Free Grace

To The Reader:
Nothing but the strongest conviction, not only that what is here advanced is
“the truth as it is in Jesus,” but also that I am indispensably obliged to
declare this truth to all the world, could have induced me openly to oppose
the sentiments of those whom I esteem for their work's sake: At whose feet
may I be found in the day of the Lord Jesus!
Should any believe it his duty to reply hereto, I have only one request to
make, — Let whatsoever you do, be done inherently, in love, and in the
spirit of meekness. Let your very disputing show that you have “put on, as
the elect of God, bowel of mercies, gentleness, longsuffering; “that even
according to this time it may be said, “See how these Christians love one
another!”
Whereas a pamphlet entitled, “Free Grace Indeed,” has been published against
this Sermon; this is to inform the publisher, that I cannot answer his tract
till he appears to be more in earnest. For I dare not speak of “the deep
things of God” in the spirit of a prize-fighter or a stage-player.
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Rom. 8:32
1. How freely does God love the world! While we were yet sinners, “Christ
died for the ungodly.” While we were “dead in our sin,” God “spared not his
own Son, but delivered him up for us all.” And how freely with him does he
“give us all things!” Verily, FREE GRACE is all in all!
2. The grace or love of God, whence cometh our salvation, is FREE IN ALL,
and FREE FOR ALL.
3. First. It is free in all to whom it is given. It does not
depend on any power or merit in man; no, not in any degree, neither in
whole, nor in part. It does not in anywise depend either on the good works
or righteousness of the receiver; not on anything he has done, or anything
he is. It does not depend on his endeavors. It does not depend on his good
tempers, or good desires, or good purposes and intentions; for all these
flow from the free grace of God; they are the streams only, not the
fountain. They are the fruits of free grace, and not the root. They are not
the cause, but the effects of it. Whatsoever good is in man, or is done by
man, God is the author and doer of it. Thus is his grace free in all; that
is, no way depending on any power or merit in man, but on God alone, who
freely gave us his own Son, and “with him freely giveth us all things.
4. But it is free for ALL, as well as IN ALL. To this some have answered,
“No: It is free only for those whom God hath ordained to life; and they are
but a little flock. The greater part of God hath ordained to death; and it
is not free for them. Them God hateth; and, therefore, before they were
born, decreed they should die eternally. And this he absolutely decreed;
because so was his good pleasure; because it was his sovereign will.
Accordingly, they are born for this, — to be destroyed body and soul in
hell. And they grow up under the irrevocable curse of God, without any
possibility of redemption; for what grace God gives. he gives only for this,
to increase, not prevent, their damnation.”
5. This that decree of predestination. But methinks I hear one say, “This is
not the predestination which I hold: I hold only the election of grace. What
I believe is not more than this, — that God,, before the foundation of the
world, did elect a certain number of men to be justified, sanctified, and
glorified. Now, all these will be saved, and none else; for the rest of
mankind God leaves to themselves: So they follow the imaginations of their
own hearts, which are only evil continually, and, waxing worse and worse,
are at length justly punished with everlasting destruction.”
6. Is this all the predestination which you hold? Consider; perhaps this is
not all. Do not you believe God ordained them to this very thing” If so, you
believe the whole degree; you hold predestination in the full sense which
has been above described. But it may be you think you do not. Do not you
then believe, God hardens the hearts of them that perish: Do not you
believe, he (literally) hardened Pharaoh's heart; and that for this end he
raised him up, or created him? Why, this amounts to just the same thing. If
you believe Pharaoh, or any one man upon earth, was created for this end,
— to be damned, — you hold all that has been said of predestination. And
there is no need you should add, that God seconds his degree, which is
supposed unchangeable and irresistible, by hardening the hearts of those
vessels of wrath whom that decree had before fitted for destruction.
7. well, but it may be you do not believe even this; you do not hold any
decree of reprobation; you do not think God decrees any man to be damned,
not hardens, irresistibly fits him, for damnation; you only say, “God
eternally decreed, that all being dead in sin, he would say to some of the
dry bones, Live, and to others he would not; that, consequently, these
should be made alive, and those abide in death, — these should glorify God
by their salvation, and those by their destruction.”
