IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) W J !< ^ « i 1.0 II 1.25 miU 125 2f 144 ■■■ ^ U° 12.0 ill fwB^^^^B 1.4 iJ4 Pfiotogrdpijic Sciences Corporation ^\ 3>^ 23 WIST MAIN STRUT WnSTIII,N.Y. MSSO (716)872-4903 •^^;. ^ ■M|-AKy. r8S5. 1 6. A* ^«/^«; vult decipi: decipiatur. THE PLAN OF SALVATION AND THE Salvation' ARMY; OR, WHY I LEFT THE ARMY. By A.V Ex-Soldier. Price, 16 cents. 7 AUVBRTISRR PRINTING AND PUBLISHINU COMPAWV. I d 90u500 WHY I LEFT THE ARMY. i Brother, when you tiist met me, an entire su auger, as I suppoj»ed, I had oo thought at the time,thatyou were to be the representative of a religious fritndshtp I was to find among the soldiers of the salvation army ; but you have been a true specimen of their friendship ; and I have no other way of letting you know how deeply I feel, and deeply I remember, all you have done to ren- der their acquainUnce to me, one of the most remarkable of the religious periods of my life, except thus to make my graceful acknowledgements in parting company with a few worda familiar to most Christianf, but difficult, if not almost impossible to be expressed with feelinKs per- fectly balanced. There cannot, says a great writer, a greater judg- ment befall a community than such a dreadful spirit of dissension and division as rends the citizens into a vari- ety of parties and makes them religiously greater strangers than if they were of diflFerent nations. The effects are pernicious to the last degree ; not only as regards the advantage they give the common enemy, but the private evils they produce in the heart of every particular per- son. This influence is fatal to men's morals and under- standings ; it sinks the virtue of the community ; it de- stroys even common sense. These observations, had they been written at the present day, instead of some two centuries ago, could not have applied with greater truth than they do at the present moment to the situation in many localities, towns and villages of this land, torn and divided as they are by religious extremists— men who have so long convulsed the moral machine of the country and society, and who appear of late to have " sprung" a new party, guided by an invisible hand, whose will is absolute despotism, and whose word is law ; paralyzing and f^^^'Pf'^l^^^^^^ CDcrgy and buoyancy of many P^^P^^' *'?^,^'i;**i!'?'"f /ly chaiS?hcirfoestothe wheel ofiheirlriumphac^^^^ qnirit when it rages in its fury and m its lull violence SLeUincivUwarand bloodshed ; and, under us grelus tre tr°inu^ breaks out \n M^W. Viraction, ca.umny, and injustice. It f ^^..^^K^^^^^J/J^^,", spleen and rancour, and ^^^^"g^J^^^* ^" t^^^^^^ good nature, compassion and humanity J^e" *J^ fhnes of course, when it is necessary among men, hat a cen"n degree if patience and forbearance shou^^ exercised under misrepresenUtion and injustice, vyiin ruXVur^an life/ould become a perpetual ^^^^^^^ hostility, from the cl)ntmual repetition of off«»«* *Xm taliation that would succeed each other in an endless chatrbut tii« doctrine of non-resistance, carried too far. is but little calculated for this world. Th« nartv itself is a Study. On coming m contact Tm and to eniov his confusion and peril. In its short ml ZT^Xi talk of the certainty of the« mdrnd^ • for any persecution suffered— there is none. amazed at their credulity, you are in admiration over their perseverance, you are indignant at their reliffioua assumptions, under the name of which they ulorv in practices for which the day is past to send theA to the stake-virtually claimingtheir religion lo be the new, last and most perfect dispensation yet revealed from heaven ! You cannot stay any time among them without feeJiiig that you are watched ; it is a system of watching and es- pomage of everybody and everything; you cannot breathe easy ; appear in company and you will soon see some one cautiously listening-, you learn to speak low, lookinir around suspiciously, very likely getting up and cIosin| the door, and you soon get into the feeling that, were you to speak out and tell just the impressions that are made upon you, your reputation would not be safe for twenty-four hours. ' .n, ^^""^^ u '' '^j'*"" ?^. "P^*^ ^" <^o»n« to be heard in our day much, and much is still repeated respecting that marvellous omnipresent character, the " sinner"— the in- evitable smner-at honre and abroad. Through this spirit of watching -everyday," as Rubadub in Salmagund would say, " Our ears have heard the slanger-whanler in misrepresentation, aspersion and villification of the * sin- ner, his principles, his work and his calling. His relative position, his business " boycottance"— his social outlawry —might generally.be worded : « Whereas certain men are tound among us so far lost to . 2iy sense of virtue and feeling for the condition of t.iemselves and of re- gard for us '.Resolved, therefore, that in future we will consider such persons as unworthy of our friendship • have no mtercourse or dealings with them ; withdraw from them every assistance, and withhold from them all the comforts of life, which, as. men and fellow citizens we owe to each other, and upon all occasions treat them' with the contempt they deserve ; and that it is here- by most earnestly recommended to the people at larze to JOlloitt our example. anH th» ca»«« \\rx^ *<• «1^ ^ * . tnena. And from the constant repetition of such like sentinaents,and their instilment upon minds of immatured thought and pnnciples by religious extremists and en- thu.iuu who have not t»ken the trouble to judge for tSeSSdv'rortoinve.tigate the truth, the name "i.n- «r^, becle in the V»i.n "^ P'^V^rh Irth" Us a .ynonyln for evil-a "'n^*»»°<"»" ' ""^ vile Va' dishonorable, uaregener.te. d'»«P>|'»"« ^chamcter who :o tWxa " sinner ?" Usually we nnd nim a cnaracicr wwu W dlcUred d'e.tiny. And /M'. -h°'V'XS shout ear of God and into the ear of man, and so '""''y r°"' "every glimpse of him : Lo, here 1 lo. there I a sinner !iSI, saU I Lord have rne.cy «P0" ^^ ^f ^^^ are l/ut I Whence their omniscience f ^ "« •»" <" "J ^fn'rheinB saved, ol any man's salvation, any man s S on U^not in deuil, wVther Socinian Arm.n.an or clSst. revealed in Scripture. Where have /AfJ' dis- .JJtTi, ? Loricallv. with God. a man's salvation le first, Hs ?uty c»P»!'^Ie^ f any rb^„^g^:l^a'«^rerth?L^^^^^^^^ ZS:'^ feelings ; he feels like a^new .ea^re^n tZ; rt'™1r.rhaS''h;-VoT loves7he /.Is and tZ th' t his sins are forgiven ; he ha. a distinct m- . warf consciousness that his iniquities are pardoned-a hZd? Tn\ '^ T*T personally understand but W.T .• ^"?^ and ULderstand pnd feel his own in- ward leehngs and consciousness, who is be.t.r able or qualified than the "sinner" himself? ilis nei«h bor or foc-ever within law ready to b^hc. and s f n- der, to envy and covet and hate ? His frien.l and fe" lob Mm ?'' '"" ^'''"' ^" ^""'' ^''''P *"^ ^" ^'-A be. anH P*'*"*^ sinners-they are born-they are bred • and there are saints-they are as old as the race we don't thmk It worth while to quarrel with the fcct 'or^o Crsert^h'7^°«^H"P?" "''^^ ^^^^^ distlraion U toSSshins .h.r' K '"''• ^" °"^.""''^ ^"d ^°^"« and townships, there has corae to exist a concentration of unnatural and unhealthy physical and mo^il o^res Potrtv'Thr.' by year developing, on the one S poverty that breeds disease, and on the other the luxury which breeds effeminacy-and both are fast re duc,„g the moral stamina~are fast developinT s^nes Theology in claimmg the total depravity of human na tion and thought have gathered wisdom, and the desolir of impatience, and the low estimate of the need C duty ol human co-operation in the grand work of making life less laborious, and religion le J irksome andnse, pensive, have much to do with this-with this breeding ^o ZTr.