Page images
PDF
EPUB

began on the day of pentecost, when the apostles were endued with the power of the Holy Ghost.

It is to be noticed that when the Son of man shall come in his glory, that all his holy angels come with him. You find in Revelation that ministers of the gospel are called angels. The apostles of Jesus Christ may then be called his angels. We sometimes read of the angels of God; but these are the angels of the Son. As angels signify messen. gers, the term well comports with the character of the apostles, who were the messengers of eternal life. "This then," says John, "is the message, which we have heard of him." John's communicating a message makes him a messenger. When the prayer of him who never prayed in vain is fulfilled, saying, "Sanctify them through thy truth," they, through sanctification, may be called his holy angels. When his holy angels blow the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, their master sits upon the throne of his glory, fulfilling the grand designs of his mission. And before him shatl be gathered all nations. This may be understood in a moral, spiritual, or religious point of view. The law of Moses respected the nation of the Jews only; but the gospel speaks of all nations. These angels were commanded to preach the gospel to every creature. And he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats. It is to be remembered, the immediate consequences, arising from the preaching of the gospel, are different, according as they believe or disbelieve. The believer hath everlasting life, while the unbeliever is in a state of condemnation.

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand; but the goats on the left, Though this and the text connected with it, may relate individually to believer and unbeliever, yet for certain reasons, it is believed to have a more particular allusion to the Jews and Gentiles, in a national capacity. The Jews in a state of unbelief and hardness of heart, have been nearly as callous to the voice of the gospel, from the days of Christ to the present, as it would be difficult to convert a goat into a sheep. But, notwithstanding, from the words of St. Paul, we have ground to look for their frnal salvation. Their blindness is to continue till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved;

as it is written, there shall come out of Zion, the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Romans, xi.

[merged small][ocr errors]

Verse 34th. "Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

Considering the Gentiles as partakers of the benefits of the gospel, they are immediately invited to the inheritance of that kingdom, which is brought nigh by Jesus Christ. They come from the north, and from the south; from the east, and from the west; and sit down by faith and love in the kingdom of heaven, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, while the Jews or stubborn unbelievers are cast out from those privileges. They seem to be justified by works; feeding the hungry, and giving drink to the thirs ty. Though outward works have no effect in producing the salvation of the soul, yet they evidently show that the work of salvation is, or has, been, effected. "By their fruits," says Christ, "ye shall know them." Therefore good works justify a man in declaring him to be good, as the doer of those works.

Verse 41st. "Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."

I conceive this represents the present state of the unbeliever; and particularly that of the Jews. They are in the fire prepared for the devil and his angels. We have reason to believe the fire with which Jesus baptizes is the fire of divine love. The fire, prepared for the devil, is of an opposite nature. It is, therefore, the power of envy and hate. The condemnation of the unbeliever, is darkness and alienation from the character of God.c

Granting the above explanation correct, as appears evident, it will be easy to distinguish the angels of the devil, from the angels of the Son of God, by the work appropriated to each. The angels of the Son preach the everlasting gospel, which is a system of divine love; but the angels of the devil preach everlasting fire, a subject which they know by experience. I do not make these remarks with a view to cant, or cast any improper reflections upon you; but as

natural and rational inferences from the text I am consid⚫ering.

Perhaps you would wish to maintain that the fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, is an endless fire. To maintain this, it must be made plain, that the devil will suffer endlessly. This will fix the meaning of the word everlasting in this place beyond dispute. But St. Paul tells us, that Christ partook of flesh and blood, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death; and expressly names him to be the devil. Heb. ii. 14. When the devil meets with this destruction, the everlasting fire prepared for him and his angels can burn him no longer. It may then as well cease to continue, when the generalisimo of suffering is destroyed. With reference to the 46th verse of the 25th of Matthew, you may gather my ideas from what has already been written.

Thus in as brief a manner as I well could, I have given you my opinion of the important scripture to which you directed me, as pointing primarily, and perhaps solely, to the present state of existence; but did it refer to a future, the whole argument against universal salvation would rest on the term everlasting, which is acknowledged to be an ambiguous term. It must fall much short of positive proof of the doctrine of endless misery.

I do not feel justified in closing this letter, without ex ́pressing my disbelief of the sentiment you write in these words: "Repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, is the condition on which eternal life is suspended." So far from being a condition, eternal life is the gift of God. See Rom. vi. 23. St. John, xvii. 2. I. John, V. 11. Repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus, may be the efficient means of salvation; but not the condition. I believe salvation is suspended on the mission of Jesus Christ alone. By him repentance is a gift also; and not a condition for man to fulfil. Acts, v. 31! Jesus compares sinners to lost sheep, which he came to save. What success do you suppose a shepherd would anticipate in proposing conditions to wild, or lost sheep? telling them I have a good pasture, and you shall be safely protected, on condition you will come? Can you suppose this method word bring one into the fold? I think you cannot. He

must be thought unwise indeed, if, instead of proposing conditions, he did not use coersive or attracting methods to bring them home. Why do men detract from the faithfulness of Jesus, to give man a share of praise in the work of salvation? But I must close. I shall write no more until I receive an answer, though I should be happy to continue this correspondence. As the subject is of great importance, I have had thoughts, the ensuing year, of laying it before the public. If either of us lose the object of our design, it still may be of public utility. It is sometimes necessary to sacrifice the feelings of an individual, for the benefit of many, and the cause of truth.

Be pleased to receive the sentiments of respect from me, who would be faithful in the ministry of the Lord Jesus; who desires no disfellowship among mankind, but prays for the union of the whole.

Rev. JOSEPH LABEREE.

SAMUEL C. LOVELAND.

Gilsum, December 24, 1815.

N. B. Many avocations have occasioned a delay of copying and preparing to send this letter, until the present date.

Barnard, January 16. 1816.

S. C. L.

C

LETTER V.

To SAMUEL C. LOVELAND, IN ANSWER TO LETTER 111.

MR. LOVELAND,

Jerico, January 5th, 1816.

When I first received from you a challenge to write, (if you will permit me to borrow a word from your own vocabulary) I did expect something which bore, at least, the semblance of argument. And when I received your first letter, I concluded you intended it only as a sort of a feint to throw your opponent off his guard, that you might fillhim with surprise by the force of your next assault. I will leave you to conclude what must have been my disappointment, when, instead of that powerful reasoning which I had expected, I found the same old statement again brought into the field, supported by the same feeble arguments, which I find pressed in to serve another campaign, with only a change of uniform; and which I, at first, thought hardly able to bear their own weight.

I confess, sir, I was driven to the conclusion, that your forces, to say the least, were neither numerous nor potent. You say much about the "design" of God to save all mankind. I presume you can claim the design of God in this respect, only from his word; and you will suffer me to repeat, that in my opinion, you have not advanced a single inch, towards making out your system from this word. In justice, therefore, you have no claim to any answer from me for your last communication; especially when we take into view the low witticism, and scurrility, and play upon words, and attempts at criticism, and whining about a challenge, and so on, with which your letter abounds. In my opinion you would have no reason to complain should I pass the whole in silent contempt. You will understand, therefore, sir, that what I now do, I do as a matter of `sa

your.

« PreviousContinue »