HOPKINS, World; and in this sense has tasted death for every man, has taken away the sin of the world, has given himself a ransom for all, and is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, so that whosoever believeth in him may be saved, and God can now be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." it appear grace in God, to pardon and save the sinner." West on Aton. p. 119. "Here the direct end of the atonement is answered; and such a manifestation made of divine righteousness, as prepared the way for a consistent exercise of mercy. Now, God would not appear to give up his Syst. Vol. 1. p. 527. law, even though he pardoned By the atonement Christ has opened the door of salvation for every sinner, by "what he has done and suffered he has obtained a righteousness as sufficient for the salvation of one as of another, of all as well as of one, or of any part," but, by his obedience he has obtained the saving influences of the Holy Ghost, and the blessing of a reconciled heart, for those only, who shall in time be actually redeemed. Syst. Vol. 1. p. 372. and Vol. 2. p. 63. et passim. "The atonement and righteousness of Christ are sufficient for the justification and salvation of all them who believe, be they ever so many, even all the sinner: or, to exhibit a disposition diverse from that which he expressed in the law. But, merely from the exhibition which was made of divine wrath in the sufferings of Christ, the pardon, even of one sinner, could, with no certainty be inferred unless it might be inferred from the highest evidences of the reality of God's displeasure against us, that therefore he would, certainly not punish, but pardon us. Upon atonement being made, the situation and circumstances are such, that the great Governor of the world may consistently bestow, or withhold mercy, just as shall tend most effectually to answer the purposes of divine goodness." West on Aton. p. 140, 141. "Christ died not for a select number of men only, but for mankind universally, and without exception or limitation." See a number in the "The CALVIN, JUSTIFICATION is an act of God, in which he judicially pronounces the person before his judgment-seat, to be in the view of the law, a just person, against whom justice has no demand, and in favour of whom justice de mands acceptance. "So we simply expound justification to be an acceptation, whereby God receiveth us into favour and accepteth us for righteous, and we say, that the same consisteth in the forgiveness of sins, and an imputation of the righteousness of Christ." B. 3. ch. 11. sec. 2. We are justified, in consequence of all which Christ does, either by obedience, suffering, or intercession, to merit justification. ed to seek for another righteousness of justification, to be received at God's own hands, that is to say, the forgiveness of his sins and trespasses, in such things as he hath offended. And this justification, or righteousness, which we so receive of God's mercy and Christ's merits, embraced by faith, is taken, accepted, and allowed of God, for our perfect and full justification." "Although this justification be free unto us, yet it cometh not so freely unto us, that there is no ransom paid therefor at all." It is of grace, because God "provided the ransom for us, that was, the most precious body and blood of his own most dear and best beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who, besides this ransom, fulfilled the law for us perfectly." "In our justification, there is not only God's mercy and grace, but also his justice, which the apos B. 3. ch. 11. sec. 3. Whatever procured meritoriously, justification, is the reconciliation, or atonement, by Christ. B. 3. ch. 11. sec. 4. and ch. 16. tle calleth the justice of God, sec. 5. "What, I pray you,* hath Christ done for us if we are still and it consisteth in paying our ransom, and fulfilling of the law, and so the grace of God * "What, I pray you," reader, would be the venerable Calvin's indignation, could he now hear one say, "I am a Calvinist; and believe that Christ opened a door of mercy, so that God CAN pardon or punish, and the atonement does not absolutely secure one sitaer from damnation?" Would he thank such an one, for assuming his naine, the more effectually, without exciting suspicions of heterodoxy, to propagate doctrines which he de nounced? the human race. Therefore ological Magazine," printed, and re-printed by CORNELIUS DAVIS, entitled, "Redemption and Atonement not the same." the offer of salvation is made to all, without exception, and promised to all who believe." Syst. Vol. 2. p. 105. JUSTIFICATION consists in the pardon of sin, the acquitting of the sinner's person from the condemnation and curse of the law, together with restoration to favour, and the bestowment of a title to eternal life. Syet. Vol. 2. p. 54. "Atonement does not imply a purchase of God's mercy; it does not imply satisfaction to justice as a cancellation of debt; nor does it infer any obligation on justice for the liberation, of sinners." Maxcy. When a sinner is justified, he is pardoned on account of the atonement, and accepted as a just one, on account of the meritorious obedience of his substitute. "The sufferings of Christ did not satisfy distributive justice, since that respects personal character only; and therefore with respect to distributive justice, salvation is an Syst. Part 2. ch. 4. sec. 7. act of perfect grace." Maxcy. In order to be justified, the sinner must first be morally united to Christ by a sanctified heart. The sinner must so become one with Christ by love "The death of Christ is to be considered as a great, important and public transaction, respecting God and the whole system of rational beings;" and public justice alone is satisfied by the atonement. Maxcy. liable to suffer punishment for our sins? For when we say that he bore our sins upon his body on the tree, (1 Pet. ii. 24.) we mean nothing else thereby but that he suffered all the pain and punishment that was due unto our sins. And the same hath Isaiah more lively declared, when he saith, the chastisement, for correction) of our peace was upon him. Isa. liii. 5 What is the correction of our peace but the punishment due to sin; and which we should have suffered before we could have been reconciled to God, unless he had stood in our room? Here you see plainly, that Christ suffered the pains due to sin, to deliver them that are his, from them." Inst. B. 3. ch. 4. sec. 30. Hence, believers are never punished because justice demands it; but are corrected with parental kindness. Their afflictions are not vindictive curses, but the blessings of love. It is not God's design to take vengeance on them, but to make them more dutiful children. B. 3. ch. 4. sec. 31, 32, 33. Neither our own good works, nor the holy nature of that faith, which is produced in us, is the ground of justification, or the reason why one sinner is OTHERS. doth not shut out the justice of God in our justification, but only shutteth out the justice of man, that is to say, the justice of our works, as to be merits of deserving our justification." "So that Christ is now the righteousness of all them that truly do believe in him. He for them paid their ransom by his death. He for them fulfilled the law in his life. So that now, in him, and by him, every true Christian man may be called a fulfiller of the law." Homilies of the chh. England, B. 1. sec. 3. part 1. "Justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners, in which he pardoneth all their sins, accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous in his sight; not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them, and received by faith alone. Although Christ, by his obedience and death did make a proper, of him, "that it is proper to reckon or impute the righteousness of the Redeemer to the sinner:" "The righteousness of the Mediator comes upon men, or is imputed to them for their justification, by their uniting themselves to him, in a cordial approbation of his right ́eousness, and his holy character:" "Sinners are united to Christ by faith;" or by such a benevolent disposition as includes all the christian graces. OTHERS. "Legal justification is an act in favour of one who is actually just; but gospel justification is an act in favour of a transgressor. This act of justification does not pronounce him to be undeserving of punishment; but it delivers him from punishment which he actually deserves. It does not declare him to be entitled to divine favour, on account of his own perfect obedience; but it secures to him that favour to which he is not thus entitled." Mass. Miss. Mag. Vol. 2. fi. 198. "Faith so unites the believer to Christ, that it is fit and proper that he should be considered and treated as so far one with him, as to pardon and justify him for the sake of Christ, out of respect to his sufferings and obedience, by which he has merited such favour for all his; for all who are thus united to him." "The believer is so united to him that it is proper and fit that his righteousness should be improved in the sinner's favour." Faith however is by no means the meritorious cause of justi fication. |