knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

Christ must not only be crucified; but he must be crucified between two thieves. Although he was God's righteous servant, yet he must be treated and put to death as a malefactor. Pilate said to the enemies of Christ, "What accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said unto him, if he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews, therefore, said unto him, it is not lawful for us to put any man to death: that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die."*

Pilate wished not to be concerned in the execution of the immaculate Jesus; and, therefore, he said to the Jews, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. law. But the Jewish law was, that a man for blasphemy, which was the charge brought against Christ, should be executed by stoning; according to Leviticus xxiv, 16; "And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him." Christ knew that he should not be put to death by being stoned, but "by being lifted up from the earth, or by crucifixion, which was a Roman punishment." Therefore, though Christ was condemned by a Jewish court, yet he must be delivered to the Gentiles, that is, to the Romans, to be executed.

Christ foretold his disciples of his death, and "what death he should die," not that he should be stoned to death by the Jews; but that he should be crucified by the Gentiles. That things were so constructed, he had, previously to his death, taught his disciples. "And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Be

* John xviii, 29-31.

hold we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death. And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge, and to crucify him."*

Jesus knew no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; yet agreeably to his own declaration, he must be numbered among the transgressors. "For I say unto you, That this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, and he was reckoned among the trans gressors: for the things concerning me have an end " And because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth, he therefore, made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death 't Our blessed Saviour had a perfect knowledge of all the ill treatment which he should receive from his enemies. And he was prepared for all the events of providence concerning him.

To fulfil the predictions concerning Christ, it was necessary that he should be condemned by a Jewish court; but that he should be executed according to a law, or custom, in the Gentile world. Therefore he was delivered to Pilate, a Roman governour, to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify. Crucifixion was not a manner in which the Jews executed criminals; therefore, as Christ was to be executed in this manner, it was necessary that he should be delivered up to the Romans. And because it was prophesied of Christ, that he should make his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; for this reason it was, that a rich man, of Arimathea, named Joseph, went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus; wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out of the rock.'§

All these predictions take their rise from the originak transaction of the covenant of redemption. And it was not in the heart of Christ to avoid any predicted

Matt. xx, 17-20. † Luke xxii, 37. + Isai. liü, 9. Matt. xxvii, 58–60.

evil concerning him. He was cordially willing to meet his sufferings and death in their predicted form and manner, He was prepared to meet his strong enemy in the wilderness, or in the field of battle. He was always willing, at the time appointed, to try his strength with the power of darkness: for he knew that he was able to conquer every foe. He wished not to escape the wound, which, agreeably to the prediction, Satan would make upon his heel; for, by this means, he would have an opportunity to effect a mortal wound upon the head of the serpent.

This bruise upon the blessed Redeemer; and the blood sprinkled upon his garments, will not hereafter appear to the disgrace of the mighty Conquerer; but they will be produced to his unspeakable honour, and eternal praise. He will exhibit to his redeemed in heaven, his mangled hands, his pierced side, his bruises and his blood, as tokens of his great love wherewith he loved them.

The precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, will not be exhibited as a token of divine anger towards sinners; but it will be produced as a most striking manifestation of divine benevolence towards a guilty world. No such token will be necessary to manifest the anger of God towards the finally impenitent: eternity, truly, will be long enough for God perfectly to express all his anger towards them for all their sins: for, the anger of God, therefore to be expressed towards them, in the sufferings and death of his beloved Son, is, indeed, altogether needless.

It is the opinion of some, that the sufferings of Christ, considering the infinite dignity and excellency of his person and character, are equal to the sufferings of all mankind in an eternal hell. But if this were the case why should sinners suffer an eternal hell? And if the impenitent sinner will suffer in hell all that which he deserves, why, I ask, should Christ suffer in his room and stead, all that evil which he has to suffer in his own person? Is there anger enough in God to.

wards sinners, to inflict a double punishment? to inflict infinite evil upon the sinner, and infinite evil upon Christ as the sinner's Substitute? According to this, there is infinitely more suffering than there is need of If it be said that Christ suffered in the room and stead of the elect only; and that he suffered in their room and stead that which was equivalent to their eternal destruction; then, it appears to me, that justice requires the salvation of all the elect. According to this scheme of atonement, they for whom Christ died ought in justice to be exempted from punishment; and if justice requires their exemption from punishment, the idea of pardon is totally excluded. Therefore the salvation of sinners according to this scheme, as it appears to me, would not be wholly of grace, but of strict justice. My meaning is that however gracious and merciful the Son would be in suffering all the evil which the sinner deserved; yet the Father would be, according to strict justice, under obligation to exempt the sinner from punishment.

The sufferings of Christ were never designed to buy sinners out of the hands of justice. But justice requires that they be punished, as much as if Christ had not died. The finally impenitent will reap no advantage from the death of Christ. And sinners' repenting of their sins renders them no less deserving of punishment. But their sins being blotted out through the blood of Christ, makes their salvation to be of grace.

The anger of God is expressed only in the sufferings of transgressors. God is angry with the wicked every day; and, if they do not repent, his anger will burn against them forever. The anger of God will be sufficiently expressed in the everlasting punishment of

*Sufferings, it is true, can add nothing to the love of God to his creatures: but they may be, and it is hoped can be, proved to be necessary to a consistent exercise and display of that love. Atonement does not imply a purchase of God's mergy; it does not imply satisfaction to justice, as a cancellation of debt; nor does it infer any obligation on justice, for the liberation of sinners; for if it do, then sinners are not saved by forgiveness, since it is impossible for mercy to pardon, where justice cannot punish."-DR. MAXEY

those who know not God, and obey not the Gospel. But the day of reckoning is not yet come; the day of vengeance is still future. In the sufferings of Christ we do not see the anger of God expressed towards sin ners, but we see his benevolence displayed in the clearest and fullest manner possible. No language can describe the love of God to guilty man equally to the sufferings of his dearly beloved Son. The love of God in the death of his Son is painted in the most lively colours. In the cross of Christ the love of God shines beyond the brightness of the meridian sun. It was the love of God to man which placed his Son upon the Roman cross; and out of love to God and man the Son expired there,

For the redemption of man, it was necessary, that the Lord Jesus Christ should be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The necessity of Christ's dying upon the cross, was, in an early age of the world, expressed by Moses' lifting up the serpent in the wilderness; that the believer in the exalted Saviour, "might not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in hin should not perish, but have everlasting life,"

Hence it is evident, that, not the anger, but the love of God, was manifested in the sufferings and death of his well beloved Son,

And as it was the plan and purpose of God, for the redemption of sinners, that Christ should die upon the cross, so it was the mind of God, that he should be typified by the brazen serpent in the wilderness.

Christ must be nailed to the cross and expire there; for had he been put to death by stoning, according to a Jewish law, the Scriptures would not have been fulfilled. But that the blood of Christ might answer the purpose of our redemption, it was necessary that all the predictions and prophecies respecting him, should centre in him. And as Christ was exhibited by types,