5. The gospel is designed to produce universal peace in the earth. Wars are pregnant with crime, and are productive of numerous calamities. The gospel gives peace to all who receive and act under its influence. It produceth a peaceful disposition in all who receive and obey it; teaching them to live in peace with all men, and to promote peace to the utmost of their power. If all men acted under the influence of the gospel, they would be all men of peace.
... The gospel never tells one man to hate
another, to treat him ill, or to be at variance with him, it teaches us to love
all men and to treat them with courtesy. Real Christians, will ever be found
the most peaceable men in society, the greatest friends to amity and concord.
Every principle in the gospel has a tendency to peace. Where the gospel has
been long extant, laws of war have been adopted, which have diminished its
horrors, and produced symptoms of a peaceful tendency amid all the confusion
and din of arms.
The scriptures plainly foretell that when the gospel shall
universally extend, and its influence be universally felt, wars shall cease to
the ends of the earth, the nations shall beat their swords into plough shares,
and their spears into pruning hooks, nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
and none of them shall learn war any more. The gospel has a natural tendency to
produce this peaceful and happy. state of things on the earth.
6. Christianity is designed to unite all mankind together as
one family. It brings them all together under one dispensation of divine grace
and mercy, and reveals God to them as their common parent. It teaches that we
are to regard all men as our neighbours, and to love our neighbours as
ourselves. The gospel shows that God hath made all men of one blood, that they
are all brethren, and ought to treat each other as such. It makes brotherly
love among Christians an indispensable law, and an invariable rule of conduct.
It proves that true self - love and social are the same, and binds men together
by the tenderest sympathies, and a continual interchange of mutual good offices.
It draws those together who come under its influence, by the
strongest ties of affection, and bonds of mutual interest. The disunion, and
discord, which have so long prevailed among Christians is not to be ascribed to
Christianity; but to the want of more of its genuine spirit, and to a disregard
of its maxims and rules.
The declared design of the gospel is to reconcile all men to
God, and to one another: to put a total end to all animosity, strife, feuds,
and disaffection: to connect them together so closely that Jews and Gentiles
shall be like one new man: to gather together in one, and re - head as one
body, all things in Christ. This is spoken of under the idea of a new creation,
and we are assured it will be completed.
7. Christianity is intended to produce universal liberty.
This it is calculated to effect, not on the ground of visionary schemes; but on
the solid basis of universal knowledge and virtue: Mankind never can be truly
free any further than they become wise and virtuous: and the gospel is intended
to lay the foundation of universal liberty, by making all men wise and virtuous.
It recognizes the true dignity of man, is the best possible
Bill of his Rights, and the surest Bond for their preservation. By its light
and influence becoming universal, and all men feeling and obeying that light
and influence, prisons and fetters, captivity and corporeal restraint will be
rendered unnecessary, as every one will do right from inclination, and none
will be found disposed to oppress others.
Christianity has done much towards the establishment of
rational liberty, in those nations where it has been suffered to operate freely:
nor is there a nation, of any magnitude, to be found that enjoys any
considerable degree of liberty without Christianity; consequently, the gospel
ought to be regarded as the charter of human liberty, the instrument of its
restoration where it is lost, and of its preservation where it exists.
A time of universal liberty and security is clearly foretold
in the scriptures, when, in its figurative but emphatical language, they shall
sit every one under his own vine, and under his own fig tree, none daring to
make them afraid. This also conveys the idea that universal ease and plenty
will obtain.
8. Thus we come by a view of these subordinate designs, to
the grand conclusion, that Christianity will effect universal happiness. As all
the works of God in nature and providence are subservient to the happiness of
his creatures, so all the operations of his gospel, and the methods of his
grace are subservient to the same glorious end. When men universally be come
enlightened, be freed from all superstition, are filled with the hope of
immortality, become truly righteous, live in the enjoyment of peace, brotherly
love, liberty and plenty, they must be happy : universal happiness will be the
natural consequence of such a state of things.
No sounds of discord will assail the ear; but the voice of
melody and praise salute it : continually.
No sights of horror pain the eye; but the whole scene around,
like a smiling paradise, cheer and delight it.
The feelings will no longer be harrowed up with scenes of
distress which cannot be alleviated; but the visible joys of others will
sweeten the cup of individual pleasure. The causes of unhappiness will be all
removed.
Much of the misery of man arises from ignorance, more from
superstition, more still from vice, and the whole is aggravated by personal and
national contests, broils, animosities, envy and hatred: and where slavery adds
her bitter cup, a cold damp is cast on every enjoyment, and he become a
wretched being.
But we have seen that when the pure gospel universally
spreads, and its influence is everywhere felt and its authority revered, these
evils will be removed, the principal causes of unhappiness will be no more;,
consequently the whole world will be happy. So far as men understand the gospel,
and obey its influence, they are happy now, let this be universally the case,
and the effect is obvious, all must be made happy. That it is the design of God
to make all mankind happy is clearly revealed; that a being of infinite wisdom
and power can accomplish this design cannot reasonably be doubted; that it will
be accomplished we are assured in the sacred scriptures.
We are directed to look forward to a time when all sighing
and sorrow shall be done away; when God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes
of his creatures; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain; when all the works of God shall praise
him: when every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea and all that are in then, shall unite in one
song of praise to God and the Lamb: when no enemy to the glory of God, or the
happiness of man, shall remain; but God shall be all in all.
Richard Wright, Instruction for Youth