Arminian Magazine, For JUNE 1796. REASONS FOR METHODIS M. MAN ON THE ATONEMENT. AN having broken God's law, and in confequence incurred the divine difpleasure, muft have been for ever at enmity with God, and the child of wrath, had not conciliatory means been adopted, and a facrifice made to avert the judgments of an offended Deity. No lefs a facrifice than that made by the Son of God himself, could be effectual to this purpose. Nothing less than the manifeftation of Chrift in the flesh, and his dying the most ignominious of deaths, could reconcile God to man. Chrift who was the LORD OVER ALL, and co-eternal with the Father, left the manfions of glory, came down upon earth, affumed the image of man, bore our infirmities, and though without fin, offered himself up as a fatisfaction for the fins of the whole world. He died that we might live; by his blood he has atoned for our fins, and thro' his righteoufnefs we may become heirs of falvation.. Now the juftice of God requires the punishment of evil doers: for though by repentance we might forfake fin and lead upright lives in future, ftill this is no compenfation for the crimes already committed. Thefe at least would rife up in judgment against us. Befides, God's law is fo holy and perfect, that, he that offends but in one point is guilty of all:" And in another place we read, that "Curfed is every one who continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law, to do them." So that even could our reformation atone for the evil of our paft life, we should ftill from the depravity of our nature, fail of attaining that perfection which God's law requires, to render us justified in his fight. Jefus Chrift, in giving himself up as an atonement for the tranfgreffions of the world, performed the whole law; "He came not, we are told, to deftroy the law or the Prophets, but to fulfil them," Mat. v. 17, 18. He was made under the law, to redeem those that were under the law, and he hath, as became him, fulfilled all Righteoufnefs. He is called in Scripture, the LAMB OF GOD, which taketh away the fins of the world; a Lamb without blemish and without fpot. "He who knew no fin, was made a fin offering for us, that we might be made the righteous people of God through him." But not only this, but "Chrift died for our VOL XIX. June, 1796. fins ; fins; he rofe again for our juftification; and is now interceding for us at the right hand of God the father." "We are bought, fays St. Paul, with a price, 1 Cor. vi. 20. "Chrift our passover is facrificed for us," 1 Cor. v. 7. "He gave himfelf a ransom for ALL; 1 Tim. ii. 6. "He became obedient unto death, even the death of the crofs," Phil. ii. 8.." Hereby we perceive the Love of God, because he laid down his life for us,' 1 John iii. 16. "When we were yet without ftrength, in due time, Chrift died for the ungodly. While we were yet finners, he died for us, that he might deliver us from this prefent evil World." "Chrift hath fuffered for fins, the juft for the unjuft, that he might bring us to God. Surely, he hath born our griefs, and carried away our forTOWS. He was wounded for our tranfgreffions, he was bruifed for our iniquities, that by his ftripes we might be healed. Who, his own felf, bare our fins in his own body, on the tree, that we being dead to fin, fhould live unto righteousness." "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us ALL." "Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curfe for us, that he might reconcile us unto God, by the cross." hath washed us from our fins, in his own blood. He gave himfelf for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. He is the propitiation for the fins of the WHOLE World. He died for all, that they, which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them. He hath redeemned us unto God, by his blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." "He This JESUS, being the Captain of our Salvation, and having tafled Death for every man, was made perfect, through fufferings; that, through Death, he might defroy him that had the power of Death, that is, the Devil; and deliver them, who, through fear of Death, were all their life-time fubject to bondage." "He laid down his life, of himself, and no man took it from him.. And, hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his Life for us." 66 CHRIST rofe for our JUSTIFICATION. The fame Chrift, who died for our fins, was buried, and rofe again the third Day, according to the Scriptures; being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the Spirit." 66 God raised him up, and fhewed him openly unto Witneffes chofen before of God; who faid none other things, than thofe which the prophets, and Mofes did fay, fhould come, that Chrift fhould fuffer, and that he fhould be the first that fhould rife from the dead." "As he had power to lay down his own life; fo he had power to take it again. Chrift, being raifed from the dead, dieth no more; 66 Death hath no more dominion over him." "If Chrift be not rifen, then is there no refurrection of the Dead; then is the preaching preaching of the Apoftles vain, and our Faith is vain; we are yet in our Sins: But now is Christ risen from the dead, that we also fhould walk in newness of life." "For that he died, he died unto Sin once; but, in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewife, let us reckon ourselves alfo to be dead unto fin, but alive unto God, through Jefus Chrift our Lord.” CHRIST liveth to make INTERCESSION for us. 66 "He, being received up into glory, and fet at the Right Hand of God, in heavenly places, maketh interceffion for us." "He bare the fin of many, and maketh interceffion for the tranfgref fors." If any man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the Righteous; who, being made an High Prieft for ever, and having an unchangeable Priesthood, is able to fave them to the uttermoft, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them." "Their Redeemer is strong; he fhall thoroughly plead their caufe." We hereby understand how Chrift may be said to atone for the fins of the world. 