\dl ■' ""9"«^^'^"ably man's normal condit on to feel delight in existence. It is certainly a very sad and a very hard lot to bear life as a burden^f un^ut er able weariness and distress ; and if experience in num- erous instances teaches anything, it is that the creaUve agency of humanity-the impuL that resu ts in c ea tion- can bequeath an immense load of misery There is in existence a great amount of misery for which there cannot be conceived an adequate compensation and k has been the burden of much very seriSus thougf t a^^ Grmed by observation anH r-fl«i.-«- -u." *?!^ ^''P. have been better for many men that they had no been bom, cert«nly. «, far as the resnlte to them in th!s life are concerned, and whether, after all, there ia not in ¥ 8 the doctrine of compulsory "9";f ^^^SJl^" ^^^^^ some grains of sense and foresight., "Is hfe worth livmg In every other department of humanity man comes to au elSon or perLtion only through the agency of human knowledge and careful experiment; m this--the S^pTr^^n^of sfnand misery-of search and co^s^^u^^ tionof a better social slate and home—and of ^eclamaiion 'f^°om he recW^^^^ looseness of life, and f e«^a.r 1^^^^^ which man seems to have been allowed to sl^P* «f ^*^^^^^ Lencv is the use of the Bible and prayer-supplication Kv n Men of all ages have adopted the pnncii^e of oraver the principle that heaven must be propiSd Afterits utterance, of course, no inan will propiudi inert— a dead substance destitute ot Te priU e o/mo^rind religious life, or at leas, that the conditions Mcessary to life mamfestattons are de- lttoyed-tto.t it cannot supply nutriment to bmld up the iS body-that prayer, in short, is iso longer a morally or sirit^lly organic element through which rehgious vi- tal fj^S upV spiritual body, and wh.ch m»^ be used by religiously vital processes to give it v^ue and potentiaU^. Where, essenttaUy, do these processes '' Brother, you remember that night, dark, darap and raw Stepp ng down into the street, a chill «« Arough hrVrame'^ The lights, here and there, around » he fog, gUmmered dismal, distant and dim- "« vtteUi i«fay out into the gloom. All was «'«»»• /^fir;: We foUowed-we followed on. It was the suicides ^|ht-we dropped into the pool ; we were saved. We vou and I,;honest men, were no backsliders ; w^ exoerienced the melting emotions which charactenie The fi«? approach to Christy we resolved the whole thing fs oth^rsK done before,;*, others "^^^^oing <^da^^ :„,„ , ,nrt nf life and death struggle of penitential teats "id iVs for mercy-" Lord, have mercy "Po" "?,i'^^°' Mess and pity us ;" we were not of those who think they knowTve™ Aing who were on the spot when the occur- , re„c"ha^eBed,orhad mettheman who was an eye- witness ; nor of those with whom nothing is so popular and agreeable, or so much sought after as that which .nnot be explained, or around which a biblically mys- terious shroud is closely woven. Nor could we be classed as persons who see innumerable faults and foibles in their neighbors, but none in themselves — no — in our neighbors we saw our own character as we see our own face in a mirror ; our associates mirrored forth our own faults : the faults we saw in others were but the reflection of our own errors ; nor were we either of us, a religious automaton ; we mingled with " sinners " ; we took them as we found them. We walked with 'he old man of " three score and ten," who, as the morni-^gs rolled round, took his antifogmatic, his old rye ! We sat with the young man of health and wealth, society and friends, and hopes of a bright future, in from the lodge room, the club, the dance, or in from the country flush of money his was the gumtickler all round — pipe or mug — sour,liot or straight ; any way, for his practice, there was no ex- cuse. We mourned the fate of the young man unequal to the circumstances and occasions of domestic vix«n- ism, fireside jars and family infelicities, stepping up de- jected and sad-looking : he called for a phUgmcutUr, usually nialt, and he soon was happy again ! And we hob- nobbed with the " sinner " of brain— the man of intelli- gence, the man of business ability, now, under the con- trol of circumsunces a bankrupt, unbefriended and de- spondent j his case was not considered a good one, he was thought a lost sheep ; a gallbreaker—\ixzxi^y almost invanably brought him ready relief, he was soon again rich as a " Jew." Why live a lifetime to feel a million- aire? Talking religion to this man were shipping ice to Greenland or coal stoves to Guiuea. Moral shadows in human conduct have physical causes. They lengthen and strengthen as the shocks in business reverses, in loss of friends, bitter disappointments or physical weaknesses. Palliate causes, brother, before we censure. The liberal „.. ,,, vtivov tii-wii TTcic iiuciui uuu warm siiii. I'hysi- cal shocks had unstrung the nervous string — the moral fibre — u we felt them warm in ours still. The sighs 10 and silent agonies of their once nobler breasts,noble still, many of them, were once ours ; their aspirations we once breathed ; the inmost thoughts of their hearts, true and manly, were ours ; we, too, were sinners ; we, too, knew and marked well the man who looked more closely upon the outward appearance than upon inward worth— who judged his fellowman more by the quality of his cloth than by the quality of the heart— whose criterion of change of heart wasthe change of exterior garment, which must of necessity follow of religion on " tick" or otherwise. In prosperity those self same hands had " gripped " with bishops and deans and priests and preachers ; had been uplifted in the work f^nd support and defence of the church of their ancentors ; had shared their fare with their neig' bors ; had litiedjthe hallowed cup to mortal lips ; in adversity, could the " shake " of a " sinner " soil them ? Around that " pool," that " fountain," that " form," and higher up upon that " platform " opposite, we, you and I, brother, honest men, have stood together since, side by side. To the front of us, right of us, left of us an4 back of us, in like manner, stood or sat or knelt around many other " ex-sinnors :" the forger, the embez- zler, the rogue, the thi^f, the liar and Sabbath-breaker, ex-Tamars, ex-publicans generally, old and young, men and women all there ; clean and happy and smiling ; all *' saved," each bound to " make one for the kingdom," bound to see the " end ot a praying life," and, under some mystit: view of the Holy Spirit's agency, all. Daniel- like, praying : *' O Lord, hear, O Lord, forgive, O Lord, hearken and do ;" save the ' drunkard," the '* poor drunk- ard ;" we thank thee "we are notas he." Amidst soul-arous- ing melodies and rousing " amens " and clappings: and drurnmings and timbral jinglings we sang and we preached and we prayed and repeated again and again : ** we're saved," *' we've got salvation,"we " feel happy," and we're ** ready to die." Our friends could quite understand the old man on the brink of eternity, or the soldier on the bauic n€ia say ruauy lu uic, ui mc mau un isi^^ -j-«-«v.j- bed, or the man with his neck in the noose ejaculating " ready to die." The idiom on the lips of men and wo- II men in the vigor and prime of human nature with h'feV pleasures and charms of money, the rewards of ambitioi; and success dangling before their eyes, they looked upon however, as simple cant and wheedling. Aid, one aftei the other, we rose up and narrated the story of our life, what we had done — which our neighbors were always curious to know— and what we had been, what a wonder ful change had come over us, and what great joy and happiness we now possesstd. We could talk nothing bui " salvation ;" we were saved, we "felt it all over," wt were " fully persuaded " of the tact. And we were " still saved," " nothing stood between our God and us now,' " morning until night we lived without sin," "sin was in us no more," " it was rooted out completely," "the devil had nothing more to do with us." Glorv Hallelujah ! "we were every day and in all things sa^'s/y/ng God," "bless His name !" All this our neighbors again failed, some- how or other to understand or see ; when our feelings subsided, when our impulses and emotions passed awaj and the excitement was over, our religion, they observed, seemed gone ; like the " abomination of Israel," that was washed, we returned to our wallow ; their observation settled quietly into conviction that our " change," Judas or Sapphiralike, was only a change of purpose, not a change of heart, that our prayers, alter all, were not PRAYBR. Our prayers not prayer ! Brother, like honest men, we, you and I, honest men, have experienced our times of impression, in childhood, in Sunday-school, in Bible- class, under sermons, or at special meetings, when we be- came alarmed, our teelings were stirred up, our affec- tions, our loves, and our hates, our hopes and our feais were moved while we saw others stirred up and alarmed, when v\'e saw others moved and brought to desire conver- sion and to weep and to pray. We fled because others fled, we wept and prayed and had some very melting and sweet affections in prayer, but it was under the fear of hell. We Wenf t\\\\ trt tKo mAafin. of this I There ii I'Z *"?' ^•'°*!'^'» '^*^ ^^^le enjoins the duty, iect Th. /f •'"u^' '." "* instructions upon the sub- ^S L — * "^^ y ". abundantly inculcated. It is required indiscnmmately of all men, its power is largely SDoken of hT-d-m^ ""^°°^ P''*y^'' remarkably coincide with the Bible mstructions. God answers prayer • not how t'he idn^'.P'T' °V\« Mussulman at 'hia'shrine nor o} noroftrin^'?^ the unregenerate. the naturkl man, tion Th °* ""^'^^ impulse or impression or emo- Snd GoVr ^""^^ ^f t'^' * ^'y «"d '^^^y hean ened tL « ^^f wers^«/>r the prayer of the man awak- ened, the man who feels that his chief happiness is in coming m hunjility before God, not before man. heathenlv mouJeTtt?^ ''' °?*",^ distinguished with iames and mottoes that are an insult to Christianity and a reDre- sentetiono stoical infidelity to vows taken before the oi nis wants, for God knows them better than himwir He does not seek to alter God's mind, or incline So thererno'J. *^T ""^"'"^ "• ^"'^ f" vStT C there ,18 no shadow of turning. He humbly entreats that God will confer what he may know aud bdieve oll t, ^l.ng to grant; not altogether what he my himseU Wish or desire : " Father t m;ii — ^-. ._ - <... "/"^^" thou wilf " Hie k1»7 — ' ^ ''"'* ^^\ ""' ^^ "^^ ^^^ as meLre of Sll assurance of the ansv... is, not the measure of his own saUsfaction or feelings, but that he ' . ( I 1 Hi! 1 8 ventures to be importunate, in his prayer, with God re- IpSg hrpetition. and tljat he. at the jame Ume [eeh^ he has attained t . entire submjss.on to God ^mje spe^ting it. In his prayer he is, P^-JJf'^^^;^^^,.*^ l^^^^^^^^^ like Abrah;.m in dust a -d in a'^\«' '»^%^"^'i^" "'^Is InH like Moses in intercourse with his God, whose cans Tpen t'd*t"oU:s in oecret. M-^^Chmt -ho blouejh out sin and offers up the priyer, and by the Holy bpint, Tnsp ring and giving'de,ires.. There -=a»be"0 prayer ™;,h™it these -sime pray wthout the Father, they ao Tot tee some come without the Son. they come.n the.r rn na^e ; some prav wi-hou, the Holy Spmt. they are „„.fiUedwUh divine brea^hm^^ 'x:^ ^^^'ieror'm bodily VH-1 °;.s; w nderfuf sensations nd ™»";f"'^'\°"""f^i f *l'„d o are dishonoring t, the heavenly 'P'"' "^ ''?™' i'^rnv's " Herencv and order." Where, brother, is the Army s JSrtand scriptural «te? Or «here .s .ts ^mu *'*'"Lt oraT on, " the Lord bless ns !" But, suppose ourp«Je'rX?i prove prayer. Suppose, brother, the S should be pleased to bless us; *« "^ '"4^*;^ sing, "are » e preoar-d to receive it ? Are we P«parea or^he sickness on the brink o( the g^" ? ^°'^ j*^/, first death i.i the family ? Are we ?'!?"«<> /"y.**^^^^^^^^^ ofbiref're^crref.- p^si^a.' shocks disappointments and '. shadows" that have driven many an honest man inw unwilling subsmujionopc^^cy and fiUhy^^lucje .fc. rarrw:;stn5:tSl;'ard^ioraUy h^^^^^^^^ rs^r aTenrmroSScraSrof^^^^^^ ♦r»r ii« Throueh uoveriy we uwy uc n^p-. •— - - -.- . ^ nto ins we are, or may be, inclined to; through affliction SI ke» TeUsh for sin may be blunted ; through bereave- '9 ments and losses we dare not, through fear, sio with so high a hand as we otherwise might do. Remember, brother, our wishes, desires and comforts are not the sole end of God's blessing, nor the only end of salvation Man must have some religion, some heart wisdom. Some system of faith and worship is needed to comfort his soul, to check his vice and satisfy his reason, the faculty God has given I im to distinguish the true from the false, to deduce the known from the unknown. This faculty exists in difterent degrees in different minds. There is a mind in the universe which perceives k11 truth intuitively, there are other minds that arnve at it by a sower and more laborious process. Your mind, brother, and mine are ot the latter class. For instance, to know whether the Bible,through whose enlightening influence we are en- abled to pray that most remarkable prayer, *' Lord have mercy," is of sufficient authority, is of divine origin, we must go back to truths which lie at the fountain, for all religion is a perfectly rational thing ; true religion makes no dernands upon a senseless credulity. Men are never asked in approaching or accepting it to leave their own minds behind them, or to throw away their reasoning powers. Why, then, brother, should you disparage or despise reason ? As to what the true religion is, there is no small diversity of opinion throughout the world, to-day, in this nineteenth century of ours. There is the' religion of infidelity as it exists in christian lands; there is the religion of nature and tradition, as it exists in all the forms of polytheism ; there is the pagan idolatry ; there is the religion of Mohammet ; the religion of the Chinese as founded by Confucius ; the relia;ion of Budhism prevailing throughout the Burman Empire and all the countries of Bengal and China; and there are other religions in different nations and tribes of men. Except- ing, perhaps, the religion of Mohammet, every one of these is, to a greater or less extent, a system of idolatry, and thev are tn dav. pvArv nn^ *\t i-kAm vAn»A«a»*^^ :^ the Empire upon which " the sun never sets," under pro- 30 i i ' I tectiouolthe noble.1 rt.g hat ha» r«'b«ved the b««« ofearth.and in fealty to '"« '»»"«'f T!""'' ,T",L, u suoerscriotion " are sUmped on the penny, '•»»'' numbe'ed out night by night into the ofT.r.ory for the fiirtherance ol the cause of Salvation Armyum. Where KSe?, is there placeor roon.for^.«r b.golry and intolerance f In addition to these religions there is another relirion the eHgion of the Bible, the religion Uught 'atenea'ed'in'the Bible, "^^ ««t"oir'c insTn' in Adam and Eve. and exemphfied in our C«na »na /\h«1« our Tacobs and Esaus, our wealthy AhaDS in que 0?. "garden of herbs," our Solomons of " wisdom 2nd plea,, f" scandalizirg their »«'. ""'^^^bl'^',"^. dives' in »ant of a « drop of water,' and our barn en iMrins •' .ools" whoBe soul must leave before sun-nse. U Sthe religion of " sinners." of our men and v,oraen be t by tSfaSurements of corporeal ple"°'«. 'h^, >! « of mone,, and preeminence, our Samsons, Abnne ech. our Sauls. Ahithophels, ?" I»<^.»"