He gave existence, but to the matter of "Let there be light, Nature, however, in Omnipotence. We learn from the works of nature that the power of God is beyond conception great. He created all things out of nothing. not only to the form of the world, which it is composed. He said: and there was light." (Gen. i. 3.) as far as we can comprehend it, affords no positive proof that its author is Omnipotent. But here, as ever, the Bible comes to our aid, and assures us that "nothing is impossible with God." (Luke, i. 37. Gen. xviii. 14. Rom. iv. 18, 21.) Justice. The divine Being has given certain laws to men, whose observance is perfectly consistent with, and indispensable to, the highest state of enjoyment of which the human soul is susceptible. Even conscience assures us of a future retribution, and that happiness is the reward of virtue, and misery the punishment of vice. But obedience to the moral law of God constitutes virtue in the strictest and highest sense, and the impartial administration of this law, which secures the greatest possible degree of enjoyment to the intelligent universe, is denominated Justice. Though there is much misery in the world, and though the best and most exemplary among men are often oppressed and afflicted, this is no argument against a doctrine, whose truth, conscience and revelation combine to establish. The day will come when all men will be judged according to their works. "And will not God avenge his own elect, who cry un Q. What do you understand by Omnipotence? What do the works of nature prove in reference to the Divine power? Do they prove that God is omnipotent? What does prove it? What do you understand by Justice? Will God most certainly administer justice? 50 DIVINE PERFECTIONS. to him day and night? I tell you that he will avenge Psalm x. Rom. ii. them speedily." (Luke, xviii. 7, 8. "We must all ap Holiness. This attribute of the divine character is intimately associated with the one just described. For it is evident, that a Being whose law requires holiness in others, must be holy himself. That is, he loves all moral excellence and every kind and degree of virtuous attainment, whilst he hates every exhibition of moral depravity, which is called Sin. It is the object of the moral law to promote the former, and prevent the latter. This attribute is alluded to in the first epistle general of Peter, i. 16: "Be ye holy, for I am holy.”—(Eph. iv. 24. Matt. v. 48. 2 Peter, i. 4. Deut. xxxii. 4. James, i. 13. Veracity. The infinite justice, holiness, wisdom, and consequent immutability of God, lead us to place unlimited confidence in all his promises, and to believe that he will eventually accomplish all his high and glorious purposes. The divine justice and holiness require that men should will and act in conformity with the moral law, and the infinite love of the Almighty is also interested in the harmony of the moral universe; that is, in the obedience of all his intelligent creation, which obedience is perfectly consistent with, and indispensable to, the highest degree of happiness attainable by the soul. But the divine wisdom has seen fit to attach a penalty Q. Where will this justice be fully manifest? A. In Eternity. Where must all men eventually appear? What is Holiness? A. Perfect conformity to the divine law. What do you understand by the veracity of God? to disobedience, and the promise of reward to obedience, to secure this moral harmony. And as all the attributes of the character of God are perfect, and as his determinations and arrangements are, consequently, not subject to alteration, we have every reason to believe, that the promises and threatenings of his word will be fulfilled, and that every expectation which he has created will be realized. "Let God be true, but every man a liar."(Rom. iii. 4.) The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent."—(1 Sam. xv. 29. John, iii. 33. Heb. vi. 18. James, i. 17. Mal. iii. 6. ence. Goodness. All the works of nature, and all the arrangements of the material world, so evidently adapted to supply the temporal wants, and promote the happiness of man, point out to us this attribute of the divine character. Nor is this at variance with the fact, that we often meet with afflictions in our présent state of existFor these are themselves the dispensations of a wise and merciful Providence, and are intended to lead to some important and blessed result. But the system of atonement, established to promote the everlasting interests of the immortal soul, and the gift of his own son, who was appointed to die for our guilty race, afford irresistible evidence that GOD IS LOVE, and that he has ever entertained for man the most ardent and disinterested affection. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son." (1 Tim. vi. 17. Psalm ciii. 13. Matt. vii. 9, 10.) Q. From what do we learn that God is good? Are afflictions opposed to this doctrine? In what light are we to consider these? What affords still more cheering evidence of the love of God than the works of nature and the arrangements of Providence? 52 DELIVERY OF THE LAW. Incomparability. In all these attributes of character, God is infinitely and therefore incomparably and inconceivably great. He is infinite in power, knowledge, justice, holiness, truth, and goodness; and these perfections of the Almighty exalt him far above all created intelligences. (1 Tim. vi. 16. Isaiah, xl. 25. Such is the character of the Being who has given to man a moral law; and his right to govern the moral universe grows out of the very relation he sustains to it, as the Creator and upholder of all things that exist. The delivery of the Law. The account given by Moses of the occasion on which the ten commandments were delivered to the children of Israel, serves to show the importance attached to them by that Divine Being who revealed them. After the Israelites in their journey from Egypt had proceeded as far as Mount Horeb or Sinai, the place where Moses had been commanded to go to Pharoah and demand the freedom of his nation, they pitched their tents, and here God entered into a solemn covenant with his people. The account of this interesting event is thus given by M. Gleig: "On a certain day, the Israelites, who had been forewarned of what was to happen, beheld the mountain enveloped in clouds of smoke, from which vivid flashes of lightning from time to time burst forth, Q. Is God to be compared with any other being? In what is he infinite? Is there any other infinite being? What do you understand by the term infinite? What by the term finite? Why has God a right to govern the moral universe? Where do we find the account of the delivery of the ten commandments, or moral law? With the history of what nation is this circumstance more particularly connected? THE GOLDEN CALF. 53 whilst awful thunderings shook the rocks to their foundations, and filled the hearts of all who heard them with dismay. In the midst of this tumult, the whole congregation was removed to a certain line, drawn regularly round the base of the hill, where men, women, and children prostrated themselves upon the earth, in fearful expectation of what was to follow. In a few moments a trumpet began to sound, increasing in its blasts till it rang throughout the desert; the thunders grew more and more terrible, till suddenly all was hushed, and the voice of God was heard, clear and distinct, issuing from the midst of the smoke." "It delivered audibly those ten commandments, which may be said to comprise a summary of the Jewish moral code; as they undeniably embrace the substance of all that natural religion teaches of man's duty towards his maker and his neighbour." But although the Israelites were for a time sensibly impressed with the awful solemnity of this scene, the impression soon wore away, and the outbreakings of a rebellious spirit, so often visible since their departure from Egypt, were again displayed. Alarmed at the protracted absence of Moses, who had gone into the mountain, to receive a fuller revelation of the will of Jehovah, in regard to his covenant people, they desired Aaron to make them a golden calf, and when he at length yielded to their request, they fell down before this senseless idol, and thus became guilty of the violation of the first commandment. When Moses descended from the mountain and entered the camp, he was so incensed at what he saw and heard, that in the excitement of the moment he threw the tables of stone, (on which were written the ten commandments,) upon the ground, and broke them in pieces. |