Twenty-Four Short Sermons On The Doctrine Of Universal Salvation Part 3

In our next, we shall notice the change we experience in this life, called in scripture the new birth, and explain the term, "kingdom of G.o.d."

SERMON IX

"Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of G.o.d." John iii. 3.

In our last, we have shown, that the _spiritual_ birth bears some resemblance to a natural birth with which Jesus compared it--and as the _first_ introduces us into this world, so the _second_ will introduce us into the future and immortal world at the resurrection, where we shall be as the angels of G.o.d in heaven, and "be the _children_ of G.o.d _being the children of the resurrection_." There we shall be completely free from sin and pain. There the gus.h.i.+ng tear of sorrow shall cease to flow, and the brow of disconsolate humanity be ruffled no more.

We will now attend to the present effects that the truth of this birth has upon us here, and notice at the same the phrase, "_kingdom of G.o.d_."

The question now arises; do not some experience the new birth in this life? They do. But in what sense do they experience it? Ans. By _faith_. In this world we pa.s.s from death to life: not that we have actually been in the grave and brought to life beyond it; but the believer experiences this by faith. And _this faith_ has a most powerful and happifying influence on his affections, and consequently on his life and conduct. All, that G.o.d has revealed for the salvation of the world--our justification, our sanctification, our new birth, our heaven, our all--yes, all these important and heavenly changes are summed up, and embraced in our immortal resurrection, will actually take place through death; and while in this world we can embrace them, _only by faith_.

The scriptures declare that "we walk by faith and, not by sight." Paul says, "the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of G.o.d, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Paul knew that he had eternal life given him in Christ, before the world began, and faith in that glorious truth produced a happiness--a divine life in his heart, called the kingdom of G.o.d within. Let us notice these several points.

1. First; "Christ rose again for our justification." Our justification then exists in our resurrection state, and will _there_ in all its reality take place. But cannot a man be justified _here_? Yes; he can be justified _through faith_ in that truth.

2. Second; "By the which will, we are _sanctified_ through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Our _sanctification_ then, by the will of G.o.d, will take place through death. But cannot a man be _sanctified_ while _here_? Yes; he can be sanctified _through faith in that truth!_

3. Third; Christ was "put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit." So in his resurrection he pa.s.sed from death to life, and thus revealed the truth that we shall also pa.s.s from death to life by the power of G.o.d, and be like him who is the "first fruits." But cannot a man pa.s.s from death to life while on earth? Yes; he can pa.s.s from death to life _through faith in that truth_. Jesus says--"He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is pa.s.sed from death unto life."

4. Fourth; our eternal life will be realized beyond death. "The things that are not seen are spiritual and eternal." But can we not enjoy it _here_? Yes; "He that believeth on the Son _hath_ everlasting life;"-- that is, he enjoys it faith.

5. Fifth; Christ was the "first born from the dead." So we also shall pa.s.s the reality of the new birth by faith. But can we not enjoy it here? John says--"For whatsoever is born of G.o.d overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh world _even our faith_."

Thus it is evident that a man may in this life be _justified, sanctified_, pa.s.s from _death to life, may enjoy eternal life_, and be _born again_ through faith in _these several correspondent facts_. His faith, however, can make them no more _certain_; because they _must exist_, and be solemn and unalterable facts before he can be called upon to believe them. The truth of the above _five facts_, we perceive, are embraced in our resurrection. If we are not, in our resurrection, to be _justified, sanctified, born again_, and obtain eternal life, then we cannot be _justified, sanctified or born again here_ through faith in those truths;--because there would be no such truths in existence for us to exercise faith in. If the objector will not allow these facts unalterably to exist _previous_ to believing, what then will he call upon us to believe? Will he call upon us to believe that we have an eternal life in Christ when no such fact exists, and contend that our believing this lie will create the fact?

This would be the most ridiculous absurdity.

But the truth exists, and the believer by faith enjoys it before hand.

