SERMON IV. NATURAL AND MORAL EVIL THE MINISTERS OF GOD. "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." Isa. xlv. 7. THE chapter from which I have selected my text, if not the most full and explicit, in affirming the absolute sovereignty, designs and purposes of God, of any of the prophecies, is certainly second to none in the particulars which, in an especial manner, concern every son and daughter of Adam. As sojourners here below, in passing through the different stages of mortal existence from the cradle to the grave, man is subjected to the influence of natural and moral evil. No man, however great his scepticism or his credulity-no devotee nor zealot no infidel or atheist, will question the fact I have stated. Metaphysical disquisitions may confound, by sophistical arguments-sectarians and bigots, may pile hypothesis upon hypothesis, until mountains of absurdity shall rear their sterile tops, and opinions as various as the colours of the rainbow be combatted for, while the disputants are all agreed on the question of the existence of the things disputed, and can agree on nothing else. Some dispute about the origin of evil. Others dispute about the magnitude of evil. And there are those who contend for the endless existence of evil. And certain other religionists contend for the infinity of evil; in all respects, whether of its magnitude, its continuance, or its consequences. Leaving all these querists and disputants to settle the matter, if they can; or if they will quarrel about it, to enjoy the battle amongst themselves, let us, reader, inquire, what the Scriptures of truth affirm of evil? However various modes of expression may be, a correct understanding of our text, will limit all terms, which are strictly applicable to the subject of it, to the signification of two things. Light and darkness; peace and evil; are antipodes. The same must be said of every thing that is good, or bad; whether it relate to principle, or prac tice-opinions, or doctrines-men, or things-mind, or matter-natural, or moral things, or events-whether present, or to come-whether life, or death-whether qualities, which characterize, or the things characterized-all are embraced or included in the description, or signification of only two terms, and their correlatives. The terms order, and disorder; harmony, and discord; regularity, and confusion; are of the same class. We speak of things being good, and of things being evil. And languages have been adapted to express the wants-describe the enjoyments— enumerate the pursuits-explain the opinions-aid and instruct the understanding-define qualities—and, in fine, to benefit, by their diversified uses, the great family of man. Notwithstanding the great variety that exists, such, in fact, is the established order of things, that only two terms will define every thing, ethically considered, in relation to sentient beings; and all inanimate things, when their qualities are the subject of consideration. The The opinion or doctrine of the Magian doctors of divinity at Babylon, in the time of the prophet Isaiah, that two eternal principles, good and evil, or light and darkness, existed, as the causes of all good, and all evil, is directly contradicted in the declaration contained in the text. opinion or doctrine of subsequent system-makers, that good and evil are the result of the agency of two beings, one supreme in power, and the author of goodness or light; and the other of great, but inferior might, and the author of evil, or darkness; like the Magian hypothesis, contradicts, and is, itself, contradicted by our text. Common sense and reason teach, that let effects be what they may, as respects their qualities, as effects, they must have been caused. If no cause has operated to produce them, they must have existed independently, and of themselves, from eternity. Therefore, as effects of any possible kind or existence, must be considered in relation to an antecedent cause, that cause, whatever it may be, must be characterized as a power that operates to produce effects. It matters not, whether we consider causes as direct, or indirect-remote or proximate-exciting in degree, or positive and decisive -whether mind or matter is the agent or patient-whether the weal or wo of sentient beings is produced-whether natural or moral events, are caused-the subject must be classed under two heads, cause and effect. If a thing be a cause, it is not an effect; and vice versa; for the simple and conclusive reason, that the relation of things necessarily establishes their true character; and every thing must be considered in reference to this relation. I am aware that metaphysical sophistry will argue to a different result, by confounding the relation of the things themselves. But every thing, each one, separate and distinct from all other things, except its antecedent cause, is the questionnot, in the future progress of events, nor in the past chain of events; but in its present existence, as the effect of a cause, without any speculation of future probabilities; and, so far as the main question is concerned, without any reference to any remove in the past tense, beyond the immediate and certain cause that operated to produce it. It is the peculiar and distinguishing characteristic of superstition, the very essence of idolatry, to multiply causes; confound the relation of things; and to reason, or, more properly speaking, to speculate à priori; and to resolve all effects into a confused relation to imaginary, and, frequently, mysterious causes. This fact, which I conceive to be very important, may be adduced in evidence to disprove pretensions; and also to account for the great variety, incongruity, and absurdity of religious opinions, which prevail in the world of mankind. The declaration of Jesus Christ, the great Teacher, who came, as he affirmed, to "bear witness of the truth," is remarkably full, clear and explicit, on the subject of moral evil. He said, "This is the condemnation, [krisis,] that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”* (John iii. 