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Treaties on Atonement Section 13
We have reasoned, from the goodness of the Lord to prove that it is his will that all men should finally be holy and happy. We will now call proof from divine revelation of the same idea. "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth," 1 Tim. 2:4. What would induce Paul to write this sentence if he did not believe it? Our opponent will say, he supposes Paul did believe it, and will acknowledge he believed it himself. Then, we say, all for which we argue is granted. But our opponent has a method by which he can explain this passage so that it may be true, and yet God may will the endless misery of millions. It is only to say, that the passage is expressive of God's revealed will,
but not of his secret well; arguing, that his revealed will, is in direct opposition to a will which has seen fit not to reveal.
Though much use is made of this method, in order to shun the face of the passage, and many others, if there be any propriety in it, it is out of our sight; or if it would not betray a want of good sense in any other case, we will leave our reader to judge.
To say, God's revealed will is contrary to his eternal and unrevealed will, would in us, be blasphemy of the first magnitude; yet we do not doubt the sincerity of those who frequently say it. But is it not in a direct sense charging God with hypocrisy? However shocking it may seem, we know of no other light in which to view it. Again, if God has a will which he has not revealed, and our opponent knows what it is, we would ask how he came by his knowledge? God's revealed will is, that all men should be saved; but his secret will is that most of them should be endlessly miserable! We would ask, when this will was a secret? It has been openly talked by limitarians ever since the light of the Gospel advanced so as to discover the apostasy of Christians. Saint Paul speaks of the mystery of God's will which he purposed in himself, which the apostle says, God had made known. "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; even in him," Ephesians 1:9-10. He tells us what this is, but it is very different from what our opposers says the hidden will of God is; "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." Peter says God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. In short we cannot see the propriety of saying that God will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth, if he predestination, from all eternity, millions for endless misery; and if he created any to glorify him, in endless torments, we cannot see why he should not be willing for them to perish, and answer the end for which he made them.
Again, what is that truth which God wills all men to know? According to the text, it must be a true consonant to their salvation, or they could not be saved, and yet believe the truth. For instance, suppose, out of the whole alphabet, all are to be endlessly miserable except the vowel letters. And the whole alphabet was brought to the knowledge of the truth; surely the vowels would believe they were to be saved, but all the consonants would believe that they were going into endless torment; and the faith of the consonants would believe that they were going into endless torment; and the faith of the consonants would be as true a faith, as that of the vowels, but could the consonants enjoy salvation while possessing this faith?
There are some who do not admit our general system, who will admit that it is the will of God that all men should finally be holy and happy; but say at the same time, that it depends on the creature's accepting of offered mercy, on the rational conditions of the Gospel obedience; making Gospel obedience a prerequisition to salvation; while we contend, that Gospel obedience is, in fact, Gospel salvation
To be saved from sin is, surely, a Gospel salvation; and to be obedient, according to the dictates of the Gospel grace, is salvation from sin. There is just as much propriety in making obedience a condition, on which salvation is granted, as there would be for a physician to propose, to a patient in a fit of asthma, that he would afford relief, on condition the patient should first start to breath easy. However, if it be granted, that it is God's will that all men should, finally, be holy and happy, we will more directly answer the supposition, that this will fail, by the words of Paul, "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the council of his own will:" Ephesians 1:11. "If God will have all men to be saved, and worketh everything after the council of his own will, it proves that for which we contend, as fully as anything can be proved from scripture. Our opponent perhaps will say (as many have said to me in conversation), after meeting with much difficulty in arguing "Anything may be proved, by scripture." To which we reply, there is one thing the scriptures do not prove, neither can all the ingenuity of man make them substantiate it, and that is, the endless misery of a mortal being.
If any of our opposers can prove by scripture, the endless duration of sin and misery, as plainly as the two passages above prove universal holiness and happiness, we will never contend any more, on the subject.
We will take further notice of Paul's communication to Timothy; "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour,; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth," (1 Tim. 2:3-4). He goes on (in v 5,6), "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time," to give Timothy a reason for what he had asserted.
The Apostle's reasoning is evidently good and plain; for God would not have given his son as a ransom for all, if it were not his will that all should be saved; and if it be God's will it ought to be ours. Therefore it is right for us to pray for all. If the ransom were paid for all, it argues, that it was the intentions of the Ransomer that all should be benefited.
What would have been the astonishment of the world, after the immortal Washington had caused to be paid a ransom for all the American prisoners who were in Algerian slavery, if he had told the day that he did not want more than one quarter of those captives sent home to the land of liberty, to the enjoyment of their families, for which they had for so long sighed in bondage, and that he might wear out the rest with fatigue and whips? But the good man's soul was never satisfied until they all come home, and with songs of joyous liberty hailed the land of their nativity! And blessed be the Captain of our salvation, he also, shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied, when all the "ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion, with songs and everlasting joys upon their heads, when they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isa. 53:11 and Isa. 3:10.
