There is nothing more strikingly plain and explicit in all the Holy Scriptures than that God is just and His paths are "mercy and truth." Justice is an essential attribute of Deity; it is as necessary in government as love and mercy; it demands that man shall acquiesce in divine law, without which all were confusion, utterly devoid of order and method, and the learned essayist has informed us that "Heaven's first law is order." Justice should govern law, and when the law is violated or its statutes are broken, justice calls for a penalty therefor. It is by law that penalties are affixed, and we find in Deuteronomy, the 28th chapter, beginning with the 15th verse, "If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee." In Mark xvi:16, we read, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Here we find a penalty affixed for the violation of the laws of God. We find it verily true that in all God does and in all that He orders, He manifests goodness and love, maintains justice and equity and exercises mercy and long-suffering. Notwithstanding His compassion and mercy, He is nevertheless just and true, therefore a full assurance that He will bestow rewards and inflict punishments, as He has aforetime decreed, must take root in the mind of every considering, inquiring, honest soul. As the apostle said: "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." (Titus i:2. ) Mercy shall ever season justice, but never be permitted to rob her of her inexorable demands Love will never cease to be a ruling attribute in all God's dealings, but not to mitigate or lessen punishment, unless repentance be manifest and forgiveness granted; goodness, kindness, forbearance and gentleness, while they are forever and always exercised in Deity, will not stand to thwart or forestall the judgments of God, or remove deserving penalties, only as provision is made in the plan of redemption.