It is so in many pa.s.sages in the Word of G.o.d. They have a double meaning; one nearer, and one more remote. Events are foretold which are realized in part in this life, and fully in the life to come. The fact is, that in many cases we have to take in the future life in order to understand the reference at all. It has been too much our habit not to look for definiteness and accuracy, because we imagined the events must find their fulfillment in the present life. But When our outlook goes beyond this life, we see a reasonableness and harmony that we did not see before.

This will be apparent in some of these pa.s.sages. And it will help our interpretation very much if we only remember that the whole span Of time is but a pa.s.sing epoch in the divine administration.

Here then are some pa.s.sages; and there are many more of similar tenor, which we would do well to ponder.

"In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

I would just enquire: How can such a promise as that be fulfilled within the span of time? _Not_ for about two thousand years was the divine seed of Abraham born, when the promise was given. Meantime thousands and thousands of the families of the earth went out of this life in sin and darkness, without having so much as heard the Saviour's name. It is now nearly two thousand years more, and the human race has much increased; millions and millions more of the families of the earth have come and gone; and in their case the promise has not been fulfilled. And be the ardor of missions what it may, uncounted millions more of the families of the earth will never in this life so much as hear of the blessing through Abraham's seed. Is it not inevitable that we must take into our view the possibilities of life to come? The promise will be fulfilled then. "All Israel shall be saved."

I will not stay to make any further comments on the pa.s.sages I would submit. Let them speak for themselves.

"He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord G.o.d will wipe away all tears from off all faces."

"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

"Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation."

"I have sworn by myself, the word is gone forth out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."

"The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

"He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied."

"His name shall endure forever; his name shall be continued as long as the sun; and men shall be blest in him; all nations shall call him blessed."

"Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? Saith the Lord G.o.d; and not that he should return from his ways and live?"

"For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of G.o.d, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many."

"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous."

"Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

"And so all Israel shall be saved."

"That was the true Light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

"For G.o.d sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

"And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me."

"Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of truth."

"Who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time."

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of G.o.d should taste death for every man."

"And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

And G.o.d shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are pa.s.sed away.

Thus we have quoted some of the words of revelation that are manifestly opposed to the idea of eternal torment.

To be sure, there are Scripture statements that are difficult to explain on this basis; but their import is generally more or less obscure. On the other hand, there are statements so favorable to the idea of Restoration that their meaning can hardly be mistaken. And always remember this,--that this question is not one for absolute demonstration. It is a question, rather, as to which view is more consonant with reason and Scripture. We are not to suspend our judgment until the matter is proved beyond the shadow of a doubt. We do not act so in other matters. If we did, we should have few earnest convictions on any subject. It is sufficient if a certain view is more probable than another. In that case, according to Bishop Butler's dictum, we should believe it as though it were demonstrated. In this particular case, though the question is beset with a great deal of mystery, as we might expect, the theory of discipline is far more agreeable with Scripture and reason than that of everlasting torment.

The great panacea for unbelief is a larger view. We have to take in the future, in order to see the rounding out of G.o.d's great plan. 'An edifice may be hideous if seen from the rear, and incomplete. But wait till it is finished, and then view it from some vantage ground in the front, and its n.o.ble proportions and beauty are appreciated. So it is with the divine plan. We see but a part of it now, and the lower part.

But bye and bye it will be complete. Then--

"Ye good distrest! Ye n.o.ble few Who here unbending stand, beneath Life's pressure--bear up yet a while, And what your bounded view deemed evil Is no more, the storms of wintry time Will quickly pa.s.s, and one unbounded spring Encircle all."

In the various pa.s.sages that I have quoted we cannot but discern three great universals that involve each other. To these three universals all Evangelical Churches are tending. They seem to me to include what is really vital to faith and hope. The great universals are these:

Universal Love; Universal Atonement; Universal Salvation.

The first is accepted nominally by all; but how the first can be intelligently received, with a supposed limitation of the second, is hard to see. It is admitted that on the part of G.o.d there is universal love for all his creatures; it is admitted that this love expressed itself in Atonement. It is further admitted that this Atonement is as suitable for all as it is for a part of the race. Yet for ages it has been claimed that the Atonement is not divinely intended for all. How universal love, united with infinite power and infinite wisdom could act in this way is to me an everlasting mystery. So absurd does this position now appear, that a majority of the churches idea--perhaps unconsciously--with a decision and force not warranted by the original.

Therefore I think I am justified in laying no great stress on pa.s.sages of such doubtful meaning. It seems to me more honest and candid to wait for greater unanimity.

