rxnr I. SERMON XV. 219 raised again to life and immortality : These are such strange doctrines, so-very foreign to the common sentiments ofmost men, that some of the Athenians cried out, " What does this babbler mean?" A man should be ashamed of these things ; the very heathen philosophers called it foolishness. But now to remove this scandal, let us consider that many of these things are not so contrary to the reason of men assome think: As for the satisfactionmade for our sins by the sufferings of Christ, did,not almost all the heathen world suppose that God would not pardon sin without satisfaction ? What else mean all their bloody sacrifices ? And why did they sometimes proceed so far as to murder men, and offer them to God for their sins ? I confess indeed, that manyof the philosophers and learned_men amongst them, who derided the gospel of Christ, did also despise the sacrifices and religious ceremonies of their own countrymen, believing that God would be merciful to men that were penitent and pious, without any rites of atonement and sacrifice. But it is as evident also,' that the people had a general notion of the necessity of someatonement for sin, and that the more valuable the sacrifice was, the sooner was their god appeased, and the benefit procured wouldbemore extensive, howsoever thephiloso- phers might ridicule it.. It is manifest then, that many of the heathens did. imagine that the death and sufferings of one per- son would procure pardon and immunities for awhole multitude. And upon this principle some of the ancient Romans, now and then; out of nobility of spirit, devoted themselves to death, to ap- pease the anger of the gods, for their whole country. Thus it appears, that the business of satisfaction for sin, and the doctrine of expiation and atonement by the blood and death of a surety, was not so utterly unknownin the world. I add farther, that the notion of one person's making satis- faction for the crime of anotherin human and political affairs, has been sometimes practised, and thought to be very intelligible ; and why should it be counted so very monstrous and absurd in things divine? Do we understand what it is for one man to be- come a suretyfor another, or for a criminal to be set free from punishment by the voluntary substitution of another person in his stead ? Are we not well acquainted what it is for one man to pay the debt of another, and the original person that was obliged thereby, to become free ? Do wenot know what it is fora whole family of children to inherit apossession for many ages, one after another, for some nobleacts and services of their father ? There- fore honour, and glory, and happiness, betowed upon a multi- tude, for the sake of what one man has done, is not so unintelli- gible a thing as somemen would persuade us. Why should .hat be esteemed impossible in the aftimir of religion, which is evi- dent and plainly practicablein theaffairs of this world ?
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