The Doctrine of Divine Efficiency, Defended Against Certain Modern Speculations (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1833. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VII. Scripture Testimony to Divine Efficiency. After all our reasonings on the subject of divine efficiency, our chief dependence must be on the plain testimony of the Bible. We can argue conclusively against the assumption that divine efficiency is inconsistent with freedom; but for positive proof of the doctrine we dare not rely on our own independent reasonings. We cannot look so deep into the secrets of nature. We must " hear what God the Lord will speak: " and if he, in language the most plain and positive, declares the fact, we must cast no doubts upon it from any confidence we may have in our own powers of discernment, or from any apprehension of its inconsistency with moral agency. Now then for the divine testimony. I. The general language of Scripture represents God to be the Author of holiness, without limiting or qualifying the declaration by a reference to any instrument. The general current of Scripture therefore gives the same evidence of efficiency in the second creation, that the first chapter of Genesis does of efficiency in the first. "God said, Let there be light, and there was light." We ask no questions about the mode, but simply believe that he willed the existence of light and light was. Exactly the same evidence.we have, not from a single chapter, but from the general tenour of Scripture, that God efficiently wills the existence of holiness in the hearts of his people. And the few texts which speak of truth as the object towards which the mind acts, or as the consideration by which it is consciously influenced, do not touch the question, Who causes the mind to fall in with truth 1 This question, which is settled by the general voice of Scripture, receives no opposing answer from a single text. (1.) I shall begin with a class...