ranee. They are declared by tlie ancient prophets to be afar off from God ; to be the worshippers of idols, to be sunk in sin. The people of Israel were separated from other nations for the express purpose of preserving the knowledge of the ti'ue religion. To them were committed the oracles of God. In the New Testament the same representation is given of their condition. It is said, They know not God. The Apostle proves at length in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, that they are universally and jnstlv in a state of condemnation. He exhorts the Ephesians to call to mind their condition before they received the gospel. They were " without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God, in the world." (Eph. ii. 12.) Such is the uniform teaching of the Word of God. It is utterly inconsistent with these representations, to assume that the heathen had such knowl- edge of God either by tradition, or by inward revelation, as was sufficient to lead them to holiness and God.
2. This doctrine follows also from the nature of the gospel. It claims to be the only method of salvation. It takes for granted that men are in a state of sin and condemnation, from which they are unable to deliver themselves. It teaches that for the salvation of men the Eternal Son of God assumed our nature, obeyed and suffered in our stead, and having died for our sins, rose again for our justification ; that, so far as adults are concerned, the intelli- gent and voluntary acceptance of Christ; as our God and Saviour is the one indispensable condition of salvation ; that there is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved. It provides, therefore, for a Church and a Ministry whose great duty it is to make known to men this great salvation. All this takes for granted that without this knowledge, men must perish in their sins.
3. This is further evident from the nature of the message which the ministers of the gospel are commissioned to deliver. They are commanded to go into all the world, and say to every creature, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." " He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Where is the propriety of such a message if men can be saved without the knowledge of Christ, and conse- quently without faith in Him.
4. This necessity of a knowledge of the gospel is expressly asserted in the Scriptures. Our Lord not only declares that no man can come unto the Father, but by Him ; that no man know-
648 PART III. Ch. XTV. — vocation.
eth the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the Son shall reveal Him ; but He says expressly, " He that believeth not, shall be damned." (Mark xvi. 16 ; John iii. 18.) But faith without knowl- edge is impossible. The Apostle Jolm says, " He that hath the Son, hath life ; he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life." (1 John V. 12.) The knowledge of Christ is not only the condi- tion of life, but it is life ; and without that knowledge, the life in question cannot exist. Him to know is life eternal. Paul, there- fore, said, " I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." (Phil. iii. 8.) Christ is not only the giver, but the object of life. Those exercises which are the manifestations of spiritual life terminate on Him ; without the knowledge of Him, therefore, there can be no such exercises ; as without the knowledge of God there can be no religion. It is consequently, as the Apostle teaches, through the knowledge of Christ, that God " hath called us to glor}' and virtue." (2 Peter i. 3.) To be without Christ is to be without hope, and without God. (Eph. ii. 12.) The Apostle Paul, while asserting tlie general vocation of men, saying, " Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Loi'd, shall be saved ; " immediately adds, " How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed ? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. x. 14.) Invo- cation implies faith ; faith implies knowledge ; knowledge implies objective teaching. " Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Verse 17.) There is no faith, therefore, where the gospel is not heard ; and where there is no faith, there is no salvation.
This is indeed an awful doctrine. But are not the words of our Lord also awful, " Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat ; because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it " ? (Matt. vii. 13, 14.) Is not the fact awful which stares every man in the face, that the gi-eat majority even of those who hear the gospel reject its offers of mercy? Facts are as mysterious as doctrines. If we must submit to the one, we may as well submit to the other. Our Lord has taught us, in view of facts or doctrines which try our faith, to re- member the infinite wisdom and rectitude of God, and say, " Even so Father ; for so it seemed good in thy sight." The proper effect of the doctrine that the knowledge of the gospel is essential to the salvation of adults, instead of exciting opposition to God's word or