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CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY , 
 
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LECTURES 
 
 TO 
 
 PROFESSING CHRISTIANS. 
 
IFORKS BT 
 
 Charles G. Finney 
 
 "A wonderful man he truly was. He prolv 
 ably led more souls to Jesus than any man of his 
 century."^i?r. TAtodore L, Cuyler. 
 
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Lectures to Professing 
 Christians 
 
 By 
 
 CHARLES G. FINNEY 
 
 Autfur tf "Lectures on Revivals of Religion!* 
 "Sermons on Gospel Themes," etc. 
 
 New York Chicago Toronto 
 
 Fleming H. Revell Company 
 
 London and Edinburgh 
 
ComraioHT by E. J. GtooDBiOH, 1878 
 
PUBLISHER'S NOTICE. 
 
 THESE Lectures to Professing Ghristians, by Preri- 
 dent Finney, were delivered in the City of New 
 York during the years 1836 and 1837. 
 
 Notes of them were taken by the editor of the New 
 York Evangelist as they were delivered. They were after- 
 ward revised by the author and printed in book form and 
 many thousands sold. They were also printed in England. 
 The book has been out of print in this country for years. 
 The frequent calls for it, and the hope of increasing the 
 asef ulnesB of these lectures have, led me to give them anew 
 
 to the pnblia 
 
 B. J. O. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 liECTUBE I. 
 Self Deceiven ^ 
 
 n. 
 
 False Profesaon 21 
 
 m. 
 
 Doubtful Actions are Sinful 88- 
 
 .'v 
 
 IV. 
 Beoroof a OhriBtian Duty. 0^ 
 
 V. 
 True Saints 70 
 
 VI. 
 
 Legal Beligion 98^ 
 
 VIL 
 
 Religion of P ublie Opinion lOS* 
 
 VIIL 
 Conformitjr to the World. 128 
 
 IX. 
 True and False Repentance. ■••■ IM 
 
 X. 
 Dishonesty in Small Matters inconsisteist with Honesty in any 
 
 thing • 17* 
 
 XI. 
 Bound to know your true character 181 
 
 xn. 
 
 True and Falsa Conversion ttl 
 
g OONTENTa 
 
 LECTURE Xm. 
 
 PASS. 
 
 Trne SabmisBion 233 
 
 XIV. 
 SelfiahnesB not True Religion.. S61 
 
 XV. 
 Religion of the Law and Goapel 970 
 
 XVL 
 Justification by Faith. ,.,. 283 
 
 XVIL 
 Banctification by Faith 807 
 
 xvm. 
 
 Le^ Experience 820 
 
 ^ 2IX. 
 
 Christian Perfection ^. 8SB 
 
 XX. 
 
 Christian Perfection 884 
 
 TTT , 
 
 Way of Salvation 888 
 
 XXIL 
 Necessity of Divine Teaching. 899 
 
 TYTTT . 
 
 Lore is the Whole of Religion 419 
 
 XXIV. 
 Rest of the Saints ^ 437 
 
 XXV. 
 Christ the Husband of the Chnreh 458 
 
LECTURES. 
 
 SELF DECEIVERS. 
 
 Be ys doen of the word, not heareie only, decolTing your own idTee.— 4 
 Jamea i. 22. 
 
 npHERE are two extremes in religion, equally false ak.d 
 ■*- equally fatal. And there are two classes of hypocrites 
 that occupy these two extremes. The first class make 
 religion to consist altogether in the belief of certain abstract 
 doctrines, or what they call faith, and lay little or no stress 
 on good works. The other class make religion to consist 
 altogether in good works, (I mean, dead works) and lay 
 little or no stress on faith in Jesus Christ, but hope for 
 salvation by their own deeds. The Jews belonged gener- 
 ally to the last-mentioned class. Their religious teachers 
 taught them that they would be saved by obedience to- 
 the ceremonial law. And therefore, when Paul began to 
 preach, he seems to have attacked more especially this error 
 of the JeWs. He was determined to carry the ruaih ques- 
 tion, that men are justified by faith in Jesus Christ, in 
 opposition to the doctrine of the scribes and pharisees, that 
 salvation is by obedience to the law. And be pressed this 
 point so earnestly, in his preaching and in his epistles, 
 that he carried it, and settled the faith of the church in 
 the great doctrine of justification by faith. And then 
 certain individuals in the chlirch laid hold of this doctrine 
 and carried it to the opposite extreme, and maintained 
 
10 SELF DECEIVERS. 
 
 that men are saved by faith altogether, irrespective of 
 works of any kind. They overlooked the plain principle, 
 that genuine faith always results in good works, and is it- 
 self a good work. 
 
 I said that these two extremes, that which makes relig- 
 ion to consist altogether in Outward works and that which 
 makes it consist altogether in faith, are equally false and 
 equally fatal. Those who make religion consist altogether 
 in good works, overlook the fact that works themselves are 
 not acceptable to God unless they proceed from faith. For 
 without faith it is impossible to please him. And those 
 who make, religion consist altogether in faith, overlook the 
 fact that true faith always works by love, and invariably 
 produces the works of love. 
 
 They are equally fatal, because, on the one hand, with- 
 out faith persons cannot be pardoned or justified ; and on 
 the ' other, without sanctification they cannot be fitted 
 either for the employments or enjoyments of heaven. Let 
 a sinner turn from his sins altogether, and suppose his 
 works to be as perfect as he thinks them to be, and yet he 
 could not be pardoned without faith in the atonement of 
 Jesus Christ. And so if any one supposed that he could 
 be justified by faith while his works were evil, he ought to, 
 know that without sanctification his faith is but dead, and 
 cannot even be the instrument of his justification. 
 
 It appears that the apostle James, in this epistle, de- 
 signed to put this matter upon the right ground, and show 
 exactly where the truth lay, and to explain the necessity, 
 and reason of the necessity, of both faith and good works. 
 This epistle is a very practical one, and it meets full in 
 ' the face all the great practical questions of the day, and 
 decides them. 
 
 Doctrines in reUgion are of two classes, those which 
 refer to God, and those which refer to human practice. 
 Many confine their idea of religious doctrines to the for« 
 
SELF DECEIVERS. 11 
 
 mer class. They think nothing is properly called doctrine 
 but what respects God, his attributes, mode of existence, 
 decrees, and so on. When I gave notice that I shoujd 
 commence a course of " Practical Lectures," I hope you 
 did not understand me to mean that the lectutes would 
 not be doctrinal, or would have no doctrine in them. My 
 design is to preach, if the Lord will, a course of lecture* 
 on practical doctrines. The doctrine which I propose to 
 consider now, is this — ^That professor of religion who does 
 not practice what he admits to be true, is self-deceived. 
 
 There are two classes of hypocrites among professors of 
 religion, those that deceive others and those that deceive 
 themselves. One class of hypocrites are those that, under 
 a specious outside of morality and religion, cover up the 
 enmity of their hearts against God, and lead others to 
 think they are very pious people. Thus the pharisees ob- 
 tained the reputation of being remarkably pious, by their 
 outside show of religion, their alms and their long prayers. 
 The other class is that referred to in the text, who do not 
 deceive others but themselves. These are orthodox in 
 sentiment, but loose in practice. They seem to suppose 
 religion to consist in a parcel of notions, without regard 
 to practice,* and thus deceive themselves by thinking they 
 are good Christians while destitute of true holiness. They 
 are hearers of the word but not doers. They love orthodox 
 preaching, and take great pleasure in hearing the abstract 
 doctrines of religion exhibited, and perhaps have flights of 
 imagination and glowing feelings in view of the character 
 and government of God, but they are not careful to prac- 
 tise the precepts of God's word, nor are they pleased with 
 the preaching of those doctrines which relate to human 
 
 practice. 
 
 Perhaps there are some present to-night of both these 
 classes of hypocrites. Now mark I I am not going to 
 preach to-night to those of you who. by great strictness of 
 
18 SELF OECEIVEBB. 
 
 morals and outside show of religion, deceive others. I ad* 
 dress> now, those of jou who do not practise what yon 
 know to be trae-^who are hearers and not doers. Perhaps 
 I had better say, to secure attention, that it is very proba- 
 M», there are a number here now of this character. I do 
 not know yonr names ; bijit I wish yon to understand, that 
 if you are that character, yon are the persons I am speak- 
 ing to, just as if I called out your names. I mean you. 
 You hear the word, and believe it in theory, while you 
 deny it in practice. I say to you, that "you deceive your- 
 selves." The text proves it. , Here you have an express 
 " Thus saith the Lord " for it, that all such characters are 
 eelf-deceivers. I might quote a numb^r of other passages 
 of scripture, that are to the point, and there leave it.' But 
 I wish to call your attention to some other considerations 
 beside the direct scripture testimony. 
 
 In the first place, you do not truly believe the word. 
 Tou hear it, and admit it to be true, but you do not truly 
 believe it. And here let me say, that persons are them- 
 selves liable to deception on this point. Not that their 
 consciousness deceives them, but they do not understand 
 what it is that consciousness testifies. Two things are in- 
 dispensable to evangelical, or saving faith. The first is, 
 intellectual conviction of the truth of a thing. And here 
 I do not mean merely the abstract truth of it, but in its 
 hearing on you. The truth, in its relation to you, or its 
 bearing on your conduct, must be received intellectually. 
 And then true faith includes a corresponding state of the 
 heart. This always enters into the essence of true faith. 
 When a man's understanding is convinced, and he admits 
 the truth in its relation to himself, then there must be a 
 hearty approbation of it in its bearing or relation to him- 
 self. Both these states of mind are indispensable to true 
 faith. Intellectual conviction of the truth is not saving 
 faith. But intellectual conviction, when accompanied with 
 
SELF DECEIVEB& 13 
 
 a corresponding state of the affections, is saving faith. 
 Hence it follows that where there is tme saving faith, there 
 is always corresponding conduct. The conduct always 
 follows the real faith. Just as certain as the will controls 
 the conduct, men will act as they believe. Suppose I say 
 to a man, Do yon believe this? " Yes, I believe it. " What 
 does he mean ? A mere intellectual conviction ? He may 
 have that, and yet not have faith. 
 
 A man may even feel an approbation of an abstract 
 truth. This is what many persons suppose to be faith — the 
 approbation which they feel for the character and govern- 
 ment of God, and for the plan of salvation, when viewed 
 abstractedly. Many persons, when they hear an eloquent 
 sermon on the attributes or government of God, are set all 
 in a glow at the excellency displayed, when they have not 
 a petiole of true faith. I have heard of an infidel, who 
 would be moved even to ecstacy at such themes. The ra- 
 tional mind is so constituted that it naturally and neces- 
 sarily approves of truth when viewed abstractedly. The 
 wickedest devils in hell love it, if they can see it without 
 its relation to themselves. If they could see the gospel 
 without any relation that interferes with their own selfish- 
 ness, they would not only see it to be true, but would 
 heartily approve of it. All hell, if they could view, God in 
 his absolute existence, without any relation to themselves, 
 would heartily approve his character. The reason why 
 wicked men and devils hate God is, because they see him 
 in relation to themselves. Their hearts rise up in rebel- 
 lion, because they see him opposed to their selfishness. 
 
 Here is the source of a grand delusion among men in 
 regard to religion. They see it to be true, and they really 
 rejoice in contemplating it ; they do not enter into its relap 
 tion to themselves, and so they love to hear such preach- 
 ing, and say they are fed by it But mark I They go 
 away and do no) practise. See that man I he is sick, and 
 
14 SELF DECEIVEB8. 
 
 his feelings are tender. In view of Christ, as a kind and 
 tender Savionr, his heart melts and he feels strong emo- 
 tions of approbation towards Jesus Christ. "Why ? For 
 the very same reasons that he would feel strong emotions 
 toward the hero of a romance. But he does not obey 
 Christ He never practises one thing out of obedience to 
 Christ, but views him abstractedly, and is delighted with 
 his glorious and lovely character, while he himself remains 
 in the gall of bitterness. Thus it is apparent that your 
 faith must be an efficient faith, such as regulates your prac- 
 tice and produces good works, or it is not the faith of the 
 gospel, it is no re^ faith at all. 
 
 Again. It is further manifest that you are deceiving 
 yourselves, because all true religion consists in obedience. 
 And therefore, however much you may approve of Christi- 
 anity, you have no religion unless you obey it. In saying 
 that all religion consists in obedience, I do not mean 
 OTJTWAED obedience. But faith itself, true faith, works 
 by love, and produces corresponding action. There is no 
 real obedience but the obedience of the heart ; love is the 
 fulfilling of the law ; and religion consists in the obedience - 
 of the heart, with a corresponding course of life. The 
 man, therefore, who hears the truthy and approves it, and 
 does not practise it, deceiveth himself. He is like the man 
 beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth 
 himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth 
 what manner of a man he was. 
 
 Again. That state of mind which you mistake for re- 
 ligion', an intellectual conviction of truth, and approval of 
 it_in the abstract, so far from being evidence that you are 
 pious, is as common to the wicked as to the good, when- 
 ever thfey can be brought to look at it abstractedly. Thii 
 is the reason why it is often so difficult to convince tin- 
 ners that they are opposed to God and his truth. Men iro 
 BO oonstitated that they' do approve of rirtae, and do 
 
SELF DECEIVERS. IS 
 
 admire the character and goTernment of God, and wonid 
 approve and admire every truth in the Bible, if they could 
 view it abstractedly, and without any relation to them- 
 selves. And when they sit under preaching that holds up 
 the truth in such a way, that it has not much of a practi- 
 cal bearing on themselves, they may sit for years and never 
 consider that they are opposed to God and his government. 
 
 And I am more and more persuaded, that great multi- 
 tudes are to be found in all our congregations, where the 
 abstract doctrines of the gospel are much preached, who 
 like the preaching and like to hear about God, and all these 
 things, and yet are unconverted. And no doubt multi- 
 tudes of them get into the churches, because they love 
 orthodox preaching, when, after all, it is manifest that 
 they are not doers of the word. Anjinere is the difScultyj 
 they have not had that searching preaching that mad© 
 them see the truth in its bearing on themselves. And now 
 they are in the church, whenever the truth is preached in 
 ]ts practical relation to them, they show the enmity of 
 their hearts unchanged, by rising up in opposition to 
 truth. 
 
 They took it for granted that thfey were Christians, and 
 io joined the church, because they could hear sound doc- 
 trinal preaching and approve of it, or because they read 
 the Bible and approved of it. If their faith be not so 
 practical as to influence their conduct, if they do not view 
 the truth in its relation to their own practice, their faith 
 does not affect them so much as the faith ob ihb dbtil. 
 
 BSUABEB. 
 
 1. Great injury has been done by false repreaentatioM 
 regarding the wickedness of real Christians. 
 
 A celebrated preacher, not long since, is said to have 
 given this definition of a Christian — " A little grace and a 
 great deal of devLL" I ntt<ei'ly deny this definition. It ia 
 
16 SELF DECEIVEB& 
 
 false and rainous. A great deal is said that makes an im< 
 pression that real Christians are the wickedest heings on 
 the face of the earth. It is true that when they do sin 
 they incur great guilt. For a Christian to sin is highly 
 criminal. And it is also true that -enlightened Christians 
 see in their sins great wickedness. When they compare 
 their obligations with their lives, they are greatly humbled, 
 and express their humility in very strong language. But 
 it is not true that they are as bad as the devil, or anywhere 
 in theneighborhood of it This is perfectly demonstrable. 
 When they do sin, their sins have great aggravation, and 
 appear extremely wicked in the sight of God. But to sup- 
 pose that men are real Christians while they live in the 
 service of the devil, and have little of even the appearance 
 of religion, is a sentiment that is not only false but of very 
 dangerous tendency. It is calculated to encourage all 
 that class of hypocrites who are Antinomians, and to en- 
 courage backsliders, as well as to do a great injury to the 
 cause of Christ in the estimation of scorners. The truth 
 is, those who dp not obey God are not Christians. The 
 contrary doctrine is ruinous to the churches, by filling' 
 them up with' multitudes whose claim to piety depends on 
 their adoption of certain -notions, while they never heartily 
 intended to obey the requirements of the gospel in their 
 lives. ^ 
 
 2. Those who are so much more zealous for doctrines 
 than for practice, and who lay much more stress on that 
 class of doctrines which relate to God than on that class 
 which relate to their own conduct, are Antinomians. 
 
 There are many who will receive that class of the doc- 
 trines of the Bible that relate to God and approve and love 
 them, w;ho have not a particle of religion. Those who are 
 never " fed," as they call it, on any preaching but that of 
 certain abstract points of doctrine, are Antinomians. They 
 •re the very persona against whom the apostle James wrote 
 
SELF DECBIVBBS. 17 
 
 this epistle. They make religion to consist in a set of no- 
 tions, while they do not lead holy lives. 
 
 3. That class of professors of religion who never like to 
 hear about God or his attributes, or mode of existence, the 
 Trinity, decrees, election, and the like, but lay all stress 
 on religious practice to the exclusion of religious doctrine, 
 are pharisees. 
 
 They make great pretensions to outward piety, and 
 perhaps to inward flights of emotion of a certain poetical 
 cast, while they will not receive the great truths that re- 
 late to God, but deny the fundamental doctrines of the 
 gospel. 
 
 4. The proper end and tendency of all right doctrine, 
 when truly believed, is to produce correct practice. 
 
 Wherever yon find a man's practice heretical, you may 
 oe sure his belief is heretical too. The faith that he holds 
 in his heart is just as heretical as his life. He may not be 
 heretical in his notions and , theories. He may be right 
 there, even on the very points where he is heretical in 
 practice. But he does not really believe it. 
 
 For illustration : See that careless sinner there, graspr 
 ing wealth, and rushing headlong in the search for riches. 
 Does that man truly beheve he is ever going to die ? Per- 
 haps you will say, he knows he^must die. But I say, while 
 he is in this attitude, he does not actually believe he is 
 ever going to die. The subject is one which is not before 
 his thoughts at all. And thus it is, therefore, impossible 
 that he should believe it in his utter thoughtlessness. You 
 ask him if he expect ever to die, and he will reply, " 
 yes, I know I must die ; all men are mortal." As soon as 
 he turns his thoughts to it, he assents to the truth. And 
 if you could fasten the conviction on his mind till he is 
 really and permanently impressed with it, he would-infalli- 
 bly change his conduct, and live for another world instead 
 of this. It ia just so in religipn ; whatever a man reallj 
 
18 SELF DECBIVEBS. 
 
 believes is jnst as certain to control his practice as that tb« 
 will governs the conduct: 
 
 5. The church has for a long time acted too much on 
 the Antinomial policy. 
 
 She has been sticklish for the more abstract doctrines, 
 and left the more practical too much out of view. She 
 has laid greater stress on orthodoxy in those doctrines that 
 are not practical, than in those that are practical. Look 
 at the creeds of the church, and see how they all lay the 
 main stress on those doctrines that have little relation to 
 our practi<2e. A man may be the greatest heretic on points 
 of practice, provided hie is not openly profane and vicious, 
 and yet maintain a good standing in the chnrch, whether 
 his life corresponds with the gospel or not. ^s not this 
 monstrous ? And hence we see that when it is attempted 
 to purify the church in regard to practical errors, she cannot 
 bear it. Why else is it that so much excitement is pro- 
 duced by attempting to clear the church from participa- 
 tion in sins of intemperance, and Sabbath-breaking, and 
 slavery ? Why is it so difficult to induce the church to do 
 anything effectual for the conversion of the world ? Oh, 
 when shall the church be purified, or the world converted? 
 Not till it is a settled point, that heresy in practice is the 
 proof of heresy in belief. Not while a man may deny the 
 whole gospel in his practice every day, and yet maintain 
 his standing in the church as a good Christian. 
 
 6. See how a minister may be deceived in regard to the 
 state of his congregation. 
 
 He preaches a good deal on the abstract doctrines, that 
 io not immediately relate to practice, and his people say 
 they are fed, and rejoice in it, and he thinks they are 
 growing in grace, when in fact it is no certain sigiTthat 
 there is any religion among them. It is manifest that this 
 is not certain evidence. But if when he preaches practi- 
 cal doctrines, his people show that they love the truth ia 
 
SELF DBCBIVEBS. 19 
 
 relation to themselves, and show it by practising it, then 
 they give evidence of real love to the truth. 
 
 If a minister find that his people love abstract doc- 
 trinal preaching, but that when he comes to press the 
 practical doctrines they rebel, he may be sure that if they 
 have any religioui it is in a low state ; and if he find, on 
 fair trial, that he cannot bring them up to i|t, so as to 
 receive practical doctrine, he may be satisfied they have 
 not a particle of religion, but are a mere company of An- 
 tinomians, who think they can go to heaven on a dead faith 
 in abstract orthodoxy. 
 
 7. See what a vast multitude of professors of religion 
 there are who are deceiving themselves. 
 
 Many suppose they are Christians from the emotions 
 they feel in view of the truth, when in fact what they re- 
 ceive is truth presented to their minds in such a way that 
 they do not see its bearing on themselves. If you bring 
 the truth so to bear on them, a^ to destroy their pride and 
 cut them off from their worldliness, such professors resist 
 jt. Look abroad upon the church. See what a multitude 
 of orthodox churches and orthodox Christians live and feed 
 upon the abstract doctrines of religion from year to year. 
 Then look farther at their lives, and see how little influ- 
 ence their professed belief has upon their practice. Havt 
 they saving faith ? It cannot be. I do not mean to saj 
 that none of these church members are pious, but I dt 
 say that those who do not adopt in practice what they ad' 
 mit in theory — who are hearers of the word but not doers, 
 deceive themselves. 
 
 Inquire now how many of you really believe the truths 
 you hear preached. I have proposed to preach a course 
 of " practical " lectures. I do not mean that I shall preach 
 lectures that have no doctrine in them. That is not 
 preaching at all. But what I desire is, to see whether 
 you will, as a church, do what you believe to be true. If 
 
so SELF DEUUXVEB8. 
 
 I do not succeed in convincing jon that any doctrine I 
 may maintain is really true, that is another affair. That 
 is reason enough why you should not do it. But if I do 
 succeed in proving from the scriptures^ and convincing 
 your understanding, that it is true, and yet you do not 
 practice it, I shall then have th^ evidence before my own 
 eyes w^at your character is, and no longer deceive myself 
 with the idea that this is a Christian church. 
 
 Are you conscious that the gospel is producing a prac- 
 tical effect upon, you, according to your advancement in 
 knowledge ? Is it weaning you from the world ? Do you 
 find this to be your experience, that when you receive any 
 practical truth into yoiir minds you love it, and love to 
 feel its application to yourself, and take pleasure in prac- 
 tising it? If yon are not growing in grace, becoming 
 more and more holy, yielding yourselves up to the influ- 
 ence of the gospel, you are deceiving yourselves. How is 
 it now with you who are elders of this church ?" How is 
 it with you who are heads of families — all of yon ? Wheii 
 you hear a sermon, do you seize hold of it and take it 
 home to you, and practise it ? Or do you receive it into 
 your minds, and approve of it, and never pr^tise it? 
 Woe to that man who admits the truth, and yet turns 
 away and does not practise it, like the man beholding his 
 natural face in a glass turning away and forgetting what 
 manner of man he was. 
 
n. 
 
 FALSE PROFESSORS. 
 
 The7 feared the Lord, and lerved their own gods— S Kings ztU. 11. 
 
 WHEN the ten tribes of Israel were carried away cap- 
 tive by the king of Assyria, their places were sup- 
 plied with strangers of different idolatrous nations, who 
 knew nothing of the religion of the Jews. Very soon the 
 wild beasts increased in the country, and the lions de- 
 stroyed multitudes of the people, and they thought it was 
 because they did not know the god of the country, and 
 had therefore ignorantly transgressed his religion, and 
 o^ended him, and he had sent the lions among them as a 
 punishment. So they applied to the king, who told them 
 to get one of the priests of the Israelites to teach them the 
 manner of the god of the land. They took this advice, 
 and obj;ained one of the priests to come to Bethel and 
 teach them the religious ceremonies and modes of worship 
 that had been practised there. And he taught them to 
 fear Jehovah, as the God of that country. But still they 
 did not receive him as the oply God. They feared him ; 
 that is, they feared his anger and his judgments, and to 
 avert these, they performed the prescribed rites. But 
 they "served " their own gods. They kept up their idola- 
 trous worship, and this was what they loved and preferred, 
 though they felt obliged to pay some reverence to Jehovah, 
 as the God of that country. There are still multitudes of 
 persons, professing to fear God, and perhaps possessiug a 
 certain kind of the fear of the Lord, who, nevertheless, 
 serve their own gods— they have other things to which 
 their hearts are supremely devot-ed, and other objects in 
 which they mainly put their trust. 
 
2S FALSE PROFESSORS. 
 
 There are, as yon know, two kinds of fear. There is 
 that fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom, 
 which is founded in love. There is also a slavish fear, 
 which is a mere dread of evil, and is purely selfish. This 
 is the kind of fear which is possessed by those people 
 spoken of in the text. They were afraid Jehovah would 
 send his judgments upon them, if they did not perform 
 certain rites and this was the motive they had for paying 
 him worship. Those who have this fear are supremely 
 selfish, and while they profess to reverence Jehovah, have 
 other gods whom they love and serve. 
 
 There are several classes of persons to whom this is ap- 
 plicable, and my object to-night is to describe some of 
 them, in such a way, that those of you here, who possess 
 this character, may know yourselves, and may see how it 
 is that your neighbors know you and understand your rea. 
 characters. 
 
 To serve a person is to be obedient to the will and de- 
 voted to the interests of that individual. It is not properly 
 called serving where only certain acts are performed, with- 
 out entering into the service of the person ; but to serve, 
 is to make it a business to do the will and promote the in- 
 terest of the person. To serve God is to make religion the 
 main business of life. It is to devote one's self, heart, 
 life, powers, time, influence, and all, to promote the inter- 
 ests of God, to build up the kingdom of God, and to ad- 
 vance the glory of God. iWho are they who, while they 
 profess to fear the Lord, serve their own gods ? 
 
 I answer, first, all those of you who have not heartily 
 and practically renounced the ownc^rship of your posses- 
 sions, and given them up to God. 
 
 It is self-evident that if you have not done this, you are 
 not serving God. Suppose a gentleman were to employ a 
 clerk to take care of his store, and suppose the clerk were 
 to continue to attend to his own business, and when asked 
 
FALSE PROFESSORS. 23 
 
 to do what is necessary for his employer, who pays him his 
 wages, he should reply, " I really have so much business 
 of my own to attend to, that I have no time to do these 
 things ; " would not everybody cry out against such a ser- 
 vant, and say he was not serving his employer at all, his 
 time is not his own, it is paid for, and he but served him- 
 self ? So where a man has not renounced the ownership 
 of himself, not only in thought, but practically, he has not 
 taken the first lesson in religion. He is not serving the 
 Lord, but serving his own gods. 
 
 2. That man who does not make the business in which 
 he is engaged a part of his religion, does not serve God. 
 
 You hear a man say, sometimes, I am so much engaged 
 all day in the world, or in worldly business, that I have 
 not time to serve God. He thinks he serves God a little 
 while in the morning, and then attends to his worldly 
 business. That man, you may rely on it, left his religion 
 where he said his prayers. He is willing, perhaps, to give 
 God the time before breakfast, before he gets ready to go 
 to his own business ; but as soon as that is over, away he 
 goes to his own work. He fears the Lord enough, perhaps, 
 to go through his prayers night and morning, but he serves 
 his own gods. That man's religion is the laughing stock 
 of hell ! He prays very devoutly, and then, instead of en- 
 gaging in his business for God, he is serving himself. No 
 doubt the idols are well satisfied with the arrangement, 
 but God is wholly displeased. 
 
 3. But again : Those of you are serving your own gods, 
 who devote to Jehovah that which costs you little or noth- 
 
 There are many who make religion consist in certaia 
 acts of piety that do not interefere with their selfishness. 
 You pray in the morning in your family, because you can 
 do it then very conveniently, but do not sufEer the service 
 of Jehovah to interfere with the service df your gods, or to 
 
21 FALSE PB0FESS0B3. 
 
 stand in the way of your getting rich, or eiijoying the 
 world. The gods you serve make no complaint of being 
 slighted or neglected for the service of Jehovah. 
 
 i. All that class are serving their own gods, who sup- 
 pose that the six days of the week belong to themselveB, 
 and that the Sabbath only is God's day. 
 
 There are multitudes who suppose that the week is 
 man's time; and the Sabbath only God's, and that they have 
 a right to do their own work during the week, and to serve 
 themselves, aiid promote their own interests, if they will 
 only keep the Sabbath strictly, and serve God on th6 Sab- 
 bath. For instance : a celebrated preacher, in illustrating 
 the wickedness of breaking the Sabbath, used this illustra- 
 tion — " Suppose a man, having seven dollars in his pocket, 
 should meet a beggar in great distress, and give him six 
 dollars, keeping only one for himself ; and the beggar, 
 seeing that he retained one dollar, should return and rob 
 him of that; would not every heart despise his baseness?" 
 You see it embodies this idea — that it is very ungrateful 
 to break the Sabbath since God has given to men six days 
 for their own, to serve themselves, and only reserved the 
 Sabbath to himself, and Jo rob God of the seventh day is 
 base ingratitude. ^ 
 
 You that do this do not serve God at all. If you are 
 selfish during the week, you are selfish altogether. To 
 suppose you had any real piety would imply that you were 
 converted every Sabbath and unconverted every Monday. 
 If a man would serve hiinself all the week and reaUy pos- 
 «ess religion on the Sabbath, he requires to be converted 
 for it. But is this the idea of the Sabbath, that it is a day 
 to serve God in exclusive of other days ? Is God in need 
 of your services on the Sabbath to keep' his work on ? 
 God requires all your services as much on the six days aa 
 on the Sabbath, only he has appropriated the Sabbath t» 
 peculiar duties, and required its observance as a day of 
 
FALSE PROFESSORS. " .25 
 
 rest from bodily toil and from those fatiguing cares and 
 labors tbat concern the present world. But because God 
 Dses means in accomplishing his purposes, and men have 
 t)odies as well as souls, and the gospel is to be spread an(i 
 sustained by the things of this world, therefore God re- 
 quires you to work all the six days at your secular employ- 
 ments. But it is all for his service, as much as the wor- 
 ship of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is no more given for 
 the service of God than Monday. You have no more right 
 to serve yourselves on Monday than you halve on the Sab- 
 bath. If any of you have thus considered the matter, and 
 imagined that the six days of the week were your own 
 time, it shows that you are supremely selfish. I beg of 
 you not to consider that in prayer and on the Sabbath you 
 are serving God at all, if the rest of the time you are con- 
 sidered as serving yourself. You have never known the 
 radical principle of serving the Lord. 
 
 6. Those are serving themselves, or their own gods, who 
 will not make any sacrifices of personal ease and comfort 
 in religion. 
 
 For instance, there are multitudes who object to free 
 churches on this ground, that they require a sacrifice of 
 personal gratification. VThey talk like this : " We wish to 
 sit with our families ; " or, " We want our seats cushioned," 
 or " We always like to sit in the same place." They admit 
 that free churches are necessary, in order to malce the gos- 
 pel accessible to the thousands that are going to hell in this 
 city. But they cannot make these little sacrifices, tp throw ^ 
 open the doors of God's house to this mass of impenitent 
 dnners. 
 
 These little things ofien indicate most clearly the state 
 of men's hearts. Suppose your servant were to say, " I 
 cannot do this," or " I cannot do that," because it inter- 
 feres with his personal ease and comfort. He cannot do 
 this because he likes to sit on a cushion and work. Or he 
 
26 ^ FALSE PBOFESSOBB. 
 
 cannot do. that because it would separate him from hia 
 family an hour and a half. What 1 is that doing service t 
 When a man enters into service he gives up his ease and 
 comfort for the interest and at the will of his employer. 
 Is it true that any man is supremely devoted to the service 
 of God, when he shows that his own ease and comfort, are 
 dearer than the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and that he 
 would sooner sacrifice the salvation of sinners than sic on a 
 hard seat, or be separated from his family an hour or two ? 
 
 6. Those are serving their own gods, who give their 
 time and money, when they do give, grudgingly, by con- 
 straint, and not of a ready mind, and with a cheerful 
 heart. 
 
 What would you think of your servant, if you had to 
 dun or drive him all the time, to do anything for your in- 
 terest ? Would you not say he was an eye-servant ? How 
 many people there are, who when they do anything on ac- 
 count of religion, do it grudgingly. If they do anything, 
 it comes hard. If you go to one of these characters, and 
 want his time or his money for any religious object it is 
 difficult to get him engaged. It seems to go across the 
 grain and is not easy or natural. It is plain he does not 
 consider the interests of Christ's kingdom the same with 
 his own. He may make a show of fearing the Lord, but 
 he " serves " some other godsof his own. 
 
 7. Those who are always ready to ask how little they 
 may do for religion rather than how much they may do, 
 are serving their own gods. 
 
 There are multitudes of persons who seem always to 
 ask how little they can get along with in what they do for 
 God. You hear such a man making up his accounts of 
 profit and loss — " So much made this year — then so much 
 it costs for charity^ao much obliged to give for religion " 
 (OBLIQBD to give for the interests of religion !) — " and so 
 much lost by fire> and so much by bad debts," and so on. 
 
FALSE PROFESSOBS. 27 
 
 Is that man serving God ? It is a simple matter of fact 
 that you have never set your hearts on the object of pro- 
 moting religion in the world. If you had, you would ask. 
 How much can I do for this object and for that ? Can- 
 not I do so much^or so much — or so much ? 
 
 8. They who are laying up wealth for their families, to 
 elevate and aggrandize them, are serving gods of their own, 
 and not Jehovah. 
 
 Those who are thus aiming to elevate their own families 
 into a different sphere, by laying up wealth for them, show 
 that they have some other object to live for than bringing 
 this world under the authority of Jesus Christ. They have 
 other gods to serve. They may pretend to fear the Lord, 
 but they "serve " their own gods. 
 
 9. Those who are making it their object to accumulate, 
 so much property that they can retire from business and 
 live at ease, are serving their own gods. , 
 
 There are many persons who profess to be the servants 
 of God, but are eagerly engaged in gathering property, and 
 calculating to retire to their country seat by-and-by, and 
 live at their ease. What do you mean ? Has God given 
 you a right to a perpetual Sabbath, as soon as you have 
 made so much money ? Did God tell you, when you pro- 
 fessed to enter his service, to work hard so many years, 
 and then you might have a perpetual holiday ? Did he 
 promise to excuse you after that from making the most 
 of your time and talents, and let you live at ease the rest 
 of your days ?, If your thoughts are set upon this notion, 
 I tell you, you are not serving God but your own selfish- 
 ness and sloth.- 
 
 10. Those persons are serving their own gods who would 
 sooner gratify their appetites than deny themselves things 
 that are unnecessary, or even hurtful, for the sake of doing 
 good. 
 
 You find persons that greatly love things that do them 
 
S8 FALSE PB0FBSS0B8. 
 
 bo good, and others even form an artificial appetite for a 
 thing positively loathsome, and after it they will go, and 
 no arguments will prevail upon them to abandon it for the 
 Bake of doing good. Are such persons absorbed in the eer- 
 vice of God ? Certainly not. Will they sacrifice their 
 lives for the kingdom of God ? Why you cannot make 
 them even give up a quid of tobacco ! a weed that is in- 
 jurious -to health and loathsome to society ; they cannot 
 give it up, were it to save a soul from death 1 
 
 Who does not see that selfishness predominates in such 
 persons? It shows the astonishing strength of selfishness, 
 You often see the strength of selfishness showing itself in 
 some such little thing more than in things that are greater. 
 The real state of a man's mind stands out, that self -grati- 
 fication is the law of his- life, so strongly, that it will not 
 give place, even in a trifie, to those great interests, for 
 which he ought to be willing to lay down his life. 
 
 11. Those persons who are most readily moved to action 
 by appeals to their own selfish interests, show that they 
 are serving their own gods. 
 
 You see what motive influences such a man. Sup- 
 pose I wish to get him to subscribe for building a church, 
 what^ must I urge ? Why, I must show how it will im- 
 prove the value of his property, or advance his party, or 
 gratify his selfishness in some o'ther ws|y. If he is more 
 excited by these motives, than he is by a desire to save per- 
 ishing souls and advance the kingdom of Christ, you see 
 that he has never given himself up to serve the Lord. He 
 is still serving himself. He is more influenced by his sel- 
 fish interests than by all those benevolent principles on 
 which all religion turns. The character of a true servant 
 of God is right opposite to this. 
 
 Take the case of two servants, one devoted to his mas- 
 ter's interests, and the other having no conscience or con- 
 cern but to secure his wages. Go to one, and he throwi 
 
FALBB PBOFEBSOBS. 39 
 
 into the shade all personal considerations, and enlists with 
 heart and soul in achieving the object. The other will not 
 act unless you present some selfish motive ; unless, you say, 
 "Do so, and I will raise your wages or set you up in busi- 
 ness," or the like. Is there not a radical difierence between 
 these two servants P Is not this^an illustration of what actu< 
 ally takes place in our churches ? Propose a plan of doing 
 good that will cost nothing, and they "will all go for it. 
 But propose a plan which is going to affect their personal 
 interest — to cost money, or take up time in a busy sea- 
 son, and you will_see they begin to divide. Some hesitate; 
 some doubt ; some raise objections ; and some resolutely 
 refuse. Some enlist at once, because they see it will do 
 great good. Others stand back till you devise some means 
 to excite their selfishness in its favor. What causes the 
 difference ? Some of them are serving their own gods. 
 
 12. Those are of this character, who are more interested 
 in other subjects than in religion. • 
 
 If you find them more ready to talk on other subjects, 
 more easily excited by them, more awake to learn the 
 news, they are serving their own gods. What multitudes 
 are more excited by the bank question, or the question 
 about war, or about the fire," or anything of a worldly na- 
 ture, than about revivals, missions, or anything connected 
 with the interests of religion. You find them all engaged 
 about politics or speculation ; but if you bring up the sub- 
 ject of religion, — ah, they are afraid of excitement 1 and 
 talk about animal feeling !— showing that religion is not the 
 Subject that is nearest their hearts. A man is always most 
 ...easily excited on that subject that lies nearest his heart. 
 -Bring that, up, and he is interested. When you' can talk 
 • early and late albout the news and other worldly topics, and 
 when you cannot possibly be interested in the subject of 
 teligion, yon know that your heart is not in it ; and if you 
 pretend to be a servant of God, you are a hypocrite. 
 
so FALSB PBOTBSSOHS. 
 
 13. When persons are more jealoas for their own fame 
 than for God's glory, it shows that they live for themselTes^ 
 and serve their own gods. 
 
 You see a man more vexed or grieved by what is said 
 against him than against God ; whom docs he serve ? — ^who 
 is his God, himself or Jehovah ? There is a minister 
 thrown into a fever because somebody has said a word 
 derogatory to his scholarship, or his dignity, or his infalli- 
 bility, while he is as cool as ice at all the indignities thrown 
 upon the blessed God. Is that man a follower of Paul, will- 
 mg to be considered a fool for the cause of Christ ? Did 
 that man ever take the first lesson in religion ^? If he had, 
 he would rejoice to have his name cast out as evil for the 
 cause of religion. No, he is not serving God ; he is serving 
 his own gods. 
 
 14. Those are serving their own gods, who are notmak- 
 mg the salvation of souls the great and leading object of 
 their lives. 
 
 The end of all religious institution^, that which gives 
 value to them all, is the salvation of sinners. The end for 
 which Christ lives, and for which he has left his church in 
 the world, is the salvation of sinners. This is the business 
 which God sets his servants about, and if any man be not 
 doing this, us his business — as the leading and main object 
 of his life, he is not serving Jehovah, he is serving his own 
 gods. 
 
 15. Those who are doing but little for God, or who 
 bring but little to pass for God, cannot properly be said to 
 serve him. 
 
 Suppose you ask a professed servant of God. ""What 
 are you doing for God ? Are you bringing anything to 
 pass ? Are you instrumental in the conversion of any sin- 
 ners ?_ Are you making impressions in favor of religion,, 
 or helping forward the cause of Christ ? " He replies, 
 " Why I do not know, — ^I have a hope ; I sometimes think 
 
FALSE PROFESSORS. SJ 
 
 I do love God ; but I do not know that I am doing any- 
 thing in particular at present." Is that man serving God ? 
 r-or is he serving his own gods ? "I talk to sinners some- 
 times, " he says, "but they do not seem to feel much." 
 Then you do not feel. If your heart be not in it, no 
 wonder you cannot make sinners feel. Whereas, if you 
 do your duty, with your heart in the work, sinners cannot 
 help feeling. 
 
 16. Those who seek for happiness in religion, rather 
 than for usefulness, are serving their own gods. 
 
 Their religion is entirely selfish. They want to enjoy 
 religion, and are all the while inquiring how they can get 
 happy frames of mind, and how they can be pleasurably 
 excited in religious exercises. And they will go only to 
 such meetings, and sit only under such preaching, as will 
 make them happy j never asking the question whether 
 that is the way to do the most good or not. Now, suppose 
 your servant should do so, and be constantly contriving 
 how to enjoy himself, and if he thought he could be most 
 happy in the parlor, stretched on the sofa, with a pillow 
 of down under his head, and another servant to fan him, 
 .refusing to do the work which you set him about, and 
 which yonr interest urgently requires ; instead of manifes- 
 ting a desire to work for you, and a solicitude for your 
 interest,, and a willingness to lay himself out with all his 
 powers, in your service, he wants only to be happy I It is 
 just so with those professed servants of Jehovah, who want 
 to do nothing but sit on their handsome cushion, and have 
 their minister feed them. Instead of seeking how to do 
 ,good, they are only seeking to be happy. Their daily 
 prayer is not, like that* of the converted Saul of Tarsus, 
 "Lord what wilt thou have me to do ? " but, " Lord, tell 
 me how I can be happy." Is that the spirit of Jesus 
 Christ ? No, he said, " I delight to do thy will. God." 
 la that the spirit of the apostle Paul ? No, he threw off 
 
22 FALSE PBOFESSOB3. 
 
 his upper garments at once, and made his arms bare for 
 the field of labor. 
 
 17. Those who make their own salvation their supreme 
 object in religion, are serving their own gods. 
 
 There are multitudes in the churqh,who show by their 
 conduct, and even avow in their language, that their lead- 
 ing object is to secure their own salvation, and their grand 
 determination is to get their own souls planted on the firm 
 battlements of the heavenly Jerusalem, and walk the 
 golden fields of Canaan above. If the Bible is not in error 
 all suoh characters will go to hell. Their religion is pure 
 selfishness. And " he that will save his life shall lose it, 
 and he that will lose his life for my sake, shall save it." 
 
 BSUABES. 
 
 1. See why so little is accomplished in the world fo? 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 It is because there are so few that do anything for it. 
 It is because Jesus Christ has so few real servants in the 
 world. How many professors do you suppose there are in 
 this church, or in your whole acquaintance, that are really 
 at work for God, and making a business of religion, and 
 laying themselves out to advance the kingd6m of Christ ? 
 The reason why religion advances no faster is, that there 
 are so few to advance it, and so many to hinder it. You 
 see a parcel of people at a fire, trying to get out the goods 
 of a store. Some are determined to get out the good,s, but 
 the rest are not engaged about it, and they divert their 
 attention by talking about other things, or positively hin- 
 der them by finding fault with their way of doing it, or by 
 holding them back. So it is in the church. Those who 
 are desirous of doing the work are gi'eatly hiiidered by the 
 backwardness, the cavils, and the positive resistance of the 
 rest 
 
FALSE FBOFESSOBS. 33 
 
 2. See why so few Christians have the spirit of prayer. 
 How can they have the spirit of prayer ? What should 
 
 God give them the spirit of prayer for ? Suppose a man 
 engaged in his worldly schemes, and that God should give 
 that man the spirit of prayer. Of course he would pray 
 for that which lies nearest his heart ; that is, for success 
 in his worldly schemes, to serve his own gods with. Will 
 God give him the spirit of prayer for such purposes ? — 
 Never. Let him go to his own gods for a spirit of prayer, 
 out let him not expect Jehovah to bestow the spirit of 
 prayer, while he is serving his own gods. 
 
 3. You see that there are a multitude of professors of 
 religion that have not begun to be religious yet. 
 
 Said a man to one of them, Do you feel that your 
 property and your business are all God's, and do you hold 
 and manage them for God ? "0, no, " said he, "I have 
 not got so far as that yet." Not got so far as that ! That 
 man had been a professor of religion for years, and yet 
 had not got so far as to consider his property, and busi 
 ness, and all. that he had, as belonging to God ! No doubt 
 he was serving his own gods. For I insist upon it, that 
 this is the very beginning of religion. What is conversion, 
 but turning from the service of the world to the service of 
 God 3 And yet this man had not found out that he was 
 God's servant. And he seemed to think he was getting a 
 great way in religion, to feel that all he had was the 
 Lord's. 
 
 4. It is great dishonesty for persons to profess to serve 
 the Lord, and yet in reality serve themselves. 
 
 Yon who are performing religious duties from selfish 
 motives are in reality trying to make God your servant. 
 If your own interest be the supreme object, aU your relig- 
 ious services are only desires to induce God to promote 
 your interests. Why do you pray, or keep the Sabbath, 
 OK give your property for religious objects ? You answer. 
 
34 FALSE PROFBSSOES. 
 
 " For the sake of promoting my own salvation." Indeed I.* 
 Not to glorify God, but to get to heaven I Do not you' 
 think the devil would do all that, if he thought he could 
 gain his end hy it— and be a devil still ? The highest^ 
 fifcyle of selfishness must be to get God with all his attrir 
 butes, enlisted in the service of your mighty self. 
 
 And now, my hearers, where are you all? Are you: 
 serving Jehovah, or are you serving your own gods ? How 
 have you been doing these six months that I have been ab- 
 sent ? Havejou done anything for God ? Have you been 
 living as servants of God ? Is Satan's kingdom weakened 
 by what you have done ? Could you say now, " Come 
 with me, and I will show you this and that sinner con- 
 verted, or this and that backslider reclaimed,or this and 
 that weak saint strengthened and aided ?" Could you 
 oring living witnesses of what you have done in the service 
 of God ? Or would your answer be, ''I have been to meet- 
 ing regularly on the Sabbath, and heard a great deal of 
 good preaching, and I have generally attended the prayer 
 meetings, and we had some precious meetings, and I have 
 prayed in my family, and twice or thrice a day in my 
 closet, and read the Bible." And in all that you have 
 been merely passive, as to anything done for God. You 
 have feared the Lord, and served your own gods. 
 
 " Yes, but I have sold so many goods, and made so 
 much money, of which I intend to give a tenth to the mis- 
 sionary cause." Who hath required this at your hand, 
 instead of saving souls ? Going to send the gospel to the 
 heathen, and letting sinners right under your own eyes go 
 down to hell 1 Be not deceived. If you loved souls; if 
 you were engaged to serve God; you would think of souls , 
 here, and do the work of God here. What should we 
 think of a missionary going to the heatheuj^who had never 
 eaid a word to sinners around him at home ? Does he 
 love souls ? There is burlesque in the idea of sendins' such 
 
FALSE FBOFESSOBB. 35 
 
 a man to the heathen. The man that will da nothing at 
 home is not fit to go to the heathen. And he that pretends 
 to he getting money for missions while he will not try to 
 save sinners here, is an outrageous hypocrite. 
 
in 
 
 DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ABE SINFUL. 
 
 B« that doobtetb 1b damned If he eat, becanse he eateth not of faith ; tot 
 vbatsoever is not of faith Is sin.— Rohahs xiv. 23. 
 
 IT was a custom among the idolati'ous heathen to offer 
 the bodies of slain beasts in sacrifice. A part of every 
 beast that was offered belonged to tlie priest. The priests 
 used to send their portion to market to sell,, and' it was sold 
 in the shambles as any other meat. The Christian Jews, 
 that were scattered everywhere were very particular as to 
 what meats they ate, so as not even to run the least danger 
 of violating the Mosaic law, and they raised doubts, and 
 created disputes and difficulties among the churches. This 
 was one of the subjects about which the church of Corinth, 
 was divided and agitated, until they finally wrote to the 
 apostle Paul for directions. A part of the First Epistle to 
 the Corinthians was doubtless written as a reply to such: 
 inquiries. It seems there were some who carried their 
 scruples so far that they thought it not proper to eat any 
 meat ; for if they went to market for it, they were continu- 
 ally in danger of buying that which was offered to idols,. 
 Others thought it made flo difference ; thfey had a right to 
 eat meat, and they would buy it in the market as they 
 found it, and give' themselves no trouble about the matter. 
 To quell the dispute, they wrote to Paul, and in chapter 
 viii, he takes up the subject and discusses it in full. 
 
 "Now, as touching things offered unto idol^ we know 
 that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but 
 charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoWeth 
 anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 
 Btffc if any man love God, the same is known of him. As 
 
DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ARE SINFUL. 37 
 
 eoncerning therefore the eating of those things that are 
 offered in sacrifice unto idols, we knotr that an idol is 
 nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but 
 one. For though there be that are called gods, whethef 
 in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords 
 many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of 
 whom are all things, and we in him ; and one Lord Jesus 
 Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Howbeit 
 there is not in every man that knowledge ; for some with 
 Gonscienee of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing 
 offered unto an idol ; and their conscience, being weak, is 
 defiled. 
 
 " His conscience is defiled," that is, he regards it as a 
 meat offered to an idol, and is really practising idolatry 
 The eating of meat is a matter of total indifference, in 
 itself. 
 
 •' But meat commendeth us not to God ; for neither if 
 we eat are we the better ; neither if we eat not, are we the 
 worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of 
 yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak. 
 For if any man see thee, which hast knowledge, sit at meat 
 in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which 
 is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols ; 
 and through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish 
 for whom Christ died ? " 
 
 Although they might have a suificient knowledge on the 
 subject to know that an idol is nothing, and cannot make 
 any change in the meat itself, yet if they should be seen 
 eating meat that was known to have been offered to an idol, 
 those who were weak might be, emboldened by it to eat the 
 sacrifices as such, or as an act of worship to the idol, sup- 
 posing all the while that they were but following the ex- 
 ample of their more enlightened brethren. 
 
 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound 
 their weak conscience, ye sin against Ghrist. " Where- 
 
88 DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ARE SINFUL. 
 
 fore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no mora 
 flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to 
 offend." 
 
 This is his benevolent conclusion, that he wojild rather 
 forego the use of flesh altogether than be the occasion of 
 drawing a weak brother away into idoMry. For, in fact,- 
 to sin BO against a weak bi'other is to sia against Christ., 
 
 In writing to the Bomans he takes up the same sub- 
 ject — the same dispute had existed there. - After laying 
 down some general maxims and principles, he gives this 
 rule : ,, 
 
 "Him that is weak in faith receive ye, but not to 
 doubtful disputation. For one believeth that he may eat 
 all thiixgs ; another who is weak, eateth herbs." 
 
 There were some among them who chose to live en- 
 tirely on vegetables, rather than run the risk of buying in 
 the shambles flesh which had been offered in sacrifice to 
 idols. Others ate their flesh as usual, buying what was 
 offered in market, asking no questions for conscience' 
 sake. Those who lived on vegetables charged the others 
 with idolatry. And those that ate flesh accused the others 
 of superstition and weakness. This was wrong. 
 
 " Let not- him that eateth, despise him that eateth 
 not ; and let not him which eateth not, judge him that 
 eateth ; for God hath received him. Wjio art thou that 
 judgest another man's servant ? to his own master he 
 standeth or falleth ; yea, he shall be holden up ; for God 
 is able to make him stand." 
 
 There was also a controversy about observing the Jew- 
 ish festival days and holy days. A part supposed that God 
 required this, and therefore they observed them. The 
 others neglected them because they supposed God did not 
 require the observance. 
 
 " One man esteemeth one day above another ; another 
 esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fullv ner- 
 
DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ARE SINFUL. 80 
 
 Buaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, re- 
 , gardeth it unto the Lord ; and he that regardeth -not the 
 day, io the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, 
 eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he 
 that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth 
 Qod thanks. For none of ns liveth to himself, and no 
 ■ man dieth to himself. For whether we lire, we live unto 
 the Lord ; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord : 
 whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For 
 to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that 
 he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why 
 "dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at 
 nought thy brother ? for we shall all stand before the 
 I'udgment-seat of Christ. For as it is written, As I live, 
 gaith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every 
 tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall 
 give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore, 
 judge one another any more : but judge this rather, that 
 no man put a stumbling-block, or an occasion to fall in his 
 brother's way," 
 
 Now mark what he says. 
 
 " But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now 
 walkest thou not charitably : destroy not him with thy 
 meat, for whom Christ died." 
 
 That is, I know that the distinction of meats into clean 
 and unclean, is not binding under Christ, but to him that 
 believes in the distinction, it is a crime to eat indiscrimin- 
 ately, because he does what he believes to be contrary 
 to the commands of God. " All things indeed are pure, 
 but it is evil to him that eateth with offence." Every 
 nian should be persuaded in his own mind, that what 
 he is doing is right. If a man eat of meats called unclean, 
 not being clear in his mind that it is right, he offends 
 God. 
 
 " It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor 
 
40 DOUBTFUL ACTIONS AKB SINFUL. 
 
 any thing whereby thy brother stmnbleth, or is offended, ■ 
 or is made weak." 
 
 This is a very useful hint to those wine-bibbers and lieer- 
 guzzlers, who think the cause of temperance is going to be 
 ruined by giving up wine and beer, when it is notorious, 
 to every person of the least observation, ithat these things 
 are the greatest hinderanceto the cause all over the country, 
 
 " Hast thou faith ? have it to thyself before God. ■ 
 Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing 
 ,which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if 
 he eatj because he eateth not of faith ; for whatsoever is 
 not of faith is sin." 
 
 The word rendered damned means condemned, or ad- 
 judged guilty of breaking the law of God. If a man 
 doubts whether it is lawful to do a thing, and while in that 
 state of doubt, he does it, he displeases God, he breaksi^he 
 law and is condemned whether the thing be in itself right 
 or wrong. I have been thus particular in explaining, thai' 
 text in its connection with the context, because I wished'^ 
 fully to satisfy your minds of the correctness of the prin- 
 ciple laid down — That if a man does that of which he 
 doubts the lawfufeess, he sins, and is condemned for it in 
 the sight of God. - 
 
 Whether it is lawful itself, is not the question, If he 
 doubts its lawfulness, it is wrong in him. 
 
 There is one exception which ought to be noticed here, 
 and that is, where a man as honestly and fully doubts the 
 lawfulness of omitting to do it as he does the lawfulness of 
 doing it. President Edwards meets this exaotly-in ^his 
 39th resolution : 
 
 " Eesolved, never to do any thing that I so much ques- 
 tion the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, 
 to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful 
 or not : except I as much question the lawfulness of the 
 
DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ARE SINFUL. H 
 
 A man may have eqnal doubts whether he is bound to 
 do a thing or not to do it. Then all that can be said is, 
 that he must act according to the best light he can get. 
 But where he doubts the lawfulness of the act, but has no 
 cause to. doubt the lawfulness of the omission, and yet does 
 it, he sins and is condemned before God, and must repent 
 w be damned. In further examination of the subject, I 
 propose, 
 
 I. To show some reasons why a man is criminal for 
 doing that of which he doubts the lawfulness. 
 
 II. To show its application to a number of specific 
 cases. 
 
 III. Offer a few inferences and remarks, as time may 
 allow. 
 
 I. I am to show some reasons for the correctness of the 
 principle laid down in the text — ^that if a man does that 
 of which he doubts the lawfulness, he is condemned. 
 
 1. One reason why an individual is condemned if he 
 does that of which he doubts the lawfulness, is — That if 
 God so far enlightens his mind as to make him doubt the 
 lawfulness of an act, he is bound to stop there and examine 
 the question and settle it to his satisfaction. 
 
 To illustrate this : suppose your child is desirous of 
 doing a certain thing, or suppose he is invited by his com- 
 panions to go somewhere, and he doubts whether you 
 would be willing, do you not see that it is his duty to ask 
 you ? If one of his schoolmates invites him home, and he 
 doubts whether you would like it, and yet goes, is not this 
 palpably wrong ? 
 
 Or suppose a man cast away on a desolate island, where 
 he finds no human being, and he takes up his abode in a 
 solitary cave, considering himself as all alone and destitute 
 of friends, or relief, or hope ; but every morning he finds 
 a supply of nutritious and wholesome food prepared for 
 him, and set by the mouth of his cave, suflBeient for hii 
 
42 ' DOUBTFUL ACTIONS AHE SINFUL. 
 
 wants that day. What is his duty ? Do you say, he does 
 not know thait there is a being on the island, afid therefore 
 he is not under obligations to any one ? Does not grati- 
 tude, on the other hand, require him to search and find 
 out bis unseen friend, and thank him for his kindness ? 
 He cannot say, " I doubt whether there is aiiy being here, 
 and therefore will do nothing but eat my allowance and 
 take my ease, and care for nothing." His not searching; 
 for his benefactor would of itself convict him of as desper^^ 
 ate wickedness of heart, as if he knew who it was, and 
 refused to return thanks for the favors receive^. 
 
 Or suppose an Atheist opens his eyes on this blessed 
 light of heaven, and breathes this air, sending health and 
 vigor through his frame. Here is evidence enough of the 
 being of God to set him on the inquiry after that Great 
 Being who provides all these means of life and happinesis; 
 And if he does not inquire for farther, light, if he does 
 not care, if he sets his heart against God, he shows that he 
 has the heart as well as the intellect of an Atheist. He 
 has, to say the least, evidence that there mat be a God. 
 What then is his business ? Plainly, it is to set himself 
 honestly, and with a most child-like and reverent spirit, 
 to Inquire after him and pay him reverence. If, when he 
 has so much light as to doubt whether there may not be a 
 God, he still goes around as if there were none, and does 
 not inquire for truth and obey it, he shows that his heart 
 is wrong, and that it says let there be no God. 
 
 There is a Deist, and here a book claiming to be a reve- 
 lation from God. Many good men have believed it to be 
 so. The evideiices are such as to have perfectly satisfied 
 the most acute and upright minds of its truth. The evi- 
 dences, both external and internal are of great weight. 
 To say there are no evidences is itself enough to bring any 
 man's soundness of mind into question, or his honesty^. 
 There is, to say the least that can be said, sufl5cient evi- 
 
DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ABE SINFUL. 43 
 
 dence to create a doubt whether it is a fable and an im- 
 posture. This is in fact but a small part, but we will take 
 it on this ground. Now is it his duty to reject it ? No 
 Deist pretends that he can be so fully persuaded in his own 
 mind, as to be free from all doubt. All he dares to at- 
 tempt is to raise cavils and create doubts on the other 
 side. Here, then, it is his duty to stop, and not oppose 
 the Bible, until he can prove without a doubt, that it is 
 not from God. 
 
 So with the Unitarian. Granting (what is by no means 
 true) that the evidence in the Bible is not sufficient to re- 
 move all doubts that Jesus Christ is God ; yet it affords 
 evidence enough to raise a doubt on the other side, &nd he 
 has no right to reject the doctrine as untrue, but is bound 
 humbly to search the scriptures and satisfy himself. Now, 
 no intelligent and honest man can say that the scriptures 
 afford "no evidence " of the divinity of Christ. They do 
 afford evidence which has convinced and fully satisfied 
 thousands of the acutest minds, and who have before been 
 opposed to the doctrine. No man can reject the doctrine 
 without a doubt, because here is evidence that it may be 
 true. And if it may be true, and there is reason to doubt, 
 if it is not true, then he rejects it at his peril. 
 
 Then the Universalist. Where is one who can say he 
 has not so much as » doubt whether there is not a hell, 
 where sinners go after death into endless torment. He is 
 bound to stop and inquire, and search the scriptures. It 
 is not enough for him to say he does not believe in a helL 
 It may be there is, and if he rejects it, and goes on reckless 
 of the truth whether there is or not, that itself makes him 
 a rebel against God. He doubts whether there is not a 
 hell which he ought to avoid, and yet he acts as if he was 
 certain and had no doubts. He is condemned. I once 
 knew a physician who was a Universalist, and who has 
 gone to eternity to try the reality of his speculations. He 
 
44 DOUBTFUL ACTIONS AKB BINPUU 
 
 once told me that he had strong doubts of the truth ol 
 Universalism, and had mentioned his doubts to a ministei^ : 
 who confessed that he, too, doubted its truth, and he did 
 not believe there was a TJniversalist in the world who did 
 not. 
 
 3. For a man to do a thing when he doubts whether it 
 is lawful shows that he is selfish, and has other objects be- 
 sides doing the will of God. 
 
 It shows that he wants to do it to gratify himself. He 
 doubts whether God will approve of it, and yet he does it. 
 Is he not a rebel ? If he honestly wished to serve God, 
 when he doubted he would stop and inquire and examine [ 
 until he was satisfied. But to go forward whilB he is in 
 doubt, shows that he is selfish and wicked, and is willing 
 to do it whether God is pleased or not, and that he wants 
 to do it, whether it is right or wrong. He does it because' 
 he wants to do it, and notljecause it is right 
 
 3. To ^ot thus is an impeachment of the divine good- 
 ness. 
 
 He assumes it as uncertain whether God has given a 
 sufficient revelation of his will, so that he might know his 
 duty if he would. He virtually says that the path of duty 
 is left so doubtful that he must decide at a venture. 
 
 4. It indicates slothfulness and stupidity of mind. 
 
 It shows that he had rather act wrong than use the 
 necessary diligence to learn and know the path of duty. 
 It shows that he is either negligent or dishonest in his in* 
 quiries. 
 
 5. It manifests a reckless spirit. 
 
 It shows a want of conscience, an indifEerence to right^ 
 a setting aside^ of the authority of God, a disposition not 
 to do God's will, and not to care whether He is pleased or 
 displeased, a desperate recklessness and headlong temper, 
 that is the height of wickedness. 
 
 The principle then, which is so clearly laid down, in 
 
DIPUBTFUL ACTIONS AKB SINFUL. 45 
 
 the text and context, and also in the chapter which 1 read 
 from Corinthians, is fully sustained by examination — That 
 for a man to do a thing, when he doubts the lawfulness of 
 it, is sin, for which he is condemned before God, and must 
 repent or be damned. 
 
 II. I am now to show the application of this principle 
 to a variety of particular cases in human life. But, 
 
 First — I will mention some cases where a person may 
 be equally in doubt with respect to the lawfulness of a 
 tiling, whether he is bound to do it or not to do it. 
 
 Take the subject of Wine at the Communion Table. 
 r Since the temperance reformation has brougKt up the 
 question about the use of wine, and various wines have 
 been analyzed and the quantity of alcohol they contain has 
 been disclosed, and the difficulty shown of getting wines in 
 this country that are not highly alcoholic, it has been seri- 
 oiisly doubted by some whether it is right to use such wines 
 as we can getjiere in celebrating the Lord's supper. Some 
 are strong in the belief that wine is an essential part of the 
 ordinance^ and that we ought to use the best wine we can 
 get, and there leave the matter. Others say that we ought 
 not to nse alcoholic or intoxicating wine at all ; and that 
 as wine is not, in their view, essentia,l to the ordinance, it 
 is better to use some other drink. Both these classes are 
 undoubtedly equally conscientious, and desirous to do what 
 they have most reason tq believe is agreeable to the will of 
 God. And others, again, are in doubt on the matter. I 
 can easily conceive that some conscientious persons may 
 be very seriously in doubt which way to act. They are 
 doubtful whether it is right to use alcoholic wine, and are 
 doubtful whether it is right to use any other, drink in the 
 Bacrament. Here is a case that comes under President 
 Edwards' rule, " where it is doubtful in my mind, whether 
 I ought to do it or not to dp it," and which men must de- 
 cide according to the best light they can get, honestly, and 
 
46 nOUDTFUL ACTIONS ABB SINFUL. 
 
 with a single desire to know and do what is most pleasing 
 to God, 
 
 I do not intend to discuss this question, of the use ol 
 wine at the communion, nor is this the proper place foi a 
 full examination of the subject. I introduced it now 
 merely for the purpose' of illustration. But since it is 
 before us, I will make two or three remarks. 
 
 (1.) I have never apprehended so much evil as some do, 
 from the use of common wine at the communion. I have 
 not felt alarmed at the danger or evil of taking a sip of 
 wine, a teaspoonful or so, once a month, or once in two 
 months, or three months. I do not believe that the dis- 
 ease of intemperance (and intemperance, you know, is in 
 reality a disease of the body) will be either created or con- 
 tinued by so slight a cause. Nor do I believe it is going 
 to injure the temperance cause so much as some have sup- 
 posed. And therefore, where a person uses wine as we 
 have been accustomed to do, and is fully persuaded in hia 
 own mind, he does not sin. 
 
 (2.) On the other hand, I do not think that the use of 
 wine is any way essential to the ordinance. Very much 
 has been said and written and printed on the subject, which 
 has darkened counsel by words without knowledge. To 
 my mind there are stronger reasons than I have anywhere 
 seen exhibited, for supposing that Wine is not essential to 
 this ordinance. Great pains have been taken to prove that 
 our Saviour used wine that was unfermented, when he in- 
 stituted the supper, and which . therefore contained no 
 alcohol. Indeed, this has been the point chiefly in debate^ 
 But in fact it seems just as irrelevant as it would to discuss 
 the question, whether he used wheat or oaten bread, or 
 whether it was leavened or unleavened. Why do we not 
 hear this question vehemently discussed ? Because all re- 
 gard it as unessential. 
 
 In order to settle this question about the wine, w« 
 
DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ARE SINFUL. 47 
 
 ihonld ask what is the meaning of the ordinance of the 
 supper. What did our Saviour design to do ? It was to 
 take the two staple articles for the support of life, food and 
 drink, and use them to represent the necessity and virtue 
 of the atonement. 
 
 It is plain that Christ had that view of it, for it corres- 
 ponds with what he says, " My flesh is meat indeed, and 
 my blood is drink indeed." So he poured out water in the 
 temple, and said, "If any man thirst, let him come 
 unto nie and drink." He is called the " Bread of life." 
 Thus it was customary to show the value of Christ's suf- 
 ferings by food and drink. Why did he take bread in- 
 stead of some other article of food ? Those who know the 
 history and usages of that country wiU see that he chose 
 that article of food which was in most common use among 
 the people. When I was in Malta, it seemed as if a great 
 part of the people lived on bread alone. They would go 
 in crowds to the market place, and buy each a piece of 
 coarse bread, and stand and eat it. Thus the most com- 
 mon and the most universally wholesome article of diet is 
 chosen by Christ to represent his flesh. Then why did he 
 take wine to drink ? For the same reason ; wine is the 
 common drink of the people, especially at their, meals, 
 in all those countries. It is sold there for about a cent 
 a bottle, wine being cheaper than small beer is here. In 
 Sicily I was informed that wine was sold for five cents a 
 gallon, and I do not know but it was about as cheap as 
 water. And yon will observe that the Lord's supper was first 
 observed at the close of the feast of the passover, at which 
 the Jews always used wine. The meaning of the Saviour 
 in this ordinance, then, is this :— As food and drink are 
 essential to the life of the body, so his body and blood, or 
 his atonement, are essential to the life of the soul. For 
 myself, I am fuUy convinced that wine iis not essential to 
 the communion, and I should not hesitate to give water to 
 
48 DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ARE SINFUL. 
 
 any individual who conscientiously preferred it. Lot it be 
 the common food and drink of,the country, the support of 
 life to the body, and it answers the end of the institutioit 
 If I was a missionary among the Esquipiaux Indians, where 
 they live on dried seal's flesh and snow-water, I would ad- 
 ministrate the supper in those^ substances. It would con- 
 vey to their minds, the idea that they. cannot live without 
 Christ. 
 
 I say, then, that if an individual is fully persuaded; in 
 his o"wn mind, he does not sin in giving up the use of wine. 
 Let this church be fully persuaded in £heir own minds, 
 and I shall have no scruple to do either way, if they will 
 substitute any other wholesome drink, that is in com- 
 mon use, instead of the wine. And at the same tinte^ 
 I have no objection myself against going on in the old 
 way. 
 
 Now, do not lose sight of the great principle that is 
 under discussion. It is this : where a man doubts hon- 
 estly, whether it is lawful to do a thing, and doubts equally, 
 on the other hand whether- it is lawful to omit doing it, he 
 must pray over the matter, and search the scriptures, and 
 get the best light he can on the subject, and then act. 
 And when he does this, he is by no means to be judged or 
 censured by others for the course he takes. "Who art 
 thou that judgest another man's servant ? " And no man 
 is authorized to make his own conscience the rule of hia 
 neighbor's conduct. 
 
 A similar case is where a minister is so situated that it 
 is necessary for him to go a distance on the Sabbath to 
 preach, as where he preaches to two congregations, and the 
 fake. Here he may honestly doubt what is his duty, on 
 both hands. If he goes he appears to strangers to disre- 
 gard the Sabbath. If he does not go, the people will have 
 no preaching. The direction is, let him search the scrip- 
 tures, and get the best light he can, make it a subject of 
 
DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ARE SINFUL. 4Q 
 
 prayer, weigh it thoroughly, and act aocording to his host 
 judgment. 
 
 So in the case of a Sabbath-school teacher. He may 
 live at a distance from the school, and be obliged to travel 
 to it on the Sabbath, or they will have no school. And he 
 may honestly doubt which is his duty, to remain in his own 
 church on the Sabbath, or to travel there, five, eight, or 
 ten miles, to a destitute neighborhood, to keep up the 
 Sabbath school. Here he must decide for himself, accord- 
 ing to the best light he can get. >And let no man set him-, 
 self up to judge over a bumble and conscientious disciple 
 of the Lord Jesus. 
 
 You see that in all these cases it is understood and is 
 plain that the design is to honor God, and the sole ground 
 of, doubt is, which course will really honor him. Paul 
 says, in reference to all laws of this kind, "He that re- 
 gatdeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that 
 regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it." 
 The design is to do right, and the doubt is as to the means 
 of doing it in the best manner. 
 
 Secondly — I will mention some cases, where the desigk 
 is wrong, where the object is to gratify self, and' the indi- 
 vidual has doubts whether he may do it lawfully. I shall 
 refer to cases concerning which there is a difference of 
 opinion— to acts of which the least that can be said is that 
 a man must have doubts of their being lawful. 
 
 1. Take, for instance, the making and vending of al- 
 coholic drinks. 
 
 After all that has been said on this subject, and all the 
 light that has been thrown upon the question, is there p. 
 man living in this land who can say he sees no reason to 
 doubt the lawfulness of this business. To say the least 
 that can be said, there can be no honest mind but must be 
 brought to doubt it. We suppose, indeed, that there is no 
 honest mind but must know it is unlawful and criniinal. 
 
60 DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ABB SINFUL. 
 
 But take the most charitable sapposition possible for th» 
 distiller or the vender, and suppose he is not fully con- 
 Tinced of its hnlawfulness. We say he must, at least, 
 DOUBT its lawfulness. .What is he to do then ? Is he to 
 shut his eyes to the light, and go on, regardless of truth, 
 so long as he can keep from seeing it ? No. He may cavil 
 and raise objections as much as he pleases, but he knows 
 that he has doubts about the lawfulness of his business ; 
 and if he doubts, and still persists in doing it, without 
 taking the trouble to examine and see what is right, he is 
 just as sure to be damned as if he went on in the face of 
 knowledge. You hear these men say, " Why, I am not 
 fully persuaded in my own mind that the Bible forbids 
 making or vending ardent spirits." Well, suppose you are 
 not fully convinced, suppose all your possible and conceiva- 
 ble objections and cavils are not removed, what then ? 
 You know you have doubts about its lawfulness. And it 
 is not necessary to take such ground to convict you of 
 ■doing wrong. If you doubt its lawfulness, and yet persist 
 in doing it, you are in the way to hell. 
 
 2, So where an individual is engaged in an employment 
 that requires him to break the Sabbath. 
 
 As for instance, attending on a post-office that is opened 
 on the Sabbath, or a turnpike gate, or in a steam-boat,' or 
 any other employment that is not work of necessity. There 
 are always some things that must be done on the Sabbath, 
 they are works of absolute necessity or of mercy. 
 
 But suppose a case in which the labor is not necessary, 
 as in the transportation of the mail on the Sabbath, or the 
 uke. The least that can be said, the lowest ground that 
 ean be taken by charity itself, without t^nrning fool, is, 
 tnat the lawfulness of such employment is doubtful. And 
 if they persist in doing it, they sin, and are on the way to 
 hell. God has sent out the penalty of hiB law against them, 
 and if they do not repent they must be damned. 
 
DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ARE SINFUL. 51 
 
 3. Owning stocks in steamboat and railroad companies, 
 in stages, canal boats, etc., that break the Sabbath. 
 
 Can any such owner truly say he does not doubt the 
 lawfulness of such an investment of capital ? Can charity 
 stoop lower than to say, that man must strongly doubt 
 whether sucli labor is a work of necessity or mercy ? It 
 is not necessary in the case to demonstrate that it is unlaw- 
 ful — though that can be done fully, but only to show so 
 ranch light as to create a doubt of its lawfulness. Then 
 if he persist in doing it, with that doubt unsatisfied, he is 
 condemned— and lost. 
 
 4. The same remarks will apply to ,*11 sorts of lottery 
 gambling. He doubts. 
 
 5. Take the case of those indulgences of appetite which 
 are subject of controversy, and which, to say the least, are 
 of doubtful right. 
 
 (1.) The drinking of wine, and beer, and other fer- 
 mented intoxicating liquors. In the present aspect of the 
 temperance cause, is it not questionable at least, whether 
 making use of these drinks is not tr.insgressing the rule 
 laid down by the apostle,/' It is good neither to eat flesh 
 nor drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stum* 
 bleth, or is ofEended, or mude weak." No man can make 
 me believe he has no doubts of the lawfulness of doing it. 
 There is no certain proof, j'f its lawfulness, and there is 
 fltrong proof of its unlawfulness, and every man who does 
 it while he doubts the lawfulness, is condemned, and if he 
 persists, is damned. 
 
 If there is any sophistry in all this, I should like to 
 know it, for I do not wish to deceive others nor to be de 
 ceived myself. But I am entirely deceived if this is not a 
 simple, direct, and necessary inference, from the sentiment 
 of the text. 
 
 (3.) Tobacco. Can any man pretend that he has no 
 doabt that it is agreeable to the will of God for him to use 
 
52 DOUBTFtTL ACTIONS ABE SINFUL. 
 
 tobacco ? No man can pretend that he doubts the lawful* 
 ness of his omission of these things. Does any man liv- 
 ing think that he is bound in duty to make use of wine, 
 or strong beer, or tobacco, as a luxury ? No, The doubt 
 is all on one side. What shall we say then, of that man 
 who doubts the lawfulness of it, and still fills his face with 
 the poisonous weed ? He is condemned. 
 
 (3.) I might refer to tea and coffee. It is known gen- 
 erally, that these substances are not nutritious at all, and 
 that nearly eight millions of dollars are spent annually for 
 them in this country. Now, will any man pretend that he 
 does not doubt the lawfulness of spending all this money 
 for that which is of no use, and which are well known 
 to all who have examined the subject, to be positively in- 
 jurious, intolerable to weak stomachs, and as much as the 
 strongest can dispose of ? And all this while the various 
 benevolent societies of the age are loudly calling for help 
 to send the gospel abroad and save a world from hell ? 
 To think of the church alone spending millions upon their 
 tea tables — is there no doubt here ? 
 
 6. Apply this principle to various amusements. 
 
 (1.) The theatre. There are vast multitudes of pro- 
 fessors of religion who attend the theatre. And they con- 
 tend that the Bible no where forbids it. Now mark. — ' 
 What Christian professor ever went to a theatre and did not 
 doubt whether he was doing what was- lawful. I by no 
 means admit that it jis a point; which is only doubtful. I 
 suppose it is a very plain case, and can be shown to be, that 
 it is unlawful. But I am now only meeting those of you, 
 if there are any here, who go to the theatre, and are trying 
 to cover up yourselves in the refuge that the Bible nowhere 
 expressly forbids it. 
 
 (3.) Parties of pleasure, where they go and eat and 
 drink to surfeiting. Is there no reason to doubt wl^ether 
 that is such a use df iime and money as G'od requiiea f 
 
DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ARE SINFUL. 5$ 
 
 Look at the starving poor, and consider the effect of thia 
 gaiety and extravagance^ and see if you will ever go to an- 
 other such party or make one, without doubting its lawful- 
 ness. Where can you find a man, or a woman, that will 
 go so far as to say they have no doubt ? Probably there 
 is not one honest mind who will say this. And if you 
 doubt, and still do it, you are condemned. 
 
 You see that this principle touches a whole class of 
 things, about which there is a controversy, and where peo- 
 ple attempt to parry off by saying it Is not worse than to 
 do so and so, and thus get away from the condemning 
 sentence of God's law. But in fact, if there is a doubt, it 
 is their duty to abstain. 
 
 (3.) Take the case of balls, of novel reading, and other 
 liethods of wasting time. Is this God's way to spend youi 
 lives ? Can you say you have no doubt of it ? 
 
 t. Making calls on the Sabbath. People will make a 
 
 call, and then make an apology about it. "I did not 
 
 know that it was quite right, but I thought I would ven- 
 
 . kure it." He is a Sabbath-breaker in heart, at all events, 
 
 because he doubts. 
 
 8. Compliance with worldly customs at new-year's day. 
 Then the ladies are all at home, and the gentlemen are 
 running all about town to call on them, and the ladies 
 make their great preparations, and treat them with their 
 cake, and their wine, and punch, enough to poison them 
 almost to death, and all together are bowing down to the 
 goddess of fashion.. Is there a lady here that does not 
 doubt the lawfulness of all this ? I say it can be demon- 
 strated to be wicked, but I only ask the ladies of this city. 
 Is it not doubtful whether this is all lawful? I 
 should call in question the sanity of the man or woman 
 that had no doubt of the lawfulness of such a Qustom, in 
 the midst of such prevailing intemperance as exists in this 
 city. Who among you will practise it again ? Practise it 
 
54 DOtJBTPUL ACTIONS ABE SINFUL. 
 
 if you dare — at the peril of your soul I If you do that 
 which is merely doubtful, God frowns and condemns ; and 
 HIS voice must be regarded. 
 
 I know people tiy to excuse the matter, and say it is 
 well to have a day appropriated to such calls, when every 
 lady is at home and every gentleman freed from business, 
 and all that. And all that is very well. But when it is 
 seen to be so abused and to produce so much evil, I ask 
 every Christian here, if you can help doubting its lawful- 
 ness ? And if it be doubtful, it comes under the rule : 
 "If meat make my brother to offend." If keeping new- 
 years leads to so much gluttony, and drunkenness, and 
 wickedness, does it not bring the lawfulness of it into 
 doubt ? Yes, that is the least that can be said, and they 
 who doubt and yet do it, sin against God. 
 
 9. Compliance with the extravagant fashions of the day*- 
 Christian lady ! have you never doubted," do you not 
 
 now doubt, whether it be lawful for you to copy these 
 fashions, brought from foreign countries, and irom places 
 which it were a shame even to name in this, assembly ? 
 Have you no doubt about it? And' if you doubt and do 
 it, you are condemned, and must repent of your sin, or you 
 will be lost forever ! 
 
 10. Intermarriages of Christians with impenitent sin- 
 ners. 
 
 This answer always-comes up. " But after all you say, 
 it is not certain that these marriages are not lawful." 
 Supposing it be so, yet does not the Bible and the nature 
 of the case make it at least doubtful whether they are 
 right? It can be demonstrated, indeed, to be unlawful. 
 But suppose it could not be reduced to demonstration ; 
 what Christain ever did it and did not doubt whether 
 it was lawful ? And he that doubteth is condemned. 
 See that christian man or woman that is about forming 
 ■nch a connection — doubting all the way whether it is 
 
DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ARE SINFUL. 55 
 
 right : trying to pray down conscience under pretext of 
 ptaying for light : praying all around your duty, and 
 yet pressing on. Take care ! You know you doubt the 
 lawfulness of what you propose, and remember that " he 
 that doubteth is damned." 
 
 Thus you see, my hearers, that here is a principle that 
 wiU stand by you when you attempt to rebuke sin, if the 
 power of society be employed to face you down, or put you 
 on the defensive, and demand absolute proof of the sinful- 
 ness of a cherished practice. Eemember the burden of 
 proof does not lie on you, to show beyond a doubt 
 the absolute unlawfulness of the thing. If you can show 
 sufficient reason to question its lawfulness, and to create a 
 Talid doubt whether it is according to the will of God, you 
 shift the burden of proof to the other side. And unless 
 they can remove the doubt, and show that there is no room 
 for doubt, they have no right to continue in the doubt- 
 ful practice, and if they do, they sin against God. 
 
 BEMABES. 
 
 1. The knowledge of duty is not indispensable to moral 
 obligation, but the possession of the means of knowledge 
 is sufficient to make a person responsible. 
 
 If a man has the means of knowing whether it is right 
 or wrong he is bound to use the means, and is bound to in- 
 quire and ascertain at his peril. 
 
 2. If those are condemned, and adjudged worthy of 
 damnation, who do that of which they doubt the lawfulness, 
 what shall we say of the multitudes who are doing contin- 
 ually that which they know and confess to be wrong ? 
 
 Woe to that man who practises that which he con- 
 demns. And "happy is he that condemneth not himself 
 in that thing which he alloweth." 
 
 3. Hypocrites often attempt to shelter themselves be- 
 hind their doubts to get clear of their duty. 
 
56 DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ABE SINFUL. 
 
 The hypocrite is unwilling to be enlightened, he doei 
 not wish to know the truth, because he does not wish to 
 obey the , Lord, and so he hides behind his doubts, and 
 turns away his eye from the light, and will not look or ex- 
 amine to see what his duty is, and in this way he tries to 
 shield himself from responsibility. But God will drag 
 them out from behind this refuge 6f lies, by the principle 
 laid down in the text, that their very doubts condemn 
 them. 
 
 Many will not be enlightened on the subject of tern 
 perance, and still persist in drinking or selling rum, be- 
 cause they are not fully convinced it is wrong. And they 
 will not read a tract or a paper, nor attend a temperance 
 meeting, for fear they shall be convinced. Many are re- 
 solved to indulge in the use of wine and strong beer, and 
 they will not listen to anything calculated to convince them 
 of the wrong. It shows that they are determined to in- 
 dulge in sin, and they hope to hide behind their doubts. 
 What better evidence could they give that they are hypo- 
 crites ? 
 
 Who, in all these United States, can say, that he has 
 no doubt of the lawfulness of slavery ? Yet the great body, 
 of the people will not hear anything on the subject, and 
 they go into a passion if yon name it, and it is even seri- 
 ously proposed, both at the north and at the south, to pass 
 laws forbidding inquiry and discussion on the subjectT 
 Now suppose these laws should be passed, for the purpose 
 of enabling the nation to shelter itself behind its doubts 
 whether slavery is a sin, that ought to be abolished im- 
 niediately — ^will that help the matter ? Not at all. If 
 they continue to hold their fellow men as property, in 
 slavery, while they doubt its lawfulness, they are con- 
 demned before God, and we may be sure their sin will find 
 them out, and God will let them know how He regards it. 
 
 It is amazing to see the foolishness of people on thic 
 
DOUBTFUL ACTIOISS AEii SiJSFUL. o7 
 
 subject ; as if by refusing to get clear of their doubts, they 
 could get clear of their sin. Think of the people of the 
 south : Christians, and even ministers, refusing to read a 
 paper on the subject of slavery, and perhaps sending it 
 back with abusive or threatening words. Threatening 1 
 for what ? For reasoning with them about their duty ? 
 It can be demonstrated ab^lutely, that slavery is unlawful, 
 and ought to be repented of, and given up, like any other 
 sill. But suppose they only doubt the lawfulness of slavery, 
 and do not mean to be enlightened, they are condemned 
 of God. Let them know that they cannot put this thing 
 down, they cannot clear themselves of it. So long as they 
 doubt its lavrf nlness, they cannot hold men in slavery with- 
 out sin ; and that they do doubt its lawfulness is demons- 
 trated by this opposition to discussion. 
 
 We may suppose a case, and perhaps there may be 
 some such in the southern country, where a man doubts 
 the lawfulness of holding slaves, and equally doubts the 
 lawfulness of emancipating them in their present state of 
 ignorance and dependence. In that case he comes under 
 Pres. Edward's rule, and it is his duty not to fly in a pas- 
 sion with those who would call his attention to it, not to 
 send back newspapers and refuse to read, but to inquire on 
 all' hands for light, and examine the question honestly iu 
 the light of thei word of God, till his doubts are cleared up. 
 The le^t he can do is to set himself with all his power 
 to educate them and train them to take care of themselves 
 as fast and as thoroughly as possible, and to put them in 
 a state where they can be set at liberty. "* 
 
 4. It is manifest there is but very little conscience in 
 thp church. 
 
 See what multitudes are* persisting to do what they 
 strongly doubt the lawfulness of. 
 
 5. There is still less love to God than there is con 
 science. 
 
58 DOUBTFUL ACTIONS ABB SINFUL. 
 
 It cannot be pretended that love to God is the cause of 
 all this following of fashions, this practising indulgences, 
 and other things of which people doubt the lawfulness, 
 ^hey do not persist in these things because they love God 
 so well. No, no, but they persist in it because they wish 
 to^do it, to gratify themselves, and they had rather run 
 the risk of doing wrong than to have their doubts cleared 
 up. It is because they have so little love for God, so little 
 care for the honor of God. 
 
 6. Do not say, in your prayers, " Lord, if I have 
 sinned in this thing, (XLord, forgive me the sin." 
 
 If you have done that of which you doubted the lawful- 
 ness, you have sinned, whether the thing itself be right or 
 wrong. And you must repent, and ask forgiveness. 
 
 And now, let me ask yoti all who are here present, are 
 you convinced that to do what you doubt the lawfulness 
 of, is sin ? If you are, I have one more question to ask 
 you. Will you from this time relinquish every thing of 
 which you doubt the lawfulness ? Every amusement, 
 every indulgencCj every practice, every pursuit ? Will you 
 do it, or will you stand before, the solemn judgment seat 
 of Jesus Christ, condemned ? If you will not relinquish 
 these things, you show that you are an impenitent sinner, 
 and do not intbkd to obey God, and if you do not repent 
 you bring down upon your head God's condemnation and 
 wrath, for ever 
 
IV. 
 
 REPROOF A CHRISTIAN DUTY. 
 
 Tbon Shalt In any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not anSer sin op on hba.— 
 Levitlcna ziz. 17. 
 
 'T^HE whole verse reads thus : " Thou shalt not hate thy 
 -*- brother in thy heart : thou shalt in any wise rebuke 
 thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him." In the mar- 
 gin, as those of you who have Bibles with marginal notes 
 can see, the last words of the verse are rendered, "that 
 thou bear not sin for him." And this, I am satisfied, is 
 the correct translation. The idea is this — That men are 
 bound to reprove their neighbors for sin, lest they become 
 partakers with them, or accessary to their sin. 
 
 In speaking from these words, I design to pursue the 
 following order : — 
 
 •I. To show the reasons for the rule laid down by God 
 in the text. 
 
 II. Show to whom the rule is applicable. 
 
 III. Mention several exceptions which God has made 
 to the rule^ or classes of persons who are not to be reproved 
 for their sins. 
 
 IV. The manner of performing this duty. 
 
 V. Several specific applications of the principles estab- 
 lished. 
 
 I. I am to show the reasons for the rule. 
 
 1. Love to God plainly requires this. 
 
 If we really love God, we shall of course feel bound to 
 reprove those that hate and abuse him and break his com- 
 mands. If I love the government of the country, should 
 I not reprove and rebuke a man who should abuse or revile 
 the government ? If a child loves his parents will he not 
 
go BEPBOOP A CHBISTIAN DUtY. 
 
 of course reprove a man that abuses his parents in his 
 hearing ? 
 
 2. Love to the universe will lead to the same thing. 
 
 If a man love the universe, if he be actuated by univer 
 sal benevolence, he knows that sin is inconsistent wit 
 the highest good of the universe, and that it is calculate 
 to injure and ruin the whole if not counteracted ; that 
 its direct tendency is to overthrow the order and destroy 
 the happiness of the universe. And therefore, if he see 
 this doing, his benevolence will lead him to reprove and 
 oppose it. 
 
 3. Love to tie community in which you live, is another 
 reason. 
 
 Not only love to the universe at large, btit love to the 
 particular people with which you are connected, should 
 ead you to reprove sin. Sin is a reproach to any people, 
 and whoever commits it goes to produce a state of society 
 that is injurious to every thing good. His example has a 
 tendency to corrupt society, to destroy its peace, and to in- 
 troduce disorder and ruin, and it is the duty of every one 
 who loves the community to resist and reprove it. 
 
 4. Love to your neighbor demands it. 
 
 Neighbor, here, means any body that sins within the 
 reach of your influence ; not only in your presence, but in 
 your neighborhood, if your influence can reach him, or in 
 your nation, or in the world. If he sins he injures himself, 
 and therefore if we love him we shall reprove his sins. 
 Love to the intemperate induces us to warn him of the 
 consequences of his course. Suppose we see our neighbor 
 exposed to a temporal calamity, say his house on fire. 
 True love will induce us to warn him and not to leave him 
 to perisl^ in the flames, especially if we saw him inclined 
 to persist in his course, and stay in the burning house, we 
 should expostulate earnestly with him, and not suSer him 
 to destroy himself, if we could possibly prevent it. Much 
 
REHROOF A CHRISTIAN DUTY. 61 
 
 more should we warn him of the consequences of sin, and 
 reprove him, and strive to turn him, before he destroys 
 himself. 
 
 5. It is cruel to omit it. 
 
 If you see your neighbor sin, and yon pass by and neg- 
 leot to reprove him, it is Just as cruel as if you should see 
 his house on fire, and pass by and not warn him of it. 
 Why not ? If he is in the house, and the house burns, he 
 will lose his life. If he sins and remains in sin, he will go 
 to hell. Is it not cruel to let him go unwarned to hell ? 
 Some seem to consider it not cruel to let a neighbor go on 
 in sin till the wrath of God comes on him to the uttermost. 
 Their feelings are so tender that they cannot wound him 
 by telling him of his sin and his danger. No doubt, the 
 tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Instead of warn- 
 ing their neighbor of the consequences of sin, they actually 
 encourage him in it. » 
 
 6. To refuse to do it is rebellion against G-od. 
 
 For any one to see rebellion and not to reprove it or 
 lift his hand to oppose it, is itself rebellion. It would be 
 counted rebellion by the laws of the land. The man who 
 should know of a treasonable plot, and did not disclose it 
 or endeavor to defeat it, would be held an accessary, and 
 condemned as such by law. So if a man sees rebellion 
 breaking out against God, and does not oppose it, or make 
 efforts to suppress it, he is himself a rebel. i 
 
 7. If you do not reprove your neighbors for their sin, 
 you are chargeable with their death. 
 
 God holds us chargeable with the death of those whom 
 we suffer to go on in sin without reproof, and it is right he 
 should. If we see them sin, and make no opposition, and 
 give no reproof, we consent to it, and countenance theni 
 in it. If you see a man preparing to kill his neighbor, and 
 gtand still and do nothing to prevent it, you consent)! and 
 are justly chargeable as accessary ; in the eye of God and 
 
62 REPEOOF A CHRISTIAN DUTY. 
 
 the eye of law, you are justly chargeable with the same sin. 
 So if jou see a man committing any iniquity, and do noth- 
 ing to resist it, you are guilty with him. His blood will 
 be upon his own head, but at whose hand will God require 
 it? What says God respecting a watchman ? "Son of 
 man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel ; 
 therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn 
 them from me. When I say unto the wicked, wicked 
 man, thou shalt surely die ; if thou dost not speak to warn 
 the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his 
 iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand." This 
 is true of all men. If you suffer a neighbor, who is within 
 reach of your influence, to pass on in sin unwarned, he will 
 die in his iniquity, but his blood shall be required at your 
 hand. 
 
 8. Your silence encourages him in sin. 
 
 He is authorized to infer from your silence that yon 
 approve his sin, or, at least, that you do not care for it. 
 Especially if he knows you are a professor of religion. It 
 is an old maxim that silence is consent. Sinners do re- 
 gard your silence as a virtual sanction of what they do. 
 
 9. By reproving your neighbor who sins, yon may save 
 him. 
 
 What multitudes have been reformed by timely reproof. 
 Most of those who are saved, are saved by somebody's re- 
 buking them for their sins and urging them to repentance- 
 You may be instrumental in saving any man, if you speak 
 to him, and reprove him, and pray for him, as you ought. 
 How many instances there are, where a single reproof 
 has beet to the transgressor like the barbed arrow in his 
 soul, that rankled, and rankled, the poison whereof 
 drank up his spirits, until he submitted to God. I have 
 known instances where even a look of reproof has done 
 the work. 
 
 Id. If yon do not save the individual reproved, your 
 
REPROOF A CHRISTIAN DUTY. 63 
 
 reproof may save somebody else that may be acquainted 
 with the fact. 
 
 Snch casfes have often occurred, where the transgressoJ 
 has not been reclaimed, but others have been deterred from 
 following his example by the rebukes directed to him. 
 "Who can doubt that, if professors of religion were faithful 
 in this duty, men would fear encountering their rejJroofs, 
 and that fear would deter them from snch conduct, and 
 multitudes who now go on unblushing and unawed, would 
 pause and think, and be reclaimed and saved ? WiU you, 
 with such an argument for faithfulness before you, let 
 sinners go on nnrebuked till they stumble into hell ? 
 
 11. God expressly requires it. 
 
 The language of the text is, in the original, exceedingly 
 strong. The word is repeated, which is the way in which 
 the Hebrew expresses a superlative, so as to leave no doubt 
 on the miild, not the least uncertainty as to the duty, nor 
 any excuse for not doing it. There is not a stronger com- 
 mand of God in the Bible than this. God has given it the 
 greatest strength of language that he can. " Thou shalt 
 in any wise rebuke him," that is, without any excuse, 
 " and not bear his sin," not be accessary to his ruin. It 
 is a maxim of law, that if a man knows of a murder about 
 to be committed and does not use means to prevent it, he 
 shall be held accessory before the fact. If he knows of 
 murder which has been_done,-and does not endeavor to 
 bring the criminal to justice, he is accessory after the fact. 
 So by the law of God, if you do not endeavor to bring a 
 known transgressor to repentance, you are implicated in 
 the guilt of his crime, and are held responsible at the 
 throne of God. 
 
 13. If you do it in a right manner, you will keep a con- 
 science void of offence in regard to your neighbor, what- 
 ever may be his end. 
 
 And you cannot do this without being faithful in the 
 
64 BEPROOP A CHRISTIAN DUTY. 
 
 reproof of sin. A man does not live consoientiouslyj to- 
 wards God or man, unless he is in the habit of reproving 
 transgressors who are within his influence. This is one 
 grand reason why there is so little conscience in the church. 
 In what respect are professors of religion so much in the 
 habit of resisting their consciences, as in regard to the 
 duty of reproving sin ? Here is one of the sti-ongest com- 
 mands in the Bible, and yet multitudes do not pay any, at- 
 tention to it at all. Can they have a clear conscience ? 
 They may just as well pretend to have a clear conscience, 
 and get drunk every day. No man keeps the law of God, 
 or keeps his conscience clear, who sees sin and does not re- 
 prove it. He has additional guilt, who knows of sin and 
 does not reprove it. He breaks two commandments. First, 
 he becomes accessory to the transgression of his neighbor, 
 and then he disobeys an express requirement by refusing 
 to reprove his neighbor. 
 
 13. Unless you reprove men for their sins, you are not 
 prepared to meet them in judgment. 
 
 Are you prepared to meet your children in the judg- 
 ment, if you have not reproved nor chastised them, nor 
 watched over their morals ? " Certainly not," you say. 
 But why ? " Because God has made it my duty to do this, 
 and he hdlds me responsible for it." Very well. Then 
 take the case of any other man' that sins under your eye, or 
 within reach of your influence, and goes down to hell, and 
 you have never reproved him. Are yon not responsible ? 
 Oh, how many are' now groaning in hell, that you have 
 seen commit sin, and have never reproved, and now they 
 are pouring curses on your head bepause you never warned 
 them. And how can you meet them in judgment ? 
 
 14. Unless you do this, you are not prepared to meet 
 God. 
 
 How many there are who profess to love God, and yet 
 never so much as pretend to obey this command. Are 
 
KEPROOP A CHRISTIAN DUTT. 65 
 
 Buch people prepared to meet God ? When he says, 
 " Thoa shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor," — ^that is, 
 without any escuse. 
 
 II. To whom is this command addressed ? 
 
 Manifestly, to all men that have neighbors. It was ad- 
 dressed to all the people of Israel, and through them to all 
 who are under the government of God — to high and low, 
 rich and poor, young and old; male and female, and every 
 individual who is under the government of God, or bound 
 to obey his commands. 
 
 III. Some exceptions to the universal application of 
 this law. 
 
 He that made the law has a right to admit of ezcep- 
 tiens. And the rule is binding in all cases, unless they 
 come within the exceptions. There are some exceptions 
 to the rule before ns, laid down in the Bible. 
 
 1. God says, "Eebuke not a scorner, lest he hate 
 thee." 
 
 There is a state of mind, 'where a person is known to 
 DC a scorner, a despiser of religion, a hater of God, and has 
 no regard to his law, and is not to be influenced by any 
 fear or care for God, why should you reprove him ? It 
 will only provoke a quarrel, without any good resulting to 
 anvbody. Therefore God makes such a character an ex- 
 ception to the rule. 
 
 2. Jesus Christ says, ' ' Cast not your pearls before swine, 
 least they trample them ufder their feet, and turn again 
 and rend you." 
 
 Whatever else this passage means, it appears to me to 
 mean this, that sometimes men are in such a state of mind 
 that to talk to them about religion would be at once irra- 
 tional and dangerous, like casting pearls before swine. 
 They have such a contempt for religion, and such & stupid, 
 sensual, swinish heart, that they wiU trample all your re- 
 proofs under their feet, and turn upon you in anger be- 
 
66 RBPBOOF A CHEISTIAN DUTY. 
 
 rides. It IS lawful to let sacli men go on ; and your not 
 meddling witk them will be greater wisdom than to attack 
 them. But great charity should be used, not to suppose 
 those of your neighbors to be swine, who' do not deserve 
 it, and who might be benefited by suitable reproof. 
 
 3. Men who are in a settled state of self-righteousness, 
 it is best to let alone. 
 
 Christ said of the Scribes and Pharisees, "Let them 
 alone, they be blind leaders of the blind." That is, they 
 were so full of pride and conceit, so satisfied of their own 
 wisdom and goodness, that they cannot be reached by any 
 reproof, and it seems best to let them alone ; for if yoa 
 begin to reprove them, you might as weU face a north- 
 wester as think of making an impression on them. They 
 will face you down, and are so full of arguments, and 
 liavils, and bullyings, that you gain 'nothing. 
 
