A Treatise on Atonement, by Hosea Ballou
Part III. Consequences of Atonement to Mankind
Chapter 2. Objections.
Please note that this text is uncorrected, and was transcribed from a different edition of the Treatise. Eventually, a corrected text will replace this chapter. -Editor of the online edition.
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155. The objection from the force of unlimited words. One of the objections on which the enemies of universal holiness and happiness put much dependence, and which they frequently urge against the doctrine, is stated from the force of unlimited words, as they find a few of them in scripture applied to the misery of the wicked. The forces of this objection I remove by proving that unlimited words are applied to things and events which are not strictly eternal or endless; and surely the candid reader will acknowledge this way of reasoning is just, and by no means evasive. I shall not labor this point largely, for it has been done faithfully by an able author whose works are among us.
156. The everlasting covenant not unlimited. I will only introduce a few scriptures, and make some observations on them for the benefit of those of my readers who have not seen the masterly work referred to. (See Genesis., xvii. 7, 8.) “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy see after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant; to be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy see after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (Verse 13.) “He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.” In the above passage the land of Canaan is called an everlasting possession. Will my opponent contend the word everlasting here means an endless duration? Will he contend that Abraham now possesses the land wherein he was then a stranger, or that his seed do, or will, possess that land as long as God exists? If not, then the objection is given up.
Again, the covenant of circumcision of the flesh is called an everlasting covenant. Will the objector contend that the covenant of circumcision in the flesh is now in force, and that it will remain in force as long as God exists? It is evident, from scripture, that these ordinances and this covenant are removed, and succeeded by a covenant which is called a better one. (See Heb. viii. 6, 7, 8.) “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the Mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” (Chap. ic. 10.)
157. Other instances cited. The apostle argues that the ordinances of the first covenant were imposed on the people until the time of reformation. (Gen. xlviii. 3, 4.) “And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me; and said unto me, behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.” And he further said, in the blessing of Joseph, “The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills.” (Exod. xl. 15.) “And thou shalt anoint them (Aaron’s sons) as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.” (Lev. xvi. 34.) “And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses. “ The reader may learn the abolishment of the priesthood, from Heb. vii. 11, 12. “If, therefore, perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” (Jonah ii. 6.) “I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.” Many more passages might be quoted to clear this point of argument, if more were necessary; but depending some, as I ought to, on the candor of my reader, I forbear to be tedious.
158. Another class of texts considered. In the next place, I will take notice of a number of scriptures in connection, all of which have been erroneously applied to the future and endless misery of mankind. (See Mal. iv. 1.) “For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” (Matt. iii. 10.) “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Verse 12.) “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff we will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Chap. v. 29, 30) “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. (Chap. vii. 13, 14) “Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Chap. xiii. 30.) “Let both grow together until the time of harvest; and in time of harvest I will say unto the reapers, gather ye together, first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.” The whole of Chap. xxv., which is too lengthy to be written at large. The last paragraph of Luke xvi. ([2] Thess. i. 7, 8, 9.) “And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.” There are a number more scriptures of the like nature of the above quoted, to which I should be glad to attend, were it not for swelling this work too large. I will, however, after I have answered these in their order, take into consideration some others of a different kind.
159. A key text found in 1 Cor. III., 15. Those which I have quoted, mostly respect that dispensation which is represented by fire, which to illustrate more easily to the reader’s understanding, I will first produce a passage from St. Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians, iii. 15, which I will call my key text. “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.” By my key, I learn that the fire which causes the wicked to suffer, has the power of salvation even for the sufferers. So in all the passages recited, where fire is mention, it is evident the same fire is intended. “For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven.” In this same chapter, this day is called the great and dreadful day of the Lord, who promised to send Elijah the prophet before that day come, whose business should be to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest the Lord should smite the earth with a curse.
I inquire, first, concerning the coming of this prophet, in order to fix on a time for the commencement
160. The coming of John the Baptist. Then turn to Matt. xvii. 12, 13. “But I say unto you that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed; likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” By this scripture it appears that the promise of the coming of John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elias.of this day of the Lord. That Elijah and Elias are the same, in scripture, no doubt will be entertained.
160. The coming of John the Baptist. Then turn to Matt. xvii. 12, 13. “But I say unto you that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed; likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” By this scripture it appears that the promise of the coming of John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elias.
161. The “great and dreadful day” to follow John’s coming. This evidently justifies the belief that the great and dreadful day of the Lord, to which the prophet alluded, would soon follow the coming of John the Baptist. Agreeably to this fact we find all which is written in the New Testament on the same subject. By careful attention to the instructions of Jesus, we shall find that all those scriptures were fulfilled in the generation in which he lived in the flesh. Matt. xvi. 27, 28. “For the son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” Respecting this passage we desire the reader to notice the following particulars: 1st. Jesus speaks of his coming in glory of his Father with his angels at some time them future. 2d. He is careful to state, as the principal fact communicated in this passage, that when he should so come as he had described, he would render unto every man according to his works.
