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Wesley Free Grace
By John Wesley
Sermon 128
(text from the 1872 edition)
(page 1 of 2)
Preached at Bristol, in the year 1740
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!"
ADVERTISEMENT
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?" -Romans, 8:32
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!
The grace or love of God, whence cometh our salvation, is FREE IN ALL, and FREE FOR ALL.
I. It is free in all to whom it is given.
II. The doctrine of predestination is not a doctrine of God.
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III. Predestination destroys the comfort of religion, the happiness of Christianity.
IV. This uncomfortable doctrine also destroys our zeal for good works.
V. Furthermore, the doctrine of predestination has a direct and manifest tendency to overthrow
the whole Christian Revelation.
VI. And at the same time, makes that Revelation contradict itself.
VII. Predestination is a doctrine full of blasphemy.
I.
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.
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."
1. This is 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."
2. 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
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(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 decree, which is supposed unchangeable
and irresistible, by hardening the hearts of those vessels of wrath whom that decree had before
fitted for destruction.
3. 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."
4. Is not this what you mean by the election of grace? If it be, I would ask one or two questions:
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 nor 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 nor less than what others call God's decree of reprobation.
5. 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, one 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.
6. 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 souls -- 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 your hearing is also vain.
II.
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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.
1. 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 from 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.
III.
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."
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1. And as to you who believe yourselves the elect of God, what is your happiness? I hope, 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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!"
IV.
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
so 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
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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 your zeal for good
works; for all good works; but particularly for the greatest of all, the saving of souls from death.
V.
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!"
VI.
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 114:9) 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
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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)
1. 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)
2. 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)
VII.
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 grieved with them that do thus blaspheme, see that
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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!"
1. 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 one 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;" EthelEsa
-- kai 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!
2. 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!
3. 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? It cannot be. Whatever that Scripture
proves, it never proved 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
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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.
4. 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.' "
5. 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?"
6. 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
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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)
7. 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)
