Then, God is forever the same. If He is love, wisdom, power, justice,
mercy, now, He is the same through all eternity. At no future epoch,
therefore, can we conceive of the necessity of endless torment.
We have to remember too, that God rules in all worlds, and throughout
all time. Forever, and everywhere, "His counsel will stand, and He will
do all His pleasure."
It is an orthodox doctrine that God cannot suffer. But that does not
seem in harmony with the breathing of His sigh, "O that they were wise!"
or "How can I give thee up?" or the tears of Christ over the apostate
city. Now, if God is eternal Love, do not sin and suffering interfere
forever with His happiness? But normally we conceive of Him as the
infinitely happy One; therefore that normal condition requires that sin
and suffering be ultimately done away.
Then we have the fact that we are God's children; yes, even the most
debased of mankind. Paul could say to the idolaters of Athens, "We are
His offspring." Now, if we are really His children, and therefore
infinitely dearer to Him than our children are to us, will not the
present suffering of even one of us be a source of pain to the eternal
Father? On that ground we cannot think of suffering as being endless.
This is holy ground; let us tread it reverently.
Further; we read that Christ "lighteth every man that cometh into the
world.
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