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vindicated when they are obeyed , when the necessity of obedience is felt and acknowledged , when the desire of obedience springs up vi g orously in the soul , and puts all its energies and efforts into active requisition . And repentance being a sign and a characteristic of this conversion of the heart
to God , of the existence of an earnest desire in the inward man to change his old ways and habits , and to mould them into greater conformity with the Divine will , is of itself no mean homage to the authority of God ' s laws , and no slight vindication of their excellence and value . But if , by a vindication of God ' s laws , it is meant that the breach of them must , under all
circumstances , be followed by the threatened punishment , it is the same as to say , that the sin of men , though repented of and forsaken , cannot be forgiven , because the execution of the threatened punishment is not forgiveness ; and if this punishment be insisted upon , forgiveness there is none . To vindicate the honour of God ' s laws , by denying to him the propriety of bestowing forgiveness , of exercising mercy , is not to justify the ways of God to man ; it is to asperse the Divine character , to dishonour the Divine
perfections , and to perplex and confound the moral notions of men . The moral law of God is vindicated , and can be vindicated only , by insisting upon the absolute necessity of repentance and reformation before the sinner can be restored to the hope of the Divine favour and acceptance . Repentance and reformation open the only door to a consistent exercise of the mercy of God . This is the only way to reconcile his holiness and his justice with his goodness and his mercy .
If it should be said ( and Dr . Smith intimates something like it ) , that , under the old dispensation , repentance and reformation possessed the virtue and efficacy which we have now attributed to them , in consequence of the sacrifices which were then performed , and of the value which they derived from being typical of the great sacrifice to be offered up by Christ , our answer is , that there is not the smallest ground for such a supposition ; because , in the first place , sacrifices are uniformly declared to be nothing in comparison with moral actions ; secondly , because there is no proof that
the Mosaic sacrifices were typical of the sacrifice of Christ ; and , thirdly and principally , because no sacrifices were ever required or offered up for the greatest moral offences ; and y et for the greatest moral offences , repentance and reformation were declared to be the proper and only , but still sufficient , means of procuring the Divine forgiveness , of bringing man within the pale of the Divine mercy- And not only is this stated in the form of a general proposition or declaration , but it is upon this ground specifically and precisely , that David and others express their hope of obtaining pardon from God , of being favoured with the visitations of the Divine mercy . It is as
clear as noon-day that , under the old dispensation , the greatest offenders of the moral laws of God petitioned for forgiveness , looked fbr pardon , hoped for favour and acceptance on the consideration of the Divine goodness and mercy alone , combined with their own contrite and penitent spirits . And if Moses and the prophets announced the Creator as tne God that pardoneth iniquity , and retaineth not his anger for ever , Christ has revealed him to us
as our heavenly Father , kind even to the unthankful and the evil , willing to forgive us our trespasses , if we are merciful and forgiving to our fellowcreatures , and conferring upon us , of his own free-will , the gift of everlasting life . If Christ is said to be the propitiation for our sins , If he is the means by which we are recovered and reconciled to God , are brought into a state of privilege , of friendship , and communion with him , ( which is the real meaning of the word rendered propitiation or atonement , ) this
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Review . —Dr . J . P . Smith's Discounts . 551
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1828, page 551, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2563/page/39/
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