Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-04-10


and therefore found it not-who entered not into
the rest prepared for them, by Of their I'M
belief (; from whom the kingdom Of God was ia
ken away. They are they who shall say to Christ,
We have eaten and drunk before thee, and thou
mast taught IN our streets ghich cauld besad only
By The Je5cs."
The ''strait gate" of which our Lord speaks, is
similitude employed by him to represent the en-
trance to his kingdom here upon earth. w read
similar words from him in Matthew's Gospel vii
10, IA; ENTER ye in at the straight gate; for
wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth
to destruction, and many there be who 90 IN
thereat; because straight is the gate and narrow
Is the way, which leadeth unto lile and few there
be that lind it." his gate and narrow way are
in this world, where life and destruction are
found. He Is in the way of life that keepeth
Instruction. saith the old proyerb, "but he that
refuseth reproof. ereth" g o be carnally mind.
ed If death; but to be spiritually minded is life
and peace" The words preceding the language
just quoted from Matthew, are these: ''All things
whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,
do ye oven so to them for this is the law and the
prophets;" upon which DR.. Clarke observes,
ENTER in through this straight gate, l. G., of
dolng to every one as you would that he should do
to you! for this alone seems to be the straight
gate to which our Lord alluded" If this eminent
commentator be correct, it behooves some others
to be more careful in their attempts to shed light
upon " / uc inquire was uSeu DelOfe JeSuSS time.
Cebes, an ancient philosopher employed it. "Do
you see that small gate and the path leading there
to, little trequented and trodden by very few and
appearing steep, and rough and craggy? This is
the way" he adds ''that leads to true knowledge"
Jesus calls the way straight and the gate narrow
as LeClerc remarks because according to the hab-
Its of that generation but few walked in the right
ways The way taken by those who rejected Jesus,
led to destruction; destruction from which delv-
erance would not be effected, until the purposes of
TOD had been carried out with them. Ancently
1t was SAID, 80 Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself;
but in meis thy help" his help is the hope for
all sinners IN time eternity. So shall Israel Ill
tlmateiy find life, according to the apostolic esti
mony, 81 would not have you be ignorant brethren,
of this mystery, that blindness in part is happened
unto Israel, until the fitness of the GentiIes be
come in; and so all Israel shall be saved"
And now one word to the few OF many who
are to be finally saved. Our brother of the m
dependent has not given US a fair representation
OF the actual words of our Lord. Christ did not
say there ''are few that be saved" This was The
question asked him. His reply was such as to
induce the questioner to enter then the way of
divine life Jesus is ever set before us as " the
Saviour Of the world" "who gave himself a
ransom for all, to be testified in due time )"
" who tasted death for every man."
The old opinion held by Christians of the DOM
lnant sects, was that but fen, comparatively, of
the human race, will be finally accepted OF God,
and received into the Heavenly kingdom, Terri
BILE representations have thousands of times been
given, OF this vast mai ority whose doom was ir-
remeulable destruction. But change-almost
an entire change-has come over the minds of
men, as to the comparative number of the lost
and saved. The elder DR.. Beecher. years ago,
declared 1t as his opinion that by far the greater
part OF the human race would share the blessings
OF salvation; that the number finally lost would
pear no greater proportion to the number of the
unA thov. = h., H.. .
the whole. population of the State And this,
think, Is the view most generally prevalent in and
acceptable to the Christian Protestant churches,
at the present day.
Once, the doctrine of infant damnation was
openly protested and defended. Now, few so
poor IN theology az "to do it reverence" 1t is
virtually repudiated. Once, a material hell was
preached. Now, but few, comparatively, believe
IN II. Once, total depravty one of the pillars
of the popular theology. Now it has nearly
gone. Once it was said that the saints in Heav-
en- would forever rejoice the lost in the world
of woe. Now, but little OF that would be toleI-
ated. Once, ministers, in certain puptsi were
popular In proportion as their creeds were hard
aud narrow. Now they getting to be popular
as these creeds are liberal, and-let me say it's
they approach oar O10a. The popularity of the
independent, and Of some ministers who contrib.
ute to 1t and support it, is an evidence of this.
All these are 'sIgus ST the times, showing that,
instead OF believing that the few only will at last
be saved, the vision is opening up, more and
more; as in the language Of Dr. Rush, in one of
his letters to the Rev. Mr.. Winchester-''The
next touch of the celestial magnet upon the hu.
man heart will direct it TO wishes for the saliva
walton of all mankind"
But have dwet long enough on these state
ments ] have given them, believe, quite as
much attention as they deserve; and all the
more attention, because of the position our friend
occupies as teacher and guide in the Christian
Cnureh and world. OF two things l feel some
what sure one is. that he will not acknowledge
that, if it could be proved to him that God woul
not punish eternally any one of the human fami-
ly, but would save the race, that then he could
see no lnducement to love and to serve Him
none why anybody in this life " should become
deeply interested in personal religion" We
greatly misunderstood our brother-Strangely as
he has spoken-if he would make such con.
LESSON, or anything akin to it. Nor do we be-
IleVe he Will venture his reputation as a Biblical
scholar and clear-Sighted theologian, in taking
ground that our Lord understood the one who
asked him, " Are there few that be saved :" to
mean salvation from endless punishment, or, as
intending by His answer to convey the impress
SION that but comparatively few of the race would
hnally reach the state OF the redeemed. Ii he
should attempt either of these things, there
might be occasion for further attention to sach
manifestations of himself
One word as to the t1savinp faith, " of which
our brother speaks -" II Universalism is not
true, it is a pity that the Unversasts of Wor-
cester have not been converted to a saving faith"
Men need salvation; all sects, all men, need
IT, Salvation from what From sin. Death to
SIN and life to righteousness. If UniveTsalists
give heed to the instructions of their faith, they
will have this salvation. Paul tells them So
- What shall we say then? Shall we continue
IN SIN, that grace may abound Tor because grace
abounds) Godforbid How shall we, that are
dead to sin, live any longer therein They need
salvation from a slavsh fear of God. Life in
their faith will be to them this salvation. ''Per.
feet love casteth out fear, because fear hath tor
meht' lie that teareth is not made perfect in
love. We love Him because He first loved us. /"
mat is the way of salvation from this evil which
our blessed faith opens to us continually.
Men need salvation from doubt and darkness
as to futurity. No partial view of Gods grace
with man can give this The eminent Saurin
mas acknowledged that the thought OF the unend.
ing torments of his fellow men rendered life to
him "a cruel bitter" The admirable poet Cow
per, was driven almost to desperation under these
appalling views of the future condition of man.
Inc ell-known commentator, DIR Thomas Scott,
had, his sun OF life set in deepest clouds and
darkness, because of doubts as to his own pros
poets III the life to come. DR. Austin, once mas.
tor of the elder Orthodox society in our own city
Of Worcester, in his last years, lost nearly all
hope of his own reconciliation to God and inter
est in the Redeemer. Our faith makes free
from this affection. That enables its possessor
to say, "For l am persuaded that neither death,
nor life, nor angels nor prineipaties, nor pow.
ers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall
be able TO separate as from the lore of God agh}ch
IS IN christ Jesus our Lord"
saving faith is that which will give deliver.
ance from all these evils, and secure to the soul
rest in the divine paternity, and make it in love
with the service which this paternity is ever de-