from other sources. That doctrine, instead of opposing, rather coincides with other undeniable facts or appearances which confront us in the world, and agrees with the apprehensions which mankind are disposed to entertain, and have, in some degree, entertained, in all ages.

II. The second point of leading interest which I proposed to consider, is the Christian doctrine of redemption; i. c. of remission, through the sacrifice of Christ, of the penalty incurred by the sinfulness of mankind.

The credibility of this doctrine depends in a great measure on the reception given to the former. If we hold the general alienation from God, and neglect of his government which has prevailed among men, to be a light matter; if we say with the infidels of old, "God careth not for it;" and mock at the idea of his inflicting punishment upon his creatures; then the doctrine of redemption must necessarily appear "foolishness." But, suppose the contrary: a supposition, which, as I have shown, is not in

consistent with many intimations which the world actually presents; then we cannot be surprised at the means revealed in the Gospel for the remedy of so vast an evil.

It is easy to cavil at those means, and the nature of the remedy: to pretend that justice and mercy are one with God; and that if he sees fit to pardon human offences, he can pardon them without requiring a substitute. This is, in truth, the very question at issue.

The governor of our own or any other civilized country could not grant impunity to those who transgressed the laws enacted in that country, without overturning the whole system of government. God has to deal with the same agents: why is it so sure that impunity, on his part, would be followed by no similar consequences?

The great problem with every conscientious magistrate is, how he can exercise lenity without injury to the general cause of morals and good

order. If he could grant a free pardon, without encouraging licentiousness, and increasing the number of offenders, no punishment would ever be inflicted.

So with respect to the moral guilt of the human race. We can hardly doubt but our world, and the circumstances in which we are placed in it, are part of a scheme more extended than we at present understand. And in that general scheme, misery, or what we term punishment, may be the natural and necessary consequence of guilt; and moral government may require, for reasons just now hinted, that such consequence should really follow, such punishment should not be dispensed with. The Scriptures seem to lead us to views of this sort. They often represent punishment, i. e. the displeasure and abhorrence of God, as falling upon sin, not so much in the way of sentence as of immediate and necessary result. Thus Jesus insinuates that spiritual death is the state to which mankind were naturally reduced by sin, when he declares, "He that heareth my word,

and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life"." Of those who do not believe in the Son of God," he affirms, that "they are condemned already";" that they abide in darkness; that their “ sin remaineth." The Apostle argues to the same purpose, when he says, that "sin had reigned unto death;" that "death had passed upon all men, for that all had sinned." And the general tenour of the Scriptures leads us, upon the whole, to conclude that what we call, using the language of men, the anger of God against sin, is an essential part of his attributes; that he views the condition to which men are consequently reduced with pity; but that such is the nature of his government, that whilst the moral state remains the same, the grant of pardon and reception into his favour is impossible.

Objections, no doubt, may be urged on the other side. It is not pretended that we can clear up all the perplexities of the moral world.

6 John, v. 24.
8 Rom. v. 21, 12.

7 John, iii. 18. xii. 46. ix. 41.

If a man is determined to close his eyes against revelation until that is done, he must keep them shut for ever. There are some things of which he must be content to be ignorant; and silence the pride of his understanding by the futility of

replying against God," or of supposing that He should not "do right," to whose wisdom and goodness the whole created world bears testimony.

Under the influence of these considerations let him suppose the case which the Gospel assumes; that it was the divine purpose to exhibit a scheme of government in which mercy and justice should meet together: in which God might exert his merciful desire of recovering mankind from their lost condition, and yet preserve unimpaired the laws of his moral governThen appears the fitness and consistency of the truths declared in the Gospel. "God is just," and shows his abhorrence of sin; and yet he is merciful, and "justifies those that believe in Jesus 9."

ment.

9 Rom. iii. 26.