페이지 이미지
PDF
ePub

delusions, to believe a lie, that they may be damned, because This is exemplified in the case of Ahab, king of Israel. God sitting upon His throne, (and all the host around said,) Who will persuade Ahab to go up to Ramoth Gilead, that he may fall there? None was found to go, it being contrary to the nature of a good angel to go upon a bad errand; at length one appears, saying, I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all Ahab's prophets.' The Lord replied,

Thou shalt prosper and prevail--go and do it! Thus Ahab was deluded and fell in battle, because he let Benhadad go, whom he should have slain, and the Lord said, Because thou hast let go out of thine hand a man whom I appointed for utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people,' as the sequel proved.

Thus Benhadad, Agag, and the Canaanites lived longer than was the will of God they shouldwhile others do not live half their days,' but die sooner than is the revealed will of God they should; for some take their own lives and the lives of others, when it is the revealed will of God, Thou shalt not kill.”

Then that we may have angels to guide or bear us away as Lazarus did; and as the Patriarchs, be gathered to our people above; let us lead the life of the Righteous, that we may die their death, and our last end be like theirs. Mark the perfect man, and behold the uprightfor the end of that man is peace!*

* Grace is a gift or favor, conferred upon an unworthy object. Debt implies an obligation; but God is under no obligation to His creatures. Of course, whatsoever he bestows must be free, unmerited Grace.

[ocr errors]

The Kingdom of Heaven prepared for Man, from the Foundation of the world'-was Grace. Man, by grace, was at the first placed in a state of Trial in Paradise, under a Law of works, which Law saith, Do, and live-or as Paul saith, If

Bb

OF THE RESURRECTION.

The identity of matter cannot be annihilated, but it possesses the innate principle of immortali

But the

a Man keep the Law, he shall LIVE BY THE LAW.' Mord Faculty is so impaired and dark since the FALL, that 3fan is not adequate to keep the Paradisical Law. And therefore, as says the Apostle Paul, by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God; that it may be by GRACE through FAITH in Christ Jesus.

Hence the Law of Faith, requiring righteousness, by g grace hrough faith is fitted to the capacity and situation of fallen Man. Man being capable of believing, his FAITH instead of Works, may be imputed to him for righteousness; and thus he may be justified through FAITH in CHRIST. And so the Law of Faith' is brought in as the condition of his salvation. And thus he may arrive at last at Jerusalem, which 'Kingdom was prepared for Man from the foundation of the World.'And be admitted according to the original order of things; by Man's free will concurring with the commandments, in the established order of God.

The Lake of Fire,' which originally was 'prepared for he devil and his angels,' was never designed for Man. Consequently if man goes there, it is by stealing the time, and

suming the liberty to sin; and thereby inverting the estabKished order of things, contrary to God's appointment-for God appointed His creatures to serve Him, but never gave hem His permission to sin; on the contrary, He positively forbids it. Therefore, by violating the moral order of God, those Rebels disqualify themselves for the Kingdom of God, and are thereby fitted for the lake of fire. And moral justice

demands the execution.

All the Favours of God are Grace-but more particularly those in Christ Jesus as a Redeemer' and 'Saviour.'

[ocr errors]

As all titles to every favour was forfeited by sin, Man could not make atonement for his crime, but must remain condemned by the Law which he has violated, and stand exposed to all the dire consequences, which at the least must be privation; unless there be a RANSOM! Hence, Christ was DELIVERED for our offences, and rose again for our Justification. He suffered, the Just for the unjust-that he might bring us to God. God so loved the world, He sent His son, that the world thro' Him might be SAVED. No man TAKETH my life from me:-I have power to lay it down, and to take it again-Greater love than this hath no man, than that he lay down his life for his friend and I lay down my life for the sheep. He was WOUNDED for OUR transgressions-and, the Lord hath laid npon Him the iniquity of us ALL.'

ty. For if one particle of water could be annihilated, the whole fabric of nature might on the same principles sink into a state of non-entity.Matter may be changed, as it relates to time, place, and quality, yet there may be certain innate principles of matter, the identity of which We read of the Seven Spirits of God;' referring to the different OPERATIONS.

First, the enlightening Grace of God, which is saving in its NATURE: saving mankind from their natural darkness, by enlightening every man who cometh into the world."

