THE Scriptures Consulted, &c.
IT having been publicly asserted in a large congregation as a scripture truth, That unbelievers are under the law and under the curse, engaged me to look into the scriptures for the satisfaction of my own mind, to see if these things were so; and knowing the apostle to have this subject in view in his epistle to the Galatians, I have repeatedly looked it over with attention, and found two passages which seemed at first view, to favour the thought, that unbelievers were under the law, &c. namely, Gal. iii. 10. ‘As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law, to do them.’ Are not unbelievers of the works of the law? Do they not universally go about to establish their own righteousness? and are they not consequently under the curse?
For answer it may be said, They are so in their own apprehensions; their unbelief places them there, and there they must remain in their own minds, till they believe the report of the gospel, which is, Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the law, being [Page 4] made a curse for us. Yet this gospel is true before it is believed, yea, though it be not believed, shall our unbelief make the faith of God of none effect? God forbid.
The other passage is Gal. v. 18. ‘If ye be led by the Spirit of God ye are not under the law.’ Doth not this imply that they were under the law that were not led by the Spirit? What is the meaning of the passage? What is meant by being led by the Spirit? I think the simple meaning is, being led by the Spirit's teaching, who takes of the things of Jesus, and shews them unto us; therefore, if our minds receive the truth of the testimony concerning Jesus, we are led by the Spirit; the Spirit's teaching leads to understand and believe the written word; and that asserts, ye are not under the law, but under grace, therefore if the mind gives in to the Spirit's teaching, it finds this a truth, for the Spirit witnesseth to the truth of the scriptures.
Let us then, as being led by the Spirit, follow his teaching by the apostle and all the brethren that (saith he) are with me who say, Gal. iv. 4. ‘When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law.’ Here the following thoughts offer to view, viz That all that were under the law were redeemed, therefore, if there are any not redeemed, they must be those that were not under the law; for, to assert that Jesus Christ did not accomplish what he came for, would amount to a denial that Jesus is come in the flesh : but he came to redeem them that were under the law, and the apostle says expressly, he accomplished it; Gal. iii. 13. ‘Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.’ He hath delivered us. Who? Them that were under the law. The apostle and all the brethren with him believed [Page 5] it, and united in their endeavours to bring back the foolish bewitched Galatians that were removed from him that called them, into the grace of Christ to another gospel, to the belief of it, which they would not have done if it were not an original truth. Now, if Christ had not delivered us from the curse of the law, and we believed he had not, we could not be denominated, Unbelievers: but since he hath, and the scriptures plainly and fully assert it, those must be denominated unbelievers, that believe we are still under the law and under the curse ; besides, "he that believeth entereth into rest;" but what rest can he that believeth that we are under the law and under the curse, have on believing ; if it were a truth, it could never make any man free. But, he that believeth the scripture testimony, that Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, believes a truth calculated to free the mind from the spirit of bondage, to fear and introduce the spirit of adoption, crying, Abba Father.
If Christ hath not delivered us from the curse of the law, it is impossible we ever should be, for Christ dieth no more, and it is impossible for the belief of a lie to deliver us. Now, our deliverance from the law is by the body of Christ, Rom. vii. 4. and for this end; ‘that we might be married to another, to him who is raised from the dead.’
Perhaps ministers little think, while they are endeavouring to prove unbelievers under the law, and calling them to come to Christ, they are calling them to spiritual adultery, to have two husbands, to be wedded to Christ while the law is not dead, wherein they were held. The apostle asserts in forementioned Rom. vii. 4, 6. we are delivered from the law by the body of Christ; ‘But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held.’ Being become dead to the law by the body of Christ, [Page 6] not by believing, not by any thing in or about us, or done by us, but by the body of Christ; and being delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held, no wonder the apostle saith, Rom. vi. 14. "Ye are not under the law, but under grace."
The apostle to the Galatians saith, chap. iii. 23 to 25, ‘Before faith came we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith that should after be revealed; wherefore the law was our school-master unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith; but after that faith is come, we are no longer under a school-master.’ Before faith came, I suppose he means before Christ came, who is the object of faith that was after to be revealed, which is, I apprehend, the revelation of Jesus Christ and his gospel, which reports the faith to be believed, which is that ‘in the fulness of time God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law.’
