And "The world by wisdom knew not God." the inhabitants of all lands, at every period of the earth's existence, may be addressed in the words of Zophar,† "Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?" Under the old dispensation, the Lord was pleased, from time to time, to reveal Himself, in some measure, to His chosen servants; but though they were conscious of His presence, and He is said to have appeared to them, yet "they saw no similitude; and the accounts which are handed down to us of His manifestation of Himself are deeply mysterious. One thing is however sufficiently apparent, namely, that the holiest and best of men were filled with solemn awe and holy trembling when they perceived the presence of God. See Abraham, with his face in the dust, acknowledging his unworthiness to speak unto God; and Moses, who as the friend of God was almost familiar with revelations, yet when he entered into "the thick darkness where God was" feared greatly, "and so terrible was the sight, that he said, I exceedingly fear and quake." And even the "still small voice" which reached the ears of Elijah, overwhelmed him with awe; "and it was so, when Elijah + Job xi. 7, 8. * 1 Cor. i. 21. Heb. xii. 21. heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle."* But under the gospel dispensation clearer views of the Deity are vouchsafed to us; and while "no man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." In our text, he reveals Him to us as "a SPIRIT." And his holy apostle Paul speaks of God as "THE FATHER OF SPIRITS." Similar language had also been used in prayer by Moses and Aaron, § "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh!" Here indeed we are in a measure admitted into a world of spirits, and to the presence of Jehovah as the God and Father of them. Yet in our present fallen condition, polluted by sin, and encumbered with the burden of the flesh, how faint is our conception of a pure incorporeal spirit! We are conscious in ourselves of the existence of mind, thought, imagination, independent of our bodily frame; but of spirit separate from matter, who among us can form a just idea? That God however is a Spirit, is the subject of revelation, and the object of faith; and however incomprehensible His abstract essence or nature may be, we are enabled to apprehend many of His qualities. He is a HOLY SPIRIT; of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; the bright and shining ones around his throne veil their faces before * 1 Kings xix. 13. + John i. 18. him; 66 "His angels He charged with folly;" yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.' "Be ye holy," saith He, "for I am holy;" He is "the Holy One of Israel."* ALMIGHTY too! Who can resist his power? He holds the vast ocean in the hollow of his hand, and taketh up the isles as a very little thing. He maketh the clouds his chariot, and rideth upon the wings of the wind. His majesty how vast! His providence how minute! By Him the meanest insect is held in existence equally with the most illustrious of created intelligences! AN ALL-SEEING, EVER-PRESENT SPIRIT : to Him time and space are as nothing. The past, the present, and the future, are equally spread before his eyes. In vain we attempt to elude his inspection. "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”† Well may we exclaim, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me: it is high, I cannot attain unto it." We may appropriately close our meditations upon the incomprehensible and eternal God, the sole object of our supreme worship, in the words of St. Paul, "Now unto the + Psal. cxxxix. 7-10. *Job iv. 18, and xv. 15. Ver. 5. King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen." * Let us proceed to a part of the subject more upon a level with our finite capacities, and inquire, II. HOW THIS GOD WILL BE WORSHIPPED. As He is "A SPIRIT," So will "HE BE WORSHIPPED IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH." That the formal worship of the knee and of the lip can be acceptable to such a God as this, it is impossible to imagine. What an insult to the character of Jehovah, to appear in his courts-to stand up to sing His praises-to kneel before Him-to take words in our lips expressive of humiliation the most lowly, of affection the most ardent, of adoration the most profound-when at the same time there beats in our bosom a proud, unhumbled, trifling heart, altogether alienated from His service? Yet that this is the conduct of too many nominal worshippers of the great heartsearching Spirit, cannot be denied. See the fashionable loungers in our churches, who seem to affect an air of indifference-who sit during the prayers, more like uninterested spectators than persons engaged in devotion; who just tolerate the services and the sermon, complaining perhaps of their length, or observing a thousand trifling circumstances connected with the congregation. Can such men believe in God? can * 1 Tim. i. 17. they really credit His spiritual character? do they think that He reads their hearts and observes their wandering thoughts? It seems almost impossible. Were they worshipping a senseless idol, their bodily presence and the formal bowing of their heads at the mention of his name, might be very appropriate; but to profess thus to worship an immaterial Spirit, an omniscient Being, how impious! how profane! Such prayers are turned into sin. An assembly An assembly of dead bodies. would be as acceptable to Him as a congregation of living men whose hearts are far from Him. To such the Saviour would address that solemn warning, "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."* Our worship must be spiritual; the mind, the heart, the soul must all be engaged in it, or it will never reach the ears of the Lord God of Sabbaoth. Whether we are assembled in the great congregation, or around the family altar, or whether in secret we would draw near to God, the spirit must be occupied in the work; that intelligent, reflecting, reasoning, stirring mind within us. It is evident that spirit alone can commune with spirit-mind with mind-thought with thought. It is the soul of man that alone has converse with * Matt. xv. 7,8. VOL. II. E |