The readers attention is now invited to those scriptures which, in expression, are more particularly applicable to the deliverance of mankind from this bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. The whole of the fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians were intended to refute those who denied the resurrection; but as that doctrine is not denied by our opponent, we shall take notice only of those parts which effect the argument between us; "But now is
Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept," (1 Cor. 15: 20), Christ, as the firstfruits of them who slept, is represented by the heave-offering under the law. "Then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave- offering unto the Lord. Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall ye heave it," Numbers 15:19, 20. And again, "Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me," (Exodus 22:29), and also, " But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstlings of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor unto the Lord. And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine," Numbers 18:17, 18. By the offering of the first ripe fruit, the whole of the succeeding harvest was sanctified; and in the firstborn which were redeemed, the succeeding fruits of the womb were considered holy. "That Christ should suffer, and that he should be first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles," Acts 26:23. Christ being the first who rose from the dead, and rising as the firstfruits sanctified all the rest, as did all the firstfruits under the law. Paul's comment on firstfruits is very illustrative of the scriptural meaning thereof; "For if the firstfruits be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy so are the branches." Romans 11:16.
In the heave-offering under the law, there is a beautiful representation of our Saviour. The sheaf taken from the field, being separated from all the rest from the same growth, represents the separation of Jesus Christ from mankind to be holy unto the Lord; and the sanctification of the whole harvest being by the first ripe fruits, is to show us, that our sanctification is in Jesus, the firstfruits of them that slept. The same may be clearly seen, in the instance of the dough, a certain part of it was to be separated from the rest, for an offering unto the Lord, in which the remaining part of the lump (as the Apostle calls it) was considered holy.
These observations are made here, in order to draw the reader's attention more clearly to the writings of the Apostle, which we have under consideration; for he goes on immediately to show what he means by the lump spoken of in Romans; "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead," 1 Corinthians 15:21.
Let us here observe, that death came by the earthly man, and the resurrection came by the heavenly man, which is in point to prove, that the plan of the Gospel is to deliver mankind from the earthly Adam to the immortality of the heavenly.
Perhaps none would dispute what we here contend for, provided we did not extend the cure as extensive as the malady; but we shall also contend for this, and will clearly prove it by the Apostle's testimony. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive," 1 Corinthians 15:22. It is not possible for us to state the doctrine more concisely and positively than the apostle has done, in the passage quoted. But we are willing to attend to our opponents objections as we proceed. He will say, that he does not dispute that the apostle here meant all mankind, but he only intended that they all be raised from the dead, not that all would be delivered from condemnation and sin. But we will rest our argument on the words themselves; we say, if all men are made alive in Christ, they cannot be said to be out of Christ, dead or alive, sinful or holy.
The present state of our being is derived from Adam, the earthly nature; and in a natural sense, we are all in him. Our future state of our existence, we derive entirely from the heavenly nature; and therefore, it is said, all shall be made alive in Christ. The apostle goes on still further, to show the order of the before mentioned work, arguing, that from the firstfruits the whole family of mankind was to be made alive, "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, tell he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, 1 Corinthians 15:23, 26. Christ is here again spoken of as the firstfruits, in order of the resurrection, which consist of three parts.
First of Christ himself, who was the first who rose from the dead. Secondly; those who are Christ's at his coming. Thirdly, what the Apostle calls, the end, when he shall have put death under his feet, which cannot be until he has put down all rule, all authority and all power, and every enemy has submitted; at which time, the Mediator delivers up the kingdom to God, the Father.
Then shall the great work of reconciliation be finished, and the labors of the redeemer completed, with immortal honor.
Then shall all the millions of the human race be reconciled to God, through Christ, and shall sing, "And I beheld, and heard the voice of many angels around about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessings. And every creature which is in heaven, and on earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever," Revelation 5:11-14.
The reader will observe, that ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels, beasts, and elders, first declare the Lamb, who had been slain, to be worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessings; then every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them say, Blessings, honor, glory, and power unto him who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever,
There is nothing in all the sacred writings, more astonishingly beautiful, than this account, neither do we think it possible for the imagination to paint anything half so grand and sublime. We are all in astonishment! To realize, by faith, the accomplishment of this glorious prediction; transcends every other thought, or idea, of which the mind is susceptible.
There is no room for our opponent to argue against the doctrine of universal holiness and happiness, while this passage of divine truth lies in sight. There is no expression left out of this passage that would make it more extensive.
May we not ask our opposer if he be not willing to acknowledge what mysterious powers have acknowledged, that Christ, the Dear Lamb who hath been
slain, is worthy to receive as extensive worship as is declared in this passage quoted?
