stop the execution of that. vengeance which fell upon the Egyptians? If Christ then is our passover, it must follow that his blood now does for us, what the blood of the Paschal Lamb did for the Hebrews in Egypt: but that blood was expiatory; and therefore so is his; according to that of St. Paul, we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of our sins. Was the Passover an example to the Hebrews? did it die for its own religion? No: its blood was accepted for the saving of the people of God, when the unbelieving were destroyed: and therefore Christ's blood is accepted for the same end; otherwise he can be no passover. Indeed, so false is it that Christ's sacrifice was figurative, that there never was any true and proper sacrifice but his only. The blood of Bulls and of Goats and of Lambs, which were offered daily under the law, and had the appearance of real sacrifices, could not accomplish what it aimed at it could not purge the conscience from a sense of guilt and to shew that it had not done so, these sacrifices were offered repeatedly, day by by day, and year by year: but Christ offered. himself once for all, and by that offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified. With the merits of this sacrifice he now appears, as our our high Priest, in the presence of God for us, as the high Priest of the Jews went into the most holy place of the temple once a year with the blood of the yearly sacrifice. We are far from denying that Christ was an erample to us in his Death as well as in his life: but he was not only an example; as the Socinian falsely asserts. He was an Intercessor, a Mediator, a temple, a Priesta, a sacrifice, a ransom, a price of redemption*, a propitiation, an atonement', a lamb slain for the sins of the World: he was in short all that the Law exhibited and instead of being a sacrifice only in figure, all the sacrifices that had been before him from the beginning of the world, were the figures of which he himself, once for all in the end of the world, was the substance and reality. If you wish to see the whole doctrine of atonement confirmed and explained in a single text, consider what the Apostle hath said Heb. x. 26, 27. If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. This teaches us, that a fire from hea-" ven is due to sinners, and must fall upon those sinners themselves, unless a sacrifice, exposing itself in their stead, shall turn away the indignation that awaits them. Christ is this sacrifice, accepted of God as our substitute but if we depart from our profession, despising the advantage of this substitution, then we can find no other sacrifice, but must receive the divine wrath in our own persons. When God shall be revealed as once on Mount Sinai, and that fiery indignation which is looked for shall be falling upon the adversaries of the Gospel, then we shall see the necessity of this sacrifice for sin: and if the sophistry of any seducer shall have tempted us to rely on some other method of Salvation, we shall curse the hour in which we listened to him. You CHAP. X. Conclusion. OU are not to wonder, my brethren, either at the absurdity or wickedness of these attempts which are made upon your VOL. I. Ꭱ Faith: Faith the Scripture hath told us, the time should come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but be possessed with an Itch of Novelty; and as numbers give credit to any false persuasion, it is natural for them to wish that you may endure sound doctrine as little as they do. With this view, they take all possible pains to spread their opinions; which, as you have seen, are very flattering to human pride; and it is an old saying, that flatterers are easily believed. No deep reasoning is requisite, when the treachery of your own hearts assists them in their work. You may judge, therefore, that your situation is dangerous: and when you are convinced of this, it is hoped you will be on your guard: and now I have endeavoured, as my Duty requires, to shew you what the enemies of your faith have to say in one of their pieces, you may be able to judge of the rest for yourselves. So for the present, I shall conclude with that advice of St. John-Beloved, believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. A LET |