bore their sin, and all sin, "in His own body on the tree." Surely,
justice will say that it has not to be borne again. Hence, all suffering
that is now inflicted, is not inflicted as a punishment, but as a
discipline. "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Then,
"he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." That glorious fact
should settle all difficulty.

Suffering, then, is appointed solely for the uplift of character, both
in this life and the next. When it has done its work--and in some cases
it may take long--it will cease.

These profound questions require us to extend our outlook into the next
life. And nothing can be more truly natural. For with God there is no
limit as to time or space. The history of our world, and of our race in
this lower life, is but a span in the eternal years.

The trouble has been that men have had no idea of the operation of grace
beyond this life. This is no disparagement of the limitations of able
and saintly men in the past. We have simply had a growing revelation. It
is no credit to us that we have larger views.

We see now that the yearnings of divine love will be satisfied. There is
a harmony in this view which commends it at once to our highest
conceptions of fitness. God is infinite in His being, and in His
perfections. Hence His operations are not limited to the mere span of
time. The outgoings of His Wisdom, and power, and love, are from
everlasting to everlasting.

In my view, there is nothing that will so effectually break down sin, as
a belief that all sin has been atoned for. That is God's royal way of