Now when Jesus had fulfilled the law in his life, and suffered the penalty in his death, being made a curse for us, his resurrection manifests our discharge, so that we are no longer under a school-master.
Moreover, it is said in Rev. xii. 10. ‘The accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.’ Question. Who is the accuser of our brethren? We have the answer from Christ himself, John v. 45. ‘Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father, there is one that accuseth you, Moses, in whom ye trust.’ Moses, i. e. the law, accuseth our brethren before our God day and night; but the accuser of our brethren is cast down, and they overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, not by what is wrought in them or done by them; and they loved not their lives unto the death. While under the law in their own apprehensions, nothing is more [Page 7] terrible than the thought of death, being all their lives in bondage through fear of death: but when they know the accuser is cast down, and they overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, this alteration follows. No wonder John heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ.’
To what has been said, it may be objected, It is said, John iii. 36. ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.’
Mark xvi. 16. ‘He that believeth shalll be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned;’ which two places seem to attribute our deliverance from the wrath of God, and from damnation to believing; which phrases seem similar to the curse of the law.
For answer it may be said, that in Mark xvi. 15, Jesus Christ saith to his eleven disciples, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.’ They were authorized to tell the good news to every creature, which was true concerning every creature, else he would not have sent it to them.
Observe, every creature is a sinner, the whole world guilty before God; to every creature this news is sent. What news? The gospel, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself; not imputing unto them their trespasses: it asserts, he hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (not in ourselves). ‘Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.’ This is the gospel to be preached as a truth to every creature. He that believeth it to be a certain truth, is consequently saved from that perplexity, distress and horror [Page 8] that arises in the mind from an apprehension of the wrath of God, consequent on being self-condemned as a breaker of God's law; while he that believeth not, stands in his own mind, where he was, condemned already: the sense of the wrath of God abiding on him. Yet, nevertheless, the good news of the gospel is as true as if it were believed, but being discredited affords no relief, and it is that which denominates an unbeliever, viz. not believing the truth of the good news of the gospel. What is said on Mark xvi. may serve as an answer to John iii. 36. only look of the foregoing verses.
To use a similitude: Having stept into a court of justice among men, a law-breaker is condemned for breach of law, and sentenced to what the law inflicts in that case; I hear the sentence pronounced as I go in, and see the offender sent back to prison till the sentence of law is satisfied, which he hath no hope ever to satisfy. I inquire, Why is he thus sentenced? I am answered, He hath broken the law.
After he is gone, some one hath pity on him, pays that the law demands, and procures a receipt from the clerk of the court, and sends the news to the prisoner, who is on the point of rejoicing exceedingly; but some fellow-prisoner tells him it is only a deception, it doth not mean as it is expressed; he may depend on it he will not be released till he has paid the utmost farthing. If he believes the lie, he will still lie under the same condemnation. Seeing him notwithstanding, cast down, I inquire the reason of his distress and misery. Seeing the sentence of law is satisfied, the answer is, Because he doth not believe the truth reported to him; but believed a lie, which is the reason why he retains in his mind the same condemnation. ‘He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.’
[Page 9]Unbelief keeps the mind under the law on the left hand, where can be heard nothing but, Go ye cursed. The gospel reports that ‘Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.’ This being believed, brings the mind under the gospel on the right hand, where it hears; Come ye blessed.
I think this view of unbelievers being damned of self-condemned, being under the wrath of God in their own apprehensions, may be illustrated from several passages of scripture that speak of believers: we read of the younger widows having damnation, because they cast off their first faith. Undoubtedly, what they believed with their first faith was true; or their first faith was a true faith, else they would not have damnation because they cast it off; but there is nothing but damnation takes place in the mind if the first faith is cast off, or they cease to believe the report of the gospel to be true.
To use a similitude: Take a piece of dry sole-leather, it is full of air, cast it into the water; as the water enters, the air will go out, and you may see it rise in bubbles till filled with water, and has expelled the air.
