Joel Hume's First Speech
on His Second Proposition
FIFTH DAY'S DISCUSSION.
HUME'S FIRST ADDRESS
ON HIS SECOND PROPOSITION.
[The rule of discussion allowing one hour for the opening speeches on each new proposition was modified, and the subject was disposed of in half a day; therefore, the speakers were limited to half hour speeches.--REPORTER.]
The President read the following proposition as the subject for discussion:
PROPOSITION.
That personal salvation, so far as relates to the future world, is the effect of the sovereign grace of God, bestowed upon sinners unconditionally.
Gentlemen Moderators, Ladies and Gentlemen:- The first thing I shall do will be to avail myself of the privilege granted me to insert a particular quotation, which is recorded in the tenth chapter of John, and which reads thus: "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; these also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." It is the 16th verse. The reason I desired this inserted was because our brother told us they were made sheep by hearing his voice, and here it is shown that they were recognized as sheep before they heard his voice.
God, my dear friends, has favored us with a beautiful and lovely day outside; and O, may his love fill every heart, may the light of his holy spirit guide us in the investigation of this deeply important and vitally interesting subject. A few moments of my first half hour will be devoted to the introduction of direct proofs, and then, in the best manner we can, try to sustain them. I would here remark, that as this debate is to be read by generations in the future, I have relied throughout the entire discussion, more upon the testimony itself from God's word, for the defense of the truth, than upon any argument I might use. This is the reason I have devoted so much time to texts. In the first place, turn to Isaiah xlii, 7: "To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." Now the 16th verse. "And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not. I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them and not forsake them." Upon these declarations, I predicate the argument of the divine sovereignty of God in the great work of the salvation of sinners. In each of these verses God has declared what he will do, while in neither of them does he make any requisition on the part of the sinner, in regard to what he shall do. Consequently, I regard it as a most positive proof of the doctrine in the proposition which I have agreed to affirm this morning. Isaiah xliii, 25: "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgression for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Here we have a reaffirmation of God, in regard to what he will do; he declares emphatically that he does it for his own sake; not in consequence of what may be done by others, but speaks in a manner not to be misunderstood; he tells us plainly that he does it for his own sake, that he will blot out their sins and will not remember them. Isaiah 1xv, 1: "I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not; I said, behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name." I would ask this audience if anything more unconditional can be found in the Bible? Here he declares I am found of them that sought me not, clearly setting forth the divine sovereignty of Jehovah in the exhibition of love and mercy extended to that people. Let them be whom they may, is not the question; but the manner and way by which and through which God reveals himself to sinners, that is the question.
Turn to Jeremiah xiii, 23. Here is a very important interrogatory set forth, in my judgment, on the doctrine of my proposition: we find it in the following language, beginning thus: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." What is the force of this language; what is the doctrine taught in it? It is simply this: if the Ethiopian can change his skin, or the leopard change his spots, then may you learn to do well; then the sinner can change his conduct, for they are accustomed to do evil. If this interpretation is correct, then sinners must be in that condition, and it must be by the exercise of the Devine sovereignty of God, that they must be saved, not otherwise. Luke xiv, 23: "And the Lord said unto the servant, go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." What conditions are presented here? What requisition on the part of the sinner? Here is an express command of God to perform certain work, that is, to go out into the hedges and ditches, and compel them to come in. If a man has to exercise the volition of free will, or if he come upon the exercise of that volition, where is the necessity of a compelling influence? This seems to me evidence that the doctrine I am contending for, is clearly taught in that verse. Luke xv, 4, 5 and 6: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost." Again I remark, that if sinners are saved by the exercise of free will, where is the necessity of thus going out, and bringing them in? This is a figurative expression, teaching an important lesson; it shows how it is that God saves sinners; he finds them as sheep, but he does not say, you can come back if you choose; no, he lays them upon his own shoulders, and carries them back home, and then invites his neighbors to come and rejoice, for the sheep which was lost is found. Rom. iii, 10. Here I may remark, I am selecting a few passages that bear upon this subject. I might stand here and quote till night, if my recollection did not fail me. We will read the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth verses: "There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." We take the ground that if salvation is conditional, it is only a carrying out of the law. There was a people anciently, that taught their disciples that except they were circumcised, and kept the law of Moses, they could not be saved. Now, where does conditional salvation differ from this? We are told to keep the law, and to believe