"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." 1 John iv. 10, 11. In the preceding chapter, I think it has been shown, that the common theory of the atonement is adapted rather to justify the vindictive principles of war, than to promote peace on earth. A very different theory of the atonement is suggested in the passage of Scripture now before us, and one which it may be hoped will produce more favorable results. That nothing of the nature of avenging justice or vicarious punishment is intimated in the first of these verses, would probably be obvious to every discerning reader, were it not, that incorrect views of the atoning sacrifice have given a false meaning to words. Those who have been taught from their childhood, that the sufferings of Christ were the effects of God's anger against him as our substitute, naturally attach the idea of something awful and vindictive to the words atonement, atoning sacrifice, and propitiation, while each of them properly means, a reconciling sacrifice, or an affecting display of love on the part of one to reconcile another. Hence the Apostle says, "Herein is love." But why does the Apostle say "propitiation for our sins? Does not propitiation for our sins mean punishment for our sins? Surely not, unless punishment is of a conciliating tendency,—unless punishing the innocent is a display of love. The phrase "for our sins," means on account of our sins,—that is, on account of our being sinners. Hence, Paul says," God commendeth his love. to us, in that, while we were sinners, Christ died for us," -and, "if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, &c." That it was, indeed, the love of God, not his wrath, which was displayed in the propitiation, is further evident, from the fact, that the Apostle urges us to imitate this divine example. Having stated how great a display God had made of his love, he immediately adds,-" Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." Who can suppose, that by this language, John encouraged Christians to show their love by punishing the innocent, that the guilty might escape? Yet it is very certain, that he regarded the example of God as worthy of their imitation. "God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life;" what world was this, that "God so loved?" It was a world of sinners. The same love which was manifested in sending the Son, was manifested in his death. The love of the Son in laying down his life for us, was of the same nature of that of the Father, in sending him; and such is the love which Christians are required to exercise. Hence, the sacrifice must have been made on the principle of love to enemies, to overcome evil with good. In the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord thus addressed his hearers :- "Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you; and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven. For he maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." In this passage, our Savior has distinctly informed us of the nature of God's love, his feelings towards his enemies, and what love we must possess to be the children of God in a saving sense. For we are required to love our enemies, that we may be the children of our Father in heaven. Paul once acted with great zeal on the principle of overcoming evil with evil, or hatred to supposed enemies. But after taking a few lessons in the school of Christ, he ceased breathing out threatenings and slaughter, and became zealous in promoting the very cause which before he had attempted to destroy. Deeply impressed with the love which God had displayed to a sinful world, he fervently besought his fellow Christians, "by the mercies of God," to conform to the precepts of Christ. Thus he wrote to the Christians at Rome,-"Bless them that curse you,-Recompense to no man evil for evil,— Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,-If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head,-Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." "So artists melt the sullen ore of lead, By heaping coals of fire upon its head; In the kind warmth the metal learns to glow, If we take into view the sinful character of mankind, and the conduct of God towards them, how obvious it is, that he acts on the same benevolent principle towards us, that he requires of us towards our fellow men. When his enemies are hungry, he feeds them, when thirsty, he gives them drink, and is constantly bestowing favors on the evil and unthankful. In nothing, perhaps, was Jesus Christ more perfectly the Representative and Image of the invisible God, than in the forbearing and forgiving spirit which he displayed on the cross; while in the agonies of death, he implored forgiveness for his persecutors. Behold, then, what manner of love the Father bestows on us, that we may become his obedient children! Well might John say," If God has so loved us, we ought to love one another;" and how certain it is, that a compliance with this exhortation would banish war from the world! How exceedingly different, and how much more affecting is an atoning sacrifice made on the principle of overcoming evil with good, than a sacrifice made by a display of avenging justice on the innocent as a substitute for the guilty! Does not the latter theory approach too near imputing to God the policy of overcoming evil with evil ? I am far from supposing that such is the intention of those who adopt the hypothesis! but what better would they be able to make of the principle, should they see it adopted in any form of human government? But if we exclude from our views of the atonement every thing vindictive, regarding it as truly a display of love, and of such forbearing, forgiving love on the part of God, as was exemplified by the Son in praying for his enemies; how truly do we behold a reconciling sacrifice, in the highest degree adapted to melt the heart, and reconcile the sinner to God. Is it not obvious, that a due consideration of such a sacrifice, and the principle on which it was made, would heal animosities among men, beat swords into ploughshares, and fill the world with love and peace? Let such views of the sacrifice prevail, and the symbol of the cross will cease to be employed as a military banner. Indeed, the sight, or even the thought of that cross, if duly considered, would be so far from encouraging men to fight, that it would cause the weapons of war to drop instantaneously from their hands. How gross must have been the delusions which could induce men to fight under a symbol of that cross, on which the Savior died praying for his foes! How could the duellist write his challenge, or the warmaker his manifesto, if he would first look to the cross, and there behold what manner of love was displayed towards sinners! What occasion could there ever be for either private or public war, if the party offended or injured, would imitate God's example, to overcome evil with good, by making overtures and even sacrifices to effect the reconciliation of the offender. Shall Christians, then, with the gospel in their hand, indulge vindictive passions, and act on a principle directly the reverse of that on which God has acted for their salvation? Shall they, in their treatment of each other, set at nought that principle of forbearance and forgiveness, by which their forfeited lives are continued from day to day, and without which it is impossible even with God to save their guilty souls? In the atoning sacrifice may yet be found a healing balm for the moral malady which has so long affected and desolated the world, as efficacious as was experienced by the serpent-bitten Israelites when they looked to the symbolic remedy, the brazen serpent raised on high. For what more can be necessary to the abolition of war,' than that the minds of men should become imbued with correct views of the love displayed in the gospel sacrifice, and of the principle on which it was offered. In proportion as men shall have their minds thus imbued, war must become abhorred, and ways and means will be devised to avoid it. Hence the universal prevalence of such views must exclude war from the world, |