triumphant head of a happy, grateful, redeemed people to the honour and glory of GoD, the eternal father. Thus in all things it behoved Chrift to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to GOD, to make reconciliation for the fins of the people, By virtue of his human nature, he was capable of obeying and suffering in the place of man*; and by

virtue

I am fenfible that the vicarious fufferings of Chrift, in the room and ftead of finners, has been much spoken against, not only by infidels, but by many profeffed Chriftians. The offence taken at this doctrine feems chiefly to arife from the unreasonablenefs and injuftice of the fame matter in human focieties, in which it would be esteemed not only highly injurious, but also highly impolitic, to admit the punishment of an innocent perfon, in the room and ftead of one who is guilty in capital cases. And indeed fo it would, for by this means the fociety muft lofe its beft members and retain its worst; which, befides the iniquity of the thing, muft prove very prejudicial to the interefts of human fociety, and deftroy the end and efficacy of human laws.But the truth is, the two cafes admit of no parallel. Chrift perfectly foreknew, and freely underwent the fufferings which were laid upon him. His life was wholly at his own difpofal, he had power to lay it down, and power to take it upon him again, John x. 18.

His human nature had also a large and glorious reward conferred upon it by the deity, which was a noble equivalent and retribution for its fhort, though bitter fufferings: For because he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, therefore GOD alfo hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jefus every knee should bow, and every tongue con

fefs

virtue of his divine nature, his obedience and fufferings had an infinite worth and merit in the fight of GOD. Hereby GOD's law was honoured, his juftice fatisfied, his hatred against fin difplayed, his mercy magnified, and a way for the honourable exercise of that attribute towards finners opened, so that he might appear to be perfectly juft, even in juftifying fuch finners as believe in Jefus ;-and might confult and promote

fefs that he is Lord, to the glory of God the father, Phil. ii. 8-11. He was well affured that his vicarious fufferings would be pleafing to his heavenly father, advantageous to himself, advancive of the divine glory,

and beneficial to the fouls of them for whom he fuffered. Warrants and encouragements thefe, which no other perfon can poffibly have in the like cafe.Befides, the moral world could not fuffer in the least by the impunity of thofe guilty perfons for whom he died (as human focieties fuffer by the impunity of criminal members) because the very defign of his dying for them, was, that of guilty rebels he might make them loyal and obedient fubjects, and worthy members of GOD's moral kingdom: He gave himfelf for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify us unto himself, a peculiar people zealous of good works, Tit. ii. 14. And thofe who ftill continue to oppose and refift his faving method, fhall meet with a more aggravated punishment, in proportion to the greatness of their guilt: They fhall be punished with everlasting deftruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, 2 Theff. i. 9. So that you fee there is an infinite disparity between the vicarious fufferings of Christ, and that of innocent members in human focieties; and therefore, it is highly unreasonable to argue from the one to the other, and to conclude, that because the one would be injurious and unreasonable, therefore the other must be so too.

the

the glory of every perfection while he was in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself, and not imputing their trefpaffes unto them*. See Rom. iii. 26. 2 Cor. v. 19.

Now,

THE grand objection urged against the gospel by the heathen philofophers, and which ftill feems to offend infidels, is, that it fuppofes GOD to have sent his only begotten fon into the world to die by the hands, and in the stead of such mean, worthless creatures, as guilty men. This doctrine of Chrift crucified was to them foolishness in the very abftract. They could by no means bear the thought of a dying GoD, a fuffering divinity, a crucified faviour; nor could they bring together into their minds the diftant extremes of divinity and humanity, fo as to fuppose them capable, of being united in one perfon. Hence they treated the doctrine of the incarnation as an incredible romance, and regarded the sufferings of the fon of GoD as an abfurd, impious and profane fable. But this objection arifes either from an ignorance of the gospel doctrine, concerning the natures and perfon of Chrift, or from a studied intricating and perplexing of the question.

