Twenty-five years in the West

by E. Manford

3. He continues his argument: “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; and as sin hath reigned unto death, even so, might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Verses 20, 21. Sin abounds universally, but grace is much more to abound. The grace of God is not only to banish sin from every soul, but to bless every soul forever and ever. But how can grace abound more than sin, if millions of mankind are to be victims of sin eternally? Will the grace of God, resulting in eternal life, abound in such souls? A valuable building is on fire; the fire abounds in every part from base to attic. The engines rush to the spot and pour water all over the building, and extinguish the devouring flames. In this case where fire abounded, water much more abounds. But if the water failed to extinguish the fire in one half of the building, would water have abounded more than fire? So, if the grace of God puts out the fires of sin in only half of the universe, will grace abound more than sin? How is that, Elder Brooks?

4. The whole creation to be delivered. “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope; because the creature itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” Rom. viii. 20, 21. The word, “creature,” here means mankind; the Greek whence it is taken, is rendered “creation” in the twenty-second verse. The words, “every creature,” in the commission of Christ to his apostles, are from the same term. “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark xvi. 15. Dr. Macknight and other good critics tell us, that the word rendered, creature, signifies, “every human creature; ALL MANKIND.” Dr. Thomas White, an English divine of the Episcopal Church, translates the text thus: “For THE CREATION was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected it; in hope that THE CREATION ITSELF also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.” Mankind, then, are to be delivered from corruption—from moral and physical corruption—into the glorious liberty of the children of God. The apostle says, this universal deliverance SHALL be effected, and I believe him.

5. God will have mercy on all. “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out? For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Rom. xi. 25-36. Jews and Gentiles include all mankind. The apostles tell us, that the blindness of the Jews is to continue “Till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in,” and then “All Israel shall be saved.” “For God hath concluded them all—Israelites and Gentiles—in unbelief that he might have mercy on all.” And then he adds, “For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” No terms can express more forcibly the proposition I affirm on this occasion.

In the next verse, the apostle adds, “I beseech you therefore by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable duty.” In the previous part of his letter to the Romans, as I have shown, he writes of the mercies of God for mankind. 1. “The free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” 2. “Many,” that is, the mass, all mankind, “shall be made righteous.” 3. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” 4. The whole creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption. 5. God will bring all the Gentiles, and all the Jews, into the kingdom; will “HAVE MERCY ON ALL; for of him and through him, and to him are ALL THINGS.” His next words are, “I beseech you therefore by the MERCIES of God,” etc. It is sometimes said by the opposers of Universal Grace, that it has an immoral influence. But the great apostle beseeches men in consideration of its truth, to live holy, godly lives. He does not say, as some have profanely said, “If God’s mercy will save the world, we have nothing to do; let us then eat, drink and be merry; lie, steal, and murder. It is all right; God will save us any how.” Let every believer in the universal mercy of God aim to live a life “holy and acceptable to God,” which is his reasonable duty.

These are the statements of the apostle to the Gentiles concerning the extent of salvation; and I, and no other one, can employ language expressing more clearly the Universalist faith. That gifted man was certainly a believer in the “Restitution of all things.”

Since I have been in Chicago, I have traveled and lectured on nearly all the railroads running out of the city; have labored not only in Illinois, but in Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. I was at work in Kansas and Missouri when Price made his late raid into the latter state. That was in the fall of 1864. Was in Leavenworth when the state militia were called out to resist the invaders. The people of Kansas expected no mercy at their hands should they enter the state; Leavenworth, especially, would be sure to feel their wrath. The streets of the city were guarded, and orders issued, to arrest every straggler who was without a pass. Cannon were mounted on the surrounding hills, and every man who could shoulder a musket was required to report for duty. I was tempted to go, armed and equipped, to the “front,” but recollecting I had not fired a gun for twenty years, I concluded I could not do much execution, and so set my face homeward. But how to get across the river into Missouri, was the question, as no one was allowed to go over without a pass, and I had no pass, and probably could not get one. I, however, rode boldly to the ferry as if I was on important business, and was passed over without being questioned. But when near Weston, I was stopped by the picket; but the officer of the day soon coming along, took me to head-quarters, where I obtained a pass to St. Joseph. Leaving my horse with a kind friend, I went to St. Joseph by rail, and thence to the Mississippi river, two hundred miles across the state. Considerable portion of the way being infested with bushwackers, there were thirty soldiers on the train to protect us from those bloody scoundrels. The guards fired on two horsemen, who seemed to be fleeing from the rushing train. Both fell, and as I learned afterward, they were killed, and were Union men. The conductor thought they were bushwackers, and that class of fighters were shot down like mad dogs, as they deserved to be. Only a few days before, and a few miles from that spot, Bill Anderson’s bloody crew stopped a train, and murdered in cold blood twenty-one of the passengers. All armed stragglers on the prairies, were suspiciously regarded in that locality, after that terrible crime was perpetrated. Macon City was alive with business, fifteen hundred soldiers being there digging ditches, throwing up breastworks, and making every other necessary preparation to resist an attack, which was daily expected. I went to St. Louis, and found the citizens very indignant at the way General Rosecrans was managing affairs. Half of a general, with the force at Rosecrans’ command, would have driven Price out of the state at the beginning of the invasion, when he was yet in the south-east corner of it. But Rosecrans’ head being full of whisky and popery, he let the rebels do about as they pleased. They overran the best portion of the state, and did an immense amount of harm.

I spent three weeks, in the business of my life, between Chicago and Toledo, Ohio. Lectured in many places I had not before visited, and much extended my acquaintance. Had an appointment in East Toledo, a suburb of Toledo, and about three miles from it. It was a dismal night, and the road out there was a dismal road. I started after dark, on foot and alone, to fill the appointment. The weather was cold, the night dark, and the rain pouring down in torrents. There being no sidewalk, and the mud deep, I had an interesting walk. Arriving at the meeting-house, I found it dark, and the door locked; and after shivering in the wet and cold outside one hour, and not a soul joining me, I returned whence I came. I suppose no one expected I would be on hand such a night. The next day on the cars, I had the following conversation with a fellow passenger:

“I do not believe in eternal punishment. I believe God will destroy the wicked, soul and body, root and branch.”

“When will he do all this?”

“At the resurrection. Then God will raise saint and sinner, take the righteous to himself, and burn the wicked to ashes.”