be devised by the governor, which shall save the criminal, and yet keep men from having a bad opinion of the law. Why, in such a case, all would approve of it both on the score of justice, and on the score of benevolence. For public justice only requires that men should be kept from having such a bad opinion of the law, as to break it. If this can be done without inflicting what, in distributive justice, is due to the criminal, public justice is satisfied, because its ends are fully answered.

In the moral government of God, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ does this. It secures all the ends of the law, as if the sinner himself had been punished. This view of the atonement is, I think, what Paul meant when he said, that "Christ was the end of the law for righteousness;" that is, that the very end which would have been secured by the punishment of the sinner himself, has been amply and fully secured by the death of Christ. It is on this account that the death of Christ is represented in scripture as an atonement, a satisfaction, or an equivalent, for suspending the literal execution of the penalty on the transgressor.

There are two sorts of equivalents, one belonging to commercial transactions, and the other to moral and civil affairs. A commercial equivalent is an exchange of one kind of property for another, as between a buyer and seller, and which particularly defines the kind and the quantity to be thus exchanged. A moral or civil equivalent does not regard kind or quantity, but secures the same ends, and produces the same effects, as the other moral or civil measure instead of which it is substituted. Why in the social circle do you accept of an expression of sorrow for a fault, instead of inflicting the pain of your displeasure? It is because you think such sorrow will answer the same ends as the infliction of your displeasure. Why was the death of Zimri and Cozbi, by the zeal of Phinehas, accepted by God as an atonement, instead of inflicting the threatened death on all the Israelites who had joined Baalpeor? It was because it answered the same ends for preventing idol

atry, as if all the idolaters had died. Why were the sufferings of Jesus on the cross substituted, instead of inflicting the curse of the law on man? It was because that, in the estimation of the moral Governor of the universe, these sufferings of his Son would answer the same "end of the law," as would have been secured by the destruction of the transgressors themselves.

The death of Christ secures this end. It magnifies the law, and makes it honorable in the sight of the universe, as holy, just, and good, both in its commands and in its threatenings. It is a demonstration of God's justice, as it shews that he would not exercise even his mercy, without an expedient to honor his justice, though at the cost of the sufferings of his illustrious Son. It is a testimony to the evil of sin-that it is regarded by God as an evil, that it has actually inflicted evils on many, and is likely to inflict more; that it tends to misery, infamy, and death. It demonstrates the impossibility of escaping the law; for if God spared not his own Son as the substitute, "how can we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" Thus the death of Christ tends to deter men from breaking the law, and answers the ends of punishment.

The sufferings of Christ not only secure the same ends of government as the death of the sinner, but they answer them more fully and abundantly. They better express the benevolence of the character of God; they better shew the evil of sin; they supply better motives for holiness; and they bring a greater accession of happiness to the universe, for they not only prevent miseries that might have come, but they suspend those which were really due. The sufferings of a Personage of such grandeur and worth, are calculated to make on the universe deeper impressions of the rectitude of God's government, and of God's displeasure against sin, than a literal infliction of the penalty on sinful and degraded creatures. Yea, they answer other and higher ends than the prevention of sin. The sufferings of millions of sinners could never have been made a ground and

medium for exercising mercy; could never bring any sinner that was under the penalty into repentance; and never could save other sinners. The sufferings of Christ can do these things, and do them gloriously. Thus did the blood of Christ speak BETTER things than the blood of Abel.

There are two stupendous facts in the administration of moral government which prove that the death of Christ answers all these ends. The first is, that though God declares sin to be an infinite wrong to him, yet he never asks any sinner to make an atonement for his sin. The reason of this is, that he has set forth his own Son as the propitiation for this. The second is, that God will not treat any man as a sinner, if he will believe that the death of his Son was a propitiation for sin. The reason is, that in Christ he is reconciling the world unto himself without imputing their transgressions unto them.

V. The death of Christ provides that pardon shall be dispensed to the offenders in such a manner, as shall fully sustain the interests of moral government.

