Part 2 (1/2)
At length the day of their redemption dawns. They are all brought to the knowledge of the truth. Those three prisoners, who were saved by faith in the promise during those two years of suspense, now find their faith lost in certainty. Their salvation, by faith has come to an end. And so has the unbelief, condemnation and doubtings of the other three prisoners. In one word--the _belief and unbelief_ of the six are lost in knowledge, and they burst out in songs of deliverance So we perceive that a salvation by faith, and a condemnation in unbelief can last no longer than till we come to the knowledge of the truth.
Let us now apply this to the scriptures. Man sinned, and not only involved himself in guilt and misery, but was sentenced to that very death with which G.o.d threatened him--”Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return.” Here was the end of the first covenant, and the termination of all the miseries of life. It is evident from revelation as well as reason that man at death drops to a state of insensibility, and knows no more till he is made alive in Christ, who is himself the second covenant. The language of scripture is, the dead know not any thing--they sleep--and the apostle (in 1 Cor. xv Chap.) reasons that if there be no resurrection, then there will be no future existence-- that they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished--that preaching was vain--faith was also vain, and that the christians were yet in their sins. On such language as this, I can put no other construction than that the resurrection is our salvation and eternal life, our deliverance from sin and imperfection. Under the first covenant the resurrection in Christ was not revealed to the human family, and they remained of course under the sentence of condemnation with no hopes of a future existence. ”By the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation.” Obedience to the law was enforced by threatenings on the one hand, and promises of temporal rewards on the other, which were communicated to the fathers by the prophets.
But G.o.d has in these latter days spoken unto us by his Son, and through him revealed the second covenant in which he ”gave him the heathen for an inheritance, and the utter most parts of the earth for a possession,” and declared him to be the resurrection and life of the world. If in the divine counsels no Christ had been provided, the human family it appears would have remained in eternal slumber. They would have known but one covenant, which would have rewarded and punished them according to their deeds, and consigned them to the regions of the dead. ”But since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”
G.o.d saw fit to keep the human family for four thousand years under the first covenant, without the knowledge of eternal life through the resurrection of the dead. But it was, at length, ”made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Yes, he first brought it to light, and through his apostle declared ”In hope of eternal life which G.o.d that cannot lie promised before the world began, but hath in due time manifested his word through preaching.”
This promise of eternal life, all men are called upon to believe. The moment they believe, they are saved by faith, and are at peace; and they that doubt are d.a.m.ned--they are already under condemnation. But shall their unbelief make G.o.d's promise of eternal life of none effect? G.o.d forbid; yea let G.o.d be true but every man a liar. ”For he hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all.”
We have now noticed the two covenants--the _law and gospel_--have pointed out the distinction between them--shown that all _conditions_ are confined to the law, and that the gospel is _unconditional_, and justly requires our faith and confidence. We will now bring to view the scripture doctrine of salvation by faith, and show that divine truth must have an existence before we can be called upon to believe.
All scripture is given by inspiration of G.o.d and is based upon eternal and unchanging truth. Truth is one of the attributes of Jehovah and the unshaken pillar that supports the throne of eternity. In truth and righteousness he governs the world, and by an omnipotent arm wields the destinies of men. Truth is the sun of divine revelation pouring its beams on intelligent creation and calling upon all men to believe.
If a man a.s.sert that which does exist, it is a truth; but if he a.s.sert that which does not exist, it is a falsehood. Whatever has an existence in the compa.s.s of reality is a truth to be believed, and whatever has no such existence is a falsehood not to be believed. It is beyond the power of man to create one solitary divine truth. All that he can do is to declare the existence of that which may be hidden from others, or relate some circ.u.mstances respecting that which does absolutely exist. An absolute truth must, therefore, be presented to the understandings of men before they can be called upon to believe it, or before they can be called believers for embracing it, or _unbelievers_ for rejecting it. No man can be an unbeliever for rejecting that which does not exist.
