August 31

He that cometh unto God must believe that he is. - Hebrews 11:6.

IT is very desirable and absolutely necessary to be fully and correctly informed concerning God. Our consolation and our duty equally require that we should know who and what he is, what his connection with us, and what are his purposes towards us; for our apprehensions of God are in the quality of first principles; and if the first principles be erroneous, all the consequences deducible from them will partake of the error.

The standard of all perfection must be his nature; the rule of all worship and obedience must be his will; the source of all happiness must be his favour and friendship. But where is this all-important knowledge to be obtained? Pythagoras was a heathen philosopher; he believed in the transmigration of souls; he possessed great talents and learning and reputation; and it is reported of him that when he was asked, “What is God?” he required two days to consider it; at the expiration of which he required four days; at the expiration of which he required eight days; and so continued to enlarge the period of reflection; and at length confessed that the more he considered, the more he was at a loss to determine.

We take up the same question this morning; but we are going to address it, not to a heathen philosopher, but to a fisherman of Galilee, John-“What is God?” “God is love.” But here another question immediately arises: “How came this fisherman of Galilee to be possessed of this knowledge, and to be prepared to answer this question so satisfactorily and so readily?” “Because he was a partaker of revealed religion, was one of those to whom were committed the oracles of God; one of those who knew the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make us wise unto salvation.” “For the world by wisdom knew not God.” Men soon learned indeed to construct ships, build houses, and to handle the harp and the organ, long before the Flood; and ages afterwards we find Assyria, Greece, and Rome successively improving upon each other; in the arts and sciences they excelled. And if we would see a fine piece of statuary now, we must fetch it from the ruins of past ages.

But as to the knowledge the heathens had of the things of God, we have not only the testimony of the Apostle, but we have their own history and writings to convince us that “professing themselves to be wise they became fools,” they were “vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” And there is not a peasant in this country who possesses the Bible, however unlearned he may be, but knows more of God and of his gracious purposes towards mankind than all the sages of antiquity. Yes-

“’Tis God’s own sovereign power and love

That crowns the gospel with success,

And makes the babes in knowledge learn

The heights, and breadths, and lengths of grace.

“But all this glory lies concealed

From men of prudence and of might,

The prince of darkness blinds their eyes

And their own pride resists the light.”