But suppose two persons to be equally guilty and deserving of condemnation, may not G.o.d make one of them a vessel of mercy, and the other a vessel of wrath? Would the latter have occasion to complain?
Or could injustice be charged on G.o.d?
We should not dare to charge him with injustice, did we know such a case to happen--neither do we presume to determine what G.o.d hath aright to do. But we are sure that no such case ever will happen--that G.o.d will not make an eventual difference in those who are alike, for _there is no respect of persons with G.o.d_.
Some may find mercy who may appear to us less guilty than some others who may perish in their sins. But it belongs not to us to estimate comparative guilt. It requires omniscience. "The judge of all the earth will do right."
INFERENCES
Mankind are here on trial. Different talents are committed to them.
G.o.d acts as a sovereign in apportioning betrustments, and will observe exact impartiality in adjusting retributions.
The idea of talents implies ability to improve them. Gospel applications speak such to be our state--they are adopted to no other state.
The fatalist, and those who conceive every human volition and action to be the effect of divine agency, have no rational motive, to do, or suffer for religion. "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
However we may amuse ourselves with idle speculations, this life is approbation season.--Our use or abuse of the talents we possess will determine us to happiness, or misery, honor or infamy.
"All have sinned, and are guilty before G.o.d--In his sight shall no man living be justified"--our sole desert is punishment. But G.o.d hath had mercy on us--provided a Savior, and offers us salvation. The offer is universal--"Whosoever will let him come."
That _there is no respect of persons with G.o.d_, is alike the dictate of reason and revelation, We have only to act with integrity before G.o.d, relying, on his grace in Christ, and his grace will be sufficient for us.
The man who had the one talent, neglected it, under pretence that he served a hard master, who required things unreasonable and impossible --he was condemned; but _only_ for neglecting the talent which he possessed.
It is required of a man according to that which he hath--this he can render--the neglect will be fatal. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that we may receive the deeds done in the body, according to that which we have done, whether good or bad. For G.o.d will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil.
An unseen hand is constantly writing down our volitions and actions, to be reserved to judgment. Ere long the books will be opened, which will open every heart, and life. Not a circ.u.mstance which goes to const.i.tute a state of trial, will be omitted--all will be brought into the reckoning, and serve to determine our eternal state.
That state will be determined by the use which we shall have made of life, and the advantages which we enjoyed in it. The divine impartiality will then appear--"The unG.o.dly will be convinced of their unG.o.dly deeds--and of their hard speeches, which they have spoken against G.o.d." None will complain of injustice--none of the condemned pretend that they receive aught, which others circ.u.mstanced as they were, and acting as they acted, would not have received from the hand that made them. "Every mouth will be stopped."
This, fellow mortals is our seed time for eternity. "Be not deceived; G.o.d is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also of the Lord, whether he be bond or free--every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labor."
Not only the state into which we are to enter at death, but the rank we are to hold in it depend on present improvement. All the sanctified will be saved; all who die unrenewed will be d.a.m.ned. But there will be different grades, both in the upper and lower worlds. Of the saints, some "will be scarcely saved." To others "will be ministered an abundant entrance into the kingdom of Christ." There are also greatest and least in the kingdom of heaven. And among those exiled the world of light, differences will be made, suited to the different degrees of criminality. Capernaum will receive a more intolerable doom than Sodom.*
* Matthew xi. 23, 24.
All these discriminations will be built on the present life, and rise out of it. This will be so abundantly manifested, "when G.o.d shall judge the world in righteousness," that an a.s.sembled universe will confess, That _there is no respect of persons with G.o.d_.
SERMON VII.
Moses" Prayer to be blotted out of G.o.d"s Book.
Exodus x.x.xii. 31, 32.
"And Moses returned unto the Lord and said, "Oh! this people have made them G.o.ds of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt, forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.""
This is one of the most difficult pa.s.sages in the holy scriptures.
Many haven attempted to explain it, and in our apprehension, failed in the attempt. Some will entertain like opinion of the following.
Perhaps justly. We are no less fallible than others.
In matters which have engaged the attention of the learned, and in which they have differed, a.s.surance is not perhaps to be expected. But as we are forbidden to call any man master, we have ventured to judge for ourselves respecting the meaning of the text, and now lay before the reader the result of our attention to it; not wishing to obtrude our opinion upon him; but leaving him to form his own as he may find occasion.
Some suppose that a person must be willing to be d.a.m.ned for the glory of G.o.d, or he cannot be saved; and this scripture hath been alleged in proof. After a few observations, _to shew that the supposition is erroneous and absurd; we shall exhibit the various constructions which have been put on the text, by several expositors; then give our own sense of it; and close with a few reflections_.
The supposition that man must be willing to be d.a.m.ned, in order to be saved, is in our apprehension, erroneous and absurd. It supposes a desire of G.o.d"s favor to be an unpardonable offence; and a contempt of it a recommendation to his regard! It supposes that G.o.d will banish those from his presence who long for it; and bring those to dwell in it who do not desire it! A supposition, which, in our view, carries its own confutation in it. For the all important inquiry is, confessedly, how to obtain salvation? The solution which the supposition exhibits, is this, _by being willing not to obtain it_!
