2d. That, possessing the same identical nature with man, he might be made under the law, and introduced into precisely the same legal and covenant relations sustained by those for whom he stood.
3d. That his person should possess infinite dignity, in order to give an infinite moral value to his finite sufferings.
4th. That there should be a sovereign designation upon the part of the Father, and a voluntary assumption on the part of the Son, of the position of covenanted head and legal representa- tive of his elect.
15. What is the Scriptural meaning of the phrase " to bear sin or iniquity ?" and show what light is thence thrown on the nature of the atonement.
The phrase, " to bear sin or iniquity," has a perfectly definite usage, and it signifies to bear the guilt of sin, or the penal con- sequences attached by the law to sin. — Lev. v., 1 ; x., 17 ; xvi., 22 ; xx., 20 ; Num. xviii., 22 ; Ezek. xviii., 19, 20.
Of course, this language, which is applied frequently to Christ, 20
306 CHRIST MEDIATORIAL PRIEST.
(Heb. ix., 28 ; Isa. liii., 6, 11, 12 ; 1 Pet. ii., 24,) precisely de- fines the relation of his sufferings to the penalty of the law.
16. In what sense was Christ an offering for sin ?
Both Jews and Grentiles were familiar with sacrifices for sin, and both recognized in them precisely the same transference of guilt from the offerer to the victim, and the extinguishment of that guilt by the death of the victim. This was the definite sense of the phrase universally received bv those to whom the apostle wrote.
This is plain —
1st. Because without the shedding of blood there was no re- mission, Heb. ix., 22. " For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls," Lev. xvii., 11. Life was substituted for life.
2d. The sacrifice must be spotless, Lev. hi., 1. A spotless life must be offered in place of one forfeited by the guilt of sin.
3d. The offerer laid his hands upon the victim, which act was symbolical of transfer, Lev. i., 4 ; iii., 2 ; iv., 4, 15 ; 2 Chron. xxix., 23; and confessed his sins, and his sins were laid upon the victim, Lev. xvi., 21.
All this was said to be the shadow of good things to come, while the substance is Christ. He is called " the Lamb of God," "Lamb without blemish and without spot," "his blood cleanseth from all sin," "his soul is an offering for sin," Isa. liii., 10; 1 John i., 7 ; John i., 29 ; 1 Pet. i., 19.— Hodge's Essays, p. 149 ; Fair- bairn's Typology, Vol. II., p. 221.
17. State the argument on this subject derived from those passages which ascribe our salvation to the death or blood of Christ.
See 1 Pet. i., 19 ; Kev. v., 9 ; 1 John i., 7 ; Kom. v., 9, 10 ; Heb. ix., 15 ; ii., 9, 14, 15. In these and similar passages it is taught that the "death" or "blood of Christ" " redeems us" "cleanses us from sin" "justifies us" "reconciles us to God" "delivers us from bondage" "redeems us from the curse of the law" This language can mean nothing, if the sole purpose of Christ's death was to produce a moral impression either upon the individual sinner, or upon the universe as a common subject of
NATURE OF HIS ATONEMENT. 307
divine government. But their use is appropriate, if the death of Christ really satisfies God's justice, and by satisfying the penalty of the law removes, by ending, the guilt, or legal obligations of
18. In luliat sense is Christ said to have purchased or re- deemed his church ?
Two Greek words are translated by the word redeem in our version, 1st, Xvtqocd, to release for a ransom, mid., to ransom, redeem. 2d. ^ayogd^o, to buy out of the hands of to redeem, buy off. These, of course, when applied to the work of Christ, 1 Pet. i., 18, etc., are not to be understood in the sense of a pecuniary transaction, i. e., purchase by the payment of an exact equivalent in value. But if they mean any thing they must teach that Christ has acquired a right to his church by doing and suffering that which God has demanded as the condition of its deliverance and his possession. It is expressly said that the ransom demanded was his blood, and that the condition from which his church was bought off was that of subjection to the curse of the law.
19. How can the Bible doctrine of the nature of the atone- ment be further proved from the revealed fact that Christ offered himself to God as our High Priest ?