The gospel plan of salvation

Front matter

4>^

,0

THE

Preface

A wise man has said, " Of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness to the flesh." Why, then, should we add another to the "many books" already before the public? It has now been all of fifteen years since we conceived the plan, and began the preparation of this work, only bestowing upon it, however, such fragments of time as we could spare from other labors. Sometimes we rested a month, sometimes a year, feeling by no means sure that we would ever finish the work, but intending to do so if permitted to live until our head became sufficiently gray. Some portions were occasionally given to the public as contributions to the Gospel Advocate and in tracts, in the hope that they might accomplish some good, though the entire work should never be published. A very general demand for the completion and publication of the book soon came from those who read the portions published; but we have deemed it prudent to "hasten leisurely" lest we might prematurely publish something of which we would be ashamed in maturer years. When we passed our fiftieth year we engaged the services of the publisher, and now, on our fifty-first anniversary birthday, we are writing a preface, and yet we are not quite sure that we are old enough to publish a book on a theme so transcendantly important as the " Gospel Plan of Salvation." Our highest ambition is to honor the name of our Master, and direct sinners in the way of life ; hence we would not, for any earthly consideration, publish a sentence known to be untrue. We wish our book to live when we shall be sleeping the years away. Yes, and live it will. This is the frightful thought. Live it will. A mistake from the pulpit may soon be forgotten — should we make a mistake in an article furnished a paper or periodical, it may be lost or worn out, and soon pass away; but a book will live on, when he who wrote k lives only in the work left behind him. How important it is, then, that every thought penned concerning The Gospel Plan of Salvation should be tried "as by fire" that not a single error should escape the refining crucible of Holy Writ, and make its way into the permanent literature of the age. Had this responsibility been rightly appreciated, surely many of the books now on the market would never have met the public eye. • But there is another side to the picture. While it is unquestionably true that much mischief has been done by the publication of error, it is equally true that much good has been done, and may yet be done, by publishing the

iii

IV PREFACE.

truth. Ceasing to publish truth will never arrest the publication of error. It will continue to be published as long as man lives in a tenement of clay ; hence the best that may be done is the publication of truth with which, in some degree, to counteract its influence. But for this the world would have been to-day overwhelmed in the stygian waters of infidelity and idolatry; hence we would not erase a single impression made by any truth ever given to man by any one who has written before us. It is no part of our object to supersede any work that has appeared among us ; rather would we be an humble co-worker with all lovers of truth in pointing sinners to the " Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world."

Every writer has a taste and a style as peculiarly his own as are his features or his temperament ; hence no two are likely to select exactly the same field of labor, or adopt the same method of arranging the material used by each respectively. While others have written upon some, perhaps all, the subjects treated in this work, we are not aware of any single book filling the place which this is designed to occupy. While it is directly addressed to the alien, we hope it will aid the young disciple in obtaining a more extensive knowledge of the " form of doctrine " by which he was made free from sin : especially will young preachers find it a valuable compend of argzunent and rritical authority in ellucidation of many subjects which they will find it necessary to examine. They will here find an amount of authority which would cost them much labor and money were they compelled to get it from the original authors quoted by us. Many of the works are out of print, so that only second-hand copies can be had at all, and these only by importation at fabulous cost. We found it necessary to pay ten, fifteen, and even as high as twenty-five dollars for works from which to obtain the author's definition of a single word, which will be found in this work. Many of these authors define in Latin which could not be read by the common English scholar if he had them ; here he will find only the English translation of the author's Latin, which all can read and easily understand.

We have made no effort at elegance of style, seeking rather to clearly and forcibly express as much truth as possible in the space occupied. We dare not hope that every thought is expressed in the best possible manner ; but he who reads to be benefited will likely understand us, and for such readers only were our labors intended. If we have not spoken as the oracles of God speak, then prove all things, and hold fast that which is good. By the word of God we are ever willing that our teaching may be tried. It alone can build us up and give us a*n inheritance among them who are sanctified; hence to it we commend our readers in the fear of Him who will judge us all according to our works. •

T. W. BRENTS.

Richmond, Tenn., February 10, 1874.

Chapter I. Predestination

ARE you "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world ? " If so, we propose to assist you in arriving at a knowledge of your duty, in order that you may become citizens of God's government on the earth — children of God's family — members of Christ's body, the Church — that you may escape the punishment of the damned, and secure for yourselves the favor of God and the bliss of heaven. But while our primary object is to benefit the alien, it is hoped that a careful reading of our book will be interesting and profitable to the babes in Christ. They should not regard themselves as fully grown at birth, and therefore cease their investigations ; but they should desire and feed upon the sincere milk of the Word, that they may grow to the stature of men and women fully grown in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. Knowledge is one of the adjuncts of faith: "Besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue ; and to virtue, knowledge." 2 Pet. i : 5. "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as

I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance ; knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle." Vers. 12, 13.

