^^ 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 BR 121 .146 1883 
 Important religious truths 
 
M^ 
 
IMPORTANT 
 
 RELIGIOUS TRUTHS. 
 
 COMPILED BY 
 
 / 
 
 KEY. WALTER P. DOE. 
 
 PROVIDENCE, R. I. 
 A. CRAWFORD GREENE & SON, BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS. 
 
 1883. 
 
PRnTOETOH 
 MC. NOV 1883 
 
 •^r.. 
 
 \-5 
 
 
 PREFAGE. 
 
 THE OBJECT STATED. 
 
 The author and compiler of the following miscella- 
 neous truths, publishes them because they seem to 
 him to be of transcendent importance. They seem to 
 him to discuss earnestly, practically and briefly, the 
 most momentous subjects which can occupy the at- 
 tention of the human mind. And in the numerous 
 extracts and quotations, he has endeavored to select 
 the best thoughts of the best authors, and condense 
 their expression into the briefest form. 
 
 Therefore he earnestly solicits their careful perusal 
 from those into whose hands they may providentially 
 fall. 
 
iv PREFACE. 
 
 And if these truths shall in like manner commend 
 themselves to their impartial and honest judgment, 
 as of very great value and benefit, demanding their 
 immediate reduction to practice, so that they shall 
 profit by them in their personal experience, he in- 
 vites them to assist, by their wide and free circula- 
 tion, in the promotion of the principles advocated in 
 them, so as to advance the religious reformation of 
 Society, and prepare men for heaven, and thus glori- 
 fy their Creator. 
 
 " For Godliness is profitable unto all things, hav- 
 ing promise of the life that now is, and of that which 
 is to come." 
 
 Walter P. Doe. 
 Providence, R. I., Jan. 1. 1883. 
 
s. 
 
 PREFACE— The Object stated ...iii 
 
 (1) The Truth of the Bible Proved. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Harmony of Nature and Revelation , 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Harmony Between the Doctrines of the BIIdIc and Divine 
 
 Providence 11 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 The Divine Inspiration of the Bible * . . 16 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 The Character of Christ of Snpernatural Origin 21 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 The World Without Christ 25 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 The Good Effects of Christianity the Best Evidence of 
 
 Its Divine^ Origin .SO 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 The False Philosophy and Demoralizing Influence of 
 
 Infidelity Prove that it Must be Untrue 39 
 
vi CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Experimental Evidence of the Truth of Christianity 43 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 The Consistent Christian Life the Best for Time and the 
 
 Safest for Eternity 56 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Responsibility for Belief. . . . > 60 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 Sincerity Insufficient. 66 
 
 (2) God and His Moral Government. 
 
 CHAPTER XIL 
 A Supreme Moral Governor Indispensable 78 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 The Perfect Goodness and Severity of God in Government. 82 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Erroneous Views of God Corrected • . • 86 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Mystery of Mysteries. Sin and Suffering 90 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Why do the Best of Christians Sometimes Suffer in this 
 
 Life, More than the Worst of Sinners 93 
 
 (3) Retribution. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Probation Limited to the Present Life 97 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 No Second Probation During the Intermediate State, or 
 
 During the Sleep of the Bodies of the Dead 101 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Christ and Eternal Punishment » 107 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Unreasonableness of Universal Restoration by Chastise- 
 ment and Disciplinary Education 117 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 The Consistency of Eternal Punishment with God's 
 
 Benevolence and Goodness 123 
 
CONTENTS. vii 
 
 (4) True Religion. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 The Nature of True Religion Benevolent, and Voluntary 
 Obedience to God, Not Merely the Excitement of 
 
 Right Feelings 126 
 
 CHAPTER XXTII. 
 The Service of the Lord in Secular Duties 132 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 Who are the Righteous? 136 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 Difference Between Morality and Religion 142 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 The Mere Moralist Guilty and Condemned 145 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 Humility and Self Estimation 148 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 Full Assurance and Witness of the Spirit 152 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 Way of Eminent Holiness 154 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 The Highest Practical Piety 157 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life 226 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 Sermon — Divine Message. Text: "I have a message 
 from God unto thee. Prepare to meet thy God. 
 Be ready. The time is short." 238 
 
^^So 
 
 Nov 1 
 
 ■ > 
 
 (L) THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 HARMONY OF NATURE AND REVELATION. 
 
 There is harmony in the teachings of Nature and 
 divine revelation. Hence it appears that ignorance 
 and depravity are the chief causes of infidelity. 
 
 Although revelation is necessarily added to the 
 light of nature that men may learn to worship their 
 Maker and the duty of benevolence towards men, the 
 truthfulness of Christianity is entitled to and demands 
 our belief, chiefly on account of its holy and reforma- 
 tory influence, in proportion as men embrace and 
 practice its perfect laws and holy precepts. The 
 Scriptures must have been written by good men or 
 bad men, or by God himself. But good men could 
 not have been guilty of false pretences in writing it; 
 bad men would be unwilling and incapable of writing 
 such a holy book, which condemns all sin and their 
 souls to hell forever. Therefore, the Holy Scriptures 
 1 
 
2 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 must have been written by holy men under divine 
 inspiration for the religious instruction of the human 
 family. And all who will follow Christ's perfect ex- 
 ample and obey his perfect precepts may test the 
 truth of Christianity in their own experience, that it 
 makes them holier and happier here, and fits them 
 for the blessedness of heaven hereafter. 
 
 Hence said Jesus, " If any man will do his will he 
 shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.'' 
 
 Although the supreme object of divine revelation 
 is the teaching of religious and spiritual truth for the 
 guidance of mankind in their relations to God and 
 each other, its incidental allusions to physical phe- 
 nomena and the laws of Divine Providence, must 
 ever be found in harmony with each other so far as 
 finite human reason can comprehend and interpret 
 correctly, the vast and infinite subjects to which they 
 relate. 
 
 But as our investigations into the works and word 
 of the infinite Jehovah from the nature of the case 
 must ever be limited, we must always expect that in 
 science and religion alike there must be "somethings 
 hard to be understood." 
 
 In both nature and revelation there are taught im- 
 portant facts which are plain and easily understood, 
 but in each are unfathomable mysteries. 
 
 Both being the product of the same infinite mind, 
 they alike bear the divine impress. If there are pro- 
 found and insoluble mysteries in the works of the 
 Creator, it is reasonable to expect them in His holy 
 word. Therefore to deny the obvious and plain 
 truths of either because there is mystery or seeming 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 3 
 
 inconsistency connected with them is very unreason- 
 able For by honest and diligent study we may 
 learn enough of nature to be of great practical utility 
 and enough of revelation to secure our eternal salva- 
 tion. 
 
 Dr. Mclivaine takes broadly and boldly the ground 
 that "the Holy Scriptures were oiven to reveal moral 
 and spiritual truth, and it is no part of their object to 
 teach the truths of science, upon which, consequent- 
 ly, they are no authority. 
 
 He further says : 
 
 " These allusions in the Scriptures to physical phe- 
 nomena, in order that they should be absolutely correct 
 and unchangeable, must have been made in forms of 
 expression corresponding, not to the present, but to 
 the still future and last developments of science ; in 
 which case they would have been unintelligible to us, 
 and to how many of the coming generations of man- 
 kind we cannot tell. . . . 
 
 " The Scriptures always speak of natural phenom- 
 na in forms of expression originally derived from the 
 impressions which they make upon the senses, but 
 often modified by philosophical conceptions in expla- 
 nations of them, such as prevailed at the time among 
 the people to whom the revelation was communi- 
 cated. For certainly it was no part of their object to 
 correct these impressions or conceptions, however 
 erroneous they might be. . . . 
 
 "By the adoption and consistent application of 
 this principle of interpretation, the malignant ene- 
 mies of true religion — that seed of the serpent who 
 are permitted to bruise the heel of the seed of the 
 
4 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 woman whilst he crushes their heads — would be de- 
 prived of their deadliest fangs." 
 
 " When we speak of Nature/' says Dr. Parr, " we 
 mean all the works, visil.le and invisible, in the uni- 
 verse of God. These works have from very remote 
 ages, been the subject, more or less, of human inves- 
 tigation. As advatices were made, and new discov- 
 eries disclosed what were supposed to be new facts, 
 were formulated and set down as scientific truths to 
 stand as accejited science until some subsequent in- 
 vestigator comes along, upsets them and proves posi- 
 tively that something else was the accepted truth of 
 science. Thus investigation has gone on, deepening 
 and widening and increasing with the years, uniil at 
 the present, scientific research has reached a point 
 of thoroughness and correctness never before at- 
 tained. 
 
 '* Investigators properly rank as theistic and athe- 
 istic. The former pursue their course into Nature's 
 mysteries 'as seeing Him who is invisible,' setiking 
 truth for its own sake, and recognizing God as the 
 author of all truth, scientific as well as revealed, 
 
 ^' The latter class of investigators have a theory to 
 establish, and to this end and this alone Ihey work. 
 That theory excludes God from the universe.'' 
 
 Hume, the historian, gives a comfortless view of 
 the sober, honest thoughts of a godless philosopher. 
 He says; ^' I am affrighted and confounded with 
 that forlorn solitude in which I am placed by my 
 philosophy. When I look abroad, I forsee on every 
 side dispute, contradiction, and distraction, I find 
 nothing but doubt and ignorance. Where am I or 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 5 
 
 what? From what cause do I derive my existence, 
 and to what condition shall I return ? I am con- 
 founded with these questions, and begin to fancy my- 
 self in the most deplorable condition imaginable, en. 
 vironed with the deepest darkness." 
 
 Such are some of the legitimate results of the 
 brightest intellectual attainments in philosophy and 
 science when unaccompanied by the light of revela- 
 tion. 
 
 Considering the definition of Nature given in the 
 outset of this article practically correct, we ask what 
 are the laws of Nature about which we hear so much 
 said, and through and by which the great works of 
 the universe are accomplished ? In the sense of qual- 
 ities inherent in matter, laws or properties impressed 
 on matter, there is no such thing. It is simply the 
 will and voice of God crystalized or materialized with 
 reference to physical things. Their harmonious opera- 
 tion is but the will of God tangibly expressed, one form 
 of revelation. A correct knowledge of natural or phys- 
 ical truth is not as easily obtained nor as readily un- 
 derstood as of revealed truth, but God is the Author 
 of both. 
 
 It is properly conceived that an all-wise Author 
 should not contradict himself. Revelation says — 
 ** In the beginning God created the Heaven and the 
 Earth." And that " God formed man of the dust of 
 the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath 
 of life and he became a living soul." Some say they 
 have obtained more rational and reliable explanation 
 than this, from the book of Nature. They tell us 
 that matter is eternal, and that some time in the very 
 1* 
 
6 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 far distant past, by some kind of fortuitous coming 
 together of particles the Sun, Moon, Stars and Earth 
 wirli all their satellites and with all their beautiful 
 arrangements for day and night and the seasons were 
 ertected and organized ; that man has his origin at 
 the bottom of the ocean in a little moneron, and had 
 to travel for ages through myriad species of animals, 
 clean and unclean, to reach his present state. We 
 can't help feeling a desire to say, how do you know 
 all this? But it has been demonstrated that the 
 mingling of sea-water with alcohol gave a feculent 
 precipitate, which when separated from the liquid 
 proved to be the identical meneron of Haeckel and 
 protoplasm of Huxley — the Adam and Eve of all life, 
 according to advanced modern science. It is but a 
 precipitated sulphate which any chemist can produce 
 at will in his laboratory. This experiment was 
 shown to Prof. Huxley and which forever blasted 
 that scientific delusion. It is claimed by atheists that 
 geology and paleontology contradict the Scriptural 
 account of creation. But the Bible was never given 
 to teach geology, paleontology, astronomy nor any 
 other branch of philosophy or physical science, and 
 80 it is not authority on these subjects. It was in- 
 tended to reveal moral and spiritual truths. Suppose 
 in those early days before there was any physical 
 science properly so-called, and when the world be- 
 lieved in the geocentric system of the physical uni- 
 verse, the Bible had assumed to be scientific authori- 
 ty on all subjects to which it made allusion, and had 
 spoken in strictly modern scientific terms, it is mani- 
 fest that it would have been wholly unintelligible to 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 7 
 
 the former generations of man. And perhaps not 
 much less so to us, as science is continually chang- 
 ing its nomenclature and terms of expression, and 
 God only knows when it will arrive at any deiinite 
 standard or the exact truth. To say the sun rises 
 and sets was a proper and well-understood expres- 
 sion in the days of Joshua, as well as now ; and if he 
 had commanded the earth to stand still instead of the 
 sun, he would have been thought a lunatic and treat- 
 ed worse than Galileo was. 
 
 Scientific terms and theories will, perhaps, always 
 be more or less in a state of mutation. Before the 
 days of Galileo the earth was thought to be immova- 
 ble and the heavenly bodies to revolve around it. 
 Before Dr. Priestly's discovery, in 1774, oxygen and 
 gaseous bodies were considered only modes of com- 
 mon air. The arteries in the human body were 
 thought to contain air until Harvey made the discov- 
 ery that they carried the oxygenated blood. Light, 
 heat, electricity and even life have been considered 
 only modes of motion, but now are proven, thank 
 God, in the " Problem of Human Life " to be sub- 
 stantial entities. 
 
 The wave-theory of sound, centuries old, taught 
 throughout the scientific world, as a settled and un- 
 alterable scientific truth is now numbered among 
 the exploded scientific humbugs of the past. Evolution 
 as taught by Darwin, Haeckel, Huxley and others, 
 and thought by its friends to be impregnable, has also 
 been utterly demolished and its champions are now 
 afraid to open their mouths or make a scratch with 
 their pens in its defense. 
 
8 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBI.E PROVED. 
 
 These exploded scientific theories are like the 
 devils that entered the swine— their name is legion. 
 Lyell says that in 1806 the French institute named 
 not less than eighty geological theories that were 
 hostile to the ScriptureS; but not one of them are 
 held now. The president of the British Scientific 
 Association, and the vice-president of the American 
 Academy of Natural Science, have admitted that the 
 ''whole foundation of theoretic geology must be re- 
 constructed." When scientists agree among them- 
 selves it will be time to proclaim a conflict between 
 Nature and Revelation, and to ask us to lay down 
 our Bibles that have guided millions to the heavenly 
 world and accept their ever changing theories in- 
 stead. We are not afraid of scientific truth. Let it 
 come. It only adds more light and proves the unity 
 of the Divine Saviour and the Great God of Nature. 
 
 When men know the real truths of science and 
 their relation to eacti other, there will appear no con- 
 flict, but the harmonious blending of evidence of the 
 existence and efficient presence of the one Eternal 
 God. Philosophers will then say with David " the 
 heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament 
 showeth His handiw^ork." Scientists will join Paul 
 in saying, "the invisible things of Him from the 
 creation of the world are clearly seen, being under- 
 stood by the things that are made, even His eternal 
 power and Godhead." And all men will say truly, it 
 was a fool that " said in his heart there is no God." 
 
 And we can reasonably believe the doctrinal teach- 
 ings of the Bible on all religious subjects, as infallibly 
 inspired, and as entirely trustworthy as a religious 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 9 
 
 guide. As of supreme authority, perfectly trust- 
 worthy, as inspired of God. Therefore, after learning 
 its perfect authority and truthfulness, we are ration- 
 ally and imperatively bound to believe all its divine 
 teachings as of ultimate and supreme authority in 
 matters of doctrine, though it teach things beyond 
 our finite reason. 
 
 An eminent and aged disbeliever wrote thus to a 
 young inquirer: — 
 
 Sir: I am very busy, and am an old man in deli- 
 cate health, and have not time to answer your ques- 
 tions fully, even assuming tliat they are capable of 
 being answered at all. Science and Christ have 
 nothing to do with each other, except in as far as the 
 habit of scientific investigation makes a man cautious 
 about accepting any proofs. As far as I am con- 
 cerned, I do not believe that any revelation has ever 
 been made. With regard to a future life, every one 
 must draw his own conclusions from vague and con- 
 tradictory probabilities. Wishing you well, I remain 
 your obedient servant, Charles Darwin. 
 
 Down, June 5, 1879. 
 
 One desires that some one else could have cotem- 
 poraneously written the young man, as Paul wrote 
 to a young man once, in those infinitely wiser words: 
 
 " O, Timothy I guard that which is committed unto 
 thee, turning away from the profane babblings and 
 oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so 
 called ; which some professing have erred concern- 
 ing the faith." 
 
 Paul was an old man, yet when the day of his de- 
 parture was at hand he declared his joyful expectancy 
 
10 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 of a future life of eternal blessedness. 
 
 He wrote to his beloved Timothy, his son in the 
 gospel, thus : 
 
 I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead 
 at his appearing and His kingdom ; 
 
 Preach the word ; be instant in season, out of 
 season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suflfer- 
 ing and doctrine. 
 
 For the time will come when they will not endure 
 sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they 
 heap to themselves teachers having itching ears ; 
 
 And they shall turn Siwo^y their ears from the truth, 
 and shall be turned unto fables. 
 
 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do 
 the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy 
 ministry. 
 
 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of 
 my departure is at hand. 
 
 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my 
 course, T have kept the faith : 
 
 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of 
 righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, 
 shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but 
 unto all them also that love his appearing. 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 HARMONY BETWEEN THE DOCTRINES OF THE 
 BIBLE AND DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 
 
 (A.BSTRACT.) 
 
 When the doctrines of the Bible are faithfully 
 compared with the established order of Divine Prov- 
 idence, they are found to harmonize with each other, 
 
 " The heavens declare the glory of God, and the 
 firmament showeth His handiwork." 
 
 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the 
 soul ; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise 
 the simple. The Scriptures declare that the God of 
 Divine Providence is also the God of Divine Inspira- 
 tion. The God of Divine Providence and the God of 
 Grace and Redemption is the same Divine Being. All 
 that we see of Him in His providence is in harmony 
 with what we see of Him in His word. His providence 
 and His word never contradict each other or misrep- 
 resent their Almighty Author. Therefore all the ob- 
 jections urged against God's sovereign grace in the 
 christian scheme, lie against the actual order of 
 events and must consequently be iuvalid and futile. 
 
12 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 It seems to us that the light of Nature is a revela- 
 tion of existing facts in the universe and the whole 
 system of doctrines in the Bible is a revelation of the 
 actually existing facts of Christianity. The doctrines 
 for example, of the trinity of the Godhead, the divine 
 government, human depravity, Christ's atonement, 
 spiritual regeneration, future happiness and misery 
 are simply statements of what has been, of what is, 
 and what will be in the divine administration. 
 
 In illustration of this truth let us examine the 
 analogy between the teachings of Nature and revela- 
 tion, concerning the fact of human apostacy. 
 
 The Scriptures teach us that the single transgres- 
 sion of Adam was the beginning of that long train of 
 sin and wretchedness, which has passed upon the in- 
 habitants of our world. 
 
 Now we acknowledge that it is mysterious to us, 
 how a perfectly holy being, as Adam was, should 
 yield to temptation. But as the result of the fall, ob- 
 servation confirms the teaching of revelation that "the 
 heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is 
 in their hearts while they live." And this Scriptural 
 doctrine concerning the consequences of Adam's first 
 sin upon all his posterity is in harmony with the law 
 of divine providence. 
 
 Witness the effect of the drunkard's conduct upon 
 his relatives and descendants. As has been inquired, 
 who is stranger to the common fact that bis intem- 
 perance wastes the property which was necessary to 
 save a wile and children from beggary, that his appe- 
 tite may be the cause of his family being despised, il- 
 literate and ruined, that the vices which follow in the 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 13 
 
 train of his intemperance often encompass his off- 
 spring, and that they too are profane, unprincipled, 
 idle and intemperate ? 
 
 Again. Let us notice the harmony between reve- 
 lation and divine providence in reference to the 
 atonement of Jesus Christ. 
 
 And here let it be observed that the Christian 
 scheme is not responsible for the fall of man. It 
 finds him deeply involved in sin, entirely destitute of 
 holiness ; and proposes a remedy for an existing state 
 of evil. It proposes by the doctrine of substitution, 
 by the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, to restore 
 the penitent sinner to the favor of God. 
 
 Now let us inquire, is it not according to the anal- 
 ogy of Nature that calamities which are hastening to 
 fall on us are often put back by the intervention of 
 another? In illustration of this, let us recur to the 
 helpless and dangerous periods of our early life. 
 
 " Did God come forth directly," asks a writer, ^'and 
 protect us in the period of infancy?" Who watched 
 over the sleep of the cradle and guarded us in sickness 
 and helplessness ? It was the tenderness of a 
 mother, bending over our slumbering childhood, for- 
 going sleep, and rest, and ease, and hailing toil and 
 care that we might be defended. Why, then, is it 
 strange that when God thus ushers us into existence, 
 through the pain and toil of another, that he should 
 convey the blessings of a higher life of blessedness by 
 the groans and pangs of a higher Mediator ? Now 
 we affirm that in every instance of the substituted 
 Bufferings or self-denial of a parent, there is sufficient 
 of analogy to the sufferings of Christ for us to show 
 2 
 
14 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 that it is in strict accordance with the just govern- 
 ment of God, to remove all objections to the peculiar- 
 ity of the atonement. 
 
 But it may be said that it seems unreasonable that 
 the heathen should suffer both here and hereafter 
 through ignorance of this atonement without a knowl- 
 edge of which, according to the Bible, none can be 
 saved. 
 
 The heathen obviously are not guilty, as all men 
 are in christian lands who do not seek salvation 
 through Christ's atonement, but they lie under the 
 curse of the fall and their own personal sinfulness, 
 from which Christ came to deliver all penitent be- 
 lievers. Of course they will suffer only in proportion 
 to theiF sins and the light which they reject. ''Where 
 little is given little will be required." 
 
 The Hindoo suffers and dies under the rage of a 
 burning fever. The fault is not that he is ignorant of 
 the virtues of quinine, nor is he punished for this ig- 
 norance of its healing qualities, but he is lying under 
 the operation of the previous state of thicgs, from 
 which medicine contemplates his rescue. 
 
 "For there is no respect of persons with God. 
 
 For as many as have sinned without law shall also 
 perish without law ; and as many as have sinned in 
 the law bhall be judged by the law ; 
 
 For not the hearers of the law are just before God 
 but the doers of the law shall be justified. 
 
 For when the gentiles, which have not the law, do 
 by nature the things contained in the law, these, hav- 
 ing not the law, are a law unto themselves ; 
 
 Which shew the work of the law written in their 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 15 
 
 hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and 
 ^/^eir thoughts the mean while accusing or else excus- 
 ing one another ; " 
 
 Still further. Let us contemplate the analogy, 
 the harmony, between the demands of the Holy 
 Scriptures and Divine Providence, in reference to 
 the doctrine of regeneration. 
 
 The Bible teaches that without a change of heart and 
 life none can be saved. And we all know that men often 
 experience a sudden and most important change and 
 revolution of feeling and purpose in temporal matters. 
 
 Who is ignorant, inquires the writer above quoted, 
 that from infancy to old age the mind passes through 
 many revolutions, — that as we leave the confines of 
 one condition of our being, and advance to another, 
 a change, an entire change, becomes indispensable, or 
 the whole possibility of benefiting ourselves by the 
 new condition is lost. He who does not change the 
 idle and playful habits of childhood into habits of in- 
 dustry as he enters the period of manhood, will com- 
 monly find his hopes of accumulation blasted forever. 
 
 We ask then wdiy some revolution similar in results 
 (we mean not in nature) should not take place in 
 reference to the passage from time to eternity in or- 
 der to render his condition blessed in heaven? 
 
 But the Scriptures teach that the spiritual change 
 is both the work of God and the work of man. Like 
 all other mercies this great blessing hangs on the will 
 of God. " Without me ye can do nothing." But 
 we also know that by a free, voluntary trust in the Al- 
 mighty grace of our Saviour we shall be successful in 
 working out our " salvation with fear and trembling." 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 THE DIVINE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 (a.) A DIVINE KEVELATION NEEDED. 
 
 The light of nature discloses to mankind the ex- 
 istence of their Creator. By studying His works 
 and dispensations they may learn, not only His self 
 existence, but many of His natural attributes; such as 
 eternity, immutability, omnipotence, independence, 
 omnipresence, omniscience, unity, goodness and wis- 
 dom. 
 
 And in contemplating these fundamental truths, 
 they may learn that He sustains to them the relation 
 not only of Creator, but of Preserver, Proprietor, 
 Lawgiver, Governor, Final Judge and Disposer. 
 Having these facts before them, they may learn by 
 the appropriate use of their mental and moral faculties 
 that he justly claims their confidence, their love, 
 their worship and their service. 
 
 But while the light of nature is comparatively ob- 
 scure and indefinite on these points, it is silent on 
 many other truths, which are essential for men to 
 know, in order to the attainment of the highest holi- 
 ness and happiness. 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 17 
 
 We imperatively need a supernatural revelation, to 
 teach us that God possesses the attributes of holiness, 
 justice, truth and mercy. We must have an inspired 
 volume to teach the moral perfections of the Lord and 
 the plan of redemption through Christ, as well as the 
 kind of worship and service which He requires, and 
 the destiny of the righteous and the wicked beyond 
 the present life. 
 
 Without a revelation of the Divine will we cannot 
 understand why our present existence should be so 
 short and uncertain, or why our journey through life 
 should be so often beset by trials and afflictions. 
 Without the Bible we are incapable of gaining any 
 plausible solution for the Divine permission of sin or 
 suffering; neither can we understand why his justice 
 and benevolence should sometimes doom the 
 righteous to greater trials than the wicked in this life. 
 It is reasonable, therefore, to expect, in view of God's 
 natural perfections, and our own neeessitious condi- 
 tion, that He should grant us a written revelation. 
 Thus we are prepared to appreciate with favor — the 
 
 solemn declaration concerning the Holy Bible. 
 
 " All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." 
 Holy men of God spake as if they were moved by 
 the Holy Ghost. Therefore, the Bible must be plen- 
 ary inspired as an infallible, trustworthy guide in re- 
 ligion. 
 
 (6.) INSPIRATION DEFINED. 
 
 The plenary inspiration of the Bible is an extraor- 
 dinary Divine agency, operating through or upon 
 teachers while giving instruction whether oral or 
 
18 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 written by which they were taught, what and how 
 they should write or speak. In other words, in writ- 
 ing the Sacred Scriptures ihe penmen were perfectly 
 under Divine guidance, on all strictly religious sub- 
 jects, and wrote as they were moved by the Holy 
 Ghoyt. There was a supernatural guidance or as- 
 sistance of the Holy Spirit afforded to the sacred 
 writers, guarding them against error and leading 
 them to write just what God saw to be suited to ac- 
 complish the ends of revelation. 
 
 (C.) PROOF OF DIVINE INSPIRATION. 
 
 The sacred writers themselves claimed to be under 
 the indaence of Divine inspiration when they were 
 employed in writing the Holy Scriptures. Those 
 who wrote the Old Testament declare that they saw 
 visions ; that the word of the Lord came to them ; 
 and that they were divinely authorized to sanction 
 their warnings, their reproofs, and their predictions 
 with a '' thus saith the Lord," 
 
 '' By all these modes of expression," says Dr. Em- 
 mons, *' they solemnly profess to have written, not 
 according to their own will, but as they were directed 
 and moved by the Divine Spirit. And this testimony 
 of the prophets to their own inspiration is fully con- 
 firmed by the united testimony of the apostles." 
 
 (d.) VALUE OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 If the Bible is an inspired book, it is of priceless 
 value. Nothing can be more important than an ac- 
 quaintance with the mind of God. Hence, this vol- 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 19 
 
 ume mast be infinitely more precious than all other 
 books combined. No wonder then that the devout 
 Psalmist should exclaim : '^ how love I thy law ; 
 it is my meditation all the day. How sweet are thy 
 words unto my taste; yea, sweeter than honey to my 
 mouth. I love thy commandments above gold ; yea, 
 above fine gold. The law of thy mouth is better un- 
 to me than thousands of gold and silver.'' And in the 
 nineteenth Psalm he gives his reasons for this high 
 appreciation of the word of God. " The law of the 
 Lord is perfect, converting the soul ; the testimony of 
 the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The stat. 
 utes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the 
 commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the 
 eyes. . . . The judgments of the Lord are true 
 and righteous altogether. More to be desired are 
 they than gold ; yea, than much fine gold ; sweeter 
 , also than honey and the honeycomb." 
 
 Again, if the Bible was written by Divine inspira- 
 tion, it is an infallible rule of faith and practice. 
 Whenever we have any uncertainty about the cor- 
 rectness of our doctrinal sentiments or religious duties 
 we can here learn what is true and right. The law 
 and the testimotiy must ever be our supreme coun. 
 selor and perfect guide. We can never be justifiable 
 in appealing from Scripture to reason, but we must 
 always appeal from reason to the inspired w^ord of 
 God. Again, if the Bible was written by inspiration, 
 we see why it has produced such a wonderful in- 
 fluence in the world. All books which have been 
 published have had but little influence in convincing 
 pursuading and governing men, in comparison with 
 
20 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 this volume of inspired truth. When attended by the 
 spirit it has converted millions from sin to holiness. 
 
 Again, if '' all Scripture is given by inspiration of 
 God," it is reasonable that its sacred pages should 
 bear the impress of Divinity. All human productions 
 are marked with imperfections ; but a book composed 
 by the Almighty should bear the marks of divine per- 
 fection and divine wisdom. If the face of Nature re- 
 flects the image of its Creator, it is reasonable that 
 His inspired word should bear the superscription of 
 its Divine Author. 
 
 Thus we perceive that His holiness and wisdom 
 are disclosed in the prohibitions and penalties of this 
 sacred revelation. This book gives us the most im- 
 portant instruction, which we could never learn else- 
 where. Has it not, therefore, every internal mark of 
 its Divine origin and authority ? And shall we not em- 
 brace it as our guide in life and support in death? 
 
 Finally. If the Scriptures were written by Divine 
 inspiration, all are bound to search them, that they 
 may know their present moral character and their 
 prospective condition in the future world. The 
 Bible plainly teaches that all men are either righteous 
 or wicked, saints or sinners, that there is a radical 
 distinction between him that serveth God and him 
 that serveth Him not. In this book exceeding great 
 and precious promises are made to all, who are striv- 
 ing to please the Lord by an obedient and holy life. 
 
 And, Oh, what deadful threatenings are denounced 
 against impenitent sinners, to be inflicted in the in- 
 terminable future. "These shall go away into eter- 
 nal punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." 
 
CHAPTER lY. 
 
 THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST OF SUPERNATURAL 
 
 ORIGIN. 
 
 (extract.) 
 
 What think you of the Christ ? is an interrogation 
 the most fundamental and all-engrossing that has 
 ever been propounded to men. For more than 
 eighteen centuries, it has been the most vital question 
 among all classes. Even unbelievers cannot let it 
 alone, for they feel that their eternal well-being 
 might depend upon a proper answer to it. 
 
 We do not understand by Supernatural, something 
 contrary to all means ; but that which is super- 
 human, and above the common laws of Nature. We 
 believe that the Supernatural comes within the do- 
 main of law, but it is a higher law than any with 
 which we are now acquainted. All Nature at first 
 originated in the miraculous, and it is impossible for 
 the world to get rid of the idea of miracle. In all 
 this, however, we believe there was profound method. 
 The mission of Christ into this world was not 
 without means ; but it was the grandest methodical 
 arrangement of which man can form a conception. 
 
22 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 The Jews did not originate the character of Christ, 
 for it was the opposite of all their preconceived ideas 
 of the Messiah. It arose far above any conception of 
 which the Jewish mind was capable. It could not 
 have taken its origin among the gentiles, for it was 
 entirely too Jewish for them. That it did not origin- 
 ate with the disciples of Christ is shown in the fact 
 that even after His resurrection from among the 
 dead, it required miraculous power to make them 
 fully comprehend the completeness of His character. 
 We must, therefore, conclude that the character of 
 Christ was of Supernatural origin^ and that it re- 
 quired the Great Artist to present to the world such 
 an original and such a perfect picture. 
 
 The teaching of Jesus proves His divine origin. It 
 can not be said of Him that He simply taught good 
 things; for every thing he taught was absolutely 
 perfect. At the conclusion of His grand sermon on 
 the mount, the people were astonished at His 
 teachings ; for He taught with authority, and Eot as 
 their scribes. The first seven beatitudes of that ser- 
 mon should convince every honest mind of the divine 
 mission of Jesus. 
 
 They refer to traits of character and to states of 
 mind, and are paridoxical ; for the world's concep- 
 tion of the man who is superlatively bleesed has always 
 been the opposite of what is taught in them. Tlie 
 doctrine was new and strange not only to the heathen 
 world, but also to the most cultivated students of 
 the Jewish faith. The truth of all tliese maxims has 
 been fully realized by all that have accepted and prac- 
 ticed them. They make up a perfect character. 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 23 
 
 The life of Jesus corresponded to His teachings; 
 for He perfectly practiced what he taught. Not a 
 man, among the keen-eyed critics, or the vilest op- 
 posers of Christianity, has been able to produce a 
 single instance where Jesus violated in practice what 
 He had taught. In this Jesus stands alone ; lor He 
 is the only teacher who has a perfect practice, and 
 the only one who has perfectly practiced what he 
 taught. How account for this without admitting the 
 divine authority of Jesus Christ? 
 
 The teaching and the life of Christ have stood the 
 test of time. What has become of the philosophers 
 who were contemporary with Jesus? With the ex- 
 ception of a very few they have gone into forgetful- 
 ness, to be heard of no more until the unfolding of 
 the records of the last judgment. What has become 
 of the great statesmen of Greece and Rome? With 
 the exception of a few, they too have passed from the 
 records of time, and have gone into the shades of for- 
 getfulness. What has become of the Jewish doctors 
 who lived in the days of Jesus? Their names have 
 also perished, and they have left but few foot-prints 
 on the sands of time. The name of Jesus acquires 
 more influence day by day. How understand this 
 without accepting the divinity of His mission? 
 
 The admissions of those not favorable to Jesus in 
 His day are sufficient to show that His teaching was 
 of superhuman origin. His question to the Jews 
 about the baptism of John silenced them, and showed 
 that they despised the truth. They admitted that he 
 cast out demons, and tried to explain it away. Ju- 
 das, the traitor, understood all the private counsels of 
 
24 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 Jesus, and he went to the chief priests to confess 
 that he had betrayed the innocent. The wife of Pi- 
 late and even the governor himself, pronounced 
 Jesus innocent. After the resurrection of Christ, 
 the guard came into the city to report the fact, and 
 was hired by the Jewish priests to tell an absolutely 
 unreasonable falsehood. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 THE WORLD WITHOUT CHRIST. 
 
 In support of this truth I quote the following ex- 
 tract of a serraon. 
 
 Matt., iv, 16 : ^^ The people which sat in darkness 
 saw a great light ; and to them which sat in the region 
 and shadow of death, light did spring up." 
 
 If during our lives it ha'd always been day- 
 light we might not realize how much we are 
 indebted to the sun for light. This glow and 
 brightness which reveals everything, which shows 
 colors, which shows us the path, is diffused 
 in the atmosphere. Present when the sun is 
 obscured, in-doors as well as out. We avail 
 ourselves of it without thinking of the sun, and 
 in a thousand nooks and corners when the sun is not 
 visible. We would not know but that it belonged to 
 the atmosphere, an inherent part of it, if we had not 
 experienced the darkness of night, when the sun is 
 beneath the horizon, and then witness the change its 
 rising makes. So with principles of ordinary morali' 
 ty and benevolence. In this nineteenth century and 
 in this land of ours, these principles somewhat dif- 
 fused, known, admired, become respectable, many 
 even worldly motives for practicing them, so that 
 very many practice them to a limited extent who are 
 not disciples of Christ. Such men are apt to forget 
 3 
 
26 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 that they are at all indebted to Christ for this moral 
 enlightenment and wide diffusion of noble sentiments 
 and influences. Priding themselves on their morality 
 and benevolence they are apt to say, " This is religion 
 enough ; we try to be honest and kind; we are under 
 no obligation to Christ, and have no need of a 
 Saviour." It is a good thing for such to go back and 
 see what the world was without Christ, even as re- 
 gards ordinary integrity and kindness. Contrast the 
 opinions, sentiments and practices prevailing when 
 Christ came, with the precepts He gave, and the ideal 
 He presented of character, and yon will see how w^ell 
 the text expresses it. *'' The people which sat in the 
 darkness saw a great light ; and to them which sat in 
 the region and shadow of death light did spring up." 
 I wish to help you to realize the fact that we then 
 enjoy this wide diffusion of the principles of morality 
 and kindness, because Christ, the Son of Eighteous- 
 ness arose, and now for nearly 1900 years His moral 
 influence has been penetrating and gradually affecting 
 the world's thought. This enlightenmeat is by no 
 means complete yet. It is still going on. 
 
 1, Contrast the opinions prevailing among men at 
 the time Christ came, with the principles He laid 
 down concerning our duty to God. True moral in- 
 tegrity and conscientious living was unknown. What 
 would you expect when in the Roman empire. State 
 dictated conscience to the individual; the individual 
 had no right to a conscience ; conception of heathen 
 gods was simply projections and personifications of 
 passions of the human heart. As gods, so people. 
 Therefore society was a scene of mutual distrust and 
 
 i 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 27 
 
 hatred, refined deceptions, wicked amusements, glut- 
 tonous debaucheries, sanguinary cruelty, and the 
 most corrupt and widespread sensuality. Seneca 
 says : " All places are full of crimes and vices. Men 
 strive in a port of horrid competition in iniquity. 
 Nor are crimes committed secretly. They walk be- 
 fore your eye."^. To such a degree has wickedness 
 been public and become strong in the breasts of all, 
 that innocence is I cannot say even rare — it has 
 ceased altogether to exist."' The ruins of Pompeii, 
 with their relics and frescoes, testify to the corruption 
 of those days; the reigns of Tiberius and Nero — the 
 very embodiments of sensuality, cruelty and of every 
 vice ; the enjoyment of the populace, men and women 
 over the sickening conflicts of thousands of gladia- 
 tors. And what were the homes of those days? Alas ! 
 there was no such thing as home. The word " fami- 
 ly " to the ear of a Roman meant a multitude of idle, 
 corrupt and corrupting slaves, kept in subjection by 
 the lash, ready for any treachery and reeking with 
 every vice. It meant a despot who could kill his 
 slaves when they were aged, and expose his children 
 when they were born ; it meant matrons among whom 
 virtue was rare and divorce frequent;, it meant 
 children spectators from their infancy of insolence and 
 cruelty and servility and sin. But the new faith 
 while it sanctioned the authority of parents, checked 
 their despotism ; it made marriage sacred and indis- 
 soluable ; it encircled the position of womanhood 
 with all that was pure and divine and tender in the 
 name of mother and wife. For families in which, 
 like sheltered flowers, spring up all that is purest 
 
28 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 and sweetest in human lives ; for marriage exalted 
 to almost sacramental dignity ; for all that circle of 
 heavenly blessings which result from a common self- 
 sacrifice ; for the beautiful unison of noble manhood, 
 stainh^ss womanhood, joyful infancy, and uncontami- 
 nated youth. In a word, for all there is of divinity 
 and sweetness in the one word home. For this, to an 
 extent which we can hardly reahze, we are indebted 
 to Christianity alone. If any one wants to 
 read a brief but plain and firm portrayal of that 
 heathen society in Christ^s day, let him read Romans 
 Ist. A master sketch confirmed thus by secular histo- 
 ry. The Jews were somewhat better, perhaps but 
 with them ceremonialism, sacrifices offered, no change 
 of wuU, asceticism, morbid withdrawal from men, clear- 
 ly indicated that the Pagan and Jewish world sat in 
 darkness, but yet Christ came like the sun into this 
 moral midnight. He spoke of God's holiness requir- 
 ing purity and righteousness. He reiterated and un- 
 folded the divine law, showed how it extended to the 
 heart. His beatitudes, shafts of morning light; and 
 not in word only, but in deed also. He embodied 
 this pure and heavenly morality, in which men have 
 never been able to find a flaw, and which impresses 
 the more we ponder it. 
 
 II. But if so as to personal integrity, how as to 
 duty to our fellow man? Here is, also, the greatest 
 possible contrast between Christ^s teachings and 
 spirit on the one hand, and the prevailing opinions 
 of His day on the other. When he came the world 
 was utterly and outrageously selfish. Principal na- 
 tions each regarded themselves so superior to foreign- 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 29 
 
 ers that foreigners were considered as made for their 
 benefit. Thus the Greeks regarded ar^d despised all 
 others, even Egyptians and Romans, as barbarians. 
 Humanity, only human race or culture. Socrates 
 thanked the gods daily that he was man, not beast ; 
 Greek, not barbarian. The Romans considered all 
 others foes. The Jews thought they had the exclu- 
 sive possession of Jehovah's promises ; they thought 
 God created the world on their account. Selfishness 
 everywhere. No charity, but contempt for the poor 
 and suffering multitudes. The rich did not think of 
 building a.sylums, hospitals, orphanages ; but the 
 strong everywhere derided and oppressed the weak. 
 Pity and gentleness were almost unknown, and disin- 
 herited love in the Christian sense, a stranger to the 
 earth. How like the sunrise then came Christ 
 preaching the truth, that God is the Father of all men 
 and that all men are brothers. What a world of 
 fresh and glorious light poured in when He said, '' I 
 am annointed to preach the gospel to the poor. 
 Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden." 
 No class or condition were exempt; all were invited 
 to draw nigh and receive the blessing they needed. 
 Where will you find such principles of self-sacrifice 
 as were embodied in Christ and illustrated in His 
 every action and word? You can readily see how 
 Christ could not have been the outgrowth of the age 
 in which He lived. 
 
 " From heaven He came, of heaven He spoke, 
 To heaven He lead His followers' way ; 
 Dark clouds of gloomy night He broke 
 Unveiling an immortal day." 
 3* 
 
CHAPTER yi. 
 
 THE GOOD EFFECTS OF CHRISTIANITY THE BEST 
 EVIDENCE OF ITS DIVINE ORIGIN. 
 
 (extracts.) 
 
 All candid readers of the Bible readily perceive 
 that it teaches true piety toward God, and strict 
 morality in all human relations. '' For all scripture 
 is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for 
 doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in 
 righteousness." And it has produced the best moral 
 effects in improving and reforming nations and in- 
 dividuals. ''In the judment of candid observers," as 
 a writer has observed, "it has changed the condition of 
 those nations which have embraced it, and intro- 
 duced a degree of knowledge, of morality, of civiliza- 
 tion and of domestic happiness, of which there was 
 no experience before its appearance." 
 
 It has humanized the general manners, and pro- 
 duced many individual examples of virtue, to which 
 no other religion can present a parallel. It has clear, 
 ly shown itself to be a safe and effective guide for 
 men in all their relations to God and each other. 
 Hence we may safely and with confidence appeal to 
 the good moral effects of the gospel for evidence of 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 its truth. In confirmation of this proposition I will 
 here quote an extract from a forcible and popular 
 author. Says this writer : 
 
 ''The effects of the gospel is the evidence to which 
 the sacred writers appeal for its inspired truth as a 
 divine revelation. The effect is seen, first, in the 
 conversion of sinners, to God of all classes, ages and 
 conditions, when all human means of reforming them 
 have utterly failed. Second, in its giving them 
 peace, joy and happiness, and in transforming their 
 lives. Third, in making them different men — in mak- 
 ing the drunkard sober, the thief honest, the licen- 
 tious pure, the profane reverent, the indolent indus- 
 trious, the harsh and unkind gentle and kind, and the 
 wretched happy. Fourth, in its diffusing a mild and 
 pure influence over the laws and customs of society, 
 and in promoting human happiness everywhere." 
 
 And in regard to this evidence to which the sacred 
 writers appeal, we may observe, first, that it is a kind 
 of evidence which any one may examine, and which no 
 one can reasonably deny It does not need labored, ab- 
 struse argumentation, but it is everywhere in society. 
 Every man in Christian countries, has witnessed the 
 effects of the gospel in reforming the vicious, and no 
 one can deny that it has this power. Second, it is 
 a mighty display of the power of God. There is no 
 more striking exhibition of his power over mind than 
 in a revival of religion. There is nowhere more 
 manifest demonstration of his presence than when in 
 such a revival the proud are humbled, the profane 
 are awed, the blasphemer is silenced, and the profli- 
 gate, the abandoned, and the immoral are converted 
 
32 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 unto God and are led as lost sinners to the same 
 cross and find the same peace. Third, the gospel has 
 thus evidenced from age to age that it is from God. 
 
