of this significant transaction.-Does any object, that viewed in this light, it is an obscure and unnatural symbol? I might ask the objector to shew the natural fitness of other symbols both human and divine, to express the import which is ascribed to them. Words, for instance, are symbols of human thoughts and emotions. But what is there in the nature of articulate sounds, to make them significant of the thoughts and emotions of the soul? or to make each word significant of one particular thought, rather than another? The only answer here, is that men have agreed to use certain sounds as symbols of certain thoughts; and thence it is, they have acquired a meaning. In the same way, the common symbolical actions acquire a definite meaning. Why does inclining the body forward express respect? or falling on the knees betoken supplication? These actions would not have such definite meanings, if men had not agreed to use them for such purposes. Yet who does not now, understand and feel their import? Take an example. A child commits a fault; and is required, in token of his repentance, to fall upon his knees and ask forgiveness. He does so; and the parent is satisfied; and all the family sympathize with the offender, and feel that he may now properly be forgiven.— But these, it may be said, are well known symbols. True; yet all their significancy, or at least their definite import, originates from the arbitrary pleasure of those who introduced them and gave them currency. And in the numerous symbols of divine appointment, there was the same indefiniteness of meaning, the same natural unfitness to convey precise notions to the mind, till God by a sovereign act declared what meaning

should be assigned them. This is true of the covenant of the rainbow, of sacrifices, circumcision, baptism, the Lord's supper, indeed, of nearly all religious rites under both the old dispensation and the new.-Now if men regulate a great part of their intercourse, and convey to each other most of their thoughts and feelings and determinations, by arbitrary symbols; and if God has appointed various standing symbols, of the same character, to denote his pleasure or purposes, and to be expressive of the most solemn devotions of his creatures; may he not employ an extraordinary symbol, of like character, for the special purpose of shewing with what feelings and views he offers pardon to the penitent? Suppose we could discern no natural fitness in this symbol to convey to us any definite impressions; is not this true of most symbols?-But I venture to say, this symbol has a natural fitness for its object. Its primary object was not so much to enlighten the understanding, as to impress the feelings of creatures. A mere revelation, written or oral, might have been sufficient, if the former of these had been the object. Again, the feelings of creatures were to be impressed by an exhibition, not of the intellectual conceptions of the divine mind, but of the determinate purposes and the holy feelings of God. And, the impression to be made, was to be universal, and deep and lasting as eternity. Now the symbol chosen, was certainly calculated to make a deep and lasting impression on the minds of creatures. This all must admit. It was also of such a nature, as to exhibit uncommon strength of feeling and very great decision of mind, in regard to something, on the part of God the Father and his Son. Never did they perform

an act indicative of so intense desire and purpose, or one that seemed to involve so much selfdenial, so much painful effort. This symbol then, had all that is necessary in any symbol of emotion or purpose, to give it fitness for its object. As soon as the import of it is made known, it produces, and actually has produced, the ef fect designed. For the preaching of the cross, the mere statement of what Christ has done and suffered for the salvation of men, has impressed and converted all the nations which have been favoured with it. And the truly pious in all ages of the church, though differing greatly in their conceptions of the nature and operations of Christ's sacrifice, have united in admiring the wisdom of this plan of redemption. They have felt that it displayed, though unable perhaps to tell how,-the righteousness as well as the goodness of God. It has actually led them to new and adoring views of the divine Being; and has caused them to feel, that this way of salvation exhibited to them the most constraining motives to forsake iniquity and return to the love and service of their Maker.

From this view of the nature of the atonement, arise several reflections of no small importance.

1. The efficiency, and of course the value, of the atonement made by Jesus Christ, is proportionate to the dignity of his character. For his toils and sufferings were an exhibition, the object of which was to make a deep and lasting impression on the intelligent universe. They were intended to shew how solicitous God is to prevent his creatures from supposing him to make light of transgression, because he lets it go unpunished. Now the strength of the impression made by the exhibition,

is of vast importance; for it is the visible measure of the divine displeasure at sin. If the whole exhibition makes no deep and lasting impression, if it is viewed as an ordinary and trivial occurrence; it will be inefficient and useless, or perhaps worse than useless. It is only by being such an exhibition as will strike every beholder with astonishment and awe, such as will make an impression too deep ever to be forgotten, that it can answer effectually the ends of an atonement.-If now, we should suppose the Mediator to have been a mere man, an eminent prophet, perhaps ;' and that he endured and performed what the gospel relates;-what was there here, more than has often occurred? Is it a strange thing in our world, for good men to be persecuted and put to death? Were not many prophets and righteous men so treated by the ancient Jews? If then God has selected one of these common occurrences, and appointed it to be the special symbol of his concern for the honour of his law; what is gained by the symbol, that would not be gained, without it, by a mere declaration? Will this effectually secure reverence for his law, and impress transgressors with an awful sense of the holiness of God? Will it not rather encourage transgression, by seeming to prove that sin is quite a venial thing in God's account? Let us next suppose, as some have supposed, that the Mediator was the highest and noblest created or derived being in the universe; but still, a creature, and therefore infinitely beneath the rank of God himself. Such an exalted being, we must suppose, would be dear to God. Of course, for God to give him up to be reviled and spit upon and crucified, must shew that he regards the occasion which makes it necessary,

very

And

to be a very serious and important one. Because, for such a being to be given up to, so great indignity and suffering, would be an extraordinary thing; and would betoken something of unusual occurrence in divine providence. But, as the sufferings of this exalted creature were temporary, and as he was raised to greater honours afterwards; he experienced perhaps no real loss. Viewed in itself, the transaction might be regarded as only one of the more uncommon of those mysterious events which occur in the providence of God. when the object of it should be made known, the natural inference would be, that God felt it to be somewhat dangerous to suspend the course of justice towards transgressors, and was willing to take some pains to prevent the consequences. But still, if the honour of his law and the good order and happiness of his kingdom, when weighed in his balance, are equivalent only to such sufferings of such a creature; they are in his account but of limited value: and it is by no means certain, that he may not be induced by some consideration, and that not of infinite value neither, to sacrifice them altogether. Thus, such an atonement would fall short of declaring and evincing, fully, "the righteousness of God." It would not enable him to "be just," just to himself and to his kingdom, and yet to "justify the believer." Such an exhibition would fall far, very far, short of making as deep and lasting an impression on the inhabitants of both worlds, as would be produced by the execution of the sentence of the law upon transgressors. It would therefore be an inadequate atonement.-But, let us suppose now, that the Mediator was in dignity and power on a level with God the Father, and in an equal degree