Dabney:

1)
Christ as a Priest,
must be divine.

2d. None but a properly divine being could undertake Christ’s priestly work. Had he been the noblest creature in heaven, his life and powers would have been the property of God, our offended Judge ; and our Advocate could not have claimed, as He does, John x: 18, that He had exousia to lay down His life and to take it again. Then: unless above law. He could have no imputable, active obedience. Third: unless sustained by omnipotence, unless sustained by inward omnipotence. He could never have endured the wrath of the Almighty for the sins of the world; it would have sunk Him into perdition. Fourth: had there not been a divine nature to reflect an infinite dignity upon His person, His suffering the curse of sin for a few years, would not have been a satisfaction sufficient to propitiate God for the sins of a world. After the sacrifice, comes intercession. His petitioners and their wants are so numerous, that unless He were endowed with sleepless attention, an omnipotence which can never tire, an infinite understanding, omnipresence, and exhaustless kindness, He could not wisely and graciously attend to so many and multifarious calls. Here we see how worthless are Popish intercessors, who are only creatures. Lectures, Dabney, Lectures, 200-201.

2) This seems, then, to be the candid conclusion, that there is no passage the Bible which asserts an intention to apply redemption to any others than the elect, on the part of God and Christ, but that there are passages which imply that Christ died for all sinners in some sense, as Dr. Ch. Hodge has so expressly admitted. Certainly the expiation made by Christ is so related to all, irrespective of election, that God can sincerely invite all to enjoy its benefits, that every soul in the world who desires salvation is warranted to appropriate it, and that even a Judas, had he come in earnest, would not have been cast out.

But the arguments which we adduced on the affirmative side of the question demonstrate that Christ’s redeeming work was limited in intention to the elect. The Arminian dogma that He did the same redeeming work in every respect for all is preposterous and unscriptural. But at the same time, if the Calvinistic scheme be strained as high as some are inclined, a certain amount of justice will be found against them in the Arminian objections. Therefore, In mediis tutissime ibis. The well known Calvinistic formula, that “Christ died sufficiently for all, efficaciously for the Elect,” must be taken in a sense consistent with all the passages of Scripture which are cited above Lectures, 527.

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Bates:

II. The love of God discovered in our redemption, is the most powerful persuasive to repentance. For the discovery of this we must consider, that real repentance is the consequent of faith, and always in proportion to it. Therefore the law which represents to as the divine parity and justice, without any allay of mercy, can never work true repentance in a sinners. When conscience is under the strong conviction of guilt, and of God’s justice as implacable, it causes a dreadful flight from him, and a wretched neglect of means. Despair hardens. The brightest discoveries of God in nature are not warm enough to melt the frozen heart into the current of repentance. It is true, the visible frame of the world, and the continual beliefs of providence, instruct men in those prime truths, the being and bounty of God to these that serve him, and invite them to their duty. “God never left himself without a witness in any age:” his goodness is designed “to lead men to repentance.” Acts 4. 17. And the apostle aggravates the obstinacy of men, that rendered that method entirely fruitless. But the declaration of God’s goodness in the gospel is infinitely more clear and powerful, than the silent revelation by the works of creation and providence. For although the patience and general goodness of God offered some intimations that he is placable, yet not a sufficient support for a guilty and jealous creature to rely on. The natural notion of God’s justice is so deeply rooted in the human soul, that till he is pleased to proclaim an act of grace and pardon, on the conditions of faith and repentance, it is hardly possible that convinced sinners should apprehend him otherwise than an enemy; and that all the common benefits they enjoy, are but provisions allowed in the interval between the sentence pronounced by the law, and the execution of it at death. Therefore God to overcome our fears, and to melt us into a compliance, hath given in the scripture the highest assurance of his willingness to receive all relenting and returning sinners. He interposes the most solemn oath to remove our suspicions. ”As I live, says the Lord, I delight not in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” Ezek. 33. 11. And have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? says the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways and live?” Ezek. 18. 23. The majesty and ardency of the expressions testify the truth and vehemency of his desire, so far as the Excellency of his nature is capable to move our affections. And the reason of it is clear; for the conversion of a sinner implies a thorough change in the will and affections from sin to grace, and that is infinitely pleasing to God’s holiness, and the giving of life to the converted is most suitable to his mercy. The angels who are infinitely inferior to him in goodness, rejoice in the repentance and salvation of men; much more doth God. There is an eminent difference between his inclinations to exercise mercy, and justice. He uses expressions of regret when he is constrained to punish. Psal. 81. 13. “O that my people had hearkened to me, and Israel had walked in my ways! And how shall I give thee up Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? mine heart is turned within me.” Hos. 11. 8. As a merciful judge, that pities the man, when he condemns the malefactor. But he dispenses acts of grace with pleasure, He pardons iniquity, and passes ‘by transgressions because he delights in mercy.” Mic. 7. 18. It is true, when sinners are finally obdurate, God is pleased in their ruin, for the hour of his justice; yet it is not in such manner as in their conversion and life, he doth not invite sinners to transgress, that he may condemn them: he is not pleased when they give occasion for the exercise of his anger. And above all, we have the clearest and surest discovery of pardoning mercy in the death of Christ. For what stronger evidence can there be of God’s readiness to pardon, than sending his Son into the world to be a sacrifice for sin, that mercy without prejudice to his other perfections might upon our repentance forgive us? And what more rational argument is there, and more congruous to the breast of a man, to work in him a serious grief and hearty detestation of sin, not only as a cursed thing, but as it is contrary to the divine will, than the belief that God, in whose power alone it is to pardon sinners, is most desirous to pardon them, if they will return to obedience? The prodigal in his extreme distress resolved to go to his Father with penitential acknowledgments and submission: and, to use the word of a devout writer, his guilty conscience as desperate, asked him, qua spe, with what hope? He replied to himself, illa qua pater est. Ego perdidi quod erat filii; ille quod patris est non amisit: though I have neglected the duty and lost the confidence of a Son, he hath not lost the compassion of a Father. That parable represents man in his degenerate forlorn state, and that the divine goodness is the motive that prevails upon him to return to his duty.

