DISCOURSE XVI.
The true Knowledge of God internal and practical.
Job, Chap. xlii. Ver. 5, 6.
"I have heard of thee by the Hearing of the Ear; but now hath mine Eye seen thee: therefore I abhor myself, and repent in Dust and Ashes."
We can scarcely open any part of the Scriptures, but we meet with the following great and leading truths of Religion: viz. that the Love of God is universal; that his "Grace, which bringeth Salvation, hath appeared unto all men;" that he hath given a "manifestation of his Spirit to every man, to profit withal;" that "GOD so loved the world, that he hath given his Only-Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting Life:" that he is "the True Light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world;" that God "wills not the death of a sinner, but rather that he would be converted and live;" that his call has been, and now is to "every man," every where, "to repent;" and that every man may partake of this Universal Love, may be saved by this "Grace which hath appeared," may profit by the manifestation which God hath given him.
To these great and leading truths we are continually called and exhorted to attend; and that there is a possibility of attending and yielding to them, is implied in the very nature and spirit of the declarations themselves. For, certainly, all is in vain—the call to all in vain, the appearance of Grace to all in vain, the gift and manifestation of the Spirit to every one in vain, and the shining of the Light in vain, if fallen man is not put into a capacity of obeying it, and walking therein.
"Man's destruction is of himself"—If his distempered nature is not healed, if his soul continues unredeemed, it is not because there is no "Balm in Gilead;" it is not because "the arm of the Lord is shortened, that it cannot save," or the fountain of Love so exhausted, that its streams have ceased to flow—but because men will not avail themselves of the healing Balm; because they refuse to be gathered by that compassionate Arm, that is continually stretched forth to save; because they will not open their souls to receive the Waters of Life. Their eyes are so blinded by the false glare of earthly beauty, that they cannot see the surpassing excellency of the Divine Glory—their ears are so deaf, that they have no delight in hearing or obeying the Divine Voice—they are content to walk on in the broad way, and suffer the enemy of their souls to take them captive at his pleasure. Thus entered sin at the beginning—thus it continueth, increaseth, and prevaileth.
No man, in his present deplorable state, can open that eye which was blinded by sin; nor unstop that ear which was sealed by his apostasy from his Maker; nor save or deliver himself from the bondage of corruption. Herein, therefore, is the Universal Love of God made manifest, that "he hath laid help upon one that is Mighty, who is able to save to the uttermost those that come to him;" that he hath appointed and prepared a "Seed that can bruise the serpent's head;" that he hath caused his Light to shine in the Hearts of all men; and hath called all men every where to repent—Now if man still continues to shut his eyes, and harden his heart, and refuse to be reconciled, "his destruction is of himself, and God will be just when he judgeth."
But here the grand question may be asked—How doth God manifest himself to his creatures? There is no Revelation in these days—no spiritual visions now.—no such Sight of God, as Abraham, Moses, the Prophets, and the Primitive Christians were favoured with—God forbid!—for surely where there is no vision, no sight or sense of heavenly things, there is the Lost State indeed!—where there is no Revelation, there can be no True Knowledge of God-for what saith the Scripture—"None knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him?"
Ever since the vail was spread over the human heart, there never was any other way in any age, nor can there be in this age, of coming to the true Knowledge of God, but by Revelation; that is, by taking off the vail, and removing the covering that hides the Face of God from man.—Men "have sought out many inventions," and devised many ways and means of coming to the knowledge of the Deity; moral and even mathematical demonstrations of his existence, have been attempted; but all in vain. As such inventions and devices have increased, sorrow and perplexity have increased also: and even if they have succeeded so far, as to satisfy the natural understanding, what is it, at best, but a kind of historical knowledge, a strong conceit or imagination of something concerning God, without any thing like a sensibility of his Presence, or an intuitive self-evident conviction of his nature and attributes?—Far different this from the knowledge which Job experienced, and which every real Christian may express in his language: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now hath mine eye seen thee: therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."