The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-04-12

IOllOWluR ECIlptuICe. ~ 10 oPPoAooeo
unto men once to die, and after this, (not
probation, but) hejudgment." Hebrews,
ix:27. 1t is added that man shall be
sjudged according to the deeds done in
his body" not for deeds after death, in q
ldisembodied state. Again: The Lord
knoweth how to keep the. unrighteous
under punishment unto the day of judg-
ment," not under probation. I Peter,
80. 1t has been truly said that the
theory of probation after death is sup.
ported like pyramid whose apex rests
upon one or two doubtful texts of Scrip.
ture. I Peter, iii: 10.
4. The relation of the work of Christ
and of the Holy Spirit to the Heather
world. The Scriptures teach that Christ
sswas set forth to be q apropitiation for the
sins of the whole. world !" that "He tast-
ed death for every man, and that the
Holy Spirit shall be poured out upon all
flesh" We cannot doubt that the tenn.
poral blessings forfeited by trausgression
were restored to all mankind through the
redemption of Christ. Hence "the sun
rises upon the evil and the good" the
Grain descends upon the just and the
unjust" and He "filleth their hearts with
good and gladness." Itisequally evident
that the dispensstion Of the Spirit is
roextensiye with the redemption Of
Christ, that His gracious influence ex.
tend to ali mankind, and that whatever
ofvirtue or morally exists on earthis due
to Els aIl:pervading presence and agency
of yielding to these gracious influences
and If the Heather shall be found "fear-
ing God and working righteousness"
doubtless they will be accepted.
But, the Scriptures encourage us to
expect this result from the general provi-
dence Of God without the objective reve.
lation of Gods mercy through the
Redeemer9 The great commission of
Christ is "Go ye into all the world, preach
the gospel to every creature, and make
disciples of all nations. He that belieV.
eth and is baptized shall be saved"
But, says the Apostle, "faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the Word of
God. How shall they believe in Him Of
whom they have not heard, and how
shall they hear withouta a preacher, and
how shall they preach except they be
sent" These Scriptures do not favor
future probation.
5. 1t is, believe, admitted by all,
that children of all nations who have not
reached the age of moral responsibility
are saved through the redemption Of
Christ, and these include nearly one half
of the human race. Our Confession,
inded, speaks of "elect infants" but this
expression is used to affirm that they,
too, are saved by grace, justified by
Christ, regenerated by the Spirit, and 80
included in the great company of the
elect.
Thus, We leave the Heather, who have
never heard the Gospel, just where the
Word of God leaves them, believing that
"the Judge of all the earth will do right"
that he can do nothing inconsistent with
the great love manifested in the gift of
His Son, and that He can condemn no
one who does not condemn himself. If
the conscience OF the Heather who have
never heard of Christ does not approve
the sentence of eternal condemnation,
then we are sure, they will not be con.
demned by the Righteous Judge. If
self condemned, where is the ground Of
complaint? God can do nothing that
any soul in Heaven or He'll shall not &C.
knowledge to be right.
We have put the Scriptures in our
logical wise, and turned the crank for
twenty. five years, but We could never
squeeze out, by "a good and necessary
Inference" future probation for any
one. With the light before US, we should
feel that we we're doing the Heather a
great wrong to inculcate doubtful doc
triue that would paralyze the nerve of
foreign missions, and deprive them Of the
Gospel that may be essential to their
salvation. If God has any purposes of
grace with reference to the Heather
after death He has not been pleased to
reveal them.
We should add, in closing, that the
opinion that there is second probation
is not defended as settled doctrine OF
theology, asanother has remarked, "but
like the theory of evolution in science, as
working hypothesis, by which it is
believed the benevolence and righteous
ness of God can be vindicated to human
reason, and the doctrines of Scripture
may be made more consistent with each
other" G. Il. BRAcKErT,
Pastor Second Presbyterian Church.