Spring:

The cross respects men as sinners; it addresses them as sinners. In its boundless all-sufficiency, it has no concern with them in a numerical view; but regards them as those whose relations to the law of God are so changed by this effective propitiation, that all external obstacles to their salvation are graciously removed. No matter who he is, or where he dwells; no matter what his ignorance, or how many or how aggravated his sins; if he belongs to the lost family of man, the Cross is the remedy fitted to reach him in all his woes. There is no locality, or condition, and no variety of the human species, to which the narrative of the Cross, and its great and glorious truths, and its ineffable love and mercy, are not alike applicable. They furnish the great remedy which consults the guild and misery of all classes of society, all periods of time, all climes, all nations, all languages, all men. They are equally fitted to the lost condition of one man, as another. They are sufficient for the race, and, so far as their unembarrassed sufficiency goes, were designed for the race. There is no man whose forgiveness the Cross of Christ does not render just and righteous, on his repenting and believing the Gospel. In this view, the Cross is a deliberate, designed and honest provision for all men; a privilege of which many may be ignorant, and many fail to improve, but one which, wherever the Gospel is known, is as truly in the hands of those who misimprove it and perish, as of those who improve it and are saved.

The proof of these remarks from the Scriptures is abundant, and familiar to every reader of the Bible. “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” “Whosoever will let him take the waters of life freely.” “Ho! every one that thirsts, come ye to the waters.” These, and a multitude of passages of similar import, are expressly addressed to all men, and from design. If it be said, that in commissioned messages like these, God requires the ministers of the Gospel to make this indiscriminate offer of salvation, because they do not know who will accept them, and because it is not their province to distinguish between those who are and those who are not his chosen people; it must be born in mind that the offer is God’s own offer, and that his ministers make it only in his name. He endorses it, and speaks through them. He knows who his chosen people are; and the gracious overture is made by his authority and on his behalf. “Warn them from me.” “Speak to them my words.” “As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you, in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” We wish to vindicate the unfeigned sincerity of the Gospel offer, and we do not perceive how it can be vindicated, unless he is willing his offer should be accepted; and unless the offer be made on reasonable terms. He offers to all men salvation, through faith in the blood of his Son. This he is able and has a right to do, because there is infinite sufficiency in the death of Christ. This he is willing to do, or he would not offer it, nor so solemnly have sworn, “As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that he turn and live.” And the terms on which the offer is made are as reasonable and as low as they can be; for nothing excludes any man from the richest blessings of the Gospel, but his own cherished rejection of them to the last. I cannot see that it is necessary to the sincerity of the offer, that God should make men themselves willing to accept it. There may be, there are, good reasons for his not doing this, in relation to all those who are finally lost, which do not at all conflict with the sincerity of the offer. The offer he makes is in every view expressive of his own mind and heart, of the infinite merit of his Son, and of the munificence of his condescending grace. Upon this same ground, the obligation rests on all who come within the range of these published invitations to accept them. The obligation is of the highest authority, and right in itself. It is the “commandment of the Everlasting God,” to all men, everywhere. It is an obligation, the neglect of which is not only rebuked and punished, but the sin of sins, and one which, while it cuts off the incorrigible from hope, seals him up to that “sorer punishment” of which those are thought worthy who tread under their feet the blood of the Son of God. The foundation which is laid in Zion is, therefore, strong and broad enough to sustain the confidence which is required with so much authority, and enforced with such solemn and affecting sanctions.

Read the rest of this entry »

Smith:

1) Obj. VI. God cannot sincerely make the offer of life to all, when He knows that there are some who will not accept. The marks of sincerity in any offer are the following: (a.) That the blessing offered is in existence and at the disposal of the one who offers it. (b.) That he is willing that it should be accepted, (c.) That it is offered on terms that can be complied with by the individual to whom it is offered, so that all that is needed on his part is willingness. Such is the case with respect to the offer of salvation to all men in the gospel. It is a blessing which really exists, because a general atonement has been made; it is a blessing which God is willing to bestow; He is not willing that any should perish. It is within the compass of man s natural capacities to comply. No addition needs to be made to his powers and faculties, to en able him to comply. Acceptance or rejection is the action of his own voluntary nature. There is an ambiguity in the discussions of this subject in the different uses of the word will. It is used sometimes in the sense of a general desire, sometimes of a specific purpose, (a.) It is undeniable on the ground of Scripture that God desires the salvation of every man as, in itself considered, the best thing for him. He offers salvation to all, and pleads with them to accept it. He offers that which is provided, and which they may accept, and urges it importunately, (b.) God’s decree of preterition is not that some shall not believe, but is simply not to use certain means of moving them to belief. All things considered, He has chosen to pursue his purpose of having a people to his praise, to the extent of insuring belief in some instances, but not in all. (c.) All of God s reasons for this course we do not know. Some reasons are intimated. Blindness of mind, hardness of heart, resistance of light, of grace offered, of the influences of the Spirit, are given as characteristics of many of those who are not included in God s purpose of election. It may be that many of the finally impenitent resist more light than many who are saved.   Henry B. Smith, System of Christian Theology, 2^nd ed., (New York: A.C. Armstrong and Son, 1884), 513-14. [Italics original; Underlining mine.]

