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an administration, would the community be in a good state; or could peaceable citizens enjoy safety? What terror, would the law excite in him, who was meditating mischief? Should he be apprehended, he well knows, that repentance brings impunity. Two persons, let it be imagined, are guilty of the same crime. One repents, and receives no punishment. The other does not repent, and suffers the penalty of the law. The latter, before execution, complains of the partiality of the court, and supports his complaint by saying, that whereas he, and the other person have equally broken the law, the other person is acquitted, and he condemned. He is told, in reply, that the other person has repented. He rejoins, that the law did not threaten punishment to the not repenting of a crime; but to the commission of it: that the law speaks of that particular act, and not of any subsequent temper. Besides, if the execution of a law, were to depend on the subsequent temper of him, who had broken it, how long a time must be assigned to the culprit, to ascertain whether he will repent or not?

Perhaps it will be said, that though both were equally guilty in breaking the law, and were consequently then equally deserving of punishment, the one, by penitence, has made atonement; and the other has not. The assertion is not true. Penitence has made no atonement. Those, who were sufferers by the crime are not redressed, government is not supported, nothing is done to prevent future crimes, or to ensure safety to the well disposed. It is true indeed, that if any thing could take place, answering these purposes; any thing, by which the honor of the law would be secured, and crimes prevented, a merciful, and even a wise magistrate might be disposed to show favor to the pen. itent. But a government that should always forgive, and that too, without any security, to its own reputation, it is evident, on a moments reflection, could not be maintained.

I know, that "God's ways are not our ways, nor are his houghts our thoughts." Neither can we tell, how far there is analogy between divine and human governments. But

what has been observed may show, at least, how little we are to regard the observation of those, who tell us, that the culprit's penitence is the whole object of civil punishment; or, at least, that if this object were obtained, all necessity for punishment would cease.

As we know not, how far into the universe, the effects of human apostacy may extend, nor how weighty may be its influence, where it is felt, our reason is by no means sufficient to determine, what measures were necessary on the part of God, to counteract this influence, and to render it consistent with wisdom and goodness to forgive the offen der. Yet some reasons, why atonement was necessary, may be easily discerned.

It must be an object of real importance to the universe, that the character of God should be made known. That this has a near connexion with the virtue and happiness of his intelligent offspring, cannot be doubted. The charac ter of a parent, Governor or King, is known to have great effect on the morals and happiness of those, whom they respectively govern. As the moral character of the Supreme Being is perfect, he must contemplate virtue with approba tion, and vice with displeasure. It is just as impossible, that he should not hate the latter, as that he should not love the former. He, who is indifferent to vice, is as certainly indifferent to virtue. For Deity not to make known, in some way, his displeasure at vice, would leave his creatures in as much suspense, as to his character, as his forbearance to ex hibit his complacency in virtue. If Deity, as a perfect Be ing, necessarily contemplates sin with aversion and abhor rence, it is both fit in itself, and necessary to the good of his empire, that this aversion should be made known. It is fit, because those feelings, which are suitable to be entertain ed, are suitable to be made known. It is incongruous, external deportment should not correspond with the judg ment of the mind, and the emotions of the heart. It is dis honorable to God, to doubt, that his administration, viewed extensively, is an expression of his character. It is neces

that

sary to the good of Gods' universal empire, that his displeasure at sin should be made known, because happiness cannot prevail in the universe, without regularity and virtue; but in order to this, it must be seen, that the virtuous and vicious are not equally esteemed. It must be seen, which of the contending interests is patronized by the Deity. The law indeed speaks terror to the guilty; its language, therefore, perfectly corresponds with the divine purity: but if it be seen by all beings in the universe, many of whom perhaps are now in a state of trial, and many of whom will, at every given period, be in a state of trial, that sin is not punished; but that while the law of God expresses one thing, or speaks in a particular language, his proceedings speak a language either the reverse of this, or else materially different from it, there must, so far, as we can see, be the appearance of inconsistency in him, who rules the universe. That expression, with regard to good and evil, which was made by the law, is no longer apparent. "Though words are insignificant," says a respectable writer of our own," actions are more so. It is a common and just observation, that actions speak louder than words: yea, a maxim, on which, we so firmly rely, that we give the whole weight to the former, when they contradict the latter. All are agreed, that the mind and will of God, may be intelligibly expressed in words. Yet no one will deny, that they may be written in much deeper and more legible characters, in the sensible pleasures and pains, which he may bestow, or inflict on us. Therefore, the evidence of God's love of virtue, and hatred of vice, must ultimately be derived from the treatment which he gives his creatures. In this, we ultimately, and most sensibly, discover his views of the characters of his creatures, and the estimation, in which he holds them: and in this, we most clearly discover the feelings of the divine mind toward virtue and vice." West. p. 19.

That the divine displeasure against sin, should be rendered manifest, is necessary, not only as purity of character in a magistrate, tends to promote the virtue and happiness of those,

over whom he presides; but likewise, because motives to obedience will, in that case, be much more distinct and powerful. While this displeasure is not shown, either by sufferings, inflicted on the offender, or by some other method, it is scarcely to be conceived, that the creatures of God, should not cease to view sin in its true light; and that they should not expect impunity, in case of apostacy. When it is once understood, under an earthly government, that repent ance universally supersedes the execution of laws, the motives to obedience being enfeebled, crimes will be multiplied. But motives are as certainly employed in the divine government, as in those maintained among men. It seems, therefore, that the pardoning of sin, without some attendant act or event expressing the same thing, which is expressed in the divine law, would encourage disorder and vice through the empire of God. The subjects of his government would naturally, I should think necessarily, conclude, that his abhorrence of sin was less, than his threatenings had led them to imagine.

"Whatever may be the rules of pardoning mercy," says Mr. Hampton," it can hardly be supposed, that a wise and good lawgiver will exercise it, or mitigate the rigour of the law, especially in many instances, without showing at the same time, his regard to the reasonableness of the law and the equity of its sanctions; or, which is the same, to the demands of his law and justice: because otherwise his conduct would be an encouragement to disobedience, and of conse quence, his mercy, though a favor to a few, would be injus tice to the whole."

If God see fit to pardon sin on any conditions, we cannot reasonably suppose, that they will be such, as either to give a wrong impression concerning himself, or to propagate a spirit of disorder and rebellion. It is highly important, that God should be known through the universe, as a God hating sin, and that every apprehension of a different nature should be removed. God cannot deny himself, nor will he ever cease to exhibit, in his providence, that proportion, harmony, and divine beauty, which adorn his character.

LECTURE XIII.

1:000:

Atonement.

It was said, in the last lecture, that those, who oppose the doctrine of our Saviour's atonement, must do it on this ground, that nothing of the kind was necessary.

It was remarked, in reply, that even if we were unable to discern any need of atonement, i. e. any obstacles to the exercise of mercy on terms of repentance merely, it would, by no means, follow, that such reasons did not exist in the view of that Being, who beholds the whole universe, with all its relations and connexions. But far from conceding the truth of what is here supposed, I proceeded to suggest a number of considerations, which, according to the best ideas, which we can form on the subject, present obstacles to the par. doning of sin, merely on condition of repentance.

I shall now apply more directly, to the government of God, some observations then made concerning civil governments, with a view further to show, that the propriety of pardoning sin on the sole condition of repentance, is far from being obvious.

Were offenders made happy on so easy terms, the obedient and disobedient would be treated alike. Whereas, the divine law declares, it shall go well with the righteous, and ill with the wicked; the event, as here supposed, is, that it will go well with both. For if the wicked, i. e. those, who have

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