 IV. The manner in which this duty is to be performed., 
 
 1. It should be done always in the name of the Lord. 
 It is important when you reprove your neighbor for sin,, 
 
 always to make him feel it is not a personal controversy 
 with you, not a matter of selfishness on your part, or 
 claiming any right of superiority, or to lord it over him, 
 but that you reprove him in the name of the Lord, for the 
 honor of God, because he has broken his law. If, by your 
 manner, you in any way make the impression on his mind 
 that it is. a personal controversy, or done for any private 
 motive with you, he will invariably rise up against you, 
 and resist, and perhaps retort upon you. But if you make 
 the impi'ession on his mind that it is done in the name of 
 •God, and bring him right up before God as an offender, he 
 will find it exceedingly difficult to get away from you with- 
 out at least confessing that he is wrong. 
 
 2. It should always be done with great solemnity. 
 Above all fhings, do not make him think that it is just 
 
 « little thing that you hint to him, but make him feel that 
 
REPROOF A CHRISTIAN DUTT. 67 
 
 it is for a sin against God you are reproving him, and that 
 it is what in your view ought to be looked upon as an awful 
 thing. 
 
 3. You should use more or less severity, according to 
 the nature of the case, and the circumstances under which 
 the sin was committed. 
 
 (1.) The relation of the parties. 
 
 Your relation to the person who has been guilty of sin, 
 jhould be properly regarded. 
 
 If a child is going to reprove a parent, he should do it 
 in a manner suited to the relation he stands in. If a man 
 is going to reprove a magistrate, or if an individual is 
 about to rebuke an elder, the apostle says it must be in that 
 way, " entreat him as a father." This relation should enter 
 deeply into the manner of administering reproof. The re- 
 lation of parents and children, of husbands and wives, of 
 brothers and sisters, should all be regarded. So the ages 
 of the parties, their relative circumstances in life. For 
 servants to reprove their masters in the same manner as 
 their equals is improper. This direction should never be 
 overlooked or forgotten, for if it is, the good effect of re- 
 proof will.be all lost But remember, that no rela- 
 tions in life, or relative circumstances of the parties, take 
 away the obligation of this duty. "Whatever be the rela- 
 tion, you are to reprove siii, and are bound to do it in the 
 name of the Lord. Do it, not as if you were complaining 
 or finding fault for a personal injury committed against 
 yourself, but as a sin against God. Thus, when a child 
 reproves a parent for sin, he is not to do it as if he was 
 expostulating with him for any injury done to himself, but 
 with an eye to the fact that the parent tas sinned against 
 God, and therefore,' with all that plainness, and faithful- 
 ness, and pungency that sin calls for. 
 
 (3.) Eeproof should be regulated by the knowledge 
 which the offender has of his duty. ' , 
 
68 BBPROOF A CHRISTIAN DUTY. 
 
 If the individual is ignorant, reproof shonld be more in 
 the form of instruction, rather than of severe rebuke. 
 How do you dd with your little child ? Yon instruct him 
 and strive to enlighten his mind respecting his duty. - YoU 
 proceed, of course, very difEerently from what you would 
 do with a hardened offender. 
 
 (3.) With reference also to the frequency of the offence. 
 
 You would reprove a first offence in a very different 
 manner from what you would use towards an habitual 
 transgressor. If a person is accustomed to sin, and knows 
 that it is wrong, you use more severity. If it is the first 
 time, perhaps a mere allusion to it may be sufficient to 
 prevent a repetition. 
 
 (4.) So, also, you are to consider whether he has been 
 frequently reproved for the sin. 
 
 If he has not only often committed the sin, but been 
 <*f ten reproved, and yet has hardened his neck, there is the 
 greater necessity for using sharpness. The hardening in- 
 fluence of former reproofs resisted, shows that no common 
 expostulations will take hold. He needs to have the ter- 
 rors of the Lord poured upon him like a storm of hail. 
 
 4. Alway show that your temper is not ruffled. 
 
 Never manifest any dlspleastfre at the trangresspr, which 
 he can possibly construe into personal displeasure at him- 
 self. It is often important to show your strong displeasure 
 at what he is doing. Otherwise he will think you are not 
 in earnest. Suppose you reprove a man for murder, in a 
 manner not expressing any abhorrence of his crime, you 
 would not expect to produce an effect. The manner shonld 
 be suited to the nature of the crime, yet bo as not to lead 
 him to think you have any personal feeling,! Here is the 
 grand defect in the manner of reproving crime, both in the 
 pulpit and out of it. For fear of giving offence, men do 
 not express their abhorrence of the sin, and therefosa 
 transgressors are so seldom reclaimed. 
 
KEPROOP A CHEISTIaN DUTY. 6( 
 
 5. Always reprove in the Spirit of God. 
 
 You should always have so much of the Holy Ghos 
 w th yon, that when you reprove a man for sin, he wi] 
 foril as if it came from God. I have known cases, wher 
 rejiTOof from a Christian in that state has cut the trans 
 gressor to the heart, and stung like the arrow of th 
 Almighty, and he could not get rid of it till he repented. 
 
 6. There are many different ways of giving reproof s 
 as to reach the individual reproved. 
 
 Sometimes it can be done best by sending a letter 
 especiiiUy if the person be at a distance. And there ar 
 cases where it can be done so, even in your own neighbor 
 hood. I knew an individual who chose this way of repri 
 manding a sea-captain for intemperance in crossing th 
 Atlantic. The captain drank hard, especially in - bai 
 weather, and when hi& services were most wanted. Th 
 individui&l was in great agony, for the captain was no 
 only intemperate, but when he drank he was ill-natured 
 and endai^ered the lives of all on board. He made it i 
 subject of prayer. It was a difficult case. He did no 
 know how to approach the captain so as to make it pro 
 bable he should do good and not hurt ; for a captain a 
 sea, you know, is a perfect despot, and has the most ah 
 solute power on earth. After a while he sat down an( 
 wrote a letter, and gave it to the captain with his owi 
 hand, in which he ■plainly and affectionately, but faithful! 
 and most pointedly, set forth his conduct, and the sin h 
 was committing against God and man. He accompaniei 
 it with much prayer to God. The captain read it, and i 
 completely cured him ; he made an apology to the indi 
 vidual, and never drank another drop of anything stronge 
 than coffee or tea on the whole passage. 
 
 7. Sometimes it is necessary to reprove sin by forminj 
 societies, and -getting up newspapers, and forming a pub 
 lie sentiment against a particular sin, that shall be a con 
 
70 REPEOOF A CHRISTIAN DUTY. 
 
 tinned and overwhelming rebuke. The Temperancfc Sooie* 
 ties, Moral Reform Societies, Anti-Slavery Societies, etc., 
 are designed for this end. 
 
 V. I will mention now some of the cases in. which these 
 principles are applicable. 
 
 They are peculiarly applicable to those crimes which 
 are calculated to undermine the institutions of society, and 
 to exert a wide-spread influence. Such sins can only be 
 held in check and put ^own by faithfulness in reproof. 
 
 1. Sabbath-breaking. 
 
 If (Dhristians would universally mark transgressors, and 
 rebuke them that trample on the Sabbath, they would do 
 more to put a stop to Sabbath-breaking than by all other 
 means. If Christians were united in this, how long do 
 you suppose it would be before this sin would be put down? 
 If only a few were faithful, and constant and persevering, 
 they might do much. If only a few do it, and these only 
 now and then, it might not have much effect. But I be- 
 lieve if all professors of religion were to do it, every grocery 
 and grog shop, and oyster cellar, and fruit stand, would 
 be shut up. At all events, they are bound to do it, what- 
 ever may be the result ; and so long as they neglect their 
 duty, they are chargeable before God with all the Sabbath- 
 breaking in the city. If all the churches and ecclesiastical 
 bodies in the land were united to remonstrate with the 
 government, and would continue to do it, firmly, and in 
 the name of the Lord, do you suppose government would 
 continue to violate the Sabbath with their mail ? I tell 
 yon, no. The church can do this, I believe, in one year, 
 if all were united throughout the country, and could speiak 
 out fully, in the fear of God, and without any fear of man. 
 No man who ever expected to be elected to office again, 
 would ever again advise the breaking of the Sabbath; But 
 now, while the church is divided, and not half in earnest, 
 there are so few speak out, that government despises them, 
 
REPROOF A CHRISTIAN DtJTT. 71 
 
 and pays no attention. Thus it is that the church connive 
 at Sabbath-breaking, and they are ■without excuse, till they 
 speak out and rebuke their rulers, in the name of Jehovah, 
 for breaking his holy law. 
 
 2. Intemperance and rum-selling. 
 
 Suppose every man in this city that sells rum was con- 
 tinually subject to the rebukes which God requires ; sup- 
 pose every man that passed by were to reprove him for hia 
 sin ; how long could he sell rum ? If only the church 
 were to do it ; if that deacon and that elder would do it, 
 and every Christian would follow him with rebukes in the 
 name of the Lord for poisoning men to death with rum, 
 he could not go on and do it. Such a strong and decided 
 testimony would soon drive him from his trade of death. 
 In self-defence he would have to yield to the pressure of 
 solemn rebuke. 
 
 3. Lewdness. 
 
 This is a wide-spreading evil, that ought to be univer- 
 sally rebuked. 
 
 It shouJd be rebuked unsparingly, not only from the 
 pulpit, but by the press, and in the street, till it be driven 
 from its strong holds, and made to hide itself in the cham- 
 bers of helL 
 
 4; Slavery. 
 
 What! shall men be suffered to commit one of the 
 most God-dishonoring and most heave;n-daring sins on 
 earth, and not be reproved ? It is a sin.against which all 
 men should bear testimony, and lift up their voice like a 
 trumpet, till this giant iniquity is banished from the land 
 and from the world. 
 
 VI. I shall consider some of the diflBculties which are 
 sometimes raised in the ^way of the performance of this 
 duty. 
 
 1. It is often asked. Is it a duty to reprove my neigh- 
 bor when there is no prospect of doing any good ? 
 
72 REPROOF A CHRISTIAN DUTY. 
 
 I answer, it may be very essential to reprove sin in 
 many eases where there is no prospect that the individual 
 whom you reprove will be benefited. As in cases where 
 your silence would be taken for connivance in his sin. Or 
 where the very fact of his being reproved may prevent 
 others from falling into the like crime. Where the offender 
 comes properly under the description of a scorner or a 
 swine, there God has made an exception, and you are not 
 bound to reprove. But in other cases, duty is yours, con- 
 sequences God's. 
 
 2. It is asked. Should I reprove strangers ? Why. 
 not ? Is not the stranger your neighbor P You are not 
 to reprove a stranger in the same way that you would- a 
 fdmiliar acquaintance ; but the fact of his being a stranger 
 is not a reason why he should not be reproved, if he break 
 the command of God. If a man swear profanely, or break 
 the Sabbath, in your presence, his being a stranger does 
 not excuse you from the duty and the responsibility of ad- 
 ministering reproof, or trying to bring him to repentance 
 and save his soul. 
 
 3. It is asked. Should we reprove a person when he is 
 arunk ? Generally not : for when a person is drunk he is 
 deranged. Thpre may be cases where it is proper, for the 
 purpose of warning others. Bujt so far as the drunkard 
 himself ia concerned, as a general rule, it is not expedient. 
 Yet there are many cases where reproof to a rnan even 
 when drunk, has taken such a hold on his mind as to sober 
 him, and turn him from his beastly sin. 
 
 4. Shall we reprove gi"eat men, and those who are 
 <ibove us in society, and who may look down on us and on 
 our reproofs with contempt ? 
 
 That does not alter your duty. "Thou shaltin any 
 wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not bear sin for him." You 
 should bear in mind the relation in which he stands, 
 and treat him accordingly. But still, if he sin against 
 
EBPROOP A CHRISTIAN DUTY. 73 
 
 Qod, ii; is your duty to reprove him in an appropriate man- 
 ner. 
 
 BEMABES. 
 
 I 
 
 1. Do not talk about people's sins, but go and reprove 
 
 It is very common to talk about people's sins behind 
 iheir backs, but this is great wickedness. If you want to 
 i^lk about any person's sins, go and talk to him about 
 them, and try to get him to repent and forsake them. Do 
 not go and talk to othefs against him behind his back. 
 and leave him to go on in his sins, unwarned, to hoii 
 
 2. How few professors of religion are suflSciently oon- 
 Bcientious to practise this duty. 
 
 I suppose there are thousands in this city, who never 
 think of doing it. Yes; professors of religion live in 
 habitual disobedience to this plain, and strongly expressed 
 command of God, And then they wonder why they do 
 not have the spirit of prayer, and why there are not more 
 revivals ! Wonder ! 
 
 3. See why so few persons enjoy religion. 
 
 They live in habitual neglect of this command, making 
 excuses, when God has said there shall be no excuse. Ana 
 how can they enjoy religion ? What would the universe 
 think of God, if he should grant the joys of religion to 
 such unfaithful professors ? 
 
 4. We see that the great mass of the professors of re- 
 ligion have more regard to their own reputation than to 
 the requirements of God. 
 
 The proof is, that sooner than run the risk of being 
 called censorious, or of getting enemies by rebuking sin, 
 they will let men go on in sin unrebuked, notwithstanding 
 God says, '•' Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor." 
 But I shall offend him if I reprove his sin. " In any wise 
 rebuke him," says Jehovah. It sh6ws that they have a 
 
74 REPROOF A CHRISTIAN DUTY. 
 
 greater fear of men than of God. For fear of offending 
 man, they run the risk of offending God. Yea, they abso- 
 lutely disobey God, in one of his plainest and strongest 
 commandments, rather than incur the displeasure of men 
 by rebuking their sins. 
 
 5. No man has a right to say to ns, when we reprove 
 him for his sin,-*that it is none of our business to meddk 
 with him. 
 
 How often do transgressors tell faithful reprovers, thej 
 had better mind their own business and not meddle with 
 what does not eoncern them. And they are called med- 
 dlers and busybo^ies, for interfering in other people's con- 
 cerns. At the south, they have got themselves into a great 
 rage because we at the north are trying to convince them 
 of the wickedness of slavery. And they say it is none of- 
 our business, that slavery is a matter peculiarly their own, 
 and they will not suffer anybody else to interfere with 
 them, and they require us to let them alone, and will not 
 oven allow us to talk about the subject. And they want 
 our northern legislatures to pass laws forbidding us to re- 
 buke our southern neighbors for their sin in, holding men 
 in slavery. God forbid that we should be silent. Jehovah 
 himself has commanded us to rebuke our neighbor in any 
 wise, let the consequences be as they may. And we will 
 rebuke them, though all hell should rise up against it. 
 
 Are we to hold our peace and be partakers in the sin of 
 slavery, by connivance, as we have been? God forbid, 
 We will speak of it, and bear our testimony against it, and 
 pray over it, and complain of it to God and man. Heaver 
 shall know, and the world shall know, and hell shall know, 
 that ye protest against the sin, and will continue to rebuke 
 it, till it is broken up. God Almighty says, " Thou shall 
 in any wise rebuke thy neighbor," and we must do it. 
 
 So the rum-dealer is all the while pleading, " It is non« 
 of your concern what I do ; please to mind your own bnsi' 
 
BEPROOF A CHRISTIAN DUTY. 75 
 
 aess, and let me alone." But it is our business to reprove 
 him when he dispenses his poison, and it is everybody's 
 concern, and every man is bound to rebuke his crime till 
 he gives it up, and ceases to destroy the lives and souls of 
 his neighbors. 
 
 3. We see the importance of consistency in religion. 
 
 If a man professes to love God,'he ought to have con- 
 sistency enough to reprove those that oppose God. If 
 Christians were only consistent in this duty, many would 
 be converted by it, a right public sentiment would be 
 formed, and sin would be rebuked and forced to retire be- 
 fore the majesty of Christian rebuke. If Christians were 
 not such cowards, and absolutely disobedient to this plain 
 command of God, one thing would certainly come of it — 
 either they would be murdered in the streets as martyrs, 
 because men could not bear the intolerable presence of 
 truth, or they would be speedily converted to God. 
 
 What shall we say, then, to such professors of religion ? 
 Afraid to reprove sinners ! When God commands, not 
 prepared to obey ? How will they answer it to God ? 
 
 Now, beloved, . will you practise this duty ? Will you 
 reprove sin faithfully, so as not to bear sin for your neigh- 
 bors ? Will yon make your whole life a testimony agaiust 
 sin ? Will you clear your souls, or will you hold your 
 peace and be weighed down with the guilt of all the trans- 
 gressors around you and within the sphere of your influ- 
 ence ? God says, "Thou shalt in any wise rei»uke th) 
 neighbor, and not bear sin for him. 
 
TRUE SAINTS. 
 
 Who iB on the Lord's Bide t— Bzodiu zzxU. SI. ' 
 
 THE question was addressed by Moses to the professed 
 people of God, immediately after their great depar- 
 ture from God while Moses was on the Mount, when they 
 went and worshipped a golden calf which had been cast for 
 them by Aaron. After expostulating with the guilty na- 
 tion, he called out, " "Who is on the Lord's side ? " It is 
 not my intention to dwell on the history of this case par- 
 ticularly, but to come at once to the main design I have 
 in view this evening, which is to show that there are 
 
 THBEE CLASSES OP PROFESSIITG CHKISTIAITS. 
 
 I. The true friends of God and man. 
 
 II. Those who are actuated by hope and fear, or in 
 other words by self-love, or by selfishness. 
 
 III. Those who are actuated by public opinion. 
 These three classes may be kjiown by attending to the 
 
 characteristic developments which show what is the lead- 
 ing design in their religion. It needs not be proved, that 
 persons may set out in religion from very different mo- 
 tives, some from real love to religion, and some from other 
 motives. The differences may be arranged in these three 
 classes, and by attending to the development of their real 
 design in becoming religions, you learn their characters. 
 They all profess to be servants of God, and yet by observ- 
 ing the lives of many, it becomes manifest that instead of 
 their being God's servants they are only trying to make 
 God their servant. Their leading aim and object is to 
 
TRUE SAINTS. 77 
 
 secure their own salvation', or some other advantage for 
 themselves, (through the medium of the favor of God. 
 They are seeking to make God their friend, that they may 
 make use of him to serve their own turn. 
 
 I. There is a class of grofessed Christians who are the 
 true friSSSs of God:and '^^j^ ;"*— ™- — --- -^- 
 
 "''Tffyouraf tona'ioTEole Offings which develop the true 
 ;_,aesign and aim of their rehgion,_you will see it to be such. 
 TE ey are trul y'and sincerely benevolent. 
 
 1.' I'heylvOTHmalEr'ir marnlesOHat"^^ is their char- 
 acter, by their carefulness in alvoidina; sin.^ 
 
 They will show that they hate i t in themselve s, and that 
 they hat e_it_in oth ers, f^bey will not justify it in them- 
 selves, and they will not justify it in others.^ They will 
 not seek to cover up or toj excuse their own sins, neither 
 will they try to cover up or to excuse the sins of others. 
 In short they aim at perfect holiness . This course 
 of conduct makes it evident that they are the true 
 friends of God. I do not mean to say that every true 
 friend of God i a, perfect, no more than I would say that 
 every truly affectionate and obedient child is perfect, or 
 hever fails in duty to his parent. But if he is an affection- 
 ate and obedient child, hi ^ , aim is to obey always, and if 
 'he failsm^n^espect, he by no means justifies it, or pleads 
 for it, or aims to cover it up, but as soon as he comes to 
 think of the matter, is dissatisfied with himself, and cony 
 demns his conduct. 
 
 So these persons, who are the true friends of God and 
 man,^re ever ready to complain of themselves, and to 
 blame and condemn themselves for what is wrong.'S But 
 you never see them finding fault with God.) You never 
 hear them excusing themselves and throwing off the blame 
 upon their Maker, by telling of their iijahiHty to obey God, 
 or speaking as if God had required impossibilities of his 
 creatures. They always speak as if they felt that what 
 
78 TEUB aAINTS. 
 
 God has required is right and reasonable, and themselyea 
 only to blame for their disobedience. 
 
 2. They manifest a deep abhorrence of the sins of other 
 people. 
 
 They do not cover up the sins of others, or plead for ■ 
 them and excuse them, or smooth them over by "perhaps 
 this," or " perhaps that." HTou never hear them apolo- 
 gizing for sin.^ As they are indignant at sin in themselves, 
 they are just as much so when they see it in others. They 
 know its horrible nature, and abhor it always., 
 
 3. Another thing in which this spirit manifests itself, 
 i s zeal for the honor and glory of God. 
 
 " They show the same ardor to promote God's honor and 
 interest, that the true p^riot does to promote the honor 
 and interest of his country. If he greatly loves his country, 
 its government, and its interest, he sets his heart upon 
 pi'omoting its advancement and benefit. He is never so 
 happy as when he is doing something for the honor and 
 advancement of his country. So a child that truly loves 
 his father, is never so happy as when he is advancing his 
 father's honor and interest. And he never feels more in- 
 dignant grief, than when be sees his father abused or in- 
 jured. If he sees his father disobeyed or abused by those 
 who ought to obey, and love, and honor him, his heart 
 breaks forth with indignant grief. 
 
 There are multitudes of professing Christians, and even 
 ministers, who are very zealous to defend) t heir own char- 
 acter and their^ own honor. But this one class~feel more 
 engaged, and their hearts beat higher, when defending or 
 advancing God's honor. These are the friends of God and 
 man. 
 
 4. They show that they sympathize with God in his 
 feelings towards man. 
 
 They have the same kind of friendship for souls that 
 God feels. I do not mean that they feel in the same de^. 
 
THXJE SAINTS. 79 
 
 ^ee, but that they have the same kind of feelings. There 
 is sach a thing asfidving the souls of men and h&ting their 
 conduct too.3 There is such a thing as constitutional sym- 
 pathy, which persons feel for those who are in distress. 
 This is natural. You always feel this for a person in dis- 
 tress, unless you have some selfish reason for feeling malev- 
 olent. If you saw a murderer hung, you would feel com- 
 panion for him. The wicked have this natural sympathy 
 for those that suffer. 
 
 There is anQtJjer pec^igjr^^d of sympathy which the 
 real child of God feels, and manifests towards sinners. It 
 isanningled feeling of abhorrence and compassionAof in- 
 dignation against his sins, and pity for his person. It is 
 possible to feel this deep abhorrence of sin mingled with 
 deep compassion for souls capable of such endless l\appi- 
 ness, and yet bound to eteriig^i^sery. 
 
 I will explain myself. There are two kinds of love : 
 one is the love of benevolence. This has no respect to the 
 c haracte r of the person loved, but merely views the indi- 
 vidual as exposed to suffering and misery, (^his God feels 
 towards all men. ^ The other kind includes esteem or ap- 
 probation of character. God feels this only towards the 
 righteou s. He never feels this love towards sinners. He 
 infinitely abhors them. He has an infinitely strong exer- 
 cise of compassion and abhorrence at the same time. 
 Christians have the same feelings, only not m the same 
 ^OTee, but they have them at the same time. Probably 
 ffieynever feel right unless they have both these feelings 
 in exercise at the same time. The Christian does not feel 
 as God feels towards individuals nor feel according to the 
 true-character of the individuals, unless both these feelings 
 exist in bis mind at the same time. You see this by one 
 striking characteristic. The Christian will rebuke most 
 pointedly and frequently those for whom he feels the deep- 
 est compassion. Did you never see this ? Did you never 
 
80 TRUE SAINTS. 
 
 fee a parent yearning with compassion over a child, an4 
 reprove him with tears, and yet with a pungency that would 
 make the little offender quail under his rebuke. Jesus 
 Christ often manifested strongly these two emotions. Ho 
 wept over Jerusalem, and yet he tells the reason in a man- 
 ner that shows his burning indignation against their con- 
 - duct. / " Jerusalem, thmthat killest the prophets and 
 stonest them that are sent unto thee !" Ah, what a full 
 view he had of their wickedness, at thfe moment that he 
 wept with compassion for the doom that hung over them. 
 
 It is just so with this class of Christians. > You never 
 find one of them addressing a sinner so as merely to make 
 him weep because somebody is weeping for him. But his 
 tender appeals are accompanied with strong rebuke for sin. 
 
 I wish you to remember this point— that the true friend 
 of God and man never takes the s mner's par t, because he 
 never acts through mere compassion. And at the same 
 time, he is never seen to denounce the sinner, without at 
 the same time manifesting compassion for his soul and a 
 strong desire to save him from death. 
 
 5. It is a prominent object with such Christians, in all 
 their intercourse with men, to make them friends of God. 
 
 Whether they converse, or pray, or attend to the duties 
 of life^ it is their, prominent object to recommend religion 
 and to lead every body to glority God. It is very natural 
 they should do this, if they are true friends of God, A true 
 friend of the government wishes everybody to be a friend 
 of the government. A true and affectionate child wishes 
 everybody to love and respect his father. And if any one 
 is at enmity, it is his constant aim and effort to bring him 
 to reconciliation. The same you would expect from a true 
 friend of God, as a leading feature of his character, that 
 he would make it a prominent object of his life to 
 reconcile sinners to God 
 
 Now mark me ! If this is not the leading feature of 
 
TH^E SAINTS. gl 
 
 your character, if it is not the absorbing topic of thought 
 and effort to reconcile men to God, you haTe not the root 
 of the matter in you. Whatever appearance of religion 
 you may have, you lack the leading and fundamental char- 
 acteristic of true piety. It wants the leading feature of 
 the character and aims of Jesus Christ, and of his apostles 
 and prophets. Look at them, and see ho-ar this feature 
 stands out in strong and eternal relief, as the leading char- 
 acteristic, the prominent design and object, of their lives. 
 N"ow let me ask you, what is the leading object of your 
 life, as it appears in your daily walk ? Is it to bring all 
 Grod's enemies to submit to him ? If not, away with your 
 pretensions to religion. Whatever else you may have, yon 
 have not the true love of God in you. 
 
 6. Where there are persons of this class, you will see 
 them scrupulously avoid everything that in their estimation 
 is calculated to defeat their gi-eat end. 
 
 They arways~^sh to avoid" every thing calculated to 
 prevent the salvation of souls, everything calculated to 
 divert attention or in any way to hinder the conversion of 
 souls. It ifr not the natural question with them, when 
 any thing is proposed which is doubtful, to ask, " Is this 
 . something whiph God expressly forbids ? " The first ques- 
 tion that naturally suggests itself to their minds is, "What 
 will be the bearing of this upon religion ? Will it have a 
 tendency to prevent the conversion of sinners, to hinder the 
 progress of revivals, to roll back the wheels of salvation ?" 
 If so, they do not need the thunders of Sinai to be pealed 
 in their ears, to forbid their doing it. If they see it con- 
 trary to the spirit of holiness, and contrary to the main 
 object they have in view, that is enoughs 
 
 Look at the temperance reformation for an illustration 
 of this. Here let me say, that it was the influen ce of in - 
 
82 TRUE SAINTS. 
 
 men who commenced the reformation, to inquire on the 
 ^Bubject. Jl And the same class of persons are still carrying 
 it oh. Such men do not stand and cavil at every step of 
 the way^ and say, " Drinking rum is no where prohibited 
 in the Bible, and I do not feel bound to give it up." They 
 find that it hinders the great object for which they live, 
 and that is enough for them— ^they give it up of course. 
 They avoid whatever they see would hinder a revival, as a 
 matter of course, just as a merchant would avoid anything 
 that had a tendency to impair his credit, and defeat his 
 object of making money by his business. Suppose a mer- 
 chant was about to do something that you knew would in- 
 juriously affect his credit, and you go to him in the spirit 
 of friendship and advise him not to do it, wonld he turn 
 round and say, " Show me the passage in the Bible where 
 God has prohibited this?" No. He would not ask you 
 to sh6w him anything more than this, that it is inconsis- 
 tent with his main desigd. 
 
 Mark this, all of you : A person who is strongly de- 
 Biroiii of theconversidii of sinneii does not need an express 
 prohibition to jrevKotJhiB^doing that wnicnKflg^jis^siJ- 
 cSlaliectlo"'p!revent this. There is no danger of his doing 
 that which wilT'Sefeat the very object of his life. 
 
 7. This class of professing Christians are always dis- 
 tressed unless they see the work of converting ~ sinners 
 going on. 
 
 They call it a lamentable state of things in the church, 
 if no sinners are converted. No matter what else is true, 
 no matter how rich the congregation grows, nor how popu- 
 lar their minister, nor how many come to hear him, their 
 panting hearts are uneasy unless they see the wOrk of con- 
 version actually going on. -They see that all the rest la 
 nothing without this^-yea, that even the means of grace 
 are doing more hurt than good, unless sinners are con- 
 verted. 
 
TRUE SAINTS. 83 
 
 Such professors as these are a great trouble to those 
 who are religious from other motives, and who therefore 
 wish to keep all quiet, and have everything go on regularly 
 in the "good old jay." They are often called "uneasy 
 spirits in ?Be" cEnrcET* And mark it ! if a church has^a 
 few such"spirits 'in "it, the minister will be made uneasv 
 unless his preaching is such as to conYe,r$,4inDers. You 
 sometimes hear of these men reproving the church, and 
 pouring out their expostulations for living so coldly and 
 worldiy, and the church reply, " 0, we are doing well 
 enough, do you not see how we flourish, it is only because 
 you are always uneasy." When in fact their hearts are 
 grieved and their souls in agony because sinners are not 
 converted and souls are pressing down to hell. 
 
 8. You will see them when manifesting a spirit of 
 prayer, praving not for themselves but for sinners. 
 ^ If you know the habitual tenor of pebple's prayers, it 
 will show which way the tide of their feelings sets. If a 
 j man is actuated in religion mainly by a desire to save him- 
 \ self, yorTwiTl hear him praying chiefly for himsfelf— that 
 H^inay have his sins pardoned and " enjoy " much of the 
 Spirit of God, and the like. But if he is truly the friend 
 of God and man, you will find that the burden of his 
 prayers is for the glory of God in the salvation of sinners ; 
 and he is never so copious and powerful in prayer as when 
 he gets upon his favorite topic — the conversion of sinpers. 
 Go into the prayer meeting where such Christians pray, 
 and instead of seeing them all shut up in the nut shell of 
 their own interests, spending their whole prayer on them- 
 selves, and just closing with a flourish about the kingdom 
 of Christ, you wUl hear them pouring out their souls in 
 prayer for the salvation of sinners. I believe there have 
 been cases of such Christians who were so much absorbed. 
 in their desires for the salvation of sinners, that for weeks 
 together they did not even pray for their own salvation. 
 
 ■/C: 
 
84 TRUE SAINTS. 
 
 Or if they pray for themselves at all, it is that they may be 
 clothed with the Spirit of God, bo that they can go out and 
 be mighty through God in pulling souls out of the fire. 
 
 You that ar^ here can tell how it is with your prayers, 
 whether you feel most and pray most for yourselves or for 
 sinners, fif you know nothing about the spirit of prayer 
 for sinners, you are not the true friend of God and man^ 
 What 1 no heart to feel when sinners are going to hell by 
 your side ! No sympathy with the Son of God, who gave 
 his life to save sinners I Away with all such pi-ofessions 
 of religion. "If any man have not the Spirit of" ChTist, 
 he is none of :^s," Do not tell me men are truly pioiis, 
 when their prayers are droned over, as much a matter of 
 form as when the poor popish priest counts over his beads. 
 Suoh a man deceives himself, if he talk about being the 
 true friend of God and man. 
 
 -9. These persons do not want to ask what are the 
 things they are "required" to do for the conversion of 
 sinners. ^ 
 
 When anything is presented to them that promises suc- 
 cess in converting sinners, they do not wait to be com- 
 manded to, do it, on pains and j)enalties if they do not. 
 They only want the evidence that it is calculated to advance 
 the object on which their hearts are set, and they will en- 
 gage in it with all their soul. The question is not with 
 them all the while, %^ What am I expressly commanded to 
 do ? 'Shut, ^In what way can I do most for the salvation 
 of souls, and the conversion of the world to God ? "^ They 
 do not wait for an express command in the Bible, before 
 they engage in the work of missions, or Sabbath schools; 
 or any other enterprise that -promises to save souls ; but 
 they are ready to every good word and work. 
 
 10. Another characteristic of such Christians is a dis- 
 position to deny^themselves to do good to others. 
 
 God has establish^Tthroughont all the universe the 
 
TRUE SAINTS. 85 
 
 principle of oiyiNG. Even in the natural world, the rivers, 
 the ocean, tHe'cloi^s, all give. It is so throughout the 
 whole kingdom of nature and of grace. This diffusive 
 principle is every where recognized. This is the very spirit 
 of Christ. He sought not to please himself, but to do 
 good to others. He found his highest happiness in deiiy- 
 ing himself to do good to others. So it is with this class 
 of persons — they are ever ready to deny themselves of en- 
 joyments and comforts, and even of necessaries, when by so 
 doing they can do more good to others. 
 
 11. They are continually devising new means and new 
 measures for doing good. 
 
 This is what would be expected from their continual 
 desire to do good. Instead of being satisfied with what 
 does not sncceed; they are continually devising new ways 
 and means to effect their object. They are not like those 
 person's wBo makg^^hemselves satisfied with doing what 
 they call their(^uty// Where an individual is aiming 
 mainly at his OTra-^alvation, he may think if he does his 
 duty he is discharged from responsibility, and so he is 
 satisfied^^he thinks he has escaped from divine wrath and 
 gained heaven for himself, by doing what i&od required 
 Jiim to do, and he cannot help it, whether sinners are 
 saved or lost. But with the other class, it is not so much 
 their object to gain heaven and avoid wrath, but their lead- 
 ing object is to save souls and to honor God. And if this 
 object is not advanced, they are in pain. Such a man is 
 the one whose soul is all the -while devising liberal things, 
 and trying new things, and if one fails, trying another and 
 another, and cannot rest till he has found something that 
 will succeed in the salvation of souls. 
 
 12. They always manifest great grief when they see the 
 church aslee p and doi^^noflung'^orthe salvation of sin- 
 ners. 
 
 They know the difficulty — the impossibility of doing 
 
86 TRUE SAINTS. 
 
 amy thing considerable for the salvation of sinners while 
 the church is asleep. Go into a church where the great 
 mass are doing nothing for the conversion of sinners, and 
 floating along on the current of the world, and you will 
 find that the true friends of God and man are grieved at 
 such a state ofTEingSTTChose who have other objects in 
 view in being religious, may think they are going on very 
 well. They are not grieved when they see the professed 
 people of God going after show and folly. But if there 
 are any of this class, you will find them grieved and dis- 
 tressed at heart, because the church is in such a state. 
 
 13. They are grieved if they see reason to think their , 
 minister traiporizes, or does not reprove the church point- 
 edly and f aithfuUytor their sins. 
 
 The other classes of professors are willing to be rocked ' 
 to sleep, and willing their minister should preach smooth^ 
 flowery, and eloquent sermons, and flattering sermons* 
 with no point and no power. But these are not satisfied' 
 unless he preaches powerfully and pointedly, and boldly, 
 and rebukes and entreats and exhorts, with all lohg-saffer- 
 ing and doctrine. Their souls are not fed, or edified, or 
 satisfied with any thing that does not take hold, and do 
 the work for which the ministry was appointed by Jesu* 
 Christ. 
 
 14 This class of persons will always stand by a faithful 
 minister, who pfeaclS^tlTirtruth boldly and poinlidlyr 
 """TS'o'fflatter if the truth he preaches hits them, they like 
 it, and say. Let the righteous smite me, and it shall be an 
 excellent oil.- When the truth is poured forth with power, 
 their souls are fed, and grow strongm grace. They can 
 pray for such a minister.^ They can weep in their closet, 
 and pour out their souls in prayer for him, that he may 
 have the Spirit of God always with him. While othprs 
 scold and cavil at him and talk about his being extravagant^ 
 and all that, you will find Christians of this sort will stand 
 
TRUE SAINTS. 87 
 
 by him, yea, and would go to the stake with him for tho 
 testimony of Jesus. And this they do for the best of all 
 . reasons — such preaching falls in with the great design for 
 which these Christians lire. 
 
 15. This sort of Christians are especially distressed 
 When ministers preach sermons not adapted to convert 
 sinners. ' — '■"'-»•"■--»■•- ,.«™.-™«.»«-o-. 
 
 I mean when the sermon is not especially addressed to 
 the church, to stir them up. Others may approve the 
 sermon, and praise it,- and tell what a great sermon it is, 
 or how eloquent, or lucid, or grand, or sublime, but it 
 does not suit them if it lacks this one characteristic — a 
 tendency to convert sinners. You will find some people 
 that are great sticklers for the doctrine of election, and 
 they will not believe it is a gospel-sgrmon unless it has the 
 doctrine of election in it, but if the doctrine of election is 
 in it they are suited whether it is adapted to convert sin- 
 ners or not. But where a man has his heart set on the 
 conversion of sinners, if he hears a sermon not calculated 
 to do this, he feels as if it lacked the "great thing" that 
 constitutes a gospel sermon. But if they hear a sermon 
 calculated to save souls, then they are fed^ and their souls 
 rejoice. 
 
 Hence you see the ground for the astonishing difference 
 you often find in the judgment which people pass upon 
 preaching. There is in fact no better test of character 
 than this. It is easy to see who they are that are filled 
 with the love of God and of souls^ by the judgment which 
 they pass upon preaching. The true friends of God and 
 man, when they hear a sermon that is not particulary de- 
 signed to probe and rouse the church aud bring them to 
 action, if it is not such as to bear down on sinners and 
 does not tend to convert sinners, it is not the sermon for 
 them. 
 
 16. You will always find this class of persons speaking 
 
88 TRUE SAINTS. 
 
 in terms of dissatisfaction with themselves, that they do 
 no more for the conversion of sinners. 
 
 However much they may really " do" for this object, it 
 seems that the more they do the more they long to do. 
 They are never satisfied. Instead of being satisfied with 
 the present degree of their success, there is no end of their 
 longing for the conversion of sinners. I recollect a good 
 man, who used to pray till he was exhausted with praying 
 for individuals, and for places, and for the world's conver- 
 sion. Once when he was quite exhausted with praying, 
 he exclaimed " Oh ! my longing, aching heart ! There is 
 no such thing as satisfying my unutterable desires for the 
 conversion of sinners. My soul breaketh for the longing 
 that it hath." That man, though he had been useful be- 
 yond almost any other man of his age, yet he saw so mncb^ 
 to do, and he so longed to see the work go forward and 
 sinners saved, that his mortal frame could not sustain it 
 " I find," said he, one day, " that I am dying for want of 
 strength to do more to save the souls of men. Oh, how 
 much I want s^trength, that I may save souls." 
 
 17. If you wish to move this class of persons, you must 
 make use of motives drawn from their great and leading' 
 object. 
 
 If you wish to move them, you must hold up the situ- 
 ation of sinners, and show how they dishonor God, aad 
 you will find this will move their souls and set them on 
 fire sooner than any appeal to their hopes and fears. Rol\ 
 on them this great object Show them how they can con- 
 vert sinners, and their longing hearts beat and wrestle 
 with God in prayer, and travail for souls, until they see 
 them converted, and Christ formed in them the hope of 
 glory. 
 
 I might mention many other characteristics which be- 
 long to this class of professing Christians — ^the true friends ' 
 of God and man, did time and strength permit But I 
 
TRUE SAINTS. 89 
 
 must stop here, and postpone the consideration of the other 
 two classes till next Friday evening, if we are spared, and 
 the Lord permit. 
 
 Now, do you belong to this class, or not ? I have men- 
 tioned certain great fundamental facts, which, when they 
 exist, indicate, the true character of individuals, by show- 
 -ing what is their main design and object in life. You can 
 tell whether this is your character. When I come to the 
 other part of the subject, I shall endeavor to describe those 
 classes of professing Christians, whose religious zeal, 
 prayers, and efforts, have another design, and show their 
 character, and how this design is carried out. 
 
 And now, beloved, I asked you before God, have you 
 these characteristics of a child of God ? Do you know 
 they belong to you ? Can you say, " Lord, thou know- 
 est all things, thou knowest that I love thee, and that 
 these are the features of my character I" 
 
VI. 
 
 LEGAL RELIGION. 
 
 Wbo 1b on tlie Lord's side T— Bzodns zzzU. TA. 
 
 LAST Friday evening, you will remember, that in dis- 
 coursing from this text, I mentioned three classes 
 of professors of religion : those who truly love God and 
 man, those who are actuated solely by selfishness (or at 
 most self-love) in their religious duties, and those who are 
 actuated only by a regard for public opinion. I also men- 
 tioned several characteristics of the first class, by which 
 they may be known. This evening I intend to mention 
 several characteristics of the second class, 
 
 Those professors who are actuated ly self-love or by 
 selfishness. 
 
 I design to show how their leading or main design in 
 religion develops itself in their conduct. The conduct of 
 men invariably shows what is their true and main design. 
 A man's character is as his supreme object is. And if 
 you can learn by bis conduct what that leading object is, 
 then you can know with certainty what his character is. 
 And I suppose this may generally be known by^ us with 
 great certainty, if we would candidly and thoroughly ob- 
 serve their conduct. 
 
 These three classes of professors agree in many things, 
 and it would be impossible to discriminate between them 
 by an cfbservation of these things only. But there are cer- 
 tain things in which they differ, and by close observation 
 the difference will be seen in their conduct^ from which wo 
 infer a difference in their character. And those points in 
 which they differ belong to the very fundamental of re- 
 ligion. 
 
LEGAL RELIGION. 91 
 
 I will now proceed to mention some of the characteris- 
 tics of the second class — those who are actuated by eelf- 
 love, or by selfishness, in whom hope and fear are the main 
 springs of all they do in religion. And the things that I 
 shall mention are such as, when they are seen, make it 
 evident that "the individual is actuated by a supreme regard 
 to his own good, and that the fear of evil, or the hope of 
 advantage to himself, is the foundation of all his conduct. 
 
 1. They make religion a subordinate concern. 
 
 They show by their conduct that they do not regard 
 religion as the principal business of life, but as subordinate 
 to other things. They consider religion as something that 
 ought to come in by the by, as something that oyght to 
 come in and find a place among other things, as a sort of 
 Sabbath-day business, or something to be confined to the 
 closet and the hour of family prayer, and the Sabbath, 
 out not as the grand business of life. They make a dis- 
 tinction between religious duty and business, and consider 
 them as entirely separate concerns. Whereas, if they had 
 right views of the matter, they would consider religion as 
 the only business of life, and nothing else either lawful or 
 worth pursuing, any further than as it promotes or sub- 
 serves religion. If they had the right feeling, religion 
 would characterize all that they do,, and it would be mani- 
 fest that everything they do is an act of obedience to God, 
 or an act of irreligion. 
 
 2. Their religious duties arc performed aa a'task, and 
 are not the result of the constraining love of God that, 
 burns within them. 
 
 Such a one does not delight in the exercise of religious 
 affections ; and as to communion with God, he knows 
 nothing of it. He performs prayer as a task. He betakes 
 himself to religious duties as sick persons take medicine, 
 not because they love it, but because they hope to derive 
 some benefit from it. 
 
92 LESAL RELIGION. 
 
 And here let me ask those who are present to-night, 
 Do you enjoy religious exercises, or do you perform them 
 because you hope to receive benefit by thoin ? Be honest, 
 now, and answer this question,- just according to the truth, 
 and see where yon stand. 
 
 3. They manifestly possess a legal spirit, and not a gos- 
 pel spirit. 
 
 They do rather what they are obliged to do, in religion, 
 and not what they love to do. They have an eye to the 
 commands of God, and yield obedience to his requirements, 
 in performing religions duties, but do not engage in those 
 things because they love them. They are always ready to 
 inquire, in regard to duty, not so much how they can do 
 good, as how they can be saved. There is just the differ- 
 ence between them, that there is between a convinced sin- 
 ner and a true convert. The convinced sinner asks, 
 "What must I do to be saved ? " The true convert asks, 
 "Lord, what wLlt thou have me to do ?" So this class of 
 professors are constantly asking," What must I do to get 
 to heaven ? " and not " What can I do to get other people 
 there ? " The principal object of such a professor of re- 
 ligion is not to save the world, but to save himself. 
 
 4. They are actuated by fear much more than by hopie. 
 They perform their religious duties chiefly because they 
 
 dare not omit themi They go to the communion, not be- 
 cause they love to meet Christ, or because they love to 
 commune with their brethren, but because they dare not 
 stay away. They fear the censures of the church, or they 
 are afraid they shall be damned if Hhey neglect it. They 
 perform their closet duties not because they enjoy com- 
 munion with God, but because tbey dare not neglect them. 
 They have the spirit of slaves, and go about the service of 
 God, as slaves go about the service of their master, feeling 
 that tbey are obliged to do about so much, or be beaten 
 with many stripes. So tiiese professors feel as if they were 
 
LEGAL RELIGION. 93 
 
 obliged to have about so much religion, and perform about 
 so many religious duties, or be lashed by conscience and 
 lose their hopes. And therefore they go through, painfully 
 and laboriously enough, with about so many religious 
 duties in a year, and that they call religion I 
 
 5. Their religion is not only producefi by the fear of 
 disgri.ce or the fear of hell, but it is mostly of a negative 
 character. 
 
 They satisfy themselves, mostly, with doing nothing 
 that is very bad. Having no spiritual views, they regard 
 the law of God chiefly as a system of prohibitions, just to' 
 guard men from certain sins, and not as a system of be- 
 nevolence fulfilled by love. And so, if they are moral in 
 their conduct, aud tolerably serious and decent in their 
 general deportment, and perform the required amount of 
 religious exercises, this satisfies them. Their conscience 
 harasses them, not so much about sins of omission as sins 
 of commission. They make a distinction between neglect- 
 ing to do what God positively requires, and doing what 
 he positively forbids. The most you can say of them is, 
 that they are not very bad. They seem to think little or 
 nothing of being useful to the cause of Christ, so long as 
 they cannot bb convicted of any positive transgression. 
 
 6. This class of persons are more or less strict in relig- 
 ious duties, according to the light they have and the sharp- 
 ness with which conscience pursues them. 
 
 Where they have enlightened minds and tender con- 
 sciences, you often find them the most rigid of all profes- 
 sors. They tithe even to mint and annise. They are stiff 
 even to moroseness. They are perfect pharisees, and carry 
 everything to the greatest extremes, so far as outward 
 strictness is concerned. 
 
 7. They are more or less miserable in proportion ta-the 
 tenderness of their conscience. 
 
 With all their strictness, they cannot be sensible that 
 
94 LEGAL BELieiON. 
 
 they are great sinners after all : and having no just seni 
 of the gospel justification, this leaves them very nnhapp; 
 And the more enlightened and tender their conscience, tl 
 moie they are unhappy. Notwithstanding their strictnes 
 they feel that they come short of their duty, and not ha' 
 ing any gospel faith, nor any of that holy anointing of tl 
 Holy Spirit that brings peace to the soul, they are unsatii 
 fied, and uneasy, and miserable. 
 
 Perhaps many of you have seen such persons. Pei 
 haps some of you are such, and you never knew what it W£ 
 to feel justified before God, through the blood of Jesi: 
 Christ, and you know not what it is to feel that Jesu 
 Christ has accepted and owned you as his. You never fe. 
 in your minds what that is which is spoken of in the texl 
 " There is now no condemnation to them that are in Chrii 
 Jesus, who walk not . after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 
 Does such language bring home any warm jnd practicj 
 idea to you, that it is a reality because you experience it i 
 your soul? Or do you, after all, still feel condemned an 
 guilty, and have no sense of pardoned sin, and no exper 
 mental peace with God, or confidence in Jesus Christ. 
 
 8. "This class of persons are encouraged and cheered b 
 reading the accounts of ancient paints who fell into gres 
 sins. 
 
 They feel wonderfully instructed and edified when the 
 hear the sins of God's people set forth in a strong lighl 
 Then they are comforted and their hopes are wonderfull 
 strengthened. Instead of feeling humbled and distressed 
 and feeling that such donduct is so conttary to all religio 
 that they could hardly believe they were saints if it ha 
 not been found in the Bible, and that they could not b« 
 lieve at all that persons who should do such things unde 
 the light of the Christian dispensation, could be saints 
 they feel gratified and strengthened, and their hopes cor 
 firmed, by all these things. I once knew a man, an elde 
 
LEGAL RELieiON. 95 
 
 too, brought before the session of a church for the crime 
 of adultery, and he actually excused himself by this plea : 
 He did not know, he said, why he shouM be expected to 
 be better than David, the man after God's own heart. 
 
 9. They are always much better pleased, by how muc^ 
 the lower the standard of piety is held out from the pulpit. 
 
 K the minister adopts a low standard, and is ready 
 charitably to hope that almost every body is a Christian, 
 they are pleased, and compliment him for his expansive 
 charity, and praise him as such an excellent man, so char- 
 itable, etc. It is easy to see why this class of persons are 
 pleased with such an exhibition of Christianity. It sub- 
 serves their main design. It helps them to maintain what 
 they call a " comfortable hope," notwithstanding they do 
 so little for God. Eight over against this, you will see, is 
 the conduct of the man whose main design is to rid the 
 world of sin. He wants all men to be holy, and there- 
 fore he wants to have the true standard of holiness held up. 
 He wants all men to be saved, but he knows they cannot 
 be saved unless they are truly holy. And he would as soon 
 think of Satan's going to heaven as of getting a man there 
 by frittering away the Bible standard of holiness by 
 " charity." 
 
 10. They are fond of having " comfortable " doctrines 
 preached. 
 
 Such persons are apt to be fond of having the doctrine 
 of saints' perseverance much dwelt on, and the doctrine of 
 election. Often, they want nothing else but what they 
 call the doctrines of grace. And if they can be preached 
 in such an abstract way, as to afford them comfort with- 
 out galling their consciences too much, they are fei 
 
 11. They love to have their ministers preach sermons 
 "to feed Christians." 
 
 Their main object is not to save sinners, but to be saved 
 themselves, and therefore they always choose a minister, 
 
96 LEQAL RELIGION. 
 
 not for his ability in preaching for the conversion of sin- 
 ners, but for his talents in feeding the church with mere 
 abstractions. 
 
 12. They lay great stress on having " a comfortable 
 hope." 
 
 You will hear them talking very solemnly about the 
 importance of having a comfortable hope. If they can 
 only enjoy their minds, they show very little solicitude 
 whether anybody else around them is saved or not. II 
 they can have only their fears silenced and their hopes 
 cherished they have religion enough to satisfy them. 
 
 Eight over against this, you will find the true friends 
 of God and man are thinking mainly of something else : 
 they are trying to pull sinners out of the fire, and do not 
 spend their energy in sustaining a comfortable hope foi 
 themselves. ^ 
 
 In their prayers, yen: will find the class I am now speak- 
 mg of, are praying mainly that their evidences may be 
 brightened, and that they may feel assured that they are 
 going to heaven, and know that they, are accepted of God. 
 Their great object is to secure their hopes, and so thev 
 pray that their evidences may be brightened, instead oi 
 praying that their faith may be strengthened, and theii 
 souls full of the Hdly Ghost to pull sinners out of the fire. 
 
 13. They live very much on their own frames of mind. 
 They lay great stress on the particular emotions which 
 
 they have from time to time. ^ If at any time they have 
 some high-wrought feelings of a iSeligious nature, thej 
 dwell on them, ^nd mafce this evidence last a great while. 
 One such season af excitement will prop up their hopes as 
 long as they can distinctly call it up to remembrance. Nc 
 matter if they »re not doing anything'NOW, and are con- 
 scious they have no exercises of love to God now, they re- 
 collect the time when they had such and such feelings, 
 and that answers to„ keep^alive their hopes. If there hai 
 
LEGAL RELIGION. 97 
 
 been a reviTalj and they mingled in its scenes nntil theu 
 imagination has been wrought up so that they could weep 
 and pray and exhort with feeling during a revival, that will 
 last them a long time, and they/vrill have a comfortable 
 hope for years on the streiigth of it. Although, after the 
 revival is over, they do nothing to promote religion, and 
 their hearts are as hard as adamant, they have a very com- 
 fortable hope all the while, patiently waiting for a revival 
 to come and give them another move. 
 
 Are any of you who are here now, propping yourselves 
 up by your past frames and feelings, leaning on evidences, 
 not from what you are now doing but something that you 
 felt last year, or years ago ? Let me tell you, that if you 
 are thus living on past experience, you will find it will fail 
 when you come to need it. 
 
 14. They pray almost exclusively for themselves. 
 
 If you could listen at the door of their closets, you 
 would hear eight-tenths of all their petitions going up for 
 themselves. It shows how they value their own salvation 
 in comparison with the salvation of others. It is as eight 
 to two. And if they pray in meetings, very often it will 
 be just the same, and you would not suppose, from their 
 prayers, that they knew there was a sinner on earth travel- 
 ling the road to hell. They pray for themselves just as 
 they do in the closet, only they couple the rest of the church 
 with them so as to say " we." 
 
 15. Such persons pray to be fitted for death much 
 more than they pray to be fitted to live a useful life. 
 
 They are more anxious to be prepared to die, than to 
 be prepared to save sinners around them. If they ask for 
 the Spirit of God, they want it to prepare them to die, 
 more than as the Psalmist prayed, '"' Then will I teach 
 transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto 
 thee." How many of you are of this character ? How 
 many are there here, whose prayers are described exactly f 
 
98 LE0AL BELiaiON 
 
 An individual who made it his great absorbing object to 
 do good and save sinners, would not be apt to think so 
 much about when, or where, or how he shall die, as how 
 he may do the taost good while he lives. And as to his 
 death, he leaves that all to God, and he is not afraid to 
 leave it all with him. He has long ago given his soul up 
 to him, and now the great question with him is not. When 
 shall I die ? but, How shall I live so as to honor God ? 
 
 16. They are more afraid of punishment than they are 
 pf sin. 
 
 Precisely over against this, you will find the true friends 
 of God and man more afraid of sin than of punishment. 
 It is not the question with them, " If I do this shall I be 
 putiished ? " or, " If I do this, will God foi:give me ? " But 
 the question is that 'which Joseph askeds'"How can I do 
 i this great wickedness, and sin against God ? " There was 
 the spirit of a child of God, afraid of sin more than pun- 
 ishinent, and so much afraid of sin that he had no thought 
 pf punishment. 
 
 This class of persons I am speaking of, often indulge 
 in sin if they can persuade themselves that God will for- 
 give them, or when they think they can recent of it after- 
 wards. They often reason in this way : " Such a minister 
 ,does this ; " or " Such an elder or professor do^s this, and 
 why may not I do the same ?" There was a member of 
 this church had a class in the Sabbath school ; but seeing 
 that others did not take a class, the individual reasoned in 
 this way : '■' Why should I do it any more than they ?" 
 and so gave up the class. Here is the spirit of this whok 
 .description of professors — " Others get along without do- 
 ing such and such things, and why should I trouble my- 
 self to be better than they?" It is not sin that the] 
 fear, but punishment. They sin, they know, but thej 
 hope to escape punishment. Who cannot see that this ie 
 ^ntrary to .the spirit of the true friends of God, whoa< 
 
LBOAL RBLieiON. 99 
 
 absorbing object it is to get , sin, and all sin, out of the 
 world ? Such persons are not half so much afraid of hell 
 as they are of committing sin. 
 
 17. They feel and manifest^reater anxiety about being 
 saved themselves, than if all the world was going to hell. 
 
 Such a professor, if his hope begins to fail, wants to 
 have everybody engaged, to pray for him, and make a 
 . great ado, and move all the church, when he never thinks 
 of doing anything for the sinners around him, who are 
 certainly on the road to hell. He shows that his mind is 
 absorbed in himself, and that his main design is not to see 
 how much good he can do. 
 
 18. They are more fond of receiving good than of doing 
 good. 
 
 You may know such persons have not the spirit of the 
 gospel. They have never entered into the spirit of Jesus 
 Christ, when he saidj " It is more blessed to give than to 
 receive." A person actuated by true love to God and man. 
 enjoys what he does to benefit others, far more than they 
 do who receive good at his hand. He is really benevolent, 
 and it is a gratification to him to show kindness, because 
 his heart is set upon it, and when he can do it, a holy joy 
 is shed over his mind, and he enjoys it exquisitely. 
 
 The other class are more eager to receive than to im- 
 part. They want to receive instruction more than to im- 
 part it. They want to receive comfort, but are never ready 
 to deny themselves to give the comforts of the gospel to 
 others. How directly contrary this is to the diffusive spirit 
 of the gospel, any one can see at a glance. That spirit 
 finds its supreme happiness in communicating happiness 
 to others. But this class of persons want to lay everybody 
 under contribution to impart happiness to themselves, in- 
 jtead of laying themselves out to bless othei's. 
 
 Who does not know these two classes of professors ? — 
 One always seeking out objects to do good to, the other 
 
100 LEGAL BELIQION. 
 
 always trying to gain good themselves. One anxious to 
 communicate, the other to receive. One to do good, the 
 other to get good. These two classes of character are just 
 as opposite as light and darkness. 
 
 19. If this class of professors are led to pray for the 
 conversion and salvation of others, you may observe that 
 they are actuated by the same kind of considerations as 
 they are when they pray for themselves. 
 
 They are chiefly afraid of hell themselves, and when 
 they are strongly convicted, they uS afraid others will go 
 there too. They are seeking happiness for themselves, and 
 when self is not in the way, they seek the same for others. 
 They pray for sinners, not because they have such a sense 
 of the evil of sin which sinners are committing, as because 
 they have such a sense of the terrors of hell to which sin- 
 ners are going. It is not because sinners dishonor God 
 that they want them converted, but because they are 
 in danger. Their great object in praying is to secure 
 the safety of those they pray for, as it is their great object 
 in religion to secure their own safety. They pity them- 
 selves and they pity others. If there was no danger, they 
 would have no motive to pray either for themselves or 
 others. 
 
 The true friends of God and man feel compassion for 
 sinners too, but they feel much more for the honor of God. 
 They are more distressed to see God abused and dishon- 
 ored than to see sinners go to hell. And if God must be 
 for ever dishonored or men go to hell— just as certainly as 
 they love God supremely, they will decide that sinners 
 shall sink to endless torments sooner than God fail of his 
 due honor. And they manifest their true feelings in their 
 prayers. You hear them prayirig for sinners as rebels 
 against God, as guilty criminals deserving of eternal wrath, 
 as the enemies of God and the universe ; and while they, 
 are full of compassion for sinners, they feel also the onkind' 
 
LEGAL RELIGION 101 
 
 lings of holy indignation against them for their conduct 
 towards the blessed God. 
 
 20. The class of professors I am speaking of are very 
 apt to be distressed with doubts. 
 
 They are apt to talk a great deal about their doubts. 
 This makes up a great part of their history— .the detail of 
 their doubts. The great thing with them being the enjoy- 
 ment of a comfortable hope, as soon as they begin to doubt, 
 it is all over with them, and so they make a great ado with 
 their doubts, and then they are not prepared to do any- 
 thing for religion because they have these doubts. The 
 true friends of God and man being engaged in doing good,, 
 if the devil at any time suggests that they are going to 
 hell, the first answer they think of is, " What if I should ? 
 Only let me pull sinners out of the fire while I can." I 
 suppose real Christians may have doubts. But they are 
 much less apt to have them, by how much the more they 
 are fully bent on saving sinners. It will be very hard 
 work for Satan to get a church who is fully engaged in 
 the work to be much troubled with doubts. Their atten- 
 tion is not on that, but on something else, and he cannot 
 - get the advantage over them. 
 
 31. They manifest great uneasiness at the increasing 
 calls for self-denial to do good. 
 
 Said an individual, " What will this temperance refor- 
 mation come to ? At first they only went against ardent 
 spirit, and I gave up that, and did very well without it. 
 Then they called on us to give up wine ; and now they are 
 calling on us to give up our tea and cofEee, and tobacco ; — 
 where will it end ? " This class of persons are in constant 
 distress at being called on to give up so much. The good 
 that is to be done does not enter into their thoughts, be- 
 cause they are all the while dwelling on what they have to 
 give up. 
 
 It is easily seen why it is that these aggressive move- 
 
102 ' LEGAL RELIGION. 
 
 ments on the kingdom of darkness distress snch persona. 
 Their object never was to search out and banish from thia 
 world everything that is dishonorable to God or injarious 
 to man. They never entered upon religion with the deter- 
 mination to clear out every such thing from the earth, as 
 far as they had power, and as fast as they were convinced 
 that it was injurious to' themselves or others, in soul or 
 body. And therefore they are distressed by the movements 
 of those who are truly engaged to search out and clear away 
 every evil. 
 
 These persons are annoyed' by the continually increas- 
 ing calls to give for missions. Bibles,' tracts, and the like. 
 The time was, when a rich man gave twenty-five dollars a 
 yeai- to such things, he was thought to be doing pretty 
 well. But now there are so many calls for subscriptions 
 and contributions, that they are in torment all the time. 
 "I don't like these contributions, I am opposed to having 
 contributions taken up in the congregation, I think they 
 do hurt." They,feel specially sore at these agents. " I 
 don't know about these beggars that are going about." 
 They are obliged to keep giving all the time, in order to 
 keep up their character, or to have any hope, but they are 
 much distressed about it, and do not know what the world 
 is coming to, things are in such a strange pass. 
 
 As you raise the general standard of living in the 
 chnrdh, this class of professors find they have to come up 
 too, lest their hopes should be shaken. And the common 
 standard of professbrs has been raised already so much, 
 that I have no doubt it costs this class of persons new four 
 times as much of what they call religion, to keep up a hope, 
 as it did twenty years ago. And what will become of them 
 if there are to be so many new movements and new meas- 
 ures, and so much done to save the world ? The Lord 
 help them, for they are in great distress I 
 
 22, When they are called upon to exercise self-denial 
 
LEGAL RELIGION. 103 
 
 for the sake of doing good, instead of bieing a pleasai^t 
 thing, it gives them unmingled pain. 
 
 Such a one ddes not Ijnow anything about enjoying 
 self-denial. He cannot understand how self-denial is pleas-^ 
 ant, nor how anybody can take pleasure in it, or have joy 
 of heart in denying himself for the sake of doing good to 
 others. That, he thinks, is a height in religion to which 
 he has not attained. Yet the true friend of God and man, 
 whose heart is fully set to do good, never enjoys any money 
 he expends so well as that which he gives to promote 
 Christ's kingdom. If he is really, pious, he knows that is 
 the best disposition he can make of his money. Nay, he is 
 Borry to be obliged to use money for anything else, when 
 there are so many opportunities to do good with it. 
 
104 LEG A I RELIGION. 
 
 gone on, and the excitement is great, then they coitio m 
 and appear to be engaged in it. But you never see them 
 taking the lead, or striking out a-head of the rest, and say- 
 ing to the rest of the brethren. Come on and let us do 
 something for the Lord. 
 
 24 As a matter of fact> i;hey do not convert sinners to 
 God. 
 
 They may be instrumental of good, in various ways, 
 and so may Satan be instrumental of good. But as a gen- 
 eral thing, they do not pull sinners out of the fire. And 
 the reason is, that this is not their great object. How is it 
 with you ? Do you absolutely succeed in converting sin- 
 ners ? Is there any one who will look to you as the in- 
 strument of his conversion ? If you were truly 'Engaged 
 for this, you could not rest satisfied without doing it, and 
 you would go about it so much in earnest, and with such 
 agonizing prayer that you would do it. 
 
 25. They do not manifest much distress when they be- 
 hold sin. 
 
 They do not rebuke it. They love to mingle in scenes 
 where sin is committed, They love to be where they can 
 hear vain conversation, and even to join in it. They love 
 worldly company and worldly books. Their spirit is 
 worldly.' Instead of hating even the garment spotted with 
 the flesh, they love to hang around the confines of sin, as 
 if they had complacency in it. - 
 
 26. They take but very little interest in published ac- 
 counts of revivals, missions, etc. 
 
 If any of the missions are tried severely, they neither 
 know nor feel it. If missions prosper, they never know it 
 they take no interest in it. Very likely they do no1; take 
 any religious paper whatever. Or if they do, when they 
 sit down to read it, if they come to a revival, they pass it 
 over, to read the secular news, or the controversy, or some- 
 thing else. The other class, the true friends of God and- 
 
LEGAL BELIGION. 105 
 
 man, on the contrary, love to learn the progress of revi- 
 vals. They Jove to read a religious paper, and when they 
 take it up, the first thing they do is to fun their eye over 
 it to find where there are revivals, and there they feast 
 their souls, and give glory to God. And so with missions: 
 their heart goes forth with the missionaries, and when they 
 hear that the Lord has poured forth his Spirit on a mis- 
 eion, they feel a glow of holy joy thrill through them. 
 
 27. They do not aim at any thing higher than a legal, 
 painful, negative religion. 
 
 The love of Christ does not constrain them to a con- 
 stant warfare against sin, and a constant watch to do all 
 the good in their power. But what they do is done only 
 because they think they must. And they maintain a kind 
 of piety that is formal, heartless, worthless. 
 
 28. They come reluctantly into all the special move 
 ments of the church for doing good. 
 
 If a protracted meeting is proposed, you will generally 
 find this class of persons hanging back, and making objec- 
 tions, and raising difficulties as long as they can. If any 
 other special effort is proposed, they come reluctantly, and 
 prefer the good old way. They feel sore at being obliged 
 to add so much every year to their religion in order to 
 maintain their hope. 
 
 39. They do not enjoy secret prayeri 
 
 They do not pray in their closets because they love to 
 pray but because they think it is their duty, and they dare 
 not neglect it. 
 
 30. They do not enjoy the Bible. 
 
 They dojiot read the Bible because it is sweet to their 
 Bouls, sweeter than honey or the honey-comb. They do 
 not " enjoy " the reading, as a person enjoys the most ex- 
 quisite delights. They read it because it is their duty to 
 read it ; and it would not do to profess to be a Christian 
 and not read the Bible : but in fact they find it a dry book. 
 
106 LEOAL BELIOION. 
 
 31. They do not enjoy prayer meetings. 
 
 Slight excuses keep them away. They never go nnlen 
 they find it necessary for the sake of keeping up appear- 
 ances, or to maintain their hope. And when they do go, 
 instead of having their souls melted and fired with love, 
 they are cold, listless, dull, and glad when it is over. 
 
 32. They are very much put to it to understand what 
 is meant by disinterestedness. 
 
 To serve God because they love him, and not for the 
 sake of the reward, is what they do not understand. 
 
 33. Their thoughts are not anxiously fixed upon the 
 question, When shall the world be converted to God ? 
 
 Their hearts are not agonized with such thoughts as this, 
 Oh, how long shall wickedness prevail ? Oh, when shall 
 this wretched world be rid of sin and death ? Oh, when 
 shall men cease to sin against God ? They think much 
 more of the question, When shall I die and go to heaven, 
 and get rid of all my trials and cares ? 
 
 But I find I am again obliged to omit the examination 
 of the last class of professors till next Friday evening, when, 
 with the leave of Providence, it will be attended to. 
 
 BEKABKS. 
 
 1. I believe you will not think me extravagant, when I 
 say that the religion I have described, appears to be tlie 
 religion of a very large mass in the church. 
 
 To say the least, it is greatly to be feared that a ma- 
 jority of professing Christians are of this description. To 
 say this, is neither uncharitable nor censorious. 
 
 2, This religion is radically defective. 
 
 There is nothing of true Ohristianity in it. It difEerg 
 from Christianity as much as the Pharisees difiered from 
 Christ — as much as gospel religion differs from legal re- 
 ligion. 
 
 Now, let me ask you, to which of these classes do yon 
 
LBQATi RELIGION. 107 
 
 belong P Or are you in neither ? It may b6 that because 
 you are conscious you do not belong to the second class, 
 you may think you belong to the first, when in fact, you 
 will find, when I come to describe the third class of pro* 
 fesBors, tliat I describe your true character. 
 
 How important it is that you know for a certainty what 
 is your true character — whether you are actuated in reli 
 gion by true love to God and man, or whether you are 
 religious only out of regard to yourself. 0, what a solemn 
 . thought, if this church, of which I have been the pastor, 
 have never come to an intelligent decision of the question, 
 whether they are the true friends of God and man or notr 
 Do settle it, beloved. Now is the time. Settle this, and 
 then go to work for God. 
 
vn. 
 
 RELIGION OF PUBLIC OPINION. 
 
 For tbey loved the praise of men more than the pralie oit Qod.— John zll. 4M.- 
 
 THESE words were spoken of certain individuals who 
 refused to confess that Jesus was the Christ, because 
 he was extremely unpopular with the scribes and pharisees, 
 and principal people of Jei'usalem. 
 
 There is a plain distinction between self-love, or the 
 simple desire of happiness, and selfishness. Self-love, 
 the desire of happiness and dread of misery, is constitn- 
 tional ; it' is a part of our frame as God made us, and as. he 
 intended us to be ; and its indulgence within the'limits of 
 the law of God, is not sinful. Whenever it is indulged 
 contrary to the law of God, it becomes sinful. When the 
 desire of happiness or the dread of misery becomes the 
 controlling principle, and we prefer our own gratification 
 to some other greater interest, it becomes selfishness. 
 When, to avoid pain or procure happiness, we sacrifice 
 other greater interests, we violate the great law of disin- 
 terested benevolence, it is no longer self-love, acting with- 
 in lawful bounds, but selfishness. 
 
 In my last Friday evening lecture, I described a class 
 of professors of religion, who are moved to perform relig- 
 ious exercises by hope and fear. They are moved some- 
 times by self-love, and sometimes by selfishness. Their 
 supreme object is not to glorify God, but to secure their 
 own salvation. You will recollect that this class, and the 
 class I had described before as the real friends of God and 
 man, agree in many things, and if you look only at the 
 things in which they agree, you cannot distinguish between 
 them. It is only by a close observation of those things in 
 
RELIGION OF PUBLIC OPINION. 109 
 
 which they differ, that you can see that the main design 
 of the latter class is not to glorify God, but to secure their 
 own salvation. In that way we can see their supreme ob- 
 ject deyeloped, and see that when they do the same things, 
 outwardly, which those do whose supreme object is to 
 glorify God, they do them from entirely different motives, 
 and consequently the acts themselves are, in the sight of 
 God, of an entirely different character. 
 
 To-night, I design to point out the characteristics of 
 the third class of professing Christians, who "love the 
 praise of men more than the praise of God." 
 
 I would not be understood to imply that a mere regard 
 for reputation has led this class to profess religion. Be- 
 ligion has always been too unpopular with the great mass 
 of mankind to render it a general thing to become profess- 
 ing Christians from a mere regard to reputation. But I 
 mean, that where it is not generally unpopular to become 
 a professor of religion, and will not diminish popularity, 
 but will increase it with many, a complex motive oper- 
 ates — the hope of securing happiness in a future world, 
 and that it may increase reputation here. And thus many 
 are led to profess religion, when after all, on a close exami- 
 nation, it will be seen that the leading olject, which is 
 prized beyond anything else, is the good opinion of their 
 fellow men. Sooner than forfeit this utterly, they would 
 - not profess religion. Their profession turns on this. And 
 although they do profess to be sincere Christians, you may 
 Eee by their conduct, on close examination, that they will 
 do nothing that will forfeit this good opinion of men. They 
 will not encounter the odium that they must, if they were 
 to give themselves up to root sin out of the world. 
 
 Observe, that impenitent sinaers "are always influenced 
 by one of two things, in all that they do that appears like 
 religion. Either they do them out of regard to mere natu- 
 ral principles as compassion or self-love — ^principles that 
 
110 RELIGION OF PUBLIC OPINION. 
 
 are constitutional in them — or from selfishness. They are 
 done either out of regard to their own reputation or hap- 
 piness, or the gratification of some natural principle in 
 them, that has no moral character ; and not from th«« love 
 of God in them. They love " the praise of men more than 
 the praise of God." 
 
 I will now mention seyeral things hy which you may 
 detect the true character of the class of persons of whe>m I 
 have been speaking ; who make the praise of men their 
 idol, notwithstanding they profess to love God supremely. 
 And, they are things by which you can detect your own 
 true characters, if there are any present who properly be- 
 long to this class. 
 
 1. They do what the apostle Paul says certain persona 
 did in his day, and for that reason they remained ignorant 
 of the true doctrine ; they " measure themselves by them- 
 selves, and compare themselves amopjg themselves." 
 
 There are a vast many individuals, who, instead of 
 making Jesus Christ their standard of comparison, and the 
 Bible their rule of life, manifestly aim at no such thing. 
 They show that they never seriously dreamed of making 
 the bible their standard. The great question with thom 
 is, whether they do about as many things in religion, and 
 are about as pious as other people, or as the churches 
 around them. Their object is to maintain a respectable 
 profession of religion. Instead of seriously inquiring for 
 themselves, what the .Bible really requires, and asking ' 
 how Jesus Christ would act in such and such cases, they 
 are looking simply at the common run of professing Chris- 
 tians, and are satisfied with doing what is commendable in 
 their estimation. They prove to a demonstration, that 
 their object is not ^o much to do what the Bible lays 
 down as duty, as to do what the great mass of professing 
 Christians do — ^to do what is respectable, mther than what 
 it right. 
 
RELIOION OP PUBLIC OPINION HI 
 
 2. This class of persons do not trouble themselves about 
 elevating the standard of piety around them; 
 
 They are not troubled at the fact, that the general 
 standard of piety is so low in the church, that it is im- 
 possible to bring the great mass of sinners to repentance. 
 They think the standard at the present time is high enough. 
 Whatever be the standard at the time it satisfies them. 
 While the real friends of God and man are complaining of 
 the church, because the standard of piety is so low, and 
 trying to wake up the church to elevate the tone of relig- 
 ion, it all seems to this class of persons like censoriousness, 
 and a meddlesome, uneasy disposition, and as denoting a 
 bad spirit in them. Just as when Jesus Christ denounced 
 the scribes and pharisees, and leading professors of his day, 
 they said, "He hath a devil." "Why, he is denouncing 
 our doctors of divinity, and all our best men, and even 
 dares to call the scribes and pharisees hypocrites, and he 
 tells us that except our righteoilsness shall exceed theirs, 
 we can in no case enter the kingdom of heaven. What a 
 bad spirit he has." 
 
 A large part of the church at the present day have the 
 same spirit, and every effort to open the eyes of the church 
 and to make Christians see that they live so low, so worldly, 
 so much like hyprocrites, that it is impossible the work of 
 the Lord should go on, only excites ill will and occasions 
 reproach. "0,"they say, "what a bad spirit he shows, 
 Bo censorious, and so unkind, surely that is anything but 
 the meek, and kind, and loving spirit of the Son of God."' 
 They forget how Jesus Christ poured out his anathemas, 
 enough to make the hills pf Judea shake, against those 
 that had the reputation of being the most pious people in 
 that day. Just as if Jesus Christ never said anything 
 severjB to anybody, but just fawned over them, and soothed 
 them into his kingdom. Who does not know that it was 
 the hypocritical spirit exhibited by professors of religion, 
 
113 RELIGION OP PUBLIC OPmiON, 
 
 that roused his sonl and moved his indignation, and called 
 forth his burning torrents of denunciation. He was always 
 complaining of the very people who were set up as patterns 
 of piety, and called them hypocrites, and thundered over 
 their heads the terrible words, " How can ye escape the 
 damnation of hell ! " 
 
 It is not wonderful, when so many love the praise oi 
 men more than the praise of God, that there should he ex- 
 citement when the truth is told. They are very well satis- 
 fied with the standard of piety as it is, and think that while 
 the people are doing so much for Sabbath schools, and 
 missions, and tracts, that is doing pretty well, and they 
 wonder what the man would have. Alas I alas ! for their 
 blindness I They do not seem to know that with all this 
 the lives of the generality of professing Christians are 
 almost as different from the standard of Jesus Christ ae 
 light is from darkness. 
 
 3. They make a distinction between those requirements 
 of God that are strongly enforced by public sentiment and 
 those that are not thus guarded. 
 
 They are very scrupulous in observing such requirements 
 as public sentiment distinctly favors, while they easily set 
 at nought those which pubUc sentiment does not enforce, 
 You have illustrations of this on every side. I might men- 
 tion the temperance reformation. How many there arc 
 who yield to public sentiment in this matter what thej 
 never would yield to God or man. At first they waited tc 
 see how it would turn. They resisted giving up ardeni 
 spirits. But when that became popular, and they found 
 they could do very well with other alcoholic stimulants, 
 they gave it up. But they are determined to yield no far^ 
 ther than public sentiment drives them. They show thai 
 it is not their object, in joining the temperance society, t( 
 carry out the reform, so as to slay the monster Intemper- 
 ance ; but their object is to maintain a good character 
 
BELIQION OF PUBLIC OPINION. 113 
 
 They love "the praise of men more than the praise of 
 God." 
 
 See how many individuals there are, who keep the Sab- 
 bath, not because they love God, but because it is respect- 
 able. This is manifest, because they keep it while they 
 are among their acquaintanees, or where they are known. 
 But when they get where they are not known, or where it 
 will not be a public disgrace, you will find them travelling 
 on the Sabbath. 
 
 All those sins that are reprobated by public opiition this 
 class of persons abstafn from, but they do other things just 
 as bad which are not thus frowned on. They do those 
 duties which are enforced by public opinion, but not those 
 that are less enforced. They will not stay away from pub- 
 lic worship on the Sabbath, because they could not main- 
 tain any reputation for religion at all if they did. But 
 they neglect things that are just as peremptorily enjoined 
 in the word of God. Where an individual habitually dis- 
 obeys any command of God, knowing it to be such, it is 
 just as certain as his soul lives, that the obedience he ap- 
 pears to render, is not from a regard to God's authority, or 
 love to God, but from other motives. He does not, in fact, 
 obey any command of God. The Apostle has settled this 
 question. " Whosoever," says he, " shall keep the whole 
 law, and offend in one point, is guilty of all ; " that is, does 
 not truly keep any one precept of the law. Obedience to 
 God's commands implies an obedient state of heart, and 
 therefore nothing is obedience that does not imply a su- 
 preme regard to the authority of God. Now, if a man's 
 heart be right, then whatever God enjoins he regards as of 
 more importance than anything else. And if a man re- 
 gard any thing else of superior weight to God's authority, 
 that 4s his idol. Whatever we supremely regard — that is 
 our god ; whether it be reputation, or comfort, or riches, 
 or honor, or whatever it is that we regard supremely, that 
 
114 BBLKJION OP PUBLrc OPINION. 
 
 is the god of our hearts. Whatever a man's reason may 
 be for habitually neglecting anything which he knows tq> 
 be the command of God, or that he sees to be required, 
 to promote the kingdom of Ohrist, there is demonstra- 
 tion absolute that he regards that as supreme. There 
 is nothing acceptable to God in any of his services. Eest 
 assured, all his religion is the religion of public eenti-^ 
 inent. If he neglects any thing required by the law of 
 God, because he can pass along in neglect, and public 
 sentiment does not enjoin it ; or if he does other things 
 inconsistent with the law of God, merely because public 
 opinion does require it, it is a simple matter of fact, that 
 it is public sentiment to which he yields obedience, in all 
 his conduct, and not a regard to the glory of God. 
 
 How is it with you, beloved ? Do you habitually neglect 
 any requirement of God, because it is not sustained and 
 enforced by public sentiment ? If you are a professor of 
 religion, it is to be presumed you do not neglect any re- 
 quirement that is strongly urged by public sentiment. 
 But, how is it with others ? Do you not habitually neglect 
 some duties ? Do you not live in some practices reputable 
 among men, that you know to be contrary to the law of 
 God ? If you do, it is demonstration absolute that you re- 
 gard the opinions of men more than the judgment of God. 
 Write down your name, htfpocnte. 
 
 4. This class of professors are apt to indulge in some 
 sins when they are away from home, that they would not 
 commit at home. 
 
 Many a man who is temperate at home, when he gets 
 to a dista&ice, wi]! toss off his glass of brandy and water at 
 the table, or step up to the bar of a steam-boat and call for 
 liquor without shame ; or if they are in Europe, they will 
 go to the theatre. When I was in the Mediterranean, at 
 Messina, a gentleman asked me if I would go to the theatre 
 with him. " What 1 1 go to the theatre ? A ministej- go to 
 
BELIGION OP PUBLIC OPINION. Hfi 
 
 the theatre ? " " Why," said he, " you are away from home, 
 and no one would know it." " But would not God know 
 it ? " It was plain that he thought, although I was a min- 
 ister, I could go to the theatre when I was away from 
 hpme. No mattiar if God knew it, so long as men did not 
 know it. And how should he get that idea, hut by seeing 
 ministers who would do just such things ? 
 
 6. Another development of the character of these in- 
 dividuals is, that they indulge themselves in secret sin. 
 
 I am now speaking of something, by which you may 
 know yourselves. If you allow yourselves in any sins 
 secretly, when you can get along without having any hu- 
 man being know it, know that God sees it, and that he 
 has already written down your name, hypocrite. You 
 are more afraid of disgrace in the eye of mortals, than of 
 disgrace in the eye of God. If you loved God supremely, 
 it would be a small thing to you that any and every body 
 else knew your sins, in comparison with having them known 
 to God. If tempted to any such thing, you would exclaim, 
 " What I shall I commit sin under the eye of God ?" 
 
 6. They indulge in secret omissions of duty, which they 
 would not dare to have known to others. 
 
 They may not practise any secret sins, or indulge in 
 those secret pollutions that are spoken of, but they neglect 
 those duties, that if they were known to neglect, it would 
 be called disreputable to their Christian character. Such 
 as secret prg,yer for instance. They will go to the com- 
 munion — yes, to the communion 1 — and appear to be very 
 pious on the Sabbath, and yet, as to private piety, they 
 know nothing of it. Their closet for prayer is unknown 
 to God or man. It is easy to see that reputation is their 
 idol. They dread to lose their reputation more than to 
 offend God, 
 
 How is it with you ? Is it a fact, that yon habitually 
 omit those secret duties, and are more careful to perform 
 
116 EELI0ION OF PUBLIC OPINION, 
 
 your public duties than private ones ? Then what is youi 
 character ? Do you need to be told ? " They loyed tha 
 praise of men more than the praise of God." 
 
 7. The conscience of this class of persons seems to be 
 formed on other principles than those of the gospel. 
 
 They seem to have a conscience in those things that are 
 popular, and no conscience at all on those things that are 
 not required by public sentiment. You may preach t(r 
 them ever so plainly, their duty, and prove it ever so 
 clearly, and even make them confess that it is their duty, 
 and yet so long as public sentiment does not require it, 
 and it is not a matter of reputation, they vrill continue on 
 in the same way as before. Show them a " Thus saith the 
 Lord," and make them see that their course is palpably 
 inconsistent with Christian perfsction, and contrary to the 
 interests of tne kingdom of Christ, and yet they will not 
 alter. They make it manifest that it is not the require- ' 
 ment of God they regard, but the requirement of public 
 opinion. They love the praise of men more than the 
 praise of God. 
 
 8. This class of persons generally dread, very much, 
 the thought of being considered fanatical. 
 
 They are ignorant, practically, of a first principle 
 in religion, that all the world is wrong ! That the 
 public sentiment of the world is all against God, and 
 that every one who intends to serve God must in the first 
 instance set iiis face against the public sentiment of the 
 world. They are to take it for granted, .thut in a world of 
 rebels, public sentiment is as certainly wrong as that there 
 is a controversy with God. They have never had their 
 eyes open to this fundamental truth, that the world ia 
 wrong, and that God's ways are directly over against their 
 ways. Consequently, it is true, and always has been true, 
 that " all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer 
 persecution." They shall be called fanatical^ supersti 
 
S3L1GI0N OF PDBLIC OPINION. 117 
 
 tioiis, nltras, and tlie like. They always have been, and 
 they always will be, as long as the world is wrong. 
 
 But this class of persons will never go further than is 
 consistent with the opinions of worldly, men. They say 
 they must do this and that in order to have influence over 
 such men. Eight over Against this is the course of the true 
 friends of God and man. Their leading aim is to reverse 
 the order of the world, and turn the world upside-down, 
 to bring all men to obey God, and all the opinions of men 
 to conform to the word of God, and all the usages and in- 
 stitutions of the world to accord with the spirit of the 
 gospel. 
 
 9. They are very intent on making friends on both sides. 
 
 They take the middle course always. They avoid the 
 reputation of being righteous over-much, on the one hand, 
 and on the other hand, of being lax or" irreligious. It has 
 been so for centuries, that a person could maintain a repu- 
 table profession of religion, without ever being called fa- 
 naticaJ. And the standard is still so without ever being 
 called fanatical. And the standard is still so low, that 
 probably the great mass of the protestant churches are 
 trying to occupy this middle ground. They mean to have 
 friends on both sides. They are not set down as repro- 
 bates on the one hand, nor as fanatics or bigots on the 
 other. They are " fashionable Christians I " They may 
 be called fashionable Christians for two reasons. One is, 
 that their style of religion is popular and fashionable ; 
 and the other is, that- they generally follow worldly fash- 
 ions. Their aim in religion is not to do anything that will 
 disgust the world. No matter what God requires, they are 
 determined to be so prudent as not to bring on them the 
 censures of the world, nor offend the enemies of God, 
 They have manifestly more regard to men than to God. 
 And if they are ever so circumstanced that they must do 
 thai which will displease their friends, and neighbors, oi 
 
118 EELiaiON OP PUBLIC OPINION. 
 
 offend God, they will offend God. it public sentiment 
 clashes with the commands of God, they will yield to pub- 
 lic sentiment. 
 
 10. They will do more to gain the applanse of men 
 than to gain the applause of God, 
 
 This is evident from the fact, that they will yield obe- 
 dience only to those requirements of God which are sus- 
 tained.by public opinion. Although they will not exercise 
 self-denial to gain the applause of God, yet they will exer- 
 cise great self-denial to gain the applause of men. The 
 men that gave up ardent spirits, because public sentiment 
 rendered it necessary, will give up wine also, whenever a 
 public sentiment sufficiently powerful shall demand it; 
 and not till then. 
 
 11. They are more anxious to know what are thokopin- . 
 ions of men about them, than to know what is God's 
 opinion of them. . 
 
 If one of this class is a minister, and preaches a ser- 
 mon, he is more anxious to know what the people thought 
 of it, than to know what God thought of it. And if he 
 make anything like a failure, the disgrace of it with men 
 cuts him ten times more than the thought that he has dis^ 
 honored God, or hindered the salvation of souls. Just so 
 with an elder, or a member of the church, of this class. 
 If he pray in a meeting, or exhort, he is more concerned 
 to know what is thought of it, than to know how God is 
 pleased. 
 
 If such a one has some secret sin found out, he is vastly . 
 more distressed about it because he is disgraced than be- 
 cause God is dishonoredf Or if he fall into open sin, when 
 he comes to be met with it, he cares as much again about 
 the disgrace as about the sin of it. 
 
 They are more anxious about their appearance in the 
 eyes of the world, than in the eyes of God. Females of 
 this character are vastly more anxious, when they go to 
 
RELIGION OF PUBLIC OPINION. 119 
 
 church, how the body shall appear in the eyes of men, than 
 how the heart shall appear in the eyes of God. Such a one 
 will be all the week engaged in getting everything in order, 
 so as to make her person appear to advantage, and perhaps 
 will not spend half an hour in her closet, to prepare her 
 heart to appear before God in his courts. Every body can 
 see, at a glance, what this religion is, the moment it is 
 held up to view. Nobody is at a loss to say what that 
 man's or that woman's name is — ^it is hypocrite. They 
 will go into the house of God -with their hearts dark 
 as midnight, while every thing in their external appear- 
 ance is comely and decent. They must appear well in the 
 eyes of men, no matter how that part is on which God 
 fixes his eye. The heart may be dark, and disordered, and 
 polluted, and they care not, so long as the eye of man de- 
 tects no blemish. 
 
 13. They, refuse to confess their sins in the manner 
 which the law of God requires, lest they should lose their~ 
 reputation among men. 
 
 If they are ever required to make confession of more 
 than they think consistent with their reputation, they are 
 mort anxious as to how it will affect their character, than 
 to know whether God is satisfied. 
 
 Search your hearts, you that have made confessions, 
 and see which most affects your minds, the question what 
 God thought of it, or what men thought of it. Have you 
 refused to confess what you knew God required, because 
 it would hurt your reputation among men ? Will not God 
 judge your hearts ? Only be honest now, and let it be an- 
 swered. 
 
 13. They will yield to custom what they know to be 
 injurious to the cause of religion, and to the welfare of 
 mankind. 
 
 A striking instance of this is found in the manner of 
 keeping new year's day. Who does not know that the cus- 
 
liO BBLiaiON OF PUBLIC OPINIO*. 
 
 tomary maaner of keeping new year's day, setting out theii 
 wine and their rich cake and costly entertainments, and 
 spending the day as they do, is a waste of money, hnrtfnl 
 to health, and injurious to their own souls and to the in- 
 terests of religion ? And yet they do it. Shall we be told 
 that persons who wiU do this when they Anqw it is in 
 juriouB, supremely love God ? I care not who attempts to 
 defend such a custom, it is wrong, and every Christian 
 must know it to be so. And those who persist in it'when 
 they know better, demonstrate that a supreme regard to 
 God is not their rule of life. 
 
 14. They will do things of doubtful character, or things 
 the lawfulness of which they strongly doubt, in obedience 
 to public sentiment. 
 
 You will recollect that on the evening of the first day 
 of the year I took up this . subject, and showed that those 
 who do things of doubtful character, of the lawfulness of 
 which they are not satisfied, are condemned for it in the 
 sight of God. 
 
 15. They are often " ashamed " to do their duty, and 
 so much ashamed that they will not do it. 
 
 Now when a person is so much ashamed to do what 
 God requires as not to do it, it is plain that his own repu- 
 tation is his idol. How many do you find who are ashamed 
 to acknowledge Jesus Christ, ashamed to reprove sin in 
 high places, or low places, and ashamed to speak out when 
 religion is assailed! If they supremely regarded God, 
 could they ever be ashamed of doing their duty ? Sup- 
 pose a man'swife were calumniated, would he be ashamed 
 to defend his wife ? By no means. If his children were 
 abused, would he be ashamed to take their part ? Not if 
 he loved them ; it would not be shame that would deter 
 him from defending^is wife or children. If a man was 
 friendly to the administration of the government of his 
 country, and heard it calumniated, would he be ashamed 
 
RELIGION OP PUBLIC OPINION, 121 
 
 to defend it ? He might not think it expedient to speak, 
 for other reasons ; but if he was a true friend to the gov- 
 ernment, he would not be "ashamed" to speak in its be- 
 ^half, anywhere. 
 
 Now such persons as I am speaking of, will not take 
 decided ground when they are among the enemies of truth, 
 where they would be subject to reproach for doing it. 
 They are very bold for the truth when among its friends, 
 and will make a great display of their courage. But when 
 put to the trial, they will sell the Lord Jesus Christ, or 
 deny him before his enemies, and put him to open shame, 
 rather than rebuke wickedness, or speak out in his cause 
 among his enemies. 
 
 16. They are opposed to all encroachments on their 
 self-indulgence, by advancing light on practical subjects. 
 
 They are much disturbed by every new proposal that 
 draws on their purses, or breaks in upon their habitual 
 self-indulgence. And you may talk as much, and preach 
 as much in favor of it as you please, there is only one way 
 ^ to reach this kind of people, and that is by creating a new 
 public sentiment. When you have brought over, by the 
 power of benevolence and of conscience, a suflScient num- 
 ber in the community to create a public sentiment in its 
 favor, then they will adopt your new proposals, and not 
 before. 
 
 17. They are always distressed at what they call the 
 " ultraism " of the day. 
 
 They are much afraid the ultraism of the present day 
 will destroy the church. They say we are carrying things 
 too far, and we shall produce a reaction. Take, for in- 
 stance, the Temperance Eeformation. The true friends 
 of temperance now know, that alcohol is the same thing, 
 wherever it is found, and that to save the world and banish 
 intemperance, it is necessary to banish alcohol in all its 
 forms. The pinch of the Temperance Eeformation ha^ 
 
22 RELIGION OP PUBLIC OPimON 
 
 LCTer yet been decided. The mass of the community have 
 lever been called to any self-denial in the cause., Th« 
 ilace where it will pinch is, when it comes to the question, 
 whether men will exercise sblf-deitial to crush the evil. 
 f they may continue to drink wine and beer, it is no self- 
 lenial to give up ardent spirits. It is only changing the 
 orm in which alcohol is taken, and they can drink as 
 reely as before. Many friends of the cause, when they 
 aw what multitudes were rushing into it, were ready to 
 hout a triumph. But the real question is not yet tried. 
 Ind multitudes will never yield, until the friends of God 
 Lud man can form a public sentiment so strong as to crush 
 he character of every man who will not give it up. You 
 vill find many doctors of divinity and pillars of the church, 
 vho are able to drink their wine; that will stand their 
 jround, and no command of God, no requirement of be- 
 levolence, no desire to save souls, no pity for bleeding 
 lumanity, will move such persons, until yon .can form a 
 public sentiment so powerful as to force them to it, on 
 Dcnalty of loss of reputation. For they love the praise of 
 nen. 
 
 And it is a query now in my mind, a matter of solemn 
 ind anxious doubt, whether in the present low state of 
 piety and decline of revivals of religion in the church, a 
 public sentiment can be formed, so powerful as to do this, 
 [f not, we shall be driven back. The Temperance Refor- 
 mation, like a dam of sand, will be swept away, the flood- 
 gates will be opened again, and the world will go reeling—! , 
 down to hell. And yet thousands of professors of religion,' 
 who want to enjoy public respect and at the same time 
 enjoy themselves in their own way, are crying out as if they 
 were in distress at the ultraism of the times ! 
 
 18. They are often opposed to men, and measures, and 
 things, while they are unpopular and subject to reproach; 
 and when they become popular, fall in with them. 
 
BELiaiON OF PUBLIC OPINION. 123 
 
 Let an individual go thropgh the churches in any sec- 
 tion, and wake them up to a revival of religion, and while 
 he is little known, these persons are not backward to speak 
 against him. But let him go on, and gain influence, and 
 they will fall in and commend him and profess to be his 
 warmest friends. It was just so with Jesus Christ Be- 
 fore his death, he had a certain degree of popularity. 
 Multitudes would follow him, as he went through the 
 streets, and cry " Hosanna, Hosanna ! " But observe, 
 they never would follow him an atom farther than his pop- 
 ularity followed him. As soon as he was arrested as a 
 criminal, they all turned round and began to cry, " Oru. 
 cify him, crucify him ! " 
 
 This class of persons, as they set with the tide one way, 
 when a man is reproached, so they will set with the tide 
 the other way when he comes to be honored. Th^re is 
 only one exception. And 1;hat is, when they have become 
 so far committed to the opposition, that they cannot come 
 round without disgrace. And then they will be silent, 
 until another opportunity comes up for letting out the 
 burning fires that are rankling within them. 
 
 Very often a revival in a church, when it first begins, 
 is opposed l^ certain members of the church. They do 
 not like to have such things carried on, they are afraid 
 there is too much animal excitement, and the like. But 
 the work goes on ; and by-and-by they seem to fall in and 
 go with the multitude. At length the revival is over, and 
 the church grows cold again, and before long you will find 
 this class of persons renewing their opposition to the work, 
 and as the-church declines they press their opposition, and 
 perhaps, in the end, inducp the church itself to take ground 
 against the very revival which they had so much enjoyed. 
 This is the very way in which individuals have acted in 
 regard to revivals in this country. There are many such 
 cases. They were awed by public sentimenit and made to 
 
124 «:UGION OF PUBLIC OPINIOIT. 
 
 bow down to the revival, while it was in its power, but by- 
 and-by, as the revival declines, they begin to let out the 
 opposition that is in their hearts, and which was suppressed 
 lor a time because the revival was popular. " 
 
 It has been just so in regard to the cause of missions, 
 in a degree, and if anything should turn up, unfavorable 
 to missions, so as to break the present power of pnblie 
 sentiment in their favor, you would find plenty of these 
 fair weather supporters turning to the opposition. 
 
 19. If any measure is proposed to promote religion they 
 are very sensitive and scrupulous not to have anything done 
 that is unpopular. 
 
 If they live in a city, they ask what will the other 
 churches think of such a measure P And if it is likely, to 
 bring reproach on their church or their minister, in view 
 of the ungodly, or in view of the other churches, they are 
 distressed about it. Ho matter how much good it will do, 
 or how many souls it will save, they do not want to have 
 anything done to injure the respectability of their church. 
 
 20. This class of persons never aim at forming a pub- 
 lic sentiment in favor of perfect godliness. 
 
 The true, friends of God ahd man are always aiming at 
 forming public sentiment, and correcting public sentiment,; 
 on all points where it is wrong. They are set, with all 
 their heiarts, to search out allthe evils in the world, and to 
 reform the world, and drive out iniquity from the earth. 
 The other class are always following public sentiment as 
 it is, and feeling after the course of the tide, to go that 
 way, shrinking back from everything that goes in the face 
 of public sentiment. And they are ready to brand as im- 
 prudent, or rash, any man or anything, that goes to stem 
 the tide of public sentiment and turn it the ,other way. 
 
 REHASKS. 
 
 1. It is easy for persons to take credit for their sina. 
 
RBLIQION OF PUBLIC OPINION. 125 
 
 and make themselves believe certain things are acts of 
 piety, -which are in fact only acts of hypocrisy. 
 
 They do the things that outwardly pertain to pietj, and 
 they give themselves credit for being pious, when their 
 motives are all corrupt and hollow, and not one of them 
 drawn from a supreme regard to God's authority. This is 
 manifest from the fact that they do nothing except where 
 God's requirements are backed up by public sentiment. 
 Unless you aim to do all your duty, and yield obedience 
 in every thing, the piety for which you claim credit is 
 mere hypocrissy, and is in fact sin against God. 
 
 2. There is a great deal more apparent piety in the 
 church than there is real piety. 
 
 There are many things which sinners suppose are good 
 but which are abominable in the sight of God. 
 
 4. But for the love of reputation and the fear of dis- 
 grace, how many there are in the church, who would break 
 out into open apostacy. 
 
 How many are there here, who know you would break 
 out into open vice, were it not for the restraints of public 
 sentiment, the fear of disgrace, and the desire to gain the 
 credit of virtue ? Where a person is virtuous from a re- 
 gard .to the authority of God, whether public sentiment 
 favor it or frown upon it, that is true piety. If other- 
 wise, they have their reward. They do it for the sake of 
 gaining credit in the eyes of men, and they gain it. But 
 if they expect any favor at the hand of God, they will 
 assuredly be disapoinfced. The only reward which he will 
 bestow upon such selfish hypocrites is, that they may be 
 damned. 
 
