Робінзон Крузо
Friday’s Education
Iwasstrangelysurprisedathisquestion; andafterall,thoughIwasnowanoldman,yetIwasbutayoungdoctor,andillenoughqualifiedforacausist,orasolverofdifficulties; andatfirstIcouldnottellwhattosay;soIpretendednottohearhim,andaskedhimwhathesaid. Buthewastooearnestforananswertoforgethisquestion,sothatherepeateditintheverysamebrokenwordsasabove. BythistimeIhadrecoveredmyselfalittle,andIsaid, "Godwillpunishhimseverely;heisreservedforthejudgment,andistobecastintothebottomlesspit,todwellwitheverlastingfire." ThisdidnotsatisfyFriday; buthereturnsuponme,repeatingmywords, "Reserveatlast!menounderstand;butwhynotkillthedevilnow?notkillgreatago?" "Youmayaswellaskme,"saidI,"whyGoddoesnotkillyouandI,whenwedowickedthingsherethatoffendHim;wearepreservedtorepentandbepardoned." Hemusesawhileatthis. "Well,well,"sayshe,mightyaffectionately,"thatwell;soyou,I,devil,allwicked,allpreserve,repent,Godpardonall." HereIwasrundownagainbyhimtothelastdegree,anditwasatestimonytomehowthemerenotionsofnature,thoughtheywillguidereasonablecreaturestotheknowledgeofaGod,andofaworshiporhomageduetothesupremebeingofGod,astheconsequenceofournature,yetnothingbyDivinerevelationcanfromtheknowledgeofJesusChrist,andofaredemptionpurchasedforus,ofaMediatorofthenewcovenant,andofanIntercessoratthefootstoolofGod’sthrone; Isay,nothingbutarevelationfromheavencanformtheseinthesoul,andthatthereforetheGospelofourLordandSaviourJesusChrist, ImeantheWordofGod,andtheSpiritofGod,promisedfortheguideandsanctifierofHispeople,aretheabsolutelynecessaryinstructorsofthesoulsofmeninthesavingknowledgeofGod,andthemeansofsalvation.
