,,love',s ,,final ,,victory ,ultimate ,universal ,salvation on the ,basis of ,scripture and ,reason ,,by ,,horatio ,an ,orthodox ,minister ,that which is incredible to thee thou shalt not1 at thy soul's peril1 attempt to believe4 ,go to ,perdition if thou must1 but not with a lie in thy mouth4 ,by the ,eternal ,maker1 no4--,carlyle4 ,is not ,universal ,salvation the ,divine ,corollary of ,universal ,atonement8--,extract of a letter from the ,author to an eminent ,methodist minister in ,england4 ,,table ,,of ,,contents ,i4 ,,different ,,theories4 ,fear of ,punishment--,early ,impressions--,men of ,piety and ,learning--,facts and ,figures--,mental or ,material ,fire--,the ,theory of ,conditional ,immortality--,why ,invented--,moody--,divine ,failure ,impossible--,future ,operations of ,grace--,restoration--,a ,plea for ,charity--,other ,worlds--,the ,heathen--,devout ,use of the ,imagination4 ,,ii4 ,,cruelty ,,of ,,former ,,views4 ,unconditional ,election--,children of ,believing ,parents--,an ,arrogant ,pretension--,god's ,own ,children--,the ,heathen of ,all ,time--,a ,baleful ,shadow--,former ,cruelty--,herbert ,spencer--,dr4 ,farrar's ,eternal ,hope--,a ,lady ,with ,an ,open ,mind--,dr4 ,dawson's ,larger ,view--,the ,universal ,attraction4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,church ,,in ,,transition4 ,no ,definite ,note of ,warning--,preachers ,afraid of ,discipline--,divided ,as to ,restoration or ,extinction--,plea for ,liberty--,liberalism of the ,episcopal ,church--,advance in ,christian ,unity--,dr4 ,edward ,white--,conditional ,immortality--,endless ,torment--,if ,true ,ought to ,be ,preached ,morning1 ,noon and ,night--,awful ,penalty of ,sin--,extinction--,true ,religion ,is ,reasonable--,enlarged ,conceptions4 ,,iv4 ,,infinite ,,justice4 ,a ,strong ,argument--,universal ,atonement--,infinite ,justice ,satisfied--,a ,candid ,methodist ,minister--,can ,man ,commit ,an ,infinite ,sin8--,everlasting ,punishment ,could ,not ,be ,rendered--,uses of ,suffering--,punitive and ,remedial--,the ,penalty ,has ,been ,paid--,moral ,effect--,mystery of ,pain--,not ,punishment but ,chastening--,extending ,our ,outlook ,beyond--,boundless ,time and ,space--,operations of ,grace in the ,next ,life--,infinite ,power--,infinite ,mercy--,infinite ,love--,incentive to ,endless ,praise4 ,v4 ,,harmony ,,of ,,the ,,divine ,,attributes4 ,our ,limitations--,development--,our ,capacity--,divine ,foreknowledge--,no ,divine ,failure--,the ,heathen--,unchangeable ,dove--,union of ,four ,attributes--,eternal ,wisdom--,a ,marvel of ,coercion and ,freedom--,the ,day of ,divine ,power--,an ,unfathomable ,mystery--,future ,revelations--,coming to ,zion with ,songs4 ,,vi4 ,,theory ,,of ,,equality4 ,abraham ,tucker's ,view--,ingenious and ,reverent--,variety of ,endowment--,maximum of ,happiness--,imparting and ,receiving ,new ,ideas--,compensations--,infinite ,justice4 ,,vii4 ,,processes ,,of ,,purification4 ,different ,processes--,the ,case of ,saul--,changed in a ,moment--,no ,violence to ,human ,freedom--,the ,case of ,nebuchadnezzar--,sudden or ,slow--,basis of ,warning--,an ,object ,lesson--,function of ,suffering4 ,,viii4 ,,the ,,intermediate ,,state4 ,meagre ,details--,good ,reasons ,why--,extent of the ,universe--,future ,glory--,sin in ,other ,worlds--,no ,revelation--,future ,abode of the ,righteous--,solid or ,ethereal--,impossible ,revelations--,present ,duties and ,interests--,our ,limitations--,necessity of ,purification--,preaching to the ,spirits in ,prison--,stages of ,progress--,the ,law of ,gradual ,development4 ,,ix4 ,,the ,,spirits ,,in ,,prison4 ,the ,descent of ,jesus ,into ,hades--,singular ,reserve of ,preachers--,purgatory--,dr4 ,gerhardt's ,book--,a ,bodily ,resurrection--,the ,spirit ,world ,requires a ,spirit ,body4 ,x4 ,,divine ,,love4 ,infinite ,being and ,perfection--,grades of ,being--,variety--,man's ,limitations--,moral ,beings--,hopeless ,surroundings--,all ,are the ,children of ,god--,righting the ,wrongs of ,time--,the ,heart of the ,universe ,is ,love--,eternal ,conscious ,torment ,incredible--,conquering ,power of ,love--,eternal ,purpose ,will ,not ,fail--,omnipotence in the ,moral ,realm--,the ,divine ,expression of ,love--,universal ,atonement ,involves ,universal ,salvation--,final ,success of ,god's ,designs--,will ,evil ,necessarily ,perpetuate ,itself8--,triumph of ,good ,over ,evil--,few ,stripes or ,many--,reformatory ,punishment--,bringing ,good ,out of ,evil--,possibilities of ,redeeming ,grace--,the ,ransomed of the ,lord--,wrath but the ,shadow of ,love--,former ,eternity of ,sinlessness--,wrath ,no ,constituent of the ,divine ,character--,pity and ,indignation4 ,,xi4 ,,the ,,atonement4 ,extent of the ,atonement--,the ,dilemma of ,universal ,atonement and ,partial ,salvation--,human ,systems of ,truth--,methodist ,theology--,tradition and ,reason--,dr4 ,dale's ,view--,no ,divine ,failure--,imperfection of ,all ,theological ,systems--,sufficient but ,not ,efficient--,undeveloped ,possibilities--,the ,angel in the ,apocalypse--,omnipotence ,both in the ,physical and the ,moral ,realm--,the ,short ,epoch of ,time--,advance of the ,presbyterian ,church in the ,united ,states--,individual ,congregations--,hardening ,effects of the ,narrower ,view--,the ,softening ,influence of ,dreams--,divine ,capacity of ,suffering--,persistence of ,what ,is ,good--,good ,men ,who ,are ,not ,christians--,insanity--,blind ,tom4 ,,xii4 ,a ,,feeble ,,note ,,of ,,warning4 ,the ,creed of ,eternal ,torment--,do ,ministers ,really ,believe ,it8--,if ,they ,do1 ,why ,not ,say ,so8--,no ,decisive ,note of ,warning--,definite ,missionary ,incentive ,is ,wanting--,the ,phrase1 ,eternal ,death1 ,often ,used--,does ,it ,mean ,annihilation1 or ,eternal ,torment1 or ,what8--,vague ,reference to ,punishment ,fosters ,unbelief--,an ,age of ,compromise--,professor ,faulkner's ,testimony--,the ,idea of ,restoration ,would ,fully ,meet the ,difficulty--,honesty and ,candor--,carlyle's ,scathing ,warning--,ultimate ,fulfilment of ,prophecy--,eternal ,songs4 ,,xiii4 ,,prophecies ,,yet ,,to ,,be ,,fulfilled4 ,enlarging ,vision--,promise to ,abraham--,a ,host of ,similar ,promises--,many of ,them ,not ,merely ,national--,their ,fulfilment--,not ,limited by the ,short ,epoch of ,time--,the ,present ,only ,one ,part of the ,divine ,administration--,why the ,revelation ,was ,not ,given ,sooner--,groping in the ,twilight--,growing ,illumination--,a ,time for ,everything--,dazzle or ,enlighten--,discoveries in ,science are ,really ,revelations--,our ,slowness in ,receiving ,spiritual ,truth--,limitations of ,great ,men4 ,,xiv4 ,,testimony ,,of ,,scripture4 ,the ,unrevealed--,scripture and ,reason--,bishop ,butler's ,dictum--,reverence of ,kepler--,moral ,courage of ,sir ,oliver ,lodge--,increase of ,laxity--,the ,spirit's ,almighty ,power--,supreme ,authority of ,scripture--,the ,proper ,sphere of ,reason--,fate of the ,heathen--,singular ,reserve of ,preachers--,sin ,is ,abnormal--,union of ,divine ,power1 ,wisdom1 and ,love--,reasonableness and ,harmony--,a ,multitude of ,scripture ,promises--,discipline ,instead of ,eternal ,torment--,dr4 ,funk's ,view--,the ,great ,panacea for ,unbelief--,ingersoll--,no ,divine ,failure4 ,,xv4 ,,testimony ,,of ,,reason4 ,divine ,gift of ,reason--,its ,proper ,sphere--,no ,dogmatism--,is ,sin ,an ,infinite ,evil8--,infinite ,penalty ,impossible to ,be ,rendered--,justice ,can ,delay--,good ,cannot ,perish--,testimony of ,dickens--,endless ,punishment ,would ,increase ,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 ,go8--,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--,ingersoll and ,his ,shafts of ,ridicule--,incentive to ,good ,works--,unfathomable ,divine ,love--,joy ,cometh in the ,morning ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,case ,,op ,,saul4 ,divine ,methods of ,reclaiming ,men--,the ,chief of ,sinners--,changed' in a ,moment--,no ,violence ,done to ,his ,freedom--,yet ,sovereign ,power--,the ,mystery of ,grace--,view of ,mc,cosh--,supremacy of ,conscience--,sir ,isaac ,newton's ,wonderful ,alertness of ,mind--,reason and ,intuition--,capturing the ,most ,incorrigible--,evil ,environment--,suffering a ,necessary ,factor--,agony of ,remorse--,eternal ,hope4 ,,xvii4 ,,eternal ,,separations4 ,an ,everlasting ,pang--,david and ,absalom--,strained ,ideas of ,late ,momentary ,repentance--,king ,solomon--,king ,saul--,the ,gracious ,character of ,sympathy--,george ,eliot's ,view--,a ,strong ,argument for ,restoration--,heresy of a ,minister's ,wife--,a ,minister's ,orthodox ,view--,wonderful ,goodness of a ,criminal--,where ,will ,he ,finally ,go8--,our ,very ,imperfect ,friends--,glossing ,over ,their ,faults ,when ,they ,are ,gone--,our ,instinctive ,hope for the ,worst--,restoration the ,true ,solution--,a ,final ,era of ,joy4 ,,xviii4 ,,not ,,really ,,believed4 ,present ,enthusiasm for ,missions--,former ,lassitude--,the ,basis of ,missionary ,enterprise--,supposed ,damnation of the ,heathen--,if ,really ,believed ,would ,drive ,us to ,frenzy--,minister's ,monday ,meeting--,pretence ,cuts the ,nerve of ,enthusiasm--,restoration the ,true ,incentive--,effective ,because ,reasonable--,torment ,not ,really ,believed--,the ,heart ,often ,truer ,than the ,head--,necessity for ,preparatory ,state--,could ,not ,have ,details ,revealed--,orthodoxy of the ,torment ,view--,trying to ,believe ,it--,be ,not ,afraid of the ,truth--,extreme ,calvinists ,signally ,honored--,the ,reason ,why--,our ,innate ,god-given ,convictions--,meagre ,expenditure for ,missions--,tacit ,acknowledgment ,that ,endless ,suffering ,is ,not ,believed4 ,,xix4 ,,working ,,men ,,and ,,the ,,church4 ,efforts to ,attract ,working ,men to the ,church--,restoration ,would ,largely ,solve the ,difficulty--,common ,sense of ,working-,men--,glorious ,expansion of ,truth--,recasting ,traditional ,views--,the ,true ,basis for ,unity4 ,,xx4 ,,the ,,seen ,,and ,,the ,,unseen4 ,beauty ,evolved from ,chaos--,future ,capacity of ,motion--,gleams of the ,invisible--,changing ,into the ,divine ,image--,crying ,out for ,god--,from ,barrenness to ,beauty--,the ,glow of the ,firefly--,the ,effulgent ,divinity--,universal ,sense of ,beauty--,sunset on the ,prairie--,guardian ,angels--,death ,as ,seen from ,this ,side and ,that--,sunset on ,yellowstone ,river--,a ,drop of ,dew--,reality of ,heaven--,the ,literal and the ,figurative--,the ,spiritual ,body--,expanding ,glory of ,creation--,sunset in ,dakota--,lights ,dim and ,clear--,christ's ,unsullied ,purity--,a ,rent in the ,cloud--,an ,imprisoned ,lark4 ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,final ,,day4 ,everlasting ,love--,resources of ,infinite ,wisdom and ,power--,redemption of the ,whole ,race--,forecast of the ,final ,day--,the ,conquest of ,love --,christ ,is ,satisfied--,he ,is ,singing with ,joy--,ancient ,prophecy ,fulfilled--,adoration of the ,heavenly ,hosts--,the ,saviour ,crowned4 ,,general ,,introduction4 ,the circumstances under which these pages came to be written are rather peculiar4 ,i am in favor of church unity1 and ,i had thought of writing something that would tend to bring the churches into closer harmony4 ,i am persuaded that their unity of doctrine is greater than is usually supposed2 ,i endeavored to make this apparent by citing a long list of doctrines on which the churches tacitly agree4 ,but in all faithfulness ,i had to recognize a striking difference of opinion when ,i came to speak of the doctrine of future punishment4 ,on this profound question ,i had to recognize that there are honest differences of opinion4 ,these could not be summarily dismissed by a hasty yea or nay4 ,there are three views that are entertained1 which may be expressed thus3 ,extinction2 ,restoration2 ,endless ,suffering4 ,not only do these different views prevail among different churches2 they prevail also among individuals in all the churches4 ,in fact1 it would be hard to find a thoughtful church of any name in which each of these views is not represented4 ,while there is this diversity of view1 there ought surely to be toleration4 ,it is a profound subject2 ,i am very conscious of that2 yet ,i think there may be ultimate harmony if we are only candid enough to lay aside all prejudice1 and give the matter our serious and impartial consideration4 ,and surely1 it is worthy of that4 ,in my view1 there is a right conception of the matter1 which if generally entertained would go far to lift a dark shadow from the heart of the world4 ,for myself1 ,i may say that ,i was brought up in an orthodox church that professes to believe in endless suffering4 ,i had not1 even at a mature age1 examined that doctrine critically4 ,in fact1 ,i shrunk from examining it2 ,i think most people do who professedly accept it4 ,it is the doctrine of the church1 and the easiest way is to assume that it is all right4 ,if it was formulated by our learned and pious ancestors1 the usual idea is that it's good enough for us4 ,a thoughtful mind1 however1 could not but recognize that there is a serious difference on this question in different churches that are admitted to be evangelical4 ,not only that1 but there is a difference between thoughtful men in the same church4 ,hence1 ,i was led to adopt1 and to state1 my own views here4 ,the arguments that ,i was thus compelled to use expanded far beyond my expectation4 ,then ,i recognized that a plea for unity along with the advocacy of a contested vital doctrine1 do not hang well together4 ,moreover1 the space that ,i felt compelled to give to this doctrinal defense1 induced me to cut it loose from my plea for unity1 and present the matter separately4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on this most serious question ,i must say that ,i have read but very little4 ,even ,dr4 ,farrar's standard work on ,eternal ,hope ,i have not read4 ,but ,i considered this to be no serious disadvantage1 on the whole4 ,i conceived--and ,i think it was no undue egotism--that my own originality and naturalness would balance in a large degree the completeness which otherwise ,i might have attained4 ,i think it is no small advantage to see the natural working of an open mind1 not warped by other people's opinions and arguments4 ,but there was more than that4 ,it is said of ,christ that ,he is ,the true ,light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world4 ,i cannot but think that ,i have had some illumination from that ,source4 ,once in the night season1 when ,i wished above all things to sleep1 ,i was kept awake1 and an idea came to me that was never in my mind before4 ,in the morning the idea was written down4 ,the following night the same thing would occur again1 and again a new thought was written down4 ,the same thing continued for weeks1 with hardly an intermission4 ,it did not strike me until afterwards that this might be a special1 divine illumination4 ,yet why should it not be1 except that ,i was utterly unworthy8 ,but then ,i remembered that it is to every man1 however unworthy he may be1 that this divine ,light comes4 ,so it may come to many when they do not know it4 ,in this case it was not really so surprising4 ,when we think of the ,power and ,grace that are so bound up with the theory of ,restoration that are as yet so little recognized1 might we not expect special1 divine aid in making known such a glorious revelation8 ,as ,i have noticed elsewhere in this treatise1 neither of the two alternative theories brings anything like such glory to ,christ as the theory of ,restoration4 ,is not this an overwhelming argument that the theory is true8 ,at all events1 there is now more toleration for such views than there was some time ago4 ,i know that many ,congregational ministers hold to the doctrine of ,conditional ,immortality2 and there is no bar to such views in that church4 ,dr4 ,farrar's ,eternal ,hope does him no discredit to-day in the ,episcopal ,church4 ,so with ,dr4 ,edward ,white's doctrine of ,conditional ,immortality4 ,but there are some who still hold tenaciously to the orthodox faith1 and are quick to resent any departure from it4 ,well do ,i remember a conference that was held in ,dr4 ,parker's ,tabernacle in ,london several years ago4 ,the occasion was the meeting with the ,rev4 ,henry ,ward ,beecher4 ,the large church where we met was nearly filled with ministers4 ,during ,mr4 ,beecher's talk one of these zealots for orthodoxy flung out the inquiry1 ,do you believe in everlasting punishment8 ,beecher--manly man that he was--immediately responded that he did not4 ,at once there was an uproar4 ,the great majority1 ,i believe1 whether in sympathy with ,mr4 ,beecher or not1 would have allowed the matter to pass in respectful silence4 ,but there was a small minority who felt bound to stand up for orthodoxy4 ,for a time there was great confusion4 ,i remember ,parker's dignified protest4 ,brethren1 he said1 this is a ,conference2 it is not an ,inquisition4 ,truly1 it does seem strange that men should be ostracised for not believing that the great majority of mankind is in everlasting fire6 ,that is really the sum and substance of their offending4 ,it seems that is an offense for which no greatness or goodness can atone4 ,in the case referred to the man who was condemned was confessedly head and shoulders above his peers4 ,yet we boast of our culture and progress1 and our emancipation from medieval darkness4 ,truly1 it would be funny1 if it were not sad4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on the occasion referred to ,i had no sympathy with ,mr4 ,beecher's view1 nor for several years after4 ,but the idea took hold of me about five years ago4 ,so far as ,i know1 it came spontaneously2 no1 perhaps not spontaneously1 but as a direct suggestion from the unseen4 ,i had been reading nothing that would naturally lead up to it2 ,i had no former leanings in that direction2 nor was ,i in contact with any person who would suggest it4 ,but suddenly the idea took hold of me1 and pursued me night after night with new arguments4 ,all the time there was nothing in my reach along this line that ,i could read2 and ,i had read almost nothing beforehand4 ,so ,i sought for nothing1 realizing that it might be better to present the case solely from my own point of view4 ,i mention these matters in no spirit of egotism1 but simply to show that the matter occurred to me at a time unlooked for1 and without any extraneous help4 ,if ,i had resorted to outside aids1 ,i might perhaps have made the argument more complete2 but would ,i have made it more convincing8 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am not in the habit of ventilating these views on all occasions2 but in certain cases lately there were some remarkable results4 ,for instance3 ,i met a ,presbyterian minister whom ,i knew1 and we drifted into these ideas4 ,i said ,i would give him one argument for universal salvation1 and one only4 ,when ,i had stated the argument he said it was absolutely conclusive1 and that there could be no such thing as endless torment4 ,lately1 ,i met a ,presbyterian ,d4,d4 on the train1 and we drifted into these questions4 ,he argued the case strongly from the orthodox point of view1 and ,i defended the more liberal theory4 ,we argued the question for two hours4 ,when we were at the end of our journey he frankly confessed that he was quite with me1 and that he had gone through the mill4 ,yet that ,d4,d4 is supposed to be orthodox4 ,i believe he is one of many who suppress their honest inner convictions4 ,a teacher in the ,methodist body1 a man of deep thought1 and fine culture1 during a few minutes' conversation1 endorsed several of my views1 and began to advance some of his own4 ,lately1 ,i visited a highly cultured ,christian lady1 who was once a member of my congregation1 and ,i referred casually to some of these ideas4 ,thinking afterwards that ,i might really have done her an injury by merely mooting such a subject1 ,i went back the next evening1 and went into it fully4 ,the result was that she expressed her hearty concurrence in such views4 ,cases like these convince me that the public mind is more open than it was some time ago1 and that when the matter is presented reasonably1 in many instances it will be accepted4 ,surely1 the light of ,god is beginning to shine into our gloom6 99 99 99 99 99 ,i suppose that the contracted view of divine love and power that prevailed in former times was largely due to the failure of men to see that ,god rules in all worlds and through all time4 ,because grace does not take effect in the case of every person now and here1 it was concluded that this was a part of the divine decree2 for could not ,god do as it pleased ,him8 ,but now we realize that this life is not all2 that divine love and power are from everlasting to everlasting2 that we see here but parts of ,his ways2 that the great redemptive scheme may be completed in the ages to come4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in this treatise ,i have chiefly in view the great mass of people who believe in the plain statements of ,scripture1 and also in reason4 ,and ,i will say this1 for the sake of those who have been brought up with the idea that the ,scripture teaches eternal torment1 that there are many incorrect ,scripture translations1 and that these largely account for the long persistence of the old theory4 ,its origin is really due to the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 which invented it to keep its adherents in due subjection4 ,it is well to note that in two of the views ,i have referred to there is a degree of harmony4 ,in the theory of ,extinction and that of ,restoration there is a tacit repudiation of endless torment4 ,that seems to be an intuition in harmony with our highest range both of thought and feeling1 when thought and feeling are not unduly warped by tradition4 ,the old theory may sound orthodox2 it may be consecrated by many tender memories2 but ,i would ask if you have thought over it seriously1 and if in your inmost soul you believe it4 ,then be faithful to that inner conviction4 ,it is the light of ,god4 ,it is what ,carlyle calls the direct ,inspiration of the ,almighty4 99 99 99 99 99 ,pending the final solution of this great problem1 ,i think there ought to be enough charity to disagree1 with all good will and mutual confidence4 ,and in all contemplated union of the churches this liberty ought to be clearly recognized4 ,for this question1 though of tremendous importance1 is not a saving one by any means4 ,men1 of whose goodness there can be no question1 hold different views4 ,truth is greater than orthodoxy1 and is sometimes to be found outside of orthodoxy4 ,in this connection1 the words of ,professor ,faulkner1 of ,toronto ,university1 are well worth pondering4 ,he says3 ,the fear of not being orthodox is1 in my opinion1 the reason why theology is under a cloud at the present time4 ,closely related to this subject1 it may be opportune to quote an article of mine that lately appeared in the ,homiletic ,review on the ,doctrinal ,basis of ,union in ,canada4 ,the contemplated organic union of the ,presbyterian1 ,methodist1 and ,congregational ,churches in ,canada has not yet been consummated4 ,one thing that involved some delay has been the discovery of a basis of doctrine that would suit the three churches4 ,at length such a basis has been formulated4 ,it contains one statement1 however1 which ,i am rather surprised to see4 ,it says that the doom of the finally impenitent will be eternal death1 ,now what does that mean8 ,might it not be honestly taken to mean two very different things8 ,might it not be taken to mean eternal torment or eternal extinction8 ,the manifest ambiguity of such a statement would seem to me highly objectionable4 ,i quoted the phrase to two thoughtful friends1 and asked them what it meant4 ,they made a long pause1 and said they did not know4 ,if the phrase has been adopted on purpose to make it the expression of the two views referred to1 such a course is surely wanting in candor and honesty4 ,to be sure1 it is a ,scriptural phrase1 but inasmuch as it is taken to express two very different views1 it ought not to be adopted4 ,by all means be clear and simple and straightforward4 ,there has been too much vagueness on the part of preachers on this most solemn theme4 ,lately ,i heard a preacher speaking of unsaved men as miserable failures1 going out into the darkness4 ,now what did he mean8 ,either he has no definite idea himself1 or he judged it unwise to express it4 ,does not such a statement as ,i have quoted pander directly to infidelity8 ,surely1 the time has come when we ought candidly to recognize that on this question there may be a legitimate difference of opinion4 ,there are men whose godliness and ability are beyond all question1 who hold diverse views on this matter4 ,whether it be the theory of eternal torment or extinction or ,restoration that is held1 let us concede all honor and confidence to the men who hold it4 ,the more of that spirit we really possess1 the sooner will the divine light break upon our souls4 ,with regard to a basis on which conscientious men can really unite1 is it well to go so much into detail8 ,mere creeds will never conserve the truth4 ,men will think1 whether we will or no2 and men will have diverse views4 ,do we not put a premium on dishonesty by constructing a creed for all details1 and expecting men to subscribe to that creed8 ,have we not had too much of that in the past8 ,a noted official in the ,methodist body told me lately that he does not believe in eternal torment1 but that if it were known1 he would lose his position4 ,but eternal torment is in the ,methodist creed1 and he had profest his adherence to it4 ,it is so with many ,presbyterians4 ,i have spoken privately with several1 and not one profest to believe in that doctrine4 ,but we say1 ,truth is mighty and will prevail4 ,yes1 ,i believe it will2 but it would surely prevail faster if we were always loyal to it4 ,besides1 is there anything that makes more directly for degeneracy of character than such evasion8 ,to avoid all peril of this kind1 how would it do to take for a basis of doctrine this simple statement4 ,i believe the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testaments to be the ,word of ,god8 ,or1 ,i believe the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testaments to contain the ,word of ,god8 ,then1 with further light breaking from ,god's holy word1 we would not need to expunge anything from our creed1 or add anything to it4 ,for the present1 let us be faithful to the light we have4 ,as ,canon ,farrar well says3 ,there is but one failure2 and that is1 not to be true to the best one knows4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it will be noted that throughout this discussion ,i have made no attempt to indicate anything of the nature of the divine reformatory processes in the next life4 ,that is far beyond me4 ,the principle may be the same that operates now1 but the details may be very different1 and the effects produced may be quick or slow1 just as in this life4 ,we have instanced the case of ,saul's conversion as exceptionally thorough and immediate4 ,there may be somewhat similar cases in the next life2 we do not know2 but there is reasonable ground for hope4 ,then too1 as now1 there may be cases of incorrigibility which ages may be required to redeem4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mistranslations of certain passages of ,scripture on this subject are so numerous1 and in some cases so utterly opposed to the original1 that ,i made out a list of them1 to be presented here4 ,on second thought ,i have omitted them1 for the reason that this treatise is intended more especially for plain1 common sense people1 who do not trouble much about translations1 but who are dominated largely by reason and good sense4 ,for those who give more attention to translations1 ,i could wish that some competent and impartial person would compile a list of mistranslations and present them as a separate treatise4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am satisfied that in the ,english ,bible there is abundant support for every position ,i have taken4 ,i do not mean merely direct1 verbal support2 but also the support of reason and common feeling1 which come from the same divine ,source4 ,i can well conceive1 however1 that some may have a conscientious fear that there may be something in the original that is opposed to the views that ,i have taken4 ,it may appear very unlikely that the orthodox views that have so long prevailed should find such wide currency if they are not supported by revelation4 ,it cannot be denied1 however1 that the translators of the ,scriptures in many instances were strongly imbued beforehand with certain of those doctrines1 and that in many cases they wrested the ,scriptures to support them4 ,so much is this the case that corrections and modifications have since been made--in some cases totally contrary to the original translations4 ,along with this1 let it be remembered that there is1 and rightly1 a strong conservative feeling against meddling with the ,divine ,word4 ,notwithstanding this1 there is in all honesty a feeling that certain translations call for a radical amendment4 ,i think this statement will be thoroughly borne out by some of the translations ,i will quote4 ,i have thus been moved to give some instances of mistranslation4 ,since writing the foregoing ,i have met with a treatise by ,rev4 ,arthur ,chambers1 an ,english ,episcopal minister1 in which he quotes a great number of these4 ,a number of them bear so directly on the matter we are treating that ,i feel that ,i cannot do better than quote some of them here4 ,and in order to do this author justice1 ,i will give also some of his own comments4 ,mr4 ,chambers writes3 ,,the ,,meaning ,,of ,,the ,,word ,,hades4 ,the ,greek language contains two words which are used many times in the ,new ,testament--,gehenna and ,hades4 ,when the ,greek ,new ,testament was translated into ,english1 one ,english word'--,hell--was1 very unfortunately1 made to do service for the two ,greek words named above4 ,hell was used to express both the place of future punishments1 and also the abode of those1 who having departed the ,earth-life1 are existing as disembodied spirits1 physically disembodied4 ,as was to be expected1 confusion of ideas soon arose in consequence1 and ordinary readers became bewildered4 ,such a passage is ,acts ii4 #ca3 ,his soul was not left in ,hell1 and the clause in the ,apostles' ,creed--,he descended into ,hell--instead of being understood as expressing that ,christ at ,his crucifixion entered into ,hades1 seem to teach that ,he went into the place of punishment--,hell2 where ,he never went4 ,,the ,,early-,,christian ,,conception ,,of ,,hades4 ,the foregoing conclusion is well-nigh unassailable1 in view of the fact that the early ,christians believed in an ,intermediate ,state1 which they1 like the ,jews and ,greeks1 called ,hades4 ,justin ,martyr 7,a4,d4 #adg7 declares that those who say that there is no ,resurrection1 but that1 immediately after death1 their souls are taken up to ,heaven1 these are not to be accounted either ,christians or ,jews4 ,tertullian 7,a4,d4 #bjj7 states that the souls of all men go to ,hades until the ,resurrection2 the souls of the just being in that part of ,hades called the ',bosom of ,abraham1' or ',paradise4' ,origen 7,a4,d4 #bcj7 expresses the same views4 ,lactantius 7,a4,d4 #cjf7 writes1 ,let no one think that souls are judged immediately after death2 for they are all detained in the same common place of keeping1 until the time come when the ,supreme ,judge shall enquire into their good or evil deeds4 ,our ,english ,new ,testament represents the rich man as being in ,hell4 ,but the translation is a false one4 ,in the original ,greek it is1 ,in ,hades he lifted up his eyes4 ,so1 then1 the rich man1 though in another sphere than that of ,lazarus1 was also in ,hades4 ,i am aware that some teachers have viewed this parable as depicting the future condition of man1 in happiness or misery1 in ,heaven or ,hell4 ,but besides the locality in which the two persons are placed being actually named1 the context is against such a supposition4 ,at the time that ,lazarus and ,dives are shown in their after-death experiences1 this world is still in existence1 and the brothers of the rich man are then living on the earth1 and the ,judgment is still distant4 ,but ,heaven and ,hell will follow1 not precede1 the close of the present ,dispensation and the ,judgment4 ,we conclude1 therefore1 that this parable distinctly affirms the truth of an ,intermediate-life4 ,the terms eternal judgment and eternal punishment1 have been dinned into their ears of many from infancy1 and they are unaware of the fact that eternal is not a correct translation of the original ,greek word ,greek3 aionios2 and moreover1 that this word1 eternal denotes without beginning as well as without end1 and is misapplied to anything that is not beginningless4 ,again1 there are hosts of earnest seekers after ,god and truth 7as numbers of letters sent to me testify71 whose acceptance of the ,gospel of ,christ is barred by this doctrine of everlasting punishment4 ,they suppose it to be a part of the teaching of the ,saviour2 and they cannot embrace a religion which requires assent to something that shocks all their moral instincts4 ,for the sake of such persons1 it seems only right that we should examine this doctrine2 that we should show them what it really is1 and upon what foundation it has been built4 ,thus1 and only thus1 will they be brought to see that this ugly human conception is not of ,god4 ,,the ,,foundation ,,upon ,,which ,,the ,,doctrine ,,of ,,everlasting ,,punishment ,,has ,,been ,,built4 ,we must look for this in the mistranslation of a few words in the ,greek ,new ,testament4 ,these words are3--7aion72 7aionios72 7krima72 7krisis72 7krinein72 and 7katakrinein74 ,we shall show that the translators have dealt most misleadingly and inconsistently with these words4 ,they have translated them1 in a number or passages of ,scripture in which they appear1 strictly in accordance with their true meanings1 while into the words as they occur in other passages they have imported meanings not only exaggerated and awful1 but such as to make ,scripture contradictory of itself4 ,for the substantiation of this serious charge1 we refer the reader to the following facts concerning each of the words instanced4 7a7 ,the word 7aion71 and the adjective derived from it1 7aionios74 ,we place these words first1 because they are the terms that have been rendered by the translators--world without end1 forever and ever1 everlasting1 and eternal2 and it is upon the basis of these false renderings that the terrible doctrine of everlasting punishment has been reared4 ,the word ,greek3 aion1 in the singular1 denotes an age1 a period of indefinite1 but limited1 duration1 which may be either long or short4 ,in the plural1 the word denotes ages1 or periods1 that may be extended1 and even vast1 but still of limited duration4 ,the word cannot denote unendingness1 commonly1 but erroneously1 termed eternity by those who forget that eternity is without beginning as well as without end4 ,else1 how could the plural of the word be used1 and how could ,scripture speak of the aions and the aions of the aions 7i4e41 the ages1 and the ages of the ages78 ,there can be no plural to eternity1 and it is surely an absurdity to talk about the eternities and the eternities of the eternities4 ,and yet the translators1 in some instances have deliberately imported into the word ,greek3 aion the meaning of everlastingness1 while excluding it in other instances4 ,here is an example1 out of many3 ,in ,mark iii4 #bi1 the passage1 according to the ,greek1 is3 ,he that shall blaspheme against the ,holy ,spirit hath not forgiveness all through the aion 7age71 but is in danger of aionial judgment 7i4e41 the judgment of an age74 ,the translators have rendered this3 ,he that shall blaspheme against the ,holy ,ghost hath never forgiveness 7i4e41 not forgiveness forever71 but is in danger of eternal damnation4 ,in this case1 it will be seen that they have imported the idea of unendingness into the word ,greek3 aion and the idea of eternal into its adjective1 ,greek3 aionios4 ,in ,matthew xiii4 #ci1 the passage1 according to the ,greek is3 ,the harvest is the end of the aion 7age72 and in #b ,tim4 iv4 #aj3 ,demas hath forsaken me1 having loved the present aion 7age74 ,the translators have rendered these passages3 ,the harvest is the end of the world4 ,demas hath forsaken me1 having loved this present world4 ,in these cases1 it will be seen that they have rightly excluded the idea of unendingness from the word ,greek3 aion4 ,but why8 we ask4 ,if it was right to include it in ,mark iii4 #bi1 it was wrong to exclude it in the two last-named passages4 ,then why exclude it8 ,the answer is1 that it would have been too utterly foolish to translate ,matthew xiii4 #ci1 as ,the harvest is the end of the forever1 and #b ,tim4 iv4 #aj1 as ,demas hath forsaken me1 having loved the present eternity--and so the translators in these instances gave the word its true signification4 ,but can it1 we ask1 be right to treat language in this way--to make a word mean one thing to serve the purposes of a doctrinal idea1 and to make it mean something essentially opposite1 when that idea is not involved8 ,does anyone imagine that the translators would have introduced this contradiction1 and have translated the ,greek of ,mark xiii4 #bi1 as they have done1 unless they had gone to this text with the preconceived idea that a certain sin can never be forgiven1 and therefore that the passage must be strained and contorted to endorse the idea8 ,it is an instance1 not of founding theology upon ,scripture1 but of twisting ,scripture to suit theology4 ,one thing is quite certain4 ,it cannot be right to translate a word in some passages in one sense1 and to translate it in other passages in an antagonistic sense4 ,the word ,greek3 aion cannot denote a period of limitation1 and also unendingness4 ,if it denotes the one it does not denote the other4 ,the one definition excludes the other4 ,no one1 in his senses1 dreams of defining a day as a period of twelve hours under one set of circumstances1 and also as being the equivalent of all time under other circumstances4 ,we have to determine what is the true definition of ,greek3 aion4 ,if it can be shown that the essential meaning of the word is that of limited duration1 then the case is very clear2 the translators were not justified in foisting into it the idea of unendingness2 and this being so1 a huge superstructure of doctrine1 reared upon the mistranslation1 will totter and fall1 and an awful nightmare will be lifted from the ,christian religion4 ,an adjective qualifies its noun1 and we cannot import into the adjective more than is contained in the noun4 ,we may speak of the race of mankind as humanity1 and describe the existence of the race as human life1 but we should not be so absurd as to define human in that phrase as signifying ,divine4 ,and yet the translators have been guilty of committing a similar error in translating the word ,greek3 aion in the passages instanced as world1 which is equivalent to an age1 and expresses limitation2 while translating ,greek3 aionios as everlasting and eternal2 both of which terms exclude limitation4 ,we ask1 does this commend itself as being a fair way of dealing with a book which contains a record of ,divine truth8 ,we pass on to the brief consideration of a few other words that have been dealt with unfairly1 in order1 if not to found1 at all events to buttress1 this doctrine of everlasting punishment4 7b7 ,the word 7krima74 ,the word denotes judgment2 the sentence pronounced4 ,as such the translators of the ,authorized ,version rightly rendered it in many passages of the ,gospels1 the ,acts1 and the ,epistles 7e4g41 ,matt4 vii4 #b2 ,john ix4 #ci2 ,acts xxiv4 #be2 and ,rom4 ii4 #b74 ,but here is the inconsistency4 ,in ,matt1 xxiii4 #ad2 ,mark xii4 #dj2 ,luke xx4 #dg2 ,rom4 in4 #h2 xiii4 #b2 ,i ,cor4 xi4 #bi2 and ,i ,tim4 v4 #ab1 they substituted the word damnation for it4 ,we will say nothing about this word damnation1 except that it is an evil-sounding word1 whose original meaning has been exaggerated and perverted2 and a word that more than any other has been employed to support the awful doctrine we are opposing4 ,but why did the translators alter the reading8 ,why render ,greek3 krima as judgment in some places1 and as damnation in others8 ,the answer is--,these last named passages were viewed as pointing to future punishment2 the translators' idea of future punishment was that of endless suffering and misery2 and the word damnation was considered to be better suited to the popular theological error than the proper and milder word1 judgment4 ,our contention is1 if the word damnation be right in one passage1 it is right in another4 ,why1 for example1 did they not translate ,john ix4 #ci1 so as to represent our ,lord as saying--,for damnation 7,greek3 krimas7 ,i came into this world8 ,they gave the true rendering in this and other passages1 because it would have been too absurd not to do so4 ,that these criticisms are not unjustified is seen in the fact that the ,new ,testament revisers have discarded the word damnation in the above passages1 and in ,rom4 xiii4 #b and ,i ,cor4 xi4 #bi1 have correctly rendered ,greek3 krima as judgment4 ,we are thankful to them for this service in the interests of truth4 ,we must briefly consider-- 7c7 ,the word 7krisis74 ,it also denotes judgment1 i4e41 the process of judging2 and in forty-one passages of the ,new ,testament the translators so rendered it4 ,but in ,matt1 xxiii4 #cc2 ,mark in4 #bi2 and ,john v4 #bi1 they deliberately substituted the word damnation for judgment4 ,with what object8 ,plainly1 to add emphasis to their preconceived idea of an endless hell4 ,but does this commend itself as being a fair and consistent way of dealing with ,scripture8 ,why1--except that it was too utterly foolish1--not have rendered the following passages as they did the three just instanced8 ,woe unto you1 ,scribes and ,pharisees1 hypocrites6 for ye 444 pass over damnation 7,greek3 krisis7 and the love of ,god 7,luke xi4 #db74 ,as ,i hear1 ,i judge1 and ,my damnation 7,greek3 krisis7 is just 7,john v4 #cj74 ,so opened ,he not ,his mouth2 in ,his humiliation ,his damnation 7,greek3 krisis7 was taken away 7,acts viii4 #cb1 #cc74 ,seeing that the ,greek word is the same in every one of these passages1 is it not very wrong to give it an improper and grossly exaggerated significance in three texts1 while translating it correctly in forty-one other instances8 ,again1 it is suggestive that the revisers of the ,new ,testament1 in ,matt1 xxiii4 #cc and ,john v4 #bi1 have flung away the word damnation1 and in its place put judgment as the proper rendering of ,greek3 krisis4 ,if the translators of the ,authorized ,version had done this1 one of the supports of an ancient error would have been knocked down4 7d7 ,the word 7krinein74 ,the word denotes--to judge2 and eighty-one times in the ,new ,testament the translators so rendered it4 ,and yet in regard to the same ,greek word which occurs in #b ,thess4 ii4 #ab1 they made the translation run3--,that they all might be damned who believed not the truth4 ,but why not have been consistent8 ,why not have rendered #a ,cor4 vi4 #b1 in this way2 since in both passages the verb ,greek3 krinein is the same1--,do ye not know that the saints shall damn the world8 ,and if the world shall be damned by you1 are ye unworthy to damn the smallest matters8 ,i will trouble the reader with only one other word4 7e7 ,the word 7katakrinein74 ,its meaning is--to condemn4 ,it is a stronger word than ,greek3 krinein to judge1 but there is nothing in it that corresponds to that awful meaning supposed to reside in the word damn4 ,and yet the translators did not hesitate to give it that meaning4 ,how did they treat this verb1 ,greek3 katakrinein8 ,just as they treated other verbs and nouns1 when they wished to bolster their theological idea4 ,in seventeen instances in the ,new ,testament they translated it rightly as condemn1 but in ,mark xvi4 #af and ,rom4 xiv4 #bc1 doctrinal preconceptions prevailed1 and so these two passages were rendered--,he that believeth not shall be damned4 ,he that doubteth is damned if he eat4 ,and for centuries1 an everlasting hell-fire has been read unto the mistranslated word4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i might continue in this strain at great length4 ,the quotations ,i have given may be taken as samples of many more4 ,it is surely time that the sad and sombre clouds of so-called orthodoxy should be dispelled by the rising beams of the ,sun of ,righteousness4 ,the word for ever1 taken in its rigid literal sense1 is a stumbling block to many4 ,i lately asked a very eminent man in ,england1 the president of a theological college1 how he would get over that difficulty4 ,he replied that he believed that the word aion would more fully meet the case1 and that that word would more exactly accord with the capacity of our finite mind1 the word forever expressing an idea entirely beyond our comprehension4 ,that seems to be good sense1 and more in harmony with the whole trend of ,revelation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have issued this treatise under an assumed name2 not because ,i am specially careful of my reputation1 but rather because ,i wish the work to be regarded solely on its own merits4 ,if any reader feels disposed to write me1 either briefly or more at length1 and whether in criticism or commendation1 ,i shall be glad4 ,address1 ,,horatio1 ,care ,austin ,publishing ,co41 ,rochester1 ,n4 ,y4 ,i4 ,,different ,,theories4 ,fear of punishment--,early ,impressions--,men of piety and learning--,fact and figures--,mental or material fire--,the theory of conditional immortality--,why invented--,moody--,divine failure impossible--,future operations of grace--,restoration--,a plea for charity--,other worlds--,the heathen--,devout use of the imagination4 ,there is a general fear of suffering after death4 ,such fear may be derived in part from early impressions and education1 and in part from the conscience that ,god has given to every man4 ,but whatever their secondary origin1 these sources of fear have been divinely ordained as means to an end4 ,such fear could not be divinely inspired if it were not founded on fact4 ,and the fact is1 that there is suffering in reserve for evil doers4 ,there is no mistaking the statements of ,scripture as well as the voice of conscience on that point4 ,what that suffering is1 for what object inflicted1 and how long it will continue1 have been of late years much discussed1 and with diverse views4 ,some of these views are very literal interpretations of the divine ,word1 and others of them are very figurative4 ,the fact is1 it is not always easy to distinguish between symbolism and reality1 whether in nature or in revelation4 ,i remember that the first time that ,i saw ,mount ,tacoma in the distance1 ,i could not distinguish as to what was mountain and what was cloud4 ,when ,i got very near1 then ,i knew4 ,and so in several ,scripture statements it is not easy1 for the present1 to distinguish between what is fact and what is figure4 ,when we get nearer no doubt we shall know4 ,so it is with the nature and the duration of future punishment4 ,some take a more literal1 and some a more figurative view4 ,the result is1 that the ,christian world is at wide variance on the subject4 ,and ,i think he would be a bold man1 and not a very wise one1 who could be very dogmatic in such a realm of investigation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,now1 with regard to the portion of the wicked in the next life1 there are three main theories that are held4 ,first3 ,there is the theory of everlasting conscious torment of the most terrific kind4 ,it is not clearly defined whether the suffering is of the body or the mind1 or both2 but the general idea is that it is of both4 ,the bodily suffering is usually conceived of as being inflicted by fire2 but whether the fire is material or of some other kind1 is not clearly defined4 ,the mental suffering is usually represented as the most bitter remorse4 ,then second3 ,there is the theory of extinction at death or after4 ,the idea is that there is utter destruction both of the body and the mind at some period4 ,then again3 ,some hold that the wicked are given another opportunity after this life of obtaining salvation2 that many will do so1 and that the remainder will be destroyed4 ,we may call this the theory of extinction4 ,,dr4 ,,edward ,,white',s ,,theory4 ,some are very definite in locating the period of a second probation as co-extensive with the ,millenial reign4 ,others do not pretend to know when it will happen1 or how long it will last2 they simply believe it will happen4 ,this idea of a second probation is very similar to ,dr4 ,edward ,white's theory of ,conditional ,immorality4 ,he held that life in the ,scripture simply means life1 and that death simply means death4 ,he believed that those who are fit for life will live1 and that the rest will perish4 ,i would say here that the idea of ,conditional ,immortality1 favored by many1 does not seem to me to be well conceived4 ,evidently the theory was invented in order to escape the doctrine of endless torment4 ,the idea is1 that if you are fit to live you are destined for a glorious immortality2 otherwise you are extinguished4 ,such a view does not seem to comport with our highest thoughts of ,god1 and ,his ways of working4 ,in my mind1 it represents ,god as being too dependent on circumstances4 ,when we realize that ,christ died not only for all1 but for every man2 and when we realize that the invitations of mercy are extended to every man1 without equivocation1 it does seem to me something like a failure of the divine plan if every man is not saved4 ,but since every man is evidently not saved in this life1 we project our view into the next life1 and we think of ,god's operations of grace there4 ,no doubt that is a larger view than that which has so long prevailed4 ,but it is not unreasonable by any means4 ,divine operations are surely not restricted to this short epoch of time4 ,god's mercy is from everlasting to everlasting4 ,and can anything defeat ,his purpose8 ,he has expressed ,his purpose to save all men1 in the fact that ,he gave ,his ,son to die for the world1 and that ,he invites all the world to be partakers in the great salvation4 ,that is ,his purpose2 and ,his purpose will stand1 and ,he will do all ,his pleasure4 ,we should never forget this great truth4 ,as ,mr4 ,robert ,e4 ,speer well says3 ,we escape much difficulty from literalistic and mechanical interpretations by remembering that both space and time are merely conceptions of our present order1 and that there is neither space nor time in ,god4 ,the third theory is1 that everyone will be restored4 ,those who hold this view do not generally define the period when this will take place1 or the means that will be used to bring it about2 but they believe that the wisdom1 love1 and power of ,god will somehow be effectual to that end4 ,i think that these are mainly the views that are entertained on this most solemn subject4 ,and it must be said that each one of them is apparently supported by one or more passages of ,scripture4 ,men of the most devout spirit1 intellectual acumen1 and profound scholarship1 uphold these various theories4 ,such men are honest and sincere in the last degree2 above all things anxious to know what ,god has revealed in ,his ,word4 ,,unfolding ,,light ,,of ,,revelation4 ,yet on this momentous question they differ4 ,it is really no wonder4 ,i think ,i may say that there is no clear deliverance in ,scripture1 in absolute support of either of these views2 or if there is1 it is offset by some other statement that seems contrary4 ,in the unfolding light of revelation we do not seem to have come to the time when this momentous question will be made absolutely and universally plain4 ,it may be one of those questions on which we are to exercise faith alone4 ,shall not the ,judge of all the earth do right8 ,that was ,abraham's consolation when he did not know what ,god was going to do4 ,and it may be our consolation4 ,the ,judge of all the earth will certainly do right4 ,yes1 and ,he will do more than right4 ,he is love4 ,we can rest on that4 ,uncertainty as to details may best become us now4 ,but the eternal morning will break and the shadows flee away4 ,meantime1 while this uncertainty prevails1 surely there ought to be abounding charity of judgment4 ,when we come to think of it1 we are not so much surprised that we have but a partial and limited revelation on this subject4 ,there may be more divine kindness in that than at first sight appears4 ,when we contemplate the vastness of creation1 we see that there are myriads of other worlds far larger and more glorious than our own4 ,every one of these is likely to have a moral history--it may be more important than ours4 ,now1 if we had a complete revelation of the destiny of our race1 possibly that would involve a history of some or many of those worlds2 for the affairs of this world may be largely involved in theirs4 ,therefore1 if ,god would give us such a revelation now1 we can easily see that it is quite beyond us2 the subject would be too vast for us now and here2 we would be utterly bewildered1 and rendered unfit for the ordinary duties of life4 ,how much wiser and kinder it is to give us but a limited revelation1 leaving unrevealed matters entirely to faith4 ,,sufficient ,,revelation4 ,it is not remarkable1 then1 that so little is revealed1 even of ,heaven4 ,we do not know what activities will have place there4 ,what particular business will engage redeemed souls1 we do not know4 ,we have a sufficient revelation to stimulate hope1 but not enough to pander to curiosity4 ,such a limited revelation as we could receive would probably only confuse us4 ,it is not remarkable1 then1 that we have but a meagre account of the preparatory processes for final blessedness4 ,yet1 while all this is true1 we can hardly help inclining more or less to one or other of the theories named1 in reference to the future4 ,but in this1 as ,i have just said1 we ought to be very charitable with each other1 as to our special conviction4 ,if it were a fundamental question1 likely the ,word of ,god would have made it plain4 ,but it is not a fundamental question4 ,we may take whichever view seems the most agreeable with ,scripture or with reason2 and for so doing we ought not to be ostracised as heretics4 ,on this very question of future suffering there has been far too much intolerance4 ,the theory of eternal torment has especially been held to be the only orthodox view4 ,surely1 it is time for more liberality4 ,on this question ,i would make a special appeal for charity and good-will1 on the ground that there is no positive deliverance in revelation4 ,if anyone claims that there is1 ,i would ask1 ,how comes it that men of the highest character and candor take different views8 ,the time may come when we shall see eye to eye on this matter2 or it may not come in this life4 ,meantime we can agree to differ4 ,what are we that we should arrogate to ourselves any assumption of certainty on a matter unrevealed1 that takes us into the eternities1 and fixes the doom of uncounted millions of our race8 ,,the ,,departed ,,more ,,amenable4 ,explain it as we may1 we have always to remember that there are myriads of human beings living now1 and other myriads who have departed1 who had no chance to know the way of life4 ,will not the ,god of all mercy and of all resource provide them with a chance on the other side of death8 ,the mere accident of death makes no change in them4 ,and who knows if the departed may not be more amenable to good influence then1 than now8 ,i have heard of heathens who heard the ,gospel but once1 and they received it1 and were saved4 ,it may be so with poor lost souls who had no opportunity on this side of time4 ,one thing ,i cannot understand2 and that is1 the liberal terms in which men at times express themselves1 who yet profess the narrow orthodox view4 ,i do not say they are insincere2 but it does seem as if they deliberately ignored their own creed1 and that they spoke for the time out of the conviction and sincerity of their hearts4 ,just now1 glancing through a certain magazine1 ,i have come on an instance of this kind4 ,the writer is a professor in a so-called orthodox ,seminary4 ,i leave any fair-minded reader to say if his utterances are at all in harmony with his professed orthodoxy4 ,here are a few of his sentences1 selected almost at random from a long article3 ,in this swift day of unmatched opportunity1 the ,church is laboring1 perplexed and heavy1 over its message4 ,that is true enough4 ,and ,i think the secret of the ,church being perplexed and heavy is1 that preachers must have an inward1 unspoken conviction that their message of a limited salvation is unworthy of ,god1 and unsuited to the needs of the world4 ,no wonder the ,church is perplexed and heavy6 ,again this author says3 ,men want to know that all the lines of diverse human life converge into one infinite1 beneficent hand4 ,but if that infinite1 beneficent hand has cast by far the greater part of the human race into eternal torment1 it is no wonder if thoughtful men are perplexed and heavy4 ,yet the writer of this article believes in universal love4 ,he says3 ,men want to see that their single life1 so lost alone1 is vitally bound into the bundle of universal love4 ,so the author's instinct is better than his creed4 ,he professes to believe in universal love4 ,that is surely all right4 ,but notwithstanding that1 he professes to believe that untold millions of the human race are in endless suffering4 ,in another place he says3 ,men long to be assured that this is no universe of short1 fortuitous details4 ,he also says3 ,the ,kingdom of ,god is too great for less than universal participation4 ,is this not universalism8 ,yet1 if the author were asked1 would not his creed require him to repudiate such an idea8 ,again1 this author says3 ,a few years ago science and human thought were accepting an account of life which let a man fall like a beast in the field1 or a tree in the wood4 ,to-day that explanation satisfies no one4 ,it is agreed that the meaning of life can be complete only in terms of spirit and immortality4 ,is not the old doctrine of reprobation here utterly denied8 ,yet that old doctrine of reprobation stands in the creed of the orthodox church to-day4 ,one more quotation will suffice4 ,speaking of the divine plan1 the author says that it is a plan so complete that no sparrow falls beyond it1 that no act falls fruitless1 that there shall never be one lost good1 that no living soul made in ,god's image can ever drift beyond ,his love and care4 ,is not this a flat contradiction of the author's orthodox creed8 ,we believe that all he claims is absolutely true4 ,but is he candid8 ,why has not the church the courage to expunge the old fatalism from her creed1 and present to the world a statement that she really believes8 ,i am persuaded that such candor is the desideratum of the world to-day4 ,to a thoughtful mind1 the most evangelical preachers are at times unintelligible1 and even contradictory1 on such themes4 ,take this extract from a sermon by ,mr4 ,moody1 published some time ago4 ,he says ,christ will return to the earth1 for he has bought it with his own blood1 and is going to have it4 ,he has redeemed it2 and the ,father is going to give it to him4 ,now1 what does ,mr4 ,moody mean when he says that ,christ has bought the earth1 and that ,he is going to have it8 ,of course1 it must be the population of the earth that he means2 otherwise1 the words would have no sense4 ,then1 did ,christ purchase the whole population8 ,if ,he did1 there would be great equity in ,him claiming the whole4 ,but ,mr4 ,moody would be one of the last men to admit that ,christ will claim the whole of mankind4 ,on the contrary1 he professes to believe that the greater portion of mankind is lost beyond all recall6 ,such is the confusion and contradiction in which men involve themselves1 who are otherwise the excellent of the earth4 ,there is no contradiction1 however1 but glorious harmony1 in the idea that ,christ will claim the whole of mankind for ,his own1 because he has bought them every one1 and has omnipotent power to claim them4 ,i feel that ,i ought almost to apologise for using the word claim at all in such a conception4 ,it looks too much as if the ,father and the ,son were somewhat at variance in the glorious scheme of salvation4 ,a thousand times ,no4 ,i even doubt if in the actual suffering of ,christ1 the ,father did not really suffer by sympathy as much as ,he6 ,this is holy ground6 ,consider this4 ,we are commanded to preach the gospel to every creature4 ,but where would be the honesty of preaching the ,gospel of salvation to one for whom no salvation is-possible8 ,for certainly1 no salvation is possible for anyone for whom ,christ did not atone4 ,but it is now tacitly admitted by all evangelical churches that ,he died for all1 notwithstanding that the doctrine of a limited atonement is still asserted in the ,presbyterian ,confession of ,faith4 ,well it may2 for if the atonement were acknowledged to be universal1 then this difficulty would have to be faced--,why are all not saved8 ,according to the doctrine quoted elsewhere1 that ,god infallibly accomplishes everything at which ,he aims1 all must infallibly be saved4 ,for ,god certainly aimed at that consummation in giving ,his ,son as a ransom for all4 ,here is a crux from which1 it seems to me1 there is no possible escape4 ,there is also this weakness--,i might say this contradiction--in the ,methodist theology4 ,they say that ,christ died for all2 but they teach that all are not saved4 ,then ,he must have died in vain in regard to those that are lost4 ,that is the inevitable corollary4 ,not only did ,he die in vain in their case2 but ,his intention and desire was1 not to die in vain in reference to any4 ,he certainly aimed at their salvation in dying for them2 but ,he does not accomplish it4 ,to such