God's Purpose in Creating Man.
By John Byington
I WAS conversing with a man a few days since, who sometimes expresses doubts as to the truth of the Bible, on the subject of spirit manifestations. I remarked to him that I thought it was the work of the Devil. He said he did not believe that the Devil was stronger than God himself. Spiritualism was producing a much greater influence all through the land than any religious excitement; he did not believe the Devil could control the majority here, and they suffer with him for ever, which would be the same as serving him for ever. If this was the final destiny of man, God, who could but foresee all things, could neither be wise nor good in creating him. I then said to him, We will reason together of this matter. God was infinitely holy and happy and it would be benevolent and good in him to make a being capable of enjoying this blessedness. This goodness was manifest in creating man in his own image, capable of knowing and holding communion with his God. But being a created, dependent being, it was reasonable that he should be under the government of his Maker; therefore he gave him his law which embraced all his will concerning him. Law given to a being possessing liberty and intelligence, implies power to obey or disobey. To his existence therefore is attached probation; and this implies a day of settling accounts, or a day of judgment. As law is of no force or avail without penalty, therefore the all-wise Governor of man has said that the effects of transgression shall be death: "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." By the overflowing of his goodness, God has manifested his mercy in giving his Son to pay this debt; therefore the Son of God dies upon the cross. Having become the property of Christ by the purchase of his blood, we must hear him. He points us to the law to learn our duty, and has taught us to look to him for grace to do it. This presents our Saviour as our atoning High Priest; for through his blood we have pardon and become reconciled to God. The world being under the curse, or feeling the effects of transgression, there is a necessity of bringing in another order and better state of things; therefore we have not only the resurrection of Christ, but also his ascension to the heavenly Sanctuary, where now he makes intercession for us. He being the first fruits from the grave, the next in the order of events, is to bring all that sleep in Jesus, from the tomb, that they may have immortality and eternal blessedness. As temporal death is not the penalty for individual transgression, and the effects of sin and amount of individual guilt cannot be fully seen in this life, therefore the unrighteous must have a resurrection. Now they can see the effects of all their ungodly deeds, and their trampling under foot the blood of the Son of God. The glories of Paradise they have lost; and the second death is now before them. With the Devil still deceiving them, they would, with their hatred to God and his people, compass the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But they see their efforts vain: utter despair and anguish takes hold on them: they now begin to feel the pains of the second death—no hope beyond this! Now they know what is meant by the worm that dieth not, and the fire that shall not be quenched. Their last hope perishes; for fire from God out of heaven devours them. The Devil, and all that serve him, death and hell, are cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. The Devil and all his works have an entire destruction. The curse is now removed from the earth, and God has a clean universe and a race of intelligent beings forever to praise and glorify him; which he would not have had, had he not have made man. The power of liberty which man possessed has been employed in obedience to the divine command; and now he knows what is contained in the precious promise, "Blessed are they that do his commandments." They have right to the tree of life and enter in through the gates into the city. Therefore it cannot be said that it is not wise and good for God to make man, though many walk the road to death. May we choose life.