162. The time still further identified. Here we have a statement of a certain time, which would be a day of Judgment, in which every man would receive according to his works. This day of Judgment is unquestionably the day of Judgment elsewhere spoken of in the teaching of Jesus and his apostles. 3d. Jesus is careful to fix the time of this judgment, not to a day nor to an hour, but emphatically does he limit it within the life-time of some of those to whom he spake. Of this day of trial we read again in Mark viii. 38; ix. 1. “Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” Here I again request the reader to observe, that the same particulars, which were notices in respect to the former passage, are found to be contained in this. Luke ix. 26, 27. “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s , and of the holy angels. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.” What I desired the reader to observe in the former passages, he will also notice in this.
163. Not two comings, but one. Should the objector contend, that the coming of Christ, in his glory, with his angels, to reward men according to their works, as set forth in the preceding passages, cannot be the same with his coming at the end of the world, of which mention is made in Matt. xxiv., I reply, by informing him that if he will so far divest himself of the prejudices of his education, as to give this subject a candid investigation, I soberly believe that he will arrive at an entire conviction that the coming of Jesus at the end of the world, of which he speaks in Matt. xxiv., did correspond with his coming as expressed in those passages above quoted, and did take place in the generation in which he lived on the earth.
164. Christ’s coming and the “dreadful day” the same. But I deem it expedient to ship that not only the coming of Christ, as pointed out in these scriptures, took place in that generation, but also that the “great and dreadful day of the Lord” which was to burn as an oven, by which all the “proud, yea, and all who did wickedly become stubble,” also came in that generation. And that this day was the end of the world, of which Jesus spake (Matt. xxiv.). Furthermore, that we have the following account of the same end of the world in Matt. xiii. 40-42. As therefore the tare are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in h the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and then which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth! And moreover that within the same specified period all the dreadful judgments which he denounced were fulfilled.
165. Those to whom Christ spoke to see those things. Keep in mind how carefully Jesus stated, in the passages above quoted, that some of them to whom he spake should live to see the time of his coming with his angels to render unto every man according to his works, and pass to an examination of other passages. Matt. x. 23: “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another; for verily, I say unto you, ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come.” Here take particular notice of the following circumstances: 1st. The divine master is giving his disciples special directions, in relation to the prudence which they would need to exercise while accomplishing the labors to which he had appointed them. 2d. For a season this caution would be necessary on account of the persecutions to which the disciples would be exposed; but they were encouraged to expect a change for their benefit, when Jesus should come, according to his promises. In support of his fact, see Luke xxi. 28-32. “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees: when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.” 3d. The divine master certifies his disciples that they should not have passed over the cities of Israel till he should come. This was fixing his coming within the time of their ministry. Look next at the war which Jesus denounced on his enemies, the Jews, as recorded (Matt. xxiii.). After a lengthy and a most severe annunciation of war on the scribes and pharisees, Jesus brings this last address to them to a close, as follows: “Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers! How can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city; that upon you may come all the righteous blood, shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily, I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Let the reader be careful to observe that according to this passage the damnation of hell and all the war here denounced were to come on that people in that generation.
