This Section teaches —

Ist. That Christ, as mediatorial King, seated at the

right hand of God, applies the redemption he had effected as Priest to the proper subjects of it. This point has been already discussed under Chapter vii., § 4, and Chapter viii., §§ 1, 4, when we were treating of Christ, the Head and Surety of the covenant and mediatorial King, and of his session at the right hand of God.

2d. That he proceeds in the effectual application of redemption in the use of each of the four following methods : (a.) By making intercession for the persons concerned. (6.) By the revelation of the mysteries of salvation to them in his Word, (c.) By the effectual operation of his Spirit on their hearts, (d) By all necessary dispensations of his providence. The discussion of these points must be looked for under the several heads of "The Holy Scripture,^' "Providence,'^ "God's Covenant with Man," "Christ the Mediator," "Effectual Calling," "Justification," etc.

3d. That Christ doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate redemption to ALL those for whom he hath purchased it.

Our Standards, it will be observed, very explicitly teach that Christ, as mediatorial Priest, made expiation and purchased salvation for certain definite persons. Thus, in Chapter iii., § 6, it is said: "As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath he, by the eternal and most free purpose of his will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore they that are elected, being fallen in Adam, ave redeemed by Christ. . . . Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, . . . but the elect only." Here it is expressly affirmed (a) that Christ died upon the cross on purpose to carry out the eternal purpose of God in the election of certain individuals to

eternal life. (6.) That Christ died for the purpose of saving no other than the elect.

In Chapter viii., § 5 : " The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, .... purchased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father hath given unto him." Here it is expressly taught — (a.) That the design of Christ in dying was not simply to make the salvation of all men possible, but actually to purchase reconciliation for those given to him by the Father. (6.) That for the same persons Christ actually purchases, and consequently infallibly secures, an eternal inheritance in heaven.

In Chapter viii., § 8, it is said : " To all. those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same." L. Cat., Q. 59 : " Redemption is certainly applied and effectually communicated to all those for whom Christ hath purchased it." When this Confession was written, the phrase " to purchase redemption" was used in the sense in which we use the phrase " make atonement for sin." So it was so used by Baxter in his work, " Universal Redemption of Mankind by the Lord Jesus Christ," and by Dr. Isaac Barrow in his sermon entitled "The Doctrine of Universal Redemption Asserted and Explained." Dr. Henry B. Smith, in his edition of Hagenbach, vol. ii., pp. 356, 357, says that our Confession uses the phrase in the same sense.

The entire truth upon this subject, as set forth in our Standards, may be stated summarily in the following propositions :

Ist. God has acted from the beginning in all his

works according to one changeless, all-comprehensive plan. Being infinitely wise and powerful, his design is always fully executed, and therefore is fully revealed in the event. God therefore intended to accomplish by Ae vicarious obedience and sufferings of Christ pre- :isely what he does accomplish — nothing more and nothing less.

2d. The satisfaction rendered by Christ is amply sufficient for all men who can possibly be created.

3d. It is exactly adapted to the legal relations and wants of every man — of one man as well as of another.

4th. Hence it has for ever removed out of the way all legal obstacles to God^s saving any man he wills to save.

5th. That it is freely, authoritatively and in good faith offered to every man to whom the gospel comes.

6th. Hence it follows — (a.) This redemption is rightfully the possession of any man whatsoever who accepts. (6.) It is objectively available to one hearer of the gospel as much as to another, upon the single condition of acceptance.

7th. But, since all men are dead in tresspasses and sins, no man accepts it except those to whom it is effectually applied by the Holy Ghost.

8th. It is effectually applied precisely to those persons to whom the Father and Son will to apply it.

9th. Since God's purposes are all eternal and immutable, the Father and Son will to apply it now precisely to those to whom they designed to apply it when Christ hung upon the cross, and they willed to apply it then precisely to those to whom they had designed to apply it from eternity.

10th. Hence it follows — (a.) Christ died with the purpose of executing the decree of election, (b.) His design in making atonement was definite, having respect to certain definite persons — the elect and none others, (c.) He designed to secure the salvation of those for whose sake he rendered satisfaction, not merely to make their salvation possible, but to purchase for them inalienably faith and repentance, actual reconciliation and the adoption of sons, etc., etc. (d.) He in time applies it effectually and certainly to all those for whom he purchased it.

Section VIII. — To all those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption, he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same;^ maldng intercession for them;^ and revealing unto them, in and hy the Word, the mysteries of salvation;^' effectually persuading them by his Spirit to believe and obey ; and governing their hearts by his AVord and Spirit ;^^ overcoming all their enemies by his almighty power and wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most consonant to his w^onderful and unsearchable dispensation.*^

39 John vi. 37, 39; x. 15, 16. I *2 John xiv. 16. Heb. xii. 2. 2 Cor.

*o 1 John ii. 1, 2. Rom. viii, 34. I iv. 13. Rom. viii. 9, 14 ; xv. 18,

*i John XV. 13, 15. Eph. i. 7-9. John | 19. John xvii. 17.

xvii. 6. 1 *•■' Ps. ex. 1. 1 Cor. xv. 25, 26. Mai.

