SERMON LXXI. THE COMPASSION AND BENEFICENCE OF THE DEITY. [Preached before the Society for the Benefit of the Sons of the Clergy of the Established Church of Scotland, 20th May, 1796.] Leave thy fatherless children; I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.-JEREMIAH, xlix. 11. NO subject is more open to general observation, or more confirmed by manifold experience, than the goodness of God. The contemplation of the universe, in which we dwell, presents it perpetually to our view. Amidst the vast extent of creation, we discover no instance of mere pomp or useless grandeur but behold every thing contributing to the general good, and rendered subservient to the welfare of the rational or sensible world. In the administration of Providence, the same principle of beneficence is conspicuous. The seasons are made regularly to return, and the earth to flourish; supply is bountifully provided for the wants of all creatures; and numberless comforts are prepared to sweeten human life. Most justly is he who hath established, and who upholds, this admirable order of things, to be esteemed the Father of mercies; and, accordingly, in this view, he is often celebrated in Scripture. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. His tender mercies are over all his works. His mercy is great unto the heavens, and it endureth for ever. It appears worthy of particular observation that there is one light, in which more frequently than in any other, the goodness of God is presented to us in the Sacred Writings, namely, the light of compassion to the distresses of mankind. Most of the situations are mentioned in which men are considered as most forlorn; and in some passages of Scripture, God is represented as interesting himself, in a peculiar manner, for those who are in such situations. Particular emphasis is always laid upon this circumstance, in the general views which are given of his goodness. He is the Hearer of prayer, unto whom all flesh shall come. But he is described as listening with particular attention to the cry of the poor; and regarding the prayer of the destitute; He will prepare their heart, and cause his ear to hear. All creatures are the objects of his providential care. But the widow and the fatherless, the bowed down and the broken in heart, are particularly attended to, and commiserated by him. The Lord executeth judgment for the oppressed; the Lord preserveth the stranger; he loseth the prisoner, and giveth food to the hungry. He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor hides he his face from them; but hears when they cry unto him. In short, when we are deprived of all human consolation and aid, the Almighty is represented as then most accessible to our prayers, and most disposed to help and relieve us. The words which I have chosen for the text afford a very amiable view of that compassion which scripture so often ascribes to the Supreme Being. The context in which they stand contains much dark and mysterious prophecy relating to nations in the neighbourhood of Judea, but leads to no particular illus tration of the text. The words of it, taken by themselves, are plainly to be understood as spoken by God to an aged parent, who, in the view of approaching dissolution, is anxious about the future condition of his family in the world; and they present a most affecting display of God's compassionate regard to the children of those who have been his faithful servants on earth.— Leave thy fatherless children; I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me. -It will be worthy of our attention at present, to enquire into the reasons why the Almighty is pleased to represent himself so often to us under this view; not only as the just and good Ruler of the universe, which is the first and leading idea we naturally form of him, but as the Patron and Friend of the distressed part of Mankind. It will be found that there are two very important purposes which such discoveries of the Divine nature serve. First, they furnish particular ground for trusting in God, amidst all the vieissitudes of human life; and next, they exhibit the pattern of that disposition, which we ought, in our measure, humbly to follow and imitate. I. THE discoveries of Divine compassion were purposely intended to furnish to us particular ground for trust in God, amidst all the vicissitudes of human life. Man, during his abode on earth, is exposed to various distresses. Even in his most flourishing state, his condition is extremely precarious. Pros • Ps. cii. 17.; x. 17.; Iviii. 5.; lxix. 33.; cxlvi. 7.,; xxii. 24. ; &c. &c. perous as he may at one time seem to be, he cannot tell how soon, by some unforeseen vicissitude, he may be humbled to the dust, and still less can he tell what may in future befal his children, to whose fortunes he often looks with anxious solicitude. In the moments when his mind is oppressed, either by the immediate feelings of sorrows, or by the dread of impending evils, it is natural for him to fly to that Supreme Being under whose direction all human events are placed, and earnestly to implore protection from him. But though he hold the belief that justice and goodness are ever to be found at the throne of the Almighty, yet, even there, particular discouragements meet him. For that Supreme Being to whom he looks up, is a great and awful Being. His nature is, to us, unknown. He dwells in the secret place of Eternity; and is surrounded with clouds and darkness. We hear his tremendous voice in the thunder; and in every commotion of the elements we behold the irresistible hand of his power. A nature so infinitely superior to our own, cannot be looked up to without some measure of dismay. It is overwhelming to the timid apprehensions of the distressed. It is contemplated with that awful and mysterious reverence which overpowers confidence and trust. It is for this reason that, in condescension to human weakness, God has been pleased so often to represent himself as actuated by a principle of compassion and pity. This gives a shade and softening to the awful greatness of the Divinity. It brings down his goodness to the level of our conception, and fits it to be the object of our trust. Compassion is a principle which we all feel and know. We know that it is the strongest of all benevolent instincts in our nature, and that it tends directly to interest us in behalf of those who need our aid. We are taught to believe that a similar attribute