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Man's Accountability to God.
This is a subject which it may be necessary for us to inquire into, in
order that we may find out how far man is responsible. For if man be
not a moral agent, he cannot be responsible for the present position of
the world; and it would be unjust in God to punish him for acts that
were not his, and for circumstances over which he had no control.
By a careful examination of the Scriptures, we shall find that man has
had certain powers vested in his hands, which he holds subject to the
control and guidance of the Lord; and that if he has acted without
the counsel, guidance, or instruction of God, he has gone beyond the
limits assigned him by the Lord, and is as much culpable as a minister
plenipotentiary of any nation would be who should exceed the limits of
his instructions; or a man holding a farm, or vineyard, by a certain
lease, if he should disregard the conditions of that lease, and destroy
the farm, or vineyard; for the earth is the Lord's, and man was put
on it by the Lord. It is not man's possession, only as he holds it
from God. Man's body was given him by God, and also his spirit, for
the purpose heretofore mentioned. God had his object in view in the
creation of the world and of man (which it is not necessary here to
investigate); and if man is placed as an agent to act for the Lord, and
also for himself, and then should neglect the Lord, he would certainly
be held responsible to his Creator. That God had an object in view in
regard to the creation of the world, is evident. Or, why was there a
consultation in heaven about it? Why the beautiful regulation of sun,
moon, and stars? Why the provision made for the redemption of man
before he came here? For Christ was "the Lamb slain from before the
foundation of the world." Why the arrangement of the resurrection?
the New Jerusalem, and the reign of Jesus on the earth? Will any one
say that all these things were done, and all nature organized in its
present beauty, and order, without a design? It would be preposterous.
If God has a design in those things, and man by his wilfulness,
wickedness, corruption, and rebellion, should thwart the design of God,
and yield himself to another influence, even that of Satan, will he not
be held responsible? And whether God has a particular design or not,
does not affect the question particularly; for the earth is the Lord's,
and man also, and God has a perfect right to dictate what laws he
pleases. That the Lord looks upon the world in this manner is evident
from the words of our Saviour. "There was a certain householder which
planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-press
in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into
a far country. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his
servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another,
and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first;
and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his
son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw
the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us
kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and
cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the Lord, therefore,
of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say
unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out
his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits
in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the
Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become
the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous
in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be
taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits
thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; but
on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." Matt. xxi.
33-44. Here, then, the thing is clearly developd: man's agency; the
abuse of that agency; the punishment inflicted for that abuse, together
with the awful consequences of resistance to the proper authority. "On
whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder." God never
gave man unlimited control of the affairs of this world; but always
speaks of man as being under his guidance, inhabiting his territory,
and responsible to him for his acts. The world is His vineyard, and
man is the agent. Hence, when God made man, "God blessed him, and God
said unto him, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
This, then, was man's dominion, _given him by the Lord_. And the word
continues: "_And God gave them_ every herb bearing seed, and every tree
in which is the fruit of a tree." These things were given by God; but
to show his power, and his right to be obeyed, and in order to test
man, he forbid his eating of a certain tree; and when he did eat of it,
and thus broke the commandment of God, he thrust him out of the garden,
and decreed that he "should eat his bread by the sweat of his brow."
