the same individual! And it follows, that the same being may be just and unjust; the injured and the violator; an innocent sufferer, and an unrighteous sinner!! In this supposed violation of justice, who is to be blamed and punished? Why, truly, the injured person himself, for there is no other; and the innocent must be involved with the guilty, by absolute necessity; beccuse there is but one individual, and he is guilty and innocent at the same time!!

Other illustrations might be given to show the utter impossibility of God's being bound in a debt of justice to himself; and if he could not be bound in a debt to himself, then Christ never came under an obligation of justice to the father, because Christ and the Father are one. A conclusion which the hypothesis we are now refuting most certainly tends to overturn.

8. The legal atonement supposes that redemption has not lessened the amount of suffering which was incurred by moral evil. Nay, so far from diminishing that misery, it has greatly increased it; for if the Saviour endured the entire penalty, and that entire penalty will fall again upon the millions of finally impenitent sinners who go down to everlasting perdition, who does not see that there will be more real misery connected with the the plan of redemption, than there would have been without it. To show how greatly our opponents feel themselves embarrassed here, we will give a short extract

from one of the authors already quoted.

"From the proofs and explanations which have been given, it appears that though Christ suffered the full penalty of the law, he did not endure the same quantum of pain which mankind would have endured, had the penalty been executed on them. In this respect there was an infinite saving in executing the sentence of the law upon the substitute instead of the principals."*

This is surely paradoxical enough; and ought, we think, to be taken as demonstrative evidence of the hopelessness of the cause, which it is intended to serve. Το say that the full penalty of the law was suffered without undergoing the deserved pain,-yea, that there was an infinite saving of punishment, is to say that the full penalty of the law was suffered without being suffered !! If the reader would be delivered from such logic, and from such divinity, and from such absurdities and inconsistencies, he must reject the hypothesis from which they spring.

Into the nature of that atonement which the sin of man had rendered necessary, and which the son of God actually offered when he laid down his life for the world, we shall now attempt more particularly to inquire. Let the reader carefully compare what we may advance, with the dictates of sober reason, and the teachings of God's most holy book.

SECTION III.

Christ suffered TEMPORAL death in the STEAD of Adam and all his posterity.

We have shown elsewhere, that when an atonement first became necessary, it could only be needed by those who had actually transgressed the divine law; and yet, the atonement which was made for the actual transgressors, extended its benefits infinitely beyond what the necessity of the case required. It provided, over and above, for the existence of all Adam's posterity; which, consequently, they receive as a perfectly gratuitous bles sing of redemption, and thus, "Where sin abounded grace did much more abound."

We

This is the first step. in the argument for the universality of our redemption by Christ Jesus. For, if the view which is here taken, be correct, none could possibly be passed by-none could be left without an interest in the great atonement. This is evident even to the comprehension of a child. have seen also that all, whilst in a state of infancy, being incapable of perceiving the nature of moral obligation, or of distinguishing between right and wrong, must be unaccountable for their conduct; and, consequently, up to the period, at which responsibility begins, they can deserve neither praise nor blame, reward nor punishment; * Chap. i. Sec. 8.

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and that, therefore, infants are indebted to grace, in the highest possible sense, not only for their existence, but also for that eternal life to which they are exalted at the right hand of the Majesty on high. But we are aware that many would claim, for those who die in infancy, something more than this-some sort of a moral change, or regeneration, effected by the powerful operations of the Divine Spirit! Of such a change, however, we believe the bible does not say a single word; nor can we form any manner of conception of it. It is as perfectly mysterious and unintelligible, as any unintelligible thing can be.

We have contended,* moreover, that, under a lawdispensation, the first act of disobedience would deserve, and would really subject the transgressor to instant punishment, because the law made no provision whatever for the exercise of mercy. But as Adam sinned, and as all his posterity sin from the very commencement of their moral existence, and from the moment of their first act of disobedience deserve the infliction of the full penalty of the law; which includes temporal, as well as eternal death; and yet are not cut off for such disobedience, there must be some reason for the divine forbearance thus exercised towards them. This is evident to every man who has thought on the subject. Why then, we ask, is not the sinner summoned to give an account for the first

*Chap i. Sec. 6.

disobedient act? How comes it to pass, that the sentence should be deferred for ten, twenty, or a hundred years? The only reason, we believe, which can be given, is, that Christ died for them—in their stead-really and truly as their substitute. And because his life was

given and accepted as a substitute for theirs, they are suffered to survive their transgression of the moral law, and to enjoy the advantages of a state of probation. None are excepted here-none passed by-none left without a real interest in the great sacrifice which was offered for the sins of mankind,

The first advantage, therefore, which men, as sinners, derive from the atonement of Christ, is this exemption from death, considered as a penalty for their sins. And, as the Redeemer suffered temporal death in behalf of all men, all men are, so far, really and truly interested in his death—it is truly efficacious for all sinners-the end for which he died is really answered-they are, in consequence of that death, shielded from the stroke of justice during the whole term of their probation; notwithstanding their repeated and aggravated transgressions.* And, had he undertaken to become their substitute, in reference to the other consequences of their crimes-undertaken to suffer eternal punishment, or that which was equivalent to eternal punishment, in their stead, it is but reasonable

This is a benefit of the atonement which, of course, children do not yet need; nor will those who die in infancy ever need it.