The Satan’s Doctrine: A Sermon from Lemuel Haynes In opposition to Common Salvation

Preface from Lemuel Haynes

There isn’t any larger folly than for males to precise anger and resentment as a result of their spiritual sentiments are attacked. If their characters are impeached by their very own creed, they solely are accountable.

All that the antagonists can say can’t make falsehood reality, nor reality, falsehood. The next discourse was delivered at Rutland, Vermont in June of 1805, instantly after listening to Mr. Ballou, a common preacher, zealously exhibit his sentiments. The creator had been repeatedly solicited to listen to and dispute with the above preacher and had been charged with dishonesty and cowardice for refusing. He felt that some form of testimony, in opposition to what he calls error, should be made, and has been urged to let the identical seem in print. However whether or not, on the entire, it’s for the curiosity of reality, is left to the judgment of the candid.

The Sermon

“And the serpent stated unto the lady, Ye shall not certainly die” (Gen. 3:4)

The holy Scriptures are a peculiar fund of instruction. They inform us of the origin of creation, of the primitive state of man, and of his fall, or apostasy, from God. It seems that he was positioned within the backyard of Eden with full liberty to regale himself with all of the scrumptious fruits that have been to be discovered, besides what grew on one tree—if he eat of that, that he ought to certainly die, was the declaration of the Most Excessive.

Completely satisfied have been the human pair amidst this pleasant paradise till a sure preacher, in his journey, got here that manner and disturbed their peace and tranquility by endeavoring to reverse the prohibition of the Almighty—as in our textual content, “Ye shall not certainly die.”

She pluck’d, she ate.
Earth felt the wound; nature from her seat.
Sighing via all her works, gave indicators of woe.
That every one was misplaced.

Milton¹

We could attend to the character of the preacher, the doctrines inculcated, the hearer addressed, and the medium or instrument of the preaching.

Six Qualities of the Satan

As to the preacher, I shall observe, he has many names given him within the sacred writings; the commonest is the satan. That it was he who disturbed the felicity of our first mother and father is obvious from 2 Corinthians 11:3 and plenty of different passages of Scripture. He was as soon as an angel of sunshine and knew higher than to evangelise such doctrine; he did violence to his personal motive. However to be somewhat extra specific, let or not it’s noticed:

1) He’s an outdated preacher. He lived above 1,700 years earlier than Abraham, 2,430 years earlier than Moses, and 4,004 years earlier than Christ. It’s now 5,809 years since he commenced preaching. By this time he will need to have acquired nice talent within the artwork.

2) He’s a really crafty, clever preacher. When Elymas the sorcerer got here to show away folks from the religion, he was stated to be filled with all subtlety and a toddler of the satan, not solely as a result of he was an enemy to all righteousness, however on account of his carnal crafty and craftiness.

3) He’s a really laborious, unwearied preacher. He has been within the ministry virtually six thousand years and but his zeal has not within the least abated. The apostle Peter compares him to “a roaring lion, stroll[ing] about, searching for whom he could devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). When God inquired of this persevering preacher, “From whence comest thou?” he “answered the Lord, and stated, From going from side to side within the earth, and from strolling up and down in it” (Job 2:2). He’s removed from being circumscribed throughout the slim limits of parish, state, or continental strains; his hang-out and journey are very giant and intensive.

4) He’s a heterogeneous preacher, if I’ll so specific myself. He makes use of a Bible when he holds forth, as in his sermon to our Savior in Matthew 4:6. He mixes reality with error in an effort to make it go effectively or to hold his level.

5) He’s a really presumptuous preacher. However God had declared, in essentially the most plain and optimistic phrases, “Thou shalt certainly die” (Gen. 2:17), or “In dying, thou shalt die,” but this audacious wretch had the impudence to confront omnipotence and says “ye shall not certainly die”!

6) He’s a really profitable preacher. He attracts an incredible quantity after him. No preacher can command hearers like him. He was profitable with our first mother and father, with the outdated world. Noah as soon as preached to these spirits who at the moment are within the jail of hell and informed them from God that they need to certainly die, however this preacher got here alongside and declared the opposite, “ye shall not certainly die.” The larger half, it appears, believed him and went to destruction. So it was with Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot preached to them, the substance of which was, “Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this metropolis” (Gen. 19:14). However this outdated declaimer informed them, “No hazard, no hazard, ye shall not certainly die,” to which they often gave heed, and Lot appeared to them as one who mocked. They believed the common preacher and have been consumed (agreeably to the declaration of the apostle Jude), Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them, struggling the vengeance of everlasting fireplace.

