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Rich were the drops of Jesus' blood,
That calmed his frowning face,

That sprinkled o'er the burning throne,
And turned the wrath to grace."

What Christian can be duly aware of the implication in these poetical effusions, and not weep that such sentiments are circulated through the land, and impressed on the minds of millions, by all the weight of a character so deservedly esteemed as that of Dr. Watts! Do not some of these sentiments bear a shocking resemblance to those entertained by pagans in sacrificing to their vindictive deities? Is not the gospel atonement here represented as having its principal effect not on minds of sinners who need a moral change, but on the mind of God, who was always love, and with whom there is no variableness nor even a shadow of turning? The change in his mind, by the application of atoning blood, is indeed represented as having been very great,—so great, as to "quench the Father's flaming sword,” and “turn_his wrath to grace!” Did Paul, on his way to Damascus, experience a greater change than this? If the representation be just, what must have been the moral character of God prior to this wonderful conversion? And if the views of Dr. Watts, as represented in these extracts, are correct, does it not follow, that the Lamb of God came rather to take away his Father's anger, than "the sins of the world?” hardly forbear shuddering while I write such questions; and I should certainly erase them, were it not deeply impressed on my mind, that the popular views are in a high degree reproachful to God, and injurious to men; and that the time has come, when the subject should be more thoroughly examined, that it may be better understood.

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In reply, it may probably be said, that the clergy of New England have already generally discarded such views of the atonement as are contained in the extracts from Dr. Watts. I hope it is even so; but a great portion of the people of our country may be expected to cherish those ideas, as long as they shall be retained in popular hymn-books for public worship and private devotion. If the clergy have become convinced that such views are erroneous and reproachful to God; ought they not to exert their influence to have them excluded from the hymn-books which have their patronage? It surely cannot be a matter of indifference, what views of God we entertain, nor what views we occasion to be entertained in the minds of others.

CHAPTER XXVI.

The Peculiar Things said of the Death of Christ.

"Now there is one thing in which there is no difference of opinion at all, which is, that the death of Jesus Christ is spoken of in reference to human salvation, in terms, and in a manner, in which the death of no other person is spoken of besides." This is the language of Dr. Paley, and I admit its correctness. But while Christians are thus agreed as to the fact asserted, they disagree in their inferences, or in their manner of accounting for what they all admit to be true. A few remarks were made on this point at the close of the third chapter; but more will probably be necessary to satisfy the minds of many pious people. The peculiar things said of the death of Christ, are such as the following:

"We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son." "We are sanctified by the offering of his body once for all." "He who knew no sin was made sin

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or a sin-offering-" for us.' "In whom we have redemption through his blood." "The blood of Jesus

"Who was

Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification."

Many such things are said relating to the death of Christ, his sufferings, or his blood, which are not applicable to the death of any other person. Hence, some infer, that his sufferings were peculiar in their nature, as well as in their importance, the effects of divine anger, and a substitute for the punishment due to the sins of men. It will, however, be my aim to show, that these peculiar things may be accounted for by the peculiar dignity and excellence of his character, and the peculiar purposes of his mission and sufferings.

Were there nothing to be taken into view but the peculiar dignity of the Messiah, and the excellence of his character, analogy would lead us to expect that many peculiar things would be found recorded relating to his death. When great dignity is united to uncommon excellence of moral character, and eminent services done for mankind, much will of course be said of the death of him in whose character such things were acknowledged to exist. How much more is said of the death of a great and good king, than of a man of subordinate rank! How much has been said in our country of the death of Washington! Can it then be wonderful that much is said of the death of Jesus, which is not applicable to the death of any other person? It is indeed true, that his official

dignity was not generally understood and acknowledged, by the people among whom he lived and died. But it was acknowledged by the writers of the New Testament. They regarded him as the promised seed, in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed,-as the Messiah, the Son of the living God, the appointed Mediator of the new covenant, in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell, to whom he gave all power in heaven and earth, making him Head over all things to the church, exalting him with his right hand as a Prince and Savior, and ordaining him as the judge of the living and the dead. Well then might things be said of his death, which are not said of the death of any other being.

But this is not all. Peculiar and extraordinary purposes were to be accomplished by his mission and death,purposes by which his death was distinguished from that of any one else who ever died. Twelve of these purposes were mentioned in the third chapter of this work. In them, we may probably find enough to account for all that was said by his Apostles of his memorable death. In the following passage we find our Lord explaining to his Apostles, why his death and resurrection were necessary.

"These are the words that I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them,-Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should De preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke xxiv. 44-47.

As Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, by the introduction and establishment of a purifying religion, adapted to the condition and wants of men of all countries; it must have been of great importance that his claims as the Messiah, the authorized Ambassador of Heaven to men, should be clearly confirmed, prior to his sending forth his Apostles to all nations, to preach the gos pel in his name. On this account, before his death, he forewarned his disciples of the event, and assured them, "that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning him." But it is very certain, that they did not then understand him, or at best but very imperfectly. Hence, after his resurrection, he reminded them of what he had before said, and also "opened their understandings," that they might not fail to understand what had been written concerning him. Among these things, were the important predictions relating to his death and resurrection; and, in Christ's view, it was necessary that these should be fulfilled preparatory to the mission of the Apostles, as his ambassadors to the world, and that, until they were fulfilled, the evidence that he was the Messiah was incomplete. But what was there "written in the law of Moses," relating to the Messiah's death? or in what way was his death predicted in the law of Moses? In my opinion, his death was foretold by the institutions called the passover and sin-offering. The slaying of the lamb, in each of these institutions, was, I conceive, a symbolical prediction of the crucifixion of the "Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world.”

To those who will carefully inquire, I think it will be evident, that in most of the passages in the New Testa

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