such a view of the sacrifice, at all adapted to reconcile the sinner to God, or to fit the soul for heaven.

Thus I have endeavored to show "in what manner the sacrifice of Christ is connected with the forgiveness of sins;" and that it is by its moral influence on the human mind, and not by an arbitrary decree, or an extrajudicial enactment of God.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Salvation by Jesus Christ a Redemption from Sin.

"BEHOLD the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world." John i. 29.

"When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." Heb. i. 3.

These and similar passages of Scripture, have a meaning, which it is of great importance to understand. How then does the Lamb of God take away the sins of the world? or in what sense is it true, that he has "purged our sins?" As it has been a common belief, that Christ, in laying down his life, bore the punishment due to our sins; so it has been supposed, that by "taking away sins," and "purging our sins," the thing principally intended is, that he took away our punishment, by suffering the penalty due to us.

I readily grant, that so far as sin is taken away, the penalty is remitted. But under human governments, it is well known, that a punishment may be remitted, while

there is no discernible change in the temper or character of the felon. Hence, in the minds of men generally, to take away punishment is a very different thing from taking away sin; and as selfish, impenitent men care little about sin, if they can but escape punishment, I think it must naturally have an injurious tendency to represent to them, that Christ has borne their punishment; and that this is what is meant by taking away the sins of the world. It seems not to have been duly considered, how careful the inspired writers were of using language which would import that Christ took away our punishment in any other way than by taking away sin. As specimens of the manner in which those writers spoke on the subject, I have placed two passages at the head of this chapter; and from a multitude of other passages, which might be quoted, I select the following:

"Thou shalt call his name JESUS; for he shall save his people from their sins." Matth. i. 21.

"Ye were not

"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus ii. 14. redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John i. 7.

"To give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins,” was the purpose for which Christ was exalted to be a "Prince and a Savior." Acts v. 31.

From these, and many other passages, it is clear, that the primary object of Christ's mission and sacrifice, was to

redeem men from iniquity,-to effect in them repentance and reformation, and thus fit them for the service and the enjoyment of God. This accords with Peter's language to the Jews:-" Unto you first, God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." Acts iii. 26. It is, then, by turning men from their iniquities, that Christ saves them from punishment; not by enduring punishment as their substitute.

But how does the Savior effect his purpose of turning men from iniquity, or purging them from sin? As sin is a moral disease, it is by moral means that the disease is healed;-by the influence of the purifying religion which he came to establish,-by the efficacy of the truths which he taught, the precepts which he enjoined,-the motives he has set before us,-by the love and concern which he expressed for us, in laying down his life, and by the example which he gave for our imitation. That divine truth has an influence to cleanse men from sin, and turn them to the Lord, was known under the Old Testament. The Psalmist asks," Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way?" This question he thus answers :-" By taking heed thereto according to thy word." Ps. cxix. 9. Christ observed to his disciples,-"Now ye are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you." Peter thus speaks of the efficacy of divine truth, in connexion with the spirit:"Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth, through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren-being born again-by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." 1 Pet. i. 22, 23.

As sin still abounds in the world, some may ask,-Why did John the Baptist, eighteen hundred years ago, call on

people to "Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world,”—as though the thing spoken of was then about to be done? and why did the writer to the Hebrews say," when he had purged our sins,"-as though the thing had been before that time accomplished? Do not these forms of speech give reason to think, that taking away sin, meant taking away punishment, and that this was done at the crucifixion ?

Suppose the people of a certain city to be in a perishing state by the scarcity of food. The king sends his son with this message :- Your sovereign has bread enough and to spare; his son will give you directions how you may obtain a ready and ample supply on the most reasonable terms!' This, surely, would be good news to a starving people; and such a people, on being about to hear the news from the lips of the son, might be called on to "behold the "messenger, who "taketh away" the evil of famine; and after the message had been delivered, and the way of supply made known, any one, speaking of what the son had done, might properly speak as though the wants of the people had been supplied;—and of the inhabitants, as a people who had been saved from famine, because relief had been proffered, and it depended on their disposition, whether they would receive it or not. Yet, notwithstanding all the saving kindness of the king and his son, the people would still perish if they should refuse the offered bread. In the language of prophecy, things are often spoken of as done, which are only purposed and foretold; and, in the language of the New Testament, men are sometimes represented as in a pardoned, justified, or saved state, when they have been made acquainted with the gospel; while, perhaps, many

of those of whom such language was used, had not become truly reconciled unto God. Hence, though the sin of the world has not even yet been taken away, there was a propriety in the manner in which John called on the Jews, to "behold the Lamb of God!" for the Messiah was then before him, and had come to establish his purifying religion, and thus to redeem men from their iniquities. The benefits of the Mosaic religion were in a great degree limited to the posterity of Jacob; but the Messiah came to establish a religion, that was to bless all the nations of the earth. Hence, John called on his hearers, to "behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world." Accordingly, after the resurrection of Jesus, he commissioned his Apostles to go "into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

So far as the gospel has had its genuine influence on the hearts of men, it has turned them every one from his iniquities; and, in this way, they are saved from future punishment. But nothing that Christ has done or suffered, has abated, in the least, the necessity of repentance and personal holiness, in respect to pardon and salvation. The object of his mission was to "save his people from their sins," not to save them in their sins.

Though it has been a prevalent opinion, that men are naturally too proud to be dependent on the merits of another for their salvation, or to be willing to accept salvation as purchased by the blood of Christ, yet, I verily believe, that it is much more common for men to be too proud to "work out their own salvation," according to the plain requirements of the gospel. Indeed, I suspect, that it is a much more common thing for impenitent men to hope that they shall be saved, in some mysterious way, on