e was
a blasphemer and injurious. The Master, in view of our liability to be
deceived, gave us a rule of conduct in reference to our communications
in these words: "Let your communications be yea, yea, and nay, nay." It
requires heroism and manhood, which is the highest degree of moral
courage, to say nay where questions of personal interest are involved.

The rule in reference to God's word is different, being based upon his
immutability and perfections. He is not deceived, not misled, not
mistaken. Paul says in reference to the word of God, which was preached
by himself, Sylvanus and Timotheus: "Our word toward you was not yea and
nay, but in him was yea, for all the promises of God in Christ are yea,
and in him amen unto the glory of God by us." 2 Cor. 1, 18-20. "Let God
be true though every man be a liar," was in the times of the Apostles
and first Christians a rule which they had no hesitancy in affirming. A
moral agent is one who, with a knowledge of the right and wrong,
exercises the power of action. In conversion it is the exercise of the
power that begins conversion. If the sinner has not this power, then he
is not a moral agent in his conversion. All the differences among men
upon the subject of conversion grew out of their different notions of
God and of men. It is a matter of the greatest consequence to have
correct notions of God and of self. As conversion relates to both, wrong
notions of one will create wrong notions of the other. Those who have
been taught to debase themselves under the pretext of giving glory to
God, consider meanness and wrong as natural and inherent imperfections
of their being, and attributable to Father Adam and Mother Eve, and
neglect to exercise the powers at their command. Being taught that they
are unable to do anything to help themselves, they are left to throw the
work all back upon God or give it up in despair. If they throw it back
upon God, and regard themselves as passive recipients of the work of
conversion, then they must wrestle with God, for there is no use in
wrestling with the powerless one.

With this view of the subject the world's condition is incomprehensible,
and in direct conflict with the revealed character of God. We would
naturally suppose when we read that "God is not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance," that none would be
allowed to perish on account of any neglect upon the divine side. But
thousands do die in their sin