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 ^ From the Rev. W. B. SPRAGUE, D.D. Sept. 1839. ^ 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 ® h co t o ^ ica I J^emhumu 
 
 PRINCETON. N.S 
 \t Division _ZT 
 
 No. Case,- ..ctZ.. -- 
 
 No. Shelf, -.Upg------- 
 
 No. Book,-- 
 
 Sprague Collection. Vol. ^ S^T 
 

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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2017 with funding from 
 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 https ://arch i ve. o rg/detai Is/g reatdoctri neof aOObai I 
 
'Great Dcxfhme 
 
 OF 
 
 ATONEMENT. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED AND REPRESENTED IK A .SCRIP¬ 
 TURAL POINT OF LIGHT. 
 
 - ' • ' - J . L 
 
 r r * *v 
 
 IN A LETTER TO A FRIEND. 
 
 WALPOLE , N. H. 
 
 Printed at the Press of THOMAS & THOMAS, 
 
 By D, and T. CARLISLE, for the AUTHOR. 
 

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 1 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 THE 
 
 GREAT DOCTRINE 
 
 OF 
 
 A T 0 N E M E N T, 6?<r. 
 
 Dear. Brother, 
 
 H E that would have friends mu ft fhew himfelf friend. 
 
 Iy_: I remarked in a letter you wrote to a friend, 
 your friendly objections againft my fentiments, on 
 the atonement of ChrifI for our falvation; and your 
 kind endeavours to reffify my miffakes. But I was 
 not fo happy as to gain conviflion ; neither does it ap¬ 
 pear that you underhand my ideas on the fubjefl ;—■ 
 therefore, I will ifate my mind on the doftrine of 
 Chriff’s atonement for the falvation of finful men, that 
 you may have the advantage to remove the darknefs of 
 my mind ; that the darknefs may pafs, and the true 
 light fhine. And firff, 
 
 God the Father, angels and faints afcribe to ChrifI 
 the honour of making the atonement. 
 
 2dly. ChrifI, in the work of atonement, never exe¬ 
 cuted any vengeance, on any being for fin ; but bore 
 ail affronts and injuries from finners, without, requit¬ 
 ing their defects upon them. 
 
 3dlj\ God the Father, in the great work of atone¬ 
 ment, is no more confidered as executing the punifh- 
 snent of fin on Chrift, than Chrift is confidered as ex¬ 
 ecuting the puniihment of fin on finners, when dying 
 on the crofs. 
 
 4thly.. Atonement did not confifl in punifhment of 
 fin, nor in puniihment at all, in any pofitive fenfe. 
 
 5! lily. 
 
 I 
 
[ 4 1 
 
 5*T) T y. Chrift had certain conditions to fulfil in per- 
 farming the great work of atonement, as the fecond" 
 Adam : and atonement was found in what he did and 
 performed in the whole of it. and not what was done 
 to him, either by God-the Father, or by finners. 
 
 6 thly. The conditions Chuff had to fulfil areas 
 follow ; firfl. he humbled himlelf and took upon him 
 the form of a fervant and became obedient unto death, 
 even the death of the crofs ; he'was under obligations 
 to y ield perfe£l obedience to the divine law : and be 
 pure and perleCl as the divine throne : this obedience 
 God the Father, and God the Son, knew would be an 
 occafion to raife the malice and rage of the wicked to 
 that degree, they would murder him on the crofs. 
 
 2diy. Chrift was under obligations to mainta : n a 
 conffant exercife of love to God and man, according 
 to the nature of the ci iginal claims of the divine law; 
 and that fponianeouily, as though there was- no evil in 
 the univerfe, or fuffering to endure ; Chrifl engaged 
 in the work, he undertook the ftern chafe, and recov¬ 
 ered the fpoil. Chriff, our faviour, bore all the fins 
 cf the people, even unto death, as a pattern of patience 
 and humility, and that love which is the fulfilling, of 
 the law in perfection. Chrift bore our fins in his own 
 body on the tree, as a burden, and a condition of trial, 
 and a proof of the perfection of his mediaiorfhip ; and 
 r ot to he confidered an execution of govei nment, pun- 
 ifhing fin ; Chrift offered his life a facrifice on the 
 crofs, to witnefs to, and condemn Adam’s aCi of rebel¬ 
 lion, in tranfgrefiion of the divine law ; for fin he con¬ 
 demned fin in the tlelh : in this he gave a high witnefs 
 of the righteoufnefs of God's g jyernment ; in this, he 
 honoured the Divine Sovereignty, in {fating his gov¬ 
 ernment in whatever mode, and form he faw fit j .a’fo 
 he vindicated the righteouf icfs of God’s government 
 in the plan of his grace, in commanding him to lay 
 down his life; for this was a law of government as 
 much as the law was to Adam ; therefore 1 do not fay 
 in vain, tha-t Chriil offered his life a facrifice on the 
 crofs for the vindication of the righteoufnels of God’s 
 government ; while 1 deny the idea of juftice, punifh- 
 
