The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-09-12
Love, Penalty and Reconciliation.
By REV. A. A. THAYER, D. D.,
,y REV. A. A. THAYER, d. D.,
LA GRANGE, ILL.,

Through our Lord Jesus Christ they
had come into oneness with God and
were happy. The spirit of reconcilia-
tion-this is what they had received.
And so sure were our new revisers of
the Testament that there was none of
the old fashioned doctrine of the
atonement in the text, that they took
the word out of the text entirely.
The reading of the New Version is
as follows: sBut we also joy in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received
the reconciliation"
And what atrocious thing have the
revisers done7 They have taken the
English word "atonement," not out
OF the text only, but out of the New
Testament For our text is the only
verse in King James's version of the
New Testament which contains the
word 'atonement." The foundation
has gone, therefore, as a mound of
sand. Jesus never made such an
atonement as we have in the books
and creeds and pulpits. The sacri-
flee of himself never came in conflict
with the penalty of the law. He did
not provide way to clear the guilty.
Hewa not dissatisfied with the sever
ity of his Fathers justice. He did
not presume the law to be an enemy
of mankind. He did not propose its re-
vision or notification so that pain to
the innocent should be substitute
for punishment of the guilty His
Gospel was the power of God unto
salvation, because men became ODE
dent to the law of righteousness and
were then filled with peace and 10y
and goodwill to men. They were
reconciled to God, and therefore to
the law of God. And this reconcilia-
ton is what we receive through Jesus
this at-onement with the Father,
And now we cap apprehend what
we want of Jesus. We want him as
a teacher and example. Every
scheme of escape from penalty except
through personal righteousness and
the non committal of sins, is heresy.
We are not to join with Jesus and
run away from God to escape what
we deserve. That is the dastardly
heroism of towards and rebels We
ought rather to come boldly unto the
throne of grace, following the steps
of him who knew no sin, and we shall
find mercy and grace to help us to
bear the rod that may be laid upon
us.
The Lord chastiseth every son
whom he receiveth. And because
the chastisement is always for our
profit let no man expect it good for
him to escape. Resignation-recon-
ciliation-these are what we need.
This is the bread which Jesus will
give unto us. And the fruit of his
spirit sis love, joy, peace, longsuffer-
ing, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance. Against such
there is no law" says Paul.
Hence our conclusion of the whole
matter is, that there is no conflict be-
tween penalty and the real atonement
of Jesus. Substituted righteousness
is delusion. There is no protec-
ton for the bad in the sufferings of
the good. Though hand join in
hand the wicked shall not be unpun-
ished." Moses declared true word
when he wrote that "God will by no
means clear the guilty" Jesus and
Paul, the apostles and prophets, were
all right when they taught that every
man shall be rewarded according to
his deeds. The doctrine of escape is
the invention of rogues. Put not your
trust in the voice of peace to the wick
ed because Jesus was crucifed. Blood
outlines is not cleansed by the blood
of innocence. There is universal
penalty, and universal reconciliation
afterward = universal disobedience
and universal atonement. Be sure
your sin will find you out. And God
will find it out, not in the thought of
i'll toward us, but that he may cleanse
us from all iniquity. Through the
endurance of penalty we shall be
saved from sin, "yet 80 as by fire."
After that we shall "joy in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ"
A TALK ABOUT THE LITTLE