FROM

THE

MILLENNIAL HARBINGER.

NEW SERIES.

VOLUME IV.-----NUMBER X.

B E T H A N Y, VA. OCTOBER, 1840.

Brother Campbell,

      IN my last number I was still prosecuting the subject of the death or sacrifice of Christ, showing its effects on the believing sinner. I was particular, perhaps unnecessarily so, in showing the effects of the Levitical sin-offerings, and of the offering of Christ Jesus, on man and things; yet to set the subject in as clear a light as I can, I will add a few things more from the same source--the Bible.

      Another effect of the blood of Christ on man, is, that by it, man is redeemed, bought, purchased, or ransomed. Tit. ii. 14. "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity." 1 Peter i. 18. "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Eph. i. 7.; Col. i. 14. "In whom we have redemption in his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Hos. xiii. 14. "I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death." Rev. v. 9. "For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy own blood"--not from God. Rom. viii. 23.; Heb. ix. 12.; Gal. iii. 13. 1 Cor. vi. 20. & vi. 23. "Ye are bought with a price." 2 Peter ii. 1.; Acts xx. 28. "Feed the church of the [464] Lord, which he hath purchased with his own Wood." Matth. xx. 28.; Mark x. 45. "Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and give his life a ransom for many." 1 Tim. ii. 6.

      These expressions have been taken literally by many, as in commercial affairs, a quid pro quo in scholastic style. They are not to be understood in the preceding texts literally, but figuratively, as we shall show by the scriptures. God is often said to sell his people for their iniquities; when nothing more is intended than that he suffered their enemies to prevail against them, and bring them into bondage and distress. Judges ii. 14. "And the anger of the Lord waxed hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about." See also Judges iii. 8; iv. 2, 9.; 4 Sam. xii. 9. When the Lord had delivered these people thus sold, he is said to have bought, purchased, redeemed, and saved them. Exod. xv. 16. "Fear and dread shall fall upon them, till the people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over which thou hast purchased." Deut. xxxii. 26. "Do ye thus requite the Lord? O foolish people, and unwise! Is he not thy Father that has bought thee." Ps. lxxiv. 2. "Remember thy congregation which thou hast purchased of old." Deut. vi. 8. "The Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt." Deut. ix. 26. & xxiv. 18.; Exod. vi. 6. & xv. 2.; 2 Sam. ii. 23. Thus God's creatures are in the New Testament said to be sold under sin; and those thus sold, when freed are said to be delivered and redeemed from sin, bought, purchased, and ransomed, or saved. Rom. vii. and references.

      These expressions mean nothing more than deliverance and salvation; so Moses understood them, and certainly he is the best interpreter of his own language: Exod. iii. 8. "I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians." Exod. xiv. 30. "Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians," &c. So the Prophets understood those expressions. Mich. iv. 10.; Jer. xv. 20; Isai. l. 2.; Ps. cvi. 8, 10.; Neh. ix. 27, et passim. And so did the New Testament writers. Acts vii. 34.; Romans xi. 26. This sense of the words is used in common parlance. Thus we say, Our liberty or salvation from British oppression was purchased by the blood of our fathers. No one understands by this expression that our fathers literally gave their blood to Britain as a stipulated price for our redemption.

      We will now inquire--1st. Who is the redeemer, the buyer, the purchaser, the ransomer of the people? All will say, that God by the hand of Moses redeemed and purchased Israel from Egyptian bondage. Ps. lxxviii. 35., with the references above. Under the New [465] Testament the same God is the Redeemer by his Son Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. i. 30. "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

      2d. From what does God redeem by his Son? I answer in the language of the scriptures already cited, he redeems from all iniquity--from our vain conversation--from the curse of the law, and from death and the grave.

      3d. By what means does God by Christ deliver, or redeem us? I answer, By the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the great Mediator Christ Jesus. This was the will of God, which will Jesus executed, and by which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all. Heb. x. 7-10.

