death, decides nothing as to the manner in which it was made.

"By the blood of Christ then," says Mr. G. " the oracles of truth mean the totality of the merits of his expiatory sufferings." It is true that the blood of Christ is sometimes spoken of in the scriptures, as if it constituted the whole price of our redemption.

And

why? Not because it is to be understood in a figurative and "mystical" sense; but because the sufferings of Christ during the last hours of his life, particularly from the time of his agony in the garden, to the time when he expired on the cross, constitute by far the most important part of his sufferings. It was then that he bore our sins in his own body on the tree, and emphatically made atonement. Hence the blood and death of Christ are often spoken of, as if they constituted the whole of the atonement.

CHAPTER X.

Death of Christ. Evidence that the death which Christ suffered, was a literal death in his human nature. It was the death of the cross. Death inflicted by the hands of men. The life which Christ laid down, was the life which he took again at his resurrection. The death which Christ suffered was accomplished at Jerusalem. It is commemorated in the Lord's supper. It was the death of the body. The incarnate God could die. did die, but it was as man he died, not as God. Examination of Rev. 1: 18; "I am he that liveth and was dead." Heb. 1: 3; and Phil. 2: 5-8; The exaltation of Christ.

He

THAT Christ died to make atonement for sin, is asserted in different forms, in a great multitude of instances in the scriptures. Rom. 5: 8; "God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 1 Cor. 15: 3; "For I delivered to you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures." Rom. 5: 6 ; "In due time, Christ died for the ungodly." 2 Cor. 5: 14; For we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead." Rom. 5: 10; "If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son." Very many more texts, of similar import, might be quoted.

Now what are we to understand by this language? In what sense did Christ die? Did he die in his human nature only, or in his divine nature? If the declarations of scripture are to be taken in their most ob

vious import, there can be no doubt on this point. It is certain that he did die a literal death in his human nature. Did he also die in his divine nature? Did the everliving God suffer death? It would seem as if the bare statement of this question, would be a sufficient answer to it.

That the death of Christ was a literal death in his human nature, is evident from several circumstances mentioned in connection with it.

the ghost.

1. The death which Christ suffered, was the death of the cross. It was to endure this death that he became incarnate. He "took upon him the form of a servant," and "became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Now we know that it was Christ as man, who died on the cross. It was his human body which was nailed to the accursed tree. It was as man that he bowed his head, and gave up But it is said, "If the expiatory death was but the death of the cross in the literal import of the words, then bodily pain was the sole price of redemption." This does not follow. It was on the cross that Christ experienced the bitterest sufferings of his soul. It was there that he exclaimed, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And since it is expressly declared that the death which he endured was the death of the cross, we must believe that it was a death endured in his human nature only, unless we put a forced and unnatural construction upon the language of scripture.

"The terms," says Mr. G., "the death of the cross, when applied by the Holy Ghost, to the passion

of the incarnate Deity, swell beyond their lexicographic meaning, as far as the distance from the manger-cradle to the eternal throne. The lowly terms when thus infinitely expanded, represent, not only the pains corporeal and mental of Mary's human son, but the descent, and incarnation, and self-immolation of him who said, 'let there be light, and there was light.""

In regard to this statement I will simply ask, is this receiving the words of scripture in their "plain, obvious and ordinary import ?”

2. The death which Christ suffered, was a death inflicted by the hands of men. Christ thus foretold his death, Luke 18: 31-33; "Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on, and they shall scourge him, and put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again." Acts 2: 23; "Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and with wicked hands, have crucified and slain." Ver. 36; "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." 1 Thess. 2: 15; "Who have both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets." Acts 3: 15; " And killed the Prince of Life, whom God hath raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses." 1 Cor. 2: 8; "Which none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known it, they

would not have crucified the Lord of glory." And did the murderers of Christ put him to death in his divine nature? Man can kill the body only.

But who was the "Prince of life, and the Lord of glory?" "Doubtless," says Mr. G., "it was not the mere humanity of him of Nazareth." This no one pretends. These titles designate the Lord Jesus Christ, that Person who is both God and man. But they killed the Prince of life, and crucified the Lord of glory. Who did it? The princes of this world. Men. And did men kill the divine Being? Did men nail the divine nature to the cross? Let it be remembered that there is no intimation given by the sacred writers, that the Prince of life, and Lord of glory suffered any other death than that which was inflicted by the hands of men. The death, therefore, spoken of, must have been the literal death which Christ suffered in his human nature.

But the name "Prince of life" denotes more than the humanity of Christ. True. So the name Abel denotes more than the mere body of Abel. But when he was slain by him who could only kill the body, we say that Abel was killed. So the scriptures affirm that Christ was crucified and slain, although it was true only of his human body. But says Mr. G. "man is not perforated by the perforation of his vestment." Very true-because his vestment is no part of his person. But a man is perforated by the perforation of his body, and this is the only way in which he can be perforated; for what steel ever perforated the immortal spirit?