1zsÄT I. SERMON L $ there is no other name under heaven wherebywe canbe sieved; Acts iv. 12. 5: Thelight of nature, or any religion invented by men, could never acquaint us with the foundation of divineforgiveness, nor *hew us anymerit sufficient toprocure it; and in this sense we are left at a loss in all other religions, uponwhat ground we could expect pardon from God: For they knew nothing of an atone- ment equal to our guilt, nothing of asatisfactiongreat as our offen- ces, and that could answer the high demands of infinite and offended justice. Mankind found out by reason, and by the stings and disquietudes of aguilty conscience, that therewas anoffended God in heaven; and in several countries they followed the dic- tates of a wild and uneasy imagination, inventing an endless variety of methods to appease the angry Deity. What mul- titudes of rams, and goats, and thousands of larger cattle, were cut. to pieces, and burnt, to atone for the sins of men ? What deluges of blood have overflowed their altars? 'What fanciful sprinklings, and vast effusions of wine and oil? The first-born *on for the transgressionof the father, and the fruit of the body for the sin of the soul? What cruel practices on their own flesh ? What cuttings and burnings to procure pardon I And yet, after all, no true peace, nor reasonable hope. The Jewish religion indeed wás invented by God himself, and it containedin it theway ofobtainingpardon, but it was veiled and darkened by many types and shadows ; though it was not defective as to real pardon, yet it was very defective as to solid peace; therefore the apostle tells us, Heb. x. 1, 2', &c. 5" :w law having a shadow of good things to come, andnot the very image of the things, can never, with those sacrifices which they offeredyear by year continuallymake the comers thereunto perfect, rc. The sense ofwhich,compared withthe following verses, is plainly this, Those sacrifices, that were so often repeated, could never perfectly take away theconscience of guilt: there still remained some trembling fears, some uneasy doubts, some painful concern of mind, whe- ther their iniquities should be entirely cancelled or no: because they were convinced that the bloodof bulls and goats could notdo it, and they could not fullyand plainly see the blood of Jesus, the Son of God, the Saviour. Dark hints, and obscure notices of such a Messiah, and such a sacrifice, theyhad; but such a one as couldnot generallyfree their consciences from all sense ofdefile- ment and guilt, and fears, though it cleansed their souls in the sight of God. The Socinians, in our age, can have but very little solid com- fort, if they are truly awakened to a spiritual sight of the law of God; for when they have nothingtoplead with God, andnothing totrust in but his mere absolute mercy, while they deny the pro-
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