If the belief of the truth emerse the mind and fill it, it rejoices with exceeding great joy. Unbelief stands crowding at the door of the mind with all its objections, and so far as it gets in, it brings self-condemnation or damnation with it. But our unbelief cannot destroy the truth of the gospel that is preached to every creature: If we believe not, he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself.
Hence the exhortations; "We, receiving a kingdom that cannot be moved, let us hold fast the grace whereby we may serve God acceptably," "Hold faff the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus." "Take [Page 10] heed brethren, left there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief; in departing from the living God; for we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end."
The apostle Peter in his second epistle, chap i. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. exhorts those who have obtained like precious faith, to ‘add to their faith, virtue; to virtue; knowledge; to knowledge; temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity: For,’ says he, ‘if these things be in you and abound, they make neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.’
Mark what follows: ‘But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see far off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.’ It seems, his being purged in Christ, was his first faith, he hath forgotten it; what then must take place in his mind but self-condemnation or damnation? while those that do these things shall never fall; but so an entrance shall be ministred abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. What motives have believers to be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord? The belief of the truth, that we are bought with a price, tends to fill the mind with joy that we belong to such a Redeemer, to such a Purchaser; and an excitation to glorify God in our spirits and bodies, which are his.
But those are damnable heresies that deny the Lord that bought them, and such must unavoidably bring on themselves swift destruction: for, if Jesus hath not bought us with his blood, if he hath not delivered us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, there is nothing but destruction and misery, inevitable swift destruction, there is no gospel to be preached to ANY creature.
[Page 11]But I recollect the apostle's expression, ‘Be not deceived, evil communication corrupt good manner; awake to righteousness and sin not.’ To that righteousness in which the Father is well pleased; which hath magnified the law, and made it honourable: So that the Gospel may be preached to EVERY creature.
To Mr. Samuel Stillman, MINISTER of the First BAPTIST CHURCH in BOSTON.
AS your Discourse at the public monthly evening Lecture, on the 29th of June, 1795, (wherein you asserted, That unbelievers are under the law and under the curse) gave occasion to the collection of the foregoing thoughts, that here present themselves to view. You are requested to attend to them, and think whether they are not agreeable to the scriptures: If so, do not suffer your own system, which may have wrapt your mind imperceivably, to prevent your telling the glad tidings to all people.
Sir, be pleased to ask yourself, "Doth not my system confine me from preaching the gospel to every creature? from repeating without limitation, the [Page 12] gospel preached to Abraham and confirmed to him by an oath, That in thy seed (which is Christ) shall all the families of the earth be blessed; while the psalmist assures us, He hath remembered his covenant forever; the word he commanded to a thousand generations which he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac, and confirmed the same to Jacob by a law?"
It seems probable, that the law by which he confirmed the same to Jacob and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, was the law of circumcision, originally given as a token of the covenant, which was a seal of the righteousness of the faith, which Abraham had, yet being uncircumcised. Is not this seal used by the Jews among all nations to this day, as a standing testimony of the truth of the gospel preached to Abraham, which insures the blessedness of all the nations, kindreds, and families of the earth in Christ Jesus? Dare any of our Father's children presume to break his will thus sealed, by saying, It did not mean all the nations of the earth, it is only some out of all nations; it only meant me, an elect believer *, not thou, a reprobate unbeliever? What contentions must arise in the family, whom he hath directed to love one another, consequent hereupon, about the Father's will, which is expressed so plainly, and confirmed by an oath, and sealed with such a seal, manifest in all places, where the Jews are scattered to this day.
Again, please to ask yourself, Can I publish without reserve, the truth of Isaiah's testimony, chap. xliv. 22. ‘I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins return unto me, [Page 13] for I have redeemed thee.’ Or that in chap. xlv 21. ‘I the LORD, and there is no God else beside me, a just God and a Saviour, none besides me.’ Or that by Jerem. iii. 14. ‘Turn, O backsliding children, for I am married to you.’ Or that by John i. 29. ‘Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.’ Or 1 John ii. 2. ‘And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the whole world.’ Or by Peter, Acts iii. 21, who spake of the restitution of all things, spoken of by the mouth of all God's holy prophets, before the world began; and verse 26. says, ‘God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every o ne of you from his iniquities.’ 2d epistle, iii. 9, ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ Or the profession of the believing Samaritans, who heard Jesus themselves, and knew that it was the Saviour of the world, John iv. 42. Or the doctrine of Paul, Rom. v. from verse 6th to the end. 2 Corinth. v. 14, ‘For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again.’ Verse 19, ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their trespasses.’ Verse 21, ‘For he hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ This he proves from Christ being heard and accepted when thus made sin for us. "For he saith," chap. vi. 2, ‘I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in a day of salvation have I succoured thee; behold now the accepted time,’ &c. 1 Tim. ii. 1 to 7; ‘[Page 14] God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.’
