that ‘‘ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us” (Gal. i. 13), is precisely equivalent to saying that he has made atonement for us. But when we speak of our “redemption drawing nigh”’ (Luke xxi. 28), of “the redemption of the purchased possession” (Eph. 1 14), of “the redemption of our body” (Rom. vii. 23), or of “the day of redemption” (Eph. iv. 30), it is plain that the word signifies the de-
_liverance of our souls and bodies, and the attainment for
us of a heavenly inheritance by means of the payment of a ransom for us by our Lord—a deliverance which,
although commenced now, will be consummated at a
future day. Redemption being deliverance by means
* See Dr. Cunningham’s Historical Theology, vol. ii., p. 827; and Dr. Henry B. Smith, in his edition of Hagenbach, vol. ii., pp. 856, 357.
DEFINITION OF TERMS. 41
of the substitution of a ransom, it follows that, although cxarrer the ransom can only be paid to God, and to him only ‘as the Moral Governor of the universe, we may still be said
to be redeemed from all that we are delivered from by means of the ransom paid in the sacrifice of Christ. Thus
we are said to be redeemed “from our vain conversation”
(1 Pet. i. 18), “from death” (Hosea xiii. 14), “from the devil” (Col. i, 15; Heb. 1. 14), “from all iniquity” (Titus ii, 14), and “from the curse of the law” (Gal.
ill. 13, iv. 5), while it is of course not meant that the ransom is paid to the devil, or to sin, or to death, or to
the law. It is simply absurd to claim that these differ-
ent representations are inconsistent. A captive is re- deemed by a price paid only to him that holds him in bondage, but by the same act may be redeemed from labour, from disease, from death, from the persecution
of his fellow-captives and from a slavish disposi- tion.*
8. MeritumM and SATISFACTIO.—Thomas Aquinas of “Meri- (1274) first signalized the distinction between the terms < ee Meritum and “Satisfactio. By Satisfactio he intended 8 or the bearing of Christ’s work considered as penal suffer- Pee ing, which eared the penal claims of law for the demerit ¢nes” of sin. By Meritum he intended the bearing of Christ’s work considered as a holy obedience, fae all the conditions of the original Covenant of Life upon which the eternal well-being of his people was suspended.
These are in modern times both embraced under the one term Satisfaction (which see above), and the distinction intended by Aquinas is now expressed by the termsactive* and..passive»-obedience. The whole earthly career of Christ, including his death, was obedience in one aspect and suffering in another. Inasmuch as it was suffering, it expiated the sins of his people; inasmuch as it was
* See the closing paragraph of Chapter XII.
CHAPTER Til.
Principal
7 points
involved in the doctrine.
42° THE NATURE OF THE ATONEMENT.
obedience, it merited for them the covenanted reward of eternal life.
PRINCIPAL Points INVoLVED.—I will now enumerate several points involved in the orthodox doctrine of the Atonement as above stated. It follows, of course, that every argument which tends to establish either one of the principles involved in our view, tends just so far forth to establish the truth of that view as a whole. I shall give a bare statement of these principles, in order to bring out as fully as I may the true nature of the question in debate, and also in order to enable the reader to see the intended bearing of all the Scriptural testimony about to be submitted. It is not proposed to offer proot of each one of these points separately; but the reader is requested to keep them in mind, and to observe con- tinually whether the unforced language of Scripture is in their favour or the reverse.
These points are as follows :—
1. Did the effect of the sacrifices offered by the ancient typical priests terminate upon the offerer, upon the spectators, or upon God? Were those priests ordained to represent God before men, or men before God? Was Christ only a Medium through which divine influences reached man, or was he also and fundamentally the Mediator, opening the way for man to return to God in peace ?
2. Are the actions of God determined by motives and principles originating wholly in the divine nature, or may they be properly referred to considerations origi- nating in the creation? We maintain the former alter- native. God’s immutable nature demands the punish- ment of sin, and therefore Christ, when made to occupy the place of sinners, suffered that punishment. The advocates of every other view of the nature of the Atonement must maintain the latter alternative, and
' PRINCIPAL POINTS INVOLVED. 43
refer the sacrifice of Christ to motives originating in the moral condition and ‘necessities either of the individual sinner or of the moral universe in general.