"The Way By Which God Saves Sinners," The Gospel Messenger (May 1883)
SOME PEOPLE TELL ME that the Primitive Baptists preach the doctrine that God takes sinners by the hair of the head and drags them to heaven against their will, but they preach no such doctrine; but preach it as the Bible teaches it. David says: “Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power.” Jeremiah says: “The Lord hath appeared unto me of old, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee”; thus teaching that the Lord’s people—are willing to be saved when God brings his power to bear on them. So God takes hold of a sinner; he takes him by the heart, changing his will and affections “taking away his stony heart, gives him a heart of flesh.” He unstops his deaf ears, opens his blind eyes, and causes him to see what a great sinner he is in the sight of God. |