After Jesus had finished this tremendous address which he delivered to the Jews, in their temple, the last time he spake there, we are informed chapter xxiv. 1st and 6th that “Jesus went out and departed from the temple; and his disciples came to him, for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, see ye not all these things. Verily, I say unto you there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
166. The discourse in the temple again fixes the time. This assurance which Jesus gave to his diciples, [sic] that of that beautiful temple not one stone should be left upon another that should not be thrown down, was in reference to what they had just heard him state in the temple concerning its desolation. “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Here be careful to observe that the things of which the disciples spake when they asked, when shall these things be? were those things of which Jesus had just spoken in the temple. In his reply to the questions which his disciples asked him, Jesus is careful to give clear and definite answers. He first warned them against being deceived by many who would come in his name, and deceive many. Chap. xxxiv. 6. etc. [Should be Matthew 24:6 – Ed.] “And ye shall hear of wars, and rumours of wars: See that ye be not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” It seems proper, in this place, to ask what Jesus meant by the end, which he said, “is not yet.” Surely the true answer to this question is found in the questions which his disciples asked him, to which he was then answering. The questions which they asked him were the following. “When shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” It was he end of the world which Jesus said in verse 6th, “is not yet.” Jesus goes on to give further particulars concerning events which would come to pass before the end of the world; and speaks of the rising of nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and of earthquakes in diverse places. Also of the persecutions which the disciples should suffer; but tells them, verse 13, “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved:” and then adds, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.” That is the end of the world of which the disciples asked their Master. I have often heard preachers attempt to describe the end of the world, and its attendant circumstances, with zeal and vehemency, in which they would speak of the dissolution of the earth, the dissolving of the sun, of the moon, and the stars; of the resurrection of all the dead, and of their coming to judgment; of the august appearance of Jesus surrounded with a multitude of the heavenly hosts, who are to wait on him while he sits in judgment to decide the destinies of the whole human family forever and ever. This scene they lay altogether in what they call eternity. Such being the views entertained by the objector, he feels confident that the coming of Christ, at the end of the world, could not have taken place in that generation. But I would respectfully invite him to attend to certain descriptions which Jesus gave of the end of the world, and of certain circumstances which would attend it. He goes on thus: “When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day! For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Concerning this description let us carefully note several particulars. 1st. Jesus gives his disciples to understand that at this end of the world they would see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place. If we turn to Daniel we may be satisfied whether the prophet spake of what would take place in this state of man’s existence, or what is commonly called eternity. See Dan. ix. 26. “And after three score and two weeks shall the Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” Chap. xii. 11. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate, set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.” Such descriptions may well apply to the calamitous wars which wasted the Jews, overthrew their city, and planted the Roman standard in the temple of God, even in the holy place. But I hardly think the objector will be disposed to apply such representations to events which are to take place in a future state. 2d. At the end of the world of which Jesus spake to his disciples, and when they should see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, he told them who where in Judea to flee into the mountains. This advice was undoubtedly very judicious, if the occasion of their flight was the dire calamity of war; but if the occasion were the annihilation of the material universe, the resurrection of all the dead, and the assembling of the whole human race to the solemnities of what is called the eternal judgment, it is difficult to understand how security could be obtained by fleeing into the mountains. 3d. Jesus signified to his disciples that the end of the world would be a season of difficulty which would be augmented if it should happen in the winter or on the sabbath. These suggestions were very correct if they referred to temporal inconveniences; but it would be difficult to understand how to apply them to scenes in the invisible world. 4th. Jesus gave his disciples to understand that the troubles which would come in the people at the end of the world, would fall with particular inconvenience on such as should at that time be with child or should give such to their infants. I have little doubt that our objector will see that these circumstances may apply much better to temporal inconveniences endured by females, during the terrible storm of war and the conquest of their city, than to any event in eternity of which we read in the scriptures.
167. Other words of Jesus cites to the same effect. That all these events, including the end of the world, the coming of the Son of man with his angels, etc. took place in the generation in which the Saviour lived on the earth, we are fully certified by his own words which follow: verse 30, etc. “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
It seems worthy of special notice, that in every instance, in which Jesus spake of his coming to judge men, and to reward them according to their works, he expresses himself with particular emphasis in limiting the time to the generation in which he lived. Matt xvi. 28. “Verily I say to you,” etc. Mark ix. 1. “Verily I say unto you,” etc. Luke ix. 27. “But I tell you of a truth,” etc. Luke xxi. 32. “Verily I say unto you, etc.” xxic. 34. “Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.” We think we are safe in saying that on no other one subject did Jesus express himself with more cautious emphasis. Have we not then great reason to marvel that so many of those who are professed disciples of Jesus, and who profess to preach his word to the people, should have so misconstrued his testimony as to represent his coming with his angels to reward men is to take place in some time which is now future, and in another state of man’s existence?
After Jesus had certified his disciples that all those events of which he spoke would take place in that generation, be proceeded to say to them, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” And this circumstance he improved to show the necessity of due watchfulness in his disciples, that they might avail themselves of the benefits of his instructions, and make their escape from those calamities which were fast approaching. In the latter part of this chapter, he strictly warned them to be on their guard, and duly apprised them of the danger which awaited then should they so far relax in their watchings as to become contentious and to eat and drink with the drunken, thinking that their Lord delayed his coming, assuring them that should any be found of this description, the Lord of such a servant would come in a day when he looked not for him, and in an hour that he would not be aware of, and would cut him asunder, and appoint him as his portion with the hypocrites; where there should be weeping and gnashing of teeth. As Jesus had, in hearing of his disciples, just delivered his last address to the scribes and pharisees, in the temple, and as he had denounced on them the most tremendous judgments, calling them hypocrites, which epithet he often repeated in that discourse, he now informs his disciples, being alone with them, that if any of them should apostatize as to conform their lives to the sinfulness of that wicked and perverse generation, they would of course fall into the same condemnation, which he had just denounced on those whom he called hypocrites, and would be subjected to the same awful calamities.
[Incomplete. Thanks to typist Rev. Scott Wells.]
If you find typographical or other errors, please notify Dan Harper (danrharperATaolDOTcom).