that it was not of Moses but of the fathers, so this was not a distinguishing doctrine of the law of Moses, but a principle of religion well known to the more early patriarchs. On this principle Noah preached repentance to the old world; also Job and his friends acknowledge and reason largely upon it. From what has been said upon the atonements of the Mosaic law, I think it is. clear, that they were of no avail by themselves to take away the guilt of sin, and secure the favour of God to sinners; but that they were appointed to maintain a regular intercourse between God and his people in the ordinances of public worship.

If, therefore, the doctrine of atonement for sin,

by satisfying divine justice, and removing the guilt arising from a violation of the moral precepts of religion, be a doctrine of Scripture, it must be founded entirely upon the New Testament; it derives no countenance from the Old; the atonements there mentioned were appointed for a different purpose. If the religious worship founded by Christ appear at the first view very different from that instituted by Moses, by the Gospel no particular place or edifice is appropriated or consecrated for the performance of the solemnities of public worship, to which Christians are required to repair, and at which alone to offer sacrifices and oblations. There is here no

cloud of glory, no visible symbol of the presence and majesty of God for the disciples of his son Jesus to worship before. But they are taught, John iv, 24, that God is a spirit, and those that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." God doth not exercise the office of a civil and political as well as religious ruler over Christians, as he did over the people of the Jews. He has established no where a worldly court, with it's apparatus of officers and ceremonials. As for the term atonement, it is found only once in the whole New Testament, and that is the passage which I have read to you as my text; but even here the original term is wrongly translated. The word, which is thus rendered (xalarλaynı), is elsewhere uniformly translated recon ciling or reconciliation, and ought to have been so rendered here," for if the casting away of them be

be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead?" 11 Cor. v, 18, 19; " And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation ;" and again verse 19, "and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." Nor is the word here rendered atonement ever used for the atonement mentioned in the law of Moses. By reconcilement in the text, as the word ought to have been rendered, the apostle means our admission to the privileges of the church and people of God, through the promulgation of the Gospel, consequent upon the death of Christ; for he says in verse the second of the chapter, "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace, wherein we stand." But although we are abundantly reconciled, justified, or brought into a more advantageous state of relation to God and favour with him by means of the death of Christ, the promulgation of the Gospel and our faith in him, yet the apostle represents our obtaining a full pardon and salvation from that, as an effect to be yet completed, "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:" then follow the words of the text, "and not only so, but we joy in by whom we have received the atonement," that is, the reconcili

God through our Lord Jesus Christ,