avail him? And indeed were the doctrine of imputation in this case allowed, that obedience simply considered could not be effectual to his salvation; because by violating the law, he has become obnoxious to its curse; it is therefore needful to his complete emancipation from sufferings and from death, that the penalty also be endured. The inspired writers uniformly exhibit Christ, not merely as perfectly exemplary in his life, but as made sin, and a curse for us in his death, which he could not have been without the imputation of sin, and enduring whatever pertained to that curse.

Of Christ it is said-He was made sin for us

He was made a curse for us. These declarations, says Mr. Booth, are worthy to be kept in everlasting remembrance. For scarcely any of the inspired sayings, either in the Old or New Testament, enter more deeply into those capital articles, Redemption by Jesus Christ, and Justification before God, than they do. It is, however, much to be feared, that, most emphatical and momentous as this language of Paul is. it obtains but little regard from great numbers

of those who call themselves Christian Ministers; except it be in the way of critical remark, or by some diluting and qualifying interpretation, to soften what they consider as intolerable harshness in the mode of expression. In other words, they choose to correct the language and sentiments of Inspiration; and teach the apostle to speak of his Lord with more decorum: lest his personal purity should be impeached, and lest the odium of the curse, annexed by divine law, remain attached to his death. For to maintain according to the obvious meaning of these two important passages, a commutation of personsa two-fold imputation; of sin and of righteousness and a vicarious punishment, which was equally pregnant with execration as with death, may probably expose to censure in different ways.'

If the doctrine of imputation be explodedif sin were not really imputed to Christ, and he were not properly punished, whence could arise the necessity for his appearing in the Flesh? The sacred scriptures, with the aid of supernatural influence, would have been competent to every

purpose of instruction: and whatever the blessed God might have been pleased to fix on as the ground of pardon, might have been fully made known by the same medium. But the supposition is decidedly at variance with all the rites and the sacrifices which have a reference to the character and work of Christ; completely at variance also with the current testimony of the old and new Testament; and can therefore have no reference to him who put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

The need there was of an atonement by the incarnation of the Son of God, is, says Bishop Horsley, the only cause that can be assigned which could induce him to stoop to be made man: for had the instruction of man, as some have dreamed, been the only purpose of our Saviour's coming, a mere man might have been empowered to execute the whole business; for whatever knowledge the mind of man can be made to comprehend, a man might be made the instrument to convey.'

If our Lord were not stricken, smitten of God,

and afflicted-If he were not wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquitiesIf he did not sustain the punishment of those for whom he gave his life a ransom, it is, in my view, utterly impossible to account for his supplicatory language in Gethsemane, and his exclamation on the cross. Many of his faithful followers have borne every species of torture with undaunted fortitude; yea, they have witnessed the approach of death in its most terrible forms without symptoms of dismay, and have even rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for his sake. But for the want of fortitude in Christ, who had none of those things which to other men become sources of anxiety and of dread; who had no corruption to annoy, no crime to deplore; who was perfectly exempt from every species of guilt; who had every thing that perfect purity could impart, and conscious innocence suggest, to support and animate under persecution and death-I feel myself, if he were not punished, unable to account.

But the difficulty vanishes at once when it is considered that, as Turretine expresses it, the

martyrs' were corrected in their bodies by God their Father from love, for the glory of God, and to seal the truth; but Christ was punished, both in body and soul, by God the Judge, from justice, for the expiation of sins. Their sufferings were experimental and medicinal; but Christ's sufferings were penal and satisfactory.'

Surely it cannot be thought a matter of trivial importance whether our views of these momentous subjects be correct, or otherwise. For if, in consequence of Christ's engagement with the divine Father as the church's Surety, he bare the curse of the law-if he were smitten of God and afflicted, and endured the punishment which but for his gracious interposition must have been inflicted on the sinner himself; to say that he was not punished, or that he suffered less than our iniquities deserved, must be highly displeasing to the righteous and blessed God. For thus to speak is not only to oppose the plain testimony of scripture, but virtually to lessen the malignant nature of sin, and, consequently, the obligation and the gratitude of him to whom it is for Christ's sake forgiven.