In every stage of progress men require the assistance of the Spirit of God to excite or direct, and to support them, and this assistance is never denied to any who seek it aright, though it acts not compulsorily or irresistibly. Were any man forced to act in any particular way by God, the state of probation would be lost, and the counsel of God overturned. He would destroy the work of His hands, and would save him not as a rational creature, but as a brute or a beast. Obedience forced is another way of expressing disobedience. The Lord says, My son, give me thy heart," which can have no other meaning than-obey me with an unconstrained free will. When God puts men here in a state of probation, willing them to be saved, He wills them to be saved in His own way as men-rational creatures, accountable for the use or abuse of His gifts, and not in their own way of wilful disobedience, or after Calvin's scheme of irresistible grace. Prayer is one of the duties common to all men wherever a sense of religion is found, and notwithstanding the superstitions, the errors innumerable in the mode and in the substance, the act itself implies belief in the providence of the Deity and that He is not inflexible, and that things are not absolutely so determined as to render any supplication in respect of them fruitless. The Christian may be in his own eyes, and he may be in fact, poor and insignificant, he may exclaim with the psalmist, "I am a worm and no man," yet he is heard of Him who clothes the grass of the field, and numbers the hairs of our heads. He who is the Hearer and Answerer of prayer is able to attend to countless myriads of beings at one and the same time and to satisfy the desire of every human breast; and no being who approaches to the footstool of the Almighty, and there presents his petition in faith, supposes that the world is governed by laws so fixed, by a destiny so assured as that to pray or hope for any modification of it is improper. How can the man who believes that the doom of every individual is irreversibly fixed, and that such is the effect of the foreknowledge or decree of God, approach unto his God with petitions such as should ever be on the lips of the Christian pilgrim ? What effect can such an one believe to be produced by prayer? Can he think that 'the prayer of a righteous man' can prevail against a destiny so fixed, or a decree already issued ? It is not forgotten that the reply made to this is, that prayer is one of the ordained means by which the decree is brought into execution, but can a metaphysical distinction of this kind give energy to supplication or fervency to devotion, against the habitual belief that the event is predetermined?1 1 Archb. Sumner. The learned Dr. in his Apostolical Preaching says, "Can prayer offered under such a conviction be winged with those feelings which the Apostles recommend and inspire? Every prayer of a believer in decrees, if it is not a mere N In concluding our thoughts on Predestination we will follow the example of Archbishop Lawrence, in quoting what he calls the memorable sentiments of Luther on the subject. "Are we, miserable men," he exclaims, "who as yet are incapable of comprehending the rays of God's promises, the glimmerings of His precepts and His works, although confirmed by words and miracles, are we, infirm and impure as we are, eager to comprehend all that is great and glorious in the solar light itself, in the incomprehensible light of a miraculous Godhead? Do we not know that God dwells in splendour inaccessible? And yet do we approach, or rather do we presume to approach it? Are we not aware that His judgments are inscrutable? and yet do we endeavour to scrutinize them? And these things we do, before we are habituated even to the faint lustre of His promises and precepts, with a vision still imperfect, blindly rushing into the majesty of that light, which, secret and unseen, has never been by words or miracles exhibited. What wonder then, if, while we explore its majesty, we are overwhelmed with glory!" 1 expression of thankfulness, must be either an empty form, as with those Mahometans who are practical predestinarians; or it must be a virtual contradiction of his own belief; and, in truth, it is only because that contradiction is deeply implanted in the principles of our rational nature, that the belief itself is not more extensively mischievous." On this topic Mr. Solly, in his able treatise on "The Will Divine and Human" (p. 14) says: "The human mind is so constituted that the majority cannot comprehend philosophical inquiries. These need not on that account cease to pray, but they must pray in faith only, thanking God if they are allowed to preserve that faith unscathed by a scepticism which they cannot refute. But how much firmer would be their position if they not only had faith, but were able to give a reason for the faith that is in them: if instead of answering the sceptic with the mere subjective fact 'I believe,' they were able to shew why the sceptic should believe also!" 1 Quid est, quod nos miserrimi homines, qui necdum radios promissionis divinæ per fidem comprehendere, aut scintillas præceptorum Dei per opera (ein funklin von Gottes gebotten und worken) capere possumus, (quæ utraque verbis et miraculis ipse de cœlo confirmavit,) tamen impuri et infirmi rapimur ad comprehendendam majestatem solaris lucis, immo incomprehensibilis lucis mirabilium Dei? An ignoramus, quod lucem habitat inaccessibilem; et tamen accedimus, immo præsumamus accedere? Ignoramus judicia ejus imperscrutabilia; et tamen perscrutari conamur? Et hæc facimus, antequam radiis promissionis et scintillis præceptorum perfusi et imbuti sumus, (berichter und begossen) cum talpinis oculis irruentes in majestatem lucis istius, quæ nec verbis nec signis demonstretur, immo occultata et non significata est. (Das nicht mit worten noch Zeichen angeziget, sondern heimlich im verborgen bedeutet ist.) Quid mirum, si obruat nos gloria, dum scrutamur majestatem? Anno 1530. Lutheri Epist. apud Seckend. lib ii. sect. 13 § 43, et apud Aurifab. p. 38, 'cited Lawrence Bampton Lectures, 4th Ed., 167, note. CHAPTER II. THE SUBJECTS OF ELECTION. (a) Generally. The doctrine of Election is one of those glorious themes on which the child of God loves to dwell and in which his soul rejoices to revel. Though a deep mystery, he can yet recognise in it a manifestation of the divine wisdom and love. He sees enough to discern the loving hand of an all-powerful Creator-enough to call forth feelings of gratitude and admiration knowing the while that there is much which passes his finite understanding, much of which reason is incapable of offering a satisfactory solution. Some doctrine of Election, it will be admitted on all hands, is taught in Holy Scripture, and it cannot therefore be a matter of no importance to us what that doctrine is. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, as the Apostle says, and is "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." And most assuredly the doctrine of Election as taught in Holy Scripture is no exception. It will be found to be most profitable and helpful to those who are now passing through the wilderness of this world on their way to the heavenly mansions. 3 An attentive reader of Holy Scripture cannot but be struck with the many passages which, without formally stating the doctrine, contain intimations of it. We read of an "elect people." Except those days should be shortened there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened"; "But for the elect's sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days"; "There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders: insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect"; "And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other;"" And shall not God avenge His own elect which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?" "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" «Put on as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies"; "I endure all things for the elect's sakes"; "An Apostle of Jesus Christ accord 12 Tim. iii. 16-17. * Matt. xxiv. 22. 3 Mark xiii. 20. * Matt. xxiv. 24.-Mark xiii. 22. • Luke xviii. 7. Col. iii. 12. 6 ing to the faith of God's elect"; "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." So we read of an election: "Even so then at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace; " "Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God"; "Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election Words could not be employed implying more decisively that God has His elect, and that there is an election. It is quite true that none of these passages, nor many others of a similar character which might be cited, propound the doctrine of election in a systematic form, but that they enunciate election as a truth of God cannot be denied. When it is said that the angels are sent to gather the elect, we must believe and admit that there will be some elect; and when the Apostle says, "There is a remnant according to the election of grace," equally must we believe and admit that there is an election. It is evident, then, that election of some sort is revealed in Holy Scripture, and we propose now to consider what this election is. It is clear that the election referred to in the passages cited above is the election of God, and if so it must be in perfect accord with the Divine character, and like the moral law, it must be holy, just, and good." "He is the Rock, His work is perfect for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He." The election mainly spoken of in Holy Scripture is not an election of individuals as such to certain blessings, but of individuals collectively for the accomplishment of the purposes of the Almighty. The election, however, spoken of is not invariably of this character, for we read occasionally of individuals elected for certain work, or to certain positions. These are, so to speak, exceptional cases, and election is merely to official stations. Thus the prophets, priests and kings of Israel were elected to their respective offices in the Jewish economy: and the Apostles were elected to their peculiar positions in the Christian dispensation. Now in treating of the subjects of election we shall soon find ourselves in troubled waters and overwhelmed in the waves of confusion unless we at the onset distinguish between three conditions or states not unusually confounded. We find 1st. God has an election amongst the heathen who never heard the name of Jesus. 2nd. God has an election amongst His ancient people, the Jews. 3rd. God has an election amongst His baptised children. These are elections known to God alone. We find further that election has certainly two distinct scriptural significations analogous to those borne by "the kingdom of heaven.' As this sometimes 1 Tit. i. 1. 2 1 Pet. i. 2. 3 Rom. xi. 5. 5 2 Peter i. 10. • Deut. xxxii. 4. signifies the whole body of Christians in this world, and sometimes "the assembly of just men made perfect" in another; so by the elect is sometimes meant all those persons who are numbered among the elect on earth, and sometimes they alone are intended who give all diligence to make their calling and election sure. The difference between these two phases of election we see very clearly brought out in one of the parables of our Lord. He says:1 "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea and gathered of every kind; which when it was full they drew to shore, and sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world; the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Here two gatherings or selections are referred to as regards the kingdom of heaven. The net cast into the sea of the world first gathered within it fish of every kind, and when it was full it was drawn to shore, and then in the end of the world a second division or selection takes place, not as before between those who are within and those who are without the net, but between those who are within the net and are good and those who are within the net and are bad. The first gathering is of good and bad into the Church; it is an election in this world which, while conferring certain privileges and blessings is yet not absolute election to everlasting life. This is the election we propose now to treat of. The two great elections spoken of in Scripture (and these are elections of which we are conscious), are— 1st. The Jews-the chosen people-chosen from the nations of the earth; and 2nd. The Christian Church, the congregation of the baptised, chosen from the Jews and the other nations of the earth. And the election we propose mainly to consider is neither election simply to salvation, which may refer to worthy heathen and faithful and believing Jews, but that highest of all electionselection in Christ to form His mystical Body; an election of which we have a personal cognizance, and which may be profitably dwelt on for a time. The merits of the death of Christ are universal-every man feels the effect of this-for all men by His death have been reconciled to the Father. The Church is not simply the association of those who have been reconciled to the Father by the death and offering of the only begotten Son, but she is the assembly of those who have been saved by his life-of those who have received the resurrection life of Christ, and have been regenerated. She is, in fact, an election of certain individuals in this world out of all nations, with the object that by the means of grace thus brought 1 Matt. xiii. 47-50. |