Signs of the Times, Vol. 5, No. 18. (5/1/1879)

Signs of the Times

May 1, 1879

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · May 1, 1879

General Articles.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

The Scripture Doctrine of a Future Life.--No. 16.

ELD. D. M. CANRIGHT.

Sixth Text.--"But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation." Mark 3:29.

This is claimed to be a strong text proving eternal suffering; but it says no such thing. It simply affirms that a certain class of the wicked shall suffer eternal damnation. The only question is, What does damnation mean? Turning to Webster we find as follows: "Damn.--To condemn; to decide to be wrong or worthy of punishment; to adjudge to punishment or death." To damn, then, is to condemn or adjudge to death. This is the simple meaning of that word. It means condemnation, and nothing more. Turning to the original Greek, krisis, Greenfield defines it thus: "Decision; sentence; condemnatory sentence; condemnation." Christ, then, simply affirms that those who sin against the Holy Ghost will be eternally condemned. But it does not say to what they are condemned. Whether it is imprisonment, or stripes, or death, or something else. Other Scriptures must determine that. But we have already seen that scores of texts plainly declare that the wicked shall die, perish, be destroyed, burned up, etc.

Seventh Text.--"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:43, 44.

This probably stands as the second strongest text which our opponents produce. Hell, never dying worm, unquenchable fire! this they think settles the question. But let the word of God explain itself. The word hell in this instance comes from gehenna which is thus defined by Greenfield in his Greek Lexicon. "Properly the valley of Hinnom south of Jerusalem, once celebrated for the horrid worship of Moloch, and afterwards polluted with every species of filth, as well as the carcasses of animals, and dead bodies of malefactors, to consume, which in order to avert the pestilence which such a mass of corruption would occasion, constant fires were kept burning. Hence, hell." There was a place just south of Jerusalem where Moloch was formerly worshiped. When the Jews reformed, and saw the error of that worship, they made this a place for casting all the filthy refuse of the city. Dead bodies of beasts and malefactors were cast into fire to be consumed. These fires were kept burning. And worms also devoured some other parts which the fire did not consume. Thus there were two elements of destruction here: the fire and the worms. As long as there were any carcasses to burn, the fire was kept burning; and, of course, as long as there was a piece of decaying flesh, there were worms to devour it. Dr. Barnes thus comments on Mark 9:43-48.

"This figure is clearly taken from Isa. 66:24. In describing the great prosperity of the kingdom of the Messiah, Isaiah says that the people of God shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men who have transgressed against God. Their enemies shall be overcome. They shall be slain. The people of God shall triumph. The figure is taken from heaps of the slain in battle; and the prophet says that the number shall be so great that their worm--the worm feeding on the dead--shall not die--shall live long--as long as there are carcasses to be devoured: and that the fire which was used to burn the bodies of the dead shall continue long to burn, and shall not be extinguished till they are consumed."

This figure the Saviour uses to illustrate the destruction of the wicked. Seeing that the damned will finally be destroyed, just as these carcasses were consumed in gehenna, no doubt this was the most forcible figure that could be produced of the utter destruction and consumption of the wicked. It is the very farthest from teaching endless suffering, because, in the strongest language it asserts utter destruction.

But it says "unquenchable fire." If the fire is unquenchable, must it therefore burn eternally? No. To quench a fire is to extinguish it, to put it out before it has entirely consumed that upon which it is feeding. Thus, a house gets on fire. We call for help, the fire is extinguished, and the house is saved. That fire was quenched. But in case the house caught fire, and every effort was made to save it, but it was found impossible, and the house is burned down,--that is an unquenchable fire. We are not able to quench it, and the building is burned. Just so, says Christ, the wicked shall be cast into fire which they can in no way extinguish. Thus in another passage we read. "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matt. 3:12.

The wicked will be burned up like chaff in the fire. That would be a poor illustration to teach never ending burning. The chaff does not burn that way. It burns up speedily and certainly. Just so the Lord says of the wicked. They will be burned up with unquenchable fire, that is, fire which they can by no means put out. Suppose the Lord had said that the wicked shall be cast into quenchable fire. They might say, very well; we will make a desperate effort and put out the fire and save ourselves. But no, says the Lord, you shall be cast into fire which by no means extinguish, and hence it will certainly burn you up without any hope. This is the simple meaning of the text which we will prove by other passages. Thus the Lord threatened old Jerusalem: "I will kindle a fire in the gates thereof and it shall not be quenched." Jer. 17:27. Jerusalem was to be burned in unquenchable fire. The Lord carried out this threat, and where is Jerusalem now? Burned down to the dust eighteen centuries ago. Are the gates of Jerusalem burning now? And yet it was burned with unquenchable fire. Then if God could burn Jerusalem with unquenchable fire and that go out, he can burn the wicked with unquenchable fire and the fire go out.