On the other hand, the pa.s.sages that I have cited in favor of Restoration are in most cases so plain that they can hardly even be tortured into giving an uncertain sound. Take for instance, the pa.s.sage in relation to the extent of the Atonement. "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world." "We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, that he by the grace of G.o.d should taste death for every man." "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

There is no uncertain sound there.

To me it is a marvel how men could accept and defend the doctrine of a limited Atonement, in the face of such clear statements. If such a course was taken in order to uphold a certain system of theology, it ought to be an everlasting warning to theologians not to make their systems of theology too complete. When we come to realize how little we know of G.o.d's plans and purposes, we shall see that completeness is entirely beyond us.

Then with such clear statements of a universal Atonement as I have quoted, take that dictum to which I formerly referred, and which I think none will dispute, that "G.o.d infallibly accomplishes everything at which he aims." Put the two things together, and what do they amount to? Do they not give us a certainty of Restoration? For if G.o.d gave His Son in order to make provision for all mankind, He surely desires the salvation of all mankind; and if G.o.d thus "aims" at the salvation of all, will He not accomplish it? If we had no hints whatever as to how that is done, either in this life or the next, we might rest on the a.s.surance; it will infallibly be accomplished.

And then we have such a revelation of the character of G.o.d that we could expect no less. He is infinite Wisdom; He is infinite Power; and He is infinite Love. Put those three things together, and what will they not accomplish? Think the matter over for awhile. Can you imagine any consummation less than the final salvation of all?

That divine wisdom, divine power, and divine love can compa.s.s nothing better than endless torment, is almost unthinkable. And if such an ultimatum could be thought of as a possibility, then I would humbly ask: Is such a consummation worthy of G.o.d? And I would ask also: What would be the practical benefit of it? Would it not be a reflection on love and power that are infinite?

To think that man was made in the divine image, and had within him the potentiality of attaining to absolute perfection and blessedness, but that his career has culminated instead in the character of a demon, and the suffering of endless torment! Is it possible to believe that the divine administration could be such a failure?

This is no exaggeration Men believed, or tried to believe, that for certain persons of the human race there was no possibility of a different fate. They might say it was possible because they did not know who was elected and who was not; and that they did not know for whom Christ died, and for whom He did not die. Therefore, they might argue that all men had a chance. No; they had no chance if the secret divine intention was against them.

Away with all untruth and misrepresentation. How much better, and how much more in keeping with the divine character, and the divine revelation to say, without any halting or doubt, that G.o.d loves every man whom He has made; that He has provided for every man's salvation; that if men do not accept the provision they will suffer; but that G.o.d will triumph in the end, and that divine love will win. Surely, that would be a Gospel indeed for our poor sin-stricken world!

XV.

TESTIMONY OF REASON.

Divine Gift of Reason--Its Proper Sphere--No Dogmatism--Is Sin an Infinite Evil?--Infinite Penalty Impossible to Be Rendered--Justice Can Delay--Good Cannot Perish--Testimony of d.i.c.kens--Endless Punishment Increases Moral Evil--The Divine Character Never Changes --Time But a Short Epoch--Our Capacity of Development--Salvation of Infants--The Insane--Imperfect Christians--Their Destiny--Good Unchristian Men--Where Will They Go?--"All Souls Are Mine"--Worth Preserving--Fate of the Heathen--Reclaimed in the Next Life--Human Freedom Never Destroyed--Provision for All--A Dreadful Hymn--Divine Sacrifice not in Vain--Bringing Good Out of Evil--Final Triumph of Goodness--Sin Is Abnormal--Will Therefore Cease--Law of Gradual Change--Sins of the Mind--The Race Might Easily Have Been Intercepted --Endless Torment Cannot be Believed--The Mind's Affinity for Truth --True Punishment Is Reformatory--Alleged Divine Cruelty--Agony of Eternal Separation--All Are G.o.d's Own Children--The Universal Call --No Design of G.o.d Can Fail--Ingersoll and His Shafts of Ridicule --Incentive to Good Works--Unfathomable Divine Love--"Joy Cometh in the Morning."

It may be said that we are dealing here with matters that are entirely too high for our reason. Let it be remembered that we absolutely bow to revelation. Yet we are not to stultify our reason. It is not out of its sphere in dealing with such high themes. Our reason is a sacred gift from G.o.d; it is to be used for His glory. Formerly, it was deemed almost sacrilegious to allow reason to intrude into such a sacred domain. That was surely an unworthy mistake. We may and ought to be humble; but we have minds to think as well as hearts to adore.