V. 9.— But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor: that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels.— While the language of the Psalm can only be applied to mankind in general in a very limited and confined sense, it has its full accomplishment in the Lord Jesus. He was made for a little while lower than the angels by His incarnation— coming in the likeness of sinful flesh. There is in our translation some confusion from the order in which the words are placed. Christ is represented as being crowned with glory and honor, that He might taste death; whereas He first tasted death, and then, as the reward of His sufferings, was crowned with glory and honor. This was the joy set before Him, for which He endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of God. He has ascended far above all heavens, such is the uniform doctrine of Scripture. “ Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11. Christ drank of the brook in the way, therefore He lifted up His head. He is seated at the right hand of God, till all His enemies be made His footstool. Psalms 110:1 : At the same time it is true that our translators have followed the order of the words in the original; but, although the Greek may admit of this inverted order, it is evident that Christ was made for a little while lower than the angels by His incarnation and that, in consequence of His voluntary humiliation, He is crowned with glory and honor. That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.— Here we are taught the object of the death of Christ. A multitude whom no man shall be able to number were chosen in, and given to Christ. They came under the curse of the broken law, and by the grace of God He laid down His life for them, that He might redeem them from death, might ransom them from the power of the grave, and swallow up death in victory. Adam was the source or fountain of their natural life, but it was dried up, the streams, consequently, all failed; but Jesus said, "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.” Hebrews 10:9. “ By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Chap. 10:10. Having risen from the dead to die no more, He is to all His people the fountain of eternal life; because I live, ye shall live also. By the grace of God.— The gift of Christ to die for His people was an act of pure grace; but if so, the withholding of this boon, and the consequent condemnation of all mankind would have been no injustice. Many seem to think, that it would have been unjust to punish mankind without opening for them a way of escape, and putting them a second time in a state of probation. Were this correct, all mankind must have heard the Gospel, whereas the number of those to whom the glad tidings have come is comparatively small. There would be no more grace in the salvation of believers than there would have been justice in their condemnation. But if mankind were lost in their first father Adam, then their redemption in Christ is wholly of grace. Taste death.— Death is the king of terrors. Those who know not God are described as being, through fear of death, all their lifetime subject to bondage. It is bitter and distasteful, and hence the figurative expression, “ tasting death." So distasteful was it to the Lord Jesus, that in the days of His flesh He offered up supplication with strong crying and tears, to Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared; not that He was unwilling to drink the bitter cup, or endeavoured to avoid it, but He thus earnestly prayed for victory over this last enemy. For every man. [Man here is a supplement. Macknight says the supplement may be “ huiou,” every son, which exactly corresponds with the following verse.] This general expression is frequently employed when a limitation is absolutely necessary. For instance, "every man shall have praise of God.” 1 Corinthians 4:5. God deals to every man the measure of faith. Romans 12:3. The blind man, when the Lord opened his eyes, saw every man clearly. “Every man” is said to press “ into the kingdom of God.” Luke 16:16. In the passage before us, the context proves that the general expression must be limited to those to whom Christ stands in the relation of the Captain of their salvation. Ver. 10. He tasted death for every one of the " many sons” whom He brings to glory. Here the expression imports that Christ died for each of His people; he died for them (as Israel is to be gathered) "one by one.” [See the author's "Doctrine of the Atonement." Second edition. Pages 276-277] He tasted death for every one of the sanctified. Ver. 11. For every one of his brethren, ver. 11, 12; for every one of the Church, for which He gave Himself, Ephesians 5:23. Hebrews 2:12. For every one of the children whom God gave unto Him. Ver. 13. For every one of the seed of Abraham. “ And if ye be Christ’ s, then are ye Abraham’ s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29. So far from dying for all, Christ will say to many, “I