Treatise on Atonement Section 8

In this awful situation, it pleases God to manifest himself; and in a moment, all those frightful imaginations are dispersed and a universal calm takes possession of the whole region of the mind. The soul now rejoices, as a captive set at liberty, or a pardoned criminal; and there is nothing to be heard from him but the praises of his Benefactor. In this hour of joy, should he hear ten thousand singing praises to his Redeemer, he would not wish to stop them, to know whether they had all felt just as he had, before he knew the truth. But, in a short time, carnal mind, still alive in the members, begins to make intrusion, and in a very deceitful way. It pretends to wish to help the soul along in religion, and says there must be a close examination, it will not do to harbor errors, but, in room of setting the creature to examine himself, it is set to examine his brother. His brother happens to be one, who, in fact, loves Christ and his word, and, to all appearance, walks in the path of obedience; but, he is one, whose education was not quite so perverse as was his, and one who was taught that God is an enemy to sin, not to the sinner; that he will chastise, for iniquity, but that God is not incensed as some imagine. This brother cannot tell all that his interrogator has experienced, and is therefore, rejected, for not telling a good law work.

It is now possible, that the reader is more surprised than before, and will say, the author does not talk like a Christian; and feeling some disagreeable emotions, he thinks he will read no further. But, stop, Dear Sir; that determination may arise wholly from want of divine charity. If you are, in reality, a Christian and stand in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, what you here read will do you no harm.

We are now about to examine your law work, as you call it, and argue, that what you call law, is only a creature of false education.

Before you found peace, you thought you could see the justice of God, in your eternal exclusion from heaven and happiness. Now we ask, can you find, that God ever gave a law to man that required endless misery, in case of disobedience? Sure we are, the scripture speaks of none, neither do the dictates of good reason admit to its existence. Perhaps our opponent may say, we are not to use reason in matters of religion. We answer, if we are not to understand the things of God, by scripture and reason, we are at a loss to know how to come at them. We have before argued this point particularly, in order to show such a penalty does not exist in the law of God. Did you think, an exclusion from heaven and happiness would be an exclusion from holiness and righteousness? Did you ever see the justice of God in your being sinful, unholy, and impure? You answer, No, then you never saw the justice of God in your endless exclusion from heaven and happiness.

A false education has riveted the error in the minds of thousands, that God's law requires endless misery to be afflicted on the sinner. How often do professed Christians address the Almighty, and say, "Hadst thou been just to have marked iniquity we should long since have been in the grave, with the dead and in hell with the damned." This address amounts to nothing more or less, than a complimented accusation against God, of injustice! It surprises us to think how professed Christians will contend for the honor and glory of God, in a way that renders his character infinitely inglorious and dishonorable.

Further, you believe (you say) before you were a believer in the truth, that you stood in danger, every moment of falling into endless misery? We would ask, if that were true, which you believed before you believed the truth? We further ask, are you now exposed to those dreadful torments? You will say, you hope for the better. And what is it now that preserves you from such danger, you will confess, it is your Saviour. But was it not he who preserved you before your conversion? And are you more safe in his hands one time than you are another?

Some have gone so far in their law work, as to say they saw the justice of God so plainly, and it appeared so beautiful, that they were perfectly willing to be endlessly miserable, according to its requirements. Such Christians will not allow, that a person can be savingly converted, without being first willing to be endlessly miserable. This, we must confess is a law work unreconcilable to scripture and reason as it is corrosive to the mind. The amount of it is this, I see so much beauty and divine excellency, in the justice of God, that I am perfectly willing to exist to all eternity, in rebellion against God. We wish to know what the soul has to be thankful for, in the work of salvation? If it be brought to be willing to be endlessly miserable, it cannot be thankful for the gift of eternal life. Again, if a willingness to be damned is a good and acceptable situation, we ought to continue in it, and then hell and endless woe would be as valuable a prize, for which to run, in the Christian race as heaven and immortality.

It is generally believed, the Saviour strives, by his Spirit, to bring the creature into a state of grace and salvation; and that the devil strives, with all his wily arts, to get the soul into hell, and endless torments. Now if these things be so, to which is the soul reconciled when it is willing to be endlessly miserable?

That multitudes have been in great fear of being rejected by the Almighty, at last, we have no doubt; for we confess those torments have been ours, in no small degree. But we contend, it is impossible for anyone to be willing to be endlessly miserable. Happiness always was, and always will be, the grand object of all rational beings; and to reverse this object, would be to reverse man from a reasonable, to an unreasonable creature.

