is no place for flight from the recollections of Calvary! It is filled with the apparatus and monuments of atonement! Its atmosphere is brightened by it-redolent of it-vocal with it.'

V. By the atonement, a way is opened up for the honour. able egress of divine mercy in the bestowment of salvation; sinners have ample encouragement to rely on this mercy; and foundation is laid for every pious emotion in the breasts of

saints.

The exercise of mercy in consistency with the claims of justice, is the perplexing problem which only the doctrine of atonement solves. To the flow of the former the demands of the latter seem to present insuperable barriers. These demands must be satisfied, and, if satisfied in those on whom they primarily take hold, the way of mercy is necessarily shut up.

'Die man, or justice must, unless for him
Some other, able, or as willing, pay
The rigid satisfaction, death for death.'

No

It was the revelation of the all-momentous fact of Christ's atoning death, that enabled the gifted poet to hint even at this method of extrication from the above dilemma. Nought else could supply a reconciling principle. tears of penitence however copious, no prayers however fervent, no good works however sincere, could warrant a just God' to justify the ungodly.' The sufferings of Christ solve the difficulty; by these every obstruction to the consistent exercise of mercy is removed; the stream of the Lord's blood has opened up a channel in which full, free, and abundant grace might flow unobstructedly and for ever to the very chief of sinners. 'God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing unto men their trespasses.' Not only is this the way by which God has seen meet to make an harmonious display of the perfections of his nature, but it may even, without presumption, be affirmed to be the only method by which he could do so. It is not, indeed, for us to limit the Mighty One, whose understanding is infinite. Yet, considering the constitution of things, and the peculiarity of the case, we may safely af firm, that the method which he has adopted is the best that could have been adopted; and, as it is impossible that

a Being infinitely wise can do other than what is best, it follows that it was the only plan which even divine wisdom could employ. The necessity, be it observed, which is here supposed, is a moral necessity; and, in asserting that God could not save men otherwise than by the atone. ment of his Son, we no more impeach the perfection of his nature, than when we say that he cannot lie, cannot love sin, cannot contradict himself: we just affirm that he can. not but do what is best.

6

By the atonement every encouragement is held out to sinners to rely on the divine mercy in Christ for salva. tion. If the view which it exhibits of the rigours of jus tice and the inviolability of the law are fit to cause the sinner meditate terror,' the view which it, at the same time, gives of the greatness of God's mercy and of his willingness to save to the uttermost cannot but awaken hope. If God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, will he refuse such as come to him humbly soliciting pardon? The gift of his own Son is such a demonstration of his merciful design that no sinner need despair; and the merits of Jesus Christ, the intrinsic worth and sufficiency of his sacrifice, are sufficient to in. spire the hope of forgiveness, even should our sins be in number as the sand of the sea, and in aggravation as crimson and scarlet. 'It is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, even the chief.' 'He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.' No degree of guilt can exceed the worth, no depth of pollution surpass the cleansing virtue, of the Saviour's blood. To the timid, the conscience-stricken, the heavy-laden, the bowed down, he says, 'Come unto me, and I will give you rest.' And even should the whole head be sick and the whole heart faint, and from the sole of the foot even unto the crown of the head there be no soundness,' his call is still, 'Come now and let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool.' Unbelief and despair are thus totally without excuse.

As the atonement is the hope of sinners, so is it also the source of every pious emotion in the breasts of saints. It is the very object of faith, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.' It is the

2

We

spring of repentance; they shall look on me whom they
have pierced and they shall mourn.' The wisdom it dis-
plays, the amazing love it discloses, and the mighty pow.
er which it exhibits, are all fitted to fill the bosom with
adoring wonder. Gratitude, the strongest gratitude, is
awakened by a view of the magnitude of the blessings
with which it is fraught, and the sacrifices which required
to be made in order to secure them. Who that thinks of
the Son of God, who, being in the form of God, and think.
ing it no robbery to be equal with God, yet made himself of
no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and
was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fash-
ion as a man, humbled himself, and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross;—who, that remembers
that, though rich, for our sakes he became poor, that we
through his poverty might be made rich, but must feel im-
pelled to offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,
that is the fruit of his lips, giving thanks to his name?'-
It is eminently fitted to warm the heart with love.
must love him who has so loved us as to give himself a
ransom for our sins. Cold must be that heart, obtuse
must be those affections, which are not kindled into an
irrepressible glow by the atonement of Christ. The love
of Christ must constrain all who rightly understand this
subject, to love him in return. Whom having not seen
we love,' expresses the spontaneous feeling of every saint.
No believer but will be willing to say, Lord, thou know.
est all things, thou knowest that I love thee.' This is in.
deed the test of personal christianity. If any man love
not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, marana.
tha.' 'Love the Lord, all ye his saints.' How is it pos
sible to come under the ardent rays of this burning love,
and not feel induced to reflect its beams in kindred and
reciprocal emotion! How is it possible for a gracious
soul to treat love so dignified with neglect, love so free
with ingratitude, love so productive with contempt, love
so ardent with indifference, love so constant with even wa-
vering affection!

