Smyrna times., 1873-01-15
MiSceIIU 10 e D as.
IFor the Smyrna Times.I
Predestination In Its True Sense.

II
lieved in pred1stinatOn because the Bible "
taught predestnatlon but it is not the case. u "
The Bible does not teach predestination in u u
sectarian sense. Paul, in his letter to the y
Ephesians, C. |, v 5, says: Having predesti- " "
mated US unto the adoption of children by Jesus "
Christ to himself, according to the good pleas .
ure of his will" Paul here shows us in the
first sentence what he means by predestinatlon.
Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will a
Of God. to the saints, which shows that this Is
the gospel" (see v. 49, lin whom ye also "
trusted after that ye heard the word OF truth, J.
the gospel of your salvation, in whom also
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the :
the promise? Was it not the seed OF the :
woman? Gen 3,-l5. And | will put en- '
nifty between thee and the woman, and be-
tween thy seed and her seed, it shall brulse thy
head, and thou shalt bruse his heel. This
is the promise, by faith, that we should be to
the praise of his glory who first trusted in
Christ. 1t must be remembered that Paul was
the apostle of the Gentiles. Acts 22,-2l
Therefore, he says, having predestinated US
unto the adoption of chidlen." This is the
new birth Except man be born again
he cannot see the kingdom of God. No man
can fail to understand but what this text means
the gospel, when they read with attention.
! See the Ilth v In whom also we have OBJ
. aimed an inheritance, being predestlnated ac
cordng to the purpose OF him who wOrketh all
things after the counsel of his own will; that
q is according to the eternal purpose which he |
2 purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. See
:, Psalms 9; IS Il will declare the decree |
the Lord hath said unto me- thou art my son
+ this day have | begOtten thee. Ask OF me,
= and shall give thee the heather for thine in
d herritance, and the uttermost parts OF the
t. earth for thy possessions. When we read
a. such passages Of scri pture as this we cannot
no fail 10 see the infinite wisdom of God when he
;. said to the serpent because thou hast done
this thou art cursed above all cattle, and every
Ss % beast of the field | will put enmlty between
e thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
a. her seed" &C. and Paul says having made
Sy known unto US the mystery of his will, that IN
mt the dispensatiOn of the iullness OF times he
ns y's might gather together in one all things IN
Iy Christ, both which are in heaven and which
81 are on earth, even in him" This verse cores
a, ponds with Johns gospel, 10; l6:. And
IS other sheep have, which are not OF this fold;
he them also, | must bring, and they shall hear
l.. my voice, and there shall be one fold and one
al shepherd" Evidently our Lord here meant
the the Gentiles, and Paul is preaching to the
I"t (Ientes. See 18th v la regard to the one
her fold and one shepherd. 1t is well known that
ass there was always an hostile spirit between the
her Jews and Gentiles. Here Christ says, "othel
"* .rs* sheep have, and they shall hear my voice;
3sS S,lS that is, the gospel. See 18th verse.
re- But how is it to day among Christians; II
o2S there but one fold and shepherd? Is there
en- not as mach of hostile spirit to day as there
nres was in the days OF Christ? He came to give
,H9 ,.o9 us new commandment to love each other
me; but do the churches do it? Has that hostIl
I'm spirit been destroyed that existed between tn
and Jews and Gentiles? | hold that it makes y
difference how many churches there are, bu
e. % Of there is only one fold and one shepherd. Ih
- EpiScopalian cannot say to the Presbyterian
pri,. g am the hand, aud you are the foot, hav
5st iGt no need of you neither can the Baptist sa
Drs- to the Methodist, " am the eye, and you ar
rvico the ear, | have no need of you; nor can tn
,h@d ned Catholic say to any of these members a.
al to the head, | have no need OF you, tor VIII
d mrndd would all of these members be without boo
ettle- to support them for as the body is one, ar
debt. hath many members, and sll the members
4 sSG9 S1 that one body being many, are one body.
e the also, is Christ-for BY one spirit are we 1
!. de- baptised into one common faith. No matt
-, ., what the name may be, there is but one TO
tense and one shepherd and there is no church tn
90 for strives to tear down another, and build tsC
'Iow. up on the ruins of another that has the spi
Money @ of Christ Paul says Whereas there is amo
%s"sT "s T you envying and strife, and division, are
Al not caInal?' Therefore, a name is nOthln
w with The gospel has taken away that enmty til
,,., once existed between the Jew and GENTLE,
there. that Moses does not have to say, p" wherefC
salts smitest thou thy fellow" Now think ha
tment shown, without controversy, that Paul be
lots "i means in the language he uses having pred
t OF the tinated us unto the adoption OF children
- a. Jesus Christ, thet he means the gospel. W.
n1. by so far so good.
master % Nv next proposition is to show what
e6it Of Gospel is. Go with me to the Sth Chapter
:: = Post. Romans, v. $3.50: FOR whom he did TO
The know, he also did predestnate to be conform
rer F"t' or 10 the Image Of his Son." Here we have
i've the gospel personi6ed: First, for whom he
service foreknow-that is whom Christ knew in
credit rei ministry-the twelve Disciples the fore kno
Is been edge that he had with them in the three ye
money Of his ministry before his death and passl
sS. aSd a He also did fOredesnae that is he ordaiT
me ser his disciples saying, Go preach my gospe
oation prior to his death; to be cOniorned to
-o0sTy say image of his Son; they obeyed HIM and
ORE. formed to his image, because they were
eprioE GiSs him, and he like them. See Hebs Ch
le party I'd, " II. "Wherefore in all things it
Of any hooved him to be made like unto his brethr
ia the c "s that he might be the first born among m
he cost brethren" Ii any one will take the trou
''' w to examine this verse, with John the Baptl
y mster Tsfe testimony of Christ they will see that
not repeats the word I" he " three times, just
s 1' psy rs the Baptist does (Johns gospel Chapter
rOdical " l5,) which is evident they were both spe
to ex ing of Christ in the flesh The 6rstborn, I
ST STeeS Se is, the first that rose from the dead.
lfge a9S Johns gospel, chap %: v. l6: Jesus s;
MS 0'u unto her, touch me not, for | have not
.h p post &: ascended to my Father; go to my breth
" " suc6 and say unto them, | ascend unto my Fat
%'Ts IN 1Tsm and your Father; and to my God, and
ohss % Cod; also the Acts, Chap. !: VS.. 81
,re than Wherefore of these men which compal
a.. .h,,, with us all the time that the Lord Jesus
General. in and out among us, beginning from the
senate tsm of john unto that same day that he
,onPr re- takon M from us must one be ordained q
ntments NP N0' ~
)st- ONCE a witness with us OF MS reSurrecClou w
the de. over, whom he did predestinate, them he
called See Mat, Chap. 10, v. L: And v
- he had called his twelve disciples he
gether them power against unciean spirits, 10
all the them out, and to heal all manner OF SICK