i c ^>. ^'< \ \ K PRINCETON, N. J. BV 4501 .U6 1859 Upham, Thomas Cogswell, 179 -1872. Principles of the interior or hi HHon 1 i f o Shelf.. ^^V. /.P PRINCIPLES INTERIOR OR HIDDEN LIFE; DESIGNED PARTICULARLY FOR TflE CONSIDERATION OF THOSE WHO ARE SEEKING ASSURANCE OF FAITH AND PERFECT LOVE. THOMAS C.'UPHAM EIGHTH EDITION. NEW YORK: HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 329 A; 331 PEARL STREET, FRANKLIN SQUARE. 1859. Ejitcied according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843. By T. C. Upham, iu the District Clerk's Office of the Court of Maine It is the object of the present work to aid in promoting floly Living. It will be noticed that the principles of the work take for granted, and every where imply, that man ought to be, and may be, holy. Holiness is the one great thing for which, above all others, man should live. It has been my desire, in the following pages, (some of which have already appeared in a periodical publication,) to promote this great result. There are reasons, of a personal nature, why I should not have written. There are other reasons, which none can appreciate but myself, which seemed to me imperatively to require it. If what is said is true, nothing but good can ultimately flow from it. If if b'^, otherwise, it 's my earnest supplication that He, who can bring good out of evil, will overrule the mistakes of human infirmity, to the glory of His own name. U. ^r.- -._, ■■^•^^^r: CONTENTS. P A II '»^ T ON THE INWARD LIFE IN ITS CONNECTION AVITH FAITH AND LOVE. Chap Pj«* 1. Some Marks or Traits of the Hidden Life, 11 2. On the Doctrine of Holiness, 1' 3. Directions to aid in the Attainment of Holiness, 25 4. On the Act or Covenant of religious Consecration, 34 5. On Faith, especially appropriating Faith, 41 6. Consecration to be followed by the Faitjj of Acceptance, 48 7. Of Assurance of Faith, ^ 8. Relation of Consecration to Assurance of Faith, 74 9. Relation of Assurance of Faith and perfect Love, 81 10. Considerations on the Life of Faith, 83 11. Of a Life of special Signs and Manifestations, as compared with a Life of Faith, 96 12 Of disinterested or pure Love, in Distinction from interested Love, 110 13. On the Love of our Neighbor and of Ourselves, 119 14. On the Distinction between Love and Joy, 12u 15. On the Distinction between natural and spiritual Joy, 131 16. On the Nature and Relations of emotional Experience, 138 17. Some Marks or Characteristics of Perfection of Love, 145 18. On the Joy of Faith in the Want and Desolation of all Things else, ^'^ I'J. On the Nature of the Temptations of a sanctified Heart,... 157 CONTENTS. PART II. Tift LIFE OF FAITH AND LOVE FOLLOWED BY THE CUUCIFIXION OF THE LIFE OF NATURE. Ohap. Page. 1. On the Distinction between Justification and Sanctlficatlon, 169 2. Remarks on unrestrained and inordinate Desires, 176 3. On the proper Regulation of the Appetites, 171) 4. On the Nature and Regulation of the propensive Principles, 183 On the Regulation of the Principle of Self-Love, 187 3a the Nature and Regulation of the social Principle, 192 *Jn the Nature and Regulation of the Principle of Curi- wty, 197 .. a the Grace of Silence as the Means of sustaining a holy Life, 202 9. On the Nature and Piegulation of the Affections, 209 10. Of the Excision and Crucifixion of the natural Life, 213 11. On the Necessity of possessing the Gifts and Graces of God in Purity of Spirit, 228 12. Remarks on interior Trials and Desolations, 233 13. Of the new Life in the Image of Christ, 240 14. On the true Idea of spiritual Liberty, 258 15. On Growth in Holiness, 267 16. On the Confession^f Sin, 274 PART III. ON INWARD DIVINE GUIDANCE. 1. On the Dispensation of the Holy Ghost, 283 2. The Providences of God considered as Interpreters of the inward Operations of the Holy Spirit, 290 3. Suggestions to aid in securing the Guidance of the Holy Spirit, 297 4 Distin^.tion between Impulses and a sanctified Judgment,. .. 302 CONIENTS. 7 t-HAP. I'AGfi. 5. On spiritual Cooperation with God, 312 6. Evidences of being guided by the Holy Spirit, 319 7. On the State of inward Recollection, 327 8. On the inward Utterance, or the Voice of God in the Soul, 336 9. Spiritual Bread, or the Doctrine of receiving by Faith, ....342 10. On the Principle of inward Quietude or Stillness, 35] 11. Additional Remarks on the State of interior Stillness, 358 12. On the true Idea of interior Annihilation or Nothingness, ..362 13. On the State of Union with God, 370 1 4. On Varieties of Christian Character, 380 RELIGIOUS MAXIMS, 385 PART FIRST. ON THE INWARD LIFE CONNECTION WITH FAITH AND LOVE 11 CHAPTER FIRST. SOME MARKS OR TRAITS OF THE HIDDEN LIFE There is a modification or form of religious expe rience which may conveniently, and probably with a considerable degree of propriety, bo denominated the Interior or Hidden Life. When a person first becomes distinctly conscious of his sinfulness, and, in connection with this experience, exercises faith in Christ as a Savior from sin, there is no doubt, however feeble these early exercises may be, that he has truly entered upon a new hfe. But this new life, although it is in its element dif- ferent from that of the world, is only in its beginning. It embraces, undoubtedly, the true principle of a restored and renovated existence, which in due time will expand itself into heights and depths of knowledge and of feeling ; but it is now only in a state of incipiency, main- taining, and oftentimes but feebly maintaining, a war with the anterior or natural life, and being nothing more at present than the early rays and dawnings of the brighter day that is coming. It is not so with what may be conveniently denomi- nated the Hidden Life — a form of expression which we Imploy to indicate a degree of Christian experience greatly in advance of that which so often lingers darkly and doubtfully at the threshold of the Christian's career. As the Hidden Life, as we now employ the expression, indicates a greatly-advanced state of religious feeling, resulting in a sacred and intimate union with the Infi- nite Mind, we may perhaps regard the Psalmist, who had a large share of this interior experience, as making an indistinct allusion to it when he says, " Thou art my 13 " SOME MARKS OR TRAITS HIDING place, and my shield." And again, "He tha* dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." The apostle Paul also may be regarded as making some allusion to this more advanced and matured condition of the religious life, when, in the Epistle to the Galatians, he says, " I am crucified with Christ ; nevertheless I live , VET NOT I, BUT Christ liveth IN ME." And again, addressing the Colossians, " Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth ; for ye are dead, and v'ouR LIFE IS HID witli Christ IN GoD." Aiid docs not the Savior himself sometimes recognize the existence of an Interior or Hidden Life, unknown to the world, and unknown, to a considerable extent, even to many that are denominated Christians, but who are yet in the be- ginning of their Christian career ? " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that ovcrcometh will I give to eat of the hidden MANNA, and I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoiocth, save he that receiveth it." The phrase Hidden Life, which is appropriately and peculiarly the life of all those who, advancing beyond the first elements of Christianity, may properly be said to be sanctified in Christ Jesus, indicates a vitality or living principle, which differs in various particulars from every other form of life. In the first place, the life of those, who dwell in the secret place of the Most High, may be called a Hidden Life, because the animating principle, the vital or opera- tive element, is not so much in itself as in another. It is a life grafted into another life. It is the life of the soul incorporated into the life of Christ ; and in such a way, that, while it has a distinct vitality, it has so very much in the sense in which the branch of a tree may be said to have a distinct vitality from the root. It buds, blossoms, and bears fruit, in the strong basis of an eternal stock. ''I am the vine," says the Savior, " ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same OF THE HIDDEN LIFE. lb bringeth forth much fruit ; for without me ye can do nothing." This is a great mystery, but it is also a great truth. The Christian, whose '•' life is hid with Christ in God," can never doubt that his spiritual existence and growth originate in, and are sustained in, that divine source alone. In the second place, the life which we are considering may properly be called a Hidden Life, because its moving principles, its interior and powerful springs of action, are not known to the world. This is what might naturally be expected from what has already been said in respect to the relation existing between a truly devoted Clu'istian and his Savior ; inasmuch as he is taken from himself, and is grafted into another, and has now become a " new man in Christ Jesus." The natural man can appreciate the natural man. The man of the world can appreciate the man of the world. And it must be admitted that he can appreciate, to a considerable extent, numbers of per- sons who profess to be Christians, and who are probably to be regarded as such in the ordinary sense of the term, because the natural life still remains in them in part. There is such a mixture of worldly and religious motives in the ordinary forms of the religious state, such an im- pregnation of what is gracious with what is natural, that the men of the world can undoubtedly form an approxi- mated if not a positive estimate of the principles which regulate the conduct of its possessors. But of the springs of movement in the purified or Hidden Life, except by dark and uncertain conjecture, they know comparatively nothing. Little can the men who, under the teachings of nature, have been trained up to the reception and love of the doctrine which inculcates " an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," appreciate the evangelical precept which requires us, when we are assaulted, " to turn the other cheek." Still feebler and more imperfect is the idea which they form of that ennobling Christian philos- ophy which inculcates the love of holiness for holiness' sake. They are entirely at a loss, and, on any principles with which they are at present acquainted, they ever 14 SOME MARKS OR TRAITS must bo at a loss, in their estimate of that inliinacy and sacredness of friendship, which exists between God and the sanctified mind. Rightly is it said in the Scriptures, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually dis rcrned." Again, the Hidden Life has a claim to the descriptive epithet which we have proposed to apply to it, because, in its results upon individual minds, it is directly the reverse of the life of the world. The natural life seeks notoriety. Desirous of human applause, it aims to clothe itself in purple and fine linen. It covets a position in the market-place and at the corners of the streets. It loves to be called Rabbi, But the life of God in the soul, oc- cupied with a divine companionship, avoids all unneces- sary familiarities with men. It pursues a lowly and retired course. It obeys the precept of the Savior, " When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and pray to thy Father, who seeth in secret." It neither desires to see nor to be seen openly, except when and where duty calls it. It is willing to be little, to be unhonored, and to be cast out from among men. It has no eye for worldly pomp, no ear for worldly applause. It is formed on the model of the Savior, who was a man unknown. He came into the world, the highest personage on the highest errand; and yet so humble in origin, so simple in appearance, so gentle in heart and manners, that the world could not comprehend him ; and he was ever a sealed book, except to those who had the key of the inner life to open it with. In close connection with what has been said, we mav remark further, that the Hidden Life of religion is not identical with the place and with the formalities and ob servances of religion ; nor is it necessarily dependent upon them. If it were so, it would no longer be hidden, but would be as much exposed to notice as that which is most expansive and attractive in the outward temple and in the external formality. It is true that places of OF THE HIDDEN LIFE. 15 worship, and the various outward formalities of worship, may be its handmaids, and oftentimes very important ones ; but they are not its essence. It has no essence but its own spiritual nature, and no true locality but the soul, which it sanctifies. It may be found, therefore, among all classes of men, and consequently in all places, occupying equally the purple of the king and the rags of a beggar ; prostrating itself at the altar of the cathedral, or offering its prayer in the humble conventicle m the wilderness ; like the wind that bloweth where it listeth, and " ye know not whence it cometh nor whither it go eth." And therefore, being what the Savior has denom inated it, " the kingdom of God within you," and es- sentially independent of outward circumstances, it pos- sesses a perpetual vitality. In the most disastrous periods of the church, there have always been some (a seven thousand perhaps) who have not bowed the knee to Baal, Ministers may have become corrupt ; churches may have been infected with unholy leaven ; the rich and the learned may have been unanimous in their rejection of every thing except the mere superficialities of religion; and yet it will be found that God, who values the blood of his beloved Son too highly to let it remain inoperative, has raised his altar in individual hearts. In the dwellings of the poor, in soli- tary places, in the recesses of valleys and mountains, he has written his name upon regenerated minds ; and the incense of their adoration, remote from public notice, has gone silently up to heaven. These are general views and remarks, which will per- haps be better understood in the result. We do not think it necessary to dwell upon them longer at present. In conclusion, we would say, however, that the true Hidden Life has its principles — principles of origin and principles of perpetuity. The popular Christianity, that "which exists in great numbers of the professed followers of Christ, has sometimes seemed, to those who have looked into its nature, to be a sort of chaos, entirely ir- regular and confused, " without form, and void." The 16 SOME MARKS OR TRAITS OF THE HIDDEN LIFE measurement, and almost the only measurement, / its vitality is excitation, temporary emotion. It is i..fiven downward and upward, backward, forward, and trans- versely, by the blind impulse of emotional power ; so that if we seek it here, supposing it has a fixed principle of movement which will help to designate where it is, it IS gone somewhere else ; and if we seek it somewhere else, it has already altered its position. The true Hid- den Life, refusing to be characterized by the fatal mark of inconstancy, has cast anchor in God ; and its princi- ples are the strong cable which holds it there. This is one thing which, if we estimate the subject correctly, the church of God are called upon to learn more fully ; viz., that the true life of God in the soul has its princi- ples — principles founded in wisdom ; principles fixed and inflexible. God never made a stone, an herb, a blade of grass, or any natural thing, however insignificant, nor does he sustain it for a moment, without a principle of action. It is impossible for God to operate accidentally. What- ever he does, he does by principle. And if this is" true in natural things, it is equally so in spiritual things. God did not make, and does not sustain, the soul by ac- cident. Nor does he raise it from its fallen condition, rekindle within it a renovated life, and bear it onward to present and eternal victory, by a fortuitous aid, an ac- cidental fatality. The new life in the soul, therefore, has its laws of beginning and progress, as well ls every other form of life. 17 CHAPTER SECOND. ON THE DOCTRINE OF HOLINESS. Having in the preceding chapter given some generaa idea of the Interior or Hidden Life, the important in- quiry naturally suggests itself, In what way shall we gain admission into this desirable state? The gospel evidently contemplates, in the case of every individual, a progress from the incipient condition of mere forgiveness and acceptance, immensely important as it is, to the higher state of interior renovation and -sanctification throughout. The apostle appears to have reference to this onward progress of the soul in the expressions he employs in the commencement of the sixth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. " Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repent- ance from dead works and of faith towards God ; of the doctrine of baptism and of laying on of hands, and ol resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit." What direction, then shall we take ? What course shall we pursue, that we may rise above the merely initiatory principles and feel- ings of the gospel life, and enjoy the delightful privilege of walking in close and uninterrupted communion with God ? In answer to this general inquiry, we remark, that the first and indispensable prerequisite is holiness of HEART. It is generally supposed, that God may exhibit pity and pardon to those in whom there still exist some relics and stains of inward corruption ; in other words, that those may be forgiven or pardoned, who are not entirely sanctified. But those who would walk accept- 2* 18 , ON THE DOCTRINE ably with their Maiver, who would receive from him his secret communications, and enjoy the hidden embraces of his iove, must soc to it, first of all, that they are pure in heart ; that they have a present, as well as a prospec- tive salvation ; in other words, that they are holy. We are aware, that, in the view of some, this condi- tion of realizing the full life of God in the soul is an im- practicable one. They regard holiness in this life as a thing unattainable ; or, what seems to me to be practi- cally the same view, as a thing never attained. The persons to whom we noAV allude seem to look upon holiness as a sort of intangible abstraction, as something placed high and remotely in the distance ; as designed to be realized by angels and by the just made perfect in heaven, but situated far beyond mere human acquisition. Hence it is that, followed and scourged by an inward condemnation, they remain in the condition of servants, and do not cheerfully and boldly take that of sons. They wander about, oftentimes led captive by Satan, in the low grounds of the gospel life, amid marshes and tangled forests ; and do not ascend into the pleasant hills, and that emblematical "land of Beulah," where are spicy breezes and perpetual simshine. In this state of things, it will be readily seen that it is necessary to delay a short time here. It becomes a very important inquiry, whether holiness, in any strict and proper sense of that term, is something attainable in the present life. Among other reasons, it is important to be able to answer properly this question, because, unless we believe in the attainableness of holiness, we shall not be likely — such are the laws of the human mind — to attain it. Perhaps we may say, that without this belief it will be impossible to attain it. And without holiness, with- out a heart thoroughly purified from the stains of volun- tary transgression, we may be assured that we shall not enter into the secrets of the Most High ; the Hidden Life Avill be hidden to us ; and there will be many things in the Christian's privileges, more precious than rubies, which will never, in\the present state of being, come wiiulii the xTtijuO of 011^ experience. OF HOLINESS. 19 But before we can decide whether 1 oUness is attain* able, we must endeavor to form some definite conception of its nature. And here it may be proper to remark, that we are obliged to travel over ground which has already- been repeatedly occupied by former writers. We shall, therefore, be as tioncise as will be at all consistent with giving any thing like a correct idea of the subject. First. And in the first place, we proceed to remark, that the holiness which Christ requires in his people, and which, in order to distinguish it from Adamic per- fection, is sometimes designated as evangelical or gospel holiness, does not necessarily imply a perfection of the physical system. Adam, before his fall, was a perfect man, physically as well as mentally. His senses were sound ; his limbs symmetrical : his muscular powers uninjured ; and in all merely corporeal or physical re- spects, we may reasonably suppose, that he possessed all that could be desired. But this is not our present con- dition. Far from it. In consequence of the fall of Adam, we inherit bodies that are subject to various weaknesses and infirmities. Many are called, in the providence of God, to endure a great degree of suffering through the whole course of their days. These weak- nesses and infirmities, which are often the source of great perplexity and suffering, are natural to us. To a considerable extent, at least, we cannot prevent their coming ; nor, when they have come, can we, by any mere voluntary acts, send them away. We admit, therefore, if gospel holiness necessarily implies physical perfection, that none can be holy. But this is not the case. Second. We remark, in the second place, that evan- gelical or gospel holiness does not necessarily imply a perfection of the intellect, either in its perceptive or in its comparing and judging powers. The perfection of the intellectual action depends in part on the perfection of physical action ; on the perfection, for instance, of the organs of sense — the organs of the sight, hearing, and ouch. But in our present fallen condition, it is well 20 ON THE DOCIRINE known that these and other physical instramentaUties, which have a greater or less connection with the men- tal action, are greatly disordered. And the natural and necessary consequence of this state of things will be a degree of perplexity and obscurity in such mental ac- tion. And such is the .--.onnection of the powers of the mind, one with another, that an erroneous action in one part of the mind will be likely to lay the foundation for a degree of erroneous action in some other part. Hence, in the present life, a perfect knowledge of things, either in themselves or in their relations, may be regarded in the light of a physical impossibility. And such perfect knowledge, in which there is not the least possible mis- take or error, does not appear to be required of us in the gospel, as a necessary condition of holiness and of ar ceptance with God. It may be added here, that in this respect also oui condition appears to differ from that of our first parent. Adam, it is true, did not possess omniscience, but within the range of his perceptive powers he was not uibject to error. So far as God permitted him to know It all, he knew correctly. So that, relatively to the sphere of his ability and action, he was as perfect intel- lectually as he was corporeally and physically. Third. In the third place, there is ground for saying, that the holiness which, in accordance with the princi- ples of the gospel, is required to be exercised in the present life, differs in some respects from the holiness or sanctification of a future life. It is important to add, however, that it does not differ in its nature, but only in some of its accessories or incidents. In its nature, holiness ever will be and ever must be the same ; but it may differ in some of the attendant circumstances or incidents under which it exists. One of the particulars, of an accessory or incidental character, in which the holiness of the future life may be regarded as differing from that of the present, is, that it is not liable, by any pjssibility whatever, to any interruption or suspension. No physical infirmity, no weariness or perplexity, ot uF HOLINESS. 21 body or of mind, nothing will ever, even for a moment, either vitiate or weaken the purity of its exercises. The spiritual body, which constitutes the residence of the soul in its heavenly state, accelerates and perfects its operations, instead of retarding and perplexing them ; so that its purity is always unstained, its joy always fall, the song of its worship always new. Another ground of ditference between the sanctification or holi- ness of the present and that of the future life is to be found in the circumstance, that in the present life we are subject to perpetual and heavy temptations. No one, however advanced in religious experience, is wholly exempt from them. On the contrary, persons who are the most holy often endure temptations of the severest kind. But it is not so in the heavenly world In that happier place, the contest ceases forever. There s not only no sin, and no possibility of sinning, bat no temptation to sin. While, therefore, we hold to the possibility of a freedom from actual voluntary trans- gression in this life, it ought to be understood that we do not hold to a freedom from temptation. So that we may speak of the continuance of the spiritual warfare in the present life as a matter of necessity, but not of the continuance of sin as a matter of necessity. We may also admit, in addition to what has been remarked, that all mere physical infirmities, which origi- nate in our fallen condition, but which necessarily pre- vent oar doing for God what we should otherwise do, and also all unavoidable errors and imperfections of jadg- ment, which in their ultimate causes result from sin, (we have reference here to Adam's sin,) require an atonement. It seems to be clear, that God constituted the human race on the principle of a unity, or perhaps, more precisely, of a close connection of obligations and mterests ; linking together man with man, as with bands of iron, in the various civil, social, and domestic rela- tions. And in consequence of the existence of the great connective laws of nature, (laws which our own judg- ments and consciences alike approve,) it seems to be 22 ON THE DOCTRINE the case, that we may sometimes justly suffer, in our own persons, results which are of a punitive kind, al- though in their source flowing from the evil conduct ot others rather than our ov/n. And hence it is that the head of a family ordinarily does not sin, without affect- ing the happiness of its members. Nor does any mem- ber of the family ordinarily sin without involving others in the consequences of the transgression. Nor does the head of a community, or of a state, or of any other" as- sociated body, commit errors and crimes without a diffu- sion of the attendant misery through the subordinate parts of the association. In other words, a union or as- sociation of relations and interests, whether it be estab- lished by ourselves or by that higher Being with whose wisdom we ought ever to be satisfied, necessarily in- duces a common liability to error, suffering, and punish- ment. And in accordance with this view, we may very prop- erly, sincerely, and deeply mourn over those various in- firmities and imperfections, which flow out of our con- nection with an erring and fallen parent, although they are very different in their nature from deliberate and voluntary transgressions ; and may with deep humility make application to the blood of Christ, as alone pos- sessing that atoning eflicacy which can wash their stains away. In other words, God is to be regarded as right- eous in exacting from us whatever we could or might have rendered him if Adam had not fallen, and if the race had remained holy. Nevertheless, he has mercifully seen fit to remit or forgive all these involuntary sins, more commonly, and perhaps more justly, called imper- fections or trespasses, if we will but cordially accept of the atonement in the blood of Christ. But without the shedding of blood and confession, there is no more re- mission in this case than in any other. It is probably in reference to such imperfections or trespasses, rather than to sins of a deliberate and voluntary nature, that some good people speak of the moral certainty or necessity we are under of sinuMiff nil the time. If such is all their OF HOLINESS. 23 meaning, it is not very necessary to dispute with them. What, then, after these various remarks and explana- tions, is the nature of Christian perfection, or of that holiness which, as fallen and as physically and intel- lectually imperfect creatures, we are imperatively re- rpiired and expected to exercise ; and to exercise not merely in the ''article of death," but at the present mo- ment, and during every succeeding moment of our lives ? It is on a question of this nature, if on any one which can possibly be proposed to the human understanding, that we must go to the Bible ; and must humbly receive, irrespective of human suggestions and human opinions, the answer which the word of God gives. It is cause of great gratitude, that a question so momentous is answered by the Savior himself; and in such a way as to leave the subject clear and satisfactory to humb]e and candid minds. When the Savior was asked, " Which is the great commandment in the law?" he answered, '•' Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it : Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the laio and the prophets^ Matt. xxii. 37 — 39. And it is in accordance with the truth involved in this remarkable passage, that the apostle asserts, Rom, xiii. 10, '• Love is the fulfilling of the law.'^ He, therefore, who loves God with his whole heart, and his neighbor as himself, although his state may in some incidental respects be different from that of Adam, and especially from tJiat of the angels in heaven, and although he may be the subject of involuntary imperfec- tions and infirmities, which, in consequence of his rela- tion to Adam, require confession and atonement, is nevertheless, in the gospel sense of the terms, a holy oi sanctified person. He has that love which is the " ful filling of the law." He bears the image of Christ. I< is true, he may not have that physical or intellectual 24 ON THE DOCTRINE OF HOLINESS. perfection which the Savior had ; but he bears his mora, image. And of such a one can it be said, in the dehght ful words of the Savior, John xiv. 23, '^ If a man love mo, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Holiness, as the term has now been explained, — in other words, pure and perfect love, — is required of all persons. We do not esteem it necessary to delay, and repeat all the passages in which the requisition is made. It is written very plainly upon all parts of the Bible, from the beginning to the end of it. " But as he which hath called you is holy," says the apostle Peter, " so be ye holy in all manner of conversation ; because it is written. Be ye holy, for lam holy." All, therefore, which we have to say further at the present time, is this : Those who aim at the possession of the Hidden Life, who wish to walk with God, and to hold communion with him in the interior man, as a friend converses with a friend, will find these glorious results impossible to them, except on the condition of holiness of heart So long as they indulge voluntarily in any known sin, they erect a wall of separation between themselves and their heavenly Father ; and he cannot and will not take them into his bosom, and reveal to them the hidden se- crets of his love. They must stand far off. We do no , say that they are utterly rejected ; but they occupy the position of their own selection ; obscure and perplexed in their own experience, i nd darkness and perplexity to all around them. 25 CHAPTER THIRD. DIRECTIONS TO AID IN THE ATTAINMENT OF HOLINESS. Having in the second chapter attempted to show, that iie higher realisations of the religious life, those in tvhich the wall of separation is broken down, and the fallen spirit of man emergesjnto unity with its Maker, can exist only in connection with holiness of heart, the next important question to be considered is, how we may attain to a state of holiness. How may we expe- rience the desirable change from weakness of faith to assurance of faith, from a weak and vacillating love to perfection of love, — or, what is to be regarded as essen- tially the same thing, from a partial to a state of entire sanctification ? In reply to this interesting inquiry, we proceed to remark, that there are three things upon which, in connection with the operations and influences of the Holy Spirit, this great result seems especially to depend. First. And the first is a belief in the attainableness of sanctiiication or holiness at the present time. There are two acknowledged principles in the phi- losophy of the human mind, which have an important connection with such belief The first is, that we never can feel under moral obligation to do a thing which we believe impossible to be done. Now, the popular doc- trine, that no man ever has been sanctified, or ever will be sanctified, till the moment of death, places, in the view of the common mind, the opposite doctrine, viz., that sanctification is attainable at any period of life, in the light of an impossibility. The idea, that no man hag been sanctified or will be sanctified till death, is inex- plicable, in the view of mei generally, except on the 3 •^6 DIRECTIONS TO AID IN THE ground that there is some insuperable obstacle in the way of it, although they may not readily perceive or explain Avhat that obstacle is. The conviction of the impossi- bility of present sanctification will exist in the common mind, as it has done in times past, just so long as the popular doctrine, that there have not been and never will be cases of it, prevails. And the consequence is, as might naturally be expected, that, throughout a great proportion of the churches, the sense of obligation to be holy is very feeble. It is not wrought into the mind ; It does not weigh upon it heavily, and give it no rest. Nor is It possible, on the principles of mental philosophy, that it should, while the common notions on this subject remain. Men will never feel the obligation to be what they believe it impossible for them to be. Now, this great work of holiness, we venture to say, will never be ac- complished in us without a deep sense of our obligation to be holy. Another principle, involved in the philosophy of the mind, and having a connection with this subject, . is this: No person — such is the relation between the will and belief — can put forth a volition to do a thing, which at the same time he believes impossible to be done. I do not believe, for instance, in the possibility of flying in the air ; and I am unable to put forth a volition to do any such thing. I may exercise a desire to fly in the air ; but while I have an utter disbelief in its possibility, I shall never put forth a volition to do it. So, if I disbe- lieve in the possibility of being holy, I can never put forth a volition, that is to say, a fixed determination, to be so. 1 may put forth a volition to do many good things ; 1 may put forth a volition to grow in grace j but to put forth a volition, a fixed, unalterable determi- nation, with divine assistance, to resist and overcome every sin, to be wholly the Lord's, — to be holy, — when I believe such a result to be unattainable, is what, on the principles of the philosophy of the mind, I am unable to do. i might as well put forth a volition to create a con- tinent, or to remove the Rocky Mountains into the Pa- ATTAINMENT OF HOLINESS. 27 cific Ocean, or to do any thing else, which I know it to be impossible for me to do. Now, if these two philosophical principles have been correctly stated — first, that the sense of obligation to be holy at the present time will depend on a belief in the present attainableness of holiness ; and, second, that the volition, or voluntary determination, to be holy now, necessarily presupposes the same belief — then we see very clearly the importance of being established in this doc- trine. Who can expect to be holy now, and holy through his whole life, that does not feel the weight of obliga- tion to be so ? Still more, who can reasonably expect to be holy, that does not put forth a volition, a fixed, unalterable determination, with divine assistance, to be so ? And if these, the obligation and the volition, or fixed purpose of mind, depend on the antecedent belief, then evidently the first great preparatory step to a holy life, is, to be fully settled in the doctrine ; in other words, to believe fully in the attainableness of holiness at the present time. And this, as the matter presents itself to my own mind, is, practically, a very important conclusion. Upon the mind that can appreciate the relation and the application of the principles which have just been laid down, the reception of the common doc- trine of the impossibility of present sanctification presses with the weight of a millstone. A person in this posi- tion feels that he cannot move. He is like a man that is shut up in prison and in irons ; and in accordance with the saying that "hope deferred maketh the heart sick," he soon ceases to make effort, when there is nothing but defeat before him. We say, then, to every one who feels the importance of this subject, and who is sincerely desirous to be holy in heart. Go to the Bible. Go with a single eye. Go in the spirit of humble prayer. And see whether the Lord does not require you to be wholly his, in the exercise of assurance of faith and of perfect love ; and whether he has not, in the blood of h'3 Son, made ample provision for this blessed result. 28 DIRECTIONS TO AID IN THE Second. In answer to the question how we may attain to holiness, we proceed to say, that a second in- dispensable thing is an act of personal consecration to God. Some confound such an act of consecration with the full or complete slate of sanctification. But this confusion of ideas ought to be avoided. Sanctification is something more than the consecrating act. Conse- cration is simply putting forth the volition, (a founda- tion for which we will now suppose to be laid in the belief of the duty and the attainableness of holiness,) the fixed unalterable determination, with divine assist- ance, to be wholly the Lord's. In other words, it is a fixed purpose, not to be altered during the whole period of our existence, to break off from every known sin ; and to walk, to the full extent of our ability, in the way of the divine requirements. God recognizes the moral agency of man, fallen as he is ; and very properly caUs upon him and requires him to make this consecra- aon, however unavailable it may ultimately be without his own accessory aid. Now, it does not necessarily follow, because we put forth a determination to do a thing, that the thing is done ; although it is certain that the thing will never be done without the previous de- termination. Such a consecration, therefore, extending to all that we are and all that we have, is necessary. And let it not be said, that we have no power to make it. We are not speaking now of persons who are in the deadness of original unconversion. We are speaking ot Christians, of persons in a justified state, whose dead wills have been partially quickened by the Holy Ghost, and who certainly can do something in this way. Such a consecration, therefore, made with the whole soul and for all coming time, is necessary. And it is so, first, because we can have no available faith in the promises of God without it. It is a great complaint in the Christian church, at the present day. that there is a want of faith. If we may take the state- ments of Christians themselves, they do not believe; cer tamly, not as they should do. And why is it ? It is be ATTAIN5IENT OF HOLINESS 29 cause they have not fully consecrated themselves to God , in other words, they continue to indulge in some known sins. Such are the laws of the mind, that they cannot have full faith in God as a friend and father to them, so long as they are conscious of voluntarily sinning against him. The Savior himself has distinctly recognized the principle, that faith under such circumstances is an im- possibility. " How cati ye believe, who receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only ? " If we seek the honor that cometh from God, in other words, if in the fixed purpose of our minds we consecrate ourselves to him, to do, as far as in us lies, his whole will, then, and not otherwise, we can believe that he v/ill be to us, and do for us, all that he has prom- ised in his Holy Word. It is precisely here as it is in ■ common life. It is impossible for us, in our intercourse j of man with man, to believe that a man whom we delib- j erately sin against and injure has confidence in us and | loves us, provided we are certain that he has knowledge : of the fact. The principle will be found to hold good ■ in regard to God as well as man. Before Adam and Eve / sinned, they had faith in God as their father and friend. \ But their faith failed as soon as they had sinned ; and ' they immediately hid themselves from his presence. It we would have faith, therefore, we must endeavor by consecration to cease from all known voluntary sin. In i entire accordance with these views are the remarkable expressions in the first epistle of John — " Beloved, if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence toward '■ God." An act of entire consecration is necessary, so far as it is in our power to make it, secondly, because we have no encouragement to believe that God will sanctify us in the state of personal and spiritual inactivity and de- clension. As has already been said, God recognizes the moral agency of man, fallen as he is ; and especially when, after having justified him by the application of the Savior's blood, he has given him the principle of a new spiritual life. It is because he has given ua the 8 * 30 DIRECTIONS TO AID IN THE power of distinguishing between good and evil ; because he has given us judgment, and conscience, and will ; be- cause he has breathed into us the breath of a new spir- itual life -—thereby putting us into communication with himself, and opening to us the fountains of everlasting strength — that he has the right, and exercises the right, of requiring us to surrender all to him. And if we find the attempt difficult, as no doubt, on account of our past lives, we shall be very likely to, he nevertheless requires that we shall do all that we can. And it is at this point, when we have put forth, with all the energy and sin- cerity of our being, the unalterable determination, relying upon divine assistance, that we will be wholly his, that he meets us. The two principles of entire consecration and of divine assistance, to the full extent of the prom- ises, go together. And both are imbodied in that re- markable passage of Scripture, which should be written upon the heart of every believer, " Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate^ saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I ivill receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.'^ 2 Cor. vi. 17, IS It will of course be understood, that, in making this act of consecration, we have a sincere and earnest desire for holiness. We cannot suppose it possible, that it should be made in any other state of mind. Third. A third thing requisite, in order to present sanctification, is a full belief in the faithfulness of God in relation to the fulfilment of his promises. Having believed; first, that holiness is a duty, and that such pro- vision is made for it as to render it attainable ; and hav- ing, secondly, consecrated ourselves to God in all things to do his will, we are now, in the third place, to .have faith in him, that he will do what he has voluntarily assumed as his own part ; in other words, that he will fulfil the promises he has graciously made ; that he will accept the sacrifice which we have deliberately laid upon his altar; ard make us fully and entirely his This is oftentimes i\ s most difficult thing of the whole -' ATTAINMENT OF HOLINESS. 31 Qifficult, not in itself considered, but in consequence of our natu»-ally fallen condition. Some, it is true, believe easily ; believe at once ; and of course enter in at such an open door, that they are filled with surprise. But many stumble at this point. They feel the dreadful effects of former habits of mind. That old unbelief, which has so long kept them far from God, still clings to them. They hesitate, linger, become discouraged, and are oftentimes defeated. It is at this crisis of one's reli- gious history, that the saying of Elizabeth to Mary has an especial meaning — " Blessed is she that believed." There is one thing, in particular, which seems to ren- der it necessary to believe that God does now accept the consecration which is made. It is, that this belief con- stitutes, if we may so express it, the transition point (or rather perhaps the transition itself) from consecration to > sanctification. In the act of consecration we solemnly \ promise the Lord, that, relying upon his grace, we will i now and forever break off from every known sin. But j in exercising faith in God as true to his promises, and as | giving us strength to be his, and as now receiving us, we i may be said in some respects to do a still greater work, viz., we renounce absolutely and entirely all self-reliance and all confidence in our own strength. And he, who ( breaks off from every known sin, and at the same time, in full reliance upon the word of God, and with childlike simplicity, leaves hiinself entirely and in all things in _the_hands of God, unresistingly to receive the sugges- tions and to fulfil the guidance of the Holy Spirit, ne- cessarily becomes, in the Scripture sense of the terms, a holy or sanctified person. He becomes so, because he is precisely in that position in which God desires him to be, and in which the grace of God is pledged to give re- demption and victory. God necessarily receives him : in other words, he passes from a state of rebellion to one of submission; from a state of unbelief to one of child- like conMence ; and from himself, and out of himself, mio God. The diffimlty of believing at this particular ciisis 33 DIRECTIONS TO AID IN THE } results not only from our former habits of mibelief, but also, in part, although it may seem to be a contradiction, , from the extreme simplicity and facility of the thing to ; be done. The internal process in the minds of many persons, when they arrive at this specific point, seems to be like this. Is it possible, they say, that we can expe- rience so great a blessing in a manner so easy, so simple, that we stumble at its very simplicity ? Must we expe- rience the great work of interior salvation in the way of renunciation, by merely giving up all, and by sinking into the simplicity and nothingness of little children ? Is there nothing which is personally meritorious, nothing which is the subject of self-gratulation, neither in the beginning, nor in the progress, nor in the completion, of the divine life ? And thus, through the extreme good- ness of God in making the way so easy, they are con- fused and kept back. In a word, they disbelieve, simply because, in this position of their experience, nothing is required but believing. Happy is he, who, in losing aU things, gains all things. Happy is he, who alienates himself from himself, in order that God may take pos- session of that self which he has renounced. Again we repeat, "Blessed is she that believed." It is in the ex- ercise of belief, under the circumstances which we have now been considering, that we realize the full import of those striking passages of Scripture, (passages which we shall have occasion to remark upon hereafter,) Mark xi. \ 24 : " Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye I desire, wheji ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and \ye shall have themy And 1st Epistle of John, v. 15: ^" And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if I we ask any thing according to his rvill, he heareth us. I A7id if loe knoio that he hears us, wliatsoever loe ask, we \know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.'' ' A faithful and persevering application of the principles laid down in this chapter, attended with reliance on God for his blessing, will result, we have no doubt, in leading persons into the narrow and holy way. We say versevering application, because in nothing is perse c^r- ATTAINMENT OF HOLINESS. 33 ance, a fixed tenacity of purpose, more desirable than in the pursuit of holiness. He, who puts his hand to the plough here, with the secret reservation that he will look back when he pleases, might as well make no beginning. There must be a fixedness of determination, which will not be discouraged by any obstacles ; an inflexible will, which, with God's blessing, will continue steadfast to the end. 34 CHAPTER FOURTH. ON THE ACT OR COVENANT OF RELIGIOUS COIN SECRATION. It must be obvious, from what was said in the last chapter, that no one can reasonably expect to make much advancement in religion without a permanent and de- vout personal consecration. Unless the Christian is will- ing to make such a consecration, and unless he actu- illy adds the execution of the thing to the desire or will- ingness to do it, by a formal and decisive act, we can see no encouragement that he will reach those results of personal inward experience which will be hereafter in- dicated. This is a duty so important, so much depends upon it, that it seems to be necessary to give to it a sep- arate and more particular consideration. ( 1. ) And the first remark which we have to make on this subject is, that the consecration of ourselves to God, which is so inseparable from the progress and perfection of the divine life, should be made deliberately. — A consecration made in this manner, viz., with calmness and deliberation, is due to our own characters as rational and reflecting beings. As God has made us perceptive and rational, he desires and expects us, especially in im- portant transactions, to act in accordance with the prin ciples he has given us. It is not reasonable to suppose that God would be pleased with a consecration made thoughtlessly and by blind impulse, rather than by de- liberate reflection. Man has deliberately rebelled and gone astray, and it is due to himself and his Maker, it is due to truth and to holiness, that he should deliberately and reflectingly submit and return ; that his repentance of sin should be accompanied with a clear perception of ON THE ACT OF RELIGIOUS CONSECRATION. 35 his sinfulness; that his determination to do God's will should be attended with some suitable apprehensions of what he requires ; and that his fixed purpose of future obedience should be sustained by the united strength ot all appropriate considerations. (2.) We observe, in the second place, that the conse- cration must be made for all coming time. It is true that there may be specific consecrations of a modified character, restricted to particular objects and occasions, and limited also to definite periods. A person, for in- stance, may devote himself exclusively, for a limited time, to the one important object of erecting a place of public worship. And regarding him as giving to this one object all his powers of body and of mind, we may properly speak of him, in an imperfect or modified sense of the term, as consecrated to this particular work. But it is quite obvious that such instances of consecra- tion are exceedingly different from the one under con- sideration; which is fundamental and universal in its character, and which would be inconsistent with itself if it were applied to one object to the exclusion of others : which takes into view the very being and nature of the soul ; which considers the principles of man's departure from God, and also the principles involved in his restora- tion ; which recognizes the full amount of God's immu- table and infinite claims; and which, therefore, on the grounds of truth and rectitude, as well as of safety and of happiness, cannot be made for a less period than all time and eternity. (3.) It may be remarked again, that the consecration, including our bodies as well as our spirits, and our pos- sessions as well as our persons, all we are and all we have, all we can do and all we can suffer, should be made without any reserve. There are many professors of rehgion who are willing to give up something to the Lord ; and perhaps it can be said that there are many who are willing to give up much ; but the consecration of which we are speaking, requires us to be truly willing to give up ALL ; and not only to be willing to give u{/ 36 ON THE ACT OR COVENANT all, but to do it. It is true that, in our present state some things are needful for us, and our heavenly Father assures us that he is not ignorant of it. But while, in compassion to our obvious wants, he bestows upon us those things which are necessary to beings who must be fed, clothed, and sheltered, he requires us to hold these and all other gifts of a temporal nature, which we sometimes call our own, as bestowments imparted by himself for a special purpose, and to be retained and used in perfect subordination to the divine will. And still more important and necessary is it, that all the exercises of the mind, that all powers and efforts of the intellect, and all desires and purposes of the heart and will, should be laid sacredly upon the divine altar ; in perfect sim- plicity of view ; without any reservation, and with- out any regards, however secret and intimate, to the claims of self; inscribed, as it were, within and without, with holiness to the Lord ; from God, of God, and for God. Consecration without reserve implies that we are not only to give up our persons and powers to be employed as God wills, but also to endure or suffer as God wills ; and it implies also that we are to give them up, to be employed and to suffer just in the time and place, and in all the precise circumstances, which are agreeable to God ; without presuming to dictate to him in the smallest respects, and without any will or choice of our own. (4.) Finally, in the full conviction that no efforts or purposes of our own will be available without divine as- sistance, we should make the consecration in reliance upon divine strength ; recognizing, on the one hand, our own entire weakness, and at the same time fully believ- ing, on the other, in the willingness and readiness of God to aid and deliver us in every time of temptation and trial. A consecration, made Avithout a distinct recogni- tion of our own insufRciency, and without the expression and the reality of reliance on God alone as our only hope, would be wanting in the most essential element. It would necessarily fail of the divine blessing, and could OF RELIGIOUS CONSECRATION. 37 not result in any good. "Lay it down to yourself as a most certain principle," says Dr. Doddridge, " that no at- tempt m religion is to be made in your own strength. If you forget this, and God purposes finally to save you, he will humble you with repeated disappointments, till he teach you better." A consecration, thus deliberately made, including all our acts, powers, and possessions of body, mind, and estate, made without any reserve either in objects, time, or place ; embracing trial and suffering as well as action ; never to be modified, and never to be withdrawn ; and which contemplates its fulfilment in divine and not in human strength, — necessarily brings one into a new rela- tionship with God, of the most intimate, interesting, and effective nature. It is not easy to see how a soul, that is thus consecrated, can ever be deserted. Divinity is pledged in its behalf; and in all times of temptation and trial, when clouds and storms hang darkly and heavily around, there will always be a redeeming power, a light in the midst of shadows, the shining of the bow of promise. A word further remains to be said here. I am aware there are some, who seem to appreciate the necessity of entirely consecrating themselves to God, and perhaps may be said to be willing to do it, but who have felt a difficulty in one particular. They have inquired, with a good deal of solicitude, How is it possible to make a consecration now which shall bind us to fulfil the will of God in all the emergencies of the unseen and untried future ? — including cases, the difficulties of which we are now unable to appreciate, and therefore do not know that we have now, or ever shall have, strength to meet them. In respect to such cases, all we can say is, that we must commit CLirselves into the hands of God in the exercise of simple faith ; remembering his declaration, that " his grace is sufficient." God hath said, Heb. xiii. 5, 6, " I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." 4 38 ON THE ACT OR COVENANT In the conclusion of this subject, I would introduce another short passage from Dr. Doddridge.* — " I would further advise and urge," he says, speaking on the mat- ter of making an entire consecration of ourselves, " that this DEDICATION should be made with all possible solem- nity. Do :t in express words. And perhaps it may be in many cases most expedient, as many pious divines have recommended, to do it in writing. Set your hand and seal to it, that, on such a day of such a month and year, and at such a place, on full consideration and serious reflection, you came to this happy resolution, that, whatever others might do, you would serve the Lord." In connection with some further remarks of this kind, he gives two forms of consecration, of which the following is an abridgment, with the addition of a few words in brackets, which seemed to be necessary to complete the sense. FORM OF CONSECRATION, Abridged from Dr. Doddridge. Eternal and ever-blessed God ! I desire to present myself before Thee with the deepest humiliation and abasement of soul, sensible how unworthy such a sinful worm is to appear before the holy Majesty of heaven, and to enter into a covenant transaction with Thee. I come acknowledging myself to have been a great offend- er ; smiting on my breast, and saying, with the humble publican, God be merciful to me a sinner. I come in- vited in the name of thy Son, and wholly trusting in his perfect righteousness ; entreating that, for his sake, Thou wilt be merciful to my unrighteousness, and wilt no more remember my sins. Permit me, O Lord, to bring back unto Thee those powers and faculties which I have ungratefully and * Rise and Progfress of Religion in the Soul, chap, xvii OF RELIGIOUS CONSECRATION. 39 sacrilegiously alienated from thy service ; and receive, I beseech Thee, thy poor revolted creature, who is now convinced of thy right to him, and desires nothing in the world so much as to be thine. It is with the ut- most solemnity that I make this surrender of myself unto Thee. I avouch the Lord this day to be my God ; and I avouch and declare myself this day to be one of liis covenant children and people. Hear, O Thou God of heaven, and record it in the book of thy remem- brance, that I am thine, entirely thine. I would not merely consecrate to Thee so7ne of my powers, or some of my possessions, or give Thee a certain portion of my services, or all I am capable of for a liTnited time ; [but 1 give myself to Thee, and promise, relying upon thy divine assistance,] to be wholly thine, and thine forever. From this day do I solemnly renounce all the former lords which have had dominion over me, every sin and every lust ; and in thy name set myself in eternal oppo- sition to the powers of hell, which have most unjustly usurped the empire over my soul, and to all the cor- ruptions which their fatal temptations have introduced into it. The whole frame of my nature, all the facul- ties of my mind and all the members of my body, would [ present before Thee this day, as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which I know to be my most reasonable service. [To Thee I consecrate not only my person and powers,] but all my worldly possessions ; and earnestly pray Thee also to give mc strength and courage to exert for thy glory all the influence I ma} have over others, in the relations of life in which I stand. Nor do I only consecrate all that I am and have to do thy service ; but I also most humbly resign and submit myself, and all that I can call mine, [to endure and suflfer at thy hand whatsoever Thou mayest see fit to impose upon me in the dispensations] of thy holy and sovereign will. I leave, O Lord, to thy management and direction all I possess and all I wish ; and set every ^.njoyment and every interest before Thee, to be dis- 40 ON THE ACT OF RELIGIOUS CONSECRATION. posed of as Thou pleasest ; contentedly resolving, in all that Thou appointest for me, my will into thine, and looking on myself as nothing, and on Thee, O God, as the great eternal All, whose word ought to determine every thing, and whose government ought to be the joy of the whole rational creation. Receive, O heavenly Father, thy returning prodigal ! Wash me in the blood of thy dear Son ! Clothe me with thy perfect righteousness ; and sanctify me through- out by the power of thy Spirit. And, O Lord, when thou seest the agonies of dissolving nature upon me, remember this covenant, even though I should then be incapable of recollecting it, and look with pitying eye upon thy dying child. Put strength and confidence into my departing spirit ; and receive it to the embraces of thine everlasting love. GLORY to god ALONE. " O Loved ! but not enough, though dearer far Than self and its most loved enjoyments are; None duly loves Thee, but who, nobly free From sensual objects, finds his all in Thee. Glory of God ! thou stranger here below, Whom man nor knows, nor feels a wish to know Our faith and reason are both shocked to find Man in the post of honor, Thee behind. " My Soul ! rest happy in thy low estate, Nor hope, nor wish, to be esteemed or great. To take the impression of a Will Divine, Be that thy glory, and those riches thine. Confess Him righteous in his just decrees, Love what He loves, and let his pleasures please ; Die daily ; from the touch of sin recede, Then thou hast crowned Him, and He reigns indeed. ' 41 OHAPTER FIFTH. ON FAITH, ESPECIALLY APPROPRIATING FAITH. It is not until a person has taken the important and decisive step indicated in the foregoing chapter, that he is in a true position to reaHze the various results of an unobstructed divine operation upon tlie mind. It is from that moment, that divine moment, that he begins to learn, in a new and higher sense, the length and breadth, tlie height and depth, of God's inward dealings. Especially is it true, that, from this important period, he begins to learn and to practise the life of faith. Perhaps he had faith before. If he were a Christian, he must of course have known something of justifying faith. In other words, he exercised faith in Christ as the source, and the only source, of pardon ; but he did not realize and understand the nature and efficacy of faith, as a practically sustaining and sanctifying princi- ple ; as a principle through which we are not only forgiven, but are made and are kept holy. It is not our intention, in the present work, to go very fully into the nature of faith. To do this fully, to con- sider faith in its nature and its various bearings, would require a volume. If there is any religious principle which is fundamental, any one which may be regarded as the root and source of origin to the various othei Christian graces that cluster around and adorn the Chris- tian character, it is faith. So far as the subject of faith will come under our notice in the present work, it will be our object especially, if not exclusively, to consider It in connection with the more general subject of sang- 1IFICATI0N. We are commanded in the Scriptures to 4* 42 ON FAITH, ESPECIALLY " have faith in God ; " we are told that " the just shall live by faith," and also that "without faith it is impos- sible to please God." How important it is, therefore, to have right views of this excellent Christian grace, con- sidered in its relation to sanctification and holy living, as well as in its connection with justification ! There are three leading kinds of faith, saying nothing of some subordinate modifications, viz., historical faith, a general religious faith, and an appropriating faith ; each of which is entitled to a brief notice. An his- torical faith in the Savior is merely a belief that such a man as Jesus Christ, possessing many of the virtuous traits which his biographers have ascribed to him, appeared in Palestine at the commencement of the Christian era. It is not easy to see how a person, who gives credence to any of the historical narrations of an- tiquity, can do otherwise than receive this belief. This faith, however, does not necessarily involve the exist- ence of religion, or even of good morals. Men of abandoned characters, and of essentially infidel senti- ments, may go as far as this. Voltaire, and other distin- guished enemies of the Christian system, liad a belief of this kind. "Alas," says Jacob Behmen, speaking of the state of things in his times, of which he says that " true faith was never weaker since Christ's time than it is now," " the faith of this day is but historical, a mere assent to the matter of fact that Jesus Christ lived and died, that the Jews killed him, that he left this world, and is not king on earth in the outward man " — a faith, which leaves men, as he further intimates, to "do what they list," and is not inconsistent with a life " of sin and evil lusts." * (2.) There is also a general religious faith. A person may not only believe, with those who possess an his torical faith, that there was such a man as Jesus Christ , but may also believe that he died for the salvation cf men * The Way to Christ, Book II. chap. 3, § 52. APPROPRIATING FAITH. 43 in general. This form of faith, it is true, is important : but it does not and cannot secure all those objects which are ascribed to faith in the Bible. I sup- pose it may be said with truth, that the devils believe and know, not only that there was such a being as Jesus Christ, but that he died upon the cross for sinners. It obviously does not commend itself to human reason, and still less to the Word of God, to say that a man has saving faith, who merely believes in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, so far as the world receives him in that capacity ; but without receiving and believing in him as a Savior in his own case. A faith of this kind, and which goes no farther than this, is practically dead. And perhaps it may be said here that the great sin of the people of our own age is, not that they have merely an historical faith, and stop in that, as in some former corrupt periods ; but that they too often rest satisfied with a general and abstract faith, which is theoretically applicable to the world at large, without bringing it home to themselves. They believe in the general truth, without ma!. ins: a specific and per- sonal application ; and thus serve Satan as effectually, as far as they are personally concerned, as if they had only an historical faith. (3.) A third form or modification of the great princi- ple of faith is what may be called appropriating faith. The necessity of this form of faith is evident from even a slight consideration of the subject. The usual under- standing is, with the exception of those who hold strictly to a limited atonement, that our Savior has provided a common salvation, adequate to the wants of all, but available only in the case of those who exercise faith. How far this salvation will practically extend; how many individuals will avail themselves of it ; why some are taken and others are left, we cannot tell ; iior is it very obvious that it is important for us to know. But certain it is, that no one will accept of the provision ^hich is made without faith. But what sort of faith . The answer is, It is that which can speak in the first 44 ON FAITH, ESPECIALLY person ; that which has an appropriating power ; tha which can say, / have sinned ; / have need of this sal vation ; / take it home to myself. It is not enough for me to say, I believe that Christ died for others ; I must also believe that he died for me individually, and accept of him as my Savior. It is not meant by this that, pre- vious to the exercise of appropriating faith, and inde- pendently of such exercise, we have a special or partic- ular interest in Christ, separate from and above that of others ; and that appropriating faith consists in believing in this special or particular interest. An appropriating faith of this kind, and operating in this manner, might be very dangerous. It is merely meant, that, out of the common interest, which is broad as the human race, we may, by means of faith, take individually that which the gospel permits us to receive and regard as our own ; and that we can avail ourselves of this common interest, so as to make it personally our own, in no other way. God deals with us (certainly for the most part) as individuals^ and not in masses. When he requires men to repent of sin, to exercise gratitude, to love, and the like, the requisition is obviously made upon them as individuals, as separate from and as independent of others. It is not possible to conceive of any other way in which obedience to the requisition can be rendered. Nor is it conceivable that the remedial effect of the atonement should be realized in any other way than this. How is it possible, if I, in my own person, have suffered the wound of sin, that a remedy, which is gen- eral, and does not admit of any specific and personal ap- propriation, should answer my purpose ? Furthermore, in dying for all, — in other words, in furnishing a common salvation, available to all on their acceptance of the same, — Christ necessarily died for me as an individual, since the common mass or race of men is made up of individuals, and since 1 am one of that common mass or race. And indeed we can have no idea of a com- munity or mass of men, except as a congregation or collection of separate persons. In dying for the wholo APPROPRIATING FAITH. 45 on certain conditions, he necessarily, therefore, on the same conditions, died for the individuals composing that whole. It would seem to follow, then, from what has been said, that the faith which we especially need is a personal or appropriating faith ; a faith which will disintegrate us from the mass, and will enable us to take Christ home, in all bis offices, to our own business and our own bosoms. We must be enabled to say, if we would realize the astonishing cleansing and healing efficacy there is in the gospel, of God, that he is my God, of the Savior, that he is My Savior. We must be enabled to lay hold of the blessed promises, and exclaim, These are the gift of MY Father, these are the purchase of my Savior, these are meant for me. It was thus that patriarchs, prophets, and apostles be- lieved. This was the faith of those consecrated ones, of whom the world was not worthy, recorded in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. Hear the language of the Psalmist as an illustration of what is to be found frequently in the Scriptures. How precise, how personal, how re- mote from unmeaning generalities ! " I will love thee, Lord, MY strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer ; my God, my strength, in whom 1 will trust ; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and MY high tower ; " and it is worthy of notice, that the first word of the Lord's prayer has this appropriating character — "Our Father, who art in heaven." It is here, in connection with this form of faith, that we find the great and efiective instrument of progress and of victory in the Interior Life. If we possess an appropriating faith, and if our faith be operative and strong, as it should be, we shall not only gain the victory over the various temptations which beset us in the pres- ent life, but shall find ourselves rapidly forming a new and wonderful acquaintance with God. In the present life, a strong and operative appropriating faith is the key which unlocks the mysteries of the divine nature, and admits the soul to a present and intuitive ac.([uaint- 46 ON FAITH, ESPECIALLY ance with its exceeding heights and depths of pur/ty and love. No man who has not this faith, or has it not in a high degree, can be said to hve in true union with the divine mind, with God and in God, Hence we consider it important to say distinctly, in endeavoring to sketch some of the traits and principles of the Interior or Hidden Life, that those persons will have no true and experimental knowledge of the things which we affirm, who merely believe generically and not specifically ; in other words, who believe for others rather than them- selves ; who, in the exercise of a sort of discursive faith, which embraces the mass of mankind, cannot be said to possess it individually, and personally, and for their own soul's good. Let us, then, begin to learn the great lesson of faith ; of faith in its general nature ; of faith in its various modifications ; and particularly, the indis- pensable lesson of appropriating faith. Well has Martin Luther somewhere remarked, that the marrow of the gospel is to be found in the pronouns meum and nostrum, iviY and OUR. Faith is better to us, far better, than mere intellectual illumination ; better than any strength of joyous emotion ; better than any thing and every thing else, except holy love, of which it is the true parent. The fallen angels, in their primitive state of holiness, had illuminations, great discoveries of God and of heavenly things, and great raptures. But when their faith failed, when they ceased to have perfect confidence in God, they fell into sin and ruin. Our first parents fell in the same way ; because they ceased to have confidence in God ; because they ceased to believe him to be what he professed tc be, and that he would do what he declared he would do Their previous glorious experiences, their illuminations and joys, availed nothing, as soon as unbelief entered. Unbelief in them, and unbelief in their descendants, has ever been the great, the destructive sin. And faith, or the other hand, an implicit confidence in God, a perfect self-abandonment into his hands, ever has been, and, from the nature of the case, ever must be, the fountai/i APPROPRIATING FAITH. 47 i)f all other internal good, the life of all other life in the soul. And It may be remarked here, in addition to what has been said, that God, in his infinite mercy, knowing the ruinous effects of unbelief, seems determined to try, and to strengthen, the belief of his people during theii present state of probation. His word declares that they must walk by faith in the present life. All his various providences point in the same direction. He who attempts to walk in any other way will find himself inconsistent, changeable, subject to unsuitable elevations and depressions, and in many respects falling short of what a Christian ought to be. Not that faith is the only Christian principle, or the only Christian grace. By no means. But it is the fundamental principle ; the prerequisite and preparatory element ; especially of that love which purifies the heart, and is the "tulfillisg OF THE LAW." 48 CHAPTER SIXTH. CONSECRATION TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE FAITH O. ACCEPTANCE. It would seem, from what has been said, that the sanctification of the heart, and all those various blessings which are involved in sanctification, depend, if not ex- clusively, yet. certainly in a great degree, upon two leading principles : first, an entire consecration ol ourselves to God ; and, secondly, a full and unwavering belief that the consecration is accepted. Upon this second principle, which has already been oriefly referred to on a former occasion, we propose to say something further in the present chapter. In ma- king a consecration to God in the manner which has been indicated, we take a step, which, considered in any point of view, may be regarded as absolutely necessary. It is not enough, however, to offer all. In the same spirit of reliance on God, we must also believe that ALL IS ACCEPTED. It is the belief that God is faithful to his word ; and that, in accordance with his word, he will receive, and does now receive, all that unreservedly lay themselves upon his altar, which seems especially to secure the presence of a sanctifying efficacy. On the contrary, he who consecrates himself to God, however sincere he may be in the act of consecration, but who greatly dis- honors the veracity of God by remaining without the faith of ACCEPTANCE, deprives himself of that mighty power which faith alone is capable of imparting, and necessarily lies prostrate and exposed to all the dreadful attacks of the adversary. It is in connection with this vie'v, as it seems to me. FAITH OF ACCEPTANCE. 49 that we are enabled to appreciate and correctly under- stand certain passages of Scripture, which are frequently- mentioned in connection with the subject of present sanctification ; such as the following : "■ Therefore 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. "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according :o his will, he heareth us. And if we know," (that is, have full faith or confidence in him,) "that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the peti- tions that we desired of him." 1 John v. 14. The doctrine of these important passages is this : In consecrji^ting ourselves to God, and in praying sincerely for those things which are agreeable to the will of God, such as our sanctification and those Christian graces which are implied in sanctification, we may be certain that they will be given to us, and that they are now given to us, if we have no doubt in God's word. The certainty of the result, when the condition on which it depends is fulfilled, viz., a full belief of the truth of the divine declaration, is necessarily involved in the veracity of God; and not, as is sometimes sup- posed, in the mere fact of believing. This is an impor- tant distinction. It is God's everlasting truth, and nothing but his truth, which is the real foundation of the great principle involved in these passages. Never- theless, it must be admitted, that the result cannot take })lace without the specific act of faith ; because the de- fect or want of such faith necessarily makes a separa- tion between God and our souls, and especially because the promise of God, which is the true and effective source of the renovating power, is made only upon the condition of the act of faith. As soon, therefore, as God, m aid of our own unavailing efforts, takes away the re- mains of unbelief, and gives us perfect faith in the promise, which by implication involves perfect faith in all the divine declarations, he necessarily gives us the victory. "As many as received him, to them gave ha 5 50 CONSECRATION TO BE FOLLOWED power to become the sons of God, even to them thai BELIEVE ON HIS NAME." From that memorable moment, whether our emotions are more or less strong, and whether we have had special inward signs and manifes- tations or not, we truly feel the purifying energy. The principle of faith, perhaps after a long inward strife, has iDecome ascendant. We have now assumed a new posi- tion. We are now become like little children. It can now be said of us, in the significant language of Scripture, we are " careful for nothing ; " living in perfect simplicity of spirit ; receiving our daily bread without disquieting thoughts of the morrow ; folded and pro- tected in the arms of Infinite Love. (1.) There are one or two inferences, which flow out of the views which have been expressed. And the first is, that there is, in reality, no need, as a preparation for sanctification, of much mental excitement, of pro- tracted sighing and lamentation, of long fastings, and macerations and mighty strugglings of body. It is true, that some of these things may exist, to a certain extent, without being altogether profitless. But what we mean to say is, that they do not appear to be absolutely neces- sary ; and there is sometimes danger, especially when there is a disposition to trust in them, of their being de- cidedly injurious. The process, as it really takes place, may probably be all embraced in a single sentence : "Give all, and take all." Lay all upon the altar, and believe that God, in accordance with his word, receives it ; and always continue in that state of present and en- tire consecration, and of present and entire faith, and all is done. If God is true, it cannot be otherwise. And we may properly add here, that the experience of very many persons is found to coincide with this statement. They have labored ; they have prayed earnestly, so far as a man can pray without the requisite faith ; they have fasted for a great length of time ; they have endured physical and mental suffering in various ways ; but all without securing the great object of their desires — till at length, wearied with this appa- \ BY THE FAITH OF ACCEPTANCE. 51 rently fruitless method of pursuit, they have simply left themselves in the hands of God, without reserve ; and have believed, in accordance with his own declaration, that he did noiu accept them. And thus ceasing from their own unavailing efforts, to which, perhaps, they were secretly, but wickedly, inclined to attach some per- sonal merit, they have entered, by simple faith alone, into the favor and the rest of God. They are from that moment cut off from the fatal system which demands a sign or manifestation, either inward or outward, ad- ditional to the mere word of God and confirmatory of it, and from all preconceived and self-originated notions of what they should like to have and what they should not like to have ; and have become, as already remarked, like little children — willing to let their heavenly Father guide them, without imposing upon him any conditions ; willing to have much or little, to be wise or to be ig- norant, to go or to stay, to sit down or rise up, to speak or be silent, to be honored or dishonored, to be on the mount of joy or in the valley of temptation and sorrow, to be any thing or nothing, just as God wills. (2.) It is proper to remark, further, that the princi- ple, which has been laid down in its general form, is applicable also in particular cases. That is to say, it is not only in this manner that we may be led to experience the genuine sanctification of the heart in the more gen- eral sense of the terms ; but it is in this manner, also, that we are to receive the particular graces, appropriate to particular occasions, which are involved in sanctifica- tion. It is well understood, I suppose, that the exercises of a sanctified heart are not always the same, but will vary more or less with the occasions which call them into exercise. The grace of patience is especially appro- priate to one occasion ; the grace of gratitude to another. And these, and all other Christian graces, come from the same great fountain, viz., God himself; and they will come, with the exception perhaps of very extraordinary cases, all in the same way. and in connection with **»< 52 CONSECRATION TO BE FOLLOWED same great principles. If, for instance, I need especial wisdom and prudence, appropriate to a particular trying crisis, I must go to God and ask for it, just as I had done before in relation to the general object of sanctification : FiKST, in the spirit of entire consecration, and, second, in the exercise of simple faith. And by faith, here, it is hardly necessary to repeat, after what has been said, we mean a faith which fully believes that God will do, and that, if the present is in his view the appropriate time, he does even now aceomplish, that which he has promised. I recollect to have heard a Congregational minister assert, on some public occasion, that to prav ARIGHT IS TO RECEIVE. This declaration obviously im> bodies the great principle now under consideration. Many persons go to God, and ask earnestly for the things they need, and which they know it is agreeable to his will to give ; but they appear to have no faith that God will hear them, or that he does now hear them, unless they have a sign, a manifestation, a visible outward sight or an inward audible voice, or the definite experi- ence of some preconceived feeling, or something (it makes but little difference what it is) which they ex- pect to use, and which they do use, as a prop for THEIR FAITH TO REST UPON, iustcad of letting it rest upon the sure and blessed Word of God. O, the unut- terable blindness of the human mind, when left to itself ! 'To look at any thing but the simple declaration of God. and to require any thing but that as a ground of belief, is to go directly out of the true path. It is, as it seems to us, deliberately, and of choice, to throw away those precious gifts which faith imparts. It is made known throughout the Scriptures, deliberately, repeatedly, and with the clearness of a sunbeam, that the life of God in the soul is, and must be, a life of simple faith. And in the exercise of this faith, accompanied with the in- dispensable condition of entire consecration, it may be regarded as certain, that, Avhen we pray for those spir- itual gifts and exercises which we know to be agreeable to the will of God, we shall not only have them, but if \ BY THE tAlTH Ol ACCl;.PTANCE. ^J in God's view, the present time is really the appropriate time for them, we do have them now. We do not say, that the specific blessing for which we ask either comes now, or will come hereafter, in precise accordance with oar preconceived opinions ; but that makes no difference as to the fact. If there is really and absolutely no failure in the consecration and faith, there will be no failure in the fact and promptness of the divine answer. The answer — God's answer and not ours — will certainly come, in accordance with the reality of God's knowledge and goodness, however it may fail to come in accordance with the fallibility of our own previous conceptions. And we may add here, it is the uniform testimony of those who have been enabled to live the life of faith, that they have always found God faithful to his word. They have had wisdom, and humility, and grati- tude, and peace of spirit, and purity of heart, just as they have asked for it, when they have fully committed themselves into God's hands, and have asked fully be- lieving in God's promise, and in the actual bestowment of the blessing, in its proper time and place, according to the promise. [The following is an extract from a letter which I had the pleasure of receivino- some years since from a pious young man, a member ol the Baptist church, now no longer living. I introduce it here, as il- lustrating, to some extent, the practical application of the doctrine? of this chapter.] After speaking of his deliverance from his former bondage to sin, the writer adds : " I humbly trust that God has, in some measure, taught me how to live, from moment to moment, by simple faith — a truly blessed and glorious way. This is the highway of holiness, cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in. Jesus is now a charming name. Jesus is now all, and in all, to me. I can now say, ' God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the 54 CONSECRA'HON TO BE FOLLOWED world is crucified unto me, and I am crucified unto the world.' I found all my prayers, tears, and earnest de- sires, unavailing. I spent .days in fasting and prayer. At the midnight hour, and at early dawn, I prayed for holiness ; but still I found my soul destitute of holi- ness, the pearl of great price. I found this, [course of proceeding,] however, blessed to me ; at times greatly so ; and the power of sin was in a great measure broken. At length God was pleased to show me that I must believe that I do receive the things that I ask for. In a moment I saw my error. I had long been con- vinced, that I staggered at faith ; that unbelief was my great sin ; and accordingly would direct all my forces to this point. I tried to believe. I prayed for faith. I sought for faith earnestly. Sometimes it seemed that Christ was near me, and the prize almost within my reach ; and I would say in my heart and aloud, ' Lord, I do believe ; ' and then I would watch my heart, to see what the eff'ect was. But at this time [after having made these various eff'orts] it was clearly revealed to me, that I was waiting for evidence, the evidence ot sight, before I would believe ; and that I was unwilling to take the evidence God had aff'orded, viz. his inviolable word and promise. I saw now, instead of praying for faith, [without exercising it,] instead of seeking for it, looking for and expecting it, [without having it,] I must believe. It appeared to me a reasonable command, ' Reckon yourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord ; ' and I resolved that I would obey this command ; for it was my impera- tive duty. I would believe, because God had com- manded it. It seemed a fearful step to take ; it was an hour of conflict ; but Jesus triumphed. I saw that all other means had failed ; and this was my only re- source. I accordingly entered into an engagement with God, that henceforth, until faith should be exchanged for sight, I would never doubt ; I would live in the en- tire surrender of my whole being to God, believing that he accepted the sacrifice, and that I was wholly the BY THE FAITH OF ACCEPTANCE 55 Loi'd's. I have found my God a faithful God ; and my whole soul exclaims, ' Glory, glory be to thee, O God, for this living way of salvation through faith in Christ.' May an humble, holy life praise my Redeemer for his unspeakable goodness to me, and an eternity complete and perfect what time begins ! '' •' Jesus, the life, the truth, the way, In whom 1 now believe ; As taught by Thee, in faith 1 pray, Expecting to receive. " Forgive, and make my nature whole> My inbred malady remove ; To perfect health restore my soul. To perfect holiness and lore.' 5b CHAPTER SEVENTH. OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH. It is worthy of notice, both as a religious and an his- torical fact, that, in a number of Christian sects, a distinct and well-defined modification of personal religious expe- rience has for many ages been known and recognized under the denomination of assurance of faith. The Confession of Faith, adopted by the ,Congrega- tional churches in England in 1658, and afterwards adopted, with some slight variations, by the American Congregational churches, in 1680, has the following ex- pressions, in a chapter especially devoted to this subject " Such as believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sin- cerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before fiim, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith, founded on the blood and righteousness of Christ, revealed in the gospel, and also ujjon the inward evidence of those graces, unto which promises are made, and on the immediate witness of the Spirit." The phraseology, which is employed to indicate this' form of experience, seems to have had its origin in the following passage in Hebrews: "Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath con- secrated for lis, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh . and having a high priest over the house of God : let us OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH. 5i draw near with a true heart, in full assurance o» FAITH, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil con- science, and our bodies washed with pure water." Heb. X. 19—22. In the early periods of this country, when the piety of our ancestors was chastened and invigorated by heavy afflictions, the instances of assurance of faith seem to have been frequent. Many were the cases of individu- als, men of wonderful prayer and faith, who could say with the apostle, " I am persuaded, that neither life nor death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." And it is a matter of thank- fulness, that instances of full assurance, though less fre- quent than it is desirable they should be, are not un- known even now. The basis of this form of religious experience, as the name given to it itself indicates, is faith. And, in this respect, it stands undoubtedly on the same footing with every other form of true religious experience. Nor do I know that the faith, which is experienced in these marked and triumphant instances of the religious life, is different from what is experienced in other cases, except in the single circumstance of degree. It is a very high degree of faith. The term assurance, which, in its ordinary acceptation, excludes the idea of doubting, is an evidence that it is so. The phrase assurance of faith conveys, in its own terms and on its own face, the idea of faith without doubting ; in otber words, of perfect faith. Looking at the subject in the light of the terms used, I think we are at liberty to say, that assurance of faith IS synonymous with undoubting or perfect faith. The instances themselves of this form of experience — whether they are such as are made known to us historically in the lives of those who are said to have lived and died in as- surance, or such as have come within the range and no tice of more recent observations — sustain this view. Those who are in the enjoyment of this state of mind are a people that have an unwavering confidence in God. 5S OF AS&'JRANCE OF FAITH. Ill the language of John Rogers, the memorable martyr of Smithfield, given in a short published account of his early religious experience, " they live by faith in the Son of God, above the letter, in the life ; above the form, in the power; above self, in a higher self; so that they are no longer themselves ; but are by the grace of God what they are ; not doubting that they shall appear perfect in Christ's righteousness, being pardoned by his death, purged by his blood, sanctified by his spirit, and saved by his power." We have an instructive and precious illustration of the state of mind, denominated assurance of faith, in the instances of early saints mentioned in the eleventh chap- ter of Hebrews ; in Abel, who '' offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain ; " in Enoch, who " had this testimony, that he pleased God ; " in Abraham, "who went out, not knowing whither he went," and who, " when he was tried, offered up Isaac ; " in Moses, "who esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt ; " in Gideon, Barak, David, Samuel, and the prophets ; of whom, as well as of others, the testi- mony is given, that through faith they " subdued king- doms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, of whom the world was not wor- thy ; " and in regard to whom it is expressly said, that God himself was "not ashamed to be called their God." As the subject of an assured acceptance with God is, in our apprehension, one of preeminent importance, and as it has in these latter days received less attention than it did formerly, and far less than it deserves, we have thought it might be proper to introduce here an instruc- tive passage from the writings of President Edwards. After referring to some persons, who supposed that no such thing is to be expected in the church of God as a full and absolute assurance, except in some very extra- ordinary circumstances, such as that of martyrdom, and asserting that this view is contrary to the doctrine of Protestants, as maintained by their most celebrated wn- OF ASSCTRANCE >F FAITH 59 ters, he proceeds as follows : " It is manifest, that it was a common thing for the saints, that we have a his- tory or particular account of in Scripture, to be assured. God, in the plainest and most positive manner, revealed and testified his special favor to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Daniel, and others. Job often speaks of his sincerity and uprightness with the greatest imaginable confidence and assurance, often calling God to witness to it ; and says plainly, ' I know that my Redeemer liv- eth, and that I shall see him for myself, and not for an- other.' Job xix. 25, &c. David, throughout the book of Psalms, almost every where speaks, without any hesi- tancy, and in the most positive manner, of God, as his God ; glorying in him as his portion and heritage, his rock and confidence, his shield, salvation, and high tow- er, and the like. Hezekiah appeals to God, as one that knew he had walked before him in truth, and with a perfect heart. 