But they are amenable to common sense, and justice, and the
general fitness of things. Let them know that we are all on the same
plane as sinners; be very emphatic that Christ died for the whole race;
that the plans and purposes of God are not limited to the present life;
that somehow and at some time grace will completely triumph over sin;
and I venture to think that working men will be responsive. And in my
view, this will be no curtailment of the truth, but a glorious
expansion of it.
Surely none of the evangelical churches would treat such a Gospel as
heresy. Even if they did, I do not think that the truth would suffer in
the long run. Special attention would thus be called to the truth with
the result, I believe, that the world would take a step forward into
the light.
We read that "all Scripture is profitable for doctrine." Now is the
doctrine of everlasting punishment profitable? If it is true it must be
profitable. But is it? Possibly it may be claimed that it is profitable
on certain occasions. Then on what occasions? I never heard it directly
preached on any occasion since I was a child. It may be hinted at, or
implied in some vague way; but so far as I know, it is never insisted on
as a vital and saving truth. Yet, it is of such tremendous import that
the fair inference is, that the preacher himself does not believe it, or
that he is afraid to avow his belief of it, or that he has an
instinctive feeling that to proclaim it clearly is never "profitable.
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