 And now I wish to know how, many of you will deter- 
 mine to do your duty, and all your duty, according to the 
 will of God, let public sentiment be as it may ? Who of 
 you will'agree to take the Bible for your rule,. Jesus Christ 
 for your pattern, and do what is ryfht, in all oases. 
 
126 BBLiaiON OF PUBLIC OPINION. 
 
 whatever man may say or think ? Every one that is not 
 willing to take this ground must regard himself as a 
 stranger to the grace of God. He is by no means in a state 
 of justification. If he is not resolved upon doing what he 
 knows to be right, let public sentiment be as it may, it is 
 proof positive that ho loves the praise of men more than 
 the praise of God. 
 
 And let me sav to the Impenitent sinners present. You 
 Bee what it is to be a Christian. It is to be governed by the 
 authority of God IK all things, and not by public senti- 
 ment, to live not by hopes and fears, but by supreme con- 
 secration of yourself unto God. You see that if you mean 
 to be religious, you must count the cost. I will not flat- 
 ter you. I will never try to coax you to become religious, 
 by keeping back the truth.' If you mean to be Christians,; 
 you must give yourselves wholly up to Christ. You can- 
 not float along to heaven on the waves of public sentiment. 
 I will not deceive you on this point. 
 
 Do you ask, sinner, what is to become of all these pro- 
 fessors of religion, who are conformed to the world, and 
 who love the praise of men more than the praise of God ? 
 I answei" — They will go to hell, with you, and with all other 
 hypocrites. Just as certain as that the friendship of the 
 world is enmity with God. 
 
 Wherefore, come out fronj among them, my people, 
 and be ye separate, and 1 will receive you saith the Lord,, 
 [ will be a Father to you^ and ye shall be my sons and 
 daughters. And now, who will dovit ? In the church 
 and among sinners, who will do it ? Who ? Who is on 
 the Lord's side ? Who is willing to say, " We will no 
 longer go with the multitude to do evil, but are deter- 
 mined to do the will of God, in all things whatsoever, and 
 let the world think or say of us as it may." As many of 
 yeu as are now willing to do this, will signify it by rising 
 in vorir nlaQes before tbp. coTurrecuktioTi. and will tlifin lrnr>n1 
 
RELIGION OF PUBLIC OPINION. 127 
 
 down, while prayer is ofEered, that God would accept and 
 seal your solemn covenant to obey God henceforth in every 
 thing, through evil report and through good report 
 
vm. 
 
 CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. 
 
 Be not conformed to tide world ^Bonums ziL 2. 
 
 IT will be recollected by some who are present, that Bome 
 time since I made use of this text in preaching in this 
 place, but the object ot. this evening's discourse is so far 
 different that it is not improper to employ the same text 
 again. The following is the order in which I design to 
 discuss the snl^ject of 
 
 OONFOEMITT TO THE WOBLD. 
 
 I. To show what is xoi meant by the command of the 
 text. 
 
 II. Show what is meant by the coihmand, " Be not 
 conformed to this world'" 
 
 III. To. mention some of the reasons why this require* 
 ment is made upon all who will live a godly life. 
 
 IV. To answer some objections that are made to the 
 principles laid down. 
 
 I. I am to show what is not meant by the requirement, 
 •' Be not conformed to this world." 
 
 I suppose it is not meant, that Christians should refuse 
 to benefit by the useful arts, improvements, and discoveries:. 
 . of the world. It is not only the privilege but the duty of 
 the friends of God to avail themselves of these, and to use 
 for God all the really useful arts and improvements that 
 arise among mankind. 
 
 II. I am to show what is meant by the requirement. 
 
 It is meant that Christians are bound not to conform 
 to the world in the three following things. I mention only , 
 these three, not because there are not many other thingB-? 
 
CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. 12£> 
 
 in which conformity to the world is forbidden, but because 
 these three classes are all that I haTe had time to examine 
 to-night, and further, "Because these three are peculiarly 
 necessary to be discussed at the present time. The three 
 things are three departments of life, in which it is re- 
 quired that yon be not conformed to this world. They are 
 
 BUSINESS, FASHIOir, POLITICS. 
 
 In all these departments it is required that Christiana 
 ehould not do as the world do, they should neither receive 
 the maxims, nor adopt the principles, nor follow the prac- 
 tices of the world. 
 
 III. I am to mention some reasons for the command^ 
 " Be not conformed to this world." 
 
 Yon are by no means to act on the same principles, nor 
 from the same motives, nor pursue your object in the same 
 manner that the world do, either in the pursuits of busi- 
 ness, or of fashion, of of politics. ^ I shall examine these 
 several departments separate. 
 
 FIEST — Of Business. 
 
 1. The first reason why we are not to be conformed to 
 this world in business, is, that the principle of the world 
 <s that of supreme selfishness. This is true universally, in 
 the pursuit of business. The whole course of business in 
 the world is governed and regulated by the maxims of 
 supreme and unmixed selfishness. It is regulated without 
 the least regard to the commands of God, or the glory of 
 God, or the welfare of their fellow men. The maxims of 
 business generally current among business men, and the 
 habits and usages of business men, are all based upon su- 
 preme selfishness. Who does not know, that in making 
 bargains, the business men of the world consult their own 
 interest, and seek their own benefit, and not the benefit of 
 those they deal with ? Who has ever heard of a worldly 
 man of business making bargains, and doing business for 
 
130 CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. 
 
 the benefit of those he dealt vith ? No, it is always foi 
 their own benefit. And are Christians to do so ? They 
 are required to act on the very opposite principle to this :, 
 " Let no man seek his own, bnt every man another's 
 wealth." They are required to copy the example of Jesus 
 Christ. ' Did he ever make bargains for his own advan- 
 tage ? And may his followers adopt the principle of the 
 world — a principle that contains in it the seeds of hell ! 
 If Christians are to do this, is it not the most visionary 
 thing on earth to suppose the world is ever going to be 
 converted to the gospel. 
 
 2. Thoy are required not to conform to the worid, be- 
 cause conformity to the world is totally inconsistent with 
 the love of God or man. 
 
 The whole system recognizes only the love of self. Go 
 through all the ranks of business men, from the man that 
 sells candy on the sidewalk at the corner of the street, to 
 the greatest wholesale merchant or impbrter in the TJnited 
 States, and you will find that one maxim runs through 
 the whole, to "buy ks cheap as you can, and sell as dear 
 as you cAn, to look out for number one," and to do always, 
 as far as the rules of honesty will allow, all that will ad- 
 vance your own interests, let what will become of the 
 interest of others. Ungodly men will not deny that these^ 
 are the maxims on which business is done in the world. 
 The man who pursues this course is universally regarded 
 as doing business on business principles. Ifow, are these 
 maxims consistent- with holiness, with the love of God or 
 the love of man, with the spirit of the gospel or the exam- 
 ple of Jesus Christ ? Can a man conform to the world 
 in these principles, and yet love God ? Impossible I No 
 two things can be more unlike. Then Christians are by 
 ^0 means to conform to the business maxims of the world. 
 
 3. These maxims, and the rules by which business is 
 done in the world, are directly opposite to the gospel of 
 
OONFORMITT TO THE WORLD. 131 
 
 Jesns Christ and the spirit he exhibited, and the maxima 
 he inculcated, and therules which he enjoined that all hi« 
 followers should obey, on pain of hell. 
 
 What was the spirit Jesus Christ exemplified on earth ? 
 It was the spirit of self-denial, of benevolence, of sacrific- 
 ing himself to do good to others. He exhibited the samo 
 spirit that God does, who -enjoys his infinite iappiness ir 
 going out of himself to gratify his benevolent heart in do- 
 ing good to others. This is the. religion of the gospel, to 
 be like God, not only doing good, but enjoying it, joyfully 
 going out of self to do good. This is the gospel maxim : 
 "it is more blessed to give than to receive." And again, 
 " Look not every man on his own things, but every man 
 also on the things of others." What says the business 
 man of the world ? " Look out for number one." These 
 very maxims were made by men who knew and cared no 
 more for the gospel, than the heathen do. Why should 
 Christians conform to such maxims as these ? 
 
 4. To conform to the world in the pursuits of business 
 is a flat contradiction of the engagements that Christians 
 make when they enter the church. 
 
 What is the engagement that you make when you enter 
 the church ? Is it not, to renounce the world and live for 
 God, and to be actuated by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and 
 to possess supreme love to God, and to renounce self, and 
 to give yourself to glorify God, and do good to men ? 
 You profess not to love the world, its honors, or its riches. 
 Around the copamunion table, with your hand on the 
 broken body of your Saviour, you avouch these to be your 
 principles, and pledge yourself to live by these maxims. 
 And then what do you do ? Go away, and follow maxims 
 and rules gotten up by men, whose avowed principle is the 
 love of the world, and -v^hose avowed object is to get the 
 world ? Is this your way ? Then, unless you repent, let 
 mc tell you, you will be damned. It is no more certain. 
 
132 CONFORMITY tO THE WORLD. 
 
 that any infidel, or any profligate wretch, will go to hell, 
 than that all such professing Christians will go there, who 
 conform to the world. They have double guilt. They 
 are sworn before God to a different course, and when they 
 pursue the business principles of the world, they show that 
 they are perjured wretches. 
 
 -*5. Conformity to the world is such a manifest contra- 
 diction of the principles of the gospel, that sinners when 
 they see it, do not and cannot understand from ij; the true 
 nature and object of the gospel itself. 
 
 How can they understand that the object of the gos- 
 pel is to raise men above the love of the world, and above 
 the influence of the world, and place them on higher 
 ground, to live on totally different principles ? When 
 they see professing Christians acting on the same princi- 
 ples with other men, how can they understand the tme 
 principles of the gospel, or know what it means by 
 heavenly-mindedness, self-denial, benevolence, and so 
 on ? 
 
 6. It is this spirit of conformity to the world, that has 
 already eaten out the love of God from the church. ^ 
 
 Show me a young convert, while his heart is warm, 
 and the love of God glows out from his lips. What does 
 he care for the world ? Call up his attention to it, point 
 him to its riches, its pleasures, or its honors, and try to 
 engage him in their pursuit, and he loathes the thought. 
 But let him now go into business, and do business on the 
 principles of the world one year, ahd you no longer find 
 the love of God glowing in his heart, and his religion haa 
 become the religion of conscience, dry, meagre, uninflu- 
 ential— anything but the glowing love of God, moving him 
 to acts of benevolence. I appeal to every man in this 
 house, and if my voice was loud enough I would appeal to 
 every professor of religion in this city, if it is not. And 
 if any one should say, " STo, it is not so," I should regard 
 
CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. I33 
 
 it as proof that he never knew what it' was to feel rhe 
 glow of a convert's first love. 
 
 7. This conformity to the world in business is one of 
 the greatest stumbling-blocks in the way of the conversion 
 of sinners. 
 
 What do wicked men think, when they see professing 
 Christians, with such professions on their lips, and pre- 
 tending to believe what the Bible teaches, and yet driving 
 after the world, as eager as anybody, making the best bar- 
 gains, and dealing as hard as the most worldly ? What do 
 they think ? I can tell you what they say. They say, 
 " I do not see but these Christians do just as the rest of 
 us do, they act on the same principles, look out as sharp 
 for number one, drive as hai'd bargains, and get as high 
 interest as anybody." And it must be said that.these are 
 not things of which the world accuse Christians sla,nder- 
 ously. It is a notorious fact that most of the members of 
 the church pursue the world, as far as appears, in the same 
 spirit, by the same maxims, and to the same degree, that 
 the ungodly do who maintain a character for uprightness 
 and humanity. The world say, " Look at the church, I 
 don'i see as they are any better than I am ; they go to the 
 full length that I do after the world." If professing Chris- 
 tians act on the same principles with worldly men, as the 
 Lord liveth, they shall have the same reward. They are 
 set down in God's book of remembrance as black hypo- 
 crites, pretending to be the friends of God while they love 
 the world. For whoso loveth the world is the enemy of 
 God. They profess to be governed by principles directly 
 opposite to the world, and if they do the same things with 
 the world, they are hypocrites. 
 
 8. Another reason for the requirement, "Be not con- 
 : formed to this world," is the immense, salutary and in- 
 stantaneous influence it would have if everybody would do 
 business on the principles of the gospel. 
 
134 CONFORMITY TO THE WOEI-D. 
 
 Just turn the tables over, and let Christians do businesa 
 one year on gospel principles. It would shake the world. 
 It would ring louder than thunder. Let the ungodly see 
 professing Christians, in every bargain, consulting the 
 good of the person they are trading with-^seeking not 
 their own wealth, but every man another's wealth^iving 
 above the world — setting no value-on the world any farther 
 than it can be a means of glorifying God. What do you 
 think would be the effect ? What effect did it have in 
 Jerusalem, when the whole body of Christiaiis gave up 
 their business, and turned out in a body to pursue the sal- 
 vation of th«- world ? They were only a few ignorant fish- 
 ermen, and a few humble women, but they turned the 
 world upside down. Let the church live so now, and it 
 would cover the world with confusion of face, and over- 
 whelm th^m with convictions of sin. Only let them see 
 the church living above the world, and doing business on 
 gospel principles, seeking not their own interests but the 
 interests of their fellow men, and infidelity would hide its 
 head, heresy would be driven from church, and this charm- 
 ing, blessed spirit of loVe, would go over the world like the 
 waves of the sea. 
 
 Secondly. — Of Fashiom. 
 
 Why are Christians Required not to follow the fashions 
 of the world ? 
 
 1. Because it is directly at war with the spirit of th? 
 gospel, and is minding earthly things. 
 
 What is minding earthly things, if it is not to follow 
 the fashions of the world, that like a tide are continually 
 setting to and fro, and fluctuating in their forms, and 
 keeping the world continually changing ? There are many 
 men of large business in the world, and men of wealth, who 
 think they care nothing for the fashions. They are occu- 
 pied with something else, and they trust the fashions al- 
 together with their tailor, taking it for granted that he 
 
CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. 135 
 
 will make all right. But mind,, if be should make a gar- 
 ment unfashionable, you would see that they do care abo'ut 
 the fashions, and they never would employ that tailor" 
 again. Still, at present their thoughts are not much on 
 the fashions. They have a higher object in view. And 
 they think it beneath the dignity of a minister to preach 
 about fashions. They overlook the fact," that with the 
 greater part of mankind fashion is Everything. The 
 greater part of the community are not rich, and never ex- 
 pect to be, but they look to the world to enable them to 
 make a " respectable " appearance, and to bring up their 
 families in a " respectable " manner j that is, to " follow 
 the fashions." Nine-tenths of the population never look at 
 any thing higher, than to do as the world does, or to fol- 
 low the fashions. For this they strain every nerve. And 
 this is what they set their hearts~on, and what they live 
 for. 
 
 The merchant and the rich man deceives himself, there- 
 fore, if he supposes that fashion is a little thing. The 
 great body of the people mind this, their minds arc set 
 upon it, the thing which they look for in life is to have 
 their dress, equipage, furniture, and so on, like other peo- 
 p]e,in the fashion, or "respectable" as they call it. 
 
 3. To conform to the world is contrary to their pro- 
 fession. 
 
 When people join the church, they profess to give up 
 the spirit that gives rise, to the fashions. They profess to 
 renounce the pomps and vanities of the world, to repent 
 of their pride, to follow the meek and lowly Saviour, to 
 live for God. And now. What do they do ? You often 
 see professors of religion go to the extreme of the fashion. 
 Nothing will satisfy them that is not in the height of 
 fashion. And a Christian female dress-maker who is con- 
 scientiously opposed to the following of fashions, cannot 
 get her bread. She cannot get employment even among 
 
J3Q CONPOKMITY TO THE WORLD. 
 
 professing Christian ladies, unless she follows the fashioni 
 in all their countless changes. God knows it is so, and 
 they must give up their business if their conscience will 
 not permit them to follow the changes of fashion. 
 
 3. This Conformity is a broad and complete approval 
 of the spirit of the world. 
 
 What is it that lies at the bottom of all this shitting 
 scenery ? What is the cause that produces all this gaudy 
 show and dash, and display ? It is the love of applause. 
 And when Christians follow the changes of fashion, they 
 pronounce all this innocent. All this waste of money and 
 time and thought, all this feeding and cherishing of vanity 
 and the love of applause, the church sets her seal to, when 
 she conforms to the world. 
 
 4. 2fay, further, another reason is, that following the 
 fashions of the world, professing Christians show that they 
 do in fact love the world. 
 
 They show it by their conduct, just as the ungodly 
 show it by the same conduct. As they act alike they give 
 evidence that they are actuated by one principle, the love 
 of fashion. 
 
 5. When Christian professors do this, they show most 
 clearly that they love the praise of men. 
 
 It is evident that they love admiration and flattery, 
 just as sinners do. Is not this inconsistent with Christian 
 principle, to go right into the very things that are set up 
 by the pride and fashion, and lust of the ungodly ? 
 
 6. Conforming to the world in fashion, you show that 
 you do not hold yourself accountable to God for the man- 
 ner in which you lay out money. 
 
 You practically disown your stewardship of the money 
 that is in your possession. By laying out money to gratify 
 your own vanity and lust, you take ofE the keen edge of 
 that truth, which ought to cut that sinner in two, who ia 
 living to himself. It is practically denying that the ear^'i 
 
OONFOBMITY TO THE WORLD 137 
 
 is the Lord's, with the cattle on a thousand hills, and all 
 to he employed for his glory. 
 
 7. You show that reputation is your idol. 
 
 When the cry comes to your ears on every wind, from 
 the ignorant and the lost of all nations, " Come over and 
 help us, come over and help us," and every week brings 
 some call to send the gospel, to send tracts, and Bibles, 
 and missionaries, to those who are perishing for lack of 
 knowledge, if you choose to expend money in following the 
 fashions, it is demonstration that reputation is your idol. 
 Suppose now, for the sake of argument that it is not pro- 
 hibited in the word of God, to follow the fashions, and that 
 professing Christians, if they will, may innocently fol- 
 low the fashions : (I deny that it is innocent, but suppose 
 it were,) does not the fact that they do follow them when 
 there are such calls for money, and time, and thought, 
 and labor to save souls, prove conclusively that they do not 
 love God nor the souls of men ? 
 
 Take the case of a woman, whose husband is in slavery, 
 and she h trying to raise money enough for his redemption 
 There she is, toiling and saving, rising up early and sitting 
 up late, and eating the bread of carefulness, because her 
 husband, the father of her children, the friend of her 
 youth, is in slavery. Now go to that woman and tell her 
 that it is innocent for her to follow the faphions, and dress, 
 and display like her neighbors — will she do it ? Why not ? 
 She does not desire to do it. She will scarcely buy a pair 
 of shoes for her feet ; she grudges almost the bread she 
 eats — so intent is she on her great object. 
 
 Now suppose a person loved God, and the souls of men, 
 and the kingdom of Christ, does he need an express pro- 
 hibition from God to prevent him from spending his money 
 and his life in following the fashion ? No, indeed, he will 
 rather need a positive injunction to take what is needful 
 for his own comfort and the support of his own life. Taka 
 
138 CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. 
 
 the case of Timothy. Did he need a proliibition to pre- 
 vent him from indulging in the use of wine ? So far from 
 it, he was so cautious that it required an express injunction 
 from God to make him drink a little as a medicine. 
 Although he was sick, he would not drink it till he had 
 the word of God for it, he saw the evils of it so clearly. 
 Now, show me a man or woman, I care not what their 
 profession's are, that follows the fashions of the world, and 
 i will show you what spirit they are of. 
 
 !N^ow, do not ask me why Abraham, and David, and 
 Solomon, who were so rich, did not lay out their money in 
 spreading the kingdom of God ? Ah, tell me, did they 
 enjoy the light that professors now enjoy ? Did they even 
 know so much as this, that the world can be converted, as 
 Christians now see clearly that it can ? But suppose it 
 were as allowable in you as it was in Abraham or David to 
 be rich, and to lay out the property you possess in display, 
 and pomp, and fashion ; suppose it were perfectly innocent, 
 who that loves the Lord JesUs Christ would wish to lay out 
 money in fashion when they could lay it out to gratify the 
 aU-dbsorbing passion to do good to the souls of men ? 
 
 8. By conforming to the world in fashion, you show 
 that you differ not at all from ungodly sinners. 
 
 Ungodly sinners say, " I don't see but that these Chris- 
 tian men and women love to follow the fashions as well as 
 I do." Who does not know, that this leads many to in- 
 fidelity. 
 
 9. By following the fashions you are (tempting God to 
 give you up to a worldly, spirit. 
 
 There are many now that have followed the world, and 
 followed the fashions, till God seems to have given them 
 over to the devil for the destruction of the flesh. They 
 have (little or no religious feeling, no spirit of prayer, no 
 zeal for the glory of God or the conversion of sinners : the 
 Holy Spirit seems to have withdrawn from them. 
 
CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. 139 
 
 10. You tempt the church to follow the fashions. 
 
 Where the principal members, the elders and leaders in 
 the church,, and their wives and families, are fashionable 
 Christians, they drag the whole church along with them 
 into the train of fashion, and every one apes them as far 
 as they can, down to the lowest servant. Only let a rich 
 Christian lady come out to the house of God in full fashion, 
 and the whole church are set agog to follow as far as they 
 can, and it is a chance if they do not run in debt to 
 do it. 
 
 You tempt yourself to pride and folly and a worldly 
 spirit. 
 
 Suppose a man that had been intemperate and was 
 reformed, should go and surround himself with wine and 
 brandy and every seductive liquor, keeping the provocatives 
 of appetite always under his eye, and from time to time 
 tasting a little ; does he not tempt himself ? , Now see 
 that woman that has been brought up in the spirit of pride 
 and show, and that has been reformed, and has professed 
 to abandon them all ; let her keep these trappings, and 
 continue to follow the fashions, and pride will drag her 
 backwards as sure as she livesi She tempts herself to sin 
 and folly. 
 
 12., You are tempting the world. 
 
 You are setting the world into a more fierce and hot 
 pursuit of these things. The very things that the world 
 love, and that they are sure to have scruples about their 
 being right, professing Christians fall in with and follow, 
 and thus tempt the world to continue in the pursuit of 
 what will destroy their souls in hell. 
 
 13, By following the fashions, you are tempting the 
 devil to tempt you. 
 
 When you follow the fashions, you open your heart to 
 Mm. You keep it for Mm, empty, swept, and garnished. 
 Svery woman that suffers herself to follow the fashions 
 
140 CONFORMITY TO THE WOELD, 
 
 may rely upon ft, she is helping S^tan to tempt her to 
 pride and sin. 
 
 14. You lay a great stumbling block before the greatest 
 part of mankind. 
 
 There are a few persons who are pursuing greater ob- 
 jects than fashion. They are engaged in the scramble for 
 political power, or they are eager for literary distinction, 
 or tliey are striving for wealth. And they do not know 
 that their hearts are set on fashion at all. They are fol- 
 lowing selfishness on a larger scale. But the great mass 
 of the community are influenced mostly by these fluctua- 
 ting fashions. To this class of persons it is a great and 
 sore stumbling block, when they see professing Christians 
 just as prompt and as eager to follow the changing of fash- 
 ion as themselves. They see, and say, " What does their 
 profession amount to, when they follow the fashions as 
 much as anybody ?" or " Certainly it is right to follow the 
 fashions, for see the professing Christians do it as much 
 as we." 
 
 15. Another reason why professing Christians are re- 
 quired not to be conformed to the world in fashion is, the 
 great influence their disregarding fashion would have on 
 the world. 
 
 If professing Christians would show their contempt for 
 these things, and not pretend to follow them, or regard 
 th^m, how it would shame the world, and convince the 
 world that they were living for another object, for God 
 and for eternity ! How irresistible it would be 1 What an 
 overwhelming testimony in favor of our religion ! Even 
 the apparent renunciation of the world, by many orders of 
 monks, has doubtless done more than anything else to put 
 down the opposition to their religion, and give it currency 
 and influence in the ^orld. Now suppose all this was 
 hearty and sincere, and coupled with all that is consistent 
 and lovely in Christian character, and all that is zealous 
 
CONPORMITr TO THE WOELU. 14,1 
 
 and bold in labors for the conversion of the world from sin 
 to holiness. "What an influence it would have ! What 
 thunders it would pour into the ears of the world, to wake 
 them up to follow after God 1 
 
 Thirdly.—/?! Polities. 
 
 I will show why professing Christians are required not 
 to be conformed to the world in politics. 
 
 1, Because the politics of the world are perfectly dis- 
 honest. 
 
 "Who does not know this ? Who does not know that it 
 is the proposed policy of every party to cover up the de- 
 fects of their own candidate, and the good qualities of the 
 opposing candidate ? And is not this dishonest ? Every 
 party holds up its candidate as a piece of perfection, and 
 then aims to" ride himself into office by any means, fair or 
 foul. No man can be an honest man, that is committed 
 to a party, to go with them, let them do what they may. 
 And can a christian do it, and keep a conscience void of 
 offence? 
 
 2. To conform to the world in politics is to tempt God. 
 By falling in with the world in politics, Christians are 
 
 guilty of setting up rulers over them by their own vote, 
 who do not fear nor love God, and who set the law of God 
 at defiance, break the Sabbath, and gamble, and commit 
 adultery, and fight duels, and swear profanely, and leave 
 the laws unexecuted at their pleasure, and that care not 
 for the weal or woe of their country, so long as they can 
 keep their office. I say Christians do this. " For it is 
 plain that where parties are divided, as they are in this 
 country, there are Christians enough to turn the scale in 
 any election. Now let Christiansiake the ground that they 
 will not vote for a dishonest, man, or a Sabbath-breaker, or 
 gambler, or whoremonger, or duelist, for any office, and no 
 party could ever nominate such a character with any hope 
 of success. But on the present system, where men will let 
 
142 CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. 
 
 the laws go unexecuted, and give full swing to mobs, or 
 lynch-mitrders, or robbing the mails, or anything else, so 
 they can run in their own candidate who will give them 
 the oflBces, any man is a dishonest man that will do it, be 
 he professor or non-professor. And can a Christian do this 
 and be blameless ? 
 
 3. By engaging with the world in politics, Christiang 
 grieve the Spirit of God. 
 
 Ask any Christian politician if he, ever carried the 
 Spirit of God with him into a political campaign ? Never. 
 I would by no means be understood to say that Christians 
 should refuse to vote, and to exercise their lawful influence 
 in public affairs. But they ought not to follow a party. 
 
 4. By following the present course of politics, you ara 
 contributing your aid to undermine all government and 
 order in the land. 
 
 Who does not know that this great nation now rocks 
 and reels, because the laws are broken-and trampled under 
 foot, and the executive pdwfer refuses or dare not act ? 
 Either the magistrate does not wish to put down disorder, 
 or he temporizes and lets the devil rule. And so it is in all 
 parts of the country, and all parties. And can a Christian 
 be consistent with his profession, and vote for such men to 
 office? ' 
 
 5. You lay a stumbling-block in the way of sinners. 
 
 What do sinners think, when they see professing Chris- 
 tians acting with them in their political measures, which 
 they themselves know to be dishonest and corrupt ? They 
 say, '• We' understand what we are about, we are after 
 office, we are determined to carry our party into power, 
 we are pursuing our own interest ; but these Ohristiahs 
 pi-ofess to live for another and a higher end, and yet here 
 they. come, and join with ug, as eager for the loaves and 
 fishes as the rest of us." What greater stumbling-block 
 can they have ? 
 
CONFORMITT TO THE WORLD, I4.3 
 
 6. You prove to the ungodly that professing Christaina 
 are actuated by the same spirit as themselves. 
 
 Who can wonder that the world is incredulous as to 
 the reality of religion ? If they do not look for themselves 
 into the scriptures, and there learn what religion is, if they 
 are governed by the rules of evidence from what they see 
 in the lives of professing Christians, they ought to be in- 
 credulous. They ought to infer, so far as this evidence 
 goes, that professors of religion do not themselves believe 
 in it. It is the fact. I doubt, myself, whether the great 
 mass of professors belieVe the Bible. 
 
 7. They show, so far as their evidence can go, that 
 there is no change of heart. 
 
 What is it ? Is it going to the communion table onc^ 
 in a month or two, lind sometimes to prayer meeting ? Is 
 that a change of hea,rt, when they are just as eager in the 
 scramble for oflBce as any others ? The world must be 
 fools to believe in a change of heart on such evidence. 
 
 8. Ghristians ought to cease from conformity to the 
 world in politics, from the influence which such a course 
 would have on the world. 
 
 Suppose Christians were to ^ct perfectly conscientious 
 and consistent in this matter, and to say, " We -will not 
 vote for any man to oflBce, unless he fears God, and will 
 rule the people in righteousness." Ungodly men would 
 not set men as candidates, who themselves set the laws at 
 defiance. No. Every candidate would be obliged to show 
 that he was prepared to act from higher motives, and that 
 he would lay himself out to make the conntry prosper- 
 ous, and to promote virtue, and to put down vice and 
 oppression and disorder, and to do all he. can to make the 
 people happy and holy I It would shame the dishonest 
 politicians, to show that the love of God and man is the 
 motive that Christians have in view. And a blessed influ- 
 ence would go over the land like a wave. 
 
144 CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. 
 
 IV. I am to answer some objections that are made 
 against the principles here advanced. 
 
 1. In regard to busitiess. 
 
 Objection. " If we do not transact business on the 
 same principles on which ungodly men do it, we cannot 
 corapete with them, and all the business of the world will 
 fall into the hands of th^ ungodly. If we pursue our busi- 
 ness for the good of others, if we buy and sell on the prin- 
 ciple of not seeking our own wealth, but the wealth of 
 those we do business with, wo cannot sustain a competition 
 with worldly men, and they will get all the business." 
 
 Let them have it, then. You can support yourself by 
 your industry in some humbler calling, and let worldly 
 men do all the business. 
 
 " Objection. " But then, how should we get money to 
 spread the gospel ?" 
 
 A holy church that would act on the principles of the 
 gospel, would spread the gospel faster than all the money 
 that ever was in New York, or that ever will be. Give me 
 a holy church, that would live above the world, and the 
 work of salvation would roll on faster than with all the 
 money in Christendom. 
 
 Objection. " But we must spend a great deal of money 
 to bring forward. an educated ministry." 
 
 Ah I if we had a holt ministry, it would be far more 
 important than an educated ministry. If the ministry 
 were holy enough, they would do without so much educa- 
 tion. God forbid that I should undervalue an educated 
 ministry. Let ministers be educated as well as they can, 
 fie more the better, if they are only holy enough. But it 
 is all a farce to suppose that a literary ministry can convert 
 tme world. Let the ministry have the spirit of prayer, let 
 the baptism 6t the Holy Ghost be upon them, and they will 
 spread J;he gospel. Only let Christians live as they ought, 
 and the church would shake the worLL If Christians in 
 
i CONFORMITT TO THE WORLD. 146 
 
 New York would do it, the report would soon fill every 
 ship that leaves the port, and waft the news on every wind, 
 till the earth was full of excitement and inquiry, and con- 
 Tersions would multiply like, the drops of morning dew. ' 
 
 Suppose you were to give up your business, and devote 
 yourselves entirely to the work of extending the gospel. 
 The church once did so, and you know what followed. 
 When that little band in Jerusalem gave up their business 
 and spent their time in the work of God, salvation spread 
 like a wave. And I believe, if the whole Christian church 
 were to turn right out, and convert the world, it would be 
 done in a very short time. 
 
 And further, the fact is, that you would not be re- 
 quired to give up your business. If Christians would do 
 business in the spirit of the gospel, they would soon en- 
 gross the business of the world. Only let the world see, 
 that if they go to a Christian to do business, he will not 
 only deal honestly, but benevolently, that he will actually 
 consult-the interest of the person he deals with, as if it 
 were his own interest, and who would deal with anybody 
 else ? What merchant would go to an ungodly man to 
 trade, who he knew would try to get the advantage of him, 
 and cheat him, while he knew that there were Christian 
 mercha,nts to deal with, that would consult his interests as 
 much as they do their own ? Indeed, it is a known fact, 
 that there are now Christian merchants in this city, who 
 regulate the prices of the articles they deal in. Merchants 
 come in from the country, and inquire around to see how 
 they can buy goods, and they go to these men to know ex- 
 actly what articles are worth at a fair price, and govern 
 themselves accordingly. 
 
 The advantage, then, is all on one side. The church 
 can make it for the interest of the ungodly to do business 
 on right principles. The church can regulate the businesa 
 of the world, and woe to them if they do not. 
 
146 CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. 
 
 2. In regard to fashion. 
 
 Objection. " Is it best for Christians to be singular ?" 
 
 Certainly ; Christians are bound to be singular. They 
 are called to be a peculiar people, that is, a singular peo- 
 ple, essentially different from the rest of mankind. To 
 maintain that we are not to be singular, is the same as to 
 maintain that we are to be conformed to the world. " Be 
 not singular," that is, be like the world. In other words, 
 "Be ye conformed to the world," This is the direct op- 
 posite to the command in the text. 
 
 But the question now regards fashion, in dress, equi- 
 page, and so on. And here I will confess that I was for- 
 merly myself in error, I believed, and I taught, that the 
 best way for Christians to pursued, was to dress so as not 
 to be noticed, to follow the fashions and changes so as not 
 to appear singular, and that nobody would be led to think- 
 of their being different from others in these particulars. 
 But I have seen my error, and now wonder greatly at my 
 former blindness. It is your duty to dress so plain as to 
 show to the world, that-you place no sort of reliance in the 
 things of fashion, and set no value at all on them, but 
 despise and neglect them altogether. But unless you are 
 singular, unless you separate yourselves from the fashions 
 of the world, you show that you do value them. There ia 
 no way in which you can bear a proper testimony by your 
 lives against the fashions of the world, but by dressing 
 plain, I do not mean that you should study singularity , 
 but that you should consult convenience and economy, 
 although it may be singular. 
 
 Objection, "But if we dress plain, the attention of 
 people will be taken with it," 
 
 The reason of it is this, so few do it that it is a novelty, 
 and everybody stares when they see a professing Christian 
 80 strict as to disregard the fashions, Let them all do it, 
 and the only thing you show by it is that you are a Chris- 
 
CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. ^ 147 
 
 tian, and do not wish to be confounded with the ungodly. 
 Would it not tell on the pride of the world, if all the 
 Christians in it were united in bearing a practical testi- 
 mony against its vain show. 
 
 Objection. "But in this way you carry religion too 
 far away from the multitude. It is better not to set 
 up an artificial distiaction between the church and the 
 ■ world." 
 
 The direct reverse of this is true. The nearer you 
 bring the church to the world, the more you annihilate 
 the reasons that ought to stand out in view of the world, 
 for their changing sides and coming over to the church. 
 Unless you go right out from them, and show that you are 
 not of them in any respect, and carry the church so far as 
 to have a broad interval between saints and sinners, how 
 can you make the ungodly feel that so great a change is 
 necessary. 
 
 Objection. "But this change which is necessary is a 
 l^change of heart." 
 
 True; but will not a change of heart produce a change 
 of life? 
 
 Objection. "You will throw obstacles in the way of 
 persons becoming Christians. Many respectable people 
 will become disgusted with religion, and if they cannot be 
 allowed to dress and be Christians, they wiU take to the 
 world altogether." 
 
 This is just about as reasonable as it would be for a tern- 1 
 perance man to think he must get drunk now and then, 
 to avoid disgusting the intemperate, and to.retaia his in- 
 fluence over them. The truth is, that persons ought to 
 know, and-ought to see in the lives of professing Christians, 
 that if they embrace religion, they must be weaned from 
 the, world, apd must give up the love of the world, and its 
 pride, and show, and folly, and live a holy life, in watch- 
 fulness, and self-denial, and active benevolence. 
 
148 CONFORMITT TO THE JWORLD. 
 
 Objection. "Is it not better for us to disregard this 
 altogether, and not pay any attention to such little things, 
 and let them take their course; let the milliner and man- 
 tua-maker do as they please, and follow the usages of 
 society in which we live, and the circle in which we move ?" 
 
 Is this the way to show contempt for the fashions of the 
 world? Do people ordinarily take this course of showing- 
 contempt for a thing, to practice it? Why, the way to 
 show your abhorrence of the world is to follow along in the 
 customs and the fashions of the world ! Precious reason- 
 ing this. 
 
 Objection. "ITo matter how we dress, if our hearts 
 are right?" 
 
 Your heart right! Then your heart may be right 
 when your conduct is all wrong. Just as well might the 
 profane swearer say, "No matter what words I speak, if 
 my heart is. right." ' No, your heart is not right, unless 
 your conduct is right. What is outward, conduct, but the 
 acting out of the heart? If your heart' was right, you 
 would not wish to follow the fashions of the world. 
 
 Objection. "What is the standard of dress? I do 
 not see the use of all your preaching, and laying down 
 rules about plaindress, imless you give us a standard." 
 
 This is a mighty stumbling block with many. But to 
 my mind the matter is extremely simple. The whole can 
 be comprised in two simple rules. One is. — Be sure, in all 
 your equipage, and dress, and furniture, to show that you 
 have no fellowship with the designs and principles of those 
 who are aiming to set off themselves, and to gain the ap- 
 plause of men. The other is — Let economy be first con- 
 sulted, and then convenience. Follow christian economy; 
 that is, save all you can for Christ's service ; and then, let 
 things be as convenient as Christian economy will admit 
 
 Objection. ''Would you„/have us all to turn Quakers, 
 and put on their plain dress ?" 
 
CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. 149 
 
 Who does not know, that the plain dress of the Quakers 
 has won for them the respect of all the thinking^ part of 
 the ungodly in the community? Now, if they had coupled 
 with this, the zeal for God, and the weanedness from the 
 world, and the contempt for rishes, and the self-denying 
 labor for the conversion of sinners ta Christ, which the 
 'gospel enjoins, and the clear views of the plan of salvation 
 which the gospel inculcates, they woxdd long since have 
 converted the world. And if all Christians would imitate 
 them in their plain dress, (I do not mean the precise cut 
 and fashion of their dress, but in a plain dress, throwing 
 contempt upon the fashions of the world,) who can doubt 
 that the conversion of the world would hasten on apace ? 
 
 Objection. "Would you make us all into Methodists ?" 
 
 Who does not know that the Methodists, when they 
 were noted for their plain dress, and for renouncing the 
 fashions and show of the world, used to have power with 
 God in prayer — and that they had the universal respect of 
 the world as sincere Christians. And who does not know 
 that since they have laid aside this peculiarity, and con- 
 formed to the world in dress and other things, and seemed 
 to be trying to lift themselves up as a denomination, and 
 gain influence with the world, they are losing the power of 
 prayer? Would to God they had never thrown down this 
 wall.- It was one of the leading excellences of Wesley's 
 system, to have his followers distinguished from others by 
 a plain dress. 
 
 Objection. ''We may be proud of a plain dress as well 
 as of a fashionable dress. The Quakers are as proud as we 
 are." 
 
 So may any good thing be abused. But that is no rea- 
 son why it should not be used, if it can be shown to be 
 good. I put it back to the objector — Is that any reason 
 why a Christian female, who fears' God and loves the souls 
 of men, should neglect the means which may make an im- 
 
160 - CONFOEMITT TO THE WORLD. 
 
 pression that she is separated from the world, and pour 
 contempt on the fashions of the ungodly, in which they 
 are dancing their way to hell ? 
 
 Objection. "This is a small thing, and ought not to 
 take up so much of a minister's time in the pulpit." 
 
 This is an objectioij. often heard from worldly professors. 
 But the minister that fears God will not be deterred by it. 
 He will pursue the subject, until such professing Chris- 
 tians are cut ofE from their conformity to the world, or cut 
 off from the church. It is not merely the dress, as dress 
 but it is the conformity to the world in dress and fashion,' 
 that is the great stumbling-block in the way of sinners: 
 How can the world be converted, while professing Chris- 
 tians are conformed' to the world ? What good will it do 
 to give money to send the gospel .to the heathen,, when 
 Christians live so at home? Well might the heathen ask, 
 "What profit will it be to become Christians, when those 
 who are Christians are pursuing the world Tfith all the hot 
 haste of the ungodly?" The great thing necessary for 
 the church is to break off ivora conformity to the- world,, 
 and then they will have power with God in prayer, and 
 ,the Holy Ghost wUl descend and bless their efforts, and 
 the world will be converted. 
 
 Objection. '*But if we dress so, we shall be called 
 fanatics." 
 
 Whatever the ungodly may call ygu, fanatics, Metho- 
 dists, or anything^ you will be known as Christians, and in 
 the secret consciences of inen will be acknowledged as 
 such. It is not in the power of unbelievers to pour con- 
 tempt on a holy church, that are Separated from the world. 
 How was it with the early Christians? They lived separ- 
 ate from the world, and it made such an impression, that 
 even infidel writers say of them, "These men win the. 
 hearts of the mass of the people, because they give thent-i 
 selves up to deeds of charity, and pour contempt on the 
 
CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. 151 
 
 would." Depend upon it, ii Christians would live so now, 
 the last effort of hell would soon be expended in vain to 
 defeat the spread of the gospel. Wave after wave would 
 flow abroad, till the highest mountain tops were covered' 
 with the waters of life. 
 
 3. In regard to polities. 
 
 Objection. "In this way, by acting on these princi- 
 ples, and refusing to unite with the world in politics, we 
 could have no influence in government and national 
 affairs." 
 
 I answer, first. It is so now. Christians, as such, have 
 no influence. There is not a Christian principle adopted 
 because it is Christian, or because it is according to the law 
 of God. 
 
 I answer, secondly. If there is no other way for Chris- 
 tians to have an influence in the government, but by becom- 
 ing conformed to the world in their habitual principles and 
 parties, then let the ungodly take the government and 
 manage it in their own way, and do you go and serve God. 
 
 I answer, thirdly. No such result Will follow. Directly 
 the reverse of this would be the fact. Only let it be Imown 
 that Christian citizens will on no account assist bad men 
 into office; only let it be known that the church will go 
 only for men that will aim at the public good, and both 
 parties will be sure to set up such men. And in this way, 
 the church could legitimately exert an influence, by com- 
 pelling all parties to bring forward only men who are 
 worthy of an honest man's support. ■ 
 
 Objection. "In this way the church and the world 
 will be arrayed against each other." 
 
 The world is too selfish for this. You cannot make 
 parties so. Such a line can never be a permanent division. 
 For one year the ungodly might unite against the church, 
 and leave Christians in a small minority. But in the end, 
 the others woufd form two parties, each courting the suff- 
 
152 CONFOEMITY TO THE WORLD. 
 
 rages of Christians, by oflEering candidates such as Chris- 
 tians can conscientiously vote for. 
 
 BEliIABCS. 
 
 1. By non-confonnity to the world, you may save nmch 
 money for doing good. p 
 
 In one year a greater fund might be saved by the church." 
 than has ever been raised for the spread of the gospel. 
 
 2. By non-conformity to the world, a great deal of time 
 may be saved for doing good, that is now consumed and 
 wasted in following the fashions, and obeying the maxtms^ 
 and joining in the pursuits of the world. 
 
 3. At the same time. Christians in this way would pre- 
 serve their peace of conscience, would enjoy communionv; 
 with God, would have the spirit of prayer, and would pos- 
 sess far greater usefulness. 
 
 Is it not time something was done? Is it not time that 
 some church struck out a path, that should not be con- 
 formed to the world, but should be according to the exam- 
 ple and Spirit of Christ? ^ 
 
 You profess that you want to have sinners converted^ 
 But what avails it, if they sink right back again into con- 
 formity with the world ? Brethren, I confess, I am filled 
 with pain in view of the conduct of the church. Where 
 are the proper results of the glorious revivals we have had? 
 I believe they were genuine revivals of religion and out-: 
 pourings of the Holy Ghost, that the church has enjoyed* 
 the last ten years. * I believe the converts of the last ten 
 years are among the best Christians in the land. Yet after 
 all, the great body of them are a disgrace to religion. Of 
 what use would it be to "^ have a thousand members added.; 
 to the church, to be just such as are now in it? Would 
 religion be any more honored by it, in the estimation of 
 ungodly men? One holy church, that are really crucififid| 
 to the world, and the world to ih^m, would io moro to 
 
CONPOKMITT TO THE WORLD. 153 
 
 recommend Christianity, than all the churches in the coun- 
 try, living as they now do. 0, if I had strength of body 
 -to go through the churches again, instead of preaching to 
 convert sinners, I would preach to bring up the churches to 
 the gospel standard of holy living. Of what use is it to 
 convert sinnfers, and make them such Christians as these? 
 Of what use is it to try to convert sinners, and make them 
 feel there is something in^ religion, and when they go to 
 trade with you, or meet you in the street, have you con- 
 tradict it all, and tell them, by your conformiiy to the 
 world, that there is nothing in it? 
 
 Where shall I look, where shall the Lord look, for a 
 church like the first church, that will come out from the 
 world, and be separate, and give themselves up to serve 
 God? 0, if this church would do so. But it is of little 
 use to make Christians if they are not better. Do not un- 
 derstand me as saying that the converts made in our re- 
 vivals are spurious. But they live so as to be a disgrace 
 to religion. They are so stumbled by old professors that 
 many of them do more hurt than good. The more there 
 are of them, the more occasion infidelity seems to find for 
 her jeers and scoffs. 
 
 Now, do you believe that God commands you not to be 
 conformed to the world? Do you believe it? And dare 
 you obey it, let people say what they will about you ? Dare 
 you now separate yourselves from the world,, and never 
 again be controlled by its maxims, and never again copy 
 its practices, and never again will be whiffled here and there 
 by its fashions ? I know a man that lives so, I could men- 
 tion his name, he pays no attention to the customs of the 
 world in this respect, and what is the result ? Wherever 
 that man goes, he leaves the impression behind that he is a 
 Christian. 0, if one church would do so, and would en- 
 gage in it with all the energy that men of the world engage 
 in their business, they would turn the world upside down. 
 
154 CONFOEMITY TO THE WORLD. 
 
 Will yoTi do so? "Will you break off from the world 
 and enter into covenant with God, and declare that 
 will dare to be singular enough to be separate froa 
 world, and from this time set your faces as a flint to 
 God, let the world say what they will ? Dare you d 
 Will you do it? 
 
IX. , 
 
 TRUE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 
 
 For eodlT sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of; 
 Dul the sorrow of the world worketh death. — 2 Cor. vii. 10. 
 
 IN this chapter the apostle refers to another epistle 
 which he had formerly written to the church at Cor- 
 'inth, on a certain subject, in which they were greatly to 
 blame. He speaks here of the effect that it had, in bring- 
 ing them to true repentance. They sorrowed after a godly 
 sort. This was the evidence that their repentance was 
 genuine. 
 
 "For behold this self-same thing, that ye sorrowed 
 after a godl y ^or t. what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, 
 what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, 
 what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, 
 what revenge ! In all things ye have approved yourselves 
 to be clear in this matter." 
 
 In the verse which I have taken for my text, he speaks 
 of two kinds of sorrow for sin, one working repentance 
 unto salvation, the other working death. He alludes to 
 what is generally understood by two kinds of repentance. 
 And this is the subject of discourse to-night. 
 
 TRUE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 
 
 In discoursing on the subject, I design to show, 
 
 I. What true repentance is. 
 
 II. How it may be known. 
 
 III. What is false and spurious repentance. 
 
 IV. How it may be known. 
 
 It is high time professors of religion were taught to 
 discriminate much more than they do in regard to the 
 
156 TRITE AND FALSE REPENTANCE 
 
 nature and character of varioiis exercises on the subject of, 
 religion. Were it so the church would not be so orerrun 
 with false and unprofitable professors. I have,, of late, 
 been frequently led to examine, over and over again, the 
 reason why there is so much spurious religion, and I have 
 sought to know what is the foundation of the difficulty. 
 That multitudes suppose themselves to be religious, who 
 are not so, unless the Bible is false, is notorious. Why is 
 it that so many are deceived? Why do so many, who are 
 yet impenitent sinners, get the idea that they have re- 
 pented? The cause is doubtless a want of discriminating 
 instruction respecting the foundation of religion, and es- 
 pecially a want of discrimination respecting true and false 
 repentance. 
 
 I. I am to show what is true repentance. 
 
 It involves a chan ge of opinion respecting the nature 
 of sin, and this change of opinion followed by a correspond- 
 ing change of feeling towards sin. Feeling is the result of 
 thought. And when this change of opinion is such as to 
 produce a corresponding change of feeling, if the opinion 
 is right and the feeling corresponds, this is true repentance. 
 It must be right opinion. The opinion now adopted might'; 
 be such an opinion as God holds respecting sin. Godly ;' 
 sorrow, ST^hj;Sjgai.jegai£gB, must spring from such views 
 of sin as God holds. TRU, 6 
 
 First. There must be a change of opinion in regard to 
 sin. 
 
 .1. A change' of opinion in regard to the nature of sin. 
 
 To one who truly repents sin looks like a very^ifferent 
 thing from what it does to him who has not repented. 
 Instead of looking like a thing that is desirable or fasei-'j 
 nating, it looks the very opposite, most odious and de- 
 testable, and he is astonished at himself, that he ever could 
 have desired such a thing. Impenitent sinners may look 
 at sin and see that it will ruin them, because God will. 
 
TRITE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 157 
 
 piinish them for it; but, after all, it appears in itself de- 
 sirable; they love it; they roll it under their tongue. If 
 it could end in happiness, they never would think of aban- 
 doning it. But to the other it is different; he looks at 
 his own conduct as perfectly hateful. He looks back upon 
 it, and exclaims, "How hateful, how detestable, how wor- 
 thy of hell, such and such a thing was in me." 
 
 2. A clian ge of opinio n of the character of, sin as re- 
 spects its relation to God. 
 
 Sinners do not see why God threatens sin with such 
 terrible punishment. They love it so well themselves, 
 that they cannot see why God should look at it in such a 
 light as to think it worthy of everlasting punishment. 
 When they are strongly convicted, they see it differently, 
 and so far as "opinion is concerned, they see it in the same 
 light that a Christian does, and then they only want a 
 corresponding change of feeling to become Christians. 
 Many a sinner sees its relation to God to be such that it 
 deserves eternal death, but his heart does not go with his 
 opinions. This is the case with the devils and wicked 
 spirits in hell. Mark, then! — a change of opinion is in- 
 dispensable to true repentance, and a lways preced es it. 
 The heart never goes out to God in true repentance with- 
 out a previous change of opinion. There may be a change 
 -of opinion without repentance, but no genuine repentance 
 without a change of opinion. 
 
 3. A change of opinion in regard to the tendencies of 
 sin. 
 
 Before the sinner thinks it utterly incredible that sin 
 should have such tendencies as to deserve everlasting 
 death. He may be fully changed, however, as to his opin- 
 ions on this point without repentance, but it is impossible 
 a man shoidd truly repent without a change of opinion. 
 He sees sin, in its tendency, as ruinous to feimself and 
 everybody else, soul and body^ for time and eternity, and 
 
158 TRUE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 
 
 at variance with all "that is lovely and happy in the uni- 
 verse. He sees that sin is calculated in its tendencies to 
 injure himself and everybody else, and that there is no 
 remedy but universal abstinence. The devil knows it to 
 be so. And possibly there are some sinners now in this 
 congregation who know it. 
 
 4. A change of opinion in regard to the de se|:t of sin. 
 
 The word rendered repentance implies all this. It 
 implies a change in the state of the mind including all this. 
 The careless sinner is almost devoid of right ideas, even 
 so far as this life is concerned, respecting the desert of sin. 
 (•Suppose he admits in theory that sin deserves eternal 
 death, he does not believe it. If he believed it, it would 
 be impossible for him to remain a careless sinner. He is 
 desceived, if he supposes that he hoiiestly holds -such an 
 opinion as that sin deserves the wrath of God for ever. 
 But the truly awakened and convicted sianer has no more 
 doubt of this than he has of the existence of God. He sees 
 clearly that sin must deserve everlasting punishment ffoni 
 God. - He knows that this is a simple maltter of fact. 
 
 Secondly. In tin;ig^ repenta nce there must be a corre- 
 sponding chang e of feel ing. 
 
 The change of feeling respects sin in all these particu- 
 lars, its nature, its relations, its tendencies, and its deserts.' 
 The individual who truly repents, not only sees sin to be 
 detestable and vile, and worthy of abhorrence, but he really 
 abhors it, and hates it in his heart. A person may sa e sin 
 to be hurtful and abominable, while yet his heart loves it^ 
 and desires it, and clings to it. But when he truly repents, 
 he most heartily abhors and renounces it. 
 
 In relation to God, he feels towards sin as it really is. 
 And here is the source of those gushings of sorrow in 
 which Christians sometimes break out, when contempla- 
 ting sin. The' Christian views it as to its nature, and-- 
 simply feels abhorrence. But when he views it in relation 
 
TEUE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 159 
 
 to God, then he weeps; the fountains of his sorrow gush 
 .-forth, and he wants to get right down on his face and pour 
 out a flood of tears over his sins. 
 
 Then as to the tendencies of sin, the individual who 
 truly repents feels it as it is. When, he views sin in its 
 -tendencies, it awakens a vehement desire to stop it, and to 
 save people from their sins, and roll back the tide of death. 
 It sets his heart on fire, and he goes to praying, and labor- 
 ing, and pulling" sinners out of the fire with all his might, 
 to save them from the awful tendencies of sin. When 
 the Christian sets his mind on this, he will bestir him- 
 self to malie people give up their sins. Just as if he saw 
 all the people taking poison which he knew would destroy 
 them, and he lifts up his voice to warn them to ie- 
 ivare. 
 
 He feels right, as to the desert of sin. He Has not only 
 an intellectual conviction that sin deserves everlasting 
 'punishment, but he feels that it would be so right and so 
 reasonable, and so just, for God to condemn him to eternal 
 death, that so far from finding fault with the sentence of 
 the law that condemns him, he thinks it the wonder of 
 heaven, a wonder of wonders, if 'God can forgive him. 
 Instead of thinking it hard, or severe, or unkind in God, 
 that incorrigible sinners are sent to hell, he is full of ador- 
 ing vronder that he is not sent to hell himself, and that 
 this whole guilty world has not long since been hurled- 
 down to endless burnings. It is the last thipg in the world 
 he would think to complain of, that all sinners are not 
 saved ; but 0, it is a wonder of mercy that all the world is 
 not damned. And when he thinks of such a sinner's 
 being saved, he feels a sense of gratitude that he never 
 knew anything of till he was a Christian. 
 
 II. I am to show what are the works or effects of genu- 
 ine repentance. 
 
 I wish to show you what are 'the works of true repent- 
 
160 TKtJE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 
 
 ance, and to make it so plain to your minds, that you can 
 know infallibly whether you have repented or not. 
 
 1. If youj repentance is genuine, there is in y5ur mind 
 a conscious change of views and feeling in regard to sin. 
 
 Of this you will be just as conscious as you ever were 
 of a change of views and feelings on any other subject. 
 Now, can you say this ? Do you know, that on this point 
 there has been a change in you, and that old things are 
 done away and all things have become new. 
 
 2. Where repentance is genuine, the disposition to 
 repeat sin is gone. 
 
 If you have truly repented, you do not now love sin; 
 you do not now abstain from it through fear, and to avoid 
 punishment, but because you hate it. How is this with 
 you? Do you know that your disposition to commit sin 
 is gone? Look at the sins you used to practice when you 
 were impenitent — ^how do they appear to you? Do they 
 look pleasant — and would you really love to practice them 
 again if you dared? If you do, if you have the dispositioBt| 
 to sin left, you are onlY. copyicted . Your opinions of 
 sin may be changed, but if the love of that sin remains,*^ 
 as your soul lives, you are stiU an impenitent sinner. 
 
 3. Genuine repentance worketh a reformation of con- 
 duet. 
 
 I take this idea to be chiefly intended in the text,, 
 where it says "Godly sorrow worketh repentance." Godly 
 sorrow produces a reformation of conduct. Otherwise it 
 is a repetition of the same idea ; or saying^ that repentance 
 produces repentance. Whereas, I suppose the apostl|^ 
 was speaking of such a change of mind as produces; a ^ 
 change of conduct^ ending in. salvation. Now, let me ask' 
 you, are you really reformed? Have you forsaken your 
 Bins? Or, are you practicing them still? If so, you ar« 
 still a sinner. However you may have changed jour mind,,; 
 if it has not wrought a change of conduct, an actual re- 
 
TRUE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 161 
 
 formation, it is not godly repentance, or such as God ap- 
 prove. 
 
 ^ 4. Eepentance, when true and geuruine, leads to con- 
 fegsjoji and rggtitjjtion. "" " 
 
 The thief has not repented while he keeps the money 
 he stole. He may lave conviction, but no repentance. 
 If he had repentance, he would go and give back the 
 money. If you have cheated any one, and do not restore 
 what you have taken unjustly; or if you have injured 
 any one, and do not set about rectifying the wrong you 
 have done, as far as in you lies, you have not truly re- 
 pented. 
 
 5. True repentance is a g^mangut change of character 
 and conduct. 
 
 The text says it is repentance unto salvation, "not to 
 be repented of." What else does the apostle mean by that 
 expression but this, that true repentance is a change so 
 -deep and fundamental that the man never changes back 
 again ? People often quote it as if it read, repentance that 
 does not need to be repented of. But that is not what he 
 says. It is not to be repented of; or, in other words, re- 
 pentance that will not be repented of — so^ thorough, that 
 there is no going back. The love of sin is truly abandoned. 
 The individual who has truly repented, has so changed 
 his views and feelings, that he will not change back again, 
 or go back to the love of sin. Bear this in mind now, all 
 of you, that the truly penitant sinner exercises feelings of 
 which he never will repent. The text says it is "unto 
 salvation." It goes right on, to the very rest of heaven. 
 The very reason why it ends in salvation is, because it is 
 such as will not be repented of. 
 
 And here I cannot but remark, that you see why the 
 doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance is true, and what it 
 means. True repentance is such a thorqugh change of feel- 
 ings, and the individual .who exercises it comes so to abhor 
 
162 TRTTE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 
 
 Bin, that he -will persevere of course, and not go and take - 
 back all his repentance and return to sin again. 
 
 III. I am to speak of false repentance. 
 
 •False or spurious repentance is said to be worldly, the 
 sorrow of the world; that is, it is sorrow for sin, arising 
 from worldly considerations and motives connected with 
 the present life, or at most, has respect to his "own hap- 
 piness" in a future world, and has no regard to the true 
 nature of sin. 
 
 1. It is not founded on such a change of opinion as I 
 have specified to belong to true repentance. 
 
 The change is not on fundamental points. A person 
 may see the evil consequences of sin in a worldly point of 
 view, and it may fill him with consternation. He may 
 see that it will greatly affect his 'character, or endanger his 
 Ijf e ; that if some of his concealed conduct should be found 
 out, he would be disgraced, and this may fill him with fear, 
 and distress. It is very common for persons to have this 
 kind of worldly sorrow, when some worldly consideration 
 is at the bottom of it all. 
 
 2,. False repentance is founded on selfishness. 
 
 It may be simply a strong feeling of regretj in the mind 
 of the individual, that he has done as he has, because he 
 sees the evil consequences of- it to himself, because it makes ■ 
 him miserablej or exposes him to the wrath of God, or in- 
 jures his family or his friends, or because it produces some 
 injury to himself in time or in eternity. All this is pure 
 selfishness. He may feel remorse of conscience — ^biting, 
 consuming remorse — and no true repentance. It may 
 extend to fear— deep and dreadful fear — of the wrath of 
 God and the pains of hell, and yet be purely selfish, and all 
 the while there may be no such thing as a hearty abhor- 
 rence of sin, and no feelings of the heart going out after 
 the convictions of the understanding, in regard to the in- 
 finite evil of sill. 
 
TRUE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 165 
 
 IV. I am to show how this false or spurious repentance 
 may be known. 
 
 1. It leaves the feelings unchanged. 
 
 It leaves unbroken and unsubdued the disposition to sin 
 in the heart. The -feelings as to the nature of sin are not 
 so changed, but that the individual still feels a desire for 
 sin. He abstains from it, not from abhorrence of it, but 
 from dread of the consequences of it. 
 
 2. It works death. 
 
 It leads to hj'pocritical concealments The individual 
 who has exercised _ true repentance is willing to have it 
 "known that he has repented, and willing to have it known 
 that he was a sinner. He who hast)nly false repentance, 
 resorts to excuses and lying to cover his sins, and is 
 ashamed of his repentance. When he is called to the 
 anxious seat, he will cover up "his sins by a thousand apolo- 
 gies and excuses, trying to smooth them over, and extenu- 
 ate their enormity. If he speaks of his past conduct, he 
 always does it in the softest and most favorable terms. 
 You see a constant disposition to cover up his sin. This 
 repentance leads to death. It makes him commit one sin 
 to cover up another. Instead of that ingenuous, open- 
 hearted breaking forth of sensibility and frankness, you 
 see a palavering, smooth-tongued, half-hearted mincing out 
 of somethipg that is intended to answer the purpose of a 
 confession, and yet to confess nothing. 
 
 How is it with you? Are you ashamed to have any 
 person talk with you about your sins ? Then your sorrow 
 is only a worldly sorrow, and worketh death. How often 
 you see sinners getting out of the way to avoid conversa- 
 tion about their sins, and yet calling themselves anxious 
 inquirers, and expecting to become Christians in that way. 
 The same kind of sorrow is found in hell. No doubt all 
 those wretched inhabitants of the pit wish to get away from 
 the eye of God. No such sorrow is found among the saints 
 
164 TRUia AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 
 
 in heaven. Their sorrow is open, ingenuous, full and 
 hearty. Such sorrow is not inconsistent with true happi- 
 ness. The saints are full 6f happiness, and yet full of deep- 
 and undisguised, and gushing sorrow for sin. But this 
 worldly sorrow is ashamed of itself, is mean and miserable, 
 and worketh death. 
 
 3. False repentanc^ produces only a partial reformatioit 
 of conduct. '^'^ 
 
 The reformation that is produced by worldly sorrow 
 extends only to those things of which the individual has 
 been strongly convicted., The heart is not changed. You 
 will see him avoid only those cardinal sins, about which he 
 has been much exercifeed. 
 
 Observe that young convert. If he is deceived, you 
 will find that there is only a partial change in his conduct. 
 He is reformed in certain things, but there are many things : 
 which are wrong that he continues to practice. If you be- 
 come intimately acquainted with him, instead of finding 
 him tremblingly alive to sin every where, and quick to de- 
 tect it in every thing that is contrary to the spirit of the 
 gospel, you will find him, perhaps, strict and quick-sighted^; 
 in reigard to certain things, but loose in his conduct and lax 
 , in his views on other points, and vexj far from manifesting 
 a Christian spirit in regard to all sin. 
 
 4r. Ordinarily, the reformation produced by false sor- 
 row is temporary even in those things which are reformed. ' 
 
 The individual is continually relapsing into his old sins. 
 The reason is, the disposition to sin is not gone, it is only 
 checked and restrained by fear, and as soon as he has a 
 hope and is in the church and gets bolstered up so that his- 
 , fears are allayed, you see him gradually wearing back, and 
 presently returning to his old sins. This was the difficulty 
 with the house of Israel, that made them so constantly re- 
 turn to their idolatry and other sins. They had only' 
 worldly sorrow. You see it^ now everywhere in the church.^ 
 
TRUE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 165 
 
 Individuals are reformed for a time, and. taken into tbe 
 church, and then relapse into their old sins. They love to 
 call it getting cold in religion, and backsliding, and the 
 like, but the truth is, they always loved sin, and when the 
 occasion offered, they returned to it, as the sow that was 
 Tpashed to her wallowing in the mire, because she was 
 always a sow. 
 
 I would you should understand this point thoroughly. — 
 Here is the foundation of all those fits and starts in relig- 
 ion, that you see so much of . People are awakened, and 
 convicted, and by-and-by they get to hope and settle down 
 in false security and then away they go. Perhaps, they 
 may keep so far on their guard as not to be turned out of 
 the church, but the foundations of sins are not broken up, 
 and they return to their old ways. The woman that loved 
 dress loves it still; and gradually retlirns to her ribands 
 and gewgaws. The man who loved money loves it yet, 
 and soon slides back into his old ways, and dives into busi- 
 ness, and pursues the world as eagerly and devotedly as he 
 did before he joined the church. 
 
 Gro through all the departments of society, and if you 
 find thorough conversions, you will find that their most be- 
 setting sins before conversion are farthest from them now. 
 The real convert is least likely to fall into his old besetting 
 sin, because he abhors it most. But if he is deceived and 
 worldly minded, he is always tending back into the same 
 sins. The woman that loves dress comes out again in all 
 her glory, and dashes as she used to do. The fountain of 
 sin was not broken up. They have not purged out in- 
 iquity from their heart but they regarded iniquity in their 
 heart all the time. 
 
 5. It is a forced reformation. 
 
 The reformation produced by a false repentance, is not 
 only a partial reformation, and a temporary reformation, 
 but it is also forced and constrained. The reformation of 
 
166 TRTJB AND FALSE EEPENTANCE. 
 
 one who has true repentance is from the heart; he has no 
 longer a disposition to sin. In hkn the Bible promise is 
 fulfilled^ He- actually finds that 'Wisdom's ways are ways 
 of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." He experi- 
 ences that the Saviour's yoke is easy and his burden is lighlf 
 He has felt that God's commandments, are not grievous 
 but joyous. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than 
 much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honey-i 
 -comb. But this spurious kind of repentance is very differ- 
 ent: it is a legal repentance, the result of fear and not of 
 love; a selfish repentance, anything but a free, voluntary^ 
 hearty change from sin to obedience. You will find, if 
 there are any individuals here that have this kind of re- 
 pentance, you are conscious that you do not abstain from 
 sin by choice, because you hate it, but from other consid-^ 
 erations. It is more through the forbiddings of conscience, 
 or the fear you shall lose your soul, or lose your hope, or 
 lose your character, than from abhorrence of sia or love to 
 duty. 
 
 Such persons always need to be crowded up to do duty, 
 with an express passage of scripture, or else they will apolo-;^ 
 gize for sin, and evade duty, and think there is no great 
 harm in doing as they do. The reason is, they love their 
 sins, and if there is not some express command of God 
 which they dare not fly in the face of, they will practise'; 
 them. Not so with true repentance, If a thing seems 
 contrary to the ^eat law of love, the person who has true 
 repentance will abhor it, and avoid it of course, whether 
 he has an express command of God for it or not. Show 
 me such, a man, and I tell you he don't need an express 
 command to make him give up the drinking or making 
 or vending of strong drink. He sees it is contrary to the 
 great law of benevolence, and he truly abhors it, and would 
 BO more do it than he would blaspheme God, or steal, or 
 commit any other abomination. 
 
TRTJE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 167 
 
 So the man that has true repentance does not need a 
 "Thus saith the Lord," to keep him from oppressing hia 
 fellow men, because he would not do anything wrong. How 
 certainly men would abhor any thing of the kind, if they 
 had truly repented of sin. 
 
 6. This spurious repentance leads to sel f-righteo us- 
 ness. 
 
 The individual who has this repentance inay know that 
 Jesus Christ is the only Saviour of sinners, and may pro- 
 fess to believe on him and to rely on him alone for salva- 
 tion, but after all, he is actually placing ten times more 
 reliance on his reformation than on Jesus Christ for his. 
 salvation. And if he would watch his own heart, he would 
 know it is so. He may say he expects salvation by Christ, 
 but in fact he is dwelling more on his reformation, and his 
 vhope is founded more on that, than on the atonement-of 
 Christ, and he is really patching np a righteousness of 
 his own. 
 
 7. It leads to :^ilfie,seeurity. 
 
 The individual supposes the worldly sorrow he has had 
 to be true repentance, and he trusts to it. It is a curious 
 fact, that so far as I have been able to get at the state of 
 mind of this class of persons, they^seem to take it for 
 graiited that Christ will save them because they have had 
 sorrow on account of their sins, although they are not con- 
 scious that they have ever felt any resting in Christ. They 
 felt sorrow, and then they got relief and felt better, and 
 now they expect to be saved by -Christ, when their very 
 consciousness will teach them that they have never felt a 
 hearty reliance on Christ. 
 
 8. It harcleas__the^heart. 
 
 The individual who has this kind of" sorrow becomes 
 harder in heart, in proportion to the number of times that 
 he exercises such sorrow. If he has strong emotions of 
 conviction, and his heart does not break np and flow out. 
 
1^8 TRUE AND FALSE REPENTANCE, 
 
 the f oiintains of feeling are more and .more dried up, and 
 his heart more and more difficult to be reached. Take a 
 real Christian, one who has truly repented, and every time 
 you bring the truth to bear upon him so as to break him 
 down before God, he becomes more and more mellow, and 
 more easily affected, and excited, and. melted, and broken 
 down under God's blessed word, so long as he lives — and 
 to all eternity. His heart gets into the habit of going along 
 with the convictions of his understanding, and he becomes 
 as teathable and tractable as a little child. 
 
 Here is the grand distinction. Let churches, or indi- 
 vidual' members, who have only this worldly repentance; 
 pass through a revival, and get waked up, and bustle about, 
 and then, grow cold again. Let this be repeated and you 
 find them more and more difficult to be roused, till by^ 
 and-by they become as hard as the nether mill-stone, and 
 nothing can ever rally them to a revival again. Directly^l 
 over against this are those churches and individuals who 
 have true repentance. Let them go through successive 
 revivals, and you find them growing more and more mel- 
 low and tender until they get to such a state, that if they 
 hear the trumpet blow for a revival, they kindle and glow' 
 instantly, and are ready for the work. 
 
 T];iis distinction is as broad as between light and dark- 
 ness. It is every where observable among the churches 
 and church members. You see the principle illustrated 
 in sinners, .who, after passing through repeated revivals, 
 by-and-by wUl scoff and rail at all religion, and althpugh 
 the heaveps hang with clouds of mercy over their heads, 
 they heed it not, but reject it. It is so in churches and 
 members; if they have not true repentance, every fresh 
 excitement hardens the heart and renders thein more dif- 
 ficult to be reached by the truth. 
 
 9. It sears the comeience. 
 
 Such persons are liable at first to be, thrown into dis- 
 
TRUE AND FALSE EEPENTANCE. 169 
 
 tress, whenever the truth is flashed upon their mind. 
 They may not have so much conviction as the real Chris- 
 tian. But the real Christian is filled with peace at the 
 very time that his tears are flowing from conviction of sin. 
 And each repeated season of conviction makes him more 
 and more watchful, and tender, and careful, till his con- 
 science becomes, like the apiple of his eye, so tender that 
 the very appearance of evil will offend it. But the other 
 kind of sorrow, which does not lead to hearty renunciation 
 of sin, leaves the heart harder than before, and by-and-by 
 sears the conscience as with a hot iron. This sorrow 
 worketh death. 
 
 10. It rejects Jesus Christ as the ground of hope. 
 Depending on reformation and sorrow, or any thing 
 
 else, it leads to no such reliance on Jesus Christ, that the 
 love of Christ will constrain him to labor all his days for 
 Christ. 
 
 11. It -is transient and temporary. 
 
 This kind of repentance is sure to be repented of. 
 By-and-by you will find such persons becoming ashamed 
 of the deep feelings that they had. They do not want to 
 speak of them, and if they talk of them it is always lightly 
 and coldly. They perhaps hustled about in time of revi- 
 val, and appeared as much engaged as any body, and very 
 likely were among the extremes in every thing that was 
 done. But now the revival is over, and you find them op- 
 posed to new measures, and changing back, and ashamed 
 of their zeal. They in fact repent of their repentance. 
 
 Such persons, after they have joined the church, will 
 be ashamed of having come to the anxious seat. When 
 the height of the revival has gone by, they will begin to 
 talk against being too enthusiastic, and the necessity of 
 getting into a more sober 'and^ consistent way in religion. 
 Here is the secret — ^they had a repentance of which they 
 afterwards repented. 
 
170 TRUE AND FALSE EEPEHTANCE. 
 
 You sometimes find persons who profess to be con- 
 verted in a revival, turning against ilie very measures, and 
 means, and doctrines, by ■which they profess to have been 
 converted. Not so with the true Christian. He is never 
 ashamed of his repentance. The last thing he would ever 
 think of being ashamed of, is the excitement of feeling he 
 felt in a revival. 
 
 BEHABES. 
 
 1. We learn from what has been said, one reason why 
 there is so much spasmodic religion in the church. 
 
 They have mistaken conviction for conversion^ the sor- 
 rowl)f the world for that godly sorrow, that worketh re- 
 pentance imto salvation, not to be repented of. I am con- 
 vinced, attet years of observation, that here is the true 
 reason for the present deplorable state of the church all 
 over the land. 
 
 2. We see why sinners under conviction feel as if it 
 was a great cross to become Christians. 
 
 They think it a great trial to give up their ungodly 
 companions, and to give up their sins. Whereas, if they 
 had true repentance, they would not think it any cross to 
 give up their sins. I recollect how I used to feel, when I 
 first saw yoimg persons becoming Christians and joining 
 the church. I thought it was a'good thing on the whole 
 to have religion, because they would save their souls and 
 get to heaven. But for the time, it seemed to be a very 
 sorrowful thing. I never dreamed then that these young 
 people could be really happy now. I believe it is very 
 common for persons, who know that religion is goodon the 
 whole, and good in the end, to think they cannot be happy 
 in religion. This is all owing to a mistake respecting the 
 true nature of repentance. They do not understand that 
 true repentance leads to an abhorrence of those things that 
 were formerly loved. Sinners do not see that when their 
 
TEUE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 171 
 
 yoTing friends become true Christians, they feel an abhor- 
 rence for their balls and parties, and sinful amusements 
 and follies, that the love for these things is crucified. 
 
 I once knew a young lady who was converted to God. 
 Her father was a very proud worldly man. She used to 
 be very fond of dress, and the dancing school, and balls. 
 After she was converted, her father would force her to go 
 to the dancing school. He used to go along with her, and 
 force her to stand up and dance. She would go there and 
 weep, and sometimes when she was standing up on the 
 floor to dance, ter feelings of abh,orrence and sorrow would 
 so come over her, that she would turn away and burst into 
 tears. Here you see the cause of all that. She truly re- 
 pented of these things, with a repentance not to be re- 
 pented of. 0, how many associations would such a scene 
 recall to a Christian, what compassion for her former gay 
 companions, what abhorrence of their giddy mirth, how she 
 longed to be in the prayer-meetiug, how could she be happy 
 there ? Such is the mistake which the impenitent, or those 
 who have only worldly sorrow, fall into, in regard to the 
 happiness of the real Christian. 
 
 3. Here you see what is the matter with those profess- 
 ing Christians who think it a cross to be very strict in 
 religion. i 
 
 Such persons are always apologising for their sins, and 
 pleading for certain practices, that are not consistent with 
 strict religion. It shows that they love sin still, and wiU 
 go as far as they dare in it. If they were true Christians, 
 they would abhor it, and turn from it, and would feel it 
 to be a cross to be dragged to it. 
 
 4. You see the reason why some know not what it is 
 to enjoy religion. 
 
 They are not cheerful and happy, in religion. They are 
 grieved because they have to break ofE from so many things 
 they love, or because they have to give so much money^ 
 
172 TRUE AND -FALSE EEPENTANCE. 
 
 They are in the fire all the time. Instead of rejoicing in 
 every opportunity of self-denial, and rejoicing in the plain- 
 est and most cutting exhibitions of truth, it is a great trial 
 to them to be told 'their duty, when it crosses their incli- 
 niations and ha'bits. The plain truth distresses them. Why? 
 Because their hearts do not love; to do duty. If th^y loved 
 to do their duty, every ray of li^ht that broke in upon, 
 their minds from heaven^ pointing out their duty, would 
 be welcomed,' and make them more and more happy. 
 
 Whenever you see such persons, if they feel cramped 
 and distressed because the truth presses them, if their 
 hearts do not yield and go along with the truth, hypocrite 
 is the name of all such professors of religion. If you' 
 find that they are distressed like anxious sinners, and that 
 the more you point out their sins the more they are 
 distressed, be you sure, that they have never truly repented^ 
 of their sins, nor given themselves up to be God's. 
 
 5. You see why many professed converts, who have had 
 very deep exercises at the time of their conversion, after- 
 wards apostatize. 
 
 They had deep convictions and great distress of mind, 
 and afterwards they got relief and their joy was very great, 
 -and they were amazingly happy for a season. But by-and- 
 by they decline, and then they apostatize. Some, who do 
 not discriminate properly between true and false repent- 
 ance, and who think there cannot be such "deep" exer- 
 cises without divine power, call these cases of falling from 
 grace. But the truth is. They went out from us because 
 they were not of us. They neVer had that repentajioe that 
 Mils and annihilates th? disposition to sin. 
 
 6. See why backsliders are so miserable. 
 
 Perhaps, you will infer that I suppose all true Chris- 
 tians\are perfect, from what I said about the disposition to 
 sin being broken up and changed. But this does not follow. 
 There is a radical difference between a backslidden Chris- 
 
TRTJE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 173 
 
 tian and a hypocrite who has gone back from his profes- 
 -sion. -The hypocrite loves the world, and enjoys sin when, 
 he returns to it. He may have some fears and some re- 
 morse, and some apprehension about the loss of character; 
 but after all he enjoys sin. Not so with the backslidden 
 Christian. He loses his first love, then he falls a prey to 
 • temptation, and so he goes into sin. But he does not love 
 it; it is always bitter to him; he feels unhappy and away 
 from home. He has indeed, at the time, no Spirit of God, 
 no love of God in exercise to keep him from, sin, but he 
 does not love sin; he is unhappy in sin; he feels that he 
 is a wretch. He is as different from the hypocrite as can 
 be. Such an one, when he leaves the love of God, may be 
 delivered over to Satan for a time, for the destruction of 
 the flesh, that the Spirit may be saved; but }ie can never 
 again enjoy sin as he used to, or delight himself as he once 
 could in the pleasures of the world. Never again can he 
 drink in iniquity like water. So long as he continues to 
 wander, he is a wretch. If there is one such here to-night, 
 you know it. 
 
 7. You see why convicted sinners are afraid to pledge 
 themselves to give up their sins. 
 
 They tell you they dare not promise to do it, because 
 they are afraid they shall not keep the promise. There 
 you have the reason. "They love sin." The drunkard 
 knows that he loves rum, and though he may be. con- 
 strained to keep his promise and abstain from it, yet his 
 appetite still craves it. And so with the convicted sinner. 
 He feels that he loves sin, that his hold on sin has never 
 been broken off, and he dares not promise. 
 
 8. See why some professors of religion are so much 
 opposed to pledges. 
 
 It is on the same principle. They love their sins so 
 well, they know their hearts wiH plead for indulgence, and 
 they are afraid to promise to gyre them up. Hence many 
 
174 TETJE AND FALSE REPENTANCE. 
 
 who profess to think they are Christians, refuse tff-join the 
 church. The secret reason is, they feel that their heart is 
 still going after sin, and they dare Jiot come under the 
 obligations of the church-covenant. They do not want to 
 be subject to the discipline of the church, in case they 
 , should sin. That man knows he is a hypocritCx 
 
 9. Those sinners who have worldly sorrow, can now see 
 where the difiSculty lies, and what is the reason they are 
 not converted. 
 
 Their intellectual views of sin may be such, that if their 
 hearts corresponded, they would be Christians. And per- 
 haps they are thinking that this is true repentance. But 
 if they were truly willing to give up sin, and all sin, they 
 would not hesitate to pledge themselves to it, and to have 
 all the world know that they had done it. If there are 
 any such here, I ask you now to come forward, and take 
 these seats. If you are willing to give up sin, you are will- 
 ing to promise to do it, and willing to have it known that 
 you have done it. But if you resist conviction, and when 
 your understanding is enlightened to see what you ought 
 to do, your heart still goeth forth after your sins, tremble, 
 sinner, at the prospect before you. All your convictions 
 will avail you nothing. They will only sink you deeper in 
 hell for having resisted them. 
 
 If you are willing to give up your sins, you can signify 
 it as I have named. But if you still love your sins, and 
 want to retain them, you can keep your seats. And now, 
 shall we go and tell God in prayer, that these sinners are 
 unwilling to give up their sins, that though they are con- 
 vinced they are wrong, they love their idols, andufter them 
 they will go? The Lord have mercy on them, for they 
 are in a fearful case. 
 
X. 
 
 BISEONESTY IN SMALL MATTERS INCONSIS- 
 TENT WITH HONESTY IN ANYTHING. 
 
 Ha that ia unjust in the least is unjust also in much. — Luke xvi. 10. 
 
 THESE words are a part of the parable of the unjust 
 steward, or rather, a principle which our Lord lays 
 down in connection with the parable. The words do not 
 require that I should go into an explanation of the parable 
 itself, as they make no part of the story which the Lord 
 Jesus was relating. The peinciple involved or laid down 
 is what I have to do with to-night. In preaching from 
 these words I design to illustrate the principle laid down, 
 which is this: 
 
 One who is dishonest in small matters, is not really 
 honest in anything. 
 
 The order which I shall pursue is the following: 
 
 L I shall show what I do not mean by this principle. 
 
 II. Show what I do mean by it. 
 
 III. Prove the principle, that one who is dishonest in 
 small matters is not really honest at all. 
 
 IV. Show by what principle those individuals are gov- 
 erned who, while they are dishonest, in small things, appear 
 to be honest, and even religious, in larger affairs.^ 
 
 V. Mention several instances where persons often man- 
 ifest a want of principle in small matters. 
 
 I. I am to show what I do not mean by the principle, 
 that one who is dishonest in small matters is not really 
 honest in anything. 
 
 Answer. I do not mean that if a person is dishonest 
 in small matters, and will take little advantages in dealing. 
 
176 DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTEKS. 
 
 it is therefore certain, that in greater matters he will not 
 deal ppenly and honorably according to the rules of busi- 
 ness. 
 
 Or that it iS certain, if a man will commit petty thefts 
 and depredations, that he will commit highway robherfi 
 There may be various reasons why a man who will commit 
 such depredations will not go intd* more daring and out- 
 rageous crimes. 
 
 Or that if a man indulges unclean thoughts, it is cer- 
 tain he will commit adultery. 
 
 Or that if he indulges. covetous desires, it is certain he 
 will steal. 
 
 Or that if he indulges in ill-will towards any one, he 
 will commit murder. 
 
 ■Or that if he would enslave a fellow man, and deprive, 
 him of instruction and of all the rights of man, he will 
 certainly commit other crimes of equal enormity. ' 
 
 Or . that , if he will defraud the government in little~ 
 things, such as postage, or, duties on little articles, he wiU 
 rob the treasury. 
 
 II. I am to explain what I do mean by the principle 
 laid down, that if a man is dishonest in little things, he is 
 not reaUy honest in anything. 
 
 What I mean is, that if a man is dishonest in small 
 matters, it shows- that he is not governed by principle in 
 anything. It is therefore certain that it is not real hon- 
 esty of heart which leads him to act right in greater mat- 
 ters. He must haye other motives than honesty of heart, 
 if he appears to act honestly in larger things, while he acts 
 dishonestly in small matters. 
 
 III. I am to prove the principle. ' _. 
 
 I am not going to take it for grante^, although the/ 
 Lord Jesus Christ expressly declares it. I design to men- 
 tion several considerations in addition to the force of the 
 text. I believe it is a general impression that a person may 
 
DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTERS. 177 
 
 honest in greater ipatters, and deserve the character of 
 nesty, notwithstanding he is guilty of dishonesty in. 
 .all matters. 
 
 1. If he was actuated by a supreme regard to the au- 
 jrity of God and if this was the habitual state of his 
 nd, such a state of mind would be quite as apt to mani- 
 it itself in smaller matters as in larg6. Nay, where the' 
 nptation is small, he would be more certaia to act con- 
 entiously than in greater matters, because there is less 
 induce him to act otherwise. What is honesty ? If a 
 m has no other motives for acting honestly than mere 
 fishness, the devil is as honest as he is; for I dare say 
 is honest with his fellow devils, as far as it is for his 
 ;erest or policy to be so; Is that honesty? Certainly 
 t. And, therefore, if a man does not act honestly from 
 jher motives than this, he is not honest at all, and if he 
 pears to be honest in certain important matters, he has 
 ^ motives than a regard to the honor of God. 
 
 2. It is certain ihat, if an individual is dishonest in 
 all matters, he is not actuated by love to God. If he 
 3 actuated by love to God, he would feel that dishonesty 
 small matters is just as iaconsistent as in great. It is 
 real a violation of the law of God, and one who truly 
 es God would no more act dishonestly in one than in 
 
 other. 
 
 3. It is certain that he is not actuated by real love to 
 neighbour, such as the law of God requires. If he loved 
 neighbor as himself, he would not defraud him in small 
 Qgs any more than in great. Nay, he might do it in 
 at things, where the temptation to swerve from his in- 
 rity was powerful. But where the temptation is small,.. 
 ;annot be that one who truly loves his neighbor would 
 
 dishonestly. See the case of Job. Job truly loved God, 
 I you see how far he went, and what distress he endured-, 
 ore he would say a word that even seemed disparaging 
 
178 DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTERS. 
 
 or complaining of God. And •when, the temptation was 
 overwhelming, and he could see no reason why he should 
 be so afflicted, and his distress became intolerable, and his 
 Boul was all in darkness, and his wife set in and told him 
 to curse God and die, he would not do it then, but said, 
 "Thou speak-est as one of the' foolish women speaketh. 
 What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and 
 shall we not receive evil?" Do you suppose Job would 
 have swerved from his integrity in little things, or for 
 small temptations? Never. He loved God. And if you 
 find a man who truly loves his neighbor, you will not see 
 him deceiving or defrauding his neighbor for trifling 
 temptations. 
 
 IV. I am to examine some of the motives by wtich a 
 person may be actuated, who is dishonest in little things, 
 while he may appear to be honest in greater matters. 
 
 Our own business here is to ascertain how this apparent 
 discrepancy can consist with the declaration in the text. 
 The Lord Jesus Christ has laid down the principle, that if 
 a man is dishonest in small jnatters, he is not strictly hon- 
 est at all. Now, here are facts, which to many appear to 
 contradict this. We see many men that in small matters- 
 exhibit a great want of princijJle, and appear to be quite 
 void of principle, while in larger things they appear to be 
 honorable and even pious. This must be consistent, or 
 else Jesus Christ has affirmed a falsehood. That it is con- 
 sistent with truth will be admitted, if we can show that 
 their conduct in regard to larger matters can be accounted 
 for on other principles than honesty of heart. If we can 
 account for it on principles of mere selfishness, it will be 
 admitted, that where a man is dishonest in small things, 
 he is not really honest at all, however honestly he may act 
 in regard to larger matters. 
 
 1. They may act honestly in larger matters for fear of 
 disgrace. 
 
DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTERS. 179 
 
 They may know that certain small things are not likely 
 to be mentioned in public, or to have a noise made about 
 them, and so they may do such things, while the fear of 
 disgrace deters them from doing the same things in regard 
 to larger matters, because it will make a noise. What is 
 this but one form of selfishness overbalancing another 
 form? It is selfishness still, not honesty. 
 
 2. He may suppose it will injure his business, if he ia 
 guilty of dishonesty with men of business, and so he deals 
 honestly in important matters, while in little things he is 
 ready to take^ any advantage he can, that will not injure 
 his business. Thus a man will take advantage of a seam- 
 stress, and pay her a little less than he knows it is really 
 worth for making a garment, while the same individual, 
 in buying a bale of goods, would not think of showing a 
 disposition to cheat, because it would injure his business. 
 In dealing with an abused and humble individual, he 
 can gripe and screw out a few cents without fear of 
 public disgrace, while he would not for any consideration 
 do an act which would be publicly spoken of as disre- 
 putable and base. 
 
 3. Fear of human law may influence a man to act hon- 
 estly in such things as are likely to be taken up, while in . 
 such small matters as the law is not likely to notice, he 
 will defraud or take advantage. 
 
 4. The love of praise influences many to act honestly 
 and honorably, and even piously, in matters that are likely 
 to be noticed. Many a man will defraud a poor person 
 out of a few cents in the price of labor, and then, in some 
 great matter on a public occasion, appear to act with great 
 liberality. What is the reason, that individuals who habit- 
 ually screw down their servants, and seamstresses, and . 
 other poor people that they employ, to. the lowest penny, 
 and take all the advantage they can of such people, will 
 then, if a severe winter comes, send out cart loads of fuel 
 
180 DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTEKS. 
 
 to the poor, or give large sums of money to the commit- 
 tees? You see that it is for the love of praise, and not for 
 the love of God nor the love of man. 
 
 5. The fear of God. He may be afraid qf the divine 
 "wrath, if he commits dishonest acts of importance, while 
 he supposes God -will overlook Httle things, and not notice 
 it if he is dishbnest in such small matters. 
 
 6. He may" restrain his dishonest propensities from 
 mere self-righteousness, and act honestly in great-things, 
 for the sake of bolstering up his own good opinion of 
 himsiSlf, while in little things he will cheat and play the 
 knave. 
 
 I said in the beginning, that I did not mean, that if a 
 man would take small advantages, he would certainly never 
 act with apparent uprightness. It often comes to pass, 
 that individuals who act with great meanness and dishon- 
 esty in small affairs, will act uprightly and hon'orably, on 
 the 'ground that their character and interest are at stake. 
 Many a man, who among merchants is looked upon as an 
 honorable dealer, is well known, by those who are more in- 
 timately acquainted with him, to be mean and knavish and 
 overreaching in smaller mattery, or in his .dealings with 
 more humble and more dependent individuals. It is plain 
 that it is not real honesty of. heart which makes him act 
 with apparent honesty in his more public transactions. 
 
 So I said, that, if an individual will commit petty thefts, 
 it is not certain he would commit highway robbery., He 
 might have various reasons for abstaining, without having 
 a particle too mu^h honesty to rob on the highway, or to 
 cut a purse out of your pocket in a crowd. The individ- 
 ual may not have courage enough to break out ia highway 
 robbery, or not skill enough, or nerve enough, ot he may 
 be afraid of the law, or afraid of disgrace, or other reasons. 
 An individual may indulge unclean thoughts, habitu- 
 ally, 'and yet never actually, commit adultery. He may be 
 
DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTERS. 181 
 
 restrained by fear, or want of opportunity, and not by 
 principle. If he indulges unclean thoughts, he would 
 certainly act uncleanly, if it were not for other reasons 
 than purity of principle. 
 
 An individual may manifest a covetous spirit, and yet 
 not steal. But he has the spirit that would lead him to 
 steal, if not restrained by other reasons than honesty or 
 principle. 
 
 A man may be angry, a,nd yet his anger never break 
 out in murder. But his hatred would lead him to do it, 
 BO far as principle is concerned. And if it is not done, it 
 is for other reasons than true principle. 
 
 An individual may oppress his fellow man, enslave him;} 
 deprive him of instruction, and compel him to labor with- 
 out compensation, for his own benefit, and yet not com- 
 mit murder, or go to Africa to engage in the slave trade, 
 because it would endanger his reputation or his life. But 
 if he will do that which divests life of all that is desirable 
 to gratify his ovm pride or promote his own interest, it can- 
 not be principle, either of love to God or love to man, that 
 keeps him from going any length, if his interest requires 
 it. If a man, from regard to his own selfish interest, will 
 take a course towards any human being which will deprive 
 him of all that renders life desirable, it is easy to see that, 
 so far as principle is concerned, there is nothing in the 
 way of his doing it by violence on the coast of Africa or 
 taking life itself 'when his interest requires it. 
 
 So an individual who will defraud the United States 
 treasury of eighteen cents in postage has none too much 
 principle to rob the treasury if he had the same prospect 
 of impunity. The same principle that allowed him to do 
 the one would allow him to do the other. And the same 
 motive that led him to do the one, would lead him to do 
 the other if he had an opportunity, and if it were not 
 counteracted by some other .motive equally selfish. 
 
182 DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTERS. 
 
 A man may, in like manner, be guilly of little misre- 
 presentations, who would not dare to tell a downright lie. 
 Yet if he is guilty of coloring the truth, and misrepre- 
 senting facts, with a design to deceive, or to make facts 
 appear otherwise than they really are, he is really lying, 
 and the individual who Will do this would manufacture 
 ever so many lies, if it was for his interest, or were he not 
 restrained by other reasons than a sacred regard to truth. 
 
 V. I will mention some instances, where persons are 
 dishonest in small matters, while they appear to act hon- 
 estly and even piously in regard to matters of greater im- 
 portance. 
 
 1. We often find individuals manifesting a great want 
 of principle in regard io the payment of small debts, while 
 they are extremely careful and punctual in the payment 
 of notes in the bank, and in all their commercial transac- 
 tions. 
 
 For instance, there is a man takes a newspaper, the 
 price is only a small sum, and the publisher-^^annot send a 
 collector to every individual, so this man lets his subscrip- 
 tion lie along^ perhaps for years, and perhaps never pays it. 
 The same individual, if it had been a note at the bank, 
 would have been punctual enough; and no pains would 
 have been spared, rather than let the note run beyond the 
 day. Why? Because, if he does not pay his note in the 
 bank, it will be protested^ and his credit wUl be injured, 
 but the little debt of twenty shillings or five dollars will 
 not be protested, and he knows it, and so he lets it go by, 
 and the publisher has to be at the trouble and expense of 
 sending for it, or go without his money. How manifest it 
 is that this man does not pay his notes at the bank from 
 honesty of principle, but purely from a regard to his ovm 
 credit and interest. 
 
 3. I have before referred to the case of seamstresses. 
 Suppose an individual employs women to sew for him, and 
 
DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTERS. 183 
 
 for the sake of underselling others in the same trade, he 
 beats down these women below the just price of such work. 
 It is manifest that the individual is not honest in any- 
 thing. If, for sake of making more profits, or of un- 
 derselling, he will beat down these women — suppose he is 
 honorable and prompt in his public transactions — ^no 
 thanks to him, it is not because he is honest in his heart, 
 but because it is his interest to seem so. 
 
 - 3. Some manifest this want of principle by committing 
 little petty thefts. If they live at a boarding house, where 
 there are boarders, they will commit little petty thefts — 
 perhaps for fuel in the cellar. An individual will not be 
 at the expense of getting a little charcoal for himself, to 
 kindle his fire in the morning, but gets along by pilfering 
 from the stores laid in by others, a handful at a time. 
 ITow the individual that will do that, shows himself to be 
 radically rotten at heart. 
 
 A ease came to my knowledge, of this kind. An indi- 
 vidual was sitting in a room, where a gentleman had on 
 the, table for some purpose a tumbler of wine and a pitcher 
 of water.' The gentleman had occasion to go out of the 
 room a moment, but accidentally left the door a-jar, and 
 while he was out, looking back he saw this individual drink 
 a part of the wine in the tumbler, and then, to conceal it, 
 fill up the tumbler with water, and take his se^t. Now 
 the individual who did that showed that he loved wine, 
 and that he was none too good to steal ; he showed, that 
 so far as principle was concerned, he would get drunk if 
 he had the meaiis, and steal if he had a chance; in fact, 
 at heart, he was both a dnmkard and a thief. 
 
 4. Individuals often manifest great-' dishonesty when 
 they find articles that have been lost, especially articles of 
 small value. One will find a penknife, perhaps, or a pen- 
 cil case, and never make the least inquiry, even among 
 those he has reason to believe were the losers. N"ow, 'the 
 
184 DISHONESTY IN -SMALL MATTERS. 
 
 man that would find a penknife, and keep it without mak- 
 ing inquiry, where there was any prospect of finding the 
 owner, so far ^as principle is concerned, would keep a 
 pocket-book full of bank notes, if he should find it,- and 
 have an equal chance of concealment. And yet this same 
 individual, if he should find a pocket-jjQok with five thou- 
 sand dollars ia it, would advertise it in the newspapers, 
 and make a great noise, and profess to be wonderfully; 
 honest. But what is his motive ? He knows that the five 
 thousand dollars will be inquired into, and if he is dis- 
 covered to have concealed it, he shall be ruined. Fine 
 honesty, this. 
 
 6. Many individuals 'conceal little mistakes that are 
 made in their favor, in reckoning, or giving change. If 
 an individual would keep still, say nothing, and let it pass, 
 when such a mistake is made in his favor, it is manifest 
 that nothing but a want of opportunity and impunity^ 
 would prevent him from taking any advantage whatever, 
 or overreaching to any extent. 
 
 6. Frauds on the post-ofiBce are of the same class. 
 
 Who does not .know that there is a great deal of dis- 
 honesty practiced here? Some seem to think there is no 
 dishonesty in cheating the government out of a little post- 
 age. Postmasters will frank letters they have no right to. 
 Many will frank letters not only for their families but for 
 their neighbors, all directly contrary to law, and a fraud 
 upon the post-office. The man that will do that is not 
 honest. What would not such a man do, if he had the 
 same prospect of impunity in other frauds, that he has in 
 this? 
 
 7. Smuggling is a common form. of petty dishonesty. 
 How many a man will contrive to smuggle little articles 
 in his trunk, when he comes home from England, that he 
 knows ought to pay duty to the custom-house, and he 
 thinks but little of it, because the sum is so imall ; where- 
 
DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTERS. 185 
 
 as, the smaller the sum the more clearly is principle de- 
 veloped. Because the temptation is so small, it shows 
 how weak is the man's principle of honesty, that can be 
 overcome by such a trifle. The man that would do this, 
 if he had the same opportunity, would smuggle a cargo. 
 If, for so little, he would lose sight of his integrity, and do 
 a dishonest act, he is not too good to rob the treasury. 
 
 EEMAEKS. 
 
 1. The real state of a man's heart is often more mani- 
 fested in smaller matters than in business of greater mo- 
 ment. 
 
 Men are often deceived here, and think their being 
 honest iii greater things will go to prove their honesty of 
 heart, notwithstanding their knavishness in smaller 
 things, and so they are sure to be on tl\eir guard iu great 
 things, while they are careless of little matters, and so act 
 out their true character. They overlook the fact, that all 
 their honesty iu larger matters springs from a wrong 
 principle, from a desire "to appear" honest, and not from 
 a determination to be honest. They overlook their own 
 petty frauds because they guard their more public mani- 
 festations of character, and then take it for granted that 
 they are honest, while they are nothing but rottenness at 
 heart. The man who will take advantage in little things, 
 where he is not watched, is not actuated by principle. If 
 you want to know your real character, watch your hearts, 
 and see how your principles develop themselves in little 
 things. 
 
 For instance, suppose you are an eye-servant. You are 
 employed in the service of another, and you do not mind 
 being idle at times for a short time, i-n the absence of your 
 employer. Or you slight your work when not under the 
 eye of your employer, as you would not if he was present. 
 The man who will do this is totally dishonest, and not to 
 
186 DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTEES, 
 
 be trusted in any thing, and very likely wonld take money 
 from hia employer's pocket-book, if it were not for the fear 
 of detection or some other equally selfish motive. Such a 
 person is not to be trusted at all, except in circumstances 
 •where it is his interest to Be honest. . _ 
 
 Mechanics that slight their work v^hen it will not be 
 seen or known by their employer, are rotten at heart, and 
 not to be trusted at all, any farther than you can make it 
 for their interest to be ^honest. 
 
