IV. Notwithstanding the terrors of this law, and the fevere punishments inflicted under it, the moft ftriking difplay that ever hath been, or poffibly can be, given of the holiness and justice of God, is in the fufferings of our Redeemer. Here we are first to attend to the fpotlefs innocence of the fufferer. "No guile was found in his lips.” There was no ftain of fin in his heart. From his conception to his death, he was "holy, harm"lefs, undefiled, and feparate from finners." "Yet "it pleafed JEHOVAH to bruife him; he hath put "him to grief." He," who knew no fin, was "made fin for us," made a fin-offering, and treated as if he had been the most atrocious finner that ever appeared on earth.

Nor are we to view him merely as an innocent man, but as "the Holy One of God." He is "the man, the fellow of JEHOVAH of hofts ;" who, as to his divine nature, was infinitely remote from fuffering, as well as infinitely above the law, with refpect to both its precept and its curfe. Yet the Father, fuftaining the character of Judge, gave forth this command; "Awake, O

66

fword, against my Shepherd, against the man "that is my fellow; fmite the Shepherd." If the punishment of one perfectly innocent, as bearing the iniquities of others by imputation, exhibits, in a striking point of view, the evil and demerit of fin, the holinefs and juftice of God, and the indifpenfable neceflity of a real atonement; how much more fully does this appear when

f Zech. xui. 7.

We

we view fin as punished in the adorable Person of the Son of God! What an affecting thought; that it was "the Prince of life," who was killed; "the juft One," who "fuffered for the unjuft;" "the Lord of glory," who was crucified !

We are further to confider the feverity of these fufferings. As "God fpared not his own Son, “but gave him up to the death," fo he spared him not as to the measure of his fufferings. The human nature was infeparably united to the divine, in one perfon; yet fo overwhelming was his agony, that he cried out; "My foul is exceeding

66

forrowful, even unto death;" his ftrength was dried up as a potfherd; and his heart was melted like wax. Although he received uninterrupted fupplies from the Holy Spirit, without meafure; yet fo unfpeakable was his fenfe of wrath, and fo hot was the indignation of God as a judge, that his holy human foul fhrunk back with horror from the cup given him to drink. He had been attefted from heaven as God's beloved Son, in whom he was well pleafed; yet the Father hid his face, and left the glorious Sufferer under fuch darkness of foul, as was but faintly figured by the preternatural darkness that covered the earth. "The pangs of hell took hold on him." His foul was made an offering for fin. He fuftained infinite wrath without any abatement. If these things were done "in a green tree, what "fhall be done in the dry?"

From the preceding confiderations it is evident, that there is a neceffary and infeparable connexion between fin and punishment. As this is established by the fupreme Lawgiver, it flows from his nature as God. For he cannot "behold iniqui"ty." He neceffarily feeks its deftruction, with all the energy of his infinite nature. Every fin is an appeal, both to his juftice, and to his power: and however the finner may flatter himself, this is the language in which God addreffes him; "Be "fure your fin will find you out." Sin acts as an informer against itself. As it brings this information in man's own confcience, it as certainly does fo at the bar of juftice. Nay, in relation to the neceffary exercife of juftice, fin is here, by a ftrong figure, reprefented as a meffenger that purfues the finner till it overtake him.

We perceive also, that the law affords no comfort to the finner. It was never revealed with this defign. For "what things foever the law

66

faith, it faith to them who are under the law, "that every mouth may be ftopped, and all the "world may become guilty before God." We can neither obey its precept, nor bear its curse. What folly then is it, for man to think of being juftified by a law that utters no fentence, fave that of eternal condemnation!

We learn the neceffity of a complete atonement for fin. This is the great doctrine taught by the law, as it was revealed from Mount Sinai. It was meant as a fchoolmafter to bring men to Chrift.

g Numb. xxxii. 23.

h Rom. ii. 19.

Chrift. It treated the Ifraelites with all feverity. It applied the rod of its threatening and curfe; that they might fee the neceflity of fleeing from it, to Him who was revealed, although more obfcurely, as the end" of the law for righteouf"nefs." By the multitude of its facrifices, as it could never be reafonably believed that God would accept of the blood of a beaft as an atonement for the fin of man, it both declared the neceffity of a complete fatisfaction, and directed them to look for one of this character in the fufferings of the promised Meffiah. By the conftant repetition of fuch facrifices, their infufficiency was taught, and the neceffity of one that fhould for ever take away fin.

The Church is now delivered from the ceremonial law. But the law, as a covenant of works, hath the fame language. It teftifies to the finner that it hath nothing in referve for him but eternal death. When it comes with power to the heart, man is convinced that except he be faved through the righteoufnefs of a Surety, he must certainly perish.

We may perceive the grace of our God, in providing a remedy, and especially in doing it at fuch infinite expence. Many pretend to plead for the riches of grace, at the expence of denying the atonement? "How does grace appear,' do they say," if complete fatisfaction must be "made for fin? Does it not exhibit this per"fection in a far more engaging light, if we "view God as pardoning fin without requiring

"any atonement to juftice?" But this doctrine, fo far from illuftrating, obfcures the grace of God. If a friend confers a favour on us, we esteem the favour in proportion to what it coft him. Were it confiftent with the nature of God, to pardon fin without any atonement, the difplay of his grace would be far inferior. But when we know from his word, that he will by no means clear "the guilty," that, from his effential and neceffary love of righteoufnefs, he punishes the wicked; we fee the highest reafon to admire the grace of God in the gift of his own Son as a facrifice. This is as much grace to us, as if no atonement had been neceffary; becaufe all the bleffings of the covenant are given "without money, and "without price :" and it is commended to us, exhibited in the most engaging point of view, becaufe "God fo loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son."

66

We learn the impoffibility of efcaping the ftroke of divine juftice, if we defpife the remedy. "How "fhall we escape, if we neglect fo great falva"tion?" He that defpifed Mofes' law, died with"out mercy. Of how much forer punishment "fhall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden "under foot the Son of God?" And all tread him under foot, who refufe to put the crown of their falvation on his head.

In fine, we perceive the neceffity of reverence in all our Chriftian fervice. In this very way, the apoftle, writing to the Hebrews, applies what he had faid with refpect to the terrors of the law,

and