°'%7i„^tod Paub. is the religion of saints, the Davids and Johns and FauB. It is the religion of women ; it is the «1>P°" °» *"*' experience and practice the «''f »» /„^hnst he christian religion, t'.e offices, rules »"d regulations o. which, the Scriptures teach, were oppointed by Chnst htose f who islt. sole King and Head, a"d who is the only Ciptain of man's Salvation ; 'hen, whence the auto ^v of "General " Booth f whence the authority ol the Si^ionrdirections an^ instructions o the enfr». X^:^r:s^K,4^obed.»ce^m»^ Them, their practices and their services, and their tern poralities?" . a Christian body or circle, brother, the members •I usually mingle with a society that lives beyond its pre- cincts. To many this is the first form of religious society. The law of love, we should expect, then, to rule and reign there, converts should there see the lamb, not the lion ; should meet the joiile, not the frown ; the affability of manner, not l\e tyraa :y of spirit; the language of en- couragement, rot the tongue of cold, arbitrary au- thority, r fiends should meet there, meet in B)m- pathy and in varied conversation, for forms and professions reign there, hypocrites intrude there, and the cobweb lines of religion are drawn there.- Such being its influence.should not this Christian circle be held sacred ? Should it not be made to correspond to all the purposes for which it has been formed, to the spirit and character of Christian morals ? Its portals should not be open to the introduction of the spurious and the de- moralizing, to scene? and practices which are a danger to the cause of true religion, especially in the rising youth of the land. To escape the shackles and contamination of corrupt society it should certainly be accorded the air and bearing of at least a moral democracy. But what find we in the Army ? Find we there practices calculated to afford good, steady, uniform, consistent or reasonable example in good order or good morals in the community, or calculated to afford early moral or religious training of the emotions, the religious faculty and the passions, after the manner of Samuel or Moses or Joseph or John the baptist ? Or any means or provision for growth in grace r love c ' T£;verence or confidence ? Or for developing and perfecting within man, a being of an intellect and of all-absorbing selfishness, the mind that was in Jesus Christ? Not a bit of it; on the contrary, on a public platform we have the spectacle of men and women under a religio-moral hallucination as to the Holy Spirit's agency in the work of salvation inmsn, leading, virtually if not practically to pantheistic views of man's responsi- bility in the use of means and the results ; we have the exhibition of self-assured and vigorous exer- tinne arrnrHinorlv in apRtirnlatinn. crennflertion and minstrelsy, head and limb, in troupe-like com- 22 ■ 1 I tJ In^ * '<> -' Christian, ..////»« to be- make ^J^/^' ^^ , ^^n make man «/////«^ to business advertisements on the Lord s day contrary lo Saw of this Christian land, on the unbU)hcal and re- me law ui •„^;_i^ « Ho evil that good may come , on th! floor rigid and stiff; and women, too, young and »S"meetings of both sixes together, servants in this ±a I viSg^heir obligations to their employers ; and wfgaze at women baptizing and laynen dispensmg the Hnlv SuDoer to the music of fiddles and drams and tam- ?oarines» association with imaginery battlefields, empty S and honors and positions that can n^er be «ad,e^' and, lamentable to say, we .ee hyPOfntes bred by the wholesale, with here and there .»«q"««X" ,ree and .™lv " "^^r^„7* his servants, John, was of many mansions, and one 01 ' dimensions. - permitted to behold >« g'°"«!' *"^^°d Paul and Christ W is a -^"-D^V^^^fi^tffir^ the existence of a- himself, wh(J ought "> ^""T" *S, «">»« ^V* worlds hell. Colonel Ch«teris «hen djang """^.^ /g^j ,„es ,0 be convinced there «»' ^ J';"^^ ^y incorrigible acknowledge but one hell-peopleQ ny _ ^^^^^^ sinners. And the en««J^"n° e ii holding th-t Roman, Lutheran and f"° ">4^};«'4^. whether this the sufferings of the lo=' ^^all be foreve ^^^_^^ hell is a region of fire °'»y°?.'iX^^^^ of heat and some comet of sudden and violent ext ;„„ ^f cold-K,r in the sun-or in a perpetu the earth after It has been set on hrec^J^ ^^ at the final day, as some "^ue- ««' => /^^njhiiation or clue-it cannot be discovered, hell IS « ^^ ^^. extinction of bejng-"" '^{^''thh aT'P'W»«°" "^ tinction of our higher V'' "• ""^^j ^,etnbution-an being, as others '^."t * sp^cia ^^^^^^ .^ endless existence m a P »ce 01 _ „ .. ^enna by whatever name we please a «« , jj^^foe ■•_ of fire "-a ." w, call it " gehenna ng fire"— chains " — th"— the yrand soul (( bot- " from God eternally " — a place of " perdition " a tomless pit " — " outer darkness," and so on. One of these names will not do; to conceive something of hell, — of this punishment of loss and of sense — of what hell is — take these and many similar names together. TAere ts an escape ; and this appears to be the " rousing " doctrine of salvation armyism ; Manasseh who murdered his own children, escaped ; and Zaccheus, the old grey- headed swindler, and Saul, the blasphemer of God, and the wanton woman of Samaria, and the thief on the cross, and the las; vious Corinthians — they were all rescued from hell, Jesus loved them. How man shall escape if he neglect salvation, refuse or despite God's offer, has never yet been answered by man or angel or by God himself. His only chance, the Scriptures declare, involves or em- bodies a number of facts which must be heeded. These facts are nine — eight being purely divine ; and only the middle one — faith — being human ; and even this middle (jne is partly divine. They are : God's purpose to save ; the stable character of salvation ; the provision of salva- tion ; the descent and call of the Spirit ; the act of receiv- ing Christ — called faith ; the ascertainment of its genu- iness ; justification or pardon ; the intimation of the par- don to the sinner ; and the renewing, sustaining, or *^ still saving " work of the Holy Spirit. These facts compre- hend the plan of redemption and define what is com- monly called ** salvation." This plan embraces the whole human family impar- tially, God being no respecter of persons, and dates back, not simply to St. Peter or to Abraham, but to " the be- ginning." Its extent — the extent of the atonement is an- other question — God deing a respector of character. But, while the admission of these facts is essential to their be- coming personally available, intelligible and reliable as a basis of faith the man of " common sense," the natu- ral man, the unregenerate man must be able to discrimi- nate clearly between the means and the end itself. He sees multitudes of souls engaged in " wrestling with Jacob," head,heart and muscie,till their strength,their resented tier- 36 i ! In i ; vnus energy is gone ', they struggle, and, in their extremity of wretchedness and exhaustion, they let go every hold aud fall into the arms of Jesus in a " glory fit," and come up " shouting happy," and " angels rejoice " that they are saved by any means. The man is perplexed-— be is amazeH. Of course, brother, if man conformed perfectly to the amount of spiritual truth known to him at every thought and act from birth up, however little that know ledge might be, he would need no salvation— he could live from " morning till night without sin, and " be ready to die " at a moment's notice. But all men are born un- der condemnation, and,begin to act as moral agents, with natures already corrupt ; it follows that an atonement is absolutely necessary, and consequently a personal in- terest in the redemption is absolutely necessary to sal- vation, everything necessary to which — the basis — the natural functions— xand the Scriptural power being freely provided by Almighty God Himself, through its " Author and Finisher "—who is this Author and Finisher ? You and I, brother, mortal men, are body and spirit; our personality consists of two parts : the material or cor- poreal and the immaterial or spiritual. Both may exist together. In man they do co-exist. Hence the terni pneuma, as applied to the human soul or spirit breathed into the corporeally-created man, by God himself to dis- tinguish it, on the one hand, from the body, soma, and, on the other, from the %Q\iS.pseuche. Man is really con- stituted of three (3) parts : " body, soul and spirit "—the spirit constituting the animal life, forming the connecting link between the body and soul. It is composed of matter refined and attenuated to its utmost capacity like caloric or electricity, which is material, invisible, and in- tangible, imponderable— a refined, active substance, sub- iect to the laws of matter, but differing from every other moamcaiion mi ii, uiiu is c-quauj iia^iv «.