r 5 ] 
 
 tng ottr fins in Chrifi, in weight and quantity as much: 
 as they deferve ; and while I deny that juftice fought 
 a fatisfaftion that way, it was not a punifhment upon us- 
 Or our furety,that procured us a pardon, or effiedted our 
 redemption. Law andjn Rice ir. punifhing crimes is nev= 
 er confidered fo magnified and made honourable, as to 
 procure blefTings for criminals ; it juftice is confider- 
 ed as punifhing our fins in Cbri ft. then its work is pun* 
 ifhing crimes ; and if its operation is punifhing crimes, 
 t*he,divine law is not in the lea ft magnified by all its 
 work, and confequently there is no merit in the death 
 ot Ctirift, and therefore on this ground our falvation is 
 eternally fufpended 
 
 Law and juftice have an eternal affection to appro, 
 bate the innocent and condemn the guilty, neither will 
 they alter their difpofition, or mode of conduct, what, 
 ever event takes place amongft rebels. 
 
 Juftice did not take an active partin the death of 
 Chrifi in punifhing ; but eyed the vi£tim with impar- 
 tial attention, and Lid amen with a {mile and approba¬ 
 tion, at the love and grace, truth and laithfulnefs of the 
 fufrerer; therefore atonement did notconfift in the 
 punifhment of fin nor the pains of death, but in a holy- 
 enduring of the fufferings for righteoufnefs’ fake, and 
 fulfilling the conditions-of trial Bated by infinite wifi, 
 dom through the (Length of love and nolinefs ; that 
 love and holinefs, that reigned in the heart of Chrifi, 
 which gave him {Length of vifilory in the combat, by. 
 which he repelled every loe, even fin, hell and death, 
 that is the fpirit and matter of atonement ; but the fuf- 
 terings oi Chrifi are no more to be confidered a pun- 
 ifhinent of the fins.of the wicked race of Adam, than 
 the martyrdom of Stephen is-to be confidered a puni fit¬ 
 ment of the fins of the world. 
 
 Chrifi, as mediator, is-reprefented as a true and faith, 
 ful witnefs. Now the work, of a mediator is to (late 
 the true nature of the c.ontroverfy betwixt two contend*- 
 ing parties. It'the controverfiy is ftated rightecufly, 
 and both the parties agree with the fiatement, recon- 
 ciliation takes place ; when a true and righteous ftate= 
 ment is made, and the faulty pai.ty does not agree with 
 
 % 
 
c 6 ] 
 
 it, he is more criminal (till, and Juflice is more di(Tatis- 
 fied with him than before. Chriff, as a faithful witnefs 
 from heaven, dated the controversy betwixt God and 
 man in perfeflion, to the fatisfafdion and pleafure of the 
 divine Father, and that'to the facrificing of his life ; 
 but he had not to be punifhed for our fins, by the di¬ 
 vine Father, in weight and quantity as much as they 
 deferve to accomplifh it. 
 
 D ear Brother, 
 
 I will give you a fimilitude that will lay before you 
 my idea plainly : If a wife and good king had a num¬ 
 erous family of children ; they all revolted from his 
 government but the elder fon ; committed treafon and 
 fled diftant from their father’s court ; their rebellion 
 flung them into a ficknefs of wild phrenzy and difor- 
 der ; the elder brother, being a phyfician of perfect 
 (kill ; the father propounds to him, if he will vifit the 
 rebellious, take his refidence among(1 them, and pre¬ 
 pare a medicine in prefence of the rebellious family, 
 which, if received and taken, will be an infallible rem¬ 
 edy for their diforder; remove their phrenzy, and bring 
 them to their right mind ; they will return home to 
 their father’s courts, confefs their fault,and receive par¬ 
 don ; but if he undertakes it he muft bear all bruifes 
 and injuries while amongfl them, with perfe6! meeknefs 
 and humility ; he muff bear all their iniquities, and 
 not avenge the wrong ; although they perfecute him e- 
 ven unto death ; now their atonement does not confift 
 in the pains and bufferings of their bcnefaftor,but in the 
 medicine and remedy provided for them ; now Chriff 
 provided a table fpread, a table ol life in prefence of 
 his foes for the healing of their fouls ; but juflice was 
 not employed in puoilhing the fins of rebels in Chriff 
 for the healing of their fouls. 
 
