With infinite reluctance the divine love had to do what God Himself has
called 'His strange work.' Divine Justice travels slowly, but arrives
at last. Her foot is 'leaden' both in regard to its tardiness and its
weight. There is no ground in the long postponement of retribution for
the fond dream that it will never come, though men lull themselves to
sleep with that lie. 'Because sentence against an evil work is not
executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is thoroughly
set in them to do evil.' But the sentence will be executed. The
pleading love, which has for many returning autumns spared the barren
tree and sought to make it fit to bear fruit, does not prevent the
owner saying at last to his servant with the axe in his hand, 'Now!
thou shalt cut it down.'