cts contrary to his own command. We are exhorted in the text
_to be kind, tender-hearted and forgiving even as he is_. Do your
kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness extend to all, and desire the
happiness of the universe? Yes. Then also does that of God, or else
you are, in every sense of the word, better than he. You differ from,
instead of imitating God. If so, you are doing wrong, because you are
violating the text. He commands you to be kind, tender, and forgiving
_only as he is_;--and you contend that his kindness, tenderness and
forgiveness, extend to a part only, and that all the rest he will
torture world without end.

But, says the objector, God is now kind, tender, forgiving, and
merciful to all; but he will not be so, when they enter eternity, for
"the doors of mercy will then be shut." How do you know that--who told
you so? Will God change in some future day? If he change, he will not
be the same being, he is now. I thought, he was the same yesterday,
today, and forever, without variableness or even the shadow of
turning. I thought he was the same Jehovah in all worlds. Do you
intend to make him kind, tender, and forgiving _here_, but unkind,
unforgiving, and hard-hearted to a part of his offspring _hereafter_?
If you intend to change both the nature and character of the Almighty
in the future world, then you and myself are done arguing. That
doctrine is, certainly in a pitiful condition, which drives its
advocate to the necessity of changing the Almighty wholly into another
being to support it. "God so loved the world, even when dead in
trespasses and sins," as to deliver up his Son to "taste death for
every man." And being unchangeable, he could never hate them. In our
text, God commands us to forgive as he has forgiven. How many does God
forgive? Ans. As many as he commands you to forgive. How many is that?
_All, even your enemies--to bless and curse not_.

We will now introduce the question--If God has not forgiven a man
today, will he ever forgive him? I answer no, for he is unchangeable.
We are to apt to think that our Creator is altogether such an one as
ourselves--that he loves one day, and hates the next--that he is in
reality angry one hour, and pleased the next--or that he holds a
grudge one moment and forgives the next, if we will only ask him to do
so. But all such ideas are calculated for children--for babes in
Christ. The scriptures come down to the weakest capacity; but this is
no reason we