somuch that when he advertised in the daily papers that his store-houses were open, that whosoever would, might come and receive provisions, without money and without price, they all, with one accord, began to make excuse, and obstinately refused to accept the offers. Now, suppose that he should employ all the cartmen to carry provisions around the city, and stop at every door. But still they strengthened each other's hands, and would rather die than be indebted to him for food. Many had said so much against him that they were utterly ashamed to feel and acknowledge their dependence upon him. Others were so much under their influence as to be unwilling to offend them; and so strong was the tide of public sentiment, that no one had the moral courage to break loose from the multitude and accept of life. Now, suppose that Mr. Astor knew beforehand the state of the public mind, and that all the citizens hated him, and had rather die than be indebted to him for life. Suppose he also knew, from the beginning, that there were certain arguments that he could bring to bear upon certain individuals, that would change their minds, and that he should proceed to press them with these considerations, until they had given up their opposition, had most thankfully accepted his provisions, and were saved from death. Suppose he used all the arguments and means that he wisely could, to persuade the rest, but that, notwithstanding all his benevolent efforts, they adhered to the resolution, and preferred death to submission to his proposals. Now, suppose he had perfect knowledge from the beginning, of the issue of this whole matter; would not the question of life and death be as entirely open for the decision of every individual as if he knew nothing about it? 9. Some may ask, Why does God use means with the nonelect, provided he is certain that they will not accept? I answer, because he designs that they shall be without excuse. He will demonstrate his willingness and their obstinacy, before the universe. He will rid his garments of their blood; and although he knows that their rejection of the offer will only enhance their guilt, and aggravate their deep damnation, still he will make the offer, as there is no other way in which to illustrate his infinite willingness to save them, and their perverse rejection of his grace. Lastly, God requires you to give all diligence to make your calling and election sure. In choosing his elect, you must understand that he has thrown the responsibility of their being saved, upon them; that the whole is suspended upon their consent to the terms; you are all perfectly able to give your consent, and this moment to lay hold on eternal life. Irrespective of your own choice, no election can save you, and no reprobation can damn you. The spirit and the bride say, Come; let him that heareth say, Come; let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the waters of life freely. The responsibility is yours. God does all that he wisely can, and challenges you to show what more he could do that he has not done. If you go to hell, you must go stained with your own blood. God is clear, angels are clear. To your own Master you stand or fall; mercy waits; the Spirit strives; Jesus stands at the door and knocks. Do not, then, pervert this doctrine, and make it an occasion of stumbling till you are in the depths of hell. LECTURE LXXII. REPROBATION. In discussing this subject I shall endeavor to show, WHAT IT IS. III. THAT IT IS A DOCTRINE OF REASON. IV. THAT IT IS THE DOCTRINE OF REVELATION. V. SHOW THE GROUND OR REASON OF THE DOCTRINE. VI. WHEN MEN ARE REPROBATED. VII. REPROBATION IS JUST. VIII. REPROBATION IS BENEVOLENT. IX. REPROBATION IS THE BEST THING THAT CAN BE DONE, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. X. How IT MAY BE KNOWN WHO ARE REPROBATES. XI. ANSWER OBJECTIONS. 1. What the true doctrine of reprobation is not. 1. It is not that the ultimate end of God in the creation of any was their damnation. Neither reason nor revelation confirm, but both contradict the assumption that God has or can create any being for the purpose of rendering him miserable as an ultimate end. God is love, or he is benevolent, and can not therefore will the misery of any being as an ultimate end, or for its own sake. It is little less than blasphemy to represent God as creating any being for the sake of rendering him miserable as an ultimate end of his crea tion. 2. The doctrine is not that any will be lost or miserable to all eternity, do what they can to be saved, or in spite of themselves. It is not only a libel upon the character of God, but is a gross misrepresentation of the true doctrine of reprobation to exhibit God as deciding to send sinners to hell in spite of themselves, or notwithstanding their endeavors to please God and obtain salvation. 