Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-09-02
PREDEsTIRATfoR


of the sermon preached by the Rev
]. d. Barbee, in his pulpit, on Sun
day, August 20. Text, Rom. viii,
$3.50:
Mr.. Barbee made these points,
which he elaborated, quoting large
ly from the Holy Scriptures to sup
port his theory of the questions in
volved in the text.
First. Predestination is a doc
trine clearly and unequivocally
taught in the word of God.
Second. Predestination is not that
of arbitrary decree, absolutely linn
iting in its action the number of
men and angels to be saved, but it
simply expresses the original pur-
pose of God to save all men and per-
petuate the felicity of all angels.
This he proved by the point that
the Scriptures must be consistent
with themselves, and would not,
therefore, contradict in one place
what is taught in another place;
and from the great commission
throughout the sacred teachings the
idea is definitely expressed that SAL
walton is possible to all. He also
assumed that the language of the
text, and the same language en-
plOyed elsewhere in the Bible
in the discussion of this subject,
affirms the proposition that pre-
destination is only the purpose
of God to save men; a design
which depends for its execu-
ton upon the voluntary agency OF
those whom he purposes to make
the beneficiaries of his grace. He
took some pains to show that pur-
pose can have no higher or stronger
meaning than that of design or in
tention.
81. Jesus Christ was original and
fundamental to the idea of creation,
and the universe was flung into be-
ing on the basis of the atonement;
and all things, material and imma-
terial, hold their relations to God |
through Christ.
Fourth. Therefore God foreknew
that man would fall when he made
him, and provided for the fall, both
in the atOnement and in the out |
ward conditions of nature. The
lion was made with claws and teeth |
to rend flesh, and the eagle with
talons and beak for the same pur-
pose not to represent the divine
ideal CT what should be, but to adapt
the lower creation to what the earth
would become though the, sin of
man, But foreknowledge of sin
did not cause it. There is no caus-
alive power in either foreknowledge
Or present knowledge. knowledge
takes cOgnizance of facts but does
not produce them. The fact. pres
ent or future, is the cause ami not
an effect of knowledge. Nor is it
true that man fell from such consti-
tutiOnal limitation OF his powers as
made his sin inevitable. This would
have been no better than to have
his fall by the arbitrary
action of an memorable decree. His
creator who made him with such
is responsible for the
The fact and all its natural cOnse-
Iuences, and though he had given
and warning, he knew
hat his creature could not success
fully resist temptation, but was
bound, from the Limitation of his
being, TO sin, however earnestly he
night strive to avoid it. Therefore
lad no more responsibility in the
Icts for which he is held to answer
han the death-dealing bludgeon
las in the hands of the highwayman
who silently awaits the arrival of
his expected victim.
The truth is, man fell from the
of his being, on the prin-
,iple that evil is perverted good.
Iere the speaker defined creature
and invoked the aid of
he Scriptures to prove that the first
Adam was as perfect as the second
Adam-hypostatic union excepted
- the browning glory in the
irst Adams perfection being in the
reedom of his will, in the exercise
# which he perverted the lawful
.ppetites and desires into forbid
len use. Gen. iii. 6. -
Fifth. The design of the atone
nent IS now to restore what was ,
Ost by the fall, and to raise man to
he perfection contemplated in his
riginal creation. To accomplish
his perfect model is necessary,
nd this is furnished in Christ. But
very man is conscious of such in
Irmities as disqualify him for at
aiming such excellence, therefore
Ie must have help. This he finds
n his model, who is at once, his !
his saviour and his SYM
friend. Heb. iv. 1915.
cGmp-meetIng IN Georgia.
khn L.; Of An