horrible absurdities are we reduced by denying that ,he died for all1 or that ,he will save all4 ,the only logical1 reverent1 and divine solution seems to be that ,he intended to save all1 and that ,he will do it4 ,god will infallibly accomplish everything at which ,he aims4 ,i lately heard an address--one of the best that ,i have heard--by a ,canon of the ,episcopal ,church4 ,his theme was3 ,the work and aims of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society4 ,the address was scholarly1 lucid1 earnest2 and the language was absolutely perfect4 ,but like every address that ,i have heard on kindred subjects1 it never so much as hinted at the results in the next life1 if we failed in the duty the speaker so strongly recommended4 ,not once did he speak of eternal torment as a possible issue4 ,what a tremendous incitement to duty is here1 could it be but presented with the accent of conviction4 ,but as a matter of fact1 it is never presented at all1 except in terms so vague that they actually mean nothing4 ,i do not know1 in the case ,i have referred to1 if the ,canon believes in everlasting fire4 ,nor do ,i know that the creed of the ,episcopal ,church endorses it4 ,what a glorious opportunity is here for an earnest and consistent minister in that church to publicly denounce such a doctrine as a hideous dream6 ,so far as ,i know1 he would not expose himself thereby1 as in most other churches1 to pains and penalties4 ,i think1 on the contrary1 a vast number would rally around him1 both in his own church and outside of it4 ,is not the religious world waiting for some pronounced leadership on this question8 ,i am convinced that there are thousands of prominent ministers who do not believe in eternal torment1 but who keep up a pretense of doing so1 in order to avoid loss of reputation--perhaps of livelihood4 ,is it not time for earnest men to be honest8 ,and many are longing to be honest1 if only their way was clear4 ,and what an incalculable boon would then come to the world6 ,i am convinced that honesty in this matter on the part of ministers would speedily issue in a mighty revival4 ,for what is it that mainly keeps so many men1 especially working men1 from the ,church8 ,there may be many causes2 but one undoubtedly is1 an undefined idea that there is no eternal torment1 and that ministers know it1 but are not candid enough to say so4 ,these men may not have studied the theology of the case1 but they cannot think of ,god--when they think of ,him at all--as casting innumerable people1 and pretty good people--into everlasting fire4 ,they have an idea that that doctrine is in the orthodox creed2 and so many have an impression that the whole system of religion is a melancholy farce4 ,but give them a man who has the common feelings of humanity like themselves1 and interprets the true ,god to them as a ,god of love--and their whole attitude will be changed4 ,i am convinced that nothing would have such a wide and gracious effect1 as honesty on this question of future punishment4 ,i see that a notable ,presbyterian divine has been giving a course of lectures on ,the ,church and ,men4 ,for one thing1 he seeks to account for the fact that working men do not attend church4 ,after glancing at the progress of science1 and the effect of the higher criticism1 he says3 ,it is alleged that the church has sometimes alienated thoughtful men by her adherence to outworn creeds4 ,the lecturer1 however1 makes but little of this as a real cause of working men not allying themselves with the church4 ,i think it is along this line1 however1 but deeper1 that the chief cause may be found4 ,the church has1 indeed1 adhered to outworn creeds in her confessions4 ,the dogma of reprobation1 and a limited atonement1 and everlasting fire1 are retained4 ,but are they preached8 ,are they believed8 ,not long ago1 in a large evangelical congregation1 the preacher asked for a show of hands on the part of any who had heard a sermon on hell for the last ten years4 ,two hands were held up4 ,was that doctrine proclaimed last ,sunday in any evangelical church8 ,was it proclaimed for a year past1 or ten years past8 ,i doubt it4 ,but if it is believed1 would it not be preached--yes1 preached morning1 noon1 and night1 with the earnestness of frenzy8 ,some preachers delicately approach the idea with hints and innuendos and mild threatenings1 which are really worse than utter silence4 ,i heard a preacher speaking lately of men as utter failures1 going out into the darkness4 ,now1 what did he mean1 or did he mean anything8 ,again3 preachers speak of eternal death1 which might mean eternal extinction1 or eternal fire4 ,and yet that vague phrase is actually proposed as one of the bases of union of the churches4 ,now1 how can we expect such jugglery of sacred things to commend itself to honest1 hard-headed men8 ,for such is really the character of many of the working men4 ,they love truth1 and honesty1 and consistency1 and abhor everything like sneaking1 unmanly pietism8 ,give them the manliness of truth and honesty1 and ,i venture to think they will not be so shy of the church4 ,of course1 that might involve the repeal of much of our creed4 ,and there's the rub4 ,we are afraid of pains and penalties4 ,and then we don't like to go back on the fathers who made the creed4 ,it looks like a reflection on their wisdom and piety4 ,but ,i don't think it really is4 ,they were faithful to their light4 ,and they had to contend with evil traditions4 ,it is not to be expected that any creed they could frame would be good for all time4 ,besides1 we should not be afraid to go back on anything or anybody that is not true4 ,truth is too sacred for that4 ,and our responsibility is too serious4 ',carlyle has a most scathing warning for all who strive to believe that which in their inmost soul they repudiate4 ,if it is thought that ,i am in any degree uncharitable towards ministers of so-called orthodoxy1 let me here transcribe a few words from a highly honored preacher of the opposite trend of thought4 ,i have just met with these brave and candid words4 ,they were spoken some time after ,i had expressed my own views regarding the want of courage and honesty on the part of so-called orthodox preachers4 ,if anyone is disposed to think my own words too strong1 let him listen to this from an old and honored minister1 but one who repudiates the doctrine of eternal torment4 ,he says3 ,it matters not that all the educated ministry to-day well know1 and would not for a moment deny1 their disbelief in the doctrine of eternal torment1 if cross-questioned4 ,nevertheless1 many of them hate us and oppose us1 because we show the people the true interpretations of ,god's ,word1 and lift before the eyes of their understanding a ,god of ,love1 ,just1 ,merciful1 ,righteous altogether1 and fully capable both in wisdom and power to work out all the glorious designs which ,he 'purposed in ,himself before the foundation of the world4' 7#a7 ,they perceive that the doctrines of ,purgatory and eternal torment have not had a sanctifying influence upon mankind in all the sixteen centuries in which they have been preached4 ,they fear that to deny these doctrines now would make bad matter worse4 ,they fear that if the ,gospel of the ,love of ,god and of the ,bible--that it does not teach eternal torment for any--were made generally known1 the effect upon the world would be to increase its wickedness1 to make life and property less secure than now1 and to fill the world still more than now with blasphemies4 7#b7 ,they fear also that a certain amount of discredit would come to themselves because1 knowing that the ,bible does not teach eternal torment according to the ,hebrew and ,greek original1 they secreted the knowledge from the people4 ,they fear that this would forever discredit them with their hearers4 ,hence1 they still outwardly lend their influence to the doctrine of eternal torture1 which they do not believe1 and feel angry with us because we teach the people the ,truth upon the subject1 which they know will bring to them hundreds of questions difficult to answer or dodge4 ,but it is not often that orthodox ministers emphatically present the horrors in which they profess to believe4 ,take1 for instance1 ,dr4 ,torrey4 ,in a late sermon1 when warning sinners1 he is reported to have said3 ,you will go out into eternity disgraced forever4 ,is that all8 ,only disgraced8 ,why does he not present the horrors of eternal fire in which he professes to believe8 ,another minister1 whom ,i know1 spoke lately of wicked men as going out into the darkness1 miserable failures4 ,such trimming fails to command the respect of sensible1 honest men4 ,those who hold the larger view have no need for such evasions4 ,i have just had a letter from one of the most eminent ,english theologians1 in which he states his view thus3 ,with regard to the future world1 my faith and doctrine have always been that the state of anyone entering the next world is tested and determined by his relation to ,christ1 ,whom he will then see in the fullness of all ,his redeeming power and glory4 ,if he then seek by a touch to lay hold of ,him1 he is in ,christ's ,hand4 ,if he should even then turn from ,christ1 he will enter into a new condition1 but that condition is only an age-long condition1 and he is not there fore outside the redeeming love of ,god2 but at the end of the new age will enter upon a new state4 ,i have pointed out to him that1 in my view1 the condition he refers to may not necessarily be age-long condition1 but that in certain cases it may be very brief4 ,the case of ,saul and others seem to favor this view4 ,in any case1 he endorses my main contention--that suffering is not endless4 ,the same mail brought me also a letter from another notable ,english divine1 in which he says candidly that he does not believe in endless suffering1 and that this is common sense4 ,i remember well that as a child ,i was confused by the following problem4 ,my saintly old minister often prayed that the earth might be filled with the knowledge of the ,lord1 as the waters cover the sea4 ,that was all very well for those who would savingly know the ,lord4 ,but what about the uncounted millions in the past and the millions now1 and the millions yet to be born1 who would go out of this world in darkness1 without knowing the ,lord4 ,the minister never said a word about that4 ,his creed required him to believe that they would all go into endless torment2 but he passed over the momentous question in silence4 ,possibly he would say that the matter was not a proper one to be spoken of4 ,but why not8 ,if there is such a fearful possibility for anyone1 why should he not be warned8 ,the very warning might be the means of averting such a fate4 ,surely1 the most lurid picture of eternal woe would be better than the realization of it4 ,yet it was seldom or never spoken of1 especially as to its duration4 ,here1 then1 is a most serious consideration4 ,if we can think of ,god doing a thing1 the horror of which we cannot bear to speak of1 or even to think of1 is there not in this a strong presumption that the theory is not true8 ,let this thought revolve for a while through your mind2 remember the strong affinity which the mind has for truth2 and then see if the thought which ,i am trying here to sustain is not a reasonable one4 ,surely1 we have here a strong argument against the theory of endless torment4 ,there was lately a great ,missionary ,conference in ,edinburgh4 ,amongst other matters1 all sorts of expedients were discussed as to how the heathen of different countries could be most successfully reached4 ,certain doctrines of ,christianity were recognized as best fitting to be presented to certain countries1 as especially suited to meet the special conditions that prevail4 ,strange to say1 so far as ,i saw any report1 the doctrine of everlasting punishment was not once suggested as being especially appropriate4 ,yet if it is true1 what could be more appropriate to the heathen mind of all countries8 ,is it really believed by ,missionaries1 and those who support them8 ,if it is1 why not present it8 ,if it is not1 why not expunge it from our stated confession of faith8 ,can we not afford to be honest on this supremely sacred question8 ,when an intelligent heathen is converted to the ,christian faith1 and realizes that we profess to believe what we do not really believe1 what will he think of us8 ,will not the ,christian church lose more than it gains by this worldly wisdom1 which essentially is moral cowardice8 ,a devout use of the imagination is of great service here4 ,yes1 ,i say the imagination4 ,i do not mean the revelling of mere fancy in the realm of the unthinkable or the impossible4 ,i mean the vivid realization of facts that lie outside the ordinary rut of thought4 ,so exercised1 imagination is one of our noblest powers4 ,we need a devout1 yet chastened1 imagination in dealing with such themes as the one we are considering now4 ,no wonder that ,ruskin says that imagination is the greatest power of the soul4 ,it is but reasonable to imagine1 then1 that ,god has disclosures of love1 and wisdom1 and power1 to make in the next life1 that far transcend our present thought4 ,,ii4 ,,cruelty ,,of ,,former ,,views4 ,unconditional ,election--,children of ,believing ,parents--,an ,arrogant ,pretension--,god's ,own ,children--,the ,heathen of ,all ,time--,a ,baleful ,shadow--,former ,cruelty--,herbert ,spencer--,dr4 ,farrar's ,eternal ,hope--,a ,lady ,with an ,open ,mind--,dr4 ,dawson's ,larger ,view4--,the ,universal ,attraction4 ,the old doctrine of ,god's unconditional decrees still survives1 despite our conviction that perfect impartiality is one of the attributes of the divine character4 ,the idea seems to have taken hold of some minds that a thing is right because ,god is the ,author of it4 ,that is certainly beginning at the wrong end4 ,god does a thing because it is right2 ,his doing of it does not make it right4 ,but we need to have faith that ,his future administration will rectify all the apparent wrongs of the present4 ,it is our failure to take this larger view that has led many people of the kindest heart to adopt the most cruel conclusions4 ,just now a lady has told me of a certain eminent divine who says that children who die in infancy are elected if they are the children of believing parents6 ,what a revelation this eminent divine must have of the eternal mysteries6 ,since he knows so much1 ,i would like to ask if one believing parent would not suffice1 in an urgent case1 or if both must infallibly be believers6 ,a more arrogant pretension it would be difficult to conceive4 ,the lady who spoke to me on the subject said it would be a very comfortable thing to believe4 ,yes1 ,i said1 it might be a comfortable thing for you1 but what about the other woman down street who is not a believer8 ,do you think that her children are not as precious in ,god's sight as yours8 ,away with all such hard1 narrowing conceptions6 ,can it be imagined that ,god would consign infants to everlasting torment1 simply because they are children of unbelieving parents8 ,a thousand times ,no6 ,let us remember that they are ,his own children1 whatever earthly parentage they may have4 ,his love and power are not going to be thwarted by any considerations of evil ancestry4 ,any lingering doubt of that is a survival of the old1 narrow1 hard doctrine of absolute election4 ,but in support of the idea referred to1 this passage may be quoted3 ,the promise is to you and to your children4 ,does not that exclude all others8 ,well1 let us see4 ,read on4 ,and to all that are afar off4 ,ah6 ,that immensely widens the circle4 ,all that are afar off4 ,who are they8 ,are they not the heathen of all the world1 and of all time8 ,so the children of believing parents are bound up in the same bundle with the vilest of mankind4 ,and we are not greatly surprised4 ,for they are ,god's own children1 every one2 and whether they are little innocent infants or others advanced in some stages of wickedness1 or the most depraved of mankind1 we believe they are all subject to redeeming power and grace4 ,different means may be required for their education or reclamation2 but it is easy to believe that divine love1 and power1 and wisdom1 will not fail of their effect4 ,but1 then1 something more is added in the passage we have quoted4 ,even to as many as the ,lord our ,god shall call4 ,does not that look like restriction1 or selection8 ,well let us see4 ,who are they that are called8 ,here we have it1 ,listen4 ,look unto me1 and be saved1 all the ends of the earth4 ,surely1 that means the whole race4 ,and equally it means the next life as well as the present2 for there are millions and millions who never heard the call1 and never will hear it1 on this side of time4 ,we hope we are now leaving behind us the ferocity which was formerly considered quite appropriate to religion4 ,indeed1 a man was hardly accounted serious1 if he was not severe4 ,and the worst of it was1 that ,god was considered severe4 ,men could read over and over again that ,god is love2 but somehow the great truth was not received in its fulness4 ,the idea of ,god's justice seems to have cast a baleful shadow over men's hearts and lives4 ,certainly heaven's own light is now breaking through the gloom4 ,many of the highest judgment and character now entertain views which their fathers would have repudiated as rank heresy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is a most unfortunate thing that we have derived from our bloodthirsty ancestors an impression of divine cruelty that is utterly opposed to the fact4 ,and it is not so very long ago that such traditions were handed down to us4 ,what we forget1 says the ,new ,york ,evening ,post1 is the short distance of time and space that separates us from our ferocious forefathers4 ,dr4 ,johnson in his ',journey to the ,western ,islands1' relates the tradition that the ,macdonalds--honored name to-day--surrounded the ,culloden ,church on ,sunday1 fastened the doors1 and burnt the congregation alive4 ,the entertainment received its perfecting touch when the ,macdonald piper mocked the shrieks of the perishing crowd with the notes of his bagpipes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,perhaps an even more striking illustration of the survival of savagery may be found in men's religious beliefs--say1 in the conception of a ,god who is a cruel man endowed with omnipotence4 ,grave divines were telling us within a generation that a just and merciful ,father1 for his good pleasure1 had doomed certain of the non-elect to the most hideous physical tortures for all eternity4 ,it was in #ahgi1 about thirty years ago1 that ,herbert ,spencer in ',the ,data of ,ethics1' stated the theory quite nakedly3 ,the belief that the sight of suffering is pleasing to the gods1' ,he added3 ',derived from bloodthirsty ancestors1 such gods are naturally conceived as gratified by the infliction of pain2 when living they delighted in torturing other beings2 and witnessing torture is supposed still to give them delight4 ,the implied conceptions long survive4' ,some of our readers may recall the attacks upon ,spencer1 and even upon clergymen otherwise orthodox1 like the late ,frederick ,william ,farrar1 who doubted the doctrine of eternal torture4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we hope we are beginning to survive such false and horrible ideas4 ,those ferocious representations are the very contrary of the truth4 ,to get the truest conceptions of ,god1 we have to think of man at his highest2 and even then we are as far below the reality as the earth is below the stars4 ,we are made in the image of ,god1 however1 and are a human transcript of the divine4 ,but we are finite at our best1 while ,god is infinite4 ,beyond all human thought ,his love is strong1 and tender1 and unchangeable4 ,he is veritably our ,father1 and ,i think ,he is so in a far closer relation than mere creation4 ,if we can think of the possibility of delight in torturing our children1 ten thousand times more repugnance would ,god have in torturing us1 except for a time1 and for the highest and wisest ends4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if we go back to medieval times we have the most revolting pictures of the agonies of hell4 ,we are told1 for instance1 of a certain monk who in the course of his journeys came to the underworld1 and there he found a fiery glen 'darkened with the mists of death1' and covered with a great lid1 hotter than the fires themselves4 ,on the lid sat a huge multitude of souls1 burning1 'till they were melted1 like garlic in a pan with the glow thereof4' ,reaching the nethermost hell1 he was shown the ,prince of ,darkness1 black as a raven from head to foot1 thousand-handed and with a long thick tail covered with fiery spikes1 'lying on an iron hurdle over fiery gledes1 a bellows on each side of him1 and a crowd of demons blowing it4' ,as he lay there roasting1 tossing from side to side1 filled with rage and fury1 he grasped the souls in his rough1 thick hands1 bruising and crushing them1 as a man would crush grapes to squeeze out the wine4 ,with his fiery1 stinking breath1 he scattered the souls about ,hell1 and as he drew in his breath again he swallowed them down with it1 and those whom his hands could not reach he lashed with his tail4 ,this1 the angel explained1 was ,lucifer4 ,unfortunately1 however1 medieval ages had no monopoly of such horrors4 ,they have survived almost to our time4 ,in some cases they are reproduced even yet4 ,it is a painful thing to recall1 but even our late beloved ,spurgeon at times fell into this snare4 ,i have just had an interview with a lady of the highest ,christian character4 ,she was brought up in the orthodox faith1 and never doubted its truth4 ,i hesitated to launch these larger views upon her1 thinking they might only disturb her1 and that perhaps she was too old to recast her opinions4 ,but ,i found that her mind was perfectly open2 and after some discussion she firmly believed in the larger hope4 ,i was persuaded that such would be the experience of thousands more1 if they would but give their heart and mind to a devout consideration of these questions4 ,and oh1 what a pall of gloom would thus be lifted from the heart of the world6 ,we may well give here the noble words of ,dr4 ,dawson1 who in an address before the ,royal ,society of ,canada1 quoted this stanza3 ,for a day1 and a night1 and a morrow1 ,that his strength might endure for a span1 ,with travail1 and heavy sorrow1 ,the holy spirit of man4 ,then he says3 ,the holy spirit of man6 ,holy in its capacity1 in its possibility3 nay1 more1 in its ultimate destiny6 ,this is no self-righteousness4 ,it is a gleam of man's potentiality1 that makes him truly sublime4 ,there are many ,scripture statements that make man pitifully little2 but this is because of his present sinful condition4 ,bye and bye he will rise into his true condition1 and then ,the holy spirit of man will be not only a possibility1 but an experience4 ,it is gratifying to notice that such a man as ,dr4 ,dawson has this larger hope4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in striking antithesis to such views as we have referred to1 ,i may here narrate an experience of my own in which ,i think there was revealed to me a peculiar phase of ,christ's universal attractive power4 ,one day in ,san ,francisco ,i saw a funeral procession passing along the street4 ,i joined the procession1 and went with it into the church4 ,i saw that all the company were negroes4 ,the minister1 who was also a negro1 announced the ,hymn3 ,safe in the arms of ,jesus1 ,safe on ,his gentle breast1 ,there by ,his love o'ershaded1 ,sweetly my soul shall rest4 ,it was sung with all the fervor of the negro race4 ,as it proceeded a strange thought struck me3 ,how could negroes find rest on the bosom of ,one quite another color8 ,it was a natural thought1 for the color prejudice is strong4 ,even when we think of ,christ1 we instinctively think of ,him as a white man4 ,how1 then1 could these worshippers find rest on ,his bosom1 and in ,his arms8 ,if ,he had been a negro1 they might do so2 but how could they do such a thing when they realized that ,he was of a different color from themselves8 ,then suddenly1 a solution same to my mind4 ,if ,christ was not black1 neither was ,he white4 ,in fact ,he was brown2 about midway between white and black4 ,so in color ,he was as near to the negroes as to the white race4 ,therefore the negroes can recline on ,his breast1 and in ,his arms1 as naturally as we4 ,that seemed to me a very happy idea2 perhaps even a revelation4 ,but then1 another thought quickly followed4 ,what if ,christ took this central place1 even as to color1 of set purpose8 ,he could thus appeal more directly to the whole human race1 and thus more effectively draw all men to ,himself4 ,therefore ,i hazard the conjecture that one reason why ,he chose to come of the ,jewish race was1 that he might be1 even as to color1 the central attraction of the world4 ,oh yes2 if we only widen the horizon of our thought and our affection1 we shall see that the great scheme of redemption is co-extensive with the race1 and reaches forward into the eternities4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,church ,,in ,,transition4 ,no ,definite note of ,warning--,preachers ,afraid of ,discipline--,divided as to ,restoration or ,extinction--,plea of ,liberty--,liberalism of the ,episcopal ,church--,advance in ,christian ,unity--,dr4 ,edward ,white--,conditional ,immortality--,endless ,torment--,if ,true ,ought to ,be ,preached ,morning1 ,noon and ,night--,awful ,penalty of ,sin--,extinction--,true ,religion is ,reasonable--,enlarged ,conceptions4 ,there can hardly be a doubt that the church in general is in a state of transition on this question4 ,the want of a definite note of warning1 to which ,i have referred elsewhere1 is an indication of it4 ,some preachers have not the conviction of eternal torment and do not speak of it4 ,others know very well that many of their hearers would resent any such declaration4 ,but they do not preach ,restoration4 ,they are afraid1 ,i suppose1 that they might expose themselves to the discipline of the church4 ,some1 ,i believe1 would very quickly espouse the ,restoration theory1 if they were sure that they would escape all pains and penalities4 ,meantime they do not examine the doctrine1 for ,i suspect they fear they would be convinced that it is true4 ,i believe that most ministers of the ,presbyterian and ,methodist ,churches occupy one or other of the positions ,i have indicated4 ,a few days ago ,i was speaking with a mature and scholarly man who occupies a prominent position in the ,methodist ,church4 ,in our conversation we drifted into the subject of ,restoration1 and he freely avowed his faith in it2 but he said that if such a thing were known1 he would lose his position4 ,in the ,presbyterian ,church there is by no means a universal loyalty to the traditional doctrine of eternal torment4 ,there was a notable indication of this some time ago4 ,somehow--,i do not know how--the question of eternal punishment came up among ,presbyterians in the ,united ,states4 ,a great number of letters was addressed to ,the ,interior1 of ,chicago4 ,some of these endorsed the doctrine of ,extinction1 and the others of ,restoration4 ,so far as ,i can remember1 none were in favor of eternal punishment4 ,at the close1 the ,editor summed up in favor of extinction4 ,but he was not indicted for heresy1 nor any of his correspondents1 so far as ,i am aware4 ,the whole affair showed very clearly that there is a tacit and wide repudiation of the doctrine of eternal torment4 ,it also showed that the church is divided on the theories of restoration and extinction2 while ,i presume that many would uphold the old doctrine of torment4 ,i claim that this division of opinion is allowable4 ,there ought to be1 and ,i think that on the whole there is1 ,christian liberty on this topic4 ,some day the church may see eye to eye on these matters4 ,especially do ,i honor the ,episcopal ,church for always having taken this more liberal ground4 ,it is possible to hold the most diverse views on this point1 and yet be in good standing in that communion4 ,i lately spoke with an ,episcopal clergyman who believes not only in the ,restoration of the entire human race1 but who believes that ,satan himself will ultimately be restored4 ,i know another ,episcopal clergyman who is a confirmed and advanced spiritualist2 yet he believes in ,restoration2 and he is a very able1 devout1 and godly man4 ,witness also ,archdeacon ,farrar's book on ,eternal ,hope2 yet that man held his position in the church1 and grew in public esteem till his dying day4 ,,opening ,,of ,,the ,,pulpits4 ,and there was lately a remarkable expression of ,christian charity on the part of the ,episcopal ,church in the ,united ,states4 ,at a triennial convention of that body held at ,richmond1 there was passed a resolution opening the pulpits of the ,episcopal ,church to clergymen of other denominations4 ,the resolution was then referred to the ,house of ,bishops1 which passed it by a vote that was practically unanimous4 ,this is a marvellous advance in ,christian unity1 and a tacit recognition of the secondary nature of many questions that were once thought to be of primary importance4 ,amongst other topics1 there may well be a difference of opinion on matters pertaining to the next life4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and ,i believe that the ,methodist ,church is really1 though not avowedly1 in a state of transition on the same point4 ,i was speaking a short time ago with a noted official of that church1 and one that has a wide and intimate acquaintance with the views of his brethern4 ,he said to me1 very candidly1 that the ministers of the ,methodist ,church do not believe in eternal punishment2 and he said this with such an air of satisfaction that ,i concluded that he himself took that position4 ,as for the ,congregational ,church1 it makes no pretense of exacting such a view on the part of its ministers4 ,some of its ministers and members uphold that theory2 but there is perfect liberty of opinion4 ,i know that many of their ministers believe in ,conditional ,immortality4 ,dr4 ,edward ,white1 of ,england1 the apostle of that doctrine1 was a highly respected minister of that church4 ,i think ,i am right in saying that there is no ,universalist ,church in ,england4 ,there ,universalism is no barrier to membership in the ,congregational ,church4 ,at all events1 in either of the four churches named1 there is little or no preaching of eternal torment4 ,that is the outstanding fact4 ,we can account for the fact only on the supposition that the doctrine is not believed4 ,if it were really believed it would certainly be preached4 ,if it is true it ought to be preached1 morning1 noon and night4 ,one cannot conceive of believing in hell fire as the doom of sinners1 and not warning men of it1 even with the earnestness of frenzy4 ,,there ,,is ,,no ,,warning4 ,and here ,i would notice the great loss we sustain in having no emphatic note of warning4 ,it used to be the custom of warning men of hell fire2 but now there is no warning1 except the very general and vague warning of wrath to come1 which has really little meaning4 ,we do not say in what it consists2 therefore the vague statement has but slight significance4 ,to this may be attributed much of the comfort and carelessness of sinners4 ,many there are1 even of regular church goers1 who hear nothing on these matters but what they hear from the pulpit2 and from that they hear practically nothing4 ,how much better it would be if they could be warned very definitely of coming suffering1 if they are not now delivered from their sins4 ,so long as there is sin there will be suffering4 ,i am convinced that the nerve of the preacher's message is often cut by this want of a definite note of warning4 99 99 99 99 99 ,let it be clearly noted that punishment is a large factor in the theory of ,restoration4 ,let no one suppose that the transition from sin to holiness is an easy matter under any circumstances4 ,there are multitudes of men that go out of life so utterly wicked that they must suffer terribly1 and perhaps suffer long1 before they are reformed4 ,at least we may suppose such to be the rule4 ,there may be exceptions1 like that of ,saul1 to which we shall refer later4 ,sin unforgiven will pursue a man into the next life1 and exact a fearful penalty4 ,the prodigal must eat of the husks before he comes back to the ,father4 ,a ,,vital ,,phase4 ,here1 then1 is the point of agreement4 ,suffering is entailed by ,sin4 ,whatever view we espouse1 that fact remains4 ,it was mainly to emphasize that fact that we entered on this discussion4 ,it is one phase of the agreement1 and a vital one1 between the ,christian churches4 ,while there is much diversity of view as to the mode and the object and the duration of suffering1 there is a broad basis of agreement as to the fact4 ,not only1 therefore1 does the doctrine of eternal punishment recognize suffering as the effect of sin1 but so does the doctrine of extinction4 ,to be eternally put out of being1 and so precluded forever from eternal happiness1 is punishment beyond the power of the mind to conceive4 ,as we cannot conceive of the felicity of eternal joy1 so we cannot conceive of the loss of it4 ,it is a matter of no great moment to others how ,i myself stand on this great question1 except for the reasons which ,i think support it4 ,i am by no means dogmatic on the subject1 for the reason1 as stated before1 that revelation does not seem to give a clear and direct deliverance on it4 ,but ,i do think that there are much clearer and more emphatic ,scriptural statements in favor of the doctrine of ,restoration than any of the alternate theories4 ,i think1 moreover1 that reason is clearly in favor of it1 so far as reason will carry us4 ,and ,i believe what an eminent minister said lately3 ,we ought to make our faith reasonable to reasonable minds4 ,the fact is1 that all true religion is reasonable1 and we would see it to be so if we could see the truth in all its relations4 ,but our views are limited2 that is the trouble4 ,hence there are many topics that we shall not fully understand in this life2 but when that which is perfect is come1 then that which is in part shall be done away4 ,it will be seen also that details are not only unrevealed but also that they could not possibly be revealed4 ,the main fact only can be the subject of investigation4 ,faith can wait for the revelation of the mode and the time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i see that our friends of the ,watch ,tower are predicting a time of trouble such as the world has never seen2 and it is to begin1 they say1 in about seven years4 ,on the contrary1 in an article just to hand1 there is a most optimistic outlook for the uplift of society4 ,the writer says3 ,it is but little more than a century ago that the church awoke to the fulness of the truth that ,god would have all men to be saved1 and come to the knowledge of the truth4 ,then he goes on to forecast the reign of kindness1 and good will and righteousness4 ,i make the quotation to show how easily1 yet with what limitations1 we fall into the generally expressed view that ,god would have all men to be saved1 while really ignoring the fact4 ,for the writer evidently refers to the time when the church awoke to the necessity of missions2 and he evidently thinks that our feeble efforts in that direction prove in a general way that ,god would have all men to be saved4 ,he takes no note of the millions and millions that have passed away without so much as hearing the joyful sound4 ,and he is equally oblivious to the fact that millions who are living now1 and other millions yet to come1 will never hear the ,gospel in this life4 ,are not these some of the all men whom ,god would save8 ,does it matter to ,him whether they are in this world or the next8 ,has any one of them gone beyond the sphere of ,his love8 ,we must enlarge our conception of ,god's own words and thoughts2 they are as high as heaven is high above the earth4 ,i have just received a circular from a pastor of a certain congregation4 ,it is an appeal on behalf of missions4 ,it asks if this scheme of the church is a failure2 and if not1 why it is not supported4 ,then it goes on to say that the churches have been assessed in certain amounts1 and that this particular church is far behind in raising its share4 ,each member is then urged to pay up4 ,but not a word of incentive is given4 ,we are not told what the heathen are to be saved from1 or what they are to be saved to4 ,surely we would like to know if they are going straight to everlasting fire if they are not converted4 ,that is the doctrine of the church2 but it does not seem expedient to express it4 ,why8 ,because it is not believed4 ,if it were believed would there not be plenty of funds to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth8 ,so we hang on in theory to the doctrine of eternal torment2 but we do not dare1 nor are we inclined1 to express it4 ,surely it is time for a change2 yes1 a change to honesty and candor4 ,if we are undecided1 let us say so2 the truth will prevail in due time4 ,it is to the upright there ariseth light in the darkness4 ,nor1 as ,i have said1 does the circular give a hint or hope of what the heathen are to be saved to4 ,there is no suggestion of glory1 honor1 and immortality4 ,is not this altogether too vague a way of extorting money8 ,but let it be made clear that by our efforts the worst of the heathen will be put in the way of salvation1 and in many cases of possession of it1 and ,i think there would be no lack of funds4 ,let it be shown that whatever there is of future suffering is on account of sin1 and that it is a divine preparation for eternal joy1 and the most hardened and selfish will have a worthy appeal to their liberality4 ,for notwithstanding all hardness and selfishness1 there is deep down in the human heart a feeling of wonderful kindness for our own kith and kin4 ,witness the heroic efforts that are willingly made to save a fellow creature from danger or death4 ,see the agony that is endured by the most selfish when every effort seems fruitless4 ,yes2 we see this very plainly in the case of temporal danger or death4 ,would not we see the same solicitude multiplied a thousand fold if it were realized that the issues involved are eternal8 ,when we get to that point where these great issues can be presented as real facts1 and not merely as half believed theories1 ,i believe there would be no difficulty in raising funds for missions4 ,and surely1 it will not then be a matter of assessment1 but of free will4 ,may the glorious day be hastened6 ,,iv4 ,,infinite ,,justice4 ,a ,strong ,argument--,universal ,atonement--,infinite ,justice ,satisfied--,a ,candid ,methodist ,minister--,can ,man ,commit an ,infinite ,sin--,everlasting ,punishment ,could ,never ,be ,endured--,uses of ,suffering--,punitive and ,remedial--,the ,penalty has ,been ,paid--,moral ,effect--,mystery of ,pain--,not ,punishment but ,chastening--,extending ,our ,outlook ,beyond--,boundless ,space and ,time--,operation of ,grace in the ,next ,life--,infinite ,power--,infinite ,mercy--,infinite ,love--,incentive to ,endless ,praise4 ,it may be said that in this argument ,i am not taking sufficient account of divine justice4 ,that may be so4 ,the fact is1 that the relation of justice to the idea of universal salvation was one of the last ideas on this subject that came to my mind4 ,but now it seems to me that in the idea of divine justice is involved one of the strongest arguments for universal salvation4 ,look at the matter simply and candidly4 ,did not ,christ die for every soul of man8 ,all theological subtleties aside1 we joyfully believe that ,he did4 ,the fact is stated over and over again in ,scripture1 with the utmost plainness2 and it is assumed in a multitude of other passages4 ,so clearly has this come to be recognized that the ,american ,presbyterian ,church formally adopted it1 and put it in their ,brief ,statement some years ago4 ,it is also proposed for acceptance in the creed of the united churches of ,canada1 if that union is consummated4 ,and despite all theories to the contrary1 it is believed and preached in most if not all ,evangelical ,churches4 ,very well4 ,consider what is involved in that article of our faith4 ,if ,christ really died for all1 does not justice require that all will be saved6 ,if ,christ paid the debt for every sinner1 will not every sinner be redeemed8 ,how else could infinite justice be satisfied8 ,i wish our ,methodist brethern would consider this matter well4 ,all honor to the ,methodist ,church for its noble testimony to the universality of the atonement4 ,but does not universal atonement imply universal salvation8 ,if we may speak of such things in the language of mathematics may we not say that universal salvation is the corollary of universal atonement8 ,to this conclusion it does seem to me that we are inevitably led4 ,i was speaking lately to a ,methodist minister of a very acute but candid mind4 ,he put the matter in this way3 ,either ,christ made an atonement for each one1 or ,he did not4 ,did ,he not actually bear upon ,his heart the sins of the whole world8 ,and if the whole world1 then surely each one singly1 so that every child of humanity may truthfully say with ,paul1 ,he loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4 ,does not justice then demand that each one will be saved8 ,in our present limited outlook there may be a difficulty as to how and where2 but the glorious fact seems to be beyond question4 ,this matter is so important that ,i would try to make it plain from my own point of view1 even if that involves some degree of repetition4 ,i raise the question elsewhere3 ,can man commit an infinite sin8 ,some say he can1 because his sin is against ,god1 a ,being of infinite purity4 ,if his sin then is of this infinite nature1 infinite justice may demand that he suffer an infinite punishment4 ,but being a finite being1 he cannot suffer infinite punishment in quality4 ,therefore it is said1 he must suffer it in duration4 ,hence the necessity of everlasting punishment4 ,that is the argument4 ,but the main premise is by no means clear4 ,it may well be doubted if man can commit an infinite sin4 ,first2 he is a finite being2 and can a finite being do on infinite wrong8 ,further2 he cannot suffer everlasting punishment4 ,for everlasting has no end4 ,he would never have rendered a due equivalent for his sin4 ,when he would have suffered millions and millions of years he would be as for from rendering a due equivalent as at the beginning4 ,thus the demands of ,god's law would never be satisfied4 ,we have therefore to confront the idea of ,god inflicting a punishment that could never be rendered4 ,in that case might not ,god suspend all punishment at once8 ,for when man shall have suffered for aeons and aeons untold he would really be as far from the end as he is now4 ,could you think of the ,infinitely ,wise and ,holy ,one pronouncing a sentence that could never be executed8 ,then add to the idea of ,infinite ,holiness and ,infinite ,wisdom1 the idea of ,infinite ,power and ,infinite ,love1 and ,i think you will find yourself involved in a series of contradictions which you will be glad to see dissolved as an ugly dream4 ,but now1 supposing that man1 not being infinite in his nature1 cannot commit an infinite sin1 is it not reasonable to think that a less punishment than an infinite one would suffice even eternal justice8 ,suppose1 for instance1 that ,god had cut off the first human pair when they sinned1 and thus have prevented this hideous tale of mourning1 lamentation1 and woe1 would not that suffice8 ,for us to be debarred forever from existence and consciousness--would not that suffice8 ,well2 the ,infinite ,one had that alternative4 ,but ,he did not resort to it4 ,would ,he not have resorted to it if ,he foresaw that ,his choice lay between eternal extinction and eternal fire1 for the great majority of our race8 ,would the eternal joy to which ,he foresaw that a few of the race would attain1 compensate for the eternal woe which ,he foresaw would be the fate of the great majority8 ,a thousand times ,no4 ,the fact that we1 with our poor1 limited powers1 can see that there was a way of averting unutterable and everlasting woe from even one soul1 is a strong argument that there is no everlasting woe4 ,let us beware of imputing to ,god that which we can see might have been honorably avoided1 and that which we would shrink in horror from doing ourselves6 ,think this matter over seriously1 and see where it will land you4 ,but then1 what is the use of suffering at all8 ,surely1 ,god foresaw that there would be a great deal of temporary suffering in this world4 ,why did ,he not prevent it8 ,well2 having disposed of the idea of eternal suffering1 it remains for us to see the place and use of that which is temporary only4 ,but here1 an entirely new principle comes into view4 ,eternal suffering is supposed to be a vindication of justice4 ,it could be nothing else2 amendment of character is entirely out of the question4 ,but temporary suffering is a means of reformation4 ,eternal suffering has no regard to reformation2 it would issue in the very opposite4 ,evil would be itensified1 and intensified forever1 which is unthinkable2 and still more is it unthinkable in a universe governed by a ,god of ,wisdom and ,holiness4 ,but temporary suffering is a means for the development of character4 ,here our ideas are thrown upon the twofold province of suffering4 ,it is punitive1 and it is reformatory4 ,when we inflict it on an offender it partakes of both qualities2 and sometimes it is hard to say which predominates4 ,but more and more are we rising to the idea that punishment is mainly or wholly reformatory4 ,strong testimony is borne to that fact by determinate sentence4 ,it is recognized that in all justice a man need not suffer a full equivalent for his crime4 ,no matter what his crime has been1 when there is good evidence that he has reformed1 he is set free4 ,it is felt that suffering has then achieved its highest end4 ,in nothing that ,i know of is there such evidence of the upward trend of the race4 ,now in ,god's infliction of suffering these two principles come clearly into view4 ,what ,christ suffered is mainly punitive2 what we suffer ,is reformatory4 ,the matter may be clearer if we glance at these two things separately4 ,i have said that ,christ's suffering was mainly punitive4 ,look at some statements of ,scripture concerning it1 and you will see that it was chiefly of that quality4 ,it is said that the ,lord laid on him the iniquity of us all4 ,that is1 ,he took our place so intimately that ,he actually bore the punishment due to us4 ,in another place it is said that ,he was made a curse for us4 ,the curse that was originally intended for us alighted upon ,him4 ,it is said that ,he is the propitiation for our sins4 ,it is said that ,christ died for us4 ,it is said that we are justified by ,his blood4 ,it is said that by the obedience of ,one--that is obedience unto death1 shall many be made righteous4 ,these are only a few of many passages of similar import4 ,i do not overlook the fact that ,christ's life and death had a moral effect as well4 ,certainly ,his life and death are the greatest example in the world2 and that example has done far more to uplift the character of the world than any force brought to bear upon mankind4 ,at the same time1 the supreme meaning of ,his suffering is that it was punitive4 ,he actually bore the curse for us4 ,and we have the glorious fact repeated again and again that ,he did it for every soul of man4 ,he really satisfied divine justice4 99 99 99 99 99 ,then what further claim can ,god rightfully make in the way of punishment8 ,the penalty has been paid4 ,does ,god require it paid over again8 ,he is a just ,god4 ,he claims but one payment of the penalty4 ,to my mind1 that fact does away with all possibility of eternal punishment4 ,for all other suffering that ,god inflicts is entirely reformatory4 ,whether that suffering be inflicted in this life or the life to come1 the principle is the same2 it is all reformatory4 ,it may come1 and often does come1 as the result of sin4 ,in the providence of ,god sin and suffering are closely linked together4 ,wherever there is sin there is bound to be suffering1 whether in this life or in the next4 ,that has been paid in full4 ,christ paid the penalty for the whole race4 ,whether ,god might have ordained some other alternative than suffering as a means of our purification1 is not the point4 ,the fact that ,he has ordained suffering is proof enough that it is a good appointment4 ,i have hinted elsewhere that suffering may be a means of safeguarding us against sin to all eternity44 ,but this idea is advanced only as a possible solution of the mystery of pain4 ,we go upon surer ground when we recognize suffering as one means that ,god has appointed for our purification4 ,it does not come to us1 or to any soul of man1 as a penalty4 ,the penalty has been paid4 ,but it may be said that ,god is angry with sin4 ,how can ,he be angry with sin if the sin is actually forgiven8 ,i answer that it is ,his very nature to be angry with sin1 though it is forgiven4 ,it is in opposition to ,his nature and ,his law4 ,it is also in opposition to that development of character which ,he has designed for all ,his children4 ,anything which conflicts with that1 excites ,his indignation4 ,hence the pains and penalties which follow in the track of sin1 though the sin itself may be forgiven4 ,when we consider that a person may be very angry with himself because of sin1 though he knows that the sin is forgiven1 we can understand something of the same feeling on the part of ,god4 ,god does visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children4 ,but is the suffering thus inflicted to be regarded as the penalty due to sin8 ,no4 ,there is an amended verse in one of our old hymns in which the view seems to be taken1 and ,i think rightly1 that the atonement is not only the basis on which pardon can be righteously vouchsafed1 but the very certainty of its being vouchsafed4 ,the stanza is this3 ,but never shall my soul despair ,thy pardon to secure1 ,who knows ,thine only ,son has died ,to make my pardon sure4 ,the whole matter of suffering is dealt with at length in the twelfth chapter of ,the ,hebrews4 ,over and over again it is described as chastening4 ,it is not penalty4 ,the penalty has been paid4 ,suffering henceforth is ,fatherly chastisement4 ,and the intention and effect of chastisement are clearly intimated4 ,it is said that we are not to despise the chastening of the ,lord2 for that ,he chastises us for our profit1 that we might be partakers of ,his holiness4 ,again it is said that chastening afterwards yields the peaceable fruits of righteousness4 ,that is the idea exactly4 ,there is no word of punishment4 ,the punishment has been endured in the sacrifice of ,christ2 and it is now clearly recognized that ,his sacrifice was offered on behalf of the whole world4 ,but the necessity for chastisement remains4 ,it is one means of our spiritual development1 and but for the necessity for it1 it would never be inflicted4 ,hence ,jeremiah could say1 ,he doth not afflict willingly1 nor grieve the children of men4 ,an example may make this clearer4 ,take the case of ,manasseh4 ,he was one of the worst kings of ,judah4 ,it is recorded of him that he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the ,lord2 that he made his children to pass through the fire2 that he made ,judah and ,jerusalem to do worse than the heathen2 that he shed innocent blood very much1 till he had filled ,jerusalem from one end to the other4 ,but he repented4 ,we read that when he was in affliction1 he besought the ,lord his ,god1 and humbled himself greatly before the ,god of his fathers1 and prayed unto him2 and he was intreated of him1 and heard his supplication4 ,yes2 but we read that notwithstanding the ,lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath1 wherewith his anger was kindled against ,judah1 because of all the provocations that ,manasseh had provoked him withal4 ,now there we have an example of the fact that a whole people was ordained to suffering in consequence of the evil wrought by one man4 ,such suffering cannot be penal1 for we are told very plainly that it was due to the wickedness of one person2 and even he had repented and was forgiven4 ,in that case there was no room for penalty4 ,it would be entirely out of place4 ,but there was room for discipline4 ,the monstrous evil that ,manasseh had wrought would in part survive1 notwithstanding his personal reformation4 ,so the suffering could not be penalty2 but it could be chastisement4 ,there might be the fierceness of great wrath1 as we read there was2 but there was love behind4 ,the people might not have the spiritual discernment to see their suffering in that light2 but we have a clearer revelation than they had2 so we read that whom the ,lord loveth ,he chasteneth4 ,even now we witness the sad spectacle of ,god's own people--the very people to whom we have been referring--being made a byword and a hissing among the nations4 ,and wherefore8 ,because of sin8 ,certainly4 ,but not as a punishment for sin1 but as a necessary means of reformation4 ,a superficial view of the case may deem it punishment2 but a deeper view recognizes it as chastisement4 ,the fundamental fact is1 that ,christ bore their sin1 and all sin1 in ,his own body on the tree4 ,surely1 justice will say that it has not to be borne again4 ,hence1 all suffering that is now inflicted1 is not inflicted as a punishment1 but as a discipline4 ,the ,lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all4 ,then1 he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins4 ,that glorious fact should settle all difficulty4 ,suffering1 then1 is appointed solely for the uplift of character1 both in this life and the next4 ,when it has done its work--and in some cases it may take long--it will cease4 ,these profound questions require us to extend our outlook into the next life4 ,and nothing can be more truly natural4 ,for with ,god there is no limit as to time or space4 ,the history of our world1 and of our race in this lower life1 is but a span in the eternal years4 ,the trouble has been that men have had no idea of the operation of grace beyond this life4 ,this is no disparagement of the limitations of able and saintly men in the past4 ,we have simply had a growing revelation4 ,it is no credit to us that we have larger views4 ,we see now that the yearnings of divine love will be satisfied4 ,there is a harmony in this view which commends it at once to our highest conceptions of fitness4 ,god is infinite in ,his being1 and in ,his perfections4 ,hence ,his operations are not limited to the mere span of time4 ,the outgoings of ,his ,wisdom1 and power1 and love1 are from everlasting to everlasting4 ,in my view1 there is nothing that will so effectually break down sin1 as a belief that all sin has been atoned for4 ,that is ,god's royal way of bestowing favors4 ,but then we need renewal4 ,that may require a shorter or a longer process1 but it will come1 either in this life or the next4 ,in a multitude of passages in the divine ,word we know that ,god desires this4 ,not only so1 but ,god has expressed ,his desire in the gift of ,his ,son4 ,if we had any doubt1 surely that might convince us4 ,and ,i believe it will convince us yet4 ,the doctrine of a universal atonement is now generally accented4 ,even ,calvinists have declared almost unanimously that ,christ died for the whole world4 ,and if we had not that declaration in words1 we have it even more emphatically in missionary enterprise4 ,still there is a remnant of the old belief that ,christ died only for the sins of the elect4 ,i believe the day is coming when there will be the assured conviction that ,he died for the sins of the world4 ,then there will follow the joyous assurance that there is salvation for the world1 to be realized either in this life or the next4 ,we have said that ,god desires this consumation4 ,he has expressed that desire again and again in ,his ,word4 ,and ,he has expressed it with infinite emphasis in the gift of ,his ,son4 ,men1 ask yourselves this question3 ,can any desire of ,his ultimately fail8 ,let us never forget that his counsel will stand1 and he will do all ,his pleasure4 ,v4 ,,harmony ,,of ,,the ,,divine ,,attributes4 ,our ,limitations--,development--,our ,capacity--,divine ,foreknowledge--,no ,divine ,failure--,the ,heathen--,unchangeable ,love--,union of ,four ,attributes--,eternal ,wisdom--,a ,marvel of ,coercion and ,freedom--,the ,day of ,divine ,power--,an ,unfathomable ,mystery--,future ,revelations--,coming to ,zion with ,songs4 ,since trying to see the relation of absolute ,justice to the ,idea of ,restoration1 it has struck me that it may be well to take a glance at some others of the ,divine attributes1 and see if they also sustain the same theory4 ,any theory that is really true must be in harmony with the ,divine character4 ,the trouble is1 that our knowledge of all that pertains to the ,infinite is necessarily limited4 ,at the same time1 if it seems that when any quality of the ,divine character is contradicted or disparaged by any theory of ours1 that is a strong argument that the theory is not true4 ,but if1 on the other hand1 our theory is seen to glorify the ,divine character1 that is strong evidence that the theory is right4 ,while well aware1 then1 of our limitations1 in this direction1 it is fair to inquire if the ,divine attributes1 or any of them1 appear to sustain our theory4 ,we have dealt already with the attribute of ,justice4 ,some have regarded that as the fundamental quality of the ,divine character4 ,i am not sure that it is so4 ,i think ,love and ,wisdom are equally fundamental4 ,in a former age the idea of ,divine ,justice overshadowed all other conceptions of ,god4 ,but the fact that ,he is infinite in ,his being1 seems to imply that ,he is also infinite in ,his perfections4 ,so we shall give our attention for a little to the qualities of ,power1 of ,wisdom1 and of ,love1 and try to combine them with the idea of ,justice1 at which we have glanced already4 ,take ,divine ,wisdom4 ,that means that ,god knows all things4 ,ponder for a moment what that implies4 ,it means that to the ,eternal ,mind1 every event1 whether it be past1 present1 or future1 is as clear as if it were now transpiring4 ,he knows1 without any peradventure1 everything that will happen throughout all eternity4 ,and ,he sees every circumstance that will cause every event to transpire4 ,not only that1 but ,he has the fullest knowledge of the best means to adopt to bring about any desirable end4 ,such an idea is altogether too vast and high for us adequately to comprehend4 ,at the same time1 it seems to imply certain things that are beyond peradventure4 ,god must have foreseen1 for instance1 that ,he would make man4 ,he must have foreseen1 too1 that man would fall4 ,he foresaw1 also1 and arranged1 the great scheme of ,redemption4 ,but ,he must have known with the utmost certainty that millions and millions of the human race would pass out of this life without once hearing the joyful sound4 ,and because they did not know it1 if annihilation or torment is true1 ,he knew that ,he would utterly extinguish them1 or consign them to everlasting fire6 ,now1 can you think of a ,being of ,infinite ,wisdom doing either8 ,apart altogether from the idea of ,love1 could you think of ,infinite ,wisdom acting in this way8 ,would you not think it as a most horrid stigma on human wisdom1 and infinitely more so on ,divine8 ,to think that ,god made the human race1 at the same time knowing well that the vast majority of the race would come to such an end--an end which they could not forsee nor prevent6 ,is that the way ,infinite ,wisdom would act8 ,the idea seems almost blasphemy4 ,yet that is what you must believe if you accept the idea either of annihilation or of endless torment4 ,more than that4 ,consider that the ,creator endows every one of the race with mental powers of almost infinite expansion2 yea1 better still1 with moral powers and affections akin to those of the angels4 ,then consider that in the case of most1 these divine powers were to be extinguished1 and that the unfortunate beings who had been endowed with them were to pass back into nonentity1 or be cast into everlasting torment4 ,in the one case there would be utter abortion2 in the other1 there would be everlasting development of evil4 ,could you conceive of anything more unworthy of ,eternal ,wisdom8 ,still more4 ,god foresaw and arranged the great scheme of ,redemption4 ,that it was to be available for the whole race was divinely intended4 ,we are told again and again that ,god gave ,his ,son for the world4 ,it is said that ,he tasted death for every man4 ,but ,god did not take means to apply it to every man in this life4 ,he could easily have done so4 ,he could have sent ,his angels to proclaim to men the good news of salvation4 ,such an idea is not so far-fetched as at first sight it may appear4 ,we follow the same principle when we send missionaries to the heathen4 ,oceans were formerly almost impassable4 ,there is still more or less risk1 both from the voyage and the climate and the hostility of savages4 ,we may well suppose that angels could pass more easily from star to star than that man can pass from continent to continent4 ,and all the savagery of evil men could have no effect on angels4 ,why1 then1 did ,he not send them8 ,he must have foreseen that men would fail in giving the ,gospel to the heathen4 ,but was the eternal destiny of the great majority of our race to depend on the whim of men8 ,if ,god provided salvation for the heathen1 would ,he not convey it to them in some way8 ,evidently1 ,he has not done so in this life4 ,do we not begin1 then1 to see that there must be some other time1 or some other means1 of effecting ,his purposes8 ,for ,his purpose will stand1 and he will do all his pleasure4 ,and when we consider the eternity of ,his being1 and of our