But before we proceed to look for the conditions upon which aliens may secure the favor of our Heavenly Father, it may be well to inquire whether or not there is any thing they can do that will be conducive to this end. There are prominent doctrines taught by those for whose learning and piety we have the most profound respect, which, if true, render it wholly unnecessary, it seems to us, to spend time or labor in instructing the sinner with regard to his duty either to God or man.

That we may place these doctrines properly before the mind of the reader, without any reasonable probability of misrepresenting them, we beg permission to make a few quotations from the fountain whence they flow.

" God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass." Presbyterian Confession of Faith, chap, iii, sec. 1. To the same import we have the answer to Question 12 (Larger Catechism), as follows : " God's decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts of the counsel of his will, whereby, from all eternity, he hath, for his own glory, unchangeably fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass, especially concerning angels and men."

Now, if the doctrine here set forth is true, we think it impossible for man to err. Whatever he does, is in keeping with and brought about by God's fore-ordination or decree, and therefore can not be wrong. If he does any thing — it matters not what — whether good or bad — if God has ordained every thing, He has ordained that thing. If it comes to pass that a man lies, God has not only ordained that he should lie, but He has unchangeably ordained it. If it comes to pass that a man steals, God has unchange-

PREDESTINATION. 9

ably ordained that, too. If it comes to pass that a man kills his neighbor, God has unchangeably ordained that, also. It did come to pass that Cain killed his brother : why, then, did God put a curse upon him for it ? It was not only in accordance with the most wise and holy counsel of His will, but He had freely and unchangeably ordained that Cain should do the very thing for which He cursed him ! ! ! Can any sane man believe it ? God has said : " Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." Ex. xx : 13-16. As God has thus plainly forbidden things which do come to pass, it can not be true that He has unchangeably ordained them. That God should unchangeably ordain that a certain thing should come to pass, and at the same time positively forbid it, is an inconsistency entirely incompatible with His divine character, especially when we add to it the thought that He threatens the guilty with endless punishment. Surely He, whose laws ever bear the impress of that infinite justice, goodness, love, and mercy which characterize their Author, would not punish His dependent creature man in the rude flames of an angry hell forever for doing that which He had unchangeably ordained that he should do : " The Lord is good to all : and his tender mercies are over all his works." Ps. cxlv : 9. "The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." Ver. 17. Therefore when the murderer stains his hands in the blood of his fellow, he can not take shelter under the doctrine of the creed by saying that God, in ordaining every thing that ccmes to pass, ordained that he should kill his neighbor, and thereby avoid the responsibility of the act and the punishment due his crime.

It is true that the makers of the creed disclaim the consequences of the doctrine, saying, " Yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin ;" but they have failed to show us how His character may be vindicated from such a charge in harmony with such a doctrine ; and we are unable to see how God is not the author of what He has unchangeably ordained should come to pass. If He has unchangeably ordained every thing that comes to pass, then how can man change God's unchangeable ordinance ? and if he can not change it, surely no blame can attach to him for any thing he does. If God unchangeably ordained that a certain man, on a certain day, should do a certain thing, then there is no power left to man not to do the thing ; for were he to avoid doing it, he would have changed God's unchangeable decree, and therefore had more power to change than God had to enforce. Is any one prepared to assume such a position as this ? The reader will please note the extent of the doctrine in controversy. It is not that God has from all eternity ordained, but that he has unchangeably ordained ; not some things, but whatsoever cometh to pass — every thing. Surely, the ordinances or decrees of God are broken every day. He has ordained that men shall not kill, yet they do kill. He has ordained that they shall not steal, yet they do steal. He has ordained that they shall not bear false witness, yet they swear falsely every day. God compels no man to keep His ordinances, but He will visit upon him merited punishment if he does not keep them. Paul tells us that " the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God : and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." Rom. xiii : i, 2. How can any one successfully resist that which God has unchangeably ordained ? God said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." Jonah iii : 4. Here was a positive decree or ordinance of God that did not come to pass, for " God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way ; and God repented of the evil, that

PREDESTINATION. 1 1

he had said that he would do unto them ; and he did it nof." Ver. 10. Was not this decree changeable ? God said to Hezekiah, "Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live." 2 Kings xx : i. Here was another positive ordinance which was changeable, for Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed, after which God said to him : " I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears ; behold, I will heal thee : on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord, and I will add unto thy days fifteen years." Vers. 5, 6. Here was a decree concerning Hezekiah's death, which was changed, and his life prolonged fifteen years, and the change induced by his prayers and tears.

