AN

ESSAY

ON THE

NATURE AND DESIGN

OF THE

MISSION OF THE SAVIOUR ON EARTH.

When we look around us on the broad field of nature, and contemplate the numberless beauties of the universe, we are struck with the great power and glory of God, as the Creator and Preserver of all things.

When we turn over the page of history, and reflect on the ages that are past, and more especially when we trace the various wanderings of the favored descendants of Abraham, we are still more impressed with his goodness and wisdom as the God of providence.

When we turn to the inspired volume, and behold the just and perfect nature of the law, which he has there announced to us, we are led to adore his perfect justice and holiness as the great Lawgiver,

From these sources we may deduce many of the attributes of God, and form some conception of his moral character; but there is a darkness which envelopes it, which not one ray of mercy irradiates; there is a cold gloom which hangs around it, and which is not enlivened by one spark of love.

It is only through the atonement that we can behold him as the God of mercy;-it is here that he is emphatically styled the God of love. It is only as he appears in the person of the Saviour that we dare approach unto him;-it is only here that he condescends to be called Immanuel, God with us.

Here the darkness and uncertainty through which we viewed him, are dispelled, and life and immortality are brought to light by the gospel. Here mercy and truth meet together, righteousness and peace embrace each other.

The nature and design of the wondrous scheme of redemption are beautifully and simply described to us by Jesus Christ himself, who tells us, that 'God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'

Here man is represented as perishing; for God gave his Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish; by which is evidently implied, that man, previously to his believing in the Son of God, is in a perishing condition.

We would first then consider the perishing state of mankind which called for the intercession of the love of God; and which is the state of every sinner before he believes in the Saviour.

Here we would remark, that God did not create man in this perishing condition; he brought

it upon himself. In the beginning, God created man in his own image, that is, with a moral character in conformity with his own, with a heart pure and holy, and abhorring iniquity. In this state of holiness, and at that time when man was morally able to keep the commandments of an infinitely pure and just God, his Creator, as a pledge of his attachment to himself, desired him not to eat the fruit of a certain tree in the garden in which he had placed him; and at the same time warned him, in the most solemn manner, of the consequences of his disobedience. In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.'

In defiance of this awful warning, the first of mankind put forth his hand and broke the commandment of that God who had bestowed upon him every blessing. In consequence of this transgression a state of things took place, in which every descendant of Adam has been utterly unable to keep that law which God was pleased to reveal to them. This law is of necessity in accordance with God's own character,-perfect,~ promising life to every one that abideth in all things that are written in it, to do them; and at the same time declaring, "The soul that sinneth it shall die.' Such a law is the only one which could be given by a perfect God. Man had undergone a change: he was now become unable to keep any of the commandments of the Lord; but because man had fallen, the law of God was not to be suited to his depraved capacities. Such an adaptation would have argued change in the Law-giver,-in him who knows no variableness nor shadow of turning. This law, every individual of the human race has broken times and ways without number. We all like,

lost sheep, have gone astray. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

This then was the state of our fallen race; we had all broken God's law, and were exposed to its just condemnation. A holy God could not wink at sin, nor a just God forgive iniquity,-it behoved that satisfaction should be made, or that the whole human race should be given up to endless destruction.

Such satisfaction man could not make, he could not even perform his duty, much less atone for the sins he had committed.

None of the blessed spirts before the throne could give for us the satisfaction required; they were all bound, as well as we, to render perfect obedience for themselves at every moment of their existence, and could, therefore, perform no supererogatory duty to atone for the sins of others. Since then man had sirned, since he could render no satisfaction for himself, and since no created being, however exalted, could render it for him, there was but one alternative, it was necessary that the required satisfaction should be made by the Judge himself, or that man should be consigned to endless punishment.

This is the condition alluded to in the passage we have quoted. It was when man was in this state, when he had made God his enemy by his multiplied transgressions, that that very God against whom he had offended, 'so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Yes! at that very time, when all that was dear to man seemed lost for ever, when there seemed to be no way of escape, when there was no eye to pity nor hand

to help, even then God said, 'I have found a ransom.'-His eye pitied, and his right arm wrought salvation. No sooner had man fallen from his innocence, than God declared to him that 'the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent.' This was the first of that lengthened series of prophecies regarding a future deliverer, which terminated in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was through faith in his name, as foretold in those prophecies, that the people of God were saved, who lived before his coming; it is through faith in his name, as manifested in the gospel, that more sure word of prophecy with which we are favored, that believer's are saved now; and through faith in his name also shall the elect be saved unto the latest generations. For there is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.

The design of the mission of Jesus Christ, we conceive, consists chiefly in two things:-the one is usually denominated our justification, the other, our sanctification. The first of these consists in our freedom from wrath, as the punishment due to our sins; being that part of the atonement which reconciles our forgiveness with God's justice, that through which he can be just and the justifier of the sinner who believeth in Jesus.

The second, or our sanctification, is that which fits us for enjoying eternal life in the presence of God; being that part of the scheme of redemption which reconciles our reception into favor, with God's holiness; that, through which he can be of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and yet hold communion with the most polluted sinner who believeth in Jesus.