ARGUMENT II.

THE LOVE OF JEHOVAH.

I.

God is love. 1 John iv. 8.

The Love of God embraces all Mankind.

I. THIS is proved by the express declarations of the Oracles of Truth.

God is love. If the greater part of the human race, (as many suppose,) are objects of divine. abhorrence, surely it would have been much more consistent for the evangelist, the beloved disciple, whose perpetual theme is the divine benevolence, to have said, God is hatred.' To those, however, who insist that God abhors the wicked, though he is love itself, and therefore a Fountain of love; we repeat a question proposed by St. James. Doth a fountain, he inquires, send forth sweet water and bitter? Can the fig-tree, my brethren, bear olive berries, either a vine figs? so can no fountain yield both salt water and fresh. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.' James iii. 10-12.

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works.' Psalm cxlv. 8. 9.

'I make peace and create evil.' Isa. xlv. 7. God is the author of evil, but not of sin. He creates partial evil, not from the love of evil, but from the love of universal good. Man creates

evil from the love of evil: this constitutes sin.

Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore, turn and live. Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way's and live : turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?' Ezek. viii. 23. 32. xxx. 11. The God of truth, certainly here affirms, in the most solemn, repeated, absolute manner, that he has no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked: and therefore he entreats them, in the most compassionate language, to turn from their ways and live. The only possible evasion is this: that God, though he denies it, has a real pleasure in the death of the wicked, and secretly wills their eternal destruction; and that, by these declarations, and this oath of the Most High, to the contrary, we are informed, simply, that he has no pleasure in withholding from the wicked, the outward, nominal, though ineffectual means of salvation. But what individual of the house of Israel, was so grossly ignorant, as not to know, that God had not withheld from him such means of salvation? Could it be necessary, to confirm such tidings, so repeated, and by the oath of the Most High God? Had not the Jews been repeatedly assured, by, Moses, and by the prophets, that God had set before them good and evil, life and death? Be

sides-let man beware of charging his Maker with falsehood. God is not a man, that he should lie'. • Wo unto him that contendeth with his maker.' We have known, and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love.' • He that believeth not God, has made him a liar.'

• For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestations of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.' Rom.viii1.9-21. By the creature must here be intended,at least a part of the human race; if not, the brute or inanimate creation will be delivered into the glorious liberty of the children of God-which is too absurd to merit confutation. The text evidently assigns the creature's involuntary subjection to vanity, or to guilt and misery, as a sufficient reason for its having the earnest expectation. Since, therefore, this involuntary subjection, is a sufficient reason for the earnest expectation of the manifestation of the sons of God; it follows, that this expectation includes another expectation, of deliverance from that vanity. And since the apostle, consequently, in fact, represents the creature's involuntary subjection to guilt and misery, as an adequate reason for its expectation of deliverance; this involuntary subjection must be a sufficient reason for the creature's emancipation. But this argument applies equally to all mankind. All, therefore, will be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

• For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit would fail before me, and the souls which I have made.' Isa. lvii. 16. Till it can be proved, that there are souls which God did not make, we shall consider the true meaning of the text to be this 'I will not inflict pain on any man for ever; for I am his Creator.' Here is an argument truly parental it extends equally to all his offspring-to this life, and to that which is to come. To the same purpose is the following passage. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee'. Hosea xi. 9.

2. Man is commanded to exercise universal benevolence.

And he, answering, said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thy self.' But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?" Whatever our practice, there are few, it is presumed, who have any occasion to propose a similar question. Could there be any doubt, it must be completely dissipated, by Scriptures like the following. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you; and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.'

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It may safely be assumed, therefore, as incontestable, that God commands every man to exercise universal benevolence towards his fellow

en.

3.

Jehovah loves all whom he commands his children to love. For,

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First. We are commanded to love all mankind, that we may be perfect, even as our Father who is in heaven is perfect.'

But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you: That ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.' Matt. v. 44. 45. But lest any should imagine, (as many have done,) that the paternal benefits of God, to the greatest part of his children, far from being tender mercies, or tokens of his love, are cruelties in disguise, intended only to enhance their everlasting condemnation-it is added, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.' Matt. v. 48. God loveth the stranger in giving him. food and raiment.' The gifts of food and raiment of that rain, which is the water of lifeof that sun, of this great world both eye and soul' are consequently indications of the love of our Father who is in heaven.

• But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be called the children of the Highest for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your father is merciful.' Jesus Christ. • Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.' Ephes. v. 1.

Now let the reader judge, with what propriety a son can be required to love those whom his

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