2 Kings xx. 3. Jesus Christ, in his dying discourse with his eleven disciples, in the 14th, 15th, and 16th chapters of John, (which was, as it were, Christ's last will and testament to his disciples, and to his whole church,) often declares his special and everlasting love to them, in the plainest and most positive terms ; and prom- ises them a future participation with him in his glory, in the most absolute manner ; and tells them, at the same time, that he does so to the end that their joy might be full. John XV. 11. 'These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.' See also, at the conclusion of his whole discourse, chap. xvi. 33 : ' These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation ; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.' Christ was not afraid of speaking too plainly and positively to them ; he did not desire to hold them in the least suspense. And he concluded that last discourse of his with a prayer m their presence, wherein he speaks positively to his Father of those eleven disciples, as having all of them savingly known him, and believed in him, and received 60 Oi ASSURANCE OF FAITH. and kept his word ; and that they were not of the world ; and that for their sakes he sanctified himselt ; and that his will was, that they should be with him in his glory ; and tells his Father, that he spake these things in his prayer, to the end that his joy might be fulfilled in them : ver. 13. By these things it is evident, that it is agreea- ble to Christ's designs, and the contrived ordering and dis- position Christ makes of things in his church, that there should be sufficient and abundant provision made, that his saints might have full assurance of their future glory. " The apostle Paul, through all his epistles, speaks in in assured strain ; ever speaking positively of his special •elation to Christ, his Lord, and Master, and Redeemer ;* and his interest in, and expectation of, the future reward. It would be endless to take notice of all places that might be enumerated. I shall mention but three or four : Gal. ii. 20. 'Christ liveth in me; and the life which 1 now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.' Phil. i. 21. 'For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.' 2 Tim. i. 12. ' I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.' 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. ' I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course^ I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me at that day.' " And the nature of the covenant of grace, and God's declared ends in the appointment and constitution of things in that covenant, do plainly show it to be God's design to make ample provision for the saints' having an assured hope of eternal life, while living here upon earth. For so are all things ordered and contrived in that covenant, that every thing might be made sure on God's part. ' The covenant is ordered in all things and sure : ' the promises are full, and very often repeated, and various ways exhibited ; and there are many wit- nesses and many seals ; and God has confirmed his promises with an oath. And God's declared design in OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH. 61 all this is, that the heirs of the promises might have an undoubting hope, and full joy, in an assurance of their future glory. Heb. vi. 17, 18. ' Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things, in which it was im- possible for God to lie, we might have a strong conso- lation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us.' But all this would be in vain, to any such purpose as the saiuts' strong consolation, and hope of their obtaining future glory, if their interest in those sure promises, in ordinary cases, was not attainable ; for God's promises and oaths, let them be as sure as they will, cannot give strong hope and comfort to any particular person, any further than he can know that those promises are made to him. And in vain is provision made, in Jesus Christ, that believers might be perfect as pertaining to the conscience, as is signified, Heb. ix. 9, if assurance of freedom from the guilt of sin is not attainable. "It further appears that assurance is not only attain- able in some very extraordinary cases, but that all Christians are directed to give all diligence to make Jiieir calling and election sure ; and are told how they may do it ; 2 Pet. i.' 5 — 8. And it is spoken of as a thing very unbecoming of Christians, and an argument of something very blamible in them, not to know whether Christ be in them or no. 2 Cor. xiii. 5. ' Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates ? ' And it is implied that it is an argu- ment of a very blamable negligence in Christians, if they practise Christianity after such a manner as to remain uncertain of the reward, in that 1 Cor. ix. 26 'I therefore so run, as not uncertainly.' And, to add no more, it is manifest that Christians' knowing their interests in the saving benefits of Christianity is a thing ordinarily attainable, because the apostles tell us by what means Christians (and not only apostles and martyrs) were wont to know this. 1 Cor. ii. 12. ' Now 6 62 OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH. we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God ; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.' And 1 John ii. 3. • And hereby we do knoio that we know him, if we keep his commandments.' And ver. 5. ' Hereby knoiv we that we are in him.' Chap. iii. 14. ' We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.' Ver. 19. 'Hereby we knoio that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.' Ver. 24. ' Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.' So chap. iv. 13, and chap. v. 2, and ver. 19." * Such are the strong and well-sustained statements of one, in whom Congregational ists have been accustomed to place a high degree of confidence. But this form of Christian experience, and under this specific name, has not been limited to one denomination. Instances of assurance of faith appear to have been frequent among the United Brethren or Moravians, especially in tho early periods of their religious history. Mr. Wesley, the founder of the Methodist societies, relates, in the Journal of his Life, that he visited, in the year 1738, the United Brethren or Moravians at Hernhuth, the place where they were first collected and organized into a society. At that time, as well as in later periods of his life, Mr. Wesley was a careful and philosophic ob- server of men ; and was particularly interested to notice and to analyze the varieties of Christian experience and character. And accordingly, he took pains to converse privately and very intimately with a number of the Moravian Brethren, who appeared to be leading men both for their intellectual capacity and their piety ; and in his Journal has recorded what he learned from them. We will here give an abstract of some of these state- ments ; particularly of those parts which may be con- sidered as illustrating historically the doctrine and the nature of assurance of faith, retainmg precisely th(! sentiment, and, as far as possible, the expression. * Edwardfs on he Affections, Part It. OF ASSUKANCE OF FAITH. OH Christian David. — Having given us to understandj that in early life he was a Roman Catholic, this person proceeds to say, " I was much troubled at hearing some people affirm, that the pope was Antichrist. I read the Lutheran books written against the Papists, and the Popish books written against the Lutherans. I easily saw that the Papists were in the wrong ; but not that the Lutherans were in the right. I was in the city of Berlin when 1 renounced the errors of Popery. After this I led a very strict life ; read much and prayed much. I did all I could to conquer sin : yet it profited not, I was still conquered by it. At length, not knowing what to do, I enlisted as a soldier. I had a Testament and a hymn book ; but in one day both my books were stolen. This almost broke my heart. After six months I left the army, and went to Gorlitz in Saxony. There I fell into a dangerous illness. For twenty weeks I could not stir hand or foot. Pastor Sleder came to me every day ; and from him it was, that the gospel of Christ came first with power to my soul. *' It was then I found the peace I had long sought m vain. Not indeed all at once ; but by degrees. For I could not immediately believe I was forgiven, because of the mistake I was then in concerning forgiveness. I thought I was to feel sin in me no more, from the time it was forgiven. Therefore, although I had the mastery over sin, yet I often feared it was not forgiven, because it still stirred in me ; and at some times thrust sore at me, that I might fall. I did not then see, that the being iustified by faith is widely difierent from having a full ASSURANCE of faith. I remembered not, that our Lord told his apostles before his death, ' Ye are clean' [or forgiven ;] whereas it was not till many days after it, that they were fully assured, by the Holy Ghost then received, of their reconciliation to God through his blood. " After some years I plainly perceived, that full assurance of faith was a distinct gift from justifymg faith, and often not given till long after it ; and that justification does not imply, that sin should not stir in 64 OF ASSURANCE OF FAiTH. US, but only that it should not conquer. And now first it was that I had full assurance of my own reconciliation to God, through Christ. For many years I had had the forgiveness of my sins, and a measure of the peace of God ; but I had not till now that witness of his Spirit, which shuts out all doubt and fear. In all my trials I had always a confidence in Christ, who had done so great things for me. But it was a confidence mixed with fear. I was afraid I had not done enough. There was always something dark in my soul. But now the CLEAR LIGHT SHINED." Michael Linner. — The account of the religious experience of this individual, as given by Mr. Wesley, is so concise that it will not be necessary to abridge it. It is as follows: " The church of Moravia was once a glorious church. But it is now covered with thick darkness. It is abcut sixteen years ago that I began to seek for light. I had a New Testament, which I con- stantly read ; upon which I often said to myself, ' This says, I ought to be humble, and meek, and pure in heart. How comes it that I am not so ? ' I went to the best men I knew, and asked, ' Is not this the word of God ? And if so, ought I not to be such as this requires, both in heart and life ? ' They ansv.^ered, ' The first Christians were such; but it was impossible for us to be so perfect.' This answer gave me no satisfaction. I knew God could not mock his creatures, by requiring of them what he saw it was impossible for them to perform. I asked others, but still had the same answer, which troubled me more and more. "About fourteen years ago, I was more than ever convinced that I was wholly different from what God required me to be. I consulted his word again and again, but it spoke nothing but condemnation ; till at last I could not read, nor indeed do any thing else, having no hope and no spirit left in me. I had been in this state for several days, when, being musing by myself, these words came strongly into my mind : "God so loved the world, that he gave hi? only-begott^^n Son, OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH. 65 t,o the end that all who believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' I thought, ^All? ' Then I am one. Then he is given for me. But I am a sinner. And he ' came to save sinners.' Immediately my bur- den dropped off, and my heart was at rest. " But the full assurance of faith I had not yet ; nor for the two years I continued in Moravia. When I was driven out thence by the Jesuits, I retired hither, and was soon after received into the church. And here, after some time, it pleased our Lord to manifest himself more clearly to my soul, and give me that full sense of acceptance in him, which excludes all doubt and fear. "Indeed, the leading of the Spirit is different in dif- ferent souls. His more usual method, I believe, is to give, in one and the same moment, the forgiveness of sins, and a full assurance of that forgiveness. Yet in many he works as he did in me ; giving first the re- mission of sins, and, after some weeks, or months, or years, the full assurance of it." Zach ARIAS Neusser. — "I was born on the borders of Moravia ; and was first awakened by my cousin Wen- sel, who soon after carried me to hear Mr. Steinmetz, a Lutheran minister, about thirty English miles off. I was utterly astonished. The next week I went again ; after which, going to him in private, I opened my heart, and told him all my doubts ; those especially concerning Popery. He offered to receive me into com- munion with him, which I gladly accepted of; and in a short time after, I received the Lord's supper from his hands. While I was receiving, I felt Christ had died for me. I knew I was reconciled to God ; and all that day I was overwhelmed with joy, having those words continually on my mind, ' This day is salvation come to my house: I also am a son of Abraham.' This ]oy I had continually for a year and a half, and my heart was full of love to Christ. '' After this, I had thoughts of leaving Moravia. 1 was convinced it would be better for my soul. Yet 1 would not do it, because I got more money here than 1 6* 36 OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH. could elsewKere. When I reflected on this, I said to myself, ' This is mere covetoiisness. But if I am covet- ous, I am not a child of God.' Hence I fell into deep perplexity ; nor could I find any way to escape out of it. In this slavery and misery I was for five years ; at the end of which I fell sick. In my sickness my heart was set at liberty, and peace returned to my soul. I now prayed earnestly to God to restore my health, that I might leave Moravia. He did restore it and I immediately removed to Hernhuth. After I had been here a quarter of a year, the count * preached one day upon the nature of sanctification. I found I had not experienced what he described, and was greatly terrified. I went to my cousin Wensel, who advised me to read over the third, fourth, and fifth chapters of the Epistle to the Romans. I did so. I had read them a hundred times before; yet now they appeared quite new, and gave me such a sight of God's justifying the ungodly, as I never had before. On Sunday I went to church at Berthorldsdorf ; and while we were singing those words, loir glauhen auc/i in Jesiim Clwist^ — ' We believe also in Jesus Christ,' — I clearly saw him as my Savior. I wanted immediately to be alone, and to pour out my heart before him. My soul was filled with thankfulness ; and with a still, soft, quiet joy, such as it is impossible to express. I had full assurance that ' my Beloved ' was ' mine,' and ' I ' was ' his ; ' which has never ceased to this day. I see by a clear light what is pleasing to him, and I do it continually in love. I re- ceive daily from him peace and joy ; and I have nothing to do but to praise him." Arvid Gradin, a Swede, born in Dalecarlia. His statement is as follows: " Before I was ten years old, I had a serious sense of religion, and great fervor in prayer. This was increased by my reading much in the New Testament ; but the more I read, the more earnestly I cried out, ' Either these things are not true, or we are not Christians.' About sixteen, my sense of religioi " Coun* Zinzendorf OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH. 67 began to decline, by my too great fondness for learning, especially the Oriental tongues, wherein I was instructed by a private preceptor, who likewise did all that in him lay to instruct me in true divinity. " At seventeen, I went to the University of Upsal, and a year or two after was licensed to preach. But at twenty-two, meeting with Arndt's ' True Christianity,' I found I myself was not a Christian. Immediately I left off preaching, and betook myself wholly to philosophy. This stifled all my convictions for some years; but when I was about twenty-seven, they revived, and con- tinued the year after, when I was desired to be domes- tic tutor to the children of the secretary of state. I now felt I was ' carnal, sold under sin,' and continually strug- gled to burst the bonds, till (being about thirty-one years old) I was unawares entangled in much worldly business. This cooled me in my pursuit of holiness ; yet for a year and a half my heart was never at peace. Being then in a bookseller's shop, I saw the account of the church at Hernhuth. I did not think there could be any such place, and asked th- bookseller if that was a real account. His answer, ' that it was no more than the plain truth,' threw me into deep thought, and fervent prayer that God would bring me to that place. I went to the secretary, and told him I did not design to stay at Upsal, having a desire to travel. He said, he had a desire his son should travel, and was glad of an oppor- tunity to send him with me. I was grieved, but knew not how to refuse any thing to my patron and bene- factor. Accordingly, we left Upsal together, and, after a year spent in several parts of Germany, went through Holland into France, and so to Paris, where we spent another year. But I was more and more uneasy, till 1 could be disengaged from my charge, that I might re- tire to Hernhuth. In our return from France, my pupil's elder brother, returning from Italy, met us at Leipsic. I immediately wrote to his father, and having obtained his consent, delivered him into his hands. "April 23, 1738,1 came hither. Here I was in 68 OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH. another world. I desired nothing but to be cleansed inwardly and outwardly from sin, by the tlood of Jesus Christ. I found all here laying the same foundation. Therefore, though I did not think with them in all points of doctrine, I waived these, and singly pursued reconciliation with God through Christ. '' On the 22d of May last, 1 could think of nothmg but, 'He that beli3veth hath everlasting life.' But I was afraid of deceiving myself, and continually prayed I might not build without a foundation. Yet I had a sweet, settled peace, and for five days this scripture was always in my thoughts. On the 28th, those words of our Lord were strongly impressed upon me, ' If ye, be- ing evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Ghost to them that ask him ! ' At the same time, I was incessantly carried out to ask that he would give me the witness of his Spirit. On the 29th, I had what I asked of him, namely, the plerophoria, or full assur- ance OF FAITH, which is repose in the blood of Christ ; a firm confidence in God and persuasion of his favor ; serene peace and steadfast tranquillity of mind, with a deliverance from every fleshly desire, and from every outward and inward sin. In a word, my heart, which before was tossed like a troubled sea, was still and quiet, and in a sweet calm." We would add here, that the United Brethren, or Mo- ravians, in the early periods of their existence as a sepa- rate denomination, were inclined to the view, that there is no true and saving faith without assurance of faith ; and that justification and sanctification are either the same thing, or are so nearly allied that there is no true evidence of the former without an entire experience of the latter. According to the testimony of Christian Da vid, of whose personal experience some account has been given, they were accustomed to inquire of those, who proposed themselves for full membership in the church, whether they were assured, beyond all doubt, that they were the children of God ; in v/hat manner and at what OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH. 69 time they received that assaiance ; whether they were so renewed in the image of God, that all sin, or " the whole body of sin," as he expresses it, was destroyed in them. And if the person could not satisfactorily answer questions of t'lis kind, and to this effect, he asserts, " We judged that he had no true faith ; nor would we per- mit any to receive the Lord's supper among us, till he could." On further inquiry into the subject, and addi- tional experience of the manner of God's dealing with his people, they abandoned this view as in some impor- tant respects incorrect, and adopted the doctrine of faith as existing in different degrees ; and recognized the faith of forgiveness, in connection with which a person may be pardoned in the first instance, as well as that of assur- ance, which is generally later in one's experience, and results in purity of heart and inward victory. Assur- ance of faith, however, contmued to be a leading and most important doctrine ; and every one was expected to strive earnestly for its attainment. And probably among no denomination of Christians, in proportion to iheir whole number, have more frequent instances of this ennobling and triumphant experience been found, than among the United Brethren. But it is proper to say, that the doctrine and the per- sonal experience of assurance of faith have not been lim- ited to the Christian denominations which so far have been particularly referred to. A careful inquiry would abundantly show, that this important doctrine, which recognize^, a state of mind existing in sweet purity and peace, in reverential and affectionate communion with God, in freedom from doubts and fears, in constant prayer, in victory over every known and voluntary trans- gression, in the baptism and in-dwelling of the Holy Ghost, has been admitted, defended, and preached by Episcopalians and Presbyterians, and probably by a number of other sects of Christians, as well as by Con- gregational ists and Moravians. And many among the dead, who yet speak in their recorded memorials, and some, we trust, junong the living, can bear a convincing 70 OF ASSURANCE Off TAITK. and experimental testimony to its truth and precic^us- ness. It would be a pleasing task, if our limits would allow, to repeat here, in the case of individuals both dead and living, the delightful facts which warrant and con- firm this declaration." Saying nothing, hoAvever, of many other instances, which readily present themselves to my recollection, it seems to me, that the pious Arch- bishop Leighton was a man that, in the later periods of his life at least, enjoyed assurance of faith ; and on the principle which he himself has laid down, viz., that love will be in proportion to faith, that he possessed what may very properly be called an assured or perfected state of love. His American biographer speaks of him in the following terms, which, decided and emphatic as they are, will probably command the assent of candid and serious persons, who have thoroughly studied the arch- bishop's religious character. After remarking that his piety v/as eminently a med- itative piety, he proceeds to say: "Whether in the midst of this world's scenes, or in perfect retirement, Leighton's thoughts were always fixed upon the world whither he was tending. Religious meditation seemed the involuntary habit of his soul ; and in this was ex- emplified the profound truth of his own remark, that 'the pure love of God maketh the spirit pure and sim- ple, and so free, that without any pain and labor it can at all times turn and recollect itself in God.' If duty drew him from seclusion, it was to watch and pray lest he should enter into temptation ; and amidst the most absorbing earthly business, if his thoughtful face were of a clear transparency, and you could have looked through the casement of his soul far into the depths of its retirement, you would there have seen the high pur- poses of God still ripening and fulfilling, and the process of growing holiness advancing as certainly and uninter- ruptedly as it would in the most sacred oratory of private devotion. He thought that in this world the Christian's white robe would be very likely to be entangled and de- filed, if he wore it too flowingly. OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH. 71 ' He would not soil those pure ambrosial weeds With the rank vapors of this sin-worn mould.' '• ' Our only safest way,' said he, ' is to gird up cur af- fections wholly. When we come to the place of our rest, we may wear our long white robes at full length without disturbance ; for no unclean thing is there ; yea, the streets of that New Jerusalem are paved with gold.' "He was a stranger and a pilgrim on the earth, and he felt that he was such. He had no more motive to par- take in the toils and anxieties of this life, than an angel would feel, commissioned on some errand of mercy to the dwelling-place of mortals, who stays only till he may perform the mandate of his sovereign, and is glad to re- turn from the atmosphere of earth to the light of his F'ather's countenance, to his home of glory in the skies. Though present in the body, he was absent in the spirit, with his Lord and Master. Amidst his fellow-mortals in all the concerns of this life, he walked and acted like a man in a dream — a dream, from which he was then only to awake, when he passed into the blissful presence of his ascended Savior. / shall he satisfied when I AWAKE loith thy likeness. And though into all the busi- ness, which duty required of him, he entered with a grave intensity to fulfil the apostle's injunction, yet all this while his soul was conversing in heaven, for he looked with the eye of faith on the things unseen and eternal. In the emphatic words of Paul, he was dead, and his life was hid with Christ in God. He was altogether Christ's ; His image was always before him ; His words always invited him to glory. ' 1 hear a voice, you cannot hear, Forbidding me to stay ; 1 see a hand, you cannot see, Which beckons me away.' " * m conclusion, I would make an additional remark, w^hich seems appropriate to a full view of the subject. It is probably true, that persons enjoying assurance ot See Cheever's Ed. of the Select Works of Archbishop Leighton 72 OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH. faith, in those denominations of Christians where thai phraseology is expressive of the highest form of Chris- tian experience, have often exhibited a degree of hesi- tancy and reUictance in recognizing themselves as ''sanc- tified persons," as " holy persons," as "perfected in love," as "saints," and the like. Nor have others, who have Deen members of the same denominations, been in the practice, except occasionally, of employing such ep- ithets and expressions in relation to them. Conscious ot their physical and intellectual imperfections, knowing their liabilit}/ to errors of judgment, and their consequent liability to mistaken and relatively wrong feelings, beset every where, and sometimes deeply afflicted by heavy temptations, and feeling that they needed every moment the application of Christ's blood, it is not altogether sur- prising, especially in connection with some accessory in- fluences, that there should have been some hesitation, both in themselves and in others, in making a personal application of the epithets and expressions in question ; but that such expressions, however commendable a due degree of modesty and reserve always is, are proper, and that they ought, in justice, on their appropriate occasions, to be applied to such persons, I cannot doubt. Persons who are in the assurance of faith, are not merely "pro- fessors of religion," as the modern expression is ; but are Christians ; and that too in the highest sense of the term. They have laid themselves upon the altar of God ; they have separated themselves from every known iniquity : they can say without hesitation that they have no desire but for God's glory ; they are continually guided by the Holy Spirit ; they have been enabled to appropriate the great and precious promises ; in their moral nature, and in their affections, they bear distinctly the image of Christ ; in a word, they have devoted their whole being to Godj and nothing is so dreadful to them as a violation of his will, even in the smallest thing. With such disposi- tions and purposes of heart, I cannot see why they may not be described, in the form of expression which is some- times employed, as "perfected in love ; " and why thev OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH. 73 may not as properly be called "sanctified," "holy ones," or "saints," as many others, to whom these expressions nave been applied, both in later and in earlier times. But the propriety of these remarks will perhaps more fully appear by a reference to the doctrine contained in one of the following chapters, where the precise relation between assurance of faith and perfection of love is par- icularly pointed out. 7 74 CHAPTER EIGHTH. RELATION OF CONSECRATION TO ASSURANCE OF FAITH. Ii- can hardly be necessary to say any thing, in addi tion to what has already been said, in illustration of the great importance of that state of mind which is denom- inated ASSURANCE OF FAITH. Hc who truly dcsircs the blessed experience of holiness of heart will necessarily attach a high value to the possession of assurance ; be- cause holiness, in the gospel or evangelical sense of the term, is obviously identical with perfection of love. And perfection of love, as we shall have occasion to notice more particularly in a subsequent chapter, is the natural result of perfection or assurance of faith. In respect to the nature of assurance of faith, we may remark here, after an examination of various statements and illustrations on the subject, that it appears to consist essentially in two things; first, in a general but un- wavering confidence in God's character, administration, and promises ; and, secondly, in a confident belief of our personal acceptance with God through Christ. And Jiccordingly, it is not limited to the second particular, as ffome persons may be inclined to suppose ; but the sec- ond element, viz., that of a particular or personal accept- ance, which probably, in the popular view of it, is the strikiug or characteristic trait, has its basis in a prevail- ing or assured faith of a more general character. With these remarks we proceed to enter on the prin- cipal topic of the present chapter, viz., the relation ex- isting between co?isecration atid assurance. We have already had occasion, particularly in the third chapter, to refer to the relation existing between consecration and KELATION OB CONSECi ATION. 75 faith in general. Faith, (especially that faith which is appropriating and purifying,) and the commission of known sin, cannot go together. They are mutually an- tagonistical, and destructive of each other. Just so far as consecration, which implies a fixed determination, with divine assistance, to resist sin in all its forms, actu- ahy exists, and no farther, is the way open for the prin- ciple of fait 1, especially in its appropriating character, to enter and to take effect in the soul. The Savior him- self has explicitly taught us, (John v. 44,) that those who, in the spirit of self-seeking, pursue worldly honor and not the honor which cometh from God only, are unable, in the religious sense of the expression, to be- lieve. (1.) But proceeding from the more general view of the subject to the particular and specific one now under consideration, we remark, in the first place, that assur- ance of faith, like all other forms of religious faith con- sidered in distinction from natural faith, is the gift of God. No one has it without the divine blessing. Bi.it here, as in every other case of God's dealings, we see no other course but to take the position as almost a self- evident one, that there are reasons in the Divine Mind for every occurrence or fact, and also for every modification of the divine conduct ; and that God, in imparting the immense blessing of assurance of faith, does not and cannot act accidentally. In other words, there is some antecedent fact, some preparatory condition, in connec- tion with which this great blessing takes place. Not a meritorious condition, it is true ; nothing which lays God under obligation ; but still a preparatory antecedent or condition actually existing in the view of the Divine Mind, and as an indispensable part of the divine arrange- ment. And that condition, as the matter presents itself to our view, is consecration. Not a consecration in part, but in whole ; a solemn and a permanent giving up of the whole being to God. If with any inferior degree of consecration there may be an inferior degree of faith thnro cannot be a perfection or assurance of faith, with-- 76 RELATION OF CONSECRATION out a consecration corresponding to it. It must, there- fore, be a consecration, such as was described in the chapter on that subject, both of body and of spirit, both of persons and of possessions, entire, permanent, and IRREVOCABLE. (2.) We proceed to mention, secondly, some con siderations in support of this view, viz., that entire con- secration is, and must be, the antecedent condition o( entire or full assurance. Assurance of faith, as the phrase is commonly employed by writers, and as we have already had occasion to notice, is used not only to ex- press an entire and perfect confidence, on the part of those who possess it, in the character and administration of God ; but also in their own personal acceptance with God through Christ. They have no doubt, on the one hand, of the truth, mercy, and justice of God ; nor have they any doubts, on the other, that they are the beloved children of God; and that, in entire consistency with his truth and justice, they are fully accepted of Him. Such is the nature of their assurance. But we hazard noth- ing in saying, that it is impossible for a man to believe, with assurance of faith, that he is fully accepted of God, ^ which is one of the leading elements, though not the only one, in the state of mind denominated assurance,) while he is knowingly sinning against Him ; which, ot course, he must be regarded as doing, so long as he re mains unwilling to consecrate himself. It is impossible among other things, because it is contrary to the natural operations of the human mind in all analogous cases. It is just as impossible, (repeating here an illustration of the subject which has been already employed,) as it is for us to believe that a man whom we are injuring and ill-treating every day, and whom we also know to be acquainted with our evil conduct, can regard us as a friend. There is something, in such a case, in the na- ture of a moral contradiction. The two things cannot go together. And furthermore, it is impossible, because such a be- lief, viz., that God does fully ard cordially accept of us. TO ASSURANCE OF FAITH. 77 while vvc arc withholding the entire consecration of our Dodies and our spirits, and are therefore knowingly sin • ning against him, evidently implies a conviction, on the part of the person who is the subject of the belief, that God is not necessarily displeased and offended with sin- a view of things alike contrary to reason, the character oi God, and the Scriptures ; and therefore not reasonably to be expected in any one. We are constrained, therefore, to draw the conclusion, (a conclusion so obvious in itself that it clearly does not require much array of argument,) that assured confi- dence in the character and administration of God, com- bined with the additional element of assured faith in our present acceptance with Him, cannot exist except in connection with entire consecration. In other words, we must be conscious of doing all that we can do in the fulfilment of God's holy will ; of separating ourselves ^rom every voluntary transgression ; of discharging, with divine aid, every known duty; of laying all our powers, possessions, and gifts, deliberately upon the divine altar, and without any intention of ever resuming them. The man who is truly set apart to God in consecration strives and prays, continually, that he may not, in the smallest thing, offend his heavenly Father. He would infinitely prefer death to known transgression, even the slightest transgression. In this state of mind it is easy to see that there is a natural basis for the exercise of faith, particularly the faith of personal acceptance, in the highest degree. In such a state of things, when the obstacles which pre- viously existed are removed, the soul naturally turns to God; naturally relies upon Him. It becomes easy to believe, when before it was found very difficult. The Holy Spirit enters and operates, without obstruction, in a mind which is in this position. The promises are read- ily received. Such a soul feels that it would be sin to doubt ; and thus, with the divine blessing, it rises supe- rior to every degree of hesitation, and enters into the rest of assurance. 78 RELATION OF CONSECRATION (3.) Perhaps it should be added further, in order to meet an inquiry naturally arising in the minds of some, that faith in the highest degree, or assurance of faith, al- though we have reason to think it never fails to follow the act of consecration sooner or later, in the case of minds not unfavorably affected by some physical or mental disorder, does not always immediately follow such consecrating act. There are various incidental causes, which sometimes operate to check and diminish the ex- ijrcise of assurance of faith for a time, notwithstanding the dedicating or consecrating act ; such as a general ignorance on the subject of faith, and particularly pre- vious habits of unbelief, the unfavorable influence of which does not always cease at once. And it is not ir- rational to suppose, that there may also be reasons exist- ing in the mind of God, but unknown to us, why he should see fit to delay temporarily the bestowment of this great gift, especially in that particular which relates to our personal acceptance and safety. Accordingly, it is said in Hebrews x. 36, 37, "Ye have need of 'pa- tience^ that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise ; for yet a little while, and he thai shall come will come, and will not tarry ^ But God does not delay, even for the " yet a little while," arbi- trarily and without reason, although we may be ignorant what that reason is. I believe it is a common and cor- rect opinion, that the delay exists only so long as God sees best for the person himself. In other words, he de- lays in order to wean him more effectually from all reli- ance upon any thing but simple, childlike trust in the Divine Word ; and thus to prepare him for the reception of the blessing under the most favorable circumstances. There is perhaps some hidden tendency, which is scarcely known to the individual himself, such as a dis- position to look for some specific sign or manifestation, or something of that nature, which remains to be smitten and crucified ; and which, there is no doubt, will be crucified and taken out of the way, as soon as the person himself learns, in connection with God's continued deal- 10 ASSURANCE OF FAITH. 79 ings with him, where and what it is. But I do not sup- pose that God will thus withhold himself, even for a moment, from one who is fully prepared for him in all respects; and who, in connection with the fact of entire consecration, is truly willing, irrespective of joys and sorrows, of human aid and opposition, of the light of vision and of the terrors of darkness, to live in that sim- ple and mysterious way of faith alone. — "Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord ; and TOUCH not the unclean thing ; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord Almighty! " And permit me here to inquire of the individual, who has had the patience and kindness to accompany the writer thus far, whether he has been able to apply the truths and principles which have been brought to his notice ? Do you believe that God requires you to bo holy ; that he has made provision for your sanctification in the present life ; and that there is any reasonable pros- pect, with divine assistance, of attaining to this desirable state ? Have you felt, with the sincerity and depth of feeling appropriate to the case, the obligation to be holy? Relying upon the sanctifying results of that same great expiation on the cross, which is the foundation of your hope of pardon for past sins, have you deliberately and decidedly brought all, and laid all upon the altar of God, as a sacrifice offered and consecrated to him ? Have you believed in God, that he is true to his word, which de- clares him to have an open arm for the returning sinner ; and that, from the moment of your laying all upon his altar, you have been, and are now, accepted ? Is your faith not only of that personal or appropriating character, which applies God's word and promise to yourself, but is it a strong faith ? Is it, as the faith t^f every Christian ought to be, the faith of assurance? — like that of the individual, who has already been referred to, who sealed the truth of his hope by dying in the fire at the stake, "above self in a higher self, above the form in th. power, above the letter in the life ! " 80 RELATION OF CONSECRATION TO ASSURANCE OF FAI'i H- Permit me to say, my brother, in the spirit of sincere humility and kindness, that the way in wliich you are called to walk is what it is represented to be, in the Scriptures, "a strait and a narrow one." But it is a way which must lead somewhere ; and it is obvious, also, that it must be a way which differs from every other way. I appeal to you to say, under the guidance of an enlightened Christian conscience, whether it is not in the direction, or very nearly in the direction, indica- ted by these questions ? Most solemnly and deliberately do we affirm our conviction, that, in order to know God by an inward communion with Him, all must be laid upon the divine altar with a renunciation without lim- its ; and that he who brings the offering must believe, with a faith unwavering, that God accepts it. Is it in your power, relying either upon Scripture or upon reason, to indicate any better way ? If not, then delay no long- er ; cease to feed on husks, that you may eat spiritual bread ; renounce the life of self, that you may possess the life of universal love ; be all to God, that He may be all to you. I SAT me down in earth's benighted vale, And had no courage and no strength to rise ; Sad, to the passing breeze 1 told my tale, And bowed my head and drained my weeping eyes. But Faith came by, and took me by the hand ; And now the valleys rise, the mountains fall : Welcome the stormy sea, the dangerous land ! With Faith to aid me, I can conquer all. 8] CHAPTER NINTH. RELATION OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH .aND PERFECT LOVE. In the preceding chapter, we have endeavored to ex- /jlain the relation of Consecration to Assurance of Faith. But assurance also, as well as consecration, has its rela- tionships. In particular, assurance or perfection of faith, and perfection of love, are closely and inseparably con- nected. And it becomes an interesting, and in many respects an important inquiry, What is the precise rela- tion which they sustain to each other ? (I ) Accordingly, we proceed to remark, in the fiisi. place, that they hold the relation of antecedence and SEQUENCE. Assurance of faith naturally and necessarily precedes assurance or perfection of love. We are aware that some theologians, and theologians, too, not wanting in powers of thought, have exhibited a disposition to re verse this order, and to place love first in time ; thus making love the foundation of faith, and perfection ol love the foundation of assurance or perfection of faith But it must be acknowledged, it is difficult to see how such a position of things as this can commend itself cither to the light of reason or to the plain language and statements of the Scriptures. How is it possible, looking at the subject in the light of nature merely, il we have no confidence in God, no faith in his character, that we should love him ? What are the principles of natural love ? Undoubtedly, this important aff"ection of the human heart has its principles or laws both of origin and progress ; and it becomes, therefore, a proper and mteresting inquiry, in what way it arises, and in what way it supports itself, in common life. And, in answer bJ RELATION OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH to this inquiry, an obvious remark is, that, with the ex- ception of its purely instinctive action, it always has its foundation in confidence or faith in the object beloved. If we have no confidence in another's character, no faith in his truth, his honor, or his gratitude, but, instead of believing in him as possessed of good and interesting traits, are obliged to regard him as characterized by what is mean, false, and evil, — it seems to be impossible, on natural principles, that we should love him. It is true, we may, in certain respects, be interested in such a per- son ; we may exercise towards him the love of pity or benevolence ; but we cannot exercise that form of love which alone is appropriate to God, viz., the love of com- placency. Faith, therefore, must precede love. And this, which is the law of natural love, is also the law of religious love. And I think it is obvious, from what has been said, that we may go farther, and say, that faith not only sustains to love the relation of antece- dence, but sustains also the relation of a cause ; not ol an absolutely efficient cause, which would exclude vol- untariness of action, but of what is variously called a conditional, occasional, or preparatory cause. So that we may not only say that, in point of fact, and in the order of nature, faith goes before love ; but may prop- erly add that, without the antecedence of faith, love cannot exist. (2.) As connected with what has been said, we ob serve further, that it is a law of the affection of love, not only that it will follow faith, but that it will be in pro- portion to faith. It will be recollected, that we are speaking now of the love of complacency., of which God and all holy beings are the appropriate objects ; and not of the mere love of pity or benevolence, of which other beings, and those of a very different character, may be the objects. We repeat, therefore, that love not only depends on faith, in some measure as an effect depends on a cause, but, corresponding also in amount or degree, Jt will be in proportion to faith. If faith is weak, the corresponding exercise of love will be proportionally \ND PERFECT LOVE. 83 weak ; if faith is strong, the degree of love will be pro- portionally strong ; if there is an assurance or perfection of faith, there will be an assurance, that is, an assured state or perfection of love. This is the connection, if we have a right view of it, and the permanent law of ihe two states of mind. And this relationship, and this permanent law of the •tates of mind under consideration, is abundantly recog- ized in theological writers, as well as in the Scriptures, irchbisliop Leighton, after remarking, in his commen- ary on Peter, that there is an inseparable intermixture »f love with belief, and that they are mutually strength- ned the one by the other, proceeds to observe as fol- ows : " Many directions, as to the means of begetting »nd increasing this love of Christ, may be here offered ; rid they, who delight in number, may multiply them ; Dut- surely this one will comprehend the greatest and best part, if not all of them : Believe, and you shall LOVE ; believe much, and you shall love much. La- bor for strong and deep persuasions of the glorious things which are spoken of in Christ, and this will com- mand love." (3.) We remark again, that these two states of mind, the relation of which to each other has thus been briefly indicated, are identical in their results, i?i relation to sin. It is entirely evident that perfect love, when actually in exercise, is inconsistent with the commission of any known transgression. It is the same — as must be evident, not only from the statements of those who have been in this state of mind, but also from a slight reflec- tion on the subject itself — with assurance of faith. Assurance of faith, considered as expressive of a defi- nite religious state of mind, has reference both to God and to the subject of it ; to God, among other things, as true to his word both of threatening and of promise : and to the subject of it, as being fully forgiven and ac- cepted in God through Christ. It is not possible, that the man, who sins voluntarily and knowingly against God. ".an, at the same tiine of thus sinning, have full and as- 84 RELATION OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH sured faith in either of these respects. Full faith in God, as true to his promises and threatenings, atouM, either through the impression of strong love and gratitude, or of terrible fear, extinguish all desire and purpose of knowingly doing wrong. And full faith in God, as fully- forgiving and receiving us to his favor, is obviously and utterly inconsistent with the fact of knowingly sinning against him at the same time. He, therefore, who is in the enjoyment of assurance of faith, although he may be the subject of various involuntary infirmities and errors, which result from our fallen condition, and which re- quire confession and atonement, will never voluntarily and knowingly do any thing against the will of his heavenly Father. And these views, it is hardly neces- sary to add, are entirely in accordance with those pas- sages of Scripture which not only speak of faith as peculiarly acceptable to God, but as working by love, and as purifying the heart. Dr. Increase Mather, who held an eminent rank for learning and piety among the early Congregational min- isters of New England, has the following expressions in a sermon on assurance, which agree with what has now been said : "They that pretend to assurance of the love of Christ, and yet have no care to observe some of his holy commandments, do but deceive their own souls, and the Lord will reject their confidences. Where there is an eminent assurance, if built on Scripture promises, there is eminent holiness." Mr. Ebenezer Erskine, a pious minister of the Scotch Presbyterian church, of the last century, has the fol- lowing statements, in his Discourse on Assurance of Faith, which obviously involve the idea of the incompatibleness of faith and the commission of known sin : " It is im- possible for a person, living in the love and practice of sin, to draw near to God with the confidence of faith ; for, in the very act of drawing near, the heart is purified hy faith in the blood of Jesus ; or, as it is expressed in the latter clause of the text, [referring to Heb. x. 22,] he hath his heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, arid AND PERFECT LOVE. 85 his body washed with pure wafer. In believing, we cease to do evil, and learn to do well. Faith, appre- hending the mercy of God in Christ, turns the soul from sin unto God ; so that it is as impossible for a person to draw near to God, with the confidence of faith, while he lives in the love and practice of sin, as it is for a person to come to you, and go from you, at the same instant of time. While the heart is in league with sin, it is departing from the Lord. How, then, in this case, [that is to say, when the heart is in league with sin,] can the sinner draw near to God ? Far less can he draw near with assurance of acceptance." I might refer here to the statements of the Rev. Andrew Gray, also, many years since, an acceptable minister of the Scotch church. In one of his published sermons having relation to the subject under consideration, he gives a number of evidences or marks of assurance ; one of which has reference to the connection existing be- tween assurance of faith and the sanctification of thu heart, or holiness. He maintains, by argument and by reference to the Scriptures, that purity of heart, or holi- ness, is the natural result of assurance of faith ; that those who possess such assurance are a people especially set ipart, are " bought with a price," and are no longer at ^heir own disposal ; and that persons who profess to have ussurance of faith, but without a corresponding holiness of heart and life, are under a great delusion. In view of what has been said, as our limits do not admit of a more minute investigation of the subject, we come to the conclusion, that the doctrine of assurance of faith, and the doctrine of perfect love, although in reality distinct, may yet safely and properly be regarded as but different views of one great phasis of experi- mental Christianity, viz., that in which the soul is with- out present condemnation, and is in the experience of free, accepted, and full communion with God. Or per- haps we may express the same thing, and rather moie definitely, by saying, although they are distinct, they are so closely connected, that the one, wlierever t 8 86 RELATION OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH exists, necessarily" involves the other ; and that either or them involves the idea of evangelical holiness. If there is assurance of faith, it is necessarily followed by per- fection of love ; and the existence of perfect love — a state of mind which is otherwise expressed by the terms and phrases, sanctification, Christian perfection, and evan- gelical holiness — necessarily implies the antecedent existence of assurance of faith. But it will be asked, perhaps, by some, whose early habits of thought and association will naturally prompt the inquiry, If there be this close relation between as- surance of faith and perfect love, so that they may be regarded as, in effect, identical and interchangeable, why not retain and employ the former mode of expression, to the exclusion of any other ? Undoubtedly, particular denominations of Christians, and individuals, also, influ- enced by peculiarities in theological views, by early associations, or some other cause, will, on some oc- casions, give a preference to those forms of expression which most readily harmonize with such peculiarities and associations. Nor do we suppose that this is to be regarded as ground of complaint. Nevertheless, there is no necessity of our being limited to one mode of ex- pression ; and in the present case, where the inward ex- perience, although always essentially the same, presents itself in different aspects, — sometimes as perfect faith, and sometimes as perfect love, — there is evidently some advantage in not being so. Those who know, by per- sonal experience, what this state of mind is, will appre- ciate this remark, among other things, because a famil- iarity with different forms of expression aids very much, on many occasions, in 0]Vening the way to a free and united communion with those who are in the same state of mind in other Christian denominations. They feel the need of this communion ; they cannot do otherwise than seek it and find it ; and on both sides it is a great satisfaction to understand the blessed import of the ex- pressions which they reciprocally use. And besides, as language is the natural sign or expression of things, i', AND PEAFECT LOVE. S7 seems obvious that tliere is something due, on the part of language itself, to that natural and eternal relation- ship which exists in the case under consideration. Faith . and love are twin sisters, born together, and forever in- separable ; and the hearts where they have entered and taken possession, by whatever names of sect they may be characterized, are as closely allied and as dear to each other as the divine and heavenly graces which animate them. He who has assurance of faith can never disclaim the relationship which he bears to him who has perfection of love ; and language, whose office it is to suit the word to the thing with entire impar- tiality, should never be wanting in acknowledged terms both to express the things themselves, and also to recog- nize and sanction the relationship and union between thuai. " Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave and follow thee : Naked, poor, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shalt be Perish every fond ambition, All I've sought, or hoped, or known , Yet how rich is my condition Grod and heaven are still my own. ' Let the world despise and leave me ; They have left my Savior, too ; Human hearts and looks deceive me ; Thou art not, like them, untrue. And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love, and might, Foes may hate, and friends may scorn me Show thy face, and all is bright." 88 CHAPTER TENTH. CONSIDERATIONS ON 7HE LIFE OF FAITH. '^The just shall live by faith." "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son o. God." These passages, and others like them, involve the important truth, that the Christian life is a life of faith, in distinction from a life of open vision. There are various modifications of faith ; all of which are important in their appropriate places ; and all of which, it is quite probable, have a connection more or less intimate with the life of faith. But the form Oi faith which is especially necessary, in order to live the life of faith, is that lohich makes God present, moment by moment, in any and all events which take place. The want of this form of faith is one great source of evil. It is owing to a defect here, in a great part at least, that many persons, who believe to some extent in God, and in Christ, and perhaps in their own final ac- ceptance, nevertheless make but little progress in sanc- tification. Adhesive in a general faith which looks at things in masses, and rejecting that which is par- ticular, they necessarily place God at a great dis- tance ; while, on the other hand, that faith which it^ specific and particular brings him near, makes him pres- ent and intimate in all our concerns, and establishes between him and our own souls a perpetual and happv relationship. We hope we shall not be misunderstood. We admit that other modifications of faith are important in their place. We know them to be so. But we can- not doubt that the true life of God in the soul must be sustained in a very considerable degree, by means of LIFE OF FAITH. 89 hat specific form of faith which recognizes God as PRESENT, NOT ONLY IN EVERY MOMENT OF TIME, BUT AS PRESENT, EITHER PERMISSIVELY OR CAUSATIVELY, IN EVERY EVENT THAT TAKES PLACE. (1.) Proceeding now to iUustrate this general view in some particulars, we remark, in the first place, that those who are in the exercise of that form of faith which makes God present in every thing, will perceive and recognize the hand of God in every thing which re- lates to ihetnselves, viz., in the preservation of their lives and health, in their affairs of business, in their sufferings and joys, in the strength or weakness of their intellect- ual powers, in their opportunities of acquiring knowl- edge, in their opportunities of discharging duty, in their inward and outward temptations, in every thing, whether it relates to mind, body, or estate, or whether it relates to suffering or to action, which in any way concerns themselves, or which in any way concerns those with whom they are closely connected by family ties. (2.) We remark, in the second place, that if we are in the exercise of that kind of faith which makes God present in all things, we shall be enabled to see dis- tinctly his presence and his operative hand in the move- ments and acts of those who entertain hostile disposi- tions towards us, and who may properly be denominated our enemies. Notwithstanding the suffering to which the cruel and unjust course of our enemies often exposes us, we shall find no difficulty, if we are in the exercise of this form of specific faith, in recognizing and be- lieving the presence of God in that, as in other things. The mind is in th^at delightful position which enables It to think much more of God than of the instrument which he employs. Looking up to the great Author, it accepts from his hand, with acquiescence and thankful- ness, the cup of bitterness ; while it has mingled emo- tions of disapproval and pity (compassion being the predominant feeling) for the subordinate agent. But it is the distinct and unwavering perception that God is present, and that it is God who offers it to our lips. 8 * 90 CONSIDERATIONS ON THK which most of all changes and sweetens the draught. [t is inexpressibly delightful, in all the trials that come upon lis, from within and without, to realize, without any misgivings of spirit, that the rod, whatever ma^'' be the subordinate agency, is in the hands of our heavenly Father. (3.) Proceeding to a farther application of these views, we remark again, it is obvious, from the Scriptures, that we are required to be " diligent in business ; '' " whatever our hand findeth to do, to do it with oui might;" "to provide for our own households;" and undoubtedly every person must, on Christian principles, regularly and conscientiously accomplish the appropriate work of his hands, whatever it may be. But here also, as in every thing else, we must recognize the presence and agency of God. We must do what- ever God requires us to do, and must recognize him alike in the fulfilment and the disappointment of our efforts. We must not think too much of the inferior instrumentality of the rain and the sunshine, of the turning of the furrow, and of the planting of the seed, although these are important in their place ; but placing these, and all other secondary acts and causes, compara- tively under our feet, must endeavor to gain a higher position, and to stand in nearer proximity to the Primi- tive Agency. " He that observeth the wind shall not sow ; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap " God works in connection with second causes, but not in dependence on them. They are his servants, and not his masters ; a sort of dumb expositors of his purposes and will, but in no sense, though blind man seldom looks above them, the originating and effective cause. "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not whether shall pros- per, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good."* Blessed is the man who, as he goes about his daily business, tending his flocks with Abra- * Ecclesiastes xi. 4, 6. LIFE OF FAITH. 91 ham, or ploughing his fields with Elisha, can see God in trees, and flowers, and running brooks, in hills, and valleys, and mountains, in clouds and in sunshine ; and can connect him, as an intelligible and effective agency, with every thing that has relation to the time and the place, the nature and the results, of his labors. (4.) It is important, also, in the experience of a holy life, to extend the principle of the recognition of God's presence and agency to all public and national events, as well as to those of a more private nature. In repub- lican governments, and in all governments of a constitu- tional character, there are almost constantly before the public questions of great interest, which, when viewed out of their relation to the Divine Mind, are calculated to excite in the Christian, as well as in others, a degree of anxiety. When he beholds conflicting parties and nations, when he witnesses the wild political commo- tion and uproar which have characterized almost every age of the world, the heart of the good man would faint within him, if he did not know and feel that the hand of the Lord is in it. And yet the faith even of Chris- tians, when exercised in relation to public events, is exceedingly weak ; so much so as hardly, in the com- parative sense, to have an existence. It is very diflerent in this matter from what it should be. Nothing but a strange and blind unbelief could thus exile God from a participation in national movements. There has no po- litical event ever taken place — there has been no fall or rise of empires, no building up or overthrow of parties, no aggressions of war or pacifications of peace — without the presence of the hand of the Lord, either for good or for evil, for punishment or reward. Such is the doc- trine of the Scriptures, as well as of reason. Their lan- guage is, " The kingdom is the Lord's ; and he is the governor among the nations." Ps. xxii. 28. "By me kings reign, and princes decree justice." Prov. viii. 15. God says of Cyrus, the Persian king and conqueror, " He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure ; fiven saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built, and tc 92 CONSIBERATIONS ON THE the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid." Isa. xliv 28. And he adds, in the next chapter, a remarkable passage, which shows that kings and rulers, who have no realizing sense of the divine superintendence and presence, may yet be the instruments in his hands for the accomplishment of his purposes. " For Jacob, my servant's sake, and Israel, mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name ; / have surnamed thee^ though thou hast not known tne.^'' O that we might learn the great lesson (the lesson absolutely indispensable to him who would experience the highest results of the inward life) of beholding God, either in his direct efficiency, or his permissive and con- trolling guardianship, as present in all things, whether high or low, of whatever name or nature. Without taking this view of his presence, we deprive ourselves of that great centre where the soul finds rest. We are tossed and agitated by passing events. Every thing is perplexed, mysterious, and hopeless. In conclusion, we would remark, that a life of faith is necessarily a life of prayer. It must be obvious that the faith, which makes God present at all times and in all events, and yet without inspiring a sentiment of communion and sympathy with the Divine Mind, would be of no avail. When, therefore, we speak of believ- ingly recognizing the presence of God in all things, we 3o not mean a recognition in which there shall be no feeling, no sentiments of filial dependence, no gratitude and love. Far from it. God is made present, by faith, in order to be loved and communed with. The spirit of true communion with God — which is only another name for the spirit of prayer — naturally flows out, as it seems to us, of the spirit of constant and specific faith, and naturally and necessarily forms an important part of the life of faith. True prayer always has relation to the existing state or tendency of the soul ; or rather it is, for the time being, the very state of the soul itself, and nothing else. And the existing state of the soul, it is hardly necessary to say, always and necessarily has a LIFE OF FAITH. 93 tuimection, more or less intimate, with the existing de- velopment of things. Connecting, therefore, the exist- ing state of the soul with the existing state of things aronndit, and the development of things with the pres- ence and agency of God, we are at once brought into correspondence and communion with God, in relation to the things in which we are now most especially inter- ested, and concerning which God is most pleased to know our fihal trust, and to hear our humble supplica- tions. Accordingly it is, in our apprehension, a true doctrine, that every returning day brings with it its special burden of prayer ; in other words, something which it is especially proper for us to introduce to the notice of our heavenly Father, for his direction and blessing. And this is true, not only of every day, but of every hour, and every moment ; and thus it is that those who live the life of faith may not only be said to recognize God in every thing, and to be in communica- tion with him in every thing, but to look for guidance and the divine blessing in every thing, and •' to prav WITHOUT CEASING." [The following extract from a letter on Experience is copied from a tract published in Boston in 1810, and entitled " The Life of Faith : a Letter found in the Study of the late Rev. Mr. Belcher, of New Eng- land, (probably Rev. Samuel Belcher, of Newbury, Mass.) Being an answer to the question, How to live in this world, so as to LIVE IN HEAVEN."] " I will tell you familiarly what God hath done foi my soul, and in what train my soul keeps towards him- self. I am come to a conclusion to look after no great matters in the world, but to know Christ and him cru- cified. I make best way in a low gale. A high spirit and a high sail together will be dangerous, and therefore I prepare to live low. I desire not much, and pray against it. My study is my calling ; so much as tends that way (without distraction) lam bound to plead for 94 CONSIDERATIONS ON THE and more I desire not. By my secluded retirements, 1 have the advantage to observe how every day's occasions insensibly wear off the heart from God, and bury it in self, which they who live in care and cumbers cannot be sensible of. I have seemed to see a need of every thing God gives me, and want nothing that he denies me. There is no dispensation, though afflictive, but either in it, or after it, I find that I could not be without it. Whether it be taken from, or not given to me, sooner or later God quiets me in himself without it. I cast all my concerns on the Lord, and live securely on the care and wisdom of my heavenly Father. My ways, you know, are, in a sense, hedged up with thorns, and grow darker and darker daily ; but yet, I distrust not my good God in the least, and live more quietly, in the absence of all, by faith, than I should do, I am persuaded, if 1 possessed them. I think the Lord deals kindly with me, to make me believe for my mercies before I have them ; they will then be Isaacs, sons of laughter. The less reason hath to work on, [that is, the more entirely reason is perplexed, and is at a loss what measures to adopt,] the more freely faith casts itself on the faithful- ness of God. I find that, while faith is steady, nothing can disquiet me ; and when faith totters, nothing can establish me. If I tumble out amongst means and creatures, I am presently lost, and can come to no end ; but if I stay myself on God, and leave him to work in his own way and time, I am at rest, and can sit down and sleep in a promise, when a thousand rise up against me. Therefore, my way is not to cast beforehand, but to walk with God by the day. Sufficient unto the day .s the evil thereof. I find so much to do continually with my calling and my heart, that I have no time to f)iizzle myself with perad ventures and futurities. As for the state of the times, it is very gloomy and tem- pestuous. But why do the heathen rage ? Faith lies at anchor in the midst of the waves, and believes the accomp ishment of the promise, through all these over- turning confusions and seeming impossibilities. LIFE OF FAITH. 96 " Upon this God do I live, who is our God forever, and will guide us un* ) death. Methinks I lie becalmed in his besom, as Luther in such a case, [viz., when beset with troubles.] I am not much concerned ; let Christ see to it. I know prophecies are now dark, and the books are sealed, and men have all been deceived, and every cistern fails ; yet God doth continue faithful, and faithful is he that hath promised, who will do it, I believe these dark times are the womb of a bright morning. '-' Many things more I might add ; but enough. O brother ! keep close to God, and then, a little of the :;reature will go a great way ! Maintain secret commu- nion with God, and you need fear nothing. Take time for duties in private ; crowd not religion in a corner ot the day. There is a Dutch proverb, ' Nothing is got by thieving, nor lost by praying.' Lay up all your good in God, so as to be able to overbalance the sweet- ness and bitterness of all creatures. Spend no time anxiously in forehand contrivances for this world. They never succeed. God will turn his dispensations another way. Self-contrivances are the effects of unbe- lief. I can speak by experience. Would men spend those hours they run out in plots and contrivances, in communion with God, and leave all to him, hi/ believ- ing, they would have more peace and comfort. I leave you with your God and mine. The Lord Jesus be with your spirit." " God of my life, whose gracious power Through varied deaths my soul hath ieri. Or turned aside the fatal hour, Or lifted up my sinking head, «' In all thy ways thy hand 1 own, Thy ruling Providence 1 see ; Assist me still my course to run, And still direct my paths to thee. 96 CHAPTER ELEVENTH. OF A LIFE OF SPECIAL SIGNS AND MANIJ'ESTA TIONS, AS COMPARED WITH A LIFE OF FAITH. The views which have been taken of the life of faith will aid us in forming a proper estimate of a ten- dency, which is often noted among the followers of Christ, to seek for signs, tokens, and manifestations, as the basis, in part at least, of their full reconciliation with God, and of a holy life. We are aware that this tendency arises, in some cases, from ignorance ; but there can be no doubt that it has its origin chiefly in that dreadful malady of our nature, the sin of unbelief. But considered in any point of view, and as originating in any cause whatever, we cannot regard it as otherwise than wrong in principle, and as exceedingly injurious in its consequences. In reading, not long since, the Memoirs of the pious and devoted Lady Maxwell, oui attention was directed to a consecration of herself to God, at an early period of her life, conceived in terms, which, as it seemed to us, a more matured judgment, and a more advanced experience of God's faithfulness, such as she had in the later periods of her life, would not have entirely approved. The portion of this inter- esting act of consecration, to which reference is here particularly made, is as follows : " If thou. Lord, wilt manifest thy dear Son to me, clear up my evidence of my interest in him, shed abroad his love at all times in my heart, and let me feel him ever drawing me to himself with the cords of love, and in times of trial make his strength perfect in my weakness, and not de- sert me in duty nor in temptation ; if thou. Lord, wilt OF A LIFE OF SIGNS AND MANIFESTATIONS. 97 do these great things for me, then, in thy strength, 1 give myself unto thee, soul, body, and spirit, in the bonds of an everlasting covenant never to be forgotten." It seems to be a fair inference, from these expressions, that this pious lady had an earnest desire, at the period of making this consecration, to devote herself entirely to God ; but that she had not faith enough, or perhaps we might properly say, she was afraid to commit herself without reserve into the hands of her heavenly Father ; which is the true idea of consecration, and without which no act of consecration can be of any value. In other words, she had not faith enough to make this important surrender or renunciation of self (a renunciation which is so indispensable to a full realiza- tion of the inward life) without some special testimony of his favor, some inward sign, some specific feeling ; something, probably not very definitely represented even to her own conceptions, which should assure her, ante- cedently to the full surrender on her part, of the divine icceptance. Many persons, who have seen and have corrected the error, and are now living the true life of faith, can testi- fy that, in the earlier periods of their experience, they have hesitated and been perplexed in a similar manner. A.nd as the subject is practically one of great impor- tance, it may be proper to introduce here some instances and illustrations, in addition to what has already been said. '' My anxiety," says a religious person, whose experience is given in a recent publication, " for ad- v'ancement in holiness increased. My mind became exceedingly burdened. 1 was convinced that I must make a new and entire consecration of myself to God, yet shrank from such a total surrender. I sometimes felt, that if the Lord would make some communication to my soul, as a pledge that he was ready to meet me, and would grant sufficient grace in case I entered into such solemn covenant to be his, I could then venture to engage to live henceforth for him alone ; but, through weakness of faith, / dared not venture forward upon 9 9,8 OF A LIFE OF SIGNS AND MANIFESTATIONS, his 7iaked proinise. No such aid to my faith, however, was granted. J saw that the surrender must be un- conditional." Says another writer in the same work, " I continued seeking for light on this subject, when one night, after a severe struggle with unbelief, I covenanted with the Lord, that, if he would keep me from all sin through the next day, I would then believe that such a state might be enjoyed on earth. All was now calm. 1 rose in the morning in the same peaceful frame of mind, and at the close of the day I could not but acknowl- edge that I had enjoyed something to which I had ever before been a stranger. An incident occurred which at any other time would have excited feelings of anger ; but it did not, in the least, disturb the deep quiet which reigned within. The time had arrived for me to fulfil my covenant promise. But alas ! unbelieJ triumphed ; and I desired another sign, which was, the continuation of this full salvation for one week. I thought this manifestation of saving grace would put the doctrine beyond any farther doubt. But I had had sufficient evidence. I had persisted in unbelief; and my request was not granted." * The signs, tokens, or manifestations, which both those who are seeking religion in the first instance, and those who are aiming at its highest attainments, not unfre- quently ask for, either in express words or by the hid- den language of the secret tendency of the mind, are various ; but the most of them may probably be brought together under three heads or classes. The first class are those which are external ; sometimes an object of vision addressed to the outward sight; sometimes a sound addressed to the outward hearing ; or some re- markable combination of circumstances in relation to our persons or families ; or something peculiar and stri- king in God's providences ; or perhaps the suggestion of * Guide to Christian Perfection, vol. i. p. 266; vol. ii. p. 173. See also further illustrations of this subject, vol. il pp. 31, 202; vol ii p. 221 ; and vol. i>. p. 184. AS C tMPARED WITH > LIFK OF FAITH. 99 passages of Scripture of a certain character ; or the per- sonal appearance of the Savior, revealed either in his earthly or his celestial body, and made present to the outward vision. The manifestation, which was made to Paul in his journey to Damascus, when he saw a bright light shining from heaven, and heard a voice, and per- haps also that of Stephen, when he saw the heavens opened and beheld the Savior at the right hand of God, were of this class. The second class are those which are internal, in distinction from those which are ex- ternal, but still are essentially of a perceptive or in- tellectual nature ; that is to say, are not necessarily attended with an effect upon the heart. A person, for instance, may inwardly and intellectually have a re- vealed perception of heaven, of angels ascending and descending, of bright and rejoicing companies of the saints, or of any thing else which is a matter of knowl- edge and revelation, whether it has relation to the world of happiness or the world of woe. Such mani- festations are not seen outwardly or by the outward sense ; but when they are really from God, are made known by a divine communication operating in the in tellectual part. And this is done so distinctly as entire ly to control belief; though it is not necessarily attended with holy emotion. We have an instance of this in the apostle Paul, when, without knowing whether he was in the body or out of the body, he was caught up, as it were, into the third heavens, and beheld things unutterable. The THIRD class are peculiarities in emotive and af- fective experience ; in other words, the existence of specific emotions and affections of a peculiar kind ; such as the experience of sorrow in a very intense degree, or a peculiar strength and fulness of joy, or a deep and silent awe, or an indefinable melting of the heart in rapturous ecstasies. And not un frequently we charac terize the emotion or affection, which we seek for as the sign or testimony of our good estate, by its likeness to the alleged experience of some of our religions ac- 100 OF A LIFE OF SIGNS AND MANIFESTATIONS, quaiiitances. In other words, we desire a form of ex* perience like theirs ; not only resembling it in its nature, but resembling it in its modifications or peculiarities. It is the peculiarity, the specific character of the thing, which in these cases, more than the thing itself inde- pendently of the peculiarity, seems to constitute the sign. But whatever the specific thing may be, there can be no doubt as to the general fact, viz., that a special expe- rience of some kind, either inward or outward, either in the perceptions or the feelings, is often desired and sought after, and is sometimes made an absolute condi- tion, both by those who are seeking religion in the first instance, and by those who are seeking the additional grace of sanctification, before they are willing to trust themselves in the hands of God, to be wholly and unre- servedly his. In order to exercise faith in God, they must have something to build upon besides God him- self — a striking proof of the deep distrust and unbelief Df the human heart, and how blind man is when left to himself, and how surely he would rush to his own destruction. I recollect to have read the Life of a pious woman, a member of the Presbyterian church, (and it is by no means the only one which has come within my notice,) which seemed to me to be an illustration of what has been said. I refer to the Life, published many years since in Scotland, of Miss Elizabeth Cairns. There is reason to think, from the statements v/hich are given in this interesting Memoir, that the Spirit of God operated upon the mind of this devout person from early life. But not having received suitable instructions in the nature of true religious experience at an early period, she seems to have been led very thoroughly into the system of living by special manifestations, and those high emotions which are apt to be attendant on them. When she had manifestations, (which is perhaps ,the best terra we can find, though not an unexceptionable one, for the peculiar form of her experience,) especially if they were remarkable ones she was exceedingly AS COMPARED WITH A LIFF OF FAITH. 101 happy. She regarded them as the tokens of the divine favor ; and it was but natural that she should rejoice. But when they were withdrawn, a mental reaction almost invariably took place, and she became exceed- ingly miserable ; so that her life exhibited an unpleasant alternation of elevations and depressions — of the joyful and of the terrific — of rapture and of wretchedness. In her seasons of desertion, as she regarded them, her temptations were great, and almost overwhelming. It almost seemed to her darkened view as if the very being, as well as the presence and glory, of God was blotte°d out of existence. Some good people, who sympathized in her desires after holiness, endeavored to instruct her in a better way ; but she had so long lived upon special and powerful illuminations, which she had been in the habit of regarding as the only sure signs and testimo- nies of her good estate, that she found it difficult to un- derstand their views, and still more difficult to put them in practice. She speaks particularly, in her Memoir, of an experienced Christian friend, who, perceiving the temptations and wretchedness that followed her seasons of high manifestations, endeavored to aid her. " This person told me," she relates, " that I must part with that life, or I must go out of the world ; as also she told me of a life of faith a believer lived by in this world ; and that sensible manifestations were reserved for eternity. And by similitude she taught me, that Christ did with his young converts as a woman doth with her child when it is young. She carries it in her arms, and leads it by the hands; bit when it comes to more strength, she lets it walk alone, and take a fall, and rise again ; and yet her love is still the same. So doth Christ with his people. In their first entry into his way, he manifests much of his love to them ; but when they come to more experience, he withdraws sense from them, that they may be taught to walk by faith ; but yet his love is still the same to fhem. This," she adds, " was good advice; but alas! I knew not how to take it." At a later period of her life she remarks, " I did not know Q * 102 OF A LIFK OF SIGNS AND MANIFESTATIONS, a life of faith ; but still pursued a life of sense, foolishly thinking, with Pettr, to dwell in the mount of mani- fesUitions. O the great mistake I was in ! For although the Lord had graciously visited me with many earnests and pledges of his love, and thereby satisfied me as to my interest in the common salvation, yet I did not know that I should have submitted to his will, and put a blank in his hand as to more extraordinary al- lowances.^'' The consequence of this mistake was, as has already been intimated, that this pious individual was exposed to many internal troubles. She gives us to understand, that, in the intervals of her more extraordinary experi- ences, she felt the ragings of sin in her ; was in deep sor- row ; had at times but little access in prayer ; was tempted to impatience, atheism, and self-destruction ; — and we may very properly ask here, as she had made up her mind, ignorantly perhaps, but yet truly, to walk by special and extraordinary manifestations and illuminations rather than the simple and self-crucifying, the humbling and purifying way of faith, — the way in which prophets, patriarchs, and apostles trod, — could we well expect it to be otherwise ? When we arrive at the true and funda- mental element of a holy life, we shall find that God has but one way. And we may be assured, that He will honor and bless his own method of holy living, and no other. The remarks which have been made upon this case vvill apply very well, in many particulars, to the religious experience of Miss Anthony, formerly a resident of Newport, in Rhode Island, and a member of the Con- gregational church. Her Hfe was written by Dr. Hop- kins, a man well known for his theological labors. It exhibits the same traits, though not in an equal degree, with those which characterize the Memoir which has just been remarked upon. It is well known, that there are many memoirs of pious persons which are ahnost wholly made up of marked and wonderful manifesta- tions, somctinies purely intellectual, and consisting of AS COMPARED V/ITII A LIFE OF FAITH. 