70 THE SUBSTANCE OF THE GOSPEL. John saying the same things in their epistles ; and they take every occasion to publish the same gospel and thé same promises and hopes of salvation by the death and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, andby the enlightening and sanctifying operations of the same Spirit. It would be endless to cite all the proofs of this. Now, it is not to be supposed that the three chief writers among the apostles should all conspire to talk in the same myste- rious and unintelligible language; so widely different from the common and obvious sense and meaning of their words, if they intended no more by them, than the Socinians mean by their gos- pel, which is very little different from the way of salvation that the deist proposes, while they, deny the satisfaction of Christ, and his real and proper atonement for sin, and the powerful sanctify- ing influences of the holy Spirit. II. As this gospel of Christ which we have described was the labour of the apostle's ministry, and the design of the reve- lation of the New Testament, so it is this gospel which is often hinted and prophesiedin the OldTestament also, and typified by the ceremonies of the Jewish religion. Now these prophecies . could not have been fulfilled, nor these types answered and ac- complished, without such a gospel as I have explained. The prophecies of the Old Testament are various and many : Some of the clearest of those which relate to the sufferings and atone- ment of Christ, and to our justification byhim, are expressed by Daniel, Isaiah and Jeremiah. By Daniel we are told, that the Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself, and the design of this is tofinish transgression, to make an end of sin, to make reconci- liation for iniquities, and to bring in everlasting righteousness; Dan. ix. 24, 26. Isaiah speaks the same thing more largely, " Christ was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. We like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord bath laid on him the iniquity of us all. It pleased the Lord to bruise him and put him to grief," and to make his soul an offering for sin. By the knowledge of him shall he justify many, for he shall beartheir iniquities. How ex- ceeding plain and strong is this language to support this doctrine? Is.' liii. 5, 6, 10, 11. " In the Lord shall we have righteousness and strength : In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justi -. fled and shall glory ; Is. xlv. 24, 25. And the prophet Jeremy expressly calls Christ the Lord our righteousness ; Jer. xxiii. 6. Thepromise of sanctification by. the Spirit of God, is given us in Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. " A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you ; I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God." This sort of language is re- peatedchapter xi. 19. and Jer. xxxii. 39, 40. Jer. xxxi. 31
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