3. Nor is this the true doctrine of reprobation, to wit: that the purpose or decree of reprobation is the procuring cause of the destruction of reprobates. God may design to destroy a soul upon the foreseen condition of his wickedness; but his design to destroy him upon this condition does not cause his wickedness, and consequently does not prove his destruction. 4. The doctrine is not that any decree or purpose of reprobation throws any obstacle in the way of the salvation of any one. It is not that God has purposed the damnation of any one in any such sense as that the decree opposes any obstacle to the salvation of any soul under heaven. 5. Nor is it that any one is sent to hell, except upon the condition of his own voluntary wickedness and ill-desert. 6. Nor is it that any one will be lost who can be induced, by all the means that can be wisely used, to accept salvation, or to repent and believe the gospel. 7. Nor is it, nor does it imply, that all the reprobates might not be saved if they will but comply with the indispensable -conditions of salvation. 8. Nor does it imply that the decree of reprobation prevents or opposes any obstacle to their compliance with the necessary conditions of salvation. 9. Nor does it imply that any thing hinders or prevents the salvation of the reprobate, but their perverse perseverance in sin and rebellion against God, and their willful resistance of all the means that can be wisely used for their salvation. II. What the true doctrine of reprobation is. The term reprobation, both in the Old and New Testament, significs refuse, cast away. Jer. 6: 30: "Rebrobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them." The doctrine is that certain individuals of mankind are in the fixed purpose of God, cast away, rejected and finally lost. III. This is a doctrine of reason. By this is intended that since the Bible reveals the fact that some will be finally cast away and lost, reason affirms that if God casts them off, it must be in accordance with a fixed purpose on his part to do so, in view of their foreseen wickedness. If as a matter of fact they will be cast away and lost, it must be that God both knows and designs it. That is, he both knows that they will be cast away, and designs to cast them off in view of their foreseen wickedness. God can certainly never possess any new knowledge respecting their character and deserts, and as he is unchangeable he can never have any new purpose respecting them. Again, it follows from the doctrine of election. If God designs to save the elect, and the elect only, as has been shown, not upon the ground but upon condition of their foreseen re pentance and faith in Christ, it must be that he designs, or purposes to cast away the wicked, because of their foreseen wickedness. He purposes to do something with those whom he foresces will finally be impenitent. He certainly does not purpose to save them. What he will ever do with them he now knows that he shall do with them. What he will intend to do with them he now intends to do with them, or he were not unchangeable. But we have seen that immutability or unchangeableness is an attribute of God. Therefore the present reprobation of those who will be finally cast away or lost, is a doctrine of reason. The doctrine of reprobation is not the election of a part of mankind to damnation, in the same sense that the elect unto salvation are elected to be saved. The latter are chosen or elected, not only to salvation, but to holiness. Election with those who are saved extends not only to the end, salvation, but also to the condition or means; to wit, the sanctification of the Spirit and the belief of the truth. This has been shown. God has not only chosen them to salvation, but to be conformed to the image of his Son. Accordingly, he uses means with them with the design to sanctify and save them. But he has not elected the reprobate to wickedness, and does not use means to make them wicked with the ultimate design to destroy them. He knows indeed that his creating them, together with his providential dispensations, will be the occasion, not the cause, of their sin and consequent destruction. But their sin and consequent destruction are not the ultimate end God has in view in their creation, and in that train of providences that thus result. His ultimate end must in all cases be benevolent or must be the promotion of good. Their sin and damnation are only an incidental result, and not a thing intended as an end, or for its own sake. God can have no pleasure in either their sin or consequent misery for its own sake, but on the contrary he must regard both as in themselves evils of enormous magnitude. He does not, and can not, therefore, elect the reprobate to sin and damnation, in the same sense in which he elects the saints to holiness and salvation. The clect into salvation he chooses to this end, from regard to, or delight in the end. But the reprobate he chooses to destruction, not for the sake of their destruction as an end, or from delight in it as an end; but he has deter mined to destroy them for the public good, upon condition of |