in Contriving Man_'s Red~'!!f!i~n. The terms are ufed, that are proper to the cancelling a C/vil Bond. the killing Let-~ ter of the Law is abolilh'd by the Blood of the Crofs, the' Nails and the Spear have rent Chap. '4· it in pieces~ to fignifie that its condemning Power is taken a war. · . , . l..I""'V'"'\. Now the infinite virtue of his Dea'th in raking away the guilt of fin will ~ore fqlly appear, if we confider: t. That it bath procured Pardon for tins committed in all Ages of' the vVorld. With; out the intervention of a Sacrifice, God would not pardon, and the mofl coflly !hat ·were offered up by Sinners, were of no va lue to make Compenfution tb Juflite: Br,t the Blood of Chrifl was the only Propitiation for fins commi tted : IHMe his co'!'i ng. The Apt>file tells us, (Heb. 9· 25, 26.) He was not oblig~d to offir ~imfelf often; •i the High-Priefl entred into the Holy Place ever} Year with the Blood· of othe':r 1 bHt now o;nce. it; ~~:adc::c:~/;~/~~~~s ?:, art::~·:~. 1:i;;~e ~f&is~:~ri~ce t;;te;d:tii 1el~';;(1fi ' t~le1~ For otherwife in regard Men have a)ways needed Propitiation, HemuU h,av' fuffered often finte the Creation of the World, And if it be ask'd, how his Death had a Caving ~n~ fluenc• before He aC\ually [offered? The Anfwer is clear: We mufl confid~r the Death of Cbrifl, not as a Natural, but Moral Caufe: Tis not as a Medicine that heals, but _as a Ranfom that frees a Captive. Natural Cau[es operate nothing before their real Exifl~nce i> but 'ris nor necelfary that Moral Caufes lhould have an aC\na l being: Tis fuffiden~ l.~'!t they !ball be, and that the Per[on with whom they are etfeC\ual, accept the Pro,mire. As a Captive is releafl; upon alfllranc_e given that he will fend his R~n[om, thoug(.'t,is not aC\ually depofited. Thus the Death of Chrifl was available to purchafe Pardon for Believers before his coming; for 'he interpofed as rheir Sure~y, and Cod, to wh0m1 ~11 things are prefent, )mew the AccompliOm1ent of it in the appointed tim;: I"Je i1 theo·efoJe call'd the Lamh flain fi:om the FomJdation of the l1lorlcl, Rev. 1 :;. 8. ,not only in r:e, fpe/J: of God's Decree, but his Efficacy. The Salvation we derive from Mi,m, was. I'Yer in him. He appeare<,l under the Empire of Aug".fhu, and died under TiberiJtr, b~t he was a Redeemer in all Ages, otherwife the Comparifon were not jufl, that as by Ad.,;; aU die, fo by ChrijlaU are ,,,de alive, 1 Cor. I 5· D. , . ' 'Tis true, under t,he Old Teflament they had not a clear knowledge ()f him, ;yet they enjoyed the be.nefit of his unvalued Sufferings. For theMedih.m by :.vhi.c!J_the ~.em;(l~ our Redeemer purchafed, are conveyed to Men, is not the exaCt knowledge of \yh~t he did and fuffered, but fin cere Faith in the Promife of God. Now the .divine f:l..eyelati.on being the Rule and Meafure of our Faith, fuch a degree was fufficient to Salva(ion, as anfwered the general difcovery of Grace. Believers depended upon God's good.nefs tQ pardon them in fuch a way as was honourable to his Juflice. They had fame geper.al Knowledge that the Meffiah lho,uld come, and bring Salvation: Abraham rcjoyced to fc~ ~~1'tefk;~;~~ :::r::at~=e~:}:,i~!!/~;o~;;!.;;:~ifl;.r';/,;{!.!};,:~:}':;1;,.::/. 0~:MYr:; the Jewilb and Chriflian Chu(ch ate elfemially one; they differ no more than the 1\:lorn- ~~~:~hde ~~~~~~ffn~·~~ ~f~~cfr;sf~~~n~~~ob~~ri~~~;;e;~{p~~~\a~i~~/:~.~1f~~n~c&~; refpeC\ed Him as to come. . · · Befides, The favi.ng virtue of his Death as it reaches to all former, fo to a.ll fucce~ding Ages. Heir the fome, yejlcrday, to day, and for ever, Heb. 1.3· 8. not oitly iri 1"' fpeC\ of his Perfon, but his Office. The virtue of the Legal Sacrifices .<xp\reil lYitli . ~!if Offering: Upon a new fin they were repeated. Their ImperfeC\ion is ~r,guep from' 'ijlelf R•peution. But the precious Oblation of Chrif\ lmh an everlafl ing ~!Ji,~cy (o ;p(ain full Pardon for Believers. His Blood is as powerful to propitiate God, as if i,t were tfi\~ day !bed upon the Crofs. He ir able to fave to perpetuity aU that fhqU addreji to Gpj' ~J Htm; fnce ~e ever liver to mak_e Interceffion. The Pardon that he once purchafed, !hall ever be apphed to contrite Believers. The Covenant that was fea)ed with his B199d is eternal, and the Mercies contained in it. · r. o. The perfeCtion of his Sacrifice is evident, by its expiating .utiiverfally the 09llt of all Tra?fgreffio~s. 'Tis true, fins in thei r own nature are difle(ent; fc;>me have a Criw: fon Gmlt attendmg them, and accqrflmgly Confci,nce fi10uld be affeCted: 1\ut the Qr~.~e of the Gofpe~ makes no difference. The Apoltle tells us, That tf,e B/po4 of Chrift cleanf: eth from aU Sznr: Whatever the kinds, degrees and circ~mf\~nces a(e. As the Del•;t• overflowed the highe.fl Mountains, as well as the )e1fl Hi)); fo pardoning Mer(:y .col;ns fins .of the firfl magmtude as well as the fmal!e,fl. Under the J.i>\V, one Sacrifice ."Will :'f~a:; ab:!Y ~h~ G~~~tn~r'al~h8~;~g~~~ait~~or:lt;~~l ~O~\\l;'o 0~ha~n&ir~~fa~~·~~ 0~ Sacrilicos
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