103 what may be called spiritual revelations or discoveries, and sometimes accfjmpanied with great joys and rap- tures ; but which are generally characterized by being followed by long intervals of darkness, temptation, and oftentimes of sin. Accordingly, the whole life of the person, in many narratives of this kind, is a series of alter- nations of these very diverse states ; whereas a life of sim- ple and childlike faith in God's word, based upon an unre- served and permanent consecration, keeps the soul, as it were, in equilibrium ; converting darkness into light, removing rocky and precipitous obstructions, and making all things even. It is certainly an important question, whether such written and publislied memoirs as have been mentioned are so useful reading for the religious community as they are generally supposed to be. I have often been deeply impressed with the conviction that they tend, in some important respects, to give an erroneous view of the true nature of the religious life. They do not sound to me like the life of Paul, and still less like the life of the Savior. And yet they are gen- erally regarded as more interesting, and are undoubtedly much more exciting, than the lives of those eminent Christians who persevere in the even and delightful tenor of their way, thinking but little of themselves and much of Christ, but little about their own happiness and much about the glory of God ; like Thauler, of the fourteenth century, and the author of the " Imitation ot Christ ; " like Fenelon and Leighton, of later times ; like Edwards and Wesley, who lived, and labored, and suf- fered, in the fulfilment of a constant consecration, and in the exercise of a constant trust in their heavenly Father. (1.) In view of what has been said in this chapter, we remark, in the first place, that God does not design that men, in the present life, should live by means of specific signs, testimonies, or manifestations, but by sim- ple faith alone. The great design of the gospel, in its practical and final result on man, seems to be to restore and firmly establish the lost principle of faith, as the true and only available basis of the religious life. And 104 OF A LIFE OF SIGNS ANT) MANIFESTATIONS, there seems to be a necessity that it should be so. From the nature of the case,^there never can be any true reconcihation and harmony between God and his crea- tures, until they can so far have confidence in him as to receive his declarations, and to draw their life, as it were, from the words which have proceeded out of his mouth. In any other way of living, whatever may be the nature of their inward or outward experiences, they live at variance with the order and the plans of God ; out of the line of his precepts; and of course, in the same degree, out of the range of his blessings. And hence it is that we find the remarkable expressions of the Savior to the doubting disciple, " Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." And we desire here, as a matter of some importance, to lay down a practical test or rule on this subject. It is this : Whenever we desire a specific experience, whether inward or outward, whether of the intellect or the affections, antecedently to the exercise of faith, we are necessarily, in so doing, seeking a sign, or testimony, or sometliing, whatever we may choose to call it, additional to the mere declaration and word of God. There is obvi- ously a lingering distrust in the mind, which jostles us out of the line of God's order ; which is not satisfied with his way of bringing the world into reconciliation with himself; and under the influence of which we are looking round for some new and additional witness foi our faith to rest upon. In other words, although we may not be fully conscious of it, we desire a sign. In the language of the experienced Mr. Fletcher, of Madely, " we want to see our own faith ; " a state of mind which, as it requires sight to see our faith with, in other words, a basis of faith additional to that which God has already given, is necessarily inconsistent with and destructive of faith. This simple test will aid very much in re- vealing to us the true state of our hearts. We repeat it, therefore, that we may in general know whether the experience which we are seeking is, or is not, of the AS COMPARED WITH A LIFE OF FAITH. 105 iiatuie of a testimony or sign required of God as the condition of oar faith and obedience, by the mark which has been mentioned, viz., when we seeic for it, whatever it is, antecedent to that exercise of faith which is wilhng to leave what we desire, and every thing which has relation to us, submissively in the hands of God. (2.) We remark again, that the life of specific signs, testimonies, and manifestations, is not only evil by being a deviation from the way of faith, but is evil also by keeping alive and cherishing the selfish principle, instead of destroying it. He who seeks to live in this manner, mstead of living by simple faith, and who thus shows a secret preference of specific experiences, modelled after his own imaginations of things, to that pearl of great price, which is found in leaving all things with God, necessarily seeks to have things in his own way. The way of faith is the way of sel^renunciation ; the hum- bling and despised way of our personal nothingness. The way of signs, testimonies, and manifestations, is the way of one's own will; and therefore naturally tends to keep alive and nourish the destructive principle of se fishness. The lives of those who attempt to live in this way, with some variations in particular cases, may be regarded as an evidence of the general correctness of these remarks. They seem like children brought up in an unwisely indulgent manner ; not unfrequently full of themselves, when they are gratified in the possession of their particular object, and full of discouragement, peevishness, and even of hostility, which are the natural results of the workings of self, when they are dis- appointed. (3.) We observe, in the third place, that another evil of that system of the religious life which is based upon signs and upon preconceived, and prescribed manifes- tations and experiences, is, that it exposes persons to al- ternations and reverses of feeling, which are injurious to the subjects of them, and are prejudicial to the cause of religion in the eyes of the world. Remarkable man- ifestations aid experiences (and those who have en- l06 OF A LIFE OF SIGNS AND MANIFESTATIONS, tered into this system are not generally -satisfied with any thing short of what is remarkable ) are usually, and, from our present physical and mental constitution, per- haps we may say, are necessarily, of short continuance. While the manifestations or specific experiences, what- ever they may be, continue, the mind is in a state of wondering and generally joyous excitement. But when the termination of these seasons comes, which is com- monly proximate in proportion to their wonderful na- ture, then succeeds the period of mental depression, of darkness that can almost be felt, of horrible temptations ; Satan saying to the soul continually, " Where now is thy God ? " And how can it well be otherwise, when those who take this erroneous course pray and wrestle, often- times perhaps without „being fully aware of it, for sight rather than for faith, and for revelations, which gratify the natural curiosity, rather than for righteousness, which purifies the heart ? (4.) We observe, again, that it is impossible, as it seems to us, for God to bring a soul to the highest re- sults of religion, and truly to sanctify it, so long as it continues in this disposition of seeking a sign, and at- tempts to live spiritually by means of signs ; or that in any other way proposes to regulate God, and to prescribe conditions to Infinite Love. One expression, and a very satisfactory one, of sanctification, is, union with thf DIVINE will ; in other words, having no will but God's : " He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit." And it is this union of spirit with spirit, of will with will, whicli God especially requires. And just so far as there is a di- vergence of the human will from the divine, just in that degree it is very evident there is, and must be, a want of holiness. Now, God's will (and in the infinitude of his perfections it cannot be otherwise) is, that we should trust him, both his character and his declarations ; that, in respect to his various dealings with us, — dealings which of course indicate his designs and purposes, — we should lie submissive and passive in his hands ; and that the language of tur hearts should be, at all times AS COMPAKED WITH A LIFE OF FAITH. 107 Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight." But he who seeks a sign, an inward or outward testi- mony, a specific and preconceived manifestation of any U:ind, as the basis of the inward life, either in its begin- ning or its advancement ; in other words, who says to the Lord, Do tiiis thing, or that thing, (whatever it may be,) and then I will give thee my heart, and believe in thee, obviously fails to exercise the required trust in God. And consequently, being wanting in the true spirit of harmony and union with God, he cannot rightly be regarded, while remaining in this state, as a person to whom the character of sanctification or holiness either is, or can be, properly ascribed. (5.) We remark, finally, that a life of faith, in distinc- tion from a life of manifestations, is not necessarily, as some seem to suppose, exclusive of feeling. The diffi- culty, which exists in the minds of those who entertain the idea that a life of faith is a life without feeling, arises from that limited view of things which considers faith in its own nature, exclusive of its relations and results. And it may be well to say here, that a thing is never properly understood, and cannot be properly un- derstood and known, unless it is understood and known in its relations and results, as well as in itself. And on this ground, therefore, we assert, the relations and results of faith are such, that it is a great mistake to say that a life of faith is a life without feeling. In our inquiries into the nature of the religious life, we wish, if possible, to ascertain the foundation principle, the corner-stone. And we cannot have any hesitation in saying, both from the Scriptures and from the nature and reason of the thing, that this principle is, and must be, FAITH. Undoubtedly, there may be feeling of some kind without faith ; but there cannot be truly acceptable religious feeling without it. Faith must precede. 1 think we may lay it down as a fixed and unalterable principle, that any feeling, however strong it may be, which exists antecedent to faith, or which exists irrespec- tive of faith, can never be relied on as of a truly religious 108 OF A LIFE OF SIGNS AND MANIFESTATIONS, and saving value. But if the true doctrine is, that faith should go first, it is nevertheless true, that feeling will come after. In all cases where there is faith, (we mean relig-ious faith, viz., in God, in Christ, and in all divine declarations,) feeling in its various forms, and, what is very important, the right kind of feeling, will naturally and necessarily flow out. It will be such feeling as God approves ; it will be such feeling as filled the bosom of the Savior while here on earth; always appropriate to the occasion ; sometimes gentle and sometimes strong, some- times characterized by joy and sometimes by sorrow, always bearing the marks of purity and benevolence ; but " always, when the exercise of faith exists in the highest degree, distinguished by the beautiful trait of calmness and peace. We might pursue this important subject further ; but we leave it with a single observation, accompanied by a reference to an experienced and able writer. We desire it to be understood, as consistent with what has been said, that such specific signs, revelations, and manifestations^ and also such peculiarities of the more inward and emo- tional or aflective experience as have been referred to in the present chapter, are good in their place. And if it be inquired what their place is, the proper answer seems to be, when they are sent of God, unsought hy the crea- ture. It is the prerogative of God to glorify himself in his own way. It is alike the privilege and the duty of men to leave themselves submissively m his hands. If God, . in the wisdom of his unsearchable providence, sees fit, lor special purposes and on special occasions, to make remarkable revelations of eternal things, as he did on a few occasions to Stephen, and Paul, and John, or in any other ways to impart some marked peculiarities to our experience, we are to receive them in a becoming temper of mind. And to such occasions the humble Christian, ^vho is deeply impressed with his own ignorance and de- pendence, and desires nothing but that he may be holy, will cheerfully leave them. "If God indulge you," says Mr. Fletcher, of Madely, AS COMPARED WITH A LIFE OF FAITH. 109 " with ecstasies and extraordinary revelations, be thank- ful for them ; but be not exalted above measure by them. Take care, lest enthusiastic delusions mix themselves with them ; and remember that your Christian perfection does not so much consist in building a tabernacle upon Mount Tabor, to rest and enjoy rare sights there, as in resolutely taking up the cross, and following Christ to the palace of a proud Caiaphas, to the judgment-hall of an unjust Pilate, and to the top of an ignominious Cal- vary. Ye never read in your Bibles, ' Let that glory be upon you which was also upon Stephen, when he looked up steadfastly into heaven, and said, " Behold ! I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.'^ ' But ye have frequently read there, ' Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who made himself of no reputation, but took upon him the form of a servant, and being found in fashion as o man, humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, pven the death of the cross.' " 10 110 CHAPTER TWELFTH. OF i'URE OR HOLY LOVE, IN DISTINCTION FROM SELF INTERESTED OR SELFISH LOVE. It will be recollected, that it was attempted to be shown, ill one of the preceding chapters, that evangeli- cal holiness is to be regarded as the same thing with perfect love. The great commandment is, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself." He w^ho begins to love may be said to begin to be holy ; lut it is he, and he only, in whom the principle of love has subdued that of selfish- ness, and who loves with his whole heart, in whom holi- ness can be said to be complete or entire. Faith, un- doubtedly, whether we consider the subject scripturally or psychologically, is the foundation of love. The views which have been presented in the preceding chapters abundantly show that faith is a principle antecedent to love in time, and absolutely indispensable. But it is love, nevertheless, to which God has assigned the high honor of declaring it to be " the fulfilling of the law." So that the great question, — that in comparison with which every other is of small importance, — whether we are wholly the Lord's, and are truly holy, may be resolved into another, viz., whether we are perfected in love ? But we proceed to remark here, in this position of our inquiries, that there are various kinds of love ; or per- haps we should rather say, that there are various states of mind which are regarded as love, and which bear the name of love. For instance, we may love another, or at least may have an afljection towards him, which we frequently call love, merely or chiefly for the benefits which he has conferred upon us, and without a suitable OF PURE OR HOLY LOV^E. Ill regard to his motives, and to his character in other re- spects. Or we may love him for what he is in and of HIMSELF ; inchiding what he has done for us personally, and every thing else which goes to constitute his whole character. It is the latter only which is to be regarded as pure love, in distinction from self-interested or selfish love ; in other words, pure or holy love, if we have a light conception of its nature, is the same thing as right love ; that is to say, it is a love which, in being ac- ':ordant with perfect rectitude, is characterized by being precisely conformed to its object in all the facts and rela- tions of the object, so far as the object is susceptible of being known. It is our purpose in this chapter to en- deavor to show, that we ought to love God with that sort of love which is pure, right, or holy. ( I.) In the first place, we are required to do this on natural principles. Nature herself — in other words, the common feeling and common sense of mankind — teaches us what true or pure love is, in distinction from inter- ested or merely selfish love. If we profess to love a per- son, it is the common and natural understanding in the case, that we pnofess to love him as he is ; in other words, we love him for what he is in and of himself, for any thing and every thing which is truly desirable and lovely in his character ; and not merely or chiefly for the benefits which he may have conferred upon us. The principles of the philosophy of the mind, which are drawn chiefly from an observation of the feelings and conduct of men, do not appear to recognize any other true love than this. If my neighbor, for instance, de- clares that he loves me, I accept his declaration, and re- joice in it ; but if I afterwards learn that he loves me merely in consequence of some benefits I have conferred apon him, I can truly say to him, he is mistaken in the whole matter : and that he loves himself and not me. It seems to be self-evident, that all true or pure love must terminate in the object that is beloved, and not in the person that exercises love. And accordingly, while such love regards its own interests in their true 112 OF PURE OB HOLT LOTE, IN DISTDfCTlOX light, azi us: ::_5 they oaght to be regarded, it is never selfish, nfTc- c^::i^tieal. In other xrords, it shows no disposition to turn back continually upon itseli". and to revolve around its own centre of origin. On the con- trary, true or pore lore, in distinction from that which is self-interested, is diifusire. generous, and seli-for^ettiug. It expatriates itseh'; as it were : flying on its beautiful Vings from its own heart to find a home in the heart of another. And it is accordingly with such love, a love which hves for another and not for itself, a love devoid of any debasing and inferior mixture, that we ought to love God. (2.) In the second place, while men are evidently able to make the distinction between these different idnds or forms of love, it is apparent also that they re- spect and honor pore love : while they have neither ad- miration nor esteem for that form of love which is based apon personal interest merely. Some ancient heathen writers, Cicero in his treatise De Amictiia. and Plato in particular, in various places of his writings, speak in the highest terms of that friendship or alTectien which is dis- interested. Plato advances the sentiment, that the most divine trait in man's nature, and that without which he cannot be happy, is, •• to deny and go out of himself for love." Hence it is, that ancient writers bestow such high c(Hmnendiation upon the friendship of Pythias and Damon, who lived imdet the tjTant Dionysius. and were willing to die for each other. Each of them seemed willing to forget, and, as it were, to extinguish himself, in order that the other might hve and be happy. This was true love. And men are so constituted, that such love always commands their regard and honor. They instinctively perceive, that it has in itseh" a divine ele- ment, which necessarily allies it to the highest and pur- est form of existence, whatever it may be ; and that it is mcNrally beantiful. and ever must be so. in its own unde- rived lustre. And accordingly, they speak of it at their firesides : they crown it with historic encomiums ; they sing its ptaises in poetry : while all other love, as exist- FKOM SELF-INTERESTED OR SELFISH LOVE. 113 ing between man and man, they despise and trample under their feet. And is it reasonable to suppose that a love whrdi men themselves, darkened as they are in their natural perceptions, instinctively condemn and re- ject, will be acceptable to God ? (3.) In the third place, the character of God is so pure, so exalted, that the claims of right and justice can- not be satisfied with any homage which it may receive short of pure or holy love. God contains in himself the sum of all conceivable excellence. If there is any being who is to be loved for himself, because he contains in himself every thing that is lovely, it is God. If human beings reject with an instinctive contempt any love which is found to be based upon selfish considerations, how can God, who has so much higher claims, receive it? Upon this point, all language fails. The tongues of angels cannot describe the divine excellence. It is be- cause God is what he is, and will continue to be what he has been, that he is the true and only proper object of the heart's highest homage. The divine character stands forth, in the view of the universe, as the natural, the appropriate, and ever-sufficient object of pure love. But the question may be asked here with some degree of force, " Is not God's benevolence towards ourselves to be taken into view, and to have some effect upon our feelings ? " Undoubtedly it is. We shall love God, if we fulfil the divine requisition in its entire extent, as he is, and not otherwise than he is. And this implies, that we are to take into view every part of his character and ot his acts. It is true, it is impossible to love him with that kind of love which is called pure love, for the sim- ple and exclusive reason that he has been good to us. Pure or holy love, which does not confine itself to any personal or interested view of things, necessarily requires a wider basis of movement than this. But we love him with entire purity of love, because, while he has been good to us, he has sustained, in every other respect, the perfection of his character and acts. In other words, there has been a diffusion of truth, purity, and rishteous- 10* 11.4 OF PURE OR HOLY LOVE, IN DISTINCTION ness, over his whole character and administration ; in- cluding what he has done for ourselves, as well as his acts ui- other respects. And it is his character and acts, as thus presented in their entireness, and not in partial glimpses, which command the homage of pure love (4.) In the fourth place, the Scriptures require us to love God with disinterested or pure love. We say noth- ing here of the great command, " Thou shall love tho Lord thy God with all thy heart;" which evidently implies the dethronement and exclusion of selfishness. There are various other passages of Scripture, which, if we rightly understand them, evidently look to this result, viz., that we should love him for what he is in and of himself, independently of our own private interests. Accordingly, it is said in Luke, chap. xiv. 26, " If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." And again in the same chapter, " So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." And again it is said, in another place, " Love your enemies ; bless them that curse you ; do good to them that hate you." And perhaps still more directly and appositely to the subject under considera- tion, the inquiry is made in another passage, "If ye love them which love you, what thanks have ye ? For sin- ners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them who do good to you, what thanks have ye ? For sinners also do even the same." These are the declarations and precepts of the Savior himself. There are many others very similar to be found in different parts of the Word of God ; as when, for instance, the apostle John says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.^' How true It is, then, that charity, or the genuine love of God and our neighbor, " seeketh not her own " ! And how ap- propriate the direction, "Look not every man on his own things ; but every man also on the things of oth- FROM SELF-INTERESTED OR SELFISH LOVE. 115 evs " ] We have only to add, that passages, such as have now been referred to, evidently strike at the existence of that form of love, if such it can be called, which pro- poses to build itself on personal or selfish considerations. (5.) We remark, further, that the nature of the hu- man mind is such, being limited and dependent, that it evidently requires an adequate centre of love, on which it can rest. No being, that is weak and dependent, and is conscious, as man is, of this weakness and dependence, can find a safe and satisfactory centre in itself. Ac- cordingly, the man whose love reverts wholly or chiefly to himself, is always found to be more or less anxious and unhappy. And if our love fixes upon any being out of ourselves, but short of God and to the exclusion of God, it soon finds a weakness thera, and becomes uneasy, and has a sort of instinctive consciousness that the true centre is not yet found. Hence, if our souls would find rest, they can find it only by an alienation of self and of all subordinate creatures, and by union with God. And what has now been said is not only obvious in itself, but it is believed it wi!l be found to be con- firmed by the testimony of those who have made the greatest advancement in holiness. In Jie transition they have passed through, from the natural life to the true life of God in the soul, they have attached themselves, as it was perhaps natural they should do, to various inferior objects — to outward forms, to ministers, to church organi- zation and ceremonies, to Christian friends ; and have endeavored for a time to find a rest of soul in these in- ferior things. But it has always eluded them. They have felt the foundation shake. They have realized an inward disquietude and weakness, till, leaving every thing else, however desirable in many respects and for many purposes it might be, they have reached the strong rock of salvation in God alone. Finally, it is the nature of true love to react upon and to expand itself. It is satisfied with nothing but constant increase. It ever desires to love more ; and is t'.ver enlarging its own capability of loving. It can 1 16 OF PURE OR HOLY LOVE, IN DISTINCTION therefore, rest firmly and quietly, and with entire satis- faction, only in an object which has capacity and ful- ness enough to meet this tendency. As in God there is not only infinity of being but infinite loveliness, so the principle of love in men, though it should expand and increase itself through all eternity, will find in him all Its wants supplied. No other object can supply them ; and it seeks no other. But in God it finds all that it needs. It has a home there, like no other home. It has no fear of failure in the beloved object ; it has no desire of change. It exults triumphantly, and with ever-in- creasing exultation, in the midst of the glories of the In- finite Mind. This is the true point of rest ; the soul's eternal rock ; the everlasting centre ; and it can be no- where else. In connection with what has been said, we make a few remarks further, naturally flowing out of the sub- ject. And, in the first pjlace, we observe, it is a bad sign when Christians are thinking more of themselves than of God ; in other words, when they are more taken up with their own joys and sorrows than they are with God's will. When this is the case, they have not as yet learned the great lesson of self-crucifixion ; of doing and sufiering the will of another. " The cup, which my Father giveth me, shall I not drink it ? " These are the words of the Savior ; and they convey deep and precious meaning. When we are fully delivered from the influ- ence of selfish considerations, and have become conform- ed to the desires and purposes of the Infinite Mind, we shall drink the cup, and drink it cheerfully, whatever it may be. In a word, we shall necessarily be submissive and happy in all trials, and in every change and diver- sity of situation. Not because we are seeking happiness as a distinct object, or thinking of happiness as a distinct object, but because the glorious will of Him, whom our soul loves supremely, is accomplished in us. To the purified mind, the sorrows and joys of this life, when contemplated in the light of God's providences, are alike. Whatever God sends is welcome to it. Hence we say FROM SELF-INTERESTED OR SELFISH LOVE. 117 It shows a state of mind short of sanctification, or, what IS the same thing, short of evangelical perfection, when we think more of ourselves than we do of God, and more of our own happiness than we do of the divine glory. We remark, in the second place, that in the doctrine of pure love, existing in the highest degree, we find the true basis of Christian harmony. There never can be harmony among Christians without some common centre of attraction. Without such a centre, their principles of movement will vary, and they will be exposed to perpet- ual conflicts. What a delightful prospect would be pre- sented, if all Christians could meet in this great centre ! What unity of purpose ! What mingling of affection ! It is party and selfish interests which divide. A com- mon interest unites. God, being loved with perfect love, and for his own sake, makes all hearts one. It is then that we all drink, and are all nourished, at the same fountain. We unite in him and rejoice in him, as a principle of life-giving inspiration, having a common and universal efficacy, operating as the soul of each separate soul and the life of each separate life, and thus making what was before separate and self-interested but one life and one soul in himself. We observe, again, that we find in this doctrine the *,rue principle, not only of union among Christians in this life, but of the permanent moral harmony of the uni- verse. The universe must have a centre ; and it has ; and that centre is God. But there cannot be universal harmony, notwithstanding, unless all hearts are drawn to that centre, as the supreme object of attraction and de- light. This simple principle of pure love, always termi- nating in God as its centre, and as its supreme object, excludes every jarring sound, and establishes universal concord. And as it is exercised without distrust and without fear, attaching itself to an object whose perfec- tions never change, it naturally brings substantial joy — joy, full as its fountain, which is God, and lasting as his existence, Vv^hich is eternity. Finally^ in the opposite of pure love, that is to say, in selfishness, as it develops itself in a future life, we 118 or PURE OR HOLY LOVE, find the great principle of moral discord, and also that which constitutes the essential basis of the misery of hell. The misery of hell is not an accident ; but. just to the extent it is experienced at all, it is a permanent and necessary truth. Like every thing else, it has its philos- ophy. Its leading element is love, terminating in self as the supreme object ; in other words, it is supreme selfishness. This principle, wherever it exists and wherever it is transferred, necessarily carries with it the grand element of the world of woe. A being who is supremely selfish is necessarily miserable. The result does not depend upon choice or volition, but upon the nature of things. Instead of the principle of unity, which tends to oneness of purpose with other beings, and naturally leads to happiness, he has within him the prin- ciple of exclusion and of eternal separation. In its ulti- mate operation, if it is permitted permanently to exist, it necessarily drives him from every thing else, and wedges him closer and closer in the compressed circumference of his own personality ; so that he is not only at vari- ance with God, and with all holy beings, but he is not at unity even with the devils themselves. The princi- ple of love, terminating in self as the supreme object, and exclusive of other objects, — in other words, supreme self- ishness, — makes him at war with all other beings; and it IS impossible for him to be happy but in their destruc- tion, which is also an impossibility. This is the true liell and everlasting fire. " O Love ! 1 languish at tljy stay ! I pine for thee with lingering smart ! Weary and faint through long delay ; When wilt thou come into my heart? From sin and sorrow set me free, And swallow up my soul in thee ! " Come, O my comfort and delight ! My strength and health, my shield and sun, My boast, and confidence, and might, ^y j°y» ™y S^'^^J^ ^^^ ^y crown ; My gospel hope, my calling's prize ; My tree of life, my paradise ! " 1<9 CHAPTER THIRTEENTH. ON THE LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOR AND OF OURSELVES We proceed now to the consideration, of a subject naturally flowing out of that of the foregoing chapter, viz., that of love to our neighbor, and to created and in- ferior beings in general. And the first proposition which we lay down is this : If our love to God be dis- interested and pure, and at the same time exist in a de- gree suitable to the object, viz., in the highest degree, then all other love, and the love of all other creatures, will be entirely subordinate to this, and will exist only m relation to it. If we possess pure and perfect love to God, we shall perfectly sympathize with him in his love towards whatever he has made ; and shall, according to our capacity, love just as he does. Our love will natu- rally, and perhaps we may say of necessity, flow in the same channel. And whatever things he takes an inter- est in, whether material or immaterial, whether of greater or less consequence, will possess precisely the same interest for us, so far as we possess an equal knowl- edge of their nature and an equal capacity of love. The devout recollection of the great Architect will impart a degree of sacredness and value to whatever is the work of his hands. In his woods, his rivers, his mountains, his burnished sky, and his boundless ocean, we shall see the indistinct reflection of himself, and join to our per- ception of beauty in the object a still higher admiration of the wisdom and goodness of its Maker. We shall rec- ognize, in the birds of the air, in the cattle of the ver- dant hills, and even in the heedless insect that hums around our path, the agency of Him who doeth all L iO ON THE LOVE OF OUU NEIGHBOR things well. And we shall feel here, as in other things^ that we can never be indifferent to any thing which our heavenly Father has made and takes an interest in. As we rise in the scale of beings to those which have a rational and moral nature, to those who are kindred in race, and are perhaps kindred by the nearer relationship of family ties, we shall experience the exercise of love on the same principle. We do not deny that we shall be susceptible of a natural love. We know that wc shall be. But what we mean to say is, that our love, whether purely natural, and founded on the relations we sustain to the object, or whether an acquired love, and resting wholly upon the deliberate perception of its ami- able qualities, will be perfectly subordinate to the love of God, and will be regulated by it. It would perhaps be a concise expression of the fact to say, whatever specific modifications our love may assume, under the operation of natural causes, that we shall love all things in and FOR God. And if we are required in the first instance to love God with all our heart, it does not clearly appear, when we fulfil the divine requisition, how we can love our neighbor, or any thing else, in any other way than this. "But what is," says a certain writer, "loving any creature only in and for God ? It is, when we love it only as it is God's tvork, itnage, and delight ; when we love it merely as it is God's, and belongs to him. This is loving it in God. And when all that we wish, intend, or do to it, is done from a love of God, for the honor of God, and in conformity to the will of God, this is lov- ing it for God. This is the one love, that is, and must be, the spirit of all creatures that live united to God. Now, this is no speculative refinement or fine-spun fiction of the brain ; but the simple truth, a first law of na- ture, and a necessary bond of union between God and the creature. The creature is not in God, is a stranger to him, has lost the life of God in itself, whenever its love does not thus begin and end in God." * * Lftw's Spirit of Fraver. Ft. 1. ch 2. AND OF OURSELVES. 121 And in this way, under the great law of supreme love to God, we may not only love, as we ought to, our friends, our relatives, and our fellow-men universally ; but, under the same law and in the same manner, we may love ourselves, and may love and seek our own happiness. God is willing that we should. He has made us so that we cannot do otherwise. He requires us to do it. Bat what is our happiness ? It is, to love God with all our heart, and to hold all other love in subordination ; or, what seems to be the same thing, to love God supremely, and to exercise and measure all other love with a reference to that supreme and perfect standard of measurement. It is, to feel the full power of that divine attraction which silently draws us from the circumference to the centre ; it is, to experience the res- toration of the broken bond of union with the Divine Mind — to be lost, as it were, in the great ocean of the infinite fulness. In other words, our happiness is, to re- nounce ourselves entirely, in order that God, in whom alone is all goodness, may resume that throne in the heart from which he has been banished. And accord- ingly, we love ourselves and our own happiness, even our frail bodies as well as our immortal souls, because God made us ; because he takes care of us, and desires our happiness, and recognizes the propriety of our exercising the same desire ; because he has designed us, under the operations of his grace, to be mirrors of his own image and the temples of the Holy Ghost ; and not because we have a desire, or could for a moment have a desire, a pur- pose, or a love, adverse to or even not coincident with his. So that all subordinate love of his creatures, whether it have relation to ourselves or others, may truly and properly resolve itself into the love of God. (1.) In connection with what has been said, we may properly make one or two remarks. The first is, that this doctrine makes the exercise of love to our neighbors, in the same degree in which we love ourselves, an easy thmg. We love ourselves only as we Icve God. In other words, if we love God with perfect love, the love 11 122 ON THE LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOR of ourselves will be subordinated and restricted by the controlling desire, that God may be glorified in us. We can seek nothing, desire nothing, love nothing, for ourselves, but what is subordinate to and has a tendency to God's glory ; so that the love of self, whatever it may be, is merged and purified in the encircling and ab- sorbing love of God. The love of our neighbor is prop- erly measured, on the principles of the Scriptures, by the love of ourselves ; and as we can love ourselves only in subordination to God's will and glory, so we can love our neighbor only in the same manner and the same de- gree. In other words, both the love of ourselves and ot our neighbor are only rills and drops from the mighty waters of love to God. And on the supposition that we are filled with the love of God, the love of our neighbor flows out from the great fountain of divine love, in the various channels and in the degree which God chooses, as easily and as naturally as a stream flows from its lake in the mountains over the meadows and valleys below. There is no need of eff"ort. Only let God, in his provi- dence, furnish the occasion, and in a moment the heart will open, and the streams will gush out. Hence the remarks which are found in various places of the wri- tings of Augustine, Thauler, and Fenelon, to this efl'ect, (and some eminent theologians of this country appear decidedly to favor this view,) that the love of God is ca- pable of animating and regulating all those afl!"ections which we owe to his creatures ; that the true manner of loving our neighbor is to love him in and for God ; ani that we never love him so purely and so much, as when we love him in this way. (2.) We observe, further, that the love of our neigh- bor, flowing from this divine source, and equalling in degree the love of ourselves, meets and adapts itself with a wonderful flexibility to all the ordinary occasions and demands of life. It leads us to the humble residences of the poor and the chambers of the sick. And while it sympathizes in the sufl'erings, it also rejoices in the consolations, of others, just as it would in its own. AND OF OURSELVES. 123 '■Such souls," says Fenelon, "as are really detached from themselves, like the saints in heaven, regard the mercies distributed to others with the same complacency as those they receive themselves ; for, esteeming them- selves as nothing, they love the good pleasure of God, the riches of his grace, and the glory he derives from the sanctification of others, as much as that which he de- rives from them. All is then equal, for the personal self, or ME, is lost. The me is no more me [that is, relatively to the exercise of the affections on their appropriate oc- casions] than another person. It is God alone that is ALL IN ALL. It is God wliom they love and admire ; and who, in the exercise of this disinterested or pure love, causes all the joy of their hearts." (3.) We remark, again, that, on the principles which have been laid down, we see how we may fulfil the command of our Savior to love our enemies, to bless them that curse us, and to do good to them that hate and per secute us. Instead of being a very difficult thing, as is commonly supposed, and as it would undoubtedly be on natural principles, it becomes easy ; because, in tlie lan- guage of Francis de Sales, " We cannot love God as we ought, without adopting his sentiments, and loving WHAT HE loves." Now, WO kuow that God loves those who do not love him. He loved us, even when we were his enemies. He so loved a rebellious and disobe- dient world, as to give his Son to die for it. And if we are in the same spirit, loving only what he loves and hating what he hates, we shall find no difficulty in lov- ing our enemies, and in praying for those who "despite- fully entreat us." No matter how unlovely they may be in themselves, no matter how cruel and unjust their treatment may be to us; the consideration, that our heavenly Father loves them and requires us to love them, lays all things even, and opens the full channels of the heart, as if there were no obstacles existing. Finally, when we love our fellow-men in this way, we love with a perseverance and constancy which could not be realized under other circumstances. Our love is 124 LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOR AND OF OURSELVES. not subject to those breaks and variations which char- acterize it when it is based upon the uncertainties of the creature, instead of the immutability of the divine will. On the contrary, it continually flows on and flows on, whether it meets with any favorable return or not, par- taking, in no small measure, of the unchangeableness of the divine nature, 125 CHAPTER FOURTEENTH. ON THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN LOVE AND JOY. It would seem, from the views which have been ta- ken, that PERFECT LOVE is to be regarded, on the prin- ciples of the gospel, as essentially the same thing, or rather as precisely the same thing, with sanctification or HOLINESS. Certain it is, that those who are perfected in love, whatever may be their infirmities and errors, and however important and proper it may be for them to make constant application to the blood of the atonement, both for the forgiveness of the infirmities of the present and of the infirmities and transgressions of the past, are spoken of and are treated, in the New Testament, as accepted, sanctified, or holy persons. Those, therefore, who are truly and without any self-interested reflections seeking perfection of love, may very properly be con- sidered as seeking holiness. But it is proper to say here, that some degree of observation and inquiry has given occasion to the remark, that some persons, who are truly seeking the sanctifying power of assured faith and per- fected love, and who suppose that they are seeking it in the right way, have nevertheless committed the danger- ous error of confounding joy with love ; and are in fact, without being fully aware of it, seeking after a state of highly joyful and rapturous excitement, instead of true love. It is to some mistake of this kind that the pious Lady Maxwell probably has reference, when she says, " The Lord has taught me that it is by faith, and not JOY, I must live." It seems to me, therefore, important, .n order to understand the true foundation of the Chris- 11 * 126 ON THE DISTINCTION tian life, to draw the distinction between joy and love. This is the object of the present chapter. (1.) In endeavoring to point out the distinction be- tween joy and love, which, it must be admitted, cannot be satisfactorily done without careful consideration, we proceed to remark, in the first place, that the distinction is very properly made, in philosophical writers, between emotions and desires; and that joy is to be regarded as an emotion rather than a desire. Regarded as an emo- tive state of the mind, joy, like the emotions generally, naturally terminates in itself; that is to say, a person may be the subject of highly- raised joyful emotions, and at the same time may remain inactive. He may be wholly occupied with the ecstatic movement of his own feelings, and be destitute of thought, feeling, and action for others. But the leading characteristic of love — that in particular which distinguishes it from mere joy — is the element of desire. It is the nature of love, as it is the nature of every thing else of which desire is the promi- nent element, not to stop or terminate in itself, but to lead to something else. And furthermore love, like other benevolent affections, is not only active in relation to others, but is active for the good of others. We have here, therefore, an important ground of distinction. If Christians were filled with joyful feelings merely, they might, being destitute of other principles of action, re- main slothful at their own firesides, and see the world perish in their sins. But love, on the contrary, is sweetly and powerfully impulsive ; and constrains us, especially if it be strong, to do good in every possible way to our fellow-men. And hence the expression of the apostle. •' the love of Christ constraineth us." (2.) In the second place, joy may be founded on selfish considerations. But love, certainly that which God recognizes and requires, — that disinterested or pure love of which we have already given some account, — is always benevolent. It is sometimes the case, in conse quence of a wrong position of our minds, that we may even rejoice in the evil or suffering of others. We may BETWEEN LOVE AND JOY, 127 be very well pleased, very happy, when we see them perplexed, misrepresented, and injured. But it does not appear how we can at such times be said to love them. Joy, therefore, may go where love will not follow. Joy may have a field of action which love has not. Accord- ingly, we can conceive of the devils rejoicing. They may rejoice, and undoubtedly do rejoice, in the misery of each other. It is their nature. Evil is their good. But we cannot conceive how they can love. (3.) We may remark, in the third place, that in love there is always something elevating, ennobling, and pu- rifying to the soul. It is the great source and fountain of generous and exalted actions. It is the secret and powerful spring of religious magnanimity, of holy hero- ism. But the tendency of joy is, in itself considered, and independently of other principles, to create in the mind a species of spiritual sensuality. It leads the soul 'at least such is its tendency, unless accompanied by other principles) to sit quietly and inactively in the easy chair of its own gratification. It thinks too much of itself, to have the power of thinking much of others. Its tendency, therefore, in itself considered, and independ- ently of other principles of actio7i, is to turn the mind off ."rom the highest good. It may even have the effect (and it is believed that the experience of some Chris- tians on this point will confirm the statement) to remove the mind, in some degree, from God himself, and from Christ, and from the Holy Ghost, upon whom it ought always to rest. And this, certainly, is a result whicli is greatly to be deplored. (4.) It will be recollected, m the fourth place, that a leading characteristic of love, as already has been re- marked, is DESIRE ; a state of mind which may very properly be distinguished from an emotion. Accordingly, we can never love an object, without desiring the good of that object. In the exercise of love, we carefully notice those occasions on which we may have it in our power to promote the good or happiness of the beloved object; and are faithful to improvt them. When our lov^e is 128 ON THE DISTINCTION decided and strong, we are oftentimes much more solicit- ous to secure the welfare and happiness of the beloved person than our own. The state of mind, as already intimated, is not quiescent, but impulsive : it impels to action ; and not to selfish, but benevolent action. Ob- serve the love of a parent to a child. Perhaps the child may be deformed in body or mind, or both. There may be nothing especially attractive either in its person, con- duct, or prospects ; and yet the heart of the parent constantly goes out towards the child in acts of kind- ness. And the same may be observed, in a multitude of cases, on the part of the child towards the parent. Some parents are brutish and cruel in their conduct ; their hearts are hardened, perhaps, by intemperance ; their nat- ural affections are thus blunted ; — but their children, not- withstanding this, love them, Avatch over them, and do a multitude of acts which could result only from love. It is in accordance with these views, that we find men- tion in Scripture of those who received the word of God with joy, and yet soon withered away. And why ? Because, with all their joy, they had not the abiding root of I.OVE. They were the subjects of a temporary pleas- urable excitement, but had never experienced a new direction and bent of the heart. True love, clinging to the object of the affections, is permanent ; joy is often evanescent. (5.) We remark, farther, as a natural consequence of what has been said, that the love of God, as it exists in the minds of those who are his devoted followers, al- ways inquires after his will. It does not ask after ease, pleasure, reward ; nor, on the other hand, does it ask after trial, suffering, and contempt; it merely asks after the Father*is will. Its language is that of the Savior, when he says, " Lo, I come to do thy will, O God ! '* And as, in common life, we think much of a person that IS beloved, and desire his favor and approbation, so, in regard to God, if we truly love him, he will be verv much in our thoughts, and his approbation and favor will be to us of great price. If he is the highest object of oui BETWEEN LOV^E AND JOY. 129 love, wt. shall desire no higher happiness than that ol constant communion with him, and of being always uni- ted to him by oneness of will. Thus we may be said to be in him, and he in us ; and 1 hat eternal rest of the soul, which constitutes the true heaven, will be commenced here. Then we shall have the true joy — calm, deep, unchangeable. Love goes before; joy comes after. Love is the principle of action ; joy is the reward. In the spiritual tree of life, love is the nutritive sap, the per- meating and invigorating power, that flows through the body and the soul of man ; joy is one of its beautiful fruits and flowers. If, therefore, love is strong, joy will never fail us ; but, on the other hand, if love is wanting, there can be no joy, except that joy of the world which worketh death. in view of what has been said, one or two remarks may be made. And the first is, if we are truly sancti- fied to the Lord, — in other words, if we love God with all our hearts, — our course as Christians will be a consistent and stable one. Our rule of action will be the will of God ; our principle of action will be the love of God. And as the will of God is fixed, and is made known to us in various ways, especially in his holy Word, we shall endeavor to fulfil it at all times humbly and faithfullyf without regard to those temporary and changing feelings which too often perplex the religious life. It may be remarked, further, in conclusion, that in the state of mind which has been spoken of, we shall not fail of any consolation which is needful for us. It be- longs to the very nature of desire, that, when the desire is gratified, we are more or less happy. Accordingly, in exercising love to God, the leading element of which is desire, and in doing and suffering his holy will, in ac- cordance with such desire, we cannot be otherwise than happy in a considerabigp^degree. If we seek joy or hap- piness as an ultimate object, we cannot fail, on religious principles, to miss of it. If, under the promptings of love, we seek merely to do and suffer the will of God, we shall certainly, except in those cases where God, by 130 DISTINCTION BKTWEKN LOVE AND JOY. a special act of sovereignty, withdraws consolation in order to try our faith, possess all that consolation which will be needful. And in the case which has just been mentioned, if our faith, still trusting in the beloved ob- iect, sustains the terrible shock of apparent desertion, (as when our Savior exclaimed, " My God, my God, why .last thou forsaken me ! ") we shall soon find abundant consolation ret irning. 131 CHAPTER FIFTEENTH. ON THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN NATURAL A.\U SPIRITUAL JOY. We have 3ndeavorecl, in the preceding chapter, to poim out the distinction between love and joy ; — a distinction not very obvious at first sight, but which really exists, and is important to be made. But it is proper to add here, that the views of the chapter may be somewhat aided, and perhaps modified in their practical application, in connection with a distinction, which yet remains to be made, and which may very properly be made, between NATURAL joy and spiritual joy. It is true that gracious or spiritual joy is not to be confounded with love, any more than natural joy is. In both cases, the distinction between love and joy is a real and permanent one. But then there remains the additional view, which will help to throw further light upon the subject before us, that gracious or holy joy differs, in some of its aspects, from natural joy. We proceed then to remark, in the first place, that natural joy and spiritual joy are different in their origin. Natural joy, which is sometimes denominated " the joy of the world," arises from natural causes ; from physical or worldly good ; from health, property, worldly influ- ence, the indulgences of sense ; from such causes, in a word, as we might suppose to exist, and to produce joy within us, if we had no perception of a God, and no knowledge of religion. Spiritual or gracious joy, which is spiritual or gracious in its origin, arises from the knowl- edge of spiritual objects, from the discharge of spiritual or religious duties, and from the inspiring agency of tho 132 ON THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN Holy Ghost. And hence it is sometimes denominated the "joy of the Holy Ghost." (2^) Again, natural joy, arising from natural princi- ples, and unchecked and unregulated by gracious influ- ences, has oftentimes a very powerful effect upon the physical system. And it is possible, and even probable that this may sometimes be the case with true spiritua or gracious joy ; especially when the emotion is strong and immediately successive to a painfully depressed and suffering state of mind. And it is not unreasonable to suppose that, in some cases, when powerful physical results are found to exist, there may be a union or combination of natural and gracious em.otion. But it is nevertheless true, that the natural tendency of spiritual joy, IN ITSELF CONSIDERED, aud independently of any pe- ;uliar circiwistances, is, in a remarkable degree, and much more so than that of mere natural joy, to produce a. tranquillizing effect upon the mind, and through the mind upon the physical system, and to promote sound- ness and regularity of action in both. (3.) We observe, in the third place, that there is a tendency in natural joy, especially when it is strong, to perplex the action of the perceptive and discriminating or judging powers. This is true of the natural emotions generally, when they are in an excited state. Any con- siderable agitation in that portion of our sensitive nature, which is termed the e?notio7is, is commonly understood to be unfavorable to correct perception and judgment. A man, for instance, who is agitated with emotions ot displeasure, of jealousy, or of fear, will find it difficult, while remaining in such state of agitation, to go through successfully with an intricate train of mathematical or other reasoning. And the result will be the same if he IS considerably agitated with emotions of natural pleas- ure or joy. But true spiritual joy, when undisturbed by unfavorable influences from the physical system, and un- mixed with natural joy, leaves the mind tranquil, and the perceptive and discriminating faculties clear aud ef- NATURAL AND SPIRlfirAL JOY. 133 fective in the highest degree. And these views seem to be confirmed by a consideration of the state of holy be- ings. All holy beings, there can be no doubt, experi- ence true joy of heart ; but in our reflections on their mental character and operations, it is certain that we never conceive of them as having their minds clouded, and their perceptive powers blunted, by excessive emo- tion. The natural feelings, which are regulated with difficulty, continually run into excess ; but this is never the :ase with those truly religious or gracious feelings which are really inspired by the Holy Ghost. And therefore, when it is said of the disciples, on a certain occasion, (Luke xxiv. 41,) that they " believed not for JOY," it is probable that they experienced an excitement and confusion of mind, resulting from a mixture of nat- ural joy with emotions of a holy kind. (4.) It remains to be remarked, further, that natural joy is often attended with certain incidental evils, which are not likely to exist in connection with gracious or holy joy; such as an undue hilarity of spirit, a sort of unreflecting and too youthful levity and flightiness of thought and manner, unsuitable to our age or our situa- tion in life : what George Fox, in speaking of some Christians in his day, expressively describes as " being UP IN THE AIRY MIND." Ou the othcr hand, holy joy, when it is free from any mixture and perversion of nat- ural joy, is deliberately and deeply serious. When nat- ural joy is superadded, or is superinduced upon a truly spiritual or gracious experience, and gives a character to our actions, it is possible that there ma^'" be sometimes results bordering upon those airy and flighty manifesta- tions which have been mentioned ; but whenever this is the case, it is certain that these results do not flow from any state of mind which is truly the work of the Holy Spirit. Religious or sanctified joy, always bear- ing the stamp of deliberation and wisdom, always in keeping with that seriousness which naturally flows out of the truths and the responsibilities of religion, is en- tirelv suited to the objects and occasions on which it 12 l34 ON THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN arises; so as to leave in the mind both the appearance and the fact of perfect tranquillity — such as there is in God himself, who may be said to be always happy, al- ways joyful, and yet to be always serious and unaltera- bly tranquil. This joy seems to me to be often expressed in the Scriptures by the word peace ; and is probably the precise state of mind, the delightful legacy of all true Christians, which the Savior had in view when he said to his disciples, " Peace I leave with you ; my peace I give unto you." Such a joy may be strong: in the language of Scripture, it may be "unspeakable and full of glory : " but it is always calm and peaceful ; and in this respect is entirely different from that excited and un- profitable intoxication of spirit, which is sometimes found to be experienced, and which so possesses and agitates the mind, that the will of God, and our duty, cannot be clearly perceived. Finally^ holy joy, being founded in the perception of the character, attributes, and will of God, is not neces- sarily liable to changes. He who rejoices in God to- day, having a correct view of his character and will, will never find good reason to do otherwise than rejoice in that character and will, in all coming time ; and simply because God, in his character and his will, is always the same. In all afflictions and trials, of whatever nature, there will still remain the basis of a serene and pure joy in the depths of the heart. But natural joy, being founded upon natural objects, which are frail, uncertain, and full of imperfection, necessarily partakes of the un- certainty and imperfect nature of its causes. And hence it is said, in the portion of Scripture already referred to, "They on the rock are they which, when they hear, receive the word with joy ; " (that is, with natural joy, as we are probably to understand it ;) " and these have no root ; which for a while believe, and in time of tempta- tion fall away.'' So that holy or spiritual joy may be compared to the sun, which always shines with its pure and beautiful light, even when wrapped in clouds ; but natural joy i& like a meteor, gleaming for a moment, and NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL JOY. 135 then extinguished ; rekindled again after a time, but des- tined soon and suddenly to sink in still greater darkness. In connection with the marks, which thus separate natural from spiritual joy, we observe, in conclusion, that spiritual joy, being a truly Christian grace, is exceedingly valuable and desirable ; and truly blessed is he who possesses that state of mind which is properly called "joy in the Holy Ghost." It is true, it is a grace both subsequent in time and inferior in rank to love, which ought to be sought first, as the reigning and controlling principle of the soul. But it is, nevertheless, in its ap- propriate time and place, one of the precious gifts and graces of God. And hence the various expressions and commands, having a relation to this cheering state of mind, which are found in the Bible. " Rejoice in tho Lord, O ye righteous ; for praise is comely for the up- right." Ps. xxxiii. 1. "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's suiferings ; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." 1 Peter iv. 13. " These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John xv. 11. " Rejoice ever- more ; pray without ceasing ; in every thing give thanks ; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus con- cerning you." 1 Thess. v. 16 — 18. ILLUSTRATION OF THE SUBJECT FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. [In the following extract from the personal experience of a pious per- son of the Baptist church, now no longer living, the reader will notice an exemplification of that tendency to seek for joyous emotion which is so common, and oftentimes so injurious.] " I trust I was enabled deliberately, not only in view of sickness and death, but of life and health, to make an unreserved consecration of my all to Christ, and to feel that, in whatever situation I might be, ' Holiness to the Lord ' must henceforth be my motto. I could now yield 136 ON THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN myself a willing subject to the sanctifying grace of God, believing he would work in me according to the good pleasure of his will. Soon a heavenly calm possessed my mind, a sense of the divine glory surrounded me and my whole soul seemed in sweet harmony with the holiness of God. There were no rapturous emotions ; but I felt ' The sacred awe that dares not move, And all the silent heaven of love.' •' How easy now seemed the divine requirement, to love him with all the heart, and my neighbor as myself! I felt a peculiar tenderness of conscience, and feared noth- ing but to offend my Savior. Being still feeble in body, I could not endure strong mental exercises ; and as the change in my feelings was not sudden, or characterized by strong emotions, I was soon tempted to doubt whether it was really what I had been seeking for. I prayed earnestly for a fulness op joy, and an undoubted evi- dence ; but the more I sought for this, the less my evi- dence appeared, until I was willing to leave all with God, to give either a crumh or a full meal. My peace then returned, and, blessed be God ! it has continued, like a river, to flow broader and deeper to the present time. " Never before did I feel so much my entire dependence on all-sufficient grace, and such a confidence that it would be given in every time of need. Like a little child I have looked into the 13ible for instruction, and, O, what an inexpressible glory has beamed therefrom ! A new Iflessedness has appeared while receiving Christ as a Savior from all sin — a present Savior, a full Savior. How glorious the consideration to one who has all her life in some degree been subject to bondage ! Truly I can now say, the Holj'' Spirit has led me into the truth, and the truth has made me free. I no longer feel like a wanderer, but like a child at home. My weary soul now rests in Christ, and finds ' his yoke easy, and his burden .ight.' With entire confidence can I now commit all my interests, temporal and spiritual, into his hands, and NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL JOY. l37 feel that they are safe. My greatest desire is to know and do the will of my heavenly Father, and to possess all the mind of Christ. I feel deeply interested in the progress of holiness. With all my heart can I bid God- speed to those who are engaged in promoting this bless- ed cause." * ' (jruide to Christian Perfection, vol. iii p. 39. 12* 138 CHAPTER SIXTEENTH. O.N THE NATURE AND RELATIONS OF EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE. Some of the remarks and positions in the two last chap- ters seem to prepare the way for a few general observa- tions, which are of considerable practical importance, on what may be termed the emotional form of religious experience. The doctrine, which we propose to advance on tiiis somewhat difficult subject, may be regarded as imply- ing the admission of two things : first, that the mind, in some important and true sense, is departmental ; that it ex- ists in the three departments of the Intellect, the Sensibil- ities, and the Will ; and that the emotional or emotive states constitute a distinct and important subordinate division in these departments : and second, that the operations of the Holy Spirit on the human mind are various ; that they may embrace the whole of these departments, reaching and controlling the whole mind ; or tiiat, under certain circumstances, they may stop either at the intellectual department or at the emotive division of the sensitive department, producing certain important results, but leaving others without being realized. We proceed then to remark, in the first place, that it is the office of the Holy Spirit to operate, on the appro- priate occasions of such operation, upon the human in- tellect ; and especially by guiding it in the perception of the truth. The mode of the Spirit's operation upon the intellectual part, as it is upon other parts of the mind, is in many respects mysterious ; but the ordinary result of his influences is the communication of truth ; that NATURE OF EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE. 139 IS to say, the soul, when it is thus operated upon, knows spiritually what it did not know before. And it may properly be added, that the knowledge which is thus communicated will vary, both in kind and degree, in accordance with the nature of the subject or facts to be illustrated, and with the special circumstances, whatever they may be, which render a divine communication necessary. But it is not ordinarily to be expected that the operation, of which we are now speaking, will stop with the intellect. By an original law of our mental nature, the perception of truth, which is the result of an intellectual act, is ordinarily followed by an effect upon that portion of the mind which is usually designated as the emotional or emotive susceptibility ; a part of the mind which, as it is subsequent in the time of its action, is sometimes figuratively descri^'->'l "as being back of the intellect." The effect upon the emotive susceptibil- ity, resulting from an operation on the intellect, will be diflerent at different times and under different circum- stances ; varying in nature and degree, according to the nature and degree of the truth which is presented, and also, in part, in accordance with its own previous situa- tion at the time of its being affected. The truth, for instance, that Jesus Christ came to save sinners, will be attended with very pleasant emotions in one who feels himself to be a sinner, and to stand in need of a Savior ; but will not be likely to be attended with any such effect in one with whom this is not the case. We can sup- pose, therefore, notwithstanding the general law which has just now been specified, an operation of the Holy Spirit upon the intellect, which is attended with no ben- eficial, with no sanctifying and saving effect upon the heart. Indeed, there are some cases, where the truth which is impressed by a divine operation upon the intel- lect is met and rejected, in the sensibilities, with feelings of opposition and contempt. But experience of this na- ture, which meets with no acceptance beyond the intel- lect, although it may have its origin intellectually in the r.peration of the Spirit of God, is not regarded as religious 1 40 ON THE NATURE AND RELATIONS experience ; and therefore it is not necessary to dwell longer upon it here. (II. ) But let us look at the subject a little further. It IS well known, that there are instances quite different from those which have just been referred to. We will sup- pose, therefore, the case of a person who is the subject of a divine operation. Under the influence of this inward operation, he experiences, to a considerable extent, new views of his own situation, of his need of a Savior, and of the restoration of his soul to God in spiritual union. The operation which has been experienced, so far, is purely intellectual. Of the necessity and value of such intellectual influences, there can be no doubt ; but I believe it is generally conceded that, in themselves alone, they do not, and cannot, constitute religion. But in addition to this, w- will suppose that an effect, and perhaps a very decided effect, has been experienced in the emotive part, which in its action is subsequent to that of the intellect. The person has very pleasant emo- tions. The perception of new truth, as we should nat- urally expect, gives him happiness ; and the perception of its relation to his salvation gives him still more hap- piness. He is very happy. He begins to speak a new language. His mouth is filled with praise. And others praise the Lord on his account. Bat has such a person religion, as his friends are very desirous to believe, and are very apt to declare ? He has an experience, imdoubtedly. We are willing to admit that he has a valuable experience — an experience which is naturally preparatory to religion, and is closely con- nected with it, and looks very much like it. But if the experience stops here, in such a manner as to con- stitute a merely emotional experience, and without reach- ing and affecting a still more inward and important part of the mind, as seems sometimes to be the case, "we cannot with good reasons regard it as a truly religious experience ; meaning by the terms an experience which meets the expectations and the demands of God, and which is saving. It is valuable ; it is encouraging ; it OF EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE. 14J IS closely connected with religion ; but it is not the thing itself. We may perhaps designate it as a preparative or incident to religion without being religion ; and although we may thank the Lord for what it is, especially in its hopeful relations, it is still true, that the essential and indispensable element of the inward life is not there. (III.) There are mental susceptibilities, which, on account of their being subsequent in the time of their action, may be described as lying back of the emotive part of the mind, as truly as the emotions can be said to lie back of the intellectual part. In making this remark, we have especial reference to the desires in their various modifications — particularly those modifications which are denominated the affections, — and to the will. Any religion, or rather jpre^ence of religion, which is not powerful enough to penetrate into this region of the mind, and to bring the affections and will into subjection to God, is in vain. It is an important fact, and as melan- choly as it is true, that a person may be spiritually enlight- tened and have new views on the subject of religion, and that he may also have very raised and joyful emotions, and yet may be a slave to his natural desires. He has not experienced what every one must experience, who would enter into communion with the Divine Mind, viz., the death of nature. He loves the things of the world more than the things of God. Many, very many, are the instances which can verify this remark. As the re- sult of their intellectual illumination, the persons to whom these statements will apply are undoubtedly in advance of what they were previously, and are able to talk flu- ently on the subject of religion. And, in consequence of some premature application of the Savior's merits to their own case, they can speak of pleasures and of hopes which they never before experienced. But only urge upon them the necessity of self-crucifixion ; only touch the idols which they cherish in their inner heart; and they discover at once the dominion which the world has over them still. God has not become the life of the soul. At a proposition so necessary to the life of God and so 1.42 ON THE NATURE AND RELATIONS repugnant to the life of nature, the spirit of antamed ind ahnost unmitigated evil, which reposed so closely and secretly in their bosoms, will start into existence with features of opposition and malignity altogether at variance with the peace and purity of a holy heart, (1.) In connection with this subject, one or two re- marks may properly be made. And one is, that we may probably discover in these principles the reason why it is, that, in times of especial religious attention, so many persons, who appeared to be much engaged in religion for a season, subsequently lose their interest, and become, both in practice and feeling, assimilated to the world. Such persons are undoubtedly the subjects of an inward experience ; and this experience, in com- mon parlance, is frequently called a religious experience ; but it is obviously defective in the essential particular of not having a root. " But he that received the word into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it. Yet hath he not root in himself." Notwithstanding their increased abil- ity and readiness to converse on the subject of religion, and the exhibitions which they make of emotion, some- times of high emotion, they do not understand what it is^to place themselves a living sacrifice upon the divine altar. They do not appreciate, and still less do they realize in their own hearts and lives, the " all of God and nothing of the creature." (2. ) Another remark is this : We would not have it inferred, from what has been said, that we regard what we denominate emotional experience as being without value. It is true, that such experience is valueless when it stops in itself, and becomes nothing more than mere emotional experience. But though valueless in itself, it is not valueless in its relations; and especially it is not so, when it is followed by those results to which we naturally expect it to lead. And hence we may properly say, in estimating the experiences which the mind is likely to pass through in seasons of religious attention, that it is a matter of some encouragement OF EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE. 143 when light is communicated to the intellect, though in a small degree. It is matter of encouragement also, and still more so, when we see these intellectual im- pressions followed by a consentient and gratified move- ment in the emotions. But the danger is in encour- aging those, who are the subjects of them, in believing that they are religious, when they are merely the sub' jects of that which, in a favorable aspect of it, can be regarded only as preparatory to religion. This dan- ger, which is imminent, and in many cases has proved destructive, ought to be carefully guarded against ; es- pecially by those who, as ministers of the gospel, and as professed religious teachers, are supposed to have a better acquaintance than others with the facts and prin- ciples of religious experience. (3.) In concluding the remarks of this chapter, wo take the liberty to urge upon all, who wish to live the true inward life, the importance of not resting satisfied with mere intellectual light, however valuable it may be ; of not resting satisfied with joyful, or any other emo- tions, which stop and terminate in themselves ; and of acting invariably upon the principle, that nothing ought to satisfy themselves, and that nothing can satisfy God, but the subjection of every natural desire, and the sub- stitution of desires, affections, and purposes, which ter- minate in God, and God alone. Move onward, there- fore, with a firmness which no obstacle shall shake, to the entire revolution and renewal of the inward nature ; the increased illumination of the conscience, that great light of the mind ; the sanctification of the desires, which embrace the whole propensive and "affectional " nature ; and the subjection of the will, which is natu- rally so proud and rebellious, to the will of God. Feai not that God will desert you. Aided by the intellectual light which he has seen fit to give, and by those favor- able emotions he has already excited, form the fixed, unalterable purpose, "the high resolve," in reliance upon divine grace, to be wholly his. No doubt, in many cases, the struggle will be severe. The unsanc- 144 NATURE OF EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE. tified desires especially, including the various appetites, propensities, and affections, which form so important a part of our nature, are selfish and tenacious ; and, con- sidered as opposed to any and all human strength, are undoubtedly invincible. But God has said, " My grace is sufficient for thee." His word shall never fail ; and least of all, in such a struggle, in which his own heart of infinite love is enlisted. Desire after desire will fall ; idol after idol will be demolished ; the Christian graces will successively gain the ascendency ; till the Holy Ghost shall take up his permanent resi- dence in his own purified temple, and victory will sit crowned in the centre of the heart. " Jehovah, Sovereign of my heart ! My joy by night and day ! From Thee, O, may I never part, From Thee ne'er go astray ! " Whene'er allurements round me 0ti>nd, And tempt me from my choice, O, let me find thy gracious hand ' O, let me hear tbv roice ! ' 145 CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH SOME MARKS OR CHARACTERISTICS OF PERFECTlOr OF LOVE. If the doctrine, which is variously termed sanctifi- cation, evangelical holiness, and evangelical or Christian perfection, be true, or if the related and equivalent doc- trine, which is denominated assurance of faith, be true, then it will follow that it is our duty and privilege, even in the present life, to realize in our own souls the fulfil- ment of that great command, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." In other words, it is our duty and privilege to possess what may properly be called " perfect love." Accordingly, it becomes a very important and interesting inquiry. When can our love properly be said to be perfect ? It will be our object, in the remarks which follow in this chapter, to endeavor to answer this inquiry. But, before proceeding, it may be proper to premise here, that perfection of love implies the removal or ex- tinction of all selfishness. In other words, perfect love is always pure love. We may probably conceive of love which is pure in its nature, but is deficient in some respects ; either in degree, or more probably in its extent and applications. But we cannot conceive of love which is acceptable to God, and is perfect in degree, which has any intermixture of selfishness. Another remark which may properly be made here IS this : Perfection of love is necessarily relative to the capacity of the subject of it. In other words, what would be perfection of love in one would not be in another, whose capacity of loving is greater. That precise amount or degree of love, in man, which would 146 SOME MARKS OK CHARACTERISTICS be characterized as perfect in consequence of being all his capacity could render, would be imperfect in an angel or other being of greater capacity. With these remarks in recollection, we proceed to in- quire, when our love to God may be regarded as per- fect. In other words, when shall we know, or at least have reasonable grounds to believe, that we fulfil in our own hearts that great and excellent command, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and soul, and mind, and strength " ? Love to a human object is generally understood to embrace two things : eirst. a pleasure or complacency in the object ; and second, a desire to do good to that object. When speaking of God, who sustains to us a relation higher and dilTerent from that sustained by human beings, we may with pro- priety alter the form of expression slightly, although with essentially the same idea at the bottom, and say that love to God embraces two things : first, a pleasure or complacency in his character; and second, a desire to promote his glory. The characteristics of entireness or perfection of love, which we shall proceed to men- tion, are based, in part, upon this distinction. First. Accordingly, the first mark of perfect love to God is an entire approbation of and delight in his char- acter in all respects. In other words, approving and complacent emotions, without the least intermixture of doubt and dissatisfaction, arise in view of his power and justice, as well as of his goodness and mercy ; so that we delight truly and continually in his whole character, and in all the exhibitions of his character, as they are actu- ally made known to us in the Holy Scriptures or in any other way. The least want of trust and complacency in the divine character will necessarily be a vicious ingre- dient or element in the affection of love, which cannot fail to diff'use weakness and imperfection throughout. This is one point, then, on which it is important to ex- amine ourselves. If we find that the character of God, as it presents itself to notice in all its varieties, appears to us exceedingly pure and lovely ; if we contemplate or PERFECTIOiN OF LOVE. 147 it wi.h a perfect conviction that all its manifestations will be in accordance with truth, mercy, and righteous- ness, and with no other emotions in any respect than those of entire complacency, then we have reason to think that we have one of the marks or characteristics of perfection of love. Not, in all probability, the lead- ing and decisive, but still an indispensable one. Second. A second mark of perfect love to God is the existence of a desire to promote his glory, (which is the other higher and more decisive characteristic of this com- plex mental state,) in such a degree, that we are not con- scious of having any desire or will at variance with the will of God. In other words, it is our sincere and constant desire to do and suffer in all things the will of God. When such is the case, when there is an entire and cordial acquies- cence of our own in the will of God, both to do and to suffer, we have the second mark — and we may add, also, the most important and satisfactory one — that our love is perfect. The nature of the human mind is such, that we never can have an entire and cordial acquiescence in the will of God in all things, without an antecedent approval of and complacency in his character and admin- istration. Accordingly, the second mark, viz., a will en- tirely accordant with and lost in the will of God, is of it- self sufficient, inasmuch as it necessarily includes and em- braces the first. And by this mark alone, as I suppose, we might know whether our love is or is not perfect. We may, perhaps, illustrate this view of the subject, by what we sometimes notice in the various forms and degrees of filial love. We will take, in the first place, the case of a child, who is sincerely attached to his father, but who, as we sometimes express it, exhibits a '' will of his own." This child undoubtedly loves his father very much ; but at the same time he does not always do, with entire pleasure and readiness, what his father wishes him to do. He sometimes hesitates, exhib- its a clouded brow, or utters an impatient expression. 