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THE 
 
 Toronto Public Library m 
 
 'Pamphlet Collection) 
 
 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST, 
 
 CUIEfLY IN RELATION TO 
 
 THE CHEAT QUESTION, 
 
 WAS IT FOR ALL MANKIND, 
 
 OB FOR TII£ 
 
 ELECT ONLY ? 
 
 EMUODYING THE VIEWS SET FORTH BY THE 
 AUIIIOR IN HIS DEFENCE BEFORE THE PRES- 
 BYTERY IN LONDON, C. W., LN FEBRUARY, 
 1850, AND ALSO AT TORONTO, BEFORE 
 THE SYNOD, L\ JUNE FOLLOWING. 
 
 BY ROBERT PEDEN, 
 
 Minister of I he Unsjiel, Avihcrsthitrgh, C. W., Author of *' A Hidden 
 (Jutpcl the Cause of the Lost of Souh," ffc. 
 
 Acts vi., IIIvJ— And thoy departed from the preseocc of the CoMiwyt, 
 rrjoiriiiK that ihey were counted worlhy to euffer Khamo for his name. 
 And daily in the temple, and in every houiie, thUty <Soaecd not to teach 
 and preach Jc^us Christ. 
 
 ED AT THE 
 
 8Til£CT EAST. 
 
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 Toronto Public Library. 
 
 Reference Department. 
 
 THIS BOOK MUST NOT BE TAKEN OUT OF THE ROOM. 
 
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 THE 
 
 ATONEMENT OF CHRIST, 
 
 CHIEFLY IN RELATION TO 
 
 THE GREAT aUESTION, 
 
 WAS IT FOR ALL MANKIND, 
 
 OR FOR THE 
 
 ELECT ONLY ? 
 
 EMBODYING THE VIEWS SET FORTH BY THE 
 AUTHOR IN HIS DEFENCE BEFORE THE PRES- 
 BYTERY IN LONDON, C. W., IN FEBRUARY, 
 JgoO, AND ALSO AT TORONTO, BEFORE 
 THE SY>OD, IN JUNE FOLLOWING. 
 
 BY ROBERT PEDEN, 
 
 Minister of the Gospel, Jmhersthurph, C. W., Author of '^ A UidJev 
 Gospel the Cause of the Loss of Souls^" ffc. 
 
 Acts vi., 41-42— And they departed from the presence of the Council, 
 rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shume for him name. 
 And diiily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach 
 and preach Jesus Christ. 
 
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 TO THE CHURCHES OF CANADA, 
 
 AND AIORB ESPECIALLY THOSB 
 
 In Coimexion with the Synod of the Preshyterinn Chnrch, 
 
 TH]S L3TTLIE; TKiJiTOSl 
 
 £s ?L)umtil2? Jt^tXiitattVp 
 
 WITH FERVENT PRAYER THAT, UNDER THE BLESSING 
 
 OF GOD, IT MAY BE THE MKAN3 OF LEADING 
 
 TO THE DUE INVESTIGATION OF A SUBJECT 
 
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 So Vitally Iiuportant to the Church and the H'oild, 
 
 ■^ BY THEIR HUMBLE SERVANT, 
 
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 . .t PREFACE. 
 
 • 1,,. ' 11 ki .:' ..■■ .' •>•■- i^ i*:' 11" • .' ' '' 
 
 . .. . , , , ui' ' I" ">■■• ■■;.•• ' 
 
 
 Circutnttancei, id the providence of God, bare called 
 forth this little Treatise on the most important of subjects* 
 The writer having, a few years ago, published a small work 
 entitled. ** A Hidden Qospel the Cause of the Loss of 
 SoulSf" in which he endeavoured to set forth the unlimited 
 extent of the Atonement, was served with a libel by the 
 Presbytery of London, C. W., to which he belonged, and 
 cited to appear before the Synod, which met in Toronto in 
 June, 1850. Hoving, after long anrl prayerful investigation, 
 seen no reason to change his views, which were rather 
 strengthened than otherwise, by additional light, he was 
 suspended from the Ministry of that Church, and the Pres- 
 bytery were empowered to depose him if he should still: 
 persist in the promulgation of his views. The wrrtei* has^ 
 therefore, thought it necessary to issue this Treatise, , not so 
 much for his own vindication, as in defence o£:,virhat he 
 firmly believes to be Christ's Truth. And thoug}ilin doing 
 so, he can already hear the voice of Ecclesiastical* t^hority 
 addressing him in the tone of the High Priest •,\<l ,<the 
 Apostles, "Did we not straitly command you that you 
 should not teach in this name** ? He desires, notwithstand- 
 ing, to answer with Peter and the other Apostles, *'We 
 ought to obey God rather than man.— (Acts v. 28.) That 
 God may own this little wo|rk in leading some, who may be 
 
 k; 
 
 f 
 
VI. 
 
 groping in obscurity, to Him who if *' the door" by which* 
 if any mnn enter in, he shall be saved, is the fervent prayer 
 of the writer. His desire (• to keep the mind of the reader* 
 us well 08 his own, in relation to divine truth, in the position 
 of the three Marys — that of nearness to the Cross. 
 (John xix. 25.) ^ 
 
 ui 
 
 Amhkrstburgh, C. Ws } • «"• * 
 
 . 2ilh June, 1650. J 
 
 R. P. 
 
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A Xti\i > I'* TV r\- ' It ^nv i 
 
 c»j u'-'-nb \iu\n tvi^n K^S »Mfi. "y-i; •<■» >. n<*ii^ijfitr^. ,. u' 
 
 THE atonement" OF CHRIStI 
 
 CHIEFLY IN BELATION TO THE GBEAT QVEdTION. " ' -' 
 
 WAS IT FOR ALL MANKIND^ OR FOR THE ELECT ONLY ? 
 
 •<f'^''rtM<i ill sf'. 
 
 'itllhi:, 
 
 II 111'/ 
 
 '♦ 
 
 i .'4 H • •« > 
 
 
 SECTION h 
 
 '■ ''iij( u;ih'' *, '■ ' ■ ^^. f ...v..-. ..,,1 
 
 THE GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF THE ATONEMUNT 
 
 ■ '" •• '=---• EXPLAINED. . '. ' •■: ■ -•"•■ ..it 
 
 THE PROMINENCE GIVEN TO THE DEATH OF 
 
 CHRIST ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY BY THE 
 
 DOCTRINE OF ATONEMENT. 
 
 1st. CoarNTHiANS I, S3 — We French Christ crucified, .i hut; 
 
 Tliei*e is no subject to which the human, and prob- 
 ably too, the Angehc mind can bo directed, of such 
 transcendent grandeur and importance as the Death 
 OF Christ. Historically considered, it is the^ ^'eat 
 event in the world's history ;, Doctrinallyy it is tj^c? cen- 
 tral truth in the Christian system ; and Practit'iiUy, it 
 is the medium of the mightiest influences wlij^H the 
 Godhead has brought to bear on the minds of intc^lj'tgent 
 beings. The whole Word of God conspires to drjiw 
 our attention to the Cross, and keep us riveted tli^re. 
 Wliether we look to the ancient dispensation, or the 
 new ; to the sacrifices, types, and prophecies of the one, .; 
 or the doctrines, promises, and duties of the other ; still 
 do w^e find that the death of Christ stands out with the 
 most marked prominence and peculiarity. From the 
 
 A ' 
 
 
 1 ' ' 
 
 ' '.' I 
 
2 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 first intimation of mercy made to fallen man, down to 
 
 the apocalyptic vision which brings us to the gates of the 
 
 celestial city, through which we get a glimpse of glory, 
 
 and there see, " in the imdet of the throne, the Lamb 
 
 as it had been slain," and where, also, we learn the 
 
 anthem of die heavenly host, " Worthy is the Lamb 
 
 that wvA slain" ; we see the old di^)ensation and the 
 
 new — ^the Church on earth and the Church in heaven — 
 
 harmonize in the leading principle of God's word, in 
 
 regarding Christ as the great and glorious centre of 
 
 attraction, and the death of Christ as that which elicits 
 
 the most marked and peculiar attention. " Christ cru- 
 
 cified** is the neucleus of the whole evangelical system, 
 
 the focal point of divine truth, the foundation of all 
 
 Chiistian experience, the theme of the Gospel ministry, 
 
 the song of the redeemed in heaven, and the study and 
 
 admiration of the angelic throng. In a word, the 
 
 preaching of the Gospel is the preaching of the Cross, 
 
 and the great design of the institution of the Lord's 
 
 Supper is to give the most emphatic expression to that 
 
 distinguishing prominence and peculiarity. 
 
 That period then which stood out to the Saviour's own 
 viev/./irj bold relief as " the Hour," is no less so in the 
 
 » ' ' * 
 
 history ;of the world, and will continue to stand out in 
 the isolation of a peculiar attractiveness during the 
 ceaseless ages of eternity. In that endless future, when 
 King^VJid Conquerors shall be forgotten, when human 
 glbi^y'shall have long passed away as " the flower of the 
 grass," when the greatest names on the roll of eaithly 
 fame shall have sunk into oblivion, when the mighty 
 aflairs that shook nations, convulsed empires, and threw 
 their shadow over a long series of ages, shall have 
 passed away into fbrgetfulness — this is " the houi 
 shall never be forgotten, it will live embalmed 
 
 »»» 
 
TKS ATOKEMElfT OF CHIII8T. 
 
 3 
 
 hearts of tke redeejied, it will wake their harps to end- 
 less praises, and attract and accuminate the hallelujahs of 
 seraphic spirits. The cross of Christ will be the eternal 
 monument of this world^s hietory, the grand memorial 
 of a world's fdll, axid a world's redemption. 
 
 But why this mighty prominence to the scene on 
 Mount Cahriary? Why around the cross gathers this 
 growing halo of interest 1 Why is the experience of 
 the believer, " God forbid that I should glory save in 
 the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ," but the echo of 
 Revelation and of the song of Heaven? Why this 
 special regard in preaching to Christ crucified ? Is it 
 that He died merely as a martyr ? Is it that He died 
 only to attest his truth and seal his testimony with his 
 blood ? Is that death of agony atid shame thus speci- 
 ally the central subject of attractiveness because it was 
 anticipated with more thaa usual serenity, and endured 
 with more than ordinary heroism? No, no. Let 
 Socinianism, let Unitarianism look to Gethsemane and 
 Calvary, and they cannot unravel the mystery.— 
 Were the death of Christ but a martyrdom^ or an 
 example of suflferihg patience, then tenfold better were, 
 it to reverse tha order of divine truth and give^jlo it a 
 position in the back ground. Better were it TSpf£Giy to 
 look to his blameless life^ and his benevolent cK>3racter, 
 and remove into compia:'ative obscurity tjhe bcgjaq of the 
 crucifixion. , ,. Uiu- ., 
 
 
 •.■>,• 
 
 Compare Him in the prospect of his sufferings «v»^th a 
 Stephen and a Paul, and a host of eminent marty^^ of 
 whom the world was not worthy, ''who were skmed, 
 who were sawn asunder, were tempted, wer6 slain with 
 the sword." See Stephen in the hour of trial, when his 
 face shone as an angel, and when the infuriated mob 
 rushed upon him gnashing with their teeth, and stoned 
 
 si !! 
 
 > 'J 
 
4 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 » » 
 
 
 %•'" 
 
 him ; notice his holy serenity as he looked up steadfastly 
 to heaven. Witness Paul when addressing the Ephe- 
 sian Elders, he says; " and now behold I go bound in 
 the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that 
 shall befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witness- 
 eth in every city that bonds and afflictions abide me, but 
 none of these things move met neither count I my life dear 
 unto myselfj that I might finish my course with joy." 
 Now turn to our blessed Redeemer ; see him in the 
 anticipation of hissuiferings as he thus speaks, '* Now 
 is my soul troubled, and what shall I say 1 Father, save 
 me from this hour." See him in Gethsemane as he falls 
 prostrate and prays, " Father, if it be possible, let this 
 cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as 
 thou wilt." Hear that prayer asecond time. See " the 
 sweat from him as it were great drops of blood 
 falling to the ground." Hear his anguish thus expressed : 
 " my soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death." Hear 
 him again the third time, as being in an agony he 
 prays the more earnestly, " Father, if it be possible, let 
 this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as 
 thou wilt." See him suspended on the c^ross, and heai* 
 that loud and bitter cry, " my God, my God, why hast 
 thoif.ia!):saken me."* ■ .^jiUM ^ yi ..u nU ut i • i. .• 
 
 ' WHy ..these agitating emotions ? Why this bitter 
 anguisji'.of soul? How is this striking difference 
 betwe©i\ our Redeemer and many of his sufler- 
 ing;*K9(owers to be accounted for ? Socinianism 
 caftpot answer these questions satisfactorily, but the 
 Word of God unravels the mystery. It reveals most 
 distinctly to us, in connexion with the death of Christ, 
 the great doctrine of Atonement. It makes known to 
 
 ifT 
 
 l>r. Payne, of Exeter, if I remember right, hai aa illuitration of thit kiod 
 in ctiie of bia Lecture* oq Divine Sovereifniy. 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 U8 that there were elements of anguish in his sufferings, 
 peculiar to these sufferings ; that there were ingredients 
 put into the ctip which was given him to drink, of incon- 
 ceivable bitterness. It teaches us to look not only at 
 those sufferings which man could inflict, when He, 
 though innocent, was enduring the curse of human law, 
 but to look more deeply, and contemplate a severity, 
 an intensity, a peculiarity of suffering which the Father 
 inflicted when he was epduring the curse of the divine 
 law. " It pleased the Lord to bruize him and to put 
 him to grief." , ; , . 
 
 The great doctrine of the Atonement is that 
 which throws this mighty halo of interest around 
 the cross. It is because in connexion with that 
 death we have the most gracious and important truth, 
 " He died for our sins," " He was wounded for our 
 transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities." He 
 became sin for us ; " He bare our sins on his own body 
 on the tree." " He is the propitiation for our sins, and 
 not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole 
 world." It is this blessed doctrine alone, so clearly laid*, 
 down in Scripture, that at once gives substance^to the 
 shadowy sacrifices and types of the old disp'ensation, 
 and accounts for the prominence given to the-simerings 
 of Christ, and tlie manner in which they wetk antici- 
 pated and endured. A doctrine then so explicit, so 
 prominent, occupies no secondary or subordinate' *i>l§Lce 
 in the Christian system. To misunderstand it, is d^*k- 
 ness; to misplace it, is confusion; and to exclude it, is 
 death. The human body may exist without an eye or 
 an ear, a foot or a hand, but it cannot withoiit a heart ; 
 so men may adopt a religious system defective in some 
 parts which, however useful and imp6rtaht, are not 
 essential to existence ; but a system from which this 
 
 , > ' ' 
 
 
 
I* .♦• 
 
 V" 
 
 V THE ATONEBtENT OP CJBIU8T. 
 
 distinguuihiog doctrine is excluded is devoid of the 
 essential mediiim qf spiritual vitality. It is another 
 Gospel than Paul preached, and as such, it and its 
 advocates come under the anathema which the holy 
 Apostle pronounced, "If any wan preach any other 
 GoQpel, let him be accursed/'-^-Gal. i. 9. 
 
 THE ATONEMENT IN RELATfON TO THE DIVINE 
 '*' < ' MOftAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 Isaiah xlii. 33.— He will magnify the Law and make it honourable. 
 
 Man constituted as he is a rational and accountable 
 being is under the moral government of God. Con- 
 nected as this vrorld is with the throne of the Eternal 
 hy physical laws, it is principally through man that it is 
 connected with that throne by morcil Laws. There are 
 certain principles that arise essentially out of that rela- 
 tionship which we in common vnth all moral beings 
 sustain to God, that are infinitely important, and imnm- 
 labK' permanent. They can never be changed, modi- 
 lied or subverted. They are like God himself un- 
 changeable. 
 
 » O >:■•■, 'i I . ■: ' . ■ , 
 
 ' > He^ce in reference to creatures such as men who 
 have*re})elled against the government of Jehovah there 
 is a «u|lf{riative difficulty in the exercise of a clemency 
 that wq,u][d seek their deliverance. Even in human 
 govem^nts marked as they are by so much imperfec- 
 tion, ^«* characterized too frequently by oppression on 
 the*<i4ie hand, and laxity on the other, there is often a 
 reat and great difficulty in the exercise of mercy, or the 
 proclamation of a general amnesty^ But how infinitely 
 more difficult is the exerdae of mercy to transgressors 
 in a^fovernment so infinitely perfect in its principles, 
 precepts and penal sanction ^ the moral administration 
 of J^Qvah } His law is a transcript of Himself it is 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 7 
 
 holy juflt tind good, it cannot be more so, it cannot be 
 less so. It is planned by infinite Mrisdom, it is dictated 
 by infinite benevolence and most appropriately adapted 
 to promote and secure the happiness of all who conform 
 to its unvarying principles. Under such a govemmeht 
 the danger is very great, that the exercise of mercy will 
 be misunderstood as encouraging the hope of impunity 
 in the commission of sin. 
 
