Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

goes to trial at the Last Day, the case will go against you. The sentence of every holy being in the universe will be against you. The conscience of every devil,-your own conscience,-will be against you. 0 agree with your Adversary quickly while you are in the way with Him. "As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God!"

it

I have told you your duty, and for neglecting you have no excuse. But alas! well I know that your obstinacy will resist all considerations till the grace of God subdues you. This casts you at last, ruined, utterly ruined, self-ruined, on His sovereign will,—a will which all creation cannot change. At the moment you are supporting this impious warfare, you are altogether in His hands. If He frown you die. There I leave you, -with these words in your ears, "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in ME is thine help.” O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in ME, in ME ALONE is thine help. Amen.

LECTURE XI.

PERSEVERANCE OF SAINTS.

ROMANS VIII. 30.

WHOM HE DID PREDESTINATE, THEM HE ALSO CALLED ; AND WHOM HE CALLED, THEM HE ALSO JUSTIFIED; AND WHOM HE JUSTIFIED, THEM HE ALSO GLORIFIED.

AFTER what has been proved in former Lectures in regard to Election, the question respecting the Perseverance of the Saints is reduced to this: Are any regenerated besides the elect? For if none but the elect are regenerated, none of the regenerate can finally apostatize. I presume no good reason can be given why any should be "created in Christ Jesus unto good works," who are not to be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ;"-why any should be raised from the dead only to return to their graves. But our text settles the question. Here we are plainly taught that all who are elected are effectually called; that all who are effectually called are justified; that all who are justified are glorified; therefore, that the elect alone are regenerated, and that all who

The apostle

are regenerated are finally saved. introduces the subject by saying, "We know that all things work together for good, [for salvation, not for destruction,] to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, [as His own, not as being holy; for the predestination which followed appointed them to this character,] He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified." He then breaks forth into this triumphant language, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?-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." Here you see joined in one chain four indissoluble links; viz. Election, effectual calling, justification, and glorification. The elect only are effectually called, and all that are effectually called are glorified.

With this passage before us it becomes manifest that the doctrine of Perseverance stands inse

parably connected with that of Election.

If one

has been established, the other follows of course. And since the beginning of the world I know not that any one in his senses ever doubted of the Perseverance of the Saints, who believed in absolute, personal Election.

In another point of view the foregoing Lectures have prepared the way a ready belief of this article. They have made it apparent that in every step towards salvation God moves first, and the creature afterwards, that men advance just as far as they are propelled by divine power and no further. The most negligent go thus far, because God is stronger than they; the most vigilant go no further, because in them, that is in their flesh, dwelleth no good thing. The difference between the slothful and the diligent is made altogether by divine influence. If then any of the regenerate apostatize, it is because God changes His conduct towards them, and withdraws His influence. Now they who have maintained the hypothesis of falling from grace, have always told you that the Christian breaks away from God, not God from him,that God will not forsake us till we first forsake Him; thus placing in the creature the reason that the divine influence does not continue to be effec tual. But the truth is, that influence does continue to be effectual as long as it is exerted, (as has been shown in former Lectures,) and if the Christian apostatizes it is because that influence first forsakes him. The old nature is so averse to the heavenly

« AnteriorContinua »