100 THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST MANIFESTED. [DISC. Y. I. 1 Pet. i. 18 20. Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb, without wish, and without spot. ' Ver. 20. Who verilywas fore- ordained before thefoundation of the world, but was ma- nifested in these last times for you. This shéws us, that this Lamb was Jesus Christ, who was offered a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and thereby takes them away ; John i. 29. It. Acts xv. 18. Known unto Godare all his works, from the beginning of the world. And therefore this great work, of redeeming sinners by the death of his Son Jesus, (as 1 Pet. i,.. 20.) was also known to him. Rom. iv. 17. God quickeneth thedead, andcalleth those things. which be not, as though they were: i. e. speaketh sometimes of things not yet done, as_ though they were done ; therefore this Lamb is said to be slain from the foundation of the world, because it was by vir- tue of his death, many other things were appointed. God bath before the foundation of the world, or- dained.all things that regard the salvation and recovery of man, from the ruins of his fall. Sometimes the holy scripture speaks of those things, which were Originally designed and decreed, as though they were actually done, though perhaps it was many ages afterwards, ,before these things had any actual being. It is in this sense, that our Lord Jesus Christ, is said to be the Lamb slain, before the föttndation of the world ; i. e. he was decreed and , determined to be the Saviour of mankind; and for this end he was appointed to be a sacrifice of atonement for our sins, even before God laid the foundations of the world : Eph. 'i. 4, 5. Ile appeared as the Lamb slain for this purpose, and with this design, in the eye of God, who sees all things in one single view, whether they be things past, present, or to come. God the Father, kept Jesus Christ his Son ever in his eye, in this view, through all his transactions with the children of men. It is generally supposed that Adam stood in the state of innocence but a few days atmost, or a very short time after his creation, though our Lord Jesus Christ came not into this world, nor took flesh and blood upon him, of thesubstance of the virgin Mary, till about four thou- sand years afterwards. Many ages ran out amongst the
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