In former times,
far more commonly than now, the sacrifice of Christ has been represented
as a substitutory offering, necessary to appease the wrath of an offended
God. It used to be said, and in some quarters it is said to-day, that
the sins of the human race had so provoked the Divine anger that it could
be appeased by nothing short of the destruction of mankind. In these
dire straits of mankind, the Sinless Son of God presented Himself as the
object on which the full vials of the Father's wrath should be outpoured.
God having been thus placated, and His wrath satisfied, such as believe
in this transaction, and rest themselves in confidence upon it, are
enabled in such wise to reap its benefits that they escape the penalty
due to their transgression, and are restored to the Divine favour.

Now this is the crudest representation of a certain popular theology of
the Atonement. With some of its features softened down, it is by no
means without its adherents and exponents at the present day. But when
its drift is clearly understood, it is seen to be a doctrine which no
educated man of our time can accept. We may consider four fatal
objections to it.

(_a_) It is true that there is such a thing as "the wrath of God." It is
not only a fact, but one of the most tremendous facts in the universe. It
is a fact as high as the Divine purity, as deep as the malignity and
foulness of sin, as broad as all human experience. It is impossible to
construct a theistic theory of the world which shall leave it out. The
nature of the fact we shall investigate at a later point. But we can say
this at once. It cannot be such a fact as is represented by the theory
under review. For that represents the wrath of God as a mere thirst for
vengeance, a burning desire to inflict punishment, a rage that can only
be satisfied by pain, and blood, and death. In other words, we are
driven to a conception of God which is profoundly immoral, and
revoltingly pagan. If we are rightly interested in missions to the
heathen, are there to be no attempts to convert our fellow-Christians
whose conception of God scarcely rises above the heathen one of a cruel
and sanguinary deity? Not such, at least, is the New Testament doctrine
of Him Who is God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(_b_) There is no moral quality which we esteem higher than justice.
Fairness, equity, straight dealing are attributes for which all men
entertain a hearty and u