Eighth Text.--"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Rev. 14:10, 11.

The whole objection in this passage turns upon the meaning of "forever and ever." It is maintained by our opponents that it must necessarily mean unending, and cannot mean anything else. We as stoutly maintain that it does often mean a limited period of time, and we find in this case it does not mean without end. We might quote scores of passages where the term in the English Bible and in the original is applied as all will admit, to a limited time. We will take a few. Ex. 21:5, 6. The case is stated where a certain bondman loved his master so that he he wished to stay with him always. In that case the Lord says his master "shall bore his ear through with an awl and he shall serve him forever." We ask our opponents if the term forever does not here mean a limited period? It simply means that as long as the servant should live he was to serve his master. And this is a good illustration of the equivocal meaning of that term. Now that servant might live after this fifty years. In that case the term forever would cover a period of fifty years. On the other hand, he might die the next day, and then the term forever would cover only one day. This all must admit.

Take another case. Lev. 25:30. Here the Lord says:--"Then the house which is in the walled city shall be established forever to him that bought it." That is, on certain conditions if a man bought a house it was to be his forever. Does the Lord mean that he was to own that through eternity? Everybody knows better. It is to be his for his natural lifetime and no longer.

So in the case of Jonah who was in the whale's belly three days and three nights, and yet when he comes up he says, "The earth with her bars was about me forever." Jonah 2:6. Jonah exclaims that he was there forever, and yet was there only three days. But we have another passage almost exactly parallel to Revelation 14, where all must admit that the same terms have a limited meaning. Let us notice the special phrase used in Revelation. The wicked are to be tormented with fire and brimstone; the smoke of their torment is to ascend up forever. They are to have no rest day nor night. Now turn to Isa. 34, where the Lord foretold the destruction of Idumea, a land near to Judea. These same phrases employed here. Thus he says: "The Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea." Verse 6.

"And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch." Verse 9.

When this is fulfilled, pitch and brimstone set on fire, we shall certainly have fire and brimstone, the same as in Revelation.--"It shall not be quenched night nor day." Here we have unquenchable fire, and the term night and day also. "The smoke thereof shall go up forever." Here we have the same thing. "It shall not be quenched nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up forever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever." Verse 10.

You will see that this passage is fully as strong as that in Revelation; and yet in this case it is simply a prediction concerning the destruction of all the land of Idumea. This was accomplished ages ago, and that country was laid desolate; but is it ever now burning? No. Hence if God could destroy Idumea with fire and brimstone, the smoke of which was to go up forever and ever, and yet that be a total destruction and the fire go out, then God can do the same with the wicked Therefore we maintain that in Revelation 14, "forever and ever" has a limited meaning. We do not know how long the wicked may be in burning up, whether it will be an hour, day, or a year. It will be very severe and long drawn out. But it will not be unending we certainly know, for other scriptures say they shall "die," "perish," "burn to ashes," "be as though they had not been," &c.

But the opposer says, Then, if the phrase forever and ever does not necessarily mean unending, how do we know that the righteous will live an unending life? How do we know that God himself will live eternally? For the same phrase is applied to the saints of God, to Heaven, and all these things. The answer is readily given. The simple words themselves "forever and ever" do not necessarily contain the idea of perpetual, unending. We must look at the circumstances under which they are used, and nature of the thing to which they are applied. In the case of the wicked they are applied to that which is corruptible, mortal, hateful to God, that which is thrown into the fire and of which it is declared it shall utterly perish. Hence, in this case they can not reasonably be taken to mean unending. But in the case of God himself, for instance, the circumstances are very different. Other texts positively declare that God is immortal, eternal, almighty, omniscient, and from everlasting to everlasting; that he is the source of all life and strength: hence when applied to God, unlimited duration is necessarily meant. So of the saints. It is said of them that they shall be immortal and have an endless life; neither can they die any more, and all such phrases. And then the situation in which they are placed, freed from disease, having right to the tree of life, placed in the midst of the heavenly city, they of necessity must live eternally. We think that every candid reader can see the difference. It is by ignoring such plain distinctions as these, that our opponents make out their desperate case.

Ninth Text.--"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." Rev. 20:10.

