! LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, i t r v :' t * JUNITED STATES OF AMERICA.! ' • *pf ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER; POINTED WITH THE STEEL OF TRUTH AND WINGED BY FAITH AND LOVE. SELECTED FROM THE PRIVA TE PAPERS OF REV. JAMES CAUGHEY. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY REV. DANIEL WISE, D. D. /NEW YORK: W. C. PALMER, JR.,. PUBLISHER, (SUCCESSOR TO FOSTER 4 PALMER, JR.) No. 14 BIBLE HOUSE. 1867. # o 6 Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1868, by W. C . PALMER. Jr., [n the Clerk's office of the District Court for the Southern District of New York. INTKODUCTOKY NOTE. mT is now twenty years since the writer made his first acquaint- ?,r ance with the Rev. James Caughet, and his very remarkable la- f $p? hors as a revivalist. After carefully observing Mr. C.'s methods "mcft durin g a revival in Providence, R. L, and in Fall River, Mass., ^£aC 1 felt convinced that a republication of the best portions of his journals and letters, which had already appeared in England, could not fail of doing great good in this country. Guided by this conviction, I pre- pared a volume for the press, under the title of " Methodism in Earnest," and, in connection with the Rev. R. W. Allen, gave it to the public. Its success was immediate and complete. Thousands of copies were rapidly sold, and very soon I heard from many ministers, assuring me that the book had greatly quickened their own souls, and given them new insight into the philosophy of Scriptural revivals. They also assured me that the circulation of the book had been followed by a powerful work of God in their stations and circuits. Confirmed by these facts iu my original convictions, and encouraged by the large sale of the first volume, I made further selections from Mr. Caqghey's published writings and from his manuscripts, which were also published by myself and Mr. Allen, under the titles of " Revival Miscel- lanies." "Earnest Christianity Illustrated," &c. The sale of these vol- umes was immense, and they were productive, as I was repeatedly assured, of glorious revivals of religion iu many places. In obedience to the call of the church, I came to this city nearly twelve years since, and, as required by the discipline, withdrew my connection with the publication of books. My dear friend, Mr. Allen, continued the business, and brought out still other volumes from Mr. Caughey's fertile pen, which also met with great favor from the religious public. Meanwhile, Divine Providence kept open effectual doors for Mr. Caughey in England, where he remained for several years, laboring with his wonted success. At length it appeared to him that his future field of labor would bo in this country. He returned, and a few weeks since I was agreeably surprised to see his face in my office. He informed me that he was about to issue two new vclumes of selections from his journals and papers, and requested me to read them, to introduce them to the public, especially to the readers of his former works, and to render him some other trifling aids in bringing them through the press. IV INTRODUCTORY NOTE. Though crowded, even to burdensomeness, with official work, I nev- ertheless consented, for the sake of " auld lang syne," to do so. I read his manuscripts, and now take great pleasure in commending this and its companion volume to the favorable consideration of the children of God. In " Glimpses of Life in Soul Saving," * Mr Caughey largely portrays the inner life of a revivalist. In this he deals with the external obsta- cles which impede the progress of a revival, and grapples vigorously, in Ins own peculiar style, with the objections of enemies, opposers, and critics of all classes. His pertinent replies to his objectors give charac- ter and value to this volume. The objections he meets are not put as found in books, but as they were sent to him in notes, letters, and news- paper articles while engaged in soul saving. Consequently, if not new — and there is nothing really new to be found in any of the modern objections to Christianity or its workers — they are fresh and unique in form. The style of Mr. Caughey's replies are also unique, as well as pertinent and conclusive. These objections and replies include a wide range of questions relating to the operations of truth on unregenerate minds, and on awakened sin- ners; they also teach numerous points of Christian experience and Christian worth. These subjects are treated pointedly but discursively. They are put so as to be really instructive and very entertaining. Fre- quently solid arguments are found closely packed in small nutshells. They are often adorned with brief, telling quotations from known and rare authors. They are, as the title of the book implies, sharp arrows fitted to strike home to the heart of the adversaries of the kingdom of God. I do not recommend the style and method of this book as models for others to imitate. In fact, no man can be a mere imitator without de- stroying his individuality — the thing out of which, above all others, his personal power grows. Mr. Caughey's individuality is strongly marked in his writings, and any man trying to do and say things as he says and does them, would probably spoil himself. But while the peculiar style and method of this book should not be imitated, they may prove very suggestive, and may furnish much valuable material for the use of Christian workers. Many of its arrows may be made to fly from their bows. Finally, this is a living book. Its author was baptized with the tongue of fire long ago, and his pen was moved by a soul which felt the divin- ity of the truth when he wrote. The Christian reader will recognize, in the life breathing from these pages, the counterpart of that which was breathed into his own soul when, through faith, he first touched the cross of Jesus and felt his heart strangely warmed. Believing this book likely to be the means of stirring up multitudes to work for Jesus with renewed zeal, I commend it to the religious public. Daniel "Wise. ENGLEWOOD, N. J., Nov. 26, 1-867. * Just issued by W. C. Palmer, Jr. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. EXPLANATIONS TO A HEARER — PULPIT ARCHERY. Preaching, differences of style — The old farmer's critique — The long-bow and the cross- ' bow — Assertion and argument — Arrows for tire cross-bow — Direct aim — Charming a snake — Alcestes and the stars — Jonathan's bow 13 CHA PTER II. CHRISTIANS DEFENDED. Consistency a jewel — The loadstone and the diamond — A bad inference — An author's privilege — Christian perfection, its standard — Liability to err — Perfection, absolute, "rejected — Professors the worldling's study — God our judge, comfort of— Mute at the balance — Revolving lights — Lunar comparisons — The glass and the cistern — The old man's victory over the new — Grace for ten, but scarcely enough for himself— Backsliders the scomer's triumph 19 CHAPTER III. CHRISTIANS — UNSAFE TO MEDDLE WITH THEM. A severe rebuke — Out of hell through Christian influence — The stag and his pursuers- Prayers of Christians dangerous — A queen afraid of a teacher— The young skeptic silenced. 28 CHAPTER IV. REVIVAL PHENOMENA. The troubles of Israel — Luther, "the trumpet of rebellion" — Trouble among sin- ners—A simile— Spiritual sea-sickness— Vainglory— The life of faith 32 CHAPTER V. A GREAT QUICKENING. Revival surprise— Underground rivers — Directness in preaching — An impetuous age — Humility — Gibbon, his style — Divine aid — Ezekiel's directness among the dry bones 35 CHAPTER VI. THE OPPOSITION — ON HINTS TO "AN OPPOSITIONIST." An Imperial principle — Heaven's gate, its motto — "A stone in the other pocket" — Politian and his shadow — Burns on happiness — St. Paul's tenderness — Weak Chris- tians and alarming preaching — New converts and Satan's grudge — The lion in a storm 40 VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. REVIVAL — TRUTH AND ITS EFFECTS. Revival preacher and his troubles — Young believers, without their shield — The law of God a terrible power — Vivid experiences, "flying from command to command" — A glimpse of the Cross — Fiery serpents — Jesus, frequent mention of — Bleating of the Jambs — Grunters against goodness — Tender ears — A pinch in the sermon — Learning the alphabet — Faith a master-spring — Numa's confidence — The way to conquer 44 CHAPTER VIII. HINTS TO PROFESSORS. The upsetting sin — Old Negro — An old fable — Counter-motion — A Scotch divine, strik- ing remark of— Sheridan's simile— Instability and firmness — Aristotle's test— Wis- dom, Socrates' idea of— Divinity and science, difference — Example — Nero's com- plaint — Hume, and gloomy Christians — Skeptic, conversion of one — Gospel, a great time for— An evil angel— Bell, reporting its own motions 51 CHAPTER IX. METHOD WITH QUESTIONISTS. Question-sick — A blind man's question — Curious questions— Crotchety questions— Trac- ing a pinnacle — Satanic deception — Hell, neither tolerable nor terminable — Scrip- tures, two notions not found there — A false sentiment 58 CHAPTER X. DEALING WITH CRITICS. Drunken opinions, phrase defended — Text, manner of treatment — A cunning painter — Back-handed blows — Preaching, " a faultless style " — Quintilian — Versatility of style — Eloquence, thoughts on — Oratory and conscience — Mismanaging the rouge. .. 63 CHAPTER XI. PULPIT ELOQUENCE. Preaching, a principle of action — Offended hearers — Abruptness — A flowery style — Pic- torial preaching — A lofty style — Passion and eloquence — Hot springs — A serious inquiry — Simple eloquence — A wondrous rod — Sympathy, opening the flood- gates - 69 CHAPTER XII. THOUGHTS ON PULPIT STYLE CONTINUED. St. Paul's apology for his — The breeze of nature — " People leaders" — A beautiful simile — An old proverb — Eloquence, a charm — A polished style — A fireside fact — Out-of- the-way preaching — Bounding a thought — Entire devotion 76 CHAPTER XIII. DEFENDS HIS METHOD OF PREACHING. Critics — The old doctor's motto — Fearful state of sinners — Salting them — Bitter waters — Living by their sins — irritable skeptics — Sin and uneasiness — Salvation only in Christ , 83 CHAPTER XIV. A BOW TO THE CRITICS. St. Paul's annoyances — Ambition, misstating that of the preacher — The herd of deer — The atoning death — Hearers, sponges, strainers, sieves — "A candle is no star" — The candle defended — A star-gazer in the ditch — The unfashionable lantern — The Scripture candle 91 CONTENTS. Vll CHAPTER XV. DEALING WITH UNEASY CONSCIENCES. The wondrous book — The adorned idol — Old sores — A just critique — False inference — Pascal's question — Promises of God, a right to them 100 CHAPTER XVI. RUNNING FIRE ! Merry way to misery — Trifling with conviction — Birds of Norway — Blasts of contradic- tions — Long-suffering of God — Plucking death from the tree of life — Devil, argument for — God, his economy with sinners — A death-bed confession — The arrow on the string — The despairing penitent 104 CHAPTER XVII. REVIEWING. Preaching, a good time — Material for a sennon — Fancy's kite — God, his love — Jesiu — Atheism, converted from — Sins, what became of them? no happiness without know- ing — The Lamb of God — Jesus, abasement of — Divinity of Christ — Faith, the eye of the soul — Witness of the spirit 109 CHAPTER XVIII. THE HOLY TRINITY. Doctrine of, shines in the Scriptures — Baptism — Benediction — To be believed, not com- prehended — Hilary, of the fourth century — A triad of trinities — Not a Christian be- liever who disbelieves this — A form of infidelity to deny — Divinity of Christ, to deny is to justify the Jews in crucifying him — At home in Scripture — A sad story of a So- cinian in Saxony — Picture of Christ in a ball-room, a singular conversion 116 CHAPTER XIX. PROSOPOPOEIA. Inequality of pulpit style, a reason for — Supporting a reputation — Personification the handmaid of eloquence — Stripling impressions — Biblical prosopopoeia — A deputation from the trees — Replying mountains — Voices from the firmament — A bold allu- sion 123 CHAPTER XX. A PLAIN TALK WITH "A PLAIN MAN." Intolerance of the Bible — Our Lord and the Scribes, contracted teaching — Sinners, how "thrown into conviction " — The awe-band — "Tyrannical preaching — A formidable enemy, Satan — Mind at the worst — The devil's titles defined and defended — Not a mythical being — God, as set forth in Scripture — God and Satan liked and disliked by sinners, Baxter's testimony 130 CHAPTER XXI. FLOWERY PREACHING. Flowers of inspiration — Luxuries of oratory — Flowers, when out of place — Flower-wreath- ed hammers — A relief from prosiness — The tawdry hearer — Flowers and barren- ness — War and flowers — Flower-consuming preaching — Pillar of fire — World, preach- ing which it can or cannot stand before — An early lesson in the ministry — Preachers of olden times — Jay's remark 138 CHAPTER XXII. MORE ABOUT AN EMBELLISHED STYLE OF PREACHING. Christ's flower— Taste and piety — Nature's embellishments, flowers— Bouquet in the hand of a corpse — Antidote to dulness — Origen and the flowers — Hopes for a revi- val — Wild flowers, planted beside a rugged truth — The reward 143 Vlll CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXIII. FURTHER THOUGHTS ON PREACHING. Hearers, different tastes — A figurative style — Jesus, the Beloved of the Church,' a song of triumph — Jesus armed with vengeance — Man, back turned on God — The Gospel, touching their swords when hearing it — Merry sinners — A trio of insects — Virgil and the bees — Life in the hives 148 CHAPTER XXIV. TO AN ANGRY HEARER. The image in the glass — The unadorned mirror — The belfry of memory — Silent repent- ance recommended 157 CHAPTER XXV. A QUIET EXPLANATION — FACTS ABOUT PREACHING. Preaching simply, what ? — Sieve in a river — The art of hearing — Sudden conviction — Bunyan's experience when preaching — Anybody's style — Effective preaching, its sorrows and its joys — Directness, effects of— A general truth made personal — A curve in the lightning — The spreading cloud — "Mind the main" — The worst companion, conscience — A striking remark of one 161 CHAPTER XXVI. TO A WORDY DOUBTER — PROLIXITY. Verbosity — A single aim— Lost in a fog — Packing a sentence — " Don't quarrel " — Fling- ing feathers — A surprise step^— Small thoughts — Pompous words — A meagre field — Infidelity arms the mind against God— Seeking *' the virtues " in a wrong direction — Christianity, an epitome of— Dogmaticalness accounted for — Truth and brevity — Bible, a system of human nature — Rousseau's remark on the Bible 168 CHAPTER XXVII. CLOSELY PRESSED. Bible, an argument for, in virtue and vice — Enemies of the Bible, who ? — Death-bed inferences — Out of humor — A haunted heart — Death, indifference to, a fancy — The dying poet — a death scene— Aristotle— The preference 179 CHAPTER XXVIII. USED UP. Spinning the same thread — The great want — The wondrous Book — Languages into which translated — " Meaning blazed in heavenly light" — Responsible for our belief — Satan's master-stroke — The Irish landlady — "Troublesome thought" — The baron's freak — Fond of " nots " — An armed conscience 187 CHAPTER XXIX. THE STRAY ARROW. The unintended mark — Advice to a pierced sinner — A singular inquiry — Luther on faith — Light to reason by — Plato's caution, a remarkable acknowledgment — New Testa- ment, immortality of the soul — On reading nothing but the Bible — Contending for the faith — Worldly company — Bible abridgment — Bible in chains — Aggression, ad- vised to — Stanzas from an old poem 195 CHAPTER XXX. RECONNOITRING INFIDEL POSITIONS. Truth, a Frenchman's remark — Revivals awaken inquiry — Swiss divine, an observation — Doubt, a stout one — Devils hopeless — Marasmus of indifference — A Spanish Jesuit's notion — Demosthenes' testimony of the Athenians — Error betraying itself— Weak heads — An idol on the altar — Plutarch story about the "chief good," could not miss it — Chips from the same block — Depravity, strength of— Victory over 204 CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER XXXI. " LATE AN INFIDEL " — A PARLEY. Satan's colossal idea — Infidel sarcophagus — A mother's influence — The test of experience — Spirit of bondage— Plato's acknowledgment — Infidel raft 211 CHAPTER XXXII. THE BIBLE. Hope for the heathen — Bible, absolute necessity of— Ship-yard — Weighing anchor — Alone on the sea — Man, the ship without a sail — Scriptures adapted to him — Sails for the heavenly port — The coast of Glory 215 CHAPTER XXXIII. AWAKENED — GLIMPSES OF TRUTH. Bible rejected, consequences — Perilous guides — Principles, how to judge of them — The will, a master-wheel, a Port Royal, a throne for Deity — Bible, will to believe it — Sin not ripe till it reaches the will — New birth, necessity of 221 CHAPTER XXXIV. THE BIBLE DEFENDED. Dust of the adamant — Heaven seen by its own light — Sun, criticised by candle-light — Satan, gyrations of— Farmer and the herbalist — Unbeliever, plain words to — Turks and the plague — Bullets on the eyelids — Blindman's mistake — The sorcerer — St. Paul's apology for want of success — Satanic escutcheon, influence — Sailors and the birds — Fault, questionable one 227 CHAPTER XXXV. PLAIN SPOKEN. Too wise to learn — In the vortex of the pit — Balancings of the clouds — Infidel principles, the recoil — Reason, a Diotrephes. should follow faith — Reason, its limits — The basket of tares — False premises — Light enough for the humble— Chariot of fire, an experiment — The Galaxy, and Papist enthusiast 237 CHAPTER XXXVI. PLAIN DEALING. Addresses before sermon — Alps of thought — Ladder in the mists — Inhabitant of a star, first tidings of earth — Heaven— Hell, conscience there — A furious penitent — An- tidote to temptation 247 CHAPTER XXXVII. THE BAPTISM OF FIRE. True peace — Religion, its own evidence — Faith, hope, and love, their relation to inward religion — The Hudson skeptic — Lecturer testing nature for the truth of science — A promise of God tested — A great baptism 254 CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD. Science has its difficulties — Christianity a science — Motives for intellectual humility — Chillingworth, his faith in the Bible — Divine foreknowledge — Contingencies, in- stances — An Arab teasing a Turk — The leaky ship — Storm on the Adriatic — Burn- ing the books 263 CHAPTER XXXIX." HINTS FOR CERTAIN HEARERS. Satan's shadows — Bridge of shadows, the mistake — Dying infidel advised by his brother infidels — Dying in sin, with an aw.ikcned conscience — Death, the cup of trem- X CONTENTS. bling — Bible, reverence it — Myconius' dream — Jay on practical preaching — Re- vival provides pulpit material 270 CHAPTER XL. THOUGHTS ABOUT BOOKS. Books, pleasing society — My Bible at the port of Rome — Mariners, an old maxim of— Without a compass — Sea-captain and his Bible, narrow escape — Adamic sentence — An impious remark — Eternal old age 276 CHAPTER XLI. THE TRUTH OF GOD DEFENDED. Truth and Error — The Oak and the Willow — Pliable statesman — Trials, benefit of— Principle — Paper shot — Verities — Science, medical and theological — Sun, looking at — Oliver Cromwell — Apelles and the courtier — Holy Spirit, human habitation of— Sun and the mirrors — Sinning member punished — Sunshine and stubble 283 CHAPTER XLII. IMPATIENCE. Two against one — Hard to please, or the preacher's difficulties — Clubbing down nature — Aristotle — Patience, as bread to salt, a cloak, helmet, and paring-knife — Satan hit — An emblem — Warm side of the hedge — The preacher tesced — Wealth and wicked- ness — The whirlwind prayer — Logic impassioned — Talent and genius, distinction, the gift of God — A great time, professors frightened 292 CHAPTER XLIII. A STIR IN THE ENCAMPMENT OF UN RELIEF. Satan roused — Unbelief, its character— Reviewing, pulpit artillery — Spider webs — The hypochondriac — Merry ass — Sneering at creeds — The course of error — Calvary — Apostasy, fearful prospects — Truth, circuit to find — Democritus, saying of— Hell, a knowledge of the truth — Blindman's buff— Socrates, saying of— Bible, love in every page — Tears, prevalence of— Loud praying 300 CHAPTER XLIV. A TALK WITH A SKEPTIC. Leaning upon a reed — Neutrality — Opinions, the offspring of passion— Prohibited book — Bible societies — The circular saw — Ship in port — Summerficld — The Cause that must live and prevail — Christ's kingdom, final triumph — The poor woman's song.... 311 CHAPTER XLV. " BOLD IN THE PRESENCE OF FACTS." Preaching, its great end — Baxter's apology — Interest and passion — Dr. Griffen, on the final triumph of the Gospel — Truth defined, a beam of God — Truth, how it turns sin to crimson — Sun, his own evidence — Bible, obligation of Europe and America to — Bible for man, and man for it — Scriptures, cannot be broken — The scales, the Word of God weighed against heaven and earth — The two canopies — Sinner, his peril — Bible, a world without, anomaly in government — Epictetus on truth — Infidel positions — Golgotha 318 CHAPTER XL VI. A PHILOSOPHICAL DEIST. Tully and Aristotle in Hades — Bible, neglect of— The lonely island — A clamorous dis- putant—God, Scripture view of, unequalled — Rocks, their testimony disputed — Deluge — Earth's strata — Bible, a world-wide challenge — Trio well met, their style — The man that lost his shadow 332 CHAPTER XLVII. ON STYLE. A French word — Juggler, wit, and punster, defined — Style, good, advantages of— Abruptness, a necessity — Lash elegantly — Thought, just, to be beautiful — Writing natural way of— Heart, disordered fountain — Giardino's fiddle 340 CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER XL VI II. THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD. Phocion on persuasion — The ephemeron — Wearing out the hammers — Church, how she triumphs — Bible, antagonism to it, a marvel — Error on the advance — Signs of the times — Crisis farther into the future 344 CHAPTER XLIX. TURNING THE BA1TLE TO THE GATE. Impatience, armor against — Bible, simplicity of its terms — Philosophical inquiries — Peb- bles in competition with diamonds — World's wonder — The soul's escort — " Two strings to our bow " — The catcher caught — Hunted down — Necromancer converted — The cock and vulture — Sinners, fearful prospects — God, not to be " outfaced "— Judgment scenes, no escape, no refuge — Preaching, purity of motive — Fearful peril — Time, remorseless 350 CHAPTER L. THE BIBLE ON THE ASCENDANT. Bible, adaptation to mental caliber — The ambassador's boast — Ignorance of Scripture — Painstaking — Divers for pearl — The discouraged miner — "Drowned out" — Experi- ence — Setting his thoughts by the Bible — Prayed for — Cicero to his son — A Bible without difficulties, effects of— Directed to Christ — Bible, a beautiful tribute to- Divine inspiration — Helps to understand the Scriptures — Talking about religion — Bank detectors — Divine patience — The underground river 361 CHAPTER LI. " LET US ALONE." Comment — An idiot in eternity — The Grecian's preference — Talents, principal and inter- est to be required — Insensible sinners— No contending with God — The river Tigris — Old convictions revived— Why in such baste to die ? — Sin a perilous element, fish in a river — " Small sins" 362 CHAPTER LII. SEEING THINGS IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT. Pythagoras, maxim — Ingenious about nonsense — Lunacy — The saddest sight — Holy Spirit's aid — Providential guidance — A queen and the Bible— The garden of the Church— A sprig of the tree of life — Bible, why valued — King of Sicily — Bible, abiding by its precepts, etc. — An eloquent tribute — Characters addressed 378, CHAPTER LIII. THE IMPRECATION. The Magnet— Ocean experiences— Sermonizing — Compass, deviations from a point — Seamanship, eccentricity — Pulpit tactics — A sea song — Critics — Preaching, object of— St. Paul and the Cross — Horace, depravity — New convert, bones instead of milk — Jews, their isolated position — The Forum at Rome, Author's visit to— Arch of Titus — Reflections — The imprecation — The crimson stain in hell — French di- vine on eternal punishment — The Cross, a key, a harp, most terrible image in hell — Redemption and perdition, mutual illustrations — German preacher — Crim- son shower, effects of— The Cross, a lightning conductor — Its doctrines, effects of — Heathen deserts and northern icebergs under its influences 3S5 CHAPTER LIV. THE ART OF PRINTING, AND THE BIBLE. The first book — Writing, ancient method — Providence — Ptolemy's library — Bible, its size, advantage of— A doubtful sentiment regarding books — Newspapers, heralds of Prov- idence — Books, advantages of reading — A troublesome debater — Novel-reader and the Bible 405 Xll CONTENTS. CHAPTER LV. THE BIBLE. Bible and Euclid— Virgil's storm— Shipwreck— Sailor and his Bible — Life preserved by the Bible — The two orphans — A touching story 411 CHAPTER LVI. THE BIBLE AND ITS AUTHOR. Dive or swim — Pearls — Sky and sea — EzekiePs scroll — Reading the Scriptures — Books, how to test them — Satanic influence — Sword of the Spirit — Universalist sophistry — Small shopkeepers — Error traced — Bigoted philosopher — Indisputable title — Moon a prejudice against — The great discovery — Virgil on controversy — Replies to the "conversazione" — Sincerity and simplicity — Bombast, what? — God, not duration nor space — False gods rather than none — Plutarch's testimony — Napoleon, " Who made all that ? " — Fenelon on the Christian heart — Creation, significance of the term — Pagan absurdities 417 CHAPTER LVII. THE SCRIPTURES DEFENDED. Jesting with Scripture — Bible, an attempt to burn — The Word of God, its sweetness — Bible, our Eden — A dying mother and her Bible — Flowers of inspiration — Jay — Fords and gulfs — Repetitions — Luther and Latimer — Chart, tampering with — John Randolph and his candles — New discoveries — Mistakes — Reason — Locke, and the boasting footman 433 CHAPTER LVIII. THE SOUL. Dead works — Going to perdition in silk — Pagans — The Athenian madman — Soul, proofs of its immortality, a pleasing view of — Pagan doubtfulness — Pliny — Scipio's dream — Geologist — The old map — Wise frogs — New ideas, mistake — Old poetry 442 CHAPTER LIX. A BRUSH WITH AN INFIDEL. Devils in his head — Advice to the owls — Oriental literature — Ancient sages — Deist in a stage-coach, a contest — Cicero — An ancient confession — Pagans, Locke on their disabilities— Deist and his rushlight— Tertullian's defence— Pagans and the^krip- tures 451 CHAPTER LX. REPLIES TO HEARERS. Religious gayety— Bubbles— " An honest skeptic "—Stating a fact— Servants, founda- tion for trust — Burleigh on trusting a skeptic — The two Johns— "The Wandering Jew" — Pagans, hope for— Bible, a handsome compliment to — "Book Notices," character of— Bible, a beautiful testimony— A great scholar's testimony for the Scriptures — Hale and Johnson, commending the Bible — Bible, the only objection to it 460 CHAPTER LXI. THE BIBLE VINDICATED. The sun and our time-pieces— A ray of God's Word— Bible its own witness — Sun, argu- ment against — The mountain goatherd and his Bible— Topographical accuracy— A tottering faith — Suspecting the foundations — Revival of infidelity — Jumping with the world— The fatal leap— An old maxim— Conscience— A frightened debtor — Sa- tan's plans 47° ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. CHAPTER I. EXPLANATIONS TO A HEARER. PULPIT ARCHERY. iREACHERS differ in their manner. This is as it 2Jjkj> should be. To be true to nature, our style of preaching should, perhaps, be as dissimilar as are our foces. Mine, I suppose, is no exception. My manner differs not only from others somewhat, but is not generally in harmony with itself: thus the style of to-night's discourse (after making a few explanations) will differ, likely, from that of last night ; and that of to-morrow night, if spared, may be as unlike both as possible. Much depends upon circum- stances. The same may be said of my replies, and other remarks before taking my text from night to night, and of exhortations in prayer-meetings. Such variations and inequalities are un- avoidable. Hearers, not comprehending the causes, are per- plexed, and provoked to criticism. On my return to America in 1847, when ascending the Hudson River on board one of our steamers, I was looking over a volume of my Letters (which had been published in England), not having had an opportunity of doing so since it 14 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. came from the press. An old farmer, noticing my name in print at the top of the page, said, " Caughey ? do you know him ? " " Yes, I have some acquaintance with him." " I heard him preach, a number of years ago, in the city of Hud- son." After making a few remarks, he concluded with, " But his style is not equal, sir ; his style is unequal." That is, I suppose, not uniform — different at different times, and, in his estimation, falling much below itself — which I thought a pretty fair criticism. The old gentleman did not recognize me, as I had spent a number of years in Europe. It was but fair I should remain incog., and we parted good friends. Now, I confess, this is saying a great deal about myself; but as explanations have been required, I hope the apparent egotism will be excused. But let us proceed. In ancient times archers had two sorts of bows: 1st, the long-bow, which required much strength of arm, and from it the arrow went forth in accordance with the strength of him who used it. 2d, the cross-bow ; from this the arrow r went with the same force, whether shot by a boy or a giant. Lord Bacon, I remember, uses this fact as an illus- tration of the difference between Assertion and Argument. Assertion he compared to an arrow from the long-bow, depend- ing mainly upon the strength of intellect, and conviction of its truth, in him who projects it ; but it requires more force. Argument he represented as an arrow from a cross-bow, which, if rightly directed, is of the -same force, whether shot by a common or a giant intellect. And yet the sage w r ould not have objected to a hint, that much depended upon the judg- ment in both classes of archers, whether the arrow went home directly to the mark or not. EXPLANATIONS TO A IIEARER. PULPIT ARCHERY. 15 Well, sir, it is true, I deal sometimes in assertion, and sometimes in argument, but never in the former unless capable of being sustained by argument; but, taking it for granted that argument is uncalled for, I draw the long-bow, and let the arrow fly with the utmost of my strength. That such arrows reach the mark, now r and then, the cries of the wounded attest most convincingly. Thus the work is accomplished without argument, although I would not say that argument, like a John the Baptist, has not been the forerunner to prepare the way for the arrow of assertion. I use the word assertion in the sense of an undebatable and positive truth — that which commends itself at ouce to the com- mon sense of my hearers, as well as to their understanding and conscience. And many such truths there are in the doctrines and morals of religion, and in the lives of those who hear, you must be very well aware. My quiver is usually full of these during a revival, and therefore the long-bow of assertion is called most frequently into use, greatly to the annoyance of some that have no liking to come within the range of arrows from that bow. My quiver, I have said, is full of them, and, if not " polished shafts," they are " rough and ready," and sound withal — pointed with the steel of truth, and tipped with fire. And so, tossing my argumentative shield and cross-bow over my shoulder, and giving the fear of man to the winds, the arrows, one by one, are placed at the disposal of my long-bow ', and sent forth with all the force my strength, united with the strength the living God supplies at the moment, with a sure and certain faith of their going straight to the mark, piercing through joints and marrow, through soul and body, through the very thoughts of the heart, clear into the quivering conscience, 16 * ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. and there sticking fast, till the hand of Jesus draws them forth, and heals the wounds of the weeping and agonizing sinner. The deepest humility accompanies all this, which, if not so evident amidst the blaze of zeal and faith, is immediately so on retiring to the footstool of God in secret. Diminished con- gregations for a time, after such a conflict, or professors siding some with those who have taken offence, deprecating " such extravagance and imprudence," are apt to bring a large in- crease of humiliation. If the conversion of many has beeu the result, it does not distress me ; but, if the results do not appear, then is my soul burdened indeed. Oh ! what seasons of conflict, and power, and victory I have had with my long- bow ! — ay, and of humiliation also. But the cross-boiv is sometimes brought into action, and, consequently, the quiver where the argumentative arrows are deposited. Argument is an arrow from this bow — a reason, or a series of reasons, in support of .a debatable or disputable point. A single proposition may require many of these arguments. A. proposition attributing some quality, negative or positive, to the subject on hand ; some affirmation requiring proof, when skeptics demand it or weak believers need it — this must not be withheld. I have seen some fine effects and lasting convic- tions resulting from the cross-hoio arrows. Even as in the case of that skeptic who said, " Cleverly done ! a fine fellow that ; made the best of his argument ; almost, but not quite, con- vinced; shall hear him again." Well, even that is worth something ; it may be the forerunner of better things. But determined opposers, who need the earthquake that awakened the Philippian jailor to arouse them, or a storm such as that EXPLANATIONS TO A HEAEEE. PULPIT AECHEEY. 17 which vindicated the claims of God upon a Jonah, or red-hot thunderbolts, such as those to which Israel's God gave the flocks of the Egyptians, in days of old, as David tells us : these laugh at the whole affair of cross-bow argument, and set out from the house of God for a glass of grog, a jug of ale, and a game at cards, or something worse, and think no more of it. The long-bozo arrows are the best for these gentlemen. Do you understand me ? My aiming so directly at the mark, renders such spiritual archery so very intolerable. True, it is the manner of project- ing the arrows which seems to provoke criticism. But that is not the difficulty ; the provocation is that the arrow- is aimed at a mark, and actually hits it ! Were the humble archer but to aim at some imaginary character, sitting away upon some distant rock of Asia, or at the clouds, or higher yet, the stars, criticism would be amused and quiet, as a snake I once tried to charm by whistling to it, but the moment I stopped whist- ling, he eyed the cudgel in my hand, and darted out his fang like the forked lightning ! so I concluded to let him alone, if he would let me alone, and both of us went our ways ; and I thought if I could but treat sinners in this way, the carnal mind and myself might be on better terms ; at least the sever- ity of criticism might be avoided. But men have souls, and snakes have none ; therefore, neither they nor myself have much peace these days. A criticism one levelled at the writings of Plato, may not be amiss here : that Plato drew a good bow ; but, like Alcestes in Virgil, he aimed at the stars; and, therefore, though there was no want of strength or skill, the shot was thrown away. His arrow was indeed followed bv a track of dazzling radiance, but 18 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. it struck nothing ! If my pulpit archery were of this sort, the criticisms of the party in question would be somewhat more lenient, I fancy ; but as I cannot be an Alcestes, let me be a Jonathan, of whose bow it was said it " turned not back" and of his father's sword, it "returned not empty. 11 (2 Sam. i. 22.) There are more arrows in the quiver, and they may rely upon it none of them shall be wasted. Amen ! CHAPTER II. . CHRISTIANS DEFENDED. J£$W^ ET " one who has had his eyes opened " make use of !$fN\. his ears for a few minutes, for the stranger trusts he f'/YWO^ nas something to say worth hearing, as you have seen some things worth seeiug among professors of religion ! A certain poet calls consistency a jewel. Would to God that all our people were adorned with it ! That would tell upon the world much more than the most eloquent preaching ! The loadstone for its attraction, and the diamond for its brlliancc. Christians should resemble both, as to their attractive qualities and the brilliancy of their graces. We lament that too many are not so. Nevertheless, there are some who possess these engaging properties. Your " inference " is a sad one, and dangerous too : "If Christians do so and so, why may not I?" A shrewd man proposed the matter thus : " If a professor cuts his finger, I may boldly cut my throat." You reject the application of the principle to your body, and yet seem to have no scruple in applying it to your soul ? Where is the consistency of that ? Imperfection and fallibility seem inseparable, in a greater or less degree, from all of us, in the present state. I speak this without intending any apology for sin or avoidable mis- takes. There are few books printed in which a critic might not find some material for an errata ; — few Christians, sir, even 20 * ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. among those who are really such, of whom we may not say the same. In most stages of their Christian experience, on re- perusing the pages of the past, they would like to have an author's privilege — to use an idea of Dr. Franklin — to cor- rect, in a second edition of their life, the errors of the first? Those confessions and prayers recorded in the Book of Psalms, are as necessary in our dispensation as in the Jewish : " If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, Lord, who should stand ? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.'''' " Who can understand his errors ? cleanse thou me from secret faults.'''' " Keep back thy servant from presumptu- ous sins ; let them not have dominion over me : then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." Angels in heaven are exempt from such confessions as these ; and so was unfallen Adam in Paradise. These might well refrain from that sentence in the prayer taught us by our Lord, " Forgive us our trespasses," but no Christian who inhabits a house of clay, and whose foundation is in the dust. You know little, I fear, about the nature of that " perfec- tion " which is taught in the New Testament, and which we preach ; that it is Christian perfection, and not angelic, nor Adamic; but the loving God with all the heart, and our neighbor as ourselves — so that we would as soon hurt ourselves, or hate ourselves, as willingly or knowingly do anything, or feel anything of the sort toward our neigh- bor. " Love workcth no ill to his neighbor" says Paul, and he immediately adds, " therefore love is the fulfilling of the law ; " ay, both toward God and toward man ! (Rom. xiii. 10.) This is the standard of the perfection taught in the New Testament. But the perfection of love does not necessa- CHRISTIANS DEFENDED. 21 rily imply or include perfection in judgment, or in memory ; therefore we are liable to make many mistakes, and to betray to others and to ourselves many infirmities — either involun- tary on our part, or arising from the imperfect medium through which we see and judge of those objects which require our action. All our people who are well instructed upon this doc- trine, would as soon deny that they need the merits of Christ every moment, as that there is not a daily necessity of their praying, " Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us." That they may fall away from this standard of Christian perfection, they are also aware ; and that they have need to pray that their Heavenly Father leave them not in temptation, else the purest heart among them would become corrupted, and the fairest character tarnished. This view of Christians should soften your criticisms. The sun himself, sir, is not without his spots, nor the moon. The highest and fairest stars, too, have their twinklings. I am no apologist for Christ-scandalizing and religion-dishonoring pro- fessors. God forbid ! But the most perfect believers are not without their faults ; not through a corrupt heart, or wilful disposition to do wrong, but through fallibility of judgment, or defect of memory, or some physical infirmity or other. So far from asserting absolute perfection, either as to the impossibility of falling, or his ever arriving at a point beyond which he can never rise to a higher state of perfection, I rather believe with a shrewd brother, that " he who foots it best to-day, may be found all along to-morrow ! " — and with an excellent divine in London, that the most perfect human being in this world, is nothing more than an unfinished sketch of humanity ; a crea- ture full of anticipations and pre-assurances of future devclop- 1* 22 ARROWS FROM MY QUIYER. ment and eternal perfection. These views have their uses among Christians ; as they preserve us from glorying in men. ''and from trusting in ourselves. Ah ! my friend, when you show me a beauty that will not fade, I will show you a Christian that cannot fall ! When you find me a flower that cannot wither, or a light that cannot be eclipsed or extinguished, or a ship that cannot be wrecked, or a tree which the tempest may not overturn — then may I find you a Christian not liable to such a catastrophe. Perhaps, your principles may prevent you, or your preju- dices, from understanding or appreciating my remarks. You have likely studied certain professors more than you have their Bible; apostasy more than theology; their system of practice more than their system of faith ; their faults more than their temptations, and the disadvantages of their position, or edu- cation, or constitutional temperament. To give some poor Christians " fair play," it is necessary you should study these \ But, ah ! who but God can do that perfectly ? Who but God knows how many of these, though often worsted in a skirmish, do win the main battle ? Who but God knows how many of those who keel the rocks and shoals, or are the sport of whirl- pools and breakers, iu some part of their voyage, do enter the heavenly port at last in safety? I often rejoice at the thought that it is God himself who is to judge us at last, for it is He and He alone who can, who knows al] the circumstances of the case. I believe with Burns, and he wrote feelingly, no doubt : " Who made the heart, 'tis He alone Decidedly can try us ; He knows each chord — its various tone, Each spring, its various bias : CHRISTIANS DEFENDED. 23 Then at the balance let's be mute, "We never can adjust it ; "What's done we partly may compute, But know not what's resisted." Poor human nature ! — it is seldom at a stay ! And the light of God's truth and love in the soul is seen to disadvan- tage, in consequence of the medium through which it slimes, like some revolving lights among the light-houses on the sea- coast, some presenting a dark side alternately with a bright 'side ; others, a compartment redder than Mars ! The glass through which the light shines is the cause; but whether blank or change of color, he who keeps the light-house knows the fault is not in the light within, but in that which prevents, or in the medium through which it beams forth. It would betray much ignorance or inattention on board ship, to hear one declaring the light was extinguished in the light-house, or that it was all a glaring red, without thinking worth while to observe the effect of a single revolution ! Poor Christians ! Jesus tells them, " Let your light so shine before men, that they seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven.'''' Yet, alas ! the effects of the fall are such, we too frequently resemble these revolving lights ! The medium through which the light shines, dimmed, or discolored by temptations, and the cares of this world, often appears to great disadvantage ; especially to such as are not particularly interested to see their bright side ! But, Israel's keeper never slumbers, nor sleeps — he, and he only, can decide upon the nature of the light within. " Let your light so shine," said Jesus ; admitting that there might be true light in the soul, and shining withal, yet not in such a manner, or through such a medium, as to bring glory to their 24 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. Heavenly Father, or credit to their religion or to their own character. Pity and help us, O most gracious Lord God ! thou and thou only knowest all the evil and the good that is iu us : "Jesus I thou knowest my feebleness, My faults are not concealed from thee ; To thee and thy dear wounds I flee ! " The Church is compared to the moon in the Scripture ; and like the moon, though she has her light from " the Sun of Righteousness" she has her changes. Individual Christians are partakers of similar variations, on some parts of their orbs, especially to the eyes of persons watching them from different positions, and who. are as little versed in the mysteries of Christian experience, as they are, possibly, in the mysteries of astronomy ! The stars in the sky, had they sense, could judge better of the moon than the wisest astronomers, yet the great Creator knows all. Believers can judge better of believers, revolving in orbits nearer to their own, than carnal men, whose centre of gravitation is hell. Angels in heaven, and the guardian angels of the weakest and most imperfect of God's children, know more of them than either of these classes ; but this Father in heaven can judge of them better than men or angels, or devils ! Thanks be unto God for this consolation ! A pious man who afterward passed away into the heavens, speaking of some providences, and their aspect toward the chil- dren of God, made a singular comparison, which I thought applied beautifully to Christians themselves : he compared them to the moon, which has at all times as much light as in the full ; but a great part of the bright side is turned to hea- ven, and the lesser side to the earth ! Can my hearer make CHRISTIANS DEFENDED. 25 the application, and learn to exercise a little more charity, and decide with more modesty regarding Christians? Grace appears to greater advantage in some than in others. Thus it happens, in the estimation of us poor mortals, which cannot see the heart, that some whom we imagine have much, enjoy but little, and those to whom we impute but little grace, have much ; and that in consequence of some peculiarity of habit, or manner. One is naturally amiable, and a little of the love of God will suffice to preserve his sweetness of disposition under circumstances of considerable trial. Whereas, in another of a different disposition, a similar degree of love would not suffice in the hour of temptation ; so it is hard to judge right- eously of Christians. A shrewd observer hit upon the follow- ing method of illustration, or comparison : — The grace of God in one class, is as water in a long, narrow-mouthed glass, which seems to be a great deal, when ten times, yea, twenty times as much in a large cistern, is hardly discernible ! A little sugar will serve well enough for sweet wines, but much more is requi- site to sweeten that wine that is sharp and harsh ! A remark of a German preacher occurs to me. It was to this effect, that in some " the new man " does not attain to such an unlimited superiority over the old, but that under the press- ure of seductive and darkening influences, he may again burst his fetters, and manifest his depravity before God and man. The continuation of divine influence is constantly necessary, especially in such as are in an imperfect state of grace, for the overcoming and restraining the remaining life of the old nature. Indeed, in the highest state of grace, divine influence and con- tinual watchfulness are necessary. As just hinted, some Christians require much more grace 20 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. and help from God than others, owing to some constitutional infirmity or circumstance ; yet such may be much cared for, and loved of God. It was said of a pious man, by one who knew him well, "He has grace enough for ten men, but scarce enough for himself, owing to the natural badness of his tem- per ! " Indeed, he often, it is said, bewailed his own faults ; once to a particular friend, he observed, " My nature is so cross and crooked, that if God had not given me grace, none would have been able to live one day quietly with me." Yet, grace so triumphed over that man's nature, that I believe nobody doubted his piety. At last, the Lord called him home to him- self, who knew him better than any of his most charitable friends ; and I doubt not, said " Well done ! " Blessed be God for the blood and righteousness of Christ, and grace, plenteous grace in him to cover all our sins ! What you state concerning those cases of duplicity, and that deplorable instance of backsliding, is humiliating indeed to the friends of Zion. God is judge. " Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall,'" is St, Paul's caution. But for the grace of God, thus might it be with the best of his people. We behold only the results of unfaithfulness ; the strength of the temptation, and all the circumstances, are known to the Mediator between God and men. Indeed, he could not be such unless it were so. This may account for the fact that such are spared what their fellow-creature?, sinful as well as they, judge them worthy of— if not of hell, yet of the severest judgments from heaven. That certain circles take occasion to run down religion and CHRISTIANS DEFENDED. 27 all its professors, on their account, is what might be expected. I remember some remarks of Dr. Chalmers on this very subject. I fcave not his works at hand, but they differ little from the following: " A few instances of hypocrisy among the more serious of the professors of our faith, serve to rivet the impression among sinners, and give it perpetuity in the world, that all its votaries are hypocrites. One single example of sanctimonious duplicity will suffice* in the judgment of many, to cover the whole of vital and orthodox Christianity with disgrace. The report of it will be borne in triumph amongst the companies of the irreli- gious. The man who pays no homage to Sabbaths, or to sacra- ments, will be contrasted in the open, liberal, manly style of all his transactions, with the low cunning of this drivelling Methodistical pretender. And the loud laugh of a multitude of scorners will give force and swell to this public outcry against the whole character of the sainthood." What a verification have we had of late ! Satan has more to fear for his kingdom at present, than Jesus Christ ; and this is an evidence of it. CHAPTER III. CHRISTIANS UNSAFE TO MEDDLE WITH THEM. )' dt'i is strange that such a one as 'should set ;i; A himself up as a critic on Christian morals ; and talk M£$ as he has done against men whose moral character is unimpeachable ; with whom his own character can no more be brought into comparison, than Satan with an angel. This is severe, aud here I pause ; and yet I feel inclined to copy verbatim something far severer from another pen : " For you to become a public censurer, it is as if the darkest nook in hell should find fault with the moon, that great light of heaven, for those little spots in her face ; whereas she is a fair and goodly creature : as if the most loathsome dunghill should challenge the fairest garden for unsavoriness, because there is here and there a weed amidst a variety of other fra- grant flowers : as if a worthless lump of dross should censure an angel of gold for want of a grain or two in weight. A lump of sin and dust, damnation and hell, loads with censorious lies that happy soul which, in the fountain of Christ's meritorious blood, is made far whiter than the snow in Salmon, and fairer than the wool of the sheep coming up from the washing, though some spots and stains of infirmities may cleave unto it, while it yelPdwells in a house of flesh and tabernacle of clay." This character I very willingly dismiss. Violent diseases require CHRISTIANS UNSAFE TO MEDDLE WITH THEM. 29 violent remedies, and this may be one of them ! If the devil rages too loudly in him, the poor sinner may take the alarm, and he may lose him forever ! Mercy knows no stopping-place on this side of hell, in the descending scale of human depravity, if repentance and faith are only allowed to show themselves in the soul ! There are others, with whom I desire to reason before the Lord. Have you never read the warning given by our Lord : " Judge not, that ye be not judged" ? Especially forbear to judge God's people. Beware how you speak of them. Their Master hears you. To him they stand or fall. If your treatment of them arises from your want of love to Him, yoa may expect a rebuke; some experience this to their sorrow. Besides, you may, ere this, have owed your life to the prayers of some of them. Even now they may, for aught you know, be a screen between you and the sword of divine justice. Zoar owed its preservation to Lot, on thve day that Sodom received its doom. Some of you who hear me this hour, have been most likely preserved from death and hell by a similar cause. He looks upon his own saints, takes pleasure in them, hears their prayers, and spares you! Were such removed, God might speedily remove you. Have you never read of the stag that was pursued by the hunters, and concealed himself midst the branches of a thicket ? But, foolish creature, he commenced browsing on the foliage which protected him from the eyes of his pursuers, and on being discovered, he perished. In like manner, God's people, imperfect though they be, are as a screen to you, as the boughs of that thicket to the stag ! And yet, would you bite and devour them ? Beware how you even grieve or tease them ? They may cry unto God to take 30 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. you in hand. And, though they would by no means pray God to dispatch you out of the way into hell, nor even to shorten your days ; yet, they might pray in faith for God to grant them deliverance from their sorrow, and the answer to their prayer might bring a bitter affliction upon you. Better not meddle with them. " Let the potsherds of the earth strive with the pots- herds of the earth : " but beware how you use God's jewels. (Malachi iii. 17.) God himself declares, he that touches them, touches the apple of his eye. (Zech. ii. 8.) And that he keeps them as the apple of his eye. (Deut. xxxii. 10.) If you can conceive how tender you are of your eye, and how careful of the safety of your eyesight, you may judge of the care and protection he affords his people ; how tender he is of their welfare, and how quickly he feels any injury done them. A few mornings since, I was reading that remarkable cau- tion in Exodus (xxiii. 22-24), given by the Lord God Himself, concerning the widow or fatherless child, not to afflict them : " If thou afflict them in any vnse, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry ; and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.' 1 '' A striking passage, is it not ? The secret, likely, of many a desolate household, in the present day. Is God so ready to attend to the cry of such, and will he not hear the cries of his own children, if afflicted by those who fear not God ? Mary, Queen of Scots, declared that she feared the fastings and prayers of John Knox and his dis- ciples more than an army of twenty thousand men ! In conclusion : suppose much of what you insinuate against some be true, it is far from being a " triumphant argument " CHRISTIANS UNSAFE TO MEDDLE WITH THEM. 31 against Christianity. A young man, indeed, travelling in a stage-coach, was weak enough to think so, and scoffed at the system bitterly, because of the misconduct of some of its pro- fessors. One of the company inquired of him whether he had ever known an uproar made because an infidel went astray from the paths of morality. No, he admitted, he had uot. The other immediately asked him if he did not see that in making an ado about the unfaithfulness of professed Christians, he was admitting before that company that Christianity is a holy religion, by expecting its professors to be holy ; and also, that by his very objection he was actually paying it the highest compliment in his power. The young man was mute, and the company had a theme for silent reflection. This is all I have time to say at present. CHAPTER IV. REVIVAL PHENOMENA. j'^||f ND was not Elijah, the prophet of God, called a \4^w troubler of Israel ? And did not the Roman Catho- lics call Luther " the Trumpet of Rebellion " ? He said well who insisted it was not the Gospel, but men's corruptions, that bred trouble, just as the foulness of the stomach causes sea-sickness. I know the Gospel of Christ is heaving and tossing this community as the sea does a ship and her passengers ; and that while some are sick enough, and care not if they were thrown overboard, others are well and enjoy if mightily ! " Morn on the waters ! — and purple and bright Bursts on the billows the flushing of light 1 O'er the glad waves, like a child of the sun, See the tall vessel goes gallantly on : Full to the breeze she unbosoms her sail, And her pennant streams onward, like hope, in the gale I The winds come around her in murmur and song, And the surges rejoice as they bear her along ! Upward she points to the golden-edged clouds, And the sailor sings gayly aloft in the shrouds ! Onward she glides, amid ripple and spray. Over the waiers— away, and away. Bright as the visions of youth ere they part, Passing away, like a dream of the heart 1 TO , REVIVAL PHENOMENA. 33 "Who, — as the beautiful pageant sweeps by, Music around her. and sunshine on high, — Pauses to think, amid glitter and glow, Oh ! there are hearts that are breaking below I All gladness and glory as our ship onward flies, Yet chartered by sorrow, and freighted with sighs 1 " So it fares on board The Old Ship of Zion, at the present time ! Never a fairer breeze for the port of Glory than now ! But some are sick, and blame this Gospel breeze, and the other elements of its power. Gladness and glory on deck, sir, while some poor hearts are breaking below ! To them it seems as if Sorrow has chartered the ship, and they have supplied the freight! — "freighted with sighs, andwithering thoughts," — as if drifting toward a desolate shore, where not a friend stands waiting to greet them ! Yet they are on board, poor things ! and cannot help themselves. There are songs aloft in the shrouds, and cheerful voices on deck ; and our ship, like a child of the sea and sun, is pressing on gallantly, over the billows and over the waves ! Let those below cheer up ! Jesus, the great Physician, is on board ! The spiritual sea-sickness soon gives way under his treatment ! The inner man is all wrong, and at war with these Gospel elements. Thus it is with your- self as well as many others. Call for the great Physician, sir ! Call for the great Physician ! We have much to praise God for, but nothing in which we glory, save in our Lord Jesus Christ, and his redeeming and sav- ing power. Were we novices, we might be lifted up with pride, and thus fall into the condemnation of the devil. (1 Tim. iii. 6.) To prevent this, our God has only to allow Satan a longer chain, and there will arise Tobiahs, and Sanballats, and Geshems 34 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. enough to keep us humble ; or spiritual conflicts to lay us low, and give us other matters to think of than vainglory. What I am about to say may he as much a mystery to you as the rest of it : it is the life of faith to work for God, and give him all the glory back again, when any good has been accomplished. This is one of its divine and most noble excellencies ; — neither to tact nor talent, nor to prayer nor labor, nor to. zeal nor holiness, not even to the faith that removes mountains, be glory, but overcoming " through the blood of the Lamb, all glory be unto the Lamb, and to him that sitteth upon the throne for ever and ever ! Amen ! " This is the soul's centre, — its rest, — its heaven here below. CHAPTER V. TO AN OBSERVER A GREAT QUICKENING. .J HERE is a marvellous quickening among the people, I admit ; and the effects are marvellous to some. But w ^ P you and they are only beholding illustrated a striking remark of a Scotch preacher, that " He who shall raise the dead in church-yards, can wake dead in churches ! " The suddenness of this awakening, and at a time when there was the least like- lihood of any such thing, and this shaking among various classes, have affected some as disagreeably, it would seem, as would have this morning's dawn, had it rushed into noonday with the force and suddenness of an explosion ! Have they forgot- ten that it is written, " For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness : because a short work ivill the Lord make upon the earth"? (Rom. ix. 28.) We may say of a revival among a people, what one said of sanctification in a single soul : it may be " gradual in preparation, but instantaneous in accomplishment." Some revivals resemble rivers running un- derground, unknown to everybody, till they discover them- selves. Most revivals of God's work, I have thought, begin in this secret way. It is no wonder that worldly-minded persons know not what to make of such sudden manifestations. But is Ob ARROWS FROM MY QLTYER. it not marvellous also, that those " good people " of whom you speak cannot discover the tokens of the Lord's wisdom and power, and that they cry not out with the disciples of old, on seeing a multitude of fishes in the net, "It is the Lord" f Or that they find it so difficult to allow that God may work just where, and when, and how he pleases ! 2. My habit of going to the point at once, direct, when preaching, and not by circles, under cover of much verbiage and art, may constitute, perhaps, the difference. But I mis- take the spirit of the age, if the generality of hearers dislike it; especially those who desire to know the truth, the whole truth, as it is. Those who prefer comfort to safety, and have no w T ish to see the worst of their case, prefer a different style ; nor need one marvel at that. But God knows what is best for them and for the people ; and usually provides it, without ask- ing their leave. The spirit of the age, it has seemed to me, requires something of the kind. We live in an irregular and impetuous age, and it needs some such sort of preaching to cope with it. God knows I have much to humble me as it regards the imperfection of my style, both in writing and speaking. In some degree I am conscious of it, and humbled on that and some other accounts, more than I can express. But effects do sometimes comfort, and lift me up out of oppress- ive humiliation. I wish, and often try to do better, to avoid abruptness, and cultivate a smoother and less rapid style of delivery. But deep convictions of truth, and the value and peril of souls, w 7 ith intense emotions, seize and carry me head- long into the subject; and it is not till after all is over, that Prudence overhauls me : if the effects happen to be such as the doctrine would seem to warrant, I am let off" without the A GEE AT QUICKENING. 37 loss of part of my night's rest. This is saying more than I intended ; and is, perhaps, part and parcel of my other faults. I was cheered the other day with the remark of one regarding the stately and elegant style of Gibbon the historian, — " keeping step elegantly and in perfect time," — that a break in the cadence would be the greatest relief, and a false quantity endear the historian more than the most rigid correctness in the world ! for, I thought, maybe, after all, something of this in my preaching may serve as good a purpose, through the divine blessing, as the more smooth and polished style which graces much of the eloquence of our times ! 3. Nevertheless, it is sweet to reflect that, whether a Paul may plant, or an Apollos water, or a Boanerges thunder, or a Jonathan shoot his arrow, or a Joash smite the ground with a handful of arrows, contrary to all the rules and uses of arch- ery, it is God who giveth the increase. Peter's hook and Peter's nets both succeeded, when let down as Christ com- manded. The work is ours to do, but the deed is God's, else all our work is vain. Bede preaching to a heap of stones, and we to a congregation of sinners, without divine help, have equal prospect of success. " I may teach, and you hear, but God must do the deed when all is done," said a faithful preacher, centuries ago. Aye, the same Lord that opened the heart of a Lydia under the preaching of Paul, and the heart of a jailor by the shocks of an earthquake. 4. Ezekiel, the prophet, is an example of directness, when prophesying to " the valley of dry bones" Had " some of our judicious hearers " been present just then, with as little faith in supernatural influence as they seem to have just now, most likely they would have pronounced him also " somewhat too 38 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. eccentric for good taste, when he stood and cried, " ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord." Bnt he would not have varied his mode of address on their account : " So I prophesied as I was commanded.' 1 '' The secret of the effects produced we find in that one short sentence. The result was " a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone." (Ezek. xxxvii. 1-10.) Read the whole. Mark the simple directness and the faith of this man of God. Twice he tells us, in those ten verses, " So I prophesied as he commanded me." And the effects were in accordance — a direct response from the bones — a stirring, and a shaking, and a sounding, and a com- ing together, bone to his bone. And, behold, those hitherto dry and dead bones were instinct with the breath of life, clothed with flesh and skin, " and stood up upon their feet an exceeding great army." He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear ! Let the messenger of Jesus Christ u declare the whole counsel of God " unto the people, in the manner, and with the power, in which he wills it should be declared, and may not similar effects be witnessed among and upon hitherto dead sinners ? Look around you, my friend, and what do you behold ? The appeal originates not from pride or vanity, but for the glory of God. Look around you. You know in what state these sinners were a few months since, and you see, in some degree, the change that has been effected in them. Sinners, hitherto possessed of torpid consciences, with faculties dis- jointed, and dispersed from life, from God and godliness, and sepulchred in flesh, sin, and unbelief! Behold the change. Think of how it was effected. An impulse, mysterious as that which stirred the valley of dry bones under the prophet's A GEEAT QUICKENED. 39 voice, lias set these dead people in motion— the vivifying energy of the Spirit of God. That was the mysterious im- pulse. Behold the effects. If not, as yet, " an exceeding great army" yet, were I to ask them to stand on their feet, you would see arise around you a very respectable battalion, lately formed, and belonging to the grand army of Emmanuel. 5. The work of this spiritual resurrection, and regeneration, and enrolment is still going on. A "breath" is breathing upon these slain, and is abroad over this great valley of dry bones, more effectual than " the four winds of the earth ; " and the arm of our God is not shortened, that it cannot save. Day after day, and night after night, sinners are rising from among the dead. (Ephes. v. 14.) His voice, in the living word, appears as effectual now in awakening such as it shall be on' that day when " The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God" reverberating over the startled dead, " Arise ye dead and come to judgment" Let us all bow in reverence before Him who sitteth upon the throne, and before the Lamb of God, who has taken away our sins. "He by himself hath sworn : I ou his oath depend : I shall, on eagle wings upborne, To heaven ascend : I shall behold his face ; I shall his power adore, And sing the wonders of his grace For evermore 1 " CHAPTER VI. THE OPPOSITION J OR, HINTS TO " AN OPPOSITIONIST.' } aSET was said of one of the emperors of Rome that he was careful of what was done by him, but careless of *fjkt$b what was said of him — a good rule for a preacher. " Do well and bear ill is written upon heaven's gates," said Bradford the martyr. Oh ! that God may write the same on the gates of my heart or memory ! for, what with the threat- ening aspects of things in Conference* and fretfulness in some classes of hearers, one needs such a continual motto before the eyes, or on the memory, and on the heart. 2. It is good, however, sometimes to know the opinions of an opposition, as well as those of friends. " A stone in the other pocket " was, perhaps, the next best thing for the coat that sat awry on the back of Johnny D . Had the coat been well put on, or better made, the temptation to deposit the stone might have been absent from the naughty ones, un- less the fault lay in Johnny's anatomical structure. If the fault lay only in the eye of the depositor, to the eyes of others there would have been but little or no difference, probably, in the appearance of tbe coat, but somewhat to Johnny in the sense of weight, though it weighed nothing at all in his judg- ment. But let that pass. Politian of old said some flattered * Tlie British Weslevan Conference. THE OPPOSITION. 41 him, and others slandered him; but he thought neither the better nor the worse of himself for that, no more than he thought himself taller or lower beeause his shadow was longer in the morning and shorter at noon. I sometimes think, also, of the opinion of a good man, now in eternity, regarding what he considered a good foundation for true happiness — to stand acquitted by oneself in private, in public by others, and in both by God. Aye ; but if one can secure the first and third of these requisites, the absence of the second need not materially affect one's happiness : but, alas ! the presence of the second, without the other two, would be a slender foundation for solid happiness. Burns said well : " If happiness ha'e not her seat And centre in the breast, We may be wise, or rich, or great, But never can be blest : Xae treasures nor pleasures Could make us happy lang ; The heart aye's the part aye That makes us right or wrang ! " 3. That experience of Paul — oh ! that I felt it more deeply than I do ! — " Who is weak, and I am not ivealc ? who is offended, and I burn not ? " — burn not with holy zeal to recover him, and to confirm him in the truth. "What tender- ness and sympathy ! " It goes as much against the heart of a good minister as against the hair of his people, if he say or do anything to their grief," said a great and good divine of olden times. " It is no pleasure to him to fling daggers, to speak millstones, to preach damnation;" yet he thought Paul's in- 42 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. junction should press heavily upon the conscience of every minister: " The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, sloio bellies (a quotation from one of themselves) ; wherefore re- buke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith." The rebukes were to have a sharp edge, and a piercing point. In doing this, there is danger of hurting the weak ; for Satan is ever ready to turn edge or point against the weak and tender of conscience, who, though unfaithful, yet are not worthy of rebukes so severe and cutting. It is said of Zuingle, that usu- ally, after preaching a terrifying sermon, he would close the book, saying, Bone vir, hoc nihil ad te I — " Thou good man, I mean not thee ! " Richard Baxter, on like occasions, wished certain weak Christians at home, rather than have them pres- ent, to apply, " as was their wont," alarming truths to them- selves which properly belonged to very different characters in his congregation. Another cautioned himself and others that Christ's loeaklings must be handled with all tenderness. 4. Satan owes a grudge to such as have lately deserted his standard to become the children of God. Gladly would he raise against them such a whirlwind as destroyed the children of Job, were it not, perhaps, for sending them too soon to heaven, and thus destroy his own hopes of yet dragging them down to hell, or that Jesus forbids him to touch a skin, or a bone, or a life of them. But when truth, like a storm, sweeps over a congregation, such as we had the other night, it excites the devil wonderfully, and, were he allowed, I doubt not he would roar like a lion against the flock of Jesus Christ. I have read the remark somewhere that, in those countries where wild beasts are, the lion is always loudest in a storm ; that his roar never sounds so loud and terrible as in the pauses of the THE OPPOSITION. 43 thunder; and that, when the lightning flashes brightest, the flashes of his crnel eye are proportionably terrible. 5. It is so with the old lion of hell, " that goeth about,'' 1 as St. Peter declares, "seeking whom he may devour." In the dark, and in the gloomy day, he roars against the children of God, and especially in the pauses of truth's thunder, when weak and tried ones have encompassed my paths for advice — have made my place of solitude vocal with their sobs and groans, and inquiries, "What shall I do? what shall become of me ? how shall I escape ? " — when truth, like a hurricane, rages through the devil's forests, shaking, rending, uprooting, and many an " oak of Bashan " is laid low. Ay, and when M the trees of righteousness, trees of the Lord's right hand planting" are shaken also, think you that the old lion of perdition roars not — not, indeed, audibly, but sensibly — to the spiritual ear of many a soul, as ever a lion roared in the ear of the human body ? " Will a lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey ? " inquires the prophet Amos. Will Satan go round about as a roaring lion when there is nothing to devour ? CHAPTER VII. REVIVAL : TRUTH AND ITS EFFECTS. ^^ferE may say of a revival preacher, what one said of c : Y godliness : he has many troubles, and many helps ,2*P5f against trouble. If certain young believers have so soon cast away their confidence, through these terrible ap- peals to the sinful, it does not prove, in the present instances, " the falsity of their late 2>rofessions" but their honesty and sin- cerity of purpose, rather; and that they had forgotten their " shield of faith." The arrows of truth, as well as " the fiery darts of the wicked one" must sometimes be received on that shield, or they may wound the soul. The Law of God is a terrible power. It can neither belie nor deceive, for it is a picture of the Divine mind, and a mirror of his perfections. It will not allow itself to be misunderstood, nor let the hearer escape ; as one has feelingly observed : " The lightning that strikes us, flashes upon us at first only from one of the ten commandments. We think to save ourselves in the other nine, and we cast ourselves, as into a safe fortress, into the First command, ' Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 1 There the spirit pursues and enlightens, as to the nature, depth, and spirituality of this command. Being questioned there, we turn our back on that, and flee to the Sixth ; but the recollection of ill-tempers toward others makes a breach there. REVIVAL : TRUTH AST) ITS EFFECTS. 