own1 nothing is more reasonable than that ,he has ordained a fitting opportunity beyond the boundary of time4 ,let us only rid ourselves of our insular1 contracted ideas1 and we will see how worthy of the ,infinite ,wisdom is such a scheme of grace4 ,then there is another consideration4 ,god loves every soul of man4 ,and every man was endowed with a capacity of worshipping ,him1 and of having communion with ,him to all eternity4 ,if any failed from any cause whatever to rise to this great experience1 would not ,god's own happiness be curtailed8 ,i know that it has been an orthodox doctrine that ,god cannot suffer4 ,i have long had my doubts of it4 ,to be sure1 we read that ,he is without variableness or shadow of turning4 ,does not that apply to ,his character8 ,in that respect ,he is absolutely unchangeable4 ,it is no infringement of that great truth to believe that ,he can suffer4 ,i spoke of this matter lately to a minister of profound mind4 ,he replied3 ,i would not think much of ,him if ,he could not suffer4 ,i have even thought that in the incarnation and death of ,christ1 the ,father suffered equally with the ,son4 ,it is a great mystery2 ,i do not press it4 ,but my thought has been that there was such infinite sympathy between them that the ,father actually suffered as much as the ,son4 ,if a child is sick1 does not the mother suffer as much as the child8 ,and do we not all suffer if our children are in pain8 ,now1 we inherit as much of the ,divine nature as is possible to be communicated to human nature4 ,the root of such suffering is love4 ,and is not ,god's love for ,his children infinitely greater than ours8 ,therefore1 would not ,his happiness be curtailed by seeing ,his children in pain8 ,we know that ,he doth not afflict willingly1 nor grieve the children of men4 ,can ,he1 then1 contemplate with changeless equanimity the wickedness and final suffering of the great majority of our race8 ,so far as ,i know1 there is no such idea in ,scripture2 and it is certainly not suggested by our own human nature in its highest development4 ,now1 can it be supposed that the sin of puny man will finally impair the happiness of ,god8 ,it may for a time2 but ,divine ,love will win2 ,god will be all in all4 ,surely it accords with our highest reason to believe that ,his happiness will not finally be lessened4 ,there is a manifest and eternal unfitness in such a supposition4 ,the ,divine ,wisdom that rules in all worlds will surely make it impossible4 ,think next of ,divine ,power4 ,now with regard to this attribute1 there is one thing to be recognized2 but it is not self-evident4 ,it is this3 that ,god is omnipotent in the moral realm1 as in the physical4 ,this may be disputed4 ,it will be freely granted that in the physical world ,god has all power4 ,but in the moral sphere1 is not even divine power limited by our free will8 ,now1 ,i do not intend to go into the metaphysics of the matter4 ,that would perhaps but involve us in deeper mystery4 ,i think the question will be clearer if we take one example4 ,it is that of ,saul of ,tarsus1 on the occasion of his conversion4 ,he was changed in a moment by omnipotent power4 ,so radical was the change that from being the chief of sinners he became the chief of saints4 ,nothing short of omnipotent power could effect such a change4 ,but at the same time1 was not ,saul a free agent8 ,afterwards1 when referring to this wonderful experience1 he says3 ,i was not disobedient to the heavenly vision4 ,surely1 that implies freedom4 ,yet while he was free1 divine power constrained him4 ,such a mystery no man can understand4 ,could ,saul have withstood the change8 ,i reverently say that ,i do not know4 ,if ,paul1 in the time of his great inlightenment1 had been asked if he could have withstood it1 ,i can imagine that he would have said that he did not know1 and did not want to know4 ,even if he were asked the same question to-day1 ,i can believe that he would still give the same answer4 ,such is the mystery of the operation of the ,divine ,spirit4 ,we are really made willing in the day of ,his power4 ,what a wonderful expression that is of the union of divine coercion and human freedom6 ,i doubt if all the metaphysics of the schools will ever get beyond it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but now1 looking at the matter in this light1 what wonderful operations of grace are opened up to our faith6 ,the power that redeemed ,saul can surely redeem the worst of mankind1 while yet conserving their moral liberty4 ,and surely divine love will incline ,god to take such action4 ,o yes2 ,divine ,love1 and ,divine ,wisdom1 come in here to act in concert with ,divine ,power4 ,o1 the depths of the riches both of the ,wisdom and ,knowledge--and surely1 we may add the ,love--of ,god6 ,to be sure1 it may be asked1 ,why does nor ,god put forth such redeeming power in this life8 ,there may be good reasons why1 but we must beware of intruding into divine mysteries4 ,we might as well ask1 ,why did not ,god interfere sooner in the case of ,saul8 ,when we think of the havoc he was making of the church1 and the suffering he was inflicting on ,god's own saints1 we might ask1 ,why was he permitted to run such an evil course so long8 ,both questions are of the same order2 and we could point to ten thousand more4 ,in all such cases we can but reverently say1 ,secret things belong unto the ,lord4 ,even so4 ,father2 for so it seemed good in thy sight4 ,we have already anticipated the general operation of divine ,love in the next life4 ,but now let us look at the matter more particularly4 ,we have always to remember that we are ,god's own children1 not in name only1 but in the most real sense4 ,the mere fact that we are transferred to another world1 implies only a change of location and of surroundings2 possibly a very slight change in locality when we consider the amazing amplitude of creation4 ,surely1 a mere change of locality can make no change in everlasting love6 ,in that thought1 if we see no farther1 is there not enough to stimulate eternal hope8 ,but then1 think that ,god has made the ,sacrifice of all sacrifices of giving ,his ,son for our salvation4 ,we can never fathom that mystery of ,love ,divine4 ,now1 if he made this ,sacrifice for only a part of mankind1 as we formerly taught1 we would be constrained to think of ,his ,love as being limited and partial4 ,in that case1 we could think it possible that ,he might consign all the rest of our race to eternal torture with the utmost complacence4 ,but when we realize that ,he loved the whole of mankind1 and that the ,sacrifice was made for the whole of mankind1 are we not forced to the conclusion that all mankind will be saved8 ,for that ,love is as intense as it is universal4 ,yes2 think of its intensity1 as well as its scope4 ,surely1 such ,divine ,love will attain its end4 ,all the methods that ,divine ,wisdom sees to be necessary will be used1 so that ,divine ,love will not fail4 ,this looks like the completeness we would expect from ,divine plans and purposes4 ,anything less would seem like a failure of ,him who is ,eternal ,love as well as ,eternal ,wisdom4 ,think over this matter reverently1 and ,i believe you will arrive at the conclusion we are trying to recommend4 ,when we realize that ,infinite ,love is changeless1 and that it is united with ,infinite ,power1 and ,infinite ,wisdom1 as well as with ,infinite ,justice1 we cannot but believe that it will have the victory4 ,o1 yes2 we believe that the present abnormal conditions will be done away with2 that grace will triumph over sin2 that suffering will disappear2 that all the ransomed of the ,lord shall yet come to ,zion with songs6 ,,vi4 ,,theory ,,of ,,equality4 ,abraham ,tucker's ,view--,ingenious and ,reverent--,variety of ,endowment--,maximum of ,happiness--,imparting and ,receiving ,new ,ideas--,compensations--,infinite ,justice4 ,when ,i was a lad ,i met with an old book entitled ,equality1 by ,abraham ,tucker4 ,the main idea of the book1 so far as ,i can recollect1 was1 that as ,god is infinitely just1 ,he must treat all ,his creatures with absolute equality4 ,as such a thing is evidently not in force now1 the idea was that the future life will exactly rectify all the inequalities of the present1 so that upon the whole there will be perfect equality4 ,it was an ingenious and reverent theory2 but on turning it over in my mind just now1 ,i find some formidable objections to it4 ,for one thing1 the inequalities that prevail now1 when not painful1 give us no serious discontent4 ,in fact1 except in extreme cases1 we rather approve and enjoy them4 ,no doubt we have a love of variety2 but apart from that1 we rather delight to have superiors and inferiors4 ,it is pleasant to have some one to whom we can look up1 as better endowed than ourselves2 and it is pleasant to have others who can look up to us4 ,and our best and most ethical judgment approves of this feeling4 ,in particular1 there is no feeling so ennobling as reverence2 but there would be no proper place for reverence if we were equal4 ,it would not1 therefore1 be easy to think that an ideal state of society demands equality4 ,again3 ,analogy points decisively the same way4 ,if we look above us we find that there are among the angels1 thrones1 dominions1 principalities and powers4 ,if we look below us1 we find a striking variety among the animals4 ,in either case1 there is not equality2 and so far as we know1 no compensations to produce equality4 ,it would be hard to believe that there ever will be such compensations in the case of the human race4 ,moreover3 ,the theory of equality in the long run would seem to require that some deteriorate1 which is extremely unlikely1 in view of the fact that the normal law of ,god's universe is advancement4 ,then1 further3 ,we cannot conceive of equality of endowment as producing the maximum of happiness4 ,it is a great joy to impart a new idea2 and it is a great joy to receive one4 ,but if all were equal1 there could be no joy1 either of imparting or receiving2 which is contrary to our idea of the highest perfection and blessedness4 ,again3 ,it is reasonable to believe that in the future world there will be variety of service1 calling for different endowment and capacity to perform it2 and if such different equipment is required1 we may be sure that it is provided4 ,if that is so1 equality cannot be the ideal condition4 ,still more3 ,as time is so short1 and eternity so long1 the least compensation in eternity would infinitely over-balance the greatest inequality in time4 ,from that point of view we could not look for equality1 even in the most distant age4 ,add to these various considerations the ,scriptural intimation that one star differeth from another star in glory1 with all that is intended to be illustrated by that statement2 and the idea of equality seems to have no place4 ,on such grounds as these we believe that there will be forever a variety of endowment and capacity2 and that such variety is in full agreement with ,god's infinite justice4 ,,vii4 ,,processes ,,of ,,purification4 ,different ,processes--,the ,case of ,saul--,changed in a ,moment--,no ,violence to ,human ,freedom--,the ,case of ,nebuchadnezzar--,sudden or ,slow--,new ,illumination--,basis of ,warning--,an ,object ,lesson--,function of ,suffering4 ,here ,i would advert to the different processes that may be used for man's redemption4 ,we have referred to the case of ,saul4 ,his case is a typical one4 ,it illustrates the fact that ,god can use means by which the most incorrigible sinner may be entirely changed in a moment2 and that1 without doing any violence to his freedom4 ,but now1 take another case4 ,it will show just as clearly that ,god sometimes uses means whereby the sinner is not reclaimed in a moment1 but that he requires a series of years4 ,take the case of ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,he was driven from his throne1 and excluded from the haunts of men4 ,according to the account he did eat grass as oxen1 and his body was wet with the dew of heaven1 till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers1 and his nails like birds' claws4 ,such was the severe discipline to which the wicked king was subjected1 and subjected for a long period4 ,but in due time the discipline had its effect4 ,the king was reformed and restored4 ,i suppose ,god could have captured him in a moment1 as in the case of ,saul2 but ,he chose otherwise4 ,it may be asked3 ,whence such a difference in reclaiming these two men8 ,they seem to have been much of the same spirit4 ,it is said of ,saul that he breathed out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the ,lord2 and it is said of ,nebuchadnezzar that he was full of fury4 ,it is said of ,saul1 too1 that he witnessed against ,god's saints1 and hounded them to their death4 ,and it is said of ,nebuchadnezzar that he cast the three faithful ,hebrews into the burning fiery furnace4 ,the main difference was1 that ,saul compassed the death of the saints by law2 whereas ,nebuchadnezzar himself was the law4 ,in spirit and life the two men seem to have been much alike4 ,yet they were both reclaimed4 ,but how8 ,certainly1 by very different means4 ,as accounting for the different means so effectually used in these two cases1 it may be said that they were men of different light1 and hence their different treatment4 ,or it may be said that the world required ,saul's services at once1 and hence his immediate transformation2 whereas the world could wait for the reformation of the king4 ,yet all such reasoning may be entirely beside the mark4 ,it is a mystery profound4 ,with our present limited outlook ,i think it would be wiser and more reverent to bow our heads in submission1 and say1 ,even so1 ,father2 for so it seemed good in ,thy sight4 ,it seems to me that ,nebuchadnezzar and ,saul are typical cases of ,god's reformatory processes in the next life4 ,some of these processes may be sudden1 and others more prolonged4 ,and their severity or duration does not seem to depend on the depth of iniquity into which a man has sunk4 ,it depends rather on his repentance4 ,some may require a long and severe discipline1 like ,nebuchadnezzar2 others--possibly some of the greatest transgressors--may yield to the reformatory process without much delay4 ,and it accords with our highest ideas of justice to believe that those who lived up to the light they had1 though it were but a dim light1 will experience little or no pain1 except what may come of the rectifying of mistakes4 ,even this may be more than balanced by the illumination of new truth4 ,but whether the needed discipline be long or short1 and whether it be more or less severe1 we believe it will have its due effect4 ,finally1 all sin will be done away1 and ,god will be all in all4 ,the unknown extent of suffering in the next life ,i think is the basis of warning for men to flee from the wrath to come4 ,when we know that ,god is angry with sinners every day1 we can imagine something of ,his wrath against sin in the next life1 so long as the sin continues4 ,in some cases this wrath may continue long1 and the suffering which it entails may be severe4 ,certainly the divine favor will not rest on any sinner who continues alienated from ,god4 ,is not this suffering in the future life sufficient to serve as a warning to sinners now8 ,there is hardly any warning given by preachers at present1 except a very general one which amounts almost to nothing4 ,preachers evidently do not believe in eternal torment4 ,if they did1 they would make that the basis of their warning1 and never cease4 ,but now that such a warning is almost never uttered1 what is there to take its place8 ,i answer1 the unknown suffering of the next life1 to be continued as long as sin continues4 ,but it may be said that such a warning would be far too mild to have any due effect4 ,on the contrary1 ,i venture to think it would be as effectual1 and perhaps more so1 than the warning of eternal torment4 ,for this warning has always to be general4 ,we have no definite conception of what constitutes the torment2 hence men do not really believe it4 ,especially when it is represented as of eternal duration1 the idea is entirely beyond men's imagination2 and so the effect is far from proportionate to the warning4 ,but we can imagine something of the suffering of discipline4 ,that comes within the scope of our imagination2 yea1 and of our experience1 too4 ,and when it is represented as ceasing when the desired result is secured1 it commends itself to our highest ideas of benevolence1 wisdom1 and justice2 and but for the baleful influence of tradition1 would become at once credible4 ,if you want an example of the same principle on a smaller scale1 take the case of ,nebuchadnezzar to whom we referred4 ,was his a light punishment8 ,anything more dreadful it would be hard to conceive4 ,but it was discipline2 and the discipline was removed when it had accomplished its purpose4 ,and don't you think it had a most salutary effect on the man all his days8 ,i imagine that the same principle applies to the next life4 ,what the discipline may be1 we know not2 yet we can conceive that in certain cases it may be terrible suffering4 ,but when the desired reformation is effected1 the suffering will be removed4 ,and don't you think that the very memory of that suffering will be a wholesome object lesson to all eternity8 ,this is the suffering which ,i would have proclaimed to all men as a warning4 ,and it can be uttered with the accent of intelligent conviction1 which the warning of endless torment never can4 ,moreover1 it is so consonant with our best instincts of necessity1 justice1 mercy1 truth1 love--that it carries men's convictions at once4 ,think of this also1 that for aught we know1 such an object lesson may be needed to all eternity1 as a warning against sin4 ,and we can conceive that it may vary immensely in different cases4 ,when we recognize the variety of personality that has been created1 the idea dawns on us that a great variety of suffering may be required to be an effective lesson through all eternity4 ,some may require more2 others less4 ,and ,god1 who knows and has ordained the mental and moral calibre of every human soul1 may regulate the discipline accordingly4 ,it may be1 therefore1 that ,nebuchadnezzar could have been captured in a moment1 as in the case of ,saul2 but it may have been that such would not have been a safe proceeding4 ,he may have required the severer discipline as a necessary object lesson to all eternity4 ,saul was reclaimed at once2 and if we may judge from his after life1 he needed no prolonged discipline2 and it is probable he will need none through the endless years4 ,thus ,god may adjust his discipline to each particular case4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and we can well believe that the sufferings passed through in time as the result of sin may be so vividly recalled in the next life that they will be a warning against sin to all eternity4 ,when we reflect on the vividness with which we now recall events of twenty1 or forty1 or sixty years ago1 we can well believe that with our quickened memory in eternity1 the events that happened in time will stand out in vivid reality for ever4 ,it does not seem far-fetched then to believe that this is the special function of suffering4 ,such a theory goes far to explain the mystery of pain4 ,it may really be an everlasting warning against sin2 and thus the redeemed may be preserved in eternal blessedness4 ,this is a great mystery4 ,the very thought of it excites our wonder1 and love1 and praise4 ,i have touched here1 as ,i have said1 on a great mystery2 but it will be observed that ,i have advanced it only as a possibility4 ,as such1 it immensely enlarges our view of the wisdom and love of the divine administration1 and that not only in this life1 but in the next4 ,it also gives us a faint light on the everlasting mystery of pain4 ,if it should turn out that suffering in its varying form and degree is really necessary as an object lesson for all eternity1 we can conceive that when we see it in this light we shall be almost overwhelmed with wonder and adoration4 ,,viii4 ,,the ,,intermediate ,,state4 ,meagre ,details--,good ,reasons ,why--,extent of the ,universe--,future ,glory--,sin in ,other ,worlds--,no ,revelation--,future ,abode of the ,righteous--,solid or ,ethereal--,impossible ,revelations--,present ,duties and ,interests--,our ,limitations--,necessity of ,purification--,preaching to the ,spirits in ,prison--,stages of ,progress--,the ,law of ,gradual ,development4 ,there is one matter to which ,i would refer at this stage1 because ,i think the settlement of it on a reasonable basis will be a great aid to many devout minds4 ,it will be supposed by many that if there is an intermediate state of purification1 some mention of it1 and some details of it1 would be given in revelation4 ,to my mind1 the comparative silence of revelation in regard to it1 counts for almost nothing in our estimate of its probability--,i might almost say of its necessity4 ,there is one consideration of prime importance in this connection1 which ought not to be overlooked4 ,it is this3 that in regard even to the future world of final blessedness1 we have very meagre details4 ,and there are good reasons why we have not more4 ,i think it is not generally realized how fragmentary are such details2 and yet we believe in the fact itself beyond the shadow of a doubt4 ,in fact there are few things in which we have more implicit confidence than a future world of blessedness and glory4 ,but consider how few details of it are revealed4 ,think of the many subjects closely related to it on which we are in complete ignorance4 ,it may be well to run over some of these matters briefly1 that we may realize how utterly ignorant we are of affairs connected with that world of final blessedness4 ,and if that be so in regard to heaven itself1 how much less we may expect to be enlightened beforehand on the details of any intermediate state of preparation4 ,think of the fact that we are surrounded by other worlds of glory2 and yet we do not even know if any of those worlds are inhabited4 ,to be sure1 there are considerations founded on the material and moral order of things that assure us almost beyond a doubt that they are inhabited4 ,but there is no proof4 ,we simply do not know4 ,one of those worlds is a thousand times larger than the earth2 one is twelve hundred times2 several are far more magnificent2 yet we do not even know if they have any population4 ,more than that1 we do not know if one of them--or our own earth--has passed through cycles of population during the uncounted centuries of the past4 ,as little do we know if any or all of them will be theatres of life and intelligence in the future4 ,now if we know so little as to the history of our own and neighboring worlds in the past1 and have no revelation as to their future1 is it likely that we would be informed as to details of some world of purification located probably away in the realms of space8 ,then this sun of ours is fourteen hundred thousand times larger than the earth4 ,but we know almost nothing of his constitution or history4 ,he is really a universe in himself4 ,of the functions he performs in reference to the worlds that surround him we know a little2 but how his heat is sustained--what is attraction--what is his destiny--is all unknown4 ,if we are so ignorant of this primal source of life in all these planetary worlds1 are we likely to be informed of the methods of moral discipline1 probably in some distant world8 ,but our sun1 large and important as he is1 is but a speck in creation4 ,these myriads of stars that shine nightly in the heavens are all suns4 ,it is calculated that the union of the telescope with the photographic plate brings five hundred millions of these stars into view4 ,some of them are demonstrated to be hundreds of times larger than our sun4 ,but that is nearly all we know about them4 ,whether any of them has a retinue of worlds revolving around him like our sun1 will never be known on this side of time4 ,then beyond all we can see1 we recognize a probability of the existence of uncounted millions of worlds2 but we know nothing of them4 ,therefore we would hardly expect to have details revealed of some distant sphere of purification4 ,again1 whether any of these worlds have fallen1 we do not know2 and as little do we know as to whether any of them have been redeemed4 ,we may reason about the matter2 but it is only a short way that reason will carry on such a profound question4 ,i believe that the merit of the ,sacrifice made in this world of ours might be made available in all worlds that need it1 be their sin what it may4 ,it is also very conceivable that the good news might be conveyed to those worlds by angels1 just as the good news is made known in our world by men4 ,the same principle would hold4 ,in the one case there would be a wider application of the message than in the other2 that is the main difference4 ,and when we think of the swifter and easier movements of angels1 even that difference might amount to nothing4 ,but the whole subject is one on which we have no revelation whatever4 ,now if there are millions of other worlds1 with teeming populations1 and if not the most meagre revelation has been made to us as to their moral character or destiny1 it is surely not surprising that we have no revelation as to the details of a state of purification beyond this life4 ,we have thankfully to recognize the fact that we are not burdened with revelations which would only confuse and distract us4 ,it is surely a gracious providence that withholds revelations of such details for the present4 ,but that is no argument why such details will not be revealed by and by1 any more than that the unrevealed joys of heaven will be disclosed to us when we are able to understand and enjoy them4 99 99 99 99 99 ,still more2 beyond the realm of stars whose outline is somewhat clearly marked1 there is a dim shimmer of glory1 suggestive of uncounted millions of stars and systems farther on4 ,this golden glimmer of distant worlds has been likened to a candle shining through a horn4 ,we are simply lost in the extent and glory of the starry hosts4 ,do we not begin to see that the universe is far too vast to be revealed to mortals8 ,to have the essentials of truth and duty revealed to us here1 in this dim corner of the universe1 is as much as we ought to expect4 ,by and by we may hope to have larger revelations4 ,we may realize this principle more fully if we come down again to the earth1 and to enquire if this earth is to be the future abode of the righteous8 ,some say it is4 ,we simply do not know4 ,when we do not know if this earth is to be our future dwelling place1 can we reasonably expect to have details of the place and manner of our purification--though it be a matter of far higher moment8 ,then again3 ,is the earth the final abode of the righteous8 ,or is it only to be the initial place of future blessedness8 ,or1 are there many heavens1 each preceding one to be a preparation for a higher8 ,here again all our thoughts are drowned4 ,or again3 ,is heaven to be a solid world like this earth1 or is it to be an ethereal world8 ,such questions are far too high for us4 ,in this narrow sphere of earth and time we know almost nothing of the glory to be revealed4 ,i would say that a study of the extent and magnificence of creation would give us some hints of what eye hath not seen1 nor ear heard4 ,at all events the more we are acquainted with the glories of the universe1 the more we shall realize how little is likely to be revealed of the details of any preparatory stage of final blessedness4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and besides such a revelation being unreasonable1 we believe it would be impossible4 ,there are probably millions of worlds1 as well as our own4 ,each one of these has likely a moral history4 ,now it is easily conceivable that the services rendered in heaven may have a close relation to some of these worlds4 ,thus we could not have a revelation of our future service without being let more or less into the moral history of those worlds4 ,but it will be seen at once that this would be utterly beyond us1 as well as useless to us at present4 ,in fact it would only perplex and confuse us1 and divert our attention from the practical duties of life4 ,it is remarkable also that we have almost no revelation of the present active service of the better world4 ,to give us such a revelation might involve other revelations which in the meantime are too high and too complicated for us to understand4 ,everything is beautiful in its season4 ,just as now we do not try to initiate children into the problems of life that will come with mature age1 so we1 real children in understanding1 are not burdened with the knowledge1 and all that such knowledge would involve1 that will come in a future life4 ,besides2 such premature knowledge would probably detach our interest and attention from the duties that press upon us now4 ,we are here with certain duties and interests2 and when these are duly apprehended they are quite sufficient to engage our time and thought1 without being concerned with the duties that will come with a future state4 99 99 99 99 99 ,thus we see something of the wisdom and the love in giving us only such details as suit our present limitations4 ,there may be a state of purification beyond this life2 but we shall adapt ourselves to that state when the time comes2 not before4 ,when we see the character of ,god1 as revealed in ,his ,word2 when we realize the sin and misery of our present condition2 when we apprehend the wonderful sacrifice that has been made for the recovery of our race2 and when we realize the unspeakable glory that may be ours--we begin to see the probability--yes1 the necessity--of a process of purification beyond the sphere of time4 ,,imprisoned ,,souls4 ,yet1 while we have no details given us as to the process or the time required for purification1 we have certain suggestions4 ,in the ,old ,testament there is a reference to prisoners of hope4 ,the reference is somewhat obscure1 and taken by itself it is of doubtful meaning4 ,but in the ,new ,testament it is intimated that ,christ went and preached to the spirits in prison4 ,there we have a gleam of light as to what is meant by prisoners of hope4 ,there were imprisoned souls to whom ,christ took some joyful message4 ,we have no statement as to the purport of the message1 or the circumstances of the prisoners1 beyond the fact that they were confined4 ,while not going outside of what is revealed1 it does not seem too much to assume that ,he took to them the good news of ,restoration1 and perhaps kindred topics4 ,o yes2 the ,saviour's death had reference not to ourselves alone1 but it had a relation to those in another world4 99 99 99 99 99 ,perhaps ,i ought to say here that this supposed state of discipline is by no means to be confounded with the ,roman ,catholic doctrine of ,purgatory4 ,the term of duration of purgatorial fire is supposed to be determined by the priest1 who can effect a release at any time he pleases4 ,it is simply a matter of payment4 ,and the idea of purgatory may be held--,i think is generally held--without conceiving of it as a means of purification4 ,is it not rather conceived of as a place of punishment8 ,but the intermediate state we conceive of is a state of purification and education4 ,there may be intense suffering in certain cases4 ,we can conceive that such suffering may be required as a means of purification4 ,in other cases no great suffering1 or none at all1 may be necessary4 ,by some means1 specially adapted to each case1 every soul will be prepared to enter a state of blessedness4 ,even that final state may have lower grades1 preparatory for the higher4 ,it does not seem consistent with ,god's dealings with man to thrust a frail human spirit into the blinding glory of heaven4 ,it is far more likely that there are lower stages1 preparatory for higher4 ,when a child is born into the world it is not even aware for a time that it has entered on a new mode of existence4 ,but it adapts itself unconsciously to its new surroundings1 and by easy stages develops perhaps into a poet or a philosopher4 ,in some such way1 but on a higher plane1 we can believe that the soul is developed in the future life4 ,we may confidently leave all details with ,him who is ,wise in ,counsel1 and excellent in working1 and whose love is unchangeable and everlasting4 ,just now ,i have met with a ,christian minister whom ,i know well1 and a worthy man he is1 who has tried to evade the payment of a very small debt4 ,now is it to be supposed that when that man dies he will go straight into glory1 infected with such a streak of meanness8 ,then where will it be purged out of him8 ,will the process of death effect it8 ,certainly not4 ,what remains then1 but that between this life and the next there is some process of purification4 ,and that case is only a typical one4 ,if we knew all1 perhaps we should find that there is a mean streak of some kind in every one of us4 ,how then shall we get rid of it8 ,just ponder that problem for awhile4 ,,ix4 ,,the ,,spirits ,,in ,,prison4 ,the ,descent of ,jesus into ,hades--,singular ,reserve of ,preachers --,purgatory--,dr4 ,gerhardt's ,book--,a ,bodily ,resurrection--,the ,spirit ,world ,requires a ,spirit ,body4 ,here ,i would advert briefly to a topic that seems to me to have a strong bearing in the same direction4 ,i mean the descent of ,jesus into ,hades1 and the intimation that ,he preached to the spirits in prison4 ,on this subject the whole ,christian world--at least the ,protestant world--has maintained a singular reserve4 ,in fact ,i have never heard the matter even once casually referred to in any ,protestant pulpit4 ,it may be that even a casual reference to it might be taken as favoring the ,roman ,catholic doctrine of ,purgatory4 ,such is the craven fear that men have of being supposed to be tainted with ,romanism4 ,in other cases it may be that the whole subject is thought to be involved in so much mystery that it is better to leave it alone4 ,but ,i believe that if we had a larger and more sympathetic view of the entire domain of truth1 this topic would be seen to be radiant with eternal hope4 ,in this spirit it is referred to by ,dr4 ,calvin ,s4 ,gerhardt in his book on ,death and the ,resurrection4 ,that book came out some years ago1 and there were some letters passed between the author and myself in reference to the contents4 ,he holds the view that the body of ,christ was not raised1 but ,his spirit only2 and he tries to sustain that view by a variety of arguments1 some of which seem to me very unworthy4 ,my own view is1 that the body was actually raised1 but that now being a spiritual body it had the power of transformation1 so that at pleasure it could become visible or invisible to fleshly eyes4 ,however1 in the same connection ,dr4 ,gerhardt refers to ,christ's descent into ,hades2 and he treats that matter with a candor and eloquence1 along with good sense1 that in my opinion1 leaves nothing to be desired4 ,i will here transcribe some passages of his on that topic1 and so dismiss further discussion of it4 ,he says3 ,the popular doctrine which teaches that the opportunity of salvation always ends with the present life1 finds no support in sacred ,scripture and is completely overthrown by ,christ's descent into ,hades4 ,this important stage of ,his mission is often overlooked1 or ignored2 and we must confess that we too stand with bated breath1 before the problem which its consideration presents1 for we are confronted here with mysteries4 ,but the mysteries are not closed1 and are not utterly incapable of solution4 ,again he says3 ,christ's visits to the earth were few and brief after ,his resurrection4 ,where then was ,he during the forty days when not visible to ,his disciples8 ,not in heaven1 for ,he had not yet ascended4 ,neither was ,he on earth1 for if any one truth was constantly more fully enforced by ,him1 it was that through ,his death ,he had passed beyond the sphere of the earthly4 ,where else then could ,he have sojourned but in ,hades--that unseen world of the dead into which all men pass when they lay aside their mortal bodies1 and begin to live in spiritual bodies4 ,again3 ,to the penitent thief on the cross ,jesus said1 ',to-day thou shalt be with ,me in ,paradise4' ,the ,saviour1 therefore1 must have gone to the regions of the dead1 for to the ,jews1 ,paradise meant the locality in ,hades to which the blessed dead were received4 ,again3 ,st4 ,peter not only assures us that ,christ descended into ,hades1 but also tells us why ,he went thither1 ',because ,christ also suffered for sins once1 the righteous for the unrighteous1 that ,he might bring us to ,god2 being put to death in the flesh1 but quickened in the spirit1' in which he also went and preached to the spirits in prison4 ,again3 ,again ',for unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead1 that they might be judged according to men in the flesh1 but live according to ,god in the spirit1' ,again3 ,these passages of ,scripture1 as well as the whole drift of the ,new ,testament1 make plain the important truth that the great work which our ,saviour prosecuted on earth ,he continued also in ,hades4 ,his incarnation and full union with us1 in our earthly1 mortal life1 involved ,him in a similar revelation to the dead1 according to their altered conditions and environment4 ,what ,he did for our earthly life ,he did for them there in full harmony with the changed circumstances of their post-mundane form of existence4 ,again3 ,by ,his descent into ,hades1 says ,martensen1 ,christ revealed ,himself as the ,redeemer of all souls4 ,once more3 ,the descent into the realm of the dead gave expression to the truth1 that the distinctions ,here and ,there--the limits of space--are of no significance regarding ,christ1 and do not concern ,his kingdom4 ,no powers of nature1 no limits of space or of time1 can hinder ,christ from finding ,his way to souls4 ,his kingdom has extended even into the region of the dead1 and still includes that region2 and the distinctions of living and dead1 of earlier and later generations of men1 of times of ignorance and times of knowledge1 possess but a transient significance4 ,in confirmation of these views1 ,i would add one consideration of rather an abstract character4 ,when our ,saviour died on the cross1 why did ,he not revive at once8 ,instead of that we know that ,he waited until the third day4 ,i have no doubt that one reason was1 that ,he intended that all believers in ,him might have a conclusive proof that ,he had really died and revived4 ,but one other reason may have been this1 that ,he intended to visit the spirits in prison1 and in order to be en rapport with them1 ,he needed to go in the spirit4 ,they were in the spirit2 and for ,him to go to them in a human body would have been to interpose an effectual barrier between ,himself and them4 ,if they are somewhere in the spirit world1 a spirit body alone could reach them4 ,x4 ,,divine ,,love4 ,infinite ,being and ,perfection--,grades of ,being--,variety--,man's ,limitations--,moral ,beings--,hopeless ,surroundings--,all ,are ,children of ,god--,righting the ,wrongs of ,time--,the ,heart of the ,universe is ,love --,eternal ,conscious ,torment ,incredible--,conquering ,power of ,love --,eternal ,purpose ,will ,not ,fail--,omnipotence in the ,moral ,realm--,the ,divine ,expression of ,love--,universal ,atonement ,involves ,universal ,salvation--,final ,success of ,god's ,designs--,will ,evil ,necessarily ,perpetuate itself8--,triumph of ,good ,over ,evil--,few ,stripes or ,many --,reformatory ,punishment--,bringing ,good out of ,evil--,possibilities of ,redeeming ,grace--,the ,ransomed of the ,lord--,wrath but the ,shadow of ,love--,former ,eternity of ,sinlessness--,wrath no ,constituent of the ,divine ,character--,pity and ,indignation4 ,there can be no mistake here4 ,the ,scripture declares1 again and again that ,god is ,love4 ,also1 the ,scripture is clear in regard to ,his infinity4 ,in fact our reason would almost carry us so far4 ,for if all things had a ,creator1 that ,creator must have had no beginning4 ,but we take it that ,god will be freely conceded to be infinite in ,his being1 and in the qualities of ,his character4 ,he is infinite then in ,his love4 ,being infinite in ,his being1 ,he could be no less than infinite in ,his love4 ,that surely means that ,he loves every being that ,he has made4 ,will ,he not therefore do the most and best that is possible to be done for each one of ,his creatures8 ,to be sure1 there are grades of being4 ,some have a larger capacity than others4 ,we know of no law by which love would impel the ,creator to create all beings alike4 ,no1 there is a law of variety which we shall consider later2 and that accounts for beings of different function1 capacity1 surroundings1 employment1 and so on4 ,at the same time1 is it not safe to infer that there is a possible maximum of happiness which every being has attained1 or will attain1 under a government of divine love8 ,of course there may be limitations4 ,man has been made a free being4 ,he may therefore limit his own possibilities4 ,he may deliberately choose to do wrong4 ,thus he may impose a limitation on himself4 ,in one sense this may be considered a great misfortune4 ,but how else could a moral being be created8 ,we cannot conceive of any other way4 ,if we had not been created moral beings1 we could never rise to anything worth while4 ,god wanted to make the most and the best of us4 ,but with that possibility of rising there was also the possibility of falling4 ,therefore1 so far as that consideration is concerned1 our creation1 on this human status1 was an expression of infinite love4 ,but then1 the present is a state of discipline4 ,since sin has come in1 and so marred our perfection and happiness1 it has been ordained that the present life will be a preparation for a better future life4 ,therefore our present sinful limitations are not finally disastrous4 ,they may be even turned to benedictions4 ,instances are not wanting where untold suffering has issued in great moral perfection1 with a corresponding high place in the world beyond4 ,such considerations as these show clearly that our creation1 even though we are fallen1 was an act of infinite love4 ,yes1 but what about the untold millions who do not turn their present suffering to good account8 ,especially what about the uncounted millions of heathen8 ,many of them were born into conditions of utter hopelessness2 their surroundings were of the worst2 it would be utterly futile to expect that their present life could be a preparation for final blessedness4 ,now is it to be supposed for a moment that ,god does not love every heathen just as ,he loves every ,christian8 ,surely1 they are all ,his children1 and ,he loves every one of them with a ,father's love4 ,then what about the other millions that live in ,christian lands who have no idea of making the present life a preparation for the future8 ,are they not all equally dear to ,him8 ,let us rise above all insular1 mean1 petty love of our own1 and think of the love of ,god--impartial1 free1 infinite1 everlasting6 ,can it be believed that the few favored ones who have lived in certain surroundings1 and who thus have come to hear and heed the message of salvation1 are destined for everlasting bliss2 while all others1 naturally no worse than they1 are consigned to everlasting woe8 ,are these few fleeting years1 and circumstances which we had little or no hand in forming1 charged with such eternal possibilities8 ,yet we profess to believe that ,god rules1 and that ,he loves every one of ,his creatures with an everlasting love6 ,surely every candid mind and every human heart will repel such a possibility as their final extinction or damnation4 ,and when we realize that ,god has all eternity to right the wrongs of time1 we begin to realize that the present is but one epoch of ,his administration4 ,i have just read these words of an orthodox divine3 ,the heart of the universe is love4 ,yes1 that is the language of the heart in its best moods1 whatever our creed may be4 ,and the heart will sometimes speak its conviction strongly4 ,it does seem that orthodox divines at times forget that according to their belief ,god consigns untold millions of ,his creatures to eternal fire4 ,yet surely ,he is the heart of the universe2 and the heart of the universe is love4 ,does it not seem the blackest of contradictions8 ,and when we think of ,his wisdom to arrange1 and ,his power to execute1 it does seem hard to believe that eternal conscious torment will be the fate of any of ,his creatures4 ,we may see but a short way into the whole scheme of the divine administration2 but the heart will refuse to believe in such a paradox4 ,omnia vincet amor--love conquers all things4 ,we accept that as a proverb even in this selfish and cruel world4 ,yes1 and despite all hindrances1 we often see love's triumphs4 ,when everything else fails1 love will win4 ,and is it to be conceived that ,god1 ,who is ,love ,personified1 will not win8 ,yes2 if we knew nothing more than the general principle1 we might make a confident forecast that ,he will not fail4 ,but how overwhelming is our conviction when we see infinite love joined with infinite wisdom and infinite power6 ,what will not this triumvirate of infinites accomplish8 ,we may be told that sin is an infinite evil1 and that even infinite love cannot conquer it4 ,we refuse to believe it4 ,god is omnipotent in the moral1 as well as in the material realm4 ,surely ,his infinite love will incline ,him1 ,his infinite wisdom will show ,him how1 and ,his infinite power will accomplish ,his desire4 ,now again3 ,the advocates of eternal torment will freely grant that ,god loves every soul that ,he has made4 ,they will also concede that ,he is omniscient4 ,very well4 ,then ,he must have known that the millions of beings1 now supposed to be in torment1 were coming into the world2 and ,he must have known that there was no possible way for them to avert their doom4 ,and though ,he loved each of them with an infinite love1 ,he made no way of escape1 but consigned them to eternal torment4 ,foreseeing in ,his omniscience that all this would happen1 ,he did not intercept their coming1 which ,he could easily have done2 nor did ,he provide any means of escape4 ,is this the way infinite love1 joined with divine foreknowledge1 would act8 ,do not say that the matter is too high for us to understand4 ,even on a human plane we would expect a more beneficent result4 ,how much more in the case of ,him who foresees and arranges all contingencies1 and whose love is from everlasting to everlasting4 ,do not such considerations as these absolutely prohibit the idea of endless suffering8 ,just take counsel with your own heart and mind4 ,again1 it is written that ,god so loved the world that ,he gave ,his only begotten ,son4 ,now if ,he loved the world1 ,he loved every individual in the world4 ,he loves every soul of the human race4 ,not color1 nor climate1 nor civilization1 nor any special epoch of the world's history1 can make any restriction4 ,now if ,god loved the world1 ,he expressed ,his love for the world2 and how did ,he express it8 ,by giving his ,son4 ,then ,he must have given ,his ,son for every soul of man4 ,it would be no expression of ,his love for me to give ,his ,son for somebody else4 ,but ,he loved me personally1 and gave ,his ,son for me personally4 ,hence ,paul could say3 ,he loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4 ,and so everyone of the human race may truly say4 ,a ,,theory4 ,generality here tends to confusion and mistakes4 ,it has been too much the habit to think and speak of ,god as giving ,his ,son for the world1 and yet holding a reserved and unexpressed idea that ,he gave ,his ,son only for the saved4 ,such an idea is not often expressed publicly1 and ,i believe is not held heartily1 ,but it is formally professed2 it is theory in a certain creed4 ,not only so1 but it is felt that universal atonement involves universal salvation2 and that is an issue which in many cases men are not prepared to accept ,in fact many plain statements of ,scripture are twisted and tortured out of their plain meaning1 apparently to avoid the issue of universal salvation4 ,but let universal salvation be once granted1 and all difficulty disappears4 ,then the plain statements of ,scripture do not need to be modified1 or explained away4 ,then all may freely accept the corollary that universal atonement involves universal salvation2 only in a far larger sense than believed heretofore4 ,we take in eternity now1 as well as the small span of time4 ,we begin to realize that the sweep of the eternal years makes no difference in the divine love or the divine purpose4 ,in ,god's administration of the universe there may be good reasons for saving some of our race in this life2 and some in the next2 but the principle is the same2 infinite wisdom1 infinite power1 and infinite love1 will not fail of their purpose4 ,it is this belief in the final success of ,god's designs that gives us the assurance of ultimate ,restoration4 ,for if ,god loves the world--that is1 every soul in the world--and if ,he gave ,his ,son for the ,salvation of the world--and if the sacrifice of the ,son is sufficient for the salvation of the world--then we may be sure that infinite wisdom1 love1 and power will find a way of attaining the end in view4 ,somehow--some time--somewhere--the divine purpose will be accomplished4 ,i am fortified in this view by the words of an eminent ,presbyterian divine that ,i have just chanced to meet with4 ,he says3 ,god infallibly accomplishes everything at which ,he aims4 ,i take that principle in a wider application than he intended2 and taking it so1 it is a strong argument for ultimate ,restoration4 ,a ,,serious ,,departure4 ,just apply that principle to the theory of everlasting torment4 ,is it to be supposed that ,god really aims at that1 and that hence ,he infallibly accomplishes it8 ,it is almost blasphemy to think so4 ,yet that is the idea that has been held to be orthodox1 and any apparent swerving from it has been treated as a serious departure from the faith4 ,but men's hearts are sometimes better than their heads2 hence we hear little now of eternal torment4 ,and the heart is a good place for a reform in doctrine to begin4 ,when these larger ideas simmer for a while in men's hearts1 they will gradually find expression on their tongues4 ,there are many men who feel the truth now that they will speak bye and bye4 ,there is at present a fear1 and a natural fear1 of being disloyal to orthodoxy3 but ,i believe the truth will come triumphantly to the front later on4 ,there is a stage of silence1 and there is a stage of speech4 ,meantime ,i plead for toleration2 that is as much as can be expected now4 ,it is well if we have advanced so far4 ,not long ago there was persecution4 ,to all this it may be objected that if men remain obdurate in this life1 withstanding all the overtures of mercy that are addressed to them1 is it not likely that they will remain so for ever8 ,this is a serious question4 ,let us seriously consider it4 ,,even ,,if ,,they ,,are ,,favored4 ,roughly1 there are two classes of men to be recognized4 ,first there are those who have sat under the ,gospel for years1 but who have not yielded to its claims4 ,the question is1 ,will they ever yield1 even if they are favored with another opportunity8 ,will not the habit of their life culminate in an eternal refusal8 ,some think it will4 ,my old minister used to say that it is the nature of evil to perpetuate itself4 ,hence it was argued that grace refused here will be always refused1 even though it were offered4 ,it was argued that the increased evil character which will come to a wicked man on entering the next life1 together with the evil influences and surroundings of that life1 will so absolutely steel him against all good that he will inevitably go on from bad to worse for ever4 ,hence the eternity of suffering4 ,to my mind1 all this is only theory4 ,we really know very little of the next life4 ,the influences that may be used for reformation may really be overpowering4 ,just think how it has fared with this world of ours since the introduction of evil4 ,has evil perpetuated itself8 ,or will it perpetuate itself8 ,no6 the very opposite has been the case1 and will be the case4 ,a scheme of redemption above all human thought has been enacted here1 by which the world has in part regained the innocence that if lost1 and is destined to regain it fully4 ,no one could have foreseen this4 ,we can imagine some sinless world1 cognizant of the evil that had entered here1 forecasting our eternal doom4 ,they might reason that evil would perpetuate itself1 and that therefore there could be nothing in store for us but eternal sin and suffering4 ,they did not know the provision that was to be made for our redemption2 hence their conclusion would be all wrong4 ,,triumph ,,of ,,good ,,over ,,evil4 ,it may just be so in our forecasts of the next life4 ,in fact there is more likelihood of the triumph of good over evil in the next life than there could have been originally in this4 ,and why8 ,because we know that a ransom has not to be provided1 but that it is provided4 ,we also know that it has been provided at a fearful cost1 and we know that the glory of ,god is to a large extent bound up in its success4 ,moreover1 we know that ,christ is yet to see of the travail of ,his soul1 and be satisfied4 ,and will anything less satisfy ,him than the salvation of every one for whom ,he died8 ,he has said1 too1 that ,he will draw all men to ,himself4 ,it is plain that ,he does not draw all men in this life2 will ,he not then draw them in the next life8 ,therefore ,i think it is not too much to say that so far as we know1 there does seem a greater probability of grace triumphing over sin in the next life than there was antecedently in the present life4 ,what a door of hope is thus opened for our lost race6 ,i recall another passage of wonderful import in this connection4 ,our ,lord said3 ,that servant which knew his lord's will1 and prepared not himself1 neither did according to his will1 shall be beaten with many stripes4 ,but he that knew not1 and did commit things worthy of stripes1 shall be beaten with few stripes4 ,now it is very dear that in thousands of cases those words are not fulfilled in this life4 ,there are atrociously wicked men who are not beaten with any1 not to say many1 stripes4 ,that was the ,psalmist's trouble4 ,he saw that the ungodly prospered4 ,he said that they were not in trouble as other men1 nor plagued as other men4 ,he said that they had more than heart could wish4 ,plainly1 the threatening was not executed upon them in the present life4 ,if the words are to come true at all1 they must be fulfilled in the next life4 ,it is one of many passages that require our purview to be extended into the future life to understand them4 ,but if the words are to be fulfilled in the next life1 must not their fulfillment be conditioned on the theory of ,restoration8 ,suppose there is extinction at death4 ,how could any stripes be laid on a man who is extinct8 ,does not that consideration settle the idea of extinction8 ,and what about endless torment8 ,certainly many stripes are laid on the man in endless torment4 ,but what about the man who is to be beaten with few stripes8 ,would it be possible to conceive of endless torment as being only a few stripes8 ,to be sure1 there might be degrees of torment2 and the man in a mild degree of suffering would not suffer so much as the man in an intense degree4 ,but then1 the suffering is to be for ever and ever4 ,it is to be an eternity of suffering4 ,in that case1 the suffering might be reduced to the mildest form of discomfort2 but as it is to be eternal in duration1 the sum total of it would be infinite4 ,could any stretch of imagination conceive of such suffering being only a few stripes8 ,it does seem to me that both the theory of extinction1 and that of torment1 utterly break down under that test4 ,but how natural and reasonable is the statement on the theory of ,restoration4 ,in that case the words come literally true4 ,we can well believe that atrocious sinners have terrible pains and penalties before they repent1 and are redeemed4 ,on the other hand1 we can imagine that sins of a milder type1 especially sins of ignorance1 will call for but few stripes4 ,we would go further1 and believe that in the case of advanced ,christians1 there will be only such suffering as is inseparable from the discovery of mistakes1 and consequent development4 ,in the case of all suffering1 of whatever degree1 we believe that it will be rather of a reformatory1 than of a punitive character4 ,suffering may or may not be proportionate to sin4 ,the idea is this1 that1 when it has accomplished the reformation of the sinner it will cease4 ,thus the statement of our ,lord will find its due fulfillment4 ,it is one of many statements which can be explained only on the basis of its application to the next life4 ,but when we give such statements their true application1 they require no forcing to make them seem natural and reasonable4 ,further1 ,i think it is fair to imagine1 as we said before1 that the suffering induced by sin will be an object lesson to all eternity of the evil of sin4 ,possibly it may be an infallible safeguard against sin in every form4 ,this would be an expansion of the principle that ,god brings good out of evil2 and it would be the grandest expansion of that principle that we can conceive4 ,when we put all these considerations together1 and when we add to them the further consideration that ,god's love is from everlasting to everlasting1 we begin to see wonderful possibilities of redeeming grace4 99 99 99 99 99 ,along the same line1 take as an illustration the salvation of particular individuals4 ,we see what has been enacted in the case of a lost world4 ,now take the case of one lost soul2 and the matter may become a little clearer4 ,,not ,,asked ,,to ,,surrender4 ,take the case of ,saul of ,tarsus4 ,i have referred to him elsewhere as a man who went as far as man could go in crime4 ,but he was arrested and saved in a moment4 ,and mark you1 he was not coerced4 ,no violence was done to his perfect freedom4 ,every man is free2 that is his birthright2 in ,saul's case he was not asked to surrender an iota of it4 ,yet by some mysterious divine power he changed in a moment of time4 ,henceforth he was a new man1 with a new heart1 new ideals1 new hopes1 new ambitions1 a new life4 ,now what ,i contend is1 that the power and grace that could so radically and so quickly change a man like that1 is not to be limited to this little span of life1 nor to the most incorrigible transgression4 ,what are a few years of time to ,him whose power1 whose presence1 whose love1 fill all eternity8 ,i imagine that ,he who knew how to convert ,saul in a moment1 can convert the most abandoned of mankind4 ,then1 as ,i said1 there is another class of men to be considered4 ,i mean the heathen1 and all those who never had the means of knowing the way of life4 ,what about the untold millions that passed away in the darkness8 ,will not the grace and power that redeemed such a man as ,saul be available in their case8 ,yes6 we think that--judged by the highest standards we know--there would be far more mercy for them1 and the work of saving them would be a thousand fold easier4 ,but we are dealing here with power and love that are infinite4 ,no doubt the sin that has to be overcome is great2 but we believe it will come true again that where sin abounded1 grace did much more abound4 ,after all1 it is infinite grace against human sin4 ,in such a case1 it is not hard to forecast which will win the day4 ,god will evermore be triumphant4 ,o yes6 the ransomed of the ,lord will come home at last4 ,what a day it will be when they will come to ,zion with songs6 ,the old prophecy will then have its complete fulfillment3 ,they shall obtain joy and gladness1 and sorrow and sighing shall flee away4 ,though ,i lay so much stress on the omnipotence of divine love1 ,i do not forget that divine wrath must be reckoned with as well4 ,god is angry with sinners every day4 ,tribulation1 and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil4 ,our ,god is consuming fire4 ,but the essential thing is love4 ,god is love4 ,it is a constituent of ,his character4 ,that could not be said of wrath4 ,it is but the dark shadow of love4 ,in a state of innocence it could not exist4 ,when sin is done away1 wrath will be seen no more4 ,if we only go back far enough in our thought we will certainly come to a time when divine wrath could not exist4 ,go back to the time before the angels sinned4 ,go back to the time before there was sin of any kind in all ,god's universe4 ,but mark1 no matter how far that takes you back--there was an eternity of sinlessness before it4 ,yes2 an eternity of sinlessness4 ,there was no wrath then4 ,it could not exist4 ,therefore we could not say that it was a constituent of the divine character4 ,no2 but it was a potentiality of the divine character4 ,it could have no existence until sin appeared4 ,but love is from everlasting4 ,it is by far the mightier attribute4 ,it is of the very essence of ,god4 ,united with infinite wisdom and power1 we would expect it to have the final victory4 ,,stern ,,for ,,the ,,moment4 ,even when there is divine wrath1 there is infinite love blended and mingled with it4 ,we shall see this as in a picture if we look at that scene in the life of ,christ when ,he healed a certain man in the ,synagogue4 ,it was the ,sabbath day4 ,knowing the hardness and hypocrisy of those present1 ,he flung out this challenge--,is it right to do good on the ,sabbath day8 ,they could make no answer without committing themselves4 ,then we read that ,christ looked round about them with indignation4 ,ah1 but listen4 ,it is added immediately that he was grieved for the hardness of their hearts4 ,his face that was stern for the moment was strangely softened4 ,o yes2 love was ever behind ,his wrath4 ,his indignation was never far removed from tears4 ,and so ,god can be angry with sinners1 at the same time that ,he loves them with an everlasting love4 ,we see the same union of pity with indignation in that scene where ,christ wept over the sinful city4 ,he had to weep tears of pity over the nation's coming doom2 yes1 but ,he could pronounce that doom2 and in ,his wonderful providence ,he could even arrange for effecting it4 ,so ,i do not overlook the fact that we have manifestations of divine wrath1 as well as divine love2 yes1 fiery indignation as well as tender compassion4 ,but let us not forget that love is the positive1 essential1 eternal attribute2 and it would be strange indeed if it is not finally victorious4 ,you may bring this idea of the union of love and indignation close home to yourself4 ,we will suppose that you are a father1 and that a son of yours has turned out to be a prodigal4 ,he has gone away from home1 bent on a course of crime4 ,will you not have alternations of love and indignation8 ,yes1 you will sigh and pine for his return2 and you will have righteous anger at times over his evil course4 ,and if the son repents1 and one day comes home again1 will you not receive him with joy8 ,o yes1 you will run to meet him1 like the father in the ,gospel story4 ,and do you think that your love is more enduring than ,god's8 ,are not we all ,his children1 though we have strayed away from ,him8 ,does ,he not look and long for our return8 ,o yes2 and ,he will accomplish it4 ,the difference is1 that ,he has all power1 and ,he has ways and means of attaining ,his ends4 ,let us be assured that ,his counsel will stand1 and ,he will do all ,his pleasure4 ,in this connection there is a very important consideration4 ,it is this--that no design of ,god can ultimately fail4 ,we read that ,he willeth not the death of a sinner4 ,we read that ,he desires all men to be saved1 and to come to the knowledge of the truth4 ,have we ever stopped to think how unlikely it is that the ,infinite ,one has any desire which ,he cannot accomplish8 ,if any of ,his creatures are consigned to eternal torment1 and if ,he wishes1 as ,he says ,he does1 to save them from that fate1 does ,he not desire what ,he cannot accomplish8 ,remember that he has all moral as well as all physical power2 remember that his love will impel ,him to use ,his power2 remember that in ,his infinite wisdom ,he knows how2 and it will be seen that ,he has no design which ,he cannot effect4 ,just ponder this idea for a while before you go farther4 ,i was revolving this thought in my mind when ,i chanced to meet with1 a very terse expression of it4 ,i have already quoted an eminent divine who said3 ,god infallibly accomplishes everything at which ,he aims4 ,the theologian did not think that his dictum would be given such a wide application4 ,but it commends itself to our judgment nevertheless1 be the application what it may4 ,the same thought was differently expressed recently1 from a scientific point of view4 ,sir ,oliver ,lodge said in a recent lecture3 ,the ,creator of the ,universe is not going to be frustrated by the insignificant efforts of ,his own creatures4 ,,on ,a ,,large ,,scale4 ,in the light of this fact sin appears but an episode in eternal providence2 and we can conceive that it is permitted for a time1 for the realization of a greater good4 ,it is but an expansion of the acknowledged principle that ,god brings good out of evil4 ,sin is not the normal condition of the universe4 ,it is abnormal1 and in time will give way to normal conditions4 ,we are accustomed to believe in this principle on a small scale2 but if we accustom ourselves to regard the same principle or a large scale it will not be difficult to believe that sin will ultimately be done away4 ,in the history of eternity1 we can imagine it to be but a transient circumstance1 like a fleck of cloud in a summer sky2 and even that fleck will disappear4 99 99 99 99 99 ,just now1 since writing these lines1 ,i have had a very singular experience4 ,a gentleman had written me a year ago in warm appreciation of my books4 ,but ,i did not meet with him until a few days ago4 ,in our conversation he told me that on reading a certain passage--he quoted the passage--be was so overpowered that he fell backward in a kind of swoon or trance4 ,then he was struck by something like a spark of fire4 ,his impulse was to cry out1 but he restrained himself1 and had such a vision of the love of ,god that he wept1 and wept1 and wept1 in an ecstasy of joy4 ,indeed he was overcome when he told me the story4 ,and this man is no weakling1 by any means4 ,he is a strong man1 physically1 intellectually1 and spiritually4 ,when ,i realized that ,i could be used to produce an effect like that1 ,i was filled with wonder1 and love1 and praise4 ,now ,i hesitated about giving this experience1 for to some it may look like egotism4 ,but it may be taken on a higher ground4 ,i would like to ask3 ,is it conceivable that such divine love1 united with divine wisdom1 and divine power1 has no better way of disposing of the great majority of the human race than consigning them to everlasting torment8 ,and more than that2 each one of these myriads is ,god's own child1 as truly--perhaps more intimately--than our children are our own4 ,i say1 is it conceivable that he has nothing better for them in store8 ,except our mind and heart have been utterly warped by traditional views1 surely we will refuse to believe it4 ,,xi4 ,,the ,,atonement4 ,extent of the ,atonement--,the ,dilemma of ,universal ,atonement and ,partial ,salvation--,human ,systems of ,truth--,methodist ,theology--,tradition and ,reason--,dr4 ,dale's ,view--,no ,divine ,failure--,imperfection of ,all ,theological ,systems--,sufficient but not ,efficient--,undeveloped ,possibilities--,the ,angel in the ,apocalypse--,omnipotence ,both in the ,physical and the ,moral ,realm--,the ,short ,epoch of ,time--,advance of the ,presbyterian ,church in the ,united ,states--,individual ,congregations --,hardening ,effects of the ,narrower ,view--,the ,softening ,influence of ,dreams--,divine ,capacity of ,suffering--,persistence of ,what is ,good--,good ,men ,who ,are ,not ,christians--,insanity--,blind ,tom4 ,in this larger view all difficulty disappears in regard to the extent of the ,atonement4 ,sometime ago men had little conception of the operation of saving grace beyond this life4 ,it was believed that every man fixed his eternal destiny here and now4 ,but then there would arise in thoughtful minds a difficulty about the extent of the ,atonement4 ,to a candid mind it was manifestly universal4 ,the statements of ,scripture are full and clear on that point1 yet it would appear very strange that there would be universal ,atonement1 but not universal salvation4 ,would not that look very like a failure of the divine plan8 ,if ,christ gave ,himself for the sins of the world1 would not the sins of the world be put away8 ,if ,he is called the ,saviour of the world1 is ,he so only in name1 and not in fact8 ,but clearly1 all the world was not saved4 ,here was the dilemma4 ,the difficulty was1 to square universal ,atonement with partial salvation4 ,so the difficulty was solved by one party in adopting the theory of a limited ,atonement1 and so that doctrine became a cardinal plank in the ,calvinistic theology4 ,it could not be conceived of as a possibility that ,god would make provision for the salvation of the whole world1 and thus express ,his desire for the salvation of the whole world1 yet that ,his provision and ,his desire should fail of their effect4 ,surely this was right4 ,but it was not right to ignore the plain teaching of ,scripture for the sake of building up any human system4 ,it would have been better to accept the clear statements of the word1 contradictory though they might appear1 and trust that some day divine harmony would be revealed4 ,that revelation has come now4 ,the harmony consists in the fact that all the world will be redeemed yet1 in accordance with the provision that ,god made for1 and desires1 such a consummation4 ,the difference is1 that the operations of divine grace are not restricted to this short span of time1 as men supposed4 ,but the time will come6 ,oh1 yes2 it will come6 ,if ,christ tasted death for every man1 ,he will save every man6 ,praise ,his name forever6 ,the very thought is enough to awaken our everlasting songs6 ,herein consists1 as it seems to me1 the weakness of the ,methodist theology4 ,in that ,communion it is believed that the ,atonement is universal1 but that salvation is not universal4 ,thus the divine intention is supposed to fail of its effect4 ,so ,i think it would appear to any mind untrammelled by tradition4 ,but putting tradition aside1 what does reason say8 ,and what do our highest thoughts of divine love1 and power1 and purpose say8 ,are not our best ideas of fitness in accord with the view that ,atonement and ,salvation are co-extensive8 ,when we once receive the idea that divine love and power have no petty restrictions of place or time1 will we not accept the larger theory8 ,and this one conception will transform and transfigure all our thoughts of redemption4 ,i wish some of our ,methodist brethren would look into this matter candidly1 and say if ,i am not right4 ,thus the ,calvinists made one mistake1 and the ,arminians made another4 ,if both would now adopt the larger view1 that one idea would compose nearly all their differences1 and unite them in a bond which our fathers never dreamed of4 ,would it be too much to hope for that8 ,i suppose it would1 just at present4 ,but the spirit of unity is here1 and ,i believe that some day it will embody itself in form4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i quote elsewhere the saying of an orthodox divine that ,god infallibly accomplishes everything at which ,he aims4 ,then what does ,he aim at8 ,dr4 ,r4 ,w4 ,dale tells us4 ,he says3 ,every man bears the image of ,god1 and was created to abide in the ,home of ,god4 ,is not that direct and clear8 ,every man was created to abide in the ,home of ,god4 ,that was ,god's aim4 ,but is it accomplished8 ,the orthodox view is that it is not4 ,according to that view there are untold millions of men who will never see the ,home of ,god4 ,here is a manifest contradiction4 ,surely if every man was created to abide in ,god's home1 and if every purpose of ,god will infallibly be accomplished1 there is salvation for the whole race4 99 99 99 99 99 ,this question has a very direct bearing on the idea of ,restoration4 ,an important section of the church believes that whoever is atoned for will infallibly be saved2 and no others4 ,but as all men are not saved1 to be logical the framers of that system inferred that the ,atonement is limited in its extent4 ,they had no idea of the ,atonement operating beyond this life2 so their theory necessarily consigned the majority of the human race to everlasting torment4 ,what a pity it was that they had not the larger view4 ,then there would have been no logical need to limit the ,scriptural idea of ,atonement4 ,in that case1 they would have to admit on their own ground that the ,atonement issues in the salvation of the whole race4 ,but their system of doctrine was logically welded together by a number of propositions2 and not one of these propositions could be omitted without dissolving the whole structure4 ,so the limited ,atonement idea was adopted as a necessity2 and ,i suppose men schooled themselves to believe it was ,scriptural4 ,as a matter of fact1 however1 and to a mind not biased by any previous opinion1 the ,universality of the ,atonement is taught in ,scripture with absolute clearness4 ,so much is this the case that the doctrine is regularly preached in most if not all ,evangelical ,churches to-day1 even in those which deny it in their creed4 ,and if the question were put to the people generally1 both lay and clerical of all churches1 and a candid spontaneous answer required1 there is no doubt that an overwhelming majority--perhaps a thousand to one--would say that ,christ died for the whole race4 ,we ought to take warning1 then1 not to make our systems of theology too complete1 realizing how little we know as yet of ,god's works and ways4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but now1 if we take the framers of that system on their own ground1 what is the result8 ,they believed that the ,atonement would issue in salvation for every one for whom it was intended4 ,that is not a far-fetched idea1 by any means4 ,it is only saying that ,god will accomplish that which ,he intended4 ,a universal ,atonement will therefore mean universal salvation4 ,certainly that is not attained in the present life2 therefore it will be attained in the life to come4 ,it is a strong argument for universal salvation4 ,if only this larger view had broken on men's vision there would have been no difficulty4 ,but the due time for such a revelation had not come4 ,it was no fault of our fathers1 therefore1 that they could not see that which was not as yet revealed4 ,the only fault was1 that they tried to make their theological system too perfect4 ,the fact is1 that it is not for us to make any theological system perfect4 ,new light may come1 and cause us to re-arrange or enlarge our ideas4 ,o the depth of the riches1 both of the wisdom and knowledge1 of ,god6 ,another argument for the ultimate salvation of all1 is this3 that ,christ identifies ,himself with the suffering and the unfortunate of the whole race4 ,it will be remembered that in the last judgment ,he is supposed to say1 ,i was hungry1 and ye fed me2 ,i was thirsty and ye gave me drink2 and so on4 ,then he explains3 ,inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these my brethren1 ye did it unto me4 ,you observe that ,he makes no distinction between those whom ,he atoned for1 and those for whom he did not4 ,he includes all the unfortunate of the whole race1 even the criminals who were in prison4 ,he identifies ,himself with them every one4 ,and if ,he does1 is it to be supposed that ,he died for only some of them8 ,how could ,he identify ,himself with those for whom ,he had not atoned1 and for whom there could not be any salvation8 ,it is said that ,his ,atonement is sufficient for all2 yet on the theory of a limited ,atonement it is claimed that it is not efficient for all4 ,but whether it be sufficient or efficient1 our ,lord makes no difference4 ,how could ,he so utterly and so tenderly ally ,himself with any for whom ,he had not provided the possibility of salvation--a salvation admittedly sufficient for all8 ,the inevitable presumption is1 that ,he atoned for them every one1 and so could identify ,himself with them every one4 ,it is therefore reasonable to conclude that salvation is provided for each one of them2 and that if they do not attain to it in this life1 they will in the next4 ,that may appear a vast problem to us whose views of time and space are so limited2 but it may be easy to ,him to whom the whole span of time is but a passing epoch in the everlasting years4 ,apart from this somewhat legal aspect of the case1 there is another aspect of it which must appeal with great force to every reflective mind4 ,i mean the undeveloped possibilities stored up in every human soul4 ,we may sink so low as to appear but as dull clods2 but the glory of man is the potentiality within him1 capable1 it would seem1 of everlasting development4 ,witness that angel who conducted ,st4 ,john through the world of bliss1 and explained to him the meaning of the wonderful scenes that were witnessed4 ,so glorious was that angel in form1 and so vast in knowledge1 that ,john fell down at his feet to worship him4 ,then it turned out that the angel was just a man4 ,he said he was one of the prophets4 ,perhaps he was ,moses or ,isaiah or ,ezekiel1 or some one of the writers of the ,old ,testament4 ,they lived in a very primitive age4 ,but see this prophet now4 ,in a few centuries he has been developed to amazing heights of knowledge and blessedness4 ,and we may well believe that such a process of development will go on to all eternity4 ,now are we to believe that ,god has created such possibility of development2 yet that it will issue in a single case in utter failure8 ,utter failure6 ,no2 not merely utter failure1 but a fate ten thousand times worse than that4 ,for endless torment would mean the development of all possible evil to all eternity4 ,are we prepared to say that such will be the issue in a single instance1 of ,god's wise1 and powerful1 and righteous administration8 ,surely1 surely1 there will be no such failure4 ,we cited elsewhere that it is the law of the universe that what is good will endure4 ,but here we have not merely a contravention of that law1 but an utter and everlasting breakdown of the divine administration4 ,in a universe where ,god rules in wisdom1 in righteousness1 and in love2 and where moreover ,he is possessed of all power1 not only physical but moral1 it seems almost blasphemy to think of such failure4 ,there is a passage in the ,epistle to the ,romans that seems to me to put the question beyond doubt4 ,i refer to the fifth chapter4 ,we have there the fulness of salvation set forth in wonderful terms4 ,in particular1 we have the doctrine of the ,atonement presented in all its divine efficacy4 ,and you will notice that it is set forth both as to its quality1 and its extent4 ,as to its quality1 it is said to be more than sufficient2 and as to its extent it is represented to be as wide as the human race4 ,as to its quality1 take these words3 ,where sin abounded grace did much more abound4 ,as to its extent1 take these3 ,as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners1 so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous4 ,it seems to me a wonderful thing that these glorious truths were in obscurity so long4 ,i suppose it must be due to the fact that the idea of a limited ,atonement came to be really believed4 ,there was evidently a limited salvation2 must there not then be a limited ,atonement8 ,so that doctrine became a necessary part of a certain system of theology2 and men clung to it--honestly no doubt--thinking that if that doctrine would go1 their whole system of truth would have to go along with it4 ,all credit is thus due to the men who were so tenacious of what they believed to be the truth4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but we get larger conceptions as time goes on2 and it seems a marvel that we had not such conceptions sooner4 ,take for instance the word many as it occurs twice in the one sentence that we have quoted4 ,has it not the same meaning in both cases8 ,both good language and good sense--apart from all preconceived opinion--would say that it has4 ,but in the one case many were made sinners4 ,there is no doubt about the meaning of the word there4 ,certainly the whole race was made sinners4 ,there is no room for controversy on that ground4 ,but then1 in the same sentence it is declared that many shall be made righteous4 ,if the word many in the first instance1 means the whole race1 has it not the same significance in the second instance8 ,surely words could not be plainer1 or more emphatic4 ,to be sure1 we may not see how such a promise is going to be fullfilled4 ,in earlier times it seemed impossible2 nay1 a contradiction of what was passing before men's eyes every day4 ,many that were made sinners were certainly not made righteous4 ,but men saw only the first part of ,god's administration4 ,they had no idea that another part had to come1 in which the promise would be fulfilled4 ,so the promise was minimized1 and shorn of its glorious meaning4 ,surely1 the promise will be fulfilled4 ,god is not restricted to this short epoch of time4 ,then in regard to the quality or value of the ,atonement1 we have a wonderful testimony in these words3 ,where sin abounded1 grace did much more abound4 ,that is1 grace was much more than sufficient to put away the sin1 universal as it was4 ,so ,i reverently think the ,atonement could be applied effectually to other worlds1 if they need it4 ,but passing by that point1 for it is a mystery1 ,i would emphasize the fact that the ,atonement was greater than the sin4 ,and think you1 will it fail of its effect8 ,i wish that thoughtful theologians in the ,methodist ,church would duly consider this4 ,their theory is1 that the ,atonement is universal2 but they deny universal salvation4 ,is not that the same as to say that in the case of some1 ,christ died in vain8 ,but is that possible8 ,if ,god really desires the salvation of all men1 as we know ,he does2 and if ,he has made provision for the salvation of all men1 as ,he certainly has2 will ,he not somehow and somewhere accomplish ,his desire8 ,as to the doctrine of falling finally from grace1 which ,arminians believe1 and ,calvinists deny1 on this basis both are right4 ,suppose that there is a final falling away in this life1 and ,restoration in the next1 is there not harmony in the highest sense8 ,o yes2 in this larger view1 there is both falling from grace1 and final perseverance4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in fact there is nothing that would unite the ,evangelical ,churches so effectually as a consensus of belief in universal salvation4 ,this may seem a startling proposition to those who have not given the subject much attention2 but after all1 it is but an expansion of the idea that ,god's counsel will stand1 and ,he will do all ,his pleasure4 ,i ,,took ,,the ,,larger ,,view4 ,we are not surprised1 therefore1 that we have in ,scripture such explicit statements as to the universality of the ,atonement4 ,i was brought up in that church which is identified with the theory of a limited ,atonement4 ,at an early age1 however1 ,i took the larger view of the ,atonement1 and ,i hold that view with increasing conviction now4 ,in fact ,i do not see how the idea of a limited ,atonement ever came to command the assent of intelligent men1 except that it was found to be necessary as a part of a preconceived system of theology4 99 99 99 99 99 ,surely it was a great pity that men thought it necessary in bygone years to make their systems of theology so complete4 ,of course they are complete in the divine mind4 ,but they cannot be so in ours4 ,we see but a short way into the whole scheme of things4 ,and when men thought that ,god's plan of grace is restricted to the present life1 it is not so surprising that they favored the idea of a limited ,atonement4 ,they believed that air of ,god's purposes of salvation are realized in this life4 ,but when we realize that ,god's saving plans extend into the next life1 it is not hard to believe in the ,atonement being universal4 ,thus we can take the plain statements of ,scripture in their obvious sense1 without twisting them into unison with some preconceived theory4 ,in my view we ought to accept the plain statements of the ,word of ,god4 ,if they seem to involve impossibilities1 let us wait for further light4 ,to me it seems that universal ,atonement involves universal ,restoration3 and that idea solves the whole difficulty4 ,a noted ,professor of ,theology once sought to entrap me on that very point4 ,i took a firm stand on the universal theory of the ,atonement1 ,he wanted to know what that would lead to2 evidently hoping to commit me to ,universalism4 ,i said that if it was revealed we ought to accept it1 no matter what it led to4 ,at that time ,i had not accepted the idea of ,restoration1 but ,i strongly believed in the universality of the ,atonement4 ,now the idea of ,restoration rounds out and completes that view4 ,a ,,spontaneous ,,answer4 ,i fully believe that in this matter ,i do not stand alone4 ,i believe that this same liberal view of the ,atonement is held1 consciously or unconsciously1 by the great majority of our ministers and members4 ,if a spontaneous answer were asked as to whether ,christ died for the whole of mankind or a part only1 ,i feel sure that the general response would be that he died for all4 ,and ,i appeal to you1 if that is not your most inner and sacred conviction8 ,in your best moods1 when all theological subtleties are put aside1 can you endure the idea of a limited ,atonement8 ,i appeal to all men of a candid1 progressive mind1 if we are not really at one here8 ,then be faithful to that inner light4 ,it is the light of ,god4 ,this doctrine of universal ,atonement was endorsed lately by the ,american ,presbyterian ,church4 ,in ,article ,,viii of the ,brief ,statement adopted by that ,church1 these words occur3 ,for us ,he fulfilled all righteousness1 and satisfied eternal justice1 offering ,himself a perfect sacrifice upon the cross to take away the sin of the world4 ,thus the ,american ,church has moved unto the broader basis of universal ,atonement4 ,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,the ,,larger ,,doctrine4 ,and not only has that ,church formally taken that position1 but the spirit of the larger doctrine has so prevailed in the ,church for some years past1 that individual congregations could take the broader basis without having their soundness in the faith called in question4 ,in a manual published by the ,third ,presbyterian ,church of ,chicago1 for instance1 the ,articles of ,faith of that ,congregation are set forth under seven heads4 ,article ,,iii reads thus3--,we believe that ,jesus ,christ our ,mediator is truly ,god and truly man1 and that by ,his sufferings and death on the cross ,he made ,atonement for the sins of the world2 so that the offers of salvation are sincerely made to all men1 and all who repent and believe in ,him will be justified and saved4 ,that exposition of the doctrine entirely accords with my view4 ,it was by mere accident ,i saw this manual2 it may be presumed that many other congregations have taken similar ground without challenge4 ,not only so1 but we have the doctrine of a universal ,atonement accepted and clearly expressed in the statement of doctrine proposed as a basis of union between the ,presbyterian1 the ,methodist and the ,congregational ,churches in ,canada1 so the orthodox people have cut themselves quite loose from their ancient moorings4 ,here is a marvel indeed4 ,wedded to the ,confession of ,faith as the ,presbyterian ,church has been1 at least in theory1 that ,confession is now ignored4 ,surely the truth is advancing4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am glad to see such an explicit statement of this great doctrine4 ,i can only imagine that the compilers of the ,canadian ,hymn ,book forgot for the time their technical theology1 and adopted the expression of their hearts4 ,for1 despite all theology1 universal ,atonement is the faith of the people4 ,yes1 and it is the faith of the preacher4 ,since ,i was a child ,i never heard a limited ,atonement preached2 but ,i have heard a universal ,atonement preached hundreds of times2 and no one raises a cry at want of orthodoxy4 ,i am glad1 especially1 that we have been delivered from the hardening effects of the narrower view4 ,in earlier times there were theologians who almost gloated over the damnation of millions of our race4 ,and they were damned--so these theologians thought--simply because they were not elected and ,christ had not died for them4 ,with the utmost equanimity orthodox divines contemplated their eternal torment4 ,to such hardness can men be brought by a false view1 and in the name of religion4 ,so the position of ,queen ,mary was logical enough from that point of view4 ,when she was asked if she thought it right to burn heretics1 she said3 ,how can it be wrong for me to burn them for a few minutes1 when ,god ,almighty is going to burn them for ever8 ,speaking of the hardening influence of such views1 it is a great joy to think that we shall not always be so callous as we are now4 ,deep down in our souls there is a susceptibility to tenderness that we do not generally suspect4 ,sometimes1 from no cause that we can see1 there breaks on our hearts a ripple of peace like a breath of perfume from some far off land of flowers1 or a snatch of melody from some distant land of song4 ,i have the idea that one of the functions of sleep is to arouse this latent tenderness4 ,at all events1 we have sometimes a strange tenderness in sleep1 of which we hardly seem capable in our waking hours4 ,i remember one very vivid occasion of this kind4 ,a man whom ,i had seen but twice--a very common man1 with no special attraction--,i dreamed of1 and in my dream ,i loved him with the utmost intensity4 ,when ,i suddenly awoke1 and when ,i realized that in this life ,i should likely never see him again1 it was almost agony4 ,many a time ,i have had such experiences in sleep2 and ,i doubt not that so have others4 ,such experiences do seem to be forecasts of the tenderness that we shall yet have for every brother of the human race1 when we come to our best4 ,with such feelings1 how could we bear the thought that any so dear to us are in everlasting torment8 ,it may be well to quote here a few passages of ,scripture in which the doctrine of universal ,atonement is stated with all clearness4 ,it is stated again and again without any ambiguity that ,christ died for all4 ,it is said that ,he is the propitiation for our sins1 and not for ours only1 but also for the sins of the whole world4 ,it is said that ,he gave ,himself a ransom for all1 ,it is said that ,he tasted death for every man4 ,we read that the ,lord laid on ,him the iniquity of us all4 ,these are but a few of many passages in which the great idea is set forth4 ,language could not be plainer4 ,jesus died for the sins of the whole race4 ,now the question arises3 ,will ,he not find some way of redeeming every soul for which ,he died8 ,would ,he die for the world1 and then permit any of the world to perish8 ,let us remember that ,he has ways and means of overcoming opposition without doing any violence to human freedom4 ,we instanced the conversion of ,saul of ,tarsus to prove that point4 ,what ,he did in that case ,he can do in others4 ,,but ,a ,,passing ,,epoch4 ,let us remember that ,he knew well the magnitude of the task ,he had undertaken4 ,let us remember that ,he does nothing in vain4 ,let us remember that ,his love1 and power1 and purpose have undergone no change4 ,and let us remember that this little span of time is but a passing epoch in ,his administration4 ,he can complete in a future age what ,he commenced in this age4 ,nay1 not commenced2 for ,his purpose dates back from the eternal past4 ,he is the ,lamb slain before the foundation of the world4 ,when we take this larger view1 it is not difficult to believe literally that ,his mercy endureth forever1 and that it will find scope for its operation so long as one soul remains in alienation from ,him4 ,if you have been brought up to the narrower view1 and if you have held that view for long years1 it may be enlarged in a moment4 ,one flash of divine illumination can reveal wonders of redeeming love4 ,we might go on at a great length in citing ,scripture statements that have really no meaning apart from ,god's gracious design to men in a future age4 ,certainly ,scripture is the paramount authority1 and some will take it as superior to all reason on a question like this4 ,but there are those who do not accord to ,scripture the supreme authority2 they rely more on reason and common sense2 and ,i am hopeful they will read these remarks4 ,for their sake ,i will submit some considerations from reason that may come closer home4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one consideration is1 that ,god made a sacrifice of unfathomable depth in giving ,his ,son for the redemption of the race4 ,no one will ever know what it cost the ,father to make that sacrifice4 ,some theologians believe that ,god cannot suffer4 ,i wonder where they got that idea4 ,i would ask you3 ,if you are a father and have an only son who has never given you offense ,in thought1 word1 or deed1 but has lived in the most cordial and intimate terms with you for many years--could you give that son up to untold agony and death without making a sacrifice8 ,now this is what the ,father did when ,he gave up the ,son to suffering and death2 only the cordial feeling between the ,father and the ,son was far more intimate than in our case1 and had lasted through a past eternity1 whereas ours has endured but a few years4 ,,the ,,divine ,,image4 ,as to the capacity of suffering in such a case on the part of ,god1 we can judge of that faintly by our own case4 ,we were made in the divine image1 and suffer in a human degree as ,he suffers in a divine degree4 ,conceive1 then1 if you can1 the untold suffering of the ,father in making that sacrifice4 ,the suffering which the ,father endured ,i believe will never be measured4 ,the matter is presented in that way when it is said that ,god so loved the world that ,he gave ,his ,son4 ,the word so in that connection would have no meaning if it did not mean sacrifice4 ,i believe it means a depth of suffering which no man nor angel has sounded4 ,now can it be thought that the ,father would make such a sacrifice for less than the whole race8 ,if the ,atonement was suitable for every one of the race was it not intended for every one8 ,and cannot ,god make it effective for every one8 ,evidently it is not so now4 ,but all eternity is at ,god's disposal4 ,can it be imagined that having made a suitable provision for all1 ,he will be content with saving only some8 ,in fact ,i have the idea that ,god suffered by sympathy with the ,son as much as the ,son suffered actually4 ,we can never know in this life if that was really so2 but ,i have the idea that there was such divine sympathy between the ,father and the ,son that they suffered equally4 ,this is holy ground2 we shall trespass on it no further4 ,but do you think the ,father will ever be satisfied until every soul for whom ,christ died will be saved8 ,he saw the end from the beginning4 ,he is not taken by surprise that so few are saved4 ,now all eternity is at ,his disposal4 ,who can say that in the infinite sweep of ,his administration1 which relates to other worlds as well as ours1 there may not be good reasons for saving some of our race in the next life8 ,at all events1 ,his counsel will stand4 ,he will do all ,his pleasure4 ,the day will come when every prodigal will come home4 ,then ,hallelujah6 ,the ,lord ,god omnipotent reigneth6 ,and so with ,christ as well4 ,his sacrifice is the expression of ,his love1 and the only adequate expression of it4 ,he loved us1 and gave ,himself for us4 ,paul says1 ,he loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4 ,so every believing sinner may say4 ,and in securing the effects of that sacrifice ,he is not limited to the short era of time4 ,if ,he had chosen ,he might have secured the effects of ,his sacrifice in this age4 ,but for some good reason unknown to us1 ,his redeeming activity is exercised in a future age4 ,we are not surprised4 ,his administration is from everlasting to everlasting4 ,such a consideration does not mitigate1 in my view1 the ,father's solicitude for the salvation of ,his children now4 ,we almost hear ,his sigh as ,he says1 ,how can ,i give thee up8 ,and again he says1 ,o that ,israel had hearkened to my commandments6 ,and this divine solicitude was expressed in human tears when the ,son sobbed over the apostate city3 ,o1 if thou hadst only known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace6 ,,destined ,,for ,a ,,better ,,world4 ,i will refer here to one practical difficulty1 which is solved by the theory of ,restoration4 ,we all know ,christian men of whose real goodness we have no doubt whatever4 ,but such a man has often great imperfections4 ,there can be no doubt that he is destined for a better world2 but in the meantime he is not fit for it4 ,such a man1 we will say1 meets with an accident that cuts him off in a moment4 ,the question is1 ,where does he go8 ,on the old theory he must go either to heaven or to hell4 ,but he is really fit for neither4 ,the work of grace is far from being completed in him1 and therefore he is not prepared for the better world4 ,but he has the germ of grace in him1 and it is partly developed2 therefore he would be out of place in the better world4 ,then where does he go8 ,the difficulty is settled at once if we suppose that there is a preparatory stage of preparation for eternal joy4 ,he will arrive at the goal in due time2 but meantime he must have his faults and imperfections pruned off4 ,death will certainly not effect the necessary improvement4 ,all are agreed that the fact of dying makes no change in a man's character4 ,nor is there any change usually effected just before death4 ,in many cases there is no opportunity4 ,the souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness4 ,so says the ,catechism4 ,but there is no evidence of it in the case of one who is stricken down suddenly4 ,but suppose there is a preparatory stage beyond2 then all difficulty disappears4 ,,thrust ,,into ,,new ,,conditions4 ,nor would it be in harmony with divine operations1 so far as we know them1 to thrust a frail1 human1 imperfect spirit into eternal joys so suddenly4 ,he is not prepared for them4 ,he requires a preliminary stage of preparation4 ,it is only in harmony with what we know of ,god's methods to believe that such is provided4 ,when a child is born into this world1 it is not thrust into new conditions suddenly4 ,for a time it is not even aware that it has entered on new conditions2 but it adapts itself naturally and easily to its new surroundings4 ,so it is not easy to believe that a soul accustomed to the darkness of earth is thrust at once into the blinding glory of heaven4 ,a preliminary stage of preparation seems to be necessary2 and if it is necessary1 it is provided4 ,i raised this difficulty once to an aged minister4 ,at that time ,i saw no solution of it1 and ,i simply wanted information4 ,he studied a moment and then said1 ,when the flesh is put off1 ,i think many of our sins and imperfections will go along with it4 ,that was a wise answer1 and there is a great deal of comfort in it4 ,but it does not fully meet the case4 ,the flesh is a lodging place for many of our sins1 and it is a happy thing to think that we shall drop these sins when we drop the flesh4 ,but there are sins of the mind too2 and these we shall not drop with the flesh4 ,they will go with us into the next life4 ,the question is4 ,how shall we get rid of them8 ,the idea of ,restoration solves all difficulty4 ,besides1 we believe that nothing that is really good will ever perish from the universe4 ,in the case we have supposed1 the man possessed real goodness2 but it was largely goodness in the germ2 it needed to be developed4 ,it is only congenial with what we know of divine operations to believe that what is good will be developed1 rather than that it will decay into nothingness4 ,from that point of view a preliminary stage of progress seems to be necessary4 ,i have just met with a lecture by ,sir ,oliver ,lodge1 in which he espouses the same idea in a scientific relation4 ,he quotes from ,professor ,hoffding1 who agrees with ,browning and other poets1 that no real value or good is ever lost4 ,sir ,oliver ,lodge says that the law of evolution is that good should on the whole increase in the universe1 with the process of the suns4 ,he says again1 ,nothing really perishes in the universe that is worth keeping4 ,,artistic ,,achievement4 ,and in this matter he does not confine himself to material things4 ,the same law applies1 as he says1 to personality1 beauty1 artistic achievement1 knowledge1 unselfish affection and so on4 ,so he really rises into the domain of the moral and spiritual4 ,regarded in this light1 no incipient goodness acquired in this life will ever die4 ,it will be developed1 and in order to its development1 there must be some means of development beyond the bourne of time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we might suppose another case that will bring this principle clearly into view4 ,a house has taken fire4 ,the fire has made great headway1 and the house is likely to be destroyed4 ,the whole town has gathered around--some out of curiosity1 others from sympathy4 ,the inmates are supposed to be all rescued4 ,but at length a child appears at one of the upper windows4 ,a cry of consternation and of sympathy goes up from the whole throng4 ,how can the child be delivered8 ,the room is lighted by the flames4 ,clearly the time for action is short4 ,the longest available ladder is placed against the house1 but it is a little too short4 ,the whole crowd is in dismay4 ,must the child perish in the flames8 ,above the crackling of the fire is heard its piteous cries4 ,will no one make the attempt to save it8 ,the multitude is painfully irresolute2 the case seems hopeless4 ,,firm ,,and ,,quick ,,tread4 ,at length a man starts from the middle of the crowd4 ,he is a common1 ill-clad1 laboring man4 ,the grime of his day's work is upon him4 ,resolutely he goes forward1 pushing the bystanders to the right and left4 ,with firm and quick tread he ascends the ladder4 ,at the top he stands for a moment irresolute4 ,is it possible to reach the window8 ,it seems impossible4 ,but he makes a spring for it1 and by an almost superhuman effort he gains it4 ,he rescues the child42 with great risk he regains the ladder1 and begins the descent4 ,he is nerved by the cheers of the crowd2 but when about half way down his strength gives way1 and he falls4 ,the child escapes all danger1 but the rescuer has received fatal injuries2 his neck is broken4 ,now the question is1 where does he go8 ,he was not a ,christian4 ,the old theology would say that therefore he goes to hell4 ,we cannot believe it4 ,we have enough of the divine image in us yet to revolt at such a thought4 ,then let us beware of extinguishing that divine light in our souls4 ,as ,carlyle says1 ,come out of it1 all honest men6 ,we have seen that it is a divine law that what is good will survive4 ,then will the noble qualities in this moral hero have no chance of survival and development8 ,it is true that he is not a ,christian4 ,no2 but he is a far better man than many ,christians4 ,we would expect therefore that he will be subjected to some process of education by which he will rise to the place where he really belongs4 ,,every ,,possible ,,argument4 ,if ,dr4 ,adam ,clarke had only been imbued with such an idea1 he would not have required to labor so hard as he has done in trying to make out a hopeful prospect for ,judas4 ,with a truly charitable intent he summons every possible argument in support of the idea that ,judas was truly penitent1 and that he was saved in his last hour4 ,he may have been2 ,i do not say4 ,but the idea of ,restoration opens a far wider door of hope4 ,in that case1 there is no need for far-fetched argument4 ,he will be restored1 as the worst criminal of mankind will be4 ,the theory of ,restoration settles all difficulty4 ,closely allied with this case of ,judas is the case of all suicides4 ,if we were now holding an inquest on ,judas1 ,i suppose our verdict would be that he committed suicide in a fit of temporary insanity4 ,and perhaps he did4 ,at all events it is the most charitable verdict at which we can arrive4 ,many suicides in all fairness deserve this mantle of charity4 ,and there is more than charity in reserve for all such4 ,we believe there is an opportunity of development which many of them could not have in this life4 ,and so we may well believe it will be with lunatics4 ,the reasonable view is1 that they will begin just where they left off4 ,as they are1 they are not fit for the better world2 and it would be unjust to send them to a world of woe4 ,some were idiots from their birth1 and so have acquired no evil propensities of which to be divested4 ,in other cases the idiocy was simply due to a clot on the brain4 ,they have left their bodies behind them now1 and the clot too4 ,they simply begin at the point where their reason deserted them2 and it will come back in due time4 ,it is a very nice point to determine where insanity begins4 ,i was discussing this question lately with the ,superintendent of a large lunatic asylum4 ,we agreed that1 while putting no premium on crime1 we have to recognize that in many cases there is no real responsibility where in general it would be expected4 ,the whole study of lunacy strongly indicates that there is a necessity for a process of elimination and development under more favorable conditions than the present life ordinarily supplies4 ,and we may be sure that if there is such a necessity1 it is provided4 ,in this connection ,i think of ,blind ,tom4 ,he was a very prodigy in music4 ,but apart from that he was a complete idiot1 and had been so from his birth4 ,after his death a gentleman who knew him well wrote a sketch of his life4 ,in the noble1 concluding words of that article ,i think we would all heartily join1 be our creed what it may4 ,the writer says of ,tom3 ,blind1 deformed1 and black1 as black as ,erebus--idiocy1 the idiocy of a mysterious1 perpetual frenzy1 the sole companion of his waking visions and his dreams--whence came he1 and was he1 and wherefore8 ,that there was a soul there1 be sure1 imprisoned1 chained1 in that little black bosom1 released at last2 gone to the angels1 not to imitate the seraph-songs of heaven1 but to join the ,choir ,invisible for ever and for ever4 ,surely this abnormal gift of the poor idiot is a strong suggestion of his immortality4 ,we refuse to think of that divine spark being quenched in everlasting night4 ,and it is almost more impossible to imagine a wholly irresponsible being like him1 yet endowed with such a divine gift1 being consigned to endless torment4 ,what remains1 then1 for him but a part in the better world8 ,yet he was by no means fit for that better world4 ,is there not then almost forced upon us the idea of a preliminary stage of education8 ,and if that is so in his case1 is it not more or less required in the case of every one of us8 ,think the matter over seriously1 and see where it will land you4 ,,xii4 ,a ,,feeble ,,note ,,of ,,warning4 ,the ,creed of ,eternal ,torment--,do ,ministers ,really ,believe ,it--,if ,they ,do1 ,why ,not ,say ,so8--,no ,decisive ,note of ,warning--,definite ,missionary ,incentive ,is ,wanting--,the ,phrase ,eternal ,death often ,used--,does ,it ,mean ,eternal ,annihilation1 or ,eternal ,torment1 or ,what8--,vague ,reference as to ,punishment ,fosters ,unbelief--,an ,age of ,compromise --,professor ,faulkner's ,testimony--,the ,idea of ,restoration ,would ,wholly ,meet the ,difficulty--,honesty and ,candor--,carlyle's ,scathing ,warning --,ultimate ,fulfillment of ,prophecy--,eternal ,songs4 ,if the doctrine of everlasting punishment is true1 there has been of late years a singular reserve on the part of preachers in proclaiming it4 ,why8 ,surely all doctrine is profitable4 ,this doctrine would seem to me to be specially so1 if it is true4 ,it is contained in the creed of both the ,methodist and ,presbyterian ,churches4 ,but do the ministers believe it8 ,if they do1 would they not preach it2 yes1 preach it morning1 noon1 and night8 ,but as a matter of fact they do not preach it4 ,i never heard a sermon on it1 or any attempt to prove it1 since ,i was a child4 ,a short time ago in a large congregation the minister asked for a show of hands on the part of any who had heard a sermon on hell during the last ten years4 ,two hands were held up4 ,some time ago a noted ,methodist minister told me that the ,methodist ministers of ,canada do not believe in ,everlasting ,punishment4 ,a prominent official of that church told me lately that he does not believe it1 but that if it were known he would lose his position4 ,the ,presbyterian ministers seem largely to hold the same view4 ,is the subject mooted at all in any ,presbyterian ,church8 ,i know that ministers profess to believe it2 but they seem as apathetic about multitudes dropping continually into eternal fire as if they did not believe it4 ,privately1 ,i have spoken on this subject with many ministers2 and not one of them professed to believe it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,now1 my plea is for honesty and candor4 ,let us be assured that ,truth will not suffer by being avowed and defended4 ,the matter is of the greatest importance just now4 ,it has a most vital relation to ,missions4 ,i rejoice in the ,laymen's ,missionary ,movement2 but ,i fear it will wane if this most important question is not approached1 and if possible rightly settled4 ,for we want to know what the heathen are to be saved from1 if there is going to be an adequate and sustained incentive to liberality and enterprise4 ,in all the reports of the meetings of the ,laymen's ,missionary ,movement1 ,i have seen no hint of the alternative before the heathen if they are not evangelised4 ,i heard a minister lately speaking of them as 'miserable failures going out into the darkness4' ,what did he mean8 ,it seemed to me an unworthy evasion of the question4 ,and now it is proposed to put in the creed of the proposed union of the churches that the doom of the finally impenitent will be 'eternal death1' ,what does that mean8 ,it may mean either ,external ,extinction or ,eternal ,torment4 ,is the union to be built on such ambiguity8 ,would not such ambiguity pave the way for future dissension8 ,herein we see the folly of putting too much in a creed1 forgetting that 'more light is yet to break out of ,god's holy ,word1' and that any human creed may yet have to be revised4 ,and we are slow to make revisions1 for revisions seem to reflect on views that we may have strenuously defended4 ,julia ,ward ,howe1 the gifted authoress of the ,battle ,hymn of the ,republic1 had recently a vision of a regenerated world4 ,she exulted in the prospect of a day of grace4 ,but not once does she seem to cast a backward glance on the myriads of our race who are supposed to be in endless torment4 ,surely1 that would have dimmed the glorious forecast4 ,it may be that she does not believe in torment1 or that she believes in final ,restoration4 ,in either case she would be consistent1 and nothing would seriously mar the joy of her anticipation4 ,but such a mantle of charity is not available for certain orthodox ministers4 ,they1 too1 forecast a final day of grace1 and paint it in the most glorious colors4 ,there appears to be nothing to mitigate their joy4 ,but all the while they profess to believe in eternal torment4 ,their creed says that uncounted myriads of our fellow creatures are writhing in eternal fire1 and that their torment will go on forever and ever1 without any hope of mitigation4 ,surely1 the very thought of such suffering would cast a pall of unspeakable gloom over the most glorious anticipation8 ,no1 not at all4 ,not for a moment does the black shadow intervene4 ,how are we to account for that8 ,i can think of only two ways2 either that there is no imagination to realize the horror1 or else that it is not really believed4 ,this painting of a roseate future1 conjoined with a professed belief in endless torment1 savors to me somewhat of unreality4 ,the two things do not hang together4 ,surely1 if such torment is but realized1 it would cast a pall of gloom even over heaven's joy4 ,but let such torment be abolished in fact and in conception1 and the last vestige of gloom goes along with it4 ,and what necessity is there for retaining the idea8 ,is there any barrier in eternal justice8 ,surely1 there cannot be1 since ,christ has paid a penalty of infinite value for every soul of man4 ,and is there any limit to divine love8 ,that love is infinite1 and embraces the very worst of our race4 ,but perhaps there is no method by which eternal love can take due effect8 ,will not infinite wisdom find a way8 ,if there is any difficulty left1 calling for the exercise of infinite power1 surely1 it is not beyond ,him whose goings forth have been of old1 from everlasting8 ,is it not thus reasonable to believe that all possible difficulties will yet be solved8 ,the infinite ,one who rules all worlds is from everlasting to everlasting4 ,his government may require time to evolve ,his gracious designs2 but ,he will do all ,his pleasure4 ,therefore1 we believe the day will come when sin and suffering shall be entirely done away4 ,this is the ,far off divine event ,to which the whole creation moves4 ,it will be remembered that ,i cited the case of the conversion of ,saul as an instance of divine power subduing in a moment the most extreme and violent wickedness4 ,the chief of sinners became the chief of saints4 ,yes2 but the man never lost his freedom4 ,in recounting that experience he could say1 ,i was not disobedient to the heavenly vision4 ,this union of divine constraint and human freedom is an everlasting mystery2 but not the less is it a glorious fact4 ,now1 why should not the same principles hold in the next life8 ,the wickedness of a sinner may possibly be even more intense then than now2 but the overcoming love1 and power1 and wisdom will be infinite4 ,what1 then1 should hinder their ultimate triumph8 ,certainly1 not the most terrible wickedness of puny man4 ,it is but finite at the worst1 and is no match for the infinite love and power of ,god4 ,and then consider that the redeeming blood of ,christ will be of infinite value then as now1 and so will be available for the worst4 ,what a prospect of universal ,restoration is opened up here to our faith6 ,but there may still lurk in some minds the idea that divine love is limited to this life1 and that justice alone will rule in the next4 ,they have an idea of different dispensations2 they say that this is the dispensation of probation2 that the next life is the dispensation of rewards and punishments2 and so on4 ,well1 there may be a truth in that1 and a wholesome truth1 too4 ,but let it ever be remembered that the character of ,god is unchangeable4 ,what we call dispensations are but epochs in the divine government4 ,but the qualities of ,god's character will never change4 ,his love is from everlasting to everlasting2 so is ,his power2 so is ,his wisdom4 ,will these qualities of ,his character be inoperative in a future life1 when there will be such sin and suffering to appeal to them8 ,however great the sin may be1 surely divine love1 wisdom1 and power will be infinitely greater4 ,and ,i cannot forbear adding this consideration3 ,what would ,christ think of the atoning sacrifice that ,he made for the sin of the whole race1 if the whole race is not ultimately redeemed ,but it was said of ,him1 ,he shall be satisfied4 ,yes2 ,he shall be satisfied4 ,divine ,love will win4 ,lately1 a little book was published on the subject of missions4 ,the author is earnest1 even to intensity4 ,he says the ,church is sleeping4 ,he deplores its deadly apathy1 ,he says that a thousand millions have not heard of the ,saviour4 ,he says that a ,christless multitude dies at the rate of thirty millions a year4 ,he says that many millions have gone to ,christless graves4 ,he says that for these uncounted millions death and the future are the very blackness of despair4 ,he says that for twenty centuries these millions have been perishing4 ,phrases such as these are multiplied to a vast extent1 to awaken our horror of the situation4 ,but singular to say1 the author does not seem to have any definite1 positive ideas as to the actual doom of these uncounted millions2 or1 if he has any definite convictions1 he does not definitely express them4 ,is it eternal extinction or everlasting torment8 ,from the phrases he uses ,i cannot gather what he actually means4 ,he speaks of a ,christless multitude and ,christless graves1 and going into darkness1 and the blackness of despair4 ,it may be that he deems it wise not to compromise himself by speaking out his definite conviction1 if he has any4 ,but in my view1 he will not produce much of a worthy effect if he does not say definitely what he means4 ,or it may be that he has no definite idea4 ,in that case1 would it not be manly and candid to say that he does not know8 ,i believe that is the position of very many4 ,they are hovering between the idea of extinction and that of torment4 ,they try to believe in torment2 they have been inoculated with that idea2 they think1 or are afraid1 that it is ,scriptural2 but they recoil from any hearty reception of it4 ,they have not got the length as yet of the idea of final salvation4 ,but some day that truth may flash upon their souls like a gleam of heaven's own sunlight4 ,to come back to our author4 ,he tries to give us a due incentive to awake from our apathy1 and enter on a ,missionary ,crusade with a spirit of self-denial and zeal never yet known4 ,he quotes two passages1 which he presents as a very strong incentive4 ,but neither of these passages has any force1 on the theory either of extinction or of torment4 ,otherwise1 they are pregnant with eternal hope4 ,listen3 ,he shall see of the travail of his soul1 and shall be satisfied4 ,again3 ,he1 after ,he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever1 sat down on the right hand of ,god2 from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool4 ,neither of those passages can come true on the basis either of extinction or of endless torment4 ,but they will come gloriously true on the basis of final salvation4 ,so the millions and billions that our author says have been going out into the darkness1 and into the blackness of despair1 are redeemed as well as we4 ,the author himself says3 ,jesus wants every one of these poor creatures told at once of ,him and ,his love4 ,now1 if that is ,his wish1 is ,he going to be thwarted by any coldness or indifference of ours8 ,we may fail in our duty2 but is ,he going to fail8 ,a thousand times1 ,no6 ,he has all power and all love1 as well as all eternity1 in which to work out ,his glorious designs4 ,we cannot conceive of ,him as being satisfied with either extinction or endless torment4 ,no2 the day of grace for the millions and billions will come4 ,he will be satisfied4 ,his expecting will be realized4 ,what wonders of redeeming love eternity will reveal6 ,in the meantime1 our author furnishes no effective incentive to missionary effort4 ,when the idea of final salvation is generally accepted1 ,i believe there will be awakened an enthusiasm for missions such as the world has never seen4 ,since writing the above1 ,i have unexpectedly been in a large missionary meeting where two noted men of the ,methodist ,church were the chief speakers4 ,both addresses were most fervid and eloquent4 ,but ,i noticed that neither of the speakers had any note of definiteness in regard to the fate of the heathen after death4 ,it did seem to me that one of them came once very near to the idea of eternal extinction1 but did not candidly commit himself to it4 ,the other seemed to approach the theory of torment1 but drew back4 ,the whole performance1 eloquent though it was1 seemed to me largely shorn of its effectiveness of appeal1 because of its indefiniteness4 ,surely1 we want to know what doom the heathen are to be saved from1 if we are to be moved to any adequate enterprise or liberality4 ,the few small coins on the collection plates on the occasion referred to1 bore unmistakable testimony to the fact that the fervid appeals had produced a very meagre result4 ,if men really believe in everlasting torment1 why do they not plainly say so8 ,if it is true1 surely it is the strongest motive that could be urged on behalf of missions4 ,perhaps ministers think that the time is not yet come for an avowal of the larger view1 and that in the meantime it is wise not to commit themselves4 ,but is not that very much the same as to say that they are waiting for the current of popular favor before they dare to be faithful8 ,and does it not argue a want of faith in the truth as a sanctifying and saving power8 ,and is further truth likely to be revealed to us if we deliberately shut our minds to such light as is offered8 ,i say1 let the truth prevail1 though the heavens should fall4 ,by the way1 one of the gentlemen referred to uses the phrase eternal death1 as many do4 ,i wonder what they mean8 ,it is an ambiguous phrase4 ,it might mean endless torment after death2 or it might mean annihilation at death2 or it might mean annihilation at some future time4 ,it is surely misleading to use a phrase that may have so many meanings4 ,if some definite idea cannot be advanced1 ,i think the effect will be that the whole matter will be regarded as uncertain1 and that there is nothing to fear4 ,and such ,i believe is largely the position of the ,christian world to-day4 ,could not a consensus of doctrine be arrived at by the various ,christian churches--a consensus founded on the best interpretation of the ,word2 and also on reason8 ,only last ,sunday ,i heard a sermon on success in life4 ,and it was a better and more spiritual sermon than many that we hear on that subject4 ,the preacher strongly commended the ,bible as the best text book on success2 and he was earnest and positive in his distinction between right and wrong4 ,but he gave no hint that evil doers would have any punishment in the next life4 ,in fact1 he made no allusion to a next life at all1 except in one instance where he spoke of multitudes of men going out into the next life as miserable failures4 ,why did he not speak of endless torment8 ,that is one article in his creed2 but he seemed not to believe it4 ,a few earnest sentences along that line would have been more effectual1 in my view1 than his entire sermon4 ,or1 if he does not believe in endless torment1 does he not believe in ,restoration8 ,might he not have uttered some warnings along that line8 ,surely1 it is a tremendous conviction to give a sinful man1 that if he does not repent in this life he must do so in the next1 though it takes thousands of years1 and untold penalties1 to bring him to that state of mind4 ,but not a word of this terror did the preacher utter4 ,that would be a repudiation of the endless torment theory1 which would be unorthodox1 and possibly subject the preacher himself to pains and penalties4 ,so he simply said nothing by way of warning1 except failure in this life4 ,and that does not seem to amount to very much after all4 ,is it worth while to preach a sermon about it8 ,would not the old philosophy be almost as good1 ,let us eat and drink1 for to-morrow we die8 ,would it not be better to take the suffering incident to the ,restoration theory1 and be