ters, naturally lead them to think the divine character to be altogether the same.

3. The last reason to be mentioned, why the wicked think God like themselves, as to his moral character, is, they wish him to be so. There are two reasons why they wish the divine character to be like their own; this is the only character which they love, and the only character which they do not fear. This is the only character which they love. While they take complacency in their own characters, they cannot love an opposite character. If they believed that all the benevolent feelings of God's heart were in direct opposition to all the selfish feelings of their own; they would be sensible of positive hatred to the divine character. And as the character which they attribute to God, is the only one they love; so it is the only one they do not fear. If they should suffer themselves to believe, that God sustains such a character as they dislike; they would be constrained to see that they are not the friends of God, and consequently have no ground to expect his friendship and favor. Hence they fervently wish that God may be like themselves.

This wish has a mighty influence upon all their thoughts of the Supreme Being. Though their deceitful hearts may be insensible to it; yet this wish causes them to shut their eyes against all the evidence there is of the true character of God, and to imagine they see force and weight in the most weak and sophistical arguments used to show that he is altogether such an one as themselves. This is the original source of all the erroneous and absurd thoughts which the wicked have ever entertained of the divine character. If they had always been pleased with the true character of God, they would always have believed him to be such a being as he is. It is because the wicked do not like to retain God in their knowledge, and his ways are always grievous to them, that they say in their hearts,' i. e. desire there were no such God. And it is owing to this, desire, that they form such unworthy and inconsistent notions of his character. It is because the carnal mind is enmity against God, that the wicked so generally think him to be altogether such an one as themselves.

The subject which has been thus imperfectly illustrated, is of a very practical nature, and may be improved in the following Inferences and Reflections.

1. If it is chiefly with respect to the moral character of God,

that the wicked entertain such erroneous thoughts; we may hence learn how far it is right for men to judge of God by themselves. Gcd is a spirit: and consequently, men can form no idea of him, but through the medium of the powers and operations of their own minds. So far as men are capable of having any clear idea of the Divine Spirit, it must be derived from their acquaintance with their own spirits. It is right, therefore, for men to conclude, that the natural attributes of God resemble the powers and faculties of their own minds, though infinitely superior in degree, and altogether incomprehensible in their mode of operation. It is right to suppose that thought in God, is like thought in man-that knowledge in God, is like knowledge in man-and that volition in God, is like volition in man. The highest and most just idea which men can form of the natural attributes of God, is to suppose them similar to the powers and faculties of their own minds, enlarged to an inconceivable degree, and divested of all weakness and imperfection.

But as to the moral perfections of God, men have no right to judge of them by the exercises of their own hearts, except when their hearts are what they should be, perfectly free from sin. If men had never sinned, they might as safely conclude that the moral perfections of God are like the feelings of their own hearts, as that his natural attributes are like the faculties of their own minds. But, as men are fallen, sinful creatures, it is not safe for them to judge of the moral perfections of God by their own unsanctified feelings. They ought to think that the exercises of God's heart, are similar to what an enlightened conscience and the sacred scriptures teach them, the exercises of their own hearts ought to be. It is only when in the exercise of true holiness, that men have a right to think the feelings of God's heart are similar to those of their own.

2. The proneness of the wicked to think the moral feelings of God like their own, will account for their extreme ignorance of their own hearts. They often imagine that their hearts are holy. They think that their affections and exercises, which originate in self-love, are virtuous and conformed to God. Instead of being sensible of hatred to God, they imagine they have always loved him. There is nothing more difficult, than to convince them that the carnal mind is enmity against God.'

This ignorance of the state of their own hearts may be accounted for by their erroneous thoughts of the divine character.

So long as they think the character of God like their own, they will naturally conclude that their hearts are good. They will never view themselves in a true light, till they see God as he is.

3. It is not unaccountable, that the wicked should sometimes take delight in devotional exercises. This they do, notwithstanding their general indifference and even aversion to prayer aud praise, and every mode of communing with God. God says of the 1sraelites in the days of Isaiah, They seek me daily, and delight to know my ways,' The hypocritical pharisees loved to pray.' And it is so with many of the wicked at this day,

Now this can be accounted for, on the principle laid down in our text. As the wicked think God to be like themselves, they as easily imagine that God loves them, as that they love God. They think their devotional performances very good, and such as God must approve and accept. Whereas if they had just views of the divine character, they would see that their hearts are not right with God, and that their worship is no better than abomination in his sight.

