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love to them, unspeakably willing) to die for those offenders, or to suffer in their stead, as much as an innocent being can well suffer; and he should likewise order it to be declared to those offenders, that this person freely, and agreeably to his will, lays down his life for their redemption from death; and that he himself is willing to consider and accept of his death, as available to that end, or as a ground of his forgiving them their past sins, and entering into a new covenant or agreement with them; according to which, such of them as for the future shall sincerely endeavour to be universally holy and obedient, shall be entitled to his favour, and receive solid and lasting testimonies of it; supposing, I say, God should do all this; would it not be so far from being inconsistent with the ends of his moral government, as to be a likely expedient to promote them? Would it not give his subjects an high opinion of his justice and righteousness, as well as his mercy and goodness; excite in them a reverence for his laws, and an abhorrence of sin; and, in a word, when properly considered in all its circumstances, at once present them

with the most awakening, and the most engaging motives to repentance and obedience?

If, indeed, when you speak of an innocent person's suffering and dying in the stead of sinners, you consider his death separately from all its circumstances, and particularly, from its obvious and designed beneficial tendency, considered as an offering and sacrifice for sin; it is no wonder, that you should maintain, that it would be more agreeable to justice and equity to acquit the nocent without any such suffering at all since, considered in such a light, it is manifestly unnecessary and useless (to say the least) and therefore had better not be undergone. But, as to the sufferings of Christ in particular, I know no reason, even considering them as vicarious, why we should view them in so naked a light: we may very well maintain, that he died in our stead, without being obliged to shut our eyes to any important practical truths, which his death as vicarious may be fitted to teach us. And as his death even so considered is, so far as I can see, plainly fitted to teach us several such important truths ; I cannot forbear looking upon it,

even in that view (especially as it was so voluntary a one) as by no means inconsistent with justice, or any of the great ends of God's moral government. And this will easily supply an answer to your next particular.

3. Punishment (as you there observe) 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:' much less such unequitable punishment.' That punishment, strictly speaking, should be so, is, I suppose, hard to conceive : but, if your meaning be, that our Lord's sufferings, if vicarious, must be considered as a punishment; and that therefore you cannot conceive how, upon that supposition, they should be pleasing to God: I would observe, that it does not follow from their being vicarious, supposing them such, that we are to consider them as a punishment inflicted upon him. A person, who lays down his life in the stead of another, though, so far as his doing so is a means, through the good pleasure of the offended party, of saving that other from death, he may be justly said to bear his sin or guilt;

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such a person, I say, is yet not necessarily to be considered as a criminal; nor of consequence, his death as void of merit : because, in laying down his life in the other's stead, he may act very freely: nay, he is supposed to act freely; and not only so, but to shew likewise the highest degree of benevolence, or virtuous affection : which cannot be the case of one, who suffers for his own crimes, or is punished, properly speaking. So that, as his death, notwithstanding its being vicarious, is supposed to flow from such an affection; it not only may, but must be pleasing to a good Being. It is easy to apply this reasoning (and that with peculiar force too) to the particular subject before us but I shall only observe, that if it be just, it must of course be easy to conceive, how the death of Christ should be a sacrifice pleas ing and grateful to God, notwithstanding its being vicarious. And this will render it unnecessary to remark particularly upon what you say here in the 4th place; where you proceed upon the same (as I take it) mistaken supposition: viz. that our Lord's suffering, if vicarious, must be considered as strictly penal.

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As to what you add under your last particular, that this notion (of Christ's dying ' in our stead) 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 :" I shall only observe, that though the word (imputation) is what, for my own part, I never was fond of using, when I have had occasion to speak upon this subject; yet, if we take the word in its true sense, I do not see, but that it may be very properly and safely applied to the sufferings and obedience of Christ. And, indeed, sir, if I mistake not, how surprising soever it may be thought to be; your own sentiments, not only concerning the righteousness of Christ, but also the original sin of Adam, are such, as that both the one and the other may very consistently be said, even by you, sir, to be imputed to us, i. e. to be placed or set down to our account for so surely they may be said to be; supposing only, that upon the ac

* See Dr. Doddridge's first sermon on the scripture doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, page 15, &c.

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