GOD is divine Principle, infinite Love, omnipresent, omnipotent Truth. Hence God's law is the law of complete and perfect justice. What a world of comfort lies in this fact! Every one needs justice. Every one is entitled to it. But where shall we look for absolute justice, except to God and to His perfect, changeless law? Real justice is inseparably connected with the operation of God's infallible law; and a mortal is capable of being just only to the degree that, consciously or unconsciously, he is guided and controlled by that divine law.
Until mortals learn better through divine enlightenment, they have a tendency to assume the rôle of self appointed judges, and then to pass judgment upon their fellows with reckless disregard of even the ordinary rules of fair play. When a conscientious and competent judge presides over a court of law, he generally feels that he cannot pass intelligent judgment upon the issues involved in an important case until he has heard all the relevant evidence, has given the attorneys employed by the litigants an opportunity to present arguments in favor of their contentions, and then has allowed himself ample time in which to consider carefully all the important points involved. But usually, when a mortal sets himself up as a self-appointed judge of others, he is not hampered by the limitations, nor sobered by the responsibilities, which the conscientious judge in a court of law feels. Such a one easily assumes a degree of omniscience quite beyond the reach of any mortal. Basing his pronouncements, perhaps, upon the merest shreds of evidence, he imagines he can pass prompt judgment upon the whole life-work of another,—and find it wanting. He is quite sure of his ability to discern, and to value aright, the motives and thoughts of others. Now the less a mortal is aware of the utter inability of the so-called human mind to be wise or just in and of itself, and the less familiar he is with the impartial and infallible operations of divine law, the more prone he is to assume this rôle of the self-appointed, and therefore unjust judge.
Jesus illustrated this point in his description of the two men who went into the temple to pray, one a publican the other a Pharisee. The proud Pharisee very generously expressed his complete satisfaction with himself, while adjudging mankind generally to be quite unworthy of approval or praise. On the other hand, the publican, aware of his own shortcomings, made no attempt to pass judgment upon others, but humbly sought divine aid that he might be redeemed from his own errors. "I tell you," said Jesus, "this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