 See this in a lesser point of view. Look to the phy- 
 sical laws of God, those that relate to matter. Were 
 God to relinquish or change one single principle in his 
 physical government, it is impossible to tell what an 
 amount of disorganization and confusion would be the 
 result. Suppose an individual were maniac-like to 
 throw himself from some mighty precipice, shall God 
 change or relinquish any of the principles of the mate- 
 rial system to save him from destruction? Shall he 
 withdraw from every particle of matter its power of at- 
 traction and gravitation ? What would be the result ? 
 Why, from planet to planet, from system to system, from 
 star to star, there would soon be nothing but one mighty 
 chaos, "the wreck of matter and th« crash of worlds." 
 It is evident that in interposing at all for the deliverance 
 of such an individual, it would only be in such a way, as 
 would not tend to the subversion or relinquishnient of 
 the mighty principle of his government through the ma- 
 terial universe. 
 
 If this is so in reference to the principles of God's 
 physical government, how much more so in reference 
 to those still higher and nobler principles that are the 
 very pillars of his moral administration. It is abundantly 
 evident that any attempt at the exercise of mercy that 
 would have the legitimate tendency to weaken or relax 
 or change the great principles of moral obligation would 
 
 
 p. 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 fend to bo morally suicidal to the holiness and happiness 
 of the universe. If there had been no way in which the 
 salvation of man could be effected in entire consistency 
 with these great principles, we are perfectly persuaded, 
 that no ray of hope would ever have cast its light over 
 ihe midnight darkness of man's total and eternal despair. 
 It is hopelessly vain to imagine that God would subvert 
 the principles of his government to save man. It is a 
 fearful misconception therefore that lies hid in the en- 
 <juiry, " Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?'* 
 To the question, " Do we make void the law through 
 faith ? the whole scheme of grace from its centre to its 
 circumference cries aloud as with trumpet-to^igue, 
 " Nay we establish the Law." The Law is magiufied 
 nnd made honourable. 
 
 ! ?:• ■ 
 
 •Ml 
 
 /.'« 
 
 To man as a creature placed under moral law, con- 
 formity to its principles and obedience to its precepts 
 ;ire necessary to secure the blessings of that administra- 
 tion, and non-compliance exposes to its fearful penalty. 
 This is the great rule connected with moral obligation. 
 Now to man as a violator of that law, there is no provi- 
 sion in that law to cancel his guilt and reinstate him in 
 holiness and happiness. He is hopelessly lost. But 
 blessed be God, He has not left him to perish. In His 
 infinite wisdom and mercy he has devised, and at infinite 
 expense has executed a gi-acious scheme perfectly satis- 
 factory to his government, on the one hand, and most 
 benevolently adapted to the exigencies of a lost and 
 perishing world, on the other. He has been pleased to 
 inti'oduQe a new expedient,, by which in perfect con- 
 sistency with his character and administration he can 
 deal with man as a sinner on an entirely new and pecu- 
 liai arrangement. The condition of the moral Law is» 
 He that doeth these things shall live hy them, but He 
 
 h 
 
 1" 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CimiST. 
 
 9 
 
 iias revealed to a man as a fallen creature this new pixj- 
 •cedure, He that believeth shall he saved. Under tho 
 former arrangement the creature is justified by hU 
 works, — ^his obedience, under the new he is " justified 
 by faith," " Tlie just shall live by faith." (Rom. i. 17.) 
 
 Here then is an entirely new and peculiar arrangi'- 
 ment. Here is a new feature in the divine administra- 
 tion. Here is a mode of procedure with moral beinj^^ 
 unknown till now, in the history of the universe. 
 
 But the enquiiy suggests itself, How is the Supremi; 
 Governor vindicated in this ? What secures to his per- 
 fections their full requisition of glory ? Are not his Ikj- 
 liness and justice dishonoured ? Is not his government 
 weakened and relaxed ? Is not sin connived at and en- 
 couraged? Are not the principles, precepts, and penal 
 sanctions of his holy Law relinquished and dishonoured l 
 The answer to all these enquiries is most satisfactory. 
 The Atonement of Christ is regarded by Jehovah as &u 
 infinitely meritorious, so glorifying to His character, 
 His government and his Law, so condemnatory of sir, 
 so illustrative at once of his love and mei-cy, ai7d of hi.^ 
 justice and Holiness, so fitted to increase the love and 
 confirm the obedience of all holy Intelligencies — s<t 
 adapted to counteract the inroads of rebellion, and to 
 win the hearts of men to Himself^ that Jehovah considers 
 it not only safe and consistent, but peculiarly glorifying 
 to Himself and his administi-ation to deal with guilty and 
 apostate man in a way of sovereign grace, and to issue; 
 the great proclamation of mercy, " Believe in the Lor<l 
 Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." " The obedience 
 unto death" of the only begotten Son of God in behalf 
 of sinful man is so God-glorifying — so law-honoui'ing, 
 «o declaratory of the Father's determination to uphold 
 iiis Law, so ilkistrativ« of the benignity and rectitude 
 
 I'V 
 
 
 
10 
 
 THE ATOKBMBNT OP CIiRI9T. 
 
 not only of its principles and precepts but even of k» 
 penalty, that J^ovah is now willing to receive and jus- 
 tify every sinner, who, though destitute of personal 
 righteousness, will look to him for pardon and acceptance 
 through the atonement of his own Son. Hence " God 
 is in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not im- 
 puting unto men their trespasses," and the gospel minis- 
 try of reconciliation is for the express purpose of 
 beseeching men as if God was beseeching them, and 
 praying them as if Christ were entreating them to be 
 reconciled unto God, ^r, — observe the reason — "He 
 hath made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that 
 we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 
 
 Notice then briefly the connexion or relation 
 between the covenant of works and that of grace — ^be- 
 tween the Law and the Gospel. Under the covenant of 
 works the condition is " He that doeth these things," 
 under the covenant of grace, it is. He that helieveth. 
 Under the former the creature was himself the surety ; 
 undw the latter Christ is the stirety. Under the former, 
 the creature is accepted by his own righteousness ; under 
 the new, he is accepted by faith in the righteonsness of 
 another. The Covenant of Works did not necessarily 
 secure that those placed under it must enjoy the rewards 
 of the divine government — it only secured that, if they 
 obeyed the Law, these blessings would be realized. 
 80 the Covenant of Grace does not necessarily secure 
 jhat all placed under its conditions mwt be saved ; it se- 
 cures, He that helieveth shall be saved. As in the former, 
 blessings were conditionated on obedience ; so in the 
 latter salvation is conditionated on fhith. Under the 
 former the creature was left to tho freedom of his own 
 will; there was no physical omnipotence interfering with 
 his moral agency. There were indeed set before him 
 
THE ATONEMSNT OF CHEI8T. 
 
 11 
 
 the blessings of obedience on the one hand, and the pen- 
 alty of disobedience on the other— so under the new 
 arjangement, while the mightiest and most gracious 
 influences are brought to bear upon him to induce him 
 " to believe and be saved," yet these moral and spiritual 
 influences are of a nature adapted to him as a moral and 
 responsible being. Heaven plies its mightiest influen- 
 ces, it sets before the sinner " Life and Death, the bless- 
 ing and the curse," and with the most earnest entreaty 
 importunes the sinner, "choose life," "believe and live," 
 " turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die," " Look unto me and 
 be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth." ■ • 
 
 The atonement then of the Son of God makes the Law 
 and the Gospel harmonize, makes the latter magnify- 
 ing and honouring to the former. To every cavil, to 
 every imputation of guilt, the believing sinner can hum- 
 bly yet confidently take up the challenge, " Who is he that 
 condemneth" 1 because he can add, " It is Christ that died." 
 And this leads us to one remark on the necessity of faith ; 
 how it is that the blessings of salvation are conditionated 
 on believing. The apostle says, "it is of faith, that it 
 might be by grace," and it is also stated, "Without faith 
 it is impossible to please God." Faith in Christ is a 
 condition of salvation, because it is necessary not only 
 that Jehovah should be satisfied with the atonement of 
 Christ, not only that holy Intelligences should see in it a 
 perfect satisfaction to the Law of God, but the sinner 
 ' himself must be led to see how it is consistent with the 
 perfections and Law of God that he a guilty and hell- 
 deserving creature should be justified and reinstated into 
 the favour and fellowship of God and of htily beuigs. 
 Now the sinner could not see this without a knowledge 
 of the >vork of his Redeemer, without a looking to God 
 'und trusting in hid merey and grace only through the 
 
 'i 
 
 4r. 
 
 W 
 
12 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 blood of atonement. Hence the importance and ncccs- 
 4sity of clear apprehensions of tlte death of Christ, and of 
 {he great principle of procedure in grace founded on 
 that atonement, ** He that believeth shall be saved ; ho 
 tliat believeth not shall be damned." »«a«, •j/tj:^'^ « 
 
 SALVATION THROUGH THE ATONEMENT PECU- 
 LIARLY GLORIFYING TO GOD, 
 
 • >\ ■ 
 
 Luke ii. 1-1 — Glory to G«d in th« highest, peace ou earth, aud good will to 
 men. 
 
 The Atonement of Christ has a two-fold aspcrt ; it has 
 a.n aspect tovVai'ds God, and there it throws on his per- 
 fections and his throne a flood of glory ; it has an aspect 
 towards man, «nd there it introduces peace and good will. 
 It is a very inadequate view to look upon it as mei-ely 
 jsecuring the divine perfections from suspicion, and the 
 principles of his goveniment from injury. This nega- 
 tive view of Christ's woi-k is incomplete. It not only 
 "vindicates Jehovajli, but it gives him peculiar glory ; it 
 not only tends to pi'event tlie inroads of sin and misery, 
 but it is the medium of an immense accession to the 
 well-being of the universe, v'$vr^!>r *• T^ v.,!;: v H'"f? n , 
 J'. Salvation, thiv)ugh the atonement, is regarded by 
 God as peculiarly glorifying to Himself. The woixl 
 of God represents Him as most ready and willing to -re- 
 ceive sinners through Christ Tliis is taught us in pro- 
 phecy, " Let the wicked forsake his way and the un- 
 righteous man his thoughts, and let him turn to the Lord, 
 and He will have mercy upon him and to our God, and 
 He w'tM abundantly jmrdon" ** He waits to be gracious." 
 Our Saviour has also in the most touching manner taught 
 this same truth in tlie parable of the returning prodigal, 
 where we see a yearning father running to meet and 
 welcome his repenUJif; but prodigal child, he puts the 
 best robe upop him, aud the ringiOn his hand* and shoes 
 
 on 
 lost 
 reat 
 tor 
 
 pri\ 
 
THE ATONEMENT OF CUJinT. 
 
 on his feet, and kills the &tted calf to rejoice over a longf 
 lost son. And this is intended to be a faint type of th» 
 readiness and intensity of desire or the pert of Jehovah 
 to receive the returning sinner and restore him to all the 
 privileges and blessings of sonship in his ovm spiritual 
 
 Now let us obsei-ve how the atonentent brings peculiar 
 gloiy to Jehovah. 
 
 1st. Wliile God's Justice is as fully satisfied 
 through it, divine Mercy is peciiliai'ly glorified. Had 
 mankind suflTcred their own desert, and no atone- 
 ment been made for8iii„justice would havebeeusatisfied» 
 but there would not have been any room for the exercise 
 of mercy. That attribute would have l^in latent anrong 
 the glories of the Godhead. But the atonement gives 
 development to this lovely feature in beautiful haniiony 
 with justice and rectitude, and while Justice has its claims 
 fully honoured, as fully as if mankind had perished^ nay 
 more fully ; mercy with divine sweetness goes forth with 
 a majesty and a grace on her eiTand of benevolence to 
 *' preach good tidings to the meek, to heal the broken- 
 heaited, to preach deliverance to the captive, and the 
 opening of the prison doora to them that are bound." 
 
 2nd. While God's H^ouness is fully vindicated and, 
 honoured by the atonement,, there is an honourable chan- 
 nel for the outgoings of God's Love to the sinner. Had. 
 we been called to suffer for our pwn sin» there would have 
 been a display of divine holiness in hatred of sin and ex-, 
 pulsion of the sinner from his favour and coqjmunion ;. 
 but the outgoings of \m love to the sinner would have, 
 found no vent ; but here through the atonement, while, 
 hb holiness is as impressively, nay more impressively^ 
 exhibited, his Love Jiiof. a free ehannel inhi^wny \vit^ 
 
 I 
 
 V 
 
 I 
 
 !;■ 
 
 li 
 
u 
 
 Tint ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 his odier perfections in its outgoings to the world ; and 
 as God is love and it is his delight to difiuse his love; 
 there is in the peculiar scope of its exercise towards the 
 perishing and the guilty a spectacle of the sublimest in- 
 terest to the universe. ** Herein is love not that we loved 
 God, but that he loved us and gave his son to be the pro- 
 pitiation for our sins." 
 
 3rd. While God^s law is fully honoured, while its pen- 
 alty as well as principles are fully magnified by the atone- 
 ment, there is through it an immense amount of 
 misery prevented. Had all transgressors been re- 
 quired to suffer the deserts of sin, the penalty of the law 
 would have had its demands, but the atonement is an 
 honourable ground on which to exempt those who believe 
 in Christ from that penal infliction, and thus through the 
 atonement an inconceivable amount of misery is preven- 
 ted, " There is no condemnation to those who are in 
 Cluisi; Jesus.** 
 
 4th, Through the atonement an iran juse addition is 
 made to the holiness and happiness of the universe. 
 
 5th. Through the atonement the stability of God*8 
 government is strengthened and consolidated among his 
 intelligent a eatures. Had no atonement been made and 
 sinners cons^g^ird to despair, all holy beings would have 
 joined in the ^iscription, " Itighteous art thou, O Lord." 
 But in thci '" obedience unto death" of the Son of God, 
 they see sin branded with as deep a stigma, divine holi- 
 ness and justice as fully honoured, but they see more, 
 they see more strikingly the rectitude, the benignity, the 
 necesiutyx)f the principles of the divine administration, 
 they see more fully developed and that too in a peculiar 
 and unparallelled manner the infinite love, mercy and 
 benevolence of Deity ; his infinite regard for the happi- 
 ness of his creatures and the necessary connexion bc- 
 
 tw 
 
 <lr 
 >vl 
 ob 
 
TUB ATONEMBNT OP CHRIST. 
 
 15 
 
 twcoTi holmcf 8 and happineeA. There is every thing to 
 •draxv fr«nh and increase their love to Jehovali, and 
 > vhaf evor increases their love must tend so far to strengthen 
 obedience. - < ; ■ .. 
 
 Sin did not originate in the world ; it had its existence 
 among angels. The Justice and Holiness of the great 
 Sovereign Ruler had been conspicuously manifested to 
 an intelligent universe in their perdition. They were 
 hopelessly lost, and thus outcasts from Heaven their de- 
 sire and design were to run a crusade against God by 
 extending their conquests of sin and death ; and so soon 
 as man was created their design was to introduce rebel- 
 lion. Had the holiness and justice of Deity — these severer 
 attributes of his character, if we may so speak, been 
 again signally exhibited without any possibility of bring- 
 ing into development the benign and lovely features of 
 his mercy and grace, the tendency would be to draw 
 more conspicuous attention to these perfections that pro- 
 duce awe than tc» those that increase love. But the 
 atonement most wonderfully gives marked development 
 and prominence to the Love — the Grace of God, so that 
 the principles of God's moral administration are greatly 
 strengthened and gk>rified, and the love and obedience 
 of his creatures tiore fully secured. 
 