 Persons who will knowingly misstate facts ia conversa- 
 tion, would bear false witness in court under oath, if 
 favored with opportunity and impunity. They never tell 
 the truth at all because it is truth, or from the love of 
 truth. Let no such men be trusted. 
 
 Those who are unchaste in conversation would be un- 
 chaste in conduct, if they had opportunity and impunity. 
 Spurn the man or woman who will be impure in speech, 
 even among Miheir own sex, they have no principle at all, 
 and are not to be trusted on the ground of their principles. 
 If persons are chaste from principle, they will no more 
 indulge in unclean conversation than unclean actions. 
 They will abhor even the garment spotted with th§ flesh. 
 
 2. The individual who will indulge in any one sin, does 
 not abstain from any sin because it is sin. 
 
 If he hated sin, and was opposed to sin because it is 
 sin, he would no more indulge in one sia than another. 
 If a person goes to pick and choose among sins, avoiding 
 some, and practicing others, it is certain that it is not 
 because he regards the authority of God, or hates sin, that 
 he abstains from any sin whatever. 
 
 3. Those individuals who wiU not abandon all intoxi- 
 cating drinks for the purpose of promoting temperance, 
 never gave up ardent spirits for the sake of promoting 
 temperance. 
 
 It is manifest that they gave up ardent spirits from 
 
DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTEES. 187 
 
 some other consideration than a regard to the temperance 
 cause. If that had been their object, they would give up 
 alcohol in all its forms, and when they jfind that there is 
 alcohol in wine, and beer, and cider they would give them 
 up of course. Why not? 
 
 4. The man who for the sake of gain, will sell rum, or 
 intoxicating drinks, to his neighbor, and put a cup to his 
 neighbor's mouth, and would thus consent to ruin him, 
 soul and body, would consent to sell his neighbor into 
 slavery to promote his own selfish interests, if he could do 
 it with impuniiy. And if he did not rob and murder him 
 for the sake of his money, it certainly would not be because 
 the love of God or of man restrained him. If the love of 
 self is so strong, that he will consent to do his neighbor the 
 direct injury of selling him ardent spirits nothing but sel- 
 fishness under some other form prevailing over the love of 
 money, could prevent his selling men into slavery, robbing, 
 or murdering them, to get their money. He might love 
 his own reputation; he might fear the penalty of. human 
 law; he might fear the destruction of his own soul, so 
 much as to restrain him from these acts of outrage and 
 violence. But certainly it could not be the principle of 
 love to God or man that would restrain him. 
 
 5. The individual who will enslave his fellow men for 
 his own selfish objects, would enslave others, any or all, if 
 his interest demanded, and if he had the same bpportunity. 
 
 If a man will appropriate the rights of one, he would 
 without any reluctance appropriate the rights of all men, 
 if he' could do it with impunity. The individual who will 
 deprive a black man of his liberty, and enslave him, would 
 make- no scruple to enslave a white man if circimistancea 
 were equally favorable. The man who contends that the 
 black laborer of the south ought to be held in slavery, if 
 he dared, would contend to have the white laborers of the 
 north enslaved, and would, urge the same kind of argu- 
 
188 DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTERS. 
 
 merits that the peace and order of society requires it, and 
 laborers are so much better ofE when they have a master to 
 take care of them. The famous Bible argument too, is as 
 good in favor of white slaves as black, if you only had the 
 power to carry it out. The man who hqlds his fellow man 
 as propertyj would take his fellow man as property, if 
 he could with impunity. The principle is the same in all. 
 It is not principle that keeps men who hold slaves from 
 kidnapping on the coast of Africa, or from making war to 
 enslave the free laborers of the north. 
 
 6. The man that will not practice, self-denial in little 
 things to promote religion, would not endure persecution' 
 for the sake of promoting religion. 
 
 Those who will not deny their appetite would not en- 
 dure the scourge and the stake. Perhaps, if persecution 
 were to arise, some might endure it for the sake of the ap- . 
 plause it would bring, or to show their spirit, and to face" 
 opposition. There is a natural spirit of obstinacy, which , 
 is often roused by opposition, that would go to the stake' 
 rather than yield a point. But it is easily seen, that it is 
 not true love to the cause which prompts a man to endure 
 opposition, if he will not endure self-denial in little things 
 for the sake of the cause. 
 
 y. Little circumstances often discover the state of the 
 heart. 
 
 The individual that, we find delinquent in small matters, 
 we of course infer would be much more so in larger affaiijs, 
 if circumstances wer& equally favorable. 
 
 Where you find persons wearing little ornaments Irom 
 vanity, set them down as rotten at heart. If they could 
 they would go all lengths in display, if they were not rer 
 strained by some other considerations than a regard to the 
 authority of God and the honor of religioii. You may see 
 this every day in the, streets'. Men walking with their 
 cloaks very carefully thrown over their shoulders, so as to 
 
DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTERS. 189 
 
 show the velvet ; and women with their feathers tossing in 
 the air: it is astonishing how many ways there are in which 
 these little things show their pride and rottenness of heart. 
 
 YoTi say these are little things. I know they are little 
 things, and because they are little things, I mention them. 
 It is because they are little things, that they show the char- 
 acter so clearly. If their pride were not deeply rooted, 
 they would not show it in little things. If a man had it 
 put into his power to live in a palace, with everything cor- 
 responding, it would be no wonder if he should give way 
 to the temptation. But when his vanity shows, itself in 
 little things ihe gives full evidence that it has possession of 
 his soul. 
 
 How important it is for you to see this, and to keep a 
 watch over these little things, so as to see what you are, and 
 to know your characters, as they appear in the sight of God. 
 
 How important to cultivate the strictest integrity, such 
 as will carry itself out in small things as well as in large. 
 There is something so beautiful, when you see an individT 
 ual acting in little things with the same careful and con- 
 scientious uprightness as in matters of the greatest mo- 
 ment. Until professors of religion wUl cultivate this uni- 
 versal honesty, they will always be "a reproach to religion. 
 
 Oh, how much would be gained if professors of relig- 
 ion would evince that entire purity and honesty on all oc- 
 casions and to all persons, and do what is just right, so as 
 to commend "religion to the ungodly. How often do sin- 
 ners fix their eye on some petty delinquencies of professors 
 of religion, and look with amazement at such things in 
 persons who- profess thi fear of God. What an everlasting 
 reproach to religion, that so many of its professors are 
 guilty of these little, mean, paltry knaveries. The wicked 
 have cause enough to see that such professors cannot have 
 any principle of honesty, and that such religion as they 
 exhibit is good for nothing, and is not worth having. 
 
190 DISHONESTY IN SMALL MATTERS. 
 
 Of what use is it for that woman to talk to her ini' 
 penitent servant about religion, when her servant know; 
 that she will not hesitate to overreach,- and screw down, 
 and cheat, in petty things ? Or for that merchant to tali 
 to his clerks, who know that, however honorable he maj 
 be in his greater and more public transactions, he is meau 
 and knavish in little things? It is worse than useless. 
 
XI. 
 
 BOUND TO KNOW YOUB TRUE CHARACTER. 
 
 Examine yonrBelves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selTei. — 
 2 Cor. xiii. 5. 
 
 IN speaking from this text I design to pursue the follow- 
 ing order : 
 
 I. Show what is intended by the requirement in the 
 text. 
 
 II. The necessity of this requirement. 
 
 III. The practicability of the duty enjoined. 
 
 IV. Give some directions as to the manner of perform- 
 ing the duty. 
 
 I. I am to show what is intended by the requirement 
 in the text, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the 
 faith; prove your own selves." 
 
 It requires that we should understand our own hearts, 
 that we should take the proper steps to make proof of our 
 real characters, as they appear in the sight of God. It 
 refers not to a trial of proof of our strength, or knowledge, 
 but our moral character, that we should thoroughly test it, 
 so as to understand it as it is. It implies that we should 
 know how God regards us, and what he thinks of us — 
 whether he considers us saints or sinners. It is nothing 
 less than a positive command that we should ascertain 
 our own true character, and settle the question definitely 
 for ourselves, whether we are saints or sinners, heirs of 
 heaven or heirs of hell. 
 
 II. I am to show the necessity of this requirement. 
 
 1. It is indispensable to our own peace of mind, that 
 we should prove and ascertain our true character, as it is 
 in the sight of God. 
 
192 BOUND TO KNOW YOUK TRUE CHARACTER. 
 
 The individual who is uncertain as to his real char- 
 acter, can have no such thing as settled peace of mind. He 
 may have apathy more or less complete and perfect, but 
 apathy is very different from peace. And very few pro- 
 fessors of religion, or persons who continue to hear thfr 
 gospel, can have such apathy for any length of time, as to 
 suppress all uneasy feelings, at being uncertain respecting 
 their true character and destiny. I am not speaking of 
 hypocrites, who have seared their consciences, or of scoflEers 
 who may be given up of God. But in regard to others, it 
 is strictly true that they must have this question settled^ 
 in order to enjoy peace of mind, 'i^ 
 
 2. It is essential, to christianhonesty. 
 
 A man who is not truly~sel|IecrinTiis mind as to his 
 own character is hardly honest in religion. If he makes a 
 profession "of religion when he does not honestly believe 
 himself a saint, who does not know that that is not exactly 
 honest? He is half a hypocrite at heart. So when he 
 prays, he is always in doubt whether his prayers are ae- 
 cepiable, as coming from a child of God. 
 
 3. A just knowledge of one's own character is indis- 
 pensable to usefulness.''^ 
 
 If a person has always to agitate this question in his 
 mind, "Am I a Christian ?" — if he has to be always anx- 
 iously looking at his own estate all the while, and doubt' 
 ful how he stands, it must be a great hindrance to his 
 usefulness. ( If when he speaks to sinners, he is uncertain 
 whether he is not himself a sinner, he cannot exhort with 
 that confidence and simplicity, that he could if he felt his 
 own feet on a rock. It is a favorite idea with some people, 
 that it is best for. saints to be always in the dark, to keep 
 them humble. Just as if it was calculated to make a child 
 of God proud to know that he is a child of God. Whereas, 
 one of the most weighty considerations in the universe to 
 keep him from dishonoring God is, to know that he is a 
 
BOUND TO KNOW YOTTE TRUE CHAEACTER. 193 
 
 child of God. "When a person is in an anxious state of 
 mind, he can have but little faith, and his usefulness 
 cannot be extensive till the question is gettled. 
 
 III. The practicability of this requirement. 
 
 It is a favorite idea with some, that in this world the^ 
 question never can be settled. It is amazing what a num- 
 ber of persons there are, that seem to make a virtue of 
 their great doubts, which they always have, whether they 
 are Christians. For hundreds, of years it has been looked 
 upon by many as a suspicious circumstance, if a professor 
 of religion is not filled with doubts. It is considered as 
 almost a certain sign, he knows nothiug of his own heart. 
 One of the universal questions put to candidates for ad- 
 mission has been, "Have you any doubts of your good es- 
 tate ?" And if the candidate answers, "0 yes, I haVe great 
 doubts," that is all very well, and is taken as evidence that 
 he is spiritual, and has a deep acquaintance with his own 
 heart, and has a great deal of humility. But if he has no 
 doubts, it is taken as evidence that he knows little of his 
 own heart, and is most probably a hypocrite. Over against, 
 all this, I maiatain that the duty enjoined in the text is a 
 practicable duty, and that Christians can put themselves 
 to such a proof, as to know their own selves, and have a 
 . satisfactory assurance of their real character. , 
 
 1. This is evident from the command in the text, 
 "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove 
 your own selves." "Will any one believe that God requires 
 us to examine ourselves and prove ourselves, and see what 
 is our true character, when he knows it to be impossible 
 for us ever to learn our true character. 
 
 2. "We have the best possible medium of proof, to try 
 ourselves and prove our character, and that is our con- 
 sciousness. 
 
 Consciousness gives the highest possible certainty as to- 
 the facta by which our characters are to be determined, 
 
194 BOUND TO KNOW YOUE TRUE CHABACTEH. 
 
 and the great question is settled. What is our state before 
 God? "^ye may have, and ought to have, the same kind 
 of evidence of our state before God as we have of. our ex- 
 istience; and that is, consciousness. Nay, we cannot help 
 having the evidence. Consciousness is continually, testify- 
 ing what are our states of mind, and it only needs for us 
 to take notice of what consciousness testifies, and we can 
 settle the.question as certainly as we can our own existence., 
 
 3.; God gives men such constant opportunities to act 
 out what is in their hearts, that nothing but negligence" 
 can prevent their coming to a decision of the matter. 
 
 If men, were shut up in dimgeons, where they had no 
 opportunity to act, and no chance of being influenced by 
 circumstances, and no way to develop the state of their 
 hearts, they would not be so much to' blame for not know- - 
 ing themselves. But God has placed them in the circum- 
 stances in which they are in this life on purpose, as he said 
 to the children of Israel, to prove them, and to know what 
 is in their hearts, and whether they will keep his com- 
 mandments or no. The things around us must produce an 
 impression on our minds, and lead us to feel and act in 
 some way. And this affords opportunities of self -knowl^ ' 
 edge, when we see how we feel and hpw we are inclined to. 
 act in" such diversified circumstances. 
 
 4. We are farther qualified to trust to our .own true 
 characters, by having a perfect rule to try them by. 
 
 The law of God is a true standard by which to try our 
 characters. We know exactly what that is, and we haye 
 therefore an infallible and an invariable rule by which to 
 judge of otirselves. We can bring our feelings and actions 
 to this rule, and compared them with this standard, and 
 know exactly what is their true character in the sight of 
 God, for God himself tries them by. the same standard. 
 
 5. Our circumstances are such that nothing but dis- 
 honesty can possibly lead us to gplf -deception. 
 
BOUND TO KNOW YOUR TEUE CHARACTBE. 195 
 
 The individual who is self-deceived is not only careless 
 and negligent, but decidedly dishonest, or he would not 
 deceive himself. He must be to a great degree prejudiced 
 by pride, and blinded by self-will or he could not but know 
 that he is not what he professes to be; The circumstances 
 are so many and go various, that call forth the exercises of 
 his mind, that it must be wilful blindness that is deceived. 
 If they never had any opportunities to act, or if circum- 
 stances did not call forth their feelings, thev might be 
 ignorant. A person who had never seen a beggar, might 
 not be able to tell what were his true feelings towards beg- 
 gars. But place" him where he meets beggars every day, 
 and he must be wilfully blind or dishonest, if he do not 
 know the temper of his heart towards a beggar. 
 
 IV. I will mention a few things as to the manner of 
 performing this duty. 
 
 First — Negatively. 
 
 1. It is not done by waiting for evidence to come to us. 
 
 Many seem to wait, in a passive attitude, for the evi- 
 dence to come to them, to decide whether they are Chris- 
 tians or not. They appear to have been waiting for certain 
 feelings to come to them. Perhaps they pray about it ; 
 perhaps they pray very earnestly, and then wait, for the 
 feelings to come which will afford them satisfactory evi- 
 dence of their good estate. Many times they will not do 
 anything in religion till they get this evidence-, and they 
 sit and wait, and wait, in vain expectation that the Spirit 
 of God will come some time or other, and lift them out of 
 this slough, while they remain thus passive and stupid. 
 They may wait till doomsday and never get it in this way, 
 
 2. Not by any direct attempt to force the feelings into 
 exercise which are to afford the evidence. 
 
 The human mind is so constituted, that it never will 
 feel by trying to feel. You may try as hard as you please, 
 to feel in a particular way. Your efforts to put forth feel- 
 
196 BOUN0 TO KHOVI TOUK TEUE CHABACTEE. 
 
 ings are totally unphilosophical and absurd. There is now 
 nothing before the mind to produce emotion or feeling. 
 Feeling is always awakened in the mind by -the mind's be- 
 ing intensely fixed on some object calculated to awaken 
 feeling. But when the mind Is fixed, not upon the object^ 
 but on direct attempts to put forth feeling,, this will not 
 awaken feeling. It is impossible. The attention must be 
 takenjip with the object calculated to awaken feeling, or 
 there wiU be no feeling. You may as well shut up your 
 ayes and attempt to see, or go into a dark room. In a dark 
 room there is no object to awaken the sense of sight and 
 you may exert yourself and strain your eyes, and try to see, 
 but you will see nothing. When the mind's attention is 
 taken up with looking inward, and attempting to examine 
 the nature of the present emotion, that emotion at once 
 ceases to exist, because the attention is no longer fixed on 
 the- object that causes the emotion. I hold my hand be- 
 fore this lahip, it casts a shadow ; but if I take the lamp 
 away, there is no shadow ; there must be 'a light to pro- 
 duce a shadow. It is just as certain that if the mind is 
 turned away from the object that awakens emotion, the 
 emotion ceases to exist. The mind must be fixed on the 
 object, not on the emotion, or there will be no emotion, 
 and consequently no evidence. , 
 
 3. You will never get evidence by spending time in 
 mourning over tb'e state of your heart. 
 
 Some people spend their time in nothing but complain- 
 ing, " 0, I don't feel, I can't feel, my heart is so hard." 
 What are they doing ? Nothing but mourning and crying 
 because they don't feel. Perhaps they are trying to work 
 themselves up into feeling I Just as philosophical as try- 
 ing to fiy. While they are mj^nrniug all the while, and 
 thinking about their hard hearts, and doing nothing, thej 
 are the ridicule of the d6vil. Suppose a man should shul 
 
BOUND TO KNOW I OUR TRtTE CHARACTEB. 197 
 
 how cold he is, the very children would laugh at him. He 
 must expect to freeze, if he wiU shut himself out from the 
 means of warmth. And all his mourninp and feeling bad 
 will not help the matter. 
 
 Second — Positively. What must he done in this duty ? 
 
 If you wish to test the true state of your heart with re- 
 gard to any object, you must fix your attention on that ob- 
 jiect. If you wish to test the power or accuracy of sight, 
 you must apply the faculty to the object, and then you wiU 
 test the power and state of that faculty. You place your- 
 self in the midst of ohjects, to test the state of your eyes ; 
 or in the midst of sounds, if you wish to test the perfect- 
 ness of your ears. And the more you shut out other ob- 
 jects that excite the other senses, and the more strongly 
 you fasten your minds on this one, the more perfectly you 
 test the keenness of your vision, or the perfectness of your 
 hearing. A multiplicity of ohjects is liable to distract the 
 mind. When we attend to any object calculated to awaken 
 feeling, it is impossible not to feel. The mind is so con- 
 stituted that it cannot but feel.. It is not necessary to stop 
 and ask, " Do I feel ? " Suppose you put your hand near 
 the fire, do you neediio stop and ask the question, " Do I 
 really, feel the sensation of warmth ?" You know, of 
 course, that you do feel. If you pass your hand rapidly 
 by the lamp, the sensation may be so slight as not to be 
 noticed, but is none the less real, and if you paid attention 
 strictly enough, you would know it. Where the impres- 
 sion is slight, it requires an effort of attention to notice 
 your own consciousness. So the passing feeling of the mind 
 may be so slight as not to occupy your thoughts, and thus 
 may escape your iiotiee, but it is not the less real. But 
 hold your hand in the lamp a minute, and the feeling will 
 force itself upon your notice^ whatever be your other oc- 
 cupations. If the mind is fixed on an objedt calculated to 
 excite emotions of any kind, it is impossible not to feel those 
 
198 BOUND TO KNOW TOUB TRUE CHARACTER. 
 
 emotions in a degree ; and if the mind is intently fixed, it 
 is impossible not to feel the emotions in such a degree as 
 to b& conscious that they exist. These principles will show 
 yon how we are to come at the proof of our characters, and 
 know the real state of our feelings towards any object. It 
 is by fixing our attention on the object till our emotions 
 are so excited that we become conscious what they are. 
 
 I will specify another thing that ought to be borne in 
 mind. Be sure the things on which your mind is fixed, 
 and on which you wish to test the state of your heart, are 
 realities. 
 
 There is a great deal of imaginary' religion in the world, 
 which the people who are the subjects of it mistake for 
 real. They have high feelings, their minds are much ex- 
 cited, and the feeling corresponds with the object con- 
 templated. But here is the source of the delusion — the 
 object is imaginary. It is not that the feeling is false or' 
 imaginary. It is real feeling. It is not that the feeling 
 does not correspond with the object before the mind. It 
 corresponds perfectly. But the object is a fiction. The 
 individual has formed a notion of God, or of Jesus Christ, 
 or of salvation, that is altogether aside from the truth, 
 and his feelings in view orf these imaginations are sudh as 
 they would be towards the true objects, if he had true re- 
 ligion, and so he is deluded. Here is undoubtedly a great 
 source of the false hope and professions in the world. 
 
 V. I will now specify a few things on which it is your 
 4uty to try the state of your minds. 
 
 1. Sin — not yonr own particular Sins, but sin itself, as 
 an outrage committed against God. ' 
 
 You need not suppose you will get at the true state of 
 your hearts merely, by finding in your mind a strong feel- 
 ing of disapprobation of sin. This belongs to the nature 
 of an intelligent being, as such. All intelligent bgings feel 
 a disapprobation of sin, when viewed abstractedly, and 
 
BOUND TO KNOW YOUR TRUE CHARACTER. 199 
 
 without reference to their own selfish gratification. The 
 devil, no doubt, feels it. The devil no more feels appro- 
 bation for sin, when viewed abstractly, than Gabriel. He 
 blames sinners and condemns their conduct, and when- 
 ever he has no selfish reason for being pleased at what they 
 do, he abhors it. You will often find in the wicked on 
 earth,^a strong abhorrence of sin. There is not a wicked 
 man on earth, that would not condemn and abhor sin, in 
 the abstract. The mind is so constituted, that sin is uni- 
 versally and naturally and necessarily abhorrent to right 
 reason and to conscience. Every power of the mind re- 
 volts at sin. Man has pleasure in them that commit in- 
 iquity, only when he has some selfish reason for wishing 
 them to commit it. No rational being approves of sin, as 
 sin. 
 
 But there is a striking difference between the constitu- 
 tional disapprobation of sin, as an abstract thing, and that 
 hearty detestation and opposition that is founded on love 
 to God. To illustrate this idea. It is one thing for that 
 youth to feel that a certain act is wrong, and quite another 
 thing to view it as an injury to his father. Here is some 
 thing in addition to his former feeling. He has not only 
 indignation against the act as wrong, but his love to his 
 father produces a feeling of grief that is peculiar. So the 
 individual who loves God feel's not only a strong disapipro- 
 bation of sin, as wrong,'but a feeling of grief mingled with 
 indignation when he views it as committed against God. 
 
 H, then, yon want to know how you feel towards sin, — 
 how do you feel when yoa move around among sinners, 
 and see them break God's law ? When you hear them 
 swear profanely, or see them break the Sabbath, or get 
 drunk, how do you feel ? Do you feel as the Psalmist did 
 when he wrpte, "I beheld the transgressors, and was 
 grieved, because they kept not thy word?" So he says, 
 " Eivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep 
 
300 BOUND TO KNOW YOUR TRUE CHARACTER. 
 
 not thy law." And again, " Horror hath taken hold upoa 
 me, because of the wicked that forsake thy law." 
 
 - 3. You ought to test the state of your hearts towards 
 your own sins. y 
 
 Look back on your past ^ins, call up your conduct in 
 former times, and see whether you do cordially condemn 
 it and loathe it, and feel as an affectionate child would, 
 feel, when he remembers how he has disobeyed a beloved 
 parent. It is one thing to feel a strong conyiction that 
 your former conduct was wicked. It is quite another thing 
 to have tjiis feeling attended with strong emotions of grief, 
 because it was sin against God. Probably there are few 
 Christians who have not looked back upon their former 
 conduct towards their parents with deep emotion, and 
 thought how a beloved father and an affectionate mother 
 have been disobeyed and wronged ; and who have not felt, 
 in addition to a strong disapprobation of their conduct, a 
 deep emotion of grief, that inclined to vent itself in weep- 
 ing, and perhaps did gush forth in irrepressible tears. 
 Now this is true repentance towards a parent. And re- 
 pentance towards God is the same thing, and if genuine, ; 
 it will correspond in degree to the intensity of attention 
 with which the mind is fixed on the subject. 
 
 3. You want to test your feelings towards impenitent 
 sinners. 
 
 Then go among them, and converse with them, on the 
 fiUDJect of their souls, warn them, see what they say, and 
 how they feel, and get at the real state of their hearts, and 
 then you will know how you feel towards the impenitent; 
 Do not shut yourself up in your closet and try to imagine 
 an irnpenitent sinner. You may bring up a picture of the 
 imagination that will affect your sympathies, and make 
 you weep and pray. But go and bring your heart in con- 
 tact with the living reality of a sinner, reason with him, 
 
 ATVinrf IllTWl fiTlll mif. Vila oairilg liia rtViflH-nanir Vila inoinnAw^4-*v 
 
BOUND TO KNOW TOUR TRUE CHARACTER. 201 
 
 pray with him if you can. You cannot do this witl«)ut 
 waking up emotions in your mind, and if you are a, Chris- 
 tian, it will wake up such mingled emotions of grief, com- 
 passion and indignation, as Jesus Christ feels, and as will, 
 leave you no room to doubt what is the state of your heart 
 on this subject. Bring your mind in contact with sinners, 
 and fix it there, and rely on it you will feel. 
 
 4. You want to prove the state of your mind towards 
 God. 
 
 Fix your thonghts intently on God. And do not set 
 yourselves down to imagine a God after your own foolish 
 hearts, but take the Bible and learn there what is the true 
 idea of God. Do not fancy a shape or appearance, or im- 
 agine how he looks, but fix your mind on the Bible de- 
 scription of how he feels and what he does, and what he 
 says, and you cannot hut feel. Here you will detect the 
 real state of your heart. Nay, this will constitute the real 
 state of your heart, which you cannot mistake. 
 
 5. Test your feelings towards Christ. 
 
 You are bound to know whether you love the Lord 
 Jesus Christ or not. Eun over the circumstances of his 
 life, and see whether they appear as realities to your mind, 
 his miracles, his sufferings, his lovely character, his death» 
 his resurrection, his ascension, his intercession now at the 
 right hand of the throne of God. Do you believe all these ? 
 Are they realities to your mind ? What are your feelings 
 in view of them ? When you think of his willingness to 
 save, his ability to save, his atoning death, his power, if 
 these things are realities to you, you will have feelings of 
 which you will be conscious, and concerning which there 
 will be no mistake. 
 
 6. What are your feelings, towards the saints. 
 
 If you wish to test your heart on this point, whether 
 you love the saints, do not let your thoughts run to the 
 ends of the earth, but fix your mind on the saints by you 
 
202 BOUND TO KNOW TOTJR TRUE CHARACTER. 
 
 and see whether you love them, whether you desire their 
 sanctification, whether you really long to have them grow 
 in grace, whether you can bear them in your heart to the 
 throne of grace in faith, and ask God to bestow blessings 
 on them. 
 
 7. So in regard to revivals. 
 
 You wish to know what is the state of your feelings to- 
 wards revivals, then read about them, think' of them, fix 
 your mind on them, and you cannot but have feelings tha 
 will evince the state of your heart. The same is triie of 
 the heathen, of the slaves, of drunkards, of the Bible, of 
 any object of pious regard. The only way to know the 
 state of your heart is to fix your mind on the reality of 
 those things, till you feel so intensely that there is no mis- 
 taking the nature of your feelings. 
 
 Should you find a difficulty in attending to any ot 
 these objects sufficiently to produce feeling, it is owing to 
 one of two reasons, either your mind is taken up with 
 some other parts of religion, so as not to allow of such 
 fixed attention to the specified object, or your thoughti 
 wander with the fool's eyes, to the ends of the earth. The 
 former is sometimes the case, and I have known some 
 Christians to be very much distressed because they did not 
 feel so intensely as they think they ought, on some subjects. - 
 Their own sins, for instance. A person's mind may be so 
 much taken up with anxiety, and labor, and prayer for 
 sinners, that it requires an effort to think enough about 
 his own soul to feel deeply, and when he goes on his knees 
 to pray about his own sins, that sinner with whom he has 
 been talking comes right up before his mind and he can 
 hardly pray for himself. It is not to be regarded' as evi- 
 dence against you, if the reason why you do not feel on 
 one subject in religion is because your feelings are so en- 
 grossed about another, of equal importance. But if your 
 thoughts run all over the world, and that is the reason 
 
BOUND TO KNOW TOUR TRUE CHAfiACTBR. 203 
 
 you do not feel deeply enough to know what is your true 
 character, if your mind will not come down to the Bible, 
 and fix on any object of religious feeling, lay a strong 
 hand on yourself, and fix your thoughts with a death-grasp, 
 till you do feel. You can command your thoughts : God 
 has put the control of your mind in your own hands. And 
 in this way, you can control your own feelings, by turning 
 your attention upon the object you wish to feel about. 
 Bring yourself, then, powerfully and resolutely, to that 
 point, and give it not over till you fasten your mind to the 
 subject, and till the deep fountains of feeling break up in 
 your mind, and you know what is the state of your heart, 
 and understand your real character in the sight of God. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 1. Activity in religion is indispensable to self-examina- 
 tion. 
 
 An individual can never know what is the true state of 
 his heart, unless he is active in the duties of religion. 
 Shut up in his closet, he never can tell how he feels to- 
 wards objects that are without, and he never can feel right 
 towards them until he goes out and acts. How can he 
 know his real feeling towards sinners, if he never brings 
 his mind in contact with sinners ? He goes into his Closet, 
 and his imagination may make him feel, but it is a de- 
 ceitful feeling, because not produced by a reality. If you 
 wish to test the reality of your feelings towards sinners, go 
 out and warn sinners, and then the reality of your feelings 
 will manifest itself. 
 
 ?,. Unless persons try their hearts by the reality of 
 things, they are constantly subject to delusion, and -are 
 all the time managing to delude themselves. 
 
 Suppose an individual shut up in a cloister, shut out 
 from the world of reality, and living in a world of imagina- 
 tion. He becomes a perfect creature of imagination. So 
 
304 BOUND TO KNOW YOUR TRtTE CHARAOTBR. 
 
 it is in religion, with those who do not bring their mind 
 in contact with realities. Such persons think they love 
 mankind, and yet do them no good. They imagine they 
 abhoi* sin, and yet do nothing to destroy it. How many 
 persons deceive themselves, by an excitement of the ima- 
 gination abont missions, for instance ; how common it is 
 for persons to get up a great deal of feeling, and hold 
 prayer meetings for missions, who really do nothing to 
 save souls. Women will spend a whole day at a prayer 
 meeting to pray for the conversion of the world, while 
 their impenitent servant in the kitchen is not spoken to 
 all day, and perhaps not in a month, to save her soul. 
 People will get up a public meeting, and talk about feeling 
 for the heathen, when they are making no direct efforts 
 for sinners around them. This is all a fiction of the ima- 
 gination. There is no i reality in such a religion as that. 
 If they had real love of God, and love pf souls, and real 
 piety, the pictures drawn by the imagination about the 
 distant heathen would not create so much more feeling 
 than the reality around them. 
 
 It will not do to say, it is because their attention is not 
 turned towards sinners around them. They hear the pro- 
 fane oaths, and see the Sabbath-breaking and other vices, 
 a,s a naked reality before their eyes, every day. And if 
 these produce no feeling, it is in vain to pretend that they 
 feel as God requires for sinners in heathen lajids, or any- 
 where. Nay, take this very individual, now so full of 
 feeling for the heathen, as he imagines, and place him 
 among the heathen — transport higa to the Friendly Islands, 
 «r elsewhere, away from the fictions of imagination, and 
 in the midst of the cold and naked reality of heatheni^, . 
 and all his deep feeling is gone. He may write letters 
 home about the abominations of the heathen, and all that, 
 but his feeling about their salvation is gone. Yon hear 
 
BOUND TO KNOW TOUR TRUE CHARACTER. 205 
 
 a soul at home — rely upon it, that is all imagination. If 
 they do not promote revivals at home, where they under- 
 stand the language and have direct access to their neigh- 
 bors, much less can they be depended on to promote the 
 real work of religion on heathen ground. The churches 
 ought to understand this, and keep it in mind in selecting 
 men to go on foreign missions. They ought to know that 
 it the naked reality at home does not excite a person ta 
 action, the devil would only laugh at a million such mis- 
 sionaries. 
 
 The same delusion often manifests itself in regard to 
 revivals. There is an individual who Is a great friend to 
 revivals. But mark — they are always revivals of former 
 days, or of revivals in the abstract, or distant revivals, or 
 revivals that are yet to come. But as to any present 
 revival, he is always found aloof and doubtful. He^ 
 can read about revivals in President Edwards' day, or 
 in Scotland, or in Wales, and be greatly excited and de- 
 lighted. He can pray, "0 Lord, revive thy work; 0, 
 Lord, let us have such revivals, let us have a pentecost 
 season, when thousands shall be converted in a day."' 
 But get him into the reality of things, and he never hap- 
 pens to see a revival in which he can take any interest, or 
 feel real complacency. He is friendly to the fictitious 
 imaginings of his own mind ; he can create a state of 
 things that will excite his feelings, but no naked reality 
 ever brings him out to cooperate in actually promoting a 
 revival. 
 
 In the days of our Saviour, the people said, and no doubt 
 really believed, that they abhorred the doings of those who 
 persecuted the prophets. They said, ." If we had been in 
 the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers 
 with them of the blood of the prophets." No doubt thej 
 wondei'ed that people could be so wicked as to do such 
 things. But they had never seen a prophet ; they were 
 
206 BOUND TO KNOW TOUR TECE CHABACTEB. 
 
 moved simply by their imagination. And as soon as tlu 
 Lord Jesus Christ appeared, the greatest of prophets, on 
 whom all the prophecies centred, they rejected him, and 
 finally put him to death, with as much cold-hearted cruelty 
 as ever their fathers had killed a prophet. "Fill ye up," 
 says our Saviour, " the measure of your fathers, that upon 
 you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the 
 earth," 
 
 Mankind have always, in every age of the world, fallen 
 in love with the fictions of their own imagination, over 
 which they have stumbled into hell. Look at the Univer- 
 ^alist. He imagines a God that will save everybody, at 
 any rate, and a heaven that will accommodate .everybody ; 
 and then he loves the god he has made,^^jid the heaven he 
 has imagined, and perhaps wil} even weep with love. His 
 feelings are often deep, but they are delusive, because ex- 
 cited by fiction and not by truth. 
 
 3. The more an individual goes out from himself, and 
 makes things not belonging to himself the subject of 
 thought, the more piety he will have, and the more evi- 
 dence of his piety. 
 
 Eeligion consists in love, in feeling right and doing 
 right, or doing good. If therefore you wish to have great 
 piety, do not think of having it by cultivating it in a way 
 which never caused piety to grow ; that is, by retiring into 
 a cloister, and withdrawing from contact with mankind.. 
 If the Lord Jesus Christ had supposed such circumstanceB 
 to be favorable to piety, he would have directed them so. 
 But he knew better. He has therefore appointed circum- 
 staflces as they are, so that his people may have a thousand 
 flbjects of benevolence, a thousand opportunities to do good. 
 And if they go out of themselves, and turn their hearts 
 upon these things, they cannot fail to grow in piety, and 
 *o have their evidences increasing and satisfactory. 
 
 4. It is only in one department of self-examination that 
 
BOUND TO KNOW TOUR TRUE CHARACTBa 207 
 
 we can consistently shut ourselves up in the closet to per- 
 form the duty ; that is, when we want to look back and 
 calmly examine the motives of our past conduct. In such 
 cases it is often necessary to abstract our thoughts and keep 
 out other things from our minds, to turn our minds back 
 and look at things we have done, and the motives by which 
 we were actuated. To do this effectually, it is often neces- 
 sary to resort to retirement, and fasting, and prayer. Some- 
 times it is impossible to wake up a lively recollection of what 
 we wish to examine, without calling in the laws of associa- 
 tion to our aid. We attempt to call up past scenes, and all 
 seems confusion and darkness, until we strike upon some 
 associated idea, that gradually brings the whole fresh be- 
 fore us. Suppose I am to be called as a witness in court 
 concerning a transaction, lean sometimes gaitr a lively re- 
 collection of what took place, only by going to the plabe, 
 and then all the circumstances come up, as if but of yester- 
 day. So we may find in regard to the reexamination of 
 some part of our past history, that no shutting ourselves 
 up will bring it back, no protracted meditation or fasting, 
 or prayer, till we throw, ourselves into some circumstances 
 that will wake up the associated ideas, and thus bring back 
 the feelings we formerly had. 
 
 Suppose a minister wishes to look back and see how he 
 felt, and the spirit with which he had preached years ago. 
 He wishes to know how much real piety there was in his 
 labors. He might get at a great deal in his closet on his 
 knees, by the aid of the strong influences of the Spirit of 
 God. But he will come at it much more efEectnally by 
 going to the place, and preaching again there. The exact 
 attitude in which his mind was before, may thus recur tO' 
 him, and stand in strong reality before his mind. 
 
 5, In examining yourselves, be careful to avoid expect- 
 ing to find all the graces of the Christian in exercise in 
 your mind at once. 
 
BOUND TO KNOW TOUK TRUE CHARACTER. 
 
 This is contrary to the nature of mind. You ought to 
 satisfy yourselves, if you find the exercises of your mind are 
 right, on the subject that is before your mind. If you 
 have wrong feelings at the time, that is another thing,- 
 But if you find that the emotions at the time are right, do 
 not draw a wrong inference, because some other right 
 emotion is not in present exercise. The mind is so consti- 
 tuted, that it can only have one train of emotions at a time. 
 -^ 6. From this subject you see why people often do not 
 feel more than they do. 
 
 They are taking a course not calculated to produce feel- 
 ing. They feel, but not on the right subjects. Mankind 
 always feel on some subjects ; and the reason why they do 
 not feel deeply on religious subjects is, because' their atten- 
 tion is not deeply fixed on such subjects. ■ 
 
 7. You see the reason why there is such a strange di- 
 versity in the exercises of real Christians. 
 
 There are some Christians whose feelings, when they 
 have any feeling ai"e always of the happy kind. There are 
 others whose feelings are always of a sad and distressing 
 kind. They are in almost constant agony for sinners. 
 The reason is, that their thoughts are directed to different 
 -objects. One class are always thinking of the class of ob- 
 jects calculated to make them happy ; the other are think- 
 ing of the state of the church, or the state of sinners, and 
 weighed down as with a burden, as if a mountain were on 
 their shoulders. . Both may be religious, both classes of 
 feelings are rights in view of the objects at which they 
 look. The apostle Paul had continual heaviness and sor- 
 row of heart on account of his brethren. No doubt he felt 
 . right. The case of his brethrenj who had, rejected the 
 Saviour, was so much the object of his thoughts, the 
 dreadful wrath that they had brought upon themselves, the 
 doom that hung over them, was constantly before his mind, 
 and how could he be otherwise than sad ? 
 
BOUND TO KNOW YOUR TRUE CHARACTER. 209 
 
 8. Obserye the influence of these two classes of feelings 
 in the usefulness of -individuals. 
 
 Show me a very joyful and happy Christian, and he is 
 f not generally a very useful Christian. Generally, such are 
 \bo taken up with enjoying the sweets of religion, that they 
 do but little. You find a class ofministers, who preach a 
 great deal on these subjects, and make their pious hearers 
 very happy in religion, but such ministers are seldom in- 
 strumental in converting many sinners, however much 
 they may have refreshed, and edified,, and gratified saints. 
 On the other hand you will find men who are habitually 
 filled with deep agony of soul in view of the state of sin- 
 ners, and these men will be largely instrumental in con- 
 verting men. The reason is plain. Both preached the 
 truth, both preached the gospel, in different proportions, 
 and the feelings awakened correspond with the views they 
 preached. The difference is, that one comforted the saints 
 the other converted sinners. 
 
 You may see a class of professors of religion who are 
 always happy, and they are IpYely companions, but they 
 are very seldom engaged in pulling sinners out of the fire. 
 You find others always full of agony for sinners, looking at 
 their state, and longing to have souls converted. Instead 
 of enjoying the antepast of heaven on earth, they are 
 sympathizing with the Son of God when he was on 
 earth, groaning in his spirit, and spending all night in 
 prayer. 
 
 9. The real revival spirit is a spirit of agonizing desires 
 and prayer for sinners. 
 
 10. You see how you may account for your own feel- 
 ings at different times. l 
 
 People often wonder why they feel as they do. The 
 answer is plain. You feel sq, because you think so. You 
 direct your attention to those objects which are calculated 
 to produce those feelings. 
 
210 BOUND TO KNOW TOUR TRUE CHARACTER. 
 
 11. You see why some people's feelings are so change- 
 able. 
 
 There are many whose feelings are always variable and 
 unsteady. That is because their thoughts are unsteady. 
 If they would fix their thoughts, they would regulate their 
 feelings. 
 
 12. You see the way to beget any desired state of feel- 
 ing in your own mind, and how to beget any desired state 
 of feeling in others. 
 
 Place the thoughts on the subject that is calculated to 
 produce those feelings, and confine them there, and the 
 feelings will not fail to follow. 
 
 13. There are multitudes of pious persons who dishonor 
 religion by their doubts. 
 
 They are pepetually talking about their doubts, and 
 they take up a hasty conviction that they have no religion. 
 Whereas if instead of dwelling on their doubts they will 
 fix their minds on other subjects, on Christ for instance, 
 or go out and seek sinners, and try toltanng them to fe- 
 pentance, rely upon it, they will feel, and feel right, and 
 feel so as to dissipate theii- doubts. 
 
 Eemember, you are not to wait till you feel right before 
 ytfu do this. Perhaps some things that I said to this 
 church have not been rightly understood. I said you could 
 do nothing for God unless you felt right. Do not there- 
 fore infer, that you are to sit still and do nothing till you 
 are satisfied that you do feel right. But place yourself in 
 circumstances to make you feel right, and go to work. On 
 one hand, to bustle about without any feeling is no way; 
 and on the other hand, to shut yourself up in your closet 
 and wait for feeling to come, is no way. Be sure to be 
 always active. You never will feel right otherwise. And 
 then keep your mind constantly under the influence of 
 those objects that are calculated to create and keep alive 
 Ghristian feelings. 
 
xn. 
 
 TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. 
 
 tiold all ye that kindle afire, that compass yonrselvee about with sparki; 
 walk in the light of your Sre, and In the sparks that ye have kindled. Thi) 
 shall yo have of my hand ; ye shall lie down in sorrow. — ^Isaiah SO. 11. 
 
 T is evident, from the connection of these words in the 
 . chapter, that the prophet was addressing those who 
 of essed to he religions, and who flattered themselves that 
 ey were in a state of salvation, but in fact their hope was 
 Bre of their own kindling, and sparks created by them- 
 [ves. Before I proceed to disciiss the subject, let me 
 J that as I have given notice that it was my intention to 
 scnss the nature of true and false conversion, it will be 
 no use but to those who will be honest in applying it to 
 emselves. If you mean to profit by the discourse, you 
 ast resolve to make a faithful application of it to your- 
 ives — ^just am honest as if you thought yon were now 
 ing to the solemn judgment. If you will do this, I may 
 pe to be able to lead you to discover your true state, 
 d if you are now deceived, direct you in the true path 
 salvation. If you will not do this, I shall preach in vain, 
 d you will hear in vain. 
 
 I design to show the difference between true and false 
 aversion, and shall take up the subject in the following 
 ier: 
 
 I. Show that the natural state of man is a state of pure 
 fishness. 
 
 II. Show that the character of the converted is that of 
 aevolence. 
 
 in. That the new birth consists in a change from ael- 
 bness to benevolence. 
 
212 TKUiS AJNU FAliCiJii UUJNVJ£JKH1UJM. 
 
 IV. Point out some things wherein saints and sinners, 
 or true and spurious converts, may agree, and seme things 
 in which they differ. 
 
 V. Answer some objections that 'may be offered against 
 the view I have taken, and conclude with some remarks. 
 
 I. I am to show that the natural state of man, or that 
 in which all men are found before conversion, is pure, 
 anmingled selfishness. 
 
 By which I mean, that they have no gospel benevolence. 
 Selfishness is regarding one's own happiness supremely,- 
 and seeking one's own good because it is his own. He who 
 is selfish places his own happiness above other interests of 
 greater value ; such as the glory of God and the good of 
 thd universe. That mankind, before conversion, are in 
 this state, is evidenb from many considerations. 
 
 Every man knows that all other men are selfish. All 
 the dealings of mankind are conducted on this principles 
 If any man overlooks this, and undertakes to deal with 
 mankind as if they were not selfish, but were disinterested, 
 he will be thought deranged. 
 
 II. In a converted state, the character is that of benevo- 
 lence. 
 
 An individual who is converted is benevolent, and not 
 Bupretaely selfish. Benevolence is loving the happiness of 
 Others, or rather choosing the happiness of others. Be- 
 nevolence is a compound word, that properly signifies good 
 willing, or choosing the happiness of others. This is God'« 
 state of mind. We are told that God is love ; that is, he 
 is benevolent. Benevolence comprises his whole character. 
 AH his moral attributes are only so many modifications of 
 benevolence. An individual who is converted is in this re- 
 spect like God. I do not mean to be understood, that no 
 one is converted, unless he is purely and perfectly benevo- 
 lent, as God is ; but that the balance of his mind, hia 
 prevailing choice is benevolent. He sincerely seeks the 
 
rEUE AND FALSE CONVEKSION 213 
 
 good of others, for its own sake. And, by disinterested 
 beneToknce I do not mean, that a person who is disinter- 
 ested feels no interest in his object of pursuit, but that he 
 seeks the happiness of others for its own sake, and not for 
 the sake of its reaction on himself, in promoting his own 
 happiness. He chooses to do good because he rejoices in 
 the happiness of others, and desires their happiness for its 
 own sake. God is purely and disinterestedly benevolent. 
 He does not make his creatures happy for the sake of there- 
 by promoting his own happiness, but because he loves their 
 happiness and chooses it for its own sake. Not that he 
 does not feel happy in promoting the happiness of his crea- 
 tures, but that he does not do it for the sake of his own 
 gratification. The man who is disinterested feels happy 
 in doing gopd. Otherwise doing good itself would not be 
 virtue in him. In other words, if he did not love to do 
 good, and enjoy doing good, it would not be virtue in 
 him. 
 
 N Benevolence is holiness. It is what the law of God re- 
 quires : " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy 
 heart and soul and strength, and thy neighbor as thyself." 
 Just as certainly as the converted man yields obedience to 
 the law of God, and just as certainly as he is like God, he 
 is benevolent. It is the leading feature of his character, 
 that he is seeking the happiness of others, and not his own 
 nappiness, as his supreme end. 
 
 III. That true conversion is a change from a state of 
 supreme selfishness to benevolencd 
 
 It is a change in the end of pursuit, and not a mere 
 change in the means of attaining the end. It is not true 
 that the converted and the unconverted difEer only in the 
 means they use, while both are aiming at the same end 
 It is not true that Gabriel and Satan are pursuing the 
 same end, and both alike aiming at their own happiness, 
 only pursuing a different way. Gabriel does not obey God 
 
214 TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. 
 
 for the sake of promoting his own happiness. A man may 
 change his means, apd yet haye the e&me end, his own 
 happiness. He may do good for the sake of the temporal 
 benefit.' He may not believe in religion, or in any eternity, 
 and yet may see that doing good will be for his advantage 
 in this world. Suppose, then, that his eyes are opened, 
 and he sees the reality of eternity ; and then he may take 
 up religion as a means of happiness in eternity. Now, 
 every one can see that there is no virtue in this. It is the 
 design that gives character to the act, not the means em- 
 ployed to efEect the design. The true and the false con- 
 vert differ in this. The true convert chooses, as the end 
 of his pursuit, the glory of God and the good of his king- 
 dom. This end he chooses for its own sake, because he 
 views this as the greatest good, as a greater good than his 
 own individual happiness. Not that he is indifferent to 
 his own happiness, but he prefers God's glory, because it 
 is a greater good. He looks on the happiness of every in- 
 dividual according to its real importance, as far as he is 
 capable of valuing it, and he chooses the greatest good as 
 his supreme object. 
 
 rv. Now I am to show some things in which true saints 
 and deceived persons may agree, and some things in which 
 they differ. 
 
 1. They may iagree in leading a strictly moral life. 
 The difference is in their motives. The true saint leads 
 
 a moral life from love to holiness ; the deceived person 
 from selfish considerations. He uses ihorality as a means 
 to an end, to effect his own happiness. The true saint 
 loves it as an end. 
 
 2. They may be equally prayerful, so far as the form 
 01 praying is concerned. 
 
 The difference is in their motives. The .true saint 
 loves to pray ; the other prays because he hopes to derive 
 jBome benefit to himself from praying. The true saint ex- 
 
TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. 216 
 
 pects a benefit from praying, but that is not his leading 
 motive. The other prays from no other motive. 
 
 3. They may be equally zealous in religion. 
 
 One may have great zeal, because his zeal is according 
 to knowledge, and he sincerely desires and loves to pro- 
 mote religion, for its own sake. The other may show 
 equal zeal, for the sake of having his own salvation more 
 BBBured, and because he is afraid of going to hell if he 
 does not work for the Lord, or to quiet his conscience, and 
 not because he loves religion for its own sake. 
 
 4. They may be equally conscientious in the discharge 
 of duty ; the true convert because he loves to do duty, and 
 the other because he dare not neglect it. 
 
 5. Both may pay equal regard to what is right ; the 
 true convert because he loves what is right, and the other 
 because he knows he cannot be saved unless he does right. 
 He is honest in his common business transactions, because 
 it is the only way to secure his own interest. Verily, they 
 have their reward. They get the reputation of being 
 honest among men, but if they have no higher motive, they 
 will have no reward from God. 
 
 6. They may agree in their desires, in many respects. 
 They may agree in their desires to serve God; the true 
 convert because he loves the service of God, and the de- 
 ceived person for the reward, as the hired servant serves 
 his master. 
 
 They may agree in their desires to be useful ; the true 
 convert desiring usefulness for its own sake, the deceived 
 person because he knows that is the way to obtain the favor 
 of God. And then in proportion as he is awakened to the 
 importance of having God's favor, will be the intensity of 
 his desires to be useful. 
 
 In desires for the conversion of souls ; the true saint 
 because it will glorify God ; the deceived person to gain 
 the favor of God. He will be actuated in this, just as he 
 
?16 TEDB AND FALSE CONVEKSION. 
 
 is in giving money. Wlio ever doubted that a person 
 might give his money to the Bible Society, or the Mission, 
 ary Society, from selfish motives alone, to procure happfi- 
 ness, or applause, or obtain the favor of God?, He may 
 just as well desire the conversion of souls, and labor to 
 promote it, from motives purely selfish. 
 
 To glorify God ; the true saint because he loves to see 
 God glorified, and the deceived person because he know 
 that is the way to be saved. The true convert has hi 
 heart set on the glory of God, as his great end, and he de 
 sires to glorify God as an end, for its own sake. The other 
 desires it as a means to his great end, the benefit of him- 
 self. 
 
 To repent. The true convert abhors sin on account of 
 its hateful nature, because it dishonors God, and there- 
 fore he desires to repent of it. The other desires to repent, 
 becatse he knows that unless' he does repent he will be 
 damned. 
 
 1 To believe in Jesus Christ. The true saint desires it to 
 glorify God, and because he loves the truth for its own 
 sake. The other desires to believe, that he may have a 
 stronger hope of going to heaven. 
 
 To obey God. The true saint that he may increase in 
 holiness ; the false professor because he desires the rewards 
 ,of obedience. 
 
 7. They may agree not only in their desires, but in 
 their resolutions. They may both resolve to give up sin, 
 and to obey God, and to lay themselves out in promoting 
 religion, and building up the kingdom of Christ ; and they 
 may both resolve it with great strength of purpose, but 
 with different motives. 
 
 8. They may also agree in their designs. They may 
 both really design to glorify God, and to convert men, 
 and to extend the kingdom of Christ, and to have the 
 world converted ; the true saint from love to God and 
 
TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION, 217 
 
 holiness, and the other for the sake of securing his own 
 happiness. One chooses it as an end, the other as a means 
 to promote a selfish end. 
 
 They may both design to be truly holy ; the true saint 
 because he loves holiness, a,nd.the deceived person because 
 he knows that' he can be happy in no other way. 
 
 9. They may agree not only in their desires, and reso- 
 lutions and designs, but also in bheir afEection towards many 
 objects. 
 
 They may both love the Bible ; the true saint because 
 it is God's truth, and he delights in it, and feasts his soul 
 on it ; the other because he thinks it is in his own favor, 
 and is the charter of his own hopes. 
 
 They may both love God ; the one because he sees God's 
 character to be supremely excellent and lovely in itself and 
 he loves it for its own sake ; the other because "he thinks 
 God is his particular friend, that h going to make him 
 happy for ever, and he connects the idea of God with his 
 own interest. 
 
 They may both love Christ. The true convert loves 
 his character ; the deceived person thinks he will save him 
 from hell, and give him eternal life — and why should he 
 not love him ? 
 
 They may both love Christians : the true convert be- 
 cause he sees in them the image of Christ, .and the de- 
 ceived person because they belong to his own denomina- 
 tion, or because they are on his side, and he feels the same 
 interest and hopes with them. 
 
 10. They may also "agree in hating the same things. 
 They may both hate infidelity, and oppose it strenuously 
 
 the true saint because it is opposed to God and holiness, 
 
 and the deceived person because it injures an interest in 
 which he is deeply concerned, and if true, destroys all 
 his ovn hopes for eternity. So they may hate error ; one 
 because it is detestable in itself, and contrary to God— 
 
9,18 TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. 
 
 and the other because it is contrary to his views and 
 opinions. 
 
 I recollect seeing in writing, some time ago, an attack 
 on a minister for publishing certain opinions, " because," 
 said the writer, "these sentiments would destroy, all tmj^ 
 hopes for eternity." A very good reason indeed I as good 
 as a selfish being needs for opposing an opinion. 
 
 They may both hate sin ; the true convert because it 
 is odious to God, and the deceived person because it is inju- 
 rious to himself. Cases have occurred, where an indi- 
 vidual has hated his own sins, and yet not forsaken them. 
 How often the drunkard, as he looks back at what he 
 once was, and contrasts his present degradation with what 
 he might have been, abhors his drink; not for its own sake, 
 but because it has ruined him. And he still loves his cups, 
 and continues to drink, though, when he looks at their 
 effects, he feelsindignation.. 
 
 They may be both opposed to sinners. Thi opposition 
 of true saints is a benevolent opposition, viewing and ab- 
 horring their character and conduct, as calculated to sub- 
 vert the kingdom of God. The other is opposed to sinners 
 because they are opposed to the religion he has espoused, 
 and because they are not on his side. 
 
 11. So they may both rejoicie in the same things. Both 
 may rejoice in the prosperity of Zion, and the conversion 
 of souls ; the true convert because he has his heart set on 
 it, and loves it for its own sake, as the greatest good, and 
 the deceived person because that particular thing in which 
 he thinks he has such a great interest is advancing. 
 
 12. Both may mourn and feel distressed at bheiow state 
 of religion in the church : the true convert because God is 
 dishonored, and the deceived person because his own soul 
 is not happy, or because religion is not in favor. 
 
 Both may love the society of the saints ; the truc^con- 
 yett because his soul enjoys their spiritual conversation, the 
 
TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. 219 
 
 other because he hopes to derive some adyantage from theii 
 company. The first enjoys it because out of the abundance 
 of the heart the mouth speaketh ; the other because he 
 loves to talk about the great interest he feels in religion, 
 and the hope he has of going to heaven. 
 
 13. Both may love to attend religious meetings ; the 
 true saint because his heart delights in acts of worship, in 
 prayer and praise, in hearing the word of God and in com- 
 munion with God and his saints, and the other because he 
 thinks a religious meeting a good place to prop up his 
 hope. He may have a hundred reasons for loving them, 
 and yet not at all for their own sake, or because he loves 
 in itself, the worship and the service of God. 
 
 14. Both may find pleasure in the duties of the closet. 
 The true saint loves his closet, because he draws near to 
 God, and finds delight in communion with God, where 
 there are no embarrassments to keep him from going right 
 to God and (jpnTcrsing. The deceived person finds a kind 
 of satisfaction in it,, because it is his duty to pray in secret 
 and he feels a self-righteous satisfaction in doing it. Nay, 
 he may feel a certain pleasure in it, from a kind of excite- 
 ment of the mind which he mistakes for communion with 
 God. 
 
 15. They may both love the doctrines of^grace ; th« 
 true saint because they are so glorious to God, the othei 
 because he thinks them a guarantee of his own salvation. 
 
 16. They may both love the precept of God's law ; the 
 true saint because it is so excellent, so holy, and just, and 
 good ; the other because he thinks it will make him happj 
 if he loves it, and he does it as a means of happiness. 
 
 Both may consent to the penalty of the law. The true 
 saint consents to it in his own case, because he feels it to be 
 just in itself for God to send him to hell. The deceived per- 
 son because he thinks he is in no danger from it. He feels 
 a respect for it, because he knows that it is right, and his 
 
220 TBUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. 
 
 conscience approves it, but he has never consented to it ia 
 his own case. 
 
 17. They may be equally liberal in giving to benevolent 
 societies. None of you doubt that two men may give equal 
 mms to a benevolent <?bjeot, but foom totally different mo- 
 tives. One gives to do good, and would be just as willing 
 to give as not, if he knew that no other living person 
 would give. The other gives for the credit of it, or to quiet 
 his conscience, or because he hopes to purchase the favor 
 of God. 
 
 18. They may be equally self-denying in many things. 
 Self-denial is not confined to true saints. Look at the 
 sacrifices and self-denials of the Mohammedans, going on 
 their pilgrimage to Mecca. Look at the heathen, throw- 
 ing themselves under the car of Juggernaut. Look at the 
 poor ignorant papists, going up and down over the sharp 
 stones on their bare knees, till they stream with blood. A 
 protestant congregation will not contend that there is any 
 religion in that. But is there not self-denial ? The true 
 saint denies himself, for the sake of doing more good to 
 others. He is more set on this than on his own indulg- 
 ence or his own interest. The deceived person may go 
 equal lengths, but from purely selfish motives. < 
 
 1^ They may both be willing to suffer martyrdom. 
 Bead the lives of the martyrs, and you will have no doubt 
 that some were Willing to suffer, from a wrong idea of the 
 rewards of martyrdom, and would rush upon their own 
 destruction because, they were persuaded it was the sure 
 road to eternal life. 
 
 In all these cases, the motives of one class are directly 
 over against the other. Th^^ifference lies in the choice of 
 different ends. One chooses his own intierest, the other 
 chooses God's interest, as his chief end. For a person to 
 pretend that both these classes are aiming at the same end, 
 is to say that an impenitent sinner is just as benevolent 
 
TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. 221 
 
 as a real Christian ; or that a Christian is not benevolent 
 like God, but is only seeking his own happiness, and seek- 
 ing it in religion rather than in the worid. 
 
 And here is the proper place to answer an inquiry, 
 which is often made : " If these two classes of persons may 
 be alike in so many particulars, how are we to know our 
 own real character, or to telL to which class we belong ? 
 We know that the heart is deceitful above all things, and 
 desperately wicked, and how are we to know whether we 
 love God and holiness for their own sake, or whether we 
 are seeking the favor of God, and aiming at heaven for 
 our own benefit ?" I answer, 
 
 1. If we are truly benevolent, it will iappear in our 
 daily transactions. This character, if real, will show itself 
 in our business, if anywhere. If selfishness rules our con- 
 duct there, as sure as God reigns we are truly selfish. If 
 in our dealings with men we are selfish, we are so in our 
 dealings with God. " For whoso loveth not his brother, 
 whom he iath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath 
 not seen ?" Eeligion is not merely love to God, but love 
 to man also. And if our daily transactions show us to be 
 selfish, we are unconverted ; or else benevolence is not es- 
 sential to religion, and a man can be religious without lov- 
 ing his neighbor as himself. 
 
 2. If you are disinterested in religion, religious duties 
 will not be a task to you. You will not go about religion as 
 the laboring man goes to his toil, for the sake of a living. 
 The laboring man takes pleasure in his labor, but it is not 
 for its own sake. He would not do it if he could help it. 
 In its own nature it is a task, and if he takes any pleasure 
 in it, it is for its anticipated results, the support and com- 
 fort of his family, or the increase of his property. 
 
 Precisely such is the state of some persons in regard to 
 religion. They go to it as the sick man takes his medicine, 
 because they desire its effects, and they know they must 
 
222 TSUB AND FALSM COIfVERSION. 
 
 liave it or perish. It is a task that they never would d 
 for its own sake. Suppose men love labor, as a child love 
 play. They Would do it all day long, and never be tiret 
 of doing it, without any other inducement than the pleas 
 .nre in doing it. So it is in religion, where it is loved fo: 
 its own sake, there is no weariness in it. 
 
 3. If selfishness is the prevailing character of your re 
 ligion, it will take sometimes one form and sometimes an 
 other. For instance : If it is a time of general coldness ir 
 the church, real converts will still enjoy their own secrel 
 communion with God, although there may not be so mnci 
 doing to attract notice in public. But the deceived per- 
 son will then itivariably be fouijd driving after the world. 
 Kow, let the true saints rise up, and make a noise, and 
 speak their joys aloud, so that religion begins to be talked 
 of again ; and perhaps the deceived prof esspr will soon begin 
 to bustle about, and appear to be even more zealous than 
 the true saint. He is imj)elled by his convictions and noi 
 aCections. When there is no public interest, he feels no 
 coflviction ; but when the church awakes, he is convicted, 
 and compelled to stir about, to keep his conscience quiet. 
 It is only selfishness in another form,^ _ 
 
 4. If you are selfish, your enjoyment in religion will de- 
 pend mainly on the strength of your hopes of heaven, and 
 not on the exercise of your afEeetions. Your enjoyments 
 are not in the (Employments of religion themselves, but of 
 a vastly different kind from those of the true saint. They 
 are mostly from anticipating. When your evidences are 
 renewed, and you feel very certain of going to heaven, then 
 you enjoy religion a good deal. It depends on your hope, 
 and not on your love for the things for which you hope. 
 Y'ou hear persons tell of their having no enjoyment in re- 
 ligion when they lose their hopes.. The reason is plain. 
 If they loved religion for its own sake, their enjoyment 
 would not depend on their hope. A person who loves hii 
 
TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. '22S 
 
 employment is happy anywhere. And if yon loved the 
 employments of religion, you, would be happy if God should 
 put you in hell, provided he would only let you employ 
 yourself in religion. If you might pray and praise God, you 
 would feel that yon could' be happy a.nywhere in the uni- 
 Tcrse ; for you would still be doing the things in which 
 your happiness mainly consists. If the duties of religion 
 are not the things in which you feel enjoyment, and if all 
 your enjoyment depends on your hopie, you have no true 
 religion ; it is all selfishness. 
 
 I do not say that true saints do not enjoy their hope. 
 But that is not the great thing with them. They think 
 very little about their own hopes. Their thoughts are em- 
 ployed about something else. The deceived person, on the 
 contrary, is sensible that he does not enjoy the duties of 
 religion ; but only that the more he does, the more con- 
 fident he is of heaven. He takes only such kind of enjoy- 
 ment in it, as a man does who thinks that by great laboi 
 he shall have great wealth. 
 
 5. If you are selfish in religion, your enjoyments will 
 oe chiefly from anticipation. The true saint already enjoys 
 the peace of God, and has heaven begun in his soul. He 
 has not merely the prospect of it, but eternal life actually 
 begun in him. He has that faith which is the very sub- 
 stance of things hoped for. Ifay, he has the very feelings 
 of heaven in him. He anticipates joys higher in degree, 
 but the same in kind. He~ knows that he has heaven be- 
 gun in him, arid is not obliged to wait till he dies to taste 
 the joys of eternal life. His enjoyment is in proportion to 
 his holiness, and not in proportion to his hope. 
 
 6. Another difference by which it may be known 
 whether you are selfish in religion, is this — that the de- 
 ceived person has only a purpose of obedience, and the 
 other has a preference of obedience. This is an important 
 distinction, and I fear few persons make it. Multitudes 
 
224 TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. 
 
 have a purpose of obedience, who have no true prefereno 
 of obedience. Preference is actual choice, or obedieno 
 of heart. You often hear individuals speak of their hav 
 ing had a purpose to do this or that act of obedience, bu 
 failed to do it. And they will tell you how difiBcult it ii 
 to execute their purpose. The true saiflt, on the othei 
 hand, really prefers, and in his heart chooses obedience 
 and therefore he finds it easy to obey. The one has a pur 
 pose to obey, like that which Paul had before he was coH' 
 rerted, as he tells us in the seventh chapter of. Bomans 
 He had a strong purpose of obedience, but did not obey, 
 because his heart was not in it. The true convert prefer! 
 obedience for its own sake ; he actually chooses it, and doef 
 it. The other purposes to be holy, because he knows thai 
 is the only way to be happy. The true saint chooses holi- 
 ness for its own sake, and he is holy. 
 
 7. The true convert and the deceived person also difPej 
 in their faith. The true saint has a confidence in the gen- 
 eral character of God, that leads him to unqualified sub- 
 mission to Grod. A great deal is said about the kinds oj 
 faith, but without much meaning. True confidence in th( 
 Lord's special promises, depends on confidence in God'i 
 general character. There are only two principles on whicl 
 any government, human or divine, is obeyed,, fear and 
 confidence. No matter whether it" is the government oJ 
 a family, or a ship^ or a natidn, or a universe. All obe 
 dience springs from one of these two principles. In tht 
 one case, individuals obey from hope of reward and feai 
 of the penalty. In the other, from that confidence in the 
 character of the government, which works by love. One 
 child obeys his parent from confidence in his parent. He 
 has faith which works by love. The other yields an out- 
 ward obedience from hope and fear. The true convert has 
 this faith, or confidence iri God, that leads him to obej 
 God because he loves God. This is the obedience of faith. 
 
TEUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. 225 
 
 He has that confidence in God, that he submits himself 
 wholly into the hands of God. 
 
 The other has only a partial faith, and only a partial 
 submission. The devil has a partial faith. He believes 
 and trembles. A person may believe that Christ came to 
 save sinners, and on that ground may submit to hini, to be 
 saved ; while he does not submit wholly to him, to be 
 governed and disposed of. His submission is only on con- 
 dition that he shall be saved. It is never with that unre- 
 served confidence in God's whole character, that leads him 
 to say, '•' Thy will be done." He only submits to be saved. 
 His religion is the religion of law. The other is gospel 
 religion. One is selfish, the other benevolent. Here lies 
 the true diflEerence between the two classes. The religion 
 of one is outward and hypocritical. The other is that of 
 the heart holy, and acceptable to God. 
 
 8. I will only mention one difEerence more. If your 
 religion is selfish, you will rejoice particularly in the con^ 
 version of sinners, where your own agency is concerned in 
 it, but will have very little satisfaction in it, where it is 
 through the agency of others. The selfish person rejoices 
 when he is active and successful in converting sinners, be- 
 cause he thinks he shall have a great reward. But instead 
 of delighting in it when done by others, he will be even 
 envious. The true saint sincerely delights to have others 
 useful, and rejoices when sinners are converted by the in- 
 strumentality of others as much as if it was his own. 
 There are some who will take interest in a revival, only so 
 far as themselves are connected with it, while it would seem 
 they had rather sinners should remain unconverted, than 
 that they should be saved by the instrumentality of an 
 evangelist, or a minister of another denomination. The 
 true spirit of a child of God is to say, " Send, Lord,- by 
 whom thou wUt send — only let souls be saved, and thy 
 name glorified 1 " 
 
226 TBUE AND FALSE CONVERSION 
 
 V, I am to answer some objections which are made 
 a|[ainst this view of the^ subject. 
 
 Objection 1. " Am I not to have any regard to my own 
 happiness ? " 
 
 Answer. It is right to regard your own happiness ac- 
 cording to its relative value. Put it in this scale, by the 
 side of the glory of God and the good of the universe, and 
 then decide, and . give it the value which belongs to it. 
 This is precisely what God does. And this is what he 
 means, when he commands you to love your neighbor as 
 yourself. 
 
 And again^ — You will in fact promote your own happi- 
 ness, precisely in proportion as you leave it out of view. 
 Your happiniess will be in proportion to your disinterested- 
 ness. True happiness consists mainly in the gratification 
 of virtuotis desires. There may be pleasure in gratifying 
 desires that are selfish, but it is not real happiness. But 
 to be virtuous, your desires must be disinterested. Sup- 
 pose a man sees a beggar in the street ; there he sits on the 
 ■curbstone, cold and hungry/ without friends, and ready to 
 perish. The man's feelings are touched, and he steps into 
 a grocery close by, and buys him a loaf of bread. At once 
 the countenance of the beggar lights up, and he looks un- 
 utterable gratitude. Now it is plain to be seen that the 
 gratification of the man in the act is precisely in propor- 
 tion to the singleness of his motive. If he did it purely 
 and solely out of benevolence, his gratification is complete 
 in the act itself. But if he did it, partly to make it known 
 that he is a charitable and humane person, then his hap- 
 piness is not complete until the deed is published to others. 
 Suppose here is a sinlier in his sins ; he is truly wicked and 
 truly wretched. Your compassion is excited, and yoii con- 
 vert and save him. If your motives were to obtain honor 
 among men, ahd to secure the favor of God, you are not 
 completely happy until the deed is told, and perhaps put 
 
TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION 227 
 
 in the newspaper. But if you wished purely to save a soul 
 from death, then as soon as you see that done, your gratifi- 
 cation is complete and your joy nnmingled. So it is in all 
 religious duties ; your happiness is precisely in proportion 
 as you are disinterested. 
 
 If you aim at doing good for its own sake, then yoa 
 will be happy in proportion as -you do good. But if yoi 
 aim directly at your own happiness, and if you do good 
 simply as a means of securing your own happiness, you 
 will fail. You will be like the child pursuing his own 
 shadow ; he can never overtake it, because it always keeps 
 just so far before him. Suppose in the case I have men- 
 tioned, you have no desire to relieve the beggar, but regard 
 simply the applause of a certain individual. Then you will 
 feel no pleasure at all in the relief of the beggar ; but wheii 
 that individual hears of it and commends it, then you are 
 gratified. But you are not gratified in the thing itself. 
 Or suppose you aim at the conversion of sinners ; but if it 
 is not love to sinners that leads you to do it, how can the 
 conversion of sinners make you happy ? It has no ten- 
 dency to gratify the desire that prompted the effort. The 
 truth is, God has so constituted the mind of man, that it 
 must seek the happiness of others, as its end or it cannot 
 be happy. Here is the true reason why all the world, seek- 
 ing their own happiness, and not the happiness of others, 
 fail of their end. It is always just so far before them. If 
 they would leave off seeking their own happiness, and lay 
 themselves out to do good, they would be happy. 
 
 Objection 2. "Did not Christ regard the joy set be- 
 fore him ? I And did not Moses also have respect unto the 
 recompense of reward ? And does not the Bible say wo 
 love God because he first loved us." 
 
 Answer 1. It is true that Christ despised the shamo 
 and endured the cross, and had regard to the joy set be- 
 fore him. But what was the joy set before him ? Not 
 
228 TEUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. 
 
 bis own salvation, not his own happiness, but the great 
 good he would do in the salvation of the world. He wu 
 perfectly happy in himself. Bat the happiness of others 
 was what he aimed at. This was the joy set before him. 
 And that he obtained. 
 
 Answer 2. So Moses had respect to the recompense ol 
 reward. But was that his own comfort ? Far from it. 
 The recompense of reward was the salvation of the people 
 of Israel. What did he say ? When God proposed to 
 destroy the nation, and make of him a great nation, had 
 Moses been selfish he would have said, " That is right. 
 Lord; be it unto thy servant according to thy word." 
 But what does he say p Why, his heart was so set on the 
 salvation of his people, and the glory of God, that he would 
 not think of it for a moment, but said, " If thou wilt, for- 
 give their sin ; and if not, blot me I pray thee out of thy 
 book, which thou hast written." And in another case, 
 when God said he would destroy them, and make of Moses 
 a greater and a mightier nation, Mo?es thought of God's 
 ^lory, and said, "Then the Egyptians shall hear of it, 
 and. all the nations will say, Because the Lord was not able 
 to bring this people into the land." He could not bear to 
 think (METiaving his own interest exalted at the expense of 
 God's glory. It was really a greater reward, to his benev- 
 olent mind, to have God glorified, and the children of Israel 
 saved, than any personal advantage whatever to himself 
 could be. 
 
 Answer 3. Where it is said, "We love him because he 
 first loved us " the language plainly bears two interpret** 
 kions ; either that his love to us has provided the way for 
 our return and the influence that brought us to love him, 
 or that we love him for his favor shown to ourselves. — 
 That the latter is not the meaning is evident, because 
 Jesus Christ has so expressly reprobated the principle, in 
 his sermon on the mount : "If ye love them which lovo 
 
TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. 
 
 yon, what thank have ye ? Do not the publicans the 
 same ?" If we love God, not for his character but for his 
 favors to us, Jesus Christ has written us reprobate. 
 
 Objection 3. "Does not the Bible offer happiness as 
 the reward of virtue ? " 
 
 Answer. The Bible speaks of happiness as the result of 
 virtue, but no where declares virtue to consist in the pur- 
 suit of One's own happiness. The Bible is every where in- 
 consistent with this, and represents virtue to consist in 
 doing good to others. We can see by the philosophy of 
 the mind, that it must be so. If a person desires the good 
 of others, he will be happy in proportion as he gratifies 
 that desire. Happiness is the result of virtue, but virtue 
 does not consist in the direct pursuit of one's own happi- 
 ness, but is wholly inconsistent with it. 
 
 Objection 4. "God aims at our happinessj-and shall 
 we be more benevolent than God ? Should we not be lik* 
 God ? May we not aim at the same- thing that God aims 
 at ? Should we not be seeking the same end that God 
 seeks ? " 
 
 Answer. This, objection is, specious, but futile and 
 rotten, God is benevolent to others.-" He aims at the 
 happiness of others, and at our happiness. And to be 
 like him, we must aim at, that is, delight in his happiness 
 and glory, and the honor and glory of the universe, accord- 
 ing to their real value. 
 
 Objection 5. " Why does the Bible appeal continually 
 to the hopes and fears of men, if a regard to our own hap- 
 piness is not a proper motive to action ? " 
 
 Answer 1. The Bible appeals to the constitntional sus- 
 ceptibilities of men, not to their selfishness. Man dreads 
 harm, and it is not wrong to avoid it. We may have a 
 due regard to our own happiness, according to its value. 
 
 Answer 2. And again ; mankind are^ so besotted with 
 Bin, that God cannot get their attention to consider hia 
 
230 TRUE AND FALSE OONVBBSION. 
 
 true character, and the reasons for loving him, nnless he 
 appeals to their hopes and fears. But when they are 
 awakened, then he presents the gospel to them. When a 
 minister has preached the terrors of the Lord till he has 
 got his hearers alarmed and aroused, so that they will give/ 
 attention, he has gone far enough in that line ; and then 
 he ought to spread out all the character of God before 
 them, to engage their hearts to love him for his own ex- 
 cellence. 
 
 Objection 6. "Do not the inspired writers say, Kepent, 
 and believe the gospel, an^d you shall be saved ?" 
 
 Answer. Yes; but they require " true" repentance ; 
 that is, to forsake sin becanse it is hateful in itself. ■ It is 
 not true repentance, to forsake sin on condition of pardon, 
 or to say, *' I will be sorry for my sins, if you will forgive 
 me." So they require true faith, and true submission ; 
 not conditional faith, or partial submission. This is what 
 the Bible insists on. It says he shall be saved, bui it must 
 oe disinterested repentance, and disinterested submission. 
 
 Objection 7. " Dpes not the gospel hold out pardon as a 
 motive to submission." 
 
 Answer. This depends on the sense in which yon use 
 the term motive. If you mean that God spreads out before 
 men his whole character, and the whole truth of the case, 
 as reasons to engage the sinner's love and repentance, I 
 eay, Yes ; his compassion, and willingness to pardon, are 
 reasons for loving God, because they "are a part of his 
 glorious excellence, which we are bound to love. But if 
 you mean by "motive" a condition, and that the sinner is 
 to repent on condition he shall be pardoned, then I say, 
 that the Bible no where holds out any such view of the 
 matter. It never authorizes a sinner to say, " I will repent 
 t/you will forgive/' and no where offers pardon as a motive 
 to repentance, in such a sense as this. 
 
 With two short remarks I will close. 
 
TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION. 231 
 
 1. We see, from this subject, why it is that professors 
 of religion have such different views oi the nature of the 
 gospel. 
 
 Some view it as a mere matter of accommodation to 
 mankind, by which God is rendered less strict than he was 
 under the law ; so that they may be fashionable or worldly, 
 and the gospel will come in and make up the deficiencies 
 and save them. The other class view the gospel as a pro- 
 vision of divine benevolence, having for its main desigri; to 
 destroy sin and promote holiness ; and that therefore so 
 far from making it proper for them to be less holy than 
 they ought to be under the law, its whole value consists in 
 its power to make them holy. 
 
 3. We see why some people are so much more anxious 
 to convert sinners, than to see the church sanctified and 
 God glorified by the good works of his people. 
 
 Many feel a natural sympathy for sinners, and wish to 
 have them saved from hell ; and if that is gained, they 
 have no farther concern. But true saints are most affected 
 by sin as dishonoring God. And they are most distressed 
 to see Christians sin, because it dishonors God more. 
 Some people seem to care but little how the church live, if 
 they can only see the work of conversion go forward. 
 They are not anxious to have God honored. It shows that 
 they are not actuated by the love of holiness, but by a mere 
 compassion for signers. 
 
xin. 
 
 TRUE SUBMISSION. 
 
 Bibmit f ouiselvea tberefore to Qod.— Jamea iT. T. 
 
 THE subject of this lecture is, " What constitutes Trut 
 Submission ? " 
 
 Before I enter on -the discussion of this subject, I wish 
 to make two remarks, introductory to the main question. 
 
 1. The first remark is this : If any of you are deceived 
 in regard to your hopes, and have built on a false founda- 
 tion, the fundamental error in your case was your embrac- 
 ing what you thought was the gospel plan of salvation 
 from selfish motives. Your selfish hearts were unbroken 
 This is the source of your delusion, if you are deceived. 
 If your selfishness was subdued, you are not deceived in 
 your hope. If it was not, all your religion is vain, and 
 your hope is vain. — 
 
 3. The other remark I wish to make is, that if any of you 
 are deceived, and have a false hope, you are in the utmost 
 danger of reviving your ola hope, whenever you are awak- 
 ened to consider your condition. It is a very common 
 thing for such professors, after a season of anxiety and 
 self-examination; to settle down again on the old founda- 
 tiog. The reason is, their habits of mind have Ijecome 
 fixed in that channel, and therefore, by the laws of the 
 mind it is difficult to break into a new course. It is indis- 
 pensable, therefore, if you ever mean to get right, that you 
 should see clearly that you have hitherto been wholly, 
 wrong, so that you need not multiply any more the kind 
 , of efforts that have deceived you heretofore. 
 
 Who does not know that there is a great deal of this 
 kind of deception ? How often will a great part of the 
 
TBCB SUBMISSION. 233 
 
 church lie cold and dead, till a revival commences ? Then 
 you will see them bustling about, and they get engaged, 
 as they call it, in religion, and renew their efEorts and 
 multiply their prayers for a season ; and this is what they 
 call getting revived. ^ But it is only the same kind of re- 
 ligion that they had before. ) Such religion lasts no longer 
 than the public excitement. As soon as the body of the 
 church begin to diminish their efEorts for the conversion 
 of sinners, these individuals relapse into their former 
 worldliness, and get as near to what they were before their- 
 supposed conversion, as their pride and their fear of the 
 censures of the church will let them. When a revival 
 comes again, they renew the same round ; and so they live 
 along by spasms, over and over again, revived and back- 
 sliden, revived and backsliden, alternately, as long as 
 they live. The truth is, they were deluded at first, by a 
 spurious conversion, in which selfishness never was broken 
 down; and- the more they multiply such kind of efforts, 
 the more sure they are to be lost. 
 
 I will now enter upon the direct discussion of the sub- 
 ject, and endeavor to show you what true gospel submis- 
 sion is, in the following order, viz ; 
 
 I. ' I shall show what is not true submission. 
 
 II. Show what true submission is. 
 I. I am to show what true submission is not. 
 
 1. True submission to God is not indifference. No two 
 things can be more unlike than indifference and true sub- 
 mission. 
 
 3. It does not consist in being willing to be sinful for 
 the glory of God. Some have supposed that true submis- 
 sion included the idea of being willing to be sinful for tho 
 glory of God. But this is a mistake. To be willing to be 
 sinful is itself a sinful state of mind. And to be willing to 
 do anything for the glory of God, is to choose not to be sin- 
 ful. The idea of being sinful for the glory of God is absurd. 
 
234 TRUE SUBMISSION. 
 
 3. It does not consist in a willingness to be punished. 
 If we were now in hell, true submission would riBquire 
 that we should be willing to be punished. Because then it 
 would be certain that it was God's will we should be pun- 
 ished. So, if we were in a world where no provision was 
 made for the redemption of sinners, and where our punish-- 
 Inent was therefore inevitable, it would be our duty to be 
 willing to be punished. If a man has committed murder, ; 
 and there is no other way to secure the public interest but 
 for him to be hung, it is his duty to be willing to be hung 
 
 ^ for the public good. But if there was any otiher way in 
 which the murderer could make the public interest whole, 
 it would not be his duty to be willing to be hung. So if 
 he were in a world solely under law^j where there was no 
 plan of salvation;' and no measure to secure the stability of 
 government in the forgivness of sinners, it would be the 
 duty of every man to be willing to be punished. But as it 
 is in this world, genuine submission does not imply a will- 
 ingness to be punished. Because we know it is n5t the 
 will of God that all shall be punished, but on the other 
 hand, we know it is his will that all who truly repent and 
 submit to God shall..be saved. 
 
 II. I am to show what genuine submission is, ^ 
 
 1. It consists in perfect acquiescence in all the prdvi- 
 
 4!gntial dealings and. JilspeiosaSTons o|!];^og ; whether relat^ 
 
 ing *to"burselve^ or to oUreSTorTothe universe.. Some 
 
 persons suppose they do acquiesce in the abstract, in the 
 
 /^providential government of God. But yet, if you con- 
 verse with them you see they will find fault with God's ar- 
 rangements in many things. They wonder why God suf- 
 fered Adam to sin ? Or why he suffered sin to enter the 
 universe at all ? Or why he did this' or that ? Or why 
 he made this or that, thus or so ? In all these cases, sup- 
 posing we could assign no reason at all that would be satis- 
 factory, true submission implies a perfect acquiescence iu. 
 
TRUE SUBMISSION 235 
 
 whatever lie has sufEered or done ; and feeling that, so 
 far as his providence is concerned, it is all right. 
 
 3. True submission implies acquiescence in the precept 
 of God's moral la-wr. The general precept of God's moral 
 law is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy 
 heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul,' and 
 with all thy strength, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as 
 thyself." Perhaps some will say , " I do acquiesce in this 
 precept, I feel that it is right, and I have no objection 
 to this law." Here I want you to m^rke the distinction 
 carefully between a c onBtita tifuiaLap probatio npf God's 
 law, and actual submission to it. 'There is no mind but 
 what naturally, and by its own common sense of what is 
 ;right, approves of this law. There is not a devil in hell 
 that does not approve of it. God has so constituted mind, 
 that it is impossible to be a moral agent, and not approve 
 of his law. But this is not the acquiescence I am speak- 
 ing of. A person may feel this approbation to so great a 
 degree as to be CA'en delighted without having true sub- 
 mission to it. There are two ideas included in genuine 
 submission, to which I wish your particular attention. 
 
 (1.) The first idea is, that true acquiescence in God's 
 moral law includes actual obedience. It is vain for a child 
 to pretend a real acquiescencSTrTTiis father's commands, 
 unless he actually obeys them. It is in vain for a citizen 
 to pretend an acquiescence in the laws of the land, unless 
 he obeys the laws. , 
 
 (3.) The main idea of submission is the .y ie l ding up of 
 that which constitutes the great point in controversv. And 
 that is this; that men hayi" taken pSM^eir supreme affection 
 from God and his kingdom, and set up self-interest as the 
 paramount object of regard. Instead of laying themselves 
 out in doing good, as God requires, they have adpjjted the 
 maxim that " Charity begins at home." Thig is the very 
 point in debate, between God and the sinner. The sin- 
 
236 TRUE SUBMISSION. 
 
 ner aims at promoting his owiLiS]^?!^^^ ^ his eapreme ob- 
 jeot. iifoWj'tli'e" first iSea implied m submisedon ib the 
 yielding up of this point. We must cease placing our own 
 interest as supreme, and let the interests'oFtloSr anohis 
 kingdom riI8'Tn*8ur affections just as much above our own 
 interests as their real value is greater. The man who does 
 not do this is a. rebel against God. 
 
 Suppose a cml^uler were to set himself to promote 
 the general happiness of his nation ; and should enact laws 
 wisely adapted to this end, and should embark aU his own 
 resources in this object ; and that he should then require 
 every subject to do the same. Then suppose an individual 
 should go and set up his own private interest in opposition 
 to the general interest. He is a ^ebel against the govern- 
 ment, and against sflT the interest which the government 
 is set to promote. Then the first idea of submission, on 
 the part of the rebel, is giving up that point, and falling 
 in with the ruler and the obedient subjects in promoting 
 the public good. Now the law of God absolutely requires 
 that you should make your own happiness subordinate to 
 the glory of God and the good of the universe. And until 
 yon do this, you are the enemy of God and the universe, 
 and a child of hell. 
 
 And the gospel requires the same as the law. It is 
 astonishmg that many, within a few yearsTnave main- 
 tained that it is right for a man to aim directly at his own 
 salvation, and make his own happiness the great object of 
 pursuit. But it is plain that God's law is different from 
 this, and requires every one to prize God's interest su- 
 premely. And the gospel requires the same^vniFthe law. 
 Otherwise, Jesus Christ is the minister of sin, and came 
 into the world to take up arms against God's government. 
 
 It is easy to show, from the Bible, that the gospel re- 
 quires disinterested benevolence, or love to God and love 
 to man, the same as the law. The first passage I shall 
 
TRUE SUBMISSION. 287 
 
 quote is this, '*Seek first the kingdom of God and his 
 righteousness." What does that mean ? Strange as it may 
 seem, a writer has lately quoted this very text to prove that 
 it is right to seek first our own salvation, or our own hap- 
 piness, and to make that the leading object of pursuit. 
 But that is not the meaning. It requires every one to 
 make the promotion of the kingdom of God his great ob- 
 ject. I suppose it to enjoin the duty of aiming at being 
 holy, and not at our own happiness. Happiness is con- 
 nected with holiness, but it is not the same thing, but to 
 seek holiness or obedience to God, and to honor and glo- 
 rify him, is a very different thing from seeking supremely 
 our own happiness. 
 
 Another passage is, "Whether ye eat or drink, or 
 whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Indeed 1 
 What ! may we not eat and drink to please ourselves P 
 No. We may not even gratify our natural appetite for 
 food, but as subordinate to the glory of God. This is what 
 the gospel requires, for the apostle wrote this to the Chris- 
 tian church. 
 
 Another passage is, "Look not on your own things, 
 but every man on the things of another." But it is vain 
 to attempt to quote all the passages that teach this. You 
 may find, on almost every page of the Bible, some passage 
 that means the same thing, requiring us not to seek our 
 own good, but the benefit of others. 
 
 Our Saviour says, " Whosoever will save his life shall 
 lose it : and whosoever will lose his life shall save it." 
 That is. If a man aim at his own interest, he shall lose his 
 own interest ; if he aim at saving his soul, as his supreme 
 object, he will lose his own soul ; he must go out of him- 
 self, and make the good of others his supreme object, or 
 he will be lost 
 
 And again he says, " There is no man that hath left 
 house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, 
 
238 TRUE SUBMISSION. 
 
 or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel's, but hi 
 shall receive a hundred-fold now in this time, housesj and 
 brethren, and sisters,, and mothers, and children, and lands, 
 with persecutions ; and in the world to come, eternal life.' 
 Here some people may stumble, and say, There js a reward 
 held out as a motive. But, mark 1 What are you to do 1 
 Forsake self for the sake of a reward to sfelf ? No ; but tt 
 forsake self for the sake of Christ and his gospel ; and the 
 consequence will be as stated. Here is the important dis- 
 , tinction. 
 
 In the 13th chapter of Corinthians Paul gives a full 
 description of this disinterested love, or charity, withoul 
 which a person is nothing in religion. It is remarkable 
 how much he says a person may do, and yet be nothing. 
 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, 
 and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or i 
 tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy 
 and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge ; and 
 though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, 
 and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow 
 all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my bod] 
 to be burped, and have not charity, it profiteth me noth, 
 ing." But true gospel benevolence is of this character 
 '■' pharity sufEereth long and is kind ; charity envieth not 
 charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not be- 
 have itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easil] 
 provoked, thinketh no evil ; rejoiceth not in iniqu,ity, bul 
 rejoiceth in the truth ; beareth all things, believeth al 
 thingSj hopeth all things, endureth all things." " Seeketb 
 not her own." Mark that. It has no selfish end, bul 
 seeks the happiness of others as its great end. Withoul 
 this kind of benevolence, we know there is not a partich 
 of religion. You see, I might stand here all night quoting 
 and explaining passages to the same point, shd^ing thai 
 all pure religion consists in disinterested benevolence. 
 
TRUE SUBMISSION. 23 
 
 Before I go farther, I wish to mention several objection 
 to this view, which may arise in your minds. I do thi 
 more particularly because some of you may stumble righ 
 hercj and after all get the idea that it is right to have ou 
 religion consist, in aiming at our own salvation as ou 
 great object. 
 
 , Objection 1. " Why are the threatenings of the wort 
 of God given, if itis selfishness to be influenced by a fea: 
 of the wrath to come ? " 
 
 Many answers may be given to this objection. 
 
 Answer. Man is so constituted that by the laws of hii 
 being he dreads pain. The Scripture threatenings, there 
 fore, answer many purposes. One is, to arrest IJie atten 
 tion of the selfish mind, and lead it to examine the reason 
 there are for loving and obeying God. When the Holi 
 Spirit thus gets the attention, then he rouses the sinner' 
 conscience, and engages that to,consider and decide on th 
 reasonableness and duty of submitting to God. 
 
 Objection 2. " Since God has given us these suscepti 
 bilities to pleasure and pain, is it wrong to be influence( 
 by them ? " 
 
 Answer. It is neither right nor wrong. These sus 
 ceptibilities have no moral character. If I had time to 
 night, I might make all plain to you. In morals, there i 
 a class of actions that come under the denominatipn o 
 prudential considerations,. For instance: Siippose yot 
 stand on a precipice, where, if you throw yourself down 
 you will infallibly break your neck. You are warnet 
 against it. Now, if , you do not regard the warning, bu 
 throw yourself down, and destroy your life, that will b( 
 lin. But regarding It is no virtue. It is simply^ a pru 
 dential act. There is no virtue in avoiding danger, al 
 though it may often be sinful riot to avoid it. It is sinfu 
 for men to brave the wrath of God. But to be afraid o 
 hell is not holy, no more than the fear of breaking yon 
 
240 TBUE SUBMISSION. 
 
 neck down a precipice is holy. It is simply a dictate of tht 
 constibution. 
 
 Objection 3. " Does not the Bible make it our imme- 
 iiate duty to seek our own happiness ? " 
 
 Answer. It is not, sinful to seek our own happiness, 
 according to its real value. On th& contrary, it is a real 
 duty to do so. And he that neglects to do this, commits 
 sin. Another answer is, that although it is right to seek 
 our own happiness, and the constitutional laws of the mind 
 require us to regard our own happiness, still our constitu- 
 tion does not indicate that to pursue our own happiness 
 as the chief good, is right.- Suppose any one should argue, 
 that because our constitution requires food, therefore it la 
 right to seek food as the supreme good — ^would that be 
 sound ? Certainly not ; for the Bible expressly forbids any 
 such thing, and says — " Whether ye eat or drink, do all to 
 the glory of God." 
 
 Objection 4. " Bach one's happiness is put particularly 
 in his own power ; and if every one should seek his own 
 happiness, the happiness of the whole will be secured, to 
 the greatest amount that is possible." 
 
 This objection is specious, but not sound. I deny the 
 conclusion altogether. For, 
 
 f (1.) The laws of the mind are such, that it is impossi- ' 
 ble for one to be happy while he makes his own happiness 
 L the supreme object. /Happiness consists in the gratifica- 
 tion of virtuous desires. \But to be gratified, the thing '^ 
 must be obtained "that is desired." To be happy, there- 
 fore, the desires that are gratified must be right, and there- 
 fore they must be disinterested desires. If your desires - 
 terminate on yourself ; for instance — if you desire the con- 
 version of sinners for the sake of promoting your own hap- 
 piness, when sinners are converted it does not make you 
 happy, because it is not the thing on which your desire 
 terminated. The law of the mind therefore, renders it 
 
TRUE SUBMISSION, 241 
 
 impossiWe, if each individual pursues his own happiness, 
 "ffiaTCe should ever obtain it. To be more definite. Two 
 things are indispensable to true happiness. First, there 
 must be virtuous desire. If the desire be not virtuous, 
 conscience will remonstrate against it, and therefore a 
 gratification would be attended with pain. Secondly, this 
 desire must be gratified in the attainment of its object. 
 The object must be desired for its own sake, or the gratifi- 
 cation would not be complete, even should the object be 
 obtained. If the object is desired as a means to an end, 
 the gratification would depend on obtaining the end by 
 this means. But if the thing was desired as an end, or 
 for its own sake, obtaining it would produce nn mingled 
 gratification. The mind must, therefore, desire not its 
 own happiness, for in this way it can never be attained, 
 but the desire must terminate on some other object which 
 is desired for its own sake, the attainment of which would 
 be a gratification, and thus result in happiness. 
 
 (3.) If each one pursues his own happiness, as his su- 
 preme end, the interests of different individuals will clash, 
 and destroy the happiness of all. This is the' very thing 
 we see in the world. This is the reason of all the fraud, 
 and violence, and oppression, and wickedness in earth and 
 hell. It is because each one is pursuing his own interest, 
 and their interests clash. The true way to secure our own 
 happiness is, not to pursue that as an end but to pursue 
 another object, which, when obtained, will afiord complete 
 gratification — the glory of God and the good of the uni- 
 verse. The question is not, whether it is right to desire 
 and pursue our own happiness at a.11, but whether it is right 
 to make our own happiness our supreme end. 
 
 Objection 5. " Happiness consists in gratifying virtu- 
 ous desire. Then the thing I aim at, is gratifying virtuous 
 desire. Is not that aiming at my own happiness ? " 
 
 Answer. . The mind does not aim at gratifying the 
 
L 
 
 242 TfilTE SUBMISSION. 
 
 deirire, but at accomplishing the thing desired. Suppose 
 you see a beggar, as mentioned last week, and you give him 
 a loaf of' bread. You aim at relieving the beggar. That 
 is the object desired, and when that isjdone, your desire is 
 gratified, and you are happy. But if, in relieving the 
 beggar, the object you aimed at was your own happiness, 
 then relieving the beggar will not gratify the desire, and 
 you render it impossible to gratify it. 
 
 Thus you see,' that both the law and the gospel require 
 disinterested benevolence, as the only condition on whicli 
 man can be happy. 
 
 3. True submission implies acquiescence in the penalty 
 of God's law. 
 
 I^again advert to the distinction, which I have made 
 oef ore. We are not, in this world, simply under a govern- 
 ment of naked law. This world is a province of, Jehovah'a 
 empire, that stands in a peculiar relation to God's gov^ 
 ernment. It has rebelled, and a new and special provis-' 
 ion has been made, by which God offers us mercy. Thei. 
 conditions are, that we obey the precepts of the law, and 
 submit to the justice of the penalty, fit is a government 
 of law, with the gospel appended to' it. j The gospel re- 
 qjj jres the same obedienee with theJjw. It maintains 
 the ill desert of sin, and requires the sinner's acquiesc* 
 ence in the justice of the penalty. If the sinner were 
 under inere law^ it would require that he should submit 
 to the infliction of the penalty. But man is uot^^^d 
 never hasb'een'iince" the' fall, under the governmeni; ; of 
 mere law, but has always known, more or less clearly, that 
 mercy is offered. It has, therefore, never been required, 
 that men should be willing to be punished. In this re- 
 spect it is that gospel submission differs from legal sub- 
 mission. (Under naked law, submission would consist in 
 willingness to be punished. '^ In this world, submission 
 cojisists in acquiescence!' in ttfe -gilstioe of the penalty, and 
 
TBUE SUBMISSION. 243 
 
 regarding himself aa deserving the eternal wrath oi 
 God. 
 
 4. True submission implies acquiescence in the eoyer- 
 •ignty of God. 
 
 It is the duty of every sovereign to see that all his sub- 
 jects submit to his government. And it is his duty to 
 enact such laws, that every individual, if he obeys per- 
 fectly, will promote the public good, in the highest possible 
 degree. Andjihen, if any one refuses to obey, it is his 
 duty to take that individual by force, and makehjm sub- 
 serve the public interest in the best way that is possible 
 with a rebellious subject, K he will not subserve the pub- 
 lic good voluntarily he should be made to do it involun- 
 tarily. The government must either- hang him, or shut 
 him up, or in some way make him an example of suffer-, 
 ing ; or, if the public good admits of mercy, it may show 
 mercy in such a way as will best subserve the general in- 
 terest. Now God is a sovereign ruler, and the submission 
 which he requires is just what he is bound to require. 
 He would be neglecting his duty as a ruler, if he did 
 not require it. And since you have refused to obey this re- 
 quirement, you are now bound to throw yourself into his 
 hands, for him to dispose of you, for time and eternity, 
 in the way that will most promote the interests of the 
 universe. You have forfeited all claim to any portion 
 in the happiness of the universe • or the favor of God. 
 And the thing which is now required of you is, that since 
 you cannot render obedience for the past, you should 
 acknowledge the justice of his law, and leave your future 
 destiny entirely and unconditionally at his disposal, for 
 time and for eternity. You must submit all ' you have 
 and all you are to him. You have justly forfeited all, 
 and are bound to give up all at his bidding, in any way 
 that he calls for them, to promote the interests of hia 
 kingdom. 
 
2^ TBUB SUBMISSION. 
 
 5. Finally, it requires submission to the terms of the 
 gospel. The terms of the gospel are — 
 
 (1.) Eepentance, hearty sorrow for sin, justifying God 
 and taking his part against yourself. 
 
