oy the fall, lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse; and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever."

In opposition to this erroneous representation, let us place our text together with a few concurrent passages.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God so loved the world, that he gave his only pegotton Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ."

These passages, which are but a specimen of the gospel, fully prove the following facts.

I. That God loved the sinful world of mankind with a great love.

II. That in consequence of this love he sent his Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sins. And,

III. That in consequence of the love which God had toward those who were dead in sins, he quickened them together with Christ. Now just as plain as these obvious facts are proved by the testimony already recited, so evident it is that the death of Christ was never necessary to reconcile our heavenly Father to us; but was a manifestation of his unchangeable love toward us.

The third particular which you are invited to contemplate relative to our text is, that its subject belongs to that covenant of promise which was the Apostle's theme which led him to speak these words. That we may have a clear view of this, let us first examine the character of the promise made to Abraham, by which he was constituted the heir of the world and the Father of us all; and then bring our text to compare with the promise, that their union may be visible. The pro

mise to Abraham reads thus, "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." St. Paul's comment on this promise in his epistle to the Galatians is as follows," And the scriptures, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith. preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed." By this passage we learn, that the blessing which God promised to all the nations of the earth was justification through faith; which faith we have proved to be the covenant of promise, or the faith of God which cannot be made void by the unbelief of Relative to this justification our Apostle says to the Romans; "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." again, in the chapter where our text is recorded, he says; "Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men unto condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."

And

In the light of the divine promise to Abraham, which the passages here quoted present; we can see most clearly, that the gospel of eternal life was promised to all mankind, as the bountiful, unbought, unasked favor of our heavenly Father. And this favor, when stated in promise to Abraham, was, as it now remains, the necessary production of the divine, unchangeable love of God to mankind, which never was, nor can be made less by the sin of the world. Having this view of the goodness of God, we see the divine harmony of our text with the covenant of promise. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The same

covenant love which was manifested to Abraham four hundred and thirty years before the giving of the law, by Moses, is now commended toward mankind, while yet in sin, by the death of him in whom all the families of the earth are blessed with justification. In relation to this divine subject Jesus said to the Jews; Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; ana w it, and was glad.”

The fourth particular subject belonging to our text, to which your attention is solicited, is embraced in the following question: Why did Christ die for us? We have already proved that there was no necessity of his dying in order to procure the favor of God toward sinners, for if that had been the case, his death could not have been a commendation of the divine love. And indeed, if there were any need of more proof on this subject, than has been presented, we should find all deficiencies supplied, by the prayer of Jesus when dying on the cross.

Let us, my friends, with profound solemnity, listen to these words, which contain more true divinity, more pure unadulterated gospel, than all the creeds which have been written since the world began. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Why did he not say; "Father, forgive them, for I have now suffered thy wrath which burned against them; I have drank the cup of thy fury which was prepared for them; I have borne that they may never bear thy righteous ire?" If all this had been true, why should he pray as he did, and request that God would forgive them? If the Father had exacted a full penalty for their sins, of his son, how could he after this be called on to forgive them? But the reason, the plea which the dying Saviour stated in his prayer, was, "For they know not what they do."

Our question remains. Why did Christ die for us? How are we benefitted by his death? Be patient, we still reply in the negative. Christ did not die for us, that we might avoid condemnation if we commit sin, nor did he suffer for us, that we might not be punished for faults if we commit them. This we know by our experience and by his word. We know by experience, if we sin we feel condemned, and this we must feel until the condemnation is removed by repentance. And we know by the words of Jesus, that, in place of his suffering in our room and stead, as our erroneous doctrines have taught us, he will render unto every man according to his works.

Why then did he die for us? The answer is in He died to commend the love of God to

our text.

ward us sinners. away our sins. taketh away the sin of the world." He died, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. He suffered for us, to set us an example, that we should follow his steps. He died for us, that he might bring life and immortality to light through his resurrection. He died, rose and revived, that he might be Lord, both of the dead and the living. He died and rose again, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled, and the ministry of reconciliation be established. He suffered and died to show us how sin and all moral evil are to be overcome, by rendering good for evil, love for hatred, kindness for unkindness, and mercy for wrath.

He died for us, that he might take "Behold the lamb of God, which

Four important particulars may be distinctly noticed which rendered the death and resurrection of Christ of vast utility to mankind.

1. To commend and make known the unchangeable love and mercy of God to a sinful world, thereby to bring sinners to repentance and to be reconciled to God.

II. To fulfil all that the prophets had written concerning him, that the authenticity of divine revelation. and the doctrine of the gospel might be successfully communicated to the gentile nations.

III. That the patient sufferings which he endured for the benefit of his enemies and the whole world, might ever remain as an example for his disciples to imitate, in all faithfulness, patience, and resignation to the will of God. And,

IV. That he might bring life and immortality to light by his glorious resurrection; and manifest the truth of a future happy existence for mankind.

If the mind will be serious and candid, it will at once acknowledge that these four particulars, when viewed in their harmony and proper connexion, when considered in relation to the innumerable blessings which they have already produced, and promise to produce in future, are altogether worthy of the wisdom, power, and goodness of our heavenly Father.

But to pretend that it was necessary for Christ to suffer and die to appease the wrath of our merciful Father in heaven, is the most unaccountable perversion

of divine truth, of which the vain imagination of be nighted humanity was ever capable.

The fifth particular subject to which our text seems to invite our most careful notice is, that the love and mercy of God toward sinners, commended to us by the death of Christ, is consistent with the unchangeable principle of moral righteousness.

It might be thought, that in order to establish this hypothesis, nothing more could be required as evidence than the text under consideration. For if we are certified that the divine being does in fact love sinners, that is sufficient evidence that it is morally right that he should do so; but our present object is to do more than barely to prove the fact, the object is to illustrate it to the understanding. To do this we will first admit our opposer's objection to be stated. The objection is this;

According to the strict rule of moral righteousness, every moral being must be treated according to his works; but if God does in reality love sinners, if he grants them the infinite blessings of his grace, it seems that he does not deal with them according to their deserts. Reply

It is granted that moral righteousness requires that every transgression and disobedience should receive a just recompense of reward, out then it must be granted, that as the right to inflict punishment is derived from the commission of crime, so it is limited by the offence committed, and it is an acknowledged fact that to extend punishment beyond the demerit of a crime, is, at least, as wide a departure from moral right as to come short. But the right to do good and to show kindness is not derived, nor is it limited.

In finite beings the power and means to do good and to show favor are limited, but the right is not limited. And in every instance in which our power and means are limited to grant all the favor that is needed, we have the liberty still to extend our benevolent wishes without limitation.

If one of our fellow creatures commits a crime which is punishable by law, it is true, we have no right to prevent this punishment, but we have an unlimited