in The Gospel Messenger vol.15 no.5 (1893)
WHEN I SET OUT TO SPEAK of this seemingly vexed question, predestination, I thought I would not give any opinion, but I seemed impressed to give one short quotation with a brief comment: The wrath of man shall praise Him (God) and the
remainder of wrath He will restrain. Now, dear brethren, this seems so plain to me that I cannot see any room for cavil. Let us all be satisfied to believe that all the wrath of man that will not redound to the glory of God in some way (though unknown to us) and to the good of his people, he restrains. O, how I love that restraining power! Our heavenly Father, in order to manifest his power and make his glory known to man, exercises both permissive and restraining power; he permits the wrath of man to go just as far as will accomplish His will and the good of Zion, and there it is stayed. He sits at the helm; he gave the seas their bounds, and man’s destiny is set; he hath afore determined the times appointed and the bounds of his habitation. |