positive about it as a warning rather than the vague and half-hearted reference to eternal punishment1 or the omission of any reference to it whatever8 ,the manner in which it is referred to1 when spoken of at all1 gives one the strong impression that it is not believed4 ,for1 if believed1 it would certainly not be preached in any vague or heartless way4 ,even the lurid representations of hell that formerly prevailed1 were possibly better2 for at least they were sincere4 ,but it may be said that we have no details of the suffering incident to ,restoration1 and that therefore such a warning cannot be used with effect4 ,i would say that neither have we any details of endless torment4 ,so the same argument applies4 ,i would say further that we have very meagre details of heavenly joy4 ,but that does not prevent our belief in it4 ,let it be clearly understood that a knowledge of details is not necessary to belief4 ,it is purely a matter of revelation4 ,there may be good reasons why details are not given4 ,the fact is enough for the present2 details will be known in due time4 ,so the sermon ,i have referred to related wholly to worldly success1 with a mere glance at the possibility of a future life1 which in reality favored unbelief4 ,the whole sermon struck me as a kind of religious exploitation of materialism4 ,just now ,i have met with a magazine article in which the phrase eternal death is used4 ,the author is an eminent ,presbyterian minister1 whom ,i know well4 ,i really could not understand his meaning4 ,i wrote to him asking whether he meant eternal extinction or eternal torment2 or whether he threw out the phrase loosely1 leaving his readers to take whichever view they chose4 ,here is his reply3 ,i thank you for your kind reference to my articles on the ,sunday ,school ,lesson1 and note your question about the phrase1 ',eternal ,death1' ,the meaning of the phrase in my mind is largely determined by the meaning of the corresponding phrase1 ',eternal ,life4' ,in ,his use of the latter phrase1 our ,lord evidently lays emphasis1 not upon the thought of duration1 but upon that of quality4 ,eternal ,life is a certain kind of life which ,he gives to ,his people now4 ,similarly1 ,eternal ,death is a state in which people may exist even while they are in this world4 ,it is eternal in regard to duration in this sense1 that it has no awakening2 its tendency is to persist forever4 ,but that is not to say that ,god cannot bring one from a state of eternal death into that of eternal life4 ,i do not know whether ,i have made myself clear1 but it is somewhat in this way that the matter presents itself to my mind4 ,so ,i am not really much the wiser1 except that the reply tends to confirm my opinion as to the ambiguous way in which the phrase is often used4 ,in my view1 such ambiguity is unfortunate in any case1 but more especially so when it is used with regard to our eternal future2 and even more so when it is used in an article1 as in this case1 avowedly for children4 ,does it not lead directly to scepticism8 ,and even if it did not1 is it not rather a cruel thing to put upon children the onus of deciding a question of such tremendous importance8 ,would it not be better to say candidly that we do not know8 ,to be sure1 it may be said that the church is in a state of transition on this question1 and that it is better to wait for the church's final decision4 ,but in the meantime1 and we do not know for how long1 we are sowing the seeds of scepticism4 ,besides2 this avowed waiting for the church's final decision may be only a pious pretense1 because of want of courage to declare honest conviction4 ,i say so because ,i have spoken with many ministers whose convictions are most decidedly contrary to the orthodox doctrines2 but there is a marked hesitation in publicly avowing them4 ,is this expediency or cowardice8 ,what we want is more charity to treat this as an open question1 so that men might explore the whole realm of truth1 and express their honest convictions without fear4 ,i see that the ,chairman of the ,london ,congregational ,union deplores this general lack of warning4 ,he quotes the late ,dr4 ,dale as saying1 ,no one fears ,god now4 ,i have just heard an impassioned address1 pleading for men and money to evangelize the multitudes that are pouring into the great ,north ,west of ,canada4 ,it was natural for the speaker to lay great stress on human effort2 but ,i thought he might have made a casual reference to the ,spirit of ,god as supreme2 yet not a word did he utter on that topic4 ,for the most part he presented no higher incentive than the development of character1 and the building up of the empire on a foundation of righteousness4 ,but not a word did he utter in regard to the penalty of sin after death on the part of the immigrants1 if we fail to give them the ,gospel4 ,in fact1 there was no hint at all of immortality4 ,yet the speaker is a ,presbyterian minister who professes to believe in eternal torment4 ,but not a word did he say on that topic4 ,surely1 he might have found the supreme incentive there4 ,it strikes me that a few earnest words along that line would have had more effect than his entire address4 ,that is1 if the doctrine of eternal torment is true1 and if the preacher believes it4 ,but in all fairness1 does not the conviction force itself upon us that he does not believe it8 ,why1 then1 does he not say so8 ,especially1 why does he not say so when he is pleading for missions8 ,he is afraid1 perhaps1 of pains and penalties4 ,or he may try to convince himself that it is wiser not to be too outspoken2 that there is a time for everything2 that he might do more harm than good2 and so on4 ,but the truth is divine4 ,no good can come of its suppression1 especially on a matter of such eternal moment4 ,and how can we look for further light1 if we are unfaithful to the light we have8 ,and what about the character of duplicity we are fostering in our own souls in the name of righteousness8 ,listen to these scathing words of warning spoken by ,caryle4 ,he says3 ,what is incredible to thee1 thou shalt not at thy soul's peril attempt to believe4 ,how will it fare with any church that acts so8 ,will not the light that is in her be darkness8 ,how can we expect to receive growing divine illuminations if we affect to believe what we are convinced is untrue8 ,would it not be wiser and safer to put all the orthodox ,confessions on the shelf--yes1 on the top shelf--and take instead such a simple creed as this3 ,we believe the ,scripture to be the ,word of ,god4 ,then1 though we might differ1 we would not be afraid to avow1 our convictions1 and we would not be accounted heretics4 ,let the dead past bury its dead4 ,there is another serious consideration4 ,when one of the heathen is converted1 especially an intelligent one1 how would it do to put into his hands our orthodox ,confessions of ,faith8 ,would he not stumble at the doctrine of endless torment8 ,he would think reasonably1 of course2 not like ourselves who are so dominated by tradition4 ,then1 ,i say1 would he not stumble8 ,if we tried to substantiate the doctrine1 would it not be a serious impediment to his faith8 ,on the other hand1 if we tried to explain it away1 would he not think us a lot of hypocrites8 ,professor ,faulkner1 of ,toronto ,university1 said lately1 and ,i think truly1 that one reason why theology is now under a cloud1 is that men are afraid of heresy4 ,surely1 nothing could be more unfortunate than to carry this spirit into missions4 ,we do hope that the missionary campaign lately launched will have great success4 ,only we would like it if it had been launched on a higher plane4 ,it is worthy of the highest4 ,we are often told that there are a thousand millions of heathen2 and our creed teaches us that they are dropping into hell every8 day4 ,what could be so compelling a motive in any missionary enterprise as to save some of 'them from such a fate8 ,but it is never mentioned4 ,is it believed8 ,certainly1 we profess to believe it4 ,but do we8 ,if we do1 would it not be the paramount1 compelling motive8 ,but instead of that1 the main idea is to convert the heathen from savagery to civilization4 ,make them good citizens--that is the idea4 ,especially in regard to the influx of immigrants1 there seldom seems to be no higher motive than to make them worthy of this great country4 ,i have read just now an article in one of our religious papers1 which affects to be very earnest1 but to me it seems a mere outburst of quasi-patriotism4 ,now is it not time to be honest8 ,the trouble is1 that men are afraid to be4 ,we have put the doctrine of endless torment in the ,confession1 both of the ,methodist and of the ,presbyterian ,churches1 and we are afraid to go back on it for fear of the pains and penalties of the church4 ,moreover1 we do not like to confess that for ages we were wrong2 and it seems disloyal to go back on the fathers who framed these confessions4 ,so we hang on to them in theory1 but repudiate them in fact4 ,is it not so8 ,now1 what is the compelling power in all missionary enterprise8 ,to those who believe in endless torment1 surely the controlling motive is to save the millions of heathen from such a fate4 ,both the ,presbyterian and ,methodist ,churches profess to believe in that doctrine4 ,but the singular thing is1 that in neither church is it preached4 ,the suspicion is1 that it is not believed4 ,and this is more than a suspicion4 ,i myself have heard no sermon on hell1 nor any definite reference to it1 since ,i was a child4 ,a ,methodist minister in ,canada1 largely in touch with his brethren1 told me lately most positively1 that ,methodist ministers do not believe in endless torment4 ,many ,presbyterian ministers with whom ,i have spoken take the same ground4 ,now1 it is a hard thing to say that a doctrine of such eternal moment is openly professed1 yet inwardly repudiated4 ,but if it were really believed1 would it not be preached--yes1 preached morning1 noon1 and night8 ,for there are reckoned to be a thousand millions of heathen in distant lands1 besides all the other millions that we have here at home4 ,so all these heathen are supposed to be dropping by the thousand into hell every day4 ,and consider2 there are a thousand millions of them1 and their number is continually increasing4 ,would it not then be the main incentive to give these uncounted millions the ,gospel1 in order to save them from such a doom8 ,there may be other considerations2 but in all consistency1 is not this the pressing one8 ,yet not once have ,i heard this matter referred to in any late missionary address4 ,there was a little spiritual truth in them all4 ,but the chief motive presented was1 to convert the heathen from savagery to civilization4 ,so the whole performance usually seemed to me not much more than an exploitation of materialism4 ,then1 if ministers do not believe in endless torment1 why do they not say so8 ,i can imagine two reasons4 ,first1 as ,i have said1 there is the fear of pains and penalties4 ,a man may lose his position2 and that is a serious consideration4 ,then there is an unwillingness to go back on the fathers who framed these creeds4 ,but do either or both of these reasons justify conscientious men in suppressing a truth of such momentous importance8 ,a thousand times1 ,no6 ,candor and honesty first2 veneration for the fathers after4 ,would it not conduce to real success if this matter were maturely and honestly considered8 ,it might arouse some amount of disunion and debate4 ,but would it not lift the whole tone of the missionary movement to a far higher plane8 ,and might we not believe that it would lead to more sustained effort1 and far greater success8 ,at all events1 there is one matter well worth considering4 ,how can the ,spirit of ,truth lead us into larger visions of ,truth if we willingly1 tamper with our most sacred convictions8 ,let us remember that there are growing revelations4 ,may we be of an open mind1 and so in an attitude to receive them6 ,it does seem to me that much of the activity of the evangelical churches is in a large measure discounted by this want of candor4 ,if earnest men only knew how amenable the world would become to the ,gospel1 and what a glad day they would usher in when they would candidly renounce the doctrine of endless torment1 ,i believe the majority would do it4 ,surely1 this would be one of the brightest days that has ever dawned on the world4 ,just now ,i have had a strange experience4 ,on a certain ,sabbath morning ,i opened the ,bible at random at the eleventh chapter of the ,romans4 ,that1 you know1 is the great chapter about the ,restoration of the ,jews4 ,i had read some verses of that chapter1 when there flashed on my mind the idea that here we have a most profound argument for spiritual ,restoration4 ,i had not been thinking at all of ,restoration at the time2 but here the subject was forced upon me in quite a new light4 ,as ,i read on1 that conviction grew4 ,from the point of view of ,restoration1 the argument of the apostle seemed coherent1 profound1 glorious4 ,from any other standpoint it seemed to me1 and had always seemed1 a mystery4 ,all mystery was cleared up now4 ,the ,restoration of ,god's favored people is clearly foretold2 but orthodoxy had never thought of locating the event in the next life4 ,but it has ever been a great tax on men's ingenuity to show how the event can occur in this life4 ,for we cannot ignore facts1 and facts are all against such a conception4 ,even if in future generations the ,jews who are then living are all turned to ,god1 as we believe they will1 what about the millions and millions who have died8 ,the enigma receives a glorious solution when we realize that the future life is to be the time of the ,restoration4 ,oh1 yes2 the prophecy will be fulfilled2 ,god's ancient people will be restored4 ,divine power and grace are not limited to this short epoch of time2 they are from everlasting to everlasting4 ,surely1 here is a theme for heaven's eternal songs6 ,,xiii4 ,,prophecies ,,yet ,,to ,,be ,,fulfilled4 ,enlarging ,vision--,promise to ,abraham--,a ,host of ,similar ,promises --,many of them ,not ,merely ,national--,their ,fulfillment--,not ,limited by the ,short ,epoch of ,time--,the ,present ,only ,one ,part of the ,divine ,administration--,why the ,revelation ,was ,not ,given ,sooner--,groping in the ,twilight--,growing ,illumination--,a ,time for ,everything--,dazzle or ,enlighten--,discoveries in ,science and ,revelation--,our ,slowness in ,receiving ,spiritual ,truth--,limitations of ,great ,men4 ,if reason1 even when based on revelation1 still appears to you a very fallible guide1 will you please take note of some direct promises contained in revelation itself8 ,and ,i would ask you to consider how these promises could ever come true apart from ,restoration4 ,there are glorious promises that are partly or wholly of a local or national character4 ,these that ,i shall cite now are not to be so restricted4 ,they have a far grander sweep and application4 ,no doubt the writers of them may not have been conscious of their full import4 ,but that is the nature of revelation4 ,it grows in meaning from age to age4 ,and the noontide glory of those promises is beginning to break on our larger vision4 ,take the words spoken to ,abraham3 ,in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed4 ,to realize that this promise was of no mere national importance1 listen to the way in which ,paul applies it in his ,epistle to the ,galatians4 ,he says3 ,the ,scripture1 foreseeing that ,god would justify the heathen through faith preached before the ,gospel unto ,abraham1 saying1 ,in thee shall all nations be blessed4 ,now has that promise been fulfilled8 ,since ,abraham's time have not millions and millions of the families of the earth passed out into darkness unblessed8 ,other millions of families are passing away now1 without having once heard the ,saviour's name4 ,and other millions deliberately reject ,him4 ,certainly1 all these millions are unblessed1 ,in their case the promise has not been fulfilled4 ,but it will be fulfilled4 ,beyond the bourne of time it will come true4 ,this glorious enlargement of the scope of the promise takes away all difficulty1 and fills us with joy and praise4 ,the other passages that ,i shall quote bear the same way1 but we shall not stay to make any comment on them4 ,i would ask you to think them over seriously2 disarm your mind as far as possible from prejudice2 let the glorious truth prevail4 ,ponder such passages as these3 ,all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our ,god4 ,as the new heavens and the new earth which ,i will make1 shall remain before me1 saith the ,lord1 so shall your seed and your name remain4 ,ask of me1 and ,i shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance1 and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession4 ,all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the ,lord4 ,all nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee1 ,o ,lord2 and shall glorify thy name4 ,all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our ,god4 ,in the ,lord shall all the seed of ,israel be justified1 and shall glory4 ,i will give thee for a light to the ,gentiles1 that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth4 ,his name shall endure forever2 it shall be continued as long as the sun2 men shall be blessed in him1 all nations shall call him blessed4 ,and the angel said unto them1 ,fear not2 for behold1 ,i bring you good tidings of great joy1 which shall be to all people4 ,for unto you is born this day in the ,city of ,david1 a ,saviour which is ,christ the ,lord4 ,it is written in the book of the prophet ,esaias1 ,all flesh shall see the salvation of ,god4 ,wherefore ,god also hath highly exalted him1 and given him a name which is above every name1 that at the name of ,jesus every knee should bow1 of things in heaven1 and things in earth1 and things under the earth2 and that every tongue should confess that ,jesus ,christ is ,lord1 to the glory of ,god the ,father4 ,who shall not fear thee1 ,o ,lord1 and glorify ,thy name8 ,for thou only art holy2 for all nations shall come and worship before thee4 ,all ,israel shall be saved4 ,and every creature which is in heaven1 and on the earth and under the earth1 and such as are in the sea1 and all that are in them1 heard ,i saying1 ,blessing and honor and glory and power1 be unto ,him that sitteth on the throne1 and unto the ,lamb forever and ever4 ,such are some of the ,scripture forecasts of the final day of grace4 ,men have tried to confine the realization of such promises to the present life4 ,but they will not be so confined4 ,the vast scheme of grace extends far beyond the narrow span of time4 ,only conceive of the fulfillment of such glorious hopes as being extended into the next age4 ,such a prospect begins to appear to be truly worthy of ,god4 ,and surely1 the news of such an enlarged scheme of salvation is the most joyful that ever fell on mortal ears4 ,men of the most devout and reverent spirit are beginning to take these larger views4 ,the day is breaking2 soon the shadows will flee away4 ,if such promises as we have quoted seem too general1 or merely national1 just confine your attention to a few which are evidently of a far wider scope4 ,christ says he will draw all men to ,himself4 ,then ,he must do so in the next life2 for certainly ,he is not doing so now4 ,but ,his word will stand4 ,he will do all ,his pleasure4 ,it is a marvel that the ,christian world has taken so long to see this promise in its glorious fulness4 ,in harmony with the statement just referred to1 we read in ,isaiah that he shall see of the travail of his soul1 and shall be satisfied4 ,are not these wonderful words8 ,how are they to be explained8 ,the travail of ,his soul6 ,who can fathom that abyss of woe8 ,the very words are suggestive of untold agony4 ,i believe that at the last ,he touched a depth of woe which no man or angel has sounded4 ,but ,he shall have a recompense that will satisfy ,him4 ,does not that point to the salvation of the whole race8 ,would anything less satisfy ,him8 ,does ,he not say that ,he came to save the world8 ,and will anything less satisfy ,him8 ,certainly ,he is not satisfied now4 ,the moiety of mankind that is saved now1 or to be saved to the end of time1 will not satisfy ,him4 ,no6 ,his divine love embraces the whole race4 ,what then about the uncounted millions who never heard of ,him8 ,what about the millions that are dying now1 and that never heard the music of ,his name8 ,is not every one of them in the divine scheme of salvation8 ,their time will come4 ,the ,saviour's operations are not limited to one age4 ,his love is from everlasting to everlasting2 and so are the means at ,his disposal4 ,in this age we see but the beginning of the outgoings of ,his grace4 ,we cannot conceive of ,him being satisfied till the last soul of the human race is redeemed4 ,i shall not go farther along this line than simply to remind you that it is written that ,god will be all in all4 ,that is a wonderful expression when we look into it4 ,what does it really mean8 ,does it not mean that ,god will be all in all8 ,that is--,he will be everything in everybody4 ,i take it that this is the real meaning of the words1 ,everything in everybody6 ,o mystery of love and power divine6 ,i apprehend that the significance of the words all in all is not fully appreciated or understood4 ,see1 for instance1 the way in which the words are used in that hymn1 ,that ,christ is all in all to me4 ,the words1 all in all to me seem to be used as an attempt to emphasize the force of the sentiment1 all to me4 ,that is1 ,he satisfies my every want4 ,but ,i apprehend that the words have a much larger meaning than that4 ,it is not myself alone1 but everybody that is concerned here4 ,it is that ,christ is everything to every human soul4 ,everything that ,he is1 is made over to everybody4 ,what a glorious expansion of the words6 ,all in all2 that is1 everything in everybody4 ,was there ever such an infinite wealth of meaning packed into a few short words8 ,,uncounted ,,millions4 ,or1 take the message which the angels brought down to earth on the occasion of the ,saviour's birth4 ,they told the shepherds that they brought good tidings of great joy to all people4 ,what1 then1 about the uncounted millions of our race who had departed this life without ever having heard of a ,saviour8 ,if they were either in hopeless torment1 or in extinction1 how could the ,saviour's coming be good tidings to them8 ,and what about the millions that were then living in heathenism1 and would die in heathenism8 ,how could the ,saviour's coming be good tidings to them8 ,and what about the millions that are living now1 and the other millions that will be born who will die without hearing of a ,saviour8 ,how could ,his advent be good tidings to those8 ,and what about the other millions in ,christian lands1 who will live and die without any saving power being brought into their life8 ,how could the ,saviour's birth be good tidings to any of these myriads of our race8 ,only on the theory that the benefits of ,his coming extend into the next life1 could the words be true4 ,if these uncounted millions are in endless torment1 or if they are annihilated1 the words could not be true4 ,but they are gloriously true if there is a future state of probation4 ,in that case the benefits of the ,saviour's life and death extend beyond human life to those myriads who never heard of ,him here4 ,,the ,,gladdest ,,message4 ,the angels knew something of the glad purport of their words4 ,likely they saw this day of grace beyond the bourne of time4 ,i cannot conceive of any other basis on which the words would be true4 ,it was the gladdest message that ever fell on mortal ears1 if we take it in this wide application4 ,likely these angels were able to exult in the prospect of every human soul being redeemed4 ,in harmony with the passage referred to1 we have the intimation that ,christ will draw all men to ,himself4 ,that promise cannot be restricted to the present life4 ,christ has not drawn all men to ,himself4 ,he has not drawn more than a moiety of the human race4 ,but ,he says ,he will draw all mankind4 ,that was the prospect that sustained ,him4 ,he had a full view of all future ages as well as the present2 and ,he knew what means ,he would use through all coming time for the accomplishment of ,his purpose4 ,the present is only one small part of ,his administration4 ,he gives no hint of the means that ,he will use in future aeons for the fulfillment of ,his designs4 ,that is not for us to know in this life4 ,indeed such a revelation would only confuse and bewilder us4 ,for consider how such a revelation might involve the revelation of a great many other things far beyond us to understand4 ,we are confused enough as it is1 with the revelation that we have4 ,witness the unfolding meaning of revelation from age to age4 ,we realize that enough has been revealed to tax the growing powers of the race4 ,how completely all our thoughts would be drowned if we were given the programme of the ages beyond4 ,,no ,,smaller ,,meaning4 ,no2 our ,lord does a much wiser and kinder thing4 ,by one simple sentence he opens the door of everlasting hope4 ,he says ,he will draw all men to ,himself2 but ,he does not tell us how or when4 ,those are matters for faith1 not for revelation4 ,we can take no smaller meaning from this glorious promise1 distort it as men will1 to make it fit into some preconceived theory4 ,again1 we would enquire1 apart from all theories to be sustained1 what is the meaning of those wonderful words3 ,all ,israel shall be saved4 ,i know there is a roundabout way of explaining that statement1 apart from the idea of ,restoration4 ,but it seems far-fetched and strained4 ,when once we grasp the theory of ,restoration1 the words seem natural and harmonious with the whole argument4 ,we see that such promises cannot refer to the present life4 ,if they do1 what about the ,jews of the olden time who lapsed so often into the grossest sin8 ,what about the tears of ,christ over the apostate city8 ,what about the present condition of that race8 ,are they saved8 ,no6 they still repudiate the name of ,christ4 ,do they become extinct when they die8 ,or do they go into everlasting torment8 ,in either event they could not be saved as promised4 ,or will they be restored in due time8 ,on no other supposition can we conceive of the words coming true4 ,to this theory ,i can conceive of an objection1 which at the first glance may seem a formidable one4 ,it is this3 ,if the theory is true1 why did it not dawn on the world sooner8 ,especially when we consider what a boon it would have been to the race1 and what a dark mantle of gloom it would have lifted from the heart of the world1 why did ,god withhold the light so long8 ,surely there were saints and seers of the olden time who were worthy to be media of such a communication4 ,and surely the generations of the past needed such a spiritual uplift as much as we do to-day4 ,yet for ages and ages the revelation was not given4 ,men had to grope in the twilight for centuries1 until at length the illumination dawned on a few souls4 ,but the reputed wise men of the world did not hail with joy the new illumination1 but generally treated it as a new presumption4 ,and however agreeable with reason and with ,scripture it may be shown to be1 it will likely not be universally accepted for ages to come4 ,if the theory is really true1 and if it comes from ,god1 the ,source of all light1 why was this poor world not blessed with it sooner8 ,i say1 that objection may appear a formidable one at the first glance4 ,let us examine it with all fairness and candor4 ,in the first place1 ,i would say that it is not ,god's way to give us ,his revelations all at once4 ,no1 not even when ,he inspires men to write them4 ,those revelations have a primitive meaning1 suited for men of a primitive age4 ,but as the ages go on1 and men become more developed1 there breaks on them more light from the ,word4 ,and that light is brighter very often than even the original writers apprehended4 ,they built better than they knew1 for they were writing1 not for their own age alone1 but for all time4 ,this unique character of the revelation shows that it is divine4 ,and thus there still breaks more light from ,god's holy ,word as the ages move on4 ,whether or not1 then1 we see the reason of it1 we note the fact that it is not ,god's method to pour the full flood of ,his light on the minds and hearts of men all at once4 ,if we could see no farther than that1 we might be content1 and reverently say1 ,even so1 ,father2 for so it seemed good in thy sight4 ,as an instance of this growing illumination1 take the fact that in the primitive ages there was no clear revelation of immortality4 ,i have no doubt that men of high spiritual calibre believed it2 but the revelation came to them more directly from the movement of the ,spirit1 than from any intimation in the ,word4 ,yea1 when men had no ,word at all1 ,i believe there were devout souls who had glimpses1 more or less clear1 of a future world4 ,but the mass of mankind1 even the religious people of mankind1 had in most instances no such revelation4 ,now if that is true1 it becomes less surprising that the most devout souls have had for so long no conception of ,restoration4 ,the analogy of revelation shows beyond all doubt that ,restoration may be true1 though for ages and ages men had no conception of it4 ,nay1 they may have been students of the ,word through all those ages1 and yet have been blind to its higher revelations4 ,that is no disparagement4 ,there is a time for everything2 and there is a time for brighter divine light to break on the minds and hearts of men4 ,then it may be supposed that if further divine light were to be given1 ,god would have chosen more worthy mediums for communicating it4 ,but as a rule1 it is not through the great and the learned that revelations generally have come2 but rather through the humble and comparatively obscure4 ,this is ,god's way4 ,he may choose what media ,he will as well as what time ,he will4 ,we read that ,god hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise2 and ,god hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty4 ,and ,he did the same thing long ago in giving a written revelation to the world4 ,some of the writers were noble and learned1 while others were illiterate and obscure4 ,so it is no disparagement to this larger view if it does not come to us through what the world calls respectable channels4 ,then it may be noted that truth was given to men as they could receive it4 ,to reveal the whole truth in an obscure age would dazzle more than it would enlighten4 ,god knows men's capacity for receiving truth2 and ,he adapts ,his communications accordingly4 ,jesus could say to ,his disciples1 ,i have yet many things to say unto you2 but you cannot bear them now4 ,and1 by ,his ,spirit ,he has been saying those many things ever since1 as men could receive them4 ,it was a great thing for ,his disciples to have1 for instance1 such a clear vision of immortality as they certainly had when ,christ ascended on high4 ,that was enough along that line for the time2 but now there is breaking on our hearts the larger view of ,restoration4 ,yes1 and we might have had that glorious truth much sooner1 if we had not grossly lapsed into sin1 and so obscured heaven's light4 ,the fact is1 that in the early centuries of the ,christian era the larger view was accepted freely4 ,but by and by the church of ,rome invented the dogma of eternal torment for its own gain2 and that is how we came by our evil heritage4 ,so that in this matter we have lapsed from our early faith2 and a sad1 sad lapse it was1 entailing untold mourning1 lamentation1 and woe4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but it is a glorious truth that men with the utmost limitation can be used of ,god for the highest ends4 ,elsewhere ,i cite the case of the ,apostle ,peter in this regard4 ,he could be used for the conversion of three thousand men by means of one sermon2 and later the conversion of five thousand men2 and yet he did not believe that the ,gospel was intended for the ,gentiles as well as the ,jews4 ,it is a marvel of divine wisdom and grace that such a poor instrument could be used for such a glorious work4 ,and we have seen the same principle at work in our own time4 ,if ,restoration is true1 yet men who believed in endless torment1 and counted it a prime article of the orthodox faith1 were1 notwithstanding1 the very salt of the earth1 and were used of ,god in conserving and disseminating the limited truth which they knew4 ,i say1 that is a marvel of divine grace and condescension4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we see the same principle also in the domain of ,science4 ,let us not forget that all truth--whether spiritual or scientific--is a revelation of ,god4 ,when we make a discovery in either realm--or perhaps ,i should say when a revelation is made to us in either realm--like ,kepler we are really thinking ,god's thoughts after ,him4 ,these very thoughts were in ,god's mind1 else they could not be in ours4 ,what we do know is often associated with a vast field of the unknown4 ,and how slow we are to learn4 ,just think of a few of the discoveries--or revelations--of late years4 ,and for ages and ages past1 men were in total ignorance of these things1 though they were close to their hand4 ,is it not very suggestive of how little we know yet of the truth in the spiritual domain1 to be unfolded to us in due time8 ,i say1 just think of a few of the scientific discoveries we have made of late years4 ,i need not stay to note the wonderful developments in surgery and medicine4 ,they may be regarded as commonplace now2 but every one of them was a discovery4 ,think of the discovery of how to use steam1 and all that the discovery has led to4 ,allied with that1 think of the immense quantities of coal we burn1 and only extract a small percentage of its heat as yet4 ,one of these days there will likely dawn on some mind the correct way of using it1 and then what a revelation4 ,think of the tar evolved in the process of making gas1 that lately went to loss1 and that is now used in dyeing4 ,think of the telephone wire1 and more lately the telephone without wire4 ,think of the heat1 light and power evolved from electricity4 ,think of the inventions and discoveries that we read of almost every day4 ,the by-products that are now a source of so much wealth and comfort1 were not dreamed of a few years ago4 ,do we not see here how little we know1 even in the domain of ,science8 ,and is it to be supposed that in the spiritual realm there is not much more to learn8 ,our special affinity is for things material2 yet in this domain we are only in our infancy4 ,how much more is it so in things spiritual4 ,surely it does not become us to balk at a new revelation4 ,in justice1 however1 to our backwardness in receiving any new spiritual truth1 there are some explanations4 ,i have referred to our special affinity for truth that relates to things physical4 ,we have a corresponding slowness to apprehend spiritual truth4 ,but in addition to this1 we have to note that the truth in reference to material things is usually subject to demonstration4 ,we can see the thing actually done4 ,it is an absolute certainty2 there is no room for doubt4 ,in regard to spiritual truth it is different4 ,the kingdom of heaven cometh not with observation4 ,there is no demonstration4 ,the truth is apprehended by faith1 sometimes aided by revelation1 or reason1 or intuition1 or spirit revelation4 ,this is where sin has obscured our spiritual vision2 and often we are still made more blind by our material employments and pursuits4 ,it is not surprising then that we are slow to take up a new spiritual idea4 ,and we ought to be slow1 lest we imbibe error in the guise of truth4 ,but at the same time we ought to keep an open and receptive mind1 believing that there are vast and high domains of truth yet unrevealed4 ,in this regard how sad it is that some of the brightest lights that ever illuminated the world were clouded all their days by inherited errors4 ,take ,luther as an example4 ,for years and years he was haunted by the dread of eternal reprobation4 ,and so it has been with thousands and thousands more of the devoutest and sincerest souls4 ,oh1 if they had only known that there is no such thing as eternal reprobation6 ,,xiv4 ,,testimony ,,of ,,scripture4 ,the ,unrevealed--,scripture and ,reason--,bishop ,butler's ,dictum --,reverence of ,kepler--,moral ,courage of ,sir ,oliver ,lodge--,increase of ,laxity--,the ,spirit's ,almighty ,power--,supreme ,authority of ,scripture --,the ,proper ,sphere of ,reason--,fate of the ,heathen--,singular ,reserve of ,preachers--,sin is ,abnormal--,union of ,divine ,power1 ,wisdom and ,love --,reasonableness and ,harmony--,a ,multitude of ,scripture ,promises --,discipline ,instead of ,eternal ,torment--,dr4 ,funk's ,view--,the ,great ,panacea for ,unbelief--,ingersoll--,no ,divine ,failure4 ,some have a belief that on topics that are unrevealed we ought to be reverently silent4 ,on certain subjects that may be the correct attitude4 ,fools rush in where angels fear to tread4 ,but though there are many cases in which we cannot attain to certainty1 we may perhaps attain to probability1 and a high degree of probability4 ,in many cases that is sufficient2 often it amounts to moral certainty4 ,as ,bishop ,butler says1 ,probability is the very guide of life4 ,with the best use that can be made of ,scripture and reason1 there are many topics on which we shall not attain to absolute certainty4 ,but if we attain to probability1 we have made a great advance4 ,moreover1 the probability of this age may be the certainty of the next4 ,besides2 it would argue a very unworthy belief in the goodness of ,god1 to refrain from investigating the domain of truth so far as we can1 lest unhappily we should have to discount the forces that make for righteousness4 ,religion and science should be united in this search for truth4 ,and we are glad to see that some of the foremost exponents of scientific truth have this idea4 ,as ,sir ,oliver ,lodge says1 ,it is the duty of ,science to examine even into the domain of religion4 ,in fact1 ,science is religion when its discoveries1 as in the case of ,kepler1 are recognized as the thoughts of ,god4 ,another scientist has truly said that the highest science is the highest religion4 ,i think it is worth while to quote the noble words of ,sir ,oliver ,lodge in this connection4 ,he says3 ,if we refrain from examination and enquiry for no better reason than the fanciful notion that perhaps we may be trespassing on forbidden ground1 such hesitation argues a pitiful lack of faith in the good-will and friendliness and power of the forces that make for righteousness4 ,let us study all the facts that are open to us with a trusting and open mind1 with care and candor1 seeking the verification of all our speculative hypotheses1 and with slow and cautious progress making good our steps as we proceed4 ,thus we may hope to reach out further1 and ever further1 into the unknown1 sure that as we grope in the darkness we shall encounter no clammy horror1 but shall receive the assistance and sympathy which it is legitimate to symbolize as a clasp from the hand of ,christ ,himself4 ,but it may be claimed that it is inopportune to discuss this question of ,restoration at the present time4 ,it may be thought that the very statement of it may lead to greater laxity of faith and morals4 ,if there are any legitimate grounds even for doubting the doctrine of eternal torment1 will not the lingering doubt of many be confirmed8 ,there are those who doubt or even deny eternal suffering1 simply because it is more comfortable to do so1 and without once appealing to the authority of ,scripture or reason in the matter4 ,if the question is allowed to be one of reasonable debate1 will not that attitude be confirmed8 ,especially when the doctrine of endless suffering has so long been recognized as the orthodox doctrine1 will not any apparent going back on that doctrine seem a justification of disbelief in what is really evangelical8 ,and thus might not the very opening of the question be a serious injury to some8 ,while it is freely admitted that there is a degree of justice in this plea1 there are certain considerations that must not be lost sight of4 ,there is first1 the sacredness and the safety of truth4 ,whatever is the truth in the case must be discovered if possible1 and defended at all hazards4 ,our ,lord's prayer was1 ,sanctify them through thy truth1 ,so truth has a sanctifying power4 ,it may be pleasant or unpleasant in the discovery1 but is beneficent in the long run4 ,we are not to shrink then from the discovery of it4 ,we are to search for it1 as for hidden treasures1 whatever prejudices and errors it may overturn4 ,it is of ,god1 and is certain to triumph in the end4 ,and it can issue in no ultimate evil1 but in everlasting good1 despite all our fears4 99 99 99 99 99 ,then in this case1 we are contending for a truth which brings unspeakable glory to ,god4 ,as the matter appears to me1 ,his wisdom1 power and love1 are exalted above all conception4 ,if there were nothing else1 this would be a strong argument for the theory we are trying to defend4 99 99 99 99 99 ,further2 we see here a most worthy effect of the ,saviour's ,atonement4 ,he is the ,saviour of the ,world1 not in name only1 but in fact4 ,according to the old theory1 ,he was actually the ,saviour of but a few of the human race2 the rest were committed--and ordained--to everlasting torment4 ,now ,he is recognized as the ,saviour of all men1 even the worst4 ,can you conceive of any less result in which ,he would see of the travail of his soul1 and be satisfied8 ,then further2 the ,spirit's almighty power would be vindicated4 ,the old faith taught that ,he moves on the hearts of men1 but not in every case with the intention or desire to compass their salvation4 ,we believe1 on the contrary1 that ,he has the desire and the power to break down all opposition1 and to carry captive the most stubborn will1 without doing any violence to our freedom4 ,we do not know how this is effected1 but we see cases in which it is effected4 ,and we can forecast the day when ,he will triumph over all opposition4 ,the very prospect of it fills us with wonder1 and love1 and praise4 ,and in the meantime1 what a funeral pall is lifted from the heart of the world6 ,it is a sad world1 and ,i believe chiefly because the belief in reprobation has so long and so widely prevailed4 ,but when there dawns upon our faith the prospect of the whole human race being yet redeemed1 what a world of gladness this world becomes6 ,when such considerations as these have their due effect upon us1 objections to the discussion of this great question will have less weight4 ,we shall rejoice instead1 if the larger view carries our inmost and most sacred convictions4 ,our appeal is to the ,scriptures1 and to the precious gifts of reason1 and of human feeling1 no less divinely given4 ,we accord the supreme authority to ,scripture2 but there is also an appeal to reason4 ,even here some find differences of opinion4 ,some will reason from the nature of sin1 and what is its desert4 ,others will reason from the character of ,god1 and the end of divine government4 ,others1 again1 will claim that self interest so warps our judgment in the case1 that our finding is almost sure to be partial4 ,still others will claim that the whole matter is too high for us1 and refrain from entering upon it1 or else take what they judge to be the plain meaning of ,scripture1 or fall back on the view that has prevailed4 ,i reverently think1 that reason has a legitimate field here4 ,of course reason ought to be exercised with great caution on such a subject2 and we ought ever to hold ourselves ready to revise our opinions1 to be in harmony with the advancing light of ,scripture4 ,,this ,,divine ,,light4 ,in the ,scriptures we have a revelation of ,god's character1 so far as we can receive such a revelation4 ,we can also form some ideas of ,his law1 and the potentiality of ,his wisdom and love4 ,we have besides a revelation of the nature of sin1 and can have some idea of what it deserves4 ,moreover1 ,christ is the true ,light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world4 ,when we are illuminated with this divine ,light1 submit all our opinions to the ,word of ,god1 and are raised to an impartial plane of judgment1 ,i reverently think we may and ought to make some intelligent forecast as to the suffering of the next life4 ,in fact we have not the option of remaining entirely without ideas on a subject that so vitally concerns ourselves4 ,we must project our thought at times into the future1 and form some ideas1 more or less concrete1 as to what is in store for the race4 ,it seems well1 therefore1 to use reason and revelation conjointly1 so far as they will carry us4 ,and while not dogmatic1 we ought to remember ,bishop ,butler's dictum1 that if two views are opposed1 and one is even a little more probable than the other1 we ought to embrace it as though it were clearly demonstrated4 ,along the same line ,mr4 ,gladstone says3 ,the free development of conviction is1 upon the whole1 the system most in favor both of truth and of charity4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am very far1 therefore1 from jumping at new conclusions1 especially on a subject of such tremendous solemnity4 ,but ,i feel that we should keep our minds and our hearts open1 realizing how little we know yet of ,god1 and of ,his illimitable dispensations4 ,especially should we hail with thankfulness any gleam of light on the awful darkness that has so long brooded over the destiny of by far the largest portion of mankind4 ,the eminent ,dr4 ,funk1 who is well known to be a profound thinker on such matters1 writes me as follows3 ,what is called ',eternal ,fire1' or ',eternal ,punishment1' it seems to me1 may mean simply1 that long continued suffering1 both negative and positive1 which wilful imperfection brings4 ,it does not seem to me that the time can ever come when the ,everlasting ,father will abandon ,his child that ,he has created4 ,no2 it is infinitely less likely that ,he would do this than an earthly parent4 ,christ has said that the good shepherd will leave the ninety and nine1 and continue to search until he finds the missing lamb4 ,in marked contrast to such an idea just ponder for a moment some of the doctrines of the ,calvinistic theology4 ,to get a realistic idea of the matter1 think of ,god bringing into the world one soul whom ,he destined for everlasting torment4 ,that is no overstatement4 ,for if there was no ,atonement of ,christ for that soul1 there could be no possible escape for it4 ,that soul was doomed from all eternity to everlasting fire4 ,yet the advocates of that thought will tell you that the ,atonement was sufficient for all1 and adapted to all4 ,moreover1 they will tell you at the same time that ,god is ,eternal ,wisdom and ,love6 ,could you conceive of a greater contradiction8 ,it is no wonder that on this topic there has been a singular reserve of late years4 ,it would appear that preachers are undecided as to what stand they ought to take2 and so they usually say nothing definite on this momentous question4 ,to a candid mind it must appear a strange thing that the question is so dormant4 ,a more vital question could hardly be conceived4 ,yet hundreds of books are written1 and thousands of sermons are preached1 and the question is hardly touched4 ,will the impenitent have any suffering in the next life2 and if so1 of what kind1 for what purpose1 and of what duration8 ,almost nothing is advanced on such all-absorbing topics4 ,we hear sometimes of the wrath of ,god in a very general way1 which really has little meaning1 so long as no hint is given as to what that wrath consists in4 ,and we hear a great deal about opportunities in life being missed1 without any specific intimation of the consequences4 ,do men really believe ,in future punishment at all8 ,if they do1 why do they not say so8 ,surely the subject is no trifling one that can be passed over smoothly4 ,is it not a matter of the most paramount1 eternal interest for a man to know whether he is passing in a few brief years to extinction1 or torment1 or to a process of reformation8 ,this would seem to be the question of all questions4 ,and yet it is passed over ,sabbath after ,sabbath almost in silence4 ,and when we think how any clear cut conviction might affect a man's character and life1 we are surprised that conscientious men can treat the matter so coolly4 ,is it because they are in a state of transition as to which is the correct theory to be proclaimed8 ,in that case1 we could understand their hesitation4 ,but surely such uncertainty ought to be acknowledged4 ,but it is not confessed4 ,it is a question if even a discussion of the different theories would not be better4 ,such a discussion would be likely at all events to keep men awake1 and perhaps arouse their concern4 ,especially on the relation of this subject to missions1 there ought to be some definite statement4 ,at the present time there is a great revival of interest in missions4 ,but there is a marked lack of direct incentive4 ,what are the heathen to be saved from8 ,is it from endless torment8 ,certainly that is not believed4 ,if it were1 we would move heaven and earth to save even one of them from that fate4 ,is it then from extinction8 ,such a claim is never definitely put forward4 ,then is it from the suffering incident to reformation8 ,no one speaks of that4 ,there is no definite incentive urged to impel men to sustained and eager missionary enterprise4 ,hence we fear that missionary enterprise will wane4 ,there is a general idea of saving the heathen2 but from what8 ,there is no definite idea2 at least none is put forward4 ,i think there ought to be a brotherly conference1 composed of men holding diverse views on this subject1 that if possible some unanimity might be arrived at--some definite issue that would be fearlessly outspoken1 that would be a real and compelling incentive4 ,it may be said that certainty cannot be arrived at1 and that therefore silence is better4 ,that may well be doubted4 ,certainty in general is not likely to be attained all at once4 ,there will first be a period of inquiry4 ,what saith the ,scripture8 ,what saith reason8 ,and what saith our own instinct8 ,then there will be a period of probability4 ,after that there may come a time of certainty4 ,the fact that unanimity of view may not be attainable at present is no good reason for treating such a momentous topic with silence4 ,i reckon that he does a service to mankind if he contributes anything to the solution of this great question1 even if by so doing he stirs up opposition4 ,surely at this late day we ought to be able to say something definite about men's eternal destiny4 ,the soul has naturally a strong affinity for truth4 ,hence there is nothing more demoralizing than any sustained attempt to believe that which does not commend itself to our most sacred convictions4 ,far better it is to be honest and sincere1 even though that may involve temporary error4 ,i believe that to the devout and enquiring soul the truth will be revealed in due time4 ,it is to the upright that there ariseth light in the darkness4 ,colonel ,ingersoll was not so deficient in honesty and candor as is usually supposed2 but1 combined with an unfortunate early training1 the issue in his case was disastrous4 ,a noted clergyman was on confidential terms with him1 and on one occasion ,mr4 ,ingersoll told him the secret of his infidel opinions4 ,he said he was early taught that ,god elected a few of the human race to eternal glory1 and that the vast remainder ,he decreed to everlasting fire2 and1 said ,mr4 ,ingersoll1 ,i determined to hate ,him4 ,if ,i believed that1 said the clergyman1 ,i would hate ,him too4 ,so1 on the day of final account1 there may be extenuations that will surprise us4 ,let it not be supposed that ,i have any sympathy with ,ingersoll's infidel views4 ,on the contrary1 ,i abhor them4 ,some years ago ,i gave a series of ,sabbath evening talks on ,ingersoll and his opinions2 and there was a large attendance of the class of men that ,i wished to reach4 ,i cannot but think that the travesty of divine truth that has so long prevailed in the guise of orthodoxy1 is responsible to a large extent for the practical infidelity that exists in the ,christian world to-day4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is all very well for men to speak of the final reign of grace2 and some are very eloquent along that line1 never turning their eyes backward on the uncounted millions of the past who lived and died in heathenism4 ,what has become of them8 ,that is the question2 and it calls for an answer that as ,milton says1 will justify the ways of ,god to men4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there are a number of propositions which ,i would try here to state with all clearness4 ,we have casually glanced at some of them2 but ,i think it will conduce to clearness if we present them statedly and group them together4 ,first3 ,god infallibly accomplishes everything at which he aims4 ,these are the words of an orthodox divine4 ,i think they will commend themselves to our judgment at once4 ,but the divine in question never thought his dictum would be given such a wide application4 ,the application is this3 ,surely ,god aimed at making every man immortal2 but in that case there could be no extinction4 ,and surely ,god aimed at making every man happy2 but in that case there could be no endless torment4 ,on this basis1 therefore1 both extinction and endless torment are impossible4 ,what remains then but ,restoration8 ,the second proposition is3 ,that sin and suffering are abnormal conditions in ,god's universe2 and that therefore they cannot be everlasting4 ,if this theory is correct it would rule out endless torment4 ,then again3 ,it is conceivable that temporary sin and suffering may be necessary factors in ,god's righteous government4 ,this theory would explain why sin and suffering are permitted for a time4 ,again3 ,infinite holiness will do away with sin1 and infinite love will do away with suffering1 as soon as perfect righteousness will permit4 ,thus we believe that when sin and suffering have served their purpose1 they will be eliminated4 ,further3 ,there is no sin that infinite holiness1 infinite power1 infinite love1 and infinite wisdom cannot subdue1 without impairing the freedom of the offender4 ,this idea makes it credible that the worst of mankind will be reclaimed4 ,finally3 ,the fact that ,god is love will induce ,him to place all ,his creatures in conditions of happiness as soon as that can be done in conformity with wisdom and righteousness4 ,i would ask you to revolve these propositions through your mind very seriously4 ,see if you can find a flaw in any of them2 and conceive if you can1 of any reasonable theory whereby any of them may be controverted4 ,i would conclude this part of our subject by citing some passages of ,scripture4 ,the references in some cases may have a more limited and restricted meaning2 but they all tend in the same direction4 ,there are certain stars which1 seen by the naked eye1 are single1 but when observed through a telescope are seen to be double stars4 ,being of the same appearance1 and lying in the same direction1 they are fused into one1 though there may a vast space between4 ,it is so in many passages in the ,word of ,god4 ,they have a double meaning2 one nearer1 and one more remote4 ,events are foretold which are realized in part in this life1 and fully in the life to come4 ,the fact is1 that in many cases we have to take in the future life in order to understand the reference at all4 ,it has been too much our habit not to look for definiteness and accuracy1 because we imagined the events must find their fulfillment in the present life4 ,but ,when our outlook goes beyond this life1 we see a reasonableness and harmony that we did not see before4 ,this will be apparent in some of these passages4 ,and it will help our interpretation very much if we only remember that the whole span ,of time is but a passing epoch in the divine administration4 ,here then are some passages2 and there are many more of similar tenor1 which we would do well to ponder4 ,in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed4 ,i would just enquire3 ,how can such a promise as that be fulfilled within the span of time8 ,not for about two thousand years was the divine seed of ,abraham born1 when the promise was given4 ,meantime thousands and thousands of the families of the earth went out of this life in sin and darkness1 without having so much as heard the ,saviour's name4 ,it is now nearly two thousand years more1 and the human race has much increased2 millions and millions more of the families of the earth have come and gone2 and in their case the promise has not been fulfilled4 ,and be the ardor of missions what it may1 uncounted millions more of the families of the earth will never in this life so much as hear of the blessing through ,abraham's seed4 ,is it not inevitable that we must take into our view the possibilities of life to come8 ,the promise will be fulfilled then4 ,all ,israel shall be saved4 ,i will not stay to make any further comments on the passages ,i would submit4 ,let them speak for themselves4 ,he will swallow up death in victory2 and the ,lord ,god will wipe away all tears from off all faces4 ,and the ransomed of the ,lord shall return1 and come to ,zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads2 they shall obtain joy and gladness1 and sorrow and sighing shall flee away4 ,israel shall be saved in the ,lord with an everlasting salvation4 ,i have sworn by myself1 the word is gone forth out of my mouth in righteousness1 and shall not return1 ,that unto me every knee shall bow1 every tongue shall swear4 ,the ,lord hath laid on ,him the iniquity of us all4 ,he shall see of the travail of ,his soul1 and shall be satisfied4 ,his name shall endure forever2 his name shall be continued as long as the sun2 and men shall be blest in him2 all nations shall call him blessed4 ,have ,i any pleasure at all that the wicked should die8 ,saith the ,lord ,god2 and not that he should return from his ways and live8 ,for if through the offence of one many be dead1 much more the grace of ,god1 and the gift by grace1 which is by one man1 ,jesus ,christ1 hath abounded unto many4 ,for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners1 so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous4 ,where sin abounded1 grace did much more abound4 ,he that spared not his own ,son1 but delivered him up for us all1 how shall he not with him also freely give us all things8 ,and so all ,israel shall be saved4 ,that was the true ,light1 that lighteth every man that cometh into the world4 ,for ,god sent not ,his ,son into the world to condemn the world1 but that the world through ,him might be saved4 ,and ,i1 if ,i be lifted up1 will draw all men unto me4 ,who will have all men to be saved1 and to come unto the knowledge of truth4 ,who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time4 ,but we see ,jesus1 who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death1 crowned with glory and honor2 that he by the grace of ,god should taste death for every man4 ,and he is the propitiation for our sins1 and not for ours only1 but also for the sins of the whole world4 ,and ,god shall wipe away all tears from their eyes2 and there shall be no more death1 neither sorrow1 nor crying1 neither shall there be any more pain2 for the former things are passed away4 ,thus we have quoted some of the words of revelation that are manifestly opposed to the idea of eternal torment4 ,to be sure1 there are ,scripture statements that are difficult to explain on this basis2 but their import is generally more or less obscure4 ,on the other hand1 there are statements so favorable to the idea of ,restoration that their meaning can hardly be mistaken4 ,and always remember this1--that this question is not one for absolute demonstration4 ,it is a question1 rather1 as to which view is more consonant with reason and ,scripture4 ,we are not to suspend our judgment until the matter is proved beyond the shadow of a doubt4 ,we do not act so in other matters4 ,if we did1 we should have few earnest convictions on any subject4 ,it is sufficient if a certain view is more probable than another4 ,in that case1 according to ,bishop ,butler's dictum1 we should believe it as though it were demonstrated4 ,in this particular case1 though the question is beset with a great deal of mystery1 as we might expect1 the theory of discipline is far more agreeable with ,scripture and reason than that of everlasting torment4 ,the great panacea for unbelief is a larger view4 ,we have to take in the future1 in order to see the rounding out of ,god's great plan4 ',an edifice may be hideous if seen from the rear1 and incomplete4 ,but wait till it is finished1 and then view it from some vantage ground in the front1 and its noble proportions and beauty are appreciated4 ,so it is with the divine plan4 ,we see but a part of it now1 and the lower part4 ,but bye and bye it will be complete4 ,then-- ,ye good distrest6 ,ye noble few ,who here unbending stand1 beneath ,life's pressure--bear up yet a while1 ,and what your bounded view deemed evil ,is no more1 the storms of wintry time ,will quickly pass1 and one unbounded spring ,encircle all4 ,in the various passages that ,i have quoted we cannot but discern three great universals that involve each other4 ,to these three universals all ,evangelical ,churches are tending4 ,they seem to me to include what is really vital to faith and hope4 ,the great universals are these3 ,universal ,love2 ,universal ,atonement2 ,universal ,salvation4 ,the first is accepted nominally by all2 but how the first can be intelligently received1 with a supposed limitation of the second1 is hard to see4 ,it is admitted that on the part of ,god there is universal love for all his creatures2 it is admitted that this