He enjoys it by antic.i.p.ation, not in _reality_. It can be brought to his understanding or experience no other way, only through the gospel medium of faith. I challenge the objector to show me between the lids of the new Testament, any regeneration, new birth, justification, or sanctification, that has already taken place in any other sense than through faith. All these things in their _reality_ are to take place in our resurrection, when we shall be like the angels of G.o.d and by faith we bring them present to our minds and enjoy them _here_. Dr.

Watts says--"Faith brings distant prospects home, Of things a thousand years ago, Or thousand years to come." Paul, therefore, exhorts us to forget the things that are behind, and reach forward to those that are before--to press to the mark &c. because the reality--the object of our faith lies before us. But persons, who do not understand the operations of faith on the mind in view of its correspondent truth, and who honestly believe that the new birth has in reality already taken place with them, are always looking back to the time they were born again, and telling over their "old experiences" Now this is right in them, if they have pa.s.sed through the _reality_; for every man ought to look to the substance in which he exercises faith and hope.

But certainly the scriptures exhort us to look forward, and anchor our faith and hope within the vail, where our forerunner hath for us entered. It is therefore certain that the reality exists there, and is yet to come. Such persons then, in looking back to their experience, are mistaking the birth produced by faith for the real birth itself.

This is just as unreasonable as it would be to suppose that the foretaste, we sometimes enjoy of immortal life, was that life itself.

It is true we at times enjoy a heaven on earth. But as it respects the kingdom of immortal glory, "eye hath not seen, ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the glory that shall be revealed in us." The reality is therefore yet to come, and by faith we receive only an antepast of its joys.

From the above observation we infer that, the resurrection is the only gospel faith and hope of a future, happy conscious state of being.

When our minds are enlightened to see the mighty changes, that we mortals are represented, in the scriptures of truth, as destined to experience by being raised in a holy and deathless const.i.tution, we are then led to consider the resurrection of embracing all those realities that we are called upon by Jesus Christ and his apostles to embrace by faith and enjoy in this life. So great and sublime is the gift of G.o.d, and so far surpa.s.sing thought does it magnify the perfections of the divine character, and in so amiable a light does it manifest his love to the children of men, that a living faith in its reality cannot but obtain a salutary influence on our life and conversation. So much stress did the apostles lay upon its importance, that they went every where preaching the resurrection of the dead, as the gospel of Christ.

There is one point we will here notice. All denominations acknowledge that for any man _by faith_ to pa.s.s from death to life is a change for the better. If so, then the _reality_, namely to pa.s.s from the sleep of death to an immortal existence, must be a change for the better.

Because it is by believing that future reality we are said to have pa.s.sed from death to life here. The conclusion is unavoidable that the _reality_ must correspond with its antepast _by faith_. To understand this let us reverse it. Suppose it should be an established law in the nature and const.i.tution of things that all mankind should pa.s.s from death to immortal misery in the future world. Let this be revealed and proclaimed as an unchanging truth. As many as believed it would of course pa.s.s from death to immortal misery in _faith_, which would lead them to curse the being who made them, and destined them to this unhappy end. It would be a change for the worse.

Our subject is now so far plain (according to our views) that the phrase "_kingdom of G.o.d_" will be readily understood. Though it has, by different writers, been made to bear many different significations, yet we shall take the liberty to contend that it simply means as follows--1. First an immortal existence beyond the grave brought to light by the resurrection of Christ;--and 2. Second a belief in _that reality_ is the kingdom of G.o.d we here enter and enjoy _by faith_.

Into this kingdom, infants, idiots and heathen and unbelievers do not enter, because faith is the only condition. This is the kingdom of heaven that men, blind leaders of the blind, shut up. They neither enter themselves, nor suffer those that would enter to go in. They keep the evidence of the reality out of sight so that men cannot look beyond the vail to its brighter glories and enjoy its peaceful reign in their hearts by faith. When faith is lost in certainty, _then_ this kingdom will be delivered up, and to know shall be life eternal. This definition we believe will hold good, and apply to any pa.s.sage in the New Testament where it may occur. Though some contend that it very seldom has reference to an immortal existence, yet we strenuously contend that there is no propriety in the phrase only in connexion with such an existence. We cannot enter or be born into the kingdom of G.o.d by faith, unless we admit the reality in the first place to have an existence, any more than we could, by faith, enjoy eternal life unless there is such a reality as eternal life beyond the grave. The above, the reader will please to fix in his mind.