2)

THE GOSPEL CALL.

Election is carried out through the proclamation of grace, through the call to repentance and faith, issuing in the effectual calling of those who are finally saved. This call is both external and internal. The external is in the preaching of the gospel, and the internal is the call to the spirit or soul. This internal call, considered in its results on the elect, is called efficacious or effectual grace. The election results in the call, both external and internal, and in the formation of the elect into the church. Some of those who are opposed to the doctrine of election, e. g., the Lutherans, make the call to be universal, and make it to consist in the whole of divine providence towards all nations. The Lutheran formula asserts very strongly that a special call addressed by the Divine Spirit to the soul must be maintained to be universal, even though experience seems to run counter to it.

1. Of the External Call.

This is an invitation on the part of divine grace to sinners to accept through grace the blessings offered to them in Christ, addressed generally through the preaching of the word, although it may also be by the printed page or personal conversation. It is as wide as the proclamation of the gospel in any form. It includes the announcement of the fact of salvation in Christ, an invitation to accept that salvation, an invitation which rises to a command, including a promise and a threat–John iii. 16, 18. This external call is to be addressed to all. It is part of the function of the church to see that it is addressed to all men–Rom. x. 14, 15. Still further, this call, as thus addressed, is binding upon all men. Men are bound to accept this gracious invitation. Not to comply is the great sin. In a state of ruin, invited to accept of everlasting life, their guilt is heightened if they reject. It is not addressed to the elect alone, but is addressed to and binding upon all men.¹ This external call has for its characteristics that it is sincere on the part of God–that it may be resisted–and that it is adapted to lead to conversion.   Henry B. Smith, System of Christian Theology, 2^nd ed., (New York: A.C. Armstrong and Son, 1884), 515-516. [Footnote values original; italics original; and underlining mine.]

_________________________

¹This is one of the great points in the controversy against the Antinomian position. See Fuller’s Gospel Worthy of all Acceptation; and Bellamy’s True Religion Delineated. It was such preaching as this against a dead orthodoxy which led to many precious results in revivals.

Lever:

For unto thee, even unto thee, saving health is provided, and proffered of God, in him, and by him which says:

They that be in health have no need of a Physician, but they that be sick and diseased: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance: Come thou therefore unto me, which labors, and are heavy laden, and I shall ease thee. I shall help, deliver thine own sins. Come therefore in sorrowing thine own sins, and pitying all men’s misery, and I will not refuse the sacrifice of thy oblation of thy humble spirit and contrite heart. I would not have set forth the abomination of thy sins so openly, and showed so many tokens of plagues and vengeance coming presently, but to make thee more willing to come at this my earnest calling because now thy danger is great, thy time is short, and thou can have no refuge or remedy, if thou do not speedily come unto me, which am willing and able to heal all thy diseases, to forgive all thy sins, to deliver thee out of all dangers, and to turn perilous plagues of vengeance from thee, into plentiful provision of all comfortable commodities unto thee.