love expressed itself in ,atonement4 ,it is further admitted that this ,atonement is as suitable for all as it is for a part of the race4 ,yet for ages it has been claimed that the ,atonement is not divinely intended for all4 ,how universal love1 united with infinite power and infinite wisdom could act in this way is to me an everlasting mystery4 ,so absurd does this position now appear1 that a majority of the churches idea--perhaps unconsciously--with a decision and force not warranted by the original4 ,therefore ,i think ,i am justified in laying no great stress on passages of such doubtful meaning4 ,it seems to me more honest and candid to wait for greater unanimity4 ,on the other hand1 the passages 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 sound4 ,take for instance1 the passage in relation to the extent of the ,atonement4 ,he is the propitiation for our sins1 and not for our sins only1 but also for the sins of the whole world4 ,we see ,jesus1 who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death1 that he by the grace of ,god should taste death for every man4 ,the ,lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all4 ,there is no uncertain sound there4 ,to me it is a marvel how men could accept and defend the doctrine of a limited ,atonement1 in the face of such clear statements4 ,if such a course was taken in order to uphold a certain system of theology1 it ought to be an everlasting warning to theologians not to make their systems of theology too complete4 ,when we come to realize how little we know of ,god's plans and purposes1 we shall see that completeness is entirely beyond us4 ,then with such clear statements of a universal ,atonement as ,i have quoted1 take that dictum to which ,i formerly referred1 and which ,i think none will dispute1 that ,god infallibly accomplishes everything at which he aims4 ,put the two things together1 and what do they amount to8 ,do they not give us a certainty of ,restoration8 ,for if ,god gave ,his ,son in order to make provision for all mankind1 ,he surely desires the salvation of all mankind2 and if ,god thus aims at the salvation of all1 will ,he not accomplish it8 ,if we had no hints whatever as to how that is done1 either in this life or the next1 we might rest on the assurance2 it will infallibly be accomplished4 ,and then we have such a revelation of the character of ,god that we could expect no less4 ,he is infinite ,wisdom2 ,he is infinite ,power2 and ,he is infinite ,love4 ,put those three things together1 and what will they not accomplish8 ,think the matter over for awhile4 ,can you imagine any consummation less than the final salvation of all8 ,that divine wisdom1 divine power1 and divine love can compass nothing better than endless torment1 is almost unthinkable4 ,and if such an ultimatum could be thought of as a possibility1 then ,i would humbly ask3 ,is such a consummation worthy of ,god8 ,and ,i would ask also3 ,what would be the practical benefit of it8 ,would it not be a reflection on love and power that are infinite8 ,to think that man was made in the divine image1 and had within him the potentiality of attaining to absolute perfection and blessedness1 but that his career has culminated instead in the character of a demon1 and the suffering of endless torment6 ,is it possible to believe that the divine administration could be such a failure8 ,this is no exaggeration ,men believed1 or tried to believe1 that for certain persons of the human race there was no possibility of a different fate4 ,they might say it was possible because they did not know who was elected and who was not2 and that they did not know for whom ,christ died1 and for whom ,he did not die4 ,therefore1 they might argue that all men had a chance4 ,no2 they had no chance if the secret divine intention was against them4 ,away with all untruth and misrepresentation4 ,how much better1 and how much more in keeping with the divine character1 and the divine revelation to say1 without any halting or doubt1 that ,god loves every man whom ,he has made2 that ,he has provided for every man's salvation2 that if men do not accept the provision they will suffer2 but that ,god will triumph in the end1 and that divine love will win4 ,surely1 that would be a ,gospel indeed for our poor sin-stricken world6 ,,xv4 ,,testimony ,,of ,,reason4 ,divine ,gift of ,reason--,its ,proper ,sphere--,no ,dogmatism--,is ,sin an ,infinite ,evil8--,infinite ,penalty ,impossible to ,be ,rendered--,justice ,can ,delay--,good ,cannot ,perish--,testimony of ,dickens--,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 ,go8--,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 ,god's ,own ,children--,the ,universal ,call --,no ,design of ,god ,can ,fail--,ingersoll and ,his ,shafts of ,ridicule --,incentive to ,good ,works--,unfathomable ,divine ,love--,joy ,cometh in the ,morning4 ,it may be said that we are dealing here with matters that are entirely too high for our reason4 ,let it be remembered that we absolutely bow to revelation4 ,yet we are not to stultify our reason4 ,it is not out of its sphere in dealing with such high themes4 ,our reason is a sacred gift from ,god2 it is to be used for ,his glory4 ,formerly1 it was deemed almost sacrilegious to allow reason to intrude into such a sacred domain4 ,that was surely an unworthy mistake4 ,we may and ought to be humble2 but we have minds to think as well as hearts to adore4 ,it may be well1 therefore1 to present1 in as condensed a form as possible1 some considerations founded on reason1 in support of the idea of ,restoration4 ,and1 forasmuch as many of these ideas may or may not be familiar to you1 ,i would ask you to ponder each of them separately4 ,they do not all profess to be conclusive1 but ,i think some of them are nearly so2 others are strongly suggestive4 ,as ,i have said1 the question is1 not which theory is absolutely demonstrated1 but which is most in accord with reason and revelation4 ,i would like to say that ,i abhor any appearance of being dogmatic2 but the mere statement of an argument almost necessarily induces dogmatism in some degree4 ,at any rate1 it is well to have a reasonable and candid mind4 ,i think1 then1 that what has been advanced will make you seriously reflect4 ,give the matter time1 and thought1 and prayer2 and ,i think you will have a larger vision of the truth1 and a higher hope for our poor lost race4 ,to be sure1 we are but groping in the twilight as yet4 ,yes2 but it is the twilight of the eternal morning6 ,the ,principal of a theological college once said to me1 when ,i asked him if a certain topic was a proper one for discussion3 ,if you have a reverent mind1 you can discuss anything4 ,a few abstract propositions might first be stated4 ,the orthodox doctrine is1 that sin is an infinite evil1 and that therefore sin calls for infinite punishment2 but that as man is a finite being1 he cannot render infinite punishment in degree2 therefore he must render it in duration2 hence there must be eternal suffering4 ,to this it may be replied1 in addition to what ,i said before1 that if sin is an infinite evil1 there could be no aggravation of it2 for nothing that is infinite can be increased1 but we know that aggravations of it are possible2 hence the necessity of eternal punishment does not follow4 ,then1 if suffering is infinite in duration1 would not the mildest form of inconvenience suffice8 ,for infinity has no end4 ,therefore the sum total of suffering of any degree would be infinite in amount4 ,hence1 there would be no need of torment4 ,further1 if unforgiven sin entails a penalty of infinite duration1 the penalty could never be rendered4 ,for infinite duration has no end4 ,hence1 if the suffering were prolonged through countless aeons1 there would still be countless aeons to come2 and when these would have run their course1 we would only be at the portals of eternity4 ,therefore1 as the supposed penalty involves eternal duration1 it is plain that it never could be rendered4 ,hence1 in all justice1 no punishment whatever need be exacted1 for we are as near to the complete rendering of it now1 as we ever can be1 if it be of infinite duration4 ,on that showing1 divine justice would never be satisfied4 ,again3 ,if justice calls for eternal punishment1 how is it that justice can delay the punishment8 ,but it does delay4 ,does not such delay reduce by so much the term of punishment8 ,but somehow justice can wait4 ,now if justice can wait for an hour1 why not for a day1 and why not for a year1 and why not for a thousand years1 and why not for ever8 ,on this principle we fail to see why there need be eternal suffering4 ,then there is the idea that nothing that is really good ever perishes4 ,scientists and moralists generally agree in this4 ,it is a wholesome instinct1 which commends itself at once to every wholesome mind4 ,as ,dickens says3--,there is nothing innocent or good that dies and is forgotten2 let us hold to that faith or none4 ,but how does such an idea comport with that of eternal torment8 ,it is admitted that many men who are not ,christians1 have yet a great deal of good in them4 ,is that good to be preserved or destroyed8 ,no surer way could be taken to extinguish it than to consign such persons to everlasting suffering4 ,not only would the good in them be speedily extinguished but the evil would be intensified beyond all calculation4 ,and ,i think such effects are reckoned upon1 and expected1 by the advocates of eternal torment4 ,what a burlesque that seems to be on the beneficent purpose of ,god4 ,far easier is it to believe that a state of education and discipline is ordained1 whereby the good that ,god ,himself has created will be conserved and expanded forever4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in this connection it is well to remember that ,god is ever the same4 ,his dispensations may change2 but ,he changes never4 ,if ,he is love1 and power1 and pity1 and wisdom now1 ,he has the same qualities from everlasting to everlasting4 ,some appear to think that for the present ,he is exercising forbearance and patience2 but that when eternity dawns ,he will proceed to stern justice and relentless vengeance4 ,no2 ,god is love1 power1 wisdom1 justice1 for evermore2 and ,his infinite resources ,he will ever use for the holiness and happiness of ,his creatures4 ,if we would keep this fact steadily in view1 we would be slow to believe that ,he has nothing better in reserve than eternal torment for the most incorrigible of mankind4 ,along with this let us remember that ,god's operations are not confined to the brief span of time4 ,these few fleeting years are a very short epoch in eternity4 ,here we see but the beginning of ,his plans2 in the next life we may see the fruition of them4 ,but we may believe they will unfold along the same lines4 ,what is grace now will be glory then4 ,what is limited now we may well believe will then be universal4 ,consider also the wonderful capacity of development with which we have been endowed4 ,we are really made in ,god's own image1 both mentally and morally4 ,in this world of sin and toil and sorrow we almost forget our divine birthright4 ,but when sin and toil and sorrow are done away1 what amazing strides we shall make1 and to what intellectual and spiritual heights we shall soar4 ,and is it to be supposed that having made us with such capacities1 ,god has no better use for us than to be cast out of ,his presence eternally1 and that we shall become demons8 ,surely infinite love and power have something better in store4 ,did ,i say power8 ,yes1 power1 with infinite love and wisdom behind it4 ,what will this triumvirate of infinities not accomplish8 ,the power of ,god in the material world gives us a strong suggestion of ,his power in the moral world4 ,can we then think of such an utter failure as eternal torment as being the ultimate doom of the creatures that ,god has made in ,his own likeness8 ,another consideration is this1 that there is some way of salvation provided for infants4 ,that is acknowledged now on all hands4 ,time was1 and not so long ago1 that it was accounted very orthodox to say that there were infants in hell not a span long4 ,but it is not so now4 ,it is admitted that by some unknown process all infants are saved4 ,now if there be a method of saving infants1 is it so hard to conceive that there may be a method of saving adults8 ,to be sure1 the adults may be great sinners1 and so the process may radically differ4 ,but the minds of very young infants are a perfect blank at first1 and so every idea that they require to fit them for the better world has to be communicated4 ,so there must be some process of education4 ,it is easy then to conceive of a process of education for adults1 combined of course with such discipline as each case may require4 ,it is reasonable to conceive that some will pass through that intermediate stage without any suffering1 except such as may come with larger visions of truth4 ,it is equally conceivable that others will endure pains and penalties unspeakable before they yield4 ,but they will yield at length2 divine love will conquer4 ,let us also think of this1 that this idea of ,restoration solves the difficulty as to the insane4 ,where do the insane go after death8 ,so far as we can see1 they are not fitted for either world4 ,but when they regain their right mind1 and are put through a process of education1 and perhaps of discipline1 they will be prepared for the world of bliss4 ,in no other way can we imagine a solution of the difficulty4 ,the same argument applies to most1 if not all1 ,christians4 ,despite the dogma that they are made perfect at death1 it is plain that in the case of many1 perhaps of all1 perfection is not attained4 ,imagine a ,christian1 but one beset with many imperfections4 ,in a moment some accident cuts him off4 ,are we to imagine that the mere passing through the gates of death works some magic change in his character8 ,surely not4 ,what then becomes of him8 ,he does not go to hell1 for he is a ,christian4 ,yet he is not fit for heaven4 ,what remains1 but some preliminary stage of preparation to make him fit8 ,and so we think it must be with a good man1 but one who is not a ,christian4 ,there are many such4 ,yes1 there are men who are not ,christians1 who are really of a far higher type of character than many ,christians4 ,suppose such a man is cut off suddenly4 ,where does he go8 ,on the principle that what is good never dies1 such a man would go to the better world4 ,but he is not fit for it4 ,but some preparatory stage of preparation might make him fit4 ,we can conceive of no other way of eternal wisdom and love dealing with his case4 ,and there are myriads of such cases4 ,and we must not forget that every man--be his character what it may--is the object of the ,father's love4 ,there is too much of a disposition to believe that ,christians only are loved of ,god1 and that all others are indifferent to ,him1 if not objects of hate4 ,we have to remember that ,he loves every man1 and has made the best provision that is possible for every man4 ,if men believed this thoroughly1 they would have less difficulty in believing in a stage of preparation beyond this life1 in the case of so many who never had it here4 ,then again1 ,god says1 ,all souls are mine4 ,if ,he claims them for ,his own1 they must be precious4 ,and is it to be supposed that ,he has made no eternal provision for them8 ,if ,he chose to make them immortal1 and ordered their lot in this world1 as ,he certainly did1 will not eternal wisdom and love make them worth preserving8 ,yes1 ,he gave ,his son for them as well as for us1 and thus made a highway for them as well as for us1 to glory1 and honor and immortality4 ,yet1 although ,god claims all souls for ,his own1 millions of heathen have passed away in the past1 and millions are passing away now1 who never heard the ,saviour's name4 ,his is the only name whereby men can be saved2 but ,his name is ,wonderful1 and those who could not be saved through that name on this side of death may be saved through it on the other side4 ,death is but the passage of the soul from one world to another4 ,god reigns in both2 and ,his tender mercy is over all ,his works4 ,the same principle applies to incorrigible backsliders4 ,there have been men who were most eminent in ,christian grace1 who lapsed into backsliding of the lowest type1 and even denied the ,lord that bought them4 ,they showed no sign of being reclaimed in this life4 ,will they not be reclaimed in the next8 ,there is nothing to hinder1 but it may require a long and terribly severe discipline4 ,but we believe divine love will ultimately triumph4 ,it helps us to understand how the most abandoned may be reclaimed if we remember the case of ,saul of ,tarsus4 ,it does seem that ,christ can overcome the most inveterate opposition without interfering in the least with a man's freedom4 ,we believe this is the prerogative of ,deity alone4 ,our free will is a glorious heritage2 but we have to beware of unduly exalting it4 ,god is greater than even man's free will4 ,if ,christ in a moment could break down ,saul's opposition1 and yet leave him a free man1 we cannot conceive of any offender too malignant for ,him to subdue4 ,but how it is done is a mystery4 ,it seems to be one of those things that are past finding out4 ,at all events1 we can believe that the most incorrigible will be reclaimed when we have the revelation that ,jesus died for all mankind4 ,it is said that ,he gave ,himself a ransom for all4 ,it is declared that ,he tasted death for every man4 ,now if ,he tasted death for every man1 can we believe that ,he will not somehow and somewhere reclaim every man8 ,if ,he does not do so in this life1 will ,he not do so in the next4 ,again2 it is said that ,he shall be satisfied4 ,will anything less satisfy ,him than the salvation of all for whom ,he died8 ,his influence is not limited to this world4 ,all worlds are under ,his control4 ,there may be good reasons why some are saved in this life1 and others in the next4 ,i will glance at this point immediately4 ,meantime let us remember that ,his love and power are unchangeable1 and that ,he is ,lord in the world beyond1 as well as here4 ,what will not such conditions accomplish8 ,with regard to the suffering entailed by sin1 both in this life and in the next1 ,i have the idea of a possible solution4 ,may not all suffering be ordained as a necessary safeguard of innocence to all eternity8 ,i mean this3 ,we have to recognize the possibility of falling2 for the angels fell4 ,we must remember that we are not machines1 but moral beings4 ,now may not sin have been permitted1 and the suffering in consequence of it1 in order to furnish us with a warning against sin to all eternity8 ,and as we are of such diverse mental and moral calibre1 may not our suffering be individually of that kind and degree that it will be exactly what we need as a warning against sin1 and so safeguard our innocence for ever8 ,it may be objected that our memory of suffering would lose its vividness with the lapse of eternal years1 and so fail of its effect4 ,but ,i can believe that we would have a vivid remembrance of it for ever1 when ,i think of how vividly ,i recall events of my early years4 ,scenes of my school days ,i can recall more vividly than the scenes of yesterday4 ,so far as ,i know1 this is a new idea of the mystery of pain4 ,it may be of no value2 but ,i put it forward that those who are thoughtful along such lines may examine it4 ,there are other considerations which might be adverted to here2 but ,i think what ,i have advanced is sufficient4 ,the final argument1 and the all-comprehensive one1 is1 the final triumph of good over evil4 ,sin will be abolished2 love will triumph2 ,god will be all in all4 ,in what has been advanced it will be noticed that there are some repetitions4 ,but generally these are in new connections4 ,if these ideas were mere platitudes they would not bear to be repeated2 but many of them are somewhat off the beaten track1 and need to be repeated in order to present them in their true reasonableness and force4 ,for ,i am trying here to set some things in a clearer light for those who have not given much attention to such studies4 ,,preparation ,,for ,,heavenly ,,blessedness4 ,that there is a way of salvation beyond the bound of time is strongly suggested by the salvation of infants4 ,we are all agreed about the salvation of infants4 ,our heart refuses any other belief4 ,in the case1 however1 of very young infants1 they go into the next life destitute of all moral character4 ,either heaven must be a very large place1 including a place for infants--or else they must undergo some preparatory process before entering4 ,in either case their entire preparation for heavenly blessedness is achieved beyond this life4 ,now the fact of them being so prepared opens to our faith the possibility of adults being prepared also4 ,the process may differ2 we know nothing of details2 but it is effective1 and in certain cases may be entirely destitute of pain4 ,with the heathen the same argument holds4 ,he would be a bold man who would say that no heathen is saved4 ,we know that some of them rose to a high moral plane2 indeed such as would largely1 if not entirely1 fit them for the inheritance of the saints4 ,but they had not knowledge of the ,saviour4 ,that was all they needed4 ,you will say1 perhaps1 that that was everything4 ,it was2 but it could be supplied very quickly once they crossed the boundary of time4 ,they would meet angel friends there who would soon give them the required information4 ,we can conceive1 from what we know of them when here1 that they would believe at once1 and very soon be fit for at least the beginning of eternal joy4 ,there have been those who by the light of nature1 or by the illumination of the divine ,spirit1 attained to marvellous perfection2 yet1 never heard the ,saviour's name4 ,just now ,i notice that an orthodox divine names ,socrates as a case in point4 ,in cases not so marked we can believe that disclosures of truth that they could not learn here1 may transform them into saints4 ,surely this is a sane1 as well as a brighter prospect than was entertained not so very long ago4 ,i recall those lines of the ,hymn by ,dr4 ,watts1 which ,i learned when quite young3 ,there is a dreadful hell ,of everlasting pains2 ,where sinners must with devils dwell1 ,in darkness1 fire1 and chains4 ,happily the sentiment of the ,hymn did not make much impression on me4 ,it is a great boon to children that sometimes they are not very thoughtful4 ,i wonder if ,robert ,browning ever learned such ,hymns when a child4 ,if he did1 he must later have had a revival of more hopeful ideas4 ,he could write that couplet that has been so often repeated3 ,god's in ,his heaven2 ,all's right with the world4 ,but all is not right with the world if millions and millions of our fellow creatures are in endless torment1 and other millions on their way4 ,i fear ,browning's words are often repeated with a glib optimism4 ,all is right with the world1 or all will be right1 when the whole race is redeemed from suffering and sin2 not otherwise4 ,but the love and power of ,god are equal to the task4 ,,the ,,sweep ,,of ,,the ,,infinite ,,mind4 ,i have sometimes on a sweet and hallowed night watched the moon riding so peacefully through the white clouds2 and it did seem to me that if there is suffering anywhere1 ,god has a time and a plan for relieving it4 ,i could not think of ,him as being happy otherwise4 ,but if in the sweep of the infinite ,mind he descries1 even in some far off age1 the entire passing away of sin and suffering1 ,i can imagine ,him as being perfectly happy4 ,all events being equally present to ,him1 anticipation may be very much the same as reality4 ,it has just struck me that the multiplicity of the considerations here advanced may lead to some degree of confusion4 ,i will therefore repeat some of them1 and glance at others1 condensing them into as few words as possible4 ,i think the effect will be that the total argument will be presented with more clearness and force4 ,we read that ,christ gave ,himself a ransom for all4 ,to my mind that settles the extent of the ,atonement4 ,words could not be plainer4 ,but if ,christ gave ,himself a ransom for all1 will ,he be satisfied with saving only some8 ,surely ,he will see that the ransom which ,he paid will have its due effect4 ,that means that somehow1 sometime1 all will be saved4 ,else in regard to those who are not saved1 ,he died in vain2 which is unthinkable4 ,but ,he will be satisfied4 ,yes4 ,he will be satisfied4 ,it is so predicted4 ,can ,he be satisfied with less than the salvation of every human soul8 ,we have seen that ,he died for all4 ,can ,he be satisfied with less than the redemption of all8 ,if that is not effected now1 will it not be effected later8 ,his administration is from everlasting to everlasting4 ,it is said again that ,he is the propitiation for our sins1 and not for ours only1 but also for the sins of the whole world4 ,the scope of ,his ,atonement is universal4 ,evidently it fails of its full effect now4 ,there are millions who have not even heard the ,saviour's name2 but they are included in the great plan of propitiation1 and it cannot fail4 ,then it is written that ,he tasted death for every man4 ,this puts the matter beyond all peradventure4 ,his ,atonement was not only for the whole world1 but for every man4 ,he had every individual singly in ,his view in making ,his ,atonement2 and will it fail of its effect8 ,surely ,his purpose will stand1 and ,he will do all his pleasure4 ,we read again that all ,israel shall be saved4 ,the words must not be minimized or explained away4 ,certainly ,israel is not saved now4 ,think of the sins into which they fell in the past2 think of all the crises in their history when ,god was ready to cast them off2 think of their condition to-day1--a byword and a hissing among the nations4 ,if the scene is thus to be closed1 it seems a mistake ever to have chosen them as a people at all4 ,but it was no mistake4 ,their time will come2 if not in this life1 then in the life beyond4 ,they will be saved2 the promise will stand4 ,again3 ,christ has promised that if he is lifted up on the cross ,he will draw all men to ,himself4 ,if that promise is limited to this life it is not true4 ,christ has not drawn more than a moiety of mankind to ,himself4 ,but it is gloriously true if we take in the future4 ,he is not limited to one epoch of time4 ,a thousand years are with ,him but as one day4 ,then think of the sacrifice which the ,father made4 ,he gave ,his ,son4 ,who will fathom the meaning of that sacrifice8 ,some there are who say that ,god cannot suffer4 ,on the contrary4 ,i believe that ,his suffering in giving ,his ,son no man nor angel can fathom4 ,and is it to be thought that ,god made that sacrifice for less than every human soul8 ,the fact that ,he loved every soul that ,he has made1 should settle the question4 ,then we are often told that the ,atonement is suited for all1 though it is not intended for all4 ,when we admit that ,god loves every soul1 and that the ,atonement is suited for all1 are we not shut up to the conclusion that it is1 or will be1 applied to all8 ,nothing could hinder1 except man's own obstinacy1 and we have seen that his obstinacy can be overcome without interfering with his freedom4 ,we believe that sin will finally be put down4 ,to that effect there are many scriptural declarations4 ,but it is conceivable that it is tolerated for a time as an object lesson1 and as a safeguard against evil4 ,some such beneficent design ,god certainly has in view2 else all ,his benevolent purposes would take effect in this life4 ,we have to remember that ,his administration is from everlasting to everlasting4 ,we have also to remember that ,god has all moral as well as all physical power1 even to taking captive the most wicked of men4 ,when we think of the divine union of love1 wisdom and power in ,god1 it is not hard to believe that they will finally triumph4 ,if ,god in ,his divine wisdom knows how to act1 and divine power enables ,him to act1 and divine love impels ,him to act1 it is reasonable to forecast the ultimate holiness and happiness of all intelligences4 ,we are accustomed to say1 and we often see it1 that ,god brings good out of evil4 ,the ultimate abolition of all sin1 and the universal triumph of goodness1 are but an expansion of the same principle4 ,we have also to remember that sin in any form is an abnormal condition of the universe4 ,it is not reasonable to think that abnormal conditions will prevail for ever4 ,there are some who believe that ,god is so unchangeable that ,he must necessarily be happy under all conditions4 ,such are not the representations of ,scripture2 and though they are but representations1 we believe they are agreeable with the fact4 ,besides2 that is not true of our selves2 and we know that we are created in the divine image4 ,now if sin is a disturbing factor of divine happiness1 it is reasonable to think that it will finally be done away4 ,there is no constituent of character that brings so much happiness as love4 ,as ,god really is love1 ,he is the infinitely happy one4 ,it is therefore reasonable to suppose that divine love will ultimately have its happiest expression2 and that will involve the abolition of all sin4 ,wrath is no constituent of the divine character2 but a potentiality only4 ,if ,god is to be supremely happy there will finally be no sin to call forth his wrath1 for wrath is a disturber of happiness4 ,so long as ,god is just1 ,he must punish sin4 ,but punishment is ,his strange work2 it does not directly minister to happiness2 therefore it is reasonable to think that sin that calls for punishment will be done away4 ,besides2 ,christ bore the penalty of all sin2 infinite justice demands no more1 any further infliction of suffering is intended only for discipline4 ,when the angels came to earth on the occasion of the ,saviour's birth1 they said that they brought good tidings of great joy to all people4 ,but millions and millions of people passed away from earth without hearing the good tidings4 ,then they must hear the good tidings in the life beyond4 ,but if they are consigned to eternal torment1 there are no good tidings for them4 ,and if they are extinct they can hear no tidings1 either good or bad4 ,what remains but that the good tidings that did not reach them here will be conveyed to them there8 ,it is likely that the angels knew the scope of their message1 and that the conveyance of that message to those on the other side of time1 was no more difficult or abnormal than to us on this side4 ,then1 what about those whom we have known whose spiritual condition was doubtful when they passed away8 ,is it not extremely likely that ,god has some way of developing what is good in them1 and casting out what is evil8 ,we feel that just at present they would be out of place in either world4 ,is it not reasonable to think of some intermediate stage of preparation8 ,besides2 from what we know of the divine method of procedure1 it does not seem likely that ,he would thrust a frail human spirit into the blinding glory of heaven all at once4 ,we are used to gradual changes2 they suit us better4 ,an infant newly born is not conscious at first that any radical change in its life has occurred2 but it accommodates itself easily and naturally to its new life4 ,and so it would seem uncongenial to us to be thrust at once into the excellent glory4 ,a stage of preparation--be it long or short--would seem to be desirable and necessary4 ,and if it is desirable and necessary1 it is provided4 ,then there are sins of the mind which are not cast off with the flesh4 ,the sins may be forgiven1 but the evil inclinations cling to us4 ,we need a certain time and a certain process to have them eliminated4 ,we can easily conceive too--in fact we meet with cases of the kind quite often--where a man that is not a ,christian has a soul of goodness that makes him really the superior of many so-called ,christians4 ,but he is not a ,christian4 ,he dies suddenly2 and where does he go8 ,the idea of ,restoration settles all difficulty4 ,the good that is in him is developed2 ultimately he is fit for the inheritance of the saints4 ,in no other way can we think of a wise and gracious disposal of him4 ,in connection with this idea we cannot but note that even dying saints are by no means perfect in general4 ,there are many cases in which the last sickness seems to bring no marked change4 ,yet we have the assured hope that all is well4 ,but if we look at the matter critically1 we see no evidence of a state of perfection being reached4 ,there seems to be a need of a refining process on the other side of death2 and if it is needed it is provided4 ,there is a recognized principle1 too1 that whatsoever is really good will not perish4 ,this is true1 both in the domain of physics and of morals4 ,if therefore there is even the beginning of goodness in any soul1 it is but reasonable to assume that such goodness will persist1 and be completed either on this side of death or on the other side4 ,such an idea seems to be highly compatible with a beneficent1 divine government4 ,if it be asked why such a process is not carried out always on this side of time1 ,i say we must be cautious about irreverently intruding into divine methods4 ,we might as well ask why ,saul1 for instance1 was not converted earlier4 ,we can but say1 ,even so ,father1 for so it seemed good in ,thy sight4 ,we have to remember that the present is only one domain of ,god's administration4 ,the whole span of time which is to us so vast1 is but a passing epoch to ,him4 ,if we would keep this in mind1 it would solve many supposed difficulties4 ,i think it will be freely granted that no design of ,god can ultimately fail4 ,but if we follow up that principle1 there is no eternal torment2 for if will hardly be contended that ,god designed it4 ,and so with final extinction4 ,it would be a reflection on the divine intention to suppose that he called into being such myriads of the human race1 and so wonderfully endowed them1 merely to extinguish them at last4 ,this principle1 if duly studied1 will be seen1 ,i think1 to eliminate all possibility both of extinction and of endless torment4 ,when we consider how both extinction and torment might have been avoided1 we are forced to believe that neither alternative was in ,god's plan4 ,when sin was introduced by our first parents1 ,he might at once have cut them off1 or rendered them childless4 ,in either case the myriads of the human race would not have appeared1 and thus any alternative of torment or extinction would have been avoided4 ,this consideration1 it seems to me1 goes a long way to settle the whole question4 ,another thing is1 that endless torment cannot really be believed4 ,men may say they believe it2 they may think they believe it2 it may seem orthodox to believe it2 but they really do not believe it4 ,to think that a soul is tormented for ever and ever and ever1 is really beyond belief4 ,it is well it is so4 ,otherwise man would be insane4 ,when we consider that the soul has a strong affinity for truth1 and when we consider that endless torment cannot be believed1 there is a strong presumption that it is not true4 ,any sustained attempt to believe that which the mind instinctively repudiates as false1 is in the highest degree demoralizing4 ,there is a strong presumption therefore that the theory of endless torment is not true4 ,let it also be noted how hardening was the process of believing the old doctrine4 ,so far did they go who professed it1 that some of them gloated over the prospect of souls in torment4 ,such hardening of the heart raises a strong presumption that the doctrine is false4 ,our highest idea of punishment is1 that it is reformatory4 ,but in endless torment there is no possibility1 and no design1 of reformation4 ,a ,god of infinite love would surely use the highest method1 with the highest intention4 ,if suffering was of a limited duration and conduced to our final perfection1 we could understand it1 and adore the ,author of it4 ,but who can see any beneficent design in everlasting torment8 ,if strict justice demands punishment of eternal duration1 we would ask why the punishment is not as a matter of necessity inflicted at once4 ,but we see that justice does not demand its prompt infliction4 ,god can wait long years before inflicting it4 ,but if ,he can wait ten years1 why not a hundred8 ,and if a hundred1 why not forever8 ,along the same line1 we would say that an infinite penalty can never be rendered4 ,for infinitude has no end2 and so1 no matter how long the penalty might be drawn out1 there would still be an eternity to come4 ,so we would never come to the end of eternity2 and the penalty could never be rendered4 ,this seems to me a strong argument against everlasting punishment4 ,in the same connection ,i would venture the idea that sin is not an infinite evil1 and does not call for an infinite punishment4 ,i do not think that a finite creature like man can commit an infinite crime4 ,the fact that an infinite punishment cannot be rendered1 seems to show that the crime is not infinite4 ,if not1 then in justice there is no everlasting punishment4 ,coming back to matters more strictly within our grasp1 ,i would ask what has been so often asked3 ,what will become of the heathen8 ,many of them never had a chance to be much better than they are4 ,restoration1 so far as ,i can see1 is the only settlement of the difficulty4 ,but that settles it completely4 ,in the next world they will learn the way of eternal life which they could not learn here1 and ultimately they will rise to eternal blessedness4 ,if there were nothing else1 the settlement of that transcendent problem would be a strong endorsement of ,restoration4 ,then there were heathens who in this life rose very high in knowledge and character4 ,on the principle that whatever is good is immortal1 what they gained here will be supplemented1 until they are fit for the inheritance of the saints4 ,the zeal of the ,lord of hosts will perform this4 ,the idea of ,restoration also explains the apparent cruelty of the ,god of the ,old ,testament4 ,sinners were often cut off2 and that was a salutary lesson for others2 but those who were cut off1 were transferred to scenes where they would have better surroundings1 and where they would in time rise to a higher moral plane4 ,the same theory accounts for the salvation of infants4 ,we all believe in the salvation of infants4 ,the heart refuses any other belief4 ,but it is largely a matter of sentiment1 apart from the idea of ,restoration4 ,they have no character whatever to begin with4 ,but ,restoration supplies--we know not how and do not need to know--all they require4 ,the mere fact that infants require some place and process of development beyond this life1 is a strong argument for such aid being rendered to others as well4 ,also1 take the case of suicides4 ,there are many who in a frenzy of despair commit the crime of self-destruction4 ,it is easy to believe that there is sympathy and helpfulness for them on the other shore4 ,and so with lunatics4 ,apart from ,restoration it is difficult to think what will become of them4 ,they are not responsible1 and it would be unfair to treat them as criminals4 ,on the other hand1 they have no ideas nor character such as would fit them for a better world4 ,but they will regain their intellect at the point they lost it2 and it is not hard to conceive of their swift upward trend4 ,there is one very serious difficulty which we can conceive of no way of solving1 except on the supposition of ,restoration4 ,i refer to the agony which a person must suffer even in heaven on finding that loved friends or relatives are not there4 ,to know that they are in extinction1 that they are fit for nothing better1 and that hence they are shut out from eternal joy1 would surely be an everlasting pang4 ,and the case is infinitely worse if it is realized that they are in endless torment4 ,we think the very thought of that would be unendurable even in a better world4 ,but how gladsome is the prospect of neither of these fates being in store for them4 ,if it is known that they are in a state of discipline for a time1 to emerge by and by into scenes of bliss1 we can fancy that such knowledge would be a source of joy unspeakable4 ,and who can imagine the rapture of meeting with such friends later on8 ,this view of ,restoration solves the difficulty so often felt in regard to dear ones who died in a state of alienation from ,god4 ,the everlasting hope that is thus opened up for them is a source of perennial joy4 ,here ,i would make a statement which at the first glance may seem to some rather startling4 ,it is this3 ,there is not punishment for sin1 either in this life1 or in the next4 ,christ has settled all that by offering ,himself as the sin-bearer for all mankind4 ,the ,lord laid on ,him the iniquity of us all4 ,he hath made ,him to be sin for us4 ,it pleased the ,lord to bruise ,him4 ,god gave ,his ,son that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4 ,if the condition of believing on ,him seems to limit the everlasting love of that statement1 take the next2 ,god sent not ,his ,son into the world1 to condemn the world1 but that the world through ,him might be saved4 ,yes1 the world4 ,there is no limitation there4 ,that means the modern heathen world1 and the ancient heathen world1 and all grades of humanity of all time4 ,christ has suffered for them every one4 ,there may be suffering1 but there can be no just punishment for sin1 either in this life or the next4 ,but then1 there is the necessity for purification4 ,and suffering is made by divine grace to serve that end4 ,we can well conceive then that there are all grades of suffering1 and all grades of the duration of suffering1 in the next life4 ,it is no contradiction of this idea1 but rather a confirmation of it1 that very much of this suffering is the result of former sin4 ,indeed1 when we see1 even in this life1 how often that suffering is a result of sin1 yet is a means of purification1 we can well believe that it will so operate in the next life1 and on a larger scale4 ,sinners of every grade require just two things2 ,forgiveness and ,holiness4 ,that is1 a title to heaven1 and a fitness for it4 ,let us see how these two things are acquired1 and if either of them demands eternal punishment4 ,justification is acquired by the death of ,christ1 and by that alone4 ,he died for our sins1 ,he was wounded for our transgressions4 ,the ,lord laid on ,him the iniquity of us all4 ,we are justified freely by his blood4 ,that is the one reason and ground for forgiveness4 ,so then1 whether men know it or not1 they are forgiven4 ,it is the merit of ,christ that counts1 and that alone4 ,christ has paid the penalty1 and it takes due effect in the forgiveness of every sinner4 ,he tasted death for every man4 ,therefore1 there can be no just punishment even in the case of the most incorrigible2 far less can there be eternal punishment4 ,but then1 as ,i have said1 the sinner needs holiness4 ,suffering seems to be absolutely necessary here4 ,but in this case suffering is not punishment2 for punishment implies wrong doing4 ,but all wrong doing has been atoned for1 as we have seen4 ,hence the suffering that is inflicted is not punishment2 it is discipline2 the ,fatherly infliction of love4 ,whom the ,lord loveth he chasteneth4 ,and what is the divine intention of this chastisement or discipline8 ,is it not the production of a worthy character8 ,in this case it is no less than the re-creation of a character4 ,in producing such a character ,god uses various means1 and one of these1 as we have seen1 is discipline4 ,but if suffering were continued through all eternity1 it would surely not be discipline4 ,we think it would have the very opposite effect1 and would produce the maximum of evil4 ,therefore1 on the ground of needed discipline1 as well as on that of forgiveness1 we can see no necessity for eternal torment4 ,and if there is no necessity for it1 certainly it is not inflicted4 ,it may be well to make this matter a little clearer1 even at the risk of some repetition4 ,if there is any doubt about sin being actually forgiven before the exercise of faith or penitence1 ,i would ask3 ,what is the actual ground of forgiveness8 ,is it not the ,atonement of ,christ8 ,necessary as faith and penitence are1 could either or both procure forgiveness8 ,if they could1 ,christ need not have died4 ,but of all things1 that was the prime necessity4 ,without shedding of blood there could be no remission4 ,the corollary of that is1 that with shedding blood there can be instant and universal remission4 99 99 99 99 99 ,instant1 we say8 ,yes2 for we are reconciled to ,god by the death of ,his ,son1 ,he was the ,lamb slain from the foundation of the world1 so ,god is reconciled now2 and not only that1 but from all eternity4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and universal8 ,yes2 for he tasted death for every man4 ,so every sinner is forgiven by virtue of ,christ's ,atonement4 ,the benefit of that ,atonement extends to the worst man of our race4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but are not faith and penitence necessary8 ,yes1 they are necessary to final salvation2 but if they are necessary to forgiveness1 then there was no necessity for ,atonement4 ,it is ,atonement alone which procures pardon2 and as ,atonement was for the whole race1 so forgiveness is for the whole race also4 ,to be sure it is written that we are justified by faith1 ,but surely1 we are not to understand those words literally or rigidly4 ,for could faith of itself really justify us8 ,could it really pay the debt we owe8 ,it is the gift of ,god4 ,is it not therefore wholly without merit8 ,is not its function1 rather1 to bring us into the consciousness of justification8 ,i do not see how it could do more than that4 ,but if we want to know the ground of justification1 must we not look for it in the death of ,christ8 ,it is written that we are freely justified by his blood4 ,is not that really the ground8 ,and inasmuch as ,christ is the ,lamb slain from the foundation of the world1 the merit of his death goes back to the first1 as well as extends to the last1 sinner of our race4 ,when the matter is viewed in this light1 does it not seem a moral necessity that all sin is already forgiven8 ,but it may be pleaded that ,god is angry with sinners every day2 that tribulation and wrath are ordained for every soul of man that doeth evil2 and so on4 ,how1 then1 can divine anger1 tribulation1 and wrath rest upon a person that is forgiven8 ,simply because ,god's very nature is opposed to sin in every form2 and he must visit sin with wrath and tribulation1 though it be forgiven4 ,in fact1 it is because sin is forgiven1 and that thus the basis of salvation is laid1 that ,god is so painstaking to make the most and the best of us4 ,it is1 therefore1 easy to believe that wrath and tribulation will be continued in the next life until the sinner repents1 and turns to ,god4 ,the fact that ,christ has died for him will be no mitigation of necessary discipline1 any more than it is now4 ,the very fact that in this life we see the same principle of suffering on the part of ,god's own children1 is proof enough of the righteousness and wisdom of a similar course being followed in the next life4 ,the merit of ,christ's ,atonement does not avail for shielding sinners from necessary suffering in either life4 ,but did not ,christ at times pronounce forgiveness in such a way as to mean that it occurred just then1 and not before8 ,take that case of the paralytic to whom he said1 ,thy sins are forgiven4 ,does it not look as if the man were forgiven then and there8 ,and yet1 how could ,it be8 ,the man as yet had not been healed1 and so there was nothing to indicate his saving faith in ,christ4 ,yet the ,saviour pronounced his forgiveness4 ,it seems to me that ,christ was rather bearing testimony to the fact that the man had been forgiven--he did not say when4 ,it may have been that the poor paralytic was laboring under the fallacy that his suffering was owing to special sin1 and so ,christ wished to give him the joy of conscious pardon4 ,or1 take the case of the poor penitent in the house of ,simon4 ,jesus said to her1 ,thy sins are forgiven1 and to go in peace4 ,now were her sins forgiven the moment ,jesus spoke to her8 ,were they not forgiven prior to that8 ,was there anything in the woman's mental or moral attitude to ,christ to indicate that not till the moment that he spoke the word were her sins forgiven8 ,the fact is1 that he spoke the word when circumstances led up to it1 and not before4 ,there is nothing to forbid the idea1 it seems to me that her sins were always forgiven2 but ,jesus spoke the word of comfort just when it was needed4 ,she had now the joy of conscious forgiveness2 ,i think that was what ,jesus intended to bestow4 ,so it seems to me that all sin is forgiven already4 ,the death of ,christ secures that boon4 ,and is there anything which would break a sinner's heart so effectually as to know that1 let him sink in wickedness to the lowest possible depths1 yet that all his sin is already forgiven8 ,if anything would win him1 can you conceive of anything so effectual as that8 ,what a display that would be of the conquering power of love divine6 ,here ,i would note a singular coincidence4 ,the very day after ,i had written that there is no punishment for sin either in this life or the next--that it is all discipline--,i received a book from some unknown friend in which the same idea occurs4 ,speaking of a prodigal daughter1 the author says3 ,there was but one thing wanting to restore her to her home--a mere act of the will that should have prompted her to say1 ',i will arise1 and go to my father6' ,it is precisely so with every child of ,god4 ,there is no moment in which they are not forgiven1 and the ,father anxiously longing for their return4 ,in another place he says1 ,all sin is forgiven sin4 ,but1 mark you2 this author writes from the standpoint of orthodoxy4 ,then if all sin is forgiven sin1 how can it merit eternal punishment8 ,how can future suffering be considered punishment at all if all sin is forgiven8 ,and this author is very sure that the suffering is absolutely endless4 ,this is what he says3 ,if in the infinite love of ,god there might be found a shortening of the sinner's doom1 it would certainly be a matter of relief to all2 but the only ,book that comes with answer to the great questions of the soul1 it seems to me1 lends no encouragement to such a hope4 ,evidently1 this man's heart is better than his head4 ,he says that ,god has ordained everlasting suffering2 but our author is not satisfied with that2 he would be glad if some shortening of the sinner's doom could be found1 but he cannot find it4 ,he does not seem to realize that in these words he claims to be more merciful than ,god ,himself4 ,now1 if all sin is forgiven sin1 as the author says1 and as ,i believe it is1 then how can there in justice be everlasting suffering8 ,the suffering cannot in justice be punishment1 since the sin is forgiven2 nor can it be discipline if the suffering has no end1 for no moral improvement would be attained thereby1 but the very maximum of evil4 ,surely1 a merciful and just and wise ,god cannot be the ,author of any such scheme8 ,would it not be a thousand times more reasonable to conceive of suffering as being temporary2 to be inflicted as a necessary discipline2 and then when the discipline is attained1 to cease8 ,the reverent and reasonable way of looking at the entire matter seems to be something like this3 ,first2 all sin is forgiven in virtue of the ,atonement that has been made4 ,the benefit of that ,atonement extends to the first man of our race1 as well as to the last one4 ,the benefit of it extends to the whole family of man1 whether heathen or not2 and whether small sinners or great4 ,further2 every man is a sinner in some degree1 and he needs a degree of discipline which the present life does not provide1 but which is provided in the next4 ,this will be as varied as men's character and attainments4 ,in those who have risen high1 it may well be described as a passage into glory1 for it will1 indeed1 be realized as such4 ,but it will be a lower glory1 preparatory for a higher1 to be attained later on4 ,others1 with different degrees of evil still clinging to them1 will have to undergo pains and penalties suitable to their condition1 and so by gradual ascent attain to perfection and blessedness4 ,thus1 it is reasonable to think that there will be as great a variety of character and capacity then as now2 and this will largely determine the great variety of place1 service1 and so on4 ,but supposing that future punishment did issue in moral improvement1 and that such improvement should go on increasing1 is it thinkable that under an infinitely gracious and wise government there would come no time of such perfection as would warrant release8 ,but in that case the suffering would not be endless4 ,whichever way you take it1 that seems to be the inevitable1 final issue4 ,so it seems to me that the only wise1 and beneficent1 and just idea of future suffering1 whether it be intense or mild1 or whether it be of shorter or longer duration1 is1 that it will be the means of working out a divinely intended degree of moral perfection2 and that it will then come to an end4 ,this course of procedure we observe here and now4 ,it may operate on a larger scale1 and with more final results1 in the life to come2 but we apprehend that the principle will be much the same4 ,and the principle is enough for us now4 ,the details1 we are sure1 will be worthy of ,infinite ,wisdom and ,love4 ,it will thus be observed that our author's dictum that all sin is forgiven sin absolutely forbids the idea of endless torment4 ,it is a marvel that he did not see this before4 ,but somehow1 likely from early training1 there is a strong disposition to retain the idea of endless torment as though it were the ,gospel4 ,we think1 on the contrary1 that any good reasons1 whether founded on ,scripture or on common sense1 should be hailed as a deliverance from intellectual and spiritual bondage4 ,above all things1 let us beware of turning the divine light into darkness4 ,this is a mere sketch of the order that may be supposed to obtain in the next life4 ,we need to put ,scripture and reason together to get a view of such things as will commend themselves to our best judgment4 ,and when we have done our best1 what can we really know of details8 ,not much1 certainly2 but enough to appeal strongly to faith and hope4 ,in fact1 anything like a complete revelation could not be given to us now and here2 for we have not the capacity nor the experience to understand it4 ,and even if it could be given1 it might largely distract us from the ordinary duties of life4 ,it is a gracious ,providence that shuts out the unseen from these mortal eyes4 ,but we have the great consolation that what we know not now1 we shall know hereafter4 ,in regard to the unfolding of divine truth1 ,i have just met with the following terse expression of it3 ,the inscrutable laws of the all-wise ,god do not reveal themselves in one generation1 but ripen with the desire for knowledge on the part of mankind4 ,thus1 there is a progress in revelation4 ,there are epochs when men get larger views of truth4 ,i think the present is one of these epochs4 ,many statements of ,scripture that were supposed formerly to relate wholly to the present life1 are now seen to relate to the life beyond4 ,this brings a wonderful naturalness and harmony into the whole scheme of grace1 so far as it is revealed4 ,the idea of no endless torment is but an enlargement of the principle that ,god brings good out of evil4 ,consider also that an ideal condition of the universe seems to require that sin and suffering will be forever eliminated2 and that under ,god's administration an ideal condition will be realized4 ,further2 ,god has a personal love for every human soul4 ,the most degraded of our race can say as truly as did ,paul1 ,he loved me4 ,it is reasonable to expect1 then1 that infinite ,love will secure for the worst of mankind something better than endless torment4 ,i have referred to the fact that the mind has a strong affinity for truth4 ,but certainly1 it has a strong repugnance to a belief in endless torment4 ,men try to believe it because they think it is taught in the ,bible1 and that it would be a dangerous thing to doubt it4 ,but apart from that1 there is no natural or hearty concurrence of the mind in that view4 ,and ,i think ,i may say that such an attitude is more pronounced in those of an elevated and reverent turn of mind4 ,then we know that ,god does not afflict willingly1 nor grieve the children of men4 ,therefore we believe all the suffering of this life and of the next is but as a means to an end4 ,the fact1 also1 that sin and suffering are abnormal features of the divine administration1 indicates almost beyond doubt that they will finally be done away4 ,remember1 too1 that it is very clearly revealed that an ,atonement has been made for every man4 ,thus1 a divine provision has been made for every man ,now the provision involves desire2 and can the desire fail8 ,under a perfect administration1 therefore1 how can there be endless suffering8 ,then if ,god gave ,his own ,son1 and if the ,son gave ,himself1 for the redemption of the world1 will that ,atonement fail of its effect in a single case8 ,such a possibility is almost unthinkable4 ,consider1 also1 that the possibility of eternal sin and suffering seems to imply a failure of the divine administration2 which is impossible4 ,then1 ,god is forever the same4 ,if ,he is love1 wisdom1 power1 justice1 mercy1 now1 ,he is the same through all eternity4 ,at no future epoch1 therefore1 can we conceive of the necessity of endless torment4 ,we have to remember too1 that ,god rules in all worlds1 and throughout all time4 ,forever1 and everywhere1 ,his counsel will stand1 and ,he will do all ,his pleasure4 ,it is an orthodox doctrine that ,god cannot suffer4 ,but that does not seem in harmony with the breathing of ,his sigh1 ,o that they were wise6 or ,how can ,i give thee up8 or the tears of ,christ over the apostate city4 ,now1 if ,god is eternal ,love1 do not sin and suffering interfere forever with ,his happiness8 ,but normally we conceive of ,him as the infinitely happy ,one2 therefore that normal condition requires that sin and suffering be ultimately done away4 ,then we have the fact that we are ,god's children2 yes1 even the most debased of mankind4 ,paul could say to the idolaters of ,athens1 ,we are ,his offspring4 ,now1 if we are really ,his children1 and therefore infinitely dearer to ,him than our children are to us1 will not the present suffering of even one of us be a source of pain to the eternal ,father8 ,on that ground we cannot think of suffering as being endless4 ,this is holy ground2 let us tread it reverently4 ,further2 we read that ,christ lighteth every man that cometh into the world4 ,now1 if ,he loves every man1 and atones for every man1 and enlightens every man1 is it conceivable that ,he will not somewhere and at some time save every man8 ,likewise1 we read that the ,spirit is given to every man4 ,is not that the initial stage of redemption8 ,then will not redemption be completed8 ,here we see but a very small part of the outgoings of ,him who is from everlasting to everlasting4 ,then this larger view explains ,god's universal call4 ,he says1 ,look unto me and be ye saved1 all ye ends of the earth4 ,there we see ,god's intention2 and if it is not carried out in this life1 will it not be in the life to come8 ,we are accustomed in our short-sightedness to think that the dividing line of death is final4 ,but with ,god it is not final4 ,it only marks the stage from one epoch to another4 ,in the same way1 this larger view explains ,god's repeated promise to ,abraham4 ,the promise was made to him that in him all the families on the earth would be blest4 ,but uncounted millions of them have not been blest1 so far as this life is concerned4 ,will the promise not be fulfilled8 ,and how can it be fulfilled but by being fulfilled in the next life8 ,then1 of ,christ it was foretold that he should see of the travail of ,his soul1 and should be satisfied4 ,but surely1 ,he is not satisfied with the comparatively small number of the human race that have been saved4 ,if ,he loves each one of them individually1 will ,he be satisfied with less than the salvation of each one8 ,evidently1 ,he looked forward to this all-conquering epoch when ,he said that ,he would draw all men unto ,himself4 ,certainly1 ,he did not draw all men to ,himself when ,he was here4 ,what remains for us but to enlarge our view1 and believe that ,he will do it there8 ,along the same line we have the promise that all ,israel shall be saved4 ,that promise has not been fulfilled1 and never can be fulfilled1 in this life4 ,is it too much to say that it will be fulfilled in the life to come8 ,in like manner it is promised that ,he shall have the heathen for his inheritance4 ,but uncounted millions of the heathen have died in utter darkness2 and millions more are dying now4 ,how can the promise be fulfilled within the bourne of time8 ,but we thank ,god that the whole span of time is but one short epoch with ,him whose ways are from everlasting4 ,judging from the revelations that we have of ,god1 we believe that ,he can and will achieve the maximum of holiness and happiness for all ,his creatures1 according to their several capacities4 ,in harmony with this view1 scientists and moralists say that it is a law of the universe that anything that is really good will endure4 ,it is likely that in the future life we shall see the working of that principle as we cannot see it now4 ,it is strongly in favor of this idea that man is endowed with such amazing potentiality4 ,there seems to be no end to his capacity of development4 ,now1 is it to be supposed that an all-wise ,god would endow man with such possibilities1 and create no scope for their development8 ,certainly1 there would be no worthy development of them in the case of endless torment4 ,this idea strongly suggests