•«■ ,.,-— --.— t™^ — -—• From tie very subtle, intimate and inscrutible affinity be- tween the soul and the spirit, however, man, for the most part, has come to be regarded simply as constituted of 2^ body and soul ; the body, which is the vehicle of the souls manifestations, originally created immortal, but, on account of am, now subject to death ; and the soul, which IS immaterial and indestructible. At death the two are disassociated from each other. The body is laid m the grave ; the soul is in the place of departed spirits, whether of happiness or misery— its hades. The body taken separately, though not ourself, is a part of ourself, and 18 that which dies. God said to Adam, "Thou shalt die, and he died; he said o Hezekiah, "thou shalt die and not live —he died in fifteen years ; he said to Han- naniah, "this year thou shalt die"— he died in about seven months. " To all men it is appointed once to die " saith the Word— and all except the three who went or were taken up into heaven, have died or are dying • but the soul never dies. True, the soul if "saved" must be changed in its moral character ; and this change in Scrip- ture IS called a "new creatioD,"a "new birth;" and this new creation— this new birth must take place in this life— before it leaves the body. This is in substance about all the distinction that is known or revealed between the na- ture of the purely spiritual and that which is corporeal : and when,the Scriptures speak of the First and Third Persons of the Holy Trinity-the Father and the Holy bpirit, whether in their acts and operations, either in the world of nature or of grace, they are always presented to the mind in their incorporeal, individual and infinitely spiritua essence. They are not tangible or cognizable or visible to our senses. " No man hath seen God at any time. The second person of the Holy Trinity, however, the Son, spiritual likewise, became, the Scrip- tures tell ns, man ; he "dwelt in the flesh"— he " M^as seen of men." and is known in his spiritually official ca- pacity as Christ ; as an individual-as a man-Jesus. His becoming thus tangible, visible, thus cognizable to human sense is the great " mystery of Godliness." termed .„..„,, ...„„,,^^t „i 1,^^; -ican, v^nnst iDcaruate, Christ as- suming the human nature, being born of a woman to weep, to suffer and to die for sins not his own," as prom- ised to Adam and Eve, foretold and determined by three \'\ f 18 distinct passages of S-iptute Hagga; M^-^ m^^^^^^ the plan, brother? and conscience- to «*at may be t"f ^ P^^f {he calling of Abraham and the ongm of *^ «;/>«« ^^in -the d"W<='i"° °f Sodom and the anes 0. ^ p —the severance of the race of Ishmael «o™ '"=" children progonitor-the bondage and «^«^>7't^mnrIl^md ce°- Sf liaelin Egypt-the giving o^^the^ond and cer emonial law on ^^'-'''%t^^fZ^f^l-Lc\^r. derness— the possession of the P"""'^*°,'^° j,,^™ ,nd cended— his miraculous birth, ms P^^""*' , , ^- the organization of the ohrisuan church-twenty two. The leading truths, and those upon which^ all the )aniel ce the y thus ler" of That is isis of in the /ith it, impor- itellect e heart rly the of the ommon e earth es— the w state le plain :ommon childreii ind cer- the wil- the char- Iges and pie— the )in Baby- isiah dcs- tharacter, ieath, his } Apostles Lven — the :ost — and ty-two. :h all the .!.«. -.< fin A racter and ; law — the ; for the 89 pardon and justification of all those who truly receive it--the provision which it makes for their personal holiness and sanctification, and the un- dtterable retributions of the eternal world. Of these great funaamenijil /acfs and truths the sacred writers urnish a perfectly harmonious account in the Scrip- tures-the Word-the will of God in writing-given by authority, by inspiration, to be a rule of faith and life —God s former ways of revealing his will being now ceased, and the light of nature being insufHcient unto salvation. * C.F., I., i, 2, 5 ; L.C., 3! 4 ; S.C., 2. K„. "^^^se Scriptures reveal -they teach : /^«/ there is th. Roi^S"^^ -^ ^""'^^'J ^^'^'^ '^^ Son begotten ; and the Holy Spint proceedmg. * C.F., II., ,,^3 ; L.C., 8, That there are eternal decrees, a predestination, a providence a resurrection, a last judgment, a heaven a hen. a devil and angels,~C. R III., i; XXXIL, i, 2 : XXXI., i; L.C., 6. 11; S. C, 7, 8. .K^ ^^f ^^i ^^^ .*° elect— some men and angels chosen from aU eternity of God's own mere good pleasure and predestinated unto everlasting life ; the rest being or- dained to everlasting death, hell fire for ever and ever.- ,0 l: ' ^' ^''^^" ^^ ^' ^- "' ^3, 19; S. C, That their numl r is certain, unchangeably fixed— cannot be either increased or diminished.— C.F., III., 4. That God created all things— that God rules— God provides-God protects-and to God is due wor- ship, service, and obedience by angels, men, and all creatures.-C. F., IV., r ; V., I, 11% /lc, ;5,T6, 10 , o. \^,, 9, II. That God made man on earth— a creature of mem- oers, powers and faculties— body, soul and spirit— a creature of kn owledge, righteousness, holiness, liberty of r^,f .^^"^^^ c~o ^L.V "^^'estminster Confession; L.C., Lareer Catechism ; S. C., Shorter Catechism : P. B., Book of Common JnaSed!" '' ^^'"'^' ""'^""'^ ""^ '^^^^«"*^^« are amp°y li'i 30 Will, fallible, with dominion over all but his own kind.- C. F,1V, 2; IX., i,L. C. i7;S.C. 10. Thai to this mati (Adam) God gave a law, written in his heartand nature, with ability to keep it J a^f a revela. Uon of his will-a positive precept: "Thou shalt not eat ^8 him and l^s prosperity and commonly c^U^d the c(wenant of works,~C. F., VII., i, 2 ; IV., 2 , XIX,. i , L. C, 20, 92, 30; S. C, 12. The i>arties to this covenant being God, the Crea- tor and Lord, and Adam, the creature representing man- kind.-C R, VII, I, 2 ; L. C, 22 ; S.C., 16. The condition being : a promise of life, i.e., a con- firmation in perfect holiness and happiness upon/../../ personal obedience -C. F , XIX., i ; L. C, 20 , S. C, 12. And threatened death-m:i\h and c^^e-upon the breach of it: "The day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."-C. F. XIX., i ; L- C., 28 ; S C, 12. ^ That Adam did eat-he ^w^^.^-disbelieved- acted his own master-sin ned-by permission of God, for his own glofy — C. F., VI., 1 ; V., 4 , L- ^m 21 , &• Which occurrence is commonly called the Fall ; by which man's faculties and will became totally depraved, not by - infusion," but by a " withholding. -C. F., VI., 2: IX., 3; I-C, 25; S.C., 18. That an estate of sin and misery-i.^ principle and act-in rootard fruit-original sin and actual transgression minishable in this world and in the next, followed.