SERMON XXXV. The Atonement of Christ. Ron. iii. 2ß. Whom Godbath set forth tobe apropitiation HAVING explained the manner in which Christ is "a propitia- tian for sin ; I come in the second place to propose some reasons to evince the truth of this doctrine, namely, That God hath or- dained his Son Jesus to be our propriation or sacrifice of atone- ment. Andhere I shall proceed bydegrees, from some apparent probabilities, to more evident and convincing proofs. I. The first reason I shall give for it is this, that an atone- ment for sin, and an effectual method to answer the demands d an offended God, is the first great blessing which guilty mankind stood in need of : but the powers of nature could never procure it, nor could the light of reason ever shew themhow to obtain it : Now it is the design of the gospel of Christ to supply the wants and deficiencies of guilty nature, that is both impotent and blind; it is to introduce an effectual reconciliation between God and sin- ners ; it isto point out an atonement to them, answerable to their guilt, which they wanted, and to discover a solid foundation for peace. This is done in the death of Christ. A few easy reflections of natural conscience, will acquaint all the thinking part of men that they are sinners, that they have offended the great and glorious God who made them: And those that have read the histories of mankind, and have surveyed dis- tant nations and past ages, have found this to be almost the uni- versal enquiry of men, " Whát shall we do to pacify the anger of that, God, against whom we have sinned ?" The heathen world had an awful notion of the vengeance of heaven. Hence arose endless forms of superstition: How many long and costly ceremonies, what painful and bloody rites of worship have been invented and practised by men, to make some compensation for their crimes ? All the craft and contrivanceof their priests, could never have prevailed with the bulk of mankind, to take such yokes of bondage upon them, if therehad notbeen something in natural conscience, whichwanted an atonement and peace to be made with heaven, from asense of their own guilt. Theprophet Micah introduces this general language of an awakened conscience, Wherewith shall- I come before the .Lord,
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