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tion, and feemed ready to ftart affrighted at the hideous approach of that hour of darkness, and faid, "if it be poffible let this cup pafs from me." yet at the fame time divinely upheld, and refolutely firm, he effayed not to efcape from the multitude; but gently afks," whom feek ye ?" John xviii. 7. And then agreeable to the fpirit and purpose that on all occafions manifefled itself, and for which he came into the world, "if therefore ye feek me, let thefe go their way." It seems altogether as needlefs to obferve, as it would be abfurd to deny, that had not our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift offered himself willingly, a fair and fufficient opportunity here offered itself, for his efcape; feeing at the firft interrogation, "whom "feek ye," the traitor Judas and the banditti he headed being repelled by the force and majefty of his word, and their timid hearts failing, they funk to the ground. But for this end the a"dorable Redeemer came into the world," it behoved him to fuffer, "to make reconciliation, "and bring in an everlasting righteoufnefs."therefore he willingly entered the field, knowing he muft fall in the engagement, yet by his fall fhould raise up the chofen feed to the image and favour of God, and to an everlasting enjoyment of him in glory.

As Christ's facrifice has been proved to have had in it the nature of a facrifice, it will alfo appear to have been propitiatory, or placamentary; by obferving, firft, that the facrifices offered by the people of Ifrael, agreeable to the commands of God to Mofes, were ever confidered in this fenfe. It may not be amifs to premife, that when we fpeak of the deity's being propitiated, or pla

cated,

cated, that we do not conceive of him as a mutatable being, that can love, hate, be angry, and appeafed, like a feeble child of Man, for " he

is in one mind and who can turn him." Nor would we venture to put conftructions on God's own words fo very different from, and repugnant! to, the plain and obvious meaning thereof; left. we fhould charge omnifcience with obfcurity and inaccuracy; and make the current coin of fcripture, mere counterfeit, and the language of the Holy Ghost unmeaning jorgan, and unintelligible bombaft. The charge of doing which, we think lies heavy against thofe, who would conftruct the fcriptures that fpeak of the atonement, &c. as having a reference to the confcience; and that to make an atonement for fin, to make reconciliation for iniquity, &c. means no other than to placate the confcience, &c. Which manner. of interpreting the fcriptures, if it can be allowed as a fufficient prefident; there is no doctrine fo foreign, and contrary to the truth of the fcriptures, but at this rate may be palmed upon the world. If a man fhould make as free with Homer, Virgil, &c. in conftruing away the allowed fense of these noted authors, what would the learned world fay? 'Tis pity the facred oracles have fewer friends. We are willing to be perfuaded by the current language of the word of God, that his being angry with the wicked every day," his "wrath burning like fire," &c. bears the fame afpect towards the finner, and will at last be manifeft in the fame effects, as if thefe variable tempers were effential to the deity. And that the "Lord's turning away from his fierce "thought

wrath, and repenting him of the evil which he

"thought to do unto his people," &c. bears an afpect of mercy, and reconciliation fuitable to our ideas of a God kind and propitious. And agree able to these sentiments we proceed to the point in hand. Not to prefume on the ftrong probability that Adam began to offer facrifice immedi-' ately after the promife of the woman's feed; we are certain that Adam's fons were inftructed in this early act of religious worship, for they brought offerings to the Lord. Cain of the fruit of the ground, which as it had not respect unto the blood of Jefus, and therefore indicated the offerer void of faith in the promife, a ftranger to the malignity of fin, and the manner of reconciling the finner; his perfon and gift were both rejected, as an evil act proceeding from an evil mind.

But Abel brought the firflings of his flock, and the fat thereof, " and the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering," Not because God was better pleased with a flain beaft, than a fheaf of corn; but the offering was accepted for the fake of the offerer. "The Lord bad (first) reSpect unto Abel, and (then) his offering, which the Apostle affures us received it's recommendatory excellence from the faith in which it was ofv. fered, Heb. xi, 4. "Noah, who could not but be fenfibly moved at the exhibition of that wrath, which brought an overflowing deluge on the world of the ungodly; immediately upon his coming out of the ark, erected an altar, and offered burnt offerings thereon. Gen. viii. 20. " And the "Lord fmelled a fweet favour, and faid in his "heart, I will not again curfe the ground any more for man's fake," compared with Numb. "And Aaron ran into the midft of the

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xvi. 47:

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"congregation, and behold the plague was begun among the people, (the Lord's anger and fierce jealoufy, like a confuming fire broke out to "devour) and he put on incenfe, and made an atonement for the people; and he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed," The burning wrath was quenched, and the anger of the Lord was turned away. It seems almost impoffible to mistake the defignation of legal facrifices if we carefully attend to the inftitution of them in the levitical laws; nor can it be fuppofed but in confequence of the most grofs inattention, that the Ifraelitish officers, ever confidered their offerings, but as intended to avert the punishment due to their. fins. Who for inftance can read the fourth and fifth chapters of Leviticus, and not be confirmed in these truths? If the whole congregation fin through ignorance, the congregation fhall offer a bullock, for the fin; and the elders ball lay their hands on the head of the bullock before the Lord, and the priest shall take of the blood, &c. and fhall make an atonement for them, and it fhall be forgiven them, chap. iv. ver. 13. 21. When a ruler hath finned, the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his fin, and it fhall be forgiven him, ver. 22. 27. If any of the common people fin, the priest fhall make an atonement for his fin that he hath committed, and it fhall be forgiven him, ver. 27. ad ult. Now to deny these to be defigned as (typically) propitiatory, is to fhut our eyes against the mid-day glare and fay 'tis dark. If it could be supposed that the whole congregation of Ifrael had mistaken the defign of Mofes, in inftituting the facrifices as propitiatory, which cannot be admitted without the

grof

groffeft abfurdity; various proofs might be produced in the practice of the after Jews, which must be allowed to be agreeable to the firft defign and appointment, amongst this variety I shall fingle out one inftance, which no one with a good grace can deny to be valid. The example is, 1. Sam. vii. 8. 9. The children of Ifrael had by reafon of their fins, been as it were forfaken of their rock; God had let loose the Philistines against them as a fcourge for their difobedience, and they were left to flee before their enemies, 'till they fhould return to their God, judgment had now begun at the houfe of God, and the wicked fons of Eli fell by the fword, the ark of God was taken, and poor old Eli had his heart broken with grief, and exceffive forrow, and his neck by a fall from his feat. All this, indicated great wrath against the chofen people of God and as fuch, they conceived of his dealings with them; therefore with one accord they make application to Samuel, who now appeared among them as a prophet of the Lord; and they said unto him, ver. 8. " cease not to cry unto the Lord our God, for us, that he will fave us out of the hand of the Philiftines." Now it was impoffible fo great a favourite of heaven, as was Samuel, fhould be ignorant in matters of religion; and it would in a manner be charging the Holy Ghost with foolishness to fay fo great a prophet was ignorant of the defignation of facrifices. Ver. 9. And "Samuel took a fucking Lamb, and offered it for

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a burnt offering wholly to the Lord; and "Samuel cried unto the Lord for Ifrael, and the "Lord heard him." Now for what end this facrifice was offered, if not to propitiate, is not

eafy