498 THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. that tsrough hisown death he might destroy thedevil. lieb. x. v. Sacrifices of bulls and goats were insufficient, but a bodyhast thou prepared me. ix. 26. Once in the endof the world heappeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. This was the design of his incarnation. 3. He makes the cross of Christ, and Christ crucified, to stand for the gospel itself, and glories in it 1 Cor. i. 23, 21. Christ crucified i.s the wisdom of God, and the power of God; ii. 2. Idesired to know nothing among you but Christ, and him crucified. Gal. vi. 14. God forbid that Ishouldglory, save in the cross of Christ: And many such expressions he uses, as though the public sermons of Christ, the example of Christ, and the duties that he prescribed, were all as nothing without the atoning virtueof his death, and his sacrifice on the cross ; for all these would not save us without his dying. This is eminently the gospel. Nor is the apostle Paul singular-'in declaring this doctrine of atonement, or different in his sentiments from the other apos- tles. Y,oà find Peter and John saying the same things in their epistles: 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. " Ye were not redeemed with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish1' ii. 24. G° Who his own self bare ,our sins in his own body on the tree. Ver. 21. Christ hath once suffered for tins, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God." 1 John i. 7. ", Theblood of Jesus Christcleanseth us from all sin." ii. I, 2. " JesusChrist the righteous is the propitiation for our sins:' iìi. 16. ae Hereby perceive we the love of God, that he laid down his life for us." Rev. i. 5, 6, Untò him that loved us and washed us from our sins inhis own blood be glory and dominion for ever." These apostles take every occasion to publish the same gospel and the same promises and hopes of salvation, by the death and sacrifice of our LordJesus Christ. VIII. To sum up many arguments in one, These were the doctrines that were witnessed to the world by those amazing gifts of the Holy Ghost, which attended the gospel*. The gifts . of tongues, the wonders of prophecy, the powers of healing and destroying, communicated to men in such a manner as the world never saw, and astonished the spectators, all confirmed the truth of this atonement which the apostles preached. These were the discoveries that were made so gloriously successful for the con- - version of nations. These doctrines subdued kingdoms to the belief of them, and triumphed over the souls of men : These were the truths that changed thecorrupt natures of men intp vir * It wasgenerally agreed that these gifts of the Holy Ghost were never set in such an illustrious light, for the defence of Christianity, as in a late treatise, entitled.Miscellanea Sacra, Essay I. especially frompage 141 to the end.
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