Page:The Last Judgement and Second Coming of the Lord Illustrated.djvu/207

 petuity of the beings on whom they are bestowed? Surely the displays of an attribute that is Divine are not for a day and for a few; that which is infinite must have respect to all time, and be for the enjoyment of an unceasing people.

It is because the Divine love is such as to love others out of itself, that mankind were created, and gifted with capacities for its reception: thereby an object of love has been provided: and will God deprive Himself of that which He has created for such a purpose? He has preserved mankind, notwithstanding the enormities of which they have been guilty; with what propriety, then, can it be said that He will cause the race to cease; and what reason can be assigned for such a cessation? As the iniquity into which they fell did not bring about that terrible disaster, and as the Divine mercy promised to tide them over a period of which it is said, "except those days should be shortened there should no flesh be saved," it seems plain that their perpetuity is intended; and we can discover no cause why it should be otherwise. Transgression has not produced their extermination; has not the worst been done that can be done in that respect? may we not therefore rest assured that the destruction of rational creatures cannot be intended by Him who made them.

It must be admitted that love was a motive in the creation of mankind, and that it has been continually active in their preservation; indeed, preservation may be considered as a continual creation: this being so, the human race cannot terminate unless that motive were to cease; and can anything that has once existed in the Divine character cease its activity? If the principles remain by which man was originally brought upon the scene of life, it follows that he must also be continued: they are as cause and