resided, and from whence he dispensed mercy to the people, as soon as ever the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled before himc." But that typical mercy-seat is accessible no more : Christ is now the true mercy-seat, where God resides, and from whence he dispenses all his favours of grace and peace. God requires, however, that we should come with the blood of our Great Sacrifice, and sprinkle it, as it were, before him, in token of our affiance in it, and as an acknowledgment, that we hope for mercy only through the blood of atonement.]
But in our contemplation of this subject, we are more particularly called upon to shew,
IT. The justice of God as displayed in it —
God had exercised " forbearance " and forgiveness towards sinners for the space of four thousand years; and was now, in the Apostle's days, dispensing pardon to thousands and to myriads. That, in so doing, God acted consistently with his own justice, the Apostle here labours to establish : he repeats it no less than thrice in the short space of our text. We shall therefore shew distinctly, how the justice of God is displayed,
1. In the appointment of Christ to be our propi- tiation—
[If God had forgiven sins without any atonement, his justice, to say the least, would have lain concealed; perhaps we may say, would have been greatly dishonoured. But when, in order to satisfy the demands of justice, God sends, not an angel or archangel, but his only dear Son, and lays on him our iniquities, and exacts of him the utmost farthing of our debt, then indeed the justice of God is " declared," yea, is exhibited in the most awful colours. The condemnation of the fallen angels was indeed a terrible display of this attribute: yet was it no proof of justice in comparison of that more con- spicuous demonstration which was given of it in the death of God's co-equal, co-eternal Son.]
2. In requiring us to believe in him as our propi- tiation—
[God wills that every one should come to " Christ " as a propitiation through faith in his blood, or, in other words, should express his dependence on that blood that satisfied divine justice. As the offender under the law, when he put his hand upon the head of his sacrifice, confessed his own desert
<• '2 Cor. v. 19. VOL. XV. C.