 Every converted sinner furnishes such a demon- 
 stration ; every instance where it produces peace, 
 hope and joy, shows that it is from heaven. In every 
 generation God furnishes us a firm and solid demon- 
 stration that the Christian religion, which demands 
 our belief, is from heaven. The power of God at- 
 tends His inspired truth in transforming His people 
 everywhere, and is a demonstration that is irresisti- 
 ble to every intelligent and really candid mind, that 
 the religion of our Lord was not originated by mere 
 human device or plan, but by Almighty God himself. 
 And his power is manifest in changing the depraved 
 heart of man from sin to holiness; in overcoming 
 the strong propensities of our nature to sin ; in sub- 
 duing the soul, and making the sinner a new creature 
 in Jesus Christ. Every Christian has thus, in his 
 own experience, furnished demonstration that the re- 
 lierion which he loves is from God and not from man. 
 
 Man without divine grace w^ould not subdue these 
 sins, and man could not so entirely transform the 
 soul. And although the unlearned Christian may not 
 be able to investigate all the evidences of religion, 
 although he cannot meet and refute all the objections 
 of science or philosophy (falsely, so called), although 
 he may be greatly perplexed by the seeming discrep- 
 ancies of the sacred record, or by the seeming contra- 
 dictions of new developments in science, yet he may 
 have the witness of the Holy Spirit in his own ex- 
 perience that he is a renewed man ; he may have the 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 33 
 
 fullest proof that he loves God, that he is different 
 from what he was once, and that all has been accom. 
 plished by the religion of Christ. The blind man 
 that was made to see by the Saviour, might have 
 been wholly unable to tell how his eyes were opened, 
 and unable to meet all the cavils of those who might 
 doubt it, or all the cunning and subtle objections of 
 physiologists, but one thing he certainly could not 
 doubt, that whereas he was blind he then saw. 
 
 A man may have no doubt that the sun shines, that 
 the wind blows, that the tides rise, that the blood 
 flows in the veins, that the flowers bloom, and that 
 this could not be except it was from God, while he 
 may have no power to explain these facts — no power 
 to meet the objections and cavils of those who might 
 choose to embarrass him. 
 
 So men may know that their hearts are changed 
 by the Holy Ghost, giving efficacy to the inspired 
 word of God. And it is on this ground that humble 
 and unlearned Christians, in all ages of our world, 
 chiefly depend for the most satisfactory evidence of 
 the absolute truth of the Christian religion. They 
 know they love God, and delight in his service in 
 life, and they know that on such evidence of His 
 truth they may safely trust the redemption of their 
 souls in death, with the assurance of rising to new- 
 ness of life in the morning of the final resurrection. 
 
 '^ The revelations of prophecy," observes a writer 
 whom I quote at length, in closing, "are facts which 
 exhibit the divine omniscience. So long as Babylon 
 is in heaps, so long as Ninevah lies empty, void and 
 waste ; so long as Egypt is the basest of kingdoms; 
 
34 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 so loDg as Tyre is a place for the spreading of nets 
 in the midst of the sea ; so long as Israel is scattered 
 among all nations ; so long as Jerusalem is trodden 
 Tinder foot of the Gentiles ; so long as the great em- 
 pires of the world march on in their predicted course, 
 — so long we have proof that one omniscient Mind 
 dictated that Book, and ' prophecy came not in old 
 time by the will of man.' 
 
 "We call this Bible a book, but here are sixty-six dif- 
 ferent books, written by thirty or forty different men. 
 A man may say, ^ I do not believe in the book of 
 Esther.' Well, what of that? We have sixty-five 
 others left. What will you do with them ? A man 
 says, ' I find fault with this chapter or with that.' 
 Suppose you do ? If you were on trial for murder, 
 and had sixty-six witnesses against you, suppose you 
 impeach one of them, i here are sixty-five left ; im- 
 peach another, and you still have sixty-four; impeach 
 another, and you have sixty-three — enough to hang 
 you up if you are guilty. Do you not see that you 
 cannot impeach this Book unless you do it in detail ? 
 Each book bears its own witness, and stands by itself 
 on its own merits ; and yet eacli book is linked with 
 all the rest. Blot out one, if you can. I am inclined 
 to think it would be difficult to do this. This Book 
 is built to stay together ; it is inspired by one Spirit. 
 
 "The authorship of this Book is wonderful. Here are 
 words written by kings, by emperors, by princes, by 
 poets, by sages, by philosophers, by fishermen, by 
 statesmen ; by men learned in the wisdom of Egypt, 
 educated in the schools of Babylon, trained up at the 
 feet of rabbis in Jerusalem. It was written by men in 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 35 
 
 exile, in the deseri, and in shepherd's tents, in 'green 
 pastures' and beside 'still waters.' Among its authors 
 we find the fisherman, the tax-gatherer, the herds- 
 man, the gatherer of sycamore fruit ; we find poor 
 men, rich men, statesmen, preachers, exiles, captains, 
 legislators, judges — men of every grade and class. 
 The authorship of this Book is wonderful beyond all 
 other books. 
 
 " And what a book it is — filled with law, ethics, 
 prophecy, poetry, history, genealogy, medicine, sani- 
 tary science, political economy. It contains all kinds 
 of writing; but what a jumble it would be if sixty- 
 six books were written in this way by ordinary men. 
 Suppose, for instance, that we get sixty-six medical 
 books written by thirty or forty difi'erent doctors of va- 
 rious schools, believers in allopathy, homeopathy, hy- 
 pathy, and all the other opathies, bind them all togeth- 
 er, and then undertake to doctor a man according to 
 that book ! What man would be fool enough to risk 
 the results of practicing such a system of medicine? 
 Or, suppose you get thirty-five editors writing trea- 
 tises on politics, or thirty-five ministers writing books 
 on theology, and then see if you can find any leather 
 strong enough to hold the books together when they 
 have got through. 
 
 "But again, it required fifteen hundred years to 
 write this Book, and the man who wrote the closing 
 pages of it had no communication with the man who 
 commenced it. How did these men, writing inde- 
 pendently, produce such a book ? Other books get 
 out of date when they are ten or twenty years old : 
 But this Book lives on through the ages, and keeps 
 
36 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 abreast of the mightiest thought and intellect of every 
 
 age- 
 
 " Again, I conclude that this book has in it the 
 
 very breath of G-od, from the effect it produces upon 
 men. There are men who study philosophy, astron- 
 omy, geology, geography, and mathematics, but did 
 you ever hear a man say, 'I was an outcast, a 
 wretched inebriate, a disgrace to my race, and a nui- 
 sance in the world, until I began to study mathemat- 
 ics, and learned the multiplication table, and then 
 turned my attention to geology, got me a little ham- 
 mer, and knocked off the corners of the rocks and 
 studied the formation of the earth ; but since that 
 time 1 have been happy as the day is long ; I feel 
 like singing all the time, my soul is full of triumph 
 and peace; and health and blessing has come to my 
 desolate home once more.' Did you ever hear a man 
 ascribe his redemption and salvation from intemper- 
 ance and sin and vice to the multiplication table, or 
 the science of mathematics or geology ? But I can 
 bring you not one man, or two, or ten, but men by 
 the thousand who will tell you, ' I was wretched ; I 
 was lost ; I broke my poor old mother's heart ; 1 beg- 
 gared my family ; my wife was broken-hearted and 
 dejected ; my children fled from the sound of their 
 father's footstep ; I was ruined, reckless, helpless, 
 homeless, hopeless, until I heard the words of that 
 Book!' And he will tell you the very words which 
 fastened on his soul. It may be it was, ' Come unto 
 Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will 
 give you rest ; ' perhaps it was, * Behold the Lamb 
 of God, which taketh away the sin of the world;' It 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 37 
 
 may have been, ' God so loved the world that he 
 gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth 
 in him should not perish but have everlasting life.' 
 He can tell you what the very word was which saved 
 his soul. And since that word entered his heart, he 
 will tell you that hope has dawned upon his vision ; 
 that joy has inspired his heart; and that his mouth 
 is filled with grateful song. He will tell you that the 
 blush of health has come back to his poor wife's faded 
 cheek ; that the old hats have vanished from the 
 windows of his desolate home ; that his rags have 
 been exchanged for good clothes ; that his children 
 run to meet him when he comes ; that there is bread 
 on his table, fire on his hearth, and comfort in .his 
 dwelling. He will tell you all that, and he will tell 
 you that this Book has done the work. Now, this 
 Book is working just such miracles, and is doing it 
 every day. If you have any other book that will do 
 such work as this, bring it along. The work needs 
 to be done; if you have the book that will do it, for 
 Heaven's sake bring it out. But for the present, 
 while we are waiting for you, as we know this Book 
 will do the work we propose to use it until we can 
 get something better. And the best thing for us to 
 do is to bring out the word of God, and let the 
 * sword of the Spirit' prove its own power, as it 
 pierces ' even to the dividing assunder of soul and 
 spirit.' 
 
 " Suppose, for example, all the good people of any 
 
 community should try the Bible, say for a single year. 
 
 Suppose you start now, and say, * We have heard 
 
 about that Book, and now we will begin and practice 
 
 4 
 
88 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 its teachings just one year/ What would be the 
 result? There would be no lying, no stealing, no 
 selling rum, no getting drunk, no tattling, no mis- 
 chief-making, no gossiping, no vice or debauchery. 
 Every man would be a good man, every woman a 
 good woman ; every man would be a good husband, 
 father, or brother, every woman a good wife, mother, 
 or sister ; every one in the community would be 
 peaceable ; there would be no brawls, no quarrels, 
 no fights, no lawsuits; lawyers would almost starve 
 to death ; doctors would have light practice, and 
 plenty of time to hoe their gardens ; courts would be 
 useless, jails and lockups empty, almshouses cleaned 
 out of their inmates, except a few old stagers left 
 over from the past generation ; taxes would be re- 
 duced three-fourths, haid times would trouble no- 
 body — all would be well-dressed and well cared for. 
 It would raise the price of real estate twenty-five per 
 cent in six months; taxes would come down, proper- 
 ty would go up, and good people from far and near 
 would want to move into town, and nobody who was 
 worth having there would want to move out. And 
 this would be the direct result of reading and obeying 
 this Book, Now, if a book will do that for a com- 
 munity, what kind of a book is it? Is such a book 
 the Lord^s book or the devil's book? It seems to me 
 that a book that will do such works as that, must be 
 the Book of God, inspired by the very breath of the 
 Almighty. The Book is its own witness. It bears 
 its own fruits and tells its own story." 
 
CHAPTER YII. 
 
 THE FALSE PHILOSOPHr AND DEMORALIZING IN- 
 FLUENCE OF INFIDELITY PROVE THAT 
 IT MUST BE UNTRUE. 
 
 While the good effect of Bible truths proves it to 
 be inspired of God, the false philosophy of infidelity, 
 and its demoralizing effects, show that it must be un- 
 true. 
 
 Nothing; can be more certain, maintains the infidel, 
 than that no human being can by any possibiHty con- 
 trol his thought. We are in this world — we see, we 
 hear, we feel, we taste; and everyt!)ing in nature 
 makes an impression upon the brain, and that wonder- 
 ful something, enthroned there with these materials, 
 weaves what we call thought, and the brain can no 
 more help thinking than the heart can help beating. 
 The blood pursues its old accustomed round without 
 our will. The heart beats without askim? leave of 
 •us, and the brain thinks in spite of all we can do. 
 This being true, no human being can justly be held 
 responsible for his thought any more than for the 
 
40 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 beating of. his heart, any more more than for the 
 course pursued by the blood, any more than for 
 breathing air. 
 
 " That falsehood," observes a writer, " shot Presi- 
 dent Garfield. If it were the truth, it would be a full 
 and complete justification of every murder, rape, ar- 
 son, wife-beating, child-torturing, and of every crime 
 that has been committed since time began. We are 
 not afraid of the effects of such a preposterous false- 
 hood on the minds of mature and thinking men and 
 women^those who know and feel their responsibili- 
 ty to God and their fellow-men — bat more deadly 
 moral poison was never put into so small a shape for 
 the minds of the immature and those who seek an ex- 
 cuse for the gratification of devilish propensities. A 
 man is as much the master of his brain as he is of his 
 premises. He is just as guilty — nay, much more 
 guilty — if he permits an evil thought to fester and 
 corrupt in his soul, as he is if he permit open sewers 
 and dead animals and rotting vegetables to lie in his 
 cellar, and poison his family to death. It is his duty 
 to clean them out. If an evil passion shows its germ 
 in his mind, he cannot let it spread and grow till it 
 culminates in murder or adultery, and then say he is 
 not responsible for it. If he does not uproot it and 
 cast it out, and plant the seed of all good thoughts in 
 its place, he will, if he gets his deserts, be hung in 
 this world and damned in the next. That doctrine 
 lies at the bottom of the infidel philosophy. In just 
 so far as it is accepted, to that extent will all moral 
 restraints be taken ofi" the minds and consciences of 
 men. It takes no heed of deadly consequences." 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 41 
 
 It says, "I am not responsible for my thoughts or 
 their outcome." 
 
 It seems that the speculative infidelity of men must 
 have paralyzed and stupified their minds, when their 
 theory constrains them to deny their free agency 
 and responsibility. Who in the exercise of ordinary 
 reason, does not know that if two silver dollars were 
 offered him, as near alike as possible in every partic- 
 ular, that he is perfectly free to choose either as a 
 present from me, or to decline the present entirely. 
 Thus his consciousness testifies to his free agency. 
 And whose moral nature can be so obtuse and insen- 
 sible as to feel that he is neither guilty for deliberate 
 murder, nor to be commended for generous acts of 
 beneficence? 
 
 When skeptics, in justification of their speculative 
 theory of unbelief, deny their intellectual and moral 
 nature, and are not blameworthy either lor their un- 
 belief of moral truth or their sinful conduct, which is 
 its result, they must be greatly at fault And God 
 says of them: "Because they received not the love 
 of the truth that they might be saved, he shall send 
 them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, 
 that they all might be damned who believe not the 
 truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 
 
 Everv man of sound mind, in the exercise of his 
 reason, must know that he is not the irresponsible 
 subject of arbitrary fate, but his consciousness and 
 his conscience must both convince him that he is ab- 
 solutely B.free agent, responsible for all his deliberate, 
 voluntary acts and intentions, both to the civil and 
 
 divine law, and to society, and to Almighty God, his 
 4* 
 
42 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 final Judge, for all his moral and religious or wicked 
 conduct. Hence it appears obvious to all fair minded 
 and candid men, that " every one of us shall give ac- 
 count of himself to God." It is reasonable, there- 
 fore, that " he that believeth shall be saved, and he 
 that believeth not shall be damned." 
 
CHAPTER yill. 
 
 EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE OF THE TRUTH OF 
 CHRISTIANITY. 
 
 ( EXTRACTS.— DOING AND KNOWING.) 
 
 The Lord Jesus Christ has said, " If any man will 
 do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it 
 be of God." 
 
 But does any objector say, " I must know the doc- 
 trine before I begin to practice it ? " I reply this is 
 unreasonable. And in its support I ask attention to 
 the following extracts and considerations : 
 
 " If any man will do his will he shall know of the 
 doctrine," said Christ. *' But that," answers the 
 doubter, " is unreasonable. That reverses the nat- 
 ural order. I must know the doctrine before I begin 
 to practice it. You ask me to commit myself to a 
 system of religion many of whose principles I do not 
 understand. That is absurd." 
 
 Let us see. Perhaps this demand of Christ is not 
 so irrational after all. It may be that men are con- 
 stantly acting on the same principle in other affairs. 
 
 The art of speaking rests upon the science of gram- 
 
44 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 mar or rhetoric. But children always learn to talk 
 before they study grammar. Would our objector 
 insist that his baby must take a thorough course of 
 Gould-Brown before he learned to talk ? Would he 
 pronounce it absurd iu this case that practice should 
 precede doctrine ? 
 
 Every art is based upon science. The art consists 
 of rules and methods, the science of laws and princi- 
 ples; the art is practical, the science is theoretical. 
 And almost always the practice comes before the 
 theory. 
 
 When, therefore, Christ says, " Do and you shall 
 know," he lays down for the divine education a 
 method which the most intelligent modern teachers 
 have found it necessary to adopt. Religion is an art — 
 the art of holy living. Theology is the science which 
 underlies the art. And it is just as reasonable to 
 ask a man to begin to practice religion before he 
 fully understands theology, as it is to ask him to be- 
 gin to practice any other art before he comprehends 
 the corresponding science. 
 
 The inductive method in philosophy, which all our 
 scientists in these days insist upon as the only valid 
 method, requires us to collect our facts first and then 
 draw reason from them. We are not allowed to de- 
 velop our theories out of our own consciousness, 
 and then see if we cannot find facts to fit them. We 
 must first know what is, and then try to find what it 
 means. Now this is precisely Christ's demand. Re- 
 ligion is for every man a concern intensely individual. 
 The essence of it is submission to God and depend- 
 ence on His grace. It consists largely of acceptance 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 45 
 
 from him of help in our struggles with sin and in our 
 endeavors to live righteously. It promises us sup- 
 port under suffering, comfort in sorrow, and a good 
 hope in the hour of death. 
 
 All the doctrines of the Christian religion bear di- 
 rectly upon these practical issues. Now^ how can 
 any man find out whether the doctrines are true un- 
 less he will put them to the test of practice. The 
 facts which establish the doctrines are facts which he 
 must find in his own experience. He cannot explore 
 the minds of other men. He may be able to judge, 
 somewhat imperfectly, by observing their conduct, 
 whether thev do receive this divine aid or not : but 
 there is only one absolutely certain method of know- 
 ing whether there is answer to prayer, whether 
 there is solace in affliction, whether the strength and 
 peace of God are given to them that ask — and that is 
 by trying. When a man has collected out of his own 
 experience facts enough upon which to base an in- 
 duction, then he will know of the doctrine. He can 
 never know in any other way. And when he refuses 
 to take this method of finding out, and insists that he 
 must be certain of the results before he makes the 
 experiment, he is as unreasonable as one who, hav- 
 ing always lived in a dungeon, should insist upon 
 knowing for himself that the light and heat of the 
 sun were pleasant before he would go out of his cel- 
 lar into the daylight. 
 
 Religion is prayer. When it was said of Saul of 
 Tarsus '' Behold, he prayeth," it was meant that he 
 had entered upon the religious life. There were 
 many things that he did not understand, but he 
 
46 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 had submitted his will to God and was seeking for 
 light. So any man who sincerely prays to God 
 with submission of the will and consecration of the 
 life is a religious man. That is the only way to be- 
 come religious. One who desires to do the will of 
 God must know what is the will of God. He will 
 find that out by praying, as Saul did: " Lord, what 
 wilt thou have me to do?" Whoever will offer this 
 prayer in simplicity and sincerity day by day, a,nd 
 will accept such light as he can get from the study 
 of God's truth and use of his own reason, will quick- 
 ly find that his worst doubts are vanishing. There 
 may be some subjects yet that he cannot quite mas- 
 ter, but nothing over which his faith will stumble If 
 God is infinite, it is not likely that all the truth about 
 Him can be put into a definition. But they who do 
 his will shall be made more and more certain, in their 
 earnest search for wisdom, that to the knowledge of 
 divine truth, as to every other sort of knowledge, 
 obedience is the royal road. 
 
 Whatever may be the skill of the teaching, the 
 prime condition of knowledge in moral things is in 
 the heart itself. If in all the lower forms of feelings 
 and the truths belonging to them, experience must 
 be the basis of knowledge, how much more should 
 we expect it to be so in the range of the higher 
 moral faculties! We come to the Bible from the 
 analogies of nature, with the expectation of such a 
 teaching. 
 
 Now look, for a moment, at some of the truths 
 which Christ was wont to teach. Earliest, was re- 
 pentance for sin. Whatever explanations may be 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 47 
 
 given to the understanding of the nature of repent- 
 ance, they will be invalid and obscure until the feel- 
 ing itself interprets them. That grief for sin is not 
 all grief, but is tempered with trust, and love, and 
 sorrow, without fear for the future, but full of regrets 
 for the past; that says "Against Thee and Thee 
 only have I sinned," as if nothing else was worth 
 thinking of in comparison with the fact that God had 
 been offended — who shall know this, except through 
 the experience of it? There may be a suggestive 
 flavor of it in generous hearts, in the nobler forms of 
 earthly love ; but only in a Christian's experience do 
 we know its full disclosures. Those that have felt it 
 interpret your words when you speak of it with 
 great heart-swellings ; but to those who have not 
 known it, your words of interpretation are but as 
 sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. 
 
 The reality and the joy of entire submission to 
 God; the sense of the Divine worthiness; the dis- 
 closure of the beauty of holiness; heart-gladness on 
 account of God's supremacy ; a glorying in the 
 thought of His universal Fatherhood ; an unspeaka- 
 ble satisfaction in the conviction of His love toward 
 us, of our adoption through it, of our sympathetic 
 union with Him, of our co-operative life in this world 
 and of our union with Him in immortality ; that rev- 
 erence which prostrates us before the grandeur and 
 purity of his Being ; the stranger mystery of that 
 feeling which inspires the soul with a sense of honor 
 and glory in the act of its humiliation before God ; 
 that wonderful experience which causes the heart to 
 scorn as an indignity, and reject as a monstrous 
 
4:8 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 wrong, the humbling of itself before human beings, 
 but which bows it down with eager willingness and 
 gladness before God, and fills it with the divinest 
 sense of the greatness that there is in childlike sim- 
 plicity and Christlike humility ; the sense of God's 
 presence ; the perception of God in the work of His 
 hands in nature ; the supernal beauty of this 
 world when to faith it is transfused with the Spirit of 
 God. 
 
 By what possible explanations or formulas can 
 these truths be taught? How shall one find them 
 unless they spring out of his own heart? Yet less 
 can be taught of that wondrous truth which is the 
 blossom of the whole creation — Zow. Our exper- 
 iences of it one toward another, are but its lower 
 leaves. What is it when God solicits it and nourishes 
 it in the human soul ? What is it when it is the har- 
 mony of all the faculties of our nature, and, inspired 
 by God, it takes hold upon him as the all-worthy 
 object of its supreme strength ? These, thank God, 
 are experiences possible here; but they must precede 
 knowing. Words and letters will not teach them. 
 
 We ask no favor, no grace, but only that you be 
 willing to accept religious truth according to its na- 
 ture, as you do all others. 
 
 I stand in the door of Christian life, and declaim 
 of the untold gladness of love, hope and faith ; of the 
 joys of humility, of manly self renunciation, of the 
 peace and rest which devotion breathes upon the 
 soul, of the solace of penitence — the profound joy of 
 gratitude. Do you demand that such truths shall be 
 proved, as if they were intellectual propositions ? 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 49 
 
 Will you reason upon a fact of consciousness, as if it 
 were an outward fact of matter? The foundation of 
 thinking in respect to truths of moral consciousness 
 is feeling. As no man can spin until he has either 
 cotton or wool, so no man can think until he has the 
 staple from which thought is twisted. Feeliop; is the 
 wool out of which the thread and fabric of thought, 
 in many departments of Truth, are made. And 
 though I do not despise the thread or the fabric, I 
 recognize the fact that all understanding of moral 
 truth must be based upon moral experience. 
 
 When men come to the Gospel, they must come 
 to it as little children ; that is, they must come and 
 ask ivhat it is, and not to pronounce what it onght to 
 he. For a great while the world undertook to estab- 
 lish natural science by teaching what they supposed 
 ought to be the structure of nature. They found out 
 nothing of the composition of air or fluids; they 
 discovered nothing of the qualities of water or fire; 
 they made themselves acquainted with neither geolo- 
 gy nor chemistry. It was not until, instead of arro- 
 gantly measuring nature upon their own preconceived 
 theories, they humbled themselves and sat at the feet 
 of God in nature, that there grew up a school of 
 truth broad and wise. 
 
 The same fact exists in relation to moral truth. 
 There never can be a teaching to a mind that as- 
 sumes to know beforehand the truth to be taught. 
 And our business is to ask, ''What is truth ?'^ If the 
 ecieniific man demands that we shall preach the Gos- 
 pel of Christ and the truths of religious experience, 
 in such a way that they shall be mathematically dem- 
 5 
 
50 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 onstrated, he demands that which is simply impossi- 
 ble. I have, however, both heard and seen piiiited, 
 the declaration that we are bound to give a mathe- 
 matical demonstration of the truths which we advo- 
 cate. I regard the absurdity of this as not one whit 
 less than would be that of asking for a pound of love 
 or tw^o ounces of pity. What ! apply physical meas- 
 ures to moral qualities? Just as much as mathemati- 
 cal reasonings! No, physical measures and mathe- 
 matical reasonings are applicable to material sub- 
 stances only. And those processes of teaching which 
 belong to matter are impertinent when demanded 
 in the premutation of moral or affectionate truths. 
 
 The philosophical reasoner who resolves all truths 
 from their living forms into abstractions, travels 
 right away from the nutritious form of truth. An 
 abstraction of intellect is never a living truth. It is 
 but an artificial creation. There may be good uses 
 for abstractions. But they belong to the school, the 
 training room. Religious truths chiefly concern 
 themselves with human duties and dispositions. The 
 Gospel is not a system of philosophical truths, but a 
 guide book of practical life — a prescription for the 
 heart and conduct. 
 
 Hence this teaching indicates, in the clearest man- 
 ner, what is the substance of Christianity. It is the 
 life of the soul according to a Divine method, that 
 constitutes the religion of Christ. The Bible, the 
 church, the ministry, and doctrines and precepts, are 
 all instruments, and the truth to which they minister 
 is always in the living consciousness of the individual 
 or else it has no existence at all. 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 51 
 
 Christ says, ^^ By their fruits ye shall know them." 
 And I aver that that man who is at peace with God 
 througli love to men ; who not merely says he loves 
 God and men, but blossoms all over with love ; who 
 wherever he goes is fragrant with Divine gifts; whoso 
 face, is ever radiant with goodness ; who carries gen- 
 tleness and sweetness in the house, and in the street, 
 and everywhither — I aver that that man is right. 
 
 And I aver that if a man will do the will of God, 
 he shall learn in that way, whether the teaching of 
 Christ is of God or not. Let a man prostrate him- 
 self before God; let him begin to ask direction of 
 God, and wish to be directed by him; let him take 
 fundamental truths of the Gospel, and attempt, 
 earnestly and perseveritigly, to conform his life to 
 them — let a man do these things, and not only will 
 he become a Christian, but he will touch all the 
 great doctrines of theology. 
 
 Suppose, for instance, that a man desires to be 
 convinced of one's inability to correct his own life. 
 Let him attempt to practice the command, ^' Thou 
 ehalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 
 with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with 
 all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself," and if he 
 does not come to a sense of his inability to do it, 
 and of his need of Divine help, his experience will be 
 ditferent from that of any man I ever knew. 
 
 Suppose that a man desires to be convinced of the 
 sinfulness of the heart. You say to him, '' The Bible 
 says it is sinful." He says, " I do not believe the 
 Bible." '' Yon ought to." '^ Well, I do not." You 
 can get no further with him. Or, if he professes to 
 
52 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 believe the Bible, and is ingeoious in an argument, 
 you may quote to him passage after passage, and he 
 will evade them all, by saying they are relative to 
 gueh and such things which have no relation to the 
 doctrine you are endeavoring to prove. He will go 
 through the whole Bible, like a plow, throwing your 
 citations aside, and leaving an iron track behind him. 
 
 When I come across such a man, I say to him, ''Do 
 jou not believe that, being sustained by God, 
 you owe constant obedience and reverence to him?" 
 He says " That is natural teaching — I believe that." 
 ^' Do you not believe that you ought to obey the 
 command, ' Thou shalt love God supremely, and thy 
 neighbor as thyself ?" "Yes — that is reasonable." 
 ^* Well, then, will you undertake to conform your life 
 to it for the space of one week ? " ''I have no ob- 
 jection to that." So he begins on Monday to try to 
 live in such a way that in everything he does, love to 
 God and love to his neighbor shall predominate. 
 He succeeds very well so long as nothing comes up 
 to disturb his equanimity; but the moment worldly 
 influences touch his pride, it breaks out like a tiger ; 
 and he says to himself, " Hold ! hold ! Pride. Thou 
 art to love God and thy neighbor." Pride flashes 
 and thunders and throws out cinders, determined not 
 to be governed by any such law. When this eruption 
 is over with, the man says, '' I will make another 
 trial," and he goes to New York, and there his sel- 
 fishness is aroused ; and before the sun goes down he 
 finds himself striving as greedily for gain as other 
 men. 
 
 And, when, at the end of the week, he reviews his 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 53 
 
 conduct during the period allotted for the undertak- 
 ing, he finds that it has been characterized by noth- 
 ing else so little as a spirit of love ; and he says, '* I 
 do not believe it is possible for me to love God su- 
 premely and my neighbor as myself. I have tried to 
 do it for a whole week, and I have not had a single 
 conception of God; and as for loving all men, I can- 
 not do it. There is not a thing in me that does not 
 rebel against it." 
 
 That is just what I have been preaching to the 
 man. He has acknowledged the very thing of which 
 I desired to convince him — namely, that all the facul- 
 ties of the human soul are sinful, and refuse to let a 
 man live aright. He has become convinced of both 
 the doctrine of dependence upon God, and the doc- 
 trine of human sinfulness. And let him go on in 
 the same way, step by step, attempting to carry out 
 in his life all the precepts of the Gospel, and he will 
 by-and-by become convinced of the doctrine of re- 
 generation, the doctrine of adoption, the doctrine of 
 justification, the doctrine of sanctification, and all the 
 other fundamental doctrines of Christianity. Let a 
 man attempt to live, and succeed in living, according 
 to the spirit of Christ, and his doubts will be removed 
 in regard to the whole Gospel scheme. ^^ If any man 
 will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, 
 whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.'' 
 A Christian experience includes in it the essential 
 facts of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 I avoid reasoning with honest persons in respect 
 to Christianity, not because I undervalue reasoning, 
 but because 1 think there is a better way of present- 
 6* 
 
54 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 ing the truth to them. I was brought up in a school 
 where argumentation w^as as natural as walking, but 
 my pastoral experience has been such as to convince 
 me that that is not the best means to employ for 
 removing men's doubts on the subject of religion. 
 My direction to any man that wants to come to Christ 
 is, " Begin to be a Christian." If ho says, " I do not 
 know about it," I say, " Begin, and you will find out." 
 I put him at once upon the practice of Christianity, 
 as the shortest way of answering his objections. The 
 moment he has the life of Christ in him, it will begin 
 to remove them out of the way: and it will do more 
 in a single moment than you can do in years and 
 years by hard debate and argument. And when the 
 work is done in this way, it does not have to be done 
 the second time; for with reference to that which a 
 man has learned by experience, he never says, ''I do 
 not believe.'' 
 
 So, as long as a man's soul is under the dominion 
 of pride, and selfishness, and worldly will, there is 
 nothing in him that will accept the truth; but the 
 moment the w^armth of the Divine Spirit pours in 
 upon him, his nature begins to melt and flow down 
 and his heart begins to soften, and there is fructifica- 
 tion, the results of which are ^een in his life. 
 
 This is the parable of Christ : A sower went forth 
 to sow. Some seeds fell by the wayside, some on 
 rock, and some on good ground. Those which fell on 
 prepared soil sprang up and brought forth much 
 fruit. And where a heart is in such a state that it can 
 be reached by Christian truth, that truth springs up 
 and brings forth fruit in abundance to the glory of God. 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 65 
 
 If you would leara of Christ, go directly to Christ 
 himself. If you want to know whether the words he 
 spoke are true or not, attempt to put into daily prac- 
 tice in your disposition, in your heart, in your deeds, 
 what he taught by the four evangelists. If I had a 
 man that was an infidel, who had an honest spot in 
 him, and I wanted to convert him to Christianity, 
 I would shut him up in a house with just four rooms 
 in it, I would turn the lock on him, and I would say to 
 him, " You shall abide here till you make yourself 
 acquainted with these four rooms. The first is Mat- 
 thew ; the second, opening out of that, is Mark ; the 
 thi?-d, opening out of that, is Luke; and the fourth, 
 high out of that crystal roof, in those evanishing pic- 
 tures far above the reach of the strongest and fur- 
 thest-seeing eye, is John, fit revelator. Here are your 
 teachers and lessons. You shall study no other book ; 
 and these you shall study by practicing what is in 
 them. Take the teachings of Christ which they con- 
 tain, and practice them for a time, and then, from the 
 experience resulting from practice, you shall know of 
 the truth of Christ, whether it be of God or not." I 
 do not believe any honest man, if put through such 
 a course of training as that, could fail to come out a 
 Christian. 
 
 May God give you honesty, and induce you to put 
 in practice the truths of religion, as the shortest way 
 of ascertaining tlieir verity. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE CONSISTENT CHRISTIAN LIFE THE BEST FOR 
 TIME AND THE SAFEST FOR ETERNITY. 
 
 The strictly consistent Christian, in the opinion of 
 believers and unbelievers, the righteous and the 
 wicked, aims habitually to be and do just right in all 
 his relations to God and man, and by so doing pro- 
 mote his own happiness. He studies diligently the 
 revelations God has made of his perfect character in 
 his works and word, that he may love him supremely, 
 and worship him in spirit and in truth, so that he may 
 be '^ changed into the same image, from glory to 
 glor\^, even as by the spirit of the Lord." He is 
 deeply penitent for his siu^^ in thought, word and 
 deed, he trusts in the atonement of Jesus Christ for 
 pardon, seeks divine grace in resisting temptation, 
 and strives to imitate his Saviour's perfect and holy 
 example so that he may '' walk in all the command- 
 ments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." And 
 in proportion as such a Christian shall succeed in 
 obeying all the requirements of his Maker, will he en- 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 67 
 
 joy a sense of the divine approval and the approval 
 of his own conscience, so as to promote his highest 
 and most permanent enjoyment in the present life. 
 
 In proportion as he obeys the physical, intellectual 
 and moral laws of his Creator, will he promote his 
 own general health and cheerfulness. The industry, 
 economy and prudence, inseparably connected with 
 the consistent Christian life, will commonly be reward- 
 ed with a comfortable competency of property, so as 
 to save him from distressing anxiety concerning his 
 needful support. 
 
 His uniform benevolence, kindness, integrity, and 
 strict uprightness in all his relations with his fellow- 
 men, will commonly ensure their confidence and re- 
 spect, so that he will enjoy a good measure of their 
 sympathy and approval. 
 
 Such a Christian will endeavor by the assistance of 
 divine grace to submit promptly and readily to the 
 unavoidable afflictions of life, and in the prospect of 
 death will commonly enjoy bright hopes of perfect 
 blessedness of heaven. In this way it appears that 
 the consistent Christian excels the devotee of world- 
 liness and sin, in securing the greater benefits of the 
 present life. And if it is possible that his high hopes 
 of an immortality of blessedness beyond the grave 
 shall not be realized, he has been a great and sur- 
 passing gainer of the real blessings which he has en- 
 joyed in the present world, over those who have pur- 
 sued a life of sinful indulgence and neglect of true 
 and saving piety. 
 
 But if it shall prove true, as he believes, (and no 
 man can know the contrary) that '' our Saviour, 
 
S8 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 Jesus Christ, bath abolished dealh and brought life 
 and immortality to light, through the gospel," how 
 inconceivably joyous and ecstatic must be his eternal 
 felicity in the future " world of durable riches and 
 righteousness." And if " it is appointed unto men 
 once to die, but after this the judgment," and " if we 
 must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ 
 that every one may receive the things done in his 
 body, according to that he hath done, whether it be 
 good or bad ;" and if " the wicked shall go away into 
 eternal punishment and the righteous into life eter- 
 nal," what mind can conceive or language describe 
 the misery of the worldly and sinful, who neglected 
 religion in time, and lost their souls for eternity ! 
 With this view of the possibility of an immortal ex- 
 istence of the human soul in the world of just retribu- 
 tion, is it not safest to live and die a consistent 
 Christian? Does not every real Christian know that 
 when he passes from darkness to light, from the bon- 
 dage of sin to a life of liberty and holiness, by the 
 washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy 
 Ghost, he became a better and happier man and 
 more hopeful in anticipation of a blessed eter- 
 nity? 
 
 Therefore, may he not wisely rest satisfied with 
 such facts in his own experience, although he may 
 be unable clearly and logically to refute the multiplied 
 cavils of unbelief and the sophistries of skepticism? 
 Do not all men reasonably expect the true followers 
 of Christ to be better men than the mere devotees of 
 this sinful world, however infidel, heretical or super- 
 stitious they may be themselves, while they common- 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 59 
 
 Ij expect those who apostatize from their Christian 
 profession to be more immoral in their lives? 
 
 And does not this fact show, that they regard the 
 consistent Christian life the best for time (and if 
 there be a future existence) the safest for eternity ? 
 And in the hour of death, was it ever known that any 
 one ever regretted that he had lived a consistent 
 Christian life ? But in that awful hour how many 
 have manifested great distress in view of their past 
 unbelief and neglect of religion ? Certainly " their 
 rock is not as our rock, even our enemies themselves 
 being judges." " But godliness is profitable unto all 
 things, having promise of the life that now is, and of 
 that which is to come." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 RESPONSIBILITY FOR BELIEF. 
 
 Upon a man's belief or unbelief of the Bible, with 
 its precious doctrines, is suspended momentous re- 
 sults. *' He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be 
 saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be damned." 
 
 Although men are greatly influenced in their re- 
 ligious beliefs by their constitutional tendencies and 
 educational circumstances, they cannot doubt or dis- 
 credit God's truth, pertaining to the Christian religion, 
 without fearful peril to their eternal welfare. If they 
 disbelieve God's natural law by partaking of arsenic, 
 although it may appear as innocent as powdered chalk, 
 they must sufier the dangerous consequences. 
 
 Why is this ? Is not God good ? Yea, verily. 
 But his goodness leads him to teach men that for dis- 
 belief in the effects of things natural, they are respon- 
 sible to him, and must suffer fearful penalties. EFence 
 it seems reasonable that men should be responsible to 
 God for their religious belief, because their belief 
 controls their moral conduct. 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 61 
 
 It is generally admitted that a man's religious be- 
 lief is a good index to his present character and future 
 actions. '-For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." 
 *' Take away the fear of punishment,'' as a writer has 
 observed, " and present the occasion to him who be- 
 lieves that stealing is justifiable, and no man of sense 
 is surprised that the belief rules the life,'' The mass 
 of criminal convicts believe themselves, for some 
 reason, to have been justifiable in the perpetration of 
 their crimes. So long as they thus believe, every or- 
 derly citizen knows that they are dangerous to 
 : society. 
 
 A man's creed, it is very plain, embodies his moral 
 principles. But if he who believes viciously acts 
 correctly, it is owing to causes foreign from his real 
 character, and there is no proper ground of praise 
 or blame in what he does. It is true that decided 
 unbelievers are sometimes good citizens, but it is not 
 the natural result of their unbelief; for no code of 
 morals admits of fortuitous virtue. Furthermore, it 
 is obvious that men are responsible for the thorough 
 pursuit, and impartial appreciation of evidence in 
 support of truth. 
 
 For it is plain that all enlightened belief depends 
 upon the evidence which the mind apprehends, and 
 not that which exists but is not perceived. There- 
 fore, we are bound to search dilligently for the best 
 evidence of which the nature of the case admits, and 
 then w^eigh the evidence or testimony with strict can- 
 dor and impartiality. 
 
 "Why," as one inquires, " do not those whose in- 
 terests are opposed see the evidence alike which is 
 6 
 
62 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 presented in a Court of Justice?" Under the influ- 
 ence of biaeed feelings, men take only a partial view 
 of the evidence submitted to them, while they study 
 minutely all the circumstances deemed favorable to 
 themselves, and to undervalue those of an opposite 
 tendency; and this unfair appreciation produces a 
 biased and incorrect belief, as certainly as if but one 
 side had been adduced. 
 
 If from such considerations as these men are re- 
 sponsible to society in temporal affairs, is it not most 
 reasonable that they should be responsible to God for 
 their belief in eternal affairs ? " If we receive the 
 witness of men, the witness of God is greater." If 
 erroneous belief is often injurious for this life, and 
 often fatal, who can show that it will not be equall}^, 
 or more so, in the life beyond the grave ? If man's 
 welfare now requires him to believe in the fixed laws 
 of God's natural government, may it not be much 
 more important that he should believe in the fixed 
 laws of His moral government ? 
 
 In the light of this subject we perceive why some 
 men believe the Gospel, and others reject it, while 
 the same evidence is in existence for the examination 
 of both classes. When both are urged to believe the 
 Gospel, and be converted, and imbibe the teachable 
 spirit of little children in receiving its inspired in- 
 tructions, one class searches dilligently and honestly 
 for proofs in its support, as for hidden treasure, and 
 believes with the heart unto righteousness, and is 
 made wise unto salvation. The other in his perversi- 
 ty, neglects all real honest inquiries, ''and for this 
 cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 63 
 
 shall believe a lie, that they all might be damned 
 who believe not the truth but had pleasure in un- 
 righteousness." 
 
 " Finally," says Prof. Northrop, ^'letus amid all the 
 excitement of the age, all the unrest of the gathering 
 doubt and unbelief, stand firm in this confidence that 
 Jesus Christ and this gospel are adapted to the needs 
 of men. That which is necessary to men, men will 
 ultimately come to have. This gospel is necessary 
 to man as a social being, as a member of society. 
 Why, without this gospel and without the future life, 
 what would society be ? If Lazarus received evil 
 things and the rich man good things, and if this life 
 is allj tell me why the Lazaruses combining should 
 not take the good things from the rich men and use 
 them for themselves in this life ? You would if you 
 were in their place ; I would if I were in their place. 
 It is the restraining power of the moral government 
 of Almighty God, and the truth of His government 
 as revealed in the revelation of Jesus Christ that is 
 to be the salvation of the world, and to save it from 
 the errors of socialism, and communism, and nihilism, 
 if it is saved at all. 
 
 '' But more than all, my friends, is this: Here all is 
 pleasant; here the forces move on swiftly; the cur- 
 rents of life are easy : we are gathered here enjoying 
 each other's faces ; there is tio sadness and no sor- 
 row here. But that is not the whole of life. There 
 are moments of sadness, especially moments when 
 we stand by those dearer to us than our lives, and 
 see them pas3 away by that mysterious process we 
 call death. And when that hour comes, as come to 
 
64 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 every one of us it will, tell me, Oh, unbeliever, what 
 comfort you can give in an hour like that? Tell rae, 
 IngersoU, preaching infidelity through the country 
 and robbing men of their last hope in that hour of 
 agony, what words of consolation can you speak ? 
 And there is silence — silence that must be, silence 
 even when hearts are breaking with anguish. And 
 is there any voice in all the universe that comes 
 to us with comfort save the single voice of our 
 Saviour, Jesus Christ, ' who hath abolished death 
 and hath brought life and immortality to light 
 through the gospel?' 'I am the resurrection and 
 the life ; he that believeth in me, though he were 
 dead, yet shall he live ; and whosoever liveth and be- 
 lieveth in me shall never die.' 
 
 " Ah, this is comfort ! ' For if we believe that 
 Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which 
 sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.' And there 
 comes through every heart, man and woman through 
 all Christendom, when that hour comes, the longing 
 for the blessed Lord. ' Oh, my Lord, my blessed 
 Lord ; I shall see the dear one I have lost, the lamb 
 whom Thou hast taken to Thine own bosom.' 
 
 '• Oh, ministers of God, preachers of the Gospel of 
 Jesus Christ, lift up your standard even in this age, 
 and bear it bravely forward. You are preaching to 
 men, to men with hearts and feelings and affections. 
 They will need the gospel which you preach. Go 
 preach it then; be strong in the Lord; there is no 
 discouragement that He has not foreseen, and which 
 the voice of prophecy has not proclaimed ; there is 
 brightness ahead ; bear on the banner, and the victo- 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 65 
 
 ry shall be the Lord's. For modern literature with 
 its unbelief shall pass away ; yea, 'Heaven and earth 
 shall pass away, but my words,' saith the Lord, 'shall 
 not pass away.' 
 
