SERMON XXXVII. THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOD. WHо is blessed for ever. - ROMANS, i. 25. As Paul was the great apostle of the Gentiles, so he was better qualified than any other of the apostles, to instruct the Gentiles in the great and essential doctrines of the gospel. And as he had not had an opportunity of preaching to the church at Rome, which was principally composed of those who were converted from heathenism to Christianity, he wrote this epistle to them, in order to give them a more clear, extensive and systematic knowledge of the fundamental doctrines of the gospel, which they had professed to embrace. This is the apology he makes for writing to them. "Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, but was let hitherto, that I might have some fruit among you also even as among other Gentiles. I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also." But, as he did not know that he ever should be permitted to go to Rome, he determined to write this letter to the christians there for their spiritual instruction and edification. Accordingly, he first teaches them the knowledge of the only living and true God, in contrast with the gross ignorance and idolatry of the heathen world, who were inexcusable for not acknowledging and glorifying their great Creator. "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. Because that when 61 VOL. VI. they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." He goes on to describe the corruption and idolatry of these heathens, until he says, "They changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." Though the phrase, blessed God, be very commonly used, yet it seems to be very rarely understood. It is proposed, therefore, in this discourse, I. To describe the blessedness of God; and, I. I am to describe the blessedness of God. To bless is to make happy, and to be blessed is to be happy. But though it be easy to define the term blessed, when applied to the Deity, yet it is not so easy to form clear and just conceptions of the blessedness or happiness of a being, who is all mind, or a pure, immaterial spirit. "God is a Spirit," who is neither material, nor connected with any thing material, as our spirits are. This obliges us to conceive of the divine felicity as purely intellectual. The blessedness of God wholly consists in mental views, exercises and emotions. And this leads us to inquire what those mental views, exercises and emotions are, which conspire to produce his essential blessedness. And here I would observe, 1. He is necessarily happy in his benevolent feelings. God is love. He possesses not only the natural perfections of intelligence, wisdom and power, but also the moral attribute of universal benevolence. His benevolent heart is as large as his infinite understanding, which comprehends the knowledge of himself and of all intelligent and unintelligent creatures. He has a full and adequate view of all his own great and amiable excellences and perfections, which affords him the highest self approbation. He knows the infinite worth and importance of his own infinite existence, and he exercises both benevolence and complacence towards himself, according to his supreme greatness and goodness. And he has the same constant and comprehensive view of all other beings besides himself, and he feels perfectly benevolent towards the immense number of individuals who compose the whole family of his creatures in heaven and earth, and all parts of his vast dominions. In a word, his benevolence is as extensive as the universe, and has a kindly influence over all that are capable of enjoying the least degree of happiness. Now we all know that benevolence of any kind always gives pleasure to the mind. There is a selfish benevolence, which is a happy feeling so long as it continues. There is also a pure, disinterested and universal benev olence, which yields a purer, higher, and more lasting satisfaction to the mind. And such is the benevolence of the Deity. His benevolent feelings, therefore, towards himself and all his various and numerous creatures, must be a source of pure and permanent felicity. 2. God is necessarily happy in expressing his benevolent feelings. This is something different from the simple feelings of benevolence. There are immanent emotions of benevolence, which are not productive of any external act. Good men have a thousand benevolent affections which they never did and never could express by any external actions. The benevolent feelings of the Deity which we have mentioned under the first particular, were chiefly of this kind. He is also both able and disposed to express his benevolence in acts of kindness and beneficence, according to his unlimited and unerring wisdom. He diffuses as much happiness among his creatures as his almighty power, guided by his unsearchable wisdom, can produce. He is incessantly exerting his almighty power in upholding and preserving both angels and men, and satisfying the desires of the many millions of his dependent creatures. And all these expressions of his goodness are extremely gratifying to his benevolent heart. He makes himself happy by making his creatures happy. Christ took great pleasure in going about to do good and to promote the temporal and eternal happiness of mankind. But God takes far more pleasure in the innumerable expressions of his goodness towards all creatures in heaven and earth. Do parents feel peculiar satisfaction in expressing their love to their children? So does the kind parent of the universe in expressing his goodness and grace to his rational offspring. Hence says our Saviour, "If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him." The prophet Micah represents God as delighting in the expressions of his pardoning mercy. "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of his heritage, because he delighteth in mercy." And God himself gives the same representation of the pleasure he enjoys in