LECTURE V.

MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS BELIEF,

OR THE INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN GOSPEL FAITH AND A SUPREME LOVE OF WORLDLY HONOR.

"HOW CAN YE BELIEVE, WHICH RECEIVE HONOR ONE OF ANOTHER, AND SEEK NOT THE HONOR THAT COMETH FROM GOD ONLY." John v. 44.

Introduction.--Our Savior in the text does not absolve men from responsibility for their belief, but maintains the incompatibility between gospel faith and a supreme love of worldly honor.-A class of unbelievers who have a speculative but not a cordial faith in the gospel--their professions-practical appeal to them.-Another class who, professing neither a speculative nor a cordial faith in the gospel, do not wish the Bible to be true--their grand objection-their cordial hatred to the humbling doctrines and self-denying precepts of the Bible-a depraved heart, a perverted will, enslaves their understanding. The writings of the public champions of infidelity, Rousseau, Hume, Voltaire.-The necessity of a divine revelation.-A third class of skeptics, who profess that they would gladly believe in Christianity, if they could only be convinced of its truth.-Nature of the evidence-summary of the argument for the divine origin of Christianity.--The objections of these skeptics, not so much against the evidences of Christianity, as against Christianity itself. Their responsibility for their faith-their hostility to the gospel.-Much in the Bible contrary to their views of God.-The cross of Christ the glory of the Christian.--Deceitfulness of the human heart. Conclusion.

It is a very common delusion among men, that they are not responsible for their faith. They allege, that their belief is not subject to their control, and on the ground of their inability to believe, excuse themselves from a compliance with the demands of the gospel. Our Savior who though pure and sinless himself, was perfectly acquainted

with every form of self-deception, struck at the root of this error in the passage before us. He does not say, that men have no power to believe, but maintains the incompatibility between gospel faith and a supreme love of worldly honor. In other words, he teaches this important truth, that men cannot exercise a genuine evangelical faith, unless they renounce their idolatrous attachment to the world. "How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?"

There is one class of unbelievers who have a speculative, but not a cordial faith in the gospel. They assent with the understanding, but do not believe with the heart. They admit the truth of the gospel, just as they would the truth of any historical statement, respecting Buonaparte or Julius Cæsar. But at the same time, they have no influential belief in the divine testimony respecting Jesus Christ. They believe, that there was such a person as Christ, just as they believe that there was such a person as Cæsar, but they put no faith in Christ-they have no reliance on his promises-no submission to his government-no obedience to his will—no relish for his atonement-no reception of him in their hearts, as a complete, all-sufficient, and divine Redeemer.-Such, I fear, is the situation of a large part of the present congregation.—My dear friends we say to you, in the language of him who spake as never man spake, "How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only ?" The faith which the gospel requires, is a cordial submission to the righteousness of Christ. It is utterly incompatible with a supreme love of the world. Why then cherish this idolatrous attachment, which separates you from your God and Savior? Consider, I beseech you, are you acting the part of true wisdom? Are you really seeking the noblest honor and the highest happiness! You profess to believe, that your

stay here is but short, and that hereafter you enter upon a scene of never ending existence. Why then do you act, as if there were no hereafter? You profess to believe, that at God's right hand, there are pleasures which never fade. Why then do you pursue with such eagerness, the vain phantoms of time and sense? You profess to believe, that in the treasury of heaven, there is imperishable wealth. Why then is your heart supremely fixed on earthly riches? You profess to believe, that in the kingdom of Messiah, there are honors brilliant as the stars, and lasting as the throne of God. Why then do you waste your noblest efforts for the breath of human fame?—You profess to believe, that God is the greatest and the best being in the universe, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Why then, do you prefer the favor of men to the approbation of Jehovah? You profess to believe, that there is a heaven of eternal happiness, for the righteous-a hell of eternal torment for the wicked-a judgment to come, where you must answer for all the deeds done in the body for all the privileges you have enjoyed, and all the warnings you have received. Why then do you act, as if these solemn realities were a fable?-You profess to believe, that even in the trials and perplexities of this short life, the religion of Jesus Christ is alone adequate to furnish consolation and relief. Why then do you refuse this religion a place in your hearts ?—I ask again, is this the part of true wisdom?—I am compelled, my hearers, under the sacred responsibilities of my office-charged to declare the truth before the Most High God, without fear and without favor-I am compelled to pronounce it, the most astonishing infatuation and folly.-And in the name of my Master, I call upon you to renounce your idolatrous attachment to the world, for how can you exercise the faith of the gospel-how can you submit your hearts to Christ-how can you feel a supreme love to God, while

the world is enthroned on the altar of your affections, while you are the slaves of those passions, which are your "tyrants here," and which will be your " tormentors hereafter."

There is another class of unbelievers, who, possessing neither a speculative nor a cordial faith in the gospel, do not wish the Bible to be true. The grand objection, which in reality influences their minds, is the fact that Christianity inculcates holiness of heart. The insurmountable difficulty in the way of their belief, is an irreligious life. They cordially hate the humbling doctrines and self-denying precepts of the Bible, and therefore although compelled to admit, that the external evidence in support of Christianity is unusually strong, they make up their minds to reject it. Accustomed to follow with little or no restraint the bent of their depraved inclinations, they are unwilling to submit to the requirements of the gospel. They seem to imagine, that this glorious gospel is unfriendly to human happiness, or at least at variance with their peculiar interests. Hence they do not even wish to prove the Bible true. I am aware that there are some skeptics, who profess that they would gladly believe in Christianity, if they could only be convinced of its truth. But those to whom I now refer, do not even wish to prove the Bible true.-I should rather say they wish to prove it false. Hence they either do not examine the evidence at all, or else they refuse to weigh it with candor and impartiality. What proof can be more conclusive, that a depraved heart, a perverse will,-has governed and enslaved their understanding? How is it in their temporal affairs? If there be a prospect of gain, even though attended with some possible risk, how eagerly do they embark in the enterprise !-How small the evidence on which they act!-Do you tell me, that spiritual and eternal things are more important, than temporal and world

ly? I grant it. But here, that is by a cordial acceptance of Christianity, there is in reality everything to gain, and nothing to lose. Overwhelming indeed is the evidence, but even if that evidence were slight, it ought to stimulate to action. If Christianity should be false, will any man be in a worse condition, for having believed it ?—But oh, if it be true, what is the condition of those who reject it? "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John iii, 36.)

I turn to the writings of the public champions of infidelity, and I ask for no better proof than those writings, that the difficulty in the way of their belief, is not the want of light, not the want of evidence, but the blinding influence of prejudice and passion. I have said, that the grand difficulty was, an unholy life.-No wonder, that a man like Rousseau, whose private life was notorious for profligacy and falsehood, could not, or at least would not believe the gospel. And yet what is the confession of this miserable skeptic. You have all read, or at least heard of his famous parallel between Socrates and Jesus Christ, in which he eulogizes the gospel, and declares, that the marks of its truth "are so striking and inimitable, that the inventor would be a more astonishing character than the hero.”*

Such is the admission of Rousseau. And yet this is the man who said, I cannot believe the gospel. Was it from the want of evidence? Turn to other passages of his writings. If the philosophers," says he, "were in a eondition to discover truth, who amongst them would take any interest in it?-Each one knows well, that his system is not better founded than the others, but he maintains it, because it is his own. There is not one amongst them,

* See Horne's Introduction, vol. I, pp. 421, 422, ed. Philadelphia, 1831.