The extent of the atonement

Front matter

ee

EVANGELICAL UNION DOCTRINAL SERIES.

Previous Volumes of the Series, Price 28. Gd. each.

Chapter I

Direct ScrireTURE EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF THE UNIVERSALITY OF TUE ATONEMENT,

CHAPTER IL.

INDIRECT SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE ATONE- MENT, - “ - = “ ~

Chapter III. Answers To The Objections Tiiat Are

USUALLY ALLEGED AGAINST THE UNIVER- SALITY OF THE ATONEMENT, - - -

CHAPTER LV.

ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE UNIVER- SALITY OF THE ATONEMENT, - - 2

APPENDIX, - - . - 2 : ;

PAGE

THE

EXTENT OF THE ATONEMENT.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

In another treatise“ I have considered the nature of the propitiation which Jesus finished on Calvary for sinners. After having shown that it is not to be confounded with such of its consequences as pardon, justification, redemption, and reconciliation; or to be regarded as the payment of the sinner’s debt; I proceeded to define it to be that ‘‘ expedient introduced into the divine moral government, consisting of the obedience unto death of Jesus Christ, which has completely removed all the obstacles standing between sinners and salvation, except the obstacles within them.” These obstacles within sinners may be considered as summed up in un- BELIEF, which is now, therefore, the only barrier between human sinners and the enjoyment of pardon, justification, redemption, and reconciliation.

The subject which I am now to bring before my reader is one of matchless moment, and “of the most thrilling interest. It is this :—Has Jesus so died for ws as to have in reality removed all yong mes ome ~~ ee ee eee s+ — —

"S005. The Nature of the Propitiation; or, the question, What is the Atonement? answered,”

ee legal obstacles standing between owr souls and salvation? Is Jesus a propitiation for owr sins} Was his blood shed for ws? Was there as much done for vow and me on Calvary as for Isaiah and Daniel, Peter and Paul? Did Jesus accomplish nothing on Calvary which was not for ws? This is the question ; and surely it must be admitted to be the most momentous which could be proposed. If the Bible say “no” to it, how awful must be the perplexity into which we shall be plunged ! If the Bible say “yes” to it, how “ unspeakable ” is “the love of God,” how “joyful” is “the sound” of salvation! For my own part, I have no doubt whatsoever about the Bible’s answer. It appears to me to be written so plainly, that he that runs may read it; and my only wonder is, that any one should have so truly read the Bible backward, as to have substituted “no” for “yes.” As long as you doubt, or positively disbelieve this—“ the truth of the gospel,’—you cannot “ comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and know the love of God, which passeth knowledge.” Eph. iii. 18, 19. If you are ignorant of this measureless love of God to You, you are ignorant of God’s true character. If you are ignorant of God’s true character, you cannot love him, If you cannot love him, you cannot yourself put on ‘whatsoever things are lovely,” and be adorned with the “beauties of holiness.” God needs only to be known, to be loved; and when God is loved, the ‘ lover” (2 Tim. it. 4) is made like him, in some faint degree, in loveliness and love.

The saving TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL, which you are called to believe, ts, that God so loved you, that he

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. yl

—— LE ALLL LE A gave his own dear Son Jesus Christ to die for you, as un atonement for all gour sins.

It is not enough for you to believe that there is a real SUFFICIENCY in the atonement for your salvation, provided God may have happened to have intended it for you ; a real sufliciency, merely in the same sense that there is a sufficiency in its merit “for the salvation of ten thousand worlds, if God had so intended it.” Such a mere intrinsic sulliciency, arising from the infinite value imparted to the finished work by the divinity of the sufferer would still leave the propitiation of no avail to you, if it were not intentionally made for you. If God did not design the propitiation to be a propitiation for your sins; then, though truly infinite in its value, it must really be insuflicient for your salvation; for it has left your sins unexpiated ; it has left unremoved the legal barriers standing between you and the enjoyment of God’s pardoning favour. If these barriers were not removed on Calvary, they never will ; and if they be left still standing, it will be impossible for you to be saved. If you were in debt to some person, and if an immense sum of money were paid to that person by some third person, the payment would be of no avail to you, and the news about it would be no glad tidings to you, calculated to fill your heart with overflowing gratitude to the individual who paid it, unless tt were expressly paid for you. In like manner, the gospel would be no good news to you, if it merely told you that there is an immensity of value in Christ’s work, amply sufficient to cover all the sins of all sinners, while it left you uncertain whether or not this all-suflicient propitiation were made ex-