4.5 Wc hasten to the Ninth, but have to fly from that, under charge of falsehood, deception, dissembling, or flattery. Con- science has hardly finished its speech, till we fly from that also. Xo rest can we find in the Seventh command ; but conscience retrospects the thoughts, and the desires, and inclinations of the heart ; and we flee from that command as from a fire that consumes us. The Fifth affords no security, for the sin of covetousness approaches to arrest us. In the Eighth, the accu- sations of father and mother. The Tenth strips us of every thing; terminating the whole process by a general condemna- tion. Miserable man that I am ! I am already condemned, and accursed, lost ! ' Thou art the man ! ' resounds on every side, and it seems as if the very walls, and joists, and beams cry out the same. A thousand reminiscences of past trans- gressions crowd around like avenging spirits exclaiming, ' Thou shalt surely die!'' Dreams are haunted by those dreadful words ; they seem written on the stars of heaven, and on each day as it passes. The sentence is acknowledged to be just. A consciousness of being the cause of Christ's death adds to the guilt. In the horror and darkness of self-condemnation, faith catches a glimpse of the cross ; and by a light of its own, the mystery is explained. It offers a new relation, which is embraced. The burden is removed; the darkness all gone, condemnation gone, and sunshine and gladness entirely fill the soul." There is law and gospel for you. Let me repeat, the Law of God is a terrible power ! " The law worheth wrath ! " saith the apostle. It has not only a fiery splendor which alarms the conscience, but fiery serpents, so to speak, which come hissing out of it ; and when they sting the conscience, faith in an exalted Saviour can alone secure and apply 46 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. the remedy : for neither man nor angel is able to comfort. Marvel not, if these young converts are thus; seeing that experienced Christians found it hard to avoid them. The Law renders the Gospel precious, and teaches us to prize Jesus. These wounded ones, I have been thinking, know something about " looking unto Jesus ; " though I sadly fear that Christ was not sufficiently lifted up before the eye of their faith. Oh ! how much we preachers need the atonement and intercessions of Christ to save us from wrath, on account of the imperfection of our services ! I am ashamed of myself when I consider how St. Paul preached Jesus, and how frequently he repeated His name! — not less than nine or ten times in as many verses, as I noticed to-day in 1 Cor. i. 1-10 ! He had his reasons for mentioning the name of Jesus Christ so often, in the beginning of his epistle to this young and ambitious church. 2. To-morrow night, let the text be Heb. xii. 2; and then your preacher is not likely to forget " the name that is above every name ! " In the mean time let those concerned keep " looking unto Jesus" as the text enjoins. Nor shall I neglect to do the same — not for myself only, that my own pensive heart may be cheered, but that he may undertake for all who have in any way suffered by my neglect. Nor can we fear that He who so readily healed the ear of Malchus, that suffered from a random slash of Peter's sword, will deny the boon to wounded spirits, who, may be, are yet suffering from a random stroke of truth, to which, it appears, they were not entitled. Good will come out of these inquiries and heart-searchings. 3. One present may assure himself I know the bleating of a lamb or a sheep, within or outside my Lord's fold ; and it goes to my heart at once, and sends me to my room to bleat REVIVAL I TRUTH AXD ITS EFFECTS. ±7 also part of the night away, till grief and sleep hush me into silence ; especially, if by some blunder, or unguarded sentence, eccentricity or infirmity or other, I was the cause of it. Re- pentance prevents rebuke, when it happens that from such cause grief has found its way into any heart, where my Lord only wishes to have gladness and joy. Let this suffice for the pres- ent. 4. One remark more, which I hope may be made here with- out offence : I know also the gruntings of other animals, whether within or without the fold, as well as I do the bleatings of a sheep or a lamb ; swinish natures, though it may seem harsh to use the phrase, but they are easily known, who, to use the softest 'word, love their husks better than they do eternal life. I cannot deny some of these have cost me the loss of some needful sleep; nor can they, if the truth were known, that they have lost some sleep by me — rather by the power of my Lord and Master. One calls such low natures " Grunters against goodness ; " and few places there are where such are not to be found ; especially where the Gospel " comes not in word only, but also in power' 1 ' 1 1 When hit, they grunt so loud sometimes, as to set all the little dogs and great dogs in the neighborhood a-wondering and a-barking ! So the world goes ! but adieu to fretting 1 5. " A Doubter " will perceive I understand him, and he cannot well misunderstand me. It stumbles such an one to see " divisions 'in Israel's camp," and that it is evident there are some among us who cannot bear to look their own princi- ples in the face. Be not surprised, my friend ! Our doctrines are tremendous ! If ^devils believe them and tremble, need you wonder that some among us tremble too ? Or that some are 48 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. like those of whom Bernard complained of old, who sought for straws during and after the sermon, to put out their own eyes ? Or that some who will not mend, are for having an end of such preaching? Or that such as love sin more than holiness, and what is called eloquence more than sinner-awaking truth, should prefer the old request, "Prophecy not unto us right things; speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceit" and " who say unto the seers, see not f " (Is. xxx. 10.) The few verses which follow show their motives, and God's judgment concern- ing them. Some are like the Athenians of old, sir, of whom it was said, " They had tender ears, and loved toothless truths ;" which made Demosthenes tell them plainly they must get their ears healed. Some among us must get their consciences healed ; then we shall have no difficulty with their cars, I fancy. 6. It is well for our friend to know a great fact : there are fugitives from their own consciences among us, and from divine truth, and the justice of God; — just as he knows very well there are some wandering up and down the country, fugitives from civil justice, and dodging the police as best they can, and who are sometimes hard put to it in making good their es- cape ! Austin of old detected hearers who had long been "fugitives from, their own hearts." Marvel not, then, that some are fugitives from the preaching of God's word, which has been ringing and flaming round the hallowed walls of this temple. I tell you, sir, some would run quite out of this world very soon, could they but find another world where there is neither hell nor preaching, and all to get rid of preaching. 7. There was a pinch in that discourse which gave offence, nor is it difficult to tell where it pinched. It is not every hearer that can say with an old disciple the other day, " I like REVIVAL : TRUTH A2sD ITS EFFECTS. 49 a sermon that has a pinch to it ! " Carnal professors and easily awakened sinners rejected it; — and those, most, of course, whom it pinched most. It was not so much in the manner of it, as the matter of it. Many can bear the manner of a preacher, however rough and unpolished, if he is something of an original, and amusing. Herod heard John the Baptist gladly, and began to practice some things which suited his disposition. But when John pinched the conscience of his royal hearer re- garding his besetting sin, off went his head. 8. Hearers I have had before now, which reminded me of children beginning to learn their alphabet, with dislike written on their faces ! — A, B, C, etc., conveying no meaning ; and evi- dently unable to perceive any connection between such dull and senseless sounds and the art of reading, all was irksome and uninteresting! Repentance, Prayer, Faith, etc., etc., in like manner, are irksome lessons to those whom we would set to learn the alphabet of experimental religion. They know not, or are unwilling to perceive the connection between these, and the future pleasure of reading their " title clear to mansions in the skies ! " 9. An hour's amusement, or an hour's amazement, never en- ters into my plans w r ith my hearers. No ; but rather their im- mediate repentance and conversion. If they are " amazed " at this, it may save them from eternal amazement and horror; and my predictions^ so often found fault with, may become preventions. People begin to profit, usually, when they desire to profit. Till then w r e must keep on preaching, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. I awoke out of a deep sleep the other morning, with these words of a devoted servant of Christ, now in heaven, occupying, and passing and 50 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. repassing over my mind: " Faith is the master-spring of a minister. Hell is before me, and thousands are shut up there in everlasting burnings. Jesus Christ stands forth to save men from rushing into the bottomless abyss. He sends me to pro- claim his ability and his love. I want no fourth idea ; every fourth idea is contemptible ; every fourth idea is a grand im- pertinence ! " There is safety for me nowhere else, and no longer than I tie myself irrevocably to these principles. Then let men or fiends assail, God will not suffer me to be greatly moved. 10. To day I was thinking of Nunia, the philosophical and humane emperor of the Romans. The enemy was advancing upon his army, while he was in the act of " offering sacri- fices to the gods." To one who informed him of his peril, he replied, " I am about the service of my God," which he con- sidered a sufficient guarantee for his safety. The thought cheered me ! " Let him fight who has a mind to it," said one of old. " I am not so mad as to fight against him that trusts to have God his defender and deliverer ! " He was about to march an army to chastise a neighboring prince, a pious and good man. The spy returning, reported that when this prince was informed that war was intended against him, he quietly said he would commit the whole cause to God, and give himself to fasting and prayer. " Then," said the monarch, " let him fight w T ho," etc. If certain persons have not taken leave of their senses, let them reconsider the matter, and be of the same mind with this sagacious monarch ! CHAPTER VIIL HINTS FOR PROFESSORS. CHRISTIANS! are you aware, as you should be, that the eye of the world is upon you? New converts! are you awake to the same fact ? St. Paul urges a " cloud of witnesses," as a reason why we should " lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset ws;" or, as the old negro (who, if he tasted liquor at all, was sure to get drunk, and was overcome again and again) called it in his prayer, and with tears running down his cheeks, "the sin that doth so easily upset us ! " Ay ! and the world can easily de- tect us when we are upset by a temptation. Hearkeu to a reply designed for an ear you know not, but connected with an eye that has been upon some of you, to the injury of its possessor. 2. They tell an old fable in a certain country through which I once travelled, of Inconstancy desiring to have her likeness taken, but no artist .would undertake it, because her features were so changeable. Old Time, however, at length consented to do it ; but being at a loss for a suitable canvas, he selected the face of Man, upon which he drew the picture of Incon. stancy ; and so, said the fable, man, ever since, has been con- stant in nothing but inconstancy ! It is sad that some pro- fessors of religion are too frequent in their illustrations of it. 52 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. But you cannot be ignorant, although not a Christian yourself,, how many things there are to assail the stability of those who are trying to do well. The waves of the Atlantic are uncount- able ; but you might as well try to number them as to count the waves of temptation which buffet a Christian on the voyage of life. One who passed through much trial before he entered the heavenly port, said a Christian, like oil, should always be uppermost on the waters; distinct too, and unmixed with the world, and steadfast in the integrity of his character, midst all the agitations of a tumultuous world ; and that Christians must constantly be holding a counter-motion to the course of the world, and the corruptions of the times ! Worldlings, though they practise not this themselves, readily detect the cessation of it in professors. To provide for this, sir, God has ordained a " life of faith on the Son of God" and continuing "instant in prayer." Constant and instant, is the idea. Inattention to this may produce some of those aberrations you have no- ticed, and not wilful hypocrisy or self-deception. 3. An excellent divine in Scotland, I remember, made the following shrewd remark, — that there is just this difference between certain men of the world, and certain orders of sincere but imperfect members of churches : that bad men are worse, and good men are better than they appear ; that the attain- ments of a believer are always beneath his aims ; his desires loftier than his deeds ; his wishes are holier than his works. Give other men their will, he contended, let them have full sway and swing for their passions, and they would be worse than they are ; give that to the sincere believer, and he would be better than he is ! 4. Not a word, however, against your critique, in the main. HINTS TO PROFESSORS. 53 Many such borderers there arc, trimmers between the church and the world ; somewhat like one who, in matters of faith and practice, tried to keep in with both Christians and Jews, yet was neither ; reminding one of Sheridan's simile of the blank page between the Old and New Testament ! They are a con- tinuation of that careless race noticed by our Lord in his time, who heard his sayings, and did them not. He likened them to a man who built his house upon the sand. (Matt. vii. 26, 27.) In the catastrophe which befell that house, he would have us to apprehend their final calamity. It is well, however, you should remember, that in the wise builder, who built his house upon a rock, he indicates another, class of professors; and a succession of such continue down to our times ! 5. Those to whom you refer, are called in Scripture " un- stable souls; 11 "unstable as water 11 was the patriarch Jacob's figure, adding that such " never excel; " — like water, that takes the shape of bucket, tub, or tumbler into which it may be emptied, — they take the form and spirit of any company into which they may be cast ; but, as Milton remarks, " all are not of this stamp ; " many there are " who faith prefer and piety to God." In the texture of their firmness, such resemble the adamant, which is more likely to break the vessel that would seek to conform it to its shape, than to be broken or moulded by it ! If you have met with none such, you have been singularly uufortunate. Millions of such have passed through this world, since the days of Ezekiel, of whom God spake — " Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead against their foreheads ; as an adamant, harder than flint, have I made thy forehead : fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. 11 This fact may serve to 54 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. neutralize the effects of the examples upon which you animad- vert. Antidotes to poisonous substances are a provision of Providence ! 6. Not a word, then, against your critique, if confined to its proper limits. I believe with Aristotle that we may well suspect that man's profession whose practice contradicts it. Socrates would allow no distinction between knowing and doing. He would admit no difference between two certain Greek words — although any Greek scholar in our times would insist upon a difference — as one implies wisdom alone, and the other word wisdom, joined to action. But the old philosopher insisted that a do-nothing wisdom was a know-nothing wis- dom — next to no wisdom at all ! But to know and to do — to know good and to practise it ; — to know evil and to avoid it — the union of these two, he considered to be wisdom ! 1. The practical is the most prominent feature of New Testament theology and character. A shrewd observer of man remarked that the difference between* divinity aivd science is this: that it is not enough to know, we must do it! Look around you, my friend ! Are there not some within your circle of observation who show proofs of godly fear? some who show you how a Christian ought to live in his daily walk and con- versation ? Who, in fact, are inscribing upon the minds with whom they are brought in contact from year to year, the truth of the religion of Jesus Christ, as well as the memorial of their own worth, legibly, to such, as the stars in the brow of heaven. But, as there are spots in the sky where no stars .do appear, yours may be a mind upon which true Christians have had no opportunity to make such an impression. The loss is yours, if such be the case. Perhaps the truly good have been shy of HINTS TO PROFESSORS. 55 your company. If so, have they had no reasons for it? Nero complained that he never could find a faithful servant. He ■who recorded the complaint, remarked that it was no wonder : for those that were good, cared not to come about him ; and those that were bad, he cared not to make better, as being desperately wicked himself ! Hume, the infidel, who observed to one, that he never yet found a Christian that was not gloomy, received a very proper reply — that if it were so, it was not to be wondered at, as a sight of him was enough to make any Christian gloomy ! Reflect upon that ! The best of God's people may have kept themselves out of your way ; or, your selections for criti- cism, like those of Voltaire, have been unfortunate ; or, your companionship have been with men of another order altogether ; — common occurrences, any of these ! There is a difference be- tween the spirit of that man who is a friend at heart toward Christians, though not one himself, and the spirit of him who is at enmity with them, and on the lookout for faults to con- firm him in his infidelity ! I was told of a skeptic the other day, who, after his conversion, confessed that during thirteen years he had watched a certain plain, bumble, praying woman, to find something in her character to confirm or strengthen him in his infidelity ; but he watched in vain. At length he thought it high time to secure an interest in Christ. He did so, and confessed the course he had taken. That Christian woman little suspected how much depended upon her faith- fulness ! 8. How this revival is stirring -up skeptics! It was said of Jesus, when a child, that he was set for the fall and rising of many in Israel ; and for a sign to be spoken against ; — by 56 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. whom the thoughts of many should be revealed. We may- say the same of this great work of God. It is well ! This is the time for the Gospel to be looked at ! — now that it is among us, as a fresh charter from heaven, which multitudes are now, disposed to consult as the charter of their salvation ; — now, when it is opening many hearts, as Jesus himself opened the heart of Lydia under the preaching of Paul and Silas ; — now that hearts hitherto shut against the truth, are flowing open under the penetrating word of Gospel power ; — now that people are believing who never believed before ; and tongues hitherto mute upon the subject, are day and night rehearsing the goodness of God ; — so that were Chrysostom among us, he might say once more, they live well who lived evilly before ; and obey now, who never obeyed before ! — now is the time for skeptics to be astir ! — the best time for them and for us ! 9. It is well ! The. old adage, " They may laugh who win ! " applies finely to Christians just now ! Wind and tide are in their favor ! Glad therefore certain clubs are alive and stir- ring, with eyes wide awake, nor turned askance, but looking straight before them, as Solomon advises ; and a good hope we have that " the eyes of their understanding " may be opened also. We hail their presence as a good omen — can bear their bad manners with better heart and more patience now, than when religion was prostrate, and the Gospel, from some cause, powerless. We may reason with them, as did Paul with the unbelieving Jew T s, and in the presence of mighty and incon- testable facts ! 10. He who believes with one of the fathers of the Chris- tian Church, that " the whole business of a minister in this life is to heal the eye of the sinner's heart, that God may be HINTS TO PROFESSORS. 57 seen" will not think me out of the way of my calling, to meet on their own ground for the purpose ; ay, and pay all possible attention to them. " The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.' 1 ' 1 But let all professors of religion beware, when such men get their eyes opened, that they by their inconsist- encies and misconduct do not blind them again. God will require it of them, if they do. 11. Opposition I care nothing about. Better that than in- difference. "Opposition is the evil angel that dogs the Gos- pel," said Calvin to the French king. An evil angel it is to some, and has often made the saints smart for it. But I have often er had to complain that public indifference is an evil angel also, and, under some circumstances, the worst of the two. That is the reason I can bear opposition with fortitude or cheerfulness. When winning souls to Christ, I can " laugh at the shaking of a spear" like Job's leviathan. God is convert- ing many sinners, some of them notable sinners and skeptics ; of whose conversion we may say as one did of a bell, it is not possible to turn it from side to side, without reporting its own motions ! no, unless its tongue were tied. These have had their tongues unloosed, and they give glory to God, till the place rings again with their voices ; and by them many are called and recalled to go to work in the vineyard. Like bells they do indeed report their own motions, when turned from Satan to " the Lord's side," by the hand of Gospel power ! Hallelujah ! CHAPTER IX. METHOD WITH QUESTIONISTS. ^HRISTIANS credulous? By no means! Christians Y? think closely. They have the largest liberty . to can- vass every doctrine of Protestantism; indeed, every truth of Christianity ! I believe with an old writer that all Christ's scholars are questionists, though not question-sick, like some of those who swarm around us at the present time ; not triflers, like those in 1 Tim. vi. 4, who were " doat- ing about questions, and strife of words;" or those perverse disputers — men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth — or those light and feathery souls, recorded in Ephes. iv. 14, " tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doc- trine" Those who belong to Jesus Christ are of a more sub- stantial order, rooted and grounded in the truth, and built up in their most holy faith. 2. I have no objection to " questions," provided they are serious and important; otherwise you may receive a reply after the manner of the ancient philosopher, to one wbo asked him seriously, whether he did not think it a pleasing thing to see the sun ? — " That is a blind man's question." There are some questionists who deserve a similar rebuke. 3. Nor am I fond of curious questions, more curious than METHOD WITH QTJESTIOXISTS. 59 useful. It is of little consequence to us wlicre hell is located, provided we can only persuade men to leave the way that leads to it; for that is more clearly laid down in the Scriptures than the location of that terrible place. When a man is sinning against God, he is going straight toward hell, no matter to what poiut of the compass his face may be turned ! I hope, sir, you do not illustrate in your own character the shrewd remark of one now in eternity, that some have a much stronger desire to know where hell is, than to know any way of escape from going into it ! 4. And there are crochety questions, the offspring of some whim, conceit, or fancy. A brain filled with these has little room for anything else. These, and such-like questions, de- serve the fate of those books of the " curious arts," which made such a glorious bonfire in the market-place of Ephesus, in the days of the apostles ! 5. A man may have many questions answered, and be none the better. Besides, the time employed in answering them, if turned to better questions, might result in eternal good to the inquirer. There is a difference between a man that leans against a twig, and him who leans against the trunk of the tree. A wit illustrated the folly of such queries, by the conduct of a simpleton tracing a 'pinnacle, where he might fall, when he might be more profitably employed in walking upon the solid ground ! This mode of reply is hardly what you expected ; yet, in " the long run," it may be more profitable to you, if thereby you are induced to inquire after better things. 6. But when it is evident Satan is imposing upon certain inquiring minds, offering them stones for bread, and serpents for fish, I endeavor to persuade them to cast away the grievous 60 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. imposition, by offering them the true provisions of the Gospel, provided for them by the Friend of sinners. 7. Regarding hell, wherever it may be located in eternity, be assured its torments are neither brief nor tolerable. Let those remarks of an eminent Scotch divine enter into your ears, and sink into your heart : that had wrath been either tolerable or terminable, the sword of justice had never been dyed with the blood nor sheathed in the body of her noblest Victim. And, if I believe there is a need be for the lightest cross that lies on a good man's lot, oh ! how great the neces- sity for that upon which the Saviour died ! He added, surely were God but for a moment to let us hear the wail and shriek- ing of the lost, that sound, more terrible than Egypt's cry, would startle the deepest sleeper, rouse the student at his books, arrest the foot of the dancer at the ball, and stop armies in the fury of the fight ; striking terror into the boldest hearts, it would bend the most stubborn knee, and extort from all that one loud cry, " Lord, save me ! I perish ! " As to myself, sir, if I preach a hell for sinners after death, it is, 1st, because I believe it; and 2d, it is that my hell-exposed hearers may fly with me to heaven. If my sermons have dark backgrounds, sj have some of the finest paintings ; but let that pass. Had you listened to the wild scream of the mother bird the other day, you could not have doubted her affection for her young, in peril. Ah ! sir, if my voice has more of the " wailings of the lost " than the tones of " manly eloquence,'-' ascribe it to the view God has given me of the peril of sinners, and my strong affection for them. 8. The remaining " queries " are worth y of attention. Two observations allow 'me to make. There are two notions I have METHOD WITH QUESTIOXISTS. 61 never yet traced in the Scriptures, nor found allowed there : 1st. Indifference as to matters of faith, or opinion. 2d. Free- dom from responsibility for religious opinions, whether true or false. If true, we are always held accountable there, for the good we might, if we w T ould, accomplish by them ; if false, for the evil we may do by them. " To him that knoiveth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin," is a New Testa- ment axiom. Truth and goodness are represented in the Bible as being the fountain each of the other ; and so also error and wickedness ; as if the one could not exist without the other. The deduction of accountability is plain, and that we are responsible for our opinions ; consequently that there is no fatality about the reception of them, as if we could not be- lieve otherwise if we would ; especially is it clear in Scripture that we are accountable for what we might hare known, as well as for what we did know! Therefore that sentiment of a distinguished orator and statesman receives no countenance from the Bible — that men are no more responsible for their opinions than they are for the height of their stature or the hue of their skin. Nay, nay, good orator ! although the poetry and sophistry of ages have been advocating this notion, it never can affect this great principle, that for such opinions as increase or lessen men's stature in wickedness, or which darken or brighten the moral complexion of their nature, they are certainly responsible to God. There is nothing taught or assumed in the word of God contrary to this position. If these " notions " come in collision with those " broad views of charity " so prevalent in our times, be it so ; if the Bible gives no countenance to such a positive and destructive error, should I? Nay, verily! all the embellishments of orators, 62 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. poets, and latitudinarians to the contrary notwithstanding ! Here I stand, God help me ! Faithfulness to this principle reddened the earth with the blood of Christ's martyrs. 9. The providence of God, and His own word, join issue upon this point, against the indifference claimed, and our free- dom from responsibility for our opinions, and their fruits ; and with an earnestness and severity not to be mistaken. Who of us has never suffered from error of judgment? The late Mr* Dodd put this in a strong light thus : " Persuade yourself that poison has no noxious property, and see whether this will de- prive it of its deadly character. Take a viper in your bosom under the conviction it is harmless, and see whether the con- viction will extract or blunt its sting. Teach yourself to be- lieve that industry is not necessary to success in life, and see whether this belief will shield you from the privations which follow in the train of indolence." To which add the persuasion that rum has no intoxicating and perilous quality, and see if it does not make you giddy, and set you reeling to and fro ! There are drunken opinions, sir, as well as intoxicating liquors ! and they cause men to make strange tracks on the high- way of life, and as strange gyrations in morals ! Signals of warning are displayed everywhere throughout the Bible, nature, and providence, that the salvation of soul and body is tied to our opinions, and that there are opinions as in- jurious to the soul as poison to the body — as the viper's sting, as indolent habits to our temporal interests, as intoxicating liquors — ay ! but as much more as the miseries of hell do sur- pass the sorrows of earth. CHAPTER X. DEALIXG WITH CRITICS. iRECISELY! That was my sentiment— that there &j> are opinions which intoxicate the brain and befool *&£*% the heart : " drunken opinions " was the phrase, and not so inappropriate either ; for we have known them to set men a-reeling from one faith to another, and from error to error, and from heresy to heresy, like a drunken man, from wall to wall, and from ditch to ditch, on good terms with neither, until, falling into a still deeper ditch, out of which he never came alive, they staggered, poor souls ! at length, into " the bottomless pit." Why should you think it strange that with such " fiery zeal " we grappled with minds possessed of such opinions? Had such been in danger of drowning, or in peril of perishing in a burning building, would you have blamed our fiery zeal in trying to rescue them ? Want of faith, or overmuch fastidiousness, makes a difficult hearer. It is no offence to me to be criticised. Every public speaker is subject to it, and should submit himself to it, amiably as possible. It is a right the great public claim, and it is commendable policy to concede the right with as good grace as possible, and — take our own way, after all, if we know it to be right, for that is our right also. 2. We owe, nevertheless, to that same public, to explain 64- ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. respectfully why we differ ; nor should we neglect the individ- ual critic, perchance the representative of that public. For an instance, I have just now to call upon an ingenious critic to hearken, while I tell him I am not generally ambitious to say all that might be said \*pon a text, nor do I usually find it con- venient to discuss every doctrine, duty, or theme which an acute hearer may notice there, and which he supposes " con- science should impel " the preacher to notice also. A single principle or proposition I have found frequently to be more effective than several, though the text seemed to invite to them. But I can return to the text. For this reason, among others, it is my custom to take the same text some half dozen times during a revival. Thus, that which has been left un- touched in one discourse may be called into action and pressed home in another, and with marked effect. Neither do I think it profitable to try to cram every doctrine in the creed into every discourse, although I desire to offer Christ in every sermon. The doctrine which bears most directly upon the subject on hand, and which the text most plainly proves or illustrates, that is the doctrine for the hour. Now, there is nothing very uncommon in all this. Many other ministers pursue a similar course. After such an explanation, my critic may perceive, if a certain point was " eluded " when preaching from a certain text, it was not from the cause insinuated, but because other points, more applicable to my congregation, demanded my time and strength. 3. Besides, sir, do you not remember that Quintilian con- sidered it a virtue in a grammarian to be ignorant of some things; or Pliny's hint, that it no less became an orator to hold his tongue, sometimes, than to speak ? A preacher may DEALING WITH CRITICS. 65 resemble the painter with whom Apelles found fault, that he never understood when he had done enough, and so spoiled all in over-doing 1 Nonnius' mark of a good hunter may do for the poor preacher, " that he can catch some beasts, though he take not all." By the way, those who hear me every night understand my plans better than those who only attend now and then. Lysippus, the famous carver, had the following printed in Greek over his best pieces, when exhibited to the public : " Lysippus hath something more to do at this work," — a good method to arrest or disarm criticism. Well, sir, my hearers understand this of many of my texts and sermons, with- out my telling them. I believe, sir, with old Columella, that nothing can be perfected at first ; it is only consummated by singular industry. Patience, then, my dear sir. The subject, like life, in death, may be all retouched again. 4. I am but a poor controversialist at best, grappling only with an error when it stands in my way, and not inclined to go far out of my way to hunt for it ! I prostrate it, if I can, then fling it out of my way, and march on in the good old way of preaching the Gospel ! Skeptics do not fancy these " bach-handed blows," as they call them ; but I find them use- ful and successful. They do make gaps sometimes in certain ranks. Have patience, then, the subject may be resumed. In the mean time take care that the gates of eternity do not open to receive you sooner than you are prepared to pass through them. 5. And now a few words for your two friends. 1st. "A faultless style in the pulpit " is a rare attainment. And what may surprise them, I am not anxious to acquire it. If in seek- ing to attain unto it, or in striving to maintain it, I should lose 6Q ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. sight of the main object in preaching, the salvation of sinners, and so miss winning a soul to Christ, the loss would far over- balance the advantages. Quintilian tells us of one whose greatest excellence was that he had no fault, and his greatest defect that he had no excellence ! Those who are fond of that sort of pulpit style, are welcome to it. It is convenient, and pleasing, doubtless to such as have uneasy or troublesome con- sciences. When a minister is truly alive to God, and is seek- ing with all his might to arouse sinners to flee from the wrath to come, it is not easy to avoid " certain things," in expression and manner, which certain persons would pronounce a defect. Versatility of style seems to me inseparable from a passion for soul-saving, especially if accompanied by genius. An eminent divine of bygone centuries used to say, " Ministers should turn themselves into all shapes and fashions, both in spirit and speech, to gain souls to God ! " A course that will ever be in- tolerable to the spirit of the world ! 2d. As to " eloquence," I have long been of the opinion of one, that " whenever a man speaks or writes, he is supposed as a rational being to have some end in view ; either to inform, or to amuse, or to persuade, or in some way to act upon his fellow creatures ; " and that " he who speaks or writes in such a manner as to adapt all his words most effectually to that end, is the most eloquent man ! " This idea used to give me a good deal of comfort and courage when a stripling preacher. It mattered but little with me what people thought of my elocution, if so be that my point was carried — in melting, and moving people to trust in Christ, to love him, and to glorify God ; in awaking, and con- vincing hitherto sleepy and hardened sinners, so as to find myself surrounded by dozens, or scores of them, weeping and DEALINGS WITH CRITICS. 67 crying for mercy ; ay ! and the place vocal with the thanks- givings of new converts and the hallelujahs of older Christians ! Eloquence, or declamation, folks might call it what they pleased, for aught the preacher cared, just then ! He had done his best, for that time, with a single intention and pure desire. The Gospel was the power of God, before many witnesses, and he was happy ! I am much of the same mind still ! Oh ! for yet greater displays of the power of God ! — but for thy glory only, my Lord Jesus Christ. 6. Eloquence is grace of speech. True eloquence is the offspring of the passions, and yet it is an art — the art of per- suasion — the art of speaking well, and to the purpose, so as to secure the end desired. It is the art of pleasing, informing, convincing, moving, persuading. It can be employed in dif- fusing good, or spreading ill. The Greeks and Romans inti- mated this in their god Mercury, who was the god of eloquence, merchandise, and robbery ! He was not only a god, in their estimation, but the messenger of the gods. " Will a man rob God?" Eloquence has often claimed to be his messenger, seeking his glory, yet all the while seeking its own ! Alas for it ! It is best to watch it narrowly ! It may be in commis- sion for selfish purposes, or for the general weal ; for the glory of God and human welfare, or for self-glory and selfish inter- ests, which one called " a selfish villany n if found in the pulpit, and at war with the spirit of the Gospel. 7. The celebrated Robert Hall, himself so famous for his pulpit eloquence, remarked, on a certain occasion, that he dis- paired to see a consummate orator perfectly associated with a Christian teacher ; that the ornaments of secular eloquence, pro- fusely displayed, weaken the effects of the truths of the Gos- 68 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. pel ; that those exquisite paintings, and nice touches of art, which belong to oratory, may excite the imagination without interfering at all with the awful functions of conscience, merely absorbing the admiration, and affording a feast to taste, without being the instrument of conviction ; that such attempts at pulpit oratory decoy the preacher away from the peculiar doc- trine of the Gospel, which would only give him a feeling of constraint, limiting the excursions of his imagination and con- fining him from his fine expatiations in the flowery field of declamation ! Such was the opinion of a great master of eloquence, w r ho for many years, and by experience and obser- vation, had the best opportunity of forming a correct judgment of the matter. 8. A profusion of ornament, and an evident straining after more, at the risk, as Herbert observes, of " Catching the sense at two removes," has been mistaken for eloquence by some superficial persons ; even the greatest absurdities have, carried the palm when so adorned. Common sense is, frequently, too homely an endow- ment for such a style, unless " decked up to the very taste of flesh and blood," and beyond it, like the poor lady, who, in her hurry, so mismanaged her rouge as to mistake her nose, forehead, and ears for her cheeks ! Or like the lady in her hoops, who tempted the simple-hearted waiting-maid to exclaim, " Madam, is all that yourself? " Common sense will hardly do for some, unless transformed into uncommon sense! If attended with uncommon usefulness, one might bid it " God speed," but alas ! CHAPTER XL PULPIT ELOQUENCE. My dear sir, people have little time ^^JCa as inclination to think of it, during preaching — the «*?S^7 usual time to form an opinion ! Conscience is too busy within them to allow it ; at least this is the preacher's aim ! Their salvation is more desired than their admiration. This fact can hardly escape the transitory hearer, who seldom leaves without feeling some stirrings of conscience ; hence it is no uncommon thing to hear of offence having been taken, and dislike, and determination to " go there no more " — expressed in various ways. Could you see the letters he receives almost daily, you could better realize all this. The panorama of new faces presented nightly in our congregations tell a story, for they do not usually enlarge ; but, had all continued to come who have showed themselves here the last four weeks, two or three chapels would have been insufficient, ere this, to have held them. There will be a reflux by aud by, when they get over their huff, or when it is found conscience cannot be silenced. Amen ! I have been thinking lately of what is recorded of some of our Lord's hearers, who, after one of his discourses, ex- claimed, "This is a hard saying; who can hear it?" And what next ? " Many from that time went back and walked no 70 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. more with him." No longer acknowledged him either as the Messiah, or their teacher, and ceased to wait upon his minis- try. A fear of losing hearers is a great temptation to unfaith- fulness in the pulpit. Many a good revival has been prevented by a change in the style of a preacher, through fear of men. So greatly had our Lord's hearers diminished, in consequence of the discourse referred to, he mournfully inquired of his dis- ciples, " Will ye also go away ? " But did he soften the truth after that, or flinch from its faithful utterance ? No. Among those of his hearers who remained was Judas, the traitor. The abyss was near over which he was so soon to plunge. Truth must utter a warning voice, whether it gave offence to others besides Judas, or not. " Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil ? " It is seldom a faithful ministry is long without some such causes of humiliation, and comfort. But when rightly viewed, he may enjoy much secret satisfaction in the thought of having the honor of being as his Master with regard to a diminished congregation, in consequence of a faith- ful declaration of the truth ! But to proceed : A friend of mine defined eloquence to be " a round and flowing style ; " but much of what you have heard here lately, and which you hav^ so kindly approbated, has been abrupt and impulsive ; fragmentary, indeed, and an- gular as broken flints ! which those who are fond of oratorical grace and beauty, to say nothing of their sins, are never likely to admire. At any rate, I find it good and convenient to take this into the account ; and if the contrary occurs after presum- ing upon such a style, one is agreeably disappointed. This style, it cannot be denied, is usually wanting in smoothness, roundness, stateliness, softness, cadence, and — what not ! There PULPIT ELOQUENCE. 71 is a style, soft, insinuating, and flowery, which frequently bears away the palm ; descriptive, too, as a picture gallery, full of figures which appear before the eye of the mind as if they fed on roses, and were dressed to the verge of foppery ! and when set off with the necessary accompaniments in the orator, which he is not likely to forget, in tones, looks, and gestures, is highly fascinating. Rocks are never thrown down by such ele- ments ! (Nahum i. 6.) Nor is it likely God often points to it, saying as of old, " Is not my word like as a fire, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces." (Jer. xxiii. 29.) I say nothiug against a pictorial style of preaching, if nat- ural, easy, appropriate, and not carried to excess, and the preacher has a genius for it. It is a species of painting. It is like putting his sentiments in dress ; a method, so to speak, of giving a kind of visibility, color, and substance to his ideas. And if those sentiments or ideas are of themselves suitable to inform the judgment and assist the conscience, or to excite hope, or fear, or love, such illustrations greatly increase their power. I know a successful preacher who frequently adopts this style in the fervor of his appeals, and with considerable effect. Nothing against this style, if to all this be added " strength of sentiment, and weight of matter ; " otherwise, he may be worthy of as much attention and patience as he who endeavors to render floating gossamer pictorial. There is also a lofty, showy, diffusive style, sonorous in words and sentences, with a manifest straining after tinsel and brilliancy — which some consider eloquent. He who wins reputation and popularity by that, the great public will expect to maintain it. This has destroyed many. Passion is the fountain of eloquence ; and the warmer the 72 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. fountain the better, if the people are not to be convinced only, but melted and moved. Real eloquence is but the expression of the heart's enthusiasm ; it is the language of the heart and its passions, and, in proportion to their warmth, it is apt to be vivid, broken, and impetuous. '• But here again the danger lies " to reputation for a certain style of eloquence ! " The hottest springs send forth their waters by ebullitions" says an old Christian writer on prayer. ' The simile applies to the subject on hand. It suggests the idea of abruptness and irregularity of sentences, at least ; not very friendly withal to that flowing elocution which won for an orator those graceful lines : " Eloquence, obedient to his call, Sailed down his flow of words with swan-like pride 1 " No swans are ever seen among the rapids of Montmorency ! To return to the old writer's simile : The waters projected from hot springs, though they may be useful and have their medical qualities (like the style of pulpit speech we have been speaking of), yet they are never expected to discourse the elo- quence of a Niagara, or to exhibit the flowing majesty of the Rhine or the Hudson. To one capable of the higher flights of eloquence, but who adopts more generally a humbler style for the sake of useful- ness, there may be some little sacrifice, perhaps ; if of vanity and pride, the better it will be, unquestionably, both for him- self and for his hearers. Ah ! sir, motive, right, conscientious motive, renders all that sort of thing easy enough ! Give me PULPIT ELOQUENCE. 73 a ivarm heart, burning with love and sympathy for poor hell- exposed sinners, and there is no difficulty in persuading oneself to adopt both matter and manner to effect the purposes of the heart. And when the results are visible — when " the slain of the Lord" and the healed, and the saved are many, there is an income of joy, gladness, and satisfaction to «the heart, which eloquence has never yet realized from mere popular applause ! That kind of preaching which usually wins the title of elo- quence is, somehow, singularly unsuccessful in the awakeniug and conversion of sinners. At the same time we are ac- quainted with plain men, whom nobody considers eloquent, and sinners are being constantly saved under their ministry. Why is this ? Is it because the orator, by absorbing the admi- ration of the sinner, diminishes in the same proportion the power of conscience to exercise its functions ? Or, that the themes upon which he expatiates are not suitable to stir the conscience, or plant conviction in the heart ? Far be it from me to express lightly of good elocution, which is simply a good delivery — the power to express one's thoughts with elegance and beauty, and in a clear and convincing manner. And what is this, after all, but pure and simple eloquence ! But, with regard to those " arts of rhetoric," etc., etc., which your friends admire so much in certain of their great orators, they are unfit for this service. With all due respect, they would be as unsuitable to him who would bring down scores of hitherto hardened sinners to their knees to cry for mercy, as Saul's armor was to David when he would encounter the giant of Gath ! He preferred his sling, a few stones from the brook, and his simple faith and trust in the power of God ! And so do we in the matter of preaching ; fragmentary, fre- 74 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. quently, as pebbles, and sharp as the angles of flint, yet it does wonderful execution among sinners. Perhaps, as in the case of the stripling David, this style, more than that which is adorned by the graces of elocution, necessitates the faith which certainly does impart the overcoming power ! All these things, my excellent friend, have been pondered long, and well, years ago. Eloquence ! according to the standard of some ? Ah, no ! no pretensions to aught else than plain honesty of thought, purpose, and expression. Nothing more ! Cold enough, indeed, at times, and vehement. What- ever name the style may go by, for I have none for it myself — although vexed hearers and troubled sinners have given it names enough, some of which have not been very flattering to personal vanity, I assure you — yet, I cannot deny, that like the rod of Moses on the rock at Horeb, it has drawn water wherever it has touched ! has opened the flood-gates of sacred sympathy — sympathy with scenes on Calvary ; with revival scenes ; despairing sinners, how they found their way into the bleeding arms of a dear Redeemer! — the tempted believer, how he gained the victory over the tempter, while he held up the blood of the Lamb as a shield, and used the sword of the Spirit in the fight ! — sympathy with death- bed scenes, with faith triumphant even under the overshadow- ing wings of death ; sympathy with the dying sinner passing the dark and mortal vale, the horrifying night of death closing fearfully around him, and death himself pressing so heavily upon his senses as to prevent the message of salvation from penetrating to his departing spirit ; sympathy with scenes of unbelief and despair — with souls perishing in hell ; or borne on angels' wings upward through opening gates into an eternal PULPIT ELOQUENCE. 75 Paradise! Ay! so have we seen this sympathy increasing before us every moment, till one general outcry told us of ap- proaching victory ! till hearts of stone melted and flowed as fountains of penitential sorrow ; and better yet, oh ! wondrous change ! flowed on in streams of love to God and man, spark- ling with joy and gladness, and full of the light and sunshine of heaven ! With such scenes as these attending the word preached, I give care to the winds as to what spectators may think about the preacher's style or manner. This is all I have to say at present. CHAPTER XII. THOUGHTS ON PULriT STYLE, CONTINUED. ) ) ^lCNQUIRIES, such as yours, are never offensive. They iTOp? are always interesting, because the subjects of them *jjjk£$ so nearly concern our Redeemer's kingdom, espe- cially with regard to the good which our young' friend may yet accomplish for Him, and the importance of right views upon the subject of preaching. I am greatly pressed for time. When the matter of "pulpit style" has had a thought, it has called forth, I confess, such a feeling of oppress- ive humiliation, that the subject has been gratefully dropped ; grateful to my gracious Lord and Master, for his great con- descension in accepting and blessing such poor and defective efforts to the salvation of sinners ; and taking the liberty, though feeling very unworthy to do so, of cheering my heart by a consideration of that sweet apology of St. Paul : " And my speech, and my preaching, was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power : that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.'''' In the latter clause of this confession, or apology, he gives us his motives for so doing. If you will consult the first verse of the chapter (1 Cor. ii. 1), you will learn yet more ; that when he visited the city of Corinth, the idea that an eloquent preacher had come among them was the THOUGHTS OX PULPIT STYLE. 77 furthest from his thoughts ; or that he had any intention of using those arts of rhetoric which might win him that title ; or, indeed, that he had been led, during his stay among them, to fancy at any time that the people thought him eloquent. " And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling." Blessed man! " Determined not to know any- thing among " them " save Jesus Christ and him crucified." Whatever other temptation he had, it seems he had none to spiritual pride on account of his oratory, or from the people extolling him on that account, or because of their withholding the honor which he considered due to his oratorical powers. Oh ! for more of Paul's spirit, exemplified in the preachers of the present day ! How ought it to fill one with shame, to be conscious of a different spirit ! That alone should be enough to make one tremble before God, whether in or out of the pulpit. Every preacher, I suppose, forms some opinion regarding his own style or manner of enforcing truth from the pulpit. If it happen that he stumbles upon the idea that he is eloquent, w r hen his hearers have formed a very different opinion, it may become a source of considerable unhappiness and disorder of temper. This I can say, sir : if I have never thought highly of my own elocution, I have of that of others. There is a true and sanctified eloquence, as there is that which is falsely so called. How often, like bees on roses, have I, with others, hung upon the lips of eloquence, saying in our hearts — ' l Blest Jesus, what delicious fare ! How sweet thine entertainments are ! Never did angels taste above Redeeming grace and dying love ! ' 78 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. There are eloquent souls in this world, who, though unblest with a high order of eloquence themselves, have genius for it; such are the first to discover in a speaker " this breeze of nature stirring in the soul ! " for the breeze reaches them soon as it begins to stir, and soon they are all alive with emotion and eloquence within ! Do you understand me ? If we had more of these in our congregation, there would be finer and more frequent outbursts of this sort of eloquence. A dull spirited and frigid audience are seldom favored with it; they possess an atmosphere of frigidity, which chills it, or kills it, or drives it out of the pulpit. Their looks are enough ! It is not often I have an opportunity of hearing some of my gifted brethren ; but the privilege is sometimes allowed me. Oh ! but I do love to sit and listen when "the breeze of nature" and of grace is stirring in the God-sent messenger! when the intellect, " large-thoughted, and up to the mark of the fearless and clear truth," and scattering around it its rich thoughts, as the tree its fruit by the breezes of autumn ! — re- joicing one's heart to perceive that Israel has yet her "people- leaders" as the Athenians tenned their great orators ; princes of the human intellect, as Edward Irving called them ; lights of the world, walking in the high places of the understanding; the commanding spirits of the times, clothed with intelligence, as with a garment — bestirring themselves like angels, and like arch-angels strong — " Who shed great thoughts As easily as an oak looseneth its golden leaves In a kindly largess to the soil it grew on — Whose rich, dark ivy thoughts, sunnd o'er with love, Flourish around the deathless stem of their manes — THOUGHTS ON PULPIT STYLE. 79 "Whose names are ever on the world's tongue, Like sounds upon the falling force — Whose words, if winged, are with angels' wings — "Who play upon the heart, as on a harp — Whose hearts have a look southward, and are open To the whole noon of nature ! " That quaint proverb of the ancients, a friend of mine some- times applies to preaching : " Many things go to the making of all things." It is so in nature, and also in art, and why should it not be so in preaching? In a soul-saving style it is always so ; that, like Nature, always seems to abhor a same- ness, and prefers variety ! I am partial to that style of which one speaks so charmingly, call it by what name you please, which, he says, " possesses some peculiar charm, which fasci- nates the soul into forgetfulness of either languors or labors, and which sweetly prevents their minds straying away out of doors in sighing weariness to the fighting world or storms of life without." Ay ! and fonder of it still, if there be that in it to lead poor sinners captive at its will, and bring them all bro- ken and weeping to the Friend of sinners ! I believe also with Mr. Jay, that "all eloquence in the pulpit, which does not arise from feeling, and produce it, is as sounding brass and tink- ling cymbal ! " and I am of the same opinion as Seneca, though I will not despise an elegant physician, yet will I not think myself much happier for his adding eloquence to his healing art ! But I must hasten, as other duties call. " A polished style of speech is pleasing and attractive, of course, as it shows the beauties and capabilities of our language. I like to hear it, if it seem natural and easy, and free from constraint and stiffness 80 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. — simplicity is the word; and when immediate effect has not been polished out of it. If the awakening and conversion of sinners, or a baptism of fire upon the souls of listening be- lievers, attend it, success to it ! But if these are sacrificed to it, as is too frequently the case, God forbid I should say so, if success is to mean it shall become popular, so as to be adopted by our young preachers I A style may be polished until cold to iciness, and too bright withal for the radiation of Gospel heat: you know my mean- ing ! Have you never noticed that the darker and rougher the sides and bed of a fire-place are, the more heat is radiated through the room ; and the more bright, polished, and lustrous such places are, the less heat is thrown out around ? This is a fireside fact, and in accordance with a law of nature with which you may have formed some acquaintance, and which we cannot very well alter. May it not illustrate a pulpit fact, also, that a rough and out-of-the-way style, other things being equal, will radiate more Gospel heat and life through a congregation, than a highly polished and finished style of utterance ? This holds good in nine cases out of ten, account for it as you may. Perhaps the consciousness of the fact of the unpolished char- acter of the address of the former may lead him to greater earnestness to have the heavenly fire superadded ; while the latter may be tempted to rely more upon his polished style for effect, than upon supernatural influence. Those who are so happy as to combine both in their pulpit ministrations, are usually the most successful preachers. The' Rev. Rowland Hill used to say of some sermons he heard, " They remind me of a hailstorm upon pantiles ; they make a deal of noise, but produce no impression." On an- THOUGHTS OX PULPIT STi'LE. 81 other occasion he said, "I don't like those mighty fine preach- ers, who so beautifully round off all their sentences that they are sure to roll off the sinner's conscience ! " He added, that the out-of-the-way style of preaching was the best sort of preaching, for catching those who are out of the way. Dean Miller once was heard to exclaim, " It is this slop-dash preach- ing, say what they will, that does all the good." The good sense of your friend cannot fail to appreciate these remarks. And now a few hints for the judgment of your other friends. It is with some preachers, as with real %)oet$ : "The native ba/rds first plunged the deep, Before the artful dared to leap ! " For my part I cannot keep a thought back till it freezes, or loses all courage before it leaves the heart ; turning it round and round, arming it merely with caution, and "dressing it up, as if to sell," as the Spaniard remarked. No ! but out with it, full of heart, courage, fire, and jagged as a farmer's harrow ! " Rough and ready " is a good motto for some occasions. The lesson which Campbell, the poet, received from Lord Jeffrey, I have no vanity in saying, was rendered useful to me, with regard to pulpit style. The great critic observed: "I have another fault to charge you with in private, for which I ain more angry than all the rest : your timidity, or fastidiousness, or some other knavish quality, will not let you give your con- ceptions glowing, and bold, and powerful, as they present themselves; but you must chasten, refine, and soften them, forsooth, till half their nature and grandeur is chiselled away from them." Ay ! mark that ! was my reflection. Shall I go on chastening, refining, and softening my thoughts and sen- 4* 82 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. tences, until they are capable of making as much impression upon the mind and conscience of my hearer, as a lump of putty flung against a marble statue ! Nay ! rather, henceforth, let me be another " electric rod," as the poet hints : " A lure for lightning feelings ; and his words Felt like things that fall in thunder ! " In the mean time, how necessary for such an one to walk with God ; to delight in God ; to enjoy private, personal re- ligion, and purity of motive, and an entire devotion to His will ! to be able to say always, and to constantly appeal unto the Lord of hosts, even Jesus Christ, in secret, for the truth and reality of it : " Thou my all ! My theme ! my inspiration ! and my crown 1 My strength in age ! my rise in low estate ! My soul's ambition, pleasure, wealth ! my world ! My light in darkness ! and my life in death ! My boast through time ! bliss through eternity ! My sacrifice ! my God ! — what things are these ! " Then, whether the word be clothed with terror or winged with love ; whether like the clouds, the lightning, the thunder, and falling rain-drops of the predicted storm that warned Noah and his family into the ark, and signalized the vengeance that swept a careless world away ; or mild and gentle as the tones and sweet allurements which won back again into the ark the dove of the deluge ; or comforting and assuring as the bow of promise to the terror-stricken and desolate ; or sweet and soft as the tones of Jesus to the weary and heavy laden, " Come unto me, and I will give you rest " — Jesus Christ in all things is glorified, to the glory of God the Father. Amen. CHAPTER XIII. DEFENDS HIS METHOD OF PREACHING. W feE stranger believes he could preach without dis- turbing anybody, if he could make up his mind, to *& P use a figure of Dr. Adam Clarke, to be " harmless as a chicken, and fruitless as an oyster ! " This he cannot do ; so he and others must bear the consequences, I suppose. The state of the people he knows, and the truth most suitable to them ; better, certainly, than certain " critics of good preach- ing," who come and go at their convenience, and have little opportunity of knowing their spiritual wants, and as little dis- position to inquire. He converses with hundreds, of them every week regarding their religious state. It is plain, there- fore, he is a better judge of the treatment which they require. Some are sin-sick and in deep distress, and need medicines, such as some of my critics, I fear, know not how to prescribe or apply. Sin and an angry conscience have inflamed others, and such are sadly predisposed to a high degree of irritation, and nothing pleases them : even "halfway truths go but halfway down, and hard at that," as one has remarked ; so that they fiud it of little use to go elsewhere. " Something warm is better than lukewarm," they think, but the stranger's " extreme measures " are intoler- able. Nevertheless, he thinks the old doctor's motto may not be amiss, even in pulpit practice : " Mild diseases require mild 84 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. medicines, and violent diseases violent remedies." What, doc- tor, kill or cure remedies ? " Oh no ! not that ; but a strong- disorder needs a strong remedy to cope with it, and, when it evidently seeks to kill our patient, Ave must seek to kill it. If it beats the remedy, the patient dies — that's all." Ay, but if the battle between the two destroy the patient, doctor ? " And what of that ? We cannot stand by and see a man die, when we honestly believe we have the medicine that will cure him." We preachers have the advantage over you physicians, doctor. " In what ? " Oh ! only in this, that if we can only persuade our spiritual patients to take the remedies we are authorized to prescribe, they infallibly cure. Now that the matter is before us, you may as well take a larger view of our responsibility. There are souls in our midst who are entirely in that state which the Lord God has so fear- fully and graphically described in the first chapter of the prophecy of Isaiah, where he declares that " the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint ; from the sole of the foot, even unto the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores?" 1 Such is the state of many a poor sinner's soul in our midst. And some of them, alas ! by their own confession, are " past feeling." We know the truth, however, that is likely to make them feel ; but I assure you, my friends, it requires courage here to apply it as faithfully and plentifully as these awful cases demand. Salt will make a w r ound smart. Certain truths are like salt ; and they need not only to be sprinkled upon the corrupt sinner, but rubbed into his wounds. Satan has prepared such to be a burnt offering in hell. He only waits permission to carry them off, which has not yet been given ; because — and blessed be God for the DEFENDS HIS METHOD OF PREACHING. 85 grace ! — it has not been said of these, as of the house of Eli, " The iniquity shall not be purged icith sacrifice nor offering nor every But, as it is written, " Thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin" that is, Jesus. All are commanded to pre- sent their bodies and souls as " living sacrifice to God, holy and acceptable." These are neither holy nor acceptable, but we are not without hope they may be. If " a holy priesthood" are we not called " to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God, by Jesus Christ?" We would offer these poor sinners to God, in the name of the great " sin offering " once offered. Ay, but repentance and faith in Christ are demanded in the Gospel, without which the offer of them to God will meet with a sure rejection. They must be made to see and to feel their wretched condition. No timid application of truth is likely to effect this ; no, nor every, or any sort of truth. I was struck the other clay with that command of God in Lev. i. 1 3 : " And every oblation of thy meat-offering shalt thou season with salt ; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat-offering : ivith all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt." Ay ! I thought, truth is the salt with which, in our dispensation, these sinners must be sprinkled, ere we presume to offer them for acceptance upon God's altar, even Jesus Christ. And knowing well the quality of the salt required, I commenced the work of sprinkling that corruption with it ; ay, and to rub it in, until the preacher sweat again. It is this, be it known unto you, that has caused most of all the trouble — " this muss," as some are pleased to call it ! And here let me tell you that it is to a deficiency of this salt, or the want of a courageous and laborious application of 86 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. it to the diseased souls of sinners, we may trace the superficial character of some revivals, and their transitory effects. Too frequently the wounds made by sin have been closed prema- turely, without having been properly laid open again by " the sword of the Sprit." Those " wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores " have been closed, and bound up too soon. The oil has been applied before the salt, or without. Unless such sores are thoroughly opened in the work of true repentance, and penetrated to the lowest depths by this salt — the living, searching, penetrating truth of God — they will fester and be- come bad again, or worse than ever. May God help us to apply the salt faithfully and unsparingly, " Let men exclaim, or fiends repine ! " My figures may not be altogether agreeable to some per- sons of refinement and taste ; I cannot help it ; they are scriptural, and I am not ashamed of them, no more than I am of the Gospel of Christ, which offers a remedy for every wound that sin has made. A caution just here. Do not be alarmed for the "babes in Christ." A little salt of truth will do them no harm; better get used to it in the beginning ; it will make them healthy and vigorous, and less susceptible of evil influences. It is hinted in Ezek. xvi. 4, that new-born children were rubbed with salt, which made them, doubtless, renew the cry with which they came into the world ; nevertheless, it was doubtless designed the better to prepare them for their new mode of existence. We must salt these babes in Christ, though we have a cry for it — even at the risk of some friends supposing them quite spoiled of all good, and all but driven out of their senses. They will DEFENDS HIS METHOD OF PREACHING. 87 make all the better Christians by-and-by. It is for the want of this timely and plentiful application of the salt of truth that so many grow up to be so puny and delicate that they are good for nothing in the church, and cannot bear pulpit faith- fulness. * Besides, many are not only " in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity," but are bitter against Christians. They resemble the fountains of Jericho, which required sweetening ; but nobody knew how to go about it till the prophet Elisha came along. All complained that the waters were not fit to drink. The prophet required a new vessel, just as the stranger among you needed a new sermon, and a new method of appli- cation for the occasion ! The prophet put salt in the new ves- sel, went to the springs, and cast into them the salt ; when, I suppose, many were ready to exclaim, " The water is brackish and bitter enough already, without adding salt to it ; why apply a remedy so contrary to the effect which we desire to have produced?" Possibly we may imagine Elisha's reply: " That the finger of God may be seen ! Nothing short of the miraculous power of God can heal these waters ; and if they are healed by casting into them this salt, the miracle will be the more evident to every one." So in went the salt, and- a declaration came forth from heaven : " Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters ; " and the historian bore record, " So the waters were healed unto this dayP (2 Kings ii. 19, 20.) We must not be sparing of the salt in question, although at first it may seem to increase the opposition of sinners. Jesus says of us, " Ye are the salt of the earth ; not the honey of the earth I What a relief had he said so, and given 88 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. us instruction how to become so ! How much persecution it had saved us ! for such honied lips would have received many kisses from the world ! Kisses instead of hisses, praise instead of blows, and smiles in the place of frowns ! Agreeable ex- change ! Ay, but our old corrupt world needs the salt to keep it from putrefying ! And as for the salt itself, neither hisses, blows, nor frowns can affect its qualities, though I would not vouch as much for the kisses ! Salt may waste itself in melt- ing, as well as sugar. Both the church and the world have wounds to be healed, and there is much " proud flesh" to be reduced and removed. But the salt that makes it smart may bring smarting to the Salter ! Again our Lord says, " Ye are the light of the loorld" — not the darkness of the world ! Had it been so, the followers of Jesus had escaped many a blow and much sorrow. He hinted as much when he said, " He that doeth evil hateth the light " — ay ! and the light-gicers also ! That was a shrewd remark of one, " Some men live by their sins as the mechanic by his trade." It is a rule with such to hate the light ; but policy may restrain or dictate an ingenious method of venting the hatred, without exposing the ■cause, or that even such hatred exists. I have noticed this, and marvelled at the simplicity of some in allowing such credit for what they did not possess. It sometimes, however, takes the form of open skepticism. If lacking in brains or informa- tion, such become very irritable and offensive when closely pressed. It requires much genius to defend themselves from the simple but convincing evidences of Christianity, and the strokes of conscience as well. The state of both is pitiable. DEFENDS* HIS METHOD OF PREACHIXO. 