that believeth. This doctrine was to the Jews a stumbling-block, or stone of offence; not because they had any difficulty in admitting that sin might be expiated by sacrifice, a notion which was perfectly familiar to them, and characteristic of their own religion; but because they could not bring themselves to believe, that any person could be their Messiah, who had submitted to such an extremity of humiliation and disgrace. But to the Greeks, on the other hand, it would be no conclusive argument against the truth of a system, that its author had undergone a violent, or even an ignominious death; for some of their own most eminent and revered philosophers had suffered death, for imputed innovations in matters of religion. At all events, there was no foolishness in the notion, that a very excellent and wise teacher was unjustly deprived of life. The foolishness to them was, that the death of Jesus on the cross should be declared to be the means of procuring salvation to mankind. This was a strange doctrine; not to be accounted for on their principles of philosophy; that Jesus Christ should be offered up upon the cross, as a satisfaction for the sins of the whole world; and that, in token of that 3 Rom. i. 16. satisfaction, God should have raised him the dead on the third day. When the Apostles were called upon to prove the truth of the religion which they preached, they appealed to the resurrection; as being that feature of it, which demonstrated and established all the rest; for, as St. Paul justly observed, if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. But in stating the doctrines of the Gospel, we find that great Apostle continually speaking of the crucifixion of Christ, as the representative, or, at least, as the most prominent and important of them all; I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. He tells the Galatians, that before their eyes Jesus Christ had been evidently set forth, crucified among them; and again, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Christ. Such expressions as these are wholly inconsistent with the supposition, that the death of Jesus was considered by St. Paul as being no more than the last attestation of sincerity to the truth of his religion. When the Apostle wishes to prove the certainty of the Gospel, he refers to the resurrection, and not to the crucifixion only. 6 Gal. iii. 1. 7 Gal. vi. 14. 1 Cor. xv. 17. 5 1 Cor. ii. 2. But why need we speculate upon the degree of importance which St. Paul attached to the doctrine of the cross, when we have his memorable declaration to the Ephesians, which, one would think, ought to be sufficient to prevent any believer in the Christian scriptures from questioning the doctrine of the atonement? Now in Christ Jesus ye, who sometimes were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ-he is our peace-having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments—and that he might reconcile both unto God, in one body, by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. He distinctly states that the cross, that is, the sufferings of Christ upon the cross, was the instrument of reconciling man to God. And this is the uniform language of the Christian scriptures: this is the doctrine, which was declared by our Lord himself to his disciples, at a time when they were not yet able to comprehend its true import; and which, after his ascension, they insisted upon, under the influence of his Spirit, as the most distinguishing and attractive feature of the religion which they proclaimed; Christ crucified for man's redemption. 8 8 That a very great difference is wrought in the state of those who become Christians; that they are made children of God by adoption and grace, having before been children of wrath; whatever offence it may give to the pride of human reason, is the unquestionable doctrine of the New Testament. It lies upon the very surface of the Christian records; and it requires much ingenuity, and perverseness of interpretation, not to find it there. If then we inquire by what means this change has been effected; we are told, by the blood of Christ. In whatever manner, or degree, mankind may have deserved, by their sins, the just wrath of God, this at least we know, that it is no longer inevitable; that our obedience, if it springs from faith in Christ, will be accepted; or, which is the same thing as to its results, that our disobedience will be pardoned. If we inquire, in the next place, what satisfaction can have been made for our sins-for of ourselves we are no more able to make any amends, or reparation now, than our forefathers were at any period of the world-our own reason can give us no answer: but the Scriptures tell us, that the death of Christ has effected it. He was crucified for our sins; his blood was shed, and his life poured out, as an atonement, or peace-making for us. There is no other kind of atonement, no other means of peace pointed out in the Word of God; but this is set forth in language as plain, as strong, and as affecting, as the importance of the doctrine required. The principal passages of Scripture, which assert, or infer, this leading doctrine of the covenant of grace, are, it is to be hoped, familiar to your minds: but it is so important, and especially in these days, in which rational Christianity, as it is called, is cried up, in opposition to that which we hold to be scriptural and evangelical, it is so important, that all Christians should have a serious and reasonable conviction of its being indeed a scripture doctrine, an essential feature of Gospel truth, that I shall not hesitate to recapitulate some of the most striking expressions, in which the Spirit has discoursed with us touching this great mystery of godliness. Christian, believest thou the Scriptures? I know that thou believest. If then at any time you feel in your own mind any doubt, or misgivings, as to the foundation of your hopes in Christ crucified; have recourse, not to the inconclusive deter If then at any |