SEAM. XXX7.] THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 87 large by the apostles in their writings, when they were fully furnished for their ministry, by the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Read St. Paul's letters to the churches, and you find them abounding in such expressions as these : " Christ died for our sins ;" 1 Cor. xv. 3. " He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity,"" 14. " We have redemption through his blood," Eph, i. 7. " God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself; not imputing their trespasses to them. He was made sin," 2 Cor. v. 19, 21. " And he was made a curse for us," Gál. iii. 13. " He is our propitiation . and atonement," 1 John ii. 2. " He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself," Heb. ix. 26. " When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by his death," Rom. y, 10. " He made peace by the blood of his cross," Col. i. 20. " He was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification," Rom. iv. 25. " By the righteousness of one man, the free gift came-upon all men to justification of life. By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous," Rom. v. 18, 19. Nów in the writings of St. Paul on this subject, we may observe three things. 1. He speaks this language, when in a plain doctrinal way he is teaching the gospel of Christ, therefore these expressions of his are to be understood in the common sense and meaning of the words. It would be a very great force and torture put upon these expressions, if we construe them only to mean, that God promised for- giveness to penitent sinners by Jesus Christ, as a messen- ger of grace, and that Christ died as a martyr to bear witness to this truth. Read his epistles to the Romans, the Ephesians, the Colossians, and the Hebrews, where he treats of these subjects, and you will find that the apostle in his doctrine of atonement, means much more than this ; for he talks in a plain rational and argumen- tative style and method, to inform the minds of men, of the true design of the death of Christ, and give them the clear knowledge of the truth. 2. He not only represents the death of Christ as our atonement for sin, but he declares this to be the great end of his appearing in the flesh. Heb. ii. 14. " Be- cause the children were partakers of flesh and blood, G4
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