FOR although Chriftians in a loofe, rhetorical and figurative file, and agreeable to what they call the communicatio idiomatum, or the reciprocal attribution of the properties of Chrift's different natures to his complex perfon, do fpeak of the humiliation, fuffering, blood and death of GOD; i e. of him who in one of his natures is GOD, yet they religiously deny, in ftrict propriety of speech, the poffibility of Chrift's divine nature, or its being capable of fuftaining any loss, or diminution of its original and effential glory or happiness, by virtue of its union with his hu manity: For as the rays of the fun can fuffer no contamination by fhining on a dunghill, and as the deity is effentially prefent in hell, without enduring

any

Now, in order that finners may become partakers of the benefits of this redemption, it is made

any pain, fo the divinity of Chrift was intimately united to his humbled and fuffering humanity, without enduring any fenfe of pain, or fustaining any abatement of its primitive glory, by fuch union.

IF it should appear incredible that the divine nature fhould condefcend fo low, as to unite itself to a human foul and body, for the redemption and falvation of fuch worthlefs polluted creatures as finners of mankind; we must confefs indeed, that this is an aftonishing inftance of condefcenfion and philanthropy! -But if we take a comprehenfive view of the actual and poffible defigns of this myftery, we fhali ceafe to think it incredible. Let us not therefore confine the end and defign of Chrift's incarnation and fufferings, merely to the redemption and falvation of a few finners of mankind, how excellent and God-like foever this defign may appear; but let us extend our views, and confider how much GoD's effential justice was glorified, and his eternal law honoured by the obedience and fatisfaction of Chrift.-Let us confider what a demonftration this gave, perhaps to ten thoufand worlds of intelligent creatures, of God's hatred against fin, his love of righteousness and order, and of the riches of his exuberant mercy!-Befides, who can tell what excellent purposes this inftance of God's feverity and mercy may have ferved in other worlds, and among other ranks of beings, to us unknown, to whom, however, it may have been communicated by the great father of all spirits, for wife and, to us, infcrutable defigns? Who dare pofitively fay, that it is not a means in the comprehenfive scheme of the divine government, of confirming and preferving other provinces of the intellectual world, in a ftate of obedience and happiness, and of promoting the perfeverance, and exciting the eternal admiration,

reverence

made neceffary, on their part, that they believe this gofpel report; become duly fenfible of their own guilt, weaknefs and unworthiness, of the mercy of GOD, and the allfufficiency of

reverence, love and praife of the whole fyftem of intel-
lectual beings? It is not obfcurely intimated in the fa-
cred records, that Chrift the redeemer, is the lord of
angels as well as of men, that fuperior intelligences
pry with defire and attention into the fcheme of re-
deeming grace: Upon the birth of Chrift these be-
nevolent fpirits are reprefented as deeply interefting
themselves in this furprizing event, as an event which
would give rife to a new tribute of glory and praise
to GoD in the higheft heavens, as well as produce
peace upon earth, and good-will towards men.
that there is probably a closer connection than we are
yet aware of, between ourselves and other systems of
intellectual being, and although these connections
may, for wife reasons, be concealed from us, in this
ftate of our existence, yet they may, for reafons
equally wife, be revealed to thefe other fyftems of
being, and have a very confiderable influence upon
their moral conduct.

So

It is pitiable ignorance, and wretched arrogance of a crawling infect of this terraqueous globe, to take upon him to measure the divine difpenfations by the proportion of his own fhort and narrow understanding, and to deny their wisdom and equity, merely because he is not able to comprehend their excellency, or penetrate all their reafons.

THE narrow and contracted views of infidels in matters fupernatural, and that freedom and boldness with which they cenfure things, far beyond the ken of human understanding, and the decifions of human reafon, puts me often in mind of Mr. Addison's fly, Guard. Vol. I. No. 70, than which I do not remember to have met with a finer and jufter piece of raillery.

Chrift;