89 A good conscience needs no alliance with bad principles. A holy life needs no such backers. A garland of thistles is a poor exchange for a wreath of flowers. Guilt and uneasi- ness are inseparable, and in the end wretchedness and anguish ; not so much from the actions of others as from its own reflec- tions. Sin provides for its own punishment, which always proceeds from the sinner himself. There is no point of truth more clearly supported by Scripture than this. He spoke feel- ingly and truly who said there is no possibility of reasoning ourselves out of our own experience, or of laughing down a principle woven so closely into the make and frame of our natures. "Reason and conscience," he added, "put forth their dictates concerning virtue and vice, and they are plain and perfectly intelligible ; and no one can do violence to them without incurring discomposing and afflicting thoughts; just as a wound will raise a smart in the flesh that receives it. Re- pentance and pardon, through faith in Christ, heal the wound ; and when once healed, such thoughts and reflections pass awaijP Let the awakened sinner know that it is only that which satisfied eternal justice on Calvary, can satisfy that awakened conscience in his breast ! The law of God could not be appeased until it had nailed the Lawgiver to the tree ; nor can the law-breaker's conscience be pacified until faith unites it to the great atonement for the sins of the world. Rest assured of this, O thou troubled sinner! Herb, nor fruit, nor leaf was found- in all the garden of Eden that could heal the wound made by sin in the conscience of Adam. Nor does there grow in all the gardens of morality, nor upon all the commons of infidelity, any remedy for a wounded 90 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. conscience. That, awakened man ! which healed mine was found growing near the cross, and yet so near the hand of faith that it could be reached. It was my sovereign remedy, and effected a complete cure. Glory be to God! Amen. CHAPTER XIV. A BOW TO THE CRITICS. IGN-REQUIRERS and wisdom-seekers were St. Paul's ' annoyers. "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom ; " — yet, he went on preach- ing " Christ crucified," though a stumbling-block to one class, and foolishness to the other. So he tells us. Im- mediately follow those very strong and startling expressions, " Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men ; and the weakness of God is stronger than men " — in defence of the wisdom of God, in employing means apparently so weak for the accomplishment of effects so mighty as were witnessed. The allusion is glanced at with modesty and deference, yet not altogether without cause. The stranger is happy in being allowed of God to "preach Christ crucified' 1 '' also, though not without weakness and various imperfections. The effects must speak for themselves. The wisdom of this world, which glories in its instrumentalities, would have chosen differently, doubtless. But God has said, " My glory will not I give to another.'''' Twice does he say so by the same prophet. He will give us almost anything else, rather than his glory — his love, his beauty, his holiness, his eternity — will even share his heaven with us; but he will not part with his glory. God secures his own glory in choosing " weak things " to confound 92 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. the might}' ; and " things which are despised, and things ivhich are not, to bring to nought the things that are? An- other reason for this choice, is plainly declared in the follow- ing verse, " That no flesh should glory in his presence." (1 Cor. i. 27, 28.) These are comforting facts to the weak and hnmble. But to the point. The lesson was profitable. My am- bition, however, runs not in that direction ; at least not so high, and for widely different purposes. This, when I explain, may throw light upon those pauses, when, instead of ad- vancing upon the summits of successive climaxes, " where eloquence might afford to thunder among the Alps of thought," the intellect expends its strength in the vale, "among the humblest themes." "When addressing my fellow-men upon the concerns of the soul, I desire three things : First, to speak so as to be perfectly understood by every one. Second, to make the people feel that which they understand ; and thirdly, to persuade them to embrace heartily that which they know and feel to be truth, with regard to their duty to God, to themselves, and to one another. I have no time for other work, much less for climbing away up there ; lest my God should put. it to me as he did to Elijah on Horeb, " What doest thou here, Elijah I " Having less excuse than the prophet, I might not come off so well ! My apology, to another is this — for I always wish to stand well with my hearers, if possible : Had I " written and read" my discourses, since my arrival in the country, my credit for correctness and elegance might, perhaps, have approached nearer to your standard of excellence. But if at the loss of effectiveness, the church of God would not have been much the A BOW TO THE CRITICS. 93 gamer; besides loss of credit with the angels, by depriving them of a portion of their usual joy over repenting sinners, which I would not like to do. (Luke xv. 10.) A moment or two since, I used that safe little word, " perhaps" and for a reason. My temperament, which is ardent, would, most likely, have hurried my thoughts and language off the track and over those paper fences — like those sheep the other day, which at a bound possessed themselves of a better pasturage than the fences indicated ! or, like a whole herd of thirsty deer in the Western world, rushing across the wilderness like a whirlwind, attracted by the voice of many waters from the far away cataract to windward ! When the wind blows from Calvary, the headlong soul which God has lodged within me rushes forth, with all its affections and powers, over all the hedges and ditches of rhetor- ical precision and propriety, to be there, where I have been many a time ; where twenty sentences, spoken under the influ- ences of the cross, have done more to bless and to save, than scores and hundreds of them, read or spoken far off from that great central point of power and salvation ; — where, and oh ! how often, have I stood in adoring wonder, beholding the effect of Jesus set forth and crucified for the sins of the world; — and how a view of that atoning death has brought life and sal- vation where all was death before ; — and many a saved sinner's cheeks bathed in tears — vividly illustrating those sweet verses once more : " I saw one hanging on the tree In agonies and blood, Who fix'd his languid eyes on me, As near his cross I stood. 4* 94 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. " Sure never till my latest breath Will I forget that look ; He seem'd to charge me with his death, Though not a word he spoke. u My conscience felt and own'd the guilt, And plunged me in despair ; I saw my sins his blood had spilt, And help'd to nail him there. ." Alas ! I knew not what I did, But now my tears are vain ; Where shall my trembling soul be hid ? For I the Lord have slain. " A second look he gave, which said, I freely all forgive ; This blood is for thy ransom paid ; I die that thou may'st live. " Thus, while his death my sin displays In all its blackest hue, (Such is the mystery of grace,) It seals my pardon too. " With pleasing grief and mournful joy My spirit now is fill'd, That I should such a life destroy, Tet live by him I kill'd." Oh, but " Christ crucified " is a wonderful theme ! There is nothing like it for melting, moving, swaying, persuading, winning a congregation. Other things may move and melt a little ; but, for deep and permanent effect, nothing can equal A BOW TO THE CRITICS. 95 the scenes of Calvary — and so capable are they of being seen from almost innumerable positions, and under such a variety of lights ! It is a pity, owing somewhat to a variety of mat- ters which some suppose have a claim upon the pulpit, that these things should be preached so sparingly ; surely, at least, on every sacramental occasion. And yet, on such occasions, I have listened to sermons from which could not be gathered, from first to last, a single intimation that the " Last SujJper " was to be celebrated at the close — the white cloth covering " the communion service " and sacred memorials, being the only remembrancer. It is as if some were tempted to think that u Christ crucified " would, like other themes, " wear out,' 1 and become insipid and ineffectual by frequent repetition. This cannot be ; the nature of the subject entirely forbids it. Had such but stood beside the stranger^ the other day, and wit- nessed the effect upon a weeping multitude, the unworthy thought would have been banished from the mind. Those unmistakable symptoms of penitential grief and despair which played over that panorama of upturned faces ; the dawnings of hope coming out tremblingly upon those wet cheeks, while Christ was set forth crucified before their eyes, for their sins, even for theirs ; and the sunshine of joy beaming amid their tears, as they believed ; — oh ! how all this proved how all-power- ful are the doctrines of the Cross to awaken the most profound emotions of which the human heart is capable ! I trust God will enable me to hold up the great atoning sacrifice oftener than ever before my congregations. Amen. This is a digression, which my " critical friends " will ex- cuse. But to return to subjects in question. Preachers differ in their style. It is well, as they have a great variety of 96 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. heai'ers-, of whom, even in Christian countries, they may well say, with Paul, " / am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians ; both to the wise and to the unwise" We have our share, I reckon, in our congregations at ; persons, too, who are well versed in the rules of oratory, and acute in de- tecting blemishes, and, to do them justice, appreciative of any beauties akin to the exalted art. I mean no offence ; but I have had my share of such hearers as the venerable Boston had to complain of, some of whom he compared to sponges, that suck up everything, good or indifferent, without profit ; some to sand-glasses or hour-glasses — what they receive in one ear goes out at the other ; and some hearers be likened to strainers, which let all the good pass, retaining only unpalat- able substances and other dregs, which they exhibit, as oppor- tunities serve, as proofs of their acuteness and usefulness ; others to riddles or sieves — riddles, which hold the chaff and fragments of straw only, letting all the noble grain pass through — sieves, which retain the husks, bran, and other coarse substances, while the flour escapes from them. If any of my present hearers can make the application, some good may come of it; but a preacher who offers such hearers nothing in their way, should hardly be classed among us ordinary mor- tals. ******* " A candle is no star." 1. Admitted: the difference between them is vast, indeed! but not infinite — for a star has a limit both as to bulk and ca- pacity of radiation, as well as a candle ! But if a candle be no star, neither can a star become a candle. Each is good in A BOW TO THE CRITICS. 97 its place ; and many think a candle is often more convenient and useful than a star ! We do not despise the humble candle, though it cannot appear so magnificent as a star ; for there are circumstances, frequently, when the humble candle is more available and necessary than the brightest star that circles round the sun ! — more cheerful and useful, ay, and safer withal as a guide in dark and unsafe places, and a more reliable aid than a star in finding that which may have been lost or mislaid. 2." There are stars in the firmament of the church, such as are called great and magnificent preachers ; and there are can- dles also — plain, humble, useful preachers ; not so brilliant, in- deed, nor so elevated and unapproachable as the stars ; but they may have what the stars have not — heat as well as light I And if work — extra work — is to be done at late hours, and valuables in peril of being lost, or not available in the church's hour of need, those candles may accomplish what stars would never condescend to do ! Men have lost their lives, or gone fearfully and perilously astray, by following the stars — like him who, while gazing up at the stars, fell into the ditch ; while he who allowed himself to be guided by a plain candle, burning in a very humble lantern, passed safely on, though, maybe, he stopped long enough to help the star-gazer out of the ditch ! The day of judgment may declare that such humble and de- spised " candles " have saved more from falling into hell, and guided more souls to heaven, than the brightest " stars." Do you understand me ? 3. Besides, sir, some nights are starless, and a humble light, even in the form of a " candle " in an unpretending lan- tern, is not to be despised. The lantern may not be fashioned after the most approved model or fashionable pattern ; never- 98 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. tlieless, if it give sufficient light to show the right path, detect the slough or the peril, who but a fool or a thief would despise it ! It may even emit a light all the more honest and faithful from its unseemly crevices! And so long as it hangs together, and a "candle" is able to burn within it, it is never likely to become a dark lantern, nor to acquire the art of a magic lan- tern, to give undue magnitude and coloring to tilings ; — plain, honest, faithful, pretensionless, old-fashioned lantern! — like some preachers I know of — nor are they few in number — de- voted, common-sense, ever-to-be-depended-upon servants of God and his church — lights, though little accounted of by the rich and the great, which have guided many wandering feet into " the path of life," and along it into glory and eternal life! 4. So much about the " lantern ; " and now a few more sen- tences in behalf of " the candle that is no star." The Psalmist says, " Thou wilt light my candle; the Lord my God will en- lighten my darkness." And so he did, doubtless, by which, as he soon after remarked, he was able to "run through a troop, and leap over a wall / " AVho can say that this candle has not been lighted by the living God to show you your peril? to apprise you of a startling nearness to the brink of the pit that is bottomless, toward which you have been approaching in the dark ? Think of that ! For you may find it to have been fact when you reach eternity. 5. Solomon named the spirit of man the candle of the Lord — a candle which he himself lights up by his Spirit, by which he searches the souls of others, and by which conscience is assisted to do its office. Nor did Job despise the figure of a candle, when speaking of the Lord's dealings with him : " When A BOW TO THE CEITICS. 99 his candle skirted upon my head, and when by his light I toalked through darkness." And does not God himself predict that lie would " search Jerusalem," not with " stars," but with "candles" (Zeph. i. 12), in order that he might "punish the men that are settled on their lees ; that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil" P Jesus compares the gifts and graces of the Spirit, and the manner in which he would have them exhibited, to a lighted candle in a candlestick, giving light unto all that are in the house (Mark v. 15). And is it not written of one of the plagues of spiritual Babylon, " the light of a candle shall no more shine at all in thee " ? (Rev. xviii. 23.) You perceive, then, I have no reason to be ashamed of your figure — seeing it is one of honor, selected by the Lord himself, ages before you were born ! CHAPTER XV. DEALING WITH UNEASY CONSCIENCES. 'Wfr ^ Bible ! It is not only "a singular book," my " un- -r!^l easy friend" but a wonderful book ! Turn which way ^* J? P you will, whether in criticising or sinning, and you may well say, " It is sure to have a catch upon one ! " Just so ! And you are not the first discoverer of that fact, by millions. Well for you that you have made the discovery within the boundaries of time, where mistakes may be rectified. The laws, — " deci- sions and influences" (if you will) — of the Bible, like the uni- versal law of gravitation, take hold on everything, act upon everything. There is no escaping. What must they be in eternity ! The vindication there of these will be either terrible or glorious. In this life you may determine which it shall be in the life to come. Indeed, sir, you can hardly accent a sentence or syllable on the subject of religion and morals, without being beholden to the Bible for part of it, or some word to help you out. It may show, also, how intimately all our religious impressions are interwoven with its language. And now, if I may refer again to the " candle and the star," in my remarks this forenoon, suffer the word of exhortation. Despise not the humble " can- dle," for it may have been lighted by the breath of heaven for this very purpose : either to search thy heart, or to guide thee DEALING WITH UNEASY CONSCIENCES. 101 through the darkness. Happy for thee, if, like Abijah of old, there is found in thee " some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel.' 1 '' Amen. Upon one point I agree with you, and heartily detest the spirit of the thing, as much as you possibly can do ; while I pity the man who allows himself, for the sake of a fat salary, and an easy, honorable position, to be so necessitated. It was so in the days of the devoted Baxter. "The minister that would stand as an adorned idol, that hurts nobody, touches no sores. Harmless as the notes of an organ, or a tinkling cym- bal, that will tickle the fancy, and make divine worship a kind of religious stage-playing, that is the minister for some."' Do you know of many or any of our preachers so circumstanced ? If so, you will agree with me, they are of all men most inex- cusable; such is the absolute nature of our itineracy, that in the short space of a couple of years or so they are sure to be removed, in accordance with discipline, into another field of labor. I would express a similar hope regarding the ministers of most other denominations in the land. But how is it that, while you cannot behold such a character without adding to your '' doubts regarding the truth of religion itself," you are so dissatisfied with a humble preacher who takes exactly the opposite course ? — who, instead of tickling the fancy with straws, attacks the conscience, and strikes both hard and true, to the laying open of old sores, which ought to have been healed and well years ago, if the proper remedies had been applied ? But the rub may be there ; for your own old sore3 may have been laid open also. How is it? By the way, per- ceive you not your own inconsistency ? A } 7 oung man remarked to his companion on retiring from hearing a heartless and care- 102 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. less preacher : " If that man believes religion to be a reality, is not his spirit and manner disgusting ? " Doubtless you would have agreed with him. But, now that religion is set forth as a glorious and yet terrible reality, the enthusiasm of the preacher would lead you to doubt. Allow me to commend you to the work of self-examination. The "inference" is common among those who have taken a pique against Christians ; and so fallacious is it, that I wonder a person of your understanding should once name it — that all " the brotherhood" deserve to lose the confidence of a commu- nity, because two or three have suffered righteously that calam- ity. As much as to say, because a brace of rogues have been detected at Yorkvillc, the entire population should fall under suspicion. If you are contented to drop your inference, so am I. And why suppose that Christians stand as much in dread of hell as most of their unprofessing neighbors? Suppose they do, and are trying faithfully to live so as to keep out of it, are they to be despised for that ? Sincerity is pretty evident, is it not? They are commanded in Scripture to fear Him who has power to cast into hell. Allow me to commend to your consideration that question proposed many years ago by the pious Pascal : "Which, I pray you, has most cause to be afraid of hell — one that is under ignorance whether there be a hell or not, or another who is certainly persuaded there is a hell, but is encouraged to hope that he shall be delivered from having his part in it ? " What reply is rife through this 'audience ? I need not declare what your countenances so evidently proclaim. What thinkest thou ? Come, dear sir, let me persuade you to " make your own call- ing and election sure ! " It is written, " Every man shall bear DEALING WITH UNEASY CONSCIENCES. 103 his own burden" Cease, then, to load innocent men with other people's sins. " Judge not, that ye be not judged" is a caution our Lord thought proper to inculcate. It contains a hint sufficient to make the uncharitable heart tremble. Another will please give ear. All you have said only shows that there esq promises in the Bible, as well as threatening and that you prefer the former to the latter. And who would not ? Nor would I deprive you of any comfort therefrom, if you do really believe in your conscience that they apply to yourself, that you are just such a character as a holy and righteous God would lavish such promises upon. But if you have reason, rather, to suspect that his threatenings have a fitter application, then you are but befooling your own soul by "catching" at things which do not belong to you, and never can, unless you become a repenting and believing sinner. Remember, I am not charging you with guilt, but merely, offering you a few friendly hints, which may be of eternal advantage. CHAPTER XVI. RUNNING FIRE. ^y ERY true, sir. It is possible, as one observed, to (?lf choose " a merry way to misery," by winch he meant an easy way to hell — an inexpensive way to perdi- tion ; easy on the purse, but hard on the conscience ; sometimes hard on both. It never has seemed to me either sound policy or good economy to allow the fear of man to stifle the fear of God ; or " to part with a good conscience to save the feelings, the flesh, or the purse ; to leap, as it we*e, into hell, to avoid the foul breath of the scorner." A very foolish and expensive line of business, that ! Burns could tell you "An Atheist's laugh's a poor exchange For Deity offended." Ay, or the laugh of any other thoughtless sinner. Ponder these things. It is no secret, just now, and needs no prophet to declare the end of such men ; that some are trying to drink away their religious convictions ; some to laugh them away, and play them away, and sin them away ; but if rooted fast in their con- science, they may not succeed in any way. It is said the birds of Xorway are of swifter wing than the birds of other nations which have longer seasons and number more hours in their day. Their seasons are short, and days short, all passing so RUNNING FIEE. 105 swiftly away that tliey know by instinct that swiftness of wing is a necessity in all their undertakings to provide foT themselves and for their young. It is thus with the sinners of this land. Seasons of mercy, the day of grace, and opportu- nities to be saved, are headlong, and of short duration. Sin- ners seem aware of it, and, therefore, are swifter and more determined in the race of folly than those of other natious. One would think the contrary ought to be expected, and that the rapidity of their motions should be on the side of religion in every good word and work. My religion and zeal they must consider frail affairs, if they were to be disturbed by those squibs. The smith needs a hand at the bellows, that his fire may burn with an intenser flame ; and a dash of dirty water is a help, which another, less experi- enced, would consider a hindrance. These blasts of contradic- tions only fan the flame of zeal. When God answered by fire on Carmcl, the tivelve barrels of water could not extinguish the flames that arose from an altar there. If this fire does not awaken repentings within them, nor convert, nor purify, they may become as stubble before it, and without ability to " deliver themselves from the power of the flames ." (Isa. xlvii. 14.) Oh ! that it may be otherwise ! By the way, have you forgotten that one of the sacred writers was made " the song of the drunkard, " ? What Satan cannot frown down, nor fling down, he tries to sing down. Let them sing. Our * M songs of Zion " have twenty hearers to their one. Again, know you not that it is written, " The Lord is not slack "? No, neither as regards the fulfilment of His promises nor in the execution of his threatenings. That he is " long-suf- fering " is plainly admitted in the same scripture. How foul 5* 106 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. to call that slackness, which denotes an effect of merer/ upon the motions of justice ! In the passage alluded to, the true cause is given: " JYot willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter iii. 9.) A singular intimation, that, if none eternally perish, or cannot, by any possibility ! It is best for all -of us that justice moves at a leaden pace, as if its feet were lead, while mercy flies on wings to save. But for this, such is the natural tardiness and enmity of man, none could be saved. " Mercy, triumphing over justice, is a tree of life to a world of sinners." But it is a sad sight to see men plucking death from this tree of life. Ay, and descending into hell by its roots, rather than ascend into heaven by its top. Going down to Hell by the same means that saints ascend into heaven. Making the plea of Christ's dying, an excuse for their sinning. God's long-suffering a reason for their long impenitency. The mercy of Heaven, the cause of their misery in hell. Were there no other argument for a devil that helps men to sin, and to direct them the nearest way to hell, these facts would be to me quite convincing. For, although I fully believe in the inherent wickedness of the human heart, I could hardly conceive how otherwise men could be so forsaken of their understanding and conscience, or how these could so lose the control of them. Ah ! sir, a sweeter flower than that of divine mercy never blossomed beneath " the sun of righteous- ness'''' ! It is a honey-flower, for all of a repenting or heaven- born nature. But alas ! vast numbers, wasp-like, suck poison out of it, or that which, by some sort of infernal chemistry (for the want of a better word), is converted into moral poison. However, and a sad thought it is, every finally impenitent sinner finds out at last that God is just, as well as merciful. . BUNKING FIRE. 107 Ho gives time for repentance, and " many a second thought." But when mercy, freely offered, with precious time to accept, become but drugs, God relieves them of both, and lets them have justice and eternity instead ; and, generally at an unexpect- ed hour, when they are neither aware of nor willing for such a change. Ah ! how many of my hearers of past years have been arrested by death, and posted off with very little cere- mony to the scenes of judgment; some of them, alas! like that active business-man, who, feeling his departure to be una- voidable, exclaimed to his physician, " Doctor, I have made every preparation for living, and now I must die, though utterly unprepared for it." Such cases are by no means rare, and sad, sad scenes they are. Beware, sir, that death does not find you in a similar situation. God is represented in the Book of Psalms as " whetting his sioord, bending his bow, and preparing his arrows on the string, against the face of them " — sinners who trifle with his threatenings. And also, as preparing for them " the instru- ments of death.'''' Having called upon them in vain to seek wisdom upon earth, he sends them to learn it in hell. I was struck with the following remark : lt God may say of some of you very soon, ' Seeing they will not be wise upon earth, let them learn to be wise in hell, and let eternal torments teach them.' " Terrible thought ! It must come to that, I suppose, with all sinners who are finally sent from earth to perdition. In this yon may have a glimpse how being may be continued, and not well-being. The distinction is evident, but the terrible demonstrations of it can only be fully known " In the great dungeons of the unforgiven." 108 ARROWS FROM MY QCTYER. Be wise in time. The earth, as a Welsh preacher strik- ingly observed, is emptying its inhabitants into hell very fast. Ay, and the destroying angel is passing over this land with rapid strides ; and woe be to you when he stops at your door and finds you unmarked, and unprotected by the blood of the Pass- over Lamb. Beware of presumption. It sends more sinners to hell than despair. " God is merciful ! God is merciful ! " shouted a few young converts in the ear of a distressed and despairing young man. " Yes," said he, " God is merciful, but .he is also just, and his justice will cut me down." He came very near blowing his brains out, but God interposed and saved him. He preached the Gospel with great power afterward, and is now, I trust, in Paradise. His case, perilous as it was, was hardly so desperate as that of him who considers God's long-suffering " slackness" and " the goodness of God" designed " to lead " him " to repentance" as an argument for presump tion to encourage him in impenitence. CHAPTER XVII. TO ANOTHER REVIEWING. ^ $ET was a happy time, to me and many ; but not entirely ^Vp» free from the accompaniments of human frailties, I ^|K^} confess ! Extemporaneous preaching seems peculiarly liable to them ; especially if the mind of the preacher be sus- ceptible of emotion from what he may behold transpiring in the audience at the moment. A little more self-command would have been of advantage. It so happens, that the em- ployments and scenes of the day usually influence my preaching at night — whether in reading, writing, answering letters, or excursionizing — giving a hue and a coloring to my style in the pulpit, or on the platform. There are some minds which re- semble the transparent surface of a lake, where the sun, the moon, or stars may mirror themselves ; and the clouds — sunny or thunderous; the mountains too, and rocks and cliffs, and trees ; the eagle and the sparrow, raindrops, sunbeams, and waterfall! A piece of poetry, written in 1825, caused that movement of the fancy — for poetry, like romance, is bewitching. The poetry I did not repeat, because I could not, but the sen- timents came forth in a state of transposition ! Fancy fur- nished thus with wings, excursionized ; yet not, I trust, regard- less of Mrs. Osgood's " rule of caution " : 110 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. " Let fancy fly her fairy kite, And light with wit its wing-, dear ; But oh! lest it go out of sight, Bid reason hold the string, dear ! "For, soaring where the poet's heaven "With starry gems is spangled, It might, by folly's zephyr driven, In moonshine get entangled ! " That little particle "so," what an immensity of meaning there is in it ! Jesus did not attempt to describe it. Neither did John, who recorded it. And it may well stand over as the theme of eternity ! " God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten son, that" etc. No man, attempting to ponder this text for the pulpit, that does not feel his imagination put under an arrest by " so loved." And it is only when under the excitement and warmth of public speaking, he is bold enough to attempt its expansion ! Oh ! how poor and weak the richest imagery, or strongest figures of comparison ! springs, brooks, lakes, rivers, oceans — blades of grass, foliage of sum- mer trees, flowers, shrubs, forests — sun and moon and stars — immensity — all that takes the name of water, vegetable matter, space, all fall infinitely short, and the mind, like the dove of the deluge, is glad to return to the Ark — to Jesus, the gift of the Father's love, and softly and humbly say to all around — ; Could we with ink the ocean fill, Was the whole earth of parchment made, Was every single stick a quill, Was every man a scribe by trade ; TO ANOTHER REVIEWING. Ill To write the love of God alone, "Would drain the ocean dry, Nor would the scroll contain the whole, Though stretclr d from pole to sky ! " And, oh ! how sweet to rest and triumph there ! and sing — '' A way he is to lost ones that have strayed ; A robe he is to such as naked be ; If any hungry, to all such he is bread ; Is any weak, in Him how strong is he ! To him that's dead he's life, to sick men health ; Eyes to the blind, and to the poor man wealth." I rested in Jesus at last, did I not ! And when there, found my heart-breaking, heart-softening argument! And if your heart was not melted, it was of more solid metal, likely, than the rest — that is all ! If all the angels of heaven had lent their assistance in those profundities and altitudes of compari- son, we had still been infinitely short ! " Thanks be unto God for the unspeakable gift" will, most likely, be the exclama- tion of eternity ! the climax of our contemplations of it — the chorus of our songs ! The entire fifty-third chapter of Isaiah I commend to your attention. It is impossible you can apply it to any other that ever existed upon the earth than Jesus Christ. One in Ger- many, after quoting " The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all" " The chastisement of our peace was upon him" thanked God that such was the case ! adding that otherwise he could not have made room for the conviction in his heart that his sins would not be imputed to him, even if an angel from heaven had brought him the intelligence, unless, at the 112 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. same time, he had been told what had become of the sins thua taken from him; that nothing here below could be plainer to him than this, that his blood-red sins could not be pardoned arbitrarily, or overlooked, or unnoticed as trifles of no account. Jf so, how could he any longer believe in a just and holy God ? But when told in the Gospel, not only of his misdeeds, but how they were transferred to him who appeared in his place, even " the Lamb of God that taketh aivay the sins of the world " — even his sins — and thus beholding such an interven- tion, he could no longer doubt, but was enabled sensibly to grasp the legal ground of his absolution. " It is for my sins which he atones, and my debt which he liquidates ; " and thus he could throw himself rejoicing into the arms of everlasting mercy ! That " the Word ivas made flesh and dwelt among us — and the Word was with God, and the Word was God " — is a " mar- vel " to you, I marvel not ! it has been so to the greatest minds of all ages. Junius, centuries ago, w r as reclaimed from athe- ism by the same divine declaration. lie tells us that the New Testament lay open in his study, upon which he carelessly turned his eye, and found himself arrested by the strange majesty and profound mystery of John i. 1-14, and that by further meditation and inquiry, it led to his conversion ! St. Paul exclaims, " Great is the mystery of godliness, God mani- fest in the flesh — seen of angels, 1 '' etc. A " marvel " indeed, the more you consider it; for, as godly Flavel observed, if w r e beheld the sun to fall from his sphere, and to become a wan- dering atom, or an angel turned out of heaven, and converted into a fly or a worm, the abasement would not equal the incarnation of the Son of God, when he took upon him our TO ANOTHER REVIEWING. 113 nature, became a man, and obedient unto death, even the death of the cross! To comprehend this great mystery is one thing, to believe it is another. A nutshell may sooner contain all the water of the sea than your intellect comprehend this amazing fact. Nor is it any disparagement to your intellect. A Trinity in Unity, and a God manifest in the flesh, would require a Doctor Angelicus from heaven ! The mysterious union of your own spirit with your body — if you will allow yourself time to think closely — you will find it sufficiently incomprehensible to master your "intellectual capacity," let alone the profound doctrine of the Holy Trinity. This mystery of your own existence you will find quite as inaccessible to your under- standing, I fancy, as the sublime declaration, " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word tuas with God, and the Word was God ; the same was in the beginning with God ; all things were made by Him ; and without Him was not anything made that was made. And the Word ivas made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John i.) Is Jesus Christ " second to God " here ? Is he subordinate to God the Father? What thinkest thou? With regard to your difficulty in believing in that which has not been revealed to your senses, have patience, my friend ! It shall be so, by and by — in another state of being ! Till then, you must allow faith a place among your senses, for it is a gracious sense. It is to your soul what eyesight is to your body. Without eye- sight, what a blank the world would be to you ! " Faith is the eye of the new-born soul," says Mr. Wesley, " whereby every true believer seeth Him w T ho is invisible — seeth the light of the 114 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Faith is light also; what light is to your natural eye, such is faith to " the eyes of your understanding." What you read in the Bible challenges uot your eyesight alone, but your faith. You must see those things through "the eyes of your understanding" which you read through the eyes of your body. Now, observe, however good may be your natural sight, light is wanting. If you would read the Bible, apply the idea to your intellectual eyes, and the necessity of supernatural light, and you have my idea of faith. li Faith lends its realizing light, The clouds disperse, the shadows fly ; The invisible appears in sight, A.nd God is seen by mortal eye." It is by this gracious sense — faith — you are to obtain salvation here. (Rom. v. 1.) If you neglect this indispensable aid, and resort to your other senses, forcing them to do the work of faith, which is impossible, you must be ruined hereafter. Observe, seeing, knowing, feeling may not coexist with eternal salvation. Think of this fact in time. In eternity the know- ledge of the fact may do you no good. " Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the dag of salvation." Believe now, by the heavep-appointed means, while you may. '-'•Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." But, alas ! who can describe the wretchedness of those in eternity who refused to believe until the sense of seeing and feeling, too, were brought into action ! A remark on Rom. viii. 16. The doctrine is mysterious somewhat, but not beyond the range of reason and illustration. It is reasonable, if God forgives our sins, and a reconciliation TO ANOTHER REVIEWING. 115 has been effected between Him and us, that he should by some means acquaint us with the fact. And what other means could be devised, more satisfactory and safe, than by His Holy Spirit f — the third person in the Godhead, one of the Divine Persons to whom you were dedicated in baptism. (Matthew xxviii. 19.) Distinctly recognized also in the apostolic bene- diction (2 Cor. xiii. ]4), which you may consult at your leisure. " The communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all." Ponder that word, "communion" which implies intercourse, friendship, fellowship. If such is the privilege of " all" whose sins are forgiven, there is nothing unreasonable in supposing that in that intercourse He imparts such an impression or assurance of forgiveness and adoption into the family of God as is perfectly satisfactory. Consider farther: you find no diffi- culty in convincing persons in your employ, or domestic circle, that you are pleased or displeased with them, and yet main- tain silence all the while. The expression of your countenance conveys that at your will. If so, what can you find so con- trary to reason, either in that expression of Scripture, " Thou wilt make me full of joy with thy countenance ;" or, " The Spirit itself bearcth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God ? " Follow this train of reasoning, and much of the difficulty will disappear ; although I apprise you that mere theory without experience will leave the matter dubious still, and uncertain to your understanding. CHAPTER XVIII. THE HOLY TRINITY. p%f& before our eyes in the Scriptures we cannot ^jSy>t believe it. We must allow the fact, or some 'ITH regard to the Trinity, the doctrine so shines help but portions of the word of God are unintelligible. We are commanded to baptize " in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew xxviii. 19.) Here are three distinct persons. Can anything be plainer ? Here, in the " name " of a " Godhead " of three distinct persons, we behold an entire and eternal consecration of a human being, to serve, honor, and love that Godhead for ever and ever ! — Father, Son, and Spirit. For the term Godhead, see Acts xvii. 29, Rom. i. 20, and Col. ii. 9. Again, we are authorized by apostolical example to dismiss the people from the place of divine worship in the name of the same divine three : " The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.'''' Can any one find a foundation for a doubt that St. Paul was convinced there was a personality in this ever-blessed and un- divided Trinity ? Never would he have so expressed himself had he otherwise believed. Other texts might be quoted, but these are sufficient. Now, observe, no comment — no explana- THE HOLY TRINITY. 117 tion is given us ; and yet, the Divine Being knew Low incom- prehensible the idea of three distinct persons, and these three one God, would be to all generations of men ! How evident it is that he designed the fact revealed to be an article of faith, to be believed rather than comprehended — to be admitted rather than understood? Thus, we find, as if by one consent, Christians commonly stop at what they understand. There they confine their reason. All they find revealed beyond this they consider as belonging entirely to the province of faith. This has been a peculiarity of Christians generally from the earliest times. If any exception may be claimed, history traces the fault, not to the laity, but to the ministry — to men who would be wise above that which is written, and who allowed their reason to intrude upon the province of faith. Thus, we find Hilary of Poictiers, of the fourth century, clearing the laity of all blame, stating that the populace of that time kept the true and right faith regarding the Trinity, when several of the ministers, by prying too far into it, had the misfortune to lose it. And now, with regard to yourself and this doctrine, there are other trinities, besides, upon which you had better, perhaps, first exercise your " intellectual capacity " — like a school-boy (pardon me), who must first master his alphabet, etc., before he attempts to exercise his powers upon the higher branches of education and science. There is a trinity in your own person — body, soul, and spirit, and yet you are but one man. Have you mastered all the mystery there is about that one fact, think you? Did you resolve to do so before you believed it? The king of day presents you with a trinity in himself — substance, beams, and heat — yet one sun. You believe this to be a fact, 118 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. but did you comprehend it before you believed ? Do you un- derstand tbe secret of tins mysterious union to the present day ? I fear not, sir ! The element of water a few months since resolved itself into a trinity, you remember — hail, snow, and ice — yet it was water only ! You believed that, of course ; but did you first make yourself master of those mysterious operations of the elements that brought about the phenomena? or did you not rather just believe the fact, so clearly stated upon the page of nature before your door — as the Christian believes the doctrine of the Trinity, as stated upon the page of revelation before his eyes, without troubling himself about what is incomprehensible ? If you can believe without being able to explain all the mysteries connected with this triad of trinities, it cannot be so difficult, I fancy, for you to receive and believe the doctrine of the Trinity, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures ! Nevertheless, I would not conceal from you a fact. It is this: I strongly incline to believe, with a judicious and emi- nent man, that I know not how any one can be a Christian believer in the doctrine of the Trinity till he has, as St. John says, " the witness in himsef ; " till the Spirit of God wit- nesses with his spirit that he is a child of God ; that is, in effect, till God the Holy Ghost witnesses that God the Father has accepted him through the merits of God the Son; and, having this witness, he honors the Son and the blessed Spirit " even as he honors the Father." Oh ! beware how you disown or doubt this glorious and essential article in the Christian creed. Infidelity has many forms, and rely upon it, that scheme which would destroy the divinity of the Son and Holy Ghost is one of them. Jesus " thought it not robbery THE HOLY TRINITY. 119 to be equal with God " (Phil. ii. 6) ; but he will think it rob- bery, double robbery, to deprive him and the Spirit of divine honors in any human mind. He cannot be a Christian who would attempt it. To do this is to justify the Jews in condemn- ing him to death ; and what is this but to " crucify to them- selves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame " ? (Heb. vi. 6.) "To this hour" (to use a remark of a German divine), " to this hour the tradition exists among the Jews, that Christ was crucified because he made himself equal with God, and therefore guilty of blasphemy." We know also that they had previously sought to stone him for the same cause, giving as a reason — u for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, mahest thyself God." (John x. 33.) Can any thing be plainer than this, that he who seeks to view Christ as less than God, brands him as a blasphemer as well as a rob- ber, joins in spirit with those who sought to stone him, and, with the Jews, convicts him as being worthy of death ? How can a Sociniau be saved ? ******* So your " friend " has proved the hint of the old poet fearfully true, regarding the Divinity of Christ — I mean the disbelief of it, and consequences — " Like him that knew not poison's power to kill, Until, by tasting it, himself was slain." He is not the only one that has lived and died a witness that " he who believes not when he might, cannot when he would." But, as he is still above ground, there is hope. His friend invited me, challenged me into the Scripture field, where I felt quite at home. My fortress, if I may change the figure, has 120 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. long been the sacred volume. When weak, there has been my strength ; when strong, and girding for the conflict, or arming for the battle, there I have selected my weapons. I have never been fond of the open debatable commons where infidels choose to fight, though often solicited. The subject at that time was by no means exhausted, as you have seen by my late remarks ; but enough was said to answer the purpose.* To-day, when reading a work by an eminent German divine, I was struck with the following : " Many in the present age are never clear in their own minds about the person of Christ. Though they were to say a hundred times, with apparent con- viction, that Jesus was nothing more than a man, yet it only requires that the Gospel, with its sacred imagery, be once expanded before them, and they are no longer able to utter the words with the same confidence. An obscure feeling which pervades their minds objects to it ; and when they try to defend the bulwark of their unbelief, nothing is left them but by constraint to belie the voice of truth within them." And he assigns as a reason, that a proper recognition of Christ would cost them the delight they experience in the service of the world and sin. In showing the danger of resisting the Spirit of Truth iu matters of doctrine as well as practice, he relates a mournful anecdote of a well-know r n learned man of Saxony, who, after having all his life long attacked Jesus and his Gospel with all the weapons of sophistry, was in his old days partially deprived of his reason, chiefly through the fear of death, and frequently fell into religious paroxysms of a peculiar nature. He was * See my "Conflicts with Skeptics," Chapters XL., XLL, XLIL THE HOLY TRINITY. 121 almost daily observed conversing with himself, while pacing to and fro in his chamber, on one of the walls of which, between other pictures, hung one of the Saviour. Repeatedly he halted before the latter, and said, in a horrifying tone of voice, " After all, thou wast only a man ! " Then, after a short pause, he would continue, " What wast thou more than a man ? Ought I to worship thee ? No, I will not worship thee, for thou art only Rabbi Jesus, Joseph's son, of Nazareth." Uttering these words, he would return with a deeply-affected countenance, and exclaim, " What dost thou say ? That thou earnest from above ? How terribly thou eyestme ! Oh ! thou art dreadful ! But thou art only a man, after all." Then, he would again rush away, but soon return with faltering step, crying out, " What ! art thou in reality the Son of God ? " In this way the same scenes were daily renewed, till the unhappy man, struck by paralysis, dropped down dead, and then really stood before his Judge, who, even in his picture, had so strikingly and overpoweringly judged him. Ah ! my friend, it is a perilous exercise of mind to argue against Jesus ! To try to degrade Jesus, to rob him of Godhead honors, to attempt to tear the crown of deity from his brow, is a species of mental rebellion for which the Almighty reserves his heaviest frowns and severest condemnation. As a contrast, allow me to relate an anecdote, which was told me by a gentleman, while riding through a certain part of Wales. The sad story of that poor sinner in Saxony brought it forcibly to my mind. A young gentleman of fortune, who had large estates in England, arrived at the mausion of his aunt, thoughtless and wicked. The lady, in honor of the occa- sion, proposed a ball, and a large company of the elite of the 122 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. place were invited. The assemblage collected on the night appointed ; and while the young man, with not one serious thought about divine things, was leading his partner around in the giddy whirl of the dance, his eye glanced at a picture of Christ crowned with thorns suspended from the wall. The sight saddened his spirits. Again he glanced at the picture, and felt a painful sensation at his heart, and he mentally ex- claimed, "If that be a fact, this cannot be right." His thoughts troubled him. The ball continued to go off charmingly, as they say, but all his comfort seemed to be at an end. An idea came to his relief — to step forward to the picture, and quietly turn its face to the wall. He did so, but experienced no relief, perhaps even felt worse in viewing it thus. The image haunted his imagination, and the words* " If that be a fact, this cannot be right." The ball ended, the people dispersed, and he retired to his room unhappy. He danced no more— sought divine mercy, and, my informant believed, obtained it, and devoted himself and fortune to Christ and his cause for ever, which, in view of the crown of thorns, and in remembrance of Him who wore it on his bleeding brow, he considered only his duty. I was informed he had already built two alms-houses, where he had collected the poor and needy and infirm, and supported them. How various the ways in which sinners are converted ! Providence is continually illustrating that notable declaration in 1 Cor. xii. 4, 7, where we find three divine persons acknowledged in differences of administrations and diversities of operations in the salvation of fallen man, and conducting believers through scenes of holiness and usefulness to heaven. CHAPTER XIX. TO ANOTHER PROSOPOPOEIA. V ES ! my " pulpit style is unequal," because my themes are unequal, and therefore demand difference of style. That which was suitable to the day of judgment, last Sabbath evening, would have been very unsuitable for that phase of Christian experience on Tuesday night, " This is the will of God, even your sanctif cation" The style demanded by that text a few weeks since, " The smoke of their torment as- cendeth up for ever and ever" would not have been seemly for " Little children, love one another." My hearers differ. Much of my style is regulated, as a matter of course, by respect for the characters addressed. It would not be proper to pursue the same method with a humble believer seeking a " clean heart" and "perfect love which casteth out fear" as if I were seeking the conversion of a skeptic regarding all religion. 2. Orators, pulpit orators, who are determined to support a reputation for eloquence, and being great preachers, are care- ful to select those subjects and texts in which they may appear to the best advantage. Lower themes, demanding "a lesser style," consequently involving " inequality of style," they deem it their duty to leave to the care of second or third rate preachers, as they view them. Hence it is seldom that such 124 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. meddle with the doctrine of sanctification and perfect love, and other phases of Christian experience, which demand sim- plicity of style. They can shine but in a certain way, and upon some great topics ; and to disappoint public expectation would be a calamity. Such men may draw large congregations, but seldom have any revival. The removal of such an one re- acts fearfully upon a Methodist congregation, unless another of eqnal talent in that line, can be procured to take his place. Had he succeeded in leaving his admirers truly converted to God, the effects of the change would not have been so disas- trous. Other denominations, who retain their ministers for many years, do not feel it so much. When they have such an orator, if financially able to cope with " calls " from other con- gregations, they may retain him a lifetime. In Methodism, the itinerating principle interferes. As to disadvantages and advantages, much might be said on both sides ! Having said thus much, disclaiming all personalities, or reference to any minister m this city, or to any one who may have occupied this pulpit in bygone years, I proceed to another topic. 3. It will hardly answer your purpose to say much against personification in oratory, as all antiquity, you must be aware, stands so fully committed in its favor. It has long been the handmaid of eloquence, true eloquence — simplicity and gran- deur, informed with heavenly flame — warming the heart while it feasts the fancy, and clear up also to the mark of frank aud fearless truth ; stirring the soul and the conscience — weaving its embroidery over the imagination, but, like the eloquence of Pericles of Athens, leaving needles in the minds of the people ! covering the hearers with bouquet of roses, but planting the thorns in their consciences ! TO ANOTHER PPOSOPOPCEA. 125 4. Personification is the prosopopoeia of the Grecians — a rhetorical privilege, dear and familiar to all the best orators of ancient times. It is classical therefore, ay, and scriptural too, and that places it under the patronage of the highest classic authority — the Bible. In my younger days I satisfied myself by placing it in the front rank, as to antiquity, purity, sublimity, and importance, with regard to the readiness and certainty of its effects upon an audience, either in religion, politics, or science ; nor have I yet altered my opinion. It is the art by which things are made persons, in which natural objects, animate and inanimate, are endowed with intelligence, and voice, clothed, for the time being, with the attributes of mind and language ; — even the sun and moon and stars, — " For ever singing, as they shine, The hand that formed us is divine I " 5. When but a stripling, and the Spirit of the Lord began to move -me at times to preach the Gospel, as he moved one of old, when a youth, against the Philistines, " in the camp of Dan between Zorah and EshtaoV — he amid the mountains of Judea, your friend among the mountains of the Highlands, near West Point, N. Y., a humble student in the Cold Spring Academy — I remember scanning those great barriers of na- ture, while a voice seemed whispering within, that if atteutive to nature and divine suggestion, I might discover, in this and other scenery, points, colorings, positions, and aspects, which would be of great service in the pulpit, for the elucidation of truth, and which add greatly to its vividness and effect. The thought awakened in me an attention to Nature which has in- fluenced my mind ever since. 126 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. 6. The apostle tells us, " There are, it may be, so many hinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without significa- tion.'''' (1 Cor. xiv. 10.) Opening upon a passage in the Book of Psalms, I read a call to the sun and moon and stars to assume a voice and praise the Lord ! The heaven of heavens also, and the waters above the heavens, and the fire and hail and snow, vapors and stormy winds, sweeping to and fro beneath the heavens, to lift up their voices and praise the Lord ! And the earth, with its mountains and hills, fruitful trees and goodly cedars, its beasts and cattle and creeping things and flying fowl ; and all the instruments of music among the Jews, trumpet, psaltry, harp, and timbrel, stringed instruments and organs, loud cymbals and high-sounding cymbals — all to unite with kings and people, princes and judges, young men and maidens, old men and children, and with angels and all the hosts of heaven, to praise the Lord ! And again, in another part of the sacred volume, the ocean, in all its multitudes of waves, is lifting up its hands to God, the floods also lifting up their voice, the mountains and the hills breaking forth into sing- ing, and all the trees of the fields clapping their hands ! The Bible is the book in which to study prosopopoeia, and in a higher sense than ever Grecian or Roman orator or poet imagined. " Ex- travagance " is a convenient phrase in criticism, but you will hardly venture to apply it to the inspired volume. 7. Another instance just occurs to me — the- deputation of trees to the trees, with a design to select a king from among them — which was easily done, but not so easily carried into effect, for the trees refused the honor ! (Judges ix.) The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them, and they said unto the olive tree, " Reign thou over us." But the olive tree TO ANOTHER PROSOPOPOEIA. - 127 said, "Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over trees ? " And the trees said to the fig tree, " Come thou and reign over us." But the fig tree said unto them, " Should I forsake my sweet- ness and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over trees \ " Then said they unto the vine, " Come thou and reign over us." And the vine said unto them, "Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over trees?" Then said all the trees unto the bramble, " Come thou and reign over us." And the bramble said, " If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow ; aud, if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon." That was Jotham's political speech against the men of Shechem, who had met to make Abimelech king. He lifted up his voice from the top of Mount Gerizim, introducing his speech thus: "Hearken unto me, ye men of Schcchem, that God may hearken unto you." And then he introduced the fable of the trees. Here, sir, we find the oldest fable in the world ; nor has there ever been from the most ancient times a rhetorical prosopopoeia so expressive as this, or so ancient. The Bible is a wonderful book. 8. Lord Byron's description of a thunderstorm among the Alps is an instance worthy of note, the thunder-peals rever- berating from crag to crag : " And Jura answers through her misly shroud, Back to the joyous Alps that call to her aloud 1 " The mountains thus calling and replying to each other is highly sublime. That beautiful hymn by Addison is another instance: 128 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. " The spacious firmament on high, "With all the blue etherial sky, The spangled heavens," etc. Read the entire hymn, in which you will find the overarching sky proclaiming its great original, the unwearied sun publishing his Creator's power, the moon repeating to the listening earth her birth-story, while stars and planets burning around her pro- claim the tidings, and spread the truth from pole to pole. True, it is admitted, of course, that no real voice or sound comes from them, and that round this dark terrestrial ball they move on in solemn silence ; yet — " In reason's ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious voice, For ever singing, as they shine, The hand that formed us is divine ! " 9. Well then, and suppose I do sometimes solicit the aid of Nature, and " set her mutes a-talking," and what is " worse, even devils and lost spirits ; " — seeing that for doing the first, I have the examples set forth in Scripture — only a few of which I have had time to notice — and indeed the example of the masters of ancient and modern literature, to say nothing of the practice of orators from time immemorial. And, for attempting the second — setting angels and disembodied spirits " a-talking " in the ears of my audience — I have little to say. I would rather hide myself behind my Lord and Master's exam- ple in that department of "oratory"! Instance the story of Dives and Lazarus. And if that does not altogether satisfy you, perhaps you might be better pleased with a reference to the example set us by Homer and Virgil. Christians, how- ever, never treat disrespectfully a license quietly taken, under TO ANOTHER PKOSOPOPCEIA. 129 extraordinary circumstances, from a method of instruction adopted by their Lord and mine — sparingly, indeed, I admit — but, who, as a judicious divine observes, evoked spirits from heaven and from hell to attest an intermediate state — as if. he would have us read the doctrine by the lurid glare of infernal flames, and by the radiance of a celestial vision. My allusion was bold, but, of course, nothing more than a supposition — imaginary, if you please. Yet, allowing the facts of religion, and the way in which sinful men treat them, and that these " spiritual creatures " know what is going on upon earth, it was by no means unreasonable. Besides, the constant acces- sions to the numbers of the damned in hell, and the saved in heaven, must be the means of imparting a vast amount of in- formation, gathered from various parts of the earth. Can it be irrational to suppose that they do hold conversations to- gether regarding these things ? I think not. This is all I have to say upon the subject at present. 6* CHAPTER XX. : A PLAIN TALK WITH " ERHAPS you are not far astray in one impression — <7pL> that " the Bible is an intolerant book." For it cer « tainly will not tolerate contradiction. A book in which we find such expressions as these, is not to be trifled with : " He that believeth not God hath made him a liar " — "Let God be true, but every man a liar " — " He that saith, I know him, and Tceepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" Not much toleration there, 1 confess. It spurns all discount upon its decisions — demands the recep tion of every promise at par ; and every declaration for all that is " on the face of it " — admitted for negotiation " at sight " — instant credit for every threatening and doctrine, precept and promise, to which is attached a " Thus saith the Lord." The intolerance of the Bible is, that it takes every man, book, or paper for au enemy, that is not a friend. It is the only book in the world that is truly and essentially dogmatical. All its decisions are authoritative and positive. If my preaching shows something of the same spirit, it arises from an honest convic- tion that I assert nothing but what the Bible asserts. Detect me, in matters of doctrine, at variance with the Book, and I will " strike my colors " at once ! 131 A question just here : Has it never occurred to you, that the distinction between our Lord's teaching, and that of the scribes and Pharisees, may be traced to the same principle ? They taught from tradition, rather than from the word of God. Hence they were "very argumentative" maybe. The matter of their preaching, not having the seal of " Thus saith the Lord" needed it — needed all the arguments which their brains and genius could master. But being without divine authority, their arguments were without force and energy, fre- quently frivolous, puerile, ridiculous, and therefore of little weight with their hearers. But when our Lord taught the people, they were, says Matthew, " astonished at his doctrine ; " and, like a true philosopher, he gives a substantial reason — "For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes " (Matt. vii. 28, 29) — bold, commanding, weighty, and powerful, carrying awe, astonishment, and conviction into everv heart ; so widely contrasted with the effects produced by the trifling teaching of the Pharisees and the timid teaching of the scribes. You will therefore, I hope, sir, give me some credit for having given some attention to these matters, as well as your- self — that if you have a "principle of criticism," which the stranger, in your opinion, violates, he has a principle of action which violates no principle of the word of God, but is entirely in harmony with it. And were you as acute in mental philos- ophy as you are in a certain kind of criticism, you would account otherwise for those earnest cries for mercy which attend and follow this order of preaching. "Knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men." What are thsy f The threaten- ing 'S of the Lord against all workers of iniquity. These we 132 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. enforce with all the powers we can draw from heaven. Nor do we cease such cannonading until fear and trembling and deep conviction seize upon the hearts of our hearers. We abide by the law of the Lord our God as the great instrumentality in the hand of the Spirit to awaken and con- vict men. "But, the Gospel ! the Gospel ! what becomes of the Gospel ? What have you done with the Gospel ? " I reply, we keep it in sight — within call ; and when the law has done its work in piling up sentences of condemnation in the hearts of sinners, and their entire soul is thrown into one region of alarm, and the cry is ready to break forth, " God be merciful to me a sinner I " when, by look or expression, that Pentecostal question comes forth, "Men and brethren, what shall we do ? " then the Gospel, in all its frecness and power, is called into the field ; and if " the slain of the Lord " were many, the saved of the Lord are many also ! Thus, my friend, our spiritual tactics are before you in all simplicity. We have nothing to conceal. We aim first to lay the sinner under the bands of fear, and then cast him into conviction for sin. Repentance and a desire for pardon is a result. Jesus Christ is then set forth as the Lamb of God that taketh away sin and condemnation. The scenes of Calvary are presented to soften the heart, and the tenderness, the yearning tenderness of God ; and, to exorcise despair, we use the promises. To prevent procrastination, we drive the awakened upon that " narrow neck of land," of which the poet speaks, " 'twixt two unbounded seas" — a heaven and a hell; urging that " a point of time, a moment's space " may seal his destiny forever. We press him to a decision by awaken- ing a fear of sinning unto death, by quenching the Spirit ; A PLAIN TALK WITH " A PLAIN MAN." 133 urging on his conscience that terrifying intimation of St. John, which it pleases the Spirit of God to apply often with very great force — " If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death : I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin ; and there is a sin not unto death'''' (1 John v. 16, 1*7) — and that caution of Paul, " Quench not the Spirit." You have been a witness of the effects, if not a subject of them ! But, how many thousands of sinners have I seen made " the prisoners of the Lord " upon this narrow and decisive peninsula ! ay ! and brought into the glorious liberty of the sons of God ! Thus it is written : " It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." " For our God is a consuming fire." I never yet have found a Universalist who could cope with these two declarations. They are more than a match for sophistry. We have no lack of proof in this life, emphasizing most fearfully the certain execution of those threatenings in eternity. We find the term fear, /ear of God and fear of the Lord, repeated, in one connection or other, in the Scriptures, no less than between one and two hundred times. The venerable Sibbs used to call fear " the awe-band of the soul ! " Can you doubt we have the approbation of Heaven when we seek to buckle this band on the souls of giddy and God-provoking sinners ? W T e do so, and God helps us ; and some of them cry out for help, as if within the folds of a boa-constrictor ! We do not abandon such to their fate, but cry to God for them, offering salvation, by faith in Christ, to all «uch. Nor do we give over in many cases till they find it, and are able joyfully to declare, " We have redemption through 134 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. His blood, the forgiveness of sins ; " " God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. i. 7.) To this is added that blessed assur- ance recorded in Rom. viii. 15, 16. Converse with such, my friend, and tell me if ever you have met with a happier people ! The style of preaching with which you find fault, may have seemed to you " cruel and tyrannical ; " and so might seem the action of a surgeon's knife, unless made acquainted with the fact that the life of the patient depended upon it. It is no cruelty to cause a sinner to suffer a few mental agonies, if thereby he may be saved from suffering the bitter pains of eternal death. What thinkest thou ? Hearken unto our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew xviii. 8, 9. Here you perceive that the loss of a hand, or a foot, or an eye, in order to pre- serve a good conscience and save the soul, is better than to have them all, or any one of them, and to be cast into hell fire! If you believe in angelic agency, you can find no difficulty, surely, in recognizing satanic agency, or " the devil and his angels ; " for the existence of both is plainly declared in the Scriptures. Also, that they have much to do with earth. If there exist not legions of wicked spiritual beings in evil activ- ities, between holy angels and men, the antagonists of God, and the enemies of our race, the Bible is the most deceptive book in the world ! Satan ! may God preserve us both from his power ! But he is tfhe most formidable enemy man has to contend against, and really the least feared. The Bible represents him as an ugly and treacherous being, a hard customer to have any deal- ings with. He is called " Satan," because an enemy, and a cunning one. " Devil " — mind, at its worst — a being disposed A PLAIX TALK WITH " A PLAIN MAN." 135 to shoot through and pierce everything that is good beneath, the sun. A " dragon" because of his fierceness and power. " The wicked one" from the sinuosity and crookedness of his disposition and plans. " The old serpent" cunning, subtle, deadly. " Apollyon " — a destroyer — in whom the desire is in- tense as the flames of hell. U A roaring lion" because of the rage and cruelty of his nature, and his sagacity and con- stant aptitude, like his namesake among animals, to prey upon and devour the unwary and the helpless. " The accuser of the brethren" arising from his envious nature — the cause of so much uneasiness and sorrow to their tender and weak con- sciences ; and often of so much disorder and perplexity in the Church of Christ. He is also called an " adversary," in the Scriptures, because of his malignant and wrathful disposition ; being adverse to both God and man ; — as a poet says : " There is but one who cannot love, That anarch of the thrones above ; Apostate, in whose sleepless eyes A hell of burning hatred lies ; Whose torture is the undying sense Of unadored omnipotence ; A withered, dark, defeated mind, That curses Heaven, and scorns mankind." He is named a " tormentor" also, from the anguish he excites in sincere souls — an effect of his malice. A " tempter" by reason of his constant solicitations to sin. He is called "a murderer" and that "from the beginning" — the cause of all forms of death, from the beginning of the world to the present 136 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. time. " A liar " is another title of his — his nature is falsehood and deception. Such is the being against whom you were warned the other evening. But you think, " Devil is an ugly word," and dis- like to hear it in the pulpit — as much as hell, no doubt ! If but a meaningless word, and a representative of nothing, in your estimation, I do not wonder at it. But it calls up an un- pleasant idea, does it not ? Words represent things, and your name is expressed in a couple of words, and they represent yourself; a matter of considerable importance, regarding that property of which you claim to be the rightful owner! Apply it to the case in hand, and you have my idea! Words are not to be despised ; though only sounds, yet they may stand con- nected with a substance and a reality, as the sound of your own name I If but " a mythical being," you think " silence in the pulpit regarding him would be more for the honor of God." Ay ! if only mythical ! but if a real personage, such as he is de- scribed to be in the Scriptures, and as Jesus Christ, in the wil- derness of Judea, proved him to be, that alters the case, 'does it not ? And should it not rather exalt the character of God, when we announce from his own word his repeated warnings to us regarding this malicious enemy of the human race ? Come, my dear sir ! " think over the matter " once more ! The question has another side, you perceive ! ******* Your '• further thoughts " are what one would expect from your former ones ! The plain facts are these : God is set forth in the Bible as a supremely great and good Being ; yet terri- ble in justice, in power and wrath — even to " the fierceness 137 and wrath of Almighty God.'''' (Rev. xix. 15.) These facts of Scripture drive infidels to their " wits' end" and some of them out of their wits, in opposing and denying the God of the Bi ble, and forming a being after their own imaginations, heathen fashion — to smile complacency upon them and their evil pas- sions. Baxter observes, there are some things in God that most people like very well — his mercy and his goodness, for instance ; and there are some things in the Devil which wicked people do not like — his hatred of human beings, and his cruelty in tor- menting them. But there are qualities in God they do not like — his holiness and justice, and unchangeable opposition to sin ; but there are qualities in Satan not altogether repugnant to them — his unholiness, and friendship for their sensuality. Nor can I conclude without trying to beat into the ear of your conscience another idea of Baxter — that unless you lay aside your fleshly mind and interests, which are opposed to the wel- fare of your soul, you shall, so sure as you are a man, be judged and damned as an enemy to God! Here I pause, hoping for good results — conviction and salvation — unless you are 11 Boldly resolved, against conviction steeled, Nor inward truth, nor outward fact to yield." CHAPTER XXI. TO " A FRIEND FLOWERY PREACHING. ^^|S£j LOWERS have been named by some poet "the gems Ijljk of Nature's robe." The Bible, offers a vast variety of ^Ni^i/ such gems wherewith a preacher may adorn his dis- course. The Holy Spirit, however, made no use of artificial flowers, but gathered for us the choice and flower of all things, and clothed them with purity and beauty, and allows the pub- lic teacher to make his own selection, as judgment or taste may dictate. I confess to a fondness for gemming my dis- course with these, and with those which the gay fields of poetry afford ; that is, when in my judgment the spiritual atmosphere is congenial. And if ray friend will have patience, he may find himself regaled by and by with the sweet fragrance of these luxuries of oratory ; but they would be much out of place at present, I have been thinking. Have patience with me. There are seasons when such flow r ers would wither and die, if placed in the bosom of a discourse ; would appear as much out of season, and out of place, as roses blooming in the midst of ice and snow r . Nature does not venture her blossoms in such an atmosphere. Neither will a preacher, if common sense and a little grace are astir in his soul, when the atmos- phere of religion around him is at zero, and the people spirit- -FLOWERY PREACHING. 