8. Is not this what you mean by the election of grace? If it be, I would ask
one or two question: Are any who are not thus elected saved? or were any,
from the foundation of the world? Is it possible any man should be saved
unless he be thus elected? If you say, “No,” you are but where you was; you
are not got one hair's breadth farther; you still believe, that, in
consequence of an unchangeable, irresistible decree of God, the greater part
of mankind abide in death, without any possibility of redemption; inasmuch
as none can save them but God, and he will not save them. You believe he
hath absolutely decreed not to save them; and what is this but decreeing to
damn them? It is, in effect, neither more not less; it comes to the same
thing; for if you are dead, and altogether unable to make yourself alive,
then, if God has absolutely decreed he will make only others alive, and not
you, he hath absolutely decreed your everlasting death; you are absolutely
consigned to damnation. So then, though you use softer words than some, you
mean the self-same thing; and God's decree concerning the election of grace,
according to your account of it, amounts to neither more not less than what
others call God's decree of reprobation.
9. Call it therefore by whatever name you please, election, preterition,
predestination, or reprobation, it comes in the end to the same thing. The
sense of all is plainly this, — by virtue of an eternal, unchangeable,
irresistible decree of God, on part of mankind are infallibly saved, and the
rest infallibly damned; it being impossible that any of the former should be
damned. or that any of the latter should be saved.
10. But if this be so, then is all preaching vain. It is needless to them
that are elected; for they, whether with preaching or without, will
infallibly be saved. Therefore, the end of preaching — to save should — is
void with regard to them; and it is useless to them that are not elected,
for they cannot possibly be saved: They, whether with preaching or without,
will infallibly be damned. The end of preaching is therefore void with
regard to them likewise; so that in either case our preaching is vain, as
you hearing is also vain.
11. This then, is a plain proof that the doctrine of predestination is not a
doctrine of God, because it makes void the ordinance of God; and God is not
divided against himself. A Second is, that it directly tends to destroy that
holiness which is the end of all the ordinances of God. I do not say, none
who hold it are holy; (for God is of tender mercy to those who are
unavoidably entangled in errors of any kind;) but that the doctrine itself,
— that every man is either elected or not elected from eternity, and that
the one must inevitably be saved, and the other inevitably damned, — has a
manifest tendency to destroy holiness in general; for it wholly takes away
those first motives to follow after it, so frequently proposed in Scripture,
the hope of future reward and fear of punishment, the hope of heaven and
fear of hell. That these shall go away into everlasting punishment, and
those into life eternal, is not motive to him to struggle for life who
believes his lot is cast already; it is not reasonable for him so to do, if
he thinks he is unalterably adjudged either to life or death. You will say,
“But he knows not whether it is life or death.” What then? — this helps not
the matter; for if a sick man knows that he must unavoidably die, or
unavoidably recover, though he knows not which, it is unreasonable for him
to take any physic at all. He might justly say, (and so I have heard some
speak, both in bodily sickness and in spiritual,) “If I am ordained to life,
I shall live; if to death, I shall live; so I need not trouble myself about
it.” So directly does this doctrine tend to shut the very gate of holiness
in general, — to hinder unholy men from ever approaching thereto, or
striving to enter in thereat.
12. as directly does this doctrine tend to destroy several particular
branches of holiness. Such are meekness and love, — love, I mean, of our
enemies, — of the evil and unthankful. I say not, that none who hold it have
meekness and love; (for as is the power of God, so is his mercy;) but that
it naturally tends to inspire, or increase, a sharpness or eagerness of
temper, which is quite contrary to the meekness of Christ; as then
especially appears, when they are opposed on this head. And it as naturally
inspires contempt or coldness towards those whom we suppose outcast form
God. “O but,” you say. “I suppose no particular man a reprobate.” You mean
you would not if you could help it: But you cannot help sometimes applying
your general doctrine to particular persons: The enemy of souls will apply
it for you. You know how often he has done so. But you rejected the thought
with abhorrence. True; as soon as you could; but how did it sour and sharpen
your spirit in the mean time! you well know it was not the spirit of love
which you then felt towards that poor sinner, whom you supposed or
suspected, whether you would or no, to have been hated of God from eternity.
13. Thirdly. This doctrine tends to destroy the comfort of religion, the
happiness of Christianity. This is evident as to all those who believe
themselves to be reprobated, or who only suspect or fear it. All the great
and precious promises are lost to them; they afford them no ray of comfort:
For they are not the elect of God; therefore they have neither lot nor
portion in them. This is an effectual bar to their finding any comfort or
happiness, even in that religion whose ways are designed to be “ways of
pleasantness, and all her paths peace.”