 "If Mr. Huxley thinks that it requires a robust faith 
 to believe that man has any existence after death, we 
 have a perfect right to think that it requires a more 
 robust faith to believe that man has no existence 
 after death. The greatest scholar I ever knew be- 
 lieved that death was but as the passage from one 
 room to another, and when he died I have no doubt 
 he realized that expectation. If there was nothing 
 else to convince us of the future life, except the in- 
 completeness of this, I would still believe in a future 
 life ; for, that a splendid mind, full of thought, full of 
 the mature learning of years, should go out suddenly 
 like the beasts that perish, and be no more, is beyond 
 belief." 
 
 6* 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 SINCERITY INSUFFICIENT. 
 
 (extracts.) 
 
 The Bible is given for the promotion of godliness 
 of life. It is admirably adapted to that end, and to 
 make men happy hereafter, as well as good here. 
 And the apostle Paul blames, by implication on the 
 one side, those that neglect its truths wholly, and, on 
 the other side, those that overzealously employ its 
 truths for the promotion of something else besides 
 godliness. It " is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, 
 for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that^' 
 — this is the final end — " that the man of God may be 
 perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works;" 
 not unto all good belief— and yet he is to believe ; 
 not unto soundness of doctrine — and yet he is to be 
 ^ound in doctrine. In other words, the apostle here 
 shows that truth is important, but that it is a means 
 to an end; and that the higher end is the godliness 
 of a man's life ; is piety and holiness. Truth is 
 therefore an instrument for the production of that 
 result. 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 67 
 
 Comprehensively, then, we may say that there 
 are two things to be noticed : first, that the proper 
 use and end of all religious knowledge is the promo- 
 tion of good conduct and character ; and secondly, 
 that there is a definite and important relation be- 
 tween certain truths and certain results of truth. 
 It is not indifferent what a man believes. The 
 same fruits will not follow as well from one set of 
 principles as from another. A man must believe 
 right. 
 
 In the main this is the universal belief. Believing: 
 is the basis of all instruction and education. Every * 
 parent, every teacher, every moralist, as w^ell as every 
 preacher of righteousness, believes that human life 
 and conduct will largely depend upon the things that 
 men are taught to believe. 
 
 It is only when w^e come to moral truths, to relig- 
 ious teachings, that there has sprung up a very differ- 
 ent impression; a strange heresy, indeed. For there 
 is a popular impression that it makes no difference 
 what a man believes, if he is only sincere. And this 
 takes on many forms, and runs through a w^ide range 
 of applications. 
 
 It is employed, for instance, to reduce all churches 
 and all theologies to an equality. It is said that one 
 faith, whether it be Catholic or Protestant, Moham- 
 medan or Christian, is as good as another, so that it 
 is sincerely held. Men say, '' It makes no difference 
 what a man believes if he is only sincere in his re- 
 ligion." To their mind, the belief of the poor In- 
 dian, the belief of the Chinese, and all the other be- 
 liefs in the world, from the highest to the lowest, are 
 
G8 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 about the same. They think that being sincere is the 
 great thing, and not the particular belief. 
 
 It is employed, also, to signify the equality of mere 
 conventional morality, without any real religious 
 feeling or faith of any kind, with spiritual and ex- 
 perimental religion. A prayerless, godless, worldly 
 man, of an amiable turn, who conforms to the maxims 
 of morality which exist in the community abouc him 
 is wont to say, "I have no great deal of religion, and 
 I do not trouble myself much about religious doc- 
 trines ; but I believe in doing right, and, after all, it 
 makes not so much difference, if a man is only sin- 
 cere in what he does believe." 
 
 There is just enough truth in this phrase, in some 
 of its applications, to make it plausable, and to give 
 it currency. And so it has come to be a proverb. 
 
 No proverb could touch more points of important 
 truth than this one, which says it makes no difference 
 what a man believes, so that he is sincere. It touches 
 the whole question of believing, and of the workings 
 of the things believed. 
 
 As to its origin. How did men come to say this? 
 There were a great many reasons why this was adopted. 
 There are some shades of truth in the saying. It 
 means different things in different mouths. Thus, 
 with some, when it is said, " It matters little what a 
 man's creed is, if his life is right," it is meant, " It 
 matters little what a man's head-knowledge is so that 
 he is sound in his heart." And sincerity here means 
 not sincerity in belief, but sincerity in life, or godli- 
 ness. And hence it expresses a great truth — a truth 
 that is not enough recognized. There are two ques- 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 69 
 
 tions involved. One relates to what stands connected 
 with the production of a godly disposition and a god- 
 ly life ; and the other relates to what, when a godly 
 life and a godly disposition are produced, are their 
 authority and their value. 
 
 Now if the question be one of education, of what is 
 likely to make a man just and true, 1 say that it is of 
 great importance what sort of truth you employ. 
 For some kinds of teachings are a great deal more 
 likely to produce godliness than others. But what- 
 ever the teaching^ has been, if there stands a man that 
 is a good man, however strange it may be that such 
 a creed should have such a disciple, however far he 
 may be from the average results of the teaching of 
 such things as he believes, his godliness is to be ac- 
 knowledged in spite of the instrumentation, and you 
 are to accept him as being a Christian man. If a 
 man lives like a Christian, you are to admit that he 
 is one, without regard to the church or faith to which 
 he belongs. 
 
 Does success in life depend upon sincere Believing or 
 on right believing ? Suppose a man should think that 
 it made no difference what he believed, and should say 
 to himself, " I want to raise some corn, but I have 
 not the seed ; so I will taUe some ashes and plant 
 them ; and I believe sincerely that they are as good 
 as corn," would he have a crop of corn? What 
 would his sincerity avail? The more sincere he was 
 the worse it would be for him. If he was not sincere 
 he might slip away and get a little corn, and plant 
 that The more sincere he was, the more certainly 
 he would not get a harvest. And in all material 
 
70 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 things!, the more sincere yon are, if you are right, the 
 better; but the more sincere you are, if you are 
 wrong, the worse. In the latter case sincerity is the 
 mallet that drives home the mischief. 
 
 How is it in respect to commercial matters ? A 
 man says, "It makes no difference what I believe 
 with regard to the conduct of my business, if I am 
 only sincere." Does it not? Does it make no dif- 
 ference with the sale of a man's goods whether they 
 are manufactured of one material or another? If a 
 business man believes right in respect to his business, 
 he prospers; and if he believes wrong, he does not 
 prosper. 
 
 Take the navigator's business. A man says, " I 
 have my own theories about astronomy, and I will 
 sail my ship according to them. I do not believe the 
 talk of the books on this subject. And it does not 
 make much difference what a man believes respecting 
 it." Does it make no diflference what a man believes 
 about charts ? Suppose a man says, " I know the 
 chart says that here are three fathoms of water, that 
 here are two, and that liere is one, but I do no believe 
 it; I know that my ship draws sixteen feet of water, 
 but I believe that I can run it over a twelve-feet bar" 
 — does it make no difference what he believes? It 
 makes the difference between shipwrecking and not 
 shipwrecking! 
 
 And all through physical truth a man is bound to 
 believe, not sincerely, but correctly. In all economic 
 truths it is not enough for a man to believe sincerely : 
 there he must believe accurately. In business, in 
 manufacturing, in navigation, in all things that relate 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 71 
 
 to the conduct of men in secular affairs, a man must 
 believe that it it? necessary for him to hold himself 
 right — not merely sincere. 
 
 Take one thing further. There are affectional and 
 social truths. Does it make no difference what a 
 man believes in respect to these? A man says, '"A 
 truth of pride is the same as a truth of love, if a man 
 is only sincere." Is there no difference between 
 pride and vanity and selfishness, and tenderness and 
 sympathy and love? And if a man has social inter- 
 course, does it make no difference what view he 
 takes of these things? Will it make no difference 
 with his conduct if he thinks that pride and love are 
 about the same thing, and that one is a proper sub- 
 stitute for the other? His sincerity makes the mis- 
 chief worse in such a case. 
 
 It is only when we come to moral grounds that men 
 begin to urge this declaration with any considerable 
 degree of confidence. They reject it in its applica- 
 tion to material truths, to physical sciences, to busi- 
 ness, to social intercourse in life, and hold to the 
 necessity of believing things as they are, and not 
 sinjply sincerely. It is not until they come to re- 
 ligious truths that men begin to say, "It does not 
 make much difference what a man believes." 
 
 Let us take the lower forms of moral truths, and 
 see if it is so in our daily intercourse. You go to 
 church and hear your minister preach about the ne- 
 cessity of believing such and such great doctrines, 
 and on your way home you say, ^^it is not of so much 
 importance what a man believes, if he is only sincere 
 in it." When you get home you find that there is 
 
72 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 an altercation between the boy and the nurse. There 
 is a lie between them somewhere. And the child 
 falls on your theory, and savs in respect to the 
 wrongfulness of lying, *• Father, I do not think it 
 makes much difference what one believes, if he is 
 only sincere." What do you think about this theory 
 now ? 
 
 You are bringing up your children. You can bring 
 them up to believe in truth and honesty, or other- 
 wise. Do you not desire to bring them up to be- 
 lieve that honesty is the best policy? Do you not 
 desire to bring them up to believe that purity stands 
 connected Avith their prosperity in after life? Do 
 you not feel the greatest solicitude about the teach- 
 in£: of their minds? Are vou not determined that 
 they shall be brought up to distinguish the difference 
 between truth and lies? 
 
 Let us apply the foregoing reasonings and expla- 
 nations to the more important truths which we are 
 set to preach. We are set to preach that this life is 
 a very transient scene ; that we are strangers and 
 pilgrims here ; that we are started here to be trans- 
 planted ; that we are undergoing a process of educa- 
 tion in this life, with reference to a life to come. The 
 prime truth which we are set to preach is the tran- 
 sientness of the life that now is, and the jpermanence 
 of the future life. And it is of supreme importance 
 what a man believes in regard to that truth. If a 
 man says, either practically or theoretically, ''My ex- 
 istence in this world is all my life; " if he ignores the 
 other life, and says, " I shall live just as long as I live 
 here, and no longer," his character and conduct will 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 73 
 
 be very different from what they would be if he be- 
 lieved in a life beyond the grave. A man that has 
 no belief in the future will study how to extract the 
 most happiness from this life He never can have in- 
 spirations and heroisms who believes that his life will 
 not extend beyond sixty or seventy years, like those 
 which he experiences who believes that he shall live 
 as long as God Almighty lives — for ever and for ever. 
 
 In this life men commonly live imperfect and sinful 
 lives, and do much that is wrong, by voluntary trans- 
 gression, as well as from the infirmities which come 
 from crudeness and ignorance, where they should 
 choose good or evil, right or wrong. Does it make 
 no difference whether a man believes he is sinful or 
 not? ]f a man is sick, does it make no difference 
 whether he knows it or not ? If a man has a disease 
 working in his system, does it make no difference 
 whether he understands it, and acts accordingly, or 
 not? If a man's soul is diseased, does it make no 
 difference whether he believes it or not? 
 
 We are taught in the Word of God that all men 
 are sin-struck, and that every man that lives needs 
 the grace and forbearance and forgiveness of God, 
 and moral renovation at the hands of God. If a man 
 believes that he is good enough, of course he be- 
 comes listless and heedless and inattentive. If 
 another man by his side believes that he is sinful, 
 and needs to be born again, with what a constantly 
 quickened and watchful conscience must he needs 
 live! and how, with all his moral power, must he 
 perpetually strive to live a godly life. Some men be- 
 lieve that though we ought to become good, goodness 
 7 
 
74 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 is exclusively the creature of our OAvn volition; that 
 all men have a spark of goodness in them, and have 
 but to kindle that to a flame in order to be pervaded 
 with goodness; that we are all good in a small meas- 
 ure, and that to become very good we have only to 
 cultivate the goodness we have. But the Scripture 
 teaches us that we must have the beginning of our 
 spiritual life founded in the power of God; and that 
 the beginnings of a Christian life must come by com- 
 munication of our heart with the heart of God. 
 Here are two radically opposite views. Does it 
 make no difference which a man takes ? One leads to 
 morality of a lower kind, and the other to religious 
 emotions and a religious life. They diverge and go 
 in opposite directions. It is not my business to show 
 which is best, but to show that one goes one way 
 and the other another. 
 
 Does it make no difference what a man believes in 
 respect to the character of God, the nature of the 
 divine government in this world, its claims upon us, 
 and our obligations under it? If a man believes that 
 God sits above indifferent to the affairs of this life, 
 and too quiescent to attend to the little disturbances 
 of sin, and that he overlooks transgression, that man 
 must inevitably come to a state of moral indifference. 
 But if a man believes that God cannot look upon sin 
 with allowance, that he abhors iniquity, and that un. 
 less we turn from our wicked ways he will lay his 
 hand on the sword, and set himself forth as the main- 
 tainer of law, and justice, and integrity, that man can- 
 not help being morally solicitous. Does it make no 
 difference what a man believes on these subjects? 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 75 
 
 Go into New York, and in the Sixth Ward you 
 shall find two representative men. One says, I voted 
 for the judge, and helped put hina where he is, and he 
 will wink at my crimes. I can drink as much as I 
 please on Sundays and on week-days, and he wmII not 
 disturb me. He is easy and good-natured, and he is 
 not going to be hard with nie if I do break the laws 
 a little." And the nnan, because he believes that the 
 judge does not care for his wickedness, and will not 
 punish him, growls bold and corrupt in transgression. 
 But at length he is arraigned, he is brought before 
 the court, and he finds there instead of his bribed 
 judge, a white-faced man — not red-faced ; one of those 
 men with a long head upw^ard — not backward and 
 downward ; a man with no rolling or rocking of the 
 eye at all; a man with a full value of justice and 
 truth. The culprit begins to make shuffling excuses. 
 The judge listens to none of them, and reads the 
 law^, and says, " Your conduct is herein condemned," 
 and sends him away to receive his just deserts. 
 When the man has expiated his crime, he goes around 
 in the same ward, and says, ^' You must walk straight 
 hereafter. The judge that sits on the bench now is 
 not the jolly old judge that used to sit there. If you 
 go before him he will make you smart.'* Does it not 
 make a difference what a man believes about a judge? 
 If he believes that he is a lenient, conniving judge, 
 does it not make him careless ? and if he believes 
 that he is a straightforward, just judge, does it not 
 make him afraid of transgression ? 
 
 Now lift up the judge's bench, and make it the 
 judgment-seat; and take out the human judge, and 
 
76 THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 
 
 put God Almighty there. If men believe him to be 
 an all-smiling God ; a God that is all sunshine ; an all- 
 sympathizing God ; a God that is nothing but kind- 
 ness and goodness and gentleness, they say to them- 
 selves, "We will do as we have a mind to." Take 
 away that miserable slander upon the revealed char- 
 acter of God, and lift up the august front of Justice, 
 on whose brow love proudly sits, and let men see 
 that there is a vast Heart of love and gentleness, in- 
 deed, but that will by no means clear the guilty, and 
 they will take more heed to their conduct. Does it^ 
 then, make no diftereuce v/hat a man believes about 
 God's nature, and his manner of dealing with men ? 
 It makes all the difference between laxity and earnest- 
 ness ; between an endeavor to live truly and no en- 
 deavor at all in that direction ; between right and 
 wrong conduct. 
 
 What, then, is the application, finally, of this? 
 Why, it is just this: that it makes all the difference 
 in the world what you believe in respect to these 
 truths that stand connected with godliness; that 
 stand connected with purity of thought, purity of mo- 
 tive, purity of disposition. 
 
 On such questions as pertain to true piety, to right 
 and wrong, the Holy Scriptures are very explicit, 
 " For there is a way which seemeth right to a man ; 
 but the end thereof are the ways of death." Before 
 the apostle Paul's conversion, be says, ^' I verily 
 thought with myself that I ought to do many things 
 contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." In this he 
 was sincere, but mistaken. Therefore in reference 
 to right living, you need the Bible for your constant 
 
THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE PROVED. 77 
 
 guide. It is God's medicine book. You are sick. 
 You are mortally struck through with disease. There 
 is no human remedy for your trouble. But here is 
 ^ God's medicine book. If you read it for life, for 
 health, for growth in righteousness, then blessed is 
 your reading of it ; but if you read it for disputation 
 and dialectical ingenuities, it is no more to you than 
 Bacon's "Novum Organum" would be. 
 
 It is the book of life ; it is the book of everlasting 
 life ; so take heed how you read it. In reading it see 
 that you have the truth, and not the mere semblance 
 of it. You cannot live without it. You die forever 
 unless you have it to teach you what are your rela- 
 tions to God and eternity. May God guide you 
 away from all cunning appearances of truth set to de- 
 ceive men, and make you love the truth. Above all 
 other things may God make you honest in interpreting 
 it and applying it to your daily life and disposition. 
 7* 
 
(2.) m AND HIS MORAL 60YERNMENT. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 A SUPREME MORAL GOVERNOR INDISPENSABLE. 
 
 Without a supreme Almighty Governor, control- 
 ling the planetary worlds by providential laws, there 
 would be continuous confusion anaong them. And, 
 in order that the human family may be restrained 
 and regulated in their relations to their Maker and 
 each other, in a moral point of view, He must exert 
 not only a providential but a moral government over 
 them, with just and absolute laws and retributive 
 penalties, and efifective motives adapted to promote 
 obedience to these laws, by appealing to their love, 
 their sense of gratitude, and their fears. And in the 
 state or nation there must be a supreme human gov- 
 ernor, to whom strict obedience should be rendered 
 by the people. " Let every soul be subject to the 
 higher powers, for there is no power but of God." 
 And in the family the husband and father must be 
 
GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 79 
 
 the head and governor, in order to secure peace and 
 prosperity among its members. " The head of every 
 man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the 
 man." " Wives, submit yourselves unto your own 
 husbands, as unto the Lord." " Servants, be obe- 
 dient to them that are your masters according to the 
 flesh, as unto Christ." 
 
 And from experience and observation we know 
 that where there is no recognized head and governor 
 to enforce law and authority, there must be continual 
 discord, fretfulness, and confusion in the family. 
 And with such facts before us, we are convinced that 
 all free moral agents, capable of knowing right from 
 wrong, need a supreme moral governor to regulate 
 all their moral conduct by moral laws, enforced with 
 rewards and penalties. 
 
 As Dr. Hawes observes: "The moral government 
 of God is a government of law and motive, adminis- 
 tered over men through the instrumentality of re- 
 wards and punishments, to be awarded to them ac- 
 cording to their respective characters. Take away, 
 now, the doctrine of a future state of retribution, and 
 what, I ask, becomes of the moral government of 
 God ? It is deprived of all its power to influence the 
 heart and life, because deprived of all the motives by 
 which it secures obedience and deters from crime. Its 
 laws cease to be laws, and become mere counsel or 
 advice, with no sanctions to enforce their claims, 
 and no means to act on men as voluntary and ac- 
 countable agents. Let not the stale sophism be re- 
 peated that men are rewarded and punished in this 
 life according to their deserts. If anything can 
 
80 GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 prove moral insanity, it is a belief that God now dis. 
 penses rewards and pmiisbments to men according to 
 their respective characters. Nothing can be plainer, 
 than that neither ' love nor hatred can be known' by 
 the condition of men in this world. Deny then that 
 there is a future state, in which the righteous are to 
 be rewarded and the wicked punished, and you sweep 
 away every vestige of a righteous moral governiiient 
 over the children of men. The whole world be- 
 comes a vast scene of disorder and confusion, '■ where 
 mankind may live as they list and fare as they can, 
 having nothing to dread, and nothing to hope for here- 
 after, on account of anything they do, or neglect to 
 do, in this life.' For what remains, I ask, to engage 
 obedience or prevent transgression, when the sanc- 
 tions of the divine government are gone ? Do you 
 say gratitude and love — the pleasure of doing right 
 and the remorse of doing wrong? Try the experi- 
 ment in regard to human governments. Let it be 
 proclaimed throughout the community, and among 
 all classes of rogues and villains, that there are no 
 courts of justice, no prisons, no places or instruments 
 of justice; what, suppose you, would be the effect ? 
 Would the pleasure of doing right engage obedience 
 to the laws, or secure the peace and good order of 
 society ? Would the inconveniences of remorse pre- 
 vent swindling and theft, robbery and murder, and 
 convert all the outcasts of society into honest and 
 good men ? Why then talk of gratitude and love, of 
 the present pleasures of virtue and sufferings of vice, 
 as sufficient to secure obedience under the divine 
 government ? If a system of human legislation 
 
GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 81 
 
 without rewards and punishments would be altogether 
 inefficacious and nugatory, why would not the same 
 be true of the divine government? 
 
 " Whatever view 1 take of the subject, to me it 
 seems too plain to admit of denial, that Universalism 
 destroys the divine moral government, and takes from 
 God a character, in the belief of which we can alone 
 approach him acceptably; that of his being a 're- 
 warder of them that dih'geutly seek him.' Heh. xi: 6. 
 
 ^* It of course denies the present to be a state of 
 probation. Such a state implies that men are now on 
 trial for eternity; that they are acting under the gov- 
 ernment of God, with reference to a future retribu- 
 tion ; and that there is an inseparable connection be- 
 tween their conduct in this life and their condition in 
 the life to come." 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE PERFECT GOODNESS AND SEVERITY OF GOD 
 IN GOVERNMENT. 
 
 The goodness of God comprises in an infinite de- 
 gree every amiable and moral quality. " God is 
 love." He is impartially benevolent. He is dis- 
 posed to communicate to his creatures the greatest 
 amount of happiness of which their moral characters 
 are susceptible. He is disposed to bestow upon them 
 every blessing which is proper and best for them, 
 and which is consistent for Him in view of His own 
 glory and the highest good of the universe, to bestow 
 for time and eternity. 
 
 God's goodness is manifest in Creation, Providence 
 and Redemption. The fact that God has so adapted 
 the external world and our intellectual, moral and 
 pliysical constitutions as to make us happ}', proves his 
 benevolence toward us. As God's will, expressed in 
 his moral law, requires us to be universally and per- 
 fectly benevolent, he must be perfectly benevolent 
 himself. 
 
GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMEMT. 83 
 
 As God's will awards eternal happiness to the be- 
 nevolent, and eternal misery to the malevolent, he 
 must also be infinitely and perfectly benevolent him* 
 self. 
 
 But it may be objected that our sufferings here are 
 inconsistent with God's perfect benevolence. I reply, 
 pain is only incidental to the attainment of a benevo- 
 lent end. Teeth were not made to ache — pain is only 
 incidental to their existence and abuse. All suffer- 
 ing is the result of infraction of laws established for 
 the accomplishment of benevolent ends. It may also 
 be objected that the existence of sin, and its penalty, 
 is inconsistent with God's perfect benevolence. I 
 reply, our non-existence would be a greater negative 
 evil, depriving the human family of the happiness 
 which so greatly exceeds the misery in the present 
 world. And as we hope that the number finally 
 saved (reckoning all young infants and the greatly 
 surpassing millions of Christians who will live in the 
 millenium age) over those who have previously died 
 in impenitence, will make it better on the whole for 
 the race to have existed than not to have existed. 
 
 Furthermore, it seems probable as all free agents 
 are liable to sin, that God cannot wisely prevent all 
 sin in the best system of moral government. It may 
 be impracticable to construct and regulate the best 
 physical, intellectual and moral universe, in any way 
 so as to avoid all friction. Our most profound di- 
 vines think that this world seems to have been de- 
 signed for the happiness of virtuous beings, and in 
 accomplishing this, disciplinary chastisements to sin- 
 ners are incidental and absolutely necessary. As the 
 
84: GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 most skillful machiuist is unable to avoid all friction 
 in machinery, though he should possess many million 
 of limes his present power and skill, it may not be 
 within the province of Almighty power and infinite 
 wisdom, so to construct and create a system, inhabi- 
 ted by free moral and responsible agents, so as to 
 avoid all liability to the commission of sin, which in- 
 evitably ensures suffering at some period of physical 
 and moral existence. 
 
 The divine method of government is not arbitrary, 
 unreasonable, or needlessly severe, and therefore it 
 is absolutely just, and the moat perfect government 
 for controlling men. Hence it should be the model 
 of all human governments. In God's moral govern- 
 ment, goodness and forbearance are exercised to 
 their utmost limits. But when kindness and persua- 
 sion have been employed to their utmost, and have 
 failed to preserve obedience and uprightness, or to 
 restrain and reclaim the stubborn and persistent of- 
 fender from the violation of law, God applies the se- 
 verest and most frightful penalties. 
 
 '' Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of 
 God ; on them which fell, severity ; but toward thee, 
 goodness; otherwise thou shalt be cut off." 
 
 And this kind of government which encourages vir- 
 tue by rewards, and restrains sin by fearful penalties, 
 is the most effective, whether divine or human, for 
 maintaining authority and in securing the most per- 
 fect obedience. 
 
 Is there not some danger, in the present day, of 
 God's love being presented to sinners to the exclu- 
 sion altogether of his justice ? The late F. W. Rob- 
 
GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 85 
 
 ertson speaks well on this subject: ''Here is an 
 eternal truth with which we would not part : God 
 must hate sin, and be forever sin's enemy. Be- 
 cause He is the Lord of love, therefore must he be a 
 consuming fire to evil. God is against evil, but for 
 us. If, then, we sin, He must be against us. In sin- 
 ning, we identify ourselves with evil, therefore we 
 must endure the consuming fire. brethren, in this 
 soft age in which we live, it is good to fall back on 
 the first principles of everlasting truth. We have 
 come to think that education may be maintained by 
 mere laws of love, instead of discipline, and that pub- 
 lic punishment may be abolished. We say that these 
 things are contrary to the gospel ; and here, doubt- 
 less, there is an underlying truth. It is true that 
 there may be a severity in education which defeats 
 itself; it is true that love and tenderness may do 
 more tJian severity — but yet under a system of mere 
 love and tenderness, no character can acquire manli- 
 ness or firmness. When you have once got rid of 
 the idea of public punishment, then by degrees 
 you will also get rid of the idea of siu. Where 
 is it written in the word of God that the sword of 
 his minister is to be borne in vain ? In this world of 
 groaning and of anguish, tell us where it is that the 
 law which links sufi'ering to sin has ceased to act? 
 Nay, so long as there is evil, so long will there be 
 penalty, and woe to that man who attempts to con- 
 tradict the eternal system of God. So long as the 
 spirit of evil ir in the world, so long must human pun- 
 ishment remain to bear its testimony that the God of 
 the universe is a righteous God." 
 8 
 
CHAPTER XIY. 
 
 ERRONEOUS VIEWS OF GOD CORRECTED. 
 
 In the palmy days and innocency of our first 
 parents, the woman said nnto the serpent, " We may 
 eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of 
 the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God 
 hath said, * Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye 
 touch it, lest ye die/ " And the serpent said unto 
 the womany " Ye shall not surely die." But they 
 yielded to the temptation of the adversary, by sin- 
 ning against God, and brought ruin upon all their 
 descendents. 
 
 They, while in a state of innocency, were overcome 
 by temptation ; but their descendents ever since, be- 
 ing in a state of apostacy, have yielded more easily 
 to the temptation of false reasoning, in reference to 
 the character of God and His government, and the 
 threatened penalty of His violated lav^s upon all im- 
 penitent sinners. And from erroneous premises 
 some of their posterity falsely reason that the pater- 
 
GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 87 
 
 nal and compassionate character of the Almighty is 
 such that He can never execute upon the most per- 
 sistent and rebellious of any of the children of His 
 own creation the penalty of ^' eternal punishment," 
 as He threatens so repeatedly in His most Holy 
 Word. But in reference to all such fallacious reason- 
 ers God says, '^ Thou thoughtest that I was alto- 
 gether such a one as thyself; but I will reprove thee 
 and set them in order before thine eyes." 
 
 And it is, it seems to me, just here that the funda- 
 mental error and false method of reasoning concern- 
 ing the moral character of God commences, on the 
 part of those who deny the eternal punishment of the 
 impenitent dead. They falsely maintain that the 
 Almighty and Just Governor of mankind will be con- 
 trolled like themselves by human sympathy toward 
 the incorrigibly wicked, rather than by absolute jus« 
 tice. 
 
 Under these new circumstances, with the increased 
 power of the great tempter, false and heretical teach- 
 ers have arisen, who maintain " that all we can know 
 of the divine nature must be learned by reasoning 
 from those elements and qualities which are found in 
 the human constitution." They maintain that man 
 was made in the divine image, with certain qualities, 
 that by his moral consciousness he might have a true 
 and vital conception of his Heavenly Father. 
 
 Now if this be a correct method of reasoninof, from 
 human nature in a state of moral uprightness, must 
 it not be a dangerous and absurd fallacy when applied 
 to the same nature in a state of apostacy and rebel- 
 lion ? By reasoning from man's disordered finite 
 
8S GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 moral powers, to the perfect and infinite moral na- 
 ture of Jehovah, does it not lead us '' to think of men 
 above that which is written" more highly than we 
 ought to think ? Does it not encourage the funda- 
 mental errors of " false teachers, who bring in dam- 
 nable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought 
 them, and bringing upon themselves swift destruc- 
 tion?" 
 
 Is it not a false method of reasoning from our con- 
 stitutional dread of suffering, and from our natural 
 compassion, as well as our very low estimate of the 
 evil of sin and its dreadful consequences, that God 
 will not render to every man according to his deeds 
 in "the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous 
 judgment of God?"^ 
 
 Is it not more rational and logical to learn God's 
 true character and government as He manifests Him- 
 self in His providence and from the definite teachings 
 of his infallible word? All that the goodness of 
 God's character demands is that He govern in such a 
 maDuer as will secure the greatest practicable amount 
 of good in the universe. That great temporal suffer- 
 ings are consistent with this, is proved by facts ; and 
 who but God is competent to decide that the eternal 
 sufferings of those who die in sin and impenitence 
 are not consistent? His character demands that He 
 should restrain the greatest possible number from sin- 
 ning by threatening the most dreadful penalty. 
 
 Therefore are the impenitent dead " set for an ex- 
 ample, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." It is 
 very plain to every real Christian (if not to unbeliev- 
 ers) that God has clearly revealed Himself, in nature 
 
GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 89 
 
 and revelation, as a Being of perfect goodness, jus- 
 tice, mercy and truth. And those who believe in or 
 worship an imaginary being with different attributes, 
 are "vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart 
 is darkened ; and change the glory of the incorrupti- 
 ble God into an image made like to corruptible man ; " 
 and are doomed to fearful disappointments in the 
 judgment day. 
 
 " The Lord is long suffering, and of great mercy, 
 forgiving iniquity amd transgression, and by no means 
 clearing the guilty.'^ " It is a fearful thing to fall in- 
 to the hands of the living God." ** Except ye repent, 
 ye shall all likewise perish." *' What wilt thou say 
 when He shall punish thee ? " 
 8* 
 
CHAPTER XY. 
 
 MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES. SIN AND SUFFERING. 
 
 It seems difficult if not impossible for us to per- 
 ceive how to reconcile the perfect goodness, wisdom 
 and power of the Almighty, with His sufferance of 
 sin, contention and misery, in our world, and in the 
 endless punishment of impenitent sinners beyond the 
 present life. But nature and revelation teach us 
 that these are facts in the Divine character, and in 
 the administration of His providential and moral gov- 
 ernment. Hence we must conclude that God in His 
 infinite knowledge perceives that there is harmony 
 and consistency between these facts, which appear to 
 our finite minds unreasonable and irreconcilable. Of 
 course with our very limited powers, we do not and 
 cannot know that omniscience and omnipotence 
 could wisely create and constitute a system of moral 
 government, with free, intelligent, moral agents, who 
 should not be liable to sin, and suffer both here and 
 hereafter. 
 
GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 91 
 
 Hence we may wisely conclude that what God 
 does, He knows to be on the whole, the wisest and 
 best, and it becomes us to be both submissive and 
 trustful, for he can be neither arbitrary, unreasonable 
 or malevolent. 
 
 As Prof. Wright observes, "The greatest of all 
 mysteries is that God has thus endowed man with 
 free-will, and has allowed him to sin; yet the facts 
 cannot be disputed. God has created man in his 
 own image, and suffered him to deface it. God has 
 made for himself a temple in the human heart, and 
 suffered it to be defiled. The reason cannot solve 
 the parodox of an Almighty and Benevolent Being 
 hating sin, and yet not preventing it. The essential 
 mystery shrouding this question does not pertain to 
 the endless continuance of punishment or sin, but to 
 the permission of sin at all, and of the evils we know 
 to follow in its train. The monotonous list of crimes 
 that is served up to us at each breakfast by the daily 
 papers, should restrain us from speculating too freely 
 upon the Creator's power to eliminate sin from the 
 system He has established. Perhaps the elimination 
 of sin would involve the elimination of the system. 
 Now that the creation exists, it is our province to 
 study the conditions of its existence, and to adjust 
 ourselves to them. In speculating with reference to 
 what the Creator will do, we are not at liberty 
 to close our eyes to what He has done. What 
 we know is the only proper basis from which to rea- 
 son with reference to what we do not know. From 
 the existence of sin we know that there is some in- 
 herent difficuhy in the way of securing the universal 
 
92 GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 reign of righteousness among beings possessed of 
 such powers as the Creator has bestowed upon the 
 human race. The wisdom of God appears in the 
 creation as well as in the government of His crea- 
 tures. The wisdom displayed in the Creator's plan 
 of government cannot run counter to that displayed 
 in the creation. God has seen fit to make us so that 
 we can defy His authority. God has seen fit to 
 create the world so that as a result of sin there is an 
 untold amount of misery in it. When any one can 
 reconcile the present state of things in this world 
 with his ideas of divine goodness, and wisdom, 
 and power, we will listen to his speculative argu- 
 ments against endless punishment." 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 WHY DO THE BEST OF CHRISTIANS SOMETIMES 
 
 SUFFER m THIS LIFE MORE THAN THE 
 
 WORST OF SINNERS? 
 
 " The goodness of God endureth continually." '^ 
 that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, 
 and for His wonderful words to the children of men." 
 " For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, 
 worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal 
 weight of glory." From this declaration concerning 
 affliction, Christians will doubtless be much happier 
 in heaven for their innocent sufferings on earth. 
 From this inspired statement concerning affliction, 
 it seems probable that the best of Christians, who 
 sometimes suffer more here than the grossly wicked, 
 may experience greater happiness in heaven in pro- 
 portion to their sufferings in this life. 
 
 It is plainly the teachings of Scripture that the or- 
 dinary afflictions of life, when righly improved, are a 
 means of sanctification, promoting our present and 
 future blessedness. " Earthly sufferings increase our 
 
94 GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 heavenly ^lory." " The affliction/' as one has said, 
 " is in order to the glory." It has (as sanctification) 
 a positive and most important agency in preparing 
 believers for their future triumph. 
 
 ^' Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth/' and the 
 troubles of this life are the crucible in which He 
 purges His people of their dross and reiines their 
 graces." 
 
 ''Our trials come in mercy. The painful mysteries 
 of our lot, our losses, our distresses, our conflicts, are 
 the assayers fine, designed and adapted to consume 
 the dross and refine the gold. He afflicts not willing- 
 ly, but because He is a Father; and, as a Father, 
 whom He chastens He will gloriously reward." 
 
 And, still further, may we not rationally and hope- 
 fully consider it probable that in the future world it 
 will be found that the greatest sufferings of those 
 who were most perfectly sanctified here will be re. 
 warded wnth an increased weight of glory ? Will 
 not those who were the most holy in this life, who 
 have been the greatest sufferers here, be in some 
 measure and proportion rewarded with a higher state 
 of blessedness in heaven ? Will not the inexplicable 
 mystery of their greatest sufferings here be in a meas- 
 ure solved by the compensation of more glorious re- 
 wards hereafter ? May not such afflictions especially 
 " work for us a far more exceeding and eternal 
 weight of glory ? " 
 
 " For God has marked each sorrowing day, 
 And numbered every secret tear. 
 And Heaven's long age of bliss shall pay, 
 For all His children suffer here." 
 
GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 95 
 
 In Heaven, " every man shall receive his own re- 
 ward, according to his own labor.'' His reward shall 
 be in proportion to his faithfulness in his Master's 
 service. He shall *' receive the things done in his 
 body, according to that he hath done." And if the 
 best and most faithful w^orkers in the vineyard of 
 the Lord, in the world of glory, shall be rewarded 
 with increased felicity and blessedness in proportion 
 to their faithful services in this w^orld shall not the 
 most purely sanctified of God's deeply afflicted chil- 
 dren, who suffer most here, be compensated with an 
 increased and " far more exceeding and eternal 
 weight of glory" hereafter ? 
 
 If the devoted missionary of the cross, in Christian 
 or in heathen land, who has " turned many to right- 
 eousness " shall have a proportionate number of stars 
 in his crown of rejoicing in that day when God shall 
 make up His jewels, shall not the sanctified Christian 
 who has spent the greater portion of a long life '* in 
 the furnace of affliction, seven times heated," with 
 such patient and submissive fortitude as to adorn 
 religion with increased lustre, and has done more 
 good, and thus impressed the world with its imperish- 
 able value and importance, be compensated with an 
 increased degree of imperishable glory in heaven? 
 
 When we contemplate the unfathomable mysteries 
 of sin and suffering, which prevail in our world and 
 baffle our sagacity, we must modestly refer the dif- 
 ficulties by which we are embarrassed, to our own 
 ignorance, and find consolation and satisfaction in the 
 thought that there must be principles or facts yet un- 
 discovered by finite minds, which if understood and 
 
96 GOD AND HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 comprehended would perfectly explain them and ren- 
 der them reasonable and consistent. We should now 
 endeavor to realize that these infinitesimal facts are 
 only parts of a stupendous whole. We must rest as- 
 sured that although " clouds and darkness are round 
 about Him, righteousness and judgment are the habi- 
 tation of His throne." 
 
(3.) RETRIBUTION. 
 
 CHAPTER XYII. 
 
 PROBATION LIMITED TO THE PRESENT LIFE. 
 
 The Bible plainly teaches that the present life is 
 man's only period for preparing for his eternal home, 
 and the future life is the place for his permanent 
 and endless retribution. Its language is explicit, and 
 fearfully emphatic. " Prepare to meet thy God. Be 
 ye also ready. Flee from the wrath to come. The 
 time is short. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, 
 do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, 
 nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou 
 goest." Yet with all such alarming admonitions, men 
 now dead in trespasses and sin, while the Scriptures 
 reason of righteousness, temperance, and judgment 
 to come, like trembling Felix, answer : " Go thy way 
 for this time, when I have a convenient season I will 
 call for thee." But God says, " It is appointed unto 
 men once to die, but after this the judgment." 
 9 
 
98 RETRIBUTION. 
 
 " For we must all appear before the judgment seat 
 of Christ, that every one may receive the things done 
 in his body, according to that he hath done, whether 
 it be good or bad.'^ 
 
 And in addition to such teachings as these, it is 
 plainly taught that there is permanence of character 
 for all the dead. '^ He that is unjust, let him be un- 
 just still ; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still ; 
 and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still } 
 and he that is holy, let him be holy still." 
 
 If the Bible were merely silent on the point of pro- 
 bation beyond the gravd', it would be equivalent to 
 the denial of such a state, for the love of men for 
 sinful gratification now, induces them to defer repent- 
 ance and reformation as long as they dare. And cer- 
 tainly, if they could reasonably hope for another trial 
 after death, they ^\ould be greatly relieved from the 
 present solicitude in reference to their future condi» 
 tion. And if the truth in the matter could relieve 
 their fearful anxiety, in reference to their future state, 
 would not God dissipate their needless solicitude, by 
 disclosing the fact of a future probation ? But by ex- 
 amining His word we find not the slightest intima- 
 tion that those who die in impenitency and unbelief^ 
 will ever turn from sin to holiness. 
 
 The Scriptures are indeed very explicit, in warn^ 
 ing men now to flee from the wrath to come ; but 
 they shed not a solitary ray of light on the way of es- 
 cape from sin and misery in the future world. They 
 do not intimate that there is any such thing as pass- 
 ing from hell to heaven. 
 
 In the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, who 
 
RETRIBUTION". 99 
 
 represent the condition of the righteous and the 
 wicked in the future world, we find that the former 
 being in readiness for the feast were admitted, and 
 the latter were forever excluded. " The bridegroom 
 came; and they that were ready went in with him to 
 the marriage, and the door was shut. Afterwards 
 came also the other virgins, saying Lord, Lord, open 
 to us. But he answered and said, verily I say unto 
 you, T know you not. Watch therefore ; for ye know 
 neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man 
 Cometh." 
 
 As we know not when our Lord shall call us away 
 from this life, we must be constantly prepared so that 
 we may then be admitted to heaven, for those who 
 are then unprepared can never be admitted. 
 
 In the parable of the barren fig tree, we are taught 
 that this life is a season of probationary discipline; 
 but there is no indication of any future trial period. 
 After the tree had been sufficiently tried, the owner 
 of the vineyard directed the dresser to cut it down. 
 ^' Why cumbereth it the ground?" And certainly 
 after it is cut down, it cannot be tried again. And 
 the sinner who is cut off from this life will not have 
 another probationary trial. 
 
 If men were to have a future probation, they might 
 wisely give their whole attention now to the things 
 of this life, and attend to religion after death. But 
 the Scriptures discountenance entirely such a course. 
 Their language is directly the reverse. " Seek ye 
 first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." 
 Make religion your present business. "To-day, if ye 
 will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." It is 
 
100 RETRIBUTION. 
 
 folly to seek the world now, with the hope of an op- 
 portunity to prepare for heaven hereafter. " For 
 what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole 
 world and lose his own soul." He must seek his 
 salvation now, or fail forever. For Jesus has said, 
 " I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in 
 your sins ; whither I go ye cannot come." And in 
 His comiDission to His disciples He giv^es no intima- 
 tion that men can prepare for heaven after death. 
 '' Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to 
 every creature. He that believeth, and is baptized, 
 shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be 
 damned." Sinners must believe now, and be saved, 
 or never enter heaven. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 NO SECOND PROBATION IN THE INTERMEDIATE 
 
 STATE, OR DURING THE SLEEP OF THE 
 
 BODIES OF THE DEAD. 
 
 Here let us inquire what is to be the condition of 
 the soul between death and the judgment. Is this 
 intermediate state one in which the offers of mercy 
 through Christ, so freely extended here, are con- 
 tinued ? May we hope that some who are incorrigi- 
 ble in their wickedness this side the grave, will re- 
 pent in that interval which occurs between death 
 and the judgment ? 
 
 It is commonly believed by second probationists 
 that there will be no second probation for deliberate 
 and continued rejectors of the gospel here. But 
 those who have not had the motives of the gospel 
 presented to them during life, such as young children, 
 feeble-minded idiots, and many of the heathen, wmII 
 have them presented to them, and have the oppor- 
 tunity of repentance and salvation, before the final 
 judgment. This is the form of the heretical ques- 
 tion, now greatly exciting public attention and dis- 
 cussion. 
 
 9* 
 
102 RETRIBUTION. 
 
 But what is meant by the separate or intermediate 
 state? The state in which the soulhas a conscious 
 existence between the death and resurrection of the 
 body. But where is the soul after separation from 
 the body at death, previous to the resurrection and the 
 general judgment ? Does it go immediately at death 
 to its eternal destination ? From the aspirations of 
 the apostle Paul it would seem that he expected 
 nothing short of perfect happiness immediately upon 
 leaving the world. We are confident, I say, and will- 
 ing, rather to be absent from the body, and be present 
 with the Lord. I am in a straight betwixt two, hav- 
 ing a desire to depart and be with Christ which is 
 far better. Hence, we conclude that all true Chris- 
 tians immediately at death enter into more intimate 
 communion with Christ, and they wait for the glorious 
 resurrection of the body, and for the consummation of 
 the kingdom of God. For our Saviour said to the 
 penitent thief on the cross, " To-day shalt thou be 
 with me in paradise." 
 
 But what will become of the wicked, immediately 
 after death? ''The wicked is driven away in his 
 wickedness, but the righteous hath hope in his death." 
 *^ The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the na- 
 tions that forget God." Hence we conclude that all 
 mankind will exist in the life to come, in a conscious 
 active and happy, or unhappy, state, as they shall be 
 holy or unholy when they depart the present life. 
 They pass immediately iato this condition of exist- 
 ence at death. '' The soul will immediately pass into 
 a state of happiness, or misery, and the body shall 
 dissolve to dust, whence it was taken." 
 
