LECTURE VII.

THE RECTITUDE, PURITY, INTEGRITY, AND TRUTH OF REVEALED RELIGION.

Psalm XIX. 8—9.

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever. The judgments of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.

Having lately dwelt upon the perfection of revealed religion, and upon its power of converting the heart; upon the certainty of its testimony, and upon its capability of giving wisdom to the simple; we may now consider some of the other perfections, which David ascribes to our faith as delivered in the Holy Scriptures.

I. 1. The first assertion is, that the rule of life laid down in the Scriptures is plain, rational, and consistent, "The statutes of the Lord are right."

Whoever has examined the reasonings of the heathen philosophers respecting the most

important points of morality and religion, must have noticed, not only how imperfect, but also how uncertain and contradictory their opinions were. It was the constant complaint of the wisest and the best, that the investigation of truth was intricate, and that all the conclusions, which they could draw, were unsatisfactory. They arrived perhaps at a general result; but failed in applying it to particular instances. Thus, that God should be worshipped, was a truth soon deduced from the fact of his existence, and the relation which his creatures bear to their Creator. But to determine the mode of worship, which would be most pleasing to God, involved principles which surpassed the powers of unassisted reason. Upon this important practical question, therefore, no satisfactory decision was ever obtained. In their enquiries respecting it, the sublimest truth was frequently mingled with absurd superstition. Not only did different philosophers vary from one another, but many were inconsistent with themselves. In some of their writings they approved the worship of various fictitious deities, while in others they rejected such service as a derogatory and foolish superstition.a

a See Dr. S. Clarke, Evidence of Natural and Revealed Religion, ch. vi. 3.

Nearly allied to this subject were their questions respecting the pardon of sin. By what means the sinner might be restored to the favour of God; whether the tears of the sincerest repentance could ever wash away the stain of guilt; whether all the sacrifices which they offered had any, and what influence in propitiating the Deity, or whether a still further satisfaction were requisite Questions such as these continually presented themselves to an enquiring mind: and the absolute impossibility of determining them threw a shade of doubt even upon those points, which had been more clearly traced out.

The very foundation of all questions of natural religion, the immortality of the soul, instead of being laid deep and sure, was very insecurely fixed. Not to speak of those, who from the affectation of singularity, or the deceitful influence of a vicious life upon the judgment, professed to deny all hope of a future existence; even those men of great wisdom and sagacity, who sometimes appeared to be convinced that the soul was indeed immortal, possessed not that firm conviction which alone can influence the conduct; and sometimes suffered the truth to escape altogether from their minds. The open denial of a future state, on occasions of the must public nature,

b

by those of the highest character and attainments, forms an extraordinary contrast to the strength of argument, with which, at other times, they advocated a advocated a contrary opinion. The feelings of doubt, which Cicero so eloquently expresses, in the person of another, seem practically to have influenced himself: "I know not how it is, as long as I am reading, I give my full assent: but when I have laid aside the book, and begin to reflect within myself on the immortality of the soul, that whole conviction vanishes."

It is notorious what perplexity this diversity of opinions produced among all those, who professedly employed themselves in the search of truth. But the greatest disadvantage was undoubtedly this: that opinions so various and

"De pœna, possumus equidem dicere id, quod res habet: in luctu atque miseriis mortem ærumnarum requiem, non cruciatum esse: eam cuncta mortalium mala dissolvere: ultra neque curæ neque gaudio locum esse." Orat. Cæsar. apud Sallust. Bell. Cat. L.

"Nam nunc quidem, quid tandem illi mali mors attulit? nisi forte ineptiis, ac fabulis, ducimur, ut existimemus, illum apud inferos impiorum supplicia perferre.....quæ si falsa sunt, id quod omnes intelligunt, quid ei tandem aliud mors eripuit præter sensum doloris. Cicero, Orat. pro A. Cluentio, §. 61.

"Nescio quomodo, dum lego assentior: cùm posui librum, et mecum ipse de immortalitate animorum cœpi cogitare, assentio omnis illa elabitur." Cicero, Tusc. Quæs. I. §. 11. Dr. S. Clarke on the Evidence, ch. vi. §. 3. quotes these words as expressing the sentiments of Cicero himself.

contradictory never could form a consistent rule of life; nor could maxims, depending solely upon the mutable authority of their proposer, possess sufficient influence to counteract the evil passions and habits of mankind. A rule of life, in order to be effective, must be so plain as to be easily understood, so consistent with itself as not to be mistaken: and must be established upon authority, which can neither be denied nor resisted. Such a rule, which the wisest of unassisted men ineffectually laboured to propose, has been given to us in the written word of God. One strict unyielding law is laid down for all mankind. The narrow path of duty is accurately defined, in which all are commanded to tread. In our ears is heard a voice behind us; saying, this is the way, walk ye in it, when we turn to the right hand, and when we turn to the left.d

Thus, "the statutes of the Lord are right." They are agreeable to the precepts of human reason, but established by far superior authority, and uniformly consistent, plain, and just.

2. By being thus right, they also rejoice the heart.

An unerring standard of faith and practice is precisely that kind of assistance, which every

d Isaiah xxx. 21.