William Bates, “The Harmony of the Divine Attributes,” in The Whole Works of William Bates, (London: Printed for James Black, 1815), 1:331-333. [Some spelling modernized and underlining mine.]

Credit to Marty Foord for the find.

Manton:

1)

SERMONS UPON EZEKIEL XVIII 23.

SEKMON I.

Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? says the Lord God ; and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

EZEK. xviii. 23.

THERE is nothing so necessary to draw us to repentance as good thoughts of God. In the first temptation the devil sought to weaken the reputation and credit of God’s goodness in the hearts of our first parents, as if he were harsh, severe, and envious in restraining them from the tree of knowledge, and the fruit that was so fair to see too, Gen. iii. He lays his first battery against the persuasion of God’s goodness and kindness to man; if he could once bring them to doubt of that, other things would succeed the more easily. So still he labors to raise jealousies in our hearts against God. David was fain to hold to this principle when the prosperity of the wicked was a temptation to him; yet ‘God is good to Israel.’ Ps. Ixxiii. 1. That was the truth which the temptation did oppose, that God is good to his people. With carnal men he prevails the more easily. The blind pagan world had this for a maxim, to daimonion phthoneron, the gods were envious, and took no pleasure in the felicity of man, and therefore looked for some notable cross after some eminent triumph or applause for any worthy under taking. In the bosom of the church this conceit possesses many men’s hearts, that God is harsh and severe, and delights more in our ruin than salvation, and therefore they cast off all care of their soul’s welfare. Oh, what a monstrous picture do men draw of God in their thoughts, as if he were a tyrant, or an inexorable judge, that gave no leave for repentance, or left any hope of pardon to the guilt! Thus in the prophet’s days there were some that thought they must die and be miserable, and none could help it. They had a proverb, that, ‘The fathers had eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth were set on edge.’ They must smart for their fathers’ sins, whether they repented, yea or no. Therefore God stands upon his justification and vindication from so foul a surmise. Here you have a part of his purgation; ‘Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, says the Lord God?’

The words are propounded by way of interrogation; in which form of speech there is more evidence, efficacy, life, and convincing force; q d., Ye know it is evident that I have no such desire, no such pleasure.

