be the recipients of divine favour, but to induce God to be propitious, causes multitudes, at the present day, to undertake useless labours in religion, in every part of Christendom.

The representations of the bible, respecting the character of God, are widely different. It confirms the information proclaimed by the works of nature, and the common dispensations of Providence, that God is as benevolent as he is powerful; as com. passionate and merciful as he is just and wise. It assures us that God is good to all, and that his tender mercies are over all the works of his hands; that he has no pleasure in the death of the sinner, but would that he should repent and live. Such is the language of the Old Testament. In the New, the same joyous and animating truth is more fully established. Our Saviour no where declares, that by his death, he should make satisfaction to God for the sins of the world-no where informs us, that by his sufferings, as the substitute of sinners, he should induce God to the exercise of mercy towards the actual transgressor; on the contrary, the goodness and mercy of Deity is the theme on which he delights to dwell. He every where styles God, our Father; he appeals to the most endearing relations of the human family, and to the most tender affections of the human heart, as allusions the best adapted to illustrate the inherent, the unchangeable benevolence of his God and of our God; and, at the same time, he tells us, that the compassion and providence of the father towards the son of his love, that the tenderness and solicitude of the mother towards the infant of her breast, are not

sufficient emblems of the goodness and clemency of our Heavenly Parent. Attend to the parable of the prodigal son, which doubtless we are to consider as an illustration of the Christian system. Is the semblance of the Calvinistick notion of satisfaction to be found in this beautiful parable. Nothing like it. The father is delighted that this lost son is disposed to return to filial duty; the folly of the prodigal is forgotten in the fulness of joy that the wanderer is reclaimed; the father meets the son retracing his devious steps; embraces him in the arms of affection; clothes him with the best robe, and causes his re-instatement in the peaceable and happy relation of domestick life to be cele. brated by feasting and merriment, through every department of his household.

If the apostles of our Lord were divinely taught that the great design of his death was to make satisfaction to the justice of Deity, it must be supposed, that they would have clearly explained this essential Christian truth in their first discourses to the Jews and to the Gentiles. What is the fact? Peter, on the day of the descent of the Holy Ghost, and again, when he cured the impotent man, paints in glowing colours, the sin of his countrymen, in crucifying the Lord of Life; but he says not one word about Christ's dying to make satisfaction to divine justice for their sins. The sum of his address is, that by repentance and faith in Jesus, as the Messiah of God, they might obtain the forgiveness of God. To Cornelius, the first Gentile convert, Peter says nothing respecting Christ being a substitute for sinners, and suffering, to appease

the wrath of offended Deity. But when the Holy Ghost was poured out on this pious centurion, and on those whom he had assembled, the apostle, in surprise exclaims-" Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but that in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteous, ness, is accepted with him."

Paul, in his first preaching to the Gentiles, is as silent, respecting the doctrine of satisfaction, as Peter. He makes faith in Jesus, and repentance from sin, the condition of divine mercy by Christ; but he does not inform them, that the death of the Saviour was the cause of mercy in God. Much less does he make this an essential article of Christian belief. The amount of his doctrine on this subject, may be found in his preaching to the Athenians. Having stated the supremacy and benevolence of the one true God, and mentioned their blindness and their corruptions, as Gentiles, he adds "The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent; because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." Were these sentiments of St. Paul found in a sermon of a minister suspected of heresy, many would say that they did not contain the true scheme of salvation by Jesus Christ; but that it was legal preaching, dangerous to the souls of men.

What then is the real doctrine of revelation respecting the merits of Christ's death? The answer,

I shall endeavour to give under the next head of our discourse, viz.

2. To consider the meaning of those passages of the New Testament, which mention the efficacy of the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ.

The mediation of Jesus Christ is not the efficient cause of the goodness and mercy which God has manifested towards the sinful children of men ; but the mediation of Jesus Christ, with all its benefits and blessings, resulted from the inherent goodness and mercy of Deity.-"God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." The language of the New Testament is not, that God was reconciling himself to the world by Christ, but reconciling the world to himself. The disposition of sinners must be changed-not the disposition of God. He is good and merciful, and unchangeable in his nature, purpose, and agency. It pleased God to make his Son, Jesus Christ, the medium of his mercy to the children of men. Why this plan of salvation was adopted in preference to any other, we know not; nor what connexion the mediation of Christ has with the general moral administrations of Heaven; nor to the performance of our duty, is it necessary that we should know. We ought gratefully to receive divine blessings, and not enter into dispute with our Maker respecting the manner in which they shall be bestowed. We are assured that there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. But it was God, who originated the wise and merciful plan of our salvation.

He constituted Jesus to be the Mediator of its high blessings he appointed the measures by which it should be carried to its consummation. By the efficacy of means thus appointed, the evils of the apostacy are removed, the wall of distinction be. tween Jew and Gentile is broken down, and all the members of the human family are united in one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one hope of their calling.

But the evangelists and the apostles speak of the benefits which result to mankind from the ministry and death of Christ under different figures of speech. Let us examine several of these, which are the most commonly introduced into religious controversy and conversation.

Christ is called our ransom, or is said to have been made a ransom for us. Thus we read in Matthew-"The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." In his epistle to Timothy, Paul writes, "There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." In the language of the world, a ransom is understood as a price paid for the redemption of a person who was holden in some kind of servitude or bondage. Thus a ransom was paid to redeem a prisoner detained in captivity. The consideration is here paid to the power which consents to the liberation of the captive. Likewise the master who holds a slave may receive a ransom for his manumission.* But the word ransom is often us

See Rev. Professor Ware's Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. Mr. Pierpont.