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ST PETER.

I have already quoted St Peter's words, "It was a damnable heresy for false teachers to deny the Lord that (had already) bought (ransomed even) them."

ELECTION.

The apostles had been impressed with the notion that their nation constituted the only elect of God. But many passages in the Prophets taught that the Gentiles were to become fellowheirs along with them. Still, however, as our Lord had said, that he was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel, it is no marvel that they misinterpreted the meaning of Christ's words. They seem to have thought that the words "all" and "every" were necessarily restricted to "all and every Jew."

PETER'S DREAM.

Peter's mental vision was made clear by a revelation from the Lord. He henceforth was not to call any Gentile common or unclean." The keys of the heavenly kingdom were now committed to his care. He opened the door to Cornelius and his friends without a hesitating word. The door once opened by divine command no man dare shut again, for Christ himself resumed the keys. I shut, and none dare open; I open, and none dare shut, Rev. iii. 7. The apostles, on hearing Peter's explanation, rejoiced that unto the Gentiles was given repentance unto life. And thus at last the prophecy of Joel was amply fulfiled. "The Spirit was to be poured out on all flesh, even on as many as the Lord should call." The gift of the Spirit to Cornelius before baptism and laying on of hands was to the Gentiles their Pentecostal day, a day well worthy of remembrance. It should be called the Gentiles' feast. The hope of Israel and the Gentiles hope are now merged into one, Eph. iii. 6. Hence the seed (by faith) of Abraham cannot be numbered for multitude. Their number may now be few, but during the millennium the camp of the saints shall know no bounds. Their cities shall be multiplied and have neither "locks nor bars!"

PREDESTINATION.

I do not profess to know more of this high doctrine than is known by other men. I rather think I know much less, and yet I know by experience. I was found of Him when I sought Him not. Secret things belong to God. Those things that are revealed belong to us and to our children. Would that men

were content to live by humble faith, and to be saved by Paul's assured hope. Now we know only in part; and what we know not now we shall know hereafter. Still there are several points which are clearly revealed in order that we might have not only good comfort in the Scriptures, but also assurance of hope even to the end.

1. All power belongs to God. And he hath given to man a portion of that power. The moral mind is necessarily free, the will as a power is also free.

2. God made the first man good. God can make a bad man good as well.

3. Man freely willed his fall. Hence his utter powerlessness. But mark again, "The promise of wisdom and of power is free, alike to all." Hence man's continuous responsibility, while from first to last we must conclude that God is just to all.

4. God has sworn that his pleasure is that all men should repent and live, and he himself hath pointed out the all perfect way. Hence his gracious command, "Believe and live," is given to all, 1 John iii. 23. All, therefore, must necessarily have some intellectual power, although it may be very small. Knowledge and power are thus the measures of responsibility. If the mind were reduced to a state of total powerlessness and imbecility, such as Sir W. Hamilton avowed, its moral responsibility must necessarily have ceased to exist, and where there is no perception of moral law there can be no transgression. Increase of power is by sovereign grace. Even the first and highest faculty of each natural moral mind is not of man, hence it was a gift. "He resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. He giveth increase of strength to the weak." Call on me, and I shall answer thee. Even look to me, and ye shall be saved.

5. We necessarily infer that conversion is not effected by physical law, but by the moral force of truth. The Spirit speaks not of himself. The Spirit is in God's word, "My words," said Christ, "are spirit and life."

Lastly, The bare notion that God is in any degree the originator of evil, or that a single drop of bitterness has been put into the cup of sorrow more than man requires for his good, or that the majority of men were created purposely to be damned, is too damnable and horrible a heresy, as Peter called it, to be thought of even for one moment. The offer of free grace to all, through faith, could not be morally consistent with God's revealed will, unless it had been made bona fide on the part of God, and unless man's natural moral faculties were capable, in some measure, of apprehending it, hence man is capable of being reasoned with. "Come, let us reason together," saith the Lord, Isaiah i. 18. "If ye be willing," v. 19.

'If ye re

fuse," v. 20. In a word, the work of God, and that which he requires of man, is to believe, &c., John vi. 28, 29. Yea, he commandeth every man everywhere to believe, repent, and live. Hence men often resist the Spirit, grieve the Spirit, and quench the Spirit. See Dr H. Bonar's beautiful tract, "Believe and Live," so highly praised by Dr Chalmers. But more of this

anon.

THE REFORMATION.

After the star of Hippo had set, Augustine's ideal city of the godly fell, never again to be realised by mere human power on earth. Luther was the teacher of Ormudz the good, Calvin of Ahraman, the evil one. He said that the Deity was like a two-faced Janus, that is, that he is the originator of sin, and, like Cain, Calvin in his wrath burnt Servetus, who was the better man of the two. He taught, "Thou shalt not kill, for God is love!" Peter damned vile heresies, Calvin damned men's very souls by his unrighteous, unrevealed decree! Hence "there are in hell infants of one span long"! Still Calvin, with all his faults, was a great man. In his last will he condemned the fundamental principle on which his far-famed Institutions rests. Christ, he had said, had died only for the elect. Hence all the heathen, and all infants too, although these last were by God called "innocents" (see Jonah), must have been unwisely made and designedly fitted for a cursed end! God made man good; man "fills" himself for wrath. This quæstio vexata is too high for man to solve, no marvel that it was so even for St Paul. Paul solved it only by a "what if"! Rom. ix. 22. Why then should I say more?