148 SOME MARKS OR CHARACTERISTICS when certain things are requked of him. He has certain little objects of his own, which he is very much attached to ; and if his father's plans happen to cross and oppose them, he exhibits, in a greater or less degree, a disposi- tion to set up for himself and to rebel. And when he outwardly obeys, it is found that he does it reluctantly, and not with a will harmonizing and blending with the paternal will. Now, we may say very truly, that this child loves his father — perhaps he loves him very much — and yet it is clear he does not love him perfectly. But when we see a child who is happy only when he sees his father happy ; whose delight it is to anticipate the father's wishes ; whose will, by a sort of instinctive tendency, is invariably and powerfully united and blend- ed with the paternal will, so that the least opposition between the two wills is a source of the greatest grief to him, we at once feel, and cannot help feeling, that the love of such a child may properly be called perfect. And in accordance with this view, it is said to have been one of the sayings of the devout Francis Xavier, that " the perfection of the creature consists in willing nothing but the will of the Creator." What other idea of perfection of love can we have than this ? The heart of such a person is made one with another heart ; and what could we ask for more ^ This, then, more than any thing else, is the decisive mark of perfection in Christian love, viz., an entire coincidence of our own wills with the divine will ; in other words, the rejection of the natural principle of life, which may be described as love terminating in self and constituting self-will ; and the adoption of the heavenly principle of life, which is love terminating and fulfilled in the will of God. And this view, which is practically, as well as theologically, a very important one, seems to be confirmed by what the Savior says of himself in a number of passages. John vi. 38 : " For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." John iv. 34: "Jesus Oi<" PERFECTION OF LOVE. 149 saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." Heb. x. 9 : " Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God." The same idea, viz., that perfection of Christian love exists, and exists only in connection with a will united to and per- fectly coincident with the will of God, is conveyed in that interesting passage, Mark iii. 34, 35 : " And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren ! for whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." Matt. vi. 21 : '* Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; hut he that doeth the will of tny Father which is in heaven." Third. As closely connected with what has been laid down as the second characteristic of perfect love, we remark, again, that perfect love excludes, in a great degree, and perhaps entirely, any reflections upon self (or " reflex acts," as they are sometimes termed) which are of a self-interested or selfish character. In other words, perfect love, when in actual exercise, implies a forgetfulness of self. Whenever our thoughts return upon ourselves; whenever, in the exercise of "reflex acts," we begin to inquire into the specific nature of our feelings, for the purpose of estimating the amount of their enjoyment ; whenever we experience a jealousy, that God does not give to us all those returns and caress- es of love which we should be pleased with ; we may be assured that, although we may possibly love much, we might love much more. In other words, our love, whatever other terms may be applied to it, cannot be regarded as perfect. It is the nature of perfect love, in its forgetfulness of self, to array the object towards which it is directed in every possible excellence. To that object, so far as it is truly worthy of its attachment, it gives the strength of its affections, without reservation and without limits. It is perfectly self-sacrificing ; and it would account itself dishonored and degraded, if it turned back on itself for a moment, to estimate its own 13^ 150 SOME M\RKS OR CHARACTERISTICS reward. It has its reward, it is true. Perfect love is necessarily its own rewarder. But the reward comes without seeking, and is enjoyed so entirely without notice, that it does not turn the mind away a moment from the object of its affections. A number of inferences easily follow from these gen- eral views, and which may be regarded as furnishing some additional or secondary marks of perfected love. (1.) A person who has perfect love will love his Bible above all other books. It will be dear to his heart, an inexpressible treasure. And the reason is obvious. It is because in the Bible he learns the will of God, which he delights in more than in any thing else. And hence it is one of the artifices of Satan, who is no friend of the Bible, to endeavor to detach devout minds from the study of the Divine Word, mider the »)lausible pretence that the inward teachings of the Spirit are of more value than the outward letter — an artifice which he, who desires a close walk with God, will carefully guard against ; remembering that God can- not consistently, and will not, neglect and dishonor his own divine communications; that the Holy Spirit oper- ates in a peculiar manner, in connection with the written Word ; and that he who deserts the Word of God may reasonably expect to be deserted by the Spirit. (2.) Perfect love will exhibit a trait of permanency and perseverance under the most trying circumstances. Our fears and hopes vary ; our joys and sorrows vary ; but we may reasonably expect that the love, which is pure in its nature and perfect in its degree, will continue the same. There is no reason why it should change, since the object at which it aims is the same with the immutable will of God. The will of God is its true life. Accordingly, when, in the providence of God, we are afflicted; our joys will be less, but there will be no diminution of love. Joy flourishes in the sunshine, but love grows and flourishes in the storm also. God may hide his face from us, but hearts of love still look in that direction where his face is. The Savior, on a cer OF PERFECTION OF LOVE. 151 tain occasion, was greatly afflicted. His language was, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." His joy was taken from him, but his love remained. He could still say, while he prayed that the cup might, if possible, pass from him, " Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt." (3.) We remark, in conclusion, that those, in whom .he love of God is perfected, will love the children of God with peculiar strength. Perfect love is the image of Christ in the soul ; and wherever we see that image, — in whatever denomination of Christians, and in what- ever persons, — our hearts will recognize the divine rela- tionship, and rejoice in it. Without this strong love to those who bear the divine image, we may be sure that our love is not perfect. It is God's great work, and highest delight, to create this image in the hearts of men ; and if our will is swallowed up in his will, we sha'l rejoice in it in some degree as he does, and shall know the delightful meaning of those numerous pas- sages of Scripture which speak of the love of Christians to each other. " 'Tis Love unites what sin divides, The centre, where all bliss resides ; To which the soul once brought, Reclining on the first Great (J ause, From his abounding sweetness draws Peace, passing human thotght." '53 SOME MARKS OR CHARACTERISTICS. [Francis de Sales, at the end of his Religious Maxims, relates tnc following conversation, as having taken place between Tliauler, a learned and popular preacher of the fourteenth century, and an obscuro beggar. It is introduced here, as having some connection witli a por tion of the foregoing chapter.] " A great divine prayed to God, during the space of eight years, that he would be graciously pleased to di- rect him to a man who might teach him the true way to heaven. It was said to him at length, ' Go to such a church porch, and there thou shalt find a man, who will instruct thee in the spiritual life.' Accordingly he went, and found a poor beggar very meanly clad. He salu- ted him in these words, * God give you a good day, my friend ! ' The poor man answered, ' Sir, I do not remem- ber that I ever had an evil day.' The doctor said to him, ' God give you a good and happy life ! ' ' Why say you that ? ' replied the beggar ; ' I never was unhappy.' ' God bless you, my friend ! ' said the doctor ; ' pray tell me what you mean.' He replied, ' That I shall will- ingly do. I told you first, I never had an evil day ; for when I have hunger, I praise God ; if it rain, hail, snow, or freeze ; be it fair or foul ; or if I am despised or ill- used, — I return God thanks ; so I never had an ill day : nor have 1 ever been unhappy, since I have learned always to resign myself to his will, being very certain of this, that all his Avorks are perfectly good ; and there- fore I never desire any thing else but the good pleasure of God.' Then said the doctor, ' But what if the good pleasure of God should be to cast you hence into hell ? ' ' If he would do so,' replied the other, ' I have two arms to embrace him with ; the one whereof is a pro- found humility, by which I am united to his holy hu- manity ; the other is love or charity, which joins me to his divinity. Embraced with these two arms, he would descend with me thither, if thither he ordered me ; and there I had infinitely rather be with him, than in paradise without him.' Hereby the doctor learned, that a true resignation to the divine will, acr,ompani d with pro- OF PERFECTION OF LOVE. 153 tound humility of heart, is the shortest way to attain God's love. " After that, he asked him, again, from whence he came. The poor man answered, God sent him. The doctor inquired of him where he found God ? He replied, ' 1 found him where I had renounced all the creatures.' ' And where did you leave him ? ' said the doctor. He replied, ' With the poor in spirit, the pure in heart, and men of char- ity.' ' But who are you ? ' says the divine. ' I am a king,' says the beggar. ' Where is your kingdom ? ' says the former. ' In my soul,' says the latter. ' I have learned to bring into subjection and to govern my senses, as well outward as inward, with my affections and passions — which kingdom is undoubtedly superior to all the kingdoms of this world.' The doctor then asked him by what means he had attained to such perfection. He answered, 'By silence, watchfulness, meditation, prayer, and the union I have with God. I could find no sure repose, or comfort, in any creature of the world ; by means whereof I found out my God,, who will comfort me world without end.' " 154 CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH. ON THE JOY OF FAITH, IN THE WANT AND DESOLA TION OF ALL THINGS ELSE. "In the world ye shall have tribulation," is a decla- ration of the Savior, confirmed by individual and gen- eral experience. Even the most devoted Christians are not exempt. The tribulations, to which the people of God are subject, are internal as well as external — sor- rows of the mind as well as sufferings of the body Sometimes they are very great. There are some occa sions, on which all those subordinate consolations, of which God generally permits his people in a greater oi less degree to partake, are taken away. There is left to them neither the vivacity of health nor the conso- lation of friends ; no pleasures of social intercourse; no prosperity in worldly business ; no rest from outward persecutions : no cessations from the bitter temptations of the adversary. This, it will be said, is an extreme case ; but it is only extreme cases of which, in the present chapter, we propose to speak. There is rea- son to suppose that many souls, whom God designs to bring to the highest degree of purity in this life, es- pecially if they are disposed to resist, and do not render themselves up easily to his great purpose, will be called upon to pass through some heavy and perhaps extreme triads. Such trials seem oftentimes to be rendered neces- sary — necessary not in the nature of things, but on account of the corruption of the natural heart. The possession of internal purity implies the entire cruci- fixion of self; and this is an operation which the natu- ral heart finds it hard to submit to. Hence it is thai ON THE JOY OF FAITH. 155 earthly joys are tempo."arily dried up, that human con- solations are taken away, and " the axe is laid at the root " of all the sources of self-seeking and self-enjoy- ment, in order that the soul may experience the truth and the severity of inward crucifixion. It is at such a time, and amid these various and un- mitigated trials, that the soul sustains itself by faith — by what is variously called in different writers, but gen- erally, as I suppose, with the same meaning, "simple faith," "pure faith," or "naked faith." And there seems to be a marked propriety in these forms of expression ; because faith, as the sustaining principle, stands at such times alone. All human supports are removed. On every side there appears discouragement and darkness; and it is by faith, and faith only, that the soul is enabled to retain its religious integrity. It is under such cir- cumstances that faith becomes, as it were, a superior and guiding faculty of the soul ; upon which the others, especially the various inferior principles, seem to rest. While the subordinate principles of our nature, the nat- ural desires, and the various forms of natural affection, are assailed by their appropriate temptations, and some times in a very severe and terrible manner, they deriv^e from the sublime principle of faith, which stands in its central position of strength and grandeur, a defensive and repulsive power, which makes them more than con- querors. But the principle, or truth, which we wish particularly to impress upon the reader's mind in these remarks, is this: When all earthly comforts are dried up, and when faith alone remains as the sustaining principle of the soul, there is an interior consolation, deep and tranquil, flow- ing out from faith itself. This is a circumstance which is often overlooked. But it is a great truth, contrary to the opinion of some who do not fully understand the nature of the divine operation in the soul, that there is a JOT IN FAITH. The life of faith, though it may be des- titute of every outward support and comfort, is not so desolate in itself, so wanting in every thing that brings 156 ON THE JOY OF FAITH. inward happiness, as some seem to suppose. It is true sustained in the spirit of self-sacrifice, and seeking noth- ing but unity with the divine will, it never aims at con- solation as an ultimate object. It thinks more of what God is, than of what he gives. And thus God himself, the great original of all good, becomes the fountain ol the soul's joy ; and the joy which is thus experienced is necessarily a pure joy, uncontaminated by any mix- ture of self Ask those pious persons who, in the exer- cise of faith, are endeavoring to lay all upon the altar of God, but who, nevertheless, are called, in the course of his wise but mysterious dealings and providences, to pass through the extremity of interior and exterior desolation, if they are sustained by any thing in the nature of con- solation, and they will readily answer in the affirmative. Their language is, — if they have nothing else, they have the consolation which flows from believing ; if the sweetness of every other fountain is closed, they still have the joy of faith. This is one of the unalterable conditions of faith, cs pecially when it exists in a high degree, viz., that it is attended with a pure and tranquil consolation — consola- tion so sure and permanent, that we can never be de- prived of it, whatever else may be taken away. The soul is led up, as it were, into the mountam of God's protection. In the attitude of calm repose, it remains established on that sublime height, with the sunlight of heavenly peace for its companion, while there is nothing but darkness and the roaring of tempests in the valleys below. Such was the pure and sublime consolation which our Savior experienced, when his heavenly Father had withdrawn from him the manifestations of his love, and left him in extreme and inexpressible desolation of spirit. He still possessed, though apparently and terribly forsaken, the consolation and the joy of faith. He could still recognize the bond of union, and still appropriate, as it were, his heavenly Fatlier to himself, and say, " My God! ilfyGod!" 157 CHAPTER NINETEENTH. ON THl NATURE OF THE TEMPTATIONS OF A SANCTl FIED HEART. It is our object, in the present chapter, to give a gen- eral outline^of the subject of temptations ; but particu- larly of the temptations of a heart that is so far given to the Lord, that it may properly be regarded as in a state of assurance and of sanctification. Temptations, or tempting objects, are those objects which are presented by the intellect to the sensibilities and the will ; and are of such a nature that they have a tendency to induce or cause, in the sensitive part of our nature, viz., in the ap- petites, propensities, and affections, and also in the will, a wrong action. Sometimes the action, to which the temptations lead, is wrong in the fact of its existence, or in itself considered ; and sometimes it is wrong only in the degree of its existence. If the temptations ad- vance in their influence beyond the intellect, and take effect in the desires and will, prompting them to action when they should not act at all, or prompting them to a prohibited and inordinate degree of action when they are permitted to act, they are always attended with sin. And in accordance with this general and somewhat in- definite statement, temptations may be regarded as pre- senting themselves to our notice in two aspects, or in two points of view. First. We observe, in the first place, that the tend- ency of temptations, in some instances, is to bring feel- .ngs into existence, which, under the circumstances of the case, are wrong in the very fact x)f their existence, — wrongin their very nature, — and which, therefore, ought not to exist at all. The temptation, by a special con- 14 158 ON THE NATURE OF THE TEMPTATIONS ciirrence of circumstances, or through the well-calca lated influence of Satanic agency, is precisely adapted to that particular wrong result. And if the feeling, appro- priate to the temptation, exists, not only in a degree m- ordinate and irregular, but if it exists at all, it is sin. Our Savior was at a certain time tempted by having the kingdoms and wealth of this world presented before him, obviously with the view of their being desired and pos- sessed by him as a means of personal aggrandizement and enjoyment ; but we snppose we give the general sentiment of Christians, and of biblical interpreters, in saying, that the temptation went no farther, and undei the circumstances of the case could innocently go no farther, than the thoughts. It had no effect upon the Savior's desires or will ; that is to say, it secured no pleased and consentient action ; but was instantly re- jected. The temptation presented to the Savior at the same time, to throw himself down from the temple, is equally appropriate and decisive, considered as an illus- tration of the present subject. It could hardly be con- sidered less than a proposition, under a very specious pretext, to commit himself immediately and fully into the hands of Satan, instead of remaining in the will and under the government of God. Considered intellectu- ally, or rather in reference to the intellect, there is no doubt that the temptation was distinctly perceived and appreciated in itself and in its relations. Without this, it could hardly be regarded as a temptation. But it seems very obvious that it found no entrance into the heart ; and the only action which it did or could produce, in such a pure spirit as the Savior's, was that of decided resistance, resulting in its instant rejection. In connection with what has now been said in this part of the subject, we proceed to make one or two ex- planatory remarks ; and the first is, that the incipient, and what may be called, in the cases we are now con sidering, the ifinocent stage of the temptation, is when the object which imbodies the temptation, or is the medium of temptation, is first presented to us intellectually ; — or A SANCTIFIED HEART. 159 that is to say, in our mere thoughts or perceptions, and is there perceived and known, not only as an object, but as an object of temptation. If it stops at the limit of the intellectual action, and does not enter into the heart and ",he will, there is no sin. It is obviously necessary, in dl cases of temptation, that the object should exist first n this manner, viz., intellectually ; in other words, that it should exist in the thoughts, or be j>erceived and thought of. Without this, viz., the perceived or intel- lective presence of the object, it is entirely clear that there could not possibly be any such thing as temptation. But, as has been observed, the temptation may exist to this extent, and may be perceived and felt by us so far to exist, without sin. A further remark, which we have to make here, is this : Temptations, limited in their results to the intellectual action, and which do not in any degree take effect in the desires, could not properly be considered temptations, vithout the physical or natural possibility of a further and sinful action of the mind ; without an internal con- viction of that possibility ; and perhaps we may add, with- out a distinct sense of danger. Hence, when tempta- tions of this particular character are presented, although they do not take effect in the desires, they are both per- ceived and felt to be temptations ; that is to say, there is a clear perception of their true character, both in them- selves and in relation to certain possible results. And in addition to this, there appears to be an instinctive and prompt alarm of the sensitive and moral nature. The desires and affections are not inert and dormant, as some may perhaps suppose ; neither are the conscience and the will ; but all seem to be penetrated with the sense of imminent hazard, and are thrown into the conscious atti- tude of repellency. Second. We pass now to another class of cases. In some cases, different from those which have been de- scribed, the temptation passes the limit of the intellectual action, and actually takes effect in the emotions and de- sires, and YET WITHOUT SIN. Thefoundationof this view 160 ON THE NATURE OF THE TEMPTATIONS of the subject is, that there are many emotions ana desires which in their nature Bxe morally and religiously right and lawful, and are wrong only in their degree. The temptation (that is, the object which possesses the seducing or tempting power) is presented intellectually, just as in the jfirst case ; and it is desired, received into the affections, and delighted in, to a certain limit or de- gree. The precise place or mark of this limit or degree will be different under different circumstances ; varying with the precise nature of the seducing or tempting ob- ject, and with the precise position and responsibilities of the person who is the subject of the temptation. But wherever it may be, it is susceptible of being ascertained in various ways, either by a reference to the commands of God, or by the indications of an enlightened conscience, or by the special operations of the Holy Spirit, and not unfrequently by their combined influence. At that particular limit or boundary in the desires and affections, wherever it may be found to exist, the temptation, in the case of a truly holy person, and in the case of every person who does what is right, necessarily stops ; just as, in the first-mentioned class of temptations, it stops with the limit or boundary of the intellectual action. And in this case also, as well as in the other, there is a conscious perception and feeling of danger, when the temptation approaches the boundary in our desires and affections, which it ought not to pass, accompanied, at the same time, with an internal and repellent effort of the mind. A single remark further remains to be made, in con- nection with this part of the subject. Looking at the subject of temptations in relation to the intellect, there seems to be ground for saying, that we may properly make a distinction between intentions or thoughts of evil and evil thoughts. All wandering and unprofitable thoughts, and indeed, all thoughts which have not a connection, either directly or indirectly, with the glory of God, are evil, just so far as they are at the time under our control, and are susceptible of being made to assume a different and better character. But thoughts of evil, OF A SANCTIFIED HEART. 161 that is to say, ideas or suggestions of some evil to be done, which are introduced or injected into the mind from a source external to itself, or which, on certain oc- casions, arise necessarily and involuntarily in the mind, are not evil, unless they are consented to in act or in feel- ing. The form of exppession here will be noticed, viz., so far as they arise necessarily and involuntarily. If they originate in ourselves by a voluntary movement, and are cherished by our own acts, so as to make us in some sense the authors of our own temptations, they are ob- viously of a very different character, and are by no means free from sin. These views seem to present the general outline of the philosophy of temptations ; although undoubtedly the subject is not without its difficulties. And all that now remains is, to make a number of remarks incident- ally connected with this general sketch, and for the most part of a practical nature. (1.) And our first remark is, that, in the present life, all persons, not excepting those who are most advanced in holiness, are subject to temptations. Even the truly sanctified person is not exempt. Holy persons, like others, retain the attributes appropriate to man's nature ; differing from the same attributes in others in this respect only, that they are deprived of irregularities of action, and are entirely subordinate to the divine will. Accordingly, the holy person, or the person in whom faith and love exist in the highest degree attainable in the present life, hun- gers and thirsts like any other person ; he is the subject of the propensities and affections, which lay the founda- tion, and which furnish the support, of the various family relations ; he loves his children, parents, and other rela- tives, and is the subject of other natural ties and sympa- thies; he suffers from fatigue and sickness; he is grieved, troubled, and perplexed in various ways ; and even dis- pleasure and anger, as is evident from what was witnessed in the life of our Savior, are not entirely excluded. While, therefore, it is our privilege, even in the present lite, to be exempt from the commission of voluntary and 14* 162 . ON THE NATURE OF THE TEMPTATIONS known sin, it does not appear — retaining, as we do, oui constitutional tendencies, and remaining subject to con- stitutional infirmities — that we either have, or can rea- sonably expect, any such exemption from temptation. We cannot suppose that any of us, in the present life, can be in a better situation than our Savior, who was "without sin," but who nevertheless " was tempted in all points as we are." (2.) A second practical remark, proper to be made in connection with this subject, is this: It is hazardous to estimate lightly, and to trifle with, temptations. The person is greatly wanting in Avisdom who undertakes to make a sport of them, or who delays a moment under the pressure of their mfluence when he can possibly escape. " Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation," is the command of Scripture. And the question is well asked in the book of Proverbs, vi. 27, 28, " Can a man take fire into his bosom and his clothes not be burned ? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned ? " The Christian, who is desirous of secur- ing fully the approbation of his heavenly Father, must be careful not only to do the right and avoid the wrong; but also to avoid all places, and all occasions, which would be likely, for any reason, to lead him into wrong. (3.) We proceed to observe, in the third place, that temptations will, in general, be violent in proportion to the decided resistance which is made to them. And accordingly, although it is perhaps different from wha we should naturally expect, the more holy a man is, the more violent at times will be the temptations which he is called to endure. A person, who yields to temptation either in whole or in part, which is very apt to be the case with those who are not wholly devoted to the Lord, will not be likely to understand its full power. He does not oppose resistance enough to ascertain the strength of the aggressive movement. Satan has no inducement to show his full strength to the man who yields easily. But he who is determined to sin not at all, who had rather die than commit any known transgression, who OF A SANCTIFIED HEART. 163 opposes the broad and upright energy of his whole being io the assaults of Satan, will know the immense powe^ of the terrible enemy that wages war upon him. And It is the natural result of this general view, that when, m the life of practical holiness, we have taken some new and untried position, which for the first time we have ascertained to be a true and a safe one, and are under- taking the discharge of some new but obvious duty, we shall be likely, in connection with that new position, to be tried and tempted very severely. Satan will drive us Irom it if he can. He hates holiness, and every thing which is involved in holiness, and every thing which holiness does. He hates it in general and he hates it m particulars ; and whoever proposes, in aiming at entire holiness, to do better in a particular thing, will be likely to find him in the attitude of defiance and resist- ance just at that point. (4.) A fourth remark is, that it is the part of Chris- tian duty to endeavor to understand the nature of temp- tations. And as included in this, it is our duty to understand their specific as well as their general nature ; m other words, their nature in its application to ourselves personally. That which would be a temptation to one, would not be so to another. The general idea, expiessed by the word temptation^ embraces not only the object which tempts, but also the subject of the temptation. In particular, therefore, we should study the weak and comparatively defenceless points in our character and situation ; those particulars, in which wrong influences will be most likely to have an eflfect upon us and lead us astray. (5.) We remark, again, when we are doubtful as to the character of the temptation, — in other words, when we are doubtful whether the proposed action or feeling is wrong or not, — we should be careful to lay the subject before God, and to wait for the instructions of the Holy Spirit, before indulging in the desire or action, whatever It may be. We should remain where we are and do nothing, rather than run the hazard of domg wrong. 164 ON THE NATURE OF THE TEMPTATIONS The language of the apostle is applicable in a case of this kind: " Whatsoever is not of faith [that is, is not done in the faith or belief of its lawfulness] is sin." (6.) A further remark to be made is this : In seasons of temptation, it is highly important that we should remain recollected, and in the exercise of true patience of spirit. The adversary of our souls gains great ad- vantages at such times, if he can succeed in disturbing our peace. And in order to help us in retaining this valuable state of mind, we should always remember that our heavenly Father is present in temptations, as he is in every thing else. It is true, he is not the tempt- er, but he permits the temptation ; and he permits it, however mysterious it may sometimes seem, both for our good, and for his own glory. And the temptation, however threatening it may appear, and from whatever source it may come, will not be allowed to go farther than he shall see to be connected with those great objects. This consideration should have great influence with us. It should exclude disquieting thoughts : it should keep us in perfect submission and peace, till the day of our visitation be passed. (7.) In cases of especial temptation, we are protected and saved in an especial manner by the exercise of FAITH. Here, as elsewhere, faith is the great secret of our power ; so much so as apparently to be the only method of quenchmg the fiery darts of the adversary. The tempted person, if he is in the exercise of grace adequate to the occasion, instantaneously ofi'ers up the prayer of faith. He exclaims, in spirit at least, if not in language, " Preserve me, O God, in this hour of need." " Spare me and help me in this time of trial." "Leave me not to fall into the hands of my great enemy." He not only desires this assistance, which is one element of the prayer of faith ; but, what is equally important, he believes that God hears ; and that, in accordance with many promises, such as "his grace is sufficient for us," and that he " will not suffer us to be tempted be- yond what we are abb to bear," he is in fact present OF A SANCTIFIED HEART. 165 with him to aid, protect, and bless. This is especially true of the person who has experienced the eminent grace of interior sanctification. Having learned to live by faith, which to many is a new and hidden way of living, his prayer ascends to the throne of God with great rapidity, so that it meets and confronts the tempta- tion almost as soon as it is presented to his thoughts. And not only this, being the prayer of living faith, u is a mighty prayer. It is true, it is exceedingly simple in object and in words, being, in this respect, modelled upon the Lord's prayer ; but it has power with God j it touches the heart of everlasting Love ; and, if we may be allowed the expression, it draws down upon his soul the shield and covering of a Savior's blood. It is in that fountain, in that precious blood, and not in the mere deadness and coldness of his affections, that the fiery darts of the adversary are quenched. (8.) We would remark, again, that the grace, which may meet and subdue the temptations of the present moment, may not be appropriate and adequate to the temptations of any future time. Every day and every moment bring their duties and trials, and need their appropriate grace. There must, therefore, be constantly repeated acts of faith ; and, by means of faith, a constant application of the atoning efficacy of the blood of the Cross ; both to preserve against the power of existing temptation, and also to wash the mind from the impurity of its stains, when we have already yielded to it. We would observe, finally, that temptations are profit- able trials of the religious life, and are particularly cal- culated to purify and strengthen our faith. They are grievous for a time, it is true ; but they are calculated to secure, in the end, the peaceable fruits of righteousness. Very few have become strong in faith, who have not passed through great trials. It is said of the Savior himself, that he "learned obedience by the things which he suffered." 167 PART SECOND. THE LIFE OF FAITH AND LOVE FOLLOWED RY THE CRUCIFIXION OF THE LIFE OF NATURE. 169 CHAPTER FIRST. 0>J THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION. The life of faith and love, when introduced into the heart, is not inoperative. Its introduction there is the signal for an inward war, because it meets with an an- tagonistical life, the corrupt life of nature. The twc have nothing in common ; and, therefore, they cannot be in each other's presence without a conflict. But before entering into the particulars of this inward strug- gle, which, if the soul becomes truly sanctified, must necessarily result in the death of nature, we propose to delay a few moments for the purpose of considering the relation between Sanctification and Justification. Justification and Sanctification, it is generally conce- ded, are different from each other; and yet it is well known that they have sometimes been confounded by writers who have bestowed some examination upon them, as if they were one and the same thing. Nor is it altogether surprising that this should be the case, when we consider that there is one leading idea which is common to both ; we mean, the idea or principle of entire submission. In both cases, impressed with a sense of our own unvvorthiness and nothingness, we must be sincerely willing, in the spirit of entire submissiveness, to receive all from God ; and must receive it also instru- mentally in the same way, viz., hy faith. Nevertheless, there are some important points of distinction in the two things, which are inconsistent with their being regarded as truly identical. And we may add, it is very important, for various reasons, both theological and practical, that the distinctior. should be generally under- 15 170 ON THE DISTlNC^iON BETWEEN Stood and maintained. If the idea should become prev- alent, that justification and sanctification are the same thing, it would involve the subject of sanctification, and perhaps that of justification, in much confusion. It would be necessary that new ideas should be established, and that new forms of speech should be introduced ; and one unhappy consequence, among others, would be, that some, who are seeking the blessing of holiness, would become perplexed and discouraged. (1.) Among other grounds of distinction between the two, it may be remarked that justification, while it does not exclude the present, has special reference to the past, and does not appear to have that prospective bearing which sanctification has. Sanctification, on the contrary, starting on the basis of justification, and regarding the past as cancelled and settled in the justi- ficatory application of the Atonement, has practically an exclusive reference to the present and future. Justi- fication inquires. How shall the sin which is past be forgiven ? Sanctification inquires. How shall we be kept from sin in time to come ? Considered, therefore, in their relation to time, there is good reason for saying that they ought not to be confounded together. (2. ) Another mark of difference is this : Justifica- tion, in its result upon individuals, removes the con- demnatory power or guilt of sin ; while sanctification removes the power of sin itself. He who is justified no longer stands in a state of condemnation, in relation to all those past sins from which he is justified ; but he that is sanctified, just in proportion that he is so, is freed from the influence of that which brings con- demnation, viz., sin itself. Or the distinction may be concisely expressed in other terms, amounting essentially to the same thing, as follows : The object of justifica- tion, considered in reference to the law, is to free us from condemnation. The object of sanctification, con- sidered in reference to the law, is to secure conformity to it. (3.) Justification and sanctification are distinct, also JLSXIFICAIION AND SANCTIFICATION. 171 when considered in the order in which they present themselves, as subjects of thought and interest, to the human mind. It is very obvious that, in the first in- stance, they present themselves consecutively and sep- arately, and not simultaneously and identically. It is not the first cry of the sinner, that he may be sanctified, ])Ut that he may be forgiven. It is his past sins whicli stare him in the face. It is his past sins which must be washed away. And until this is done, and at the feet of Jesus he has received the remission of his trans- gressions, he has no other desire, no other thought. But when he has experienced a release from the bitter memory of the past, and has felt the rising hope of forgiveness, and ilot till then, is his mind occupied with the distinct subject of the reality, the obligation, and the blessedness, of a holy heart, in all time to come. (4.) There is also a distinction when the matter is considered in reference to Christ. Christ is our justifi- cation, considered as hanging upon the cross, and en- during the penalty of the law for us. In other words, Christ is our justification by standing in our stead, and receiving in his own person the stripes and chastise- ment by which those who have sinned are healed. Christ is our sanctification, (that is, the cause or ground of our sanctification,) considered as operating and living m us by the present and efiicacious influences of the Holy Spirit, which he has purchased by his blood. In both cases, Christ is the ground, or efficacious cause, of the result ; and in both cases, also, there is something done inwardly as well as outwardly. But it is never- theless true that, in justification, the work which is done is done in a peculiar sense exteriorly, or tor men ; while the work of sanctification is done, in an equally peculiar and emphatic sense, interiorly, or within them. (5.) Another mark of distinction is, that sanctifi- cation is regarded, and very properly regarded, as an evidence of justification. They have not only the re- lation of antecedence and sequence in the order of time, but the additional and incidental relation of fact and evi- 172 ON THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN dence. In other words, the sanctification cf a person holds the relation of evidence or proof to the alleged fact of his being justified. That there is good founda- tion for this view, additional to its innate reasonable- ness, seems to be evident from the repeated instructions of the Savior, that men are known by their fruits. And certainly we may most reasonably expect, that he who has been justified will aim to bear the fruits of a holy life. Having been instructed by the Holy Spirit in the nature and tendencies of sin, and having found in the gospel that redemption which he could find no- where else, how is it possible that he should again sin against God ? Hence it is that he seeks for sanctifying grace, and endeavors to purify himself' from every form of iniquity. And it is a matter of common and agreed opinion, that he who is careless, in respect to sanctifi- cation, has no satisfactory evidence that he is truly justified. (6.) In the sixth place, justification, when it has taken effect, is a thing which is done or completed; at least, in such a sense as to exclude the idea of its being a progressive work. As we have already stated, it looks only to the past ; but in its relation to the past it is complete. The result of its application, in any given case, is, that the multiplied sins which have been com- mitted in former times are blotted out. If we sin at the present moment, and justification is immediately applied, it is still true that the sin, in the order of na- ture, and in reference to the time of justification, howev- er closely the justification may follow the sinful act, is a past sin. Justification must necessarily be subsequent ; and consequently, the sin, relatively to the time of justi- fication, must necessarily be past, even in those cases in which, in common parlance, we speak of the sin as a present sin. The work of justification, therefore, when it has once taken place, is a thing complete in itself, and is not in its own nature susceptible cf progress, although it may be necessary to have it repeated in every succeeding moment. JUSTIFICATION AND SANvJTIFIC ATION. 173 Sanctification, on the other hand, is a thing which is indweUing, permanent, and always progressive. It is not only progressive "until all the evils of the heart are sub- dued ; but even when it is in some degree complete, — so much so as to occupy the whole extent of our being, and to substitute in the heart every where good for evil, — it is still progressive in degree. So that, in those cases where we speak of sanctification as entire, it is still true that its entireness is not such as to exclude progress. There will never be a period, either in time or eternity, when there may not be an increase of holy love. (7.) The distinction is evidently made in the Scrip- tures. The passages of Scripture where it is clearly recog- nized are so numerous, and so familiar to attentive readers of the Bible, that it seems to be hardly necessary to quote them at any great length. " And the very God of peace," says the apostle, 1 Thess. v. 23, " sanctify you wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of' our Lord Jesus Christ." And again, 2 Cor. vii. 1 : "Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holi- ness in the fear of God." It is very evident, from the gen- eral tenor of the apostle's communications to them, that these exhortations were addressed to those whom he regarded, and had reason to regard, as justified persons. He felt, nevertheless, although they were justified, — although their past sins were blotted out, — that there was much remaining to be done in the matter of their present and prospective sanctification. Hence his exhortations to preserve their bodies blameless, to cleanse themselves, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God ; which would have been unnecessary, if he had considered the work of sanc- tification as absolutely and necessarily involved in that of justification. There are, also, a number of passages, dif- ferent in their import from those which have been par- ticularly referred to, which seem to involve the distinc- tion in question ; those, in which persons are spoken of as disciples or believers, but without having received thp 15* 174 ON THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN gift of the Holy Ghost — such as John vii. 39; Acts viii. 15 — 17 ; Acts xix. 1, 2. The distinction which is made, in the Scriptures, between the two, is regarded so obvious and incontro- v^ertible by most writers, that it has naturally passed, as an established truth, into treatises on theology. It is also recognized almost constantly in sermons, and in religious exhortations and conversation. There is, per- haps, as much unanimity among religious men on this subject as on almost any subject of theological inquiry. And the attempt to confound justification and sanctifi- cation together, which has been made from time to time, would necessarily tend, if it were successful, to perplex and confuse the established forms of speech among men, as well as the authorized and scriptural modes of re- ligious thought. We remark, in conclusion, that although these two states of religious experience are distinct from each other, they nevertheless may be regarded as having something in common, which establishes an intimate relationship between them. This fact has already been alluded to. In both cases, in sanctification as well as in justification, we ultimately receive every thing from Christ. And we are obliged, also, in both cases, to receive it in that meek and submissive spirit which recognizes our own unwor- thiness and nothingness. Every thing is received, also, through the same channel, viz., by faith. We may say, further, that there can be no such thing as sanctification without antecedent justification. The latter may be considered as the commencement, or first coming, of that hidden life in the soul, which is completed in the former. We are not to suppose, however, because there are some things common to justification and sanctification, and because they are in some respects closely related, that they are, therefore, the same thing. This would be a very unsafe mode of argument. There are some things common to memor/ and reasoning, and yet memory and reasoning are distinct. There are some things common to reasoning and imagination, and yet there can be no JUSTIFICATION AND 3ANCTIFICATI0N. 175 doubt that they are very distinct departments of the mind. There is a close connection between liberty and power ; for instance, where there is no power there can be no liberty; yet they ought not to be confounded together. There are some things common to faith and love, or which connect them together in some way, (such as that they are both the gift of God, and that faith acts by love,) and yet all agree that they cannot be considered as identical ; and thus justification and sanc- tification, although they are closely connected, are never- theless two things, and the distinction between them is a very important one. Let us, therefore, who humbly hope that we are justi- fied by the blood of Christ, seek also to be sanctified. Let it not b& sufficient for us that our sins have been forgiven ; but let us strive to gain the victory over sin, and to exclude it from the heart in all future time. Well may we exclaim, in the gratitude of our hearts. Praise be for that grace which sanctifies, as well as for that which justifies ; for that which keeps the heart clean in time to come, as well as for that which washes away the stains of the past ! It is holiness which adds its highest value and its transcendent beauty, to forgiveness. '« O FOR a heart to praise my God ; A heart from sin set free ; A heart that always feels thy blood, So freely spilt for me ; — " A heart in every thought renewed, And full of love divine ; Perfect and right, and pure and good ; A copy, Lord, of thine '. ' 176 CHAPTER SECOND. REMARKS ON UNRESTRAINED AND INORDINATE DESIRES. If it is our purpose to devote ourselves to the Lord without reserve, it is important that we should look seri- ously and closely into the nature and degree of our Desires. It is true, desires are an essential part of oui nature. As natural principles, such as the desire of life, the desire of food, the desire of knowledge, the desire of society, they have their place, their laws, then- uses. But the difficulty is, that in the natural man, and also in the partially sanctified man, they are not adequately superintended and controlled by the prmciple of divine love. They muliiply themselves beyond due limits: they are often self-interested, inordinate, and evil ; so much so as sometimes to bring the whole man into sub- jection. Desires thus inordinate and selfish, which are characterized, among other things, by the fatal trait of inward agitation and restlessness, cannot be too much guarded against. In support of the remark which has just been made we proceed to observe, iti the first place, that unrestrained desires always imply guilt. The man whose desires are unrestrained, is a man that chooses to have his own way; lives his own life ; operates upon his own stock ; and, in a word, claims to be a god in his own right. It is obvious that, under a divine government, there can be no virtue without subordination. The moment, there- fore, that the desire, which is inherent in any creature, gets the ascendency, and violates the law of obedience to the Supreme Ruler, that moment he is no longer the same being ; but has undergone a change, as fatal as i^ REMARKS ON INORDINATE DESIRES. 177 IS sudden, from truth to falsehood, and from honor to guilt. How important is it, then, that the natural desires should be checked and subdued ; and that they should be subdued to that point where they shall be practically lost in the one preeminent and gracious desire of know- ing and doing the will of God ! (2.) We should guard against irregular desires, not only because they imply guilt, but because they tend to render one miserable. The laws of the mind are such, that irregular and inordinate desires can never be fully and permanently gratified. If they meet with a present gratification, they always lay the foundation for their own reexistence, in the shape of subsequent and still stronger desires, which will fail of being gratified. A mind which is under the dominion of such urgent but ungratified desires, can never be at rest — can never be happy. It is inwardly goaded onward, without the pos- sibility of consolation and peace. And it is in this manner that Satan, impelled by desires which aim at supreme dominion, without the possibility of ever being satisfied, is consumed inwardly and forever by a flame that can never be extinguished. This, it is true, is not the only source of his misery ; but it is a principal one. Desires, therefore, conform, in this respect, to the universal law — viz., that guilt always brings misery. Have we not, then, sufficient rea- son for saying, that all irregular and inordinate desires should be especially guarded against ? (3.) We remark, again, that all irregular and un- sanctified desires stand directly in the way of the opera- tions of the Spirit of God upon the soul ; the obstacle they present being in proportion to the strength of the desire. God, in the person of the Holy Ghost, would immediately set up his dominion in all hearts, were it not for the obstacle presented by desires. God loves his creatures ; and he wants nothing of us but that we should remove the obstacles which shut him out of our hearts. It is self-evident that desires and purposes of our own, in distinction from God's desires and purposes. 178 REMARKS ON INORDINATE DESIRES. — inasmuch as tlicy are not in the position of obedience, and are not in the hne of God's inward movements, — are incompatible with liis dominion in the soul. If, therefore, we would be without guilt and misery, — if we would enjoy renovation and liberty of spirit, and would have God enthroned in our hearts, as our king and sovereign, — we must cease from desires ; that is to say, we must cease from natural or unsanctified desires. We must desire nothing, on the one hand, out of the will of God ; and must refuse nothing, on the other, that happens to us in conformity to his will. And it is thus, and thus only, that God can become to us an indwelling and paramount principle of life and action — our All in All. 179 CHAPTER THIRD. ON THE PROPER REGULATION OF THE APPETITES. In connection with the views which have been pre- sented in the preceding chapter, it is to be remembered, that the leading Appetites and Propensities, in their spe- cific forms, are but so many modifications of desire ; and if it is acknowledged to be important that the desires should be properly regulated, it is equally important that the specific appetites and propensities, into which desire, under the appropriate circumstances, modifies itself, should be subjected to a similar regulation. And the same general remark will apply to the Afi'ections also, as well as to the appetites and the propensive principles ; inasmuch as the afiections are known to be characterized by desire, as an essential and leading element, and are susceptible of an inordinate action. (1.) In the few observations which we propose tc make on the subject of the appetites, at the present time, our first remark is this : The appetites are good in theii appropriate place ; but when they are not properly regu- lated, by being restricted to their appropriate occasions and objects, they are the source of great evil. I believe it is generally admitted, that the undue indulgence ot the appetites — the " lower passions," as they are some- times denominated — is the true source of inward im- purity ; a state of mind which, it is to be feared, most persons know by melancholy experience better than it can be illustrated by any description. Men speak of the appetites in terms which obviously indicate their con- victions on this subject. They speak of them, whenever they operate out of their appropriate sphere and degree^ as 180 ON THE PROPER REGULATION low degrading, and polluting; and compare those, who thus indulge in them, to the swine that wallow in the mire. There is also sometliing in one's consciousness which supports this view. When the appetites are entirely subdued, and kept in their place, the subject of them — at least so far as the appetites are concerned — feels that he is pure in heart. But when it is otherwise, there is a sense, not only of guilt, but of degradation ; there is an inward consciousness of what may be termed, meta- phorically, a stain or blot upon the mind. The soul feels itself, in the experience of its own state, to be very different from what it is at other times. The holy soul may be likened to a mirror, into which God may look, and behold the features of his own character reflected. But when it yields itself to the undue influence of the appetites, the mirror becomes stained and darkened, and God is no longer seen in it. (2.) In accordance with these views, a person may become impure — as, in point of fact, many do become impure — by the inordinate indulgence of the appetite for food and drink. Tiie Savior ate and drank without prejudice to his holiness, because he did so in fulfilment of the laws of nature. The truly devoted followers ot the Savior will endeavor to imitate his example in this respect. " I felt no disposition," says the pious Brainerd, '• to eat and drink for the sake of the pleasure of it ; but only to support my nature, and to fit me for divine ser- vice." It may perhaps be properly added, that even heathenism, which thus utters a voice to teach and re- prove an imperfect Chiistianity, can furnish us a lesson on tliis subject. It is said of Hannibal, the celebrated Carthaginian commander, that, in the use of food and drink, he consulted merely the real wants of the physical system, without any regard to the suggestions of sen- sual pleasure. In the language of the Roman historian, " Cihi potionisqiie dcsiderio naturali^ non voliiptnte, mo- dus finitusJ'' This fact, among other striking traits o character, is obviously mentioned as a ground of corn OF THE APPETITES. 181 mendatiou by the historian, who, heathen as he was, 1 as well as the celebrated subject of his remarks, seems to have had a clear perception of the intentions of nature. Happy would it be, if such views and practices more generally prevailed. But it is a painful truth that mul titudes of persons, and some even of those who claim to be the Savior's followers, pollute themselves by ta- king food, not for the sake of the food, and in the fulfil- ment of the intentions of nature, but for the sake of the pleasure which it gives — making the pleasure the ulti- mate, and oftentimes the sole object. In other words, they eat and drink for their lust's sake. They do not eat and drink because it is necessary to support nature, — an important object, which, when properly kept in view, has a tendency to limit the quality and quantity of the articles taken, — but in order that they may gratify their selfish propensities. Such are the persons that are properly dcnom'maied impure ; and they feel themselves to be so. The superabundance of the flesh, nourished by meats and drinks stimulating in their nature, and inordinate in quantity, seems to spread a coat of its dark and unseemly accretion over the mind itself. The amount of impurity which results from this source is immense, and will abundantly account for the lamenta- tions of many persons over their spiritual leanness. (3.) One of the principles, coming under the denom- ination of the appetites, is that which results from the relation of the sexes. A serious mind — certainly one that is disposed to recognize the benevolent hand of God in all his works — will not be inclined to speak in terms of disparagement of this appetite, which, in an important sense, is the foundation of the family state. But sin, which has spread its poison every where, has converted that which was designed for good, and nothing but good, into a source of evil. Every desire, founded upon the relation of the sexes, which is not in accordance with the providence and the will of God, leaves a stain upon the mind's purity, and is at war with holiness. But it is necessary merely to allude to the dangers from 16 182 REGULATION OF THE APPETITES. this source. The holy mind, which appreciates the im- portance of watchfuhiess in every direction, will not be inattentive to the perplexities and hazards which exist here. A single emotion, at variance with entire purity of heart, is inconsistent, so long as it exists, with communion with God, and with his favor. (4.) We leave this subject with one or two observa- tions more. In connection with what has been re- marked, we are naturally led to urge upon all persons, who wish to live a life of true holiness, the great impor- tance of living in such a maimer, in the exercise and indulgence of the appetites, as to fulfil, and nothiug more than fulfil, the intentions of nature ; or rather the intentions of the wise and benevolent Author of nature. / The life of God in the soul has a much closer conncc- I tion with modes of living than is generally supposed. If Christians, instead of indulging and pampering the appetite for meats and drinks, would be satisfied with simple nourishment, and with that small quantity which is adequate to all the purposes of nature, what abundant blessings would infallibly result both to body and mind! Many dark hours, which are now the subject of sad complaints, on the part of professed Christians, would be exchanged for bright ones. God would then reveal his face of afl!ectionate love, which it is impossible for him to do to those who enslave themselves in this man- ner. And in relation to any other principles, which properly come under the head of the appetites, — ben- eficial and important as they undoubtedly are in their place, — if they could be restrained to the purposes and the limits which their Author has assigned, it would certainly make a vast difierence in the relative amount of sin and holiness, of suffering and happiness, in the world Christian, think of these things ! Ye who seek the experience, the indispensable and blessed experience, of holiness of heart, earnestly make them the subject of reflection and prayer. " Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." " Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do. do all to the glory of God." 1S3 CHAPTER FOURTH. ;>.V THE NATURE AND REGULATION OF THE PROPEN SIVE PRINCIPLES. There is another class of principles, which may be considered, for a number of reasons, as coming under the general head of desires ; but which are obviously differ- ent, in some respects, from that modification of desire which bears the name of the appetites. These princi- ples, which, in order to distinguish them from the appe- tites, are denominated the Propensities or Propensive Principles, seem to be less dependent for their existence and exercise upon the condition of the physical system than the appetites are. Removed, in some degree, from the outward senses, which are the basis of the action of the appetites, they obviously sustain a closer affinity to the higher and more important principles of our nature ; and accordingly, in the general estimation which is at- tached to the different parts of our mental constitution, they are regarded as holding a higher rank. Some of the principles which come under this general head (for it is not necessary to enumerate them all, and still less necessary to go into a particular examination of them) are the principle of self-preservation or the desire of con- tinued existence, curiosity or the desire of knowledge, sociality or the desire of society, self-love or the desire of happiness, the desire of esteem, and some others. Religion can never be regarded as having taken up its abode in the heart, and as having become a permanent and paramount element of our inward being, without reaching these principles, and without checking their in- ordinate tendencies, and bringing them back to the origi- 184 ON THE NATURE AND REGULATION nal measurement of a subordinate and holy action h IS certainly not too much to say, that we are accounta- ble to God, strictly and fully accountable, for the exer- cise of the social feelings, for the exercise of the princi- ple of curiosity or the desire of knowledge, and of other propcnsive principles, as well as for the indulgence of the appetites, or the exercise of any other inward act or tendency of which we are susceptible. And accordingly, it cannot properly be said, in the full sense of the terms, that we live in Christ, or that ''Christ liveth in us," while any of these principles retain an unsanctified influ- ence. They do not require to be destroyed ; but it is obvious that they must be made holy. It will be perceived, that these views are not entirely accordant with the sentiments which have sometimes been entertained by individuals, and even by large bod- ies of Christians. Many pious persons, at different peri- ods in the history of the church, have maintained, that the various propensities and affections should not merely be crucified in the true Scripture sense, viz., by being reduced from an irregular to a subordinate and holy ac- tion, but should be exterminated. In accordance with this opinion, obviously erroneous as it is, many persons of both sexes, some of them distinguished for their learn- ing and their rank in life, have avoided, by a permanent principle of action, every thing that could please the appetites or gratify the demands of our social nature. Influenced by mistaken notions of what Christianity really requires, they have literally made their abode in the dens and caves of the earth ; and may be said, with too much foundation in fact, to have rejected the society of man for the companionship of wild beasts. Ecclesi- astical history IS interspersed with instances of this kind, from the days of the anchorets, who macerated their bod- ies and uttered their solitary prayers in the deserts oi Egypt, down to the present time. It is related, for in- stance, of Catherine of Cardonne, a pious Spanish lady of the 16th century, moving in the first ranks of society, and well accomplished in the endowments of intellool OF THE PROPENSIVE PRINCIPLES, iS5 and education, that she retired to a solitary cavern in a remote niountanions region, and spent many years in the strictest seclusion, with no adequate clothing, and with no food but what the uncultivated earth afforded. No one can read the story of the extreme privations to which she subjected herself for the purpose of a more intimate communion with God, without a mixed emotion of re- gret for the errors of her judgment, and of profound re- spect for the self-sacrificing piety of her heart.* There have been many instances of this kind. There is some reason to think that many of the class of persons, to whom we have reference in these remarks, placed more reliance on works than on faith. This was a great error, though a candid consideration of their Uves will probably justify us in regarding it as an uninten- tional one. The mighty efficacy of faith, in its relation to the renovation of the human mind, seems not to have been well understood by them. And being left destitute, in a considerable degree, of the aids and consolations which so abundantly flow from that source, they pressed the principle of consecration, which, independently ot faith, becomes the imperfect and unsatisfactory principle of mere works, to its extreme limits. They deprived themselves of the necessary sleep ; wore garments that inflicted constant suflering ; mingled ashes with their bread ; and submitted to other acts and observances of a penitential nature, either to render themselves, in their present characters, more acceptable to God, or to propi- tiate the divine mercy for the commission of past sins. With feelings of entire sympathy with the sincerity which has characterized the conduct of many humble and suffering recluses, we still feel bound to say, that we do not understand the Scriptures as requiring the cruci- fixion of the appetites and propensities to be carried to this extent. The Scriptures require us to become Chris- tians ; but they do not require us to cease to be men. * See an account of this person in the life of St. Theresa by Ville- fora (La Vie de St. JT.erbsepar M. de ViUcfore, torn ii. liv. 5.) 1(J* 186 or THE PROPENSIVE PRINCIPLES. They require us to put off the " old man," which is fictitious, a perversion of good, and a "har from the be- ginning ; " but they do not, and could not, require us to put off the " new man," which is the same, if not phys- ically and intellectually, yet in all the attributes of the heart, with the primitive or holy man, the man as he ex- isted in Adam before his fall, and as he became reexist- ent in the stainless Savior. But Christ, who is set be- fore us as our example, ate and drank without sin; he recognized and discharged the duty of social intercourse without sin ; and he performed the various other duties,^ which are appropriate to human nature, in equal freedom from any thing that is wrong and unholy. And we may make a single remark here, which may tend to relieve the minds of some hi relation to this sub- ject, viz., that it is a more diflicult thing, and requires more reflection and more religious principle, to regulate the api)etites and propensities, than it does to destroy ♦Jiem. And while the work of a holy regulation is to be legarded as a more diflicult work than that of destruc- tion, we may add, that it is undoubtedly more acceptable to God; although it is probably less calculated to attract notice and to secure celebrity. God expects us to do what he requires us to do ; and to attempt to do more, or do otherwis(3, than he requires, can result only from a mistakeu judgment ^r from perverse intentions. 187 CHAPTER FIFTH. ON THE REGULATION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF SELF-LOVE. One of those implanted principles, which come unde» the denomination of propensities, is the principle of Self- Love, or the desire of our own happiness. We do not pro- pose to remark upon all the propensities ; but the prin- ciple of self-love, which is so liable to a perverted and selfish action as sometimes to be regarded as a perverted and evil principle in its own nature, seems to require some notice. First. We remark, in the first place, that it is gen- erally conceded, both by theologians and mental philos- ophers, that a principle of self-lovi\ or a desire of personal happiness, is implanted in man. As an implanted or con- natural principle, it cannot, in its subordinated and legit- imate exercise, be otherwise than right. In other words, when, in the pursuit of our own happiness, we have a suitable regard to the claims of all other beings, espe- cially the Supreme Being, we cannot be otherwise than approved and guiltless in the view of conscience and of our Maker. The command, that we should love our neighbor as ourselves, evidently implies that the love of ourselves, in the sense of seeking our own happiness so far as is con- sistent with the happiness and rights of others, is admis- sible. Hence men are properly directed and encouraged to seek their own happiness. It is proper even to direct and encourage them to seek religion for the sake (not for the exclusive sake, but still for the sake) of their own happiness. In seeking religion, — in other words, in seeking the restDration of the mind to God, — there can 188 ON THE REGULATION OF THE be no doubt that one legitimate motive may be the desire of our own highest good. It is certain that this is one of the motives calculated ultimately to lead men in a re- ligious course, which is not unfrequently addressed to them in the Holy Scriptures. " There is not," says Dr. Wardlaw, '' any part of the Divine Word, by which we^ are required, in any circumstances, to divest ourselves of this essential principle in our constitution. That Word, on the contrary, is full of appeals to it, under every di- versity of form. Such are all its threatenings, all its promises, all its invitations." Second. But whatever love we may be permitted tc exercise for ourselves or our fellow-men, the obligation still remains of loving God, as the Scripture expresses it, with "all our soul, and heart, and mind, and strength." It seems to be generally agreed, that nothing short of the power of our whole being will satisfy the obligations and claims of divine love. And here it becomes necessary to consider briefly the relation which self-love, or the de- sire of our own happiness, sustains to the desire of God's glory, and the consistency of the one with the other. This is a topic of no small importance ; and perhaps it may be added, that it can hardly be supposed to be ea- sily understood without the aid of some degree of per- sonal experience. The doctrine on this subject, which seems to us to be a correct one, is this : The desire of our personal happi- ness, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may take a religious direction, and may operate beneficially. But it will always be found true, in point of fact, that, as we advance in religious experience, the desire of our own happiness will gradually diminish, and will finally be- come evanescent and practically extinct, under the con- tinually increasing influence of the desire of God's glory. To state it more particularly and definitely, the process seems to be this : When we first begin the search after God, we are influenced, in a considerable degree, by the tor.sideration of personal happiness. This is a movp. PRINCIPLE OF SELF-LOVE. 189 ment which is in accordance with the principles of our mental constitution, and, though exceedingly inferior in kind to that which subsequently takes place, is not in it- self wrong. But as God, in condescension to our poor and imperfect manner of seeking him, gradually unveils his nature, we begin to love him and seek him for hhiv- sclf. And as the divine glory from time to time reveals itself more and more, so in that proportion does the ex- ternal or objective motive, viz., that of the divine glory, expand itself, and, approaching inwardly, begin to occupy the whole mind ; while the internal or subjective mo- tive, viz., that of our personal happiness, contracts and recedes. In other words, just in proportion as there is an entrance of God into the soul, there is a retrocession of SELF — using the term self in a subordinate and good sense. There is thus a loss of the one, and a realization of the other ; or perhaps we may say, a gradual transi- tion of the hiunan into the divine. The principle under consideration, therefore, is not condemned ; but may rather be said to have fallen into desuetude. It is not rejected as criminal ; but has become practically extinct, on the ground of having fulfilled its destiny. The higher motive of God's glory has absorbed the less. So that when a person, in the progress of inward growth, arrives at the position of a complete or perfected love, (which is the true position at which every Christian should aim, and is the true place of the soul's permanent rest,) the soul knows its happiness no more but as merged in the divine happiness ; it knows its will no more but as encircled and lost in the divine will ; and it may even be said, in a mitigated sense of the terms, to know itself no more but as existent in God, " God is love. And he that dioelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." Third. But there is another view of the principle of self-love, or the natural desire of happiness, which re- quires our attention. We refer to that inordinate and unsanctified modification of it, which, in order to dis- tinguish it from a properly regulated and sanctified 190 ON THE REGULATION OF THE action, is denominated selfishjiess. Whatever may be true of the properly regulated desire, it is certain that selfishness is morally wrong, and can never be otherwise than wrong. In a certain sense, I think we may truly say, that we find the root and centre of all moral evil in selfish- ness ; meaning by the term here the inordinate action of the principle of self-love. It is true that other principles of our nature are susceptible of an inordinate action, and that such obliquity of action always implies guilt. But there seems to be ground for saying, that the inordinate action of other principles results from the inordinate ac- tion of the principle of self-love. From this strong root of evil, an influence goes out, which is not more virulent than it is pervasive ; and which, by a secret insinuation of itself in every direction, at length reaches and poisons every part of the mind. Examine, for instance, the so- cial propensity, (which is a principle good in itself,) and we shall find that, stimulated by a secret influence from the pernicious root of selfishness, it will often become inordinate and evil. The same may be said of the prin- ciple of curiosity — a principle entirely innocent in itself, and very important ; but which, when unre- strained by sentiments of right and duty, becomes di- vergent and capricious in its applications, and insatiable in strength. I think we may reasonably assert that every active principle of our nature — even those which are embraced under the head of the benevolent and do- mestic affections, and which are so amiable and beautiful when free from contamination — is liable to be per- versely aflfected by an evil influence going out from this source. Fourth. In connection with this subject, we are enabled to obtain a more precise idea, than we might otherwise possess, of what is frequently and conve- niently denominated the life -of nature. The life of nature is no other than the life of the soul, deformed, perverted, and poisoned, in all its extent, in its fountain and its streams, in its root and its branches, by an influ- ence disseminated from the inordinate action of tho. PRINCIPLE OF SELF-LOVE. 191 principle of self-love ; and it is easy to see, as implied in this statement, that the love of God, which is the true corrective of this contracted and pernicious influ- ence, is banished and shut out from the mind that is under its unholy power. It is not possible that the love of God should dwell in a heart where self-love is su- preme ; so that the life of nature is not only the life ol self, but it is a life, which, in being filled with self, is necessarily destitute of God ; and which, in seeking nothing but its own ends, overlooks all other claims and despises that true happiness and true glory which are found in God alone. With a life originating in a root so evil, and bearing fruit so baleful, — a life which deliberately chooses human weakness and error for its basis, instead of the divine strength and wisdom, — it is certain that a holy soul can have no kindred spirit of feeling, and no union of effort. On the contrary, it is the part of holiness, as an active and indwelling princi- ple in the heart, to meet it, to search it out, contend with it, destroy it. This is the great practical warfare. Having been freely justified and forgiven in the blood ot Christ, Christians can do no less than clothe themselves for this battle ; and contend, step by step, and, with di- vine assistance, slay, to its very root, a life so polluted ni its origin and its results, in order that they may receive, enjoy, and perfect, the life of God. 192 CHAPTER SIXTH ON THE NATURE AND REGULATION OF THE SOCIAL PRINCIPLE. Another of the propensive principles is sociality, or the desire of society. It is not necessary to enter into an argument to show that men naturally (that is to say, independently of the influences of education and con- siderations of interest) have a desire of the company or society of their fellow-men. Of the various doctrines embraced in the philosophy of the human mind, there is scarcely any one which is more satisfactorily established than this. First. Our first remark, under this general head, is that, among the duties which man owes to his fellow- men, one of the most clearly ascertained and important is that of social intercourse. The duty is so clear and imperative, whether we consult in its support the consti- tution of the human mind, or what is said on the subject in the Scriptures, that no one can plead an exemption from it, except on the ground that the providences of God, and other special indications, render his case very different from that of others. A man, for instance, may be so physically disordered, that society is a burden, and solitude his only place of refuge. And this state of things may be combined with other providential indica- tions, so marked in their character, that he may be justi- fied in coming to the conclusion, that his great business, and essentially his only business here on earth, is that of solitary communion with God. " Remote from men, with God lie passed his days, Prayer all his business, all his pleasure praise." OF THE SOCIAL. PRINCIPLE. 193 Perhaps other situations, and other providential indi- cations, may lead to the same result. John the Baptist was the '-'voice of one crying in the wilderness." There is reason to suppose, that the special providence of God called him, in a greater degree than others, to dwell in sohtary places, apart from the society of men ; and we probably risk nothing in saying, that the same unerring providence, operating upon a sanctified spirit, dictated the course of Anna, the aged prophetess of the city of Jerusalem, " who departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers, night and day." But these are exempt cases, which can be judged of only by special outward circumstances and special in- ward operations ; and which, therefore, are to be re- garded rather as exceptions to the general rule than as the rule itself. We cannot hesitate, therefore, in saying, that the duty of social intercourse is obvious and im- -perative. The man who violates his duty in this re- spect by shunning, without any adequate reason, the society of his fellow-men, not only deprives himself of the power of extensive usefulness, but he suffers under the operation of what may be called a natural penalty, in his own person, character, and interests. Persons who place themselves in this situation, without a special divine guidance, are self-punished. The mind, sepa- rated from the bonds which link it to others, and falling back upon itself, as both centre and circumference, be- comes contracted in the range of its action, and selfish in its tendencies. The light of knowledge is, in many respects, shut out ; and even the physical, as well as the moral and intellectual system, feels the adverse influ- ences of a course which is opposed to the intentions of nature. Association, therefore, may be regarded as a necessary law to us. God has so linked us, man with man, and family with family, and community with com- munity, that the life of one may be said to be multi- plied in that of another ; and no man, with the excep- tion of the peculiar cases already indicated, can safely and usefully stand and act alone. 17 94 ON THE NATURE AND REGULATION Second. The social principle, like others, may be- come inordinate in its action. In the natural life, in distinction from the regenerated or sanctified life, every thing runs to excess, in consequence of the prevalence of selfishness, and the absence of the love of God ; and thus the social principle, implanted originally for a good end, may become, as in point of fact it often does be- come, more or less excessive and vicious in its operation. In what way, then, shall the discharge of the duty of social intercourse be regulated, so that the divine blessing may rest upon it? In reply to this question, it may be admitted, that it is neither easy nor safe to lay down specific rules applicable in all cases. It is obvious that what would be right and proper under some circum- stances, would be inexcusable under others. It is per- haps best, therefore, that the conduct of each individual should be left to be regulated by the decisions of a sound and consecrated discretion, made in view of the circum stances of each occasion as it arises. In all ordinary cases, however, it may be safely said^ tl~at some portion of each day, and especially a portion at tho commencement of the day, should be devoted to solitary communion with God. The soul needs the re- sources and refreshment of such seasons of sacred retire- ment, in order to put itself into a situation to meet those trials of its faith and patience which are incidental even to social intercourse. Nor is this all. We should also have seasons of special religious recollection while we are acting in and with society, in which we may turn our thoughts inward and upward ; to the state of our own hearts, on the one hand, and to God, as the true source of wisdom and support, on the other. Many pious persons have found this practice very important to them. It is said of Fenelon, in connection with the numerous claims of society upon him, — claims which he promptly met, with admirable condescension and wisdom, — that he nourished the inward divine life, even in the midst of such multiplied interruptions, by praying "in the deep retirement of internal solitude " OF THE SOCIAL PRINCIPLE. 195 Third. The desire of society is natural ; and Iho pleasure which results from it, when its object is se- cured, is oftentimes very great. But acting on religious principles, and with a view to God's glory, it is obvious that we must mingle in society, not only to enjoy hap- piness, but to do good, and even to suffer. If one motive with the holy person, in mingling with society, is to do good, we shall beware how we yield to our own choice. The life of nature would lead us to seek the company of the well-informed, the wealthy, and the honorable ; but the life of God in the soul, in connection with the safe rule of his blessed providences, and in imitation of the Savior's example, will lead us among the poor and sick, the degraded and the sinful. But this is not all. We are not only called to do good in this way, but are sometimes called, as already inti- mated, even to endure and to suffer. When we mingle in society, we mingle with men , men who are beset with many and trying infirmities, and who often show their weaknesses and errors, saying nothing of positive transgressions, both in manner and in language. As those who seek to be wholly the Lord's, we are bound to endure the troubles which result from this source with entire meekness and patience. Not to bear meekly and patiently with those imperfections of others, sometimes greater and sometimes less, which we must always expect to encounter when we associate with them, would be a sad evidence of our own imper- fection. We are sometimes severely tried, even when we are in the company of truly devout and holy persons. Such persons may at times entertain peculiar views, with which we cannot fully sympathize ; and may occasion- ally exhibit, notwithstanding the purity and love of their hearts, imperfections of judgment and of outward manner which are exceedingly trying. These also are to be patiently and kindly borne with. Fourth. One thing more remains to be said, as to the manner of intercourse. It is obvious that the claims o^ 196 OF THE SOCIAL PRINCIPLE. society can never be allowed to go so far as to interfere with and prejudice the claims of religion at the very time of social intercourse. In other words, we should always so conduct, when we mingle socially with our fellow-men, that we may be known as religious persons, not merely by special acts of religion, but in our general manner. And it seems to us, that this desirable result may be secured, in consistency with a suitable regard to modesty of deportment. Men generally possess a prompt and almost instinctive power of interpretation on the subject of moral and religious character. If we truly possess religion, they will see it and know it. There is a calmness and propriety of manners, on the part of truly holy persons ; a placidity of countenance ; a free- dom from exaggeration and over-urgency ; a modesty, and a sincere good-will to others, whatever may be their characters ; a conscientious regard for truth and justice ; a forbearance under ill-treatment and injury ; a serious- ness, which is the opposite of foolish talking and jest- ing ; an interest in whatever has relation to the claims of virtue and religion — which, taken together, and aided perhaps by other indications not less favorable, furnish significant data to those who behold them ; and which cannot fail to stamp the character as religious, without the formality of a specific declaration. 197 CHAPTER SEVENTH. ON THE NATURE AND REGILATION OF THE PRINCI PLE OF CURIOSITY. The principle of Curiosity, like the other propensities which have been mentioned, is an original principle of our mental constitution. It is implanted there in the wisdom and goodness of the great Being who constitu- ted the mind, and may justly be regarded as an appro- priate and essential attribute of every rational nature. It is hardly necessary to say, that this principle is given to be employed. It is altogether desirable and proper that men should inquire, and reflect, and obtain knowledge. But this principle also is liable to be perverted. One of the greatest obstacles, which practical sane tificat ion has to contend with, is the prevalence of a spirit of irregular and unchastened curiosity. It is here that Satan has taken up his position in great security and strength, al- most unseen by any one ; and is throwing his weapons, and slaying numbers, who seem to be entirely ignorant what poisoned dart has hit them. I will take a case, by no means an uncommon one, which will stand for many others. Here is an individ- ual, a member of a church, who sustains in the view of his brethren a fair religious reputation, but who, by his own confession, has but little real communion with God, and, like many others, has but little religious enjoyment. And what is the reason of this ? He is constant at church ; he is regular in his family devotions ; he is fair and hon- est in his transactions in business ; he is liberal to the poor and to the cause of religious missions ; and he does not perceive himself, and others do not clearly perceive, why he does not walk with God, and enjoy continu? ily 17* 198 ON THE NATURE AND REGULATION the light of his countenance. But the reason is, that he is ignorantly seeking himself, and making an idol of him- self, contrary to the will and the honor of God. by indulging a wandering and excessive curiosity. It has perhaps never occurred to him that he is as much ac- countable to God for the regulation of the curious or in- quisitive propensity, as for any other principle of our nature. This principle he exercises, in a way to gratify himself, by indulging inordinately in a variety of mis- cellaneous reading, by lending an itching ear to the con- stant influx of political news, by taking an undue inter- est in the constantly circulating gossip of families and neighborhoods; in a word, by a strong and almost irre- sistible craving to hear every thing that is to be heard, and to know every thing that is to be known, whether good or evil, profitable or unprofitable. Like the Athe- nians of old, he spends no small portion of that time which God has committed to him as a precious trust, in telling or hearing some new thing. Such is the melan- choly statement which is applicable to hundreds and thousands of those who bear the Christian name. There can be no doubt that the evils of this state of things are manifold and great. (1.) In the first place, the undue indulgence of the principle of curiosity, by filling the mind with that which is unprofitable, necessarily excludes much which is of essential value. There are undoubtedly limits to the mind's receptive capacity. And there is such a thing as filling and crowding it so completely with other things, as to exclude, in a great degree, the idea of God, and many important religious truths. How is it possible for God to dwell in a mind that is already occupied, " pressed down and running over," if one may so express it, with idle thoughts, with foolish and romantic specu- lations, with the criminations and recriminations of party politics, with idle and often cruel and unjust village and neighborhood reports, which are indiscriminately sought and swallowed by the insatiable eagerness of this princi pie, when it has become excessive in its action ' OF THE PRINCIPLE OF CURIOSITY. 199 (2.) Another remark is, that a life, of which ex 'essive curiosity is the leading element, is necessarily an- tagonistical to a life of faith. Knowledge necessarily excludes faith, in regard to the thing which is known. And we do not hesitate to say, that ignorance with faith is, in many things, better than knowledge without it. In many things, therefore, having relation to ourselves and others, and especially in many things which have relation to the divine government, we must be willing to remain in the darkness of sense, in order tliat we may enjoy the light of religious trust. It is obvious that this is a condition to which the man of excessive curiosity does not easily submit. He is restless in his state of ignorance, because he has but little trust in God. How different is the state of mind (a state of mind which many Christians can testify to be of inexpressible value) which is disclosed in the devout words of Fenelon : " Behold my wants which I am igjioraiit of; but do Thou be- hold, and do according to thy mercy. Smite or heal ! Depress or raise me up! I adore all thy purposes with- out knowing iheui." (3.) We remark, again, that the unrestrained action of the principle under consideration is inconsistent, to a considerable extent at least, with that degree of religious retirement, and with that inward and outward silence, which have so close a connection with the growth of the inward life. It cannot reasonably be expected, when we consider the natural results in the case, that men who indulge an excessive curiosity will find time to be much alone with God, or that they will be possessed of that " quietness of spirit " which the Bible has pronounced to be of great price. On the contrary, they are necessa- rily compelled to pay the heavy penalty of their unchas- tened eagerness of spirit, by being withdrawn from the jjiward to the outward, and by finding it easier and sweeter to their perverted tastes to indulge in the attrac- tions and excitements of the world than to commune with the calmness and purity of the God of peace. (4.) But this is not all. The evil which we ara 200 ON THE NATURE AND REGULATION considering strikes still more directly at the life of reli- gion in the soul. The man who indulges in excessive curiosity makes this indulgence — in other words, his love of some new thing — his idol. The tyranny, which the love of news exercises over him, is as strong and as ter- rible as the tyranny which the love of his possessions exercises over the mind of the miser ; and it is not too much to say of him, that he worships news as really and as strongly as other men worship money. And hoAv can we suppose that the love of God, which is inconsistent with the inordinate love of every thing else, can take up its residence in a heart that is in this situation ? We trust that none will pervert these important views. The principle of curiosity is one of the most important and powerful principles of our nature. But it varies in its exercise. Sometimes, it must be admitted, it is too weak. At other times, it so increases in strength as not only to be inordinately active and strong, but so much so as to assume almost a diseased or morbid character. The doctrine, therefore, which we propose, is nothing more nor less than this, viz. : That this powerful and impor- tant principle should be properly regulated. It ought to be as strictly and carefully brought to the test of su- preme rectitude as any other internal principle — such as the love of society, or the natural desire of esteem or of happiness. We are bound, as seekers or professors ol holiness, to pray for direction in what we shall know, as much as we are to pray for direction in what we shall do; and unless this rule is constantly and devoutly ob- served, no person is at liberty to indulge the belief that he is acceptable with God. Let us not forget the awful lesson which stands written in the early records of our fallen race. When our firs; parent, under the instigations of Satan, v/ho declared to her that she should be as gods, " knowing good and evil," beheld the fruit of the forbidden tree, as de- sii'ahle to make one wise, she took it and did eat. How much better, we may well exclaim, in view of an event attended with such melancholy results, is ignorance with OF THE PRINCIPLE OF CURIOSITY. 