(Continued from page 224).
THE first article of the covenant of redemption concerns the persons redeemed. The redeemed, in Scripture, are pointed forth under sundry expressions. Sometimes they are called the “predestinated”; sometimes the “elect”; sometimes those “whom God foreknew”; sometimes they who are “called according to his purpose”; sometimes “they that are given” to Christ of the Father; sometimes “Christ’s sheep”; sometimes the “children of God.” But whatsoever name they have, the persons are the same, according to that of the apostle: “Whom he did foreknow, them he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified”—Rom. viii., 29, 30. The number of the names of the persons here spoken of, are the same; and they are called the “predestinated,” in regard that God has appointed them to a certain end, to wit, eternal life, to be brought thereunto effectually by certain means for the glory of God’s grace. They are called “elect” (verse 33), in regard that God, in the purpose of His good pleasure, has severed them from among the rest of men, lying with them in the state of perdition by their own procurement, and has designed them to be partakers of eternal salvation. They are called “foreknown,” and written in the book of life, in regard God has comprehended them in His special love, no less distinctly and unchangeably, than if He had their names written in a catalogue or book. And they are called “given unto Christ,” in regard the redeeming of them, and bringing them to life, is committed to Christ. But by whatsoever name they are designed, the persons redeemed are still the same.
But whereas the elect, given to Christ, are called “the redeemed,” it presupposes, that they are considered and looked upon as now fallen by their own fault, and lying by their own demerit in sin and misery, enemies to God, and altogether unable to help themselves. For this much does the notion of redemption, or buying back again, import; and that it is so, is clear, because the mercy of God, the grace of God, the good-will of God, is put in Scripture for the only motive and impulsive cause of redemption. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself”—Ephes. i., 7—9. The Scriptures, show us that there is an innumerable multitude of redeemed persons, and a sort of universality of them extended into all nations, and ages, and states of men; so that this huge multitude for whose redemption Christ’s blood was shed (Matt. xxvi., 28), is justly called by the name of a world, an elect world (John iii., 16); to be called out of that reprobate world, for which Christ refuses to intercede (John xvii., 9). The truth of this matter, the redeemed do acknowledge, in their worshipping Christ their Mediator: “And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation”—Rev. v., 9. These are the “all men” of whom the apostle speaks (II. Peter iii., 9). God is patient toward us (to wit, His elect), not willing that any of us should perish, but that we all should come to repentance. And this the apostle gives for a reason of the Lord’s deferring His coming, till all the elect should be brought in, of many were not yet converted in the apostle’s time, and many were not yet born; and if Christ should not delay His coming, till they were born, and brought in to reconciliation with God, the number of the elect should be cut short.
In no place of Scripture is it said, that all and every man is elect, or every man is given to Christ, or every man is predestinate unto life; in no place of Scripture is it said, that Christ has made paction with the Father for all and every man without exception; but by the contrary it is sure from Scripture, that Christ has merited and procured salvation for all them for whom He entered Himself surety. Their sins were laid only on Christ, and in Him condemned, satisfied for, and expiated (Isaiah liii.); for these and in their place, He offered Himself to satisfy justice; for them He prayed; them only He justifies and glorifies: for the sentence of the Apostle in II. Cor. v., 15, stands firm, “in Christ all are dead” (to the law), for whom and in whose room Christ did die. And therefore for these His people, the law is satisfied; from these, the curse is taken away; to them heaven and all things necessary to salvation are purchased, and shall infallibly in due time, yea, invincibly, be applied. Christ has not sanctified, consecrated, and perfected all and everyone (Heb. x., 14). Only for His sheep predestinated, He laid down His life (John x., 15, 16, 26). He did not buy with His blood all and everyone, but His church, called out, and severed from the world (Acts xx., 28). He saved not all and every man from his sins, but His own people only; to wit, whom He has bought with His blood to be His own (Matt. i., 21), whom He has purchased to be His own peculiar people, whom He purifies, and kindles with a fervent desire to bring forth good works (Tit. ii., 14).