—_—_—— --——

12 EXTENT OF THE ATONEMENT. pressly for you. It is something more, then, than the mere intrinsic sufficiency of the propitiation that you are to believe, in order that you may be saved. ‘‘ He is much deceived,” says the good and great Archbishop Usher, “that thinks a preaching of a bare sufficiency is able to yield suflicient ground of comfort to a distressed soul, without giving a farther way to it, and opening a farther passage.”* That it is true that Christ loved you and gave himself for you, I intend now to prove to you at length from the ever-blessed book of God. What I want to make clear is this,—that Jesus did as much for you on Calvary, as he did for any other, say for Paul or for Peter, for Calvin or for Luther. ALL THAT HE DID ON CALVARY HE DID FOR YOU. What a glorious and God-glorifying doctrine, if true! I pray that the Spirit of wisdom and love may rest upon me, to keep my heart “ dove-like,” and to make my pen as that of “a ready writer,” whilst I try to unfold this glorious evangel, into which the blessed angels “ desire to look.”

—_

* See ‘The Judgment of the late Archbishop of Armagh on the Extent of Christ’s Death and Satisfaction,” p. 28, The insufficiency of the mere intrinsic sufficiency of the propitiation, is very ably exhibited in the 4th chapter of Bishop Davenant’s ‘‘ Dissertatio de morte Christi.” The Bishop was one of the most respected and learned men of his age. He was one of the five English deputies to the famous Synod of Dort. His celebrated “* Dissertatio de morte Christi” was published after his death, in 1650. On the insufficiency of the mere sufficiency, see also some . excellent remarks in Fraser’s ‘‘ Appendix concerning Christ’s death,” pp. 162-165. FRASER 1s called by T. Boston, ‘‘that holy and learned man Brea.” Boston's Memoirs, p. 40.

_ --—- - ———_ —--= -

Chapter I

DIRECT SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE ATONEMENT.

Wat I mean by direct Scripture evidence, is, the evidence arising from those unequivocal passages of Scripture, in which every reader of the Bible is explicitly taught that Jesus Christ died for him.

SECTION 1. The first passage to which I wonld refer is 1 Tim. ii. 1-6 :—“T exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority ; that we may lead ii quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Tor this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour ; Wi0 WILL HAVE ALL MEN TO BE SAVED, AND TO COME UNTO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and MEN, the man Christ Jesus; WHO GAVE HIMSELF A RANSOM FOR ALL, to be testified in due time.” In this passage the apostle exhorts Timothy and the Christians under his charge to pray for “all men;”* and as he wishes their prayers to be a reasonable service, he gives them a reason why they were to pray for no fewer than “all men.” The reason is this: “Go

* “Paul commands the Ephesians to embrace in their prayers all mortals (omnes mortales), and not to restrict them to the members of the church.” ‘‘ He commands to pray, not only for believers, but for the whole human race ” ( pro.universo genere humano ). --Calvin, Com. ad loc.

wills all amen to be saved.” If God had merely willed some men to be saved, there might have been some excuse for Christians praying only for some men; but if God really “ wills all men to be saved,” it must surely have been wrong in Timothy’s disciples to have excluded any from the benefit of their prayers.

Some, however, might have been disposed to object to the apostle’s assertion, that God does “will all men to be saved;” and therefore the apostle leads evidence, and gives proof from fact that it is true that he does. The proof is this: ‘For there is one God and one Mediator between God and MEN, the man Christ Jesus, WHO GAVi: HIMSELF A RANSOM FOR ALL.”

It is to be observed that the apostle takes it fur granted, as a Christian postulate, as an acknowledged and undoubted reality, that “Christ gave himself a ransom for all ;” and he reasons from the acknowledged truth, Lo prove the sincerity of God's will, “ that all men should be saved,” and the extent of man’s duty in praying for no fewer than “all” men. It never seems to have occurred to the apostle’s mind, that any would be disposed to call in question the universality of the ransom. He assumes it as a first principle in the Christian ° scheme, and proceeds to prove by it the universality of God's will in reference to the salvation of men, and the universality of the Christian's duty in reference to prayer for the unconverted. This first principle which he assumes, is the truth that is to be everywhere “ testified in duc time.” It is the gospel testimony, “ the record which God has given concerning his Son.” It is the “testimony” which ig to be believed that sinners may be saved,—the good news that are “ to be testified,” that all men may “come to the knowledge of the truth.”