We now perceive that man drops into the sleep of death, and that the resurrection, or new birth is his only hope of a future happy state of existence, and is the only change that can free him from imperfection, and sin, and make him a new creature in a new and immortal existence beyond the grave.

We will here introduce an example to make our argument so far plain.

Suppose you were now in ignorance respecting the doctrine of life and immortality through a resurrection. You know you must die, and sincerely think that death will terminate your existence forever. You see your children one after another laid upon their dying bed, and with distraction shake the farewell hand of eternal separation, and with the most solemn melancholy and wo, look forward to the period when you must follow them down to the chambers of eternal silence, and cease to be.

In this moment of dread solemnity and gloom, suppose some kind angel should appear at the bed-side of your expiring child, and kindly inquire, why are you troubled? You answer, because my children have fallen!--the last of my infant train lies panting for breath, and the dreadful hour has come when all those silken affections, that build our hearts love, must be rent a.s.sunder, and in the awful bosom of death, be extinguished forever!--Suppose your guardian angel smiling over the ruins of death, should point you far beyond these changing scenes, and with rapture exclaim, you shall meet this darling child again and commingle with your little fallen flock in glory! You and they and all mankind shall be born from the dead into the kingdom of G.o.d, and be new creatures free from sin and pain, and "be the children of G.o.d being the children of the resurrection." Jesus your Lord "was the first born from the dead," and you shall pa.s.s from death to life and live forever.

Now suppose you positively believed his words; could you not say in the scripture form of the expression that through faith you was already "pa.s.sed from death to life?"--that you was born of faith, and by faith was in the kingdom of G.o.d? You certainly could, and it would in every sense of the word be true. Through faith, you would be justified, through faith sanctified; through faith you would enjoy eternal life--in fine, through faith you would be saved. This faith would give love unmeasured to your Creator, and fill your soul with joy unspeakable and full of glory. "Faith works by love, purifies the heart and overcomes the world."

Reader, do you not love the Lord for his wonderful goodness to his children? What glorious hopes are here! "and he that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure"--you now see why the gospel rings with the word _faith_ from one end to the other.

The world previous to the coming of Jesus Christ had no knowledge of immortality through a resurrection, into the kingdom of G.o.d. The phrase "_born again_" is not mentioned in the Old Testament, and of course means something more than a _conversion_. This subject will be continued in our next.

SERMON X

"Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of G.o.d." John iii. 3.

The literal rendering of this pa.s.sage seems to be--"_except a man be born above_." The word _above_ being subst.i.tuted for _again_ more forcibly demonstrates the correctness of my views in the two former discourses.

Many charge the Universalists with denying the necessity of a new birth, or regeneration. But take from me my faith and hope in that glorious truth, and I must at that moment resign the salvation of every human being. Convince me that not another child will be born into this world, and you will at once convince me that this world will shortly be dest.i.tute of a solitary inhabitant. Convince me that a man will not be born again, and you will not only convince me that no one will ever enter the kingdom of G.o.d, but that the many worlds, that have already pa.s.sed from the stage of mortal being, and those that shall hereafter follow, will alike be consigned to eternal silence!

Endless misery is out of the question. That could have had no existence even had there been no resurrection in _Him_ who is the life of the world; but death would have terminated the existence of all.

Such a punishment is not threatened in all the writings of Moses and the prophets. And we cannot reasonably suppose, if such were a princ.i.p.al truth in revelation, that G.o.d would suffer four thousand years to elapse without warning his creatures of such an awful doom.

