820 TFE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST. upon vengeance; for though this doctrinemaybe so represented sometimes after the manner of men, yet this is an idea orsup- position in many respects inconsistent with the attributes and actions of the blessed God, and with the doctrine of the New Testament. In that book God represents himself as rich in mercy, and for `this reason he pitiéd sinful creatures, who had broken his law, and had deserved todie, before he had received any atonement ; and therefore God himself provided and sent his own Son to become a sacrifice of atonement, and a ransom for them ; lie appointed him to be a surety for us, the just for the unjust, and to suffer death in the room and stead of sinners. By the words atonement or propitiation, I mean therefore some toilsome or painful thing to be done or suffered, or both, by Jesus Christ the Son of God, in the room and stead of sinful men, as a penance or punishment on the account of their sins 3 and this by the wise and righteous appointment of God the uni- versal Governor, shall excuse the penitent offender from the punishment that was due, and obtain his pardon, because it shall give a recompence to the authority of the divine law-giver for the affront which was putupon him by the sins of men, and shall make smile reparation of honour to his holy law which was bro- ken. And this is not only intended to manifest the evil. nature and the desert of sin, together with God's hatred of it ; but it shall also answer the demand and design of the threatening by such actual pain or punishment, though it is laid en the surety instead of the offender ; and thus it may secure the law from being wilfully broken, in time to come, as effectually as if the offenders themselves hadbeen punished. Such a pain, penance, or punishment, are the humiliation and sufferings of Jesus Christ, his labours and sorrows : And it is in this sense that the lan- guage of expiation or atonement, of propitiation and ransom is so often used*. It is in this sense that he was said to become a ..sacrificefor us, to bear our sins on his own body' on the tree; 1 Pet. if. 23. and to be made sin; or a sin-offering for us; who knew no sin himself; 2 Cor. v. 21. In this sense he is said to be made a curse, and suffer death for us, and to redeem us from it thereby, because the law curses every sinner, and pro- nounces death upon him ; Gal. iii, 10. Now by these appointed sufferings of the Son of God, in the room and stead of sinful men, there is an honourable amends made to the Governor of the world for the violation of his law; and a glorioús way made for the exercise of mercy in the pardon of the sinner ; and that without any imputation of reflection upon the heliness of God's nature and conduct, or any suspicion of the justice of his govern- * Christ, after he became our surety, was not, nor. could be delivered from these sorrows which were the punishment of our sins, he being as our expi:i xtory sacrifice, not only on the occasion of our sins, but in our Stead, tò bear the punishment of our iniquity. Whitby on Heb. v. 3..
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