v. 4.1 It is this same idea (that Jesus suffered the punishment' of our sins) on which is founded the comparison of Jesus to a sacrifice. The passages referring to this point, are the following: 1 John 2: 2, he is the propitiation for our sins. 4: 10. 2 Cor. 5:21, for he (God) made him (Christ) to be sin for us. Rom. 8: 3, for what the law could not do, because it was weakened through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh [of a sinful body], and on account of sin, condemned sin in the flesh [in the human body of Christ], περι άμαρτιας sc. προςφορα which is indeed expressed in full in Heb. 10: 18. Compare Lev. 5: 11, in the translation of the Seventy, where the Hebrew word N is rendered by лɛ auαorias. That duαoria or "sin," in 2 Cor. 5: 21, signifies a sin-offering, is evident from Heb. 9: 28, where the words "he shall appear a second time without sin" are an antithesis to the words in the 26th verse," he appeared-by the sacrifice of himself."2 Rom. 3: 25, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation ἱλαστηριον. On the word ἱλαστηριον sc. θυμα, the reader may consult Kypke Vol. II. p. 161; Krebs p. 275; Michaelis' Introd. N. T. § 29; and Schleusner's Lex. A decisive passage from Joseph. de Maccab. § 17, proves the philological accuracy of the above sense of the word. In the work on the Design of Christ's death (p. 484), I have proved that the word cannot, in this instance, signify "mercy-seat" as it generally does in the version of the Seventy; for in this passage, the death of Christ is represented as the means of our pardon, (and this the mercy-seat was not,) and God as the Being who bestows his favour. Heb. 7: 27, he offered himself. 9: 12, by

1 On the Design of Christ's death, p. 479.

2 So the LXX. Levit. 4: 21. See Comm. on Heb. 9:28. Schleusner's Lex. voc. apaoria no. 11. In the Observv. it is proved, that this signification of this word is acquired by a double metonymy.

his own blood (in opposition to the blood of bulls and goats). v. 23, it was necessary that the heavenly things themselves should be purified with better sacrifices than these. "The celestial sanctuary needed purification by a better sacrifice. v. 25, not that he should offer himself often. v. 26, he hath once appeared by the sacrifice of himself. v. 28, he was once offered. Compare 10: 5-14. 13: 11.

On the subject of the comparison of Christ to a sin-offering and a propitiatory sacrifice, we remark further: the distinguishing characteristic of the propitiatory sacrifice, was reconciliation, or remission of sins. And this effect was not dependant on the penitent frame of mind of the person offering the sacrifice, but followed in consequence of the sacrifice offered; for who would suppose that the whole Jewish people collected on the great day of atonement were true penitents? The victim was, in accordance with the will of the Lawgiver, placed in the stead of the sinner, and punishment (though not precisely the same which would have been inflicted on the sinner,) was executed on it. This vicarious nature of the propitiatory sacrifice, was proposed to the view of the people in a very clear light by the solemnities of the great day of atonement, with which the great Sacrifice of Christ is compared Heb. 9: 7-10, 20. And that the tertium comparationis [or the point of similarity and comparison] between the Jewish sacrifices and the death of Christ, really consists in the pardon of sins effected by the vicarious suffering of punishment, is evident, because this is expressly stated as the point of comparison in Heb. 9: 26, 24. 10: 18, and because in some passages this vicarious efficacy is attributed to the death of Christ, without any figure or comparison. Gal. 3: 13. 2:19. As to the object of the Jewish sacrifices, the sins of which they procured remission were of a civil or ceremonial na

1 See On the design &c. 8.

ture. The exclusion of the individual bringing the offering, from the outward people of God, and from the outward privileges of this people, was thus removed. But by the atonement of Christ, forgiveness of sins was wrought in regard to the conscience (Heb. 9: 14), which has a reference to the future judgment; that is, the remission of future punishments was effected. Our exclusion from the blessed part of the invisible world of Spirits (Hades) and from heaven was prevented.1