 Now, Sir, I will turn and look of your ffatement 
 that contains your obje&ions againft my fentiments : 
 Vou hold, dear Brother, that Chriff has fatisfied, by 
 his obedience and death, the demands of divine juflice 
 for our fins; in my turn, 1 deny it : for, if Chriff has 
 fatisfied juflice by his obedience and death for my 
 tors, then juflice is fatisfied with me fully and com¬ 
 pletely, 
 
pietely, without mercy having any hand in the matter 5 
 and it will be an affront to juftice for me to fuffer any 
 degree of punifhment for my fins, whatever : yea, juf¬ 
 tice is bound to fecure me from any fufferings as much 
 as it is the elefl angels in heaven ; yea, as much as it 
 was to fecure Chrift from fufferings if he had not been 
 under that law which we had tranfgreffed. 
 
 But it is an idea of confufion and wild diforder, to 
 fuppofe that Chri ft, being under that law that we had 
 tranfgreffed, that death was his defert ; or that juftice 
 had any fuch charge agai.nft him ; therefore it is an idle 
 trifling with the government of God, and with his at¬ 
 tributes to reprefent that everjuftice had aright to 
 charge Chrift with deferving death on the account ox 
 Fin or finners, or ever purfue him as punifhing their 
 fins in him; or that juftice is anyways fatisfied for 
 finners in the death and fufferings of Chrift; but more 
 augmented with diffatisfaffion ; for their crimes were 
 the higheft affront to juftice poffibie. 
 
 Hence to reprefent that our fins were imputed to 
 Chrift, and that juftice punifhed our fins in Chrift, ot 
 that juftice, punifhing Chrift for our fins, fatisfied juf¬ 
 tice, is a doctrine that is agreeable to every wicked heart 
 among the wicked race of Adam’s guilty family ; for 
 there is nothing more agreeable to the wicked heart., 
 than to caft off the blame of their wicked conduct upon 
 fome other one, and to have them punifhed for it too ; 
 • therefore I am bold to conclude that the doffline is a 
 delufion, and a wrong representation of the govern¬ 
 ment of God. 
 
 Again, I have another obfervation to make on your 
 ftatement; you tell me when a furety undertakes.to 
 pay the debt of another, juftice exafts it of him with 
 the fame right as ol the firfl debtor ; 1 allow you have 
 made a juft ftatement in the form of commutative 
 juftice. 
 
 Now, Sir, we will try to fettle the queftion ; if a 
 furety undertakes to pay a debt for another, the firft is 
 free; and it the debt is paid, the door is eternally fhut 
 againft forgivenefs; and the debtor is everlaftingly free 
 without acknowledging any grace of forgivenefs in the 
 
 creditor. 
 
Creditor, and the debtor is under no condemnation, 
 neither in refpefl of the debt ; it is a delufion to pre¬ 
 tend he is, and falfe to fay that any juft law condemns 
 him about the matter, whether he is a good man or a 
 bad one ; therefore, it is idle for any body to talk about 
 a debt being paid, and then find room to forgive the 
 fame debt too ; for furely there is no room for an ex- 
 ercife of love in fuch a rafe on the account of grace in 
 a creditor ; if we would attend to the meaning of 
 feripture inftead of images formed in our minds from 
 darkrefs, relative to Chrift paying finners’debts ; if 
 Chrifl undertook topavtbe finner’s debt, bis work was 
 to execute upon him the punifhment of his crimes ac¬ 
 cording to law and juftice ; but juftice never confiders 
 itfelf fatisfied when it bas a work to do in punifning 
 crimes ; for crimes are an objefil of its difpieafure ; and 
 punifhment is an expreffmn of difpieafure, and not of 
 fatisfaffion ; we are told in Tarred writ that the wages of 
 fin are death ; and wages are due to every work, wheth¬ 
 er it be good or bad ; and to pay the finner’s debt is to 
 punifh him with death ; now, kind brother, the death, 
 of Chrift-was not the wages of fin, in any fenfe, but a 
 gift of the Father, and a gift of Chrift, with all the fub- 
 fequent bleflings flowing therefrom ; if it bad been the 
 wages of fin, it could not have procured one ounce of 
 bleffing for one Being in the univetfe. 
 