3. 1. He performed the whole law. 2dly. He died for our offences. He role again for our juftification. 4. He now liveth to make interceffion for us at the right hand of God; fo that although in Adam all have died, in Chrift fhall all be made alive. But then fomething is requifite on our parts to render Chrift's atonement effectual to our falvation. This leads me, in the third place, to the doctrine of juftification by faith. Under this head, let us confider firft, what kind of faith that is by which we are juftified: Secondly, how it is to be obtained; Thirdly, what is the nature of that juftification which is wrought for us by faith. 1. It is not a verbal, or outward profeffion of belief, which can juftify us in the fight of God. Neither is it fufficient that we believe that God is infinitely good, juft, wife, and powerful. The Devils believe this and tremble. When we fpeak of these attributes of the Deity, we must refer them to fome object. When we adore him for his juftice, we must bear in our minds, at the fame time, that we had juftly merited his avenging rod, by our wilful disobedience of his laws: And when we praife him, for his goodness, we fhould recollect, and gratefully acknowledge, his unfpeakable love in fending his Son to fuffer in our ftead, and accepting his mediation as an atonement for the fins of the world. Again, it is not enough that we believe this in our hearts; we' muft prove the reality of our faith by our conduct. The tree, we are told, is known by its Fruits, Mat. vii. 20. "Faith without works is dead," James ii. 17. It is to no purpofe, that we name the Name of Chrift, except we depart from all iniquity, 2. Tim. ii. 19: "What doth it profit, fays St. James, though a man fay he hath faith, and have not works? Was not Abraham our father 2 N a justified juftified by works, when he had offered Ifaac his fon, upon the altar. Seeft thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? For as the body without the spirit is dead, fo faith without works is dead alfo, Jam. ii. 14, 21, 26. “By this fhall all men know that ye are my difciples, if ye have love one for another: If ye love me, fays our Saviour, keep my com mandments," John xiv. 15. In ftrictness, neither our Faith nor our Works juftify us. But God himself juftifies us, of his own mercy, through the merits of his Son only. Nevertheless, because by faith we embrace' the promife of God's mercy, and of the remiffion of our fins, therefore the Scripture fays, That faith does justify; yea, faith without works. And because we receive Faith, through the merits of Chrift, and not through the merit of any virtue we have, or work we do; therefore in that respect we renounce, as it werè, again, Faith, Works, and all other virtues. For our corruption through original Sin is fo great, that all our faith, charity, words, and works, cannot merit or deferve any part of our juftification for us. And therefore we thus fpeak, humbling ourselves before God, and giving Chrift all the glory of our juftification."* 66 The Secondly. How is this faith to be obtained? We must remem ber that faith is the gift of God, Eph. ii. 8. It is not requifite that we should be fcholars, poffeffed of great abilities natural or acquired, or previously acquainted with all the external evidences of Christianity, to enable us to receive it. By no means. moft likely method, is by prayer, and fupplication; by divesting ourfelves of worldly wifdom, and having in our minds a firm per. fuafion that we shall obtain our requests. God will be intreated; and the encouragements for finners to come to him are numerous, and inviting. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy Jaden, and I will give you reft," Mat. xi. 28. For every one that afketh receiveth; and he that feeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it fhall be opened. If a fon fhall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a ftone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a ferpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children; how much more fhall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that afk him ? Luke xi. 10, 11. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, whatfoever ye fhall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you, Hitherto have ye afked nothing in my name: afk, and ye fhall receive that your joy may be full;" John xvi, 23, 24. 66 We must diveft ourselves of worldly wifdom. This has a tendency to raise us in our own eftimation, to make us vain of our own abilities, and confident in our own ftrength, As fuch it is a great hindrance to our juftification by faith. "Profeffing ourselves to be wife, we become fools," Rom, i. 22. "For it is written, I will deftroy the wifdom of the wife, and I will bring to nothing * See Mr. Welley's Sermon on Salvation by faith the |