The Ground of the Universality of the Gospel Offer

I have been reading through the works of William Symington and have found it to be a very helpful study. Most people who have heard of Symington skip his first book, On the Atonement and Intercession of Jesus Christ, to read his second book, Messiah the Prince or the Mediatorial Dominion of Jesus Christ. However, there is a lot of good content in Symington's first book that would be missed if readers just assume that William is repeating and expanding his prior work.

In fact, Symington was probably on his way to write a trilogy of books on the Three Offices of Jesus Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King. Dr. Symington, however, was first and foremost a pastor to himself, his family, and his church. Therefore, in the memoir written by his son, Alexander Symington, we learn that the only way he was able to write these two books was because his whole family was bedridden - On the Atonement - and he was sick - Messiah the Prince. Therefore, we should be glad with what he was able to write during quite a bit of duress in his life.

I was reading through section 11 - about the 'Extent of Christ's Atonement' - when I came to a part where Symington writes about one objection to a definite atonement being that the universal offer made of Christ in the Gospel. Symington writes about this objection on pages 209 - 214. I found a great few summary sentences that I really thought were well put on page 213:

The ground on which the universality of the Gospel offer proceeds, is the all-sufficiency of Christ's atonement.  This the universal Gospel message supposes and affirms.  It is not said in the Gospel, that Christ died with the intention that all should be saved, but that his atonement is a sufficient ground of salvation to all, and that all who rest on this ground of salvation shall be saved.

I think this is a wonderful summary of the Gospel Offer. I will probably have more on Symington as I continue to read. Let it never be said that the Reformed Presbyterian Church has a problem with the Free, or Universal, Offer of the Gospel. Furthermore, let us always remember the reason for that offer: the all-sufficiency of Christ's atonement not the duty of all men to believe in Christ for salvation (page 211).