Treatise on Atonement Section12

Is it possible that we could be completely happy, and see those we love in misery? No one will say we can. Are we commanded to love our enemies? Can we be truly happy and not love them? Surely we cannot; then how can we be completely happy, and see them miserable? A parent may be persuaded to attend his child, while a surgeon performs an amputation; but with what acute feelings his heart is agitated! How eagerly would he endure the pain, if it were possible! But there is something in all this, that is tolerable; he is in hopes of saving the life of the child. Were it not for his hopes, could he endure the sight? But what is all this compared with a parent viewing his beloved child in endless flames! Oh parents what a blessed circumstance it is, that, when we are called to part with our children, on earth, we can mingle a little joy with the sorrow, in hoping they belong to the deathless family of God! If the good desires, which are found in the Christian heart, are ever to be satisfied, universal subjection to the government of Christ will surely take place. If virtue ever gain universal victory over sin and vice, universal holiness and happiness will be the consequences. Man exist on such a principle, as to render him capable of improving in know- ledge and happiness, which be obtained by experience; and it is very evident, that as wheels of time move man is fast advancing. Which fast favors the idea, that at some period, known only to God, the desired heaven will be obtained in the acquisition of that wisdom which is from above.

When we send our children to school, it is for the purpose of learning that of which they are ignorant; and it is by degrees that those sciences are obtained

which constitute them learned. When a child first takes a quill in hand to write, he blunders, but does not blunder so as to imitate the copy, neither will two out of a thousand imitate each other. Men begin their moral existence, in their separate capacity, in the same way; unacquainted with the skill of their divine preceptor, they err from sacred rules, and differ from their fellow pupils, jars and broils ensue and sorrow and woe are the consequences. But as fast as they become taught, they conform to the divine rules of their Master, and learn that their happiness consist in being united. Happiness is the greatest object in all rational being, and no one will follow any particular object any longer than he thinks it subservient to his main one. The reason why men sin, is they think, and think erroneously, that they shall obtain more happiness in so doing, than in following the dictates of truth. But is it reasonable to suppose, that the error will never be discovered? Will the sinner never discover his mistake? Oh yes, says our opposer, to his eternal confusion, and endless misery! But stop a moment; if he finds his mistake, he will abandon the object; and when he ceases to sin, he begins to reform, and approximate towards holiness and happiness.

We have sufficiently argued, that man cannot be miserable, in consequence of moral condemnation, any longer than he is, in a moral sense, a sinner. Then he must sin endlessly in order to be miserable so long; which if so, he will never find his mistake, he will never learn that righteousness and truth are more productive of happiness than sin. But we think it erroneous to suppose that a being who is capable of learning anything cannot learn something short of eternity that it is better to do right than wrong. Should we argue, however, that might, in some cases, be true, it would destroy the idea of complete and positive misery for which my opponent contends. Complete misery would not admit of a prospect which could administer the smallest hopes; in which case, the soul would have no object which could possibly induce it to action; then would it become inert, and its existence would be destroyed, and become not a subject of happiness, nor of misery.

We would argue again, from a reasonable idea, admitted by all, that mankind, in their moral existence, originated in God. Why then do we deny his final assimilation with the fountain from which we sprang? The streams and rivulets which water the hill country, run in every direction, as the make of land occasions. They are stained with various mines and soils, through which they pass, but at last they find entrance into the ocean, where their different courses are at an end, and they are tempered like the fountains which receive them. Though man, at present, forms an aspect similar to the water in their various courses, yet, in the end of his race, we hope, he will enjoy a union with his God, and with his fellows.

Having given a few hints, from the nature of moral beings, in favor of my general plan, we shall beg the attention of the reader to some evidence, from the scriptures of truth, in favor of universal holiness and happiness.

It will not be expected that all, or more than a small part of the passages, which relate to the subject, will be presented in this work; but we will endeavor to arrange those we do adduce in such order and accompany with remarks, as we hope may convey conviction to the candid reader.

It is well known that the Gospel dispensation is intimately connected with certain promises, which God made to the ancient fathers of the Jewish nation. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise," Galatians 3:16-18. "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his council, confirmed it by an oath: by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whether the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for

ever after the order of Melchizedek," Hebrews 6:17-20. "But God raised him from the dead: and he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And he declared unto you glad tidings, how the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us, his children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." Acts 13:30-33.