Again, God demanded worship and sacrifices, and when Cain and Abel
offered them, he received one and rejected the other; and further, when
Cain was wroth on account of his sacrifice not being accepted, the Lord
said to him, "Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not
well, sin lieth at the door." Gen. iv. 5-7. After the destruction of
the world, which was in consequence of the people sinning against God,
he blessed Noah, and spake to him, and gave him the same dominion
which had been given before to Adam; and Noah offered sacrifices to
him. The same recognition of the Almighty's power and authority was
manifested by Abraham, Moses, the Children of Israel, and the Prophets;
by Jesus also, and the primitive Christians. Man was left as a free
agent with power to act, and vested with certain powers by his Father,
and responsible to him for his acts, as a son, servant, or agent
would be to his father, master, or employer. Perhaps it would be more
correctly conveyed thus:--a man lets or rents a vineyard or farm, the
man occupying it has a certain agency and discretionary power vested
in his hands, but always subject to certain conditions imposed by the
owner of the property. Hence God made a covenant with Noah, Abraham,
the Children of Israel, and the primitive saints. The making of a
covenant naturally implies two parties: in such cases, God is one,
the people the other. If the people fulfil their covenant, the Lord
is bound to fulfil his; but if man transgresses then the Lord is not
bound to fulfil his engagement. For instance, in speaking to ancient
Israel, he said, "And it shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken
diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all
the commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God
will set thee on high above all nations of the earth." Deut. xxviii.
1. He then describes what those blessings are; and further states,
that if they do not observe his statutes they shall be cursed. The
Lord set before them blessings and cursings; blessings if they obeyed,
but cursings if they disobeyed. Man, then, acts as a moral agent, to
improve upon the blessings which God puts within his power, or not, as
he pleases; and it is the abuse of this moral agency, which has filled
the world with misery and distress.[A]
[Footnote A: This part of the subject is fully explained in the remarks
on the Government of Man, chap. ii.]
Man has lost sight of the object of his creation, and his future
destiny; and losing sight of his origin, his relationship to God,
and his future destiny, he has fallen into the mazes of ignorance,
superstition, and iniquity, and is groping in the dark, and knows
not how to conduct himself in this world, or how to prepare for the
world to come. For, instead of being governed by the Spirit, Wisdom,
and Revelations of God, he is governed by the spirit of the Evil One,
"the god of this world, who rules in the hearts of the children of
disobedience." They have left God, and submitted themselves to his evil
sway, and used that agency which God has given to them, not only in
rejecting God, but in obeying Satan; and furthering his designs, which
are in opposition to those of God, the happiness of mankind, and the
salvation of the world. I know there are many who will ridicule this
idea but it is a thing which is plain in the Scriptures. The Apostle
Paul says, "The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is
the image of God, should shine unto them." 2 Cor. iv. 4. And if any man
thinks he is wise, he has his moral agency and the world before him;
and if he can improve the situation of the world without God, he has
ample opportunity to display his intelligence.
I would remark, further, that so far from Satan not exercising this
power over man, he exercises it to such an extent, and he possesses
such an unbounded influence over the human family, that God's purposes
relative to man, and the earth, never can be carried out until Satan
is bound, and cast into the bottomless pit. John says, "And I saw an
angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and
a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the Dragon, that old
serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal
upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand
years should be fulfilled." Rev. xx. 1-3. Here, then, he is described
as _deceiving the nations_, and his power is curtailed for a season,
that he shall not possess it. It is a difficult thing to persuade men
that they are deceived; because that very power that deceives them,
inflates the mind with self-sufficiency and assurance: but who, that
looks abroad in the world, and sees the confusion, distress, and misery
that abound, will say that man has acted wisely?
Man, then, is a moral agent, possessing the power to do good or to do
evil; if he does well, he fulfils the measure of his creation, and
secures his happiness in time and in eternity. If he does not well,
and is involved in difficulties and misery, it is his own fault, and
he may blame himself. There are many circumstances over which man
individually has no control; but I am speaking more particularly of
nations and the world, and man's moral agency associated with them:
concerning individuals, the Lord will make his own arrangements.