139 ually frost-bitten ! " Is not my word like as a jire, saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" (Jer. xxiii. 29.) What business have flowers among fire, ham- mers, and sparks? The blacksmith that would decorate his forge and anvil and hammers with flowers, would become the laughing-stock of all the smitheries in town ! 2. Those sweet blossoms of inspiration, culled by the wis- dom of the Holy One from the bosom of Nature, beautify a discourse, however. I have listened to discourses that would have been much bettered by them, simply as a relief from pro- siness ; even by a few of the flowers of poetry, or of secular oratory. Something is better than nothing — iveeds in flower are preferable to entire barrenness ! I have sighed, before now, for something of the kind, when listening to a dreary discourse. " How were the earth of glory shorn TYere it of flowers bereft ! " The thought may apply to preaching. But, like other good things, it may be overdone, as in the case of that fine lady in an assembly, lately, who by tawdriness had vulgarized herself, and so she missed the respect she expected. A little good common sense had been better than all that. "0 wad some Pow'r the giftie gio us To see oursels as ithers see us ! It wad frae monie a bluuder free us An' foolish notion." 3. We have listened to various sorts of preaching in .our day ; flashes of wit, and new-minted words and phrases, and other gay notions, with a little truth, to win a license and a hearing; 140 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. flaring with gaudy flowers, like farmer M 's field, across the common yonder — " rich in gay weeds and hlne-bottles," but scanty of grain ; reminding one of a certain country pro- lific in useless flowers, but notorious for barrenness 1 When that farmer viewed his great field the other day, it was not the flowers which gave him satisfaction, I'll warrant you ! He couid have wished them "far enough," that the scanty crop might have some chance to grow and ripen for a favorable harvest. Tropes and flowers and other figures of rhetoric may please the fancy of some ; but that which God looks for and values most in a sermon, is the soundness, pureness, and plentimlness of truth, and especially the product thereof in the hearts and lives of our hearers. 4. War and flowers are not companionable. Wreaths for the brow of the conqueror, but let him first become a con- queror ! Flowers for the path of the hero, if the populace will it, which they never will until he has proved himself a hero ! Flowers, if need be, for a sermon, but let it first prove itself worthy of them, in deeds of valor on the field ! Be- sides, it is the naked sword that cuts ; flowers would be an en- cumbrance. Not an adorned, but a crucified Christ, breaks the heart, and subdues sinners. St. Paul feared that " the cross of Christ should be made of none effect" if he preached the Gos- pel with the "wisdom of words" (1 Cor. i. 17.) Like John the Baptist, an effectual preacher must burn as well as shine ! ay ! and in this age of hardened sinners, he must burn more than shine; for they have had enough of shining preaching. It must burn — the coals of truth must burn to burn the con- science, and awaken a cry w T here the joke and the laugh were before! Hot work! Si n-conswnina preaching is flow r er-con- -FLOWERY PREACHING. 141 sinning preaching, the world over ? Flamina and Flora never could agree ! But a preacher must be a flame to effect any- thing in our times. A godly person, greatly desiring to see a certain preacher, saw in a dream a pillar of fire, with this in- scription : " Such is ," the man's name glowing on it. What had such a pillar to do with the flowers of poetry, etc. ? His glowing soul would have consumed them ! " Logic on fire " — that was his qualification — " lava-floods of eloquence I " that fired everything around him. Oh ! for such a baptism of fire, my Lord and my God ! 5. It is, as an excellent young divine of Scotland, who won an early crown — Rev. Mr. Hewitsou — remarked, that "the world cannot stand before a ministry that is strong in the grace of God. It can stand eloquence in the preacher; it can stand before philosophy, and before learning in the preacher ; but before grace it caunot stand. The sword of the Spirit in the hand of faith tells at every stroke ! You cannot give faithful testimony to the world in vain ; the effect will be ' unto death ' in many ; it will be ' unto life'' in all who shall be saved ! " Ah ! but how often have I realized this, and seen it exemplified in others ! 6. This is one reason, I suppose, why some ministers of humble talents are more successful frequently in the awaken- ing and conversion of sinners than others possessed of higher endowments. Their trust, consequently, is more firmly fixed in God for success. Like Paul and his colleagues, under other circumstances, they have the sentence of death in themselves, that they should not trust in themselves, but in God which raiseth the dead. (2 Cor. i. 9.) Among my earliest lessons in the ministry was this, and it has often been of great service 142 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. to me — that an iron instrument, though, blunt, if red hot, will pierce quicker and deeper, and with less force exerted, than one that is sharper, but cold ! A polished mediocrity, as free from blemish as from energy of thought and grasp of intellect, will never set the world on fire. But if God set it on fire, it may set whole towns and cities in a blaze of revival. 7. I remember meeting the following sentiments in one of Mr. Jay's letters: That our old divines, and the Methodist preachers when they had just sprung up, had something to rend or melt, to strike and stick — to lead their hearers to think of again and again when alone, and to talk of again and again when in company. But what is the recommendation of many of the moderns ? Oh ! they glitter. They do — but, as Foster says, with. frost! CHAPTER XXII. TO THE SAME MORE ABOUT AN EMBELLISHED STYLE OF PREACHING. RUE ! Christ lectured on lilies ! He expatiated on their beauty ; but with what rapidity ! Confidence in ^*\$ p* God, and trust in his providential care, was the de- sign, and he reached it in an instant. " He gives us to see," says Dr. Chalmers, " that taste may be combined with piety ; and that the heart may be occupied with all that is serious in the contemplations of religion, and be at the same time alive to the charms and loveliness of nature." I agree with you, we may see much of the wisdom of God in " these flowery illustrations " of the Bible ; more, indeed, than in the piled arguments of most of the abstract preachers of the day. We may say of them as one said of a flower which he held in his hand, when invited to admire an elegant building : " There is more of God to be seen in that flower, than in the most beau- tiful edifices in the world." In those fine allusions of Scrip- ture, how clearly Ave may perceive the mind, the wisdom and goodness of God ! 2. What vast and varied material man requires for the great productions of his hand ! But when God would embellish nature with plants and herbs, and the whole brilliant race of flowers — flowers of every shade and tint — he calls but one ele- 144 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. ment into action, and the others smile, and the work is done : garden, field and valley, hill and meadow, and mountain side are enamelled with the choicest work of God. Truth is the grand element that originates and sustains those floioers of in- spiration which you admire; and who does not? They are beautiful too, because God smiles upon them, and angels. Truth, appropriate truth, must call forth such flowers into a sermon ; otherwise they will but resemble a bouquet in the hand of a corpse or an idiot ! As much out of place in the hand of error or vanity, as flowers would be in the hand of Satan, or Scripture upon his lips ! 3. I agree with you, also, that such figures are " an anti- dote to dulness." A poet hints that one cannot be melancholy where Flora reigns. It is so with a sermon, other things being equal; the heart must be dull indeed that is not cheered by the sweet and lively flowers from the gaulens of the Bible. But, as a guilty conscience will introduce melancholy even where Flora reigns, it will do the same within the fragrant dominions of these flowers of Paradise ; it clothes the soul in sable, though all around be fragrance and sunshine, and red- olent of heaven. A most convincing argument this for par- don and purity, in order to enjoy the holiness and bliss of the upper Paradise ! 4. As I observed yesterday, those blossoms of inspiration have not been neglected by your friend. But everything is beautiful in its season. More upon this shortly. I can hum- bly say with Origen of old, " I have plucked but a few flow- ers from these vast fields ; not as many as the exuberance of those fields afford ; but only such as by their odor I was led to select from the rest," Such have not appeared in my ser- EMBELLISHED STYLE OF PREACHING. 145 inons yet, for, to use an idea of the spouse iu Solomon's Song, " the time when the flowers appear on the earth " has not come ; nor " the time for the singing of birds ; " nor has " the voice of the turtle " been heard in the land ! There is too much of the spiritual winter remaining ; it should be spring, but " winter lingers in the lap of May ! " But a change is near ; a breathing from a rarer world will soon pass through the re- ligious atmosphere ; and, when " the Sun of Righteousness " makes a nearer approach, and brings everything that loves the sun out of doors, as a poet somewhere hints, then flowers may appear upon my sermons, as flowers upon the earth in their season. The trees know when to trust their buds boldly in the open air, and so does the stranger ! The truth is, he is something of an enthusiast among such flowers ! With regard to the Bible, he has too much re- sembled the boy who turned away from the beautiful garden of his father, straying through the distant fields in search of wild flowers, herbs, and plants ; but he has quieted his con- science with the " idea that he was only selecting the graces of his oratory from the same fields of nature from which his Heavenly Father has selected those which do now grace the tranquil gardens of Revelation ! and, as Jesus said on a certain occasion, " And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring ; " and he was vain enough, the other day, to apply the thought to his own selections from the fields of nature ! Other flowers there are, which do not grow in the pleasing gardens of inspiration ; them also must I bring, saying of these, as of saints above and saints below, " For all the servants of our King, In earth and heaven, are one ! " 7 146 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. Nature in her sweetest harmonies often seems as if whisper- ing the same. When a simple flower has heen transplanted beside some great Gospel truth, and sheds around it a sweet perfume, this glad heart repeats the same. The flower beauti- fies the truth, and truth dignifies it. It is thus your friend gathers his illustrations over hill and dale. The smiling cheek of benevolent nature, and the sweeter smiles of nature's God, often cheer him, and a shout of " Glory ! " not unfrequently, from regaled and happy saints ! These have been his rewards elsewhere — maybe here also in due season ; and, to all this, the blissful hope of immortality ! And can I be sad even in this season of dearth ? Hallelujah ! These remarks, simple as they are, while they seem to ven- tilate my heart, and somehow give it a sense of larger room, may, perhaps, convince you that "nature" and your friend are on more intimate terms than this alarming style of preaching with which "the people have been greeted," would lead .you to suppose; for, though acting from principle, I like to stand well with my friends ; although, feeling as I do, I would preach as I do, were I to lose them all ! I know many are disappointed ; and had I come here for any other pur- pose than to bring sinners to God, I could hardly justify myself to myself. But you know how small a thing it is to be judged of man's judgment, when one can say, " But he that judgeth is the LorfLP (1 Cor. iv. 3-5.) Nature and revelation both offer materials to the Christian orator ; if some of these are unfit for war, they are for peace, and do well to celebrate a peace or a victory. But some are designed for war, and for "pushing the battle to the gates" and illustrations of truth and righteousness, and coming judgment, vivid enough EMBELLISHED STYLE OF PREACHING. 147 to make men's souls look out of them ! ay ! and around them, as if seeking which way to " flee from the wrath to come I " and other illustrations or weapons, call them what you will, that fire the preacher with some such battle-cry as that of the Swiss warrior, " Make way for victory ; " as he rushed, sword in hand, upon the serried files of the invaders of his country ! Let the friends of Jesus take heart ! " The flowers of oratory " after which they inquire, may come sooner than they expect the flowers of spring, when once our God giveth us the victory ; and what if it does not occur until the depth of winter ? Yet, even then, '" While earth wears a mantle of snow, These pinks are as fresh and as gay As the fairest and sweetest that blow On the beautiful bosom of May ! " But, as before remarked, everything is beautiful in its sea- son. Flowers may strew the path of victory, or form a wreath for the brow that conquers ; but weapons of war, courageously wielded, make way for victory. I like the observation of an old minister, that, though the preachers of the word must not be time-servers, yet they may be time-observers ! Amen ! CHAPTER XXIII. FURTHER THOUGHTS ON PREACHING. OUR observations are judicious. Great care should be taken that such things in the pulpit are not allowed to degenerate into mere amusement. An old author, I remember, illustrates different views of preach- ing by a man and child going into a field of grain together. The child falls in love with the blue and red weeds, but the man is for the solid grain. And thus it is with hearers : some are fond of curious figures, fine speculations, and flowery descriptions; while others, of more solid judgment and en- lightened understanding, look for the spiritual and practical truths in Scripture. This is the corn his soul must live upon, while the others are attracted by gayeties and show ! Still, he would not altogether condemn a certain kind of variety in preaching, to suit different tastes and temperaments, mingling some awakening, until they are prepared to receive more sub- stantial things. To your friend (who, by the way, is by no means your inferior in understanding, but who is partial to such methods of illustrating truth) I admitted my preferences, when the state of the work in the hearts of the people justified such a style. Once or twice a week, a lively and ornamental style in a ser- FURTHER THOUGHTS ON PREACHING. 149 mon relieves the mind, gives vivacity and elasticity to my hearers, and prepares them for sterner truth. A flowery or figurative style is by no means "discountenanced" in the Bible. The volume of inspiration, like the book of nature, is full of them. I gather from both. God is the Author of all. I gather my flowers from the Bible, and from nature, and plant them " thus and thus ; " and sometimes in a sermon, during its delivery, where I never expected them to bloom ; so making one fair garden of an hour's walk, spread out under the vivifying beams of the sun ; where all but the guilty may regale their senses, and better the heart, and cheer the spirits. No artificials ! none for mere display ; all for the glory of God ! I would, yes, I would have angels say of them, as a poet of other flowers — " Not a flower But shows some touch, in freckle, streak, or stain, Of His unrivall'd pencil. He inspires Their balmy odors, and imparts their hues, And bathes their eyes in nectar, and includes, In grains as countless as the sea-side sands, The forms with which he sprinkles all the earth ! " As already remarked, this style of preaching has its uses. Not for "vanity and display," but for the benefit of the Church. It refreshes her members when weary on the field of toil and conflict — resting from the great fight for Christ and souls. A sermon, thus constructed, comes over them like the breath of morning flowers ; when Jesus seems speaking in the behalf of his Church, as to the spouse in Solomon's Song, " Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get 150 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. me to the mountains of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. Thou art all fair, my love ; there is no spot in thee. Awake, north wind; and come, thou south ; s bloio upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.' 1 '' And the Church invites, in the language of the spouse, " Let my Beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.'''' And then we have the song of triumph ! "This is my Beloved, His form is divine, His vestments shed odors around ; The locks on his head Are as grapes on the vine, When Autumn with plenty is crown'd. 11 The roses of Sharon, The lilies that grow In the vales, on the banks of the stream, On his cheek in the beauty Of excellence blow — And his eyes are as quivers of beams. " His voice, as the sound Of the dulcimer sweet, Is heard through the shadows of death ; The cedars of Lebanon Bow at his feet, The air is perfumed with his breath. " His lips as a fountain Of righteousness flow, That waters the garden of grace, FURTHER THOUGHTS ON PREACHING. 151 From which their salvation The Gentiles shall know And bask in the smiles of his face. "Love sits in his eyelids, J And scatters delight Through all the bright mansions on high: Their faces the cherubims Veil in his sight, And tremble with fulness of joy. " He looks — and ten thousand Of augels rejoice, And myriads wait for his word ; He speaks — and eternity, Filled with his voice, Reechoes the praise of the Lord ! " After such a triumphal song they are ready for the prayer- meeting — or for the battle-field, where " the slain of the Lord are many.'''' The following week, when the Lord Jesus comes down in a similar manner, to refresh and " confirm his in- heritance, when it is weary" and " his name yields the richest perfume," and music is not sweeter than his voice to the ears of his children ; then how delightful to hear "a new song," in the honor of him, whom the s])ouse calls, " The chiefest among ten thousand ; altogether lovely ; this is my Beloved, and this is my Friend, daughters of Jerusalem ! " Or, as another sweetly exclaimed, " His name is music to my ear, honey to my taste, and a jubilee to my heart! " And who would check the song, while they sing as if they would have heaven and earth listen ! 152 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. " His vestments of righteousness "Who shall describe ! Its purity words would defile ; The heav'ns from his presence Fresh beauties imbibe ; The earth is made rich by his smile. " Such is my Beloved, In excellence bright. "When pleased he looks down from above, Like the morn when he breathes From the chambers of fight, And comforts his people with love. But when, arm'd with vengeance, In terror he comes, The nations rebellious to tame, The reins of omnipotent Power he assumes, And rides in a chariot of flame. "A two-edged sword From his mouth issues forth, Bright quivers of fire are his eyes ; He speaks, and black tempests Are seen in the north, And storms from their caverns arise. 11 Ten thousand destructions, That wait on his word, And ride on the wings of his breath, Fly swift as the wind At the nod of their Lord, And deal out the arrows of death FURTHER THOUGHTS ON PREACHING. 153 " His cloud-bursting thunders Their voices resound, Through all the vast regions on high ; Till from the deep centre Loud echoes rebound, And meet the quick flame in the sky. " The portals of heav'n At his bidding obey, And expand ere his banners appear ; Earth trembles beneath, Till her mountains give way. And Hell shakes her fetters with fear. " When he treads on the clouds As the dust of his feet, And grasps the big storm in his hand, What eye the fierce glance Of his anger shall meet, Or who in his presence shall stand ? " An acute theologian observed that " every man is born with his face toward hell, and his back on holiness." The fact that the back is turned upon holiness and God, is evidenced almost as soon as " the mind's first daylight " begins to dawn in the eye. Nor is it an easy matter to turn their faces in a right direction ; but with such an hymn of praise, and such singing, it is no easy matter for the sinner to avoid " looking unto Jesus." Thus it happens, that those who harden under prose, and fly a sermon, melt, and are held under arrest, by such melodious sounds of many voices. And the children of God are fired with zeal to renew the conflict for Christ and perishing sinners ; like the nobles of " olden time" who 7* 154: ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. touched their swords when hearing " the Gospels " read, signi- fying their determination to fight and die in the defence of the truth ! ******* The " evils " you speak of are serious. We prevent them much as possible. Men are constantly abusing the good things of Providence, yet are they not withdrawn. If sinners suck poison out of the sweet flower of God's mercy, is it to be won- dered at if they " suck amusement " out of my " flowers of speech " ? If they pluck death from " the tree of life " in the Gospel, by presuming upon divine forbearance and long-suffer- ing, marvel not if they gather mirth from the blossoms on my sermon ! This is one reason why I sometimes denude my ser- mons of all such things, and let the naked sword of truth, and burning words, bring them to their senses. Had you seen the movements of a trio of winged insects the other day — a butterfly, a wasp, and a bee ! The butterfly, full of life and gayety, dropping at will upon every fragrant blossom ; " much ado about nothing " — flitting about — enjoy- ment alone the business of the sunny hour, careless of the future. Along came a spy wasp, serious in aspect, though slen- der-waisted as any belle or dandy, and with a touch-me-not air, and asserting its liberty to salute every blossom that opened its bosom to the sun. Next came a honey-bee, singing its own sweet song, blithe as the morning, cheerful as the sunshine, hiding itself in a flower, busy all the while, singing its grati- tude on leaving it for another. And other bees arrived, intent upon honey as the first ; and other butterflies, and wasps, and flies of various orders, in mazy dance and hum overhead, re- calling those lines culled from Virgil in our younger years : FURTHER THOUGHTS ON PREACHING. 155 "About the boughs the airy nations flew Thick as the humming bees that hunt the golden dew In summer heat, on tops of lilies feed, And creep within the bells, to suck the balmy seed ! " Ay ! and reminding the poor preacher of the varied charac- ters which crowd his preaching-place, and their varied pur- poses ;— and of Yirgil again, whose lines I did not finish — who, like myself, sometimes withdrew his attention from flies and wasps and butterflies — " airy nations,' 1 as he called them — and regaled his eyes upon the busy bee, and other " laboring youth " of younger hives, returning home laden with the rifled sweets of many a fragrant herb and flower — thus : "Plains, meads, and orchards all the day he flies; The gleans of yellow thyme distend his thighs ; He spoils the saffron flow'rs, he sips the blues Of violets, wilding blooms, and willow dews; And late at night, with weary pinions come The lab'ring youth, and heavy laden, home ! " Solomon sent the sluggard to learn wisdom of the ant ; and may not we learn wisdom of the butterfly, the wasp, and the bee ? God withholds not the flowers in their season, though butterflies and wasps make but poor use of them. Bees must have flowers, in order to make honey ; and flowers are prepared for them by providence. Flowers, therefore, are made to bloom on the lap of nature, even though wasps resort to them for poison, and butterflies for amusement. Look into the matter, and, as in a glass, you may see a reason for God's method, both with saint and sinner, as regards the promises, and for my method with respect to my illustrations. 156 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. The butterfly, flitting from flower to weed, and from weed to flower, indifferently, but soon to perish in the winter storms, resembles some of my hearers. The wasp, startling the honey- bee out of its line, sipping the honey-dew from every blossom, and changing it into poison quicker than the process adopted by the bee, illustrates another class of hearers. The bee, busy for the hive, burying itself in fragrance and bloom, intent upon the great business of life, to provide for the wants of winter and for its young, illustrate old believers, and young Christians, and mourners in Zion. It gladdens my heart won- derfully, if these take to the " flowers " w 7 hich have attracted your notice. It was said of One, in the Scriptures, " Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know hoio to refuse the evil and Jcnoio the goody (Is. vii. 15.) It is so with these, sir, for whom the Lord God provideth. Every sunny hour, and every opening flower, in Scripture or sermon, these holy honey-bees improve to their advantage ; — go where they will, they alight on them — blossoms of Paradise, filled with the nectar of an- gelic delight — singing, they go from blossom to blossom ; and if you could but see and hear them in their only little hives, the class meetings, you would learn more than I have been able to tell you ! Those skeptical wasps — I am not hopeless of them yet. You are better acquainted with the doings in their hives than I am, I fancy. Nor am I hopeless of those pretty unideal nothings, as Johnson called them — vying with the colors of the rainbow, as they come floating in, and then out again. " Is there anything too hard for God ? " One idea, planted in those /ife-long hearts by the Holy Spirit, will make a wonderful change in all that starch and frippery ! Amen, CHAPTER XXIV. TO I AN ANGRY HEARER. ) &B,T is not my habit to reply to every hearer who chooses ^VpL to fling back his offence. " Let an angry man always ^P^fj- have the quarrel to himself," was the motto of one who was never known to quarrel with any one, no matter what the provocation. It might be good at the present time ; still I hope a few plain words may not be amiss. That you have cause both for sorrow and repentance, is plain enough; but none for anger, that I can see, unless it be excited against your easily besetting sin. Exercise self-control. Keep cool. It was once remarked of one that he was of so irritable a temper that he was ready to fight with his own image in the looking- glass. He was an object of pity, poor man, doubtless ! Much more should such keep cool as are angry at their own image reflected in the glass of the Gospel ! I never read that the man just mentioned tried to pick a quarrel with him who suspended the mirror. That would have been very foolish, for it was hung up there for others to see their image in it as well as the ill-featured and ill-tempered man. He knew that neither the upholsterer nor the mirror was to blame for his own unseemly appearance! I wish I could say the same of 158 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. yourself! The man in question, most likely, wished that looking-glasses had never been invented (which, by the way, are very ancient articles, of one material or other), or that there were no such things in existence. But what mattered, seeing his neighbors could behold him without a glass ? It is rather remarkable that one who has been so severe against the image of God in his dear children — rather those imperfections which, alas ! are too many, but some of which seem inseparable from poor humanity, but when mirrored in your glass, were only found fault with — you should cease offering fight to their imperfect image, to fight with your own ; ay ! and with him also that had the temerity to hold up so faithful a mirror. Had the glass been painted, or veiled, or so adorned with the flowers of orator} 7 , matters had been differ- ent. Admiration feasting on flowers, the dimly outlined figure might have escaped even your own recognition. My name- sake among the apostles, likened the " hearer of the word, and not a doer" " unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he behold eth himself." They neither painted, nor veiled, nor obscured with flowers the glass of the preached word, in those days. " He beholdeth himself'' Not somebody else, or some doubtful wight or other, but "himself!" But it was then, as now, in too many instances — he " goeth his way, and straighhvay forgetteth what manner of man he was." (James i. 23-24.) Not so with yourself! You went your way, and memory in company. To forget your own looks, as you ap- peared in the mirror of that sermon, you found an impossi- bility. There is hope of you, I think; unless you quite de- stroy repenting grace by ill-humor. Be this as it may, there is TO I AN ANGRY HEAEEE. 159 a fact which hangs in your memory like the bell in yonder belfry ; and though you may succeed to silence it, it is still there, ready to sound a fearful knell one of these days, when set in motion by the hand of Providence, or the Holy Spirit, or by death. Had the preacher been less faithful, and more intent in dec- orating his discourse with the flowers of imagination, than in presenting a naked mirror, careless whether it had any frame at all ; he might have lessened your " trouble " and curses, but at the risk of the curse of God. Is it not written, " Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully "? (Jer. xlviii. 10.) Charity begins at home, in this sort of trouble. Better get you into trouble in your own conscience, that you might be forgiven of the Lord, than get myself into trouble with the Lord. Had you been prudent and quiet, and carried your case in a state of sorrowing repentance to the Lord, all might have been forgiven. Snch exposures are no part of my policy They injure the public taste, when personal. Pulpit faithful- ness may accomplish all that God intends, without dragging out such things thus before a conoreo-ation. When Nathan said to David, " Thou art the ma??," it was done in private, and had the desired effect ; and God, a deeply offended God, was satisfied. I am certain, had you been quiet, and humbled yourself before the Lord, there the matter might have rested : " Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemncth ? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, xoho is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Rom. viii. 33, 34.) He who intercedes for a repenting sinner can never 160 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. turn round, in the same breath, and accuse and condemn I Having Christ on your side, all would have been well ; but to set an uncharitable and unforgiving public against yourself, was folly, if not madness. CHAPTER XXV. TO ANOTHER A QUIET EXPLANATION J OR, FACTS ABOUT PREACHING. v"tM| NCE on a time, a godly preacher observed, "To j^x^ preach simply, is not to preach rudely, unlearnedly, Sr^^ nor confusedly ; but to preach plainly, perspicuously, that the simplest may understand what is taught, as if he heard his own name." The rub was there ! He felt just as one did in a certain assembly, when he cried to the preacher, in the bitterness of his soul, " Name me ! " There is hope of such men. They are far from being the worst or most hopeless specimens of society. Some of our hearers often remind me of sieves dipped into a river, which hold the water no longer than they are in the river : they remember the most stirring truth no longer than they are immersed, so to speak, in the sounds of the sanctuary ! I have little hope of such hearers. More hope, I confess, of such as fret or mock or wonder. A few breaths go forth from the preacher, and a few sounds reach the hearer, and there the matter ends, usually, with the former, Not so with the latter 1 Trouble just begins then. He spoke truly who said, " The A B C of a Christian is to learn the art of hearing." Jesus thought as much when he said, " Take heed how ye hear" (Luke viii. 18.) Such as are under notice have learned the 162 ARROWS FROM MT QUIVER. A B C in bad humor, like some ill-conditioned boys at school ! But for all that, they may soon be able to " read their title clear To mansions in the skies." It is very seldom I tell people from the pulpit things which they have never before heard or known or thought of in theology. Seldom do any of them remark, " I never heard of that before ; M but the cases are frequent when they tell me how distinctly their particular sins were described*! It so happens, in placing doctrines which they already believe in some striking positions and under some new or stronger light, that the sins of individuals are brought into light also, that "sin might appear sin, working death; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful" (Rom. vii. 13) ; God by this means startling the conscience into an acknowl- edgment of that one passage of Scripture, at least, " Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. 1 '' Ah ! my friend, many, when preaching the word, realize this to their sorrow and humiliation, as well as some who are hearing the same ! Like John Bunyan, who tells us, in his " Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners," that sometimes when preaching, like Samson, he bowed him- self with all his might to condemn sin and transgression, even when horribly assured by the devil, in some cruel sugges- tion, that he was preaching against himself! It is not unlikely ihis " Thou art the man " style of preach- ing sounded odd, at first, to one accustomed so long to the third person style of address— that anybody, or everijbody, or nobody method. This sort of generalizing has never seemed to effect much in my efforts. The direct stroke at the individual con- FACTS ABOUT PREACHING. 163 science has usually done the work. Whether armed with terror or winged with love, the response has followed often, and in a most decided manner. But it has caused me both joy and sorrow ; joy, when — like the lightning, the thunder, and the storm that drove Noah and his family into the ark — it has led some poor sinner to " flee from the wrath to come" and enter the Ark of safety, Jesus Christ our Lord ; sorrow, when — like the same storm that drove Noah and his household into the ark, but swept a careless world away — sinners, by such preaching, have been swept away from me, leaving me empty pews in abundance the following night. Then, how my soul has humbled itself, and cried to God, and mourned in secret places. And with what joy have I seen them return again, eager, penitent listeners to the word ! and that word soft and mild now, and gentle as the tones that greeted the dove of the deluge, when poising with weary wing over the ark, being now made willing to return ! Ay ! and comforting and assur- ing, like the bow of promise after the horrors of that storm of storms ! Ay, tender, like the sweet tones of Jesus, maybe, when he said to the troubled and heavy laden, " Come unto me, and I will give you rest. I will refresh you ; and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.'''' Such a style would have been all but lost upon those sinners before they had been hewn by the word. It was with sinners somewhat as with Elijah on Horeb — the great wind that " rent the moun- tains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord," and the earthquake that set the mountains around a-trembling and up- heaving, and the cloud-rending and consuming fire prepared the prophet to hear the " still small voice " with attentive and reverent awe, and gratitude and love. 164 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. That blow at an individual conscience, the other night, fell upon a number of others ; and that single fragment hurled in another direction, splintered like a shell bursting in a crowd. You saw the effects. " He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" Directness is attained by the single aim, in preaching, as in fowling. The word comes with marvellous power thus, when accompanied by the Holy Spirit. The sinner is made to exclaim, " It is me he means, and no- body else." And he feels, just as your friend felt, that " the eye of the preacher " is fixed on him alone ! The art of caus- ing the eyes of a portrait to be looking at a spectator, no matter how he may change his position, and, if there were twenty persons in the room,, each would receive a similar impression, is not confined to the limner alone, as the Spirit of God, aided by conscience, exhibits a similar phenomenon, frequently, in a living preacher, when preaching " the Gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven." A truth which might seem and was intended for general application, I have known to bend in a particular direction, and strike a sinner as if directly aimed at him ! like as a shaft of lightning, direct from the bosom of the thunder-cloud, curves from the straight line in which it was launched, without any visible cause, and strikes and fires a building quite on an angle. Some sinners, like certain bulky substances in a thunder-storm, are peculiarly adapted to attract the lightnings of truth! It might be prudent to whisper this truth in his ear, from me, that the notion that some tattler had been busy with the ear of the preacher, is but a device of Satan, to lessen the effect, and to fret him against his neighbors ; not unfrequently does the archfiend make capital thus ! But he never whispers in the FACTS ABOUT PREACHING. 165 ear of the irritated sinner, " The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.' 1 '' (Prov. xv. 3.) Let hhn be assured, it was only another effort of " the eternal Spirit " to remove from his eyes that veil of darkness held there by " the god of this world." (2 Cor. iv. 3, 4.) That was a keen remark of one, " Every sin draws hell at its very heels; " ay, and the truth, too, that would awaken and save. It was only yesterday that a cloud of a handbreadth soon spread over all the sky. Such a cloud has overspread the soul of your friend ; it may be but the forerunner of a heavy and disastrous gale, illustrative of my text last Sabbath night : " Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind ; it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. The anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.' 1 '' (Jer. xxiii. 10, 20.) The wiser way would be to " consider it per- fectly," now, when consideration will be of some avail. Un- availing regret is often very bitter. "Let go things less necessary, and mind the main," said one a long time ago, add- ing, " the task is long, the time short ; opportunities are headlong, and must be quickly caught, as the echo catches the voice : there is no use of after-wit.'''' The advice that was good then is good now, seeing the clouds still keep their station ; judgment lingers, and divine mercy hovers round ! Atterbury asserted that " the worst company in the world is better than a reproving conscience." I don't know about that; for such a conscience may goad a sinner to fly to Christ for deliverance from it. In its relation to happiness, I suppose, he was right. But not a few in this city consider the weak- 166 ARROW'S FROM MY QUIVER. est, leanest, and most drivelling preaching preferable to that which awakens the conscience, and sets it to the execution of its heaven-appointed office ! Ah ! sirs, all you who hear me this day, take notice — a reproving sermon, like a reproving conscience, may effect an eternal good for the reproved. Conscience is a law in the soul, and overrules certain objec- tions and skeptical notions with great force and authority. How often it has resolved itself into judge, jury, and execu- tioner, some of you;know very well by experience. It has the ability to discern the nature of an action, the authority to threaten, accuse, and sentence, and the power to carry it into execution. The Psalmist says : " In the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red ; it is full of mixture, and he poureth out of the same : but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them" (Ps. lxxv. 8.) Awful passage ! He of whom we have been speaking has been sip- ping from that cup ; and it has been at the lips of some of you now present. The dregs are reserved for eternity. Alas ! alas ! who can hope, after all that God has declared upon the subject, of ever reaching the bottom of that cup ? It is called, in Rev. xiv. 10, " The cup of his indignation ; " and its chief ingredient, " the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation" Oh ! that little word " is," " is poured out," indicates an eternal now ! No wonder, then, that it is stated in the same terrible text, " And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever." Oh ! may God save both preacher and hearer from a portion so terrible. But, says the Psalmist, " There is mercy with thee, that thou FACTS ABOUT PREACHING. 167 mayest be feared " — not hated, but "feared." In hell, " hate and malice inextinguishable " prevail, because there is no hope of mercy. Here sinners may hope for mercy ; therefore they fear without hate, and repent without malice, and soon learn to love him who first loved them ! But you are waiting for the text. Another remark before you hear it, for it is a solemn one : It was the saying of one now with God, that when the Lord sends cries unto a people for their unbelief and wickedness, as he sent Jonah to cry against Nineveh, that if they do not repent, like Nineveh, while such cries continue among them, then God himself will rise up against them ! Alas ! if this is the last cry in the ears of some, how ought I to preach, and how ought you to hear and pray ! May I preach, and you hear, as for eternity. Text : Job xxxvi. 18.* * The sermon may yet be published, but the time is not yet CHAPTER XXVI. TO A WORDY DOUBTER PROLIXITY. } X,T is questionable whether your "friend" needs your 1 - aid ! He is capable of defending his own cause, so ^PSe far, perhaps, as it is possible for such principles to be defended ; and in a gentlemanly spirit, too, which is pleasing to find in one professing such opinions. But mercy on us, sir ! have mercy upon one's patience, and learn to express your ideas in fewer words ! This is an age of retrenchment, and I see no reason why verbosity should be exempted. Besides, suffer not your sentences to be so insufferably long ! That was a wise remark of Old Humphrey, that "for the arrow intended to go right home, straight to the mark, there is nothing like taking a single aim/" This is what a friend of his called "using a rifle barrel, instead of a scattering blunderbuss ! " Some sentences are something like the latter — they scatter in every direction, and miss more than they hit ! I like a single, unencumbered sentence, even from an opponent, because one knows then what he would be at, as well as confident he knows the same ! Packing a sentence is like an archer letting off half a dozen arrows at once from the same string, intended for the same object — pretty sure to embarrass each other on the way rather than hit the mark I TO A WORDY DOUBTER PROLIXITY. 169 Mend your sentences, then, or end them ! Try to see clearly, and then you are likely to write clearly, and to the point. That man who got lost on the moors the other day in a fog, performed various evolutions and comical circles most sincerely, without nearing his true point a jot — wearying himself in vain to find it, and others to find him ! Had the atmosphere been clear, he could have gone straight to the outlet ; or if altogether bewildered himself, his whereabouts could have been seen by others ! Pray to God, friend, that your understanding may revolve in a clearer atmosphere ! The deviVs moors, like the Derbyshire, are notorious for fogs ! You will see clearer, and write better, when clear off from those unappropriated tracks of speculation ; or if appropriated, it. is by Satan, and his " hangers-on," who love darkness rather than light; poor skeptics and daring infidels, volun- teers for hell, without so much of bounty money as the Scotchman's " baubee," fighting their way thitherward through mere love of it ! While upon this subject — for, I assure you, I feel deeply interested, so much time have I wasted in deciphering ideas out of muddled composition — you will excuse me for referring to the remarks of one regarding modern German prose writers. He said every German regards a sentence in the light of a package, and a package not for the •mail-coach, but for the wagon, into which his privilege is to crowd as much as he possibly can ! Having framed his sentence, therefore, he next proceeds to pack it, which is effected partly by unwieldy tails and codicils, but chiefly by enormous parenthetic involutions. And should his sentence extend into a proposition, all qualifi- cations, limitations, exceptions, and illustrations are stuffed and 170 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. violently rammed into it. That all this equipage of acces- saries is not so arranged as to assist its own orderly develop- ment, no more occurs to a German as a fault, than that in a package of shawls or of carpets the colors and patterns are not fully displayed. To him it is sufficient they are there ! He instanced a Mr. Kant, who succeeded in "packing up" a sentence which covered three closely printed octavo pages ! — who seemed to finish with a pause to draw breath, with the air of one who looks back upon some brilliant and meritorious performance ! Now all this is doubtless somewhat overdrawn, for I have read German writers, both in prose and poetry, the very reverse of this. In the balance and structure of their sentences and modifications of their periods they would compare favorably with our best English writers — unless their translators corrected their encumbrances, as we sometimes say " the tailor makes the man." Be advised, clip your sentences into two or three, at least, so as to allow a few more breathing points. Above all, let them not be " dimly writ, nor difficult to spell," nor force one to murmur with Milton, " And what have "been thy answers ? what but dark, • Ambiguous, and with doubtful sense deluding I " Keep cool, sir ! Remember, as I sometimes say to my opponents, " It is the cold steel that cuts ! " In such matters we must think and let think, both as to sentiment and style, and leave fighting to things beneath us. I have been taught to suspect that those who are ready to fight for their re- ligion have little religion to fight for ! Beware of such TO A WORDY DOUBTER PROLIXITY. 171 flings, for words and sentences so hurled are as ungraceful and undesirable as head-endangering stones or sticks ! Cowper, speaMng of a belligerent character, says : "I saw him fling a stone, as if he meant At once his murder and his monument ! " The shrewd observations of a sensible man are worthy your consideration at the present time : To quarrel, he said, was the easiest, commonest, and foolishest thing in the world, whether by man, woman, or child ; no matter what the provo- cation may be, there is no necessity, and no benefit to be gained by it ; and yet, strange to say, theologians quarrel, politicians quarrel, physicians and lawyers quarrel, the Church quarrels ; nations, tribes, and states quarrel; men, women, and children quarrel ; dogs, cats, birds, and beasts quarrel about all manner of things, and on all manner of occasions. He admitted that out of these evil things some redeeming results may come, and produce their grain of wheat to a bushel of chaff; and made a liberal offer withal, that if anybody ever discovered a good thing come out of a quarrel, if he would give him the length, breadth, and quality of it, he would insure him a patent for the same, and credit to boot of having seen farther into a mill- stone than any chap that ever looked into daylight east of the Hudson ! I am giving you the man's own language ! Some things, he added, look well in theory, but will not answer at all in practice ; but neither the theory nor the prac- tice of quarrelling is good. If people will not listen to reason, they will not hearken patiently to abuse. You may lead, but you cannot drive men. Men cannot believe upon compulsion; nor can you reach the human mind by force of arms. 172 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. " Couvince a man against his will, And he's of the same opinion still." You have a right to your opinion, and so have others. When men quarrel about politics, they are denying the first principle of liberty — freedom of thought, without which there is nothing in politics worth a groat ! You have a right to con- vince, if you can ; exercise that right, but don't quarrel. A man has a right to stand by his religious faith — a right to insist upon it, and to present it respectfully on all proper occasions to the consideration of others, but he has no right to quarrel ! Let my excited friend ponder these remarks — they will do him good. ******* Pardon my obtuseness ! I am tempted into couplets ; but, have you never been tempted to say of some communications, as Montgomery did of books ? — " But books there are with nothing fraught, Ten thousand words, and ne'er a thought ! " Preserve temper, and do not get out of patience either with my "superstition" or "want of discernment." I am persuaded you can produce something more worthy of yourself, to say nothing of your cause, or of my reply. The unamiable mood betrayed in your last is excused. But now this feathery style, — and so much of it ! — in behalf of your talents and education, I protest. I have no pleasure in teasing you, but wish to excite you to what you are evidently capable of — a manly style, at least. If the cause you have espoused is not worthy of it, say so, and give the matter up. What is worth doing at all, is worth doing well. I am not pleading for sublimity of style, nor even elegance, but for perspicuity and seriousness and candor, and some touches of that genius which I know TO A WORDY DOUBTER PROLIXITY. 173 you possess; even a little humor will not be taken amiss, and maintain a kind spirit. Let us not bully each other; yet, knock my cause down with solid argument, if you can ! Re- member, it tires the arm sooner to throw feathers than sub- stances of reasonable weight, because it is such a temptation to an undue exercise of strength when a feather is to be pro- jected to a great distance. This is really good advice! Ouff with some full-grown manly ideas, in good, stout, robust old English. If the system you have espoused is incapable of sup- plying you with such ideas, abandon it for a better. ******* My friend is improving ! A question just here : Has it ever happened, when ascending a stair in the dark, that, in raising your foot for another step where none was, because you had arrived at the top sooner than you expected, you made a sur- prise step, and came down with a decided thwack of your foot upon the floor from which you had the previous moment lifted it ? Or, when descending, maybe, you reached the hall below by one step sooner than you calculated, and, stepping for that step, your foot and the floor met somewhat disagreeably ? Well, I am mistaken if you have felt nothing of this in your last effort. Infidelity has a short staircase leading to nothing, and that does not suit an. intellect like yours. It is a system of negatives, and all its steps are such, affirming nothing, and denying everything, and soon conducts the mind to the end of everything ! No ingenious mind can be brought without a shock to such a conclusion ! Again, I must suggest, come to the point at once ; speak out all that is in your heart — the notions of your M Society," whatever they are, though as wicked as Cain and foul as 174: ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. Paine. If low, you need not surely climb so to reach them, like Shakspeare's hero, who " Climb'd o'er the house to unlock the little gate 1 " Infidelity, as a scheme of opposition to the Bible and re- vealed religion, is necessarily low, and originates low thoughts, #and these, like small thoughts, even in a good cause, are never bettered by an attempt at splendor of language. To attempt it in behalf of such thoughts as your scheme inspires is mere bombast ; it is like General Tom Thumb acting the monarch or wielding the sword of a Sir William Wallace ! or like the dwarf in the Irishman's bull, who was so tall he had to climb a ladder to shave himself! Not at all ! I meant you no disrespect, but your principles rather. Your talents, as well as those of your friend, whose cause you have espoused, are fitted for nobler themes than infi- delity can furnish them. Indeed, I see not how either of you can cling to such principles, unless bound down to them by some wicked habits, and despair of happiness in another world. Infidelity affords but a meagre field for the human intellect. What is there in it to stimulate a worthy zeal, to expand the mind, or warm the heart ? It is like " the vineyard of the slothful" and " the field of a man void of understanding," celebrated by Solomon ; " thorns and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall was broken down." It is full of impediments, without good fruit, but thorns in plenty to pierce the laborer therein with many sorrows, and nettles, too, to sting him into evil humors, and often into desperation ! TO A WORDY DOUBTER PROLIXITY. 175 How fearfully true the remark of one, that infidelity arms the understanding against the dictates of Revelation, and the passions against the purity and self-denial of the divine re- quirements, and the will against " all that is called God, and icorshipped ;" it arms every member as an instrument of un- righteousness, and precipitates the whole man into the battle- field occupied by the hostile forces of good and evil. Ah! these are truthful observations ! How often I have seem them verified in my sojourns in different countries ! * * * .* * * But are you not aware that such virtues as you mention are inculcated in a yet higher degree in the Gospel ? Why retreat into infidelity to discover or enjoy them ? Mr. Wesley was conversing one day regarding the American Indians with a lady, who earnestly inquired, " Do you mean by Christianity, then, temperance, justice, and veracity ? " Mr. W. replied : " What do you apprehend more valuable than good sense, good nature, and good manners t But all these are contained in the highest degree in what I mean by Christianity. Good sense (so called) is but a poor, dim shadow of what Christians call faith. Good nature is only a faint resemblance of Chris- tian charity. Good manners, if of the most finished "kind that nature assisted by art can attain to, is but a dead picture of that holiness of conversation which is the image of God visibly expressed. All these put together by the art of God, I call Christianity ! " Here, sir, you have an epitome of the religion of Jesus Christ I Why then plunge into the murky shades of infidelity in search of virtues (if that be really your object), which, to say the least, you can find in much higher perfection in the Christian system ? Tell me, have you really 176 ARROWS FROM MY QUIYER. found such virtues exhibited among infidels ? Are they not, wherever found, among the coarsest and most unamiable in the community ? Can you deny it ? What is there in your sys- tem to make them otherwise ? With your own judgment I am content to leave the matter. With regard to what is personal, I trust the lesson has been profitable, and may yet be more so. He spoke well who said, " He that will learn of none but himself, is sure to have a fool his master." However, if you look into the matter more closely, you mny perceive that much of that abruptness in my manner of speaking and writing on some occasions, and which has struck you as " dogmatical," arises simply from the habit of going directly to the point, without disguise, and without circumlocution. There is, perhaps, a natural aptitude for it. In my boyhood excursions, the point of the compass once settled, or some distant landmark in view, hedges, ditches, or stone walls were no obstacles ; with eye on the mark, and a fence-spurning foot, and " taking breath out of companions, and risking neck or limb, the goal was won ! " Now, as you seem versed in the science of etymology, you may be in that of Olympics also, and thus trace the derivation of the direct pre- cipitancy in question. " The child is father of the man," saith the poet — ay, and the boy also — in extemporizing as well as excursionizing ! This may appear but a trifling apology for " so serious a fault ; " but it is the best I have to offer, unless I add this one fact, that when an idea is clearly perceived in the mind, or a truth, the necessity for many words is greatly lessened. Per- TO A WORDY DOUBTER PROLIXITY. 177 haps, also, you might be willing to allow me the benefit of that neat observation in " The Tatler," that where a man has no design but to speak the truth, he may say a great deal in a very narrow compass ! " A sentence," you remark, " may be both long and clear." To be sure it may ! — as a sunbeam, though it reach from heaven to earth ! Only let it be clear of a fog of words, and those which follow it as well ! It is that " suffocating boundlessness in method of expression," as one names it, and which some call eloquence in speaking, or fine writing, which I enjoin upon myself to avoid, and my corre- spondents also. However, let all this pass. We have more se- rious matters before us. Let us express ourselves so as not only to be understood, but that we cannot be misunderstood. And if on occasions this is a perfection too high for either of us, let us aim at it ! The question, " What is truth ? " is appropriate enough from one who has withdrawn " all confidence from the Bible ; " that abandoned, the question must force itself upon the mind with fearful significance. " The Bible," says Locke, " is all pure, all sincere ; nothing too much, nothing wanting.' 1 '' Every truth necessary for man to know is there. Discard that book, and what have we left? Robinson, a fine intellect of the last cen- tury, justly remarks, and ponder his testimony : " The Scrip- tures of the Old and New Testaments contain a system of hu- man nature, the grandest, the most extensive and complete, that ever was divulged to mankind since the foundation of nature." And, I would add, there is no want iu human na- ture better provided for than that after which you inquire — TRUTH ! Rousseau, with whom some of your brethren have been " so 8* 178 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. charmed " — with the fascination of his style, I suppose, and not. his character — even Rousseau was compelled to pay this tribute to the Bible, which you must remember, if you have read his works : " I must confess to you that the majesty of the Scriptures astonishes me, and the holiness of the Evan- gelists speaks to my heart, and has such strong and striking characters of truth, and is moreover so perfectly inimitable, that if it had been the invention of men, the inventors would have been the greatest of heroes." Should remarks such as these, even from such a source, lead you to the Bible in search of what you inquire after, I shall rejoice ! Others are waiting for replies — another apology for abruptness ! CHAPTER XXVII. TO THE SAME CLOSELY PRESSED. ) ST never surprises me to find a man groping in vain TjwZSL after truth, who has refused to believe the testimony ^flbSfJ of God's word! Notwithstanding all you have said against the Bible, the wants, the inquiries, the yearnings of your nature are more fully met in that book, than in any other book or system our world has to offer. The virtues enjoined there are the best for soul and body ; and the vices forbidden there are injurious to both. Facts these, to which all men can bear witness more or less. The whole medical faculty, as with one voice, testify to them ; and so do the newspapers of the day — those heralds through which we learn how God is governing the world. What are we to say to these facts ? What are we to 'learn ? What inference draw from them ? This : that the Creator of man is the Author of the Bible ! If the virtues enjoined in the Scriptures, and the vices prohibited, produced the contrary effects upon men, I confess it would greatly stumble me in coming to such a conclusion. And I appeal to yourself whether it would not be one of your strongest arguments against the book ? But so long as the well-being of mind and body, with length of days, are promoted by the observance of such Bible 180 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. injunctions and prohibitions — and the ill-being of both, with abridgment of life, the effect of the non-observance of them — you must admit I have a strong argument in favor of the book! Another, though lesser argument, is worthy your attention. The enemies of the Bible are those who practise the vices it condemns; and the friends of it, those who practise the virtues it enjoins. The bad hate it ; the good love it. To what con- clusion should this lead us? . Time forbids me to enlarge. Death-bed testimonies are often convincing. "Who ever heard a dying sinner regret that he had not lived a more vicious life ? or that the Bible and religion were not opposed with more energy and success ? — un- less, to use the sad remark of one, God was about to suffer him to drop into the fiery lake, with a senseless heart and a seared conscience, leaning upon a lie ! But how is it with the godly on such occasions ? Who ever heard any of these re- gret, in their dying moments, their faithfulness to God ? or wish that they had been less religiously disposed ? less devoted to God ? less attached to the Bible ? less zealous for the advance- ment of its truth? less in prayer and at the ordinances of God's house, through life ? Not one ! On the contrary, they usually regret that they were not more faithful in all these particulars. The testimony of one now in eternity is worthy of being repeated here : " Piety is no matter for repentance. Does a child of God speak against sin and sinners, and for a sober and holy life ? He will do so to the last ! Death, judg- ment, and a nearer approach to eternity shall not change his mind, but confirm it." Ah ! sir, how many of those who speak against religion and Christians, when in health, TO THE SAME CLOSELY PRESSED. 181 ask their prayers and pine for their hopes and comforts in death ! * ****** Let us keep temper, friend ! Bad humor hurts digestion : true, doubtless, in didactics as in dietetics! For my part, I have often proved the wisdom of the old Asiatic : " Measure every man with his own measure — that is, do not expect or require from him more than is in him." I can easily make allowance for you. Nevertheless, for your own sake examine the subject calmly, with less of prejudice, and be not over anxious for victory. Indifference to death ! A mere bravado, more likely, or a play upon words, or a scintillation of the fancy ! " So like the borealis race, "Which flit ere you can mark the place I " flitting over the surface of the soul in vast uncertainties, or playing over the heart, like cold moonbeams over a snow-drift, warming nothing, melting nothing ! It is a sorry plea to make the soul glad by an imposition both upon memory, conscience, reason, and judgment ; for all these have had something to say upon this subject in bygone days, and they shall again, depend upon it ! Job spoke of " a land of darkness and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness " to the buried dead. The heart may be but the tomb of buried principles, and of dead hopes and fears, which are to have a re- surrection by and by! Athwart the gloom of that heart — thine, I mean — there may, perchance, stray a beam of light, dispersing itself like a ray through some chink in a sepulchre, " darting uncertain brightness for a moment, faint and precari- 182 ARROWS FROM MT QUIVER. ous," where " the light is as darkness" leaving the mind oscil- lating like a pendulum between indifference and suspense, until some moving shadow in the sepulchral gloom , determines it unto unquietness. There have been shadows passing through your heart lately, or I am mistaken — " Shadows that will not vanish Though you wave them to depart " — unquiet, disowned principles and fears — ambassadors from heaven at the court of your conscience, and the representatives of the truth of the religion of Jesus Christ in years gone by, but slain by infidelity, but are now risen from the dead like the " two witnesses" in Rev. xi. 3-13, or like unto the dead which rose from the dead after our Lord's resurrection and appeared unto many — looking at you as they did at Jerusalem, when they turned their rayless eyes, covered with the frosts of death, upon a city devoted to destruction ! " Oh I a haunted heart is a weight to bear ! " Indifference to death! more than doubtful, except when under the influence of an exhilaration not natural to your habitual state of mind. I believe with one who understood well what he said, that death can never be indifferent till man is assured — which none was ever yet — that, with his breath, his being passes into nothing; that it matters little, whether his hopes and fears steer by the chart and compass of a formal creed, or drift along the shoreless sea of faithless conjecture, a possible eternity can never be indifferent ; that the idea of extinc- tion is not terrible, simply because man cannot form such an idea at all! Let a man, he continued, try as long as he will — TO THE SAME CLOSELY PRESSED. 183 let hint negative every conceived and conceivable form of future existence, lie is as far as ever from having exhausted the infinitude of possibility — imagination will continually produce the line of consciousness through limitless darkness ; adding, many are the devices of fancy to relieve the soul from the dead weight of unideal nothing ! Allow a question : Are you entirely unfamiliar in the privacy of your own thoughts with those youthful moanings of Henry Kirke "White, "communing lonely with his sinking soul," looking death in the face the while, and, in the solemn midnight hour, feeling that his sickness was unto death ? — the poet, you are aware, died young : ^ " Yes, I do feel my soul recoil within me, As I contemplate death's grim gulf, The shuddering void, the awful blank — futurity 1 And it is hard To feel the hand of death arrest one's steps, Throw a chill blight o'er all one's budding hopes, And hurl one's soul untimely to the shades, Lost in the gaping gulf of blank oblivion." How solemn ! how dirge-like ! What comfort could infidelity afford ? Comfort he had, but it came not from thence. He sought it not there ; no, but in the religion of the Gospel ! What a relief in the closing lines ! " And my tired soul, with emulative haste, Looks to its God, and prunes its wings for heaven." ******* It is but doing injustice to yourself — a piece of self-imposi- tion — to infer your feelings at death from what you feel now, The difference may be very great, unless God suffer you to die 184 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. with a seared conscience and a senseless heart. That farmer in Scotland, whose dying scene was related a few nights since, was quite easy in mind and body though actually dying : and why ? He had no idea he was dying ! And may it not be so frequently with persons of your way of thinking? But, had you stood by the dying bed of one in street, and marked the expression of his countenance when he said, " I feel I exist here, and I fear I shall exist hereafter " — had you listened to that man when in health and hilarity, you could hardly, according to your notions, have anticipated such a change. " An infidel in health, but what when siek? Oh ! then a text would cut him to the quick ! " Much depends, doubtless, upon the light under whicrr such persons have sinned — the religious knowledge and convictions with w T hich they were favored. " I feel," said one, as he lay stretched on the bed of his last illness, " I feel the reality is very near — close at hand. You may imagine what I feel. It is stealing upon me, on and on, like the tide upon yonder shore, not to be driven back till it has engulfed its prey. Here I am, under the apprehension of standing soon a naked, guilty, trembling spirit, all memory and all consciousness — never again to sleep or know oblivion from the crushing sense of the ' deeds done in the body ! ' The dying bed may, indeed, be a place of torment ! How past life is stripped of its de- ceptions! How it is shrivelled into insignificance, in connec- tion with eternity — but as a tiny shell tossed on the broad, black surface of an ocean. Then, again, the importance of life ! How intensely one views it now ! The past ! the past ! woe is me for the past." But it is due to say, secret intima- TO THE SAME CLOSELY PRESSED. 