When the four beast and the elders saw universal nature bending before the object of their worship, they immediately fell down anxious to excel, and worship him who liveth for ever and ever. If our opponent think that Christ is not worthy of so much worship, he thinks less of him than we do, and less than we wish he did.
There are yet remaining many passages in the 15th chapter of first Corinthians which are in point, to prove what we are con- tending for, even more than is, at this time, necessary to introduce. A few more, however, may be proper, with some few remarks, "And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all," 1 Corinthians 15:28.
What must we understand by all these things being subdued unto him? Will anyone say, that all is meant by it is, Christ will then have power over all men, whereby he can then reward the righteous, and torment the wicked? When did he not possess this power? When were not all things in subjection to Christ enough for those purposes? (See Luke 10:22, Rev. 1:18). The subject of all things to Christ must mean something, and it is reasonable to believe, that it means the reconciliation of the heart to holiness. Can a soul in sin employed in blaspheming the Incommunicable Name, be said to be in subjection to Christ, in any way that answers the text? We do not think any will contend for it.
The only subjection which is acceptable to Christ, is a broken and contrite heart, which he will not despise, Psa. 51:17. The plan then of the Gospel, is universal submission to Christ, in holiness and happiness.
The delivery of the kingdom of Christ to the Father is declared, in the last clause of the passage quoted, of which we have before taken notice, in this work, in order to show the dependence of Christ on the Eternal and Self-existent. Then it is said, "God shall be all in all."
In what sense will God be all in all, at the close of the Redeemer's process that he is not now, or always was? Answer, He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God and God in him. When all men are brought to love God supremely, and their fellow creatures as themselves, it will then be manifest, that we are nothing only as we exist in God; therefore, God will be all in all. And as the eternal Spirit of love, which is the governing principle of the heavenly man, will be the governing principle of each soul, thus reconciled to the law of love, it may justly be said that God is all in all. "The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly, 1 Corinthians 15: 47-49.
As we have been partakers of the earthly Adam, so the apostle argues, we shall be partaker in the resurrection, of the second Adam, whom he calls the Lord from heaven. "Behold I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For the corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, so when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." 1 Corinthians 15:51-56.
If death, sin and sorrow, are to remain as long as God exist, how can it ever be said, Death is swallowed up in victory? If the Apostle Paul believed that any part of the family of man would finally be excluded from the blessings of the Gospel, why did he not just hint something of it, in this account of the close of the mediatorial kingdom? Did he consider it to small a moment to mention? If he did, he is inexcusable for precluding the idea, by plain and positive testimony. See his conclusion, "O death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
If sin remain without end, it being the sting of death, when the question is asked, O death, where is thy sting? Sin may answer, here I am, and here I will be, in spite of him who undertook to destroy the works of the devil, and here I will boast of my power as long as he does of whom angels adore, and I hate! "Who
shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."
Observe, who shall change our vile body. In a former quotation, it is said, " We shall all be changed;" and in the present passage it is said, "Whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." And in a former passage it is said, "And when all things shall be subdued unto him."
Let us hear what our blessed Lord himself says in respect to his mission. "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him." In the sense which this passage was spoken, it is evident, that the sinner does neither honor the Father, nor the Son, and the plain testimony of the text is, that all men should honor both. Compare this with Philippians 2: 9-11. "Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." As in the other scriptures the exaltation of the Saviour, is first spoken of, and then the grand intentions, in his exaltation, shown; so in this; there it is for the purpose that all men should honor him; and here, it is, that unto him, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Of this glorious and soul reviving truth, The prophet Isaiah was not ignorant, but speaks of it most clearly, "Look unto me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear. Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory," Isaiah 45:22-25.
Had the inspired Prophet been possessed of an accurate knowledge of the dispute in which we are now engaged, we do not see how he could have written a sentence more pertinently to our argument; and we have not a doubt but that the Spirit intended the passage for the same purpose for which we have used it.
Saint Paul, in Romans 8: shows the extent of redemption in so strong terms as to admit of no possible evasion. "For we know that the whole creation groaneth together until now, and not only they but ourselves, also which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Romans 8:22, 23.
If the reader will be at the trouble of examining this passage, with its connection, that, for which we contend, will appear plainly proved by it.
There is no end to the proof of universal reconciliation to God, for everything of moral nature testifies of it, and all material nature is a figure of it. The ministry of reconciliation, which Saint Paul says was committed to himself and others is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, and not imputing unto them their trespasses. The truth of Christ's dying for all is the foundation of the apostles argument on this subject; which truth the apostle says, he was constrained to believe, by the love of Christ, for thus saith he, "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, if one man died for all, then all were dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given unto us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, "2 Corinthians 5:14-21.