صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

sinners For the sins of men he was made a propitiation. If the sacrifice he made of himself is accepted and they, who believe on him, receive its benefits ;this can be no evidence, that God estimates their characters differently from what they are estimated in his written word. The salvation of men by Christ can be no evidence, that their characters are, originally, in any measure different from those of such as perish ; or, that they are less deserving of endless punishment. Nor can it be any evidence, that God is less offended with them; or, that he holds their characters in less abhorrence, than he does the characters of those,whom he sends to destruction-For, notwithstanding their being believers, it is the ungodly whom God justifies. From these considerations it must be manifest, that the salvation of sinners through the blood and atonement of a Divine Saviour, gives not the least reason to apprehend, that God estimates their characters and deserts, in any measure, differently from the estimate given of them in his written word:-But instead of that, affords abundant proof that he does not; otherwise such a propitiation must have been unnecessary for them. The word will, consequently, still remain a perfect interpreter of the divine mind, exhibiting the character of God in no other light, than he himself exhibits it in his government. The salvation of sinners through the merit and righteousness of Christ it must, therefore, appear, does no injury to the authority, or the credit and honor of the written word of God. Nor,

2. WILL it appear, on sinners being pardoned and saved through the merit and righteousness of Christ, that the word of God ceases to be the rule of his government. The word estimates the ill-desert of the transgressor, and shows in what abhorrence his character is holden by the righteous Governor of the world. When this abhorrence of the divine mind is made as fully visible in its natural fruits, as though the curse had

been literally executed on the offender-And it is made evidently to appear to be the divine abhorrence of the character of the pardoned sinner in whatever way this be done, the authority of the law is maintained, and the spirit and import of it supported in government. Eve ry thing in this case is done, which is necessary to give commanding influence to the written law, and preserve it from reproach—And, every thing necessary to honor and vindicate that high and holy character of the righteous Governor of the world, which his word represents him to possess.

ALL will agree, that the mere misery and wretchedness of creatures whatever their characters may be, can do no honor to the divine character, or answer any valuable end in government. Unless punishments tend to deter from crimes-Unless they exhibit a character in the righteous Governor of the world, which excites a fear of offending on one hand, and a confidence in his protection and defence of the inno cent on the other; it must appear, that they are useless, either as a manifestation of the glory of God, or a security of the peace and welfare of his kingdom. It is the visibility of the just displeasure of the holy God against offenders that renders punishments useful, and promotes the honor and security of the divine government. This righteous displeasure is expressed in words in the threatenings of the law of God; and, in its effects in the destruction, which will be inflicted on final impenitents. If this displeasure against the deserving object, in every instance of transgression, be expressed and become visible; the law is honored, its end answered, and its authority supported-For, not the sufferings of the sinner do this, but the character, the just anger of God appearing in them. In whatever way this holy displeasure of God against the sin ner become visible, the ends of government, for aught we can see, are answered; and, the divine administra

tion is so far from disagreeing with the word, that it most evidently corresponds with it.

Ir is admitted that the law which sentences sinners universally and indiscriminately to a punishment, which will be a proper and adequate expression of the abhorrence in which sin and sinners are universally holden by the divine Lawgiver, is not and cannot be literally fulfilled, if any are saved, even though it be through the atonement of Christ. But it is insisted, that in the pardon and salvation of believers through this atonement, no disrespect is shewn to the law of God, either as being a just estimate of the demerit of sin or, of the divine abhorrence of it: Nor does it, in the least, favor the opinion, that the divine law is not the rule agreeably to which his government will be forever administered. In all the the respects, in which the divine law is useful and important as a rule of government, it is honored and magnified even in the salvation of sinners through the atonement.

NOR can it be reasonably objected, that the atonement, viewed in the light in which it has been represented, in any degree obscures the lustre of grace in the salvation of sinners :-Instead of that, on the contrary, it serves greatly to illustrate the glory of sovereign grace in this salvation. For, the clearer and fuller evidence we have of the divine righteous abhorrence of the characters of men, the more evident it must be, that if any of them are pardoned and saved, it must be by an act of grace. But what event ev er did or can take place, to exhibit the divine abhor. rence of sin and the sinner in the light, in which it must appear in his laying on his own dear Son the iniquities of us all, and wounding him for our transgressions! To see the Lord of Glory bearing his people's sins in his own body on the tree. -This being the only way in which a door of mercy could be opened to sinners

exhibits such a view of God's just and righteous indignation, as nothing else which we can conceive, could possibly have done. When he, who was God manifest in flesh, interposed and stood between divine justice and guilty men, to avert from us its awful blow, though it had seemed for a long time, as it were to have lain asleep; the voice is immediately heard from the throne," Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, "and against the man that is my fellow, saith the "Lord of Hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep "shall be scattered." Beholding this sight, who could but reason, as the blessed Saviour himself did when going to the cross, "If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry!" Could it be, that by his arduous and glorious work, the Great God and Saviour brought himself into debt to his rebel subjects! On what possible grounds can we found any claims! Because Jesus has so loved us, as to wash away our sins in his own blood, shall we, therefore, claim pardon and salvation as our due? Instead of that, how manifest is it, that nothing could ever, so clearly and fully demonstrate, that the salvation of sin, ners must be only by grace, as the atonement made by Christ-or, manifest such unspeakable richness and glory in that grace by which sinners of mankind are saved!

IF, on the other hand, the sinner be received to favor without any clear and sensible manifestation of that displeasure against him, which really exists in the holy mind of God; how evident is it that the fear of offending, naturally excited by threatenings and penalties, must necessarily be diminished-the law lose. its authority-And the Lawgiver incur disrespect! For aught we can see, this must be the case respecting, both the law and the Great Lawgiver, if sinners be forgiven, in any instance whatever, without an atone.

ment.

AGAIN; if sinners be forgiven without any atonement, it must be on the ground, that, neither the glory of God, nor the good of his moral kingdom, require any manifestation of divine displeasure against them. Here it will be kept in mind, that, by atonement is meant a manifestation of that just and righteous anger of God, which the sinner deserves, in some other way than in his punishment. Considering the

subject in this light, it must be obvious that, if the sinner be received to favor without an atonement, no exhibition is, in fact, male of that righteous anger, of which he is the object. And, if God receive sinners, in this way, to favor, it must appear that neither his own character and glory, nor the good of his kingdom render it necessary there should be any manifestations of his anger against the sins of men-And this, is the same as to say that, neither the glory of God, nor the good of his kingdom require, that he ever appear to be angry with the sinner.

THIS point may however, perhaps, need further illustration, before we proceed to any inferences from it.

Ir God is indeed angry with the sinner, as the holy Scriptures most expressly and abundantly assert; this anger can appear and be expressed only in his inflicting punishment. We conceive of no way, in which the righteous Governor of the world can manifest his hatred of moral evil, but by inflicting natural. Natural evils we, accordingly, find to be the only penalties of his holy law. Where no natural evil is inflicted, there will be no evidence, that the Lawgiver is offend ed. From the bestowment of only felicity and good, we infer the well pleasedness of the wise Dispenser of rewards and punishments. In this way the divine oracles clearly authorize us to judge-The word of God being filled with promises of blessings and good to the righteous, and threatenings of curses and evil to the

« السابقةمتابعة »