of his sins. On both these accounts we are solicited to come to Christ that we may have life. May this then, my brethren, be the use to which we as individuals may apply this doctrine; that whilst as Christians our faith is strengthened by the evidence which this doctrine furnishes of its divine original, it may lead us to a hearty reception of, and a true faith in Christ our Saviour. Feeling our own unworthiness, and the absence of that righteousness, which would be sufficient to justify us before God; may we, with a simple trust in the promises of the gospel, cast ourselves upon the mercy of God, through the atonement and mediation of Jesus Christ. Sensible how utterly we ourselves stand in need of mercy, may we show the reality of this conviction by tenderness, forbearance, charity, forgiveness, and every kind office towards each other. Above all, conscious how unable we are of ourselves, either to embrace the gospel aright, or to bring forth its fruits without the aid of God's Holy Spirit, may we be excited to constant and fervent prayer, that the Spirit of truth may so convince us of sin as to lead us to the Saviour, and

enable us so to bring forth the fruits of faith in all holiness and righteousness of life, as to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, which God of his infinite mercy grant, for the sake of Jesus Christ.

182

SERMON XIV.

INTERNAL EVIDENCE CONTINUED. DOCTRINE OF

ATONEMENT.

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”—1 Tıм. ii. 5, 6.

In our last discourse, it was our object to draw an argument for the truth of the Christian religion, from that peculiar doctrine of Christianity, the depravity of human nature. Another doctrine peculiar to the Christian system, and which we conceive furnishes an additional argument for its truth, is the atonement of Christ, or the Christian scheme of mediation. This doctrine, as delivered in Scripture, is briefly as follows:--Man has fallen from God; he is become guilty and depraved; his recovery is to be effected by a mediator between God and man; and an essential part of this mediation is an atonement to be made by the mediator for the sins of men. No less a personage

than the Son of God hath undertaken the office. He hath assumed human nature, and offered himself upon the cross, an atoning sacrifice, to make reconciliation for sin. He hath arisen again from the dead and ascended into heaven; and there he ever liveth to exercise his office, to make intercession for us, and to save them that come to God by him. All our intercourse with heaven is to be through his intervention. Nothing which is in our power to do can put away sin; the blood of Christ only is sufficient. No imperfect goodness, independently of Christ, can gain for sinful man access to God. "No man," saith the saith the Scripture, "cometh to the Father, but by him." The design of the mediation, and atonement of Christ is further described in those Scriptures in which he is said "to bear our sins;" "to have the chastisement of our iniquities," or the punishment due to them, "laid upon him;" "to suffer the just for the unjust;" "to redeem us from the curse, being made a curse for us." But the text which perhaps speaks more explicitly on the point than any other, is the following, in the third chapter of the Epistle to

the Romans :- Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus;" that is, that mercy might be exercised consistently with justice; that both might be displayed in beauteous harmony together; that the honour of the divine government might be maintained, its laws supported, and the ends of punishment answered, whilst the chief of sinners were saved. then appear to be the primary reasons why Christ died: that he might put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; that he might become the mediator between God and man; that men. might be reconciled to God, by the death of his Son.

These

This doctrine, however, like the doctrine of human depravity, hath been assailed by objections; but upon what insufficient grounds hath been shown by the ablest writers. That the idea of a mediator, such as hath been described, is extraordinary, even to amazement, we allow; that it is far above what man's understanding could have conceived, and that like many other of the works of God,