SERMON III. COMPARATIVE INFLUENCE OF ATHEISM AND CHRISTIANITY. PSALM XIV. 1.-The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt; they have done abominable works; there is none that doeth good. IN my last discourse, I considered the objections of Atheists against the being and government of God; and those doctrines concerning the origin and existence of things, which they have substituted for the doctrines of Theism and the Scriptures, on this most important subject. The objections I endeavoured to prove unsound and nugatory, and the doctrines to be mere hypotheses, demonstrably false, and plainly impossible. Hence I concluded them to be the doctrines of the heart, and not of the intellect. Hence also I concluded, that he who embraces them is, according to the language of the text, a fool. There is no more absolute folly than to believe doctrines because we love them, and to reject doctrines because we hate them: or, in other words, to suffer our inclinations to govern our understanding. The consequences of these doctrines, or of Atheism generally, are in the text declared in these words, They are corrupt; they have done abominable works: there is none that doeth good. In other words, Atheists are corrupt; they do abominable works: there is none of them that doeth good. This character of Atheists, seen by the Psalmist, and declared by the Spirit of God, three thousand years ago, has not changed for the better, at any period, down to the present day. They have ever been corrupt; they have ever done abominable works; there has never been among them a single good or virtuous man. It cannot but be an useful employment to examine this interesting subject, and to learn, from such an examination, the manner in which these false principles, dictated and embraced by a bad heart, contribute, in their turn, as powerful causes, to render that heart still more corrupt; to fill the life with abominable actions; and to prevent every one, who embraces these doctrines, from assuming the character of virtue. Before I enter upon the direct discussion of this subject it will be proper to observe, that Virtue is nothing but voluntary obedience to truth; and Sin nothing but voluntary obedience to falsehood. Or, more generally, virtue and sin consist in a disposition or preparation of the heart, flowing out into acts of obedience, in the respective manners which I have mentioned. From these definitions which, it is presumed, cannot be successfully denied, it is evident, that every false doctrine, which is relished by the heart, will, of course, govern its affections and volitions; and will, therefore, control the conduct. Nor is it less evident, that, in the present case, the doctrine in question, being embraced only because they are loved, will eminently influence the heart which has dictated them, and eminently affect all the moral conduct. It will also be clear to all persons, accustomed to the investigation of moral subjects, that the character of a man must, at least in a great measure, be formed by his views of the several subjects, with which he is acquainted. As these are expanded, magnificent, and sublime; or narrow, ordinary, and grovelling; the taste, the character, and the conduct, will be refined and noble, or gross and contemptible. A man, accustomed to an exalted sphere of life, and to a regular intercourse with great objects, will assume of course a dignity and greatness of mind, and a splendour of personal character, which cannot be assumed by him, whose views have ever been limited to a few and small objects, and whose life has been passed in actions of no significance. There is something princely, of course, in men even of moderate endowments, when properly educated for the inheritance of a throne. There is every thing diminutive, of necessity, in him, who is trained only to be a campboy or a shoe-black. When men are educated to contemplation, and science, it may not unnaturally be imagined, that their minds, allowing for the difference of their endowments, will, from the similarity of their pursuits, be formed into a similarity of character. This, however, is, to a great extent, a mistaken opinion. The very objects, with which such men are equally conversant, may, from their respective modes of viewing them, become totally unlike, and even contradictory, in their apprehension. It will not be questioned, that the mind of a Heathen, studying, with the views of a Heathen, the polytheism of Greece and Rome, would be affected very differently from the mind of a Christian, investigating the same subject. The manner, in which we regard any object of inquiry, may differ from some other manner almost as much, as any two objects of inquisition may differ from each other. The views of him, who regards the firmament as a great blue canopy, and the stars as little sparks of light, differ from the views of the Astronomer, who considers the firmament as a boundless expansion, and the stars as an innumerable multitude of Suns, almost as widely, as the two objects of contemplation differ. The manner, therefore, in which human contemplations are directed, may be very various, although the objects are the same. In truth it is not the grandeur or diminutiveness of the objects. but the greatness or littleness of the views entertained of them, which affect, and form, the character. The taste, or relish, of the mind, particularly, will, in a great measure, if not wholly, be formed by this cause. The mind, by an early habit accustomed to little views, will soon learn to relish no other. Accustomed from the beginning to a connexion with gro velling objects only, it soon ceases to be pleased with any other objects. Accustomed to form diminutive and debased schemes of action, it becomes easily, and finally, disgusted with every thing of an enlarged and superior nature. As these things are true of all the views, entertained by Man; so they are especially true of those, which may be called original, and fundamental; which involve all subordinate ones; which direct every future course of thought; and to which the mind thinks it necessary to reconcile every succeeding purpose, relish, and opinion. If the stem, here, be a mere twig; the branches must be poor and diminutive indeed. Thus, he, the basis of whose religion was an idol, must form a system of theology and ethics, dismally lean and contemptible. All the motives to human conduct are found, either in the Objects, with which we converse; or in the VIEWS, with which we regard them. If the objects, or the views, be low and debased, low and debased motives, only, will arise out of them. But motives originate all our conduct, regulate its progress, and determine its nature. If they be low and debased, the conduct will partake of the same characteristics, and will of course be grovelling, unworthy, and odious. Thus the objects, with which we are conversant, and the views which we form of them, will determine botn the internal and external character of Man. It will be remarked, that I have considered this subject, independently of the peculiar doctrines of Christianity; and for this reason; that I am arguing with those, who deny a divine Reve lation. These things being premised, I assert, in accordance with the text, that the proper, natural, and necessary influence of Atheism is to contract, and render grovelling, the views, to corrupt the character, and to deform the life of Man. The truth of this assertion I shall attempt to illustrate under the following heads : I. The views, which the Atheist forms of the Natural World: 2. His views of the Moral World: 3. His views of the Future World: All these I shall, also, from time to time, compare with the views, which the Christian entertains of the same subjects. 