 6th. The at..uement will furnish the most striking 
 manifestation of the righiuousiiess of God in the final 
 perdition of unbelieving and impenitent sinners. It is 
 true that although sinners had perished and no atonement 
 had been made, there would have been perfect rectitude 
 on the part of the Sovereign, but how will that rectitude 
 be enhanced and more fully developed, when after his 
 mighty scheme had been planned and at infinite sacrifice 
 on the part of the Godhead executed, and its gracious 
 overtures of mercy made known to the sinner for his 
 
 U 't1 
 
 &i' 
 
16 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 acceptance,— the sinner rejected, repeatedly rejected 
 these blessed proffers, and resisted the strivings of the 
 Spirit of God — how gloriously vindicatory of the rectitude 
 of that punishment that shall fall on his devoted head, not 
 merely as a sinner against Law, but a rejector of the 
 Gospel. " This is the condemnation that light is come 
 into the world, and men love daikness rather than the 
 light." The Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed in 
 flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not 
 God and obey 'not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from 
 tlie presence of the Lord and the glory of his power." 
 " It is a feerful thing to fall into the hands of the living 
 God." Fellow-sinner, How shall you escape if you 
 neglect so gi-eat salvation,"—" Of how much sorer pun^ 
 ishment shall they be thought worthy, who have trodden 
 under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the 
 covenant an unholy thing, and done despite to the Spirit 
 of grace.". 
 
 
 • •' V ';'• ti)'>: " 1 ' I .■■:,*■'.''■■ ■'■■ 
 
 ' ■ '• ' ■:; ' ■;!,; . ;;, . "i^j ' .^ ' .'" ki ■ Mi* .>';■ 
 
 j'J:, .l,i: .rl s; !:!;<;•: ■■■■■•,'1 Ui-! ,:r '[■>■{■'.,.< \:iil i'; nn^'i U .' 
 > i ■^ iAio ji/fii-'f ,'..-. !;>!'■. 'm)-, '^{^,1 -vi^tjir ['(;•• t •»':!i'!ji>l'! '» *5 
 
 .' -■i*l,i;j^;'i 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 n 
 
 ; •}.'. 
 
 SECTION II. 
 
 ') 
 
 /, 
 
 ..1 
 
 THE ATONEMENT SHEWN FROM SCRIPTURE TO 
 
 BE UNLIMITED. 
 
 The great question, Did Christ die for all mankind; 
 or for the Elect only ? is one that has not a little agi- 
 tated the professedly Christian Church. Nor is it a 
 question of little moment. As the Atonement of Christ 
 lies at the foundation of the christian system, so it lies 
 also at the basis of all tnie religious experience ; it is 
 an essential element in all evangelical piety. If so, it 
 cannot be regarded as irrelevant or unnecessary to 
 have a clear knowledge on a subject so vitally impor- 
 tant. From the previous Section it will appear that 
 w^e are decidedly of opinion that the Atonement of 
 Christ was for mankind-sinners generally, and not ex- 
 clusively for the Elect. We most fully believe that 
 An Atonement was necessary to enable God consis 
 tently with his government and his character to deal 
 with mankind-sinners as he now does, placing them 
 under a dispensation ot Mercy which is not confined to 
 the Elect, but extends to the world ; and making to 
 men, wherever the Gospel comes, the overtures of a 
 free and full salvation, whether, on the one hand, they 
 believe and are saved, or on tlie other, believe not and 
 perish. '•> .i ^A: i -a- 
 
 I 1: 
 
 .-.!!»> 
 
 But on a subject so fundamentally important the 
 great enquiry is, "What saith the Lord"? "To the 
 Law and the Testimony." And here we are not per- 
 mitted to grope in darkness. The truth seems written 
 as with a sunbeam, and we can only account for the 
 {)erplexity and obscurity which many entertain on this 
 
 
 ii: 
 
IS 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 subject to the interception of mere human authority 
 between them and the light of Revelation.* 
 
 The following passages of the Word of God either 
 explicitly assert or imply the unlimited extent of the 
 Atonement of Christ. In adducing them, we shall 
 simply follow the order as they occur in the New 
 Testament : •■ , 
 
 The first passage in proof of Universal Atonement 
 is that which contains the great Commission given to 
 the Apostles ; Mark xvi. 15 : " Go ye unto all the 
 world, and preach the Gospel to every creature,*^ Here 
 is the universality of the commission, but it does not 
 and cannot extend farther than the length and breadth 
 of the Atonement. A gospel for every creature ne- 
 cessarily implies an atonement for every creature. 
 Here then is the universality, and that which follows 
 reveals the principle of God's procedure in reference 
 to those to whom this gospel is proclaimed : " He that 
 believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believ- 
 eth not shall be damned." It is evident that those who 
 perish as well as those who aie saved have a relation to 
 the same atonement, which could not be if for the 
 former there had been really no atonement at all. 
 
 The next that occurs according to the order already 
 specified — Luke ii. 70 : " The Angel said. Behold I 
 bring yua good tidings of great joy, which shall be to 
 all people, for unto yoa is born in the city of David a 
 Savour, which is Christ the Lord." 
 
 Again, John iii. 16 : ** God so loved the world that 
 he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth 
 in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 
 Here rlie love of God as manifested in the gift of the 
 Son, was a love to the world'-tk love not restricted so 
 far at the Atonement ia concerned to the Elect. There 
 
 .<a* 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 19 
 
 is evidently a great difference in the extent of the love 
 on God's part in giving the Son, and the limitation 
 occasioned in connexion with the reception or rejection 
 of that Son by the world. That diflference is most 
 clearly asserted in the verse. 
 
 We are aware that some have tried to make out that 
 by the world here is meant the elect, and they even 
 sometimes try to improve God's woid to suit their 
 limited views, by the interpolation of the qualifying 
 word elect before world. But Dr. Wardlaw, of Glas- 
 gow, has, in one of his Essays, shewn the absurdity of 
 any such supplement ; and instead of improving the 
 verse, it would make it read absurdly, for it would 
 read thus : " God so loved the elect world, that 
 he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever'''' — who- 
 soever of what? Whosoever of the elect believeth, 
 which would imply that not all, but only some of the 
 elect might believe, which is contradictory. Besides 
 it would be making the word world apply exclusively 
 to the elect, whereas in its general meaning in Scrip- 
 ture it stands rather in contradistinction to the elect. 
 The eiect are those called or chosen out of the world. 
 
 Notice now the succeeding verse : ** For God sent 
 not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but 
 that the tcorld through him might be saved." 
 
 The next passage to which we advert is the beauti- 
 ful prayer of our blessed Redeemer for his Disciples 
 shortly before his sufferings and subsequent separation 
 from them, John xvli. 9, " I pray not for the world, but 
 for them thou hast given me." Verse 20, " Neither pray 
 I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe 
 on me through their word, that they all may be one ; 
 as thou Father art in me and 1 in thee ; that they also 
 ! one in us : that the World may believe that 
 
 • ' !» 
 
 ^1 
 
 ■i ■ :»i 
 
 h. 1 
 
 may 
 
20 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 thou Jiait sent mey On a hasty inspection of this pas- 
 sage, more espectally the 9th verse, persons have been 
 led to regard it as a proof of a limited atonement r 
 and it has often been adduced in this way ; but 
 it is entirely beside the true scope of the passage. 
 Observe, in the passage there are two principal objects 
 of desire of our Savour regarding his people, viz., theiir 
 holiness, verses 15-19 ; and their union, verses 21-23. 
 The usefuhies& and efficiency of his church in its rela- 
 tion to the world, depended very materially on a spirit 
 of holy union. While his prayer is directly for his 
 disciples, it is indirectly for the world ;, it is that the 
 world may be influenced and induced to believe in the 
 Son of God through a holy and united agency on the 
 part of his followers. So far then from this prayer ex- 
 cluding the world from his regard, it is a most bcauti 
 ful and touching manifestation of his desire for the 
 salvation of the world. His ardent prayer terminates 
 on this as a great object, " that the ivorld may hdieveP 
 and repeated in verse 23, " that the world may know 
 that thou hast sent me." In a word, it is a prayer for 
 the holiness and union o-f his professing people that 
 through their instrumentality the worliL may be con- 
 verted unto God.* . . 
 
 Again, observe 1st Cor. xv. 1-3: " Moreover, Bre» 
 thren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached 
 unto you, which also ye liave received and wherein ye 
 stand, by which also ye are saved," &c., *' For I deliv- 
 ered unto you first of all that which I also received how 
 that Christ died Jar our sins according to the Scrip- 
 tures." Now, observe here the prominence the AjDOstle 
 gave to the atonement of Christ. When he preached 
 the Gospel, he delivered this great truth first of all, 
 
 * Sec a beautiful Tract eutillcil, " I i>:ay not for the World." 
 
 ,4' 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 31 
 
 He did not wait till they ^vere believers before lie could 
 stand among them and say, "Christ died for our sins.'* 
 No, it was a first, a principal truth. Had the Apostle 
 required them first to believe the Gospel before he could 
 tell them that truth, then the dfficulty would be to find 
 out what gospel they could have believed, or Paul 
 could have preached to them prior to his prolaiming to 
 them this great doctrine of Atonement. 
 
 The next passage in order is that important one in 
 il Cor. v. J 4. " 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 who 
 live should not live to themselves, but to him that died 
 for them and rose again." Here the Apostle even 
 proves the universality of human guilt and depravity 
 by the extent of the atonement. Why should Christ 
 die for all if all were not dead ] This passage, in con- 
 nection with the 10th verse, teaches us that human 
 guilt, human accountability, and the Atonement, have 
 a universality of extent. To limit the one might 
 as reasonably lead to the limitation of the rest. 
 
 Observe also in connection with this the beautiful 
 passage at the close of this chapter, verse IS to the end. 
 
 Again, i. Tim. i. 15 : " This is a faithful saying and 
 worthy of all acceptation," &c. Still farther, ii. 1-6. 
 ** Prayers are to be made for all men," and why ? be- 
 cause, v. 3, " This is good and acceptable in the sight of 
 God our Saviour, who will have all me?i to be saved, 
 and to come to the knowledge of the truth, for there is 
 one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the 
 man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, 
 to be testified in due time." 
 
 i 
 
 Notice also in Heb. ii. 9, it is stated that " he tasted 
 death for every man." 
 
 % 'A 
 
 1 m 
 
 ft! 
 
 %'.' 
 
 % 
 
as: 
 
 THB A'SONBMCNT OF OIlRlVn 
 
 Also, Titus \l 11: "For tlie Grace of QoJ thaft 
 bringeth salvation to all men bath appeared, teaGhing/^ 
 &c. This is the proper tnmhtaom, aad is- s» given ii»- 
 the marginal notes. 
 
 Another explicit statement is made to us in i. John 
 ii. I : " We have an advocate with the Father Jesus 
 Christ the righteous ; and he is the propitiation for our 
 sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole 
 world." A passage so plain and nnambiguous that to 
 cramp and limit it would be a dangerous mode of in- 
 terpretation. We have no more authority to make, the 
 whole world in this passage mean less than it does in 
 Rom. iii. 19, where it is stated, ** All the world is guilty 
 before God.*'* 
 
 These are only a selection of passages from many 
 that either expressly affirm or evidently imply that the 
 Atonement of the Son of God was not for some only, 
 but for all ; not for the Elect exclusively, but for man- 
 kinc^ generally. Hence the importance of the great 
 commission, and the deep responsibility resting on the 
 church to carry that gospel round the world, and by a 
 holy separation from the world, and a union of heart 
 and cooperation of effort to be the subordinate agency 
 under the Spirit of God in effecting the evangelization 
 of the whole human family, (John xvii. 21-23.) 
 
 * For a more extended illustration of these and other passages, see a most 
 valuable treatise published by the Evangelical Union, entitled, " The Extcut 
 of the Propitiation." See also my *' Hiddeu GospoV Sec. i. 
 
 A 
 
 '^. 
 
 ^5si<^ 
 
 ^' 
 
TH= ATOmMBNT OP CHRIST. 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 ■■i } i-.i,, ,i 
 
 ,i,i ./( ,",/,; 
 
 A UMIT£D ATONEMENT UN8CKIPTURAL AND 
 
 UNREASONABLE. 
 
 Having shewn from the word of God the great scrip- 
 tural doctrine of an atonement for all, we proceed now 
 to state our objections to tho dogma of Limited Atone* 
 ment. 
 
 Let us iirst define the doctrine, and the best method 
 is to give a brief statement of what it is from its own 
 abettors. 
 
 The following is a short extract from Junkyn on 
 
 ** Justification" : — , . , , 
 
 The person or persons whose sins lay on Jesus, and caused 
 his death, are his principals ; that is, they are the persons Tor whom 
 he acted and snffered— whose siQ ** he put away by the aacrifice of 
 himself," Hence, 
 
 They whose sins " he bore in his own body on the tree,'* 
 whose sins he sujffered for — (be^sause this is what is meant by biv 
 bearing them)— cannot, toithout the most palpable violation of alC 
 right, and law and justice, be themselves constrained to siilTer for 
 the same sins. " iShall not the judge of all the earth do right ?*' 
 . Therefore, 
 
 The atonement — the satisfaction rendered to divine justice, 
 is as extensive so, as the sheep of Christ's flock, and no more— thd 
 atonement is as long and as broad as the salvation of God. Or in 
 other words, they whose sins are washed out in the blood of CaU 
 vary, must be saved, and none others can be. " There is none 
 other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must 
 be saved. In other words. They, and all they for whom Christ 
 died — for whom he paid the ransom, or price of redemption, will 
 be saved, and none others. To maintain any other doctrine, is ta 
 abandon the atonement altogether. 
 
 Dr. Candlish also thus writes : 
 
 " The question being. In the first place. Was the death of Christ, 
 or his work of obedience unto death, considered in the light of a 
 satisfaction rendered to divine justice, and an atonement made for 
 liumaa guilt, undertaken and accomplished for any but the elect 7— 
 
H 
 
 tnt ATOPffcatENt O* CllRrtt. 
 
 we answer without qimlification or reserve, in the negatite, Thef 
 Jbrushom Chriai died art infaUiUly $avtd." 
 
 Also in page 91 he adSs, 
 
 Thus, in the first place, fur his name's sake, God being aiich as 
 lie is, must necessarily provide for all the sued of Christ being in 
 Hue time brought io him and savilngly ma/le one whh him ; nlher^ 
 wise, were any of them, to be finally lo8t-;-the punishment of their 
 sins having been acuititly bhrnc oy Christ^ — there would be tn;t49- 
 lies and inconaiaUnoy with God. 
 
 The Rev. Dr. Burns in the " Record" says, " The 
 price being paid, all for whom it is paid shall go .^ree 
 and none else." 
 
 The Rev. Dr. Willis al$o in tho same periodical 
 
 thus writes— • • • • . 
 
 '' No one denies (hat the blond of Christ is, in respect of inherent 
 value sufiicient not only 'o have atoned for all men, but for all 
 creatures-xangels as v. ell as men. But either it was according to 
 the will of God u j.rioe for all, or it was not, If it was, then the saK 
 vation of all must follow ; if Christ was made sin for every indivi- 
 dual of tlie human race, justice requires that all shall be made " the 
 righteousness of God in him." 
 
 Now observe in regard to these quotations there is a 
 certain harmony of view among these Limitarianif?. 
 Junkyn maintains that all for whom Christ died must 
 be saved, else there would be on the part of God the 
 most palpable violation of all right a7id law and justice^ 
 Dr. Candlish affirms there would be iv justice and incon- 
 si'itency with God, and Dr. Willis agrees and says Justice 
 requires their salvation, • r- • • ' 
 
 Our objections to such a view of the atonement ai'O 
 manifold, for, 
 
 1st. It is inconsistent with the nature of an atonement. 
 If an atonement were the literal endurance of the iden- 
 tical sufferings of those for whom it was made, then it 
 would necessarily be limited to those whose punishment 
 was thiis literally borne ; but this hypotheses is entirely 
 untenable because it would necessarily measure the 
 value and efficacy of Christ's atonement by the amount 
 
t 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 25 
 
 of suffering endnrcd. It would place all its value on 
 his suffering al<me to the exclusion of that arising from 
 his divine dignity. It would necessarily detract from 
 its infinite meritoriousness, because if the punishment 
 of more than the Elect had been boi-ne there would 
 have been an increase of suffering on his pait,. and if 
 fewer, there would have been loss. Besides it must be 
 fNident that there are elements of sufl'ering in the pun- 
 ishment of lost souls that never could have entered into 
 Christ's. He never endured remorse — ^lie never felt 
 the reproach of a guilty and accusing conscience. Even 
 in tJie darkest hour he could look up and say, " Mi/ God» 
 mi/ God." 
 
 We can hardly conceive then that any can hold such 
 a hypothesis, more especially as they sometimes speak 
 of its infinite value and its intrinsic sufficiencvfor angels 
 as well as men if God had so intended it. AVhen it is 
 said that Christ became sin for us, or a curse for us, we 
 are not necessarily to consider that He endured the 
 identical sufferings which we would have borne through- 
 out eternity, but that he endured such suhstitiitionary 
 irufferings as, in connexion with his divine dignity, Jeho- 
 vail regarded as sufficiently honouring to his moral ad- 
 ministration, nay more honouring in being borne by 
 Christ, than is\ the literal punishment on the offenders 
 iJien* "'elves, so that the Father can now in perfect con- 
 sistency with the full requisitions of his law, grant forgive- 
 ness of sin to all who come to Him through the infinite 
 
 merits of his Son. 
 
