I indeed baptize you with water, but he shall baptize you with SERMON XXIX. The Double Baptism-Symbolical Baptism. By Rev. D. D. WHEDON, D. D., of the I indeed baptize you with water, but he shall baptize you with SERMON XXX. The Resurrection. By Rev. G. G. HAPGOOD, A. M., of the Black River Conference 437 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? SERMON XXXI. The Appearance of Evil. By Rev. GEORGE PECK, D. D., of the New-York Con- Abstain from all appearance of evil.-1 Thess. v, 22. SERMON XXXII. The Opportunity of doing Good As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all SERMON XXXIII. Christ's first Sermon after his Resurrection; or, Christ the Theme of the Prophets. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. SERMON XXXIV. The New Birth. By Rev. T. E. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the SERMON S. SERMON I. The Influence on the Human Mind of the Manifestation of God's Glory. BY REV. MATTHEW SIMPSON, D. D., PRESIDENT OF INDIANA ASBURY UNIVERSITY. "And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for there shall no man see me and live."-Exodus xxxiii, 18-20. CORRECT views of the divine character lie at the found ation of true religion. We may not indeed understand all the divine attributes, or even know their number, but with such as most directly influence human character and conduct we may become acquainted through nature and revelation. Where nations have acknowledged "lords many and gods many," discord and war have been, not mere casualities, but natural and almost necessary consequences of their theology. If Mars and Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, had conflicting interests in heaven, and if fierce contests raged among the gods, what else could be expected of their worshipers on earth? As there were "gods of the hills and gods of the valleys,"-as each nation traced its origin through a long line of ancestry to some one of the contending deities, so it might be expected that each nation should be jealous for the honor and glory of its founder. The unity of the Deity revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and the common origin of the human family expressly asserted, sweep away, at once and for ever, the greatest justification for hostilities, and all pretence for tyranny and oppression. We have but one God, and we are all brethren. The attributes with which the divine character is invested have also a powerful influence on the mind. If to the Deity is ascribed, as in heathen mythology, the possession of the animal propensities and desires, then the worship will be conformable to such desires, and licentiousness and extravagance of every description will be mingled in the ceremonies. The rolling wheel shall crush its victim, the fire consume the infant offering, or purity be sacrificed unblushingly at the altar of the commanding deity. Carrying forward the same train of thought, we shall find that even under the full light of the system of Christianity, the peculiar aspect in which the divine character is viewed will greatly modify Christian conduct and enjoyment. Notwithstanding all read the same revelation, and ascribe the same attributes to the Deity, yet perhaps each individual fixes in a different degree his estimate of the relation of these attributes to man; and possibly, in each mind, some one of the divine attributes is more regarded, or at least more constantly a subject of thought, than any other. Thus, upon one may rest a sense of the terrible majesty of God. He may seem to hear his voice as when it spake in such awful grandeur from the top of Sinai. On another may rest a sense of awe and veneration, and the still small voice seem ever to sound in his ears, "Be still, and know that I am God." To a third is presented most vividly the idea of holiness; and to a fourth, the idea, the triumphant thought, is, "God is love." These various views must greatly modify our mode of approach before God. He whose mind is filled with ideas of terrible grandeur, and stern majesty, to whom every voice seems to proclaim, "Our God is a consuming fire," must, when his soul is penitent, approach even in prayer with overwhelming awe; while another, who regards the Deity as an affectionate Father, though he come confounded by a sense of his guilt, and melted at the thought of the amazing condescension of an offended Ruler, yet, viewing the extended arms of mercy expanding to meet the returning prodigal, even dares to "come boldly to a throne of grace.' Many of the young--and for them our remarks are made—are taught, even in the nursery, to clothe the Deity with attributes of vengeance. As they grow older the idea strengthens in their mind-Religion is a fearful thought— moroseness or terror becomes most intimately associated with their notions of Christianity, and they will not think of God because the idea is one of awful dread. And perhaps few passages in the word of God have been more frequently used to strengthen this impression upon the mind, than that part of our text, "For there shall no man see me and live." Being fully persuaded that LOVE is the great characteristic of the Deity, as revealed through Christ, and that all young persons ought so to be taught, we propose to investigate I. What Moses desired when he prayed, "I beseech thee show me thy glory." II. How far this desire was satisfied; and, III. Why he could not obtain all that he desired. I. First, then, let us consider the desire of Moses. The "glory of God" is used in the sacred writings in several distinct meanings. Sometimes it is applied to an exhibition of some grand or astonishing appearance, indicating supernatural power and glory-sometimes to a display of the power, wisdom, and benevolence, of the Deity, in his works-sometimes to his dispensations toward man, as seen in the history of individuals-and sometimes to his purposes of mercy yet to be revealed. By further examination, we may see to which one of these the desire of the leader of Israel was directed. 1. Did he desire to behold some grand and glorious manifestation of the Deity; some outward form or shape to represent the great Jehovah? Why should such be his desire? In the first place, he must have had correct views ́ of the Deity-he must have known that "God is a spirit," —that "no man hath seen God at any time”—that a spiritual being cannot be materially discerned: and that though a glorious light, or thick clouds and sounds of power, may accompany his revelations to man, yet that light, or those clouds or sounds, indicate his presence, but do not represent his form ;-they exhibit his power, not his person. We say, Moses must have known all this, because he was taught the knowledge of the true God from his That the Almighty had great designs in view in reference to the Israelites, he had a right to infer, from what had already been done for them. As when an architect collects in one place a vast quantity of materials, we have a right to expect the erection of some magnificent edifice; so, from previous and vast preparation on the part of the Deity, some event of momentous importance might be inferred. Abraham had been called from his native land and from among his kindred; had traveled over Canaan in expectation that it should be his, while yet owned and inhabited by powerful nations; his sons had been trained under peculiar circumstances; providentially led into Egypt, and then made a race of slaves, oppressed and shamefully treated; then rescued amidst signs and wonders "with a high hand and an outstretched arm,” while the sprinkled blood of the slaughtered lamb prefigured a higher and holier deliverance of humanity from a still more accursed bondage. What connection this had with the hope of a Messiah who should wield a sceptre, and of a Prophet who should teach his people, he could not fully see: and what meant all this vast display in the wilderness; this heavenly direction; this manna from on high; the tables of the law; the tabernacle with its symbols and ceremonies, he could not fully comprehend, but in the earnestness of his soul, he prayed, "I beseech thee, show me thy glory." Again, the circumstances through which he had just passed were of a most singular character. He had been upon the sacred mount. Israel had said, "Let not God speak with us ;" and Moses had stood as their representative for forty days. But this very people who had heard the voice of God, had turned to idolatry at the foot of the mount. Their jewels had been collected and formed into a golden calf-the god of the Egyptians, from whose service they had been delivered. "They had set down to eat, and rose up to play." With what feelings must the man of God have turned from the mount; from converse with the Deity! But as he descended, and the sound of revelry burst upon his ear, he could restrain himself no longer; he dashed from his hand the tables of the law, written by the finger of Omnipotence, and they brake at the foot of the mount. |