the expressions of his benevolence. "I am the Lord, which exercise loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." Much of God's blessedness results from the great and innumerable expressions of his goodness. All his acts are benevolent in the works of creation, providence and grace, and all conspire to make him truly blessed. Besides, 3. God is necessarily happy in beholding the effects of his benevolence. As he loves to promote the happiness of his creatures, so he loves to see the happiness which he bestows and they enjoy. As all his works flow from benevolence, and tend to diffuse happiness among intelligent and percipient beings, so all the effects of his power are no less effects of his love. Of course he enjoys real felicity in beholding all the works of his hand and effects of his goodness. Agreeably to this we are told that when he had finished the work of creation, he "saw every thing that he made, and behold it was very good." It perfectly pleased him and gratified his benevolent feelings. He continually beholds all his creatures, and all his works, and sees all the happiness which exists in the whole circle of creation. He sees all the joy and felicity which fills the minds of saints and angels in heaven, and all the happiness which is enjoyed in this lower world. As heaven and earth are full of his goodness, so they are full of objects which entirely please and gratify his benevolent heart. Thus in feeling and expressing his pure benevolence, and in contemplating the fruits and effects of it through the whole universe, God is truly blessed. The whole of his felicity results from, or consists in these benevolent views and feelings. Nor can we conceive that a pure and perfect Spirit should derive the least degree of happiness from any other source. His natural perfections, without his moral, could yield him no pleasure or satisfaction. His power, knowledge and wisdom, though infinitely great, could only enable him to do and see all things, without enjoying any thing. For the bare view of objects, without any exercises of heart, can afford neither pleasure nor pain to a percipient being. Happiness is seated in the heart, and not in any mere intellectual faculties. This is true of beings that are composed of flesh and spirit, and much more of him who is a pure, uncreated mind. If this great, original and external Spirit be truly happy, his happiness must exist in his heart. And if it exist in his heart, it must flow from his pure, benevolent feelings; for no other kind of feelings can afford real happiness to any intelligent, moral being. Were the Deity a pure Intelligence, as many heathen philosophers and Christian divines have supposed, it would be impossible, in the nature of things, that he should be truly blessed. But if he possesses true benevolence, he must enjoy self approbation, which is real happiness. I now proceed to show, II. That he is perfectly and for ever blessed. This will appear from various considerations. 1. The blessedness of the Deity is without the least alloy, or mixture. It is as pure as his perfect benevolence, from which it flows. God is love, and in him is no malevolence at all. Though the benevolence of saints in this life affords them some real happiness, yet it is mixed with many painful feelings, which arise from the mixture of their selfish with their benevolent affections. Their selfishness opposes their benevolence, and obstructs the happiness which they would otherwise enjoy. But there is no such contrariety of feelings in the divine Being. His goodness is without alloy, his love without defect, and his benevolence without malevolence. All the affections of his heart are uniform and harmonious. Though his affections are infinitely strong, yet his mind is perfectly serene. There is no perturbation in his feelings; and though they are as various as the immense variety of creatures and objects in the universe, yet, as they are all of the same benevolent nature, he never feels the least conflict or discord in his own mind. If his benevolent feelings, therefore, yield him the least degree of happiness, they must necessarily give him pure, perfect and permanent felicity. are. 2. The blessedness of the Deity must be not only unmixed, but uninterrupted. There are many things which serve to interrupt the happiness of saints here in this imperfect state, besides their discordant feelings. But there is nothing in the universe to interrupt the pure and unmixed felicity of the divine Being. He never slumbers, nor sleeps, nor falls into a state of insensibility a single moment. He is never obliged to turn his attention from one object to another, as all his intelligent creatures They cannot view two worlds, nor even two distant objects in the same world, at once. But God can behold all things done in heaven, and earth, and all parts of the universe, at one and the same time. He can feel and express his benevolence, and see all the effects of it among all his creatures, without a moment's interruption, or intermission. He never finds any difficulty or obstacle in the way of extending his benevolent regards to any of his creatures, who are always in his sight and his reach. He never sees a good to be done, which is out of his power to do. He never sees an evil to be removed from his creatures, which it is out of his power to reAnd he never meets with any resistance from any other being, which he cannot with infinite ease surmount. There is indeed nothing within himself nor without himself, which can, in a single instance, or for a single moment, interrupt the most free and perfect exercise of his benevolence. It necessarily follows that his happiness which flows from his benevolence, is constant, uninterrupted and permanent. His perfect love is a fountain from which perpetual streams of happiness must constantly flow, and fill his vast, unmeasurable mind. Any interruption in the divine blessedness would be a great imperfection move. |