 ,.i,( 
 
 .V.5 
 
 2nd. There are no passages in the word of God which 
 expressly assert that Christ died for tlie elect only. It 
 is true we read, that " he loved the Church and gave 
 himself for it," and that " he laid down his life for the 
 sheep," yet there is noj^assage that positively affirms "' 
 
26 
 
 THE ATONEMBNT OT CHRIST. 
 
 thmt he died fbr them only, while there are numerous 
 passages which plainly declare that he died for others 
 besides those who shall ultimately be saved ; yea that 
 ** he died for all/' that " he is the propitiation for the 
 sins of the whole world." I ; i . 'IJI J i; -i 
 
 3rd. If there are any for whom no atonement has been 
 made, their salvation is a moral impossL'7'ti/. For 
 such Christ is not, and can not be a Saviour, f v^r them 
 no door has been opened into spiritual pastures. Be- 
 tween them and eternal life there exist all the obstacles 
 that lie between Satan and eternal happiness. God is 
 not able to save them to the uttermost, else it H^^ could 
 save any without an atonement, we do not see why he 
 could not save all. We are generally accustomed to 
 warn the sinner that if he perish, the whole blame will 
 be attributable to his rejection of Christ ; but if this the- 
 ory be correct he perishes for want of atonement, for 
 want of that which, according to Limitarians, would have 
 necessarily secured his salvation. There can be no Gos- 
 pel for those for whom Christ did not die. To such the 
 gospel message (if it deserves the name) would be like 
 entering a prison and locking the door behind us and 
 beseeching the prisoner to escape. He asks for an open- 
 ing. He looks above, but the thick ceiling is between 
 him and the blue sky. He looks around and the massy 
 walls of his dungeon hem him round. He looks to the 
 window and its iron gratings present an insuperable 
 obstacle. He looks to the door, but it is bolted, it is 
 barred. The message is a mockery. But notice how 
 the scriptures describe it, it is preaching " deliverance to 
 the captive and the opening of the prison doors to them 
 that are bound." 
 
 4th. God is not willing to save any for whom Christ 
 did not die. It is not unusual with the abettors of a 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 27 
 
 limited atonement to rep'-esent that there is an unbound- 
 ed sufficiency in the atonement for all, yea for angels uh 
 well an men, if God had bo intended it. One of our 
 extracts at the head of this Section declares this. Dr. 
 Oandlish also avows that such is the infinite meritorious- 
 iiess of Christ's death, that had the number whom lie 
 represented been increased a hundred fold, it does not 
 appear that it would have been needful for him to havo 
 done or suffered more. Observe then, that which limits 
 the atonement to some only is just the will of God ; it 
 is just his pleasure. Hence it follows as a plain infer- 
 ence that God is not willing to save any for whom he 
 has provided no atonement. If He had been willing, 
 he would have included them. Notice, in contrast 
 with this, the explicit testimony of his own wor((.. 
 " God is long suffering, not willing that any should 
 perish." He will have all men to be saved and to 
 come to the knowledge of the truth." *' As I live saith 
 the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, 
 but rather that they would turn and live ; turn ye, turn 
 ye, why will ye die V* Our blessed Redeemer wept 
 over Jerusalem, saying, " O that thou hadst known the 
 things that belong to thy peace.'* " How often tvou/d 
 1 have gathered thy children together as a hen gathcr- 
 eth her chickens under her wings, and ye 2aoidc2 not" 
 
 Can we suppose the God of truth importunirg sin- 
 ners to turn and live and at the same time consider-that 
 in relation to multitudes who do not turn, that He had 
 leally no sincere desire, because he had long prior ex- 
 cluded them from an atonement. He is represented 
 as entreating them to run counter to his own will ; to 
 appropriate that which never had been provided for 
 them, the appropriation of which would be spiritual 
 robbery. ,. ;;^*-v^.m7^: -■ '-■ ^-'^ ■./' --.-.c ^:^-^ 
 
 \i ■;! 
 
 ^^1 
 
 rti 
 
18 THC ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 6tli. A limited atonement is inconsistent with a uni- 
 versal offer. Limitarians admit a universal ofTer, al 
 thougli it is singular they do not recognize that the* 
 terms so extensive employed in' describing Oie call 
 arc equally extensive in' describing the atonement- 
 Consistency seems to require that those only for whom 
 a^ Saviour has been provided, should have the offer of 
 that Saviour. There can be no '"good news" to any 
 Binner if Christ's work does not include that sinner. 
 Tnere cannot be good news for every creature, unless 
 there ia an atonement for every creature. A universal 
 offer based on a limited atonement is placing a broad 
 and mighty structure on a narrow foundation. It is 
 ])iacing the pyramid on its apex. 
 
 All however admit a universal ofler. To render the 
 t.wo harmonious it is perhaps stated, that we are to 
 make a universal offer, because we do not know who 
 the Elect are. We are to of!er to all indisciiminatcly 
 because we are ignorant of those for whom atonement 
 has been made. We reply that this would make the 
 universal oflfcr merely human. If in your ignorance, 
 }ou make your ofler extend to more than those for 
 whom Christ died, you make your human offer stretch 
 beyond God's. 
 
 ]3ut you are ready to affirm that the universal offer 
 is not merely man's, it is God's offer. We reply, — 
 {Suppose then that by some divine communication you 
 were made acquainted with tiie fact that for certain 
 sinners to whom you came> no atonement had been 
 made, could you say to each of them sincerely and 
 lionestly, •' Believe- in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou 
 shah be saved ?" Would you not be making a state- 
 ment that was really not true, and employing an ear- 
 nestness that was only a mockery. Now how is God .' 
 
TilG ATONEMENT OP OlIRIST. 
 
 •j9 
 
 •y^pvesented in a Limited Atonement ? He is exhibit- 
 ing as offering salvation and accompanying that oflci- 
 v/ith the most solemn entreaty, to those for whom hv 
 knows no atonement has been made. He is placed in a 
 position in which a human being wouKl be ashamed to 
 stand. Here then is the dilemma. Is it said that llie 
 universal offer is man's, then wo ask, why make it 
 stretch beyond 'God's ? Is it said that the universal 
 offer is God's, .tlicn to speak with thedeepest reverence 
 you represent God as tantalizing the non-elect wirii 
 false offers of mercy. 
 
 6th. A limited atonement presents us with the sin- 
 gular incongruity of God's requiring multitudes of the 
 human family to believe in Christ as a Saviour " able to 
 save to the uttermost," whilst there are infinitely 
 mightier obstacles between them and salvation than 
 unhclicf^ The insuperable legal obstacles arising from 
 the justice and holiness of God have not been removed. 
 These could only be removed by the atonement of 
 Christ. It io therefore abundantly evident that those 
 for whom no atonement has been made, are not, and 
 cannot consistently be regarded as under the condition 
 of the new arrangement, "believe and live." The re- 
 (|uisition of faith in Christ, therefore on their part as a 
 means of salvation is incongruous. 
 
 7th. A limited atonement present* us with the sin- 
 gular and awful spectacle of God's punishing with the 
 severest condemnation all those for whom Christ did 
 not die, and that too, becausie they would not trust in him 
 ■as a Saviour although he did not die for them. It can- 
 not be doubted but that a fearful condemnation is spo- 
 ken of in relation to unbelief and rejection of Christ. 
 It is not merely as transgressors oi the Law, but as re- 
 jectoi-B of the Gospel that those to whom the message 
 
 
 
 (J 
 n 
 
'JO 
 
 THE ATONEMEIfT OF CURIST. 
 
 I* 
 
 '■A 
 
 comes, are to be punished. " This is the condemnatiov 
 that light is come into the work], and men loved dark- 
 ness rather than light." " He that believeth not shall 
 be damned." " How shall we escape if we neglect so 
 great salvation 1" The Lord Jesus Christ is to be re- 
 vealed in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that 
 know not God and ober/ not the gospel, who shall be 
 ]>unished with everlasting destruction." Unbelief and 
 lejection of Christ incur the deepest condemnation, 
 and yet according to this theory that deepest condem- 
 iialion arises from not trusting in an atonement that was 
 never made for them. Without giving them the least 
 ]>ossibility of salvation through Christ, they are sunk 
 into aggravated guilt and misery. 
 
 7th. A limited atonement greatly obscures the gospel. 
 Our Saviour tells us, there is a gospel to be preached to 
 
 every creature. Limitarians however affirm that they 
 cannot tell sinners that Christ has died to make atone- 
 ment for their sins, until they believe. It is only after 
 they believe that they can tell them this " good news." 
 Now it is evident that if we cannot point sinners to an 
 atonement that has been made for them before they 
 believe, we cannot tell them of a Saviour able and wil- 
 ling to save. That could only be true in reference to 
 those for whom He died, for whom the price has been 
 paid and none else* Now what is the gospel that is to 
 be preached to every creature which is to be believed 
 2)rior to our being able to tell them that Christ is the 
 propitiation for their sins. , It must be a gospel inde- 
 pendent of the atonement, and if Limitarians preach an 
 atonement prior to the sinner's believing they are oxev- 
 stepping their own system. How different the course 
 of the holy apostle. " I was determined to know nothing 
 among you but Christ and Him crucified." When he 
 went among tiie Corinthians prochiiming the *'good 
 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 :u 
 
 news," he did not proclaim some kind of gospel and 
 after they believed it, he could say, " Christ died for 
 our sins ; but it was the jirst^ the principal truth by 
 believing which they were saved, and it is thus he 
 writes, "I delivered unto you,^?-*^ ofall^ that which I 
 also received, how that Christ died for our sins accord- 
 ing to the scriptures." .^ . ,.• • 
 
 Slh. A limited atonement is a very indefinite atone- 
 ment. It is true that such an atonement in the view of 
 (rod would be definite, that is he would know perfectly 
 those for whom it has been provided. But our enquiry 
 is not what is definite to Him, for what is there that is 
 not perfectly known to Him % That is not the rule 
 whereby we judge of what is definite or otherwise. 
 We judge of it by its aspect of distinctness to ourselves. 
 Now a propitiatory sacrifice offered and accepted only 
 for some, would be so far as man is capable of knowing 
 its extent, exceedingly indefinite. Ministers would be 
 required to preach at a peradventure, and in the dark. 
 They would not know but they might be dealing so 
 earnestly and energetically with persons for whom n(» 
 propitiatory work has been provided. An unlimited 
 atonement on the other hand gives assurance that there 
 is an atonement sufllicient for all, and that the great 
 obstacle between the sinner and salvation is unbelief. 
 His object is to seek the removal of that obstacle by 
 preaching Christ and Him crucified. God's desire 
 (2 Pet. iii. 9) and Christ's prayer (John xvii. 21) as well 
 as his propitiation are that " the world might be saved." 
 (John iii. 17.) ., .^. ^ •_„ ,;, ,^ ,..^„ ;^ ^ 
 
 9th. A Limited Atonement presents us with a most 
 inconsistent view of what is termed the sufficiency of the 
 Atonement. Many who advocate this doctrine ncver- 
 theleaa very gravely assert that there is a sufficiency 
 
 :5 n 
 
 m 
 
 i \ 
 
 i:i 
 
M 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OP CIIHIST. 
 
 far all. They attempt to draw a distinction betwecra 
 its sufficiency for all and its efficiency for someyhfi if Christ 
 in some inexplicable way died in two senses. The ob- 
 scurity in their case, we consider, arises from their at- 
 tributing to the atonement itself a difference, which is 
 clearly traceable to the difference of position in respect 
 to the atonement. Believers look to Christ — they en- 
 joy light ; unbelievers reject Christ—they are in dark- 
 ness. Th,e difference \: wot in Christ or hie work, but 
 in their aspect either towards or against him. It would 
 just be a.s correct to say that the difference between 
 day and liight was attributable to a difference in the 
 sun. The sun is the same, whether it be to us day or 
 night, summer .or winter ; the difference is clearly 
 traceable to the changes of our position in relation to 
 that luminary. So with Christ ; " He is the same yes- 
 terday, to day and forjeyer," and whatever changes we 
 experience are not in him, but arise from our relation 
 to him. 
 
 Failing however to realize this simple and important 
 distinction, while they maintain that all for whom Christ 
 died must be saved, and consequently lirnit the Atone- 
 ment really to the Elect, they, nevertheless, for the 
 sake of an appea;rance of consistency with a free saJvar 
 tion, endeavour to represent that the Atonement i.s 
 sufficient for all. But it is to be observed how this 
 sufficiency is described. According to Drs. Candlish 
 and Willis, such is the intrinsic value of the propitia- 
 tory sacrifice of Christ, that it is sufficient to atone not 
 only for all men but for Angels as well as men if God 
 had so intended it. Now, ebserve what kind of uni- 
 versal sufficiency this is: It is 9 suffi<:i«ncy extending 
 to the non-elect in the same sense as it might extend 
 to angels jf jCrod JiaiJ fjlen fit thus to extend it. What 
 
•tilt AtONtMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 0^ 
 
 is this but a mere hypothetical sufficiency ? It nav 
 exist intrinsically in the atonement, but it is r.a more 
 available for those for whom it has not been provided, 
 than for devils. It is a sufficiency according to this 
 view extending' equally to both. It is evident that 
 when Limitarians tilfc^of a sufficiency for all, they are 
 using a phrase that has nothing really under it — it is 
 a mere assumption-^a mere name. Suppose that as a 
 debtor I am put into prison and'have nothing to pay; 
 what advantage would *it be to be able to tell me that 
 there is a sufficiencyof money in the Bank of England 
 to pay all my debts, and not mine only but thousandc; 
 of others if the Directors were -v^illing to do so. Tliat 
 mere sufficiency- tliat did not give me a warrant and 
 ground of encouragement to make application would 
 be entirely valueless. So we must be able to shew 
 sinners the abundant warrant that they have to come 
 unto God through Christ, — a warrant that could not be 
 valid on the hypothetical sufficiency adverted to. 
 
 10th. A'limited atonement is a great barrier to the 
 enquiring. sinner's finding peace. As there can be no 
 salvation beyond the cireuwiferenice of the atonement, 
 the anxious sinner mayvfesy properly be per(»lexed 
 with the enquiry; whether'the-aUonement includes him. 
 As the Rev. Mr. McCheyne remarks in one of his ser- 
 mons.* *' It gives no comfiirt'to knovvr that Christ is a 
 precious Saviour, to others^ un4^ss 1 know that he is a 
 precious Savi6ur't6'me. If the deluge is coming on-*- 
 the windows! orheaven opened; and the fountains of the 
 great deep broken 'up— it gives me no peace, to kno"* 
 that there id an ark for others, unless yoHtelli me that 
 it ii an ark for me. You may tell me of Christ's right- 
 eousness for ever, and of the safety of all that are in him;. 
 
 I? 
 
 in 
 
 
 *No.'45. 
 
34 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 but you must convince me that that righteousness an* 
 swers me and is offered to me, else I have no comfort." 
 , Now if Christ only died for some, how is the sinner 
 to be able to find out whether he is one of the some — 
 the knowledge so necessary to his peace. There are 
 only two ways. Either he must get some special mi- 
 raculous communication from heaven — some private 
 nible for himself, or the knowledge must be obtained 
 inferentially from something else. As regards the first, 
 it is not to be expected. As to the second method of 
 obtaining it as a deduction from some mental exercises 
 or experiences, it is entirely unsatisfactory. It is re- 
 (juiring sinners to look inwardly into their own hearts 
 to obtain a warrant to trust in Christ, whereas the Bible 
 way is to look outwardly to the word of God to get 
 God's own warrant. Dr. Chalmers thus exposes this 
 fallacious and unsatisfactory mode of seeking salvation : 
 
 " Instead of looking broadly out on the gospel as an offer, t!>ey 
 look as atixionely inward upon themselves for the personal qiialifi- 
 catioti of faith, as they ever did upon the personal qualification nf 
 obedience. This transfers their attention from that which is sure, 
 even the promises ofG jd — to that which is unsure, even their own 
 tickle and fugitive emotions. Instead of thinking upon Christ, they 
 are perpetually thinking upon themselves — as if they could dii^cover 
 Him in the muddy recesses of their own hearts without previously 
 admitting him by the avenue of a direct and open perception.. 
 Thid is not the way the children of Israel looked out upon the ser> 
 pent that was lifted up in the wilderness- They did not pore upon 
 their wounds to mark the progress of healing there ; nor did they 
 reflect on the power and perfection of their seeing faculties ; net 
 did they even sufi'er any duubt that stilt lingered in their imagintir 
 tions, to restrain them from the simple act of lifting up their eyeii." 
 — Om Rom, iv. 16. 
 