 It was not the work of juftice in the death of Chrift, 
 to afif by way of diftribution in punifhing ; but to eye 
 the agent and determine on the flipulated conditions of 
 the covenant betwixt the parties ; if Chrift fulfilled the 
 conditions of engagement under all the fufferings he 
 had to' meet with from finners, juftice was fatisfied 
 completely in the fufterer without joining with the 
 wicked in tormenting. 
 
 I firmly conclude that you believe, as well as I, that 
 God is a being of infinite, perfect refilitude, and that 
 his government and conduff is perfett as bis nature; 
 but our difficulty is when we give a poitrait of what 
 God has done; our do£irine, our defcription, either 
 your dofilrine or mine is a delufion ; to command your 
 attention to the fubjett I will give you a portrait upon 
 
[ 9 3 
 
 tl'.e divine conftitution of grace, eftablifhed in the court 
 of Heaven. We have the following ftatement preferit- 
 ed to view (viz.) God, our Creator, calls forth his fil'd 
 born fon, the heir of all things, and fays unto him ; the 
 new created inhabitants of yonder world fell by tranf- 
 grefiion ; and are under the curfe and the power of 
 death tor rebellion, and difobedience to my law ; their 
 ffate is eternally deplorable, if an aft of grace is not 
 extended to them; it is my mind to extend an aft of 
 grace to them to the honour of righteoufnefs : Hence 
 we will fet before them a new conllitution of govern¬ 
 ment by a fecond man in hitman nature, afting as a 
 fubjeft of obedience in perfeftion, that the conduct: of 
 the obedient fubjeft, and the conauft of the fovereign 
 may be viewed before all worlds ; and that the harmo¬ 
 ny betwixt the Creator and creatures may be viewed 
 in its beauty and glory and that the value and worth of 
 righteoufnefs may be known by its rewards, in a ffrong- 
 er imprefiion and fenfation than ever was felt by crea¬ 
 tures before ; while the tranfaftion lhali be a high wit- 
 nefs againff Adam and his guilty race for their rebell¬ 
 ion ; and to the end that the perfeftion of order and the 
 beauties of holinefs may appear in the conftitution: you, 
 my beloved fon, mull be put on a condition of trial, as 
 the father and head of the redeemed ; as Adam was 
 placed under a condition of trial, as moral head of ail 
 his pofferity ; and the claims or juft ice, truth, right¬ 
 eoufnefs, mercy and grace will be upon you for the 
 fulfilment of your condition of trial, that each one 
 may fhare equal honour in -the divine tranfaftion, fo 
 that grace may reign through righteoufnefs unto eternal 
 hie, in all rhofe of the rebels that confent in, and agree 
 with the con flitution of righteoufnefs wrought out by 
 you ; therefore 1 command you, my dear Son, to take 
 a body I have prepared for you, and go down into 
 yonder fallen world, and be born ot a woman, where 
 you will be incident to the evils they have introduced 
 among ft them by their rebellion ; and while you feel 
 the evils of thleir rebellion, and the evils of their majice 
 1o crucifixion and death, you mull not refiftj but mull 
 die with humble fubmifiion, as though you deferverl 
 B the 
 
C 10 ] 
 
 the fete ;■ you mu ft be perfeftly meek, humble, and 
 patient, full of benevolence and good will for their 
 we’hre, even onto death : without a breach in one 
 affe£fion under the weight ol all their wrath and fin, to 
 the forrow cf your fouheven unto death. While their 
 condufl in executing death upon you will be the moft 
 wicked crime, and afi of injuftice ever perpetrated ; 
 ihus you rruft fulfil the condition, you muft give your 
 life a facrificeas the price cf their redemption, and the 
 highefi work of righteoufnefs my heart defires. Now, 
 my beloved fon, afk of me a reward equal to the work 
 I have commanded, and it fhal! be granted, and it fh-all 
 he given you ; for ycu are capable of knowing what 
 is equal 33 well as I ; and it was agreed betwixt the 
 Father and the Son, that Chrift fhould (hare a portion 
 with the great, and divide the fpoil with theftrong; 
 therefore the reward promifed Chrifi was to have the 
 government over all created beings, the honour of be¬ 
 ing redeemer of his people, the honour of being their 
 great prophet, the honour of all the redeemed to be 
 with him in heaven, acclamating his, praife ; the hon¬ 
 our of being judge at the la It grand folemn afiife ; he 
 had the prornife of feeing of the travail of his foul and 
 being f.itisfied ; the beloved fon, full of duty, and zeal 
 for the iather's honour and glory. faid, I confent to the 
 eovenant, it is written in the volume of the book; !o ! 
 I come to do thy will, O my God ; an awful folemnity 
 d: fluff d through all the court; the lather called for the 
 approbation of all the court to the new conftitution ; 
 that it might go forth with the mutual afTem and appro¬ 
 bation of ail. 
 
