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VOl..
XXI
ALLEGHENY,
PA.,
DECEMBER
J,
1900
No.
23
WHAT
HOPE
FOR
THE
INNUMERABLE
NON-ELECT~
WHAT
SAY
THE
SCRIPTURES
RESPECTING
THE
NON-ELECT'?
In
the
Scriptures
the
non-elect
arc
of
two
classes:
First·
Those
who
in
the
present
life
were
(l)enlightened,
(2)
justi
fied
through
faith,
(3)
called,
and
accepting
the
call
werp
sanctified
and
begotten
of
the
holy
spirit,
and
started
on
thl'
course
with
a
view
to
making
their
calling
and
election
BUrl'
-but
who
have
not
made
it
sure,
but
on
the
contrary
haw·
failed,
by
not
coming
fully
up
to
the
requirements.
This
class
in
turn
is
Scripturally
divided
into
two
par
tie,,:-
(a)
Those
who
sin
wilfully
after
that
they
have
received
a
~~owledge
of
the
truth,
and
been
made
partakers
of
the
holy
splnt,
etc.
For
those
there
remaineth
no
more
a
sharp
in
thl'
~acrifice
of
Christ-no
fnrther
mercy,
opportunity
or
hopp
To
thpm
the
re~u1t
i,
the
second
dpath---nol\(·ntit\'.
Hl'l)
1;:4-6;
10'26,27.
.
(b)
The
other
class
consists
of
those
who,
while
at
hCltrt
preferring
1
ighteousness
and
truth,
and
loving
the
I,ord,
havp
not
become
copies
of
God's
dcar
~on,
in
that
they
fail
to
at
hdn
tt)
his
Spirit
of
full
devotion
of
heart
to
the
'dohl"
of
tIlt'
Father's
will-rather
thl'j'
permit
themselves
to
bppo~e
over
"!I:Jrged
with
thp
C:1res
of
this
life
and
the
deceitfulness
of
I'Iche~,
and
thus
fail
to
complete
that
saprificl>
aeponling
t.(,
their
t'O\enant.
lPll!
hpn,·p
t'lil
to
lm,kp
IJH'lr
(',illill"
.\Ill!
\1)("1'
,·Iection
sure.
For
these
the
Lord
haq
a
,~rolciol1~
!,rovl~i()n
as
suggested
in
TIe\'.
7:
1~-1fi.
Tht'y
will
not
he
utterly
COli
f"uJ]cled,
bpcause
they
have
trustpd
in
him
\
PS:l
~~;,),
:llId
he
will
surely
calTY
them
through.
Yet
the
Lortl'~
int('rvt'!!
tion
on
their
behalf
must
he
strit't1y
fllong
th"
lines
of
hi
('ovpnant
and
general
plan-he
cannot
interferp
with
their
fref'
moral
agency;
he
will
not
coerpe
thdr
wills,
but
he
can
and
will
brin!!
them
to
8uph
a
placp
of
(''i:peripI)('c
11~
\\
ill
tpsl
them
and
compel
them
either
t.o
rpnOUI1CP
tlH'ir
10\':111y
to
!Jim
or
to
seal
thnt
10yfllty
with
their
liv('~
Tho~("
wh~
rt'
1I0unce
tile
Lord
will,
of
course,
in
so
doin?:
bring
upon
them
~el\'es
the
penalty
of
the
s('cond
c1enth.
hu~
U(O"C
',-!lo,
under
'oueh
compltlsory
circumstances,
arp
faithful.
(,:1ll1lOt
be
counte,1
as
of
the
same
likeness
with
God'A
den
Son.
who,
wit.hout
('ompulsion,
voluntarily
gave
up
his
life
in
thc
Folthl'r's
serv
ice.
The
little
flock
of
the
elect
church
will
contnill
all
of
this
class,
and
to
them
WIll
bp
granted
thc
kingdom,
and
W
~it
with
Christ
in
his
throne,
and
to
he
the
temple
of
God
and
to
have
the
crowns,
(Rev.
3
'21;
I
Pet.