universal salvation4 ,in the case of eternal suffering1 without hope of release1 would not that condition develop every possibility of evil to all eternity8 ,and would not such an outcome be entirely contrary to the purpose of the ,holy ,one8 ,then it is an everlasting argument for universal salvation that such a consummation would be far more glorifying to ,god1 than any other alternative that we can conceive4 ,thus1 the larger view goes a long way to explain ,god's delay in saving the heathen4 ,we may fail in giving them the ,gospel2 but will ,he fail8 ,is ,his success made dependent on any passing whim or indifference of ours8 ,surely not4 ,he may have good reasons for saving some in this life1 and others in the next4 ,we see but a short way into the whole scheme of things4 ,this larger view also solves the difficulty of dealing after death with the imperfect ,christian4 ,he is not fit for the world of bliss1 nor yet for the world of woe4 ,but the discipline we are supposing fits him for his higher destiny4 ,and so1 we may well suppose1 it will be with the non-,christian good man4 ,on the principle that what is good will endure1 all that is good in him will be retained1 and the evil will be eliminated4 ,also1 on this basis we can reasonably forecast the destiny of the insane4 ,since they lost their reason they are not responsible4 ,but they will resume their reason at the point where it deserted them1 and they will be prepared for the inheritance of the saints4 ,the same theory justifies the destruction of wicked nations4 ,they had gone down to such depths of sin1 that it was better for them to be cut off1 and to have a new opportunity under more favorable conditions4 ,this larger view also explains why ,god chose to continue the human race after they sinned1 and entailed on all their posterity such mourning1 lamentation and woe4 ,god did an infinitely better thing for the race than extinction4 ,he provided a way of salvation for all4 ,so the day may come in the endless years when all the pains and penalties of earth will be reckoned trifles as light as air1 contrasted with the supernal glory that has been attained4 ,i would also say that according to this larger view there is no more difficulty as to supposed eternal separations4 ,it has always been a mystery how the good can be happy when conscious that those whom they loved are in everlasting torment4 ,some have even tried to believe that they would rise to ,god's own point of view1 and survey with complacency the utmost torments of the dammed6 ,when ,i was a child ,i often heard the dictum from the pulpit that the nature that sinned must suffer4 ,therefore1 it was said that our ,lord took our humanity in order that ,he might suffer in our nature4 ,i have believed since that if ,he had suffered in any other nature1 ,his suffering would be no less efficacious4 ,i believe that the merit of ,his suffering could be transferred to any other world that needs it1 be the inhabitants human or otherwise1 and be their sin what it may4 ,i think it is not for us to limit that merit to our own race4 ,but we need not follow that point farther now4 ,i often heard another dictum1 and one of more importance1 that ,i feel inclined to question4 ,it was said that sin committed against ,god is an infinite evil1 because ,god is infinitely holy4 ,therefore1 it was argued1 that sin deserves infinite punishment2 but that as finite beings we cannot render an infinite penalty in point of quality1 we must render it in point of duration2 hence the justice of everlasting punishment4 ,i confess that to me all this show of logic items act much more than a play upon words4 ,for one thing1 it may be doubted if a finite being is capable of committing an infinite sin4 ,if he is not1 the whole argument collapses4 ,then if he is capable of it1 and if the sin in justice demands an infinite punishment1 how can a just ,god forbear inflicting the punishment at once8 ,but ,he waits to be gracious4 ,is not that a transgression of the strict law of justice8 ,but if in justice ,he can wait an hour1 why not a year8 ,and if a year1 why not a hundred years8 ,and if a hundred years1 why not forever8 ,thus the penalty would be avoided altogether4 ,further2 if sin demands an infinite penalty1 the penalty could never be rendered4 ,for infinity has no end2 and so1 prolong the penalty as we might through uncounted aeons1 there would still be an eternity to come4 ,therefore1 the penalty would never be exacted4 ,it requires the whole of eternity2 and eternity will never end4 ,therefore1 on this showing1 with all reverence1 ,god might as well stop at once1 and claim no penalty1 for the penalty goes on forever2 and forever has no end4 ,not even a moiety of the penalty could be inflicted2 for a moiety can be measured1 but infinity has no measurement4 ,besides2 if the penalty is to be infinite in duration1 might not a very mild punishment suffice as well as a more intense punishment8 ,for the sum total would be equal4 ,one infinity of duration and of suffering is equal to another2 so there would be no need to inflict any severe suffering2 infinity of duration would make the suffering infinite in amount1 however slight it might be in quality4 ,so if an eternity of suffering could be endured1 which it cannot1 the smallest degree of discomfort would be sufficient to meet the demand4 ,and it is not to be forgotten that all these assumptions are based upon the theory that ,god is only strict justice1 whereas we know that ,he is love as well2 yes1 and wisdom2 so we believe ,he would find a better method than the one we have sketched1 even if it could be realized4 ,thus1 the whole argument breaks down4 ,it is but a human invention1 and not a good invention2 designed1 it would seem1 to support a foregone conclusion4 ,ten thousand times better than all such absurd elaboration is the simple statement that ,his mercy endureth forever4 ,,hesitating ,,and ,,halting4 ,some time ago ,i presented this argument to a ,presbyterian minister1 not suspecting in the least that he was wanting in orthodoxy4 ,he said the argument was conclusive1 and that there is no such thing as eternal punishment4 ,i have since spoken with many ministers on the same topic2 and in no case was there any opposition4 ,many are hesitating and halting between this view and the one that has so widely prevailed4 ,especially is there a natural hesitation to speak about the matter publicly4 ,the main question is1 ,is it true8 ,if it is1 it is good news indeed for our poor1 suffering world4 ,i may state here that there is another possibility which1 if it had been adopted1 would have avoided all necessity for punishment4 ,i refer to the fact that when ,adam and ,eve sinned1 ,god might have cut them off1 and so avoided the hideous tale of suffering that has resulted since4 ,or ,he might have rendered them childless1 and have thus anticipated and avoided all difficulty4 ,either of these measures would certainly have been fraught with far less suffering than the consignment of so many uncounted millions1 or even one individual1 to eternal torment4 ,the fact that any better measure was available1 is a strong argument for the ultimate restoration of the race4 ,we believe that ,god has made a provision for all mankind1 ten thousand times better than the cutting off or rendering childless of the first pair4 ,when we realize that the whole race is yet to be restored1 we begin to see something of the unbounded love and wisdom that rule through all time and all eternity4 ,even the suffering of the present may be made conducive to our ultimate happiness and glory4 ,a little farther on we may see that sin and suffering have been permitted for a time as an object lesson for all eternity4 ,in view of such a possibility we feel like exclaiming1 ,o1 the depth of the riches1 both of the wisdom1 and knowledge of ,god6 ,how unsearchable are ,his judgments1 and ,his ways past finding out6 ,very recently there came to me a new idea2 and it came with such suddenness that ,i can believe it was a suggestion from another ,mind4 ,i was listening to a very able and thoughtful sermon4 ,the theme was the retention of the ,canaanites in the land1 instead of driving them out4 ,we read that ,when ,israel was strong1 they put the ,canaanites to tribute1 and did not utterly drive them out4 ,the very natural and telling application that was made by the preacher was1 the many compromises with evil that are made in our own time for the sake of gain4 ,,barbarous ,,ideas4 ,but the preacher took the ground that it was a very cruel and barbarous thing to exterminate those nations1 or to put them to the sword4 ,he dwelt on the barbarous ideas that then prevailed1 contrasting them with the toleration that prevails now4 ,he said that we convert men now1 instead of killing them4 ,he took the ground that the extermination of those people was due to an entire misconception of the divine command4 ,it struck me at the moment that such an idea was entirely contrary to the fact4 ,here is the command1 and the substance of it was often repeated3 ,ye shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods1 upon the high mountains1 and upon the hills1 and under every green tree2 and ye shall overthrow their altars1 and break their pillars1 and burn their groves with fire2 and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods1 and destroy the names of them out of that place4 ,the divine command1 then1 was not misconceived4 ,we may see plainly now its wisdom and real kindness4 ,but ,israel made an unwise and unholy compromise4 ,by this compromise that was made1 the surrounding heathen tribes in some cases were spared4 ,the consequence was that there was a constant incitement to idolatry4 ,again and again1 ,israel fell into this sin1 and paid severely for their crime4 ,i think it is not too much to say that had ,israel inflexibly carried out the divine command1 the ,jewish nation might have been the strongest in the world to-day4 ,but what has all this to do with the theory of ,restoration8 ,a great deal4 ,in the light of that larger truth1 extermination was not the harsh measure that at the first glance it seems4 ,it was simply the removal of those incorrigible races to other scenes where they would have better chances of reform2 and it was the removal of a constant snare to ,israel4 ,under the old idea1 those heathen tribes were consigned to eternal torment4 ,even for the women and children there was no escape4 ,they were not fit for ,heaven2 so they must all go to hell2 that was the naked1 bald idea4 ,even if the children were saved1 how were they prepared for the scenes of bliss8 ,but when we once entertain the idea of a future process of reformation1 a door of hope is opened for the worst of them4 ,a ,,shaft ,,of ,,ridicule4 ,that seems to be the grand solution of what has always seemed a barbarous proceeding4 ,the want of such a solution has furnished ,ingersoll and men like him with many a shaft of ridicule at the so-called merciful ,god of the ,old ,testament4 ,this larger view shows ,him to be all ,he claims2 that ,his mercy is not confined to this short span of time2 that it is from everlasting to everlasting4 ,one great advantage in believing in ,restoration is1 that any good influence effected on any person will have its legitimate effect in the next life4 ,i need to explain4 ,there are many persons who are not believers who yet rise to a high plane of character4 ,but no matter how high they may rise1 if they are not ,christians the old theory would consign them to everlasting torment4 ,no doubt1 degrees of suffering are recognized1 varying with the goodness or badness of the sinner4 ,still1 if a person is not a ,christian when he dies1 the idea is that he must go to eternal torment1 be his moral character what it may4 ,thus1 any good influence that may be exerted upon him here is largely or entirely lost4 ,even the incentive to do him good in a great degree is neutralized4 ,an inevitable1 though it may be an unconscious1 arrest1 is thus put upon every good impulse to benefit men except they are true ,christians4 ,but consider how different is the incentive on the ,restoration theory4 ,in that case1 you can have the certainty that any good accomplished in this life will have its due effect in the next4 ,a man may not be a ,christian1 but he may have risen to such a high character in this life that he will not have to pass through very severe pains and penalties in the next4 ,there is1 therefore1 every incentive to do the most and the best we can for all men1 be their character what it may1 and whether they are ,christians or not4 ,we may be sure that any good effect attained will not be lost4 ,is not this a strong plea for good works8 ,and is it not a strong argument that ,restoration is true8 ,is it to be supposed that the divine government is based on any possibility of good efforts being abortive8 ,surely1 in ,god's perfect government of the world it is so arranged that every good influence will have its due effect4 ,to my mind1 this consideration makes strongly for the truth of the theory of ,restoration4 ,it may possibly be charged on me that all through this discussion ,i have ignored divine justice4 ,i would say that nothing could be farther from my intention4 ,to be sure1 ,i have tried to magnify divine love4 ,god so loved the world that ,he gave ,his only begotten ,son for the world4 ,there we see a depth of love that will never be fathomed4 ,but then1 ,he gave ,his ,son4 ,there was infinite justice1 too4 ,he spared not ,his own ,son4 ,it pleased the ,lord to bruise ,him4 ,o1 mystery of mysteries6 ,the union of infinite love with infinite justice6 ,i believe that will be the marvel of eternity4 ,let that stand1 whatever ,i may seem to say to the contrary4 ,in dealing with problems that are so high1 and yet so deep1 it would not be surprising if there are some apparent contradictions4 ,our limited range of thought1 and our poor vehicle of speech1 make seeming contradiction almost inevitable4 ,but there will be harmony by and by4 ,i would say here that in what is advanced there are some repetitions4 ,but often these are in new connections1 and are therefore in order4 ,besides1 ,i have not been careful to avoid repetition2 for ,i have in view many readers to whom such topics as are treated here are comparatively new1 and by all such1 repetition is needed4 ,the foregoing are some1 but only some1 of the arguments that occur to me in support of the theory of ,restoration4 ,it may be that in some cases ,i may be considered too dogmatic on a theme which is involved in much obscurity4 ,but apart from the manner1 judge of the matter4 ,is it not reasonable8 ,and is not the very conception of it like the rising of a new sun in a new world8 ,i have claimed that such views are reasonable4 ,they may appear strange--even impious--at the first glance2 but the longer the mind dwells upon them the more reasonable they will appear4 ,the old view is not reasonable2 and that is one of its most damaging features4 ,for all true religion is reasonable4 ,in fact1 religion is one of the most reasonable things in the world4 ,it is so in ,god's mind1 who sees all parts of it in all their relations4 ,but our view for the present is limited4 ,we see only a part of the divine scheme4 ,but it is a great consolation that what we know not now we shall know hereafter4 ,let us always remember that our highest thoughts of ,god's wisdom and love are as nothing to the reality4 ,in this regard ,i believe the future has revelations that will surprise us4 ,oh1 yes2 the words will come true by and by1 in a larger sense than our poor faith can anticipate3 ,weeping may endure for a night1 but joy cometh in the morning4 ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,case ,,of ,,saul4 ,divine ,methods of ,reclaiming ,men--,the ,chief of ,sinners--,changed in a ,moment--,no ,violence ,done to ,his ,freedom--,yet ,sovereign ,power--,the ,mystery of ,grace--,view of ,mc,cosh--,supremacy of ,conscience--,sir ,isaac ,newton's ,alertness of ,mind--,reason and ,intuition--,capturing the ,most ,incorrigible--,evil ,environment--,suffering a ,necessary ,factor--,agony of ,remorse4 ,we must remember that ,god has ways and means of reclaiming men that we do not see ordinarily put forth in this life4 ,but we do see singular exhibitions of grace and power sometimes4 ,i have referred to the case of ,saul4 ,witness his conversion4 ,he was a blaspheming1 malignant persecutor4 ,he says he was exceedingly mad against ,god's saint4 ,it is said that he breathed out threatening and slaughter4 ,he said that he was the chief of sinners4 ,possibly that was no mere rhetoric4 ,he may actually have been the worst of mankind4 ,but in a moment he was changed4 ,he was utterly transformed4 ,his blasphemy was turned to prayer4 ,from that day forward he would do anything1 or go anywhere1 or suffer the utmost persecution1 if only he might serve ,him whom he had before persecuted and blasphemed4 ,and what was it that effected such a marvellous change8 ,the ,lord manifested ,himself to him1 and spoke to him2 that was all4 ,how we adore the grace and power that can work such marvels6 ,and in the life to come who can say but such marvels will be used1 and with similar effect8 ,we simply do not know1 but we can see that such means can be used1 and we can imagine that they will be1 especially in the case of those who had no chance before4 ,in such a case1 the period of suffering may not need to be greatly prolonged4 ,in other cases we can imagine that the suffering may be long continued before the sinner repents4 ,and it is wonderful how1 in the case of ,saul1 no violence was done to the freedom of his will4 ,he was no mere machine4 ,he was simply taken captive4 ,he willingly1 gladly1 surrendered4 ,he could say afterward1 ,i was not disobedient to the heavenly vision4 ,it was a case of divine sovereignty combined with human freedom4 ,it may be that we shall never understand how these two forces unite4 ,but one thing we do know2 it is the ,lord's way1 and it is marvellous in our eyes4 ,meantime1 we take these words of ,tennyson as the best definition of the mystery that we know3 ,our wills are ours1 we know not how2 ,our wills are ours1 to make them thine4 ,who can say but some such divine yet free constraint may be exercised in the life to come8 ,it will be seen that ,i do not think of freedom as the prime faculty of the soul4 ,i rather think1 with ,mc,cosh1 that conscience is supreme4 ,and why8 ,for two reasons3 ,first1 conscience deals only with questions in the moral realm4 ,this gives it a peculiar dignity and sacredness4 ,it does not concern itself with questions of mere expediency1 but with questions of right and wrong1 and discriminates intuitively between truth and error4 ,yes1 even in mathematical truth ,i think there is an element of morality4 ,if a man could believe that two and two are five1 he would appear to me a worse man1 morally1 for so believing4 ,so then1 conscience rather than freewill is the highest quality of the soul1 because it deals with questions solely in the higher realm4 ,,sir ,,isaac ,,newton',s ,,opinion4 ,then1 as ,i have said1 there is another reason why we think of conscience as our highest faculty4 ,that is1 that it acts instinctively4 ,it has a sensitiveness of feeling towards questions of right and wrong1 and of truth and error4 ,this seems to me to be a higher faculty than mere reason4 ,it seems to ally conscience more closely with the divine4 ,we cannot think of ,god arriving at conclusions by reasoning4 ,he is conscious of the truth without any intermediate process of reasoning4 ,it is said of ,sir ,isaac ,newton that he perceived at a glance the truth of many propositions that had to be tediously reasoned out step by step by inferior minds4 ,we recognize at once the superiority of such an order of mind2 and in the realm of morals it is such a faculty with which conscience is endowed4 ,thus in both respects that have been indicated1 freewill seems to occupy a lower plane4 ,for one thing it has largely to do with matters in a lower realm4 ,it concerns itself1 not chiefly with higher questions1 but often with matters of the most trifling character4 ,its daily operation is mainly with the commonplace4 ,and besides1 it has not the gift of intuition but of reason1 and often of conflicting reason4 ,for such reasons as these freewill--important as it is--must be conceived as a lower faculty than that of conscience4 ,because conscience operates solely in a higher realm1 and because its operations are of a higher quality1 ,i think of it as a superior function of the soul4 ,if there is too much theory here1 consider the matter for a moment in its practical aspect4 ,we often see that one strong will can dominate a weaker one1 without in the least impairing its freedom4 ,there is no doubt that the weaker will is as free as ever4 ,it freely yields to the influence of the stronger will4 ,and it may yield intelligently4 ,it is easy to conceive that influences may be brought to bear on it by which it is captured1 without losing a particle of its freedom4 ,,the ,,worst ,,of ,,mankind4 ,we may reasonably conceive1 then1 of ,christ acting on the most incorrigible of mankind1 and entirely capturing them without in the least depriving them of freewill4 ,what influences ,he may bring to bear upon them1 who can say8 ,what unfoldings of eternal love ,he may reveal are impossible to be imagined4 ,we can thus believe that the worst of mankind might be captured and redeemed4 ,i appeal to the capture of ,saul of ,tarsus as an example of such a possibility4 ,what a door of hope is opened here for our lost race6 99 99 99 99 99 ,it may be asked why such a redemption is not effected in the present life4 ,let us beware of intruding into divine mysteries4 ,we might as well ask why ,saul was not arrested and redeemed before he made such a havoc of the church1 and went down to such a low depth of infamy4 ,or we might inquire why he was arrested at all4 ,or we might inquire why ,god went to that idolatrous people in ,ur of the ,chaldees1 and took ,abraham from among them1 and made him not only the progenitor of the chosen race1 but one of the greatest and most noble men in history4 ,yet ,god in his sovereign pleasure took that course1 leaving the rest of those heathen people in their idolatry4 ,and so through all the ages we see the manifestation of ,god's electing favor4 ,i say1 we must beware of intruding into the divine mysteries4 ,to all such inquiries we can only say1 ,even so1 ,father1 for so it seemed good in ,thy sight4 ,,they ,,may ,,yield ,,speedily4 ,it is well1 however1 to remember that the environment may be much more favorable in a future world than here4 ,there are many who are almost of necessity sinners from their youth up1 because of their evil surroundings4 ,it would be hard to expect them to be much better than they are4 ,but their surroundings may be entirely different in the next life2 and they may yield speedily to the better influences4 ,we see such effects so often in this life that we may well cherish hopes for their larger operation in the next4 ,no details are revealed2 but we can imagine this as a reasonable possibility4 ,in such a case there may be the most surprising reformations4 ,it may be objected that ,i have taken very little notice of suffering as a necessary factor in the process of future redemption4 ,i may say that ,i have always had it in view2 but we have no details as to the nature of it1 or the duration of it1 or how it will be inflicted4 ,that there will be suffering ,i have no doubt4 ,but ,i regard suffering rather as reformatory than punitive4 ,take the example of ,saul1 to whom we have just referred4 ,if ever there was a case of sudden conversion1 surely we see it there4 ,it did not take him long to pass out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light4 ,but he went through a very agony of remorse4 ,he passed through such a horror of darkness that for three days and nights he did not eat4 ,certainly1 the intensest suffering accompanied his conversion4 ,in the light of such facts as these we can see how possible1 and how reasonable it is to expect the most wonderful transformation in the next life4 ,the greatest sinners may become the greatest saints4 ,i have taken the case of ,saul to show how such marvels of redemption may be effected in a future life4 ,possibly his case is the most notable that has occurred4 ,and yet1 who can say8 ,from cases that we have known we can well believe that there are thousands of such cases that have never got into any history4 ,but we have seen enough to warrant the belief that in the next life there will be marvels of spiritual transformation4 ,,xvii4 ,,eternal ,,separations4 ,an ,everlasting ,pang--,david and ,absalom--,strained ,ideas of ,late ,momentary ,repentance--,king ,solomon--,king ,saul--,the ,gracious ,character of ,sympathy--,george ,eliot's ,view--,a strong ,argument for ,restoration --,heresy of a ,minister's ,wife--,the ,minister's ,orthodox ,view--,wonderful ,goodness of a ,criminal--,where ,will ,he ,finally ,go8--,our ,very ,imperfect ,friends--,glossing ,over ,their ,faults ,when ,they ,are ,gone--,our ,instinctive ,hope for the ,worst--,restoration the ,true ,solution--,a ,final ,era of ,joy4 ,we might glance here at another difficulty which is solved by the theory of ,restoration4 ,apart from this theory1 those who are saved we think must have everlasting regret that friends whom they have known and loved are not with them4 ,suppose those friends are annihilated4 ,will not the knowledge of that fact be an everlasting pang to the friends who have attained eternal joy8 ,to think that those who were so dear to them were worthy of no better fate6 ,to think of the honor and glory which might have been eternally theirs1 which now they have forever missed6 ,what a joy it would be1 too1 to have their companionship6 ,but that joy is eternally forfeited4 ,we think that if regret in heaven can be1 it would arise from the fact that those whom we hoped to meet there we shall never see4 ,take one case as an illustration4 ,is it to be conceived that ,david would not have an everlasting regret in regard to his son ,absalom8 ,we know how his heart was broken when he received the tidings of ,absalom's death2 yes1 though ,absalom was utterly opposed to him1 and was trying to wrest the kingdom from him4 ,it is one of the most pathetic scenes in ,scripture history1 when the king received the news of his son's death4 ,we see him going up the stairs to the chamber over the gates1 and we hear his sobs and cries1 and his broken words3 ,o ,absalom1 my son1 my son ,absalom2 would ,god ,i had died for thee2 ,o ,absalom1 my son1 my son4 ,now can it be supposed that ,david will have no regret for his son ,absalom if he does not meet him in the abodes of bliss8 ,the tenderness of heart that characterized him here will surely not be suppressed there4 ,will not the absence of his son be an everlasting pang8 ,it may be supposed--it has been supposed--that somehow at the last moment1 ,absalom repented1 and was saved4 ,we put no limit on the grace of ,god2 but such a supposition is entirely gratuitous4 ,it is a far-fetched invention to square with the idea of supposed final perseverence4 ,the difficulty is1 to believe that ,absalom died in a state of grace4 ,how much more likely it is that ,absalom came to himself in the next life2 and that his father could endure--yea1 rejoice in--his absence for a time1 knowing that the result would be everlasting reunion4 ,and so with ,solomon4 ,we read of the high hopes that ,david cherished about ,solomon1 and how ,solomon so terribly declined in character in his later life1 and died1 so far as the record goes1 in apostasy from ,god4 ,if he is absent from heaven1 will not his absence cause ,david an everlasting pang8 ,and so with ,king ,saul1 and many more whom we recall1 both in ,bible history1 and in our own experience4 ,the unsolved difficulty stares us in the face2 but it is no longer a difficulty1 but everlasting harmony1 when we believe in ,restoration4 ,,george ,,eliot',s ,,idea4 ,and if the fate of extinction would thus cause everlasting regret how much more would the knowledge that our friends are in everlasting torment4 ,surely our knowledge of such a fate would be unendurable4 ,would there not be everlasting distress in that world of joy8 ,in fact it would be no world of joy4 ,we shall have the same nature then as now4 ,it will be only ennobled and purified4 ,certainly sympathy--which is one of the noblest of our feelings--will be more tender and intense than now4 ,george ,eliot said that she estimated her entire moral condition by her capacity of sympathy4 ,we may imagine then the horror of the situation if we have to think of our friends as being in everlasting torment4 ,surely this is a strong argument for ,restoration4 ,we might endure1 and even rejoice in1 a mild degree of suffering on the part of friends1 if we knew that such was a necessary process of purification1 and that by and by they would rise to eternal happiness4 ,but to think of them as being forever in torment--inflicted for punishment1 and not for purification--would be unspeakable torture4 ,we have indeed heard of zealots who taught that the saved would even rejoice in the sufferings of the damned1 as the effect of ,god's glorious justice4 ,for the credit of humanity we would believe that such lurid representations were rare1 and but the product of temporary excitement1 or perhaps a mistaken zeal for orthodoxy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i was lately staying at a ,presbyterian ,manse4 ,the minister was from home1 but his wife engaged me in several topics of conversation4 ,among other things she instanced the case of a family some members of which were saved1 and some were lost2 and she asked me if there was any means of explaining away the agony of such a separation4 ,thinking she might not be ready for a thorough discussion of the subject1 ,i tried to dismiss it by some casual remark4 ,but it would not do2 again and again she returned to the point4 ,at length ,i stated plainly that ,i did not believe in endless torment1 or eternal separation4 ,at once1 and with evident relief1 she responded that such was her own view4 ,now ,i think that case is typical of thousands and thousands more4 ,they have been brought up in the orthodox idea of eternal torment2 it is enshrined in their thought by the sacredness of childish association2 they have the conception that it is an evidence of soundness in the faith4 ,but by and by1 when they begin to think1 their heart rebels2 the idea hitherto accounted true seems opposed to every humane instinct1 and much more opposed to that mercy that is from everlasting to everlasting4 ,there is thus a sea of conflicting ideas1 and they know not which way to turn4 ,my hope is1 that when they read these pages they will see that a large pan of the church has been for a long time under a dark cloud of error1 and that their humane instinct is but a dim reflection of ,eternal ,love4 ,the lady referred to told me that her husband's view and hers do not agree4 ,it is his idea1 she said1 that the point of view of the saved will gradually be uplifted until it coincides with ,god's1 and that then they will be able to contemplate the tortures of the damned with perfect satisfaction6 ,and this is orthodoxy6 ,o1 for the day when this dark pall will be lifted from the heart of the world6 99 99 99 99 99 ,thus men have distorted the finest feelings of their nature that they might view with complacency the eternal torments of the damned4 ,they really believed1 or tried to believe1 that such was ,god's feeling and attitude2 and to that divine ideal they felt that they must aspire4 ,it was surely hard work1 and would naturally issue in a degree of sanctimoniousness and unreality4 ,yet it was necessary1 if the doctrine of eternal torment were true4 ,but the moment that doctrine is seen to be untrue1 what a change of ideal6 ,then it is discerned that all this hardening process is opposed to the best that is in human nature1 and utterly contrary to the character of ,god4 ,we can never estimate the spiritual loss that it has been to mankind to have had such ideas of the ,infinitely ,merciful ,one4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when it is once discerned that there is no endless torment1 but that suffering in the next life is a divinely appointed means of reformation1 how the mind is enlarged in the contemplation of the wisdom1 power1 and love of ,god6 ,yea1 and what an uplift1 and what a new direction1 is given to our ideas of human perfection and blessedness6 ,if there were nothing else1 we have surely here a strong argument for final ,restoration4 ,eternal blessedness is consonant with our nature2 and though details of it are not revealed1 it is reasonable to believe that it will ultimately be attained4 ,but eternal suffering is abnormal and repugnant4 ,especially is it so as we rise in the moral scale4 ,as a worthy ultimatum it cannot be entertained4 ,it is far more reasonable to believe that under the perfect government of ,god1 sin and all its resulting pain will finally be done away4 ,further2 it would be hard to find a case of such utter wickedness as not to have some mixture of good as well4 ,that gives us the reasonable hope that ultimately the good will triumph4 ,and sometimes we find great goodness mixed with great evil4 ,just now ,i notice a very affecting report in the newspaper of a criminal in whom there must have been a wonderful mixture of good and bad4 ,he was convicted of a serious crime1 and sentenced to three years in the penitentiary4 ,when he was leaving the city under arrest1 and being taken on board the train that was to convey him to the place of confinement1 a number of his late companions in crime appeared on the railway platform4 ,they had come to bid him good-bye4 ,and it was no formal leave-taking4 ,with tears and sobs they flung their arms about his neck1 and kissed him4 ,so affecting was the scene that the policeman in charge was utterly broken down4 ,but the man had to go to prison2 and the chances are that the evil influences of prison life will dissipate much of that extraordinary goodness which must have been in him to develop so much affection4 ,be that as it may1 the question must suggest itself to every thoughtful mind1 ,where will that man go should he die in the meantime8 ,he is far too good for the world of woe2 yet he is not fit for the better world until his criminal propensities are eliminated4 ,how reasonable it is to believe in--we might say what a moral necessity there is for--a process of development of the good1 and elimination of the evil4 ,on the principle that what is good will survive1 and that the evil will be extinguished1 we can hope for nothing less4 ,and when we remember that all men1 and all conditions1 and all worlds1 are under the control of ,him whose love is from everlasting to everlasting1 we may believe that such a man's final destiny is the inheritance of the saints4 ,another argument is derived very naturally from the case of departed friends whose spiritual condition was doubtful4 ,have we not known of acquaintances who passed away1 of whose spiritual condition we could have no well grounded assurance8 ,but the moment they were gone we became charitable1 glossed over their faults1 and hoped for the best4 ,would it not be a far more reasonable thing to do1 to imagine them as having passed into some purifying process1 from which they would emerge in due time8 ,in the case of many we can believe that such a purifying process might involve no great suffering2 and we could endure the thought of it when we believed in its glorious issue4 ,in fact we would become more like ,god ,himself1 who is inflicting pain every day with a view to moral perfection by and by4 ,well do ,i remember spending an evening with a personal friend4 ,he was a man of sterling character4 ,in his ordinary demeanor1 however1 he was a very ,john ,bull of a man2 you would not think there was a particle of sentiment in his whole composition4 ,during our conversation1 reference was made to the case of departed friends whose spiritual condition was doubtful2 and before ,i knew1 my friend utterly broke down and wept4 ,no doubt he was thinking of one in such a case4 ,i could not at that time offer him the consolation of the larger hope2 and it is doubtful if with his education he could have accepted such consolation4 ,what a solace it will be1 when we can think of departed friends in whom the work of grace was manifestly very incomplete--possibly not begun--as having gone1 not into a state of hopeless1 everlasting torment--but as having passed into a state where the work of grace will be completed4 ,but speaking of the reformatory process1 there is one circumstance that may seem to indicate that it may be very long4 ,i refer to the fact that ,satan has been so long incorrigible4 ,i take him of course to be a conscious personality4 ,in the ,word of ,god ,i suppose there are a hundred references to him as a person4 ,if you have any doubt on that point look up the references1 and ,i think you will be convinced4 ,now1 since his temptation of ,adam1 and we know not how long before1 ,satan has been persevering in a course of evil4 ,does not that fact seem to indicate that sinners must have a long period of suffering in the next life before they are reclaimed1 if they ever are8 ,,we ,,have ,,no ,,data4 ,to this view a number of answers may be given4 ,in the first place1 ,satan is of another race2 we know very little of his former history1 or the circumstances of his fall2 and we know not if any means for his recovery have been provided4 ,in the next place1 a few thousand years may be but a span in the long sweep of his existence4 ,then further1 he does not seem to be in a state of suffering at present4 ,there is a hint in the ,book of ,revelation that he will be so by and by2 and we know not what may be in store for him4 ,as intimated before1 some think he will be restored2 others think he will be annihilated4 ,with such ignorance of the circumstances of the case1 it is plain that we have no data for forming an opinion one way or the other4 ,at the same time1 we cannot help being in sympathy with the words of ,burns2 they certainly touch a chord in all our hearts3 ,then fare ye weel1 auld nickey ,ben2 ,o wad ye tak' a thought and men' ,ye aiblins micht--,i dinna ken-- ,hae still a stake4 ,as ,i have said1 there are those who teach that ,satan will be ultimately extinguished4 ,and they lay down that theory with great positiveness4 ,while there are some hints to that effect in the ,word of ,god1 it does not seem to me that they are clear enough to warrant us in being positive4 ,we would hardly expect so much4 ,it is not our business to know much of other world affairs for the present4 ,so far as we may judge1 it would appear instead that ,satan's long continuance in sin gives some hope of his ultimate ,restoration4 ,for the question will naturally arise3 ,why should ,god spare him so long1 if ,he foresees that he must be extinguished at last8 ,why not extinguish him at once1 and thus avoid so much temptation to evil8 ,i am by no means curious on such a question4 ,i merely cite these possibilities to show that the subject is utterly beyond us4 ,it really comes to this1 that on such high topics it is wise to be reverently silent4 ,but with the fact that we do not know1 we ally the privilege of eternal hope4 ,so we would say with ,tennyson3 ,behold1 we know not anything2 ,we can but trust that good shall fall1 ,at last far off1 at last to all2 ,and every winter change to spring4 ,if you dissent from some of the views ,i have advanced1 ,i would ask you not to be hasty in forming conclusions4 ,it may be that after some years you will see differently4 ,i was myself many years before coming to entertain these views4 ,but they were growing on me1 perhaps unconsciously1 and at length they took this pronounced form4 ,it may be so with you4 ,the ideas which you entertain now may be perhaps the result of early training as much as of patient study4 ,let us ever look for divine guidance4 ,we have the promise4 ,ye shall know the truth2 and the truth shall make you free4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i cannot but forecast the new era of joy that will come to the world when the doctrine of ,restoration is generally accepted4 ,it will be like a burst of sunlight from behind a dark cloud4 ,the world is sad2 and ,i am convinced that one cause of its sadness is the dark view of endless torment that has so long prevailed4 ,the view1 from long habit1 may be held almost unconsciously2 but the dark shadow of it has cast a heavy gloom over human life4 ,what an uplift all hearts will have1 what a radiance of joy will be infused into life1 we can now but dimly anticipate4 ,then we can adopt the dictum of ,browning1 and it will be no cheap optimism3 ,god's in ,his heaven2 ,all's right with the world4 ,after all1 that is only our poor human way of expressing the majestic thought1 ,the ,lord ,god omnipotent reigneth6 ,,xviii4 ,,not ,,really ,,believed4 ,present ,enthusiasm for ,missions--,former ,lassitude--,the ,basis of ,missionary ,enterprise--,supposed ,damnation of the ,heathen--,if ,really ,believed1 ,would ,drive ,us to ,frenzy--,ministers' ,monday ,meeting --,pretence ,cuts the ,nerve of ,enthusiasm--,restoration the ,true ,incentive --,effective ,because ,reasonable--,torment ,not ,really ,believed--,the ,heart ,often ,truer ,than the ,head--,necessity for ,preparatory ,state--,could not ,have ,details ,revealed--,orthodoxy of the ,torment ,view--,trying to ,believe ,it--,be ,not ,afraid of the ,truth--,extreme ,calvinists ,signally ,honored--,the ,reason ,why--,our ,innate ,god-given ,convictions--,meagre ,expenditure for ,missions--,tacit ,acknowledgement ,that ,endless ,suffering ,is ,not ,believed4 ,would not the doctrine of ,restoration1 as ,i have tried to commend it1 cut the nerve of enthusiasm for missions8 ,no1 ,i think not2 but it would provide a saner basis for them4 ,for what is the true basis of missions8 ,is it not the command of our ,lord to preach the ,gospel to every creature8 ,that the command extends down to our own time is clear from the fact that the disciples were commanded to go into all the world4 ,they could not do so in their own time2 so the command extends to their followers4 ,moreover1 ,christ said he would be with them until the end of the world4 ,but they were not to continue to the end of the world2 so the command was intended not only for them but those who would succeed them4 ,thus the duty comes home to the ,christian church now1 and cannot be evaded4 ,,increased ,,interest ,,and ,,sympathy ,and all the ,christian churches are agreed that this duty has been laid upon them1 ,the churches are alive to this duty as they never were before4 ,and this is one of the most hopeful signs of the age4 ,it does seem at times as if society were getting worse at the core2 yet in regard to sympathy and helpfulness1 especially in regions remote1 it is certainly improving4 ,and this increased interest and sympathy relates both to the bodies and the souls of men4 ,this age has witnessed marvels of kindness and enterprise that would have been impossible only a few years ago4 ,surely it is time4 ,it must be confessed that the church in general has been very slow to take up the subject of missions with any zeal4 ,there was great activity in the first century of the ,christian era1 and a little later4 ,if it had only been sustained until the present time1 possibly the whole world would have been evangelized4 ,but there was a deplorable lapse of interest and of effort4 ,and it was long continued4 ,we might say that for sixteen hundred years the church was almost indifferent on the matter4 ,but now there is renewed enthusiasm and enterprise4 ,this long lapse of interest should certainly make us moderate in our interpretation of ,scripture4 ,here were the ,saviour's words1 clearly before the eyes of the church for sixteen hundred years2 and it seems we did not see or hear them4 ,he commanded us--and it was one of his last commands--to preach the ,gospel to the world4 ,but we took almost no notice4 ,the world might have been dying in heathenism1 but we seemed not to care4 ,we had not the spiritual alertness to realize that the words of ,christ had any application to ourselves4 ,such torpor of spiritual understanding and sentiment1 ,i say1 ought to keep us from being unduly positive1 or self-assertive1 in our interpretation of ,scripture4 ,happily there is renewed interest now2 and in this all the churches are agreed4 ,,what ,,becomes ,,of ,,the ,,heathen8 ,but what is the basis of all missionary enterprise8 ,i have said that it is the command of ,christ4 ,it is not necessary to believe that the heathen who do not hear the ,gospel are lost4 ,there were certainly some heathens who were not far from the kingdom of ,god4 ,the possibility of men being raised to such a high spiritual level1 even without the ,gospel1 gives us a hint of the ways and means that ,god can use for the ultimate salvation of the heathen world4 ,and it is to be noted that ,christ made no special appeal to us in order to evoke our enthusiasm for the heathen4 ,he gave no hint that there is but the one alternative of damnation if they do not receive and accept the ,gospel4 ,he had evidently no morbid hysteria on that ground4 ,he simply gave the command2 and that ought to be sufficient4 ,he knows what possibilities of grace are in reserve2 but that was not the time nor the place to speak of them4 ,besides1 if we could realize that every heathen who does not hear and accept the ,gospel is doomed to eternal fire1 the thought would drive us to frenzy4 ,we cannot bear the thought of a person1 though he were an enemy1 being even burned to death4 ,in such a case1 there would be a crowd of ardent sympathizers1 though it were known that their sympathy would be unavailing4 ,failing all relief1 there would be sighs1 and groans1 and prayers on every hand4 ,it is not possible to witness unmoved such a scene of suffering4 ,and it lasts but a short time4 ,but the supposed case of the heathen is endless agony2 and it does not move us4 ,the only conclusion is that it is not really believed4 ,we may think we believe it2 we may count it orthodox to believe it2 but if we did really believe it1 it would drive us to insanity4 ,a ,,quasi ,,enthusiasm4 ,therefore any argument drawn from the supposed damnation of the heathen is unreal4 ,we may stir up a quasi enthusiasm2 we may be moved for the time2 but we are not by any means moved to the level of the fate which we deplore4 ,if we really believed it1 as so many profess1 we would spend our last dollar1 and make all but superhuman efforts1 to take the ,gospel to the heathen4 ,but instead of that1 we are content to hear at long intervals a few points of information from the minister1 take up a collection for ,foreign ,missions1 to which perhaps we contribute a few cents or dollars1 and then dismiss the whole matter from our minds4 ,some time ago ,i was present at a ministers' ,monday morning meeting4 ,a brother read a paper on ,foreign ,missions4 ,he and his congregation are noted for their enthusiasm and liberality in that sphere4 ,when he was making his plea for increased liberality and enterprise1 he pictured the heathen dropping into eternal torment one by one--,i think at the average rate of one every minute4 ,when he had done there was a period of profound silence on the part of the brethren who were present4 ,i saw that many of them were confused4 ,they could not in their hearts endorse the brother's argument2 and it would be unorthodox to contravene it4 ,,could ,,not ,,rest ,,in ,,their ,,beds4 ,it will thus be seen that the church is in a very unsettled position on this question4 ,good men are trying to believe what in their hearts they repudiate4 ,they think it a sign of soundness in the faith to believe in the doctrine of eternal torment4 ,if they really believed it they could not rest in their beds at night1 nor follow their usual avocations by day4 ,but happily they do not really believe it4 ,thus the theory of eternal torment has this everlasting drawback that men will not believe it4 ,it may be1 and has been1 accounted the orthodox view2 and men may try to believe it1 but as a matter of fact they do not4 ,to think that a person will suffer forever1 and ever1 is beyond actual belief4 ,just think for a while of torment without end4 ,lengthen out the time in your imagination1 and when you have reached the utmost stretch of imagination1 then think that eternity is only beginning1 and that through eternal cycles of aeons it will go on forever and ever1 and ever4 ,it used to be a favorite method of illustrating the eternity of torment to suppose that after a million of years one grain of soil were taken from the earth2 then after another million of years1 another grain2 then after another million of years1 another grain2 and so on until the whole of the earth had disappeared2 then repeat the proceeding ten thousand millions of times2 and then eternity would be only beginning6 ,imagine1 if you can1 a soul in torment all these uncounted ages2 and then think of the process being repeated over and over again1 without end1 without end1 without end6 ,no man can believe it4 ,but if you tell him he is to suffer until he is reclaimed1 he can believe that2 it comes easily within the scope of his imagination--yes1 and of his reason too4 ,hence it will have more effect on a man's conviction1 and will produce a greater influence on his life1 to be told that if he dies impenitent he will suffer until he repents1 and is reformed4 ,now when we consider the natural affinity which the mind has for truth1 and when we recognize the impossibility of believing in endless torment1 we have a strong presumption that the theory is not true4 ,at all events1 in the present unsettled state of the question would it not be a wholesome thing to take the more limited view of suffering1 and have men believe it in their inmost souls1 rather than the view of eternal torment1 with a hesitating1 half hearted presentation of it1 and consequently without producing genuine conviction8 ,this is a serious question2 let all serious minds ponder it4 ,the want of candor in expressing definite conviction on this subject seems to me to be a formidable barrier to church union4 ,the following article of mine on this point lately appeared in ,the ,homiletic ,review3 ,the contemplated organic union of the ,presbyterian1 ,methodist1 and ,congregational ,churches in ,canada has not yet been consummated4 ,one thing that involved some delay has been the discovery of a basis of doctrine that would suit the three churches4 ,at length such a basis has been formulated4 ,it contains one statement1 however1 which ,i am rather surprised to see4 ,it says that the doom of the finally impenitent will be eternal death4 ,now what does that mean8 ,might it not be honestly taken to mean two very different things8 ,might it not be taken to mean eternal torment or eternal extinction8 ,the manifest ambiguity of such a statement would seem to me highly objectionable4 ,i quoted the phrase to two thoughtful friends1 and asked them what it meant4 ,they made a long pause1 and said they did not know4 ,if the phrase has been adopted on purpose to make it the expression of the two views referred to1 such a course is surely wanting in candor and honesty4 ,to be sure it is a ,scripture phrase2 but inasmuch as it is taken to express two very different views1 it ought not to be adopted4 ,by all means let us be clear and simple and straightforward4 ,there has been too much vagueness on the part of preachers on this most solemn theme4 ,lately ,i heard a preacher speaking of unsaved men as miserable failures1 going out into the darkness4 ,now what did he mean8 ,either he has no definite idea himself1 or he judged it unwise to express it2 or he was afraid to express it4 ,does not such a statement as ,i have quoted pander directly to infidelity8 ,surely the time has come when we ought candidly to recognize that on this question there may be a legitimate difference of opinion4 ,there are men whose godliness and ability are beyond all question1 who hold diverse views on this matter4 ,whether it be the theory of eternal torment or extinction or ,restoration that is held1 let us concede all honor and confidence to the men who hold it4 ,the more of that spirit we really possess1 the sooner will the divine light break upon our souls4 ,with regard to a basis on which conscientious men can really unite1 is it well to go so much into detail8 ,mere creeds will never conserve the truth4 ,men will think1 whether we will or no2 and men will have diverse views4 ,do we not put a premium on dishonesty by constructing a creed for all details1 and expecting men to subscribe to that creed8 ,have we not had too much of that in the past8 ,a noted official in the ,methodist body told me lately that he does not believe in eternal torment1 but that if it were known1 he would lose his position4 ,but eternal torment is in the ,methodist creed1 and he had profest his adherence to it4 ,it is so with many ,presbyterians4 ,i have spoken privately with several1 and not one profest to believe in that doctrine4 ,but we say1 ,truth is mighty and will prevail4 ,yes1 ,i believe it will2 but it would surely prevail faster if we were always loyal to it4 ,besides1 is there anything that makes more directly for the degeneracy of character than such evasion8 ,to avoid all peril of this kind1 how would it do to take for a basis of doctrine this simple statement1 ,i believe the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testaments to be the ,word of ,god8 ,or1 ,i believe the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testaments to contain the ,word of ,god8 ,then1 with further light breaking from ,god's holy word1 we would not need to expunge anything from our creed1 or add anything to it4 ,lately ,i heard a most fervid appeal on behalf of missions4 ,but the speaker really gave no worthy1 definite incentive1 by which the appeal would be made effective4 ,he gave no hint whatever as to the fate of the heathen if we failed to ,christianize them4 ,he did not say they would have to pass through pains in the next life necessary to their reformation4 ,nor did he say they would be extinguished at death1 or some time after4 ,nor did he say they would drop into eternal fire4 ,any of these three possibilities if duly presented1 would be more or less an incentive to action4 ,but he simply referred to the heathen being saved in some vague way1 which almost meant nothing4 ,the nerve of enthusiasm for missions is cut if the appeal cannot be enforced by some definite incentive to action2 but usually there is no such incentive advanced4 ,there is no doubt or hesitation as to the positive part of salvation2 but as to the negative part of it there is no clear-cut deliverance4 ,the presumption is that there is usually no definite conviction4 ,in the evangelical churches there is some faint survival of the doctrine of endless torment2 but the preacher rarely or never presents it2 it may be because he does not really believe it2 or because he knows that the people will not believe it4 ,i say1 would it not be better to present the idea of ,restoration1 and present the view strongly1 with a pronounced accent of conviction8 ,not only is such a course in my view required by the claims of honesty1 but the effect would be better beyond all computation4 ,i have just referred to the incentive that we have to impel us to a world-wide ,evangelization4 ,we have seen that the command of ,christ was practically unheeded for many hundreds of years4 ,we can imagine that the church will never again lapse to that low level of insensibility4 ,but1 along with the command1 we have a worthy incentive in the doctrine of ,restoration4 ,if we can only realize that by faithful missionary effort the heathen will require a pruning and development when they pass out of this life1 will not that be an effective and worthy incentive to the best efforts of which we are capable8 ,it may be thought by some that the old doctrine of endless torment would be more effective as an incentive4 ,at the first glance it may appear so4 ,what could be more effective than the warning that men will drop into an endless hell if they do not receive the offers of grace before they die8 ,that was relied upon formerly4 ,it was thought that no other warning would have such force4 ,but as a matter of fact it failed1 except that in some cases it produced a temporary panic4 ,and why did it fail8 ,simply because it was not heartily believed4 ,men might think they believed it2 they might try to believe it2 they might think it orthodox to believe it2 but as a matter of fact they did not believe it4 ,if they had1 they would have moved heaven and earth to avoid such a doom1 both for themselves and others4 ,the doctrine of ,restoration has no such disadvantage to contend with4 ,it is credible in the highest degree4 ,it is an urgent incentive1 and a reasonable one4 ,if a sinner goes out into the next life unreconciled to ,god1 there must be a terrible looking for of judgment4 ,he will be reclaimed2 but the age-long pruning he may have to undergo is a fearful thing to contemplate4 ,if he knew his ,lord's will1 and did it not1 he will be beaten with many stripes4 ,there is nothing incredible to him in that4 ,he sees the reasonableness of it4 ,an appeal of that kind will move him1 when any picture of hell fire will have but a small effect4 ,i believe this is the standpoint to which the churches will have to come4 ,in corroboration of the idea that even ,christian people do not believe in eternal torment1 ,i would say that lately ,i met a lady1 and ,i inquired the latest news of her friend who had slipped and broken his leg4 ,she said that she had just come from the hospital1 and that he was dying4 ,she added that it would be a relief when he was gone1 for he would then be out of pain4 ,now this lady is a member of a church that professes to believe in eternal torment1 but she had no idea of her friend going into everlasting suffering when he died4 ,he made no profession of religion2 but that circumstance seemed to give her no concern4 ,is not such the general feeling8 ,and thus it is that many practically repudiate their own creed4 ,they hang on in theory to the doctrine of endless suffering1 because it is in the creed of the church2 but practically they deny it4 ,would it not be far better to believe steadfastly in a state of discipline and purification8 ,would not that be a much better incentive to prepare for the end of life1 than the half heathenish idea that there is nothing whatever to fear8 ,as a gentleman said to me lately1 when speaking of the ,roman ,catholic fear of ,purgatory1 ,the ,methodists and ,presbyterians would need some kind of purgatory too4 ,it may be objected that no details are revealed of such a preparatory state2 and some may be so foolish as to think that this is an argument against its existence4 ,i have surely only to remind you that neither have we details of the blessedness of heaven4 ,in fact we could not have such details4 ,that would probably involve a great deal of the history and condition of other worlds1 which would be utterly confusing to us at present1 and would serve no good end4 ,we have enough to stimulate hope1 but not enough to pander to curiosity4 ,that the advocates of eternal torment have no really deep conviction of its truth1 let me also give a quotation that ,i have just met with3 ,that its advocates themselves have little or no faith in it is very manifest from the fact that it has no power over their course of action4 ,while all the denominations of ,christendom profess to believe the doctrine that eternal torment and endless1 hopeless despair will constitute the punishment of the wicked1 they are all quite at ease in allowing the wicked to take their own course1 while they themselves pursue the even tenor of their way4 ,chiming bells and pealing organs1 artistic choirs1 and costly edifices1 and upholstered pews1 and polished oratory which more and more avoids any reference to this alarming theme1 afford rest and entertainment to the fashionable congregations that gather on the ,lord's day1 and are known to the world as the churches of ,christ and the representatives of his doctrines4 ,but they seem little concerned about the eternal welfare of the multitudes1 or even of themselves and their own families1 though one would naturally presume that with such awful possibilities in view they would be almost frantic in their efforts to rescue the perishing4 ,the plain inference is that they do not believe it4 ,then follows a reference to the ,mental ,bias of the early translators1 as accounting for their erroneous translations1 because they were just breaking away from the old papal system4 ,then the later translators are scathed for what the author calls duplicity and cowardice in continuing such errors4 ,consider1 too1 that we are ,god's own children4 ,this is no mere figure of speech4 ,we are as truly ,god's children as our children are our own4 ,if our children are evil1 it is our glory to reclaim them4 ,no matter how bad they are1 we could not bear the thought of even one of them being in torment4 ,but according to some1 ,god can bear the thought1 can even exult in it--that myriads of ,his children are in torment of the most horrible kind1 and that for ever and ever4 ,and it is conceived that this is so1 notwithstanding the story of the ,prodigal ,son6 ,more than that1 we hear the ,father sighing out of ,his heart the broken words1 ,o that they were wise1 that they understood this1 that they would consider their latter end6 ,yes1 and we see ,christ weeping over the doomed city1 and we hear ,his pathetic words4 ,if thou hadst known--,o if thou hadst only known the things that belong to thy peace6 ,and yet ,god is conceived of as contemplating with equanimity the everlasting torment of ,his own children4 ,happily1 however1 men do not really believe in eternal torment4 ,they may try to do so2 it may seem orthodox2 they may profess their faith in it2 but their heart is often better than their head1 and they do not