9.1 A Practical Directory for Young Christian Females by Harvey Newcomb. Letter 9 : Meditation Part 1 - The Character and Attributes of God

Note: As this letter is a listing of subjects for Biblical meditation and contains numerous Scripture references, the text including Newcomb's explanation is included below for your reference.

A Practical Directory For Young Christian Females ; Being a Series of Letters From a Brother to a Younger Sister.  By Harvey Newcomb.

Boston : Massachusetts Sabbath School Society, 1851.

Letter 9 : Meditation, Part 1 - Character and Attributes of God

Read by Kathy Harris.

"I have arranged these subjects in such a manner, that, if taken in course, they will lead to the contemplation of divine truth, with some reference to its proper proportions, although they do not completely cover the ground. Any particular topic, however, can be selected, according to the circumstances or inclination of the individual. Many of the subjects are divided under various heads; and, in some cases, one or two heads may perhaps be found sufficient for one season of meditation."  - Harvey Newcomb, Letter 9.

I. CHARACTER AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.

1. Self-existence—being underived. How this can be proved from reason. How this truth is recognized in Scripture. Ex. 3:14. Rev. 1:8. Jer. 10:10. Dan. 6:26. All other existence derived from him. Ps. 33:6. John 1:3. Col. 1:16, 17. Heb. 11:13.

Practical Reflections. (1.) Ps. 53:1, f.c., (2.) Isa. 29:16, l.c. 45:9, 10. Rom. 9:20, 21. (3.) Ps. c. 3, 4. Isa. 43:7. Dan. 5:23, l.c.

2. Eternity and Immutability of God. How one of these involves the other. How these attributes can be discovered by reason. How by Scripture. Gen. 1:1. Deut. 32:40. Ps. 90:2. 102:24-27. Mal. 3:6. Heb. 13:8. Jas. 1:17. Rev. 1:4. 22:13.

Consider these attributes separately:—(1.) Eternity—being without beginning or end—ever being. (2.) Immutability—subject to no change in his manner of being, his perfections, his thoughts, desires, purposes, or determinations.

Practical Reflections. (1.) How God appears to us in view of these attributes. (2.) How necessary they are to the character of the Supreme Ruler. (3.) How these attributes make God appear to the sinner. (4.) How to holy beings. (5.) What encouragements to prayer. Suppose God were changeable in his character, feelings, and purposes, what confidence could be reposed in his promises? (6.) What feelings these attributes should inspire.

3. Omnipresence and Omniscience of God. (1.) Contemplate knowledge without limit, and presence without bounds. (2.) How these attributes are manifest from the works of creation. (3.) How declared in the Word of God. Ps. 139:1-12. Jer. 23:24. Ps. 147:5. Isa. 40:28.

Solemn Thoughts. (1.) In what light God is manifested by these attributes. (2.) How necessary these attributes to the Supreme Governor and righteous Judge of all. (3.) No individual so small or unimportant as to escape the attention of such a being. Matt. 10:29, 30.

Practical Reflections. (1.) Danger of forgetting or losing a sense of the presence of God. Ps. 9:17. 50:22. (2.) What feelings should be inspired in view of these attributes. Ps. 4:4. Heb. 4:13. (3.) How sinners should feel in view of them. Job 34:21, 22. Prov. 5:21. 15:3. Jer. 16:17. Amos 9:2, 3. (4.) What emotions these attributes should excite in the hearts of God's children. 2 Chron. 16:9, f.c. (5.) How these attributes will appear in the day of judgment.

4. Omnipotence and Independence of God. (1.) How the omnipotence of God is manifested by the works of creation. Job, chapters 38-11. Reflect on the works of creation as a whole, and minutely and particularly, and also how they were made. Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26. (2.) How the independence of God is manifested by his works. Creative power must be underived. (3.) How the omnipotence of God is displayed, in his upholding and governing all things. (4.) How this attribute is declared in Scripture. Gen. 17:1. 18:14. Matt. 19:26. (5.) How omnipotence proves independence.

Practical Reflections. (1.) How God is hereby qualified to be the Supreme Ruler. (2.) The condition of sinners, while they remain at enmity with such a being. Deut. 32:41. (3.) How Christians should {114}feel, in view of this. Ex. 32:32. Rom. 9:2, 3. (4.) What they ought to do. Acts 20:31. Jas. 5:20. Jude 23. (5.) Feelings of those who can view such a being as their Friend and Father. Rom. 8:28, 38, 39. 1 Cor. 3:22, 23. (6.) Appropriate emotions on contemplating the omnipotence of God. Job 11:7, 8. 26:14. Ps. 145.

5. Benevolence of God. God is essentially benevolent. 1 John 4:8. (1.) How the benevolence of God is exhibited to us by the light of reason. (2.) How by his works of creation and providence. (3.) By Revelation. First, by direct assertion. Exod. 34:6. Ps. 145:9. Nah. 1:7. Matt. 5:45. Second, by the character of his law. Ps. 19:7, 8. Matt. 22:37-39. Rom. 7:12. Third, by the work of redemption. John 3:16, 17.

Inferential Thoughts. (1.) The benevolence of God without bounds. (2.) Always active (3.) It constitutes his whole moral character. (4.) A being of infinite benevolence must prefer the greater good to the less, and the supreme good above all. (5.) Such a being must love the same disposition in his creatures, and hate the opposite.