!}:4)
But
thp
other'!,
who
will
"come
up
out
of
great
tribulation,"
h'win;::
washed
their
robes
and
maLIc
thl'm
white
in
the
blood
of
th"
Lamb,
altho
tlleY
will
have
suffered
eClll:l11y
as
much
a"
th"
elect
(more
indeed,
if
th('
mental
conditions
are
bkpn
into
ronsideration)
will
not.
get
a
crown
of
vi
dOl
v.
hnt
:l
palm
of
victory;
will
not
g('t
a
seat
in
the
throne
with
thpir
Lord,
a~
his
brid(',
but
nevert.heless
an
honorable
place
before
the
throne
as
servant'!,
They
will
not
beeoJ1]('
pillars
ani!
stones
in
tht'
living
temple
of
Uod,
but
they
will
have
the
honorahle
privi
lege
of
serving
God
in
his
temple,
the
church.
This
class
is
1101..
prominently
referred
to
in
the
Scriptures.
1I0r
in
the
types
and
symbol"
even;
because
none
were
called
to
this
position,
but,
as
tl\C
Apostle
dee1areR,
"Y
r
were
all
pa1!ed
in
one
hope
of
your
calling"-to
the
highest
place
of
ioint
hl'irship.
(Eph.
4:4)
ThE'
position
attained
by
thesc
is
an
unpromised
one,
of
t.he
Lord's
abundant
mercy.
Second:
The
second
(,lass
of
non·elect
from
the
Scriptural
viewpoint
is
the
world
of
mankind.
including
three
classes:-
(a)
It
includes
those
who
have
never
had
any
knowledge
of
God's
provision
of
grace
in
Christ,
and
who
consequently
cnuhl
not
have
gone
on
further
to
bp
of
the
called
elect
clas.~
of
this
age.
(b)
It
inpludes
those
who
have
heard
of
the
grace
of
God.
but
in
that
indistinct,
indefinite
manner
which
does
not
bring
conviction-those
who
have
seen
in
Jesus
something
wonder·
ful
and
great
and
admirable,
but
who
have
never
seen
him
from
the
Lord's
standpoint
of
Redeemer
and
Saviour-their
eyes
being
blinded
to
the
manifold
enl
llIf1uenppR
of
"th"
vol!
of
this
world,"
business
or
pleasure
or
love
of
money
or
dis
tracting
religiol'~
dogmas.
These,
not
having
seen
and
not
having
accepted
0hrist
as
the
Redeemer,
could
f{0
no
furthl'r
Sure
of
Winning
in
QQd's
Election."]
respecting
the
eternal
torment,
but
also
re"pecting
the
eternal
bliss:
and
additionally
it
casts
serious
doubt
upon
the
Book
of
divine
revelation
which
is
the
only
foundation
for
heaven
ly
hopes,
because
they
believe
it
to
be
n
l~o
the
authority
for
their
"hellish
fears."
13SS-3SIi)
THE
GF.NI:ROSITY
COMMENDABLE
BUT
THE
THEORY
WRONG
\\'"
pallllOt
hllt
"}lI1j>:lthi/','
\lith
t.he
gn'at('f
gcnpro-.ity
of
',Ill'
,lay
whi('h
1'3
£:r:llh.dly
cOlllil1~
tn
di'3own
such
a
theory,
a
Ill!
WI
mU'lt
nl~o
'ylllp:ltl,i/l'
with
that
sentiment
whiph
ha"
Rought
to
I
esc'ue
frol1l
'111ch
an
11\1£111
future
the
lovpd
ones
of
tI,c
pre'-\l'llt
!ifp,
1I0\\'('\-C1
e\'il
and
injurioll"
they
may
have
upen.
But.
while
thi-
int'rea"e
of
benevolenpe
is
commend·
ablc
it
is
bringing
th,~
lellleJy
from
the
wrong
quarter.
It
is
bringmlt
a
rcmedy
"hidl,
\\ln1c
it
is
to
some
cxtent
eonsol·
ing
to
"'the
heart
mompntanly.
