The Fatherhood of God - Part 5

I am still pondering and researching the Fatherhood of God, feeling as if I have left things out. All the while, I am marveling that I have actually completed a 5 part series on something. Usually, I type everything I know in one megalong post...which is a no-no in the blogging world....or I lose interest before a series can be birthed. Well...not lose interest exactly, but something new piques my curiosity and I am off on yet another web search. I was googling some stuff this morning about God as the father of ALL...and I came upon a quote from Jonathan Edwards. I've read the quote before, but this morning I remembered that Jonathan Edwards was a father himself. Of quite a brood of kids if I recall. 12 or 13 of them. Was his heart this hard toward his own children...his sense of "justice" so pronounced that he could utter:

"The sight of hell torments will exalt the happiness of the saints forever. . .Can the believing father in Heaven be happy with his unbelieving children in Hell. . . I tell you, yea! Such will be his sense of justice that it will increase rather than diminish his bliss."
-Jonathan Edwards, "The Eternity of Hell Torments" (Sermon), April 1739

How could a learned scholar miss the big as a barn declaration in Scripture that God is LOVE. God is Father?

William Barclay, on the other hand, does not miss it...and he eloquently captures the heart of a father...the heart of our father...and the father of every human who has ever lived or will live in his writing "I Am a Convinced Universalist"

......there is only one way in which we can think of the triumph of God. If God was no more than a King or Judge, then it would be possible to speak of his triumph, if his enemies were agonizing in hell or were totally and completely obliterated and wiped out. But God is not only King and Judge, God is Father - he is indeed Father more than anything else. No father could be happy while there were members of his family for ever in agony. No father would count it a triumph to obliterate the disobedient members of his family. The only triumph a father can know is to have all his family back home. The only victory love can enjoy is the day when its offer of love is answered by the return of love. The only possible final triumph is a universe loved by and in love with God."

-William Barclay, William Barclay: A Spiritual Autobiography

Which of these two men has gotten a glimpse into the heart of our Father. Which of these two men was willing to REALLY take a look-see? One of these guys was a "convinced universalist." The other....a "sinner in the hands of an angry God." Oh thank you Lord for eyes to see the truth....