 For thus it was eflentially neceffary to give it efficacy 
 and authority ; but O, the folemn. awlul impreffion 
 that pervaded the minds of all ; there was filence in 
 court tor about the fpace o* half an hour, for there was 
 not one that was not equally concerned in the g^and 
 formation of the new and gracious conftitution ; then 
 Jufiice arofe with more majefiy in couutenance than 
 that ol an angel, and beckoned for audience and made 
 reply, as follows ; 1 think that whatever is done in court, 
 (the tic.il ofcieft of, attention imuft be the honour and 
 
 gjor.y. 
 
[ S'* T 
 
 glory of the divine Creator; if any thing is done that 
 mars the divine glory, my right and dignity is infringed’ 
 upon likewife ; for juftice and judgment are the habi-, 
 ration of his throne ; the divine law faid man (hall die, 
 for rebellion ; my office was as angry judge to execute, 
 the fentence; I have performed m.y office, I hive ex¬ 
 ecuted on file the righteous fentence of the law, he is- 
 now in the (fate of the dead : I have no more to do, 1 
 cannot plead for the rebel, he fhares a juft defert ; 
 But I would obferve, what I have replied is not out of a 
 morofe difpofition, but of a benevolent concern for all 
 ihe court; I am as benevolent as any one for the happU 
 nefs of man, in a way of righteoufnefs, but in the con¬ 
 ftitution framed for the redemption of man, Emmanuel 
 is to die and fuffer a cruel death under their wicked 
 hands, and that will raile indignation and diftatisfabfion 
 in me, to a double height ; for their crimes will be 
 greater than Adam’s firft tranfgrefii m ; and I am eter¬ 
 nally, engaged forErnmanuel’s welfare ; and I (ball not 
 alter my mind : let all thefe matters be cleared up and 
 reconciled, and I arn fatisfied ; then Truth arofe and 
 faid, m.y caufe is the fame with Juftice ; let matters be 
 adjufted according to the proposals ol juftice, and 1 am 
 fatisfied then Righteoufnefs ftept forth, decked with 
 a breallplate ol truth ! his countenance refleRed bright- 
 nefs above the eaftern light. He held the feeptre in 
 his hand ; his words were as determinate as the con, 
 clufions ol truth ; Righteoufnefs obferved he had al¬ 
 ways held the fceptie in his hand, and had always 
 fwayed the fame in righteoufnefs ; when angels rebell¬ 
 ed, I gave my voice againft them, in confining them in 
 chains of darknefs to the judgment of the great Day ; 
 when man rebelled I gave my voice againft him in the 
 fentence of execution ; I approbate the innocent and 
 condemn the guilty ; 1 cannot approve any confuta¬ 
 tion that will mat: ray beauty ; If by the conftitution 
 greater luftre can be added to my name, greater g jod 
 brought to the univerfe, and all the divine attributes, 
 have a more giorious dilplay, and mamleftation, 1 am 
 faiisfieu to have the conftitution put into execution j 
 then Mercy arofe. to fpeak, and her countenance lb one 
 
 with,. 
 
with meeknefs and beauty, and fbe ipoke with a voire 
 fufticient to melt the haidefl heart; I think, faid fhe, I 
 can fee liberty by the conftitution tonne to be honour¬ 
 ed in communicating abroad the exceeding riches of 
 my mercy ; I claim honour in opening the (lores of my 
 bounty, according to the nature of the con ftitution ; 
 tor turely it will be more to the honour of all the court 
 for me to ffiare a part of honour in the vent of thecon- 
 flitution, than to let fuch treafures as mine lie eternal¬ 
 ly hidden and concealed : I requeft that the conflitu- 
 tion be put into execution, for the honour of my name, 
 and for the benefit of the miferable. 
 
 Mercy’s plea bad great weight in the council ; then 
 Grace ffept forth ; a bright fplendor, more glorious 
 than the fun, indicated the light vefliges of her feet, 
 and her words dropt as balmy as the dew of the morn- 
 ing, and an energy attended her voice, that bore irri- 
 preflion on all the court; (lie faid, with arguments that 
 could not be refilled, fhe oblerved, that no one in the 
 court had a greater right to be honoured than fhe ’ 
 neither would there be any operation in the univerfe, 
 that will refleff greater honour upon all the court than 
 for grace to perform her afls of mercy, in pardoning 
 criminals according to'the new con ftitution ; and fhe 
 requefted Wifdom might flep forth and explain, defin¬ 
 itely, the nature, meaning, import and Vettitude of the 
 new conftitution, to the fatisfaffion of all the Court. 
 