Iit'Yerthele'!s
leaves
a
terrible
fear,
!est
peradventure
the
high
"bndnrdR
of
the
Scripture
may
be
rpquircd,
and
lh:lt.
all
not
cOlllinl-'(
up
to
thpm
will
""ffer
excrutiating-Iy
1n
othprs
it
IpadR
to
d/)1Lbt~,
not
only
[2732]
[Continued
from
our
last
issue,
''Make
In
our
last
issUl'
we
found
abundant
Scripture
evidence
that
God
is
selecting
a
little
flock
from
amongst
mankind
to
be
joint
heirs
with
our
Lord
Jesus
in
the
Millennial
king
dom.
That
fact
bcing
proven,
it
cannot
be
questioned
that
all
the
remainder
of
munklJlcl
are
non-elect.
The
question
now
iq,
What
provi'lion
ha"
the
gn~at
Creator
made
for
this
clas~
-numbering
at
least
fifty
thousands
of
millions
of
all
the
families
of
the
earth?
Is
this
condition
hopeles'l
or
not?
According
to
orthodoxy
it
is
hopeless-the
theory
being
that
all
the
non-elcct
of
mankind
were
predestinated
by
Go(1
to
be
sufferers
of
eternal
torment;
but
we
find
no
Scripture
what
ever
in
support
of
such
a
theory.
So
surely
as
God
did
elect
or
predestinate
an
elect
c1as~
he
must
equally
have
predesti
nah·d
and
foreordained
that
there
would
be
a
non-elpct
class.
And
to
suppose
that
he
foreordained
that
this
non-elect
class
8hou1<1
suffpr
eternal
t.orment
"ould
he
to
supposc
God
a
1ll01l~tr'l'.
,!pvoi<l
of
c·\
PI.V
~"lItIItWllt
ot
in~ti(·p.
not
to
It,pIl
tion
love.
And
if
Go(1
<lid
not
foreordain
the
non-elect
to
pt.ernal
torment.
ndtlwr
cou1<1
h,>
have
authorized
any
to
usp
(·tf'rnal
tonTient
a..,
a
threat
against.
the
non-elect-neither
to
mtirnjclatp
thelJl
nor
fCll
any
other
purposp.
Indeed,
what
ob
JC'pt
could
there
hp
on
(:od's
part
in
endeavoring
to
scare
the
w:J"ld
of
m:mkmcl
into
striving
to
be
of
the
elect
little
.flock,
"h"n
Ill'
had
all
ca(ly
prt'(lpstimltpc
that
only
a
small
number
"olllpa
rati\'el)'
coulc!
be
of
this
elect
flock?
The
whole
matter.
\
i(
,\
ecl
frolJl
any
'ouch
st.11H1point,
i'3
unreasonable.
Lpt
us
notict',
on
the
cOlltl
ary,
that
this
eternal
torment
th,'ory
lIlay
properly
be
charge(l
with
nearly
every
deflection
flora
til<'
dodll(\c'
01
thc'
I)('('('-~d,-
tor
hO!IlH''',
of
lifp
Oil
tI,l'
i,.ll
t.
of
Co,!'
...
!,('oplp.
EI
('I'.'
one
'"
110
h.1S
read
with
care
th~
I-'CI
ipl
111
('~
aln'ady
cit",l
"hich
I'('f('r
to
t
hI'
cleet
class
mllst
[('ah?(,
thrtl
til('
~trt!l'lalll
which
Uo,l
has
spt
"for
thl'
verv
,1",,1"
i"
a
vcry
Id:.dl
...
t.1J1'lald·
nIHI
that.
comparatively
few-':'
qlllt,
olily-pvel
flU.lin
t'l
t.hat
higll
stamlanl.
All
\\
ill
fle·
I,ll
,\II.
dc;p
that
,,('r,v
fl'w
01
t1lcir
fl'lcnd"
and
ndghbon"
l'al'ent~
Ill,}
c·:tildn·p,
lir"tlll·]S
an,!
