The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

1. Their insufficiency to expiate Sin appears, if we consider the subject; Sin is to be expiated in the same nature wherein 'twas committed; now the Beasts are of an inferior rank, and have no communion with Man in his nature: Or, if we consider the object, God was provoked by Sin, and He is a Spirit,¹ and not to be appeased by gross material things: His Wisdom requires that a rational Sacrifice should expiate the guilt of a rational Creature: And Justice is not satisfied without a proportion between the Guilt and the Punishment. This weakness and insufficiency of the Legal Sacrifices to expiate Sin, is evident from their variety and repetition: For if full Remission had been obtained, The worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sin. 'Tis the sense of Guilt,² and the fear of Condemnation that required the renewing of the Sacrifice. Now under the Law, the Ministry of the Priests never came to a period or perfection. The Millions of Sacrifices in all Ages, from the erecting ⟨p. 266⟩the Tabernacle to the coming of Christ, had not virtue to expiate one Sin. They were only shadows which could give no refreshment to the inflamed Conscience, but as they depended on Christ, the body and substance of them. But the Son of God, who offered himself up by the Eternal Spirit to the Father, is a Sacrifice not only Intelligent and Reasonable, but incomparably more precious than the most noble Creatures in Earth or in Heaven it self. He was Priest and Sacrifice in respect of both His Natures, His entire Person was the Offerer and Offering: Therefore the Apostle from the excellency of his Sacrifice, infers the unity of its Oblation, and from thence concludes its Efficacy. Christ did not by the Blood of Bulls and Goats, but by his own Blood He entered in once to the Holy Place, having obtained eternal Redemption for us: ³and by one Offering He hath for ever perfected them who are sanctified. Upon this account God promised in the New-Covenant, That their Sins and Iniquities He would remember no more, having received complete satisfaction by the Sufferings of his Son. 'Tis now said that once in the end of the world hath he appeared,