Six Sermons on the Inquiry Is There Immortality in Sin and Suffering?

SERMON IV

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21. SSII 85.1

To prove, in the sense of the text, I conclude, signifies to try - to bring to the test. The apostle was far from adopting the theory of some, in the present day, who seem to think it evidence that a man is a heretic if he presumes to examine for himself with regard to the truth of those theories which men, who have been in reputation for wisdom and piety, have seen fit to baptize as the true faith. They may have seen the truth clearly, or they may not. Whether they have or not, it does not release us from the obligation of proving all things for ourselves. Not to do this, we might nearly as well have been constituted idiots; as, in point of fact, we make ourselves so, by taking, for truth, without investigation, the opinions of fallible men. SSII 85.2

We are not indeed to despise helps in our investigations; but every thing is to be brought to the test - the infallible words of God. SSII 85.3

Nor are we to allow ourselves to think, as some seem to maintain, that we are to exercise a blind faith in a theory, however contrary to reason. Reason, it is true, cannot find out God, nor the things of God, unaided - Hence God has been pleased to give us revelation; and that revelation is made to man’s reason, or understanding. To talk about believing that which is contrary to reason, is the most consummate folly. Is it possible for a man to believe that two and two make six? or that unequal things are exactly equal? To propose such absurdities for belief is to attempt to annihilate all tests of truth, and leave a man to wander in the mazes of conjecture. We hardly know which to pity most, the man who attempts such a work, or those who are duped by it. SSII 85.4

The fact is - God appeals to man’s reason. “Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord.” The disciples “communed together, and reasoned.” See Luke 24:15. Acts 17:2, we are told, “Paul, as his manner was - reasoned with them out of the Scriptures.” And chap. 18:4, “He reasoned in the synagogues every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.” Before Felix he “reasoned” till his royal hearer trembled. SSII 86.1

We may rest assured, then, that God has given us our reason to be used; and we are commanded to be ready to give a reason of the hope that is in us. SSII 86.2

There may be many truths that reason can never find out; hence the necessity of revelation; but revelation can contain nothing contrary to reason - that is impossible; for, I repeat it, it would be no revelation at all, but darkness and obscurity itself. Reason then occupies an important place. It is its province to judge of the truth of that which professes to be a revelation; if that professed revelation is clearly contrary to reason, no man can credit it but a rank fanatic: It is to confound truth and falsehood, and take away all power of discriminating between them. SSII 86.3

Reason, however, is to be allowed to do her work untrammeled. Reason may be blinded. There is no way in which it is so likely to be perverted as by the love of sin. If men are in love with sin, and are determined to persist in it, they may expect to reason incorrectly - though their decisions, in that case, can hardly be said to be the voice of reason; it is rather the voice of passion, or appetite; for, even in such cases, the strife of reason, to be heard, is easily discovered, if a man will observe the workings of his own mind. But our Saviour has decided that the man who “will do” the will of God, i.e. has a purpose, or determination, to do that will, wherever it may lead him, “he shall know of the doctrine.” - Before reasoning, then, we should see to it that we have that purpose: else we may go astray. SSII 86.4

With these remarks, I proceed to a further examination of objections to the theory I advocate. If those objections are reasonable, and the unreasonableness of them cannot be shown, then you are bound to “hold” them “fast,” as “good.” If they are to your mind shown to be without reason, as well as without Scripture authority, you are equally bound to give them up. SSII 87.1