We presume it is not necessary to quote more passages to show that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with all its favors, is pursuant to certain promises which God made to the fathers. The fact being clearly understood, it will appear altogether reasonable that we begin our examination of scripture proof of whatever we believe in, as the final results of the Gospel scheme, by a careful examination of those primitive promises; for if, as we have seen in the passage just quoted from Acts, the glad tidings proclaimed by the apostle, were a declaration that the promises of the Gospel which God had made to the fathers he had fulfilled the same by raising Jesus Christ again, then, have we a right to believe in all we find contained in the promises, and nothing more.

Now as we are going to examine those ancient promises of our heavenly Father, and as we are about to inquire into their most evident import in reference to what we ought to believe will be the final results of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, let us engage in his work with honest unprejudicial minds; and let us lay aside all presupposition which might tend to bias our judgment, and be willing to submit to whatever we find in this great chapter of Divine will. "Now the Lord had said unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed," Genesis 12:1-3. "And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, by my self have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou has done this thing, and has not withheld thy son, thy only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in thy seed shall l all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou has obeyed my voice," Genesis 22:15-18. This promise which God made to Abraham, he confirmed to Isaac, as we read, "And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swear unto Abraham, thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and I will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;" Genesis 26:2-4.

His Promise Is Confirmed To Jacob

"And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land where on thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shall spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed," Genesis 28:13-14.

Having these promises thus before us, it may be of service to notice several particulars in their character. First, as to the blessing or blessings, which they promise to all nations and to all the families of the earth, there appears an entire impartiality. Second, Whatever blessing or blessings were intended by these promises, there is not the least intimation that they were promised on any conditionality. That the fulfillment of them rested entirely on the will and power of God is seen by the passage before quoted from Acts 13:22, 33. "And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." It seems according to this very plain testimony, that the resurrection of Jesus was the fulfillment of the promise to bless all the nations and all the families of the earth in the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which seed is Christ." See Gal. 3:16, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, WHICH IS CHRIST."

Now that there be no more mistakes or doubt as to what the blessing is, which

was promised to all the nations. And to all the families of the earth in Christ, we invite the readers attention to the following scriptures " Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ," By this passage we learn that the promised blessing was justification through faith, "Who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification," Romans 4:25. "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things on earth, or things in heaven," Colossians 1:20. That the

things to be reconciled were man may be seen by the next verse, "And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled," Col. 1:21. The way in which Christ effected this reconciliation is expressed in verse 22, "In the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight:" and also in Eph. 1:9- 10. 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." What a glorious foundation for hope is found here.

How blessed was Abraham when he rejoiced in the day of Jesus. How blessed were the prophets of the Lord who saw these things, though afar off: the sight weaned their affections from all earthly things; they sought a city which had foundation, whose builder and maker is God. When Jacob blessed his sons, he spake of the coming of Shiloh, unto whom, saith he, shall the gathering of the people be. "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be," Genesis 49:10. How exactly does this testimony of the patriarch agree with that of the apostle's "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, we will hear what the prophet David says, concerning the Kingdom of Christ, "Yea all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him," Psalm 72:11, also "He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight" (v.14). and " His name shall endure for ever,: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed," (v.17).

If any wish to argue, that David meant no other than Solomon by `the king's son' (Ps. 72:1) let them take notice of the 7th and 8th verses." In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from the river unto the ends of the earth." The moon yet endures, but the reign of Solomon does not. The kingdom spoken of was to be universal; but Solomon's was not. Let us take particular notice of verse 11, "Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him." Shall all the cruel tyrants of the earth bow down to him, whose chosen companions, when on earth, were poor fishermen? Will you, our opponent, say, This is a pleasing doctrine to the carnal mind? Herod, who caused the massacre in Bethlehem, in order to murder Christ in infancy, could hardly be persuaded that it was agreeable to his carnal mind to bow before Jesus, at the head of this little band of martyrs. No, carnal mind must be crucified before all this can be done.