      God redeems none but such as believe, repent, and obey the gospel; for to none else is remission of sins granted; and Paul teaches that redemption and remission of sins are tantamount expressions. Eph. i. 7.; Col. i. 14. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Therefore none are redeemed from sin but the obedient believer.

      There are two things from which we are redeemed without faith, repentance, or obedience; which are, the curse of the law, and the grave. The Jews (for they only were under the law) were redeemed from the curse of the law by the death of Jesus on the cross; for by this the law received its fulfilment and end. Christ was the end of the law--he nailed it to his cross, and took it out of the way. The Jews are "delivered from that law, it being dead wherein they were held"--that covenant waxed old and vanished away. As this was effected without faith, so is redemption from the grave; for all, the good and evil, shall rise again from the dead. By the one offence, or by the disobedience of one man, Adam, the condemnation to death came upon all; so by the righteous obedience of one, Jesus Christ, the justification to live again, or to rise from the dead, comes upon all. Rom. v.

      Another inquiry of importance naturally rises from these premises: What connexion is there between faith, and all those divine effects of the blood of Christ before mentioned; as cleansing, sanctification, justification, redemption, &c.? I answer, To believe in Christ crucified, is not merely to believe that he died on Calvary; for a person may believe this, and weep at a pathetical description of the tragical scene, and yet his heart remain unsanctified from sin. The same person might weep at the description of Emmet's death, if a Curran were the orator. The quantum of religion would be equal in both cases; that is, none at all; unless sympathy be called religion. We must [466] know the designs of the death of Jesus before we can be rightly affected by it. To believe therefore aright in Jesus Christ crucified, is to believe in the designs of his death. Of these designs I will now inquire.

      1st. One design of his death was, to take the law or old covenant out of the way: Eph. ii. 13, 15.; Col. ii. 14.; Rom. vii. 1-6; Heb. viii. 13. & x. 9., &c. The last pointed to Christ, and the glory that should follow. When he died and rose again, he became the end of the law--it was fulfilled, and died with him--the priesthood was changed, then of necessity, there was also made a change of the law. The law being dead and vanished away, of course its curse and transgressions are also removed; for where there is no law there is no transgression, nor curse. "And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they who are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." Heb. ix. 15. The middle wall of partition is broken down between the Jew and Gentile. Eph. ii. 14.

      2. Another design of the death of Jesus was to bring in and establish the New Testament, or to bring in everlasting righteousness to all the nations of the world. Gal. iii. 8-14. "Christ has redeemed us (Jews) from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, (by dying on the cross)--That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Now the blessing of Abraham was the gospel, preached to him 430 years before the law; which gospel is, that "in thee and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Before his death he forbade his disciples to preach the gospel to the Gentiles; but after his death and resurrection he gave them a new commission--to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Now "where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force when men are dead, otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Heb. ix. 16, 17. A man may make his last Will and Testament years before his decease, in which he bequeaths certain portions of his estate to his children; but they have no right to the bequests while the father lives; but as soon as he, the testator dies, every legatee has a full right to the bequeathed inheritance. So while Jesus the testator lived, the blessings bequeathed in his last Will and Testament to the Gentiles could not be given to them; but after he died every creature of the human family has a right to all the blessings of the everlasting covenant. But, alas! how many, like Esau, sell [467] their birth-right to such a rich inheritance for one morsel of vanity! Yet let all know that the New Testament is dedicated by blood, and now in full force.

      3d. Another design of the death of Jesus was to effect the resurrection. "I lay down my life that I might take it again"--i. e. 'I die that I may rise again': "as Jesus died and rose again, even so them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." When he rose from the dead, he wrested from the hands of death and the grave those keys which would forever have locked the grave upon all the dead--there would have been no resurrection to all eternity. When he died and rose again, the bondage through fear of death was removed--then by his own blood he passed from the worldly sanctuary through the veil into the holiest of all, into heaven itself, and consecrated for us a new and living way to follow him there. Now, like holy Stephen, we look into heaven, and rejoice in the hope of immortality.