never knew you.” He prays for the men whom His Father had given Him out of the world, while He expressly states He prays not for the world, John 17:6-9. In point of fact, the greater part of mankind have never heard of a Savior, and are not only living without God, but without hope in the world. If Christ died for all, no man is saved by His death. But perhaps it is said, that they are saved by faith in His death. Still, faith is the gift of God, which, like every other gift, is imparted to sinners through the atonement by which God’ s righteousness in the remission of sins is manifested. If salvation be purely of grace, no difficulty is got rid of by holding that Christ died for all. Besides, if the atonement of Christ was not made exclusively for the elect and saved, but for all, even for those who are lost, the unity of the Godhead is denied. If Christ died for all, and the Spirit effectually reveals the truth only to some, where is the unity of operation between Christ and the Holy Spirit? [Mr. Haldane’ s work on the Atonement was his last and, probably, his ablest publication. The Rev. Dr. Stanford, of Dublin, so well known as the able editor of Mr. Krause’ s sermons, has alluded to it in his preface to a new edition of the celebrated Elisha Coles’ “ Discourse on God’ s Sovereignty.” Dr. Stanford says,—“ After so much experience as, I trust, may secure me from the charge of presumption, in venturing an opinion of my own, I do not hesitate to say, that if the expositor of Divine truth would desire to be consistent in his doctrine,— if he would avoid being self-contradictory,— it can be only by the vivid and unclouded perception, and the unqualified adoption, of such views as are to be found in this and similar works. Rare, I regret to say, they are; but though few, they are inestimable. I shall just here mention one, which is happily of easy attainment, and which, I think, no inquirer into truth should fail to provide himself with,— I mean 'The Doctrine of the Atonement,’ by J. A. Haldane. The object is in a good measure parallel with Elisha Coles’ work; of course it has the advantage of a more modern and polished style. It is a singularly able and unanswerable advocacy of those views which, no matter how men may recoil from them, it has, nevertheless, been God’ s will to reveal.” The first editions of Elisha Coles’ work were published with the strong recommendations of such men as Owen, Annesley, and Goodwin. At the great revival of the Church of England, a new edition was published by the celebrated William Romaine, who states that it is “from these doctrines only that settled peace can rule in the conscience, the love of God be maintained in the heart, and a conversation kept up in our walk and warfare as becometh the Gospel. It is from them all good works proceed, and that all fruits of holiness abound, to the praise of the glory of the grace of God.” It may here be remarked that the errors revived in the present day, involving universal pardon and the denial of eternal punishments, render the enforcement of the old doctrines taught by the Reformers and the Puritan divines all the more important One of the last acts of the judicious Thomas Scott was to republish in English the decisions of the Synod of Dort, with a preface, in which is contained the manly concession that he had been himself prejudiced against them. It may, however, be fairly said, that if good men, who hold the doctrines of free grace were to compare their respective views, it would be found that their differences on the questions of general and particular redemption, are often reduced to a mere logomachy, or war of words. If disobedience to God's Holy Commandments be a sin against God of infinite demerit, it could only be atoned for by a sacrifice of infinite value. The sacrifice of Christ is admitted by every Christian to be of infinite value, and such a sacrifice was necessary to atone for the sin of Adam, even had he stood alone before his Maker, the solitary inhabitant of this world. But that sacrifice being infinite in value, it must have been sufficient for the salvation not of Adam only, but of all the countless millions of his posterity. It is from no defect in the value of Christ’ s blood, that His sacrifice is efficacious only for the salvation of the elect. But it can hardly be said, without an abuse of words, that there is an actual atonement, or reconciliation, accomplished for those who are lost. “ No man cometh unto me except the Father draw him” are the words of Christ Himself. “ But why are not all drawn? Ask not the reason why,” says Benedict Pictet. "It is secret, but not unjust.” All true Christians agree that the value of Christ’ s sacrifice was infinite. All who receive the doctrines of grace through the electing love of God, believe that the atonement purchased by that sacrifice is efficacious only for the elect given to Christ in covenant by the Father. Is there not then in the dispute often a confusion as to the meaning of the word atonement? The sacrifice was infinite in value, but limited in its effects; for, unless we adopt the fatal error of universal pardon, it will be admitted that it is the procuring cause of an atonement only for the saved who are reconciled to God by the priceless blood of His beloved Son. Here there is no fetter on the free proclamation of the Gospel. Salvation is proclaimed to all who will believe in Christ, to all who will come to Christ, to all who will trust the promise that He is able and willing to save. It is not for us to try to reconcile God's sovereignty with man’ s undoubted responsibility, by bending the truths of revelation either to the one side or the other.