SERMON I.

GOD'S WORKS ORIGINALLY PERFECT.

GENESIS I. 31.

And God saw every thing that he had made; and, behold, it was very good.

THE Word of God is indeed a treasure of goodly pearls. In its vast resources may be found the richest jewels, and the most costly diamonds. To the cultivator of the earth is presented a field of immense value-to the merchant,the choicest goods and the most durable riches. To the wise are ex⚫hibited rich stores of hidden wisdom; and the simple are invited to receive instruction, and lay hold on understanding. Beauty and sublimity adorn its sacred pages, which invite the scholar to improve his taste, and attain the highest refinement of his mind. From this exuberant source, the hungry soul may obtain the choicest food; the weary find rest; and the thirsty drink of the waters of salvation. The poor may be made rich; the beggar wear a crown; and frail mortals be clothed with glorious immortality. The sacred writings abound with the most able instructions, that man may wisely order his conduct in time ; but their chief value must be estimated from those important truths, which relate to eternity.

The present subject exhibits the view which the Lord had, when his works of creation were completed; and they are represented as glorious and excellent, worthy of a Being supremely wise and good. Mankind readily discern and acknowledge, that some of the divine works bear evident

marks of divine goodness; and they are prone to conjecture, that some are not stamped with wisdom nor benevolence. But the Creator himself has declared them all not only to be good, but to be very good. All the works which God created, in six days, he considered as superlatively excellent; and as such they are announced to man, who should view them in the same light. None were marred in the making; all of them answered the Creator's purpose, and were admirably adapted to show forth his glory.

Doubtless one reason, why mankind are no more astonished and affected with the displays of the wondrous goodness of God in his works of creation, is, that they have such limited or scanty views of the divine works; consequently they are unable to discern to a very great extent, the supremely benevolent design. But the more any one becomes acquainted with cause and effect, and the more he is enabled to search into the nature of things, so far as man is capable, by contemplating the manifestations of the divine works, the more is he led to see and admire the supreme wisdom and goodness of their Creator.

Another reason, why many do not see that every thing which the Lord has made, is very good, is, that they confine their views to the world and its inhabitants as in a state of condemnation, and not in their original perfection. They do not consider how very different the appearance and reality of things were, before the entrance of sin into the world. The earth, and every thing that pertains to it, are materially changed, and under the curse of God, in consequence of the sin of our first parents, and of the sins of the world.

By contrasting the present and the original state of the works of creation, our views may be enlarged concerning the divine goodness. Let us notice the words of the text: "And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good.

Thus the great Creator viewed his works, on the sixth day, when the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. All things were peculiarly adapted to their subordinate ends, and the more perfectly to promote the supreme object, for which they were created. They not only as a stupendous system, exhibited the wisdom and goodness of God, but every part, both in the natural and moral creation, was admirably designed to manifest the being and perfections of Jehovah. Infinite wisdom and benevolence devised the wondrous scheme; and almighty power gave existence. As the Lord is by nature invisible, so the external symbols, displayed in the manifold works of creation, are the book of nature, in which finite intelligences may read, and form consistent and exalted views of his true character.

In the illustration of the present subject, but few things can be noticed. The object will be to show, that the original state of the world, both in a natural and moral point of view, was far more excellent and desirable than the present. Man and his varied situations and relations, will constitute the chief part of this discourse, though not exclusively of the material world, and the animal creation.

1st. The human soul in its original state, demands our attention.

The goodness of God will appear very conspicuously, if we consider the soul of Adam, our common progenitor, as created on the sixth day.

As the intellectual nature of man is the most excellent part of any of the works of this lower world, so we should naturally conclude, that it would be the nearest resemblance of its Author. And with such a conclusion, the following scriptural account is entirely accordant. "So God created man in his own image; in the image of God created he him." The Lord is a Spirit, or an intelligent Being, whose understanding is infinite. The soul, or intelligence of man is finite, a mere

image of the omnipresent, invisible Jehovah. And as the Lord is supremely holy, and most righteous in all his ways, so we are taught that God made man upright. The dominion of man originally over the animals of the earth, may be considered as a part of the divine image; for by it he resembled the supreme Being in his authority and government. Thus all mankind bear the natural image of their Maker, as they are intelligent beings; and our first parents were created after his moral image, in a state of perfect holiness. How happy, then, must have been such a state; how much resembling that of the holy and blessed angels! The soul of Adam was doubtless more capacious than the souls of any of his offspring; and his means of improvement and advancement must have been far superiour to those of any of his fallen race. This is evident from the consideration, that sin introduces natural evils, mental as well as bodily.

Whether our first parents had a language, suited to their original state, furnished in a supernatural manner, we cannot tell. However, that they had such a language and correspondent knowledge, reason would teach as well as scripture. The description of Adam's giving names to all the animals of the earth, will throw much light on this subject. "Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam, to see what he would call them; and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field." Hence he had a vast knowledge of God, of his law, his will, and his works, as is manifested in this instance, of his giving names to all the living creatures, suitable to their natures, at the first sight of them.

The idea which some entertain, that Adam, though very happy, had but little knowledge, is en

tirely groundless, and every way inconsistent. It is founded perhaps on the expression of Satan : "Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” But what must be the proper import of such a temptation? Truly this: Eat of the forbidden fruit, and your extensive knowledge and enlarged views will be supernaturally augmented; and ye, who are but little lower than the angels, will at once be equal to them. The serpent, from dread experience, knew that the suggestion of the highest possible attainments of knowledge, would be the most likely to excite ambition in the heart of one of a capacious mind, and of clear and sublime views.

"Aspiring to be Gods, Angels fell:

Aspiring to be Angels men rebel."

How extensive the capacity, how great the knowledge, how holy and happy must have been our first parents, while in that blessed situation, the garden of Eden! They had all earthly felicity, and enjoyed unbroken communion with their God. The race of Adam do indeed have souls inferiour to him, in consequence of the diseases both of the mind and of the body. But when we consider the human soul as in a state of innocence, a living, holy image of its Creator, the divine goodness shines conspicuously; for the Lord himself saw that it was made very good.

2dly. If we compare the human body in its original state and present condition, the divine wisdom and goodness will be very manifest.

No doubt Adam had the most regular bodily form, and the most beautiful and interesting countenance of any man that ever lived. Originally, not only the human soul, but the human body also, was in a state of perfection. Then was man the immediate offspring of God, and he breathed air so pure, that his inferiour nature was not subject to sickness and mortality. By reason of sin, every manner of disease, and death itself have entered