The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-12-08
For the Central Presbyterian.
"Just as I Am"

lance. 1t is well known that when a
line is drawn from some point on a
straight line, and deviating from it so as
to make an angle scarcely perceptible,
the extreme points of those two lines pro-
longed, may be thousand miles distant
from each other. Either "H. H. H" or
I have deviated from the straight line of
sound theology.
Before entering upon the discussion Of
the subject, | must remark that it does
not follow from my reasoning in pre-
vious article, THAT either Cd every anx-
ious inquiring sinner is in saved. state,
or (2) that every such sinner is hypo.
critic for there is Sd proposition which
truly describes the condition of such a
sinner, viz: that though he is sincere in
thinking that he is willing to be saved
from sum- he in fact only desires to be
saved from its punishment.
The point at issue between "H. II. H =
and me is simply this: Whether the sin
ner who is willing to be saved from SIM
is necessarily in a regenerated state or
not. 1 affirm. Oh H H. denies He
afirms and l deny that an anxious in
quiring sinner" can be willing to be saved
from sin, and at the same time be unwill-
ing for the offered Christ to save him
He evidently believes that all the him
derances arising from the natural conda-
ton of his aOlU have been removed from
the anxious, inquiring, but unregenerate
sinner; and that the only difficulty re-
naming to be removed is his blindness of
mind; that is to say, in the language of
81. FL. II, y he is delayed by difficulties
of ignorance or MISUNDERSTANDING" He
says concerning these Striving" hop
ing, waiting, " honest, struggling,
willing, "inquiring sinners" that they
are longing to be saved from sin, but
they are working in ignorance or under
misapprehension of the gospel"
a sinner cannot be said to hate law
of God, if he desires to be saved from the
sin which consists in the transgression of
that law. But if he does not hate law
of God, he loves it. Calvin says, "No
man ever hated sin without having been
previously captivated with the love of
righteousness" Inst. book 3, chap. 81.
A sinner cannot love the law of God, and
at the same time be at enmity with the
lawmaker, of whose moral character His
laws are the transcript and reflection.
Since the man who does not hate God,
LOVES HIM. and since love to God is a
sure evidence of regeneration, it follows
that sinner who longs to be delivered
from sin, Is In regenerated state.
Again, although the appetite of man
for certain object forbidden in the word
OF God may be very strong, he will at the
same time hate the sin, that is, the sinful
desire of his heart to do the thing that is
forbidden, t he longs to be delivered from
that sin. For example, man may earn
estly desire to be delivered from the
strong appetite for ardent spirits which
causes him to live the life of drunkard,
and if this desire is induced only by his
dislike OF the consequences of his sin, he
IS an unregenerate man, but if he desires
to be delivered from the Si7 considered as
committed against God then he hates
that sin, even though he has not lost his
love for the Intoxicating fluid and this
hatred OF the sin is an evidence of his re-
generation, and the grace of God will be
sufficient to enable him to overcome his
besetting sin. This hatred of sin in the
man who longs to be delivered from it.,
IS necessarily accompanied with a full
purpose Of and endeavor after the ODE
dience to the law of God of which the
sin is the .transgression. Such person
IS truly penitent for sin, and this peni-
te,ace IS accompanied NTH and occaS1o1aed
By an apprehension of the n1ercy of God
m Christ, # the definition of repentance
IN our Shorter Catechi8m IS correct. But
if the theory of H. H. H." be the true
one, we have the spectacle of an unre-
generate sinner who "longs to be saved
from his sins, but who is not sorry for
them, or, if sorry for them, has rejected
Christ as his Saviour-the spectacle of
one who hates God but yet loves His
holy law; who is willing to be subject to
the law of God, but is not willing to be
subject to God IL
Again, previous to regeneration, or the
qulckening of the spirit, a sinner is de-
scribed in Eph. ii i: 1-3, as fulfilling the
desires Of the flesh" or carnal nature. Is
the desire to be delivered from sin, or,
which is the same thing, the desire to be
holy, one Of these desires of the flesh ?"
If not, IS II q fruit Of the Spirit Which lie
produces previously to HIS act of q1ick-
er1jng the dead soul? However modern
Calvinists may differ upon the question
whether the will of Adam in his unfallen
state was independent of his affections
and understanding, all Calvinists, ancient
and modern be1ieve tbot Tho will ri