RETRIBUTION. 103 
 
 The soul does not become lifeless with the body, 
 nor does it sleep or lie dormant after the death of the 
 body, till the general resurrection ; but it is sensible 
 and active. For " it came to pass that the beggar 
 died, and was carried by angels into Abraham's 
 bosom ; the rich man also died, and was buried; and 
 in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and 
 seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 
 But Abraham said, ^ Son, remember that thou in thy 
 life time received the good things, and likewise Lazarus 
 evil things ; but now he is comforted and thou art 
 tormented.' " 
 
 But in all these inspired instructions concerning 
 death and the intermediate state, there is not the 
 faintest reference to any classes of persons, who 
 are in a state of second probation. But we do read, 
 " He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness 
 still ; and he that is filthy, let him be made filthy 
 still; and he that is righteous, let him do righteous- 
 ness still ; and he that is holy, let him be made holy 
 still. Behold, I come quickly ; and my reward is 
 with me, to render to each man according as his 
 work is." 
 
 But it may be asked where are the myriads of 
 young children, who die before they attain a period 
 or age of responsibility ? " The disciples came to 
 Jesus saying, ' Who is the greatest in the kingdom of 
 heaven?' And Jesus called a little child unto Him, 
 and set him in the midst of them, and said: ' Verily, 
 I say unto you, except ye be converted, and be- 
 come as little children, ye shall not enter into the 
 kingdom of heaven.' Whosoever, therefore, shall 
 
104 RETRIBUTION. 
 
 humble himself as this little child, the same is great- 
 est in the kingdom of heaven." And may not enfee- 
 bled idiots, who have no more development or re- 
 sponsibility than young children, be reckoned in the 
 same category in the future world ? For " to whom- 
 soever much is given, of him shall much be required." 
 And of course to whom little is given, little will be 
 required. 
 
 (extract. — MEN IGNORANT OF THE GOSPEL.) 
 
 But is it reasonable to punish men who have 
 never heard of the gospel ? They are punished not 
 for distinctively rejecting the gospel, but for distinct- 
 ively rejecting the law. God has given His law to 
 them as really as to us. He has threatened them 
 with its penalty as really as He has threatened us. 
 They '' are without excuse," for on their consciences, 
 as on tables of living stone, Grod has inscribed His 
 commandment. Of the written law, the objector 
 says: '' As many as have sinned without law, will 
 have a probation after death." Of the same law^ the 
 apostle says: " As many as have sinned without law, 
 shall also perish without law." — Romans i : 12-16. 
 Our compassionate Redeemer has taught us that if 
 we, with our larger knowledge, disobey His com- 
 mands, we shall be punished with many stripes, and 
 if other men, with their smaller knowledge disobey 
 these commands, they will be punished with few 
 stripes. But they ivill be punished. If they do not 
 deserve to be punished, then they have not sinned. If 
 they have sinned then they deserve to be punished. 
 If they have committed ten degrees of wrong, they 
 will endure ten deerrees of remorse. If thev have 
 
RETRIBUTION* 105 
 
 committed only one degree of wrong, tliey will en- 
 dure only one degree of remorse. But, ten degrees 
 or one degree of remorse, it cannot be avoided uidess 
 the wrong be forgiven. According to the mere 
 constitution of the soul, it can never end unless con- 
 science loses its normal power. 
 
 It were singular, indeed, if men were to be freed 
 from penal remorse on account of their ignorance, 
 when their ignorance implies the sin; when having 
 eyes they see not, because they will not see ; when 
 knowing certain parts of the truth, they hold back 
 other parts of it, because they choose not to think of 
 it ! It were singular, indeed, if the heathen were to 
 be freed from penal remorse because Christians have 
 disobeyed their Lord's command to go into all the 
 world and preach the gospel to every creature ! Sin- 
 gular, if the refusal of Christians to evangelize the 
 world should be turned into a bounty upon the 
 heathen, and release them from the claims of the law 
 as it is written on the most authoritative part of their 
 constitution. 
 
 But it is said that our Lord, immediately after His 
 resurrection, preached to the spirits in prison ; and 
 by implication it may be said that sinners may be 
 preached to after death. I reply that there is no 
 clear evidence that Christ ever preached to sinners in 
 the future state. And we have never yet learned 
 that any have been converted after death by the 
 preaching of our Lord. But for the sake of the ar- 
 gument, let us admit that while Christ's body was 
 resting in Joseph'^ new tomb, his soul went to some 
 place where were confined in prison certain departed 
 
106 RETRIBUTION. 
 
 spirits, who aforetime were disobedient in the days 
 of Noah, and preached to them. If our Lord did 
 preach to the spirits in prison after death, He ob- 
 viously preached to them the same gospel He did on 
 earth. He then told sinners if they should be cast in 
 prison, they should not come out thence till they had 
 paid the utmost farthing. If He went down to hell to 
 preach to the lost spirits there. He doubtless told 
 them, ' You must remain here until you have suffered 
 all that your sins deserve.' What influence then 
 would His preaching have toward releasing them 
 from the place of torment? It must still remain 
 true: (1) that there is no evidence that He preached 
 to any other departed spirits than the comparatively 
 few herein specified ; (2) that it is inexplicable why 
 those few should have been singled out for such a 
 mission, who were certainly among the most wicked 
 of men, and would appear to have had, through Noah 
 and his influence, a much fairer " chance " than mil- 
 lions of others, presumably then in Hades, who had 
 lived and died in an altogether unillumined darkness of 
 paganism ; (3) that there is no evidence that Christ's 
 preaching to these people on this occasion did them 
 any good ; (4) that there is no probability that such 
 preaching ever was, or can be repeated ; but many 
 circumstances to imply that, as the incidents of this 
 obscure scene can never recur, so this account of 
 them can reasonably afford neither proof, precedent 
 nor even trusty remote suggestion of any purpose of 
 God, or any law of His government by which proba- 
 tion after death becomes a likelihood for any who 
 leave this world in impenitence. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 CHRIST AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. 
 (extract.) 
 
 A sincere inquirer for truth, however he may be 
 perplexed by the doctrine of eternal punishment, is 
 compelled to accept it, because it is so plainly taught 
 and so often urged by the Saviour himself. 
 
 Christ, in these declarations of eternal punishment, 
 never betrays one symptom of doubt or delicacy, as 
 if there might be some injustice or over=severity in 
 them, such as needs to be carefully qualified. He 
 plainly enough has no such struggles of mind on the 
 subject as we have. His most delicate, tenderly sensi- 
 tive humanity gives no single token of being either of- 
 fended or tried by the fact of so great severities. It 
 cannot be that He is untroubled by questions on this 
 subject because He is less tender of man's lot or of 
 God's honor than we are, or because He is not far 
 enough on in the world's progress to have had our 
 great theologic problems occur to Him. 
 
 Perhaps we shall not be able to solve this strangely 
 
108 retributio:n". 
 
 unquestioning manner of His, but I strongly suspect 
 that the secret of it lies in the fact that He has a way 
 of conceiving the matter and manner of eternal pun- 
 ishment, such as leaves our modern questions out of 
 sjo-ht and does not even allow them to occur. Per- 
 
 a 
 
 haps He only thinks of the bad man going on to 
 eternity in his badness, and the laws of retribution as 
 going along with him to keep his voluntary bad deeds 
 company, much as they do here ; regarding the male- 
 factor as a malefactor still, and suffering, at any given 
 moment, for being just what he is at that moment — 
 that, and nothing more. God has, in fact, put noth- 
 ing of his pain upon him; he only takes it on him- 
 self; and there is really no more reason to be troubled 
 about the severity of his lot, than there is here, in the 
 retributions of this life. 
 
 He uses, it must be admitted, the most appalling 
 figures — "outer darkness,'' ^-great gulf fixed," ^'thirst," 
 ''torment," "wailing," "weeping,'^ "a worm that dieth 
 not," "a fire that is not quenched,'' — but He has no 
 misgiving; probably because words of any kind are 
 so impotent in giving the due impression of any state 
 unrealized, and need to be even violently overdrawn 
 to answer their object. However this may be, it is 
 quite evident that the tough questions of our modern 
 philanthropism have either not arrived, or are quite 
 gone by, and that, notwithstanding His intense love 
 for mankind. His feehng still goes with the primitive 
 order of God's retribution, adding even heavier em. 
 phasis from His own personal indignations. 
 
 What was the attitude of Jesus Christ toward the 
 questions of possible future probation after death, 
 
RETRIBUTION. 109 
 
 and of remediless and everlasting torment of all those 
 in every time and place, who die impenitent? 
 
 In answer, I beg leave to suggest, in their most 
 condensed form, the following considerations, viz: 
 
 First. At His advent Christ found the great mass 
 of the Jewish nation actual believers in the future 
 eternal punishment of those who die in sin. This is 
 made clear from the statement of Josephus. And 
 there is no doubt that the Pharisees of the New Tes- 
 tament times believed in eternal damnation. 
 
 Second. Christ must have known that this faith 
 on this subject was thus pre-existent in the minds of 
 those whom He came to lead in the way of life ; and- 
 must have realized that for Him to say nothing in 
 contradiction thereof would be to seal to their con- 
 victions its truth by the large consent of His silence. 
 Yea, further, that for Him to refer to that subject in 
 any historic or casual way without condemning such 
 faith, would be to give it still more confirmation of 
 His manifested consideration issuing in the natural 
 seeming of approval. Such being the facts, it be- 
 comes necessary further to decide that whenever He 
 uttered Himself upon the circle of related truths, Hia 
 language must necessarily take on the force of the 
 fullest endorsement of the doctrine substantially as 
 the Jews held it, unless it were distinctly in opposi- 
 tion thereto ; because, under the circumstances, His 
 intent must be presumed to have been to indorse, 
 unless He did in terms oppose. 
 
 Third. Now, as a matter of fact, Christ is never 
 recorded to have uttered one word of remonstrance 
 with the Jews for their belief in the future eternal 
 10 
 
no EETRIBUTION. 
 
 punishment of tliose who die in their sins. We can- 
 not doubt that His soh'citude for the glory of God 
 must at least have equaled that of those who are in 
 our day most anxious to relieve the divine character 
 of what seems to them the deep dishonor involved in 
 the ancient doctrine under discussion ; yet He un- 
 dertook no explanation ; least of all did He anywhere 
 say or hint, "Ye do greatly err in supposing that My 
 Father can do such things." 
 
 Fourth. Christ never said anything which, when 
 fairly interpreted by its obvious connection and clear 
 intent, even seems to look in the direction of denying 
 the opinion on this subject then commonly received 
 in Palestine. At least I have searched for such ut- 
 terances from His lips in vain. And, on this point, I 
 ask leave to fortify myself by the avowal of that ven- 
 erable, industrious and illustrious exegete, Professor 
 Stuart, who says : 
 
 " Why have those holy teachers, Christ and His 
 apostles, failed to make explicit declarations, which 
 admit of no doubt and no misinterpretation in regard 
 to this matter? If I should be told, as I may be by 
 some, that they have made such declarations, my an- 
 swer is, that after making the Scriptures the principal 
 object of my study through most of my life, I have 
 Dot been able to find them. I have sought for them 
 with great solicitude ; in one sense I can say truly, 
 
 that I have hoped to find them I cannot 
 
 find in the Scriptures a disavowal of the usual belief 
 of the primitive age as to endless punishment; nor 
 can I find where an opinion contrary to this is taught, 
 or even suggested, in the Bible." 
 
RETRIBUTION. Ill 
 
 The Bible plainly teaches: (1) There is a sin 
 which cannot be forgiven, so that all who are guilty 
 of it must be hopelessly and forever lost. (2) 
 Death concludes the opportunity of human penitence. 
 (3) At the end of the world the wicked are to be pun- 
 ished, and the righteous rewarded. (4) The dead 
 are to be raised — the good to life, the bad to condem- 
 nation. (5) There is to be a day of final reckoning, 
 when the Son of Man will judge the world; whose 
 awards will send the wicked away into punishment, 
 and the righteous into life. (6) This future punish- 
 ment of the wicked, equall}^ with the future life of the 
 righteous, w^ill be without end. 
 
 The punishment of the impenitent dead must be 
 endless, because the scriptural terms which allude to 
 it denote absolute eternity. 
 
 Says Dr. N. Adams: "There is, we all admit, 
 such a thing as forever. If the Bible speaks of the 
 natural attributes of God, His eternity is of course 
 brought to view, and there must be a term, or terms, 
 to convey the idea. Now it is apparent to all, that 
 the words eternal, everlasting, forever, never of 
 themselves signify a limited duration. No one ever 
 learns from these words that the duration to which 
 they refer is less than infinite. The iJea of limita- 
 tion, if it be obtained, is always derived from the con- 
 text. It is, moreover, true beyond the possibility of 
 dispute, that the words eternal, everlasting and for- 
 ever, always mean the whole of something. There 
 is no instance in which they are used to denote a part 
 of a things duration. It is always the entire period 
 for which that thing is to last. This, no one will call 
 
112 RETRIBUTION. 
 
 in question. It is well understood that the words 
 forever and everlasting are used to express a duration 
 commensurate with the nature of the thing spoken of. 
 Everlasting mountains are coeval with creation, and 
 are to endure as long as the earth. A servant for- 
 ever, is a servant for life. We cannot take the sense 
 which the word has in connection with a certain 
 thing, and by it prove or disprove anything relating 
 to a totally different thing. We cannot prove, for 
 example, that mountains will not last to the end of 
 time, because forever applied to a servant means 
 only for life. We must consider the nature of the 
 object to which the word is applied. When it is ap- 
 plied to the Most High, of course it means unlimited 
 duration. Now the words which convey the idea of 
 absolute eternity, are applied for example to moun- 
 tains, to future punishment, and to the Being and 
 government of God. This, then, is certain : Because 
 forever, when applied to some things, does not mean 
 absolute eternity, it does not follow that it does not 
 mean eternity when applied to future retribution. If 
 it were so, we could not convey the idea of the eter- 
 nity of God — for it could be said that forever in 
 sometimes applied to a limited duration. This is 
 true. Now, if this proves that future punishment is 
 not forever, it must also prove that the Being of God 
 is not forever. Two things are be3'ond dispute : 
 First, Forever and everlasting are applied to future 
 retributions. Second, These terms always mean the 
 whole, as to duration, of that with which they stand 
 connected. If applied to life, it is the whole of life ; 
 if to the existence of the world, it is the entire period 
 
RETRIBUTION. 113 
 
 of its existence; if to a covenant, the covenant is 
 either without limit as to time, or it is the whole of 
 the duration which the subject permits; and when 
 applied to Jehovah, it refers to His whole eternity. 
 What then does it mean when applied to future retri- 
 bution ; it always means the whole of something? 
 Is it the whole of future existence? No one can 
 base a denial of it on the ground that the word when 
 applied to human life mean only a few years, or a 
 limited duration when applied to the earth. For 
 how is it when applied to God, and the happiness of 
 heaven? It is certainly the place of any who deny 
 endless retribution, to show that the words cannot 
 mean the whole of future existence when applied by 
 the use of the same Greek words in the same pass- 
 ages, to the happiness of the righteous. The ob- 
 jector must show that when applied to the future life 
 they mean only a part, notwithstanding they always 
 mean the whole of every thing else with w^hich they 
 stand connected." 
 
 And hence we ifind that those who deny that the 
 words eternal and everlasting mean endless, when ap- 
 plied to the duration of the misery of the wicked be- 
 yond the grave to be consistent, maintain that the 
 natural force of these words when applied to the du- 
 ration of God's existence do not imply His endless 
 existence. 
 
 So that in denying what God says concerning the 
 endless misery of the wicked, they deny that what 
 He says of the duration of His own existence proves 
 that He will always exist, Alas, what infatuation, if 
 not absolute Atheism, is here disclosed ! 
 
 no 
 
IM RETRIBUTION. 
 
 Now, with these well established principles of in- 
 terpreting the words eternal and forever as denoting 
 the longest space of time possible in the nature of 
 the case, let us adduce some Scriptural proof of the 
 endless misery of all who die in their sins, impeni- 1 
 tent and unbelieving. We learn in the Scriptures 
 that " God spared not the angels that sinned, but 
 cast them down to hell, and delivered them into 
 chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.'^ 
 And as ^'it is appointed unto men once to die, but 
 after this the judgment," and " many of them that 
 sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to 
 everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting 
 contempt," '' all that are in the graves shall hear His 
 voice, and shall come forth; they that have done 
 good, unto the resurrection of life ; and they that 
 have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." 
 
 So that it plainly appears that those who die with- 
 out true repentance must come forth in the resurrec- 
 tion, and be condemned to punishment at the day of 
 judgment. " Then shall our Lord say to those on 
 His left hand, ' Depart from me, ye cursed, into ever- 
 lasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels/ 
 And these shall go away into eternal punishment; 
 but the righteous into life eternal." " He that be- 
 lieveth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that 
 believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath 
 of God abideth on him." 
 
 Now who can doubt that the Bible teaches the 
 endless misery of the v^^icked after death, and that 
 " they shall be tormented, day and night, forever and 
 ever?'' 
 
RETRIBUTION. 115 
 
 Rev. Albert Barnes thus shows the difficulty of 
 being a Universalist and a Bible believer at the same 
 time : " I could not embrace Universalism, with my 
 views of the proper rules of interpreting language, 
 without giving up the Bible altogether. The Bible 
 does not teach the salvation of all men. It can 
 never be made to teach that doctrine by a proper in- 
 terpretation of language. If the Bible teaches any- 
 thing clearly; if words have any meaning; if there 
 are any proper rules of interpreting language, the 
 Bible teaches the doctrine of the eternal punishment 
 of the wicked, and it cannot be made to teach other- 
 wise. 1 hold just what the mass of men have held ; 
 what ninety-nine men out of every hundred have 
 held ; what all men — Christians and infidels — except 
 the small class who call themselves Universalists, 
 have held, hat the Bible teaches that the wicked 
 will be punished forever in the future world. If I 
 were, therefore, to reject the doctrine of the future 
 punishment of the wicked, I should not be a Univer- 
 salist, trying to hold on to the Bible. I should become 
 at once an honest infidel, and would reject the Bible 
 altogether. The infidel is the only consistent man. 
 I think in the view which I take of the fair interpre- 
 tation of the Bible, that I see the reason why there 
 are so few avowed Universalists, as compared with 
 the actual number of infidels in our country, and why 
 it is so diiiicalt to keep up the system of Universalism 
 as an organization. The number of persons in any 
 community who can be made to believe that the 
 Bible inculcates the doctrine of universal salvation 
 must always be small ; the number of those who, for 
 
116 RETRIBUTION. 
 
 various causes, reject it altogether, may be and prob- 
 ably will be much larger. Of the two I would be 
 one of the latter, and so the mass of men do judge, 
 and always will judge." 
 
 
 i 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 UNREASONABLENESS OF UNIVERSAL RESTORATION 
 
 BY CHASTISEMENT AND DISCIPLINARY 
 
 EDUCATION. 
 
 In the first place, I now propose to show that the 
 proper administration of God's positive moral gov- 
 ernment, over free moral agents, demands that eter- 
 nal punishment should be the appropriate reward of a 
 sinful life, in addition to the mere natural conse- 
 quences of sin in the present world. I repeat the 
 proposition, for its establishment seems to me adapt- 
 ed to refute the theory of mere natural consequences, 
 the religion of Deism, and of two of the most popular 
 heretical sects which have flourished especially in the 
 vicinity of Boston, during the last half century. By 
 natural consequences is meant, that when a man vio- 
 lates natural law, in thrusting his finger into a candle 
 blaze, it burns, but ceases soon after it is withdrawn. 
 And when a man violates God's moral law, he suffers 
 the stings of conscience, which is all the punishment 
 that the greatest sins deserve, or will receive. Our 
 Creator has implanted within all the subjects of His 
 
118 RETRIBUTION. 
 
 moral government a moral constitution, by which we 
 are made to discern the difference between right and 
 wrong — by which we are made to recognize His 
 moral law, and feel ourselves under the necessity of 
 obeying or disobeying it. 
 
 And this conscience operating as God's vicegerent 
 in the soul, in the performance of its disciplinary 
 work, naturally imparts to us complacent satisfaction 
 for well doing, and recriminates and censures us for 
 violating what it dictates as right or as pleasing to 
 God. 
 
 As the natural results of an honest and strenuous 
 endeavor to glorify God, in obeying the moral law, 
 in suppressing our unlawful propensities and selfish 
 tendencies, we enjo}^ inward harmony and peace and 
 are cheered by the consciousness of our heavenly 
 Father's approval, while the natural results of wreck- 
 less disobedience to divine requirements, in yielding 
 to the control of pernicious and debasing practices, 
 are self-reproach and a consciousness of justly de- 
 serving the wrath of our offended Lord. But neither 
 of these species of happiness or unhappiness, as the 
 natural consequences of virtue and vice in the pres- 
 ent life, I apprehend, can strictly be denominated re- 
 wards and penalties, for the chief reason for their 
 employment seems to be the corrective guide or dis- 
 cipline of the individuals who experience them. 
 Thus the natural effects of the approval and remon- 
 strances of conscience, seem to bo chiefly designed 
 for personal guards against sin, and allurements to 
 holiness. 
 
 The remonstrances of conscience are merely the 
 
RETRIBUTION. 119 
 
 prickly thorns which project from the walls that are 
 erected as hedges to guide tiie traveler in the way of 
 duty — in the straight and narrow path toward heaven. 
 These natural disciplinary chastisements are designed 
 mainly to reclaim transgressors, while it is not the ob- 
 ject of positive penal sanctions to secure^reformation. 
 
 But as these incidental benefits of obedience, and 
 evils of disobedience in this life, do not seem in the 
 strictest sense to be of the nature of. rewards and 
 penalties — not meeting our sense ot the intrinsic de- 
 mands of either retributive or public justice — we in- 
 fer that they are wholly insufficient, and that God 
 must exercise a positive moral government over tree 
 moral agents, which shall lead Him to award as a 
 gift of His grace, eternal life to His friends, and in- 
 flict as just desert, eternal death upon His enemies. 
 For no well regulated community feels satisfied ihat 
 its most virtuous citizens are sufficiently rewarded 
 for all their personal sacrifices in doing good, by 
 merely an approving conscience, or that the most 
 guilty are sufficiently punished by its reproaches. 
 The community feel that the benefactors of the 
 race, such as Washington and Lafayette, det^erve 
 from them some positive reward, and the scourges 
 and criminals, such as Robespierre and Napoleon, de- 
 serve some positive punishment. The mass of men 
 feel that devoted Christians must enjoy heaven here- 
 after, and the wicked must be consigned to hejl. 
 
 But if we are satisfied that natural consequences 
 are insufficient appendages to the moral law, and 
 God must administer a positive moral government 
 over men, let us inquire into its nature and sanctions. 
 
120 RETRIBUTIO:^". 
 
 God'3 positive moral government is the rightful 
 authority, which He exercises over moral beings 
 through the medium of His moral law. And this 
 law must be the preceptive rule of action, for 
 the guidance of moral agents, and it must have ade- 
 quate sanctions to induce them to obey it. But it is 
 not necessary to the perfection of moral government 
 that it should actually secure unfaltering obedience. 
 It is only necessary that it should have the most ef- 
 fective sanctions or motives, in the form of rewards 
 and penalties for securing obedience, while men are 
 left free and responsible in obeying or disobeying the 
 law. But if this law were attended merely by 
 natural consequences it would be selfexecutive, 
 though God should cease to reign. If its violation 
 incurs no positive governmental inflictions, it would 
 degenerate into mere preceptive advice, and cease 
 to be positive law. It would be a system of natural 
 instead of revealed religion. But if every transgres- 
 sion and disobedience shall receive a just recompense 
 of reward, the sanctions of the law must be executed 
 by the Moral Governor himself. 
 
 Hence, the very idea of moral government implies 
 that the law is not self-executive, without adequate 
 penal sanctions, but in its very nature active and pos- 
 itive, demanding the constant enforcement of the au- 
 thoritative Law- Giver. Therefore, if God does not 
 administer a moral government, with adequate sanc- 
 tions. He may have on the theor}^ of natural conse- 
 quences natural laws ; but He can have no moral 
 laws and no free moral agents under His direct con- 
 trol. And yet we know from the perfection of our 
 
RETRIBUTION. 121 
 
 « 
 
 Creator's attributes, and from our own moral nature, 
 that lie is a perfect moral governor, with a perfect 
 moral law, and with responsible subjects under His 
 government whom He controls by appropriate sanc- 
 tions. Now these adequate sanctions of His law are 
 motives, rewards promised to obedience to its pre- 
 cepts, and penalties threatened against disobedience. 
 And if God is a perfect moral governor, He must show 
 by the extent and duration of these sanctions, that 
 He regards obedience wnth supreme approval and 
 disobedience with the greatest possible aversion. 
 
 But how can He manifest His supreme hatred to 
 sin, as the worst thing in the universe, if He does 
 not threaten the sinner with eternal punishment? If 
 He does not inflict upon the transgressor eternal 
 death as the appropriate penalty of a sinful life. He 
 must weaken His authority and show that He regards 
 the violation of His law as a less evil than the inflic- 
 tion of its penalty. In order to prevent to the ut- 
 most possible extent every transgression of His per- 
 fect law, the penalty must be as apalling as justice 
 and the nature of the case will possibly admit, while 
 it does not transcend in severity the intrinsic ill 
 desert of each transgressor. In a perfect moral gov- 
 ernment distributive justice must be the standard 
 by which the most terrific penalties of the law 
 are awarded. The penalty upon each transgressor, 
 being graduated by his intrinsic guilt, is as great as 
 possible, and as the sinner is finite in his susceptibil- 
 ity of suffering, his punishment is as appalling as jus- 
 tice and the nature of the case will possibly admit, 
 while it is finite in degree and endless in duration. 
 11 
 
122 RETRIBUTION. 
 
 And while retributive justice both admits and de- 
 mands this penalty, public justice — which is designed 
 to secure the highest public good by securing the 
 greatest amount and most perfect obedience to the 
 divine law — insists that the soul that sinneth it shall 
 die. And as every sin is against an infinite God, and 
 a violation of a perfect law, it must involve infinite 
 guilt in the sense of deserving eternal punishment. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE CONSISTENCY OF ETERNAL PUNISHMENT 
 WITH GOD'S BENEVOLENCE AND GOODNESS. . 
 
 (extract.) 
 
 All must admit that God manifests His love in 
 creating men, and in giving them a perfectly good 
 law which requires them to love Him with all their 
 heart and one another as they love themselves. Is 
 He not good, then, in offering the most glorious re- 
 wards to secure obedience, and in threatening trans- 
 gressors with the most dreadful and deserved punish- 
 ments ? For certainly if He was good in making 
 them rational and accountable creatures, and in giv- 
 ing them the best of laws, He must be equally good 
 in maintaining obedience by the most effective mo- 
 tives. How long could His government stand, or 
 His authority be received without them ? Is not a 
 human government just as benevolent and good in 
 inflicting the death penalty upon the murderer as 
 in rewarding her most faithful public servants with 
 honor and emoluments of oflSce? And, furthermore, 
 does not God manifest His love in giving His only 
 
124 RETRIBUTION. 
 
 begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him 
 should not perish but have everlasting life ? 
 
 " No argument," says Dr. Hawes, " is more fre- 
 quently urged by Universalists, or relied upon 
 with greater confidence, than that derived from 
 the goodness of God. They assert that the doc- 
 trine of future punishment is totally inconsistent 
 with this attribute of the Deity. It is admitted 
 on all hands that God is a being of infinite good- 
 ness. But what does this prove? That no evil 
 natural or moral, can exist under the government 
 of God ; that all the subjects of His empire must be 
 holy and happy ? Look at facts. Has not sin existed 
 on earth for six thousand years; and multiplied sor- 
 row and pain and death to an almost inconceivable 
 extent? Is all this consistent with the goodness of 
 God? No Universalist, I suppose, will deny that it 
 is. How then does he know that misery in the future 
 world is not consistent with the same goodness? 
 Guilty men, in the present life, often endure a great 
 amount of suffering; why then may they not endure 
 the same in the life to come? Is it said that tem- 
 poral misery may be so overruled as to promote the 
 good of God's creation on the whole ? And why may 
 not eternal misery ? All that the goodness of God 
 demands is, that he govern in such a manner as will 
 secure the greatest amount of good in the universe. 
 That great temporal sufferings are consistent with 
 this, is proved by facts ; and who but God is compe- 
 tent to decide that eternal sufferings are not ? 
 
 Is it said that such sufferings inflicted as a punish- 
 ment for sin are unjust? I ask again, who among 
 
RETRIBUTION. 125 
 
 the sons of men is qualified to decide this matter ? 
 Does any one know enough of God and His govern- 
 ment to determine what laws He ought to enact, and 
 what sanctions append to them? Can you see any 
 injustice in God's leaving creatures who have volun- 
 tarily rebelled against Him, to continue in sin forever; 
 and if they continue to sin forever, may not God 
 justly punish them forever ? 
 
 With a view to disprove the doctrine of future 
 punishment, Universalists are very fond of appealing 
 to the sympathies of our nature^ especially to parental 
 feelings. " What man," it is asked, '^ of common 
 sensibility, could endure to see a fellow-man tor- 
 mented in the fire or on the rack, for one year, or one 
 month? What parent could take his own child and 
 cast him into a glowing oven, or confine him in a 
 gloomy dungeon for life ? But has not God as much 
 goodness as man ; or as much kindness as an earthly 
 parent? How then can it be supposed that he will 
 cast any of His children into the lake of fire, and con- 
 fine them there forever?" This is a very favorite 
 argument with Universalists, and one which, with 
 young and unthinking minds, they use with very 
 great effect. But in reply, it may be asked ,* what 
 parent would drown his children in the water, or con- 
 sume them in the fire ? What parent would break 
 their bones, or mangle their flesh, or send upon them 
 fiickness and pain and death ? And yet God, the 
 great Parent of men, brings all these things upon 
 them in the course of His providence. Has He then 
 less kindness and love than earthly parents ? 
 *11 
 
(4.) TRUE RELieiON. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE NATURE OF TRUE RELIGION BENEVOLENT, 
 AND VOLUNTARY OBEDIENCE TO GOD NOT MERE- 
 LY THE EXCITEMENT OF RIGHT FEELINGS. 
 
 The Bible teaches that true religion consists in 
 genuine benevolence; in supreme love to God, and 
 impartial love to men ; in voluntary obedience to the 
 Divne Lavi^ Giver, "for love is the fulfillment of the 
 lav^r ; " *' In such genuine repentance toward God, 
 and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, as purifies 
 the heart and overcomes the temptations of the 
 world, the flesh, and the devil." For Jesus, the Di- 
 vine founder of the Christian religion, said : ''Thou 
 ehalt 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 thy- 
 self." On these two commandments hang all the 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 127 
 
 law and the prophets. '^ Fear God and keep His 
 commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." 
 " Repent ye, and believe the gospel." *' Beheve on 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." 
 "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." 
 
 But with these divine commands and instructions, 
 showing that love — including voluntary obedience to 
 God's requirements — constitute the nature of the 
 Christian religion, a very common and dangerous 
 error seems to prevail in reference to this fundamen- 
 tal truth. Very many persons, if we understand 
 them correctly, believe and maintain that true re- 
 ligion consists in the excitement of the sensibilities, 
 feeling?, emotions, and desires, in connection with 
 the worship of God. They seem to believe and 
 teach that happy frames of mind, with right feelings, 
 constitute the nature of the religion of Christ. 
 Therefore, when their feelings become pleasantly ex- 
 cited, in connection with sympathetic and social re- 
 ligious worship, they consider themselves very re- 
 ligious, and that they really enjoy what they regard 
 true religion. But when engaged in the wearisome, 
 and often vexatious, employments of daily life, and 
 the natural reaction follows from the previous ex- 
 citement of their feelings — so that natural mental de- 
 pression and sluggishness are experienced — they re- 
 gard themselves in a back-blidden state, sufifering the 
 frowns of their Heavenly Father. 
 
 This mistake in believing that the excitement of 
 what they consider to be right feelings, is religion, is 
 the cause of the frequent gloom and despondency of 
 conscientious persons. 
 
128 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 ^' By false views concerning the nature of true re- 
 ligion," as a writer has observed, '' many real Chris- 
 tians have been stumbled and kept in bondage, and 
 their comfort and usefulness much abridged by find- 
 ing themselves from time to time very languid and 
 unfeeling. Supposing religion to consist in right 
 and exciting feelings, if at any time the excitability 
 of the sensibility becomes exhausted and their feelings 
 subside, they are immediately thrown into unbelief 
 and bondage. Satan reproaches them for the want 
 of feeling, and they have nothing to say only to ad- 
 mit the truth of his accusations. Having a false phil- 
 osophy of religion, they judge of the state of their 
 hearts by the state of their feelings. They confound 
 their hearts with their feelings, and are in almost 
 constant perplexity to keep their hearts right, by 
 which they mean their feelings in a state of excite- 
 ment." 
 
 Persons with such desponding and gloomy ex- 
 periences, as Dr. Payson and David Brainard, suffer 
 greatly from their erroneous belief on this point. 
 Sometimes they feel languid and are conscious of 
 classes of emotions which they falsely call sins. 
 These they earnestly resist, and still blame them- 
 selves lor having them in their hearts, as they say. 
 Thus they are brought again into bondage, although 
 they are certain that these feelings are hated, and not 
 at all indulged by them. 
 
 Another injurious result of mistaking mere feel- 
 ings for true religion, is found in the fact that per* 
 sons anxiously inquiring the way of salvation know 
 not how to excite their feelings so as to become 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 129 
 
 Christians. Finding tbat their feelings are but very 
 slightly if at all under the control of the voluntary 
 powers, they soon become discouraged in seeking to 
 become religious, and abandon all efforts to become 
 Christians. As the result^ the Holy Spirit is grieved 
 away, and they return to carelessness on the subject 
 of religion. 
 
 Now the injurious error of Christians suffering 
 with gloomy and morbid experiences, as well as the 
 error of anxious inquirers for the way of salvation 
 under the special strivings of the Holy Spirit, may 
 be in a great measure corrected by considering that 
 the divine law does not so much demand right feel- 
 ing, as right, willing, voluntary love and obedience 
 to God. The Bible appeals directly and repeatedly 
 to the voluntary powers, but very indirectly, if at all, 
 to our mere feelings. And sound intellectual and 
 moral philosophy supports the reasonableness of such 
 appeals and claims of the Bible. 
 
 Although the human mind is essentially one in its 
 essence and being, yet it exists in three diverse com- 
 partments : Intellect, Sensibility, or Feeling, and the 
 Will. The intellect perceives, but the will is only the 
 main subject of moral law, and is supreme in its in- 
 direct control of all the other powers of the mind. 
 The feelings, in themselves, seem to have little or no 
 moral character, while the will regulates all our vol- 
 untary actions whether right or wrong. 
 
 Hence the divine appeal to the will, " Choose this 
 day whom ye will serve,^' while there is no command 
 "excite your feelings." 
 
 According to the Scriptures all mankind are by na- 
 
130 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 ture children of wrath, dead in trespasses and sin. 
 All their sin consists in sinning. They strive volun- 
 tarily to gratify their naturul propensities in prefer- 
 ence to pleasing God. Therefore their sin consists 
 in their voluntary neglect of obedience to the divine 
 commands, or in voluntary disobedience to the divine 
 laws. Hence their sin cannot consist in mere feeling, 
 but in wrong voluntary omission of the divine re- 
 quirements, or in positive voluntary transgression of 
 God's holy law. And as all men by nature are prone 
 to indulge themselves in absolute and habitual trans- 
 gression, none can be saved by their own personal 
 righteousness, but by the mercy of God, by the 
 washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy 
 Ghost. But in this radical change, from seeking to 
 please themselves supremely, to voluntarily pleasing 
 God, they are free and responsible, while God makes 
 them willing in the day of His power. He commands 
 sinners to do their duty in reference to this great 
 change, and declares that He is ever ready to save 
 them by His grace. The Lord is not willing that any 
 should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 
 Religious experience, in the sinner's change from 
 serving the world to the service of God, consists of 
 two parts — the duty part, that which the sinner must 
 render, which of course is a right state of the will 
 towards God, and the experience part, which in- 
 cludes the emotional exercises, naturally attending 
 and flowing from this state of the will — and also any 
 movement of thought or feeling, which comes from 
 God's response to the voluntary surrender of the soul 
 to Him. These statements seem to be taui^^ht in the 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 131 
 
 Bible. There God says : '* Behold, I stand at the 
 door, and knock. If any man hear my voice, and 
 open the door, I will come into him, and will sup 
 with him and he with Me.'^ 
 
 Thus we perceive that religious experience in. 
 volves the whole heart; our duty, the requirements 
 of religion, is to hear his voice and open the door. 
 All the rest God takes care of, in renewing and sanc- 
 tifying, and saving the sinner. 
 
 God says to all sinners, " Repent, and turn your- 
 selves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall 
 not be your ruin, and make you a new heart and a 
 new spirit, for why will ye die?" And this seems 
 to mean, make a radical voluntary change in the moral 
 affections and ruling intentions of the mind from 
 sinful gratification to holy obedience to God. The 
 guilt of all impenitent sinners, is in their unwilling- 
 ness to love and serve God. Jesus says " Ye will 
 not come to me that ye might have life." Unwill- 
 ingness is the single reason why all unregenerate sin- 
 ners are not Christians. God says, '^Believe on the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Jesua 
 says, " Come unto me and I will give you rest. Learn 
 of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. I will put a 
 new song in thy mouth, even praise unto our God. 
 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit 
 will I put within you, and cause you to walk in my 
 statutes." And from such divine teachings as these 
 it seems to me very plain that the nature of true re- 
 ligion consists in benevolent and voluntary obedience 
 to God, and not merely in the excitement of right 
 feeling toward Him and our fellow-men. 
 
CHAPTER XXIIl. 
 
 THE SERVICE OF THE LORD IN SECULAR DUTIES. 
 
 It is common, even among professing Christians, to 
 dissociate in their minds, too widely the worship of 
 God, and strictly religious services, from the practical 
 and ordinary secular duties of life. Hence they fre- 
 quently perform their secular duties without regulat- 
 ing them by a religious spirit, in obedience to the 
 divine commands. 
 
 They think of preaching, prayer, praise and exhor. 
 tation, as specially religious and pleasing to God; 
 forgetting that the benevolent and honest performance 
 of all their secular duties, at appropriate times and 
 places, are also, if not equally essential, as fundamen- 
 tal indications of true and accepted piety toward God. 
 For He has said, "Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, 
 or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Let 
 it be your ruling motive in all your plans and actions, 
 to seek supremely the honor of your heavenly Father, 
 as your Creator, Law-giver, Redeemer and Judge. 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 133 
 
 Let your example and precept be such as to honor 
 God, and influence others to embrace and practice 
 the principles of the gospel of Christ. The true 
 Christian must aim to glorify God in all his ordinary 
 business affairs. 
 
 He is bound to make it manifest to all observers, 
 that his secular business is designed and adapted, not 
 merely to benefit himself, but with a benevolent spirit 
 and strict honesty, to promote the welfare of his 
 fellow-men. He is not at liberty to pursue any voca- 
 tion which is naturally detrimental to society, lest he 
 misrepresent and dishonor religion Therefore it be- 
 comes all Christians to so arrange their domestic 
 affairs, their houses, their furniture and equipage as 
 to glorify God. 
 
 They are to "use this world as not abusing it,'^ in 
 all their relations to it. They are to furnish their 
 tables with such agreeable and healthful food and 
 drink, and partake of them in such a temperate man- 
 ner, as shall subserve their efficiency and usefulness, 
 not only in their more strictly religious duties, as 
 commonly understood, but also in the common secular 
 affairs of life. As a writer has obser^^ed ; *' It is gen- 
 erally conceded that the work of forming character, 
 of directing the plastic minds of children is of the 
 utmost importance. 
 
 If it were better understood and conscientiously 
 performed, adult life would not so often be a long and 
 agonizing struggle between conscience and evil de- 
 sires, and evil would be found hateful and not in ac- 
 cordance with habit. 
 
 As the character therefore acquired in this life must 
 12 
 
134 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 materially affect our condition in the life beyond this 
 one, it would seem that mothers and teachers have 
 especially committed to them the work of the Lord." 
 As without the earnings of husbands and fathers, 
 women would have to be bread-providers when help- 
 less little ones make exhau ting demands upon their 
 souls and bodies, thus of necessity discharging imper- 
 fectly two separate and conflicting lines of duty. The 
 work of men in business is also seen to be a part of 
 the Lord's work. 
 
 Inasmuch as patriotism has in all ages been consid- 
 ered one of the most exalted duties of man, and no 
 land can long be, even in a low degree, prosperous, 
 whose laws are not based on justice — the exercise of 
 political duties must also be a part of the work of the 
 Lord. Well would it be for our country if all pro- 
 fessing Christians, as well as educated men, more 
 generally recognized and acted upon this truth. 
 
 Eeforms have a vital connection with the moral 
 and spiritual development of nations, and must 
 therefore be an important part of the work of the 
 Lord. The habit of thinking of religious duty as 
 though it did not embrace, and had no necessary con- 
 nection with the secular affairs of life, but might be 
 all performed at particular places and seasons ; that 
 nothing but the promulgation or acceptance of doc- 
 trinal truth, and the public or private exercises of 
 worship can be properly called the work of the Lord, 
 is most pernicious. 
 
 Its tendency is to make Christians feel that the 
 domestic, educational and business duties of life, 
 when performed even with an eye single to the glory 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 135 
 
 of God, are so secular and worldly that they cannot 
 be religiously regulated, eo as to ensure the divine 
 commendation: " Well done, good and faithful ser- 
 ( vant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 WHO ARE THE RIGHTEOUS? 
 
 There is a distiDction between saints and sinners, 
 but it is very conamon for men to estimate them- 
 selves and their associates in proportion to their ex- 
 ternal morality, or the apparent strictness of their 
 religious and ceremonial observances, so as to think 
 that their infinitesimal differences can form no clear 
 line of distinction between living Christians and the 
 very best of mere moralists. But '' the Lord (who) 
 searcheth all hearts, and understandelh all the imagi- 
 nations of the thoughts," clearly discerns a very wide 
 and radical distinction between the habitual and ruling 
 intentions of the most inconsistent of the real imita- 
 tors of their Divine Master, and the most upright of 
 mere worldlings, who follow their natural desires, in 
 pleasing themselves rather than making it their su- 
 preme and all controlling purpose to please their 
 Heavenly Father in all things. Hence it becomes 
 us to study the Scriptures carefully, that we may un- 
 
RETRIBUTION. 137 
 
 derstand the fundamental difference between those 
 whom God denominates "the righteous and the 
 wicked, and those who serve God and those who 
 serve Him not." 
 
 Who then are the righteous? In the Bible we 
 learn that the righteous are not those who with the 
 boastful spirit of the Pharisees, " trust in themselves 
 that they are righteous, and despise others.'' " For 
 every one that exalteth himself shall be abased." 
 They do not trust in their good works, ^'knowing 
 that a man is not justified by the works of the law, 
 but by the faith of Jesus Christ." And they have no 
 confidence in the saving efficacy of the mere heart- 
 less forms and ceremonials of religion. For God 
 says to all such devotees at His altars, '* Bring no 
 more oblation ; incense is an abomination unto me. 
 The new moons and Sabbaths, and the calling of as- 
 semblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the 
 solemn meeting. Behold, to obey is better than sac- 
 rifice." Neither do the truly righteous trust to their 
 excited feelings and emotional exercises as proof in 
 itself of their Christian character. If any, at the 
 time of their hopeful conversion are mistaken, so as 
 to consider mere animal excitement religion, they 
 ■will soon discover when it subsides that "they have 
 no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time ; 
 afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth, for 
 the world's sake immediately they are offended, and 
 abandon their spurious hopes of heaven." 
 
 But I now maintain affirmatively that the righteous 
 are those who have renounced mere self-gratification 
 as their uniform law, and have given themselves up 
 ♦12 
 
138 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 devotedly to obey the divine law, as revealed in the 
 conscience enlightened by the illumination of God's 
 Holy word. 
 
 They abandon their native selfishness, and under 
 the operations of the Holy Spirit they honestly and 
 perseveringly endeavor to live a life of supreme and 
 benevolent love to God and impartial love to men, 
 so that like Jesus, their Almighty Saviour and guide, 
 they may go about doing good to friends and foes. 
 