— Editor. ON THE EXTENT OF THE . A great deal of disputation on this subject arises from a doubtful interpretation of the meaning of the word Atonement. In the Bible the sacrifice of Christ is always represented as a price paid to Divine Justice. Revelation 5:9. But the adversaries of the Vicarious Sacrifice calumniously represent orthodox Divines as placing the Father and the Son in an adverse relation. Scripture and all orthodox creeds represent the Godhead as acting in unison from the Councils of Eternity. The Father, in his boundless love for the world, sends the Son to shed his blood and offer a sacrifice, as an atonement for all who believe; the Son, comes in the fulness of time, to offer himself as a good Shepherd, giving his life for the sheep; and the Holy Spirit applies the benefits of Christ’ s sacrifice and intercession for all whose names are written in the Lamb’ s Book of Life. It is from confounding the infinite value of the sacrifice with its limited application as an atonement that many have been beguiled into those errors which explain away the vicarious sacrifice, making Christ an example only and not a victim, and introducing the fatal but delusive notions of Universal Pardon or Universal Restoration. It is, however, supposed by many, generally sound Divines, in our days, that if they hold that Christ died only for his people the invitations of the Gospel must be restricted. On this subject the following extract is taken from Robert Haldane’ s Exposition of Rom 5:11 :— “ Many suppose that in preaching the Gospel it is necessary to tell every man that Christ died for him, and that if Christ did not actually atone for the sins of every individual, the Gospel cannot be preached at all. But this is very erroneous. The Gospel declares that Christ died for the guilty, and that the most guilty who believe it shall be saved. 'It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,’ even the chief of sinners. The Gospel does not tell every individual to whom it is addressed, that Christ died for him, but that if he believes he shall be saved. This is a warrant to preach the Gospel unto all men; and it is only as he is a believer that it is known to any man that Christ died for him individually. To preach the Gospel then to every man, and call on every one to believe and be saved, is quite consistent, as it is a truth that whoever believes shall be saved. If the most guilty of the human race believe in Jesus, there is the most perfect certainty that he shall be saved. If any man is straitened in preaching the Gospel, and find a difficulty in calling on all men to believe, except he can at the same time tell them that Christ died for every individual of the human race, he does not clearly understand what the Gospel is. It is the good news that Christ died for the most guilty that believe, not that He died for every individual, whether he believe or not. To the truth that every man shall be saved who believes, there is no exception. “ The difficulty of those who feel themselves restrained in exhorting sinners to believe the Gospel, on the ground that the atonement of Christ was not made for all, is the same as that which is experienced by some who, believing the doctrine of election, suppose it inconsistent to exhort all indiscriminately to believe the Gospel, since it is certain that they who are not chosen to eternal life will never be saved. In this they err. The Gospel, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, is to be made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. It is certain, however, that they for whom Christ did not die, and who do not belong to the election of grace, will not believe. These are secret things which belong to God, to be revealed in their proper time. We are not, then, to inquire first, either for ourselves or others, for whom Christ died, and who are chosen to eternal life, before we determine to whom the Gospel is to be preached; but to preach it to all, with the assurance that whoever believes it shall receive the remission of sins. In believing it, we ascertain for ourselves that Christ bare our sins in His own body on the tree, and that God from the beginning hath chosen us to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” (Vol. I., p. 386. Eighth Edition.)]