 Hear also how the sainted McOueyne justly con- 
 demns it, ^ ;.;. >;„ ;,..^^, , , ,, ^, 
 
 " Examine from whence yonr comfort flows. All trne gospel 
 comfort flo.va froD) the cross of Christ-*frotN the Man of Sorrows. 
 The comfort of hypocrites flows from themselves. They look to 
 themselves for comfort ; they look to the change on their life— they 
 see some improvements there, and take rest from that; ur, they 
 look, deeper to their concern—their mourning over sin— their con- 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 35 
 
 victions— iheir encl«nvonrs after Christ; or, they look to their de- 
 voiions— tiieir delight in prayer— their ilpwing of affections and 
 words; or to texts of the Bible coming into their minds; or, they 
 look to what their friends or ministers think of them, and they take 
 comfort from these. All these are refuges of lies— false Christs. 
 that must be castaway, or they will ruin your soul. Christ s blood 
 and righteousness, and not any work in your own heart, must be 
 your justification before a holy God. True Gospel comfort comes 
 from a sight of Christ's bearing double for all our eins. " Behold 
 the Lamb of God!" Gospel comfort is a stream that flows direct 
 from Calvary." 
 
 Again he says, 
 
 " But many look in for righteousness; they begin to look to their 
 srinciification for peace; they begin to look to the work of the Spi- 
 rit in them for righteousness, instead of the work of the Son for 
 tliem. This grieves the Spirit. This is quite contrary to the divine 
 plan of salvation — dishonours the law — makes Christ dead in vain" 
 
 The mode thus condemned so clearly is that into 
 which Limitarians are pushed in adherence strictly to a 
 Limited Atonement, — 0! what a hiding of the glorious 
 <TOspel. How it withdraws the attention of the sinner 
 from the only sacrifice— even "the Lamb of God that 
 taketh away the sin of the world." 
 
 11th. A limited atonement has no proper analogy n 
 th\ types and. cmhlems of Scripture. Christ is the Light 
 of the world. When a man walks in darkness, it is not 
 i)ecause there is no light in the sun of righteousness, 
 hut " because he will not come to the light." Christ is 
 the great Physician. Has he power to heal those only 
 who are actually healed ? Is not the death of a sinner 
 traceable not to want of healing powe • in Christ but to 
 want of a personal application to that healing virtue. 
 Christ's blood is a fountain opened for sin and unclean- 
 ness, but it will be known that those who were not 
 washed in that Spiritual Jordan, remained vile, not 
 from any deficiency in Christ, but because they prefer- 
 red the Abana and Fharpar of their own righteousness. 
 Christ is the spiritual manna. Had the manna only 
 
 I 
 
 
96 
 
 TflE ATONIilMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 power to nourish those who were actually nourished? 
 Had an individual of the Israelites refused to eat of it, 
 it would be absurd to cha^ge-his death on any deficiency 
 of a nutritive virtue in the food. Christ is tiie smitten 
 Rock. Had not the water, fromit, a, power. to assuage 
 the thirst of those who would not di-ink ias those who 
 did? He was typified by.tJie City of .Refuge; bat 
 tlid not its gates stand open to every one placed in the 
 circumstances to require it. He was typified by the 
 Brazen Serpent, but. who would limit the healing virtue 
 through it, only to those who were actually healed ? 
 The only reason for any perishing was that they did 
 not look. The defect was not in the serpent but in 
 themselves. So also the blood of the sacrinces and of 
 tiie Paschal lamb, and various other emblems are em- 
 ployed in scripture, to set fortht the. fullness, the free- 
 ness and the fitness of gospel grace for all sinners, yea 
 the very chief; and most emphatically .to warn all 
 to whom the gospel comes, that if they perish, t?i€f/ 
 destroy themselves. (Hos. xiii. 9) ** How shall we escape, 
 if we neglect so great salvation 1" 
 
 12th. A limited atonement cannot he ^pro.ache(l. We 
 comnend to the attention of the reader the following 
 eloquent remarks from the pen of a Presbyterian min- 
 ister in the United States, who is known in Britain and 
 this Continent as one of the greatest Commentators in 
 the present day. AVe refer to the Rev. Dr. A. Barnes, 
 of Philadelphia. ,He thus writes in the Biblical Re- 
 pository : — 
 
 " There is a third foTin of theology wfhich may be noticed, in it^ 
 relation to preaching, similar to those already referred to. It is 
 ihnt which men are constrained to abandon when they come )0 
 preach, or which.will pot bear tho.test»applied to it, when they 
 engage earnestly in an effqrt to convert sinners to God. It muy 
 be tanght in the'sehools^it may be 'defended by a venerable tradh- 
 4ion— it may be embodi^ in creeds, .or in standard systems of th&- 
 
 ifcf 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 37 
 
 '^logy-'but it cannot be preached. It contains dogmas so abhor- 
 tenl to the obvious teaching of the Bible— so repellantto the com- 
 tnon sense of iiiankind-^o at variance with what are Tound to be 
 just principles of philosophy— so much fitted to retard a work of 
 grace, and so iiUerly contradictory to what a man is constrained to 
 preach When his heart is fiill, and' when he has the most enlarged 
 und elevated views of tlie work of his Saviour, that he cannot 
 preach them, tt would shock his own feelings — it would contra- 
 
 «lict all his pi'ayers— it vvould be fatal to all his efforts to do good 
 
 it would throw off the sinner to a hopeless distance, though he had 
 hegiin 10 return to God— i»' would present theology as at war witjj 
 the elementary conviciic. j which men have of what must be true. 
 
 *' Among those dogmas, we may mention the doctrine cy( limited 
 atonement. It would be improper to deny that plausible argumen- 
 taiion may be adduced m favour of that d >ctrine; and' still more, 
 that it has been held by men of great eminence in theology— but it 
 Cannot be preached. It does not suggest itself to a man's mind 
 when he ia preaching — it does not fall in with the design of preach- 
 ing. When a man is most deeply engaged in his work, ii cannot 
 be preached. It must always be practically abandoned when, un- 
 der the highest influence of his commission', and under the con- 
 straint of the highest motives which press on the soul, the preacher 
 offers the gospel to his. fellow-men. Then, there in nothing that 
 more cramps the powers and fetters the hand.s, and chills the heart 
 of a preacher, than such a doctrine; and though there may be. 
 here and there, one so c'early and thoroughly trained in sue!) u 
 form of systematic theology, so fettered and bound by authority, 
 and by the manacles of a creed, so wholly under the influence of' a 
 tlieology derived from pa.4t ages, that he will haVe the moral cour- 
 age to stand up in the pulpit and defend the dogma — freeze liini 
 though it does, and grate on the feelings of, his hearers thou^';h it 
 may — yet it is not'a dbgmathat is. or can be; extensively preached. 
 It never has been'~-it never will be. It comes so across a minis- 
 ter's commission; to " preach the gospel to every creature," imply- 
 ing that the gospel is to be, without mental reservation on the part 
 of God or man, offered to every human being — it is so contrary to 
 the current statements of the New Testamen' ^liout the design of 
 t'he atonement, as understood by the matts of readers of thatbook-^ 
 it is so chilling to the gushing-feelings of a preacher, when his heart 
 warms with cotnpassion for guilty men — it is so contradictory tu 
 tlie prayers which he must'ofl^r, in the sanctuary and in his nearest 
 approaches to the throne of mercy in private — it is so cold and 
 withering in its influence otrthe heart, that men will not preach it. 
 If they fell that it was an essential and necessary part of their mes- 
 sage, they vvould abandon preaching altogether, and engage in far- 
 Muiig, or teaciung« or the mechanicarts— an j/.t/iiiij', rather than have 
 their better feelings subjected to constant torture. 
 
 *' As a niattiBf of fact, therefore, thedbctrine of limited atonement 
 is not, and catinot be preached. It is found m ancient books of 
 divinity, written in a sterner age, and when the principles of inter- 
 pretation Were less understood, and the large and liberal nature of 
 the gospel was less appreciated. It is " petrified" in certain <sree4s 
 
 :S'' 
 
38 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 maintained by the church— made flrm, Hke fossil remains in a tran* 
 sjtion state, when ancient opinions were passing to a more libenil 
 form. It is taught in a few seminaries, where men feel themselves 
 coustrnined to repress the warm emotions of their own souls, and 
 ure prohibited from allowing their own minds to reach conclusions 
 which they can scarcely avoid. But the doctrine is not preached, 
 except when the heart is cold and dead. It is not preached wheu 
 the soul is on fire with the love of men, and when the cross, in ii!4 
 true grandeur and glory, rises to view. It is never preached in u 
 revival of religion— a proof, not fable, that the doctrine is not 
 true." 
 
 13th. A Limited Atonement was unknown in the 
 Christian Church till the ninth century. We have 
 before us an address on this subject delivered by the 
 Rev. G. Kennedy of Leith, Scotland, in which we have 
 a most clear and decided testimony to this effect. His 
 statements have not, so far as we are aware, been ques- 
 tioned. In reviewing the writings pf the early Fathers 
 <jf the Christian Church, he gives brief extracts suffi- 
 ciently sn '?:''■ "ory on this point. We shall advert only 
 to a few out of many. In the first century we look to 
 the infallible writings of the Apostles. In the second 
 century, Irenaeus says, " Christ tvas the Saviour oftht 
 whole human family ^^ and Justin Martyn affirms, 
 " Christ icrought out a great salvation for manliimV 
 In the third century, Origen a most distinguished writer 
 says, " Christ gave himself for the redemption of tltv- 
 entire human race ; to redeem those who were in bond- 
 age, by tasting death for every man?^ Cyprian, Bishop 
 of Carthage, affirms, " Christ's death was designed to 
 benefit or save those that despise him and ultimatchj 
 perish" - • •: ■ -^^ ■<j\^ ..ur- ^^y • - ■;. •.. ■ . ,•;.'. .' 
 
 In the 4th century, we have many writers, but wc 
 shall only mention the names of Chrysostom and Au- 
 gustiiie. The former declares, "Christ died, not for 
 believers onlyt hut for the whole world." Augustine, one 
 of the most renowned of the Fathei-s, was the great 
 
 '■^' 
 
TBE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 30 
 
 champion of Predestination. Pelagius and some of his 
 disciples charged him in connexion with that doctrine 
 with holding a limited atonement, that Christ died only 
 for the elect. In his reply he repudiates tfie cJuirge, and 
 complains of tJteir Jalsdy accming Idm, Altogether 
 abouu twenty instances may be noted in his writings 
 where he maintains the universality of the atonement. 
 He declares that Christ died for Judas, though he ulti- 
 mately perished. In the sixth century, Primasius a 
 great admirer of Augustine, writes " Christ died for all, 
 and shed his blood for every man, though only those 
 that believe shall be saved," We caimot however do 
 better than quote, in conclusion, Mr. Kennedy's own 
 words, — 
 
 •' During the firsteight hundred years, tben.ofUve Christian era. 
 the doctrine of a limited atonement did uot originate. We have 
 endeavoured to lay before you, calmly, yet candidly, the evidence 
 upon the subject, eo far ae it may be gathered from ecclefiiastical 
 history. In case any of yoM should suppose that the speaker slandti 
 alone in (his conclusion, he may be allowed to say that he is \Qry 
 far from that. II names a<re of any u»e. E may say, that Vossius, 
 Dally, Whitby, Goodwin, and Bishop Davenant, all agree in eay- 
 nig that the doctrine of an atonement for the elect only was not 
 known during the first eight centuries.; and all these ire men who 
 had not many equals in rheir extensive and accurate knowledge of 
 the history of the Christian Church. 
 
 " It now remains for us, in a very few words> to say when tiiis 
 dogma of a limited atonement was originated, tenaciously main- 
 tained, and fearlessly proctaiuaed. In the year 847, a monk, of the 
 name of Godeschalous, enamoured of Augustine's predestinarian 
 views, began v«ry boldly to propagate them. On the notion that 
 Christ died only iot the elect, he laid peculiar stress. This he main- 
 tained, and quite legititoately, iowed, by nocessury consequence, 
 from AugU8tin«'s doctrine of predestination. Kabanas Maurus, 
 tn whose diocese Godeschalcu8 laboured at the time he began to 
 propound Uiis novel doctrine, wrote and spoke against him in va- 
 rious ways ; and at last assembled a council, when the monk was 
 dtill farther condemned. He was then sent back to Hincmar, 
 Archbishop of Rheinis, frona whom he eriginaily received the order 
 of priesthood. Here, ia the year 848, another council was assem- 
 bled, in which he was condemned a second time, and " was also 
 treated in a manner equally repugnant to the principles of religion 
 and the dictates of humanity." Because he still maintained hia 
 <jo£Lriiie« he was im^riMjaed, wheire he lingered till the year BC^, 
 
 
 i 
 
 ^ -li^^^ 
 
/ 
 
 49 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OF CIIRI8T. 
 
 when he died ; affirming with his last breath the truth of his viewet 
 Thus did the limited atonement originate." 
 
 What evidence can be plainer and more explicit with 
 regard to the origin of this dogma which has done, and 
 Rtill does much to cramp and confine the fulness of the 
 Gospel of Christ. And in connexion, with this it is re- 
 markable to notice that although the name of Calvin 
 has been associated so much with this doctrine and 
 others of a kindred nature, yet there is the greatest room 
 to doubt whether really that great Reformer did hold 
 that doctrine in the stringent way held by many that 
 adopt his name. The Rev. Dr. Jenkyn a most able 
 writer on the atonement, and who has most clearly de- 
 monstrated its universality, states that he has examined 
 the whole of Calvin's Institutes for the express purposf> 
 of ascertaining this point, and he has not been able to 
 find a single passage which asserts that Christ died for 
 the elect only, or for those only who shall ultimately 
 be saved. And in addition to this it is highly worthy 
 of notice that Calvin in his last will and testament, 
 written a little before his death.thus says, " I testify also 
 and profess, that I humbly seek from God, that he may 
 so w-ill me to be wasiied and purified by the great 
 Redeemer's blood, sited for the sins of the ivholc human 
 race, that it may be permitted me to stand before his 
 tribunal under the covert of the Redeemer himself.!' 
 
 ... v.H 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 41 
 
 SECTION- IV. 
 
 A LIMITED ATONEMENT IN RELATION TO THE 
 ELECT AND THE NON-ELECT INCONSISTENT 
 WITH TffE SCHEME OF GRACE. 
 
 Eph. ii. P " By grace are yo savctl through I'.iith." 
 
 The reader's attention is again solicited to the de- 
 cription of Limited Atx>nemeiit at the beginning of the 
 previous Section. The statements there made, thougii 
 abundantly harmonious with one another, are entirely 
 inharmonious with divine grace. It is there stated that 
 all for whom Christ died, viust be ^^ved— justice re- 
 Vjuires it; " they cannnot, according to Jenkyn, lodhout 
 the most palpable violation of all right, law and justice, 
 be themselves constrained to suffer for the same sinft,'* 
 and to this Dr. Candlish agrees in saying, there would 
 be injustice and inconsistency/ toith God. 
 
 Now it is important to notice tins aspect. oi the doc- 
 trine. Let us look briefly at it in its relation to tho 
 •Elect and Non-Elect. First to 
 
 
 THE ELECT. 
 
 The Elect are those for whom, according to this 
 view, atonement has been made; for whom alone it is 
 a price, and therefore in reference to whom God i« 
 obliged by justice and consistency to pardon their sins 
 and save them — and to act otherwise would be a viola- 
 tion of all right and law and justice. It follows there- 
 fore most legitimately 
 
 1st. They never couWJiave been in a state of condem- 
 nation. If it would beunjust in God to condemn them 
 
u 
 
 TUE ATONEMENT Or CIIR/ST. 
 
 because the punishment of their sins w^s literally bornr 
 by Christ, then tiie question arises, were they ever in 
 condemnation ? If it would bo a violation of all law 
 and justice to condemn them in ctcrnitij, would it not 
 bo equally a violation of justice and consistency to con- 
 demn them in time ? Now, we ask, Is this in harmony 
 with the word of God 1 Does it not speak of Believ- 
 ers as having been in a stale of condemnation prior to 
 their faith in Christ — as dead in trespasses and sins — 
 as children of wrath even as others — without Christ and 
 wilUout hope ? Now to speak of them as having been 
 so. would necessarily be a reflection of the deepest 
 kind on God, charging him with a violation of justice 
 and consistency. Does not this doctrine also lead most 
 plainly to the conclusion, that at the present momeni, 
 all the unbelieving, ungod)y, gospel rejecting sinners, 
 ])ut who are among those for whom atonement has been 
 made, are in virtue of that atonement necessarily ex- 
 HUipted from condemnation prior to faith, for it would 
 be a violation of all right and law and justice on iht 
 part of God to regard them as under condemnation ? 
 