201 holiness than knowledge with transgression! — Know ing, then, the dangers, generally so little understood and so little suspected, of an unrestrained and unhallowed curiosity, may we go to the great Teacher, who will never guide us wrong. The language of our blessed Savior is, " Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls." We need not fear that he will consign us to any ignorance which is really unprofitable. It is true, he will not, like the great enemy of our race, direct to the pursuit of any form of knowledge which will involve us in destruction ; but he will encourage us in the pursuit of true knowledge. It is given to the people of Christ, in his own cheering expressions, '' to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven." And while, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they will be permitted to become acquainted with all those forms of secular knowledge which are truly de- sirable and proper, the great subjects of their thoughts and inquiries will be the truths and mysteries of the heavenly kingdom. And thus grace and peace shall be multiplied to them, " through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord/' 202 CHAPTER EIGHTH. ON THE GRACE OF SILENCE AS THE MEANS OF SUSTAINING A HOLY LIFE. We proceed now to the consideration of a topic ni some degree related to those of the two preceding chap- ters. It is obvious that neither the social principle, nor the principle of curiosity, can be carried out to their an- ticipated and legitimate results, in all respects, without the use of the tongue. Both principles imply communi- cation ; and communication is effected chiefly by the use of speech. And on the other hand, both principles are susceptible of being kept in check and of being regulat- ed, in some degree, by the restricted and regulated use of this important medium of intercourse. It is in conse- quence, therefore, of its various relations, particularly to the principles which have just been mentioned, that the regulation of the tongue has a close connection, perhaps more so than is generally imagined, with the permanent support of the Interior Life. Our remarks, however, will be of a general character. In the first place, a great freedom in the use of the tongue, an incontinence of speech, if we may so express it, necessarily involves a loss of time. When people meet together, as they generally do, without recollection in God, how many things are said which are obviously unprofitable, but which, nevertheless, do not occupy less time on account of their inutility ! It was one of the rules of conduct laid down by that devoted servant of God, Herman Franke, " not to make the things of this world a subject of conversation, except when God may be honored, or good done to our neighbor thereby." The application of some rule of this kind to the conver- ON THE GRACE OF SILENCE. 203 satioii of the great mass of Christians would undoubt- edly show that much of it neither honors God nor bene- fits their neighbor ; and that, conseciuently, the precious time which it requires is lost. But' he, who is fully re- solved to walk in holiness before the Lord, cannot delib- erately waste his time. It is a precious deposit, whicl his heavenly Father has committed to his trust, and foi which he is responsible. We repeat, therefore, that a holy person cannot deliberately waste it; and conse- quently, he will feel constrained by the most serious rea- sons to refrain from frivolous and useless conversation. (2.) But this is not all. We remark, in the second place, that it is almost impossible to speak much, with- out saying that which is positively injurious as well as unprofitable. It would be unreasonable to expect to in- dulge freely in conversation with others, in the manner in which men commonly do, without conforming, in part at least, to their own views and terms of social inter- course. In other words, we seem to be under the necessity of sympathizing, to some extent, with their trains of thought and experience ; and are not at liberty wholly to reject subjects which are pleasing to them. And who does not know that, acting on this view, we are often introduced to various topics which, both in their nature and tendency, are exceedingly remote from a religious and edifying character. How large a portion, for instance, of the conversation of the great mass of man- kind is taken up Avith censorious and unfavorable com- ments on the conduct of their neighbors ! How much there is of expressed or hinted suspicion ! How much of backbiting and slander! Now, if we would not be accessory to sins of this kind, we must learn the diffi- cult art of controlling the tongue, and of forming habits of conscientious silence. (3.) Again, too much conversation has an injurious effect upon the religious interests of the mind, in addi- tion to what has already been said, by filling the soul with many vain and useless thoughts. All such thoughts take up more or less of the mind's attention ; and just 204 ON THE GRACE OF &1LENCE AS THE SO far as it is so occupied, it is necessarily deprived of tlie consciousness of God's sweet and purifying pres- ence. Such are the laws of the mind, that it cannot possibly be occupied with God and a multitude of worldly vanities at the same time. And, in addition to this, it should be remembered, that words are one of the outward signs and natural exi>ressions of the inward passions ; and, whatever may be true of those of a different character, it is well un- derstood that the resentful or angry passions, which often interpose an obstacle to holiness, generally acquire gr.eat vigor by outward exhibitions. On the contrary, it is equally well understood that they as generally wither and die under a system of repression and silence. So that, by maintaining a judicious practice of silence, we shall not only find our thoughts less liable to wander, and more collected in God, than they would otherwise be, but shall also find the resentful passions, and the ex- xjiting passions generally, when thus deprived of the powerful stimulation of words, more submissive, and more perfectly under control. (4.) Again, outward silence favors inward silence. In other words, it promotes inward and spiritual rest ; a cessation from that inordinate and grasping activity which is prompted by the life of nature. This is in- volved, in part, in what has already been said ; but it is worthy of a distinct and particular notice. The utter- ance of words necessarily connects us with things out- ward to ourselves, and sometimes implicates us very strongly with scenes, transactions, and interests, of an external, and generally of a worldly, character. But the natural and almost necessary result of outward si- lence is the retrocession of the soul into itself, and, in general, a decided tendency to the resumption of inward peace. And this state of things, as we have already had occasion to notice, is favorable to the entrance, in- dwellings, and operations, of the Holy Spirit. It is in such a soul, much more than in others, that the great Comforter and Teacher lovea to take up his residence MEANS OF SUSTAINING A HOLY LIFF. Z05 and to expand his benign influences. " As much as lies in thy power," says the devout Kempis, " shun the re- sorts of worldly men ; for much conversation on worldly business, however innocently managed, greatly retards the progress of the spiritual life. We are soon capti- vated by vain objects and employments, and soon de- filed. And I have wished, a thousand times, that I had either not been in company or had been silent." (5.) It should also have great weight with us, that the Scriptures impart so much instruction on this subject. So liable are we to offend in the use of the tongue, and so difficult is it to regulate ourselves in this respect, that we are told by the apostle James, " If any man offend not in word, the same is a pertect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." In Proverbs, also, xxi. 23, it is said, "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles." There are other pas- sages of similar import ; but how little, notwithstand- ing, is the importance of properly regulating our speech realized ( Some persons, even some Christians, seem to think (if we may be allowed to judge from their con- duct) that crime may attach to almost any form of hu- man action out this. O that they would remember the words of the Savior ! words which should be engraven upon the heart of every one who aims at holiness : " But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified ; and by thy words shalt thou be condemned." But some will perhaps inquire, whether we may not converse much, if our object be to do good. I admit that we may, if we can do more good in this way, in- cluding what we owe to ourselves as well as what we owe to others, than we can by a judicious mixture of conversation and silence. But then we should consider that we cannot reasonably expect to do much good, without a heart richly replenished with divine grace. And I believe it is a common opinion, that the disburse- ments of frequent talking, without the incomes of a 18 206 ON THE GRACE OF SILENCE AS THE Drayerful silence, generally result, and very rapidly toOj n the evaporation and loss of the inward life. And accordingly, it is a frequent saying, that a man may, in a modified sense of the expression, " talk away his reli- gion." And it may be added, farther, as in accordance with what has now been said, that pious ministers not unfrequently lament that calls for outward action and for much speaking to others leave them too little time for interior retirement, and for seasons of spiritual re- freshment and advancement, by communication with the everlasting Fountain. In connection with the subject, we proceed to make a few brief practical remarks. And the first which wc have to make relates to the manner of our conversation , viz;, we should make it a general rule to avoid express- ing ourselves in a very emphatic and passionate man- ner, and with a high tone of voice. It is well under- stood, that such a method of outward expression reacts upon the mind, and has a tendency to produce an ex- cited and inordinate state of the feelings within ; and besides, it is generally unpleasant and unprofitable to the hearers. It will be noticed, that we are not speaking here of public occasions, (in respect to which the rule must be adopted with its appropriate restrictions,) but of conversation. And I think we may profitably add here, that the rule is capable of some extension. A truly consecrated person will not only be characterized by quietness of manner, so far as words and voice are con- cerned, but also in other outward respects. His counte- nance, his action, his general movement, will be per- vaded, in a great measure, by the same beautiful and Christ-like trait. Another remark is, that we should be careful not to speak much of ourselves and of our own affairs. There are, undoubtedly, some exceptions to this view; espe- cially when suitable opportunities present themselves of speaking of God's dealings with our souls. But, nev- ertheless, this seems to be the correct general rule, Such conversations, viz., those which turn frequently MKANS OF SUSTAINING A HOLY LIFE. 207 and almost exclusively upon ourselves, besides not be- ing, in general, edifying to others, are apt, by directing our thoughts from the glory of God to the persons and the affairs of the creature, to reanimate and strengthen the dying life of self. Again, it is not religiously profitable to make the per- sons and concerns of our neighbors the frequent subjects of our discourse, unless it be for the purpose of saying what we know can properly be said in their favor, of vindicating them against aspersions, or for some other good and charitable purpose. This rule, too, has, in practice, its appropriate limitations, which a judicious piety will be likely to suggest. The only further practical remark which we wish to make on this subject at present, is, that, when we are falsely spoken against, or in some other way greatly injured, we should not, as a general rule, be hasty to reply. The life of nature would prompt us to reply quickly, to vindicate ourselves at all hazards, and some- times, perhaps, with a considerable degree of sharpness and violence. But the gentle spirit of Christ in the soul, which says, " Without my Father I can do nothing," always leads us to look to God for aid and direction before we look to ourselves and our own wisdom, or to the precipitate help of earthly friends. It was thus with the prophet Daniel. When misrepresented, injured, and persecuted, he at once turned his thoughts to God as his only protection. In his solitary chamber, kneeling be- fore the face of the Infinite Presence, and with no dis- position to look any where else, he intrusted his cause to Him who alone is able to help. The example of the Savior, also, in relation to this subject, is particularly instructive. When brought to trial before Pilate, al- though he could easily have made a defence, he chose lO be silent ; "he answered him to never a ivord, inso- much that the governor marvelled greatly." In the language of the evangelical prophet, " He was oppressed and he was afilicted, yet he opened not his mouth ; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheen <>08 ON THE GRACE OF SILENCE. before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." The deep grace, which manifests itself by patience and silence under the eircumstances which have been mentioned, will pbad far more eloquently in our behalf than all the torrent of words and all the vivacity of effort which the life of nature is so ready to poui forth. "Teach us, in time of deep distress, To own thy hand, O God, And in submissive silence learn The lessons of thy rod. In every changing scene of life, Whate'er that scene may be, Give us a meek and humble mind, A mind at peace with thee '. 209 CHAPTER NINTH. ON THE NATURE AND REGULATION OF THE AFFECTIONS. There are a number of other principles, besides those that have been mentioned, which come under the gen- eral head of the propensities, which are important in their place, and all of which require to be restored from the vicious action with which a fallen nature has inspired them. This may be said, for instance, of the desire 0/ esteem, obviously a distinct and implanted principle of nature, which leads us to consult the opinions and to value highly the favorable sentiments of our fellow- men — a principle which is often irregular and morally perverse in its action, and which can never be made what it ought to be, except under the restrictions and with the aids of sanctifying grace. But the doctrines and illustrations which have been laid down in relation to other propensities will easily apply Db this and to oth- er cases which have not been remarked upon. It is not consistent with our limits, and probably it is not neces- sary, to delay further upon them. ( 1. ) The affections, also, — a still higher class of prin- ciples than the appetites and propensities, — require to be sanctified. As they exist in the natural man, with whatever titles of amiableness and excellence we may dignify them, it is still true that they are impregnated with the vicious element of the natural life, and are not holy. It cannot be doubted that it is right for a man to love the members of his family, and that it is his duty to do so ; but if his domestic attachments become, from any cause, so strong as to annul or to vitiate his 18* iiiO » ON THE NATURE AND ^ love to men generally, or to God, or, on the other hand, if they become so weakened as to fall short of the di- vine requirements, they are wrong. Immutable right has a claim and a power which enti- tle it to regulate every thing else. Even love itself, an element so essential to all moral goodness that it gives a character and name to God himself, ceases to be love the moment it ceases to be in conformity with justice. Love that is not just is not holy ; and love that is not holy is selfishness under the name of love. Every affection, therefore, however amiable and honorable it may be when it is in a right position, is wrong, and "s at variance with inward holiness of life, which is not m conformity with the rule of right. And in hearts unsanctified, just so far as there is a defect or want of sanctification, — in other words, just so far as the love of God fails to regulate such affections, — this is always the case. (2.) The affections are generally divided into the be- nevolent and the malevolent affections. The basis of the benevolent affections is love ; the basis of the other class is the principle of resentment. The doctrines of Holiness apply to the principle of resentment, as well as to other parts of the mind. It is impossible for a holy person not to be displeased, and sometimes greatly displeased, at acts of iniquity. The injunction of the apostle, " Be ye angry and sin not,'* seems to imply that there may be cases in which a person may be displeased, and may be angry, without necessarily incurring sin. It is said of the blessed Savior himself, that he looked upon the Pharisees " with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts." But here, again, the evil hand of nature (not nature as it was, but nature as it has become) has been at work. Selfishness, which is but another name for the life of nature, infuses into the displeasure of the unsanctified man, even when there is a foundation for it within proper limits, a degree of se- verity and unforgivingness which is inconsistent vnth holiness, and is fatal to true inward peace. REGULATION OF THE AFFECTIONS. 211 How often and how sadly this has been the case, how often and how deeply individuals and churches have been injured from this cause, no one is ignorant Families and nations, as well as individuals, have ex- perienced the dreadful effects of the displeased and angry feelings, when they are not overruled and kept in check by true piety. The history of the world, from its earliest periods, is a solemn and monitory lesson on this subject. " He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty ; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city." There seems to be need of greater effort, and of more faith and prayer, to regulate entirely this department of the affections, (usually denominated the malevolent affections,) than is required in the regu- lation of the other. But the grace of God is sufficient even here. (3.) When the desires, including the various appetites, propensities, and affections, are reduced to their proper position, by being brought under the controlling influ- ence of divine love, and are truly sanctified to the Lord, there is a foundation laid for the i ijht action of the will. It is well understood, I suppose, liiat the will acts, if it acts at all, in accordance either with natural and inter- ested motives, on the one hand, or with moral motives, on the other. In a mind that is not the subject of any de- gree of alienated action, and which, therefore, in the ordinary sense of the terms, may properly be called a sound mind, the moral sense will always act right and act effectively, and will always furnish a powerful mo- tive to the will, unless it is perplexed and weakened in its action (which, however, is very likely to be the case in the natural man) by the influence of unsanctified de- sires. If, therefore, the desires are sanctified, and the perplexing and disordering influence from that source is taken away, the feelings of desire and the sentiment of justice will combine their action in the same direction, and the action of the will cannot be otherwise than holy. To possess holy desires, therefore, in their vari- ous modifications, or, what is the same thing, to possess, 212 ON THE REGULATION OF THE 4rrECTI0NS. as we sometimes express it, a hoiy heart, is necessarily to possess a holy will. There is no reason, under such circumstances, why the will should not act right. Anc a right will is a holy will. To secure such a consummation, — the appetites sub- dued, the propensities regulated, the affections sanctified_ the will just in its action, and consequently united with the will of God, — to secure a result so immensely im- Dortant in itself and its relations, how devoutly should we may ! how constantly and ardently should we labor ! "Create, O God, my powers anew; Make my whole heart sincere and txne. O, cast me not in wrath awuj, Nor let thv BOui-eniivening ray Still cease tc shine ! " 213 CHAPTER TENTH. OF THE EXCISION AND CRUCIFIXION OF THU. NATURAL LIFE. ["And if thy right eye ofFend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee ; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should per- ish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee ; for it is profit- able for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that tliy whole body should be cast into hell." Matt. v. 29, 30.] The natural life, as we have already had occasion to notice, has a close connection with the natural desires. Just so far as such desires are inordinate in their action, they are the result of unsanctified nature, and not of the Spirit of God. The root, however, the original and fruitful source of that state of things in the natural heart which is conveniently denominated the natural life, is the inordinate action of the principle of self-love ; de- nominated, in a single term, selfishness. The pernicious influence from this source, with the exception of what has become sanctified by the Spirit of God, reaches and corrupts every thing. Hence the importance of the process of excision. It is not only important, but indis- pensably necessary, that this evil influence should be met and destroyed wherever it exists — a process often exceedingly painful, but inevitable to him who would be relieved from his false position, and put in harmony with God. There must be a cutting off, and a re- newed and repeated cutting off, till the tree of self, despoiled of its branches and foliage, and thus deprived of the nourishment of the rain, the sun, and the atmos- phere, dies down to its very root ; giving place, in its destruction, to the sweet bloom of the :ree of life. 214 OF THE EXCISION AND CRUCIFIXION We have formerly had occasion to say, that a hfo of practical holiness depends essentially upon two things: first, upon an entire consecration of ourselves, body and spirit, to the Lord; and, second, upon a belief that this consecration is accepted. We must, in the first place, offer up our whole being as a sacrifice to the Lord, lay- ing all upon his altar. But we should remember, it is laid there in order that the natural life maybe consumed, and that there may be a resurrection of the true spiritual life from its ashes. He, therefore, who has consecrated himself to God, must expect that the truth of the conse- cration will be tested by the severity of an interior cru- cifixion, which is the death of nature, but, in the end, present and everlasting life. It is not till the flame has come upon us, and we have passed through the fire of the inward crucifixion, which consumes the rottenness, and the hay and stubble, of the old life of nature, that we can speak, in a higher sense, of the new life, and saj^, Christ liveth in me. But this subject, which is vi- tally important in connection with the highest results ot religious experience, will be better understood by going into some particulars. (L) In the first place, God will require of us, in the fulfilment of our act of consecration, that we shall sepa- rate ourselves from all inordinate indulgence of the appetites. Undoubtedly, there is a degree of natural pleasure, connected with the exercise of the appetites, which is lawful. But it is very obvious, that self in the natural man, which is always seeking for pleasure, without regarding either its nature or its lawfulness, has polluted every thing here. It is in connection with the appetites in their unsanctified state, that we find one of the strong ties which bind man to his idols, and which subject his proud spirit. This strong bond must be sundered. No one can be acceptable to God, who does not crucify and reject every form of attraction and pleasure from this source, which is not in accord- ance with the intentions of nature, and does not receive the divine approbation and sanction. But we have_ OB" THE NATURAL LIFE. 215 already had occasion to make some remarks on this sub- ject, and it is not necessary to extend them here. (II.) We are required, in the second place, to reduce to a subordinated action, and in this sense to crucify, the propensive principles ; and also the natural affections, interesting and important as such affections are, so far as they are not purified in divine love, and made one with the divine will. The natural affections, even in their more amiable and lovely forms, often gain an as- cendency in the mind, and exercise a tyranny over it, which is inconsistent with the restoration of unity with God. How many persons make idols of their children, of their parents, or of other near relatives ! It is very obvious that such strong attachments, though they may be dear as the right hand or the right eye, must be cru- cified and cut off. " He that loveth father or mother," says the Savior, " more than me, is not worthy of me ; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it ; and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it.'^ To this topic, also, we have already had occasion to refer. (III.) We proceed to remark, in the third place, that, in the process of entire separation from any and every reliance out of God, we must cease to place undue con- fidence in men generally. It is a matter of common remark, that the natural man, afraid to put his trust in God alone, generally seeks advice and assistance from his fellow-men ; especially from those who are in some degree conspicuous for information and influence. Those also, who have known something of the truth and power of religion, but are as yet beginners in the Christian life, have not unfrequently erred in the same way. Many times, instead of looking to God for help, they have sought assistance from near Christian friends ; they have unduly relied perhaps upon their public re- ligious teachers, or have sought, in the spirit of distrust towards God, some other exterior source of consolation and support. It is important to observe, however, that 216 OF THE EXCISION AND CRUCIFIXION the error does not so much consist in seeking the advice and support of men, — which, under certain circum- stances, we acknowledge to be very proper, — as ir seeking it in an undue degree^ and to the exclusion ot God. Such is the nature of God, and such are our re- lations to him, that he cannot possibly admit of a rival in our affections. It is reasonable, therefore, that he should expect us in our troubles to make the first appli- cations to himself, and to lay our trials and wants before him with that readiness and confidence which we no- tice in little children, who naturally seek the advice and assistance of their parents, before looking to other sources of support ; and we shall always find this course safest for ourselves, as well as most pleasing and honorable to God. From all forms, therefore, and from all degrees of trust in men, — except so far as they are kept in perfect subordination to a higher and ultimate trust in God, — there must be a separation. We must learn the grea. lesson of making God our helper ; and not on particular occasions merely, but always. In the beautiful language )f the Psalmist, " My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him ! " (IV.) We proceed to observe further, that, in the ful- filment of our personal consecration, and in the further process of renunciation and excision, there must be a separation, a cutting loose from all reliance, as a ground of merit or of self-gratulation in any shape, on our own worlcs. It is undoubtedly trying to unsubdued and self- ish nature, to attach no value, considered as its own works, to what it fondly calls its good deeds ; such as its outward morality, its attendance upon the institutions of worship, its study of the Scriptures, its visits to the sick, its charities to the poor, and other things of a sim- ilar nature. These things, it is true, are all good and desirable. We would not, by any means, speak lightly of them. It is perhaps difficult to value them too highly, if we ascribe them, as we ought to do, to the mere favor and grace of God. But by excluding the influence of OF THE NATURAL. LIFE. 217 the grace of God, and ascribing them to his own merit. It is easy to see that a man may make an idol of his good works, whatever may be their nature ; and that he may, in the perversity of his spirit, fall down and wor- ship them. We must be willing, therefore, to account our good deeds as nothing, and to regard ourselves, when we have done all in our power, as unprofitable servants, in order that Christ may be to us all in all. (V.) A fifth remark, which we have to make in con- nection with this subject, is, that it is necessary to cut off and crucify the inward desire, which so generally prevails, for the experience of special signs and testi- monies of acceptance with God. There is hardly any Christian, who has not, at some period of his religious history, experienced some perplexity in this respect. One of the most difficult lessons which we are called to learn, — one, however, which is indispensable, if we would know the heights and depths of the religious life, — is that of living by simple faith. God expects us, and has a right to expect us, to leave ourselves and all our interests in his hands, in the full confidence that he will do every thing which is right ; and it is obviously the duty of every Christiau to correspond to this claim on the part of God, and to yield himself up, body and spirit, in the bonds of an everlasting covenant ; fully believing that God will not desert him either in duty or in temptation ; and whether he is led in light or in darkness, with sensible manifestations and testimonies, or without them, that all things will be well in the end, and will work together for his own good and for the divine glory. But too often this duty is not regarded. To live by faith, to lean upon the mere word of God, without the supports of sight, is a very humbling way of living ; and it is hard for the natural man, and even for the partially sanctified man, to receive it. Nature, so far as it exists in the heart, chooses another method, one more suited to itself, but less glorious to God, Some good Christians have exceedingly perplexed and injLued themselves, for a considerable "ength of time, h\ 10 218 OF THE EXCISION AND CRUCIFIXION attempting to maintain the inward life on the erroneous system of special signs, tokens, and testimonies, such as an audible voice, the application of some unknown passage of Scripture, the occurrence of some remarkable temporal event, the possession of a preconceived and specified state of joyous feeling, or something of the kind, which, in their ignorance, or under the influence of remaining self-will, are earnestly sought from God, as the pledges and evidences of their acceptance. Such a system of living has scarcely any affinity, and perhaps none at all, with the true life of God in the soul. The Christian life, we repeat, is emphatically a life of faith ; but to endeavor to live in the way which has just been referred to, is evidently a deviation from the way of faith, and tends directly to strengthen the unspeakable evil of distrust in God. From every thing of this kind, therefore, we must separate ourselves without hesitation, however painful the process may be. In the spirit of self-crucifixion, we must learn the great lesson of relying by simple be- lief on the mere declaration of God ; and in doing this we need not fear. What need has the principle of in- ward faith of any sign or testimony additional to itself? Faith, whenever it is strong enough to be a true light within, will always bear its evidence in its own nature. It no more asks or requires exterior illumination, than the sun in the heavens asks for a taper to learn its own illuminated position. " He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself." (VI.) We remark, in the sixth place, that we must separate ourselves altogether from any reliance upon re- ligious feelings of any kind, considered as a ground of hope and salvation. We know well that there can be no religion without religious feelings. No man is, or can be, a Christian without them. They are indispen- sable. But what we think it necessary to object to and to condemn, is a disposition which sometimes exists to trust in our feelings, and to make a sort of idol of them, instead of trusting ij? Christ. A man, for instance, ha5 OF THE NATURAL LIFE. 219 experienced, at a particular time, great sorrow for sin, or liigh emotions of gratitude, or is sunk in depths of hu- mility. If, at some time after, his mind reverts to those feelings, and dwells much upon them, and in such a manner that he begins to place a degree of trust and confidence in them, instead of placing his trust in the Savior, it must necessarily be to his great injury. It is not our feelings, but Christ, that saves us. If we look to our feelings for salvation, instead of looking to Christ, we necessarily miss our object ; and in accordance with this view, we sometimes find persons who are contin- ually examining, and reexamining, and poring over, their past experience, but who are generally in much darkness of mind. Probably, without being fully aware of it, they are secretly looking for something in the history of their past feelings which they can place their trust in, instead of turning away from themselves, which would be much better, and looking directly upward to a sufiicient and present Redeemer. This distinction is a real one, — viz., between trusting in our feelings and trusting in the Savior, — though not very obvious at first ; and is highly important in its con- nection with the religious life. It seems to me, that religious feelings are valuable, and can be valuable, only as they tend, in their ultimate result, to unite us more and more closely to the Divine Mind. If, therefore, we are so unwise as to stop and to rest in our feelings as the ground of our hope, and especially if we take a degree of complacency in them, in themselves considered, or because they may properly be regarded as our own feehngs, we not only stop short of God, to whom they should lead us, but pervert them — valuable as they are in their proper exercise and relations — to our own ex- ceeding detriment. We come to the conclusion, therefore, and repeat again, that we should not place any reliance upon our feelings, in themselves considered, as a ground of ac- ceptance with God; and also that we should not, in an\ point of view, take any unduly interested and selfish 220 OF THE EXCISION AN! -CRUCIFIXION complacency in them. We must banish and crucify this form of idolatry also, which is none the less dangerous for being so interior and secret. If, in the exercise of naked faith, we will turn our eyes to God and to his glory rather than to ourselves, we shall soon experience a divine reaction in the soul itself, and shall find that God, who is faithful to his promise, will abundantly take care of us both without and within. We shall then have both the right degree and the right kind of feelings. We shall have no idols, but we shall have God; and we shall have no feelings that are appropriate to idols, but shall have the feelings which are appropri- ate to God. And in accordance with this view, and in point of fact, it will be found that, of two Christians, the one who is the most penitent, the most humble, the most grateful, the most devoted in his love, will think the least of those particular exercises. His mind will be, as it wore, out of himself. You will see him living religion, and not merely talking or thinking about re- ligion. Such a person will hardly be conscious of his feelings, considered as objects of distinct contemplation and thought, and will know them chiefly in the blessed result of increased oneness with his heavenly Father. He is not destitute of feeling ; but his feeling is, if we may so express it, not so much to dwell upon feeling and to trouble himself about feeling, as to lose himself in the will of God. Another mind, viz., "the mind of Christ," may be said to have taken inward possession ; and so cose is the union which has now been formed between himself and God, that he finds himself per- plexed, and at a loss, to discover the nature and opera- tions of what he was formerly wont to call his own mind. His state corresponds, in a great degree, and perhaps precisely, to what is implied in the expressions of the apostle, when he says, Gal. ii. 20, " I am cruci- fied with Christ ; nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.'' (Vn.) We observe, again, it is necessary, in order to the full attainment of what is designed for the Chris OF THE NATURAL LIFE. 2'iH tian, that, in the continuance of this process of excision and crucifixion, he should cut off and crucify the de- sire of internal consolations and comforts. We do not mean to imply, in this remark, that the advanced and fully-established Christian is in a situation which, either directly or indirectly, is inconsistent with a full share of pleasurable and happy experience. On the contrary, his consolations, especially when he has found his true cen- tre, and has fully united his once wandering heart to the heart of God, are tranquil, enduring, and substantial. But to think of such consolations much, to desire them much, and especially to aim at them as an ultimate ob- ject, is the precise way to miss them. I think it is very obvious that he who is seeking comfort, as an ultimate object, is not seeking God, but seeking himself. He is not seeking religion, in the proper sense of the term, but he is seeking just what he professes to seek, viz comfoj't. Such seeking is in vain. There is but one ultimate object at which, as those who wish to know the heights and depths of religion, we can safely aim viz., God himself; or, what may be considered as essen- tially the same thing, a sympathy of our whole being with the holy will of God. It will be understood here, that we have not refer- ence, in these remarks, to temporal or worldly consola- tions, so much as to those which are internal and spirit- ual. Nor do we mean to say, that to desire spiritual consolations and comforts is, in all cases, wrong. But what we mean to assert is, that we cannot desire them and seek them, out of the will of God, and as ultimate objects, without some degree of spiritual injury, and without falling short of the highest attainments in the divine life. To seek them in the way the^?- are com- monly sought, is evidently to nourish the natural life, or the life of self, which it is the object of true religion to destroy. The question was once put to a pious person, "whether she enjoyed herself." Her answer was to this effect — that she could not speak positively and promptly in regard to herself, because she cndeavc^sd 19* 222 OF THE EXCISION AND CHIJCIFIXION to forget self ; but she enjoyed God. The reply evi- dently involved a great principle in religion. No one can enter into the true rest of the soul, in whom the principle of self-love exists in any degree inconsistent with loving God with the whole heart. "O my God," says the pious Lady Maxwell, " hear the cries of one on whom thou hast had mercy, and prepare my heart to receive whatever Christ has purchased for me. Allow me not to rest short of it. Put a thorn in every enjoy- ment^ a worm in every gourd, that loould either prevent my being ivholly thine, or in any measure retard my progress in the divine lifey * (VIII.) Again, if we would be what the Lord would have us to be, we must be wilHng, in the spirit of in- ward crucifixion, to renounce and reject all other natu- ral desires, and all our own purposes and aims. We do not mean to imply, in this remark, that we must be so far lost to feeling and action as to be absolutely without all desires, purposes, and aims, whatever ; but that there must be a crucifixion and excision of all desires and purposes which spring from the life of nature, and not from the Spirit of God. In other words, it is our duty, as those who would glorify God in all things, to check every natural desire, and to delay every contemplated plan of action, until we can learn the will of God, and put ourselves under a divine guidance. Every desire must so far lose its natural character as to become spir- itually baptized and sanctified, before it can be accepta- ble to God ; and every plan of action, also, must, in like manner, have a divine origin. This principle in the doctrines of holy living (a prin- ciple which we had occasion to remark upon, in some of its aspects, more fully in a former chapter) goes very far, and strikes deep. The desire of knowledge, for instance, is generally considered a very innocent one. But, whenever it becomes so strong as to disquiet the inward nature, and thus to perplex our intercourse with * Life of Lady Maxwell, chap. iv. OF THE NATURAL LIFE. 223 God, it is obviously wrong. It ought always, tnerefore, to be subject to a divine teaching, and to be merged and lost, as it were, like all the other natural desires, in the supreme desire for God's glory — a desire which evidently is not the product of nature, but which can come from the inspiration of the Holy Ghost alone. It is a very proper remark to be made, also, in this connection, that our most intimate friendships, which involve more or less of desire, and generally strong de- sire, must be crucified. We are not at liberty to make an idol of our friends, however excellent their characters, or however closely united by natural ties. Such inordi- nate friendships stand between the soul and God, and hinder it from reaching its true centre ; and we do not see how they can be regarded, in the divine sight, as better than any other forms of idolatry. Even if those friends are eminent Christians, so much so as to bear the very image and likeness of the Savior himself, we can- not let our affections centre upon them, so as to make them the place of the soul's rest, without causing injury and offence to God. Without pursuing this important subject farther, — which it would be easy to do, inasmuch as self, in the natural man, diffuses itself every where, — we remark, in the last place, that, whenever we reach the highest re- sults in religion, we shall be willing, not only to suffer a separation from all present possessions and pleasures, both of body and mind, in subordination to the will of God, but, having given ourselves to God, to be his now and his forever, shall be willing to leave our eternal in- terests entirely and quietly in his hands. In other words, we shall possess a faith in the goodness and holiness of God's character so strong, so unwavering, as to overcome all selfish tendencies, and to banish all anxiety, all dis- quieting fear and trouble, in respect to such interests, as well as in respect to other interests ; fully believing not only in the promises of God, but also that whatever he does is right, and never can be otherwise than right ; accounting God's glory as infinitely more precious than 224 OF THE EXCISION AND CRUCIFIXION any thing else which can be brought into comparison with it ; and sincerely adopting, in this thing as in every thing else, the language of the Savior, '• Not as 1 will, but as thou wilt." "Thy will be done." We would add here, that, when a person has gone through the process of inward crucifixion in its entire length and breadth, the great spiritual result is the com- plete extinction of all selfishness and of all self-will — a result brought about by means of an entire and un- changeable consecration, attended by the inwardly op- erating and searching influences of the Holy Spirit ; a result which, in the end, is so minutely explorative, so thoroughly destructive of those inward influences which obstruct the presence of God in the soul, and withal so painful oftentimes, that it may well be termed the bap TisM OF FIRE. It is by means of such a process of in- ward crucifixion that the natural life dies ; and the way is thus prepared for the true resurrection and life of Christ in the soul. (1.) In connection with the subject, we would make a few remarks, which seem naturally to flow out of it. And, in the first place, some will say, perhaps, that this doctrine, if true, is discouraging ;" that they have not gone through this process of inward crucifixion, and therefore are not Christians. But we answer, such an inference would be a hasty one. But I think we may say this also : if such persons are really Christians, they are now going through this process. The little leaven is at work which will ultimately affect the whole lump. God is showing them their idols, and slaying them one after another, in order that he himself may enter and occupy their place. We must not think to go to heaven, and at the same time carry the natural life with us. It must be slain, and loholly slain, sooner or latei. (2.) We remark, again, in connection with this subject, that, in some persons, though not in many, the natural man, in the comparative sense of the terms, dies easily. These persons, these chosen ones of the liord, seem to have an intuitive appreciation of what God justly and OF THE NATURAL :.IFE. 225 necessarily requires. They see, with the clearness ol light, that it h impossible at the same time to serve God and Mammon. Accordingly, they submit themselves to the leadings and the power of God without resistance. They yield readily and -willingly, like the lamb that is led to the slaughter ; and the result is, that the inward crucifixion, though not less deep and thorough, is per- sonally less afflictive. The Holy Spirit proceeds gently but constantly in his operations, unbinding every tie of nature, cutting loose every ligament which fastens the soul to the earth, until, in its freedom from the slavery of the world, it expands and rejoices in the liberty of God. (3.) Other persons, and, we may add, the great major- ity of persons, are not brought to this state of freedom from the world, and of union with God, without passing through exceeding afflictions, both external and internal. And this happens partly through ignorance, and partly, and more generally, through self-will. They are slow to learn what is to be done, and equally reluctant to submit to its being done. God desires and intends that they shall be his ; but, the hour of their inward redemp- tion not being fully come, they still love the world. They attach their affections first to one object, and then to another. They would, perhaps, be pleased to have God for their portion ; but they must have something besides God. In other words, they vainly imagine that they would like to have God and their idols at the same lime. And there they remain for a time, fixed, obsti- nate, inflexible. But God loves them. Therefore, as they will not learn by kindness, they must learn by ter- ror. The sword of Providence and the Spirit is applied successively to every tie that binds them to the world. Their property, their health, their friends, all fall before it. The inward fabric of hopes and joys, where self- love was nourished and pride had its nest, is levelled to the dust. They are smitten within and without ; burned with fire ; overwhelmed with the waters ; peeled, and scathed, and blasted, to the very extremity of endur- 226 OF THE EXCISION AND CRUCIFIXION ance ; till they learn, in this dreadful baptism, the incon- sistency of the attempted worship and love of God and Mammon at the same time, and are led to see that God is and ought to be the true and only Sovereign. (4.) But some will say, perhaps, We are thus left alone , we are stripped of every thing which once gave us pleasure ; we are reduced to a state of mere desolation and nothingness. And we may add, if such be really the result, that nothing could be more desirable. But it is necessary to make distinctions here. We are not reduced to an absolute nothingness, — a nothingness oi existence, of identity, and of personal capability, — but to a nothingness of self, and of the corrupt life of na- ture. The natural life is taken away ; and it is true, also, that every idol is taken away to which the life of nature clung for its support. But there is this consola- tion — that whatever of true value, external to the soul itself, is taken away in accomplishing the death of na- ture, is abundantly restored again, and is deprived, too, of all hurtful power, in the subsequent experience of the reviving life of God. We find that all which is neces- sary is given back to us in the day of our inward resto- ration, and, for the most part, increased a hundred fold We now love our friends, and families, and whatever else is proper to be loved ; but we do it in a different manner. We have been taught a lesson which it is impossible to forget. We have ceased to be idolaters. We henceforth love the gifts of God, which we had laid upon the divine altar as no longer our own, in their source more than in their termination, and not so much for ourselves as for the sake of the Giver. (5.) And this brings us to our concluding remark, that from the death of nature springs a new life, altogether different from that which is crucified and dead ; a life born of the Spirit of God, and bearing the image of the Savior. Just so far, then, as the old nature has expe- rienced a crucifixion, and a new nature has taken its place, we are the subjects of a spir:[tual resurrection in Christ. We are dead, and we are alive again ; dead to OF THE NATURAL LIFE. 227 the world, and alive tc God. " If ye then be risen with Christ," says the apostle, Col. iii. 1 — 3, "seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, and not on things ok. the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." And now, in the experience of the divinely renovated life, the soul, that is the subject of it, goes forth, not with thp marks of external observation, but attended with the Holy Ghost and with power. Such a one has nothing in himself. Self is taken away. But he has all things in God. At this point commences the true apostolic life. Such a one is a true messenger, set apart to labor for God and to win souls ; not by hu- man eloquence, and not by the display of worldly pomp ; but by the simplicity of holy living, and by the word of power uttered in faith. " If tnou, O God, wilt make my spirit free, Then will that darkened soul be free indeed ; I cannot break my bonds apart from thee ; Without thy help I bow, and serve, and bleed. " Arise, O Lord, and, in thy matchless strength. Asunder rend the links my heart that bind ; And liberate, and raise, and save, at length, My long-enthralled and subjugated mind." 228 CHAPTER ELEVENTH. ON THE NECESSITY OF POSSESSING THE GIFTS AND GRACES OF GOD IN PURITY OF SPIRIT. It is difficult to express, and even to conceive of, the subtleties and insinuations of selfishness. It enters every path ; it lurks in every secret place ; and wher- ever it finds its way, it pollutes, poisons, and destroys. It sometimes attaches itself, by a process almost imper- ceptible, to God's most valuable gifts and graces ; those which are spiritual, as well as those which are natural. An individual, for instance, is possessed of great natural ability. This ability is a gift of God. But how often it is that the possessor, thinking but little of the great Author of the gift, regards it as something peculiarly his own, and, instead of seeing God in it, sees only him- self! Almost unconsciously to himself, and greatly to his spiritual injury, he is experiencing a secret elevation of spirit, and is taking a hidden complacency in an in- tellectual possession, which, when properly considered, should have increasingly detached him from self, and led him nearer to his Maker. But what is surprising, and almost inexplicable, there is danger of the same insinuating and infectious influ- ence attaching itself even to the spiritual gifts of God. It is an important fact, on whatever principles it may be explained, that the possession of holiness does not ex- clude the liability to an opposite state. Satan, when expelled from the heart, will endeavor to find the means of returning ; and nothing can prevent it but the closest and most constant circumspection, aided by the grace of God. " Watch and pray, lest ye enter nito temptation ! " A man, for instance, is endowed, through the opera- ON POSSESbING THK GIFTS OF GOD IN PURITY. 220 tioiis of the Holy Spirit, with the invahiable grace of nuMiLiiY. He ascribes nothing to himself. He takes a low place, and he feels that he ought to take a low place, before God. But, before he is aware of it, unless he is constantly on his watch, self-love is secretly wind- ing itself about this ennobling Christian affection, and endeavoring to extract some personal merit out of it. There is a secret and almost imperceptible feeling, (for in this matter Satan is careful not to show himself too prominently,) not only that his humility is some evi- dence in his favor, but that his humility itself is worth something. Again, how often it is that the man, who possesses true Christian benevolence, is assailed in the same insid- ious way ! There is no question that he is truly benevo- lent, and benevolent too on the highest Christian prin- ciples ; but after a time he begins, almost unconsciously to himself, to poison this eminent Christian grace by an infusion of self-gratulation. Even the missionary of the Cross, as he toils beneath the frozen skies of Greenland, or amid the burning sands of Africa, finds the secret but deceptive suggestion springing up, he hardly knows whence or how, that his life of toil and suf- fering has some little merit, which he can call his own. And similar results may be noticed in other cases. The soul, charmed by some soothing and insidious whis- pers, begins to lull itself to rest, and to repose upon the couch of its own virtues, its humility, its gratitude, its inviolable veracity, its benevolence, or some other moral and Christian grace, instead of resting exclusively upon the merits of Christ, and ascribing its gifts and graces to the mere mercy of God. These views will apply essen- tially, among other things, to joyous states of mind The Scriptures abundantly assure us, that there is such a state of mind as holy joy. But true joy, " the joy of the Holy Ghost," flows up and refreshes the inward heart as a pure fountain, only so long as the soul is fixed upon God, as the centre of its thought and of its undi- vided affection. As soon as we begin to think how 20 230 ON THE NECESSITY OF POSSESSING THE GIFTS happy we are, and to dwell upon and to please ourselves with the thought, the joy itself becomes an offence, and diffuses a secret but destructive influence through the inward life. To be happy in our own happiness, instead of being happy in God, is to drink from a cistern of our own construction, "a broken cistern which can hold no water," And it is in connection with such views and facts, that Fenelon has very correctly said, that '' the most eminent graces are the most deadly poisons, if we rest in them and regard them with complacency," " It is the sin," he adds, " of the fallen angels ; they only turned to themselves and regarded with complacency their state ; at that instant they fell from heaven, and became the enemies of God.^^ It is exceedingly important, therefore, that all the Christian gifts and graces should be possessed in purity of spirit, uncontaminated by any unholy mixtures of an earthly nature. The mere suggestion, that they have merit of themselves and separate from the God who gives them, if it be received with the least complacency, necessarily inflicts a deep Avound. They are accord- ingly held in purity of spirit, and with the divine ap- probation, only when their tendency is to separate the soul from every thing inward and outward, considered as objects of complacency and of spiritual rest, and to unite it more and more closely to God. In the language of the writer just now referred to, " we must sacrifice even the gifts of God ; " that is to say, we must cease to regard them and to take complacency in them, in them- selves considered, that we may have God himself. We do not find the parent, who has that degree of aftection for his child which may be called entire or perfect love, making his love a distinct object of his thoughts, and rejoicing in it as such a distinct object ; that would not be the genuine operation of perfect love. If his love is perfect, he has no time and no disposition to think of any thing but the beloved object, towards which his affec- tions are directed His love is so deep, so pure, so fixed and centred upon one point, that the sight of self, and AND GRACES OF GOD IN PURITY OF SPIRIT. 231 ot his own personal exercises, is lost. It ought to be thus in the feelings which we exercise towards God ; and undoubtedly such will be the result, when the reli- gious feeling has reached a certain degree of intensity ; that is to say, when the feeling is perfect, the mind is not occupied with the feeling itself, but with the object of the feeling. The heart, if we may so express it, seems to recede from us ; it certainly does so as an object of distinct contemplation ; and the object of its affections comes in and takes its place. O the blessed- ness of the heart, that, free from self and its secret and pernicious influences, sees nothing but God ; that recog- nizes, even in its highest gifts and graces, nothing but God ; that would rather be infinitely miserable with God, if it were possible, than infinitely happy with- out him ! In connection with these remarks, we are enabled to understand and appreciate the state of mind, which is described in some primitive writers on interior experi- ence, as a state of cessation from " reflex acts." By re- flex ACTS, as we employ the phrase here, and as it appears to be employed by the writers referred to, we mean those acts of the mind, in which the soul turns inward upon itself, and, ceasing for a time to regard the mere will of God as the only good, takes a self-conscious satisfaction in its own exercises. Such acts, when they are indulged in, stand directly in the way of the high- est results of the religious life. On the other hand, he, who has entirely ceased to put forth acts of this kind, and loves God to the entire forgetfulness of self, losing sight even of his own exercises, in consequence of being fully occupied with an infinitely higher object, has reached the broad and calm position of spiritual rest, the region of inward and abiding peace — a region where there is no noisy clamor ; no outcries and contests of the passions ; no contrivances of prejudice, interest, and ambition ; no rebellious sighing and tears of the natural spirit ; but all is hushed and lost in the one deep conviction that there is nothing good, nothing perma 232 ON POSSKSSING THfc. GIFTS OF GOD IN PURITY. nently true, nothing desirable, — no, not in heaven itself, — but pure and everlasting union with the will of God. Of such a soul it may be said eminently, that it holds the gifts of God in purity ; since it loses the distinct per- ception and knowledge of the gifts, in the consciousness of union with the Giver. '♦ Lord, thou hast won ; at length I yield My heart, by mighty grace compelled, Surrenders all to thee. Against thy terrors long I strove ; But who can stand against thy lovs'' Love conquers even me.' I 233 CHAPTER TWELFTH. REMARKS ON INTERIOR TRIALS AND DESOLA^iIONS It is perhaps a common opinion, that those who are greatly advanced in religion, and have experienced what may properly be regarded as the grace of present sanc- tification, are not very much tried and afflicted. They are supposed to possess not only an inheritance of con- stant peace, but of much joy. That a truly sanctified person is never in darkness, in one sense of the term, viz., condemnatory darkness, — in other words, that he never loses the grace of a con- fiding trust in God and of solid internal peace, which his Savior has given to him as his inheritance, — is un- doubtedly true. If there ever be an exception, — as, for instance, when the mental powers are depressed and darkened by the pressure of some physical disease, — yet such exceptions are probably few in number, are explain able on principles peculiar to themselves, and are not to be regarded as essentially affecting the general doctrine. But although those who are wholly devoted to God may be said always to have a solid and permanent peace, it is not true that they are exempt from heavy afflic- tions, both external and internal. On the contrary, there is some reason to believe, that those who love most will suffer most ; that those who are the strongest in the Lord will have the heaviest burden to bear. "In the world," says the Savior, " ye shall have tribulation." " For unto you it is given, in the behalf of Christ," says the apostle, in his Epistle to the Philippians, " not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake." It is important to understand this, to know that it is our lot 20* 234 REMARKS ON INTERIOR and our privilege to be partakers of Christ's sufferings, so that those who enter into the way of holy living — which is just what it is described to be, viz., a narrow loay — may not be discouraged and overcome in the season of heavy trial. Satan will say to them, at such times, " Where now is your God ? " And it is exceeding- ly desirable that they should know how to answer him. First. It is reasonable to suppose that a holy soul, one that has experienced the richness of sanctifying grace, will oftentimes be much afflicted in consequence of not finding in others a spirit corresponding to its own. In the present state of the world, when practical holiness is but partially understood and still less realized, such a soul, although the social principle remains strong in it, is necessarily solitary to a considerable degree. How can it enter with spirit and eagerness into worldly conversa- tion ? How can it participate, with any degree of relish, in vain, worldly amusements and pleasures ? Such souls are sometimes borne down with the desire of imparting to others the spiritual tidings which God has inwardly communicated to them. But they find few, and perhaps none, that are ready and willing to hear them. And thus they sit alone in secret places, and shed in silence the solitary tear. Second. They are afflicted in view of the condition of the church. With all disposition to be grateful for what amount of piety there is, and also to make all due allowance for the deficiencies that exist, they perceive, and cannot help perceiving, that the church is, to a con- siderable extent, in bondage. They see very distinctly that she lives far below her duties and privileges — those duties and privileges to which her God calls her. It is their sympathy with the Divine Mind, as well as their sorrow for the church, which affects them. How can they possibly be without grief, in view of the insulted honor and the disregarded beneficence of the God whom they love ? And if this were possible, — as it certainly cannot be, — how is it possible for them to refrain from weeping, when the church, for whom their blef;ding TRIALS AND DESOLATIONS. 235 Savior has purchased garments of light, voUintarily walk in sordid and defiled habiliments ? Third. They have feelings of deep compassion and sorrow for sinners, which others have not. We would not assert, that these feehngs are always stronger than those of other persons ; but they appear to be more deep- ly rooted in the mind ; more thoroughly based upon principle ; more permanent and unchangeable. In view of the situation of sinners, they may even be said to have continual heaviness ; not a heaviness which is periodi- cal ; which goes and comes with a change of circum- stances ; but is, at least in a modified sense of the term, continual. There is this peculiarity, however, that their sorrow, however deep it may be, is always calm. While they think much of sinners, they think more of God. And they know that God will be glorified, though sin- ners are destroyed. This consideration imparts a tran- quillity of mind, which may sometimes be supposed to originate in absence of feeling. This calm, deep-rooted sorrow, in view of the danger of sinners and of the dis- honor which they put upon God, .il though, in accordance with the laws of the human mind, it has its alternations with other feelings, and is subject to occasional variations, may yet be said, with a high degree of truth, to be always with them. It is in this respect peculiarly that they may be said to sympathize with the blessed Savior in bearing the burden of the cross ; since there can be no doubt that it was on account of others, far more than his own, that he was afflicted in the world, was " a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Fourth. But this is not all. God sometimes sees fit to impose upon these, his beloved children, internal as well as external crosses. There seems to be almost a necessity for this. " The life, which they now live, they live by faith on the Son of God." The Christian life is truly and emphatically a life of faith. A life of faith IS necessarily the opposite of a life of direct vision. And how can the principle of faith operate, much more how can it acquire strength, unless God shall at times with- 236 REMARKS ON INTERIOR draw himself from the direct vision, and leave the soul to iti^ own obscurity? If a man, wishing to test the spirit of obedience in his son, commands the son to fol- low him in a certain direction, does he not render his own test unavailable, by taking him by the hand and dragging him along ? And so our heavenly Father, if he wishes to test and to strengthen onr faith, must he not sometimes take us out of the region of openness and clearness of s ght, and place us in the midst of entangle- ments, uncertainties, and shadows ? What we need, what we must have, what is absolutely indispensable to our interior salvation, is faith ; faith which gives the vic- tory ; faith strong, unwavering, adamantine. It was by want of faith that we fell ; it is by want of faith that we are kept in continual bondage ; and it is only by the res- toration of faith that we can sunder the chains that shackle us, and walk forth in spiritual freedom. But faith can never arise to that degree of invigoration, which our necessities so imperiously demand, while we are permitted to Avalk continually in the field of open vision and under the sunlight of present manifestations. Hence there seems to be a necessity, that he who has made us, and who loves us with an infinity of love, should nevertheless, sometimes wrap himself in the majesty of uncreated darkness, in order that we may learn the great lesson of following God without seeing him, and of appreciating his uttered word, his simple declaration, at the same value with his manifested realities and acts. It is here, then, that we find the secret reason, that God sees fit to leave to interior desolations and sorrows those who are truly his sanctified people. Hence it is that he not only shows us the vanities of the world and the desolations of the church, the present and prospective wretchedness of impenitent sinners, — a burden, without any thing else to enhance it, which is heavy to be borne, — but he also withdraws at times the light of present manifestations ; he withholds the comfort of inward sensi- ble joys ; he leaves the understanding, and even at times the affections, in a painful state of comparative inert TRIALS AND DESOLATIONS. 237 ness and aridity; he permits Sataa, in addition to these fearful evils, to assail us with his fiery darts, injecting into the intellect a multitude of unholy thoughts, and besieging us continually with sharp and varied temp- tations. But there still remains the blessed privilege of believing. We can still say, " Our expectation is from the Lord." We still have the privilege of declaring, even in the deep dejection and brokenness of our hearts, " Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." Happy are they who endure these grievous trials without shrinking. Thrice happy, who, like soldiers in a severe contest, that have lost all but honor, can still assert, the enemy has not taken the standard with which they went into battle ; and that, in the loss of all things else, they still retain their confidence in God. Such souls are not only redeemed, but purified. They have passed the decisive test, the object of which is to ascer- tain whether they love God for himself or for his favors, and have not been found wanting. If there were dross upon them before, it has been burned off in this fiery trial. In the purification and strengthening of our faith, (that glorious principle which unites us to God, and which opens in the heart the full fountains of sub- mission, gratitude, and love,) we are recompensed, and more than recompensed, for the temporary loss of all outward goods and all interior consolations. Henceforth there is union between the soul and its Beloved. It has no more occasion to say, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? " He returns with assurances, that wipe away present tears, and give the presage of future victories. God, in his condescension, permits himself to be conquered. Infinite Love is led captive. [In connection with the remarks of this chapter, we take the liberty to introduce to the reader some stanzas of Madame Guyon, translated into English by the poet Cowper, which seem in a happy manner to express the state of a soul which is temporarily left to interior deso lations.] I 238 THE TRIAL OF CHRISTIAN FAITH. THE TRIAL OF CHRISTIAN FAITH. 'TwAS my purpose, on a day, To embark and sail away. As I climbed the vessel's side, Love was sporting in the tide. " Come," he said, "ascend; make haste; Launch into the boundless waste." Many mariners were there. Having each his separate care ; They that rowed us held their eyes Fixed upon the starry skies ; Others steered, or turned the sails To receive the shifting gales. Love, with power divine supplied, Suddenly my courage tried. In a moment it was night ; Ship and skies were out of sight. On the briny wave I lay, Floating rushes all my stay. Did I with resentment burn At this unexpected turn i Did I wish myself on shore, Never to forsake it more .' No : " My soul," — I cried, " be still , If I must be lost, I will." Next he hastened to convey Both my frail supports away ; Seized my rushes ; bade the waves Yawn into a thousand graves. Down I went, and sank as lead, Ocean closing o'er my head. Still, however, life was safe ; And I saw him turn and laugh. " Friend," cried he, " adieu ! lie low While the wintry storms shall blow ; When the spring has calmed the main. You shall rise and float again." Soon I saw him, with dismay, Spread his wings and soar away. Now I mark his rapid flight ; Now he leaves my aching sight. He is gone whom I adore ' 'Tis in vain to seek him more. THE TRIAL Or CHRISTIAN FAITH. 239 How I trembled, then, and feared, When my Love had disappeared 1 *' Wilt thou leave me thus," I cried, ' Whelmed beneath the rolling tide ? Vain attempt to reach his ear ! Love was gone, and would not hear. " Ah ! return, and love me stiii ' See rae subject to thy will. Frown with wrath, or smile with grace, Only let me see thy face. Evil I have none to fear ; All is good, if thou art near. " Yet he leaves me — cruel fate ! Leaves me in my lost estate. Have I sinned .' O, say wherein • Tell me, and forgive my sin ! King and Lord, whom I adore, Shall I see thy face no more .-* " Be not angry : I resign, Henceforth, ail my will to thine. * I consent that thou depart. Though thine absence break ray heart • Go, then, and forever too ! ' All is right that thou wilt do." This was just what Love intended ; He was now no more offended. Soon as 1 became a child. Love returned to me and smiled. Never strife shall more betide *T\rixt the Bridegroom and his bride. 240 CHAPTER THIRTEENTH. OF THE NEW LIFE IN THE IMAGE OF CHRIST ["Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Olu things are passed away : behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor. V. 17. " For even hereunto were ye called ; because Christ also sufl>red for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow h\n steps." 1 Pet. ii. 21.] The old life perishes, in order that there may be a new creation in Christ. The deformity of the ancient nature passes away, and the image of Christ in the soul takes its place. And we can try and be assured of the truth of the resurrection from the death of sin, only by its likeness to the life of the Savior. It is a matter of great gratitude, therefore, that the gospel not only delineates holiness, which is but another name for the true inward life, by means of abstract statements, but represents it visibly and sensibly in the beautiful mirror of the Savior's personal history. This is a mir- ror which it is necessary for every Christian, and es- pecially for those who are earnestly seeking the entire sanctification of the heart, to contemplate prayerfully and unceasingly. The more we study the life of Christ, if we do it with a consecrated and prayerful spirit, the more it is reasonable to suppose we shall be like him. And in proportion as we bear his likeness, will those various imperfections and inconsistencies which often mar the lives of his followers disappear. We propose, therefore, in the present chapter, to mention briefly some of the traits of character which are conspicuous in the life of our Savior, and which present themselves particularly to our notice and observation ; beginning OF THE NEW I,IFE IN THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. 241 ivith those which, in consequence of their close alliance with the constitution of human nature, seem to have a natural as well as a religious character. (I.) And accordingly we proceed to remark, in the first place, that the Savior, considered in his human nature, was a man of sympathy. And in making this remark, we mean to imply, that he was a man of°sym- pathy on natural as well as on religious principles ; sym- pathetic as a man, as well as sympathetic as a religious man. And as such, it is very obvious,, from the Scrip- tures, that he felt a deep interest in all those who are the proper objects both of natural and religious sympathy ; for the sick, for the poor, the ignorant, the tempted,' the suffering of all classes and conditions. Although he loved religious retirement, and knew, more than any one else, the inestimable privilege of being alone with God, he felt deeply the claims of a common humanity ; and in obedience to those claims came forth, and lived, and suf- fered among men ; weeping with those who wept, and rejoicing with those who rejoiced. He gave no counte- nance to an exclusively solitary religion ; a religion which, under the name of meditation and prayer, shuts itself up in barren insulation, and has no deep and oper- ative sympathy with men. Where there were v/ounds to be healed, whether mentally or bodily ; where there were tears to be dried up ; whenever and wherever he could add to the amount of human happiness, or detract from the sum of human misery, he was present. He deeply sympathized with those who are the sub- jects of religious trials and duties, especially with the beginners in the divine life, with the weak ones and lambs of his flock. Accordingly, he adapted his instruc- tions to their capacity of understanding, and also to their present degree of advancement and strength of purpose. And hence it is that, on a certain occasion, after having made some communications to his disciples, he added, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot hear them no?^." It is expressly said, in allusion to this interesting trait of his character, ".? •>i 242 OF THE NEW Lli'E bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench." It is hardly necessary to add, that those who, in ex- periencing the inward restoration, have been raised anew in the image of Christ's likeness, will exhibit this in- teresting trait in a marked degree. There can be no such thing as a truly holy heart, which is destitute of a pure and deep sympathy. (II.) We may mention, in the second place, as a trait somewhat closely allied to that which has just been specified, that the Savior was susceptible of, and that he actually formed, to some extent, personal friendships AND INTIMACIES. It would bc Unreasonable to doubt, that he had a sincere affection — analogous probably in its nature to the filial and fraternal affections in other cases — to his mother, his reputed father, and his brethren and sisters after the flesh. Certainly, we have an evidence of this declaration in part, not only in the fact of his dwelling so long with them as he did, but in the cir- cumstance that, when he was suspended in the agonies of the cross, he commended his mother to the care of the disciple John. It would hardly be consistent with the doctrine of his humanity, and would certainly be at variance with the many developments of his life as the " Son of man," to suppose that he did not form a strong personal attachment to the little company of his disci- ples. It is said expressly, in especial reference to his disciples, " having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them to the end." It is also explicitly narrated, that he loved Mary, and Martha, and Lazarus, the favored family of Bethany, whom he often visited. The disciple John, in particular, is characterized as the disciple whom Jesus loved. As he was set before us as an example, that we should follow him, this interesting trait, which resulted in the formation of friendly and affectionate intimacies, is what we should naturally expect to find in him. And furthermore, as one wbo came to suffer as well as to act, as a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," had he not some need even IN THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. 243 of human sympathy? And if this suggestion be well foLinded, where would he be disposed to look for the consolations, which even the sympathy of men is capa- ble of affording, except in the bosoms of those whom he loved peculiarly and confidentially? In connection with what has been said in relation to this interesting trait in the Savior, we may remark here, that nature teaches us (or rather the God of nature) that increased and special love, other things being equal, may properly flow in the channel of the domestic aff'ections ; and also, that it is entirely consistent with holiness — and not only consistent, but a duty — to exercise special love towards those, whether we are naturally related to them or not, with whom we are intimately connected in life, and whose characters are truly lovely. As Christians, therefore, as those who have experienced, or who aim at experiencing, the sanctifying graces of the Spirit, we may regard ourselves as permitted, both on natural principles and in imitation of the Savior, to, form such personal friendships and attachments as the provi- dence of God may favor and his holiness approve. Inti- macies and friendships, formed on purely worldly princi- ples, have no religious value, and are often positively evil. It is important, therefore, to remember, that all such friendships should be entirely subordinated, as they were in the case of the Savior, to the will of our heavenly Father. If, through the influence of the life of nature, they become inordinate, they are no better thaaany other idols. It is certain there is much in them that is amiable and pleasant, that they are authorized by the example of the Savior, and that they seem to be even necessary in our present situation ; but, like every thing else, they must receive the signature of the divine approbation, and must be sustained or abandoned at the call of reli- gious duty. (III.) A third remark is, that the Savior exhibited and valued intellectual culture. We do not perceive that he at any time showed a disposition to separate religion from rationality. Even in early youth he ex 244 OF THE NEW LIFE hibited a strong desire of knowledge. It is related of him, at the early period of twelve years of age, that he was found in the temple, sitting in the midst of the Jewish religious teachers, "both hearing them and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers." He knew very well that religion must have a basis in the perceptions ; and that its existence, without some degree of knowledge and reflection, is a natural impossibility. He knew, also, that religion cannot be spread abroad from heart to heart, so as to take root to any great extent, and become efljec- tive in those who are ignorant of it, except by means of the truth. And accordingly, he improved his early oppor- tunities of knowing ; and while he grew in stature and in favor with God and with man, it is stated also that he " grew strong in spirit," and that "he increased in wis- dom." In particular, he seems to have nourished and strengthened himself intellectually by the faithful study of the divine lessons of the Old Testament. His repeated public instructions in the synagogues are a proof of his intimate knowledge of the Scriptures. In all his per- sonal and private intercourse, also, even on occasions which were calculated to agitate and afflict him, he was calmly deliberate, reflective, and argumentative. In his interviews with his disciples, in his conversations with publicans and sinners, in his controversies with the Phar- isees and Sadducees, and on all similar occasions, it is very evident that he acted, not by passion, but by sober judgment ; not by impulses, but in a truly reflective and rational manner ; meeting argument with argument ; opposing scripture to scripture, as one who knew how to wield the " sword of the Spirit ; " and subverting sophistry with the well-considered and appropriate re- sponses of truth. It is true, that his illustrations and manner varied with the circumstances and the occasion, and that he was at certain times more animated, pointed, and severe, than at others ; but he never did or said any thing which was at variance with sound judgment. I have sometimes IN THE IMAGE CE CHRIST. 245 liiought, that persons of flighty conceptions and vigorous enthusiasm would regard the Savior, if he were now on the earth, as too cahn and gentle, as too thoughtful and .intellectual, as too free from impulsive and excited agi- tations, to be reckoned with those who are often con- sidered the most advanced in religion. He never per- formed the feat of Simeon Stylites, who, from mistaken religious motives, spent years on the top of a pillar of stone ; nor was he violently whirled round like a top, as is related of some persons who have been the subjects of religious excitement ; nor did he experience the other bodily and convulsive agitations, which in some instances have characterized the religious movements of modern times, and have sometimes been mistaken for religion itself. In violation of the proud anticipations of the Jews, , and in conformity with what might be expected from a Being endued with the highest rationality, he appeared as a plain, unobtrusive, and reflective man ; coming and acting like the "kingdom of God" itself, essentially " without obsei'vation ; " and attracting notice, so far as he did so, by pure and sober piety only, by the beauty of virtue sustained and characterized by the strength of deliberation and wisdom, and not by being the subject or the agent of eccentricities. In making these remarks, we do not mean to imply that the Savior was without feeling. His sympathy with the sick and the poor, his personal attachments, his earnest desire for the salvation of sinners, his denun- ciations of hardened transgressors, all show that he was susceptible of deep feeling. But what we mean to say is, that he did not undervalue knowledge and truth; but, on the contrary, he estimated them highly, and, under the teachings of the Holy Spirit, made them, as it were, the basis of the iitVvard life. And I think we may properly add here, as in accordance with what has been said, that no feeling, that no contrition or sorrow, and no other form of feeling whatever, does or can possess any religious value in the sight of God, except so far as it has its origin in perception and knowledge. 21* 246 OF THE NEW LIFE (IV.) Passing now from what may be deem,ed his natural to his purely religious traits, we remark, in the fourth place, that the life of the Savior was characterized by the spirit of entire consecration. The idea of con- secration seems to be much the same with that of self- renunciation ; with this difference only, that he who is the subject of consecration has not only renounced himself, but has done it in favor of some other object, or some other being. Accordingly, he who, in renouncing himself, has renounced all his own private desires, pur- poses, and aims, and has surrendered his will, which, in some sense, constitutes himself, into the keeping of the divine will, is emphatically a person consecrated to the divine will ; or, what is the same thing, he is a person consecrated to God. Now, it is very evident that the Savior, considered in his humanity, and as a messenger of God here in the world, had no will of his own. If he cannot be said, properly speaking, to have renounced his will, it is because he never possessed a will which operated at variance with the infinite and divine vvill. It was not on his own account that he came into the world. " Wist ye not," he says on a certain occasion, ''that I mwst be about my Father'' s business?" "I came down from heaven," he says in another place, "not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." John vi. 38. And again he says, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." John iv. 34. There are many other passages of a sim- ilar import. And the whole history of his life, which is unstained by any selfish and personal purpose, consti- tutes a co;ifirmation of them. He could say, " I and my Father are one," because his whole soul lay, as it were, upon the divine altar ; set apart both to do and to suffer his Father's will ; " brought as a -lamb to the slaughter ; " " slain from the foundation of the world ; " " offered up to bear the sins of many."' It is the same spirit of devout and entire consecration which is the abiding, and, in its results, the victorious element of the religious life in all his followers. And IN THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. ' - 247 it IS so, because, by the alienation of self, it puts them in a situation where they can take hold of the divine power by faith. Those who have made such consecra- tion feel that they have no longer any thing whicli they can call their own. In every thing which concerns their personal desires and interests, in every thing which is at variance wi.th the divine purposes, they are nailed to the cross. And hence, in the want of all things in themselves, they have the possession of all things in God. (V.) Again, the Savior, considered as a man, lived by SIMPLE FAITH. A life of faith is almost necessarily implied in a state of entire self-rcLiunciation. It does not easily appear how a person wiio, in the spirit of self-renunciation, has placed himself in the hands and under the direction of another, can live spiritually in any other way than by means of faith. There is noth- ing left him but simple trust. To renounce ourselves entirely, and not to repose trust in another, would soon be followed by a state of despair. So that we may re- gard it as the natural order of religious sequence, that the principle of faith, which is life in another, should take the place of the extinct principle of life in our- selves. The memorable statement, therefore, that "the just shall live by faith," was as applicable to the Savior as to any other holy being. The whole history of the intercourse which took place, in his state of humiliation, between him and his Father, is a confirmation of this position, and declares emphatically that he never DOUBTED. " Man shall not live by bread alone," he said to the tempter, " hut by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" He said to the Jews, on a cer- tain occasion, "I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true." This single expression carries with it important meaning. It was the truth of God, his firm and unchanging faithfulness, upon which his soul rested, as upon an everlasting rock. He assures us, that " with- out his Father he could do nothing " — a declaration which seems necessarily to imply the existence of unwa- 248 OF THE NEW LIFE vering confidence in the Being who was the present and the only source of his power. There can be no doubt, therefore, that the direction which he gave to his disci- ples he was willing to apply, in its full import, to himself: " Have faith in God." In his prayer at the grave of Lazarus, he said, " Father, 1 thank thee, that thou hast heard me. And I knew, [that is to say, had entire con- fidence, unwavering faith,] that thou hearestme always." Faith sustained him in trial as well as in duty ; in the depths of affliction as well as in the active labors of his ministry. Even in the agonies of the cross, when every possible sorrow was inflicted, and every other consolation was taken away, he was supported by its mighty power alone. And in connection with this view, we are not to be surprised that we find the Savior so often and so earn- estly urging upon his followers the necessity of living in the same manner. He taught them, in various ways and at various times, that faith was the source of their inward life and power, and that by it they could over- come all difficulties, " removing even mountains." Dis- countenancing every other mode of living, he decidedly rebuked the disposition, originating in unbelief, to seek a sign, (that is to say, a striking and confirmatory man- ifestation of some kind,) in addition to and in support of the simple declaration of God. " An evil and adul- terous generation," he says, " seeketh after a sign." (VI.) We proceed to observe, in the sixth place, that the Savior was a man of prayer. We have already had occasion to notice his declaration, that " without his Father he could do nothing." And as if in practi- cal recognition and manifestation of his entire personal dependence, we find him often kneeling in supplication, and drawing divine strength from the Everlasting Foun- tain. As God, he had all power. As man, (the aspect in which we are now contemplating him,) he had no power which he did not receive from his heavenly Father ; and if there was ever any instance of " living by the moment," (which seems to us the true way of IN THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. 