The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-12-30
For THE CENTRAL PREsBYTERIAN.
The Mercy of God; By Whom is it Denied?

The Mercy of God; BY Whom is it Denied
Mr.. Editor,-I send few extracts
from a sermon by the Rev. Albert Barnes,
containing certain views on the subjects
named above, which if not wholly un-
familiar, are yet, as it seems to me, both
striking and important. Their insertion
in your columns may crafty others as
well as myself. X.
"The Mercy of God is the favorite
theme of the moral man, of the Infdel,
of the Uoiversalist-the favorite theme
of the man destitute of virtue and reli-
gion, as well as of the Christian; and
there is no one subject on which men
seem more disposed to mingle their con-
gratulations than on the fact that their
Maker is God of mercy. Yet an analy-
sis of their views and hopes would per-
haps Snow that the apprehensions of
these different classes of men are often
very indefinite, and that in their profes-
sions they are not always aware of their
own feelings.
When you ask the Infdel what evidence
he has that God is merciful, you may
wait in vain for a reply. He does not
profess to have any revelation to tell
him so. He cannot be permitted to use
the Christian argument, for that he avow-
edly rejects. He cannot refer with GER
tainty to the course of the Divine admin
. istration in this world, for these have as
clear indications that God is Just and
that he means to punish the guilty. as
there have been that he is merciful,
and is disposed to pardon them. He
cannot refer to his own feelings on
the subject, for how can mere feeling, or
opinion. or hope, without promise, be
regarded as an argument to demonstrate
what God intends to do? If the real
truth were reached in the case, it would
probably be found to be that he does not
believe that his sins deserve the punish
ment of hell, and that he would regard
it as unjust in God to punish him for
ever; that is, that he is to be saved by
the justice, and not by the mercy of
God; and, after all, he has no idea that
that there is occasion for the exercise of
mercy in his case, or that he is to be in
debtpd to mercy for salvation.
When we put the same question to the
man who is expecting heaven on the
ground of his morality, and ask him de-
fnitely what are his conceptions of the
mercy of God as bearing on his case, we
shall in the same manner wait in vain for
reply. If we question him about his
views and hopes, the reluctant truth will
at last be arrived at, that he does not be-
lieve that he deserves eternal death, and
that in his apprehension it would be
srOmg in God to punish him in the future
world; and he also is depending on the
justice of God for salvation, and has no
belief that there is in his case occasion
for the exercise of mercy.
The Universalist, too, is loud-more
loud than any other man-in his com
mendations of the mercy of God. And
yet he stoutly and on principle, main
tains that it would be wrOng in God to
cast men into an eternal hell, and ex-
hausts all his powers of argument and
eloquence to show how horrible and un-
just such a punishment would be; and
thus he also, is depending on the justice
of God; and the ideaof mercy, after all
that is said of it, does not enter into his
scheme. Men are saved, according to
his view, because it would be wrong done
to them if they should not be saved; be-
cause infinite injustice would be done if
they should be cast off forever.
So that it happens, that although the
attribute of mercy is the favorite theme
of men, and is often in the mouths of
the impenitent and the wicked, they have
no real belief of its necessity, if in its
existence, after all, and their expecta-
tions of heaven would be the same if
God were possessed of no such attribute,
but were only severely and sternly Just.
Real dependence on the mercy of God
for salvation, is the characteristic only
of the man who feels and confesses that
he is a sinner; who acknowledges that
no injustice would be done him if he
should not be saved The dependence
on that mercy will in fact, be found only
among those who look for salvation as
revealed through Redeemer.
RECEPTION OF THE SACRAMENT
ing in thereception of the Sacrament, con
: trary to the form in which the Supper
was taken from Christ, by the twelve
was instituted by Pope Honorius th'
sacond in the 18th centnrv. II came IL