We now commence plain argument by using great plainness of speech. In preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ truth must be the foundation. If then truth must exist before men can be called upon to believe, the question arises what is that truth which the second covenant reveals for the belief of mankind? Answer, it is the record G.o.d hath given of his Son. But what is the _record_? Let John answer--”this is the record, G.o.d hath given us _eternal life_, and this life is in his Son.” It then follows that we are to believe that G.o.d has given us eternal life in his Son before the world began, and unchangeably promised it. Paul says--”In hope of eternal life which G.o.d that cannot lie promised before the world began.” If we believe the record, we are in the scriptures recognized as _believers_ and are saved by faith, and will of course exhibit in our life and conversation the righteousness of faith.
The great error of any who read the Bible, consists in supposing there is but one salvation. But there are two. The _first_ is a special salvation by belief in the promise, and the second is our eternal salvation beyond the grave, where we shall be brought to the knowledge of the truth involved in the promise, and to _know_ shall be life eternal. Faith shall then be lost in certainty. Now if we disbelieve the record will that make it false? No; our unbelief cannot alter the fact. Let the record then be proclaimed to every creature--saying G.o.d has promised and given you eternal life in Christ before the world began, and calls upon all to believe it. But suppose they should all reject it saying we do not believe one word of it, would their _unbelief_ make the promise or record false? No. Would not then the record prove true? It would. Then the whole world would, of course, receive that eternal life which is promised and given them in Christ.
No, says the objector, they will not believe. But can their unbelief make G.o.d's promise of none effect? Can it put that truth out of existence and make it a falsehood? We would ask the objector, what will they not believe? Answer; they will not believe that G.o.d has given them eternal life in his Son. Very well,--then the whole amount of the objection is that G.o.d has given them eternal life in Christ, but they will not believe it, and because they will not believe it, they never shall obtain it! Then we must contend (if they never obtain it) that it was never given to them, and if not given, then the record is false; because the record declares that G.o.d has given them eternal life in his Son. It then follows that their unbelief can make the faithfulness of G.o.d without effect by rendering the word, he has given, false.
But says the objector it ought to be stated conditionally as follows-- G.o.d first calls upon men to believe, and if they will believe, then Christ will become their Saviour, and then they will receive eternal life in him and not before. But does not the objector see that he has stated no fact for them to believe in order to make Christ their Saviour? I ask what does G.o.d call upon them to believe? There must be some truth presented before men can be called upon to believe. G.o.d calls upon men to believe, what--That Christ is their Saviour? But you said he was not their Saviour till after they believed. It then follows, according to the objector's statement, that he is not the Saviour of unbelievers. Now do you not perceive that if you should call upon them to believe that he was their Saviour, you would call upon them to believe a lie--that you would call upon them to believe what did not exist? And what does not exist cannot be true. Grant says the objector that he is the Saviour of the world, still as many as do not believe in him shall never be saved. But how can he be the Saviour of a man, he never saves? Two individuals are drowning in the water; you exert all your power to save them, but fail. Can you call yourself the saviour of those two men from temporal death? Impossible. In order for Christ to be called the Saviour of the world, he must save the world; otherwise there is not a shadow of propriety in giving him that name. And John says ”We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”--”We know, indeed, that this is the Messiah the Saviour of the world.”
In our next, we will conclude this subject, and trust we shall do it to the satisfaction of our readers.
SERMON VII
”For what if some did not believe, shall their unbelief make the faith of G.o.d without effect? G.o.d forbid; yea let G.o.d be true, but every man a liar.” Romans iii:3, 4.
