The Forest-Guarded Highway
THE FOREST-GUARDED HIGHWAY.—A traveler relates that when passing through an Austrian town his attention was directed to a forest on a slope near the road, and he was told that death was the penalty of cutting down one of those trees. He was incredulous until he was further informed that they were the protection of the city, breaking the force of the descending avalanche, which, without this natural barrier, would sweep over the quiet home of thousands. When the Russian army was marching there, and began to cut away the defense for fuel, the inhabitants besought them to take their dwellings instead, which was done. Such, he well thought, are the sanctions of God's moral law. On the integrity and support of that law depends the safety of the universe. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die," is a merciful proclamation. "He that offends in one point is guilty of all," is equally just and benevolent. In this view, to every sinner out of Christ, God must be "a consuming fire." To transgress once, is to lay the axe at the root of the tree which represents the security and peace of every loyal soul in the wide dominions of the Almighty. How inexorable is law! How wonderful and glorious the interposition of the Cross!