contrary to scripture, which asserts, that Christ by himself, hath satisfied once for sin, and that there is no farther satisfaction to be made by others.

The view which we have given of the perfection of the atonement, and the arguments, by which we have supported it, prostrate the Arminian doctrine of nominal atonement. When a full payment is made, there is no room for the exercise of grace in accepting what was no more than nominal. In making payments grace is not considered, nor merely the dignity of him who pays, but also the value of the thing giv en, or its equality to the debt. This is confirmed from Rom. viii. 3. where Christ is said to have been sent, that all righteousness might be fulfilled.

Christ fulfilled all righteousness, or satisfied all the demands of the law, by doing what we ourselves were not able to do, on account of the weakness of the law. Now, if by the satisfaction of Christ, the demands of the law are fulfilled in us, this satisfaction must equal the claims of the law.

An imperfect atonement graciously accepted, we cannot admit, for Christ took all the punishment upon himself* which was due to us, even that which was the most grievous, the curse of the law itself. Finally, if God might have accepted of any imperfect satisfaction, it was unnecessary that Christ should stand as our surety, and be exposed to extreme tortures, and a most painful death; for satisfaction could have been received from any other man.

We shall now proceed to remove objections. An objection is drawn from those expressions of scripture, where the apostles are said to suffer for the church. But it is one thing to suffer for the church, in order to purchase her, by paying a price of redemption, and another to suffer persecution and death for the purpose of consoling, comforting, and confirming the people of God, by placing before them an example of patience and obedience. Paul says that he suffers for the church, or for the body of Christ, not in the first

* Isa. liii. 6, 7, 8.

+ Col. i. 24.

† Gal. iii. 13.

2

sense, for he elsewhere denies that any one except Christ alone, is crucified for us;* he suffered for the church in the second sense, as he himself teaches us, 2 Cor. v. 6. “for your consolation." In 2 Tim. ii. 10. he says that he endures all things for the elect's sake, not to redeem them from temporal punishment, but that confirmed, and animated by his example, they might obtain salvation by Christ. The remark made by Thomast on this subject, is a correct one. "The sufferings of the saints are profitable to the church, not as a price of redemption, but as affording it example, and exhortation not to depart from the truth."

Paul says, "that he fills up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ." But the sufferings of the saints are not the sufferings endured by Christ in his own person; but the sufferings of Christ mystical, or of his body, the church; sufferings, which are to be endured by every Christian, after the manner of Christ, whose members they are. Paul, as well as all other saints, had to take up his cross and follow Christ, and endure that share of tribulation which God allotted him, while he was entering upon the kingdom of heaven. In filling up this measure of tribulation, the apostle bears his cross with alacrity. Christ is often thus by a figure put for his body, the church; "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me." The sufferings of the saints are often called the sufferings of Christ;|| " For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us. They are called so in relation to their origin, because Christ, as supreme director of the theatre of life, appoints them to us, and calls upon us to suffer them;¶ in relation to their object, for they are laid upon us on account of Christ and his gospel;-also on account of our union and communion with Christ, for we are one with him. Hence our blessings and sufferings are in some sense common to us and Christ. "In all their afflictions he was afflicted." We are called to participate in his sufferings, that we

* 1 Cor. i. 13.

+ Col. i. 24.

2 Cor. i. 5.

3. Quest. 48. Art. 5.

Acts ix. 4. and 1 Cor. xii. 12.

Acts ix. 16. 1 Pet. ii. 25. Phil. i. 29.

may be conformed to him in his cross, before we are conformed to him in his glory.*

It is one thing for a person to atone for his sins, by a real satisfaction, another to break off his sins by works of repentance and charity. It is in the latter sense that Daniel+ advises Nebuchadnezzar to break off his sins. The Hebrew

word p, used by the prophet here, does not primarily signify to redeem, nor even to deliver; its primary sense is to tear away, or break off; and hence, as a collateral signification, it imports, to deliver. The prophet exhorts the Syrian king to repentance, and a change of life, in order to make reparation to men and not to God, for the injuries which he had done, and the oppressions which he had practised; and that by thus breaking off his course of sinning, he might be more prosperous, escape from the ruin which was hanging over him, and obtain a longer continuance of peace in his empire. To the same purpose are all those places of scripture, in which pardon of sin is promised to repentance. The repentance is not a meritorious cause, but a condition annexed, the medium through which pardon is obtained. As our prayers are not a price, which we pay to God in advance for the blessings which we seek, but a mean which God has appointed for obtaining those favours which he bestows freely.