Would it please the present kings of Europe, to tell them, to beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks, and to learn war no more? Would it be agreeable to their carnal, proud, and haughty minds to submit to the principles of the Saviour? Which of them would, in order to gratify carnal mindedness, abandon all his equipage, his horses, and chariots of state, to mount a forlorn ass, ride into an enemy's land, preach peace and salvation to his inveterate foes, die by cruel hands, and pray for his murderers in death? And can you believe that all the kings of the earth can bow down before the Saviour, with any gratification to carnal mindedness, than they could imitate him, in his life and death?.

"All nations shall serve him," If all nations serve him, will they not be blessed in him according to the promise?

We do not argue that anyone will be blessed in Christ who do not honor and serve him, but the text says `all nations shall serve him, "For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shall diligently consider his place, and it shall not be," Psalm 37:10. Also (v 36) Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found." If the wicked continue in sin as long as God exist, it appears to us to be improper to say, yet a little while and the wicked shall not be. And if God has prepared a place of endless torment for the wicked, and that, in the sight of the righteous in heaven, it is hardly proper to say, thou

shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be. And if the wicked is to be to mented forever, in sight of the righteous, why is i t said, "I sought him, but he could not be found? "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee," Psalms 22:27. Who shall doubt the salvation of those who turn unto the Lord and worship before him. "I Will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession," Psalm 2:7-8. Compare this beautiful passage with one like it in Colossians

1:19, "For it pleased the Father that in him should all the fullness dwell." In what a capacious Saviour did David believe! Should a preacher, at the present day, recite the words which we have just quoted, he would immediately be accused of holding the heretical doctrine of universal Salvation, as his hearers might be pleased to call it; or, should he communicate the doctrine half as clearly as it is communicated in those quotations, that part of his audience who were warmly opposed to the doctrine would grow uneasy, while those who favored the doctrine, would be satisfied their speaker did so likewise. Some method must be used to explain those scriptures differently from what they say, or the doctrine for which we contend is fairly proved by them.

Let us pass to the prophecies of Isaiah 25:6-9. "And in this mountain shall the Lord of host make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo this is our God; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. "No one will doubt, that the provisions here spoken of are those which are provided in the gospel salvation.

In the first place, then, observe, it is made for all people; this proves, that it was the intention of him who made the feast, that all people should share of its divine benefits.

Secondly, it is testified, that the veil of darkness which was over all people should finally be taken away.

Thirdly, That death is to be swallowed up in victory, and tears wiped off all faces, and lastly, That the rebuke of God's people should be taken off all the earth. And the evidence given to prove it would be done, is, "The Lord hath spoken it."

It is of no avail, for any to pretend that though the provision of the Gospel were provided for all people, yet all l will not partake of them, let the reasons be what

they may; for if God wipe tears off all faces, all must receive the benefits of the Gospel of grace and peace. Compare this testimony with Paul's words to the Church at Corinth. "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 that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave (sheol or hell), where is thy victory? 1 Corinthians 15:54,55. And again "And God 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 passed away," Revelations 21:4.

How can it be justly said, that death is swallowed up in victory, when the fact is , death will reign as long as God exist? Or how can it be said, that God will wipe all tears from the eyes of men, if millions are to mourn to an endless eternity? Why is it said, there shall be no more sorrow, crying nor pain, if sorrow, crying and infinite pain are never to cease? "For unto us a child is born, unto to us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this," Isa. 9:6-7. Here the Saviour is prophesied of, as possessing a kingdom, the increase of which should have no end. To the same purpose, See Daniel 7:14, "And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Observe, all people, nations, and language shall serve him. If a great part of the human race are to exist in endless rebellion against Christ and his kingdom, it

seems that the prophet was not only ignorant of it, but believed the reverse, "And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhoreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee," Isa. 49:6-8. For the strength of this covenant, See Jeri. 33:20,21. "Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be a day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers."

When men are possessed of sufficient agency to stop the wheels of time, to silence the motion of the solar system, and to

disannul God's covenant with day and night, then day and night will depend on the will of man, so likewise, when he has agency to disannul that covenant which is ordered, and in all things sure, then his eternal salvation will depend on himself, and not on his God.

Attend to one similitude of the redeemer's glory from the prophecy of Ezekiel, "Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it," Eze. 17:22-24. Time would fail us to write one half that might be quoted from the prophets, on this subject. We ask for no explanation on their testimony; if what they say does not prove our doctrine, we will not have recourse to explanations.

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