Such as Christ has redeemed, He loves them infinitely, and counted them dearer to Him than His life. But many shall be found to whom Christ shall say, “I never knew you,” to wit, with approbation and affection (Matt. vii., 23). They for whom Christ died, shall sometime glory against all condemnation; but so shall not every man be able to glory (Rom. viii., 34, 35). Christ never purposed to lay down His life for those, whom going to die, He refuses to pray for; only for those who are given to Him out of the world will He pray, and die, and rise, and will raise them to eternal life (John xvii., 9). So far is it from God’s purpose and Christ’s to redeem all and every man, that He has not decreed to give every nation so much as the external necessary means for conversion and salvation: “He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel; he hath not dealt so with any nation; and as for his judgments they have not known them”—Psalm cxlvii., 19, 20. And for this wise and holy course of hiding the mystery of salvation from many, even wise men in the world, Christ Jesus glorifies and thanks the Father: “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes; even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight”—Matt. xi., 25.
The Second Article.
As to the second article of the covenant of redemption, concerning the price of redemption, and the fitting of the Redeemer for accomplishing the work of redemption, God would not have silver or gold, or any corruptible thing (I. Peter i., 18). He refuses all ransom that can come from a mere man (Psalm xlix., 7, 8). But He would have His own co-eternal and only begotten Son to become a man, to take on the yoke of the law, and to do all His will, that He alone might redeem the elect, who by nature are under the curse of the law. He would have Him, the second Adam, to be obedient even to the death of the cross, that by His obedience many might be justified (Rom. v., 19). This is clearly confirmed by the apostle (Heb. x., 5—7, 10), commenting upon the 7th and 8th verses of Psalm xl. “In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure”: then said Christ coming into the world, “Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will O God,” by the which will we are sanctified, by the offering up of the blood of Jesus once for all.
By Christ’s obedience we understand, not only that which some call His active obedience, nor that which some call His passive obedience; for His active and passive obedience are but two notions of one thing: for His incarnation, subjection to the law, and the whole course of His life was a continued course of suffering; and in all His suffering, He was a free and voluntary agent, fulfilling all which He had undertaken unto the Father, for making out the promised price of redemption, and accomplishing what the Father had given Him command to do. His obedience even to the death of the cross, did begin in His emptying Himself to take on our nature, and the form of a servant, and did run on till His resurrection and ascension. As for these His sufferings in the end of His life, which He suffered both in soul and body, they were the completing of His formerly begun and running obedience, but were not His only obedience for us, or His only suffering for us; for He had done and suffered much from His incarnation, before His last passion and death. But the highest degree of His obedience, whereby He bought deliverance unto us from sin and misery, and whereby He bought unto us immortality and eternal blessedness in heaven, was His death on the cross completing our ransom.
Whereas some have said, that one drop of His blood was sufficient to redeem more worlds than one, if there were any more, it is but an inconsiderate speech, and destitute of Scriptural authority; for when Christ had suffered all things before the time of His death, it behoved Him to be crucified also (Luke xxiv., 26). But it behoved Him not to suffer more than justice required for a ransom, but only as much as was agreed upon; and no less could satisfy. Now, this commandment He received of the Father, that He should lay down His life for His sheep (John x., 18). For the wisdom of God thought good to testify His own holiness, and hatred of sin, and to testify His love to the elect world, and riches of His grace toward them to whom He would be merciful, by inflicting no less punishment of sin on the Mediator, His own dear Son (taking upon Himself full satisfaction to justice for all the sins of all the elect given unto Him to redeem), than the death both of His body and soul for a season. And indeed, it was suitable to His holy and sovereign majesty, that for the ransom of so many thousands and millions of damnable sinners, and saving of them from everlasting torment of body and soul, no less price should be paid by the Son of God, made man and surety for them, than His sufferings both in His body and soul for a season, as much as should be equivalent to the due deserved punishment of them whom He should redeem. And it became the justice of the infinite majesty offended, to be reconciled with so many rebels, and to bestow upon them heaven and eternal blessedness, for no less price than the sufferings of the eternal Son made man, whose humiliation and voluntary obedience, even to the death of the cross, was of infinite worth and value; and therefore He yielded Himself to the sufferings agreed upon in the covenant of redemption both in body and soul.
(To be continued.)
“All that the Father giveth me shall come.” Put these three things together—(1) they will not come, (2) they cannot come, (3) and yet they shall come. They will not come is in their proud Arminianism; they cannot come is in their ruin by the fall; and they shall come is in the Holy Spirit’s operations.—Rev. Joseph Irons.