SÈ'AM. XXXIV.1 T1iE ATONEMENT OF CPIRIST. 59 them thus, " whom God bath set forth to be a propitia- tion in his blood through faith," and thus they suppose the apostle, in this veryvorse, declares that Christ atoned for our sins by his own blood : And if this be the true sense of it, it does but more effectually confirm the design of my doctrine, which is to shew that Christ, by his bloody death, became a sacrifice to God, in order w make satis- faction for the crimes ofmen. My method ofdiscourse shall be this : I. To explain more at large the manner in which I conceive Christ to become an atonement or propitiation for our sins.. II. Togive some reasons toprove, that he is ordained of God, and set forth or offered to the world under this character. And III. I shall shew what glorious use is made of this doctrine throughout the whole Christian life. First, Let me explain the manner wherein Christ be- cornes an atonement or propitiation for sin. And to render this point easy to the lowest understanding, I would draw it out into these propositions : PROPOSITION I. The great God having made man, appointed to govern him by a wise and righteous law, wherein glory and honour, life and immortality are the' designed rewards for perfect obedience; but tribulation and wrath, pain and death, are the appointed recompense to sinners who violate his law. This law is in a great measure engraven on the hearts and consciencesof all men by nature ; at least the gene- ral precepts of it are written in the conscience : And mankind, by the light of nature, has some notion: also of these penalties, viz. the " indignation and wrath of God on those that do evil." And such as bave enjoyed the benefit of divine revelation, in patriarchal, jewish, or Christian, times, have had: much clearer discoveries there- of. This might be proved at large from the discourse of St. Paul : Rom. ii. 6-- -16. compared with Rom. i. 32. " The heathens who are without the law, have the work of the law written in their hearts, and they know,, or might know, that those 'who break it are worthy of death." PROPOSITION H. All mankind have broken the law of God. There is none righteous; no, not one, Rom.
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