 EXTRACTS. 
 
 (1) Now do any think that such a benevolent state 
 of mind as this would require us to treat all other in- 
 terests of equal value with our own ? No 'man does 
 or can act upon such a principle, which would lead 
 to the neglect of the things especially committed to 
 our care. God has never acted upon such a princi- 
 ple. He has always acted upon the principle of ac- 
 complishing the greatest practicable good. He es. 
 teems the good of all and of each of His creatures, 
 according to their intrinsic and relative value, but 
 exercises His own discretion in His efforts to accom- 
 plish the greatest amount of good. And such must 
 be the course of all truly benevolent Christians. For 
 '' if any provide not for his own, and especially for 
 those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and 
 is worse than an infidel." " Let us not be weary in 
 well doing ; for in due season we shall reap if we 
 faint not." " As we have therefore opportunity, let us 
 do good unto all men, especially unto them who are 
 of the household of faith." The greatest practical 
 good must be the aim of the true Christian. He 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 139 
 
 must bestow bis particular efforts, influence, and pos- 
 session, upon those particular interests and persons, 
 where on the whole he thinks it will do the greatest 
 amount of good. 
 
 (2) The true saint is justified by faith in Christ, 
 and has the evidence of it in the peace of his own 
 mind. He is conscious of obeying the law of reason 
 and of love. He has also within him the Spirit of 
 God, witnessing with his spirit that he is a child of 
 God, forgiven, accepted, and adopted. He is con- 
 scious that he pleases God and has His approbation. 
 
 (3) But further, the true Christian overcomes the 
 temptations of the w^orld. '* For whatsoever is born 
 of God, overcometh the world ; and this is the victo- 
 ry that overcometh the world, even our faith." And 
 hereby we know Him, if " we keep His command- 
 ments, and His commandments are not grevious." 
 
 (4) And overcoming the world implies overcom- 
 ing as far as practicable, in our feeble condition, all 
 needless anxiety concerning our worldly affairs. It 
 is perfectly natural for worldly-minded and selfish 
 men to set their affections on attaining a great 
 amount of worldly property, and they have not 
 learned that while prudent and industrious they 
 should trust God to give or withhold, according to 
 His unerring wisdom. Hence their bosoms are like 
 the " troubled sea, that cannot rest." But the faith- 
 ful and devoted Christian, who sets his " affections on 
 things above, and not supremely on the fading things 
 of earth," gets above the world, to a great extent, and 
 is freed from ceaseless and corroding anxiety. '' For 
 God doeth all things well." 
 
140 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 (5) The true saint is, also, a reformer from princi- 
 ple. He is distinguished by his firm adherence to all 
 the principles and rules of the divine government. 
 He needs not the gale of popular excitement or of 
 popular applause to put and keep him in motion. 
 His intellect and conscience have taken the control 
 of his will, so that he seeks divine grace not only to 
 reform himself, but strives to reform as he has op- 
 portunity all the existing evils of society. He sym- 
 pathizes with every effort to reform mankind and 
 promote the interests of truth and righteousness in 
 the earth. 
 
 (6) Christians have the spirit of Christ. " What, 
 know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy 
 Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye 
 are not your own ? But ye are not in the flesh, but 
 in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in 
 you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, 
 he is none of His. And if Christ be in you the 
 body is dead because of sin ; but the Spirit is life, 
 because of righteousness. The fruit of the Spirit is 
 love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, 
 faith, meekness, temperance.^' They that are Christ's, 
 have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 
 
 (7) Christians, or truly regenerate souls, experience 
 great and present blessedness in religion. They do 
 not seek their own happiness as their supreme good, 
 but find it in their disinterested efiforts to promote 
 the well being of others. Their state of mind is it- 
 self the harmony of the soul. Happiness is both a 
 natural result of virtue and also its governmental re- 
 ward. Christians enjoy religion just for the reason 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 141 
 
 that they are disinterested in it ; that is, precisely for 
 the reason that their own enjoyment is not the end 
 which they seek. And selfish professors do not en- 
 joy their religion, just for the reason that their own 
 enjoyment is the end at which they aim. But if I 
 Beek the good of others, I have the approbation of 
 conscience, and conscious communion and fellow- 
 ship with God. 
 
 Finally, I observe our natural birth, with its at- 
 tendant laws of physical and mental development, 
 becomes the occasion of our bondage to sin and suf- 
 fering in this world. Right over against this lies the 
 birth into the kingdom of God, by the spirit. By 
 this the soul is brought into new relations, into inti- 
 mate contact, with spiritual things. The Spirit of 
 God seems to usher the soul into the spiritual world, 
 in a manner strictly analogous to the results of the 
 natural birth upon our physical being. The great 
 truths of the spiritual world are opened to our view 
 through the illumination of the Spirit of God ; we 
 seem to see with new eyes, and to have a new world 
 of spiritual objects around us. 
 
CHAPTER XXY. 
 
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MORALITY AND RELIGION. 
 
 Morality in the common acceptation of the term, 
 denotes that system of moral duties which men owe 
 to each other in their natural and social relations. 
 It refers to their external actions as they bear upon 
 the relative rights and welfare of each other, and 
 thus it determines their conduct to be right in their 
 treatment and intercourse with each other. 
 
 In this common use of the term, it applies to actions 
 which merely accord with justice and human laws, 
 without reference to the motives from which they 
 proceed. But the term religion, from the Latin, to 
 reconsider, to bind anew, to fasten, consists in rebind- 
 ing a sinner to God, who has been separated from 
 Him. 
 
 Hence religion not only ensures the practice of the 
 moral virtues towards men, but demands a much 
 higher and stricter type of morality, which is regulated 
 by supreme love to God and an internal design to 
 
TRUE RELIGION". 143 
 
 obey all His holy requirements, in worshiping Him 
 and doing good to all classes of the human family. 
 
 Hence religion is distinct from mere morality as 
 the latter word is commonly employed, and consists 
 in the performance of the duties we owe directly to 
 God, from a principle of obedience to His holy law. 
 
 Says Rev. Joseph Cook," That the ancients under- 
 stood the difference between morality and religion is 
 evident from the statament that Ulysses passing the 
 enchanted island, filled the ears of his crew with wax 
 and tying himself with knotted cords to the mast, that 
 the voice of the Sirens might not attract them to the 
 shore. Orpheus who followed, furnished better music 
 than the Sirens, and the temptation was removed." 
 
 "Morality," says Mr. Cook, "is a selfish bond of 
 knotted cords, a selfish slavishness, where a person 
 wishes to sin and dares not. Religion is the obe- 
 dience of affectionate gladness. The Christian is a 
 man who changes eyes with God. He regards sin in 
 all its forms as God does. When a man has acquired 
 good and can practice it, and practice it as the pleas- 
 ing and controlling purpose of his life, it is good proof 
 that it is genuine. If when face to face with tempta- 
 tion we can do this, it is good evidence. Religion, 
 therefore, and not mere morality is necessary to the 
 soul's peace. The moral man knows that if he puts 
 his hand in the fire he will burn it. ' The fear of the 
 Lord is the beginning of wisdom.' The love of the 
 Lord is of little value, and cannot be genuine if there 
 is no fear in the heart. We must delight in all the 
 attributes of God, His justice, as well as His mercy, 
 or we cannot be genuine Christians. He who in sail- 
 
144 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 ing past the island of temptation, has enlightened 
 selfishness enough not to land, although he rather 
 wants to, — he who therefore binds himself to the mast 
 with knotted thongs, and fills the ears of his crew 
 with wax ; he who does this, without hearing a better 
 music is the man of mere morality. In facing sirens, 
 thongs are good but songs are better. When a man 
 of tempestuous, unrestrained spirit must sail over 
 amber and azure and purple seas, past the island of 
 the Sirens, and knots himself to the mast of mere 
 outwardly right conduct, by the thongs of safe reso- 
 lutions, although as yet duty is not his delight, he is 
 near to virtue. He who spake as never mortal man 
 spoke, saw such a young man once, and looking on 
 him, loved him, and yet said, as the nature of things 
 says also, * one thing thou lackest ' Evidently he 
 to whom duty is not a delight, does not possess the 
 supreme pre-requisite to peace and Christian accep- 
 tance and fellowship with his Master. Morality is 
 Ulysses bound to the mast. Religion is Orpheus lis- 
 tening to a better melody, and passing with disdain 
 the sorceress' shore." 
 
CHAPTER XXYI. 
 
 THE MERE MORALIST GUILTY A:N^D CONDEMNED. 
 
 It is common for men to estimate their innocence 
 and guilt by the strictness or defects of their external 
 morality. Hence they do not readily perceive the 
 radical and wide difference ^' between the righteous 
 and the wicked ; between him that serveth God and 
 him that serveth Him not." Judging according to 
 outward appearances merely, it seems to them that 
 there can be no such essential and wide difference 
 between the best of moralists and the most defective 
 of genuine Christians, as shall not only separate them 
 widely here, in the estimation of the searcher of 
 hearts, but also separate them forever, by a bridgeless 
 gulf in the future world. But they should remember 
 that " the Lord seeth not as man seeth ; for man 
 looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord 
 looketh on the heart." 
 
 The Lord sees that the strictest of mere moralists, 
 in^all his natural amiability and correctness of deport- 
 13 
 
146 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 ment, seeks uniformly to follow the natural inclina- 
 tions of his unrenewed heart, in doing that which is 
 pleasing to himself, without supreme regard to the 
 commands and pleasure of his Creator, who not only 
 forbids all evil, in thought, word and deed, but goes 
 further and demands positive obedience and inten- 
 tional service. " Whether therefore ye eat or drink, 
 or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 
 With supreme love to God in the heart, there must be 
 an habitual purpose to please Him in all the ordinary 
 pursuits of life. But the strictest of unregenerate 
 moralists, are conscious that they are not governed 
 uniformly by such a controlling motive. 
 
 And our Lord when on earth said of this class of 
 mere moralists, " I know you, that you have not the 
 love of God in you." Hence they are guilty and 
 condemned for the want of love to God, for the 
 neglect of duty, and for sins of omission. The sin of 
 the mere moralist results mainly from his defective 
 intention. " For all have sinned and come short of 
 the glory of God." '' He that is not with me (says 
 our Lord) is against me." But the Christian is peni- 
 tent for the sin of omission, while the mere moralist 
 is impenitent. The moralist is not changed and re- 
 newed in the ruling purposes of his heart. Even 
 though his outward life be free from reproach, his 
 controlling intention is not the divine glory. While 
 not loving God supremely, and manifesting His love 
 by designing to please Him in all things, his outward 
 conduct, however commendable abstractly, does not 
 meet the claims of the moral law. For '' love is the 
 fulfilling of the law." While with the true Christian, 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 147 
 
 he may favor by his presence and support public 
 worship, he is not a spiritual worshiper from the 
 heart. He does not meet the claims of the divine 
 command. For God has said, '^ they that worship 
 Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth," and 
 ^^ Him only shalt thou serve." " For they that are 
 after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh ; but 
 they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit. 
 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 
 Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting." 
 
CHAPTER XXYII. 
 
 HUMILITY AND SELF ESTIMATION. 
 
 True humility consists in a modest and correct es- 
 timate of our individual worth in comparison with 
 others. It does not require us to entertain a lower 
 opinion of ourselves than we really deserve. If 
 with good reasons we know ourselves to be possessed 
 of a good measure of talent, intelligence and virtue, 
 we have no right to consider ourselves inferior to 
 those who possess in reality less of these qualities. 
 
 But genuine humility does not consist in a low 
 opinion of ourselves in comparison with God, and in 
 not attributing to ourselves any excellence or attain- 
 ments which we do not possess. Hence the divine 
 requirement, '^ Be clothed with humility, for God re- 
 sisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble.'^ 
 Let not a man ^' think of himself more highly than be 
 ought to think,^' but let him think soberly, reasona- 
 bly, in conformity with facts and things, as they real- 
 ly exist. It cannot be wrong for a man to esteem 
 
RETRIBUTION. 149 
 
 himself more skillful in his profession or trade, than 
 some of his brethren if he really is so. Such an es- 
 timate is not incompatible with true humility. If a 
 man finds that on the whole, his mind is more active, 
 and his opportunities for information have been 
 greater than the mass of men, he is justifiable in be- 
 lieving the facts in the case. If a man is conscious of 
 clearness and logical accuracy in reasoning, and fluen- 
 cy of speech, humility cannot require him to disbelieve 
 the facts, lest he be considered " self conceited, in 
 thinking of himself more highly than he ought to 
 think." But it is in religious matters, in the relation 
 of men to God, that they are in special danger of en- 
 tertaining radically dangerous and false opinions of 
 their own goodness and the excellency of their con- 
 duct. These erroneous, as well as correct opinions, 
 are forcibly illustrated by the prayers of the Phari- 
 see and Publican, in our Lord's parable. '' He spake 
 this parable to certain ones who trusted in them- 
 selves that they were righteous." The Pharisee with 
 a self righteous spirit, thanked God that he was "not 
 as other men are.'' He professed to abstain from 
 wrong doing to others, and maintained that he strict- 
 ly observed all religious ceremonies. He relied upon 
 this kind of righteousness, and therefore he made pub- 
 lic and ostentatious pri)fessions of his own goodness. 
 Such a standard of estimate was " abominable in the 
 sight of God, who looks into the heart, and who sees 
 wickedness there, when the external actions may be 
 blameless." But the Publican had a more correct 
 estimate of himself. He was conscious of his guilt 
 
 and ill-desert. He was grieved in view of his sins, 
 *13 
 
15) TKUE RELIGION. m 
 
 and was ready to humbly confess them to God. " 
 Hence his penitential prayer, " God be merciful to me 
 a sinner." I tell you this man went down to his 
 house justified, rather than the other. " For every 
 one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and- he that 
 humbleth himself shall be exalted." 
 
 Says D. L. Moody, the wonderful revival preacher, 
 " Now the difference between the Pharisee and Pub- 
 lican was, that one prayed in his own self-righteous- 
 ness, and went away empty ; the other did not bring 
 his righteousness and good deeds, but brought his 
 sins. The Pharisee came full of pride ; he wanted 
 religion and God to bless him. God had a blessing 
 in heaven for him, but He could not give it to him 
 because he had no room to receive it, he was so full 
 of conceit, full of self-righteousness of himself. In 
 his mistaken self exaltation he was like the professing 
 Christian in Revelation, who said, ' I am rich, and 
 increased with goods, and have need of nothing.' 
 Now self-righteous moralists, who in their secret 
 thoughts, if not in their boasting professions, hope 
 to be saved by their good works, may see their true 
 character reflected in this divine looking glass, and 
 learn the folly and wickedness of their proud hearts. 
 They cannot see the vileness of their own self right- 
 eousness. For ' we are all as an unclean thing, and 
 all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.' If we are 
 really convicted, and see our sins as God does, we 
 shall be truly penitent, and offer the prayer of the 
 broken hearted Publican, ' God be merciful to me a 
 sinner.' If with penitence we confess and forsake 
 our sins, trusting in Christ who died for our sins, we 
 
TRUE RELIGIOK 151 
 
 shall have mercy. For such a correct and humble 
 estimate of ourselves as ruined sinners, will lead us 
 to offer unto God acceptable prayer, that we may be 
 ^justified in His sight/ ^ Verily I say unto you, ex- 
 cept ye be converted and become as little children, 
 ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.' * For I 
 say through the grace given unto me, to every man 
 that is among you, not to think of himself more high- 
 ly than he ought to think.' In lowliness of mind, let 
 each esteem others better than themselves. Let 
 this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 FULL ASSURANCE AND WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. 
 
 " Faith is the milk," says Spurgeon, " and assurance 
 is the cream that rises on it. If you have genuine 
 milk you are pretty certain to have cream." 
 
 " There are two kinds or shades of assurance," 
 says Dr. Cuyler, "one of faith, and one which the 
 apostle calls the * full assurance of hope.' Faith is 
 the soul trusting itself to Jesus Christ. Assurance is 
 the full confidence of a believer in his own safety — 
 that being united to Christ, he is delivered from the 
 law of sin and death." 
 
 *' The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, 
 that we are the children of God." Now in order to 
 obtain this witness of the spirit, we must examine 
 ourselves and see if the fruits of the spirit man- 
 ifest themselves in our own experience. " The 
 fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, 
 gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance ; " 
 against such there is no law. ''They that are Christ's 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 153 
 
 have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." 
 The Christian who enjoys these fruits of the spirit 
 has the inward witness of the spirit, and has a right 
 to the full assurance of faith, of hope, and of under- 
 standing. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 THE WAY OF EMUSTENT HOLINESS. 
 
 All true Christians are in some measure holy, and 
 they desire an increase of holiness. And in propor- 
 tion to their belief that entire holiness, either as an 
 act or a state, is attainable in this life, they desire not 
 only to be perfectly holy, but permanently so, that 
 they may be completely fitted for the perfect society 
 of the ^* spirits of just men, made perfect in heaven." 
 Such holiness in men consists in entire conformity to 
 the perfect moral character of God, and an earnest in- 
 tention to do continually all his requirements, as well 
 as to submit readily and unconditionally to all his 
 dispensations, according to the ability and grace 
 given unto us. How then shall we attain to this 
 highest degree of holiness possible to men ? Jesus 
 saith, " I am the way, the truth, and the life." We 
 must therefore not only consecrate ourselves entirely 
 to His service, but we must abandon all trust in our 
 own unaided strength to overcome temptation to 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 165 
 
 sin, and trust entirely in the Lord Jesus Christ for 
 victory. His name is called " Jesus, for He 
 shall save His people from their sins." Says the 
 apostle, "I can do all things through Christ which 
 strengtheneth me," '' This is the victory that over- 
 cometh the world, even our faith." Our Saviour has 
 said to those who earnestly and persistently resist 
 temptatioB, trusting to His assisting grace for purity 
 of heart and victory over temptation, " Sin shall not 
 have dominion over you, for ye are not under law 
 but under grace." " He will not suffer you to be 
 tempted above that ye are able, but with the tempta- 
 tion will make a way of escape that ye may be able 
 to bear it." So that we may reckon ourselves " to 
 be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord." 
 
 Then, in the words of an ancient saint hungering 
 and thirsting after righteousness, we may say to Him 
 in prayer, " Lord, thou hast declared that sin shall 
 not have dominion over those that trust in Thee, for 
 overcoming power and grace. I believe this word 
 of Thine cannot be broken, and therefore, helpless in 
 myself, I rely upon thy faithfulness to save me from 
 the dominion of sins which now tempt me. Put 
 forth thy power, O Lord Jesus Christ, and get Thy- 
 self great glory in subduing my flesh, with its affec- 
 tions and lusts." Then we must believe that our 
 prayer will be answered, and we must leave our- 
 selves in His care. " The blood of Jesus Christ 
 cleanseth us from all sin," past and present, while 
 the Holy Ghost, who is distinctively the sanctifier, 
 applies the truth of Jesus in giving victory over 
 
156 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 temptation to sin. '^ Sanctify them througli Thy truth." 
 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom 
 '^ the Father will send in my name. He shall teach 
 you all things and bring all things to your remem- 
 brance, whatsoever I have said unto you." 
 
 If we truist Christ, moment by moment, for the ful- 
 fillment of His precious promises,^the Holy Spirit will 
 bring such weighty motives to our minds in favor of 
 obedience to the divine law, that we shall experience 
 their power to save. Then we shall be able to say : 
 
 "'Tisdone! 
 Thou dost this moment save, 
 
 With full salvation bless, 
 Redemption through the blood I have 
 
 And spotless love and peace." 
 
 It will then be our habitual purpose to imitate the 
 example of Christ in all our ways. It will be our 
 strong desire that His spirit shall continually reign 
 in our hearts, and control all our intentions as well 
 as actions, and that we may have the same temper 
 and disposition which actuated Him, and that we 
 may have constantly in view the same great end 
 which influenced our blessed Redeemer in His holy 
 life. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 THE HIGHEST PRACTICAL PIETY. 
 
 (1.) SANCTIFICATION IMPORTANT. 
 
 In the early part of the present century, that emi- 
 nent statesman and Christian philanthropist, William 
 Wilberforce, of Great Britain, published a treatise of 
 great religious value, on Practical Piety, which was 
 widely circulated in Europe and America, and did 
 more in elevating the standard of practical godliness 
 throughout Christendom than almost any other relig- 
 ious publication of that period. But during the more 
 than half a century since that precious volume 
 wrought its great religious reformation among the 
 professed children of God, the facilities for propagat- 
 ing the Christian religion and enlightened civilization 
 throughout the world, have increased more rapidly 
 than at any previous period since its first promulga- 
 tion. And as progress in science and the mechanic 
 arts, and facilities for travel and intellectual inter- 
 14 
 
158 TRUE EELIGION. 
 
 communication, with advantages for thorough gene- 
 ral education, have increased in a more rapid ratio 
 than in any previous period of our v^orld's history, 
 he who shall publish the most scriptural and accepta- 
 ble explanation and method of attaining the highest 
 state of practical piety, possible in the present life, 
 on the part of Christians, may justly be considered 
 not only a Christian, but a public benefactor. For 
 the stirring aspect of the times, and the increased ac- 
 tivities of the Christian life, imperatively demand the 
 humblest as well as the most reflective and devout 
 practical piety. But in presenting a theory for Chris- 
 tian living, for the children of God, it is obvious that 
 it should be neither higher nor lower than the Bible 
 imperatively requires;^ nor than is attainable as a mat- 
 ter of fact, in the Christian experience of every re- 
 generated soul, who honestly and earnestly desires 
 such an inestimable blessing, by the proffered aids of 
 divine grace, however feeble may be his natural ca- 
 pacities, and however depraved may have been his 
 natural propensities, and however formidable may 
 be his struggles with outward temptation. 
 
 In view of the very low and superficial type of 
 piety, which so commonly prevails among too many 
 professing Chistians in our times, it is important that 
 they realize not only their imperative duty and 
 exalted privilege to attain the higher Christian life, 
 but really to make the very highest practical attain- 
 ments in scriptural holiness; that they should dili- 
 gently aim at an endeavor to attain, and as their rule 
 of life live, in a state of entire sanctification. There- 
 fore, they should strive to the utmost practical extent 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 159 
 
 by faith in Jesus Christ, to imitate ''His example, 
 who did no sin," and thus resist and overcome habit- 
 ually the temptations to sin, from " the world, the 
 flesh, and the devil." For in our Saviour's memora- 
 ble intercessory prayer for all Christians, as He was 
 about to terminate this mortal life, he said: "They are 
 not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I 
 pray not that Thou shouldst take them out of the 
 world, but that Thou shouldst keep them from the 
 evil. Sanctify them through Thy truth." Meaning 
 that God should keep them from yielding to the 
 temptations of the evil one, that is, the devil, from 
 backsliding in heart, and from the slightest apostacy 
 from a life of perfect purity and holiness, and that he 
 would keep them cleansed from all sin. 
 
 (2) A REFORMATION GREATLY NEEDED. 
 
 But as this vital doctrine concerning the eminent 
 personal holiness of the children of God, w^hich oc- 
 cupied so prominent a place in the thoughts and de- 
 sires of the blessed Master in His closing prayer on 
 earth, has fallen into comparative obscurity in the 
 prayers and exhortations of the mass of professing 
 Christians, and is now almost as much neglected (if 
 not absolutely discredited as impracticable,) as a 
 matter of absolute Christian experience by many in 
 the Protestant Christian Church, as the doctrine of 
 justification by faith alone is, in the Papal Church; 
 and, as we had a general reformation on the doctrine 
 of justification by faith, about three and a half centu- 
 ries ago, we as much need a more extensive one now, 
 in the Protestant Church, on the doctrine of sanctifi- 
 
160 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 cation by faith in Jesus Christ. And as our Lord has 
 said much more in the Scriptures in favor of entire 
 sanctification in this life, than of justification, it is rea- 
 sonable that His ministers should follow His example. 
 
 It is therefore for the want of this general refor- 
 mation in the Church at large, in her teachings and 
 efforts in promoting the highest form of practical holi- 
 ness, that young converts enter the Church expecting 
 to fall from their first love — or merely keep up a 
 suflScient form of Godliness to retain their hope of 
 salvation — instead of " growing in grace, and in the 
 knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 
 
 And the low and worldly type of piety, prevailing 
 as a natural consequence among many of our church- 
 members, proves a formidable hindrance to success 
 in preaching and other efforts for the conversion of 
 sinners. The inconsistencies of such merely justified 
 Christians, in the legal aspect of justification, so mis- 
 represent the religion of Christ, to the impenitent, 
 that they think a conversion to such a type of piety 
 can hardly ensure their salvation ; and their want of 
 active co-operation in the service of God, and faithful 
 co-operation with the ministry, too frequently para- 
 lyzes the effect of the most eloquent preaching. 
 
 Under such circumstances, it seems expedient in 
 this connection, in a comprehensive manner, to define 
 and vindicate this much neglected and vital Scripture 
 truth, as taught by Christ and His apostles. It is 
 certainly desirable that all Christians, and religious 
 teachers especially, should entertain clear and con- 
 sistent, as well as settled views, of this great cardinal 
 and fundamental doctrine. 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 161 
 
 For our Saviour esteemed it so very important 
 that Ele made the sanctification of His people the 
 burden of His prayer under the most solemn circum- 
 stances. '^ That they all may be one, as thou, Father, 
 art in me, and I in thee, that they may be one in us, 
 that the world may believe that thou has sent me. 
 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 from this we learn that all 
 Christians should be perfectly united with Christ and 
 each other in their plans, counsels and holy purposes 
 in life, so as to reflect as in a mirror the very image 
 of their Lord. For He hath said, *' let your light 
 shine before men, that they may see your good 
 works, and Glorify your Father which is in Heaven." 
 
 Having considered in these prefatory statements, 
 the importance of the Highest Practical Piety, and 
 that a reformation is needed, to save misapprehension 
 on the part of such persons as may not have thor- 
 oughly and candidly studied the doctrine of practical 
 holiness, it is of vital consequence that the following 
 explanations should be clearly understood before the 
 proof of its actual attainability can be fairly appre- 
 ciated. 
 
 (3) DEFINITION. 
 
 " Sanctification is commonly defined to be that 
 glorious work of God's free grace in the soul, by 
 which a sinner after he has been justified, is renewed 
 after the image of God and enabled to die unto sin 
 and live unto righteousness." 
 
 Entire sanctification in this life, consists in entire 
 ♦14 
 
162 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 conformity in heart and life to all the known will of 
 God, in doing as well as a person can, or knows how 
 to live. And this is all God requires. Entire conse- 
 cration is essential to the commencement of the 
 Christian life, '' for whosoever he be of you," says the 
 Master, '' that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot 
 be ra}^ disciple." He must "believe with the heart 
 unto righteousness," in order to justification by faith 
 in Christ. And being thus entirely consecrated, so 
 far as this single act is concerned, he is entirely 
 sanctified for the time being, for " the blood of Jesus 
 Christ cleanseth us from all sin.'' 
 
 But in order that he may attain a state of entire 
 sanctification, he must uniformly and continuously 
 cherish entire purity of intention, dedicating his 
 whole life to the love and service of God, by faith 
 not only in the justifying but sanctifying grace of 
 Jesus Christ. And such a life is lived in a state of 
 entire and continuous sanctification. The prayer of 
 faith, under the direction of the Holy Ghost, "the 
 very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and preserve 
 you blameless," is an aspiration for the most com- 
 plete type of Christian character attainable in this life. 
 
 But the realization of such blameless piety in the 
 eyes of the searcher of hearts, cannot reasonably be 
 expected to render the Christian either omniscient or 
 infallible, so as to exempt him from mistakes or even 
 posirive faults in the "judgment of men, who look 
 upon the outward appearance, while the Lord looketh 
 upon the heart " and judges by its purity of intention. 
 For in fulfilling the apostle Paul's inspired prayer, 
 " sanctify you wholly, and preserve you blameless," 
 

 TRUE RELIGION. 163 
 
 God can only sanctify the Christian and perpetuate 
 his singleness of purpose, in resisting all temptation, 
 and his fixed purpose to obey from the heart all the 
 divine commandments. 
 
 The Christian therefore may be entirely sanctified 
 in this life and be preserved blameless, even while he 
 is not perfectly faultless in all his external conduct. 
 
 Bat does any one ask how this statement and dis- 
 tinction may appear consistent? Suffer me to borrow 
 an illustration. ^' We may take a little child (says 
 I Miss Smiley) whose loving heart is bent on pleasing 
 her mother. Her first little task of needle work is 
 put into her hands, but the little fingers are all un- 
 skilled, nor has she any thought of the nicety re- 
 quired ; and the mother, in taking it, sees two things; 
 one is a work (really faulty) with the stitches long 
 and crooked ; and the other is that smiling, upturned 
 face, with its sweetness of conscious love. The 
 child is blameless, but her work not faultless. It will 
 be nearer and nearer faultless as day after day she 
 gathers skill, and ever new ideas of care and faithful- 
 ness in her tasks ; but still in her mother's eyes she 
 is, first as well as last, her blameless child, for she 
 appreciates the earnestness and singleness of the in- 
 tention in doing the work as well as it is possible 
 with her feeble capacities. And surely every believ- 
 ing loving child of God may regard this blessing of 
 blamelessness not as one to be finally reached, but 
 one to enjoy along the way. 
 
 And yet such a child cannot aim at less than 
 his entire approval. He will not abuse such a 
 comfort or count it the chief thing; but ever seeing 
 
164 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 more fully the vast importance of all his Father's inter- 
 ests, and his earnest desire to make him a workman 
 that needeth not to be ashamed, he will ever beseech 
 Him not to spare his correction, but to show him 
 faithfully every fault, that it may be rectified, and 
 that he may be " made meet to be partaker of the in- 
 heritance of the saints in light." 
 
 (4) EXPLANATION. 
 
 Sanctification is distinguished from justification, 
 thus: Justification changes our state in law, before 
 God as a Judge. Sanctification changes our heart 
 and life, before Him as our Father. Justification 
 precedes, and sanctification commonly commences 
 and follows, in proportion as the converted man 
 strives, by faith, to grow in grace, as the fruit and 
 evidence of the new life in the soul. Justification 
 removes the penalty of sin. Sanctification restrains 
 the power of temptation to sin, while undiminished 
 faith in the aid of Christ, remains in full exercise, like 
 that of Peter in walking on the water. Whenever his 
 faith intermitted, in the slightest degree, he sank be- 
 neath the waves. So it must be with the sanctified 
 Christian. If faith intermits, he will fall into sin. 
 Justification delivers us from the avenging wrath of 
 God. iSanctification conforms us to His image more 
 and more. In a theological sense, justification means 
 remission of deserved penalty for sin, — an act of free 
 grace, by which God pardons a sinner, and accepts 
 him as righteous, on account of the atonement of 
 Christ. And faith is that voluntary trust in the aton- 
 ing death of Christ, by which a sinner who cannot be 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 165 
 
 justified by personal excellencies or good works, is 
 treated by God as though he were just. Justification 
 not only delivers from punishment, but bestows 
 positive favor, in treating men on the first act of 
 genuine faith as though they were perfectly holy. 
 *' The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin.'' And 
 this adoption is immediately connected with justifi- 
 cation, (a) Adoption is simply a new and specific 
 species of justification. (6) It is an intense descrip- 
 tion. By adoption the justified children of God be- 
 come heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. But 
 entire sanctification as a state, in an evangelical 
 sense, is the act of God's grace by which the affec- 
 tions of men are purified or alienated from sin and 
 the world, and exalted to such a supreme love to 
 God as shall ensure continuous obedience to the di- 
 vine law from the best of intentions. This is the 
 meaning in the passages, " The very God of peace 
 sanctify you wholly ; " " Sanctify them through Thy 
 truth;" "Through sanctification of the Spirit." Al- 
 though there is a clear distinction between justification 
 and sanctification, they are inseparably connected in 
 the promises of God. " For whom He justifies 
 He also sanctifies, and whom He sanctifies He also 
 glorifies." " Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are 
 justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the 
 Spirit of our God." 
 
 I. In what respects do justified and sanctified 
 Christians agree ? (a) It seems plain, according to 
 the Scriptures, that both the justified and the sancti- 
 fied begin the Christian life with entire consecration 
 as the unalterable condition of Christian discipleship. 
 
166 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 For the Great Teacher has said, " Thoa shalt love the 
 Lord thy God with all thy heart," — which does not 
 mean a part of it. " What does the Lord thy God 
 require of thee, but to do justly and to love 
 mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." '^ Ye 
 shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search 
 for Me with all your heart." There is no promise of 
 finding God with partial consecration. And with 
 such supreme love to God and devotion to His ser- 
 vice in regeneration, the sinner changes his control- 
 ling purpose from sin to holiness. There can be no 
 partial consecration, no compromise between serving 
 God and serving the world. " Ye cannot serve God 
 and Mammon." '' Whosoever he be of you that for- 
 saketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." 
 Did not Peter say to Ananias, who made a partial 
 consecration, " Why hath satan filled thy heart, to lie 
 to the Holy Ghost, to keep back part of the price ? " 
 What does God say is the difference between the re- 
 generate and the unregenerate ? "When ye were 
 the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness, 
 but now being made free from sin, and become the 
 servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness." 
 (h) Both these classes are alike in the fact of their 
 justification. '' Being justified freely by His grace, 
 through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." 
 *' Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, 
 through our Lord Jesus Christ." " For with the 
 heart man believeth unto righteousness." And the 
 moment the sinner heartily complies with these 
 terms he is an accepted candidate for heaven. " If 
 we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to for- 
 
TRUE RELIGION". 167 
 
 give us our sins and cleanse us from all unrigliteous- 
 ness." (c) Both the justified and the sanctified are 
 exposed to temptation. They are tempted by the 
 world, the flesh and the devil. Sometimes they are 
 tempted to neglect duty, sometimes directly and pos- 
 itively to transgress the divine law. Even those 
 who have made the highest practical attainments in 
 sanctitication, perhaps even greater than the merely 
 justified, have struggles with spiritual enemies 
 peculiar to an advanced state of grace. For so it 
 seems to have been wiih Jesus. " For we have not 
 a High Priest, which cannot be touched with the 
 feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points 
 tempted like as we are, yet without sin." " The 
 disciple is not above his Master, nor the servant 
 above his Lord." '' It is enough for the disciple that 
 he be as his Master." " Blessed is the man that en- 
 dureth temptation." (d) Both the justified and sanc- 
 tified, as free agents, are liable to yield to temptation 
 and fall into sin. If a holy angel could fall and be- 
 come a devil, if a holy Adam was not free from the 
 liability of sinning, it is certainly possible with the 
 holiest of Christians, 
 
 II. Points of difference between justified and 
 sanctified Christians, (a) Those who are merely 
 justified, and repeatedly fall under the power of 
 temptation, find their experience delineated in Ro- 
 mans, seventh chapter, from the fourteenth to the 
 twenty-fourth verse. While the sanctified Christian 
 finds his experience delineated in the sixth chapter, 
 from the first to the eleventh verse, and the eighth 
 chapter, from the first to the fourth verse, inclusive, 
 
168 TRUE RELIGION". 
 
 and from the thirty-fifth to the thirty-ninth verse, inclu- 
 sive. (6) Those who are habitually in a state of 
 sanctification, grow in grace more rapidly than those 
 who live in a mere state of justification. Growth in 
 grace consists in the increasing strength of holy af- 
 fections, and consequent frequency of holy volitions. 
 Those who are merely justified, so frequently yield 
 to temptation, that their progress in the divine life 
 is greatly impeded. When they yield to inordinate 
 desire, darkness settles down upon their souls and 
 hinders their progress. They feel condemned. They 
 flounder in the bitterness of penitence until by a new 
 and voluntary act of faith, they cast themselves on 
 the Saviour and obtain peace in believing. And in the 
 midst of their back-sliding and discouragement, they 
 cry out : " The law is holy and the commandment 
 holy. But sin, that it might appear sin, worketh 
 death in me by that which is good ; that sin by the 
 commandment might become exceeding sinful. For 
 we know that the law is spiritual, but I am car- 
 nal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not, 
 for what I would, that do I not ; but what I hate, that 
 do I. wretched man that I am ! Who shall deliver 
 me from the body of this death ? ' But those who 
 commonl}^, if not uniformly, live in a state of sanctifi- 
 cation, by continuous and more frequent victories over 
 temptation through faith in Christ's promised assist- 
 ance, accelerate their progress in piety. In propor- 
 tion to their continuous victories, their love, their 
 gratitude, their faith, their penitence — their humility 
 increases, while the power of temptation gradually 
 and naturally weakens in its assaults upon them. 
 
TRUE RELIGION". 169 
 
 Thus all their increasing power of love and devoted 
 service will strengthen their affections and holy pur- 
 poses of faithful obedience, while in proportion as they 
 resist the devil will he flee from them, and the fascina- 
 tions of the world and the flesh will lose their en- 
 chanting power to enslave their free spirits. By a 
 better improvement of the means of grace, by search- 
 ing the Scriptures, and more intimate communion 
 with God, sanctified Christians will follow more 
 strictly the example of Jesus, who was holy, harm- 
 less, undefiled, separate from sinners, who increased 
 in favor with God and man. The faultless Saviour 
 grew in grace. And we know, on the principles of 
 analogy, that we too may grow in grace more rapidly 
 in proportion as we become assimilated to him. For 
 j we know that our love for a friend worthy of our 
 love, increases more rapidly in proportion as we en- 
 joy his society and meditate upon his superior excel- 
 lencies. And in our relation to our Divine Master, 
 we are taught that " the path of the just is as the 
 shining light which shineth more and more unto the 
 perfect day." Thus we perceive that the entirely- 
 sanctified differ widely from the merely justified, in 
 I this kind of experience. They are commonly, as the 
 ! rule and purpose of life, victorious over temptation. 
 Thus their souls are saved from darkness, discourage- 
 ment, bitterness and anguish. Sometimes their souls 
 suffer through manifold temptations. But they stand 
 and triumph, gaining repeated victories, through 
 faith in Christ's proffered assistance. Thus, unhin- 
 dered by voluntary neglect of duty or positive trans- 
 gression, sanctified souls can say from blessed ex- 
 15 
 
170 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 perience, " We all with open face beholding, as in a 
 glasS; the glory of the Lord, are changed into the 
 same image, from glorj to glory, even as by the spirit 
 of the Lord.^' And says the inspired apostle, " reckon 
 ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but 
 alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." 
 " For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye 
 are not under the law but under grace. '^ "But, God be 
 thanked, that ye were the servants of sin; but ye 
 have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine 
 which was delivered you," (c) " The sanctified soul," 
 as a writer has observed, *' has received the fulfill- 
 ment of the new covenant, while the merely justified 
 has not. In the Old Testament times, God declared 
 to the people through the prophets, that the days 
 were coming when He should make a new covenant 
 with His church. * This shall be the covenant that I 
 shall make with the House of Israel,' saith the Lord. 
 * I will put my law into their inward parts and write 
 it in their hearts. Then will I sprinkle clean water 
 upon you, and ye shall be clean ; from all your filthi- 
 ness and from all your idols will I cleanse you ; a new 
 heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put 
 within you; and 1 will take away the stony heart 
 out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh ; 
 and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to 
 walk in My statutes; and ye shall keep My judg- 
 ments and do them. In that day there shall be a 
 fountain opened to the House of David, and to the 
 inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. 
 In those days, and at that time/ saith the Lord, ' the 
 iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 171 
 
 be none, and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be 
 found.' This is God's new covenant. It became due 
 to the Church at the death of Christ. One of the 
 objects of the epistle to the Hebrews is to explain 
 this covenant, and urge it upon their acceptance. 
 Under this covenant the Church lives to day. In 
 this covenant, the present privileges of the Cliurch 
 are laid down. The Apostolic Church claimed and 
 received its fulfillment. Some individuals have, 
 since then. Spiritual power and holiness have 
 marked these persons. The covenant is to sanctify 
 wholly every believing soul, and sustain it in this 
 state blameless the remainder of this life, and forever 
 in heaven. This is ' the promise of eternal life.' The 
 sanctified soul has received in itself the fulfillment of 
 the promise; and has already entered upon its 'eter- 
 nal inheritance of righteousness, peace and joy in the 
 Holy Ghost.' " This is not true of the soul simply 
 justified. This soul has not yet availed itself of 
 God's provisions for its sanctification. It has felt its 
 need of the grace of pardon and acceptance. It has 
 sought this by coming into the spirit of obedience, 
 and has obtained it. Now, it must feel its need of 
 sanctifying grace, and must ask in faith, holding on 
 until it receives, and its joy is full. The sanctified 
 soul has received the fulfillment of the new covenant; 
 the soul simply justified has not. The sanctified soul 
 maintains a conscience void of offence toward God 
 and man ; while a soul simply justified does not. 
 Justification brings the soul into a state of good con- 
 science. It meets all present obligations. Conscience 
 approves so long as the soul is in this state, and 
 
172 TRUE RELIGIOIT. 
 
 condemns not. But to its distress, the justified 
 soul finds itself frequently sinning. Then approval 
 of conscience gives way to condemnation. As a 
 judge it passes sentence; as an internal executioner 
 it inflicts punishment. The soul writhes in pain. 
 David brings out many of these experiences in the 
 Psalms. The simply justified soul does not continu- 
 ously maintain a conscience " void of offence toward 
 God and toward man." Indulged sin and neglected 
 duty bring frequent sorrow Not only does this soul 
 more or less commit sin, but it comes into fearful- 
 ness that it shall. The future is often filled with fore- 
 bodings. Convinced of its weakness, but not having 
 appropriated Christ's strength, anxiety rests heavily 
 upon it. Thus it is led to seek and find full salva- 
 tion. The sanctified soul has not this present expe- 
 rience. This is a thing of the past. A good con- 
 science is maintained ; no wilful neglect of duty 
 takes place. Temptation is not yielded to ; the soul 
 overcomes. It can truly say : '' I live with all good 
 conscience." — " The law of the Spirit of life in Christ 
 Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and 
 death." By mighty reigning grace it is kept in this 
 state. It is not condemned. In the soul is peace ; 
 Christ is the source of its love: By grace He has 
 begotten it ; by grace he sustains it. The flowing 
 righteousness of the soul emanates from Christ. Its 
 righteousness is produced by the grace of Christ. 
 In this sense Christ is its righteousness. It gives 
 Christ all the glory, (d) '' The sanctified soul has 
 such strength of love as to secure its resistance to 
 all temptation, and its performance of all duty j this 
 
TRUE RELIGIOJT. 173 
 
 is not true of a soul simply justiiiecJ. The soul sanc- 
 tified is delivered. The law of the spirit of life in 
 Christ Jesus is its Deliverer. The influences of the 
 life-giving Spirit induce that strength of love which 
 overcomes." " Herein is our love made perfect." In 
 the sanctified soul a higher form of love exists. 
 Choice is stronger, emotions are deeper and more 
 easily aroused ; the sensibility is quickened — its emo- 
 tiveness is heightened ; views of the infinite value of 
 Christ's honor and glory far surpass those of a simply 
 justified person. So also, do those appreciate the infi- 
 nite worth of souls. Choice is energized — there ia 
 power in it ; it struggles unconquerably' to promote its 
 end. God must be glorified. Man must be saved and 
 blessed. " Self must be left out of the question," says 
 the sanctified soul. Here is realization of truth, 
 with invincibleness of choice, and depth and quick- 
 ness of feeling, emotive love. The soul says to 
 temptation : ^' Stand thou there, I am God's. I have 
 something else to do than to violate law, order, con- 
 science, reason and truth in the gratification of self. 
 I have a God to glorify. The eternal interests of 
 souls hang on my influence and efforts.'' 
 
 ** Away! vain, vile tempters, away! 
 Perishing things of clay, 
 Born but for one brief day. 
 Tempt not my soul away." 
 
 This is the attitude of the sanctified soul toward 
 
 temptation, either to forms of sin or neglect of duty. 
 
 There is a strength of love produced and sustained 
 
 by the Holy Spirit, which bids defiance to all tempta- 
 
 *16 
 
174 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 tion, and which leads the soul, simply trusting Christ 
 for strength, to fearlessly close in at once, with all 
 duty and in all things to triumph in God. The weak 
 love of a simply justified soul, more or less gives way 
 to temptation, and often sings its own peculiar lam- 
 entation : — 
 
 " Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. 
 Prone to leave the God I love." 
 
