The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-04
THE SYNAGOGUE.

JUSTICE AND MERCY SERMoN By Rev. HENRY
g. JACOBS.
Rev. Horny $. Jacobs, rabbi Of tho Thirty fourth
Street Synagogue spoke on Saturday upon the topic
OF "Justice aud Mercy, taking his text from Psalm
cxlv., 17"The Lord Is just all his ways and mer-
ciui IN all his works"
After giving elaborate Hebrew cxegesis on the
psalm tho reverend gentleman said:-
Every where, around, above, beneath, we find tho
testimony OF The ali-pervading wisdom and goodness
OF COD. They arc as evident AS HIS very existence.
Yet we cannot form any proper conception OF sucn an
Infinite Beng, limited aud crcumscrbed, as any con-
ceptiOn OF Him must We at BEST TO our intellectual
capacities, which unable to grasp such lofty
IDEAS II IT be discovered from recognition oil His
equally infinite JUSTICE. TINS IL the great balance
wLeei wnicn regulates tho whole mach,nery OF moral
liic and harmonzes all the inequalities which are
ipseparabe from our present sphere oil beng. For,
imagine II you can, mans unbrided PASSIONS let
loose without the check supplied by u bcef In ac-
countability. Imagine the desperate condition OF
Lhosexposed to 'tho sings ana arrows OF outrageous
fortune without tho supporting faith IN the omnis-
cience of Him who sees and notes all suncrings and
whose justice will counterposc all present evils
With this principle OF inhnite justice must be com.
bined necessarily, the belief IN the hereafter. We
cannot admit that all recompense begins and ends
here ION this bank and shOa OF time" Our reason
revolts at the idea, because our experience tells
otherwise. How scidom,' indeed, DO 'the righteous
flourish like the palm tree" 6ut the rather that
..muuy are tho sorrows OF the upright p' How ire.
quent tho instances that 'tho wicked spring up like
glass;. and tho workers oil iniquity aourishl" No,
Divine justice Is not melted OUT on cartn. WHAT io
lows? There must De purer and better sphere Of
being lie after death, or there would be Divine
wisuOm, goodness or justlce.
And yet to recognize God only as being OF strict
anu infexiUe justice would be at variance with all
grand ideas Of the Divinity. Mercy WAS conJoined
with justice IRON Eden's primal days.
THE QUESTION OF
Tho question OF e,ernaI punishment was next re-
ferred and tho rabbi showed that the prevalent or
popular opinions on he'll found confirmation III the
doctrines oil the synagogue. On Tue contrary, the
horrible visions couJurcd up to alright the conscience
OF sinners by luncnul ana neurological pictures OF
birthstone and fire, devils and pitcntOrks, wero re-
pugnanL to enlightened religion, sucn JUDAISM
claimed 10 be- and whatcv er opinions may have found
expression in tbs Med1vai Ages among lew Rabies
about Gehennim were Individual opinions, upsup
ported by The weight OF authority, and were the OIL
spring merely OF The imagination. They were never
regarded IN higher light than We do Esops tables.
JUDAISM, no SAID, do not tolerate or recognize any
birthstone theology 1t teaches that the attribute OF
mercy, while united with, liz pre-emucnt over, the
attribute OF justice." Anu Gods mercy foroids so
terrible monsIrous and endless punishment even Tor
sinners
Mr. Jacobs then drew a useful lesson from this idea
of Gods mercy tcmperng HIS jusuce as an instruc-
sautary TO all HIS creatures. Man, made III tho
spiritual likeness OF his Creator, must endeavor TO
approximate His divine perIectons; not exacting
the full measure Of justice even against those who
offend or injure US, but even ~ wrath remembering
mercy and following the blessed example Of the Father
OF tho universe, who, though "He Is just IN ali His
ways,' is also ''mercIfui Ia ali HIS worK0."