The above notion of law works, has been the awful means of driving multitudes of blinded mortals into as much despair as the mind is capable of. Honest hearted persons, who do not wish to be deceived, or to deceive others, knowing that they never felt willing to be damned, and being told they must be willing in order to be saved, have supposed, that God had already reprobated their fearful souls to endless ruin! Others have been so deceived, as to think they had better be willing to be damned than not to be saved, desiring salvation so much, they think they had better be willing to be shut out of heaven forever, than to miss of salvation, and have either honestly or hypocritically, said they were willing to be damned; expecting great favors in consequences of the confession. The moment we have a just idea of the Spirit of the law making an atonement for sin, all those absurdities and contradictions are removed, and their causes taken away. We doubt not but God communicates his grace to persons laboring under every kind of deception; and in respect to that grace no dispute arises, among believers. Their disputes arise, from notions which they entertained before they were enlightened, or from certain inventions of their own, afterwards, which does not arise from the Spirit of truth.

The divine efficacy of this atoning grace may be communicated to the most vile and profligate person in the world, and stop him in his full career of wickedness; it can show the sinner, in a moment, the deformity of sin, and the beauty of holiness. In other instances, the morally virtuous are led a long time in concern and great trouble, about themselves, before they find him of whom Moses and the prophets did write.

God is not confined to character, time, or place to work the work of atonement in the soul; he does all things well. And in the best time and ways; and Christians do very wrong, to contend about those differences which sin, and deception caused in them before they knew Christ.

Two persons are discoursing about the agreeable flavor of the pineapple; one says to the other, it taste very differently from what I expected it would before I tasted it; I thought it was a crab apple sour. Says the other, I am sure you never tasted of a pineapple; for before I tasted of one, I thought it was a disagreeable bitter. Thus they dispute, each in his turn arguing, that the other had never tasted of the fruit, because they had different ideas about it before they actually had any knowledge of it.

Would you, kind reader, advise those disputants to come to a solution of their question in a different way? Surely you would; and if they could agree about the real taste of the pineapple you would advise them to let their former false notions alone.

Then, Christian reader, go and do likewise, in the religion of Jesus; and where ever you find a brother, who has, in reality, tasted that the Lord is gracious, fellowship him, as one initiated into the Kingdom of God.

Atonement by Christ was never intended to perform impossibilities, therefore it was never designed to make men agree, and live in peace, while they are destitute of love one to another; but it is calculated and designed to inspire the mind with true love which will produce peace in Jesus. As atonement is a complete fulfillment of the law of the heavenly man, it causes its recipient to love God, and his fellow creatures, in as great a degree as he partakes of its nature. Ask one brought out of the darkness into the marvelous light of the Gospel, how God appears to him, and he will answer, more glorious than he can describe, ask him how he feels toward his fellow men, and he will say, even of his enemies, he wishes them no worse than to enjoy the blessings of divine favor.

In times of refreshing, how many thousands have been heard to speak of the goodness of the Lord, and of the infinite fullness of his grace; and with what love, affection and fervency, have they invited their fellow men to the rich provisions of the Gospel!

The earth, in time of drought, ceases to be fruitful; the streams, and springs thereof are dried up; the fields put off their robes of green, and gardens afford no fragrant delights; but when the heavens give the wanted blessing in gentle showers, how suddenly is the face of nature changed! The purling rill murmurs through the mead pastures and fields teem with vegetation, and gardens blush with enameled beauties. So the soul, unwatered with the rain of righteousness, and destitute of the waters of eternal life, is like a barren fig tree that yields no wholesome fruit. But behold the transition; the moment atoning grace is effective in the mind, the parched ground becomes a pool, and the thirsty land, streams of water. The soul is like the earth, that drinketh in the rain that cometh often upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom they are dressed; like a garden well watered and cultivated, yielding all manners of precious fruit. Look on the tree after autumn has plucked their leaves, and winter frozen their trunks and limbs; without faith in spring their future life would be hopeless, but wait for the season of nature's appointment, when the increasing majesty of the sunbeams gently removes the chains of frost, and warm zephyrs are breathed on the surrounding snow, removing it from the land; the embryos blossom, nicely concealed in frost now swells with genial heat; and the leaf so nicely folded in winter's chest, now displays its matchless green. And the whole forest rejoices in expanded delights. So if we look on man, in the sinful Adam, there is no appearance of heavenly life or divine animation; the soul is bound in fetters of sin, frozen with covetousness and apparently dead in the winter of iniquity. But behold the sun of righteousness arising with healing in his wings, removing sin, by the power of love and grace and killing moral death, with divine life and animation, and causing the soul to rejoice in the kingdom of grace and glory. Then it may be rightly said, "The winter is past, the rains is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, and the time of singing is come." How mysterious are the ways of God!

What infinite depths of wisdom lie concealed from the sight of mortals! He, who varies the seasons of the year and diversifies nature through so great a number of changes without losing the smallest particle of matter, can carry his rational creatures through all the dispensations designed in infinite wisdom, without losing any, and consummate the whole in glory at last.