      4th. Another design of his blood is to display the love, grace, and goodness of God to the world. Rom. v. 8. "But God commendeth his love towards us, in that when we were yet sinners Christ died for us." "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us." 1 John iii. 16.; 2 Cor. v. 14, 15.; Heb. ii. 9., &c.

      5th. He died and rose again also to fulfil the scriptures that were written in the Law, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning him. Luke xxiv. 26, 44. "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me." "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?"--The Prophets predicted his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to glory. To these the Apostles appealed in proof of Christ being the Messiah--and in these they laid the foundation of the Christian's faith.

      6th. Another design of his death was for our example. 1 Peter ii. 21. "For Christ hath also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps." Heb. xi. 2.

      7th. Another design of his death is to condemn sin, and fulfil the righteousness of the law in us. Rom. viii. 3, 4. "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin (perei hamartias, for a sin-offering,) condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in (not for) us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." In the text, instead of for sin, I have rendered it for a sin-offering, according to your version, and king [468] James' translation of Heb. x. 6, 8. The propriety of this the learned will not dispute. The law pointed out duty, but was too weak in its motives to have it performed--it could not purge the conscience--it could not make perfect--it could not justify--it was not possible for it to take away sin. While the subjects of the law were groaning in bondage, and writhing under the galling yoke, God in pity and love sent his only begotten Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for a sin-offering, in order to effect two grand purposes--to condemn sin, and save the sinner.

      Christ dwelling in flesh condemned the world by his perfect righteousness, as did Noah of old. He condemned the world especially by his death, or offering for sin. Jesus, the most perfect, spotless, holy, lovely being the sun ever looked upon, was hated, defamed, persecuted, condemned, and slain by the wicked under the influence of sin--they hated him without cause--they persecuted him for righteousness' sake--they slew him because their own deeds were evil, and his righteousness--they were the servants of sin, which reigned over them and in them, and instigated them to cry, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him, crucify him!" The horrid deed was done. Now who in heaven, or in the intelligent universe, but must condemn sin, the author of this wickedness? Jesus was the very image and character of God. In hating him, sin also hated the Father--in persecuting and putting him to death, sin has shown what it would do, had it power--it would instigate its servants to persecute and destroy from the universe the God of all--would annihilate his throne, and chase to eternal destruction all holy beings in heaven and earth--it would fill the universe with pain and misery, and cause the clouds of desperation forever to brood over all.

      The Jews at Pentecost, when convinced that Jesus whom they crucified was the Son of God, were convinced of sin, and cried out, What shall we do? The malignity and evil of sin are pre-eminently seen in the cross. There too we see God's hatred to sin; for in order to destroy it, he spared not his own Son from death, but freely delivered him up for us all--that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver us from bondage through the fear of death.

      By Christ dwelling in the likeness of sinful flesh, and being a sin-offering, God also fulfilled the righteousness of the law in us--i. e. he sheds abroad the love of God in oar hearts by the Holy Spirit given unto us--to us who believe and obey the gospel; or who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

      These glorious truths the blood of Jesus speaks;, for it has a voice, [469] and "speaketh better things than the blood of Abel." But the scriptures give his blood the voice: for without the scriptures we had not known the designs of the blood. The word and blood speak the same things, and are confirmed the one by the other. The New Testament in my blood is the same New Testament in the word, and the same effects are attributed to each. John xvii. 17; Gal. ii. 16; 2 Cor. v. 18, 19, &c.

