138 THE PRESENT TRUTH. Vor. 1, No. § Christ has died for me.” But this is not the language of (rust; it is rather that of presumption. Faith claims the promise of God on the {fulfillment of its condition. We cannot consent to the idea of unconditional salvation. Whether they are aware of it or not, this is the position of all who expect to be suved because their debl is paid, or because Christ died for them. Every human being ean say the same. But we must notice the real point of this doctrine, namely, that God chose a certain part of mankind, and predetermined that they should be saved, passing by or reprobating the remainder. In 2 Cor, 5: 14 we are told that * Christ died for all; in Heb, 2: 9, that he, by the grace of God should taste death for every man’ and in 1 John 2: 2, that he is the propitiation ** for the sing of the whole world.” Did Christ shed his blond for these reprobate ones ? Is he their mediator? And some of this faith will answer in the negative; they will say that he did not die for them, but only for the elect. But if he did not die for ther, was anything done for them? And how can they be said to “aegleel so great salvation” (Ifeh, 2: 8), if no salvation was provided for them ? or trample on divine grace, which was no grace to them ? On account of the inherent repulsiveness of the doctrine known as “Calvinism,” we often find per. sons claiming to hold it in a moditied form. But that is impossible 1 it cannot be modified. It is fixed and intlexibly rigid in every festure. Tt isa helief that God irrevocably deereed and determined all things; and the belief can no more be modified than uw fixed decree of Deity can be modified. Tt may only be exchanged for sonlething else: Lut m itself it admits of no degrees; for the moment thant a condition is incorporated into it, 1t 7s something else, Calvinism teaches unconditional personal election; and unconditional personal reprobation is its converse and necessary attendant. The Scriptures clearly teach these things, namely: free grace, justification by faith, and the necessity of rood works to salvation: and these are all in harmony. It is not our purpose to examine at length the various texts quoted on this subject: but rather to notice the principles on which the true doctrine rests. and introduce texts sutlicient to corroborate the principles. The great question to be decided is this: In what respect is the gospel plan unconditional, and in what respect is it conditional ? Tf there is any. where such a distinction, and if we can clearly trace the line, the subject must thereby be relieved of much ditliculty. Examining this, we find that, 1. The introduction of the gospel, or setting forth of Christ ag the way of salvation, was uncon- ditional. Dut, 9. The application of the gospel to individual salvation, is conditional. We do not see how any, who believe the Bible, can dissent from either of these declarations. It is not said to the world, nor to any class in the world, that if they would do some certain thing Christ should die for them. But it is said that if they will believe and do certain things, they shall be saved by his blood so freely shed for ** the sins of the world.” * God so loved the-world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be. lieveth in him should not perish, but have everlast- ing life.” John 3: 16. Freely and unconditionally he gave his Son to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world, to die for all: but not so that they will be saved from perishing if they refuse to repent and believe. Salvation was freely by the death of Christ, but will never * purchased be given to those who necleet it. Heb. 2: 3. Eternal life through Christ was freely and wnconditionally brought to man: Hom. 6: 280 vet, ii they would hold on eternal life” secure "thy Rom. 2: 7: work ont their own salvation with fear and trembling.” hil. 2: But in not perish they niust © lay 1 Tim. 6: 197 which they can only patient continnance in well-doing:™ and so wiiting works to faith we detract nothing from the grace and glory of Christ, for we can do nothing in our own unassisted strength, John 15: 5, With this distinction in view we find no difliculty in harnon- izing all the Seriptures. Dut we will notice a few texts to further show the conditional nature of God's promises to man. When the Lord sent Moses to the children of Israel, it was with this messager Say unto then, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraliau, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, I have surely visited you, and =cen done to you in Egypt: saying. that which was and I have sald, Twill brine vou up out of the attliction of Eovpt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Anor- ites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites. and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. Ex. 3: 16, 17. Aman he said to them: “And T will take you to me for a people, and | will be to youre God: and shadl know that J am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, And 1 will bring vou in unto the land, concerning the ye which 1 did swear to oive it to Abraham, to Tsao, and to Jacob: and I will give it you for an heri tage: Loan the Lord Tx 60 7,8. Yet, direct and positive as this promise was, the Lord did wot bring them into that land, their disobedience. bit, destroyed them for > Thus saath the first-born Acain, it was sald to Pharaoh: Tord, even ry I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve and if thou refuse to let hing go, heliold, T will slay thy son, even thy first-born. Tx, 40 22, 23, The first-Hhorn was the highly prized and beloved, Yet on the institution of the | Tave been destroyed with the horn of Tle if they had not their sprinkled the bload on their door-posts; and were afterwards destroyed noticed This teaches us that God's chosen—his first-born, will continue to enjoy his favor only on continted hedienee, [sree] 1s my son, and me! Passover, they wonld st Vp. vemaied in houses ad its whove, cond ioe uf The conditional nature of his gracious promises is shown hy his word through Jeremiah, wherein he commanded Israel to obey him, saying: © That I may perforue the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers,” Jer. 11: 3-5. And again, where he has shown the fixed principle upon whieh he fulfills his promises and threatenings. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, und to pull down, and to destroy it ; if that nation against whom T have pronounced, turn from their evil, T will repent of the evil that 1 thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it: if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then 1 will repent of the good, wherewith I said I wonld benefit them.” Jer. 15: 7-10. And this is true not only of nations, but of individuals. Thus the Lord said to 181i: F sudd Gudecd that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me forever but now the Lord saith, De it fur from me; them that honor me I will that despise me shall 1 Sam. 20 80, It is argued that he that has an interest in the Savionr cannot or will not lose it. See what our Lord himself says: * 1 am the vine, ye are the branches. © oo If aman abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered.” Johny 1a 5, 6, and in verse 20 Every branch in ne that beareth not fruit he taketh away. This completely overthrows that doctrine which atlivis that if any one be in Christ by fiith he cannot be taken away. He may “depart from the faith.” tis urged, and with truth, that none can pluek them ont of his hand, Dat thiz supposes that they Shear fruit,” or eontinae fathiul, Ie that en- dires to the shall he saved, othe JJiws were rejected beewnse of then unldithfulness, so Fanl says to the Gentile converix, who, by faith, were erafted into the vood alive bree, thy st continue faithful or they shenld he ent off alan, cording to the nnewnditional personal election scheme, there could be no damrer of 16, and if so, for and they esteemed. honor, be lightly end the warning of the apostle was deceptive. He savs also that they iu whom the Spirit of God dwells, which can refer only to accepted believers, are the temple of God; and If they defile the tem- ple of God. that is, themselves or their own hudies, God shell destroy then, And Peter aflivms that some shall arise in the churelh who shall deny the Lovd that bimiht them, and bring upon thernselves swift destruction. 2 Peter 2:0 1. Amain, itis sakd we are chosen in hin before the foundation of the world. Dut nl! mst adinit that there isu time when we become Christ's, eotne into him, ete. © As many of you as have heen baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” We are also said to veeeive Christ by faith. So it is evident that we are not im Christ” before we have faith -- Lefore we have put him one Prior to that event, we were the children of winth, even as others.” io That we wee personally and wien Epn. 2: oa. ditionally clected before the foundation ol the world cannot, therefore. be the sense of that sevipt. wre, Jesus Christ was the one chosen—'* the elect" —1a be the Author of salvation to all who believe and obey; and all who receive him and put hing on, or are baptized into him. becomes one with him, members of his body; and, of course. are partakers of his privileges and his election. bh at the election was a prior event ig admitted: bid that we lave any part in it before we become niemboers of Christ's body 1s denied. The choier is of Christ, and through him all that are “in Lite: but, personally, does not reach them that are ont of lum, children of wrath, as we were all by nature, With this view, we see the reasonuble- ness of Peter's exhortation to make our calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1: 10: but with the Cal vinstic view, it cannot be made to appear rea sonable. And so of all the exhortations and threatenings in the Bible: if man is not free to choose or refuse, to obtain through obedience or lose through disobodience, they cannot be what they purport to be, The truth on this subject we chiefly rest on the difference between the death of Christ, and the Atonement, to the arsument on whieh we refer the reader.—a 1. Ww. in the Aoncwment, [NN NNN "aan Tae SERMON. SSNS] “1 charge theo therefore hefore Gad, aud the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick snd the dead at his appearing und Lis dont; PREACH THE WORD. —2 Tim, 4: 1.2. “PRESENT TRUTH.' DY ELDER DM, CANRIGHT, (Continued. ) Trx1: “ Wherefore J will not he negligent to pat von always in remembrance of those things, though ye A them, and bo establishod in tho present truth. 2 Per. 1: 12. Tuat the coming of Christ will not i place without 2 wwning to the world, we proof a few plain propositions :— 1 The Judgment he Second Advent of Christ. the Resurrection, cond he Ind of Hoe World, are ceents whicl the Scriptures teacl will cone lo ps at sone tine, We are not now concerned as ta when they will come to pass, but simply with the fet thet these events will transpire sometime. Nothing in the Bible, it secs to us, is more plainly revealed and emphatically stated than these facts, and we sume that most of our hearers will agree with us on this point. They believe in the literal sceond advent and resmrrection of the dead the now offer in pre SNe 0s we do. There is no controversy, then, on this point. However, we will give a few texts out of the seores bearing upon these events, The Judgment. + Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness.” Acts 17: 31. “And the aneels which kept not their first estate, bat left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains minder darkn unto the prdmnent of the great day.” JTede 60 “And 1 saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, trom whose foee the earth and the heaven fled away 1 and there was found no place for them. And 1 saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened and another book was opened, which ix the book of life: and the dead were judged ont of