certain things, and by such a plan we secure the favor of God. For my life I can not see it--here I need a little more eye-salve of divine grace. I can not see what difference there can be between conditions under the old covenant, and conditions under the new; only, as one refers to temporal and the other to spiritual matters. I maintain, that under the covenant under which we live, there is no condition embraced whatever. Rom. iv, 4 and 8: "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Eighth verse: "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." I here asserted that, if his proposition is true, the doctrine of grace in the scriptures is set aside. I want you to understand, distinctly, I care not what the condition may be, repentance, faith, obedience, or all together, if our salvation depends upon the performance of that condition, then the idea of grace is set aside. I have noticed in the dictionary, since I came here, that grace means the "free and unmerited love and favor of God." If I perform a condition, no matter how small, if my salvation depends upon its performance, the idea of grace is completely put away. You admit, if I did not perform that condition, I would not be saved; if that is the turning point of my salvation, it is a system of works. I call upon him to notice this, and let me see if he can convince you it is not a system of works. Mark the language of the text: to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt, but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him, his faith is counted to him for righteousness. Where is the condition here? Their faith is counted for righteousness; and the apostle tells us that God imputeth righteousness to them without works. If this is so, the doctrine of my opponent is set aside to this family under consideration; God will impute righteousness without works, and that is not all, he says: "Blessed is the man unto whom God will not impute sin." Rom. v, 6: "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." I remark, that when a person is without strength he can do no manner of work; therefore our brother must show he has the power and strength to perform the work required. This text declares that when we were yet without strength this great work was performed. Rom. ix, 6 and 7: "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel which are of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: But, in Isaac shall thy seed be called." We will read also the fifteenth verse: "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." If the sovereignty of God can be proved at all, if there be any place in the Bible where he himself says, he will show forth his sovereignty, it is here; for the text says I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. To them, it is not of him that willeth, but of God that showeth mercy. I say that if any language can prove a proposition, this does it. God here does declare that the salvation of a sinner does not in any sense depend upon himself. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; I will ordain whom I will ordain. You may say what you please, and as far as you please, but it is not to him that willeth or runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
I will now read from Romans xi, 6-10: "And if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. What, then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded, according as it is written: God hath given them the spirit of slumber; eyes, that they should not see, and ears, that they should not hear, unto this day. And David saith, let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and stumbling-block, and a recompense unto them; let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back always."
The doctrine of my proposition is found here: "If it be by grace, then it is no more of works." I again ask, is not the exercise of will, of faith, of repentance, an act of the creature; and if it be, is it not works? Do not they require of the sinner these works? Don't they promise him, on condition he performs these works, he will be saved? If this system be true, I can not understand the apostle, when he says it is not offered; otherwise grace is no more grace. You see the apostle will not admit the idea of grace in this case; it is either the one or the other; it can't be both. I never have been able to find the idea of grace in anything I had paid for. If I pay for grace by my repentance, then it is not the free and unmerited love and favor of God, for I have purchased it by my obedience, by my works; that destroys the idea of grace altogether.
Again, turn to 1 Cor.i, 26: "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called." Here is the idea of sovereignty of God and of sovereign grace.
Our brother tells us, all men are called. Here we have a text, emphatically contradicting that. It then goes on to show, that he has chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise that have chosen things that are not, to bring to naught things that are, "that no flesh shall glory in his presence."
My brother says, if I do not do something, I do not get grace. But here, the apostle says, no flesh shall glory in his presence. Turn to Phillipians i, 6. My object now, is to show that this work of God is certain, and can not possibly miscarry; and to present more firmly and conclusively the divine sovereignty of God. "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it, until the day of Jesus Christ." Mark, God has begun that good work, and he tells you that he is confident and sure that he will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. 29th verse of the same: "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake?" Where is faith to come from, if it is given unto them to believe it is not the act of the creature, it is the gift of God? and, therefore the scriptures do teach the doctrine of unconditional salvation.
(Time expired.)
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