 (e) The sanctified soul has fellowship with the Father 
 and His Son, Jesus Christ, which the merely justified 
 soul has not. This is one of the highest forms of 
 Christian experience. It can be understood by none 
 but those who have it. It may be desired however 
 by all. It may be possessed by all who will in faith 
 seek it of God. The convert or justified person has 
 this experience in a faint degree. In this "fellowship" 
 are several elements and several high degrees of 
 blessedness. There is the element of sensible com- 
 panionship. Many converted persons feel tJiat Christ 
 is further from them than are the stars. They gaze 
 about, above. They see no Jesus, they realize none. 
 Jesus seems withdrawn from the universe. Especially 
 do souls feel thus, if at conversion they had some 
 light and realization of Christ's love. These feelings 
 have gone away. Darkness has settled in. Tliere 
 was no need of this. But it is a fact, resulting from 
 want of instruction, or unwatchfulness. They feel 
 alone. Where is Jesus? Oh, they don't know! 
 They feel like ascending up to heaven, or descending 
 into the deep to find Him. They do not realize His 
 presence. He seems far away. In a wicked, un- 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 175 
 
 friendly world they feel alone. 0, the loneliness of 
 such loneliness! The soul breaks forth with Job: 
 *'0, that I knew where I might find Him ! " This is 
 not the experience of a back-slider, but of a soul 
 being drawn by the Holy Spirit, to feel its need of 
 sensible union with Christ, and to desire it deeply. 
 It does not want Christ to seem like a star in the dis- 
 tant firmament. It wants " a God at hand and not 
 afar ofiV This experience characterizes persons not 
 made perfect in love in this sense ; sometimes they 
 have seasons of joyful nearness to Christ, but these 
 are exceptions. A sense of His absence is the general 
 rule; a sense of His presence, the exception. With 
 a sanctified soul, the opposite is true. A sense of 
 Christ's absence is the exception. A sense of His 
 presence is the general rule. The soul feels Christ 
 is with it. When it thinks of Him He seem near. 
 He dwells within. The soul knows it from the ex- 
 perience which it has of divine comforts and illumina- 
 tions. When illumination is temporarily withdrawn, 
 it trusts Him. It feels perfectly safe. A faithful 
 Saviour is pledged to keep it. Thus with shadow 
 and shining, as the blessed Jesus sees best, the soul 
 realizes the truth — more and more — " Lo, I am with 
 you." (/) Another element of fellowship is divine 
 union. A sympathy of the human soul with the 
 divine. The soul justified generally laments a disin- 
 clination to meditate closely on religious truth. The 
 mind does not seem to run on this so easily as it 
 does on secular subjects. It also mourns a want of 
 feeling ; also a disposition to have its own will, and 
 not Christ's. In the sanctified soul the mind naturally 
 
176 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 runs on religion. This is its joyful meditation every 
 moment possible. It has feeling enough ; so there is 
 and can be no condemnation on this point. Then it 
 has a sweet consciousness that its own will is blended 
 wholly with Christ's. His will is its will, even to the 
 loss of all earthly comforts, and of life itself. This is 
 the continual state of a soul entirely sanctified. As 
 the soul grows in grace many other blessed experi. 
 ences develop themselves, so that we all, "beholding 
 as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed from 
 glory into glory," by" the power of the Holy Spirit. 
 (g) The sanctified soul has Christ actually so revealed 
 to it from time to time, that all its wants are met. 
 The soul simply justified, mourns over wants unsup- 
 plied. One soul realizes the blessedness of the truth : 
 "Ye are complete in Him." The other has not learned 
 to avail itself of completeness in Christ. If it trusted 
 Christ, if its faith did not fail, all needed grace would 
 momentarily be given. But when the time comes to 
 walk on the water, faith too often fails, and the soul 
 sinks, crying, *' Lord save me," — to rise again. The 
 faith of the sanctified soul does not fail ; hence, con- 
 stant grace and constant supply for all real soul- 
 wants, (/t) The sanctified soul trusts Christ as sanc- 
 tifier, as well as justifier ; the simply justified soul 
 does not. It has not yet learned to do this. Perhaps 
 it has not yet felt much need of sanctification, or the 
 gift of such grace, as will rectify the sensibility and 
 establish the soul in love. Perhaps feeling its need, 
 it has been taught the devil's greatest lie, that this 
 grace is not attainable in this life — that Christ will 
 entirely sanctify the soul in this life, and preserve it 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 177 
 
 in this state, if he is trusted as taught in I. Thess. v : 
 23-24. Perhaps, hungering and thirsting, it has not 
 received any practical teaching on this subject, and 
 is groping in doubt and darkness. At any rate it 
 does not trust Christ as its entire sanctifier, as it does 
 as its justifier. But the sanctified soul does this. It 
 as much trusts Christ, to keep it sanctified as justi- 
 fied. And it finds Him as faithful in one of those 
 offices as in the other. 
 
 Blessed Jesus, I would be 
 
 Perfectly conformed to Thee ; 
 
 Washed in Thine own precious blood. 
 
 Wholly sanctified to God. 
 
 Thou alone hast power, I know. 
 
 Full salvation to bestow; 
 
 And I trust Thy gracious will. 
 
 This petition to fulfil. , 
 
 Blessed Jesus! even now. 
 While before Thy cross I bow, 
 Let the crimson, cleansing tide. 
 Flowing from Thy opened side. 
 Through my heart its passage take 
 Me a holy temple make — 
 Where Thy will, and Thine alone, 
 Shall forever have its throne. 
 
 Blessed Jesus, Thou dost hear! 
 " Perfect love casts out all fear." 
 While Thy promise I believe. 
 Full salvation I receive. 
 Oh, the bliss, the joy, the peace! 
 I from sin have sweet release. 
 Blessed Jesus ! unto Thee, 
 Evermore the praise shall be. 
 
178 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 (5) NOT SELF-RIGHTEOUS. 
 
 Being truly sanctified, such Christians are free from 
 self-sufficiency and self-righteousness and deeply feel 
 the need of God's supporting grace to enable them to 
 resist temptation. They feel the need of the Holy 
 Spirit's constant guidance, lest by their ignorance or 
 neglect of constant watchfulness, they fall into griev- 
 ous mistakes or be tempted to indulge in known or 
 wilful sins. 
 
 (6) NOT BOASTFUL OF ATTAINMENTS. 
 
 Knowing their fallibility and liability to mistake in 
 judging of the moral character of their intentions and 
 volitions for a single day, those who entertain intel- 
 ligent and truly humble views of themselves join with 
 Job in his confession, " If I justify myself, mine own 
 mouth shall condemn me, if I say I am perfect, (that 
 is faultless), it shall also prove me perverse." 
 
 (7) CRITICISMS OF MEN UNREASONABLE. 
 
 But at the same time with an enlightened moral 
 judgment, *^ having a good conscience," they may 
 feel assured that their loving service is acceptable 
 and approved of God, while their outward conduct 
 may fail to meet, or satisfy the unreasonable demands 
 and criticisms of men, who look for divine infallibility 
 or absolute, or angelic faultlessness. Their honest 
 and faithful intention to serve God according to the 
 best of their ability at all times, can be known only 
 to themselves and the "Searcher of hearts." "For the 
 Lord seeth not as man seeth, for man looketh on the 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 179 
 
 outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the 
 heart." But in proportion to their absolute holiness 
 sanctified Christians (if they humbly profess it) must 
 expect to encounter the severest criticisms. For it 
 was said of John, the beloved disciple, " he hath a 
 devil," and of the Son of man who did no sin, " be- 
 hold a man gluttonous and a wine bibber." In judg- 
 ing of justified or sanctified Christians, critics should 
 notice the best and not the poorest specimens. 
 
 (8) TEMPTATIONS NOT SINFUL. 
 
 But in order to render entire sanctification in this 
 life possible, or to render it possible for any finite, 
 depraved man, through the operations of the Holy 
 Ghost, and implicit faith in the victorious power and 
 aid of Jesus Christ, to cease from sin at all, it must be 
 understood, that neither native proneness to sin, nor 
 outward temptation to sin, are not themselves actually 
 sinful. Temptation is the necessary test of character. 
 If a man is not tempted he cannot prove the strength 
 of his capacity for resistance. There can be no evi- 
 dence of his obedience or his practical holiness. 
 
 (9) distinction between depravity and sin, ok physical 
 and moral depravity. 
 
 (extract.) 
 
 Depravity always implies a departure from a state 
 of original integrity, or from conformity to the laws 
 of the being who is the subject of depravity, whether 
 these laws be physical or moral. Physical depravity 
 is the depravity of constitution, or substance, of the 
 
180 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 body or mind. Physical depravity, when predicated 
 of the body, is commonly and rightly termed disease. 
 When physical depravity is predicated of mind, it is 
 intended that the powers of the mind either in sub- 
 stance or inconsequence of their connection with and 
 dependence upon the body, are in a diseased, degene- 
 rate state, so that the healthy action of those powers 
 is not sustained. But physical depravity, whether of 
 body or mind, can have no moral character in itself, 
 for the plain reason that it is involuntary, and in its 
 nature disease and not sin. Physical depravity can 
 be predicated of any organized substance. It is a 
 possible state of every organized substance or being 
 in existence. As mind in connection with body, 
 manifests itself through it, acts by means of it, 
 and is dependent upon it, it is plain that if the 
 body becomes diseased, or physically depraved, the 
 mind cannot but be affected by this state of the 
 body, through and by means of which it acts. The 
 normal manifestations of mind cannot, in such cases, 
 be reasonably expected. Physical depravity may be 
 predicated of all the powers and involuntary states 
 of the mind, of the intelligence, of the sensibility, 
 and of the faculty of the will. That is, the actings 
 and states of the intelligence may become disordered, 
 depraved, deranged, or fallen from the state of integ- 
 rity and healthiness. In this way the sensibility, or 
 feeling department of the mind, may be sadly and 
 physically depraved. The appetites and passions, 
 the desires and cravings, the antipathies and repel- 
 lencies of the feelings, fall into great disorder and 
 anarchy. Numerous artificial appetites are generat- 
 
TRUE RELIGI05T. 181 
 
 ed; and the whole sensibility becomes a chaos of con- 
 flicting and clamorous desires, emotions and passions. 
 And this condition is commonly owing to the state 
 of the nervous system with which it is connected, 
 through and by which it manifests itself. Thus it 
 appears that the human body is in a state of phys- 
 ical depravity, and the human mind also manifests 
 human depravity. But such hereditary depravity 
 as this, transmitted from Adam as well as from 
 our immediate parentage with no voluntary 
 choice of our own, can have no moral character 
 in our earliest infancy, or be absolutely sinful, 
 however much it may predispose us to the com- 
 mission of sin. For we cannot rationally believe 
 that Adam made his posterity sinners, by trans- 
 ferring to them the guilt of his first transgression. 
 *^ Guilt is a personal thing, which belongs to him 
 alone who does a sinful action." The guilt of any 
 action can no more be transferred from the agent to 
 another person, than the action itself. Adam could 
 not transfer his first act of disobedience to his pos- 
 terity ; and if he could not transfer the act itself, it is 
 equally evident that he could not transfer the guilt of 
 it. As he could not have made himself guilty of eat- 
 ing of the forbidden fruit without choosing to eat of 
 it, so he could not make his posterity guilty of eat- 
 ing of the forbidden fruit without their choosing to 
 do the same action. But we know that he never 
 made them choose to commit his first sin; and there- 
 fore he could not bring them under the guilt of his 
 first transgression. It was as much out of the power 
 of Adam to transfer his owm personal guilt to his 
 16 
 
182 TRUE RELIGION". 
 
 posterity, as it is now out of the power of any other 
 parent to transfer his own personal guilt to his chil- 
 dren. It seems obvious that even the Supreme Be- 
 ing, in His righteous sovereignty, could not consist- 
 ently transfer the guilt of Adam's sin to his posterity. 
 And no constitution which He could make could 
 render such a mode of conduct consistent with His 
 moral rectitude. Shall not the Judge of All the 
 Earth do right? Shall He, therefore, transfer the 
 guilt of the father to the son? or shall He punish the 
 son for the father's sin ? No ! " The soul that sin- 
 neth, it shall die," for its own iniquity. But here I 
 observe that moral depravity is essentially distinct 
 from physical depravity. It is synonymous with 
 real sinfulness. And sin we know is any want of 
 conformity to, or transgression of, the divine law. 
 Moral depravity is the depravity of free will, not of 
 the faculty itself, but of its free action. It consists 
 in a violation of the moral law. Depravity of the 
 will, as a faculty, is or would be physical, and not 
 moral depravity. It would be depravity of substance 
 and not of free responsible choice. Moral depravity 
 is depravity of choice. It is a choice at variance 
 with moral law, moral right. It is moral depravity 
 because it consists in a violation of moral law, and 
 because it has moral character. Hence, moral de- 
 pravity, or sin, consists in sinning, and nothing else. 
 It consists in free, voluntary violations of moral law, 
 for moral law legislates only over free, intelligent 
 choices. There is, therefore, no morally corrupt na- 
 ture, distinct from free, voluntary, sinful exercises. 
 Adam had no such nature, and therefore could con- 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 183 
 
 'vey no such nature to bis posterity. But even sup- 
 ; posing that he really had a morally corrupt nature, 
 distinct from his free, voluntary sinful exercises, it 
 must have belonged to his soul and not to his body. 
 And if it belonged to his soul he could not convey it 
 to his posterity, who derive their soul's immediately 
 from the fountain of being. God is the father of our 
 spirits. The soul is not transmitted from father to 
 son by natural generation. The soul is spiritual, and 
 ': what is spiritual is indivisible ; and what is indivisi- 
 ; 4}le is incapable of propagation. Now if with such 
 " plain statements and facts in mind, showing the es- 
 sential difference between depravity and sin, or phys- 
 ical and moral depravity, any person shall still be- 
 lieve in constitutional and native sinfulness of the 
 substance of the human soul before its voluntary 
 wrong choices, it is not reasonable to expect that he 
 ever will be a believer in the highest practical piety, or 
 in entire consecration, or in perfectly acceptable obe- 
 dience to the divine law for an hour, or a day, or a 
 month. Nor in the statement '^ If there be first a 
 willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man 
 hath, and not according to that he hath not." 
 
 (10) SIN VOLUNTARY. 
 
 The voluntary indulgence of vicious thoughts or a 
 voluntary choice to do wrong, or voluntary ne- 
 glect to do right, only can be sinful, as all actual sin 
 must be voluntary. For all sin comprehensively ex- 
 pressed, is any want of conformity unto or transgres- 
 sion of the law of God. Such is the teaching of God 
 himself. '' All have sinned, and come short of the 
 
184 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 glory of God." " Sin is the transgression of the law." 
 "For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted 
 according to that a man hath, and not according to 
 that he hath not.'' 
 
 (11) MISTAKES NOT SINFUL. 
 
 And it must be understood that mistakes which 
 may occur in connection with the most fair-minded 
 and industrious pursuit of all accessible light in favor 
 of the right and of duty, cannot he properly consid- 
 ered as positively sinful. 
 
 (12) INTENTION, 
 
 It is the wrong motive and evil intention which 
 constitute the essential wickedness of any mental 
 determination or outward act. A truly benevolent 
 and conscientious intention cannot be sinful in the 
 sight of the "Searcher of hearts." '' For as a man 
 thinketh in his heart so is he." The Christian's in- 
 tention to please his Heavenly Father renders his 
 moral acts holy. And a right and benevolent inten- 
 tion must control the whole life so that he may be 
 free from sin. For it is obvious that an obedient 
 intention renders an act holy in the sight of God. 
 It is the test of its moral character. Says President 
 Wayland, " In a deliberate action four distinct ele- 
 ments may be commonly observed. These are: 
 
 First — The outward act, as when I put money into 
 the hands of another. 
 
 Second — The conception of this act, of which the 
 external performance is the mere bodying forth. 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 185 
 
 Third — The resolution to carry that conception 
 into effect. 
 
 Fourth — The intention or design with which all 
 this is done. 
 
 Now the moral quality does not belong to the ex- 
 ternal act; for the same external act may be per- 
 formed by two men, while its moral character is, in 
 the two cases entirely dissimilar. Nor does it belong 
 to the conception of the act, nor to the resolution to 
 carry that conception into effect, for the resolution 
 to perform an action can have no other character 
 than that of the action itself. It must, then, reside 
 in the intention. That such is the fact may be illus- 
 trated by an example : A. and B. both give to C. a 
 piece of money. They both conceived of this action 
 before they performed it They both resolved to do 
 precisely what they did. In all this both actions 
 coincide. A. however gave it to C. with the inten- 
 tion of procuring the murder of a friend; B. with 
 the intention of relieving a family in distress. It is 
 evident that in this case, the intention gives to the 
 action its character, as right and wrong. By refer- 
 ence to the intention, we inculpate or exculpate 
 others, or ourselves, without any respect to the hap- 
 piness or misery actually produced. Let the result 
 of an action be what it may, we hold a man guilty, 
 simply on the ground of intention, or on the same 
 ground we hold him innocent. Thus also of our- 
 selves. We are conscious of guilt or innocence, not 
 from the result of an action, but from the intention 
 by which we were actuated." " For as a man think- 
 eth in his heart, so is he." This is the moral test of 
 ♦16 
 
186 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 his actions. Therefore, " keep thy heart with all ' 
 diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." And 
 the supreme ultimate motive determines the moral 
 act to be absolutely holy or sinful." 
 
 ^ (13) MORAL ACTIONS SIMPLE — NOT MIXED. 
 
 (ABSTRACT.) ', 
 
 In order that a man may cease from voluntarily sin- 
 ning for a moment, or a day, the simplicity of the na- 
 ture of every specific volition must be admitted. 
 That each action involving moral character, must be 
 perfectly holy or perfectly sinful. Eight action is 
 impartial benevolent action, including our own wel- 
 fare, according to its value in our relations both to 
 God and our fellow-men. Wrong action is unrea- 
 sonable, selfish action, involving a disregard for 
 the authority and claims of God and the reasonable 
 and just rights of our race. Therefore a sinner, in 
 order to be a Christian, must totally abandon his na- 
 tive selfishness, and choose to seek supremely the 
 general good. Hence it is obvious that these oppo- 
 site choices of supreme selfishness and supreme be- 
 nevolence, cannot co-exist and be operative in the 
 same person at the same time in the same sense. 
 ''The co-existence of sin and holiness, or of two oppo- 
 site moral states, is impossible." " No man can serve 
 two masters: for either he will hate the one and love 
 the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise 
 the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." 
 By this is not meant that no man can serve two mas- 
 ters at different times. For Adam, once the servant 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 187 
 
 of God, became a sinner, and for aught we know re- 
 pented, and again became the servant of God. But 
 two opposite intentions, both to serve God and diso- 
 bey Him, cannot co-exist. Therefore it is impossible 
 for a moral action to be mixed as the product of two 
 opposing motives, both good and bad. " Whosoever 
 shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one 
 point, he is guilty of all." Offending in one point, is 
 breaking one moral precept. What is the ground of 
 the assertion, that this is breaking the whole law? 
 This, manifestly : '^ The law is a unity, the one im- 
 partial demand of reason — however multiform in its 
 expression, however varied in its application. The 
 will is an integral unit, one and all in every inten- 
 tion/' It must then be wholly co-incident with 
 reason's law, or wholly discordant with it, whatever 
 particular precept or practical application of the law 
 it may transgress or obey. But it may be objected 
 that when a Christian sins, if the doctrine of the sim- 
 plicity of moral actions be true, he becomes as bad 
 as he was before his conversion, and worse if possi- 
 ble, having sinned against more light. He therefore 
 as much needs a second conversion as he did the first, 
 and this we should think would be less likely to take 
 place. To this objection it may be replied that a 
 Christian is one who knows by experience the love of 
 God, the blessedness of an approving conscience, and 
 the consolation of the Christian's hope ; and when he 
 sins will be in a condition very different from that of 
 one who has never experienced these things, though 
 during the time of his transgression he may be equal- 
 ly, or if you please, more guilty. 
 
188 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 Therefore the sin of the Christian involves no less 
 guilt than that of impenitent sinners, who have never 
 been converted, but its abandonment is more sure, or 
 if you please, it is certain. 
 
 But it may be said if the simplicity of moral actions 
 be true, a man might be a Christian and a sinner 
 alternately several times a day. But by this objection 
 it is merely said that a man might sin and repent 
 several times a day. This is doubtless true. For 
 continued obedience is certainly not a necessity but 
 an imperative duty and a most precious privilege 
 through faith in Christ. 
 
 In moral philosophy we read that " moral obliga- 
 tion, merit, demerit, <fec., pertain immediately to acts 
 of will, or voluntary states of mind only. No state of 
 the physical organization, nor of the intelligence, or 
 sensibility can, with any truth or propriety, be denom- 
 inated a moral action. Of acts of will, ultimate in- 
 tentions only possess a moral character, or can prop- 
 erly be denominated moral actions. The question 
 before us then is legitimately reduced to this one 
 single inquiry, namely : can any one given ulti- 
 mate intention be of a mixed moral character ; in 
 other words, can such distinct, contradictory and op- 
 posite elements as sin and holiness, selfishness and 
 benevolence, voluntary obedience and disobedience 
 to known duty, enter into one and the same ultimate 
 act of will, or intention ? Can contradictory and 
 opposite elements enter into one and the same ulti- 
 mate intention ? To this question I answer, no ; for 
 the following reasons : 
 
 (a) The dogma of mixed moral action, in the sense 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 189 
 
 now under consideration, is in palpable contradiction 
 to all our fundamental conceptions of an ultimate 
 intention. Such intention implies not only the elec- 
 tion of its object for its own sake, but a corresponding 
 rejection of everything of an opposite nature. Sup- 
 pose the question is before my mind, shall I go to 
 this place or that ? I can by no possibility go to but 
 one of the places named, and to one or the other I 
 must go. Now a determination to go to one place 
 implies of necessity a determination not to go to the 
 other. The same does and must hold true in respect 
 to all ultimate intentions. The question before the 
 mind is ; shall I, for example, serve God or mammon ? 
 A determination to serve one implies and necessarily 
 involves a corresponding determination not to serve 
 the other; the demands of each being directly oppo- 
 site and contradictory to the other. An ultimate in- 
 tention then embracing the contradictory and opposite 
 elements of voluntary obedience and disobedience, 
 would imply, in one and the same act, a determina- 
 tion to serve and not to serve God, and a determina- 
 tion not to serve and actually to serve mammon. 
 This is a palpable absurdity, as great as the supposi- 
 tion that the same body may move in opposite direc- 
 tions at one and the same time. So Edwards himself 
 affirms. " It is absurd,'' he says, " to suppose the 
 same individual will to oppose itself in its present 
 act ; or the present choice to be opposite to and 
 resisting present choice; as absurd as it is to talk of 
 two contrary motions in the same moving body at 
 the same time." 
 
 (6) An intention, to be ultimate, must be supreme, 
 
190 TRUE RELIGION". 
 
 that is, it must involve the supreme preference of the 
 mind. The supposition of two distinct and ultimate 
 intentions in the mind at one and the same time, or 
 of one involving the contradictory elements under 
 consideration, which would in fact be equivalent to 
 two, implies of necessity that neither is supreme, that 
 is, that neither or both together are in reality an ulti- 
 mate intention. The idea of two such intentions, 
 then, or of two contradictory elements in one and the 
 same intention, implies a palpable contradiction and 
 impossibility. " Christ denies," says Calvin, " that 
 it can be that any one should obey God and his flesh 
 at one and the same time/' '^ The supreme affec- 
 tions," says Mr. Barnes, ** can be fixed on only one 
 object. ' So,' says Jesus, ' the servant of God cannot 
 at the same time obey Him and be avaricious, or ?eek 
 treasures supremely on earth.' " 
 
 (c) Nor is inspiration silent on such a point. Take 
 a single passage in illustration : ^' Whosoever keep- 
 eth the whole law, and yet offendeth in one point, he 
 is guilty of all." The obvious meaning of this pas- 
 sage is this: If all the particular volitions or exter- 
 nal acts of an individual are in harmony with the law 
 of God, with one exception, that only being in oppo- 
 sition to it, this demonstrates the fact, that the entire 
 ultimate intention of the agent from which the whole 
 series proceeds is in opposition to the law, and con- 
 sequently, that the whole moral state of the individ- 
 ual is sinful and totally so. No meaning attaches to 
 this passage if this is not it. The same doctrine is 
 manifestly affirmed by our Saviour in the assertion ; 
 " Whosoever cometh after me and forsaketh not 
 
TRUE RELIGION, 1^1 
 
 all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." The ob- 
 vious meaning of the passage is, that until all partic- 
 ular acts are in full harmony with the known will of 
 
 I Christ, no ultimate intention, such as is requisite to 
 discipleship, that is, no intention morally right, can 
 
 jl possibly exist. 
 
 « The dogma under consideration is alike opposed 
 to the positive teachings of reason and revelation 
 both. The following are the conclusions necessarily 
 - resulting from the doctrine above established. When 
 all the voluntary acts and states of a moral agent are 
 in all respects what they are required to be, he stands 
 perfect and complete in his obedience to the moral 
 law, as far as present duty is concerned. No blame 
 attaches to him for any states of the physical system 
 or intelligence, or sensibility, unavoidably co-existing 
 with voluntary obedience to the universal voice of 
 duty. No moral agent is at any moment virtuous at 
 all, whose voluntary acts and states are not for the 
 time being in full harmony with all known duty, in 
 other words, with all forms of obligation really then 
 resting upon him. There is no avoiding this conclu- 
 sion. 
 
 (14) IF PERFECT KNOWLEDGE IS NECESSARY, ENTIRE SANC- 
 TIFICATION IS IMPOSSIBLE. 
 
 If therefore, in order to be sanctified wholly, and 
 cease from sin for a single day, a short-sighted and 
 finite being must be infallible in his moral judgment, 
 and such an experience must be forever impossible on 
 earth, or in the perfect society and holiness of 
 heaven. 
 
192 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 (15) DIVINE PRESERVATION. 
 
 Now in order that God may preserve the justified 
 Christian from falling into final condemnation, '' he 
 must believe with the heart unto righteousness." 
 And in order that the sanctified Christian may be 
 preserved from yielding to the power of temptation 
 for a day, or year, or series of years, he must con- 
 tinually trust in God's proffered grace " to keep him 
 in all his ways," so that it may become more and 
 more the prevailing habit of his whole life to live 
 constantly in a state, not only of entire, but continu- 
 ous sanctification. And if through any neglect of 
 watchfulness against the sudden and unanticipated 
 assaults of special temptation, and the intermission of 
 his strength of faith in Christ's interposition and aid, 
 he should be momentarily overcome by the adversa- 
 ry, he will instantly repent, so that sin shall be the 
 exception and not, as is too frequently the case, the 
 prevailing rule of life. 
 
 (16) ABILITY COMMENSURATE WITH OBLIGATION. 
 
 The truly sanctified Christian must love and obey 
 God continually, with all his present powers of body 
 and mind. ** For if there be first a willing mind, it is 
 accepted according to that a man hath, and not ac- 
 cording to that he hath not." 
 
 As Mr. Barnes, the commentator, ver}^ sensibly ob- 
 serves, " If the heart is in it, then the offering will be 
 acceptable to God, whether you be able to give much 
 or little, A willing mind is the first consideration. 
 In such a case God will approve of the gift, and will 
 
TRUE RELIGION". 193 
 
 receive it favorably. A man is not required to give 
 what he has not. His obligation is proportioned to 
 his ability. The great and obviously just and equal 
 principle stated in the verse here quoted, was origin- 
 ally applied by Paul, to the duty of giving alms. But 
 it is equally true and just as applied to all the duties 
 which we owe to God. He demands first, a willing 
 mind, a heart disposed to yield obedience. He 
 claims that our service should be voluntary and sin- 
 cere, and that we should make an unreserved conse- 
 cration of what we have. Secondly, he demands 
 only what we have power to render. He requires a 
 service strictly according to our ability, and to be 
 measured by that. He demands no more than our 
 powers are fitted to produce ; no more than we are 
 able to render. Our obligations in all cases are lim- 
 ited by our ability. This is obviously the rule of 
 equity, and this is all that is anywhere demanded in 
 the Bible — and this is everywhere demanded. Thus 
 our love to Him is to be in proportion to our ability, 
 
 - and not to be graduated by the ability of angels or 
 ■ , other beings. ' And thou shalt love the Lord thy 
 God with ah thy heart, and with all thy soul, and 
 with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.' The 
 love is to be commensurate with ability. So of re- 
 pentence, faith, and obedience, in any form. None 
 but a tyrant ever demands more than can be ren- 
 dered, and to demand more is the appropriate de- 
 scription of a tyrant, and cannot pertain to the ever 
 blessed God. Therefore, ' if any man minister let 
 him do it as of the ability which God giveth.' No 
 
 . one is bound to go beyond this ability, every one is 
 required to come up to it.'' 17 
 
194 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 (17) REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW. 
 
 " Love is the fulfilling of the law." And this law 
 requires the truly sanctified Christian to abstain 
 entirely from everything which he knows to be wrong 
 in thought, word or deed. And as the Holy Spirit 
 and divine truth are the means used in sanctification, 
 he must heartily believe the truth, and in the power 
 and willingness of Jesus to give him the victory over 
 temptation, and surrender his whole being to the 
 Holy Spirit, to be continuously moulded into the very 
 image of his Divine Master. His will must be in con- 
 stant subjection to God's will, not willing what he 
 knows to be wrong, or contrary to Bible truth. In 
 cases of doubt about the divine will, he must not and 
 will not follow his own natural inclinations, but 
 promptly obey the will of Jesus, in proportion as duty 
 may be revealed to him, in God's word or providence. 
 
 (18) SANCTIFIED AFFLICTIONS. 
 
 Even in aflflictions he must be entirely and cheer- 
 fully submissive ; " for the Lord our God is righteous 
 in all His works which He doeth." And we know 
 that all things work together for good to them that 
 love God, to them who are called according to His 
 purpose." Therefore the submissive Christian says 
 to God, " not as I will, but as Thou wilt.'' 
 
 " What if poor sinners count my grief. 
 The sign of an unchastened will, 
 He who can give my soul relief. 
 Knows that I'm submissive still. 
 Henceforth my own desire shall be, 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 195 
 
 That He who knows the best should choose for me ; 
 And so, whatever His love sees good to send, 
 I'll trust its best, because He knows the end." 
 
 '^ Behold, I have refined thee/' says God, " but not 
 with silv^er. I have chosen thee in the furnace of 
 affliction." In such experiences the growing Christian 
 is more desirous that his afflictions should have a 
 sanctifying influence on him than that they should be 
 removed. Such a Christian is submissive, and hopes 
 in the darkest afflictions. '^ And every man that hath 
 this hope in him purifieth himself even as He is pure." 
 He opens the shutters of the dark chambers of his 
 soul and lets in the three ineffable rays of the sun of 
 righteousness with healing in his wings; Gods per- 
 fect love, knowledge and power. He knows that 
 the heavens will fall, before, with such attributes. 
 He can harm a hair of His children's heads. These 
 three rays together, form this blessed pencil of light. 
 " He hath done all things well." 
 
 " To have each day the things I wish. 
 Lord, seemeth best to me ! 
 But not to have some things I wish, 
 Lord seemeth best to Thee. 
 Henceforth then let ' thy will be done,' 
 Though mine, O God, be crossed ; 
 Myself in Thee all lost!" 
 
 (19) errors to be avoided, 
 (abstract.) 
 
 " Before entering upon the direct proof of the at- 
 tainabilitv of entire sanctification in this life, it seems 
 
196 TRUE RELIGION. . 
 
 expedient to guard seekers against some common 
 mistakes. It is probable that all intelligent Christians 
 believe, as a writer of experience has observed, in the 
 following extracts: "That the possibilities of Christian 
 attainment rise continually higher and higher, above 
 .any supposable point he may have reached, so long 
 as his mental faculties retain their normal activity, 
 and he has God's word before him. God's provi- 
 dences aU round about him, and God's spirit within 
 him, there will be yet Alps on Alps rising ever be- 
 fore, up which he may be continually ascending;" 
 'but the common term, higher life, seems to involve 
 some mistakes which should be avoided. 
 
 It is maintained that the "lower life" begins with 
 a first conversion, the higher with a second conver- 
 sion, analogous to the first, yet quite unlike it. The 
 lower commences with regeneration ; the higher with 
 a special form and peculiar measure of sanctilication. 
 The lower begins with faith in Christ for pardon ; the 
 higher makes utmost account of its own commencing 
 act of "faith for the blessing'' of a cleansed heart. 
 Such ideas seem in some measure erroneous. The 
 Scriptures clearly teach what Christain attainment 
 is, and its possibilities in the present life. 
 
 A new creation ; old things are passed away; all 
 things become new, the promise fulfilled. '^ I will put 
 My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My 
 statutes," "abiding in Christ," in the sense of branches 
 abiding in the vine, bring upon its life currents, lov- 
 ing Christ and keeping Elis commandments, and 
 thereby enjoying His manifested presence, love and 
 communion; " walking not after the flesh, but after 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 197 
 
 the spirit," gaining the victory over the world through 
 faith, etc., etc. 
 
 This new life begins with repentance, and the pur- 
 posed forsaking of all sin ; with accepting Jesus as 
 the only ground of pardon, and moreover as the 
 promised source of spiritual strength for holy living, 
 and with a free consecration of all to God — a conse- 
 cration absolute, unlimited, to be carried out and ap- 
 plied to the utmost extent of perceived duty. 
 
 The term sanctificaiion may fitly be used in a sense 
 somewhat broader than the term consecration ; the 
 latter being usually, perhaps naturally, limited to au 
 act of the will; while sanctification may (perhaps 
 commonly does) include the adjustment of the sensi- 
 bilities — every appetite, passion, impulse, whether of 
 body or mind, to this new law of the spiritual life. 
 So understood sanctification involves progress in at 
 least these three respects : (a) progressive knowledge 
 of God and duty, (b) progressive adjustment of the 
 sensibilities, i. e. the impulses, propensities, and also 
 the habitudes of mind and body, to the better under- 
 standing of the law of Christ, and to the demand of 
 the spirit of full consecration, (c) A growing con- 
 firmation of these habitudes of the whole being, re- 
 sulting in new accessions of strength, in greater safety 
 against lapsing, and in general in a growing experi- 
 ence in this new life unto God. 
 
 And yet in some measure as an exception to this 
 common law of progress, great crisis may occur in 
 the Christian life. 
 
 A new and juster view of Christ's power to lift the 
 soul into victory, through faith, may bring a great 
 *17 
 
198 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 and sudden change into one's experience, memorable, 
 perhaps enduring. There were obviously such sud- 
 den experiences in the great Pentecostal baptism of 
 the Holy Ghost. And such experiences among the 
 early Christians gives the possibilities of every con- 
 vert from that day to this. If properly taught he 
 may receive the Holy Ghost in precious baptisms at 
 first, and may retain them from the first even until 
 death. His first conversion and bis second would 
 thus become one and the same. 
 
 The nature of the case creates no necessity for a 
 first conversion which shall lack the baptism of the 
 Spirit, and a second at some subsequent day which 
 shall bring it. He may have both of them at once. 
 Nothing in the nature either of the human soul or the 
 spirits functions, forbids this^ and requires a first con- 
 version without this baptism, and a second with it. 
 But it seems to be a great and dangerous error to 
 maintain that one act of faith can introduce the soul 
 into such full sanctification, and guarantee its contin- 
 uance, either permanently or for an indefinite time. 
 For no one moral act can determine w^ith absolute 
 certainty all subsequent moral acts. It is also un- 
 scriptural and dangerous to substitute one act of faith 
 for a whole life of faith ; one great act of prayer ; one 
 effort of the will, however intense, however mighty, 
 for a whole life of efforts. 
 
 (20) HIGHEST PRACTICAL PIETY ATTAINABLE IN THIS LIFE. 
 
 Now if the preceding explanations concerning 
 sanctification and the subjects related to it be kept 
 in mind, it will be readily perceived that in advocat- 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 199 
 
 ;, ingthe following proposition, we advocate only the 
 attainability of such a type of piety as is both reason- 
 able and practical. It will be understood that in 
 maintaining the attainability of entire sanctitication 
 in this life, we advocate merely the attainment of 
 such a high degree of piety as has been attained, and 
 such as all Christians may attain, by faith in Christ in 
 the present life. In other words, we regard the 
 phrases entire sanctification in this life, and the 
 highest practical piety, as synonymous phrases. And 
 if any reader of this treatise should associate in his 
 mind with the doctrine of entire sanctification in this 
 life, either angelic perfection or human infallibility, 
 it is not the writer's meaning. And it is only on the 
 admission of the correctness of the preceding expla- 
 nations concerning this scriptural doctrine, that we 
 can expect to establish its truthfulness. And it can- 
 not be expected that men can infallibly decide for 
 each other in reference to their personal attainments, 
 because they do not always agree in reference to 
 what acts are sinful and what are innocent. 
 
 (21) PROPOSITION. 
 
 But assuming that all honest seekers for the high- 
 est attainments in practical piety shall accept the cor- 
 rectness of the preceding definitions and explana- 
 tions, I maintain in the guarded language of one of 
 its ablest advocates, the following proposition : 
 
 " Entire sanctification in this life is attainable in 
 such a sense that all Christians should earnestly seek 
 it, with the rational expectation of attaining it.'^ 
 
 By this I mean that all Christians should obey God 
 
200 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 in becoming as holy as possible in this life, and that 
 such piety is all that the claims of God's law require. 
 Now it is the common belief of intelligent and de- 
 voted Christians that we should aim to attain entire 
 sanctification in this life, although it is unieasonable 
 (in their opinion) to expect its attainment. But 
 others believe that we should aim at it, with the 
 rational expectation of attaining it in the present life. 
 All believe that we must attain it, before we enter 
 heaven. But as death does not change moral char- 
 acter, we should trust in the blood of the atonement 
 here to cleanse us from all sin. 
 
 (22) PROOF OF ATTAINMENT. 
 
 If it ever has been attained, it may be attained again. 
 ^'Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generation." 
 " He walked with God." He attained a complete 
 Christian character. He was entirely sanctified in 
 this life. Said the inspired apostle to the Romans, 
 *' But now being made free from sin, and become ser- 
 vants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness. For 
 when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from 
 righteousness.'' Before conversion, they were in a 
 state of entire sinfulness. Afterwards, they attained 
 a state of entire freedom from it. The terms free- 
 dom from sin and freedom from righteousness, are 
 not limited. Before conversion they had no holiness. 
 At the time of conversion, as '' the blood of Christ 
 cleansed them from all unrighteousness," they were 
 entirely freed from sin for the time being. And be- ^ 
 ing made free from sin, they were delivered from its 
 dominion, and from bondage to it, in the same sense 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 201 
 
 and as absolutely, as before conversion they were 
 free from righteousness. This service of entire con- 
 secration ensures holiness in this life, as really and 
 entirely as consecration to worldliness and self-grati- 
 fication did sin. Zechariah, and Elizabeth also, 
 ^' were both righteous before God, walking in all the 
 commandments and ordinances of the Lord blame- 
 less." These words refer to all the duties of religion 
 which were made known to them. In the view of 
 the "Searcher of Hearts," no deficiency could be found 
 in them. They were strict and exact in all things. 
 At heart they were in a state of entire holiness. 
 Said the apostle to the Philippians, " Let us therefore, 
 as many as be perfect, be thus minded." 
 
 (23) GOSPEL PROVISIONS. 
 
 Moreover, we are encouraged to make diligent ef- 
 forts to obtain this same blessing through faith, in view 
 of the gospel provisions. Sanctification is as much 
 the object of Christ's atonement, as our justification. 
 He came to save us, just as much from sin, as from 
 its penalty. " Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he 
 shall save his people from their sins." *' Who gave 
 Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all 
 iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, 
 zealous of good works." 
 
 (24) PRAYERS OP JESUS CHRIST. 
 
 Furthermore, we are encouraged to expect success 
 in our efforts for this blessing, by the prayers of Christ 
 in our behalf. " Sanctify them through Thy truth," 
 
202 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 prays Our Lord. "I pray that Thou sbouldst keep 
 them from the evil ; that is, cleanse them from sin, 
 make them pure in heart in Thy sight. Keep them 
 from the power of temptation, from evil thoughts, 
 passions and wicked desires — in a state of holiness." 
 
 (25) PRAYER OF PAUL. 
 
 Also the Apostle Paul prayed under inspiration, 
 not for the sanctificatiori of Christians at death, but 
 in this life. '' The very God of peace sanctify you 
 wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit, and body 
 and soul, be preserved blameless unto the coming of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth 
 You, who also will do it." Here the apostle, it 
 seems, " either offered an inspired prayer for the 
 death of Christians, if they could not be sanctified 
 until death, or else he offered the prayer of faith, by 
 the assistance and direction of the Holy Ghost, that 
 they might be completely sanctified in every part of 
 their nature, and be preserved blameless in this life." 
 He certainly had full assurance of its accomplish- 
 ment, for he says, "Faithful is he that calleth You, 
 who also will do it." 
 
 As Rev. Mr. Barnes explains this passage, '^ He 
 prays, ' Sanctify you wholly,' in every part complete- 
 ly. He prays that God would make His people en- 
 tirely holy. And in this he recognizes the truth that 
 we have a body ; we have animal life and instincts, 
 in common with the inferior creation ; and we have 
 also a rational and immortal soul. The soul is the 
 vital principle, while the animal life, or the seat of 
 the senses, desires, affections, and appetites, we have 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 203 
 
 in common with other animals. The mere animal 
 life is distinct from the soul, as the seat of conscience 
 and moral agency. Hence it is the duty of man to 
 bring his whole nature under law, or so control it 
 that it may not be an occasion of sin. And the apos- 
 tle prayed that Christians might become entirely 
 holy, and be kept from transgression, until the Lord 
 Jesus came ; that is, either to remove them by death, 
 or to wind up the affairs of this lower world." 
 
 God is faithful, who also will do it, as he has be- 
 gun a work of grace in your hearts, you may depend 
 on His faithfulness to complete it. 
 
 (26) OBJECTIONS. 
 
 But in other portions of the Scriptures we read, 
 ^' There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good 
 and sinneth not." '* If we say we have no sin, we 
 deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." Cer- 
 tainly, a God of truth cannot contradict Himself, and 
 he has said of some Christians " Ye are dead unto 
 sin, alive unto righteousness." May not such seem- 
 ing contradictions be reconciled by applying the for- 
 mer texts to all unregenerate men, and the latter to 
 the regenerate ? He teaches us that both by nature 
 are " dead in trespasses and sins," and that the most 
 holy of Christians, as well as the worst of sinners, 
 were by nature children of wrath," and that " he that 
 committeth sin is of the devil." *' But whosoever is 
 born of God, doth not commit sin, for His seed re- 
 maineth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born 
 of God." If the passages which state the universal 
 sinfulness of men apply to all the regenerate, to 
 
204 TRUE RELTGIOISr. 
 
 whom do the passages apply which state that some 
 are sinners? For in immediate connection with the 
 passage which states " If we say we have no sin we 
 deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," it reads, 
 " If we confess our sin, He is faithful, and just to for- 
 give us, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 
 Of course, if any man shall say he has not sinned, 
 and does not need the blood of atonement, he is mis- 
 taken. It seems to me that neither class of these 
 very strong passages should be pressed too literally 
 and strictly, without reference to their connection 
 and scope, lest they involve the Scriptures in irrecon- 
 cilable contradiction and absurdity. When it reads 
 that the new-born soul cannot sin, it merely means 
 that having passed from a state of habitual rebellion 
 against the divine government, sin and rebellion are 
 inconsistent with his new. disposition and rule of life, 
 contrary to his habitual designs, to follow the 
 leadings of the Holy Spirit in striving with single- 
 ness of aim to please his Heavenly Father in all 
 things. 11, for instance, a merchant says he cannot 
 take a reduced price for his merchandise, I under- 
 stand him to inean that he cannot consistently, with 
 his disposition to trade, so as to promote his business 
 interests. I understand that it is in reality possible 
 for him to do it, but it would be unreasonable. 
 Hence I do not suppose that a justified or sanctified 
 Christian can sacrifice his free agency, so as to be in- 
 capable of yielding to temptation. On a certain oc- 
 casion, when the apostle was considering the doctrine 
 of future resurrection, he says in reference to him- 
 self: '* Not as though 1 had already attained, either 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 205 
 
 were already perfect, I press toward the mark for 
 the prize;" he may have meant also that he had not 
 attained a state of freedom from sin. But he says to 
 his brethren, in this immediate connection; ^'let us 
 therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded." 
 Intimating that some might have made the attainment 
 of a more complete Christian character than those who 
 were merely justified. 
 