249 Christian living, and which obviously implies prayiyig by the moment,) we find it undoubtedly in the life of Jesus Christ. He may be said, therefore, with a great deal of truth, to have been praying all the time. Certainly, he was always m the spirit of prayer; but, besides this spirit of continual intercourse with God, which was as ^natural to him as the breath which he breathed, he had especial seasons of supplication, when he went apart from men, and poured forth his soul in private. " Cold mountains, and the midnight air, Witnessed the fervor of his prayer." If even the Savior could do nothing without his Father, — if prayer was as necessary to his spiritual sup- port as the very air he breathed was to the support of his body, — let no one suppose that he can sustain the grace of a truly regenerated and sanctified heart, with- out possessing a like prayerful spirit, (VII.) Our next remark is this: The Savior was conscientious and strictly faithful in whatever his Father committed into his hands to do. He lived for others ; and in living for others, he made no secret reservation that he would in some things consult his own interest. In the language of Scripture, "He pleased not him- self." In the various companies in which he rningled, he never forgot the great mission on which he came. He was a man of labor as well as of faith ; and showed, in his whole life, that action is the result of believing. It has been remarked of him, that if he had not had something to say to Simon, he probably would not have been found seated at Simon's table; and that "there is not an instance of his having sat at meat with sinners, without reproving their iniquities ; or sharing the hospi- tality of unbelievers, without forcing them to listen to his words." He felt it his duty to leave nothing undone which ought to be done. And he did it delib- erately, thoroughly, unremittingly. His whole being, in all its innate power and all its outward efforts, was devoted to the one great work of doing his Father's will 250 OF THE NEW LIFE No personal inconvenience, no opposition and threats ol men, no pressure of personal and temporary interest, nor any other obstacles, of whatever nature, had the effect to deter him from doing his duty, and his whole duty, to God and to men. " I find it impossible," says David Brainerd, " to enjoy peace and tranquillity of mind, without a careful improvement of time. This is really an imitation of God and Christ Jesus. ' My Father worketh hitherto, and I work,' says our Lord. If we would be like God, we must see that we fill up our time for him." (VIII.) We observe, in the eighth place, although the Savior was faithful and diligent in the work committed to his hands, he was not prematurely zealous and obtru- sive. He realized that every thing, when done in ac- cordance with the will of his heavenly Father, (a will which can never be at variance with the highest ration- ality,) must necessarily have its right time and place. In repeated instances, when something was proposed to him to be done, he declined acting in the case, on the ground that the proper occasion of action had not yet arrived. "His hour had not yet come." He felt that he must act in accordance with the will of his heavenly Father, not only in the thing to be done, but also in the TIME and manner of doing it. Although, considered as a mere man, he possessed powers of judgment vastly greater than fall to the lot of ordinary men, and enjoyed also the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit " with- out measure," he nevertheless felt it to be consistent with the highest duty to nourish his powers and virtues in retirement, and not to bear his message, important and urgent as it was, prematurely to the world. " Of the three-and-thirty years," says a certain writer, " which oui- blessed Redeemer spent on earth, thirty were spent in the obscufity and abjection of a private and humble condition. Notwithstanding the zeal for the glory of his Father, and the salvation of men, which consumed his soul ; notwithstanding the tide of disor- der which overran the world, ani the abomination of sin IN THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. 251 and scandal which pierced his heart, the eternal nicar- nate Wisdom was silent, was hidden, and so remained until the hour appointed by his Father had come ; re- pulsing, even with apparent severity, the prayer of his mother according to the flesh, because it seemed to urge his anticipating that hour." * This trait in the Savior's character is, in a practical view, very important. It is probably through a disre- gard, in part at least, ot' the course taken by the Sa- vior, which has now been mentioned, that we find, in all denominations of Christians, melancholy instances of persons, who are young in the Christian life, or who are prompted by an undue confidence, exhibiting a dis- position to enter prematurely, and sometimes violently, upon measures which are at variance with the results of former experience, and with the admonitions of an- cient piety. All mistakes and erroneous proceedings of this kind are discountenanced by the example of our Savior, who quietly remained in solitude and silence, and was refreshed and strengthened with the interior dews of heavenly knowledge, till the great hour ar- rived, appointed in the wisdom of his heavenly Father, which called him forth to the ministry and the cross. (IX.) In another particular, also, is the Savior's char- acter deserving of our notice. He exhibited, in his daily deportment, a very meek, humble, and quiet dis- position of mind. Every attentive reader of the Gos- pels will recollect that this interesting and beautiful trait shows itself, in his personal history, in a very re- markable manner. He said of himself, " I am meek and lowly of heart." In the language of the apostle Peter, "When he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not ; but committed himself to him who judgeth righteously." It was said of him prophetically, and before his advent into the world, " He was oppressed and afflicted ; yet he opened i}ot his mouth." Isa. liii. 7. And again, in the same prophet, " He shall not cry, nor lift up. nor cause his * [nlerior Peace of Pere I^ombez, p 120. ^ 252 OF THE NEW LIFE voice to be heard in the streets." Isa. xhi. 3. At a cer- tain time, when there was a disposition among some of his disciples to put fortii personal pretensions, and to claim the preeminence over others, he remarked to them, " Whosoever will be great among you, let him be youi servant ; even as the Son of man came, not to be min- istered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ran- som for many." Matt. xx. 28. But it is hardly neces- sary to make particular references, when his whole life, in all the varieties of its situation, was a beautiful illus- tration of this divine trait. He had compassion upon the ignorant ; he made his dwelling with the poor ; he travelled on foot from place to place in weariness and sorrow ; he sat at meat with publicans and sinners ; he washed the feet of his disciples. In the possession of the inestimable trait of meekness and quietness of spirit, let all, who seek the highest degree of purification and sanctification of heart, be imitators of the example of Jesus Christ ; who, in the language of the apostle Paul, " made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant." Philip, ii. 7. Whatever pretensions any of us might justly put forth as natural men or as men of the world, or, in other words, whatever we might justly claim from the world on the world's prin- ciples, we should, nevertheless, be willing, in imitation of the blessed Savior's example, to be made of no rep- utation, and to become the servants of our brethren. (X.) Another interesting trait in the history and char- acter of the Savior is, that his inward life was constant- ly inspired and directed by the presence and operations of the Holy Ghost. From the iDeginning to the end of his earthly course, in all the various circumstances in which he was placed, he was the subject of the special influences of divine grace. With a consciousness that all things were in his power, and with a prompt and consecrated readiness to act and to suffer continually, he felt, at the same time, entirely dependent ; and it never occurred to him that he had any thing, or that he could do any thing, out of God. From God, operating by his IN THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. 253 Holy Spirit in his heart, he received ali wisdom, all strength. " Behold my servant, whom I uphold ; mine elect, in whom my sonl delighteth. / have put my Spirit upon him.^^ Isa. xlii. 1. In accordance with this prophetic annunciation, John the Baptist is said to have seen the " Spirit of God descending ^^ke a dove, and lighting upon him." In the interesting events which occurred immediately after his baptism, it is not said of him, that he went up into the wilderness of his own accord and of his own will, but that he was " full of the Holy Ghost, and was led by the Spirit." On one occasion, when he went into the synagogue of Nazareth on the Sabbath day, he opened the Scriptures, and read where it is written, " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me^ because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor." "He whom God hath sent," says the Savior, referring to himself, " speaketh the words of God ; for God giveth not the Spirit hy measure unto Jiim." We need not multiply testimonies to this effect. We every where find evidence that the life of the Savior, in the spiritual sense of the terms, was derived from the life of God. The branch does not more surely derive its existence and support from the vine, than the Savior derived his inward existence from God. Nor is the branch more closely united to the vine, than he was united to his heavenly Father. "I and ray Father," he says, "are one." It will be noticed that, in designating some of the traits of the Savior's character, we have not paid much attention to order of arrangement. Perhaps it was not necessary that we should. Nor do we profess to have, exhausted the subject, and to have mentioned every possible trait of excellency which his character presents. Hoping, however, that enough has been said to secure the favorable and prayerful interest of the reader, we leave it, important and attractive as it is, with a single remark further, viz., that the life of the Sa\!ior, wheth- er considered inwardly or outwardly, was characterized 22 254 OF THE NEW LIFE by a proportj^nate fitness or symmetry in all its parts. It cannot be said of the Savior, as he existed in his humanity, that he was a mere combination of peculiari- ties ; a man wonderful, not by the excellences, but by the eccentricities, of his nature : exciting attention merely by his stj;ange unlikeness to every thing which could properly be expected in a man. On the contrary, every thing was perfect and appropriate in its position, as well as perfect in its own nature. All the remarka- ble qualities which, as separate elements, contributed to the constitution of his perfect character, were blended together in beautiful harmony. He stands before us complete in the adaptation of the parts of his character, as well as complete in the parts themselves ; complete, therefore, as a whole and generically, as well as com- plete separately and specifically. As nothing can be added to the amount of his excellences, so it does not appear that any thing can be improved in their relative adjustment, in their beautiful and perfect proportion. This is the man Christ Jesus, who is set before us as an example ; who " was tempted in all points as we are, and yet without sin." (1.) In view of what has been said, a few remarks may properly be made. And the first is, that the life of Christ, or rather the religious life as manifested in Christ, is entirely different in its character from the life of nature. In the life of nature, which is unprotected and unrestrained by the conservative principle of supreme love to God, every thing runs to excess. That which is good in itself becomes vitiated in its inordinate ac- tion. Sympathy assumes the shape of querulous weak- ness. Friendships are stimulated by a secret selfish influence, till they become idolatry. The love of knowl- edge distorts itself into obstinacy of opinion and pride of intellect. An allowable and holy displeasure degeU' erates into the violence of natural anger and revenge Even a desire to do good is often perverted, through a selfish impetuosity, by an injurious and fatal disregard to the proprieties of time, person, and place. IN THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. In thoso who are but partially sanctified, as well as in hose who are wholly dead in their sins, the natural life, n itself considered, and just so far as it has an existence at all, is always weak, selfish, inconsistent, passionate changeable. The life of Christ in the soul, or, what is the same thing, the-life of the soul modelled after the image of Christ, is entirely different. Its sympathy is restrained and regulated by the suggestions of reason. Its per- onal friendships are rendered pure by the exclusion ot nil idolatrous regard. Its love is unstained by selfish- ness, and its indiguation is hallowed by love. In the natural life, every thing is vitiated either by excess or defect. In the life of Christ, every thing is correspond- ent to the truth of reason and the commandment of God. (2.) In particular, the life of Christ in the soul is dis- tmguished from the natural life, in being characterized by great siMPHciTy. It is a common idea, that those who have been the subjects of the interior transforma- ion have experienced something which is very remark- able. And undoubtedly it is so. There is truth in the dea, but probably not in the sense in which the world mderstand the term. The coming of Christ in the soul remarkable, in the same sense in which the manner if Christ's entrance into the world was remarkable. It vas certainly remarkable that the Son of God, the "ex- tress image of the Father," should become the " bal)e )f Bethlehem," the child of the humble Mary. And hus th(5 new spiritual life, when it exists in truth, is not he offspring of earthly royalty, that is heralded by the nuzzas of the multitude, but rather the " infant in the manger," that is born in obscurity, and is known and honored only by the lowly in heart. It is a life so far from any thing that is calculated to attract attention in the worldly sense, that it is known and characterized in no one particular more than by what we have denomi- nated its simplicity; by its being, in the language of the 256 OF THE NEW LIFE > Savior, like a " little child ; " by its freedom from osten- tation and noisy pretension ; by its inward nothingness. (3.) Another and the only remaining remark is this: It is evident that the life of Christ, when examined in its elements, was sustained on the two great principles which have been so often mentioned, viz., of entire con- secration and of perfect faith. It is very true, that these two principles, as we have already seen, did not consti- tute the whole of his inward life ; but it cannot be doubted that they formed the essential basis of it. They were its fundamental elements — the strong pil- lars on which it rested. In other words, the Savior, in the true spirit of consecration, appeared in the world, not for himself and his own pleasure, but for the sim- ple purpose of doing and suffering the will of his heav- enly Father. And, in the fulfilment of this object, he lived, as all his followers ought to live, by the sublime principle of faith, and not by the inferior guidance of open vision ; so that his life, to express its great outlines in a single word, was a life united to God by its disrup- tion from every thing else ; or, in still other expressions, it was a life so united to God, that it saw, knew, and loved, every thing else, including himself, in its relation to the Divhie Mind — in and for God, and God alone. Happy are they, the features of whose inward existence are framed and fashioned upon this divine model ! We do not doubt that the inward religious experience, in different individuals, may receive some modification, more or less, from the natural character. It will appear differently in John the Baptist and John the Disciple; it will appear differently in Stephen, in Peter, in Paul. But the difference will exist in the modifications, and not in the essence, of the thing ; in that which is out- ward and incidental, rather than in that which is inter- nal and substantial. But, in all cases of true holiness, without exception, there must be, and there is, the im- age of Christ at the bottom. In all cases in which the work of God is larried to its completion, the soul has % IN THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. 257 become an " infant Jesus ; '' and, like its protot^^pe, the Jesus of Nazareth and the cross, it will grow in " wis- dom, and in stature, and in favor with God and with man." Such Christians and such Christianity will have an eiTect upon the world. Those who are formed upon this divine model not only have a noble lineage, but they bear in themselves the impress and the inscription of a true nobility. They are the tree, mentioned by the Psalmist, which is ''planted by the rivers of water; " not stinted and dwarfish, as too many are who bear the name of Christ ; not smitten with rust and eaten with the worm, — but sound alike in the body, the bloss6m, and the fruit ; not crooked, knotted, and unsymmetrical, but free, expansive, and proportional. Wherever they go, the world recognizes their character without the requisite of a formal proclamation. The image of Jesus, the divinity of the heart, is so written upon the whole outward life, that they are an "epistle, known and read of all men." 22* 258 CHAPTER FOURTEENTH. ON THE TRUE IDEA OF SPIRITUAL LIBERTY. It has probably come within the observation of many persons, that there is a form or modification of religious experience, which is denominated "Liberty." Hence, in common reb'gious parlance, it is not unfrequently the case that we hear of persons being " in the liberty," or in the " true liberty." These expressions undoul3tedly indicate an important religious truth, which has not al- together escaped the notice of writers on the religious life. The account which is given by Francis de Sales of " liberty of spirit " is, that " it consists in keeping the heart totally disengaged from every created thing, in order that it may follow the known will of God^ To this statement of De Sales, considered as a gen- eral and somewhat indefinite statement, we do not find it necessary to object. Certain it is, that he who is in the "true liberty" is "disengaged," and has escaped, from the enslaving influence of the world. God has become to him an inward, operative principle, without whom he feels he can do nothing, and in connection with whose blessed assistance he has an inward con- 'Xiousness that the world and its lusts have lost their inthralling power. Liberty — considered in this gen- eral sense of the term — is to be regarded as expressive of one of the highest and most excellent forms of Christian experience. And we may add, further, that none truly enjoy it in this high sense but those who are in a state of mind, which may with propriety be denominated a holy or sanctified state ; none but those •vhom G.od has made "free indeed." We proceed now TRUE IDEA OF SPIRITUAL LIBERTY. 259 to mention some of the marks by which the condition or state of true spiritual liberty is characterized. Nor does there seem to be much difficulty in doing this, because liberty is the opposite of inthralment ; and be- cause it is easy, as a general thing, to understand and to specify the things by which we are most apt to be inthralled. (1.) The person who is in the enjoyment of true spu'itual liberty 'is no longer inthralled to the lower or appetitive part of his nature. Whether he eats or drinks, or whatever other appetite may claim its appro- priate exercise, he can say in truth that he does all to the glory of God. It is to be lamented — but is, nev- ertheless, true — that there are many persons, of a reputable Christian standing, who are subject, in a greater or less degree, to a very injurious tyranny from this source. But this is not the case with those who are in the possession of inward liberty. Their souls have entered into the pleasures of divine rest ; and they can truly say they are dead to all appetites, except so far as they operate to fulfil the original and wise intentions of the Being who iin,jkinied them. (2.) The person who is in the enjoyment of true spiritual liberty is no longer inthralled by certain de- sires of a higher character than the appetites — such as the desire of society, the desire of knowledge, the desire of the world's esteem, and the like. These principles, which, in order to distinguish them from the appetites, may conveniently be designated as the pro- pensities, or propensive principles, operate in the man of true inward liberty as they were designed to operate, but never with the power to enslave. He desires, for instance, to go into society, and, in compliance with the suggestions of the social principle, to spend a por- tion of time in social intercourse ; but he finds it en- tirely easy, although the desire, in itself considered, may be somewhat marked and strong, to keep it in strict subordination to his great purpose of doing every thing for the glory of God. Or, perhaps, under thf* 260 ON THE TRUE IDEA influence of another propensive tendency, — tliat ot the principle of curiosity, — he desires to read a book of much interest, which some individual has placed before him ; but he J&nds it entirely within his power, as in the other case, to check his desire, and to keep it in its proper place. In neither of these instances, nor in others like them, is he borne down, as we often per- ceive to be the case, by an almost uncontrollable tend- ency of mind. The desire, as soon as it begins to exist, is at once brought to the true test. The ques- tion at once arises. Is the desire of spending my time in this way conformable to the will of God ? And if it is found, or suspected, to be at variance with the divine will, it is dismissed at once. The mind is conscious of an inward strength, which enables it to set at defiance all enslaving tendencies of this nature. (3.) A man who is in the enjoyment of true religious liberty will not be inthralled by inordinate domestic oi patriotic affections, however ennobling they may be thought to be — such as the love of parents and children, the love of friends and country. It is true that spiritual liberty does not exclude the exercise of these affections — which are, in many respects, generous and elevated — any more than it condemns and excludes the exist- ence and exercise of the lower appetites and propensi- ties. It pronounces its condemnation and exclusion upon a certain degree of them, or a certain intensity of power. When they are so strong as to become perplex- ities and entanglements in the path of duty, then they are evidently inconsistent with the existence of true spiritual freedom, and in that shape, and in that degree, necessarily come undej; condemnation. I have, for in- stance, a very near and dear friend, who is exceedingly worthy of my affections ; but if my love to him leads me — perhaps almost involuntarily — to seek his com- pany when my duty to my God and my fellow-men calls me in another direction, and if I find it diffi- cult to subdue and regulate this disposition of mind, it is evident that I am not in the purest and highest state OF SPIRITUAL LIBERTY. 261 of internal liberty, I have wrongly given to a creature something which belongs to God alone. (4.) When we are wrongly under the influence of disinclinations and aversions, we cannot be said to be in internal liberty. Sometimes, when God very obvi- ously calls us to the discharge of duty, we are inter- nally conscious of a great degree of backwardness. We do it, it is true ; but we feel that we do not like to do it. There are certain duties which we owe to the poor and degraded, to the openly profane and impure, which are oftentimes repugnant to persons of certain refined mental habits ; but if we find that these refined repugnances, which come in the way of duty, have great power over us, we are not in the true liberty. We have not that strength in God, which enables us to act vigorously and freely. Sometimes we have an aversion to an individual, the origin of which we can- not easily account for ; there is something unpleasant to us, and perhaps unreasonably so, in his countenance, his manners, or his person. If this aversion interferes with, and prevents, the prompt and full discharge of the duty which, as a friend and a Christian, we owe to him, then we have reason to think that we have not reached that state of holy and unrestrained flexibility of mind which the true idea of spiritual liberty implies. (5.) The person is not in the enjoyment of true liberty of spirit, who is wanting in the disposition of accommodation to others in things which are not of especial importance. And this is the case when we needlessly insist upon having every thing done in our own time and manner ; when we are troubled about little things, which are in themselves indifferent, and think, perhaps, more of the position of a chair than of the salvation of a soul ; when we find a diflicalty in making allowance for the constitutional differences, in others, which it may not be either easy or important for them 10 correct ; when we fird ourselves disgusted be- cause another does not express himself in entire accord- ance with our princTies of taste; or when we are 262 ON THE TRUE IDEA displeased and dissatisfied with his reh'gious, or other performances, although we know he does the best he can. All these things, and many others like them, give evidence of a mind that has not entered into the broad and untrammelled domain of spiritual freedom. We may properly add here, that the fault-finder — especially one who is in the confirmed habit of fault- finding — is not a man of a free spirit. Accordingly, those who are often complaining of their minister, of the brethren of the church, of the time and manner of the ordinances, and of many other persons and things, will find, on a careful examination, that they are too full of self, too strongly moved by their personal views and interests, to know the true and full import of that ennobling liberty which the Savior gives to his truly sanctified ones. (6.) The person who is disturbed and impatient v/hen events fall out differently from what he expected and anticipated is not in the enjoyment of true spiritual freedom. In accordance with the great idea of God's perfect sovereignty, the man of a religiously free spirit regards all events which take place — sin only except- ed — as an expression, under the existing circum- stances, of the will of God. And such is his unity with the divine will, that there is an immediate acqui- escence in the event, whatever may be its nature, and however afflicting in its personal bearings. His mind has acquired, as it were, a divine flexibility, in virtue of which it accommodates itself, with surprising ease and readiness, to all the developments of Providence, whether prosperous or adverse. (7.) Those who are in the enjoyment of true liberty are patient under interior temptations, and all inward trials of mind. They can bless the hand that smites them internally as well as externally. Knowing that all good exercises are from the Holy Spirit, they have no disposition to prescribe to God what the particular nature of those exercises shall be. If God sees fit to try, and to strengthen, their 5 it of submission and OF SPIRITUAL LIBERTY. 263 patience by bringing them into a state of great heavi ness and sorrow, either by subjecting them to severe temptations from the adversary of souls, or by laying upon tliem the burden of deep grief for an impenitent world, or in any other way, they feel it to be all right and well. They ask for their daily bread spiritually, as well as temporally ; and they cheerfully receive what God sees fit to send them. (8.) The person who enjoys true liberty of spirit is the most deliberate and cautious in doing what he is most desirous to do. This arises from the fact that he is very much afraid of being out of the line of God's will and order. He distrusts, and examines closely, all strong desires and strong feelings generally, especially if they agitate his mind and render it somewhat uncontrol- lable ; — not merely or chiefly because the feelings arc strong ; that is not the reason ; but because there is rea- son to fear, from the very fact of their strength and agitating tendency, that some of nature's fire, which true sanctification quenches and destroys, has mingled in with the holy and peaceable flame of divine love. John the Baptist, no doubt, had a strong natural desire to be near Jesus Christ while he was here on earth, to hear his divine words, to enjoy personally his company ; but in the ennobling liberty of spirit which the Holy Ghost gave him, he was enabled to overrule and suppress this desire, and to remain alone in the solitary places of the wilderness. (9.) He who is in true liberty of spirit is not easily excited by opposition. The power of grace gives him aiward strength ; and it is the nature of true strength to be deliberate. Accordingly, when his views are contro- verted, he is not hasty to reply. He is not indifferent ; but he replies calmly and thoughtfully. He has confi- dence in the truth, because he has confidence in God. " God is true ; " and being what he is, God can have no fellowship with that which is the opposite of truth. He knows that, if his own sentiments are not correct, they will pass away in due time; because every thing which 264 ON THE TRUE IDEA is false necessarily carries in itself the element of its own destruction. He knows tx)o that, if the sentiments of )iis adversaries are false, they bear no stamp of durability. God is arrayed against them ; and they must sooner or later fall. Hence it is, that his strong faith in God, and in the truth of which God is the protector, kills the ea- gerness of nature. He is calm amid opposition ; patient under rebuke. (10.) The person of a truly liberated spirit, although he is ever ready to do his duty, waits piatiently till the proper time of action. He has no choice of time but that which is indicated by the providence of God. The Savior himself could not act until his " hour was come." When he was young, he was subject to his parents ; when he was older, he taught in the synagogues. In his journeyings, in his miracles, in his instructions, in his sufferings, he always had an acquiescent and approv- ms reference to that providential order of events which his heavenly Father had established. On the contrary, an inthralled mind, although it is religiously disposed in part, will frequently adopt a precipitate and undelib- erate course of action, which is inconsistent with a humble love of the divine order. Such a person thinks that freedom consists in having things in his own way, whereas true freedom consists in having things in the right way ; and the right way is God's way. And in this remark we include not only the thing to be done, and the manner of doing it, but also the time of doing it. (11.) The possessor of true religious liberty, when he has submissively and conscientiously done his duty, is not troubled by any undue anxiety in relation to the result. It may be laid down as a maxim, that he who asserts that he has left all things in the hands of God, dnd at the same time exhibits trouble and agitation of spirit in relation to the results of those very things, (with the exception of those agitated movements or dis- quietudes which are purely instinctive, j giVes abundant evidence, in the fact of this agitation of spirit, that he has not really made the entire surrender which he pro- OF SPIRITUAL LIBERTY. 265 fesses to have made. The alleged facts are contradic- tory of each other, and both cannot exist at the same time Finally. In view of what has been said, and as a sort of summary of the whole, we may remark that true liberty of spirit is found in those, and in those only, who, in the language of De Sales, " keep the heart to- tally disengaged from every created thing, in order that they may follow the known will of God." In other words, it is found with those who can say, with the apostle Paul, that they are " dead, and their life is hid with Christ in God." The ruling motive in the breast of the man of a religiously free spirit is, that he may, in all cases and on all occasions, do the will of God. In that will his " life is hid." The supremacy of the di- vine will — in other words, the reign of God in the heart — necessarily has a direct and powerful operation upon the appetites, propensities, and affections ; keeping them, each and all, in their proper place. As God rules in the heart, every thing else is necessarily subordinate. It is said of the Savior himself, that " he pleased not him- self," bui that he came ''to do his Father's will." Another thing, which can be said affirmatively and positively, is, that those who are spiritually free are led by the Spirit of God. A man who is really guided by his appetites, his propensities, or even by his affections, his love of country, or any thing else other than the Spirit of God, cannot be said to be led by that divine Spirit. The Spirit of God, ruling in the heart, will not bear the presence of any rival, any competitor. In the heart of true liberty the Spirit of God rules, and rules alone ; so that he who is in the possession of this lib- erty does nothing of his own pleasure or his own choice. That is to say, in all cases of voluntary action, he does nothing under the impulse and guidance of natural pleas- ure or natural choice alone. His liberty consists m being free from self; in being liberated from the domin- ion of the world ; in lying quietly and submissively in the hands of God ; in leaving himself, like clay in the hands of the potter, to be moulded and fashioned by the 23 266 ON THE TRUE IDEA OF SPIRITUAL LIBERTY. divme will. Natural liberty may be said to consist in following the natural sentiments ; in doing our own d?- sires and purposes, which naturally throng in upon the soul and take possession. It is like a strong man, that is under the complete control of his irregular passions. Spiritual liberty consists in passively, yet intelligently and approvingly, following the leadings of the Holy Ghost. It is like a little child, that reposes, in simplicity and in perfect confidence, on the bosom of its beloved mother. Natural liberty combines, with the appearance of liberty, the reality of subjection. He who has but natural liberty is a slave to himself. In spiritual lib- erty, it is just the opposite. He who is spiritually free has entire dominion over himself. Spiritual liberty im- plies, with the fact of entire submission to God, the great and precious reality of interior emancipation. He who is spiritually free is free in God. And he may, per- haps, be said to be free in the same sense in which God is, who is free to do every thing right, and nothing wrong. This is freedom indeed. This is the liberty with which Christ makes free. This is emancipation which inspires the songs of angels — a freedom which earth cannot purchase^ and which hell cannot shackle. 267 CHAPTER FIFTEENTH. ON GROWTH IN HOLINESS. If a person is holy, how can he be more holy ? 1/ he is perfectly holy, how can he increase in holiness .' These are questions which are frequently asked, and which it is desirable satisfactorily to answer. That a thing may be perfect in its nature, and yet be susceptible of growth or advancement in degree, is, I sup- pose, a matter of common observation. An oak, when it first rises above the surface of the ground, is so small and weak, that it may be easily trodden under foot ; and yet it is as really and truly an oak as when it sub- sequently stands forth in the strength and stature of a hundred years, A human being is in his nature as much a human being in the period of infancy as in the sub- sequent expansion and growth of manhood. And so, consider a man m relation to any intellectual power ot the mind, or in relation to any appetite or affection of the mind, and the same view may very properly be taken. A person is a reasoner, for instance ; he under- stands perfectly the principles and process of reasoning, and he may be able to apply the principles and process perfectly in a given case ; and yet, under the favorable influence of the law of habit, he may much increase the promptness and facility, and consequent perfection, in the operations of this mental faculty. Again, an intemperate man may become perfectly temperate ; and yet we all know the general fact, that one who is thus entirely reformed from intemperance, is more likely to be overcome by temptation in the earlier periods of his 268 ON GROWTH IN HOLINESS. reformation, than when subsequently the temi'erate prin- ciple has acqinred growth and strength. And we may not only say, in general terms, that there may be a growth in perfection, but may assert further, that the thing which is most perfect, if it be susceptible of growth at all, will have the most sure and rapid growth. Which grows most and in the best manner — the flower which is whole and perfect in its incipient state, or that which has a canker in it, or is otherwise injured and defective in some of its parts? Which will grow the most rapidly and symmetrically — the child which is perfect in its infancy, or one which is afflicted with some malformation ? Illustrations and facts of this kind seem to make it clear that the spiritually ren- ovated state of mind, which is variously called holiness, assurance of faith, perfect love, and sanctif cation, may be susceptible of growth or increase. It is not only evi- dent that there is no natural or physical impossibility in it, but, as has been intimated, we may go farther, and lay it down as a general truth, that perfection in the nature of a thing is requisite to perfection in degree. And accordingly, although it is possible for a person who is partially holy to grow in holiness, a person who is entirely holy, although he may be assailed by unfavora- ble influences outwardly, will grow much more. The obstacles to growth in holiness will not only be much less in the latter case than in the former, but that inward vitality, which is necessary to the greatest expansion and progress, will possess a positive and eflTective power, unknown under other circumstances. (II.) These views not only commend themselves to common observation and the lights of human reason, but we remark, in the second place, that they are also fully in accordance with what we are taught in the Scriptures. We learn, in relation to John the Baptist, that he was filled with the Holy Ghost from his birth, and that consequently he was sanctified from that early period. But when we contemplate him in after life, in ON GROWTH IN HOLINESS. 269 the temptations and labors he underwent, in his faithful preaching, in his stern rebukes of wickedness in high places as well as low, in his imprisonment, and in the general growth and expansion of his matured and con- secrated powers, can there possibly be any difficulty in ascribing to him a growth in holiness ? Does not the opposite idea, viz., that in the degree of holiness he was not more advanced than at the period of his birth, carry an absurdity upon the very face of it ? And we may remark further, that it is expressly said of him, " And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit,'' The Savior also was holy from the very beginning of his existence. There was no one power, either of body or mind, that was not fully sanctified. But it was said of him, in terms similar to those applied to John the Bap- tist, Luke ii. 40, "And the child grew, and waxed STRONG IN spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him." And again it is said of him, in the same chapter, " And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." What is the meaning of this increase of strength in spirit ? And how could he increase in the favor of his heavenly Father, if, with the increase of his expanding powers, there was not also a corresponding growth in holy love ? The Scriptures every where speak of growth. They do not recognize the idea of standing still ; and all those pas- sages which require growth in grace and religious knowl- edge are as applicable after the experience of sanctifi- cation as before. " Let us, therefore, as many as be PERFECT, be thus minded." Philip, iii. 15. Be thus minded in what respect ? The answer is found in the preceding verse, viz., to "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." "Be ye therefore perfect," says the Savior, "as your Father in heaven is perfect." This remarkable and most impressive command evidently implies two things. The first is, that we should be perfect in our sphere ; that is to say, in our perceptions, our feelings, and our purposes, to the full extent of our capability. And the 23* 270 ON GROWTH IN HOLINESS. second is, that we should continually expand, in accord- ance with that law of increase which is a part of the nature of every rational being, our capacity of feeling and of knowledge, whatever it may be. And in doing this, (that is to say, on the supposition of its being done,) we fulfil the command absolutely, so far as the nature of our mental exercises is concerned ; and fulfil it by approximation, or continual expansion and growth, so far as relates to their degree. It is thus with the angels in heaven. They are holy, but are always grow- ing in holiness. In the nature of their exercises they are like their heavenly Father, and perfect as he is perfect ; but in relation to the degree of their exercises, they can be said to be perfect only in availing themselves of every possible means of approximation and growth Growth, therefore, — continual advancement, — is the unalterable law of all created holy beings. And hence it is further said in the Scriptures, in expressions that are full of weighty import, " For whosoever hath, ♦o him shall be given, and he shall have more abim- dance ; but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath." Matt. xiii. 12. (III.) Some persons may admit the fact of growth in holiness after the experience of full sanctification, and still be in some degree of perplexity as to the 'man- ner of it. We proceed, therefore, in the third place, without promising to remove this perplexity altogether, to enter into some explanations upon this topic. Evan- gelical holiness, it will be recollected, is nothing more nor less than perfect love. Love is based in jjart upon knowledge, and is necessarily based upon it. It is en- tirely evident that we can never love an object of which we have no knowledge ; and it is equally so that, in proportion as our knowledge extends, we have a wider intellectual basis for the action of this principle. And accordingly, every new manifestation of God's character, every new exhibition of his attributes, every additional development of his providences, will furnish new occa- sions for accessions of love. It is the privilege, therefore. ON GROWTH IN HOLINESS. 27J of a person perfected in love, and consequently a holy person, to increase in holiness in exact proportion with his increase in knowledge. Again, it is well known that there is a great law of our mental nature termed the law of habit. The law is, that increased facility and strength of mental action results from repetition or practice. There does not ap- pear to be a power of the mind, eithei intellectual or sensitive, which may not feel the influence of this law. And according to this law, every exercise of love, when the exercises are continuously successive, will give place to another, which is increased in strength. And hence a holy being, (not one who is holy to-day and sinning to-morrow, and so on alternately, but a holy being,) who continues to be so, will necessarily go on from one de- gree of strength to another. And we may add, by way of illustration, that it seems to be the same here as it is in regard to depravity. Our theologians assure us, that man is by nature entirely depraved. But they also agree in asserting, that entireness of depravity does not preclude the idea of growth in depravity. They admit that the law of habit strengthens the intensity of the depraved element. A depraved man is more depraved than a depraved child ; and a depraved devil is more depraved than a depraved man. If theologians gener- ally propound as sound doctrine the idea of growth in the matter of depravity, when the depravity is entire, it would be difficult to show its unsoundness in the mat- ter of holiness. And there is another important consideration. There are grounds for the remark, that we may indirectly in- crease the strength of holy emotions and desires, by a removal of the various obstacles which oppose and ob- struct their exercise. The speed of a vessel or of a railroad car depends not only upon the amount of the propelling power, whatever that power may be, but also, in part, upon the number and greatness of the obstacles to be overcome. If the obstacles are many and great 272 ON GROWTH IN HOLINESS. the speed will be less. Now, the sanctified person is continually acquiring knowledge, not only in relation to the great and adorable object of his perfected love, but also in relation to his own physical and intellectual in- firmities, the nature of temptations, and the subtle arts of the adversary of souls. In these infirmities, tempta- tions, and evil arts, he finds very serious obstacles to his progress in holiness. But every day's experience, under the instructions and guidance of the Holy Spirit, teaches their nature and diminishes their power. He learns where his weakness is, and understands better than he did at first how to counteract it. He knows the artifices of the adversary, the insidious manner of his approaches, and the way in which he can be resisted and defeated. And the result of this knowledge is, that many serious obstacles which existed before, and which perplexed his progress, are removed. His increased knowledge of the character of God, the influence of the law of habit, the imparted influences of the Holy Spirit, have their natural and unobstructed effect, and accelerate, as they would not do under other circum- stances, the ascendant flight of the soul. These considerations evidently show, that the idea of growth in holiness, when the heart is already sanctified to God, is not an unreasonable one. On the contrary, it would seem, on any principles of reason applicable to the case, that the growth of a sanctified soul in holi- ness would be much more rapid than that of a soul but partially sanctified. The testimony of those who have arrived at the state of assurance of faith and perfected love confirms these views. Their testimony is that, after having reached this state, their growth in grace is much more rapid and sure than it was before. They are conscious of increased power against temptation, and of an increase of union with the divine will, to an extent unknown in their previous experience. What growth, then, must there be in angel minds, which are neither obstructed by inward nor by outward evils in their ON GROWTH IN HOLINESS. 273 progress ! What expansion with each revolving day ! What increased intensity of desire ! What higher and more triumphant energies of love ! In conclusion, we exhort those who are sanctified to the Lord to grow abundantly in holiness. Of two persons, both of whom are truly holy persons, one may grow in holiness more rapidly and surely than another. This is an important fact, and one that is often over- looked. The difference of growth in holiness, after the experience of sanctification, seems to us to depend, next to believing and earnest application for divine assistance, upon growth in knowledge. Little claim has any one to the character of a holy person, who is willing to be ignorant. We have not reference, in this remark, to the mere knowledge of natural things, which oftentimes perplexes rather than promotes the inward life, but to religious knowledge ; to any thing and every thing Avhich throws light upon the character, providences, and the will of God ; and to whatever illustrates the char- acter, relations, and moral and religious duties, of man. Holiness, considered in its full extent, is a great study ; and he only who is willing to be a diligent and faith- ful student will understand it. Hence we are told, in the Second Epistle of Peter, that God hath given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, ''through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue ; " and are directed, in the same chapter, to add "*o our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge." 274 CHAPTER SIXTEENTH. ON THE CONFESSION OF SIN. Should those who are so far advanced in the reh- gious life as to* be justly regarded as sanctified or holy persons, confess sin ? This is a question which is sometimes asked with a degree of solicitude, and from good motives. And besides, it is often adduced as one of the greatest objections to the doctrine of the realiza- tion of holiness in the present life, that those who have experienced it ought not to, and cannot, confess sin. First. The confession of sin during the whole course of the present life is exceedingly proper, for variou-s reasons ; and in the first place, because sin is an unspeakable evil. We suppose that those who have experienced a perfected state of faith and love will understand this remark more fully than others. They have tasted the bitter fruits of sin ; they have in many cases endured a severe and terrible contest in driving it from the heart ; they are now engaged momentarily in a constant warfare to prevent its reentrance ; they know it is the one great thing, and the only thing, which sep- arates the soul from God ; they know that every sin, even the smallest, is exceedingly heinous in God's sight , they feel that they had rather die a thousand deaths than voluntarily commit even the smallest sin. Now, when they remember that, during a considerable portion of their lives, they were sinning against God every day and hour, despising, injuring, and insulting continually that great and good Being, whom now their hearts as continually adore, they are penetrated with the deepest grief. They never, never can forget the greatness of ON TUr CONFESSION OF SIN. 275 their former degradation and guilt ; and, in their present state of mind, they never can remember it without being, at each distinct retrospection, deeply humbled and penitent. Indeed, as true confession consists much more in the state of the heart than in the expression of the lips, and as the surest mark of true confession is an earnest striving after the opposite of that which is con- fessed as wrong, those who are earnestly seeking and practising holiness may be said, in the highest sense of the terms, to he always acknowledging and always la- menting their sin. Their watching, their strife, their warfare, is against sin, as the evil and bitter thing which their soul hates, and which their souls shall ever hate, whenever and wherever committed, whether by them- selves or others, at the present time or in times past. Second. There is a propriety and a practical impor- tance in the confession of sin, during the whole course of the present life ; because our various infirmities, our defects of judgment, our frequent ignorance of the mo- tives and characters of our fellow-men, and the relatively wrong acts and feelings which originate in these sources, from which no one, in the present period of the history of the church, can reasonably expect to be free, require an atonement, as well as our wilful or voluntary trans- gressions. We do not suppose that it is necessary here to enter into an argument for the purpose of showing that such imperfections, originally flowing from oui fallen condition and our connection with Adam, require the application of Christ's blood. Such is not only our own belief, but we have reason to believe that it is a doctrine which is generally conceded by those who will be likely to take an interest in these inquiries. There are various passages of Scripture, such as l^ev. iv. 3, and Numb. xv. 27 — 30, which have relation to such infirmities and sins, and which might be properly con- sulted, if the present were an occasion to enter into a minute examination of the subject. It is in accordance with what has now been said, that 276 ON THE CONFESSION OF SIN. Christians, who are well established in the interior life, whenever they have fallen into such errors and infirmi- ties, experience no true peace of mind until they find a sense of forgiveness. For an error in judgment; for an ill-placed word when there was no evil design or intention of saying what was wrong ; for an action which was undesignedly a mistaken one, either through undue remissness or through undue haste ; for any unavoidable blindnesses and ignorances whatever, which are followed by evil and unhappy results, they find no resource but in an immediate and believing application to the atoning blood. It is true, they do not ordinarily have those bit- ter feelings of condemnation and remorse which they have when they have committed a deliberate transgres- sion ; but they feel deep humiliation and sorrow of heart ; they see the results of sin flowing from the original re- bellion, and have what may perhaps be called an instinc- tive conviction, that the occasion is a fitting one for pen- itent grief and for humble confession. Now, as such in- firmities are very frequent, and as, indeed, they are una- voidable, so long as we come short of the intellectual and physical perfection of Adam, we shall have abundant occasion to confess our trespasses ; and it will ever be true, that our sin, in this sense of the term, will always oe before us. It may be proper to remark here, that it was probably in this view of the subject that Mr. Wesley, while he maintained, with great ability and earnestness, the doc- trine of Christian perfection, or of perfect love, did not hold to the doctrine of sinless perfection. That is to say, he maintained that it was both our duty and our privilege to love God with all our heart ; and also tha this state of mind, viz., of assured faith and perfected love, had been actually, and in many cases, realized. He maintained, nevertheless, that this state was consist- ent with all those wrong "udgments which are involun- tary and unavoidable, and consequently with relatively -wrong acts and affections ; that, we are continually liable ON THE CONFESSION OF SIN. 277 to transgress in the respects which have been mentioned, even while we are in a state of perfect love, and that the best of men may say from the heart, " Every moment, Lord, I need The merit of thy death." Under these circumstances, he thought it proper and necessary, that even persons who, on evangelical prin- ciples, could justly lay claim to the blessing of sanctifi- cation, should continually humble themselves before God and make confession. This view seems to be correct. "And it is very desirable, when we look at it in its prac- tical results, as well as in its moral relations, that it should continue to be maintained, because it will con- stantly prompt us not only to seek perfection in love, which is the most important thing, but to seek perfection in manners, habits, health, words, knowledge, and all good judgment. Third. It is proper, furthermore, to confess our sins, because there may be sins in us, and not merely those which result from infirmity and are involuntary, which are seen by the omniscient eye of God, but which may not be obvious to ourselves. We have no doubt that, as a general thing, we may rely upon our consciousness in confirmation of the great fact of perfection in love. Cer- tainly it is a reasonable idea that, as a general thing, a man may know in himself, or in his own consciousness, whether he loves God or not, and whether he loves him with his whole heart or not. At the same time, there may occasionally be cases in which he is left in some degree of doubt. He may, through the influence of some sudden temptation, be driven so closely upon the line which separates rectitude from sin, that it is almost impossible for him to tell whether he has kept within it. The Scriptures also recognize the great deceitfulness of the human heart. Who, then, is able, either on philo- sophical or Scripture principles, to assert absolutely and unconditionally, that he has been free from sin, at least for any great length of time ? We may, therefore, with 24 278 ON THE CONrESSION OF SIN. great propriety, even if there were no other reason but this, ask the forgiveness of our trespasses, of our sins, or of whatever God sees amiss in us ; and it is unques- tionably our duty so to do. We may add here, that it is generally, and perhaps we may say universally, the case, that those who give good evidence of being in that state which we variously describe as assurance of faith and as perfect love, and which involves the possession of the blessing of present sanctification, speak of their state in a qualified rather than in an absolute manner. In other words, they gener- ally express themselves (and it is exceedingly proper that they should do so) merely as if they hoped, or had rea- son to hope, that they had experienced this great blessing, and were kept free from voluntary and known sin. Such a mode of expression seems to be unobjectionable ; it is consistent with confession, and corresponds to the pre- cise state of the case. Fourth. It is proper and important also to acknowl- edge our having sinned against God, and to humble our- selves before him on account of sin, because we are thus continually reminded of the unspeakable conde- scension and mercy of God, as manifested in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is impossible that a truly holy mind, one that has deeply felt the living God within, should ever forget the depth of its former deg- ladation, however diff'erent and however encouraging may be its present state. And whenever it calls to recol- lection its former pollution, it cannot be otherwise than deeply impressed with a sense of the Savior's wonder- ful goodness and love. May we not even conjecture, that it will be our privilege through all eternity to re- member and to confess our former fallen state ? Even in heaven, renewed and purified as we shall be, we shall, in one sense at least, be sinners saved by grace ; and shall undoubtedly repeat with joy the song of the ran- somed, " Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." ON THE CONFESSION OF SIN. 279 With these considerations we leave the subject, after a single remark further. While it is proper for all to make a confession during life, it is nevertheless true, that the mind of a person who is truly in a sanctified state is chiefly occupied with supplications and thanks- givings. Such persons may be said for the most part to be always praying, always supplicating, and in every thing giving thanks. The state of those who possess this blessing is very different from the condition of persons who have nothing but their sins to speak of Such is their peace of mind, such their delight in God's char- acter, such their sense of inward purity, such their con- formity to God's will, that their prevalent state must necessarily be one of divine communion and of holy rejoicing. 2H1 PART THIRD. INWARD DIVINE GUIDANCE, 24* 283 CHAPTER FIRST. ON THE DISPENSATION OF THE HOLY GHOST. It is a scriptural, and I suppose a generally-acknowl- edged fact, that the world is now, in a special manner, under the dispensation of the Holy Ghost. The Father, in conceiving and adopting the plan of man's redemption, may be said, in relation to our apprehension of things in TIME, to have reconciled justice and mercy prospectively. The Son, by coming into the world in accordance with the plan of redemption, and by fulfilling, in his death on the cross, the indispensable conditions of the plan, rendered this reconciliation not only prospectively, but presently and actually possible. The office of the Holy Ghost, among other things, is to teach men ; and by teaching, and other spiritual operations, to induce and enable them to accept and to realize, in their own reno- vated persons and natures, all the benefits which the wisdom of the Father has provided, and which the voluntary humiliation of the Son has rendered possible. The work of man's salvation, therefore, in its practical and personal application, and so far as it remains uncom- pleted, may be said to be under the direction of the Holy Ghost. Accordingly, when our Savior left the world' he held the following language to his disciples : " Nevertheless, I tell you the truth ; it is expedient for you that I go away ; for if I go not away, the Comfort- er will not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment," And again he says, " I have yet many things to sav ^84 ON THE DISPENSATION unto you, but ye cannot hear them now. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into al. truth ; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatso- ever he shall hear, that shall he speak ; and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me ; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." John xvi. 7, 8, 12, 13, 14. The Holy Spirit, therefore, is to be regarded as the appointed and effective renovator, guide, comforter, and teacher, of the children of men. In the moral and reli- gious world, all good is from him ; and beyond the reach of his influence, and irrespective of his presence and operations, there is not, and cannot be, any thing which is valuable or desirable. There are some reasons for saying, that the dispensation of the Holy Spirit is pre- cisely opposite and antagonistical, in its principles and results, to what may be called the natural dispensation, viz., the law of the natural heart, or the reign of sp:lf m the soul. Man, before his fall, had a true life in God. He did not live by his own vitality, and flourish upon his own stock. The power of God possessed its habi- tation in the centre of his soul — a living, animating, purifying principle. If he possessed, as undoubtedly he did, what might properly be denominated natural ability, it was, nevertheless, natural ability made alive, inspired, animated, by an ability out of and above nature. It was enough for him to know, and rejoice in, the fact that God was the continuance, as well as the beginning, of his inward life ; that every good thought and good feeling, that all purified activity and divine strength, all holy love and all angelic aspirations, were from God, and from God alone. And his apostasy, as it seems reasonable to suppose, consisted in the alienation and dethronement of this inward divine power, and in the substitution of SELF instead of God. In the language of another, " man broke oflf from his true centre, his proper place in God, and therefore the life and operation of God was no more in him. He was fallen from a life in God into a life OF THE HOLY GHOST. 285 of SELF, into an animal life of stlf-love, self-esteem, and self-seeking in tlie poor, perishing enjoyments of this world. This was the natural state of man by the Fall. He was an apostate from God, and his natural life was all idolatry, where self was the great idol that was worshipped instead of God."* The object, therefore, of Christ's coming into the world, was to place men essentially in the condition in which they were before the Fall — not only to secure their forgiveness, but to make them holy ; not only to make them holy, but to make them so in the only way in which Adam or any other bv^ng was ever made holy, viz., by means of the living and constant operation of God in the soul. Hence the necessity of the dispensa- ion of the Holy Spirit. Hence the various directions which are given in the Scriptures not to grieve and not to quench the Holy Spirit. Hence the declaration, that Christians are the temple of the Holy Ghost. And ac- cordingly it is a great truth, though but imperfectly un- derstood and estimated, that he who moves and acts, in religious things, without the attendant operation and grace of the Holy Ghost, cannot be spiritually wise, and is not in the way to be spiritually benefited. (H.) The object of that peculiar state of things, which may with some good reason be described as the dispen- sation of the Holy Ghost, Avill not be completely real- ized till all Christians are filled with the presence and the operations of this Divine Agent. And why should not Christians of the present day experience this great inward result, as well as those of the primitive ages ? It was said of John the Baptist, even before his birth, " and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost." It is related both of his mother Elizabeth, and of his father Zachariah, that " they were filled with the Holy Ghost." The apostle Peter and the martyr Stephen are described as being, in ike manner, "full of the Holy Ghost." The disciples, on the day of Pentecost, are said to have been " filled * Law's Spirit of Prayer, Part 1. chap. Q 286 ON THE DISPENSATION with the Holy Ghost." Similar language is applied to the Savior : And Jesus, " being full of the Holy Ghost," returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. The baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is repeatedly spoken of, probably means, in some places, if not in all, the same thing with being filled with the Holy Ghost. In the times of the apostles, miraculous powers were connected with the descent and the fulness of the Spirit's operations. The gift of these powers seems to have had special reference to the circumstances of the times, a.nd to have been temporary. But the infinitely greater blessing, the crowning work of the Holy Spirit, — that of imparting to the soul the grace of assured or perfect faith, and the attendant grace of perfect love, — still remains. Now, if the Holy Ghost came into the world to dwell with men, to take up his abode with them, and to teach them ; if he came to inspire within them the highest pos- sible faith and love, and to procure to them the highest possible purity and peace, then it seems to me that the object of the dispensation of the Holy Ghost is not, and cannot be, completely realized till it can be said of all Christians, as it was said anciently, that they are men full of the Holy Ghost. Till this is done, there is a resistance in the heart proceeding from the remaining life of self, and from the inspiration and artifices of Satan which ought not to be. The Holy Spirit is ready, not only to adv^ance, but entirely to accomplish, the inward work, whenever the people of God are prepared, with childlike simplicity of spirit, and without any reservation, to undergo his sharply-searching and purifying agency. It is the spirit of self, showing itself in the forms of dis- trust and resistance, which obstructs this faithful but friendly operation; which grieves the Spirit, and pre- vents his purifying the heart with the waters of the inte- rior baptism. Let the followers of Christ ponder \ve\\ these important truths. Let them strive to keep in mind, that they can do nothing weL, in the moral and religious sense of the terms, which, is not prompted by or THE HOLY GHC ST. 287 the presence and suggestions of the Holy Spirit ; and certainly that they cannot do all things well, bringing every emotion and passion into subjection, and walking always in the commandment of faith and love, without being ^^ filled,'''' as the Scriptures express it, with his effi- cacious agency. (III.) An inquiry may arise here, In what manner does the Holy Spirit operate in individual hearts? In relation to the subject involved in this inquiry, it does not appear that any specific and certain rule can be laid down. The methods of the divine operation appear to be one of the secret things which are hidden with God. Accordingly, the Holy Spirit, so far as his method or manner of his influences is concerned, operates diflerent- ly in different cases. " The wind bloweth where it list- eth, 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." He sometimes comes with sudden and almost visible efficacy, and produces his results with "observation." But, still more frequently, as it seems to us, he comes as a •• still small voice," and operates in a secret and silent manner ; but with no dim- inution of effective power and of inward purification. " If the Lord be pleased," says Mr. Fletcher, " to come softly to thy help ; if he make an end of thy corruption by helping thee gently to sink to unknown depths of meekness ; if he drown the indwelling man of sin, by baptizing, by plunging him into an abyss of humility, — do not find fault with the simplicity of his method, the plainness of his appearing, and the commonness of his prescription. Nature, like Naaman, is full of prejudices. She expects that Christ will come to make her clean with as much ado, pomp, and bustle, as the Syrian gen- eral looked for ' when he was wroth and said. Behold, I thought. He will surely come out to me and stand and call on his God and strike his hand over the place and recover the leper.' Christ frequently goes a much plainer way to work, and by this means he disconcerts all our preconceived notions and schemes o^ 288 ON THE DISPENSATION deliverance. ' Learn of me to be meek and lowly of heart, and thou shalt find rest to thy soul.' Instead therefore, of going away from a pl^in Jesus in a rage, welcome him in his lowest appearance, and be persuaded that he can as easily make an end of thy sin, by gently coming in 'a still small voice,' as by rushing in upon thee in ' a storm, a fire, or an earthquake.' " * (IV.) At this place in our remarks, another inquny naturally arises — How shall a person know, since the modes of the Spirit's interior action are so various, when he experiences the full or completed presence and oper- ations of this Divine Agent ? A proper answer, so far as it goes, would perhaps be, that this can be known only by the results of such divine presence and agency. These results, in their entire length and breadth, we will not attempt to analyze at the present time ; but will only go so far now as to say, that one of the most decisive marks of the presence of the Holy Ghost in its fulness, is a resigned and peaceful state of the spirit, originating in perfect faith in God. In the precise state of mind to which we now have reference, there seems to be an en- tire subsidence or withdrawal of that natural excitability which is so troublesome to the Christian ; and instead of the eager and unsettled activity of nature, the substi- tution of a pure and deeply-interior rest of the soul, such as was seen in our Savior, and resembling, on the small scale of man's limited spirituality, the sublime and pas- sionless tranquillity of God. Undoubtedly there are other important marks, charac- teristic of the inward fulness of the divine power. But this, if it he rightly understood^ may be regarded as the highest result of the divine operation upon the human mind. It is not, therefore, merely the Christian whose mental exercises are characterized by traits that are cal- culated to excite outward observation, that is filled with the Holy Ghost, to the exclusion of others. Still more frequently is this fulness experienced in the hearts of * Fletcher's Works, vol. il. p. G.'iO, OF THE HOLY GHOST. 289 those who sit in solitary places, unknown to the world ; who live, in the secrecy of their spirits, with God alone ; and of whom the multitude around them, ignorant of the interior power which dwells in their souls, know only this — that they perform the religious and temporal duties of life with fidelity and gratitude, and endure its trials and sorrows with silence and submission. We would not have it understood, iiowever, as these remarks might seem to imply, that persons in this calmly peaceful and tri- umphant state of mind, are destitute of feeling. Far from it. They have feeling ; but it is regulated feeling — perfect in degree, but symmetrical in all its relations ; and therefore resulting in that angelic aspect of religious experience which has been indicated. And the expla- nation is this : Every emotion is so perfectly adapted to Its appropriate object ; every desire and affection is kept .so perfectly in its position ; every voHtion moves so surely and strongly towards the goal of perfect recti- tude ; all worldly tendencies and attachments, all hopes and fears, all joys and sorrows, are so completely merged in the overruling principle of supreme love to God, — a principle which makes all of God and nothing of the creature, — that the result is, and of necessity must be inward quietude — " The peaceful calm within the breast, The dearest pledge of glorioas rest." 25 290 CHAPTER SECOND. THE PROVIDENCES OF GOD CONSIDERED AS INTER PRETERS OF THE INWARD OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. We propose, in the present chapter, to enter upon a subject which may justly be regarded as one of especial importance and interest. The proposition which we lay down, and which we design to illustrate, is the fol- lowing, viz. : We cannot^ as a general thing, arrive at the true interpretation and impoi't of the inicard sugges- tions of the Holy Spirit, except by connecting them tvith, and considering them in their relation to, God's out- ivard providences. Our first inquiry is, what we are to understand by the providences of God. In answering this question, it does not seem to be necessary, for any purposes we have at present in view, to go into the distinction, which is fre- quently and very properly made, of the ordinary or com- mon providence of God, viz., that which is exercised in connection with secondary causes, and in the common course of things ; and of the extraordinary providence of God, or that which is altogether out of the common way, and has the nature of a miraculous operation. Saying nothing of extraordinary providences, we apprehend that there is no ordinary or common providence of God of such a nature as to exclude him from an actual presence and supervision in relation to all things whatever. It is enough for us to know that the hand of God is, either positively or permissively, in every thing. In our appre- hension, therefore, all events (excepting such as involve the commission of sin, and even these are to be regarded OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 291 as permissively providential) are to be considered as providential in the positive sense of the term. In other words, whatever takes place — sin only excepted — is to be regarded as expressive, in some important and positive sense, of the will of the Lord. The controlling presence of the Almighty is there. God is in it. Certainly, there is abundant foundation for this view. If God clothes the grass of the field, if not a sparrow falls to the ground without his notice, if the very hairs of our heads are numbered, how can it be otherwise ? It seems to us, therefore, that every true Christian ought to see. and will see, God providentially and positively present, with the exception which has just been made, in the events of every passing moment. We remark, in the second place, that the presence and agency of God, in his providences, is not an acci- dental thing, but is a result which has reference to the divine wisdom and choice. Whatever takes place, with the exception of sin, is not only a portion in the great series of events, but takes place in accordance with the well-considered and divinely-ordered arrangement or plan of things. Accordingly, every thing which takes place indicates, all things considered, the mind of God in that particular thing. And hence we may be said to reach, through the divine providences, a portion of the divine mind, and to become acquainted with it. We do not mean to say that we possess, in respect to that particular thing, the whole of the divine wisdom ; but we undoubtedly possess a portion of it which is un- speakably valuable. To some extent, certainly, it can always be said, that God reveals himself; that is to say, he leveals his mind and will. We proceed to remark again, and in connection with what has been said, that the providences of God are, to a considerable extent, the interpreters of the mind of the Holy Spirit. The mind of God, as it is disclosed m his providences, and the mind of the Holy Spirit, as it reveals itself in the soul, are one ; and consequently, in their different developments, from time to time, can 292 THE PROVIDENCES OF GOD AS INTERPRETER^ never be at variance, but will always be in harmony, with each other. And not only this, — they have a relation to each other, which is mutually and positively illuminative. They throw light, the one upon the other. Certain it is that the mind of the Spirit, in all cases of mere practical action and duty, cannot, as a general thing, be clearly and definitely ascertained, except in connection with providential dispensations. Such dispensations are the outward light, which cor- responds to and throws a reflex illumination upon the inward light. And this is so general a law of the divine operation, that persons who are truly led by the Spirit of God are generally, and perhaps always, found to keep an open eye upon the divine providences, as important and true interpreters of the inward spiritual leadings. And accordingly we find the following expressions in the Life of Madame Guyon : " My soul could not incline itself on the one side or the other, since that another will had taken the place of its own ; but only nourished itself luith the daily providences of God.'^ And again : " The order of Divine Providence makes the whole rule and conduct of a soul entirely devoted to God. While it faithfully gives itself up thereto, it will do all things right and well, and will have every thing It wants, without its own care ; because God, in whom it confides, makes it every moment do what he requires God loves what is of his own order." * Hardly any thing, in the conduct of the divine life in the soul, is more important than thus to keep an open and faithful eye upon the arrangements of Divine Provi- dence. Until the divine intimations within are cleared up and illustrated by the subsequent openings of Prov- idence, it seems to me to be the duty of Christians to remain in the attitude of patient expectation, and of humble and quiet faith. It is true, we may already be possessed of the inward voice, the declarations of th(5 Spirit in the soul. But these inward intimations, taken * I^fe of Madame Guyon, Pt. I, chap. 27; Ft f chap 2. OF THE OPERATIONS )F THE HOLY SPIRIT. 293 by themselves, may, ui many cases, be very obscure • and so long as we do not satisfactorily know the infor- mation involved in tliem, and the issues to which they lead, it is obviously a duty to keep looking upward, in a childlike simplicity and faith, for those further developments which the openings of Divine Provi- dence* may impart. I have sometimes thought that there is a similitude, or analogy, between the natural mind and the spiritual mind, in relation to the subject now under consider- ation. The natural mind (that is to say, the perceptive and reflective ability which is naturally given us) is adapted in its operations and results to the natural world around us. The ability which we possess of realizing in ourselves the various auditory, visual, and tactual sensations and perceptions would be of no avail, would be practically useless, without the corresponding sounds, colors, and forms, of the external world. The mind, therefore, in some of its important operations, and the external world, are precisely and admirably fitted to go together. They are practically the mutual correspond- ences and counterparts of each other. And it seems to be essentially the same with the spiritual mind ; that is to say, with the mind enlightened and guided by the influences of the Holy Spirit. The mind is divinely inspired, in the first instance, with thoughts and views which may be considered as conditionally instructive and binding upon us ; but which can be drawn out of this state of conditionality, and be made positively clear and binding, only in connection with those various outward events which the divine providence is contin- ually developing. As instruments of music will not give utterance to their beautiful sounds till they are touched and swept by an outward hand, so the inward inspiration of the Holy Ghost is to some extent latent in the mind, and is not susceptible of being distinctly analyzed and heard in its responses to the spiritual ear, until it receives its interpretation from the outward application of providential events. In other words, as the natural 2.5* 294 THE I'll )V1DENCES OF GOD AS INTERPRETERS mind, and the natural or outward world, are mutually and reciprocally adapted, so also the spiritual mind and the providential world are mutually correspondences and counterparts of each other. Accordingly, although a person may be fully conscious of the presence of the Holy Spirit operatmg upon and guiding his mind, still it remains a great truth, that it is a guidance which, in some important sense, may be re- garded as dependent on those prospective developments which still remain in God's mysterious keeping. Hence, as the interpretation of the inward suggestions of the Holy Spirit exists, in so great a degree, in the correspond- ent facts and aspects of outward providences, it becomes every one, as has already been intimated, and especially every one who is seeking to live a truly devoted and holy life, to keep an eye humbly but conscientiously watchful upon all providential events ! As in the ex- pressions which have already been quoted, he should " nourish himself with the daily providences of God." In connection with the doctrine which has been laid down, a few incidental remarks remain. And the first is, that this doctrine strikes at the root of too great eagerness of spirit, and of all inordinate self-activity. He who would walk with God must walk in God's order. God not only requires us to obey and serve him, hut to obey and serve him in his own time a^id way. In the eye of God, voluntary disobedience in the mantier of the thing, is the same as disobedience in the thing itself. If, therefore, in order to walk with God, we must walk in God's order, and must operate with him in his own time and way, it will be necessary for us to subdue our natural eagerness and impetuosity of spirit. Again, this doctrine is totally opposed to the indul- gence of an inactive and sluggish spirit. He who is se- riously disposed to meet every mo v^ement of God's prov- idence in the fulfilment of every known duty, will find no time to be idly and uselessly thrown away. Every moment, as it comes, brings with it its appropriate instructions, and (^alls for its appropriate duties. It does OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 295 not always call for outward action; but it calls for something to be done. It does not always, nor does it ever, call for a feverish and unreflecting excitement ; but, on the other hand, it never approves a listless and unprofitable inactivity. Nevertheless, every moment brings its duty, although not always to be fulfilled in the same manner. That duty may be outward action ; or it may be inward retirement and conversation W4th God. It may relate to the improvement of others; or it may have relation to the instruction and improvement of ourselves. It may call us to open and aggressive assaults upon the strongholds of sin ; or to the secrecy of the closet and the sacredness of private supplication. Finally, in view of what has been said, we may lay it down as a great principle in the practical doctrines of holiness, that a soul wholly devoted to God will always endeavor to move calmly, yet firmly and exactly, in the blessed order of the divine providences — neither pre- maturely and excitedly hastening in advance, nor yet sluggishly and carelessly lagging behind. And this truth, be it ever remembered, is one of the 'eading elementary conceptions embraced in the great and glorious idea of walking with God. It is noticed by writers on philosophical subjects, that some sorts of motion are pleasant and beautiful to the beholder, whil others are not so. And they assert further, that objects in motion are thus beautiful, (for instance, a winding stream or a ship under gentle sail,) partly, at least, because they are in harmony with the laws of our own mental move- ment. But where the outward motion, which we are contemplating, is accelerated beyond a certain degree of rapidity, so as to be out of correspondence with the natural movement of our own minds, it at once ceases to be pleasant and beautiful, and becomes painful ; and so, on the other hand, when the motion becomes unu- sually sluggish and tardy, so as to fall in the rear of the movement of our own minds, and retard it, it then also loses its character of beauty. And it is somewhat sim- ilar in relation to the providences of God. When the *2y6 OF IHE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. inward operation of the holy soul keeps in exact corre- spondence with the progress of God's providences, mov- ing in time and place just where he moves, then all is orderly and divinely beautiful. But when, through un- faithfulness to God's grace, we are jostled out of the divine order, either by going in advance through pre- cipitancy, or falling in the rear through worldly sloth, we are no longer conscious of this divine harmony and beauty. Under such circumstances we necessarily lose, in a considerable degree, the sense of God's presence and favor, and, wandering in our own position, and out of the divine position, we experience but little else thap darkness and sorrow. 297 CHAPTER THIRD. SUGGESTIONS TO AID IN SECURING THE GUIDANOfc OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. One of the most important questions which can occu- py the minds of those who wish to experience the reality of tlie interior spiritual life, vi — In what manner can we most certainly secure the ev(-r-present and guid- ing influences of the Holy Spirit? We learn from the Scriptures, that those who are the sons of God are led by the Spirit of God. And a woe is expressly denounced against those " foolish prophets that follow their own SPIRIT." * The facts of individual experience, in relation to the subject of a divme guidance, abundantly confirm the truth of the scriptural declarations. " Though this secret direction of the Almighty," says Sir Matthew Hale, who was distmguished as a Christian as well as a scholar and a judge, "is principally seen in matters relating to the good of the soul, yet even in the con- cerns of this life, a good man, fearing God, and begging his direction, will very often, if not at all times, find it. T can call my own experience to witness, that even in the temporal affairs of my whole life, I have never been dis- appointed of the best direction when I have, in humility and sincerity, implored it." And I think we may mi- doubtedly regard it as a great truth, ever to be kept in re- membrance, that the true children of God, so far as they live acceptably to him, are guided by the Spirit of God. This great truth, that, as followers of God, it is our privilege and duty to be led by the Spirit of God, may be realized continually in our personal experience, as ii * Ezek. xiii. 3. 298 SU( GESTIOiNS TO AID IN SECURING seems to us, in connection with a few simple but funda- mental conditions. I. In the first place, we cannot reasonably expect to be guided by the Spirit, unless we desire it. And if we expect a continuance of this guidance, the desire must be permanent and strong. It would be extremely absurd to suppose that the Holy Spirit will condescend to dwell with us, if we have no desire for it, or if we have not a permanent and strong desire. But we can- not suppose that those who aim after holiness of heart are without this desire ; and therefore we do not con- sider it necessary to dwell upon this point. II. In order to realize this great blessing, we must have faith in God, that he will do for us the thing which we ask. To desire of God without having faith in the Giver, is nearly as effectual a way to defeat the object of our request, as to be without desire. But on this point also we will not delay. Who can be ignorant that one of the first elements in the life of holiness is the doctrine of faith? " Without faith it is impossible to please God." How can it be possible, then, without faith, to receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit ? III. Besides those which have been mentioned, there is another condition necessary to be realized, in order to have the guiding influences of the Holy Spirit always with us ; namely, we must cease from our natural ac- tivity. We do not mean to say that we must be inac- tive ; that we must be wholly and absolutely without mental movement ; but merely and precisely that we must cease from the activity of nature. In other words, ceasing from self and from its turbulent and deceitful elements, and, as a consequence of this, ceasing to place ourselves and our personal interests foremost, we must keep our own plans, purposes, and aims, in entire sub- jection. For instance, when we ask God to guide us, we must not at the same time cherish in our hearts a secret determination and hope to guide ourselves ; just as some persons •foolishly, and almost Avickedly, ask the advice of their neighbors, when they have already fully THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 291) decided in their own minds upon their future course of action. If we would have our desires of being continually- guided by the Holy Spirit fully realized, we must not only give up our personal and self-interested plans and pur- poses, submitting every thing into God's hands with entire childlike simplicity, but it is important also not to give way to uneasy, agitated, and excited feelings. The ex- istence of undue eagerness and excitement of spirit is an evidence that we are, in some degree, afraid to trust God, and that we are still too much under the influ- ence of the life of nature ; so that to cease from the activity of nature, when properly understood, seems to be nothing more nor less than to cease from the spirit of self-wisdom, self-seeking, and self-guidance, and thus to remain in submissive and peaceful simplicity and dis- engagement of spirit, in order that God may enter in, and may guide us by the wisdom of his own divine inspiration. It may be proper to add here, that the view which lias now been expressed is entirely consistent with the exercise of our powers of perception and reflection. A cessation from our natural activity, in the sense which has been explained, is not only consistent with, but it is evidently favorable to, a just exercise of these powers. They will be found at such times to be free from erroneous and disturbing influences, and to possess a clearer insight into the truth. IV. In order to secure the continual presence of the Holy Spirit, we must not only fulfil the condition of ceasing from the self-interested activity of nature ; we must not only believe in God's truth and faithfulness to his promises, attended with a sincere desire for the bless- ing under consideration ; but when we ask under such circumstances, it is our privilege and duty to believe Chat we now have the thing which we ask for. If, for instance, in true detachment and simplicity of spirit, and with a sincere desire for the object, we seek the divine wisdom, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit, to guide us in some difficult case of duty, we are bound. 