When David was at Keilah, he inquired of the Lord, saying : " Will Saul come down as thy servant hath heard ? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down. Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul ? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up. Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah ; and he forbare to go forth." 1 Samuel xxiii : 11-13. When David left Keilah, Saul turned his pursuit in the direction of David's flight, and did not go to Keilah at all. Had God decreed, from all eternity, whatsoever comes to pass, it occurs to us that He would have answered David differently; perhaps something after the following style : " No, David, Saul will not come to Keilah, nor will the men of Keilah deliver you into his hands, for I have unchangeably ordained that you shall leave Keilah, and Saul will turn his pursuit in the direction to which you go." This was what did come to pass, and certainly God did not tell David what he had fore-ordainecl to be untrue. Had David remained at Keilah, Saul would have gone there ; hence circumstances, and not immutable decrees, controlled this event, even as they do most others. Other examples might be given, but these are enough to show that God has issued decrees that never have come to pass, nor never will come to pass. Now, if it is true that God fore-ordained every thing that comes to pass, then it follows that He fore-ordained the reformation of the Ninevites, the prayers of Hezekiah, and the flight of David from Keilah ; hence when He said, " Yet forty days> and Nineveh shall be overthrown," He had fore-ordained, before time began, that it should not be overthrown. When He told Hezekiah to set his house in order, for he should die and not live, He had fore-ordained that he should live fifteen years longer. And when He told David that Saul would come to Keilah, and that the men of Keilah would deliver him and his men to Saul, was it not telling him that events should happen which He had unchangeably ordained to be otherwise ? How such a theory is to be harmonized with the word of the Lord, we know not.

By the mouth of his prophet, the Lord said (Jer. xviii : 7-10) : "At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it ; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it ; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them." Here we see the same law obtains as to nations that we have seen applied to cities and individuals. If they, having done evil, turn from the evil, then the Lord proposes to turn from the

PREDESTINATION. 1 3

evil which He purposes doing to them ; on the contrary, if they persist in disobedience, they will suffer the consequences, even to extermination. Hence circumstances have ever varied God's dealings with men.

Again : "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." Gen. vi : 5, 6. Now, if the Lord fore-ordained every thing that comes to pass, He fore-ordained every thing the antediluvians did : why, then, should He grieve over their wickedness, when every act was but the consummation of His own immutable and eternal decree ? Really, it would seem like God grieving over His own folly.

The Lord said that the children of Judah had " built again the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire ; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart." Jer. vii : 31. "They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind." Jer. xix: 5. If God fore-ordained every thing, He fore-ordained these things, for they came to pass ; yet He says He did not command them, nor speak them, neither came they into His mind. Will the advocates of the doctrine please to enlighten the world as to how God fore-ordained tilings which never entered His mind? But we will not press the argument further. If the doctrine be true, the whole theory of sin, accountability, rewards, and punishments, in harmony with justice and mercy, is to us utterly incomprehensible. Every act of man is but carrying out the immutable purposes of Jehovah ; and when He gives a man a law, He does it expressly that he may violate it, so as to furnish a pretext for the punishment previously ordained for him. Take the sin of Adam as an example : God made him and placed him under law. It came to pass that he violated this law. He ate of the fruit whereof God commanded him not to eat. If God fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass, then of course He fore-ordained that he should eat. Hence Adam was in a strait between the law and the unchangeable ordination or decree. It came to pass that he eat; therefore God ordained that he should eat. The law said he should not eat. One or the other must be broken. He must eat, and violate the law ; or not eat, and change God's unchangeable decree. This was impossible: hence to eat and violate the law was a necessity ; and yet God would punish him for it ! ! Surely, such a theory is at war with the Bible — with all reason and common sense — as well as a reproach upon the character of our Heavenly Father. But able and learned men have taught it, good and true men believe it ; therefore we must treat it respectfully, yet examine it fairly, patiently, and thoroughly.

Chapter II. Election And Reprobation

WE come now to examine the subject of Unconditional election and reprobation ; and that we may see the doctrine in its purity, we beg permission to quote again from the creed : " By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others fore-ordained to everlasting death. These angels and men thus predestinated and fore-ordained are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number is so certain and definite that it can not be either increased or diminished. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions or causes moving him thereunto." Confession of Faith, chap. 3, sees. 3, 4, 5.

It is quite easy to see that the doctrine of unconditional election and reprobation is true if the doctrine of unchangeable fore-ordination obtains as to every thing that comes to pass, unless we find relief in the more ample folds of Universalis™. If God has unchangeably fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass, then of course He has fore-ordained

(is)

just who shall be saved, and who, if any, shall be lost; and if He has unchangeably fixed the destiny of every man before time began without any conditions whatever, then Calvinism or Universalism must be true. But we think we have seen that God did not so ordain every thing, and hence this doctrine can not support either of the others. If either stands at all, it must be proved by other testimony. For the present, then, we propose to inquire whether or not God has unconditionally and unchangeably fixed the destiny of a definite number of two classes — the elect and the reprobate.

