Page images
PDF
EPUB

rish but have everlasting life; whilst a more noble order of beings, who kept not their first state, were cast down "to hell, and reserved in chains of darkness till the judg"ment of the great day?" Let our opponents show, that the Deity has discovered no favouritism or partiality in these things, and we will show, that he has discovered none in particular election.

66

"Few,"

The charge of partiality so long and loudly vociferated, goes upon the false principle, that sinners of our family have claims on divine grace and bounty. But, even Dr. B. himself being witness, we have no such claims. says the Doctor, " very few indeed, are the legal claims "which we have upon the divine justice, and we have none upon his bounty; and yet infinite are the gifts he has to "bestow." Why then, I ask, should any venture to charge the Deity with favouritism and partiality, because he dispenses his own unmerited bounty as he pleases? To every such objector the Almighty may justly reply, "Is it not "lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thy 66 eye evil because I am good?"

The Arminian objection of partiality leads into Deism. A principal objection against revelation is drawn from its partiality. Deists argue that the Scriptures cannot be the word of God, because they are not communicated to all; and this, they allege, would make God partial.-The very same objection would lead to Atheism: For, in the works of creation and providence, God does not confer the same favours upon all. His sovereignty shines in all his works, and in all his dispensations.

Another objection-an objection on which our opponents seem principally to rely, and which Dr. B. chiefly urgesis, that particular election supersedes the necessity of prayer and other means of grace. Why need we pray? why need we strive ? say our opponents. If we are elected, we shall be saved; but if not, we shall be condemned. Had not the absurdity of this objection been already pointed out we might retort it thus: If nations are elected to the enjoy ment of Gospel privileges, why need we pray that the Gospel may be sent to the heathen? Why need we form missionary societies, for the purpose of sending through the world the glad tidings of great joy? The nations that God has elected to enjoy such privileges shall enjoy them; therefore our prayers and missionary exertions are altogether useless!

CHAPTER VIII.

The Perseverance of the Saints.

In the general attack made by Dr. B. on almost all the fundamental truths of Christianity, we could not expect the doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance to escape. He has assailed it, not only incidentally, in his Sermons, but endeavoured to hold it up to detestation and contempt in his Appendix. With the abominable Antinomian quotations which he has given, we have no manner of concern.

Dr.

B. himself does not hold those quotations in greater abhorrence than we do. However foolishly, impiously, or blasphemously, Antinomians may talk or write on the subject; no doctrine contained in the sacred volume is capable of a more triumphant defence. Out of an immense mass of evidence, I shall lay before my readers a few of those reasons which induce me to believe the doctrine.

1. To me it appears, that a multitude of texts of Scripture must be false, if the doctrine of perseverance is not true. I shall mention a few.-Our Saviour asserts," He "that believeth shall be saved," but Dr. Bruce asserts, and all Anti-Calvinists assert, that believers may fall from a state of grace and be condemned !—Our Saviour asserts, that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish, and that his - sheep shall never perish, nor be plucked out of his hand :* but Dr. B. and all Anti-Calvinists assert, that believers may perish, and that Christ's sheep may be plucked out of his hand! Our Saviour assures us with a double verily, that the believer" shall not come into condemnation, but is "passed from death unto life;" but Dr. Bruce, and all Anti-Calvinists, assure us, that he may come into condemnation, and never see life! Our Saviour will say to the wicked at that great day, Depart from me, I never knew you." Had any of those addressed fallen away from a state of grace, the Redeemer's declaration would not be true!-it would not be true that he had never known them !

66

[ocr errors]

*If they do not assert in so many words, that Christ's sheep may be plucked out of his hands, they assert what is fully equivalent.

From these counter-declarations I ask two questions : 1, Whether should we believe our blessed Redeemer, or Dr. B. and other opponents of the Saints' perseverance ?-2, Does the Doctor's volume of Sermons deserve that high character which he himself has given it? is it consistent with "the Gospel ?".

Agreeable to the above-cited declarations of the Redeemer are those of the Apostles. The Apostle John declares, "That he that doth evil hath not seen God," and that "Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."

-Now, if the doctrine of perseverance is not true, these texts are false. If any fall away from a state of grace, commit sin, and do evil, it is not true, that they have not seen God, neither known him. Dr. B., and other opponents of the Saints' perseverance, maintain, that a man may have seen God and also known him, and after all he may fall away, "commit sin, do evil," and finally perish. Between this doctrine and that of the Apostle, is there not a flat contradiction? Surely there is.

