But my design is to engage your thoughts on a different argument, to which the letter of the text more directly leads us. For light, in all languages, is the emblem of knowledge; which is to the mind, what that is to the eye: And, the speaker in the text being God himself, we are naturally led to interpret that light, of religious knowledge; that genial fire, which, more than the Sun itself, is necessary to warm our spirits, and guide our steps through the cold and dark passage of this life.
The question is, Whether we are to kindle this fire, for ourselves; or, whether we should not derive it, if we have it in our power so to do, immediately from heaven: Whether we shall do best to walk in the light of those few sparks, which our Reason is able to strike out for us, on the subject of religion; or, whether it will not be our interest, and should not be our choice, to take the benefit of that pure and steady flame, which Revelation holds out to us.
The text, in a severe, indignant irony, refers us to the former of these expedients, the better to excite our attention to the latter. Walk, says the Almighty, addressing himself to the idolaters of human reason, Walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks which ye have kindled. But to what end is this advice given? To one, they little dreamt of, and would surely avoid—This ye shall have of my hand, in recompense of all your speculations, Ye shall lie down in sorrow.
It seems, then, to be the purpose of the text, to inculcate this great truth, That Revelation is the only sure and comfortable guide in matters of religion. And, to second this purpose, so energetically expressed by the prophet, I would now shew you, that all the sparks of human knowledge, on this important subject, are but smoke; and all the fire, which human genius or industry can kindle at the altar of human reason, ice itself; when compared with the light and heat of divine Revelation.
I SUPPOSE, that we are all convinced of what the voice of nature so loudly proclaims, that there is a God, a moral governor of the world; and that we are intimately related to him, and dependant upon him. The sum of our religious inquiries will then be
I. What we are to do, in order to obtain the favour of that God: And
II. What that favour is, which, when we have done our best, we have reason to expect from him.
Now, it will be easy to shew, that the issue of our best reason, in the former of these enquiries, is suspense and doubt; and despair, or disappointment, in the latter. It will appear, that we cannot assure ourselves of the means, by which the favour of Heaven is to be obtained; and that the highest degree of favour, we have a right to claim, is not that to which we aspire. So fated are we, when trusting to the faint, delusive light of our own minds, on this great, this only important subject, to lie down in sorrow.
I. To begin with the consideration of what we are to do, in order to obtain the favour of God.
That we are to worship God, will be allowed by all reasonable theists.