dwelling forever with God. Here is a soul capable of eternal existence, of eternal blessedness and happiness, capable of extending into a seraph, shrivelling up into nothing, or blotted out of existence. What would the blotting out of ten thousand worlds be compared with the blotting out of one soul? I do not know how you feel, but I feel that it would be worth my while going round and round the world in order to save one from such collapse. "Then there comes the universal restoration view. Some say, 'I do not believe in the old or the second view, but I believe that all souls shall be restored at last.' What then? I am glad to be able to tell you I have looked at that view in its face, and I have come to the conclusion that I can draw even from that view sufficient motive to go on with my missionary work. Suppose, for instance, an angel were to come to me when I lay my head upon my pillow this evening, and whisper these words in my ear, 'Brother, all souls are to be restored at last; all the heathen are to be restored at last; the Chinese are to be restored at last. You are only just beginning your missionary work, there is a long, long missionary life before you; your work in China is a mere school in which you are preparing yourself for a grander work by and by.' What would be the effect of it upon my mind? To paralyze my hand? To prevent me going back to China? No, on the contrary, I feel that if an angel were to reveal that to me as the truth of God, the spark of missionary enthusiasm in my heart to-day would burst into a flame. "I should reason in this way, Is it so? Can it be that the human soul is worth so much? Can it be that human souls are so dear to the heart of the Father? Can it be that that great atonement can cover all guilt, and that that mighty Spirit contains all souls?' If this be true-if it be true that all souls are to be redeemed, then I go in for the missionary life, not only for this aeon, but for aeons of aeons until the Christ of whom we have heard so much these days has put all His enemies under His feet, and presented the kingdom to God the Father.” We need not cite further cases. "Them that honor Me, I will honor," and what truth so vindicates God's character and honor as this of God's wondrous plan and its complete success? Again we say, "Buy the truth, and sell it not." |