Generality here tends to confusion and mistakes. It has been too much
the habit to think and speak of God as giving His Son for the world, and
yet holding a reserved and unexpressed idea that He gave His Son only
for the saved. Such an idea is not often expressed publicly, and I
believe is not held heartily, But it is formally professed; it is theory
in a certain creed. Not only so, but it is felt that universal atonement
involves universal salvation; 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 meaning,
apparently to avoid the issue of universal salvation.
But let universal salvation be once granted, and all difficulty
disappears. Then the plain statements of Scripture do not need to be
modified, or explained away. Then all may freely accept the corollary
that universal atonement involves universal salvation; only in a far
larger sense than believed heretofore. We take in eternity now, as well
as the small span of time. We begin to realize that the sweep of the
eternal years makes no difference in the divine love or the divine
purpose. In God's administration of the universe there may be good
reasons for saving some of our race in this life; and some in the next;
but the principle is the same; infinite wisdom, infinite power, and
infinite love, will not fail of their purpose.
It is this belief in the final success of God's designs that gives us
the assurance of ultimate Restoration. For if God loves the world--that
is, 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 wisdom, love,
and power will find a way of attaining the end in view. Somehow--some
time--somewhere--the divine purpose will be accomplished.
I am fortified in this view by the words of an eminent Presbyterian
divine that I have just chanced to meet with. He says: "God infallibly
accomplishes everything at which He aims." I take that principle in a
wider application than he intended; and taking it so, it is a strong
argument for ultimate Restoration.