one Body with his ancient Church and People, the fews [136, 137]. One Part of his thus reconciling us was, his not imputing to us our Trefpaffes, 2 Cor. v. 19. Thus then we are reconciled to God by the Death of his Son, as his Death was a Reason of God's remitting the Sins of the Gentile World, which were paft; and, instead of inflicting the Punishment due to them, of granting thofe, who embraced the Gofpel, free Liberty to join themselves to the Church, removing whatever in the Jewish Constitution hindered their Admittance, and accepting them as his People interested in all the Honours and Bleffings of his Kingdom and Covenant. And then he fent his Apostles to preach Peace, or Reconciliation, &c. Which in Ephef. ii. 16, 17. is confidered as the Confequence of Chrift's reconciling both Jews and Gentiles unto God in one Body by the Crofs. He first reconciled them by the Crofs, and afterwards by his Apoftles came and preached peace, &c.

152. I CONCLUDE therefore; that the Sacrifice of Chrift, was truely, and properly, in the highest Degree, and far beyond any other, PIACULAR and EXPIATORY, to make Atonement for, or to take away Sin. Not only to give us an Example; not only to affure us of Remiffion; or to procure our Lord a Commiffion to pub

lifh the Forgiveness of Sin: but moreover to obtain that Forgiveness, by doing what God in his Wifdom and Goodness judged fit and expedient to be done in order to the Forgiveness of Sin; and without which he did not think it fit or expedient to grant the Forgivenefs of Sin.

CHA P.

153.

WE

Death.

E now come to the MEAN, the Death of Chrift, variously expreft by his Blood, his Crofs, his giving himself, being crucified, giving himself an Offering and Sacrifice, and other Phrafes, which are all to be found in the preceding Collecof Texts; and, as to our prefent Defign, need no Explication. What requires our particular Attention is, to state the Connection between the Mean and the Effects: or to fhew, wherein the Virtue and Efficacy of Chrift's Death confifts, as it ftands in Relation to the Effects affigned to it; or as it is a Reason or Confideration of God's forgiving of Sin, and conferring the Bleffings of the Gospel. And

154. I. THE Design of it could not be to make God merciful; or to difpofe him to spare and pardon us, when, as fome fuppofe, so great was his Wrath, that had not Chrift interpofed, he would have deftroyed us. This is

directly

directly contrary to the most plain and certain Notions of the Divine Goodness, and to the whole Current of Revelation; which always affures us, that the pure Love of God to a finful World, was the firft Mover and original Spring of the whole of our Redemption by Chrift, John iii. 17. All that Chrift did and fuffered, 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 fatisfied Juftice *, or the Law of God. For it is very certain and very evident, that Justice and Law can no otherwife be fatisfied than by the just and legal Punishment of the Offender. In the day thou eateft thereof dying thou shalt die; Curfed

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 immutable Language of Law. Law, in it's own Nature, must always condemn the Criminal; and Justice

* By Justice, in this Cafe, is not meant Justice as it an Attribute in God, or that Branch of his moral Rectitude, which we call Righteousness: but Juftice as ftinted and directed by LAW commanding Duty and denouncing a Penalty in Cafe of Tranfgreffion. Here therefore Justice and Law come to the fame Thing; only Law is the Rule, and Justice is acting according to, or the Execution of, that Rule.

Juftice, acting according to Law, must always precifely inflict the Penalty. But the pardoning Grace of the Lawgiver is not obftructed by any Demands of Law and Juftice. For he can fet them afide; and when ever he grants a Pardon, he must neceffarily fet Law and Juftice afide, or take the Affair out of their Hands, and determine it by his own Prerogative and Wisdom. Not Law and Juftice, but Wifdom and Goodness are the Rules, and the only Rules, of pardoning Mercy. And all the World allows, that feveral juft Confiderations may poffibly occur to fatisfy 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 Cafes, there could be no fuch Thing as a Pardon, or 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 Curfe of the Law most effectually, and to all Manner of Intents and Purpofes. As therefore the Scripture never fpeaks, (nor, in any Confistency, can speak) of Chrift's fatisfying the Divine Law or Juftice, fo it is evident, there is no Neceffity

for