~i~tl'J'''',
hn>,h:lIlJs
and
wives,
who
1::11.,
(Ii(
oJ,
!'(nIlcl
hflVP
:tI,."
h'lpe
of
heing-
in
the
"elect
cla~s,"
,j('('oJfllllg
to
thr'
high
~1:1n",lr,l
for
that
cbss
set
in
tl,e
Scrip·
t'n
e~'
:1II"
y('t
th"
:1\1
fllhJ('~,
of
the
theory
they
hold
respeet
J11~
t
1",
llnll
('!I.pt,
ha~
dri\t'll
ttli'm
ie,
so
modify
the
standard
,t
Chri"tI:ll1
li\ill!.:
tlJ.l1
\\olll.l
],
..
aC"eptable
to
God
ai
to
ill'
(III':"
tJll'~l'
<1".<1
11
"'lId~.
I'h1l,
dav
hI'
d,l\',
awl
('elltllr\,
11\
(·(·:otllly,
rtf!
d('rttll~,
(,','lIr
in
('\ery
f.lJ1]ily
connection,
the'ten
,11':1('.1,
l1I,cler
1
Ill'
inl1l1l'l1""
of
tl.e
IhlpuJar
error
of
et.t'rnal
1..01'
m"!'l
i-;
t.o
Ic>\\('r
in
t1:p
tllilHl'3
of
nIl
Christian
people
tllP
....
r-l'1l1
1
1'1
(If
1
t
ttl'
11l1111lt
......
}
-
"\lVil:n
lP,IItIlPl
of
per-....on:-,
Ollf1ltt
\\(.
jt)
!<l'"
Til"
flllll'ral
di~c')lIr,('s
in
ne.uly
every
case
help
ior·
w:lnl
t1d~
I\ork
(If
1il"h'l'Il1in11l~
the
Cllristian
standard,
and
drf'l'pif1[!"
It
to
:l
wOI'I,I1.\'
l.'\!'!
of
1I1Olulity-and
scarcely
even
ilJ·~t,
1.(·P:11H('
('\pn
I,er'l),,~
\\
ho
ltre
lIotorionsly
immoral,
un·
n",!.
\'\101
tionists,
d,·.
:1I1o!
II
ho
h.we
verv
little
indeed
tCl
;'UIIIII1"III!
theil!,
111'('
f,'1t
t,)
!ll'
not
SUfficiently
bad
to
be
"'(·Illall.,
torn'(IJt"d:
.Iwl
lIItdt'r
the
theory
that
they
must
go
,·iEwl'
~o
:1
h('.l\(·n
"I
!'tl'rnnl
hli""
or
to
a
hell
of
etern:ll
tor
IIipnt
IlI"Y
Ill'!.
111
th"i
..
11\
i;~hbors'
minds,
admitted
gener
,,,:,11
1,1
llip
[01111''1'
1.I1_her
than
consigned
to
the
latter.
V\
h,lt
ihc·akll!.lh!(,
11.1]111
h'H
11l'Pll
introduced
into
the
faith
",.r:
j,op",
pf
('hri-tl'llo!oll1
thl'ough
this
God
dishonoring
doc
!t]l,
of
,h'!TJ:l1
j"l'l,I.-nL
\I
I,ip!l
ill11Jlicatps
the
great
.]pllOvnh
(-
rl."
,·I.i.'l,'"
t'ollllutor
of
Satan,~the
planner,
t.hC'
de~ignl'1
of
:.~:
1:1-
:""
Ildll,d
de\,jli~bnC's'3,
the
one
without
whose
co
":",',,f
,.,1'
~,.d,1It
""do!
no!
b:l\l'
dont'
all
t.hat
he,
a'l
ordinarily
I'.,.j
",
",j
h"
-
.10'"
,'n,]
i,
(l..!lIg,-dol1linating
!l
host
of
fin',
101,
"I
:tlld
f"'l1l
i'I""f
d"\i1~
pitchforks
in
h'l.nd,
tormenting'
".,i:I,,,1'o
01
IllJlll,lnJ1:-'.