I close by giving the following extract from Calvin's will, made a few days before he died: "I testify what I have on my soul, that I will live and die in this faith which God has given me, for I have no other hope but that which rests on his free election, the only foundation of my salvation." How did Calvin know that he was thus elected, unless he could say Christ had died for all? This question can only be solved by internal experience, and by the tests furnished by St John. By this we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren; and by this we shall assure our hearts before God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. Add to your faith virtue, or courage, &c., and to brotherly kindness universal charity. If ye do these things, ye shall never fall, hence "use all diligence to make your calling and election sure,” 2 Pet. i. 5, 10. As free, and not using your liberty as a cloak," &c., 1 Pet. ii. 16. "Ye are saved if ye keep the begin ning of your confidence firm unto the end," so said Paul.

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Hence he pressed forward to apprehend, &c., and expressly said, Work out your own salvation," for it is God that worketh in you, &c., i. e., he addeth the power for the asking, for without me, said Christ, ye can do nothing, but with Christ's help we can do all things. "Every one who asketh (the Spirit) receiveth." "And with my whole heart do I embrace the mercy which Christ has prepared for me; that all my sins" (not are, but, after all, only a) "may be buried through the merits of his death and sufferings. I most humbly pray that I may be so purified and washed (now are ye washed, now are ye clean-St Paul) by the blood of this great Redeemer, shed for the sins (mark well, not of the elect only, but) of MANKIND, that I may be able" (St Paul knew on whom he had believed, and that Christ was able, not that he himself was or might be able) "to stand before his judgment-seat and bear his image on me."

From the above it is clear that Calvin had not attained to perfect assurance. He had not recognised those certain tests laid down by St John, whereby we may assure our hearts before God; and, lastly, as Christ had died for "mankind," it is abundantly evident that he did not die only for a select few! Where now is Calvin's system as a whole? No marvel that John Wesley repudiated Calvinism, saying, "The sum of all this is one in twenty (suppose) of mankind are elected, nineteen in twenty are reprobated! The elect shall be saved, do what they will; the reprobate shall be damned, do what they can. This is the doctrine of Calvinism, for which Diabolism would be a better name; and in the worst and bloodiest idolatry that ever defiled the earth, there is nothing so horrid, so monstrous, so impious, as this."-(Southey's Life of Calvin, vol. i. 321.) Calvin said that he read Seneca next to the Bible. Seneca believed in God, but he also believed in fate. "And what is God? An immense and an almighty power; great without limits, and he does whatsoever pleases him," that is, he is the great first cause of all good. Seneca says nothing of God's decrees being the first and absolute cause of whatsoever comes to pass. Sin comes to pass, hence by Calvin's theory God is the cause of sin! This is perfect blasphemy. See our "Shorter Catechism"!! Seneca could easily solve all his difficulties by ascribing every event to fate as the absolute first cause, and to whom the Father of gods and men were alike subject. Calvin had no such apology. He had the Bible, yet even Toplady resolved Christian election into an act of fate. "Call it heathen fate if you please, I call it Christian fate," said Toplady! From all such blasphemy, good Lord, deliver us.

I have shewn that the apostles had at first, in consequence of their erroneous view of election, totally misunderstood that

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liberal and loving spirit which animated the bosom of their divine Master, and which, notwithstanding the peculiarity of his restricted position as the prophet of Israel, led him to extend the benefits of his miraculous power far beyond the narrow circle of his well-marked out and strictly guarded path. The election of Israel, no doubt, was intended as a special benefit to themselves, but it is as clear that their separation as a peculiar people was for a far higher and more general purpose, viz., "that the whole earth might be filled with the knowledge of the Lord." Even their rejection of Christ became the cause of salvation being extended to the Gentiles, and it is through our mercy that they are yet to find mercy! Rom. xi. 31. In a word, the doctrine of election may be made by men the cause of evil rather than of good. It is well that the Book of Life is closed to the eyes of man. The grand and ultimate aim of Christianity is to constitute a universal brotherhood on earth. The election of saints, when viewed only as a personal privilege, not only narrows the understanding, but also embitters and alienates the heart. "Christ for the Jews" led the Jewish mind to look upon his neighbour as a dog. Hence Saul of Tarsus consented to St Stephen's death, and profited by his bloody acts! Christ only for the elect" led the Romish Church to despise, hate, and burn all whom she called heretics. It led Calvin to burn Servetus. It kindled the fires of Smithfield. It has watered the earth with blood! It is the first cause of all divisions. It has cast lots for Christ's seamless garment that it might have pre-eminence; yea, it has torn it into shreds, that each might have a part! Each thinks its part is greater than the whole, and hence their mutual jealousy, hatred, and contempt. This is the odium theologicum, the bane of Christian life! Who now can re-unite it! Who else but Christ by his holy spirit of love? Paul said rather than offend a weak brother, he would deny himself the very necessaries of life. "Shall I destroy him for whom Christ died?" Shall any one, then, dare to war and set brother against brother? There is not one alien on the earth. God is not a respecter of persons. Jew and Gentile are all now as one, Eph. iii. 6. God loveth all, Christ died for all, yea, for every single man! Then why should discord reign? It is because that impious man for ever cries, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Hence out of envy or mistrust, or out of sheer covetousness, another's "pet ewe lamb" is stolen or is slain! "Bring forth the culprit," good king David said, "such an unfeeling monster deserveth not to live." But Nathan said unto David, "Thou art the man!"

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