God's Indisputable Sovereignty

[Rippon]

This booklet is written to four classes of people , for their learning ( Prov 1:5 ) . May God who is rich in mercy , open the eyes of saint and sinner as they read and ponder over His Word .
1. For those who are saved , and have not yet seen this great truth . May they get a glimpse of God , such as they never had before , of His majestic power , and realize that God is SOVEREIGN in all things and doeth according to His "own will" and not the will of the creature . When a person grasps this in its fullest sense they will praise Him as they never have before for His distinguishing love in making them objects of mercy while others have been made " vessels of wrath . "
2. For those who are not saved , that they might perhaps for the first time have the fear of God implanted in their hearts and be made to realize that God is sovereign ; and that He is just as righteous in leaving sinners alone to perish in their sins as He is in saving them ; that their salvation rests with God and except it pleases Him to have mercy on them tey will have no hope in time or eternity , and thus be made to cry " What must I do to be saved ? " Yes , the gospel is still sounding forth and sinners are still being saved , but time is short , Hasten then His Word to obey ( Isa 45:22 ; Rom 5:6,8 ; John 6:37; 2 Cor 5:21 ; 1 Tim 1:15 ).
3. For those to whom it has pleased God to reveal His sovereignty , that they might be strengthened in this truth to the fuller realization of God who is all in all , and that it might be the means of their walking continually before Him in fear ( Mal 3:16 ; Psa 89:7 ; Psa 103:17 ; Neh 7:2 ; Acts 10;2 ; Luke 1:50 )
4. For those who profess to be children of God , yet deny and hate His sovereignty , who scoff and gnash their teeth and maliciously utter slander against those whom God has shown this great truth . Little do they realize they have formed themselves with a great alliance , those who are at enmity with God , the unregenerate .

 

[Rippon]

Oh that God would deal graciously with His people , remove from their hearts the hatred against His Word and His people and put in its place the " love of Christ which passeth knowledge," that the whole " household of faith " might be " knit together in love," with one common desire to walk humbly and softly before Him and to give Him all the honour , praise and glory , now and forevermore .
If the Lord of Heaven and earth has hid the majestic truth of " God's sovereignty " from such " wise and prudent " ones , it is because " it seemed good in His sight. " And if the Lord of Heaven and earth has graciously made others receptive of this truth , it is again " because it seemed good in His sight " ( Matt 11:25,26 ). " For a man can receive nothing , except it be given him from Heaven " ( John 3:27 )

 

[Rippon]

Man is totally depraved in all his faculties . The human doctrine that God in His gracious sovereignty brins His " elect " upon an intermediate ground where they are able and willing of themselves to accept as well as to reject Christ , and leaves them to decide their own fate is gross error . According to " sound doctrine " and human experience , the " effectual calling " of God never brings one of His elect into such a sort of intermediate state where he can and will reject Christ . For at the effectual call of the Gospel he is supernaturally made able and willing to come all the way to Christ . All who are willing to believe the truth of God , and who also realize the thorough depravity of their own sinful hearts , readily acknowledge that a sinner must be Divinely brought all the way to and through that experience called " conversion . " In fact , so complete and so continuous is human depravity that every believer not guilty of dishonesty will be compelled to admit by reason of his experience as a Christian , that even after conversion he can never persevere unless he is kept by the power of God through faith ( Titus 1:1,2 ; 2 Thess 3:2 ; Eph 2:8 )unto that salvation " ready to be revealed in the last time " ( 1 Peter 1:5 ).

 

[Rippon]

[ Conclusion of tract ]

Let us ask another question . Is there any other doctrine or anything else , that so exalts God as does His sovereignty , His right to do as He pleases with His own ? " For all the earth is mine " ( Exo 19:5 ). " Behold , all souls are mine " ( Eze 18:4 ). There is nothing that magnifies His love in the heart of a saved sinner as does His sovereignty . The wicked appreciate not God's love for they know nothing of it . It is only those who have been made the objects of His Divine choice who can know the real love of God and praise Him for it . We say again , God's sovereignty is in keeping with such a God as we have to do with , and magnifies His love as nothing else can do .

 

[J.D.]

Rippon, how can we get some of those tracts?

 

[James_Newman]

You have to be ordained to receive them, sorry.