109 / 674
SERM.
XXXV.1
THE ATONEMENT
OF
CHRIST.
$J
phecy,
the powers
of
healing
and
destroying, commu-
nicated
to men
in
such a
manner
as
the
world
never
saw,
and
astonished the spectators,
all
confirmed
the
truth
o:
this
atonement
which
the apostles preached. These
were
the discoveries
that
were made
so
gloriously suc-
cessful
for the conversion
of
nations.
These doctrines
subdued
kingdoms to
the
belief
of
them,
and
triumphed
over
the souls
of
men
:
These
were the
truths
that
chan-
ed
the
corrupt
natures of
men
into virtue,
piety,
and
goodness,
that turned
sinners into saints
in
multitudes,
and
raised
a church for Christ
in
the world,
in
spite
of
all
the
rage
of
enemies,
the superstitions
of
the priests,
the learning and sophistry
of
the philosophers, the
wild
prejudices
of
the people,
and the tyranny
of
princes.
The primitive christian writers
who
were
converted to
the faith,
teach
us these
same
doctrines
of
the grace
of
God, through the
atonement
of
Christ, the
pardon
of
sin
through
his
blood, which
had
so
much power
over
their
own souls.
In
the
faith
of
these doctrines, and
the
hope
of eternal
life
by
them, they became
the glorious
confessors and martyrs
of
a
crucified Christ,
and cast
down the
tempter
and the accuser
by
the blood
of the
Lamb.
This
is
the doctrine
that
has
been delivered
down
to
us
through
all ages
of
the christian
church;
and though the antichristian
powers have mingled
it
with
many
of
their superstitions, yet
the gates
of
hell have
never
been able to prevail
against
it,
so
as to
root it
out.
This
is
the religion
which, two
hundred years
ago, was
reformed
from
popish
corruptions, and
while
our
blessed
reformers laboured
to
recover and
convey
it
to us in
its
primitive
glory,
many
of
them
were
called
to
witness
and
seal
it
with
their
own
blood.
An occasional
Remark.
Since
these were the
truths
that
the
last,
and
brightest,
and
best
revelation
of God
communicated
to
men;
since this
propitiation
of Christ
was
the
doctrine
which the
inspired apostles taught,
and
in which all
the foregoing
revelations centre,
even
from
the beginning
of
the world
:
It
is
by
this
therefore,
that
all the
former and
darker
discoveries
are
to
be
explain-
ed;
all the
types
and
shadows
of
ceremonial
worships
treatise, entitled, Miscellanea Sacra, Essay
L
especially
from
page
14!
to
tpe end.