 2nd. This view necessarily renders salvation indc 
 pendent of faith. If God is obliged by justice and con- 
 sistency to a certain procedure^ and the very supposi- 
 tion of any other would imply a violation of law, &c., 
 it is evident, that that renders the salvation of the Elect 
 entirely independent of faith. They must have been 
 in a state of salvation as much ^^brc believing as after. 
 Jt is true that the knowledge of this would be useful, 
 but the salvation itself was in no way conditioned on 
 faith. Now, the Word of God from beginning to end 
 ])oints us to the necessity of faith in order to salvation. 
 The great principle or rule of grace is kept prominently 
 before us: " BelbvQ aod Uve» believe aot aad perish.'* 
 
THE ATONEMENT OF CHRTST. 
 
 4fi 
 
 ** It 19 o{ faith, that it might be by grace." " Without 
 faith it is impossible to please God." 
 
 .'ird. It does not exhibit the remission of sins ^o those 
 for whom Christ died as jmrdon and Jorgice/icjs. If 
 justice requires it, if all right and law and consistency 
 licmand it, it is evident that this necessary and impera- 
 tive demand of Law is not pardon. It cannot be Jar- 
 s;iveucss. How unnecessary it would bo to look up and 
 say, Forqive us our trespasses. We do not consider 
 that a man is forgiving another a debt, injustice demands 
 thai: ihc liability should be cancelled. For example, 
 suppose an individual owed me a hundred pounds and 
 iiad nothing to pay, and another generous friend were 
 to interpose and pay me the identical amount in his 
 stead ; would it not bo absurd in me to pretend to for- 
 give and pardon my debtor 1 I am bound by justice 
 and consistency to do so, and in cancelling the obliga- 
 tion, there is strictly no pardon in the matter. 
 
 4tb. This view renders the remission of sin to the 
 elect a matter of right and justice, and not an act of 
 free grace. The whole word of God is most emphati- 
 cally explicit in regarding the whole of a sinner's sal- 
 vation from its beginning to its consumniii.ion as all of 
 free grace. Grace not only in providing an atonement, 
 but grace still freely in exercise even after the atone- 
 ment is provided. It is evident, however, that what- 
 ever grace may be manifested in the original appoint- 
 ment of Christ as the surety of sinners, certainly if it 
 obliges God by mere justice to save those for whom 
 atonement is made, all that is done after such an ap- 
 pointment is no longer free grace, but the demands of 
 strict law and justice. Drs. Jenkyn, Wardlaw, and 
 Payne, have unanswerably brought this objection to a 
 limited atonement, and it is a wonder tbat after the 
 
u 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 ^iowerful argumentative artillery of such men that it 
 still exists ; but it is evident that Limitarians themselves 
 in broaching their favorite dogmas have not seen the 
 •necessary tendency of their view to subvert grace i« 
 that scheme which is eraphatically a ^sc/icwe (f grace. 
 " Through.grace are ye saved." We are most ready 
 to allow that they are strenuous for grace, but we are 
 desirous that tliey sliauld not cleave to that which is 
 subversive of it. 
 
 On this point Dr. Wardlaw well obsei'ves, that he 
 objects to an atonement for the elect alone, because 
 says he, 
 
 " It excludes Pter,y thing 'of the nntiirc of grace from every part of 
 the sinners salvation, excepting the origimil appointment of the 
 •Surety, whose payment, in each case, 'df the estimated debt, can^ 
 oels '.he bond, and renders the Ubei'ation of the debtor not grucioiii 
 but obligatory,*^ 
 
 i 
 
 Dr. Payne also has a similar remark, he says, 
 
 " If renders the deiiver.ince of the elect from punishment. a mat- 
 ter of justice to them, 'i liere may, indeed, consijitentiy with this 
 opinion, have been grace in the acceptance and in the provision of 
 asiibstitiite ; but surely if tbateubstitiite endured the precise amount 
 of punishment which the strong arm uf the law would have other- 
 wise laid upon thotie whom-hfr-represented, there can he no grace 
 in remitting it afterwards to them." — Letters on Sovereignty. 
 
 Observe now-secondly in relerence to 
 
 THE NON-ELECT. 
 
 They are those for whom no atonement has beeti 
 made — noiprice paid — 
 
 1st. How are vve to. account for Crod's procedure to 
 ihem in suspending during their existence here, the 
 full amount of the penalty of their sins ? On .what 
 principle can \ye explain God's dealings with them in 
 sendiuo^ his Spirit to stiive with them — or offering them 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHIHST. 
 
 4ir 
 
 oeeri 
 
 salvation— in urging and beseeching them to bclievs 
 and live 1 i . ; ;■ >-l.- i 
 
 2nd. If all for whom atonement is made, must be 
 saved, it follows that when a sinner dies- in unbelief 
 and impenitence, that really no atonement- had ever 
 been made for him. Hence, 
 
 3rd. If during, that sinner's life any person proclaim' 
 ed a Saviour for him ; it turns out that he was trying to 
 ])ersuade him to put trust in that which had no exis- 
 tence ; to enter into the sheepfokl when for him there 
 was no door, and to get into which could only have 
 been by climbing up some other wjy as a- thief or a 
 lobber. 
 
 4th. According to this opinion, we need never be 
 concerned about sending the g<)sj)el to the perishing 
 heathen, or to any person around us ; for we would be 
 assured, that if there are any a?nong them or us to whom 
 the propitiation extends,- God is obliged by justice to 
 save them ; and of course also on the other hand if there 
 are none, what is the use of sending the gospel. In 
 reference then to the Heathen now perishing, to the 
 question, why do they perish 1 Scripture gives a reply 
 that appeals strongly to our sympathies and responsi- 
 bilities, it is "for lack of knowledge,^' but according !(»• 
 tlie opinion we are combating, it is for lack of that 
 which would have obliged God as-a mere act of justice 
 to save him. • . . 
 
 5th. "What is the use of. preaching. <7ie terrors of tlie 
 law to sinners at all 1 Paul was ledto say> " knowing, 
 the terror of the Lord; we persuade men." To preach 
 of the '* wrath to comci" and of the awful consequences 
 connected with sin and impenitence appears in his view 
 (to speak on-so grave asubjectwith revarence), entirely- 
 
46 
 
 TUE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 nugatory ; for in the first place, to seek to awaken the 
 minds of those for whom atonement is made by makii^g 
 known the terrors of ihe law, would be to warn them 
 of that which it would be a violation o{ a\l\aw and right 
 to inflict ; and secondly, to preach such truths to those 
 for whom no atonement is made is just " to torment them 
 before the timey Now, to hear ministers who hold such 
 views warning sinners, is entirely incongruous with 
 their own system. 
 
 6th. It would introduce a complete fatalism into the 
 scheme of grace. It would tend either to presumption 
 or despair. The sinner has no choice in the matter. 
 The atonement is a 'past transaction, finished eighteen 
 hundred years ago. He may reason — the price has 
 <^,ither been paid for me, or it has not. If it has, I must 
 be saved ; if it has not, I cannot. God only knows, I 
 leave that matter with himself, Were this view cor- 
 rect, would it not be i:i entire harmony with it for a 
 minister to address his congregation thus, — '• Dear 
 friends, You have all sinned anjainst God, and deserved 
 his wrath and curse ; but I have to tell you that an 
 atonement has been made of such a nature that all for 
 whom it is provided mi'M be saved, else God would be 
 unjust, and of course those for whom it has nor been 
 provided cannot be saved"; and here he might add the 
 words already (juoted " The price being 2^aidy all fur 
 ichom it is paid shall go free and none else." And if tUe 
 enquiry was. Has tfiat price been paid for me 1 no satis- 
 factory reply could be given. It would lead either to 
 presumption or despair. * ^ 
 
 7th. Such a doctrine must tend when legitimately 
 carried out, to strike at the root of the Church's respon- 
 sibility to carry the Gospel to the world, and also at the 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CBRIST. 
 
 47 
 
 sinners's accountability to God in receiving that Gospel 
 when it is preached. 
 
 O ! when will the professing Church learn the simple 
 lesson of preaching the Gospel to every creature, be- 
 lieving that there is an atonement for all, that there is a 
 glorious fulness and freeness in its provisions for the 
 eicigencies of a perishing world ; and that whatever 
 other reason or reasons there be why sinners are not 
 converted to '-^od, certainly that is not the true reason 
 that ascribet - a defectiveness in that propitiation 
 
 which is for ' Cu^ sins of the whole world" % 
 
 SECTION V. 
 
 A LI3IITED ATONEMENT INCONSISTENT WITH 
 
 THE STATEMENTS OF SOME OF THE MOST 
 
 EMINENT FREE CHURCH DIVINES. 
 
 Having satisfactorily, as we think, shewn that this ten- 
 et is neither in harmony with scripture nor reason, and 
 that it is subversive of grace, we shall now solicit the 
 reader's notice to a few extracts from some of the most 
 celebrated divines in the Free church of Scotand, in 
 order to prove that many of their statements are en- 
 tirely contradictory to what, by that church is held to 
 be a standard doctrine. 
 
 And here we have the pleasure of submitting a few 
 extracts from one whose praise has long been in all the 
 
m 
 
 {'!■£. ATONEJIENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 cliurehes, an. whose spirit we believe is now witii hia 
 Saviour. We refer to the late Dr. Chalmers.* In his 
 exposition of Rom. v. IS, 19, he saysr 
 
 And it is of vital importance for you to know, that the free gift, 
 though ii comes not upon youall in the v^y of absolute convey- 
 ance, it at least comes upon you all iu' the way of oiler. It is 
 ? ours if you will. The offer is unto all and upon all who now 
 ieur us^though the thing otfiired is only ntito nil' and upon all 
 who bebeve. VV e usk each individual among you to isolate him- 
 Kelf from the rest of the species — to conceive for a moment timt 
 lie is the only sinner upoit theTuceoftiie earth, that none but he 
 htandiin net'd ofan a'oning sacrifice, and none but he of an ever- 
 lasting righieousness brought in by another and that might avail for 
 hisjusiification before God. Let him imagine, that for him the one 
 and solitary offender, Christ came on the e.xpress errand to seek 
 and to save-^thut for him He poured out Ills soul unto the d^ath 
 — that tor him the costly apparatus of redemption was raised — 
 that for him and for him alone, the Bible was written ; and a mes- 
 tienger from heaven sent to entreat that he will enter into recon- 
 ciliation with God, through that way of modiatorship which God 
 in his love had devised, for the express accomodation of this single 
 Wanderer, who hud strayed, an uncast and an alien from the habi- 
 tations of the unfallen : And that it now turns upon his own choice: 
 Whether he will abide among the paths of destruction, or be re-ad- 
 mitted le all the honours and felicities of the place from which he 
 iiud departed. There i^ nothing surely wanting. to complete the 
 warrant of such an individual, fur entering into liope and happi- 
 ness : and yet, ye hearers, it is positively not more complete ttian 
 the warrant tcliick each and tcliicit ull of yon have at this moment. 
 To you, individually to you, God is holding out this gift for your 
 acceptance — you is He beseeching to come again into frifendsh^ip 
 with Him. \Vith you is He expo.stulating the cause of your life 
 and your death; and bidding you choose between the welcome 
 offer of the one, and the sure alternative of thoother if the offer is 
 rejected. He is now parleying tlir matter with every hearer; and 
 Just as effectually, as if that hearer were the only crtaiure in the 
 tcorld, to whom the errand of redemptwn teas at' all applicahle. 
 There is noUiing in the multitude of heurers- by whom you are 
 surrounded, that should at all deaden the point of its sure and 
 e])ecitic applicuiion to yourself. 
 
 We could not possibly- desii^ a clearer and fuller 
 statement of unlimited atonement. It is impossible to 
 reconcile it with the oppo.sitfe doctrine, and the warrant 
 
 '-■--- ■ 
 
 * Tlie writer may here remark that in his defence Uoforc the Synod, when 
 rnndiiiif some of those extracts from one so greatly venerated by the Vrer 
 uiuu'ch, considerable uneasiiiesii was manifested by many of the members u>- 
 tiiey no doubt felt the inconsistency of their position in libolling biin for' 
 views so clearly brought out by that Father in hcu«l. 
 
 
THE ATO?fEM£NT OP CHRIST. 
 
 49 
 
 lis 
 
 In his 
 
 free gift. 
 
 thus given, we believe to be no stronger— not more 
 free than the Word of God enjoins. 
 
 Observe also another quotation from his remarks on 
 
 ch. vi. il: 
 
 Why, my bretheni, it is no where said in the Bible that Christ 
 so died for me in particular, as that by Mis simple dying the bene 
 fits of His atonement are mine in possession. But it is everywhere 
 said in the Bible, that He so died for ine in particular, as that by 
 Kis simple dyinif. thebentiitsof H4s.atOMemoHt are mine in offer. 
 They are mine if I will. Such terms as whosoever, and till, an<l 
 any, and ho every one, bring the gospel redempiion specifically to 
 my door; and there it stands for.>acceptance as mine in offer, and 
 ready to become mine in possession on my giving credit to the 
 word of the testimony. 
 
 Again on ch. viii. 31 : 
 
 ' For us all.' The apostle may perhaps be continnig his regards 
 in this clause tohimselfand to hisconverts.to those of whom he ha^i 
 this evidence that they were the elect of God — even that the gospel 
 had come to them -with power, and with the Holy Ghost, and witfi 
 much assurance. But notwithstanding this, we have the authority 
 of other passages for the comfortable truth, that Christ tasted death 
 lor every man-^and so every man, who hears of the expiation 
 rendered by this death, hath a warrant to rejoice therein ; and that 
 He is set forth a propitiation for the sins of thevvorld — and so it h 
 cotnpetent for every one in the world, to look unto this propitia- 
 tion and be at peace ; and that He gave fiimself a ransom for M 
 to be testified in due time— and so might each of yon who hears 
 this testimony, embrace it for himself, and feel the whole charm of 
 his dehverance from guilt and from all its consequencea. Christ 
 did not so die for all, as that all do-actually receive the gift of sal- 
 vation. But He 80 died for all, rs \\v\l all to whom He is preached 
 have the real and iionest offer of salvation. He is not yours in 
 possession, till you have laid hold of Him by faith. But He h 
 yours in offer. He is as much yours as anything of which yon can 
 say I have it for thetakinar. You, one and all of you. my brelherti, 
 h!»ve salvation for the taking; and it is because you do not choose 
 to take it, if it do >not indeed belong to yon. 
 
 Again, oh. ix-.S-i:, 
 
 We tell you of God's beseeching voice. We a«sure yoi. m 
 HiM uitme, that h« wants you not m die. We bid you ven'ttire lor 
 pardon on ih atonemmt made by 'Him who died for dll men. 
 
 'if : 
 
 Once more, on ch. x. 12, he writes: 
 
 God, it is said here, makes no difference between theJ^w and 
 
 the Greek; and there are some, who, in defending the articlps of 
 
 tlheir own scientific theology, would make the univer>»ality of ih« 
 
 .gospel offer lie in this—that, now when the middle wall of partitijon 
 
50 
 
 THE A JEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 ia broken down, it migt, .e ofTered to men of every nation. But 
 the Scriptural theology carries the universality farther down than 
 this — and so as that the gospel might be offered, not merely to men 
 of every nation, but to each man of every nation. God is not only 
 1)0 respecter of nations, He is no respecter of persons. It is not 
 only whatsoever nation shall call on the naute of the Lord shall be 
 saved; but lohatsuever man of that nation shall call upon the name 
 of the Lord, he shall be saved. ., . i - 
 
 In addition to these most clear and satisfactory ex- 
 hibitions of a fi'll and free salvation, we would take 
 the opportunity of submitting an extract from the 
 IVesJet/an Methodist Magazine, containing the views 
 of that great man, as expressed in a conversation with 
 the Rev. Mr. Dunn of that Body. It will readily be 
 seen that the views entirely harmonize with the extracts 
 from his own writings. 
 