We now resume the argument in reference to Christ the Saviour of men, as we proposed in our last. We here inquire of the objector--do you then grant that he is the Saviour of all men--the Saviour of the world as the scriptures declare? If so, we a.s.sure you that, he will save the number of whom he is declared to be the Saviour. But, replies the objector, he is not the Saviour of any man till he believes. We ask-- till he believes what? Why, replies the objector, till he believes that Christ is his Saviour--if he believes so, it will be so. Let us understand this--you say _he is not_ the Saviour of an unbeliever, still he must believe that he is, and that will make him so. Then he must first believe a lie and that will create a truth. This is (as Paul says) ”turning the truth of G.o.d into a lie.” But let us notice the record. ”This is the record, G.o.d hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” Do you grant, that G.o.d has given eternal life in Christ to every man? No, says the objector. Very well, then they cannot be called upon to believe it. Finally, says the objector, grant that he has. This being granted, we would ask, whether they will not come in possession of it, if G.o.d's promise stands? Certainly. But, replies the objector, it is not theirs, till they believe. Then the record is not true till they believe it; because, on this principle, they must first believe, that they have eternal life in Christ before it exists, and believing this lie will create it.
But, replies the objector, it is impossible that any man has eternal life given him in Christ, till he believes. We then ask, what truth do you wish him to believe, so that he may obtain this eternal life? The fact is, there is none. He must believe _this truth_, itself because it is the record, but this, you have taken from him. You cannot call upon a man to believe, till you admit the existence of that very truth you wish him to believe. In order fully to expose the inconsistency of this conditional salvation, we will introduce an example. Suppose a father tell his servant, I have a son in London, nineteen years of age, who is in poverty and distress. I have given him in my will five thousand dollars, and I promise that it shall be put into his possession in two years. It is recorded and that record is true. Go my servant, and proclaim to him glad tidings of great joy, and call upon him to believe, so that he may enjoy a salvation by faith during those two years of suspense, and be made happy even amidst his wants by looking forward to when it shall be put into his possession.
The servant sets out on his mission, and believes that he understands his errand. Being arrived, he addresses him as follows--Son, your father is very rich, and he has not willed you five thousand dollars, nor given it to you on record; and he never will, unless you _first believe_ that he has. But, replies the son, according to your message, if I should believe that he has given me five thousand dollars, I should believe a lie. Let my father give the money, deposit it in some bank; send me evidence of the fact, and with joy I will believe him.
Well replies the servant you are a disobedient, stubborn unbeliever!
Because, if you would only believe so, it would be so, and you would have the money in two years.
You perceive (dear reader) that this servant has presented no truth for this son to believe. He wishes to give this son the impression that the obtaining of this fortune depends on his _believing_, and not on the _testament record, and faithfulness_ of his father. In fact, he denies the existence of the father's _will_, and the _record_, and requires the son to believe a lie so as to create the truth. The servant does not understand his message, and the son does not know on what certainty to rest for the money.
In the same manner we are called upon to secure an _interest_--an eternal life in the Saviour. They will not admit its existence till we believe. Then _belief_ must create it. But may we spend our last breath in convincing poor sinners that it is already secured in Christ for them, so that they may believe, and live by faith on the son of G.o.d.
This father sends another messenger. He tells this son of the goodness of his father, and that he has _willed_ him five thousand dollars, that the _will_ is put on record, and that this fortune will be put into his possession in two years. The son does not believe it. Now he is an unbeliever. But does his unbelief alter the truth of the _will_ or of the record. No. The certainty, of his obtaining the money, rests on the faithfulness of his kind parent. This servant perseveres, uses convincing arguments and the son at length believes he is saved by faith from all his miseries, and he rejoices with joy unspeakable. But his _believing_ does not make the record any more true than it was before he believed it. It simply alters his present condition by kindling in his bosom the joys arising from faith and antic.i.p.ation.-- We have now answered the objections that would naturally be brought forward by those who believe that our eternal salvation is predicated on conditions. As _works_ are not the requirements of the gospel only so far as they flow from faith in the truth, and as _faith_ must precede works, therefore the truth of our eternal life in Christ, must exist previous to our believing. Consequently all conditions are excluded from the gospel covenant.
