The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-12-28
The Sword of Divine Justice.

awake, O sword, against my Shop
herd, and against the man that is my
fellow, saith the Lord of hosts" This is
prophecy of the sword of divine JUS
tice unsheathed against him who "bore
our sins III his own body upon the tree"
Though the sword had seemed to sleep,
1t was not averted; the penalty due to
transgression must fall either upon the
actual transgressor or competent sub
ftitute. Justice must have its course as
well as mercy
In reading the moral history of the
world the evidences of divine Justice do
not lie upon the surface, as do the evil
dences of divine love. There are reasons
for this. First, this life of probation is
eminent for gracious remedial agencies.
The love of God occupies the fore
ground; the air is sweet with the in
cense of salvation; the armament is il
lumined with the bright beams Of the
sun of righteousness; the harmonies of
the Gospel are chanted in inspired songs;
the notes of welcome, welcome to Jesus
resound through all the earth.
Whenever the eye surveys the world
of matter OF of mind the love of God is
visible turn where you will, go where
you may, conspicuous over all are the
evidences that God is love. Then in
this world crime but seldom meets with
its immediate retribution. After its
commission there follows a gracious
series of provisions, promises and APP
H., ~
sons the divine justice is not so apparent
as his mercy, yet many events in the
moral history of the universe prove that
it is inevitable.
From incidental illusions in the Scrip
ture we learn how it fell upon the angels
who kept not their first estate, "who left
their own habitation, and whom he hath
reserved in chains under darkness unto
the judgment of the great day"
1t was shown toward the disobedience
of the first man and woman in Eden.
They had Toasted upon the beauties of
Gods creation; his smile greeted them
continually; every creature bowed before
them in willing submission. But they
yielded to sin, and at once the holy God
looked upon them with displeasure, and
his justice pronounced sentence fol
their guilt.
God looked down from heaven and
saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and the voice of jus.
tice called from deep unto deep until
the mighty waters swept over mountain
and plain, destroying every living thing
coua +boSa xvitri,, tba n,1y 1r,a cro nc
upon that bow of matchless beauty after
the summer rain, what is its testimony
of God? Is it of his love only? No. II
speaks forever of his hatred of sin anC
his wrath against it. What halloweC
associations We're woven with the his
tory of Jerusalem, city of God! There
David touched his sacred Tyre; there
was the gorgeous temple; there were
the rich treasures of centuries. Yet be
cause of its rebellion and sin it must be
said even Of the city of his love, Behold
your house is left unto you desolate."
But all these instances are as nothing
when we approach the deep, tender, over
whelming mystery of the cross of Jesus
THE Lord hath laid upon him the
iniquity of us all" Can we ever agair
treat lightly or count as matter of little
| consequence that toward which the dis
| pleasure of God is so just, so deep, thai
it could only be atOned for by such stu
pendous sacrifice? Eternal are the dis
tinctions between right and wrong
God has pledged his throne to the right
Never will he suffer evil to triumph
This, this is the God we adore" who's,
name was revealed i'll majesty and glory
in the days of old as the Lord, til,
Lord God, merciful and gracious, Ions
suffering and abundant in goodness anC
truth, keeping mercy for thousands, for
giving iniquity and transgression anC
sin, and that will by no means clear tn,
guilty; visiting the iniquity of the ia
theirs upon the children, and upon tn,
children's children. unto the third an(
to the fourth generations. y ChriStid
Advocate.