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 Crowned.
The main subject on which there is a division of opinion in the
evangelical churches pertains to the ultimate destiny of the wicked.
There are three main points of view. There is the theory of Extinction;
there is the theory of Restoration; and there is the theory of
Everlasting Torment. Of late years there has been a great change as to
which is the correct view. For a long time eternal Torment was held to
be the orthodox doctrine. Men tried to believe it: it was the doctrine
of the church; and thoughtful men did not like to break with orthodoxy.
I can fancy that in cases where it was suspected to be untrue, men
recoiled from its examination, and satisfied themselves that it is a
mystery beyond human investigation. If a man's feeling stood in the way
of his conviction, feeling was repudiated as a dangerous thing in the
study of doctrine. So men went on for a long time, even the most devout
and kind-hearted, coolly consigning millions and millions of their
fellowmen to everlasting fire.
At length a better day dawned. Feeling was discerned not to be so
dreadfully dangerous as was supposed. It began to be realized that the
heart sees as well as the head, and often much truer and quicker. The
fact is that feeling on the part of a man at his best, is no small
factor in distinguishing between right and wrong, and between truth
and error.
And if in our best moods we have any hesitation in consigning millions
of men to eternal torment, the thought will suggest itself---Has not God
more reluctance? Then when we think of Him being everlasting love; and
moreover, when we think of Him as possessing the resources of infinite
wisdom and power, we begin to see that there must be some other
alternative.
Extinction would be one alternative. But would not extinction be a
frustration of the divine intention, and unworthy of God? Would it not
have been better and wiser never to create those millions of men than to
extinguish them? That is not like an outcome of the divine Mind, that
sees the end from the beginning.
What remains, then, but Restoration? That seems for more consistent with
divine power and divine love? But what about divine justice? Will not
justice require a penalty, and an infinite one? Well; surely a penalty
has been paid, and a penalty of infinite value. So we can see no
difficulty on that ground.
But what about man's free will? Will he not persist in sin? Has he not
been made a free agent? So if any reformation is forced upon him, would
it be a real reformation? Besides, if he were reformed only externally,
would he be fitted for a better world?