Suffer us, kind reader, in our faithfulness with the Saints, to excite a close examination. It can be of no avail, to believe, we are partakers of atoning grace unless that is really the case. We are, of the opinion, that many may be deceived in these things; some may suppose they are experimentally acquainted with them, when in reality they have no other evidence of it, than that some godly ministers, as they suppose him to be, can fellowship them as Christians; while others do, in reality, feel this divine Spirit of grace, in its atoning operation, but dare not suffer themselves to believe it, because they have not obtained the approbation of some, in whom they have been taught to put confidence in.

We would, therefore, note some faithful evidence, in this case, which will not deceive us; and in doing this, we shall keep the reader close to the Spirit of the law, which is love to God and to man.

From these two points and their consequences, all the evidence which can be obtained must be deduced. The question then is, do you love God? If you answer yes, we ask, why do you love him? And why do you endeavor to serve him? If you answer, it is because it is your duty and you fear his rod if you do not serve him; we tell you, you are deceived; you have no real love to your maker. Undoubtedly you would say, as many vain professors have said, "If you were certain of salvation in the world to come, you would do all the mischief here you could." If the Gospel of Jesus Christ have any enemies, in this wicked world you are of that class. Your profession of Christianity, for forty or fifty years; your attention to church ordinances, and the mighty parade you have made in a round of, what you call, religious duties, have only served to paint you like a whited sepulcher; you lack the one thing needful, which is love of the truth and righteousness. You are ready to oppose all professors of Christianity who do not subscribe to your article of faith. The weapon of your warfare is a tongue of slander, and a Spirit of persecution; and you are daily raising false accusations against those who faithfully serve the Lord in Spirit and in truth. The Pharisees of old made as great profession of religion as you do, and were as punctual to those customs whereby they made void the law, as you are to those, whereby you make void the Gospel; and like you, they were zealous of defending their religion; and in their zeal they murdered the manifest word, just as you are! Perhaps you will say, the author is hard in his reproof. We reply, If you are not of the class of which we speak, you will not feel the rebuke; but if you are, you not only deserve it, but greatly need it. On the other hand, if you can truly say, "You love the Lord on account of divine beauties, and excellence you behold in him; that he is, in truth, to you, altogether lovely, and the chiefest among ten thousand; that you delight in his service, because it is your meat and drink to do his will; that your greatest enjoyment is obedience to his commands, which are joyous and not grievous and in keeping of which, there is great reward; let your denomination be what it may, let you live in what ever part of the world you will, you are a friend to the religion of Jesus, and you have sweet communion with him who sits at the right hand of God; are you rich in the things of this world; you view your possessions as his will, and you wish to have them at the disposal of the master whom you serve; you are adorned with titles of human honor, how sweet it is to lay all these things at the feet of him whom you esteem infinitely honorable; are you poor in goods of fortune, you possess the true riches; are you a disconsoled widow, behold God is your husband, and the Father of your orphaned children.

Atoning grace produces all which the Bible means by conversion, or being born of the Spirit; it brings the mind from under the power and constitution of the earthly Adam, to live by faith in the Son of God. And to be ruled and governed, even in this life, in a great measure, by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. It opens eternal things to our view and contemplation; it brings heaven to the soul; and clothes the man in his right mind; it inspires the soul with divine meekness and boldness, at the same time. It was this that enabled the apostles of our Lord to preach the Gospel in defiance of the rage of their enemies, and gave them immortal consolation in their suffering for the cause of truth. It causes the Christians to love all God's rational creatures, and to wish their saving knowledge of the truth: it produces good works in their purity, and all the morality worth the name is founded on it.

Its divine power is stronger than any possible opposition, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it; it opens a door of everlasting hope, and conducts the soul, by the way of the cross, to immortality and eternal life. This dispensation of atonement is manifest through Christ, for the reconciliation of all things to God, in his glorious kingdom of holiness and happiness.

In this general view on atonement, we come to our last inquiry purposed in this treatise.

The Consequences of Atonement to Mankind

In this last inquiry, we must be a little more lengthy, than in either of the former, but we hope not to be tedious. What we shall contend for, as the consequences of atonement, is the universal holiness and happiness of all mankind, in the final issue of the Redeemer's process.

Before we proceed to notice the direct proof of the doctrine of the final holiness and happiness of all, we shall notice some opposing doctrine and arguments and endeavor to obviate by scripture and reason.

The first that we notice, is found in a proposition frequently stated by modern divines, thus, "God, in the great and infinite plan of moral government, consults the greatest possible good to the whole system; and in order for the greatest possible happiness to be produced, it was necessary for some of God's rational creatures should be eternally miserable: agreeable to which, all men cannot be saved." This is the only ground on which an objection can be stated against universal holiness and happiness. While we admit the existence of an Infinite supreme.