Left I should tire, I will only mention Rev v. 13. ‘And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I say, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power unto him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever.’
Admit the truth, that Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, and all these texts have no difficulty in them: deny that truth, and you cannot possibly get along consistently with any of them.
The motive that has excited me thus to write, so far as I am able to judge, is a threefold one. First, That I might speak of the glory of our Redeemer, who hath delivered us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; to the glory of his name. Secondly, That I might have an opportunity to bring to view to the afflicted minds and consciences of those who are taught to believe that they are under the law and under the curse, the scripture testimony, that our Divine Redeemer hath delivered them Thirdly, That I might act a friendly, faithful part, in love to you, in pointing to the scriptures, which I apprehend, shew that you herein mistake the truth.
I am aware it may be thought a repetition by some, inasmuch as the sentiment may be gathered from that collection, intitled, Gospel News, already printed. But, when I reflect on the importance of the subject, I am encouraged, especially, as I have the example of Paul; who, when cautioning the Philippians to beware of the concision or cutting off a part of the [...] Christ, says, ‘To write the same things to you to the indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.’ And who used repetition in Gal. i 8, 9, [Page 15] and said, "As we said before, so now say I again." &c. Which, reproveth any man (whosoever he be, for God excepteth no man's person) who shall preach any other gospel, than Paul and his companions preached, and the first believers received.
Accept it from the love of your unfeigned Friend,
To Mr. John Clark, MINISTER of the First GATHERED CHURCH in BOSTON.
WITH great pleasure and satisfaction I have read the greatest part of your Answer to the Question, Why am I a Christian? The excellency of the moral precepts, and your unanswerable arguments for the truth of christianity, must approve themselves to every man's conscience, and be delightful to every christian reader. But will you bear with me in a spirit of meekness and love, to take notice of [...] which appear to draw a vail over the glory of the gospel, wherein the true God is distinguished from every one that is called God, and appears [...], as it is expressed.
[Page 16] Micah vii. 8, 9, 10. ‘Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage; he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy, he will turn again, he will have compassion upon us, he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea; thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn to our fathers in the days of old.’
If we read the forogoing part of the chapter to the 7th verse, we shall see that there is no reason in man for this gracious declaration. The prophet appeared sensible of this in verse 7; ‘Therefore I will look to the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation.’ Verse 9; ‘He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.’ Neither is there any expressed in the three verses first mentioned, it is because he delighteth in mercy: He will, he will, he will is three times repeated. ‘Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn to our fathers in the days of old:’ The mercy and truth included in the gospel preached to Abraham; which is an unconditional gospel.
All false religion that I have ever heard of proposes pardon to the penitent and the fulfiller of certain conditions, according to their various orders.
The glory of the true God is made manifest in that he finds in himself a divine reason, to forgive the most destitute and unworthy, for his name's sake, for his mercy's sake, for his truth's sake, for his oath's sake, for the glory of his name.
I would now proceed to take notice of the expressions alluded to. You say in page 5th, speaking of Jesus Christ. "I believe he was authorized by God to proclaim forgiveness to the penitent, and to reveal [Page 17] a state of immortal glory and blessedness to those that fear God and work righteousness." When I had read this sentence, I paused to make a mark in the margin of my book, as follows:
Glory be to God, Jesus Christ is exalted a Prince and Saviour, to give repentance as well as remission of sins, Acts v. 31. And he calls us to repentance because he has found a divine reason of forgiveness in himself. ‘I, I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’ Isa xliii. 25. ‘I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins: Return unto me, for I have redeemed thee,’ Isa. xliv. 22. ‘I will put my fear in their hearts, and they shall not depart from me.’
