The gospel of our creation.
"It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves." This declaration was held to be a gospel. It occurs in a psalm that may well be regarded as a universal psalm. It is not for Jesus only, but for "all people that on earth do dwell." And amongst the reasons wherefore it calls on all to be joyful in the Lord, there is this one—that "it is he that hath made us," etc.
I. NOW, WE CANNOT CONCEIVE OF GOD AS ACTING WITHOUT MOTIVE. And—
II. THEREFORE THERE MUST HAVE BEEN MOTIVE FOR THE CREATION OF MAN. We can trace reasons and evidence of purpose in all God's works, and hence we are sure there must have been such when he created man.
III. AND THIS MOTIVE MUST HAVE BEEN GRACIOUS OR THE REVERSE.
1. It could not have been the reverse; for, whether we look at the structure of man's body, where all seems so adapted to secure health and happiness; or whether we look at man's mind, the source to him of such unspeakable good; or whether we think of man's dwelling place, this earth on which he lives, and which is so stored with all that ministers to his comfort, delight, and well being;—whichever way we turn there is proof abundant that no malignant motive, or any the reverse of gracious, could have prompted the creation of man.
2. Therefore we are shut up to the conclusion that love, grace, goodness, can alone explain what we see all around us and in ourselves.
IV. BUT IF THE MOTIVE WAS A GRACIOUS ONE, WHAT WAS IT? For answer:
1. We look to our own constitution, for that is the nearest idea we can have of God who made us in his own image. And we find:
2. That the purest pleasure springs from love—loving others and being loved by them. Why is home so blessed, but because there they are whom we tenderly love, and who love us in like manner?
3. But love that has stood trial and testing is the most precious of all. If, in spite of every inducement to be untrue to us, love has been faithful, how precious that!
4. But all this reveals the reasons wherefore God hath made us, and placed us where we are. He desired objects on whom he might lavish his love, and who would love him, in whose love is our eternal life. And that love would be more precious and more fruitful unto our eternal life in proportion as it endured test and trial (cf. 1 Peter 1:7). Hence we are born into a world of temptation, for so only can our love be perfected.
5. But such temptation will in no case be greater than we can bear. A father may let his son enter for a contest which he knows his son can and will, if he rightly strive, come out with honour; but he would not let him enter where defeat was certain and inevitable. And so our heavenly Father will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, though what we are able for we have to endure, because it is good for us that we should. He will submit no child of his to what must issue in ultimate defeat. We cannot conceive of his having created us, knowing that that would be the final issue.
V. THEREFORE WE SAY THAT THE FACT OF OUR CREATION BY GOD IS A VERY GOSPEL with which the gospel that "God so loved the world," etc. (John 3:16), fitly and beautifully harmonizes. Yes, we may well be joyful in the Lord, because it is "he that hath made us," etc.—S.C.