The Jews are cursed nationally, on account of their fathers'
transgression, and cannot remove that curse, as a nation, until the
time come. As individuals they can receive the Gospel as well as
others. Their fathers committed grievous national offences against
God for some length of time, and finally filled up the measure of
their iniquity, in rejecting, and crucifying the Son of God. If
they killed the prophets, and stoned those whom God sent, how could
he treat with them? He could act no other way consistently than to
"destroy those husbandmen, and give the vineyard to others." For if
God be the proprietor of the vineyard, and has a right to confer
national blessings for obedience, he has also a right to visit them
with national curses for disobedience. A nation rejecting God and
his ordinances, and killing his prophets, and still professing to
be his people, act hypocritically, and impose a great curse upon
posterity. And if men will not acknowledge God, how can they expect
him to acknowledge and bless them? Again. There are heathen nations
enveloped in idolatry; and if millions of people came into the world
in those places surrounded with idolatry and superstition, it would
be unjust for them to be punished for what they did not know. Hence,
if they have no law, they will be judged without law; and God in his
own wisdom will regulate their affairs, for it is their misfortune,
not their individual offence, that has placed them in their present
position. If, however, we could trace their history, we should find,
as with the Israelites, so with them. Their present darkness and
misery originated in a departure from God; and as their fathers did
not desire to retain God in their knowledge, he gave them up to their
present darkness, confusion, and wretchedness. See Paul's remarks on
this subject, Rom. i. 21-25, 28. For nationally, the conduct of fathers
has a great influence over their children, as well as in a family
capacity. Hence the Jews will be blessed as a nation, in consequence
of the promises made to Abraham, for as I have said before, these
are eternal principles; man is an eternal being, and all his actions
have a relevancy to eternity. The actions of fathers have a bearing
and influence on their children, both as families and nations, in
time and in eternity. And those great principles that God has his eye
upon in relation to the nations, and to the world, will certainly be
accomplished. Hence the stimulus to excite men to tread in the steps
of Abraham, that like him they may obtain blessings for themselves
and their posterity. And hence the choice of Abraham by the Lord.
The Lord said, "I know him that he will command his children and his
household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord." Gen.
xviii. 19. And why did the Lord feel anxious about this? Because of
his own purposes in relation to the earth, and because of his parental
care of the bodies and spirits of man. For there are matters of great
importance associated with these things, as before referred to; and the
Lord has felt very anxious, for the perpetuation of correct principles.
So strong were his feelings in relation to this matter, that he gave
the following law to the children of Israel: "If thy brother, the son
of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom,
or thy friend which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying,
Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor
thy fathers; namely, of the gods of the people which are round about
you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee; from the one end of the
earth even unto the other end of the earth; thou shalt not consent unto
him, nor hearken unto him; neither shalt thine eye pity him, neither
shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him; but thou shalt surely
kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him, to put him to death, and
afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with
stones, that he die, because he hath sought to thrust thee away from
the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from
the house of bondage." Deut. xiii. 6-10. Here, then, it is stated,
that if brother, son, wife, or any one, wish to lead thee from God,
thou shalt destroy them; and why? Because in forsaking God, they lose
sight of their eternal existence, corrupt themselves, and entail misery
on their posterity. Hence it was better to destroy a few individuals,
than to entail misery on many. And hence the inhabitants of the old
world and of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, because
it was better for them to die, and thus be deprived of their agency,
which they abused, than entail so much misery on their posterity, and
bring ruin upon millions of unborn persons. And having thus deprived
them of their agency to act upon the earth, and punished them for their
transgressions, Jesus went "and preached unto the spirits in prison;
which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God
waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing." 1 Peter
iii. 19, 20.
It is upon this principle that the world will be punished in the last
days for their transgressions, because they have abused their agency,
and broken the covenant that God made with them. They have yielded to
the influence of Satan, perverted the designs of Jehovah, and brought
upon themselves and posterity a curse, misery, and ruin. If any thing
further is desired upon this subject, Isaiah has described it plainly,
and has shewn the awful effects of an abuse of this moral agency and
departure from God, and the breaking of this covenant. To him I refer
the reader as a conclusion on this subject. "Behold, the Lord maketh
the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and
scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the
people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master;
as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the
seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of
usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly
emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word. The
earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away,
the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled
under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws,
changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath
the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate:
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left."
xxiv. 1-6.