Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

material blessings are generally of such a kind that they are naturally shared also by
unbelievers. Says Cunningham: “Many blessings flow to mankind at large from the
death of Christ, collaterally and incidentally, in consequence of the relation in which
men, viewed collectively, stand to each other.” 22 And it is but natural that this should be
so. If Christ was to save an elect race, gradually called out of the world of humanity in
the course of centuries, it became necessary for God to exercise forbearance, to check the
course of evil, to promote the development of the natural powers of man, to keep alive
within the hearts of men a desire for civil righteousness, for external morality and good
order in society, and to shower untold blessings upon mankind in general. Dr. Hodge
expresses it thus: “It is very plain that any plan designed to secure the salvation of an
elect portion of a race propagated by generation and living in association, as is the case
with mankind, cannot secure its end without greatly affecting, for better or for worse,
the character and destiny of all the rest of the race not elected.” He quotes Dr. Candlish
to the effect that “the entire history of the human race, from the apostasy to the final
judgment, is a dispensation of forbearance in respect to the reprobate, in which many
blessings, physical and moral, affecting their characters and destinies forever, accrue
even to the heathen, and many more to the educated and refined citizens of Christian
communities. These come to them through the mediation of Christ, and coming to them
now, must have been designed for them from the beginning.” 23 These general blessings
of mankind, indirectly resulting from the atoning work of Christ, were not only foreseen
by God, but designed by Him as blessings for all concerned. It is perfectly true, of
course, that the design of God in the work of Christ pertained primarily and directly,
not to the temporal well-being of men in general, but to the redemption of the elect; but
secondarily and indirectly it also included the natural blessings bestowed on mankind
indiscriminately. All that the natural man receives other than curse and death is an
indirect result of the redemptive work of Christ. 24
D. THE RELATION BETWEEN SPECIAL AND COMMON GRACE.
Several questions may be raised respecting this relation, of which the following are
some of the most important.
22 Hist. Theol. II, p. 333.
23 The Atonement, pp. 358 f.
24 Cf Turretin, Opera, Locus XIV, Q. XIV, par. XI; Witsius, De Verbonden, B. II, Kap. 9, s. 4; Cunningham,
Hist. Theol. II, p. 332; Symington, Atonement and Intercession, p. 255; Bavinck, Geref. Dogm. III, p. 535; Vos,
Ger. Dogm. III, p. 150.
484