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"that believe and hope in God." (r) Ignatius, also, in his epistle to the Smyrnæans, says, "Now all these things he suffered for us, that we might be saved. "And he suffered truly, as he also truly raised up "himself; and not, as some unbelievers say, that he "only seemed to suffer." (8)

POLYCARP, again, in his epistle to the Philippians, quotes 1 Pet. ii. 22-24, in proof of the doctrine of Christ's atonement; adding, "He suffered all this

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'for us, that we might live through him." And in the account given of his martyrdom by the church at Smyrna over which he presided, they speak of it as an indisputable Christian sentiment, that "Christ suffered "for the salvation of all such as shall be saved

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throughout the whole world, the righteous for the " ungodly." (t)

Let it be recollected that unless this be a true doctrine of Christianity, Ignatius and Polycarp are not, in the restricted sense of the word, martyrs, "wit66 nesses of the truth;" and farther, that in the case of Polycarp, at whose martyrdom a miracle was wrought, if the doctrine of the atonement is erroneous, God permitted a miracle to be wrought, or rather, wrought a miracle, in attestation of a false doctrine, and caused many thereby to be seduced into error.

It would be easy to quote pages from Barnabas, Justin Martyr, and the succeeding fathers, in favour of the atonement; but, for the sake of brevity, I

(r) Clem. Ep. ad Corint. § 7, 12.

(s) Ignat. Ep. ad Smyrn. § 2.

(t) Pol. Ep. ad Phil. § 8. Pol. Mart. § 17.

shall cite only one more passage, and that from a work of acknowledged antiquity, the Apostolical Constitutions, most probably compiled in the third century. In the fine prayer given in the Liturgy for the Eucharist, we read, "He was pleased by thy good "will to become man, who was man's Creator; to be "under the laws, who was the Legislator; to be a "sacrifice, who was an High Priest; and reconciled "thee to the world, and freed all men from the wrath "to come. "He that was the Saviour was con"demned; he that was impassable was nailed to the "cross; he who was by nature immortal died, and he "that is the giver of life was buried, that he might "loose those for whose sake he came, from suffering "and death." (v)

Descending to later times we find the same doctrine maintained as essential, in the Greek and in most of the reformed churches. It is clearly stated by the venerable fathers of the English church, and by many of the most profound, eloquent, and learned of the episcopal clergy. To prove this the three following quotations may suffice.

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"We are all miserable persons, sinful persons, "damnable persons, justly driven out of Paradise, justly excluded from heaven, justly condemned to "hell-fire: and yet (see a wonderful token of God's love) he gave us his only begotten Son, us, I say, "that were his extreme and deadly enemies, that we,

(v) Const. Apost. lib. viii. cap. 12.

by virtue of his blood shed upon the cross, might "be clean purged from our sins, and might become "righteous again in his sight." (w)

"In correspondence to all the exigencies of the "case (that God and man both might act their parts "in saving us), the blessed eternal Word, the only "Son of God, by the good-will of his Father, did "vouchsafe to intercede for us, and to undertake our

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redemption: in order thereto voluntarily being sent "down from heaven, assuming human flesh, subject❝ing himself to all the infirmities of our frail nature, "and to the worst inconveniences of our low condition; "therein meriting God's favour to us, by a perfect "obedience to the law, and satisfying God's justice by "a most patient endurance of pains in our behalf; "in completion of all willingly laying down his life "for the ransom of our souls, and pouring forth his "blood in sacrifice for our sins." (x)

"In what particular way the blood of Christ had "this efficacy there are not wanting persons 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

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Scripture has, as surely it has, left this matter of "the satisfaction of Christ mysterious, left somewhat "in it unrevealed, all conjectures about it must be, if

(w) Second Homily on the Passion. See also Art. 31.
(x) Dr. Isaac Barrow's Sermon on the Passion.

"not evidently absurd, yet at least uncertain. Nor “has any one reason to complain for want of farther "information, unless he can show his claim to it.

"Some have endeavoured to explain the efficacy of "what Christ has done and suffered for us, beyond "what the Scripture has authorized. Others, probably "because they could not explain it, have been for

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taking it away, and confining his office, as Redeemer "of the world, to his instruction, example, and govern"ment of the church. Whereas the doctrine of the Gospel appears to be, not only that he taught the

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efficacy of repentance, but rendered it of the efficacy "which it is, by what he did and suffered for us: that ❝he obtained for us the benefit of having our repent"ance accepted unto eternal life: not only that he "revealed to sinners, that they were in a capacity of “salvation, and how they might obtain it; but more"over that he put them into this capacity of salvation, "by what he did and suffered for them; put us into a

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capacity of escaping future punishment, and ob→ "taining future happiness. And it is our wisdom "thankfully to accept the benefit, by performing the "conditions upon which it is offered, on our part, "without disputing how it was procured on his." (y)

In a question of such moment, however, you will naturally look for something higher than human authority. I shall, therefore, endeavour to convince you from Scripture that Christ died a sacrifice for sin, and the evidences I shall adduce will be partly typical;

(y) Butler's Analogy, part. ii. ch. 5.

partly prophetical, partly historical, and partly declaratory.

First, then, with regard to the typical evidences of the doctrine of the atonement, besides the practice of sacrifices in general, we have them in several persons and various observances. Thus, we have an express representation of Christ in the brazen serpent in the wilderness, by looking upon which the people were cured of the wounds inflicted by the fiery serpents. So, in looking upon Christ by faith, the sting of " that "Old Serpent the devil" is taken away. The lifting up of the brazen serpent typified the lifting up of Christ upon the cross. This is no fanciful interpretation of mine; our Lord himself makes the allusion. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so "must the Son of man be lifted up: that every one "who believeth in him may not perish, but have ever"lasting life." (*)

Another lively representation of Christ's bearing our sins, and taking them away from us, was exhibited in the custom relative to the scape-goat. (a)

There was also a standing and continual representation of him appointed, in the person of the high priest, under the Law; who, entering into the Holy of Holies once a year with the blood of the great expiatory sacrifice, and he only, to make atonement for sin, did thus represent in a lively manner our great High Priest entering into heaven, once for all, with his own blood, to expiate the sins of the whole world. This again is (z) John, iii. 14, 15. (a) Lev. xvi. 21, 22.