 (27) PAUL'S EXPERIENCE. 
 
 After his own first radical conversion and complete 
 justification, he seems to have been involved in a 
 fearful conflict with temptation, and to have some 
 times fallen under its fearful power ; " for that which 
 I do, I allow not, but what I hate, that I do." The 
 strength of natural passion overcame him in un- 
 guarded circumstances. The power of the former 
 habits of sin before conversion kept up a fearful and 
 dreadful conflict with conscience, and the powders of 
 darkness brought him under legal bondage. After- 
 ward having said, " we know the law is spiritual," 
 '^ for I delight in the law of God after the inward 
 man," he seems to have had a new and refreshing 
 experience of the power of divine grace in delivering 
 him from his bondage under the adversary. He ex- 
 claims, " O wretched man that I am ! who shall de- 
 liver me from the body of this death? 'I thank God 
 through Jesus Christ our Lord.' There is therefore 
 now no condemnation to them which are in Christ 
 Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the 
 spirit." In this new and second experience, the Gos- 
 pel has accomplished a complete deliverance, and 
 18 
 
206 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 gives the captive in sin a glorious and complete 
 triumph over the enslaving power of temptation and 
 furnishes abiding peace and holiness. 
 
 (28) THE TRUSTFUL FORTIFIED. 
 
 Therefore if the scriptures teach that some Chris- 
 tians have gained not only repeated, but continuous 
 victories over temptation, may not all Christians who 
 are aiming to follow Him fully '' who did no sin," 
 entertain the rational hope of success in attaining 
 this blessing in the present life, by faith and not by 
 works? Has not God assured such as trust in Him 
 with sufficient confidence, that he is ready to fortify 
 them against the three great sources of temptation ; 
 the world, the flesh and the devil? ^'This is the victory 
 that overcometh the world, even our faith." " Walk 
 in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the 
 flesh." "Above all taking the shield of faith, whereby 
 ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the 
 wicked.' "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan 
 under your feet shortly." " Now our Lord is able to 
 keep you from falling, and to present you faultless 
 before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." 
 And can it be possible that Christians are unreason- 
 able in fully trusting His ability and willingness to 
 fulfill His offers and pledges to the utmost ? '^ Having 
 therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse 
 ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, 
 perfecting holiness in the fear of God." '^ Let us not 
 be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall 
 reap if we faint not." Let us not defer this invaluable 
 attainment of grace through faith, for the weakness, 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 207 
 
 the delirium, the expiring agonies of dissolving 
 nature, when flesh and heart shall fail, and be inca- 
 pable of purifying our moral and religious characters. 
 
 (29) MEANS OP ATTAINMENT. 
 
 Therefore let us imitate strictly and constantly our 
 Divine Redeemer, " who left us an example, that we 
 should follow His steps." In so doing we must be 
 entirely consecrated to the same benevolent ends 
 which controlled Him in life and in death, and prose- 
 cute them with the same purity of intention, in our 
 humble circumstances of weakness and temptation. 
 " If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body 
 shall be full of light." We must have His spirit of 
 meekness, resignation, humility, obedience, devotion 
 and industry in doing good. We must habitually 
 seek for grace to live and to act in all our changing 
 circumstances and spheres, just as we think He would 
 act, were He again in the flesh, in our places, sur- 
 rounded by our temptations. In this way we shall 
 be '' changed into the same image from glory to glory 
 even as by the spirit of the Lord." We must attain 
 entire sanctifieation in this life by repeated and con- 
 tinued acts of faith. For sanctifieation as well as 
 justification is by faith and not by works. It is by 
 faith in the aids of divine grace and not by works of 
 the law. 
 
 (30) GOOD RESOLUTIONS AND FAITH. 
 
 Thus we shall engage in the daily duties of life, 
 with the fixed purpose of fulfilling them perfectly to our 
 utmost ability in the strength of our covenant-keeping 
 
208 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 God, who has promised to make us victorious over 
 temptation, and render us ^' more than conquerors 
 through Him that loved us, and gave Himself for us, 
 that He might redeem us from all iniquity." Thus 
 we shall lead a new life, avoiding ostentation, practic- 
 ing charity and striving in every way to lead an 
 upright and honest life. Thus we shall find it even 
 better to hope than to faint, knowing that good inten- 
 tions must bear fruit in holy living, and that we have 
 not resolved in vain, for good intentions must ever 
 give character to all good works. We must expect 
 to overcome each temptation by specific acts of faith 
 in our Lord's assistance, for *' this is the victory that 
 overcometh the world, even our faith." We must 
 not expect by one single act of faith to escape forever 
 the warfare with temptation. But every new temp- 
 tation will demand a specific act of faith to overcome 
 such temptation. We must ever in this life " watch 
 and pray that we enter not into temptation." 
 
 (31) TESTIMONY. 
 
 And are not all Christians who enjoy this precious 
 religious experience, who are conscious that such is 
 the daily intention and practice of their lives, with 
 no self-righteous boasting with regard to their gracious 
 attainments, knowing their fallibility in judging of 
 their motives and experiences, justified in confessing 
 it for the encouragement of all who may be earnestly 
 seeking the blessing? Is it not highly proper, if not 
 an imperative duty, under such circumstances, to 
 testify in all humility to the praise of divine and all- 
 conquering grace, what the Lord hath done for 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 209 
 
 them ? But it obviously should not be done frequent- 
 1 [y, and never, if it can be well avoided, in a promis- 
 cuous assembly of such as have no heart for its just 
 appreciation, for it will be misunderstood and be per- 
 verted. '' Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, 
 neither cast ye your pearls before swine." But it 
 must be right to imitate the devout and humble 
 Psalmist of Israel, in prudently and for good reasons 
 relating Christian experience, and growth in holy 
 living. Said this inspired and holy man, "Come and 
 hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He 
 hath done for my soul." The blind man, whom our Lord 
 restored to sight, gave God the praise. " One thing 
 1 know, that whereas I was blind, now I see." Said 
 the apostle, "I can do all things through Christ, which 
 strengtheneth me." "The strength of sin is the law." 
 " But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, 
 through our Lord Jesus Christ." '^ If we love one 
 another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected 
 in us." " Herein do I exercise myself to have al- 
 ways a conscience, void of offence toward God and 
 toward man." '' I have lived in all good conscience 
 before God until this day." *' For our rejoicing is 
 this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplic- 
 ity and Godly sincerity, by the grace of God, we have 
 had our conversation in the world." 
 
 (32) GOOD FRUITS. 
 
 The aim and expectation of attaining the highest 
 practical holiness in this life, naturally as well as 
 graciously, increases Christian purity and upright- 
 ness. This doctrine must be tested by its legitimate 
 ♦18 
 
210 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 fruits, and be appreciated according to its obvious 
 tendencies and results. Do not all intelligent and 
 growing Christians consider it their imperative duty 
 and exalted privilege to grow in grace and be sancti- 
 fied through the truth ? To live habitually in imita- 
 tion of Christ, who "did no sin," and as the best of 
 the primitive Christians did, according to the Scrip- 
 tures ? Yes ; all, I trust, maintain that we should 
 perseveringly endeavor to keep all the divine com- 
 mandments as the unalterable rule of life. '' For 
 whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of 
 God perfected." Bat we go further than this, and 
 maintain that we should not only aim to love God 
 supremely and obey him strictly always, but we are 
 authorized in the Scripture promises to really expect 
 through God's all-sutiicient grace, and by all-con- 
 quering faith in the help of Jesus, to habitually and 
 uniformly obey him from the heart, with most posi- 
 tive strictness as the rule of life, according to the 
 grace and strength given unto us. Jesus saith, " Be- 
 lieve ye that I am able to do this ? " '* According to 
 your faith be it unto you." And the Apostle Paul 
 said, " I can do all things through Christ, which 
 strengtheneth me." And will not such aim, united 
 with such expectation ensure better success in abso- 
 lute attainment of heart purity, than an indefinite aim 
 with no honest expectation of attaining definitely the 
 highest practical standard of piety ? Will not the 
 practical and skillful marksman be more likely to 
 really hit his game, or come much nearer to it, with 
 a definite and absolute expectation, than he who 
 merely points his gun at some indefinite region in the 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 211 
 
 skies above, with no real expectation of reaching the 
 mark ? Let us therefore seek definitely the highest 
 point of attainment, with the earnest spirit of the 
 apostle who, with Moses, " had respect unto the rec- 
 ompense of reward." " This one thing I do, forget- 
 ting those things which are behind and reaching 
 forth unto those things which are before, I press to- 
 ward the mark for the prize." And '' if the righteous 
 scarcely be saved," so as by fire, who are merely jus- 
 tified, and there can be no purification in the process 
 of death, let us earnestly and persistently strive i;o 
 be entirely sanctified by faith, through the truth, and 
 by the agency of the Holy Ghost in this life. ''For 
 so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abun- 
 dantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and 
 Saviour, Jesus Christ." There can be no reasonable 
 doubt that the Scriptures furnish reliable encourage- 
 ment that all real Christians, who are truly penitent 
 for their sins, shall be admitted to heaven. For it 
 is written, '' Be thou faithful unto death, and I will 
 give thee a crown of life." "Being justified freely 
 by His grace, through the redemption that is in 
 Christ Jesus," all who persevere in a life of holiness 
 shall be saved. For God " will render to every man 
 according to his deeds. To them who by patient con- 
 tinuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and 
 immortality, eternal life." All who obey God, by sub- 
 mission to His authority, and are willing to obey the 
 law by forsaking all their sins, are candidates for 
 heaven. But the command is, " Strive to enter in at 
 the strait gate ; for many, I say unto you, will seek 
 to enter in, and shall not be able." 
 
212 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 (33) THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. BY DR. AVM. PATTON. 
 (^S ANCTIFIC ATION .) 
 
 The Greek word is, in the New Testament, al- 
 ways rendered either sanctification or holiness. The 
 idea of moral purity is expressed in all. The primi- 
 tive word denotes separation from a common condi- 
 tion and use, to that which is special and sacred, im- 
 plying dedication, and carries with it the idea of 
 purity, of sanctity, of cleansing. There are three 
 senses in which the word is used by the sacred writers. 
 These are, (1) To acknowledge and celebrate as holy 
 which is so in itself. Thus it is to be understood 
 whenever God is said to be sanctified. (2) To sepa- 
 rate or set apart time, things, or persons, from a com- 
 mon to a sacred use ; thus the seventh day and the 
 Sabbath, the Tabernacle and places of worship; also 
 the sacramental elements are sanctified. (3) To 
 make persons holy, who are impure and defiled. 
 Thus the apostle uses the word (I. Cor. vi: 2), '^ And 
 such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye 
 are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the 
 Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God." This is 
 the meaning of the word, where the elect are said to 
 be sanctified. It is this process by which a convert- 
 ed sinner is advanced from a lower to a higher state 
 of purity, until he attains its highest elevation that 
 is meant by the word sanctification, and which we 
 now propose to illustrate. Guided by the word of 
 God, the process of sanctification appears very sim- 
 ple. It is secured by obedience to the truth. 
 I. Peter, i : 22 — '' Seeing ye have purified your souls 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 213 
 
 in obeying the truth through the spirit, unto un- 
 feigned love of the brethren." Here obedience on 
 the part of man is indispensable. " Ye have purified 
 your souls in obeying the truth.'' Peter felt no diffi- 
 culty in tellitig those to whom he wrote that they 
 had done it ; that they, personally and individually, 
 had actually purified their own souls — that they had 
 done it freely and voluntarily, by obeying the truth. 
 While he points out human activity and freedom, 
 and the instrumentality of revealed truth, he honors 
 the official agency of the Holy Ghost by declaring 
 that their obedience to the truth was " through the 
 spirit." He further gives the certain evidence of the 
 reality of this purification, in that it secures "the un- 
 feigned love of the brethren." The importance of 
 human vigilance and activity is constantly enforced. 
 I. John, i: 18 — "But he that is begotten of God 
 keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him 
 not." James, i : 27 — " And keepeth himself unspot- 
 ted from the world." The instrumentality of the 
 truth is also made prominent. Our Lord said to His 
 disciples (John, XV : 3), "Now are ye clean through 
 the word which I have spoken unto you." In his 
 prayer (John, xvii: 17), he thus pleads: "Sanctify 
 them through Thy truth ; Thy word is truth;" verse 
 nineteen : " And for their sakes I sanctify myself, 
 that they also might be sanctified through the truth." 
 The divine efficiency is most clearly stated. Both 
 Paul and Peter use the same words when speaking of 
 the election of sinners. II. Thess., i : 13, and I. Peter, 
 i:2 — "Through sanctification of t^e spirit." Ro- 
 mans, XV : 16 — " That the offering up of the Gentiles 
 
214 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy 
 Ghost." By reading the following passages together, 
 we have a perspicuous view of all the agencies and 
 instrumentalities required in the work of sanctifica- 
 tion. II. Thess. ii : 13-14 — "But we are bound al- 
 ways to give thanks to God for jou, brethren, be- 
 loved of the Lord, because God hath from the begin- 
 ning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification 
 of the spirit and belief of the truth; whereunto he 
 called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the 
 glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." I. Peter, i : 2 — 
 " Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the 
 Father, through sanctification of the spirit, unto 
 obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ;" 
 verse twenty -second : " Seeing ye have purified 3^our 
 souls in obeying the truth through the spirit, unto 
 unfeigned love of the brethren." Sanctification 
 then, is obtained by obeying the truth, and this obe- 
 dience is secured by the efficient agency of the Holy 
 Spirit. The divine command may be clearly before 
 the mind, but the duty which it requires, or the thing 
 which it forbids, may be displeasing, as it crosses 
 our plans or interferes with our pleasures. It may 
 call for the sacrifice of some loved object, and we 
 feel disinclined to obey. If left to ourselves, we will 
 disobey, and continue to disobey, and thus wander 
 further and further from God. But " through the 
 spirit " we are led to obey — to obey willingly and 
 cheerfully. By this obedience to the truth we yield 
 to it, and the victory is gained. Thus we reverence 
 the authority of God ; right principles are strength- 
 ened, and our mind and will are brought more and 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 215 
 
 more under the mind and will of God. When our 
 mind and will are brought perfectly under the mind 
 and will of God, so that our obedience is prompt, 
 and cheerful, and universal, then our sanctification is 
 complete. We know that in every regenerate per- 
 son the light has begun to shine, and that " the path 
 of the just is as the shining light which shineth more 
 and more unto the perfect day." — Prov. iv : 18. Re- 
 vealed truth is the instrumentality which the Holy 
 Ghost uses in enlightening the mind, in operating upon 
 the conscience, in purifying the affections, in sub- 
 duing the will, and in securing the entire renovation 
 and sanctification of the sinner. In conversion the 
 Holy Ghost maintains His energizing of the faculties, 
 and in addition exerts such an influence or agency to 
 secure the change of the disposition the ruling pur- 
 pose, so that the sinner now voluntarily loves what 
 he before voluntarily hated. This agency, while it 
 subdues the hatred and secures the love, is such that 
 the freedom and activity of choice is not violated in 
 the least possible degree, but is actually made more 
 free and active. In sanctification, the Holy Ghost 
 energizes the faculties, so that the truth is brought 
 into living contact with the mind, producing the 
 clear conviction of duty. Still, a further agency is 
 needed, and exerted to secure obedience to the truth. 
 By this free, cheerful, loving obedience, the soul is 
 purified, or sanctified, or advanced in holiness. 
 
 (34) HOW TO OVERCOME SIIJ. BY PRES. FINNEY. 
 
 In every part of my ministerial life, I have found 
 many professed Christians in a miserable state of 
 
216 TRUE RELTGION. 
 
 bondage to the world, the flesh and the devil. But 
 surely this is no Christian state, for the apostle dis- 
 tinctly said : " Sin shall not have dominion over you, 
 because ye are not under the law, but under grace." 
 In all my Christian life, I have been pained to find 
 so many Christians living in the legal bondage de- 
 scribed in the seventh chapter of Romans, — a life of 
 sinning, and resolving to reform, and falling again. 
 
 VICTORY BY FAITH. 
 
 But the Bible expressly teaches us that sin is over- 
 come by faith in Christ. " He is made unto us wis- 
 dom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption." 
 ^' He is the way and the truth and the life." Chris- 
 tians are said to " purify their hearts by faith." — Acts, 
 XV : 9. And in Acts, xxvi : 18, it is affirmed that the 
 saints are sanctified by faith in Christ. In Romans, 
 ix : 31-32, it is affirmed that the Jews attained not to 
 righteousness, ''because they sought it not by faith, 
 but as it were by the works of the law." The doc- 
 trine of the Bible is that Christ saves His people from 
 sin through faith ; that Christ's spirit is received by 
 faith to dwell in the heart. It is faith that works by 
 love. Love is wrought and sustained by fiiith. By 
 faith Christians '' overcome the world, the flesh and 
 the devil." It is by faith that they '' quench the fiery 
 darts of the wicked.' It is by faith that " they put on 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, and put off the old man with his 
 deeds." It is by faith that we fight " the good fight," 
 and not by resolution. It is by faith that we "stand," 
 by resolution we fall. This is the victory that over- 
 cometh the world, even our faith. It is by faith that 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 217 
 
 the flesh is kept under and carnal desires subdued. 
 The fact is that it is simply by faith that we receive 
 the spirit of Christ to work in us, to will and to do, 
 according to His good pleasure. He sheds abroad 
 His own love in our hearts, and thereby enkindles 
 ours. Every victory over sin is by faith in Christ ; 
 and whenever the mind is diverted from Christ, by 
 resolving and fighting against sin, w^hether we are 
 aware of it or not, we are acting in our own strength, 
 rejecting the help of Christ, and are under a specious 
 delusion. Nothing but the life and energy of the 
 Spirit of Christ within us can save us from sin, and 
 trust in the uniform and universal condition of the 
 working of this saving energy within us. How long 
 shall this fact be at least practically overlooked by 
 the teachers of religion? How deeply rooted in the 
 heart of man is self-righteousness and self-depend- 
 ence ? So deeply that one of the hardest lessons for 
 the human heart to learn is to renounce self-depend- 
 ence and trust wholly to Christ. When we open the 
 door by implicit trust He enters in and takes up His 
 abode with us and in us. By shedding abroad His 
 love, He quickens our whole souls into sympathy 
 with Himself, and in this way, and in this way alone, 
 he purifies our hearts through faith. He sustains our 
 will in the attitude of devotion. He quickens and 
 regulates our affections, desires, appetites and pas- 
 sions, and becomes our sanctification, 
 19 
 
218 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 (35) highest aim. 
 (extract.) 
 
 If you find yourselves disiuclined to make strenu- 
 ous efforts for the very highest definite attainments 
 in holy living, " look into your Bible and see how 
 Christians ought to live." See how the Bible says 
 those who are Christians must live; and then if you 
 find your professing Christian brethren living in a 
 different way, instead of having cause for feeling that 
 you may do so too, you have only cause to fear that 
 they are deceiving themselves with the belief that 
 they are Christians when they are not. Remember 
 that the farther your Christian friends depart from 
 the standard of Christian character laid down in the 
 Bible, the less reason you have to hope that they are 
 Christians. And do not hesitate upon this subject, 
 because you find many professed Christians who are 
 indifferent or lax in their practice and example. Re- 
 member that Christ has said, " many shall say unto 
 me in that day, Lord, Lord," thus claiming to be His 
 disciples, to whom He will say, " I never knew you," 
 
 (36) application, 
 (extract.) 
 
 There was never such an appeal to the divinest 
 part of our nature, as in the times in which we are 
 living, for personal purity ; for disinterestedness; for 
 holy self-denial ; for joyfulness in suffering. There 
 never was a time when men of fidelity to Christian 
 truths would do so much to cheer the desponding, to 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 219 
 
 inspire the drooping, to dissipate moral darkness, and 
 to carry forward the work of God in the hearts of 
 men, as in our time. Never was there such a test, 
 such a dividing between the elect and the non-elect, 
 as in the great providence which God is now insti- 
 tuting in this land. When 1 look out and see how 
 men are bargaining and haggling ; how they are forg- 
 ing chains of selfishness link by link ; how they are 
 studying still in the day of their country's anguish 
 their own advancement and profit; and how their 
 whole thought is " who shall show us any good ? " 
 my heart sinks in the contrast. Where are those 
 that say, in the spirit of the Master, "for their sakes 
 I sanctify myself?'' Where are those that say, *' It 
 is not for me to become greater and richer; it is not 
 for me to become personally more profited ? " There 
 is not necessarily any sin in this ; but not to commit 
 sin overtly, is not the motive which should actuate 
 men now. In this time when Christ is sacrificed, 
 and justice is brought into peril, and liberty itself is 
 apparently in extreme danger, every Cliristian heart 
 should say : '' let my first thought and feeling of my- 
 self be to rise to a higher ambition, to higher en- 
 deavor, to higher courage, and to a truer esteem for 
 God." 
 
 Everything for the cause of God, nothing for one's 
 self. Everything for the divine kingdom, nothing for 
 one's personal interest. Stand for the time, and the 
 country, and the world, and the Church, and the 
 eternity of God's cause. My brethren, we are called 
 peculiarly to a personal application of these truths. 
 It is a time for reviewing the past, and a time for 
 
220 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 forecasting the future. Never did Christians on the 
 earth live in such an age, and under such motives, as 
 now. All the past culminates in our day, and all the 
 future, as it were, advances toward us, and calls to 
 us. And what influence does all this have upon you? 
 Are you called, in view of the past, in view of the 
 exigencies of the present, and in view of the expecta- 
 tions of the future, to any difference of life? There 
 is not a man, woman or child that has not a part in 
 the great work that is being carried forward ; and 
 God calls you to perform that part. If you under- 
 stand the call of God, in the time in which you live, 
 you should sanctify yourselves for the sake of your 
 day and generation. There never were more influen- 
 tial and potent reasons why every man should be a 
 true Christian man, than now. I ask you, then, what 
 repentance, what reformation is possible in your 
 life? Are you willing to look in upon y^ourselves? 
 Are you willing to search your hearts, clear down 
 to the bottom ? Are you willing to question your 
 motives? Are you willing to go into the dark 
 chamber of your experience ? Are you willing to 
 call God to go with you there ? Are you willing 
 to open the door of the sanctuary, and let blaze up- 
 on your secret thoughts and feelings, the whole light 
 of the eternal throne, and say : " God, interpret to 
 me my nature, my heart, my life, my character, my 
 everything — that I may bring out whatever is evil in 
 Thy sight, and for the sake of the world sanctify my- 
 self, and be a better man." It is quite in vain to talk 
 about things in general. It is quite in vain to say, ^'I 
 will, in general, look at sin." Will you look at it per- 
 
TRUE RELIGION". 221 
 
 sonally, man by man ? Will you search your disposi- 
 tion trait by trait ? Will you go through all your busi- 
 ness, your pleasures, your affections — everything that 
 relates to your happiness, or well-being, or to your 
 misery and woe — and lay the law of God upon every 
 part of your life with this solemn and earnest pur- 
 pose : "I by the love of God," — that shall not be 
 withheld from any one of you — " am prepared to say 
 in the presence of my Saviour, that I will sanctify 
 myself for their sakes that are given me." Let it be 
 so. And, as the housewife, taking her broom, begins 
 and brushes every web however gauzy, out of the 
 angle, and clears everything off from the windows 
 and washes them, and sweeps in every corner and 
 nook, and dusts in every alcove, and cleans every 
 part, and gathers the collected dirt and marches it in 
 a battalion towards the door and gradually works it 
 through the hall and across the hall to the outside 
 door, and, at last, with one blow, sweeps it all out 
 and bids farewell to it ,* so let you hearts be cleansed. 
 It is a good time to begin such a duty as this, and it 
 is a good time to be faithful therein. And, for the 
 sake of God, for the sake of the Church, for the sake 
 of the family, and for the sake of the cause of God in 
 our day, 1 call upon you to sanctify yourselves. 
 What reformations in the performance of family duty 
 toward your children do these thoughts suggest to you? 
 Have you been such parents as you ought to have 
 been ? Have you set such an example before your 
 children as you ought to have set ? Have you taught 
 them as you ought to have taught them? Have you 
 borne with them and labored with them as you ought 
 ♦19 
 
222 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 to have done? Are 3'ou doing it now — you that are 
 in the midst of your life's calh'ng ? Are you carry- 
 ing yourselves in the household so as to be a help to 
 your children, or are you lying across the threshold 
 so as to be a perpetual stumbling-block to them ? 
 Are you living with each other, husbands and wives, 
 in the truest spirit of love, and in the largest sense of 
 wedding? Are you one? or are you forever and 
 forevermore two ? Are you living to help each 
 other, or to annoy each other ? Are you living in the 
 true excusatory spirit which always accompanies 
 real conjugal love? Do you look upon each other, 
 with all your faults and failings, as the heirs of God ? 
 In your hearts, made luminous by faith, do you see 
 heaven blossoming in the face of your companions, 
 and behold that which is to be, but which has not yet 
 been, disclosed from the rubbish of imperfect human 
 experience? And do you find yourselves moved 
 to patience, to gentleness, and to holy forbearance ? 
 And are you every day twining around each other 
 like two honeysuckles? And do the blossoms of 
 your love send fragrance through all the dwelling 
 and through every wedded day ? Is there nothing to 
 be done by you? Is there no change to be made in 
 your life ? If there are any here who are living in 
 almost mortal hate, and who have formed habits of 
 disagreement, tlien, if the root of your former love 
 remains, do not destroy that but do as I did when I 
 coald not manage my old honeysuckle. I cut it off to 
 the root, and in a few weeks it sent out new shoots ; 
 and I trained these new shoots as I wanted them to 
 grow, and there they stand to my good pleasure. 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 223 
 
 And if your old love is gnarled and twisted, so that 
 you cannot manage it, cut it off to the root, and cul- 
 tivate new fruits of fresh love, that shall be for your 
 happiness and profit. We talk about revivals in the 
 Church. Oh, for a revival that shall make husbands 
 and wives love each other, or that shall make those 
 that do love each other more tolerant and patient to- 
 ward one another ! Oh, for a revival that shall lead 
 husband and wife to take hold of hands, for their 
 children's sake, and say : " Beloved, let us sanctify 
 ourselves." Is there no work of this kind that is be- 
 fitting you ? Are there no thoughts in this connec- 
 tion that are applicatory to your business relations ? 
 Perhaps you say, some of you, '' I conduct my busi- 
 ness according to the best light I have." Ood be 
 thanked if you do. I hope that there are some who 
 can truly say this. But are there not some who 
 need greater moderation ? Honest you are, but are 
 you not too intense, too much absorbed in your secu- 
 lar affairs? Do you not need to be more moderate 
 in worldly things ! Are you living up to the highest 
 light that you have in this regard ? Can you take 
 the Word of God, and go through the processes of 
 your business, and say, " There is nothing here that 
 I am afraid to have God's eye rest upon ? " Blessed 
 are ye if it is so ; but I exhort you, as your Christian 
 friend, to take advantage of this great truth of which 
 I have spoken, and say, ' In my business I am called 
 of God, to sanctify myself for their sakes that are 
 round about me, and to become a holier man in my 
 secular administration." What new offices of labor, 
 what new fidelities, what consecrations and purifica- 
 
224 TRUE RELIGION". 
 
 tions, are necessary that you may have more influ- 
 ence with those round about you, Sunday-school 
 teacher? Are you as influential with your class as 
 you would be if you were holier ? You may avoid 
 sins and faults of an overt kind, but are you not 
 wanting in fervor, in heavenly mindedness, and in 
 overflowing sweet dispositions? Are you not de- 
 ficient toward those that are under your charge, be- 
 cause you lack so much of the grace of Christ Jesus? 
 And is there not a call to you to sanctify yourselves 
 this vear, for their sakes that are committed unto 
 your care? I invoke every one of you to a higher 
 life for Christ's sake, for the sake of those around 
 you, for the sake of the poor and needy in this land 
 and in every land, for the sake of God who loves 
 you, and for the sake of the Church Universal which 
 is established for you. And this is my appeal; that you 
 accompany me in the solemn confession of sin, and 
 in the divinely implanted purpose (tf eradicating it 
 root and branch ; that you may look at yourselves as 
 related to many parts of life ; and that you take upon 
 yourselves earnestly and irrevocably, for time and 
 eternity, this solemn, this apostolic, this more than 
 apostolic, this Christ-like example, and say, "For 
 my own sake, for God's sake, and for the sake of all 
 that live, I will sanctify myself." And God grant 
 that having had a place in this earthly church, you 
 and I may stand together in the church triumphant, 
 without stain, or spot, or blemish, or any such thing, 
 to the honor and the glory of the adorable name of 
 Him by whom we are saved and in whom we trust. 
 " Having therefore these promises," said the inspired 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 225 
 
 apostle, " dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves 
 from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting 
 holiness in the fear of God." 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN'S SECRET OF A HAPPY LIFE. 
 
 (abstract.) 
 
 (1) The Lord has taught me experimentally and 
 practically, certain lessons out of His word, which 
 have greatly helped me in my Christian life, and have 
 made it a very happy one. And I want to tell this 
 lesson to others that they may have a happy life also. 
 I cannot bear to keep the secret to myself. 
 
 (2) god's side and man's side. 
 
 God's part in the work of sanctification and man's 
 part. Man's part is to trust, and God's part is to 
 work. We are to be delivered from the power of 
 temptation and sin, and are to be made " perfect in 
 every good work to do the will of God." We are to 
 *' be transformed by the renewing of our minds, that 
 we may prove what is that good and acceptable, and 
 perfect will of God." The Lord Jesus Christ has 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 227 
 
 come to do this work, and he will do it for all who 
 put themselves wholly into His hand and trust Him 
 to do it. In this highest Christian life, man trusts 
 with his whole heart, and God does the thing en- 
 trusted to Him. Now, sanctitication is both a sud- 
 den step of faith on our part, and also a gradual 
 process on God's part. By a step of faith we put 
 ourselves into the hands of Christ, and by a gradual 
 process He prepares us for every good work. The 
 maturity of Christian experience cannot be reached 
 in a moment, bat is the result of the work of the 
 Holy Spirit. Sanctification as a present experience 
 does not consist in maturity of growth, but in purity 
 of heart, and this may be as complete in the babe in 
 Christ as in the veteran believer. By a step of faith 
 we put ourselves into the hands of the Lord, for Him 
 to work in us all the good pleasure of His will, and 
 b}^ a continuous exercise of faith we keep ourselves 
 there, yielding ourselves unto God and " He works 
 in us, to will and to do of His good pleasure." *' I 
 labored, yet not I but the grace of God which was 
 with me.'^ 
 
 (3) THE LIFE DEFINED. 
 
 This highest, happiest life, is a life of trust ; " hid 
 with Christ in God." The Bible teaches us that our 
 Saviour is as able to save from anxious care and the 
 power of temptation as from the penalty of transgres- 
 sion. This exalted religious experience consists in 
 simply trusting the Lord to carry our burdens and 
 manage our affairs for us, instead of indulging anxious 
 care in striving to manage our affairs ourselves, with- 
 
228 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 out trustfully looking to Him for aid. If we would 
 be at peace we must take all our cares to Him and 
 leave them there. We must trust in divine strength 
 to support us under our burdens, every thing that 
 troubles us, whether spiritual or temporal, whether 
 inward or outward. After we have taken our trouble 
 to the Lord and left it there, if it comes back, we 
 must take it to Him again and leave it until we find 
 perfect rest. " Be careful for nothing, and the peace 
 of God which passeth all understanding shall keep 
 your hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus." We 
 must be teachable and trustful as little children. A 
 young child trusts its devoted parent from years end 
 to years end with no anxious solicitude. He pro- 
 vides nothing for himself, his parent provides every- 
 thing ; he lives peacefully from moment to moment. 
 Hence our heavenly Father says to us, " Take no 
 thought for yourselves. Trust in the Lord, and do 
 good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou 
 Shalt be fed." 
 
 (4) HUNGERING AND THIRSTING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 
 
 Our Divine Redeemer has said : " Blessed are they 
 which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for 
 they shall be filled." 
 
 (ABSTRACT.) 
 
 This is God's policy of insurance upon the enter- 
 prise of right living. It presents Him as saying: 
 '* Take any other ideal of life, and you take risks as 
 to succeeding. But if you will make it always your 
 supreme, choice to live aright, I pledge myself that 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 229 
 
 you shall have success." For the effort to live 
 aright is the one effort, among all the varieties of hu- 
 man strivings, which cannot be frustrated by hin- 
 drances outside of one's self. In the various aspira- 
 tions and undertakings of mankind, there is no cer- 
 tainty of succeeding ; the utmost wisdom and 
 earnestness of endeavor do not always accomplish 
 the result. Health? One may understand the con- 
 ditions and laws which promote good health, and 
 observe them to the utmost, yet accidents unforeseen 
 may derange the organization, unpreventable expos- 
 ure may cause disease, one's wisely chosen food or 
 
 j medicine may poison him with unknown adultera- 
 
 ' tions, and old age will surely bring infirmities and 
 decay. Wealth ? A merchant may understand the 
 laws of commerce, may plan his business 
 judiciously, live frugally, save steadily, and in- 
 
 I vest wisely ; the failure and frauds of *others may 
 overwhelm him. Fame? One may desire to the ut- 
 
 ; most the good opinion of others, and live circum- 
 spectly to that end, yet the jealousies of rivals or 
 enemies may involve him in undeserved obloquy. 
 Usefulness ? One may engage sincerely, earnestly, 
 and steadily in some well-planned scheme of doing 
 good, yet circumstances wholly unforeseen and uncon- 
 trollable, may defeat the plan. Power ? How many 
 men, endowed with apparent qualification and favor- 
 able circumstances to attain power, have utterly 
 I failed while doing the best that could be done ? 
 But a wise, unyielding effort for righteousness, in 
 the eye and appreciation of God, is righteousness. 
 Hence, when one knows what is right, and strives 
 20 
 I 
 
230 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 perseveringly to do it, trusting in divine assistance, 
 that effort cannot be defeated. In really hungering 
 and thirsting for righteousness, '' he shall be filled." 
 But it must be something more than the pleasurea- 
 ble anticipations which brings us to our daily meals. 
 It must be real craving, hunger and thirst for recti- 
 tude, an inflexible and earnest desire and purpose, so 
 overwhelming above and beyond all other hopes and 
 objects, as to ensure its gratification in right living 
 in preference to all sinful indulgences. 
 
 (5) HOW TO ENTER IN. 
 
 In order for a soul to be made into a vessel for 
 God's honor, " sanctified and meet for the Master's 
 use, and prepared unto every good work," it must be 
 entirely consecrated and abandoned to Him, so as to 
 become passive in His hands. The whole spirit, soul 
 and body, must be surrendered to God's absolute and 
 unconditional control. His directions must be im- 
 plicitly followed. In every moral act the supreme 
 choice must be " Thy will be done." In this spirit 
 of entire submission we shall experience the hap- 
 piest and most restful of lives. For God loves us, and 
 knows what is best for us, and His way must be the 
 best for us under all circumstances. Faith is the 
 next thing. Faith is an absolutely necessary ele- 
 ment in the reception of any gift ; for, let our friends 
 give a thing to us ever so fully, it is not really ours 
 until we believe it has been given, and claim it our 
 own. Love may be lavished upon us by another, 
 but until we believe that we are loved, it never 
 really becomes ours. In the beginning of the Chris- 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 231 
 
 tian life, we believed that Jesus was our Saviour 
 from the penalty of sin, and according to our faith it 
 was unto us. Now we must believe that He is our 
 Saviour from the power of temptation, and accord- 
 ing to our faith it shall be unto us. Then we were 
 justified by faith, now we must take Him as a Saviour 
 from the bondage of sin. But sometimes the earnest 
 Christian, desiring entire sanctification, cannot be- 
 lieve that he is entirely consecrated until he feels 
 that he is. He puts feeling first, and faith second. 
 Now God's invariable rule is, faith first and feeling 
 afterward, in everything. He should give himself to 
 God entirely, definitely, fully, according to his present 
 light, asking the Holy Spirit to show him all that is 
 contrary to God, either in heart or life. If He shows 
 anything, give it to the Lord immediately, and say in 
 reference to it, " Thy will be done." Do you, then, 
 at this moment, surrender yourself wholly to Him? 
 Then He has taken you, and He " is working in you 
 to will and to do His good pleasure." It is your 
 purpose God appreciates, not your feelings about 
 that purpose. Pure religion resides in the will alone. 
 As the will is the governing power in man's nature, 
 if the will is set strait all the rest of man's nature 
 must come into harmony. If then God is reigning 
 there by the power of His Spirit, all the rest of our 
 nature must be obedient to Him. *' If any man shall 
 do His will he shall know of the doctrine." Your 
 entire sanctification is attained, not because your 
 faith in itself sanctifies you, but because it links you 
 to your Saviour, who is " called Jesus, because He 
 shall save His people from their sins." He is able to 
 
232 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 save to the uttermost. " The blood of Jesus Christ 
 cleanseth from all sin.'^ Now God says, "Yield 
 yourselves unto Me, as those that are alive from the 
 dead, and I will work in you to will and to do of My 
 good pleasure." And the moment that we yield our- 
 selves, He of course takes full possession of us, and 
 does work in us that which is pleasing in His sight, 
 through Jesus Christ, giving us the mind that was 
 in Christ, and transforming us into His image. In 
 thi.s way we shall become wholly the Lord's, and 
 have the witness of the spirit that He sanctifies us 
 through the truth. We shall trust in the blood of 
 Jesus as a sufficient atonement for all past sins, and 
 we shall commit the future wholly to the Lord, 
 agreeing to do His will under all circumstances, as 
 He shall make it known. We shall trust Him for a 
 present supply of grace, and trust Him in the future 
 to keep us from sin from moment to moment. Noth- 
 ing else will take all the risks and supposes out of 
 the Christian life, and enable him to sa}'' : " Surely 
 goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of 
 my life.'* And such a soul can say: 
 
 " I know not what it is to doubt. 
 My heart is always gay, 
 I run no risk, for come what may, 
 God always has His way." 
 
 If the will of God is our will, and He always has 
 His way, then we always have our way also, and we 
 reign in a perpetual kingdom. If we side with God 
 we must triumph in every encounter, and whether 
 the result shall be joy or sorrow, under all circum- 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 233 
 
 stances we shall join in the apostles shout of victory, 
 " Thanks be unto God, which alwa^'s causeth us to 
 triumph in Christ." 
 
 (6) GROWTH IX GRACE. 
 
 When the earnest seeker has really entered into 
 this exalted Christian life, " which is hid with Christ 
 in God," by entire surrender and confiding trust he 
 must aim constantly at spiritual progress, and at fu- 
 ture increase and development as he advances in the 
 divine life. He must advance from the feebleness of 
 infancy toward the strength of mature manhood, so 
 as to bring forth ripe fruit. Do not trouble your- 
 selves about growing, but trust in Christ continually 
 for your growing life, that He may work in you all 
 the good pleasure of His will. Put your growing 
 life in His hands for its progress and completion, 
 " and the peace of God, which passeth all under- 
 standing, shall keep your hearts and minds, through 
 Christ Jesus." ^' Abide in me and I in you. As the 
 branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in 
 the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me." 
 "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree ; he 
 shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon." Therefore you 
 must increase in holiness, advance in piety. Though 
 your spiritual life be now as feeble as the physical 
 cal and intellectual life of an infant, it must strength- 
 en with your strength and grow with your growth. 
 You must increase in the fervor and constancy of 
 your love to God and submission to His holy and 
 righteous will, 
 ♦20 
 
234 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 (7) SERVICE. 
 
 When a Christian enters into the hidden life with 
 Christ in God, he experiences a great change in the 
 matter of service. In all the lower forms of Chris- 
 tian experience, service is apt to have much of 
 bondage in it. The conscience of the Christian 
 urges him to obey the Divine law, merely from a sense 
 of duty, and often his religious services are great 
 trials and crosses. He finds his struggling experi- 
 ence in the seventh chapter of Romans : " For we 
 know (says he) that the law is spiritual ; but I am 
 carnal, sold under sin. . . For to will is present 
 with me ; but how to perform that which is good, I 
 find not." Now in these higher forms of Christian 
 experience, the soul is in a great measure delivered 
 from this species of bondage in proportion as he 
 enters fully into the blessed life of faith. His im- 
 proved experience is like that of the Apostle Paul in 
 the eighth chapter of Romans. " For the law of the 
 spirit of life hath made me free from the law of sin 
 and death." They that are after the spirit, do mind 
 the things of the spirit. To be spiritually minded is 
 life and peace. When we come into this state, we 
 do God's will with as much pleasure and heartiness 
 as men in their unsanctified state do their own wills. 
 As God works in us " to will and do of His good 
 pleasure," we will what He wills, not merely because 
 it is our duty, but because we delight to do His will 
 as He desires. Says the Psalmist : " I delight to do 
 Thy will." Says the Apostle : *' I delight in the law 
 of God." If this be our experience, let us habitually 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 235 
 
 inquire, how shall I serve my Master to-day ? Let us 
 dedicate ourselves anew to Him body and soul and 
 spirit, with all our possessions and influence. We 
 must look to II im for all we need through the 
 day. '' If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will 
 do it." We must imitate Jesus in all we do. We 
 must do as we think He would do in our circum- 
 stances. We must speak of Bim to all who will 
 listen to our conversation, and walk with Him in 
 peace and holiness. " Them that honor me, I will 
 honor." Then let us follow our Lord's example by a 
 life of self-sacrificing beneficence in '' going about 
 doing good." 
 
 (8) TEMPTATION. 
 
 Christian life is a continuous warfare with tempta- 
 tion. Great temptations are frequently a sign of 
 great grace in the heart, consequently temptation is 
 not sin. But in every temptation we must expect to 
 conquer, for God says : *' Be strong and of a good 
 courage." Blessed is the man that endureth tempta- 
 tion, not in his own weakness and susceptibility, but 
 by faith in the proffered strength of Almighty God. 
 Resist the temptations of the world, the flesh and 
 the devil. Walk through the fiercest assaults with 
 unclouded and triumphant peace, knowing that 
 " when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the 
 spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against 
 him." We must ever remember that sanctification 
 is not a thing to be kept without the use of appro- 
 priate means in a certain stage of Christian experi- 
 ence, but it is a life to be lived day by day, and hour 
 
236 TRUE RELIGION. 
 
 by hour. If at any time, by neglect of watchfulness, 
 the strength of temptation and the weakness of 
 faith, there be momentary stumbling in our walk, we 
 must instantly regain our step by turning to Jesus, 
 our continuous guide and unfailing support. There 
 is no remedy to be found in discouragement. As 
 well might a child who is learning to walk, lie down 
 in despair when he has fallen, and refuse to take 
 another step, as a believer, who is learning how to 
 live and walk by faith, give up in despair because of 
 having fallen into sin. The only way, in both cases, 
 is to get up and try again, trusting to the sympathy 
 and support of our loving father. By a penitential 
 return to God for forgiveness for the past, and 
 strength for the future, we may be sure of immediate 
 forgiveness. " If we confess our sins, he is faithful 
 and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from 
 all unrighteousness. The Lord Jesus is able to 
 deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, that we 
 may serve him without fear in holiness and righteous- 
 ness before him all the days of our life. Let us con- 
 fidingly trust in God's offers of gracious support, 
 that he will be able to make us perfect in every good 
 work to do his will, working in us that which is well 
 pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom 
 be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 
 
 (9) PRACTICAL RESULTS. 
 
