Page:Three Thousand Selected Quotations from Brilliant Writers.djvu/275

Rh How can man understand God, since he does not yet understand his own mind, with which he endeavors to understand Him?

The infinity of God is not mysterious, it is only unfathomable—not concealed, but incomprehensible. It is a clear infinity—the darkness of the pure, unsearchable sea. —.

The human mind may know God, and learn of God, though it has no terms by which to explain Him; it may think of Him as Absolute, as Infinite, as Personal, while it may never in this life be able to fathom the full meaning of these sublime ideas. —.

What we want is not infinitude, but a boundless One; not to feel that love is the law of this universe, but to feel One whose name is Love. —.

The law is obligated to punish the transgressor as much as the transgressor is obligated to obey the law—law has no option. Justice has but one function. The necessity of penalty is as great as the necessity of obligation. The law itself is under law; that is, it is under the necessity of its own nature; and therefore the only possible way whereby a transgressor can escape the penalty of the law, is for a substitute to endure it for him. The deep substrata and base of all God's ethical attributes are eternal law and impartial justice. —.

God is kind; but within the limits of inexorable law. He is good, but you can take no liberties with Him; for back of His pity and kindness is the righteousness that is so exact, and that must be satisfied to the uttermost farthing. —.