(2.) We have also clearly proved that the work of Christ as our Substitute was a complete SATISFACTION, fully discharging all the demands of the law as a broken covenant of works. The demands of the law terminate upon persons. Its demands can be satisfied only with respect to certain definite persons, and not with respect to a mass indefinitely. The law, moreover, has no further demands upon those persons with respect to whom all its conditions have been once fully satisfied. It hence follows, that all of those for whom Christ has in this sense made a perfect satisfaction must be saved. This does not imply at all that the sinner himself has any claim upon the grace whereby he is saved, nor that God is any the less an absolute Sovereign in giving it to, and in withholding it froma, whomsoever he will. The whole matter lies in the intention of the Father in giving the Son, and the intention of the Son in dying. The demands of the government with relation to an individual are satisfied when the services of another as his substitute are credited to his account. It depends simply upon the will of the substitute and upon the pleasure of the government whether these services shall be credited to one or to another. For whomsoever they are designed, they avail to cancel their obligations. If
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God’s will in the matter should change, the persons to whom the law-satisfying righteousness would be credited would change also. Yet, even in that case, the changed destination would make no difference as to the personal and definite reference of the satisfaction. But since God cannot change, the same persons whom God in the be- ginning chose to eternal life are the persons for whom Christ made satisfaction, and the persons for whom he made satisfaction are the persons whom he now J and will hereafter glorify.
(3.) Every form which it is possible for the General Atonement Theory to assume necessarily involves the hypothesis that in its essential nature the Atonement effects only the removal of legal obstacles out of the way of the salvation of men, making God reconcilable, not actually reconciling him; making the salvation of all men possible, not actually saving any. But the Scriptures teach that Christ actually came to save those for whom he died. Matt. xvii. 11: ‘‘The Son of man is come to save that which was lost” (Luke xix. 10). 2 Cor. v. 21: “For- he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Gal. 1 4: “He gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil avorld, according to the will of God.” Gal. iv. 5: He was ‘made under the law, that he might (iva) redeem them that were under the law, that we might (iva) receive the adoption of sons.” 1 Tim. 1 15: “This is a faithful saying,.... that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Again, the Scriptures declare that the effect of Christ's death is reconciliation and justification. Rom. v. 10: ‘‘For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Eph. il. 16: Christ died ‘that he might reconcile both unto
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God in one body by the cross.” The design of Christ, moreover, was to secure for those for whom he died the direct effect of remission of sing, peace with God, and de- liverance from the curse of the law, from wrath, from death, from sin, &c. Eph. i. 7: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Eph. ii, 14: ‘For he is our peace, who hath made both one.” 1 Thess. 1, 10: ‘‘Kyen Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” Heb. ii, 14: ‘That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death,..... and de- liver them who through fear of death,” &. Gal. ii. 13 : “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made acurse for us.” 1 Pet. 1,18, 19: ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, .... but with the precious blood of Christ.” But to make salvation possible, to make possible purification, deliverance, reconciliation, is something very different indeed from actually saving, purifying, delivering or reconciling. No man has a right to empty the glorious terms in which the gospel is revealed of all their saving power. It is not we who teach a limited Atonement, but our opponents. That must be a limited redemption indeed which leaves the majority of those for whom it was designed in hell for ever; which only makes salva- tion possible to all men in such a sense that it continues absolutely impossible to all until, by a sovereign grace which is antecedent to and independent of all redemption, it is made subjectively possible to a few.