A SERMON

DELIVERED IN THE CHAPEL OF THE THEOL. SEMINARY, ANDOVER, JAN. 8, 1843.

1 John 4:16.-GOD IS LOVE.

IT has been justly said, that this short expression of the Apostle John gives us more knowledge of the character of God, than all which has been written by heathen moralists and philosophers. The views which they have entertained of the Supreme Being have resulted more or less from their depraved dispositions. They have formed a god like to themselves-a god selfish, impure, false, proud, and revengeful. Now you may ask, would it not be better for us to have no object of worship, than to worship a god of such a character? It is, I acknowledge, very difficult to make a just comparison between two evils, which are both so indescribably dreadful. Think for a moment—if you can—what would be our condition, if there were no God. How wretched should we be, with capacities which could never be filled; with strong desires which could never be satisfied; with moral disorders which would admit of no cure; all our pursuits, all our aspirings, all our hopes, ending in total disappointment, the light of the soul extinguished, and the blackness of darkness spread all around us. The heart craves an object which it can love supremely and unchangeably. But on the supposition just made, there would be no

such object. We want a friend in whom we can repose perfect confidence. But there would be no such friend. We want a benefactor, possessed of resources sufficient to supply all our need. But no such benefactor could be found. Should we ascend up into the heavens, there would be no God there. into the abyss, there would be no God there. uttermost parts of the earth moon, and stars, and the whole extent of the universe, we could find no God. And if no God, then no light, no resting place, no hope. And what value could we set upon our own existence, when no good end of existence could ever be attained. Take away God, and we should choose not to exist. Gloomy and dreadful as would be annihilation; we should pant after it, as a relief from the more gloomy and dreadful evil of existing without a God. We should wish to put an end to our own immortal being, rendered so unwelcome and intolerable; and, finding our wishes and efforts unavailing, we should anxiously look about to find some one of superior power who would do that favor for us, which we could not do for ourselves. Where we should ask where is one in heaven or earth, that has power to rid us of an everlasting existence, so burdensome and hateful now, though otherwise so precious?

Should we descend Should we fly to the should we go and search the sun,

My hearers, I bring forward no fiction. You know that an atheist considers the present life, which in his view is the whole of existence, as of little worth; and, when pressed with trouble, has no hesitation to put an end to his life, and thus, as he thinks, to plunge into a state of annihilation.

But there is no deliverance from the evils of atheism, by the worship of any other than the true God. All the gods of the heathen, and all the false gods of Christian lands are destitute of divine perfection, and have the failings and vices which are found in wicked men. Now how pernicious must be the effect of worshipping such imaginary gods! Everything faulty and vicious in them will tend to countenance and increase what is faulty and vicious in their worshippers. If the object of our worship is malevolent and revengeful, it will inflame the malice and revenge of our own hearts. If our god is impure, it will increase and per

petuate impurity in us. Among all that worship a malicious revengeful god, where can you find one that is free from malice and revenge? And who that does homage to a god of an impure, licentious character, avoids impurity and licentiousness himself? We see then if we direct our worship to a god that is the subject of depraved dispositions like ourselves, we are in double bondage to depravity; bondage from our own hearts, and from the influence of a corrupt object of worship. In such a case, repentance cannot take place. In this respect, idolaters seem to be in a worse condition, than atheists. Atheists are under the unchecked influence of their own vicious passions. But idolaters add to all this, the influence of vice in the gods they serve.

Consider also the unhappiness of those who worship a false god. In the object of their worship, they can have no complacency, no confidence. The attributes of his character inspire them with terror, or disgust, and their hearts are strangers to peace.