G.o.d cannot issue an order, making it the duty of man to be willing to be d.a.m.ned. To be willing to be d.a.m.ned, implies a willingness to disobey G.o.d, refuse his grace, and continue in unbelief and impenitence! Should we suppose it possible for G.o.d to issue the order, obedience would be impossible, and equally to those of every character. The hardened sinner, cannot be thought capable of love to G.o.d, which will dispose him to suffer eternally for G.o.d"s glory. He may do that which will occasion eternal sufferings, but not out of obedience to G.o.d--not with design to glorify him.
Neither can the awakened sinner be considered as the subject of such love of G.o.d. They see indeed the evil. Awakened Sinners are not lovers of G.o.d. They see indeed the evil of sin, and are sensible of its demerit? that they deserve destruction. But this doth not reconcile them to destruction, and make them willing to receive it. They tremble at the thoughts of it, strive against sin, and cry after deliverance.
Were they willing to be d.a.m.ned, they would not be afraid of being d.a.m.ned, or seek in anyway to avoid it.
It is equally impossible for the saint to be reconciled to d.a.m.nation as will appear, by considering what it implies. It implies the total loss of the divine image, and banishment from the divine presence and favor! It implies being given up to the power of apostate spirits, and consigned to the same dreary dungeon of despair and horror, which is prepared for them! It implies being doomed to welter in woe unutterable, blaspheming G.o.d, and execrating the creatures of G.o.d, "world without end!"
When people pretend that they are willing to be d.a.m.ned for the glory of G.o.d, they "know--not what they say nor whereof they affirm." They leave out the princ.i.p.al ingredients of that dreadful state. Bid they take them into the account, they would perceive the impossibility of the thing. To suppose it required is to blaspheme G.o.d--to pretend that man can submit to it, is to belie human nature--to conceive that a child of G.o.d can reconcile himself to it, is to subvert every just idea of true religion. To require it, G.o.d must deny himself! To consent to it, man must consent to become an infernal! The statement of the case is a refutation of the scheme.
But if G.o.d"s glory requires it, will not this reconcile the good and gain their consent?
G.o.d"s glory doth not--cannot require it. "The spirit of the Lord is not straightened." Human guilt and misery are not necessary to G.o.d"s honor.
It is necessary that divine justice should be exercised on those who refuse divine grace; but not necessary that men should refuse divine grace. "As I live, saith the Lord G.o.d. I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live."
Such is the language of revelation; and the measures which G.o.d hath adopted relative to our guilty race speak the same language. He hath provided a city of refuge, and urges the guilty to "turn to the strong hold."--He weeps over obstinate sinners who refuse his grace? "How shall I give thee up? How shall I deliver thee?" But rejoiceth over the penitent, as the father rejoiced over the returning prodigal.
G.o.d would not have provided a Savior, and made indiscriminate offers of pardon and peace had he chosen the destruction of sinners, and had their ruin been necessary to his honor. But G.o.d hath done these things, and manifested his merciful disposition toward mankind.
We have no need to "do evil that good may come. Our unrighteousness is not necessary to commend the righteousness of G.o.d."
How then, are we to understand the prayer of Moses, placed at the head of this discourse--_blot me, I pray that, out of thy book which than hast written_?
As this is one of the princ.i.p.al pa.s.sages of scripture which are adduced to support the sentiment we have exploded, a few things may be premised, before we attempt to explain it.
I. Should it be admitted that Moses here imprecated utter destruction on himself, it could not be alleged as a precept given to direct others, but only as a solitary incident, in the history of a saint, who was then compa.s.sed with infirmity. And where is the human character without a shade? This same Moses neglected to circ.u.mcise his children--broke the tables of G.o.d"s law--spake unadvisedly with his lips--yea, committed such offences against G.o.d, that he was doomed to die short of Canaan, in common with rebellious Israel.
II. The time--in which it hath been particularly insisted that a person must be willing to be d.a.m.ned for G.o.d"s glory, is at his entrance on a slate of grace; but Moses had been consecrated to the service of G.o.d long before he made this prayer. Nothing, therefore respecting the temper of those under the preparatory influences of the spirit can be argued from it.
III. Should we grant that Moses here imprecated on himself the greatest evil, a sense of other people"s sins, and not a sense of his own sins, was the occasion. But,
IV. No sufferings of his could have been advantageous to others, had be submitted to them for their sake. Had he consented to have been a castaway--to have become an infernal, as we have seen implied in d.a.m.nation, this would not have brought salvation to Israel. Moses"
hatred of G.o.d, and his sufferings and blasphemies, would not have atoned for the sins of his people, or tended in any degree to turn away the wrath of G.o.d from them.
It seems surprizing that the whole train of expositors should consider this good man as imprecating evil on himself for the good of others, when it is obvious that others could not have been benefited by it.
For though expositors differ respecting the magnitude of the evil, they seem to agree that he did wish evil to himself, and pray that he might suffer for his people! We have seen no expositor who is an exception.