6a THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST,, [SEAM. XXXIV. go. unpunished. He that spared not his own Son, when he stood hi the room ofsinners, will never spare guilty rebels that persist in their rebellions. Thus far we see how Christ`became a sacrifice of atonement. PROPOSITION IX. God, the great Ruler of the world, having received such ample satisfaction for sin, by the sufferings of his own Son, can honourably forgive his creature man, who Was the transgressor. There is so glorious a reparation made to the honour of his right- eous and broken law, that he can pardon sinners with- out dishonour to himself; and his government. He can glorify his justice and his mercy at once, in a most exu- berant and illustrious manner, since his own Son has become a priest of atonement, and offered up. himself as a sacrifice, to make " propitiation for sin : He can de- clare his righteousness, though he passes by a"thousand offences that are past, and can shew himself just to his own law and government, at the same time that he for- gives millions of sins; and is a justifier of him who be- lieved' in Jesus," Rom. iii. 25, 26, PROPOSITION X. I might add, in the last place, since my text intimates it, that as the great God in his eternal counsels, appointed his Son Jesus Christ to un- dertake this difficult and glorious work, for the salvation of sinful men, so in the days of the gospel he has, in the most plain and explicit manner, offered this rencon- ciliation to sinners who return to God by the mediation öf Jesus Christ: He has proposed peace to those who are sincerely desirous to be, reconciled to God, and to have all énmity done away on both sides; to thosewho trust in the virtue- of the blood of Christ, as the foundation of this divine peace betweenGod and them, or in the lan- guage of my text, to those who have faith in his blood. But let it be remembered, that this desire tobe recon- ciled, must proceed. frorn a painful sense of sin, that makes a separation between God and the soul : This im- plies sincere repentance in the nature of it. It must be such a faith in Jesus and his sacrifice, as works power- fully by holy love, and produces all the good fruits of religion in the heart and life. All faith is useless tó at- tain peace with God,, unless it carries in it the springs and seeds of love and holiness. Though we are justi fied by faith, yet it must not be a mere bold presump- tion, 'but a living faith, which will appear in its fruits.
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