Nor can any thing be conceived better calculated to pro. duce true humility, than the doctrine that man is utterly incapable of saving himself, and that such were his guilt, and corruption, and misery, that less could not suffice for escape than the awful sufferings of the Son of God. Oh,

his

who that duly considers this but must be deeply humbled and self-abased! What better fitted to stain the pride of hu man glory, and to fill with all lowliness of mind! The man who firmly believes and cordially embraces this truth, must see himself to be nothing, yea, and less than nothing. Self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, self-complacency, selfdependence, can never be made to comport with Christ's having given himself a ransom for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity.

It is no way at variance with this, that the doctrine should be viewed as calculated to fill the soul with hope, and joy, and exulting triumph. No limits can be set to the rapturous gladness which it is its native tendency to inspire. In the lowest depth of his humiliation, the believ. ing soul, looking forward to the blessings, and anticipating the triumphs the cross of Christ is destined to secure, rejoices in hope of the glory of God. Seeing in it every reason for the highest moral delight and complacency, and feeling that all besides is nothing in comparison, he takes up the passionate yet dignified avowal, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.' VI. The atonement more or less affects all the divine dis. pensations toward our world.

But we

Even the creation of the world, there is every reason to believe, was with the view of its being a theatre on which to exhibit the work of man's redemption by the eternal Son. It is the workmanship of his hand. This is the purpose which it serves; and that it was framed with a view to its serving its purpose is surely no disputable assertion. Difficulties connected with that profound mystery, the origin of moral evil, may encumber this statement. are not bound to remove every difficulty from such a subject before being entitled to demand for it the assent of the mind. The apostle, in express terms, not only claims for Christ the honour of the world's creation, but asserts the purpose of its creation to terminate in Him: All things were created by him, and FOR him.' He is the final as well as the efficient cause of this world's creation. Our earth was selected as the chosen spot on which the mystery of redemption was to be displayed; and all the scenes of the mediatorial economy were here exhibited. The advent of the promised Messiah took place here; here was led his instructive life; here were wrought

his wondrous miracles; here were spoken his still more wondrous addresses; here were borne his mysterious suf. ferings; here was accomplished his awful decease; and here were achieved his glorious victories over men and devils, over sin and death. This is indeed the glory of our world. That it was the abode of Christ and the scene of redemption, throws over it a surpassing lustre, imparts to it a matchless honour. It is the glory of the world that he who formed it dwelt in it; of the air, that he breathed it; of the sun, that it shone on him; of the ground, that it bore him; of the sea, that he walked on it; of the elements, that they nourished him; of the waters, that they refreshed him; of us men, that he lived and died among us, yea, that he lived and died for us.** Yes; and we may add, had it only been that it was stained with his blood, it was honoured by him beyond all human conception. It is through the atonement also, that the things of this world come to be properly enjoyed, as it lays a foundation for that covenant-right to their possession which is essential to all true enjoyment. The righteous enjoy the good things of the present life, because they know they are secured for them by the blood of Emmanuel, and are taught to use them as the provision of a temporary state, looking forward to a better and an enduring portion in the skies. And thus it is, that to them the rose of the garden appears to wear a deeper blush, and the lily of the field to reflect a purer tint, and the sun to shine with a richer splendour, and the morning star to sparkle with a brighter beam, because they are the handiworks, as they are the consecrated emblems of him who died on Calvary.

"One spirit-His,

Who wore the platted thorns with bleeding brows,
Rules universal nature. Not a flower

But shows some touch, in freckle, streak, or stain,
Of his unrivalled pencil.-

His presence who made all so fair, perceived,
Makes all still fairer."

COWPER.

The dispensation of providence regards the atonement as its centre. Redemption is the grand central point of providence, and atonement is the central point of redemption. The whole apparatus of redemption owes its being

• M'Laurin.