 Now with folemn proceflion Wifdom Heps forth be¬ 
 fore the grand anguft council, big with the treafures of 
 wifdom, as the woman’s feed that Ihould bruife the fer- 
 pent's head ; and (he opened with a deportment which 
 evidenced to all the court, that fhedeliberated wii+i per- 
 fetd difcernment every part of the conftitution both 
 as to its nature and operation ; all the court concluded 
 they fhould now refult in perlefl harmony and agree¬ 
 ment ; the court was all attention to hear Wifdom’s 
 determination on the new formed conftitution of gov¬ 
 ernment; and fhe began the leffon and her language 
 did not run to vvafte ; for every word had fome mean¬ 
 ing with it; fhe obferved that God the creator compiled 
 the conflituuon, and no one could difpute that he who 
 
[ «3 1 
 
 had power to create had no right to govern ; and ft 
 was his right to rule as fovereign. 
 
 2dly. His power, wifdom, juftice, truth, righteouG 
 nefs, mercy and grace had equal place in his nature, all 
 in perfeHion of harmony ; fi> that it is impoffible for 
 him to make a mi (take in government. 
 
 3dly Wifdom explained every part of the conftitu- 
 tion; the firft particular was the death of Emmanuel, 
 and how it was to be viewed by the court. 
 
 And firft, no one of the court was to have any hand in 
 executing death on Emmanuel ; nor ftrike him with a 
 wound any way : 2dly, his death would devolve upon 
 him by combat with fiuners ; in combat with fin, hell 
 and death ; fin and fmners would caufe and occafiom 
 all his fufferings. 
 
 4thIy- In the combat would be feen the ftrength of 
 righteoufnefs in its magnificent height, and the high 
 criminality of fin in an awful contraft. 
 
 ^thly. In this combat is feen an aft of the moft rich 
 and abounding forbearance towards finners poffible, that 
 ever can take place in the univerfe ; in the (offerer is 
 viewed the molt perfeft refpeft to juftice, truth, righte¬ 
 oufnefs, mercy and grace, that ever can be feen through 
 the vaft dominions of Jehovah, or the divine attributes 
 can require. 
 
 In the condufl of the murderers of the Son of God is 
 evinced, in the mod open maniieftation, the higheft, 
 amazing criminality, enmity and oppofition to all 
 goodnefs and righteoufnefs. 
 
 6thly. The fenfe and meaning of the court in this 
 new conftitution of government is to make a declara¬ 
 tion of the righteoufnefs of God in bis divine law : and 
 in the death of Chrift to magnify the law, that God 
 may declare his grace to finners, for the righteoufnefs 
 iake of his fon, to the praife and the glory ot his grace., 
 
 7thiy. It is not to be viewed that the finner’s crimes 
 deferved Inch a large quantity of punifhment; and fo> 
 it was meafured off to Chrift, and executed upon him 
 by juftice to get fatisfa&ion that way : for juftice will 
 never have any hand in luch craft and tragedy, if every 
 £aner goes to hell ; for that would be juft like the de- 
 G . lufioa 
 
C 14 1 
 
 iufion that many have been guilty of, in explaining the 
 folemn tranfa&ion ; what jultice had fatisia&ion in 
 was the Faithfulnefs of the fufferer, that when tried he 
 would die rather than tranfgrefs the law ; rather die 
 than do unjuftly ; therefore Chrift honoured juflice in 
 his death ; he faithfully fulfilled every condition ac¬ 
 cording to his agreement, and truth was honoured by 
 him ; he chofe to die under the hands of the wicked ra. 
 ther than exterminate all the wicked crowd to hell ; 
 therefore love, mercy and grace were honoured by 
 him. 
 
 8 th!y. Wifdom obferved that the whole conftitution, 
 in the deftgn and nature of it, is fo compiled and ftated 
 that neither the father, nor the fon nor juflice is a pun- 
 ifhing for fin any more than they were in giving the law 
 to Adam ; but that there was a covenant of conditions 
 prefented to Chri ft the firft born heir of all things; 
 and a promifed reward upon fulfilment ; hence all the 
 divine attributes hold claims upon the truftee to fulfil 
 his engagement, without joining with wicked men and 
 devils, to load him with a tenfold greater temptation to 
 violate the Father’s will, than what the wicked was 
 able to do. 
 
