Naaman the Syrian was a leper of Israel; and that men are vegetables. These being absurd, the adversative sense must be adopted, and then it would read: "None of them is lost, but the son of perdition is lost." "Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died."-Rom. xiv., 15. "And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died?"-1 Cor. viii., II. These texts are adduced to prove that some of those for whom Christ died shall perish. But they do not assert this. The tendency of the conduct reprobated was to the destruction of the brother, because temptation leads to sin, and sin to death; but this is entirely consistent with the effectual grace of God, which can prevent the issue to which it tends. Why will ye die? means, why pursue the course that leads to death? not that all men who do now pursue it shall certainly perish. "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace e?"—Heb. x., 29. But the person sanctified is the Son of God, the immediate antecedent, according to John xvii., 19. "For their sakes I sanctify myself." To sanctify, in these and other places, means to prepare for the service of God, in his temple, which even Jesus could not do without the blood of the covenant, his own blood; as the High Priest could not appear in the holy places, without blood of others, so Jesus entered into the holy place not made with hands, with his own blood. "There shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."-2 Pet. ii., I. If Sεoлóτηy, rendered Lord, means God the Father, as generally it does,-Luke ii., 29; Acts iv., 24, then the text has nothing to do with the question; it simply charges these false teachers with apostasy from God, whose they were by creation and innumerable benefits; if the Son, then, according to their own profession, they were bought by Christ, and ought to serve him. Their denial of him was aggravated in its sinfulness, because against their avowed principles. The Scriptures do sometimes represent things according to human opinion and profession; as Jesus takes up, on his own principles, the young man who came to ask the way of eternal life, seeking to be justified by the law. And Paul says, Gal. v., 4: "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." There are none justified by the law, in fact, but many may profess to be so. These teachers were Antinomians turning grace into an occasion of licentiousness. They claimed relationship to Christ, but he never knew them. One other objection which deserves attention, as connected with the practical application of this subject, is that the limited atonement is inconsistent with the general offer of the gospel. But if this objection had real force, it would disprove the existence of God. It assumes that no blessings are to be offered to any who can not receive them. Now, even on the Arminian scheme, those whose perdition is foreseen can not believe. But, on the principle of the objection, the general offer implies a right and power to be saved beyond the limits of the actually saved, which disproves prescience, which disproves God. Wherein the supposed inconsistency lies, has never been shown. Is the merchant at liberty to offer his goods to the whole world, as far as his advertisement goes, when all the world knows he can not possibly supply all who read or hear his offer? and is it wrong in God to offer his salvation to multitudes more than he ever intended, in fact, to save? Is the general advertisement the means of disposing of the stock in hand? So, also, the general offer is the means of bringing those for whom Christ died, to the actual enjoyment of the blessings of his salvation. God offers nothing which he will withhold from those who accept his offer. He promises nothing, but what he will fulfill. Whosoever believes shall be saved. Try him, sinner, and you will never have reason to be ashamed of your confidence. · "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." Your warrant to believe, is God's free offer in the gospel: "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters!" Believers, behold the Lamb of God! Live upon Him by faith. Cling to his suretyship, as the sheet-anchor of your hopes. Be not dazzled by the delusive glare of an atonement so extensive that it reaches to those who never heard of it, and are hopelessly and forever lost. All shall be saved by the only real and true atonement, that ever shall be saved. The scheme which claims exclusive liberality and benevolence adds nothing to the happiness of man, above that conferred by the limited atonement, while it removes in fact the only foundation of a sinner's hope, and casts unutterable dishonor upon all the perfections of God. |