Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-02-01
geadiug for the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED By
REV. OBERT LATHAM.
(Orlglnal.r'
JESUS CHRIST..THE PRIEST.

(orlgInal.r
JESUS CHRIST..THE PRIEST.
To make an atonement for his people and
to intercede in their behalf constitutes the two
principal functions of the priesthood of Jesus
Christ. In their logical order, the atonement
is first. The word atonement occurs only once
in the authorized version of the New Testa-
ment Rom. S Ill. In this place it means
the same thing as the word reconciliation. In
the Old Testament Scriptures, the word atone
nlent is of frequent occurrence. AS used now
by theological writer's generally, the word
atonement means the satisfaction which Jesus
Christ, as priest, rendered to the demands of
Gods law. 1t is made to include both the
preceptive and penal demands of the law. In
other words, it denotes all that Jesus Christ
did and suffered to satisfy the claims of JUS
tice. Hence, it includes both the obedience
and death of Jesus Christ. The word is Of
recent origin among theologians, and, it must
be confessed, is liable to some objections.
The proper meaning of the word to atone, is
to be, or cause to be, at one. Hence, in strict
propriety of speech, the word atonement is too
limited to denote the perfect satisfaction which
Christ rendered to Gods law. 1t includes
only his sacrifice of himself, leaving out the
obedience which he rendered to the precepts OF
the law of God. BY the word atonement,
however, as already stated, is meant all that
Jesus Christ did and suffered 70 satisfy the
claims of Gods law, both in its preceptive and
penal demands.
There are four things which Jesus Christ
must possess before he could be capable of rem
dering satisfaction to God in the room OF sim
ners. (1). His being chosen and appointed by
the Father, acting in behalf of the Godhead.
| (2). The possession, on his part, of the nature
of those for whom he undertook to make sat-
isfaction. (3). His subsection to the law to
which those for whom he engaged to render
satisfaction were subject. (4. That he be ab-
solutely sinless and incapable Of SHINING.
| 1t is evident that unless Jesus Christ was
chosen and appointed by the Father, he could
merit nothing, and unless he obeyed and suf-
fered in the nature of man, his obedience and
suffering would avail nothing for sinful men,
and if he were not made subject to the law he
could neither obey nor suffer, and it is clear,
| if he were sinnerhe could not obey and suffer
in the room of others, so as to satisfy the law
| for them.
All four of these prerequisites, the Scrip
lures inform us, Jesus Christ possessed. The
following passages seem to place this matter
beyond controversy "God sent his son, made
of a woman, made under the elaw." Gal. 4.
In this passage, the humanity of Jesus Christ
and his subsection to the law, are positively
declared. 1t is also asserted that God ''sent"
him. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, 2: IA,
we find these words, GAS the children were
partakers of flesh and blood, he also, himself,
took part of the same" In II. Cor. S 2l,
it is said "He made him to be sin for us who
knew no SIM" The plain meaning of this
passage is, that God made Jesus Christ his son,
who knew no son, that is who was sinless and
incapable of SHINING, to be sin for his people.
The matter of the satisfaction made by Je-
sus Christ, in the discharge of the functions
of priest, consists of obedience and suffering.
Those for whom he engaged to render satisfac-
tion were debtors, in a two-fold sense, to the
law of God BY violating the law they incur
red the penalty annexed to the law, but they
were not thereby released from the obligation
to render perfect obedience to the law.
Adam and his posterity were as much bound
to obey the law of God after Adams sin. as
Adam was before he sinned.
The satisfaction which Jesus Christ rendered
to the law consisted (1) in rendering to it a
perfect obedience, and ~ in satisfying it's Pc
nal demands Both the obedience and suffer-
ing of Jesus Christ were vcar;ous, or in the
room and stead of others. He obeyed for 9TH
ers, and he died for others. When, however,
it is said that he obeyed and suffered for 9TH
ers, we are not to understand that it was for
others, in the sense that it was for the advan-
tage of others. If this was all that Jesus
Christ did, then he did only what martyrs in
every age of the world have done. The out
law, who drags out miserable existence in
felon's CELL or dies upon the gallows, suffers or
dies for the good of others.
Jesus Christ was not a martyr. His obe-
dience to the law of God was a vicarious obe-
dience, and his death was a vicarious death.
The necessity of satisfaction being render
ed to the law of God will appear, if we con-
template the character of God as he is revealed
in his word and works. When, however, it is
said that satisfaction was necessary, it is not
an absolute necessity that is meant. In other
words, God was not under any obligation to
provide Saviour for sinners, but having de-
termned to save sinners, then it became ne
cessary that the Saviour render satisfaction
to the legal claims against those whom he de-
termined to save.
There are some who hold that God could
have pardoned sin and saved sinners without
any satisfaction having been rendered to the
law of God. Aside from the fact that it al
ways seems to be wicked to say that God
might have acted in different way from what
he has done, many reasons may be given why
a satisfaction to the law of God was necessary
in order that sinners might be saved. To par
don sin without satisfaction would have been
in direct conflict with all the attributes of
God. Had this been the case then, contrary
to the Scriptures, God is not so pure that he
cannot behold evil and look upon iniquity.
uab. lib. The Scriptures teach us that
''justice and Judgment are the habitation of
Gods throne" Psalms SO IA. 1t belongs to
Gods nature to reward the obedient and pun
ish the disobedient.
If God did not punish the disobedient and
reward the obedient he would do violence to
his truth. lie has certainly promised to re-
ward the righteous and threatened to punish
the wicked. If he saves the sinner without a
satisfaction of the violated law being rendered
in his stead, we may ask what comes of the
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