 Therefore that notion of men, that juflice undertook 
 to punifh our fins in Chri ft, is as great a delufion as 
 ever befel the human mind. 
 
 Moreover, Wifdom added, for a full explanation of 
 the conftitution, that no one in court had to undergo a 
 greater degree of felt denial, and condefcenfion than 
 Juflice, while the wicked holdthe faviour in their bloo¬ 
 dy hands ; tor it is the province of juflice to execute 
 vengeance for all criminality, and unjuft cruelty ; and 
 every member of the couit inuft exercife the fame for¬ 
 bearance ; tor every member of the court is of one fen- 
 timent and difpofition in the conftitution s and in the 
 hour of Emmanuel’s fufferings,wi!l feel the mo ft pungent 
 fympatby and commileration tor the fufferer ever 
 known in the univerfe ; while all the court are facredly 
 bound to avenge the wrong and criminality done to 
 the Prince ct life on all the rebels that do not receive 
 
 the 
 
[ <5 3 
 
 tlie overture of mercy, and bow down to Emmanuels 
 fceptre ; fora bright, and brilliant difplay and raanifef* 
 tation of the glory of God wifi be made in the difplay 
 of righteoufnefs, either in the falvation or damnation of 
 all the guilty family of Adam\s race, accordingto the 
 grand ffandard of righteoufnefs reared to view in the 
 dying Redeemer; and to add all in one word necefifary 
 upon the divine conflitution of grace, in the death of 
 Emmanuel, it is to witnefs to.and make a declaration of 
 the righteoufnefs of the divine law ; to witnefs to the 
 criminality and guilt in creatures, in tranfgrefling 
 the holy law of God ; to witnefs to the righteoufnefs 
 of the fentence that life fhould go for tranfgreffion ; f or 
 the fon of God, when tried, gave up the mofl valuable 
 of all lives rather than tranfgrefs ; to witnefs to the 
 abounding benevolence of God in his willingnefs that 
 finners fhould return to their allegiance upon an a 61 of 
 righteoufnefs and grace through his fon ; and that par¬ 
 don and falvation be bellowed upon them fovereign and 
 free, to the praife and glory of righteoufnefs and grace ; 
 while bright majefly clothes the folemn feene, with an 
 awful mandate of a facred record, fealed and fent by 
 Eather, Son and Holy Ghoft, to the rebellious family 
 of Adam’s guilty race ; to bow the knee and honour 
 the fon in a thankful reception of the gracious over, 
 ture ; and, for the future, fubmit to an editl of law, that 
 he fhould give them, or they fhould receive an aggra¬ 
 vated condemnation for their abufe of grace and double 
 contempt of divine authority ; and the whole court 
 will receive honour and renown by the conflitution, 
 every way, both as to the form and operation of it; 
 and 1 can allure the court, the one we are about to fend 
 to put the conflitution into execution, is completely 
 qualified for the undertaking : and Wifdom added, let 
 a portrait of the conflitution be put on record, and lent 
 to the miferable family of criminals a fuitable time be¬ 
 fore Emmanuel’s vifit to the habitation of the rebellious 
 family; that the divinedefigns of grace may be known ; 
 that all may be ready to receive him with joy and 
 thankfgiving, or be found criminally guilty for abufe 
 ofigoednefs and grace. Wifdom faid no more to ex. 
 
[ 16 3 
 
 plain the conftitution; but fpoke to Emmanuel,who now 
 fat on a throne of glorv, to Rep forth ; accordingly he 
 did. She afked him if the conftitution was explained 
 to his fatisfafiion ; he faid, amen ; be pleafed, faid 
 Wifd om to walk back and forth before the Court ; he 
 obeyed the direction, and O ! what majefly attended 
 bis footfteps ! while beauty {hone in his countenance 
 fatrer than the children of men; ail the court fmiled 
 upon him with a rap ture that cannot be defcribed. 
 
 Approbation was given to him by all the Court, it 
 was proclaimed before him with the found ol a trum¬ 
 pet, Thou half trodden down firength ; the o ort was 
 all agreed in the conffitution. and all harm onioufly 
 agreed to have it confirmed more unalterably than the 
 Jaws of the Medes and Perftans, and fully be put into 
 execution ; every divine attribute was fe't in harmony ; 
 Mercy and 1 ruth met together ; Righteoufnefs and 
 Peace kiffed each other. 
 
