October 23

The Lord is a God of judgment. - Isaiah 30:18.

THERE are some who deny the moral attributes of Jehovah, and there are some who deny his punitive justice. By punitive justice we mean nothing of vindictiveness or revenge, but simply the love of rectitude, a determination to maintain law, and a resolution to punish crimes. There can be no government without laws, and laws are nothing without sanctions; and if laws be good in themselves they must be good in their execution. Crimes, therefore, are always punished in every properly regulated state.

We should not be able either to esteem or love God, if we supposed him destitute of it; if we suppose that, in his disposition and conduct, he would make no difference between truth and falsehood, between cruelty and kindness, between a Nero and a Howard: it is impossible that we could esteem or love such a being. He is the Supreme Governor of the world. Suppose we were to take before a magistrate the incendiary of our property or the murderer of our children, and he should turn away and say, “This does not concern me: I do nothing that is cruel.” Cruel! cruel! Why, it would be his kindness to the criminal that would be cruel, both to him and to the community. Why, the magistrate is only the minister of God for good, when he does not bear the sword in vain,-when he is “a terror to evil doers, as well as a praise to them who do well.”

Then there are others who practically deny this truth. “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, their hearts are fully set,” Solomon says, “to do evil.” They are evil because God is good; because he is merciful they trifle with him, they continue to offend, yea, they lay hold of his numerous benefits, and pervert them into weapons of rebellion against their Benefactor. God is merciful, but he is only merciful through a Mediator. While, therefore, sinners neglect the Saviour, there is no more mercy for them than for a demon; they do not confess sin on the head of the appointed victim, and therefore the guilt of their sins rests upon their own head; their religion is no better than the worship of Cain, who brought God indeed an offering without a sacrifice, and God will not accept such offerings at their hand.

God is merciful, but his mercy is not connivance at sin; God is merciful, but he cannot be merciful to a sinner unless he delivers him from his sins. He is merciful, but it is to the broken in heart and to the contrite in spirit. “If we confess our sins,” says the apostle, “God is merciful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” With regard to others he will say, “Because they are people of no understanding, therefore he that made them will not have mercy upon them, and he that formed them will show them no favour.”