From this state of perplexity I was relieved by
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ARTON W. STONE. 33 precious word of God. From reading and meditating |uponit, | became convinced that God did love thewhole world, and that the reason why he did not saveall, was because of their unbelief; and that the reason |why they believed not, was not because God did notexert his physical, almighty power in them to makethem believe, but because they neglected and receivednot his testimony, given in the Word concerning hisSon. ‘These are written, that ye might believe that _Jesus.is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, _ ye might have life through his name.”’ I saw that the requirement to believe in the Son of God, was reason- able; because the testimony given was sufficient to pro- duce faith in the sinner; and the invitations and encour- agement of the gospel were sufficient, if believed, to lead him to the Saviour, for the promised Spirit, salva-.tion and eternal life. This glimpse of faith—of truth, was the first divineray of light, that ever led my distressed, perplexed mindfrom the labyrinth of Calvinism and error, in which Ihad so long been bewildered. It was that which ledme into rich pastures of gospel-liberty. I now sawplainly that it was not against the God and Father of ourLord Jesus Christ that I had been tempted to blas-pheme, but against the character of a God not revealed inthe Scriptures—-a character no rational creature can loveor honor—a character universally detested when seeneven in man; for what man, professing great love forhis children, would give them impossible commands,and ‘then severely punish them for not domg them; and_all this for his mere good pleasure? What man actingthus would not be despised as a monster, or demon inhuman shape, and be hissed from all respectable socie-ty: Shall we dare to impute such a character to theGod of the universe?. | Let me here speak when I shall be lying under theclods of the grave. Calvinism is among the heaviestWoes on Christianity in the world. It is a dark moun-tain between heaven and earth, and is amongst the 3
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