SECTION [f, 523 Such a sort of satisfaction is that which the sufferings and death of Christ have made to God, the Father and Governor of the world, for the sins of men. Death was the threatened pen- alty for sin ; the wages of sin is death; Rom. vi. 23. Tribula- tion and anguish on every soul that loth amiss ; chapter ii. 9. But God in mercy to the offender bath not only admitted, but also provided a surety, even Isis own Son ; and he bath accepted of his agonies of soul, and his bodily death, in the room and stead of our agonies of soul, and our eternal death, and regards it as a satisfaction for the violation of his law by our sins. He is satisfied asa law-giver and Governor by this sacrifice, and upon this account it is properly called a satisfaction as well as a sacrifice of atonement, or propitiation for sin ; so that Gad now can lion, onrably pardon the sinner without any imputation upon himself, either of his own remissness of government, or of foolish pity to the offender, God having been satisfied with the honour which Christ has done to his law and government by his death. Justice and mercy are tempered here, and both shine with their peculiar glories. It is only through the propitiation of Christ, that God appears to be a just or righteous Gad, though his mercy justifies the sinner whobelieves in Jesus, and trusts in this propitiation. See a further vindication of the use of the word satisfaction in this controvery, in the treatises of Grotius and of Turretine, and others on that subject, which I have read in toy younger years. I have diverted perhaps too far out of the way of argument which I took ; but it was needful to give a clear idea of what is meant by theatoneí1neytt of Christ, that the pursuit of my argu- ment in this way of query, might appear more perspicuous, and might move onward with greater force. I have enquired of Agrippa.already, whether it was possible that St. Paul, St. Peter and St. John, by all the variòus sacrificial phrases which they so often apply to the death of Christ, can be supposed to mean no- thing more than a martyrdom for that doctrine of his which excites sinners to repentance by a promise of parties. I proceed 4p the next enquiry : Query Il. In the second place I'would desire Agrippa to tell me, what is the true intent and meaning otthis sort of sacri- ficiallanguage, when it is used by Jetas or Heathens ? And why should the samefanguage have the same meaning, when it is ,applied to the death of Christ in the New Testament ? What is the sense of such phrases when they are made use of by Moses, the law-giver of the Jews under God, considered only as their political king, and the civil governor of that nation ? What is the meaning of sin-offerings andsacrifices of atonements? What does the Jewish law -giver intend, when the people shall have which Zaleucns made was partial, and did not save both the eyes of his son. The Simile is just and proper so far as it goes; bitt I grant, if Zaleucns bad lost both his own eyes, it would have been a moreperfect parallel.
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