      Thus have I shown the designs of the death of Christ, and the divine effects of it on man. It has been proved that his blood purges, cleanses, sanctifies, washes, and purifies from sin--that by it sin is put away, borne away, taken away--that by it we are justified, pardoned, redeemed, ransomed, bought, purchased, delivered and saved from sin--by it we are propitiated, or saved from enmity, reconciled, and at-one-ed to God. By it--I need not repeat all I have written in this and the preceding numbers. All these effects are the work of God in us and for us, by the means of the sacrifice of Christ; and obedient believers only are the subjects of them. All are obliged to admit that what I have said on these points is true. But they think that the virtue of the sacrifice extended even to God directly, so as to reconcile, to propitiate, and pacify him to sinners, to satisfy the demands of the broken law and offended justice, &c. Let these be proved to be the designs and effects of Christ's sacrifice on God, his law, and government; let them be proved from scriptures, the source whence I have drawn all my proof, and I shall be among the first to receive them. Reason, philosophy, the traditions of fallible men, and sophistry will avail nothing with me; yet I am well assured of their power on a certain class of men. The text in Romans iii. 24, 25., the refuge of all the reputed orthodox shall be hereafter considered. Yet even admitting that something was done, that God could be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus; yet that something is not declared, nor is it stated that it was effected by sacrifice.

      I deny not that something might have been done to produce the effect on God as just mentioned; yet that something I find not revealed; and I dare not be wise above what is written. There has been, and yet is a great deal of conjecture and speculation afloat on this unrevealed something, which I do consider repugnant to the plain scriptures of divine inspiration; yet he that believes the declaration of God from his mercy-seat Christ Jesus, that he can be just in justifying the ungodly, that believe in Jesus, and acts according to divine direction, that person will not be condemned, though he may not understand the how God can be just when he justifies the believer. If I admit not this, I should have gloomy presages of the world's future condition.

B. W. STONE. [470]      

BROTHER STONE:

      My dear Sir--THAT the words redeemed, bought, purchased, ransomed, &c. are used figuratively, or only in part of their signification, when applied to Jews and Christians, is not only admitted, but affirmed by all intelligent men, whether orthodox or heterodox, Unitarian or Trinitarian, Old School or New. I have met with only one or two cavilling spirits that sought to take them commercially--who asked, To whom did Jesus pay the price of man's redemption? But it is nevertheless true that Jews and Christians hare been literally bought, ransomed, &c. With the greatest propriety the Lord said to the Jews, "I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee." Isaiah xliii. 3. "Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom." Job xxxiii. 21. In the same sense "the son of man came to give himself a ransom for many--for all, to be testified in due time." The Lord as truly gave to destruction the first-born of Egypt for his first-born Israel, as ever a General gave a thousand talents for his captive soldiers. And we have not been redeemed by silver and gold; but nevertheless we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, and have been "bought with a price"--not, indeed, with all the forms of a commercial transaction in mercantile style; but still as really and truly bought, ransomed, redeemed, &c. Such is the Bible style, and as such you very justly adopt it as apposite and authoritative. Your illustration is a good one--"Our liberty and salvation from British oppression were purchased by the blood of our fathers." We did not pay to Britain so many men for our liberty; and yet had these fathers not been men of courage and patriotism, and given up their lives to the demands of George III., our country had not been redeemed. Their lives were a part of the price of our redemption. And had not Jesus died for our sins and given himself a ransom for many, no one could have been redeemed from sin, for reasons fully declared in the Bible.

      Jesus has redeemed us both to and for God--not only for him, but to him. You have quoted proofs of both. God appointed him a Saviour and Redeemer, and also accepted him as such. "He spared not his own Son" when his benevolence and his justice demanded the sacrifice. On this point also there is no difference.

      By what person we are redeemed, from what evils, and by what means, are also matters on which we seem to have the same understanding.

      There is, perhaps, a shade of difference in our acceptation of the word redemption--if, indeed, you mean to say that redemption and remission of sins are tantamount expressions. They may be nearly [471] so in one or two places; but certainly they are not naturally, necessarily, nor scripturally tantamount expressions. Redemption, as a generic term, includes remission of sins; but remission of sins does not include redemption in reason or scripture. The body is redeemed as well as the soul; besides, a person may be redeemed who needs no pardon. But of this again.

