Sacramental Discourses

The lamented author of these discourses, in the preface to his last volume, writes: “Printing is only preaching in another shape.... After all, the controlling reason for publishing as well as preaching, should be a desire to glorify God in the salvation of men, by communicating, as widely as possible, the truth of the gospel.” These discourses are selected from those preached to his peoyle on Sacramental occasions, and as on such occasions he always presented topics connected with Christ and his atoning work, but little variety of subjects could be introduced.

Although these sermons were never intended or prepared for publication, yet I have not felt at liberty to change a single word, printing them just as they were written, which will account for the abruptness which appears in one or two instances; for example, in the last discourse, where it was found impossible to fill up the gaps in the introduction, and it was therefore omitted entirely.

In most of these instances there are indications of extemporaneous enlargement, which those* accustomed to the unction and tenderness of the author’s instructtions at such seasons, might desire to see filled out; but alas, these overflowings of love for Christ and his people, these unwritten emotions which the presence of the cross and the sacrifice excited, all passed away with him.

May the prayers which accompanied the writing and preaching of these sermons, be now abundantly answered by that Immanuel whom they were intended to glorify. S. D. A.

New-Yorh December 5, 1859.

1 John 4: 8, 16.

“He that loveih not, knoweth not God; for God is love.” “And we have known and believed the love that God hath

to us, God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in

God, and God in him.”

If we can by Divine aid conduct our meditations aright on these words, we sliaU be led to such affection towards God, such tender remembrance of Christ, and such unfeigned communion with brethren, as shall adorn our sacramental feast. As the writer of our text clung more closely than any to the dying Redeemer, so his writings turn more than any on Jesus and his love. And in the following discourse, my proofs and illustrations shall be drawn chiefly from these writings.

The text brings us at once to a personal God; that object of love and worship, to vvliom we cling more firmly, the more lie is denied. And alas that we should say it. He is denied. The day was when even the most fearful among us could not have apprehended that the form of horrid unbelief called pantheism could ever gain foothold in America. Yet we have lived to see it. No longer do we wrestle with the naked barbarism of Paine and Volney. The lowest class of foreign manufacturers in works and mills are beginning to consider that shape of infidelity to be obsolete. But another river of poison has begun to flow in from Germany, the nursing mother of all religious monsters. Instead of no God, it is all God. Instead of believing nothing, it is believing every thing. There is scarcely a term or phrase of orthodox and evangelical religion, which is not heard from the lips of those who but yesterday were dead rationalists. Unitarian scoffers, Priestleyan humanitarians. All systems are voted to have a form of truth. All heresiarchs from Cerinthus and Marcion, to Swedenborg and Joe Smith, are invested with a halo of pleasing attraction. The religion of Taste and Beauty, of Music and

Architecture, of Industry and Labor, has taken the place of the religion of Truth and Holiness. All worship) has something good in it, whether addressed to Jesus, to Mary, to Jove or to Juggernaut. All we are and all we see, all that was is and shall be, is God. And God is a vast, mutable, fermenting, tumultuating, ever - developing ocean of universal being, an infinite impersonality which embosoms us and of which we are ourselves a part. Most clearly he who learns this must unlearn the God of the Bible. This is not the Jehovah of the Old Testament, nor God the Father of the ~New. Such a divinity as this, however hymned by the rhapsodies of fashionable poets, or glorified by a mystic philosophy, is not the God whom we can ajDproach unto, and within whose almighty arms we can lie. Such a religion may answer for the mock battles of the schools, or the rhapsodies of verse, but it is too cold and intangible to sustain on the sick bed, or cast its guiding ray over the path into eternity; and indeed, we generally find those who maintain such views of God couj)ling with them a denial of personal distinct, that is, individual existence beyond the grave. Take away the keystone, and the arch becomes ruinous. Very hard it is to unlearn the errors of a false system, especially when implicated with the phantasms of imagination; hence few come back, and most make one plunge after another into hideous gulfs of transcendental spiritualism, Swedenborgian intoxication, and the licentious sweep of what children of Gomorrah call passional freedom. O my brethren, how gracious is the hand (more than angelic) which leads us back from the hell of such sulphureous dreamings to the faith of our infancy: how like emerging from a hot night in some fever-hospital full of miasm and delirium into the cool, clear morning air of mountains! How precious beyond all description the blessedness of approaching a personal God, who made us, who sees us who hears us, who is near us who cares for us, and who saves us. How heavenly the declaration, “God is love.”

To minds seeking to know who and what God is — and this is the grand enigma of the universe, which vexed the souls of the greatest among the ancients — this declaration, though iinpei’fectly understood, must have been truly surprising and awakening. They spoke of the Supreme under various characters, but never had they dared to syllable his name as love. Never had any passion bearing such a title been directed towards him. When early inquirers, for example sad though learned Greeks, came to the ancient Scriptures, opened the scroll of this epistle, and read these words, twice occurring in this brief space, their emotions must have been novel. Let us examine the connexion in which the proposition occurs. In the first instance (4:8) the beloved disciple brings it forward in a manner which manifests the identity of love, in heaven and earth. “Beloved,” he says, “let us love one another.” This, you will say, is only the repetition of the familiar Christian maxim; all believers must love one another. But he adds, “Love is of God.” Here he traces the flood to the fountain. In other words, love is divine, and proceeds from the very nature of God. And where holy love prevails, it is by reason of a new nature, from above, implanted by regeneration. For listen again: ^’ Every one that loveth Ls born of God and knowctli God.” These are most notable words, as showing us, that true knowledge of God, which only the regenerate possess, displays itself by love, which thus is “of God.” And further, stating the same negatively: “He that loveth not, knoweth not God.” The selfish, the contracted, the malign, the unrenewed spirit in man, has never beheld and known the Supreme Excellence, “for God is love.” And not content with generalities, he cites the great, the stupendous manifestation of Divine love in the incarnation, (v. 9.) “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” Propitiation proves love — and love to sinners. Propitiatory love is the chief outshining of the Supreme splendor. This very principle (love) descends from God to men, and shows us more of God than all works and all symbols. There is no direct vision of God; but there is vision of love, when we see and love Gcd’s image in a brother. Thus we may have the indwelling of infinite love in our bosoms, i:*evealing much of God though we may not gaze upon him with our eyes. (v. 12.) ‘^ No man liatli seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” Through all these verses (7-13) the golden thread of connexion is the thought that love in God’s nature, love in atonement, love in Jesus, and loe in the brethren, are one and the same holy principle. The second occurrence of the text keeps up the same reference to the cross as the sign of love. (v. 16.) True faith owns God’s infinite love in redemption, admits the overflow of compassionate grace, and thus unites God and the soul. “We have known and believed the love that God hath to us.” Every sinner who receives Christ can say this. God’s smile is recognized. We no longer dwell under mere justice and fear. We believe God to be lovino;. Mark what follows: “God is love: and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him.” (v. 16.) There is no surer evidence of being united to God, and therefore new-born, than the fact that we dwell in love. It is our habitation; there we live, never going out, or going out soon to return; more — it is our atmosphere, in which we live and move, and which we breathe, with vital effects. Ihis love is awakened to life by God’s love in redemption. The whole train of argument goes to this, and we read all in the cross; (v. 19.) “We love him, because he first loved us.” It was necessary, my dear brethren, that we should see clearly how the apostle John introduces the maxim, “God is Love.”

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