Required reading
The Works (Vol 4) by William Bates (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Sermon I 'God is'.
My summary
Today we finish Bates' sermon on the existence of God.
Last week Bates gave his first two arguments for the existence of God.
This week he provides his third argument which is drawn from the consent of the nations that there is a God. Bates spends some time on this point and answers arguments of atheists against the existence of God.
Then Bates finishes his sermon with two uses of the doctrine:
(i) the existence of God is a matter of terror to atheists;
(ii) let us establish our hearts in the belief of God's being.
What grabbed me
I appreciated Bates' answers to objections about the existence of God.
Particularly the objection about the prosperity of the wicked: 'The temporary prosperity of the wicked reflects no dishonour upon God's justice or holiness ; for God measures all things by the standard of eternity; a thousand years to him are as one day. Now we do not charge a judge with unrighteousness, if he defer the execution of a malefactor for a day; the longest life of a sinner beats not that proportion to eternity ; besides, their reprieve increases and secures their ruin ; they are as grapes which hang in the sun till they are ripe, and fit for the wine-press. God spares them now, but will punish. them for ever; he condemns them to prosperity in this world, and judges them not worth his anger, intending to poor forth the vials of his wrath on them in the next.'
Just because God hasn't punished the wicked yet, doesn't mean he won't.
Next week's reading
Read Sermon II 'Sin the most formidable evil'.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
2 comments:
I found this comment very helpful:
"As the fountain of obedience, the true and sound belief of every holy truth always includes a correspondence in the believer to the thing believed; and this must descend from the understanding to the affections, and the conversation. Study of theology is only properly done when it inflames our hearts with love and obedience to the object of our study."
In a world of "feeling" Christianity, I often feel oddly out of place that I love to study and read theology, but I have always found Bates' words to be true, the more I know and learn of the Lord and His ways, the more I love, adore, and worship Him!
Great comment CJ. Amen!
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