Remember and consider the example of the children of Jacob, which by envying of their brother Joseph, casting him into a dungeon, and telling him unto strangers, deserved such a plague of famine and hunger, as forced them to seek for food in a strange country: and there when as they pitying Benjamin their youngest brother with charitable love one towards another, did all together humble themselves in prayer before the ruler of the country, which did speak sharply: then the ruler, being in deed Joseph their brother, could no longer use himself strangely towards them, but with loving pity did forgive them all their former faults against him, and did make most comfortable and plentiful provision for them, their father, their wives, and children. And if you, whose sins have caused Christ to be bought and sold, to die and suffer, which have falsely pretended, faintly favored, yea shamefully slandered, and cruelly persecuted the gospel of Christ, which willfully and wittingly in manifest and manifold perjuries, have provoked the wrath and vengeance of GOD, which have envied, hated, and slandered one another, and so deserved dangerous plagues: if you will now pity them that be in misery, and in unity of Faith and brotherly charity, altogether humble yourselves in prayer before your heavenly Father, then Christ which has all authority, of tender heart will embrace you with loving pity, take you as his own brethren, forget and forgive all that has been done against him, and provide plentifully all things commodious or necessary for you and yours. He will fetch you from far into that wealthy place, where as he is a ruler: he will gather you out of all quarters, into that church, whereof he is the head, that which you did mean evil towards him, will he so order as shall be best for you. I say surely, for all you your being thus now called, will come after this manner, yea if you be many all the rest also shall be spared for your sakes, if you be but few in number, yet ever one of you shall be so provided for, that if there remain upon earth any godly comfort for you, ye shall be reserved and kept to see and enjoy it: and if nothing shall remain but misery and mischief, then shall ye be preserved and delivered out of the grief and danger of it, unto joy and glory with Christ.

Thomas Lever, A Treatise of the right way from Danger of Sinne & veneance in this wicked worlde, unto godly wealth and salvation in Christ, (Printed by Henrie Bynneman for George Byshop, 1575), chap. 10, [pp., 108-111] [Some reformatting; some spelling modernized; no original pagination; pages numbered manually from chapter 1; and underlining mine.]

Bullinger:

That Christ calls all sinners unto him, and offers unto them grace and all good things.

The eight chapter.

An objection.

But if any man here say, that he dares not come unto Christ, both because of the majesty and great dignity of Christ, and also because of man’s corruption, and sundry sins: let him most diligently weigh this with himself, that if he remain in this incredulity or unbelief, and come not unto Christ by faith, or trust that Christ will forgive him his sins, and reconcile his Father, that the saints, albeit they have some care and consideration hereof, yet they shall do nothing with God. Because that God requires faith of every one of us, and also the Scriptures teach, that without faith it is impossible for any man to come unto God, or to please him. Furthermore, in the cause or quarrel of sin God hears or admits none but Christ alone, as the only intercessor, and only and eternal reconciliation or propitiation for sins. Let every one therefore come straight to Christ, and join himself unto him, and do his diligence to have Faith. For otherwise neither Noah, nor Job, nor Moses, nor Samuel, nor Daniel shall do any good God himself witnesses by his holy Prophets [Jere. 14. Ezek. 14]. But unto the end that we may join ourselves unto Christ by faith, we must hear his exhortations or allurements full of comfort, grace and truth, wherewith he does allure and call us unto him, and in the Gospel of Matthew, 9^th chapter says: “They which are in health need not the Physician, but they that are sick. For I came not to call the just, but sinners to repentance.” Our Lord spoke these words, when as the Pharisees were displeased that he received sinners, and showed himself courteous unto them. Hereunto also pertain the words of Paul, which are 1 Tim. 1^th Chap. “An undoubted saying, and worthy that by all means we should embrace it, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners,” &c. Mat. 11, Christ our Lord has these words, “All things are given unto me by my Father: come therefore unto me all you that labor, and are laden, and I will refresh you.”  Moreover hereunto pertain the words of Isaiah. 55^th chapter, and those sayings of Paul. Hebrews, 2^th chapter, Christ ought in all points to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest, in those things which should be done with God, to cleanse the sins of the people. For by this that happened him to be tempted, he can also help them that are tempted and therefore Christ our Lord, bids his Disciples to ask and pray in his name, for that they should receive all things necessary for them.  Moreover all sinners which ever at any time came unto him, he most gently received them into grace or favor and sent them from him in peace satisfied with an easy and quiet mind, but such as put no trust in him, those who left in their sins and misery.

To be short, God the heavenly Father has ordained Jesus Christ his Son our Lord, to be our only intercessor, mediator, and defender. He is with his Father passing excellent, most dearly beloved, and most acceptable. He wants nothing which is to be required in a true mediator. He is almighty, gentle, and bountiful unto sinners, he allures them unto him, and promises them faith and love, and these things are true and certain.

Henry Bullinger, Common Places of Christian Religion, (Imprinted at London by Tho. East, and H. Middleton, for George Byshop, 1572), 176-177. [Some reformatting; some spelling modernized; and underlining mine.] [Notes: Unfortunately, folio 178 is missing from Bullinger’s continuing discussion on the free offer.]