ness by our own deeds. And nothing could exert a more powerful influence, in deterring us from voluntary transgression (4), than the remembrance of the fearful punishments which Christ was compelled to endure in order to purchase for us the hope of pardon.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

He

I. The apparent violation of justice in the pardon of man. It is evident, of course, that God did not establish the law relative to the connexion between obedience and happiness without a foreknowledge of the individual case of man. did not enact the law merely in a general indefinite manner, but with an accurate foreknowledge of every individual case. To the view of the creature, however, who contemplates the law in general, the conduct of God in relation to man, wears the aspect of an exception to the rule. And the object of the scheme of redemption, is to prevent the supposition of other such exceptions by his creatures, to guard men against the idea that in other cases also God will have similar reasons to lead him to extend pardon, just as he had in reference to the human family at large. $91. Ill. 1.1

II. The atonement promotes piety by inspiring hope.This hope has a very important influence in promoting christian virtue, just as, on the other hand, despair of pardon and future happiness, or a proud dependence on our own merits, has a powerful tendency to impede our christian course.

On the importance of the atonement as a means of comforting the sinner, or of delivering him from the fear of the divine punishment, and of enabling him to obtain the assurance of pardon; and on the practical influence of a comfortable faith in the atonement, see the passages from the work on the Design of the

1 On the Design of the atonement, p. 614.

death of Jesus, which are adduced in § 73. Ill. 3. Schwartze, in his work on the Death of Jesus, gives the following views of the atonement as an incentive to virtue.-1. By the consolatory influence which it exerts, it properly prepares us for a life of piety.-2. It renders a life of piety more easy and agreeable, by raising our love and gratitude to God and the Lord Jesus our Saviour to the most exalted height, and by presenting to our view the sufferings of Jesus, who was the most perfect example of perseverance and fortitude in the discharge of duty, and by awakening and confirming within us a sense of the high importance of man, even in the sight of God.1

Reinhard, in his sermon on the reformation, makes the following remarks: "It is a debt which our church owes to her own internal security, and to the peace of her members, not to suffer the doctrine of the atonement to be neglected. Is it possible that the superstition, which searches out other means of reconciliation with God, can acquire the sway in her? can she possibly be in danger of falling into that self-prescribed service, that righteousness of works, which wishes to make atonement itself, and deserve heaven by works, if she steadfastly adheres to the doctrine that we are justified, without any merits of our own, through that atonement which was made by our Lord Jesus Christ ?"2

III. The salvation for which we hope, and which results from the divine approbation of the obedience displayed by Christ, is the most immediate and the strongest evidence of the high value of obedience in the sight of God.3

IV. The atonement has a tendency to deter us from sin.Luke 23: 31, for if these things happen to a green tree (which

i

See Süskind, in Flatt's Mag. No. 1, p. 46.

2 Reinhard's Predigten, Vol. II, p. 292, for 1800.

3 On the Design of the atonement, p. 593.

produceth such beautiful fruit), what shall be done in the dry (which at any rate is intended for the fire)? 1 Pet. 1: 17, 19. (Comp. § 90. Ill. 2.) 2: 24. 4: 1 &c. Rom. 6: 2-12. Compare 91. Ill. 5. God could not possibly have placed before the view of the inhabitants of the world of spirits, in a more striking light, the inviolability of his law and the certain execution of its sanctions, than by exacting the infliction of the punishment even in a case in which every thing seemed to favour an exception. For, such was evidently the case before us. The innocence of the man Jesus, his extraordinary and peculiar union with God, the divine approbation of the obedience which he had previously displayed, and his generous and noble desire of sharing his happiness with his fellowmen, together with the peculiar situation of man, who had become miserable in consequence of Adam's transgression, all seemed to authorize the expectation that the penalty of the law would not, in this case, be executed.1 It was the blood of Christ, which gave a sanction to the New Covenant. Matth. 26: 28, this is my blood of the new covenant. Luke 22: 20, the new covenant in my blood; that is, the death of Christ confirmed the certainty of the promise of pardon and happiness, as well as the sanctity of that condition 2 on which pardon and eternal life are suspended. Heb. 13: 20. 9: 20. It was customary among ancient nations, to ratify their contracts or covenants by bloody sacrifices. The blood of the covenant, therefore, was forcibly to remind the Jews of the punishments which awaited them if they violated their promise (v. 7), and, on the other hand, also to assure them of the certainty of the promises given by God. It was therefore, at the same time, a lively memorial of the severe punishment