      There is another verbal difference (perhaps it is not much more than verbal) in the next section. You say, "There are two things from which we are redeemed," (not pardoned!) "without faith, repentance, or obedience--the curse of the law and the grave." While the latter may be freely granted, the former may be doubted. The Jews only were under the law, you properly observe; consequently the curse of that law in all its fulness hangs over all them out of Christ. But he was made a curse for us, so far as hanging on a tree is a curse according to what was written. But was simply dying on a tree "the end and fulfilment of the law"? Was Christ the end of the law simply in the manner of his death? You quote from Romans vii. "The Jews are delivered from the law, it being dead wherein they were held." But it does not so read in my Greek Testament. It is, according to Mill, Bengelius, and Griesbach, "We being dead wherein we were held or tied to the law." We, not the law, have died, being buried and raised again in baptism. This is, however, a very subordinate matter, and I hasten to the burthen of your letter.

      You say, and very justly, "To believe in Christ crucified is not merely to believe that he died on Calvary, but to believe in the design of his death." This is the very point to which I am glad that you have so directly come. You have wisely gone into it more fully than any other. I will therefore consider, and I wish our readers to consider all that you have said on this point with profound attention.

      There are, in your view, seven distinct designs in the death of Christ. These are--

      1st. To take the law out of the way. 2d. To bring in the New Testament. 3d. To effect the resurrection. 4th. To display the love of God. 5th. To fulfil the scriptures. 6th. To afford an example. 7th. To condemn sin and fulfil the righteousness of the law in us.

      So far as you have gone all Christendom goes, orthodox and heterodox. Some will differ from you in the explanations you give, and in the application of the scriptures you quote; but that these seven are designs of Christ's death, all will admit. But that they are the designs, demands a very serious doubt.

      To these I beg leave to add one of all-absorbing interest to my mind, viz.--To expiate sin. "Now once in the end of the world has he appeared to expiate sin;" or, as you prefer it, "to put away sin by [472] the sacrifice of himself." This, with me, is the great design of all the designs of the law, of the prophets, of the types, of the incarnation of THE WORD--"the Word that was made flesh," and obtained a body that he might as a priest have somewhat to offer. How you came to forget this, my good and venerable brother, I conjecture not. But that this is the paramount object of Christ's death, I doubt not you will, on recollecting yourself, cheerfully admit. "That Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many--that he appeared in a body to put away sin--and that after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, he sat down on the right hand of God, having perfected forever them that are sanctified," are the very burthen of the epistle to the Hebrews.

      Indeed, this is the import of the law and the gospel. Daniel said, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to restrain the transgression--to make an end of sin-offerings--to make a propitiation or reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in an everlasting righteousness," &c. And Paul said, "By his own blood he obtained an everlasting redemption." These two passages are one in sense. The everlasting righteousness of Daniel and the eternal redemption of Paul are, in my judgment, two names for the same thing. Daniel said, In seventy weeks an everlasting righteousness shall be brought in; and Paul says, Having by his own blood obtained an everlasting redemption he sat down.^{1} An eternal redemption is a redemption that is forever availing, which needs neither addition nor repetition. This is the foundation of an everlasting justification. Redemption in this sense is the cause--justification the effect. Sin-offerings are ended because reconciliation for iniquity is made, and a justification perfect and complete is brought in. The order is sin-offering, redemption justification. The three are perfect; but the two last spring from the first. But here I must pause for the present.

      Brother Stone, I am just set down in my chair, after an absence of two weeks, in attendance at our Ohio annual meetings. Your letter was received and partially printed in my absence, and I had written this much of my reply before I discovered that your third letter has never appeared in our pages. I informed you of its loss, and until I this moment received your note of the 1st instant, (September,) I did not know but that Letter IV. (having come in my absence) was your Letter III. Had not the form containing a part of your letter been printed off, and some of my reply in type, I should have laid it all over for a month. Any thing material in this transposition maybe rectified again.---------Sincerely and affectionately yours,

A. C. [473]      

[The Millennial Harbinger (October 1840): 464-473.]