death is not called a sacrifice for sin, in accommodation to the prejudices of the Jews, and in conformity to the Mosaic phraseology; but that the Mosaic phraseology was founded on the Levitical sacrifices being types or prefigurations of the sacrifice of Christ. So we are assured, Heb. viii. 5. These serve with a representation and shadow of heavenly things, since Moses, when about to construct the tabernacle, was admonished of God; see, now, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern which was shewed thee in the Mount. For from this it appears, That as the tabernacle which Moses finished was a copy of the tabernacle shewed to him on the mount, so the Levitical priesthood, which he appointed, was a type of the priesthood of Christ : and the service of the Levitical priests, which he appointed to be performed in the earthly tabernacle, agreeably to the pattern shewed to him in the mount, was a type of the service of Christ, as an high priest, in the heavely holy places. The same thing appears from many other passages in the epistle to the Hebrews. Wherefore, the death of Christ was not called by the inspired writers, a sacrifice for sin, in allusion to the Levitical sin-offerings; but these were called sacrifices for sin, because they were types or prefigurations of the real sacrifice of Christ. 2. If, in the account which the inspired writers have given of Christ's death as a sacrifice for sin, they have not alluded to the Levitical sacrifices, it will readily be allowed, that they have far less alluded to the heathen sacrifices. For these not being of divine institution, as the Levitical sacrifices were, if the sacred writers have called Christ's death a sacrifice for sin, in allusion to the heathen sacrifices, they have given to those superstitions an importance to which they were by no means intitled. 3. If Christ, in speaking of his blood as shed for the remission of sin, and his apostles, in ascribing to his death all the efficacy which the sacrifices for sin were supposed, both by the Jews and Gentiles, to possess, have not expressed what is true in fact, but only have accommodated their language to the ill-founded prejudices and hopes of mankind, they have deceived us in a matter of the greatest importance. And the Epistle to the Hebrews, which was written professedly to prove that Christ really offered himself a sacrifice for sin, is a pernicious writing; because, by establishing a false fact, it hath led mankind to trust for the pardon of their sins to a lie.

Secondly, To destroy the argument by which Christ's death is proved to be a real sacrifice for sin, taken from the account

given of it in scripture, there are some who contend that it is called a sacrifice for sin, in a metaphorical sense only; because he died for the confirmation of his doctrine concerning the pardon of sin to be obtained through repentance, and as an example of patience and fortitude in suffering for righteousness sake, whereby his disciples are strongly excited to virtue. The persons of whom I speak, supposing, it seems, that to the pardon of a sinner nothing is requisite but his repentance and reformation, affirm, that Christ's death, by which the reformation and virtue of the world are so effectually promoted, may be called a sacrifice for the sin of the world in a metaphorical sense, with as much propriety as prayer, and praise, and almsgiving, are called sacrifices with which God is well pleased. But not to insist on what is well known, that prayer, and praise, and almsgiving, are no where called sacrifices for sin, I reply, 1. That if Christ's death hath no other efficacy in procuring pardon for sinners, but by promoting their reformation and exciting them to virtue; the sufferings and death of any other prophet or martyr may with as much truth and propriety, as the sufferings and death of Christ, be called a sacrifice for sin; and the salvation of penitents may as truly be ascribed to their sufferings and death, as to Christ's; at least, in as far as their sufferings added weight to their doctrine; and in proportion to the influence which their doctrine, in conjunction with their example, hath had in exciting others to virtue. Yet, no where in scripture are the sufferings of any prophet or martyr, termed a sacrifice for the sin of the world; nor is the salvation of sinners ascribed to any of them; nor are any of them called saviours. In particular, the apostle Paul, who, next to his master, suffered the greatest evils for the confirmation of the gospel, and who exhibited an illustrious example of all the virtues both active and passive, hath no where spoken of his own sufferings and death as a sacrifice for sin. He speaks, indeed, Philip. ii. 17. of his willingness to be poured out upon the sacrifice and service of the faith of the Philippians. But not to mention, that the faith of the Philippians is called the sacrifice, the allusion is not to the sin-offering, but to the meat-offering, on which oil was commonly, poured, Levit. vi. 15. Consequently, the apostle's meaning, stript of the metaphor, is simply, that he was willing to die for the confirmation of the faith of the Philippians, that being made strong it might be rendered acceptable to God, as is evident from 2 Tim. iv. 6. where the same expression is introduced and applied