d('li,pn'o!
into
tllPir
power
by
thl'
AI·
Illi;Ihl.\·,
and
10.,
"om
..
ill-('r1ltahl<'
l'o,,"PI'
rendered
fire-T\flJof
hut
l1"t
p.t
HI-proof
VoL. XXI ALLEGHENY, PA., DECEMBER 1, 1900 WHAT HOPE FOR THE INNUMERABLE NON-ELECT? No. 23 [Continued from our last issue, “Make Sure of Winning in God’s Election.’’] In our last issue we found abundant Scripture evidence that God is selecting a little flock from amongst mankind to be joint heirs with our Lord Jesus in the Millennial kingdom. That fact being proven, it cannot be questioned that all the remainder of mankind are non-elect. The question now is, What provision has the great Creator made for this class numbering at least fifty thousands of millions of all the families of the earth? Is this condition hopeless or not? According to orthodoxy it is hopeless—the theory being that all the non-elect of mankind were predestinated by God to be sufferers of eternal torment; but we find no Seripture whatever in support of such a theory. So surely as God did elect or predestinate an elect class he must equally have predestinated and foreordained that there would be a non-elect class. And to suppose that he foreordained that this non-elect class should suffer eternal torment would be to suppose God a monster, devoid of every sentiment of justice, not to mention love. And if God did not foreordain the non-elect to eternal torment, neither could he have authorized any to use eternal torment as a threat against the non-elect—neither to intitnidate them nor for any other purpose. Indeed, what object. could there be on Cod’s part in endeavoring to scare the world of mankind into striving to be of the elect little flock, when he had already predestinated that only a small number comparatively could be of this elect flock? The whole matter, viewed from any such standpoint, is unreasonable. Let us notice, on the contrary, that this eternal torment theory may properly be charged with nearly every deflection frome the doetiine of the necessity for holiness of life on the pat of Gods people. Everyone who has read with care the Seriptures already cited which refer to the elect class must reahze that the standard which God has set “for the very cleet”?? is a very high standard: and that comparatively few— sunt. only—ever attain to that high standard. AJL will aeknowl dee that very few of their friends and neighbors, parents ind caildrer, brothers and sisters. husbands and wives, who have dicd, could have any hope of being in the “elect class,” accoidiny to the high -tandard for that class set in the Seriptress and yet the awfulness of the theory they hold respectmy the non elect has driven them to so modify the standard «t Christian living that would be acceptable to God as to inclufe these dear taends, Pint. day by dav, and century Ts ceotusy, as deaths cecur in every family connection, the tendency, under the influence of the pupular error of eternal tor mert is to lewer in the minds of all Christian people the stardord af {rite holaess, - oWhat manner of persons oueht we ty be? Phe fineral discourses in nearly every case help for ward this work of underminmeg the Christian standard, and dropping it to a worldly level of morality—and scarcely even thet, because even persons who are netoriously immoral, unpest. extortionists, ete, and who have very little indeed te commend them, are felf te be not sufficiently bad to be eternally tormented: and under the theory that they must go either to a heaven ot eternal bliss or to a hell of eternal torment they are, in thelre ucighbors’ minds, admitted generonsly to fhe former rather than consigned to the latter. Vobaft incalewtable harm has been introduced into the faith apa hopes of Christendom through this God dishonoring docfive of eternal toriaent. whieh implicates the great Jehovah i the chiete-1 eoulyutor of Satan,—the planner, ihe designer of ett hae aceoredited devilishness, the one without whose cooperation Satan could not have done all that he, as ordinarily paetored has dene and is damg,—dominating a host of fire preet and pom proof devils pitchforks in hand, tormenting aofiions of hunnanity, delivered into their power by the Almighty, and by some in-erutabie power rendered fire-nroof but net puun-proof THE GRNEROSITY COMMENDABLE BUT THE THEORY WRONG We cannot but sympathize with the greater goncrosity cf car day whieh i3 gradually coming to disown such a theory, and we must also savmpethize with that sentiment which has sought to reseue from such an awful future the loved ones of the present life, however evil and injurious they may have been. But while thi- inerease of benevolence igs commendable it igs bringiny the remedy from the wrong quarter. It is bringing a remedy which, winle it is to some extent consoling to the heart