 Mr. Dunn writes as follows, under the head, " Re- 
 
 miniscences of Dr. Chalmers" : 
 
 His views of the deeply-interesting and important subjects of 
 redemption will interest your readers. 1 have heard him speak 
 thus: " Particular redemption presents the gosipel unfavourably : 
 it is a drag and deducuoii to the offers of the gospel. Those 
 ministers must feel the difficulty of prenching. who think that 
 Christ died only for the elect. Thus the message of Heaven'a 
 good-will has been laid under embarrassment; reasons have been 
 t'lken from the upper counsels to retard the gospel. The annun- 
 ciation from Heaven's vault is, ' Peace, good-will,' as boundless 
 as the universe. Christianity will soon break forth from the 
 prisoiiuieut in which, by many, it has long been held. They have 
 made it to pass through a strainer, instead of falling <is a universal 
 shower upon the world. It is not sufficient that we believe 
 ' Christ gave himself for his sheep ;' but that ' He is the propitia- 
 tion for the sins of the whole world.' A man is not first to believe 
 that he is one of Christ's sheep, but that he is one of the ' world :' 
 for it is not said ' Look unto me, ye few CavouriteH;' but. ' all the 
 ends of the earth.' In no place in the Bible is pardon offered to 
 tlie elect, but to every person as one of the species. If the gospel 
 were offered only to (he elect, il would not i>e glad tidings to a 
 single soul ; for no one knows, when he first hears the gospel, that 
 he IS one of the elect. ''There never was a more direct way to 
 darken the message of the gospel than to mix up the doctrine of 
 election with it : such preaching gives a world of perplexity and 
 alarm to hearers. There is nothing in the dogma of^predestination 
 that should in the least trammel us in our offers of salvation. It is 
 a distorted gospel that does not oifor salvation to all. It is not a 
 limited, but a univeraal offer of the gospel, that is the instrutoent 
 
THB ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 51 
 
 <( 
 
 Re- 
 
 6f salvation in every particular case. The Sun of Righteousnesa 
 has arisen as generally upon human %it\m9, as the natural sun has 
 arisen upon human eyes. That miuister is not true to his com> 
 mission, who does not indiscriminately offer the gospel. That 
 theologian darkens and bewilders himself, who goes to the decrees. 
 But we are told it is God's work to enlighten and renew men. 
 Yes; but God's grace is given with great liberality, and it is 
 lamentable that any clergyman should shroud this doctrine by any 
 speculation on predestination, which is too deep and mysterious 
 fur our optics. 
 
 "The offer of the gospel is not only to men of all nations, but to 
 all men of all nations. And all men may accept of it. All men 
 ought to accept of it: they have a warrant to do it. It is their 
 own fault if they do not. It is their condemnation if they do nut. 
 The only sense in which redemption is particular and limited is, 
 that some will refuse the oft'er ; but this is their own lault." 
 
 We have thus given, at some length, the views of 
 that venerated man, because he occupies so prominent 
 a position in the churches, and more especially in the 
 Free Church ; and also, because we believe that his 
 views on these points were far a-head of many that 
 belong to that church, and profess the utmost respect 
 for his opinions. We cannot but feel that if it be 
 heresy in us to hold an unlimited atonement, there is 
 the strongest reasons to bring — not the Doctor himself, 
 for he is now beyond the bar of man, but his writings 
 — to the tribunal of that church, for verily there is 
 sufficient to warrant an indictment ; if a limited atone- 
 ment is the standard doctrine of that church, and that 
 it is so we have had the plainest proof in our own case. 
 
 We could also adduce extracts from McCheyne, 
 Patewon, Purves, and others of the Free Church, but 
 we forbear. Sufficient has been brought forward to 
 prove the entire irreconcilibility of these statements 
 with the dognr-a in question. , 
 
 
 
 ; V^J ;^ 7/ 
 
 .-• M.'.^ 
 
58 
 
 ';; , . ...f' ■ i .IV. 
 
 TMG ATOrfEMtNT OF CBRIST: 
 
 3" 
 
 !t ', 
 
 SECTION VI. 
 
 TWO MAIN SODKCES OF ERROR IJT A LIMITEI? 
 
 ATONEMENT. 
 
 Trutli and Error can never harmonize ; they are two 
 iines that never run parrallel. If they touch, tliey touch 
 but to cross each other. To deviate from the line oi* 
 truth, and to pursue that Une, v^'ould never lead in that 
 direction to truth again, — -continuance would only 
 increase sepai'ation. The Word of- God is the gi'eat, 
 line of truth, and while many follow it a certain length, 
 they are led into, some point of divergence either by 
 their own speculations, or by following where others 
 have opened up a line of divergence before them. 
 Some pursne this line and never come Ivdck to truth ; 
 others again, after finding themselves brought into dark- 
 ness and confusion, leave the line and make an abrupt 
 return to the infallible standard, and thus pursue a zig- 
 zag course^ partly of truth .and partly of error. Yet it 
 i.s always to be- observed that the line of truth- is never 
 ajjain reached, without iecuiing the line of deviation. 
 
 It is well known inf Geometrical scidnce that when 
 two lines diverge, the farther that they, are extended, 
 they only recede the farther from each other ; and at 
 the same time it is true that the angle at the points of 
 greatest extension, where the interval apppars so great 
 and so mai*ked,-is realiy no. greater than the angle at 
 the original point of divergence. This is emphatically 
 so in moral science. When the linear of* truth and error 
 are sufficiently extended into their ultimate tendencies, 
 "vve are often enabled to observe the mightiest discrepaa**- 
 
an 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 .'>; 
 
 oy ; but yet it is no less true, also, that the discrepancy 
 thus so observable is, in reality, no greater than at the 
 iirst point where the deflexion commenced. 
 
 This leads us to the adoption of two important mcth- 
 o»ls in our endeavours to distinguish truth from error. 
 The first is to extend the lines sufficiently— that is to 
 caiTy them out to their legitimate tendencies — till an 
 oljvious inteiwal of aeparation is fully marked; and 
 having accomplished this, the second thing is to rctraco 
 these lines, and endeavour to detect the exact point 
 where the divergence l^egins, and if that point can be 
 discovered, it is a matter of great moment there to put 
 up, for the sake of the unwary traveller, a finger post, 
 with its index to the way of truth, and with the legible 
 inscription, " This is the way, walk ye in it." 
 
 Our object in can-ying out the dogma of limited 
 atonement so far into its ultimate tendencies, has been 
 for the purpose of fully showing its divergence from 
 the ti'uth of scripture, and from the scheme of redemp- 
 tion as a scheme of grace. In doing so we have endeav- 
 oured to extend tliat line in dts own direction, without 
 seeking unfairly j ben<l it to our own purposes. And 
 at the same time we are willing to give the abettors of 
 that docti'ine full credit for not intentionally diverging 
 from truth, or endeavouring to subvert grace. Having, 
 however, plainly seen the mai'ked and wide separation, 
 it should he our desire to discover, if possible, where 
 are the points im "^e line of ti*uth at which that deviation 
 originates. 
 
 The following we regard as probably main sources 
 of error in limited atemementi ,4. jtu>xt i^-<#s*« ^/i^i; 
 
 1st. One source of en'or is i-n the assumptaoa that the ' 
 sufferings o£ Christ, by <vvay of atoBiement, were- 
 
 # 
 
 'i^- 
 
 ■M- 
 
m 
 
 $1 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 identically the same as those which the elect would hav f» 
 suffered through eternity. We believe that this idea 
 very frequently is the great nucleus in the views of 
 many ou this subject, and seems apparent in the extract 
 given from Jenkyn. "We have already adverted to this 
 in Section III., when speaking of the nature of atone- 
 ment. But we desire to dr^w attention farther to it as 
 a main source of error. For were it true, the atone- 
 ment would necessarily indeed be limited to the Elect 
 only. 
 
 That the sufferings of Christ were not, and could not 
 be identically the same with the literal punishment of the 
 sins of those for whom he suffered, will be apparent if 
 we consider. First y — God in receiving an atonement for 
 sin admitted a change in the person suffering. The law 
 in its strict letter denounced its* penalty only on the trani*- 
 gressor, ** the soul that sinneth, it shall die." In tlie 
 atonement, there is a chan«^e from those that sinned to 
 Christ. Here is a substitution — a change from the strict 
 letter, but not from the spirit of the law. 
 
 2nd. It is evident that Christ's sufferings were not 
 identically the same in duration with the sufferings of 
 lost sinners. The penalty of the law is not merely tem- 
 I)oral death, but death spiritual and eternal. It is evcf- 
 lasting misery. ' 
 
 3rd. It is as evident that there was a difference as 
 to the kind of suffering endured as well as to the du- 
 ration, Ist. Remorse and the stings of a guilty and 
 accusing conscience are fearful elements in the torment* 
 of lost spirits. It is evident our Saviour could never 
 have sufiered from these. 2nd. Even in his sufferings 
 he had joys and supports that fallen spirits never could 
 have. We are tQld, "for the joy that waa set before 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 s& 
 
 him he emlureil the cross and despised the shame." Ho 
 know that beyond the dark cloud that hung over him, 
 and that oppressed his houI, there was a bripht and 
 gl<)rious sunshine, after the Divine justice had discharcr- 
 cA its fiery thunderbolt ; but it is evident that to tlio 
 lost soul there is no such beam of sunshine — no ray of 
 hope behind the dark cloud of eternal despair. — 
 Jrd. There was on the part of Cln-ist deep submission 
 t;o (rod, even under the awful infliction of divine justice, 
 a state of mind very different from that of lost souls, 
 whose misery will be aggravated by blasphemous and 
 rebellious insubordination to Jehovah. 4th. The man- 
 ifestation of tenticmcss to his mother, his conversation 
 with the penitent thief, his prayer to God, and tho 
 sjjirit of forgiveness towards his persecutors, are suffi- 
 cient to show that he did not experience the identical 
 feelings of misery which are elements in the sufferings 
 <i£ lost souls. , ^ 
 
 4rh. It is evident that his liuman nature alone was really 
 susceptible of suffering. Theologians tell us his divine 
 nature was impassible. If it were insisted on then, that 
 his atonement consisted in the endurance of the identi- 
 m^ oufferings, it would follow that the whole value of 
 his atonement consisted in so much suffering merely, and 
 hence, also, the inference would be legitimate, that the 
 value of the atonement was attributable exclusivehj U\ 
 his human nature^ for it was in it that he suffered. But 
 it Ls evident, that however great and inconceivably 
 intense his sufferings were, that it was his divinity that 
 lent infinite value to those sufferings. It was not just so 
 mucli suffering abstractly considered ; but the value lay 
 in this, that it was the sufferings of stich a sufferer — no 
 less than the only begotten of the Father— one infinite 
 in dtgnity-->-aiid of infinite influence in relation to the 
 
 M 
 

 u 
 
 THE ATONIlVfENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 povcmmcnt of God. Wo are willing, however to admit: 
 that many Limitarians do not hold exact ideniift/ 
 between Christ's sufferings and the literal punishment 
 ot' lost souls ; for it will be observed that Dr. Candlisb 
 in one place expressly affirms that he believes that 
 flllhough the number «f the elect had been a hundred 
 fold gi'eater, tliat Christ Avould nvit have required to 
 have done or suffered more than he did. This statement 
 seems plainly to indicate that the value of the atonement 
 <loes not arise merely from the proportionate amount of 
 suffering endured by our great substitute. This is also, 
 ■we allow, plainly implied also in Dr. Willis's statement 
 of an intrinsic value of aw infinite kind in Christ's atone- 
 ment. 
 
 We go on, therefore, to notice another point of devi- 
 ation, viz., Second. That the atonement in itself necQS- 
 Siiirily secures that all for whom it is provided must be 
 saved. This is an error similar to the one previous, 
 ami runs {)arrallel with it. This point has become one 
 oi* divergence in two opposite directions. Assuming that 
 the atonement per se necessarily secures salvation, it has 
 led those who plainly saw that all would not be saved 
 •into the dogma, that therefore the atonement must be 
 limited ; and that, therefore, those passages that seemed 
 so plainly to assert that Christ died for all, must be taken 
 in a limited sense. Again, on the other hand, Univei- 
 salists assuming the same false principle, and looking at 
 those passages that teach so plainly that Christ died for 
 all, have run into the other extreme of holding that all 
 will he saved. The two opposite dogmas may be traced 
 to the same point. ,,>,., ,« 
 
 It is thus that from a mistaken view of the nature of 
 atonement that the most serious errcirs have prevailed. 
 The Atonement does not force God,, it xtiablcs. It does 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 57" 
 
 not demand the exercise of justice, it satisfies justice- 
 and permits the exercise of mercy. It does not oblige- 
 God to save some, else there would be a violation of all 
 law and justice, but it enables him to save those that 
 believe in Christ icithout any violation of law and jus- 
 tice. It makes " mercy and truth meet together — and 
 righteousness and peace to embrace each other." 
 
 Look to the language of Scripture. Our Saviour 
 says, •' I am come that ye 7night have life," not that ye 
 ?nust have it. •' God sent not his Son to condemn the 
 world, but that the world, through him, 7night be saved," 
 not ?nust be. Of how many is he obliged to say, " Ye 
 will not come to me that ye might have Ufe." •* How 
 often would 1 have gathered you — but ye ivould not." 
 
 Look for illustration to some of the types. The blood 
 of ' e paschal lamb though appointed by God as a m'^ons 
 of protection from the destroying angel, did noti/i lUilf 
 necessarily secure that deliverance. It secured only that 
 when it icas sjmnkled on the door-post, the deadly visi- 
 tation would not enter. The manna did wt in itself 
 secure that all the Israelites must be nourished ; it only 
 secured that they tvho eat of it would be nourished. 
 The city of Refuge did not secure tliat every person 
 guilty of certain acts would be safe, it secured only that 
 tliose whojlcd to it would enjoy safety. The lifting up 
 of the brazen serpent did not secure that every serpent- 
 bitten Israelite would not to die — it secured only that 
 those icho looked would be cured. So it is with the 
 work of Christ, it does not i« 2^56;//* secure that all for 
 whom it is accomplished must be saved ; it secures only 
 that " he that believeth shall be saved." " Except ye eat 
 the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, ye have 
 no life in you."' ** As Moses lifted up the serpent in the 
 wilderness; so must the Son of Man be liii 
 
 up, 
 
 that. 
 
il 
 
 hi 
 
 TRE ATONSMBNT OP CHRIST. 
 
 whosoever helieveth in him should not perish, but have 
 everlasting life. It is not enough that the blood be shed, 
 it must be sprmkled — not enough the fountain be open- 
 ed, we must wash in it — not enough the manna come 
 from heaven, we must eat it — not enough a " door" l>e 
 opened unto spiritual blessings, we must enter in — not 
 enough the foundation be laid, we must huild upon it — 
 not enough that there is balm in Gilead and a physician 
 there, we must apply to him and receive the liealing 
 virtue. Nothing is plainer from the whole tenor of 
 scripture doctrine and type, than that the atonement 
 does not in ^^^c//* necessarily save, but it is the medium 
 of salvation to those that trust in it. *• The gospel is the 
 power of God unto salvation unto every one that hcllev- 
 ethr 
 
 To illustrate still farther the nature of an atonement, 
 take an illustration. Sujipose an individual has been 
 condemned, and that justly by the laws of his country, 
 for some great crime. The Sovereign as the head of 
 executive power, in the exercise of the royal preroga- 
 tive of clemency, does not extend the offer of pardon to 
 the criminal, unless there is something that will vindicate 
 liis character as a governor and suj)port the administra- 
 tion. There must be something that not only in his ov/:i 
 view, but also in the view of his dutiful subjects, will 
 exhibit him as just while he tlius exercises mercy. 
 Suppose that in his behalf some person of the highest 
 dignity and influence, who has an inviolable attachment 
 to the governor and the government intei-poses ; he sub- 
 jects himself to the great sacrifices on the prisoner's ac- 
 count, not however in opposition to the law or govern- 
 ment, but to uphold ihe law and open up a way for tbe 
 exercise of royal clemency. But it is to be observed, 
 that the interposition in behalf of the criminal, however 
 
THE ATONFMFNT OP CHRiaT. 
 
 59 
 
 ut have 
 be shed, 
 »e opeii- 
 la come 
 oor" he 
 in — not 
 3on if — 
 lysician 
 liealing 
 onor of 
 inement 
 nedium 
 el is tiiC 
 ; hclli'V- 
 
 lement, 
 LS been 
 Hintiy, 
 lead of 
 eroga- 
 don ro 
 ndicato 
 inislra- 
 is own 
 s, will 
 mercy, 
 ligheist 
 hment 
 e sub- 
 r's ac- 
 overn- 
 br tlie 
 B^ ved, 
 wever 
 
 gvcal, doo;5 not change 1 1 lo (rovornmont, i\c>09, wux forcp. 
 the sovereign to pardon llie criminal for llie Bake of 
 justice ; no, no, it satisfies justice and enables Ijirn to 
 manifest grace. So it is in the government of Jehovah, 
 He manifested inconceivable grace in providing and 
 accepting the atonement, but when He offers ihrough it 
 pardoq, it is as much grace after the atonenient as l^e- 
 fore it, but it is grace harmonizing ^yith justice in virtue 
 of the interposition in our behalf of the Son of God. 
 