1

to the apostle's dying: 'Hon oxendoμas, I am already poured out, and the time of my departure hath come. In short, so far was Paul from considering his own sufferings as a sacrifice for sin, that he rejected the idea with abhorrence, 1 Cor. i. 13. Was Paul crucified for you?-2. If the efficacy of the death of Christ in saving mankind, consisted only in its being a confirmation of his doctrine, and in its being an illustrious example of courageous suffering for truth, whereby mankind are powerfully excited to virtue, How can those be saved by his death who lived before he came into the world, most of whom never heard that he was to come and die, and could know nothing either of his doctrine or example? In like manner, How can those be saved by his doctrine and death, who, although they have lived since his coming, never have heard of either? And yet, in the scriptures, all who shall be saved from the beginning to the end of the world, are expressly declared to be saved through the efficacy of his death, 1 John ii. 2. He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.—John xi. 51. This he spake not of himself; but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation: And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.-3. Although it be true that Christ's death hath a powerful influence in promoting the practice of virtue among those to whom it is made known, that influence cannot be the only reason of its being called a propitiation for the sins of the whole world. To merit that appellation, it must, as was formerly observed, have some efficacy additional to, and beyond mere instruction, example, and government, of which many of mankind are to have the benefit, although they have never heard of Christ's death.-What that influence is, and how it operates in procuring pardon for penitent sinners, God hath nowhere told us; but its effects he hath clearly enough revealed from the be. ginning. For, in the sentence which he passed on the serpent after it seduced our first parents, Gen. iii. 15. by foretelling, that the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head, and in so doing have his own heel bruised, God declared, that the seed of the woman, by dying, would render the malicious contrivance of the devil for destroying the human species, abortive. Accordingly, in the sentences which God passed on Adam and Eve, by saying, that she was to bring forth children in sorrow; and that he was to eat bread in the sweat of his face, till he returned to the ground, God intimated, that he permitted them to live and beget chil

dren; and placed them and their posterity, from that time forward to the end of the world, under a law better suited to their weakened nature, than that which they had lately broken; and that he granted them this grace, or favour, on account of the seed of the woman's having his heel bruised when he should bruise the serpent's head. In this first instance, therefore, the death of Christ in prospect, had the efficacy to suspend the chief temporal penal consequence of Adam's sin. And by procuring for him, and all his posterity, a new trial under a more gracious law than the first, it will, in the second instance, prevent the eternal penal consequences of sin, with respect to all who, through faith and repentance, are capable of being pardoned. Such, then, according to revelation, is the efficacy of the sufferings and death of Christ as a sacrifice for sin, in preventing the penal consequences of men's transgressions, both in this life, and in that which is to come.

SECTION III.

Of the Mediation of Christ as a Prophet and King, whereby Mankind are delivered from the Power of Sin.

Having described and defended the mediation of Christ as a priest, whereby sinners are freed from the punishment of sin, it remains to treat of his mediation as a prophet and king, by which they are delivered from the power of sin.

After mankind had remained under the guidance of their own reason, as long as was necessary for making them sensible by experience, of its insufficiency to lead them to the knowledge and practice of their duty; and after the most learned heathen nations had actually lost the knowledge of God, and were become excessively corrupted, it pleased God to send his Son into the world, as a prophet divinely commissioned and inspired, to teach them the doctrines and precepts of religion, and to make known to them the rewards and punishments of a future state.

Christ's mediation as a prophet, Butler hath described, Analog. p. ii. chap. v. sect. 6. in the following terms: "He published "anew the law of nature, which men had corrupted, and the "very knowledge of which, to some degree, was lost among "them. He taught mankind; taught us authoritatively to live "soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world, in ex"pectation of the future judgment of God. He confirmed the "truth of this moral system of nature, and gave us additional

❝ evidence of it; the evidence of testimony. He distinctly re"vealed the manner in which God would be worshipped, the "efficacy of repentance, and the rewards and punishments of a Thus, he was a prophet in a sense in which no

"future life.

"other ever was. To which is to be added, that he set us a "perfect example, that we should follow his steps."

To this mediation of Christ as a prophet, it may perhaps be objected, that it was not necessary, because, by his own immediate operation, God might have communicated to mankind, at their birth, whatever knowledge of the doctrines, and precepts, and sanctions of religion was requisite. True, He could have done this; but the objector should recollect, that to instruct mankind in the knowledge of religion by the mediation of his Son, is analogous to the method in which God instructs them in the knowledge of the things pertaining to the present life. For, notwithstanding he could easily have brought the whole human species into the world, with the knowledge and experience of full grown men, he hath not thought fit to adopt that constitution, but bringeth them all into the world infants, ignorant of every thing; and maketh use of the mediation of their parents and teachers, for conveying to them the knowledge necessary to their conducting the affairs of the present life properly. Just so, God hath not thought fit to bring the human species into the world, endowed with the complete knowledge of spiritual and divine things; but, for their instruction in these matters, maketh use of the mediation of Christ, that is, maketh use of the labours of the holy prophets, apostles, and ministers of Christ, seconded by the influences of his Spirit. And where the instruction of prophets and apostles, and of the ministers of the gospel is withheld, Christ, in the course of his providence, raiseth up in every nation teachers from time to time, whose labours, likewise, he rendereth successful to a certain degree, by the influences of his Spirit. Wherefore, this method of instructing mankind in matters of religion and morality, by the mediation of Christ, being similar to the method in which God instructs them in the matters which relate to the present life, by the mediation of parents and teachers, it cannot be objected against as unworthy of God.

Secondly, For delivering mankind from the power of sin, and leading them to the practice of virtue, God appointed his Son's mediation as a King; that is, he hath made him governor of the world, and appointed him to erect a kingdom in it which is not of this world, and authorized him to govern it not by force, but