The signification of the word "punishment," in the proposition, “Christ suffered the punishment of our sins," is explained in the work on the Design of the death of Christ. When substitution is spoken of, it is of course not meant that the punishments are merited by the substitute himself. Vicarious punishment is a punishment endured on condition that the individual who would otherwise have been exposed to it, shall be released; or it is a punishment endured in consequence of a judicial decree, because some other person was to have been punished. It is, therefore, not necessary that it should be the very same punishment which the criminal must otherwise have endured. The inexorable justice of God, demanded of Jesus, that before his desire of delivering mankind from punishment could be gratified, he must first submit to such miseries and punishments as sinners alone endured. The guilt of Adam and the guilt of his descendants, could not indeed be transferred to Jesus. Still the sufferings which he endured may have been imposed on him (and thus far be considered punishments) in order to declare, that the punishment which awaited us sinners, who were not only unworthy of the happiness intended for us, but who actually deserved damnation, must be regarded as a serious impediment to our obtaining that salvation which the

1 See Schwartze sup. cit. p. 39-43. Süskind in Flatt's Mag. No. III. p. 204-223. Lang in the dissertation sup. cit. in Flatt's Mag. No. 6. p. 49-59.

Redeemer designed by his obedience to purchase the right of bestowing on us; and that this impediment is as assuredly removed as the Redeemer endured the most painful sufferings.” In Reinhard's Dogmatik, the phrase "vicarious death of Christ" is explained to be "a death which Christ resolved to submit to, because God had purposed, in consideration of it, to remit to man the punishment of his crimes." And the word "satisfaction (atonement)" is by the same writer defined to mean "all that Christ did and suffered, to avert from us the punishment of our sins;"3 or that Christ by his death had performed the condition on which God had determined to pardon sin.1

Christ is called our Priest, or Highpriest, in several passages of Hebrews, because he bore his blood as the blood of a sacrifice into heaven; that is, because after he had laid down his life as a sacrifice for our sins, he entered on the enjoyment of a glorious happiness with God in heaven; he is so termed, to show that he really procured the remission of our sins by his death. 66 Highpriest-to make reconciliation for the sins of the people-we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once-and every priest standeth daily ministering.5 Heb. 2: 17. 10: 10, 11. He is our Highpriest, inasmuch as in virtue of his death, which he endured out of obedience to God, he possesses a divine (Heb. 5: 4-6) and to us salutary dignity. Heb. 5: 9. 7: 24, 25.

VII. Christ's death reconciled us to God.-Eph. 2 : 16.

1 Annotat. ad Kantii philosoph. p. 16.

2 Mors a Christo propterea suscepta, quod Deus hominibus ob eam condonare decrevit peccatorum poenas.

3 Complexus eorum omnium, quae Christus fecit et passus est ad aver. tendas a nobis peccatorum poenas.

4 Schwartze sup. cit. p. 50-54.

5 ἱερευς=αρχιερευς, ἱερεὺς κατ' εξοχην; hence the sacrifice of Christ is compared to the annual propitiatory sacrifice of the highpriest.

Rom 5:10. $ Compare § 90. Ill. 2. The proposition, "Jesus by his death reconciled God to man," must not be supposed to mean, that God was induced to feel a compassion for man, only after Jesus had satisfied the demands of the violated law, by suffering the punishment it prescribed. For, a judge who is possessed of a truly compassionate heart, may inflict punishment on an offender, out of love to the law and to the general welfare of society; or, as it is sometimes expressed, according to the usus loquendi of Scripture, "he may be angry." See $ 24. Ill. 8. He cannot be reconciled or gracious, or liberate the sinner from punishment, until the law is satisfied and its dignity supported. Moreover, it was none other than God himself, who devised the scheme by which pardon can be extended to the sinner, in consistence with the principles of his government, as is proved by the following passages. John 3:16. 1 John 4: 9--11. Rom. 5: 5-8. 8: 32, he spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. 2 Cor. 5: 18. 1 Pet. 1: 19, the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot, who was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Heb. 2: 9. Comp. § 59, 75. Ill. 1. The death of Christ itself is in many passages represented as the most striking evidence of the grace and love of God to the human family. God was reconciled to us by the death of Christ. Not that he was before literally angry with us, and would have delighted in our destruction; but his wisdom found in the death of Christ the ground or cause on account of which he can save the sinner from feeling the misery consequent on the loss of his favour, without doing violence to the dignity and authority of his law. Hence, we are told, in 2 Cor. 5: 18, God reconciled us to himself through Christ, καταλλαξαι ήμας ἑαυτῷ, that is, God has, through the sacrifice of Christ, accomplished his wish to