There are some, however, who attempt to nullify this assertion of the universality of the ransom of Christ, by maintaining that the “all” for whom he gave himself a ransom, does not mean “all men without exception,” but only “all men without distinction "—all classes and descriptions of men. “We are exhorted,” says Dr. Symington, “ to pray for men of all ranks and descriptions ; for it is God’s will that men of all ranks and descriptions should be saved ; and of this we have sufficient evidence in Christ’s having given himself a ransom for all ranks and conditions of men. Such is plainly the connection of the various clauses in this chapter, and how far is it, in this view, from giving any support to the doctrine of indefinite atonement!”* The same reason is employed by Elisha Coles,t Hurrion,{ and many others; but it seems to be exceedingly far from invalidating the doctrine of the universality of the ransom, ‘This, it is apprehended, will be rendered evident by the following considerations :—

Even though it were to be admitted that it is not “all men without exception,” but only all ranks and descriptions of men, there would, notwithstanding, be a principle implied in the apostle’s reasoning which would necessarily involve the doctrine of the universality of the ransom. The apostle founds the dutifulness of praying for “all men” upon the co-extensive width of God’s will in

* **On the Atonement,” p. 291. + ‘fA practical Discourse of God’s Sovereignty,” &c., p. 148, ed. 1835. ae aie Doctrine of Particular Redemption.” Sermon rird, reference to their salvation, and of Christ's ransom for their souls. It is right to pray for “all men,” because God wills the same “all men” to be saved; and it is evident that God wills all men to be saved, because, and only because, Christ gave himself a ransom for the same aLL. ‘The compass of our prayers is to be determined, then, by the extent of God’s will and Christ’s ransom. It cannot be right to pray for any whom God does not will to be saved, and God wills none to be saved for whom Christ did not give himself a ransom. Hence it is not right to pray for devils, because we have no evidence that God wills them to be saved, or that Christ gave himself a ransom for them. Hence, also, if it be right and not wrong to pray for any and every man without exception; this must be right, because, and only because, it is true that God “wills all men to be saved,” and Christ ‘gave himself a ransom for all.” Now, it will surely be readily admitted, that it is not wrong to pray for all men without exception. There is certainly no man on earth who can be singled out as one for whom Christians ought not to pray; and if there be no such man, then there is no man whom God does not will to be saved ; and if there be no such man, then there is no man for whom Christ did not give himself a ransom, The apostle’s argument necessarily implies that the compass of our prayers is to be limited, and limited only, by the extent of God’s will and Christ’s ransom ; and as it 1s our duty to pray for all men without exception,* it must therefore be true that Christ gave himself a ransom for them all.

* See Note A.

DIRECT SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE. i7

‘The universality of Christ’s ransom is not only thus deducible from the admitted fact, that it is the duty of Christians to pray for all men without exception ; it is also deducible from the fact, that God does “will all men without exception to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The reality of this gracious will of God will assuredly be controverted by none. We are explicitly told that “as the Lord liveth, he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but (would rather) that the wicked turn from his evil ways and live.” Ezek. xxxiii. 11. God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Pet. iii. 9. Jesus would fondly have gathered the self-excommunicating Jews together, “as a hen gathereth her chickens together, but they would not.” Matt. xxiii. 37. And God is assuredly sincere when he invites, exhorts, commands, and beseeches all men everywhere to “ repent,” Acts xvii. 30, and ‘be reconciled unto him,” 2 Cor. v. 20, and “ believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John iii, 23.* If it be true, then, that God does really wish all men without exception to be saved, it must also be true that Christ gave himself a ransom for the same all. If there be some men for whom Christ made no propitiation, then it cannot be true that God wills them to be saved, and is not willing that they should perish. The evidence of his will that all ranks and descriptions of men should be saved, is admitted to be found in the fact, that Christ gave himself a ransom for all ranks and descriptions of men; and one would think that it as naturally

See Note B.

and necessarily follows, that the only decisive evilence of God’s will that no man should perish is to he found in the fact, that there is no man for whom Christ did not give himself a ransom.*

Ut is furthermore worthy of notice, that it is not the abstract ranks, oflices, and descriptions of men for which Christians are to pray, and which God wills to be saved, and in the room of which Christ gave himself a ransom. It is the “men” in these ranks, oflices, and relationships. Are we to suppose, then, that it is only some of the men in the various ranks, offices, and relationships, that are to be prayed for, or is it all of them? If it be said that it is only some, then how are we to find out the particular individuals? How are we to find out those others that must not be prayed for? How, moreover, are we to account for the apostle’s expression, “for kings, and for atu that are in authority”? If it be admitted that it is for ALL in the various ranks, offices, and descriptions, then we will effectually make out the most perfect totality, and prove that it is “all men without exception” who are to be prayed for, and that it is therefore all men without exception whom God wills to be saved, and for whom Christ gave himself a ransom.