300 SUGGESTIONS TO AID IN SECURING on the principles of Scripture, to believe (provided, fur- ther, that we exercise all our powers of perception and reasoning applicable to the case) that we do now have all that wisdom which God sees to be necessary for us. Accordingly, we are not at liberty, in the spirit of dis- trust towards God, to go about to seek some new natural light to see our spiritual wisdom with. Such wisdom, resting, in its origin, upon the immutable promise of God, — a promise which is fulfilled in connection with the ex- ercise of faith, — is, for the most part, hidden from all forms of sight on the part of the creature, except one. That is to say, as it has its origin in connection with the operations of faith, and cannot exist except in that connection, so it is visible, in general, only to the eye of faith. It seems very evident, under the circumstances, and in the fulfilment of the conditions which have been mentioned, that we should do wrong, we should sin against God, not to believe in the actual possession of the thing which had been interceded for. It would evidently be a case of unbelief ; and unbelief can never be accounted otherwise than a great sin. It is in accordance with this view, that we find the following expressions in the First Epistle of John, v. 14, 15 : " And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us ; and if ice know that he hear us, luhatsoever we ask, tve know that we have the petitions that ive desired of him. ^^ In conclusion, we would remark, that in yielding our- selves up to the divine direction under such circum- stances as have been mentioned, we not only have the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but I think we are not exposed to those illusions and mistakes which might otherwise be likely to befall us. Indeed, it is hardly too much to say, that we may be sure of being kept in the right path at such times. The state of mind which we have described is not only one of earnest desire and strong faith, but, as it seems to us, of true meekness And we are told in the Scriptures, " The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way." THE GUIU\NCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 50 J Ps. XXV. 9. It is the opinion of Fenelon, who seems to have had a personal experience of the divine opera- tion deeply interior, that in the moments of mental quietness and of recollection in God, — in other words, when we look to God in a state of cessation from our natural activity, — we should not hesitate to follow the interior impulses and attractions of the soul ; mean- ing to be understood, undoubtedly, that if we believ- ingly ask for divine guidance in such a state of mind, the attraction or tendency of the soul, which then exists, cannot be safely ascribed to any thing but tiie Spirit of God; and that, consequently, we may con- sider ourselves under a divine, and not under a mere human direction. This we believe to be true. Never- theless, in this case, as in all others, we should never yield to the guidance of any interior attraction, however it may have the ap^eara?ice of originating with the Holy Spirit, which at the same time we know to be at variance with the written Word of God. God can never con- tradict himself; and whatever revelation he has made of himself in his holy Word we must regard as authen- tic, and as entitled to our supreme confidence. But with the limitation implied in this remark, we have no doubt that God, operating ufon the mind in a divine manner, will certainly teach and guide those who, in renouncing the self-interested eagerneijs of nature, pos- sess true meekness and quietne.ss of spirit, and who believingly and earnestly look to him for such teaching and direction. " Tis thine to cleanse the heart, To sanctify the soul, To pour fresh life in every part, And new-create the whole. " Dwell, Spirit, in our hearts ; Our minds from bondage free ; Then shall we know, and praise, and love, The Father, Son, and Thee." 26 302 CHAPTER FOURTH. DISTINCTION lETWEEN IMPULSES AND A SANCTIFIED JUDGMENT. It is sometimes the case, that persons act from certain interior impressions, which may properly be termed IMPULSES. It would certainly be very injurious to the cause of holiness, if the doctrine should prevail that mere interior impressions or impulses may of themselves become the rule of conduct to a holy person. That persons in sanctification are under a divine guidance, and that they cannot retain the grace of sanctification without such guidance, is entirely true. But it has sometimes been the case, that men have mistaken natu- ral impulses for the secret inspirations of the Spirit, and, in the flattering belief of being guided by a higher power, have experienced no other guidance than that of their own rebellious passions. On the danger of such a state, of which the church has seen too many melan- choly instances, it is unnecessary to remark. We pro- ceed, therefore, to lay down some principles, which, if we do not err in our statement of them, will be of some assistance in guiding us in relation to this practical and important subject. First. The Holy Spirit is very various in his oper- ations upon men ; but it will be conceded, I suppose, as a correct principle, that he generally conforms himself in his operations, whatever they may be, to the struc- ture and laws of the human mind. Accordingly, in those operations, — the object of which is to guide or di- rect men, — it will be found that he always acts in con- nection with the powers which are appropriate to such a result; and particii'arly in connection with the percep- IMPULSES AND A SANCTIFIED JUDGBIENT. 303 live and judging powers. We desire it to be kept in mind, that we are speaking here of his directing or guiding operations ; in other words, those which have a special connection with human conduct. These are the operations which most intimately concern us, and m regard to which it is most important to establish correct prmciples. We proceed to say, therefore, it is very obvious from man's mental structure, although he is sometimes the subject of a purely instinctive move- ment, that God designed that the perceptive and judg- ing powers which he has given us should ordinarify furnish the fundamental condition or basis of human action. And if in his spiritual providences it should bo found to be his practice to guide men in any way not in accordance with this design, he would be inconsistent with himself. The first principle, therefore, which we lay down, is this, — that the Holy Spirit guides men by operating in connection with the perceptive and jud^^- ing* powers. ° And we may properly remark here, that this view, which is so important as to be deserving of the reflec- tion of the most judicious persons, seems to be in accord- ance with the sentiments of the pious and learned John Howe. " We cannot," says this esteemed writer, "so much as apprehend clearly and with disinction the things which are needful for us to apprehend, without the light of the Spirit ofioisdom. It is necessary, (viz., the light which the Spirit of wisdom gives-,) in order to (he act of distinguishing or discerning between things, what is to be done and what is not to be done. There is a continual need, through the whole course of our spiritual life, for the using of such a discretive judg- ment between things and tilings. And in reference hereto, there needs a continual emanation of the Holy Ghost, for otherwise we put good for evil and evil for good ; light for darkness and darkness for light. We need the Spirit's help, to shine with vigorous and power- ful light into our minds, so as to bring our judgments to a right determination." SeromJ. We may lay 't down as another principl'.. 304 DISTINCTION BETWEEN IMPULSES that the Holy Spirit does not, either by his gentle influ- ences, or by those which are more sudden and powerful, so operate upon a person as to guide him into any course which is truly irrational and absurd. Now, we know, in many cases, if we should yield to the direction of mere impressions and impulses, especially those which are of a powerful kind, we should be led to do those things which, to whatever test or measurement they might be subjected, could not escape the denomination of irrationality or absurdity. Of such impulses the Holy Spirit can never be the author, because nothing which is really absurd and irrational (we speak not of the mere appearance, but of the reality of absurdity) can come from that source. I recollect once to have read the account of a person, published by himself, in which he gives the reader to understand, that on a cer- tain occasion he was suddenly and violently seized by the power of God, as he expresses it — an expression undoubtedly synonymous, in the view of the writer, with the power of the Holy Ghost ; that he was raised up by this divine impulse from the chest on which he was sitting, and was '' whirled swiftly round, like a top, for the space of two hours, without the least pain or incon- venience." We do not see on what grounds such an extraordinary result as this, so unmeaning, so unprofit- able and absurd, can properly be ascribed to the power of God or the power of the Holy Ghost ; especially if it be susceptible of explanation, as we think it can be, in a considerable degree at least, on any natural principles. We know that the Savior was full of the Holy Ghost ; but we do not read of his being subjected to any oper- ation of this kind. We know, also, that the apostles, although they were plentifully endowed with the Di- vine Spirit, and under his teachings wrought various wonderful works, yet were never at any time made the subjects of such irrationalities. We have here, there- fore, a mark of distinction, viz., — that various irrational and absurd results may flow from natural impressions and impulses, but can ne^er flow from the true oper- Htions of the Holy Spirit. AMD A SANCTIFIED JUDGMENT. 305 Third. Actions which proceed from pure impulse, or a mere internal impression, without attendant perception or reflection, cannot possibly be holy actions. What we mean to say is, that there is a natural impossibility of their bemg such. A mere impulse, unattended by perception and reflection, is of the nature of an instinct • and any action, done from mere blind impulse, no mat- ter how strong or extraordinary that impulse may be is both physically and morally of the nature of an instinc- tive action. Now, as it is universally conceded that purely instinctive actions have no moral character, it is entirely evident that impulsive actions, which are of the same nature with instinctive actions, have no title to the denomination or character of holiness. Some persons seem to think, the more they act from impulse especially powerful impulse, the more holy they are! But this, if we are correct in what has been said is a great and dangerous mistake. ' Fourth. That the Holy Spirit does sometimes act directly upon the sensibilities by exciting in them a purely impulsive feeling, we may probably admit. Un- doubtedly there are some facts, in the experience of pious men, which favor this view. But is it the object of the Holy Spirit, in originating impulsive impressions, to excite men to immediate action without any reflec- tion, or to excite them to action rationally ; that is to say, in connection with suitable inquiry and consider- ation ? This is the important question ; ana tne ae- cision of It involves great practical results. It is certainly reasonable to suppose, that it is not the object of the Holy Spirit, when he makes a direct impulsive impres- sion on the human mind, to lead men to act without perception and reflection ; but rather to stop them in their thoughtless and unreflecting career, and to awaken within them the slumbering powers of thought and inquiry. It is reasonable to suppose this, because, as a wise being, as a being acting in accordance with the laws of the human mind, as a being infinitely desirous of true holiness in men, we do not well perceive how 26* 4 306 DISTINCTION BETWEEN IMPULSES he can take any other course than this. The true tendency, therefore, of those impressions or impulses which come from the Spirit of God, is to awaken men to a sense of their thoughtlessness, and to quicken within them a state of humble and holy consideration When such impressions and impulses are from the right source, we cannot doubt that the results will be of this character — that is to say, they will not of themselves lead men to direct action, but will lead them to that inquiry and reflection which are preparatory to action. But when impressions or impulses come from Satan, as they sometimes do, their tendency is to lead men to action at once, without such intermediate consideration Fifth. Those impulses and impressions which are from the Spirit of God are of a peaceful and gentle character. They never agitate and disturb the mind but, on the contrary, lay a wholesome restraint upon it and hold it in a state of deep solemnity and of attentive stillness. This is the precise state of things which i? needed as preparatory to the mind's perceptive and re- flective action. The first question of the soul, when it is thus arrested by the true impulses of the Holy Spirit is, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? " It pauses ; it reflects ; it inquires ; it reads the Bible ; it watches the providences of God ; it prays ; it asks for the assist- ance of the Holy Spirit upon its perceptions and reason- ings ; and it dares not take one step to the right hand oi to the left, until all its perceptive and reasoning powers have been exercised, and exercised, too, under the sanc- tifying guidance of the Holy Spirit. So that, although we may admit that there are sensitive impressions and impulses which are from the Holy Spirit, yet they are not of themselves, when they are really from that right and good source, guiding and controlling principles, but are merely preparatory to the action of such controlling principles, which are to be found in the intellective rather than the sensitive part. And such impressions are to be known by the decisive mark or characteristic which has now been given ; viz., they are peaceable AND A SANCTIFIED JUDGMENT. 307 holding the mind ni a state of solemn and quiet atten- tion. Perhaps a simple illustration will make our mean- ing more readily understood. A person is at a particu- lar time peculiarly impressed that it is his duty to visit another person and converse with him on the subject of religion. If this impression is of divine origin, it will not violently agitate him ; it will not lead him to action, whether rationally or irrationally ; it will not necessarily and absolutely compel him to visit the person at once, and without any intermediate exercise of the mind. It will lead him, in the first instance, to reflect, to consider the suggested or impressed duty in various points of view, to mark the openings of God's providence, and to pray that, in his reflections and inquiries in respect to duty, he may be guided by the Holy Spirit. In a word, the impression which he has prompts him, in the first instance, merely to make prayerful inquiry ; but in his further action he puts himself under the direction of a sanctified judgment ; or, if the expression be preferred, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost operating through the medium of a sanctified judgment. In accordance with these views, we find the following passage in the writings of Antonia Bourignon : "If the Holy Spirit inspires any thing, he will always give time to consult upon it with God." Sixth. Impressions and impulses, which are not from the Holy Spirit, but from some other source, such as a disordered imagination, the world, or the devil, are not of that peaceful and quiet character which has been men- tioned, but are hasty and violent. In violation of the great Scriptural maxim, "He that believeth shall NOT make haste," the person who is under this perni- cious influence thinks he cannot be too quick. He makes but little account of obstacles ; he cannot take time for interior examination ; he has no open eye to God's outward providences ; he is too impetuous, too nmch possessed by himself or by Satanic influence, to engage in calm and humble prayer for guidance ; in a word, b 3 rushes blindly onward just as his great adver- 308 ])1STINCTI0N BETWEEN IMPULSES sary, who is especially interested in his movements, would have him. • The great plea of these persons is, that the time is NOW ; that what is to be done is to be done now ; that the present moment is the true moment of action. This is essentially true ; but there is a valuable remark of Fenelon, which places the doctrine of present or imme- diate action in its correct position. It is, that the PRESENT MOMENT HAS A MORAL EXTENSION. Ill Other words, we are undoubtedly bound to fulfil the duty of the present moment ; but it is the present moment, not in a state of barren insulation, but considered in all its relations to God, man, and the universe. But it is per- fectly obvious, that the duties of the present moment cannot be fulfilled in their moral extension without calling in the aid of .a calmly reflective and sanctified iudgment. Seventh. When an action is performed, to which v/e are prompted by a gracious and not a mere natural or Satanic impulse, but which action is not attended with all those good results which we expected and hoped we are entirely acquiescent. We receive the result without trouble of mind. For instance, we are led, in the providence of God and imder the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to converse with a person on the subject of religion; and, contrary to our hope and expectation, he coolly and superciliously rejects our message. The result, though painful, does not disquiet us. We leave it calm- ly in the hands of God. Whereas a person, who per- forms an action from an impulse which is not from the Spirit of God, and who finds the result diflerent from what he expected, will be likely to experience a degree of unsubmissive dissatisfaction, and to show signs of fret- fulness. And I think it a matter of common observation, that Christians who are governed in a considerable de- gree by natural or any other impulses not divine, mis- taking them for a truly spiritual guidance, are, to use the common expression in the case, " always in trouble ; " — sometimes with the church ; sometimes with their min- AND A SANCTIFIED JUDGMENT. 309 istcr 5 sometimes with one thing, and sometimes with another ; and alas ! not unfreqiiently, although they seem to be wholly miaware of it, with the wisely-ordered providences of God himself. They are not childlike, and meek, and lowiy in heart, as those always are who are truly guided by the Holy Spirit. They are not like the Savior, who, when he was oppressed and afflicted, opened not his mouth, but was led as a lamb to the slaughter. Eighth. We are continually taught by good men in the Bible, that we ought to be like our heavenly Father, to be holy as he is holy, to be perfect as he is perfect. And I suppose it is the general design and aim of Chris- tians, who are striving after high attainments in holi- ness, to bear this blessed image. But probably we do not any of us conceive of God as acting impulsively and without reflection ; as regulating his conduct by the stupid instinct of impressions, without the clear light ot perceptive rationality. We should be deeply afflicted and affrighted in being obliged to ascribe to our heaven- ly Father such a character as this. Similar views will apply to the Savior. He himself says, John v. 30, " I can of mine own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge ; [that is to say, the communications of the Holy Spirit call my judgment into exercise] and my judgment is just, because [implying in the remark that he was unin- fluenced by any suggestions and impressions from self] I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." Are we not safe, then, if God desires and requires us to be like himself, and to be like Him also, whom, in the likeness of man, he has set be- fore us as our example, in saying that a judgment enlightened by the Holy Spirit is the true guide of our actions, rather than blind impulses and impressions ? It will be recollected that we do not absolutely deny the occasional existence of impulses and impressions resulting from the operations of the Spirit of God. But we cannot well avoid the conclusion, that they are entitled to no influence, and are not designed to have 3 10 DISTINCTION BETWEEN IMPULSES any, except in connection with the subsequent action of an awakened and sanctified judgment. And it is this view only which can rescue them from the impu- tation of blindness and irrationality, even when they come from a good and right source. When, therefore, we speak of them as blind and irrational, we wish to be understood as speaking of them as they are in them- selves, and without being enlightened by the subse- quent action of a sanctified intellect. The subsequent action of the mind, which may always be expected tc follow when they come from the Holy Spirit, cannot fail to impart to them a new and interesting character. In conclusion, we would remark, that the doctrine of present sanctification has much to fear from not accu- rately distinguishing natural and Satanic impulses from the true movings of the Holy Spirit upon the heart. Many, who ran well for a time, but who afterwards yielded themselves to impulsive influences which were not from the Spirit of God, have wandered into per- plexed and divergent paths, to the injury of the cause of holiness and of their own souls. And we would just remark here, that the most interesting and satis- factory illustrations of holy living which have come under our notice are the cases of persons who endeavoi constantly to put themselves under the direction of a sanctified intellect ; who are willing to do any thing and every thing for the glory of God ] but who feel that they need and must have wisdom. These persons can testify that they are guided by the Holy Spirit ; but they can testify, also, that the Holy Spirit does not require them to do any thing which an enlightened and sanctified intellect does not appreciate and approve. And hence their course is marked by consistency and sound discretion. They are not different men at I'nffer- ent times, on whom no dependence can be ] iaced. They are always at their post ; supporters of tht: min- istry ; pillars in the church ; patient under opposition and rebuke ; faithful in warning sinners ; counsellors in tmies of difficulty ; mighty in the Scriptures ; burn I AND A SANCTIFIED JUDGMENT. 311 ing and shining lights in the world. It is such persons that truly sustain and honor the blessed doctrine of holiness ; presenting before the world the mighty argument of consistent holy living, which unbelievers cannot confute, and which the wicked and the envious are unable to gainsay. 312 CHAPTER FIFTH. ON SPIRITUAL COOPERATION WITH GOD. It is very obvious that man, considered as a rational and voluntary being, is designed for action. And when we consider the relation of entire dependence which man sustains to his Creator, it is no less obvious that human action ought to assume and to maintain the shape of cooperation with God. This is designed to be, and it ought to be, the great object of our life, viz., COOPERATION WITH GoD. First. In endeavoring to ascertain the principles of this important subject, we remark, in the first place, that we are not to midertake to decide for ourselves (that is to say, by a reference to our own wishes merely) what we are to do, and what we are not to do. Such a course would exhibit a disposition to cooperate with ourselves, if we may so express it, rather than with God. On the contrary, realizing deeply the general fact of our liability to error, we should ever be in that state of mind which will lead us, with meekness and simplicity, to inquire what our heavenly Father will have us to do. We should have no choice of our own, which shall be, in any degree whatever, at variance with his choice. The thing to be done, whatever it may be, must be left with him. This is one condition on which we can cooperate with God, and without which it is evident that no acceptable cooperation with him can take place. Second. We are not, in the second place, while wc leave to God to ascertain the object to be done, to undertake, of ourselves, to prescrite the time of doing ON SPIRITUAL COOPERATION WITH GOU. 313 it. God has not only a work to be done, but he also has a time of doing it. His time is the right time ; and no other time is. David was willing to build a house of worship for the Lord. But the time which Infinite Wisdom prescribed for this great work had not arrived ; and, in the spirit of acquiescence, he left it to his successor. In repeated instances, the Savior expressed the sentiment, that " his hour was not yet come ; " implying, very evidently, that the great events of his life, whether of action or of suffering, had their appropriate time ; and neither the protestations of friends, nor the dictation of enemies, could induce him to violate the maxims of true wisdom, by anticipating, even for a moment, that appropriate period. If, there- fore, we gird ourselves for action, however good the object to be done may be, either before the appropriate time or after it, we do not cooperate with God, who always acts precisely at the right time. This is a point which it is very important to remember. Persons are more likely to fall into error here than in the particular which was first mentioned. There is a sort of latent feeling, (a very unrighteous feeling it is,) that if God is permitted exclusively to designate the object, we should have some degree of liberty in exercising our own wis- dom, either partially or wholly, in the designation of the time. In other words, we are apt to feel that a less perfect submission is required in regard to the time than in regard to the object. This tendency must be f'arefully guarded against. Third. We are not, in the third place, while we leave to God to ascertain the object to be done and the time of doing it, to undertake to decide for ourselves as to the MANNER of doiug it. We know how it is in ordinary life. A servant sometimes, or even a son, will do what the master or father has commanded, and ao it at the right time ; but will do it, perhaps, with excite- ment and rudeness of feeling, without true cordiality of heart, and that laborious care which might reasonably be expected. It is true that we have here the essen- 314 ON SPIRITUAL COOPEBATION WITH GOD. tials of a visible and operative cooperation ; but it is evident that we have not that higher inward and men- tal cooperation which God requires. We must coop- erate cordially. If we are associated with others, we must be willing to take the first place or the last place, to act as leader or servant, just as God chooses. We must also take any part of the work which God sees fit to impose upon us ; that which is esteemed low and degrading, as well as that which is more agreeable to refinement of taste and to prevailing notions of honor and dignity. In every thing of this kind, and in every thing else which can properly be inchided in the manner of doing what God imposes, we are required to follow, cheerfully and unhesitatingly, the indications of the Divine Will — otherwise there is no true cooperation. Fourth. In order to realize, personally, the conditions of divine cooperation which have been mentioned, it is necessary to be, mentally, in a state of passivity, as it is sometimes expressed ; or, more properly and truly, of strict impartiality before God. In other words, we must be willing to submit ourselves to the divine guid- ance, without the least resistance or bias of mind ; remaining in the attitude of silent and sincere waiting upon God, that we may learn from him what he would have us to do; and also at what time and in what man- ner. The language of our souls must be essentially ^hat of the Psalmist, when he exclaimed, "My soul, wait thou only upon the Lord ; for my expectation is from him." And it is implied in this, especially, that our m'lxas should not be under the influence of preju- dice or of wrong passion in any form. When the mind has arrived at the state of entire submission and of holy impartiality, resulting in the removal of the stains of prejudice and the shades of passion, it resembles a clear and bright mirror, reflecting easily and distinctly the desires and purposes of God. In this state of mind it is easy to leave every thing with him ; to receive from him, implicitly, the annunciation of the thing to be done, and also all the attendant conditions of doing ON SPIRITUAL COOPERATION WITH GOD, 315 it. God is pleased to be present with, and to operate in, such a sonl. The Holy Spirit teaches it ; and it has both the power to hear and the spirit to obey. But in any other condition of mind there must, necessarily, be a conflict between the agitated and self-interested will of the creature and the decisions of the Supreme Mind. Fifth. When we enter into the state of cooperation with God, we must feel that our agency is entirely dependent and secondary in all the subsequent progress of the work, whatever it is, not less than in its incipient stages. I know that man has will, and that he has power. It would be a great error to deny or to doubt it. But it is equally true, that he is dependent ; and that, in a very important sense, he has nothing. We must, therefore, not only begin in our nothingness, but must be willing to remain in it. It is a partnership where we must realize, that not only all the capital, but, when properly considered, that all the personal operative power, are from one source. Man works, it is true ; but God works in him. Man working with- out God's working, as the basis of it, is of no avail. Man's strength is in God's strength. Hence there must be no undue anxiety, no unsuitable and excited eager- ness, no methods and plans of action originated and prosecuted on worldly principles ; which necessarily imply some distrust of the skill and resources of the great Being who has thus condescended to work by means of human instrumentality. We must move when God moves ; stop when he stops ; deliberate when he deliberates ; act when he acts. Any assump- tion, on our part, of superior wisdom or strength — any disposition to move in anticipation of his movement, or in any way to forestall the divine intimations — would be getting not only out of the position of dependence and nothingness, but out of the line of cooperation. Sixth. As closely connected with what has already been said, and in accordance with the commonly- received doctrine of '■^ preventing,''^ or prevenient grace, we remark further, that, in cooperating with God, i C16 ON SPIPaxUAL COOPERATION WITH GOD. wems to be necessary that we should be in a state of ecipiency rather than of communication. In other A/"ords, it being admitted that we have nothing of our :)wn which we can communicate or give to God, it would seem to follow that our cooperation, so far as it has an existence at all, must depend upon the fact of our receiving from him. Accordingly, it seems to be our great duty, by meekness and simplicity of heart — by freedom from worldly vanities, and entire self-renun- ciation — to put ourselves in the true receptive attitude. We must remember, especially as unbelief is apt to find its way in at this entrance, that God is always ready to communicate himself. We need not fear that our divine Associate in this great copartnership will be found wanting. On the contrary, it is his desire, his de- light, his highest happiness, to communicate himself; and the reason why he does not communicate himself to all men at once, is the existence, in their bosoms, of obstacles which they themselves have voluntarily placed there ; so that the highest honor and the high- est power of man is, having put away these obstacles, to wait upon God, in the exercise of simple faith, for the reception of the divine sufficiency. But some will perhaps inquire, in connection with the views now presented. Shall we remain inactive ? 1 reply, that man is justly and efficiently active when he is active in communication with God, and yet remain- ing deeply in his own sphere of nothingness. Man never acts to higher and nobler purpose than when, in the realization of his own comparative nihility, he places himself in the receptive position, and lets God work in him. He who is receptive is neither idle nor unprofitable. In the intercourse between man and his Maker, it is the receptive, and not the communicative activity, which is the source of truth, riches, and power. The religious man, in his receptive activity, is like the earth, (so far as we can compare things mental with material.) which receives into its ploughed and ex- panded bosom the morning dew, and the summei ON SPIRITUAL COOPERATION WITH GOD. 317 shower, and the daily sunshine ; that thus, by being prepared to receive them, and by being endowed with abundant communications from without and above, it may, subsequently, become rich in itself, and in its own vitality, as it were, be crowned with fruit and flower. Or perhaps we may say, more appropriately, that he is like those scholars who are impressed with a sense of their own inferiority and ignorance, and are willing to sit patiently and humbly at the feet of their distinguished teachers, that they may grow in knowl- edge. Their minds are receptive, but not inert — are in the attitude of listening, but are not idle. They ultimately, in the way of cooperation with what they have received, become fruitful in themselves ; but it is only because they are humble and attentive recipients in the first instance. Seventh. Besides that cooperation in particular emer- gencies, which has already been remarked upon, we may observe further, that God requires a constant coop- eration — a cooperation moment by moment — what some writers have described as " living to God hy the moment.'''' It is a universal law, unalterable as God is, and lasting as eternity, that no created being can be truly holy, useful, or happy, who is knowingly and deliberately out of the line of divine cooperation even for a moment. Accordingly, we are to consider every moment as consecrated to God. It is true that, in order to the full and assured life of God in the soul, there must be the general act of consecration, which has already been explained in a former part of this work, and which is understood to relate to a man's whole nature, and to cover the whole ground of time and eternity. And we may say further, that it is proper to recall distinctly to mind, and to repeat at suitable times, the general act of consecration ; but it does not appear to be necessary, in the strict sense of the terms, or in any other sense than that of repeating it, to RENEW it, unless it has been, at some period, really withdrawn. But while the general act remains good, 27 * 318 ON SPIRITUAL COOPERATION WITH GOD. and diffuses its consecrative influence over the whole course of our being, it is necessary to consecrate our- selves in particulars, as the events or occasions of such particular consecration may successively arise. And in the remark, as we now wish it to be understood, we do not mean merely those events which, while they are distinct, are peculiarly marked and important ; but all events, of whatever character. In other words, although we may have consecrated ourselves to God in a general way, and by a universal act of consecration, in all respects, and for all time, we must, still consecrate our- selves to him in each separate duty and trial which his providence imposes, and tnoment hy moment. ' The present moment, therefore, is, in a special sense, the important moment — the divine moment — the moment which we cannot safely pass without having the divine blessing upon it. Thus extensive is the doctrine of divine cooperation, when it is rightly understood. How thankful should we be, thus to be permitted to enter into partnership, insignificant as we are, and to become co-workers, with God! Such was the life of Enoch, of Abraham, of Daniel, of John, of Paul. How the idea of the life of man, thus united with the life and activity of God, throws discouragement and dishonor upon all low and grovelling pursuits, and at once elevates and sanctifies our nature ! 319 CHAPTER SIXTH. E\1DENCES OF BEING GUIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT It is the object of the present chapter — without pro- fessing, however, or attempting, to exhaust the subject — to lay down some of the marks or evidences of being guided by the Holy Spirit. And, accordingly, we proceed to remark, in the first place, that the person who is guided by the Holy Spirit will be eminently perceptive and rational. The opera- tions of the Holy Spirit, in the agency which he exerts for the purpose of enlightening and guiding men, will not be found to be accidental, or arbitrary, or, in any sense, irrational operations. It is hardly necessary to say here, after what has been said in the chapter on the Distinction between Impulses and a Sanctified Judg- ment, that the Holy Spirit is not an ignorant, but a wise Being — not an agent that is moved by unenlightened impulse, but by perfect knowledge. And this being the case, it is a natural supposition, and one which will be generally assented to, that his operations will always exist in accordance with, and not in opposition to, the laws of the human mind. And, furthermore, according to the Scriptures, a primary and leading ofiice, though not the only office of the Holy Spirit, is to teach men — to lead them into the truth. And if so, then, ordi- narily, the first operation will be upon the intellect, in distinction from the sensibilities and the will. And we do not hesitate to say, in point of fact, and as a matter of personal experience, that the person who is guided by the Holy Spirit will find that this divine agent does, in reality, impart an increased clearness to the intellect- 320 EVIDENCES OF BEING GUIDED ual or cognitive part of tlic mind. This divine opoi.i- tion is, for the most part, very gentle and deeply inte- rior ; revealing itself by its results more than by the mere mode of its action ; but it is not, on that account, any the less real. It seems to put a keenness of edge if we may so express it, upon the natural perceptivity, £>o as to enable it to separate idea from idea, proposi- tion from proposition ; and thus to guide it, with a remarkable niceness of discrimination, through the perplexities of error, into the regions of truth. We repeat, therefore, that one evidence of being guided b} the Holy Spirit is, that such guidance contributes to the highest rationality ; in other words, the person who is guided by the Holy Spirit (other things being equal) will be the most keenly perceptive, judicious, and rational; not flighty and precipitate — not preju- diced, one-sided, and dogmatical — but, like his great inward Teacher, calmly and divinely cognitive. The experience of holy men, particularly of those who have made it a practice to ask the guidance of the Holy Spirit on their studies, agrees with this statement. Second. We observe, in the second place, that the per- son who is guided by the Holy Spirit will possess a quickly operative and effective conscience. This is too obvious to require much' remark. It seems to be impos- sible that a man should be gnided by the Holy Spirit, and not experience a purified and renovated activity of the moral sense. This important result is what might naturally be expected, among other things, from the re- sult on our intellectual nature which has already been indicated. It is well known that the conscience oper- ates in connection with the intellect, and subsequent in time. There must necessarily be certain intellectual data or facts, as the basis of the inward conscientious movement. And in accordance with this law, in propor- tion as the truth, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, develops itself from the intellect with greater and greater clearness, the action of the conscience becomes mcreasingly distinct, sensitive, and energetic. It be- BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. 321 comes a sort of flaming sword in the soul, and keeps it in the way of life. Accordingly, on this principle, no man, who has a dull and sleepy conscience, a rough and blunted edge of moral perceptivity, is at liberty to say that he is guided by the Holy Ghost. Third. When we are led by the Holy Spirit, there will be a subdued, tranquil, and well-regulated state of the natural sensibilities, in distinction from the moral sen- sibilities or conscience ; that is to say, of the various appetites, the propensive principles, and the afl'ections. It is well understood, that when we are led by the world or by Satan, the various natural propensities and affections which constitute what we understand by the natural sensibilities are, in general, ill regulated, agitated, and turbulent. A really worldly man is either externally or internally an agitated man ; generally in movement, and generally discordant with himself; resembling the trou- bled sea, and casting up to the surface of his spirit mire and dirt. On the contrary, he who is led by the Holy Spirit, with the exception of those occasional agitations arising from purely instinctive impulses, which do not recognize the control of reason and the will, is always subdued, patient, quiet. His natural propensities, which, in persons who have not experienced the same grace, are so turbulent and violent, run peaceably and appropriately in the channels which God has assigned to them. His natural affections, which so often become the masters and tyrants of the mind, submit to the authority of con- science and the will. The inroads and shocks of the heaviest afllictions pass over him, and leave his inward submission and his peace unbroken. A divine tranquil- lity is written upon the emotions and desires — upon the affections that linger upon the past, and upon the hopes that move onward to the future. In this respect, being under this divine and transcendent teaching, he is like his heavenly Father. The Infinite Mind is always tranquil. Fourth. We remark, again, that the teachings of the Holy Spirit will have a tendency to beautify and perfect 322 EVIDENCES OF BEING GUIDED the outward manner, as well as the inward experience. And accordingly he who is truly under this divine direc- tion will always find his conduct characterized by the utmost decency, propriety, and true courteousness. I believe it is a common remark, that a truly devout and holy person may, in general, be easily recognized by the outward manner. And this remark, which is confirmed by experience, has its foundation in nature. The natu- ral life, which is inordinately full of self, and is often prompted in its movements by passion, pride, and preju- dice, will of course develop itself in an outward manner as extravagant, inconsistent, and imperfect, as the in- ward source from which it springs. Hence it is that we so often see, in the intercourse of man with man, so much that shocks our notions of propriety ; so much, in word or in action, that is characterized by violence or levity ; so much that is unsuitable to the time and place. But he, on the contrary, in whom the natural life is slain, and in the centre of whose heart the Holy Spirit has taken up his residence, to inspire it with truth and love, will discover an outward manner as true, as simple, and as beautiful, as the inward perfection from which it has its origin. A voice inspired with gentleness and love ; a countenance not only free from the distortions of pas- sion, but radiant with inward peace ; a freedom from un- becoming gayety and thoughtless mirth ; a propriety of expression resulting from seriousness of character ; a dis- position to bear meekly and affectionately with the in- firmities of others ; a placid self-possession ; an unaffected but strict regard to the proprieties of time, place, and station, — can hardly fail to impress upon the outward beholder a conviction of the purity and power which dwell within. Fifth. We proceed to say, further, that he who is under the guidance of the Holy Spirit will always find himself in the position of coincidence and union with the divine providences. He will not only be in harmo- ny with whatever is true and beautiful in human inter- course, but there 'vill also be no jarring and no points BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, 323 cf discordant contact between his conduct and the unerring consecution of providential dispensations. This will be sufficiently obvious, we suppose, after what has been said in some of the preceding chapters, without going into any length of remark. It is unquestionable that the will of God is made known, to a considerable extent, in his providential dealings. Consequently, the language of the Holy Spirit will never, in any case^ contradict the correctly interpreted language of divine Providence. On the contrary, they will always com- pletely, and, as they have but one author, will necessarily, harmonize. To illustrate the subject, the Holy Spirit will never instruct an individual to give to religious pur- poses a certain amount of property, when the providence of God, by taking away his property, has rendered the donation an impossibility. Again, the Holy Spirit will never, by an interior teaching, instruct a man to go upon a distant missionary enterprise, when at the same time the providence of God, by placing him on a bed of sick- ness, has rendered him incapable of the requisite physical and mental exertion. And if any impressions or convic- tions, which thus involve a contradiction of the voice of the Spirit and the voice of Providence, should rest upon the mind of any person, he may be assured that they come from a wrong source, and ought to be rejected. We assert, therefore, that he who is led by the Holy Spirit will find his conduct beautifully harmonizing with the events of divine providence, as they daily and hourly develop themselves. In other words, while he is con- tinually led by the inward guidance to do and to suffer the divine will, he always finds himself acting and suf- fering in cooperation with the manifested designs and arrangements of God. Sixth. He who is led by the Holy Spirit will find his conduct, just so far as he is the subject of this divine guidance, in entire harmony with the teachings of the Scriptures. It has already been intimated that the voice of the Spirit can never be contradictory to itself. And accordingly, havuig spoken in the. Scriptures, it can never 334 EVIDENCES OF BEING GUIDED contradict what it has there said by any interior revela- tion to individual minds. If, for instance, the Scriptures, dictated by the divine Spirit, have, for wise and adequate purposes, authorized and required the specific observance of the Lord's day, and have authorized and required the setting apart of the ministry, or have recognized and established other institutions and ordinances, it would be unreasonable to suppose that the same Spirit, in contradiction to himself, will guide individual minds to a disregard and contempt of those institutions. And in like manner, if the Bible, in any case of specific and personal action, requires a thing either to be done or to be omitted to be done, the Holy Spirit, operating on ni- dividual minds, will teach the same thing, and will always lead the subject of his operations to the perform- ance in the one case, and to the omission in the other. And in all cases whatever, as the Holy Spirit speaking in the heart, and the Holy Spirit speaking in the Bible, necessarily utter the same voice, they will necessarily, in their ultimate tendencies, lead to the same result. And we may remark further, in connection with what has now been said, that he who is led by the Spirit will love to be led by the Spirit. It will be his delight. And under the influence of this divine attraction, he will earnestly strive to ascertain the mind of the Spirit. And consequently, he will be led to the Bible, as oiie of the most valuable means of ascertaining it ; he will read it much ; he will read it with seriousness, candor, and prayer ; that he may know the length and breadth of the divine communications which are there made. And the pleasing and important result will be, that his life will be characterized by the same traits of submission and love, of regard for the divine institutions and precepts, of prompt and consistent action and cf mighty faith, which adorn the lives of those of whom the Scriptures give us an account. Finally. We may remark in conclusion, and as in some sense embracing the whole subject : It is an evi-_ dence that a person is guided by the Holy Spirit, whose By THE HOLY SPIRIT. 325 w/iole conduct, whether considered in its particulars or in its general outline, has a distinctly favorable bearing on the promotion of God's glory in the world. The end of all things is the glory of God. In the promotion of this great object, God the Holy Ghost cooperates with God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Ghost, therefore, recognizes and enforces the great truth that all subordinate tendencies, that all inferior and private inter- ests, whenever they receive a corrected and sanctified direction, will always conve/ge to the same centre, and will never reach their terminus, if we may so express it, except in the bosom of the adorable Infinite. To '.his great result all his interior and individual teachings in- fallibly tend. To know all things, and to love all things, in God ; to annihilate self in all the various form.s of creature-love and of self-will, and to make God the great centre of our being ; this only is true wisdom and everlasting life. He, therefore, who is led by the tur.ch- ings of the Holy Ghost, will be taught that he riust think for God, feel for God, will for God, act for (led; and that the great reality of God, which is the tru^j be- ginning and completion of all religious life, must Lr received into the soul as the paramount motive ; f id with a power to expel all subordinate motives, ana to reign there forever with supreme dominion. Such are some of the marks by which thost'- may be known who are led by the Divine Spirit. Tiiese are a HIDDEN people. They have intimacy with the Highest ; but they are, nevertheless, the little ones, that are almost unknown among men. Rational with the highest de- gree of rationality, scrupulously conscientious, ever desi- rous to learn the will of God as manifested in his Word and providences, modest and sincerely couiieous and becoming in then* intercourse with their fellow-men, and governed under all circumstances by a suprem-.: regard to God's glory, they pass calmly and devoutly t-irough the world, blessed in themselves and a blesshi;^, to others. And yet the people of the world, blinded by heir unbe^ lief, but little know and little value that int( lor instrur- 2« 326 EVIDENCES OF BEING GUIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT tion, by which they are thus guided to the illuminated heights of evangelical perfection. Happy is he who is led, not by mere sights and sounds ; not by strange and momentary impressions, which may come from the dis- ordered senses, from the world, or from the devil ; but by that clear light which illuminates the intellect, the conscience, and the heart ; which is ever consistent with itself and with God's Word and providences; and which has, in reality, for its author, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost. «• Eternal Spirit ! God of truth ! Our contrite hearts inspire ; Kindle the flame of heavenly love, And feed the pure desire. ** 'Tis thine to soothe the sorrowing mind, With guilt and fear oppressed ; Tis thine to bid the dying live, And give the weary rest." 327 CHAPTER SEVENTH. ON THi: STATE OF INWARD RECOLLECTION. I BELIEVE it is the case that all those, who have had much experience in the principles and methods of inte- rior living, agree in attaching a very great importance to the state of inward recollection. It is certainly diffi- cult to meet the crosses and trials of life with composure, and to sustain the soul on other occasions in purity and peace, without the aid of inwardly recollected habits of mind. However sincere may be our desire for entire devotedness of heart, and whatever resolutions we may form with that view, Ave shall often find ourselves in confusion of spirit, and inadvertently failing in the ful- filment of our own resolutions, without this important aid. Inward recollection is that serious and collected state of mind, in which God is realized and felt as the inward and present counsellor, guide, and judge of all our actions, both internal and external. In its results, when it becomes the fixed habit of the soul, it not only restores God to the inward possession, and establishes him upon the throne of the intellect and heart, but, differing from that condition in which he comes in broken and fragmentary visits, it sustains him there es- sentially, without interruption, in what may be termed a continuance or perpetuity of presence. In a word, it is the devoutly and practically realized presence of God in the soul, moment by moment. This is the state of mind which we cannot hesitate in saying all Christians ought to be in. It is hardly necessary to say, that it is' a scrip- tural state of mind. It is obviously implied and taught 328 ON THE STATE OF in those numerous passages of Scripture, which inculcate the duty of watchfuhiess, which speak of setting the Lord always before us, of walking with God, and of our inability to do any thing without him. And it is not more agreeable to God's Word than it is suited to man's condition ; not more scriptural than it is necessary. We need it in order to know what to do. We need it in order to do what is proper and necessary to be done, in a just, Christian, and holy manner. We need it in all times and places, and in small things as well as great ; since there are no times and places from which God ought to be excluded, and nothing is so small, that it may not have great and important relations. It will be objected, perhaps, that the state of inward recollection, considered as a state of long continuance, and still more as perpetual, is an impracticable one. Whatever it may be to others, (and undoubtedly it is a state of mind which is never experienced either in the absence of religion or in a low state of religion,) it is certainly not impracticable to a person of a truly devout spirit. But how can it be possible, says the objector, inasmuch as the religious life is made up, in a great de- gree, of specific religious duties, that a person can give the attention of his mind to those duties, and be occu- pied with the distinct idea of God at the same time ? The difficulty which is implied in this objection, what- ever may be its reality or its extent, is met and obviated, at least for all practical purposes, by an acknowledged law of our mental nature. We refer to the principle or law of habit. By means of this law, the rapidity of the mental action may be increased to a degree almost in- conceivable ; so much so that actions, which are distinct in time, will appear to be simultaneous ; and objects, which are separately attended to, will appear to be em- braced in one mental view. And so far as all practical purposes are concerned, the acts of the mind, which thus separately and successively take place, may be truly regarded as one act. And applying this law to the b^.ate of inward recollection, wo may easily see how th" INUAivD RECOLLECTION. 32S mind may be occupied with a specific duty, and may at the same time be percipient of the divine presence, and may also connect the two together, and impart to them a character of unity, so that the duty may properly be said to be done in a religiously-recollected state. The movement of the mind in relation to the duty, and then in relation to God as cognizant of the duty, and the transition from one to the other, are all so exceedingly rapid, that memory does not ordinarily separate and recognize them as distinct acts ; and thus, in our appre- hension and consciousness of them, they are blended together as one. God, therefore, in our mental contem- plation of him, may be made present to all our specific . duties ; and thus the essential condition is fulfilled, which enables the mind to exist in the state of inward recol- lection. It is our privilege, therefore, — a privilege too often undervalued and neglected, — to do every thing which Christian duty requires, as in the divine pres- ence, IN God and for God. We proceed now to specify some of those antecedent conditions or tendencies of mind, which may properly be regarded as preparatory, and even indispensable, to the state of inward rec- ollection. (I.) In the first place, there must be a sincere and earnest desire to possess it. This eminent grace, with- out which the kingdom of God in the soul will be liable to constant irruptions and overthrows, will never be possessed by a heart that is indifferent to its possession. It can belong to those, and those only, who, with a sin- cere disposition to seek God in all things, can be truly said to " hunger and thirst after righteousness." (II.) In the second place, in order to possess recollec- tion of spirit, it will be necessary not to be involved, to an undue extent, in the perplexities of worldly busi- ness. There is such a thing as admitting so much of the world and its cares into the mind, as to crowd out the great idea of God. Indeed, this is often done. And thus men, and some of them, too, who occasionally ob- serve the formalities of religion, become practical athe- 28* 330 ON THE STATE OF ists. I notice, in reading the religious writings of An- tonia Bourignon, that she expresses her opinion to one of her correspondents, that God had sent a certain afflic- tion upon him, in order to bring him to the state of mind which we are now considering. " The multitude of your comings and goings," she remarks among other things, '' and other agitations of body, do, without doubt, disturb the inward recollection. It is impossible to converse purely with God, [that is to say, when we per- mit them to have their natural effect upon us,] in the midst of external agitations." And again she says, in writing to another person, " If you could but proceed in this affair, keeping your spirit recollected in God, I doubt not but it would succeed to his glory and your great good. I speak alwa^^s of this recollection; because I myself can do nothing out of it. God's spirit is a well-regula- ted, orderly spirit, which proceeds with temperance, and weight, and measure, and discretion, ivithout any man- ner of precipitation.''^ * (III.) In the third place, in order to possess inward recollection, we are to have nothing to do, as a general rule, in thought or in feeling, or in any other way, with any thing but the present moment, and its natural and necessary relations. Discursive thoughts of a flighty and purely imaginative character — either going back to the past, for the mere purpose of drawing pleasure from it, or prospective and anticipative of the future in the manner of an idle man's reverie — are great hinderances to a recollected state. We are, in that way, rather pleas- ing ourselves than God ; and the divine presence cannot well be secured at such times. In other words, as a general rule, there must be before us some present object ; and that object must be regarded by us particularly in its moral aspect and relations. The present moment is ne- cessarily, to a certain extent, a declaration of the divine will, and furnishes the basis of present duty. And it IS the duty of the present moment, considered in its * Bourignon's Light in Darkness, pp. 12, 132 INWARD RECOLLECTION. 331 moral extension, to which, and to which only, God wil'. consent to be a party. (IV.) It may be added, further, that the state of mind which we are considering will not be likely to be pos- sessed without great fixedness of purpose ; a holy inflex- ibility of will, which keeps the mind steady to its object. We must not only wish to be the Lord's in this matter, but resolve to be so. It is well understood that even worldly objects, restricted as they are in compass and importance, cannot, in general, be satisfactorily accom- plished by an unfixed and vacillating mind. And still less can the vast objects of religion. I know, if the great object of interior recollection is proposed to be se- cured by the mere labor of the will alone, without the cooperation of the aflfections, it will be hard work, and useless work too. And, on the other hand, a favorable posture of the affections will be of but little avail, un- less the desires and inclinations are aided by the super- added energy of a fixed determination. But when the decisive and uncompromising act of the will combines its influence with that of the aspirorions of the heart, the most favorable results may, with the grace of God, be reasonably expected. It is true, without the grace of God nothing can be done, whatever may be the applica- tions and discipline of the mind. But when the condi- tions which have been mentioned are fulfilled, the di- vine assistance, if we may rely upon the promises, can never be wanting. (1.) It has already been intimated, that the state of mind to which our attention has been directed is one of great practical importance. And we proceed, there- fore, to observe now, that one of the benefits connected with the state of inward recollection is, that it is favor- able to the best improvement of time. It will be a mat- ter of course, that the person who lives in religious recol- lection will avoid unnecessary employments. With the idea of God, and perhaps we may add with the reality of God, continually present in his heart, scrutinizing every motive and actio \, and continually enforcing the 332 ON THE STATE OF claims of moral obligation, he will find no time to be spent idly, nor for the mere purposes of pleasure. Nor can he under such circumstances be the subject of inter- nal dissipation ; of vain and wandering imaginations and reveries; but will be enabled, to a degree unknown before, to bring every thought, as well as every feeling, into subjection. In order to prevent misapprehension, it may properly be added here, that whatever recreation of body or mind, either by social intercourse or in any ether way, is really required by the physical and mental constitution and laws, is entirely consistent with duty and with inward recollection — a remark, however, which requires, in its practical application, no small share of wisdom. (2.) Again, the state of inward recollection tends to diminish greatly the occasions of temptation. It is very obvious that he who knows nothing but his present duty in itself and in its relations, which is all that is necessary for him to know, cannot be so much exposed in this respect as other persons. Unspeakable dangers must, of necessity, beset the mind which is full of worldly activity, and which is continually discursive — running upon errands where it is not called ; curiously and un- necessarily speculative ; prying oftentimes, with micro- scopic minuteness, into the concerns of others, not only without reason, but against reason. What a flood of tempting thoughts must flow out upon these various occa- sions, and throng around the mind ! what suggestions, which Satan knows well when and where to apply, to envy, distrust, anger, pride, worldly pleasure, ambition ! none of which probably would have approached the mind that remained recollected in God. (3.) Another remark is, that inward recollection helps us to know the truth, especially moral truth. The supreme desire of him who has fully given his heart, to God, is, not merely that he may be happy, and thus please himself, but that he may know and do God's will. Knowledge, therefore, (we do not mean all kinds of knowledge but particularly that which has velatiop to imVARD RECOLLECTION. 333 the divine will,) is obviously of the greatest conse- quence ; and those will know most who are the most recollected. The truth opens itself to the mind, that faithfully perseveres in the state of inward recollection, with remarkable clearness ; and the reason, in part, is, because the mind, in a religiously-recollected state, ceases to be agitated by the passions. " The light of God," says the writer already referred to, " shines as the sun at noonday ; but our passions, like so many thick clouds opposed to it, are the reason that we cannot per- ceive it. Love, hatred, fear, hope, grief, joy, and other vicious passions, filling our soul, blind it in such a manner that it sees nothing but what is sensible and suitable to it ; refusing all that is contrary to its own inclinations ; and being thus filled with itself, it is not capable of receiving the light of God." * Now, there can be no question that inward recollection secures the soul in a most remarkable degree from mordinate pas- sions. Such passions cannot well flourish with the eye of God distinctly looking upon them. And accordingly, under such circumstances, the illuminative suggestions of the Holy Spirit readily enter the mind, and operate in it, and reveal the divine will ; so that he who walks in recollection may reasonably expect to walk in tha light of true knowledge and of a divine guidance. And not only this, inward recollection tends to con- centrate, and consequently to strengthen very much, the action of the intellectual powers. It does this, in part, and indirectly, by disburdening the mind of those wan- dering thoughts, and unnecessary cares and excitements, which, with scarcely any exception, overrun the minds of those who do not live in a recollected state. (4.) Another favorable result, connected with the habit of inward recollection, is that, by confining the mind to the present moment, and retaining God in the position of a present counsellor and guide, it prevents the exercise of reflex and selfish acts on the past, and * Bourignon-'s Light in Darkness, p. 14. 334 ON THE STATE OF also undue and selfish calculations for the future. Self, if we permit it, will either secretly or openly find nour- ishment every where ; and every where, therefore, we are to fight against it, overcome it, slay it. When the past is gone, and we are conscious that we have done our duty in it, if we would not have the life of self im- bibing strength from that source, we must leave it with God in simplicity of spirit, and not suffer it to furnish food either for vanity or disheartening regrets. We should avoid also all undue and selfish calculations for the fu- ture, such as continually agitate and distract the minds of the people of the world ; and indeed all thoughts and anticipations of a prospective character, which do not flow out of the facts and the relations of the present moment, and which are not sanctified by a present divine inspection. " Happy is the man," says Fenelon, "who retains nothing in his mind but what is neces- sary, and who only thinks of each thing just when it is the time to think of it ; so that it is rather God, who ex- cites the perception and idea of it by an impression and discovery of his will which we must perform, than the mind's being at the trouble to forecast and find it." * To these important results there can be no question that the habit of inward recollection is exceedingly favorable. (5.) Again, we have good reason for supposing that the state of mind under consideration is eminently pro- pitious to the spirit and practice of prayer. There cer- tainly can be no acceptable prayer without a considerable degree of recollection. And the requirement that we should " pray without ceasing," seems almost necessa- rily to imply that we should always be in a recollected state. "He who is always dissipated," says a certain writer, " like a house open to all comers and goers, is very unfit for prayer. He that will never pray but in the hour that calls him to it, will never do it well. Bu» * Fenelon's Directions for a Holy Jjife. INWARD RECOLLECTION. 335 he that would succeed in this great exercise ought, by continual recollection, to keep himself always ready, and in an actual disposition for praying."* Finally. One of the great excellences of the state of inward recollection is, that it gives us the place of cen- tral observation and power — the key, if we may so ex- press it, to the position of the religious life ; and enables us to exercise an effective control over its whole broad extent ; that is to say, it places us in the most favorable position to discover and meet the attacks of our spiritual adversaries, and also to render our own movements and efforts fully available. However well disposed may be our intentions, whatever good purposes we may have formed, whatever may be the formality and solemnity of our recorded resolutions, they will ever be found in a great degree useless, without this aid. It will be in vain to think of living a life of true religion, a life in which God himself is the inspiring element, without a present, permanent, and realizing sense of his presence. It is, therefore, not without a good degree of reason that the pious Cecil has remarked, that " recollection is the life of religion." * Letter of Instruction on Christian Perfection, by Francis de la Combe. 336 CHAPTER EIGHTH. ON THE INU ARD UTTERANCE, OR THE VOICE OF GUU IN THE SOUL. " I LAID my request before the Lord, and the Lord answered me." This is a remark which is frequently made by persons of eminent piety. They cannot doubt that they truly hold communication with God. Ad- dressing him either in silence or the spoken utterance of words, they find that they do not ask without receiv- ing. God speaks to them in return. It is important to understand the nature of the an- swers which God gives. In those earlier religious dis- pensations, of which we have an account in the Old Testament, God answered hfs people in various ways; by visible signs, by the cloud and the fire, by Urim and Thummira, by miracles, by audible voices. The periods of those dispensations have passed away, and the meth- ods of communication, which were appropriate to them, nave passed away also. What are we to understand, then, by the divine utterance, — the voice of God in the soul, — of which those persons, who are eminently pious at the present time, have frequent occasion to speak ? We remark, in the first place, that one class of those inward utterances, which are frequently regarded as re- turns or answers from God, appear to be impressions, or rather suggested thoughts, or suggestions, which are suddenly but distinctly originated in the mind, and ap- parently from some cause independent of the mind itself. Sometimes the suggestion consists in suddenly bringing to the mind a particular passage of Scripture, which is received as the divine answer. ON THE VOICK Oi GOD IN THE SOUL. 337 Sometimes the suggestion consists in the sudden origination of new ideas, or truths in a new form of words ; but truths so remarkable, either in their origin or in their appHcation, that we are disposed to regard them as the inward intimations and the voice of God. Of the frequent existence of such inward and sudden suggestions or impressions, we suppose there can be no reasonable doubt. It is well understood, and seems to be placed beyond question, that they make a portion ot the internal nistory of many pious persons. A few remarks may properly be made on this class of inward voices; and one is, that sudden suggestions or impressions may have, and that they do sometimes have, a natural origin. The natural man, as well as the re- ligious man, will sometimes tell us that he has had an unexpected or remarkable suggestion or impression. In the treatises which exist on the subject of disordered mental action, the existence of frequent and sudden impressions, such as have been described, is laid down, and apparently with good reason, because the results have justified it, as one of the marks of an incipient state of insanity. Another remark, which it may be proper to make here, is this : It is a common, and prob- ably a well-founded opinion, that sudden inward sug- gestions or impressions may have, and that they do sometimes have, a Satanic origin. If Satan is permitted to operate upon the human mind at all, and lead it astray, of which the Scriptures do not permit us to doubt, it is certainly a reasonable supposition, that he sometimes makes his attacks in this manner. And especially may we take this view, when we consider that he is a spiritual being, and would more naturally act upon the spirit or minds of men than upon the body. A third remark is, that the sudden suggestions or im- pressions which we are considering are undoubtedly, in some instances, from a truly good or divine source. It is hardly reasonable to suppose that God would forbid himself a method of operat on on the human mind which he allows to Satan, and which, if if may be em- 33S ON THE INWARD UTTERANCE. ployed, under a bad direction, to a bad purpose, is also susceptible, in other hands, of a good one. We may reasonably conclude, therefore, that the Holy Spirit sometimes adopts this method of operation. It remains to be added here, that, if these remarkable suggestions may arise from sources so various and dif- ferent, they should be received with caution ; otherwiso we may be led astray by the voice of nature or the voice of Satan, believing it to be the voice of our heav- enly Father. God deals with us as rational beings. And it is a consequence of God's recognition of our ration- ality, that he does not require us to act upon sudden suggestions or impressions, even if they come from him- self, without our first subjecting them to the scrutiny of reason. And it is here that we find the ground of our safety in respect to a method of operation upon us which otherwise would be likely to be full of danger. Accordingly, when a sudden suggestion is presented to the mind, we ought to delay upon it, although it may seem, at first sight, to require an immediate action. We should compare it with the will of God, as revealed in the Bible. We should examine it dispassionately and deliberately, with the best lights of reason, and \vith the assistance of prayer. Indeed, if the suggestion comes from God, it is presented with this very object ; not to lead us to action without judgment and without reason, but to arouse the judgment from its stupidity, and to put it upon a train of important inquiry. And when this is done in a calm and dispassionate manner, and with sincere desires for divine direction, we have good reason to believe that we may avoid the dangers which have been referred to, by detecting those suggestions V\''hich are from an evil source, and may realize impor- tant benefits. But we ought not to feel, that, in our inward conver- sation with God, we are limited to such occasions as have been mentioned, and that we have no inward response, except by means of sudden and remarkable impressions, which are liable to the 'langers ^vliich have OR THE VOICE OF GOD IN THE SOUL. 339 been indicated, and which generally exist only at con- siderable intervals from each other. On the contrary, we have abundant reason for saying that it is our privi- lege always to be conversing with God, and alwaj'-s to receive the divine answer. It is a great truth, — almost as evident on natural as it nndoubtedly is evident on scriptural grounds, — that, when we have given ourselves wholly to God, he will give himself to us in all that is necessary and important for us. And this general prin- ciple involves the subordinate idea that he is willing to communicate knovv^ledge, and to become our Teacher. We ought not to doubt that God is ready to speak to us with all the kindness of a Father, and to make known all that is necessary for us. And while, in the process of teaching and guiding men, he operates outwardly, even at the present day, by means of his written Word^ he also operates inwardly by means of interior commu- nications ; sometimes by sudden suggestions, in the manner which has already been mentioned ; but much more frequently and satisfactorily, by availing himselt of the more ordinary laws of the mind's acting, and by uttering his inward voice through the decisions of a spiritually-enlightened judgment. This is a great prac- tical and religious truth, however much it may be un- known in the experience of those who are not holy in heart — that the decision of a truly sanctified judgment is, and of necessity must be, the voice of God speaking in the soul. But this important doctrine, it must be admitted, re- quires to be correctly and thoroughly understood. It should be particularly remembered that God does not and cannot speak in this way, unless there is smcERiTy. And by sincerity we mean a sincere desire to do his will in all things, as well as a sincere desire to know and do his will in the particular thing which is laid be- fore him. Such sincerity, which may be regarded as but another name for entire consecration, naturally ex- cludes all the secret biases of self-interest and prejudice, and places the mind in the position most favorable for 340 ON THE INWARD UTTERANCE, the admission and discovery of truth. It is in such a mind, and not in a mind which is governed by worldly passions, that the Holy Ghost, whose office it is to guide men into all necessary truth, loves to dwell. We may, therefore, lay down the general principle, that the de- cision of a spiritually-enlightened judgment, made in a state of entire consecration to God's will, and with a sincere desire to know his will, may justly be regarded as a divine answer, or an answer from God, in the par- ticular matter or subject in relation to which an answei has been sought. The decision of the judgment, which is arrived at in such a state of freedom from self-interest and passion, and under the secret guidance of the Holy Spirit, is oftentimes so clear and so prompt, that it al most seems to be a voice audibly speaking in the soul. It is true, however, in point of fact, that it is only the inward ear, or the ear of faith, and not the outward or bodily ear, which is spoken to. In yielding our assent to the decisions of our judgment, we have faith, undei all the circumstances of the case, and especially in view of the promise of God to give light to those that sin- cerely ask him, that we are adopting the decisions to which our heavenly Father would lead us ; so that we may confidently say, that the answer of the judgment, in connection with the spirit of entire consecration, on the one hand, and of entire faith in God's promises, on the other, is God's answer ; that is to say, is the answer which God, under the existing circumstances, sees fit to give, whether it be more or less full and explicit. And this is all which the truly humble Christian either expects or wishes to receive, viz., such an answer, be it more or less, as God sees fit to give. Even if he is unable to come to a specific determination on the sub- ject before him, he still feels that he is not without an inward voice. He has God's answer even then ; viz., that, under the circumstances of the case, God has no specific communication to make, and that he requires him to exercise the humility and faith appropriate to a state of ignorance. And this response, humbling as it OR THE VOICE OF GOD IN THE SOUL. 34 IS to the pride of the natural heart, he truly regards as very important, and as entirely satisfactory. It is in this method — a method which appears to be free from dangers — that God ordinarily answers and converses with his people. In view of what has been said, we come to the con- clusion that it is very proper for pious people, especially for those whose hearts are truly sanctified, to speak not only of laying their requests before God, but of receiv- ing a divine answer. It is not improper for them to speak, if it is done with a suitable degree of reverence, of holding conversation idUJi God — of talking loith God. The expressions correspond with the facts. To talk with God ; to go to him familiarly, as children to a parent ; to speak to him in the Fecrecy of their spirits, and to receive an inward answer, as gra- cious as it is decisive, — is not only a privilege granted them, but a privilege practically realized. When, there- fore, we find, in the memoirs of very pious persons, as we sometimes do, statements and accounts of their hold- ing internal conversations with God, of the requests they make, and of the answers they receive, we are not ne- cessarily to regard such experiences as fanatical or de- ceitful. On the contrary, we think it impossible for a person to be truly and wholly the Lord's, without fre- quently being the subject of this inward and divine intercourse. 29* 342 CHAPTER NINTH. SPIRITUAL BREAD, OR THE DOCTRINE OF RECEIVING BY FAITH. It is well understood that we must pray in faith. No petition to God, which is not attended with confidence in his character and his Word, can be acceptable to him. But I suppose that it is not so generally understood and recognized, that, in most cases, we must receive by faith, as well as pray by faith ; that faith is as necessary in the reception of the thing petitioned for, as in the peti- tion itself. L In order the better to understand this subject, which we hope will throw some additional light upon the important doctrine contained in the latter part of the last chapter, we would remark, in the first place, that every Christian, who humbly and sincerely address- es his Maker, may reasonably expect an answer. It does not well appear how a perfectly just and holy Being could impose on his creatures the duty of prayer, with- out recognizing the obligation of returning an answer of some kind. In making this remark, we imply, of course, that the prayer is a sincere one. An insincere prayer, just so far as insincerity exists, is not entitled to be regarded as prayer, in any proper sense of the term. Our first position, therefore, is, that every person who utters a sincere prayer may reasonably expect an an- swer, and that, in fact, an answer always is given, al- though it is not always understood and received. And this appears to be entirely in accordance with the Scrip- tures — "Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto SPIRITUAL. BREAD, OR RECEIVING BY FAITH. 343 you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth ; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." II. But it becomes now an important inquiry, What s the true and just answer of God to the petitions of his people ? It seems to ns that it is, and it cannot be any thing else than, the decision of his own inrinitely just and omniscient mind, that he will give to the sup- plicant, or withhold, just as he sees best. In other words, the true answer to prayer is God's deliberate purpose or will, existing in connection with the petition and all the circumstances of the petition. But some will say, perhaps, that on this system we sometimes get our answer, without getting what we ask for ; and that God's decision may not correspond with our own desire. But this objection is met by a moment's consideration of the nature of prayer. There never was true prayer, there never can be true prayer, which does not recog- nize, either expressly or by implication, an entire sub- mission to the divine will. The very idea of prayer implies a right on the part of the person to whom the prayer is addressed, either to give or to withhold the petition ; and the existence of such a right on the part of God implies a correlative obligation on the other party to submit cheerfully to his decisions. To ask absolutely, without submission to God's will, is not tc pray, but to demand. A demand is as different from true prayer, as an humble request is from an imperative order. A request God always regards ; he always treats it with kindness and justice ; but a demand cannot be properly addressed to him, nor can it properly be re- ceived by him. The true model of the spirit of suppli- cation, even in our greatest necessities, is to be found in the Savior's prayer at the time of his agony in the gar- den. "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me ; nevertheless, not as I will, hut as thou tvilt.^^ Trre prayer, therefore, — that prayer which can be suitably addressed to the Supreme Being 344 SPIRITUAL BREAD, OR THE and that which it is suitable for an imperfect and Hmited mind to offer, — always involves the condition, whether it be expressed or not, that the petition is agreeable to the divine wilh This condition is absolutely essential to the nature of the prayer. There is no acceptable prayer, there is no true prayer, without it. Such being the nature of the prayer, the answer to the prayer will cor- respond to it, viz., it will always be the decision of the divine mind, whatever that decision may be, made up in view of the petition, and of all the attendant circum- stances. III. The next inquiry is, How are we to receive the answer ? By sight, or by faith ? It seems to us that it must be by faith. The life of the just is repre- sented as a life of faith ; and we should naturally con- clude the life of faith would include the answer to prayer, as well as prayer itself. It is very evident that the just live, as subjects of the divine Sovereign, not only by praying but by being answered. And in either case, according to the Scrip- ture representation, the principal or inspiring element of the inward life, whether a person prays or is answered in prayer, is faith. Any other view will probably be found, on close examination, to be inconsistent with the doctrine of living by faith. Accordingly, on the true doctrine of holy living, viz., by faith, we go to God in the exercise of faith, believing that he will hear ; and we return from him in the exercise of the same faith, believing that he has heard, and that the answer exists and is registered in the divine mind, although we do not know what it is, and perhaps shall never be per- mitted to know. And in accordance with these views, if, in a given case, we know from the Word of God that the petition is agreeable to the divine will, and that it is also agree- able to the divine will that it should be granted now, then the doctrine of faith will require us to believe, that the divine decision is made up and is given, and that we do 71010 have the things which we sought for DOCTRINE OF RECEIVING BY FAITH. 345 although they may come in a different way, and with a different appearance, from what we anticipated. And, on the other hand, if the Word of God has not revealed to us the divine will, the doctrine of faith still requires us to believe that the true answer exists in the will of God ; that the decision of God is made up as in the other case, whatever that decision may be, and when- ever and wherever it may be visibly accomplished. In both cases, we have need of faith ; we believe that God is either noio doing, or that he will do. So that the true answer to prayer, as it seems to us, is an answer resting upon the revealed declaration or Word of God for its basis, and made available to us in any given case by an act of faith. God promises that he will answer. Faith, accepting the declaration, recognizes the answer, whether it be known or unknown, as actually given in every case, where it can justly be expected to be given. IV. We proceed now to give some illustrations. We will suppose, for instance, that, in a particular emer gency, we need and are sincerely desirous of wisdom to guide us, and that we truly and humbly ask for it. While we thus pray, it is of course implied that we, at the same time, employ all those rational powers which God has given us, and which are appropriate to the sub- ject under consideration. To do otherwise would be like the husbandman's asking the rains and the blessing of Heaven upon lands which he had neglected to culti- vate. While we thus pray and thus act, it becomes our privilege and our duty, in accordance with the doc- trines of the life of faith, to believe fully and firmly that God does in fact answer, and that, in the sanctified exercise of the powers which are given us, we truly have that degree of wisdom which is best for us in the present case. Whether we are conscious of any new light on the subject or not, it is our privilege, and — what is very important — it is our duty, as those who would be wholly the Lord's, to believo that we have just that de- gree of knowledge which is best for us. Even if we 346 JPIRITUAL BREAD, OR THE are left in almost entire ignorance on the topic of oui inquiry, and are obliged to grope our way onward ir. the best manner we can, we still have the high satisfac tion of knowing, that we are placed in this position because God sees that a less degree of light is better in our case than a greater, and it is certain that his percep- tion of it involves the fact that it is so. And accord mgly, if it be true that God does not give to us that precise form and degree of wisdom, which, in our igno- rance, we sought for, we nevertheless have received all that wisdom which, in the view of faith, is either necessary or desirable. Such is God's answer. And such also is the true answer, viz., the answer which precisely corresponds to the spirit of the petition, if the petition has been offered up in the true spirit. But it is obvious it is an answer which could never be real- ized as the true answer, and as God's answer, except in the exercise of faith. It is, therefore, an answer resting upon the revealed declaration or Word of God, viz., that he will give wisdom to those that sincerely ask it, and made available to us in being received by faith. It answers our purpose just as much and as well, and in some important points of view far better, than if it were an answer addressed directly to our sight. We will suppose, as another iUustration of the subject, that we have a sincere and earnest desire for the salva- tion of one of our friends. Under the pressure of this desire we lay the case before our heavenly Father in supplication. What is the nature of the answer which we can reasonably expect, and which we ought to ex- pect, under such circumstances? Is it a specific answer, of such a nature as to make known to us, by a direct communication, whether the thing shall be done or not, and whether it shall be done at a particular time or not ? Or is it an answer resting upon the revealed declaration of the Word of God, as that answer is received and made available to us by faith ? In the former case, we shall pray till we know, or rather till we think we know* DOCTRINE OF RECEIVING BY FAITH. 