Smyrna times., 1860-04-19

M persuaded that he is able TO keep thet which :
have committed unto him." What had he
unto him Some have supposed
hat it was his life, that was then in jeapordy
thers have supposed that it was the gospel,
dispensstion Of which had been committed
o him; but we have no doubt but that il was
lia soul. with all his interests for time and
stsrnity. What so profitable as souls-
! What shall il profit man ifhe gain the whole
world and lose his own soul" Angels serve
i, devils quarrel about il. life is it's seed time,
eternity is it's harvest. II was his soul so val
liable. and distinod to live when earth and all
it's holds have fed, that he. by an act of living,
apropriating faith, Icommitted into the hands
ofhis Redeemer. The text expresses the Apos-
ile's persuasion of Chrisi's ability to keep what
he had committed to him. The question then
arises, what is the ground ofChrist's ability TO
keepl We reply his Divinity. lie is not man
as some teach and profess to believe. The
angels excel man in strength and in wisdom
Satan. though fallen, is angel still, and there
fore excells man in stength. and if Jesus Christ
was only man be would be wholly unable to
keep that which 10 committed to him. Neither
is he an angel; if he was we would have no as
suranee of his ability to keep. for he would have
to come in contact with the arch fsnd, who
would be equal in strength, and when we re-
member the seductive charm Of the world, and
the deceitfulness of theIhuman heart, VIII oh are
on the side of Satan. we might safely conclude
that be would be overcome; then, we repeat.
if be were only a good man, as the Sociuans
teach. or if he were only an angel, equal in
strength with the arch fiend, there could be no
such thing as assurance, but ship wreck, failure
and loss would attend every such committal
into bis hands. Let us notice the evidences
of this divinity, for il is important 10 the doc
trine Of assurance.
The first evidence / present are the acts as
crihed to Him. The act of creation is ascribed
TO him. ST. John tells us " All things were
made by Him, and without Him was not any
Thing made that is rnade;" He who CREASED
Iall things is God. Jesus Christ created al
things, therefore Jesus Christ is God. The
act of forgiving sin 10 ascribed to Him Ar
instance of this kind is mentioned by Mark
He pardoned the man who had The palsy, il
the presence of the Scribes, who dec;ssed i
was blasphemy, because they regarded it an en-
creachmens upon the prerogative Of Deity.
Now who can forgive sins but God 2
Had the Scribes been mistaken in the opinio
that none could forgive sins but GOd? ii
would have corrected their mistake; or if the
had been mistaken in the opinion in regard I
the action which he had just performed, b
would have corrected them in that also, for the
undoubtedly understood that he himself forgay
the mans sins. Bat, instead of doing this,
proceeds to give them additional evidence |
confirm them in this opinion. and says " Ths
ye may know that the, Son of Man hath pows
on earth to forgive sins. say unto the sick
: the palsy, Arise, lake up thy bed and go ini
. thy house. Thus prOcIaiming himself God, }
assuming, and using in his own name and |
his own authority, the prerogativss Of God.
= His divinity is further sustained by the It'll
which are given to Him in the Scri
: lures. The Prophet calls Him, /" The nigh
God,' The Lord our Righteousness. The Apost
tells us. g He is God over ALL and Jesus Hir
: self said. g. am Alpha and Omega, the begi
: ming and The end, saith the Lord" which 4
and was, and is TO come the Almighty. No
:" here is an assumption Of two Of the most d
{ tincs and awful titles of jehovah. When I
- remember how important lis to call thin
= and persons by their proper appellatiOns, a
when we remember the jealousy Of the
y mighty 10 regard TO His name, can it be 81
= posed that the blessed Jesus wosld assume a
" appropriate TO Himself the title Of Jehovah
He were not God Certainly not.
'e Again, The attributes fidelity are ascribed
81 Him--the attributes Of Eternity, Omnipoten,
Do Omnipresence, Omniscence, Sc. The SaviC
In sums them all up in these words, sAll shir
'e that the Father hath are mine." Here
'e challenges to Himself the incommunicabla
70 tributes, and, consequently, that essence Ehi
le is insepsrsble from them. II God the Sonhl
70 all things that God the Father hath, then hl
ne He all the attributes and perfeeiions belongl
10 the rtthef-huS eatne PoWoAs fiSutH
ns prerogatives, the same honor and glory;
'ai word, The same nature, substance and Godhe
Y" He then being God, the Apostle could Gem
on the keeping Of his soul to him. Let US Icok
~ moment to His ability. as illustrated by
'as attributes. Take, g. His Omnipoie,tct
'e' Nothing short of Omnipotent power could
i've ale all things out Of nothing, yet the Scripts
10 speak of Him doing his works with the gr
est ease. He spaks. and il was done;
I've commanded, and il stood fast. In references
his this attribute the Apostle says, . He is abl'
's'' keep you from falling.' Such is His po
fiss that lie can do all things that do net in
10 absardity or contradiction. He can do anyli
ne in any way he pleases, and when he plea
Tue and He will do anything that is necessar
nat he done and should be done, when the doiu