Practical Reflections. (1.) How odious selfishness must be in the sight of God. (2.) Sinners directly opposed in their characters and feelings to God. Exod. 20:5, l.c. Rom. 8:7. (3.) The exceeding great evil of sin, as committed against infinite benevolence. (4.) The ingratitude and baseness of sinners. (5.) What the goodness of God should lead them to. Isa. 30:18. Rom. 2:4. (6.) What emotions the contemplation of the goodness of God should excite in the hearts of his children. Ps. 118. Isa. 63:7. Eph. 5:20. (7.) How we may apprehend the goodness of the Lord. Ps, 107:43.

6. The Justice of God. (1.) What justice is: First, as exercised by intelligent beings, whose relations will admit of mutual giving and receiving; Second, as exercised by a ruler towards his subjects; {115}Third, as relates to all actions, with reference to the general good. (2.) Which of these relations God sustains to the universe. (3.) The disposition which would lead him to act justly in all these cases. (4.) How God is just as respects himself (5.) As respects his creatures. (6.) How the justice of God may be seen from the light of reason, and from the system of his providence. (7.) How from the Sacred History. (8.) The positive declarations of Scripture. Deut. 32:4. Isa. 45:21. Zeph. 3:5. Rev. 15:3. (9.) From the revelation of a future day of righteous retribution. Eccl. 12:14. Acts 17:31. 2 Cor. 5:10.

Practical Reflections. (1.) How, by this attribute, God is qualified to be the Supreme Governor. (2.) How terrible this renders him to the wicked. Exod. 34:7, l.c. Heb. 10:20-29. 12:29. (3.) How suffering the guilty to go unpunished, without satisfaction and reformation, would be doing injustice to the universe. (4.) Why we ought to look with complacency and delight upon this attribute.

7. The Truth of God. (1.) His veracity; or a disposition always to speak according to the real state of things. (2.) Faithfulness; or a disposition to conform his actions to previous declarations of his Word.

(1.) How the truth of God may be proved by reason. First, from his Benevolence. Second, from his Independence and Immutability. Third, from the excellence of truth and the turpitude of falsehood. Fourth, from the estimation in which truth is held by the intelligent creatures he has made.

(2.) How proved from the Scriptures. First, by direct declarations. Exod. 34:6, l.c. Ps. 117:2. 146:6, l.c. Second, by the accordance of the histories recorded in Scripture with the facts substantiated by other evidence. Third, by the predictions of events which have since been fulfilled. Fourth, from the doctrines contained in his Word. Fifth, by the agreement of Scripture with itself. Sixth, by the fulfilment of promises, threatenings, covenants, &c., recorded {116}in his Word. Seventh, other proofs, as they may be suggested to the mind.

Practical Reflections. (1.) How God is qualified by this attribute to be the moral governor of intelligent creatures. (2.) How necessary is faith to acceptance with God. Heb. 11:6. (3.) How odious to a God of infinite veracity must be the sin of unbelief. 1 John 5:10. (4.) How terrible to the wicked this renders the threatenings of God's word. (5.) How valuable his promises to the righteous. (6.) At what an infinite expense God has sustained his truth, while pardoning rebels doomed to die. Ps. 85:10. Rom. 3:26.

8. The Mercy of God. (1.) What mercy is. (2.) Contemplate mercy as a disposition inherent in the Divine character. (3.) The only way in which mercy can be exercised by Him, towards those who have merited anger and punishment, consistent with the moral rectitude of his character, and the great ends of his government. Ps. 85:10. Isa. 53:5, 6, 10. Acts 4:12. 5:31. Rom. 3:25, 26. (4.) How this attribute is manifested in his providence. Matt. 5:45. (5.) How in his Word. Neh. 9:17. Ps. 3:8. Matt. 5:7. Rom. 5:6. (These two may embrace several subdivisions.) (6.) Consider whether by the light of nature we could discover any possible way for God to exercise mercy towards the guilty.

Practical Reflections. (1.) The loveliness and glory of this attribute. (2.) How we should feel in view of it. Ps. 118. (3.) The great guilt and danger of indulging an unmerciful or cruel disposition. Prov. 11:17, l.c. 21:13. Mark 11:26. Jas. 2:13. (4.) The advantage of being merciful. Ps. 18:25. Prov. 11:17, f.c. Matt. 5:7. Mark 11:25.

9. The Wisdom of God. (1.) What wisdom is. How it differs from knowledge. How from cunning or subtilty. Whether that is wisdom which does not design to accomplish a good end. Whether this is a natural or moral attribute, or both. (2.) How the wisdom of God is manifested in the works of creation. {117}Ps. 104. Prov. 3:19. Examine particular objects and see how exactly everything is fitted for the end for which it is designed, and that a good end; such as the seasons; day and night; provision made for the wants and for the comfort and pleasure of men and animals; the body and mind of man; the laws which govern the material world, carried put in a great variety of ways; in the infinite variety, and yet extensive and convenient classification, of objects; human languages; moral agency of intelligent beings, &c. (3.) The wisdom of God, as exhibited in his Word; First, its perfect adaptation to the wants of the world; its variety of authorship, style, matter, manner, &c.; Second, the truths revealed; particularly the plan of redemption. Rom. 11:33.

Practical Reflections. (1.) Ps. 48:14. (2.) The folly of setting up our own reason in opposition to the word of God. Isa. 40:13, 14. Rom. 11:34, 35. (3.) The folly of self-conceit. Prov. 26:12. (4.) From whom all wisdom comes. Prov. 2:6. (5.) What is the only true wisdom. Job 28:28.