Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

will! Such is the ridiculous light in which this horrid doctrine places the God of wisdom and goodness.

8. "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our "Savior, who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto 97* "the knowledge of the truth." If then God will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth," he cannot possibly will to the contrary; therefore he could not foreordain that any should not be saved, nor come to the knowledge of the truth. Thus it appears that the law and the prophets, and also the testimony of Jesus Christ and his apostles, all tend to disprove the doctrine of unconditional election and reprobation, and to confirm, in the most positive manner, the free agency of man. Hence it is clearly evident that the obedience or disobedience of all souls depends on their own free choice, and that their reward will be according to their works. As to those passages which are supposed to imply the doctrine of predestination, according to the sense in which it is held, and which its advocates generally advance as evidences in its favor, they are easily explained upon rational principles, without involving that absurd doctrine. Election does not necessarily imply predestination; nor does foreordination, as used in the scriptures, by any means involve the final destination of any soul, without a fair and impartial trial, according to the just and equitable principles of the gospel.

Election, according to the common import of the term, means choice; and where it is used in the scriptures, it implies a particular selection of certain persons or people, for certain purposes. This subject may be illustrated by a comparison. It is well known that in an elective government, the officers are elected or chosen to fill certain places or stations, and to perform certain duties. But this election does not necessarily imply that they were predestinated to those offices; nor does it exclude other citizens from the privilege of participating in the affairs of the government, or of enjoying its benefits. There must be public offices in every well regulated government, and suitable characters must be elected and appointed to fill those offices. But all cannot be presidents nor secretaries of state; all cannot be senators nor representatives in congress; yet all may enjoy the blessings and privileges of a good government, provided they conduct themselves worthy of it.

The constitution of the United States has foreordained or predestinated, that the persons elected and qualified, according to such and such provisions, shall hold such and such offices; consequently their election is established and confirmed by certain articles or decrees of the constitution which, perhaps, were enacted, and made a part of the supreme law of the land, before some of the persons so elected were born. Yet the constitution did not fore

*1 Tim. ii. 3, 4.

ordain nor elect these persons, it only designated the characters and qualifications necessary for such offices; but left the actual election of the officers to the future determination of the electors, who were to be governed in their proceedings, according to the provisions of the constitution on the subject. But the choice of the worthy candidates, so far from being detrimental to the rest of the citizens, is of essential benefit to them, being chosen for their service. And it must be obvious also, that this choice can be of no use to the persons chosen, unless they accept of it, and fulfil the duties of the office; so it is with the election of all souls in the work of God.

Hence we may see the comparison between things temporal and spiritual. By the constitution of Heaven, which was decreed and established by the Almighty, it was predestinated that such and such characters, possessing such and such essential qualifications, should be leaders, teachers and prophets to the people, to guide and direct them in their duty. Accordingly when the time arrived, in which the occasion required the selection to be made, Noah was chosen to build the ark, and save himself and his family from the flood; because he "was a just man," and one who was obedient to the will of God, and thereby found favor with God. Abraham was chosen and ordained to be the typical father of the faithful; because of his faithfulness and obedience to the call of God. For the same cause, Moses, Joshua, Samuel and the prophets, were chosen as faithful servants of God, to do the work which God had ordained to be done.

But these individuals were not chosen to the exclusion of others from the work of God; but for the benefit of all over whom they were appointed the leaders and guides, that all might be sharers with them, in the blessings promised to the faithful and obedient. Thus the election of Moses as a leader of the Israelites, was designed for their deliverance from their Egyptian bondage, and for their protection and salvation in their journey through the wilderness. But this election did not decide the final state of a single individual of that nation, or of any other; it was intended to serve as a figure to typify Jesus Christ, who was to be the Savior of his people. And as all who were faithful and obedient to the law of Moses, were blessed and protected, and delivered from the power of their enemies, while the disobedient and rebellious were destroyed; so all who will be faithful and obedient to the law of Christ, will be blessed and protected, and delivered from the power of sin and Satan, and find an inheritance in the heavenly Canaan, as God's elect; while the disobedient and rebellious will lose their day and their privilege, and be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven.

Tho the posterity of Abraham were highly privileged with tem

poral blessings, according to the promise of God to their faithful father Abraham; tho they were called God's chosen people and his elect; yet that election could never secure their final salvation, without their own faithfulness and obedience. It is evident that it did not decide the final character and state of the Jews: for they proved a rebellious people, and therefore, notwithstanding their election, they were afterwards cut off by the judgments of God, and scattered over the face of the earth, and exist, even to this day, as a monument of God's displeasure against the sin of disobedience and rebellion.

"Many are called, but few chosen," said Jesus. And this was evidently the case with respect to the Jews: for altho the whole nation was called, and was figuratively a chosen nation; yet comparatively, very few of them proved so faithful as to be found at last among the real chosen of God. "For they are not all Israel,

which are of Israel." Election is therefore not the seal of salvation. It did not save Judas, altho he was elected, and appointed as one of Christ's twelve apostles; yet he proved himself a traitor, and was therefore disinherited and cut off; and another was chosen to fill his place.

