of heroic fortitude in him than in them.

For there is no evidence of their sufferings extorting from either of them the least sorrowful exclamation, or the smallest complaint. But so it was not with Jesus. Must we, then, conclude, either that a course of enormous wickedness, and a prodigious load of accumulated guilt, are better adapted than innocence and conscious rectitude, to inspire a sufferer with fortitude? Or must we suppose, that the Divine Father was more communicative of special assistance to those notorious robbers, than he was to the humanity of the holy Jesus?

The Scripture abounds with evidence of Jesus Christ being the grand object of the Eternal Father's peculiar love and everlasting delight. The inspired writers teach us to consider the Father as having such love to our Lord, as he never had, nor ever will have, to either man or angel; and that on the ground of personal relation. For, of what man, or of what angel, said He at any time, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased? Or to whom, except Jesus, did he ever say, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool? Yet, as before observed, it was previously determined in the counsels of Heaven, and effectually directed by the providence of God, that the holy Jesus, who always did those things which pleased him; that the infinitely beloved Son of the Most High, should agonize with anguish of spirit-should need and receive the strengthening aid of an angel -should repeatedly utter the most sorrowful exclamations—and, which is yet more surprising, should, under the execution of a capital sentence, make his exit on a gibbet-an exit which evinced, that

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he died under the curse of a judicial statute, that was enacted by JEHOVAH himself for those very people among whom, and by whose malignant influence, the Holy One of God suffered. For it is written, and the law was then in force, He that is hanged on a tree is accursed of God. Nor was the divine Legislator ignorant what kind of death his incarnate Son should undergo, when he enacted the remarkable statute.

Now, if all this took place, without any thing vicarious, or any thing expiatory, being implied in it; and without Eternal Justice being at all concerned in the infliction of these complicated sufferings; it is enough to make an angel tremble for his own security, with regard to infamy, agony, and interminable misery. Because it is impossible to conceive of GABRIEL, for instance, being more worthy of uninterrupted honour and happiness, than Jesus was; or of his having a greater interest in the divine Father's love, than Messiah had. Yet this being no security against Jehovah taking pleasure in bruising him-in putting him to grief-in accumulating sorrows upon him; so neither, on the principle opposed, can it be to Gabriel, or to any other innocent and excellent creature.

It is remarkable, that though the doctrine of divine sovereignty, as commonly held by persons of Calvinistic sentiments, be warmly opposed by those who deny the satisfaction of Christ; yet, with regard to the divine administration as concerned in his unparalleled sufferings, they maintain an hypothesis which is pregnant with such a display of absolute sovereignty, as is astonishing, monstrous, and shocking. For had our Lord been a mere man,

* Deut. xxi, 22, 23. Gal. iii. 13.

like ourselves; yet, while they consider him as a completely righteous man, and the only perfect human character that ever lived, which I presume they do; it is harsh, abominable, and revolting, to give such a representation of his death as affords nothing demonstrative, either of penal justice, for the honour of Jehovah's government; or of pardoning mercy, for the hope of perishing sinners; nor yet any encouragement to the exercise of holiness, or the practice of piety: while it frowns on creatures possessing the highest degree of moral excellence-oppresses virtue itself-treats it as if it were vice in the abstract-and abandons our Lord to the infamy of dying under a curse; even though, as the principle supposes, equally free from imputed, as from personal sin.

I said, under a curse. For so express is the language of Jehovah's law, relative to condemned Israelites dying in a state of suspension; and so directly is that judicial statute applied by an Apostle to this very case; that it is impossible, by fair interpretation, to detach from the death of Christ on a cross, the idea of execration. But though the existence of that curse must not be disputed; yet, on Socinian principles, we are absolutely unable to perceive the justice of it. Because, where there is no fault, either personal or imputed, it seems impossible for a righteous curse to attach.

So unaccountable, on that hypothesis against which we militate, was the conduct of the divine Father, with reference to the sufferings of Christ, as to insult the understandings and shock the feelings of pious and considerate persons! Whereas, if it be viewed as morally impossible, that the law

of the Most High, and the justice of the Most Holy, should permit sin to escape with impunity; if we admit the substitution of Christ, the imputation of sin to him, and that his unparalleled sufferings were vicarious; then the language of the Holy Spirit, speaking in the Scriptures-the behaviour of our Lord, under his mighty sorrows-and the conduct of his Eternal Father towards him, respecting his unexampled agonies; are all intelligible, and all consistent with that revelation which is made of those Divine Persons in the great Economy of Redemption.

Let us now endeavour to improve the important subject, in a doctrinal and practical manner.— Hence, then, we observe,

That the doctrine of Divine Justice most powerfully pleads the necessity of considering our Lord, in his obedience and sufferings, as bearing a vicarious character, and as performing the work of a substitute. For as it appears that this is the only ground on which to account for the language of Inspiration, respecting redemption by Jesus Christ; for the sorrowful state of his heart, in the time of his bitter passion; and for the Divine Father's treatment of him in that memorable season; so it furnishes a solid foundation of confidence, and a fruitful source of expectation, for the chief of sinners. Because, while it forbids the least hope of pardon, of peace, or of acceptance with God, by our own obedience; while it ministers abundant evidence of our dreadful demerit, and awful state; it presents us with an All-sufficient Saviour-A Saviour, the infinite worthiness of whose Person, as the incar

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nate Son of God; and the absolute perfection of whose work, in obedience and in sufferings, as our voluntary Sponsor, magnify the law, which we have dishonoured; display the justice of God, in the tremendous punishment of sin; and exhibit the riches of sovereign mercy, in the free pardon of deservedly condemned criminals. Contemplate the divine Father's conduct, relative to the sufferings and obedience of our great Substitute and you behold him vindicating the honour of his broken law, and satisfying the claims of his penal justice. Consider the same divine procedure, as it respects the redeemed; it is a dispensation of sovereign mercy, directed by infinite wisdom, in the way of holiness. We may therefore say, when addressing the Sovereign of all worlds, in the language and spirit of our Text: Justice completely satisfied by Judgment fully executed on the Person of our divine Sponsor; is the basis on which thy throne of grace is erected, and from which all its administrations proceed!'

Our Lord, in his obedience and sufferings, bore a vicarious character, and performed the work of a substitute. This we are plainly taught in many parts of Sacred Writ; particularly in the following memorable and important sayings: He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him— Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.' On these interesting passages a few remarks will not be improper. It may be observed, then, relative to the former of them, that it is not merely said, He was MADE SIN; but that he was made sin FOR US. Whatever be the

* Isa. xlii. 21.