 (2.) Faith, perfect trust and confidence towards God, 
 such as leads you without hesitation to throw yourself, 
 body and soul, and all you have and are, into his hand, to 
 do with you as he thinks good. 
 
 (3.) Holiness, or disinterested benevolence. 
 
 (4.) To receive salvation as a mere matter of pure 
 grace, to which you have no claim on the score of justice. . 
 
 (5.) To receive Christ as your mediator and advocate, 
 your -atoning sacrifice, your ruler and teacher, and in all 
 the offices in which he is presented to you in God's word. 
 In short, yon are to be wholly acquiescent in God's ap- 
 pointed way of salvation. < 
 
 BEKABES. 
 
 I. You see why there are so many false hopes in the 
 church. 
 
 The reason is, that so many persons embrace what they 
 consider the gospel, without yielding obedience to the law. 
 They look at the law with dread, and regard the gospel as 
 a scheme to get away from the law. These tendencies 
 have always been manifested among men. There isii cer- 
 tain class that hold to the gospel and reject the law ; and 
 another class that take the law and neglect the gospeL 
 The Antinomians think to get rid of the law altogether. 
 They suppose the gospel rule of life is different from the 
 law ; whereas, the truth is, that the rule of life is the same 
 in both, and both require disinterested benevolence; 
 Now, if a person thinks that, under the gospel, he may 
 give up the glory of God as his supreine object, and instead 
 of loving God with all his heart, and soul, and strength^; 
 may make his own salvation his supreme object, his hopes 
 
TRUE SUBMISSION. 245 
 
 are false. He has embraced another gospel — ^which is no 
 gospel at all. 
 
 II. The subject shows how we are to meet the common 
 objection, that faith in Christ implies making our own 
 salvation our object or motive. 
 
 Answer. What is faith ? It is not believing that you 
 shall be saved, but believing God's word concerning his 
 Son. It is no where revealed that you shall be saved. 
 He has revealed the fact that Jesus Christ came into the 
 world to save sinners. What you call faith, is more prop- 
 erly hope. The confident expectation that you shall be 
 saved is an inference from the act of faith ; and an infer- 
 ence which you have a right to draw when you are consci- 
 ous of obeying the law and believing the gospel. That is, 
 when you exercise the feelings required in the law and 
 gospel, you have a right to trust in Christ for your own 
 salvation. 
 
 III. It is an error to suppose that despair of mercy is 
 essential to true submission. 
 
 This is plain from the fact that, under the gospel, 
 every body knows it is the will of God that every soul 
 should be saved that will exercise disinterested benevolence. 
 Suppose a man should come to me and ask, " What shall I 
 do to be saved ?" and I should tell him, "If you expect to 
 be- saved you must despair of being saved," what would 
 he think ? What inspired writer ever gave any such direc- 
 tion as this ? No, the- inspired answer is, " Love the Lord 
 thy God with all thy heart," "Eepent," "Believe the 
 Gospel," and so on. Is there any thing here that implies 
 despair ? 
 
 It is true that sinners sometimes do despair, before 
 they obtain true peace. But what is the reason ? It ia 
 not because despair is essential to true peace ; but because 
 of their ignorance, or of wrong instructions given to them, 
 or misapprehension of the truth. Many anxious sinneri 
 
246 TRUE SUBMISSION. 
 
 despair because they get a false impression that they have 
 sinned away their day of grace, or that they have com- 
 mitted the unpardonable sin, or that their sins are pecu- 
 . culiarly aggravated^ and the gospel provision does not 
 reach them. Sometimes they despair for this reason — 
 they know that there is mercy provided, arid ready to bo 
 bestowed as soon as they will comply with the terms, but 
 they find all their efforts at true submission vain. They 
 find they are so proud and obstinate, that they cannot, get 
 their own conseutto the terms of salvation. Perhaps most 
 individuals who do submit, do in fact come to a point 
 where they give up all" as lost. But is that necessary ? 
 That is the questipui) Now, you see, it is nothing but 
 their own wickedness drives them to despair. They are so 
 unwilling to take hold of the mercy that is offered. Their 
 .despair, then, instead of being essential to true submission 
 nnder the gospel, is inconsistent with it, and no man ever em- 
 braced the gospel while in that state. ( It is horrid unbelief, 
 then, it is sin to despair ^ and to say it is essential to true 
 submission, is saying that sin is essential to true submission^; 
 
 IV. True submission is acquiescing in the whole gov- 
 ernment of God. 
 
 It is acquiescing' in his providential government, in his 
 moral government, in the precept of his law, and in the 
 penalty of his law, so that he is himself deserving of an 
 exceeding great* and eternal weight of damnation; and 
 submission to the terms of salvation in the gospel. Under 
 the gospel, it is no man's duty to be Willing to be damned. 
 It is wholly inconsistent with his duty to be willing to be 
 damned. ,The man who submits to the naked lawy and 
 consents to be damned, is as much in rebellion as ever ; 
 for it is one of God's express requirements that he should 
 obey the gospel. 
 
 V. To call on a sinner to be willing to be punished ii 
 ft grand mistake, for several reasons. 
 
TRUE SUBMISSION. 247 
 
 It is to set aside the gospel, and place him nnder 
 another gOTernment than that which exists. It sets before 
 him a partial Tiew of the character of God, to which he ia 
 required to submit. It keeps back the true motires to 
 submission. It presents not the real and true God, but a 
 different being. It is practising a deception on him, by 
 holding out the idea that God desires his damnation, and 
 he must submit to it ; for God has taken his solemn oath 
 that he desires not the death of the wicked, but that he 
 turn from his wickedness and live. It is a slander upon 
 God, and charging God with perjury. Every man under 
 the gospel, knows that God desires sinners to be saved, and 
 it is impossible to hide the fact. The true ground on 
 which salvation should be placed is, that he is not to seek 
 his own salvation, buti to seek the glory of God ; not to 
 hold out the idea that God desires or means he should go 
 to hell. 
 
 What did the apostles tell sinners, 'when they inquired 
 what they must do to be saved ? What did Peter tell them 
 at the Pentecost ? What did Paul tell the jailer ? To 
 repent and forsake their selfishness, and believe the gospel. 
 This is what men must do to be saved. 
 
 There is another difficulty in attempting to convert 
 men in this way. It is attempting to conyert them by the 
 law, and setting aside the gospel. It is attempting to 
 "make them holy, without the appropriate influences to make 
 them holy. Paul tried this way, thoroughly, and found it 
 never would answer. In the 7th of Romans, he gives us 
 the result in his own case. It drove him to confess that 
 the law was holy and good, and he ought to obey it ; and 
 there it left him in distress, and crying, " The good that 
 I would, I do not, but the evil that I would not, that I 
 do." The law was not able to convert him, and he cries 
 out, " wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me 
 from the body of this death ? " -. Just here the love of God 
 
248 TBOB SUBMISSION. 
 
 in sending his Son Jesus Christ, is presented to his mind, 
 and that did the work. In the next chapter he explains 
 it : " What the law could not do in that it was weak 
 through, the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness 
 of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, 
 that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled Tn us, 
 who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit," The 
 whole Bible testifies that it is only the influence of the gos 
 pel which can bring sinners to obey the law. The law wil •■ 
 never do it. Shutting out from the soul that class of 
 motives which clusfePU^nd it from the gospel, will never 
 convert a sinner. -— — ^.» 
 
 I know there may be some persons who suppose they 
 were converted in this way, and that they have submitted 
 to the law, absolutely, and without any influence from the 
 gospel. But was it ever concealed from' them for a 
 moment, that Christ had died for sinners, and that if 
 they should repent and believe, they^ should be saved ? 
 These motives must have had their influence, for all the 
 time that they think they were looking at the naked law' 
 they expected that if they believed they should be saved. 
 
 I suppose the error of attempting to convert men by 
 the law, without the gospel, lies here ; in the old Hopkin-..' 
 sian notion that men, in order to be saved must be willing: 
 to be damned. It sets aside the fact, that this world is, 
 and since the fall -always has been, under a dispensation of 
 mercy. If we were under a government j)f mere law, true 
 submission to God would require this. But men are not, 
 in this, sense, under the law, and never have been ; for im- 
 mediately after the fall, God revealed to Adam the intima- 
 tions of mercy. 
 
 An objection arises here in the mind of some, which I 
 will remove. 
 
 -Objection. "Is not the offer of mercy, in the gospel, 
 calculated to produce a selfish religion F " 
 
TRUE SUBMISSION. 249 
 
 Answer. The ofEer of mercy may be perverted, aa 
 eveiy other good thing may be, and then it may give rise 
 to a selfish religion. And God knew it would be so, when 
 he revealed the gospel. - But observe : Nothing is calcu- 
 lated to subdue the rebellious heart of man,' but this very 
 exhibition of the benevolence of God, in the ofEer of mercy. 
 
 There was a father who had a stubborn and rebellious 
 son, and he tried long to subdue him by chastisement. He 
 loved his son, and longed to have him virtuous and obe- 
 dient. ( But the child seemed to harden his heart against 
 his repeated efEorts. At length the poor father was quite 
 discouraged, and burst out into a flood of convulsive weep- 
 ing — " My son ! my son ! what shall I do ? Can I save 
 you ? I have done all that I could to save you ; what 
 can I do more ? " The son had looked at the rod with a 
 brow of brass, but when he saw the tears rolling down his 
 father's furrowed cheeks, and heard the convulsive sobs of 
 anguish from his aged bosom, he too burst into tears, and 
 cried out, " Whip me father ! do whip me, as much as you 
 please, but don't cry ! " Now the father had found out 
 the way to subdue that stubborn heart. Instead of hold- 
 ing over him nothing but the iron hand of law, he let out 
 his soul before him ; and what was the effect ? To crush 
 him into hypocritical submission ? No, the rod did that. 
 The gushing tears of his father's love broke him down at 
 once to true submission to his father's will. 
 
 So it is with sinners. The sinner braves the wrath of 
 Almighty God, and hardens himself to receive the heaviest 
 bolt of Jehovah's thunder ; but when he sees the love of 
 his Heavenly Father's heart, if there is anything that will 
 make him abhor and execrate himself, that will do it, when 
 he sees God manifested in the flesh, stooping to take 
 human nature, hanging on the cross, and pouring out hia 
 Bonl in tears, and bloody sweat, and death. Is this calcu- 
 lated to make hypocrites ? No, the sinner's heart melts, 
 
250 TRUE SUBMISSION. 
 
 and he cries out, " 0, do any thing else, and I can bear it ; 
 but the love of the blessed Jesus overwhelms me." This ia 
 the very nature of the mind, to be thus influenced. In- 
 stead, therefore, of being afraid of exhibiting the- love of 
 God to sinnfers, it is the only way to make them truly sub- 
 missive and truly benevolent. The law may make hypo- 
 crites ; but nothing but the gospel can draw out the sool 
 in true love to God. 
 
XIV. 
 
 SBLFTSHNESS NOT TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 Seeketh not her own.— 1 Cor. ziil, 6. 
 
 THAT is, Charity, or Christian love, seeketh not her 
 own. 
 
 The proposition which I design to establish this even- 
 ing, is the following ; 
 
 That a supreme regard to our own happiness is incon- 
 sistent with true religion. 
 
 This proposition is naturally the first in the series that 
 I have been laboring to illustrate in the present lectures, 
 and would have been the first to be discussed, had I been 
 aware that it was seriously called in question by any con- 
 siderable number of professed Christians. But I can hon- 
 estly say, that when I commenced these lectures, I did n6t 
 expect to meet any serious difficulty here ; and therefore I 
 took it in a great measure for granted, that selfishness is 
 n&t religiom And hence, I passed over this point with 
 but a slight attempt at proving it. But since, I learn that 
 there are many professed Christians who maintain that a 
 supreme regard to our own happiness is true religion, I 
 think it nesessary to examine the subject more carefully, 
 and give you the arguments in favor of what I suppose to 
 be the truth. In establishing my proposition, I wish to 
 distinguish between things that differ ; I shall therefore, 
 
 I. Show what is not intended by the proposition, that 
 a supreme regard to our own happiness is not religion. 
 
 II. Show what is meant by it. 
 
 III. Attempt to prove it. 
 
 I. I am to explain what is not meant by the proposition. 
 1. The point in dispute is not, whether it is lawful to 
 
252 SELFISHNESS NOT TBTJB RBLIGHON. 
 
 have any regard to our own happiness. On the contrary, 
 it is admitted and maintained to be a part of our duty to 
 have a due regard to our own happiness, according to its 
 real value, in the scale with other interests. God has 
 commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. This 
 plainly makes it a duty to love ourselves or regard our own 
 happiness, by the same rule that we regard that of others. 
 
 2. The proposition is not that we ought to have no re- 
 gard to the promises and threatenings of God, as affecting 
 ourselves. It is plainly right to regard the promises of God 
 and threatenings of evil, as affecting ourselves, according 
 to the relative value of our own interests. But who does 
 not see that a threatening against us is not so important as 
 a threatening against a large number of individuals. Sup- 
 pose a threatening of evil against yourself as an individual. 
 This is plainly not so important as if it included your 
 family. Then suppose it extends to the whole congrega* 
 tion, or to the state, or the whole nation, or the world. 
 Here, it is easy to see, that the happiness of an individual 
 although great, ought not to be regarded as supreme. 
 
 I am a minister. Suppose God says to me, " If you do 
 not do your duty, you shall be sent to hell." This is a 
 great evil, and I ought to avoid it. But suppose him to 
 say, " If your people do not do their duty, they will all 
 be sent to hell ; but if you do youTr duty faithfully, you 
 will probably save the irhdle congregation." Is it right for 
 me to be as much influenced by the fear of evil to myself, 
 as by the fear of having a whole congregation sent to hell t " 
 Plainly not. 
 
 3. The question is not whether our own eternal internal 
 interests ought to be pursued in preference to our temporal 
 interests. It is expressly maintained hy myself, and so it 
 is by the Bible, that we are bound to regard our eternal in- 
 terests as altogether of more consequence than our temporal 
 interests. 
 
SELFISHNESS NOT TRUE KELIQION. 253 
 
 Thus the Bible tells us " Labor not for the meat that 
 perisheth, but for that which endureth unto everlasting 
 life." This teaches that we are not to regard or value our 
 temporal interests at all, in comparison with eternal life. 
 
 So, where our Saviour says, " Lay not up for yourselves 
 treasures on the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, 
 and where thieves break through and steal ; but lay up for 
 yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust 
 doth corrupt, and where thieves break not through nor 
 steal." Here the same duty is enjoined, of preferring eter- 
 nal to temporal interests. 
 
 There is another. When Christ sent out his disciples, 
 two and two, to preach and to work miracles, they came 
 back full of joy and exultation, because they found even 
 the devils yielding to their power. " Lord,even the devils 
 are subject to us." Jesus saith, "JRejoice not that the 
 devils are subject to you ; but rather rejoice in this, that 
 your names are written in heaven." Here he teaches, that 
 it is a greater good to have our names written in heaven, 
 than to enjoy the greatest temporal power, even authority 
 aver devils themselves. 
 
 The Bible everywhere teaches, that eternal good is to be 
 preferred in all our conduct to temporal good. But this is 
 very difEerent from maintaining that our own individual 
 eternal interest is to be aimed at as the supreme object of 
 regard. 
 
 4. The proposition is not, that hope and fear should not 
 influence our conduct. All that is implied is, that when 
 we are influenced by hope and fear, the things that are 
 hoped or feared should be put into the scale according to 
 their real value, in comparison with other interests. 
 
 5. The question is not, whether the persons did right, 
 who are spoken of in the Bible, as having been at least in 
 some degree influenced by hope and fear, or having respect 
 nnto the recompense of reward, or to the joy that was set 
 
254 SELFISHNESS NOT TEUB RELIGION. 
 
 before them. This is admitted. Noah was moved with 
 fear and built the ark. But' was it the fear of being 
 drowned himself, or fear for his own personali safety that 
 chiefly moved him ? The Bible does not say it. He feared 
 for the safety of his family ; yea, more, he dreaded the de-> 
 Btruction of the whole human race, with all the interests 
 depending thereon. 
 
 , "Whenever it is said that good men were influenced by 
 hope and fear, it is admitted. But in order to make it 
 bear on this subject, it must be shown that this hope or 
 fear respecting their own personal interest was the control- 
 ling motive. Now, thisjs no where affirmed in the Bible. 
 It was right for them to be influenced by promises and 
 threatesnings. Otherwise they could not obey the second 
 part of the law : " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." 
 
 II. I am to show what is meant by th6 proposition, that 
 supreme regard to our own interest is inconsistent with 
 
 true religion. 
 
 The question is, whether supreme regard to our own, 
 happiness is religion. It is, whether we are to fear our 
 own damnation more than the damnation of all other men, 
 and the dishonor of God thereby. And whether we are to 
 aim at securing our own happiness more than the happi- 
 ness of all other men, and the glory of God." And whether, 
 if we do this, we act according to the requirements of the 
 true religion, or inconsistent with true religion. This is the 
 proper point of inquiry, and I wish you to bear it constantly . 
 in mind, and not to confound it with any of the other 
 points that I have referred to. 
 
 III. For the proof of the proposition. 
 
 Before proceeding to the proof of the proposition, that 
 a supreme regard to our own happiness is inconsistent with 
 true ' religion, I will observe that all true religion consists 
 in being like God ; in acting on the same principles and 
 grounds, and having the same feelings towards different 
 
SELFISHNESS NOT TRUE RELIGION. 255 
 
 objects. I suppose this will not be denied. Indeed, it 
 cannot be, by any sane mind. I then observe, as the first 
 proof of the proposition, 
 
 1. That a supreme regard, to our own happiness is not 
 according to the example of God ; but is being totally un- 
 like him. 
 
 The Bible tells us that " God is love." That is, be- 
 nevolence is the sum total of, his character. All his other 
 moral attributes, such as justice, mercy, and the like, are 
 but modifications of his benevolence. His love is mani- 
 fested in two forms. One is that of benevolence, good 
 willing, or desiring the happiness of others. The other 
 complacency, or approving the character of others who 
 are holy. God's- benevolence regards all beings that are 
 capable of happiness. This is universal. Towards all holy 
 oeings, he exercises the love of complacency. In other 
 words, God loves his neighbor as hinjself. He regards 
 he interests of ail beings, according to their relative value, 
 AS much as, his own. He seeks his own happiness, or glory, 
 as the supreme good. But not because it is his own, but 
 because it is the supreme good. The sum total of his hap- 
 piness, as an infinite being, is infinitely greater than the 
 sum total of the happiness of all other beings, or of any 
 possible number of finite creatures. 
 
 Take a very familiar illustration. Here is a man that 
 is kind to brutes. This man and his horse fall into the 
 liTer. Now, does true benevolence require the man to 
 drown himself in order to extricate his horse ? No. It 
 would be true disinterested benevolence in him, to save 
 himself, and, if need be, leave his horse to perish ; because 
 his happiness is of so much greater value than that of the 
 horse. You see this at a glance. But the difference be 
 tween God and all created beings is infinitely greater than 
 between a man and a horse, or between the highest angel 
 and the meanest insect. 
 
256 SELFISHNESS NOT TBUE RELIGION. 
 
 Ood, thereforcj regards the happiness of all creatin/eg 
 precisely according to its real value. And unless we do 
 the same we are not like God. If we are like God, we 
 must regard God's happiness and gloiy in the same light 
 that he does ; that is, as the supreme good, beyond every 
 thing else in the universe. And if we desire our own 
 happiness more than God's happiness, we are infinitely, 
 unlike God. 
 
 3. To aim at our own happiness supremely is incon- 
 sistent with true religion, because it is contrary to the 
 I spirit of Christ. 
 
 We are told, that "if any man have not the spirit of 
 Christ, he is none of his." And it is repeatedly said of 
 him, as a man, that be sought not his own, that he sought 
 not his own glory, and the like. What was he seeking ? 
 Was it his own personal salvation ? No. Was it his own per- 
 sonal happiness ? No. It was the glory of his Father, and 
 the good of the universe, through the salvation of men. 
 He came on an errand of pure benevolence, to benefit the 
 kingdom of God, not to benefit himself. This was " the 
 joy that was set before him," for which " he endui-ed the 
 cross, despising the shame." It was the great good, he 
 could do by thus' throwing himself out to labor and suffer 
 for the salvation of men. 
 
 3. To regard our own happiness as the supreme object': 
 of pursuit is contrary to the law of God. 
 
 I have mentioned this before, but recur to it again for 
 the sake of making my present demonstration complete. 
 The sum of that law is this — " Thou shalt love the Lord 
 thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with 
 all thy mind, and with all thy strength ; and thou shalt 
 love thy neighbor as thyself." -This is the great thing re- 
 quired ; benevolence towards God tod man. The firsi 
 thing is really to love the happiness and glory of God, above 
 all other things, because it is so infinitely lovely and desira 
 
SELFISHNESS NOT TRUE RELIGION. 257 
 
 ble, aud is properly the supreme good. Some have ob- 
 jected that it was not our duty to seek the happiness of God, 
 because his happiness is already secured. Suppose, now, 
 that the king of England is perfectly independent of me, 
 and has his happiness secured without me ; does that make 
 it any the less my duty to wish him well, to desire his hap- 
 piness, and to rejoice in it ? Because God is happy, in 
 himsetf, independent of his creatures, is that a reason why 
 we should not love his happiness, and rejoice in it ? 
 Strange. 
 
 Again : We are bound by the terms of God's law to ex- 
 ercise complacency to God, because he is holy, infinitely 
 holy. 
 
 Again : This law binds us to exercise the same good 
 will, or benevolence, towards others that we do to ourselves; 
 that is, to seek both their interests and our own, according 
 to their relative value. Who of you is doing this ? And 
 we are bound to exercise the love of complacency towa,rd8 
 those who are good and holy. 
 
 Thus we see that the sum of the law of God is to exer- 
 ■ cise benevolence towards God and all beings, according to 
 their relative value, and complacency in all that are holy. 
 Now I say that to regard our own happiness supremely, or 
 to seek it as our supreme end, is contrary to that law, to 
 its letter and to its spirit. And, 
 
 4. It is as contrary- to the gospel as it is to the law. 
 
 In the chapter from which the text is taken, the apos- 
 tle begins — " Though I speak with the tongues of men and 
 of angols, and have not charity, I am become as sounding 
 brass,- oi a tinkling cymbal. And though I have, the gift 
 of prophecj'^ and understand all mysteries and all know- 
 ledge ; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove 
 mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." Charity 
 here means love. In the original it is the same word that 
 is rendered love. " And though I bestow all my goods to 
 
258 SELFISHNESS NOT TKUB RELIGION. 
 
 feed the poor, and though I give my body to he burned, 
 and have not charity, it profitfeth me nothing." 
 
 Now mark ! In no stronger language could he have ei- 
 pressedj the idea that charity, or benevolence, is essential to 
 true religion. See how he throws out his guards on every 
 side, so that it is impossible, to mistake his views. If a 
 person has not true charity, he is nothing. He then pro- 
 ceeds and shows what are the characteristics of this true 
 charity. " Charity sufEereth long, and is kind ; charity 
 envieth not ; cKarity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 
 4ott not behave itself unseemly, seeketh hot her own, is not 
 easily provoked, thinketh no evil ; rejoicethnot in iniquity, 
 but rejoiceth in the truth ; beareth all things, believeth all 
 4;hings, hopeth all things, endure th all things." Here you 
 eee that one leading peculiarity of this love is, that charity 
 •" seeketh not her own." Mark that. If this is true reli- 
 gion, and without it there is- no religion, then one pecu- 
 iiarity of true religion is, that it "seeketh not her own." 
 
 Those, of you who have Bibles with marginal references 
 can follow out these references and find a multitude of 
 passages that plainly teach the same thing. EecoUect the 
 passages I quoted in the last lecture. I will just refer to 
 one of them — "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it." 
 Here you see it laid down as an established principle of 
 God's government, that if a person aims supremely at his 
 own interest he will lose his own interest. 
 
 The same is taught in the tenth chapter of this epistle. 
 Verse 34 : " Let no man seek his own, but every man an- 
 other's wealth." If you look at the passage, you will see 
 that word " wealth " is in italic letters, to show- that it is a 
 word added by the translators, that is not in the Greek. 
 They might just as well have used the word, happiness, or 
 welfare, as wealth. So in the 33d verse: "Even as I 
 please all men in all things,, noi seehing my oton profit, bat 
 the profit of many, that they may be saved." 
 
SELFISHNESS NOT TRUE RELIGION. 259 
 
 Therefore I say, that to make our own interest the su- 
 preme object of pursuit, is as contrary to the gospel as it ia 
 to the -law. 
 
 5. It is contrary to conscience. 
 
 The universal conscience of mankind has decided that 
 h supreme regard to our own happiness is not virtue. 
 Men have always known that to serve God and benefit man- 
 kind is what is right, and to seek supremely their own per- 
 sonal interest is not right. They have always regarded it 
 mean and contemptible for individuals to seek their own 
 happiness as the supreme object, and consequently, we see 
 how much pains men take to conceal their selfishness and 
 to appear benevolent. It is impossible fo^ any man, unless 
 his conscience is strangely blunted by sin, or perverted by 
 false instruction, not to see that it is sinful to regard his 
 own happiness above other interests of more importance. 
 
 6. It is contrary to right reason. 
 
 Eight reason teaches us to regard all things according 
 to their real value. God does this, and we should do the 
 same. God has given us reason for this very purpose, that 
 we should weigh and compare the relative value of things. 
 It is a mockery of reason, to deny. that it teaches us to re- 
 gard things according to their real value. And if so, then 
 to aim at and prefer our own interest, as the supreme end, 
 is contrary to reason. 
 
 7. It is contrary to common sense. 
 
 "What has the common sense of mankind decided on 
 this point ? Look at the common sense of mankind in re- 
 gard to what is called patriotism. Jfo man was ever 
 regarded as a true patriot, in fighting for his country, if 
 his object was to subserve his own interest. Suppose it 
 should appear that his object in fighting was to get himself 
 crowned king ; would anybody give him credit for patriot- 
 ism ? No. AH men agree that it is patriotism when a 
 man is disinteJested^ like "Washington ; and fights for hia 
 
260 SELFISHNESS NOT TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 country, for his country's sake. The common sense of 
 mankind has written reprobation on that spirit that seeks 
 its own things, and prefers its own interest, to the greater 
 interests of others. It is evident that all men so regard it. 
 Otherwise, how is it that every one is anxious to appear 
 disinterested. 
 
 8. It is contrary to the constitution of the mind. 
 
 I do not mean, by this, that it is impossible, by our 
 very constitution, for us to seek our own happiness as the 
 supreme object. But we' are so constituted that if we do 
 this, we never can attain it. As I have said in a former 
 lecture, happiness is the gratification of desire. We must 
 desire something, and gain the object we desire. Jfow, 
 suppose a man to desire his own happiness, the object of 
 his desire will always keep just so far before him, like his 
 shadow, and the faster he pursues it the faster it flies. 
 Happiness is inseparably attached to the attainment of the 
 object desired. Suppose I desire a thousand dollars. That 
 is the thing on which my desire fastens, and when I get it 
 that desire is gratified, and I am happy, so far as gratify- 
 ing this desire goes to make me happy. But if I desire 
 the thousand dollars for the purpose of getting a watch, a 
 >dress, and such like things, the desire is not gratified till 
 I get those things. But now suppose the thing I desired 
 was my own happiness. . Getting the thousand dollars 
 then does not make me happy, because that is not the 
 thing my desire was fixed on. And so getting the watch, 
 and dress, and other things, do not make me happy, for 
 they gratify not my desire. G-od has so constituted things, 
 and given sneh laws to the mind, that man never can gain 
 happiness by pursuing it. This very constitution plainly 
 indicates the duty of disinterested benevolence. Indeed, 
 he has made it impossible for them to be happy, but in 
 proportion as they are disinterested. ~ 
 
 Here are two men walking along the street together. 
 
SELFISHNESS NOT TRUE EELieiON. 261 
 
 They come across a man that has just heen run oyer by a 
 cart, and lies weltering in his gore. They take him up, 
 and carry him to the surgeon, and relieye him, Now it is 
 plain that their gratification is in proportion to the inten- 
 sity of their desire for his relief. If one of them felt but 
 little and cared but little about the sufferings of the poor 
 man, he will be but little gratified. But if his desire to 
 have the man relieved amounted to agony, his gratification 
 would be accordingly. Now suppose a third individual 
 that had no desire to relieve the distressed man ; certainly 
 relieving him could be no gratification to that person. 
 He could pass right by him, and see him die. Then ho is 
 not gratified at all. Therefore you see, happiness is just 
 in proportion as the desires are gratified by obtaining the 
 things desired. 
 
 Here observe, that in order to make the happiness of 
 gratified desire complete, the desire itself must be virtu- 
 ous. Otherwise, if the desire is selfish, the gratification 
 will be mingled with pain, from the conflict of the mind. 
 
 That all this is true, is a matter of consciousness^ and 
 is proved to us by the very highest kind of testimony we 
 can have. And for any one to deny it, is to charge God 
 foolishly, as if he had given us a constitution that would 
 not allow us to be happy in obeying him, 
 
 8, It is also inconsistent with our own happiness, to make 
 our own interest the supreme object. This follows from 
 what I have just said. Men may enjoy » certain kind of 
 pleasure, but not true happiness. The pleasure which 
 doe? not spring from the gratification of virtuous desire, 
 is a deceptive delusion. The reason why all mankind do 
 not find happiness, when Cuey are ,all so anxious for it, is 
 thbt they are seeking ii. If they would seek the glory of 
 God, and the good of the universe- as their supreme end, 
 ii would pursue them. 
 
 10, It is inconsistent with the public happiness. If 
 
2^ SELBISHNESS NOT TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 each individual is to aim at his own happiness as his chief 
 end, these interests will unavoidably clash and come into 
 collision, and universal war and confusion will follow in 
 the train of universal selfishness. 
 
 11. To maintain that a supreme regard to our own in- 
 terest is true religion, is to contradict the experience of all 
 real saints. I aver, that every real saint knows that his 
 supreme happiness consists in going out of himself, and 
 regarding the glory of God and the good of others. If he 
 does hot know this he is no saint. 
 
 13. It is also inconsistent with the experience of all 
 those who have had a selfish religion, and have found out 
 their mistake and got true religion. This is a common 
 occurrence. I suppose I have known hundreds of cases. 
 Some members in this church have recently made this dis- 
 covery ; and they can all testify that they now know, by 
 experience, that benevolence is true religion. 
 
 13. It is contrary to the experience of all the impeni- 
 tent. Every impenitent sinner knows that he is aiming 
 supremely at the promotion of his own interest, and knows 
 that he has not true religion. The very thing that his 
 conscience condemns him for is this, that he is regarding 
 his own interest instead of the glory of God. 
 
 Now just turn the leaf over, for a moment, and admit 
 that a supreme regard for our own happiness is true relig- 
 ion ; and then see what will follow. 
 
 1. Then it will follow that God is not holy. That is, 
 if a supreme regard to our own interest, because it is our 
 own, is true religion, then it will follow that God is not 
 holy. God regards his own happiness, but it is because it 
 is the greatest good, not because it is his own. But he is 
 love, or benevolence ; and if benevolence is not true re- 
 ligion, God's nature must be changed. 
 
 2. The law of God must be altered. If a supreme re- 
 gard to our x)wn happiness is religion, then the law should 
 
SELFISHNESS NOT TRUE RELIGION. 263 
 
 read, " Thon shalt lore thyself with all thy heart and .with 
 all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy 
 strength, and God and thy neighbor infinitely less than 
 thyself." 
 
 3. The gospel must be reversed. Instead of saying 
 " Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to 
 the glory of God, ib should read, "Do all for your own 
 happiness." Instead of " He that will save his life shall 
 lose it," we should find it saying, " He that is supremely 
 anxious to save his own life shall save it ; but he, that is 
 benevolent, and willing to lose his life for the good of 
 others, shall lose it." 
 
 4. The consciences of men should be changed so as to 
 testify in favor of selfishness, and condemn and reprobate 
 every thing like disinterested benevolence. 
 
 5. Eight reason must be made not to weigh things ac- 
 cording to their relative value, but to decide our own little 
 interest to be of more value than the greatest interests of 
 God and the universe. 
 
 6. Common sense will have to decide, that true patri- 
 otism consists in every man's seeking his own, interest in- 
 stead of the public godd, and each one seeking to build 
 himself up as high as he can. 
 
 7. The human constitution must be reversed. If su- 
 preme selfishness is virtue, the human constitution was 
 made wrong. It is so made, that man can be happy only 
 by being benevolent. And if this doctrine is true, that 
 religion consists in seeking our own happiness as a supreme 
 good, then the more religion a man has the more miserable 
 he is. 
 
 8. And the whole frame-work of society will have to be 
 changed. N"ow it is so, that the good of the community 
 depends on the extent to which every one regards the 
 public interest. And if this doctrine holds, it must be 
 changed, so that the public good will be best promoted 
 
264 SELFISHNESS NOT TBTJE RELIGION. 
 
 when every man is scrambling for his own interest regard- 
 less of the interests of others. 
 
 9. The experience of the saints will have to be reversed. 
 Instead of finding, as they, now do, that the more benevo- 
 lence they have, the more religion and the more happiness, 
 they should testify that the more they aim at their own 
 good, the more they enjoy of religion and the favor of God. 
 
 10. The impenitent should be found to testify that they 
 are supremely happy in supreme selfishness, and that they 
 find true happiness in it, 
 
 I will not pursue this proof any farther ; it would look 
 like trifling. If there is any such thing as proof to be had, 
 it is fully proved, that to aim at our own happiness bvL' 
 premely, is inconsistant with true religion. 
 
 BEMABES. 
 
 1. We see why it is, that while all are pursuing happi* 
 ness, so few find it. 
 
 The fact is plain. The reason is this ; the greater part 
 of mankind do not know in what true happiness consists, 
 and they are seeking it in that which can never afford it. 
 They do not find it because they are pursuing it. If they 
 would turn round and pursue holiness, happiness would 
 pursue them. If they would become disinterested, and 
 lay themselves out to do good, they could not but be happy. 
 If they choose happiness as an end, it flies before them. 
 True happiness consists in the gratification of virtuous 
 desires ; and if they would set themselves to glorify God, 
 and do good, they would find it. The only class of per* 
 sons that never do find it, in this world, or the world to 
 come, are those who seek it as an end. 
 
 11. The constituftion of the human mind and of the 
 ,„nniver8e, affords a beautiful illustration of the economy of 
 
 God. 
 
 Suppose man could find happiness, only by pursuing 
 
SELFISHNESS NOT TRUE EELICHON. 2t)5 
 
 his own happiness. Then each individual would have only 
 the happiness that himself had gained, and all the happi- 
 ness in the universe would be only the suni total of what 
 individuals had gained> with the offset of all the pain and 
 misery produced by conflicting interests. Now mark I 
 God has so constituted things, that while each lays him- 
 self out to promote the happiness of others, his own hap- 
 piness is secured and made complete. How vastly greater 
 then is the amount of happiness in the universe, than it 
 would have been, had selfishness been the law of Jehovah's 
 kingdom. Because each one who obeys the law of God, 
 fully secures his own happiness by his benevolence, and 
 the happiness of the whole is increased by how much each 
 receives from all others. 
 
 Many say, " "Who will take care "of my happiness if I do 
 not ? If I am to care only for" my neighbor's interest, and 
 neglect my own, none of us will be happy." That would 
 be true,, if your care for your neighbor's happiness were a 
 detraction from your own. But if your happiness consists 
 in doing good and promoting the happiness of others, the 
 more you- do for others, the more you promote your own 
 happiness. 
 
 III. "When I gave out the subject of this lecture, I 
 ■ivoided the use of the term, selfishness, lest it should be 
 thought invidious. But I now aflBrm, that a supreme re- 
 gard to our own interest is selfishness, and nothing else. 
 It would be selfishness in God, if he regarded his own in. 
 terest supremely because it is his own. And it is selfish- 
 ness in man. And whoever maintains that a supreme 
 regard to our own interest is true religion, maintains that 
 selfishness is true religion. 
 
 IV. If selfishness is virtue, then benevolence is sin. 
 They are direct opposites and cannot both be virtue. For 
 a man to set up his own interest over God's in-terest, giving 
 it a preference, and placing it in opposition to God's inter- 
 
266 SELFISHNESS NOT TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 est is selfishnesa. And if tliis is virtue, then Jesus Christ, 
 in seeking the good of mankind as he did, departed from 
 the principles of virtue. Who will pretend this ? 
 
 v. Those who regard their own interest as supreme, 
 and yet think they have true religion, are deceived. I say 
 it solemnly, because I believe it is true, and I would say it 
 if it were the last word I was to speak before going to the 
 judgment. Dear hearer, whoever you are, if you are do- 
 ing this, you are not a Christian. Don't call this being 
 censorious. I am not censorious. I would not denounce 
 any one. But as God is true, and your soul is going to 
 ,,tho judgment, you have not the religion of the Bible. 
 
 VL Some will ask here, '"What! are we to have no 
 regard to our happiness, and if so, how are we to decide 
 whether it is supreme or not ? " I do not say that. I say, 
 you may regard it according to its relative value. And now 
 I ask, is there any real practical difficulty here ? I appeal 
 to your consciouness. You cannot but know, if you are 
 honest, what it is that you regard supremely. Are these 
 interests, your own interest on one side, and God's glory 
 and the good of the universe on the other, so nearly bal- 
 attced in your mind, that you cannot tell which you pre- 
 fer ? It is impossible ! If you are not as conscious that 
 ^ou prefer the glory of God to your own interest,' as you 
 are that you exist, you may take it for granted that you are 
 all wrong. 
 
 VII. You see why the enjoyment of so many, professors 
 of religion depends on their evidences. These persons are 
 all the time hunting after evidence ; and just in proportion 
 as that varies, their enjoyments wax and wane. Now, 
 mark I If they really regarded the glory of God and the 
 good of mankind, their enjoyment would not depend on 
 their evidences. Those who;»are purely selfish, may enjoy 
 much in religioUj but it is by anticipation. The idea of 
 going to heaven is pleasing to them. But those who go 
 
SELFISHNESS NOT TRUE RELIGION, 267 
 
 out of themselves, and are purely benevolent, have, a pre- 
 sent heaven in their breasts. 
 
 VIII. You see, here, that all of you who had no peace 
 and joy in religion before you had a hope, are deceived. 
 Perhaps I can give an outline of your experience. You 
 were awakened^ and were distressed, as you had reason to 
 be, by the fear of going to hell. By and by, perhaps while 
 you were engaged in prayer, or while some person was con- 
 versing with you, your distress left you. You thought your 
 sins were pardoned. A gleam of joy shot through your 
 mind, and warmed up your heart into a glow, that you took 
 for evidence, and this again increased your joy. How very 
 different is the experience of a true Christian ! His peace 
 does not depend on his hope ; but true submission and 
 benevolence produce peace and joy, independent of his 
 hope. ^ 
 
 Suppose the case of a man in prison, condemned to be 
 hung the next day. He is in great distress, walking his 
 cell, and waiting for the day. By and by, a messengei 
 comes with a pardon. He seizes the paper, turns it np to 
 the dim light that comes through his grate, reads the word 
 pardon, and almost faints with emotion, and leaps for joy. 
 He supposes the paper to be genuine. Now suppose it 
 turns out that the paper is counterfeit. Suddenly his joy 
 is all gone. So in the case of a deceived person. lie was 
 afraid of going to hell, and of course he rejoices if he be- 
 lieves he is pardoned. If the devil should tell him so, and 
 he believed it, his joy would be just as great, while the 
 belief lasts, as if it was a reality. True Christian joy does 
 not depend on evidence. He submits himself into the 
 hands of G-od with such confidence, and that very act gives 
 him peace. He had a terrible conflict with God, but all at 
 once he yields the controversy, and says, " God will do right, 
 let God's will be done." Then he begins to pray, he is 
 Bubdued, he melts down before God, and that very act af- 
 
268 SELFISHNESS NOT .TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 fords sweet, calm, and heavenly joy. Perhaps he has not 
 thought of a hope. Perhaps he may go for hours, or even 
 Eor a day or two, full of joy in God, without thinking o£ 
 his own salvation. You ask him if he has a hope, he never 
 thought of that. His joy does not depend on believing that 
 he is pardoned, but consists in a state of mind, acquiescing 
 m the government of God. In such a state of mind, he 
 r>ould not but be happy. 
 
 Now let me ask which religion have you ? If you ex- 
 ercise true religion, suppose God should put you into hell, 
 and there let you exercise supreme love to God, and the 
 same love to your neighbor as to yourself, that itself is a 
 Btate of mind inconsistent with being miserable. 
 
 I Wish this to be fully understood. These hope-seekera 
 will be always disappointed. If you run after hope, you 
 will never have a hope good for anything. But if you pursue 
 holiness, hope, and peace, and joy, will come of course. 
 Is your religion the love of holiness, the love of God and of 
 souls? Or is it only a hope ? 
 
 IX. You see why it is that anxious sinners do nqt find 
 peace. 
 
 They are looking at their own guilt and danger. They 
 ire regarding God as an avenger, and shrinking from his 
 terrors. This will render it impossible they should ever 
 some at peace. While looking at the wrath of God, mak- 
 ing them wither and tremble, they cannot love him, they 
 liide from him. Anxious sinners, let me tell you a secret, 
 [f you keep looking at that feature of God's character, it 
 trill drive you to despair, and that is inconsistent with true 
 submission. You should look at his whole character, and 
 tee the reasons why you should love him, and throw your- 
 self upon him without reserve, and without distrust ; and 
 instead of shrinking from him, come right to him, and 
 say, "0, Father in heaven, thou art not inexorable, thou 
 art sovereignty, but thou art good, I submit to thy govern* 
 
SELFISHNESS NOT TRUE RELIGION. 269 
 
 ment, and give myself to thee, with all I have and all lam, 
 body and soul, for time and for eternity." 
 
 The subject for the next lecture will be, the distinc- 
 tion between legal submission and gospel submission, or 
 between the religion of the law and the religion of faith. 
 And here let me observe, that when I began to preach on 
 the subject of selfishness in religion, I did not dream that 
 it would be regarded by any one as a controversial subject 
 at all. I have no fondness for controversy, and I should as 
 soon think of calling the doctrine of the existence of God 
 a controversial subject, as this. The question is one of the 
 greatest importance, and we ought to weigh the argu- 
 ments, and decide according to the word of God. Soon 
 we shall go together to the bar of God, and you must de- 
 termine whether you wiU go there with selfishness in your 
 hearts, or with that disinterested benevolence that seeketh 
 not her own. — Will you now be honest ? For as God is 
 true, if you are seeking your own, you will soon be in 
 hell, unless you repent. be honest I and lay aside preju- 
 dice, and act for eternity. 
 
XV. 
 
 RELIGION OF THE LAW AND GOSPEL. 
 
 Wbit shall ire say then T That the Gcntllea, which followed not after rfghteou 
 ness, have attained to righteoaBness, even the righteonsneBa which 1b of 
 faith ; hut Israel, which followed after the law of righteonsncBB, hath not at- 
 tained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore ? Because they Sought it 
 not hy faith, but'as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at 
 that stumbling-stone ; as it is written. Behold 1 lay in Sion a stumbling-stone, 
 and rock-of offence ; and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 
 —Bom. Ix. 30—33. 
 
 IN the Epistle to the Eomans, the apostle pursues a, sys- 
 tematic course of reasoning, to accomplish a particu- 
 lar design. In the beginning of it, he proves that not 
 only th^ Gentiles, but the Jews also, were in a state of en- 
 tire depravity ; and that the Jews were not, as they vainly 
 Imagined, naturally holy. He then introduces the Moral 
 Law, and by explaining it, shows that by works of law no 
 flesh could be saved. His next topic is Justification by 
 Faith, in opposition to Justification by Law. Here I wift 
 observe, in passing, that it is my design to make this tht 
 subject of my next lecture. The next subject, with which 
 he begins chap, vi., is to show that sanctification is by faith; 
 or that all true religion, all the acceptable obedience there 
 ever was in the world, is based on faith. In the eighth 
 and ninth chapters, he introduces the subject of divine 
 sovereignty ; and in the last part of the ninth chapter, ho 
 sums up the whole matter, and asks, " What shall we say 
 then ?" What shall we say of all this ?— That the Gen- 
 tiles who never thought of the law, have become pious, 
 and obtained the holiness which is by faith ; but the Jews 
 attempting it by the law, have entirely failed. Where- 
 fore ? Because they made the fatal mistake of attempting 
 
BELiaiON OP THE LAW AND GOSPEL. 271 
 
 to become pious by obeying the law, and bave always come 
 short, while the Gentiles have obtained true religion, by 
 faith in. Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is here called " that 
 stumbling-stone," because the Jews were so opposed to 
 him. But whosoever believeth in him shall not be con- 
 founded. 
 
 My design to-night is, to point out as distinctly as 1 
 can, the true distinction between the religion of law and 
 the religion of faith. I shall proceed in the following 
 order ; 
 
 I. Show in what the distinction does not consist. 
 
 II. Show in whai it does consist. 
 
 in. Bring forward some specimens of both, to show 
 more plainly in what they differ. 
 
 I. I am to show in what the distinction between the 
 religion of law and the religion of faith does not consist. 
 
 1. The difference does not lie in the fact, that under 
 the law men were justified by works, without faith. The 
 method of salvation in . both dispensations has been the 
 same. Sinners were^yays justified by fait h. The Jew- 
 ish dispensation pointed to a Saviour to come, and if men 
 were saved at all, it was by faith in Christ. And sinners 
 now are saved in the same way. 
 
 2. Not in the fact that the gospel has cancelled or set 
 aside the obligations of the moral law . It is true, it has 
 set aside the claims of the ceremonial law, or law of Moses. 
 The ceremonial law was nothing but a set of types point- 
 ing to the Saviour, and was set aside, of course, when the 
 great anti-type appear-ed. It is now generally admitted by 
 all believers, that the gospel has not set aside the moral 
 Jaw. But that doctrine has been maintained in different 
 ages of the^ church. Many have maintained that the gos- 
 pel has set aside the moral law, so that believers are under 
 no obligation to obey it. Such was the doctrine of the 
 Nicolaitans, so severely reprobated by Christ. The An- 
 
272 RELIGflON OF THE LAW AND GOSPEU 
 
 tinomians, in the days of the apostles and since, heliered 
 that they were without any obligation to obey the moral 
 law; and held that Christ's righteousness was eo imputed 
 to believers, and that he had so fulfilled the law for them 
 that they were under no obligation to obey it themselves. 
 
 There have been many, in modern times, called Per- 
 fectionists, who held that they were not under obligation 
 to obey the law. They suppose that Christ has delivered 
 them froin the law, and given them the Spirit, and that 
 the leadings of the Spirit are now to be their rule of life, 
 instead of the law of God, Where the Bible says, sin shall 
 not have dominion over believers, these persons understand 
 by it, that the same acts, which would be sin if done by an 
 unconverted person, are not sin in them. The others, 
 they say, are under the law, and so bound by its rules, but 
 themselves are sanctified, and are in Christ, and if they 
 break the law it is no sin. But all such notions must be 
 radically wrong. God has no right to give up the moral 
 law. He cannot discharge us from the duty of love to God 
 and love to man, for this is right in itself. And unless 
 God will alter the whole moral constitution of the uni- 
 verse, so as to make that right which is wrong, he cannot 
 give up the claims of the moral law. Besides, this doc- 
 trine represents Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost as having 
 taken up arms openlyiagaihst the government of God. 
 
 3. The distinction between law religion and gospel 
 religion does not consist in the fact that the gospel is any 
 less strict in its claims, or allows any greater latitude of 
 self-indulgence than the law. Not only does the gospel 
 not cancel the obligations of the moral law, but it does in 
 no degree abate them. Some people talk about gcfgpel 
 liberty ; as though they had got a new rule of life, less 
 strict, and allowing more liberty than the law. I admit 
 that it has provided a newmethod of justification, but it 
 every where insists that the rule of life is the same with 
 
BEUGION OF THE LAW AND GOSPEL. 273 
 
 the law. The very first sentence of the g;ospel, the com- 
 mand to repent, is in efEect a re-enactment of the law, for 
 it is a command to return to obedience. The idea that 
 the liberty of the gospel differs from the liberty of the law 
 is erroneous. 
 
 4. Neither does the distinction consist in the fact that 
 those called legalists, or who have a legal religion, do, 
 either by profession or in fact, depend on their own works 
 for justification. It is not often the case, at least in our 
 day, that legalists do profess dependence on their own 
 works, for there are few so ignorant as not to know that 
 this is directly in the face of the gosfel. Nor is it neces- 
 sarily the case that they really depend on their own works. 
 Often they really depend on Christ for salvation. But 
 their dependence is false dependence, such as they have no 
 right to have. They depend on him; but they make it 
 manifest that their faith, or dependence, is not that which 
 actually " worketh by love, " or that " purifieth the heart, ' 
 or that " overeometh the wo'rld." It is a simple matter- of 
 fact that the faith which they have does not do what the 
 faith does which men must have in order to be saved, and 
 BO it is not the faith of the gospel. They have a kind of 
 faith, but not that kind that makes men real Christians, 
 and brings them under the terms of the gospel. 
 
 II. I am to mention some of the particulars in which 
 these two kinds of religion differ. 
 
 There are several different classes of persons who mani- 
 festly have a legal religion. There are some who really 
 profess to depend on their own works for salvation. Such 
 were the pharisees. The Hicksite Quakers formerly took 
 this ground, and maintained that men were to be justified 
 by works ; setting aside entirely justification by faith. 
 When I speak of works, I mean workt of law. And here I 
 want yon to distinguish between works-of law and works 
 of faith. This is the grand distinctiou to be kept in view 
 
274 RELIGION OP THE LAW AND QOSPEU 
 
 It is between workp produced by legal considerations, and 
 those produced by faith. There are but two principles on 
 which bbedience to any government can turn : One is the 
 principle of hope and fear, under the influence of con- 
 science. Consciences points out, what is right or wrong, 
 and the individual is induced by hope and fear to obey. 
 The other principle is confidence and love. You see this 
 illustrated in families, where one child always obeys from 
 hope and fear, and another from affectionate confidence. 
 So in the government of God, the only thing that ever 
 produces even the appearance of obedience, is one of these 
 two principles. 
 
 There is a multitude of things that address our hopes 
 and fears ; such as character, interest, heaven, and hell, 
 etci These may produce external obedience, or conformity 
 to the law. But filial confidence leads men to obey God 
 from love, ^his is ,the only obedience that is acceptable 
 to God.^ God not only requires a certain course of oon- 
 d»ct, but that this should spring from love. There never 
 was and never can be, in the govemineHt of God, any ac- 
 ceptable obedience but the obedience of faith. Some sup- 
 pose that faith will be done away in heaven. This is a 
 strange notion. As if there were no occasion to trust God" 
 in heaven, or no reason to exercise confidence in him. 
 Here is the great distinction between the religion of law 
 and gospel religion. Legal obedience is influenced by hope 
 and fear, and is hypocritical, selfish, outward, constrained. 
 Gospel obedience is from love, and is sincere, free, cheer- 
 ful, true. There is a class of legalists, who depend on 
 works of law for justification, who have merely deified 
 What they call a principle of right, and have set themselves 
 to do right ; it is not out of respect to the law of God, or 
 out of love to God, but just because it is right. 
 
 There is another distinction here. The religion of law 
 is the religion of purposes, or desires, founded on legal 
 
RELiaiON OF THE LAW AND QOSPEU 278 
 
 considerations, and not the religion of preference, or love 
 to Qod. The individual intends to put ofi his sins ; he 
 purposes to obey God and be religious ; but his purpose 
 does not grow out of love to God, but out of hope and 
 fear. It is easy to see that a purpose, founded on such 
 considerations, is yerj difEerent from a purpose growing 
 out of love. But the religion of the gospel is not a pur- 
 pose merely, but an actual preference consisting in love. 
 
 Again, there is a class of legalists that depend on Christ, 
 but their dependence is not gospel dependence, because 
 the works which it produces are works of law ; that is, 
 from hope and fear, not from love. Gospel dependence 
 may produce, perhaps, the very same outward works, but 
 the motives are- radically different. The legalist drags on 
 a painful, irksome, moral, and perhaps, outwardly, reli- 
 gious life. The gospel believer has an affectionate confi- 
 dence in God, which leads him to obey out of love. Hie 
 obedience is prompted by his own feelings. Instead of 
 being dragged to duty, he goes to it cheerfully, because he 
 loves it, and doing it is a delight to his soul. 
 
 There is another point. The legalist expects to be jus- 
 tified by faith, but he has not learned that he must be 
 sanctified by faith. I propose to examine this 'poi tit an- 
 other time, in full. Modern legalists do not expect to be 
 justified by works ; they know these are inadequate — they 
 know that the way to be saved is by Christ. But they 
 have no practical belief that justification by faith is only 
 true, as sanctification by faith is true, and that men are 
 justified by faith only, as they are first sanctified by faith. 
 And therefore, while they expect to l^e justified by faith, 
 they set themselves to perform works that are works of 
 
 law. 
 
 Again : I wish you to observe that the two classes maj 
 agree in these poiut;S ; the necessity of good works, and, 
 theoretically, in what constitutes good works; that i% 
 
276 REUaiON OF THE LAW AND GOSPEL. 
 
 obedience springing from love to God. And further, thej 
 may agree in aiming to perform good works of this kind. 
 But the difEerence lies here — in the different influences to 
 which they look, to enable them to perform good works. 
 The considerations by which. they expect their minds to be 
 affected, are different. They look to different sources for 
 motives. And the true Christian alone succeeds in actually 
 performing good works. The legalist, aiming to perform 
 good works, influenced by hope and fear, and a selfish re- 
 gard to his own interest, obeying the voice of conscience 
 because he is afraid to do otherwise, falls entirely short of 
 loving God with all his heart, and soul, and strength. 
 The motives under which he acts have no tendency to 
 bring him to the obedience of love. The true Christian, 
 on the contrary, so appreciates God, so perceives and un- 
 derstands God's character, in Christ, as begets such an 
 affectionate confidence in God, that he finds it easy to obey 
 from love. Instead of finding it, as a hymn has strangely 
 represented, 
 
 " Hard to obey, and harder etill to lova," 
 
 he finds it no hardship at all. The commandments are 
 not grievous. The yoke is easy, and the burden light 
 And he finds the ways of wisdom to be ways of pleasant, 
 ness, and all her paths to be peace. 
 
 Is it so with most professors of religion ? Is it so with 
 you ? Do you feel, in your religious duties constrained by 
 love ? Are you drawn by such strong cords of love, that 
 it would give you more trouble to omit duty than to obey f 
 Do your affections flow out in such a strong current to 
 God, that you cannot but obey ? How is it with those in- 
 dividuals who find it "hard to obey, and harder still to 
 love?" What is the matter? Ask that wife who loveg 
 her husband, if she finds it hard to try to please h«r hus- 
 band I Suppose she answers, in a solemn tone, " yes, I 
 
RELIGION OF THE LAW AND GOSPEL. 277 
 
 find it hard to obey and harder still to loye my husband," 
 what would the husband thint ? What would any one of 
 you who are parents say, if you should hear one of your 
 children complaining, " I find it harder to obey my father, 
 and harder still to love ? " The truth is, there is a radical 
 defect in the religion of those people who love such ex- 
 pressions and live as if they were true. If any one of you 
 find religion a painful thing, rely on it, you have the relig- 
 ion of the law. Did you ever find it a painful thing to do 
 what you love to do ? No. It is a pleasure to do it The 
 religion of the gospel is no labor to them that exercise it. 
 It is the feeling of the heart. What would you do in hea- 
 ven, i£ religion is such a painful thing here ? — Suppose 
 you were taken to heaven and obliged to grind out just so 
 much religion every week, and month and year, to eternity. 
 What sort of a heaven would it be to you ? Would it be 
 heaven, or would it be hell ? — If you were required to have 
 ten thousand times as much as you have here, and your 
 whole life were to be filled up with this, and nothing else 
 to do or enjoy but an eternal round of such duties, would 
 not hell itself be a respite to you ? 
 
 The difference, then, lies here. One class are striving 
 to be religious from hope and fear, and under the influence 
 of conscience which lashes them if they do not do their 
 duty. The other class act from love to God, and the im- 
 pulses of their own feelings, and know what the text 
 means, which says, "I will put my law in their inward 
 parts, and write it on their hearts, I will be their God, and 
 they shall be my people." 
 
 ill. I wUl give some specimens of these two classes, by 
 way of illustration. 
 
 The first example I shall give is that of the apostle Paul, 
 as he has recorded it in the 7th of Komans, where he ex- 
 hibits the struggle to obey the law, under the influence of 
 Uw alone. [Here Mr. Finney proceeded, at a considenr 
 
278 EELIQION OF THE LAW AND GOSPEL. 
 
 ble length, to comment on tlie 7th chapter of Romans, but 
 as he has since concluded to give a separate lecture on that 
 subject, these remarks are omitted here. 'He showed how 
 Paul had struggled, and labored, under the motives of law, 
 until he absolutely despaired of help from that quarter ; 
 and how, when the gospeLwas brought to view, the chain 
 was broken, and he found it easy to obey. He then pro- 
 ceeded.] 
 
 Ton may see the same in the experience of almost any 
 convicted sinner, after he has become truly converted. 
 He was convictedj the law was brought home to his mind, 
 he struggled to fulfil the law, he was in agony, and then 
 he was filled with joy and glory. Why ? He was agonized 
 under the law, he had no rest and no satisfaction, he tried 
 to please God by keeping the law, he went about in pain 
 all "the day, he read the Bible, he tried to pray ; but the 
 Spirit of God was upon him, showing him his sins, and he 
 had iio relief. The more he attempts to help himself the 
 deeper he sinks in despair. All the while his heart is cold 
 and selfish. But now let another principle be introduced, 
 and let him be influenced by love to God. The same Holy 
 Spirit is upon him, showing him the same sins that grieved 
 and distressed him so before. But now he goes on his 
 knees, his tears flow like water as he confeises his guilt, 
 and his heart melts in joyful relentings, such as cannot be 
 described, but easily understood by them that have felt it. 
 Now he engages in performing the same duties that he 
 tried before. But, 0, how changed ! ' The Spirit of .God 
 has broken his chains, and now he loves God and is filled 
 with joy aud peace in believing. 
 
 The same thing is seen in many prpfessors of religion, 
 who find religion a painful thing. They have much con- 
 viction, and perhaps much of what they call religion, but 
 their minds are chiefly filled with doubts and fears, doubts 
 and fears all the time. By and by, perhaps, that same 
 
RELIGION OP THE LAW AXD GOSPEL. 279 
 
 professor will come oiifc, all at once, a different character. 
 His religion now is not all complaints and sighs, but tha 
 love of God fills his heart, and he goes cheerfully and hap- 
 pily to his duty ; and his soul is so light and happy in God, 
 that Ije floats in an ocean of love and joy, and the peace 
 that fills him is like a river. 
 
 Here, then, is the difEerence between the slavery of law 
 and the liberty of the gospel. The liberty of the gospel 
 does not consist in being freed from doing what the law 
 requires, but in a man's being in such a state of mind that 
 doing it is itself a pleasure instead of a burden. What is 
 the difference between slavery atid freedom ? The slave 
 serves because he is obliged to do so, the freeman serves 
 from choice. The man who is under the bondage of law 
 does duty because conscience thunders in his ears if he 
 does not obey, and he hopes to go to heaven if he does. 
 The man who is in the liberty of the gospel does the same 
 things because he loves to do them. One ig influenced by 
 selfishness, the other by disinterested benevolence. 
 
 EBMABKS, 
 
 I. You can easily see, that if we believe the words and 
 actions of most professors of religion, they have made a 
 mistake ; and that they have the religion of law, and not 
 gospel religion. They are not constrained by the love of 
 Christ, but moved ,by hopes and fears, and by the com- 
 mandments of God. They have gone no farther in religion 
 than to be convicted sinners. Within the last year, I have 
 witnessed the regeneration of so many professors of relig- 
 ion, that I am led to fear that great multitudes in, the 
 church are yet under the law ; and although they profess 
 to depend on Christ for salvation, their faith is npt that 
 which works by love. 
 
 II. Some persons are all faith without works. These 
 are Antinomians. Others are all works and no faith ; 
 
280 EELIGION OP THE LAW AND OOSPBL 
 
 these are legalists. In all ages qi the church, men hare 
 inclined first to one of these extremes, and then over to 
 the other. Sometimes they are settled down on their lees, 
 pretending to be all faith, and waiting God's time ; then 
 they get roused up, and dash on in works, without regard 
 to the motive from which they act. 
 
 in. You see the true character of those professors of 
 reUgion who are for ever crying out " Legality ! " as soon 
 as they are pressed up to holiness. When I first began to 
 preach, I found this spirit in many places ; so that the 
 moment Christians were urged up to duty, the cry would 
 rise, This is legal preaching-^do preach the gospel ; salva- 
 tion is by faith, not by duty ; you ought to comfort saints, 
 not distress them. AH this w^s nothing but ^-ank Anti- 
 homianism. 
 
 On the other hand, the same class of churches now 
 complain, if you preach faith to them, and show them what 
 is the true nature of gospel faith. They now want to do 
 something, and insist that no preaching is good that does 
 not ^cite them, and stir them up to good works. They 
 are all for doing, doing, doing, and will be dissatisfied, with 
 preaching that discrimihates between true and false faith, 
 and urges obedience of the heart, out of love to God. The 
 Antinomians wait foj: God to produce right feelings in 
 them. The Legalists undertake to get right feelings by 
 going to work. It is true that going to work is the way, 
 when the church feels right, to perpetuate and cherish 
 right feelings. But it is not the way. to get right feeling, : 
 m the first place, to dash right into the work, without any 
 regard to the motives of the heart. ^ 
 
 IV. Eeal Christians are a stumWlng-block to both 
 parties ; to those who wait God's time and do nothing, and 
 to those whrf bustle about with no faith. The true Christian" 
 acts under such a love to God and to his fellow man, atfd 
 he labors to pull sinners out of the fire with such earnest- 
 
RELIGION OF THE LAW A^ND GOSPEL. 281 
 
 ness, that the waiting party cry out, "Oh, he is getting up 
 an excitement ; he is going to work in his own strength ; 
 he does not belieye itl the necessity of divine influences ; 
 we ought to feel our dependence ; let us wait God's time, 
 and not try to get up a revival without God." So they sit 
 down and fold their hands, and sing, " We feel our depend- 
 ence, we feel our dependence ; wait God's time ; we do not 
 trust in our own works." On the other hand, the legalists, 
 when once they get roused to bustle about, will not see but 
 their religion is the same with the real Christian's. They 
 make as strenuous outward efEorts, and suppose themselves 
 to be actuated by the same spirit. 
 
 You will rarely see a revival, in which this does not 
 show itself. If the body of the church are awakened to 
 duty, and have the spirit of prayer and zeal for the conver- 
 sion of sinners, there will be some who sit still and com- 
 plain that the church are depending-on their own strength, 
 and others very busy and noisy, but without any feeling 
 while the third class are so full of love and compassion to 
 sinners that they can hardly eat or sleep, and yet so hum- 
 ble and tender that you would imagine they felt themselves 
 to be nothing. The legalist, with his dry zeal, makes a 
 great noise, deceives himself, perhaps, and thinks he is 
 acting just like a Christian. But mark I The true Chris- 
 tian is stirring and active in the service of Christ, but 
 moves with the holy fire that burns within his bosom. 
 The legalist depends on some protracted meeting, or some 
 other influence from without, to excite him to do his 
 duty, 
 
 V. You see why the religion of some persons is so 
 steady and uniform, and that of others, is so fitful and 
 evanescent. You will find some individuals, who seem to 
 be always engaged in religion. Talk to them any time, 
 on the Bilbjeot, and their souls will kindle. Others are 
 awake only now and then. OncA in a while you may find 
 
282 RELIGION OP THk LAW AND GOSPEL. 
 
 them full of zeal. The truth is, when one has the anoint- 
 ing that abides, he has something that is durable. But if 
 his religion is only that of the law, he will only have just 
 so mTich of it as he has of conviction at the present mo- 
 ment, and his religion will be fitful aud evanescent,- of 
 course. 
 
 VI. You see why some are so anxious to get to heaven, 
 while others are so happy here. There are some, who 
 have such a love for souls, and such a desire to have Christ's 
 kingdom built upon earth, that they are perfectly happy 
 here, and willing to live and labor for God, as long as he 
 chooses to have them. Nay, if they were sent to hell, and 
 permitted to labor there for souls, they would be happy. 
 While others talk as if people were never to expect true 
 enjoyment in this life ; but when they get to heaven, they 
 expect to be happy. One class have no enjoyment but in 
 hope. The other has already the reality, the very sub- 
 stance of heaven begun in the soul. 
 
 Now, beloved, I have as particularly as I could in the 
 time, pointed out to you the distinction between the relig- 
 ion of the law and the religion of the gospel. And now, 
 what religion have you ? True religion is always the same, 
 and consists in disinterested love to' God and man. Have 
 you' that kind of religion ? Or have you the kind that con- 
 sists, not in disinterested love, but in the pursuit of happi- 
 ness as the great end. W^ich have you ? The fruits of 
 the Spirit are Wve, joy, peace. There is no condemnation 
 of such ' religion. But if any man have not the spirit of 
 Christ, he is none of his. Now, don't make a mistake 
 here, and suffer yourselves to go down to hell with a lie in 
 your right hand, because you have the religion of the law. 
 The Jews failed here, while the Gentiles attained true holi- 
 ness by the gospel. 0, how many are deceived, and are 
 acting under legal considerations, while they know nothing 
 of the real religion of the gospel I 
 
XVI. 
 
 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 bowing tbat a man is not justified by the works of the lavrbnt b; the faith el 
 JesDS Christ, even we have beliered in Jesas Christ, that we might be ]aB- 
 tifled b7 the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law ; for by the 
 works of the law shall no flesh be jnstifled, — Gal ii, 16. 
 
 THIS last sentiment is expressed in the same terms, in 
 the third chapter of Eomans. The suhject of the 
 present lecture, as I announced last week, is Justification 
 by Faith. The order which I propose to pursue in the dis- 
 cussion is this : 
 
 I. Show what justification by law, or legal justiiication 
 is. 
 
 II. Show that by the deeds of the law no fiesh can be 
 justified. 
 
 in. Show what gospel justification is. 
 
 IV. Show what is the effect of gospel justification, or 
 the state into which it brings a person that is justified. 
 
 V. Show that gospel justification is by faith. 
 
 VI. Answer some inquiries which arise in many minds 
 on this subject. 
 
 I. I am to show what legal justification is. 
 
 1. In its general legal sense it means not guilty. To 
 justify an indi\"idual in this sense, is to declare that he is 
 not guilty of any breach of the law. lb is affirming that 
 he has committed no crime. It is pronouncing him in- 
 nocent. 
 
 2. More technically, it is a form of pleading to a charge 
 of crime, where the individual who is charged admits the 
 fact, but brings forward an excuse, on which he claims that 
 ae h"!d a right to do as he did, or thaf he is not blame- 
 
284 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 wotthy. Thus, if a person is charged with murder, the 
 plea of justification admits that he killed the man, but 
 alleges either that it was done in self-defence and he had 
 a right to kill him, or that it was by unavoidable accident, 
 and he could not help it. In either cage, the plea of justi- 
 fication admits the fact, but denies the guilt, on the ground 
 of a suflScient excuse. 
 
 II. I am to show that by the deeds of the law there shall 
 no fiesh be justified. And this is true under either form 
 of justification. 
 
 1. Under the first, or general form of justification. In 
 this case, the burden of proof is on the accuser, who is held 
 to prove the facts charged. And in this case, he only needs 
 to prove that a crime has been committed once. If it is 
 proved once, the individual is guilty. He cannot be jus- 
 tified, in this way, by the law. He is found guilty. It is 
 not available for him to urge that he has done more good 
 than hurt, or that he has kept God's law longer than he 
 has broken it, but he must make it out that he has fulfilled 
 every jot and tittle of the law. Who can be justified by the 
 law in this way ? No one. 
 
 2. Nor under the second, or technical form of justifi- 
 cation. In this case, the burden of proof lies on him who 
 makes the plea. When he pleads in justification he admits 
 
 , the f acj; alleged, and therefore he must make good his excuse, 
 or fail. There are two points to be regarded. The thing 
 pleaded as an excuse must he true, and it must be a good 
 and suflBcient excuse or justification, not a frivolous apol- 
 ogy, or one that does not meet the case. If it is not true, 
 or if it is insufiBcient, and especially if it reflects on the 
 court or government, it is an infamous aggravation of hie 
 offence. You will see the bearing of this remark, by 
 and by. 
 
 I will now mention some of the prominent reasons which 
 sinners are in the habit of pleading as a justification, and 
 
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 286 
 
 will show what is the true nature and bearing of these ex- 
 cuses, and the light in which they stand before God. I 
 have not time to name all these pleas, but will only refer 
 to two of each of the classes I have described^ those which 
 are good if true, and those which are true but unaviling. 
 
 (1.) Sinners often plead their sinful nature, as a justi- 
 fication. 
 
 This excuse is a good one, if it is true. If it is true, as 
 they pretend, that God has given them a nature which is 
 itself sinful, and the necessary actings of their nature are 
 sin, it is a good excuse for sin, and in the face of heaven 
 and earth, and at the day of judgment, will be a good plea 
 in justification. God must annihilate the reason of all the 
 rational universe, before they will ever blame you for sin 
 if God made yon sin, or if he gave yon a nature that is it- 
 self sinful. How can your nature be sinful ? What is sin ? 
 Sin is a transgression of the law. There is no other sin but 
 this. Now, does the law say you must not have such a 
 nature as you have ? Nothing like it. 
 
 The fact is, this doctrine overlooks the distinction be- 
 tween sin and the occasion of sin. The bodily appetites 
 and constitutional susceptibilities of body and mind, when 
 strongly excited, become the occasion of sin. So it was 
 with Adam. No one will say that Adam had a sinful na- 
 ture. But he had, by his constitution, an appetite for 
 food and a desire for knowledge. These were not sinful, 
 but were as God made them, and were necessary to fit him 
 to live in this world as a subject of God's moral govern- 
 ment; but being strongly excited, as you know, led to 
 prohibited indulgence, and thus became the occasions of 
 his sinning against God. They were innocent in themselves, 
 but he yielded to them in a sinful manner, and that was 
 his sin. When the sinner talks about his sinful nature as 
 a justification, he confounds these innocent appetites and 
 susceptibilities, with sin itself. By so doing, he in fact, 
 
286 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 charges God foolishly, and accuses him of giving him a 
 sinful nature, when in fact his nature, in all its elements, 
 is essential to moral agency, and God has made it as well 
 as it could be made, and perfectly adapted to the circum- 
 stances in which he lives in this world. The truth is., 
 man's nature is all right, and is as well fitted to love and 
 obey God as to hate and disobey him. Sinner ! the day is 
 not far distant, when it will be known whether this is a 
 good excuse or not. Then you will see whether you can 
 face your Maker down in this way ; and When he charges 
 you with sin, turn round and throw the blame back upon 
 him. 
 
 Do you inquire what influence Adam's sin has then had 
 in producing the sin of his posterity f I answer, it has 
 subjected them to aggravated temptation, but has by no 
 means rendered their nature iii itself sinful. 
 
 3. Another excuse coming under the same class, is ina- 
 bility. This also is a good excuse if it is true. If sinners' 
 are really unable to obey God, this is a good plea in justi- 
 fication. When you are charged with sin, in not obeying 
 the laws of God, you have only to show, if you can, by good 
 proof, that 'God has required what you were not able to 
 perform, and the whole intelligent universe will resound 
 with the verdict of " not guilty." If you have not natural 
 power to obey God, they must give this verdict, or cease to 
 be reasonable beings. For it is a first law of reason, that 
 no being has a right to do what he has no power to do. 
 
 Suppose God Should require you to undo something 
 which you have done. This, every one will see, is a nat- 
 ural impossibility. Now, are you to blame for not doing 
 it ? Ctod requires repentance of past sins,, and not that ' 
 you should undo them, Now, suppose it was your duty, 
 on the first of January, to warn a certain individual, who 
 is now dead. Are you under obligation -to warn that indi-^ 
 vidual ? No. That is an impossibility. All that God 
 
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 287 
 
 can now require is, that you should repent. It never can 
 be your duty, now, to warn that sinner. God may hold 
 you responsible for not doing your duty to him when it was 
 in your power. But it would be absurd to make it your 
 duty to do what is not in your power to do. 
 . This plea being false, and throwing the blame of tryanny 
 on God, is an infamous aggravation of the offence. If God 
 requires you to do what you have no power to do, it is 
 tyranny. And what God requires is on penalty of eternal 
 death — he threatens an infinite penalty for not -doing what 
 you have no power to do, and so he is an infinite tyrant. 
 This plea, then, charges God with infinite tyranny, and is 
 not only insufficient for the sinner's justification, but is a 
 •vhorrible aggravation of his offence. 
 
 Let us vary the case a little. Suppose God requires 
 you to repent for not doing what you never had natural 
 ability to do. Ton must either repent, then, of not doing 
 what you had no natural power to do, or you must go to 
 hell. Now, yon can neither repent of this, nor can he 
 make you repent of it. What is repentance ? It is to 
 blame yourself and justify God. But if you had no power, 
 you can do neither. It is a natural impossibility that a 
 rational being should ever blame himself for not doing what 
 he is conscious he had not power to do. Nor can you justify 
 God. Until the laws of mind are reversed, the verdict of 
 all intelligent beings must pronounce it infinite tyranny to 
 require that which there is no power to perfojm. 
 
 Suppose God should call you to account, and require 
 you to repent for not flying. By what process can he 
 make you blame yourself for not flying, when you are con- 
 scious that yon have no wings, and no power to fly ? If 
 he could cheat you into the belief that you had the power, 
 and make you believe a lie, then you might repent. But 
 what sort of a way is that for God to take with his crea- 
 tures ? 
 
288 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITR 
 
 What do you mean, sinner, by bringing such an ex- 
 cuse ? Do you mean to have it go, that you have never 
 sinned ? It is a strange contradiction you make, when 
 ■ you admit that you ought to repent, and in the next brjsath 
 say you have no power to repent. You ought to take 
 your ground, one way or the other. If you mean to rely 
 on this excuse, come out with it in full, and take your 
 ground before God's bar, and say, " Lord I am not going 
 to repent at all — I am not under any obligation to repen^, 
 for I have not power to obey thy law, and therefore I plead 
 not guilty absolutely, for I have never sinned I " 
 
 In which of these ways can any one of you be justified? 
 Will you, dare you, take ground on this excuse, and throw 
 back the blame upon God ? 
 
 3. Another excuse which sinners offer for their con- 
 tinued impenitence is their wicked heart. 
 
 This excuse is true, but it is not sufficient. The first 
 two that I mentioned, you recplTect, were good if they had 
 been true, but they were false. This is true, but is no ex- 
 cuse. What is a wicked heart ? It is not the bodily organ 
 which we call tbe heart, but the afEection of the soul, the 
 wicked disposition, the wicked feelings, the actings of the 
 mind. If these will justify you, they will justify the devil' 
 himself. Has he-not as wicked a heart as you have ? Sup- 
 pose you had committed murder, and you should be put on 
 trial and plead this plea. " It is true," you would say, "I 
 killed the man but then I have such a-thirst for blood, and 
 such a hatred of "mankind, that I cannot help committing 
 murder, whenever I have an opportunity." " Horrible !" 
 the judge would exclaim, " Horrible I Let the gallows be 
 set up immediately, and let this fellow be hung before I 
 leave the bench ; such a wretch ought not^o live an hour. 
 Such a plea ! Why, that is the very reason he ought to be 
 hung, if he has such a thirst for blood, that no man is 
 >afe." Such is the sinner's plea of a wicked heart in justi- 
 
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 289 
 
 fication of sin. *' Out of thine own month will I condemn 
 thee, thou wicked servant." 
 
 4. Another great excuse which people make is, the con- 
 duct of Christians. 
 
 Ask many a man among your neighbors why he is not 
 religious, and he will point you at once to the conduct of 
 Christians as his excuse. " These Christians," he will say, 
 " are no better than anybody else ; when I see them live 
 as they profess, I shall think it time for me to attend to 
 religion." Thus he is hiding behind the sins of Christians. 
 He shows that he knows how Christians ought to live, and 
 therefore he cannot plead that he has sinned through igno- 
 rance. But what does it amount to as a ground of justi- 
 fication ? I admit the fact that Christians behave very 
 badly, and do much that is entirely contrary to their pro- 
 fession. But is that a good excuse for you ? So far from 
 it, this is itself one of the strongest reasons why you ought 
 to be religious. You know so well how Christians ought 
 to live, you are bound to show an example. If you hau 
 followed them ignorantly because you did not know any 
 better, and had fallen into sin in that way, it would be a 
 different case. But the plea, as it stands, shows that you 
 knew they are wrong, which is the very reason why you 
 ought to be right, and exert a better influence than they 
 do. Instead of following them, and doing wrong because 
 they do, you ought to break off from them, and rebuke 
 them, and priay for them, and try to lead them in a better 
 way. This excuse, then, is true in fact, but unavailing in 
 justification. You only make it an excuse for charging 
 God foolishly, and instead of clearing you, it only adds to 
 your dreadful, damning guilt. A fine plea this, to get 
 behind some deacon, or some elder in the church, and 
 there shoot your arrows of malice and cavilling at God ! 
 
 Who among you, then, can be justified by the law ? 
 Who has kept it ? Who has got a good excuse for break- 
 
290 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 ing it ? Who dare go to the bar of God on these pleaa, 
 and face his Maker with such apologies ? 
 
 III. I am to show what gospel justification is. 
 
 First — ^Negatiyely. 
 
 1. Gospel justification is not the imputed righteousness 
 of Jesus Christ. 
 
 Under the gospel, sinners are not justified by; having 
 the obedience of Jesus Christ set down to their account, as 
 if he had obeyed the law for them, or in their stead. It is 
 not an uncommon mistake to suppose, that when sinners 
 are justified under the gospel, they are accounted righteous 
 in the eye of the law, by having the obedience or righteous- 
 ness of Christ imputed to them. I have not time to enter 
 into an examination of this subject now. I can only say 
 this idea is- absurd and impossible, for this reason, that 
 Jesus Christ was bound to obey the law for himself, and 
 could no more' perform works of supererogation, or obey 
 on our aeepant, than anybody else. Was it not his duty 
 to love the Lord his God, with all his heart, and soul, and 
 mind, and strength, and to love his neighbor as himself ? 
 Certainly ; and if he had not done so, it would have been 
 sin. The only work of supererogation he could perform 
 was to submit to sufferings that were not deserved. This 
 is called his obedience unto death, and this is set down to 
 our account. But if his obedience of the law is set down 
 to our account, why are we called on to repent and obey 
 the law ourselves ?. Does God exact double service, yes, 
 triple service — ^first to have the law obeyed by the surety 
 for us, then that he must suffer the penalty for us, and then 
 that we must repent and obey ourselves ? No such thing 
 is demanded. It is not required that the obedience of 
 another should be imputed to us. All we owe is perpetual 
 obedience to the law of benevolence. And for this there 
 can be no substitute. If we fail of this, we must endnre 
 the penalty, or receive a free pardon. 
 
JUSTIFICATION BT FAITR 291 
 
 2. Justification by faith does not mean that faith is 
 accepted as a substitute for personal holiness, or that by 
 an arbitrary constitution, faith is imputed to us instead of 
 personal obedience to the law. 
 
 Some suppose that justification, is this, that th^ neces- 
 sity of personal holiness is set aside, and that God arbitra- 
 rily dispenses with the requirement of the law, and imputes 
 faith as a substitute. But this is not the way. Faith is 
 accounted for just what it is, and not something else that 
 it is not. "^Abraham's faith was imputed unto him for 
 righteousness, hecause it was itself an act of righteousness, 
 and because it worked by love, and thus produced holiness. 
 Justifying faith is holiness, so far as it goes, and produces 
 Loliness of heart and life, and is imputed to the believei 
 as holiness, not instead of holiness. 
 
 Nor does justification by faith imply that a sinner is 
 j&stified by faith without good works, or personal holiness. 
 
 Some suppose that justification by faith only, is with- 
 out any regard to good works, or holiness. They have un- 
 derstood this from what Paul has said, where he insists so 
 largely on justification by faith. But it should be borne 
 in mind that Paul was combating the error of the Jews, 
 who expected to be justified by obeying the law. In op- 
 position to this error, Paul in^:ists on it that justification is 
 by faith, without works of law. He does not mean that 
 good works are unnecessary to justification, but that works 
 of law are not good works, because they spring from legal 
 considerations, from hope and fear, and not from faith 
 that works by Iotc. But inasmuch as a false theory had 
 crept into the church on the other side, James took up the 
 matter, and showed them that they had misunderstood 
 Paul. And to show this, he takes the case of Abraham 
 our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac hia 
 son upon the_ altar ? Seest thou how faith wrought with 
 his works, and by works was faith made perfeot ? And the 
 
292 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITfl. 
 
 scripture was fulfilled, which saith, Abraham believed God, , 
 and it was imputed unto him for righteousness : and he 
 was called the Friend of God. Ye see then l^ow that by 
 works a man is justified, and not by faith only." This 
 epistle was supposed to contradict Paul, and some of the 
 ancient churches rejected it on that accounts But they 
 overlooked the fact that Paul was speaking of one kind of 
 works, and James of aiiother. Paul was speaking of wor^ 
 performed from legal motives. But he has everywhere m- " 
 sisted on good works springing from faith, or the righteous- 
 ness of faith, as indispensable to salvation. All that he 
 denies, is that works of law, or works grounded on legal 
 motives, have anythin^f to do in the matter of justification. 
 And James teaches the same thing, when he teaches that 
 men are justified, not by works nor by faith alone, but by 
 faith together with the works of" faith: or as Paul ex- ' 
 presses it, faith that works by love. You will bear in 
 mind that I am speaking of gospel justification, which is 
 very different from legal justification. 
 
 Secondly — Positively. 
 
 4. Gospel Justification, or justification by faith, con- 
 sists in pardon and acceptance with God. 
 
 When we say that men are justified by faith and holi- 
 ness, we do not mean that they are accepted on the ground 
 of law, but that they are treated as if they were righteous, '' 
 on account of their faith and works of faith. This is the 
 method which God takes, in justifying a sinner. Not that 
 faith is the foundation of justification. The foundation ia 
 in Christ. But this is the manner in which sinners are 
 pardoned, and accepted, and justified, that if they repeni^ 
 believe, and become holy, their past sins shall be forgivea,"; 
 for the sake of Christ. 
 
 Here it will be seen how justification under the gospe}. 
 differs from justification under the law. ,Legal justification ^ 
 ia a declaration of actual innocence and freedom from^ 
 
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 293 
 
 blame. Gospel justification is pardon and acceptance, aa 
 if he was righteous, but on other grounds than his own 
 obedience. When the apostle says, " By deeds of law shall 
 no flesh be justified, he uses justification as a lawyfer, in a 
 strictly legal sense. But when he speaks of justification 
 by faith, he speaks not of legal justification, but of a per- 
 son's being treated as if he were righteous. 
 
 IV. I will now proceed to show the effect of this method 
 of justification ; or the state into which it brings those who 
 are justified. 
 
 1. The first item to be observed is, that when an indi- 
 ndual is pardoned, the penalty of the law is released. 
 The first effect of a pardon is to arrest and set aside the 
 execution of the penalty. It admits that the penalty was 
 deserved, but sets it aside. Then, so far as punishment is 
 concerned, the individual has no more to fear from the law, 
 than if he had never transgressed. He is entirely released. 
 Those, then, who are justified by true faith, as soon as they 
 are pardoned, need no more be influenced by fear or pun- 
 ishment. The penalty is as effectually set aside, as if it 
 had never been incurred. 
 
 2. The next effect of pardon is, to remove all the lia- 
 bilities incurred in consequence of transgression, such as 
 forfeiture of goods, or incapacity for being a witness, or 
 holding any office under goverment. A real pardon re- 
 moves all these, and restores the individual back to where 
 he was before he transgressed. So, under the government 
 of God, the pardoned sinner is restored to the favor of 
 God. He is brought back into a new relation, and stands 
 before God and is treated by him, so far as the law is con- 
 cerned, as if he were ihnocent. It does not suppose or de- 
 clare him to be really innocent, but the pardon restores 
 him to the same state as if he were. 
 
 3. Another operation of pardon under God's govern- 
 ment is, that the indivrlual is restored to sonship. In 
 
S94 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 other words,it brings him into such a relation to God, that 
 he is received and treated as really a child of God, 
 
 Suppose the son of a sovereign on the throne had com- 
 mitted murder, and was convicted and condemned to die. 
 A pardon, then, would not only deliver him from death, 
 but restore him to his place in the family. God's children 
 have all gone astray, and entered into the service of the 
 devil ; but the moment a pardon issues to them, they are 
 brought back ; they receive a spirit of adoption, are sealed 
 heirs of God, and restored to all the privileges of children 
 of God. 
 
 4. Another thing effected by justification is to secure 
 all needed grace to rescue themselves fully out of the snare 
 of the devil, and all the innumerable entanglements in 
 which they are involved by gin. 
 
 Beloved, if God were merely to pardon you, and then 
 *eave you to get out of sin as you could by yourselves, of 
 what use would your pardon be to you ? None in the 
 world. If a child runs away from his father's house, and 
 wanders in a forest, and falls into a deep pit, and the father 
 finds him and undertakes to save him ; if he merSly par- 
 dons him for running away, it will be of no use unless he 
 lifts him up from the pit, and leads him out of the forest 
 So in the scheme of redemption, whatever helps and aids 
 you need, are aU guaranteed, if you believe. If God un- 
 dertakes to save you, he pledges all the light and grace and 
 help that are necessary to break the chains of Satan and 
 the entanglements of sin, and leads you back to your 
 Father's house. 
 
 I know when individuals are first broken down under a 
 sense of sin, and their hearts gush out with tenderness, 
 they look over their past lives and feel condemned and see 
 that it is all wrong, and then they break down at God's 
 feet and give themselves away to Jesus Christ ; they rejoice 
 greatly in the idea that they have done with sin. But in 
 
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 295 
 
 a little time they begin to feel the pressure of old habits 
 and former influences, and they see so much to be done 
 Before they overcome them all, that they often get dis- 
 couraged and cry, "0, what shall I do, with so many 
 enemies to meet, and so little strength of resolution or 
 firmness of purpose to overcome them ? " Let me tell"!^^^ 
 you, beloved, that if God has undertaken to save you, you i 
 have only to keep near to him, and he will carry you " 
 through. You need not fear your enemies. Though the 
 heavens should thunder and the earth rock, and the ele- 
 ments melt, you need not tremble, nor fear for enemies 
 without or enemies within. God is for you, and who can 
 be against you ? " Who is he that condemneth ? It is 
 Christ that died; yea, rather that is risen again, who is 
 even at the tight hand of God, who also maketh interces- 
 sion for us." 
 
 5. Justification enlists all the divine attributes in year 
 favor, as much as if you had never sinned. 
 
 See that holy angel, sent on an errand of love to some 
 distant part of the universe. God's eye follows him, and 
 if he sees him likely to be injured in any way, all the di- 
 vine attributes are enlisted at once to protect and sustain 
 him. Just as absolutely are they all pledged for you, if 
 you are justified, to protect, and support, and save you. 
 f Notwithstanding you are not free from remainin gjin^ and 
 •arioso totally unworthy of God's love, yet if you are truly 
 " justified, the only wise and eternal God is pledged for your 
 salvation. And shall you tremble and be faint-hearted 
 with such support ? 
 
 If a human goverment pardons a criminal, it is then \ 
 pledged to protect him as a subject, as much as if he had 
 never committed a crime. So it is when God justifies a 
 sinner. The Apostle says, " Being justified by faith, we 
 have peace with God." Henceforth, God is on his side, 
 and pledged as his faithful and eternal Friend. 
 
296 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 Gospel justification differs from legal justification, ia 
 this respect : If the law justifies an individual, it holds no 
 longer than he remains innocent. As soon as he transgresses > 
 once, his former justification is of no more avail. But 
 when the gospel justifies a sipner, it is not so ; but " if any 
 man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ 
 the righteous." A new relation is now constituted, entirely ' 
 peculiar. The sinner is now brought out from under the 
 covenant of works, and placed under the covenant of grace. 
 He no longer retains God's favor by the tenure of absolute 
 and sinless obedience. If. he sins , now, he is not thrust 
 back again under the law, but receivesTEe benefit of the 
 
 ,jaew covenant If ho is justified by faith, and so made a 
 child of God, he receives the treatment of a child, and is 
 corrected, and chastised, and humbled, and brought back 
 again. " The gifts and callings of God are without repen- 
 tance." The meaning of that is not, that God calls and 
 saves the sinner without his repenting, but that God never 
 changes his mind when once he undertakes the salvation of 
 a gouL 
 
 I know this is thought by some to be very dangeroua 
 doctrine, to teach that believers are perpetually justified — 
 because, say they, it will embolden men to sin. Indeed I 
 To tell a man that has truly repented of sin, and heartily , 
 renounced sin, and sincerely desires to be free from sin, 
 that God will help him and certainly give him the victoiy 
 over sin, will embolden him to commit sin I Strang^logio 1 
 that 1 If this doctrine emboldens any man to commit sin, 
 it only shows that he never did repent ; that ho never nated 
 sin, and never loved God for his own sake, but only feigned 
 repentance, and if he loved God it was only a selfish love, 
 because he thought God was going to do him a favor. If 
 
 . he truly hated sin, the consideration that notwithstanding 
 all his unworthinesB, God had received him as a child, and 
 would give him a child's treatment, ia the very thing to 
 
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 297 
 
 break him down and melt his heart in the most godly sor- 
 Bow. 0, how often has the child of God, melted in ador- 
 ing wonder at the goodness of God in using means to 
 bring him back, instead of sending him to hell, as he de- 
 aerved ! What consideration is calculated to bring him 
 lower in the dust, than the thought that notwithstanding 
 all God had done for him, and the gracious help God was 
 always ready to afford him, he should wander away again, 
 when his name was written in the Lamb's book of life ! 
 
 6. It secures the discipline of the covenant. God has 
 pledged himself that if any who belong to Christ go astray, 
 he will use the discipline of the covenant, and bring them 
 back. In the eighty-ninth psalm, God says, putting David 
 for Christ, " If his children forsake my law, and walk not 
 in my judgments : if they break my statutes, and keep not 
 my commandments ; then will I visit their transgression 
 with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Neverthe- 
 less my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, 
 nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not 
 break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." 
 
 Thus you see that professors of religion may always 
 expect to be more readily visited with God's judgments, if 
 they get out of the way, than the impenitent. The sinner 
 may grow fat,- and live in riches, and have no bands in his 
 death, all according to God's established principles of gov- 
 ernment.- But let a child of God forsake his God, and go 
 after riches or any other worldly object, and as certain as 
 he is a child, God will smite him with his rod. And when 
 he is smitten and brought back, he will say with the Psalm- 
 ist ," It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I 
 might learn thy statutes. Before I was afflicted, I went 
 astray, but now have I kept thy word." Perhaps some of 
 you have known what it is to be afflicted in this way, and to 
 fe*l that it was good. 
 
 7. Another effect of gospel justification is, to insure 
 
298 JUSTIFICATION BT FAITH. 
 
 sanctification. It not only insures all the means of sano 
 tification, tut the actual accomplishment of the work, so 
 that the individual who is truly oonverted, will surely per- 
 severe in obedience till he is fitted for heaven and actually 
 saved. 
 
 V. I am to show that this is justification by faith. 
 
 , Faith is the medium by which the blessing is conveyed 
 to the believer. The proof of this is in the Bible., Th 
 text declares it expressly. " Knowing that a man is no 
 justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesu 
 Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we 
 might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the 
 works of the law : for by the works of the law shall no 
 flesh be justified." The subject is too often treated of in 
 the New Testament to be necessary to go into a labored 
 proof. It is manifest, from the necessity of the case, that 
 if men are saved at all, they must be justified in this way, 
 and not by works of law, for "by the deeds of the law shall 
 no flesh be justified." • 
 
 VI. I will now answer several inquiries which may 
 naturally arise, in your minds, growing out of this subject. 
 
 1. " Why is justification said to be by faith, rather than 
 by repentance, or love, or any other grace." 
 
 Answer. It is no where said that men are justified or 
 saved/or faith, as the ground of their pardon, but only 
 that they are justified ly faith, as the medium or instrn= 
 ment. If it is asked why faith is appointed as the instru-, . 
 ment, rather than any other exercise of the mind, the 
 answer is, because of the nature and effect of faith. No 
 other exercise could be appointed. What is faith ? It ii 
 that confidence in God which leads us to love and obey him. 
 We are therefore justified by faith lecause we are sancti- 
 fied by faith. Faith is the appointed instrument of our 
 justification, because it is the natural instrument of sancti- 
 ficatio'n. It is the instrument of bringing us back to obe- 
 
JUSTIFICATION BT FAITH. 
 
 dience, and therefore is designated as the means of ohtain* 
 ing the blessings of that return. It is not imputed to us, 
 by an arbitrary act, /or what it is not, but for what it is, 
 as the foundation of all real obedience to God. This is 
 the reason why faith is made the medium through which 
 pardon comes. It i^simply set down to us for what it 
 really is ; because it first leads us to obey God, from a 
 principle of love to God. We are forgiTen our sins on ac- 
 count of Christ. It is our duty to repent and obey God, 
 and when we do so, this is imputed to us as what it is, 
 holiness, or obedience to God. But for the forgiveness of 
 our past sins, we must rely on Christ. And therefore 
 justification is said to be by faith in Jesus Christ. 
 
 2. The second query is of great importance : — " What 
 is justifying faith ? What must I believe, in order to be 
 saved ? " 
 
 Answer. (1) Negatively, justifying faith does not ccosist 
 in believing that your sins are forgiven. If that were neces- 
 sary, you would have to believe it before it was ,done, or to 
 believe a lie. Eemember your sins are not forgiven until 
 you believe. But if saving faith is believing that they are 
 already forgiven, it is believing a thing before it takes 
 place, which is absurd. You cannot believe your sins are 
 forgiven, before you have the evidence that they are for- 
 given; and you cannot have the evidence that they are 
 forgiven until it is true that they are forgiven, and they 
 cannot be forgiven until you exercise saving faith. There- 
 fore saving faith must be believing something else. 
 
 Nor (3) does g'aving faith consist in believing that you 
 shall be saved at all. You have no right to believe that 
 yon shall be saved at all, until after you have exercised 
 justifying or saving faith. 
 
 But (3) justifying faith consists in believing the atone- 
 ment of Christ, or believing the record which God hai 
 given of his Son. 
 
800 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 The correctuess of this definition has Been doubted by 
 gome ; and I confess my o^m mind has undergone a change 
 on this point. It is said that Abraham believed GTod, 
 and it was imputed to him for righteousness. But what 
 did Abraham believe ? He believed that he should have a 
 son. Was this all ? By no means. But his faith included 
 the great blessing that depended on that event, that the 
 Messiah, the Saviour of the world, should spring from him. 
 This was the great subject of the Abrahamic covenant, 
 audit depended on his having a 6on. Of course, Abra- 
 ham's faith included the "Desire of all Nations," and was 
 faith in Christ. The apostle Paul has showed this, at full 
 length, in the third chapter of Galatians, that the sum of 
 the covenant was, "In thee shall all nations be blessed." 
 In verse 16, he says, " Now to Abraham and his seed were 
 the promises madeJ He saith not. And to seeds, as of 
 many ; but as of one : Arid to thy seed, which is Christ." 
 
 It is said that in the 11th of Hebrews, the saints are 
 not all spoken of as having believed in Christ. But if you 
 examine carefully, you will find that in all cases, faith in 
 Christ is either included in what they believe, or fairly im- 
 plied by it. Take the case of Abel. "By faith Abel 
 ofEered unto God a more- excellent sacrifice than Cain, by 
 which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God tes* 
 tifying of his gifts : and by it he being dead yet speaketh." 
 Why was his sacrifice more excellent ? Because, by offer- 
 ing the firstlings of his flock, he recognized the necessity 
 of the atonement, and that " withortUie shedding of blood 
 there is no remission." Cain was a proud infidel, and 
 offered the fruits of the ground, as a mere thank offering, 
 for the blessings of Providence, without any admission 
 that he was a sinner, and needed an atonement, as the 
 ground on which he could hope for pardon. 
 
 Some suppose that an individual might exercise justi- 
 l!jiiig faith while denyiiig the divinity and atonement of 
 
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 801 
 
 JesiiB Christ. I deny this. The whole sum and snbstanca 
 of revelation, like converging rays, all centre on Jesns 
 Christ, his divinity and atonement. All that the prophets 
 and other writers of the Old Testament say about salvation 
 comes tq him. The Old Testament and the New, all the 
 types and shadows, point to him. All the Old Testament 
 saints were saved by faith in him. Their faith terminated 
 in the coming Messiah, as that of the New Testament 
 saints did in the Messiah already come. In the 15th chap- 
 ter of 1st Corinthians; the apostle Paul shows what place 
 46 would assign to this doctrine: "For I delivered unto 
 you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ 
 died for our sins according to the scriptures ; and that he 
 was buried, and that he rose again the third day accord- 
 ing to the scriptures." Mark that expression, "first of 
 all." It proves that Paul preached that Christ died for sin 
 ners, as the " first," or primary doctrine of the gospel. 
 And so you will find it, from one end of the Bible to the 
 other, that the attention of men was directed to this new 
 and living way, as the only way of salvation. This truth 
 is the only truth that can sanctify men. They may believe 
 a thousand other things, but this is the great source of 
 sanctification, " God in Christ, reconciling the world unto 
 himself." And this alone can therefore be justifying 
 faith. 
 
 There may be many other acts of faith, that may be 
 right and acceptable to God. CBut nothing is justifying 
 faith but believing the record that God has given of his 
 Son. Simply believing what God has revealed on any 
 point, is an act of faith ; but. justifying fai th fastens on 
 Christ, takes hold of his atonement, and embraces"Tiim as 
 the only ground of pardon and salvation. There may be 
 I faith in prayer, the faith that is in exercise in offering up 
 prevailing prayer to God. But that is not properly justi 
 fying faith. 
 
302 JUSTIFICATION* Bt FAITH. 
 
 3. " When are men justified ? " 
 
 This is also an enquiry often made. I answer — Just aa 
 soon as they believe in Christ, with the faith which work- 
 eth by love. Sinner, you need not go home from this 
 meeting under the wrath of Almighty God. You may be 
 justified here, on the spot, now, if you will only believe in 
 Christ. Your pardon is ready, made out and sealed with 
 the broad seal of heaven ; and the blank will be filled up, 
 and the gracious, pardon delivered, as soon as by one act 
 of faith, you receive Jesus Christ ^s he is offered in the 
 gospel. 
 