[ocr errors]

2. The doctrine of the Saints' perseverance rests on the solid basis of the divine perfections. The foreknowledge of God proves the doctrine. "God hath not cast off his "people whom he foreknew." "Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate, and whom he did predestinate "them he also called, and whom he called them he also justified, and whom he justified them he also glorified." Unless this golden chain can be broken, the Saints' perseverance cannot be denied. The Apostle's chain is what logicians denominate a sorites. The conclusion is not expressed, it is this: therefore whom he did foreknow them he also glorified. If this conclusion be denied, then the Apostle's chain is not a sorites, but a sophism! If it be admitted, the doctrine of the Saints' perseverance is fully established. Some Divines, with a boldness bordering on impiety, attempt to break the Apostle's chain. Were they to succeed, they would prove-What ?-that the Apostle is an inconclusive and sophistical reasoner!

The omnipotent power of God secures the final perseverance of the Saints. They are "kept by the power of God "through faith unto salvation."-The love of God and the Redeemer secure the Saints' perseverance. Whom the Redeemer loves" he loves unto the end." God loved believers with an everlasting love-draws them with loving kindness-declares that his loving kindness shall not depart

from them—and, accordingly, the Apostle exclaims, (Rom. viii. 35)Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? "shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, "or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For "thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are account"ed as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things "we are more than conquerors through him that loved "us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, "nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other "creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of "God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

[ocr errors]

3. I believe the doctrine of the perseverance of the Saints, because they are “members of his body, of his flesh, and of "his bones." Could any of those members be torn off, the mystical body of the Redeemer would be a maimed and mutilated body! It would not be perfect and glorious, but unsightly and deformed!

[ocr errors]

4. I believe that none of the Saints shall ever fail of obtaining the heavenly inheritance, because their character to that inheritance is the very same with that of the Redeemer himself. They are "heirs of God and joint heirs with "Christ." If the Redeemer's charter be good, so is theirs. If his charter cannot be broken, neither can theirs. Their lives are hid with Christ in God. Because he lives, they shall live also.

5. I believe that the Saints cannot totally and finally fall away from a state of grace, or fail of obtaining the heavenly inheritance; because they have the first fruits and earnest of that inheritance. If an earnest gives security among men -much more so with God. Men may refuse to make good that bargain which they have confirmed by giving earnest ; but God will not tantalize his creatures by first giving them the Holy Spirit as the earnest of their inheritance, and afterwards excluding them from the full possession.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

6. I believe that the Saints cannot finally fall away from a state of grace; because" they are sealed by the holy spirit of promise-sealed to the day of redemption." They cannot fall away and be lost, except the broad seal of heaven can be broken!

7. I believe in the perseverance of the Saints, because I believe that "he who begins the good work of grace will "carry it on to perfection." I believe that the Deity is not like the foolish man, who began to build and was not able

66

66

[ocr errors]

to finish. When God threatened to destroy the Israelites for their rebellion, Moses intercedes thus: (Deut. ix. 26, 27, 28, 29,) O Lord God, destroy not thy people and "thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed through thy "greatness, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt "with a mighty hand. Remember thy servant Abraham, "Isaac and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin: Lest "the land whence thou broughtest us out say, Because the "Lord was not able to bring them into the land which he "promised them, and because he hated them, he hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness. Yet "they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched "out arm."-On similar principles, Joshua intercedes: (Josh. vii. 7, 8, 9) "Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast "thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us "into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to "God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side "Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth "their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites " and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and "shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the "earth and what wilt thou do unto thy great name ?"— If it would have reflected dishonour on the great name of God, to redeem the Israelites out of Egypt, and then to destroy them in the Wilderness; still more inconsistent with the divine perfections would it be, to suffer those to fall and finally perish, whom God has redeemed from sin and Satan.

:

8. Finally; if the Saints might totally and finally fall from grace, their state now under the covenant of grace would be worse than it was under the covenant of works. Under the covenant of works the happiness of man was suspended on the free will of an innocent being; but, according to the doctrine of those who deny the Saints' perseverance, it is suspended on the free will of a weak, corrupt, and depraved being !-Men may fall away from an external profession of religion, but not from true faith. "From him that hath not," says our Saviour, "shall be taken away

I might have argued the doctrine from the death of Christ-his suretyship-his intercession-and a variety of other topics.

« PreviousContinue »