lly carrying on, called the course of nature, to the carrying on of
which God has appointed us, in various ways, to contribute. And when, in
the daily course of natural providence, it is appointed that innocent
people should suffer for the faults of the guilty, this is liable to the
very same objection as the instance we are considering. The infinitely
greater importance of that appointment of Christianity which is objected
against, does not hinder but that it may be, as it plainly is, an
appointment of the very same kind with what the world affords us daily
examples of. Nay, if there were any force at all in the objection, it
would be stronger, in one respect, against natural providence, than
against Christianity; because, under the former, we are in many cases
commanded, and even necessitated, whether we will or no, to suffer for the
faults of others, whereas the sufferings of Christ were voluntary."

Now, how very unreasonable is it in the theist, to object against
Christianity, that it represents God as having acted upon a particular
principle, i. e., as having appointed the innocent to suffer for the good
of the guilty, when we see that he has everywhere recognised and adopted
the very same principle in the government of the world? However remote
this principle may appear from the conceptions of man, it is not only
found in the volume of inspiration; it is deeply engraven by the finger of
God himself upon every page of the volume of natural providence. And to
question the divine original of revelation, because it contains such a
principle or appointment, while we admit that God created and governs the
world, is about as unreasonable as it would be to deny that a letter came
from a particular person, because it was clearly written in his
hand-writing, and bore evident traces of his peculiarities of style and
thought.

Let us view this general principle in a particular instance. This will set
it in a clear and striking light, and seem to vindicate the constitution
of the world, as well as the doctrine of the atonement. The principle of
compassion has been planted in our bosom by the finger of God. And thus
the necessity is laid upon us, by a law of our nature, to suffer on
account of the distresses which our fellow-men bring upon themselves by
their own crimes and vices; and we are impelled in various ways to undergo
inconvenience and loss, and self-denial and suffering, in order to avert
from them the consequences o