condition and needs of the offender, measuring them so exactly to the purpose aimed at, that no mistakes are ever made here. The sinner is rewarded according to his works, as the sick man is treated according to his disease. The skilful physician, as he sees the case requires, administers sometimes more and sometimes less medicine; and so the wise judge inflicts sometimes ten stripes, and sometimes five, for the same offence, according to the moral condition, the degree of hardness or depravity of the offender.

Whatever medicine is necessary to repair the injury caused by the disease, the sick man must take ; whatever punishment is necessary to repair the injury caused by sin, the wicked man must suffer. Both must bear the penalty, as a warning to themselves and others, to be henceforth obedient to the law. The penalty is simply the method which Justice takes to reinstate all things in their original position, and keep them there; to vindicate the righteousness of the law, and the reason and necessity of obedience.

And this is precisely the definition of Justice which Clemens Alexandrinus, a learned Universalist Father, gave nearly seventeen hundred years ago, A. D., 190. Justice," says he, "is, in itself, nothing but goodness; for it rewards the virtuous, and seeks the improvement of the sinful. It is the office of salutary justice, continually to exalt every thing towards the best state of which it is capable. Inferior things are adapted to promote and confirm the salvation of that which is most excellent; and thus whatever is endued with any virtue, is forthwith still changed for the better, through the liberty of choice which the mind has in its power. And the

necessary chastisements of the great Judge, who regards all with benignity, make mankind grieve for their sins and imperfections, and advance them through the various states of discipline to perfection. Even God's wrath, if so his admonitions may be called, is full of benevolence towards the human race; for whose sake the Word of God was made man." 1

And with this agrees Origen, one of the greatest scholars, as well as one of the most distinguished Universalists, of the Ancient Church, A. D. 230. He says, "Justice is Goodness. . . . and when they allege that God, who rewards every one according to his deserts, renders evil to the evil, let them not conceal the principle (on which this is done)-that as the sick must be cured by harsh medicines, so God administers, for the purpose of emendation, what for the present is productive of pain.'

Thus the Justice of God, in its absolute character, and in its relative object and end, furnishes one of the most conclusive and unanswerable arguments for the final destruction of evil, and the restoration of moral order, for universal holiness and salvation. Its perpetual demand is, "Do right—abolish wrong-obey the law, or suffer the penalty till you do obey-an end of sin and of all evil, and the universal and everlasting reign of Righteousness-this only will satisfy my claims on mankind, and the end cannot

1 Stromata Lib. vii. cap. 2; Pædagog. Lib. i. cap. 8.

2 De Principiis, Lib. ii. cap. 5, § 3. Even Tertullian says, "Nihil bonum, quod injustum; bonum autem omne quod justum est." Again he says: "Stultissimi, qui de humanis divina præjudicant, ut quoniam in homine corruptoriæ conditionis habentur hujusmodi passiones, idcirco et in Deo ejusdem status existimentur," &c. Contra Marc i. 25, 26; ii. 12. Hagenbach § 39.

come till this comes. Disorder, injustice, wrong, and wickedness, punishment and suffering, are not the end, not the thing the Divine Government rests in, but Universal Order, Holiness, and Happiness,these, and only these, are final and forever, the divine offspring of Divine Justice!"

Hence the Lord himself says: "I am a just God and a Saviour. there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return (i. e. shall be accomplished), that unto me every knee shall bow every tongue shall swear, surely shall say, In the Lord have I RIGHTEOUSNESS and strength-and all, that are incensed against him shall be ashamed." Isaiah x. 20-25.

§II. Justice has claims on God as well as on man. There is another side to this question of Justice, which is almost wholly ignored in the argument viz: that it has claims on God as well as on man. Not only does justice demand that the sinner shall suffer for his sins, but also that he who created shall have dealt fairly with him in all that respects his moral and physical constitution, and the conditions of his life on earth, prior to his sin; and that he shall continue to in all the consequences and retributions following it. And God himself recognizes this principle in his moral administration of our affairs, and in all his dealings with mankind. This is admirably illustrated in the record of Abraham's pleading with the Almighty respecting the destruction of Sodom. Gen. xviii. 23-33. God replies to the question of

the patriarch: "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" and plainly admits the moral obligations implied in the question.

elaborates the

Ezek. xviii. “And yet saith

So he reasons with the Jews in the same way, and condescends even to defend his action toward them on the grounds of strict justice; and arguments of defence at great length. The conclusion comes in this form :the house of Israel, the way of the Lord is not equal. O house cf Israel! Are not my ways equal? Are not your ways unequal? Therefore, will I judge you, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God." And similar passages are found throughout the Scriptures, acknowledging the law of justice as applicable to the divine conduct :-" Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?" "Far be it from God that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity. "Yea, surely God will not do wickedly; neither will the Almighty pervert judgment. He will not lay upon man more than is right, that he should enter into judgment with God."-Job viii. XXXIV. "Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne." Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments."-Psalms., lxxxix, cix., &c.

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These passages show that God is governed by the strictest principles of honor and justice, in all his dealings with his creatures, acknowledging and respecting all their rights, and all their claims upon him to be treated with fairness and equity in all that involves the interests of the present and the future. Indeed, the government of God is not for the good of

the governor, but for the good of the governed; not to display the arbitrary power of Deity, but to promote the happiness of mankind.

And since, from the nature of the case, the subject of the government could not be consulted as to its form and principles, its laws and penalties; Justice requires that all these should be such as are fitted to secure the highest good of all concerned. If you act in my affairs without my knowledge or consent, you are bound to act fairly and honorably, for my benefit, and not to my injury. If God bestows on me an existence, which I am not allowed to refuse, whatever its responsibilities or perils, Justice demands that the existence thus forced upon me should prove a good and not an evil. If I could see, beforehand, that it would prove an endless curse to me, I should, of course, reject it, if the choice were given me. If God sees beforehand that it will prove an endless curse to me-no matter how or why; no matter by whose fault-it is a violation of justice in all its definitions to force it upon me.

But we will go farther than this, and suppose that he did not know that it would prove a final curse; was it right or just to create us with such a fearful issue as endless woe possible even.? Without pushing the question of omniscience, suppose it possible that we might reach the glory and blessedness of heaven, ought we to be compelled to take the risk, however unwilling, when the alternative of failure is so awful? Let us resort to illustration again, that we may see it more clearly.

A frail and narrow bridge swings across a gulf that stretches fearful and fathomless below. On this,