Double Jeopardy

One of the books which I am currently going through is :"The Satisfaction of Christ"by A.W.Pink. He includes a number of good quotes of Bible scholars/preachers/theologians of the past. The trouble is that he doesn't give full documentation for his sources.

Alexander Carson was a friend of Robert Haldane and helped the latter with his Exposition of Romans.I have a good quote but AWP only gives Carson's name and the year of the writing on page 129.

The subject matter of the OP has been dealt with by many Reformed men such as Owen,Gill Spurgeon etc.The title of the OP is my own -- not Carson's. Here is Carson's turn to delve into the issue.

"There are many who plead for the atonement of Christ,who, in effect, deny it, as well as its open opposers. They suppose that it is a conditional atonement, of efficacy only to those who comply with certain terms. It is evident, however,that a conditional atonement is no atonement in the proper sense of the word; for an atonement must expiate the sins atoned for, just as a payment cancels a debt. Where, then, there has been an actual atonement made, the sins atoned for never can be punished again,any more than a debt once paid can be charged a second time.It would be unjust in God to charge the debt to the account of man that was fully paid by man's Surety.It may be alleged that one man may pay another man's debt upon certain conditions; and that if those conditions are not fulfilled, the debt will be still chargeable upon the debtor.But it is evident that, in such a case, the surety either does not actually pay the debt till the conditions are fulfilled, or if he has conditionally paid it, he is refunded before it is chargeable upon the debtor.In every such case, the debt is not really paid. But Jesus has paid the debt.He has already made atonement; and if they for whom He died are not absolved, the debt is charged a second time. Christ can never be refunded. His blood has been shed; and there is no possibility that what He suffered can be now either more or less.They,then, who suspend the efficacy of the atonement of Christ upon conditions to be complied with by man, in effect deny that atonement has been truly made."

 

CHS Quoted By AWP(p.245)On Isaiah 53:10

"They believe in an atonement made for everybody; but then, their atonement is just this; that Judas was atoned for as much as Peter, that the damed in hell were as much an object of Jesus Christ's satisfaction as the saved in heaven.Though they do not say it in proper words they must mean that, in the case of multitudes, Christ died in vain, for they say He died for all, and yet so ineffectual was His dying for them, that many are damed afterwards. Now, such an atonement I despise -- I reject it. I had rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all for whom it was intended, than an universal atonement that is not efficacious for anybody, except the will of man be joined with it."

 

Quoting From The Same Book(p.130)-- John Armour

"Perfect suretyship, whether we regard the supreme instance and exemplification of it in the work of Christ in our behalf, or the most common and familiar instances of it as exemplified among men, is always and manifestly suretyship which, in its own nature, secures and necessitates, the reinstatement of every one in whose behalf it is undertaken."

 

Pink Quotes Owen(p.246,247)

"Redemption is the freeing of a man from misery by the intervention of a ransom. Now, when a ransom is paid for the liberty of a prisoner, does not justice demand that he should have and enjoy the liberty so purchased for him by a valuable consideration?If I should pay a thousand pounds for a man's deliverance from bondage to him that detains him,who hath power to set him free, and is conented with the price I give,were it not injurious to me and the poor prisoner that his deliverance be not accomplished?Can it possibly be conceived that there should be a redemption of men, and those men not redeemed?that a price should be paid, and the purchase not consumated?Yet all this must be made true, and innumerable other absurdities, if universal redemption be asserted.A price would be paid for all, yet few delivered; the redemption of all consumated,yet few of them redeemed; the judge satisfied, the jailer conquered, and yet the prisoners inthralled!"

 

William Symington ( 1795-1862)

Pink quotes the above-named theologian on page 249.The quote is from :The Atonement and Intercession of Jesus Christ.

"It is as much at variance with strict justice or equity that any for whom Christ has given satisfaction should continue under condemnation, as that they should have been delivered from guilt without satisfaction being given for them at all.But it is admitted that all are not delivered from the punishment of sin, that there are many who perish in final condemnation. We are therefore compelled to infer, that for such no satisfaction has been given to the claims of infinite justice -- no atonement has been made.If this is denied, the monstrous impossibility must be maintained, that the infallible Judge refuses to remit the punishment of some for whose offenses He has received a full compensation; that He finally condemns some, the price of whose deliverance from condemnation has been paid to Him; that,with regard to the sins of some of mankind, He seeks satisfaction in their personal punishment after having obtained satisfaction for them in the sufferings of Christ; that is to say, that an infinitely righteous God takes double payment for the same debt, double satisfaction for the same offence, first from the Surety, and then from those for whom the Surety stood.It is needless to add that these conclusions are revolting to every right feeling of equity, and must be totally inapplicable to the procedure of Him who 'loveth righteousness and hateth wickedness' "

 

This Time From The Words Of AWP (p.244)

"Which exalts Christ the more? which demonstrates the more the value and efficacy of His atonement: that which effectually secures the actual salvation of every one for whom it was made? or that which ends in the great majority of those for whom He shed His precious blood being eternally punished in hell? Surely none with any spiritual discernment can fail to see which view is more glorifying to the Redeemer. And if we call to mind the nature of His satisfaction, that it was the specific bearing of the sins of definite persons, that it was a paying of their debts, a suffering the law's curse in their stead, in order that they might go free; and when we remember that the Judge of all accepted this atonement, was satisfied with the price the Sponsor paid -- then, where would be God's honor, His justice, His faithfulness, were He, notwithstanding, to punish millions of those for whom His Son bled and died? If Christ died for all men universally, then all men universally must be saved. There is no other possible alternative, except to say that God will punish twice, first in the person of the Surety, and then in the person of many in whose place He is supposed to have stood."

 

A.W.Pink : "The Satisfaction of Christ" (244,245)

"We sincerely trust that neither writer nor reader is lacking in compassion to his fellow-creatures, yet we must not allow our pity for men to lead us to adopt any principle which is dishonoring to the Divine perfections and subversive of Christ's satisfaction. Others may speak for themselves, but the writer would not dare to trust his salvation to a Saviour who was unable to save those for whom He died. If it were true that Christ shed His blood for those who are now in hell, what guarantee would be left me that I shall not go there? An atonement, that fails to atone, a sacrifice which fails to deliver, is worthless. To say that salvation is possible to all, if all would receive Christ, is to ignore those unequivocal words of the Saviour in John 6:44,'No man can come to me,except the Father which hath sent me draw him.' To say that salvation turns upon the sinner's own acceptance of Christ would be like offering a sum of money to a blind man upon the condition that he would see, or offering to ransom a prisoner on the proviso that he burst his way out of his steel-walled cell."

 

From Pink's Book:The Satisfaction Of Christ

He quotes my man Toplady on page 80.

Payment God cannot twice demand,
First at my bleeding Surety's hand
And then again at mine.

Complete atonement Thou hast made,
And to the utmost farthing paid
What e'er Thy people owed.

How then can wrath on me take place
If sheltered in Thy righteousness
And sprinkled with Thy blood?

Turn, then, my soul, unto thy rest,
The merits of thy Great High Priest
Speak peace and liberty.

Trust in his efficacious blood,
Nor fear thy banishment from God
Since Jesus died for thee.