ther?* Sin has placed God and man apart from one another; all harmony between them has been broken up; and those who once dwelt together in perfect concord have been separated and disjoined. What Christ has done has had the effect of reconciling the parties of restoring them to a state of one-ness with each other. The Deity is at-oned ; God is brought to be at-one with his people; the work of the Redeemer is a proper at-one-ment. 'We joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the AT-ONE-MENT.'

RECONCILIATION.-This term occurs in both the Old and New Testaments several times. But it is generally, if not always, used as a translation of the original words above explained. Indeed, as has already been remarked, it is quite synonymous with the term atonement, involving the same ideas and serving the same purposes. It supposes bringing into a state of good agreement parties who have had cause to be at variance, as is the case with God and his sinful creature man. It may farther be understood to express the effecting of harmony between two seemingly incompatible principles in the character and government of the the great legislator-equity and sovereignty, justice and grace.

REDEMPTION. (17)—aroλurgwois. )—This term is borrowed from certain pecuniary transactions among men, as the release of an imprisoned debtor by liquidating his debt, or the deliverance of a captive by paying a ransom. These are transactions with

́which mankind in general, and especially the Jews and primitive Christians, have been perfectly familiar. Accordingly, both in the Hebrew and Greek scriptures, the deliverance of man from sin is frequently represented by language borrowed from such negotiations. The term before us is of this nature. It involves all the ideas included in atonement. It supposes sin, which is the cause of imprisonment or captivity. It supposes deliverance by a substitute, the captive or debtor being unable to effect his own escape. And, of course, it supposes also a clear emancipation or restoration as the result of the ransom being paid. The Son of man came to give his life a ransom (λurgov) for many.' 'Ye were not redeemed (ɛλurgwonrɛ) with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ."*

PROPITIATION. (ἱλαστήριον, ἵλασμος.)-In the three cases in which this term occurs in the New Testament (which are the only cases in the scripturès), it is applied to him by whom atonement is effected.† It is the same word which the Seventy employ to translate atonement. The cover of the ark, or mercy-seat, is called by them iλadangiov. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews makes the same use of it. The verb (arxw) from which it is derived, signifies to turn away wrath, to appease anger, to do whatever may give the judicial authority a valid reason for pardoning an offender. It supposes, of course, an offence, and the turning away of the

offence-two ideas which, we have seen, are involved in the doctrine of atonement; while the use that is made of it in scripture connects it inseparably with sacrifice as the means by which the offence is taken away.

SATISFACTION.-Though not found in scripture, this term is of frequent use in connexion with the subject under discussion. From certain misconceptions regarding its import, the grossest prejudices have been raised against its use. It properly denotes, that the sufferings borne by Christ were not the identical punishment required by the law, but a proper equivalent with which the great moral Governor was pleased to be satisfied in its place. What Christ endured was not the precise penalty of the law, but something equally satisfactory, serving the same purpose, as far as the rectoral honour of God is concerned. By satisfaction,' says an accurate and learned theologian of the present day, we mean, such act or acts as shall accomplish all the moral purposes which to the infinite wisdom of God, appear fit and necessary under a system of rectoral holiness, and which must otherwise have been accomplished by the exercise of retributive justice upon transgressors in their own persons......... If the work of Christ have that excellency and merit, which the unerring justice of heaven has seen to be an actual doing of that which was requisite to compensate for the injury perpetrated, and to restore the moral harmony which had been violated, it may with the utmost propriety be called a satisfaction. The theological use of the word was probably introduced from the

Roman law. Tertullian, who was well acquainted with that science, says, Christus peccata hominum omni satisfactionis habitu expiavit: which may be, I conceive, justly translated, 'Christ atoned for the sins of men by a satisfaction perfect in every respect.' He clearly shows his understanding of the term, when he says that our Lord, by healing the wound of Malchus, repaired the injury.* It is scarcely necessary to add, that this term involves all the requisite ideas of our doctrine-sin, substitution, and pardon.

SUBSTITUTION.-Neither is this term to be found in the Bible, though in common use, and of great moment. The doctrine supposes, as has been said, that Christ takes the place of offending sinners, bearing their guilt, and suffering their punishment. As surety for men, he voluntarily places himself in their situation, as violators of God's holy, just, and good law; he holds himself responsible for all their guilt; and bares his bosom to the full award of the threatened penalty due to them for sin. He substitutes himself in their stead, not merely in regard to punishment, but in respect of obligation to punishment. Christ submitted not only to be treated as a sin-offering, but to be made sin for us. He not only bare our griefs, and carried our sorrows,' but he 'bare the sin of many.' While his holy soul was free from all the moral contamination connected with a state of guilt; while personal guilt never could be charged upon him; he, nevertheless, behooved to have

* Dr. Pye Smith's Discourses on Sacrifice, &c., pp. 287, 288.

imputed to him the guilt for which he was to make atonement. This was necessary that his sufferings might partake of the nature of a punishment. Suffering, disconnected from guilt, is calamity or affliction, not punishment; to punishment, guilt is indispensably requisite. Christ had no guilt of his own; he was incapable, indeed, of contracting it; but the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all.'

VICARIOUS. This word, as its Latin derivation imports, has the same meaning as that just explained. It signifies performing the functions, or standing in the place of another.

EXPIATION. The annulling of guilt, or taking away of sin by some meritorious interposition, is the distinctive idea suggested by this term. Though not found in the Scriptures, no word is of more frequent use, or of greater significance, in connexion with the subject of our present inquiry.

Such, then, are the principal terms, scriptural and technical, which are in use on the subject now under review. It is of great importance that they be rightly understood, so that specific and distinctive ideas be attached to them respectively. In theology, as in other departments of science, we are in danger from that common law by which words and phrases in constant use come to be dissevered from the notions they are designed to represent. This gravitation,' as has been happily remarked by a powerful anonymous writer, which brings the heavier substance (knowledge) down, as a residuum, and leaves the lighter (lan