Sufferings are of two kinds. One is that in which they are exacted by a judge to make satisfaction to justice; the other, that in which they are inflicted for the correction of the offender. We admit, that the latter species of suffering is often appointed to believers, not for vengeance, but for healing; not for destruction, but for correction. God lays it upon them, not as a judge, but as a father; not out of hatred, but out of love. Cyprian says, "The Lord chastises the saints that he may advance their holiness, and he advances their holiness, that he may save them." To the same purpose Thomas speaks. "Before pardon, the sufferings of the

* Rom. viii. 28,

3. Q. 96.

+ Dan. iv. 27.

elect are punishments for sin; after pardon, they are exercises." Augustin happily explains the difference between the punishments of the wicked, and the chastisements of the saints. He speaks thus:-" All, both good and evil, suffer the same afflictions; nor by their afflictions can we distinguish between the righteous and the wicked; for all things happen alike to all, there is one lot to the righteous and to the wicked. There is, however, a distinction between the persons who suffer punishment. All who are subjected to the same pains, are not alike vicious or virtuous. In the same fire, gold shines and stubble smokes; by the same fan the chaff is blown away, and the wheat purged. Dregs must not be confounded with oil, because both are pressed in the same press. The very same afflictions which prove, purify, and refine the righteous, are a curse, and destruction to the wicked. Hence, under the pressure of the same calamities, the wicked detest and blaspheme God, while the righteous pray to him, and praise him. Thus the difference is not in the nature of the punishments, but in the character of those who suffer them."

The chastisements which the saints experience, sometimes indeed, retain the name punishments, but not in a strict sense. 1. Because punishments, in a strict sense, are inflicted by the supreme Judge upon transgressing men, on account of their violation of his law. Hence, even after the state of a man is changed, and he becomes a saint, the pains and griefs which he suffers are called by the same name, because, though not formally, they are materially the same. 2. Because there are many points of resemblance between them and punishments properly so called. They are not joyous but grievous to the flesh, which they are designed, no less than proper punishments, to subdue. They are dispensed to the saints, by the will of a gracious God, with as much care and attention, as he, in the character of an avenging judge, dispenses punishments. Sin gives occasion both to chastisements and punishments.-They agree some

*De Civ. Dei. lib. i i. cap. 8.

times in the apprehension which they produce in the mind, that God is an angry judge, and they both serve as an example salutary to offenders. But this grand difference still remains, that is, in the punishments of the wicked, God, as a judge, has in view satisfaction to his justice; while in the chastisements of his people, he, as a father, designs the correction and amendment of his disobedient children.

The death of David's child, which affliction happened to him after the pardon of his sin,* was not a satisfactory and judicial punishment, but a fatherly chastisement; for his sin having been once pardoned, no punishment could remain to be borne. The reason which God assigns for thus afflicting the king of Israel, gives no countenance to the idea, that the affliction was judicial and expiatory. By his sin, he had given occasion to the enemy to blaspheme the name of God, and thus the discipline of the house of God had been most basely violated. This breach of discipline must be healed by a salutary example. Nor can we infer that it was judicial, from David's deprecating it. It is the part of human nature to avoid, and endeavour to free itself of whatever is painful, like a sick man who deprecates the caustic powders, the pain of the amputating knife, and the bitterness of medicine, though nothing can be further from the nature of punishment than these.

Though death cannot be inflicted upon us to guard us against future transgression, nor for our amendment, yet it by no means follows, that it is designed as an atonement for sin. There are many other weighty reasons, rendering it necessary that all should die; such as, that the remains of sin may be destroyed-that we may pass from an animal and terrestrial state, to one spiritual and heavenly-that piety may be exercised-that Christian virtues may be displayed in the most brilliant manner-and finally, that it may be a most powerful excitement to amend our life, look out for a better inheritance, and be prepared for entering upon its enjoyment.

2 Sam. xii. 14.