-C. F., VI., 2, 6; IX., 3;L- C., 23, 25, 27 ; S. C, 17, But God mu^the obeyed.— C F., II., 2. That, therefore, out of mere love and mercy to mm, God. by a voluntary condescension, mad«^ jnh ^ Adam, immediately, a second covenam, coiu.uu»x, ....... -■•- Covenant of Grace -C F., VII., 3 J L- C, 3°. S. C, 20. Ffomising to bring the elect sinners out of their 31 estate oi sin and misery into a state oi " ^ alvation"--eter- nal lile.-C. F., Vll., 3 ; L. C. 32 ; S. C, 20. dnn.^'^f/1?" ^'^^"^ Jehovah, Jesus Christ, and elect sinners m Adam, represented in Christ,— C. F., VIII, i Li, V^., 3I« . C^Jti'^^fl^t" ^^'°? • ^^^ "ghteousness of Christ, /. e. Chnsts fulfilment for man of the same condition by the non-fulfilment of which the covenant ol ^orisVas »M^K°' ^""^j^'^'f'Jt f''''^''^^ obedience, on behalf of man, wh ch none but Christ could yield, the moral law bein still bmdipg on elect and non-elect alike, with the ability That the means, the instrument by wmch the sinner lhi?nlh.^''''"''°" ?'u'!^" *^'"'^^°«^ °* this covenant, of this nghteousness, ot this obedience on his behalf, of this oneness this -ingrafting" in Christ, by whom he s re JLTn^To^H- '" '^' Promises,and in'allThe "good tA^lJl .If ''^'"•^'"' '' f'''*^^ ^ ^**»^ of -"ind and soul mduced by the motion of the mind called faith -C F X., I, 2 ; XIV., 2; L. C, 32 ; S. C, 30, 85. fK. .P''' "-FAITH in Jesus Christ, the son of God- twtpn p!!J ^""^ ordained mediator of two natures, be- tween God and man, called the Redeemer, Saviour, etc • which IS nothing more or less that belief-regenerated qn '1 ""^ 'he Gpspel--.of God's testimony concerning h' s honiT ?"''"7t ^*"'^*"^ ^ ^^"^'' ^'o«» which flows Mope, m Jesus Chnst-m Jesus as the substitute, the room and stead to saUsfy the demands of divine justice «?;rV ?if " t*'*'''""' °^ *^i' ^*°- ^t is a ^«^4 that such a fact has been accomplished-a knowing without the aid of sense or intellect, by a "light within," by a sort ofspiritualmtuition-by the "evidence no! seen" ---fchat this satisfactton this sacrifice-this obedience by Christ is accepted by God, by some motion not reveal- ca,ao a mii atonement— a full settlement for man's natural «id moral omissims and commissions and inten- tions under the transmitted ^^ breach " of the covenant ot 3» works, which is the " substance of things hoped for.^ It is an invisible contact with God to know that such is the case, and that man can look up into the 'ace of TesuR confidently and say: - Thou art my robe_my righleousness-my shield-my blood-M> .^j^«« « enough for xat-This is to believe- Vh^l ^s/a/Z^C. F. XIV; 2 ; Viri. f . 2 ; L. C. 36, 72, 73. S. C. 21, 86. Which tsjaith in Je.us Christ who was foresignified to the Jews, the elect in Abraham, by promises, pro- phecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb or pas^over. and other types and ordinances and ^ho, since his advent and crucifixion, has been exhibited o both Tews and Gentiles, to elect and non elect alike, by preaching the Word atod dispensing of sacraments, i.^., by converting and confirming ordinances.— U !•., vii,, 5,6; VIII., 6; L. 0,34,35- ^ , . Everything necessary far the recovery and everlasting happiness of the elect-who alone are the objects ot it being administered by way of a testament, called the old and the new-the old and the new dispensations-the ceremonial and the Gospel dispensations, symbdism and the substance,promises given and promises fulfiUed.man s hopes and blessings under one and the same covenant, the tfyvenant of grace -Z. F , VII., 4 5. 6; L. C. 33 That this faiih is the gift of God.— C. F., XI, i ; HI., 6; XIV., I. L. C., 71. That this faith is the work of the Holy Spmt through His word, through reading J^^ ^leanng the Scriptures, illuminating the mind.— C. !•., A., i Aiv., I ; VIII., 8 J L. C, 72» 58. 59 ; S. C., 29. That this spirit is promised and given to those, and to those only ordained unto life, the ^to, to make them able and willing \o believe.— C F., VI I., 3 : 1-. v.., ^^' rii/the word and Spirit make those* predestinated . 1 \:e^ ^^A *h/>c*» nnlu ahlf. and wtlltnsXo an- swer the call, to accept and embrace salvation.— U. t., X., T, 2; XIV, I ; L.C.,67,61. „ ^ . ,. That the elect alone are redeemed and called, justx- 33 fied and sanctified by the Holv r;hr.Qfr :» a., plying Christ to the JIc. R, III 6 XI ? vmt "P" XVII, 2 ; L. C, 68. ' ' ^'•' ^ ' ^"^' ' > *l^« ^'*''' ^*^^u *^^^*^^ ^^*''''' accordingly, are saved ar« Viri., 5. 8 ; XXXI,., . ; XXX?U^:, 'l^ jo^I^',; and goodness o, .God.'i„T'3:Sirori'e™tr and the degradation of the reprobate, the trahe rf wi &of hr^"- »"^'"''"'" °' "'«n8h%^.:^anS tie C, .3. 83. 86. 89. 90. ' • ' ' '"•' S' ' ' ^'- 3 ; L. A. J*""' '"Other, in few words, is about the shaoe of Ae p"»° of salvation, the plan of redemption rev«^S in «eid,!nTT'l''* '"'»""~ °f conf«,ion,! SSdM creeds and catechisms, the burden of the visible chSS and of sermons and sermonettes. Thi. isThe sch^J^ br&ar reS:* '' '• " '°'"- "»•--«• The philosophy of the plan—the theorv—th* r-i. vealed— It cannot be discovered by finite mind, h- .'^''•' God has seen fit, that it has pleased him th»f he has chosen to n«Ae man. to shape wTout of rti day and to entrust a soul in tlit clay S aSSh "v^^" — «, x^.uiii ifom v;roa s ciay unfitted for heavin f«, ♦vl SS'r'G^'d'^' •"" *' ««otted"^h^ ^« J;.Si'i^' ten? Gcd has a purpose, a design, an end. '""""" I it 34 That wlvation from sin and wrath and death into which man has fallen is of grace, of favor of God, a kind- ness, an act of condescension and mercy, a gift and not a right, is a Bible revelation, the truth is admitted by all Christians. That God, as creator and ruler and provider, in the distribution of this gift, this favor,this grace, has the sove- reign right to seek, to find, to encourage, to call, to move, or whatever else the act may be called, by His Holy Spirit such of liis creatures unto eternal life as best suits his own infinite purpose is revealed, finite mind ad- mits it. That out of the mass of fallen humanity God has seen fit that some skall attain unto everlasting life is re- vealed, it is admitted! > That he sees fit to choose such persons unto life hj individualst one by one, not by communities, is revealed, IS admitted, faith and repenUnce being acts of indi- viduals. There being no compulsion or violence, faith and repentance are free acts of individuals ; they may be brought about or caused either by oufvard circumstances or occasions, by the will irrespective of the judgment or inclinations, which is the Arminian opinion ; or, they may be brought about by a power of sell-decision within the soul as to what is right or desirable, which is the Calvanistic opinion. Brother, in the Army's vampings on Calvinism did it ever occur to you how many stepped up to that penitent form " brought about" by the " out- ward circumstances or occasion," on the one hand, or by " the powei of self-decision within," on the other; how many of the army's converts in this respect were Ar- minian and how many Calvanist? Who can determine ? The free acts of individuals are in their very nature uncertainties j they may or may not be foreseen or fore- known as certainly future. God either foresees and fore- knows them, or he does not ■ If God does not foreknow, as some hold, who will re- pent and believe, as certainly future, then, the mdmd- M«y ; «.d tha^oS ', ""' ^«h'°? •■'•. ^'"^ born rf bation are mere chimera. ' P'«''««'"«'on. and repro- will repent and believe or wk„' vf f"'"*" «H)er, «,i or a piimao- cogii^.nce o(^I^ cognizance of /^,^, -^^S«',;irho,iXS\?.T>.:'>o«'«'/..A./ to eternal hfe, his ilwiin i. •^^•''*"<»'>«1'. election ftith and repentance th™~«°.*/ ««*>'''"' of hit ■»» » an A™iniaS^* R^™':!