The true view is that God is immutably determined by his own eternal and essential righteousness to visit every sin with a proportionate punishment.
50. How may it be argued from the independence and absolute self -sufficiency of God, that punitive justice is an essential attri- bute of his nature ?
It is inconsistent with these essential attributes to conceive of God as obliged to any course of action by the external exigen- cies of his creation. Both the motive and the end of his action must be in himself. If he punishes sin because determined so to do by the principles of his own nature, then he acts indepen- dently. But if he resorts to this merely as the necessary means of restraining and governing his creatures, then their actions control his.
51. What argument in support of this doctrine may be drawn from the instinctive sense of justice which is essentially inherent in our nature ?
Man, especially as to his moral nature, was created in the image of God. We necessarily refer to him in an infinite degree our highest ideal of moral excellence. Conscience, as the organ of the moral law in our hearts, echoes the voice, and discovers to us the moral character of the great Lawgiver.
Now, the universal testimony of the human conscience is, that ill desert is of the essence of sin : that, irrespective of any gen- eral consequences to society, the malefactor deserves punishment; and that no amount of public benefit can justify the judicial in- jury of the innocent. This is implied in all human laws, in all superstitious fears, and in the penances and expiatory sacrifices which, in one form or another, have constituted a prominent ele- ment in all religions.
52. How may this principle be inferred from God's love of holiness and hatred of sin ?
122 THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.
If the reason for God's punishing sin was founded simply in his own arbitrary will, then he could not be said to hate sin, but only to love his own will. Or if his reason for punishing sin rested solely upon governmental considerations, then he could not be strictly said to hate sin, but only its consequences.
But both our consciences and Scripture teach positively that God does hate sin and love holiness for their own sakes. — Hab. i., 13 ; Ps. v., 4, 5 ; xlv., 6, 7 ; cxlv., 17 ; Prov. xi., 20 ; Deut, iv., 24.
To deny this doctrine is to deny the very essence of moral goodness, to resolve righteousness into prudence, and right into advantage.
53. How may it be proved from what the Scriptures say of the death of Christ ?
The Scriptures teach that our sins were laid upon Christ ; that he was made sin ; that he suffered the just for the unjust that God might justly justify the unjust. — Isa. liii., 5-11 ; Eom. iii., 24-26 ; Gal. iii., 13, 14 ; 1 Pet. iii., 18 ; also see Chapter XXII. But if the necessity for the punishment of sin arises simply from the arbitrary will of God, then the sacrifice of Christ involved no punishment of sin at all, but a mere gratification of God's arbitrary will. Or if, on the other hand, it derives its necessity purely from govermental considerations, i. e., from the necessity of restraining sinners and preventing the spread of sin by manifesting to the universe a stupendous evidence that sin shall be punished, what would this be but to make the awful death of Christ a well-intentioned fiction. For if Christ died, not because all sin intrinsically deserves punishment, not because there is an immutable principle in God demanding its punish- ishment, but only that further sin may be prevented, then sin was not punished. Yet the Scriptures declare that it was. But if our doctrine be true, that God is immutably determined to punish all sin, then we can understand why, without the shed- ding of blood, there can be no remission, and a sufficient reason is given for the awful sacrifice of the incarnate Word.
54. How may it be proved from the law of God ?
The penalty is as essential an element of the law as the pre-
INFINITE GOODNESS. 123
eept, and together they constitute one inseparable and perfect rule of moral rectitude. The language of the law is, " the soul that sinneth it shall die." Now, if this rule be based upon the mere will of God, then it is no revelation of his moral nature, and no display of his essential righteousness. If, on the other hand, it is based on mere governmental considerations of general advan- tage, then there remains no distinction between right and wrong. We hold, however, that the one all-perfect law exhibits at once what God's infinitely perfect righteousness determines him to demand of his moral creatures, and in case of disobedience to inflict.
THE INFINITE GOODNESS OF GOD.
55. What distinctions are signified by the terms benevolence, complacency, mercy, and grace ?