Love.

His will, his word, and his works, are Love. He

is nothing, can do nothing, but Love! !"

Dr. Adam Clarke, inspired by the theme, says:

"God is Love. An Infinite Fountain of Benevolence and Beneficence to EVERY HUMAN BEING. HE CANNOT HATE, because he is LOVE! He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good; and sends his rain on the just and the unjust. He has made no human being for PERDITION; nor ever rendered it impossible, by any necessitating decree, for any fallen soul to find mercy. He has given the fullest proof of his love to the whole human race, by the incarnation of his Son, who tasted death for every man. How can a decree of absolute, unconditional reprobation of the greater part, or any part of the human race, stand in the presence of such a text as this? It has been well observed that although God is holy, just, righteous, etc., he is never called Holiness, Justice, etc., in the abstract, as he is here called Love. This seems to be the ESSENCE of the Divine Nature, and all other Attributes to be only modifications of this!"

This is the character of him who gave us being, and in whom is our destiny now and forever. That Love created this earth, this universe, and made man in the divine image-made him immortal. That Love has never forsaken the children of men, and it never will forsake them, in time or eternity. Jesus was an embodiment of God's Love, and he never abandoned a soul to endless sin and woe, and God never will.

VI. The mercy of Christ — of God. That our Savior's Life and Character were imbued with the spirit of mercy every reader of the New Testament well knows. When the disciples would have fire come down from heaven and destroy those who were assailing the Master, he exhibited his merciful spirit by saying to the former: "Ye know not what spirit ye are of. The Son of man came

not to destroy men's lives but to save them." He had compassion, had mercy, for the ungrateful men who sought his ruin. He would save, not destroy them. That is the spirit of God. When the erring woman was brought to Jesus for him to condemn, he had mercy on her, and said, "I do not condemn thee. Go and sin no more." That also is the spirit of God. When he approached Jerusalem, full of wicked men - his persecutors, and future murderers - for the last time, he uttered no maledictions, breathed no words of wrath, but his merciful soul was moved to its depths, and the historian relates, that "when he came near, he beheld the city, and WEPT OVER IT, and said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." They had insulted him, slandered him, persecuted him, and were about to crucify him, yet he had mercy on them, and had come to that city on purpose to die for its inhabitants. That, too, is the spirit of God.

The Bible is all aglow with statements of God's mercy. "Unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy." Ps. lxii. 12. His mercy is great. "Thy mercy is great unto the heavens." Ps. lvii. IO. Very great. Let me fall now into the hands of the Lord, for very great are his mercies." I Chron. xxi. 13. It would be great, very great mercy to bless eternally all his children, but very little mercy to bless a few and endlessly damn the many Plenteous, rich in mercy. "The Lord is merciful gracious and slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. Ps. ciii. 8. "Who is rich in mercy." Eph. ii. 2. This harmonizes

"I

Now

God

with the fact that he will bless all, but refutes the declaration that he will eternally curse millions. Tender and impartial. "His tender mercies are over all his works.” Ps. cxiv. 9. This acccords with the truth that he will kindly regard all forever, but refutes the dogma that he will be the eternal foe of multitudes. Sure mercies. will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." Isa. lv. 3. There need be no doubt about it; it is as sure as that God lives. and forever we can depend on the mercy of God. delights in mercy. He retaineth not his anger, because he delighteth in mercy." Micah vii. 18. As he is unchangeable, he always will delight in mercy. Eternity will not reveal the day when God will not delight in being merciful to all. But if he will eternally curse millions will he delight in being merciful to them? His mercy is unending. "His mercy endureth forever." Ps. cvi. 1. Can all this precious testimony concerning God's mercy be reconciled with endless punishment for the sin of this brief life?

VII. The Justice of Christ-of God. Jesus in the New Testament is termed "The Holy One, and the Just," "The Just One." Even Pilate, though he condemned Jesus, said he was a "Just person," and his wife called him a "Just man." Just man." Herod, likewise, who sought his destruction, admitted "He was a Just man." Christ said of himself, "My judgment is just." The justice of Jesus was the justice of God, for "In Christ dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily," hence it is said of God, "Just and right are his ways." Isa. xiv. 21. "Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Rev. xv. 3. Shall mortal man be more just than God?"

66

Job iv. 17. "Justice and Judgment are the habitation of thy throne." Ps. lxxxix 14.

God then is just, infinitely, eternally, universally just Just in himself, just to each of mankind, just to all. What does justice demand? That all errors and wrongs shall be corrected. The justice of parents demands the obedience of their children. The justice of a state demands the loyality of all its citizens. The justice of God demands universal love, obedience and faithfulness. It requires that "Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; that the crooked. shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth; and that all flesh shall see the salvation of God." Luke iii. 5, 6. And the voice of the Lord will cry in the wilderness till this result shall be attained. It shall be so, said, Jesus; it shall be so, said the prophet he quotes.

Parents, states, always demand loyalty-never satisfied -will not be satisfied without it. He has not placed, and he never will, in this world or in the world to come, a soul where he cannot be loyal to him; because now and forever God requires universal loyalty. [Time expired.

[MR. SWEENEY'S FIRST REPLY.]

Gentlemen Moderators, Ladies and Gentlemen:

I agree with my friend Mr. Manford that the subjects we have assembled to consider are of vast importance to us all. We shall have no discussion about that. Nor are we likely to have any about the fact of our eternal existence. For, that we shall all exist forever I presume we agree. We shall differ mainly as to what shall be the condition, in the future, of such persons as

"leave this world sinful." Mr. Manford has engaged to prove that they will all "finally be reconciled to God, and saved;" and you are here to hear him do it. here to see how he does it.

I am

the

The gentleman seems somewhat "fearful that all, or about all, the adult portion of mankind leave this world more or less sinful;" and it would seem that Mr. Campbell has led him into serious doubts as to whether infant portion of mankind is any better off than the adult." So I suppose we are to understand that he is here to prove that the very best of the adult portion of mankind, and all infants, will finally be reconciled to God and saved, as well as those who will not be reconciled and saved in this life! But I shall insist on relieving him of a portion of this work at the outset. Some persons are reconciled to God and saved in this world, and hence do not leave it sinful. As to the salvation of these he need give himself no trouble. As to the salvation of such, though they may leave this world imperfect, I raise no question. Then, as to infants he need not give himself the slightest bit of trouble. They will all go to heaven. They have in this world some imperfection of nature, it is true, but they are not sinful in any sense that will, in my view, jeopardize their happiness in the future life. The Roman Catholics may, I grant, have taught some things respecting infants. unwarranted by the Scriptures; and so may have Protestants. Mr. Campbell, too, may have said some things about hereditary depravity unsupported by Scripture. But what of all that? Is Mr. M. really here to prove that little infants will finally be reconciled to God and saved? Of course I raise no question as to the shrewd