66

The case of Jacob and Esau is often advanced, as an argument in proof of the doctrine of predestination, which is supposed to he fully confirmed by the following passages of scripture. "Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord; yet I loved Jacob, " and I hated Esau."* And again: "For the children being not 46 yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose "of God, according to election might stand, not of works, but of "him that calleth."+

But what does this prove? What was "the purpose of God according to election," concerning them? As before observed, election implies choice. The purpose of God therefore, in the choice of these two individuals, was to typify in them, the flesh and the spirit; and to show where the love and blessing of God would finally rest, and where his hatred and displeasure would fall. It is written, "The elder shall serve the younger." But tho we have no account that ever Esau served Jacob, personally; yet this prediction was evidently fulfilled in the two nations which sprung from them, which rendered the figure still more complete. God therefore selected these two children, (even before they were born, and of course before they had done either good or evil, by which they might be judged as to their own merits,) for the very purpose of displaying in them, and in their posterity, a figurative representation of the wide difference between the flesh and the Spirit; be- . tween the old creation and the new.

But in this election, there is nothing which could decide their

Mal. i. 2 & 3.

↑ Rom. ix. 11.

Gen. xxv, 23

future state, as to their salvation or damnation. The final lot and portion of these two nations, and every individual of them, was yet to be proved and decided, in a future day of greater light and spiritual power, and by a more unerring rule of judgment, than could be given in that day. Therefore the election or choice of these two brothers, was never intended to decide their eternal state; but only to represent, in a figure, God's hatred of sin and the fallen nature of the flesh, in the children of wickedness, who will sell their heavenly birthright for a little carnal pleasure; while he manifests his distinguishing love and blessing to those who will wisely distinguish themselves, by their faith and obedience to the calls of the gospel.

The instance of Pharaoh is produced as another argument in favor of the doctrine of predestination. "For the scripture saith “unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee “up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might "be declared throughout all the earth.”* But this choice of Pharaoh was also designed, as a figure, to represent the arch oppressor of God's people, in the spirit of wickedness. And the subsequent destruction of him and his host, in the red sea, typified the flood of destruction which will finally overwhelm the enemies of God's people, and put an end to all manner of oppression. But neither the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, nor the destruction of the Egyptian host, can be any evidence of the final state of either. It will doubtless be more tolerable for them, in the day of judgment, than for the rebellious Jews; and beyond comparison more so, than for those who reject the light of the gospel in the present day. Obedience or disobedience to the everlasting gospel, the light of which must finally be extended to all, whether living or dead, will at length prove the salvation or damnation of every soul.

The scriptures have been greatly wrested to prove doctrines which have originated in antichristian darkness; but after all, there is nothing to be found throughout the sacred volume, that affords the smallest proof of that gloomy and soul-darkening doctrine of eternal and unconditional decrees, which so unjustly fixes the final salvation or damnation of souls, without a special regard to their works. The election of individuals as ministers, prophets, or leaders of the people, by no means implies a certainty of the final salvation of the persons so elected, any more than it implies the damnation of those who are not elected to these offices; because all must finally be judged and rewarded according to their works. Those works, however, which were performed in a state of darkness and ignorance, tho they must have their due reward, can never decide the final doom of any soul. Those performed under the light of the gospel, and with a full understanding of its require

Rom ix. 17.

Witness Balaam, Saul, Judas and others.

ments, are the works by which the soul must be tried, and for which he must receive his final reward.

The truth of these things is so abundantly testified in the scriptures, and appears so consistent with the righteousness and justice of God, that there seems to be no possible ground to dispute it; and yet we find many antichristian preachers and writers continually exclaiming against the efficacy of good works, and thus discouraging all attempts to obtain the mercy and favor of God by the virtuous acts of faithful obedience. But this discouraging doctrine will finally prove a poor excuse for their own idleness and disobedience. "Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every 66 man according as his works shall be."*

CHAPTER III.

The Creation and Order of the Natural World a figure of that which is Spiritual.

THE natural world, and the things therein contained, were, from the beginning, wisely designed as figurative representations of spiritual things to come. As this earth was created for a temporary use, and was never intended to be the abiding place of man, but only a place of preparation for a more substantial, durable and glorious state, in the spiritual world; it was therefore highly proper and necessary that, in its creation and order, it should bear a suitable comparison with that spiritual creation of which it was a figure. But as the difference between things natural and spiritual is very great; so this comparison is but as a shadow compared with the substance.

Jesus Christ, both in his public ministry, and in his discourses with his disciples, often made use of natural similitudes to represent spiritual things. By this he evidently manifested that the natural creation, and the things pertaining to it, were well adapted to represent spiritual and eternal things, which indeed could not be represented otherwise than by the things of time. This truth is more fully revealed, in these last days, to those who are now made partakers of the real substance of those things, which were formerly represented by types and shadows. "That was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is "spiritual."+

[ocr errors]

In the first of Genesis, we have the following account of the commencement and progress of the natural creation and its established order, together with the first creation of man.

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And "the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »