ment upon the other son who had been faithful; but his compassion was awakened by his penitence and the sufferings he had already brought upon himself, and while he was yet a great way off, he ran and fell on his neck and kissed him." Matt. xv. 20.

Father. The character of the parent, as represented in this parable, answers exactly to my view of the Divine character, and it corresponds entirely with the character of Jesus Christ, who was filled with the Divine perfections. But the doctrine that God cannot, or will not forgive sins without a compensation, and that man not being able to make this compensation, it was made by Jesus Christ, who was appointed, or given up to be killed for this purpose, is so inconsistent with the Divine character, that I cannot reconcile it to my feelings;-it appears to me to deprive the Deity of that infinite love, which is his most endearing attribute, and if a human parent were to act upon the same principles towards his children, we could not justify his conduct.

John. The advocates of this doctrine, say it was necessary that the infinite justice of God should be satisfied for the sin of Adam, and for our sins, and they allege, that man being finite, could not make an infinite satisfaction."

Father. But I cannot see how man who is finite, could commit an infinite offence, and if nothing less than infinite satisfaction would answer, then God mustdie to satisfy his own justice; for he is the only infinite Being. But this conclusion is too absurd to be for a moment admitted.

John. It was only the united to God, that died. Deity to die.

human nature, which was It is impossible for the

Father. If, then, it was only human nature that died, what becomes of the infinite satisfaction? It is clear to my mind, that when the sinful nature

in man is slain, by the power or word of God being raised into dominion in us, then is the Divine justice satisfied; for there is nothing vindictive in the character of the Deity. He does not afflict his creatures for any other purpose than their own reformation, and when that reformation is effected, he is always ready to pardon his repenting children. Even among men, the reformation of criminals is now considered by the humane, to be the main object of all.. the punishments inflicted upon them; and if we could be certain, in any case, that a thorough change of heart had been effected, it would be our duty to receive back the offender into society. But God can see the heart; and he not only sees it, but his spirit still strives with man, in order to reclaim him from the evil of his ways, and we have the assurance, that he takes no pleasure in the death of the sinner, but desires that he may return, repent, and live. "If the wicked will turn from all the sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die; all his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him." Ezek. xviii. 21. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John i. 9.

This is a very different view of Divine justice from that which too generally prevails in Christendom. The doctrines of imputative sin, and imputative righteousness, appear to me to be derogatory to the Divine character, and I think they must have an injurious effect upon the human mind, because they have a tendency to blind or obliterate all the distinctions of right and wrong. In the first place, this scheme, as it is called, charges upon the whole human race, even upon little children, the guilt of Adam's transgression. In the second place, it transfers all this guilt, by imputation, to Jesus Christ, the pure and spotless Son of God; and what is still more absurd, it imputes

the righteousness of Christ to all mankind who can. believe that he died as their substitute. Now, I believe that God regards every human soul without respect of persons. He sees the wicked as they are, and likewise the righteous, and his language still is, "The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." Ezek. xviii. 20. The only true ground of acceptance, is the new-birth; for when Christ's king-. dom is established within us, then his righteousness becomes ours: not by imputation, but by our becoming really "partakers of the Divine nature."

John. There are several passages in the Scriptures which appear to militate against these views, and to confirm those which I advanced, and I cannot see how they can be explained in any other way. I think Christ is often spoken of as a sacrifice offered to God; it is said, "he was once offered to bear the sins of many." "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Christ also hath once suffered, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." The prophet Isaiah says, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet did we esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our. peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all." This language must allude to Christ, for the apostle Peter quotes it and applies it to him: "Who his own self, bore our sins in his own body on the tree." 1 Peter ii. 24.

Father. It is true that the death of the Messiah is often spoken of as a sacrifice offered to God; but the same term is applied by the apostle Paul to his own expected martyrdom: for he says, "I am ready

to be offered up." 2 Tim. iv. 16. And again he says, "If I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all." Phil. ii. 17. The same kind of figurative language is still used, but no one ever thinks of taking it literally. For instance, it may be said that many of the reformers sacrificed their lives in the cause of truth; and that religious liberty has been purchased with the blood of the martyrs. We all know how to understand this language, and why may we not conclude that the Jews, used it in the same sense. It is very obvious. that Paul used it in this sense, when he spoke of himself being offered up as a sacrifice.

The other passages which speak of the Messiah bearing the sins of many, being made sin for us, suffering for the unjust, and having laid on him the iniquity of all, will admit of a very different interpretation from that which has been given to.them by the advocates of a vicarious atonement, and one that is far more consistent with the Divine character. They do not say that the sins of others were imputed to him, nor that he suffered, as a substitute, the punishment that was due to others. I take it that he bore

the sufferings which the iniquity of the Jews inflicted upon him, and these sufferings were both mental and corporeal. "He became a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." He was baptized into a state of deep sympathy and suffering for a fallen world. I have no doubt that the agony he endured in the garden, was owing to the deep sense he then had of the wickedness of man; for he said. "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." These spiritual sufferings appear to have been experienced in some degree by the apostles, when they afterwards became "baptized into Christ," and were "buried with him by baptism into death." Rom. vi. 3, 4. For Paul says to the Colossians, "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ, in my flesh, for his body's sake, which

is the church." Col. i. 24. The true ministers of the gospel must, at times, be baptized into the states of the people, in order that they may minister to their wants; for the whole church is represented as one body, and "whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it, or one member be honoured all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ," says the apostle, "and members in particular." 1 Cor. xii. 26. They who are willing thus to suffer and to labour in the cause of truth, offer up to God an acceptable sacrifice, whether it be in living to his glory, or in dying for his cause.

The prophecy of Isaiah (chap. liii.) which has been quoted, appears to have been understood in a figurative sense by the evangelist Matthew, and he has thrown much light upon the meaning of it. He says, "When the even was come they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils, and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias, the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." Matt. viii. 16, 17.

Now let us inquire how he took their infirmities, and bare their sicknesses? Assuredly not by becoming himself infirm and sick, nor by having his health imputed to them: but he "cast them out by his word," which was the "power of God and the wisdom of God." And in like manner the same Divine word, or power of God, stills bears our iniquities; not by imputation, but by healing our spiritual diseases, and casting out every evil spirit from our minds, if we have faith in him and obey his law.

With these views, I can readily subscribe to all that is said of Christ in the New Testament: for it appears that not only his spotless life, and powerful preaching, but still more the sublime example of his sufferings, were all calculated to operate upon the best