14. And as to you who believe yourselves the elect of God, what is your
happiness? I hoe, not a notion, a speculative belief, a bare opinion of any
kind; but a feeling possession of God in your heart, wrought in you by the
Holy Ghost, or, the witness of God's Spirit with your spirit that you are a
child of God. This, otherwise termed “the full assurance of faith,: is the
true ground of a Christian’s happiness. And it does indeed imply a full
assurance that all your past sins are forgiven, and that you are now a child
of God. But it does not necessarily imply a full assurance of our future
perseverance. I do not say this is never joined to it, but that it is not
necessarily implied therein; for many have the one who have not the other.
15. Now, this witness of the Spirit experience shows to be much obstructed
by this doctrine; and not only in those who, Believing themselves
reprobated, by this belief thrust it far from them, but even in them that
have tasted of that good gift, who yet have soon lost it again, and fallen
back into doubts, and fears, and darkness, — horrible darkness, that might
be felt! And I appeal to any of you who hold this doctrine, to say, between
God and your own hearts, whether you have not often a return of doubts and
fears concerning your election or perseverance! If you ask, “Who has not?” I
answer, Very few of those that hold this doctrine; but many, very many, of
those that hold it not, in all parts of the earth; — many of these have
enjoyed the uninterrupted witness of his Spirit, the continual light of his
countenance, from the moment wherein they first believed, for many months or
years, to this day.
16. That assurance of faith which these enjoy excludes all doubt and fear,
It excludes all kinds of doubt and fear concerning their future
perseverance; though it is not properly, as was said before, an assurance of
what is future, but only of what now is. And this needs not for its support
a speculative belief, that whoever is once ordained to life must live; for
it is wrought from hour to hour, by the mighty power of God, “by the Holy
Ghost which is given unto them.” And therefore that doctrine is not of God,
because it tends to obstruct, if not destroy, this great work of the Holy
Ghost, whence flows the chief comfort of religion, the happiness of
Christianity.
17. Again: How uncomfortable a thought is this, that thousands and millions
of men, without any preceding offense or fault of theirs, were unchangeably
doomed to everlasting burnings! How peculiarly uncomfortable must it be to
those who have put on Christ! to those who, being filled with bowels of
mercy, tenderness, and compassion, could even “wish themselves accursed for
their brethren’s sake!”
18. Fourthly. This uncomfortable doctrine directly tends to destroy our zeal
for good works. And this it does, First, as it naturally tends (according to
what was observed before) to destroy our love to the greater part of
mankind, namely, the evil and unthankful. For whatever lessens our love,
must go far lessen our desire to do them good. This it does, Secondly, as it
cuts off one of the strongest motives to all acts of bodily mercy, such as
feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and the like, — viz., the hope of
saving their souls from death. For what avails it to relieve their temporal
wants, who are just dropping into eternal fire? “Well; but run and snatch
them as brands out of the fire.: Nay, this you suppose impossible. They were
appointed thereunto, you say, from eternity, before they had done either
good or evil. you believe it is the will of God they should die. And “who
hath resisted his will?” But you say you do not know whether these are
elected or not. What then? If you know they are the one or the other, — that
they are either elected or not elected, — all your labour is void and vain.
In either case, your advice, reproof, or exhortation is as needless and
useless as our preaching. It is needless to them that are elected; for they
will infallibly be saved without it. It is useless to them that are not
elected; for with or without it they will infallibly be damned; therefore
you cannot consistently with your principles take any pains about their
salvation. Consequently, those principles directly tend to destroy you zeal
for good works; for all good works; but particularly for the greatest of
all, the saving of souls from death.
19. But, Fifthly, this doctrine not only tends to destroy Christian
holiness, happiness, and good works, but hath also a direct and manifest
tendency to overthrow the whole Christian Revelation. The point which the
wisest of the modern unbelievers most industriously labour to prove, is,
that the Christian Revelation is not necessary. They well know, could they
once show this, the conclusion would be too plain to be denied, “If it be
not necessary, it is not true,” Now, this fundamental point you give up. For
supposing that eternal, unchangeable decree, one part of mankind must be
saved, though the Christian Revelation were not in being, and the other part
of mankind must be damned, notwithstanding that Revelation. And what would
an infidel desire more? You allow him all he asks. In making the gospel thus
unnecessary to all sorts of men, you give up the whole Christian cause. “O
tell it not in Gath! lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice; “lest
the sons of unbelief triumph!
