of the PERsoN of CHRIST. 75 bad been Jfain, Rev. iv. 6. the glory of heaven arifing from the fruits and effeéls of jhis facrifice. And becaufe ofthe reprefentation thereof in all the former facrifices, is he faid to be a Iamb Hainfront the fòundation of the world, Rev. xiii. 8. It is firánge to the that any who denynot the expiatoy facrifice o,fChrifi, Ihoulddoubt whether the original ofthefe facrifices wereofdivine tnititution, or the invention of men. And it is fo among[ others for the reafons en- fuing. (i. On the fuppoftionthat they were of mens findingout, and volunta- ry obfervation, without any previous divine revelation, it muff be granted that the foundationofall acceptable religion in the world, was laid in, and and refolved into the wifdom and wills of men, and not into the wifdom, authority and will ofGod. For that thegreat folemnityof religion, which was as the center and teflimony of all its other duties, did confift in thefe facrifices even before the giving of the law, will not be denied. And in the giving of the law, God did not on thisfuppofition confirm and efla- blifh his own inttiftutions with additions unto them of the fame kind, but fet his Leal and approbation untothe inventions of men. But this is con- trary unto natural light, and the whole current of fcripture revelations. (a. All expiatoyfacrifices were from the beginning, types and reprefen- Cattons of the facnhceof Chrift, whereon all their ufe, efficacy and benefit among men, all their acceptance with God, did depend. Remove this con- fideration front them, and they were as irrational a fervice, as unbecoming the divine hatare, as any thing that reafonable creatures could fix upon. They are to this day, at reafonablë a fervice as ever they were, but that only their refpe& unto the facrifice of Chrift is taken from them. Ande what perlon of-any ordinary understanding, could now fuppofe them a meet fétVice whereby taglorify the divine nature? befides, all expiatory facrifices wé±e of the fame nature, andof the fame ufe, both before and after the gi- ving of the lady. nut that all thofe afterwards were typical of the facrifice of Chrift, the apoftle demonftrates at large inhis epiftle unto the Hebrews. The enquiry therefore is whether this bleffed prefiguration of the Lord Chrtft 'and his fàcrifire, as he was the lamb ofGod taking away the fins of the world, was an efcaof the wifdom, goodnefs and will of God, or of the wills and inventions of men. And let it be confidered alfo that thefe men who are fuppofed to be the authors ofthis wonderful reprefentation of the Lord Chrift and his facrifice, did indeed know little ofthem, or as the all'ertorsof this opinan imagin nothing at all. To fuppofe that thofe who knewno more of Chrift than they could learn from thefirffpromij?, which as force think was nothing at aft, fhould of their own heads find out and appoint this divinefervice, which confifted only in theprefiguration ofhim and his facrifice, and that God thould not only approve of it, but allow it as the principal means for the eftablifhment and exercife of the faith of all believers for'four thoufand years, is to indulge unto thoughts deviating from all rules offobriety. IÍe that fees not a divine wifdom in this inflitution, bath fcarce ferioufly exercifed his thoughts about it. But I have elfewhere cönfidered the caufes and original ofthefe facrifices, and (hall not therefore farther intrf uponthem. 4. Out hrltparents and all their holy pofterity did believe thispromife, or did embrace it as the only way and means of theirdeliverancefrom thecurfe and hate of 'tin, and were thereon jjuftified before God. I confefs we have not infallibleaffurance ofany who did fo in particular, but thofe who are mentionedby name in fcripture, as Abel, Enoch, Noah, and force others. But w gueltion it concerning others alfo, as ofourfie Parents theinfelves, is 4
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