 4. " How can I know whether I am in a state of justi- 
 fication or not ? " 
 
 Answer. You can know it in no way, eggg pt by in- 
 ference. God has not revealed it in the Scriptures, that 
 you, or any other individuals, are justified ; but he has set 
 down the characteristics of a justified person, and declared 
 that all who have these characteristics are justified. 
 
 (1.) Have you the witness of the Spirit ? All who are 
 justified have this. They have intercourse with the Holy 
 Ghost, he explains the Scriptures to them, and leads them 
 to see their meaning, he leads them to the Son and to the 
 Father ; and reveals the Son in them, and reveals the 
 Father. Heve you this ? If you have, you are justified. 
 If not, you are yet in your sins. 
 
 (2.) Have you the fruits of the Spirit ? They are love, 
 joy, peace, and so on. These are matters of human con- 
 sciousness ; have you them ? If so, yon are justified. . 
 
 (3.) Have you peace with God ? The apostle says, 
 "Being justified by faith, we liave peace with God." 
 Christ says to his disciples, " My peace I give unto you ; 
 not as the world giveth give I unto you." And again, 
 " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and 
 I will give you rest." Do you &a.iresi in Christ? Is 
 yonr peace like a river, flowing gently through your soul. 
 
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 303 
 
 and filling you witli calm and heavenly delight ? Or do 
 you feel a sense of condemnation before God ? 
 
 Do you feel a sense of acceptance with God, of par- 
 doned sin, of communion with God ? This must be a 
 matter of experience, if it exists. Don't imagine you can 
 be in a justified state, and yet hav.e no evidence of it. Ton 
 may have great peace in reality, filling your soul, and yet 
 not draw the inference that you are justified. I remember 
 the time, when my mind was in a state of such sweet peace, 
 that it seemed to me as if all nature was listening for God 
 to speak ; but yet I was not aware that this Was the peace 
 of God, or that it was evidence of my being in a justified 
 state. I thought I had lost all my conviction, and actually 
 undertook tO bring back the sense of condemnation that I 
 had before. I did not draw the inference that I was jus- 
 tified, till after the love of God was so shed abroad in my - 
 soul by the Holy Ghost, that I was compelled to cry out, 
 " Lord, it is enough, I can bear no more." I do not be- 
 lieve it possible for the sense of condemnation to remain, 
 where the act of pardon is already past. 
 
 4. Have you the spirit of adoption ? If you are justi- 
 fied, yon are also adopted, as one of God's dear children, 
 and he has sent forth his Spirit into your heart, so that 
 you naturally cry, " Abba, Father ! " He seems to you 
 just like a father, and you want to call him father. Do 
 you know any thing of this ? It is one thing to call God 
 your father in heaven, and another thing to feel towards 
 him as a father. This is one evidence of a justified state, 
 when God gives the spirit of adoption. 
 
 BEUABKS. 
 
 I. I would go around to all my dear hearers to-night, 
 and ask them one by one, " Are you in a state of justifica- 
 tion ? Do you honestly think you are justified ? " 
 
 I have briefly run over the subject, and showed what 
 
304 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 jnstification is not, and what it is, how you can.be saved, 
 and the evidences of justification. Have you it ? Would 
 you dare to die now ? Suppose the loud thunders of the 
 last trumpet were now to shake the universe, and yon 
 should see the Son of God coming to judgment— are you 
 ready ? Could you look up calmly and say, "father, this 
 is a solemn 8ight,_^but Christ has died, and G-od has jnsti* 
 fied me, and who is he that shall condemn me ? " 
 
 II. If you think you ever was justified, and yet have 
 not at present the evidence of it, I want to make an in- 
 quiry. Are ydn under the discipline of the covenant ?-* 
 If not, have you any reason to believe yon ever were jus- 
 tified ? God's covenant with you, if you belong to Christ, 
 is this — " If they backslide, I will visit thieir iniquity with 
 the rod, and chasten them with stripes." Do you feel the 
 stripes? Is God awakening your mind, and convifcting^ 
 your conscience, is he smiting you ? If not, where are the 
 evidences that he is dealing with you as a son ? If you are 
 not walking with God, and at the same time are not under 
 chastisement, you cannot have any good reason to believe 
 you are God's children. 
 
 III. Those of you who have evidence that you are jus- 
 tified, should maintain your relation to God, and live up 
 to your real privileges. This is immensely important. 
 There is no virtue in being distrustful and unbelieving. 
 It is important to your growth in grace. One reason why 
 many Christians do not grow in grace is, that they are 
 afraid to claim the privileges of God's children which be- 
 long to them. Eely upon it, beloved,"this is no virtuous 
 humility, but criminal unbelief. If you have the evidence 
 that you are justified, take the occasion from it to press 
 forward to holiness of heart, and come to God with all the 
 boldness that an angel would, and know how near you are - 
 to him. It is your duty to do so. Why should you hold 
 back? Why are you afraid to recognize the covenant of 
 
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 30S 
 
 grace, in its full extent ? Here are the provisions of your 
 Father's house, all ready and free ; and are you converted 
 and justified, and restored to his favor, and yet afraid to 
 sit down at your Father's table ? Do not plead that you 
 are so unworthy. This is nothing but self-righteousness 
 and unbelief. True, you are so unworthy. But if you are 
 justified, that is no longer a bar. It is now your duty to 
 take hold of the promises as belonging to you. Take any 
 promise you can find in the; Bible, that is applicable, and 
 go with it to your Father, and plead it before him, believ- 
 ing. Do you think he will deny it ? These exceeding 
 great and precioup promises were given you for this very 
 purpose, that you may become a partaker of the divine 
 nature. Why then should you doubt ? Come along, be- 
 loved, come along up to the privileges that belong to you, 
 and take hold of the love, and peace, and joy, offered to 
 you in this holy gospel. 
 
 IV. If you are not in a state of justification, however 
 much you have done, and prayed, and suffered, you are 
 nothing. If you have not believed in Christ, if you have 
 not received and trusted in him, as Lj is set forth in the 
 gospel, you are yet in a sta*te of condemnation and wrath. 
 You may have been, for weeks and months, and even for 
 years, groaning with distress, but for all that, you are still 
 in the gall of bitterness. Here you see the line drawn ; 
 the moment you pass this, you are in a state of justifi- 
 cation. 
 
 Dear hearer, are you now in a state of wrath ? Now 
 believe in Christ. All your waiting and groaning will not 
 bring you any nearer. Do you say you want more con- 
 viction ? I tell you to come now to Christ. Do you say 
 you must wait till you have Sprayed more ? "What is the 
 use of praying in unbelief ? Will the prayers of a con- 
 demned rebel avail ? Do you say you are so unworthy ? 
 But Christ diW for such as you. He comes right to yon 
 
306 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 now, on yonr seat. Where do you sit ? Where is that in^ 
 dividual I am speaking to ? Sinner, you need not wait. 
 Yon need not go home in your sins, with that heavy load 
 on your heart Now is the day of salvation. Hear tha 
 word of God . "If thou believe in thine heart in the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and if thou confess with thy mouth that God 
 raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." 
 
 Do you say, " What must I believe ? " Believe just 
 Mrhat God says of his Son ; believe any of those great fun- 
 damental truths which God has revealed respecting the way 
 of salvation, and rest your soul on it, and you shall be 
 saved. Will you now trust Jesus Christ to dispose of you ? 
 Have you confidence enough in Christ to leave yourself with 
 him, to dispose of your body and your soul, for time and 
 eternity ? Can you say 
 
 " Here, Lord, I ^ve myself awajr ; 
 'Tis all that ) can do ? " 
 
 Perhaps you are trying to pray yourself out of your 
 difficulties before coming to Christ. Sinner, it will do no 
 good. Now, cast yourseK down at his feet, and leave your 
 soul in his hands. Say to him, " Lord, I give myself to 
 thee, with all my powers of body and df mind ; use me and 
 dispose of me as thou wilt, for thine own glory ; I know 
 thou wili 4o right, and that is all I desire." Will you 4o 
 
 itr 
 
XVII. 
 
 8ANGTIFIOATI0N BY FAITH. 
 
 no we then nuke rold the law throngb faith t God forbid ; yea, we eitabliik 
 
 the law.— Bomans HI, 81. 
 
 THE apostle had been proving that all mankind, both 
 Jews and Gentiles, were in their sins, and refuting the 
 doctrine so generally entertained by the Jews, that they 
 were a holy people and saved by their works. He showed 
 that justification can never be by works, but by faith. 
 He then anticipates an objection, like this, "Are we to 
 understand you as teaching that the law of God is abro- 
 gated and set aside, by this plan of justification ? " " By 
 no means," says the apostle, " we rather establish the law." 
 In treating of this subject; I design to pursue the following 
 order : 
 
 I. Show that the gospel method of justification does 
 not set aside or repeal the law. 
 
 II. That it rather e^ablishes the law, by producing 
 true obedience to it, and as the only means that does this. 
 
 The greatest objection to the doctrine of Justification 
 by Faith has always been, that it is inconsistent with good 
 morals, conniving at sin, and Opening the flood-gates of 
 iniquity. It hds been^aid, that to maintain that men are 
 not to depend on their own good behavior for salvation, 
 but are to be saved by faith in another, is calculated to 
 make men regardless of good morals, and to encourage 
 them to live in sin, depending on Christ to justify them. 
 By others, it has been maintained that the gospel does in 
 fact release from obligation to obey the moral law, so that 
 a more lax morality is permitted under the gospel than 
 was allowed under the law. 
 
308 BANCTIFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 L I am to show that the gospel method of justification 
 do^s not set aside the moral law. 
 
 1. It cannot be that this method of justification sets 
 aside the moral law, because the gospel every where enforces 
 obedience to the law, and lays down the same standard of 
 
 holiness. 
 
 Jesus Christ adopted the very words of the moral law, 
 " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 
 with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy 
 strength, and thy neighbor as thyself." 
 
 2. The conditions of the gospel are designed to sustain 
 the moral law. 
 
 The gospel requires repentance as the condition of 
 salvation. What is repentance ? The renunciation of sin. 
 The man must repent of his breaches of the law of God, 
 and return to obedience to the law. This is tantamount 
 to a requirement of obedience. -^ 
 
 3. The gospel maintains that the law is right. 
 
 If it did not maintain the law to its full extent, it 
 might be said that Christ is the minister of sin. 
 
 4. By the gospel plan, the sanctions of the gospel are 
 added to the sanctions of the law, to enforce obedience to 
 the law. 
 
 The apostle says, "He that despised Moses' law, died 
 without mercy under two or three witnesses ; of how 
 much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought 
 worthy, who hath trodden under foot the/Son of God, and 
 hath cotinted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was 
 sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto 
 the spirit of grace ? " Thus adding the awful sanctions of 
 the gospel to those of the law, to enforce obedience to the 
 precepts of the law. 
 
 11. I am to show that the doctrine of justification by 
 faith produces sanctification, by producing the only true 
 obedience to the law. 
 
SANCTIPICATION BY FAITH. 309 
 
 By this I mean, that when the mind understands this 
 plan, and exercises faith in it, it naturally produces sanc- 
 tification. Sanctification is holiness, and holiness is noth- 
 ing but obedience to the law, consisting in love to God and 
 loye to man. 
 
 In support of the proposition that justification by faith 
 produces true obedience to the law of God, my first posi- 
 tion is, that sanctification never can be produced among 
 selfish or wicked beings, by the law itself, separate from 
 the considerations of the gospel, or the motives connected 
 with justification by faith. 
 
 The motives of the law did not restrain those beings 
 from committing sin, and it i'S absurd to suppose the same 
 motives can " reclaim " them from sin, when they have 
 fallen under the power of selfishness, and when sin is a 
 confirmed habit, j The motives of the law lose a part of 
 their influence, when a being is once falle n.^ They even 
 exert an opposite influence. The motives of the law,fa8 
 viewed by a selfish mind^^have a tendency to cause sin to 
 abound. This, is the experience of every sinner. When 
 he sees the spirituality of the law, and does not see the 
 motives of the gospe l, it raises the pride of his heart, and 
 hardens him in his rebellion. (The case of the devil is an 
 e xhibition of what the law can do, with all i:^s^jgrincijde3 
 an5 sanctions, upon a wicked heart. j He understands the 
 law, sees its reasonableness, has experienced the blessedness 
 of obedience, and knows full well that to return to obe- 
 dience would restore his peace of mind.) This he know/ 
 better than any sinner of our race, who never was holy, 
 can know it, and yet it presents to his mind no such 
 motives as reclaim him, but on the contrary, drive him to 
 a retumless distance from obedience. 
 
 When obedience to the law is held forth to the sinner 
 as the condition of life, immediately it sets him upon 
 making self-righteous efforts. In almost every instanc€i> 
 
310 SANCTIPICATION BT FAITH. 
 
 the first effort of the awakened sinner is to obey the law. 
 He thinks he must first make himself better, in some way, 
 before he may embrace the gospel. He has no idea of the 
 simplicity of the gospel plan of salvation by faith, offering 
 eternal life as a mere gratuitous gift. Alarm the sinner 
 with the penalty of the law, and he naturally, and by the 
 very laws of his mind, sets himself to doj^etter, to amend 
 his life, and in some self-righteous manner obtain eternal 
 life, under the influence of slavish fear. And the more 
 the law presses him, the greater a^e his pharisaical efforts, 
 while hope is left to him, that if he obeys he may be ac- 
 cepted. What else could you expect of him ? He is purely 
 selfish, and though he ought to submit at once to God, 
 yetj^s ho does not und^^and the gospel te^s of salva- 
 tion, and his mind is of course first turned to me object ol 
 getting away from the danger of the penalty,{he tries to 
 get up to heaven some other way^ I do not believe there 
 is an instance in- history, of a man who has submitted to 
 God, until he has seen that salvation mi ^st be by faith , and 
 that his own self-righteous strivings have no tendency to 
 save him. 
 
 Again ; if you undertake to prpduce holiness by legal 
 motives, the very fear of failure has the effect to divert 
 attention from the objects of love, from God and Christ. 
 The sinner is all the while compassing Mount Sinai, and 
 taking heed to his footsteps, to see how near he comes to 
 obedience ; and how can he get into the spirit of heaven ? 
 
 Again: ; the penalty of the law has no tendency to pro- 
 duce love in the Jj cst instan ce. It may increase love in 
 those who already have it, when they contemplate it as an 
 exhibition of God's infinite holiness. The angels in heaven, 
 and good men on earth, contemplate its propriety and fit- 
 ness, and see in it the expression of the good will of God 
 to his creatures, and it appears amiable and lovely, and 
 increases their delight in God and their confidence toward! 
 
SANCTIFICATXON BT FAITH. 311 
 
 him. But it is right the reverse with the selfish man. He 
 sees the penalty hanging OTer his own head, and no way of 
 escape, and it is not in mind to become enamored with 
 the Being that holds the thunderbolt over his devoted 
 head. From the nature of mind, he will flee from him, 
 not to him. It seems never to have been dreamed of, by 
 the inspired writers, that the law could sanctify men. 
 The law is given rather to slay than to make alive, to cut 
 off men's self-righteous hopes for ever, and compel them 
 to flee to Christ. 
 
 Again ; Sinners, under the naked law, and irrespective 
 of the gospel — I say, sinners, naturally and necessarily, 
 and of right, under such circumstances, view God as an 
 irreconcilable enemy. They are wholly selfish ; and apart 
 from the considerations of the gospel, they view God just 
 as the devil views him. No motive in the law can be ex- 
 hibited to a selfish mind that will beget love. Can the 
 influence of penalty do it ? 
 
 A strange plan of reformation this, to send men to hell 
 to reform them I Let them go on in sin and rebellion to 
 the end of life, and then be punished until he becomes 
 holy. I wonder the devil has not oecome holy ! He has 
 suffered long enough, he has been in hell these thousands 
 of years, and he is no better than he was. The reason is, 
 there is no gospel there/and no Holy Spirit to apply the 
 truth) and the penalty only confirms his rebellion. 
 
 Again : The doctrine of ju stificati on can relieve these 
 difficulties. It can produce, and has produced, real obedi- 
 ence to the precept of the law. Justification by faith does 
 jrintsetaside .the law as a r ule of duty , but only sets aside 
 the penalty of the law. And the preaching of justification 
 as a mere gratuity, bestowed on the simple act of faith, is 
 the only way in which obedience to the law is ever brought 
 about. This I shall now show from the following consid- 
 erations : 
 
313 8ANCTIFICATI0N BY FAITH. 
 
 1. It reUeves the mind from the pressnre of those oon- 
 Biderations that naturally tend to confirm selfishness. 
 
 While the mind is looki ng only at the law,- it only feela 
 the influence of hope and fear, perpetuating purely selfish 
 efforts. fBut justification byfdth annihilates this spirit of 
 bondage.! The apostle saysT'^e have not received the 
 spirit of bondage again to fear." This plar of salvation 
 begets love and gjjatitndeto_God, and leads the souls to 
 taste the sweets of holiness] 
 
 2. It relieves the mind also from the necessity of mak- 
 ing its own salvation its supreme object. 
 
 The believer in the gospel plan of salvation finds salva- 
 tion, full and complete, including both sanctification and 
 eternal life, a lread y prepared ; and instead of being driven 
 to the life ofaPEafiseein religion, of laborious and ex- 
 hausting effort, he receives it as a free gif t, a mere gratuity, 
 and is now left free to exercise disinterested benevolence, 
 and to live and labor for the salvation of others, leaving his 
 own soul un,reservedly to Christ. 
 
 3. The fact that God has provided and given him sal- 
 vation as a gratuity, is calculated to awaken in the believer 
 a concern for others, when he sees them dying for the want 
 of this salvation, that they may be brought to the knowl- 
 edge of the truth and be saved. How far from every sel- 
 fish motive are those in4uences. It exhibits God, not as 
 the law exhibits him,^8 an irreconcilable eneinyJb^ as a 
 grieved and offended Father, willing to be reconciled, nay, 
 very desirous that his subjects should become reconciled, 
 to him and live. This is calculated to beget love. It ex- 
 hibits God as making the greatest sacrifice to reconcile sin- 
 ners to himself ; and from no other motive than a pure and 
 disinterested regard to their happiness. Try this in your 
 own family. The lawr epresen ts God as armed with wrath, 
 and determined to punish the sinner, without hope or help. 
 The gospel represents him as offended, indeed, but yet so 
 
SANCTIFICATION BT FAITH. 313 
 
 anxious they should return to him, that he has made the 
 greatest conceivable sacrifices, out of pure disinterested 
 loTe to his wandering children. 
 
 I once heard a father say, that he had tried in his family 
 to imitate the government of God, and when his child did 
 wrong, he reasoned with him and showed him his faults ; 
 and when he was fully convinced and confounded and con- 
 demned, so that he had not a word to say, then the father 
 asked him. Do you deserve to be punished ? Yes, sir. I 
 know it, and now if I were to let you go, what influence 
 would it have over the other children ? Eather than do 
 that, I will take the punishment myself. So he laid the 
 ferule on himself, and it had the most astonishing effect on 
 the mind of the child. He had never tried anything so 
 perfectly subduing^to the mind as this. And from the 
 laws of mind, it must be so. j^ll affects the mind in a man- 
 ner entirely different from the naked law^ 
 
 4. It brings the mind under an entire new set of influ- 
 ences, and leaves it free to weigh the reasons for holiness, 
 and decide accordingly. 
 
 •^ Under the law, none but motives of hope and fear can 
 operate on the sinner's mind^^) But under the gospel, the 
 influence of hope and fear are seTasifle, and a new s6 t of 
 considerations presented, with a view of God's entire char- 
 acter, in all the attractions he can command.. It gives the 
 most heart-breaking, sin-subduing views of God. It pre- 
 sents him to the senses in human nature. It exhibits his 
 disinterestedness. The way Satan prevailed against our 
 first parents was by leading them to doubt God's disinter- 
 estedness. The gospel dem onstr ates the truth, and cor- 
 rects this lie. ^he law represents God as the inexorable 
 enemy of the sinner, as securing happiness to all who per- 
 fectly obey, but thundering down wrath on all who dis- 
 pbeyj The gospel rgveals new features in God's character, 
 not known before. Doubtless the gospel increases the love 
 
314 SANCTIFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 of all holy beings, and gives greater joy to the angels in 
 heaven, greatly increasing their love, and confidence, and 
 admiration, when they see God's amazing pity and for- 
 bearance towards the guilty. (The law drove the devils to 
 hell, and it drove Adam and Eve from ParadiseN But 
 when the blessed spirits see the same holy God waiting on 
 rebels, nay opening his own bosom, and giving his beloved 
 Son for them, and taking such unwearied pains for thou- 
 sands of years to save sinners, do you think it has no in- 
 fluence in strengthening the motives in their minds to 
 obedience and love ? 
 
 The devil, who is a purely selfish being, is always ac- 
 cusing others of being selfish. He accused Job of this : 
 " Doth Job fear God for nought ? " He accused God to 
 our first parents, of being selfish, and that the only reason 
 for his forbidding them to eat of the tree of knowledge was 
 the fear that they might come to know as much as him- 
 self. ^fThe gospel shows what God is. j If he were selfish, 
 he would not take such pains to save those whom he might, 
 with perfect ease, crush to hell. Nothing is so calculated 
 to make selfish persons ashamed of their selfishness, as to 
 see disinterested benevolence in others. Hence the wicked 
 are always trying to appear disinterested. Let the selfish 
 individual who has any heart, see true benevolence iii 
 others, and it is like coals of fire on his head. The wise 
 men understood this, when he said, "If thine enemy hun- 
 ger,.feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink ; for in so doing, 
 thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head." Nothing is so 
 calculated to cut down an enemy, and win him over, and 
 make him a friend. 
 
 This is what the gospel does to sinners. It shows that 
 notwithstanding all that they have done to God, God still 
 exercises toward them disinterested, love. When he sees 
 God stooping from heaven to save him, and understands 
 that it is indeed trae> oh, how it melts and breaks down 
 
SANCTIFICATION BY FAITH. 815 
 
 the heart, strikes a death-blov to Belfishness, and wins him 
 over to nnbonnded confidence and holy love. God has so 
 constituted the mind, that it must necessarily do homage 
 to virtue. It must do this, as long as it retains the powers 
 of moral agency. This is as true in hell as in heaven. 
 The devil feels this. When an individual sees that God has 
 no interested motives to condemn him, when he sees that 
 God offers salvation as a mere gratuity, through faith, he 
 cannot but feel admiration of God's benevolence. His sel- 
 fishness is crushed, the law has done its work, he sees that 
 all his selfish endeavors have done no good ; and the next 
 step is for his heart to go out in disinterested love. 
 
 Suppose a man was under sentence of death for rebel- 
 lion, and had tried many expedients to recommend himself 
 to the government, but failed, because they were all hollow- 
 hearted and selfish. He sees that the government under- 
 stands his motives, and that he is not really reconciled. 
 He knows himself that they were all hypocritical and sel- 
 fish, moved by the hope of favor or the fear of wrath, an 3 
 that the government is more and more incensed at his hy- 
 pocrisy. Just now let a paper be brought to him from the 
 government, ofEering him a free pardon on the simple con- 
 dition that he would receive it as mere gratuity, making 
 no account of his own works — what influence will it have 
 on his mind ? The moment he finds the penalty set aside, 
 and that he has no need to go to work by any self-righteous 
 efforts, his mind is filled with admiration. Now, let it ap- 
 pear that the government has made the greatest sacrifices 
 to procure this ; his selfishness is slain, and he melts down 
 like a child at his sovereign's feet, ready to obey the law 
 because he loves his sovereign. 
 
 5^A11 true obedience turns on faith, i It secures all the 
 requisite influences to produce sanctification. It gives the 
 doctrines of eternity access to the mind and a hold on the 
 heart. In this world the motives of time are addressed to 
 
816 SANCTIPiqATION BY FAITH. 
 
 the Behses. The motives that influence the spirits of the 
 jnst in heaven do not reach us through the senses. But 
 when faith is' exercised, the wall is broken down, and the 
 vast realities of eternity act on the mind here with the 
 same kind of influence that they have in eternity. Mind 
 is mind, every where. And were it not for the darkness 
 of unbelief, men would live here just as they do in the 
 eternal world. Sinners here would rage and blaspheme, 
 just as they do in hell ; and saints would love and obey and 
 praise, just as they do in heaven. €Now, faith makes all 
 these things realities, it swings the mind loose from the ' 
 clogs of the world, and he beholds God, and Sipprehenda 
 his law and his loverj In no other way can these motives 
 take hold on the mind. What a mighty actjon must it 
 have on the mind, when it takes hold of the love of Christ ! 
 What a life-giving power, when the pure motives of the 
 gospel crowd into the mind and stir it up with energy 
 divine 1 ^Every Christian knows, that in proportion to the 
 strength of his faii;h, his mind is buoyant and active, and 
 when' his faiths flags, his soul is dark and listless. It is 
 fait h alo ne that places the things of time and etefhity in 
 their true c ompari son, and sets down the things of time 
 and sense aTtheirreal value. It breaks up the delusions 
 of the mind, the soul shakes itself from its errors and clogs, 
 and it rises up in communion with God. 
 
 BEMABKS. 
 
 I. It is as unphilosophical as it is unscriptural to at- 
 tempt to convert and sanctify the minds of sinners with- 
 out the motives o f the gospel. 
 
 You may press the sinner with the law, and make him 
 see his own character, the greatness and justice of God, 
 and his ruined condition. jBut hide the motives of tho 
 gospel from his mind, and it is all in vain. \ 
 
BANCTIFICATION BY FAITH. 317 
 
 II. It; is absurd to think that the offers of the gospel 
 are calculated to beget a selfish hope. 
 
 Some are afraid to throw out upon the sinner's mind all 
 the character of God ; and they try to make him submit 
 to God, by casting him down in despair. This is not only 
 against the. gospel, but it is absurd in itself. It is absurd 
 to think that, in order to destroy the selfishness of a sin. 
 ner, you must hide from him the knowledge of how much 
 God loves and pities him, and how great sacrifices he has 
 made to save him. 
 
 III. So far is it from being true that sinners are in 
 danger of getting false hopes if they are allowed to know 
 the real compassion of God, while you hide this, it is im- 
 possible to give him any other than a false hope. With- 
 holding from the sinner who is writhing under conviction, 
 the fact that God has provided salvation as a mere gratuity, 
 is the very way to confirm his selfishness ; and if he gets 
 any hope, it must be a false one. To press him to submis- 
 sion by the law alone, is to set him to build a self-righteous 
 foundation. 
 
 IV. So far as we can see, salvation by grace, not be- 
 stowed in any degree for our own works, is the only possi- 
 ble way of reclaiming selfish beings. 
 
 Suppose salvation was not altogether gratuitous, but 
 that some degree of good works was taken into the account, 
 and for those good works in part we were justified — 
 just so far as this consideration is in the mind, just so 
 far there is a stimulus to selfishness. You must bring the 
 sinner to see that he is entirely dependent on free grace, 
 and that a full and complete justification is bestowed, on 
 the first act of faith, as a mere gratuity, and no part of it 
 as an equivalent for any thing he is to do. This alone 
 dissolves the influence of selfishnesss, and secures holy 
 action. 
 
 Y. If all this is tmei, ei%ners shooM be puttln the fnl^ 
 
318 SANCTIFICATIOX BY FAITH. 
 
 est possible possession, and in the speediest manner, of the 
 whole plan of salvation. 
 
 They should be made to see the law, and their own guilt, 
 and that they have no way to save themselves ; and then, 
 the more fully the whole length and breadth, and height, 
 an^ depth of the love of God should be opened, the more 
 effectually will you crusTi his selfishness, and subdue his 
 soul in love to God. Do not be afraid, in conversing with 
 sinners, to show the whole plan of salvation, and give the 
 fullest possible exhibition of the infinite compassion of God. 
 Show him that, notwithstanding his guilt, the Son of God 
 is knocking at the door and beseeching him to be recon- 
 ciled to God. 
 
 VI. You see why so many convicted sinners continue 
 so longeompassing Mount Sinai, with self-righteons efforts 
 to save themselves by their own works. 
 
 ; How often you find sinners trying to get more feeling, 
 or waiting till they Jiave made more prayers and made 
 greater efforts, and expecting to recommend themselves to 
 God in this way. Why is all this ? The sinner needs to 
 be driven off from this, and made to see that he is all the 
 while looking for salvation under the law. He must be 
 made to see that all this is superseded by the gospel offer- 
 ing him all he wants as a mere gratuity. He must hear 
 Jesos saying, " Ye wilLnot come utdo me that ye may have 
 life : 0, no, you are willing to pray, and go to meeting, 
 and read the Bible, or anything, but come unto me. Sin- 
 ner, this is the road ; I am the way, and the truth, and the 
 life. No man cometh to the Father but by me. I am the 
 resurrection and the life. I am the light of the world, 
 
 "Bere, sinner, is What you want. Instead of trying your 
 self-righteous prayers and efforts, here is what you are look- 
 ing for, only believe and you shall be saved." 
 
 VII. You see why so many professors of religion are 
 always in the dark. 
 
SANCTIFICATION BY PAlTH, 319 
 
 They are looking at their sins, confining their observa- 
 fcions to themselves, and losing sight of the fact, that thej 
 have only to take right |iold of J esns C hrist, and throw 
 themselves upon him, and'alTlfflffll. 
 
 Vin. The law is iiseful tcL convict menft bnt. as a 
 
 matter of fact, it never breaks the heartTf The Gospel 
 alone does that.'^ The degree in which a convert is broken 
 hearted, is in proportion to l;he degree of clearness with 
 which he apprehends the gospel. 
 
 '»> IX. Conyerts, if you call them so, who entertain a hope 
 under legal preaching, may have an intellectual approba- 
 tion of the law, and a sort of drv zeal, bat never make 
 mellow, broken hearted Christians. ) If they have not seen 
 God in the attitude in which be is exhibited in the gospel, 
 they are not such Christians as you will see sometimes, 
 with the tear trembling in their eye, and their frames 
 shaking with emotion, at the name of Jesus. 
 - X. Sinners under conviction, and professors in dark- 
 ness, must be led rififht to Christt. and made to take hold 
 of the plan of salvation by faith . You cannot do them 
 good in any other way. 
 
xvra. 
 
 LEGAL EXPERIENCE. 
 
 The Seventh Cbaptler of the Epistle to the Bomuu. 
 
 I HAVE more than once had occasion to refer to thu 
 chapter, and hare read Eome portions of it and made 
 remarks. But I have not been able to go into a considera- 
 tion of it so fully as I wished, and therefore thought I 
 would make it the subject of a separate lecture. In giving 
 my views I shall pursue the following order : 
 
 I. Mention the different opinions that have prevailed 
 in the church concerning this passage. 
 
 II. Show the importance of understanding this portion^ 
 of scripture aright, or of knowing which of these prevail- 
 ing opinions iS the true one. 
 
 III. Lay down several facts and principles which have 
 a bearing on the exposition of this passage. 
 
 IV. Refer to some rules of interpretation which ought 
 al>rays to be observed in interpreting either the Scriptures 
 or any other writing or testimony. 
 
 V. ©ive my own views of the reaJ meaning of the pas- 
 sage, with the reasons. 
 
 I shall confine myself chiefly to the latter part of the 
 chapter, as that has been chiefly the subject of dispute. 
 You see from the manner in which I have laid out my 
 work, that I design to simplify the subject as much as pos- 
 sible, so as to bring it within the compass of a single lec- 
 ture. Otherwise I might make a volume, so much having 
 been written to show the meaning of this chapter. 
 
 I. I am to show what are the principal opinions that 
 have prevailed concerning the application of this chapter. 
 
LEGAL EXPERIENCE. 321 
 
 1. One opinion that has extensively prevailed, ahd still 
 prevails, is, that the latter part of ^;he chapter is an epitome 
 of Christian experience. 
 
 It has heen supposed to describe the situation and exer- 
 cises of a Christian, and designed to exhibit the christian 
 warfare with indwelling sin. It is to be observed, however, 
 that this is, comparatively, a modern opinion. No writer 
 is known to have held this view of the chapter, for centu- 
 ries after it was written. According to Professor Stuart, 
 who has examined the subject more thoroughly than any 
 other man in America, Augustine was the first writer that 
 exhibited this interpretation, and he" resorted to it in his 
 controversy with Pelagius. 
 
 2. The only other interpretation given is that which 
 prevailed in the first centuries, and which is still generally 
 adopted on the continent of Europe, as well as by a con- 
 siderable number of writers in England and in America, 
 that this passage describes the experience of a sinner under 
 conviction, who was acting under the motives of the law, 
 and not yet brought to the experience of the gospel. In 
 this country, the most prevalent opinion is, that the seventh 
 chapter of Romans delineates the experience of a Christian. 
 
 II. I am to show the importance of a right understand- 
 ing of this passage. 
 
 A right understanding of this passage must be funda- 
 mental. If this passage in fact describes a sinner under 
 conviction, or a : purely legal experience, and if a person 
 Buppoging that it is a Christian experience, finds his own 
 experience to-correspond with it, his mistake is a fatal one. 
 It must be a fatal error, to rest in his experience as that 
 of a rea,l Christian, because it corresponds with tfie seventh 
 of Romans, if Paul in fact is giving only the experience of 
 a sinner under legal motives and considerations. 
 
 III. I will lay down some principles and facts that hava 
 » bearing on the elucidation of this subject. 
 
322 LEGAL EXPEEIENCB. 
 
 1. It is true that mankind act, in all cases, and from 
 the nature of mind, must always act, as on She whole they 
 feel to be preferaBle. 
 
 Or, in other words, the will governs the condnct. Men 
 never act against their will. The will governs the motion 
 of the limbs. Voluntary beings cannot act contrary to 
 their will. 
 
 3. Men often desire what, on the whole they do not 
 choose. 
 
 The desires and the will are often opposed to each other. 
 The conduct is governed by the choice, not by the desires. 
 The desires may be inconsistent with the choice. You 
 may desire to go to, some other place to-night, and yet on 
 the whole choose to remain here. Perhaps you desire very 
 strongly to be somewhere else, and yet chopse to remain in 
 meeting. A man wishes to go a journey to some place. ^ 
 Perhaps he desires it strongly. It may be very important 
 to his business or his ambition. But his family are sick, 
 or some othei* object requires him to be at home, and on 
 the whole he chooses to remain. In all oases, the conduct 
 follows the actual choice. 
 
 3. Eegeneration, or conversion, is a change in the 
 choice. 
 
 It is a change in the supreme' controlling choice of th& 
 mind. The regenerated or converted person prefers God's 
 glory to everything else. He chooses it as the supreme 
 object of affection. This is a change of heart. Before, he 
 chose' his own interest or happiness, as his supreme end. 
 Now, he chooses God's service in preference to his own in- 
 terest. When a person is truly born again, his choice is 
 habitually right, and of course his conduct is in the main 
 right. 
 
 The force of temptation may produce an occasional 
 wrong choice, or even a succession of wrong choices,, but 
 his habitual course of action is right. ' The will, or choice,; 
 
LEGAL IfiXPEEIENCE. 32S 
 
 of a converted person is habitually right, and of course his 
 conduct is bo. If this is not true, I ask, in what does the 
 converted difEer from the unconverted person ? If it is 
 not the character of the converted person, that he habitu- 
 ally does the commandments of God, what is his character ? 
 But I presume this position will not be disputed by any 
 one who believes in the doctrine of regeneration. 
 
 4. Moral agents are so constituted, that they naturally 
 and necessarily approve of what is right. 
 
 A moral agent is one who possesses understanding, will, 
 and conscience. Conscience is the power of discerning the 
 difference of moral objects. It will not be disputed that a 
 moral agent can be led to see the difference between righfr 
 and wrong, so that his moral nature shall approve of what 
 is right. Otherwise, a sinner never can be bropght under 
 conviction. If he has not a moral nature, that can see and 
 highly approve the law of God, and justify the penalty, he 
 cannot be convicted. For this is conviction, to see the 
 goodness of the law that he has broken and the justice of 
 the penalty he has incurred. But in fact, there is not a 
 moral agent, in heaven, earth, or hell, that cannot be made 
 to see that the law of God is right, and whose conscience 
 does not approve the l%w. 
 
 5. Men may not only approve the law, as right, but 
 they may often, when it is viewed abstractly and without 
 reference to its bearing on themselves, take real pleasure 
 in contemplating it. 
 
 This is one great source of self-deception. Men view 
 the law of God in the abstract, and love it. When no sel- 
 fish reason is present for opposing it, they take pleasure in 
 viewing it. They approve of what is right, and condemn- 
 wickedness, in the abstract. A.11 men do this, when no 
 selfish reason is pressing on them. Who ever found a man 
 EO wicked, that he approved of evil in the abstract ? 
 Where was a moral being ever found that approved the 
 
324 LEGAL EXPERIENCE. 
 
 character of the devil, or that approved of other wicked 
 men, unconnected with himself ? How often do you hear 
 wicked men express the greatest ahhorrence and detestation 
 of enormous wickedness in others. If their passions are in 
 no way enlisted in favor of error or of wrong, men always 
 ■tand up for what is right. And this merely constitution^ 
 approbation of what is right, may amount even to delight, 
 when they do not see the relations of right interfering in 
 any manner with their own selfishness. 
 
 6. In this constitutional approbation of truth and the 
 law of God, and the delight which naturally arises from it, 
 there is no virtue. 
 
 It is only what belongs to man's moral nature. It 
 arises naturally from the constitution of the mind. Mind 
 is constitutionally capable of seeing, the beauty of virtue. 
 And so far from there being any virtue in it> it i« in fact 
 only a clearer proof of the strength of their depravity, that 
 <jirhen they know the right, and see its excellence, they do 
 not obey it. It is not then that impenitent sinners have 
 in them something that is holy. But their wickedness; 
 is herein seen to be so much the greater. For the wick- 
 edness of sin is in proportion to the light that is enjoyed. 
 And when we find that men may not only see the excel- 
 lence of the law of God, but even strongly approve of it 
 and take delight in it, and yet not obey it, it shows how 
 desperately wicked they are, and makes sin appear exceed? 
 ing sinful. 
 
 7. It is a common use of language for persons to say, 
 "I would do so and so, but cannot," when they only mean 
 to be understood as desiring it, but not as actually choos*. 
 ing to do it. And so to say, "I could not do so," when 
 they only mean that they would not do it, and, they could ' 
 if they would. . 
 
 Not long^ince, I asked a minister to preach for me next 
 Sabbath. He answered, "I cant." I found out after-, 
 
LEGAL EXPERIENCE. 325 
 
 wards that he could if he would. I asked a merchant to 
 take a certain price for a piece of goods. He said, " I 
 can't do it." What did he mean ? That he had not 
 power to accept of such a price ? Not at all. He could 
 if he would, hut he did not choose to do it. You will see 
 the bearing of these remarks, when I come to read the 
 chapter. I proceed now. 
 
 IV. To give several rules of interpretation, that are 
 aplicable to the interpretation not only of the Bible, but of 
 all written instruments, and to all evidence whatever. 
 
 There are certain rules of evidence which all men are 
 bound to apply, in ascertaining the meaning of instruments 
 and the testimony of witnesses, and of all writings. 
 
 1. We are always to put that construction on language 
 which is required by the nature of the subject. 
 
 We are bound always to understand a person's language 
 as it is applicable to the subject of discourse. Much of the 
 language of common life may be tortured into any thing, 
 if you lose sight of the subject, and take the liberty to in- 
 terpret it without reference to what they are speaking of. 
 How much injury has been done, by interpreting separate 
 passages and single expressions in the scriptures, in viola- 
 tion of this principle. It is chiefly by overlooking this 
 simple rule, that the scriptures have been tortured into the 
 support of errors and contradictions innumerable and ab- 
 surd beyond all calculation. This rule is applicable to all 
 statements. Courts of justice never would allow such per- 
 versions as have been committed upon the Bible. 
 
 2. If a person's language will admit, we are bound 
 always to construe it so as to make him consistent with 
 himself. 
 
 Unless you observe this rule, you can scarcely converse 
 five minutes with any individual on any subject and not 
 make him contradict himself. If you do not hold to this 
 rule, how can one man ever communicate his ideas so that 
 
526 LEGAL EXPEBIENeSi. 
 
 another man -will understand them ? How can a witnesi 
 ever make known the tacts to the jury, if his language is 
 to be tortured at pleasure, without the restraints of this 
 rule? 
 
 3. In interpreting a person's language, we are always 
 to keep in view the point to which he is speaking. 
 
 We are to understand the scope of his argument, the 
 object he has in view, and the point to which he is speak-* 
 ing. Otherwise we shall of course not understand his lan- 
 guage. Suppose I were to take up a book, any book, and 
 not keep my eye on the object the writer had in View in 
 making it, and the point at which he is aiming, I never 
 can understand that book. It is easy to see how endless 
 errors have grown out of a practice of interpreting the 
 Scriptures in disregard of the first principles of interpreta- 
 tion. ^ 
 
 4. When you understand the point to which a person 
 is speaking, yon are to understand him as speaking to that 
 point ; and not put a construction on his language uncon,- 
 nected with his object, or inconsistent with it. 
 
 By losing sight of this rule, you may make nonsense of 
 every thing. You are bound always to interpret language 
 in the light of the subject to which it is applied, or about 
 which it is spoken. 
 
 V. Having laid down these rules and principles, I pro- 
 ceed, in the light of them, to give my own view of tho 
 meaning of the passage, with the reasons for it. But first 
 I will make a remark or two. 
 
 1st. Remark. Whether the apostle was speaking of 
 himself in this passage, or whether he is supposing a case, 
 is not material to the right interpretation of the language;!. 
 
 It is s,upposed by many, that because he speaks in the 
 first person, he is to be understood as referring to himself. 
 But it is a common practice, when we are discussing gen- 
 eral principles, or arguing a point, to suppose a case by 
 
LEOAIi EXPERIENCE. 327 
 
 way of illustration, or to establish a point. And it is very 
 natural to state it in the first person, without at all intend- 
 ing to be understood, and in fact without ever being un- 
 derstood, as declaring an actual, occurrence, or an expe- 
 rience of our own. The apostle Paul was here pursuing a 
 close train of argument, and he introduces this simply by 
 way of illustration. And it is no way material whether it 
 is his own actual experience, or a case supposed. 
 
 If he is speaking of himself, or if he is speaking of 
 another person, or if he is supposing a case, he does it with 
 a design to show a general principle of conduct, and that 
 all persons under like circumstances would do the same. 
 Whether he is speaking of a Christian, or of an impenitent 
 sinner, he lays down a general principle. 
 
 The apostle . James, in the 3d chapter, speaks in the 
 first person ; even m administering reproof. " My breth- 
 ren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive 
 the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend 
 all." 
 
 " Therewith bless we God, even the Father ; and there- 
 with curse we men, which are made after the similitude of 
 God." 
 
 The apostle Paul often says, " I," and uses the first 
 person, when discussing and illustrating general principles : 
 " All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not ex- 
 pedient : all things are lawful for me, but I will not be 
 brought under the power of any." And again, "Con- 
 science, I say, not thine own, but of the other : for why is 
 my liberty judged of another man's conscience ? For if I 
 by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that 
 for which I give thanks ? For now we see through a glass, 
 darkly ; but then face to face : now I know in part ; but 
 then shall I know even as also I am known. And now 
 abideth faith, hope, charity, these three ; but the greatest 
 of these is charity." So also, " For if I build again the 
 
328 LEOAL EXPEBIBNCE. 
 
 n 
 
 things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 
 In 1st Cor, iv. 6. he explains exactly how he uses illustra- 
 tions, '"And these things, brethren, I have in a figure 
 tranrferred to myself, and to ApoUos, for your sakes : that, 
 ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which ' 
 is written, that no one of you be pufEed up for one against:^ 
 another." - ■ _ 
 
 2d Bemark. Much of the language which the apostle 
 uses here, is applicable to the case of a backslider, who has 
 lost all but the form of religion. He has left his first love, 
 and has in fact fallen under the influence of legal motives, j 
 of hope and fear, just like an impenitent sinner. If there ; 
 be such a character as a real backslider, who has been a 
 real convert, he islthen actuated by the same motives aa 
 the sinner, and the same language may be; equally applica- ' 
 ble to both. And therefore the fact that some of the 
 language before us is applicable to a Christian who has 
 become a backslider, .does not prove at all that the experi-^ 
 ence here described is Christian experience, but only that 
 a backslider and a sinner are in many respects alike. I do 
 not hesitate to say this much, at least; that no one, who 
 was conscious that he was actuated by love to God could 
 ever have thought of applying this chapter to himself. If 
 any one is not in the exercise of love to Ood, this descnbea 
 his character ; and whethei: he is blackslider or sitiner, it 
 isiill the same thing. 
 
 3d Bemark. Some of the expressions here used by the 
 apostle are supposed to describe the case of a believer who 
 is not an habitual backslider, bat who is overcome by 
 temptation and_passion for a time, and speaks of himseU 
 as if he were all wrong. A man is tempted, we are told, 
 frhen he is drawn away by his own lusts, and enticed^' 
 And in that state, no doubt, he might find expressions here 
 that would describe his own experience, while under such 
 influence. But the^t proves nothing ib regard to the de- 
 
LEGAL EXPERIENCE. 3^9 
 
 sign of the passage, for while he is in this state, he is so 
 far Tmder a certain influence, and the impenitent sinner is 
 all the time under Just such influence. The same lan- 
 guage, therefore, may be applicable to both, without in- 
 consistency. 
 
 But although some expressions may bear this plausible 
 construction, yet a view of the whole passage makes it 
 evident that it cannot be a delineation of Christian expe- 
 rience. My own opinion therefore is, that the apostle de- 
 signed here to represent the experience of a sinner, not 
 careless, but strongly convicted, and yet not converted. 
 The reasons are these : 
 
 1. Because theapostle is here manifestly describing the 
 habitual character of some one ; and this one is wholly 
 under the dominion of the flesh. It is not as a whole a 
 description of one who, under the power of present temp- 
 tation, is acting inconsistently with his general character, 
 but his general character is so. It is one who uniformly 
 falls into sin, notwithstanding his approval of the law. 
 
 2. It would have been entirely irrelevant to his pur- 
 pose, to State the experience of a Christian as an illustra- 
 tion of his argument. That was not what was needed. 
 He was laboring to vindicate the law of God, in its influ- 
 ence on a carnal mind. In a previous chapter he had 
 stated the fact, that justification was only by^f aith, and not 
 by works of law. In this seventh chapter, he maintains not 
 only that justification is by faith, but also that sandifica- 
 tion is only by faith. " Know ye not brethren^^ (for I speak 
 to them that know the law) how that the law hath do- 
 minion over a man as long as he liveth ? So then, if 
 while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, 
 ehe shall be called an adulteress ; but if her husband be 
 dead, she is free from that law ; so that she is no adulteress, 
 though she be married to another man." What is the use 
 of all this ? Why, this, " Wherefore, my brethren, ye also 
 
330 LEGAL EXPERIENCE. 
 
 are become dead to the law by the body of Christ ; that ye 
 should be married to another, even to him who is raised 
 from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." 
 While you were under the law youwere bound to obey the 
 law, and hold to the terms of the law for justificationi: 
 But now being made free from the law, as a rule of judg- 
 ment, you are no longer influenced by legal considerations,-^ 
 of hope and fear, for Christ to whom you are married, has 
 set aside th^ penalty, that by faith ye might be justified 
 before God. 
 
 "For when we were in the flesh," that is, in an uncon- 
 verted state, " the motions of sins, which were by the law, 
 did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death : 
 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead 
 wherein we were held ; that we should serve in newness of 
 spirit, and not in the oldness df the letter." Here he is 
 stating the real condition of a Christian, that he serves in 
 newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. He 
 had found that the fruit of the law was only death and by 
 the gospel he had been brought into true subjection to 
 Christ. What is the objection to this ? *' What shall we 
 say then ? Is the law sin ? God forbid. Nay, I had not 
 known sin, but by the law : for I had not known lust, ex- 
 cept the law had said. Thou shalt not covet. And the 
 commandment which was ordained to life, I found to be 
 unto death." The law was enacted that people might live 
 by it, if they would perfectly obey it ; but when we were in 
 the flesh, we found it unto death. "For sin, taking occa- 
 sion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew 
 me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment- 
 holy, and just, and good." Now he brings up the objec- 
 tion again. How can anything that is good be made death 
 unto you ? " Was, then, that which is good made death 
 nnto me ? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, 
 , working death in me by that which is good ; that sin by 
 
LEQAL EXPERIENCE. 331 
 
 the commandment might be exceeding sinful." And ha 
 vindicates the law, by showing that it is not the fault of 
 the law, but the fault of sin, and that this very result shows 
 at once the excellence of the law and the exceeding sinful- 
 ness of sin. Sin must be a horrible^thing, if it can work 
 such a perversion, as to take the good law of God and make 
 it the means of death. 
 
 " For we know that the law is spiritual ; but I am car- 
 nal, sold_ under sin." Here is the hinge, on which the 
 whole questions turns. Now mark ; the apostle is here 
 vindicating the law against the objection, that if the law is 
 means of death to sinners it cannot be good. Against this 
 objection, he goes to show, that all its action on the mind 
 of the sinner proves it to be gOod. Keeping his eye on 
 this point, he argues, that the law is good, and that the 
 evil comes from the motions of sin in our members. Now 
 he comes to that part which is supposed to delineate a Chris- 
 tian experience, and which is the subject of' controversy. 
 He begins by saying "the law is spiritual but I am car- 
 nal." This word "carnal" he uses once, and only once, 
 in reference to Christians, and then it was in reference 
 to persons who were in a low state in religion. "For ye 
 are yet carnal ; for whereas there is among you envying, 
 and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as 
 men." These Christians had backslidden, and acted as if 
 they were not converted persons, but were carnal. The 
 term itself is generally used to signify the worst of sinners. 
 Paul here defines it so ; "carnal, sold under sin." Could 
 that be said of Paul himself, at the time he wrote this 
 epistle ? Was that his own experience ? Was he sold 
 under sin ? Was that true of the great apostle ? No, but 
 he was vindicating the law, and he uses an illustration, 
 by supposing a case. He goes on, " For that which I do, 
 I allow not ; for what I would, that I do not ; but what I 
 hate, that do I." 
 
332 LEGAL EXPEBIENCB. 
 
 Here yon see the application of the principles I have 
 laid down. In the interpretation of l;his word "would," 
 we are not to understand it of the choice or will, but only 
 a desir6. Otherwise the apostle contradicts a plain matter 
 of ,fact, which every body knows to be true, that the will 
 governs the conduct. Professor Stuart has very properly 
 rendered the word desire ; what I desire, I do not, but 
 what I disapprove, that I do. Then comes the concla> 
 sion, " If, then, I do that which I would not, I consent 
 unto the law, that it is good. "If I do that which I dis- 
 approve, if I disapprove of my own conduct, if I condemn 
 myself, I thereby bear testimony that the law is good. 
 Now, keep your eye on the object the apostle has in view 
 and read the next verse, "Now then it is no more I that 
 do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." Here he, as it were, 
 divides himself against himself, or speaks of himself as 
 possessing two natures, or, as some of the heathen philoso- 
 phers taught, as haying two souls, one which approves the 
 good and another which loves and chooses evil. " For I 
 know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good 
 thing : for to will is present with me ; but how to perform 
 that which is good I find not." Here "to will" means to 
 approve, for if men really will to do, a thing, they do it. 
 This everybody knows. Where the language will admit, we 
 are bound to interpret it so as to make it consistent with 
 knowif facts. If you understand " to will" literally, you 
 involve the apostle in the absurdity of saying that he willed 
 what he did not do, and so acted contrary to his own will, 
 which contradicts a notorious fact. The meaning must be 
 desire. Then it coincides with the experience of every 
 convicted sinner. He knows what he ought to do, and he 
 strongly approves it, but he is not ready to do it. Sup- 
 pose I were to call on you to do some act. Suppose, for 
 instance, I were to call on those of you who are impenitenl^ 
 to come forward and take that seat, that we might see who 
 
LEGAL EXPERIENCa 333 
 
 fou are, and pray for, you, and should show you your sins 
 and that it is your duty to submit to God, some of you 
 would exclaim, " I know it is my duty, and J greatly de- 
 sire to do it, but I cannot." What do you mean by it ? 
 Why, simply, that on the whole, the balance of your will 
 is on the other side. 
 
 In the 20th verse he repeats what he had said before, 
 " Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, 
 but sin that dwelleth in me." Is that the habitual char- 
 acter and experience of a Christian ? I admit that a Chris- 
 tian may fall so low that this language may apply to him ; 
 but if this is his general character, how does it differ from 
 that of an impenitent sinner ? If this is the habitual char^ 
 acter of a Christian, there is not a word of truth in the 
 scripture representations, that the saints are those who 
 really obey God ; for here is one called a Christian, of 
 whom it is said expressly that he never does obey. . 
 
 " I flhd then a law, that when I would do good, evil is 
 present with me." Here he speaks of the action of the 
 carnal propensities, as being so constant and so prevalent 
 that he calls it a "law." "For I delight in the>law of 
 God after the inward man." Here is the great stumbling- 
 block. Can it be said of an impenitent sinner that he 
 "delights" in the law of God ? I answer. Yes. I know 
 the expression is strong, but the apostle was using strong 
 language all along, on both sides. It is no stronger lan- 
 guage than the prophet Isaiah uses in chapter Iviii. He 
 was describing as wicked and rebellious a generation as 
 ever lived. He says, " Cry aloud, spare not ; lift up thy 
 voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgres- 
 sion, and the house of Jacob their sins." Yet he goes on 
 to say of this very people, "Yet they seek me daily, and 
 delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteous- 
 ness, and forsook not the ordinance of their, God ; they 
 Hsk of me the ordinances of justice ; they take delight in 
 
884 LEGAL EXPERIENCE. 
 
 approaching to God." Here is one instance of impenitent 
 sinners manifestly delighting in approaching to God. So 
 in Ezekiel xxxiii. 33. " And lo thou art unto them as a very 
 lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play 
 well on an instrument : for they hear thy words, but do 
 them not." The prophet had been telling how wicked 
 they were. "And they come unto thee as the people 
 cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they 
 hear thy words, but they will not do them : for with their 
 mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after 
 their covetousness." Here were impenitent sinners, 'plainly 
 enough, yet they love to hear the eloquent prophet. How 
 pften do ungodly sinners delight in eloquent preaching or 
 powerful reasoning, by some able minister ! It is to them 
 an intellectuaf feast. And sometimes they are so pleased 
 with it, as really to think they love the word of God. This 
 is consistent with entire depravity of heart, and enmity 
 against the true character of God. Nay, it sets their de- 
 pravity in a stronger light, because they know and approve 
 the right, and yet do the wrong. 
 
 So, • notwithstanding this delight in the law, he says, 
 '< But I see another law in my members, warring against 
 the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the 
 law of sin which is in my members. wretched man that 
 I am I who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? " 
 Here the words, " I thank God, through Jesus Christ our 
 Lord, " are plainly a parenthesis, and a break in upon the 
 train of thought. Then he sums up the whole matter, 
 "So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, 
 but with the flesh the law of sin." 
 
 It is as if he had said. My better self, my unbiased 
 judgment, my conscience, approves the law of God ; but 
 the law in my members, my passions, have such a control 
 over me, that I still disobey. Bemember, the apostle was 
 describing the habitual character of one who was wholly 
 
LEGAL EXPERIENCE. 335 
 
 ander the dominion of sin. It was irrelevant to his pur- 
 pose to adduce the experience of a Christian. He was 
 vindicating the law, and therefore it was necessary for him 
 to take the case of one who was under the law. If it is 
 Christian experience, he was reasoning against himself ; 
 for if it is Christian experience, this would prove, not only 
 that the law is inefficacious for the subduing of passion 
 and the sanctification of men, but that the gospel also is 
 inefficacious. Christians are under grace, and it is irrele- 
 vant, in vindicating the law, to adduce the experience of 
 those who are not under the law, but under grace. 
 
 Another conclusive reason is, that he here actually 
 states the case of a believer as entirely different. In verses 
 four and six, he speaks of those who are not under law and 
 not in the flesh j that is, not carnal, but delivered from 
 the law, and actually serving, or obeying God, in spirit 
 
 Then, in the beginning of the eighth chapter, he goes 
 on to say, " There is therefore now no condemnation to 
 them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the 
 flesh, but after the spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life 
 in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin 
 and death." He had alluded to this in the parenthesis 
 above, " I thank God, " etc. "For what the law could 
 not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending 
 his own Sou in the flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in 
 the flesh : that the righteousness of the law might be ful- 
 filled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the 
 Spirit." Who is this of whom he is now speaking ? If 
 the person in the last chapter was one who had a Christian 
 experience — whose experience is this ? Here is something 
 entirely different. The other was wholly under the power 
 of sin, and under the law, and while he knew bis duty, 
 never did it. Here we find one for whom what the law 
 could not do, through the power of passion, the gospel has 
 done, so that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled, or 
 
what the law requires is obeyed, " For they that are afte 
 the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh ; but they tha 
 are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to b 
 carnally minded is death ; but to be spiritually-minded i 
 life and peace : because the carnal mind is enmity to God 
 for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed ca 
 be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 
 There it is. Those whom he had described in the seven tj 
 chapter, as being carnal, cannot please God. " But ye ar 
 not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spiri 
 of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spiri 
 of Christ, be is none of his. And if Christ be in yon, th 
 body is d'ead because of sin ; but the Spirit is life becaus 
 of righteousness." But here is an individual whose bod 
 is dead. Before the^ody had the control, and draggec 
 him away from duty and from salvation j but now th 
 power of passion is subdued. 
 
 Now I will give you the sum of the whole matter : 
 
 (1.) The strength of the apostle's language oanno 
 decide thia question, for he uses strong language on botl 
 sides. If it be objected that the individual he is descriu 
 mg is said to *' delight in the law, " he is also said to h 
 "carnal, sold under sin." When a writer uses stronj 
 language, it must be so understood as not to make it irrele 
 rant or inconsistent. 
 
 (2.) Whether he spoke of himself, or of so^ie othe 
 person, or merely supposed a case by way of illustration, i 
 wholly immaterial to the question. 
 
 (3.) It is plain that the point he wished to illustrate wa 
 the vindication' of the law of God, as to its influence on i 
 carnal mind. 
 
 (4.) The point required by way of illustration, the casi 
 of a convicted sinner, who saw the excellence of the law 
 but in whom the passions had the ascendancy. 
 
 (5.) If this is spoken of Christian experience, it is no 
 
LEaAL EXPERIENCE. 837 
 
 only irreleyant, but proves the reverse of what he intended. 
 He intended to show that the law though good, oould not 
 break the power of passion. But if this is Christian ex- 
 perience, then it proves that the gospel, instead of the law, 
 cannot subdue passion and sanctify men. 
 
 (6.) The contrast between the state described in the 
 seventh chapter, and that described in the eighth chapter, 
 proves that the experience of the former was not that oi 
 a Christian. 
 
 BEMABES. 
 
 I. Those who find their own experience written in the 
 seventh chapter of Bomans, are not converted persons. 
 If that is their habitual character, they are not regener* 
 ated ; they are under conviction, but. not Christians. 
 
 II. You see the great importance of using the law in 
 dealing with sinners, to make them prizo the gospel, to 
 lead them to justify God and condemn themselves. Sin- 
 ners are never made truly to repent but as they are con- 
 victed by the law. 
 
 III. At the same time, you see the entire insufficiency 
 of the law to convert men. ^he case of the devil illus- 
 trates the highest efficacy of the law, in this respect. 
 
 IV. You see the danger of mistaking mere desires for 
 piety. Desire, that does not result in right choice, has 
 nothing good in it. The devil may have such desires. 
 The wickedest men on earth may desire religion, and no 
 doubt often do desire it, when they see that it is necessary 
 to their salvation, Or to control their passions. 
 
 V. Christ and the gospel present the only motives that 
 can sanctify the mind. The law only convicts and con- 
 demns. 
 
 VI. Those who are truly converted and brought into 
 the liberty of the gospel, do find deliverance from the 
 bondage of their own corruptions. 
 
338 LESAL EXPERIENCE. 
 
 They do find the power of the body over the mind 
 broken. They may have confiicts and trials, many and 
 severe ; but as an habitual thing, they are delivered from 
 the thraldom of passion, and get the victory over sin, and 
 find it easy to serve God. His commandments are not 
 grievous to them. His yoke is easy, and his burden light. 
 
 VII. The trae convert finds peace with God. He feels 
 that he has it. He enjoys it. He has a sense of pardoned 
 sin, and of victory over corruption. 
 
 YIII. You see, from this subject, the true position of 
 a vast many church members. They are all the while 
 struggling under the law. They approve of the law, both 
 in its precept and its penalty, they feel condemned, and 
 desire relief. But still they are unhappy. They have no 
 spirit of prayer, no communion with God, no evidence c'. 
 adoption. They only refer to the 7th of Komans as their 
 evidence. Such a one will say, " There is my experience 
 exactly." Let me tell you, that if this is your experience, 
 you are yet in the gdl of bitterness and the bonds of 
 iniquity. You feel that you are in the bonds of guilt, and 
 you are overcome by iniquity, and surely you know that it < 
 is bitter as gall. Now, don't cheat your soul by supposing 
 that with such an experience as this, you can go and sit 
 down by the side of the apostle Paul. You are yet carnal, 
 sold under sin, and unless you embrace the gospel, yon will 
 be damned. 
 
XIX. 
 
 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which li In heSTcn U perfeab' 
 Matthew r. 48. 
 
 IN the 43d verse, the Saviour says, " Ye have heard thai 
 it hath heen said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and 
 hate thine enemy ; but I say unto you, Love your enemies, 
 bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, • 
 and pray for them which despitefuUy use you and persecute 
 yon, that ye may be the children of your Father which is 
 in heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and 
 on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the un- 
 just. For if ye love them which love you, what reward 
 have ye ? do not even the publicans the same ? And if ye 
 salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others ? 
 do not even the publicans so ? Be ye therefore perfect, 
 eren as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." 
 
 In discoursing on the subject of Christian Perfection, 
 it is my design to pursue this order : 
 
 I. I shall show what is not to be understood by this 
 requirement, " Be ye therefore perfect ; " or, what Chris- 
 tian Perfection is not. 
 
 II. Show what is the perfection here required. 
 
 III. That this perfection is a duty. 
 
 IV. That it is attainable ; and, 
 
 V. Answer some of the objections which are commonly 
 urged against the doctrine of Christian Perfection. 
 
 I. I am to show you what Christian Perfection is not. 
 1. 'It is not required that we should have the same 
 natural perfections that God has. 
 
 Ood has two kinds of perfections, natural and moral 
 
340 CHBISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 His natural perfections constitute his nature, essence, oi 
 constitution. They are his eternity, immutability, om- 
 nipotence, etc. These are called natural perfections, be- 
 cause they have no moral character. They are not volun* 
 tary. God has not given them tg himself, because he did 
 not create himself but existed from eternity, with all these 
 natural attributes in full possession. AU these God pos- 
 sesses in an infinite degree. These natural perfections are 
 not the perfection here required. The attributes of out 
 nature were created in us, and we are not required to pro- 
 duce any new natural- attributes, nor would it be possible. 
 We are not required to possess any of them in the degree 
 that God possesses them. 
 
 2. The perfection required in the text is not perfection 
 of knowledge, even according to our limited faculties. 
 
 3. Christian Perfection, as here required, is not free- 
 dom from temptation, either from our constitution or from 
 things that are about us. i^he mind may be ever so sorely 
 tried with the animal appetites, and yet ttpt sin^ The 
 
 •apostle James says, "Everyman is tempted, when he is 
 drawn away of his own lust, and enticed," The sin is not 
 in the temptations, but in yielding to them. A person 
 may be tempted by Satan, as well as by the appetites, or by 
 the world, and yet not have sin. All sin consists in volun- 
 tary consenting to the desires. 
 
 4. Neither does Christian perfection imply afreedoni 
 from what ought to be understood by the Christian war- 
 fare. 
 
 5. The perfection required is not the infinite moral 
 perfection which God has ; because man, being a finite 
 creature, is not capable of infinite affection?. God being 
 infinite in himself fori him to be perfect is to be infinitely 
 perfect. But this is not required of us. 
 
 II. I am to show what Christian perfection is ; or what 
 is the duty actually required in the text. 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 341 
 
 (It is perfect obedience to the law of God.^ The law of 
 God requires perfect, disinterested, impartial benevolence, 
 love to God and love to oar neighbor. It requires that we 
 should be actuated by the saja^ feeling, .^nd to act on the 
 same principles that God acts upon ; to leave self out of 
 the question as uniformly as he does, to be as much sepa- 
 rated from selfishness as he is ; in a word, to be ^noug ' 
 mearare as perfect as God is. Christianity requires" that 
 . we should do neither more nor less than the law of God 
 prescribes. Nothing short of this is Christian perfection. 
 This is being, morjally , just as perfect as God. Every 
 thing is here included, to feel as he feels, to love what he 
 loves, and hate what he hates, and for the same reasons 
 that he loves and hates. 
 
 God regards every being in the universe accordmg^to 
 its real value. He .regards his own interests according to 
 their real value in the scale of being, and no more. He 
 exercises the same love towards himself that he requires of 
 us, and for the same reason. He loves himself supremely, 
 both with the love of benevolence and the love of compla- 
 cency, because he is supremely excellent. And he requires 
 us to love him just so, to love him as perfectly as he lovea 
 himself. He loves himself with the love of benevolence, 
 or regards his own interest^ and glory, and happiness, as 
 the'supreme good, because it is ffie" supreme goodi' And 
 he requires us to love him in the same way. He loves him- 
 self with infinite complacency, because he know s that he is 
 infinitely worEEy~a"nd~exceIKht, and he requires the same 
 of~usr""He also loves his neighbor as h imself, not in the 
 same degree that he loves "GflSelf, butin the same propor- 
 tion, 'accofS.ing to their real value . C^rom the highest 
 angel to the smallest worm, he regards their happiness with 
 perfect love, according to their worth. ^ It is his duty tc>, 
 conform to these principles, as mubh as it is our duty. He 
 can no liaore depart from this rule thSsm we can, without 
 
342 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 Bommitting sin ; and for him to do it would be as maoh 
 worse than for us to do' it, as he is greater than we. i^God 
 is infinitely obligated to do this. "^ His very nature, not 
 depending on his own volition, buf uncreated, binds him 
 to this. And he has created us moral beings in his own 
 image, capable of conforming to the same rule, with him- 
 self. This rule requires us to have the same character with 
 him, to love as impartially, with as perfect love — to seek the 
 good of others with as single an eye as he does. This, and 
 nothing less than thkj_k Christian Perfection 
 
 III. I am to show that Christian Perfection igjy^jtj. 
 
 1. This is evident from the fact that God requires it. 
 both under the law and under the gospel. 
 
 The command in t;he text, "Be ye perfect, even as your 
 Fafchar which is in heaven is perfect," is given under the 
 gosp^ Christ here commands the very same thmgthat 
 tSelaw requires. Some suppose that much less is required 
 of usIandeTthe gospel, than was required under the law. 
 It is true that the gospel does not require perfection, as 
 the condition of salvation. But no part of the obligation 
 of the law is discharged. The gospel holds those who are 
 under it to the same holiness as those under the law. 
 
 2. I argue that Chiistian Perfection is a duty, because 
 God haB no right to require anything less. 
 
 God cannot discharge us from the obligation to be per- ', 
 feet, as I have defined perfection. If he were to attempt . 
 it, he would just so far give a license to sin. He has no 
 right to give any such license. While we are moral beings, 
 there is no power in^the universe that can discharge us 
 from the obligation to be perfect. Can God discharge us 
 !rom the obligation to love ,him with all our heart, and 
 joul, and mind, and strength ? Jh|i;^would^ sajing^^^^t 
 God does not deserve such love. And if he cannot dis- 
 eharge us from the whole law, he cannot discharge from 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 343 
 
 3. Shoald any oue contend that the gospel requires less 
 holiness than the law, I would ask him to say just how 
 much less it requires. 
 
 If we are allowed to stop short of perfect obedience, 
 where shall we stop ? How perfect are we required to be ? 
 Where will you find a rule in the Bible, to determine how 
 much less holy you are allowed to be under the gospel, 
 than yon would be under the law P Shall we say each one 
 must judge for himself ? Then I ask, if you think it is 
 your duty to be any more perfect than you are now ? 
 Probably all would say. Yes. Can you lay down any point 
 at which, when you have arrived, you can say, " Now I 
 am perfect enough ; it is true, I have some sin left, but I 
 have gone as far as it is my duty to go in this world ? ". 
 Where do you get your authority for any such notion ? 
 No ; the truth is, that all who are truly pious, the more 
 pious they are, the more strongly they feel the obligation 
 to be perfect, as God is perfect. 
 
 IV. I will now show that Christian Perfection is at- 
 tainable, or practicable, in this life. 
 
 1. It may be fairly inferred that Christian Perfection is 
 attainable, from the fact that it is commanded. 
 
 Does God command us to be perfect as he is perfect, 
 and still shall we say it is ah Impossibility ? Are we not 
 always to infer, when God commands a thing, that there is 
 a natural possibility of doing that which he commands ? 
 I recollect hearing an individual say, he would preach to 
 sinners that they ought to repent, because God commands 
 it ; but he would not preach that thej could repent, be- 
 cause God has nowhere-said that they can. What consum- 
 mate trifling ! Suppose a man were to say he would 
 preach to citizens, that they ought to obey the laws of the 
 country because the government had enacted them, but ho 
 would not tell them that they could obey, because it is no- 
 where in the statute jook enacted that they have the ability. 
 
844 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 It is always to be understood, when God requires anything 
 of men, that they possess the requisite faculties to do it. 
 Otherwise God requires of us impossibilities, on pain of 
 death, and sends sinners to hell for not doing what they 
 were in no sense able to do. 
 
 2. That there is natural ability to be perfect is a simple 
 matter of fact. -™««-«— ««« 
 
 There can be no question of this. What is perfection . 
 It is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and soul, 
 and mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as our- 
 selves. That is, it requires us not to exert the pow ers Qj 
 somebody else, butlour own powersj The law itself goes 
 no farther than to re^iii-e the right use of the powers you 
 possess. So that it is a simple matter of fact that you pos- 
 sess natural ability,<vgr^power3 to be just as perfect as God 
 requires. ' '" "* 
 
 Objection. Here some may object, that if there is a 
 natural ability to be perfect, there is a moral inability, 
 which comes to the same thing, for inability Is inability, 
 call it what you will, and if we have moral inability, we 
 are as really unable as if our inability was natural. 
 
 Answer 1. There is no more moral inability to be per- 
 fectly holy, than there i^Jo be holy at all. So far as moral 
 abSfl^' is* concerned, you can as well be perfectly holy as 
 you can be holy at all. CThe true distinction between natu- 
 ral ability and moral ability, is this aCNatural ability relates 
 to the powers and faculfies of the mind A Moral ability only 
 to the will. Moral inability is nothing else than unwil- 
 lingness to do a thing. So it is explained by President 
 Ed^rafSs, in his treatise on the Will, and by other writers 
 on the subject. When you ask whether you have moral 
 ability to be perfect, if you mean by it T^^hether you are 
 willing to be perfect^ I answer, Ifo. If you were willing 
 to be perfect, you would be perfect ; for the perfection re- 
 qi^red is only a perfect conformity of the will to God's law. 
 
CHBISTIAN PEEPECTION. 345 
 
 or willjp jg-jight. If you ask then, Are we able to 
 right ? I answer, the question implies a contradiction, in 
 supposing that there can be such a thing as a moral agent 
 unable to choose, or will. President Edwards says ex- 
 pressly, m his chapter on Moral Inability, as you may see, 
 if you will read it, that strictly speaking, there is no such 
 thing as Moral Inability. When we speak of inability to 
 r do a thing, if we mean to be understood of a real inability, 
 it implies a willingness to do it, but a want of power. To 
 say therefore, we are unable to will, is absurd. It is saying 
 we will and yet are unable to will, at the same time. 
 
 Answer 2. But I admit and believe, that there is des- 
 perate unwillingness in the case.- And if this is what you. 
 mean by Moral Inabiiily, it is true. There is a pertina- 
 cious unwillingness in sinners tp become Christians, and 
 in Christians to become perfect, or to come up to the f ul * 
 perfection required both by the law and gospel. Sinneia 
 may strongly wish to become Christians, and Christiana 
 may strongly wish or desire to be rid of all their sins, and 
 may pray for it, even with agony. They may think they 
 are willing to be perfect, but they deceive themselves. 
 They may feel, in regard to their sins taken all together, 
 or in the abstract, as if they are willing to renounce them 
 all. But take them up in the detail, one by one, and there 
 are many sins they are unwilling to give up. They wrestle 
 against sin in general, but cling to it in the detail. 
 
 I have known cases of this kind where individuals will 
 break down in such a manner that they think they never 
 will sin again ; and then perhaps in one hour, something 
 will come up that Aey are ready to fight for the indulgence, 
 and need to be broken down again and again. / Christians 
 actually need to be hunted from one sin after another, in 
 this way, before they are willing to give them up, and after 
 all, are unwilling to give up all sins. When they are truly 
 willing to give up all sin, when they have no will of their 
 
346 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 own, but merge their own will entirely in the will of God, 
 thto their bonds are broken. "When they will yield ab- 
 solutely to God's will, then they are filled with all the ful; 
 ness of God. 
 
 After all, the true point of inquiry is this : Have I any 
 right to expect to be perfect in this world ? Is there any 
 reason for me to believe that I can be so completely sub- 
 dued, that my soul shall burn with a steady flame, and I 
 shall love God wholly, up to what the law requires ? That 
 it is a real duty, no one can deny. But the great query is, 
 is it attainable f 
 
 I answer. Yes, I believe it is. 
 
 Here let me observe, that so much has been said within 
 a few years about Christian Perfection, and individuals who 
 nave entertained thiB doctrine of Perfection have run into 
 BO many wild notions, that it seems as if the devil had an- 
 ticipated the movements of the church, and created such a 
 state of feeling, that the moment the doctrine of the Bible 
 respecting sanctification is crowded on the church, one 
 and another cries out, "Why, this is Perfectionism." But 
 I will say, notwithstanding the errors into which some of 
 those called Perfectionists have fallen, there is such a thing 
 held forth in the Bible as Christian Perfection, and that 
 the Bible doctrine on the subject is what nobody need to 
 fear, but what every body needs to know. I disclaim, en- 
 tirely, the charge of maintaining the peculiarities, what- 
 ever they be, of modern Perfectionists. /I have read their 
 publications, and have had much knowledge of them as 
 individuals, arid I cannot assent to many of their views." 
 But the doctrine that Christian Perfection is a duty, is' 
 one which I have always maintained, and I have been more 
 convinced of it within a few months, that it is attainable 
 in this life. Many doubt this, but I am persuaded it ia 
 true, on various grounds. 
 
 1. God wills it. 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 847 
 
 The first doubt which will Arise in many minds, is this ; 
 "Does God really will my sanctifioation in this world?" 
 I answer : He says he does. The law of God is itself as 
 strong an expression as he can give of his will on the sub- 
 ject, and it is backed up by an infinite sanction. The gos- 
 pel is but a republication of the same will, in another form. 
 -How can God express his will more strongly on this point 
 than he has in the text ? "Be ye therefore perfect, even 
 as your Father which, is in heaven is perfect." In the 
 1st Thessalonians, iv. 3, we are told expressly, " For this is 
 the will of God, even your sanctifioation." If you examine 
 the Bible carefully, from one end to the other, you will 
 find that it is every where just as plainly taught that God 
 wills the sanctifioation of „QhristMaa^n this_world, as it la 
 that he wills sinners should repent in. this^wor^. And if 
 we go by the Bible, we might just as readily question 
 whether he wills that men should repent, as whether he 
 wills that Christians should be holy. Why should he not 
 reasonably expect it ? He requires it. What does he re- 
 quite ? When he requires men to-repent, he requires that 
 they should love God with all the heart, soul, mind,, and 
 strength. /What reasons have we to believe that he wills - 
 they should repent at all, or love him at all, which is not 
 a reason for believing that he wills they should love him 
 perfectly ? Strange logic, indeed ! to teach that he willa/ 
 it in one case, because he requires it, and not admit the 
 same inference in the other. No man can show, from the 
 Bible, that God does not require perfect sanctifioation in 
 this world, nor that he does not will it, nor that it is not, 
 ]ust as attainable as any degree of sanctifioation. 
 
 I have turned over the Bible with special reference to 
 this point, and thought I would note down on my card, 
 where I have the plan of my discourse, the passages that 
 teach this doctrine. ' But I found they were too numerous 
 altogether to admit of its being done, and that if I collectec" 
 
848 CHKISTIAN PERPBCTIOlf. 
 
 them all, I shoTild do nothing else this evening but stand 
 and read passages of scripture. If yon have never looked 
 into the Bible with this view, you will be astonished to see 
 how many more passages there are that speak of deliver^ 
 ance from the commission of sin, than there arethat speak 
 of deliverance from the pnniaSment of sin. The passages 
 that speak only of defiVerance from punishment, are as 
 nothing, in Comparison of the others. 
 
 2. All the promises and prophecies of &od, that respect 
 the sanctification of believers in this world, are to be un- 
 derstood of course, of their perfect sanctification. , 
 
 What is sanctification, but holiness ? When a prophecy 
 speaks of the sanctification of the church, are we to under- 
 stand that it is to be sanctified only partially ? When God 
 requires holiness, are we to understand that of partial holi- 
 ness ? Surely not. By what principle, then, will you 
 understand it of partial holiness when he promises holiness. 
 We have been so long in the way of understanding the 
 scriptures with reference to the existing state of things, 
 that we lose sight of the real medJiing. But if we look 
 only at the language of the Bible, I defy any man to prove 
 that the promises and prophecies of holiness mean any 
 thing short of perie^sanctificafen, unless the require- 
 ments of both tnekwSi3°gosperare to be understood of 
 partial obedience which is absurd. 
 
 3. Perfect sanctification is fhe^reat iU ssiug prom- 
 ised, throughout the Bible. 
 
 The apostle says we have exceeding great and precious 
 promises, and what are they, and what is their use ? 
 "Whereby are given unto us exceeding gf oat and precious 
 promises, that byjihese ye might be partakers of the divine 
 nature, having escwped the corru^^n that is in the world 
 through lust.'*^ 2 Peter,'i. 4. If that is not perfect sa,ncti- 
 eation, I beg to know what is. It is a plain declaration 
 that these " exceeding great and precious promises " are 
 
CHRISTIAN PEBPECTION. 34.9 
 
 giTen for this object, that by belieying and appropriating 
 and using them, we might become partakers of the divine 
 nature. And if we will use them for the purposes for 
 which they were put in the Bible, we may become per- 
 fectly holy. 
 
 Let us look at some of these promises in particular. I ' 
 will begin with the promise of the Abrahamic covenant. The 
 promise is that his posterity should possess the land of 
 Canaan, and that through him by the Messiah, all nations 
 should be blessed. The seal of the covenant, circumcision, 
 which every one knows is a type of holiness, shows us what 
 was the principal blessing intended. It was holiness. So 
 the apostle tells us, in another place, Jesus Christ was 
 given, that he might sanctify unto himself a peculiar 
 people. 
 
 All the purifications and other ceremonies of the Moasic 
 ritual signified the . same thing ; as they are all pointed 
 forward to a Saviour to come. Those ordinances of puri- 
 fying the body were set forth, every one of them, with 
 reference to the purifying of the mind, or holiness. 
 
 Under the gospel, the same thing is signified by bap- 
 tism ; the washing of the body representing the sanctlHca- 
 iioh of the mind. 
 
 In Ezekiel xxxvi. 35, this blessing is expressly prom- 
 ised, as the great blessing of the gospel ; " Then will I 
 sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean : from 
 all your,filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse 
 you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit 
 will I put within you : and I will take away the stony 
 heart out of your flesh, and I will give yc u a heart of flesh. 
 And I will put my Spirit within you : and cause you to 
 walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, 
 and do them." 
 
 So it is in Jeremiah zxxiii. 8 : " And I will cleanse 
 them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned 
 
860 CHRISTIAN PKBFECTION. 
 
 against me ; and I will pardon all their iniquities, wherebj 
 they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed 
 against me. " But it would take up too much time to quote 
 all the passages in the Old Testament prophecies, that 
 represent holiness to be the great blessing of the covenant. 
 I desire you all to search the Bible for yourselves, and you 
 will be astonished to find how uniformly the blessing of 
 sanctification is held up as the principal blessing promised 
 to the world through the Messiah. 
 
 Why, who can doubt that the great object of the Mes- 
 siah's coming was to sanctify his people ? Just after the 
 fall it was predicted that Satan would bruise his heel, but 
 that he should bruise Satap's head. And the apostle John 
 tells us that "For this pimjose the Son of God was mani- 
 jEested, that he"1mipr1aes?bftl%-vefEr of the' de^^^^ 
 He has undertaken to put Satan under his feet. His 
 »bject is to win us back to our allegiance to God, to sanc- 
 tify us, to purify our minds. As it is said in Zech. xiii. 1, 
 " In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house 
 of David and to jthe inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and 
 for uncleanness." 
 
 And Daniel says,^ " Seventy weeks are determined upon 
 thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgres- 
 sion, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconcilia- 
 tion for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, 
 and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the 
 Most Holy." But it is in vain to name the multitude of 
 these texts. " The Old Testament is full of it. 
 
 In the New Testament, the first account we have of 
 the Saviour, tells us, that he was called " Jesus, for he shall 
 save his people from their sins." So it is said, "He was 
 manifested to take away our sins," and " to destroy the 
 works of the devil." In Titus ii. 13, the apostle Paul 
 speaks of the grace of God, or the gospel, as teaching ua 
 to deny ungodliness. " Looking for that blessed hope, and 
 
CHRISTIAN PBfiFECTION. 351 
 
 the glorions appearing of the great God, and onr Saviour 
 Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might 
 redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a pe- 
 culiar people, zealous of good works." And in Ephesians, 
 V. 26, we learn that "Christ loved the church, and gave 
 himself for it ; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with 
 the washing of water by the word, that ho might present 
 it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, 
 or any such thing ; but that it should be holy and without 
 blemish." I only quote these few passages by way of illu» 
 tration, to shew that the object for which Christ came h 
 to sanctify the church to such a degree that it, should be 
 absolutely " holy and without blemish." So in Eomans 
 xi. 26, "And so all Israel shall be saved : as it is written, 
 There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn 
 away ungodliness from Jacob ; for this is my covenant unto 
 them, when I shall take away their sins." And in 1 John 
 i. 9, it is said, " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and 
 just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all un- 
 righteousness." What is it to "cleanse us from all un- 
 righteousness," if at is not perfect sanctification ? I pre- 
 sume all of you who are here to-night, if there is such a 
 thing promised in the Bible as perfect sanctification, wish 
 to know it. Now what do you think ? In 1 Thessaloniahs, 
 V. 23, the apostle Paul prays a very remarkable prayer : 
 "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and I 
 pray God your whole spirit, and souj, and body, be pre- 
 served blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ," What is that ? " Sanctify you wholly." Does 
 that mean perfect sanctification ? You may think it does 
 not mean perfect sanctification in this world. But the 
 apostle says not only that your whole soul and spirit, but 
 that your " body be preserved blameless." Could an in- 
 spired apostle make such a prayer, if he did not believe the 
 blessing prayed for to be possible ? But he goes on to say, 
 
852 CHRISTIAN PEBFECTION. 
 
 in the very next Terse, " Faithful is he that calleth yon, 
 who also will do it." Is that true, or is it false ? 
 
 4. The perfect saqctification of believers is the very 
 object for which the Hdj^Spirit is promised. 
 
 To quote the passages that sEow'^Gis', would take up 
 too much time." The whole tenor of scripture respecting 
 the Holy Spirit proves it. The whole array of gospel 
 means through which the Holy Spirit works, is aimed at 
 this, and adapted to the end of sanctifying the church. 
 All the commands to be holy, all the promises, all the 
 prophecies, all the ordinances, all the providences, the 
 blessings and the judgn^ents, all the duties of religion, are 
 the means which the Holy Ghost is to employ for sanctify- 
 ing the church. 
 
 5. If it is not a practicable duty to be perfectly holy in 
 this world, then it will follow that the devil has so com- 
 pletely accomplished his design in corrupting mankind, 
 that Jesus Christ is at fault, and has no way to sanctify 
 his people but by taking them out of the world. 
 
 Is it possible that Satan has so got the advantage of 
 God, that God's kingdom cannot be reestablished in this 
 world, and that the Almighty has no way but to back out, 
 and take his saints to heaven, before he can make them 
 holy ? Is God's kingdom to be only partially established, 
 and is it to be always so, that the best saints shall one-half 
 of their time be serving the devil ? Must the people of 
 God always go droioping and drivelling along in religion, 
 and live in sin till they get to heaven ? What is that stone 
 cut out of a mountain without hands, that is to fill the 
 earth, if it does not show that there is yet to be a universal 
 triumph of the love of God in the world ? 
 
 6. If perfect sanctification is not attainable in this world, 
 it must be either from a want of motives in the gospel, or 
 t want of sufficient power in the Spirit of God. 
 
 It is said that in another life we may be like God, for 
 
CHBISTIAN PERFECTION. 353 
 
 we shall see him as he is. But why not here, if we hare 
 that faith which is the " substance of things hoped for, 
 and the evidence of things not seen ? " There is a promise 
 to those who " hunger and thirst after righteousness " that 
 " they shall he filled." What is it to be " filled " with 
 righteousness, but to be perfectly holy ? And are we never 
 to be filled with righteousness till we die ? Are we to go 
 through life,hungry, and thirsty and unsatisfied ? So the 
 Bible has been understood, but it does not read so. 
 
 OBJEOTTOKS. 
 
 1. " The power of habit is so great, that we ought not 
 to expect to be perfectly sanctified in this life." 
 
 Answer. If the power of habit can be so far encroached 
 upon that an impenitent sinner can be converted, why can 
 it not be absolutely broken, so that a converted person may 
 be wholly sanctified ? The greatest difficulty, surely, is 
 when selfishness has the entire control of the mind, and 
 when the habits of sin are wholly unbroken. This ob- 
 stacle is so great, in all cases, that no power but that of 
 the Holy Ghost can overcome it : and so great, in many 
 instances, that God himself cannot, consistently with hia 
 wisdom, use the means necessary to convert the soul. But 
 is it possible to suppose, that after he has begun to over- 
 come it, after he has broken the power of selfishness and 
 the obstinacy of habit, and actually converted the indi- 
 vidual, that after this God has not resources sufficient to 
 sanctify the soul altogether 1 
 
 2. " Many physical difficulties have been created by a 
 life of sin, that cannot be overcome or removed by morat 
 means." 
 
 This is a common objection. Men feel that they have 
 fastened upon themselves appetities and physical influ- 
 ences, which they do not believe it possible to overcome by 
 
354 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 moral means. The apostle Paul, in the 7th of Bomana, 
 describes a man in great conflict with the body. But in 
 the next chapter he speaks of one who had gotten the vic- 
 tory over the flesh. " And if Christ be in you, the body is 
 dead because of sin ; but the spirit is life because of right- 
 ousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus 
 from the dead dwell' in you, he that raised up Christ from 
 the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit 
 that dwelleth in you." This quickening of the body is not 
 spoken of the resurrection of the body, but of the influ- 
 ence of the Spirit of God upon the body — the sanctification 
 of the body. 
 
 You will ask, "Does the Spirit of God produce a physi- 
 cal change in the body ? " I will illustrate it by the case of 
 the drunkard. The drunkard has brought upon himself a 
 diseased' state of the body, an unnatural thirst, which is 
 unsatiable, and so strong that it seems impossible he should 
 be reclaimed. But very likely you know cases in, which 
 they have been reclaimed, and have 'entirely overcome this 
 physical appetite. I have heard of cases, where drunkards 
 have been made to see the sin of drunkenness in such a 
 strong light, that they abhorred strong drink, and forever 
 renounced it, with such a loathing that they never had the 
 least desire for strong drink again. 
 
 I once knew an individual who was a slave to the use 
 of tobacco. At length he became convinced that it was a 
 sin for him to use it, and the struggle against it finally 
 drove him to God in such an agony of prayer, that he got 
 the victory at once over the appetite, and never had the 
 least desire for it again. I am not now giving you philos- 
 ophy, but facts. I have heard of individuals over whom 
 a life of sin had given to certain appetites a perfect mas- 
 tery, but in time of revival they have been subdued into 
 perfect quiescence, and these appetites have ever after been 
 as dead as if they had no body. I suppose the fact is, that 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 355 
 
 the mind may be so ocotipied and absorbed with greater 
 things, as not to give a thought to the things that would 
 revive the vicious appetite. If a drunkard goes by a 
 grocery, or sees people drinking and allows his mind to 
 run upon it, the appetite will be awakened. The wise 
 man, therefore, tells him to " Look not upon the wine 
 when it is red." But there is no doubt that any appetite 
 of the body may be subdued, if a sufficient impression is 
 made upon the mind to break it up. I believe every real 
 Christian will be ready to admit that this is possible, f^om 
 his own experience. Have you not, beloved, known times 
 when one great .absorbing topic has so filled your mind 
 and controlled your soul, that the appetites of the bodj 
 remained, for the time, perfectly neutralized ? Now, sup. 
 P-ose this state of mind to continue — to become constant, 
 would not all these physical difficulties be overcome, which 
 you speak of as standing in the way of perfect sanctifica- 
 tion? 
 
 3. " The Bible is against this doctrine, where it says, 
 there is not a just man on the earth that liveth, and sin- 
 neth hot." 
 
 Answer. Suppose the Bible does say that there is not 
 one on earth, it does not say there cannot be one. Or, it 
 may have been true at that time, or under that dispensa- 
 tion, that there was not one man in the world who was 
 perfectly sanctified ; and yet it may not follow that at this 
 time, or under the gpspel dispensation, there is no one who 
 lives without sin. " For the law made nothing perfect, 
 but the bringiiig in of a better hope did."— Ileb. vii. 9. 
 That is, the gospel did. 
 
 4. " The apostles admit that they were not perfect." 
 Answer. I know the apostle Pauls, says, in one place, 
 
 "Not as though I had already attained, either were already 
 perfect." But it is not said that he continued so till his 
 death, or that he never did attain to perfect sanctification, 
 
and the manner in which he speaks in the remainder of 
 the verse, looks as if he expected to become so : " Bat I 
 follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also 
 I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." Nfic^does it a ppear^ 
 to me to be true that in this passage referre3 ~to,"£e m 
 speaking of perfect sanctifieation, but rather of perfect 
 Icn^i^^ggj, " ' •"'"Mwrr— 
 
 ''"'"^Andthe apostle John speaks of himself as if he loved 
 God perfectly. But whatever may be the truth as to the 
 aptual character of the apostles, it does not follow^ be- 
 cause they were not perfect that no others can be. They 
 clearly declare it to be a duty, and that they were aiming ' 
 at it, just as if they expected to attain it in this life. And 
 they command us to do the same. 
 
 5. "But is it not presumption for us to think we can 
 be better than the apostles and primitive Christians ? " 
 
 Answer. What is the presumption in tlie case ? Is it 
 not a fact that we have far greater advantages for religions 
 experience, than the; primitive churches. The benefit of 
 their experience, the complete scriptures, the ^tate of the 
 world, the near approach of the millenium, all give ns the 
 advantage over the primitive believers. Are we to suppose 
 the church is always to stand in regard to religious experi- 
 ence, and never to go ahead in any thing ? "What scrip- 
 ture is there for this ? Why should not the church be 
 always growing better ? It seems to be the prevailing idea 
 that the church is to be always looking back to the primi- 
 tive saints as the standard. I suppose the reverse of this 
 is a duty, and that we ought to be always aiming at a much 
 higher standard than theirs. I l?elieve the church must go 
 far ahead of the primitive Christians before the millenium 
 can come. I leave out of view the apostles, because it doei 
 not clearly appear but that they became fully sanctified. 
 
 6. " But so many profess to be perfect, who are uotvoi 
 that I cannot believe in perfection in this life." 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 867 
 
 Answer. How many people profess to be rich^ who are 
 not. Will you therefore say, you cannot believe any body is 
 rich ? Fine logic 1 
 
 7. "So many who profess perfection have run into 
 error and fanaticism, that I am afraid to think of it." 
 
 Answer. I find in history, that a sect of Perfectionists 
 has grown out of every great and general revival that ever 
 took place. And this is exactly one of the devil's master- 
 pieces, to counteract the effects of a revival. He knows 
 that if the church were brought to the proper standard of 
 holiness, it would be a speedy death blow to his power on 
 earth, and he takes this course to defeat the efforts of the 
 church 'for elevating the standard of piety, by frightening 
 Christians from marching right up to the point, and aim- 
 mg at liAring perfectly conformed to the will of God. And 
 so successful has he been, that the moment you begin to 
 crowd the church up to be holy, and give up all their sins, 
 somebody will cry out, "Why, this leads to Perfectionism ; " 
 and thus give it a bad name and put it down. 
 
 8. " But do you really think any body ever has been 
 perfectly holy in this world ? " 
 
 Answer. I have reason to believe there have been many. 
 It is highly probable that Enoch and Elijah were free from 
 sin, before they were taken out of the world. And in dif- 
 ferent ages of the church there have been numbers of 
 Christians who were intelligent and uprigh#, and had noth- 
 ing that could be said against them, who have testified that 
 they themselves lived free from sin. I know it is said, in 
 reply, that they must have been proud, and that no man 
 would say he was free from sin for any other motive but 
 pride. But I ask, why may not a man say he is free from 
 sin, if it is so, without being proud, as well as he can say 
 he is converte 1 without being proud ? Will not the saints 
 say it in heaven, to the praise of the grace of God, which 
 has thus crowned his glorious work ? And why may they 
 
358 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 not say it now, from the same motive ? I do not myseU 
 profess now to have attained perfect sanctiflcation, bat if 
 I had attained it, if I felt that God had really given me the 
 victory over the world, the flesh and the Aevil, and made 
 me free from sin, would I keep it a secret, locked up in my 
 own breast, and let my brethren stumble on in ignorance' 
 of what the grace of God can do ? Never. I would tell 
 them, that they might expect complete deliverance, if they 
 Would only lay hold on the arm of help which Christ 
 reaches forth, to save his people from their sins. 
 
 I have heard people talk like this, that if a Christian 
 really was perfect, ho would be the last person that would 
 tell of it.' But would you say of a person who professed 
 eonversion, " If he was really converted, he would be the 
 last person to tell of it ? " On the contrary, is it not the 
 first impulse of a converted heart to say, " Come and hear, 
 all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done 
 for my soul 1 " Why then should not the same desire exist 
 in one who feels that he has obtained sanctiflcation ? Why 
 all these suspicions, and refusing to credit evidence? If 
 any one gives evidence of great piety, if his life is irre- 
 proachable, and his spirit not to be complained of, if he 
 shows the very spirit of the Son of God, and if such a per- 
 son testifies that after great struggles and agonizing prayer 
 God has given him the victory, and his soul is set at Uberty 
 by the power of divine grace ; why are we not bound to 
 receive his testimony, just as much, as when he says he is 
 converted. We always take such testimony, so far. And 
 now, when he says he has gone farther, and got the vic- 
 tory over all sin, and that Christ has actually fulfilled his 
 promise in this respect, why-should we not credit this also ? 
 
 I have recently read Mr. Wesley's " Plain Account of 
 Christian Perfection," a book I never saw until lately. I 
 find some expressions in it to which! should object, but I 
 believe it is rather the expression than the sentimentg. 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 369 
 
 And I think, with this abatement, it is an admirable book, 
 and I wish every member of this church to read it. An 
 edition is in the press, in this city. I would also recom- 
 mend the memoir of James. Brainerd Taylor, and I wish 
 every Christian would get it, and' study it. I have read 
 the most of it three times within a few months. From 
 many things in that book, it is plain that he believed in 
 the doctrine that Christian perfection is a duty, and that 
 it is attainable by believers in this life. There is nothing 
 published which shows that he professed to have attained 
 it, but it is manifest that he believed it to be attainable. 
 But I have been told that much which is found in his diary 
 on this subject, as well as some things in his letters, were 
 suppressed by his biographers, as not fitted for the eye of 
 the church in her present state. I believe if the whole 
 could come to light, that it would be seen that he was a 
 firm believer in this doctrine. These books should be read 
 and pondered by the church. 
 
 I have now in my mind an individual, who was a mem- 
 ber of the church, but very worldly, and when a rerival 
 came he- opposed it, at first ; but afterwards he was awa- 
 kened, and after an awful conflict, he broke down, and has 
 ever since lived a life of the most devoted piety, laboring 
 and praying incessantly, like his blessed Master, to pro- 
 mote the kingdom of God. I have never heard this man 
 say he thought he was perfect, but I have often heard him 
 speak of the duty and praotioabrlity of being perfectly 
 sanctified. And if there is a man in the world who is so, 
 I believe he is one. 
 
 People have the strangest notions on this subject. 
 Sometimes you will hear them argue against Christian 
 Perfection on this ground, that a man who was perfectly 
 holy could not live, could not exist in this world. I believe 
 I have talked just so myself, in time past. I know I have 
 talked like a fool on the subject. Why, a saint who wai 
 
860 CHRISTIAN PEKFBCTION. 
 
 perfect would be more alive than ever, to the good of hia 
 fellow men. Could not Jesus Christ live on earth ? He 
 was perfectly holy. It is thought that if a person was 
 perfectly sanctified, and loved God perfectly, he would be 
 in such a state of excitement, that he could not remain in 
 the body, could neither eat nor sleep, nor attend to the 
 ordinary duties of life. But there is no evidence of this. 
 The Lord Jesus Christ was a man, subject to all the temp- 
 tations of other men, He also lorved the Lord his God 
 with all his heart and soul and strength. And yet it does 
 not appear that he was in such a state of excitement that 
 he could not both eat and sleep, and work at his trade as a 
 carpenter, and maintain perfect health of body and perfect 
 composure of mind. And why needs a saint that is per- 
 fectly sanctified, to be carried away with uncontrollable 
 excitement, or killed with intense emotion, any more than 
 Jesus Christ ? There is no need of it, and Christian 
 Perfection implies no such thing. 
 
 aSMARES^ 
 
 We can see now the reasons why there is no more pei> 
 fcction in the world. 
 
 1. Christians do not believe that it is the will of God, 
 or that God is willing they should be perfectly sanctified 
 in this world. 
 
