21 



character of God is so little comprehensiblG to us^ that we can 

 only take in descriptions of it which are couched in human 

 language. We are quite unable to represent to ourselves the 

 state of mind (to use a very inadequate expression) which 

 corresponds in Him to the feeling which we call vengeance. 

 Beyond the fact that it terminates in acts something similar 

 to those which are the outward manifestation of vengeance in 

 us, we know nothing about it. We can only believe that God 

 punishes the wicked, because He sees it to be fitting and right 

 that He should do so. There are, no doubt, some who question 

 the fitness or righteousness of the acts of the Deity in this 

 matter. But I believe that such persons speak of a matter of 

 which they are no judges. If we were our own judges, no 

 doubt we should punish ourselves lightly, if at all. And it 

 appears to me that we are only able to look upon the matter 

 from our own standpoint. I mean that we can only know 

 what judgment we should pronounce upon our own demerits, 

 but have no means of judging how they ought to appear in 

 the sight of God, or with what degree of punishment it is 

 right that they should be visited. Those of whom I have now 

 been speaking admit God's justice in inflicting a certain 

 amount of punishment. They believe that His inflictions are 

 not vengeance, such as men would exercise, and here their 

 view of Christianity differs from that depicted by Mr. Spencer. 

 Whether the punishment be greater or smaller, shorter or 

 longer, he attributes it (in his representation of that view) to 

 a motive of revenge — for although he calls it vengeance, 

 which is a word of somewhat wider signification, the implied 

 motive is revenge, otherwise the objection would amount to 

 nothing. Vengeance may, I think, be explained to be the 

 infliction of punishment from a motive of revenge. And this, 

 all believers refuse to accept as the explanation of Divine 

 punishment. Surely if Mr. Spencer had considered the great 

 love for the world which Christians ascribe to God, and which 

 induced Him to give His only Son to save its inhabitants 

 from the punishment which justice would otherwise oblige 

 Him to inflict — he might have been saved from giving so 

 false and injurious a representation of the divine motives, as 

 forming a part of the Christian system. 



What I have said about applying to God words ordinarily 

 used to express human feelings, may be taken as explanatory 

 of the Christian view (mentioned under the last division of our 

 subject), that God is pleased when His creatures express their 

 appreciation of His perfections in terms of praise. As we can 

 form no adequate conception of the feeling in Him to which 

 we give the name of vengeance, so neither can we form an 