As I progressed in reading in page 11th, you profess your belief, "That God requires obedience to his laws, and consequently reseats the infraction; that forgiveness is possible and repentance and reformation the conditions."
On reading this sentence, I paused; and, as it were, imagined myself, while looking on the book, (with grateful admiration and reverence be it spoken) surrounded by Moses and the prophets. Jesus Christ and his apostles, as a voice behind me, saying. This is the way.
MOSES.
The Lord thy God did not set his love on you, nor choose you, because ye were more than any people, but because the Lord loved you.
The PROPHETS.
Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.
O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy help.
[Page 18]I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.
JESUS CHRIST.
The poor have the gospel preached to them.
The Son of Man is come to save that which is lost.
I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
The HEARERS of JESUS CHRIST.
We have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
The APOSTLES.
Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.
When he had by himself, purged our sins.
I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.
The gift of God, is, eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
How will it do to add, Repentance and reformation are the conditions, judge ye? Are they the conditions of everlasting love, which is manifest in drawing with loving-kindness; in helping the self-destroyed; in healing the backsliding, and loving them freely; in sending the gospel to the poor; in saving the lost; in the gift of God, which is, eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord?
The knowledge of divine love thus made manifest, [Page 19] is the spring from whence flow repentance and reformation, but they are not the conditions of divine love manifested in forgiveness. The expression appears to me to contain in embryo, the whole doctrine of desert of grace, held in the Romish church.
It appears to me a matter of sober importance; suffer me therefore to add, let it have its due weight, and come to a conclusion in your own mind. Either to preach God our Saviour saving for his own name's sake, and freely giving repentance; as well as remission of sins: Or, saving only on condition of repentance and reformation. Be pleased, Sir, to bring it home; you have a respectable character among men, and are as likely perhaps, as any, to have performed the conditions of conditional salvation; having had as many advantages therefor as any man. Will or can you plead your repentance and reformation, as the condition of your forgiveness, before God? Or must you be obliged to go in the strength of the Lord God, and say with the psalmist, Psalm lxxi. 16, ‘I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.’ Let what satisfies your mind, occupy your pen, and proceed from your mouth: permit me to remind you of Psalm lxxi. 15. 24. as a safe example.
‘My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness, thy salvation all the day, for I know not the numbers. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long.’ If we know not the numbers, we shall find it is a subject that cannot be exhausted, the numbers will flow and unfold, to furnish new discoveries of grace, mercy, peace and love, to animate the new song, and employ the tongue all day long, thro' time and eternity.
If you should think I take too much upon me in these interrogations, I will present it in the language of scripture, and turn your attention to Isa. xliii. 25, 26. ‘I, I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions [Page 20] for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance; let us plead together: declare thou that thou mayest be justified.’
Thus I have taken notice of two exceptionable passages in your otherwise truly valuable production, and cannot but hope, I have been constrained thereto from a sense of duty; for the glory of God our Saviour, and the benefit of those whose minds are perplexed for want of the conditions you make mention of: And wish you to esteem me your unfeigned Friend,
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteousness: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, that hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants.
And my tonque shall speak of thy righteousness, of thy praise, all the day long.
HAVING been favoured by a friend with some thoughts on the glory of the Lord, which appeared to me agreeable to the good news of the gospel, which is (as saith the wise man, Prov. xii. 25) that good word which maketh the heart glad, even when heaviness maketh it stoop; they are here inserted, that those that give credit to the gospel may be enlivened and quickened in looking for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God, our Saviour Jesus Christ, as follows:
‘When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory.’
[Page 21] Question. What are we to understand by his glory? and coming in his glory?
For answer we find, before he leaves this world, he calls upon his Father to glorify him And why does he claim the glory? Because he had finished the work given him to do. We then hear Jesus say, ‘Father, I will that those which thou hast given me be with me, where I am, that they may behold my glory’
Question. Who were given to Jesus?
