QUESTION.—What inference are we to, draw from such passages in the Bible as those which speak of its being God's will that all men should be saved; that Christ gave Himself a ransom for all; that the grace of God brings salvation to all men; and that the Lord is not willing that any should perish? (1 Tim. 2:1-61I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2:1‑6); Titus 2:1111For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, (Titus 2:11); 2 Pet. 3:99The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)). A. I.
ANSWER.—There is no need whatever for seeking to avoid the plain sense of the passages alluded to, and others like them. They bear a clear and definite testimony to divine grace tow and all, without the slightest reference, on the one hand, to man's responsibility, or, on the other, to God's eternal counsels. 'these things are just as clearly, just as fully, just as definitely taught in the Word of God. Man is responsible, and God is sovereign. All who defer to Scripture admit these things. At the same time it is of the very last importance to recognize the wide aspect of the grace of God, and of the cross of Christ. This glorifies God, and leaves man wholly without excuse. Men argue about God's decrees, and about man's incompetency to believe without divine influence. Their arguments pro e that they do not want God; for did they only want Him, He is near enough to be found of them. The grace of God, and the atonement of Christ are as wide as they could desire. "Any," "every," "whosoever," "all," are God's own words, and whom do they shut out? If God sends a message of salvation to a man, He surely intends it for him; and what can be more wicked and impious than for a man to reject God's grace, and make Him a liar, and then refer to His secret decrees as a reason for so doing? It would, in a certain sense, be honest for a man to say at once, "The fact is, I do not believe God's Word, and I do not want His grace or His salvation." One could understand this; but for men to cover their hatred of God and His truth with the drapery of a false, because one-sided, theology, is the very highest character of wickedness. C. H. M.