1. I shall consider the views, which the Atheist forms of the Natural World. In this consideration, I am disposed to allow the Atheist all the advantages which he can derive from endowments or acquisitions. He may, with my consent, be, what I well know he can be, a Chymist, a Botanist, a Mineralogist, or an Anatomist. He shall, if he pleases, be a Mathematician, a Natural Philosopher, an Astronomer, a Metaphysician, or a Poet. I mean, that he may be any, or all, of these, so far as one man, of his opinions, can be reasonably supposed to sustain the several characters specified. I will not even avail myself of the celebrated remark of Lord Bacon, that a Little Philosophy will make a man an Atheist, but a great deal will make him a Christian: although I entertain not a doubt of its truth. My business is not to dwell on minute things, but to show the nature of those which are of higher importance. The Atheist, then, may with enlarged understanding, and skill, contemplate the structure of the heavenly Bodies. He may, with the eye of a Naturalist, explore the organization of the vegetable kingdom; may analyze the chymical principles, and combinations, of plants and minerals; and may trace, to use his own language, the hidden walks of Nature in her mysterious progress through the system. Or, with the imagination of the Poet, and the science of the Astronomer, he may be fascinated with the beauty, splendour, and sublimity, of the landscape, or delighted with the distances, magnitudes, motions, harmony, and magnificence, of the planetary and stellary systems; still his views of all these, and all other, natural objects, although in his mind the most illustrious objects which exist, will be poor and pitiable. All of them, in his opinion, owe their being to fate, accident, or the blind action of stupid matter. They exist for no end; and accomplish none. They spring from no wisdom; and display none. They are, therefore, what they would have been, had they been made, and moved, by an Intelligent Cause, without any purpose, or design, in their creation: a vast apparatus of splendour and magnificence, assembled together for nothing: an immense show, in which nothing was intended, and from which nothing can be gained. The Mind, in surveying them, asks instinctively, and irre sistibly, How came this train of wonders into being? and is answered with nothing but perplexity and folly, but doubt and despair. In the same manner it inquires, Of what use will this mighty assemblage of worlds and their furniture prove? The only reply is, Of none. All, with all their motions, furniture, and inhabitants, are the result, and under the control, of that iron-handed necessity, which exists in the blind operations of unconscious Matter; that gloomy Fate of the Heathens, to which they sullenly submitted because they deemed it inevitable; and which, while it showered ca lamities in abundance, cut off every hope, and every effort, for the attainment of deliverance. To the wretch, whose mind is effectually imbued with this scheme of things, the Universe is changed into a vast Prison, where himself and his companions are confined by bolts and bars, forged by the hand of blind, immoveable, and irresistible Destiny; where no heart is found to pity their sufferings, and no hand to lend relief; where no eye looks with sympathy, and no ear listens with tenderness; where the walls reach to heaven, and are hung with clouds and midnight; and where every effort to escape, conducts the miserable tenants only to the sullen cavern of Despair. Should the Atheist, sick with the forlorn and hopeless contem plation, turn his eye from this scheme of things to his only alternative, the doctrine of Chance, he will find himself equally distant from refreshment, and from hope. Here, himself and all other beings in Earth, Sea, and Sky, with all their properties and operations, are mere accidents, involved and perplexed in their movements, like the particles of dust in a whirlwind. In his view, if he understand his system, and will think consistently with himself, his thoughts, volitions, and efforts, the continuance of his own being, and that of all other things, are mere casualties, produced by no cause, upheld by no support, directed by no wisdom, and existing to no purpose. Mere abortions, precarious in the extreme, possessed only of a doubtful and fluctuating existence, they tremble and flutter, in a dreadful state of suspense, over the gloomy abyss of Annihilation. All, here, is doubt and discouragement. Not a plan can be rationally formed, not a hope, consistently indulged. Where every thing is to happen, if it exist at all: or where the result of the casualty, is with the same probability, seen to be any thing or nothing; it is plain, that nothing can be expected. Against every expectation, the chances are millions of millions to one; for every supposable thing is as likely to exist as any other. Should it be said, that the Atheist refutes these declarations, by his conduct; because he lives, and acts, like other men, and is no more influenced than others by a regard either to fate, or chance: I answer, that the objection is erroneous. The Atheist, instead of refuting these observations, refutes himself. He denies his own prin ciples; and avails himself of the principles which he opposes. If he understands his own scheme; he cannot but know, that the necessity of existence, which he professes to believe, is irreconcilable with all freedom of mind, with all voluntariness, with all contrivance. He knows, that connexion cannot spring from chance; that order cannot arise out of accident; that whatever exists fortuitously, exists independently of all things else, and can never be connected with any other thing, by any moral or useful relation. If, therefore, he would think and act rationally, he would neither contrive, expect, fear, nor hope; neither build, nor plant; neither reap, nor gather; but would yield himself up to the control of irresistible Destiny, or to the capricious disposal of Contingence. The works of God, are in their own nature beautiful, magnificent, sublime, and wonderful; and by every eye, which sees them, their nature must in some degree be discerned. It is readily admitted, therefore, that the Atheist himself, if he be not a sot, must in some degree perceive the sublimity and splendour, which are inherent in the Earth and the Heavens. But from these illustrious attributes he subtracts immensely, when he denies, that they owe their origin to an intelligent and eternal Mind; when he denies, that they are moved, and ruled, by infinite perfection; and that by the same perfection, they are conducted to a divine and glorious end, a purpose infinitely excellent and desirable. Without this conside |