4. It is very important that correct views of God should be communicated to the wicked. Until they think justly of God, they will remain ignorant of themselves, and of the nature of true religion. Some right conceptions of the character of God lie at the foundation of repentance, faith and holy obedience. And since men are so prone to think God a very different being from what he is; too much pains cannot be bestowed in teaching them the true character of the living and true God. This should be the leading object of every minister of the Gospel. In his first sermon to the Athenians, Paul exhibited the divine character; and every minister should do the same, by declaring all his counsel, teaching his universal agency, and unfolding his purposes, works and ways. Unless the preacher thus exhibits the divine character, there is the utmost danger that he will keep his hearers in ignorance of themselves, and be accessory to their eternal ruin.

5. There is reason to apprehend that most of the wicked, at death, meet with a woful disappointment. They generally retain their vain and absurd thoughts of God, as long as they live, and go out of the world, flattering themselves that they shall meet the smiles and enjoy the favor of God in eternity. How, then, must they be disappointed and confounded, when, upon leaving the body, they see God as he is,' in all the glory

of his disinterested benevolence, sovereign mercy, and inflexible justice! What amazement will seize their souls, when they perceive that God is actually such a being as they have ever viewed with utter aversion, as a respecter of persons, and a hard master ? What bitter reflections will they have, upon their past stupidity, ignorance and absurdity? How will their hearts die within them, at the prospect of dwelling forever in the presence, and feeling forever the frowns of that holy and Almighty Being, whom they find to be to them a consuming fire'! Now, consider this, ye that forget God, and form dishonorable thoughts of him. You cannot much longer retain the delusion that he is like yourselves; and it will be a fearful thing to fall, unreconciled, into his hands. Wherefore listen to the conclusions of right reason, the dictates of an enlightened conscience and the instructions of the inspired volume, and 'acquaint now yourselves with God, and be at peace; and thereby good will come unto you forever.'

AMEN.

For the Hopkinsian Magazine.

SOLOMON'S PRAYER FOR AN UNDERSTANDING HEART

Though Solomon took the reins of government into his hands before his father David's death, yet after the death of his father, the people made him king a second time. The principal men in the nation assembled at Gibeon, where they anointed him and inaugurated him into his regal office, with great and peculiar joy and solemnity. On this occasion, Solomon's heart was enlarged with gratitude, and he offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar. This was a sacrifice well pleasing to God, who the night following, appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Ask what Ishall give thee?' This was as great an offer as God could make. It was implicitly saying to Solomon, Extend your views, and enlarge your desires as far as possible, and then ask for what you esteem the most valuable, and most desirable of all blessings. Solomon soberly and humbly reflected upon his nature, and sad situation, and made a request which was expressive of his superior wisdom, and which God more than answered. 'And Solomon said, thou hast shewed unto thy servant David, my father, great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth and in righteousness, and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day. And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king, instead of David my father; and I am but a little child, I know not how to go out or come in. Give

therefore, thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad, for who is able to judge this, thy so great people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding, to discern judgement, Behold I have done according to thy words; and lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart.' If Solomon was the wisest man, we must conclude that he asked for the greatest of all blessings, especially since God was pleased with his request, for he would not have been pleased, if Solomon had made an unwise choice; and it would have been an unwise choice, if he had chosen a less, instead of a greater favor.

Hence we may justly conclude, that a wise and understanding heart, is the greatest favor that men can ask of God. The heart, strictly speaking, consists of moral exercises, which are neither wise nor unwise, seperately considered. But as our Saviour said of an evil eye, that it fills the body with darkness, and of a single eye, that it fills the body with light, so it may be said of an evil heart, that it is unwise, because it makes men act u wisely; and of a good heart, that it is wise and understanding, because it makes men act in a wise and understanding manner. By a wise and understanding heart, therefore, Solomon meant a good, a holy, or a benevolent heart. He did not mean to ask God to give him any new intellectual faculty, or to enlarge those which he had given him. He was come to manhood, or maturity of body and mind, when he prayed for a wise and understanding heart; for his father, before, had called him a wise man. He was at that very time, when he prayed for a wise heart, the wisest man in the world, in point of intellectual powers, and acquired knowledge. It was a good heart, which he desired above every other favor, as necessary to guide and direct all his superior talents, to the most wise and desirable purposes. The understanding does not govern the heart, but the heart governs the understanding. And a good heart always disposes men to employ all their powers and faculties wisely. And for this reason, Solomon esteemed and desired a good heart, above every other favor. And his opinion in this case, met the approbation of God, which is a conclusive evidence that it was justly founded. But to make it more clearly appear that a good heart is the greatest favor that a man can possibly ask or desire, I would observe,

1. That a wise or good heart will always enable men to know their duty. Though Solomon possessed the best abilities, and best information, and had in his hand the sacred oracles, yet he acknowledged that he was like a little child, in point of practical wisdom, and liable to mistake his duty, in his high and important station. And if he was liable to mistake his duty, then surely all men are much more exposed to this evil. In