This is the ninth and last text for our opponents. It declares that the devil shall be tormented in the lake of fire forever and ever. Now we can answer this very briefly. The whole controversy turns on the meaning of the phrase forever and ever as in the previous case just examined. Hence, all that we have said on that text applies with equal force to this. Notice farther that this text declares that the devil is to be burned in the same lake of fire that the wicked are. See Matt. 25:41. "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Having previously answered this text, it answers the one now under consideration, because the devil goes into the same fire with the wicked. We admit that the term forever and ever may signify a very long time. The devil is a very bold and hardened sinner. His case will be a desperate one, hence his punishment will be very severe, and long drawn out, but it no where says that his sufferings shall be unending. It is never declared that he is indestructible, eternal, immortal, or anything of the kind; but Paul affirms that the devil is finally to be destroyed. See Heb. 2:14. He says that Jesus Christ was partaker of flesh and blood, "that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil."

Thus we have examined every pillar upon which this structure of eternal torment is built. We have found that they do not support the theory. Here, then, you have all the texts upon which this terrible doctrine of a never ending hell has been built. There are only nine of them, and we maintain that every one has been candidly and fairly answered, and explained in harmony with the destruction of the wicked. Can those on the other side answer the scores of texts in favor of the destruction of the wicked? No, they never have, and never can.

LIFE'S CUP OF BLISS.

By Annie M. Beach

KNOW this, that when thou deem'st the cup Of bliss can hold no more, Some unseen hand will surely shake The shining goblet o'er, And the bright drops be gone for aye, That brought the heart to rapture nigh.

'T was never meant, that here the heart Should reach its perfect rest; 'T was never meant with tasting joy On earth we should be blest. There is another world than this, Where Fate ne'er shakes the cup of bliss.

It may be that the pure, bright drops, Which are denied us here, Shall fill our cup of happiness, In that celestial sphere, Where present, past, and future meet, Eternally in bliss complete.

'Tis well! for when we fondly deem That perfect bliss is given, How soon our sinful hearts are turned From the sweet dreams of Heaven We cherish in the darker days, When Fortune hides her genial rays!

Take, then, whate'er thy Father sends As only lent, not given; And say, these treasures are not mine, Till I have passed to Heaven. There he will give us perfect bliss; No cloud shall mar our happiness.

—Annie M. Beach.

Dogmas Make Discord Inevitable

As soon as men take to making dogmas, discord is inevitable.

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY

By Ellen G. White

BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS ANGELS AND SATAN AND HIS ANGELS.

CHAPTER TWELVE—CONCLUDED.

JACOB AND ESAU.

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.

IN the absence of Laban, Jacob took his family and all that he had, and departed. After he had pursued his journey three days, Laban learned that he had left him, and he was very angry, and pursued after him, determined to bring him back by force. But the Lord had pity upon his servant, and as Laban was about to overtake him, gave him a dream not to speak good or bad to Jacob. That is, he should not force him to return, or urge him by flattering inducements. When Laban met his son-in-law, he inquired why he had stolen away unawares, and carried away his daughters as captives taken with the sword. Laban tells him, "It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt; but the God of your fathers spake unto me yesternight," and he mentioned how he had been warned by the dream. Jacob then rehearsed to Laban the ungenerous course he had pursued toward him, that he had studied only his own advantage. He appeals to his father-in-law as to the uprightness of his conduct while with him: "That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes."

A shepherd's life was one of diligence. He was obliged to watch his flocks day and night. Wild beasts were common, and often bold, and would do great injury to sheep and cattle that were not guarded by a faithful shepherd. Although Jacob had a number of servants to aid him in tending the flocks owned by himself and Laban, the responsibility of the whole matter rested upon him. And during some portions of the year he was obliged to be with the flocks himself, day and night, to care for them in the dry season, that they might not perish with thirst; in the coldest part of the year to save them from becoming chilled with the heavy night frosts. Their flocks were also in danger of being stolen by unprincipled shepherds.

A shepherd's life was one of constant care. He was not qualified for his position unless he was merciful, and possessed courage and perseverance. Jacob was chief shepherd, and had shepherds under him who were termed servants. The chief shepherd called these servants, to whom he intrusted the care of the flock, to a strict account if they were not found in a flourishing condition. If any of the cattle were missing, the chief shepherd suffered the loss.