 The idea therefore, that the atonement, in itself, neces- 
 sarily secures the salvation of all for whom it is made, 
 ])ecause it obliges God by his justice, — and to act other- 
 wise would be a violation of all law — is an entire mis- 
 apprehension of what an atonement is as an expedient 
 Introduced into moral government. It opens up a way 
 for the overtures of grace, but the grace thus offered 
 may be despised — ^the message thus sent may l>e reject- 
 «^d ; but it will never be true on that account that in 
 reality there was no atonement provided for such at all. 
 
 
 ' .i i'l 
 
 • •■•'■y.x 
 . . all 
 
 r..-| 
 
 ■\ .fv 
 
 hi 
 
 'J • ->■■ 
 
 
 p 
 
I 
 
 eo 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 ■> 1^ 
 
 ll 
 
 i 
 
 t*t •. If ! I 
 
 ',■.)', -' ' : ■ ' r 
 ■I U' ;.- . . , 
 
 SECTION VII. 
 
 THE ATONEMENT IN RELATION TO THOSE THAT 
 FINALLY PERISH. 
 
 A difficulty seems to be feit by some in regard to a 
 universal atonement, because it represents it as made 
 for those who perish, as well as those who are ultimately 
 saved. A little consideration may suffice to shew such 
 that this is no solid objection. We consider that in re- 
 ference to tliose who are punished for rejecting the 
 Gospel, an atonement was necessary to vindicate God's 
 dealings with them, as well as his dealings with those 
 " that believe to the saving of the soul." For 
 
 let. Many passages of scripture plainly impl^f, that 
 those who perish, do not perish for any want of atone- 
 ment. Hear that solemn warning accompanied by the 
 oath of God— " turn ye, turn ye, wJty will ye die f* It 
 is evident that Jehovah intends to shew sinners that the 
 reason is not in Him, or the provisions of his grace, but 
 in their own wilful unbelief. Observe that other ex- 
 postulation, where God speaking through the prophet 
 says, " Is these no halm in Gilead, is there no pJiysician 
 there % w7iy then is not the health of the daughter of my 
 people recovered?" To suppose for a moment tha 
 this spiritual disease was occasioned by the want of a 
 physician or a healing virtue, would entirely destroy the 
 whole force of the appeal. Notice also the great com- 
 mission to preach the gospel to every creature. Here 
 is the universality — a gospel to all — but the diffijrence 
 
THE ATONEMENT OP CHRIST. 
 
 61 
 
 of result is attributable to the reception or rejection of it, 
 and not to any inherent defectiveness in it to any. 
 
 2nd. The scriptures expressly assert that those for 
 whom atonement is made, mcy perish. The apostle in 
 exhorting the Corinthians to the adoption of a rule of 
 conduct in relation to meats, warns them against putting 
 a stumbling-block in the way of others, lest, says he, 
 " through thy knowledge shall the weak brother jJcmA, 
 Jbr wJioin Christ died.^^ (Ist Cor. viii. 11.) Peter, also 
 in his 2nd epistle, ii. 1st v., thus writes, " There shall bo 
 false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in 
 damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought 
 them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." 
 Here it is evident that though bought by the Lord, they 
 may, by denying him, bring upon themselves swift de- 
 struction. , ,- > 
 
 3rd. By referring to some of the quotations from tho 
 early Fathers given at the close of section 3, it will be 
 seen that they believed in an atonement made for all'— 
 for those who despise Christ, as well as those tha& re^ 
 veive him. - < • ■; - . .! „ 
 
 4th. How can we account for God's procedure in 
 punishing those that reject Christ not merely for sins' 
 against Law, but for the awful sin o£ unbelief ; if it be 
 true that He was never really offered <w a Saviour V 
 How shall we account for the " sorer punishment" of 
 which they shall be worthy ? It would be good news' 
 to many a lost soul in the place of woe, if they round out 
 that after all, Christ had never made any atonement for 
 them. It would pluck the most painful stings of remorse 
 from their accusing consciences. 
 
 5tli. How can we account for God's procedure with 
 them when on earth ? God dealt with them very differ- 
 
ii' I 
 
 63 
 
 THE ATONEMEN't' 0^ CHRIST. 
 
 eiitly tiom fallen angels i't i vi'honi no gavioUi dititl. 
 Let us take lor illustration V *vo cases set bef5jre us in th« 
 word of God — namely, that of the Antediluvians and 
 that of Judas. We are told by the apostle I'ctcr that 
 those who perished at the flood are now " spirits in pri- 
 son." We are told moreover, that the spirit of Christ 
 preached to them when they were on earth — and that 
 ivas through Noah, who was a " preacher of righteous- 
 ness." We are told that Grod's Spirit strove with them, 
 dealing with them in a gi'aciouS and long euffering man- 
 ner, till He was obliged to say, " My Spirit shall not al- 
 virays strive with man." • Can wo account for Jehovah's 
 merciful dealings with that ungodly generation on any 
 other principle than that of an atonement ] Was not 
 an atonement necessary to enable God's Spirit as a 
 Holy Spirit, thus to go forth on his mission of mercy and 
 grace 1 The very dealings of Jehovah with the world 
 from the time of man's apostacy, made art dtonement 
 necessary, even although the gracious overtures ground- 
 ed on it should be disregarded by man. He has evi- 
 dently dealt with man since the fall, on the basis of a 
 propitiatory sacrifice ; as if the Lamb had been slain 
 from thcfoundation of the world* Hear what McCheyno 
 says in reference to those before the flood, — 
 
 Tlifl men were giants in wickedness. Every imagination or 
 their heart was only evil continually. But this is the very reason 
 lie strives. He sees the flood that is coming— he sees the hell that is 
 beneath them ; thererore does he strive. In the preaching of Noah 
 he oleaded with them ; he pricked their hearts— made them think 
 oftneir danger, their sin, and their misery. In preparing the ark 
 he pleaded with them— showed them the way of safety, and said, 
 " Yet there is room." He made every stroke of the hammer gu 
 to their hearts. " The Spirit and the Bride say, come." O how 
 sad it is ta think that so many who have the Spirit of God striving 
 '.iritii them, should perish after all. 
 
 Such appeals to the conscience a» this, ! be 
 
 entirely valueless, nay, even absurd, on the s 'ioii 
 
 ^,^Jl«Si^ 
 
\ 
 
 \ 
 
 THE ATONEiMENT OK CHRIST. 
 
 6J 
 
 ! be 
 
 'km 
 
 that really after all, no uloiiemci:t had over been tnatle 
 ior these aiiti-ileluvians ; for we contend that an atone- 
 ment is necessary, not only aclmdhj to save, but even 
 to bring such niuiins before sinners as are intended and 
 adapted to that end, although these means — those! 
 strivings of the Spirit may be resisted, and they perish* 
 
 Look again to the case of the traitor Judas. We 
 hsivc plain intimation that he is a lost sou). Our 
 Bavioar says, " It had been good for that man if he had 
 never been born." We are told also that "he went 
 to his own place." Yet hear how Mr. McCheyne 
 describes tlio gracious dealings of the Redeemer with 
 him, and on the assumption that Christ's atonement 
 did not include even him, the whole would appear a 
 mere absurdity. In his sermon on John xiii. ^1, ho 
 thus writes: 
 
 Question, — What cduld be Clirisi's reason for so often and so 
 solemnly speaking of his be'rayer? 
 
 Answer, — I can see no other reason for it bnt that he might 
 make one lant effort to melt the heart of his betrayer, 1st. His 
 perfect knowledge of him. 2n(l. His anxious /oee /or Aim; as if 
 he had said, "/ love thee, Judas: I hare left the bosom of tho 
 Father just for lost sinners like thf^c : I pitied thee before the world 
 was: I am quite willing still to be a Saviour to thee. In this way 
 He tried to win the traitor — to draw him to Himself. The second 
 argument which Christ made use of to meet and win the heart of 
 Judas was His love: I have loved thee, Judas-, aad came to save 
 thee. He willed not the death of Judas — he wilts not the death of 
 any of you. 
 
 He then concludes this beautiful discourse with the 
 following paragraph : . ' 
 
 My friends, there may be within these walls some with a heart 
 as hard as that of Judas. You think that Jesus is your enemy. But 
 what does the Bible say ? Look there — He is troubled in spirit — He 
 weeus as he did over Jerusalem. Yes, He that once shed hia 
 blood for you, now sheds his tears for you. Immanuel grieves that 
 you will not be saved. He grieved over Judas, and He grieves 
 over you. He wept over Jerusalem and He weeps over you. 
 He has no pleasure that you should perish— He had far rather 
 
I. > ;j 
 
 61 
 
 tMK AtONLMKN'l OF CHRlRt. 
 
 %$ 
 
 ||ih( you wniilJ Hint aiij live. M'liorc in not one ol yoit 
 wiUiiii these walls s<» hard, so t;riicl, ; o l)iisc, so unmoved, 5jO far 
 froiii ^racR arirj holiness, su JiiJ.-is-likt>, t(>.ut Jcsmh iIorn not grieve 
 over your hardness — that you will resist uli his love — that ytm will 
 still love (it>at!i, and wrong your own souls. Oh.' tlint the tears 
 which the Saviour shed over yonr lost and perishin,'4 sontn might 
 full upof! your hearts like drops ui' liquid lite — that yon might no 
 more Nit untnclted finder that wnndroiis lovo which burns witii so 
 vehement a (latne— winch many waters cannot quench — which all 
 your sins cunuot stv;Mther— the love whiuli pusseth knowledge. 
 Amen. 
 
 Another difTicuIty tr wliicli we shall briefly advert, 
 as experieiicecl by tsome witli regard to an unlimited 
 atonement, is, thut it represents Christ as dying for many 
 in vai?i, and as if God's will was counteracted. To 
 the objector we would say, in reading the preceding 
 extracts did you sympathize with the spirit of them, 
 and yet do not the appeals made come from the 
 admlMsJon of the very point which you regard as a 
 difficulty? ChrisCs hlood and Christ's tears shed for 
 impenitent and lost sinners. That God wills and 
 desires the salvation of msny who still perish in their 
 sins is plainly a doctrine of Scripture, and an exempli- 
 fication of his earnest and intense interest in the well 
 being even of those who " will not come to Him that 
 tliey might have life." ^ ^ .4. i 
 
 But look at this difficulty in the light of both views 
 oi; the extent of the atonement, and it cannot fail to 
 appear, that so far from its being on the side ot the 
 unlimited view, it is entirely so on the other. 
 
 According to the unUmittd view, those that ultimately 
 perish, perish for not knowing or believing in Christ's 
 atonement. According to the limited view, they 
 perish for want of tha^ which would have necessarily 
 procured their salvation^which would have compelled 
 Godby justice to save them; God,according to this theory, 
 is represented as receiving and accepting only for a fa- 
 
\ 
 
 THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 65 
 
 5 of you 
 
 ed, ?,o far 
 not grieve 
 It you will 
 
 (iio tfearvi 
 
 iti)g[li( no 
 18 tvittt fjo 
 
 which all 
 lowjedge. 
 
 advert, 
 ilimited 
 »r many 
 1. To 
 feeding 
 f them, 
 )m the 
 d as a 
 hed for 
 lis and 
 n their 
 :empli- 
 le well 
 m that 
 
 views 
 fail to 
 oi the 
 
 nately 
 hrist's 
 they 
 ^sarily 
 iptUcd 
 heory, 
 ra fa- 
 
 SQMvciXftw wi\ atonement wliicli even Limilarians aftlrm 
 was a 2>rices?ifficicnfJ'o?- all men — yea, even for fallen an- 
 gels '00 — an infinite price tliatmiglit have secured neces- 
 sarily ihe. salvation of all guilty beings, and would have 
 obliged Him to save them all— but alas! alas! it was 
 limited only to a few. What a dark cloud does this 
 throw on the character, and more especially the love 
 and benevolence of Deity ! If Limitarians would only 
 admit that the atonement was sufficient fur the elect 
 only ; then there would not be so great a difficulty — 
 but when they say that it was sufficient to secure the 
 salvation of all beings — (for that is what they consider 
 necessary to an atonement) — but that Jehovah would 
 not receive it with this unlimited value, and, therefore, 
 while Christ paid a price sufficient for all guilty beings 
 — it was only accepted as really ^ price for some. 
 
 O how immensely is the difficulty increased. Does 
 not Christ die in vain as much in the one view as in 
 the other — yea, inconceivably more so; for while taking 
 the atonement in its unlimited extent, we can warn the 
 sinner that if hir perish it will be because he "neglects 
 80 groat salvation"-— on the other view, we could not 
 escape from the conclttpion, that either there was some 
 inherent defectiveness in the atonement for all, or (to 
 speak with trembling) Jehovah would not confer salva- 
 tion commensurate with the price which Christ paid. 
 O ! what inconceivable difficulties crowd around that 
 view that represents Jehovah^as ohUi>ed to save those 
 fur whom the price has been| 
 those who are noiiat last 
 paid for them at; 
 
 In Conch 
 
 I, and that, therefore, 
 had really no price 
 
 e docttH 
 
 ment, so plainly ip? harmo' 
 
 in unlimited atone- 
 >cripture doctrine, 
 
cc 
 
 THR ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. 
 
 m 
 
 '! 
 
 J > 
 1« ' ) 
 
 n J > 
 
 ■il 
 
 oxliortalion niitl warninq, sofs mosr clearly before ns 
 llie followit)g /iractiral rrJhrl'iovH : 
 
 1st — Tlio greal responsihilify of the CImrcli to carry 
 *' the Gospel to every creature." 
 
 2nJ-r-The clear and explicit warrant that wo liave 
 
 to tell sinners, wherever wo find them, of a perfect 
 
 propitiation for sin, and to nrgo them to an immediate 
 
 acceptance of the overtures of mercy. We know that 
 
 so far as atonement is concerned wc are not preaching 
 
 at a pcradventurc ; we know tliat wherevei* wo Bee a 
 human heing, that he is, whilst on tliis side of the grave, 
 within the circumference of atojiing blood. 
 
 .^rd — We see the dreadful, the fear Ad nature of 
 unbelief. It shuts out Christ — and the blessings of 
 ealvation — it exposes to the most fearful condemnation. 
 
 4th — The importance of preaching Christ and Him 
 crucified. Pointing to him as the Lamb of God that 
 taketh away the sin of the world — resolving, like Paul, 
 to glory only in the Cross. 
 
 5th — The fearfully aggravated doom of those vvho 
 amid the privileges of Gospel light atUI go down into 
 spiritual and eternal darkness. 
 
 Lastly— T-The responsibility resting on every sinner 
 to whon^ the Gospel come^. , It is a message from 
 God, of infinite iniportance — it; does not leave him ns 
 it found him — it is either the savour of life unto life, 
 or — O ! dread alternative ! — it is the savour of death 
 unto death. Dear reader, have you found p^ace 
 through the peace-speaking blood of Christ ? Have 
 you laid hold on the liope set before you in the Gospel ? 
 If not, vve would novt^i^f as ambassadors for Christ, ns 
 though God did besCNeai you l)yus; we pray you, in 
 Christ's stead, be ye=rfconciled to God ; fur. He hath 
 made him to he sin fmmt who kneW iw sin, that we wisht 
 he made the righteou0^ of God in. Him.'" 
 
 THS END. 
 
bofore m 
 
 li to carry 
 
 wc lmv<^ 
 
 a porfccf 
 
 mmediato 
 
 know lliat 
 
 prcacliing 
 
 wo pee a 
 the grave, 
 
 nature of 
 jssings of 
 emnation. 
 
 and Him 
 
 God tliat 
 
 like Paul, 
 
 lose who 
 own into 
 
 try Binner 
 age from 
 e liim as 
 unto life, 
 of death 
 d p^ace 
 ilave 
 Gospel ? 
 hrist, ns 
 r you, in 
 He hath 
 U'C7)iight 
 
 I 
 

 ^^ 
 
 
 HY THE SAME AUTHOU, |F' 
 
 (Piico, Is.; or Clulli, Is. Gd.) 
 
 ^ ! 
 
 A HIDDEN GOSPICL, 
 
 'I i; 
 
 THE (JAUBE Oh 
 
 THE LOSS OF SOULS. 
 
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