It dares not enter into your thoughts that I should take pleasure in the bare destruction of the creature. This pleasure of God is expressed

1. Negatively, what he delights not in, ‘Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’

2. Positively, what he doth delight in, ‘That he should turn from his ways, and live.’

God had rather his conversion. In both are implied two great truths; as, omnis qucestio supponit unum et inquirit aliud; namely, the connection between sin and death, repentance and life, wicked and die, return and live. God doth not obscurely null or disown his judgment and execution according to that law, or give you any hopes that his law shall not be executed, but tells you what he takes pleasure in; rather in the conversion than in the destruction of the creature. The first question implies a strong negation, that he doth not delight in the mere slaughter of the wicked. The latter question is a strong affirmation; only remember in both parts that these things are spoken by way of comparison. Repentance is more accept able to God, as an holy God, than sin and wickedness; their conversion than their disobedience. And as God is a merciful God, and loves all the creatures which he hath made, so their life is more pleasing than their death; a thing more acceptable in itself to such a being as God is.

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Daille:

I acknowledge that this is properly the crime, first, of those who reject the gospel of the Son of God, the true word brought in by the Holy Spirit; and, secondly, of them that, living under the Mosaic covenant, rebelled against the word of God preached to them by Moses and the prophets. But I affirm, that even they are not exempt from it, who have sinned, or do sin, in the darkness of paganism. For though these people do not reject the word either of the gospel or the law, neither of which is addressed to them; yet they cannot be excused of contemning that other voice of God, which makes itself heard from heaven throughout all the earth, and sounds secretly in every man’s heart, and privily calls them to repentance for their sins, to piety, honesty, justice, and rectitude. They profanely reject this sacred declaration of the Deity, without which God never left a man among the nations, no, not the most forlorn, or most desperately plunged in idolatry and viciousness, as the apostle teaches us in the Acts. They despise those admirable directions he gives them in the governing of the world, to seek him, feel him, and find him, Acts xiv. 17; xvii. 26, 27. They make light of the evidences he offers them in his administration of the universe of his eternal power and Godhead; and finally, abuse the riches of his mercy, of his patience, and of his long-suffering, by which his goodness invites and solicits all men to repentance, Rom. i. 20; ii. 4. Hence how astonishing, not only the justice, but even the gentleness and benignity, of God, who having right to punish men upon the first sin of which they are found guilty, yet does it not; but calls and invites them to repentance, and waits for them, and causes not his wrath to fall upon them, till, to the crime of their sin, they have added that of rebellion against the second way of salvation, which in his loving-kindness offers them; namely, the way of repentance. For that which the apostle says here of fornicators, and the avaricious in particular, is true of all vices in general; the wrath of Heaven comes not upon them who are guilty, but when by their unbelief and obduracy they have made themselves children of rebellion; and there is not a sinner in the world, how great and enormous soever his crimes may be, but this good and all-merciful Majesty receives most readily to mercy, provided only he repent; according to the prophet’s saying, that God wills not the death of a sinner, but that he be converted and live, Ezek. xxxiii. 11; so that henceforth it is not simply sin that condemns men, but impenitence and unbelief. And the goodness of God so much the more gloriously appears in this his procedure towards them, for, that he might have the liberty of treating thus with them, he bought it (if I may so speak) at the price of the blood of his only Son, whom he (such is the goodness to us) delivered up to the death of the cross, to preserve the interests of his justice, which opposed this way of mercy which he determined to open unto men after their falling into sin. But this very thing shows us, on the other hand, how great the corruption of men is, and how untractable the furiousness of the passion they have for vice, in that, not content to be debauched from the service of their Sovereign, (which is of itself a horrible crime, and worthy of a thousand penalties,) they are so desperately in love with sin, that, to continue in it, they despise, and even reject, with an enraged insolence, all this holy and sacred mystery of the kindness of God, and are so enchanted and bestialized by the poisons of sin, that they prefer its short, vain, and wretched pleasures before Divine grace and salvation, and less dread the wrath of their Sovereign, the society of devils, and the torments of hell, than the loss of that unworthy and shameful delight which the practice of sin, and the fulfilling of its lusts, gives them for a few days.

Jean Daille, An Exposition of The Epistle of Saint Paul to the Colossians, trans. James Sherman (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1843), 182.  [Some spelling modernized and underlining mine.]

credit to Tony for the find