 They know he commands them to be perfect, as he is 
 perfect, but they think that he is secretly unwilling, and 
 does not really wish them to be so ; "Otherwise, " say 
 they, "why does he not do more for us, to make us per- 
 fect ? " No doubt, God prefers their remaining as they 
 are, to using any other means or system of influences to 
 make them otherwise ; because he sees that it would be a 
 greater evil to introduce a new system of means than to let 
 them remain as they are. Where one of the evils is un- 
 Toidable, he chooses the least of the two evils, and who can 
 
CHBISTIAN PERFECTION. 861 
 
 doabt that he prefers their being perfect in the circum- 
 stances in which they are, to their sinning in these circum- 
 stances. Sinners reason just as these professors reason. 
 They say, "I don't believe he wills my repentance; if ho 
 did, he would make me repent." Sinner, God may prefer 
 your continued impenitence, and your damnation, to using 
 any other influences than he does use to make you repent. 
 But for you to infer from this, that he does not wish youf to 
 yield to the influences he does use, is strange logic I .Sup- 
 pose your servant should reason so, and say, "I don't 
 believe my master jneans I should obey him, because he 
 don't stand by me all day, to keep me at work." Is that 
 a just conclusion ? Very likely, the master's time is so 
 valuable, that it would be a greater evil to his business, 
 than for that servant to stand still all day. 
 
 So it is in the government of God. If God were to 
 bring all the power of his government to bear on one indi- 
 vidual, he might save that individual, while at the same 
 time, it would so materially derange his government, that 
 it would be a vastly greater evil than for that individual 
 to go to hell. In the same way, in the case of a Christian, 
 God has furnished him with all the means of sanctification, 
 and required him to be perfect, and now he turns round 
 and says, "God does not really prefer my being per- 
 fect ; if he did, he would make me so." This is just the 
 argument of the impenitent sinner, and no better ia 
 one case than the other. The plain truth is, God doe» 
 desire, of both, that in the circumstances in which they 
 are placed, they should do just what he commands them 
 to do. 
 
 3. They do not expect it themselves. 
 
 The great part of tlie church do not really expect to be 
 any more pious than they are. 
 
 3. Much of the time, they do not even desire iwrfeoi 
 ■anctifl cation. 
 
862 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 4. They are satisfied with their hunger and thirst af tei 
 righteousness, and do not expect to be filled. 
 
 Here let me say, that hunger and thirst after holinesi 
 is not holiness. The desire of a thing is not the thing 
 desired. If they hunger and thirst after holiness,^ they 
 ought to give God no regt, till he comes up to his promise, 
 that they shall be filled with holiness, or made perfectly 
 holy. 
 
 5. They overlook the great design of the gospel. 
 
 Too long has the church been in the habit of thinking 
 that the great design of the gospel is, to save nien from 
 the punishment of sin, whereas its real design and object 
 is to deliver men from sin. But Christians have taken 
 the other ground, and think of nothing, but that they are 
 to go on in sin, and all they hope for is to be forgiven, and 
 wheju they die made holy in heaven. Oh, if they only 
 realized that the whole frame-work of the gospel is de- 
 signed to break the power of sin, and fill men on earth 
 with all the fullness of God, how soon there would be one 
 steady blaze of love in the hearts of God's people all over 
 the world I 
 
 6. The promises are not understood, and not appropn- 
 ated by faith. 
 
 If the church would read the Bible, and lay hold of 
 every promise there, they would find them exceeding great 
 and precious. But now the church loses its inheritance, 
 and remains ignorant of the extent of the blessings she 
 may receive. Had I time to-night 1 could lead you to 
 some promises which, if you would only get hold of and 
 Appropriate, you would know what I mean. 
 
 7. They seek it by the law, and not by faith. 
 
 How many are seeking sanctiflcation by their own 
 resolutions and works, their fastings and prayers, their 
 endeavors and activity, instead of taking right hold of 
 Christ, by faith, for sanctiflcation, as they do for justifica* 
 
CHBISTUN PERFECTION. 363 
 
 tion. It is all wojk, work, work, when it should be by 
 faith in" Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdomj 
 and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 
 When they go and take right hold of the strength of God, 
 they will be sanctified. Faith will bring Christ right into 
 the aoul, and fill it with the same spirit that breathes 
 through himself. These dead works are nothing. It is 
 faith that must sanctify, it is faith that purifies the heart ; 
 that faith which is the substance of things hoped for, takes 
 hold of Christ and brings him into the soul, to dwell there 
 the hope of glory ; that the life which we live here should 
 be by the faith of the Son of God. It is from not knowing, 
 or not regarding this, that there is so little holiness in the 
 church. 
 
 And finally, 
 
 8. From the want of the right kind of dependence. 
 
 Instead of taking scriptural views of their dependence 
 and seeing where their strength is, and realizing how 
 willing God is to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask, 
 now and continually, and thus taking hold, and holding 
 on, by the arm of God, they sit down, in unbelief and sin, 
 to wait God's time, and call this depending on God. Alas, 
 how little is felt, after aU this talk about dependence on 
 the Holy Spirit ; how little is really felt of it ; and how 
 little is there of the giving up of the whdle soul to his 
 control and guidance, with faith in his power to enlighten, 
 to lead, to sanctify, to kindle the affections, and fill the 
 mqI continually with all the fulness of God ! 
 
XX. 
 
 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 Be ]pe therefore perfect, even as yonr Father which li In heaven U perfett— 
 
 Matthew T. 48. 
 
 IN speaking from these words, previously, I pursued the 
 following order. 1. I showed what is implied in being 
 perfect. %. What Christian perfection is. 3. That it is 
 a duty. 4. That it is attainable in this life. 5. Answered 
 some objections, and then gave some reasons why so many 
 persons are not perfect. To-night my object is to mention 
 some additional causes which prevent the great body of 
 Christians from attaining perfect sanctification. As a 
 matter of fact, we know that the church is not sanctified, 
 and we ought to know the reasons. If the defect is in 
 God, we ought to know it. If he has not provided a 
 suflBcient revelation, or if the power of the Holy Spirit is 
 not adequate to sanctify bis people in this world, we ought 
 to understand it, so as not to perplex ourselves with idle 
 endeavors after what is unattainable. And if the fault is 
 in us, we ought to know it, and the true reasons ought to 
 be understood, lest by any means we should charge God 
 foolishly, even in thought, by imagining that he has re- 
 quired of us that which he has furnished us no adequate 
 means of attaining. 
 
 I. The first general reason which I shall mention, for 
 persons not being sanctified, is that they seek sanctification 
 " by works, " and not " by faith." 
 
 The religion of works assumes a great variety of forms ; 
 and it is interesting to see the ever- varying, shifting forms 
 it takes : 
 
 1, One form is where men are aiming to live so as to 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 365 
 
 render their damnation unjust. It matters not, in this 
 case, whether they deem themselves Christians or not, if 
 they are in fact trying to live so as to render it unjust for 
 God to send them to hell. This was the religion of tho 
 ancient Pharisees. And there are not a few, in the present 
 . day, whose religion is purely of this character. You will 
 often find them out of the church and perhaps ready to 
 confess that they have never heen horn again. But yet 
 they speak of their own works in a way that makes it 
 manifest that they think themselves quite too good to he 
 damned. 
 
 2. Another form of the religion of works is, where per- 
 sons are not aiming so much to render it unjust in God to 
 damn th'em, hut are seeking by their works, to recommend 
 themselves to the mercy of God. They know they deserve 
 to be damned, and will for ever deserve it. But they also 
 know that God is merciful ; and they think that if they 
 live honest lives, and do many kind things to the poor, it 
 will so recommend them to the general mercy of God, thai 
 he will not impute their iniquities to them, but will forgive 
 their sins and save them. This is the religion of most 
 modern moralists. Living under the gospel, they know 
 . they cannot be saved by their works, and yet they think 
 that if they go to meeting, and help to support the minis- 
 ter, and do this and that and the other kind of good works, 
 it will recommend them to God's mercy snflBciently for sal- 
 vation. So far as I understand the system of religion held 
 by modern Unitarians, this must be their system. ^ Whether 
 they understand it so, or admit it to be so, or not, as far as 
 I can sed, it comes to this. They set aside the atonement 
 of Christ, and do not expect to be saved by the righteous- 
 ness of Jesus Christ ; ■ and I know not on what they do de- 
 pend, but this. They seem to have a kind of sentimeiftal 
 religion, and on this, with their morality and their liber- 
 ality, they depend to recommend them -to the mercy of 
 
366 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 God. On this ground they expect to receive the forgive- 
 ness of their sins, and to be saved. 
 
 3. Another form of the religion of works is, where per- 
 sons are endeavoring to prepare themselves to accept of 
 Christ. 
 
 They understand that salvation is only through Jesus 
 Christ. They know that Tihey cannot be saved by works, 
 nor by the general mercy of God, without an atonement, 
 and that the only way to be saved is by faith in Christ. 
 But they have heard the relations of the experience of 
 others, who went through a long process of distress before 
 they submitted to Christ and found peace in believing. 
 And they think a certain preparatory process is necessary, 
 and that they must make a great many prayers and run 
 hither and thither to attend meetings, and lie awake many 
 nights, and suffer so much distress, and perhaps fall into 
 despair, and then they shall be in a situation to accept of 
 Christ. This is the situation of many convicteij sinners. 
 When they are awakened, and get so far as to find that 
 they cannot be saved by their own works, then they set 
 themselves to prepare to receive Christ. Perhaps some of 
 you, who are here to-night, are in just this case. You dare 
 not come to Christ just as you are, when you have made 
 so few prayers, and attended so few meetings, and fejt so 
 little distress, and done so little and been, so little engaged. 
 And so, instead of going right to Christ for all you need, 
 as a poor lost sinner, throwing yourself unreservedly into 
 his hands, you set yourself to lash your mind into more 
 conviction and distress, in order to prepare you to accept 
 of Christ. Such cases are just about as common as con- 
 victed sinners are. How many there are, who abound in 
 such works, and seem determined they will not fall down 
 at once at the feet of Christ. It is not necessary to go into 
 an argument here, to show that they are growing no better 
 by all this process. There is no love to God in it, and no 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 867 
 
 faith, and no religion. It is all mere mockery of God, and 
 hypocrisy, and sin. There may be a great deal of feeling, 
 but it is of no use ; it brings them in fact no nearer to 
 Christ ; and after all, they have to do the very thing at 
 last, which they might have done just as well at first. 
 
 Now suppose an individual should take it into his head 
 that this is the way to become holy. Every* Christian can 
 Bee that it is very absurd, and that however he may multi- 
 ply suph works, he is not beginning to approach to holi- 
 ness. vThe first act of holiness is to believe, to take hold 
 of Christ by faith. I And if a Christian, who is awakened 
 to feel the need of sanctification, undertakes to go through 
 a preparatory process of self -created distress, before he ap- 
 plies to Christ,it is just as absurd \ as for an awakened sin- 
 ner to do it. 
 
 4r. Another form of the religion of works is, where in- 
 dividuals perform works to beget faith and love. 
 
 The last mentioned class was where individuals are 
 preparing to come to Christ. Here we suppose them to 
 have come to Christ, and that they have accepted him, and 
 dre real Christians ; but having backslidden they s^t them- 
 selves to perform, many works to beget faith and love, or to 
 beget and perfect a right state of feeling. This is one of 
 the most common and most subtile forms in which the 
 religion of works shows itself at the present day. 
 
 Now this is very absurd. It is an attempt to produce 
 holiness by sin. For if the feelings are not right, the act 
 is sin. If the act does not proceed from faith and love, 
 whatever they may do is sin. How idle, to think that a 
 person, by multiplying sins, can beget holiness ! And yet 
 it is perfectly common for persons to think they can beget 
 holiness by a course of conduct that is purely sinful. For 
 certainly, any act that does not spring from love already 
 existing, is sinful. The individual acts not from the im- 
 pulse of faith that works by love and purifies the heart, but 
 
368 CHRISTIAN PBKFECTION. 
 
 he acts without faith and love, with a design to beget those 
 affections by such acts as these. 
 
 f It is true, when faith and love exist, and are the pro- 
 pelling motive to action, the carz-ying of them out in ac- 
 tion has a tendency to increase them.^ This arises fronr 
 the known laws of mind, by which every power and everj 
 fiaculty gains strength by exercise^ But the case supposed 
 is where individuals have left their first love, if ever they 
 had any, and then set themselves, without faith or love, to 
 bustle about and warn sinners, or the like, under the idea 
 that this is. the way to wake up, or to become holy,^)r to 
 get into the state of feeling that God requires. It is really 
 most unphilosophical and absurd, and ruinous, to think of 
 waking- up faith in the soul, where it does not exiet, by 
 performing outward acts from some other motive. It is 
 mocking God, to pretend,, by doing things from wrong 
 motives, to produce a holy frame of mind. By and by, I 
 shall show where the deception lies, and how it comes to 
 pass that any persons should eve'r dream of such a way of 
 becoming sanctified. The fact is too plain to be proved 
 that pretending to serve God in such a way, so far froi. 
 havmg any tendency to produce a right spirit, is in faoi 
 grieving the Holy Ghost, and insulting God. 
 
 So far as the philosophy of the thing is concerned, it is 
 just like the conduct of convicted sinners. But there is 
 one difEerence ; the sinner, in spite of all his wickedness, 
 may by and by learn his own helplessness, and actually re- 
 nounce a}l his own works, and feel that his continued re- 
 fusal to come to Christ, so far from being a preparation for 
 coming, is only heaping up so many sins against God. 
 But it is otherwise with those who think themselves to be 
 already Christians, as I will explain by and by. 
 
 It is often remarked, by careful observers in religion, 
 that many persons who abound in religious acts, are often 
 the most hardened, and the farthest removed from spiritual 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 36^ 
 
 feeling. If performing religious duties was tlie way to 
 produce religious feeling, we should expect that ministers, 
 and leaders in the church, would be always the most spir- 
 itual. But the fact is, that where faith and love are not 
 in exercise, in proportion as persons abound in outward 
 acts without the inward life, they become hardened and 
 cold, and full of iniquity. They may have been converted 
 but have backslidden, and so long as they are seeking 
 eanotificatioa in this way, by multiplying their religious 
 duties, running round to protracted meetings, or warning 
 einners, without any spiritual life, they will never find it, 
 but will in fact become more hardened and stupid. Or if 
 they get into an excitement, in this way, it is a spurious 
 superficial state of mind that has nothing hoJy in it. 
 
 II. Another reason why so many persons are nob sano 
 tified is this i^They do not receive Christ in all his relations^ 
 as he is offered in the gospel^ 
 
 Most people are entirely mistaken here., and they will 
 never go ahead in sanctification, uqjbil they learn that there 
 is a radical error in the manner in which they attempt to 
 attain it. Take a case : Suppose an individual who is con- 
 vinced of sin. He sees that God might in justice send him 
 to hell, and that hehas no way in which he can make sat- 
 isfaction. Now tell him of Christ's atonement, show him 
 how Christ died to make satisfaction, so that God can be 
 just and yet the justifier of them that believe in Jesus, he 
 sees it to be right and sufficient, and exactly what he needs, 
 ASi he throws himself upon Christ, in faith, for justifica- 
 tion. He accepts him as his justification, and that is as 
 far as he understands the gospel. He believes, and is jus- 
 tified, and feels the pardon of- his sins. Now, here is the 
 very attitude in which most convicted sinners stop. They 
 take up with Christ in the character in which, as sinners, 
 they most feel the need of a Saviour, as the propitiation of 
 their sins, to make atonement and procure forgiveness, and 
 
370 CHBISTIAN PBEFECTION 
 
 there they stop. And after that, it is often exceedingly 
 difficult to get their attention to what O hrist off sig beyond. 
 Say what you will in regard to Ohrist as ihe believer's 
 wisdom and righteousness and his sanctification, and all 
 his relations as a Saviour from sin — they do not feel their 
 need of him sufficiently to make them really throw them- 
 selves u pon him in these rela tions. The converted person 
 feels at peace with God, joy and gratitude fill his hearty he 
 rejoices in having found a Saviour that can stand between 
 him and his Judge, he may have really submitted, and for 
 a time, he follows on in the way of obedience to God's 
 commandments. But, by and by, he finds the w.o ^ing 8 
 of sininhismembers, unsfthdued pi^de, hisold^tmper 
 breaking forth, and a multitude of enemies a^aulting~hi4 
 soul, from within and without, and he is not prepared to 
 meet them. ^ Hitherto, he has taken up Christ and regarded 
 him, mainly, i^jta^e of his relations, that of a Saviour to 
 gave him from hell. If I am not mistaken, the great mass 
 of professing Christians lose sight, almost altogether, of 
 many of the most jnteres^ ng relations which Christ sus- 
 tains to believers. Now, when the convert finds himself 
 thus brought under the power of temptation, and drawn 
 intosm, he needs to recei ve -Chr ist in a new rela tion, to 
 know more of the extent of his provision, to make a fresh 
 application to him, and give a new impulse to his mind to 
 resist temptation, (^his is not fully apprehended by many 
 Christians.) They never really view Christ, under his name 
 Jesus, because he saves his people from their sins. They 
 need to rfeceive him as a Icing, to take the throne in their 
 hearts, and rule over them with absolute and perfect control, 
 bringing every faculty and every thought into snbjeetioiw, 
 The reg,son why the convert thus falls under the power of 
 temptation,fis that he has not submitted his own will to 
 Christ, as a king in every thing, as,perf ectly as he ought, but 
 is, after all, exercising his own self-will in some particulars. 
 
CHBISTIAN PERFECTION. 871 
 
 Again : There are a multitade of what are called sins 
 of ignorance, which Heed not be. Qhristians complain that 
 they cannot understand the Bible, and there are many 
 things concerning which they are always in doubt. Now, 
 what they need is, t o receive, C h rist as wisdom , to accepj; 
 him in his relation as the source of light and Knowledge. 
 Who of you now attach a full and definite idea to the tex 
 which says, " We are in Christ Jesus, who of God is made 
 unto us wisdom, and rightgoiisness, and sanc tifica tion, and 
 red emp tion ? " What do |you understand by it ? It does 
 not say he is a justifier, and a teacher, and a sanctifier, and 
 a redeemer ; but that he is wisdom, and righteousness, 
 and sanctification, and redemption. What does that 
 mean"? Until Christians shall find out by experience, and 
 know what that scripture meaneth, how can the church be 
 sanctified ? The church is now just like a branch plucked 
 off from a vine ;f'' Except ye abide in me, ye cannot bear 
 fruit. "_^ Suppose a branch had power voluntarily to separ- 
 ate itself from the vine, and then should undertake to 
 bring forth fruit, what would you think ? So . with the 
 church ; until Christians will go to the Eternal Source of 
 sanctification, and wisdom, and redemption, it will never 
 become holy. If they would become, by faith, absolutely 
 united with him, in all those offices and relations in which 
 he is offered, they would know what sanctification is.T 
 
 I may, at some other time take this text as the founda- 
 tion of a separate discourse, and discuss these points, one 
 by one, and show what this means. I will only say, at 
 present, as much as this : that it means just what it says, 
 and there is no need of explaining it away, as has too com- 
 monly been done. And when the church shall once take 
 hold of Chris t, maU his relations, as here set forth, they 
 will know what TtlsT and -will see that h^e is the light and 
 the life of the world. To be sanctified by him, they must 
 BO embrace him, as to receive from him those supplies of 
 
878 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 grace and knowledge, which alone can purify the Boul and 
 give the cpmplete victory over sin and Satan. _ 
 
 I wiU mention some reasons why Christians do not re* 
 oeive Christ in all his relations. 
 
 (1.) They may not have those particular convictions, 
 that are calculated to make them deeply feel the necessity 
 of a Saviour in those relations.. 
 
 If an individual is not deeply convicted of his own de- 
 pravity, and has not learned intimately his own sinfulness, 
 and if he does not know experimentally, as a matter of 
 fact, that he needs help to overcome the power of sin, hdi 
 will never receive Jesus Christ into his soul as a Mn^.j 
 When men undertake to help themselves out of sin, and 
 feel strong in their own strength to cope with their spiritual 
 enemies, they never receive Christ fully, nor rely on him 
 solely to save them from sin. But when they have tried 
 to keep themselves by their own watchfulness and prayers, 
 and binding themselves by resolution and oaths to obej 
 God, and find that, after all, if left to themselves, there i» 
 nothing in them but depravity, then they feel their own 
 helplessness, and begin to inquire what they shall do ? The 
 Bible teaches aU this plainly enough, and if people would 
 believe the .Bible, converts would know their own help- 
 lessness, and their need of a Saviour to sav^ from sin at 
 the outset. But, as a matter of fact, they do not receive 
 nor believe the Bible on this subject, until they have set 
 themselves to^work out a righteousness of their own, 
 and thus h^ve found out by experiment that they are noth- 
 ing wi thontCh list. And therefore they do not receive 
 him in this relation, till after they have spent, it may 
 be, years, in these vain and self-righteous endeavors to 
 do the work of sanofcification themselves. Having begun 
 in the Spirit they are trying to be made perfect by the 
 flesh. 
 
 (3.) Others when they see their own condition, do not 
 
CHBISTIAN PERFECTION. 373 
 
 receive Christ as a Saviour from sin, because they are, after 
 all, unwilling to abandon all sin. 
 
 They know that if they give themselves up entirely to 
 Christ, all sin must be abandoned ; and they have some 
 idol which they are unwilling to give up. 
 
 (3.) Sometimes, when persons are deeply convinced, and 
 anxious to know what they shall do to get rid of sin, they 
 do not apply to Christ in faith, because they do not know 
 what they have a right to expect from him. 
 
 There are many who seem to suppose they are under a 
 fatal necessity to sin, and that there is no help for it, but 
 they must drag along this load of sin till their death. They 
 do not absolutely charge God foolishly, and say in words 
 that he has made no provision for such a case as this. But 
 they seem to suppose that Christ's atonement being so 
 great as to cover all sins, and God's mercy being so great, 
 if they do go on in sin all their days, as they expect they 
 shall, he will forgive all at last; and it will be just about 
 aa well in the end, as if they had been really sanctified. 
 They do not see that the gospel has made provision suffi- 
 cient to rid us forever of the commission of all sin. They 
 look at it as merely a system of pardon, leaving the sinner 
 to drag along his load of sin to the very gate of heaven ; 
 instead of a system to break up the very power of sin in 
 the mind. The consequence is they make very little ac- 
 count of the promises. 0, how little use do Christians 
 make of those exceeding great and precious promises, in 
 the Bible, which were given expressly for this purpose, 
 that we might become partakers of the divine nature ! 
 Here God has suited his promises to our exigencies for 
 this end, and we have only to draw upon him for all we 
 want, and we shall have whatever we need for our sancti- 
 cation. Hear the Saviour say, " What things soever ye 
 desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye 
 ■hall have them." 
 
874 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION 
 
 The fact is, Christians do not really belieYe much that 
 is in the Bible. Now, suppose you were to meet God, and 
 iron knew it was God himself, speaking to you, and he 
 jhould reach out a book in his' hand, and tell yon to take 
 ;hat book, and that the book contains exceeding great and 
 precious promises, of all that you need, or ever can need, 
 :o resist temptation, to overcome sin, and to make you 
 jerfectly holy, and fit you for 'heaven ; and then he tells 
 fou that whenever you are in want of anything for this 
 ind, you need only take the appropriate promise, and pre- 
 lent it to him at any time, and he will do it. Now, if you 
 vere to receive such a book, directly from the hand of God, • 
 md knew that God had written it for you, with his own 
 land, would you not believe it ? And would you not read - 
 t a great deal more than you now read the Bible ? How 
 sager you would be to know all that was in it ? And how 
 «ady to apply the promises in time of need I You would 
 vant to get it all by heart, and often repeat it all through, 
 hat you might keep your mind familiar with its contents, '; 
 md be always ready to apply the promises you read ! Now, 
 ;he truth is, the B ible is ^ at book. It ip written just so, 
 md filled with just such promises ; so that the Christian, J 
 )y laying hold of the right promise, and pleading it, can 
 ilways find all that he needs for his spiritual benefits 
 
 Christ is a complete Saviour. All the promises of God 
 tre in him Yea, and in him Amen, to the glory of God 
 he Fatheri That i^ God has promised in the second , 
 )erson of the Trinity, in the person of Jesus Christ, and! J 
 nade them all certain through him. Now, the thing ' 
 fhich is needed is, that Christians, should understand, si's 
 hese promises, and believe themi and in every circum- ■ ; 
 itance of need apply them, for sanctification. Suppose - 
 hey lack wisdom. Let them go to God, and plead the 
 iromise. Suppose they cannot understand the scriptures, or 
 ;he nath of dntv is not nlain. The nromise in nlnin onnrwh. ' 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 375 
 
 take that. "Whatever they lack of wisdom, righteous- 
 ness, sanotifioation, and redeiiiption, only let them go to 
 God in faith, an4 take hold of the promise, and if he does 
 not proTe false, they will assuredly receive all that they 
 need. 
 
 (4.) Another reasop why many do not receive Christ in 
 all his relations is, that they are too proud to relinquish 
 all self-dependence or reliance on their own wisdom and 
 their own will. 
 
 How great a thing it is, for the proud heart of man to 
 give up its own wisdom, and knowledge, and will, and 
 every thing, to God, I have found this the greatest of all 
 difficulties. Doubtless all find it so. The common plea 
 is, " Our reason was given us, to be exercised in religiow. 
 but what is the use, if we may not rely on it, or follow 
 it ? " But there is one important discrimination to be 
 made, which many overlook. Our reason was given us to 
 use in religion ; but it is not in the proper province of rea- 
 son to ask whether what God says is reasonable, but to show 
 us the infinite reasonableness of believing that all which 
 God says must be true, whether we in onr ignorance and 
 blindness can see the reasonableness of it or not. And if 
 we go beyond this, we go beyond the proper province of 
 , reason. But how unwilling the proud heart of man is to 
 lay aside all its own vain wisdom, and become like a little 
 «hild, under the teaiching of God 1 The apostle says, f If 
 any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knowetV' 
 nothing yet as he ought to know."Jf There is a vast meair- 
 ing in this. He that does not receive Christ alone as'his 
 -wisdom, knows nothing in religion to any purpose. If he 
 is not taught by Jesus Christ, he has not learned the first 
 lesson of Christianity. So again, f'No man knoweth the 
 Father but the Son, and he to whoiiisoever the Son re- 
 vealeth him."y The individual who has learned this lesson, 
 ieels that be has not one iota of knowledge in religion, that 
 
376 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 18 of any value, only as he is taught by Jesus Christ. Fol 
 it is written, "And they shall all be taught of God." 
 
 BBUABKS. 
 
 I. You see what kind of preaching the church now 
 needs. 
 
 The church needs to be searched thoroughly, shown 
 their great defects, and brought under conviction, and then 
 pointed to where their great strength lies. With their 
 everlasting parade of dead Works, they need to be shown 
 how poor they are. "Thou sayest I am rich, arid in- 
 creased ^with goods, and have need of nothing, and know- 
 est not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, 
 and blind, and naked." Until Christians are shown their 
 poverty, and the infinite emptiness and abominable wick- 
 edness of their dead works, and then shown just where 
 their help is, and that it is by faith alone, they can never 
 be sanctified, the church will go farther and farther from 
 God, till it will have only the form of godliness, denying 
 the power thereof. 
 
 II. When you see the Christian character defective in 
 'any particular, you may always know that the individual 
 
 needs to receive Christ more fully in the very relation that 
 is calculated to supply this defect. - 
 
 The defect, whatever it be, in the character of any be- 
 liever, will never be remedied, until he sees the relation of 
 Christ to that part of his character, so as by faith to take 
 hold of Christ, and bring him in to remedy that defect 
 Suppose a person is naturally penurious and selfish, and 
 reluctant to act in a disinterested manner : he will never 
 remedy that defect, until he receives Christ as his pattern, 
 and the selfishness is driven out of his heart by imbuing 
 his very soul with the infinite benevolence of the Saviour. 
 So it is with regard to any other defect ; he will nevei 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 377 
 
 '•onquer it, until you make him see *'^** the i nfinite j nlneaa 
 of Christ is answerable to that very want;^ """^ 
 
 III. You see the necessity there is that ministers should 
 be persons of deep experience in religion. 
 
 It is easy for even a carnal mind to preach so as to 
 bring sinners under conviction. But until the tone ol 
 sanctification is greatly raised among ministers, it is not to 
 be expected, that the piety of the church will be greatly 
 elevated. Those Christians who have experience of these 
 things should therefore be much in prayer for ministers, 
 that the sons of Levi may be purified, that the leaders of 
 Israel may take hold of Christ for the sanctification of 
 their own hearts, and then they will know what to say to 
 the church on the subject of holiness. 
 
 rV. Many seek sanctification by work;s, who do not 
 know that they are seeking in this way. 
 
 They profess that they are seeking sanctification only 
 by faith. They tell you they know very well that it is in 
 vain to seek it in their own strength* But yet the results 
 show — ^how conclusively, th^it they are seeking by works, 
 and not by faith. It is of the last importance that yon 
 should know, whether you are seeking sanctification by 
 works, or by faith, for all seeking of it by works is absurd, 
 and never will lead to any good results. How will you 
 know ? 
 
 Take again the case of a convicted sinner. Sinner I 
 how are you seeking salvation ? The sinner replies, " By 
 faith, of course ; everybody knows that no sinner can be 
 saved by works. "^ I say, No, you are seeking salvation by 
 works. How shall I show it to him ? Sinner I do you be- 
 lieve in Christ ? " I do." But does he give you peace 
 with God ? " no, not yet ; but I am trying to get more 
 conviction, and to pray more, and be more in earnest in 
 fleeking, and I hope he will give me peace if I persevere." 
 Now, every Christian sees, at a glance, that with all hit 
 
378 CUKiSTIAiN FJSKFJfiUTlUa. 
 
 pretensions to the contrary, this man is seeking salvatid 
 by works. And the way to prove it to hinl is exceeding! 
 simple. It is^ evident he is seeking by works, because 1 
 is relying on certain preparatory steps and processes to I 
 gone through, iefore he exercises saving faith. He is n( 
 ready now to accept of Ohrist,he is conscious he is not, bi 
 thinks he must bring himself into a different state of rain 
 as a preparation, and it is at this he is aiming. That 
 works. No matter what the state of mind is that he ain 
 at as preparatory to his coming to Christ, if it is any thin 
 that must precede faith, or any preparatory process fc 
 faith, and he is trying without faith to get into a propc 
 state of mind to have faith, it !s all the religion of works, 
 
 Now, how common is just such a state of mind amon 
 those Christians who profess to be seeking sanctificatioi 
 You say you must mortify sin ; but the way you go aboc 
 it,,is by a self-righteous preparation, seeking to recommen 
 yourselves to Christ as worthy to receive the blessing, ii 
 stead of coming right to Christ, as an unworthy and mine 
 beggar, to receive at once, by faith, the very blessing yo 
 need. No efforts of your own are going to make you an 
 better. Like a person in a horrible pit of miry clay, evei 
 struggle of your own sinks you deeper in the clay. Yo 
 have no need of any such thing, and all your endeavor 
 instead of bringing you any nearer to Christ, are on] 
 sinking you down in the filth, farther and farther froi 
 God. It is not so much as the beginning of help. 
 
 The sinner, by his prepara,tory seeking, gains no a( 
 vantage. There he lies, dead in trespasses and sins, as ff 
 removed from spiritual life, or holiness, as ever a dea 
 corpse was from natural life ; until at length, ceasing froi 
 his own works, he comes to the conviction that there 
 nothing he can do for himself but go now, just as he i 
 and submit to Christ. As long as he thinks there is som( 
 thing he must do first, he never feels that now is God 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 879 
 
 time of salTation. And as long as the Christian is seeking 
 sanotification in the way of works, he never feels that no^ 
 is God's time to give him the victory over sin. 
 
 V. Multitudes deceive themselves in this matter, by 
 the manner in which they have seen certain old-fashioned, 
 Antinomian churches roused up, who were dragging along 
 in death. 
 
 Where such a church has been, found, that had beej. 
 fed on dry doctrine till they were about as stupid as the 
 seats they sat on, the first thing has been, to rouse them 
 up to do something, and that very fact perhaps would, 
 bring such a church under conviction, and lead the^n to 
 repentance. It is not because there is any religion in 
 these doings of professors in such a state ; but it shows 
 them their deficiencies, and their unfitness to be members 
 of the church, and awakens their consciences. So it is, 
 sometimes, when a careless sinner has been set to praying. 
 Everybody knows there is no piety in such prayers, but it 
 calls his attention to the subject of religion, and gives the 
 Holy Spirit an oppprtuniSy to bring the truth full upon 
 his conscience. But if you take a man who has been in 
 the habit of praying from his childhood, and whose formal 
 prayers have made him as cold as a stone, praying will 
 never bring that man under conviction, till you show him 
 what is the true character of his prayers, and stop his un- 
 godly and heaven-daring praying. 
 
 In many cases, where a church has sunk down in 
 stupidity,' the most effectual way to rouse them has been 
 found to be, setting them to warning sinners of their dan- 
 ger. This would get the attention of the church to the 
 subject of religion, and perhaps bring many of them to 
 repentance. Hence many have formed a general rule, that 
 the way for a church to wake up, always is, to go to work, 
 and warn sinners. They do not discriminate, here, be- 
 twee& the habits of different churches, and the different 
 
880 CHBISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 treatment they coilsequently require. Whereas, if yon take 
 what is called a " working church," where they have been 
 in the habit of enjoying revivals and holding protracted 
 meetings, you will find there is no difficulty in rousing 
 up the church to act and bustle about and make a noiae. 
 But as a general rule, unless there is great wisdom and 
 faithfulness in dealing with the tihurch, every succeed- 
 ing revival will make their religion more and more super- 
 ficial ; and their minds will be more hardened instead pi 
 being convicted, hy their efforts. Tell such a church they 
 are self-righteous and that there is no Holy Ghost in their 
 bustling, and they will' be affronted and stare at you, 
 " Why, don't you know that the way^ to wake up is to go 
 to work in rehgibn ? " Whereas, the very fact that activity 
 has become a habit with them, shows that they require a 
 different course. They need first to be thoroughly probed 
 and searched, and made sensible of their deficiencies, and 
 brought humble and believing to the foot of the cross, for 
 sanctification. 
 
 When I was an Evangelist, I labored in a church that 
 had enjoyed many revivals, and it was the easiest thing in 
 the world to get the church to go out and bring in sinners 
 to the meetings; and the impenitent would come in and 
 hear, but there was no deep feeling, and no faith in the 
 church. The minister saw that this way of proceeding 
 waa ruining the church, and that each revival brought 
 about in this manner, made the converts more and more 
 superficial, and unless we came to a stand, and got more 
 sanctification in the' church, we should defeat our object., 
 We began to preach jwith that view, and the church mem- 
 bers writhed under it. The preaching ran so directly 
 across all their former notions, about the way to promote 
 religion, that some of them were quite angry. They 
 would run about and talk but would do nothing else. 
 But after a terrible state of things many of them broke 
 
CHBISTIAN PERFECTION. 881 
 
 down, and became as hnmble and as teachable as little 
 children. 
 
 Now there are multitudes in the churches who insist 
 upon it that the way to get sanctifioation is to go to work, 
 and they think that, by dint of mere friction, they can 
 produce the warm love of God in their hearts. This is all 
 wrong. Mere driving about and bustle and noise will 
 never produce sanctificatiou. And least of all, when per- 
 sons have been accustomed to this course. 
 
 VI. You that are in the habit of performing many re- 
 ligious duties, and yet fall short of holiness, can see what 
 is the matter. 
 
 The truth is, you have gone to work to wake up, in- 
 stead of at once throwing yourself on the Lord JesUs Christ 
 for sanctifioation, and then going to work to serve him. 
 You have gone to work for your life instead of working 
 from a principle of life within, impelling you to the work 
 of the Lord. Yoii have undertaken to get holiness by a 
 lengthened process, like that of the convicted sinner, who 
 is preparing to come to Christ. But the misfortune is, that 
 you have not half the perseverance of the sinner. The 
 sinner is driven by the fear of going to hell, and he exerts 
 himself in the way of works till his strength is all exhausted, 
 and all his self-righteousness is worked up, and then, feeling 
 that he is helpless and undone, he throws himself into the 
 arms of Christ. But you have not so much perseverance, 
 because you have not so much fear. You think you are a 
 Christian, and that however you may come short of sancti- 
 fioation, yet you are safe from hell, and can go to heaven 
 without it. And so you will not persevere and put forth your 
 efforts for holiness by works, till you have used up all your 
 golf-righteousness, and are driven to Christ as your only hopo 
 for sanctifioation. This is the reason why convicted Chris- 
 tians so generally fall short o^ that submission to Christ for 
 holiness which the convicted sinner exercises for forgiveness. 
 
389 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 Yon Bay to the sinner, who is seeking salvation by worksj, 
 " Why don't you yield up all your self-righteous efforts, 
 and come right to Christ for salvation ? He is ready to 
 receive you now ! " And why don't you do so too? When 
 will yon learn the first lesson in religion, that yon have no 
 help in yourselves without Christ, and that all your exer- 
 tions without Christ, for sanctification, are just as fruit- 
 less as are those of the wretch who is in the horrible pii 
 and miry clay, who is struggling to get himself out. 
 
 VII. The growth of works in the church is not a cer- 
 tain sign of growth in holiness. 
 
 y If the church grows in holiness, it will grow in works. 
 But it does not follow, that growth in works always proves 
 growth in holiness. It may be that works of religion maj 
 greatiiy increase, while the power of religion is actually and 
 rapidly declining. It often happens in a church, thai 
 when a revival of religion begins to lose its- power, the 
 church may be willing to do even more than before, in 
 works, but it will hot arrest the decline, unless they gel 
 ^brokejj , dg ^ivn before God. 
 
 Isee I must take up this subject again. that I could 
 convince tl^e whole church that they need no other helj 
 ^t Christ, and that they would come at once to Chris! 
 for a.11.t. heY wan t, and receive him as their wisdom, and 
 righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. Ho^ 
 soon would all their wants be supplied from his infinitt 
 fulness. 
 
XXI. 
 
 THE WAT OF SALVATION. 
 
 Kit, what mnet I do to be saved T And they ssld. Believe on the Lord Jena 
 Christ, Who of God Is made nnto ns vriadom, and righteousness, and ssntl 
 cation, and redemption.— Acts zvi. SO, 31, with 1 Cor. i, 30. 
 
 '"'r*HERE can be no objection to .putting these texts to- 
 X gether in this manner as only a clause in the first of 
 them is omitted, which is not essential to the sense, and 
 which is irrelevant to my present purpose. 
 
 In the passage first quoted, the apostle tells the inquir- 
 ing jailer, who wished to know what he must do to be 
 saved, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt 
 be saved." And in the other he adds the explanatory re- 
 mark, telling what a Saviour Jesus Christ is, " Who of 
 God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanc- 
 tification, and redemption." The following is the order in 
 which I design to discuss the subject to-night : 
 
 I. Show what salvation is. 
 
 II. Show the way of salvation. 
 
 I. What is salvation ? 
 
 Salvation includes several things — sanctification, justi- 
 fication, and eternal life and glory. The two prime ideas, 
 are sanctification and justification. Sanctification is the 
 purifying of the mind, or making it holy. Justificatioa 
 relates to the manner in which we are accepted and treated 
 fcj God. 
 
 II. The way of salvation. 
 
 1, It is by faith, in opposition to works. 
 
 Here I design t6 take a brief view of the gospel plan of 
 galvation, and exhibit it especially in contrast with the 
 original plan on which it was proposed to save mankind. 
 
38i THE WAT OF SALVATION. 
 
 Originallj, the human race was pat on the foundatioa ' 
 of law for salvation ; so that, if saved at all, they were to 
 be saved on the ground of perfect and eternal obedience to 
 the law of God. Adam was the natural head of the race. 
 It has been supposed by |nany, that there was a covenant 
 made with Adam such as this, that if he continued to obey 
 the law for a limited period all his posterity should be con- 
 firmed in holiness and happiness forever. What the rea- 
 son is for this belief, I am unable to ascertain ; I am not 
 A ware that the doctrine is taught in the Bible. And if it 
 is true, the condition of mankind now does not differ 
 materially from what it was at first. If the salvation of 
 the race originally turned wholly on the obedience of one 
 man, I do not see how it could be called a covenant of 
 works so far as the race is concerned. For if their weal or 
 iroe was suspended on the conduct of one head, it was a 
 covenant of grace to them, in the same manner that the 
 present system is a covenant of grace. For according to 
 that view, all that related to works depended on one man, 
 just as it does under the gospel ; and the rest of the race 
 aad no more to do with works, than they have now, but 
 ill that related to works was done by the representative, 
 tfow, I have supposed, and there is nothing in the Bible to 
 ;he contrary, that if Adam had continued in obedience 
 "orever, his posterity would have stood forever on the same 
 jround, and must have obeyed the law themselves forever 
 n order to be saved. It may have been, that if he had 
 )beyed always, the natural influence of his example would 
 lave brought about such a state of things, that as a mat- =■ 
 »r of fact all his posterity would have continued in holi- 
 aess. But the salvation of each individual would still 
 aave depended on his own works. But if the works of the 
 Irst father were to be so set to the account of the race, 
 that on account of his obedience ihey were to be secured 
 in holiness and happiness forever, I do not see wherein it 
 
THE WAY OF SALVATION. 885 
 
 differs materially from the covenant of grace, or the 
 gospel. 
 
 As a matter of fact, Adam was the natural head of 
 the human race, and his sin has involved them in its con- 
 Beqnences, but not on the principle that his sin is literally 
 accounted their sic. The truth is simply this ; that from 
 the relation in which he stood as their natural head, as a 
 matter of fact his sin has resulted in the sin and ruin of his 
 posterity, I suppose that mankind were originally all under 
 a covenant of works, and that Adam was not so their head 
 or representative, that his obedience or disobedience in- 
 volved them irresistibly in ek -jid condemnation, irrespec- 
 tive of their own 'acts. As a fact it resulted so, that 
 *' l>y one man's disobedience many were made sinners ; " as 
 the apostle tells us in the 5th of Romans. So that, When 
 Adam had fallen, there was not the least hope, by the law, 
 of saving any of mankind. Then was revealed the plan, 
 which had been prpvided in the counsels of eternity, on 
 foresight of this event, for saving mankind by a proceed- 
 ing of mere grace. Salvation was now placed on an entire 
 new foundation, by a Covenant of Eedemption. You will 
 find this covenant in the 89th Psalm, and other places in 
 the Old Testament. This, you will observe, is a covenant 
 between the Father and the Son, regarding the salvation 
 of mankind, and is the foundation of another covenant, 
 the covenant of grace. In the covenant of redemption, 
 man is no party at all, but merely the subject of the cove- 
 nant ; the parties being God the Father and-the Son. In 
 this covenant, the Son is jnade the head or representative 
 of his people. Adam was the natural head of the human 
 family, and Christ is the covenant head of his church. 
 
 On this covenant of redemption was founded the cove- 
 nant of grace. In the covenant of redemption, the Son 
 stipulated with the Father, to work out an atonement ; 
 and the Father stipulated that he should have a seed, or 
 
386 THE WAT OP SALVATION. 
 
 people, gathered out of the human race. The coTem 
 ■of grace was made with men and was revealed to Ada 
 after the fall, and more fully revealed to Abraham, 
 this covenant, Jesus Christ was to be the Mediator, or 
 that should administer it. It was a covenant of grace, 
 opposition to the original covenant of works, under wh 
 Adam and his posterity were placed at the beginning ; a 
 salvation was now to be by faith, instead of works, 
 cause the obedience and death of Jesus Christ were to 
 regarded as the reason why any individual was to be sav 
 and not each one's personal obedience. Not that his obe 
 ence was, strictly speaking, performed for us. As a mi 
 he was under the Necessity of obeying, for himself ; 
 cause he had not put himself under the law, and if he ( 
 not obey it he became personally a transgressor. And ; 
 there is a sense in which it may be said that his obediei 
 is reckoned to our account. His obedience has so higl 
 honored the law, and his death has so fully satisfied i 
 demands of public justice, that grace, (not justice^) 1 
 reckoned his righteousn^js to us. If he had obeyed i 
 law strictly for us, and ^ad owed no obedience for hims( 
 but was at liberty to obey only for us, then I cannot 
 why justice should not have accouhted his obedience to 
 and we oovid have obtained salvation on the score of rig 
 instead of asking it on the score of grace or favor. Bu 
 is only in this sense accounted ours, that he, being G 
 and man, having voluntarily assumed our nature, and tl 
 voluntarily laying down his life to make atonement, cs 
 such a glory on the law of God, that grace is willing 
 consider obedience in such a sense ours, as, on his 
 count, to treat us as if we were righteous. 
 
 Chrisi^ is also the covenant head of those that belie 
 Ho is not the natural head, as Adam was, but our coven; 
 relation to him is such, that whatever ifi given to hin 
 given to us. Whatever he is, both in his divine and hun 
 
THE WAT OP SALVATION. 387 
 
 nature ; whatever he has done, either as God or man, is 
 given to us by covenant, or promise, and is absolutely oura. 
 I desire you should understand this. The church, as a 
 body, has never yet understood the fulness and richness 
 of this covenant, and that all there is in Christ is made 
 over to us in the covenant of grace. 
 
 And here let me say, that we receive this grace by faith. 
 It is not by works, by anything we do, more or less, prev- 
 ious to the exercise of faith, that we become interested in 
 this righteousness. But as soon as we exercise faith, all 
 that Christ has done, all there is of Christ, all that is con- 
 tained in the covenant bf grace, becomes oars by faith. 
 Hence it is, that the inspired ■vfriters make so much of 
 faith. Faith is the voluntary compliance on our part, with 
 the condition of the covenant. It is the eye that discerns, 
 the hand that takes hold, the medium by which we pos- 
 sess the blessings of the covenant. By the act of faith, the 
 soul becomes actually possessed of all that is embraced in 
 that act of faith. If there is not enough received to break 
 the bonds of sin and set the soul at once at liberty, it is 
 because the act has not embraced enough of what Christ is, 
 and what he has done. 
 
 I have read the verse from Corinthians, for the purpose 
 of remarking on some of the fundamental things contained 
 in this covenant of grace. " Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, 
 who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, 
 and sanctifieation, and redemption." When Christ is re- 
 ceived and believed on, he is made to us what is meant by 
 these several particulars. But what is meant ? How and 
 in what sense is Christ our wisdom, and righteousness, and 
 Banctificatiouy and redemption ? I will dwell a few mo- 
 ments on each. 
 
 This is a very peculiar verse, and my mind has long 
 dwelt on it with great anxiety to know its exact and fuU 
 meaning. I have prayed over it, as much as over any 
 
388 THE WAT OF SALVATION. 
 
 passage in the Bible, that I might be enlightened to un. 
 dorstand its real import. I have long been in the habi^ 
 when mj mind fastened on any passage that I did not un- 
 derstand, to pray over it till I felt satisfied. I have never 
 .dared to preach on this verse, because I never felt fully ' 
 satisfied that I understood it. I think I understand it now. 
 At all events, I am willing to give my opinion on it. And 
 if I have any right knowledge respecting its meaning, I am 
 sure I h^ve received it from the Spirit of God. 
 
 1. In what sense is Christ our wisdom ? 
 
 He is often called " the Wisdom of God." And in the 
 Book of Proverbs he is called Wisdom. But how is he 
 made to us wisdom. 
 
 One idea, contained in it is, that we have absolutely all 
 the benefits of his wisdom ; and if we exercise the faith we 
 ought, we are just as certain to be directed by it, and it is 
 m all respects just as well for us, as if we had the same 
 wisdom, originally, of our own. Else it cannot be true 
 that he is made unto us wisdom. As he is the infinite 
 source of wisdom, how can it be said that he is made unto 
 us wisdom, unless we are partakers of his wisdom, and have 
 it guaranteed to us ; so that at any time, if we trust in 
 him, we may have it as certainly, and in any degree we 
 need, to guide us infallibly, as if we had it originally our- 
 selves ? That is what we need from the gospel, and what 
 the gospel must furnish, to be suited to our necessities. 
 And the man who has not learned this, has not known any 
 thing as he ought. If he thinks his own theorizing and 
 speculating are going to bring him to any right knowledge 
 on the subject of religion, he knows nothiig at all, as yet. 
 His carnal, earthly heart, can no more study out the reali- 
 . ties of religion so as to get any available knowledge of them 
 than the heart of a beast. " What man knoweth the thingB 
 of a man, save the spirit of a man. which is in him ? Even 
 ao the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of 
 
THE WAT OF SALVATION. 389 
 
 God." What can we know, without experience, of the 
 character or Spirit of God ? Do you say, " We can reason 
 about God." What if we do reason ? What can reason 
 do here ? Suppose here was a mind that was all pure in- 
 tellect, and had no other powers, and I should undertake 
 to teach that pure intellect what it was to love. I conld 
 lecture on it, and instruct that pure intellect in the wordsp 
 Bo that it could reason and philosophize about love, and yet 
 any body can see that it is impossible to put that pure in- 
 tellect in possession of the idea of what love is, unless it 
 not only has power to exercise love, but has actually exer- 
 cised it I It is just as if I should talk about colors to a 
 man born blind. He hears the word, but what idea can 
 he attach to it, unless he has seen ? It is impossible to get 
 the idea home to his mind, of the difference of colors. 
 The term is a mere word. 
 
 Just so it is in religion. One whose mind has not ex- 
 perienced it, may reason upon it. He may demonstrate 
 the perfections of God, as he would demonstrate a propo- 
 sition in Euclid. But that which is the spirit and life of 
 the gospel, can no more be carried to the mind by mere 
 words, without experience, than love to a pure intellect, 
 or colors to a man born blind. You may so far give him 
 the letter, as to crush him down to hell with conviction ; 
 but to give the spiritual meaning of things, without the 
 Spirit of God, is as absurd as to lecture a blind man about 
 colors. 
 
 These two things, then, are contained in the idea of 
 wisdom. 1. As Christ is our representative, we are inter- 
 ested in all his wisdom, and all the wisdom he has is exer- 
 cised for us. His infinite wisdom is actually employed 
 for our benefit. And, 3, That his wisdom, just as much 
 as is needed, is guaranteed to be always ready "to be im- 
 parted to us, whenever we exercise faith in him for wis- 
 dom. From his infinite fulness, in this respect, we may 
 
890 THE WAT OF SALVATION. 
 
 receive all we need. And if we do not receive from him 
 the wisdom which we need, in any and every case, it is be- 
 cause we do not exercise faith. 
 
 2. He is made unto us righteousness. What is the 
 meaning of this ? 
 
 Here my mind has long labored to understand the dis- 
 Hnction which the apostle intended to make between 
 righteousness and sanctification. Bighteousness means 
 holiness, or obedience to law ; and sanctification means 
 the same. 
 
 My present view of the distinction aimed at is, that by 
 his being made unto us righteousness, the apostle meant 
 to be understood, that Christ is our outward righteousnessj 
 or that his obedience is, under the covenant of grace, ac- 
 counted to us. Not in the sense that on the footing ol 
 justice he obeyed " for us," and God accounts us just, be- 
 cause our substitute has obeyed ; but that we are so inter- 
 ested in his obedience, that as a matter of grace, we are 
 treated as if we had ourselv;es obeyed. 
 
 You are aware there is a view of this subject, which is 
 maintained by some, different from this ; that the righ- 
 teousness of Christ is so imputed to us, that we are con- 
 sidered as having been always holy. It was at one tijpe 
 extensively maintained that righteousness was so imputeiii 
 to us, that we had a right to demand salvation, on the 
 score of justice. My, view of the matter is entirely differ- 
 ent. It is, that Christ's righteousness becomes ours by gift 
 God has so united us to Christ, as on his account to treat 
 us with favor. It is jlist like a case, where a father had 
 done some signal service to his country, and the govern- 
 ment thinks it pr9per to reward such signal service with 
 signal reward ; and not only is the individual himself re- 
 warded, but all his family receive favors on his account, 
 because they are the children of a father who had greatly 
 benefitted his country. Human governments do this, and 
 
THE Wat op salvation. 39J 
 
 the groaiid of it is very plain. It is just so in the divine 
 government. Ghrisf s disciples are in such a sense consid- 
 ered one with him, and God is so highly delighted with the 
 signal service he has done the kingdom, from the circnm- 
 stances under which he hecame a Saviour, that God ac- 
 counts his righteousness to them as if it were their own ; or 
 in other words, treats them just as he would treat Christ 
 himself. As the government of the country, under certain 
 circumstances, treats the son of a father who had greatly 
 benefited the country, just as they would treat the father, 
 and bestow on him the same favors. You will bear in 
 mind, that I am now speaking of what I called the out- 
 ward righteousness ; I mean, the reason out of the indi- 
 vidual, why God accepts and saves them that believe in 
 Christ. Ajid this reason includes both the obedience of 
 Christ to the law, and his obedience unto death, or suffer- 
 ing upon the cross to make atonement. 
 
 3. In what sense is Christ made unto us sanctificatiou ? 
 
 Sanctification is inward purity. And the meaning is, 
 that he is our inward purity. The control which Chrjst 
 himself exercises over us, his Spirit working in us, to will 
 and to do, his shedding his love abroad in our hearts, so 
 controlling us that we are ourselves, through the faith 
 which is of the operation of God, made actually holy. 
 
 I wish you to get the exact idea here. When it is said 
 that Christ is our sanctification, or our holiness, it is meant 
 that he is the author of our holiness. He is not only the 
 procuring cause, by his atonement and intercession, but by 
 his direct intercourse with the soul he himself produces 
 holiness. He is not the remote but the immediate cause 
 of our being sanctified. He works our works in us, not 
 by suspending our own agency, but he so controls our 
 minds, by the influences of his Spirit in us, in a way per- 
 fectly consistent with our freedom, as to sanctify us. And 
 this, also, is received by faith. It is by faith that Christ 
 
892 THE WAT OP SALVATION. 
 
 is received and enthroned as Mng in our hearts ; when the 
 mind, from confidence in Christ, just yields itself up to 
 him, to be led by his Spirit, and guided and controlled by 
 his hand. The act of the mind, that thus throws the soul 
 into the hand of Christ for sanctification, is faith. Nothing 
 is wanting, but for the mind to break ofE from any confi- 
 dence in itself, and to give itself up to him, to be led and 
 conti-olled by him, absolutely : just as the child puts out 
 its little hand to its father, to have him lead it anywhere 
 he pleases. If the child is distrustful, or not willing to be 
 led, or if it has confidence in its own wisdom and strength, 
 it will break away and try to run alone. But if all that 
 self-confidence fails, it will cease from its own efforts, and 
 come and give itself up to its father again, to be led en^ 
 tirely at his will. I suppose this is similar to the act of 
 faith, by which an individual gives his mind up to be led 
 and controlled by Christ. He ceases from his -own efforts 
 to guide, and control, and sanctify himself ; and just gives 
 himself up, as yielding as air, and leaves himself iu the 
 hands of Christ as his sanctification. ; 
 
 4. It is said Christ is made of God unto us redemption* 
 What are we to understand by that ? 
 
 Here the apostle plainly refers to the Jewish practice 
 of redeeming estates, or redeeming relatives that had been 
 sold for debt. When an estate had been sold out of the 
 family, or an individual had been deprived of liberty for 
 debt, thoy could be redeemed, by paying the price of re- 
 demption. There are very frequent allusions in the Bible 
 to this practice of redemption. And where Christ is spoken ' 
 of as our redemption, I suppose it means just what it says. 
 While we are in our sins, under the law, we are sold aa 
 slaves, in the hand of public justice, bound over to death, 
 and have no possible way to redeem ourselves from the 
 curse of the law. Now, Christ makes himself the price of 
 onr redemption. In other words, he i^ our redemption 
 
THE WAT OP SALVATION. 393 
 
 money ; be buys ns out from under the l&w, by paying 
 himself as a ransom. Christ hath redeemed us frtm the 
 curse of the law, being made a curse for us ; and thus, 
 alao, redeems us from the power of sin. But I must leave 
 this train of thought, and return to a consideration of the 
 plan of salvation. 
 
 Under this covenant of grace, our own works, or any 
 thing that we do, or can do, as works of law, have no more 
 to do with our salvation, than if we had never existed. I 
 wish your minds to separate entirely between salvation by 
 works, and salvation by grace. Our salvation by grace is 
 founded on a reason entirely separate from and out of 
 ourselves. Before, it depended on ourselves. N'ow we 
 receive salvation, as a free gift, solely on account of Jesus 
 Christ. He is the sole author, ground, and reason of our 
 salvation. Whether we love God or do not love God so far 
 as it is a ground ^of our salvation, is of no account. Th« 
 whole is entirely a matter of grace, through Jesus Christ. 
 You will not understand me as saying that there is no 
 necessity for love to God or good works. I know that 
 "without holiness no man shall see the Lori" But the 
 necessity of holiness is not at all on this ground. Oar own 
 holiness does not enter at all into the ground or reason for 
 our acceptance and salvation. We are not going to be 
 indebted to Christ for a while, until we are sanctified, and 
 and all the rest of the time stand in our own righteousness. 
 But however perfect and holy we may become, in this life, 
 or to all eternity, Jesus Christ will for ever be the sole 
 reason in the universe why we are not in helL Because, 
 however holy we may become, it will be forever true that 
 we have sinned, and in the eye of justice, nothing in us, 
 short of our eternal damnation can satisfy the law. But 
 now, Jesus Christ has undertaken to help, and he for ever 
 remains the sole gi:ound of our salvation. 
 
 According to this plan, we have the benefit of his obe« 
 
394 ^ THE WAT OF SALVATION. 
 
 dience to the law, just as if he had obeyed for us. Not that 
 he did obey for us, in the distinction from himself, but we 
 have the benefits of his obedience, by the gift of grace, the 
 same as if he had done so. 
 
 I meant to dwell on the idea of Christ as our " Light," 
 and our "Life," and our "Strength." But I perceive, 
 there is not time to-night. I wish to touch a little on this 
 question, " How does faith put us in posseBsion of Ohriat,^ 
 in all these relations ? " 
 
 Faith in Christ puts us in possession of Christ, as the 
 sum and substance of the blessings of the gospel. Christ ' 
 was the very blessing promised in the Abrahamic covenant 
 And throughout the scriptures he is held forth as the sum 
 and substance of all God's favors to man. He is " the 
 Bread of Life," " the Water of Life," " our Strength," 
 " our All," The gospel has taxed all the powers of lan- 
 guage to describe the vast variety of his relations, and to 
 show that faith is to put believers in possession of Jesus 
 Christ, in all these relations. 
 
 The manner in which faith puts the mind in possession " 
 of all these blessings is this : It annihilates all those things 
 that stand in the way of our intercourse with Christ. He 
 says, " Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man 
 hear m^ voice and open the door, I will come in to him, 
 and will sup with him, and he with me." Here is a door, 
 an obstacle to our intercourse with Christ, something that 
 stands in the way. Take the particular of wisdom, Why 
 do we not receive Christ as our wisdom ? Because we de- 
 pend on our own wisdom, and think we have ourselves 
 some available knowledge of the things of God, and as long 
 as we depend on this we Tseep tte door shut. That is the 
 door. Now, let us just throw this all away, and give up 
 all wisdom of our own, and see hew infinitely empty we 
 •are of any available knowledge, as much so as a beast that 
 perisheth, as to the way of salvation, until Christ shall 
 
THE WAT OF SALVATION. 39S 
 
 teach us. Until we feel this,' there is a door between ua 
 and Christ. We have something of our own, instead of 
 coming and throwing ourselves perfectly into the hands of 
 Christ, we just come to him to help out our own wisdom. 
 
 How does faith put us in possession of the righteous- 
 ness of Christ ? This is the way. Until our mind takes 
 hold of the righteousness of Christ, we are alive to our own 
 righteousness. We are naturally engaged in working out 
 a righteousness of our own, and until we cease entirely 
 from our own works, by absolutely throwing ourselves on 
 Christ for righteousness, we do not come to Christ. Christ 
 will not patch up our own righteousness, to make it answer 
 the purpose. If we depend on our prayers, our tears, our 
 charities, or anything we have done, or expect to do, he 
 will not receive us. We must have none of this. But the 
 moment an individual takes hold on Christ, he receives and 
 appropriates all Christ's righteousness as his own ; as a 
 perfect and unchangeable reason for his acceptance with 
 God, by grace. 
 
 It is just so with regard to sanctification and redemp- 
 tion. I cannot dwell on them so particularly as I wished. 
 Until an individual receives Christ, he does not cease from 
 nis own works. The moment he does that, by this very 
 act he throws the entire responsibility upon Christ. The 
 moment the mind does fairly yield itself up to Christ, the 
 responsibility comes upon him, just as the person who un- 
 dertakes to conduct a blind man is responsible for his safe 
 conduct. The believer, by the act of faith, pledges Christ 
 for his obedience and sanctification. By giving himself up 
 ,0 Christ, all the veracity of the Godhead is put at stake, 
 that he shall be led right and made holy. 
 
 And with regard to redemption, as long as the sinner 
 supposes that his own sufEerings, his prayers, or tears, or 
 mental agony, are of any avail, he will never receive Christ. 
 But as soon as he receives Christ, he sinks down as lost and 
 
396 THB WAY OP SALVATION. 
 
 Condemned — as in fact a dead person, nnleaa redeemed by 
 Gbrist. 
 
 BEUABKB. 
 
 L There is no sach thing "as spiritnal life in ns, or 
 ■anything acceptable to Qod, until we actnally believe in 
 Ohrist. 
 
 The very act of believing, receives Christ as jnst that 
 influence which alone can wake up the mind to spiritual 
 life. 
 
 II. We are nothing, as Christians, any farther than we 
 believe in Christ. 
 
 III. Many seem to h6 waiting to do something first, 
 before they receive Christ. 
 
 Some wait to become more dead to the world. Some 
 to get a broken heart. Some to get their doubts cleared 
 up before they come to Christ. This is a grand mistake. 
 It is expecting to do that first, before faith, which is only 
 the result of faith. Your heart will not be broken, your 
 doubts will not be cleared up, you will never die to the 
 world, until you believe. The moment you grasp the 
 things of Christ, your mind will see, as in the light of 
 eternity, the emptiness of the world, of reputation, riches, 
 honor, and pleasure. To expect this first, preparatory to 
 the exercise of faith, is beginning at the wrong end. It is 
 seeking that as a preparation for faith, which is al^^ays the 
 result of faith. "^ 
 
 IV. Perfect faith will produce perfect love, - 
 When the mind duly recognizes Christ, and receive? 
 
 him, in his various relations ; when the faith is unwaver- 
 ing and the views clear, there will be nothing left in the 
 mind contrary to the law of God. 
 
 V. Abiding faith would produce abiding love. 
 
 Faith increasing, would produce increasing love. And 
 here vou ought to observe, that love may be perfect at all 
 
THB WAT OF SALVATION. 397 
 
 times, and yet be in different degrees at different times. 
 An individual may love God perfectly and eternally, and 
 yet his love may increase in vigor to all eternity, as I, sup- 
 pose it will. As the saints in glory see more and more of 
 God's excellences, they will love him more and more, ani 
 yet will have perfect love all the time. That is, there will 
 be nothing inconsistent with love in the mind, while the 
 degrees of love will be different as their views of the char- 
 acter of God unfold. As God opens to their view the 
 wonders of his glorious benevolence, they will have their 
 Bonis thrilled with new love to God. In this life, the exer- 
 cises of love vary greatly in degree. Sometimes God un- 
 folds to his saints the wonders of his government, and gives 
 them such views as well-nigh prostrate the body, and then 
 love is greatly raised in degree. And yet the love may 
 have been perfect before ; that is, the love of God was su- 
 preme and single, without any mixture of inconsistent af- 
 fections. And it is not unreasonable to suppose, that it 
 will be so to all ^ternity ; that occasions will occur in which 
 the love of the saints will be brought into more lively exer- 
 cise by new unfoldings of God's glory. As God developa 
 to them wonder after wonder, their love will be increased 
 indefinitely, and they will have continually enlarged ac- 
 cessions of its strength and fervor, to all eternity. 
 
 I designed to mention some things on the subject of 
 instantaneous and progressive sanctification. But there is 
 not time to-night, and they must be postponed. 
 
 VI. You see, beloved, from this subject, the way in 
 which you can be made holy, and when you can be sancti- 
 fied. 
 
 Whenever you come to Christ, and receive hinf for all 
 that he is, and accept a whole salvation by grace, yon will 
 have all that Christ is to you, wisdom, and righteousness, 
 and sanctification, and redemption. There is nothing but 
 unbelief to hinder you from now enjoying it all. Yon need 
 
598 THE WAT OP SALVATION. 
 
 not wait for any preparation. There is no preparation 
 that is of any avail. Yon must receive a whole salvation, 
 as a free gift. When will you thus lay hold on Christ ? 
 When will you believe ? Faith, true faith, always works 
 by love, and purifies the heart, and overcomes the world. 
 Whenever you find any diflSoulty in your way, you may 
 know what is the matter. It is a want of faith. No 
 matter what, may befal yon butwardly : if yoil find yourself 
 thrown back in ri&ligion, or your mind thrown all into 
 confusion, unbelief is the cause, and faith the remedy. 
 If you lay hold on Christ, and keep hold, all the devils in 
 hell can never drive you away from God, or put out your 
 light. But if you let niibeliief prevail, you may go on in 
 this miserable, halting way, talking about sanctification, 
 using words without knowledge, and dishonoring Ood, 
 till Ton die. 
 
xxn 
 
 THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE TEAGHINQ. 
 
 JVeverthelees I tell yon the tmtb ; it Ib expedient for yon that I go away ; for U 
 I go not away, the Comforter wlU not come nnto yon ; hnt If I depart, I will 
 ■end him nnto yon. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of ain, 
 and of righteooBneis, and of jndgment ; of sip, becanee they believe not on 
 me ; of rlghteonsness, becanse I go to my Father, and ye Bee me no more; of 
 Jndgment, becanse the prince of this world Is jndged, I have yet many thing! 
 to say nnto yon, but ye cannot bear them now. Bowbeit when he, the Spirit 
 of truth, iB come, he will gnide yon into all trath ; for he shall nbt speak of 
 himself, but whatsover he shall hear, that shall he speak : and he will show 
 yon things to come.— Jonn xvl. 7—13. 
 
 THE doctrine of the necessity of Divine Influence, to 
 enlighten and sanctify the minds of men, is very 
 abundantly taught in the Bible, and is generally main- 
 tained, as a matter of opinion at least, in all orthodox 
 churches.* But, as a matter of fact, there seems to be very 
 little available knowledge of the gospel among mankind ; 
 BO little that it exerts comparatively little influence. The 
 great ends of the gospel have hardly beguii to be realized, 
 in the production of holiness on the earth. It is a grand 
 question, whether we do need Divine Influence to attain 
 the ends of the gospel ; and if we do need it, then in what 
 degree do we need it, and why ? If our minds are unset- 
 tled on this question, we shall he unsettled on all the 
 subjects that practically concern our sanctification. , 
 
 In discoursing on this subject to-night, I design to 
 pursue the following order-j 
 
 I. Inquire how far the reason of man, unaided by Divine 
 illumination, is capable of understanding the things of 
 religion. 
 
 II. Show wherein the reason of man is defective, in 
 regard to the capacity of gaining any available knowledge 
 of the gospel. 
 
400 THE NECESSITT OF DIVINE TBACHINQ. 
 
 III. That the Spirit of God alone can supply the illam- 
 ination that is needed. 
 
 rV. That every one may have the influence of the Spirit; ^ 
 according to his necessities. 
 
 V. The reasons why any individual fails to receive thii 
 divine aid to the extent of his necessities. 
 
 VI. That men are responsible for the light which thej 
 might have, as well as for that which they actually enjoy. 
 
 I. I shall inquire how far the reason of man, unaided 
 by Divine illumination, is capable of apprehending the 
 things of religion. 
 
 1. The ,mind of man is capable of understanding the 
 historical facts of religion, just as it comprehends any 
 other historical facts. 
 
 2. It is capable of understanding the doctrinal propo- 
 sitions of the gospel. 
 
 That is, it can understand those abstractions which make 
 up the skeleton of the gospel ; such as the being and charac- 
 ter of God, the divine authority and inspiration of the 
 scriptures, and other fundamental doctrines which make 
 up the frame- work of the gospel. TlTat is, it can under- 
 stand them as propositions, and see the evidence that sup* 
 ports them as true, just as it can understand any proposi* 
 tions in science. 
 
 For instance, to enter a little into detail — A man, by 
 his reason, may understand the law of God. He can un- 
 derstand that it requires him to exercise perfect love to- 
 wards God and all other beings. He can see the ground 
 of his obligation to do this, because he is a moral being. 
 He knows, by experience, what, love is, for hp has exer- 
 cised love towards difEerent objects. And he can, there- 
 fore, form or comprehend the idea of love, sq far as to see 
 the reasonableness of the requirement. He can understand; 
 the foundation and the force of moral obligation, and see, 
 in some measure, the extent of his obligation to love Gtod., 
 
THE NECESSITY OP DIVINE TEACHING. 401 
 
 So, likewise, he can see that he is a sinner, and that he 
 cannot be saved by his own works. He has broken the 
 law, so that the law can never justify him. He can see, 
 that if he is ever saved, he must be justified through mere 
 mercy, by an act of pardon. 
 
 I might go through the whole circle of theology, and 
 show that the human understanding is capable of know- 
 ing it, in the abstract, as a system of propositions/ to be 
 received and believed, on evidence,^ like any other science. 
 I do not mean to be understood as saying, that unaided 
 reason can attain any available knowledge of the things of 
 religion, or any such knowledge as will be efEectual to pro- 
 duce a sanctifying change. 
 
 n. I am to show wherein our knowledge of the things 
 of religion is necessarily defective, without the aids of the 
 Holy Spirit. 
 
 In other words, I am to show what our knowledge of 
 the gospel lacks, to make it available to salvation. 
 
 And here it is necessary to distinguish between know- 
 ledge which might be available to one that was himself 
 disposed to love and obey God ; and what will be available, 
 in fact, to a sinner, who is wholly indisposed to holiness. 
 It is easy to see that one who is disposed to do right would 
 be influenced to duty by a far less amount of illumination, 
 or a far less clear and vivid view of motives, than one who 
 is disposed to do wrong. What we are now inquiring after 
 respects the matter of fact, in this world. Whether the 
 knowledge attainable by our present faculties would be 
 available to influence us to do right, were there no sin in 
 the world, is more than I can say. As a matter of fact, 
 the knowledge which Adam had when in a state of inno- 
 cency did not avail to influence him to do right. But we 
 are now speaking of things as they are in this world, and 
 to show what is the reason that men, as sinners, can have 
 no available knowledge of divine things ; no such know- 
 
4:02 THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE TEACHINO. 
 
 ledge as will, as a matter of fact, influence them to love and 
 serve God. 
 
 Knowledge, to avail anything towards effecting its 
 ohject, must be such ai^ will influence the mind. The will 
 must be controlled. And to do thisj the mind must have 
 such a view of things as to excite emotion, corresponding 
 to the object in view. Mere intellect never will move the 
 8oul to act. A pure scientific abstraction of the intellect, 
 that does not touch the feelings, or excite any emotion, is 
 wholly unavailable to move the will. It is so every where. 
 It would be so in heaven. Yon must bring the mind 
 under a degree of excitement, to influence the will in any 
 case. In the case of sinners, to influence sinners to love 
 God, you must have a great degree of light, such as will 
 powerfully excite the mind, and .produce strong emotions. 
 The reasons for obedience mnst be made to appear with 
 great strength and vividness, so as to subdue their rebel- 
 lious hearts and bring them voluntarily to obey God. Thia^ 
 is available knowledge. This men never have, and never 
 can have, without the Spirit of God. If men were dis- 
 posed to do right, I know not how far their knowledge, 
 attainable by unaided reason, might avail. But, as they 
 are universally and totally indisposed, this knowledge will 
 never do it. I will mention some of the reasons : 
 
 1. All the knowledge we can have here of spiritual 
 -things, is by analogy, or comparison. 
 
 Our minds are here shut up in the body, and we derive 
 all our ideas from external objects, through the senses. 
 Now, we never can of ourselves obtain knowledge of spirits 
 ual or eternal things in this way snflS.cient to rightly influ- 
 ence our wills. Our bodily powers were not created for 
 this. All the ideas we can have of the spiritual worid is by 
 analogy, or comparing them with the things around us. It 
 is easily seen that all ideas conveyed to our minds in this 
 way, must be extremely imperfect, and that we do not, 
 
THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE TEACHINa. 403 
 
 after all, get the true idea in our minds. The Jewish 
 types were probably the most forcible means which God 
 could then use, for giving to the Jews a correct idea of the 
 gospel. Considering how the eastern nations were accus- 
 tomed, by their education, to the use of figures, and para- 
 bles, and types, probably the system of types was the most 
 impressive and happy mode that could be devised to gain 
 a more ready access for the truth to their minds, and give 
 them a more full idea of the plan of redemption than could 
 be communicated in any other way. And yet it is mani- 
 fest that the ideas which were communicated in this way 
 were extremely imperfect ; and that, without divine illum- 
 ination to make them see the reality more fully than they 
 could by unaided reason, they never would have got any 
 available knowledge in this way. 
 
 So words are merely signs of ideas. They are not the 
 ideas, but the representatives of ideas. It is often very 
 difficult, and sometimes impossible to convey ideas by 
 words. Take a little child, and attempt to talk with him, 
 and how difficult it is, on many subjects, to get your ideas 
 into his little mind. He must have some experience of the 
 things you are trying to teach, before you can convey ideas 
 to him by words. 
 
 Suppose this congregation were all blind, and had never 
 seen colors. Then suppose that on that wall hung a most 
 grand and beautiful painting, and that I was a perfect 
 master of the subject, and should undertake to describe it 
 to you. No language that I could use would give you such 
 an idea of the painting, as to enable you to form a picture 
 of it in your minds. Where, on any subjeotj we are 
 obliged, from the nature of the case, to use figurative lan- 
 guage, analogies, and resemblances, the knowledge we com- 
 municate is necessarily defective and inadequate. Who of 
 you have not heard descriptions of persons and places, till 
 yon thought you had an accurate knowledge of them ; but 
 
404 THE NllCESSITY OF DIVINE TEACHINO, 
 
 when you come to see them you find yon had no true idea 
 of the reality ? 
 
 Suppose an indiyidual were to visit this world, from 
 another planet, where all things are constituted on the 
 most opposite principles from those which are adopted 
 here; Suppose him to remain here long enough to learn 
 our language, and that then he should undertake to give 
 us a description of the world he had left. We should un> 
 derstand it according to our ideas and experience. 'Sow, 
 if the analogy between the two worlds is very imperfect, 
 it is plain that our knowledge of things there, from his de- 
 scription, must be imperfect in proportion. So, when we 
 find in the Bible descriptions of heaven and hell, or any- 
 thing in the invisible world, it is plain that from mere 
 words we can get no true ideas at all adequate to the 
 reality. 
 
 2. The wickedness of our hearts is so great, as to per- 
 vert our judgment^ and shut out from our minds much that 
 we might understand of the things of religion. 
 
 When a man's mind is so perverted on any subject, that 
 he will not take up the evidence concerning it, he cannot,, 
 of course, come at the knowledge of the truth on that sub- 
 ject. This is our case in regard to religion. Perverseness 
 of heart so shuts out the light, that the intellect does not, 
 and from the nature of things cannot, get even the ideas it 
 might otherwise gp.in, respecting divine things. 
 
 3. Prejudice is a great obstacle to the reception of cor- 
 rect knowledge concerning religion. 
 
 Take the case of the disciples of Christ. They had 
 strong Jewish prejudices respecting the plan of salvation — 
 BO strong that all the instructions of Christ himself could 
 not make them understand the truth. After teaching 
 them personally, for three years, with all the talent, and 
 simplicity, and skill he was master of, he could never get 
 their minds in possession of the first principles of the got- 
 
THE KECESSITT OF DIVINE TEACHmO 405 
 
 >1. Up to his very death, he could not make them see 
 at he should die, and rise from the dead. Therefore he 
 ys in his last conversation — " If I go not away, the Com- 
 rter will not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will send 
 m unto you. " This was the very design of his going away 
 om them, that the Spirit of Truth might come, and put 
 em in possession of the things which he meant by the 
 }rds he had used in teaching them. 
 
 The general truth is this ; that without divine illumin- 
 ion, men can understand from the Bible enough to con- 
 ct and condemn them, but not enough to sanctify and 
 ve them. 
 
 Some may ask. What, then, is the use of revelation ? 
 
 It is. of much use. The Bible is as plain as it can be. 
 ho doubts that our Lord Jesus Christ gave instructions 
 
 his disciples, as plainly as he could ? See the pains 
 bich he took to illustrate his teaching ; how simple his 
 Dguage ; how he brings it down to the weakest compre- 
 snsion, as a parent would to a little child. And yet it 
 mains true, that without divine illumination, the nn- 
 ded reason of man never did, and never will attain any 
 ailable knowledge of the gospel. The difficulty lies in 
 le subject. The Bible contains the gospel, as plain as it 
 ,n be made. That is, it contains the signs of the ideas, 
 
 far as language can represent the things of religion. 
 language but figurative language can be used for this 
 irpose. And this will for ever be inadequate to put our 
 inds in real possession of the thing themselves. The dif- 
 julty is in our ignorance and sin, and in the nature of the 
 bject. This is the reason why we need divine illumina- 
 3n, to get any available knowledge of the gospel. 
 
 ill. The Spirit of God alone, can give us this illu- 
 ination. 
 
 The Bible says, " No man can say that Jesus Christ la 
 
 r^rA hnk hv tho TTnlv ftTinat." ffnw thfi ahntrant TiroTiosi» 
 
406 THE NECESSITY OP DIVINE TEACHING. 
 
 tion of the Deity of Christ, can be proved, as a matter oi 
 science, so as to gain the assent of any unbiassed mind ta 
 the truth, that Jesus is Lord. But nothing but the Holy 
 Ghost can so put the mind in possession of the idea of 
 Christ, as God, as to fix the souL in the belief of the fact, 
 and make it available to sanctify the heart. 
 
 Again, it is said that "No man can come to me, except 
 the Father which hath sent me draw him ; and I will raise 
 him up at the last day. It is written in the prophetSj and 
 they shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore, 
 that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh 
 unto me." Here it is evident that the drawing spoken of, 
 is the teaching of the Hcjy Spirit. They must be taught 
 of God, and learn of the Father, before they can ever have 
 such a knowledge of the things of religion as actually to 
 come to Christ. , 
 
 Christ says, " It is expedient for yon that I go away 
 for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unti 
 you." The word Tiapanhiroa, Paracletos, here translated 
 Comforter, properly means a Helper, or Teacher. " When 
 he is come, he .will reprove the world of sin, and of righ- 
 teousness, and of judgment : Of sin, because they believe 
 not on mo ; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, 
 and ye see me no more ; of judgment, because the prince 
 of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say 
 unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when 
 he, the Spirit o^ Truth, is come, he will guide you into all 
 truth ; for he shall not speak of himself ; but whatsoever 
 he shall hear, that shall he speak ; and he will show yov 
 things to come." 
 
 So in this fourteenth chapter the Saviour says, " I wil 
 pray thfl Father and he shall give you another Comforter, 
 that he may abide . with you forever ; even the Spirit ol 
 Truth, whom the world cannot receivej because it seetb 
 bim not, neither knoweth him ; but ye know him, for h« 
 
THE NECESSITY OP DIVINE TBACHINa. 407 
 
 dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." And again, in 
 the 26th Terse, " But the Comforter, which is the Holy 
 Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall 
 teach you all things, and bring all things to your remem- 
 brance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Here you see 
 the office of the Spirit of God is, to, instruct mankind in 
 regard to the things of religion. 
 
 Now, it is manifest that none but the ■ Spirit of God 
 can supply this defect, from a single consideration — That 
 all teaching by words, whether by Jesus Christ, or by 
 apostles, or by any inspired or uninspired teacher coming 
 merely through the senses, can never put the mind in pos- 
 session of the idea of spiritual things. The kind of teach< 
 ing that we need is this ; we want some one to teach ua 
 the things of religion, wh6 is not obliged to depend on 
 words, or to reach our minds through the medium of the 
 senses. We want some way in which the ideas themselves 
 can be brought to our minds, and not merely the signs of 
 the ideas. We want a teacher who can directly approach 
 the mind itself, and not through the senses ; and who can 
 exhibit the ideas of religion, without being obliged to use 
 words. This the Spirit of God can do. 
 
 The manner in which the Spirit of God does this, is 
 what we can never know in this world. But the fact is 
 undeniable, that he can reach the mind without the use 
 of words, and can put our minds in possession of the ideas 
 themselves, of which the types, or figures, or words, of the 
 human teacher, are only the signs or imperfect representa- 
 tives. The human teacher can only use words to our 
 senses, and finds it impossible to possess us of the ideas of 
 that which we have never experienced. But the Spirit of 
 God, having direct access to the mind, can, through the 
 outward sign, possess us of the actual idea of things. What 
 Christian does not know this, as a matter of fact ? What 
 Ohristain does not know, from his own experience, that 
 
108 THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE TB ACHING. 
 
 the Spirit of God does lead him instantly to see that in a 
 passage of scripture, which all his study and effort of mind 
 to know the meaning of could never have given him in the 
 world ? 
 
 Take the case again, of a painting on the wall there, 
 and suppose that all the congregation were hlind, and I 
 was trying to describe to them this painting. Now, sup- 
 pose, while I was laboring to make them understand the 
 various distinctions and combination of colors, and they 
 are bending their minds to understand it, all at once their 
 eyes are opened ! You can then see for yourselves the vei^ 
 things which I was vainly trying to bring to your minds by 
 words. Now, the office of the Spirit of God, and what he 
 alone can do, is to open the spiritual eye, and bring the 
 things which we try to describe by analogy and signs, in 
 all their living reality before the mind, so as to put the 
 mind in complete possession of the thing as it is. 
 
 It is evident, too, that no one but the Spirit of God so 
 knows the things of God as to he able to give us the idea 
 of those things correctly. '* What man knoweth the things 
 of a man, save the spirit of man that is in him ? " What 
 can a beast know of the things of a man, of a man's char- 
 acter, designs, etc. ? I can speak to your consciousness — 
 being a man, and knowing the things of a man. But I 
 cannot speak these things to the consciousness of a beast, 
 neither can a beast speak of these things, because he has 
 not the spirit of a man in him, and cannot know them. In 
 like manner the.Bible says, " The things of God knoweth 
 no man, but the Spirit of God." The Spirit of God, know- 
 ing from consciousness the things of God, possesses a diff- 
 erent kind of knowledge of these things from what other 
 beings can possess ; and therefore, can give us the kind of 
 instruction we need, and such as no other being can give. 
 
 IV. The needed influences of the Spirit of God may be 
 possessed by all men, freely, and under the gospeL 
 
THE NECESSITY OP DIVINE TEACHINO. 409 
 
 A few passages from the Bible will show this : 
 
 Jesus Christ says God is more willing to give his Holj 
 Spirit to them that ask him, than parents are to give their 
 children "bread. " Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, 
 and ye shall find ; knock, and it«hall be opened unto you." 
 " And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believ- 
 ing, ye shall receive." " Therefore I say unto you. What 
 things soever ye desire when ye pray, belieye that ye re- 
 ceive them, and ye shall have them." James says, " If any 
 of yon lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all 
 men liberally, and upbraideth not ; and it shall ie given 
 him." If it be true, that God has made these unlimited 
 promises, that all men, who will ask of him, may have 
 divine illumination as much as they will ask for, then it is 
 true that all men may have as much of divine illumination 
 as they need. 
 
 V. I, will show the reasons Tyhy any do not have as 
 much divine illumination as they need. 
 
 L They do not ask for it in such a manner or degree 
 as they need it. 
 
 2. They ask amiss, or from selfish motives. 
 
 The apostle James says, " Ye ask and receive not, be- 
 cause ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it on your lusts." 
 When an individual has a selfish motive for asking, or some 
 other reason than a desire to ^glorify God, he need not ex- 
 pect to receive divine illumination. If his object in ask- 
 ing for the Holy Ghost, is that he may always be happy in 
 religion, or that he may be very wise in the scriptures, or 
 be looked upon as an eminent Christian, or have his expe- 
 rience spoken of as remarkable, or any other selfish view, 
 thaf is a good reason why he should not receive even what 
 be. asks. 
 
 3. They do not use the proper means to attain what 
 they ask. 
 
 Suppose a person neglects his Bible, and yet asks God 
 
410 THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE TEAOHINQ. 
 
 to give him a knowledge of the things of religion : that, ii 
 tempting God. The manner in which God giveo know- 
 ledge is through the Bible, and the other appointed,mean8 
 of instruction. If a person will not use these means, when 
 they are in his power, however much he may pray, he 
 need not expect divine instruction. " Faith cometh by 
 hearing, and hearing by the word of God." 
 
 There is an important difference to be observed, be- 
 tween the cases of those-who possess these means, and those 
 who do not. I suppose that a person may learn the gos- 
 pel, and receive all the illumination he needs, under any 
 circumstances of privation of means. As if he was on a 
 desolate island, he might receive direct illumination from 
 the Spirit of God. And so he might, in any other circum- 
 stances, where he absolutely could not have access to any 
 means of instruction. Some very remarkable cases of this 
 kind have occurred within a few years. I have known one 
 case, which I looked' upon at the time as miraculous, and 
 for that reason have seldom mentioned it, feeling that even 
 the church were not prepared to receive it. When I was 
 an evangelist, I labored once in a revival, in a neighbor- 
 hood where there were many Germans. They had re- 
 ceived but little'instruction, and many of them could not 
 read. But when the gospel was preached among them, 
 the Spirit of God was poured out, and a most powerful re- 
 vival followed. In the midst of the harvest, if a meeting, 
 was appointed at any place, the whole neighborhood 
 would come together, and fill the house, and hang upon 
 the preacher's lips, while he tried to possess their minds 
 with the truth of the gospel. One poor German woman 
 naturally intelligent, but who could not read, in relating 
 her experience in one of these meetings, told this fact which 
 was certified to by her neighbors. With many tears and a 
 heart full of joy, she said, " When I loved God, I longed 
 to read the Bible, and I prayed to Jesus Christ, I said and 
 
THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE TEACHING. 411 
 
 felt, Jesus ! thou canst teach me to read thy Holy Biblei 
 and the Lord taught me to read. There was a Bible in the 
 house, and when I had prayed, I thought I could read the 
 Bible, and 1 got the book, and opened it, and the words 
 were just what I had heard people read. I said, ' Lord 
 Jesus Christ, thou canst teach me to read-,' and I believed 
 he could, and I thought I didiread, but I went and asked 
 the school-madam if I read, and she said I read it right, 
 and the Lord has taught me to read my Bible, blessed be 
 his name for it." I do not know but the school-madam to 
 whom she referred was in the house and heard her rela- 
 tion. At all events she was a woman of good character 
 among her neighbors, and some of the most respectable of 
 them afterwards told me, they did not doubt the truth oi 
 what she said. I have no doubt it was true. 
 
 At the time, I thought it was a miracle ; but since the 
 facts which have been developed within a few years, re- 
 specting the indestruetibleness of the memory, I have 
 thought this case might be explained in that way ; and that 
 she had probably been told the names of letters and their 
 powers, when young, and now the Spirit of God, in answer 
 to her prayer, had quickened her mind, and brought it all 
 to her remembrancej so that she could read the feible. 
 
 Some of you will recollect the facts wjbich were stated 
 here, one evening, by President Mahan, which show that 
 every impression which is made on the mind of man, re- 
 mains there for ever indelible. One case that he men- 
 tioned was that of an old lady, who, when she was young, 
 had read some lines of poetry, relating a little story ; and 
 afterwards, when old, she wished to tell the story to some 
 children, to whom she thought it would be useful, and to 
 her surprise the whole of the lines came up fresh in her 
 memory, and she repeate(| them word for word, "^although 
 Bhe had never committed them to memory at all, but only 
 read them when she was young. Another was the case of 
 
412 THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE TEACHINa, 
 
 an ignorant servant girl. She had once lived with a learned 
 minister, who was accustomed to read aloud the Hebrew 
 Bible, in his study, which was in hearing of the place where 
 this girl did her work. Of course she understood nothing 
 of the words, but only heard the sounds. Long afterwards 
 when she was on her death-bed, she astonished the by- 
 standers by reciting whole chapters of Hebrew and Chal- 
 daic. The neighbors at first thought it was a miracle, but 
 at length learned the explanation. It is plain from this, 
 that even unintelligible sound may be so impressed on the 
 memory, as afterwards to recur with entire distinctness. 
 I suppose that was the case with this poor German woman, 
 and that the Spirit of God, in answer to her fervant prayer, 
 so refreshed her memory as to recall the sounds and forma 
 of letters, she had been told when a child, and thus enable 
 aer at once to read the Bible. 
 
 I say, therefore, that while those who do not possess 
 any outward means of instruction may obtain directly from 
 the Spirit of God whatever degree or kind of illumination 
 they need in the things of religion ; those who possess or 
 can obtain the outward means, and do not use them, tempt 
 God, when they pray for divine illumination and neglect 
 the use of means for obtaining knowledge. To those who 
 have the opportunity, " faith cometh by hearings and hear- 
 ing by the word of God." If any man keeps away from 
 the means within his reach, he can expect "illumination in 
 no other way. Whereas, if he is shut out from the use of 
 means, as God is true to his promises, we must believe that 
 he can be illuminated without means, to any extent he needs. 
 
 4. Another reason why many do not receive that illu- 
 ' mination from the Spirit of G9d which they need is, be- 
 cause they grieve the Spirit in many ways. 
 
 They live in such a manner as to grieve, or offend, the 
 Holy Spirit, so that he cannot consistently grant them his 
 illuminating grace. 
 
THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE TEACHINe. 413 
 
 6. Another reason is, that they depend on the instruc- 
 tions and means, as available without divine influence. 
 
 How many rely on the instructions they receive from 
 minfstersjor commentaries, or books, or their own powers 
 of inquiry, not feeling that all these things, without the 
 SpiriD of God, will only kill, but can never make alive — 
 can only damn, but never save. It seems as though the 
 whole church was in error on this point ; depending on 
 means for divine knowledge, without feeling that no means 
 are available, without the Spirit of God. Oh ! if the church 
 felt this — if they really felt that all the means in creation 
 are unavailing without the teaching of the Holy Ghost, 
 how they would pray, and cleanse their hands, and hum- 
 ble their hearts, until the Comforter would descend to 
 teach them all things that they need to know of religion. 
 
 6. Self-confidence is another reason why so little is ex- 
 perienced of divine illumination. 
 
 So- long as professing Christians place confidence in 
 learning, or criticism, or their natural ingenuity, to learn 
 the things of religion, rely on it, they are not likely to 
 enjoy much of the illumination of the Spirit of God. 
 
 VI. I am to show that men are responsible for what 
 they might have of divine illumination. 
 
 This is a universal truth, and is acknowledged by all 
 mankind, that a man is just as responsible for what light 
 ho might have, as for that he actually has. The common 
 law, which is the voice of common reason, adopts it as a 
 maxim that no man who breaks the law is to be excused 
 for ignorance of the law, because all are held bound to 
 know what the law is. So it is with your children, in a 
 case where they might know your will — you consider them 
 so much the. more blameworthy, if they ofEend. So it is 
 in religion : where men have both the outward means of 
 instruction, and the inward teachings of the Holy Spirit, 
 absolutely within their reach, if they sin ignorantly, they 
 
414 THE NECESSITY OP DIVINE TEACHING. 
 
 are not only without excuse on that score, but their ignor- 
 ance is itself a crime, and is an aggravation of their guilt. 
 And all men are plainly without excuse for not possessing 
 all the knowledge which would be available for their per- 
 fect and immediate sanctification. 
 
 BEMABES. 
 
 I. You see what is the effect of all other instructiona 
 on a congregation where no divine influence is enjoyed. 
 
 It may convince the church of duty, but will never 
 produce sanctification. It may harden the heart, but will 
 never change it. Without divine influence, it is but a 
 savor of death unto death. 
 
 II. You see that it is important to use all the appro- 
 priate means of religious instruction in our power, as the 
 medium through which the Spirit of God conveys divinC 
 illumination to the mind. 
 
 There is no reason why we should not use the means in 
 our power, and apply our natural faculties to acquire 
 knowledge of religioti, as faithfully as if we could under- 
 stand the whole subject without divine influence. And if 
 we do not use means, when within our power, we have no 
 reason to expect divine aid. When we help ourselves, 
 God helps us. When we use our natural faculties to un- 
 derstand these things, we may expect God will enlighten 
 us. To turn our eye's away from the light, and then pray 
 that we may be made to see, is to tempt God. 
 
 III. They are blind leaders of the blind, who attempt 
 to teach the things of religion without being themselves 
 taught of God. 
 
 No degree of learning, or power of discrimination as to 
 the didactics of theology, will ever make a man a success- 
 ful teacher of religion, unless he enjoys the illuminating 
 powers of the Holy Ghost. He is blind if he supposes he 
 understands the Bible without this, and if he undertake! 
 
THE NECESSITT OF DIVINE TEACHINa. 416 
 
 to teach religion, he deceives himself, and all who depend 
 on him, and both will fall into the ditch together. 
 
 IV. If an individual teaches the gospel with the Holy 
 Ghost sent down from heaven, he will be understood. 
 
 He may understand the gospel himself, and yet not 
 make his hearers understand it, because the Holy Ghost is 
 not sent on them as well as on himself. But if the Spirit of 
 God is on them, precisely in proportion as he understands 
 the real meaning of the gospel, he will make his hearers 
 understand it. 
 
 V. In preaching the gospel, ministers should neyer use 
 texts, the meaning of which they have not been taught by 
 the Spirit of the God. 
 
 They should not attempt to explain passages of which 
 they are not confident they have been taught the meaning 
 by the Holy Spirit. It is presumption. And they need 
 not do it, for they may always have the teachings of the 
 Spirit, by asking. God is always more ready to bestow 
 divine illumination than an earthly parent is to give bread 
 to his child ; and if they ask as a chUd when he is hungry 
 asks its mother for bread, they may always receive all the 
 light they need. This is applicable both to preachers and 
 to teachers in Sabbath schools and Bible classes. If any of 
 them attempt to teach the scriptures without being them- 
 selves taught, they are no more fit to teach without divine 
 teaching, than the most ignorant person in the streets is 
 fit to^teach astronomy. I fear both minister and teachers 
 generally, have understood very little of iAieir need of this 
 divine teaching, and have felt very little of the necessity 
 of praying over their sermons and bible lessons, till they 
 feel confident that the Spirit of God has possessed their 
 ininds with the true idea of the word of God., If this was 
 done as it ought to be, their instructions would be far more 
 effectual than we now see them. Do you, who are teachers 
 of Bible and Sabbath-school classes in this church, believa 
 
416 THE NECESSITY OP DIVINE TEACHING. 
 
 this ? Are you in the habit, conscientiously and uniformly, 
 of seeking the true idea of every lesson on your knees ? Ol 
 do you go to some commentary, and then come and peddle 
 out your dry stuff to your classes, that you get out of the 
 commentaries and books, without any of the Holy Ghost 
 in your teaching ? If you do this, let me tell you, that 
 you had better be doing something else. What would you 
 Bay of a minister, if you knew he never prayed over his 
 texts ? You might as well have Balaam's ass for a minis- 
 ter, and even the dumb beast in such a case might speak 
 with man's voice and rebuke the madness of such a man. 
 He could give just as much available instruction to reach 
 the deep fountains of the heart, as such a preacher. Well, 
 now, this is just as important for a Sunday-school teacher 
 as for a minister If yon do not pray over your lesson, 
 until you feel that God has taught you the idea contained 
 in it, beware I How dare you go and teach that for re- 
 ligion, which ,you do not honestly suppose you have been 
 taught of God? 
 
 VI. It is a vast error in theological students, when they 
 study to get the views of all the great teachers, the tomes 
 of the fathers and doctors; and. everybody's opinion as to 
 what the Bible means, but the opinion of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 With hearts as cold as marble, instead of going right to 
 the source of light, they go and gather up the husks of 
 learning, and peddle it out among the churches as religicuiS 
 instruction. Horrible I While they do thus, we neveir 
 shall have an eflBcient ministry. It is right they should 
 get all the help they can from learning, to understand the 
 word of God. But they ought never to rest in anything 
 they get from book learning, until they are satisfied that 
 God has put them in possession gf the very idea which he 
 would have them receive. 
 
 I have tried hard to make this impression, and I believe 
 I have succeeded in some degree, on the theological studenti 
 
TUB NECESSITY OF DIVINE TEACHINa. 417 
 
 under my care. And if I had done it more, I have no 
 donbt I might have succeeded better. And I can say, 
 that when I studied theology, I spent many hours on my 
 knees, and perhaps I might say weeks, often with the Bible 
 before me, laboring and praying to come at the very mind 
 of the Spirit. I do not say this boastingly, but as a matter 
 of fact, to show that the sentiment here advanced is no 
 novel opinion with me. And I have always got my texts 
 and sermons on my knees. And yet I am conscious that 
 I have gained very little knowledge in religion, compared 
 with what I might have had, if I had taken right hold a/ 
 the source of light as I ought to have done. 
 
 VII. How little knowledge have the gre^t body of th 
 church respecting the word of God 1 
 
 Put them, for instance, to read the epistles, and other 
 parts, and probably they will not have knowledge enough 
 to give an opinion as to the real meaning of one-tenth ot 
 the Bible. No wonder the church is not sanctified I They 
 need more truth. Our Saviour says, " Sanctify them 
 through thy truth." This grand means of sanctiflcatipn 
 must be more richly enjoyed before the church will know 
 what entire sanctification m^ans. The church do not 
 understand the Bible. And the reason is they have not 
 gone to the author to explain it. Although they have this 
 blessed privilege every day, and just as often as they choose, 
 of carrying the book right to the author for his explana- 
 tion ; yet how Httle, how very little, do the church know 
 of the Bible, which they are conscious they have been 
 taught to know by the Holy Ghost ! Bead the text again, 
 read other similar passages, and then say if Christians are 
 not exceedingly to blame for not understanding the Bible. 
 
 VIII. You see the necessity that we should all give 
 ourselves up to the study of the Bible, under divine teach- 
 
 ing. 
 
