into the boundless universe of life. So long as the constitution of that
universe remains, so long as the world continues to be made by God,
righteousness can never fail of perfect reward. Before it could be
otherwise, the government must have passed into other hands.

The idea of merit is nowise essential to that of reward. Jesus tells us
that the lord who finds his servant faithful, will make him sit down to
meat, and come forth and serve him; he says likewise, 'When ye have done
all, say we are unprofitable servants; we have done only that which it
was our duty to do.' Reward is the rebound of Virtue's well-served ball
from the hand of Love; a sense of merit is the most sneaking shape that
self-satisfaction can assume. God's reward lies closed in all
well-doing: the doer of right grows better and humbler, and comes nearer
to God's heart as nearer to his likeness; grows more capable of God's
own blessedness, and of inheriting the kingdoms of heaven and earth. To
be made greater than one's fellows is the offered reward of hell, and
involves no greatness; to be made greater than one's self, is the divine
reward, and involves a real greatness. A man might be set above all his
fellows, to be but so much less than he was before; a man cannot be
raised a hair's-breadth above himself, without rising nearer to God. The
reward itself, then, is righteousness; and the man who was righteous for
the sake of such reward, knowing what it was, would be righteous for the
sake of righteousness,--which yet, however, would not be perfection.
But I must distinguish and divide no farther now.

The reward of mercy is not often of this world; the merciful do not
often receive mercy in return from their fellows; perhaps they do not
often receive much gratitude. None the less, being the children of their
father in heaven, will they go on to show mercy, even to their enemies.
They must give like God, and like God be blessed in giving.