Christ, in his relation to his people, is compared to a shepherd. He saw, after the fall, his sheep in a pitiable condition, exposed to sure destruction. He left the honors and glories of his father's house to become a shepherd, to save the miserable, wandering sheep, who were ready to perish. His winning voice was heard calling them to his fold, a safe and sure retreat from the hand of robbers; also a shelter from the scorching heat, and a protection from the chilling blasts. His care was continually exercised for the good of his sheep. He strengthened the weak, nourished the suffering, and gathered the lambs of the flocks in his arms, and carried them in his bosom. His sheep love him. He goeth before them, and they hear his voice, and follow him. "And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers." Christ says, "I am the good Shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."

Christ is the chief shepherd. He has intrusted the care of his flock to under-shepherds. He requires these shepherds to have the same interest for his sheep that he has ever manifested, and to ever feel the responsibility of the charge he has intrusted to them. Ministers, who are called to labor in word and doctrine, are Christ's shepherds. He has appointed them under himself to oversee and tend his flock. He has solemnly commanded these to be faithful shepherds, to feed the flock with diligence, to follow his example, to strengthen the weak, nourish the fainting, and shield them from devouring beasts. He points them to his example of love for his sheep. To secure their deliverance, he laid down his own life. If they imitate his self-denying example, the flock will prosper under their care. They will manifest a deeper interest than did Jacob, who was a faithful shepherd over the cattle of Laban. They will be constantly laboring for the welfare of the flock. They will not be mere hirelings, of whom Jesus speaks, who possess no particular interest in the sheep; who, in time of danger or trial, flee and leave the flock. A shepherd who labors merely for the wages he obtains, cares only for himself, and is continually studying his own interests and ease, instead of the welfare of his flock.

Says Peter, "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." Says Paul, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."

All those professing to be shepherds, who feel that to minister in word and doctrine, and bear the burdens and have the care which every faithful shepherd should have, is a disagreeable task, are reproved by the apostle: "Not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind." All such unfaithful shepherds, the chief Shepherd would willingly release. The church of God is purchased with the blood of Christ, and every shepherd should realize that the sheep under his care cost a priceless sum. He should be diligent in his labor, and persevering in his efforts to keep the flock in a healthy, flourishing condition. He should consider the sheep intrusted to his care of the highest value, and realize that he will be called to render a strict account of his ministry. And if he is found faithful, he shall receive a rich reward. "When the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."

Jacob continued, plainly presenting before Laban the injustice of his course: "Thus have I been twenty years in thy house. I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle; and thou hast changed my wages ten times. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction, and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight."

Laban then assured Jacob that he had an interest for his daughters and their children, and he could not harm them. "Now, therefore," he said, "come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee." To this, Jacob consented, and a pile of stones was thrown up as a visible token of the compact.

And Laban said, "The Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another. If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives besides my daughters; no man is with us, see, God is witness between me and thee." Laban understood the wrong of polygamy, although it was through his artifice alone that Jacob had taken two wives. He well knew that it was the jealousy of Leah and Rachel that led them to give their maids to Jacob, which confused the family relation, and increased the unhappiness of his daughters. And now as they are journeying to a distant country, and their interest is to be entirely separate from his own, he would guard their happiness as far as possible.

Jacob made a solemn covenant before the Lord, that he should not take other wives. "And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee; this heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm. The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the Fear of his father Isaac."

[FROM JOHN WESLEY'S MISCELLANEOUS WORKS.]

By John Wesley

A DIALOGUE

BETWEEN AN ANTINOMIAN AND HIS FRIEND.

(Concluded.)

Antinomian.—Well, I am not bound. St. Paul himself says to believers, "Why are ye subject to ordinances?" Col. 2 : 20.

Friend.—True; that is, Why are you, Christian believers, subject to Jewish ordinances? such as those which are mentioned in the very next verse, "Touch not, taste not, handle not."

Ant.—Nay, that is not all. I say "Outward things do nothing avail to salvation." This is plain; for "if love to God, and love to our neighbor, and relieving the poor, be altogether unprofitable and unavailable either to justification or salvation, then these outward works in submitting to outward ordinances, are much less available."

F.—Do you speak of the ordinances of Christ?

Ant.—I do. "They bring in the most dangerous kind of popery, and pervert the pure Gospel of Christ, who persuade men, that if they do not submit to the ordinances of the Lord Jesus, he will not confess them before his Father." And I affirm, it is better not to practice outward ordinances at all, than to practice them on these gospel-destroying principles, to the ruining of our souls."

F.—What Scripture do you produce for this?

Ant.—I wish you would not build so much upon the letter; it is your letter learning too, that makes you talk of inherent righteousness.

F.—Do you say then, a believer has no inherent righteousness?

