the same apostle teaches that some will remain in ignorance of the
truth, and thus perish. 2 Thess. 1: 8, 9; 2:11, 12. The reader's good
sense readily reconciles the former with the latter passages. He
understands God's will to have all men saved as the will of _benevolent
desire_; just as God says of ancient Israel (Psa. 81:13). "Oh that my
people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!" but
because they would not do this, he "gave them up to their own heart's
lust, and they walked in their own counsels" (ver. 12). Many like
illustrations might be added.

(4.) Hence we readily infer the office of a sound judgment in
_reconciling apparent contradictions_, since these arise mainly from the
neglect, in one or both of the passages between which the contradiction
is said to exist, of reasonable qualifications and limitations.

A striking illustration of this is found in the two accounts of the
creation. Gen. chaps. 1-2:3 and chap. 2:4-25. In the former narrative
the order of time is an essential element. Not so in the latter, where
man is the central object, and the different parts of creation are
mentioned only as the writer has occasion to speak of them in connection
with him. Hence we have in this latter passage the creation of the man
(ver. 7), the planting of the garden for his use with its trees and
rivers (ver. 8-14), the placing of the man in the garden and the law
imposed upon him (ver. 15-17), the defective condition of the man (ver.
18), the notice in connection with this of the creation of beasts and
fowls and their being brought to the man to receive names (ver. 19, 20),
the creation of the woman and the primitive condition of the pair (ver.
21-25). This simple statement of the course of narration sufficiently
refutes the allegation that the second account is inconsistent with the
first.

In the first account of Paul's conversion it is said that "the men which
journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no man."
Acts 9:7. In the second Paul says: "They that were with me saw indeed
the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that
spake to me." Acts 22:9. There is no valid ground for doubting that the
first narrative, as well as the other two, came from the lips of the
apostle himself, and the assumption of any essential contradiction is
unreasonable and unnecessary. In regard to the _light_, it is certain
that Paul saw the _person_ of the Saviour, and wa