Repentance; confecrated his Life and all his Powers and Enjoyments to the Honour of God; and was affured of the divine Favour, while he continued true to his religious Engagements.

27. THUS alfo we may form an Idea of the Effect that Sacrifices had with God. Which cannot well be conceived to be any other than that of Prayer and Praise, or other Expreffions of our religious Regards; which are pleafing to God, as they proceed from, or produce, good Affections in us. Therefore as it is faid, that Cornelius his Prayers and Alms came up for a Memorial before God; and that the effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous Man, availeth much; it may in the fame Senfe be faid, that the worthy Sacrifices of righteous Men came up before God, and availed much. But,

28. SECONDLY, to what did they avail? Or what Effect had they with Reference to the Perfons, by whom they were offered? Ans. They were effectual to obtain the Bleffings defired. Particularly, Sin-offerings or piacular Sacrifices (to which we shall now wholly confine our Inquiries) were available to the Forgiveness of Sin. For it is often repeated in Lev. iv, v, vi, Chapters, And the Priest fhall make atonement for him, or them, or for the Sin, and it shall be forgiven. Now, taking the Sacrifice as a penitent Addrefs to God, this may be account

ed for in the fame Manner as all other Declarations of Forgiveness to those who repent. And to me it feems fufficiently to account for the Efficacy of piacular Sacrifices, that, in the Sight of God, and with Regard to his Acceptance, the Pricft made Atonement for Sin, by facrificing a Beaft, only as that was a Sign and Teftimony of the Sacrificer's pure and upright Heart; or of that pious Difpofition, which the religious Shedding of Blood, and other Sacrifical Rites fuggefted to him.

CHAP.

CHA P. III.

Of Transferring of Guilt, and bearing of Sin.

29.

•BUT

UT others think differently upon this Subject. They fuppofe, That the Guilt of the Offender was transferred to, or laid upon, the Sacrifice; and that this was fignified by the Sacrificer's laying his Hand upon the Head of it, as in the Cafe of the Scape-Goat; which therefore is faid to bear upon him all the Iniquities of the Children of Ifrael. Hence 'tis concluded, That the Sacrifice must be confidered, as fubfiituted in the Place of the Offender, and as dying in his Stead; and fo fuffering a fuccedaneous, or vicarious Punishment. And this is fuppofed to give us the true and proper Notion of Atonement; namely, the fatisfying Divine Juftice, by another's fuffering the Punishment, due to the Criminal's Sin, in bis Stead.

30. THIS opens a large Field of Examination, which I fhall divide into four Parts. 1. Transferring of Guilt. 2. Bearing of Sin. 3. Vicarious Punishment, or fubftituting

B 4

tuting the Sacrifice in the Place of the Offender. 4. The true Notion of Atone

ment.

31. I. IT hath been commonly fuppofed that the Sin of the Offender, was transferred to the Sacrifice. This is grounded upon Lev. xvi. 21. Aaron fhall lay both his hands upon the head of the live Goat, and confefs over him all the iniquities of the children of Ifrael, and all their tranfgreffions in all their fins, putting them upon the head of the Goat. And upon this fingle Inftance the Notion. must rest. For no where is any Sacrifice faid to have Sin put upon it, or to bear Sin. Nor is there any Foundation for the Arguments taken from laying Hands on the Head of the Sacrifice, or from the Uncleanness contracted by burning the Sin-offerings, [10, 11.] to prove, that Sin was put upon fuch Offerings. For Hands were laid upon all Sorts of Sacrifices, as well as Sin-offerings; [7.] and Uncleannefs, obliging Perfons to wash, was contracted by touching Things where certainly no Guilt was transferred, as creeping things, &c. Lev. xi. 23, 24. -XV. 4-8.-xxii. 4, 5, 6. We have therefore neither Inftance, nor Argument left to juftify, in any Senfe. the Sentiment of transferring Sin, but this here of the High-Prieft's putting the Iniquities of the Children of Ifrael upon the Scape-Goat. And how did

he

he put them? Common Senfe will not allow us to imagine, That Sin, which can truly be imputed to the Offender alone, whofe alone it is, was ever really transferred to another; much less to a Brute altogether uncapable of Sin.

32. WE must therefore conceive, that Sin could be put upon the Scape-Goat no otherwife than figuratively, or interpretatively; or fo, as that the People might confider and meditate upon what was done, as if their Sins were laid upon the Goat. It was a figurative Inftruction fet before their Minds, and was to have it's Effects there. For no where else could it have any Effect: However not with God. For what Effect could it have with him, that the Guilt of any Perfon was to be confidered as if it were put upon a Brute? But it might have a very good Effect upon the Minds of the Worshippers, by fhewing them, that their Sins were certainly and effectually pardoned. Which I make no Doubt was the Meaning of putting the Iniquities of the People upon the Scape-Goat; and his carrying them away into a defert, uninhabited Country, where he was no more to be regarded, or fought after. It fignified that God had caft all their Sins, repented of, behind his back, put them out of his Sight, and would never lay them to their charge.

33. II. AND