The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-03-09

5000. 90. .s.sss.ssS.Sss.s:s.SsEsS
hast the words Of eternal life" But un-
happily even this bright scene Of loyalty
and faith has its shadow. The Master
who looked forth upon that group dis
cerned that the betrayer was 10 come
from It's midst
The first scene lis closely related to the
third, being OF the nature OF preface 10
the same. The principal doctrine item
OF the fourth scene is lodged i'm the words
or Peter. Thou hast the words Of eternal
lfe.' and this item only reproduces a
thought enunciated by Jesus I'm the third
scene. This scene therefore, I'm which
Jesus unfolds His relation 10 the true
life of men. as containing the character
istic theme Of the chapter. will provide
us with the subject matter TO which our
attention il TO be given. In other words
We are 10 he occupied with the Caper-
naum discourse.
UNWARRANTABLE CONSTRUCTION
III. Before gathering UP the positive
lessons OF the Capernaum discourse IL
may be worth while to guard against an
unwarrantable construction OF certain
statements therein. Possibly hasty
reader might be led to think that some
OF the words Of Jesus imply that God
has no equal concern for men, and takes
pains to bring under the good offices of
the Redeemer only select and favored
company.
That Inference has sometimes been ex-
tracted from these sayings: mo man can
come to me. except the Father which sent
me draw him "All that which the
Father giveth mo shall come to me-"
What is the essential truth OF these dec
larations? Simply this: Special providen-
tial preparation is necessnr ~ in order to
bring men 10 receptive mood for the
message OF truth; this preparation or
ltnx. .fita..
indubitably I'm the direction OF faith upon
the Son; and the drawing Is thus the
condition and the pledge of the coming
of men in sincere faith to the Son.
Jesus confesses His readiness to wait
on this providential preparation. He Is
not disheartened, He says. by the insen-
sibility OF not few OF those before Him.
He recognizes that I'm their case the
drawing OF the Father. or the necessary
providential preparation, has not been
completed. They are not ready TO become
His true disciples. The true disciple,
nevertheless, will he forthcoming. All
that divine discipline and tuition succeed
I'm making alive 10 their spiritual needs
will turn to Him.
Notice that the stress Is upon these
facts: The necessity Of the divine draw
ing, the certainty that the dra wing Is In
the direction Of the son who obediently
fulnlls the will OF the Father. and the
lulIleI certainty mat IL Will be eNpCtual
TO bring men 10 the Son II is not said
that the Father is Indifferent toward any
individual. II Is not said that He ar
bttrarily determines 10 draw some and
To pass by others The contrary Is rather
TO he inferred from the words which
appear In this very connection.
Jesus SAYS: Him that cometh TO me
| will I'm no wise cast out" What less
does this declaration mean than that
conner. and wants every child ~ man
to come? But IL that is the heart OF
Jesus. II is no less the heart Of the
Father one OF the most luminous truths
ot this gospel Is the identity OF disposi-
tion between the Father and the incor-
porate Son. The latter holding out an
earnest entreaty and welcome 10 each
and every man Is the authentic image
of the former. The divine drawing II is
true, may not at this or that point over
come the insensibility of this or that
proud aud resisting indlvidual but the
essential disposition ~ Jesus. exactly
mirroring that of the Father as we'll az
the great text which declares that God
so loved the world as TO give His only
begotten son to save from perishing every
man that viii consent to believe. assures
us that the divine drawing is not exer-
Cised according 10 any arbitrary or ex-
elusive scheme.
ANY SCHEME OF ELECTION.
So FAR as IL follows any scheme of
election. We must suppose the election
itself subordinate 10 the ultimate inga tn
ering ~ tho greatest possible number
even as Paul represents N in the progress
~ HIS argument from the ninth To the
eleventh chapter ~ Romans As respects
the order of the entrance Of souls into
the kingdom ~ grace divine sovereignty
may boz thought ~ as determining much
according 10 ita own bchests What We
are forbidden 10 suppose is that of set
purpose u irrotrievably blocks the way
10 any souls
second point on which n safeguard
mHy be raised against mislnterpretation
is the meaning pertaining 20 tho words
of Jesus about eating His fesh and drink
ing Ills blood To take these words ps
having primary reference to n sacramen-
tai performance, and therefore afrording
a standard for estims ting the value and
I HUCVTSrrT " Eucn \ performance Involves
serious peryersion. Possibly Il may
not be amss 10 regard them AZ having p
secondary and remote association with
tho sacrament ~ the Lords supper
At the time that tho evangelist wrote
I " would not have been unnatural aa he
penned the words ~ his master. To- have
thought ~ that embiematic repreaenta
ton ~ tho flesh and blood ~ Christ
which he had often witnessed az the
! meetings ~ The disciples. n is son
ceiyahle. moreover. that in the prophetic