185 tions of all this had visited his spirit when in health. The sad forebodings of it had weighed down his heart amidst scenes of gayety and dissipation ; that it had covered him as a presence, and seemed sometimes to imprison his faculties as with bars and gates of iron ; that when in saloons alive with mirth and splendor, himself the gayest of the gay, the fear of death would pass through his mind, sudden as a shot, and he would turn away sick and shuddering. What a life to lead ! Some suppose familiarity with the thoughts of death renders death less terrible when it comes. That depends whether such thoughts have led to a preparation to meet it, doubtless. You little know what your sensation shall be at that trying time, when, speaking somewhat after the manner of one now in eternity, you may be forced to say, " The physician tells me I cannot live — that I am all but a dead man ; and the minister says I must now prepare for another world. All my days are gone. I can live upon earth no longer. All my preparing time is at an end. What is undone must be undone forever. My diseased body must live — my disconsolate soul dare not die. God ! what is to become of me!" A Christless soul like that, sir, is one of the saddest sights our world presents. Can you doubt it ? Such cases are by no means rare. "We Christians are meeting with them constantly — men who despised religion, and made Christians their jest and their byword, but who, bleeding and dying away from the herd of sinners, would give as many worlds as there are stars in the firmament of heaven for the comfort and well-grounded assurances of true Christians ! Bildad, in the Book of Job, calls death " the king of ter- rors.'''' Aristotle named it " the terrible of terribles ! " But he 186 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. was a heathen. How much more terrible, then, must death be to him who has lived and sinned under the light! In view of these things, one who is now in his grave exclaimed, "Better live an Indian than die an infidel under the Gospel. If it be thus with the living and the dving, how terrible must be eternity ! " Darkness above, despair beneath, Around him flames, within him death." CHAPTER XXVIII. TO ANOTHER USED UP. jptfOME! come! sir! After all my replies to your "friend" as well as to yourself, this will not do ! You have wandered over that wilderness track often enough ! — unless you have a fancy for imitating the Israelites in their forty years' wandering in the wilderness, sometimes with the hills of Canaan fully in view. Really ! you must find something new, or we shall consider you, like your friend, pretty well used up ! It is not creditable, if I may alter the figure, to be always spinning the same thread, especially when it is so full of knots ! (nots.) " Not " being so constantly a negative, is a most unfruitful little word in controversies — whether it expresses simply negation, or a denial, or a refusal I To deny everything, and affirm nothing — any simpleton may do that ! I do not, neither do others wish to hear you at the chapel doors, and on the street, telling what you do not be- lieve, without a manly expression of what you do believe ! But if you only believe in all unbelief, call it not " bigotry " or " in- tolerance " that you are treated with disrespect. Respect your- self, and others will respect you. God himself has said it : " Them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me 188 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. shall be lightly esteemed ! " (Sam. ii. 30.) That is one part of the Bible } t ou have realized to be true at any rate ! ****** * And what does it all amount to ? Anything more than what the old Latinists used to call petitio principii, or to beg the question ? — much the same as to assume a position — some- thing after the order of rhetorical invention, which you illus- trate very well — imagery, which would seem to prove a posi- tion, but which, in reality, only assumes it. It is not possible to respect such a method. ******* Better you had made the confession at first: "What am I to do ? seeing I lack some standard of authority to which I can appeal with confidence ! " Just so ! Like poor Job, his mind as sore as his body, he sighed after some " daysman " or um- pire, who might interpose or arbitrate between God and him : " Neither is there any daysman betwixt us that might lay his hand upon bothy And you also sigh after some acknowledged umpire or other to arbitrate between us in matters of " truth and doctrine" to whom an appeal might be made — as much as to say, " Neither is there any divinely appointed standard of truth and doctrine to which one or both may appeal." But there is ! Here it is ! — the Bible ! " The Author, God himself; The subject, God and man ; salvation, life, And death — eternal life, eternal death — Dread words ! whose meaning has no end, no bounds — Most wondrous book ! bright candle of the Lord ! Star of eternity ! the only star By which the bark of man could navigate TO ANOTHER — USED UP. 189 The sea of life, and gain the coast of bliss Securely ; only star which rose on time. And on its dark and troubled billows, still, As generation drifting swiftly by Succeeded generation, threw a ray Of heaven's own light, and to the hills of God, The eternal hills, pointed the sinner's eye : By prophets, seers, and priests, and sacred bards, Evangelists, apostles, men inspired, And by the Holy Ghost anointed, set Apart and consecrated to declare To earth the counsels of the Eternal One, This book — this holiest, this sublimest book, "Was sent — Heaven's will, Heaven's code of laws entire To man: — Definer of the bounds Of vice and virtue, and of life and death — This book, this holy book, on every line Marked with the seal of high divinity, On every leaf bedewed with drops of love Divine, and with the eternal heraldry And signature of God Almighty stampt From first to last — this ray of sacred light, This lamp, from off the everlasting throne, Mercy took .down, and in the night of time Stood casting in the dark her gracious bow, And evermore beseeching mem with tears And earnest sighs, to read, believe, and live ! " I make no apology for so lengthy a quotation. The thoughts are just, and beautifully expressed. Of no other book here below could the same be said. The poet, because describing the conversations in heaven concerning " the won- drous book," speaks of it in the past tense somewhat, but we 190 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. have the book still — the same book, unmutilated, and trans- lated faithfully into our own language ; and we, in turn, have given it to nations of men speaking at least one hundred and forty-eight different languages: it is now translated, in fact, into the languages spoken by six hundred millions of the hu- man race ! You and your companions reject this book as a standard of truth ; we receive it, and prove our belief and ad- miration by giving it to the nations of the earth in their own tongues. This book, sir, proves itself the book of books, as the sun in the firmament proves himself the orb of orbs, and needs neither torch nor candle to discern his glory ! In this holy book the will of God is declared in plain "And obvious phrase, In most sincere and honest words, by God Himself selected aud arranged, so clear, So plain, so perfectly distinct, that none Who read with humble wish to understand, And ask the Spirit^ given to all who ask, Can miss their meaning, blazed in heavenly light ! " Millions now upon earth prove it so, and make it the man of their counsel, and the rule of their life, the pavilion of their peace, and the day-star of their hopes. Myriads, now in heaven, at merry's invitation while here on earth, "To her voice gave ear, and read, Believed, obeyed ; and now, as the Amen, True, and faithful witness swore, with snowy robes And branchy palms surround the fount of life, And drink the streams of immortality, For ever happy, and for ever young I " TO ANOTHER USED UP. 191 Beware ! Hard toiling with dark and crooked reasoning ! And to what end? Motives I judge not; but tendencies are evident — "to cut down the fences of virtue, sap her walls, and open a smooth and easy way to death," says one ; ay, and into error by wholesale. You reason from false principles, therefore your conclusions must be false and dangerous. The truth is, you are responsible for your belief as for your conduct ; not to man, but to God. Belief supposes certain facts and evidences. They may be true, or they may be false. Upon what does this responsibility rest ? where does it begin ? Just here : whether a sincere and proper care has been taken in the investigations of such facts and evidences, in order to acquire correct information ; whether you have not allowed your judg- ment to become warped by evil passions ; and whether sincer- ity or insincerity have accompanied your mind in the process. " It is amazing," says a writer, " how small a beam of light redeems a soul from the condemnation of utter darkness." Ay ! and it is amazing how small a beam of light renders a man responsible for his errors, and liable to eternal condemna- tion ! Ponder the following, where part of your logic, in gib- bets, receives a parting blow : " If faith's compelled, so is all action too : But deeds compelled are not accountable ; So man is not amenable to God. It was the master-stroke of wickedness, Last effort of Abaddon's counsel dark, To make a man think himself a slave to fate, And worst of all, a slave to fate in faith. Behold a man condemned 1 Either he ne'er inquired, and therefore he 192 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. Could not believe ; or else, he carelessly Inquired, and something other than the word Of God received into his cheated faith; And therefore did not believe, but down To hell descended, leaning on a lie." God never sent a pagan to hell for ignorance of what he could not know. In the great day we shall be held accounta- ble for what we might have known — certainly for what we did know in regard to truth and doctrine. ******* Not so ! You cannot draw me off to other themes ! You remind me of an old woman in Ireland who kept a tavern : one market-day, a Methodist preacher began to preach to the crowd standing near her door. Being pleased with his looks and zeal, she brought him out a chair to stand upon, and listened attentively. At length he began to warn them of the evils arising from intoxicating drinks, at which she became very un- easy, and stepping up to him at length, she said, " I would be obleeged to ye, sir, to change the subject ! " Like her, it seems you have all the light you want from that direction, and the less the better for some of your party ! Here then we must part. I pity you, but as you intend to cling to error and sin, to which the Bible gives no quarter, the clearer the evidences of its divine authority, the more " trou- blesome " it is, most certainly. You invite me into the regions of conjecture. I cannot leave the Bible to go there. Conjec- ture, besides, makes a poor array, when set face to face with fact. Burns, you remember, says that on a certain occasion, he 11 Clawed the elbow of troublesome thought ! " TO ANOTHER USED UP. 193 Belshazzar in like manner — "his thoughts troubled him." (Dan. v. 6.) That hand-writing on the wall — of conscience — bodes no good. " Possibles and impossibles ! " I am tired of seeing infidels rubbing those ears so continually, without ob- taining anything but chaff. It seems as if you and your party have ceased to dream that these two ears of infidelity shall ever be able to accomplish that which the " seven ears " did in Pharaoh's dream — " withered, thin, and blasted by the east wind," as they were. (Gen. xli. 22-24.) Why in such haste to those altitudes? Your infidel ladder is not made for scaling such inaccessible places ! AYhen a' man tries to be more than he can be, it is pretty certain he will soon be less than he is, or has been ! Not one in a thousand reaches anywhere near half- way up there ; and if you were there, what could you do there? Infidelity offers no instruments to assist you in the necessary investigations. An unregenerate sinner in heaven would feel himself as much in place. I understand you, how* ever ! Have you noticed that freak of Baron , who jump- ed out of a window in Paris, and broke a few of his bones ? In apologizing for his somerset, he said he was only learn- ing to be lively ! It is well the man did not break his neck ! But I do know of one who, in trying to be lively, has broken the neck of his argument, although I believe it was pretty well disjointed before ! In conclusion, I have had frequently to remind infidels of the extreme scantiness of their material of thought. This is the reason, I suppose, why they are such sticklers for the nega- tive side of a question. I told one the other day that he seemed as fond of his " nots " as any Roman Catholic of his beads ! This attempting to destroy everything in matters of 194: ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. faith, and leaving blank nothing as a substitute, is pitiable — I ought to say contemptible; but when such would be merry over the matter it excites one's abhorrence. Pray, sir, seriously and solemnly, what is there in your system to attract or fascinate, much less satisfy a rational mind ? A gloomy refuge — a church-yard repose, the best you can make of it ; and carrying about all the while a conscience armed with an evil prediction against you, of which you cannot deprive it, though for a time yW may succeed in imposing silence ! And for this you would barter away your hopes of immortality and eternal life ! You may be glad to be " quit " of me, but you have found a more troublesome companion in your own con- science ! To it and Providence, I commend you. CHAPTER XXIX. TO ANOTHER THE STRAY ARROW. F^HE arrow does not always hit the mark intended by the archer, unless he were another William Tell. It W^jT^ is so with the spiritual archer ; a truth aimed at one conscience may pierce anothei>as in your case. It is as the Holy Spirit pleaseth. Beware of supposing that salvation is a great way off, or that the process of forgiveness requires a cer- tain length of time, or a series of performances. " The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, the word of faith which we preach" (Rom. x. 8.) Read the whole pas- sage carefully and prayerfully. If you are a sincere penitent, and your heart is upright before Him who reads the heart, and you are truly in earnest for salvation, and willing to be saved on His terms, you will find the way of salvation in this pas- sage both plain and easy. A similar inquiry to your own was made by one centuries ago : " How can I have an arm long enough to reach unto Christ ? " He received this reply : " Believe, and thou dost take hold of Him." Luther defined justification by faith thus : " Jesus Christ hath loved me and gave himself for me, and I believe it." If ten thousand sermons were to be preached 196 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. upon it by the first talent in the Church of God, they must all of them make that the grand central point. If the Bible was not oftener appealed to in that discourse, my conclusions were not reached but by its light. It gave me light to reason by. The natural sun creates day, though himself not be often seen through the whole of it. No one doubts in the daytime that the light diffused through the atmosphere proceeds from the sun. Apply the thought to the Bible, and the course of argument which arrested your attention. With- out the Bible, I had been like Plato when about to deliver a lecture to his disciples on the creation of the world and the gen- eration of the gods, who told them " not to expect more concern- ing these things than the most likely conjecture." He felt the need of some such authority as we have, to confirm his senti- ments. Indeed, in his celebrated " Dialogues " he freely con- fesses it. Instance that reply to the argument of Socrates, which Plato puts into the mouth of one of his disciples : " I agree with you, Socrates, that to discover the certain truth of these things in this life is impossible, or, at least, very difficult. We ought, therefore, by all means, to do one of two things : either by hearkening to instruction, and by our own diligent study, to find out the truth ; or, if that be impossible, then to fix upon that which appears to human reason best and most prob- able, and to make that our raft while w^e sail this stormy sea, unless one could have a still more sure and safe guide, such as a divine revelation would be, on w T hich we might make the voyage of life in a ship that fears no danger" — a sentiment that might well make every Deist in this land ashamed of him- self! Doubtless the strongest proofs of our immortality are in the TO ANOTHER THE STRAY ARROW. 197 New Testament. That might well be anticipated, as it belongs to a higher dispensation. It was reserved, as one remarked, to grace the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is " the way, the truth, and the life.'''' It was but darkly shadowed forth in some parts of the Jewish dispensation — sufficient, however, to awaken the hopes and fears of that people. Angelic visitors and prophetic messengers strengthened the principle by en- gaging their faith in glorious or fearful realities beyond. It was a light shining in a dark place — like the nickering light in the ancient tomb, ready to expire amidst the darkness and vapors which encompassed it. Jesus Christ, " He brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel.' 1 '' With the apostle let us say, " Thanhs be unto God for his unspeakable gift ! " Amen and amen ! * * * * * * * Be faithful to the grace already given. How gracious has God been to you in Jesus, besides exercising so much long- suffering in the past ! You should busy yourself much in the Holy Scriptures, but beware of extremes; for if we are to "read nothing but the Bible," to be consistent we should hear nothing but the Bible, and that carried out would put an end to preaching. Mr. "Wesley, I remember, made a similar re- mark. We should be so familiar with Scripture as to be able to detect and slay any error that may happen to assail us. " The word of God" is called " the sword of the Spirit" by the apostle, and this is one reason. " It is written " was the hilt of that sword which our Lord wielded against Satan during his great temptation in the wilderness. As to religious controversies, I do not, of course, condemn them altogether ; they are often necessary for the defence of 198 ARROWS FROM MY QUIYER. the truth. When error is rife or rampant, we must not flinch from maintaining the truth against it; otherwise we should break a command : " Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude, 3d verse.) This apostle gave a strong reason for it in the following verse : " Certain men " had crept into the church " unawares — ungodly men — turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and deny- ing the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christy It is to such faithful contending s we owe, under God, the purity of doctrine and religious freedom which we enjoy. The less you are in the company of such persons the better. They may do you an injury, and you are not yet strong enough, I fear, to cope with them, or to do them much good. They may perplex you, or shear you of your strength. If Provi- dence seems to cast you among them, or bring them in your way, why play the man! Jesus will help you! But when duty is over, disappear. A good man in London remarked that we should go into the company of worldly men as we go into a rain-storm sometimes — not to amuse ourselves, but because business calls, and we put on a great coat and take an umbrella, and hurry out of it soon as possible ! St. Paul advises, " Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ" as you would put on an overcoat in going out into a storm. Enter into his spirit, be governed by his maxims, assume his interests, and be wholly on his side. Every blessing on thee ! There is a serious flaw in your friend's reasoning. The Bible is not so bulky a book as to require such retrenchment. Perilous work that ! It might open the way to all manner of mutilations. And in generations to come there might arise as many controversies about the lost portions as about the lost ten TO ANOTHER THE STRAY ARROW. 199 tribes of Israel ! This is an age of speculation, and rife with money-making schemes and retrenchments. He is little aware to what an extent such a matter would be carried were it once to receive public favor. There are men, too, who would re- joice to see the day when the Book of God is reduced to the size of a sixpenny pamphlet. No, sir ! The Bible ! the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible ! Parsimonious fragments and abridgments, in lieu of the Bible, would be a crime against man, and high treason against God and the royalty of divine inspiration. " Search the Scriptures" says Christ — the entire Scriptures, and not part of them ; for the neglected part might possibly contain that portion of truth necessary to the eternal salvation of some particular soul. And now that you love that book, it is none too large for you ! It was the whole Bible found at Erfurth that awakened Luther amidst the errors of Popery, and not the fragments of it, cunningly strung together to suit the purposes of the Romish Church. No ! rather, I was going to say, have the Bible in chains, as Luther found it in the convent of St. Augustine. What an event that was ! Luther, a poor, distressed penitent, seeking comfort, and finding none. But he found the Bible — found it chained to a desk — but, though in chains, its unmu- tilate truth found way into his soul, snapped his spiritual fet- ters, opened the iron gate of unbelief, set him at liberty, and sent him through Germany like a moving pillar of fire ! Lu- ther, in turn, unchained the Bible, clothed it in the language of Germany, and sent it out through the land, conquering and to conquer ! 200 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. They will perplex aud weaken you if they can. Satan is ready to help them ; for he longs for your overthrow. You are doing his cause more injury than you are aware. Why all this stir? Stand not too long on the defensive. Be the ag- gressor sometimes. Start difficulties, raise objections, press questions ; put them to it in defence of their positions ! More may be done in this way, often, than merely to defend one's own principles. By the way, I found some days since, a few stanzas of an old poem, copied several years ago, when in a certain part of the world, from one of the old poets. Set them to work upon it ! Every verse is a good text ! Quaint though it be, in thought and phrase, give the piece fair play, and it will be a match for them ; besides, its antiquity may win it respect. The following stanza seems but a fragment of the poet's address to the Creator : " Thou leavest thy print on other works of thine, But thy whole image thou in man hast writ ; There cannot be a creatnre more divine, Except like Thee it should be infinite." And next proceeds to investigate the nature, power, and ten- dencies of the soul, as proofs of its divine origin and immor- tality : " But whoso makes a mirror of his mind, And doth with patience view himself therein, His soul's eternity shall clearly find, Though th' other beauties be defaced with sin. " First, in man's mind we find an appetite To learn and know the truth of every thing, Which is co-natural and born with it, And from the essence of the soul doth spring. TO ANOTHER THE STRAY ARROW. 201 " With this desire she hath a native might To find out every truth, if she had time ; The innumerable effects to sort aright, And by degrees from cause to cause to climb. M But since our life so fast away doth slide, As doth a hungry eagle through the wind, Or as a ship transported with the tide, Which in their passage leave no trace behind : " Of which swift little time, so much we spend, While some few things we through the sense do strain, That our short race of life is at an end Ere we the principle of skill attain : 11 Or God (which to vain ends hath nothing done) In vain the appetite and pow'r hath given ; Or else our knowledge, which is here begun, Hereafter must be perfected in heaven. " God never gave a pow'r to one whole kind, But most part of that kind did use the same ; Most eyes have perfect sight, though some be blind, Most legs can nimbly run, though some be lame. " But in this life no soul the truth can know ' So perfectly as it hath pow'r to do: If then perfection be not found below, An higher place must make her mount thereto. " Again, how can she but immortal be, When with the motions of both will and wit She still aspireth to eternity, And never rests till she attain to it ? " Water in conduit pipes can rise no higher Than the wellhead from whence it first doth spring, 202 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. Then since to Eternal God she doth aspire, She cannot but be an eternal thing. " And though some impious wits do question move, And doubt if souls immortal be or no ; That doubt their immortality doth prove, Because they seem immortal things to know. " For, he which reasons on both parts doth bring, Doth some things mortal, some immortal call : Now, if himself were but a mortal thing, He could not judge immortal things at all. " For when we judge, our miuds we mirrors make ; And as those glasses which material be, Forms of material things do only take, For thoughts, or minds in them we cannot see: " So when we see God, and angels do conceive, And think of truth, which is eternal too, Then do our minds immortal forms receive, "Which if they mortal were, they could not do. "And as, if beasts conceived what reason were, And that conception should distinctly show, They should the name of reasonable bear ; For without reason none could reason kuow: " So when the soul mounts with so high a wing, As of eternal things she doubts can move, She proofs of her eternity can bring, E'en when she strives the contrary to prove ! " For e'en the thoughts of immortality, Being an act done without the body's aid, Shows that herself alone could move and be, Although the body in the grave were laid. TO ANOTHER THE STRAY ARROW. 203 " Her only end is never-ending bliss, "Which is the eternal face of G-od to see, "Who last of all ends and first of causes is : And to do this, she must eternal be. " How senseless, then, and dead a soul hath he, "Who thinks his soul doth with his body die ! Or thinks not so, but so ivould have it be, Tliat he might sin vjith more security. "For though these light and vicious persons say, 1 Our soul is but a smoke or airy blast, "Which during life doth in her nostrils play, And when we die doth turn to wind at last : ' " Although they say, ' Come, let us eat and drink ; Our life is but a spark which quickly dies ; ' Though thus they say, they know not u-hat to think, But in their minds ten thousand doubts arise. " Therefore do heretics desire to spread Their light opinions, like these epicures; For so their staggering thoughts are comforted, And other men's assent their doubt assures. " Yet though these men against their conscience strive, There are some sparks within their guilty breasts "Which cannot be extinct, but still revive ; That, though they would, they cannot quite be beasts." CHAPTER XXX. RECONNOITRING INFIDEL POSITIONS. K WlpJRUTH ! Your inquiries concerning it are not unwel- r %J^h come. It will be well if you can say as much of my ***5> p replies ! A Frenchman candidly remarked that to such as are determined not to relinquish error, truth must ever be unpalatable. To the well-meaning and honest-hearted, truth, he thought, could never give offence, even if carried up to the highest point of plain-dealing and faithful remonstrance ; that, if it come from a friend, it will ever be distinguished from the rancor of an enemy, as the friendly probe of a physician from the dagger of an assassin ! An admission which, I hope, you will not lose sight of ! Such " queries " as yours were, perhaps, never so rife in this town as now among all grades of unbelievers. A great revival of religion is great for creating such effects always, and in all places, more or less, as the leaven of infidelity happens to be diffused. The Gospel fully and faithfully preached, awakens attention, like a sudden blaze of lightning and thunder among the clouds, setting some quaking and others query- ing. The principles of Christianity, when brought thus into action, are too tremendous in their nature and consequences to permit men remaining long without sentiment regarding EECONXOITEIXG IXFID'EL POSITIONS. 205 them, favorable or adverse. We may say tine same regarding the preacher! The hopes and fears of the people are too much interested to allow of a long continuance of indifference or neutrality. To be neither for nor against is an anomaly, as Christ hints : " He that is not for me is against me ; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." A divine in Switzerland insisted that the intolerance of the Gospel arises from a principle laid down by our Lord, by which it considers every man an enemy who is not & friend. Rely upon this : when the Gospel is preached, this/ac^ soon develops itself in the hearts of the hearers. I think we may safely say of every man who holds out against the Gospel, when thus preached, that he is a skeptic upon some point or other, which arms him against its claims, and renders him immovable. It is impossible to conceive of any fact so immense and so overpowering as that o^religion. To enable a man to stand in its presence unmoved requires the assistance of a doubt, equal in strength to him who said, " My name is legion." Even in such a case, I have learned not to despair. A sinner who, in the bottom of his heart, recognises another great fact, that it is optional with him whether he entertain this doubt or reject it, is not a hopeless case ! I believe with the celebrated old Thomas Adams, that the devils have faith, but they have no hope ; that hope is the life of Christians (ay, and a life amid much death in the hearts of sinners !) and that the want of hope makes devils. Devils believe and tremble, but they have no hope. Our faith would make us tremble, too, were it not for hope. On this principle I account for so much of that " stony air " observable in some, rather than an entire sur- render to infidelity. 206 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. Indifference is one of the most difficult opponents I meet with in any country. Persecution, in certain forms, is nothing to it. A disposition to inquire or investigate is an angel to it. An irritable sinner is assailable, and may receive a back- handed blow from truth, if thrown off his guard, which may bring him to his knees. How often have I armed myself in going forth against indifference, and returned from the attack weak-handed and discouraged ! The heaviest pieces of my pulpit artillery had been as ineffectual against it, apparently, as the chirping of grasshoppers. What an incubus of this sort of indifference we had upon us when we commenced this effort ! It was said, if we held on thus, we should certainly drive the people out of their senses! when it was evident they had not been in their senses for a great while ! At any rate, they were senseless enough — had fallen a prey to spiritual death, hopeless as the scene in " the valley of dry bones" or next to it. " Few," remarked one, " succumb under acute dis- eases ; the majority die of the chlorosis and marasmus of com- plete indifference. The words ' church, divine service, and sermon ' make them yawn. They bear the brand-marks of impending judgment, and the signs, if not.of rejection, yet of the capability of it. Satan even does not seem to think these people worthy of an energetic attack. Like dead trees, they fall to him of themselves, and he finds them in his net before he spreads it." A mournful picture ! Compare it with the state of things around us. Not one has gone out of his senses, in the sense predicted by formalism ; but what mul- titudes have found their senses ! The dead trees are alive again ! Indifference has given way ! But, as is always the case in such a work, skeptics are RECONNOITRING INFIDEL POSITIONS. 207 wide awake also ! They seem to be much of the Spanish Jesuits' minds — " Beatus qui pradicat verbum inauditum " — " Happy is he who proclaims a doctrine not yet heard ! " They remind us of the Athenians of old, who spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or hear some new thing. (Acts xvii. 21.) Demosthenes, were he alive and among us, might with pro- priety transfer his impression of the people of Athens to (and by the way, it is curious to notice the coincidence of the orator's remark with that in Acts) : " I found them in- quiring perpetually in the place of public resort, if there are any news." May the poor unbelievers among us, who are yet doing homage to the hemisphere of darkness, turn to the light of the Gospel — turn from " lying vanities " and the husks of falsehood " to the truth which is after godliness" moulded after it — that truth which follows after godliness, helps the soul to overtake it, and, with both truth and godliness, enter into heaven. Amen ! Skeptics, though boastful, are usually dissatisfied witb that which they mistake for truth. No more truth is in it than that Satan is " an angel of light" whatever transformations it may undergo. (2 Cor. xi. 14, 15.) Error, like Satan, may be so transformed ; but, mismanaging its drapery, its nature and origin may be seen in its dusky complexion ! Impatience of contra- diction has led it so to spring round and round of late, in cer- tain arenas of controversy, to an imprudent showing of " the cloven foot " of its " father the devil." John viii. 44 is worthy of your closest attention. It contains one " truth " which may be of great value to you. These late dissensions among the churches have made these skeptics bold, as if all religion were falling to pieces. As Stil- 208 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. ling-fleet remarks, " Weaker heads when they once see the bat- tlements shake, are apt to suspect that the foundation itself is not firm enough, and to conclude, if anything be called in ques- tion, that there is nothing certain ! " How applicable to many now, as in 1650! It is amusing how they change front so often ! — this is not safe " in the presence of an enemy," in military tactics! They want to know the truth, but when truth appears they reject it, as the Jews did their true Mes- siah when he came ! They profess a liking for truth, if they did but know it — have an altar for it, as the Athenians had, " To the unknown God. 11 And if it was really so that the people of Athens never allowed an idol to be placed upon that altar, it is much to their credit. AVould that we could say as much of these skeptics ! To exalt error in the place of " un- known truth 11 is to fall beneath the dignity of the Athenians. Never yet have I found two infidel writers to agree. Their disagreement in this town is notorious ; except in one thing — to oppose the truth, as revealed in the Bible. The definitions of truth, by our modern skeptics, remind one of the squabbles of Grecian and Roman philosophers of ancient times as to " the chief good " — their favorite phrase for happiness — which called forth no less than two hundred and eighty-eight opinions ! All these were diverse, agreeing only upon one point, viz., in reasoning from false principles and from wrong premises. Plutarch tells us of a thoughtful and sincere man who, after hearing the philosophers wrangle upon " the chief good," as to what it consisted of — some assigning it to one thing and some to another — like yourself, fearing he should miss of true happiness, resolved, if possible, to acquire the whole, hastened to the market-place and bought up all the RECONNOITRING INFIDEL POSITIONS. 209 good things he could find, certain that he could not miss it, if the philosophers were right ! Poor man ! he was disap- pointed. Nothing was wanting that his person or stomach could crave, but his soul, finding no food suitable to its nature, was as dissatisfied as ever. Real happiness eluded his grasp, as truth and happiness do yours ! He sought it not in God, and then doubted whether any such good existed. " Who will show us any good f " inquired some of old, when assailed with unbelief. (Ps. iv. 6.) I marvel not that you have had a similar temptation concerning truth. The opinions of ancient philosophers, and those of our modern unbelievers, are all chips from the same block of error — threads drawn from the same goat-fleece of depravity, which never hold together — streams from the same troubled fountain of the unrenewed heart ; so many heads of the same old hydra of speculative atheism — that old self-constructing Polypous, Satan's masterpiece 1 begotten of everlasting doubt, and by its infernal touch transforming men into everlasting doubters, until they go where doubts end and devils tremble. One opinion occurs to me which prevailed among the ancient philosophers. It was this: that "the chief good" consisted in having the animal nature subjected to the rational. This opinion was associated with a severe discipline. But, as one observes, the animal, in spite of all they could do, rose above the rational, and the brute ran away with the man! Gigantic fallen nature proved itself another Samson against the unregenerated powers of the soul. Reason, self-confident, forged many chains to bind it, but they parted like threads touched by flame. Reason was then " consulting physician," itself sick, or, at its best estate, broken-witted — a crazy doctor 210 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. undertaking to cure a delirious patient. I need only point you to some of the best expounders in the clubs at , and in street, for a modern exemplification ! The victory of the rational nature over the animal can only be achieved on Christian principles. " Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God," says Jesus; and it is equally true, until a similar change passes upon the soul, there can be no such victory. " Born of God " — " a new creature in Christ — old things have jiassed away, and all things become new" — are the scriptural intimations of this great change ; repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the instrument thereof. CHAPTER XXXI. -^OASTING! Ay! no lack of that! It is their jgf method of keeping up courage, and inspiring heart and boldness in their companions. What has a sen- sible man to boast of in their notions ? This revival has not kindled the spark of infernal enmity — has not originated it, I mean ; but it has fanned it into what it is — not against us so much as against the Gospel, and against the Lord, its Author. As a German divine observes, Satan has seduced them to join in his colossal attempts to war against the power and majesty of God in the Christian religion, and to bury the whole world of religions and moral sentiments in the gigantic grave of an atheistic materialism : " antiquated ideas" he says, is the sar- cophagus in which they would place the Gospel. And of this they would boast. Unhappy men ! Let us hope and pray. If the truth w r ere known, many of them to this hour have similar embarrassments to w T hat that celebrated American orator and statesman, John Randolph, had — a mother's early instructions and counsels and prayers. Early initiated into the skepticism of the French Revolution, both by books and companionship, he confessed, but for the example and in- structions of his mother in early life, he would have been a 212 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. French atheist. In a letter to a friend, he said: "When I can just remember, I slept in the same bed with my widowed mother. Each night, before she put me to bed, I repeated on my knees before her the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed ; each morning, kneeling in the bed, I put up my little hands in prayer in the same form. These lessons, I am now con- scious, are of more value to me than all I have ever learned from my preceptors and compeers." In his retrospections, he tells another: "They used to call me a French infidel, because I was a Frenchman in politics, which was unjust ; but the truth is, I would have been a French atheist but for the recollection of the time when my mother made me put my little hands together and say, ' Our Father which art in heaven? &c." What a lesson for mothers have we here ! Had Voltaire, Rousseau, and Paine had such mothers, the world would not have been cursed by such standard-bearers of Satan. They have their successors. Well would it be for some around us if, like Randolph, faulty though he was — if, like him, they took pleasure in consulting the Scriptures. When triumph- antly reelected to Congress, instead of being elated, he wrote to a friend who had congratulated him, " I do assure you, with the utmost sincerity, that so far as I am personally concerned, I cannot but regret the partiality of my friends. I am en- grossed by sentiments of a far different character ; this great concern presses me by day and by night, almost to the en- grossing of my thoughts. I am never so free from uneasi- ness as when reading the Testament, or hearing some able preacher." In reply to the question, " How may I be assured of the will of God, and of my acceptability to him ? " to the New 213 Testament I must again refer you. Read, believe, obey. " If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John vii. 17.) This is our Lord's own testimony and promise. It is written, "God commandeth all men everywhere to repent." And again, " This is his commandment, that we should believe in his Son Jesus Christ. 1 '' When you render obedience to these commandments, then shall you know the doctrine that it is of God. " The Spirit itself beareth witness ivith our spirit that we are the children of God." (Rom. viii. 16.) He who enjoys such a witness has no lack of evidence, and comfort too. Stopping short of this — to refer to Randolph again — was the cause of his sad state of mind, which he moaned out in a letter to a friend, thus : " In the most important of human concerns I have made no advancement; on the contrary, as is always the case, when we do not advance, we recede. I have fallen back. My mind is rilled with misgivings and perplexities that leave no repose. Of the necessity of forgiveness I have the strongest conviction ; but I cannot receive any assurance that it has been accorded to me. I have humbly sought comfort where alone it is effectually to be obtained, but without suc- cess." To another he said : " Once, of all the books of holy writ, the Psalms were my special aversion ; but thanks be to God, they have long constituted a favorite portion of that treasure of wisdom, and my version is scored and marked from one end to the other." There is a wonderful majesty and as- surance discovered in the word of God, when we receive it as such, and entirely rely upon it, in faith and obedience. But after such a discovery, if we " fall away " from it, the conse- quences are very serious We grieve the Holy Spirit, and 214 ARROWS FROM MY QUITER. Satan triumphs, and either deep despondency or hardness of heart follows. You may, perhaps, remember my remarks to a friend of yours, regarding Plato's acknowledgment of the necessity of some divine revelation, by which, in this life, certain truths might be discovered beyond mere conjecture ; that, till then, if truth could not be found out without some accompani- ment of doubt, the best human reason could do was to fix upon that which seemed to be the most probable ! His idea of a "raft" struck your friend — reason, constructing its own frail raft, by which to sail this stormy sea of life, timid, and uncertain as to the port of destination ; and his inge- nuous relapse into the felt necessity of some authoritative communication from heaven, in which, as in a well-appointed ship, the voyage of life might be made fearless of danger ! How sad to find so many in a worse condition than Plato, now that a revelation from heaven has been vouchsafed to the world ! I say, in a worse condition ; because it pleased God to reveal doctrines to us which Plato never knew, but with which your old friends in unbelief have had so long to contend, and now more than ever — poor souls ! Your friend allowed there was " a melancholy beauty " in those sentiments of Plato ; but how mournful to see men persisting in such a raft-making mania, while the heaven-constructed ship — Divine Revelation — is at their doors. It needs no prophet among us to foretell their fate who venture the hopes and hazards of eternity afloat on such a raft. Bible -despising presumption is destined to ter- rible calamities. CHAPTER XXXII. TO THE SAME THE BIBLE. 6 Plato's idea of the difference between reason's raft 1 and faith's ship — a revelation from God — pleases you. Come on board, sir. Plato would, were he upon earth, and gladly, too. Let us hope that he gained the heavenly port upon his doubtful raft. It was all the Almighty thought proper to place within his reach. If lost, it was not for disregarding a book which he had never read nor seen ; or for denying a Saviour, of whom he never heard. The case of your friend's " Club " is widely different. 2. Several years ago, when in Canada, I had the pleasure of perusing a volume of the late Mr. McXichol's works. One of his illustrations, showing that the Bible was fitted for man, and man for the Bible, was ingenious and striking. I took a few hasty notes of it at the time. Looking over them this morning, it occurred to me they might be profitable to him whom I now address — and to others, let us hope. My notes, on looking them over, are so meagre, and having no access to the volume to refresh my memory, I may as well confess to an intention of adding a little here and there, as we proceed with the singular but striking illustration. We will suppose I am entirely ignorant that there is on 216 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. earth the shadow of such an art as that of a mariner, or that there is such a vast reservoir of water as the ocean. I am at last made acquainted with the fact, and I bend my steps to the sea-shore. Lo ! I behold an immense pile of timber, but very compact, floating on the wave. I inquire eagerly, u What is that?" I am told it is the hull of a ship of considerable tonnage ; that its design is to brin£ invaluable treasures from bevond the sea. But I ask, " How do you mean to convey such a large body to so great a distance?" It is jestingly replied, " By oars, to be sure ? " I ask again, " What arc oars ? " They are described to me, with the assurance that the Greeks and Ro mans used them with great success. I begin to think it quite possible that the vessel might be thus transported. Some days after, when walking along the same coast, I be- hold a singular and confused apparatus of lengthened poles, and ropes and canvas, scattered on the ground. I study them with intense curiosity, but for my life I cannot comprehend their use. On inquiry, I am informed they are intended to be reared in a certain arrangement on the surface of the said hull I be- held yesterday, with a view to her more speedy passage through the waters, by means of the wind. This is a new idea. It comes as a flash of light upon the mass of materials which lie before me, although there are many of the pieces and fragments I can by no means understand from any descrip- tion. Finally, I see the whole applied to the vessel. My convic- tion and admiration of their uses are increased. I now see how this and the other piece of cordage, and so on, which, so far as I could judge, were useless, are now essential to TO THE SAME THE BIBLE. 217 the rest. Behold the well-appointed ship floating, as Keats observes, " Floating between the waves and air, Each "glad to claim a thing so fair ; Her white wings to the sunshine gleaming In anchor'd rest — bright ensigns streaming, As if they wish'd away to fly From the proud ship they glorify ! " Well, I am invited to take a voyage in this ship. I go on board. The anchor is weighed, the helm taken, the sails are shaken loose, the wind blows, the canvas receives it, and the new locomotive world, to my amazement, moves onward through the ocean, and soon landmarks and land sink in the sea, and our ship, "Alone on the deep, as the moon in the sky, A phantom of beauty. " The ship moves on, and in a style of majesty and swift- ness which I would have pronounced a fancy a few weeks since, hearing of it only from the representation of another person. I now, to my own knowledge, find the use of everything, from the cable to the slightest cord, and from the mainsail to the smallest sheet that flutters in the breeze. All is animation on board — " our ship, like a child of the sun," arrayed in morn- ing glory, presses on gallantly. The sailors are singing among the shrouds, a joyous laugh on deck, and the music of ripple and spray outside, as she surges onward to her port, and a passenger here and there reminding one of Parnell's lines : " Who, as he watches her silently ghding, Remembers that wave after wave is dividing 10 218 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. Bosoms that sorrow and guilt could not sever — Hearts that are parted and broken for ever. One deems that he watches afloat in the wave The death-bed of hope, and the young spirit's grave ! " Other ships join us, and we traverse the deep together, a noble and well-appointed fleet. Let us apply this illustration. The hull of that ship I compare to our frail nature deprived of the precious materials provided in the Bible. Like a naked bark, I see a human being floating on the dangerous deep of life, idly, and without aim, because destitute of that high and regulated impulse by which he might gain the port of eternal bliss — but, without which, he never can ; as well try " To cross without a magnet undiscovered seas." We will suppose I am entirely ignorant of the Bible. I take it up for the first time. I look it over. I here find what ap- pears to me to be a confused mass of materials. I begin to specu- late upon its parts without a due regard to their use, and I erroneously condemn the whole. I return to it, and gaze upon an assemblage of various materials, as I did upon that disjointed tackling separate from the hull for which it was intended. But, a person begins to explain to me their use. He first begins with man ; his soul and body, and circumstances in which he is found. He then explains the fitness of the Scrip- tures, through all their varieties (as the tackling for the ship), and tells me they are designed to carry him forward toward eternal perfection. I begin to comprehend the several parts of the Bible — the general combination ; the nicety of instances in minute application ; the skilfulness in mechanism, contriv- ance, and importance of design, surpassing far that singular TO THE SAME— THE BIBLE. 219 mass of materials prepared for the floating hull. But the water for the vessel, and the vessel for the water ; the tackling I for the hull, and the hull for the tackling. The. .Bible for man, and man for the Bible. The adaptation appears to me complete, in theory ; will it be so practically ? An instance occurs : a maw, hitherto regardless of God, of heaven, and hitherto unacquainted with the Bible, or un- controlled by it — motionless, or only guided at random by some fitful expedients devised by ignorance. I behold those materials in the Bible, which appear to me so disjointed and confused, properly supplied to this creature. Thus furnished, he begins to move forward in a steady and new direction, onward and heavenward, like a vessel furnished with strong and skilfully constructed masts and rigging, with sails swelling be- fore the invisible wind, and off upon some important voyage. I then behold another and another fitted out in like manner, and steering out across the ocean of life for the port of glory. Finally, I myself, so long an interested looker-on, begin to feel my wants and peril, and a gracious impulse to move out from my inglorious position, and weigh anchor also, and spread sail for the same port of destination. But I am entirely unpro- vided for the voyage. Not a mast have I to poise, nor sail to spread, nor rudder to direct, nor compass, nor chart. I look toward the Bible. After so many have been fitted out for the sea of life, is there enough left for me ? " Yes ! and for millions more like you," says a voice. Proper application is made ; I, too, am supplied. I bid farewell to the land of sin and vain glory. The breezes which blow from Calvary waft me onward. Rapidly and pleasantly now the voyage of life is passing. More than once I have caught a glimpse of the 220 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. heavenly coast ; and, by the command of " the Captain of our salvation" I shall ere long drop into port — ay ! like the Alex- andria ship into the Roman port, with top and top-gallants up ! And there are quite a fleet of us, and the voice of joy and thanksgiving is on our decks, each singing his much- loved sonnet — and my happy soul siugs it, too, melodiously : " When for eternal worlds I steer, The seas are calm, the skies are clear, A.nd faith, in lively exercise, The distant hillc of Canaan spies, My soul with joy she claps her wings, And loud her lovely sonnet sings, Vain world, adieu ! 11 With cheerful hope her eyes explore The landmarks on the distant shore, The tree of life, the crystal stream, The golden streets and pastures green, Then, with what joy she claps her wings, And loud her lovely sonnet sings, Yain world, adieu ! 11 The nearer still she draws to land, More eagerly her powers expand ; With steady helm, and well-bent sail, Her anchor drops within the veil ; Again with joy she claps her wings, And loud her lovely sonnet sings, Vain world, adieu ! " CHAPTER XXXIII. TO THE SAME, AWAKENED — GLIMPSES OF TRUTH. (HE attention of " a hearer." Your " view " is correct. Reject the Bible, " and it leaves a man like a thing Wy^ of chance, to sink or swim, upon the vexed waters of life, 'mid perilous waves of human opinion." Ay ! like a ship without anchorage, port or shelter, chart or compass — resem- bling him of whom it was said, " Sped by the hurricane's wing, His compassless bark, lone, weltering, dark." 2. Reject the word of God, and we wander, in endless mazes lost. Receiving the Bible as such — the word of God — you have t that to rely upon, instead of the opinions of men without number, diverse as their features, all as fallible as ourselves. To find the truth and the w r ill of God, after we have rejected the Bible from our confidence, amidst such a heterogeneous mass, would be like searching for a needle in a stack of straw ! The contradictory opinions of the leading minds of that society is notorious. To give your will over to such for education, would be a rash act. I question whether you would risk much 222 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. of your property to their honor. Why then trust your pre- cious soul ? To allow your will to be schooled by such — nay, be fooled, and afterward commit yourself to the guidance of such a will — would be, as one sharply observed, to place your- self at the disposal of &fool and an enemy ! " To fall into the hands of the living God," after having fallen into such hands, is, as the apostle hints, " a fearful thing." (Heb. x. 31.) I am persuaded you have more sense. That you have been strongly tempted to such a course, is pretty evident. May God save you from the calamity hinted at in the above text ; for incensed justice can never be appeased in hell. A sinner sinning eter- nally, must be in collision with divine justice eternally. 3. Observe two things : First, the Bible is a unity. For though it was transmitted to earth by the medium of a num- ber of writers, they have not contradicted each other; and they declare the will of the same God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ. Second, observe the operations of your own mind ; I mean the effects of any set of principles, for or against that book ; their respective tendencies in leading you to virtue or vice — to purity or to impurity — to honesty or to dishonesty — to truthfulness in all your conversations, or to carelessness as to the truth — to sobriety or to levity, if not to the haunts of the drunkard or debauchee. Observe their effects upon your con- science, in making it soft and tender or hard and callous; upon your judgment, will, and reason ; upon your temper and dis- position of heart ; whether such principles tend to make you a better or a worse man in the various relations in life, as well as in the hour of temptation. It is thus I would have you judge which class of principles or opinions is most likely to have the sanction and approbation of a holy and just God. I have i AWAKENED GLIMPSES OF TRUTH. 223 no fears that your verdict will go against the Bible. Then be- lieve, and act accordingly. 4. That which leads you to the fear of God, and to the love of God, to self-denial, and to repentance and faith in Christ, and earnest desires for salvation, is surely of God. The impulse is from Him. It is God himself commenting on that command in his own word, " Work out your own salva- tion with fear and trembling, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Phil. ii. 12, 13.) Persons in your state of mind frequently illustrate this pas- sage in their experience, before ever they know there is such a text in the Scriptures. 5. Ponder that declaration, " It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Wonderful, is it not ? How infinite the condescension ! Observe : when it is thus, the will of God and the human will are brought in contact. The will is the master-wheel of the human intellect ; all "the lesser wheels" are set in motion and governed by this. The results are seen on the dial-plate of the conversa- tion. That was a good remark of one, that when Christ has won the will, he has won the man ; and when Satan has won the will, he has won the man; and when sin has lost the will, it has lost the man. He thought there was much of the heart in the will, or God would not have said, " My son, give me thy heart." ******* It is just as you view it ! One long since gone into eter- nity called the s will the Fort Royal of the soul — that strong- hold that stands out stoutest and longest against all the as- saults of Heaven. He considered all to be won when the will is won ; the castle is won— heart, judgment, reason — the entire 224 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. man. It is a great point in preaching, sir, to bring the will of the sinner over on the side of truth and righteousness. It will be well to follow up that thought. Baxter's thought was somewhat similar to mine, if I recollect right, thus: " That will that is not fetched from God, and moved by his will, as the lesser wheels in a clock are moved by the first wheel, and by the poise, is no better than self-will. A will not dependent upon God's will, is an idol, usurping the pre- rogative of God ; it is to make a god of self." He insisted that the will of man is, or should be, the terrestrial throne of God; there he must reign, and reigning, he invests the will with the command of the inferior faculties ; that to be loyal unto Him who sitteth on the throne, the will should not have one wish or desire, unless it can prove or infer that it is the will of God. Hence the necessity of a revelation from God! To will what God wills, it is necessary to know what that will is ! In the Bible this is plainly revealed. This is good argument for that book. It is therefore of the first importance you should will to believe the Bible as a revelation of God's will concern- ing you. It is to this very crisis those grand facts which "make up the internal evidence of the Scriptures" are de- signed to lead your inquiring mind. Having once received the Bible thus allow, of no abatement in your faith. Reverence entirely its decisions. Allow of no appeal from its authority. And that you may not be tempted to seek occasion, give it the entire authority over your will, and by your will rule yourself altogether according to the will of God. When the love of God is shed abroad in your heart, your will shall then have an easy rule — rather, 1 ve shall rule : * AWAKEXED GLIMPSES OF TRUTH. 225 " Sink down, ye separating hills, Let sin and death remove ; 'Tis love that drives my chariot wheels, And death must yield to love." That it may be thus, your sins must be forgiven through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, and your soul regenerated, or born of God. A remark of an old divine may be in place here. It is this : " Sin is not ripe" till it reaches the will, though it enter by the flesh and the senses. It is not found nor called sin till it reach the will" Ponder that observation. It may be of essential benefit to you when tempted. I like to tell believers that holiness is not ripe till it reaches the will also. It is- not formed, nor found, nor called holiness until it reaches the will ; thus the will, in a state of entire conformity to God's will, governs the entire man. Indeed, holiness is nothing else but a complete conformity to the will of God. What is done in these short addresses must be done quickly. We have had but little more time lately than barely to glance at some of those great principles out of which the grace of re- pentance may spring. Forget not that Jesus has declared, " Ye must be born again ;" otherwise, to say nothing of the loss of heaven, we may say of your good purposes, as did Caesar of the works of Cicero, "They are as sand without lime."' I believe with Cecil, that but a small matter is accomplished when we have persuaded an unregenerate man to believe as we do ! We have as little to boast as if we had succeeded in lay- ing a dead man straight who was crooked before ! The best of moral men, as well as the worst among the im- moral, stand in need of this change to render them acceptable 10* 226 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. to God and fit for heaven. It is a thorough change. " Words have lost their meaning," as one says, ''unless this change, being born again, is a radical one — a change great in its char- acter and lasting in its consequences — a change that reaches downward into the deepest recesses of the soul, and forward into the ages of eternity." Look that you may be emptied of self and self-sufficiency before you are filled with divine grace and power. The Israelites in the wilderness gathered no manna so long as the dough lasted which they brought out of Egypt ! While any of that remained in the camp, no manna from hea- ven fell around the camp. You are to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ ; but the Spirit of God never puts that upon the top of the rags of self-righteousness. And so St. Paul expresses it in his own experience : " That I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteous- ness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.'''' (Phil, iii. 9.) Christ must be all or nothing. The rags of the old righteousness must be entirely stripped off your soul before you can be robed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Con- sider these things, and may God give you a right understand- ing of them ! Hearken to my text : Col. i. 19. CHAPTER XXXIY. TO ANOTHER THE BIBLE DEFENDED. C^npjHE old maxim that the adamant must be polished by '-Oft its own dust, and heaven seen by its own light, was Wjf^l never truer than when applied to the Bible and Chris- tianity, and the disability of skepticism. The Bible is that adamant. Its texts are as the dust to the adamant ; the texts of one part of Scripture polish or illustrate another. Thus we find that about two hundred and sixty places of the Old Testament are cited in the New, and for this very purpose. We may say the same of Christianity, one principle of which polishes or illustrates another. Infidelity has no material of sufficient solidity of texture to effect what you propose. The human brain alone is too soft to produce anything to affect either ! Hell itself cannot forge or temper a chisel hard enough for the purpose ! All are at fault. Thus, after fastening upon a text, and forbidding the aid of any other, you turn it round and round, and finding it impregnable, fling it away ! We cannot see the heavens by torch-light, or gas-light, or oil-light, or bon- fires, or even by the glare of a volcano ! Heaven must be seen by its own light. The Bible and Christianity must be seen by their own light. What the sun and moon are to the sky, the Bible and Christianity are to the firmament of theology. The light in which they are to be seen and the weapons by 228 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. -which they are to be assailed must be of equal authority. Find them if you can ; otherwise you resemble one who would see the sky by rush-light, or who attempts to shake a mountain with the stroke of a feather, or one who refuses to credit the testimony of the king of day until he has examined the orb and his beams by the light of a tallow candle, or he who will not credit " the testimony of the rocks " to the facts of geology unless he can dissolve them by his breath, or first open their seams by the application of a straw! The Bible is much above you every way, sir. Believe it, or leave it alone, for you cannot invalidate its testimony ! Oh ! may God pity your poor distracted soul, and bring you to your " right mind," for you seem far from it at present. However, I have often observed that when Satan is about to lose a subject, he exerts himself in strange ways to prevent it ! But for the value of the soul at stake, and the momentous in- terests involved, I could have laughed ere this many a time at the hawk-like gyrations and infernal ingenuity of this old soul- hunter when hard put to it. I have given him some trouble in my day ; and I am under the power of considerations you have never imagined, to preserve my own poor soul from fall- ing into his hands. One of two things is plain to me : either you understand these doctrines and hate them, or you misunderstand them, and shun them with the prejudice of ignorance. A farmer the other day employed his scythe in mowing down grasses and herbs for his cattle, indifferent as to their names and medicinal uses. Not so a bystander — an herbalist, ready to appropriate them to yet nobler uses. It is one thing to be able to read the names of medicines labelled on the drawers in the shop of THE BIBLE DEFENDED. 229 a druggist, and another to know their medicinal virtues. He who has studied them thoroughly will not be joked nor jeered out of his knowledge, by the ignorance or prejudice of one who knows nothing about them. This let me say for myself, if the principles of religion are exalted high on my lips, I bless my God they do strike down deep in my heart. With regard to yourself, I can no more doubt that you have read enough in the Bible to satisfy conscience that you must repent and believe in Christ, or be condemned, than doubt whether you know the English language ! Also, that there is a record in your memory, such as John Bunyan had, when you heard a voice within your mind, as distinctly as he heard it : " Will you leave your sins and go to heaven, or have your sins and go to hell ? " Is it not so ? In the vocabulary of unbelief you have succeeded admirably ; but it is questionable whether you have been equally successful in teaching it to your conscience, or in banishing old principles, realities, and possibilities. St. Paul thinks not. He tells us to reject a heretic after the first and second admonition, for which he gives us three reasons : " Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth, being condemned in himself'' — that is, he is conscious of his own insincerity in acting against the truth which he knows. (Titus iii. 10, 11.) I would not, however, forget that it is written, some are given up to " strong delusions that they should be- lieve a lie ; that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. ii. 11, 12.) A man should make himself very sure of some very great advantages, who believes a lie rather than the truth ! What thinkest thou ? 230 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. In reply : The ancient Turks never shunned a person who had the plague, because they believed it was written on every man's forehead, at his birth, when he should die. In such cases they usually pointed to the forehead ! If you will excuse a parody, I trust my forehead is sufficiently fortified to prevent either my faith or practice from being affected by the plague of unbelief, with which you are so grievously afflicted ! The word " reject," in the passage I quoted the other evening, means not to allow a man who is a heretic to remain a member of the church to disturb its peace. Titus was a pastor, and this direction was necessary from an apostle, as to excommu- nicate a person from the church of Christ was considered a great calamity. Men think too lightly of the matter in our times. The passage does not prohibit efforts for the salvation of such an one ; so you may let that pass ; I have not travelled beyond the limits of my charter ! There are certain tempta- tions which hang like bullets on the eyelids of the understand- ing, so that the light of truth cannot penetrate. St. Paul speaks about having the eyes of our understanding " enlightened, that we may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints ; " and of others " whose minds are blinded, because of the ignorance that is in them.'''' As to yourself, you are the best judge, unless you are like the blind woman of whom Seneca speaks, who insisted that the fault was not in her eyes, but in the absence of light from the room ! It is not best you should be over-positive. A light may have reached the eyes of your understanding, and found them closed — like the windows of that house in street, which would require light to be armed like the light- THE BIBLE DEFENDED. 231 nings of heaven to pierce an entrance into those dark cham- bers beyond ! The apostle imputes such blindness to Satan, whom he •calls " the god of this world ; " he who " blinds the minds of those that believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them.' 1 ' 1 Now mark — " those that believe not" he blinds. They are at first disinclined to believe, then resolved not to believe, and then Satan so blinds them that they cannot believe. Old Elymas, the sorcerer, Paul scrupled not to call " a child of the devil, full of all subtilty and mischief and an enemy of all righteousness." His father the devil had blinded his mind, and God, by a word from the lips of Paul, blinded the eyes of his body. Between Satan and God, he had an unhappy time of it, poor sinner ! He would not believe that the Sun of Righteousness had risen on the world, and allowed Satan to close his eyes against his beams ! God so closed his outward eyes he could not see the natural sun nor its beams. His talent for doubting was directed into another cbannel — so that in searching for some one to lead him, he might, if so disposed, go on doubting whether the orb of day had yet risen on the world. He refused to credit the Scrip- tures concerning Jesus, and the testimony of those who had been saved through the atoning death, because he allowed the hand of Satan to close the eyes of his mind ; and the Lord by his hand quite sealed the eyes of his body, at Paul's word : " Behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun " — " then there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about seeking " — not to do evil, for this blow from heaven had quite unfitted and embarrassed him in doing Satan service — but " seeking some to lead him by 232 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. the hand ! " It is thus, sooner or later, that eternal justice comes up with the workers of iniquity, and unfits them for satanic purposes! Beware then, for God may inter- fere with your operations in a manner that may cause you sorrow ! If there is one declaration more than another, in the New Testament, which Satan wishes had never been written, it is that in 2 Cor. iv. 1-4. In that you find Paul's apology for want of success in preaching the Gospel in particular places, or among certain classes of hearers. Here we find a complete exposure of satanic policy — enough, one would think, to alarm those hardened sinners who sit unmoved, out of their hardness and unbelief, even when listening to the most pathetic and moving portions of the Gospel message. They are " lost " — in the mazes of error — lost to all feeling, being "past feel- ing" as the apostle marks elsewhere. Blind and lost; and Satan is the cause of the first ; the losing part of the business is the result, and of themselves. Did they but believe, the loss would be on Satan's side ; for God would open their eyes to the light, as quick as he shut the eyes of Elymas, if they did but believe ! But they " believe not," says Paul ; therefore Satan maintains his power to blind their minds, or veil the glory of the Gospel from their view. Thus, they neither per- ceive its tremendous claims, nor feel its power; and so wander- ing on, are " lost " in deeper and deepening darkness, and increas- ed and increasing hardness, till a sudden death involves them among the forever lost ; like that veteran among hardened hear- ers, who perished notoriously the other day. When the sin- ner is damned, Satan gives him light enough upon all subjects, till he believes and trembles like the rest of Hell! THE BIBLE DEFENDED. 233 English families are apt to take pride in their escutcheon, or family shield — arms, or ensigns armorial of the family. If they but knew the origin of some of them, which their ances- tors had humility enough thus to acknowledge and perpetuate, they would find little cause for pride or vain-glory ! and to pay a government tax upon it, besides ! "Were I a painter, or an engraver, and called upon to draw a picture of Satan's family escutcheon, I would select chains as the principal figure, and every link black as darkness. " Chains of darkness " was St Peter's idea. (2 Peter ii. 4.) A volcano in the background, to render those chains dismally visible, might be the next figure. The ancients, you know, long believed the volcano to be a mouth of hell. Darkness is a word in frequent use in the Scripture, denot- ing Satan's power — thus we find, " his kingdom is full of dark- ness." " The power of darkness " was our Lord's sorrrowful acknowledgment in the garden of Gethsemane, the night of his betrayal. u Reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day," was Jude's idea. " To whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever" is another ex- pression of Peter. St. Paul speaks of deliverance from " the power of darkness." (Col. i. 13.) Doubtless he thought, just then, of the words in his own commission to preach, from the lips of Jesus Christ himself: "/ send thee to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God ; that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me." (Acts xxvi. 18.) The family of Satan, here in this world, are said to " walk in darkness;" and their works are* called " the works of darkness ; " and their children are " the chil- 234 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. dren of darkness" Besides, " the rulers of the darkness of this world " are spoken of ; invisible and wicked spirits, sup- posed by some, in which may be included, perhaps, wealthy and powerful sinners. Such is the state of the world, on the side of Satan. St. John declares that the whole world lieth in the arms of the wicked one — the word in Greek will bear, lying in the jaivs of the wicked one. What a horrible position ! ready to be crushed to death whenever God permits, but never until " the sin unto death " has been committed. (1 John v. 16.) I believe the devil kills all who die in their sins. Con- sult Heb. ii. 14. ******* The doctrine of Satanic influence is a part and parcel of divine revelation. We receive that with equal faith as we do the rest. It is impossible to read the Scriptures attentively, and not perceive that such spiritual beings as angels and devils do exist — invisible beings, at work for good or evil in this lower world. Nor is it to be denied, in the face of Scrip- ture and experience, that " the fiery darts of the wicked one " fly as thick around the Christian's integrity as they do around and through the skeptic's infidelity. Indeed, in the former, those darts seem more swift, direct, and straight to the mark than against the latter, in whom the battle has been fought and won by Satan. Why cannonade a fortress that has sur- rendered ? The Christian is like a fortress uncaptured, though besieged. The gates are shut, and he w T ho commands within will neither surrender nor parley with the enemy without. Satan never tempts a hypocrite to doubt the safety of his state, nor a skeptic. He is too wise for that. The Spirit of God acquaints such with the fact. The arch-fiend attacks those who are THE BIBLE DEFENDED. 235 right, to lead them wrong ; but lulls and soothes those who a*re wrong, to keep them in the wrong. In the mean time, be not high-minded, but fear. Ants taught wisdom in the days of Solomon. (Prov. vi. 6.) Wise men have learned much of "inferior animals," and so may you of these humble Christians. We read that birds have been very useful to shipwrecked sailors upon strange coasts, as they assured them what fruit it was that was safe to eat. However beautiful and tempting the fruit might appear, the sailors touched them not, unless the birds had first pecked them ; then they partook freely. A lesson for you and your companions here ! If persuaded they are true Christians — and this you may know by comparing them with the character of Jesus and the precepts of the apostles — then imitate them. It will be better for your soul and body. Much as some of you have affected to despise these humble ones, there is a time of acknowledgment coming, and not far off, that the virtues they practised and the vices which they rejected were marks of the soundest wisdom ; when you would give worlds for their hope and assurance, or even a crumb of their comfort — ay ! wish a thousand times that an hour's existence or an option of better things had never been vouchsafed unto you, or that your heart and choice had been better disposed for im- provement. I am sorry these Christians are not more lively ; but the burden of souls is on them, and the sight of their eyes affects and agonizes their hearts, and they look sorrowful — no great victory having yet been achieved by the Gospel among them ; and some of their near and dear friends being in danger of drop- ping into hell. Perhaps yourself may be a cause of it in some, if 236 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. the truth were known. " A sight of you is enough to make any devout person melancholy," said one to one of your brethren in unbelief! " The ivorld Jcnowetk us not ," says John. We are an enigma to them ; they know not what to make of us ! They behold our actions, but the principles from which they spring are a secret to them. " The wind bloweth where it listeth" saith Jesus, " and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth ; so is every one that is born of the Spirit" The motions of the wind perplex the philosopher, and the operations of the Spirit con- found " the natural man" The philosopher, however, is too wise not to admit a cause, and too philosophic to call it "foolishness." (1 Cor. ii. 14.) "The spiritual man," as Luther observes, is a puzzle to " the natural man," who knows his face and manners, but is quite unable to discern from whence those words, not now wicked and blasphemous as before, but holy and godly ; or from whence those motives and actions ! The policy of appearing thus gloomy or sad in your •presence some might consider doubtful ; for my part, I respect sincerity. If not really joyful, it would be hypocritical to seem so. " There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh" says the in- spired writer. These serious Christians think it no time for laughing in the presence of a poor sinner who may be in hell in an hour. Tell me, do you not in reality think them worthy of more respect and confidence than if they yielded to levity be- fore you. Is not their seriousness more consistent with their principles ? CHAPTER XXXV. TO ANOTHER PLAIN-SPOKEN. »** Y ! They are too wise to learn of God, and fools 5 enough to follow the seductions of Satan. Expert to move in paths that Newton trod, From Newton's universe would banish God ! " Too wise to learn of the Bible, and yet simple enough to put supreme confidence in books and periodicals of a certain sort, which have little else to recommend them except some talent displayed in finding fault with Christian belief and practice, without offering to the world anything better in their place ! They have too much reason to be guided by reason- able men, yet so bereft of reason as to be led away into the most drivelling nonsense by wicked and unreasonable men. St. Paul came in contact with such in his day, and considered a deliverance from them a matter worth praying for, as we may see from 2 Thess. iii. 2 : " And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men : for all men have not faith." Or, as the Greek has it, " from absurd and wicked men." It will bear the sense of " disorderly, unmanageable, and wicked" who have neither faith, fidelity, nor trustworthiness. And did you see the peril of trusting in such guides, with uplifted hands and wet cheeks you would offer a similar prayer. 