The Satan’s Doctrine

Allow us to attend to the doctrine inculcated by this preacher, “Ye shall not certainly die.” Daring assertion, and not using a single argument to assist it! The dying contained within the threatening was probably everlasting dying, as nothing however this might specific God’s emotions towards sin or render an infinite atonement essential. To suppose it to be non secular dying is to mix crime and punishment collectively; to suppose temporal dying to be the curse of the regulation, then believers will not be delivered from it, in line with Galatians 3:13. What Devil meant to evangelise was that there isn’t any hell and that the wages of sin isn’t dying however everlasting life.

The Hearer

We will now take discover of the hearer addressed by the preacher. This we now have within the textual content, “And the serpent stated unto the lady.” That Eve had not a lot expertise as Adam is obvious; and so she was not equally capable of face up to temptation. This probably was the explanation why the satan selected her, with whom he would possibly hope to achieve success. Probably he took a time when she was separated from her husband.

That this preacher has had the best success in the dead of night and ignorant components of the earth is obvious: his kingdom is a kingdom of darkness. He is a good enemy to mild. Saint Paul provides us some account of him in his day in 2 Timothy 3:6: “For of this type are they which creep into homes, and lead captive foolish ladies laden with sins, led away with divers lusts.” The identical apostle observes in Romans 16:17–18, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which trigger divisions and offences opposite to the doctrine which ye have realized; and keep away from them. For they which are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, however their very own stomach; and by good phrases and honest speeches deceive the hearts of the easy.”

The Instrument

The instrument or medium made use of by the preacher will now be thought-about. This we now have within the textual content, “And the serpent stated.” However how got here the satan to evangelise via the serpent?

1) To save lots of his personal character, and the higher to hold his level. Had the satan come to our first mother and father personally and unmasked, they’d have extra simply seen the deception. The fact of a future punishment is at instances so clearly impressed on the human thoughts that even Devil is constrained to personal that there’s a hell, though at different instances he denies it. He doesn’t want to have it identified that he’s a liar; subsequently he conceals himself that he could the higher accomplish his designs and save his personal character.

2) The satan is an enemy to all good, to all happiness and excellence. He’s against the felicity of the brutes. He took enjoyment of tormenting the swine. The serpent, earlier than he arrange preaching common salvation, was a crafty, stunning, and completely satisfied creature; however now his glory is departed, for the Lord stated unto the serpent, “As a result of thou hast finished this, thou artwork cursed above all cattle, and above each beast of the sector; upon thy stomach shalt thou go, and mud shalt thou eat all the times of thy life” (Gen. 3:14). There may be subsequently a form of duplicate crafty within the matter—Devil will get the preacher and hearers additionally.

And isn’t this triumphant flattery. And greater than easy conquest within the foe? —Younger²

3) One more reason why Devil employs devices in his service is as a result of his empire is giant and he can’t be in every single place himself.

4) He has a big quantity at his command who love and approve of his work, enjoyment of increase his kingdom, and stand able to go at his name.

Inferences

1) The satan isn’t useless however nonetheless lives and is ready to preach in addition to ever, “Ye shall not certainly die.”

2) Common salvation isn’t any newfangled scheme however can boast of nice antiquity.

3) See a motive why it should be rejected: as a result of it’s an historical devilish doctrine.

4) See one motive why it’s that Devil is such an enemy to the Bible and to all who preach the gospel due to that injunction, “And he stated unto them, Go ye into all of the world, and preach the gospel to each creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; however he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15–16).

5) See whence it was that Devil exerted himself a lot to persuade our first mother and father that there was no hell: as a result of the denunciation of the Almighty was true, and he was afraid they’d proceed within the perception of it. Was there no reality in future punishment or was it solely a brief evil, Devil wouldn’t be so busy in attempting to persuade males that there’s none. It’s his nature and his component to lie. “When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his personal: for he’s a liar, and the daddy of it” (John 8:44).

6) We infer that ministers shouldn’t be pleased with their preaching. In the event that they preach the true gospel, they solely, in substance, repeat Christ’s sermons; in the event that they preach “Ye shall not certainly die,” they solely make use of the satan’s outdated notes that he delivered virtually six thousand years in the past.

7) It’s possible that the doctrine of common salvation will nonetheless prevail since this preacher is but alive and never within the least superannuated and each effort towards him solely enrages him increasingly more and excites him to new innovations and exertions to construct up his trigger.

To shut the topic: Because the creator of the foregoing discourse has confined himself wholly to the character of Devil, he trusts nobody will really feel himself personally injured by this brief sermon. However ought to any imbibe a level of friendship for this aged divine and suppose that I’ve not handled this common preacher with that respect and veneration that he justly deserves, allow them to be so form as to level it out, and I’ll most cheerfully retract, for it has ever been a maxim with me, “render [unto] all their dues” (Rom. 13:7).

This text is customized from Chosen Sermons by Lemuel Haynes.

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