I iv, 2, 3. Col. ii. 15.

EXPOSITIOK.

This section relates to the extent of Christ's death with respect to its objects, and in opposition to the Arminian tenet, that Christ died for all men — for those who shall finally perish, as well as for those who shall be eventually saved ; it affirms that the purchase and application of redemption are exactly of the same extent. In the fifth section we were taught that Christ purchased redemption only for "those whom the Father hath given unto him;" and here it is asserted, that, " to all those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption, he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same." It was formerly remarked, that, at the period when the Confession was framed, the phrase to jmrchase redemption was nearly synonymous with the phrase to make atonement for sin. What lang-uage, then, could affirm more explicitly than that here employed, that the atonement of Christ is specific and limited— that it is neither universal nor indefinite, but restricted to the elect, who shall be saved from wrath through him ?

The sacrifice of Christ derived infinite value from the

dignity of his person ; it must, therefore, have been intrinsically sufl&cient to expiate the sins of the whole human race had it been so intended ; but, in the designation of the Father, and in the intention of Christ himself, it was limited to a definite number, who shall ultimately obtain salvation. This important truth may be confirmed by the foUowing arguments : —

1. Restrictive terms are frequently employed in Scripture to express the objects of the death of Christ : "He bare the sin of many." " He gave his life a ransom for many." — Isa. liii. 12 ; ]Matt. xx. 28. Does not this intimate that Christ died, not for all men, but only for many ?

2. Those for whom Christ died are distinguished from others by discriminating characters. They are called the sheep, — John x. 15; the church, — Eph.v. 25; God's e?ecf, — Rom. viii. 33 ; the children of God. — John xi. 52.

3. Those whom Christ redeemed by his blood are said to be " redeemed /rom ajHow^ men" (Rev. xiv. 4), which, if Christ had redeemed all men, would be an unmeaniug and inconsistent phrase ; they are also said to be " redeemed otit of every kindred," &c. (Rev. v. 9), which certainly implies that only some of every kindred are redeemed.

4. The redemption obtained by Christ is restricted to those who were " chosen in him," and whom the Father gave to him to redeem by his death. — Eph. i. 4, 7; John xvii. 2.

5. Christ died in the character of a surety, and therefore he laid down his life only for those whom he represented, or for his spiritual seed. — Isa. liii. 10.

6. The intention of Christ in laying down his life was, not merely to obtain for those for whom he died a possibility of salvation, but actually to save them — to bring them to the real possession and enjovment of eternal salvation. — Eph. v. 25, 26 ', Tit. ii. 14 ; 1 Pet. iii. 18 ; 1 Thess. v. 10. From this, it inevitably follows, that Christ died only for those who shall be saved in him with an everlasting salvation.

7. The intercession of Christ proceeds upon the ground of his atoning sacrifice ; they must, therefore, be of the same extent with regard to their objects ; but he does not pray for the world, but only for those who were given him out of the world ; his sacrifice must, therefore, be restricted to that definite number. — 1 John ii. 1, 2 ; John xvii. 9.

8. An apostle infers from the gi-eatness of God's love in delivering up his Son to death for sinners, that he will not withhold from them any of the blessings of salvation ; we must, therefore, conclude that Christ did not die for all mankind.— Rom. viii. 32.

114 CONFESSION OF FAITH. QcHAP. VIII.

9. The same apostle infers the certainty of our salvation by the life of Christ, fi*om our reconciliation to God by his death ; now, since all are not saved by his life, we must conclude that all were not reconciled by his death. — Rom. V. 10.

10. Christ, by his death, procured for his people not only salvation, but all the means leading to the enjoyment of it; consequently, his intention in dying must be limited to those who do repent and believe, and not extended to the whole human race.

11. The doctrine that Christ died for all men leads to many absurd consequences, such as, — That Christ shed his blood for many in vain, since all are not saved; that he laid down his life in absolute uncertainty whether any of the human race would be eventually saved ; that he shod his blood for millions who, at the very moment of his death, were consigned to the pit of everlasting destruction; that he died for those for wliom he does not intercede ; that he died for those to whom he never sent the means of salvation, yea, to some of whom he even forbade his gospel to be preached, — Matt. x. 5; Rom. x. 14; and that God acts unjustly in inflicting everlasting punishment upon men for those very transgressions for which he has already received full satisfaction by the death of Christ. To affirm any of these things, would be blasphemous in the highest degree ; and, therefore, that doctiine which involves such consequences must be unscriptural.

Universal terms are sometimes used in Scripture in reference to the death of Christ; but reason and common sense demand that general phrases be explained and defined by those that are special, and which can only admit of one interpretation. The meaning in each case may usually be ascertained from the context; and one oljvious reason for the use of indefinite and universal terms in relation to the death of Christ is, to intimate that the saving effects of his death extend to some of all nations — to Gentiles as well as Jews — to all classes and descriptions of men.*

* On this topic numerous publications have lately appeared ; among the earlier productions, we would refer to Hurrion's Four Sermons in the Limestreet Lectures, and especially to Dr Owen's Treatise, Salus Electorum, Sanguis Jesu, which, in fact, exhausts the subject.