238 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. What good you can reasonably expect to accrue from such company it is difficult to see. Surely you see and know enough from week to week to awaken your suspicions. Can the stream rise higher than the fountain ? Can that be right which such men extol ? — or that wrong which such despise ? " But they seem as positive of being right as the most zeal- ous of your denomination." Of course they do ! A contrary manifestation would ruin their cause, and they know it ! The difference between them and us is this : we have the best of reasons for being zealous, and happy, too ! — and such argu- ments to support our positiveness as they never knew, never muster for the cause of unbelief ! Infidelity ! it is a pit, my friend ! — a pit ; yet, strange to say, it does not seem such to those who are in it ; at least one would think so, or they would cry unto God to be delivered from it. They have become used to its gloom, doubtless, and consider it preferable to the clearer light that shines on the surface of truth from the Bible. The gloom of that pit ren- ders a coming eternity doubtful or dubious. The light of the Bible renders their damnation certain. It shows also, indeed, a way of escape, but as that demands a renunciation of the works of darkness, they prefer the pit and the gloom. Many of its prisoners, through ignorance of the Gospel paradise, never awake to the peril of the place, till the light of eternity flashes about them — as in the case of that veteran in unbelief who perished yesterday. He saw, when too late, that he had long been living within the vortex of the pit that is bottom- less. (Rev. xx. 1.) Seized upon by despair, "his descent into the region of darkness," to use an idea of a German, "was palpable to the horror-stricken watchers." Or, like another, TO ANOTHER PLAIX-SPOKEN. 239 who finished life with the cry, " Call time again ! Call time again ! " There will be a pretty general "jail delivery" by and by. The great Judge is preparing for them. It will be terrible when it comes. Oh ! but I hope you may not be among them ! Satan contemplates it. But He who is to be your judge of- fers to be your Saviour now — would rather your prison de- livery might be effected by the power of the Gospel. (Rom. i. 16.) A number of such have already been rescued by this Gospel. And not a few have seen it, and feared, and turned to the Lord. But, alas ! many are standing in the dark pas- sages of your pit, ready — all made ready by Satan — to be driven, like the swine of old, out and down " a steep place" into eternity. Others, to use an idea of Summerfield, between whom and hell there is but a hair-breadth line, and they are sporting on that hair, and the angels are expecting their fall every moment into the burning gulf. Rely upon it, the crisis is nigh at hand, although the clouds of divine justice still keep their station, held in balance by the clouds of mercy. " Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds f " (Job xxxvii. 16.) " For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day ; and the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain upon Ethiopia, and when the slain shall fall in Egypt " — this spiritual Egypt. (Ezek. xxx. 3, 4.) Ay ! the day is near when some, whose "joyful laugh" rings nightly in your ear, shall be made to lament that they ever had an existence, or else that they had not a heart to use it for better purposes. Perhaps the memory of such neglect may become the fuel of their misery hereafter. Oh ! what multitudes are this moment weeping and wailing in hell on account of 240 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. those very courses which you and your companions are now pursuing ! I mean, because they were such fools as to live just as you now are living. The hope of one day getting up yon- der in Paradise, out of sight and hearing of these things, com- forts one's heart ! Depend upon it, your present mode of "reasoning" (if worthy of the name) and living will mllke your burden very heavy when passing through the dark valley and the shadow of death. Why keep such company? Why countenance errors, to say no more, which in your judgment you cannot but coudemn ? Are their hopes so fascinating, and their likely lodgings in eternity so desirable, that you cannot abandon their society ? It cannot be ! Come out from among them, then. Why not ? What is to hinder ? Escape for your life ! They are poisoning your mind, and preoccupying it with thoughts unworthy of )»our intelligence and intellect, and which may be- come a source of great annoyance to you in future life, should you turn to God. I knew a pious and devoted minister who suffered much from this very cause. When happy in the love of God, the skeptical reasonings of the companions of early days had no influence ; but no sooner did he become low in his religious feelings, and matters not going after his liking, than they would recoil upon him with fearful force. Allow these warnings a place in your memory. ******* True! Jesus Christ died for all! That I declare with my whole soul, you are a witness. And it is true also, that " whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' 1 '' But it is also written, " How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? " He died for sinners, and TO AXOTHER PLAJX-SPOKEX. 241 for thee ; but, with an eminent divine, I believe — and let his words sink down into your heart — " He did not die for final infidelity as predominant in any soul." Let me warn you again : Skepticism is a swamp, whose boundary line is the pit. The farther you proceed in it, the more you wiD become entangled and bewildered, and the more unlikely your return to the tranquil gardens of revelation. " Reason " should tell you as much, to say nothing of conscience or of faith. Alas ! Reason is a proud faculty in some, and like Diotrephes of old, " loveth to have preeminence.'' 1 And as that character refused to receive St. John and the other apostles, disallowing them to speak to the church, it refuses to receive these. One called it, when out of conceit with its guidance, '•Bigoted, one-eyed, short-sighted reason!'' To speak the best word for its capacity, unaccompanied by the light of revelation, we may credit it, with Dryden, " Dim as the borrow'd beams of moon and stars To lonely, weary, wand'ring travellers, Is reason in the souL" Christianity has nothing to fear from reason, if reason only keep its place as the handmaid of faith — not going before faith, but following after. " If it go before, it diminishes and weakens faith," said a pious man ; " but if it follow faith, it in- creases and strengthens it." I have often thought of the re- mark, and never found it aught else but true. We claim for Christianity the candor and fairness which are accorded to the science — for it is a science. Let reason treat it as such, and test it thoroughly, as the other sciences are tested, accord- 11 ■IMH 24:2 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. ing to its principles, and we have nothing more to say. Then let reason speak out all she knows, and all she hopes, and all she fears, all her doubts, and all she believes ; with this proviso, that what she does not know, because the facts lie quite out of her province, let her learn of faith ! We give a somewhat simi- lar advice to reason as Paul gave to the Christian wife, that, instead of debating or disputing points of doctrine, etc., in the church, she was to inquire of " her husband at home." Let reason, if it will learn, ask its husband, Faith, at home ! For my part, I would say with the Rev. Mr. Arthur to a Lon- don audience, " Let every star in the heavens sing, and let every stone in the earth speak out all that is in it, and when 4he voices of all the realities in the universe are heard, no one voice will ever drown the supreme verity, which the good among men know is there — ' The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul ! ' " He was speaking to timid theologians and politicians, who trembled for the honor of revelation in the. progress of this stirring and inquisitive age. Let reason speak out all she knows, but let her speak the truth, and, like a wise and prudent preacher, know how to stop when she has done ! But when she steps out of her province to speak of things which she does not know, when she flings aside her modesty to become a teacher without having taken out her degree from the Bible, and proclaims herself independent of faith, then does she deserve rebuke ! When replying to questions in the pulpit, I feel under no obligation to do what you suggest. Satan is ready for every such advantage. I have no wish to fill the minds of the people with the rubbish of infidel objections, which have been defeated a thousand times. I follow the plan of the great and good TO ANOTHER PLAIX-SPOKEX. 243 John Newton, who observed, " My principal method of de- feating heresy is by establishing the truth. One proposes to fill a basket with tares ; now, if I can fill it first with wheat} I shall defy his attempts ! " Ay ! but if a hearer comes with his basket full of tares, my method is to persuade him to al- low me to empty his basket of tares, and fill it with wheat. In doing this, it is not always necessary to touch every tare ; they hang together so that if one gets hold of a leader among them, a slight jerk or so, with an unceremonious bump on the basket, it is emptied at once ! and if one has a plentiful supply of wheat, nothing can be easier than to fill the basket with wheat ! Do you understand me ? For the above reason, I can only say you have spent the day in reasoning from wrong premises ; how then can your conclu- sions be correct ? "When you start ])ropositions which are " As bastions set point-blank against God's will " — I mean, against the decisions of God's word — you are reasoning thus; the Scriptures of truth disclaiming you at every step, and you disclaiming Scripture ! Like a hound the other day (excuse me !), your reason spent both time and strength on a false scent. But unlike that fine animal, that swept gracefully around and retraced his steps back to the point of divergence, your reason proclaimed a triumphant conclusion, without find- ing aught but "dread nought" as if pleased with any plea to impose upon your own conscience. Let my hearers observe one thing — never expect an argument to come to a correct con- clusion that sets out in a fiat denial of a " Thus saith the Lord " — by which I mean that which God has plainly revealed in the Holy Scriptures. It is easy to raise difficulties and start objections. I be- 244: ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. lieve with Cecil, there is light enough to guide the humble and teachable to heaven ; and obscurity enough to confound the un- believer! Behold mercy and judgment here, and goodness and severity. Pray for a humble and teachable spirit, my friend. When unbelief busies itself in seeking occasion, God has so ordained that it need not be long disappointed. Oh! beware ! No longer " Enlarge and fortify the dread redoubt, Deeply resolved to shut the Saviour out," lest, in your dying hour, you may be forced to exclaim with one, " I have denied my Lord, like Peter, but I have not re- pented like Peter!" Better a thousand times, my dear sir, that you should, like Pollok's antiquaries, " Be groping iu the dark unsearchable Of finished years," midst medals, faithful to the memory of temples, towers, and columns laid in dust, rending, if you please, " the mantling cloud of time, to fling new radiance on tradition's page," than thus to spend your precious time and talents in groping for occasions against the Bible and its offspring Christianity. Neither has anything to fear from your course, it is true ; but the injury to yourself may be irreparable. You may mantle your mind with a cloud of "doubtfulness" never to be irradiated by the beams of a gospel day. Your " facts " I cannot deny ; and if Christianity had no other foundations, it would indeed be an unstable system. That its credit has suffered by the foolish freaks of enthusiasts, may be admitted ; madmen — like that poor fellow who thought he might ascend to heaven, as well as Elijah, in a chariot of TO ANOTHER PLAIN-SPOKEN". 245 fire, and so set his barn on fire, that when the flames reached his elevated position among the hay, the thing might be ac- complished. The chariot, as it approached him, looked so un- comfortable, that he concluded not to go up just yet, and has- tened out of the way ! If science had never been abused by its votaries, your facts might be more telling against religion. "Who that has ever spent a night at Florence, has not admired the beauty of that sky to which Galileo so often turned his great invention, the telescope, from the neighboring- heights ? and that galaxy, or milky way, overarching that fine Italian firmament, like a canopy of silver, fringed with deep and infin- ite blue ? Galileo, after all his persecutions, had taught the people of Florence to look up, and, by aid of his wonderful instruments, study the lore of those stupendous skies. But I was informed of a woman who was as fond of looking up there as any of them, especially at the milky way, which was her admiration. Taking advantage of the uncertainties of tele- scopic information, she declared it as her opinion that it was all done in honor of Rome — and the Pope, of course — insisting that in breadth and length it exactly covered the road to Rome ! With her arms extended, she would exclaim, "Behold! see the Virgin's chariot ! Regard that beautiful tracery of light, which extends itself even as a canopy over the holy road to Rome ! " And yet no one hinted that this little episode in science occasioned any slur against the science of astronomy, or doubts regarding the discoveries of Galileo. Nor have I learned that the notion of this enthusiast dis- turbed the faith of England in the principles of Sir Isaac Newton, or the revelations of Herschel ! No ! nor if all Italy had been of the woman's opinion ! Nor did I hear that Scot- 246 ARROWS FROM MY QUIYER. land was at all disturbed by it ; the people still persisting rather in belief of the testimony of one of their own sturdy country- men, that the milky way is only designed to carry our vision through another ascending step in the scale of magnificence, and into another and higher planetary arrangement. And had both England and Scotland been carried away by the delusion, I doubt not that on my return to America I should have found the people of the United States firm in the belief of the great facts of astronomical science ! " Why should they not?" you exclaim. Stop a little ! The Scriptures of our God have mysterious places — altitudes " dark with excessive brightness," as well as profundities, beyond the ken of faith — at least, faith, like our telescopes, has only offered us sufficient to awaken our curiosity, without satisfying it. Now, if a few enthusiasts, like that Italian woman with her theory of the galaxy, have taken advautage of this, and proclaimed their disgraceful nonsense, why should you think that a sufficient cause to shake the faith of the whole world in the established facts of the Christian re- ligion ? CHAPTER XXXVI. TO THE SAME — PLAIN DEALING. ^fW'fflY replies, in this way, must necessarily be short and ^|£^f fragmentary, especially from the pulpit. Particular longs to the majority. A few flashes of light, according to my ability, is all that can be given. "When certain inquiries run in the direction or intended track of the sermon, remarks may take a wider scope. A few minutes thus spent, I have known to do more good than all the rest of the discourse beside. Hence my readiness to reply ; such occasions are ex- cellent auxiliaries to preaching, the object of which ought to be to do good, whether systematically (as some talk) or not. And now a few hints for " one who thinks.'''' And who does not, my friend, seeing that man has been, called a ruminating animal ? Very well, think on — think vastly, intensely, pro- foundly, sublimely ; " great in conjecture and brilliant in fancy " — what good ? " Discoveries ! " what are they, pray ? Any new thought never before broached ? What is it ? How much would it, or ages of such speculations, better the condi- tion of the world ? Allow me, however, to apprise you there are heights, stupendous heights, yet unvisited. You have but barely entered the field of investigation — have commenced an 248 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. ascent, and got a little above the smoke of vulgar fires, while " Hills peep o'er hills, and Alps o'er Alps arise." It is premature, if not ridiculous, to blow your trumpet there, while Christianity, in her Alp-like grandeur, towers above you into the very heavens ! Ascend, sir ! Napoleon made a road over the Alps into Italy for his troops — a stupendous undertaking it was ! I crossed over by it a few months since. What tunnels and bridges are there ! and how it winds around the mountains like a ribbon, and along the cliffs and precipices ! Ascend, sir ! ascend the Alps of our Protestant Christianity ! It invites your ascent, but apprises you, by the way, that infidelity will fail you before you are halfway up ! You can only mount by the steps she has cut out for your " intellectual feet" There are rocks which infidelity has no tools to tunnel, chasms of pro- found depths which it has no means of bridging; for such shadows as you propose are too unsubstantial to bear the weight of a thought, to say nothing of the worth of your soul. Faith, and that only, can supply the want — can build a bridge across even the gulf of death, as Young remarks, and land thought safely on the farther shore ! But you know, sir, as well as I do, that your " system " is not fond of climbing such altitudes, its tendencies being rather in the contrary direction ! * ****** Nay, sir ! but I respect your talents. Ascend yet higher ! You are certainly capable of it. Do not lower or degrade yourself by the slang of infidelity. You are capable of greater things — of scaling higher summits, and of descrying yet wider ranges of thought. Alas for you ! but for that clog upon your TO THE SAME PLAES DEALING. 249 powers — and how it mildews everything it touches ! — all that would otherwise give energy and freshness to thought, and warmth to the heart. As matters are, what avail such specu- lations? What happiness can they afford you? Nor do they fling any lasting lustre on your being, or solve in any degree the enigma of existence. Down there you have found no solu- tion, nor where you stand ; climb yet higher, and it is only to grasp at shadows. This is all your " philosop>hy " can do for you. " We plant the ladder of investigating cogitation, but its steps only lead us into impenetrable mists/' said one on the Continent. " Death has been silent from the first ; the grave below is silent as well as the stars above ; mysteries remain sealed — those of our present being and those of a future life ; we have no means of fetching truth up from the deep, or down from heaven. We are only groping in the dark and grasping at shadows ; and what is the fruit of all our investiga- tions ? " A forlorn confession, is it not ? How otherwise can it be, when the Bible, which contains the secrets of life, death, heaven, and hell, is discarded ? Can you hope to succeed in some likelier speculations when mightier minds have failed ? And to what end ? — anything more than to show that man, more than any other creature, is the completest failure ! Hearken ! we are forbidden to say in our hearts, " Who shall ascend into heaven (that is, to bring Christ down from above) ; or, who shall descend into the deep (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead) ? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, the word of faith which we preach." (Rom. x. 6, 8.) Ponder this passage ! ******* Allow me also an illustration. Suppose your birth-place 11* 250 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. and home to be some star, which, though travelling toward our globe "thousands of years," is not yet visible to any of our telescopes. Suppose some revelation, like our Bible, should be pushed into circulation on your orb, with ex- pounders, making you acquainted with a world called Earth, of whose existence you had never before heard, by which you are made acquainted with its aspects and inhabitants, their virtues and their vices, and the nature of the divine govern- ment under which they live, its palaces and its prisons, and the rewards and punishments meted out to the deserving. Per- haps it might come to pass you would be quite as incredulous regarding such announcements from that book and its ex- pounders, as you are at present toward the Bible and its expositors with regard to a world to come ! — the glories of an eternal paradise, and the fires and horrors of an endless perdi- tion — with all which you are made familiar from tbe pulpit. What thinkest thou ? On that far-away orb to learn the facts in the history of another far-distant planet called Earth — its geography, its various tribes and nations and governments, the original fall of its progenitors from holiness and God, its arts and its sciences, its court - houses, jails, hospitals, and mad- houses, the robberies and murders and various crimes perpe- trated upon its surface, and the terrible punishments inflicted, the rejoicings of the good over repenting sinners, the horrible oaths and blasphemies of millions of the ungodly, the wealth and splendor of some, the squalid poverty and distress of others — in a word, all with which we, the inhabitants of earth, are familiar — and you should be informed, also, that at no very distant date you might expect to be transferred to earth, and TO THE SAME PLAIN" DEALING. 251 that it depended upon your moral and spiritual character, on arriving there, with what class of earth's inhabitants you should be judged fit to be associated — what effect would all this have upon your mind, think you, as unbelieving as at present ? The application, in full, I must leave with your own " cogitations ; " only allow me to remind you of the revelations of the Bible— the two hemispheres of eternity, heaven and hell; in the former, called to view by faith a world of light and beauty, the dwelling-place and paradise of the holy and the good, where they fill heaven with their songs of pure delight, " swelled and aided by all the harps of God," for ever with the Lord, enjoying happiness — " Yast as their wishes, permanent as their being, The past unsighed for, and the future sure ! " Where they are, to use the language of Scripture, " before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple : and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more ; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Who would not desire an eternal habitation in such a place ? " Where no care for to-day, nor thought for to-morrow, Can sadden the joy of those happy abodes ! " Alas! in the other hemisphere of eternity, we behold a hell, where, " prominent in characters of fire, are read " these words — " The fierceness and wrath of Almighty God " (Rev. xix. 15) — illustrated by " the smoke of their torment," ascendino- waam 252 ARROWS FROM MY QUIYER. a up for ever and ever" (Rev. xiv. 9, 11.) Of course it gives me no pleasure to cause such a horrible place to loom up before your unbelief — still thinking it better you should go down there for a few moments by contemplation, at least, rather than you should unwarned descend into eternal condemna- tion at last. ******* The question is an important one ; but a clearer idea of that dreadful place, which Dives called a " place of torment" you can find on no page than what you may find recorded in such passages of Scripture as Rev. xiv. 9,11; Matt. xxi. 8, xxv. 41, 46 ; 2 Thess. i. 7, 10 ; Mark ix. 43, 47 ; with glimpses of it in Matthew, thirteenth chapter. All of which you may consult at your leisure, and many more which you will meet with in various parts of the Bible. I believe, with an ancient divine, that one of the most dreadful wails in hell will arise from a recollection of the neglect of the warning voice of con- science upon earth. He called conscience a salamander, which can live in fearful flames, and stings like a scorpion both with head and tail. Conscience has an instinctive apprehension of hell in every man. It seems to have been infused into that impression of accountability after, death so deeply imbedded in human nature. But a sense of guilt, and the voice of God in his word, make conscience cry out in a most awaken- ing manner in most sinners. It warns before sin, conscience does ; and it gnaws after sin. Skepticism may lull it for a little, but it takes very little to arouse it again. It was said of one that it was as if all the furies of hell had leaped upon his heart as on a stage ; that fear and sorrow met in his soul as at a feast; that fear and anguish had TO THE SAME PLAIN DEALING. 253 divided his soul between them — Thought calling to Fear, and Fear whistling to Horror, and Horror beckoning to Despair, saying, Come and help us to torment this sinner ! Hell enough that for one man in this life ! "But ah! destruction stops not there, Sin kills beyond the tomb I " The man was leaving the world, but conscience united with these in assuring the departing spirit that the consequences of sin would proceed with it across the boundaries. Hell, in eternity, is a state of being without well-being. For no man in the proper command of his senses can sup- pose that such descriptions of the " place of torment' 1 in eter- nity, which we find recorded in the New Testament, can possibly mean anything good, or easy to be borne, or of short duration. And surely no wise man will parley long with a temptation who continually meets it with that line imputed to one of old, " If mine eternal soul must be the price." CHAPTER XXXVII. BAPTISM OF FIRE! TO THE SAME. 0, my friend ! — all that ceases when the soul finds V^ 5 P oace with God. Up till this hour, in the nineteenth F^ . \ 55 century, people are realizing in their own hearts the experience of those Christians of the first century, of which St. Paul testified: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.'''' Have you never met with that pleasing stanza: " No doubt is in the human breast, When clam'rous conscience lies at rest, Appeased by love divine ; Where peace has fix'd her snow-white throne, And faith and holy hope are known, And grateful praise erects her shrine." Christian experience, like day, brings its own evidence. It is like sunshine — it brings its own witness. Who ever mis- took lightning for sunshine ? It is like the fire with its heat, or the rose with its fragrance — there is no mistaking its nature and reality. It is of " the workers of iniquity " the Psalmist speaks, where he says, " There were they in great fear," or as the Hebrew has it, " They feared a fear ; " but he immediately BAPTISM OF FIRE TO THE SAME. 255 adds, " God is in the generation of the righteous ; " and what have they to fear, seeing all that is within them, and all that is without, testify that God is their friend ? " Bless the Lord, my soul ; and all that is within me bless his holy name" says one in the Bible ; and he immediately assigns the best of rea- sons why his soul should be thus employed : all his iniqui- ties were forgiven, and all his spiritual diseases were healed — all sense of peril gone — all cause of sorrow removed : " Who redeemeth thy life from destruction ; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies." Besides, his soul had renewed her youth " like the eagle's" and, instead of grovelling in the dust, could soar, as on eagle wings, away toward hea- ven. (Ps. ciii. 1, 5.) Good old Thomas Adams used to say, faith is the Christian's logic, and hope his rhetoric. Faith perceives what is to be done ; hope gives alacrity to the doing of it. Faith guides, advises, rectifies ; hope courageously en- counters all adversaries. He compared faith to a doctor in the schools, and hope to a captain in the wars. Faith discerns the truth ; hope fights against impatience, heaviness of spirit, infirmity, dejectedness, and despair! What has a creature thus furnished to fear ? I forget much of what he said of love, only that its latitude is greater — faith and hope had some restraints and limitations, of course : " The just shall live by faith " — an increase of it from day to day is his life. Love he com- pared to the vine which God brought out of Egypt, and cast out the heathen to plant it, which covereth the mountains with the shadow of the boughs, while the branches thereof spread unto the seas and the rivers. He compared Christian love also to the sun in the sky, that throws its comfortable beams upon all, and forbears not to warm the earth that only bears weeds ; 256 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. and that love extends to God and angels, and down to man, over God's universal earth ! " Happy the heart where graces reign, Where love inspires the breast ; Love, the divinest of the train, The sovereign of the rest ! " Augustine's spiritual temple pleased me. God builds such a temple on the believer's heart, he said, Faith its Foundation, its walls Hope, and the perfection of. its roof Charity! A man, he thought, might go to prayer when he pleases, who carries his chapel in his heart! That religion has its mys- teries is not to be denied. I would doubt its divine origin if it had not, coming, as it professes, from the mind of an in- visible, self-existent, and eternal Being. We find it easy to believe everything revealed in the Scriptures, so long as our faith that it is " the word of God " knows no abatement. I believe, with Rupertus of old, that " the mysteries of religion are better understood by believing, than believed by the under- standing ! " We believe many things which we can by no means comprehend. You know too much about the mys- teries of creation and science to require argument upon this subject. It is pleasant to know there are some things reserved for an explanation in an eternal state. This renders the thoughts of heaven so desirable and so cheering to real Christians. In the mean time we know enough to enable us to shape our course over the sea of life, and gain the heavenly port. When I was in the city of Hudson on the North River, during a revival of religion, a skeptic freely stated his objec- BAPTISM OF FIRE TO THE SAME. 257 tions against Christianity, chiefly because lie found things in the system which he could by no means comprehend ; therefore he could never bring his reason to embark upon an ocean of mysteries, without knowing the why and the wherefore of everything ; he must be able, he said, to comprehend and ex- plain everything, which he could not in the Christian system. A plain man told him that the why and the wherefore of serving God, and securing eternal life, were made plain enough, he considered ; that whatever in the Bible seemed incomprehensible to reason, that was no reason why the skep- tic should neglect to secure eternal life. " Suppose you were far out upon the ocean/' continued the good brother, " and you had command of the ship, being, of course, properly educated to navigate that sea. Suppose that, after trying day after day to take soundings, and you still found the vast ex- panse unfathomable, you should then and there declare your purpose to proceed no farther on your voyage, stating to all on board that yon never could be ' fool enough ' to sail over a sea you could not fathom, and concerning the mysteries of whose bottom you had no information. What would they think of you? Why, that you had already made a fool of yourself! " " Oh ! but such a determination I could never come to, so long as my instruments of calculation, and sea- room, and other things assured me of safety." " Very true ! depth enough for ten thousand keels, an assurance from the sun overhead as to your position, sound planks beneath your feet, and all health and peace on board, why should you trouble yourself about the mysterious abyss over wmich you are sailing ! But how is it that you cannot allow yourself the same latitude in passing over the mysteries of Christianity, 258 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. seeing that faith in the doctrines of religion and in the Bible is as necessary as faith in your navigating instruments, and in the sun, when navigating the ocean ? Besides, no mariner has ever better assurance of a staunch vessel beneath his feet, and of peace on board, than the Christian who has thus embarked his all on board the old ship Zion ! " The iufidel disappeared, and I saw him no more. * * * * * * * Well, if you can trust the voice of science, we can also trust the voice of divine revelation. If the promises in the book of nature, read and understood by philosophers, are reliable, how much more the promises of our God, as recorded in the Bible ? Were it not so the scientific lecturer would have the advantage of us, I confess. " The book of nature is fnll of promises," says the philosopher. " And I can prove that nature keeps all her promises," says the lecturer. He then begins to interrogate nature, and receives distinct and unvary- ing replies. "By a spark, an explosion, an effervescence, or an evolving substance," he proves the certainties of science to be unfailing, and that nature never falters in the fulfilment of her promises ! The more he tests nature by such interrogations, the clearer he demonstrates her reliableness. And thus he proves, to boiTOw a few ideas from Dr. Chalmers, that nature walks by rule; that she keeps her promises; that her footsteps are steady and reliable ; that her motions are persevering and with- out abatement ; that the strictest scrutiny never detects an hair's-breadth deviation. Nor is all this confined to the mere abstract tests of philosophy upon the more solid parts of materialism. The lecturer proves that those elements which BAPTISM OF FIRE TO THE SAME. 259 seem to indicate most fickleness are but the evolutions of a mechanism that never changes ; that even the fitful agitations of the weather have their law and their principle ; that the intensity of every breeze, the number of drops which compose every shower, the formation of every cloud, and all the occurring alternation of storms and sunshine, and all the endless sh if tings of temperature, and those tremulous vibrations in the air which philosophical instruments discover but cannot explain — that all those follow each other by a method of succession which, though more intricate, is yet absolute as the mathe- matical courses of astronomy — showing that the most hidden movements of nature are conducted with a uniformity as rigorous as fate — proving, whether the lecturer confesses it or not, that the God of nature is reliable ; and if in the laws im- printed upon the natural world, how much more in those of his revealed word ? And now it occurs to me that some such ideas as these rushed to my assistance last Friday night, when preaching from Matt. xxi. 22 : " And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye shall receive" A frequent occurrence with me, although my habit is to give credit where credit is due, and when I can quote correctly, which I cannot always do, when borne onward upon a hurricane of divine power ! But you may remember I added, if the promises in the Scrip- tures were not as reliable as those which philosophers claim for those on the page of nature, the scientific lecturer would have all the advantage of us ; and Christianity, when com- pared to experimental science, would be, to use a figure of Solo- mon, as a dead lion beside a living dog ! which God enabled me to prove before I left the pulpit was not the case ! For 260 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. sure as the fire from heaven came down upon the altar on Carmel midst the thousands of Israel, a baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost did descend from God through that promise ; and if you did not take to your heels like some, you beheld the amazing results ! That I used strong terms on that occasion I admit, and it was on that very account that I resorted to strong measures, and decisive. I felt warranted in doing so ; for in addition to bold language, I had this to strengthen my faith and confidence, that I had tested the promise alone with God, and found it might be relied upon — I did ! And therefore said, " He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear. We have here a plain promise of Jesus Christ, and it may be tested here and now, and in a few moments we may, if we will, prove whether his veracity and power are lodged in it, and by a manifestation as real and convincing as out-bursting fire from the bosom of a thun- dercloud ! I call for the askings of faith. I plead, I claim that the promise shall be tested here and now." The people knelt, as if one soul actuated the mass. There was a solemn pause, a deep silence, broken here and there by a sob. In the course of a few minutes what a change ! what scenes ! what manifes- tations ! " unaccounted for" indeed, by your principles, but predicted beforehand, and easily accounted for on Christian principles. Could you wonder that one of us exclaimed, in the language of Petrarch : " Victorious faith, to tliee belongs the prize ! On earth thy power is felt, and in the circling skies ! " A German made this remark, that he could very well account for the boldness of the prophet Elijah on mount Car- BAPTISM OF FIKE — TO THE SAME. 261 mel, when lie said : " The God that answereth by fire, let him be God'''' — when he called upon God in the hearing and in sight of thousands — called for the fire to descend on the sacrifice upon that altar, and consume it, after twelve "barrels of water filled the trench and saturated the wood and the stones ; hut the fire came down and consumed the sacrifice and the wood and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench — the people falling on their faces, and crying out, u The Lord, he is the God ! the Lord, he is the God ! " The German said he accounted for this boldness of Elijah on this principle, that the prophet had tested the veracity of his God in secret, and therefore doubted not the power of faith and prayer in public. You may apply this, if you please, to the scenes of last Friday night ; in the mean time, let faith blow her trumpet. " Where reason halts and genius sinks in death, Faith ventures with the Bible in her hand! " And now hearken to my texts, for we are about to test most reverently, and in faith, the veracity of our God in his promises. And if fire should come down from heaven, it is not to consume any of you in your sins, but as rotten wood your sins. These he will consume, and all your unbelief and hardness, though your heart be as hard as the stones of the altar on Carmel ; and to consume also the dust of vanity and pride, the serpen? s food — ay ! and to lick up the waters of sor- row around the trench of the altar of every heart from which the prayer of faith may ascend. " And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord ; and the God that answereth by fire, let 262 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken." (1 Kings xviii. 24.) " There/ore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.'''' (Mark xi. 24.)* * What an amazing manifestation of God's power did we witness a few weeks ago, in the old St. George Methodist Episcopal Church, Phila- delphia, in the use of the above texts combined ! J. C. Wilmington, Del., June 5, 1S60. CHAPTER XXXVIII. TO THE SAME THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD. UT have you never read that just remark of a dis- tinguished writer, that all arts and sciences abound with difficulties, and that a perfect knowledge of them is not to be attained without considerable labor and applica- tion. Theology, sir, is the first of sciences, for all others are, or ought to be subservient to it ; why then should it be an ex- ception? If science has its "abstrusities ," demanding patience and perseverance to overcome, why should it appear to you " an insuperable objection "" (did you not mean obstacle ?) that you find it so in the science of Christian theology ? With faith for your assistant, you may overcome. But as it is the triumph of Christianity to regenerate the heart, and make you a new creature in Christ Jesus, you had better take this into the account. Jesus tells you that you must " agonize to enter in at the strait gate." Your carnal heart is likely to set itself against such repentance — faith — agony ; but without it, remem- ber, with all your knowledge of Christianity, you may, in the long run, be nothing more than a wise devil through all eter- nity. 2. Those two or three passages have perplexed wiser heads than thine or mine ! and there are yet others more difficult 264 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. still ! Why should you marvel, seeing the book lays claim to be a revelation from God himself? And what are we but crea- tures of a day ! But a little while since, and we thought as much of our little windmills, and water-wheels, and bows and arrows, and other toys, as the monarch does of his crown and sceptre and munitions of war ! If we have outgrown our toys as we have our clothes, it is no reason why we should not be humble. We have not far to look back, when we were learn- ing our A, B, C ! If the truth were known to others, as it is to each of ourselves, we have erred in judgment sufficiently often since boyhood, to lead us to think and speak modestly — especially upon a subject like this. I would say, sir, with the immortal Cbillingworth, propose to me anything out of the Bible, and require whether I believe it or no ; and, seem it never so incomprehensible to human reason, I will subscribe it with hand and heart ; as knowing no demonstration can be stronger than this — " God hath said so, therefore it is true.' 1 '' I have long since learned to say of. the Bible, with Milman, " Be thou ray star in reason's night, Be thou my rock in danger's fright, Be thou my guide, 'mid passion's way, My moon by night — my sun by day ! " 3. Intelligent Christians draw no such conclusions from the foreknowledge of God. They admit it, 6f course, nor for a moment deny that, although enthroned in heaven's eternal light and glory, yet earth, air, and sky, and hell's deep gloom — the past, the present, and the future, too — are all laid open to "His eye, whose instant glance pervades Heaven's heights, earth's circle, hell's profoundest shades." THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD. 265 But they see no reason for imputing the cause of an evil to the fact of God having foreseen it. An astronomer's fore- knowledge of an eclipse did not cause it. " But if God fore- knows it, then it cannot but happen." But does that prove that his foreseeing it was the cause of its happening? As well lay the blame of the late catastrophe to the foresight of that architect who predicted the fall of the edifice. I have not learned that any one has imputed blame to him. 4. It is difficult, I Ihink, to avoid Dr. Adam Clarke's con- clusions, drawn from 1 Sam. xxiii. 11, 12, that there is such a thing as contingency in human affairs ; that is, God has poised many things between a possibility of being and not being, leaving it to the will of the creature to turn the scale. Read the passage at } r our leisure. David made two inquiries of the Lord : " Will Saul come down to Heilah ? " And the Lord said, "He will come down." " Will the men of Heilah de- liver me and my men into the hand of Saul? " And the Lord said, " They will deliver thee up." But Saul came not down to Heilah; nor did the men of Heilah deliver David into the hand of Saul. And why ? Because David escaped from Hei- lah. Therefore this twofold prediction implied an if — that is, a contingency : if David will not escape from Heilah, Saul will come down to Heilah, and the men of Heilah will deliver him into the hand of Saul ! This principle of interpretation has a wide application, but I never care to pursue it very far. God foresees, if you continue in unbelief, Satan will come down upon you there, and that your sins will deliver you into his hand, and that he will deliver you to the tormentors. Never- theless, there is a way of escape. And God asks, " How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation f " Is not this 12 266 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. enough ? There is a way of escape — a possibility of escaping ; therefore, if you are finally destroyed, your destruction shall be of yourself. All the commands, all the promises, and all the threatenings of God cluster around this centre. 5. It blasphemes both the wisdom and goodness and om- niscience of God, to impute our sufferings for a sinful course to his " necessitating will " — that we must both sin and suffer because he has foreseen both. If his foreknowledge in any way affected our free agency, the matter would be different. Our damnation would not then be of ourselves ; nor would it require much argument to show that such a state of things would entirely destroy the basis upon which the rewards and punishments of time and eternity arc founded. 6. The Arabs take strong views upon this subject. " The bounty of God " is a favorite theme with them, and " God has willed it." Their resignation to his will, as to a fate, seems remarkable ; and yet it is said never to paralyze the exertion of an Arab, as it does that of the Turk ; hence the reproaches cast by the former against the latter for his apathy and stu- pidity in ascribing to the will of God that which was merely the result of his own fault or folly are notorious. The Arab sometimes teases the Turk with the story of one who bared his back to the stings of mosquitoes, and then exclaimed, " God has decreed that I should be stung ! " Can you not apply the principle to somebody else besides the poor Turk ? 7. A plain man, the other day, quite perplexed one of your "wise sinners" — a great fore-knowing stickler! — who, when beaten out of other strongholds, took refuge in this — the fore- knowledge of God — that should he foresee his damnation, it could not be prevented. How ingenious some men are to find THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD. 267 excuses for their impertinence, and apologies for their spiritual sloth ! The sad state of a disabled ship, far out upon the sea, was described— dismasted, leaking badly, water gaining four to six inches an hour — pumps going, water increasing in the hold ; a consultation of officers — result, that by the most desperate efforts the ship might be kept afloat a few hours, by which time relief might possibly come. But one of the officers ob- jects: "If God foresees that we shall all go to the bottom, why, to the bottom we must go ; if, by his foreknowledge, he perceives we shall be lost, then to be lost is our unavoidable doom; therefore, there is no use whatever of struggling against God's foreknowledge ; besides, if he foresees we shall be saved, then saved we must be, whether we contribute any- thing to it or not." Another replies : " We have nothing to do with God's foreknowledge, because we know nothing about it. Our business is, and our duty, to keep the vessel afloat as long as we can. How can we answer to that same God for the loss of our lives, if we sit down supinely, and let our ship go down under our feet ? Let us fly to the pumps ! " Be- hold them toiling hour after hour, while the " foreknowledge man " is lounging below, pronouncing them a parcel of fools in trying to change God's foreknowledge. When, lo ! in the hour of extremity, a vessel appears on the horizon ! On the wings of the winds she is carried to their relief, and they are all saved from a watery grave. Had all been of the mind of the second officer, they would have undoubtedly gone to the bottom ! The skeptic was considerably perplexed, but made out to say something about moral action as differing from the mere management of a ship at sea. " Make out as many nice dis- 268 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. tinctions as you like," rejoined the plain brother, "I consider that it would have been morally wrong for those sailors to have neglected the means of self-preservation which God had placed within their reach." The skeptic had no more to say, and moved on, but had some better material for thought, than he had been accustomed to, I fancy. 8. By the way, sir, have you not read of that terrible storm that overtook a vessel on the Adriatic, and which beat upon her during fourteen days and nights, under a sunless, moonless, and starless sky, till all hope that they should be saved was taken away both from passengers and crew ? — and how that an angel from heaven in the night, during the full sweep of the tempest, alighted on that wave-washed deck, and said to one of the passengers, " Fear not, Paul, for thou must be brought before Ccesar : and to, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee " — some two hundred and threescore and sixteen peo- ple all told. But did that lead Paul to protest against their taking soundings, letting go four anchors out of the stern, lightening the ship by casting the wheat into the sea? But there was the angel's promise, and they toiled on in the height of the storm as if no such promise existed — Paul helping, and venturing, though a prisoner, to put in a word of direction. The angel came down from God out of heaven, who saw " the end from the beginning" that they should all be saved — pledged the veracity of an angel, and the credit of Paul's ve- racity to the prediction. All prudential measures were encour- aged, while he declared, " There shall not an hair fall from the head of any you ; " nor did he say how useless all this bustle, in taking up the anchors, and loosing the rudder-bands, and spreading the mainsail to the wind, seeing the foreseeing THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD. 269 promise of God stands good ! Nay, but when the sailors at- tempted to take the small boat and flee from the ship, leaving the passengers to perish, Paul protested to the centurion and soldiers, saying, " Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 11 What ! and the promise of a foreseeing God to the contrary ? Read the result in Acts xxvii. ******* " Infidel works." I thought as much ! I would advise you to neither course — neither sell nor give them away. Do with them as those at Ephesus did with their wicked books — burn them, " before all men " if you please, but burn or destroy them, that they may do no more injury. (Acts xix. 19.) Make no such compromise with Satan. Now that they can do you no more harm, he wants to get them into hands where injury may be perpetuated ; and offers to put money into your pocket if you will but let the books go. No such compromise, my friend ! Burn them ! Have you not read that when the French Revo- lution had brought to light the fatal consequences of Voltaire's writings, some halt-scrupulous persons, no longer willing to allow bis fourscore volumes a place in their library, resolved to get rid of them, and sold them at a low price. Thus, as one remarked, " this measure, though it ' stayed the plague ' in their own houses, caused the infection to spread wider." Burn them, sir ! burn them ! CHAPTER XXXIX. HINTS FOR CERTAIN HEARERS. gO " one of them." — " Woe to the land shadowing with wings," exclaimed one of the prophets. Opinions are ^of ten but Satan's shadows ! He is the spirit that worketh in the "children of disobedience." His shadow on the intellect leaves an impression, which resolves itself into an opinion. When Satan wishes to transfer an heretical opinion, he knows well how to do it. Adopting his opinions, you make them your own ; once yours, they will attend you as the shadow of your person ; when you go, the shadow goes ; when you stand or sit, or how or limp, advance, recede, or stop, so will your shadow. 2. Beware ! of making a bridge of your own shadow ! Have you never read the fate of him who was drowned by a similar mistake ? or of those thoughtless fellows who mistook their united shadows for a bridge, and fell into the river? They were only akin to those who tried to span the gulf of death by infidel opinions, which were but shadows, without any substance of truth, of whom it was said, " They perished catch- ing at their own shadows, and hanging on their own fancy!" which they falsely called faith ; faith in all unbelief, it was. The race of such men has not become extinct. Oh ! sir, cease HINTS FOE CERTAIN HEAEEES. 271 entirely to be one of them ! In their consciences, if they have any, they will approve your course. " Believe as Christians do," said three or four professed infidels to a dying companion. " Believe as Christians do ; because, if it be false, it can do you no harm ; but if it should prove true, you will be a great gainer." The man replied, "I have already taken your advice." He had taken the alarm during his illness, feeling that his sickness was unto death ; sought mercy through faith in Christ, and had found it, and was now enjoying that divine peace of mind which true religion can inspire. He was truly happy. These members of the old club, hearing of his dangerous illness, concluded to visit him, and volunteer the advice already noted. The man died well. 3. Far otherwise it was with poor . The irresistible hand of God was upon him, and there was no escaping. In- fidelity had made him daring in sin, and his conscience, now under the command of Heaven, seemed as if laying then all open before him. Recollections came crowding upon his soul, which were poor' helps in his last grapple with the king of terrors. If he did drop into the fiery lake, it was not with a hard heart or a seared conscience ; that is, if one might draw inferences from appearances. But God is judge. The day will declare it. We may find some in paradise we did not expect to meet there ; and miss others we had no doubt of hailing there. We cannot say as much of Mr. . " To justify myself is impossible ; to make supplication is unavail- able," afford but a slender hope, surely ; eyes now rolling in horror or agony, and again, as it were, swimming ia death ; as if unable to sustain his affliction, as to repair his loss. He must either go into the eternal world unprepared, or reconsider 272 ARROWS FROM STY QUIVER. his avowed principles, and along with it a review of past life. " The cup of trembling " was in his hand ; but, alas ! with the words of Lucifer in Festus, we may drop the curtain : 11 And giving bills which no man may decline ; Drafts upon hell one moment after date, Terrors shall be about ye like a wind ; And fears come down upon ye like a house." 4. The serious remark of one is worthy of record ; it was to this effect : that deatli is only a small drop from " the cup of trembling" mingled for the future portion of the soul, reluctant to leave the body. I love to think that God is merciful ; but in view of the Scriptures, which Jesus declares " cannot be broken" one trembles for the fate of a soul departing from the body thus. Ah ! sir, infidelity is a poor support in such an hour as this ! Allow me to commend for your adoption the prayer of Austin of old, " O Lord, let thy holy scriptures be my pure delights, in which I can neither deceive nor be deceived." If so, their " delights" shall not be wanting in that honest and trying hour, which may come at any time, and must come at one time or other. 5. Ponder Ps. cxix. 11, " Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee." And again, 161st verse, " But my heart standeth in awe of thy word." He who thus gives " the word of God " a place in his heart will never be awed by death, nor find death armed with a sting, as did the poor skeptics alluded to. Isaiah xxx. 21 is worthy your at- tention, " And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee., saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left." That " word " is the voice, of God sounding out from the Bible. He designs his word to HINTS FOE CERTAIN HEAREKS. 273 be a "a lamp unto thy feet, a light unto thy path.'''' (Ps. cxix. 105.) Mark those two pronouns " thy," for they are significant, showing the individuality of the Scriptures — " thy feet ," not anybody's feet or everybody's feet, but " a lamp unto thy feet" as if you were the only person remaining upon earth to be guided into heaven ! 6. The Bible is a teacher as well as a preacher. It is God's voice we hear there ; and sometimes it is as if God were speaking directly to one from the sacred page. The word comes then with a force singularly striking and convincing. It is thus to me, at least. And now, a parting word for your ear alone ; it is this : never expect to hear the voice of God to your comfort from the Bible, unless your believing eye is fixed reverently on the Bible, or to the idea of that book in your memory you offer the homage of your heart and the allegiance of your conscience. ******* To " A Friend." — 1 . So your " friend A. was disappointed ; " no uncommon event among my over-curious hearers. When a boy I was never fond of throwing feathers I they strained the arm more than a substance a thousand times their weight. I o confess to the same prejudice in preaching. My Master has not sent me into the fields, ripe already unto harvest, for the purpose of picking up a feather here and there, dropped from a wild or tame bird's wing. 2s"o, nor to gather sticks or straws, " hay, wood, and stubble ; " but the wheat for the garner of the Lord. (Matt. xiii. 30, or Matt. hi. 12.) 2. Perhaps he has never read the story of Myconius, the friend of Luther, how that after his call to the ministry he had a remarkable dream ; that he entered a field of grain, and was 12* 274 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. ordered by the proprietor to commence reaping. He did so, but found himself greatly attracted by the straw of the wheat, and wasted much of his time and strength in levelling his sickle close to the ground, so as, if possible, to leave little or no straw behind. He was ambitious to gather the straw as well as the ears. While thus engaged a voice spoke to him in the Latin tongue : Domino meo non opus est stramine modo arisice in horrea colligantur — " My Master needeth not straw ; gather but the ears, and it shall suffice." Myconius understood the design of the vision, and, I trust, profited by it during all the years of his ministry. 3. Theorizing is not my forte. It is well ; otherwise, to please a few I might become but a profitless preacher to the many. Those remarks of the excellent Mr. Jay have been cheering to me, and in connection with my own experience and observation have strengthened me in my purpose — to be spiritual and practical in my style. His remarks were, that there seems to be in the public mind an intuitive perception that religion is not mere science or theory, but that it contains much that has to do with men's business and bosoms. There is, continued he, an innate conviction that it is not* only some- thing to know, but something to do. They may not be always willing to do, but still they expect to hear of it, and are dis- satisfied if they do not. They are aware that it is a matter which has to do with all persons, states, and circumstances. Hence they feel something of surprise, even disgust, with the preacher who deals much in abstractions which lie remote from human nature and life. They expect to be told, not only how they should think, but how they should act. A good maxim is more appreciated than any speculation. HINTS FOR CERTAIN HEARERS. 275 4. To return to yourself, it would give me pleasure to assist you out of that snare ; but you have had some oppor- tunity of knowing how intensely I am engaged, day and night, except the few hours I snatch for sleep. But, blessed be God, that oblivion is complete ! This is a great work of God, and a great tax upon mind and body — compelled frequently to range over wide fields for information and for illustration, whereby to present truth more vividly to the minds of my hearers. Every night presents new phases in the work ; characters of all sorts crowd the sanctuary. In various ways, I become ac- quainted with them, and suit my preaching to their inquiries or circumstances. I am quite a cosmopolite, flying to and fro, and can carry but few books with me ; so I have to rely upon the memory of what I have read, when I had a library of my own, and time at my command. My note-books help me. This is all I can say at present. Write me all your heart ; and, I dare say, if you will pay particular attention, that in some part of the discourses from night to night you will find fragments that will refer to yourself, though others may con- sider them intended for many more besides. CHAPTER XL. TO ANOTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT BOOKS. OOKS ! I love their society — boots that are books ! that reward one well for time and attention. When a pastor, how I revelled in their delightful interchange of thought ! How often in their midst have I realized that sentiment of Landor, that, when we sit down among our books, we enjoy a society and privilege we might travel far among living men without finding their equal ! In conversing with them, we raise no jealousy when we converse with one in pre- ference to another ; we give no offence to the most illustrious by questioning him as long as w r e will, and leaving him as abruptly ! Diversity of opinion raises no tumult in our presence ; each interlocutor stands before us, speaks, or is silent, and we adjourn or decide the business at our leisure. Nothing is past which we desire to be present ; and we enjoy by anticipation, somewhat like the power which, I imagine, we shall possess hereafter, of sailing on a wish from world to world 1 " The winter's night and summer's day Pass imperceptibly away " in such society. Blessed be God for the society of books. 2, How necessary, though, they should be pood books. I THOUGHTS ABOUT BOOKS. 277 should like to see your library. The character of a man may be known by the company he keeps, is an old maxim ; and the same may be said of the books he reads! "Evil communica- tions corrupt good manners " is as true of books as of men ! Instead of assisting us to anticipate the period when we shall float as on a wish from world to world, bad boohs may predis- pose the mind to a very different antepast! Of all books, the Bible is the safest ; and it is so portable that one can carry it everywhere. My Bible was seized at the port of Rome by an officer of the Pope, but he handed it back to me again ; whereas, had there been a box of books, they would have been detained. I smiled when I got my Bible back, knowing that it contained whole libraries within itself, and the elements, besides, that would most assuredly one day either purge Popery of its pernicious and destructive errors, or smite it and break it in pieces, and disperse it like the chaff of the summer thrashing-floors which the wind carries away — like what befell the great image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream ! And what companionship we find in that Book of books ! — the best and most illustrious persons that ever walked the earth ! 3. And your authors "have assisted you on difficult points ; " very well, if in doing so, they did not weaken your respect for the Bible ! * If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch" may be said of all false teachers — books as well as men ! Were they guided by the decisions of God's word, think you, or by some other light? It used to be an old maxim among mariners, before the compass was known, " If a pilot cannot see the pole-star, it can be no fault in him to steer his course by such stars as do best appear." Ay ! but he was to assure himself whether the star was not 278 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. some transitory meteor, or some false light or other ! Care- lessness in that respect rendered him culpable and amenable to law. The application is plain ; see ye to it ! 4. In ancient times mariners had no compass, therefore attention to the polar star was often of vast importance to the navigator, as Dry den somewhere remarks : ■ "Rude as their ships was navigation then, No useful compass or meridian known ; Coasting they kept the land within their ken, And knew no north but when the pole-star shone." So it was with the world, once, till God gave it the Bible. But we have, that book now, and faith, like the mariner with his compass, ventures out on the sea of life, fearing no danger, with the Bible in her hand. As the sailor trusts his compass, and steers by it, blow high or blow low, by night and by day, thus must every saint, ay, and every repenting sinner, steer by the holy book, if they would ever arrive at the port of eternal peace. 5. When in the city of Limerick, south of Ireland, a while since, in conversation with a sea-captain, an excellent man, and a member of the Weslyan Church in that city, and still in command of a ship in the American trade : he told me that about twelve years ago he found himself, when nearing the Irish coast, involved in a terrific storm. Neither sun nor moon nor star had been descried from his ship's deck during four days and nights. One night during the gale he went be- low, the vessel " hanging on the teeth of the gale," under close- reefed main-top-sail. Having left the ship in charge of a care- ful officer he felt easy in mind, lay down on the cabin floor, THOUGHTS ABOUT BOOKS. 279 imagining land about forty miles distant, according to his reck- oning, A thought struck him to open the Bible before he dropped asleep. It lay within reach of his hand, and he opened upon these words: "And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south" (Acts viii. 26.) A sense of immediate danger took possession of his mind, and exclaiming involuntarily, " Truth, Lord!" he sprang on deck. It was then about four o'clock of a winter's morning, and looking up, a star or two was twinkling here and there through the gloomy vault, bat the tempest was tremendous. He ordered a man aloft to look out — the waves ran so high and furious there was little chance to see anything from deck. " Look right to leeward," said the captain, apprehending dan- ger from that quarter. In a few moments there was a cry from the rigging, "Breakers ahead, sir I" "Where away?" The answer confirmed his singular impression, and he instantly or- dered the helmsman to keep her away south ; the ship obeyed, and barely escaped destruction; and that night they entered the Shannon all well. Thus the Bible, that had been the means of saving his soul from sin and hell, seems to have been the means also of saving him and his crew from a watery grave ! 6. It is thus in matters of doctrine : when a man is perplexed by temptation and darkness and skepticism, he may find the true point of his spiritual course, as well as his peril, by con- sulting the Bible ! Let him, in doing so, pay attention to the impression it may make upon his mind, and govern himself accordingly. This little anecdote may be of some use to you. Ponder it. Watch and pray, and steer as the Xew Testament may direct. From this hour may you never look upon the Bible without those lines occurring to vour mind: 280 ARROWS FROM MY QCIYER. " May this blest volume ever lie Close to my heart, and near my eye ; Till life's last hour ray soul engage, Be this my chosen heritage 1 " 7. Whether he was a friend or foe to your faith, who per- plexed you so on Gen. ii. 17, judge for yourself after ponder- ing the following hints : " For on the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die "'■ — or as the Hebrew has it, " dying thou shalt die " — the same as if God had said, " Thy body shall cease to be immortal, and shall gradually tend toward death. Thy soul shall instantly lose its spiritual life, which consists of union and fellowship with me, its Author; — thy soul shall be- come dead to the life of communion with me, as thy body shall be dead when thy soul has been separated from it. Continu- ing thus, thy separation from life and peace must be eternal, which is the second death." Disobedience followed. Now, had the fruit of that forbidden tree remained untasted, man had never died ; and, most likely, neither spiritual, temporal, nor eternal death had ever befallen the family of man. Yet, from all this, the doctrine of annihilation can no more be extracted than oil out of flint ; no, not by the most forced or strained method of interpretation. 8. " Earnest objections" I admit, have been made by infi- dels in every age against that plain account of the fall of man in the Book of Genesis ; yet I have never met one that was able to propose anything better. "Alphonso the Wise" as he was called, but one called him il Alphonso the Fool, rather" was impious enough to declare that had the Maker of the uni- verse consulted him at the creation, he could have given him hints for the improvement of his plan ; thus boasting that had THOUGHTS ABOUT BOOKS. 281 he been of God's council, many things had been advised and ordered better than they now are. Alas for the royal brains of Alphonso ! His own plans needed mending in the govern- ment of his country. And what answer could he give his God when standing before his tribunal ? " God is not mocked " with impunity. 9. The expulsion from the garden, and the sword of flame at the gate through which the guilty pair passed, and, indeed, the entire destruction of the garden, were all necessary acts of mercy : " lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live for every A terrible calamity would that have been ! A deathless union between soul and body: — an eternal old age, with all the attendant evils now known in the lot of man, afflictions, temptations, sins, sorrows, and suffer- ings, yet incapable of death ! What a horrible state of things ! There are five prophetical months indicated in Rev. ix. 6, when men shall endure such torments that death in any form would be a boon. " And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it, and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." Imagine the frenzy during such a state of things ! Picture to yourself the state of our world thus circumstanced if but for a thousand years only ! — that plaintive cry of Job saluting us in every direction : " Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul ; which long for death, but it cometh not ; and dig for it more than for hid treasures?" — unwilling to end life with their own hands, but rushing into scenes where death is most likely to meet them — as some who have been known to rush into the battle-field, hoping that a ball from an enemy's gun might do that for them which they had not courage to do for them- 282 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. selves ! Such " heroes " have performed wonderful exploits on the field of blood and desperation. Perhaps you have not met with those lines by one of the Latin poets : " Seeing that long life is both useless and burdensome, When we can no longer live comfortably, shall we be permitted to die ? Oh ! how hard is the condition on which we hold life I For death is not subjected to the will of man. To die is sweet to the wretched; but wished-for death flees away. Yet when it is not desired, it comes with the hastiest strides." CHAPTER XLI. THE TRUTH OF GOD DEFENDED. 5 JT is a long time ago since it was said of Truth, that she seldom appears in public without a scratched face ! "^£ffl Men hate her so ! Sometimes, indeed, she comes too near the heel of Error, and gets knocked down for her pains. But her wounds, thank God, are never mortal, nor incurable. Her Lord, who healed the ear of Malchus, is never less kind to Truth, his own representative upon earth. As some poet says, though crushed to earth, she is sure to rise again, for the eter- nal years of God are hers ! Error, like the vicious horse, that wounded himself in hitting against a spike, writhes and dies in the midst of its admirers. 2. There is a difference between yonder old oak on the heights, and that willoio on the verge of the swamp. The oak contends with the furious blast, and roots itself deeper by the fray. It is its nature to do so ; and the soil on which it grows, and where it has been so long nourished, supports it in the conflict. But the willow — it is its nature to yield — a good illustration of the presence or absence of principle. I remember reading of a celebrated English statesman, who contrived to hold office both under the government of Queen Mary the Papist, and Queen Elizabeth the Protestant. One 284 ARROWS FEOM MY QUIVER. ventured to ask him how he was able to keep place under the reigns of two such opposite sovereigns. " By always imitating the willow instead of the oak," was the reply — no very difficult matter to a man who had no conscience ! 3. One encounter prepares one hi my position for another ; as the brindled lion prepared David to encounter the bear, which came on a similar errand against his affrighted flock. Successfully encountering these, and recognizing the hand of God in the victory and deliverance, he was prepared, when the occasion served, to measure strength with Goliath of the Phi- listines, in the valley of Elah ! A conqueror there, gave as- surance of victory at the head of an army — till, in after-life, we hear him exclaim, " Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight! — my goodness, and my fortress ; my high tower, and my deliverer ; my shield, and he in whom I trust ; who subdueth my people under me / For by thee I have run through a troop ; and by my God have I leaped over a wall ; a bow of steel is broken by mine arms." One encounter prepared him for another. Sam- son's conflict with the young lion of the thicket nerved him to assail a forest of Philistines. 'There is much of this discipline in the history of every successful minister of Jesus Christ ! 4. But I would not be misunderstood. There is but little use to behave like the oak, when the conduct of the yielding willow will serve as good a purpose. Such ludicrousness I have seen in my time. It never struck me as a mark of a well- balanced mind, much less of true greatness of character; although piety might be associated with it. In matters per- taining to conscience, and the high authority of God — when the mind grasps a " Thus saith the Lord," as the roots of a THE TRUTH OF GOD DEFENDED. 285 great tree, some vast stone or rock beneath the surface — then, let the character concerned resemble the oak on the hills ; but in things non-essential, where the will and authority of God receive no dishonor, it is well to resemble the yieldingness and gentleness of the willow ! This is all I have to say upon this subject; only this let me say of the cannonading in question, I am used to it ! it was called u paper shot " by one of the old writers, with a startling array of the pikes of evil tongues. " God and my rights ! " And " the word of the Lord endureth for ever" whatever may become of me ! Christ reigns ! Hallelujah! 