Upon our first parents, for transgressing the law, he p.r.o.nounced all the miseries of life, and uttered the closing sentence, "Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return." Here the doctrine of endless misery (if that be the sentence of the violated law) ought to have been clearly stated to the "covenant head" of our race, so that the same sentence might pa.s.s upon all that have sinned, unless they complied with the conditions set before them.

But we leave this point, and will notice the 5th verse which may, perhaps, be considered as an objection to my views, and urged as proof that the new birth is wholly confined to this life. "Except a man be born of _water_, and of the spirit," &c. What is here meant by "_water_"? Ans. Baptism by immersion. This, instead of being an objection to my views, will strengthen them. Baptism in water is nothing more than a _figure_ of our death and resurrection, by _which_ we manifest our _faith_ in the resurrection of the dead, by which _faith_ our hearts are baptized into the spirit and truth of the gospel of Christ.

Paul says, I Cor. xv:29 "Else what shall they do, which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" Baptism being only a _figure_ of our death and resurrection, is perhaps, in a gospel sense, of but little consequence to christians in the present day.

Christ went to John and was baptized of him in Jordan. His being put under water signified his death, when the condemning power of the law under the first dispensation should lose its force--and his being raised out of the water signified his resurrection from the cold Jordan of death to immortal life in the kingdom of G.o.d, where the victory shall be sung over _death and sin_; and over the _law_ which "is the strength of sin." Having pa.s.sed in figure through his own death and resurrection, and having manifested to man that he was baptized by the Holy Spirit into the faith and "powers of the world to come," he perfectly lived up to his obligation, by never committing one sin. He went through life free from transgression as though he were already in eternity. When his crucifixion hour approached, he said, [Luke xii:50] "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened" [Greek--pained] "till it be accomplished." Here he had reference to his being buried in death, (which was to be attended with extreme sufferings) and rising again from it, which would be the _reality_ of which his baptism in Jordan was but a _figure_.

To be put under water signifies our _death_, and to be raised out again signifies our _resurrection_. A person, who is baptized, ought therefore, to endeavor, as much as in him lies, to live as though he were already in his resurrection state. Enjoying in faith the baptism of the "Holy Spirit and of fire," he ought to consider himself as dead to the world and alive to G.o.d walking in newness of life.

Let us introduce Rom. vi:3, 4. "Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into _his death_? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Here we perceive they were baptized into his death, and were rejoicing in hope of the _resurrection_, having their hearts purified faith in the reality, Acts xxii. 16 And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, &c. Now, it is not only a scripture doctrine, but all denominations acknowledge, that baptism in water is an _emblem_ of the was.h.i.+ng away of our sins. We then ask--are our sins to be wished in a stream of water? No. Where then? The objector says, our sins are taken away _in this life_ by the baptism of the "Holy Spirit and with fire." This cannot be; because Paul told the believers that if there were no resurrection, their faith was vain, and they were _yet in their sins_.

[See I. Cor. xv. 17.] This proves that believers receive the forgiveness of their sins in this life _by faith only_, not in _reality_.

The question returns, are our sins washed away in a stream of water?

No. Where then? Ans. Through death and the resurrection, for that is the real baptism. And it is certain that the _reality_ must embrace all that the _figure_ in water teaches. We then solemnly ask the reader,--if baptism in water is a _figure_ of our death and resurrection, and if _that water baptism_ signifies the was.h.i.+ng away of our sins, will not then our sins be washed away through death and the resurrection? Yes; otherwise the figure in water has no meaning.