347 not merely know that God answers us, and answers us in the best manner ; but, what is a very different thing, shall pray till we know, or think we know, what the answer is. Under the influence of a very subtle and secret distrust of God, we shall not be disposed to desist until we obtain som3 sign, some voice, some spacific manifestation, some fe3ling which shall make us certain ; and certain, not merely that God hears us, and will do all he consistently can for us : but shall insist on a cer- tain knowledge, by means of such signs and manifesta- tions, of the precise thing which he will do. In other words, we cannot trust the answer in God's keeping ; but must gratify our inordinate and sinful curiosity by having a revelation of it. In the latter case, viz., where we expect an answer, resting upon God's word and received by faith, it is very different. While we humbly, earnestly, and perseveringly lay our request before God, we shall leave the result in his hands with entire resignation ; believing, in accordance with the declarations of his holy Word, that he does truly hear us; entirely confident that he will do what is right; and recognizing his blessed will, although that will may as yet be unknown to us, as the true and only desirable fulfilment of our supplication. We shall feel, although salvation is desirable both for ourselves and others, that the fulfilment of the holy will of God is still more, yea, infinitely more desirable. '' Thy will be done." And here is a real answer, such an answer as would com- pletely satisfy an angel's mind ; and yet it is an answer received by simple faith. " The just shall live hij faith.'' The whole doctrine is beautifully summed up in a short passage in the First Epistle of John. " And this is the confidence [or strong faith] that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that lue desire of him.'' (1.) In connection with the doctrine which has been laid down, viz., that answers to prayers are to be 348 SPIRITUAL BREAD, OR THE received by faith, we proceed to make a few remarks which are naturally related to it. And one is, that this doctrine is favorable to self-renunciation. The desire of definite and specific answers naturally reacts upon the inward nature, and tends to keep alive the selfish or egotistical principle. On the contrary, the disposition to know only what God would have us know, and to leave the dearest object of our hearts in the sublime keeping of the general and unspecific belief that God is now answering our prayers in his own time and way, and in the best manner, involves a present process of inward crucifixion, which is obviously unfavorable to the growth and even the existence of the life of self. (2.) We remark, again, that a disposition to seek a specific, or rather a visible answer to our prayers, in distinction from an answer addressed to our faith, tends to weaken the principle of faith. The visible system, if we may be permitted so to call it, implies that we will trust God only so far as we can see him. It requires, as one may say, ready payment, cash in hand, a mort- gage of real estate, something seen or tangible. It cannot live upon what it calls mere air ; it is not dis- posed to trust any thing to a mere word, a mere promise, though it be the word or promise of the Almighty. Such, on a close examination, will be found to be the spirit of the specific or visible system — a system which will answer, to some extent, in our intercourse with men, but not in our intercourse with God. It is easy to see, in addition to other evils resulting from it, that It is adverse to the growth of faith ; which, in accord- ance with a well-known law of our mental and religious nature, flourishes by exercise, and withers by repression. If the system, which is not satisfied without seeing or knowing, should prevail generally, faith would necessa- rily be banished from the world, and God would be banished with it. (3.) The system which requires a present and visible or ascertained answer, in distiiiction from the DOCTRINE OF RECEIVING BY FAITH. 349 hysieni of faith, which believes that it has an answer, but does not require God to make it known till he sees best to make it known, is full of danger. It tends to self-confidence, because it implies that we can command God, and make him unlock the secrets of his hidden counsels whenev er we please. It tends to self-delusion, because we are always liable to mistake the workings of our own imaginations or our own feelings, or the intimations -of Satan, for the true voice of God. It tends to cause jealousies and divisions in the church of Christ, because he who supposes that he has a specific or known answer — which is the same, so far as it goes, as a specific revelation — is naturally bound and led by such supposition, and thus is oftentimes led to strike out a course for himself which is at variance with the feelings and judgments of his brethren. Incalculable are the evils, which, in every age of the Christian his- tory, have resulted from this source. (4.) We have but a single remark more, viz.: It is a great and blessed privilege to leave every thing in the hands of God ; to go forth, like the patriarch Abraham, not knowing whither we go, but only knowing that God leads us. " Be careful for nothing ; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." Philip, iv. 6. This is what is sometimes denominated walking in a "general and indistinct faith ; " or walking in the "obscurity of faith," or in the " night of faith." Faith, in its relation to the subject of it, is truly a light in the soul ; but it is a light which shines only upon duties, and not upon results or events. It tells us what is now to be done, but it does not tell us what is to follow. And accordingly, it guides us but a single step at a time. And when we take that step, under the guidance of faith, we advance directly into a land of surrounding shadows aid darkness. Like the patriarch Abraham, we go, not knowing whither we go, but only that God is with us Blessed and glorious way of living ! In 30 350 SPIRITUAL BREAD, OR RECEIVING BY FAITH. deed, it is the only life worth possessing ; the only true life. " Let the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing ; " let nations rise and fall ; let the disturbed and tottering earth stand or perish ; let God reveal to us the secret designs of his providence or not, — it is all well. ''Cast all your carss upon God, for he careth for you." " Believe in one Lord your God, so shall you be estab- lished. Believe 1 is prophets, so shall ye prosper." 351 CHAPTER TENTH. ON IHE PRINCIPLE OF INWARD QUIETUDE OR STILLNESS. We proceed, in this chapter, to lay down and explain a principle which is more or less distinctly recognized by writers on Christian experience, and which, by the common consent of those who have examined it, is very intimately connected with the progress and per- fection of the interior Christian life. The principle is that of inward quietude or stillness ; in other words, a true and practical ceasing from self. First. This principle involves, in the first place, a cessation from all inordinate and selfish outward ac- tivity. It does not, it will be remembered, exclude an outward activity of the right kind. To entertain any idea of this kind, would be a great error. But it dis- approves and condemns that spirit of worldly move- ment and progress; that calculating and self-interested activity ; that running to and fro without seriously looking to God, and without a quiet confidence in him, which has been, in all ages of the world, the dishonor and the bane of true Christianity. How much of what may be called secular scheming and planning there is in the church at the present time ! How much of action, prosecuted on principles which certainly cannot be ac- ceptable to a truly holy heart ! While it exhibits much of true piety, and much of the right kind of action, is it not evident that the church exhibits a great deal, also, both in its plans of personal and of public activity, of that restless, unsanctified, and grasping eagerness, which characterizes, and may be expected to charac- tnrize, those who live and act as if there were no God 352 ON THE PRINCIPLE OF 111 the world ? The principle of quietude, or stihnesSj decidedly condemns this injurious and evil course. Second. But this principle has inwardly still more important results. The true state of internal quietude, or stillness, implies three things. (1.) And, accordingly, our first remark is, that true quietness of soul involves a cessation from unnecessary wandering and discursive thoughts and imaginations. If we indulge an unnatural and inordinate curiosity ; if we crowd the intellect, not only with useful knowledge, but with all the vague and unprofitable rumors and news of the day, it is hardly possible, on the principles of mental philosophy, that the mind should be at rest. The doctrine of religious quietude conveys the notion of a state of intellect so free from all unnecessary worldly intruders, that God can take up his abode there as the one great idea, which shall either exclusively occupy the mind, or shall so far occupy it as to bring all other thoughts and reflections into entire harmony with itself. This is, philosophically, one of the first conditions of union with God, It seems to be naturally impossible that we should realize an entire harmony, or oneness, with the divine mind, while the soul is so occupied with worldly thoughts flowing into it, as almost to shut out the very idea of God. A state of religious or spiritual quietude is, in other words, a state of rest in God. The idea of God, therefore, — that magnificent and glorious idea, — must so occupy the intellect, must be so interwoven with all its operations and modes of thinking, that the thoughts of other things, which so often agitate and afflict the religious mnid, may be easily shut out. And in order to do this, they who would be perfect in Christ Jesus, must not mingle too much in the concerns of the world. Little have they to do with the unprofitable frivolities and pleasures of secular society ; with idle village gossiping ; with the trades, and adventures, and speculations, of those who hasten to be rich ; with the heats and recriminations of party politics, — and many Dther things, which it would INWARD QUIETUDE OR STILLNESS. 353 be estsy to mention. No reading, also, should be in- dulged in, which shall tend to separate between the soul and God. Knowledge is profitable, it is true ; but not all kinds of knowledge. It is better, certainly, if vv? cannot, consistently with religious principles, have a knowledge of both, to be familiar with the psalms of David than with the poems of Homer ; not only bet- cause the former are in a higher strain, but especially Decause heavenly inspiration should ever take prece- dence of that which is earthly. When, however, we read in the world's books from the sense of duty — when we may be said to read and study for God and with God — then, indeed, the great idea of the Divinity remains present and operative in the soul. And such inquiries and studies are always consistent with Chris- tian quietude, because the mind, venturing forth at the requisition of the great Master within, returns instinc- tively, at the appointed time, to the inward centre of rest. Hence we should lay it down as an important rule, to chasten the principle of curiosity, and to know nothing which cannot be made, either directly or indi- rectly, religiously profitable. Such knowledge, and such oiily, will harmonize with the presence of the great idea of God. All other knowledge tends to exclude it. And hence it is, that it can be so often said of those who possess all worldly knowledge, to whom all arts, and lan- guages, alid sciences, are familiar, that God is not in all their thoughts. The intellect is not in sufficient re- pose from the outward and purely worldly pressure constantly made upon it, to receive him. He comes to the door, but finds no entrance, and leaves them alone in their folly. Perhaps, in order to prevent mistakes, it should be added that, when the mind is thus in a state of quiet- ness and repose from worldly and errant imaginations, it does not by any means follow, as some may suppose, that it is therefore in a state of sluggish and insentient idleness. Not at all. No sooner has it reached thr state of true stillness, by ceasing from its own im 30* 354 ON THE PRINCIPLE OF aginative vanities, and thus giving entrance to tlie purifying and absorbing conception of the great Divin- ity, than it becomes silently but actively meditative on the great idea. Not, indeed, in a discursive and ex- aminative way, not in a way of curious inquiry and of minute analysis, but still active and meditative ; much in the manner, perhaps, that an affectionate child silently and delightedly meditates on the idea of an absent parent ; not analytically and curiously, but with that high and beautiful meditation which exists in connection with the purest love ; or much as any persons, who sustain to each other the relation of dear and intimate friendship, when in the providence of God they are separated at a distance, often repose in mental stillness from all other thoughts inconsistent with the one loved idea; and thus reciprocally the mind, active in respect to the object before it, though still and quiet in respect to every thing else, centres and dwells with each other's image. (2.) Again, the state of internal quietude implies a cessation, or rest, from unrestrained and inordinate de- sires and affections. Such a cessation becomes com- paratively easy, when God has become the ruling idea in the thoughts; and when other ideas, which are vain, wandering, and in other ways inconsistent with it, are excluded. This rest, or stillness of the affections, when it exists in the highest degree, is secured by perfect faith in God, necessarily resulting in perfect love. We have already had occasion to say that perfect faith im- plies, in its results, perfect love. How can we possibly have perfect faith in God, perfect confidence that he will do all things right and well, when, at the same time, we are wanting in love to him ? From perfect faith, therefore, perfect love necessarily flows out, bap- tizing, as it were, and purifying, all the subordinate powers of the soul. In other words, under the influ- ence of this predominating principle, the perfect love of God resting upon perfect faith in God, the harmony of the soul be/:omes restored ; the various appetites, INWARD tlUIETUDE OR STILLNESS. 355 propensities, and affections, act each in their place and all concurrently ; there are no disturbing and jarring in- fluences ; and the beautiful result is that quietness of spirit which is declared to be " in the sight of God of great price." Those who are privileged, by divine assistance, to enjoy this interior rest and beautiful stillness of the passions, are truly lovely to the beholder. The wicked are like the troubled sea, that cannot rest, tossed about by conflicting passions, and are not more unhappy in them- selves than they are unlovely in the sight of holy beings. There is a want of interior symmetry and union : that guiding principle of divine love, which consolidates and perfects the characters of holy beings, is absent ; the lower parts of their nature have gained the ascendency, and there is internal jarring and discord, and general moral deformity. In such a heart God does not and cannot dwell. How diflerent is the condition of that heart which is pervaded by the power of a sancti- fying stillness, and which, in the cessation of its own jarring noise, is prepared to listen to the " still small voice " ! It is here that God not only takes up his abode, but continually instructs, guides, and consoles. On this part of the subject, in order to prevent any misapprehension, we make two brief remarks : The first is, that the doctrine of stillness, or quietude of the desires and passions, does not necessarily exclude an occasional agitation arising from the instinctive part of our nature. The instincts are so constituted, that they act, not by cool reason and reflection, but by an inexpressibly quick and agitated movement. Such is their nature. Such agitation is entirely consistent with holiness; and it is not imuiasonable to suppose, that even the amazement and fe.ni', wliich are ascribed to our blessed Savior at certain petiods of his life, are to be attributed to the operation of this part of his nature, which is perfectly consistent with entire resignation and with perfect confidence in God. The other re- mark is, that the doctrine of internal quietude, perva 356 ON THE PRINCIPLK OF ding and characterizing the action of the sensibihties, is not inoDnsistent with feehngs of displeasure, and even of anger. Our Savior was at times grieved, dis- pleased, angry ; as he had abundant reason to be, in view of the hardness of heart, and the sins, which were exposed to his notice. Anger (so far as it is not purely instinctive — which at its first rise, and for a mere moment of time, it may be) is, in its nature, entirely consistent with reason and reflection ; is con- sistent with the spirit of supplication, and consist- ent, also, even in its strong exercises, with entire agreement and relative quietude in all parts of the soul. In other words, although there is deep feeling in one part of the soul, the other parts — such as the reason, the conscience, and the will — are so entirely consentient, that the great fact of holy, internal qui- etude, which depends upon a perfect adjustment of the parts to each other, is secured. A strong faith in God, existing in the interior recesses of the soul, and in- spiring a disposition to look with a constant eye to his will alone, keeps every thing in its right position. Hence there still remains the great and important fact of holy internal rest, even at such trying times. (3.) We proceed now to the third characteristic. The true state of internal quietude implies a cessation not only from unnecessarily wandering and discursive thoughts and imaginations, not only a rest from ir- regular desires and affections, but implies, in the third place, a perfect submission of the will ; in othei words, a perfect renunciation of our own purposes and plans, and a cheerful and perfect acquiescence in the holy will of God. Such a renunciation of the will is indispensably requisite. It is not to be understood that we are to have no will of our own, in the literal sense • this would be inconsistent with moral agency ; but that in its action, under all circumstances, however ad- verse and trying, our will is cheerfully and wholly accordant with God's will. A mind in such a state must necessarily be at rest. It realizes that God is «t INWARD QUIETUDE OR STILLNESS. 357 the helm of affairs ; and that necessarily all the plans of his wise and great administration shall come to pass. Why, then, should it be troubled? "What a blessed thing it is," says Dr. Payson, "to lose one's will! Since I have lost my will, I have found happiness. There can be no such thing as disappointment ; for 1 have no desire but that God's will may be accom- plished." The blessedness of such a soul is indeed indescribable. It is an inward death, out of which springs inward and eternal life ; a self-annihilation, out of which rises immortal power. The man who has the true quietude is like a large ship firmly at anchor in a storm. The clouds gather around, the winds blow, the heavy waves dash against her, bat she rides safe in her position, in conscious dignity and power. Or per- haps his situation is more nearly expressed by the memorable and sublime simile of Goldsmith : — "As some tall clifF, that rears its awful form, Swells from the vale and midway leaves the storm, — Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread, Eternal sunshine settles on its. head." But some will say, " Is there to be no action ? and are we to do nothing ? " A person in this state of mind, being at rest in the will of God, and never out of that divine will, is operative precisely as God would have him so ; moving as God moves, stopping where God stops. He is at rest, but never idle. His God forbids idleness. Therefore he keeps in the line of divine cooperation, and works loith God. There may be less of vain and noisy pretension, and sometimes less of out- ward and visible activity ; but there is far more wisdom, and far more actual efficiency ; for God is with him. 358 CHAPTER ELEVENTH. ADDITIONAL REMARKS ON THE STATE OF INTERIOR STILLNESS. Fenelon has somewhere remarked to this effect, that in our inward feelings, "i^ is often more easy to pei'ceivc IV hat is the result of nature than of grace.^' This remark may perhaps be of doubtful correctness in the view of some persons ; but it is certainly worthy of serious examination. If it be true, it is a remark which involves important principles. We are aware that the common opinion is the oppo- site of this. It is generally supposed that the emotions and affections of the religious life are more marked and perceptible than those of the natural life. It seems to be a prevalent idea, that a person who is not internally perceptive of strong emotions and affections, has but little claims to depth and power of religious experience. It is implied in this idea, that there must be a salient or projective aspect to these feelings, so that to the subjects of them they shall appear, in comparison with other feelings, to ^tand out distinctly and prominently percep- tible. It is to this particular phasis of the common doctrine, that the remark of Fenelon — viz., that, in oui inward experience, it is more easy to perceive what is the result of nature than of grace — is particularly op- posed. He would not by any means deny the strength of religious emotions and feelings in those who are truly and eminently pious. This would be a great error. His idea is that, when the soul is wholly given to God, there is such an entire harmony and internal rest, that no one of the religious affections, however strong they may be, is comparatively so much in ad- Ai.l*lTl'.NAL, llEMAKKS ON 1 NTEltlOF STILLNESS. 359 vance of what might reasonably be expected of other religious feelings, as necessarily to claim and secure a distinct and particular notice. All are the subjects of a perfect relative adjustment ; all are kept in their place by the superintendence of the principle of perfect love ; all are sprinkled over and bright with the celestial dew ; so that one part or exercise is as beautiful in its place as another, and as much calculated to arrest particular attention as another. The result is the harmony, the mternal stillness, and the beauty, which must ever characterize true holiness. This doctrine is in accordance with the facts which from time to time present themselves to notice in the annals of personal Christian experience. The interest- ing form of the religious life, of which this doctrine may be regarded as the theological or philosophical expression, seems, indirectly at least, to be indicated m those beautiful expressions in 2d Corinthians, where the apostle, speaking of himself and others, says, "as un- known, and yet well known ; as dying, and, behold, we live ; as chastened, and not killed ; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing ; as poor, yet making many rich ; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.''^ He who is known and yet unknown, dying and yet living, sorrowful yet rejoicing, poor yet communicating riches, having nothing and yet possessing all things, is the subject of feelings, the result of whose various action, strange as it may seem, is perfect harmony and internal calm. His fame is counterbalanced and harmonized by his obscurity ; his sorrow by his joy ; his poverty by his riches; his absolute possession of nothing by his possession of all things; — so that the soul, pressed as it were by equal forces in opposite directions, necessai ily maintains the central position of interior rest. The state of mind, of which we are speaking, appears to be disclosed in one of the short prayers that are found in Fenelon's Pious Reflections ; a part of which is as follows : — " O Lord, I know not what I should ask of thee. 360 ADDITIONAL REMARKS ON THE Thou only kiiowest What 1 want; and thou lovest me, if J 3m thy friend, better than I can love myself. O Lord, give to me, thy child, what is proper, whatsoever it may be. I dare not ask either crosses or comforts. I only present myself before thee. I open my hoait to the( Behold my wants, which I am ignorant of; but do thou behold and do according to thy mercy. Smite, or heii ! Depress me, or raise me up! I adore all thy purposes, without knowing them. I am silent. I offer myse>f in sacrifice," Such supplications give evidence of a mind that is at rest in itself ; a mind that reposes with entire confi- dence, whatever may be its temptations and sorrows, upon tlie Divine Mind. The religious state of Madam Guyon, in the latter part of her life, ilhistrates this form of Christian experi- ence. "In these last times," she says, "I can hardly speaK at all of my dispositions. It is because my state has become simple and without variations. It is a pro- found annihilation. I find nothing in myself to which I can give a name ; [that is, no feelings so specific and remarkable, separate from this simplicity and this loss of self in God, as to enable me to describe them.] All that I know is, that God is infinitely holy, righteous, good, and happy." " All good is in him. As to myself, I am a mere nothing. To me every condition seems equal. All is lost in his immensity, like a drop of water in the sea. In this divine immensity, the soul sees itself no more." In that state of internal experience, which is described by Madam Guyon, there seems to be a perfect balance and harmony of the different parts of the mind. There may be deep feeling, (and there is in reality very deep feeling,) but it is so perfectly controlled by a sense of union with the will of God, that the result is complete simplicity and rest of soul. Just as it is in a piece of complicated machinery: if the wheels and other parts are out of order, or if there is much friction, the action of the machinery is perplexed, and is really weak STATE OF INTERIOIl STILLNESS. 361 although there is exceedingly great jarring and discord- ant noise. But when the wheels are all in position and there is no friction, the action may be one of tremen- dous power, and yet so easy and quiet as to be hardly perceptible. And such is the true kingdom of God in the soul. It comes and exists with power, but with great simplicity. There is nothing in it, in itself con- sidered, which IS calculated to attract and secure worldly observation. It is mighty; but, like God himself, it is inwardly silent ; ''a still, small voice." The religiously quiet man, that is to say, the man who is inwardly and truly subdued and quiet, in consequence of religion, is really the man of great religious strength ; and yet this strength, m consequence of that harmonious silence of movement, which is the result of its own perfection, is so hidden from his view, that he seems to be hardly conscious of its existence. But it is very different with the natural man ; and also with the Christian, who still retains a large infusion of the natural element. While the operations of the sanctified man are harmonious and quiet, and therefore are withdrawn, in a great meas- ure, from distinct inward notice, those of the natural mind are not only self-interested, but are restless, impet- uous, and contradictory, and therefore, as a matter of course, are mentally prominent and perceptible. The true controlling principle of the mind, in the case of the natural man, is gone ; and its parts in action strike and jar upon each other with an inward concussion, like the hinges of the gates of hell, that grate "harsh thunder." 31 362 CHAPTER TWELFTH. ON THE TRUE IDEA OF INTERIOR ANNIHILATION OP NOTHINGNESS. When we use the phrase " interior annihilation," we of course use it in a mitigated or quahfied sense, as meaning not an entire extinction of any principles within us, but only an extinction of certain irregularities of their action. In other words, it is not an absolute anni- hilation ; but only the annihilation of any thing and every thing which is wrong ; the annihilation of what the Scriptures call the " old man," in distinction from the " new man, created anew in Christ Jesus." Per- haps we should not refer to this form of expression at all, nor make any remarks upon it, although it is some- times a convenient one in the description of internal experience, were it not that it is often employed, or some phrase of equivalent import, in writers, particu- larly those of an ancient date, on the interior religious life. I believe, also, it is quite common among many Christians, at the present time, to speak in rather a loose way of their Nothingness, of the importance of feeling that they are Nothing, and the like ; which shows that this form of expression indicates the existence of some great practical truth, although it may be but indistinctly developed, which is clear to the religions mind. We shall give our ideas on this subject as plainly and con- cisely as we can. First. The state of inward annihilation is char- acterized, in the first place, by the extinction of all un- regulated or unsanctified love of created things, or " love of the creatures," as it is sometimes expressed. Accordingly, we cannot say that a person is interiorlv ON INTERIOR ANNIHILATION OR NOTHINGNKSS. 363 lost 01- annihilated, who is in any degree the slave of his appetites. The action of the appetites, when directed to their original objects, and when subjected to the regulation of a purified conscience, is undoubt- edly consistent with this state ; that is to say, when they are exercised, not from a view to the mere pleasure which they afford, but in accordance with their primi- tive constitution, and consequently in accordance with the will of God. But he who takes delight in the pleasures of the senses, and indulges the lower appetites of our nature, that the attendant pleasures rather than *he original objects of the senses may be realized, has not so crucified and slain himself, that he can be said to be inwardly annihilated. There is still within him- self the germination and the growth of that form of selfish gratification which may properly be called a "love of the creatures." A similar statement may be made in regard to those principles which are understood to be higher in rank than the Appetites ; and which, in order to distinguish them from the lower or appetitive part of our nature, may properly be denominated the Propensities and the Affections; such as the social propensity, the desire of knowledge, the desire of esteem, the filial affection, the parental affection, friendship, and the love of country. If these propensive principles and affections, whatever comparative rank they may sustain, are not perfectly subordinated to the principle of supreme love to God, — if they exist in such a degree as to be in conflict with what the law of God requires, — then it is very clear that the state of mind does not exist, which, in the language of religious experience, is denominated " interior anni- hilation." There is still a vigorous portion of the life of the " old man," which has not been slain. And hence it is, that we lay down the extinction of the love of created things, or "love of the creatures," with the explanation and illustration of the meaning of the terms just given, as one of the characteristics of the state of mind under consideration. Of a person who is 364 ON THE TRUE IDEA OF INTERIOR thus interiorly annihilated it can be truly said, "he is crucified to the world, and the world is crucified to him." Second. Another mark or characteristic of that state of mind which is described as interior annihilation, is ^Ac extinction of self-will. He who is annihilated and lost to himself has no will of his own. We ought to re- mark here, that, when we speak of the extinction of inordinate creature-love and of self-will, we do no' mean to imply that the mind is rendered naturally Oi physically incapable of such irregular exercises ; but merely that the work of grace in the heart has been so deep, that there is, at the present time, a practical ex- tinction of all such wrong internal acts. We are no longer troubled with them. Acting from supreme love to God has become the confirmed principle and habit of the mind ; so that sensual pleasure, and worldly ap- plause, and private ends of whatever kind, have lost their power. We have no pleasure of our own ; we have no desires of our own : we have no will of our own. Under all circumstances, rejecting all wisdom and all plans originating in ourselves, our inquiry is, " What wilt thou have me to do?" "God within us," the divine image, living operatively in the soul, is the all- powerful and absorbing principle. Third. The state of interior nothingness is charac- terized, further, by the extinction of the power of antece- dent evil habits. A person may be sanctified to God, his heart may be pure in the divine sight, and still there may be a constant struggle on the part of the " old man," or the " old nature," to regain possession. It is difficult to explain this, viz., that a truly holy heart may still have a struggle antagonistical to sin, and oftentimes a fearful struggle ; but it is probably owing, in addition to the direct temptations of Satan, to the tremendous power of antecedent evil habits. The principle of self- love, for instance, may by divine grace be redeemed from its selfish attitude, and may be brought to its true sub- jective position, and become a holy principle ; and yet, in ANNIHILATION OR NOTHINGNESS. 365 consequence of its previous habits of inordinate exer- cise, there may be a strong tendency, which requires constant resistance, to resume its former position of ir- regularity and sin. This tendency is not, properly speaking, in the principle itself; but is forced upon it exteriorly, if we may so express it, by the law of habit ; and therefore, although it is extremely dangerous, it does not appear to be necessarily sinful. The idea may here perhaps be illustrated in the case of the reformed inebri- ate. He has refrained from drinking ; but the influence of the antecedent law of habit is still felt in his system. He is no longer guilty of the sin of drinking ; but his liability to fall into this sin is greatly increased by his antecedent evil habit. There is, undoubtedly, some- thing mysterious in this ; but it seems, nevertheless, to be true. He feels that, in consequence of his former evil habits, the enemy is near at hand and in great pow- er ; that his danger is thereby increased, and that he must always be in the attitude of watchfulness and of resistance. Something like this is the case with those who have just entered into that state where they can say they "love the Lord with all their heart." The enemy is cast out ; but he avails himself of the influ- ence of the law of habit, to take a hostile attitude and to seek a reentrance. Now, when a person has experienced the state of in- terior nothingness, as it is conveniently, perhaps, and i yet not accurately termed, he has, by divine grace, not only succeeded in conquering sin in the gigantic forms of creature-love and of self-will, but in breaking down the perplexing influence and the unfavorable tendency of former habits. And hence there is a vast accession to his power, and to his tendency to union with God. Satan himself, in the presentation of his temptations, has comparatively but little influence over such a soul. He has, comparatively speaking, no basis to operate upon ; no way of secret, circuitous, and indirect attack ,• but must come boldly up and make his attack face to face, as he did in his temptation of the bfossed Savior; 31* 366 ON THE TRUE ILEA OF INTERIOR and this he would rather not do, if he can approach th6 object of his attack in some other way. Fourth. It is a further characteristic of the mental state which we are considering, that a person in this state of mind has no disposition to exercise self-reflecting acts, originating either in undue self-love or in a want of faith. What I mean to say is, that, when he has done his duty, he no longer turns back upon himself and asks, as the half-way Christian often does, " What does the world think of me ? " Divested of all selfish purposes and aims, and having no will of his own, he acts delib- erately and supremely for God ; and therefore he feels that whatever is done, so far as motives and intentions are concerned, is well done. In that respect, no trouble enters his mind. There is no need of retrospection ; no need of apologies to cavillers. Indeed, he can scarcely be said to exercise retrospective acts and reflections upon himself in any sense whatever. Such acts seem to be, to some extent, inconsistent with the fact that his heart is fixed exclusively upon an object out of himself . What is done, stands written in the record of his Divine Mas- ter ; and there he leaves it. His whole soul is given to the present moment. The present moment is given to God. Fifth. Another and remarkable characteristic of this state of mind is this : He who is the subject of it is dead and crucified to all internal joys, also, as well as to all pleasures and joys of an external kind. He has no sym- pathy with those who are always crying, " Make me happy — pay me well, and I will be holy." Per- sonal happiness, as a supreme or even a separate object of desire, never enters his thought. It makes no dif- ference what the form of that happiness is, whether pleasures of the senses or pleasures of the mind. He is willing to abandon and sacrifice even the pure and sub- lime pleasure, almost the only consolation left to him h\ this sad world, which flows from communion with those who, like himself, are sanctified to God. His true hap- piness consists in hanging upon the cross, and in being \ ANNIHILATION 0R\ NOTHINGNESS. 367 crucified to self. Whether he is tempted or not tempted, interiorly and in the bottom of his heart he can say, " All is well." Whether he suffers or does not suffer, the throne of peace is erected in the centre of his soul. Wretchedness and joy are alike. He welcomes sorrow, even the deep- est sorrow of the heart, with as warm a gush of grati- tude as he welcomes happiness, if the will of God is ACCOMPLISHED. In that will his soul is lost, as in a bot- tomless ocean. ''Lord, 1 will not follow thee," says a devout person, " by the way of consolations and self- pleasures, but only by love. I desire thee only, and nothing out of thee, for myself. If I ever mention any thing as appertaining to me, if I name myself, I mean thee only ; for thou only art me and mine. My whole essence is in thee. I desire nothing which comes from thee, but thee thyself. I had rather suffer forever the cruel torments of hell, than enjoy eternal happiness without thee. If I knew I should be annihilated, yet would I serve thee with the same zeal ; for it is not for my sake, but thine, that I serve thee. O, how great is my joy, that thou art sovereignly good and perfect! " * In connection with what has been said, it will not be surprising when we say fin-ther, that the person to whom these statements will apply, makes but little account of raptures, visions, ecstasies, special illuminations, sudden and remarkable impressions, or any thing of the kind, except so far as they tend (which, alas ! is frequently not the case) to extinguish self, and to lead the soul into the abyss of the Supreme Divinity. Finally. The soul that has reached the centre of its Nothing, (that is, is absolutely and forever nothing relatively to self,) remains without resistance in the hands of God, like clay in the hands of the potter. It has become perfectly pliable and impressible to the di- * Cardinal Bona, as quoted in Fenelon's Pastoral Letter on the Love of God. See also, for similar sentiments, Bona's Principes de la Vie Chr^tienne, ch. 47. 368 ON THE TRUE IDEA OF INTERIOR vine touch. Such a soul is peculiarly the subject ot that ennobling form of prayer, which is called in certain writers the Receptive or Passive Prayer ; that is to say, a prayer which is inspired rather than self-originated — which is given rather than self-produced. Entirely di- vested of those habits of self-activity which are so common, and which, in consequence of preceding or of perplexing the operations of the Holy Spirit, are so in- jurious, the soul remains quiet and childlike in the diviue presence. Like the placid lake, that receives, and re- flects to the eye of the beholder, the image of trees and flowers on its banks, returning image for image, without a stem disarranged or a petal broken ; so, in all the hid- den aspirations which it constantly sends forth, it pas- sively and almost unconsciously receives and reflects the image of God — an image which is not distorted by the mixture of self-originated acts, nor marred by the disturbing power of internal agitation. God loves to leave the impress of his blessed image on the self-anni- hilated soul ; and the prayer which it breathes, as it is not self-moved, but moves as it is moved upon, may truly be regarded as the praying breath of the Holy Spirit, who always dwells in the soul that knows itself no more. We may see, therefore, how strong must be the posi- tion of the Divine Mind (the Deus agens inter, as it has been expressed in the Latin) in the self-annihilated soul — a soul, in the language of Michael de Molinos, " desiring as if it did not desire ; willing as if it did not will ; understanding as if it did not understand ; think- ing as if it did not think ; without inclining to any thing, [that is, independently of the will of God;] em- bracing equally contempts and honors, benefits and cor- rections. O, what a happy soul is this, which is thus dead and annihilated ! It lives no longer in itself, be- cause God lives in it. And now it may most truly be said of it, that it is a renewed phoenix, because it is changed, spiritualized, and transformed into the divine image." ANNIHILATION OK NOTHINGNESS. 36^ And again, he says, " We seek ourselves every time we get out of our Nothing ; and, therefore, we never get to quiet and perfect contemplation. Creep in, as far as ever thou canst, into the truth of thy Nothing ; and then nothing will disquiet thee ; nay, thou wilt be hum- ole and ashamed, losing openly thy own reputation and esteem. " O, what a strong bulwark wilt thou find of that Nothing I Who can ever afflict thee, if thou dost once retire into that fortress ! Because the soul, which is despised by itself, and in its own knowledge is nothing, is not capable of receiving grievance or injury from any body. The soul which keeps within its Nothingness is internally silent, lives resigned in any torment what- soever, by thinking it less than it doth deserve ; is free from abundance of imperfections, and becomes com- mander of great virtues. While the soul keeps still and quiet in its Nothingness, the Lord draws his own IMAGE AND LIKENESS IN IT, WITHOUT ANY THING TO HINDER IT." * * See the Abstract of the Spiritual Guide of Molinos, chf 19, 20. ^ro CHAPTER THIRTEENTH. ON THE STATE OF UNION WITH GOD. Among the higher forms of Christian experience, as we find them described by writers on experimental reli- gion, there is a state of mind which we find denominated the state of union. It is also frequently called, by a phrase which intimates the same thing, the unitive state of mind. This state of mind is not unfrequently implied, and even described, by devout writers, without a formal mention of it by name. Archbishop Leighton, for in- stance, speaks of the Christian who perceives himself " knit to God, and his soul more fast and joined nearer to him than to his own body." The following prayer is ascribed to John Climacns, many centuries since a devout and learned recluse of Mount Sinai. " My God, I pretend to nothing upon this earth, except to be so firmly united to thee by prayer, that to be separated from thee may be impossible. Let others desire riches and glory ; for my part I desire but one thing, and that is, to be inseparably united to thee, and to place in thee alone all my hopes of happiness and repose." These expressions indicate a full belief, on the part of this de- vout person, of the existence of the state of present mental union with God, as well as earnest desire for it. There are repeated allusions to this state of mind in the works of Kempis and Tauler ; writers who, although Catholics, are favorably mentioned by Luther, and have always been much esteemed by Protestant Christians. Sir Henry Vane, one of the English Puritans, a man reli- giously as well as politically memorable, wrote a religious treatise, which iu part had express relation to this subject, ON THE STATE OF UNION WITH GOD. O/l entitled, On the Love of God, and Union with God. Many pious persons in more modern times, and in difter- ent denominations of Christians, have spoken very em- phatically of their union with the Divine Mind, and in such way as to leave the impression, that they consid- ered the state of union as a distinct and peculiar as well as a very desirable and eminent modification of Christian experience. " Time would fail me," says Lady Maxwell, " to tell of the numberless manifestations of divine love and power. I have, though deeply unworthy, been fa- vored with such wonderful lettings into Deity as no language can describe or explain ; but the whole soul dilates itself in the exquisite enjoyment ; so refined, so pure, so tempered with sacred awe, so guarded by heav- enly solemnity, as effectually to prevent all irregularity of desires. These, with every power of the mind, bow in holy subjection before Jehovah. Surely the feelings of the soul on these memorable occasions are nearly similar to those enjoyed by the heavenly inhabitants. I have it still to remark, that all my intercourse with God the Father is strongly marked with that superior solemnity and awe which lay and keep the soul in the dust, yet raised to that holy dignity which flows from a con- sciousness of union with the Deity.'''' First. Proceeding now to make a (ew general remarks in explanation of the subject, we observe, in the first place, that the name Unitive State, or State of Divine Union, is derived from the peculiar state of mind which exists. The precise state of the soul, stated in general terms, seems to be one of close and ineffable conformity with the Divine Mind. It is called the state of union, therefore, simply because it is such. We cannot help regarding this state of mind, if it be rightly understood, as a scriptural one. Is it too much to say, that there is a recognition of it in those remarkable, and to some persons inexplicable passages which are found in the latter part of John's Gospel? — passages which, however mysteri- ous they may appear to many at the present time, have nevertheless a real meaning ; and, as tlie church advances 372 ON THE STATE OF UNION WITH GOD. in holiness, will undoubtedly be made clear and full of import in connection with the personal experience of multitudes. "Neither pray I for these alone; but for them also, which shall believe on me through their word. That they may all be one ; as thou, Father, art in me and 1 in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory, which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one ; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me." John xvii. 20, 23. Second. The following principle appears to lie at the foundation of the doctrine of divine union, as we find it represented in various writers, viz. : That all moral and accountable beings, just in proportion as they are freed from the dominion of sin, have a natural and inherent tendency to unite with God. Of the correctness of this principle, when properly understood, there does not appear to be any reasonable doubt. It is nothing more nor less than this, — that holy beings recognize in each other a mutual relationship of character, and are led, by the very necessities of their nature, to seek each other in the reciprocal exercise of love. In other words, noth- ing appears to them so exceedingly good, desirable, and lovely as holiness, whenever and wherever found. Ac- cordingly, just as soon as we feel that our sins are par- doned, atid have an inward consciousness that faith in Christ, who is " the way, the truth, and the life," is working by love and purifying the heart, we begin to feel also a secret union with the Savior, not only as our atoning sacrifice, but as a holy being, and as a true representative of the Divinity in the flesh. And just in proportion as we grow in grace and become free from sin, we shall find this state of union with the Savior increasing. And union with Christ (a real union, such as that of the branch when it is united to the vine) is followed, in the natural progress of the religious lifc; ON THE STATE OF UNION WITH GOD. 373 Dy union, through Christ and in Christ, with God the Father ; in accordance with the remarkable prayer of the Savior, which has aheady been referred to, " that they all may be one ; as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us." And it is in accordance with this view, that Lady Maxwell, whose religious experience, especially in the latter part of her life, is exceedingly interesting and instructive, remarks^ in expressions which convey an important truth, though perhaps liable to be misunderstood, " Jehovah teaches and enables me to pass through Jesus as the icay to himself.'''' In a single word, union, (whether we look at the subject in the light of nature or in the light of God's word,) union, pure, strong, inseparable, and without regard to natural or physical differences, is the one great and necessary law of holy beings. Just in proportion as our sin is taken away, the element of separation is taken away; and the soul, delivered from the clogs which fastened it to that which is not God, returns instinctively and unerringly to the Infinite Centre. And it should not be forgotten, also, that there is the same tendency ou the part of God, a tendency which his holy nature renders necessary and invariable, to enter into this intimate union. No matter how inferior holy beings may be ; they may be mere insects in capacity ; still the holy heart of God loves them, seeks them, becomes one with them. In a very important sense, inasmuch as their holiness cannot be regarded as ^self- originated, they are a part of himself by their very na- ture. Hence the doctrine so distinctly and strikingly laid down in the writings of Dr. Cudworth. Speaking of holiness, he says, " If it be but hearty and sincere, it can no more be cut off and discontinued from God, than a sunbeam here upon earth can be broken off from its intercourse with the sun, and be left alone amidst the mire and dirt of this lower world. Holiness is something of God, wherever it is. It is an efflux from him, that always hangs upon him and lives in him ; as the sun- beams, although they gild this lower world, and spread 32 374 ON THE STATE OF UNION WITH GOD. their golden wings over us, yet they are not so much here, where they shine, as in the sun, from whence they flow." The necessity of this union on the part of holy beings, and on the part of God, as well as on the part of other holy beings, seems to me to be clearly implied in that beautiful passage of Scripture, " God is love ; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." Third. We remark again, in the third place, that union with God, considered as a form of Christian expe- rience, is not a physical union, a union of essence with essence physically, but a moral and religious union. It would hardly be necessary to make this remark, were it not that some pious writers on this subject make use of strong expressions, which may be easily misunderstood and misapplied, but which obviously were not designed to be, and ought not to be, taken in their physical or lit- eral import. The passages of Scripture which recog- nize and which require the union of the regenerated mind of man with the mind of his Maker, or with the mind of Christ, are in some instances exceedingly strong, and seem to require a modified interpretation. All that is necessary is, that we should exhibit in other cases the discrimination and candor which generally characterize our interpretations of the Scriptures. But although we are not to understand, from the language of the writers on this subject, that there is a physical union, or a union which would imply, in any sense, the loss of our own personality and accountability, they undoubtedly mean to teach the existence and the reality of a moral and religious union, as close and intimate as such a union possibly can be ; a union entirely analogous, in all prob- ability, to that pure and blessed union, which existed between Christ Jesus, considered in his human nature, and his heavenly Father. Fourth. The existence of the unitive state does not necessarily imply inward manifestations and raptures of an extraordinary kind. On the contrary, such manifes- tations, and joys and raptures, of a remarkable character. ON THE STATE OF JNION (VITH UOD. 37 i> which would be likely to attract attention to themselves as distinct objects of notice, and thus nourish the life of self, would be unfavorable, rather than otherwise, to the existence of the state of mind under consideration. This state of mind implies, however, the existence, in the highest degree, of those two great elements of the reli- gious life, to which the reader's attention has been repeat- edly called, viz.. Consecration, which separates us from every known sin, and lays all upon the altar of God as a perpetual sacrifice ; and Faith, which leaves all in God's hands, and which receives and accepts no wisdom, no goodness, no strength, but what comes from God as the true source of inward and everlasting life. Consecration renounces the all of the creature ; faith recognizes and accepts the all of God. Consecration implies the rejec- tion and hatred of all evil ; faith implies the reception and love of all good. The one alienates, abhors, and tramples under foot all unsanctified natured desires, aims, and purposes ; the other approves, receives, and makes a part of its own self, all the desires, aims, and purposes of God ; and both are implied and involved, and are carried to their highest possible exercise, in the state of divine union. Fifth. The mind, in the state of union with God, is disposed to indulge in subdued and affectionate acts of contemplation, rather than in examinative and discursive or reasoning acts. It is undoubtedly the case, that the mind may remain fixed upon God, and may be in a cer- tain sense united to him, in what may variously be called a perceptive, reflective, or discursive manner ; that is to say, engaged in. a perceptive or speculative view of him, occupied in the critical examination of his various attributes, his justice, wisdom, and goodness, or some- thing of the kind. But something more than this kind of union is implied in the state of mind which we are now speaking of. The examinative or discursive state of the mind implies the presence of God to the intellect merely ; the contemplative state, although not altogether Rxcluding an intellectual view, implies his presence to 376 ON THE STATE OF UNION WITH GOD. the heart. And it is on this ground that we make the remark, that the mind, in the state of divine union, is -ather contemplative than perceptive and examinative I have sometimes supposed, that something Hke the unitive state of mind, which it is so difficult to describe, might perhaps exist in the case of a blind child, who has an attentive and affectionate father. The child, being blind from birth, has visually and perceptively no distinct knowledge of his father. But he knows there is an object present to him, though unseen ; and that this outward and unseen being is ever beneficent and ever active in securing his happiness. He has but an indefinite and obscure notion of his form, and is not capable of any accurate analysis of his character; but his mind rests in the general complex idea of an ever- present being, who, although he is unseen, and in many of his attributes is essentially unknown, is never- theless the precise object which of all others is the most fitted to secure, and is the most worthy of, his love. It is thus contemplatively rather than discursively that his father is ever present to his thoughts, and is ever the object of his almost adoring affections. Sixth. The state of divine union may exist under two modifications ; the one characterized by our being distinctly conscious of its existence, the other without such consciousness. The union of the human with the divine mind, when it is once originated, is not easily broken. The fact, for instance, of our being taken up at times with indispensable worldly cares, does not necessarily destroy the state of union, although we may not be distinctly percipient or conscious of it at such times. But what we wish to remark here is, that the state in question, whenever it is the subject of distinct inward notice or consciousness, seems to be character- ized, among other marks, by a tendency, not only to inward contemplation, but to outward silence. At such times the soul appears to know but one object, and that is God ; and to have but one feeling, and that is love. Tt is drawn inwardly ; and outward objects seem to ON THE STATE OF UNION WITH GOD, 377 have but little influence. Hence words are few. It has but little disposition to express even what itself feels. In fact, the conversation which is carried on at such times between the soul and God is too high for human language ; and, what is more, it is carried on with a Being who can understand the soul's meaning without the medium of human speech. The conversa- tion is with God, and not with men ; and is in God's manner, and not after the manner of men ; and, there- fore, it would be difficult to repeat it, even if there were a disposition to do it. The soul, in its attitude of serene and fixed contemplation, continually but si7e«Y/y repeats to itself sentiments of trust and adoration, of gratitude and love. God recognizes the import of this hidden language, and returns it, by condescendingly unveiling himself in his amiableness and benevolence. There is a constant flowing and re-flowing of afiection ; love ascending to God and love returning ; so that there ifi not only a consciousness of love to God on the part of the person ; but, what is yet more striking, there is a consciousness, or rather a deeply-wrought conviction, that God loves him in return. He can say, in the beau- tiful expressions of the Canticles, " Thou dost place thy left hand under my head, and with thy right hand thou dost embrace me ; and thy banner over me is lovo." Seventh. It is very obvious, that this state of mind cannot be fully understood, except in connection with inward experience. In the language of the author of the Life of Sir Henry Vane, " Divine life must have divine words ; words which the Holy Ghost teacheth, to give its own character." * Therefore we will not attempt to pursue the topic any further than to say, that the state of union with God, when it is the subject of distinct consciousness, constitutes, without being neces- sarily characterized by revelations or raptures, the soul's spiritual festival, a season of special interior blessedness, * Life of Sir Henry Vane, anonymous, printed in 1662. 32* 678 ON THE STATE OF UNION WITH GOD. a foretaste of heaven. The mind, unaffected by worldly vicissitudes and the strifes and oppositions of men, reposes deeply in a state of happy submission and qui- etude, in accordance with the expressions in the Epistle to the Hebrews, that those who believe " enter into REST." So true it is, in the language of Kempis, that "he who comprehendeth all things in His will, and beholdeth all things in His light, hath his heart fixed, and abideth in the peace of God." And in the language of Blosius, another devout writer of early times, such holy souls " enjoy the most calm and peaceable liberty, being lifted up above all fear and agitation of mind con- cerning death or hell, or any other things which might happen to the soul, either in time or in eternity." How can there be otherwise than the peace of God, pure, beautiful, sublime, when consecration is without reserve and faith is without limit ; and especially when self- will, the great evil of our fallen nature, is eradicated and subdued? What higher idea can we have of the most advanced Christian experience, than that of entire union with the Divine Will, by a subjection of the hu- man will ? When the will of man, ceasing from its di- vergences and its disorderly vibrations, becomes fixed to one point, henceforward immovable, always harmo- nizing, moment by moment, with God's central and ab- sorbing purposes, then we may certainly say that the soul, in the language which is sometimes applied to it, and in a modified sense of the terms, has become not only perfected in faith and love, but " united and one with God," and " transformed into the divine nature." — ^^ He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. ^^ And from that moment, in its higher nature, and so far as it is not linked to earth by sympathies which its God has implanted, and which were smitten and bled, even in the case of the Savior, the soul knows sorrow no more ; the pain of its inward anguish is changed into rejoicing ; It has passed into the mount of stillness, the Tabor of inward transfiguration, the temple of unchanging tran- quillity. ON THE STATE OF UNION WITH GOD 379 " O, sacred union with the Perfect Mind ! Transcendent bliss, which thou alone canst give ' IIow blest are they this pearl of price who find, And, dead to earth, have learned in thee to live ' " Thus, in thine arms of love, O God, I lie ; Lost, and forever lost, to all but thee ! My happy soul, since it hath learned to die, Hath found new life in thine infinity. ♦ O, go, and learn this lesson of the Cross ; And tread the way. which saints and prophets trod. Who, counting life, and self, and all things loss. Have found, in inward death, the life of God." 380 CHAPTER FOURTEENTH. O^ VARIETIES OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER Much more might, undoubtedly, be said on the mtei- esting and important subjects to which our attention has been directed. But we leave them, for the present, to the serious reflections and the examination of others, with a few additional remarks in illustration of some varieties of Christian character. First. There are three classes of Christians, who seem to be easily distinguishable from each other. The first class are those who, destitute, in a considerable de- gree, of any marked spiritual manifestations and joys, may yet be said to possess faith. And in the possession of faith, they undoubtedly have the eflfective element of the inward life. Their faith, however, is weak. Their language is, "Lord, I believe: help thou mine uji- helief.''^ They have but little strength. In general, they move feebly and slowly ; and in some instances scarcely show signs of life. Some, however, exhibit a little more strength and activity than others ; and God honors them by employing them in the smaller charges and duties of his church. These cases are not without their encouragement. Such persons are often character- ized by the trait of humble perseverance. They grow ui grace, though not rapidly ; and not unfrequently be- come strong in the end. As a general statement, they have not much to say in any period of their experience ; but they are not wanting in sincerity, and they cling to the cross of Christ, as the foundation of their hope. It is seldom that they make a strong impression upon the world ; but their example is generally salutary. These ON VARIETIES OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 381 are not those who have been caught up to the " third heaven," and have seen wonderful things. Second. The second class are those who have had striking manifestations in the way of strong convictions and of subsequent great illuminations. From time to time, a remarkable impulse, a divine afflatus^ if we may so express it, seems to come upon them, and they are borne on in a gale. Then comes a calm ; and they tem- porarily make but little progress. Sometimes they have great darkness ; but it is alternated with gleams of light. Nor is the light which they have always the pure and calm light which is of a heavenly origin ; but sometimes the red, meteor-like glare of an earthly fire. They may be said to have a considerable degree of faith ; but they evi- dently have less faith than feeling. Their mental his- tory, however, under its various changes, partakes in no small degree of the striking, the marvellous. These persons are generally the, marked ones, the particular and bright stars in the church. They often have great gifts ; they labor for God; they attract attention. They overwhelm by their eloquence ; startle by their new and sometimes heretical views ; are denunciatory, argument- ative, prophetic, just as the occasion may call. But their movements are not always clear of self; and pride sometimes lurks at the bottom. They are " many men \n one ; " without true fixedness and simplicity of char- acter ; but exhibiting themselves in different aspects, according as the natural or the spiritual life predomi- nates. Sometimes they are sunk deep in their own nothingness through the influence of the Spirit of God ; and sometimes they are up in the '' airy mind " of na- ture's " inflatibility." They are undoubtedly very useful ; aiding themselves in the things of religion, and aiding others ; but it can hardly be said of them, that their life is hid with Christ in God. They think too much of their own efforts and powers ; they place too high an estimate on human instrumentality ; they do not fully understand the secret of their own nothingness ; nor do they know, in their own experience and to its full extent, 382 ON VARIKTIES OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTEK. the meaning of self-crucifixion. Hence their confusion when, in their own view, things do not go right ; hence their evident dejection, when the voice of the multitude is suddenly a little adverse to them ; hence their plans, their contrivances — too much like the plans and calcula- tions of human policy. They are not destitute of Chris- tian graces ; but they need more lowliness of heart, and more faith. Nevertheless, they have had much experi- ence of the divine goodness. God owns and blesses them ; and their memorial is often written in multitudes of grateful hearts. Third. A third class are those whose life may be said to be emphatically a life of faith, attended with an entire renunciation and crucifixion of self. Faith is not perfect until self is crucified ; and the converse is equally true, that perfect faith necessarily results in entire self-renunciation. In the second class of persons, which has been men- tioned, the spiritual life mingles more or less, and per- haps in nearly equal proportions, with the tendencies and activities of nature. The fire which blazes up from their hearts, and which often casts a broad light upon the surrounding multitude, is a mixed fire, partly from heaven and partly from earth. The natural unholy principles are not extinct ; but can only be said to be partly purified, and to be turned into a new channel. Hence they will oftentimes fight for God with the same zeal, and almost in the same manner, that worldly men fight for their temporary and worldly objects ; with great earnestness, with an unquiet and turbulent indignation, and sometimes with a cruelty of attack which vents itself in misrepresentations, and which persecutes even to prison and to death. But the class of Christians to whom we are now at- tending, having their souls fully fixed in God by faith, cannot consent to serve their heavenly Father with the instruments which Satan furnishes. They sow the seed ; but they have faith in the God of the hai^vest ; and they know that all will be well in the end. They are not inac- ON VAKIETIES OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 38Ii live; but they move only at God's command, and in God's way ; and are fully satisfied with the result which God may see fit to give. At the command of the world or of a worldly spirit, they would not " turn upon theij heel to save their life." But to God they hold all in subjection ; and they rest calmly in the great Central Power. These are men of a grave countenance ; of a retired life, except when duty calls to public action ; of few words, simple manners, and inflexible principle. They have renounced self; and they naturally seek a low p.ace, remote from public observation and unreached by human applause. When they are silent to human hearing, they are conversing with God ; and when they open their lips and speak, it is the message which God gives, and is spoken with the demonstration of the Spirit. When they are apparently inactive, they are gaining strength from the Divine Fountain ; drinking nourishment into the inmost soul. And when they move, although with quiet step, the heart of the multi- tude is shaken and troubled at their approach, because God moves with them. There is no thunder, but the "still small voice ; " no smoke, but consuming fire. These are the men of whom martyrs are made. When the day of great tribulation conies, when dun- geons are ready, and fires are burning, then God permits his childreu, who are weak in the faith, to stand aside. Then the illuminated Christians, those who live in the region of high emotion rather than of quiet faith, who have been conspicuous in the world of Christian activity, and have been as a pleasant and a loud song, and in many things have done nobly, will unfold to the right and the left, and let this little company, of whom the world is ignorant, and whom it cannot know, come up from tlieir secret places to the great battle of the Lord. To them the prison is as acceptable as the throne ; the place of degrada- tion as the place of honor. They eat of the " hidden manna," and they have the secret name given them, " which no man knoweth." Ask them how ihey feel, and they will perhaps be startled, because their thoughts are 384 ON VARIETIES OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. thus turnod from God to themselves. And they will an- swer by asking what God toills. They have no feeling separate from the will of God. All high and low, all joy and sorrow, all honor and dishonor, all friendship and en- mity, are brought to a level, and are merged and lost in the great realization of God present in tlie heart. Hence chains and dungeons have no terrors ; a bed of fire is as a bed of down. It is here, in this class of persons, that we find the great grace of sanctification — a word, alas ! too little anderstood in the church. These are they, who, in the spirit of self-crucifixion, live by faith, and faitK only. 3S5 RELIGIOUS MAXIMS, « HAVINC A CONNECTION WITH THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICE OF HOLINESS. I'niNK much, and pray much, and let your words be few, and littered with seriousness and deliberation, as in God's presence. And yet regard may be had to times and seasons. We may innocently act the child with children, which in the presence of grown persons would have the app.earance of thoughtlessness and levity ; and may perhaps at times express our gratitude to God, and our holy joys, with an increased degree of freedom and vivacity, especially in the company of those who bear the same image, and who know what it is to rejoice in the Holy Ghost. 11. Be silent when blamed and reproached unjustly, and undei such circumstances that the reproachful and injurious person will be likely, from the influence of his own reflections, to discover his error and wrong speedily. Listen not to the suggestions of nature, which would prompt a hasty reply ; but receive the inju rious treatment with humility and calmness ; and He in whose name you thu^ ^Ter will reward you with inward consolation, .vhile he sends the sharp arrow of conviction into the heart of (OUY adversary. HI. In whatever you are r""jd upon to do, endeavor to mamtain 1 calm, collected, and prayerful state of mind. Self-recollection is of great importance. "It is good for a man to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." He wlx» is in what may be called a spiritual hurry, or rather who runs without having evi- dence of being spiritually sent, makes haste to no purpose- IV. Seek holiness rather than consolation. Not that consolation IS 10 be despised, or thought lightly of; but solid and permanent consolation is the result rather than the forerunner of holiness therefore he who seeks corsolation as a distinct and independent 33 386 RELIGIOUS MAXIMS. object will miss it. ,Seek and possess holiness, and consolation (not, perhaps, often in the form of ecstatic and rapturous joys, but rather of solid and delightful peace) will follow as assuredly as warmth follows the dispensation of the rays of the sun. He WHO IS HOLY MUST BE HAPPY. Be not disheartened because the eye of the world is constantly and earnestly fixed upon you, to detect your errors and to rejoice in your halting. But rather regard this state of things, trying as it may be, as one of the safeguards which a kind Father has placed around you, to keep alive in your own bosoms an antago- nist spirit of watchfulness, and to prevent those very mistakes and transgressions which your enemies eagerly anticipate. VI. Do not think it strange when troubles and persecutions come upon you. Rather receive them quietly and thankfully, as coming from a Father's hand. Yea, happy are ye, if, in the ex- ercise of faith, you can look above the earthly instrumentality, above the selfishness and malice of men, to Him who has per- mitted them for your good. Thus persecuted they the Savior and the prophets. VII. " Be ye angry and sin not." The life of our Savior, as well as the precepts of the apostles, clearly teaches us that there may be occasions on which we may have feelings of displeasure, and even of anger, without sin. Sin does not necessarily attach to anger, considered in its nature, but in its degree. Neverthe- less, anger seldom exists in fact, whhout becoming in its meas- urement inordinate and excessive. Hence it is important to watch against it, lest we be led into transgression. Make it a rule, therefore, never to give any outward expressions to angry feelings, (a course which will operate as a powerful check upon their excessive action,) until you have made them the subject of reflection and prayer. And thus you may hope to be kept. VIII. True peace of mind does not depend, as some seem to sup- pose, on the external incidents of riches and poverty, of heaUh and sickness, of friendship and enmities. It has no necessary dependence upon society or seclusion ; upon dwelling in cities or in the desert ; upon the possession of temporal power, or a condition of temporal insignificance and weakness. "The I ng' dom of God is within yo )." Let the heart be right, let it b€ fully united with the will of God, and we shall be entirely con RELIGIOUS MAXIMS. 3S7 Rented with those cu-cumstanccs in whicli Providence lias seen fit to place us, however unpropitious they may be in a worldly point of view. He who gains the victory over himself gains the victory over all his enemies. IX. »3ome persons think of obedience as if it were nothing else, and could be nothing else, than servhude. And it must be ad- mitted, that constrained obedience is so. He who obeys by compulsion, and not freely, wears a chain upon his spirit which continually frets and torments, while it confines him. But this IS not Christian obedience. To obey with the whole heart, in other words, to obey as Christ would have us, is essentially the same as to be perfectly resigned to the will of God ; having no will but his. And he must have strange notions of the interior and purified life, who supposes that the obedience which revolves constantly and joyfully within the limits of the Divine Will, par- takes of the nature of servitude. On the contrary, true obedience, that which has its seat in the affections, and which flows out like the gushing of water, may be said, in a very important sense, to possess not only the nature, but the very essence of freedom. X. A sanctified state of heart does not require to be sustained by dny mere forms of bodily excitation. It gets above the domin- ion, at least in a very considertCble degree, of the nerves and the senses. It seeks an atmosphere of calmness, of thought, of noly meditation. XI. Our spiritual strength will be nearly in proportion to the ab- sence of self-dependence and self-confidence. When we are weak in ourselves, we shall not fail, if we apply to the right source for help, to be found strong in the Lord. Madam Guy- on, speaking of certain temptations to which she had been ex- posed, says, " I then comprehended what power a soul has which is entirely annihilated." This is strong language ; but when it is properly undei'stood, it conveys important truth. When we ^Ink in ourselves, we rise in God. When we have no strength iti ourselves, we have divine power in him who can subdue ali his adversaries. " The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer ; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust ; my ouckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." XII. In proportion as the heart becomes sanctified, there is a di- tnroished tendency to enthusiasm and fanaticism. And this is 388 RELIGIOUS MAXIMS. undoubtedly one of the leading tests of sanctification. One of the marks of an enthusiastic and fanatical state of mind, is a fiery and unrestrained impetuosity of feeling ; a rushing on, some- times very blindly, as if the world were in danger, or as if the great Creator were not at the helm. It is not only feeling with- out a good degree of judgment, but, what is the corrupting and fatal trait, it is feeling without a due degree of confidence in God. True holiness reflects the image of God in this respect as well as in others, that it is calm, thoughtful, deliberate, immu- table. And how can it be otherwise, since, rejecting its own wisdom and strength, it incorporates into itself the wisdom and strength of the Almighty ? XIII. The hidden life, which God imparts to his accepted people, may flourish in solitudes and deserts, far from the societies of men and the din and disturbance of cities. From the cave of the hermit, from the cell of the solitary recluse, the fervent prayer has often arisen, which has been acceptable in the sight of God. But it would be a strange and fatal misconception, that religion, even in its most pure and triumphant exaltations, can flourish nowhere else. The home of holiness is in the heart, irrespective of outward situations and alliances ; and therefore we may expect to find it, if there are hearts adapted to its re- ception and growth, in the haunts of business as well as in the silence of retirement ; in the palaces of Rome as well as in the deserts of the Thcbais. It is a fatal mistake to suppose that we cannot be holy except on the condition of a situation and cir- cumstances in life such as shall suit ourselves. It is one of the first principles of holiness to leave our times and our places, our going out and our coming in, our wasted and our goodly heritage entirely with the Lord, Here, O Lord, hast thou placed us, and we will glorify thee here. XIV. In the agitations of the present life, beset and perplexed as we are with ti'oubles, how natural it is to seek earnestly some place of rest ! And hence it is that we so often reveal our cares and , perplexities to our fellow-men, and seek comfort and support from that source. But the sanctified soul, hav ng experienced the uncertainties of all human aids, turns instinctively to the great God ; and hiding itself in the presence and protection of the divine existence, it reposes there, as in a strong tower which no enemies can conquer, and as on an everlasting rock which no floods can wash away. It knows the instructive import of thnt RELIGIOUS MAXIMS, 389 Jublime exclamation of the Psalmist, (Ps. Ixii. 5,) '^ My soul svait thou ONLY upon God ; for my expectation is from him." XT. Speak not often of your own actions, nor even, when it can )e properly avoided, make allusion to yourself, as an agent in .ransactions which are calculated to attract notice. We do not suppose, as some may be inclined to do, that frequent speakin^r Dt our actions is necessarily a proof, although it may furnish a presumption, of inordinate self-love or vanity; but it cannot be denied that by such a course we expose ourselves to temptations and dangers in that direction. It is much safer, and is certainly much more profitable, to speak of what has been done for us and wrought ih us, — to speak, for instance, of ourselves as the recipients of the goodness of God,— than to speak of what we have ourselves done. But even here, also, although it may otten be an imperative duty, there is need of deliberation and caution. XVI. There are many persons who would willingly be Christians, and eminent Christians Coo, if Christianity were limited to great occasions. For such occasions they call forth whatever pious and devotional resources they have, or seem to have, and not only place them in the best light, but inspire them, for the time being, with the greatest possible efficiency. But on smaller occa- sions, in the eveiy-day occurrences and events of life, the reli- gious principle is in a state of dormancy; giving no si^rns of effective vitality and movement. The life of such per°sons is not like that of the sun — equable, constant, diffusive, and benefi- cent, though attracting but little notice ; but like the erruptive and glaring blaze of volcanoes, which comes forth at remote periods, in company with great thunderings and shakings of the earth ; and yet the heart of the people is not made glad by it. Such religion is vain ; and its possessors know not what manner of spirit they are of. XVII. _ Out of death springs life. We must die naturally, in order Viat we may live spiritually. The beautiful fiowers sprint up from dead seeds ; and from the death of those evil principles, that spread so diffusively and darkly over the natural heart,' springs up the beauty of a new life, the quiet but ravishincr bloom of Holiness. ° XVIII. A strong faith has the power to make a virtual and nrcsen 33 * 390 RELIGIOTiS MAXIMS. reality of inose things which are in fact future. Be it so thai we have not the thing itself in the Hteral sense of the term ; that we have not heaven ; that we have not the visible presence of Christ ; that we have not those things, whatsoever they may be, which constitute the glory and blessedness of the future world. But it is certain that in the Bible we have the promise of them ; we have the title-deed, the bond, the mortgage, most solemnly made out and delivered to us. All these things are therefore ours, if we fully believe in the promise ; and they can all be made, in the exercise of entire faith, a virtual and present reality. A man reckons his notes, bonds, and bills, which are the certificates and confirmations of absent posses- sions, as so m.uch property, as actual money, although it is only virtually and by faith realized to be such. He counts himself as truly and really owning the property, in amount and kind_ which the face of his papers, of his notes and bonds, represents. And yet he has nothing in hand but his papers, and his faith in the individuals who have signed them. How much more, then, should we have faith in our title-deeds, in our bonds and testaments, which are written in the blood of the Son of God, are confirmed by the oath of the Father, and are witnessed by the Holy Ghost ! And how much more should we, having such deeds and bonds, and such immutable confirmations of them, count God ours, and Christ and the Holy Spirit ours, and eter nal glory ours ! XIX. It is an excellent saying of the celebrated Fenelon, " It is only imperfection that complains of what is imperfect." It would be well for those who aim at Christian perfection to remember this. Surrounded by those who constantly exhibit defects of character and conduct, if we yield to a complaining and impa- tient spirit, we shall mar our own peace, without having the sat- isfaction of benefiting others. When the mind is in a right position, absorbed in God and truly dead to the world, it will not be troubled by these things. Or, if it be otherwise, and we are in fact afilicted, it will be for others, and not for ourselves ; and we shall be more disposed to pity than to complain. XX. Prayer without faith is vain. A pious English writer, one who lived as far back as the days of the Puritans, and who uses various homely but instructive illustrations, after the manner of those times, calls prayer the " bucket of the soul, by which it draws water out of the wells of salvation. But without Faith, you »nay let down this bucket again and again, and never biins; RELIGIOUS MAXIMS. 391 up one drop of solid comfort." * It is faith which tills the buck et. And accordingly, if our faith be weak, we shall find but poor and famishing returns. A full bucket depends on the con- dition of a strong faith. XXI. One of the most important requisites of a holy life is patience. And by this, we do not mean merely a meek and quiet temper when one is personally assaulted and injured ; but a like meek- ness and quietness of temper in relation to the moral and reli- gious progress of the world. We may be deeply afflicted in view of the desolations of Zion ; but let us ever remember and rejoice, that the cause of truth and holiness is lodged safely in the hands of God. With him a thousand years are as one day ; and in the darkest moments, when Satan seems to be let loose with tenfold fury, let us thank God and take courage, because the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. It may sometimes be practically important to make a distinc- tion between a renunciation of the world and a renunciation of ourselves. A man may in a certain sense, and to a certain ex- tent, renounce the world, and yet may find himself greatly dis- appointed in his anticipations of spiritual improvement and ben- efit. He has indeed renounced the world, as it presents itself to us in its externalities ; he has renounced its outward attractions, its perverted and idle shows. He may have carried his re- nouncement so far as to seclude himself entirely from society, and to spend his days in some solitary desert. But it avails nothing, or almost nothing, because there is not at the same time an internal renunciation, a crucifixion and renunciation of self. A mere crucifixion of the outward world will still leave a vital- ity and luxuriance of the selfish principle ; but a crucifixion of self necessarily involves the crucifixion, in the Scripture sense, of every thing else. XXIII. It is one among the pious and valuable maxims which are ascribed to Francis de Sales, " A judicious silence is always better than truth spoken without charity." The very under- taking to instruct or censure others, implies an assumption of intellectual or moral superiority. It cannot be expected, there- fore, that the attempt will be well received, unless it is tempered with a heavenly spirit. " Though I speak with the tongues of * Symond's Sight and Faith, printed in 1651. 392 RELIGIOUS MAXIMS. men and of angels, and have not charity, \ am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." sxiv. We may be deprived of outward consolations, and still have consolations of heart. But this is not all. We may be deprived, in the sovereignty of God, and for wise purposes, of inward consolations also, and may be left for a time in a state of men- tal barrenness and desolation. And yet faith, precious faitli, discouraging as this state of things may seem, may still remain ; and not feebly merely, but in the strength and fulness of its ex- ercise. It is still our delightful privilege to say of God, that He IS our God, our Father, our Friend and Portion. " Blessed is the man that trustelh in the Lord." XXV. No man ever arrived at Christian perfection, no man ever cayi arrive at that ennobling state, who walks by sight rather than by faith, of whom it cannot be said, as of the father of the faith- ful, " he went out, not knowing loldther he iDcnt.'''' Perhaps we may say, it is the highest attainment of the soul, (certainly it is the foundation of the highest or perfect state in all other Chris- tian attainments,) that of entire and unwavering confidence in God. O God, we are thine ; forever thine. We will not let thee go, until thou bless us. And when thou dost bless us, still we will not let thee go. For without thee, even blessing would bo turned into cursing. Therefore will we ever trust in thee. XXVI. Always make it a rule to do every thing, which it is proper and a duty to do, in the best manner and to the best of your ability. An imperfect execution of a thing, where we might have done better, is not only unprofitable, but it is a vicious ex- ecution ; or, in other words, is morally wrong. He who aims it perfection in great things, but is willing to be imperfect in ittle things, will find himself essentially an imperfect man. The )erfection of the greater will be no compensation, and no excuse, or the imperfection of the less. Such a person wants the es- sential principle of universal obedience. Consider well, there- fore, what God in his providence would have you perform ; and f you feel the spirit of those directions, which require us to do ill things as unto God rather than unto men, you will not do them with a false heart or a feeble hand. And thus in small things, IS well as in great, in those which are unseen as well as in those vhich attract notice, it shall be said of you, "Well done, goo(.' ncl faithful servant!" R&LIGIOUS MAXIMS. 393 XXVII. A fixed, inflexible will is a great assistance in a holy life. Satan will suggest a thousand reasons Avhy we should yield a 'ittle to the temptations by which we are surrounded ; but let us ■3ver stand fast in our purpose. A good degree of decision and enacity of purpose is of great importance in the ordinary affairs of life. How much more so in the things of religion ! He who is easily shaken will find the way of holiness difficult, perhaps impracticable. A double-minded man — he who has no dxedness of purpose, no energy of will — is " unstable in all his ivays." Ye who walk in the narrow way, let your resolution )e unalterable. Think of the blessed Savior. " My God, my jfod, whyjiast tliou forsaken me } " Though he was momen .arily forsaken, at least so far as to be left to anguish inconceiv- able and unutterable, his heart nevertheless was fixed, and he could still say, " My God, my God ! " SXVIII. We may pray with the intellect without praying with the heart; but we cannot pray with the heart without praying with the intellect. Such are the laws of the mind, that there can be no such thing as praying without a knowledge of the thing we pray for. Let the heart be full, wholly given up to the pursui' of the object ; but let your perception of the object be distinct and clear. This will be found honorable to God and beneficial to the soul. XXIX. Many persons think they are seeking holiness, when they are in fact seeking the " loaves and fishes," To be holy is to be like Christ, who, as the Captain of our salvation, was made per- fect through suffering. We must be willing to bear the cross, if we would wear the crown. In seeking holiness, therefore, let us think little of joy, but much of purity ; little of ourselves, but much of God ; little of our own wills, but much of the Di- vine will. We will choose the deepest poverty and affliction with the will of God, rather than all earthly goods and prosperities without it. It is God we seek, and not happiness. If we have God, he v/ill not fail to take care of us. If we abide in him, even a residence in hell could not harm us. " As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God." XXX. Thou hast contended with Satan, and hast been successful. Thou hast fought with him, and he has fled from thee. But, O, remember his artifices. Do not indulge the belief that his na- 394 RELIGIOUS MAXIMS, ture is changed. True, indeed, he is now very complacent, and is, perhaps, singing thee some syren song ; but he was never more a devil than he is now. He now assaults thee, hy not as- saulting thee ; and knows that he shall conquer, when thou FALLEST ASLEEP. XXXI. The value of a thing is known by what it takes to preserve it, as well as by what it originally cost. Men may steal your dia- monds, who would not trouble things of less worth. The cost of holiness was the blood of Jie Son of God ; zs,^ gre&uy does he mistake, who £upp