20. And as this doctrine manifestly and directly tends to overthrow the
whole Christian Revelation, so it does the same thing, by plain consequence,
in making that Revelation contradict itself. For it is grounded on such an
interpretation of some texts (more or fewer it matters not) as flatly
contradicts all the other texts, and indeed the whole scope and tenor of
Scripture. For instance: The assertors of this doctrine interpret that text
of Scripture, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated,” as implying that
God in a literal sense hated Esau, and all the reprobated, from eternity.
Now, what can possibly be a more flat contradiction than this, not only to
the whole scope and tenor of Scripture, but also to all those particular
texts which expressly declare, “God is love?” Again: They infer from that
text, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,” (Romans 4:15) that God
is love only to some men, viz.,the elect, and that he hath mercy for those
only; flatly contrary to which is the whole tenor of Scripture, as is that
express declaration in particular, “The Lord is loving unto every man; and
his mercy is over all his works.” (Psalm 145:9.) Again: They infer from that
and the like texts, “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth,
but of God that showeth mercy,: that he showeth mercy only to those to whom
he had respect from all eternity. Nay, but who replieth against God now? You
now contradict the whole oracles of God, which declare throughout, “God is
no respecter of persons:’ (Acts 10:34) “There is no respect of persons with
him.” (Rom. 2:11.) Again: from that text, “The children being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to
election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; it was said
unto her,” unto Rebecca, “The elder shall serve the younger;“you infer, that
our being predestinated, or elect, no way depends on the foreknowledge of
God. Flatly contrary to this are all the scriptures; and those in
particular, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God;” (1 Peter 1:2; )
“Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate.” (Rom. 8:29.)
21. And “the same Lord over all is rich” in mercy “to all that call upon
him:” (Romans 10:12:) But you say, “No; he is such only to those for whom
Christ died. And those are not all, but only a few, whom God hath chosen out
of the world; for he died not for all, but only for those who were ‘chosen
in him before the foundation of the world.’” (Eph. 1:4.) Flatly contrary to
your interpretation of these scriptures, also, is the whole tenor of the New
Testament; as are in particular those texts: — “Destroy not him with thy
meat, for whom Christ died,” (Rom. 14:15, ) — a clear proof that Christ
died, not only for those that are saved, but also for them that perish: He
is “the Saviour of the world;” (John 4:42; ) He is “the Lamb of God that
taketh away the sins of the world;” (John 1:29; ) “He is the propitiation,
not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world;” (1 John
2:2; ) “He,” the living God, “is the Savior of all men;” (1 Timothy 4:10; )
“He gave himself a ransom for all;” (1 Tim. 2:6; ) “He tasted death for
every man.” (Heb. 2:9.)
22. If you ask, “Why then are not all men saved?” the whole law and the
testimony answer, First, Not because of any decree of God; not because it is
his pleasure they should die; for, As I live, saith the Lord God,” I have no
pleasure in the death of him that dieth.” (Ezek. 18:3, 32.) Whatever be the
cause of their perishing, it cannot be his will, if the oracles of God are
true; for they declare, “He is not willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to repentance;” (2 Pet. 3:9; ) “He willeth that all men
should be saved.” And they, Secondly, declare what is the cause why all men
are not saved, namely, that they will not be saved: So our Lord expressly,
“Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life.” (John 5:40.) “The power of
the Lord is present to heal” them, but they will not be healed. “They reject
the counsel,” the merciful counsel, “of God against themselves,” as did
their stiff-necked forefathers. And therefore are they without excuse;
because God would save them, but they will not be saved: This is the
condemnation, “How often would I have gathered you together, and ye would
not!” (Matt. 23:37.)
23. Thus manifestly does this doctrine tend to overthrow the whole Christian
Revelation, by making it contradict itself; by giving such an interpretation
of some texts, as flatly contradicts all the other texts, and indeed the
whole scope and tenor of Scripture; — an abundant proof that it is not of
God. But neither is this all: For, Seventhly, it is a doctrine full of
blasphemy; of such blasphemy as I should dread to mention, but that the
honour of our gracious God, and the cause of his truth, will not suffer me
to be silent. In the cause of God, then, and from a sincere concern for the
glory of his great name, I will mention a few of the horrible blasphemies
contained in this horrible doctrine. But first, I must warn every one of you
that hears, as ye will answer it at the great day, not to charge me (as some
have done) with blaspheming, because I mention the blasphemy of others. And
the more you are grieve with them that do thus blaspheme, see that ye
“confirm your love towards them: the more, and that your heart’s desire, and
continual prayer to God, be, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what
they do!”