Ant.—That I do. I say, "God will save us to the utmost, without any righteousness or holiness of our own." To look for inherent righteousness, "is to deny the Spirit, and trample under foot the blood of the covenant. Believers have not any inherent righteousness in them. Our righteousness is nothing but the imputation of the righteousness of Christ."

F.—Now, I believe that Christ by his Spirit works righteousness in all those to whom faith is imputed for righteousness.

Ant.—"By no means; all our righteousness is in Christ. It is wholly imputed, not inherent. We are always righteous in Christ, but never righteous in ourselves."

F.—Is not, then, every believer righteous or holy?

Ant.—Doubtless; but he is holy in Christ, not in himself.

F.—Does he not live a holy life, and is he not holy of heart?

Ant.—Most certainly.

F.—Is he not, by plain consequence, holy in himself?

Ant.—No, no, in Christ only; not holy in himself; he has no holiness at all in himself.

F.—Has he not in him the love of God, and of his neighbor; yea, the whole image of God?

Ant.—He has. But this is not gospel holiness.

F.—What vain jangling is this! You cavil at the name, while you allow the thing I contend for. You allow a believer is holy both in heart and life. This is all I mean by inherent righteousness.

Ant.—But, I tell you, this is not gospel holiness. Gospel holiness is faith.

F.—Stand to this, and you still give up the whole cause. For on your supposition, I argue thus:—Faith is holiness or righteousness; but faith is in every believer, therefore, holiness or righteousness is in every believer.

Ant.—Alas, alas! I pity you. Take my word for it, you are in utter darkness. You know nothing yet of true faith; nothing at all about it.

F.—Will you then be so kind as to explain it to me?

Ant.—I will. I will make it as clear as the sun. I will show you the very marrow of that doctrine which I recommend, with all my heart, to all, as the most wholesome doctrine of Jesus Christ. "Many think they know it, when they have but crude, carnal, indigestible notions of it. And they imagine we rest contented with such a faith as theirs; namely, that Christ has died to ward off the wrath of God, to purchase his favor, and, as an effect of that, to obtain certain inherent qualities and dispositions, to make us meet for the kingdom of Heaven. Was this our faith, it would be requisite to seek after this sort of sanctification, and to be at rest, without we felt something of it. But, on the contrary, we believe that the blood shed upon the cross has put away and blotted out all our sins, and then there was an everlasting righteousness brought in; by believing which, our hearts and consciences are made as perfectly clean as though we had never sinned. In this consists true purity of soul, and not

in habitual qualities. And whoso are thus made pure and perfect are delivered from the dominion of sin. They do also bear forth the fruits of righteousness, not in order to become more holy, but because they are perfectly holy, through faith. It is true, we have still the vile, sinful body, which continually disposes the mind to evil. But the blood of Jesus makes us free from sin, and, as it were, destroys the connection."

F.—Of all the accounts I have ever yet heard, this is the most "crude and indigested." But let us go over it step by step. You first describe what you judge a false faith, viz: "A faith that Christ hath died, to ward off" (or appease) "the wrath of God, and to purchase his favor;" (suppose, for me, a lost sinner) "and as an effect of that" (of God's favor bought with the blood of Christ) "to obtain for me certain inherent qualities and dispositions, to make me meet for the kingdom of Heaven." Now, how do you prove this to be a false faith?

Ant.—Easily enough; for men are obliged to support it by frames, feelings, and works.

F.—And did you not allow, just now, that whosoever has true faith is "holy both in heart and life?" that he has in him "the love of God and of his neighbor; yea, the whole image of God?"

Ant.—I did. And what then?

F.—Why then you have abundantly confuted yourself; for you have allowed, that true faith not only cannot be supported, but cannot exist, no, not for one moment, without "certain inherent qualities and dispositions," (viz. the love of God and of all mankind) "which makes us meet for the kingdom of Heaven." You have allowed, that true faith cannot subsist without a holy frame of heart, a continuance in good works, and a feeling sense of God's love to me, a sinner.

Ant.—I hear you. Go on.

F.—You said next, "Was this our faith, it would be requisite to seek after this sort of sanctification." From your own words it appears, that this is your faith, if you have any true faith at all. See then that you "seek after this sort of sanctification," viz. love of God and of your neighbor. For if you can be at rest, though you feel nothing of it, it is plain your heart is not clean, but hardened.

Ant.—You may say what you please. You know no better.