1 On the position that the sanctity of the law and the odiousness of sin are displayed by the atonement, see Reinhard's Dogmatik, p. 407. Ewald sup. cit. p. 262-266. See also supra § 91. Ill. 12.

2 Heb. 8: 10. 10: 16. Rom. 3: 22, 25. Phil. 3: 9.

which awaited the transgressor of this covenant, and, on the part of God, the most solemn confirmation of the pardon which the covenant promised. The truth of the doctrines of Jesus is evinced, not so much by his death,2 as by other proofs (§ 7 &c.), especially by his resurrection, $83. Ill. 6. But the inviolable sanctity of that part of the divine doctrines, which promises salvation to man on a certain, fixed condition, is displayed in the most forcible manner by that doctrine of the christian scheme which expressly teaches, that "the Son of God died in order to procure pardon for us in a manner consistent with the authority of the law, which requires obedience; that this exalted man laid down his life a sacrifice, for our advantage, and for the honour of the divine law." In other words, from the fact and the design of Christ's death, we may infer how earnestly God desires that we should obtain salvation, and that we should obtain it by showing that obedience, which is the condition on which it is suspended. 1 Pet. 1: 2. As God confirmed the new covenant by Jesus, making him the surety of it (Heb. 7: 22), Jesus is called the Mediator of it (Heb. 12:24), not only because it was through him that God published 5 the promise and condition of pardon, not only for the reason on account of which Moses was the mediator of the old covenant (Gal. 3: 19. Heb. 12:18-21. 9:19); but also because Christ was the Priest of the new covenant, or because in consequence of his atonement,' he dwells in the presence of God as author of our par

6

8

1 Comment. on Heb. 9: 20. infra, 114. Henke's Mag. Vol. VI. No. 1, p. 1–9.

2 Schwartze sup. cit. p. 87-106.

3 Rom. 8:32. Heb. 12: 24. 10: 19. Schwartze, p. 179–184, where the death of Jesus is viewed as a proof that God is love, that he is the God and Father of all mankind.

4 Comment. on Heb. in loc.

6 Heb. 8: 6. 9: 15, 11.

7 Heb. 9:15. 8: 3.

5 Heb. 12: 25.

8 Heb. 8: 1-4. 9: 12, 14. § 86. Ill. 1.

don and salvation. And finally, Jesus is denominated the Mediator between God and man, (μεσιτης θεου και ανθρωπων,) not only because God announced salvation to men through him,' but also because it was by Jesus, as the immediate Author of it, that God provided this salvation for mankind (1 Tim. 2: 6); because it is through Jesus, that he still carries on the work of salvation, and because he will ultimately also, in the most solemn manner, bestow this salvation on those who shall obtain it, through its Author and Publisher, Jesus.

Schwartze, in discussing the evidence of the divinity of Christ's mission, and the truth of his doctrines as far as they are deducible from his death, reduces it to the following heads :— 1. All the circumstances attending the death of Jesus, combine to prove that he was not merely a sincere, benevolent philosopher, who became a sacrifice to his reformation.-2. They establish the fact, that he was not led astray by fanaticism.— 3. Hence, the most natural method of explaining these circumstances, is really to regard him as the personage he professed to be, namely, the Son of God.

1 Flatt's Mag. No. 1. p. 83-87. Haffner's Festpredigten, Pt. I. No. 5.