19.) Those who profess a belief in the truth of the Scriptures, must receive the declaration of Jesus as truth, or relinquish their pretensions to a faith in Jesus, For language cannot more clearly express a principle, doctrine, or fact, than Jesus has expressed the matter which is the subject of the passage quoted. Let us examine it. What are the subjects of Jesus Christ's affirmation? Ans. First-Light. Second-Darkness. The phrases, the world, men, and their evil deeds, denote the patients. For, as I can abundantly shew, light and darkness, can only exist in this world, this imperfect, because, as re *The Greek term xpios, rendered condemnation in this passage, should be rendered decision. And in verse 17th, "For God sent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world, Koivη тov Kóσμov," should be rendered judge the world. The simple truth is, that Jesus Christ affirmed of man's moral condition, and gave his decision, etc. gards its uses, incipient and unfinished state; in contrast. That is, light could not be known by men, as light, neither naturally nor morally, unless seen in contrast with darkness. And the same must be said of darkness, vice versa. Here is the subject and the patient, in Christ's affirmation, viz:-light and darkness constitute the subject-men, and their deeds, are the patients. The phrase in the original, eis ton kosmon, rendered "into the world," must either be defined to signify by a correct figure, man in the aggregate, or universally; or such an idea is metonymically expressed by that phrase; or it follows, necessarily, that kosmon signifies in this passage, the general idea of the physical world which man inhabits; and man, also, included in the sense of the term, as the patient, as connected with the physical world, the place of his abode, and as furnishing his natural body, and the natural means and aliment of life. I will therefore conclude, that the term kosmon, rendered world in this passage, is used in a distinct and proper relation to man, as furnishing the medium, through which light and darkness are exhibited, or operate, influencing man the patient. Aside from moral evil, the question of evil considered in its relation to natural objects, whether of matter and motion, or the natural laws which govern and control all events which belong to the physical world, must be referred to the designs and agency of the great Creator, who exercises a sovereign control over all created things. And it is presumed, that no person of any religious creed or sect, from the servants of the Roman Pope; the disciples of the Mahomedan impostor; down to the devotees of Ann Lee; or the newly fangled thing called mormonism; will question the truth of the proposition, that natural evil, if such a thing really exists, unqualified by the purposes and designs of the Creator, or however considered, in relation to its effects and influences, must be foreign to man, as a cause; and must be referred, originally, to the Creator of all things, as the sole cause of it. Natural evil, therefore, in every correct apprehension of the phrase, must be considered as a mean in the hand of God the Creator, for effecting certain purposes; and is, therefore, correctly characterized, a minister, or servant of God. We are directed to the affirmation of the Lord Jesus, by the phraseology of our text. And, as we have shewn, natural evil being foreign to man, existing antecedently to man, for the reason that man is subsequent, as an exist ence, to the physical world, it will therefore follow, that the affirmation of Jesus, has a distinct and especial reference to moral light, and moral darkness. If it should appear, on a consideration of the subject, that men choose natural evils, in preference to natural good, as the effect of their moral perversity, and obliquity of their mind, which may to a certain extent be true, it does not follow that they cause the existence of the natural evils which, in their ignorance, they prefer to natural good. There is a necessary inference resulting from the true signification of things, which owes its origin to the relation that exists; and, properly understood, guides the mind to things and conclusions that are correlative. I mean in this instance, in a particular reference to natural evils, that if natural evils did not exist, à priori, men could not choose them, in a preference to any thing. It is presumed, that, as an abstract proposition, this fact is so self-evident, no man will question the truth of it. How the principle will work generally, when preconceived opinions shall jar, in a collision with it, remains to be seen. A man An idea is associated with the figure used. chooses a thing. To choose, is to select; and by the selection, to manifest a preference for the thing selected, or chosen, over and above all others which are passed by, and neglected, or left. And this holds good, whether a man chooses an apple, or a wife. When our mother Eve, incited by a curiosity very common to her sex, chose an apple, (as learned commentators say,) in preference to all the residue of the fruit of the garden of Eden, she either chose good, or she chose that which was evil. If evil, it inevitably follows, that Eve made or created the apple, the evil thing she chose, or it existed à priori. Now the last conclusion is inevitable, for the reason, that unless the apple, or evil thing that Eve chose, actually existed before she made her choice, it was impossible for her to choose it. And it follows, by a like inevitable necessity, that if Eve chose an evil thing, it was a natural, or a moral evil. And it also follows, by a like necessity, that if the thing Eve chose, was neither good, nor evil, it is impossible that her act can be correctly characterized as good or evil; for the unanswerable reason, that no relation would exist, between the act of choosing, and the thing chosen. And it also follows, by a like necessity, that if the thing chosen was good, the act of choosing it was good; because the relation that exists, between the act of choosing, and the |