We cannot go into an examination of any authorities on which the above statement is suppose to stand; for we know of none; all we can do is to examine the statement itself. It is argued, agreeable to this proposition, that the infinite and inconceivable miseries of the wicked in the world to come, will enhance the happiness of the glorified in heaven.

Against these statements we argue, if, in order for the greatest possible happiness to exist, the greatest possible misery must also exist, we wish to reverse the subject. Then the proposition would stand thus, in order for the greatest possible evil to exist the greatest possible good must exist. Then if God, in his universal plan, has produced as much good as was possible, he has also produced as much evil as possible. Which renders the statement that he consulted the greatest possible evil, as just, as that he consulted the greatest possible good. Of course, there is no more propriety in calling him good than there is in calling him bad!

If it is said we carry this evil or misery too far, even beyond our opponents meaning, we will endeavor to show him according to his own statement, that we do not. He says every degree of misery in hell, will produce many degrees of happiness in heaven; if so, if the wicked be not made as miserable as possible, the blessed cannot be made as happy as possible; if they are not made as happy as possible, they must experience some want; and of course some misery themselves. On the other hand, if the wretched be not as miserable as possible, they must have in possession some remaining conveniences; then neither the greatest possible happiness, nor the greatest possible misery is produced.

Almighty God, being put to the necessity of making some of his rational offsprings eternally miserable, in order to make the rest eternally happy, may be represented by a parent who has ten children; but only provision enough to preserve the lives of five until he can get more. In this awful dilemma, he sits down to consult the greatest possible good; says to himself, if I divide my provision equally among my children, all must surely starve to death; but by neglecting five, he can save the lives of the other five, which he finally concludes to do. But we ask the rational, we petition the reasonable, we request the impartial to guess the feeling of the father, on such an occasion! Before him are ten children,

all in the image of himself; he sees his own eyes roll in their heads, hears his own voice on their tongues, while his own blood frolics through their veins; how could he make the division? How could he decide on one for a victim? Would he not rather give his own flesh to be their meat, and his own blood to be their drink, and fervently pray for plenty! But is the Almighty poor? Has he not enough and to spare? When the prodigal came home, did the father turn away his brother, so that he might have plenty for him? Is there not fullness in God to satisfy the wants of all his creatures? Why the necessity then of making some miserable eternally? Our opponent will say, the blessed are happified in consequences of the misery of the wicked. But what reason can be given for such an idea? How do we look on a person, in this world, who manifest joy and happiness in the misery of one of his fellow creatures? Do we say he manifests a God like disposition? Surely not. From whence came charity; from heaven, if souls in heaven possess it, they cannot be happy, in consequences of the misery of any rational being.

Again, if a soul in heaven derives happiness from seeing, say one half or two thirds of the human race in misery, would he not yet enjoy more, providing the whole, except himself, were in the same torment? If it be granted that he would, then, in order for a soul to be made as happy as possible, the whole human race, except that one, must be endlessly as miserable as possible! If it be argued that it is not the number as multitudes of individuals, who are made miserable, that enhances the happiness of the blessed, but that it is the nature, justice, and intenseness of this misery which is necessary for the above purpose, it makes it very plain, that the eternal miseries of one may be dispensed with, without departing from what my opponent has acknowledged; and that, by letting each individual of the human race, for a moment, or for any limited time, experience the nature of the misery contended for; and then giving them the memory to retain it fresh in mind forever; this must, of necessity produce the same effect without the expense of a single soul. We do not think it would require absolute omniscient wisdom to concert a better plan than the one we are opposing.

Suppose we alter the circumstances of the father and his ten children: suppose the father has provisions enough for the whole, and his object, in the bestowing of it upon them is to cause the greatest happiness among his children. Which way would good sense and parental affection choose, either to feed five to the full, and let the rest starve to death that their dying groans will give the rest a better appetite and their food a good relish, or to let them all be hungry enough to relish their food well, and all alike partake of it?

We will take notice of a certain passage of scripture in this place, which some have endeavored to accommodate to the argument which we are disputing; "That some shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day or night who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." It is not because we are afraid of wounding this beast, or of affronting its rider, that we do not enter into a particular explanation of the passage recited; but because it deserves the labor of more time than we have now to spare. However, the idea of my opponent is easily refuted; and this is as much as the reader ought to expect, in this work. The common idea is, that the punishment here spoken of, is altogether in eternity, and not in this world of mortality; that it is in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb, it indicates that it affords pleasure in those heavenly mansions where they dwell. First, we request the reader to observe, that the verbs, ascendeth, have, worship, and receiveth, are all in the same tense, which at least favor the idea, that the sulphurous smoke of this torment ascendeth up, at the same time that the tormented worship the beast.