We will now meet the objector on the doctrine of election and reprobation, the substance of which is as follows--After man fell, G.o.d was pleased to provide a Saviour for a part of the human family. That elect number he chose in Christ before the foundation of the world, gave them eternal life in him, and for them only he tasted death. The gospel is now to be preached to the whole world, and as long as they reject it, they are unbelievers. But the elect shall sooner, or later, all be brought to believe.
We will examine the foundation on which this statement rests. To bring it clearly before you, we will take an example. Suppose there is a congregation of one hundred persons. Fifty of them were elected to everlasting life before the foundation of the world--were secured by a Saviour, and the rest were reprobated to endless wo. For them no Saviour was designed, and no eternal life ever has, or ever will be given them in him. Suppose a sermon is preached to those one hundred; and the fifty, who are elected, believe the record of their eternal life, are brought to the obedience of faith, while the other fifty remain unmoved. The preacher turns upon them and p.r.o.nounces them _unbelievers_. But In what sense are they unbelievers? There has been no truth presented to them, which they disbelieve. Must they believe that Christ is their Saviour, or that they have an eternal life in him? But they would in such case believe a lie. If they believed right the reverse of the elect,--_believed_ that G.o.d was their enemy and that Christ was not their Saviour, they would be _believers_. But if they believed what the fifty converts did, they would be _unbelievers_. We here repeat one premise laid down in our last discourse--viz. In order for any man to be styled a _believer or unbeliever_, there must first be presented some truth for him to embrace or reject.
Now either G.o.d has given us eternal life in Christ before the world began, or he has not. If he has, then we are _unbelievers_ if we reject it. If he has not given it, and should we still believe that he has, we would then believe a lie. But neither our _belief, or unbelief_ can ever alter the fact.
G.o.d has ”chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will.” * * * ”Having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself; that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together, in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him.” Some apply the above to the elect. But it embraces all things in heaven and earth, which are to be gathered together in Christ, and be new creatures. In addition to this we will introduce two more pa.s.sages ”Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” ”In hope of eternal life, which G.o.d, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” In these scriptures we are a.s.sured _first_, that G.o.d chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world--_second_, that he saved us according to his own purpose and grace before the world began, and _third_ that he promised eternal life before the world began. These things being embraced in his original plan, and purpose, their performance is therefore certain as that the whole plan of G.o.d will be carried unto execution.
There is, in my humble opinion, a strange inconsistency in the common doctrine. They contend that on account of the transgression of our first parent, all mankind were fallen creatures and even came into existence totally depraved. To show the justice of G.o.d in the const.i.tution of our nature, they contend that Adam was our covenant head, and had he maintained his original purity, we would also have stood perfect in holiness, and no one would have had any reason to complain. Now since Adam has fallen, and involved us in ruin, it is equally just in G.o.d that we should share the fate of our covenant head in the one instance as in the other. But if we make use of this same argument in relation to Christ, the second Adam--if we contend that he was the covenant head of every man, that the covenant was not made for _this_, but for the _future_ world--that this covenant of grace being made between the Father and the Son, was to stand independent of man-- that eternal life was promised and given us in him before the world began--that as our covenant head, he resisted all temptations, and perfectly fulfilled the law--that he died, and appeared alive beyond the tomb free from temptation, and in a holy and immortal const.i.tution. If we contend for this, making use of their own arguments, saying that it is just as rational that we should appear in the image of Christ in the future world as that we should come into this world in the image of Adam, they will p.r.o.nounce the argument so far as applicable to Adam, _sound logic_, but so far as this same argument of theirs is applied by Universalists to Christ, they p.r.o.nounce it perfect jargon.
But, says the objector, there is one point you have not settled, and I will here rest the whole of my argument upon it. It is this--G.o.d has, in no instance, promised eternal to _unbelievers_; and unless you can prove that the promise does extend to them, your arguments must fall like rottenness to the ground. We have certainly proved this, and to attend to the objector's request would but be, in some measure, going over the ground already occupied. We will, however, just touch this point again. We will introduce the following words of Paul to t.i.tus.