Joel Hume's Third Speech
on Stinson's Third Proposition
HUME'S CLOSING REPLY
ON THE THIRD PROPOSITION.
Gentlemen Moderators, Ladies and Gentlemen: I am now before you on the last negative of my friend's last affirmation, consequently I am not allowed to enter any new argument; neither do I desire to make the effort. I notice briefly some of his positions, and wind up by a recapitulation. The first thing that I notice is, that the damnation of the sinner is in consequence of failing to do what he could not do. It will require but a few words, together with my views upon that text, to answer it. I shall give them in the language of the Bible, not of Brother Stinson. The Bible declares that sinners are condemned already. We are condemned already, and what we need is justification from it; hence, no act of the sinner involves him in it, for he is already there--let that be distinctly understood. The next reference was to the language of the Savior: "O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that were sent into thee, how oft would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings, but ye would not."
Another text: "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." Now, my friends, if the sinner has not got the will, must he not receive it from some one else? They had no desire, consequently there was no affection in that direction. I did not suppose this language belongs to the people in the metropolis of Judea, neither do I suppose it belongs to the inhabitants in general. My own view is, that the language is meant for the Jewish Sanhedrim, who build their courts in that city. What are we to believe from it? How oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathers her chicken under her wings.
The meaning of it is, that the hen gathers those that are outside, under her wings, consequently it has no reference to the gathering together of the people of God. We learn from it, that if the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the land of Judea had submitted to the government that God had ordained over them, and by which they were to be governed, then their laws and government would have protected them, shielded them from the oppression of their enemies. "But inasmuch as ye would not, behold your house is left unto you desolate." I intend to let the enemy loose upon you. It has no reference to spiritual things, but refers to a national calamity. I think I can find the antitype or spiritual import of that language in the Church of Christ. I would apply the same language to the Church of God collectively, to show how that God hath blessed us abundantly, and hath let his grace come among you; but your hearts are hard, they are leading you away from the truth and from him, leading you into distress and darkness. That is my understanding of the import of the text. Respecting the inquiry of the jailor--"What must I do to be saved?" that is very pertinent, and if Brother Stinson will show me such another case, I will offer him the same counsel. But will that counsel be applicable to the hardened sinner? Show me an anxious inquirer, and I will say to him, believe in the he Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. We should not differ only in regard to the character to whom the address was made. The next thing was, has man got the power to believe? I do not suppose God believes for anybody; then the question is, has man the power? I answer, that man does not only possess the power, but when the evidence comes before his eyes, it is absolutely irresistible. My brother could not help believing it was old Joel Hume that was speaking, if he had to be hung till he was dead. So with every child of God, when the evidence comes before them that Jesus Christ is their Savior, faith is irresistible. You know this is so, when you believed in the Lord Jesus; you could not help it. I do not remember how many kinds of faith there are in the Bible; there is such a theory spoken of as the faith of men and the faith of devils, as false faith, as little faith, as great faith; but the faith I have in view here, is the faith of God's elect. I inquire, who has this faith? The answer is, God's spiritual Israel possess that faith, and nobody else.
I read of men who have not got faith, and that without faith it is impossible to please God. I learn also, that the faith of God's elect is an effect of the spirit of God. If faith is an effect of the spirit of God, it is not the act of the creature, only so far as evidence leads his mind to believe.
Brother Stinson had just acknowledged in so many words, that his proposition is not true. Do not be startled at that remark; for if I do not give it you in his own language, I will acknowledge I misunderstood him, and take it all back. Just turn to the proposition: Salvation is offered to all men, is free to all men, upon certain conditions to be performed. Now, connect with that his remark - some men are beyond the bounds of salvation. I take this as a plain surrender of the proposition. I have not done this for him; he tells you salvation is free to all men, and turns round and tells you that some men are beyond the bounds of salvation. Do I not thus prove, by his own account, that his proposition is not true? Have I not proved that salvation is by grace and not by works?
I know that Brother Stinson feels he is in a difficulty, but he put himself there by this last admission, that there is a certain class of men who, in consequence of their sins and rebellion, could not be saved--so we have the admission that there are some, at least, who could not believe the gospel. Our brother told us I had found one such text, but that he believed they were very scarce, or very rare. Now, friends, did you hear him say anything about the passage I referred to in John: "Ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep." Here is another class of individuals. Did he say anything about these? Yet Christ says "ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep." Now mark the next: "My sheep hear my voice, but you do not, because you are not my sheep." Moreover, did he say one single word in opposition to the remark, that if his views were correct, men were saved by works and not by grace?
