ought to be contended for, by all who allow the the truth, and fufficiency of his fatisfaction; nor çan the adverfaries of this doctrine, (credit being given to the infpired writings) with a good countenance, affirm the contrary. 4th, The prophets and apostles all with one voice, being all inftructed by one spirit, affirm, that Chrift Jefus was pure from all fin; unblemished in his nature, and unblameable in his life, fpotlefs within, and guiltlefs without. iii. 5. He that was born of Mary, called the fon of God, was a boly thing, Luke i, 35, and fuch an high-priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, feparate from finners, Heb. vii. 26, neither was guile found in his mouth, 1 Pet. ii. 22, he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. If. liii. 9. And again, in him there was no fin, 1 John Now it is not easy to conceive, how Christ, who was thus holy in nature, and guiltlefs in life fhould (confiftent with juftice) become liable to fuffer, and that in fuch degree, that no forrow was like to bis forrow, if thefe fufferings were not the effect of fin. And it is no lefs easy to conceive how a perfon declared (by truth itself,) to be thus holy in heart and life, fhould become chargeable with fin, if it was not the fin of another. And how he could become chargeable with other's fins, but as they are reckoned, accounted, or imputed to him, I confefs I have not pene tration enough to discover. Sin and death are infeparably connected, (pardoning mercy not interveneing,) the former neceffarily gives being to the latter, and the latter infallibly denotes, and indicates the pre-existence of the former; but Jefus Chrift became subject, to the latter (50) latter, and was obedient to death, even the death of the cross, Phillip ii. 8. therefore was Jefus Christ fome way chargeable with the former, viz. fin. He that is every way free from fin and guilt himfelf, yet justly suffers for fin, and guilt; muft fuffer for the fin and guilt of another; but Jefus Chrift was thus free from fin and guilt, vid. fupr. therefore he must have suffered for the fin and guilt of another. Again, he who in fuch manner, and for fuch ends and purpofes fuffers for another, that for the fake of fuch fufferings, and for the fole meritorious caufe of which, that other is released, and exempted from fuffering, must be looked upon and confidered as the fubftitute of fuch exempted perfon, and his fufferings as vicarious; but Jefus Chrift fuffered in fuch manner, and for fuch ends and purposes as thefe, If. liii. 5. John iii. 16. 1. Pet. 3. 18. and his fufferings are the fole meritorious cause of the believer's exemption from fuffering. Job. xxxiii. 24. Rom. iii. 24. Eph. i. 7. therefore Jefus Chrift is to be confidered as the believing finner's substitute, and his fufferings as vicarious. Once more, he who by any means becomes an actual and real fubftitute for another, muft neceffarily be refponfible for whatever his principal tands juftly chargeable withal; yet it will by no means follow, that fuch acts, or deeds as the principal is justly charged with, become the proper and formal acts, or deeds of his fubstitute; although as fuch, he is become refponfible for them; but as it is impoffible they fhould become his properly and formally, they must become his imputatively; there being no other way in which we can stand chargeable with guilt, but either as the crime is our own perfonal act, or as for some reasons and caufes, it is imputed, or placed to our account. 5th, No fooner had sin and its attendant death, made a dreadful entry into the world; but the intended overthrow, and total deftruction of this fell pair, together with their murderous author the devil, was exhibited to the mortal parents of our race, now guilty at their maker's bar, in these words befbal bruife thy head, which bruifing and overthrow, agreeable to the apostle John, confifts in deftroying the works of the devil, 1 John iii 8. compared with Hofea xiii. 14. I Cor. xv. 25, 26, &c. and Chrift being thus preached in the first gofpel-promife, and prediction, was ever after to be regarded as the Saviour of the world, and as Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilderness, fo Christ was holden forth, from the time the promife was thus made, in a twofold manner, ift, In this word of God, which though not yet committed to writing, was no doubt remembered by Adam, and rehearfed in the ears of his fons, and fon's fons, until Mofes, directed by the HolyGhoft, recorded the promise itself in totidem verbis, in that book which preferved by the special care of heaven, fhall hold forth the Lord Chrift until he come to judge the quick and dead. 2d, In the facrifices offered from Adam through all fucceffive ages, until Chrift the end of thofe facrifices was manifefted in the flesh. It is highly probable fuch facrifices were infti tuted *He, fo the original hebrew reads, in the mafculine gender (hu) moft probably referring to Chrift, the woman's feed here intended; and perhaps with an eye to this, the x reads (autos) not it, but he. * tuted immediately after the promife was made; in order that the minds of Adam and his fallen fons might be the more deeply impreffed with a fenfe of the divine difpleasure against fin, his juftice in punishing it, and the abfolute need of a Saviour, who as a substitute, and furety, fhould by a vicarious undertaking expiate, and atone it. It is faid of Abel, whofe offering was acceptable, that he offered in faith, Heb. xi. 4. that is, he had refpect unto the blood of Chrift when pouring *And in procefs of time, Cain and Abel brought each an offering, &c. On which Mr. Henry fays, Cain's was an acknowledgment made to God, but Abel's had respect unto the atonement. Pifcator on the paffage fpeaks thus, facrifices were appointed by God from the beginning of the world, as is manifest in the example of Cain and Abel; for if facrifices had not been commanded by God, that of Abel's could not have been pleafing to him, feeing will-worship cannot be acceptable to God. Moreover, it is exprefly affirmed, Heb. 11, that Abel offered in faith. and therefore was certainly perfuaded, that he should please God, who had appointed sacrifices to be offered. And although these facrifices may appear to have been euchariftical, that is, as expreffions of gratitude for the manifold favours received from the beneAcent hands of God. At the fame time it is probable expiatory facrifices were then appointed to be offered; that is, as types and facraments of the expiatory facrifice to be made by the offering of the body of Christ. For feeing God before the fall had added to the promife of eternal life, the facrament of the tree of life; it is probable after the fall, that fymbol, being removed, and a new promife given concerning the woman's feed, fome fuitable fign fhould be giyen as the feal thereof. Now fuch were all the legal facrifices intended as expiatory, and by which God gave testimony that Christ should bruise the ferpent's head, and by the facrifice of himself, make atonement for the fins of the elect. ing out the blood of his flain victim; and the apoftie more than infinuates that this gave worth and acceptance to his facrifice, for in this, it was more acceptable than Cain's. Now it is but natural to fuppofe that Abel, and every other believing offerer, had fome fuch conceptions, and believing views as thefe, when prefenting the harmless victim at the bloody altar, and while the flaughter'd beast emitted with its reeking gore, its painful life. "This unblemished crea 66 ture, faultlefs, as fpotlefs, falls for me, and dies a "death the due demerit of my aggravated "crimes; thus in ftrict juftice might the venge, "ful fword, have plunged its indignant point in .. my very foul; thus might the wrath of an of"fended God have broken forth upon me a finful creature, and have confumed me in a moment; this, and more is my defert. But "O the ftupendous goodnefs of God, by whofe gracious appointment, this inoffenfive animal is offered, and accepted for me, and in this "fhadowy manner bears my fins and fuffers in 66 my ftead. I know there is no virtue in the "blood of these flain beafts to take away my fin, "but I believe what God has faid, fhall furely on come to pass, a feed fhall rife victorious over 66 1 ઃ "all his foes, and being bruised, shall bruise the |