^*;" Lr"^"?« and. the Se^-ptr "'--^"o^'SSrd^a-! without* dt": X-th« ,''° "°*'"i''« "<»»"y right «ble to keep perKT^l "• ?*f ""* K"*' he'i. Sot perfection /v?n™dam4K "?"' '»" °^ "bsoC were lowered, in the S« *f tl """*"''» °^ ""e law perfection to faith and ewLe[i^''ri?' '~'° '"'•°««e nghteousness-his salvation Justification in hi. vS:n.:i;r::cS;so: o's "S'd'^^ °? ?"««"on of 511 death, a, foreseen by S He h°„M'""i:« *«"» **^. t° render the salvatiT of all ^n' '^^ ^''"« possible, not of a foreoho«,t. aL ■[ *"• ""I'Terently. wen hare the ..mrSaciou. f„fl,:** """''er-tha, In them-that the reason*^hnne h^r*"" "S^^'-B "Pon rated, and that another TOntim„."u""' " "gene- former voluntarily oo-op^atM *>k"P'"°''"« '»• *« th» other re^ts it kZ^^^TtTjl'^^L"^. *»««•.« h» perseverance in graceVe^^p^" hT:T^ i:!. 36 that the will being fallible, he, a believer, a truly regene- rate man, is liable at all times to fall away totally, and, dying in that state, to fall from grace to eternal reproba- tion—eternal perdition— through neglecting grace and grieving the Holy Spirit with sin. Again ; if God does thc» foresee and foreknow from all eternity who will repent and believe — as certainly future, then the individual is elected to eternal life, and to all the means and conditions thereof on the ground of God's sovereign good pleasure — ^he is elected to faith and repentance unto life, not to life because of his faith and repentance — and the man is a Calvinist — a Presbyterian, an Episcopalian, a Baptist, a Congregationalist or Inde pendent. He contends for the doctrine of predestination, free-will agency, and reprobation. He is a free agent, he can do nothing morally right without grace, even mth grace, he is not able to keep perfectly the Adamic law of perfect obedience. The ground of his justification is the righteousness of Christ — ih&peffect ohdience of Christ in his stead, im- puted or accredited to him, and received or realized through faith alone. He is not justified until the moment God gives him saving faith. The sole agent is the Holy Spirit— the revealed truth of God— the Bible— being his instrument. He holds that while he has freely resisted the com- mon influences of the Holy Spirit before he experienced regeneration, he is entirely passive in respect of the special act of the Spirit whereby he is regenerated; nevertheless, w consequence of the change wrought in him by regeneration, he obeys the call, and subse- quently, more or less perfectly, co-operates with grace, and does so most freely— the will being renewed, the entire moral nature hting permanently changed — ^the mind enlightened — his aflfections sanctified, and a new direction being given to all his actions. He, a regenerate, remains, as before, a free agent, his soul, inciuamg &u his instincts, ideas, judgments, affections, and tenden- cies having still the power of self-decision, decides as, 37 Se" fred'lr°!'k^H P'««« »r'"~'« what it waats to fall assu^nce of grace and S^auJIr ^^ "^^ ""» provided for, of his omi soverereTwilltnH^' ""^ '""'' as being pe^as whose Z~/Sa «M«w '} ~- known, arranged and provided for byO^t^t^^"- mty, and acceptable, entitM them .olS,i S *!"' "■'";?'»»• benevolence, detemined °o give hfa sS?^„ "J^f for the redemption from the curse of fhl I,- i? n * kind, but foreseemg that if kft to ti^llj °' »"„■»»"• would certainly rejfct CMst Lnd t lost^C^VlrTe? ^d^m^vrd'Sn^e^afL^t "'1^^^^^, S-rtlT^'^^i!'-?.? S- °« Of 'he n.LsM i i 38 Let us take an individual case, brother, yourself ot myself, for instance — seeking heaven friendless. The scriptures teach and repeat, and it is a great thing to be, remembered : 7%a/ every human being is naturally born into this world with a wicked, corrupt and sinful heart, /. ^., with depraved and polluted social feelings, propensities, sentiments, faculties and tempera- ments.— C. F. VI. 2, 3. That after he comes to know the difference between right and wrong, which is generally at the age oi four orfive 'years,he require v,unless an elect infant,oran incapable,be- fore it is possible for him to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, to become bom again, /. e., born of the spirit — must have a change of heart, of desires, dispositions and affections — which spiritual change of the new birth or being born again is also called "coming to Jesus"-— "believing in the Lord Jesus" — "becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus "— " putting on Christ " — " put- ting off the old man and putting on the new" — " being fied by faith"— "quickened"— "renewed"— "re- penting and receiving forgiveness for sins" — "being pardoned" — "getting converted," in short. — C. F., X., I, 3, 4 ; XIII, 76, 153; S. C, 87. I ; IX., 4 ; XV., 1, 3 ; L. C, 75, That every person that does not obtam this inward change of heart and nature by being born again — this change of relationship and character — that does not obtain pardon for sin, will be otherwise hereafter cast with* the devil and his angels into everlasting flames and brimstone of hell, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, and where the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever. — C. F., VI., 6; XXXIL, I ; XXXIIL, 2. TAatf naturally, man is uttlrly indisposed and .opposed to this change — is wholly inclined to evil — is averse from good — cannot of himself bring about this .supernatural change — cannot convert himself, in short. 39 nor prepare himself thereto.-C. F., VI, 4 • IX , • God alcne converts.--C. F., IX, 4X1 new llt!Zt°°TTm r" """'°-«' "" -o X., iT'xiv'*!' "■* *'"*'*' «'" °' *^— <^- F-. XI..' I ; The way in which the spirit effects this work nnnn the sou IS not revealed-it'^^innot be dLoveredT fin e mtnd-man is altogether passive in the matter F , X.!" *"'' """"^ "^ "" «°'y Spiri"-C siD to berin r".'v""?' * /'""?'• •""•esenerate. dead in and 1 "^"tlt've J^^But'ir.' TH '^t- " ^ «"*• ^ * littlp »i// r iJ ,-^ ,' '" "' '""ow *is man for a Ae face He^rn?;/"-'"''^' f ■S"'"^' stares hi^ in UK laee. Me recalls the impressions of the famil. oif=, *' he reads ,t again; he meditates; he -l 40 ponders well ; ke is perplexed ; — the " reading, or expounding," of the scriptures "can be made e£fectual unto life only by the Holy Spirit," (C. F.) "all things in scripture are not alike plain in themselves " — "those things which are necessary to be known, believed and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient knowledge of them."— C. F., I., 6. But " the illumina- tion of the spirit of God is necessary to the saving under- standing of such things as are revealed therein." — C. F., X; I ; I., 6. He reads the book again. He has bee 3 the subject of the rits of baptism — of scrip- ture baptism ; but, he fiiids, " salvation is not so insepar- ably annexed to his baptism, that because he has been baptized he if? undoubtedly regenerated."— C. F., XX VIIL, s. PerchLtoce I e seeks ''to give diligence in stirring up grace cf God that is in him," (C. F., XVI, 3..) *' Under sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the word -and in singing with grace in the heart," in the visible church — the church of his fathers, or, it may be of his own choice, apart altogether from the at- tractions of sensational sermons, expensive choirs, pro- fessional ritual or showy churches — the Army for that matter; — here he soon learns that "to the officers of the church are committed the keys of the Kingdom — they have ^t power tQ retain and remit sins — to shut the King- dom against the impenitent — the unregenerate — both by word and censure."