 I have recently recommended several books to yon to 
 
418 THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE TEAOHINa. 
 
 read, such as Wesley's Thoughts on Christian Perfectfon, 
 the Memoirs of Brainerd Taylor, Payson, Mrs. Eogers, 
 and others. I have found that, in a certain state of mind, 
 such books are useful to read. But I never pretend to 
 make but one hook my study. I read them occasionally, 
 but have little time or inclination to read other books much 
 while I have so much to leam of my Bible, I. find it like 
 a deep mine, the more I work it, the richer it grows. We 
 must read that more than any or all other books. We 
 must pause and pray over it, verse after verse, and compare 
 part with part, dwell on it, digest it, and get it into our 
 minds, till we feel that the Spirit of God has filled us with 
 the spirit of holiness. 
 
 Will you do it ? Will you lay your hearts open to God, 
 and not give him rest, till he has filled you with divine 
 knowledge ? Will you search the scriptures ? I have often 
 been asked by young converts, and young men preparing 
 for the ministry, what they should read. Bead the Bible. 
 I would give the same answer five hundred times. Over 
 and above all other things, study the Bible. It is a sad 
 fact, that most young men, when they enter the ministry 
 bften know less of the Bible than of any other book they 
 study, Alas I alas ! 0, if they had the spirit of James 
 Brainerd Taylor, his love for the scriptures, his prayer for 
 divine teaching, we should no longer hear the groans of 
 the churches over the barrenness of so many young 
 preachers, who come out of our seminaries full of book- 
 learning and almost destitute of the Holy Ghost 
 
xxni. 
 
 LOVE 18 THE WHOLE OF RELIGION. 
 
 \jan worketh so ill to his neighbor ; therefore love !■ the f aUHllng of the Inr.- 
 Bomans zlil. 10, 
 
 IN" speaking from these words, I design, 
 I. To make some remarks on the nature of love. 
 
 II. To show that love is the whole of religion. 
 
 III. Some things that are not essential to perfect 1ot& 
 
 IV. Some things that are essential. 
 
 V. Some of the effects of perfect love. 
 
 I. I am to make some remarks on the nature of love. 
 
 1. The first remark I have to make is, that there are 
 various forms under which love may exist. 
 
 The two principal forms, so far as religion is concerned, 
 are benevolence and complacency. Benevolence is an 
 affection of the mind, or an act of the will. It is willing 
 good, or a desire to promote the happiness of its object. 
 Complacency is esteem, or approbation of the character of 
 its object. Benevolence should be exercised towards all 
 beings, irrespective of their moral character. Complacency 
 is due only to the good and holy. 
 
 2. Love may exist either as an affection or as an emo- 
 tion. 
 
 When love is an affection, it is voluntary, or consista 
 in the act of the will. When it is an emotion, it is invol- 
 untary. What we call feelings, or emotions, are involun- 
 tary. They are not directly dependent on the will, or 
 controlled by a direct act of will. The virtue of love is 
 mostly when it is in the form of an affection. The happi- 
 ness of love is mostly when it is in the form of an emotion. 
 If the affection of love be very strong, it produces a high 
 
420 LOVE IS THE WHOLE OF EBLIQION. 
 
 degree of happiness, but the emotion of holy love is happi- 
 ness itself. 
 
 I said that the emotion of love is InToluntary. I do 
 not mean that the will has nothing to do with it, but that 
 it is not the result of a mere or direct^ act of the will. N"o 
 man can exercise the emotion of love by merely willing it. 
 And the emotion may often exist in spite of the will. In- 
 dividual^ often feel emotions rising in their minds, which 
 they know to be improper, and try by direct efEort of will 
 to banish them from their minds ; and finding that impost 
 Bible, therefore conclude that they have no control of these 
 emotions. But they may always be controlled by the will 
 in an indirect way. The mind can bring np any class of 
 emotions it chooses,^ by directing the attention sufQciently 
 to the proper object. They will be certain to rise in pro. 
 portion as the attention is fixed, provided the will is right 
 in regard to the object of attention. So of those emotionii 
 which are improper or disagreeable ; the mind may be rid 
 of them, by turning the attention entirely away from thf 
 object, and not suffering the thoughts to dwell on it. 
 
 3. Ordinarily, the emotions of love towards God aw 
 experienced when we exercise love towards him in the form 
 of affection. 
 
 But this is not always the case. We may exercise good 
 will towards any object, and yet at times feel no sensible 
 enactions of love. It is not certain that even the Lord 
 Jesus Christ exercised love towards God, in the form oC 
 emotion, at all times. So far as our acquaintance witt 
 the nature of the mind goes, we know that a person may 
 exercise affection, and be guided and be governed by it, 
 constantly, in all his actions, without any felt emotion of> 
 love towards its object at the time. Thus a husband andi' 
 ^father may be engaged in laboring for the benefit of hi# 
 fam%, and his very life controlled by affection for theJi^. 
 whUe his thoughts are not so engaged upon them as to 
 
LOVE IS THE WHOLE OP RELIGION. 421 
 
 make him feel any sensible emotions of love to them at the 
 time. The things about which he is engaged may take up 
 his mind so much, that he has scarcely a thought of them, 
 and so he may hare no felt emotion towards them, and yet 
 he is all the time guided and governed by affection for 
 them. Observe here, that I use the term, affection, in 
 the sense of President Edwards, as explained by him in 
 his celebrated Treatise on the Will. An affection in his 
 treatise is an act of the will or a volition. 
 
 4. Love to our neighbor naturally implies the existence 
 of love to God, and love to God naturally implies love to 
 our neighbor. 
 
 The same is declared in the 8th verse, " Owe no man 
 »ny thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth 
 another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not 
 commit adultery. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. 
 Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet ; 
 and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly com- 
 prehended in this saying, namely. Thou shalt love thy 
 neighbor as thyself." Here it is taken for granted that 
 love to our neighbor implies the existence of love to God, 
 otherwise it could not be said that " he that loveth another 
 hath fulfilled the law." The apostle James recognizes the 
 same principle, when he says, "If ye fulfil the toyal law 
 according to the scripture. Thou shalt love thy neighbor 
 as thyself, ye do well." Here love to our neighbor is 
 spoken of as constituting obedience to the whole law. 
 Benevolence, that is, good will to our neighbor, naturally 
 implies love to God. It is love to the happiness of being. 
 So the love of complacency towards holy beings naturally 
 implies love to God, as a being of infinite holiness. 
 
 II. I am to show that love is the whole of religion. 
 
 In other words, all that is required of man by God con- 
 sists in love, in various modifications and results. Love i* 
 the sum total of all. 
 
423 LOVE IS th:^ whole of religion. 
 
 1. The first proof I shall offer is, that the sentiment ii 
 tanght in the text, and many other passages of scripture. - 
 
 The scriptures fully teach, that love is the sum total of 
 all- the requirements, both of the law and gospel. Our 
 Saviour declares that the great command, Thou shalt love 
 the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and 
 strength, and thy neighbor as thyself, is the sum total of 
 all the law and the prophets, or implies and includes all 
 that the whole scripturos, the law and the gospel require. 
 
 2. God is love, and to love is to be like God, and to be 
 perfect in love is to be pei-fect as God is perfect. 
 
 All God's moral attributes consist in Igye, acting under 
 certain circumstances and for certain ends. God's justice 
 in punishing the wicked, his anger at sin, and the like, are 
 only exercises of his love to the general happiness of his 
 kingdom. So it is in man. All that is good in man is 
 some modification of love. Hatred to sin, is only love to 
 virtue acting itself out in opposing whatever is opposed to 
 virtue. So true faith implies and includes love, and faith 
 which has no love in it, or that does not work by love, is 
 no part of religion. The faith that belongs to religion is 
 an affectionate confidence in God. There is a kind of faith 
 in God, which has no love in it. The devil has that kind 
 of faith. The convicted sinner has it. But there is no 
 religion in it. Faith might rise even to the faith of mira- 
 cles, and yet if there is no love in it, it amounts to nothi%j 
 The apostle Paul, in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthian^ 
 says, " Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand 
 all mysteries, and all knowledge ; and though I have aU 
 faith, so that I could iremove mountains, and have not 
 charity, I am nothing." 
 
 Just so it is with repentance. The. repentance that 
 doesaot include love is not," repentance towards God." 
 True repentance implies obedience to the law of love, and 
 oonsequent opposition to sin. 
 
liOVB IS THE WHOLE OF RELIGION, 423 
 
 III. I will mention some things that are not essential 
 to perfect love. 
 
 1. The highest degree of emotion is not essential to 
 perfect love. 
 
 It is manifest that the Lord Jesus Christ very seldom 
 had the highest degree of emotion of love, and yet he 
 idways had perfect love. He generally manifested very 
 little emotion, or excitement. Excitement is always pro- 
 portioned to the strength of the emotions as it consists in 
 them. The Saviour seemed generally remarkably calm. 
 Sometimes his indignation was strong, or his grief for the 
 hardness of men's hearts ; and sometimes we read that he 
 rejoiced in spirit. But he was commonly calm, and mani- 
 fested no high degree of emotion. And it is plainly not 
 essential to perfect love, that the emotion of love should 
 exist in a high degree. 
 
 2. Perfect love does not exclude the idea of increase in 
 love or growth in grace. 
 
 I suppose the growth of the mind in knowledge, to all 
 eternity, naturally implies growth in love to all eternity. 
 The Lord Jesus Christ, 'in his human nature, grew in 
 stature, and in favor with God and man. Doubtless, as a 
 child, he grew in knowledge, and as he grew in knowledge, 
 he grew in love toward God, as well as in favor with 
 God. His love was perfect when he was a child, but it 
 was greater when he became a man. As a human being, 
 he probably always continued to increase in love to God as 
 long as he liv^d. - From the nature of mind, we see that 
 it may be so with all the saints in glory, that their love 
 ivill increase to all eternity, and yet it is always perfect 
 iove. 
 
 3. It is not essential to perfect love, that love should 
 ilways be exercised towards all individuals alike. 
 
 We cannot think of all individuals at once. You can- 
 lot even think of every individual of your acquaintance at 
 
424 LOVE IS THE WHOLE OF RELIGION. 
 
 once. The degree of love ■towards an individua,! depends 
 on the fact that the individual is present to the thoughts.. 
 
 4. It is not essential to perfect love, that there should, 
 be the salne degree of thp spirit of prayer for every indi- 
 vidual, or for the same individual at all times. 
 
 The spirit of prayer is not always essential t6 pure and. 
 perfect love.^ The saints in heaven have pure and perfects 
 love for all beings, yet we know not that they have the 
 spirit of prayer for any. You may love any individual 
 with a very strong degree of love, and yet not have the 
 spirit of prayer for that individual. That is, the Spirit of 
 God may not lead you to pray for the salvation of that indi- 
 vidual. You do not pray for the wicked in hell. The; 
 spirit of prayer depends on the influences of the Holy- 
 Ghost, leading the mind to pray for things agreeable to the ; 
 will of God. You cannot pray in the Spirit, vrith the same 
 degree of fervor, and faith, for all mankind. Jesus Christ 
 said expressly, he did not pray for all mankind : " I pray 
 not for the world." Here has been a great mistake in re- 
 gard to the spirit of prayer. Some suppose that Christians 
 liave not done all their duty when they have not prayed in- 
 faith for every individual, as long as there is a sinner on 
 the earth. Then Jesus Christ never did all his duty, for 
 he never did this. God has never told us he will save all 
 mankind, and never gave us any reason to believe he will 
 do it. How then can we prAy in faith for the salvation of 
 all ? What has that faith to rest on ? 
 
 5. Perfect love is not inconsistent with those feelinga^^ 
 of languor or constitutional debility, which are the neces- 
 sary consequence of exhaustion or ill health. 
 
 We are so constituted, that excitement naturally and ' 
 necessarily exhausts our powers. But love may be perfect^' 
 notwithstanding. Though one may feel more disposed to 
 lie down and sleep than to pray, yet his love may be pe^ 
 feotThe Lord Jesus Christ often felt this weariness and ex 
 
LOVE IS THE WHOLE OF BELIGION. 425 
 
 baastion, when the spirit was still willing, but the flesh wm 
 weak. 
 
 IV. What is essential to perfect love. 
 
 1. It implies that there is nothing in the mind incon- 
 sistent with love. 
 
 No hatred, malice, wrath, envy, or any other malignant 
 emotions that are inconsistent with pure and perfect love. 
 
 2. That there is nothing in the life inconsistent with 
 love. 
 
 All the actions, words, and thoughts, continually under 
 the entire and perfect control of love. 
 
 3. That the love to God is supreme. 
 
 The love to God is completely supreme, and so ontirely 
 above all other objects, that nothing else is Ibved in com- 
 parison with God. 
 
 4. That love to God is disinterested. ' 
 
 God is loved for what he is ; not for his relation to ns, 
 but for the excellence of his character. 
 
 5. That love to our neighbor should be equal, i.e. that 
 Lis interest and happiness should be regarded by us of 
 equal value with our own, and he and bis interests are to 
 be treated accordingly by us. 
 
 V. I am to mention some of the effects of perfect love. 
 
 1. One effect of perfect love to God and man will cer- 
 tainly bej delight in self-denial for the sake of promoting 
 the interests of God's kingdon;i and the salvation of sin- 
 ners. 
 
 See affectionate parents, how they delight in self-denial 
 for the sake of promoting the happiness of their children. 
 There is a father ; he gives himself up to exhausting labor, 
 day by day, and from year to year, through the whole of 
 a long life, rising early, and eating the bread of carefulness 
 continually, to promote the welfare of his family. And he 
 counts all this self-denial and toil not a grief or a burden, 
 but a delight, because of the love he bears to his familj. 
 
4:26 LOVE IS' THE WHOLE OP RELIGION. 
 
 See that mother ; she wishes to educate her son at coUegBj 
 And now, instead of finding it painful it is a joy to her to 
 sit up late and labor incessantly to help him. That is be- 
 cause she really loves her son. Such parents rejoice more 
 in conferring gifts on their children, than they would in 
 enjoying the same things themselves. "What parent does 
 not enjoy a piece of fruit more in giving it to his little 
 child, than in eating it himself ? The Lord Jesus Christ 
 enjoyed more solid satisfaction in working out salvation for 
 mankind than any of his saints can ever enjoy in receiving 
 favors at his hands. He testified that it is more blessed to 
 give than to receive. This was the joy set before him, for 
 which he endured the cross and despised the shame. His 
 love was so great for mankind, that it constrained Tiim to 
 undertake this work, and sustained him triumphantly 
 through it. — The apostle Paul did not count it a grief and 
 a hardship to be hunted from place to place, imprisoned, 
 scourged^ stoned, and counted the offscouring of all things, 
 for the sake of spreading the gospel and saving souls. It 
 was his joy. The love of Christ so constrained him, he 
 had such a desire to do good, that it was his highest de- 
 light to lay himself on that altar as a sacrifice to the cause. 
 Other individuals have had the same mind with the apostle. " 
 They have been known who would be willing to live a 
 thousand years, or to the end of time, if they could be em- 
 ployed in doing good, in promoting the kingdom of God, 
 and saving the souls of men, and willing to forego even 
 sleep and food to benefit objects they so greatly love. 
 
 2.' It delivers the soul from the power of legal motives. 
 
 Perfect love leads a person to obey God, not because he 
 fears the wrath of God, or hopes to be rewarded f6r doing 
 this or that, but becausfe he loves God and loves to do the 
 will of God. There are two extremes on this subject. One 
 class make virtue to consist in doing right, simply because 
 it is right, without any reference to the will of God, or any 
 
LOVE IS THE WHOLE OF KELieiON. 427 
 
 inflaence from God. Another class makes virtue to con- 
 eist in acting from love to the employment, but without 
 reference to God's authority, as a Euler and Law-giver. 
 Both of these are in error. To do a thing simply because 
 he thinks it right, and not out of love to God is not virtue. 
 Neither is it virtue to do a thing because he loves to do it, 
 with no regard to God's will. A woman might do certain 
 things because she knew it would please her husband, but 
 if she did the same thing merely because she loved to do 
 it, and with no regard to her husband, it would be no vir- 
 tue as it repects her husband. If a person loves God, as 
 soon as he knows what is God's will, he will do it because 
 it is God's will. Perfect love will lead to universal obed- 
 ience, to do God's will' in all things, because it is the will 
 of God. 
 
 3. The individual who exercises perfect love will be 
 dead to the world. 
 
 I mean by this that he will be cut loose from the influ- 
 ence of worldly considerations. Perfect love will so anni- 
 hilate selfishness, that he will have no will but the will of 
 of God, and no interest but God's glory. He will not be 
 influenced by public sentiment, or what this and that man 
 will say or think. See that woman I what is she not will- 
 ing to do from natural affection to her husband ? She is 
 willing to cut loose from all her friends, as much as if she 
 was dead to them, and not pay the least regard to what 
 they say, and leave all the riches, and honors, and delights 
 they can offer, to join the individual whom she loves, and 
 live with him in poverty, in disgrace, and in exile. Her 
 affection is so great that she does it joyfully, and is ready 
 to go from a palace to any cottage or cave in earth, and be 
 perfectly happy. And all that her friends can say against 
 the man of her affection has not the least influence on her 
 mind, only to make her cling the more closely to him. 
 This one allrdbsariing affection has actually killed all tha 
 
428 LOVE IS THE WHOLE OF RELieiON. 
 
 influences that nsed to act on her. To attempt to inflnenca 
 her by such things is in vain. There is only one avenue 
 of approach to her mind — only one class of motives move 
 her, and that is through the object of her affection. 
 
 So far as the philosophy of mind is concerned, the per- 
 fect love of God operates in the same way. The mind that 
 is filled with perfect love, it is impossible to divert from 
 God, while love continues in exercise. Take away his 
 worldly possessions, his friends, his good name, his chiU 
 dren, send him to prison, beat him with stripes, bind him 
 ..J the stake,^ fill his flesh full of pine knots and set them 
 on fire ; and then leave him his God and he is happy. His 
 strong affection can make him insensible to all things else. 
 He is as if he were dead to all the world but his God. 
 Gases have been known of marytrs who, while their bodies 
 were frying at the stake, were so perfectly happy in God, 
 as to lose their sense of pain. Put such a one in hell, in 
 the lake of fire and brimestone, and aa long as he enjoys 
 God, and the love of God fills his soul, he is happy. 
 
 Who has not witnessed or heard of cases of affection, 
 approaching in degree to what I have described, where a 
 person is in fact dead to all other things, and lives only for 
 the loved object. How often do you see fond parents, who 
 live for an only child, and when that child dies, wish 
 themselves dead. Sometimes a husband and wife have such 
 an absorbing affection for each other, that they live for 
 nothing else ; and if the husband dies, the wife pines away 
 and dies also. The soul-absorbing object for which she 
 liv^d is gone, and why should she live any longer ? So, 
 when an individual is filled with the perfect love of God, 
 he wishes to live only;to love and serve God ; he is dead to 
 the worM, dead to his own reputa,tion, and has no desira 
 to live for any other reason, here, or in heaven, or any 
 where else in the universe, but to glorify God. He is 
 willing to live, here or any where «lse, and suffer and 
 
LOVE IS THE WHOLE OF KELIQIOII. 429 
 
 labor a thousand years, or to all eterflity, if it will glorify 
 God. 
 
 I recollect hearing a friend say, often, " I don't know 
 that I have one thonght of living a single moment for any 
 other purpose than to glorify God, any more than I 
 should think of leaping right into hell/' This was said 
 soberly and deliberately, and the whole life of that indi- 
 vidual corresponded with the declaration. He was intelli- 
 gent, sober-minded, and honest, and I have no doubt ex- 
 pressed what had been the fullest conviction of his mind 
 for years. What was this but perfect love ? What more 
 does any angel in heaven do than this ? His love may be 
 greater in degree, because his strength is greater. But tho 
 highest angel could not love more perfectly, than to be 
 able to say in sincerity, "I should as soon think of leaping 
 into hell as of living one moment for any other object but 
 to glorify God." What could Jesus Christ himself say 
 more than that ? 
 
 4. It is hardly necessary to say that perfect joy and 
 peace are the natural results of perfect love. 
 
 But I wish to turn your attention here to what th& 
 apostle says in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians, speaking 
 of charity, \or love. You will observe that the word here 
 translated " charity " is the same that is in other places 
 rendered love. It means love. " Though I speak with the 
 tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am 
 become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And 
 though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all 
 mysteries, and all knowledge ; and though I have all faith 
 80 that 1 could remove mountains, and have not charity, I 
 am nothing." He might have even the faith of miracles, 
 80 strong that he could move . mountains from their ever- 
 lasting foundations, and yet have no love. " And though 
 bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I 
 give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it 
 
430 VOTE IS THE WHOIilfi UJf KJfiLilUlUJM. 
 
 profiteth me nothing." Yon see how far he supposp^ a 
 man may go without love. "Charity snffereth long." 
 Long-suffering is meekness under opposition or injury. 
 This is one of the effects of love, to bear great provoca- 
 tions, and not retaliate or revile again. Love is kind, 
 or affectionate in all intercourse with others, never harsh 
 or rude, or needlessly giving pain to any. Love envieth 
 not, never dislikes others because they are more thought 
 of or noticed, more honored or useful, or make greater at- 
 ■ tainments in knowledge, happiness or piety. Is not 
 puffed up with pride, but always humble and modest.. 
 Doth not behave ibself unseemly, but naturally begets 
 a pleasant and courteous deportment towards all. How- 
 ever unacquainted the individual may be withr4;he ways of 
 society, who is actuated by perfect love, he always appears 
 well, it is natural to him to be so kind and gentle and 
 courteous. Seeketh not her own, or has no selfishness. 
 Is not easily provoked. This is always the effect of 
 love. See that mother, how long she bears with her chil- 
 dren, because she loves them. \f you see an individual that 
 is testy, or crusty, easily flying into a passion when any- 
 thing goes wrong — he is by no means perfect in love, if he 
 has any love. To be easily provoked is. always a sign of 
 pride. If a person is full of love, it is impossible to make 
 him exercise sinful anger while love continues. He exer- 
 cises such indignation as God exercises, and as holy angela 
 feel, at what is base and wrong, but he will not be pro- 
 voked by it. " Thinketh no evil. Show me a man that 
 is always suspicious of the motives of others, and for ever 
 putting the worst construction on the words and actions of 
 his fellow-men, and I will show you one who has the devil 
 in him, not the Holy Ghost. He has that in his own mind 
 which makes him think evil of others. Ifan individual is 
 honest and simple-hearted himself, he will be the last, to 
 think evil of others. He will not be always smolUng 
 
LOVK 18 THE WHOLE OF RELIGION. 431 
 
 heresy or mischief in others. On the contrary, such per- 
 sons aie often liable to he imposed on by- designing men, 
 not from any want of good sense, bnt from the effect of 
 love. They do not snspect evil, where the exterior appears 
 fair, nor without the strongest proof. Love rejoiceth 
 not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. See a man 
 who exults at his neighbor's fall, or cries out, I told you 
 so ; and I tell you, that man is far enough from being 
 perfect in loye, Beareth all things, all provocations and 
 injuries, without revenge, Believeth all thiiigs, instead 
 of being hard to be convinced of what is in favor of others, 
 is always ready to believe good wherever there is the least 
 evidence of it. Hopeth all things ; even where there 
 is reason to suspect evil, as long as there is room for hope, 
 by putting the best construction upon the thing which it 
 will bear. Where you see an individual that has not this 
 spirit, rest assured, he is by no means sincerely in love. 
 Nay, he has no love at all. 
 
 I might pursue this course of thought farther, but have 
 not time.. Love worketh no ill to his -neighbor. Mark 
 that, no iUt Perfect love never overreaches, nor defrauds, 
 nor oppresses, nor doe» any ill to a neighbor. Would a 
 man under the influence of perfect love, sell his neighbor 
 mm ? Never. Would a man that loved God with all his 
 heart, perfectly, hold his neighbor as a slave ? Love 
 worketh no ill to his neighbor ; slavery denies him the 
 wages that he has earned, and perhaps sells him, and tears, 
 him away from his family, deprives him of the BiWe, and 
 endeavors as far as possible to make him a brute, "^here 
 cannot be greater falsehood and hypocrisy, than for a man 
 who will do that, to pretend that he loves God, now that 
 light is shed upon this subject, and the attention of men 
 turned upon it. Will a man hate his own flesh ? How 
 can he love God that hates or injures his neighbor ? 
 
 I designed to remark on one other effect of perfect 
 
432 VOVS IS THE WHOLE OF EELIfllON. 
 
 love. It uniformly shows itself in great efforts for the 
 sanctification of the church and the salvation of souls. 
 Where a personlis negligent or deficient in either of these, 
 he is by no means perfect in love, whatever may be his 
 pretensions. 
 
 BEMABES. 
 
 I. You see why it is true, what the apostle James says, 
 "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth 
 not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's re- 
 ligion is vain." 
 
 The man that professes to be religious, and yet allows 
 himself to speak against his neighbor with an unbridled 
 tongue, to injure his -neighbor, deceives himself, if he 
 thinks he loves his neighbor as himself. Strange love 1 
 
 II. There may be much light in the mind concerning 
 religion, without love. 
 
 You often see individuals, who understand a great deal, 
 intellectually, about religion, and can spread it out before 
 others, while it is plain they are not actuated by the spirit 
 of love. They have ngt the law of kindness on their lips. 
 
 III. Those individuals who have much religious know- 
 ledge and zeal, without love, are most unlovely and dan- 
 gerous persons. 
 
 They are always censorious, proud, heady, high-minded^, ; 
 They may make a strong impression, but do not produce 
 true religion. They zealously afEect you, but not well. 
 
 IV. The drift of a man's zeal will determine the char- 
 acter of his religion. 
 
 It will show whether the light in his mind is accom- 
 panied with love. If it is, his zeal will not be sectarian in 
 its, character. Show me a man full of jealousy towards all 
 that do not belong to his sect or party, and there is a man 
 far enough from perfect love. 
 
 True love is never denanciatoij or harsh. If it has oo- 
 
LOVE 18 THE WHOLE OF RELIGION. 433 
 
 oatdon to speak of the faults of other?, it does it in kind- 
 ness, and with sorrow. Perfect love cannot speak in a 
 rough or abusive manner, either to or of others. It will- 
 not lay great stress on the mere circumstantials of religion, 
 nor be sticklish for particular measures or forms. Many 
 will contend fiercely either for or against certain things, . 
 as for or against new measures ; but if they were full of 
 love they would not do it. The zeal that is governed by 
 perfect love will not spend itself in contending for or 
 against any forms in religion, nor attack minor errors and 
 evils. Love leads to laying stress on the fundamentals in 
 religion. It cleaves to warm-hearted Christians, no mat- 
 ter of what denomination they may be, and loves them, 
 and delights to associate with them. 
 
 This zeal is never disputatious, or fuU of controversy. 
 Find a man who loves to attend ecclesiastical meetings, 
 and enters into all the janglings of the day, and that man 
 is not full of love. To a mind filled with holy love, it is 
 exceedingly painful to go to such meetings, and see minis^ 
 ters dividing into parties, and manceu vring, and caucussing, 
 and pettifogging, and striving for the mastery. Find an 
 individual who loves controversy in the newspapers, he is 
 , not full of love. If he was, he would rather be abused, 
 and reviled, and slandered, .either in person or by the 
 papers, tha,n turn aside to defend himself or to reply. He 
 would never return railing for railing, but contrariwise 
 blessing. And as much as possible, he would live peace- 
 ably with all men. 
 
 V. How much that is called religion has no love. 
 
 How much of what passes for works of religipn, is con- 
 strained by outward causes and influences, and not by the 
 inward power of love. It ought to be better understood 
 than it is, that unless love is the mainspring, no matter 
 what the outward action may be, whether praying, praia- 
 ing, giving, or anything else, there is no religion in it 
 
434 LOVE IS THE WHOLE OF RELIGION. 
 
 How much excitement that passes for religion, has no .ove. 
 How much zeal has no religion in it. See that man alwajB 
 full of bitter zeal, and if reproved for it, flying to the ex- 
 ample of Paul, when he said, " Thou child of the devil." 
 If he was under the influenqe of perfect love, he would see 
 that his circumstances are so different as not to justify the 
 exercise of such a spirit. 
 
 • VI. Those religious excitements which do not consiat 
 in the spirit of love, are not revivals of religion. 
 
 Perhaps the church may be much excited, and bustle 
 about with a great show of zeal, and boisterous noise, but 
 no tenderness of spirit. Perhaps, those who go aboai;^ may 
 Bhow a spirit of insolence, and rudeness, and pick a quar- 
 rel with every family they visit, I once knew. a young 
 van who acknowledged that he aimed at making people 
 Angry, and the reason he assigned was, that it often 
 fcrought them under conviction, and so issued in conver- 
 sion.- And so it might if he should go in and utter hor- 
 rid blasphemies in their presence, until they were frigh* 
 tened into a consideration of their own character. But who 
 would defend such a conduct on the ground that such was 
 now and then the result ? And if this be the character of 
 the excitement, it may be a revival of wrath, and malice, 
 and all uncharitableness, but it is not a revival of religion. 
 I do not mean that when some or many are filled with 
 wrath, it is certain proof that there is no revival of relig- 
 ion ; but that when the excitement has this prevailing 
 character, it is not a true revival of religion. Some among 
 them may have the spirit of love, but certainly those who 
 are filled with a bitter disputatious zeal are not truly relig- 
 ious. Religion may be in some persons revived, but in the 
 main, in such cases, it is a revival of irreligion. 
 
 VII. When persons profess to be converted, if love la 
 not the ruling feature in their character they are not tmlj 
 converted. 
 
LOVS IS THE WHOLE OF BELIGION. 435 
 
 Howerer well they may appear in other respects, no 
 matter how clear their views, or how deep their feelings, 
 if -they have not the spirit of love to God, and love to man, 
 they are deceived. Let no such converts be trusted. 
 
 VIII. See what the world will be, when mankind are 
 universally actuated by a spirit of love. 
 
 We learn that the time will come, when there shall be 
 nothing to hurt or destroy, Itnd when the spirit of love will' 
 universally prevail. What a change in society I What a 
 change in all the methods of doing business, and in all the 
 intercourse of mankind, when each shall love his neighbor 
 as himself, and seek the good of others as his own ? Gould 
 one of the saints of the present day revisit the earth at 
 that period, he would not know the world in which he had 
 lived, all things would be so altered. Is it possible, he 
 would exclaim, " that this is the earth ; the same earth 
 that used to be so full of jangling, and oppression, and 
 fraud?" 
 
 IX. The thing on which the Lord Jesus Christ is bent, 
 is to bring all mankind under the influence of love. 
 
 Is it not a worthy object ? He came to destroy the 
 works of the devil ; and this is the way to do it. Suppose 
 the world was full of such men as Jesus Christ was in his 
 human nature — compare it with what it is now. Would 
 not such a change be worthy of the Son of God ? What 
 a glorious end, to fill the earth with love. 
 
 X. It is easy to see what makes heaven. 
 
 It is love — ^perfect love. And it is easy to see what 
 makes heaven begun- on earth, in those who are full of 
 love. How sweet their temper ; what delightful compan- 
 ions J how blessed to live near them : so full of candor, so 
 kind, so gentle, so careful to avoid offence, so divinely 
 amiable in all things ! 
 
 And is this to be attained by men ? ' Can we love God, 
 in this world with all the heart, and soul, and strength, 
 
A36 I<OVE ik THB WHOLE OF BELiQIOHk 
 
 and mind ? Is it onr privilege and oar dniy to possess the 
 Spirit of Christ — and shall we exhibit the spirit of the 
 devil ? Beloved, let our hearts be set on perfect lore, and 
 let us give God no rest till we feel our hearts full of love, 
 and till all our thoughts and all our lives are full of love to 
 God and love to man. 0, when will the church come up 
 to this ground ? Only let the church be fuU of love, and 
 she will be fair as the moon, clear as the snn, and terrible 
 to all wickedness, in high places and low places, as an 
 umy with bannen. 
 
xxrv. 
 
 REST OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 For we which have believed do enter Into rest.— Heb. It. t. 
 
 THE following is the course of thought to which I wish 
 to direct your attention this evening : 
 
 L I shall endeavor to show what is not the rest hen 
 q)oken of. 
 
 IL Show what it is. 
 
 IIL Show when we are to enter into this rest. 
 
 lY. Show how to come into possession ol this rest. 
 
 Y. Show that all sin consists in, or is caused by, uu- 
 beliel 
 
 I. I will endeavor to show what is not the rest spoken 
 of in the text. 
 
 1. It is evidently not a state of inactivity in religion, 
 that is spoken of in the text under the name of rest. 
 
 The apostle who wrote this was very far from being 
 himself inactive in religion, or from encouraging it in 
 others. Those of whom he spoke, including himself, 
 where he says, we who have believed, do enter into rest, 
 would know at once that it was not true, that they' had 
 entered into the rest of supineness. 
 
 2. Neither are we to understand that the perfect rest 
 of heaven is the rest here spoken of. 
 
 He speaks of it as a present state, we do enter, 
 which was not consistent with the idea that heaven is the 
 rest here spoken of. The perfect rest of heaven includes 
 an absolute freedom from all the pains, trials, sufEerings 
 and temptations of this life. The rest of the believer here, 
 may be of the same nature, substantially, with the rest of 
 heaven. It is that rest beguil on earth. But it is not 
 made perfect. It differs in some respects, because it doei 
 
438 BEST OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 not imply A deliverance from all trials, pains, sickness and 
 death. The apostles and primitive Christians had not 
 escaped these trials, but still suffered their full share of 
 them. 
 
 n. I will show what we are to understand ioj the rest 
 here spoken of. 
 
 1. It is rest from controversy with God. 
 
 In this sense of cessation from controversy, the word 
 rest, is often used in the Bible. In the context, it is said 
 the children of Israel rested, when they were freed from 
 their enemies. It is cessation from strife or war. Those 
 who enter into this rest cease from their warfare with God, 
 from their struggle against the truth, their war with their 
 own conscience. The reproaches of conscience, that kept 
 them in agitation, the slavish fears of the wrath of God 
 under which men exert themselves as slaves in building up 
 their own works, all are done away. They rest, 
 
 ?. It implies cessation from our own works. 
 
 (1.) Cessation from works performed /or oiirselveg. 
 
 Much of the apparent religion there is in the world is 
 made up of works done by people which are their own, in 
 this sense. They are working for their own lives — that is, 
 they have this end in view, and are working for themselves, 
 as absolutely as the man who is laboring for his bread. If 
 the object of what you do in religion be, that you may be 
 saved, it matters not whether it is from temporal or eternal 
 ruin, it is for yourself, and you have not ceased from your 
 own works, but are still multiplying works of your own. 
 Now, the rest spoken of in the text, is entire cessatioii' 
 from all this kind of works. The apostle, in verse 10th, - 
 affirms this : " He that is entered into his rest, hath 
 seased from his own works." And in the text, he says. 
 We that believe do enter, or have entered, into rest, 
 Jt is plain that this rest is^easing from our own works. 
 Not oeasins from all kind of worksJor that is true nnitViAv 
 
BEST OF THE SAINTS. 439 
 
 of the saints on earth nor of saints in heaven. We have . 
 no reason to believe that any saint or angel, or that God 
 himself, or any^holy being is ever inactive. But we cease 
 to perform works with any such design as merely to save 
 our own souls. It is ceasing to work for ourselves, that 
 we may work for God. We are performing our own works, 
 just as long as the supreme object of our works is to be 
 saved. But if the question of our own salvation is thrown 
 entirely on Jesus Christ, and our works are performed out 
 of love to God, they are not our own works. 
 
 (3.) In entering into this rest, we cease from all works 
 performed from ourselves, as well as works performed for 
 ourselves. 
 
 Works are from ourselves, when they result from the 
 simple, natural principles of human nature, such as con- 
 science, hope, fear, etc., without the influences of the 
 Holy Ghost. Such works are universally and wholly sin- 
 ful. They are the eftorts of selfishness, under the direction 
 of mere natural principles. His conscience convicts him, 
 hope and fear come in aid, and under this influence, the 
 carnal, selfish mind acts. Such acts cannot but be wholly 
 sinful. It is nothing but selfishness. Multiply the forms 
 of selfishness by selfishness for ever, and it will never come 
 to love. Where there is nothing but natural conscience 
 pointing out the guilt and danger, and the constitutional 
 susceptibilities of hope and fear leading to do something, 
 it comes to nothing but the natural workings of an unsanc- 
 tified mind. Such works are always the works of the flesh, 
 and not the works-of the Spirit. To enter intp rest is to 
 cease from all these, and no more to perform works from 
 ourselves than for our ourselves. Who does not know 
 what a painful time those have, who set about religion from 
 themselves ; painfully grinding out about so much religion 
 a month, constrained by hope and fear, and lashed up to 
 the work by conscience, but without the least impulse from 
 
440 BEST OF THE SAINST. 
 
 that divine principle of the love of God shed abroad in the 
 heart by the Holy Ghost ? All such vorks are just as 
 much from themselves, as any work of any devil is. No 
 matter what kind of works are performed, if the love of 
 God is not the mainspring and life and heart of theni, they 
 are our own works, and there is no such thing as rest in 
 them. We must cease from them, because they set aside 
 the gospel. The individual, who is actuated by these prin 
 ciples, sets aside the gospel, in whole or in part. If he is 
 actuated only by these considerations, he sets aside the 
 gospel entirely, and just so far as he is influenced by them, 
 he refuses to receive Christ as his Saviour in that relation. 
 /Christ is offered as a comple te Saviour, as our Wisdom, 
 I Bi ghteo usness, Sa nctifica tion, and Bedemption. And just 
 I so far as any one is making efforts to dispense with a 
 Saviour in any of these particulars, he is setting aside the 
 gospel for so much. 
 
 (3.) To enter into rest implies that we cease from doing 
 any thing for ourselves. 
 
 We arc not so much as to eat or drink for ourselves i 
 " Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye 
 dOj do all to the glory of God," The man who has en- 
 tered into this rest, has ceased from doing it. God re- 
 quires it, and he that has entered into rest has ceased to 
 have any interest of his own. He has wholly merged his 
 own interest in that of Christ. He has given himself so 
 perfectly to Christ, that he has no work of his own to do. 
 There is no reason why he should, go about any work of 
 his own. He knows he might as well sit still till he is in 
 hell, as atteinpt any thing of his own, as to any possibility 
 of saving himself by any exertions of his own. When a 
 man fully understands this, he ceases from making any 
 efforts in this /way. See the convicted sinner, how he will 
 strain himself, and put forth all his efforts to help himself, 
 nntil he learns that he is nothing ; and then he ceases from 
 
BEST OF THE SAINTS. 441 
 
 all this, and throws himself helpless and lost, into the hands 
 of Christ. XJntil he feels that he is in himself withont 
 strength, or help, or hope, for salvation or any thing that 
 tends to it, he will never think of the simplicity of the 
 gospel. No man applies to Christ for righteonsness and 
 strength, until he has used up his own, and feels that he 
 is helpless and undone. Then he can understand the sim- 
 plicity of the gospel plan, which consists in receiving salva- 
 tion, by faith, as a free gift. When he has done all that 
 he could, in his own way, and finds that he has grown no 
 better, that he is no nearer salvation, but rather grown 
 worse, that sin is multiplied upon sin, and darkness heaped 
 upon darkness, until he is crushed down with utter help- , 
 lessness, then he ceases, and gives all up into the hand of 
 Christ. See that sinner, trying to get into an agony o 
 conviction, or trying to understand religion, and finding 
 all dark as Egypt, and cannot see what it is that he must 
 do. 0, says he, what must I do ? I am willing to do any 
 thing. I can't tell why I don't submit, I know not how to 
 do any thing more ; what am I to do, or how shall I find 
 out what is -the difficulty ? When he is fully convinced, 
 then he turns his eyes to the Saviour, and there he finds 
 all he needs. Wisdom, Sighteousness, Sanctification and 
 Kedemption, Christ the Life of thp world, the Light of 
 the world, the Bread of life, and he needs nothing of all 
 these but what is in Christ, that all he wants, and all he 
 can ask, is in Christ, and to be received by faith ; then he 
 ceases from his own works, and throws himself at once and 
 entirely upon Christ for salvation. 
 
 (4.) To cease from our own works is to cease attempt- 
 ing to do any thing in our own strength. 
 
 Eveiy one who has entered into rest knows, that what- 
 ever he does in his own strength, will be an abomination 
 to God. Unless Christ lives in him, unless .God worketh 
 in him, to will and to do, of his good pleasure, nothing is 
 
442 BEST OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 ever done acceptably to God. To set himself to do any 
 thing in his own strength, independent of the spirit of God, 
 is forever an utter abomination to God, He who has not 
 learned this, has not ceased from his own works, and has 
 not accepted the Saviour. The apostle says, we are not 
 able of ourselves to think anything, as of ourselves. The 
 depth of degradation to which sin has reduced us, is not 
 understood until this is known and felt. 
 
 3. To enter into rest also includes the idea of throwing 
 our burdens upon the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 He invites us to throw all our burdens and cares on 
 him. " Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy 
 laden, and I will give you rest." " Casting all your 
 cares upon him, for he careth for you." These words 
 mean just as they say. Whether your burden is temporal 
 or spiritual, whether your care is for the soul or body, 
 throw it all upon the Lord. See that little child, going 
 along with his father ; the father is carrying something 
 that is heavy, and the child takes hold with its little hand 
 to help, but what can he do towards carrying such a load ? 
 Many Christians make themselves a great deal of trouble, 
 by trying to help the Lord Jesus Christ in his work. They 
 weary and worry themselves with one thing and another, 
 as if everything hung«on their shoulders, (aow, the Lord 
 Jesus Christ is as much pledged to the believer for all that 
 concerns him, as he is for his justification^ and just as 
 absolutely bound for his temporal as for his eternal inter- 
 ests. There is nothing that concerns the Christian, which 
 he is not to cast on the Lord Jesus Christ. I do not mean 
 to be understood, that the Christian has no agency in the 
 matter. Here is a man who has cast his family upon Jesus 
 Christ ; but he has not done it in any such manner, that he 
 is not to do anything for his family. But he has so cast 
 himself upon God, for direction, for light, for strength, for 
 success, that he has yielded himself up absolutely to God, 
 
REST OF THE SAINTS. ^3 
 
 to guide and to sustain him ; and Christ is pledged to see 
 to it that every thing is done right. 
 
 4. To enter into rest is to make the Lord Jesus Christ 
 our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and our 
 redemption, and to receive him in all his offices, as a full 
 and perfect substitute for all our deficiencies. 
 
 We lack all these things, absolutely, and are to receive 
 Him as a full and perfect substitute, to fill the vacancy, 
 and supply all our needs. It is to cease expecting, or 
 hoping, or attempting anything of ourselves, to fill the 
 vacancy ; and receiving Christ as all. 
 
 5. Entering into this rest implies the yielding up of 
 our powers so perfectly to his control, that henceforth all 
 our works shall be his works. 
 
 I hope you will not understand anything from this lan- 
 guage, more mystical than the Bible. It is a maxim of the 
 common law, that what a man does by another, he does by 
 himself. Suppose I hire a man to commit murder ; the 
 deed is as absolutely my own as if I had done it with my 
 own hand. The crime is not in the hand which struck 
 the blow, any more than it is in the sword that stabs the 
 victim. The crime is in my mind. If I use another's 
 hand, if my mind, as the moving cause, influenced him, 
 it is my act still. Suppose that I had taken his hand by 
 force, and used it to shoot my neighbor, would not that be 
 my act ? Certainly ; but it was in my mind, and it is just 
 as much my act, if I influence his mind to do it. Now 
 apply this principle to the doctrine, that the individual 
 who has entered into rest has so yielded himself up to 
 Christ's control, that all his works are the works of Christ. 
 The apostle Paul says, " I labored more abundantly than 
 they all ; yet not I, but the grace of God in me." And he 
 frequently insists upon it, that it was not himself that did 
 the works, but Christ in him. Do not misunderstand it 
 now. It is not said, and it is not so to be understood, that 
 
444 R^T OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 the believer acts upon compulsion, or that Christ acts in 
 him without his own will, but that Christ by his Spirit 
 dwelling in him, influences and leads his mind that he acts 
 voluntarily in such a way as to please God, When one 
 ceases from his own works, he so perfectly gires up his own 
 will, and places himself so completely under guidance of 
 the Holy Spiritj that whatever he does, is done by the im- 
 pulse of the Spirit of Christ. The apostle describes it 
 exactly when he says, " Work out your own salvation, with 
 fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you, to 
 will and to do of his good pleasure." God influences the 
 will, not by force, but by love, to do just what will 
 please him; If it were done by force, we should be no lon- 
 . ger free agents. But it is love that so sweetly influences 
 the will, and brings it entirely under the control of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ: 
 
 It is not that our agency is suspended, but is employed 
 by the Lord Jesus Christ. Our hands, our feet, our powei-s 
 of body and mind, are all employed to work for him. He 
 does not suspend the laws of our constitutibn, but so 
 directs our agency, that the love of Christ so constrains us, 
 that we will and do of his good pleasure. 
 
 Thus, you see that all works that are really good in 
 man, are in an important sense, Christ's worts. This is 
 affirmed in the Bible, over and over again, that our good 
 works are not from ourselves, nor in any way by our own 
 agency without God ; but God directs, our agency, and in-' 
 fluences our wills, to do his will, and we do it. They are, 
 in one sense our works, because we do them by our volun- 
 tary agency. , Yet, in another sense, they are his worksj 
 because he is the moving cause of all. 
 
 6. Entering' into this rest implies, that insomuch as 
 we yield our agency to Christ, insomuch we cease from sin. 
 
 If we are directed by the Lord Jesus Christ, he will not 
 direct us to sin. Just aa far as we give ourselves up to God 
 
BEST OF THE SAINTS. 145 
 
 WO cease from sin. If we are controlled by him, so that 
 he works in us, it ia to will and to do of his good pleasure. 
 And just so far as we do this, so far we cease from sin. I 
 need not prove this. 
 
 III. I am to inquire when they that believe do enter 
 into rest. 
 
 It is in this life. 
 
 1. This appears from the text and context. The apos- 
 tle in connection with the text, was reasoning with the 
 Jews. Ha warns them to beware, lest they fail of entering 
 into the true rest, which was typified by their fathers en- 
 tering into the land of Canaan. The Jews supposed that 
 was the true rest. Biit the apostle argues with them, to 
 show that there was a higher rest of which the rest of tem- 
 poral Canaan was only a type, and into which the Jews 
 might have entered but for their unbelief. If Joshua had 
 given them the real rest, he would not hav6 spoken of an- 
 other day. Yet another day is spoken of. Even so late 
 as David's day, it is spoken of in the Psalms as yet to come : 
 " To-day, after so long a time ; as it is said To-day if ye 
 will hear his voice, ha,rden not your hearts. For if Jesus 
 (that is Joshua) had given them rest, then would he not 
 afterwards have spoken of another day. There remaineth 
 therefore a rest to the people of God." He therefore 
 argues, that the rest in Canaan was not the real rest which 
 was promised, but was typical of the true rest. What then 
 was the true rest ? It was the rest of repose of faith in 
 Christ, or the gospel state, a cessation from our own works. 
 And believers enter into that state by faith. 
 
 I know it is generally supposed that the rest here spokeii 
 of is the heavenly rest, beyond this life. But it is mani- 
 festly a rest that commences here. "We which believe 
 do enter into rest." It begins here, but extends into eter- 
 nity. It is the same in kind, but made, there more perfect 
 in degree, embracing freedom from ISa.e sorrows and trials 
 
4M BEST OF THE SAmT& 
 
 to which all believers are subject in this life. But it is th<F 
 same in kind, the rest of faith, the Sabbath keeping of the 
 Boul when it ceases from its own works, and casts itself 
 wholly npon the Saviour. 
 
 2. It is manifest that this rest must commence in this 
 world, if faith puts us in possession of it. This is the yery 
 point that the apostle was arguing, that faith is essential 
 to taking possession of it. They " could not enter in because 
 of unbelief." " Beware, least ye fail of entering in after the 
 same example of unbelief." He warns them not to indulge 
 in unbelief, because by faith they may take immediate 
 possession of the rest. If this rest by faith ever commences 
 at all, it must be in this world. 
 
 3. The nature of the case proves this. Nothing short 
 of this taking possession of rest is fully embracing Jesus 
 Christ. It is a spiritual rest from the conflict with God, 
 from the stings of conscience, and from efforts to help our- 
 selves by any workings of our own mind. Nothingshort of 
 this is getting clear away from the law, or entering fully 
 into the gospel. 
 
 IV. I am show how we are to enter into this rest. 
 
 From what has already been said, you will understand 
 that we take possession of it by faith. 
 
 The text, with the context,~sihow this. You will recol- 
 lect also what the Lord Jesus Christ says, Matthew xi. 28. 
 29. " Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, 
 and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and 
 learn of me : for I am meek and lowly in heart ; and ye 
 shall find rest unto your souls." Here this same rest is 
 spoken of, and we are told that if we will only come to 
 Christ we may find it. If we will take his easy yoke, 
 which is love, and trust him to bear all burdens, we shall 
 find rest. The Psalmist speaks of the same rest — " Return ' 
 unto thy rest, my soul." What Christain does not know 
 what it is to have the soul rest in Christ, to hang upon his 
 
BEST OP THE SAINTS. 447 
 
 arm, and find rest from all the cares and perplexities and 
 gorrows of life ? 
 
 Again : It is evident that faith in Christ, from its own 
 nature, brings the soul into the rery state of rest I have 
 described. Hovir instantly faith breaks up slavish fear, 
 and brings the soul into the liberty of the gospel ! How 
 it sets us free from selfishness, and all those influences we 
 formerly acted under I By faith we confide all to Christ, 
 to lead us, and sanctify us, and justify us. And we may 
 be just as certain to be led and to be sanctified, as we are 
 to be justified, if we only exercise faith and leave our- 
 selves in the hands of Christ for all. As a simple matter 
 of fact, snch faith brings the soul into a state of rest. The 
 Boul sees that there is no need of its own selfish efforts, and 
 no hope from them if they were needed. In itself, it is so 
 far gone in sin that it is as hopeless as if it had been in hell 
 a thousand years. Take the best Christian on earth, and 
 let the Lord Jesus Christ leave his soul, and where is he ? 
 Will he pray or do anything good, or acceptable to God, 
 without Christ ? ISfever. iThe greatest saint on earth will 
 go right off into sin in a moment, if abandoned by Jesus 
 Christ. ^ But faith throws all upon Christ, and that is rest. 
 
 Agam : Faith makes ns cease from all works for our- 
 selves. By faith we see that we have no more need of 
 doing works for ourselves, than the child needs to work 
 for his daily bread whose father is worth millions. He 
 may work, from love to his father, or from love to the em- 
 ployment, bat not from any necessity to labor for his daily 
 bread. The soul that truly understands the gospel, sees 
 perfectly well that there is no need of mingling his own 
 righteousness with the righteousness of Christ, or his own 
 wisdom with the wisdom of Christ, or his own sufferings 
 with the sufferings of Christ. If there was any need of 
 this, there would be just so much temptation to selfishness, 
 and to working from legalmotives. But there is none. 
 
4il8 BEST OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 Again ; By faith the sonl ceases from all works per. 
 formed from itself. Faith brings a new principle into 
 action, entirely above all considerations addressed to the 
 natural principles of hope and fear and conscience. Faith 
 brings the mind under the influence of love. It takes the 
 soul out from the influences of conscience, lashing it up to 
 duty, and brings it under the influence of the same holy, 
 heavenly principles, that influenced Christ himself. 
 
 Again : Faith brings the mind into rest, inasmuch as 
 it brings it to cease from all efforts merely for its own sal- 
 vation, and puts the whole being into the hands of Ohrist. 
 
 Faith is confidence. It is yielding up all our powers 
 and interests to Christ, in confidence, to be led, and sanc- 
 tified, and saved by him. 
 
 ^ It annihilates selfishness, and thus leaves no motivei 
 for our own wbrks. 
 
 In short : Faith is an absolute resting of the soul in 
 Christ, for all that it needs, or can need. It is trusting 
 him for every thing. For instance — Here is a little child, 
 wholly dependent on its father, for house and home, food 
 and raiment, and every thing under the sun. Yet that 
 little child feels no uneasiness, because it confides in its 
 father. It rests in him, and gives itself no uneasiness, but 
 that he will provide all that it needs. It is just as cheerful 
 and happy, all the day long, as if it had all things in itself, 
 because it has such confidence. Kow the soul of the be- 
 liever rests in Christ, just as the infant does on the arms 
 of it mother. The penitent sinner, like a condemned 
 wretch, hangs all on Christ, without the least help ot 
 hope, only as they come from Christ alonej and as Christ 
 does !all that is needed: 
 
 If faith does consist in thus trustiug absolutely in Christ, 
 then it is manifest that this rest is taketi possession of 
 when we believe ; and that it must be in this life, if faith 
 is to be exercised in this life. 
 
BEST OF THE SAINTS. 449 
 
 V. I am to show that unbelief is the cause of all the 
 sin there is in the world. 
 
 I do not mean to imply by this, that unbelief is not 
 itself a sin ; but to sa^y, that it is the fountain out of which 
 issues all other sin. Unbelief is distrust of God, or want 
 of confidence. It is manifest that it was this want of con- 
 fidence which constitated Adam's real crime. It was not 
 the mere bating of the fruit, but the distrust which led to 
 the outward act, that constituted the real crime for which 
 he was cast out of Paradise. That unbelief is the cause of 
 all sin is manifest from the following considerations : 
 
 The moment an individual wants faith, and is left to 
 the simple impulse of natural principles and appetites, he 
 is lef^ just like a beast, and the things that address his 
 mind through the senses alone operate on him. The 
 motives that influence the mind when it acts right, are dis- 
 cerned by faith. Where there is no faith, there are no 
 motives before the jnind but such as are confined to this 
 world. The soul is then left to its- mere constitutional 
 propensities, and giYes up itself to the minding of carnal 
 things. This is the natural and inevitable- result of un- 
 belief. The eye is shut to eternal things, and there is 
 nothing before the mind calculated to beget any other ac- 
 tion but that which is selfish. It is therefore left to grovel 
 in the dust, and can never rise above its own interest and 
 appetites. It is a natural impossibility that the effect 
 should not be so ; for how can the mind act without mo- 
 tives ? But the motives of eternity are seen only by faith. 
 The mere mental and bodily appetites that terminate ou 
 this world, can never raise the mind above the things of this 
 world, and the result is only sin, sin, sin — the minding of 
 the flesh for ever. The very moment Adam distrusted God, 
 he was given upto follow his appetites. And it is so with 
 all other minds. 
 
 Suppose a child loses all confidence in its father. He 
 
450 BEST OP THE SAINTS. 
 
 can henceforth render no hearty obedience. It is a natural 
 impossibility. If he pretends to obey, it is only from, self- 
 ishnessj and not from the heart ; for the mainspring and 
 essence of all real hearty obedience is gone. It would be 
 so in heaven, it is so in hell. Without faith it is impossi- 
 ble to please God. It is a natural impossibility to obey 
 God in such a manner as to be accepted of him, without 
 faith. Thus unbelief is shown to be the fountain of all the 
 sin in earth and hell, and the soul that is destitute of faith, 
 is just left to work out its damnation. 
 
 BEUABES. 
 
 L The rest which those who believe do enter into here 
 on earth, is of the same nature with the heavenly rest. 
 
 The heavenly rest will be more complete ; for it will 
 be- a rest from all the sorrows and trials to which even a 
 perfect human soul is liable here. Even Ghrist himself" 
 experienced these trials and sorrows and temptations. But 
 the soni that believes, rests as absolutely in him here, as in 
 heaven. 
 
 II. We see 'why faith is said to be the. substance of 
 things hoped for. 
 
 Faith is the very thing that makes heaven ; and there- 
 fore it is the substance of heaven, and will be to all 
 eternity. 
 
 III. We see what it is to be led by the Spirit of God. 
 It is to yield up all our powers and faculties to his con- 
 trol, so as to be regulated by the Spirit in all that we do. 
 
 IV. We see that perfect faith would produce perfect ; 
 love, or perfect sanctification. 
 
 A perfect yielding up of ourselves, and continuing to 
 trust all that we have and are to Ghrist, would make na 
 perfectly holy. 
 
 Y. We see that just as far as any individual Ib not 
 nmctified, it is because his faith is weak. 
 
REST OF THE SAINTS. 451 
 
 When the Lord Jesus Christ was on earth, if his dis- 
 ciples fell into sin, he always reproached them with a want 
 of faith : "0 ye of little faith."' A man that believes in 
 Christ has no more right to expect to sin, than he has a 
 right to expect to be damned. You may startle at thfs, 
 but it is true. 
 
 Yon are to receire Christ as your sanctification, just as 
 absolutely as for your justification. Now you are bound 
 to expect to be damned, unless you receiTe Christ as your 
 justification. But if you receive him as such, you have 
 then no reason and no right to expect to be damned. 
 Now he is just as absolutely your sanctification, as your 
 justification, and if you depend upon him for sanctification, 
 he will no more let you sin, than he will let you go to hell. 
 And it is as unreasonable, and nnscriptural and wicked, to 
 expect one as the other. And nothing but unbelief, in any 
 instance, is the cause of your sin. Some of you have read 
 the Life of Mrs. Hester Ann Kogers, and recollect how 
 habitual it was with her, when any temptation assailed her, 
 instantly to throw herself upon Christ ; and she testifies, 
 that in every instance he efustained her. 
 
 Take the case of Peter. When the disciples saw Christ 
 walking upon the water, after their affright was over, 
 Peter requested to'be permitted to come to him on the 
 water, and Christ told him to come ; which was a promise 
 on the part of Christ ' that if he attempted it, he should be 
 sustained. But for this promise, his attempt would have 
 been tempting God. But with this promise, he had no 
 reason and no right to doubt. He made the attempt, and 
 while he believed, the energy of Christ bore him up, as if 
 he had been walking upon the ground. But as soon as 
 he began to doubt, he began to sink. Just so it is, with 
 the soul ; as soon as it begins to doubt the willingness and 
 the power of Christ to sustain it in a state of perfect love, 
 it begins to sink. Take Christ at his word, make him 
 
453 BEST OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 responsible, and rely on him, and heaven and earth will 
 sooner fail than he will allow such a soul to fall into ein. 
 Say, with Mrs. Eogers, when Satan comes with a tempta- 
 tion, " Lord Jesus, here is a tfemptation to sin, see thou to 
 that." 
 
 YI. You see why the self-denying labors of saints are 
 consistent with being in a state of rest. 
 
 These self-denying labors are all constrained by love, 
 and have nothing in them that is compulsory or hard. 
 Inward love draws them to duty. So far is it from being 
 true, that the self-denying labors of Christians are hard 
 work, that it would be vastly more painful to them not to 
 do it. Their love for souls is such, that if they were for- 
 bidden to do any thing for them, they would be in agony. 
 In fact, a state of inaction would be inconsistent with this 
 rest. How could it be rest, for one whose heart was burn- 
 ing and bursting with love to God and to souls to sit still 
 and do nothing for them. But it is perfect rest for the 
 kjQul to go out in prayer and efEort for their'salvation. Such 
 a soul cannot rest, while God is dishonored and souls de- 
 stroyed, and nothing' done for their rescue. But when all 
 his powers are used for the Lord Jesus Christ, this is true 
 rest. Such is the rest enjoyed by angels,' who cease not 
 day nor night, and who are all ministering spirits, to min- 
 ister to the heirs of salvation. 
 
 The apostle says, " Take heed, therefore, lest a'promise 
 being left of entering into rest, any of you should* come 
 short of it" And " Let us labor therefore, to enter into 
 rest." Do any of you know what it~is to come to Christy 
 and rest in him ? Have you found rest, from all your own 
 efforts to save yourselves, from the thunders of Sin^i, and 
 the stings of conscience ? Can you rest sweetly in Jesus, 
 and find in him every thing essential to sanctificafion and 
 eternal salvation ? Have you found actual salvation in 
 him ? If you have, then you have entered into rest 
 
XXV. 
 
 CHRIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body ol 
 Christ ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who in raised from 
 the dead, that we shonld bring forth fmlt onto God.— Bomans Til. 4, 
 
 IN the discussion of this subject, the following is the 
 order in which I shall direct your thoughts : 
 
 I. Show that the marriage state is abundantly set forth 
 in the Bible, as describing the relation between Christ and 
 the church. 
 
 II. Show what is implied in this relation. 
 
 III. The reason for the existence of this relation. 
 
 IV. Show the great guilt of the church, in conducting 
 towards Christ as she does. 
 
 V. The forbearance of Christ towards the church. 
 
 I. I am to show that the marriage state is abundantly 
 Bet forth in the Bible, as describing the relation between 
 Christ and the church. 
 
 Christ is often spoken of as the husband of the church. 
 "Thy Maker is thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his 
 name." "Turn, backsliding children, saith the Lord, 
 for I am married unto you." The church is spoken of as 
 the bride, the Lamb's wife. " The Spirit and the Bride 
 say, Come." That is, Christ and the church say, 
 "Come." In 3 Cor. xi. 2, the apostle Paul says, "For 
 I am jealous over you with godly jealously : for I have es- 
 poused you to one husband, that I may present you as a 
 chaste virgin to Christ." I can merely r^er to these pas- 
 sages. You that are acquainted with your Bibles, will not 
 need that I should take up time to show that this relation is 
 often adverted to in the Bible, in a great variety of forma. 
 
 II. I am to shoV what is implied in this relation. 
 
454 CHRIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 * 
 
 1. The wife gives up her owt fame, and assumes that 
 of her husband. 
 
 This is universally true in tho marriage state. And 
 the church assumes the name of Oktist, and when united 
 with him is baptized into his name. 
 
 2. The wife's separate interest is merged in that of her 
 husband, 
 
 A married woman has no separate interest, and no 
 right to have any. So the church has no righ6 to have a 
 separate interest from the Lord Jesus Christ. If a wife 
 has property, it goes to her husband. If it is real estate, 
 the life interest passes to him, and if it is personal estate, 
 the whole mergesln idm. 
 
 The reputation of the wife is wholly united to that of 
 her husbarfd, so that his reputation is hers, and her repu- 
 tation is his. What affects her character, afEects his ; and 
 what affects his character, affects hers. Their reputation , 
 is one, their interests are one. So with the church, what- 
 ever concerns the church is just as much the interest of 
 Christ, as if it was personally his own matter. As the hus- 
 band of the church, he is just as much pledged to do every 
 thing that is needful to promote the interest of the church, 
 as the husband is pledged to promote the welfare of his 
 wife. As a faithful husband gives up his time, his labor^ 
 his talents, to promote the interest and happiness of hit 
 wife ; so Jesus Christ gives himself up to promote the wel- 
 fare of his church. He is as jealous of the reputation ol 
 his church, as ever a husband was of the reputation of hi» 
 wife. Never was a human being so pledged, so devoted to 
 the interest of his wife, or felt so keenly an injury as Jesui 
 Christ feels when his church has lier reputation or hei 
 feelings injured. He declares that it were better a man 
 had a mill-stone hanged about his neck, and he were cast 
 into the depths of the sea, than that he should offend one 
 of these little ones that believe in him. 
 
CHRIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHURCH. . 455 
 
 3. The relation between husband and wife is such, that 
 11 any thing is the matter with one, the other is full of 
 sympathy. 
 
 So Christ feels for all the sufferings of the church, and 
 the church feels for all the sufferings of Christ. When a 
 believer has any realizing view of the sufferings of Christ, 
 there is nothing in the universe so affects and dissolves the 
 mind with sorrow. Never did a wife feel such distress, 
 Buch broken-hearted grief, if she has occasioned suffering 
 or death to her husband, as the Christian feels when he 
 views his sins as the occasion of the death of Jesus Christ. 
 Let me ask some of these married women present, how you 
 would feel, if your husband to redeem you from merited 
 ignominy and death, had volunteered the greatest suffer- 
 ing and pain, and even death for you ? To be reminded 
 of it by any circumstance, how would it melt you down in 
 broken-hearted grief ? ^Now, have you never understood 
 that your sins caused the death of Christ, and that he died 
 for you just as absolutely, as if you had been the only sin- 
 ner in all God's world ? He suffered pain and contempt 
 and death for yon. He loves his church and gave himself 
 for it. It is called the church of God, which he purchased 
 with his own blood, 
 
 4 The wife pledges herself to yield her will to the will 
 of her husband, and to yield obedience to his will. 
 
 She has no separate interest, and ought to have no sep- 
 arate will. The Bible enjoins this and makes it a Chris- 
 tian duty for the wife to conform in all things to the will 
 of her husband. The will of the husband becomes, to the 
 faithful wife the mainspring of her activity. Her entire 
 life is only carrying out the will of her husband. The 
 relation of the church to Christ is precisely the same. The 
 church is governed by Christ's will. When believers exer- 
 cise faith, they are so, absolutely, and the will of Christ 
 becomes the moving cause of all their conduct. 
 
456 CHEIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHtlBCH. 
 
 5. The wife recognizes her husband as her heai 
 
 The Bible declares that he is so. In like manner, aa 
 from the head proceed those influences that govern the 
 body, so from Christ proceed those influences that g*vern 
 the church. , 
 
 6. The wife looks to her husband as her support, her 
 protector, and her guide. 
 
 Every believer places himself as absolutely under the 
 protection of Christ, as a' married woman is under the 
 protection of her husband.. The woman naturally look|f' to 
 her husband to preserve her from injury, from insult, and 
 from want. She hangs her happiness on him, and expects i 
 he will protect her ; and he is bound to do it. 
 
 So Christ is pledged to protect his church from every 
 foe. How often have the powers of hell tried to put down 
 the church, but her husband has never abandoned her. 
 No weapon formed against the church has ever been 
 allowed to prosper, and never shall. Never will tho Lord 
 Jesn,s Christ so far forget his relation to the churchi, as to 
 leave his bride unprotected. No. Let all earth and hell 
 conspire against the church; and just as certain as Christ 
 has power to protect the church his church is safe, f And 
 each individual believer is just as safe as if he were the only, 
 believer on earthy and has Christ as truly pledged for his 
 preservation. rTne devil can no more put down a single 
 believer, to final destruction, than he can put down God 
 Almighty. J He may murder them, but that is no injury... 
 rOvercoming a believer by taking his life, affords Satan no 
 triumph. He put Christ to death, but what did he gairf 
 by it ? The grave had no power over him, to retain him. 
 So with a believer ; neither the grave nor hell has any 
 iMore power to injure one of Christ's little ones, that be- 
 lieve in him, than they have to injure Christ himself. Ho 
 says, " Because I live, ye shall live also." And, " He that 
 believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live ; 
 
CHRIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHURCH. 457 
 
 and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die." 
 There is no power in the universe that can prevail against 
 a single believer, to destroy him. Jesus Christ is the Head 
 of the church, and Head over all things to the church, and 
 the church is safe. 
 
 7. The legal existence of the wife is so merged in that 
 of her husband, that she is not known in law as a separate 
 person. 
 
 If any actions or civil liabilities come against the wife, 
 the husband is responsible. If the wife has committed a 
 trespass, the husband is answerable. It-is his business to 
 guide and govern her, and her business to obey ; aiid if he 
 does not restrain her from breaking the laws he is respon- 
 sible. And if the wife does not obey her husband, she 
 has i-t in her power to bring him into great trouble, dis- 
 grace, and expense, fin like manner, Jesus Christ is Lord 
 over his church, and if ^e does not actually restrain his 
 church from sin, he has it to answer for, and he is brought 
 into great trouble and reproach by the misconduct of his 
 people./ By human laws, the husband is not liable for 
 capital crimes committed by the wife, but the law so far 
 recognizes her separate existence, as to punish, her. But 
 Christ has 'assumed the responsibility for his church, at all 
 her conduct. He took the place of his people, when^Eey 
 were convicted of capital crimes, and sentenced to eternal 
 damnation. This is answering in good earnest. And now 
 it is his business to take care of the church, and control 
 her, and keep her from sin ; and for every sin of every 
 -member. Jesus Christ is responsiblcj and must answer. 
 And he does answer for them. He has made an atone- 
 ment to cover all this, and ever liveth to make intercession 
 for his people. So that he holds himself responsible be- 
 fore God for all the conduct of his church. Every believer 
 is 80 a part of Jesus Christ, and so perfectly united to him 
 that whatever any of them may be guilty, of, Jesus Christ 
 
458 CHRIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 takes upon himself to answer for. fThis is abundantly 
 taught in the Bible.^ 
 
 What an amazing relation ! Christ has here assumed 
 the responsibility, not only for the civil conduct of his 
 church, but even for the capital crime of rebellion against 
 God. There is a sense, therefore, in which the church is 
 lost in Christ and has aio separate existence known in law. 
 God has so given up the church to Christ, by the covenant 
 of grace, that, strictly speaking, the church, is not known 
 in law. I do not mean that crimes committed by be- 
 lievers against the moral law, are not sin, but that the law_ 
 cannot get hold of them, for condemnation, j^^here is now 
 no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.7 The' 
 
 ' penalty of the law is for ever remitted. The crimes of the 
 believer are not taken into account so as to bring him un- ' 
 der condemnation ; no, in no case whatever. Whatever 
 is to be done falls upon Christ. He has assumed the re- 
 sponsibility of bringing them ofE from under the power d 
 sin, as well as from under the law, and stands pledged to 
 give them all the assistance they need to gain a complete 
 victory. 
 
 ~ III. I am to explain the reason why this relation is 
 constituted between Christ and his church. 
 
 1. The first reason is assigned in the text, " that we 
 should bring forth fruit unto God." A principal design of 
 the institution of marriage is the propagation of the 
 species. So it is in regard to the church. Through the 
 instrumentality of the church, children are to be born to 
 Christ, and he is to see his seed, and to see of the travail, 
 of his soul, and be satisfied, by the converts multiplied as 
 the drops of morning dew. It is not only through the 
 travail of the Redeemer's soul, but through the travail of the 
 church, that believers are bom unto Jesus Christ. As soon 
 as Zion travailed, she brought forth children. 
 
 2. Another object of the marriage institution is the 
 
CHBIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHURCH. 459 
 
 protection and support of those who are naturally helplesB 
 and dependent. If the law of power prevailed in society, 
 erorybody knows that females, being the weaker sex, would 
 be universally enslaved. And the design of the institution 
 af marriage is to secure protection and support to those 
 who are so much more frail, that by the law of force they 
 would be continually enslaved. So Jesus Christ upholds 
 his church, and aSords her all the protection against her 
 enemies, and all the powers of hell, that she needs. 
 
 3. The mutual happiness of the parties is another end 
 of the marriage institution. 
 
 The same is true of the relation between Christ and his 
 church. Perhaps you will think it strange, if I tell you 
 that the happiness of Christ is increased by the love of the 
 church. But what does the Bible say ? " Who, for the 
 joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame." 
 What was the joy set before hiin, if the love of the church, 
 was not a part of it ? It would be very strange to hear of a 
 husband contributing to the happiness of his wife, that 
 should not enjoy it himself. Jesus Christ enjoys the hap- 
 piness of his church by as much more as he loves his 
 church better than any husbands love their wives. 
 
 4. The alleviation of mutual sufferings and sorrows is 
 one end of marriage. 
 
 Sharing each other's sorrow is a great alleviation. Who 
 does not know this ? In like manner do Christ and his 
 church share each other's sorrows. The apostle Paul 
 says he was always bearing about in his body the dying of 
 the Lord Jesus ; " For as the sufferings of Christ abound 
 in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ." And 
 he declared that one end of his toils and self-denial was 
 that he might know ^' the fellowship of Christ's suffer- 
 ings." And he rejpioecl in all his sufferings, that he might 
 fill up that which was behind of the affliction s of Christ. 
 The church feels, keenly, every reproach oaist upon Christ, 
 
#60 CHRIST THE HUSBAND OP THE CHURCH. 
 
 and Christ feels keenly every injury inflicted on the 
 church. 
 
 ' 5. The principal reason for this union of Christ with 
 his church, is that he may sanctify the church. 
 
 Read what is said in Ephesians v. 23-27. "Wives, 
 submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the 
 Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even aa 
 Christ is the head of the church ; and he is the Savioui 
 of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto 
 Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every 
 thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also 
 loved the church, and gave himself for it ; that he might 
 sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the 
 word. That he might, present it to himself a glorious 
 church, not having spot or wrinkle, or ^ny such thing 
 but that it should be holy and without blemish." 
 
 Here then is set forth the great design of Christ in 
 marryin g the church. It is that he might s anctify it, and 
 'Eleansqit, or that it should be perfectly holy and without 
 tflemish'. John, in the Revelation, informs us that he saw 
 those who had " washed their robes and made them white 
 in the blood of the Lamb," See how beautifully the Bride, 
 the Lamb's wife, is described in the 21st chapter, coming 
 down from God out of heaven;' prepared as a bride adorned 
 for her husband. 
 
 IV. I will make a few remarks on the wickedness of 
 the church, in conducting towards Christ as she does. 
 
 1. Vast multitudes of those who profess to be a part of 
 the church, the bride of Christ, really set up a separate 
 interest. 
 
 They have pretended to merge their self-interest in the 
 interest of Christ, but manifestly keep up a separate inter- 
 est. And if you attempt to make them act on the princi- 
 ple that they have no separate interest, they will plainly 
 ■how that they have no such design. What would yon 
 
CHRIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHURCH. 461 
 
 ihink of a wife," keeping up a separate interest from her 
 husband ? You would say it was plain that she did not 
 love her husband, as she ought. 
 
 3. The church is not satisfied with Christ's love. 
 
 Every body knows what an abominable thing it is for a 
 wife not to h^ satisfied with the love of her husband, but 
 continually seeking other lovers, and always associating 
 with other men. Yet, how plain it is that the church is 
 not satisfied with the love of Christ, but it is always seek- 
 ing after other lovers. What are we to think of those 
 members of the church who are not satisfied with the love 
 of Christ for happiness, but must have the riches and 
 pleasures and honors of the world to make them happy ? 
 
 Still more horrible would be the conduct of a wife, who 
 should select her lovers from the enemies of her husband, 
 and should bring them home with her, and make them her 
 chosen friends. Yet how many who profess to belong to 
 Christ go away, and give their affections to Christ's ene- 
 mies. Some will even marry those whom they know to be 
 haters of God and religion* Horrible I Is that the way a 
 bride should do ? 
 
 3. Every one knows that it is a disgraceful thing for 
 the wife to play the harlot. 
 
 Yet God often speaks of his church as going astray and 
 committing spiritual whoredom. And it is true. He does 
 not make this charge, as a man makes it against bis vrife, 
 when he is determined to leave her and cast her off. But 
 he makes it with grief and tenderness, and accompanies it 
 with the moving expostulations, and the most melting en- 
 treaties that she would return. 
 
 4. What would you tbink of a married woman who 
 should expect, at the very time of her marriage, that she 
 should get tired of her husband, and leave him and play 
 the harlot ? 
 
 Yet, how many there are, professors of religion, who 
 
462 CHRIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 when they made a ^profession had no more expectation of 
 living without sin, than they expected to have wings and 
 fly. They have come into his house, and pledged them- 
 selves to live entirely for him, and married him in this 
 public manner, covenanting to forsake all sin, and to live 
 alone for Christ, and be satisfied with his love, and have 
 no other lovers ; and yet all the while they are doing it, 
 they expect in their minds . that they shall scatter their 
 ways to strangers upon every high hill, and commit sin and 
 dishonor Christ. 
 
 5. What are we to think of a woman, who, at the very 
 time of her marriage, expected to continue in her course 
 of adultery as long as she lives, in spite of all the commands 
 and expostulations of her husband ? 
 
 Then what are we to think of professors of religion, who 
 deliberately expect to commit spiritual adultery, and con- 
 tinue in it as long as they live P 
 
 6. Bat the most abominable part of such a wife's wick- 
 edness is, when she turns round and charges the blame of 
 her conduct upon her faithful husband. 
 
 ■ Now the church does this. Notwithstanding Christ has 
 done all that he could do, short of absolute force, to keep 
 his church from sinning, yet the church charges her sin 
 upon him, as if he had laid her under an absolute necessity 
 of sinning, by not making any adequate provision for pre- 
 serving his people against temptation. And they are hor- 
 rified now at^the very name of Christian Perfection, as i! 
 it were really dishonoring Ol^rist to believe that he is able 
 to keep his people from committing sin and falling into the 
 snare of the devil. And so it has been, for hundreds of 
 years, that with the greater part of the church it has not 
 been orthodox to teach that Jesus Christ really has made 
 such provision that his people may live free from sin. 
 And it is really considered_a wonder, that any body should 
 teach that the bride of the "Lord Jesus Christ is expected 
 
CHBIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHUBOH. 463 
 
 to do as she ^pretends to do.. Has he married a bride, and 
 made no provision adequate to protect her against the arts 
 and seductions of the devil ? Well doue I That must be 
 the ridicule of hell. 
 
 7i Suppose a wife should refuse to obey her husband 
 and then make him responsible for her conduct. 
 
 Yet the church refuses to obey Jesus Christ, and then 
 makes him answer for her sins. This is the great difficulty 
 with the church, that she is continually bringing in her 
 Head for her delinquencies. 
 
 8. The church is continually dishonoring Christ. 
 
 The reputation of husband and wife is one. Whatever 
 dishonors one, dishonors the other. Now, the church, in- 
 stead of avoiding every appearance of evil, is continually 
 causing the enemies of God to blaspheme by her conduct. 
 
 V. I will say a few words on the forbearance of Christ 
 towards the church. 
 
 What other husband, in such circumstances would sufEer 
 the connection to remain, and bear what Christ bears ? 
 Yet he still ofEers to be reconciled, and lays himself out to 
 regain the afEections of his bride. Sometimes a husband 
 really loses his affection towards his wife, and treats her so 
 like a brute that, although she once loved him, she loves 
 him no more. But where can any thing be found in the 
 character and conduct of Christ, to justify the t^-eatment 
 he receives ? He has laid himself out to the utmost, to 
 engross the affections of the church. What could he have 
 done more ? Where can any fault or any deficiency be 
 found in him. And even after all that the church has 
 done against him. What is he doing now ? Suppose a 
 husband should for years follow his wandering guilty wife, 
 from city to city, beseeching and entreating her, with tears, 
 to return to his house and be reconciled ; and after all, 
 she should persist in going after her lovers, and yet he con- 
 idnuee to cry after her and beg her to come back and live 
 
464 CHRIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHDECH. 
 
 with him, and he will forgive and love her still. Is there 
 any such forbearance and condescension known among 
 men P 
 
 BEMABKS. 
 
 I. Christians onght to understand the bearing of their 
 sins. 
 
 Yonr sins dishonor Christ,, and grieve Christy and in- 
 jure Christ, and then you make Christ responsible for 
 them. You sustain such a relation to him, and you ought 
 to know what is the effect of your sin. How does a wife 
 feel, when she has disgraced her husband ? How blushes 
 cover her face, and tears fill her eyes ! When her justly- 
 offended husband comes into her presence, how she falls 
 down at his feet, with a full heart, and confesses her fault, 
 and pours her penitential tears into his bosom. She is 
 grieved and humbled, and though she loves him, his very 
 presence is a grief, until she breaks down before him, and 
 feels that he has forgiven her. 
 
 ITow how can a Christian fail to recognize this ; and 
 when he is betrayed into sin and has injured Chiist, how 
 can he sleep ? How can you help realizing that your sing 
 take hold of Jesus Christ, and injure him, in all these ten- 
 der relations ? 
 
 II. One great difficulty of Christians is their expecting 
 to live in sin, and this expectation insures their continu- 
 ance in sin. 
 
 If an individual expects to live in sin, he in fact means 
 to live in sin, and of course he will live in sin. ^t is very 
 much to be feared, that many professors of religion never 
 reaUy meant to live without sini The apostle insists that 
 believers should reckon themsems dead to sin, that they 
 jBhould henceforth have no more to~3o with it than if tbey 
 were dead, and no more expect to sin than a dead man 
 Bhould expect to walk. They should throw themselvea 
 
CHRIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHUECH, 4SS 
 
 upon Christ, and receive him in all hie relations, and ex- 
 pect to be preserved and sanctified and saved by him. If 
 they would do this, do you not suppose they would be 
 kepc from sin ? Just as certainly as they believe in Christ 
 for it. (To believe in Christ that he wiU keep them, in- 
 sures the result that he will.*! And the reason why they 
 do not receive preserving grace at all times, as they need 
 and all they need, is~ that they do not expect it, and do 
 not t rust in Ch rist to preserve them i n perfect^ lo'v e.j The 
 man tnes^to preserve himself. Insteiff of throwing him- 
 self upon Christ, he throws himself upon his own resources, 
 and theuy^iBJhis weakness expects to sin, and of course he 
 does sin. If He-knew his own entire emptiness, and would 
 throw himself ppon C hrist as absolutely, and rest upon 
 Christ aso6nfidently, f drsanctification, as for justification, 
 the one is just as certain as the other. yV^'t^ 
 
 No one that trusted in God for anything he has prom- 
 ised, ever failed to receive according to his faith,^he very 
 thing for which he trusted.^ If you trust in God for what 
 he has not promised, that is tempting God. If Peter had 
 not been called- by Christ to come to him on the water, it 
 would have been tempting Gad for him to get down out 
 of the ship into the water, and he would have lost his life 
 for his presumption and folly. But as soon as Christ told 
 him to come, it was merely an act of sound and rational 
 faith for him to do it. It was a pledge on the part ot 
 Christ, that he should be sustained ; and so he was sus- 
 tained, as long as he had faith. Now, if the Bible has 
 promised that those who receive Christ as their sapctificac 
 tion shall be sanctified, then you who believe in him for 
 this end have just as much reason to expect it, as Peter 
 had to expecfc he should walk on the waves. It is true, 
 we do not expect" a miracle to be wrought to sustain the 
 believer, as it was to sustain Peter. But it is promised 
 that he shall be sustained, and if miracles were necessary, 
 
466 CHEIST THE HUSBAND OP THE CHURCH. 
 
 no doubt they would be performed, for God would moTe 
 the universe, and turn the course of nature upside down, 
 Booner than one of his promises should fail, to them 
 that put their trust in him. If God is pledged to any- 
 thing, a person that ventures, on that pledge will find it 
 redeemed, just as certainly as God possesses almighty 
 power. Has God promised sanctification to them that 
 trust him for it ? If he has not, then to go to him in faith 
 for preservation from temptation and sin is tempting God. 
 It is fanaticism. If God has left us to the dire nccesaity 
 of getting along with our own watchfulness and our own 
 firmness and strength, we must>^ubmit to it, and do the 
 best we can. But if he has made any promises, he will re^\ 
 deem them to the uttermost, though all earth and all hell 
 should oppose. And so it is in regard to the mistakes and 
 errors which Christians fall into. If thereisnopromjsa. 
 that they shall be guided just so far as tney nee37 and led 
 into the truth, and in the way of duty and of peace ; then 
 for a Christian to look to God for knowledge, and wisdom, 
 sai guidance, and direption, without any^ promises, is 
 tempting God. But if there a re promi ggs on this subject, 
 depend on it, they will be fulfilled io the very last mite to 
 the believer who trusts in them ; and exercising confidence 
 in such promises is only a sober and rational faith in the 
 word of God. 
 
 f I believe the great difficulty of the church on the sub- 
 ject of Christian perfection lies here, that she has not fully 
 understood how the Lord Jesus, Christ i s wholly pledged in 
 all these relations, and that the church has just as much 
 reason and is just as much bound to trust in him for sanc- 
 tification as for justification.^ What saith the scriptu!'B 
 Who of God is made unto ub wisdom, and righteousness, 
 and sanctification,- and redemption. Hqw came the idea 
 to be taken up in the churqh, that Jesus Christ is our Be* 
 demption, and has made himself responsible that tihe 
 
CHRIST THE HUSBAND OF THE CHUKCH. 467 
 
 meanest individual who thrown himself on him for justifi- 
 cation shall infallibly obtain it ? This has been universally 
 admitted in the church, in all ages. But it is no mare 
 plainly or more abundantly taught, than it is, that Jesai 
 Christ is promised and pledged for ^iaiiom and for sancti* 
 fication to all that receive him in these relations. Has he 
 promised that if any man lack wisdom, he may ask of God, 
 and if he asks in faith, God will give it to him ?. What 
 then ? Is there then no such thing as being preserved by 
 Christ from falling into this and that delusion and error ? 
 God has made this broad promise, and Christ is as much 
 pledged for our wisdom and our sanctificatipn, if we only 
 trust on him, as he is for our justification. If the church 
 would only renounce any expectation from herself, and dia 
 as absolutely to her own wisdom and strength, as she doe* 
 to her own righteousness, or the expectation of being saved 
 by her own works, Jesus Christ is as much pledged foi 
 one as for the other. The only reason why the church 
 does not realize the same results, is that Christ is trusted 
 for justification, and as for wisdom and sanctification he 
 is not trusted. 
 
 The truth is, the great body of believers having begun 
 in the Spirit, are now trying to be made perfect by the 
 flesh. We have thrown ourselves on Christ for justifica- 
 tion, and then have been attempting to sanctify ourselves. 
 If it is true, as the apostle affirms, that Christ is to the 
 church both wisdom and sanctification, what excuse have 
 Christians for not being sanctified ? 
 
 III. If individuals do not as much expect to live with- 
 out sin against Christ, as they expect to live without open 
 sins against men, such as murder or adultery, it must be for 
 one of three reasons : ' 
 
 1. Either we love our fellow-men better than we do 
 Ohrut, and so are less willing to do them an injury. 
 
 a. Or we are restrained by a regard to our own reputa- 
 
468 CHRIST THE HUSBAND OP THE CHUECH. 
 
 tion ; and this proves that we lore reputation more than 
 Christ 
 
 3. Or we think we can preserve ourselves better from 
 these disgraceful crimes than we can from less heinons 
 ■ins. 
 
 Suppose I were to ask an/ of you, if you expect to com- 
 mit murder, or adultery ? Horrible ! you say. But why 
 not ? Are you so virtuous that you can resist any tempta- 
 tion which the devil can offer ? If you say so, you do not 
 know yourself. If you have any real power to keep your- 
 self, so as to abstain from openly disgraceful sins, in your 
 own strength, you have power to abstain from all sins. 
 But if your only reliance is on Jesus Christ to keep you from 
 committing murder and adultery, how is it, that you should 
 get the idea that he is not equally able to keep you from 
 all sin ? 0, if believers would only throw themselves 
 wholly on Christ, and make him responsible, by placing 
 themselves entirely at his control, they would know his 
 power to save, and would live without sin. 
 
 IV. What a horrible reproach is the church to Jesus 
 Christ. / 
 
 V, You see why it is that converts are what they are. 
 Degenerate plants of a strange vine, sure enough I 
 
 The church is in such a state, that it is no wonder, those 
 who are brought in, with few exceptions, prove a disgrace 
 to religion. How can it be otherwise ? How can the 
 church, living in such a manner, bring forth offspring that 
 shall do honor to Christ ? The -church does not, and m- 
 iividual believers do not, in general, receive Christ in- all 
 his oflSces, as he is oJBfered in the Bible. If they did, it 
 would be impossible they should live like such loathsome 
 karlots. 
 
 THB EXD. 
 
 4 PRINTED IH THE UNITED STATES OF AMBSIM 
 
SERMONS AND ADDRESSES 
 
 J. H . JOlVETr, D.D. fUth Avenu, Trnhurlm Churth 
 ' Km rtrt 
 
 The Whole Armour of God 
 
 i2nio, cloth, net $1.35. 
 
 "This popular preacher is, not only by his own people, 'jut 
 also by large numbers of others, considered the very greatest 
 preacher.^ He is possessed of a rare and perhaps unequalled 
 combination of the very qualities which captivate. His 
 thoughts are always expressed in the simplest possible diction, 
 so that their crystalline clearness makes them at once appre- 
 hended." — ChristioK Evangtlist. 
 
 EDGAR DE WITT JONES Amh.r ^ "Th. In„er Clr.1." 
 
 The Wisdom of God's Fools 
 
 And Other Sermons, ismo, cloth, net $1.15. 
 
 A volume of discourses, displajring the same facility for the 
 right word and fitting phrase which marked the author's pre? 
 vious work. Mr. Jones preaches sermons that read well — a 
 not at all common quality. He is a thinker too; and brings 
 to his thinking a lucidity and attractiveness which make his 
 presentation of great truths an artistic, as well as ah inspiring 
 achievement. A note of deep spirituality is everywhere mani- 
 fest. 
 
 FREDERICK F. SHANNON raiUr./lh,K,f.rm.d-Church-n. 
 -^^■^^———^———^— thi-Hilehtl, BrmUyn, N. Y. 
 
 The Enchanted Universe 
 
 And Other Sermons. lamo, cloth, net $1.00. 
 
 Mr. Shannon's reputation as ■ an eloquent and forceful 
 preacher is still further enhanced by his new volume of ser- 
 mons. The fervid, glowing character of the popular Brooklyn 
 pastor's appeals, make the reading of his latest book, not only 
 an inspiring, but a fascinating exercise. 
 
 GEORGE ir. TRUETT , D.D. Pastw First Baptisi 
 
 '. ' Church, Dallas, Tex. 
 
 We Would See Jesus and Other Sermons 
 Compiled and edited by J. B. Cranfill. Net $1.15. 
 
 "One of the greatest — many would say the greatest — of ajl 
 the world's preachers to-day. It ranks high among the ex- 
 tant books of sermons, past and present, and deserves a place 
 in millioiis of homes." — Biblical Recorder. 
 
 BISHOP CHARLES EDWARD CHENEY 
 
 A Neglected Power 
 
 And Other Sermons< lamo, cloth, net $1.00. 
 
 "Thoroughly evangelical in spirit, refreshing in Bibliaal 
 truth and abounding in helpful ministrations for every day 
 
 life." — Evaneelical Messenger. 
 
SERMONS AND ADDRESSES 
 
 ROBERT HUGH MORRIS, P.P. 
 
 Sleeping through the Sermon ^» °uh»s 
 
 i2mo, cloth, net $i.oo. 
 
 Taking the well-known incident of Entychns as a title- 
 theme t>r. Morris displa3;s a deft ability to present old truths 
 in new settings and to furnish evidence of the freshness and 
 fitness of the Gospel message, for every age and clime. 
 
 O. A. NEIVLIN 
 
 Strangers to God And other Revival Sermons 
 
 l2mo,, cloth, net $i.oo. 
 
 Bright, sparkling, epigrammaltic addresses . full of point and 
 purpose. The Tabernacle audiences will welcome this col- 
 lection of effective sermons now put into this permanent shape. 
 
 International Leaders' Library 
 
 ADDITIONS 
 
 Net 6oc (postage extra). 
 
 Aked, Charles F. Old Events and Modern 
 Meanings 
 
 Batten, S. G. The Social Task of Chris- 
 
 tianity 
 
 Gunsaulus, Frank W> The Higher Ministries of Re- 
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 McLeod-, Malctolm J. The Culture of Simplicity 
 
 Watkinson, W. L. The Supreme Conque^ 
 
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 Alexander's Hymns, No. 3 
 
 Tag boards, net 20c, postpaid; per 100, net $(8.oo. 
 
 Cloth, net 35c; per 100, net $30.00, carriage extra. 
 
 All the new Gospel Songs and Solos used at the Alexander- 
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 The New Northf ield Hymnal II 
 
 With Introduction by W. R. Moody. Cloth,- net 
 50c postpaid; $35 per hundred (delivery extra). 
 
 This compilation comprises hymns collected from a large 
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 Stebbins, James McGranahan, Robert Harkness, Henry Bar- 
 laclough, Charles H. Gabriel, Mary Whittle Moody, eta 
 
PRAYER. DEVOTIONAL, Etc. 
 
 /. STUART HOLDEN, M.J. Au,h,r,f«Th.Lif.rfFuil«-nir. 
 
 I ' t§u» "r*« frlct af ftai*-," ««, 
 
 The Confidence of Faith 
 
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 A choice body of Eermonic material, the general trend and 
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 hearts. For all such, as well as for believers everywhere, Mr. 
 Holden's new book breathes a message of solace and enheart- 
 enment. 
 
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 ' Tnenie, Canada 
 
 Grace and Power 
 
 Some Aspects of the Spiritual Life. Cloth, net $1.00. 
 
 "A thoughtful, well written body of devotional writing. 
 The ground covered is that of the possibilities of the Chris- 
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 to hold fast to his ideals.^' — Christian Work. 
 
 AUGUSTA ALBERTSON 
 
 Through Gates of Pearl 
 
 A Vision of the Heaven Life. Cloth, net $1.15. 
 
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 Prayer in Its Present-Day Aspects 
 
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 Here is a book written to meet a situation" unparallcd in 
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 Prayer as related to the conception of God, the conception of 
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 war. are some of the issues dealt with by Dr,_ Campbell. A 
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 JAMES G. K. McCLURE, D.D. 
 
 Intercessory Prayer ^ migh^tv mk«,s o. 
 
 New Edition. i2mo, cloth, net Joe. 
 
 A new edition of this helpful work of elowjiw faith which 
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 of Christian experience anJ convictions "Above all, it is 
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DEVOTIONAL 
 
 FANNIE E. S. HECK 
 
 Sunrise and Other Poems 
 
 i2mo, cloth, with portrait, net Soc. 
 
 "Vivid coloring, playful fancy, clear description, beiroic 
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 The Comrade in White 
 
 With Frontispiece. i6nio, boards, net soc. 
 
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 HANNAH ITHITALL SMITH 
 
 The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life 
 
 A New Popular Edition. Library Style,; net soc. 
 
 An . attractive new edition of this famous Christian classic, 
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 datk days of youi life, as it has transformed those of thou- 
 sands before you." 
 
 RELIGIOUS SCIENCE 
 
 DANIEL A. SIMMONS 
 
 The Science of Religion 
 
 l2mo, cloth, net $l.oo. 
 
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 tific treatment of the fundamental truths of religion; to 
 demonstrate that these truths are not in conflict with modern 
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 the old beliefs and doing no violence to "the truth onfiB de- ,. 
 livered to the saints," is more in keemng with the processes 
 of modern thought, and method of modern reasouiag. 
 
 JAMES MELVILLE COLEMAN 
 
 Social Ethics 
 
 New Edition. An Introduction to the Nature anS 
 Ethics of the State. lamo, cloth, net $i.oo. 
 
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 by all, wanted by many, and which as God is true, will be 
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QUESTIONS OF THE FAITH 
 
 JAMES H. SNOWDEN, P.P. 
 
 The Psychology of Religion 
 
 8vo, cloth, net $1.50. 
 
 Psychology is one of the most rapidly advancing of modern 
 sciences, and Dr. Snowden's book will find a ready^ welcome. 
 While especially adapted for the use of mi!iisters and teach- 
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 in the form of popular lectures, open to the general public. 
 
 IVILLIAM HALLOCK JOHNSON, PA. P., P.P. 
 
 Pnftsitr of Grttk and New TtJtamtnt Literatur* in Lincoln Univtrtltjf, Pn. 
 
 The Christian Faith under Modern 
 Searchlight 
 
 The L. P. Stone Lectures, Princeton. Intro- 
 duction by Francis L. Patton, Q.D. Cloth, net $1.23. 
 
 The faith which .is to survive must not only be a traditional 
 but an intelligent faith which has its roots in reason and ex- 
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 works. To this end, the author examines the fundamentals 
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 conclusion that every advance in knowledge establishes its 
 sovereign claim to be from heaven and not from men. 
 
 ANPREW fr. ARCHIE ALP, P.P. 
 
 Aulhtr of "Thi BMi VtriM," "Thi Trmd efthi CailurUi," tic 
 
 The Modem Man Facing the Old 
 Problems 
 
 i«no, cloth, net $1.00. 
 
 A thoughtful, ably-conducted study in which those prob- 
 lems of human life, experience and destiny, which, in one 
 form or another, seem recurrent in every age, are examined 
 from what may be called a Biblical viewpoint. That is to sajr, 
 the author by its illuminating rays, endeavors to find eluci- 
 dation and solution for the difficulties, which in more or les» 
 degree, perplex believer and unbeliever alike. 
 
 NOLAN RICE BEST Ediur ,f«Thi c«itf»n.«" 
 
 Applied Religion for Everyman 
 
 i2nio, cloth, net $1.00. , - . 
 
 '* Nolan Rice Best has earned a well-deserved reputation in. 
 the religious press of America, as a writer of virile, trench- 
 antly-phrased editorials. The selection here brought together 
 represent his best efforts, and contains an experienced eai- 
 tor's suggestions for the ever-recurrent problems, confronting 
 Church members as a body, an4 as individual Christians. Mr. 
 Best wields a facile pen, and a sudden gleam of beauty ,_ k 
 difficult thought set in a perfect phrase, »r an »\i idea in- 
 vested with new meaning and grace, meets ene at every turn 
 of the page." — The Record Herald. 
 
QUESTIONS OF THE FAITH 
 
 LEmiS SPERRY CHAFER 
 
 The Kingdom in History and Prophecy 
 
 Introduction by C I. Scofield. lamo, doth, net^^Sc 
 
 "Anything that comes from the pen of thia writer ftnd 
 Bible teacher may be accepted as thoroughly sound and in- 
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 to come." — Christian Workir's Sagaaine, 
 
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 The Complete Testimony 
 
 The Testimony of the Early Fathers, Proving the 
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 turies 12010, paper, net 20c. 
 
 The author oi "Serentb Da^ Adventlsia" gives in concise, 
 connected form the testimonies of all the early Christian 
 Fathers from the Apostles down to A. D. 4ea. InvaluaU* 
 (o pastor and people— there is no ether booklet like it. 
 
 C. F. WIMBERLY, B.A. 
 
 Behold the Morning ! 
 
 The Imminent and Premillennial CominK of Jesus 
 Christ. i2mo, cloth, net $i.rs-. 
 
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 Bible Studies in Vital Questions 
 
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 Bible, God, Man and the Church, I. Vital Questions About 
 the Bible. 11. Vital Questions About God. III. Vital Ques- 
 tions About Maiu IVT Vital Questiona About the Church. 
 
 EDWARD LEIGH PELL 
 
 Author tf ^^PilVs NtUt «n tha Sutlday Schui Ltsttn" 
 
 Our Troublesome Religious Questions 
 
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 sagacity, impartiality and an optimistic, triumphant faith. 
 
BIBLE STUDY 
 
 JOHN W. LIGON P'll'r Chrlttlan Chw'h, 
 
 "■"■^■^"^■""^"■^^^"^ Bariturivtlit, Xjf, 
 
 Paul the Apostle 
 
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 Jesus 
 
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BIBLE STUDY 
 
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BIBLE STUDY 
 
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 '*Under his living touch the apostles seem very much like 
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 ■ ■! " ' ■■■■ 'I I /• I 11 I H || [ | 
 
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 Its Antiqtiities, Biography, Geography and Nat- 
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TOOLS FOR WORKERS 
 
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 "CHURCH EFFICIENCY SERIES" 
 
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 Their Hist&ry, Organization and Distinctive Char- 
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CHRIST'S LIFE AND MESSAGE 
 
 ALBERT L. VAIL 
 
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