The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-09-12

"Rnt wa also 10y in Col through our Loro
Jssus Christ, by whom we have now received
the atonement." Rom. VII.
MANY men have many schemes to
avoid penalty. The chief OF these
are, lies and promises, money ana
blood. The dis obedient child breads
correction. He soon learns to deny
the sin to avoid the penalty. He
declares that he did not steal the
sugar nor break the lamp. Before the
courts the greatest criminals affirm
themselves not guilty. These are lies
to avoid penalty.
Other children and other people
acknowledge the crime, but multiply
their promises in order to avoid the
penalty. They open their lips and
confess,-Truly l did the sin, but l
won't do it again. The confession is
the more honorable, but it has the
same purpose as the lie,-to-wit:-lt
would avoid the penalty.
Then, again, where neither lies nor
promises avail, other men resort to
money to avoid the penalty. The de-
graded fellows who break the law
and sell their poison and ruin our fell
lowtownsmen, tell their lies in court.
They make their promises to doright.
And if these fail, they offer money to
bride the courts And lies and prom
i ses and money are all to one end,
to vito avoidthe penalty.
Last of all, the more respectable
class of sinners, the religious class
put their trust in blood to the same
end. vizs-To avoid an everlasting
penalty. The mistaken Jews trusted
in the blood of bullccks, and the
misguided Christians conhde IN
the blood of Jesus, all to the same
end. to-wit:- To avoid the penalty OF
the divine law. 1t is the blood of
the atonement, they teach US, that
will save the sinner.
Bv his sacrifice of himself on the
cross, Jesus fully satisfied the JUS
tice of his Father and purchased not
only reconciliation, but an everlast-
ing inheritance in the kingdom OF
heaven for all those whom the Father
hath given unto him. Westminster
Confession, p. 50.
Hence, we discover that there is a
supposed great conflict between pen
atty and the atonement. Without
the atonement the law would have
enforced its penalties on all mankind.
But, through the blood of the atone
ment. there is a full and abundant
escape for all who believe in Jesus.
This is the doctrine of the church a.
large.
That we may understand the Chris
tian religion, therefore, let us ask
Did Jesus make any atonement In
conflict with the penalty of the law?
Was he opposed to the punishment
of the wicked? Why should he de-
clare that the law would be fulfilled
in every jot and little, ifhe had made
an atonement which would divert
its penalties and allow the guilty to
90 frees Did he think his Father
unmerciful to the wicked? Then why
should he desire his will to be done?
Did Jesus, or does anybody suppose
that there was anything wrong about
the penalties of the divine law7 Is
there anything inexpedient, or I'M
proftable-anything that needs re-
vision, or readjustment, or any
scheme to make the divine jurispru-
dence better, or to improve our meth
DDS of obtaining salvation? Is there
ANYTHING in the law which is not
good-nay, the best that could have
been possibly devised9 Was not God
love from the beginning-and did he
not put his wisdom and love into the
law to the uttermost? Then why
should Jesus desire to make an
atonement to interfere with it, to cir
cumvent it, and to shield us from it's
merciful and restraining operations?
None of these questions can be an
swered in favor of the existing theo-
ries of our Lords atonement.
No sacrifice was needed to save
mankind from the law. No atone
ment was necessary to protect men
from the penalties which just and
wise father would impose on his own
children. Hence there should be no
conflict between divine penalty and
Christ's atonement.
Let us turn now to the text to dis
cover the true doctrine of the atone
ment. CIV whom we have now re-