24. This premised, let it be observed, that this doctrine represents our
blessed Lord, “Jesus Christ the righteous,” “the only begotten Son of the
Father, full of grace and truth,” as an hypocrite, a deceiver of the people,
a man void of common sincerity. For it cannot be denied, that he everywhere
speaks as if he was willing that all men should be saved. Therefore, to say
he was not willing that all men should be saved, is to represent him as a
mere hypocrite and dissembler. It cannot be denied that the gracious words
which came out of his mouth are full of invitations to all sinners. To say,
then, he did not intend to save all sinners, is to represent him as a gross
deceiver of the people. You cannot deny that he says, “Come unto me, all ye
that are weary and heavy laden.” If, then, you say he calls those that
cannot come; those whom he knows to be unable to come; those whom he can
make able to come, but will not; how is it possible to describe greater
insincerity? You represent him as mocking his helpless creatures, by
offering what he never intends to give. You describe him as saying on thing,
and meaning another; as pretending the love which his had not. Him, in
“whose mouth was no guile,” you make full of deceit, void of common
sincerity; — then especially, when, drawing nigh the city, He wept over it,
and said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou killest the prophets, and stonest
them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children
together, — and ye would not;” ethelesakai ouk ethelesate. Now, if you say,
they would, but he would not, you represent him (which who could hear?) as
weeping crocodiles’ tears; weeping over the prey which himself had doomed to
destruction!
25. Such blasphemy this, as one would think might make the ears of a
Christian to tingle! But there is yet more behind; for just as it honours
the Son, so doth this doctrine honour the Father. It destroys all his
attributes at once: It overturns both his justice, mercy, and truth; yea, it
represents the most holy God as worse than the devil, as both more false,
more cruel, and more unjust. More false; because the devil, liar as he is,
hath never said, “He willeth all men to be saved:” More unjust; because the
devil cannot, if he would, be guilty of such injustice as you ascribe to
God, when you say that God condemned millions of souls to everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels, for continuing in sin, which, for
want of that grace he will not give them, they cannot avoid: And more cruel;
because that unhappy spirit “seeketh rest and findeth none;” so that his own
restless misery is a kind of temptation to him to tempt others. But God
resteth in his high and holy place; so that to suppose him, of his own mere
motion, of his pure will and pleasure, happy as he is, to doom his
creatures, whether they will or no, to endless misery, is to impute such
cruelty to him as we cannot impute even to the great enemy of God and man.
It is to represent the high God (he that hath ears to hear let him hear!) as
more cruel, false, and unjust than the devil!
26. This is the blasphemy clearly contained in the horrible decree of
predestination! And here I fix my foot. On this I join issue with every
assertor of it. You represent God as worse than the devil; more false, more
cruel, more unjust. But you say you will prove it by scripture. Hold! What
will you prove by Scripture? that God is worse than the devil? I cannot be.
Whatever that Scripture proves, it never an prove this; whatever its true
meaning be. This cannot be its true meaning. Do you ask, “What is its true
meaning then?” If I say, “I know not,” you have gained nothing; for there
are many scriptures the true sense whereof neither you nor I shall know till
death is swallowed up in victory. But this I know, better it were to say it
had no sense, than to say it had such a sense as this. It cannot mean,
whatever it mean besides, that the God of truth is a liar. Let it mean what
it will it cannot mean that the Judge of all the world is unjust. No
scripture can mean that God is not love, or that his mercy is not over all
his works; that is, whatever it prove beside, no scripture can prove
predestination.
27. This is the blasphemy for which (however I love the persons who assert
it) I abhor the doctrine of predestination, a doctrine, upon the supposition
of which, if one could possibly suppose it for a moment, (call it election,
reprobation, or what you please, for all comes to the same thing,) one might
say to our adversary, the devil, “Thou fool, why dost thou roar about any
longer? Thy lying in wait for souls is as needless and useless as our
preaching. Hearest thou not, that God hath taken thy work out of thy hands;
and that he doeth it much more effectually? Thou, with all thy
principalities and powers, canst only so assault that we may resist thee;
but He can irresistibly destroy both body and soul in hell! Thou canst only
entice; but his unchangeable decrees, to leave thousands of souls in death,
compels them to continue in sin, till they drop into everlasting burnings.