6

Secondly, Restraining Grace-by which man is distinguish. ed and prevented from becoming mere Devils incarnate, thro' the principle of Moral Evil,' which principle is restrained by the Grace of God, and saves man from those consequences which otherwise would follow.

Thirdly, Justifying Grace, i. e. an ACT whereby God, for Christ's sake, pardoneth all our sins!' which is Salvation from the condemnation of SIN, as well as from the Love and reigning power, and dominion of Sin!

Fourthly, the infusion of the Spirit, or sanctifying Grace of God, by which Man is saved from his privation, and from the nature of Sin.

Fifthly, comforting, supporting, and heart cheering Grace; which saves from the gloom that otherwise would surround the Mind.

Sixthly, the Grace which leads, guides and instructs into necessary Truth, and into Practical Duty.

[ocr errors]

And,

Seventhly, the peace and joy of the Kingdom, which brightEns up the prospect of eternity; and inspires the Mind with Hope beyond this life; which foretaste is the earnest of the Saint's Inheritance of another world; and is called 'Righ teousness and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost.

As it takes two to make a bargain, so Grase, or the opera tion of the Holy Spirit, requires the concurrence of Man's free will, in order for him to experience Salvation from his sins.-For man is not to be saved IN his sins, but must be saved FROM his sins. Hence the propriety of the caution: 'Quench not the Spirit.' Lest it be said in the language of Stephen, * As your fathers did, so do ye always resist the Holy Ghost," and so destruction come upon you to the uttermost. And God says; Because I have called and ye have refused, and set at nought my counsel-I therefore will laugh at your calamities, and mock when your fear cometh- -Ephraim is joined to his idols, let him alone:'-and then the heart reply: The Harvest is passed and the summer is ended, and I am not saved?” and the consequence is, to receive the sentence, Depart into the Lake of Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels,

[ocr errors]

can never become a part, or the properties of any other hody.

Supposing a person to be dead, and eaten by a fish, which fish is eaten by a man. Quere. Could the second person have any of the real particles of the first; and if so, who of the twain will possess them at the resurrection, as both cannot have it?

A corn of wheat cast into the ground, remaineth alone, except it die.' The corn upon the stalk is not the same kernel that was sown, but rather is some of the innate principle of the corn which was sown, and is brought to perfection. It was sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; sown in weakness, raised in power; this mortal shall put on immortality, that mortality may be swallowed up of Life!

Mortality, implies subject to decay. Matter may be changed, as it relates to shape and form, &c. but still it doth exist, though in a different mode and situation. And the innate principle of the identity of man cannot be changed, to become the property of another; then each will retain his own, though the skin and flesh and blood, the coarser matter, which is supposed to change every seven years upon the living, be set aside as acquired, yet the original man remains, the other being the dregs. But it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but this we know, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.' We now see and know but in part, then shall we see as we are seen, and know as we are known!

OF THE LAKE OF FIRE.

The Lake of fire, originally prepared for the Devil and his angels, into which the wicked will bocast, as their final doom, which is the second death, and burns with fire and brimstone, is dreadful to contemplate,

1

A bar of iron heated, when touched with brim. stone, will run down like melted lead. Supposing a person to be confined, and yet not consumed. How awful is the thought.

[ocr errors]

In this life, time is divided by days, and months, and years, but in Eternity where years shall cease to roll, how will time be then described?Suppose a damned Ghost should inquire of Beelzebub the time? Beelzebub replies, Eternity!" After a period equal to ten thousand years, multiplied by the number of sands, the waves, the drops, the stars, and then the twigs and spires of grass, and doubled over ten thousand times, and multiplied again; still the reply would be Eeternity! Without pleasure, and without slumber, and without end?

A trial implies a limited accountability; at the end of which, Judgment and Justice will take place, and prove final. Therefore, if the original established order of man, and his end, was heav en, his will concurring; but, by non-conformity he inverted his own order and destination, whereby he disqualified himself for the fruition, being contaminated with Moral Evil, and is so hardened as to be incorrigible, and hence confirmed in his vicious disposition of heart, so as to become as the lower inhabitants, and a fit subject for that region only. For any being, being put into a place or situation for which it has no disposition, the state would afford it no pleasure; not being agreeable to its nature, it could fect no union or satisfaction in it, but would rather depart to a place more suited to itself, and be with beings more congenial to its nature. And hence it appears, that the very damned would be in more torment, was it possible for them to get to heaven in their own nature, than to remain in their damned state!

« 이전계속 »