"Look unto the heavens and tures say, see, and behold the clouds which are higher than thou. If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him, or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what dost thou unto him? If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thy hand? Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteousness may profit the son of man." Here we perceive, that our sins cannot in the least injure our Creator, nor disgrace him, nor sully his perfections, nor in any sense diminish his happiness. Sin can only injure ourselves, and our fellow-men, by destroying our own internal peace, and their external comfort. Nor, on the other hand, can our righteousness add to his divine glory, or in the least augment the infinite happiness of the Supreme Being. It can only be profitable to men by increasing and extending their happiness, peace, and joy, and thus lighting up the smile of friendship and contentment in the abodes of men. This is worshipping God, this is reverencing his name, this is serving the Lord, this is praying without ceasing in the desires of our hearts for the advancement of human happiness, and the glory of the Lord among men. This is all the worship God requires of us. Christ was predicting his coming at the destruction of Jerusalem, he did not say he would in When quire how much they had served God by praying and exhorting in public, and constantly attending meetings by night and by day, even to the neglect of the duties of life, but this he declared should be the test by which the true worshipper should be known,-"I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me." And on inquiring when they had ever done all these things to him? he replies, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Here the Saviour teaches us, that to discharge all the duties of benevolence, love, and humanity which we owe to mankind, is in reality worshipping God. It is doing it to the Lord, and I do say, that there is no other worship that can be rendered to God. Of himself he needs nothing at our hand; for man cannot be profitable unto God, neither does his goodness extend to the Lord. Even if we pray, it is not to change the Almighty, but to improve our own hearts and the hearts of others, so that they may be softened towards one another, reconciled and elevated to God, and thus more and more prepared to be useful and happy in the world. If we are sincere, we shall have our petitions. If a man sincerely pray, that he may lead a quiet and peaceable life, it will be his desire to do it, otherwise he is a hypocrite. If he pray, that the wants of the poor may be supplied, he will do his duty towards accomplishing it. If he pray that discord, slander, and envy may cease, then he will injure no one by such vices. If he do, his prayer is a mockery to God. If he pray for his own growth in knowledge and virtue, he will strive to promote it. If he pray for all these blessings before a congregation, he desires through this medium to soften their hearts before God, and thus influence them to discharge the Christian duties of life with cheerfulness. This is genuine religion. This is serving God. But all worship, which is intended to make God merciful to his creatures, and save them from his own vengeance, is spurious and vain. It is such as heathens offer to propitiate their gods. SERMON XXX. DEDICATION AT AMSTERDAM, N. Y. [Concluded.] FROM what has been argued, we perceive, that there is but little of true religion in the world. A mysterious change from nature to grace has, therefore, no foundation in the teachings of Christ. It is an invention of man, which has been handed down in the religious creeds from father to son, ever since the days of Calvin, the thundering reformer of Geneva, so that the impression has become general that this is, indeed, the religion of the Bible. Those who honestly believe in experiencing this change before they can be Christians, cry down morality as good for nothing at all to sustain them at the bar of God, while this mysterious change, this frame of mind is all sufficient in life, in death, in eternity. Now, my friends, it is exactly the reverse of this. A belief in God, and in the divine mission of his Son, and a conscientious discharge of the duties of life, -in one word, a sound morality, is all, and a mysterious change is nothing, having not the slightest foundation in reason or revelation. To love our fellow-creatures as our text teaches, and to do them good, is all that God requires of us. - "For what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God?" This is not only the whole of his requirement, but it is vital religion. "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the widow and the fatherless in their affliction, and keep himself unspotted from the world." This is not only the whole requirement of God and pure religion, but it is the whole duty of man. The Scriptures say, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." Now it is certain, that all these things are done by thousands, who have never met with a mysterious change, who never made a profession of religion, and never thought they were religious, because the church did not consider them so. Too many of those, who doat so much upon this mysterious change, and upon what they profess to have experienced, think they may hate and slander their fellow-creatures, feel uncharitable towards other denominations, and be what we should call immoral, still, it is no harm in them because they have experienced religion! But this is a most unhappy delusion. Less than three hundred years ago, this very class of Christians sincerely believed, that it was doing God service |