Thus we perceive that being born of the water is no objection to our views of the new birth, but affords them an unshaken support. If any one contend that the sins of our race are not to be taken away through death, we would then ask, where will the christian's sins be washed away? The scriptures declare that there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not,--and if there is no change through death then there will not be a just man beyond the grave that doeth good and sinneth not. But the baptism "with the Holy Spirit and with fire" in all its solemn and interesting reality will take place in death and the resurrection, and to exercise a living faith in that truth, so as to influence our life and conduct according to the spirit of the gospel, is what the scriptures term being baptized with the spirit and with fire in this life. But this present enjoyment is not the _reality_, but an antepast of _that reality_; because "we walk by faith and not by sight." It is immaterial whether the scripture speaks of _pardon, of justification; of sanctification, of redemption, of regeneration, or baptism_ "with the Holy Spirit and with fire," it simply means that those facts in the divine counsels unchangeably exist, and will burst upon the whole groaning creation in the resurrection world, while the believer only enjoys them in this state of being through faith, which baptizes him into the spirit of Christ.

But if there be no resurrection, and nought is presented to our antic.i.p.ation but the dreary prospect of a beamless eternity, then "preaching is vain," "faith is also vain," "christians are yet in their sins," "and they that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished."

The taking away the sin of the world by the Lamb of G.o.d, who is the resurrection and the life, is through death. Through death, to our faith and hope, he has destroyed "him who hath the power of death, that is the devil." The was.h.i.+ng away of all sin, by the power of G.o.d, is through death and the resurrection. _Then_ and not till then shall the song of triumph be sung by redeemed millions--"O death! Where is thy sting? O grave! Where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law", &c.

All the figures of baptism point to _death_--all the sacrifices for sin, slain under the law for 4000 years, point to death, declaring that without the shedding of blood there is no remission. There the reality lies. There we are called upon to anchor our faith and hope even within the veil. And it must be a _certain truth_ that our sins are to be washed away through the Jordan of death, before we can be called upon to believe it. It must be a _certain reality_ that sin is there to be purged away, before we could, with any propriety, use baptism in water as a shadow of it; because the _shadow_ cannot create the _substance_.

We have now shown that as man is naturally born into this world, so he shall be spiritually born into the kingdom of G.o.d. We have shown by comparison that except a man be born of a woman, he cannot see this world; and as this does not mean that he must be born twenty days before he comes forth from the womb, as a preparation for entering this world, so the expression, "except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of G.o.d," does not mean that he must be born twenty days before death as a preparation for entering a future existence.

The new birth, no more means a _reality_ that is to transpire _here_, than natural birth means some change we underwent prior to our being brought forth into life.

I believe in all the reformation or new birth here that others do, and believe in much more to come. That change _here_, which they call the new birth, I call the new birth in faith, or being born of faith, while the solemn reality is yet to transpire, and that is to be born from the dead in Christ our head. These facts we will now make plain to every reader by the following example, so that our views on this subject may not be misrepresented.

Suppose that before we were born, we had been able to conceive ideas.

And suppose it had been spoken to us by the Son of G.o.d--except you are born of the flesh, you cannot see the natural world, which is most beautiful to to behold, having sun, moon, and stars, and songsters, fields and groves. It has never entered your heart to conceive the glory to be revealed in you. Now suppose some of us had believed this revelation, we would that moment, have been born of faith, and rejoiced in hope of the glory to be revealed in us; and by faith have looked forward to the reality. This, however, would not have made our birth any more certain, because it must have been an absolute truth before we could have, with any propriety, believed it. Suppose, further, that some of us had rejected it; would this circ.u.mstance have prevented our being born? Certainly not. All of us, who believed, would have been born of faith, having an earnest of the reality, and the unbelievers would have come short of that enjoyment by faith; but their unbelief could in no sense make the truth of none effect. The moment we were born, belief and unbelief would be lost in certainty.

Now suppose that some of had said--the Son of G.o.d has declared "except we are born of the flesh, we cannot see the natural world." This must mean some great change we are to experience in the womb--we must be born some number of days before we enter the natural world, as a preparation, otherwise we can never see it.

We now ask the reader, whether it would not be folly to give to the word _birth_ such an explanation? The Conclusion is unavoidable. We then ask, whether it does not involve the same folly to contend, in view of our text, ("except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of G.o.d") that it means, he must be born again in this world, as a preparation for another? It certainly does.