momentarily. uevertheless leaves a terrible fear, lest peradventure the high standards of the Scripture may be required, and that all not coming up to them will ruffer excrutiatingly In others it leads to doubts, not only €355 -356) respecting the eternal torment, but also respecting the eterna! bliss: and additionally it casts serious doubt upon the Book of divine revelation which is the only foundation for heavenly hopes, because they believe it to be also the authority for their “hellish fears.” WHAT SAY THE SCRIPTURES RESPECTING THE NON-ELECT? In the Seriptures the non-elect are of two classes: First: Those who in the present life were (1)enlightened, (2) justified through faith, (3) called, and accepting the call were sanctified and begotten of the holy spirit, and started on the course with a view to making their calling and election sure —but who have not made it sure, but on the contrary have failed, by not coming fully up to the requirements. This class in turn is Scripturally divided into two parties :— (a) Those who sin wilfully after that they have received a knowledge of the truth, and been made partakers of the holy spirit, ete. For those there remaineth no more a share in the sacrifice of Christ—no further mercy, opportunity or hope To them the result i. the second death—--nonentity. Heb 6:4-6; 10°26, 27. {b) The other class consists of those who, while at heart preferring righteousness and truth, and loving the Lord, have not become copies of God’s dear Son, in that they fail to attain to his Spirit of full devotion of heart to the doing of the Father's witl—rather they permit themselves to become overcharged with the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches, and thus fail to complete that sacrifice accordiny tc their covenant, and hence tail to make ther calling and these election sure. For these the Lord has a gracious provision as suggested in Nev. 7:13-15. They will not be utterly con founded, because they have trusted in him (Psa 22 5), and he will surely carry them throuch. Yet the Lord's interven tion on their behalf must he strictly along the lines of his covenant and general plan—he cannot interfere with their free moral agency; he will not coerce their wills. but he ern and will bring them to such a place of experience as will test them and compel them either to renounce their loyally to him or to seal that loyalty with their lives Those who renounce the Lord will, of course, in so doing bring upon them elves the penalty of the second death. hut those who, under such compulsory circumstances, are faithful. eannot be counted as of the same likeness with God's dear Son. who, without compulsion, voluntarily gave up his life in the Father’s service. The little flock of the elect church will contain all of this class, and to tnem will be granted the kingdom, and to ait with Christ in his throne, and to be the temple of God and to have the crowns. (Rev. 3:21; 1 Pet. 5:4) But the others, who will “come up out of great tribulation,” having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, altho they will have suffered equally as much as the elect (more indeed, if the mental conditions are taken into consideration) will not get a crown of victory, but a palm of victory; will not get a seat in the throne with their Lord, as his bride, but nevertheless an honorable place before the throne as servants. They will not become pillars and stones in the living temple of God, but they will have the honorable privilege of serving God in his temple, the church. This class is not prominently referred to in the Scriptures, nor in the types and symbols even; because none were called to this position, but. as the Apostle declares, “Ye were al] called in one hope of your calling’—to the highest place of joint heirship. (Eph. 4:4) The position attained by these is an unpromised one, of the Lord’s abundant mercy. Second: The second class of non-elect from the Scriptural viewpoint is the world of mankind. including three classes:— (a) It includes those who have never had any knowledge of God’s provision of grace in Christ, and who consequently could not have gone on further io be of the called elect clas: of this age. (6) It includes those who have heard of the grace of God. but in that indistinct, indefinite manner which does not bring conviction—those who have seen in Jesus something wonderful and great and admirable, but who have never seen him from the Lord’s standpoint of Redeemer and Saviour—their eves being blinded to the manifold evil influences of “the god of this world,” business or pleasure or love of money or distracting religiovs dogmas. These, not having seen and not having accepted Christ as the Redeemer, could go no further [2732]
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