صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

true, that "the faith and understanding of things revealed by Divine inspiration, are to be sought by prayer *."

Varro tells

us, that he wrote first of human, and then of Divine institutions, because societies of men existed first, and the latter were instituted by them. True religion, on the contrary, instead of being instituted by any city or society on earth, hath instituted a city altogether heavenly and Divine, and is itself inspired by God, who is the giver of eternal life to all that worship Him in sincerity +.

It is truly surprising to observe how differently this religion was of old received among men, and what different entertainment it meets with even to this day, though the doctrine has been always the same, though it is still enforced by the same arguments, and has the same difficulties and prejudices to struggle with. When the divine Apostle preached in the Areopagus at Athens, a great many mocked and ridiculed him: others said, We will hear thee again of this matter: but certain men clave unto Him, and believed. Acts xvii. 32, 4. And that we may not think this faith, in those who believed, was owing to their uncommon penetration or sagacity on the one hand, or to their weakness and simplicity on the other, of the two mentioned in Scripture, who believed on this occasion, the one was a philosopher, and the other a woman. Now, though, without doubt, human liberty is to be allowed its due weight in this matter, yet, we cannot help acknowledging, that a certain influence or energy ‡ seems to discover itself here.

The basis of religion is faith,-just apprehensions or right notions of God, according to Epictetus. St. Ignatius says, "Faith is the beginning of life, and love the end of it ||." And the words of the Apostle are, He that cometh to God, must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. So that the giving of a law to man, and

* Την των θεοπνευστων πίστιν καὶ σύνεσιν ἐυχᾶις ζητητεον.

St. Aug. de Civ. Dei, lib. vi. c. 3.

* Θεῖαν τινὰ μοιραν vel ἐνεργειαν.

§ Ορθαὶ ὑπολήψεις.

|| Αρχὴ ζωῆς πίστις, τέλος δε ἁγαπή.

[ocr errors]

the enforcing it with the motives of rewards and punishments, is not inconsistent with the filial and disinterested obedience of a rational creature, even in a state of innocence.

All true and lively faith begets love; and thus, that heavenly light is the vehicle of heat. And as, by this means, true faith has a tendency to the practice of obedience, so, all true obedience depends upon faith, and flows from it. But it also proceeds from love, because faith first produces love, and then works by it. All knowledge of mysteries, is vain and of no value, unless it have an influence upon the affections, and thereby, upon the whole conduct of life. The luminaries of heaven are placed on high; but they are so placed, that they may shine, and perform their periods, for the benefit of this earth. Gen. i. 17.

We must first, believe, that God is. This truth is written in capital letters on every page of the sacred books of Scripture; for all things that are therein delivered by God, and concerning him, confirm this, and take it for a primary and undoubted principle. But these sacred books acknowledge another universal evidence of this leading truth, and an evidence quite distinct from theirs, to which they refer all, even the most obstinate unbelievers and those that are entirely ignorant of this celestial doctrine, for full conviction. Rom. i. 20. As it is quite plain, that the testimony of the written word will have little or no influence upon men who have not received the least tincture of Divine Faith, should any person, disputing with them, reason after this manner,-There is a God, because this is asserted in the sacred Scriptures, and their testimony must by all means be believed, because they are the word of God;-an argument of this kind, to be sure, would have no other effect than to expose the person who urged it, to the ridicule of atheists and unbelievers; because it evidently begs the question, and runs into a vicious circle. He, therefore, who would bring over such persons to the faith, must reason after a quite different manner. But let him, on the other hand, who once accepts these Books with the submission

Let

due to their real dignity and Divine authenticity, receive light and edification from them on every article of faith, and with regard to the whole system of religion in general. him, also, in congratulation to their exalted Author, cry out, With Thee, O Lord, is the fountain of life: and in Thy light we shall see light. Psal. xxvi. 9. And let him that desires to be, not only a nominal proficient in theology, but Φιλόθεος καὶ Θεοδίδακτος-a real lover of God, and willing to be taught by Him, resolve within himself, above all things, to make this sacred volume his constant study, mixing his reading with frequent and fervent prayer: for if this be omitted his labour will be altogether in vain, supposing him to be ever so well versed, not only in these books, but also to have all the advantages that can be had from the knowledge of languages, and the assistance of commentators and interpreters. Different men have different views in reading this Book. As, in the same field, the ox looks for grass, the hound for a hare, and the stork for a lizard, some, fond of critical remarks, pick up nothing but little stones and shells; others run in pursuit of sublime mysteries, giving themselves but very little trouble about the precepts and instructions that are clear and evident, and these plunge themselves into a pit that has no bottom. But the genuine disciples of this true wisdom, are those who make it their daily employment, to purify their hearts by the water of those fountains, and reduce their whole lives to a conformity with this heavenly doctrine. They desire not to know these things, only that they may have the reputation of knowledge, or to be distinguished in the world; but that their souls may be healed, and their steps directed, so that they may be led through the paths of righteousness, to the glorious felicity which is set before them.

