DIVINE DECREE, AND FREE WILL: OR, MORE NOTES ON PROPHECY. BY THE AUTHOR OF THE SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL HISTORY OF ALSO, OF WORKS UPON THE BOOKS OF GENESIS, JOB, THE PROPHETS, LONDON: WILLIAM MACINTOSH, 24, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1868. 101.9 257. "I KNOW, GOD, GOD WILL GIVE IT THEE." (JOHN xi. 22.) THAT EVEN NOW, WHATSOEVER THOU WILT ASK OF "HE WHICH TESTIFIETH THESE THINGS SAITH, SURELY I COME QUICKLY, AMEN. EVEN SO, COME, LORD JESUS." (REV. xxii. 20.) "THOU SHALT CALL THY WALLS SALVATION, AND THY GATES PRAISE." (Isaiah lx. 18.) INTRODUCTION. IN In my Introduction to my last volume on this Book of the Revelation, I said, "I believe if now such a protest were made against Romanism as was made at the time of the Reformation; and if we were entirely to expel its subtle spirit from Church and State; at the same time putting down as much State as possible, God could, and would so otherwise interpret this prophecy, that great glory should accrue to His people." It was God who then spake in me, because He had this second interpretation to be laid before them; it was revealed to me in a moment, although for years with prayer and diligent study I had sought for any other explanation of the mystical seven, if any such might be found. Thus proving that the first interpretation was to be completed first. This second interpretation would have been before the public months ago, but for an unavoidable delay of the publisher. The prophecy does admit of the two interpretations, and 65 thus I have named this last one, "Divine Decree, and Free Will." As some one has said, "That which is at once the glory and shame of man, is his power to choose" his will. But let me not be misunderstood upon this vital point. I am not going to teach that we can do anything worthy of the Lord's coming. "I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof," is our true position. I say, I am not going to teach that we can merit heaven by our obedience, that we have a free will to work out a justifying obedience, or that we can in any way bring anything in our hand to God but the blood of Christ, anything save in the name of that blood, oh no; God has put His veto upon any such false teaching. By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Rom. iii. 20, 23.) But God does require moral courage, a high standard of obedience in proportion to the light we have received, to the knowledge we possess, and in proportion to the privileges we enjoy. We cannot now better commend His Word to the whole world to whom we have given it, than by conformity to it ourselves. We must as a nation and a people be "living epistles" of the truth of Christ, and exemplifying it by our lives. He does expect holiness, obedience, and still higher attainment in proportion to the work of His Holy Spirit already wrought upon the heart. He does expect conformity to the Word, now that we have it as we have, taught, preached, interpreted, translated into every language, multiplied a thousandfold, and presented to all nations for their acceptance; I say, we must now as a nation practically accept it from God for ourselves. "Blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it." (Luke xi. 28.) And our Lord's teaching upon this subject is plain, which is not the withering teaching of works subversive of the doctrine of life in Himself, but as a consequence of it. And, therefore, I shall not be heretical, but strictly Scriptural. He said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. vii. 21.) And after He had not only proclaimed the letter of the law, but revealed the Divine spirit of it, He delivered that sublime epitome on the subject, that nothing can surpass. (vii. from verse 24.) And again He said, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him; and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (John xiv. 23.) Although the coming of Christ to sinful men is absolutely and alone of grace, does He not here make His coming in the fullness of His presence somewhat conditional? And this is precisely what I mean by free will; when we do know God and love Him, we are no longer to consult flesh and blood, to be in subjection to any passion, or misrule whatever, but to overcome, to keep His words. And if we do not do this, we do sin against the Holy Ghost, and for sin against Him there is no forgiveness. (Matt. xii.) God has decreed the salvation of His people, and that that salvation shall now very quickly be brought in; but without good heed to His Word, "the sure word of prophecy"-without the exercise of the faculties of free will, salvation will be delayed, till the right spirit," the spirit of obedience be induced. "He that over |