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Download PDF - Free Methodist Church

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138 THE EARNEST CHBISTLAN.Matt. xxvi. 24—" It had been goodfor that man if he had never been bora."Not so if at some period in etemity heshall emerge from the fires of heU tothe endless bUss of heaven.Luke xvi. 25—" But Abraham saidunto him, son, remember that thou inthy life time receivedst thy good things."Therefore no good things are for thee inthe eternal world. But Eestorationismcontradicts father Abraham, and says toDives: " There is an eternity of good• things ahead of thee."Matt. xu. 32—"Thereis a sin whichhath never forgiveness, neither in thisworld, neither in the vrorld to come."No forgiveness, no heaven.If Eestorationism wUl stiU maintainin the face of this Scripture array, thatthe ungodly will be saved after a termof torment in tbe etemal world, then itmust ground their salvation on the virtueof that torment and not on theatonement; and then it is inewtablyforced to the ensuing conclusions: thatthis purgatory of torment has power toaccomplish that which the atonementfailed to accomplish, which, Jesus theMeditator was impotent to accomplish,which God the Holy Ghost withall his convicting.and regenerating powerwa,s inadequate to bring to pass.Jesus said: "And I, if I be liftedup wUl draw aUmen untome." How?by his constraining love and the powerof the Spirit and the influences of truth.But, according to Eestorationism, multitudes-whom these faUed effectually todraw, purgatory w'ill effectually draw;therefore purgatory has more moral potencythan Christ and the Holy Ghost,and all Gospel influences. Terror thenprevaUs over lo-i^e; and the testimoniesof those redeenied and purified by thefires of, this hell^ must be, not the loveof Christ constraineth us, but "thefierce flames." ^ Jesus could not conquerthem, but hell flre did; thereforehell fire is their iconqueror, sa-viour andking. And in heaven they must rendersupreme honor to their saviour and king.And while those! ransomed by calvary'scrimson stream, are crying, " All praiseto Him -who lo-ved us and washed usfrom our sins in his own blood ! " a voicewUl be heard arising with theirs, " ASpraise tp hell fire, which burned us outAnd 0 what a dissonance that wilmake among the symphonies of the redeemed!This torment is simply the law operatingthrough its penalty upon the sinnerin eternity; punishing him intoobedience ; then, the law is superior tothe gospel; for it achieves what thegospel could not; and the law in itspenalty too, in its curse accomplishesthis, tiiat is, that which the Saviourcame to save from, the penalty of thecurse, has more virtue to save than theSaviour himself. 1Calvary is leveled then, and Sinai be-icomes the mount of redemption, the Pis]gah from which even the damned in hellshaU look into the heaven awaiting themjOh Eestorationism! thon angel o^light, thou chUd of the pit, how thoijdost blot out the atonement! Ho^thou dost demean the Gospel! Howthou dost make the sulphurous tide dtthe burning lake better than the bloodof tiie Son of God!BNCOUEAGEMENTS FOE THjTEMPTED."When I have been laden -with siand pestered with several temptatioiand in a very sad manner, then havjeI had the trial of the virtue of ChristJsblood, with trial of the virtue ef otherthings; and I have found that whantears would not do, prayers wonld nj)tdo, repentings and all other things couldhot reach my heart, O then one touckone drop; one shining of the virtue jofTHE BLOOD, of that blood that was letout with a spear, it hath in such a blessedmanner delivered me, that it hsfthmade me to marvel. O, methinks! ithath come with such life, such powjer,with such irresistible and marvellousglory, that it wipes off all the slurs,! silencesall the outcries, and quenches jailthe fiery darts and all the flames of hellfire, that are begotten by the charges ofthe la-w, Satan, and doubtful remelmbrancesof my- sinful life.—Bunyan.

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