5. And now for another point : hearken ! The Jews had their traditions, so have the Roman Catholics; each would have us believe them to be "unwritten verities." Skeptics, of a moderate caste, are much inclined to make similar claims ; but they find intelligent and conscientious Protestants tough subjects to grapple with. Our verities are found in the written word of God. AVe are very stubborn upon this point, we as- sure you, sir! Every creature after its own nature. What the Bible is to you and your fellows, is not so to myself and companions. TVe never expect to see a fly suck honey out of a flower like the bee ! Nevertheless, the fly may be quite as active as the bee, in its way ! Skeptical natures arc quite active just now. The warm atmosphere of a genuine revival stirs them into activity. Flies and bees do not stir round much in cold weather ! 6. For medical men and their students I have a high re- spect, of course ; but a word for the ear of one : Persons in your profession are at liberty to make improvement in the materia medica. They may discard old systems of practice, 286 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. and adopt and invent new ones, with more or less advantage — risk, perhaps, to poor humanity. They may take liberties with prescriptions, altogether at variance with standard authorities. Not so in theology; our most learned doctors of divinity must receive it and teach it as it is revealed in the New Testa- ment. Physicians may add fresh discoveries to the science of their art, gems to the diadem of medicine, but the divine Au thor of Christianity has left no vacancies in the diadem of re- ligion, to be supplied by some yet undiscovered doctrines. The truths of Christianity are as permanent as the globes of the firmament. Those that were known and believed in the first century, are precisely the same as those taught and received in the nineteenth. As well attempt the creation of a new star in the vortex of space as to espy some new essential doctrine in the Holy Scriptures ! 7. Another point I approach with delicacy and tenderness. Has one present never read in the Book of Psalms, "Great peace have they which love thy law : and nothing shall offend them ; " that is, be a stumbling-block to them, to cause them to fall, or to stumble them out of the way. He that would promote a revival must learn to step over such things, and not trip upon them ; nor should he be thin-skinned either, nor over-nice about circumstances, if so be the work of God ad- vances in power. A bird sang sweetly the other morning in the midst of thorns ; and so did a nightingale with a thorn at its breast. 8. After one has been looking at the sun for a while, if the eyes are strong enough to bear it, things below are greatly be- dimmed. It is so especially when the eyes of the soul have been looking steadily at " the Sun of Righteousness" or at the THE TRUTH OF GOD DEFENDED. 287 Bible, which one called " the sun of revelation" The thought might be applied to certain positions in life ; wealth and sta- tion are too dazzliug, unless the eye has been long directed to heavenward. There are certain doctrines and points of Chris- tian experience which are quite beyond the ken of some minds, whatever be their positions in life ; like the stars, they are much above them every way. When an individual talks so confusedly regarding his own soul, of which he ought to have some experience or acquaintance from day to day, it is not to be expected he can reason clearly regarding " Christ in you the hope of glory" or of the human soul being " an habita- tion of God through the Spirit" of which he has no experi- ence. To reason correctly about anything, a man should know something of that about which he would reason. "I know what I would not have, but I do not know what I would have," said Oliver Cromwell, when finding fault w r ith the government of England under Charles I. He won something; more than a smile, or a titter, after his views had become defined and en- larged ! Credit for wisdom has often been betrayed by words. Some hold respect for wisdom no longer than they hold their peace. Even children are quick to detect, although in other things much imposed upon by appearances. Circumstances lately have reminded me of a certain courtier in the retinue of Alexander the Great, who paid a visit to the studio of Apelles, the celebrated painter, and was received with the con- sideration due to his rank. This, it appears, excited his vanity and talkativeness, which unhappily sallied forth upon the fine art in question, exposing his ignorance in a variety of ques- tions and criticisms. Apelles interrupted him at length, in an undertone : " Do you see those boys that are grinding my col- 288 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. ors ? While you were silent they admired you, dazzled with the splendor of the purple and gold with which your habit glitters. But ever since you began to talk about what you do not understand, they have done nothing but laugh at you ! " The courtier made his exit. Having said thus much, perhaps it would be as well to dismiss the subject. I have known per- sons who in other matters seemed to possess much intelligence and sagacity, but who appeared to great disadvantage when invading the territories of religion ; or in dictating in matters of doctrine and experience, which they had not thoroughly investigated. I would by no means discourage religious in- quiry, when conducted as an inquiry ; but when dogmatical decisions precede investigation, I deplore it — sometimes re- sist it with more energy and plainness than is agreeable to the parties. A man quite forgets himself when he says of a plain declaration of Scripture, " How can this be ? I cannot be- lieve it, because it is incomprehensible." Were he present on any Sabbath afternoon, in any one of the Bible^ classes of the school belonging to this church, during the discussion of some Scripture topic, he would be surprised how well such mysteries are understood — I mean by very young persons ; how much light they are capable of throwing upon the declarations of God's word ; persons of whom he would expect but little informa- tion in passing them on the street, or meeting them in company. What reply would he venture, after hearing a mere youth, in a voice and manner of convincing sincerity, discuss the pos- sibility of the Holy Spirit of God occupying the heart of every believer as his habitation, thus : " Our superintendent is one, and his voice is one ; yet that one voice enters the ear of every one of the hundreds present, and occupies every attentive THE TRUTH OF GOD DEFENDED. ' 289 mind ; by which each at the same moment is made acquainted with his mind, and partakes, may be, of his emotions. This is a great mystery to us ; and yet we know it to be a fact. Why, then, may not believers have a similar verification of the Holy Spirit in the habitations of their hearts ? Again : the natural sun is one, but his beams are many ; yet if we place a mirror before him, his one distinct warm image is made to appear in- stantly therein. Let there be a million of mirrors, or ten hun- dred millions of mirrors, one for every person now upon the earth, and it would be just the same — a warm, well-defined image of the sun would appear in every one of these mirrors. But why may not the Spirit of God, though one, be able also to appear in the heart of one, or a million, or ten hundred millions of believers, at the same moment ? Or can the sun, which is but a creature, or creation of God, do more than his Creator ? even that Divine Spirit, which we learn in the begin- ning of the creation * moved upon the face of the waters? God is one, and his voice is one, yet when that voice from Sinai entered the ears of Moses, it entered at the same moment the ears of two millions of people who surrounded him." Would my friend venture a reply before that school next Lord's day ? Let him recall the story of Alexander's courtier and the painter's boys ! 9. One remark more ; and let those whom it may concern listen. When absurdities run into heaven-insulting blasphemies, equal to that chain-shot which it was said one hurled upward, as if he thought to make the windows of heaven shake ; why, then, like Hezekiah of old, whom Rabshakeh sent to blaspheme God, we may fall to our prayers, and humble ourselves before insulted majesty. 10. But in parting, let me drop this word in your ear : it 13 290 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. was said of the Sodomites their eyes were full of uncleanness, and they were smitten with blindness ; they burned with lust, and God burned them with fire ; they sinned against nature, and, against the course of nature, God rained on them, but it was a rain of fire and brimstone from heaven. A strange punishment, sirs, is decreed for those who strangely sin, and " who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness." We read in Revelation how that the men who blasphemed God, afterward " gnawed their tongues for pain." (Rev. xvi. 9, 10.) The member that sinned, suffered. Those two questions of Job are still receiving their respective an- swers : " Is not destruction to the wicked f and a strange punish- ment to the workers of iniquity ? " So it has been, is, and ever shall be, till all finally impenitent sinners become as chaff, stubble, and tares, and the sentence goes forth, " Gather, bind, and burn. 11 May God prepare us all for that day, and not Satan ! Amen ! 11. Dives complains bitterly in hell about his torment; but the member for which he craved alleviation most was his tongue. " Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Laza- rus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame 11 The member that sinned most, perhaps, suffered the keenest anguish. Not the tongue of his body of course, that had received a decent burial, but its counterpart, the tongue of the soul, that which speaks within, before the tongue of the body stirs. Man is a compound being of body and soul, a duplicate in more senses than one. In hell he had eyes by which he could look up, and tongue to speak. A terrible hour it will be to Dives and to all the wicked when both the tongues of body and soul begin to suffer the pains of hell-fire together. Ah ! sirs, men little know what they eay, when they proudly boast, " With THE TRUTH OF GOD DEFENDED. 291 our tongue will we prevail ; our lips are our own : who is Lord over us f " (Ps. xii. 4.) Xo sentiments more prevalent in our day ! The Psalmist had a deep meaning couched in those in- quiries : " What shall be given unto thee, or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue f Sharp arrows of the might]/, with coals of juniper" And a deeper meaning yet did Jesus Christ couch in that awful declaration : " But I say unto you. That every idle word that man shall speak, they shall give ac- count thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words shalt thou be condemned." Hear that, all ye who count words for nothing ! Let me re- peat the declaration again, "But I say unto you, That," etc. See how your eternal justification, or condemnation — your eter- nity depends on them ! Will you not after this have some care upon your words, and a bridle on your tongues ? 12. The prophet Xahum tells us that sinners are but stub- ble laid out in the sun to dry, that they may burn the readier. (Nahum i. 10.) In Rev. xiv. 18, we hear an angel uttering the vintage cry against the vine of wickedness : " Thrust in thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe." And it was done, and they were cast into " the great wine-press of the wrath of God." Mark this — the same sun that dries the stubble for the fire, ripens the grapes for the wine-press. Sinners who sit under truth, if not saved by the Gospel, dry or ripen fast for hell. No stubble dries so fast as that which grows in Gospel fields, which Satan has either beheaded of all belief, or so rubbed that the place of ears is grainless ; and no branch of the vine of wickedness or skepticism ripens faster in its fruit than that which shoots over the walls of Christiau congregations. CHAPTER XLII. TO '. IMPATIENCE. ) ,XT depends unto whom the Spirit of God may send the ^VgsL message or the warning. We must distinguish char - jJJ acter. " Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit" is an injunction of Scripture. But a caution is previously given, as if the Spirit desired us to mark the priority of its importance : " Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him " (Prov. xxvi. 4, 5) — like unto him in spirit and temper, allowing your zeal for the right to degenerate into anger or impatience or vulgarity. There is a hidden meaning, I have thought, couched in that hint of the apostle in Ephes. vi. 12 : " For we wrestle not against flesh and blood'''' — as we may think we do when con- tending with sinners — that they are but men, when they are more, the devil being in them to help them to wrestle with us ; so that " we wrestle not with flesh and blood " alone, but with the devil therein. A mighty argument with me to have " on the whole armor of God " — for " the wiles of the devil" in flesh and blood, are beyond all that wrestlers ever experienced in the Grecian arena. 2. Impatience is a bad companion in the pulpit, and should never appear there. So far as I know my own heart, I felt none of it on that occasion ; but strong and burning words of TO : IMPATIENCE. 293 truth were given me ! It is not unusual that such are consid- ered, by some, as marks of impatience. In the days of Baxter it was even so, as now. That holy man complained : " If a minister deal plainly with you, you say he rails ; and if he speak gently or coldly, you either go asleep under what he says, or are little more affected than the seats you sit upon." And thus it is to the present day. 3. When one is " grieved in spirit " by the hardness and unbelief of some, to say nothing of their impertinence, there is a liability of saying too much, or too strongly, and with more emotion than some phlegmatic temperaments would consider becoming. Paul exclaimed, " Who is sufficient for these things f " when he found that the word preached had become a savor of death unto death to some, though a savor of life unto life to others. That I have detected something like im- patience in my own spirit, under sore trial, I will not deny, and have had to mourn over it, and humble myself before God — although it is hard sometimes to distinguish between a tempta- tion to impatience, and impatience itself. In either case it is a matter of feeling, and so also is the state of being " grieved in spirit " — yet that may exist without any impatience of spirit. (Mark iii. 5.) However, at such times, to be on the safe side, judgment has gone against myself. Whether mistaken or not, I have found it good to imitate God's people, of whom it was said in ancient times that, when nature rose against the hard usage received from their persecu- tors, they soon clubbed it down, and reasoned themselves pa- tient, like David, and prayed down their distempers like Paul ! With the spirit and actions of some leading men in Conference* * The British Wesleyan Conference. 294: ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. on one hand, and the temper of awakened sinners on the other, no small degree of patient grace and faith are needed. 4. Aristotle, though a pagan, yields the point, that of the twain, it is better to suffer the greatest wrong than to do the least. That advice of one is good indeed for the present times — I receive it as such: "You need patience now at every turn ; it is like bread and salt, which, most likely, you cannot make a good meal without. Patience ! put it on as your cloak, to keep off all storms ; as a helmet, to bear off all blows ; carry it as a paring-knife, to cut the cross less and less till it come to nothing. (Luke xxi. 19.) Resemble the ancient Christians, who, when asked by their persecutors what great miracle Jesus Christ had done for them, replied this : ' That we are not moved by the scorn and cruelties you cast upon us.' Singular things are expected of those who have received singular grace and mercy — they must go above others, and have their feet where other men's heads are ! " What think you of this ad- vice, my friend ? With every sinner saved by grace, I can say, God, even my own God, and thine, has shown me, even me, all long-suffering and mercy, and he expects me to show the same to others ; and if in these respects he has • shown singu- lar grace toward me, should I not, in forbearance at least, and patience, be head and shoulders above many others. 5. In scenes like these we study men and devils too. The same blow from truth that wounds the sinner does not leave the tempter unscathed. When Satan receives a stab he be- comes mad and roars. He laughs in sinners when he is tickled by pulpit wit and drollery, and the preacher would " Court a grin when lie should win a soul." If " the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience " was TO : IMPATIENCE. 295 ever tickled from this pulpitj lie acts as if in despair of ever enjoying that luxury again ! A thief does not like to be deprived of his booty, but he likes it worse if he has received a wound in trying to conceal it. ******* But have you never seen the ancient emblem which repre- sents u a thoughtful thoughtless man " offering straw to a dog and a bone to the ass ! There is much thought wasted in the pulpit by its inappropriateness to the character of the congrega- tion — a cause of much unfruit fulness. The opposite course requires courage. It is a terrible disaster, in the estimation of some divines, when they learn that the plain-dealing of some conscientious preacher has caused some rich man and his family to vacate their pew, or when his congregation has be- come thin from the same cause. They would not risk it for a good deal. Yet such a preacher may be dearer than ever to Heaven ; and if he have but courage to persevere, in the long run he will be no loser. God will see to that. The old maxim, " Fair and softly goes far," prevails widely in this age ; and the old politician's motto also, " The warm side of the hedge is the better part of prudence." If warmth in religion be the preacher's application of it, it is well enough ; but if worldly advantage or spiritual sloth, and an avoidance of the storm that is sure to beat against the aggressive side of the hedge be the end, then the warm side of the hedge is treasonous ground ; bad, as a good man once observed, as to break a hedge of God's commandment, so he may shun a piece of troublesome way. This is one reason why Providence often commissions some personal or family trouble to invade that snug and warm side of the hedge. 296 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. Solomon says, " The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath" But that looks to some, when God shows it them, to be the way of starvation and death ! " God or your fears," says the Spirit. " God ! " says the faith- ful soul. " The way of life is above to the wise," says God. " I will walk in it," says the consecrated soul. " What ! though you meet a lion in the way ? " " Yes ! though I meet a lion in the way, or a dozen of them, Lord ! " Thus, sir, such an one goes a higher way to work, not only to reach the summit of true godliness, but usefulness. Aware that more than a com- mon stint is required of him, he will not stick at doing what others will not or cannot — by way of preaching the whole truth of God, and in such a manner as to come in actual col- lision with the sins that may be eating the heart out of the church and blighting the heritage of God. No pique whatever against " rich men and wealthy families," nor should they suspect, without cause, anything of the sort. The Psalmist speaks of mercy and truth meeting together, and righteousness and peace kissing each other. But, sir, when prosperity and pride meet together, and wealth and wickedness have kissed each other — when souls redeemed by the blood of Christ are carried up by Satan and these, as he once did our Lord, to the pinnacle, from thence to cast them down headlong upon the burning pavements of hell — silence on the preacher's part would be sufficient to awake the abhorrence and exclamations of heaven ! What thinkest thou ? " But pru- dence — prudence in dealing with them." I know it ; and yet there lies the peril of touching them so tenderly and softly that the preacher might as well not touch them at all ! He must preach so as to make them both see and feel their danger. TO : IMPATIENCE. 297 There was something abrupt and terrifying in the peroration, or application, may be, to some — yet, when rightly under- stood, what was there so very objectionable in it ? What had sincere Christians to fear ? Let us see how it looks ! Was it not after this manner ? Oh ! that, as God once allowed Satan the use of a whirlwind to blow down the house where Job's children were feasting, that he would lend me a whirlwind — that he would make my voice a whirlwind to smite the four corners of the houses of sinful amusements and vanities — to break down and uproot all evil examples and hindrances to the Gospel of Christ. Such a whirlwind, my God ! as not a soul of them may escape to Satan ; such a whirlwind, ay, equal to that which swept away and carried off Elijah to the skies- — to sweep every soul out of satanic influence, clear into the ex- tended arms of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ! Amen ! And my heart still says Amen, as earnestly as ever ! We live in a world of peril. And when one preaches once, it is not certain we may ever preach again. To close one's ministry and life with such sincere utterances, is not to be dep- recated ; the occasion would be worthy of them, and they worthy of the occasion. When one addresses an audience, there is no certainty we shall ever address them all again. Ah ! sir, how many, during the last quarter of a century, have heard this voice of mine for the last time, and retired to die ! ****** * But have you never read that couplet which describes " Impassioned logic which outran The hearer in its fiery course ! " Nothing against your critique, only that the subject thereof 13* 298 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. feels himself very unworthy. It reminded me of the reply of Charles V:, after hearing a speech from one of his councillors that tended to his commendation : " The orator has only taught me what I ought to be, and not what I have been? There was much to humble the spirit in retrospection, after the effort to which you refer. This cup is preferred to my lips oftener than many suppose ; — some medicines are curative and others pre- ventive in their operation ! There is more distinction between talent and genius, in their operations, than you seem to sup- pose. Poets, I allow, are not at all times reliable authorities, but one of them, I remember, ascribes to talent the power of convincing but to genius that of exciting ! Talent he consid- ered the offspring of the judgment, and the taskmaster of reason, which reconciles its pinion to the earth. He compared its operations to sunshine on a cultured soil, ripening the fruit by slow degrees. But genius, as the unsettler of the mind's desires, and discontented till earth be left behind, he compares to " an iris of the skies " — " Genius, the sudden iris of the skies, On cloud itself reflects its wondrous dyes ; And to the earth, in tears and glory given, Clasps in its airy arch the pomp of heaven I Talent gives all that vulgar critics need — From its plain hornbook learn the dull to read ; Genius, the Pythian of the beautiful, Leaves its large truths a riddle to the dull — From eyes profane a veil the Isis sereens, And fools on fools still ask ' what Hamlet means ? ' " Both are the gift of God, and should be used for his glory and the good of man. " Lord, thy pound hath gained ten TO 1 IMPATIENCE. 299 pounds," saith he in the parable. (Luke xix 16.) " Thy pound," not my pound ! As such he traded with it, and as such returned it with increase, and received his great reward. A grand idea here ! A noble preservative against the prostitu- tion of talents ! The results would have been more glorious on the occasion in question, had not some professors got fright- ened and ceased to pray, and to stay up my hands, wishing it were over ! Aaron and Hur stayed up the hands of Moses, one on the one side, and the other on the other side, until the going down of the sun, during the great battle in the desert of Rephidim. However, God made us victorious ; and this first great victory, like that to Israel, inspired our spiritual troops with great confidence. That victory of Rephidim was the forerunner of a succession of victories to Israel ; and so may this, of which we speak, here in this desert of formality and sin. Amen ! CHAPTER XLIII. TO I A STIR IN THE CAMP OF UNBELIEF. FfijSERE is no cause of fear. We can lose nothing by all ^43^1 ^ a * s ' ^^^ means it ? Have they been asleep hitherto W$>" p under our batteries ? Have the proper cannon been wrongly directed, or dismounted, or what ? Depend upon it they are thoroughly aroused. If Satan has been stirred, we may infer it is to defend that which is endangered. Who can doubt it ? Look around at the trophies of the onset. And some of these have themselves mounted no mean ordnance against the very ramparts behind which they were so lately intrenched ! It is clear any softer method of address could have effected but little. I believe with him who says, " If there is one doctrine of the Holy Scriptures which finds in the present day its tangible confirmation, it is that of the existence of a ruler of darkness, and of a kingdom of infernal powers. A shower of fire has swept over us, and the shield-bearers and apostles of unbelief shoot up from the earth, like the fungus, in a night. An infer- nal spark now burns in skepticism. Unbelief 'is now no longer the blind bantling of a heart insnared and deluded by the spirit of this world ; but the light-shunning offspring of a wicked and rebellious will. Phenomena, such as those which meet us in the present day, were never before seen in the world in such an ti- Christian atrocity and massiveness. There is peril A STIR IN THE CAMP OF UNBELIEF. 301 to the unsettled everywhere. He who is but halfway in this mystery of iniquity, may finish his course ere the month is out in total apostasy from Christian truth. I only echo the senti- ments of him who said, he who reaches the spirit of the times only the tip of his finger, may rest assured that soon his whole hand will be taken." Jesus reigns. That is our com- fort. I like to repeat these lines : " Hell weaving snares a thousand ways, Finds mercy central in the maze." It would require more time than I have at command to ex- plain circumstances. The onset was severe, and the material of thought and language not altogether in good taste, perhaps ; a fault to which extemporaneous speaking is more or less liable, especially in the ardor and excitement of some occa- sions — and when the soul is fully up to the mark of fearless truth — when one is apt to rely more on that than upon wis- dom or good taste in the selection of words and figures. The sting of the remarks lay in their truthfulness. Let us review a little. The comparison of infidels to spiders eviscerating themselves in weaving sophistical webs to catch unwary souls ; and others trying all conclusions — beating their own brains, and the drivellings of dead men's brains — searching Satan's skull, were it possible, and listening at the very gates of hell for new designs and forms of blasphemous opposition of the religion of Jesus — drinking deep, besides, of " the cup of devils," for strength to carry the ball at their foot to greater lengths-:— till God has jerked them back to their shame, and made greater fools of some, of them than they thought to have made of his servants ; — these figures were strong, but 302 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. how far did they overreach the facts of the case? Also, that it was said of one under the power of deep melancholy, that he could not tell whether he was a beast or a man. But these infidel natures around us have ascertained that they are nothing more than beasts, but, unlike other animals, make merry over the discovery — merry over that which is a melan- choly idea to every sensible intellect. And if the truth were kn.own, these renegadoes from truth and righteousness have little else to make merry over than their own melancholy, and the annoyance they give Christians. "But was there not something- more?" Why, yes ! that the old satirists called melancholy " the deviVs bath" but some people grow quite merry in the bath ! I heard an ass bray a few days since, and he really seemed inclined to be merry, perhaps because one of his little ones had kicked up his heels and whisked his tail, as if pleased with the braying ! Nor shall I readily forget the saying of one, that a melancholy person tires the physician, grieves the minister, wounds rela- tions, makes sport for devils, and converts the soul into an ass for Satan to ride upon ! All infidels are melancholy asses I It cannot be otherwise. What is there in infidelity to make any man merry ? For ever nothing, or for ever miserable / it would require the power of " the laughing gas " every moment, to maintain constant merriment with two such ideas knocking at the door of the heart for admittance. That was a great famine in Samaria, when an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver. It would require a greater famine of the word of God, before the heads of such asses, or the product thereof, would fetch as much ! In the present state of the spiritual mart there is no demand for them, except A STIR EST THE CAMP OF UNBELIEF. 303 by such as have no taste for better things ; and who, poor creatures, continuing as they are, have little prospect of any more honor at their burial, from angels in heaven, and good men in this neighborhood, than what was accorded to Jehoi- akim of old (Jeremiah xxii. 19): "He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem" My task is a thankless one, I admit ; but then, is it not written in our Bible, " If thou meet thine enemy's ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back again.'''' (Exodus xxiii. 4.) There ! my friend, have I made the matter better or worse ? Or, are you disposed to compare me to him who, at- tempting an apology for his profanity, swore again while doing it. • It may not be amiss to remind you that the patriarch Jacob did not scruple to compare Issachar to a strong ass couching down between two burdens ! If time did but permit, I could draw a very strong comparison between Issachar and some of your neighbors. But I forbear. This is enough for this time. If they fancy anything more of the same style, perhaps it may be forthcoming ! A pious man justly observed — and the re- mark maybe of some use to such — that those who have jested most at orthodox sentiments, have by a just series of conse- quences been given up to believe the most unaccountable things that were ever circulated among mankind ; and I have observed, he added, that those who affect to sneer at creeds, have always one of their own : every man believes something ; and he who deviates most from the testimony which is the stand- ard of religious truth, lives in the belief of those sentiments which believers have a right to despise. The application is so plain, I need add nothing further. * * ****** 304: ARROWS FROM MY QUIYER. It is the joy of my heart to assist sincere inquirers after truth, although sympathy for those who are wilfully in error runs rather low with me at present. That was a wise saying of one a long while ago, that when men once step over the pale of truth, they know not when or where they shall stop, but run on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. I have seen the truth of this exemplified in the history of more than one professor of religion. The "sentiment" of Mr. has " a basis," may be, equal to what a wit assigned it, " The cobweb surface of a walking dream ! " A perilous basis for that immortal spirit of his. It was said of one that he wrote out wild schemes with the mad finger of his imagina- tion, and wiped them out hastily with the hand of a yet blush- ing conscience ; but his peace of mind was gone, nor did he cease to wander on into deeper darkness. Gospel peace your neighbor professes not. How could he ? And how can conscience blush when " reason " has become the high-priest of imagination ! So long as it is written, " To you therefore which believe, he is precious ; " the friends of Jesus need never fail to have the witness in themselves. Calvary and Tabor have both their peculiar attractions for me. In the transfiguration, I find curi- osity and adoration struggling for the mastery. But in the scene of the crucifixion, adoration and sympathy, like John and the mother of Jesus, on Calvary, are in unity. Olivet, and its ascending Lord ! — in that scene my faith receives a glorious confirmation, as regards immortality. There was a voice from the cloud over Tabor, " This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased ; " and there were voices upon Olivet after Jesus had passed from human sight among the clouds, from the pure lips of angels in white apparel, announcing the certainty A STIR EST THE CAMP OF UNBELIEF. 305 of Lis return to earth again. These affect me ; but not as the voice that sounds through darkness on the mount of suffering, " My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?" It melts my heart, it overpowers my soul. It matters not whether he meant forsaken me, or forgotten me, or to what or to whom hast thou given me up — my soul abandons itself to one idea, " My Lord, my love is crucified" Room for him in my heart ! ay ! as a good man exclaimed, " Though half the inhabitants of my soul must turn out to make room for him ! " Emotion may subside, but the desire of my heart never — that the love of Jesus to me, and mine to him, may be lasting as existence — interwoven with every thought, passion, and sensation of my being, and in extent to eternity! The time was when Mr. felt the same ; when he exclaimed, " Jesus, help me to hide myself in thy wounded side, and there may I find safety ! Wash me in thy streaming blood, and there may I be clean ! " Alas ! alas ! And can he now trample under foot the memory of the Son of God, and cast contempt on that blood in which he once trusted ! Let him read, and tremble while he reads, Hebrews x. 26-31. If the justice of God was hon- ored in those tortures, and in that exquisite anguish of his dearly beloved Son, even unto death — let him be assured that the same divine justice will yet vindicate and honor itself in a terrible manner, upon him who despises or neglects such an atonement. So sure as the hand of God clothed the sun in mourning, while his dearly beloved Son was bleeding to death on the cross for the sins of the world, so sure will the hand of eternal justice clothe, eventually, that soul in eternal mourn- ing, living and dying in contempt of the scenes of Calvary. Thus much I am at liberty to say. May it prove an anti- 306 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. dote against corruption. Such fearful changes do not indicate a strength of mind necessary for a leader. The man is far from rest and happiness. Bravado is no mark of the strength after which you seek. There are various methods of sustain- ing courage, both in self and others. Heroism, so called, has often trembled upon his legs, while stirring and nerving others for the conflict ! * * * * * * * That was a fine remark of one, that " a seeking after truth belongs to human nature, and is wont to be the last feature of it that perishes." Would that your "friend" were disposed as he should, to make room for it in his heart, nor longer keep it standing out of doors ! for it is nigh unto him, and has been so for years, although he has taken as wide a circuit to find it as Milton's Satan to reach Eden ! His heart, however, must be dispossessed of that viperous brood of doubts, before truth will consent to become a permanent inmate of his soul ! Marvel not, if under some circumstances, a man may in- quire with Pontius Pilate, " What is truth," all his life, with- out receiving a satisfactory reply : this is the destiny of I fear. Democritus exclaimed, centuries ago, " Truth lies hid in a pit that has no bottom ! " The truth after which he seeks, is bottomed on the word of God — " Thus saith the Lord." Search for it elsewhere, and he will be forced to a similar ex- clamation, that truth lies hid in a pit that has no bottom ! The pit in which he searches for truth contains it not — the pit of error, which connects, farther down, with " the bottomless pit; " although I would not vouch that he shall not find truth even in the latter pit. That was a tremendous blow given to one by an unknown poet : A STTR IN" THE CAMP OF UNBELIEF. 307 " What is hell ? 'Tis nothing but full knowledge of the truth ; When truth resisted long, is sworn our foe, And calls eternity to do her right ! " It was the saying of a good man, now with God, that the devil blindfolds many, and they never lose the bandage till in hell ; that many are playing blind-man's buff with Satan ; and, as those who engage in that play get many a knock and blow, if not bruises, it is so with the spiritually blind. Those who reject or neglect the Scriptures are easily blinded. God per- mits it judicially as a punishment. A blind man may stumble upon the gem he is seeking, but he is more likely to miss it. " If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that dark- ness," says Jesus Christ. It is written — "Thy counsels are faithfulness and truth." Well would it be for the world if of all counsels we might say the same ! Where the Scriptures have no voice, it becomes us to'be silent. " When they have no tongue, we need have no ears," said a pious man. An angel from heaven, when speak- ing with Daniel, could only say, " / will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth." Such a restriction is yet more befitting for us mortals here below. It is also written, " They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth." It is as true of the pit of error as the pit of the grave. Your friend may depend upon it, if he leave the Scriptures in search of truth, he will evermore find him- self searching for it in a pit that has no bottom ; continuing the search, he may sink -so deep into that pit as never to find his way back into the light of the Gospel day. There was more ex- cuse for Socrates than for him, for that ancient sao*e had no in- 308 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. spired Scriptures to consult, and yet tie was humble enough to confess, " This is one thing I know, that I know nothing." Would that he had something of his humility. Far back in time we read of one who said, "Neither know I this yet, that I know nothing ! " and yet another, " I am not ignorant that I am ignorant ! " These worthies have one successor in the nineteenth century, you perceive ! " Light to light and dark to dark, Kindred natures thus agree I " As to yourself, when you search the Scriptures for truth as for ahidden treasure, you are likely to find it. When you approach the Bible, saying, with an eminent person in Scot- land,* " Gift of our heavenly Father, dying legacy of an incar- nate Son, revelation of a kind and winning Spirit ! love shines on thy every page, and in thy very name thy generous mercy is proclaimed — Gospel, glad tidings, good tidings of good ! " Reverence for the word of God always links itself with prayer to the Author of the word. Luther observed that he profited more in the knowledge of the Scriptures by prayer in a short space than by study in .a longer. The book was sealed with seven seals, till John fell a weeping, which brought a voice down from heaven, saying, " Weep not : behold the Lion of the tribe of-Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof' 1 Why did he weep so? Because he apprehended that, had the book remained closed, the church and the world would have suffered a great loss. Prayer accompanied those tears, no doubt. When you properly understand the great loss it will be to you to have the book a sealed book to you, tears may be on your cheeks * Dr. Guthrie. A STIR IN THE CAMP OF UNBELIEF. 309 also ! Tears are great orators in the estimation of Heaven. " Weep not," has been spoken to many a trembling seeker of light and salvation ! Prayers and tears and earnest cries ac- companied the giving of the Scriptures by inspiration ; and who more than Paul ? " / wrote to you with many tears" he says in one place. And what epistle did he begin or end without prayer ? Search the Scriptures in a similar spirit, and you shall find wonderful things in His law. In the mean time, let not our " loud praying " stumble you farther from the truth, and into such queries as, " Whether God hears prayer at all, or whether by implication He is not very far off;" for that is not the prevailing idea, but rather a result of zeal and ear- * ncstness. Distance would be a disturbing notion, for none of our voices sound much beyond the church premises. " Dis- tances," such as your queries would contemplate, the voice of a cannon would be as ineffectual to reach as a whisper from human lips. We know it is all the same for a divine hear- ing whether we pray in a loud or low key, provided we have sincerity and faith. But, as it is written, " According to your faith be it unto you" and faith may receive increase and strength, as the voice rises in strength and energy (which we know to be a fact), we entertain the stronger hope of prevail- ing thus with God. Observe, it was to the blind men, who followed him with a cry, that Jesus said, " According to your faith be it unto you." They " followed him crying." Think you that cry had no influence upon their faith ? It was full of hope, and hope increased the louder they cried ; but "faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen" We know also that penitents who cry to God the loudest, and with the deepest emotions, come out in religion 310 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. the clearest, and, indeed, are the most steadfast and useful afterward. This will hold good in nine cases out of every ten! (Matt. ix. 27-30.) Faith may be stirred and strengthened greatly by the energy of the voice where there is grace, and a cry in the soul, " / will not let thee go except thou bless me." Besides, it is written, " The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Prayer of this sort is apt to be somewhat loud. Indifference in prayer is usually still enough, but, for all that, we are sure it meets with but little favor with God. Lukewarmness in prayer is as offensive to God as m anything else. (Rev. iii. 16.) I have little more to say. We consider nothing inconsist- ent in prayer that is countenanced or sustained by the word of God. If some of my helpers " pray as if they thought the arm of God, though mighty, is asleep, and needed an awaken- ing," the prophet Isaiah expressed something akin when he cried out, " Awake, awake, put on strength, arm of the Lord ; awake as in the ancient days, in the generation of old." (Isa. lv. 9.) These men of God are well acquainted with the Scriptures, and also with the history of the church, especially with Methodism. They know well what God wrought by their fathers in their days, and that by prayer which " opened heaven " over many a congregation. They have also facts in their own history and experience. What prayer can do — mighty prayer ! — they know ; and are no way backward in taking the kingdom of heaven by the violence of prayer! (Matt. xi. 12.) CHAPTER XLIV. TO 1 A TALK WITH A SKEPTIC. 'ELL, if you were present at the time in question, it was well ; better hear what you did hear than learn it " second hand." What think you of that line of a 11 Truth is a staff rejected." What you have been leaning upon is no staff, but a reed ; and instead of supporting you, whether in actual sin, or unbelief, which has in it the seeds of all sin, it has bent, splintered, pierced your soul. For, has it not betrayed your trust, and failed you in the hour of need ? 2. There is much less neutrality or indifference in the world, as to religion, than many good people suppose, or bad people pretend to. I am convinced of that ; and the judgment day will prove it. Indeed, as Dr. Adam Clark remarks, the devil seldom inspires indifference to religion ; the subjects in whom he works are either determinate opposers of true religion, or they are systematic and energetic transgressors of God's laws. And he quotes Ephes. ii. 2 as proof. 3. Y our judgment, I fear, has had little to do in the matter, nor your reason, although passion may. In nineteen cases out of twenty, such opinions as yours have emanated from the tribunal of corrupt and misleading passions. Look within 312 ARROWS FROM MY QUTVEK. and back upon the past, and assure me, if you can, that I am mistaken, so far as you are concerned ! The remark of one some years ago occurs tome, that opinions are generally formed on appearances, but the true judgment of things on investiga- tion ; that opinions are often crude, irrevelant, and inconsistent ; while the decisions of the judgment are systematic, regular, and consistent. He added, opinions are the fruit of passion or of feeling, while judgment reposes upon reason, and upon the word of God. 4. That man in Ireland, who asked a similar question to your own, had no such mental embarrassments, for he was most sincere. He stood up and inquired, " What is truth?" and continued, " Long have I searched for it, and I have found it at last. There it is," holding out a New Testament, but, in- stantly putting it into his pocket, said, " It is prohibited " — meaning, by the Roman Catholics. Ah ! sir, you are no Romanist, and yet Satan and skepticism have succeeded in interdicting this book from being any test of your faith. In the reign of Henry V., a law was enacted in England, prohib- iting the reading of the Scriptures in English, on pain of for- feiture of " land, catel, lif, and godes, from their heirs for ever ; and be so condemned for heritics to God, enemies to the crown, and most arrant traitors to the land." There was a great "faming in the land" in those days, " not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." (Amos viii. 2.) And as predicted by the same prophet, so it came to pass in England, " And they shall wander about from, sea to sea, and from the north even unto the east ; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it" A knowledge of these A TALK WITH A SKEPTIC. 313 facts renders the word of God very sweet and dear to English Christiaus ! 5. What a difference between you, and those who were so grievously afflicted by that prohibitory law! Instead of searching for the word from north to east, and from sea to sea, you would take similar pains to avoid it ! In the one instance, we perceive the spirit and wickedness of the Romish Church ; in your case, the nature and spirit of skepticism and Satan. Ignorance of the Scriptures prevailed greatly in those days. But the difference between the effects of voluntary and invol- untary ignorance will be made apparent in the great day ! This is all I have time to say at present. ******* 6. So you think " Bible Societies are in the other extreme of the English Roman Catholic prohibitory law, poking the Bible in every man's face." Perhaps, sir, to render some men's condemnation in the last day more convincingly and irresistibly just. A provoking thought it may be, but true, nevertheless ! Your boast is nothing. All the infidels in Europe and Amer- ica cannot stop the progress of the Bible Society in either hemisphere. Before a circular saw gets under way, the strength of your little finger would detain it ; but once in motion, it would bid defiance to your whole body, ay, would cut its way through solid oak ! When a ship lies in port, motionless, a slender cord is sufficient to detain her there ; but once under way in full sail, before a prosperous gale, she would snap the strongest cable, or drag her anchor as your boy his plaything ! I know not what they might have done in the earlier stages of the Bible cause ; but now, sir, the saw is in motion, and it will surely cut its way through all error, superstition, and wick- 14 314 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. edness, over all the nations of the earth. The breath of pray- ing millions fills the sails of this cause, as well as the divine breathings of the Holy Spirit ; advance it must, in defiance of all opposition. 7. These remarks you may apply also at your leisure to certain strictures on this revival now in progress. But one thing at a time. With the eloquent Summerfield I would say, " They cannot stop the progress of Bible Societies. Sooner may they arrest the sun at the antipodes, and prevent his rising to illuminate our horizon ; sooner may they confine the winds in the cave of ^Eolus, never again to cool and refresh our atmosphere ; sooner may they stem the mighty stream that leaves the mountain's sides, and interdict its progress to the ocean ! — for the word of God shall accomplish that which He pleases ; it shall prosper in the thing whereunto he has sent it ; the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea: the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." The following sentiments, sir, of a great and good man now with God, are the sentiments of millions now upon earth, and were nevermore deeply felt than now ; and while I echo them, though imperfectly, through this temple, they will thrill our hearts, and for aught we know, the hearts of hundreds of millions in glory ! — that the cause of Jesus Christ is the only one which will live and prevail amid the wrecks of tune : strong as the arm of Omnipotence, it will hold on its majestic course, bearing down and crushing everything that resists its progress; everything that is placed on this foundation is safe — but inevitable ruin awaits everything beside. Woe to the man whose doctrines are not united with the kingdom of Christ; woe to the man who sets himself to oppose this holy kingdom ; Jesus Christ is A TALK WITH A SKEPTIC. 315 made head over all things to the church. He has marched down the track of ages, holding the north in his right hand, and the south in his left, with his eye continually fixed upon this* siugle cause, and forcing all nations and events to pay tribute to it ; and the providence of God, like a column of light, con- tinually illustrates this fact ; and so it will be down the descent of time to the end of the world, prostrating all opposition ! And, whether my skeptical antagonist has relished these sentiments or not, others have ; and they will not be displeased if I draw upon the same source for more ! The same eloquent preacher predicted a glorious spring for our world, after tiie passing away of a long succession of wintry years ; when the beauties of holiness shall clothe every region, and songs of salvation shall float on every breeze ; then shall it be seen that this world was not made in vain. We have only to look down the vale of time, said he, to see — how transporting ! the miseries of six thousand years to come to an end, the convulsions of a disordered world composed, and the glory of Zion filling the whole earth. Lend me an angel's harp, he added, while I look forward to approaching scenes, which, distant as they then were, enraptured the souls of the holy prophets, when from the mount of vision they beheld across the shade of many troublous years the church standing on the field she had won, triumphantly shouting, " Lo this is our God ; we have waited for him, ; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.'''' Sometimes in their sorrows, while nothing was escaping from them but the sounds of a breaking heart, a glimpse of this glory would break upon their view, and the tear which stood in their eye forgot to fall, their half-uttered sigh died upon their tongue, they awoke to rapture, and exclaimed, " Thou 316 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. shalt arise and have mercy on Zion, for the time to favor her is come, yea the set time is come." Hallelujah ! How such sentiments do fire my heart for the work of soul-saving! And how they have fired other hearts in this audience, also ! The skeptic, perchance, who has called forth these senti- ments just now, may have had a few sparks of Gospel fire flung in his cold heart ; though not warmed to the same degree as that infidel, some weeks since, in this town,* who declared that it was as much as he could do to refrain from shouting " glory " aloud, when listening to the verses which I heard a poor pious woman sing outside the walls of a certain fortified city. Some present who remember the circumstance will not be displeased to hear them again, that he who says he has always to look down to see a Christian, may know something of the comfort he enjoys along the valley road to heaven, and how high he shall have to look by and by to get a glimpse of him ! — if not from the icy peaks of infidelity, from a worse position — where Dives has yet to u lift up his eyes " to get a sight of Lazarus in Abraham's bosom. That humble woman sang the verses as if she wanted heaven and earth to hear them, her face beaming the while with heavenly radiance; and more than she, felt in that hour, but in a higher sense than Burns con- templated in that one line found somewhere in his poetry : " Over all the ills of life victorious I " Who the author of the verses was I know not. At my re- quest they were copied from her lips — they were new to me : " My rest is in heaven, my rest is not here, Then why should I murmur when trials are near? * Sheffield, England. A TALK WITH A SKEPTIC. 317 Be hush'd, my dark spirit ; the worst that cau come, But shortens thy journey, and hastens thee home! " It is not for me to be seeking my bliss, Or building my hopes in a region like this ; I look for a city which hands have not piled, I pant for a country by sin undefiled. " The thorn and the thistle around me may grow, I would not lie down upon roses below ; I ask not my portion, I seek not my rest, Till I find them for ever in Jesus's breast. " Afflictions may damp me, but cannot destroy; One glimpse of His love turns all unto joy; And the bitterest tears, if He shine but on them, Like dew in the sunshine, turn diamond and gem. "Let doubt, then, and danger my progress oppose, They only make heaven more sweet at the close : Come joy, or come sorrow, whate'er may befall, An hour with my God will make up for it all I " A scrip on my back, and a staff in my hand, I'll march on in haste through an enemy's land ; The road may be rough, but it cannot be long, And I'll smooth it with hope, and 111 cheer it with song I " And now my text, Rom. i. 16. And who would be ashamed of a system of religion which thus cheers the poor and the afflicted ; and which gives us such constant assurances of final victory and triumph ? CHAPTER XLY. TO THE SAME BOLD IN THE PRESENCE OF FACTS. <} f$pT matters but little to me in what part of the sendee ^VA good is done, and sonls are blest or saved, if they are ^jg^jjj but blest and saved — before the text or after. The great object of preaching is to accomplish this very thing, and not to build up or sustain a reputation for learning or eloquence or being a great preacher. At least, this is my sincere and conscientious principle ; and I have to assure my curious hearers of this continually, at the risk of an appearance of egotism — they who happen to get disappointed, expecting some great things through vague reports about success and other things, or because they either suppose me capable or incapable of loftier pulpit exhibition and finer things; and, perhaps, as good Richard Baxter used to say to his hearers, were I a Christian no deeper than my throat, I would fish for myself, and study to please more than save. But, with that great and good man, I can sincerely say I do believe what I preach, and that the Judge is at the door — that we shall shortly see him in glory, and the host of heaven attending with acclamation ; or, that death and hell — apprehension and eternal condemnation — must ere long bring these matters to the quick. We may outface truth now, but death and judgment and hell's convincing argu- ments we cannot outface. BOLD IN THE PKESENCE OF FACTS. 319 2. The Gospel has had many critics, and revivals of reli- gion as well. When men show disrespect to such manifesta- tions as we witness here daily, it is only another way of show- ing their secret contempt for the Gospel. For, be it known unto you, all of you, that it is the Gospel, plain Gospel truth, backed up by the power of God, which produces the effects which you do hear and see. A flippant individual is of the opinion that interest and passion will long hold out against the closest siege of diagrams and syllogisms — that they are absolutely impregnable to imagery and sentiment — will bid de- fiance to the most powerful strains of Homer and Virgil ; though he thinks they may give way in time to the batteries of Euclid and Archimedes ! 3. The author from- whom I quoted the other day was the late Rev. Dr. Griffin, of the American Presbyterian Church. I could only refresh my memory from a few notes taken some years ago, not having the discourse at hand to consult. A fragment or two more met my eye among my papers from the same source, and may be useful just here. His remarks upon the final triumph of the Gospel, and the eternal destiny of the human soul, are worthy of your serious reflection. I did intend to have quoted them then as they occurred to me, but, having lengthened out my remarks farther than I had in- tended, and the case of that infidel who was so electrified as to shout " Glory ! " occasioning a digression, I found it inconveni- ent to return to my notes from Mr. Griffin, so had to let the matter drop. 4. However, they may have as salutary effect now as then. He went on to say, " Ten thousand times ten thousand cap- tives shall drop their chains and come forth to light, with joys 320 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. too big for utterance in the final triumph of the Gospel over all the earth and over all flesh. This miserable world of ours, once the emblem of hell, after being so long shaken with tem- pests, shall, like the waters of a peaceful pool, reflect the image of heaven. Paradise shall be restored, and then shall appear, to the confusion of the enemies of Christ, the blessed efficacy of the Gospel to heal the wounds of a bleeding world. Oh ! would not coldness," he added, " be rebellion in a Christian, when viewing such a scene from our Pisgah ? " In developing 'the grandeur of the Gospel in its designs and revelations, he called upon his a*udience to follow only one human soul into eternity, and there trace its endless course through delights which flesh and blood could not sustain, or through fire suffi- cient to melt down all the planets — pursue it through the ascending degrees of its eternal progression, see it leaving be- hind the former dimensions of seraphim and cherubim, and still stretching toward God, or sinking for ever in the bottomless abyss ! And closed by an aspiration, if I remember aright, that his subject might burst like ten thousand thunders over the heads of all who were still faltering as to which side they would cling to a little Longer ! * ■ * * * * * * How often I have to reply to that question, " What is truth ? " Yet never once, in your sense, to a believer in di- vine revelation. Ponder that fact! " Truth." Would you acknowledge it if introduced to it, think you ? Truth, in gen- eral, is anything which is in conformity with fact. It is pre- cisely the opposite of falsehood and deception. Truth is that which Satan hates, and which every sinner hates, in proportion to the value of the game he is playing with the devil. Truth ! BOLD IN THE PRESENCE OF FACTS. 321 it is what an old writer calls a beam of God, his essence, so to speak; he is "a God of truth" "and keepeth truth forever" and " his truth endureth through all generations" are Scripture phrases. The most orient pearl in His crown is truth. St. Paul speaks about " the pillar and ground of the truth" and of some who are " destitute of the truth" and of others, who " turn away their ears from the truth, unto fables ;" and yet of others who "resist the truth." Truth, like its divine Author, sir, finds not an easy passage through this world of ours ! 5. Truth, as a pious man observed, is the pillar of our sal- vation — it is the rule of our faith, the root too out of which faith grows. It is that which prevents our faith from being fancy — faith without the support of truth, would be fiction. " Thy word is truth" said Jesus Christ, who called himself, " The way, and the truth, and the life." The Holy Spirit of God, who inspired and dictated the Scriptures, is called " the Spirit of truth." Here is a foundation upon which we may build high as the heavens ! 6. Truth is the whole doctrine which Jesus Christ and his apostles taught. It is that, in part, for which his blood was shed, and to which the blessed martyrs testified in their death, and for which they suffered their blood to redden the earth. It is that the clear knowledge of which turns every man's sins to crimson before God. To hate truth, besides, is treason against his throne, and he will certainly treat it as such. To persecute truth is rebellion against its Author, for he that strikes at truth, strikes at God ; and he that hates truth, hates God. These are great truths, as sure as there is red blood in the arteries and veins of your body. To make out a proper estimate of a man's state and character before God, and of his 14* 322 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. prospects for eternity, we have only to find out how he treats the truth ! 7. Your next inquiry must receive a short reply : " How may I know the truth?" How may you know the sun, that it is the sun, and not some transient meteor, or ignus fatuus, the offspring of some great quagmire or other ? How but be- cause it creates day, and leaves "no darkness at all" and is placed far above the reach and control and whims of men ? How but from the fact that you need no substitutes for his light when in the sky ? How but because you know that every thing that lives or grows or blooms, or is fruitful, lovely, or beautiful, is dependent upon his beams? How but because he cheers, warms, and delights you, unless, like some people who have sore consciences, and cannot bear the strong light of truth, you happen to have sore eyes, which are pained by his beams, and you are forced to exclude them, or to close your eyes against them ? Do you understand me ? 8. The Bible is our sun ; and its doctrines and precepts and promises, its light and beams, its glory and its power. The Bible, like the sun, creates our day. It leaves no darkness within the range of its beams. It makes our day, and we need no infidel substitutes. It originates and nourishes whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely y and of good report among men. (Phil. iv. 8.) Remove from the visible universe everything that owes its existence, beauty, usefulness to the sun, directly or indirectly, and what would we have left ? And, to use the sentiment of Mr. Everett, addressed in a letter to a great meeting of the American Bible Society, to which he was invited, but was unable to attend — that, were we to strike from the political, moral, and intellectual condition of mod BOLD IN THE PRESENCE OF FACTS. 323 em society, all that has flowed directly or indirectly from the Bible, we would reduce European and American Christendom to the state of barbarous and semi-civilized countries, whose characters have been formed or powerfully influenced by the Koran, or other religious codes of the East. Annihilate the Bible, he added, and with it all its influences, and we should destroy with it the whole spiritual system of the modern world, all our great moral ideas, refinement of manners, constitutional govern- ment, equitable administration of law, and security of property, our schools and benevolent associations, the press, fine arts, the equality of the sexes, and the blessings of the fireside ; in a word, all that distinguishes Europe and America from Turkey and Hin- dostan ! Ponder these sentiments, and then hearken to what your heart says, when you inquire how you may know truth ? 9. It is not without reason, then, that we sometimes call . the Bible " The sun of revelation." The Bible was made for man, and man for the Bible. Observe the motions of your conscience and judgment when you read it or hear it read, and you shall know that it is the truth, and the way of life. Let the voice of conscience and the wants of your soul drive you to secret prayer, and you shall find that there is scarcely a word or sentence on your lips, or upon your heart, that may not be traced to the Scriptures — showing, old as the Bible is, that it is entirely up to the wants, emotions, and con- ceptions of the soul in the nineteenth century as in bygone centuries. The Scriptures have to come to our aid in all our approaches to our Creator, else silence would sit upon our lips, and stillness and death within the soul. Oh ! sir, seek peace to your mind, and healing to your wounded conscience, through the. atoning blood of Christ, 324 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free ! 7. Nor is this peculiarity confined to the first stages of re- pentance and faith. The emotions of the newly converted soul and the higher experience and joys of the advanced Christian are all supplied with appropriate language from the Scriptures ! Thus it is that truth, Scripture truth, and its language, accom- pany us life's journey through, nor quit us when we die. The Bible waits on goodness, and attends the good man all the way, as light and glory attend the sun, till he sinks quietly down under the arches of the west. It is in the society of -the Bible, and there alone, we realize the truth of that sentiment of Jamblichus, the ancient philosopher — " As light naturally and constantly accompanies the sun, so truth accompanies God and all that follow him !." Blessed be God ! ****** * I have no wish now to go into other themes. He spoke truly who said, " Those who reject the truth are abandoned by the just judgment of God to credit the most degrading nonsense." The grossness and absurdity of most deistical creeds abun- dantly prove the truth of the assertion. There is no such cross-firing in the Scriptures as you suppose — no self-contradiction. " The Scriptures cannot be broken" says our Lord. That fact is an article in our creed, from which we cannot be shaken. God, to use some of the allusions of Scripture, breaks the teeth of the young lions, the ships of the mighty, and the teeth of the ungodly, but he will not, cannot break his own word. He breaks the high arm, and wickedness, as a tree ; the earth he makes to tremble, and it is broken by his will ; the staff of the wicked, the rod of the BOLD IN THE PRESENCE OF FACTS. 325 smiter, the cords of wickedness are broken by him ; the graven images and their altars, the yokes and bars of kings and their kingdoms and their hearts are broken, even as the vessels of a potter, and all the adversaries of the Lord are broken. Ay ! but the word of the Lord — the declarations of our God in the Scriptures — he will never break, "for the Scrip- ture cannot be broken ! " He will not break his own word, upon which he causes the hearts of his people to trust. He has built much of his glory upon his truth and faithfulness to his word and promises. (2 Cor. i. 20.) Jesus Christ, blessed for ever ! while upon earth pointed to the heavens, and then to the earth, and then to the Scrip- tures, and then declared that sooner than one jot or tittle of the law or word of God should fail, or come to nothing, heaven above and earth beneath should disappear for ever! (Matt. v. 18.) Before the eyes of that startled multitude which surrounded him, many of whom " had set light by the word of God," and questioned its truth, he pointed to these visible objects, and astounded them with the declaration that God would sooner let heaven and earth pass away and perish, rather than suffer that or any other portion of his word to fail of accomplish- ment ! " It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than one tittle of the law to fail." (Luke xvi. 17.) Need you marvel, then, at our trust in the Scriptures ? Or that we all received that promise on last Friday night with such simple and implicit confidence ? (Mark xi. 24.) Or that such evident replies from Heaven were received among the people, and with such astonishing effects ? " How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent word ! " 326 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. Be it known unto you, also, that it is by the same un- wavering confidence in divine veracity that we predict the destiny of those who die believers or unbelievers. Instance that declaration in John iii. 36, which spreads itself as a canopy of mercy over the believer in health, death, and in heaven, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life;" and, at the same time, as a canopy of wrath over the unbeliever living, or dying, or in hell, "And he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him ; " — backed up by the most awful decision of our Lord himself in his great commission to preach the Gospel to all nations, " He that be- lieveth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." From these Scriptures there is no getting away ; you must either believe or renounce them, but the risk is undeniable. In view of these solemn declarations, the inferences of a celebrated divine are sound and convincing, that the same pas- sages of Scripture upon which God has embarked his declara- tion of mercy to the believer, he has also embarked his declara- tion of wrath against the unbeliever ; and that there is a law in the Gospel as unfailing as any law in nature, which binds the present state of a faithful believer here with the transports of his glory hereafter ; and there is a law and a scries of con- sequences in the Gospel as unfailing as any series of processes in nature, which binds the present state of the obstinate sinner upon earth with all the horror of his future wretchedness in hell — that the faith in Christ to which we are invited in this world has its sure results in pardon, regeneration, and holi- ness, a happy dying hour, a bright ascent upward, and a wel- come admission into heaven, and an eternal occupation in the empire of peace and joy ; and the unbelief to which Satan and BOLD IN THE PRESENCE OF FACTS. 327 a corrupt will invite the sinner has as sure a result in hardness of heart, a miserable dying hour, and its landing-place in hell. How fearful, then, the peril of a sinner ! Could you blame him who declared that he would not live an unbeliever one hour for all the world ? The reason he gave was that he might die and go down to hell in that hour. Need you wonder, then, at the exclamation of one, " All the words of men and angels cannot describe the awfulness of being Christless ? " Or the sentiment of another, as well try to measure eternity as a sinner's danger out of Christ ! Ponder these things, and may the spirit of God apply them to your heart and conscience. Amen ! ******* Let " a bemoaning Ephraim " listen ! Truth ? To be sure it is ! " Truth must be eternal in its nature, without the pos- sibility of ever becoming falsehood." But why should you moan over that, if you are willing to allow truth to bring you a weeping penitent to the feet of Christ ? Truth is designed for the eternal soul of man, and that soul for a God of truth, to enjoy his smiles for ever and ever ; but, as St. John says, 11 No lie is of the truth;" nor did God ever design falsehood to be the element, or any part of the element, upon which the human soul should feed ! That man is the only creature of all creatures in this visible world, who is capable of contemplating God in his works, and of offering him adoration, needs no par- ticular argument or illustration from me. If you admit it, there we may leave it. If, however, the human soul be so endowed and intended to love, serve, and obey God, he never designed it should be- lieve a lie, and thereby become a lying soul. But, would it 328 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. not be the greatest wonder philosophy has ever yet discovered, were it proved beyond contradiction that this God has never revealed to such a sonl some divine and infallible standard of truth? considering, too, its fallen state, its liability to err, and the prevalence of temptation, to which it is so constantly ex- posed ? To suppose that God has peopled this world with souls, destined thus, and yet has left it vacant of some revealed standard of eternal truth, is an absurdity I, for my part, could never believe. It would be an anomaly in government exhib- ited by no civilized nation under heaven — subjects held ac- countable, yet without a code of laws having issued from the supreme authorities of the land. Believe it not; such a senti- ment is a lie, and Satan, who desires this world as an append- age of hell, is the father of it. It is bad enough as it is ; but deprive it of the Bible, and of all faith in the Bible, and hell itself would be its only equal ! Hasten to the throne of grace, and lay your reasonings at the footstool of Christ. His blood was shed as an atonement for your sins. Believe that fact, and you shall realize its truth in a sense of conscious forgive- ness. (Ephes. i. 7.) Are you aware that your sentiment quoted in the outset of these remarks, did not altogether escape Epictetus, the old phi- losopher of Hieropolis ? He observed, " Truth is a thing im- mortal, eternal, of all things most precious ; better than friend- ship, as being less obnoxious to blind passions!" Were he now upon earth, and had he been by your side when you gave expression to your sentiment, you might have received this caution from his lips : never to consider that as divine truth which fans the corrupt passions, draws the soul away from God and purity, which degrades and injures both soul and body. BOLD IN THE PRESENCE OF FACTS. 329 One in the Bible exclaims, " There be many that say, who will show us any good f " But he prays immediately, " Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us." Imitate his example, when they inquire, "Who will show us any truth ? " They are afraid of losing you, that is all ! Those who inquire thus, turning their backs upon the Bible, while viewing all its glorious effects in this land, might as well do the same to yonder sun as he is marching through cloudless and infinite blue, and then inquire for that which has enlightened our hemi- sphere, and filled sky and water, hills and dales, and meadows and mountain-sides with light and sunshine ! all the while doubting whether the real cause or source of all this has yet been discovered by any one! The sun is encompassed by mysteries inaccessible to the human understanding, and thereby enhances the glory of his Creator. The Bible, in like manner, has its mysteries ; and if it had not, I would doubt whether the same God is the Author of both ! Pray, oh ! pray that the Divine Being may lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and dissipate entirely that dark satanic shadow which yet lies across your understanding. Satan has an "outer darkness" in this world, as well as in hell ; nor need we travel far to find it. • I marvel at his dili- gence in excluding from it the light of revelation. (2 Cor. iv. 3, 4.) May this revival, which already spans the gulf of dark- ness in this town, like that rainbow among the mountains of Wicklow which flooded a dark ravine with its many-col- ored glories, be the forerunner of a flood of glory from " the Sun of Righteousness" now undoubtedly in our sky ; — the revival, like the rainbow, announces the glorious fact. Hallelujah ! 