 Thus, Sir, I have Rated the difference betwixt my 
 fentiments and yours, on the atonement of our falva- 
 tion ; if you Rill retain the notion that atonement was 
 made by juRice, punifhing our fins in ChyiR for fatif- 
 faflion ; I defpairof offering any thing to convi£l ycur 
 mind of thepropriety of the other points you faulted ; if 
 you receive the light of the fcriptures,and your mind is 
 fanflified from tradition, on this fubjeft of atonement, 
 it will he as eafy to demonlfrate to you the New 1 efla- 
 ment authority, for the other points you objected to, as 
 that three and two are five. 
 
 Dear Brother, 
 
 LiRen a moment to your own Ratement : I have of¬ 
 ten read in books to the grating of my mind, and heard 
 the fame in preaching often, (viz.) that ChriR has fuf- 
 fered all the punifhment that was due to frnners in their 
 room and Read ; that ChriR has died in the room and 
 Read of Tinners ; that our fins were imputed to ChriR, 
 and that he was punifhcd for them in our room and 
 Read, according to Ari£tjuRice ; that ChriR has borne 
 the burden of our fins, and differed the punifhment due * 
 iot them. 
 
 v You 
 
[ V 1 
 
 Your ftatement is, in your letter, that Chrift by bis 
 obedience and death has fatisfied divine juflice for our 
 fins • the expreflions have one fignification, and one 
 of them contains the whole ; therefore, let us look at 
 the conclufion of fuch a ffatement. and its proper fig- 
 nification which is as follows : 
 
 iff. In the method God has taken to fave finners he 
 has joined fellowfhip with finners in their wicked, 
 felfilh deceitful difpofit.'.on and conduct. 
 
 2dly. That in order to fcreen finners from fufifering 
 the punifhment of their fins according to the fentence 
 of penalty denounced in the divine law ; that he has 
 fhifted his charge again ft them of criminality ar.ddefert, 
 and has imputed it to Chriff, and has punifhed him for 
 it according to ftrift juftice to full fatisfafilion. 
 
 3dly, God has cleared the guilty and condemned the 
 innocent. 
 
 4thly. God has been falfe to his word of threatening 
 that the finner fhould die ; for Chrifl has died in the 
 room and ftead of finners, and Juftice is fatisfied, and 
 therefore the finner is in no danger of meeting with a- 
 uy difficulty for In's tranfgre{lions. 
 
 ,5thly. The felfilh, wicked heart of the finner is 
 gratified to the laft degree ; for Chrifl has borne all the 
 burden , f his fins, and fuffered all the punifhment due 
 for them, in his room and ftead. 
 
 61h 1 y. Your ffatement denies that Chrifl. made the 
 atonement, and certifies that Juftice made it in punifh¬ 
 ing Chrifl. 
 
 71 h ! y . To charge finners that they are under con¬ 
 demnation for their fins, is falfe and wicked ; for Juf- 
 tice has made fatisfaftion for them in punifhing Chrift| 
 and therefore finners are the objefcls of the divine 
 complacence. 
 
 8thly. Juftice punifhing our fins in' Chrifl, or pun¬ 
 ifhing Chrifl for our fins, til! it was fatisfied therefor, 
 it no ways wants to remove fin out of the way ; for in 
 regard of any objebt that Juftice is fatisfied for, he wants 
 no removal of it. 
 
 gthly,-Juftice is fatisfied with finners, for their fins 
 
 have 
 
r >8 ] 
 
 have been punifhed to his full fatisfaffion, and therefore 
 Juflice wants no alteration in the (inner at all. 
 
 This is the natural and plain meaning of vour ffate- 
 ment, if any form of wbrds have any fignification with 
 them; it the premifes are allowed their meaning, the 
 inferences are abfolutely certain. 
 
 But thus it is ; tradition has blinded our underfland- 
 ings, to let forth the great dodfrine of the atonement of' 
 ourfalvation in fuch a ffatement, and in fuch a point 
 of light, as caff the greateff difhonour on the divine 
 chara&er, and is the greateff reproach to the divine 
 government, and a reprefentation which every believ¬ 
 er’s foul abhors. May the Lord enlighten our under- 
 ffandings in the myfferies of the kingdom ; forgive 
 our miflakes, turn Zion’s captivity, that the watchmen 
 may fee, eye to eye, that glory may reff in the Zion of 
 God.—I remain your fincere friend and biother in the 
 gofpel. 
 
 EBENEZER BAILEY.