you would call upon them to believe a lie. How can you extricate
yourself from this difficulty? But inquires the objector, how do you
know that God has promised eternal life to all? Ans. Because the
scriptures do call all men either _believers_, or _unbelievers_, in
view of the promise that God has made. Take away that promise and
belief or unbelief respecting it can no longer have an existence--
_Believers and unbelievers_ would be no more.

But says the objector this is not proof that eternal life is promised
to an _unbeliever_. Well I am surprised at this assertion of my
opponent! First, I ask, what do you call a believer? Ans. One who
believes that God has promised, and given him eternal life in Christ
before the world began. Then, of course, an _unbeliever_ must be one,
to whom God has also promised and given eternal life in Christ before
the world, but will not believe it. But says the objector this cannot
be. I would then ask whether eternal life was not promised, and given
in Christ to the _believer_ before he believed it? Certainly. It must
have been the truth before he could believe. Well, what was he at that
time? An _unbeliever_ of course. Then eternal [life] is promised to
all, because it is the lack of faith in _that never failing promise_
of Jehovah that constitutes an unbeliever. But says the objector--a
man "must do so and so," or he cannot be saved. This is not correct;
he must _believe_, or he cannot be saved. We are saved by faith in the
promise and are permitted to look forward with satisfaction and joy to
an immortal existence where we shall be free from sin, sorrow and
pain. This faith and hope fill the soul with love to God, and induce
us to break off our sins by righteousness. So a salvation by faith can
only be enjoyed in this life, and is to end when faith and hope are
lost in certainty and in joy. Though only few are saved by faith, yet
all shall know the Lord from the greatest to the least, whom to know