the most plain and certain notions of the divine goodness, and to the whole current of revelation; which always assures us, that the pure love of God to a sinful world, was the first mover and original spring of the whole of our redemption by Christ, John iii. 16. All that Christ did and suffered, was by the will and appointment of God: and was conducive to our redemption only in virtue of his will and appointment. Heb. x. 7. John v. 30.vi. 27, 38.

155. II. Nor can it be true, that by his sufferings he satisfied justice,* or the law of God. For it is very certain and very evident, that justice and law can no otherwise be satisfied than by the just and legal punishment of the offender. In the day thou eatest thereof dying thou shalt die; Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them, is the eternal and immuta

*

By justice, in this case, is not meant justice as it is an attribute in God, or that branch of his moral rectitude, which we call righteousness: but justice as stinted and directed by law commanding duty, and denouncing a penalty in case of transgression. Here therefore justice and law come to the same thing; only law is the rule, and justice is acting according to, or the execution of, that rule.

ble language of law. Law, in its own nature, must always condemn the criminal ¿ and justice, acting according to law, must always precisely inflict the penalty. But the pardoning grace of the lawgiver is not obstructed by any demands of law and justice. For he can set them aside; and whenever he grants a pardon, he must necessarily set law and justice aside, or take the affair out of their hands, and determine it by his own prerogative and wisdom. Not law and justice, but wisdom and goodness are the rules, and the only rules, of pardoning mercy. And all the world allows, that several just considerations may possibly occur to satisfy the lawgiver, or to render it expedient and proper for him, to relax the penalty of the law, and to extend his favour and mercy to offenders. And if this were not allowed, in proper cases, there could be no such thing as a pardon, or mitigation of the sentence of law, either with God or man. Which in every nation, and throughout the whole universe, would be a state of things the most unreasonable and the most dreadful. And thus, by the pardoning mercy of the lawgiver, offenders may be released from the penalty

or curse of the law most effectually, and to all manner of intents and purposes. As therefore the scripture never speaks, (nor, in any consistency, can speak) of Christ's satisfying the divine law or justice, so it is evident, there is no necessity for it for all the ends of redemption may be obtained without it, by satisfying the wisdom of the lawgiver.

156. III. Nor will the notion of Christ's dying in our stead, paying an equivalent, or suffering a vicarious punishment, bear the test of scripture or reason.* 1. Because this notion never enters into the notion of atonement by sacrifice. [113, 114, 118.] 2. It is but saying in other words, that he fully satisfied law and justice, by dying in our stead, or suffering so much as in law and justice was equivalent to our suffering. But law and justice can never admit of one man's dying in the stead of another; or of his suffering the punishment which in law and justice is due to the offender only.†

See this point admirably well argued in a small pamphle, entitled, Second Thoughts concerning the death and sufferings of Christ. P. 15–23.

It is usual here to allege pecuniary cases, in which ⚫ne person pays money for another, who is insolvent. But money, in its proper nature and use, is a transferable

And if the lawgiver should insist upon vicarious punishment, or require the innocent to die, or accept the voluntary death of the innocent, by way of commutation for the death of the nocent, this seems more inconsistent with righteousness and justice, and more remote from all the ends of moral government, than simply to pardon the nocent without any consideration at all. For it seems more contrary to justice and equity both to acquit the nocent and punish the innocent, than only to acquit the nocent, and suffer him to go unpunished. 3. Punishment may be considered as just and fitting; but I cannot conceive how it should be a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour, Eph. v. 2, pleasing and grateful to God, as delicious, fragrant odours are to our senses: much less such unequitable punishment. 4. Vicarious punishment or suffer

property, which may be mine, or yours, or his; and may be lent, or given away as the proprietor pleases, or as parties can agree. But guilt is my doing wrong, whereby I become obnoxious to punishment. And therefore guilt in its own nature cannot be transferred. For punishment is necessarily connected with the wrong done; and the wrong is done, and therefore can be done by none but myself: therefore punishment can be due to none, and consequently can possibly be inflicted upon none, but myself.

ing, (in which, upon this scheme, the efficacy of Christ's death for the remission of sin solely consists) gives us too low ideas of the sufferings of the Son of God; as it sinks them to the pain and sufferings of a malefactor, the very meanest idea we can have of them. He suffered, as if he had been the criminal, the pain and punishment, which we, or equivalent to that which we, the real criminals, should have suffered; or he was executed by the hand of justice in our stead. A representation quite too low and insipid for an affair concerted in the council of God, and accomplished by his only begotten Son. 5. This notion, as it includes the imputation of our sins to Christ, and of his righteousness, or fulfilling of the law, to us. supplies consequences very hurtful to piety and virtue and some Christians have actually drawn such consequences from it.

157. That the preposition UTεр, when applied to Christ's dying for us, doth not signify in the place, or stead of, I have shewn in my Paraphrase upon the Romans, in the note upon chap. v. 7. Nor doth the preposition av imply that sense in those texts, Mat. xx. 28, hulgov avlı moλλwv, e