really believe it4 ,on this point1 ,i will transcribe a paragraph from ,rev4 ,arthur ,chambers4 ,it is so true1 and so well expressed1 that it will commend itself to every candid mind4 ,he says3 ,thank ,god for the happiness of humanity6 ,man's intuitive instincts are better than his formulated creeds4 ,the hope is secretly cherished that the grace of ,god1 because it is the grace of an infinite ,being1 must and will operate beyond the limits defined by a narrow theology4 ,no ,christian1 however staunch to the pitiless teaching of the school to which he belongs1 ever brings himself really to think that any one beloved by him in the ,world ,beyond is irretrievably lost4 ,his creed1 perhaps gives him no hope in regard to that one who dies without religion2 but his own heart refuses to surrender its hope2 and so he keeps his reason1 and his faith in ,god4 ,i know there are those who accept the doctrine of ,restoration1 who yet think it an unsafe position to take in the case of some4 ,they cite the case of parties who having accepted the larger view1 drift into infidelity4 ,the reason given is1 that the doctrine of endless torment has been so long identified with orthodoxy that when that doctrine is surrendered1 the vital doctrines of ,christianity are in danger of going along with it4 ,but ,i do not think we need have any grave fears of that kind4 ,for one thing1 we ought not to be afraid of truth having an evil influence4 ,on the contrary1 it is a sanctifying power4 ,hence our ,lord's prayer4 ,sanctify them through ,thy truth2 ,thy ,word is truth4 ,so if a man drifts into infidelity it is not the truth that leads him there4 ,i imagine it is half truth that leads him astray2 and a half truth is often really a falsehood4 ,so if a man takes up the idea of ,restoration in a careless or flippant spirit1 thinking chiefly of it as a happy escape from punishment1 it is a half truth2 to him it is really a falsehood4 ,but let him consider also the facts by which the idea of ,restoration is sustained2 let him be imbued thoroughly with these2 and ,i think there will be little chance of him drifting into infidelity4 ,i think on the contrary he will be far more devout4 ,he will be let into such views of the wisdom1 love and power of ,god as will more than offset any tendency to rationalism4 ,besides1 we know not what punishment1 either in duration or intensity may await sinful men in the next life4 ,we do not claim that suffering is abolished4 ,very far from that4 ,we only claim that it is not of endless duration1 and that it is of a reformatory character4 ,if a man is thoroughly imbued with such ideas1 he will be very far from being a sceptic4 ,he will realize that the truth is a sanctifying power4 ,on this basis you give him something that he can really believe4 ,you can tell him that he must suffer until he surrenders4 ,he can believe that thoroughly4 ,it appeals to his reason4 ,but if you tell him that whether he surrenders or not1 he must suffer forever and ever and ever1 without any hope of release through all eternity1 he does not really believe that2 it is entirely beyond him2 and it makes but a slight impression4 ,the truth is the main thing2 and the truth is divine2 yes1 divine2 both in its nature and effects4 ,we have to remember1 too1 that there is such a thing as turning the grace of ,god into lasciviousness4 ,the ,german proverb that the best things may become the worst1 is along the same line2 but it is commonplace compared with the trenchant words of ,jude4 ,according to him1 even grace may become lasciviousness4 ,we have there a solemn warning4 ,it does seem to me that really worthy thoughts of ,god are not compatible with the idea of endless torment4 ,in favor of the doctrine of eternal torment1 it may be claimed that ,god has signally honored many men who hold1 or have held1 this view1 and that therefore that view is the correct one4 ,in the matter of revivals1 especially1 were not such men signally owned and honored8 ,witness the earlier ,methodists1 and later the ,salvation ,army4 ,especially think of ,mr4 ,finney1 under whose ministry there was a mighty revival4 ,,encumbered ,,though ,,it ,,be4 ,but there are two or three facts that ought to be remembered in this connection4 ,one is1 that ,god is often pleased to own even a small modicum of truth1 encumbered though it be with a great deal of error4 ,such may have been ,finney's case in particular4 ,he preached the ,gospel2 that was the secret of his genuine success4 ,men were simply frightened by his lurid descriptions of hell4 ,so extreme was he in this respect that strong men trembled1 and ,finney had to be pulled by the coat tails that he 'might go no further4 ,so it was not his awful descriptions of the lost that were so blessed4 ,it was the modicum of ,gospel truth1 presented with great earnestness1 that really told4 ,let me give two examples of the same principle from ,new ,testament history4 ,there was a certain ,jew named ,apollos4 ,it is said of him that he was mighty in the ,scriptures1 that he was instructed in the way of the ,lord1 that he mightily convinced the ,jews4 ,yes2 but at the same time he knew only the baptism of ,john4 ,great as that man was1 he was taken in hand by those obscure ,christians4 ,aquila and ,priscilla1 who expounded unto him the way of ,god more perfectly4 ,the truth he had was encumbered for a time with a great deal of error2 but it was owned and blessed notwithstanding4 ,,want ,,of ,,proportion4 ,a more notable case was that of ,peter4 ,you remember his glorious response to our ,lord's challenge1 ,whom say ye that ,i am8 ,peter promptly and gladly responded1 ,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god4 ,by that confession1 ,peter has covered his name with immortal honor4 ,you remember1 too1 his sermon on the day of ,pentecost1 when three thousand men were converted4 ,you recall also that sermon a little later when the converts numbered five thousand4 ,yes2 but the man who was thus owned and honored really believed that the ,gospel was for the ,jews alone4 ,notwithstanding all his advantages1 he was really a subject of that delusion4 ,and he continued so for some time4 ,three miracles had really to be wrought to convince ,peter to the contrary4 ,this want of proportion in the man's illumination is really marvellous4 ,it goes a long way to explain many revivals since that time4 ,thus1 ,peter--grand apostle though he was--and notwithstanding that for three years he had been the bosom friend of ,christ--had very narrow views as to the intended scope of the ,gospel4 ,he believed that the ,gentiles were common and unclean2 and it took1 first a vision1 and then a miraculous experience1 to cure him of that insular idea4 ,but he was cured1 and never went back to his former contracted ideas4 ,so1 it seems to me1 the ,christian ,world of to-day needs a vision along the same line2 but larger4 ,they have to take in the millions of un-,christian people in ,christian lands1 together with the uncounted millions of heathen during all time2 and they have to learn that from the divine standpoint not one individual of them all is common or unclean4 ,we believe that every one of them is destined for glory1 and honor1 and immortality4 ,it may take a long time1 and methods which as yet we know nothing of1 to work out that glorious issue2 but we cannot conceive of anything less as being worthy of eternal wisdom1 power1 and love4 ,from this point of view there can be no uncertainty about the end4 ,whether we think of ,god as desiring the highest character and happiness of ,his creatures2 or whether we think of the means that ,christ has used1 and is using1 to secure that end2 or whether we think of the capacity of man for attaining the highest and the best--we can have no doubt that suffering will ultimately be done away1 and that ,god will be all in all6 ,that is1 everything in everybody6 ,let us try to realize it4 ,it is no mere golden dream4 ,i heard lately of a boy in ,chicago under whose addresses people were being continually converted2 and it was said there was nothing peculiar about his addresses but want of grammar4 ,it is thus that ,god often chooses the weak things of the world to confound the mighty4 ,the mere fact1 then1 that successful revivalists believed in the old theory of eternal torment1 is no proof1 nor even an indication1 that it is true4 ,what a recoil we experience now when we read ,jonathan ,edwards' appalling description of sinners in the hands of an angry ,god6 ,even our beloved ,spurgeon fell into this most horrible mistake4 ,in all such cases it was logical enough4 ,these men were but honestly following up the necessary result of their creed4 ,yet it may be well to quote ,spurgeon's own words1 that we may see what the old doctrine infallibly leads to4 ,he says3 ,when thou diest1 thy soul will be tormented alone4 ,that will be a hell for it4 ,but at the ,day of ,judgment1 thy body will join thy soul1 and then thou wilt have twin hells2 thy soul sweating drops of blood1 and thy body suffused with agony4 ,in fire1 exactly like that we have on earth1 thy body will lie1 asbestos-like1 forever consumed1 all thy veins roads for the feet of pain to travel on1 every nerve a string1 on which the devil shall forever play his diabolical tune of hell's unutterable lament4 ,no doubt such descriptions are awful4 ,but are they not reasonable1 if eternal torment is true8 ,it is no use to turn away awe-stricken from such details2 they are quite in harmony with the main idea of torment4 ,get the main idea right1 and all such details will disappear4 ,in fact1 they have largely disappeared now4 ,why8 ,because the main idea is really disbelieved4 ,yes1 disbelieved1 though it is confessed4 ,surely1 this disloyalty to what in our inmost souls we believe to be the truth is disloyalty to the ,spirit of ,truth4 ,spurgeon's words are horrible enough2 but they are far exceeded by others4 ,take the case of the ,rev4 ,j4 ,furniss1 in a book of his on the ,sight of ,hell4 ,this author would be fiendish1 if he were not silly4 ,here are his words3 ,little child1 if you go to hell1 there will be a devil at your side to strike you4 ,he will go on striking you every minute forever and ever without end4 ,the first stroke will make your body as bad as the body of ,job1 covered from head to foot with sores and ulcers4 ,the second stroke will make your body twice as bad as the body of ,job4 ,the third stroke will make your body three times as bad as the body of ,job4 ,the fourth stroke will make your body four times as bad as the body of ,job4 ,how1 then will your body be1 after the devil has been striking it every moment for a hundred millions of years without stopping8 ,perhaps at this moment1 seven o'clock in the evening1 a child is just going to hell4 ,to-morrow evening at seven o'clock1 go and knock at the gates of hell1 and ask what the child is doing4 ,the devils will go and look4 ,they will come back again1 and say1 ,the child is burning1' ,go in a week and ask what the child is doing4 ,you will get the same answer1 ',it is burning1' ,go in a year and ask4 ,the same answer comes1 ',it is burning4' ,go in a million years and ask the same question4 ,the answer is just the same1 ',it is burning in the fire6' ,this is lurid enough2 but is it not logical8 ,it does seem to me that in this as in many other instances there is a great want in the popular imagination4 ,men will think it reasonable to believe in endless suffering2 consider it even a sure sign of orthodoxy2 sometimes speak of it glibly2 but when the idea is drawn out into detail1 they will shrink back from the detail in horror4 ,the fact is1 that the theory does not bear to be presented in detail2 when it is1 even its supporters are horrified4 ,yet the most lurid details are strictly logical4 ,for there is no conceivable detail of agony to be compared with that of its eternal duration4 ,the most dreadful suffering that can be imagined pales almost into insignificance compared with the idea of endless--endless--endless duration4 ,even a mild discomfort1 if eternally prolonged1 infinitely surpasses in amount the most fearful suffering that has an end4 ,but men will accept the theory of endless suffering almost as a commonplace1 yet recoil with horror from any presentation of it in detail4 ,the fact that it does not bear to be even thought of in detail goes a long way to discredit the whole theory4 ,a little development of the imagination here would be more effectual with the majority of men than all the logic in the world4 ,and let us not think that imagination is some kind of a wild and exuberant offshoot of pure reason4 ,no2 it is a ,god-given faculty1 and of a quality almost divine4 ,as ,ruskin says1 ,it is the greatest power of the soul4 ,just think for a moment that sane men and kindly men could really believe in the lurid descriptions which ,i have quoted6 ,yet this passed for orthodoxy6 ,is it not a marvel that men ever believed it1 or tried to believe it8 ,only think of infinite love1 infinite power1 and infinite wisdom1 combining to accomplish such a result6 ,it is almost beyond belief that men of ordinary feeling1 and with the ,bible in their hands1 ever tried to believe it4 ,for the truth must commend itself to the heart as well as to the mind4 ,if it does not1 we ought to be on our guard4 ,on this most serious aspect of the case1 ,i quote from ,carlyle4 ,he says3 ,what the light of your mind1 which is the direct inspiration of the ,almighty1 pronounces incredible1 that1 in ,god's name1 leave uncredited2 at your peril do not try believing that4 ,it will be seen that what ,i have elsewhere called an affinity for truth1 ,carlyle calls the direct inspiration of the ,almighty4 ,there is no contradiction4 ,the one phrase notes the effect of our intuition2 the other recognizes its origin4 ,at all events1 this mental and moral repugnance to the theory is a strong indication that it is not true4 ,on this most serious aspect of the case1 let us pause for a moment longer4 ,the more our mind dwells on it the more pronounced is our conviction that it is not true4 ,just think of one soul being consigned to everlasting torment4 ,through ages and ages interminable1 to be succeeded by other ages forever and ever1 the agony is prolonged1 with the absolute certainty that forever and ever there will be no release or mitigation4 ,would not the very thought of such a fate drive us insane8 ,surely it would2 yes1 though the supposed criminal had committed the most atrocious crimes1 and though he had done us the worst conceivable wrong4 ,but here we are1 giving our minds to business1 our hearts to pleasure1 and our nights to sleep1 yet all the while professing to believe that one of our fellow creatures1 perhaps one whom we have known1 it may be one whom we have loved1 is in everlasting torment4 ,yet if a stranger was confined in a burning house1 we would make the most frantic efforts to relieve him2 and if we failed1 the very memory of his fate would be painful to us all our days4 ,but the case we are trying to imagine is very different4 ,he is no stranger1 but one with whom we were acquainted2 perhaps one of our own family2 possibly one whom we have loved as our own life4 ,and he is not suffering for a few minutes only1 but forever and ever1 without any possibility of relief4 ,yet we go about our business or our pleasure without giving him a thought4 ,is there not a strong presumption that deep down in our souls we do not really believe that he is in eternal torment8 ,we may try to believe it2 orthodoxy may tell us that it is true2 but do we really believe it8 ,our innate1 ,god-given conviction may turn out to be nearer the truth than our creed4 ,and let it be remembered that the supposed torment is eternal fire2 yes1 eternal fire4 ,we may conceive of the fire as being changed somehow to suit our spiritual condition2 but not less is it eternal fire4 ,and we calmly think of such endless fire as a possibility6 ,yet we have thought of but one person as enduring such a fate4 ,but if it is the portion of even one1 it must be so for countless millions4 ,for millions have lived and died in heathenism1 and millions are dying in heathenism now4 ,other millions in ,christian lands are passing away in practically the same condition4 ,and all of these are our brothers and sisters of the human race4 ,by far the great majority of them had no chance of hearing the joyful sound4 ,yet some of them rose to sublime heights of character4 ,and yet they are all consigned to this holocaust of everlasting fire6 ,consider also that the ,being who is thus supposed to deal with these uncounted myriads is a ,being of mercy inconceivably tender2 of a love that is from everlasting to everlasting2 of a wisdom that is infallible2 of a power that can use any means for the execution of ,his will4 ,then ask yourself this question1 and answer it truly from your own soul3 ,is it possible to believe that such a ,being has nothing better in store for ,his own children8 ,surely1 surely1 such a fate as we profess to believe must have had its origin in the heart and brain of a fiend6 ,that it can be seriously entertained by devout and reasonable men we think must be accounted for on these grounds1 that it comes to us with the stamp of orthodoxy1 and that it is not candidly examined4 ,otherwise1 to every sincere and candid mind1 and to every heart that has any genuine feeling1 it would seem revolting and incredible4 ,with regard to the possibility of a man trying to persuade himself that he really believes with mind what he utterly repudiates with his heart1 ,i have already quoted some very trenchant words from ,caryle4 ,in another passage1 he speaks of the most orthodox of mortals making the impious attempt to put out the eyes of his mind1 to persuade himself to believe that he believes4 ,then1 he says3 ,away with it2 in the name of ,god1 come out of it1 all true men4 ,such forced complacency in the knowledge that loved friends are consigned to hopeless torment1 is repugnant to our humanity2 yes1 and most repugnant when humanity is at its best4 ,on such themes some people do seem to lose their common sense and common feeling4 ,if there were nothing else1 such outrageous conceptions ought to be enough to discredit the whole theory of eternal torment4 ,but we can endure the idea of temporary separation1 when we know that such separation is necessary1 and that it will issue in everlasting reunion4 ,as to the sincerity of our professed belief that thousands of the heathen are every day dropping into everlasting fire1 let me give a diagram which ,i have just met with1 showing the relative expenditure in the ,united ,states for various commodities per year2 and the amount contributed for ,foreign ,missions4 ,and yet1 this is a liberal showing for missions1 compared with that of many other ,christian countries4 ,liquor ,expenditures for ,meat ,tobacco1 ,cigars1 ,etc4 ,bread1 including ,flour and ,meal ,iron and ,steel ,dairy and ,egg ,products ,sawed ,lumber ,cotton ,goods ,boots and ,shoes ,woolen ,goods ,sugar and ,molasses ,fruit ,public ,school ,education ,furniture ,tea and ,coffee ,salaries of ,ministries ,foreign ,missions ,now1 will any person pretend that we are sincere in our professed belief that the heathen are dropping by the thousand every day into everlasting fire8 ,surely1 if we really believed that1 and if we believed that there is only one way of averting such a fate1 we would move heaven and earth to avert it4 ,the common-sense inference is1 that we do not really believe it4 ,we may flatter ourselves that we do2 long usage may aid the deception2 but let us be honest with ourselves1 and see how the case really stands4 ,we may think that it would never do to drop the traditional attitude2 but let us be sure of this1 that self-deception can never be an aid to true religion4 ,in this as in all things1 let truth have the right of way4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have just seen an extract from a ,canadian ,journal which speaks for itself4 ,here it is3 ,to enter ,canada costs a ,chinaman #ejj4 ,last year thirteen hundred and eighty paid the tax1 the treasury of the country receiving from them #fij1jjj4 ,the ,missionary ,witness makes the statement that combined contributions of the ,christians of ,canada for the evangelization of heathen nations was only about half as much as the ,chinese paid for the privilege of living in ,canada4 ,it asks1 ,is it not amazing that in prosperous ,canada #a1chj men cannot be secured who will voluntarily tax themselves to send the ,gospel to heathen lands as much as #a1chj heathens are taxed by us to land on our shores8 ,the love of ,christ constraineth us6 ,how much8 ,have we not here a practical acknowledgment that the idea of the heathen dropping every moment into endless fire is not really believed8 ,as ,i say elsewhere1 this revulsion of heart and mind is a strong plea that the doctrine is not true4 ,and it is a fearful thing to quench that inner light4 ,i have already quoted ,carlyle's trenchant words on this point4 ,but ,i have just now met with another saying of his of still more scathing intensity2 and ,i would ask you to ponder his words well4 ,he says3 ,what is incredible to thee1 thou shalt not1 at thy soul's peril1 attempt to believe4 ,elsewhither for a refuge1 or die here4 ,go to ,perdition if thou must--but not with a lie in thy mouth2 by the ,eternal ,maker1 no6 ,to be sure1 such courage and candor might cost dear4 ,some years ago there was an able and conscientious minister of the ,canadian ,presbyterian ,church who took the risk of being candid4 ,he was a most lovable man2 able1 eloquent1 active1 helpful1 humorous1 candid1 tender1 devout2 in fact1 possessed of nearly every desirable quality4 ,but he had the larger hope2 and one day he unguardedly gave expression to it in the words of ,tennyson3 ,o yet we trust that1 somehow1 good ,will be the final goal of ill-- and so on4 ,immediately he was a marked man1 and the question was not allowed to settle until he was placed on trial for heterodoxy4 ,there was considerable turmoil and excitement2 but ultimately some kind of a compromise was reached by which his orthodoxy was vindicated4 ,he told me that if he were once out of the church of which he was then minister1 he could get no other4 ,i suppose he meant that he could not accept the standards of the church2 and of course that attitude would debar him4 ,,soundness ,,in ,,the ,,faith4 ,at the same time it is but right that the ,church should protect its soundness in the faith by some form of subscription4 ,the trouble is1 however1 that the form now in force is subscribed to with reservations4 ,then what reservations8 ,they are not defined2 so it comes to this1 that each subscriber makes his own reservations4 ,as evidence that such is the case1 ,i may say that no minister in the ,presbyterian ,church of ,canada1 with whom ,i have spoken--and ,i have spoken with many--really believes in endless torment4 ,yet that doctrine is clearly stated in the ,confession of ,faith which ministers formally accept4 ,the corrective of such a state of things in my opinion would be the adoption of a simple evangelical creed that men of the most diverse views on other matters could honestly accept4 ,even in reference to the manner in which the creed is accepted in the ,presbyterian ,church of ,canada1 there seems to me to be a want of candor4 ,when a minister is being received1 or installed in a charge1 he is asked if he is prepared to sign the ,confession of ,faith4 ,he is not asked to sign it then and there4 ,to express his willingness to sign it does not seem to be so much of a tax on his candor as actually to sign it4 ,such a proceeding seems to me to put somewhat of a premium on insincerity4 ,it is well known that there are reservations4 ,would it not be more honest to accept a short statement of evangelical truth1 which could be accepted without any reservation8 ,,xix4 ,,working ,,men ,,and ,,the ,,church4 ,efforts to ,attract ,working ,men to the ,church--,restoration ,would ,largely ,solve the ,difficulty--,common ,sense of ,working ,men--,glorious ,expansion of ,truth--,recasting ,traditional ,views--,the ,true ,basis for ,unity4 ,there is one aspect of this question that is of vast importance1 but which1 so far as ,i know1 has not been recognized4 ,i mean its bearing on the relation of working men to the church4 ,it has to be admitted that working men in general are shy of the church4 ,yet almost every expedient has been resorted to in order to make the church attractive to them2 and still they do not go4 ,some ministers think that working men are to be caught by secular preaching1 and so the ,gospel of success has in certain instances almost displaced the ,gospel of salvation4 ,other ministers1 and earnest ones1 give a ,gospel talk in workshops and factories during the dinner hour4 ,the men civilly attend and listen1 but they do not go to church4 ,other ministers assume a forced familiarity of manner with the men1 in order to create the impression of equality4 ,some actively engage in sports in order to come into closer contact with working men2 and still the working men do not go to church4 ,why8 ,i believe that a candid and outspoken avowal of a belief in a process of purification beyond death would go a long way in solving the whole difficulty4 ,for sensible working men see very clearly that such a process of purification is necessary for all1 whether they are ,christian or non-,christian4 ,working men know beyond all doubt that there are in their own ranks many men of far higher character than the average nominal ,christian4 ,yet it is taught that the ,christian1 however low in character he may be1 goes straight to everlasting bliss2 while the non-,christian1 though of the noblest character1 is consigned to everlasting torment4 ,common sense1 and justice1 and fitness1 all rebel at such a dictum4 ,this is especially the case with those who have not been early instilled with orthodox doctrines1 as many of the working men have not4 ,this is the real equality of man--the fact that all men are sinners1 and that all need purification4 ,only let these facts be honestly and definitely avowed1 and ,i believe the chasm would largely be bridged over4 ,of course common sense and observation would recognize a marvellous difference in men as to their need of purification4 ,it would be conceived that some would suffer but very slightly1 or not at all2 but their eyes would be opened to see truth of which they had never dreamed4 ,others might need a long and painful discipline to purge them of evil habits which they had contracted through long years4 ,but equality would consist in the fact that all need to be purified in a greater or less degree1 to fit them for a higher or lower place in the better world4 ,would not this be a wholesome ,gospel for working men1 and for all men8 ,would it not be a powerful appeal to any man to be able to say to him1 ,you must repent1 and leave off your sins now2 for if you don't do it now1 you will surely do it in the life to come8 ,i do not believe that working men are specially averse to spiritual ideas4 ,but they are amenable to common sense1 and justice1 and the general fitness of things4 ,let them know that we are all on the same plane as sinners2 be very emphatic that ,christ died for the whole race2 that the plans and purposes of ,god are not limited to the present life2 that somehow and at some time grace will completely triumph over sin2 and ,i venture to think that working men will be responsive4 ,and in my view1 this will be no curtailment of the truth1 but a glorious expansion of it4 ,surely none of the evangelical churches would treat such a ,gospel as heresy4 ,even if they did1 ,i do not think that the truth would suffer in the long run4 ,special attention would thus be called to the truth with the result1 ,i believe1 that the world would take a step forward into the light4 ,we read that all ,scripture is profitable for doctrine4 ,now is the doctrine of everlasting punishment profitable8 ,if it is true it must be profitable4 ,but is it8 ,possibly it may be claimed that it is profitable on certain occasions4 ,then on what occasions8 ,i never heard it directly preached on any occasion since ,i was a child4 ,it may be hinted at1 or implied in some vague way2 but so far as ,i know1 it is never insisted on as a vital and saving truth4 ,yet1 it is of such tremendous import that the fair inference is1 that the preacher himself does not believe it1 or that he is afraid to avow his belief of it1 or that he has an instinctive feeling that to proclaim it clearly is never profitable4 ,yet1 if it is not profitable1 it is not doctrine1 but error4 ,and if it be error1 it is the most dark and dismal error that ever found its way into this sinning and suffering world4 ,and if this doctrine is not preached in this ,christian land1 is it preached in heathen lands8 ,i do not positively know2 but ,i have a strong conviction that it is not4 ,i would challenge any missionary to say that it is4 ,then why not1 if it is doctrine and therefore profitable8 ,i can well believe that hosts of so-called converts might be frightened into an avowal of ,christianity by such preaching4 ,if a simple heathen could really believe it1 would he not at once adopt ,christianity as a means of escape from everlasting fire8 ,but what would such a so-called conversion be worth8 ,i have more faith in missionaries than to believe that they would be so insane4 ,they would realize that such a doctrine would either repel the heathen1 or win them to an unreal acceptance of ,christianity4 ,in either case1 what would be accomplished8 ,so the missionary would naturally postpone this profitable doctrine until some more convenient season1 and probably that more convenient season would never come4 ,i have heard many missionaries speaking of their work among the heathen2 but not once did ,i ever hear of the doctrine of everlasting fire being used as a converting power4 ,yet the ,scripture declares that all doctrine is profitable4 ,if it cannot be used1 the inevitable inference is that it is not doctrine1 and is not true4 ,here then is an idea for the ,layman's ,missionary ,movement4 ,how many men in that movement really believe in eternal torment8 ,like myself1 many of them may have been taught the catechism which speaks of ,god's wrath and curse both in this life1 and that which is to come2 also the pains of hell forever4 ,but what is their belief now8 ,in many cases do they not utterly repudiate such ideas8 ,in other cases1 and ,i think the great majority1 they may not have seriously thought of the matter at all4 ,but their instincts would strongly favor the more liberal view4 ,ought not all men in that great movement seriously think of the matter now8 ,are they satisfied that such a doctrine should still remain in our creeds4 ,for it does certainly remain in the creeds of the ,methodist and ,presbyterian ,churches4 ,surely it is not enough to say that it is not preached4 ,any very zealous missionary might preach it1 and you could not forbid him4 ,and when some cultured heathen would find out that such a doctrine is in our creed1 would it suffice to tell him that we do not preach it8 ,when he would realize that on a matter of such awful import1 we really professed one thing1 and believed another would he have any use for our ,christianity8 ,besides2 if the ,spirit of ,truth has taught us the truth in our inmost souls1 and yet if we repudiate that truth1 how shall we give our account8 ,we quoted ,carlyle1 who has a most scathing warning for all those who act such a double part4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it seems to me then that the ,laymen in this ,movement should prepare the way for an honest and candid world-wide mission4 ,let them give themselves no rest until this doctrine of eternal torment is expunged from the creed of both the ,presbyterian and ,methodist ,churches4 ,if it is false1 and known to be false1 no worldly wisdom should be allowed to retain it4 ,apparent missionary results might be slower1 but would they not be more real1 and in the end far more numerous8 ,and what a boon it would be1 not to have to suppress or disguise the ,eternal wisdom1 the ,eternal ,power1 the ,eternal ,love6 ,this reformation seems to me to be specially laid at the door of the ,laymen's ,missionary ,movement4 ,it will readily be understood how ministers of undoubted ability and consecration1 are backward to inaugurate such a movement4 ,that many are in hearty sympathy with such a reformation1 ,i know well4 ,only let the men in the ,missionary ,movement take a constitutional initiative in the matter1 and they will be surprised how many ministers will be with them4 ,i know for a fact that many are longing for just such a reformation4 ,i believe the time will come--perhaps has come--when the evangelical churches will recast their traditional opinions on these doctrines4 ,and in recasting their opinions1 who knows to what extent they may further the spirit of unity8 ,may the glorious day be hastened6 ,i can fancy that some will say that throughout this whole treatise ,i have appealed too much to reason1 and have not given sufficient prominence to ,scripture4 ,i think any such charge would be unfair4 ,look back and see if it is just4 ,i have taken ,scripture and reason combined2 and let it ever be borne in mind that both are equally divine gifts4 ,on the highest plane they are in perfect unison4 ,i have dealt with the plainer passages of ,scripture especially1 and chiefly with those that combine with reason4 ,this is a common sense treatise4 ,i deemed it better1 therefore1 to make essential matters plain1 even to repetition1 than to indulge in long disquisitions about mistranslations1 and such like matters1 which in the case of many would only leave the question in a haze4 ,besides2 we have to remember that truth is truth1 and will never contradict itself4 ,it is for opponents1 therefore1 to controvert the positions ,i have taken1 rather than to criticise what ,i have omitted4 ,if the latter course would hold in argument1 it would be easy enough to make out a case for anything4 ,i would ask you personally then to think over the entire question for yourself4 ,do not suppose that the matter is too high for you4 ,i think it is1 in the main1 quite on the level with any ordinarily intelligent mind4 ,of course1 it involves some deep problems2 but these can be postponed for the present2 it is the main question that claims paramount attention4 ,some preachers delicately approach the idea with hints and inuendos and mild threatenings1 which are really worse than utter silence4 ,i heard a preacher speaking lately of men as utter failures1 going out into the darkness4 ,now what did he mean1 or did he mean anything8 ,again2 preachers speak of eternal death1 which might mean eternal extinction or eternal fire4 ,and yet that vague phrase is actually proposed as one of the bases of union of the churches4 ,a short time ago ,i wrote ,the ,toronto ,star somewhat along these lines4 ,the editor wrote a most responsive article1 concluding with these strong words3 ,this question and all that hangs upon it must be faced4 ,a man has a right to know what his church teaches4 ,the man in the pew--the man even who is not in the pew but who might be--has a right to expect that the man in the pulpit not only believes what he preaches1 but preaches what he believes4 ,a religion made up of hidden folds and mental reservations1 a creed marked by evasions and ambiguities1 cannot reach and warm the heart of the world4 ,there is hardly a more vital truth known to us than the one ,i have tried to commend4 ,for its candid consideration we need the illumination of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,but we have the promise that if we ask for ,him ,he will be given4 ,we have also the ,word of ,god4 ,and then we have reason4 ,it is a divine gift1 never to be despised4 ,with these sources of illumination we have the twilight now4 ,yes2 but it is the twilight of the eternal morning6 ,,xx4 ,,the ,,seen ,,and ,,the ,,unseen4 ,beauty ,evolved from ,chaos--,future ,capacity of ,motion--,gleams of the ,invisible--,changing into the ,divine ,image--,crying ,out for ,god--,from ,barrenness to ,beauty--,the ,glow of the ,firefly--,the ,effulgent ,divinity --,sunset on the ,prairie--,universal ,sense of ,beauty--,guardian ,angels --,death as ,seen from ,this ,side and ,that--,sunset on the ,yellowstone ,river--,a ,drop of ,dew--,reality of ,heaven--,the ,literal and the figurative--,the ,spiritual ,body--,expanding ,glory of ,creation--,sunset in ,dakota--,lights ,dim and ,clear--,christ's ,unsullied ,purity--,a ,rent in the ,cloud--,an ,imprisoned ,lark4 ,we have been dealing with matters that are related chiefly to the next life4 ,but let us not forget that such matters have a close relation to us now4 ,there can be no doubt that there are correspondences between this world and the world unseen4 ,i would notice a few of these correspondences1 so that we may realize how closely we are related to both worlds4 ,if we keep our mind and our heart open to see such correspondences1 we shall often be surprised at the vividness of their suggestion4 ,but they are suggestion only4 ,they are not proof4 ,that is not their function4 ,but when an idea is seen in itself to be probable1 a vivid illustration will confirm it4 ,the world is full of such correspondences between the natural and the spiritual4 ,to discover one of these correspondences is in my view a greater achievement than a discovery in science4 ,it is greater because it is a discovery in the realm of spirit instead of the realm of matter4 ,it is no wonder1 then1 that ,emerson says that such correspondences1 if adequately executed1 would be the poem of the world4 ,i will notice a few of those correspondences1 that have occurred to my own mind4 ,i might cite many more1 but ,i think these few will tend to fortify the conclusions we have been trying to arrive at4 ,i apprehend that many readers who are not fond of argument will feel the force of illustration4 ,thus they will have a more vivid appreciation of the unseen than can be conveyed by mere argument4 ,to be sure1 there is a greater appeal to the imagination than to the reason4 ,but we must not decry imagination except when it runs riot into mere fancy4 ,ruskin says3 ,imagination is the greatest power of the soul4 ,only yesterday my boy asked me a curious question4 ,he wanted to know why so many millions of flowers and other beautiful things that men never saw or will see1 were created4 ,i said that the very same thought was in my own mind years ago1 but at that time ,i could find no answer4 ,but ,i found the true solution since4 ,the true solution is1 that ,god is the ,beautiful ,one1 and ,he naturally--it may be of divine necessity--has to express ,himself in forms of beauty4 ,so ,he creates millions of beautiful things that no man or angel will ever see4 ,in so far as they do see them1 and their sense of beauty is developed thereby1 that is good1 but it is secondary4 ,the primary thing is1 that the ,infinitely ,beautiful ,one naturally expresses ,himself--perhaps must express ,himself--in beautiful forms4 ,i have seen the potter working at his wheel2 and it is wonderful to see the beautiful effects he can produce4 ,he can take a lump of clay1 and from that shapeless mass of matter he can make vessels and ornaments of rarest beauty4 ,he has no machinery but that simple wheel1 but by that and the skillful movements of his hand1 he can evolve beauty out of chaos4 ,it made me think of the way ,god evolved this beautiful world out of chaos at first4 ,there is this difference1 that the potter uses mechanical power1 and he uses his hands1 whereas ,god uses only ,his word and will4 ,he spake and it was done2 ,he commanded and all things stood fast4 ,but the effect is of the same order4 ,it is the reduction of chaos into beauty2 and though we can produce such effects only in a small way and by mechanical means1 it gives us a hint of almighty power and beauty4 ,yea1 and that almighty power1 as seen here in such beautiful effects1 gives us a suggestion of the transcendent glory of the world on high4 ,not only so1 but we have a vivid hint as to the fact that divine power and grace can transform a sinner into a saint4 ,one function of the glorified body will be its amazing capacity of speed4 ,along this line we have even now and here suggestions of wonderful possibilities4 ,you have noticed when on the train the swarm of insects that keep easy pace with your rapid flight4 ,those insects not only seem to enjoy a race with the train1 but to show how easily they could leave you behind1 they indulge in all sorts of airy gymnastics1 at the same time whirling to and fro1 and up and down4 ,what marvellous power of motion is there1 if you only think of it6 ,how inconceivably rapid must be the movements of those little wings4 ,it is computed that some of those insects open and close their wings no less than two hundred times in a second4 ,it is amazing4 ,and is it not suggestive of the capacity of motion with which this body may easily be endowed when the cumbrous flesh is changed into the immortal1 ethereal body8 ,since those tiny insects are so wonderfully endowed for their little life here1 so aimless as it might seem1 what glorious capacities may not be in reserve for us1 ,god's redeemed children1 who are to live forever1 going forth on ,god's errands through the wide amplitudes of uncounted starry worlds4 ,it is truly amazing to notice what glorious effects ,god can bring out of materials that seem so simple and common4 ,out of the earth's dark soil1 by the action of light and heat1 ,he calls forth myriads of flowers4 ,a heavy cloud1 that contains nothing but murky vapor1 by the rays of the setting sun is made to flash and glow like a burning sapphire throne4 ,the falling shower1 by another action of the sun's light1 is painted with rainbow colors so pure that they seem to be reflections of heaven's own beauty4 ,surely ,god has flung these glories round about us here to give us hints and promises of the unimagined glories of the beautiful1 better land4 ,not only so1 but we have a vivid hint as to how the earthly can be transformed into the image of the heavenly4 ,it is a law of our nature that we insensibly change into the likeness of that which we behold and admire4 ,even in outward1 material things we sometimes see the working of this law4 ,there is a gorgeous sunset4 ,come out of the dingy house1 and gaze on the scene4 ,the western sky is ablaze with purple and crimson and gold4 ,the radiant clouds stretch out in feathery1 fantastic forms1 like angels' wings2 or pile themselves up in solid blocks of glory1 like celestial mountains2 or shape themselves into golden bars1 like heaven's pearly gates4 ,as you gaze on that scene1 ,i notice that the lines of your face soften1 the eye that was hard grows tender1 the whole face loses its careworn1 earthly expression1 and it is suffused with softened1 heavenly light4 ,your countenance is just reflecting a little of the glory of the skies4 ,and so1 when with the spiritual eye we see the beauty of ,christ1 we begin to be somewhat like ,him4 ,when ,his moral glory is flashed upon us1 it transforms us more or less into ,his likeness4 ,beholding1 though only in a glass1 the glory of the ,lord1 we are changed into ,his heavenly likeness1 from day to day4 ,going west1 you pass through what seems an endless waste of sage-bush and sand4 ,perhaps this has continued all day long1 and you retire at night expecting to look out again in the morning on the same dreary waste4 ,but in the night the scene has changed4 ,when you look out in the morning the first thing you see is the broad ,columbia ,river1 with its banks of green2 beyond the river1 mountains rise1 clothed in green and yellow and purple2 then an open space in the nearer mountains reveals others in the distance1 enveloped in a blue haze1 and crowned with gleaming snow4 ,what a blessed change from the experiences of yesterday1 and how easy and unconscious the transition4 ,and so it will be with many in passing from this life to the next4 ,dreary and monotonous their life has been1 and it seemed at times as if it might go on so forever4 ,but they are nearing the heavenly land2 and some night1 perhaps when they are not expecting it1 they will leave the dreariness and desolation all behind them2 they will awake in a world of beauty such as human fancy never dreamed of4 ,well do ,i remember the night when on seeing the sudden glow of a firefly there flashed on my mind the idea of the ease and naturalness with which1 after all1 this fleshly body of ours may become immortal and glorious4 ,if an insect like that can transform itself at pleasure into a little star1 who can say what latent power may be lodged in the body of a glorified saint8 ,truly1 it doth not yet appear what we shall be4 ,no2 but we have hints of it that may well fill us with an adoring hope and joy4 ,there were times when ,christ's eternal power and ,godhead could not be quite obscured by the fleshly body1 but would shine out through this tabernacle of clay1 as we may suppose the shekinah glory of old would shine through every crack or crevice in the temple4 ,it was a hint of the coming glory in which we may all shine by and by4 ,there is a divine sense of beauty implanted in every one of us4 ,have you never noticed how the beautiful things in the shop windows attract all the ragged urchins of the street8 ,yes1 they may be ragged and dirty1 but the divine instinct of beauty is in every one of them4 ,whatever is really beautiful--whether it be a beautiful face1 or a beautiful sky1 or even a beautiful ribbon in a window--is sure to attract and fascinate them4 ,now this instinct1 which is so universal1 is intended1 ,i believe1 to have its final and full development in ,god4 ,he is the ,source and ,essence of all beauty4 ,all the beautiful things that surround us here are but glimmerings of the ,eternal ,loveliness4 ,these beautiful things educate and develop our taste for the final and full fruition of the very beauty of ,god4 ,when we see ,him--and not till then--will our sense of beauty be satisfied4 ,it is curious and very charming to notice the variety of effects of sunsets4 ,i saw a sunset on the ,yellowstone ,river which1 though not remarkable in itself1 suggested to me the boundless variety of effect4 ,glinting and shimmering through the green foliage of the trees the distant river was aglow with crimson and gold1 reminding me of the celestial sea of glass mingled with fire1 ,and if we have such beauty and variety here1 what unimagined beauty and what endless variety must be there4 ,can you cherish the sweet memory of a sainted father1 or mother1 or child8 ,if you can1 that sacred memory will be a purifying1 ennobling influence for you all your life long4 ,our sainted dead are not quite lost to us2 the dear face ,is seen again as the face of an angel2 the familiar tones come back to us like music in our dreams4 ,and these blessed memories do not seem to fade2 on the contrary1 they seem to grow more vivid and spiritual with the lapse of years4 ,sometimes1 when such memories would make us ashamed of ourselves and our sin1 we may try to crush them out of sight and hearing4 ,we cannot sin comfortably with those faces before our eyes1 and those tones ringing in our ears4 ,but such memories will not be utterly banished2 they come back suddenly1 when they are not expected2 they pursue us like good spirits from a world unseen4 ,eternity alone will tell how often a course of sin was arrested1 and the penitent wooed to a better life by the memory of a sainted friend4 ,i regard these holy memories as ,god's guardian angels4 ,they follow us with tender ministries of love2 they often raise us when we fall2 they lift us above the dull level of the world2 they nourish in us higher ideals of purity and blessedness2 they foster a more vivid faith in the world unseen4 ,a dark1 heavy1 threatening cloud everspreads the face of the heavens4 ,but that cloud is heavy1 and dark1 and threatening1 only on this side4 ,the other side1 if we could but see it1 is ablaze with heavenly radiance4 ,we can easily imagine that this storm cloud of ours may be seen on the other side by angels1 and that they gaze with admiration on its glowing colors1 as we gaze in admiration on the golden glories of a sunset4 ,how different the cloud appears as seen from this side and from that4 ,and we may well believe that it is just so with death4 ,death does appear to us a very dark and heavy cloud2 but it is so only when seen from this side4 ,wait until we get above the cloud1 and then what was gloomy will be radiant4 ,death has two sides2 the dark side that is turned to earth2 and the bright side that is seen from heaven4 ,in many of the glorious scenes depicted in ,scripture1 especially in the ,book of the ,revelation1 it is not easy for us to say how much is figurative and how much is literal4 ,sometimes in grand mountain scenery1 when the clouds settle upon the lofty peaks1 we cannot say what is mountain and what is cloud4 ,if we were near the mountain top we might distinguish2 but we cannot do so down here in the valley4 ,so we have in the ,scripture a glorious cloud of symbolism hovering1 upon the peaks of the eternal mountains2 but we are too far down in this valley to discern between what is mountain and what is cloud4 ,we may hope to get higher by and by1 and then what is hazy and undefined will be seen in its true form and outline4 ,now we know in part2 but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away4 ,on a certain evening1 as night was coming on1 ,i stood on the shore of a romantic watering place4 ,the tide was breaking on the sandy beach4 ,the crests of the waves sparkled with phosphoric scintillations4 ,like a thing of life1 the light flashed along the shore2 and the green and blue and amber and white of the rippling waves sparkled like incandescent fire4 ,as ,i looked at the spectacle ,i thought1 as ,i had never thought before1 of the sea of glass mingled with fire described by ,st4 ,john in the ,apocalypse4 ,yes1 we have hints here of the glorious things to be seen there4 ,surely ,god has flashed these beauties on the earth and sea that through them we might lift our thoughts and our hearts to heaven4 ,passing on the train over the vast prairies of ,south ,dakota1 ,i noticed one beautiful effect4 ,the rough posts of the ragged fence we were passing at the moment were gilded by the rays of the setting sun4 ,it seemed as if those rough1 ragged posts were fit material wherewith to make the heavenly gates1 each of which we are told is one pearl4 ,it seems to be ,god's intention that this earth1 even where it is least picturesque1 should give us hints and tokens of heavenly glory4 ,it seems in the highest degree probable that all the bodily senses that we possess now will be wonderfully intensified and enlarged when this natural body passes off1 and the spiritual body is taken on4 ,i think we have a beautiful hint of this glorious probability in the invention of the telescope and the microscope4 ,by these two inventions we are introduced to new worlds of which we never before had dreamed4 ,by the telescope we are let into the glory of the immense2 by the microscope we are let into the marvels of the minute4 ,we never had really seen either the heavens or the earth before4 ,now1 since by an invention of man our sight has been so marvellously quickened1 it is surely easy to believe that it will be quickened in a far greater degree when all the powers of this natural body are renewed and immortalized4 ,so then1 while the eye of the spiritual body may sweep the far fields of glory1 it may also discover worlds of beauty in dew drop1 and leaf and flower4 ,as the moon shines pure and clear in a muddy pool1 so ,christ shone here in this muddy1 filthy world1 without the serene lustre of ,his purity being ever dimmed or soiled4 ,and so we may shine in our poor human way now1 but perfectly later on4 ,it was my privilege lately in crossing the ,atlantic1 to witness one of those glorious sunsets1 which once seen can never be forgotten4 ,of course the sun sets every evening upon the sea1 as upon the land2 but several different circumstances must be happily combined to produce the effect ,i witnessed4 ,it was a ,sabbath evening1--a fitting time for such a scene4 ,the day had been calm and bright1 the glassy surface of the sea being broken only by the gentlest of ripples4 ,and now the sun had just gone down4 ,the clouds1 from the western horizon almost to the zenith1 were piled up like very hills of glory1 flashing with crimson and amber and purple and gold4 ,the glowing colors of the clouds were ,deflected on the sea1 with a new and wonderful effect4 ,the gentle ripples of the sea broke up and blended these colors in a manner all its own4 ,what seemed solid in the sky became changeful on the sea4 ,the crimson and amber and purple and gold broke and mingled and glanced and gleamed on the molten sea1 until we had before our eyes that very sea of glass mingled with fire which ,john saw in ,apocalyptic vision4 ,oh1 surely1 ,god has flashed these beauties on the earth and sky and sea to keep us in mind of the surpassing glories of the beautiful better land4 ,in the spiritual world1 as in the natural1 ,god has made greater lights and lesser lights4 ,some have more light and some have less4 ,the main thing is1 to use well such light as we have4 ,a traveller is making his way home4 ,he is very glad to have daylight1 that he may see his way clearly4 ,but when he cannot have daylight1 he is thankful for moonlight3 and if he has not moonlight he will fain use starlight2 and if he has not starlight he will be glad to have even a lamp or taper4 ,the traveller wants to get home1 and if so be that he gets home even by a taper light1 it is well4 ,and so1 ,i believe that there are millions of heathens who are led home by tapers4 ,many of ourselves1 we hope1 ,god will light home by dim lights4 ,the way seems dark enough1 and in the darkness we may stumble and fall2 but if we use well the light we have1 we shall find our way4 99 99 99 99 99 ,here is a drop of dew4 ,it is suspended from a leaf4 ,it glints1 and gleams1 and glows1 in the clear morning light4 ,as you look into it1 if you are in a contemplative mood1 the drop of dew expands into a world2 and what a world of beauty6 ,it seems a very paradise1 where the redeemer of the ,lord might walk2 where angels might soar and sing4 99 99 99 99 99 ,some time ago an organist died in the assured hope that he would be the leader of a heavenly choir4 ,it does not seem far fetched to believe that his ambition is gratified4 ,at this very hour he may be a director of those harpers that are harping upon their harps4 ,here is a sketch which we may term ,imprisoned4 ,it was suggested to me by a lark flying into the room1 and dashing itself against the windows in its efforts to escape3 ,oh6 birdie from the blue1 ,this is no home for you6 ,in spacious fields of air1 ,beneath a boundless sky1 ,without a fear or care1 ,you sang1 and soared so high2 ,i wonder much what brought you here ,to this dark room's contracted sphere4 ,oh1 birdie dear1 beware6 ,poor fluttering thing1 take care6 ,i fear you'll hurt your pretty wings ,against these hard1 material things4 ,would you were free to rise1 ,and seek your native skies1 ,and from those heights no more to roam1 ,or seek a lower1 earthly home4 ,and see6 ,i ope your prison door6 ,escape1 and sing1 and heavenward soar6 ,oh6 spirit from the blue1 ,this is no home for you4 ,in fleshly walls confined ,frets the aspiring mind2 ,imprisoned here in human clay1 ,we pine and long to soar away4 ,the soul would burst these prison bars1 ,and find its home beyond the stars4 ,oh6 heaven born soul1 beware6 ,poor fluttering thing1 take care6 ,oh do not hurt your spirit wings ,against earth's hard material things2 ,a hand some day will ope your prison door6 ,oh1 glad escape1 to sing1 and heavenward soar6 ,these are a few of the many suggestions with which nature abounds1 pointing our faith beyond the bourne of time to the eternal glory beyond4 ,but we have no corresponding hints of endless wrath4 ,to be sure1 there are suggestions of divine anger1 but not that ,god will be angry forever4 ,like the sun breaking out from behind a dark cloud1-- ,behind a frowning ,providence ,he hides a smiling face4 ,oh yes6 ,we believe that sin and suffering will finally be done away4 ,all the ransomed of the ,lord will yet come to ,zion with song6 ,i have thrown in these few illustrations by way of conclusion1 thinking they may be a pleasant offset to mere argument4 ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,final ,,day4 ,everlasting ,love--,resources of ,infinite ,wisdom and ,power--,redemption of the ,whole ,race--,forecast of the ,final ,day--,the ,conquest of ,love --,christ ,is ,satisfied--,he ,is ,singing with ,joy--,ancient ,prophecy ,fulfilled--,adoration of the ,heavenly ,hosts--,the ,saviour ,crowned4 ,the main subject on which there is a division of opinion in the evangelical churches pertains to the ultimate destiny of the wicked4 ,there are three main points of view4 ,there is the theory of ,extinction2 there is the theory of ,restoration2 and there is the theory of ,everlasting ,torment4 ,of late years there has been a great change as to which is the correct view4 ,for a long time eternal ,torment was held to be the orthodox doctrine4 ,men tried to believe it3 it was the doctrine of the church2 and thoughtful men did not like to break with orthodoxy4 ,i can fancy that in cases where it was suspected to be untrue1 men recoiled from its examination1 and satisfied themselves that it is a mystery beyond human investigation4 ,if a man's feeling stood in the way of his conviction1 feeling was repudiated as a dangerous thing in the study of doctrine4 ,so men went on for a long time1 even the most devout and kind-hearted1 coolly consigning millions and millions of their fellowmen to everlasting fire4 ,at length a better day dawned4 ,feeling was discerned not to be so dreadfully dangerous as was supposed4 ,it began to be realized that the heart sees as well as the head1 and often much truer and quicker4 ,the fact is that feeling on the part of a man at his best1 is no small factor in distinguishing between right and wrong1 and between truth and error4 ,and if in our best moods we have any hesitation in consigning millions of men to eternal torment1 the thought will suggest itself---,has not ,god more reluctance8 ,then when we think of ,him being everlasting love2 and moreover1 when we think of ,him as possessing the resources of infinite wisdom and power1 we begin to see that there must be some other alternative4 ,extinction would be one alternative4 ,but would not extinction be a frustration of the divine intention1 and unworthy of ,god8 ,would it not have been better and wiser never to create those millions of men than to extinguish them8 ,that is not like an outcome of the divine ,mind1 that sees the end from the beginning4 ,what remains1 then1 but ,restoration8 ,that seems for more consistent with divine power and divine love8 ,but what about divine justice8 ,will not justice require a penalty1 and an infinite one8 ,well2 surely a penalty has been paid1 and a penalty of infinite value4 ,so we can see no difficulty on that ground4 ,but what about man's free will8 ,will he not persist in sin8 ,has he not been made a free agent8 ,so if any reformation is forced upon him1 would it be a real reformation8 ,besides1 if he were reformed only externally1 would he be fitted for a better world8 ,,divine ,,power ,,and ,,grace4 ,well1 though he is a free agent1 we believe that divine love and power could turn him1 without in the least destroying his freedom4 ,we instanced the case of ,saul4 ,in a moment he was overpowered by divine love2 the whole man was changed2 yet he lost not a particle of his free will4 ,so it is easy to believe that divine power and grace may be brought to bear on the very worst of mankind1 with the result that while losing none of their free will1 but using it to the full1 they are recovered and redeemed4 ,and it is easier to believe this when we realize that suffering will be a factor in the process of reformation4 ,these1 and many such considerations have been referred to with all candor4 ,as we survey them we are forced to exclaim1 ,o1 the depths of the riches1 both of the ,wisdom and ,knowledge of ,god4 ,one practical word1 my dear friend1 in conclusion4 ,it may be that this maze of argument only bewilders you4 ,if so1 then brush all argument aside1 and take the plain ,word of ,god4 ,take these words in ,isaiah3 ,the ,lord hath laid on ,him the iniquity of us all4 ,surely1 you can believe such a plain statement as that4 ,and yet1 even that statement may be too general for your case4 ,then take the words of ,paul3 ,he loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4 ,ah2 that is closer4 ,does not that bring the matter home to yourself8 ,and surely1 it is a very personal matter4 ,be sure of this1 that what ,paul said of himself is just as true of you4 ,the ,saviour loved you1 and gave ,himself for you4 ,believe that in your inmost soul1 and it will transform your whole character and life4 ,think of ,christ loving you personally1 and giving ,himself for you personally4 ,yes2 for ,he was divine1 and so in the infinite sweep of ,his thought ,he could fix ,his love on you individually1 as though not another soul needed to be redeemed4 ,if you dwell on that thought you will be filled with adoring wonder1 and love1 and praise4 ,we forecast such a salvation for the whole race1 ,christ will be satisfied yet3 ,oh1 ,he will be satisfied6 ,let us anticipate the glorious day ,love has conquered6 ,the worst of mankind has been won4 ,the last prodigal has come home4 ,christ is satisfied at last6 ,ah1 ,he is more than satisfied6 ,listen6 ,he is singing6 ,surely the great multitude that no man can number will hush their hallelujahs to hear ,him singing6 ,yes1 ,he is actually singing with joy over the recovery of lost souls4 ,it was written of ,him long ago1 and the words are now fulfilled3 ,he will joy over thee with singing4 ,oh1 won't we crown ,him then6 ,won't we ,,crown ,,him--,,crown ,,him--,,crown ,,him--,,lord ,,of ,,all6