belongs to the Divine nature; in order that, from that species of goodness which we are best acquainted with, and which we can most rely upon, we may be trained both to love our Almighty Benefactor, and as long as we are in the practice of our duty, to trust to his protection, amidst every distress. When we hear such a voice of tenderness, as that which my text utters, proceeding from the Almighty, our hearts are comforted. Distrust and dismay are removed. We are no longer oppressed by his greatness. We can draw near to him as to a Father in Heaven, before whom we can, with humble confidence, pour out our sorrows; and can trust that, though all our earthly friends should neglect us, our prayers will attract his compassionate regard. Compassion to the unfortunate, as it is exerted among men, is indeed accompanied with certain disturbed and painful feelings. arising from sympathy with those whom we pity. But every such feeling we must remove from our thoughts, when we ascribe an affection of this nature to the Deity. It is true, that, in Scripture language, the Divine compassion is sometimes figured by strong allusions to the relenting struggles and passionate meltings of the human heart. But we easily perceive that such representations are to be understood with the allowances which figurative language requires. All that is amiable in compassion, belongs to God; but all that is imperfect in it must be left to man. In the Supreme Being, there can be no perturbation or uneasiness; no contrast of feelings, nor fluctuation of purpose. His compassion imports a kind regard to the circumstances of the unhappy. But still it is such a regard as suits the perfection of the great Governor of the universe, whose benignity, undisturbed by any violent emotion, ever maintains the same tranquil tenour, like the unruffled and uninterrupted serenity of the highest heavens. It is important to observe, that this pity and compassion of our heavenly Father, extends itself to our moral and spiritual concerns, in like manner as to our natural and external distresses. In that great dispensation of the redemption of the world. by his Son Jesus Christ, he is always represented in Scripture as moved by pity for our fallen and wretched estate. The same principle which leads him to regard with compassion the widow and the fatherless, led him to look down with compassion on an helpless and forlorn race, degraded from their original honour. From infinite mercy he sent his Son to seek and to save that which was lost. According to the prophetical language of the Old Testament, He looked upon us; and his time was a time of love. He saw that there was no man; He beheld that there was no intercessor, and his own arm brought Salvation. He laid his help on one who was mighty to save. He saw us in our blood, and said, Live.*Agreeable to this spirit of compassion, displayed in our redemption, is the whole dispensation of Divine grace towards man in his present state of infirmity. It speaks continually the doctrine of consolation and merciful aid; grace to be sufficient for us, and strength to be made perfect in our weakness. As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him: for he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.t I cannot conclude this head without observing how much it adds to the value of the Christian religion, that it hath discovered the Deity to us in a light so amiable. When the nations of the earth worshipped a God unknown, or one whom they arrayed in nothing but vengeful thunders, the true God hath come forth from behind the cloud, and made himself known to us; known not only as a just and good Ruler, but as a compassion† 2 Cor. xii. 9. Psal. ciii. 13. * Ezek. xvi. 8. Isaiah, lix. 16. ate Father, in whom, amidst all their distresses, the virtuous may trust and hope. I now proceed to observe, II. THAT such discoveries of the Divine nature were designed not only to administer encouragement and consolation, but also to exhibit the pattern of that disposition which we are bound, in our measure, to imitate and follow. To this purpose tend the repeated exhortations of Scripture, to be followers of God, as dear children; to be merciful, as our Father in heaven is merciful. That hardness of heart which renders men insensible to the distresses of their brethren, that insolence of prosperity which inspires them with contempt of those who are fallen below them, are always represented in Scripture as dispositions most opposite to the nature of God, and most hateful in his sight. In order to make this appear in the strongest light, he hath turned his goodness chiefly into the channel of compassionate regard to those whom the selfish and the proud despise. He hath avowedly taken up their cause, that he might state himself as an antagonist to such as would bear them down; that he might confound and put to the blush that arrogance of men which makes them slight any of their own brethren. For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord, to set them in safety from him that puffeth at them.* Lord, says the Psalmist, thou hast heard the desire of the humble; thou wilt arise to judge the fatherless, and the oppressed, that the man of earth may oppress no more.t Consider, I beseech you, whether any virtue can admit of any higher recommendation than its being that disposition under the character of which the Almighty chooses to be peculiarly known to us: How can we claim any relation to the Father of mercies, or how look up to him for compassion and grace, if we show no bowels of mercy, gentleness, and kindness, to one another?The whole plan, indeed, on which he hath formed human nature, and 'all the circumstances in which he hath placed us on earth, are plainly contrived to excite affections of benevolence, and to enforce works of mercy. Not only hath he planted compassion in the human breast, as one of the strongest instincts there, but he hath so connected us in society, as necessarily to require that our benevolent instincts should be brought into exercise. For it is apparent that no man, in any rank of life, even the highest, is sufficient for his own well-being. He can neither supply his own wants, nor provide for his own comforts, without the cooperation of others. The dependence here is mutual between the high and the low, the rich and the poor. Each in one way or other, calls on each for aid. All are so linked together, as VOL. II. • Psal. xii, 5. Psal. x 17, 18. 32 |