The sum of all is, that our felicity lies solely and entirely in that blessed God, who is also the fountain and source of our being; that the only means of our union with Him, is true religion; and this, again, consists in our entertaining just notions of God, worshipping Him acceptably, and endeavouring

after a constant and unwearied obedience to all his commands, according to that most pure and perfect rule laid down in those Divine Books which we profess to receive as such. Let us, therefore, have constantly fixed in our minds these words of the Psalmist, Blessed are the undefiled in the way, that walk in the way of the Lord. Thou hast commanded us to keep Thy precepts diligently. O! that my ways were directed to keep Thy statutes. Psal. exix. 1, 4, 5.

LECTURE XXI.

Of the DIVINE ATTIBUTES,

Of all the maxims that are naturally written on the heart of man, there is none more certain or more universally known, than THAT GOD IS; concerning which I have given a dissertation some time ago. But of all the secrets and hidden things of nature, which have been the subject of human study and inquiry, there is nothing, by a prodigious odds, so difficult or unsearchable, as to know WHAT HE IS. The saying of St. Augustine concerning Time, is well known in the schools: with how much greater truth might it be said of Him, who is more ancient than time, and "who bade time flow from the beginning *," That He hath made darkness His hiding-place, and amidst that darkness dwells in light inaccessible. Psal. xviii. 11. Which, to our eyes, is to be sure more dark than darkness itself! "O the Divine darkness!" says a great mant; and another, most acutely, “If you divide or cut asunder this darkness, who will shine forth + ? When, therefore, we are to speak of Him, let us always call to remembrance the admonition which bids us speak with reverence and fear. For what can we say that is worthy of Him, since man,

Qui tempus ab ævo

Ire jubet.

* Ω τό θεῖον σκότος.

BOETH. Cons. Phil, lib. iii. met. 9,

* Αν το σκότος τέμνὴ ὁτὶς ἀναστράπτεται.

with great

when he speaks of God, is but a blind person describing light? Yet, blind as we are, there is one thing we may, truth, say of that glorious light, and let us frequently repeat it: O when will that blessed day shine forth, which shall deliver the soul from those thick integuments of flesh, that like scales on the eye, obstruct its sight, and shall introduce it into a more full and open view of that primitive, eternal Light! Perhaps, the properest answer we could give to the question, What is God? would be to observe a most profound silence; or, if we should think proper to give any answer, it ought to be something next to this absolute silence; viz. GOD IS; which gives us a higher and better idea of Him, than any thing we can either express or conceive.

Theological writers mention three methods whereby men come to some kind of knowledge of God themselves, and communicate that knowledge to others, viz., the way of negation, the way of causation, and the way of eminence. Yet, the very terms that are used to express these ways, shew what a faint knowledge of the Invisible Being is to be attained by them; so that the two last may be justly reduced to the first, and all our knowledge of this kind called negative. For, to pretend to give any explanation of the Divine Essence, as distinct from what we call His attributes, would be a refinement so absurd, that, under the appearance of more accurate knowledge, it would betray our ignorance the more. And so unaccountable would it be to attempt any such thing, with regard to the unsearchable majesty of God, that possibly the most towering and exalted genius on earth, ought frankly to acknowledge, that we know neither our own essence, nor that of any other creature, even the meanest and most contemptible. Though, in the schools, they distinguish the Divine attributes or excellencies, and that by no means improperly, into communicable and incommunicable; yet, we ought so to guard this distinction, as always to remember that those which are called communicable, when applied to God, are not only to be understood in a manner incommunicable and quite peculiar to Himself, but also,

« السابقةمتابعة »