And how can we escape this unhappy condition so long as the object of our worship has anything short of infinite perfection perfection truly divine? Suppose we have any god, except the God of Israel any god, even the best we can imagine, who is wanting in any of the perfections of Jehovah. Suppose that he has power adequate to the work of creating the heavens and the earth; and also that he is benevolent; but that he is wanting in the requisite intelligence; that his knowledge is limited. Now if his knowledge is limited, he is liable to very great and pernicious mistakes in managing concerns of such magnitude. Can we feel confidence in such a god? Can we feel safe under his government? Can we rejoice that he reigneth? How can we know that he has contrived the plan of the creation right? What assurance can we have, that the great machine of the universe will work as he wishes? One part may interfere with another; and there may be dreadful disorder and desolation. There may be some mistake in the formation of the mind, which required higher skill than the formation of the material world. The mind may not be endued with a sufficient number of powers and faculties; or it may have too many; or they may be put together in wrong

proportions. And after some more experience, the Creator may discover some lamentable fault in his workmanship, and may think it best to re-make the intelligent world, or to set aside the minds which he has created, as unfit for use, and to create a new set of minds on an improved plan. Or if this could not be done, it might be a subject of everlasting regret to us, and to him who created us, that a mistake, now incapable of being corrected, was made in the first formation of so important a part of the universe. Besides, if the God that governs the world, is destitute of infinite knowledge; how can we be sure that he will govern wisely, and will order things in the natural and moral world so as to answer the purposes of infinite benevolence? My brethren, what peace could we enjoy if the God that made us, and that reigns over us, though almighty and benevolent, possessed only imperfect, limited knowledge.

Suppose then that we had a god possessed of infinite knowledge, as well as goodness, but deficient in power. Such a god

knows what is best, and chooses what is best, but is not able to accomplish it. He really preferred a different system of things in the natural, and especially in the moral world; but that preferable system was beyond his power; and he was obliged to take a system of inferior excellence, because he had not power to adopt the one he preferred. And who can tell in how many instances he has failed and will hereafter fail of governing the world aright, not because he is ignorant of what is right, or is not disposed to do it; but because he is wanting in power. We can love such a god; but how can we trust him? We can have complacency in his goodness; but we cannot regard him as qualified to govern we cannot feel that our interests and the interests of the universe are safe in his hands. It is in his heart to do right. But to sustain such mighty responsibilities and manage properly such vast concerns, transcends the measure of his ability.

But there is another supposition, and one which relates more immediately to our subject. Suppose if it is lawful to make such a supposition-suppose God to be infinitely intelligent and powerful, but wanting in goodness. Such a God knows all

things, and his power is equal to his knowledge; but his power and knowledge are both under the direction of malevolence. He has a perfect discernment of that plan of creation and providence, which would result in the highest happiness of intelligent beings; and he is perfectly able to adopt it, and to carry it into full effect. But he has no disposition to do it. It is the best plan for a moral universe. But the best plan has no attractions for him. He has no kindness in his heart. He takes no delight in what delights others. If he should see his creatures happy, it would not please him. If they are unhappy, he has no compassion for them. He could fill a universe with blessedness, if he willed it; but he does not will it. Nothing gratifies him so much as the miseries of his creatures; and the more miserable they are, the more is he gratified. Such is the God I have wished you for a few moments to consider; a God of infinite knowledge and power, but without benevolence. And being destitute of benevolence, he is destitute of every moral excellence. He has no justice, he has no righteousness, he has no regard to truth. There is nothing lovely in his character.

Now what should we do, and what would our condition be, if the God that made and governs the world were such a being as this? We should have a god; but we should be wholly unable to love him; and our inability to love would be in proportion as we were reasonable and virtuous. If we are benevolent, we cannot love one who is malevolent. If we are just, we cannot love injustice. If we are benignant and kind, we cannot love what is malignant and cruel. We should indeed have a god; but it would be a god that we ought to abhor. And we should abhor him, in proportion to our knowledge of his character. He might command us to love him; but the command would be unjust; and it would be perfectly right for us to refuse obedience. To love such a god would be totally wrong; and if we should love him, we should condemn ourselves for it; for we should have the unalterable persuasion, that we ought to hate him. But our hatred would not be a quiet, peaceful hatred as it might be if the god we had in view were weak, as well as malignant. That