them, could be taken away from us. Nothing less than this sacrifice could satisfy the demands of divine justice. As for " the blood of bulls and of goats, it was not possible that they should take away sin : " nor could we remove it by any offerings we could bring : rather, therefore, than we should perish for ever, Christ laid down " his own life a ransom for us.''
2. For the effecting of our peace —
God was filled with indignation against his guilty creatures : nor could he, consistently with the honour of his moral government, be reconciled to his offend- ing people, without manifesting in some way or other, his abhorrence of their evil deeds. What then should be done ? What expedient should be found for the punishing of sin, and yet saving the sinner ? Behold, the Son of God himself offers to become our substi- tute ! " On me be their curse, O my Father : let thy sword awake against me, who am thy fellow: inflict their punishment on me, and let them go free ; yea, be reconciled to them for my sake." The offer is graciously accepted ; and, agreeably to the predic- tion before us, " the chastisement of our peace was upon him ; " so that God is now reconciled to every believing penitent : he embraces the returning pro- digal in his arms, and feasts him with the richest tokens of parental affection. To this agrees the tes- timony of the great Apostle n ; and it is confirmed by the happy experience of multitudes in every age.
3. For the renovating of our nature —
As sin has incensed the wrath of God, so has it disordered all the powers of man. There is not a faculty either of body or soul, which is not filled with this dire contagion, and rendered incapable of exer- cising its proper functions to the glory of God. But the same expedient that was devised for the expiating of our guilt, and the effecting of our peace, was also the most proper for the renovating of our nature. The blood which Jesus shed upon the cross is as a balm, which heals the disorders of our souls, and restores to
» Col. i. 20—22.