PART to receive them unto himself, that where he is, II. there they may be alfo: and reign with him w for ever and ever: and likewife to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not his gospel. Against these Parts of Chrift's Office, I find no Objections, but what are fully obviated in the beginning of this Chapter. Laftly, Chrift offered himself a propitiatory Sacrifice, and made Atonement for the Sins of the World: Which is mentioned last, in regard to what is objected against it. Sacrifices of Expiation were commanded the Jews, and obtained amongst most other Nations, from Tradition, whofe Original probably was Revelation. And they were continually repeated, both occafionally, and at the Returns of ftated Times; and made up great Part of the external Religion of Mankind. But now once in the end of the world Chrift appeared to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself. And this Sacrifice was, in the highest Degree and with the most extenfive Influence, of That Efficacy for obtaining Pardon of Sin, which the heathens may be supposed to have thought their Sacrifices to have been, and which the Jewish Sacrifices d Joh. xiv. 2, 3. Rev. iii. 21. and xi. 15. 2 Theff. i. 8. f Heb. ix. 26. : really really were in fome Degree, and with regardCHAP. to fome Perfons. V. How and in what particular Way it had this Efficacy, there are not wanting Perfons who have endeavoured to explain: but I do not find that the Scripture has explained it. We seem to be very much in the dark, concerning the Manner in which the Ancients understood Atonement to be made, i. e. Pardon to be obtained, by Sacrifices. And if the Scripture has, furely as it has, left this Matter of the Satisfaction of Chrift myfterious, left somewhat in it unrevealed, all Conjectures about it must be, if not evidently abfurd, yet at least uncertain. Nor has any one Reason to complain for Want of farther Information, unless he can fhew his Claim to it. Some have endeavoured to explain the Efficacy of what Chrift has done and fuffered for us, beyond what the Scripture has authorized Others, probably because they could not explain it, have been for taking it away, and confining His Office as Redeemer of the World, to his Inftruction, Example and Government of the Church. Whereas the Doctrine of the Gospel appears to be; not only that He taught the Efficacy of Repentance, but rendred it of the Efficacy X which PART which it is, by what he did and fuffered for Life: Not only that he revealed to Sinners, For VII. Since we neither know, by what Means Punishment in a future State would have followed Wickedness in this; nor in what Manner it would have been inflicted, had it not been prevented; nor all the Reafons why its Infliction would have been needful; nor the particular Nature of that State of Happiness, which Chrift is gone to prepare for his Difciples: And fince we are ignorant how far any thing which we could do, would, alone and of itself, have been effectual to prevent that Punishment, to which we were obnoxious, and recover that Happiness, which we had forfeited; it is moft evident we are not Judges, antecedently to Revelation, whe ther ther a Mediator, was or was not neceffary, to CHAP. obtain thofe Ends: to prevent That future V. Punishment, and bring Mankind to the final Happinefs of their Nature. And for the very fame Reafons, upon Suppófition of the Neceffity of a Mediator, we are no more Judges antecedently to Revelation, of the whole Nature of his Office, or the feveral Parts of which it confifts; of w feveral was fit and requifite to be affigned him, in order to accomplish the Ends of Divine Providence in the Appointment. And from hence it follows, that to object against the Expediency or Ufefulness of particular things, revealed to have been done or fuffered by him, becaufe we do not fee how they were conducive to thofe Ends; is highly abfurd. Yet nothing is more common to be met with, than this Abfurdity. But if it be acknowledged beforehand, that we are not Judges in the Cafe, it is evident that no Objection can, with any Shadow of Reafon, be urged against any particular Part of Chrift's mediatorial Office revealed in Scripture, till it can be fhewn pofitively, not to be requifite or conducive to the Ends propofed to be accomplished; or that it is in itself unreasonable. And there is one Objection made againft the Satisfaction of Chrift, which looks to be of this pofitive Kind: that the Doctrine of X 2 His PART His being appointed to fuffer for the Sins of II. the World, reprefents God as being indifferent whether he punished the innocent or the guilty. Now from the foregoing Observations we may see the extream Slightness of all fuch Objections; and (though it is most certain all who make them do not see the Confequence) that they conclude altogether as much, against God's whole original Conftitution of Nature, and the whole daily Courfe of divine Providence in the Government of the World, i. e. against the whole Scheme of Theifm and the whole Notion of Religion; as against Christianity. For the World is a Conftitution or System, whose Parts have a mutual Reference to each other: and there is a Scheme of things gradually carrying on, called the Courfe of Nature, to the carrying on of which, God has appointed us, in various ways, to contribute. And when, in the daily Course of natural Providence, it is appointed that innocent People should suffer for the Faults of the guilty, this is liable to the very fame Objection, as the Inftance we are now confidering. The infinitely greater Importance of that Appointment of Chriftianity which is objected against, does not hinder but it may be, as it plainly is, an Appointment of the very fame Kind, with what the World affords us daily Examples of. Nay if there were any Force at all in the Objection, |