Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-02
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L
Jesus instead of sinners. But the
objections TO this view, are also over
whelming.
In the first place, it excludes par
don. If the penalty is inflicted, and
all the punishment due is endured
there is no room then to talk of par.
don. Do governments talk of pardon
ing man whose sentence has been
fulfilled? Pardon means the seHing
aside Of the penalty. 1t means that
no punishment Is TO BE Inflicted. 1t is
nonsense to say, that the sinner is par
doned, because Christ took the punish
ment; in that case, the sinner is
simply bought of. No penalty is re-
mltted, no punishment is spared only,
an innocent person takes it instead Of
the guilty. Now if an innocent per-
son has suffered the whole sentence Of
law pronounced against me as a sinner,
and the law is satisfied (for this is the
usual way Of putting it, then the law
Las no further claim, there IS nothing
now to pardon. 1t is therefore simply
false, to say that [ am pardoned.
Nothing has been pardoned at all the
whole punishment legally due, has
been suffered.
In the second place, this theory i'm
presses people with the feeling that
penalty is the thing to be saved from,
that penalty is the dreadful evil !;
whereas, the Scripture agrees with the
common-sense of the world in affirm
ing that san is the eUll, and that Jesus
came to save men from that Indeed !:
IS not penalty itself an effort of gov
ernment to prevent sin. fit be said {;
but sin being committed then penalty
must be inflicted, | answer; that de-
ponds on circumstances If the sin
ner will not repent, then the greatest
good of all concerned demands that
the penalty be inflicted. But if the
sinner repent, and turn with all his
heart to loving obedience, 30 that he
becomes useful and honorable in the
Kingdom of God, a blessing to all
concerned, then the greatest good os
81, demands that he be accepted in
the kingdom, and that there be no
penalty inflicted. Whatever the great
est good of all concerned, demands
that, lar also demands for lar, that
is, the eternal common law of the Uni
verse, demands always that whatever
will secure the greatest good on the
whole, shall be done. Now so far
from its being the greatest good on the
whole, to infict the penalty upon one
who, though sinner has turned away
from sin to right and holy character
(that is, to send such one to held it
is clear, it would be great evil and
distress; neither for Gods honor, nor
the JOY of the good, nor the welfare of
he person himself There is there
fore no "must be inflicted" in such a
case. fit be replied but then it must
be inflicted on some one else [ ask,
why? and if it be answered--as it
usually is-that it must be inflicted
for the sake OF magnitying the law and
making it honorable, | ask again, will
the sending to hell, Of one who has
sinned, but has now become thorough
ly good, magnify and honor the law,
as much as the gracious pardon Of
such an one, in view Of his return to a
hearty and joyful obedience of that
law? The notion that Christ magni-
fed and honored the law by suffering
the penalty due to sinners, IS moa,
strous. The truth is. more likely.
that Jesus honored the law. lifting it
up in the glory of its eternal right
ness, by coming here on a mission Of
love; IN personal loyalty to law, as re
quiring love, and by this winning sin
ners, to give up sin and come into the
spirit of that law and keep it with
hearty JOY. Sinners thus won BY the
Lord Jesus, by means Of all he was
and is. and all he did and does, are
then forgiven; all penalty is set aside
forever; no one suffers it. This is
pardon indeed, but the theory We are
now considering makes pardon farce
or pretenee.
In the third place, Christ did not in
fact suffer the penalty, for the simple
reason that he could not in the nature
eff things. The penalty for sin is
The soul that sinneth 1t shall die ;"
not some ones else soul. Besides; in