Pardon is proclaimed through an atonement which by its very provision supposes that the honor and authority of the law, are not weakened. If God had had no regard for the honor of his law and government, he would not have provided an equivalent. He was just, independently of the atonement, but he provided an atonement that he might be just in justifying sinful men.

The sinner is forgiven on his repentance, which reflects a disgrace and reproach upon sin. God, indeed, has always the disposition and the power to forgive, independently of the state and feelings of the sinner, but the sinner's discharge from his liableness to the penalty of the law is not passed, as a judicial act, until he repents of his transgression. As God has given an expression of his abhorrence of sin in proclaiming pardon, so has he ordained, for the ends of government, that the sinner also should give an expression of his abhorrence of it. This the sinner does by his repentance. When one comes forth from the ranks of the revolters, and re

turns to his allegiance, it is as far as his influence and example go, a reflection both on the revolt, and on the revolters. A repenting sinner blames both himself and others for rebellion against God, and thus promotes the interest of the divine government.

Forgiveness is offered freely and sincerely to all the offenders, which preserves the divine government from the charge either of capricious partiality, or of arbitrary severity. God calls upon all men every where to repent, and this is an intimation to all men every where, that there is for them forgiveness with God. He exhibits his pardons as in every way suitable and adequate to the case of the greatest offender, for he is plenteous in mercy and able to save to the uttermost. He publicly promises free pardon to every penitent sinner, and sincerely offers it to every sinner, with a solemn declaration, that "him that cometh he will in no wise cast out." Hence no offender can despise the government for partiality, or blame it for undeserved severity.

The pardon of the gospel comes from sovereign grace and unmerited favor, and this excludes all boasting, claim, and presumption. Notwithstanding the reconcileableness of God, and notwithstanding the atonement of Christ, yet no sinner can claim pardon. Some persons, indeed, have represented pardon as due from God to the elect; and have said, that it would be unjust in God not to pardon them. There is nothing in the holy scriptures, there is nothing in the nature of grace itself, to support such a bold and impious sentiment. Try it yourself. Did you ever feel in prayer that you could claim the blessings you asked? Does a happy soul feel so on his entrance to heaven? Does Gabriel feel that he has a claim even to his own crown? No: it is all of sovereign grace. The offender accepts the pardon by believing it, that is, by faith. The whole of this arrangement excludes presumption and self-gratulation. The reprieve is not the prisoner's own, until he accept it; he accepts it merely by believing it. Would any prisoner think that he deserved the reprieve because

he believed it? Would he demand his pardon as a claimant, or would he beg it as a suppliant? Would he presume on the king's favor and live in rebellion? No, the king has freely, of his own prerogative forgiven him, but it is in a way, "that he might be feared” and served.

The dispensation of pardon still perpetuates and continues man in a state of probation, and this checks all inclinations to licentiousness. God pardons, not that he might be trifled with, but that he might be feared. Man when pardoned is not taken out of a state of probation and trial. He is still accountable to law, he is still liable to break that law, he is taught to pray daily for pardon, he is chastened and afflicted for his sin, and he will have to appear at the reckoning of the judgment day. By such an arrangement the honors of the divine. government are safe.

The exhibition of pardon has in itself a tendency to affect the heart, and to restore a rebel to his allegiance. There is forgiveness with God, not that he might be dreaded, but that he might be esteemed, revered, and served. There is no tendency in the dispensation of wrath to make the sinner relent and return; it hardens more and more. Sinners who have been beaten with many stripes become harder and harder. Satan, Cain, and Judas, are now harder, than when the storm began to fall on them. It is mercy that conquers the heart, and wins the rebel from his revolt. It is mercy that restores man to his allegiance, that God may be served. Wherever this is prominent in the ministry of the gospel, thither do guilty criminals flock, as doves to their windows. After all, it is not mercy to rebellion, but mercy to rebels; therefore, there is nothing in forgiveness to connive at revolt, though it smile on the sinner.

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