That seems to be the grand solution of what has always seemed a
barbarous proceeding. 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 Testament. This larger view shows Him
to be all He claims; that His mercy is not confined to this short span
of time; that it is from everlasting to everlasting.
One great advantage in believing in Restoration is, that any good
influence effected on any person will have its legitimate effect in the
next life. I need to explain. There are many persons who are not
believers who yet rise to a high plane of character. But no matter how
high they may rise, if they are not Christians the old theory would
consign them to everlasting torment. No doubt, degrees of suffering are
recognized, varying with the goodness or badness of the sinner. Still,
if a person is not a Christian when he dies, the idea is that he must go
to eternal torment, be his moral character what it may. Thus, any good
influence that may be exerted upon him here is largely or entirely lost.
Even the incentive to do him good in a great degree is neutralized. An
inevitable, though it may be an unconscious, arrest, is thus put upon
every good impulse to benefit men except they are true Christians.
But consider how different is the incentive on the Restoration theory.
In that case, you can have the certainty that any good accomplished in
this life will have its due effect in the next. A man may not be a
Christian, 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 next. There is, therefore, every incentive to do the most and the
best we can for all men, be their character what it may, and whether
they are Christians or not. We may be sure that any good effect attained
will not be lost.
Is not this a strong plea for good works? And is it not a strong
argument that Restoration is true? Is it to be supposed that the divine
government is based on any possibility of good efforts being abortive?
Surely, in God's perfect government of the world it is so arranged that
every good influence will have its due effect. To my mind, this
consideration makes strongly for the truth of the theory of Restoration.
It may possibly be charged on me that all through this discussion I have
ignored divine justice. I would say that nothing could be farther from
my intention. To be sure, I have tried to magnify divine love. "God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" for the world. There
we see a depth of love that will never be fathomed. But then, He gave
His Son. There was infinite justice, too. "He spared not His own Son."
"It pleased the Lord to bruise Him." O, mystery of mysteries! The union
of infinite love with infinite justice! I believe that will be the
marvel of eternity. Let that stand, whatever I may seem to say to the
contrary. In dealing with problems that are so high, and yet so deep, it
would not be surprising if there are some apparent contradictions. Our
limited range of thought, and our poor vehicle of speech, make seeming
contradiction almost inevitable. But there will be harmony by and by.
I would say here that in what is advanced there are some repetitions.
But often these are in new connections, and are therefore in order.
Besides, I have not been careful to avoid repetition; for I have in
view many readers to whom such topics as are treated here are
comparatively new, and by all such, repetition is needed.
The foregoing are some, but only some, of the arguments that occur to me
in support of the theory of Restoration. It may be that in some cases I
may be considered too dogmatic on a theme which is involved in much
obscurity. But apart from the manner, judge of the matter. Is it not
reasonable? And is not the very conception of it like the rising of a
new sun in a new world?
I have claimed that such views are reasonable. They may appear
strange--even impious--at the first glance; but the longer the mind
dwells upon them the more reasonable they will appear.
The old view is not reasonable; and that is one of its most damaging
features. For all true religion is reasonable. In fact, religion is one
of the most reasonable things in the world. It is so in God's mind, who
sees all parts of it in all their relations. But our view for the
present is limited. We see only a part of the divine scheme. But it is a
great consolation that "what we know not now we shall know hereafter."
Let us always remember that our highest thoughts of God's wisdom and
love are as nothing to the reality. In this regard I believe the future
has revelations that will surprise us. Oh, yes; the words will come true
by and by, in a larger sense than our poor faith can anticipate:
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."