rescue them from this ruin and that wretched

ness, he fice to God, for a sweet smelling savour;' and, as their substitute, voluntarily undertook to redeem them from death and all its dreadful consequences.

gave himself an offering and a sacri

In a compact so characteristic of the Father of mercies, it appears, from scriptural representation, to have been stipulated that the Son of his bosom should take the nature of man into union with his divine person; that he should in that nature, bear the sins of many-be numbered with transgressors-make his soul an offering for sin-finish transgression, make an end of sins-make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness:' and as a reward for the performance of this substitutionary work, his eternal Father promised "That he should see his seed; should prolong his days --should see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied-and that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hands.' In consequence of his own engagement and of this promise, our adorable Sponsor said, 'Lo, I come in the

volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.'

To accomplish the astonishing work of redemption, the Son of God must become incarnate; assume the nature that had sinned, and in that nature make complete reparation to the law which the objects of his affectionate regard had grossly violated. Without reparation their salvation was impracticable. As transgressors, they must inevitably have perished; or the divine law have relinquished its claim on them ast debtors; which, in the very nature of the case, was impossible. No law, human or divine, founded in justice and given as a rule of moral conduct, can dispense with a breach of its commands. Were a desperate assassin to plunge a dagger into the bosom of his most inveterate enemy, the law of his country would demand his life as an atonement for the crime: it could not do otherwise. It is allowed, indeed, that the murderous villain might escape the penalty of death by the intervention of a pardon; but for this pardon he would not be indebted to the

benignity of the law, but to the unjust interposition of his prince. The law would remain invariably the same: it must ever view him as a notorious transgressor; and unless its requirements be granted, or its violated honours amply restored, oppose all his efforts to obtain liberty preserve life.

or to

Now thus it stands with sinful man, respecting the great Governor of heaven and of earth. The divine law, which was given as a rule of conduct, has been broken in a thousand instances; and its language to the candidate for eternal happiness on the ground of human worthiness is, Pay me that thou owest !- Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.' This demand is founded in equity, aud can neither be evaded nor complied with by the culprit: he lies under an arrest of Justice; and unless the demands of the claimant be answered by the sinner or his substitute, he must remain perpetually a debtor, and feel the weight of its sentence for ever. 'Without an adequate atonement, says the ingenious Blacklock, no sinner can pos

sibly escape the hands, or elude the awards of justice. But such a compensation can by no means be given, if the delinquent's capacities of suffering be limited, or his station and character of no higher importance than those of his brethren; for the malignity of moral evil is too diffuse and permanent to be cured by, any exemplary punishment, whose duration and extent are circumscribed. Even penitence itself cannot obliterate the evils which it deplores. Transgressions already past, and recorded in the books of heaven, are not to be reversed by resolutions of future reformation. The purest virtue of which human nature is capable, extends not to the sanctity of those laws which are prescribed for its obedience. Our best actions demand the exertions of mercy and forgiveness; how then can we atone for them that are bad?"

Let it therefore be remembered, that on the ground of personal desert, no sinner can be saved. This is absolutely impossible: and the reason is obvious. He has violated the precept that ensured to him while innocent the enjoyment of happiness and no future conduct, however ex

emplary, can atone for crimes previously com mitted. The punishment of vice, says, Mr. Jenyns, is a debt due to justice, which cannot be remitted without compensation: repentance can be no compensation; it may change a man's dispositions, and prevent his offending for the future, but can lay no claim to pardon for what is past. If any one by profligacy and extravagance contracts a debt, repentance may make him wiser, and hinder him from running into further distresses, but can never pay off his old bonds; for which he must be ever accountable, unless they are discharged by himself, or some other in his stead.' As therefore a continuance of happiness was conditionally annexed to perfect and perpetual obedience only; that happiness cannot be enjoyed without entire conformity to the conditions on which it was promised. The scriptures peremptorily declare, That the whole world is become guilty before Godthat, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin-If, therefore, righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain!'