— 0. F., XXI., 5. Seeks he penitence accordingly? He is soon informed that "repentance unto life is wrought in the hearc only by the word and the Holy Spirit "—there is no salvation wit out it in twinship with/«/M. — C. F., XV., I, 3 ; L. C, 76. Whether dealing directly or immediately, as one man does with another, or only by evidences or inferences ur by a combination of particulars, as author of promises the # 41 and of marks of character, the Holy Spirit is, then, absolutely necessary at every step.'-m reading the scripturee, in regentration, in faith, in repentance and m effectual prayer.-^C, R, I., i ; VII., 3 ; VIII., 8 j JLLWtf I, Brother, here lies the energizing principle of godli- ness—of Christianity. This Holy Spirit is the first in- stalment of Christ's redemption. His work in man is somethmg amazing. Withhold or withdraw tesiraining |w^if, and what a hell would every breast become? What pnde, and envys, and ealousies, and hate, and strifes, and cfimes, and murders, and human sacrifices, and even cannibalism would take place ? Unrestrained iV^R^^^ ??"■?* ***® °**"»^ «»»» ^0"W, if he could, Ml G^^i? himself— if one blow could knock God out of the universe the natural man would give that blow. Brother, how can you say the root of sin, is compUtely taken out of you ? Did this Holy Spirit find you ; or did you find him? But let us follow our man a little further. He will naturally appeal to his works— to " good works." Well, works are necessary in the attainment of salvation. They are not prerequisites to justification, however— no man shall be justified by his works, say the Scriptures ; nor do they appear necessary in any stage of progress in meriting toe divine favor j they seem to be mere essential ele- ments of salvation ; they seem to be substantial fruits and naeans of sanctification, having their root in regenera- tion. They are required merely to be publicly cited as evidence of union with Christ, which union is the ground of justification, and of which union faith is the instrument, — C.F., XXXIII., 2. Even to supererogation, then, if such a thing were possible in a man infinitely indebted to God, even in nature, good works cannot fit him to re- ceive grace from God. Salvation cannot be held to be oi good works— man is not saved by or on account of them, uut tnrougn the work of Christ— C.F., XVL, 5. Appeals he to the law, to the commandments ? After the fall, and since the introduction of salvation through * « Messiah, the law ceased to offer eternal Hfc. on the ground of man's o^ediefue, but continued binding as a rule of life, man continuing to be a free moral Lent needing a standard of right ; but his doing right anTJe^ framing from wrong, because the law encourages the one f±^T^ fr°^y'h««ther,is no evidence of his be^Sg h^rfni r.if ""^ °°^ "°?*' grace-that his salvation if because of the law and not of condescension, favor, grace. Man cannot fulfil the law-brother, did yiu ever tey to keep your eyes from unlawful desires, your tonirue from words of slander, or of anger, or bitterness T^l ■ipmg, or sweanng-^your heart from malice and envy Ind covetousness-brother, if ever you tried this, and most men have, did you not find it impossible ? And did you ever try to keep the Sabbath day holy? To make G^S the subjective and obi*ective study bf your short ^ ? Did you not find it a struggle ? How ^donotsif Christ alone can fulfil the Uwl"; man-tiie Spirit alone can fulfil it in him by sanctifying in?WWK'''^?'°f \^ j!-""°to keeping it, unto bring- mg forth the fruits of obedience to it, which are the fruiJ, »y keeping the commandments, but by looking to a manifested Tesus.-C F., XIX., 5, 6, 7 f L.C., m9 ; S cn„?^^^!*r\**°r*^* "«\'°^ nature, to unaided rea- son ? The light of nature shows that there is a God. that he has lordship over all, and does good to all. and is herefore to be feared, loved, praised? and called upoi Mt^^l't^ T?i*^ """^^ ''"^ *" ^^« °»»««^^ened again'" tSe &W, ,„H ^P""' ''''°'« '»'«»'o'' « grace, the work of faith and repentance not the work of providencr^.F; hissi^ti'""*?''^''^ '*8°°'' «°»« hiscreatures-in fi^ite*^ ml'?,Thlf''^?'''''\"^''*«™ hisgoodne«1 i" any , the penalty must be rendered eternal. th.rJ^^^ generate, mere mtellectual man : in /«//rf,^, ,1,™ J,* I 44 Humboldts, the Comtes, the Paincs, the Jeffersons the tiieLydia Maria Childs and the nirriet MartS^ ! 2^t ti/ °? *"^i^\ judgment recoil from the thSt but there it is, and what can man do P-C. F., V.. 4. 6Tl: V*., iO| 20. ^' ' orrf!„?rii foreknowledge I eteraal reprobation ! Fore- ordination m which man U entirely passive 1-C.F.. X^ L.I 1 'Men foreordained to everlasting life are W- IS so certain and definite that it cannot b* either in 17^^ P""'"*? " punishments as the consequenw of tonsgression and then provided remedies to^do a^y ^•n .?• J. ' T,""*' avaUable to intelligence? What myseu about it. The use of means to secure salvation tS'f^^n?^ p°<'5«nnot be sincere in offerTnglS vauon to all ! God is the author of sia committed ! The ^^"1""'^^^ ""'° self-righteous and phari«u~ ! It ftl I ,ti K ' *«=°r«"'8 "d makes miffions sorrow- fill m thehour of death ! It has driven men into inBdelitv tteS""'"-^"""'""''"'"''' ' Th'^" that so mSyrf \nll^% °"°"**" f ">'' ''•^trine preach practicaUy iSm?",w!?h'° "-J"' «'^"' ™e t5 the remark by Tv other ",W^)f™'*'," ?' *"8 and teach another;" Hrf,^ ' ;.^i "'.*'' P'*'' '"t and loose with their pub- A. /^>f^/ ' h" "^^ "f"' 'lx^»frUik when mM to tht heathm ! ! Stop, brother, listen ; how will you know unless you will listen ? The idea o( absolute etemaU^ ^^c^ nordoTh' '"r;?"l^ 'V* Scripture election of grace, nor do the rather blasphemous consequences von often urged, flow logically from the Scriptare d^rf^° ,f:fir„!f ?,°-P'«hended by the infinite'^mindTffiS mrt."nXj T """8* ^^ P''**'*''t "is not number as com- prehended by your limited finite mind, to which the 45 you, 4 ^Sr " NoTre" tm f lo« JlT^^ .ong, from ^y chsZ^Z Cl ^l°liV TA dogn,« of "foreknowledge " anf^alWo ZSl^i 46 wC^iH''"'" ^i /"' °^ thousands of persons, with vearro??f2'°^K*^ '^'^ ^'^' ^'^^ '^ d°' throu^h^he year, of their youth, m struggles, the very remembranci of which makes them shuddSr to this dayi involvV^^^ *»^,piey. love ofsouls,and.m«,^«xmA"n a fair vestigation of their real nature and paterni y Bother* you and A honest men, had better leavelheiS^alone ' Dr. Twisse, who was chairman of the Assemhiv frha* composed the Coi.fes.ion of F.°rt W : " ?hM W^ op'nion IS W.U known that God does'not ordain mln to damnation *«r<.«cor.ideration o( sin-th.t gS bv w2 mete pleaaure damnetb none . but, every one th« is damned, i. damned for sin wilfully cimmittX^d con .umaceously persisted in by thfm .harcome to ri^ lit istir InS//A''n''^?f/' representing the whole Calvin- one' veJ ni^?; hfn^l' ^T '^^1 ''^ condemned no one, yea, neither had he decreed to condemn anv one un esB^w/Zy >r his own sins /' and again (Chan I Art IT^ u^ u^ to leave m the common misery into which they had, by their fault cast themselves ; a7d at lenJSi Z\:%Z trr "' ''':'' "''^^^^ »^"' also of aU tfek otnersms to condemn and eternally punish them frAfh^ manifestation of his own justice." * SfSnr'""' ' «»'-' te*,;^ hS u'n'con^ii™: S.X, •i"' '°?' P''™'" «° "any peculiar advantaeM ^wi'flJ^.fJ? ?^°™e"« i°to the re- bel ion of man's will as refusing to be subject to the divinelaw. AndGod thusconsidered men,when.1nhisete' md purpose, he determmed to condemn those whose de- sea o, Ins punishment was foreseen by him from all eter- nity."~RidgeIy Divinity, Vol I., page 491. T J! Wickedness foreseen is doubtless the cause of the Lord s purpose to condemn, because it is of man's self by nature ; but holmess foreseen in a fallen creature Pff^t°^f K- *^^ "^-^f * °'" his.election, because it is the ettect of his special grace, and never comes from any other source— Dr. Scott, Com. Rom,, IX ^ « x> "^he A^'«'