330 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. What a Golgotha is around us ! The time to favor Zion has come, and that ravine of wickedness may not be forgotten. The purposes of God may be great and merciful. Let us have faith in Him that lives and reigns. Those that pray for a re- vival, and watch for divine manifestations among a people, en- joy them most when they come. I have known some devoted people on the look out for the commencement of a work of God among their neighbors with some such emotions as a writer supposes we should have were we to hear of a design contemplated by God to subdue the rebellion of hell and to rescue its victims. How we would admire the unresting benev- olence of Heaven, and with what impatient longing should we desire to know the way in which the sun of the divine glory would arise on the blackness of darkness, and how it would paint its lustre on the clouds of perdition ! Blessed be God ! the glory of Jesus Christ is increasing both in intensity and saving power in this great work; and in a single hour the glory of the Lord may arise upon that region of the shadow of death ! Amen ! It will be better for you to dissolve that connection. In cutting off your " sins at a stroke," let the next stroke sever the tie that binds you to that evil companionship. This is my ad- vice. All your movements will be feeble and wavering until then. Some of those " caveats " of him who calls himself your friend, are forcibly put, and cleverly sustained ; but what of them ! " Cui bono ? cui mala ? " exclaimed the old Latinist ; "what good? what evil?" Ay! what good can they accom- plish ? but what evil they may do ! To what evil do they tend! Alas! a Sabbath-school boy could tell you! And what does it all amount to ? The main question remains un- BOLD IN THE PRESENCE OF FACTS. 331 touched. Those " notions," as he calls them, have not origin- ated with us. They are found in the Bible ; they flow from that book, as water from a fountain. The doctrines we teach are from heaven ! " The world's deepest well owes its treas- ures to the skies," said a pious man in Scotland ! CHAPTER XLVI. TO 'iONE OF THE SAME CLUB " A PHILOSOPHICAL DEIST. jXJ ET one of a certain club hearken ! I do not wonder ™ =fiLa that Jerome brings in Tully with his oratory, and l^vfe 1 ?/ Aristotle with his syllogisms, crying out in Hades, "They that leave the light of the word, following the light within them (as some on earth speak), prefer the shining of the glowworm before the sun. 11 Burns was about as sound a theologian as yourself, when he held that the light which led astray was light from heaven ! I would not like to assume, with Jerome, that either Tully or Aristotle are in a place of misery. If they had not the Scriptures, their accountability was less. There is a light, of which St. John speaks, " which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 11 And Paul instructs us to believe that " a manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 11 If they walked accord- ing to the light they had, which, indeed, some think doubtful, it is now well with them. If among the lost, their condemna- tion is less severe than that of those who had the light of revelation, but renounced it for something which they called light, but which gave them little trouble in an evil way. 2. When we neglect the Bible — to use remarks I have read somewhere in Dr. Chalmers' works — when we neglect the Bible A PHILOSOPHICAL DEIST. 333 we insult God, as we would insult an acquaintance in sending his letter back unopened, or letting it lie by us unread. When we place our hands upon the Bible, he added, we have come in contact with the very materials of a communication from the Deity. In the breast of God there was a motion and a desire toward our species, and hero is the expression of it. To many this conveys nothing new. They are aware of it all ; yet most woefully heedless are they of the obligations they are under to read and ponder the mind and will of God therein revealed. What are they doing who refuse its perusal, or who treat it as a thing of insipidity ? Are they not trampling into insignifi- cancy a formal embassy from heaven ? In this blessed word of God we find light and direction, and offers of mercy and eternal life, open to all, and at the taking of all ; and in pro- portion to the frankness and freeness of its offers will be the severity of our condemnation for the neglect. Those lines of Lord Byron are in place here. Hearken : " Within this awful volume lies The mystery of mysteries. Oh ! happiest they of human race, To whom our God has given grace To hear, to read, to fear, to pray, To lift the latch, and force the way ; But better had they ne'er been born, Who read to doubt, or read to scorn." 3. It is only ignorance of the Scriptures, or want of patient investigation, which has tempted you to complain of " the pau- city of themes " introduced in the Scriptures. That a man may read that book over, and remain after all an infidel, I do not deny ; but I doubt whether, after perusing the Bible with 334 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. any degree of attention, any one could honestly prefer that charge. However, until you are more explicit, it is not worth while to enlarge. Be so good as to give me a list of the themes in which it is deficient. But let me advise you, first consult a good Concordance — Crudcn's — before you commit yourself too far ! Not a few, sir, in trying to catch the Bible in error, have been caught by it themselves ! Therefore be on your guard ! It is a wonderful book, the Bible ! A couple of infidels were standing together on the deck of a vessel, as she sailed past a desolate island of the sea. One said to the other, " Suppose you were condemned to live upon that island alone, and had the choice of but one book for your companion, what book of all books would you choose ? " The other replied, " I would select Shakspeare, because of the variety of his themes." "Well," rejoined the other, "although I do not believe the Bible, yet I would choose it for my companion, for the Bible is an endless book. 11 Ponder this incident at your leisure. * ****** Hold ! dear sir. Have you never read the reply of one of the ancient fathers to a clamorous disputant, who shouted, " Hear me ! hear me / " " I will neither hear thee, nor do thou hear me ; but let us both hear Christ ! " Ay ! would that all controversialists could be brought to abide by the decisions of such an umpire ! If it put not an end to all controversy, it would greatly lessen them ; certainly it would end one point of dispute between thee and me ; that one declaration of his, for instance — " Marvel not at this ; for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth : they that have done good, unto the resurrec- tion of life ; they that have done evil, unto the resurrec- A PHILOSOPHICAL DEIST. 335 Hon of damnation.'''' (John v. 28, 29.) Marvellous indeed is the announcement. Believe Jesus Christ, and the matter is settled beyond dispute. His words are unmistakable. I be- lieve, and until death shall abide by his decision. Here I stand immovably, upon the veracity of the Son of God. If you refuse to believe my Lord and Master, his servant has no more to say upon the subject. To the honor and glory of Him I love, this determination I owe. One remark, however : a " resurrection into damnation' 1 '' does not mean annihilation; such a construction is merely gratuitous. Socrates and Plato spoke well of the Supreme God; and so did many other noble minds among the ancient philoso- phers, poets, and orators. But tell me whether you have ever met any sentiments in their writings equal to those four divine sentences in holy writ ? — " God is a Spirit ; " " God is one; " " God is light ; " " God is lover Here, as one ob- serves, we find spirituality of essence ; unity of substance ; purity of nature ; and benevolence of character. In that one sentence of an inspired apostle, " The world by wisdom knew not God" he quite disposed of all the notions of your heathen classic literati ! As to " the triumph of science " affording a " triumph to deists" — in what, I pray? — leaving "the testimony of the rocks " out of the question — which are but cold and senseless things, and their strata and material, after all that has been spoken and written of them, are too uncertain for reliable data, especially with regard to such an old rent and torn and shaky planet as we occupy ! Besides, sir, there is found in the Bible a record of a terrible event which occurred nearly two thou- sand years after the creation of the world, according to Mosaic 336 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. chronology, which greatly affects the testimony of the rocks, and of the whole strata of the earth, to a vast depth. It looks to nie like a sort of intercepting provision of Providence, to defend the Holy Scriptures from the reckless deductions and conclusions of some geologists? I mean the deluge, sir! — of which God declared his determination beforehand, U I will de- stroy them with the earthy By sound inference, the strata, if not the entire constitution of the earth, met with as thorough a breaking up and breaking down, as society did upon its sur- face, and as the respective body of every particular sinner who perished in that wide, universal grave of waters. (Gen. vi. 13.) It is recorded of the same event also — " On the same day the fountains of the great deep were broken up." Vast reser- voirs of waters rushed to the earth's surface. Now the conse- quent vacuum they left behind — the pressure from above, and terrible convulsions attending, and the sinking of " the circum- ambient strata" into the vacuum beneath — contributed largely, doubtless, to the fulfilment of the threatening already alluded to — "/ will destroy them with the earth' 1 '' — the people and creatures on its surface, equally with the earth itself. If you can imagine how complete their organic or physical destruc- tion was, it may afford you some conception of that which befell the earth at the same time. The breaking down of the earth's substance, and its consequent amalgamation once more with the all-pervading waters — the strata, various in materials and gravities, resettling into those beds where our curious and inquisitive geologists have found them — must ever render their deductions regarding the age of our globe exceedingly unre- liable. A PHILOSOPHICAL DEIST. 337 But what I desired to inquire of you, for I did not intend to linger so long " among the rocks," was this : in what de- partments of " moral science " have the deists won any tri- umph over revelation — in any one of these three extensive fields of investigation — the attributes of God, the properties of the soul, the nature of morals ? Are you not aware that so late as the early part of the present century, one of the most learned men in England, one who perhaps had no superior in Europe or America, challenged, as it were, the whole civilized world to show whether any writer, after exerting his utmost in- genuity, has been able to add a single principle to the system of divine truth, not already laid down in the Bible — or to dis- cover one attribute of God beyond those recognized in that book — or anything new relative to the human soul — or to add a single article to the system of morals taught in the Old and New Testaments. He admitted that much had been writ- ten upon all these subjects, without adding anything to what had already been recognized upon the pages of divine reve- lation. Deists wer§ silent; the learned world was silent, and indeed have remained so ever since, upon the subject. No attempt was made to falsify the assertion. Accept the chal- lenge yourself. It is not too late. Here is a fine opportunity to immortalize yourself; certainly one benefit is sure to accrue, as by this means you will become better acquainted with the Bible and the vastness of its resources. " A wonderful book is the Bible ! If it was " written at an age comparatively barbarous, and before science had developed itself" — yet the discoveries of science have not in anywise proved its incompleteness. At the end of eighteen hundred years, after all that science has done for the world, the Bible 15 338 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. maintains its position and claims to originality, upon the greatest and most important themes that could occupy the hu- man mind. To what else than divine inspiration are we to ascribe such facts as these ? To me they are most convincing and comforting, and sufficient to induce me, without hesitancy or scruple, to venture my all for time and for eternity upon its decisions. ******* The trio — those " three friends " of yours — had better cor- respond with themselves, in their own way, as they seem very well adapted to each other. They would be sure to get out of humor with me ! Can you discern to which of the three the following remarks of an acute observer are applicable? He says there are certain minds of so inert and frigid a tempera- ment, that any reference to things of a spiritual nature is lost upon them — being altogether too refined for their taste. Any object raised one inch above the level of this life, is too lofty for their conceptions. The molehills on the plains of this world are their only mountains ! With regard to another of them, his " thoughts " are well enough in their way, when allowed to keep on in a certain direction ; that is, when, like Berengarius, he disputes about things investigable by the light of nature ; pausing there he becomes something of a Solon. But when he projects his thoughts beyond, into subjects of a spiritual and eternal nature, he quite loses himself, and circles round and round like a bat — tempting one, if near him, to. shout Tasso's line into his ear — " reasonings " 11 That circle round and round, nor reach the seat of sense I " As to "the third of the three," I deprecate his infirmity of A PHILOSOPHICAL DEIST. 339 temper ; so the less said the better ! They tell a story in Ger- many of one Peter Schlemihl, who lost his shadow ! When a man's method becomes so attenuated and unsubstantial as to* be without a shadow of a truth, I think of Peter Schlemihl ! CHAPTER XLVII. TO 'HERE did you fall in with that French word ! Poor defences for your ramparts, if these are all you can oppose ! A Frenchman, from your manner of ex- pressing yourself, would be apt to give it a different turn ! Come, come ! You must elevate your style, even though your theme be low and unworthy of anything better. But you should remember, when talking or writing upon the doctrines and morals of the Christian religion, they have had appropri- ated to them the finest style of our language, even by oppo- nents. Elevate your language, then, away with slang phrases and mere play upon words, else you may force me to apply with more pungency than is consistent certain caustic defini- tions of a writer who wielded the quill last century ! " A juggler is a wit in things, A wit is a juggler in ideas, A punster is a juggler in words ! " It can do your cause no good, while it excites contempt in persons of understanding. You skeptics should respect your system, so far, at least, as to clothe it in decent language when advocating it. Rather difficult, I suppose; yet, it may bo 34:1 worth an effort. A rogue succeeds better when well dressed ! The higher classes of society are much taken with style. Vol- taire, Rousseau, Hume, Bolingbroke, and others captivated with the brilliancy of their style. The abruptness of my own style may be a' fault, but my hearers perceive it is forced upon me by other and more press- ing claims. Self-denial is required often in avoiding enlarge- ment when a theme opens invitingly before me. A stern valuation of time and words may be a virtue, though at the ex- pense of grace of style. This is an age of verbosity and pro- lixity, and it is well when circumstances sternly forbid both. But the faith of God's people, ay, and of sinners, is not to stand in " the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." I like the sentiment of Addison, that if we must lash one another, we should do it elegantly, even though it be with the manly strokes of wit and satire ! I am also of the old phi- losopher's opinion, that, if I must suffer equally from one or the other, I would rather it should be from the paw of a lion than from the hoof of an ass ! However, some allowance should be made for your system. I remember a remark of Boileau, the French critic, that it is impossible for any thought to be beautiful which is not just, and has not its foundation in the nature of things, and that no thought can be valuable of which good sense is not the ground- work — a sentiment quite sufficient to dry the ink on every sceptic's pen. There is a natural way of writing, of which Addison speaks, that always carries with it a beautiful sim- plicity — a style which he admired in the ancients, and which renders their composition so charming in the present day. He thought no one deviates from their style or from the natural 342 ARROWS FROM MY QTJIYER. way of writing but those who want strength of genius to make a thought shine in its own natural beauties. This is about all I have to say. Your heart is far from being happy. How can it be ? The end is to be yet more bitter. But I know a tree, the tree of life in the Gospel, a branch from which would sweeten the fountain of that heart of yours and the stream of its words ! Truly it would, as did that branch which Heaven directed Moses to cast into those wells of bitter water, recorded' in Exodus x., by which they immediately became sweet. But this privilege cannot be allowed me so long as you relish the fruit of that forbidden tree — skepticism. ******* True, infidelity is the same now as in their day, but these were superior minds ! You may play on their fiddle, but you cannot make their music ! Do you understand me ? Have you never read the story of Gainsborough, who became so enamored of the music made upon a fiddle by the great violin- ist Giardino, that he was frantic until he purchased the instru- ment — like the servant girl in the Spectator, he thought the music lay in the fiddle ! — which he purchased at a high fig- ure, but was surprised and shocked when he found that the music of the instrument remained behind with Giardino, and all the scraping and screwing he could apply he could not coax out the music that had given him so much pleasure ! Can you make the application ? Those talented writers made infi- delity attractive to you; they played well upon the instru- ment ; it was not their theme, but their talent, which made it so attractive — for what is there in their system to charm any man of sense and virtue ? You have paid a high price already for 34:3 their instrument, and more is yet to be paid. Gainsborough did not mortgage his estate for the fiddle, but you have pawned your soul for this. Alas ! after all your scraping and screwing, its music is not to be coaxed out ! — it remains be- hind with the learning and talent of the Giardinos ! Let me remind you, by the spur of a merry poet of the last century, " And reasons good, By better only are understood ; Sharpen your wits, then, or you'll meet Contempt as certain as defeat ! " CHAPTER XLVIII. TO THE SAME THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD. sok FEW remarks. The attention of "A looker on!" JlsL But, sir, Phocion, the Grecian, once wisely remarked "'4- y\^ ' ^ZffSzh ^ a ^ J us ^ P ersuas i° n proceeds not so much from the ability of the speaker as from the disposition of the hearer. A good hint, which, you may profit by. As to the predictions of your friend, there is " a silver lining " to those dark clouds hanging on the horizon of the political and religious world. But many such clouds have gathered and dispersed without injury to either. " The Lord reigneih" The Bible and Christianity have encountered clouds and storms without number, but they exist and nourish still ; and never more deeply rooted in human confidence than now. Limited views are the necessary result of a circum- scribed position, like Ephemeron in the fable. That insect of a day, relating to its youthful kindred in its expiring voice how that it had seen the coeval sun arise in early youth climb- ing up the east, but, now that that sun was surely sinking in the western sky, an awful catastrophe or a final night might be safely predicted ! The ephemeron expired ; but the next day the sun arose in the east brilliantly as ever; before sundown, THE CHITRCH AND THE WOELD. 345 however, there were other expiring ephemerons predicting, as before, his final extinction ! How many ephemerons have appeared in our world and disappeared since the days of Vol- taire, who, you are aware, predicted the annihilation of the Bible and the Gospel ! I am reminded of a sentiment uttered by a celebrated Prot- estant many yours ago. The King of Navarre, who was a Roman Catholic, and bitter in his opposition to the Protestant cause, had been speaking of its downfall, and how it would be brought about. The good man replied, " Sire, it assuredly behoves the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows, and not to strike them ; but may it please you also to remember that it is an anvil that has worn out many hammers ! " A German divine — the eloquent Krummacher — made a beautiful observation in one of his sermons some years ago. He said the Church of Christ overcomes by submission, and prepares a triumph for Christ by a triumph over herself; and either fights her battles like the sun, which dispels the mists, and causes them to descend in fructifying dewdrops, or like the anvil, which does not itself strike, but cannot prevent the hammers which fall upon it being split to pieces ! How often do we see those striking similies illustrated during a re- vival of religion ! For, what is true regarding the Church in general, is equally true of it in particular places. Though of not much account in the world, God's dear children are precious in his sight everywhere ; and he will teach them how to over- come, or else fight their battles for them ! To some superficial persons, the history of the Bible and the Gospel is next to a blank. And, as to their future history, it is natural they should look upon it as likely to be ephemeral 15* 346 AEEOWS FEOM MY QUIVER. as their past. To others, however, their past is familiar, and replete with the most stirring events that have ever occurred on the stage of our world ; and their future they know, from yet unfulfilled promises, shall he rich and glorious — of the ful- filment of which they have the most undoubting faith. I must leave you to judge of these two classes of persons, which you consider the noblest and most reliable in matters of opinion. That the Bible has been assailed by innumerable enemies in past ages we know very well ; and that it still has enemies we are equally assured. But why it should be so, has per- plexed wiser heads than ours. " One might have hoped," says one, " that by this time antagonism to such a book might have ended ; a book that alights everywhere with healing in its wings, that has dissolved the worst fetters of humanity, marked the line for ages between liberty and despotism, as it seems almost about to do in our own between civilization and reviving bar- barism, and has so gathered up in itself all the rudiments of the future, and the seeds of advancement, that its eclipse would be the return of chaos, and its extinction the epitaph of his- tory. The resistance of ages to this book, however, is, after all, its crowning legitimation. The Bible is too good for the race it has come to bless. It blesses them like an angel whose mission is peremptory, and it troubles too many waters in its work of healing to be left in peace. It is felt and feared by all the rulers of the darkness of this world. It is the visible battle-field of invisible forces, showing in the radiant faces of the martyrs that have died for it, and the unearthly struggles of those who have hunted it from the earth, what mysterious interests are suspended on its safety or its destruction." Can THE CHURCH AND THE WOKLD. 347 you avoid appreciating the truthfulness of these remarks — or detecting of what spirit your friend is of — or the character and origin of your own impressions and feelings ? That infidels of all grades are on the alert at the present time, and with a deeper intensity of opposition to revealed truth than ever before, can hardly be questioned. The streams of error in these United States never were more numerous, nor so deep, nor so widely extended and insinuating as now — never so decidedly determined toward undermining religious truth, nor their united currents more directly setting toward the gulf of infidelity. And, unless the friends of truth are on the alert also, and in right good earnest, the inundation of error, such as neither we nor our fathers have seen, may lay waste for a time the fairest provinces of the Church of God, to the destruction of many. I say for a time ; for the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church. Jesus has declared it, and we believe it. No weapon that is formed against her shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against her in judgment will he condemn. This is her heritage from the Lord, and her righteousness of the Lord. Thus it is written, and so we be- lieve. (Isaiah liv. 17.) Before dismissing this subject, may I request you to direct your friend to the following remark, found in Whiston's Essay on the Revelation of St. John ? It may furnish him with an additional material of thought. That fine writer tells us that Sir Isaac Newton on one occasion observed that infidelity will overrun Europe before the millennial re^gn of Christ com- mences ; that the corruption of religion in all Christian estab- lishments cannot easily be purged away in any other manner ; that such establishments are likely to be subverted by violence 348 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. and blood ; there being much reason to fear it will be impossi- ble to remove them in any other way. The signs of the times, now in the last half of the nine- teenth century, are, I admit, fearfully confirmatory. Whether the waves of European infidelity shall so accumulate as to sub- merge this Western world, or those of American infidelity reach and overflow Europe, He who sitteth on high knoweth. That we live in an era the signs of which are ominous of future trouble and distress, those who walk closely with God do per- ceive. The Old World is in much perplexity, and men's hearts failing them for fear, in looking for those things which are com- ing to pass there. This New World is groaning and travailing in pain in all establishments, political and religious, while wick- edness overfloweth like a flood. We have only to search the Scriptures, and take a catalogue of those sins which marked out nations of old for vengeance, to form an estimate of what lies before this nation, if it repent not. Compare the marks upon the present generation, with those of bygone gene- rations which received such bloody baptisms and other afflic- tions for their wickedness, and we may well tremble before a holy, just, and sin-avenging God. May the Lord have mercy upon us ! Symptoms are not wanting of divine displeasure. Clouds black and stormy appear and disappear. A crisis looms up ; the pulse of the nation quickens into feverish expectancy. It quickly passes away. It was only a warning that the elements are accumulating. The time has not come. Sin has not reached its height ; therefore the elements of national disorder are yet under restraint. The crisis has not terminated entirely; it has only removed its boundaries farther into the future. But blessed be our God ! he has reserved unto himself a remnant, THE CHURCH AOT) THE WORLD. 34:9 whose peace is bound up with that of the nation, and they will not cease to pray that wrath may be averted. May they pre- vail ! The wants, necessities, and sins of the country call loudly for their prayers and earnest supplications. Is this a time, then, to level contempt against the Bible, that great palladium of the nation's safety ? I have not time to enlarge ; nor to say much upon your concluding question. I know not for a certainty, how many languages and dialects there are in the world ; not less, I believe, than between three and four thousand. This we do know, that the Bible has been translated already into the languages spoken by about six hun- dred millions of the human race ; and hundreds of thousands copies of the word of God are now passing from hand to hand among them ! There is hope for the world ! Blessed be God ! Glory to the Lamb ! Amen ! :•- CHAPTER XLIX. TURNING THE BATTLE TO THE GATE. ET those whom it may concern hearken ; for the thoughts of your hearts are about to be revealed. f^^y "Impatience!" I have had nothing, comparatively, to try my patience — nothing that I had not previously reckoned upon. " The carnal mind is enmity against God ; " and there- fore some saucy things may be expected to emanate from- it, where divine things are concerned. He who " enters the lists " against mind thus constituted and armed, without tak- ing such results into the account, has not properly studied the nature of mind in arms against God. Besides, impatient folks are those who are unwilling that others should think for them- selves. Now I allow poor infidelity its right, so far as I am concerned, to speak out all that is in it ! If it claim to be. " a science," let it bring its proofs, and allow itself to be tested by those rules to which other experimental sciences are forced to submit. If, however, that which claims to be a science, turns out to be merely the science of unbelief, its votaries must not expect to be treated with much consideration. Christianity, even as a science, challenges the world to investigate its claim. The simplicity of Bible terms is no argument against them, TURNING- THE BATTLE TO THE GATE. 351 unless they are proved to be false. If they convey a true meaning, or a right impression, they must be admitted. Their simplicity is their honor. If science confirm and illustrate them, they must pass at full value, in the minds of all right- minded men. They are simply right. Science, by her tech- nicalities in explaining the laws of nature, renders them com- plex. The terms used in the Bible are as expressive as they are simple — designed for all capacities, in all ages of the past; yet may stand side by side with the more scientific terms of a higher state of civilization ; which, to have reached forward to when the Scriptures were written, would have rendered the Bible unintelligible for ages, to millions. Thus, as one ob- serves, " When God said, ' Behold, I set my bow in the clouds, 1 had he said, * Behold, I will give water the property of refract- ing different colors at different angles,' how unintelligible would it have been until a later period of our world's history." Prov- idence rather designed, to use an idea of Dr. Chalmers, that every new triumph achieved by the mind of man in the broad field of discovery, should only serve to bind him more closely to the Bible ; and that by the very proportion in which phi- losophy multiplies the wonders of our God, we should prize that book. And so it comes to pass ; deny it who can ! Read over that challenge which the Lord God gave to Job out of " the whirlwind, 1 '' contained in the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st chapters of the Book of Job. Let the collected learning and science of the nineteenth century be brought into compari- son with the philosophical hints therein contained. Sir, those chapters will strike you with amazement — at the height and depth, at the correctness, beauty, grandeur, sublimity, of the philosophy therein exhibited. A great critic considered the 352 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. Book of Job the Idumean Encyclopceiia, but these chapters, if not altogether that of themselves, contain a sublime system of philosophical inquiry unequalled in the literature of ages. In- deed, as one remarked, the Book of Job is accounted on all hands a work that contains the purest morality, the sublimest philosophy, the simplest ritual, and the most majestic creed ! And yet, sir, this is but one book of the Bible, and that the oldest portion of it, perhaps. Had I time at command, and you were so disposed, a review of the different books in that Book of books might change your opinion vastly upon the subject in question. Engagements prevent me from entering into discussions with Mr. upon certain topics ; but the pebbles in the streets might as well aspire to hold competition with diamonds as his notions with the sublime truths of Christianity ! If he were the only skeptic in the world, and the world itself what God would have it, he would be the wonder of the world ! Wander where he would, all eyes would be turned upon him with pity and astonishment. People would call upon each other to look upon a man who preferred fancies to fact ; one so near eternity, yet doubting whether he has an immortal part to enjoy it — so near to hell, yet questioning whether he has a soul capable of enduring its flames ; one who knows not the day nor the hour he may be sent there, yet careless as if he had a lease of life for fifty years to come — turned away from the sublime truths of revelation unto fables. There is much apparent assurance in his sophistry; yet his own judgment cannot but assure him how poor an ex- change it would be to part with a sweet and comfortable hope of a life to come, for anything he has yet offered ; and the I TUKSTING THE BATTLE TO THE GATE. 353 sweet thought that angels are the sharers of our joys — that they are ready to congratulate us as we enter eternity, stand- ing ready to take us by the hand when the body sinks in death, " not leaving the soul," as an excellent departed one observed, " like a shipwrecked mariner on a desolate and un- known coast, uncertain in what direction to travel, but to be at once under the convoy of sister spirits ! " Ay ! under the con- duct of angels who hail the soul the moment it steps upon those immortal shores, bearing it away into the presence of the general assembly and church of the first-born. That angelic convoy with the soul of an ascending Lazarus on their wings affords us a glimpse of the economy and usages of the spirit world, and very assuring and cheering to our faith it is! Comfortable thoughts, sir ! Comfortable thoughts ! And he must excuse us if we hold fast to them, until he is able to offer us something better ! An honest peasant surprised an infidel, the other day, who was jeering him for believing the Bible, by the reply, " We country-people like to have two strings to our bow." " What do you mean ? " inquired the infidel. " Only this," rejoined the poor man, "that believing the Bible and acting up to it, is like having two strings to one's bow ; for, if it is not true, I shall be a better man for living according to it, and so it will be for my good in this life — that is one string to my bow ; and, if it should be true, it will be better for me in the next life — that is another string, and a pretty strong one it is. But, sir, if you do not believe the Bible, and, on that account, do not live as it requires, you have not one string to your bow. And oh ! sir, if its tremendous threatenings prove true, oh ! think what then will become of you ? " The infidel walked on. 354 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. Consider what I am going to say : If the supreme God acknowledge the Bible in eternity as his word, it will ruin you both. All the arguments you have ever mustered against it here, shall go for nothing there; nay, but will recoil upon your trembling spirits, and with a force you little contemplate. ******* Yes, some read the Bible to " catch it " in some contra- diction or other, and are themselves caught by it; of which fact your neighbor has become a witness lately. Nor is there anything very surprising in this, on the principle that it has come from God. Although his feelings are somewhat "dis- agreeable " at present, a happier state of mind is in reserve for him. The bitter first, and then the sweet; death first, and then life, seems to be God's order with sinners. "I kill, and I make alive: J wound, and I heal," is the voice of God in Deut. xxxii. 39. Not, " I make alive, and kill ; I heal, and I wound." The worst comes first. Satanic policy is different. It may stand to the credit of no mean scholar, that he despised not the hint of a humble person that there was some- thing in the Bible that would repay him, if he laid aside his poetry for its perusal. He did so, probably to " hunt after poetry ; " but truth hunted him, and ran his conscience down at length, and caught the man ! He had not finished the Book of Genesis, it seems, until doubt and unbelief were finished in him, terminating with an earnest cry for peace with Jacob's God, and he found it too ! And found, besides, that " that which is highest, purest, liveliest, and most excellent to the mind, in reference to any object, is poetical ; " all of which, to his sur- prise, he discovered in the Bible, and in the highest perfection ; TURNING THE BATTLE TO THE GATE. 355 even as Cowley freely acknowledged, that all the books in the Bible are either the most exalted pieces of poetry, or the best materials in the world for it ! It is a wonderful book, the Bible ! That necromancer who prided himself in eluding the keenest eye in the multitude to " catch him in the mysteries of his art," was vain enough to suppose he could " catch the Bible in some palpable mystifica- tion — listening with a keen ear to the reading of the book of Jonah, little suspecting that " the keen eye of Heaven " was upon himself. Well, the prophecy of Nineveh's overthrow somehow overthrew him ; the sentence of death against them strangely resulted in life to him ; the prediction of their de- struction caused his salvation. True, there were some remarks by way of exposition ; but life and salvation flowed through the word ! Another great sinner was cut to the heart when reading Rom. ii. 21, 22. I have never been altogether assured that Luther himself, when he first made the acquaintance of the Bible at Erfurth, did not at first suspect it of heresy ; nor that he did not read it to " catch " it in that ; but it caught him, ay, and proved him and all his teachers heretics • it cast him into convictions, and into the dungeon of despair ; and, after he suffered awhile, unfettered his soul and introduced him to Gospel day, in pos- session of a heart made orthodox as itself; it opened before him the brazen doors of superstition and unbelief, set the pris- oner free, and sent him through Germany as a pillar of fire / It is a matter of the deepest surprise to some, and of amusement to others hereabouts, to behold how suddenly skep- tics are arrested by the truth, from week to week! To-day chuckling their " wise hits " against the Bible, and proclaiming 356 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. victory over all its authority and predicted ills. A day or two more, and they are hit so hard by its tremendous truth, that they sob or roar aloud for mercy. Instance Mr. , whom a shrewd man compared to the cock in the Arabian fable, who " fell a clapping his wings," as if he had obtained a conquest worth crowing over ; presently down pounced a vulture (his idea of truth !) and snatched the great conqueror away ! If desperately astray in past life, and his appetite for error and death voracious, his awakenings to a new life were desperate also ! And now what an appetite he has for things spiritual and divine ! The Gospel is a great power, sir ! But had death pounced upon that man, instead of truth, how terrible would have been his experiences ! unless " God had suffered him to drop into the fiery lake with a senseless heart and a seared conscience." A grapple with " the king of terrors" and the apprehension of an immediate appearance before the dread tribunal of the living God, create very different emotions to those excited by a grapple with the living truth of the Gospel. Mope of salvation mingles with the bitterest sorrows of evan- gelical repentance. "Jesus Christ hath loved me, and gave himself for me, and I believe it ! " like words set to music, sounding through a thunderstorm, are heard amidst the loudest outcries of these distressed sinners ! " Christ is the end of the law" says Paul. " In these words lie the spring of my peace, as well as the dying song, with which I hope, at length, gently and blissfully to fall asleep," said a German Christian ! O ye astounded sinners ! ye old companions in sin of him who has forsaken your ranks, "flee from the wrath to come ! " For there is wrath to come — always to come, through all the future of a wretched eternity — always to come ! You TURNING THE BATTLE TO THE GATE. 357 may harden your hearts now, and set like flints your faces against God and his truth and righteous claims. " Who hath an ear to hear, let him hear ! " An irresistible power, unlike that which assails you in the Gospel, will presently lay hold upon you, and you shall not be able to elude or flee from it. That power from heaven that opens the gates of eternity before the dying sinner, and lays open at the same time his sins, and presses them, like thorns, against his quivering and bleeding conscience, is on the full march to meet you. As it has be- fallen several trifling sinners since these meetings began, so it is likely to befall you. Why linger? Why procrastinate? Why suppress your emotions ? Why stifle convictions ? Why stir to leave this house of God ? Why will you fly from the terms of offered mercy ? Why hurry thyself away, poor sin- ner ! — as if you could hurry away your mind from a thought that pursues it, an evil prediction which your own conscience admits there is too much ground for ! Weep now, for you ought to weep ! Sob now, for you ought to sob — but thank God, it is in mercy's sight. Pray now, for you ought to pray ; believe now, for you may believe, be saved, and live forever, through Him who died and rose again. To you who remain in your hardness, and firm in your de- termination to outbrave truth, oh ! I would say, with a faith- ful minister now with God, "The witness we are forced to bear is sad ; it is sad to us ; but it will be sadder to you, on the day when you shall know God will not be outfaced, when you might sooner shake the stable earth, and darken the sun by your reproaches, than outbrave the Judge of the world, or by your cavils, wranglings, or scorns, escape the hands of his avenging justice ; when you would give ten thousand worlds 358 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. were they all turned into gold, pleasures and imperial crowns," that you had been on the Lord's side in time ; — or that t ou never had lived a year in time, or that you had had a heart to have employed it in other purposes than those which charac- terized your earthly career. O ye sinful men ! lacking words of my own, the words of good old Robert Bolton rush forth into my utterances, like coals of fire ; — as he cried, I cry. And oh ! when the heav- ens shall shrivel together like a scroll, and when the whole frame of nature shall flame about your ears — when the great and mighty hills shall start out of their places like frighted men — when the wicked shall call upon this* mountain or that rock to fall upon them — then shall ye know and ac- knowledge how truly right and blessed were they who in good season chose " the Lord's side ! " Ay ! on that day of wrath, when " no dromedary of Egypt nor wings of the morn- ing shall be able to carry you out of the reach of God's aveng- ing hand ; when no top of Carmel, no depth of the sea, or bottom of hell, can hide you from Him that sits upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb ; when no rock, nor mountain, nor the great body of the earth shall be able to cover you from that irresistible power that laid the foundation of them ; when no arm of flesh or armies of angels can pro- tect you from those infinite rivers of brimstone which shall be kept in everlasting flames by the anger of God ; " when anni- hilation, that last hope of the worn-out veterans in iniquity, would be a boon, lies beyond all possibility of accomplish- ment; "when you are chained up by the omnipotent hand of God among spirits damned, and in a place of flames and everlasting darkness, where there is torment without end and TURNING THE BATTLE TO THE GATE. 359 past imagination ! " there, ye sinful aud unbelieving men ! there, with all the arguments of perdition around you, ring- ing in your ears, and burning into your souls, you shall be forced to acknowledge how safe and right and wise it was to be on the side of the Lord and of his people among the inhab- itants of time ! Think not, I beseech you, think not harshly of the stranger who thus addresses you ; nor think for a moment that he has never exposed himself to a similar perdition ; or that he has not in past life been made to taste the bitterness of sin. But you may look upon him as a sinner pardoned, saved by grace, and yearning for your salvation. Had my motives been differ- ent to what they are, the last half -hour might have been differ- ently employed — in what one a long time ago called flashy oratory, neat expressions, and ornaments of reading, and other things, which he said were common matters of ostentation in his day, and, alas ! too common in ours, by men who preach for their own glory, and not for the glory of Christ, nor the salvation of sinners — who have little sincere and hearty be- lief themselves, consequently little energy in trying to persuade others to believe. He spoke plainly who, two hundred years ago, called flattery in soul matters a species of selfish villany, that has but a short reward; and that those who are pleased with the exhibition of it in the pulpit to-day, may curse the flatterer forever. I would be faithful, my hearers, as one who knows he must give an account ! Time is on the wing. Death is nigh at hand, and Hell hard by. The Lord our God is present. The space for prep- aration is short; it is all that is allowed. Time knows no- thing of sleep or weariness ; trifle not with it, for it never 360 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. returns ; your loudest cries could not call back one of its fled moments ; crowns and kingdoms and wealth of nations could not bribe or purchase back one hour nor one minute of by- gone time. Opportunities for salvation are indeed headlong ; and as one justly remarked, some of you present have not the least assurance of being out of hell an hour ! Oh ! fly to Christ. Cry for mercy. Believe, and be saved. " Repent, and believe the Gospel. Why not now ? Oh ! may those words which pierced a sinner to the heart pierce more to-night : " A man that may be damned before morning should seek religion to- night ! " Ay ! my friends, how many have departed from my humble ministrations to return no more — there was but a step between them and death ! Time with you and me will soon be over. Look around ! Look up ! See — "Remorseless Time ! Fierce spirit of the glass and scythe — what power Can stay him in his silent course, or melt His iron heart to pity ! On, still on he presses, and for ever. "The proud bird, The condor of the Andes, that can soar Through heaven's unfathomable depths, or brave The fury of the northern hurricane, And brave his plumage in the thunder's home, Furls his broad wing at night fall, and sinks down To rest upon his mountain crag. " But Time Knows not the weight of sleep or weariness, And night's deep darkness has no charms to bind His rushing pinion. On, still on he presses, and for ever I " CHAPTER L. TO ANOTHER THE BIBLE ON THE ASCENDANT. ^xSKli ET " one who begins to respect the Bible " hearken. ^|3Lp "While you respect it, others love it, and delight not i^^ct' only to believe its testimony, but to obey its require- ments. " Let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him" said the men who surrounded a dying Saviour : not a word about obedience, only that they would respect his veracity, and not turn it into ridicule. The remark was a just one — that the Bible is deep enough for the tallest reason, and fordable by the shortest ; that here the lamb may wade, and here the elephant may swim ! Ay, my friend, and here the tiniest hand may enrich itself with grains of purest gold, while the profoundest thinkers may find diving-places for pearls of great price, such as can be found nowhere else, such as augels might covet, and which, indeed, they " desire to look into" And there are mines along those streams of inspiration rich in ore more valuable than the gold of Ophir, and exhaustless. " My master's treasury differs from yours," said an ambassador of a certain prince to a great king who showed him his treasures. " Ah ! how is that ? "inquired the vain-glorious monarch. " In this : my master's treasury has no bottom, as I see yours have," alluding to the exhaust- less Indian gold mines possessed by the prince his master, 16 362 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. But the same may said of him whose treasury of truth and promise is in the Bible, and who knows how to work those mines; without bottom or limit they are, for the veins thereof run parallel with eternity. Whereas all other sources, books, scieuces, and what not, have their limits, and fail in the end, leaving us to depart into eternity alone, as Orpah did Naomi on her desolate return to Bethlehem, the city of her fathers. But the truths of the Bible cleave to the departing soul of the Christian as Ruth to Naomi, saying, " Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.'''' The truths of the Bible say the same, indeed, to the departing soul of the sinner, but with a very different meaning. You understand me, I suppose. Permit me then to congratulate you for your " discoveries," for, if they immortalize not your name among men, they may secure you what is better, a happy immortality in heaven. That most infidels are deplorably ignorant of the Scriptures, I have had frequent occasion to remark. How unphilosophical, then, is it for them, with all their boasts about philosophy, to suppose they can reason correctly about a system which they have not properly studied ! Your scholarship deserves credit, but (and you will agree with me) the manner in which you have studied the Bible in past years deserves no credit. There is not one science you have mastered that you did not thoroughly investigate the book or books which treated upon it, as acknowledged authorities. But the Bible, alas ! " con- demned at sight," while evidence against it was culled from " second-rate*" authorities, and from the pages of its oppo- nents. " Hear both sides, and then judge," was a maxim in Roman jurisprudence. The Bible has nothing to fear from THE BIBLE ON THE ASCENDANT. 383 the closest scrutiny. Now that you have entered upon it in good earnest, the results need not be guessed at. The more you read and understand, the more you will be convinced of the truth of the religion of the Bible. Content not yourself with what one calls " the mere sur- face truths of revelation, which may be had for the picking up," but dig deep — the deeper you go the richer the veins of divine truth. Beware of discouragement. It is in the things of God as in those of nature : common things are acquired with little labor, but uncommon with extraordinary effort. Dust and common earth are obtained easy enough ; but men have to work hard and dig deep to reach the gold and sil- ver veins. Pebbles in great abundance may be found along the highway or on the shores of the ocean, but diamonds and pearls are a rarity. They are only reached by skilful and determined divers, who, at the hazard of their lives, struggle to the bottom of the deep sea, and grasp for the shells in which the beautiful gems are deposited. Beware, I repeat it, of that plague of most miners — dis- trust, unbelief, and discouragement — as in the case of him in a neighboring county in search of lead, who, after long and laborious effort, gave it up ; but others began where he left off, and, after digging a few yards, reached the lead. They made their fortunes, but he, poor man, was beggared ! Alas ! what illustrations of this in soul affairs have we seen during the last few years ? The grave-yards are full of such ; and many who are yet astir in the thronging population around us, who set out to obtain religion, sought it earnestly, got discouraged, gave it up. But others sought " the pearl of great price," and found. They are happy now, and rich in faith and good 364 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. works ; while the others are in a state of spiritual pauperism. These are facts, sir ; therefore proceed, nor leave off until you possess in your own heart the salvation of the Gospel. Some I have known to be " drowned out," to use a miner's phrase hereabouts, the sorrows of repentance overflowing them, like treacherous water in a new mine, they adandoning the enterprise, and returning to their old sinful companions and habits. Noble exceptions to these I have found, however, who resolved to " try again," and find salvation or perish — that is, they preferred to die seeking mercy, if God so pleased, rather than give over the pursuit of it. Such never fail. The Spirit of God always shows himself mighty in the behalf of all such — " mighty to save.' 1 '' Walking over the hills, the other afternoon, I noticed a company of miners standing together at the mouth of a pit. It was " a new shaft," as they called it, which they had been sinking in hope of reaching coal. All appeared to be at a stand-still. " What ! " I said, " have you given up the search for coal ? " " No, sir," replied one of them, " but the water has drowned us out — driven us out, sir ! " " But, do you think there is coal down there ? " " Sure of it, sir ! If we keep on digging we are sure to reach the coal, which we shall, when we get our steam-pump going to rid us of the water." A few days more and they conquered the water, and, in a surprisingly short time they reached the coal, and were send- ing to the surface that which was of a fine quality, I believe. You perceive my meaning, my serious hearer ! Keep on searching the Scriptures, and praying for the manifestations of the Spirit to your soul, and you shall not search nor pray in vain. Avoid mere theorizing. Treat Christianity as you once did THE BIBLE ON THE ASCENDANT. 365 every science you studied. Test its doctrines, demonstrate them by experience, repentance, faith in Christ, pardon, and regeneration, and the witness of the Spirit, and that sweet promise, " Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 11 " And him that cometh unto me" says Jesus, " I will in no wise cast out 1 '' On no consideration whatsoever. One of the ancients, you may remember, said, " After all, experi- ence is the great mistress that ruleth all things." Speculation is not equal to experiment. Set your opinions firmly by the word of God. In order to this, ponder that command in Deut. xxxii. 46, " Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. 11 Ay ! my friend, set your heart unto all the words of God ! There is just so much worth in what we do as there is heart in it ! A friend of mine, some years ago, - exclaimed in great simplicity, after reading a certain text, " O Lord, what a pity it is that thou shouldest see my thoughts so different from thine ! O my Lord, as one man sets his watch by the time-piece of another, or by the sun thou hast placed in the firmament of heaven, so, just so, do thou be pleased to set my thoughts by thine, through Jesus Christ. Amen!" (1 Sam. viii. 21.) The God to whom he prayed answered effectually the prayer, and none more happy now than he ! Allow me to commend to your notice Psalm cxix. 105 and Prov. vi. 23 ; all your opinions, works, and ways are to be illu- mined, corrected, and guided by the light of the word. Per- haps you may call to mind Cicero's advice to his son : " It will be of more or less service to you as you make it truly practi- 366 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. cable in the sequel of your life." The same may be said of the Bible. ******* I rejoice that "the Bible is on the ascendant" in your un- derstanding and conscience. Read on, reverently, prayerfully, and sincerely, and you shall find it more and more so. "It is only in nature that we meet with God under a vail, while, in the connection of revelation, all vails and coverings are re- moved," said an excellent divine in Germany. He made the remark chiefly with regard to the person and work of Christ. To study the Bible he advised seclusion, and heartfelt and re- peated aspirations to God for increasing light ; that the more we do so, the clearer we shall find the infallible traces of Jeho- vah, and other wonderful and glorious discoveries. Remember, as you proceed, that it is no part of the intention of God in the Bible to foster or encourage intellectual pride. If you find things there " hard to be understood" you may strengthen yourself by the thought that there is a divine design through- out the entire volume, to humble proud human reason, and to exalt and encourage faith. I believe, with Mr. Melvill, that " a Bible without difficulties would be a censer full of incense to man's reason;'''' — that it would then be "the greatest flatterer of reason, passing on it a compliment and eulogy which would infinitely outdo the most far-fetched of human panegyrics." I recall another remark of his, that " Scriptural difficulties de- stroy none who would not have been destroyed had no diffi- culties existed ! " If inclined to falter in the pursuit, shame yourself out of it by the recollection of the manner in which you set yourself about the study of certain abstruse sciences which you nobly mastered ! Pray for the forgiveness of your THE BIBLE ON THE ASCKNDANT. 367 sins. Let your repentance be true and thorough. If properly broken down by penitential grief, you will find it no difficult thing to break with all your sins. When such a grief has opened your heart, it is only to make way for that living faith in the vicarious sufferings of Jesus Christ for you, by which you receive into that open heart of yours a feeling of pardon and adoption, and peace and love and divine joy. Then, and not till then, shall you realize with the Psalmist that the word of God is sweeter than honey, even the honey of the honey-comb I and the truth also of what Jesus said, " The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life." (John vi. 63.) The sentiments of a young Christian lady, the daughter of a titled nobleman, resident in one of the most brilliant cities of Eu- rope, occur to me, which may be of some use to you in the present juncture. Speaking of the Bible, she remarked, " I experience a pleasure in reading that book which I never felt before : it attracts and fixes me to an inconceivable degree ; and I speak sincerely, there, and only there, is the truth. When I compare the calm and the peace which the smallest, and most imperceptible grain of faith can give the soul — when I compare this with all that the world alone can give of joy and happiness, I feel that the least in the kingdom of heaven is a hundred times more blessed than the greatest and most ele- vated men of the world." One shortly after exclaimed, " There ! what a testimony for the Bible was that ! Not a voice from a con- vent, nor from an almshouse ; nor was it the language of one disappointed or disgusted, and who in a spirit of misanthropy turned to religion as a substitute for its former pleasures ; nor was it the experience of a bed-ridden cripple, making a vir- tue of necessity, and seeking consolation from religion because 368 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. every other source of happiness was cut off. No ! but the experience of a young lady, in the very centre of all that could dazzle the mind or fascinate the imagination ; and in one of the gayest and most brilliant cities of Europe — one whom the world in all its most alluring forms is perpetually assailing, and seeking to captivate ! " That you have experienced something of this is a matter for congratulation ! * * • * Hs % * * The subject is not " disagreeable." Far from it. The Holy Spirit illuminated the mind of the prophet, or apostle, and excited his will to proclaim or write what he dictated, whether from within or without, by inward impressions or by angels or emblematic appearances, or face to face, as it were, and with audible voice, as to Moses. This is what we understand by the inspiration of the Scriptures. As to the manner of it, it came in such a way as not to leave room for a doubt in the person so»inspired. But as others were to be convinced, proof was necessary ; and by the most convincing proofs, which re- quired the mighty arm of God to exhibit, the truth of the revelation was established ; " God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his will.' 1 '' (Heb. ii. 4.) By such means God made way for each separate portion of his word, and gave it an enduring place in human belief. Admitting the existence of an omnipresent as well as an omniscient God, there seems no great difficulty in the way of admitting the other fact also, that he could as easily converse with the inward ear of his servants the prophets, as men can talk to the outward ear of persons in their employ ; and that the motion, or impression upon the brain, may have been as THE BIBLE ON THE ASCENDANT. 369 intelligible in one case as the other. It only remains to be conceded that the person so spoken to had an undoubted evidence of the fact ; nor is it reasonable to suppose that God would withhold such an evidence from the person so favored. If we are capable of distinguishing the voice of a friend from other voices, is it unreasonable to suppose that the prophets of God had a similar faculty for distinguishing his voice ? or, if necessary, that he could create such a faculty for that very purpose ? Despise not a good commentary on the Scriptures. Men who have Jriven a lifetime to the study of God's word, know more than one who has but lately begun to study it. If a man resolve to read nothing but the Bible, to be consistent he shold hear nothing else ; then what becomes of the preached Gospel? As you are seeking advice, permit a hint: be not too much of a recluse. It is profitable to exchange thoughts with Christians — real Christians — such as are deeply experienced in the things of God, if you can find them. It sometimes re- quires a search ; and. they are found often where least expected — in the humble walks of life especially. I remember, when much younger in religion than I am now, meeting with the following in the diary of the devoted Brainard: "There are many with whom I can talk about religion ; but, alas ! I find few with whom I can talk religion itself. But, blessed be the Lord ! there are some that love to feed upon the kernel rather than the shell ! " A Christian friend had called upon him in his house in the wilderness, with whom he enjoyed a sweet season of conversation about the deep things of God. It was this that occasioned the remark just quoted. Oh ! sir, seek the company of such ! 16* 370 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. All is not right -with the person of whom you speak. I have known some intellectual eyes affected by what one called "a spiritual cataract" Then, sir, there are natural spectacles, and satanic spectacles, some of which caricature religion and de- ceive the unwary. You will be better able to detect these by and by. They have " Bank Detectors," you are aware, in most counting-rooms ; very useful things they are. Such is the Bible in matters of religion and experience. Many are suffer- ing in hell for the same opinions, and for cultivating the same senselessness of heart. They pressed on quite as defiantly and assuredly as he, till the flames of perdition effected what truth failed to accomplish — brought them to their senses. It is a sad thought, sir, but true nevertheless. Divine patience waits, and waits long in this world; for God has time enough in reserve to reckon with sinful men. But, as It is written, " There is an appointed time for man on the earth" so patience has an appointed time. Divine justice lin- gers not when that time expires. St. Peter speaks of some who " bring upon themselves swift destruction" by " damnable heresies" and " denying the Lord that bought them ; " and of some who in his day were exposed to an unlingering judg- ment, and an unslumbering damnation. (2 Peter ii. 1-3). While divine patience waits, and mercy pleads, justice stands back; but when these, weary with entreating, "retire behind the sword of justice red with ultimate and unrepenting wrath," then judgment lingers not, nor does damnation slumber. The Lord, this day, have mercy upon him, and upon all my impenitent hearers ! Satan takes heart when men with heart resist truth and weary the patience of God. But enough of this ; a more cheering theme is in reserve THE BIBLE ON THE ASCENDAJST. 371 for this audience. Eternity will surely bring some insensible ones to their senses. They may live insensible, and die insen- sible, perhaps, but they cannot awake in eternity insensible. An irresistible hand will yet lay open all unpardoned sin before men. To be insensible with such a load of sin upon the soul, and with the threatenings of God volleying with such fearful sig- nificancy as of late, and with such ulcerated consciences as some of you have, argues a fearful state of soul. The Lord have mercy upon us all ! Once, in my travels, I saw a whole river disappear under ground, and, miles below, it reappeared. The surface of the country, however, gave no evidence that a river was rolling beneath, no more than the faces of some pres- ent, while conviction for sin, like that subterranean river, is rolling through their heart. I have known enough of people during and after a revival, and sufficiently of some present, to warrant me in making a very pointed application of the same. Hearken to the text: Heb. vii. 25. CHAPTER LI. LET US \jf$ ET us alone." Let one hearken who would be known by this nomenclature. But are you not aware this was ffi$ijt> the request of a devil, an " unclean spirit " which had possession of a man ? (Mark i. 23-26.) And does it convey no idea, think you, of what spirit you are of, and to what you are tending? " Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil,'''' said Jesus. Well, if worst comes to worst, if you will have it so, and it must be so, let it be so ; only let me drop this word in your ear : though you do not choose to embrace the religion of the New Testament, and wish to be entirely let alone upon that subject, yet, be it known unto you, the designs of Immanuel shall not miscarry, nor shall he want believers, n.or his heaven inhabitants. Multitudes which no man can number, so numerous are they, are this moment filling the immensity of Heaven with their descriptions of praise " Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us Icings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.' 1 '' (Rev. i. 5, 6.) Your request may be granted ; " to all intents and purposes " you may be let alane by the Spirit of God. But that death, devils, and the fames of perdition will let you alone, I shall not assure you ! "let us alone." 373 2. There are, indeed, " changes " to be effected in the great future ; but widely different in various persons. Carnal insensibility will meet with an amazing change — I will not say for the better; not such as the idiot experiences the moment he enters eternity, when the mind, which was before lost and be- wildered, entangled in the mazes of a deranged brain, obtains the use of its reason and entire capabilities, and saved there, we hope, as children are saved, through the merits of Christ. I believe, with one, that the perversion of the faculties is at all times more shocking and disgraceful than the absence of them by nature. And you may remember that the old Grecian philosopher Antisthenes declared that he would rather be punished with madness than abandoned to vicious courses. An old Christian struck the same note when he remarked, better be a fool void of reason than a fool void of grace. And if the sentiment uttered by another, centuries ago, be true, that God will surely call us to a strict account both for the principal and interest of the talents he has intrusted to us — and who can doubt it after reading our Lord's parable of the talents f (Matt. xxv. 14-30) — then may such sentiments be accented with fearful force upon our consciences. Better, sir, lose the last gleam of intellect, and move among men a melancholy instance of the wreck and ruin of mental power, than live to be " let alone " in the abuse of God's mercies and the noble faculties with which he has iutrusted you. 3. This does not look like letting you alone / But you will permit, I hope, a few parting words. Thorns are " insensible " things in themselves, yet they are capable of giving much pain to others. Some insensible sinners are much like thorns and briars in this respect. Nevertheless, when fire envelops these 374 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. disorderlies in nature, they show considerable sensibility, and make a great crackling in the flames — like the thorns under a pot, of which Solomon speaks. God and such shiners must one day meet. The remark was " severe," I admit : " The stub- ble is more able to resist the flames, or a fly to conquer the world, than a daring, walking lump of clay to conquer God, or escape his vengeance." Was it more severe than those figures which God himself employs in Isaiah? "Who would set the briars and thorns against me in battle f I would go through them, I would burn them together. Woe unto him that striveth with his Master ! Let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth. 11 " Who has hardened himself against him and pros- pered f " saith Job. 4. If you are so profoundly asleep to spiritual things as you would have us believe — though it seems something like a contradiction, seeing you are so fidgety under truth as to exclaim, " Let us alone " — it might, perhaps, disturb your slum- bers a little more if I whisper in your ear the observation of a shrewd divine, " If you are asleep, the devil is awake, and rocking your cradle ; and busy, too, keeping off ministers, con- science, anything that would awake you. None of your enemies are asleep. Asleep ! and in the midst of your foes ! Is the battle a sleeping time ? Is the race a sleeping time ? " Be assured of this, there is a terrible awakening before you ! 11 The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. 11 As the Philistines rushed on Samson, shorn of his strength, so shall your old con- victions, by and by, and in tremendous force ! — convictions which you shall be as unable to conceal as to suppress — like the river Tigris, and other rivers, of which Sir Matthew Hale speaks, which sink into the ground, and keep a subterranean 375 course more miles than you number years, and breaking out again above-ground, a new river to some observers, but to others a continuation of the old. Well would it be for you, and some others among my hearers, if such might be the case in regard to old convictions of sin and danger, even before you leave this house of God, rather than on the death-bed, or in eternity. For then, alas ! they will, most likely, run on for ever and ever, parallel with your being and eternity. Should such be the case with any of you, you may remember where and when and by whom you were foretold of it. Precious sin- ner ! think, oh ! think, ere it is eternally too late ! My soul would wail over you in the language of a German hymn : " Sinner, oh ! why so thoughtless grown — Why in such dreadful haste to die ? Daring to leap to worlds unknown, Heedless against thy God to fly. " "Wilt thou despise eternal fate, Urged on by sin's fantastic dreams, Madly attempt th' infernal gate, And force thy passage to the flames ? " Stay, sinner, on the Gospel plains ! Behold the God of love unfold The wonders of his dying pains, Forever telling, yet untold 1 " ******* As you value your eternal interests then, ponder what I am going to say ; but allow me the use of an illustration. Yonder is a rapid river, and within the bosom of that immense volume of waters is a large fish ; and it is floating or swimming (as you 376 ARROWS FROM MY QUIVER. please) down with that powerful current. How little is that silly fish aware, surrounded as it is by the easy pressure of the softly gliding waters, with what a tremendous element it is encompassed ! How unconsciously it moves along with scarcely any perceptible effort; till, lo ! it comes for a moment above a terrific cataract ; over it goes, and the river comes down upon it in " thundering tons." To apply this : Sin is the sinner's element; and hell, is the centre of his gravity. It is in this deceptive and perilous element he is swimming ; nay, he need make no effort as to the active work of swimming ; even a dead fish may move with the stream. Let him set himself against the deep current of his corruptions, and endeavor to oppose the swift stream of infernal influence down which he is gliding ; then shall he know to his sorrow the force of those " fearful elements " which are bearing him downward to the gulf of eternal destruction. But, ah ! when he shall approach the falls of death, he will then feel, to his sorrow, the oppress- ive tribulation of that dangerous mass. And when he shall have been carried over the cataract, into the whirlpool of hell, and his past sins — the current in which he has been gliding so quietly for many years, and which has been as essential to his enjoyment as water to a fish — shall follow his terrified soul in thundering masses into the bottomless pit ; then, and not till then, shall he know how tremendous was that element, the power of which he never knew, because he never opposed any effectual resistance to its fatal tendencies, on his passage to eternity. You would do well to reconsider that notion regarding " small sins." Query : Is it possible that any sin can be small ? If you can prove you have a small soul to lose, and a small 377 God to sin against, and that there is any such thing as a small damnation, or a small hell ; the other may be proved easy enough. There are degrees of sin, we allow ; but if hell be the drift or tendency of every sin, alas ! there can be really no such thing in the universe as a small sin. Drops of rain are small things, but then the river is made up of drops, and rain- drops supply the river. A single sin appears small, bat that, and others joining it, may swell into a torrent that will drown the soul in destruction and perdition. CHAPTER LIL SEEING THINGS IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT. FEW more hints for " Let us alone." So ! so ! You tyb are not, after all, so insensible as you fancied yourself! "^~*