And first, we remark that the words elect, elected, election, reprobate, and reprobates, are Bible terms ; hence there must be a Bible doctrine concerning them. Elect means to choose; hence the elect of God are God's chosen. God has elected persons, families, nations, and bodies or organizations in different ages of the world, for the benefit of his creatures, but the final salvation and happiness of the elected were by no means secured by their election. On the contrary, God's elect have to "work out their own salvation with fear and trembling." Phil, ii : 12. Hence in very many instances they have sinned and fallen far from the favor of God, and often forfeited the positions to which they were elected. But to comprehend the whole subject we must inquire who were elected and for what purposes ; then we may be able to see what effect, if any, their election had upon their final destiny.

" Behold my servant, whom I uphold ; mine -elect, in whom my soul delighteth ; I have put my Spirit upon him ; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles ; he shall not cry nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench : he shall bring forth judgment unto truth." Isa. xlii : 1-3. That the servant

ELECTION AND REPROBATION. \J

of God here called His elect was Jesus the Christ may be seen by reference to Matt, xii : 17-21, where this prophecy is quoted by Jesus as fulfilled in himself. Surely, it will be admitted that Jesus was not elected to secure His own salvation, but to be the Saviour of men. " Wherefore also it is contained in Scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, elect, precious : and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded." 1 Pet. ii : 6. Here Jesus is represented as the elect corner-stone of the church, on whom others believe to their salvation. But we are more concerned in examining the election of men, as individuals, collective bodies, and nations.

Abraham was elected of God to be the father of the faithful, in whose seed all families of the earth were to be blessed in Jesus Christ. Gal. iii : 16. But as Abraham had more sons than one, it was necessary that an election take place in his family, for Ishmael and Isaac could not both be the father of the family from which Jesus the promised seed should come ; hence God said, " In Isaac shall thy seed be called." Gen. xxi : 12 ; Rom. ix : 7. Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob, both of whom could not be the father of the royal family ; hence God said, " Thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend." Isa. xli : 8. Jacob had twelve sons ; Judah was elected. And so election has been a necessity all the way from Abraham to Jesus the promised seed — not to benefit the elected exclusively, but to benefit the world through them.

When God determined to deliver the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, He elected Moses for their leader and lawgiver: "Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him." Ps. cvi : 23. But Aaron was elected as speaker for Moses ; hence " He sent Moses his servant and Aaron whom he 2 had chose?i." Ps. cv : 26. Notwithstanding Moses and Aaron were elected — chosen of God to conduct the Hebrews from Egypt to Canaan, a type of the final home of the righteous ; and Moses was the Jewish lawgiver, in this respect a type of Christ our lawgiver ; and Aaron was anointed high priest, in this respect a type of Christ our High Priest ; and he was permitted to enter the most holy place, which was typical of heaven, where Jesus our High. Priest hath for us entered — yet they both sinned, and incurred the displeasure of God, in consequence of which neither of them were permitted to enter the land of Canaan, the type of the Christian's home in heaven. "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." Num. xx: 12. Concerning this decree, Moses said : " The Lord was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance: but I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan : but ye shall go over, and possess that good land." Deut. iv : 21, 22. After taking Moses to the top of Pisgah and shewing him the beauties of the land, the Lord said to him: "This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed ; I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses, the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord." Deut. xxxiv : 4, 5.

Aaron and his sons were not only elected, but consecrated and anointed priests of God, and officiated in that most sacred office for themselves and the people. In the eighth chapter of Leviticus may be found an account of

ELECTION AND REPROBATION. I9

the grand and sublime ceremony with which they were inducted into that holy office. Thus the male portion of a family were elected and inducted into the priesthood; and what became of them ? The Lord said : "Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto Mount Hor ; and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son, and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. And Moses did as the Lord commanded : and they went up into Mount Hor in sight of all the congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them upon Eleazar his son ; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount." Num. xx : 24 to 28. "Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord." Lev. x: I, 2. Now, if the doctrine of eternal unconditional election and reprobation be true, to which class did Nadab and Abihu belong? The destiny of all being unalterably fixed before time began, it follows that these were of the eternally elect, or of the eternally reprobate. Did God elect them of the non-elect, or eternally reprobate, and anoint them priests to officiate in the tabernacle, having previously determined upon their destruction, and unchangeably fore-ordained the wickedness for which He intended to kill them ? Or were they of the eternally elect, and their interest in heaven made sure before " the foundation of the world," and God killed them for wickedness which he had unchangeably fore-ordained they should do, that he might take them home to glory? Is it not more rational to conclude that God elected them, anointed and consecrated them priests, intending to be with and bless them as long as they were faithful to Him, and punish them when they forsook Him ; and that their unhappy end was the result of their own voluntary rebellion against the law of the Lord ?