You remember my exposition by the scales to show that salvation was by works. Then there was no grace in it. You remember distinctly that I read from the Bible, "It is not of him that willeth, or of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy, and not according to our works." I confess I did not hear anything about that from him. I suppose the reason why it was not noticed, must have been he had not time to do it, or else he thought the position unanswerable. I now affirm that it is practically unanswerable. Was there any opposition taken to the position, that if my salvation turned upon my crooking my finger, no matter how small an act, that single act destroyed grace; for the crooking of the finger is my work, and salvation is the product of it. If he has objected to that, I did not hear it. I, in connection with my brother, have been laboring faithfully since twelve o'clock on Tuesday, and I would ask you, dear friends, what motive, think you, would prompt men to labor and toil without the promise of a single cent, in a pecuniary point of view? Is it reasonable to suppose that men would thus toil, if they had not some deep interest and abiding desire for the glory of God? The views of both the speakers you have before you. You will take them home with you, examine them carefully till you arrive at a conclusion; and if, after examining the evidence, you think he has produced the best arguments, and has maintained his position, then believe him. On the other hand, if in your hearts you think that the strength of the argument has been upon the other side, bad as you may have hated it, prejudiced as you may have been against it, I ask, would it not be your duty as rational and intelligent ladies and gentlemen, bound in common with us to the bar of God, to come out and honestly and acknowledge the fact, not only acknowledge it theoretically, but practically? Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify our Farther which is in heaven.
Our brother states in the winding up (this was only a flourish of rhetoric), that not only is this friend recording out remarks, but that the recording angel is doing the same. How does he know this? I do not; but of one thing I am certain, and this is, the great and eternal Jehovah knows every thought and act and all the motives that prompted myself, and the motives that prompt every individual. I ask you, dear friends, whether Baptists, or Methodists, or of any other church, if you feel a particle of jealousy, a particle of envy or prejudice, for God's sake lay it aside--examine this matter carefully. If I am wrong, no man on earth would be so benefited by knowing it as I would. If I am right, God is good, and nothing on earth will be so good as he to those who realize these truths.
I maintain that wherever a divine impression is made, there is always a corresponding course of conduct; hence, the man who does not live religiously, I have little faith in his having any religion. I do not care in what he believes, if his conduct is not right in the sight of God, according to the Bible, I have no fellowship with him, whether in the Baptist Church or out of it. The religion that I maintain is to give men a holy desire, and when that is the case, I tell you the light will shine forth; it will be as a city set on a hill; it is from such we hear the songs of Zion. Oh, my dear friends, there is nothing on earth seems to do me so much good as the idea that God loves me, although I may do wrong; though I may sin against him, yet will he never take away his loving kindness. Where are you, father or mother? If your child runs away from home, would you not, if you had the power, bring him back? Would you not assimilate them into the image of the father, and inspire their souls to obey the father's will? I know you would say, "Yes, sir." Would you erase his name and say, "he is not my son?" Oh, no! Although he has violated my commandments, yet I love him still, and my love I will never take from him. So it is with God. With all our doubts and fears, with all our failings and deep departure, our God loves us still. Oh, my friends, I have thought, and think many a time, surely I was more indebted to Jesus than any poor sinner on earth. I feel he has forgiven me more. I ask, will your Savior thus act? Will he thus make himself manifest to his children, and after all suffer the enemy to take them from him? Surely it can not be so. There is not a father here that would thus suffer it. Well, is not our Heavenly Father as benevolent in his affection, and as tender as we are? Hear what he says: "The mother may forget her child; such a thing is possible; yet will I never forget thee." Oh, blessed Savior, that has thus died for sinners, and in his sweet heavenly voice says: "Come unto me, all ye that labor." But where does he invite the gambling man, the cursing, blaspheming drunkard? Nowhere. He invites the poor mourning soul and sin stricken sinner, to come to Jesus, for he has died for such. He says: "Take my yoke upon you, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your soul." Will you receive it, children? May God bless you all; may he help us all to love him more; may our light shine more than ever, so that our last days may be our best, that when we come to die, we may be enabled to say, "I have fought a good fight; I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of glory; not to me only, but to all who love his name." These are our views. They are presented with a deep desire for the honor of God and the glory of his name. Dear friend, if you desire to promote these, do your duty-- be faithful unto death.
(Time expired.)
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