phets and apostles of old believed it, and
cried--"When Thy judgments, O Lord, are abroad in the earth, then shall
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness." But we must believe
it: or we shall be driven to believe in no God at all; and that will be
worse for us than all the evil that has happened to us from our youth up
until now.

But most people find it very difficult to believe in such a God as the
Scripture sets forth--a God of boundless tenderness; and yet a God of
boundless indignation.

The covetous and luxurious find it very difficult to understand such a
being. Their usual notion of tenderness is a selfish dislike of seeing
any one else uncomfortable, because it makes them uncomfortable likewise.
Their usual notion of indignation is a selfish desire of revenge against
anyone who interferes with their comfort. And therefore they have no
wholesome indignation against wrong and wrong-doers, and a great deal of
unwholesome tenderness for them. They are afraid of any one's being
punished; probably from a fellow-feeling; a suspicion that they deserve
to be punished themselves. They hate and dread honest severity, and
stern exercise of lawful power. They are indulgent to the bad, severe
upon the good; till, as has been bitterly but too truly said,--"Public
opinion will allow a man to do anything, except his duty."

Now this is a humour which cannot last. It breeds weakness, anarchy, and
at last ruin to society. And then the effeminate and luxurious,
terrified for their money and their comfort, fly from an unwholesome
tenderness to an unwholesome indignation; break out into a panic of
selfish rage; and become, as cowards are apt to do, blindly and wantonly
cruel; and those who fancied God too indulgent to punish His enemies,
will be the very first to punish their own.

But there are those left, I thank God, in this land, who have a clear
understanding of what they ought to be, and an honest desire to be it;
who know that a manful indignation against wrong-doing, a hearty hatred
of falsehood and meanness, a rigorous determination to do their duty at
all risks, and to repress evil with all severity, may dwell in the same
heart with gentleness, forgiveness, tenderness to women and children;
active pity to the weak, the sick, the homeless; and courtesy to all
mankind, even to their enemies.

God grant that that spirit may remain alive among us. For without it we
shall not long be a strong nation; not