F.—You went on; "On the contrary, we believe that the blood shed upon the cross has put away and blotted out all our sins." Why, who believes otherwise? If you mean only, that Christ then put away the punishment of all our sins, who believe in him: what a marvellous discovery is this! I pray, whom doth this arguing reprove?

Ant.—It reproves you, who deny that "an everlasting righteousness was then brought in."

F.—I do not deny it; no more than you understand it. But I ask, in what sense was it brought in? Was it then first brought into the world? You cannot say this without saying that all who went out of the world before that hour were lost. Or was it brought into the souls of believers? Then believers have an inward or inherent righteousness. You had better therefore, let this text alone. It will do no service at all to your cause.

Ant.—I see plain you are as blind as a beetle still. I am afraid your head-knowledge will destroy you. Did not I tell you, "Our hearts and consciences are made perfectly clean by our believing; and that in this consists true purity of soul, and not in habitual qualities? And though "the vile, sinful body continually disposes the mind to evil," yet, "the blood of Christ makes us free from sin, and, as it were, destroys the connection."

F.—Destroys the connection of what? I doubt you have stumbled upon another word which you do not understand. But whether you understand yourself or no, it is sure I do not understand you. How can my mind at the same time it is "continually disposed to evil" be "free from sin, perfectly clean, perfectly holy?"

Ant.—O, the dullness of some men! I do not mean really holy, but holy by imputation. I told you plainly, the holiness of which we speak is not in us, but in Christ. The fruit of the spirit, (commonly called sanctification) such as love, gentleness, longsuffering, goodness, meekness, temperance, neither make us holy before God, nor in our own consciences.

F.—I know these cannot atone for one sin. This is done by the blood of Christ alone; for the sake of which, God forgives, and works these in us by faith. Do I reach your meaning now?

Ant.—No, no; I wonder at your ignorance. I mean, we are not made good or holy by any inward qualities or dispositions; but being made pure and holy in our consciences, by believing in Christ, we bear forth, inwardly and outwardly, the fruits of holiness." Now I hope you understand me.

F.—I hope not. For if I do, you talk as gross nonsense and contradictions as ever came out of the mouth of man.

Ant.—How so?

F.—You say, "We are not made good or holy by any inward qualities or dispositions." No! are we not made good by inward goodness? (observe, we are not speaking of justification, but sanctification;) holy, by inward holiness? meek, by inward meekness? gentle, by inward gentleness? And are not all these, if they are anything at all, "inward qualities or dispositions?"

Again: Just after denying that we have any inward holiness, you say, "We are made holy in our consciences, and bear forth, inwardly and outwardly, the fruits of holiness." What heaps of self-contradiction are here!

Ant.—You do not take me right. I mean, these inward dispositions "are not our holiness. For we are not more holy, if we have more love to God and man, nor less holy if we have less."

F.—No! Does not a believer increase in holiness, as he increases in the love of God and man?

Ant.—I say, No. "The very moment he is justified, he is wholly sanctified. And he is neither more or less holy from that hour, to the day of his death. Entire justification, and entire sanctification are in the same instant. And neither of them is thenceforth capable either of increase or decrease."

F.—I thought we were to grow in grace!

Ant.—"We are so; but not in holiness. The moment we are justified we are as pure in heart as we ever shall be. A new-born babe is as pure in heart as a father in Christ. There is no difference."

F.—You do well to except against Scripture and reason. For till a man is done with them, he can never swallow this. I understand your doctrine now, far better than I like it. In the main, you are talking much and saying nothing; laboring, as if you had found out the most important truths, and such as none ever knew before. And what does all this come to at the last? A mere, empty "strife of words." All that is really uncommon in your doctrine is a heap of broad absurdities, in most of which you grossly contradict yourselves, as well as Scripture and common sense. In the meantime, you boast and vapor as if "ye were the men, and wisdom should die with you." I pray God to "humble you, and prove you, and show you what is in your hearts!"

HUMILITY.

By Dr. Hook

Beware of that pride which makes a parade of being humble, and avoid all occasions of showing thyself before men; feel thyself as nothing, and then wilt thou act as if self were quite put aside; speak not of thy sins; do not distinguish thyself by any unusual plainness of dress or manner, but seek to behave in that way which will attract the least notice from others; the test of thy sincerity will be the feelings which thou bravest, not the taunts or the scorns of others but the neglect—the being entirely passed over by persons of whom thou thinkest with respect.

—Short Meditations, edited by Dr. Hook.

A Christian Indeed

I RECKON him a Christian indeed that is neither ashamed of the gospel nor a shame to it.

Continue reading: The Geological Theory of the Age of the Earth Examined