It is also not unworthy of observation, that it must have been the rulers existing at the time that the apostle wrote the epistle, who were especially

* “Having said that he wills all men to be saved, he proves it, and says, that on this account he sent his own Son as a mediator, that he might reconcile them to himself. Why then are not all saved? Because they will not.” Theophylact, Com. ad loc. See also a striking observation of Chrysostom in his ‘‘ Homilies” on the passage, where he says, that the reason why all men are not saved is, that ‘‘ they will not, but God hath done his part.”

contemplated by him when he commands Christians to pray “for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority.” The rulers then existing were generally persccutors, and most abandoned in their principles and characters. It is probable that on this account some of the primitive Christians may have felt an antipathy to pray for long life and he prosperity to them. In thus praying for them, they might scem to themselves to be praying for a

continuance of their own scourge. It was probably because of some such antipathy as this that the apostle, after enjoining prayers for ‘all men,”

descends to particular classes, and singles out “kings, and all that are in authority,” as persons that were to be made the subjects of prayer. ‘The Christians to whom Timothy ministered were enjoined, then, to pray for the rulers then existing ; and they were enjoined thus to pray, because God willed the rulers then existing “to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth ;” and, as evidence that he did sincerely will the rulers then existing “to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” it is stated that “Christ gave himself a ransom for them all.” It is true, then, | that Christ gave himself a ransom for the rulers then existing in the Roman empire; and yet none will suppose that the majority of these rulers were ultimately converted, and saved by coming to the “knowledge of the truth.” Is there evidence that any of them were? It will be admitted that Nero was the principal ruler then existing, ‘“ the king,” or emperor, contemplated by the apostle in the passage before us.* Now Nero lived and died a ie

_—_-

“Whether it be supposed that the first epistle to Timothy was written about a. p. 56, as Lardner thinks;

Tr disgrace to human nature, He was the personified aggregate of all that is savage, disgusting, wicked, and base. Yet it was for this Nero that ‘Christians were enjoined to pray; and to pray because God willed even this Nero to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and because FOR EVEN THIS NERo DID CHRIST GIVE HIMSELF A RANSOM. O how evident is it that ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, to give himself a ransom for ALL!” Reader, God loved you and Nero! Jesus gave himself a ransom for Nero and for you. You are but Nero in miniature, and under restraint ; see that you do no not, Nero-like, despise the “riches of grace,” and thus be also Nero-like in your doom!

SECTION 2, The next passage to which I would direct your attention, is 1 Cor. xv. 1-4.‘ Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you THE GOSPEL, which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; hy which, also, ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain; for I delivered unto you FIRST OF ALL that which I also received, how that CiRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS, according to the Scriptures ; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures.” You will observe that the apostle sets out in this passage by declaring unto the Coror A. D. 58, as Grotins, Lightfoot, Benson, Michaelis, and Hug think; or A. p. 65, as Pearson, Le Clerc, Mill, and Rosenmiiller think ; or A. p. 64, as Whitby, Macknight, Paley, and Tomline think ; it is absolutely certain that it was written during the reign of Nero, who ascended the throne A. D. 54, and died A. D. 68.

Hig dé inthians THE GosrEL. Here, then, we may expect to find out the true onsect of saving faith, All will admit that it is Tue GosPEL which is THE OB- JEcT of saving faith ; and in this place the apostle professedly explains to the Corinthians what THE GOSPEL is. What then is it? Were we to consult human authors to find out what it is, we should be perplexed and confounded by an almost endless variety and diversity of opinions. It is amazing to find such a conflict of views concerning such a simple subject as the gospel. It is more than amazing ; it is melancholy and heart-rending. We find the apostle’s definition of it is passed by as apparently unworthy of notice, and others proposed in its room. What is it that ails people at the divine explanation of “the gospel of the grace of God”!

What, then, is the explanation of the gospel here given by Paul, the Holy Ghost’s amanuensis? It is this: ‘ Christ dicd for our sins, according to the Scriptures,” &c. This, then, is THE GOSPEL, “ the truth as it is in Jesus.” Seeing this is the case, it must be of paramount importance to ascertain who were the persons referred to by the apostle in the word “our.” Were they the believing or the unbelieving Corinthians? That is the question. Is it said by any that it was the believing Corinthians alone who were meant? This cannot be the case ; for though it was true indeed that Christ did die for them, none, surely, will say that this truth is THE GOSPEL,—the good news which are to be preached “to every creature.” Am I preaching THE GOSPEL when I rise up in an assembly and say, “Christ died for your sins, O ye believers”! Nay, this cannot be regarded as glad tidings “ to every creature.”