All that the Father had; he had power over all flesh, the heathen are given to him his inheritance, and the utmost part of the earth his possession. Query. Shall not all that were given to him, come to him? shall they not behold his glory, the glory of his finished work? We find him coming in his glory, with all the holy angels with him. Is not this his glory that he finished, the work that was given him to do? which was ‘to seek and save that which was lost, to destroy the works of the devil,’ that he might draw all men to him? Did he not when on the cross, draw all men to him? We find all nations are gathered before him in the passage first mentioned, Question. For what? Ans. That there might be a complete and eternal separation between what he came to save, and what he came to destroy, manifested to the assembled world; agreeable to what Isaiah said, chap. xl. 5. ‘And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see together for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ Again, ‘All flesh shall come and worship before me, saith the Lord.’ chap. lxvi. 29. And we read, Luke iii. 6, ‘All flesh shall see the salvation of God.’
When the angels come to celebrate the birth of the new-born king, they proclaim good news and glad tidings to all people, because the Saviour is born. Then they sing the song, "Glory to God in the [Page 22] highest." Why do they sing this song? The answer is, Because there is peace on earth, and good-will towards men.
Paul tells us to ‘judge nothing before the time, till the Lord comes, who, both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then shall every man have praise of God.’ Query. Why shall every man have praise of God, when he appears? Ans. Because he is the head of every man, and he in this nature, and for this nature, fulfilled the law they had broke; and he, by the grace of God, tasted that death for every man. Therefore, he is called the just God and the Saviour, and having finished the work of salvation for all, he comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, to make a full display of his glory, in the salvation of all his own, in the eyes of all the nations, the complete and eternal separation and destruction of the works of the devil, with all the plants that God did not plant under the figure of the tares; or as the wood, hay, stubble, that is built by man on the foundation, is to be burnt up; though the foolish builder himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.
We find the beast and the false prophet, death and hell after they are emptied, with the devil, are all together cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death. Rev. xx. 13, 14.15. Is not the same figure held up under the carcases in Isa. lxvi. 23, 24, when all flesh are brought to worship before the Lord? All flesh had sinned, so that all flesh had carcases; all flesh come to worship, separated from their carcases, their bodies of sin and death; and they (the carcases) shall be abhorred of all flesh, when they go forth to look upon them, agreeable to Ezek. xvi. 63. ‘That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of this shame, when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou [Page 23] hast done, saith the Lord God.’ The worm may gnaw, and the fire burn, but the men are separated and saved from them; then nothing shall hurt or destroy in all that holy mountain. Our God is one, and his work one, and he is the [...] yesterday, to-day and forever, without change, according to Mal. iii. 6. ‘I the LORD. I change not; therefore, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ Here we see the salvation of men depends on the unchangeable God, for he is of one mind, and none can turn him. All this is to bring to pass his glory, for all things were made by him for his glory, and he will not be disappointed, nor will he give his glory to another.
Blessed be our God, he changes not: But evil was permitted to enter this world, that there might be a more full display of his glory, agreeable to Romans viii. 20, 21.
We adore his power who hath all power in heaven and on earth: we admire his justice in destroying sin, and punishing the sinners in such a way, as to bring them back again to their Father and their God, by the glory of the finished work of Jesus Christ our Lord: we bless and praise his love, for God is love, that he so loved the world, as to give them his Son, to suffer and die in our room and stead; for he died for our sins, and rose again for our justification; he fulfilled the law, and was made honourable; he, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man, and his blood cleanseth from all sin; he, the Lamb of God, that beareth away the sin of the world.
Therefore, by the eye of faith, let us see him come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, and see all nations gathered before him: Let us see the separation of all evil, of all sorts, from his inheritance, and destroyed; and all his own saved, all that he made and saw good, and blessed; and in this way see a full display of his glory, his power to create, [Page 24] his justice to punish, and his love to save, and bring back that which was driven away.
Let us therefore, who believe our God to be one, his work one, without change, give unto him all honour, glory, blessing and praise, for he only is worthy; and never harbour a thought, that our God will be disappointed of his glory, or that any power can take any of his creatures from him, and in that way disappoint him in his plan of government; but give unto him the glory that is due to his name and be still, and know that he is God, and that the Judge of all will do that which is right. He will come in his glory, and make a full display of it; and all flesh shall see together.