Thou temptest; He forceth us to be damned; for we cannot resist his will.
Thou fool, why goest thou about any longer, seeking whom thou mayest devour?
Hearest thou not that God is the devouring lion, the destroyer of souls, the
murderer of men” Moloch caused only children to pass though the fire: and
that fire was soon quenched; or, the corruptible body being consumed, its
torment was at an end; but God, thou are told, by his eternal decree, fixed
before they had done good or evil, causes, not only children of a span long,
but the parents also, to pass through the fire of hell, the ‘fire which
never shall be quenched; and the body which is cast thereinto, being now
incorruptible and immortal, will be ever consuming and never consumed, but
‘the smoke of their torment,’ because it is God's good pleasure, ‘ascendeth
up for ever and ever.’”
28. O how would the enemy of God and man rejoice to hear these things were
so! How would he cry aloud and spare not! How would he lift up his voice and
say, “To your tents, O Israel! Flee from the face of this God, or ye shall
utterly perish! But whither will ye flee? Into heaven? He is there, Down to
hell? He is there also. Ye cannot flee from an omnipresent, almighty tyrant.
And whether ye flee or stay, I call heaven, his throne, and earth, his
footstool, to witness against you, ye shall perish, ye shall die eternally.
Sing, O hell, and rejoice, ye that are under the earth! For God, even the
mighty God, hath spoken, and devoted to death thousands of souls, form the
rising of the sun unto the going down thereof! Here, O death, is they sting!
They shall not, cannot escape; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Here, O grave is thy victory Nations yet unborn, or ever they have done good
or evil are doomed never to see the light of life, but thou shalt gnaw upon
them for ever and ever! Let all those morning stars sing together, who fell
with Lucifer, son of the morning! Let all the sons of hell shout for joy!
For the decree is past, and who shall disannul it?”
29. Yea, the decree is past; and so it was before the foundation of the
world. But what decree? Even this: “I will set before the sons of men ‘life
and death, blessing cursing.’ And the soul that chooseth life shall live, as
the soul that chooseth death shall die.” This decree whereby “whom God did
foreknow, he did predestinate,” was indeed from everlasting; this, whereby
all who suffer Christ to make them alive are “elect according to the
foreknowledge of God,” now standeth fast, even as the moon, and as the
faithful witnesses in heaven; and when heaven and earth shall pass away, yet
this shall not pass away; for it is as unchangeable and eternal as is the
being of God that gave it. This decree yields the strongest encouragement to
abound in all good works and in all holiness; and it is a well-spring of
joy, of happiness also, to our great and endless comfort. This is worthy of
God; it is every way consistent with all the perfections of his nature. It
gives us the noblest view both of his justice, mercy, and truth. To this
agrees the whole scope of the Christian Revelation, as well as all the parts
thereof. To this Moses and all the Prophets bear witness, and our blessed
Lord and all his Apostles Thus Moses, in the name of his Lord: “I call
heaven and earth to record against you this day, that I have set before you
life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that thou and
thy seed may live.” Thus Ezekiel: choose life, that thou and thy seed may
live;“Thus Ezekiel: (To cite one Prophet for all:) “The soul that sinneth,
it shall die: The son shall not bear” eternally, “the iniquity of the
father. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the
wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” (18:20.) Thus our blessed Lord:
“If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.” (John 7:37.) Thus his
great Apostle, St. Paul: (Acts 17:30:) “God commandeth all men everywhere to
repent; — “all men everywhere;” every man in every place, without any
exception either of place or person. Thus St. James: “If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not, and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5.) Thus St. Peter: (2 Pet. 3:9:)
“The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.” And thus St. John: “If any man sin, we have an Advocate with
the Father; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only,
but for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1, 2.)
30. O hear ye this, ye that forget God! Ye cannot charge your death upon
him! “‘Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ saith the
Lord God.” (Ezek. 18:23ff.) “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions;
so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your
transgressions where by ye have transgressed, — for why will ye die, O house
of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the
Lord God. Wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” “As I live, saith the
Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. — Turn ye, turn ye
from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel
33:11.)
Category:Christianity
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