bho ya EXTENT OF THE ATONEMENT.

jut T go farther, and say, that it is quite impos-

sible to bri ing a consistent meaning out of the pas-

sage, if we confine the word our to the believing Corinthians. This will be evident if you consider that this gospel—‘“ Christ died for our sins”’—was what Paul preached unto them before “ they received it, and were saved by it.” “I declare unto you,” says he, ‘the gospel which I preached unto you, WIIICH ALSO YE IIAVE RECEIVED, BY WHICH ALSO YE ARE SAVED.” Paul preached this gospel—“ Christ died for ouR sins;” and the heathen Corinthians “yeceived it” or “believed it ;” and because they believed it, “they were saved by it.” They were saved by believing Paul when he stood up in the midst of them and proclaimed—*“ Christ died for. OUR sins, according to the Scriptures.”

As if to obviate every possible difficulty in the way of understanding this passage, the apostle proceeds, still more explicitly, with his declaration in the third verse,—‘“ For I delivered unto you FIRST OF ALL that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.” Amongst the very “ first” things that the apostle delivered to the heathen Corinthians, after he entered their city, was this—“ Christ. died for ouR sins, according to the Scriptures.” He did not first preach to them some other gospel than this, and by and by, after they were all believers, come out with the daring declaration—‘“ Christ died for OUR sins, accor dine t to the Scriptures.” On the contrary, this was the truth which “ first of all” * he delivered unto them ; and this was to them the saving truth, for it was aie truth “which they received, BY WITICII ALSO THEY WERE SAVED.”

* See Note C.

ee Ce

-_-—

Here, then, you have an inspired definition of the object of saving faith—the gospel. It is not mercly,—“ Christ is able, infinitely able, to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him;” but it is,—“ Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.” Some have ventured to assert that no man is warranted, till after a long life of holiness, to say, ‘Christ dicd for me,;” and preachers have been told by other preachers that. they have no right to say to any man, “ Christ died for you.” It appears, however, that the apostle Paul was of another mind, for he had no seruples in rising up amid the Corinthians, while they were yet heathens and unbelievers, and boldly proclaiming, not merely “Christ died for My sins,” but “Christ died for our sins (that is, for your sins, ye heathen Corinthians, and for mine), according to the Scriptures.” And this proclamation, moreover, was regarded by him as the gospel, v. 1; and be it remembered, in addition, that he elsewhere says, “ but though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Gal. i. 8. Who, after this, will dare to stigmatise as heresy what the apostle Paul himself asserts to be the gospel? Who, after this, will dare to preach any other gospel to an audience of sinners than this— “Christ died for ouR sins, according to the Scriptures”? How long shall this, the only gospel, be unheard in ten hundreds of our churches? How Jong shall our land mourn in sackcloth because of the silencing of that ‘joyful sound” which alone has in it holy might and majesty, and which should be heard echoing and re-echoing wherever sinners are to be found? Fellow-sinner, how true it is that “ Christ loved you, and gave himself for you” / Will you not then believe “the gospel” and live for Aim, since he died for you? Why will you not 1?

Section 3. I would now turn attention to 2 Cor. v. 14, 15,—“ For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if ONE DIED FOR ALL, then were all dead: and that he died for ALL, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” Here the apostle expressly assumes that Christ “died for all;” and except there should be some powerful considerations inducing us to abridge the “all” within a much narrower compass than the term naturally suggests, I cannot conceive how any one can be warranted to hold himself excluded. It will be of importance to consider the meaning and scope of the whole passage. The apostle is accounting for, and vindicating, his great zeal in the exercise of his ministry. “Knowing,” says he, ‘the terror of the Lord, we persuade MEN.” v.11. He means “men without any exception,” all men indefinitely, with whom he came in contact; “for,” says he, “we must ALL appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” v.10. The “all” to whom he here refers us being under a necessity to appear before the judgment-seat, are evidently ‘all men without exception,” for they embrace those who do evil, as well ag those who do good. These ‘‘all,” these “men in general,” he “ persuaded,” because he knew ‘the terror of the Lord;” and he was so anxious and so zealous in his efforts to persuade

DIRECT SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE. 25 them, that the mere men of the world, and the mere formalists of the church, thought that he was “beside himself.” v. 13. The apostle accounts, however, for his zeal by saying, “ the love of Christ constraineth us,” v. 14,—that is, constraineth us to be thus, as it were, beside ourselves in “ jp rsuading men.” The way in which the love of Christ constrained him is then stated in two particulars.