because, in the sovereign application of the atonement, a restriction of the benefit is expressly admitted. Millions of those for whom our Lord, by the sacrifice of himself, made expiation, for want of the necessary application, must finally perish under the curse. On this principle, consequently, the love of God in applying the atonement, or in the work of the Holy Spirit effecting our conversion to Christ; is incomparably more interesting to us, and abundantly more to be admired, than in delivering up his Son to make an atonement for us by his precious blood. Divine love, in the atonement, appears under the character of general benevolence to our apostate species; but that benevolence leaves vast multitudes of them to their native impenitency, and to final perdition. Whereas, in the application of our Lord's atonement, the love of God must be considered as peculiar-as unchangeable-as never failing completely to secure the everlasting happiness of all its objects.

But though we learn from Holy Scripture, that divine love is richly manifested in applying the atonement of Jesus to miserable sinners; yet the same Scripture has taught us to consider the gift of the Son of God, and his expiating sin by falling a sacrifice to eternal justice, as much more emphatically expressing the fervour of that love, than any other divine work or blessing of which we can conceive. Witness the following declarations : 'God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life-Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.-In this was manifested the love of God

towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him-Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.-God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us-The Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me-He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

Now, I appeal to my Reader, Whether these passages be not full proof, that the love of God is much more wonderfully displayed in the atoning death of Christ, than in the application of that atonement by the Holy Spirit? In the last of these admirably gracious declarations we are taught, that incomparably the greatest benefit, and the highest possible evidence, of the Father's love, consist in giving his only begotten Son, and in delivering him up to make an atonement for sinners by his own. death-such a death as, by divine law, was marked with a curse. Nay, the words very strongly imply, that on whomsoever this gift is bestowed, it ascertains the grant of every favour that is necessary to everlasting happiness; and that Paul considered the aggregate of all other blessings, as unworthy to be compared with it. Consequently, instead of representing the general benevolence of the Most High toward mankind at large, as appearing in the atonement made by the death of Jesus; and the special favour of God as manifested in his imposing a peculiarity, or limitation, upon that atonement, in its application to the elect only; we should rather say, There is no reason at all to wonder, that

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up to the curse of the law, and the death of the cross, to make atonement for sinners; should take effectual care that the all-sufficient atonement should be applied to every individual for whom, at so vast an expence, it was made. Because the propitiatory death of God's own incarnate Son, is incomparably more expressive of special, peculiar, divine love, and infinitely more to be admired, than either the application of that atonement, or the giving of heaven to saints. In the expressive language of Paul, with a little alteration of his phraseology, we may therefore say; If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God, by the death of his Son; MUCH MORE shall we have that reconciliation applied, and be saved by his life.*-But, how contradictory is this to the following extraordinary position! The peculiarity of the alonement consists in the sovereign pleasure of God, with regard to its application. For though, according to this position, the application of our gracious Mediator's atonement is peculiar to a part only of the human race; yet it leads us to consider the atonement itself as indiscriminate, and common to all mankind. On this principle, therefore, myriads and millions, for whom divine benevolence provided an atonement, must everlastingly perish for want of that atonement being applied.

Must we then, consider Jesus Christ as intending to make, and as actually making a real atonement for mankind in general? But how, or in what way, was atonement made for those who, in consequence of not having it applied to them, sink into * Rom. v..8.

perdition? Was it by the death of Jesus? If so, he must have died for them: which, in the estimation of Paul, was perfectly good security against final condemnation. * Because that denotes his dying as their substitute, or in their stead. Agreeable to those remarkable words; Scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.'† Now, it being only as accursed that they are punished with death; so Christ cannot be viewed as dying in the stead of sinners, to make an atonement, without considering him as made both sin and a curse for them. On the principle, therefore, to which I advert, though the final state of men be so extremely different; yet Jesus Christ is to be considered as making atonement for all mankind; by shedding the same blood, by undergoing the same sufferings, and precisely at the same time, equally for one as for another. Nay, on the same principle, the divine Father, maintaining the rights of eternal justice in the great Economy of Redemption, must be considered, when raising Christ from the dead, as emphatically declaring his cordial acceptance of our Lord's atonement, on behalf of all those for whom it was made. Agreeably to that saying, Christ was delivered up to justice and to death for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. By which we are taught, that as the atonement for sin depended on the death of our Substitute; so the justification of our persons depended *Rom. viii. 34. + Rom. v. 7, 8. 2 Cor. v. 21. Gal. iii. 13.

on the discharge of our Substitute, in his resurrection from the dead, by the divine Father: which two grand blessings, perfect atonement, and complete justification, have been usually considered in the churches of Christ as inseparable. But according to the sentiment here opposed, there is no certain connection between atonement for sin by the death of Jesus, and justification before God. For, with regard to the atonement, simply considered, Peter and Judas were on a perfect level: the whole of the important difference, in favour of Peter, arising from the application.

To support the position under consideration, it is pleaded; That the principal design of our Lord's atonement was, the manifestation of God's hatred to sin; in order to render the exercise of mercy consistent with justice. This, I recollect, the Dutch Arminians told us long ago. * But before we adopt the sentiment it should be observed, that though the atonement made by Jesus the Son of God and the Lord of glory, both plainly supposes and strongly implies the divine abhorrence of sin; yet this is far from being the first, the most prominent, the characteristic idea of our Lord's death on a cross; or that on which Jesus and his Apostles, when speaking of the atonement, principally dwell. No: the grand idea suggested to an enlightened mind by the atonement of Christ, and to which the New Testament abundantly directs our attention, is, not God's hatred to sin, but his love to sinners

* Christus satisfaciendo justitiæ Dei, tantum effecit, Deum sine læsione justitiæ, homini peccatori, januam adaperuisse ad gratiam. Remonst. Colloq. Hagi, p. 147. Apud Peltium, ut supra, p. 125.