 If all that has been written concerning the life 
 hid with Christ in God be true, its results in the 
 practical daily walk and conversation ought to be 
 
TRUE RELIGION. 237 
 
 very marked, and the Christians who have entered 
 into the enjoyment of it, ought to be, in very truth, 
 a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Such 
 Christians must walk through the world as Christ 
 walked. They must have the mind that was in him. 
 They must possess meekness and quietness of spirit 
 as characteristics of the daily life. With a sub- 
 missive acceptance of the will of God in his dark 
 and mysterious providences, they must do and suffer 
 all the good pleasure of His will ; there must be 
 calmness and trust in the midst of turmoil, so as to 
 be relieved from excessive anxiety and solicitude. 
 Christians who thus walk with God will find joy and 
 peace in believing. They will enjoy a foretaste of 
 that rest which remaineth for the people of God in 
 heaven. As it is written " eye hath not seen, nor 
 ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man 
 the things which God hath prepared for them that 
 love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by 
 His spirit." 
 
GOMLUSION. 
 
 DIVINE MESSAGE. 
 
 SERMON. 
 
 Text : '' I have a message from God unto thee." 
 " Prepare to meet thy God. Be ready. The time is 
 fihort." 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 " These are the words I spake nnto you while I 
 was with you, that after my decease ye might have 
 them always in remembrance.'* 
 
 (1) PRECIOUS TRUTH. 
 
 The Bible, which commands all virtue, and forbids 
 all sin, was given by inspiration of God, to make 
 men wiser, better, and happier. Bad men would not 
 
CONCLUSION. 239 
 
 make such a book of holy precepts, examples, and 
 instructions, to condemn themselves, and good men, 
 uninspired, could not teach " Thus saith the Lord," 
 knowing it to be their own invention. Therefore, it 
 was written by '^ holy men of God, as they were 
 moved by the Holy Ghost,'' for the conversion and 
 sanctification of perishing sinners. 
 
 (2) IMMORTALITY. 
 
 Jesus brought life and immortality to light. He 
 said : ^' Because I live, ye shall live. He that be- 
 lieveth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he 
 live." He shall never die. 
 
 (3) RESURRECTION. 
 
 " All that are in their graves shall come forth ; they 
 that have done good unto life, and they that have 
 done evil unto condemnation." God will give us 
 spiritual bodies, suited to their ofiSces, " for He doeth 
 whatsoever pleaseth Him." 
 
 (4) JUDGMENT. 
 
 " After death the judgment " of every work, with 
 every thing, good or evil. '' The unjust will be un- 
 just still, and the holy will be holy still." 
 
 (5) HOLINESS SAFE. SIN DANGEROUS. 
 
 Sin and suffering exist here, under God's merciful 
 government, and the compassionate Jesus says, here- 
 after the wicked '^ shall go away into eternal pun- 
 ishment." 
 
240 CONCLUSION. 
 
 (6) SINS OF OMISSION. 
 
 " Inasmuch as ye did it not." '' All have sinned 
 and come short of the glory of God, being dead in 
 trespasses and sins.'' 
 
 (7) LOVE IN JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 " God so loved the world that He gave His only 
 begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him 
 should not perish," " By the law none shall be justi- 
 fied, but by grace through faith." *' With the heart 
 man believeth unto righteousness." 
 
 (8) VICTORY BY FAITH. 
 
 *' Watch and pray that ye enter not into tempta- 
 tion. God giveth us the victory through our Lord 
 Jesus Christ. This is the victory that overcometh 
 the world, even our faith." 
 
 (9) WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. 
 
 ^' We know that we love God, when we keep 
 his commandments, and they are not grievous," when 
 we delight to do His will, not from a mere sense of 
 duty. If we find our experience in the fifty-first 
 Psalm, and in the eighth of Romans, instead of the 
 seventh, " we know that God abideth in us by the 
 spirit He hath given us." 
 
 (10) HEAVEN. 
 
 " The wise shall shine as the brightness of the 
 firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, 
 as the stars forever and ever. 
 
CONCLUSION. 241 
 
 human questions with divine answers, 
 (appeal to the impenitent.) 
 
 1. Why are you not a Christian ? 
 
 " Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have 
 life." 
 
 2. Do you fear what others may say of you? 
 *' Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, of him shall 
 
 the Son of Man be ashamed." 
 
 3. Do the faults of professing Christians hinder 
 you? 
 
 *^ Every one of us shall give account of himself to 
 God." 
 
 4. Are you willing to be lost, because the worst 
 of professors are ? 
 
 What are their faults to you ? " Follow me," says 
 our Lord. 
 
 5. Are you unwilling to consecrate all to Christ? 
 " What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole 
 
 world, and lose his own soul? He that forsaketh 
 not all that he hath, cannot be my disciple." 
 
 6. Do you fear that you will not be accepted ? 
 "Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life 
 
 freely." 
 
 7. Do you fear that you are too great a 
 sinner? 
 
 " If we confess, and forsake our sins, He will 
 cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 
 
 8. Are you afraid you may not persevere ? 
 
 " He that hath begun a good work in you, will 
 perform it." 
 
 9. Do you trust to good works? 
 
 21 
 
242 CONCLUSION. 
 
 " The Lord looketh on the heart," to see if it is 
 your supreme aim to please Him in all things. 
 
 *' Whosoever shall offend in one point is guilty " 
 and condemned for breaking the law, for which 
 morality cannot atone. 
 
 10. Do you ask what shall I do ? 
 
 '* Repent and make you a new heart. Believe on 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. He 
 that believeth not, the wrath of God abideth on him. 
 Pray daily, * God be merciful to me a sinner,' for 
 Christ's sake.' " 
 
 11. Why delay? 
 
 " Boast not thyself of to-morrow. There is but a 
 step between thee and death." 
 
 12. When should you begin to serve God ? 
 
 '* Choose you this day." " Now is the time." 
 
 13. What more can be done for you? 
 
 " What could have been done more than has been 
 done? Jesus said, ' It is finished.' " 
 

SUPPLEMENT. 
 
 A SKETCH 
 
 — OF THB — 
 
 LIFE OF REV. WALTER P. DOE. 
 
 «2l 
 
E 
 
 This brief sketch of the life of a Christian minister 
 is prepared as a memorial for gratuitous circulation 
 among his relatives and others, because it is thought 
 that it contains some hints as the result of his expe- 
 rience, study and observation, which may benefit the 
 living and instruct and stimulate them to diligence 
 in the Christian life. 
 
 At the same time it is designed to perpetuate and 
 disseminate some of the religious and reformatory 
 truths which he regarded as very precious, and earn- 
 estly endeavored to promote by example and oral 
 address, during life, so that after his decease the 
 living may realize that " He being dead, yet 
 speaketh." 
 
iv PREFACE. 
 
 As he experienced very many hindrances in life, 
 which prevented him from accomplishing all the 
 good which he strongly desired to do, it is hoped 
 that the teachings and motives which influenced him 
 may stimulate others to earnestness in doing good, 
 and thus perpetuate his Christian and ministerial 
 usefulness. 
 
 W. P. D. 
 
 Providence, R. L, January 1st, 1883. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Early Life 1 
 
 CHAPTER IL 
 Religions Experience , ; . . . 2 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Residence in New York , 4 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Devotion to Revivals and Moral Reform 5 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Personal Efforts as a Layman 6 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Call to Preach 8 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Student Life 10 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Ministry 12 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Temperance 14 
 
vi CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Slaveiy and the Civil War 16 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 Domestic and Pecuniary Condition 18 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 Physical Disability , 20 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 Fields of His Ministry 21 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Faithfulness in View of Hindrances ■ 24 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Reflections and Anticipations 30 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 Rewards Proportioned to Faithfulness < . • * « 32 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 EARLY LIFE. 
 
 Rev. Walter P. Doe was born at Wilton, near Sar- 
 atoga Springs, N. Y., on the 30th of March, A. D., 
 1813, of intelligent and energetic parents in prosper- 
 ous circumstances. He was early taught the princi- 
 ples of economy, industry, and strict morality. 
 
 During the intervals of his attendance at school, 
 he was much engaged in assisting and managing 
 his father's extensive business. 
 
 After finishing his preparatory education at Johns- 
 town Academy, at the age of eighteen, he engaged 
 in learning the mercantile business, in Troy, N. Y. 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 
 
 Although he had been seriously disposed from 
 early youth, and had always designed that the world 
 should be the better for his having lived iu it, and 
 had believed that true piety was of inestimable value 
 and importance, in reforming the life and in affording 
 consolation in affliction as well as in furnishing a sus- 
 taining liope in prospect of death, he was hindered for 
 several 3^ears from engaging personally in the positive 
 and active service of God by reason of the mystery 
 which seemed to be thrown about regeneration by 
 those who professed to have experienced it. 
 
 But, on leaving home to seek his fortune in the 
 world, he was the subject of the increasing and 
 special strivings of the Eloly Spirit. He early yielded 
 to His influence, and decided to renounce entirely all 
 reliance upon his strict morality for salvation and 
 
RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 3 
 
 trust unreservedly in the atonement of Jesus Christ, 
 and lead a benevolent, prayerful, penitent, obedient 
 and holy life. 
 
 In this reasonable and wise decision to enlist for 
 time and eternity in the service of God, and in striv- 
 ing to please Him in all things, as the supreme and 
 controlling purpose of life, he found abiding and in- 
 creasing peace and satisfaction. 
 
 In his subsequent experience, he endeavored to 
 obey the Divine injunction, " Grow in grace and in 
 the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.'' 
 Hence, in his Christian warfare with temptation, he 
 was graciously sustained by faith in the Divine Re- 
 deemer. He aimed supremely, earnestly and per- 
 petually at entire consecration and entire holiness, so 
 as to walk in " the path of the just, which is as the 
 shining light that shineth more and more unto the 
 perfect day." And with this evidence of renewed 
 and sanctified life he made a public profession of his 
 faith in Christ on the first of January, 1832, in the 
 Second Presbyterian Church in the city of Troy, 
 where he then resided. 
 22 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 KESIDENCE IN NEW YORK. 
 
 In the year 1833 he removed to the city of New 
 York to engage in the employment of those dis- 
 tinguished Christian philanthropists and reformers, 
 Messrs. Arthur Tappan and Company, who conducted 
 one of the very largest and most honorable mercan- 
 tile establishments of that period. Here he spent a 
 few years in very active and absorbing business pur- 
 suits, and the employment of all his leisure hours in 
 mental culture, by choice reading, or in the study of 
 human nature, which the increased facilities of that 
 populous city afforded. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 DEVOTION TO REVIVALS AND MORAL REFORMS. 
 
 In this new relation to society in New York, he 
 early became actively identified not only with genu- 
 ine and powerful revivals of true religion, but having 
 embraced the gospel as a reformatory and progressive 
 system, he entered earnestly into the benevolent en- 
 terprises and great Christian reforms, which are 
 designed to improve the condition of the oppressed, 
 degraded and vicious classes of our own population, 
 as well as of papal and heathen countries. From 
 this period, not only the bible and tract causes, but 
 the causes of domestic and foreign missions, and 
 other similar societies, ever enlisted his warmest 
 sympathies, prayers, efforts and contributions. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 PERSONAL EFFORTS AS A LAYMAN. 
 
 About this period, through the influence of Harlan 
 Page and other devoted laymen, the duties and en- 
 couragements to personal efforts for the salvation of 
 Bouls began to be more than usually recognized in 
 the churches, and were greatly blessed in the con- 
 version of sinners. As might have been expected in 
 his youthful earnestness, he entered heartily into this 
 commendable work, in proportion as his active busi- 
 ness engagements permitted. His humble efforts, in 
 the Sabbath School and in his tract district, as well 
 as in the protracted religious meetings in periods of 
 of revival influences, were much blessed in the 
 awakening and conversion of several persons who 
 have occupied influential positions as ministers and 
 other office bearers, as well as active private mem- 
 bers of the Church of Jesus Christ. In order to be 
 successful in this work of faith and labor of love, he 
 
PERSONAL EFFORTS AS A LAYMAN. 7 
 
 maintained that Christians should be in a very 
 prayerful and spiritual frame of mind, so as to realize 
 the very great importance of the conversion of in- 
 dividual sinners, and also to be able to discriminate 
 between careless, awakened and deeply convicted 
 sinners, so as to give to each appropriate instruction 
 and exhortation, and thus secure their immediate 
 conversion. 
 
 He maintained that Christians should seek favor- 
 able periods for exhorting the impenitent, when they 
 are at leisure, when they are alone, or when they are 
 in affliction. Also that the manner should be kind, 
 earnest, plain and faithful, as well as personal. 
 Their honest difficulties should be removed as far as 
 possible, but there should be no debate in reference 
 to caviling objections. If the sinner refers to the 
 difference of sentiments among Christian denomina* 
 tious, he should be shown that all agree that faith in 
 Christ is the only way to be saved. If he refers to 
 the faults of Christians, he should be urged to strive 
 to enter the strait gate for himself. He should be 
 warned faithfully of the great sin of practical unbelief 
 and of his sins of omission, as well as of his great 
 danger, and the duty of immediate trust in Christ for 
 salvation. He should be urged to renounce immedi- 
 ately and entirely all his worldly idols and choose 
 the service of the Lord, heartily forsaking all known 
 and willful sins, and with penitence and prayer obey 
 all the divine requirements. With such efforts to 
 save sinners, he believed that Christians of moderate 
 gifts might succeed in persuading very many to 
 choose the way of eternal life. 
 ♦22 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 CALL TO PREACH. 
 
 And it was while sharing in precious and powerful 
 revivals of religion, as the result of pungent preaching 
 and prayerful personal efforts, that he thought that 
 he received a divine call to prepare for the gospel 
 nainistry. But as providential circumstances seemed 
 strongly to oppose his commencing the preparatory 
 studies, while they offered very flattering and bright 
 prospects for becoming permanently and successfully 
 established in the mercantile business, he delayed for 
 a few years the great change in his pursuits. But he 
 often felt himself graciously called of God, as was 
 Aaron, " to preach the gospel." 
 
 His feelings and experiences were like those of the 
 prophet Jeremiah, when he said, *' His word was in 
 my heart, as a burning fire shut up in my bones, 
 and I was weary with forbearing." He felt also like 
 the apostle Paul, when he said, *' Necessity is laid 
 
CALL TO PREACH. 9 
 
 upon me ; yea, woe is me, if I preach not the gospel." 
 He felt that the address of the sacred poet to the 
 awakened sinner was applicable to himself in respect 
 to his divine call to preach. 
 
 " Those new desires, that in thee burn, 
 Were kindled by His grace." 
 
 From that period, through the remainder of his ac- 
 tive ministry, until the decline of life led him to re- 
 tire from it, he always had an inexpressible earnest- 
 ness and unquenchable passion for preaching the 
 " glorious gospel of the blessed God." He felt habit- 
 ually that he had rather preach the gospel than to 
 attain the greatest riches of earth, or the most exalted 
 human honors and felicities, or govern an empire, or 
 sway the political destinies of a world. With such 
 experiences, he consequently determined to abandon 
 his flattering pecuniary prospects of permanently 
 settling in New York, and go to the far West, and 
 encounter much self-denial and privation for many 
 years, in preparatory study, for the purpose of pur 
 suing through life the humble and trying duties of 
 the Christian ministry, with the deliberate expecta- 
 tion of very meagre pecuniary support, and that the 
 experiences of his profession would be the source of 
 the keenest sorrows as well as the greatest joys of 
 any vocation in life. And these anticipations were 
 fully confirmed in his subsequent experience. But 
 he always felt in sympathy with the apostle Paul, in 
 the exclamation: ''I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who 
 hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, 
 putting me into the ministry.'' 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 STUDENT LIFE. 
 
 In the year 1837 he began his preparatory studies 
 at Quincy, Illinois, upon the banks of the Mississippi, 
 under the instructions of that eminently devoted 
 minister of Christ, Dr. David Nelson, the author of 
 the ''Cause and Cure of Infidelity," one of the most 
 useful and interesting books ever written. During 
 the vacations of study he was much blessed in revi« 
 vals of religion, in places where no churches or 
 ministers existed in that new country, then greatly 
 destitute of the means of grace. Afterward he 
 entered Oberlin College, Ohio, and was greatly bene- 
 fitted by the instructions and influence of President 
 Finney, whom he always regarded as one of the most 
 holy, as well as one of the very greatest and most 
 effective teachers and preachers. But in 1843, in 
 
STUDENT LIFE. 11 
 
 consequence of the death of his father, he returned 
 to his eastern home, in Saratoga County, N. Y., to 
 assist in the settlement of his estate. He afterwards 
 entered Union College at Schenectady, N. Y., then 
 under the presidency of Dr. Nott, one of the most 
 eloquent of preachers, and a teacher of human na- 
 ture of great sagacity, where he graduated in 1844. 
 After spending three years at Union and Andover 
 Theological Seminaries, he graduated at the latter 
 institution, having enjoyed the valuable instructions 
 of Prof. Park, so universally then, and for many 
 years subsequently, recognized as the most erudite 
 of theological teachers, and the most scholarly and 
 eloquent of preachers. 
 
CHAPTER YIII. 
 
 MINISTRY. 
 
 He was ordained in 1847 as an Orthodox Congre- 
 gational Minister at River Point, R. I. From this 
 period, after declining different calls for permanent 
 settlement, that he might preach in different places 
 in revivals, he alternately occupied the position of 
 acting pastor of different churches, or visited the 
 destitute, and preached much of the time at his own 
 expense as an Evangelist. During his Academical, 
 Collegiate and Theological studies, he obtained very 
 clear views of the importance and practicability of 
 eminent scriptural holiness in both the ministry and 
 private membership of the church, in order to qualify 
 them for the greatest efficiency in the vineyard of the 
 Lord. Having also obtained what he regarded as 
 sound and comprehensive views concerning God's 
 
MINISTRY. 13 
 
 paternal moral government over his intelligent 
 creatures, and his readiness to grant the special effu- 
 sions of His spirit, to give efficacy to appropriate, 
 seasonable and pungent preaching, and the free 
 agency of sinners and their obligation to repent and 
 believe on Christ '' with the heart unto righteousness," 
 and choose the service of God immediately, his min- 
 istry was almost uniformly effective. 
 
 Being an eclectic in the pursuit of the most efficient 
 means of promoting religion, and having had supe- 
 rior advantages for studying carefully the elements of 
 power and secrets of success of many of the most 
 effective revival preachers of the present century, he 
 came early to the conclusion that a powerful minis- 
 try in spiritual results must be a pre-eminently holy 
 ministry, and be constrained by the love of Christ 
 and deep compassion for perishing sinners, so as with 
 good judgment and discriminating sagacity to aim 
 at and strive for, and confidently expect definite re- 
 sults in the revival of the work of grace in the hearts 
 of the saints, and in the renewal and sanctification of 
 sinners. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 TEMPERANCE. 
 
 He adopted in early life the strict principles of 
 temperance in all things, — the moderate use of things 
 innocent and healthful, and total abstinence from all 
 things intoxicating, poisonous and injurious. Hence 
 he abstained not only from the use of all intoxicat- 
 ing drinks as a beverage, but from the use of all such 
 narcotics as tobacco in any of its forms, and from the 
 ordinary, unhealthful drinks of tea and coffee. And 
 by such strict obedience to physical law, not only in 
 diet and drinks, but in sleeping, cleanliness, toil and 
 recreative exercise, as well as by endeavoring to 
 look on the hopeful side of the future, he preserved 
 in a great degree his general health and cheerfulness. 
 
 And when any phase of the temperance reforma- 
 tion gave encouragement for special efforts in behalf 
 of moral suasion, or legal prohibition of the sale of 
 
TEMPERANCE. 16 
 
 liquors, he was accustomed to preach and publish in 
 its favor, and he believed that the legislature should 
 authorize each town, by a majority at a special meet- 
 ing, to decide the question of legal prohibition, dis- 
 connected from all other issues, or make the sellers 
 of liquor legally liable for all the damage of the sale. 
 And he often spoke in public and private against the 
 common use of tobacco as an injurious, expensive 
 and filthy habit, paving the way to the use of intoxi- 
 eating drinks and other vicious habits. 
 23 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 SLAVERY AND THE CIVIL WAR. 
 
 In all the fierce conflicts in behalf of the rights of 
 the enslaved, from his youth and from the very 
 beginning of the modern agitation for more than 
 thirty years, he bore a very active and laborious part 
 in his sphere of life. As he firmly believed that our 
 Lord's golden rule showed the system of American 
 Slavery and all its legal enactments and natural con- 
 sequences to be sinful, and that all the real friends of 
 oppressed humanity should plead for the deliverance 
 of the enslaved as they would rightfully desire them 
 to labor for their freedom if the white race were in 
 bondage, he maintained their cause in the early days 
 of the discussion, when it demanded much personal 
 sacrifice. He also advocated the cause of loyalty 
 and liberty, from the pulpit and the press, during the 
 gloomy disasters to our arms, when the conflict had 
 culminated in civil war, and he urged a petition to 
 
SLAVERY AND THE CIVIL WAR. 17 
 
 President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Procla- 
 mation about the time he did issue it, which not only 
 abolished slavery in our land, but secured the bless- 
 ing of the Almighty in bringing the war to a victo- 
 rious termination in favor of impartial freedom and 
 the political citizenship of the colored race. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 DOMESTIC AND PECUNIARY CONDITION. 
 
 In bis domestic relations he was highly favored. 
 Having married Miss Sophia S. Knight, of Provi- 
 dence, R. I., in 1849, who " looked well to the ways 
 of her household," he was to a great extent relieved 
 from ordinary family anxieties and was enabled to 
 give himself wholly to study and the ministry of the 
 word. 
 
 His pecuniary condition was commonly such that 
 he was not distracted from the duties of his favorite 
 profession by the embarrassments of poverty or the 
 care of riches. But while enjoying the comforts of 
 a moderate competency of property, with economy 
 and careful management he was enabled to enjoy 
 not only the luxury of counseling and aiding the 
 poor in obtaining employment, but in some measure 
 to relieve their immediate necessities. And he also 
 had the pleasure of contributing to the support of 
 
DOMESTIC AND PECUNIARY CONDITION. 19 
 
 public worship, and to the various benevolent socie- 
 ties for the promotion of Christianity. He was uni- 
 formly punctual in the payment of debts, and was 
 never in the habit of employing others to do for 
 him what he could as well do for himself; and he 
 never was in the habit of procrastinating for to- 
 morrow the work which might as well be done to- 
 day. He was accustomed to have a place for every- 
 thing, and to keep everything in its appropriate 
 place. 
 
 ♦23 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 PHYSICAL DISABILITY. 
 
 Id consequence of being a close student for many 
 years, in the latter part of life lie suffered seriously 
 from inflammation of the eyes, and hence he was pre- 
 vented for several years from assuming any position 
 of pastoral responsibility ; and yet whenever any 
 opportunity occurred for supplying vacant pulpits, 
 or for preaching among the poor and destitute in 
 scattered communities, he improved it — commonly 
 with little or no pecuniary compensation. 
 
CHAPTER XIIL 
 
 FIELDS OF HIS MINISTRY. 
 
 He employed his ministry chiefly in the vicinity of 
 Providence, R. I., and Saratoga Springs, New York, 
 where his family relatives resided. In each of these 
 places he heartily co-operated in the organization of the 
 Young Men's Christian Associations, and was accus- 
 tomed to aid personally in sustaining their daily prayer 
 meetings, and in promoting the revivals which blessed 
 those places through their influence in the churches 
 and in destitute fields. In several rural districts in 
 the vicinity of these places, he expended much 
 gratuitous missionary labor. And while encounter- 
 ing many hindrances in these very discouraging 
 fields, by reason of the general apathy of the people 
 on the subject of religion, he was in such cordial 
 sympathy with all Christians of the different evangel- 
 ical denominations, that he commonly enjoyed their 
 confidence and co-operation, so that his preaching 
 
22 FIELDS OF HIS MINISTRY. 
 
 was frequently attended by the divine blessing in the 
 awakening and conversion of many sinners among 
 them. 
 
 At different periods he ministered, and acted as pas- 
 tor for a few years, to large rural parishes (geographi- 
 cally considered), in the vicinity of both Providence 
 and Saratoga, where he practically and successfully 
 carried out his favorite theories of revivals, home evan- 
 gelization, and the various moral reforms which he 
 regarded as essentially connected with and as the 
 fruits of true religion, as really as the branches are 
 connected with the trunk and constitute a part of 
 the tree. And finding his own peculiar theories and 
 plans so uniformly blessed of heaven, in promoting 
 genuine revivals of religion and home evangelization 
 in the rural districts, he was greatly surprised to find 
 it so difficult, if not almost impracticable to enlist 
 the more conservative ministers and churches in the 
 city and village where he resided at different periods, 
 in special and successful efforts for moral reform and 
 the salvation of men. In these prosperous, wealthy, 
 and fashionable communities the competition and 
 rivalry in building up large congregations were such, 
 and the tendency to worldliness was so great in the 
 churches, that the more popular, conservative and 
 attractive ministers were commonly sought and em- 
 ployed, while the more spiritual, evangelical and 
 effective were in less demand. Hence, revivals 
 were less common and less powerful than in places 
 where the temptations to worldliness and conserva- 
 tism were not so great. As fascination and attract- 
 iveness in the ministry were in greater demand in 
 
FIELDS OF HIS MINISTRY. 23 
 
 such places than preaching, which is reproving and 
 saving, the ministry seemed in some measure to be 
 tempted to seek to please the people that they might 
 be employed permanently, rather than to reform their 
 characters and save their souls. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 FAITHFULNESS IN VIEW OF HINDRANCES. 
 
 With his strictly puritanical, religious opinions, 
 and his belief that his Divine Master was the greatest 
 and most perfect example of progressive and religious 
 moral reformers, to be followed by his ministers, in 
 opposing worldly conformity and popular sins, which 
 weaken the spiritual power of the church, in pro- 
 moting vital and practical godliness among the 
 people at large, he found many and formidable obsta- 
 cles to the effectiveness of his ministry. He thought 
 that the power of the evangelical, revival and re- 
 formatory pulpit in the United States, in the denomi- 
 nations among which he chiefly labored, and after 
 which he modeled his own ministry, culminated be- 
 tween the years 1820 and 1840, under the argumen. 
 tative and pungent appeals of such ministers as 
 Drs. Lyman Beecher, N. W. Taylor, Asahel Nettleton, 
 N. S. S. Beman, E. N. Kirk and President Finney. 
 
FAITHFULNESS IN VIEW OF HINDRANCES. 25 
 
 Hence he followed in a great degree their example. 
 In common with many of the most successful minis- 
 ters, he was not favored with a brilliant imagina- 
 tion, but relied mainly on the more solid and plain 
 truths of the gospel for successful preaching. But 
 he found that the increasing prosperity, luxury and 
 worldliness of the period of his own ministry, from 
 1847 to 1870, had rendered such preaching much 
 less acceptable to the churches and congregations 
 in their back-slidden and thoughtless condition. 
 Many had become, in the language of Scripture 
 " high minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers 
 of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the 
 power thereof." Under these circumstances, he 
 found that too many professing Christians were 
 unwilling to make such sacritice of worldly indulgence 
 and apathy as are involved in genuine revivals of 
 spiritual religion, and therefore faithful and reprov- 
 ing preaching was unwelcome. 
 
 In order to be popular and acceptable, the minister 
 must prophecy smooth things, and be peculiarly fas- 
 cinating, pleasing and attractive, even though he 
 sacrifice pungency and such practical application as 
 stings the conscience, enforces responsibility and re- 
 reforms the life. 
 
 Therefore, concerning such revival and reforma- 
 tory preaching, many said: "This is a hard saying, 
 who can hear it? " And for such as were unreason- 
 ably fastidious and capricious, his ministry had com- 
 paratively little fascination or magnetic attraction. 
 And under such discouraging circumstances in efforts 
 for the promotion of religion, he found consolation 
 
26 FAITHFULNESS IN VIEW OF HINDRANCES. 
 
 in the mysterious and righteous sovereignty and suf- 
 ferance of Divine Providence. 
 
 " For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor 
 from the west, nor from the south." *^But God is the 
 judge, He putteth down one and setteth up another." 
 
 A man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord di- 
 recteth his steps." Hence, we can learn that success 
 or failure in connection with the best planned and 
 intended efforts for promoting religion, as in all other 
 departments of human endeavor, often transpire 
 without visible or apparently adequate causes. 
 
 But under these circumstances of increasing dis- 
 couragement and self-denial on the part of revival 
 and reformatory ministers, the love of Christ and 
 compassion for perishing sinners constrained him to 
 be faithful to his Master and precious souls, to resist 
 the popular current of laxity and worldliness, and to 
 preach with much boldness, even at the sacrifice of 
 much professional popularity against the prevailing 
 usages and sins of the times. For, in reference to 
 the strange and formidable hindrances frequently en- 
 countered in promoting spiritual religion, and in 
 general reformatory work, he believed God apprecia- 
 ted and would reward good intentions and faithful 
 efforts to promote his own glory. '' And we know 
 that all things work together for good to them that 
 love God." 
 
 And we know that it is a great source of consola- 
 tion to feel assured that " all things " including all 
 our afflictions and hindrances in the work of the 
 Lord, shall contribute to our ultimate welfare. '^For 
 our light affliction, which is but for a moment, work- 
 
FAITHFULNESS IN VIEW OF HINDRANCES. 27 
 
 eth for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight 
 of glory." Says a good commentator, " It is a privi- 
 lege to suffer for the welfare of the Church." Paul 
 regarded it as such, and rejoiced in the trials which 
 came upon him in the cause of religion. The Saviour 
 so regarded it and shrank not from the greatest sor- 
 rows involved in the work of saving his people." 
 And the devoted and faithful minister, in preaching 
 the gospel, should cheerfully " endure hardness as 
 a good soldier of Jesus Christ." 
 
 For to do good, to defend the truth, to promote 
 virtue, to save the souls of the perishing, is worth all 
 that it costs; and he who accomplishes these things, 
 by exchanging for them earthly comforts, has made a 
 wise exchange. ^' The universe gains by it in happi- 
 ness, and the benevolent heart should rejoice that 
 there is such a gain, though attended with his indi- 
 vidual and personal sufferings." 
 
 Ministers have a noble office. It is their privilege 
 to make known to men the most glorious truths that 
 can come before the human mind, and which are re- 
 vealed by the gospel. Their business is not to strive, 
 like the selfisii devotees of the world, for mere gold, 
 and honor, and worldly pleasures, but to show every 
 man that he has a fcaviour ; that there is a hell to 
 shun, and a heaven to obtain, and to " present every 
 man perfect before God." With all its sacrifices and 
 self-denials therefore, it is an inestimable privilege to 
 be a minister of the gospel. For there is no man 
 who diffuses through a community so much solid 
 happiness ; there is no man, the result of whose la- 
 bors reaches so far into future ages. lu such a work 
 24 
 
28 FAITHFULNESS IN VIEW OF HINDRANCES. 
 
 it is a privilege to exhaust our strength ; in the per- 
 formance of the duties of such an oflSce, it is our 
 honor to wear out life itself. Doing this, a nnan 
 when he comes to die will feel that he has not lived 
 in vain ; whether his sphere of faithful service be 
 limited by circumstances beyond his control, or 
 whether he has been called in the order of providence 
 to the widest and most extended spheres of influence. 
 " For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall 
 much be required." '' It is required of a steward 
 that a man be found faithful." Such considerations 
 as these encouraged this minister of Christ, whose 
 life is here sketched, to faithfulness, amidst formida- 
 ble obstacles and multiplied and repeated hindrances 
 in preaching the glorious gospel of the blessed God 
 to perishing sinners. 
 
 He was strongly impressed with the solemnity and 
 force of Saint Paul's charge to Tiraotliy in view oi 
 an approaching judgment : '' Preach the word, be 
 instant in season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all 
 long suffering and doctrine. But watch thou in all 
 things, endure afl^lictions, do the work of an evange- 
 list, make full proof of thy ministry." While this 
 minister of Christ cherished an humble hope through 
 grace of admission to heaven to enjoy the presence 
 of every conceivable blessing, and the absence of 
 every evil, and participation in the joys of '^just men 
 made perfect," who have been faithful in their efforts 
 to turn men from sin to holiness, he experienced in 
 the present life, something of the vagueness and 
 hopelessness of all human aspirations. 
 
 Although by God's favoring providence, he thought 
 
FAITHFULNESS IN VIEW OF HINDRANCES. 29 
 
 that his innocent and rational desires through life 
 had been much more fully gratified than is common 
 in the experience of the majority of mankind, yet 
 from the midst of his ordinary cares, fears and griefs, 
 he plainly saw that the day would never come in the 
 present life in which cares, griefs and fears would 
 not surround him, and therefore he desired " a better 
 country, that is a heavenly," where such experiences 
 should be ended. Though all the rest of the uni- 
 verse were given him to choose from, he realized 
 that he could not find a place or condition where he 
 could enjoy perpetual peace and rest. 
 
 He was convinced that if he could have all that 
 this world could yield him, for the naming of it, so 
 that every present desire should be gratified to the 
 utmost, his weary soul would soon be found as far 
 from rest as ever. For he knew that it was not in 
 the power of the world to furnish men with perfect 
 happiness, because "this is not our rest." ^' But 
 there remaineth a rest for the people of God." Hence 
 he hoped for special grace at the termination of this 
 mortal life to exclaim with the inspired Psalmist, " Re- 
 turn unto thy rest, my soul, for the Lord hath dealt 
 bountifully with thee." And with the Apostle to say, 
 " I am now ready to be offered, and the time of 
 my departure is at hand. I have fought a good figlit, 
 I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. 
 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of right- 
 eousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall 
 give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all 
 them, also, that love his appearing." 
 
CHAPTER XY. 
 
 REFLECTIONS AND ANTICIPATIONS. 
 
 Amid the strong temptations by which he was sur- 
 rounded, he felt the need of constant and large meas- 
 ures of divine grace to preserve him in the narrow 
 pathway of holiness, that he might be a minister of 
 Jesus Christ, and that he might by patient con- 
 tinuance in well doing, seek for glory and honor and 
 immortality and eternal life. 
 
 And in proportion as he manifested the spirit of 
 his Divioe Master amidst ordinary human infirmities, 
 and was faithful in preaching the glorious gospel of 
 the blessed God, let his ministerial brethren and 
 Christian friends be stimulated by his example to 
 greater earnestness in promoting the divine glory in 
 saving souls. For God has said, " They that be wise 
 shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and 
 they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for- 
 ever and ever." 
 
REFLECTIONS AND ANTICIPATIONS. 31 
 
 During his Chistian life, he aimed supremely to 
 please his Heavenly Father. He aimed to glorify 
 Christ who died to save him from sin and its dread- 
 ful penalty. He earnestly endeavored to follow His 
 perfect example in all the experiences and pursuits 
 of life. It was his controlling purpose to make the 
 purifying and transforming religion of his Redeemer 
 known as far as possible through his influence among 
 mankind in Christian and heathen lands. He aimed 
 to so live as to enjoy habitual cummunion with his 
 Divine Redeemer, and derive his comfort and conso- 
 lation from Him. And when such a man comes to 
 die, has he not reason to rejoice in view of the con- 
 trolling purposes of his past life, and in the hope of 
 admission to his Saviour's more immediate personal 
 presence in heaven, freed from sin and suffering? 
 May we not, therefore, trust that for such a man to 
 die is gain ? 
 
 *24: 
 
CONCLUSION. 
 
 REWARDS PROPORTIONED TO FAITHFULNESS. 
 
 While all Christians should be constrained by the 
 love of Christ and compassion for the perishing, to 
 labor diligently, to ameliorate the condition of the 
 poor and the suffering, as well as to promote the 
 holiness of their brethren and the conversion of sin- 
 ners, yet like Moses, they may be encouraged to per- 
 severance in doing good by " having respect unto the 
 recompense of reward." They may be stimulated to 
 increased zeal in every good work, by the considera- 
 tion that personal holiness and active usefulness shall 
 be the measure of the final reward of the saints in 
 heaven. For it is written on the pages of inspira- 
 tion, *' they that be wise shall shine as the bright- 
 ness of the firmament, and that they turn many to 
 righteousness as the stars forever and ever." 
 
 We have the assurance that all who, in this life 
 were humble followers of the Divine Redeemer, and 
 
CONCLUSION. 33 
 
 by imitating him became eminently holy, and who 
 went about doing good, " shall be admitted to heaven 
 with his rapturous approval, " Well done, good and 
 faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 
 " Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in 
 the kingdom of their father." 
 
 But among the numerous and highly favored com- 
 pany who have been ransomed by the blood of the 
 cross, and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb: 
 " Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our 
 sins in his own blood, to Him be glory and do- 
 minion forever and ever," " there are different de- 
 grees of glory and blessedness. There is one glory 
 of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and 
 another glory of the stars, for one star differeth from 
 another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of 
 the dead." 
 
 While all who have been justified by faith in 
 Christ's atonement in life shall, in the life to come, 
 be free from sin and suffering among '' the spirits of 
 just men made perfect," there will be different de- 
 grees of happiness in the heavenly world. Some in 
 the lower types of piety, who have done but little in 
 their Lord's vineyard are " saved so as by fire." 
 Although they are delivered from all positive evil, 
 they are only prepared for a low position, for com. 
 paratively a very moderate degree of enjoyment. 
 While others of eminent holiness and greater capaci- 
 ties, and who have spent a life of greater devotion 
 and of more active faithfulness in the service of their 
 Divine Master, shall be elevated to higher and more 
 rapturous felicity. " Wherefore, rather brethren give 
 
34 CONCLUSION. 
 
 dillgeDce to make your calling and election sure, so 
 an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly 
 into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ." 
 
 Some are barely saved, while others are welcome 
 to higher seats in glory. And this diversity in glory 
 and happiness among the saints hereafter will be both 
 occasioned and measured by the difference in their 
 holiness and usefulness in this life. 
 
 ^' He which soweth sparingly shall reap also spar- 
 ingly, and he which soweth bountifully shall reap 
 also bountifully." " Behold 1 come quickly and my 
 reward is with me, to give every man according as 
 his work shall be." *' If we suffer, we shall also reign 
 with him." " In Christ's parable of the pounds, 
 which was evidently intended to convey to us some 
 knowledge of our final judgment (observes a writer) 
 we find that the reward bestowed by the nobleman 
 upon his servants entrusted with the same deposit, 
 w^as in every case exactly measured by the improve- 
 ment that they made of it. The man who turned his 
 trust to a two fold improvement, and he who gained 
 with his pound five others, were rew rded success- 
 ively by a ten and five-fold authority. And these 
 facts in reference to heaven, as they are revealed for 
 our encouragement and warning, so are they to this 
 end frequently employed by the sacred penman. 
 Therefore we need not hesitate to contemplate such 
 motives, as a stimulus to Christian holiness and 
 activity, because in some minds they might thus 
 weaken their belief in that great cardinal truth of 
 justification by faith alone. But the Apostles and 
 
CONCLUSION. 35 
 
 early Christians had no such fear. They were covet- 
 ous for a high place in heaven for all among whom 
 they labored, and knowing that this was the reward 
 of faithfulness here, they were constantly stimulating 
 their hearers by such a prize to a life of holiness and 
 usefulness." By this motive they pointed even their ex- 
 hortations to pecuniary liberality, the very lowest and 
 easiest form of beneficence. ''Charge them that are rich 
 in this world that they do good, that they be rich in 
 good works, ready to distribute, willing to communi- 
 cate, laying up in store for themselves a good founda- 
 tion against the time to come, that they may lay hold 
 on eternal life. A radical distinction, however, 
 should in this connection be observed between the 
 prize held out to the Christian, and all the glory and 
 greatness of this world. In the present life the 
 highest objects of ambition, and those which men 
 most eagerly strive after, are such as by their nature 
 can only be obtained by a few. That there should 
 be any who are wealthy, powerful and celebrated, 
 implies a necessity that there should be others who 
 are poor, subject and obscure. That all, or even the 
 greater part of any community should be rich men or 
 rulers, or eminent, is not only impossible, but incon- 
 ceivable. But this is not so of that prize which 
 should excite the ambition of God's people." A few 
 cannot win it to the exclusion of the rest. The ele- 
 vation of one saint in heaven does not imply the de- 
 pression of another. The power, and splendor, and 
 riches of that better world may be enjoyed by an 
 unlimited number, and by each in proportion to his 
 fitness for it. 
 
36 CONCLUSrOI^. 
 
 In the race f()r the most worldly objects, '' they 
 which run, run all, but one receiveth the prize," but 
 in the pursuit of heavenly blessings, all may ''so run 
 as to obtain." Here then is the motive with which 
 we would now urge Christian believers to a closer 
 walk with God. No real progress in religion, no in. 
 crease of personal holiness ever made in this world, 
 will be unnoticed or unrewarded by God. 
 
 "Growing in grace here and ever ascending in moral 
 character nearer and nearer to God, we are thus con- 
 tinually adding new jewels to the crown of our ever- 
 lasting rejoicing, and preparing for ourselves a high 
 place of glory and blessedness in heaven." 
 
 *' In some fair and jeweled crown, 
 That to the blest redeemed is given, 
 Are stars that cast their brightness down. 
 Loveliest among the gems of heaven.' 
 
 It is the diadem he wears whose whole character 
 on earth has been the most perfectly transformed 
 into the image of Christ. " For so an entrance shall 
 be ministered unto you abundantly, into the ever- 
 lasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ." Thus (as a forcible writer has observed) ^'we 
 are saved by grace (without personal merit on our 
 part), and all the glory of salvation will belong to 
 Christ. Yet our felicity in heaven is connected with 
 our holiness and our works on earth. By eminent 
 attainments in personal holiness and earnest and per-* 
 severing efforts in advancing the cause of Christ 
 we are made to reflect his glory." Those who heard 
 of the conversion of Saul, ** glorified God in him." 
 
CONCLUSION. 37 
 
 All holy beings will glorify God in the redeemed 
 from among men. As enjoying a peculiar felicity 
 themselves, and as being instrumental in reflecting 
 the glory of God, "they that turn many to righteous- 
 ness shall shine as the stars forever and ever." 
 They will have an eminence in glory, and bliss above 
 the other inhabitants of heaven. No privilege did 
 God ever commit to created intelligences, equal to 
 that of laboring for the salvation of men. The re- 
 ward of Christians for turning sinners to righteous- 
 ness is somewhat in proportion to the value of the 
 soul. A soul saved; what misery has it escaped! 
 What joy awaits it in the interminable future! What 
 can give Christians more joy than tiie recollection of 
 labors, sacrifices, and prayers, by which others were 
 saved? "There is joy in the presence of the angels 
 of God over one sinner that repenteth." What joy 
 then must the saint experience in spending an eterni- 
 ty in company with those who have been brought to 
 heaven through his instrumentality. He will, in a 
 sense, enjoy all the bliss that they enjoy, and all the 
 glory that they reflect upon Christ; next to that 
 which the redeemed will feel toward the triune God, 
 will be the gratitude which they will feel toward 
 those who are instrumental in turning them to right- 
 eousness. 
 
 O, how different the gains of those who labor for 
 the treasures of earth, from the gains of those who 
 labor to turn many to righteousness ! There is no 
 certainty of the continued enjoyment of earthly 
 pleasures. All such eujoyment must be brief. " But 
 they that turn many to righteousness, shall shine as 
 
38 CONCLUSION. 
 
 the stars forever and ever." Not only bright, but 
 everlasting J03^s, are in reserve for them. O, how 
 glorious the prospect that beams upon their vision^ 
 when they finish their course and are about entering 
 upon their reward ! They are cheered in anticipa- 
 tion of the fulfillment of the gracious prom.ises and 
 final commendations of their Redeemer. " Be thou 
 faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of 
 life." " Well done, good and faithful servant, enter 
 thou into the joy of thy Lord." 
 
 It has been well said that '' we all desire glory." 
 Men secure their highest glory by leading sinners to 
 Christ. It was the ambition of Jesus to save men. 
 For this He laid aside " the glory He had with the 
 Father before the world was," that He might attain 
 to this other glory. Men are invited to share a de- 
 gree of this glory. His glory is absolute, while ours 
 is relative. This is not salvation by works. Every 
 citizen has the specific rights of citizenship, but su- 
 perior service alone can secure him eminence. Men 
 become citizens of the spiritual kingdom by faith, 
 while special honor comes from noble service — 
 which is great in degree as well as in nature. Wise 
 working to overcome great cli,fficulties, for an impor- 
 tant end, brings great honor and enduring fame. To 
 save the world requires all this, hence the glory of 
 success. In this we do not deal with material sub- 
 stances. The painter and sculptor deal with passive 
 matter, while soul savers have to deal with tiee 
 spirits. Men with backs towards God, and faces 
 towards hell, are to be aroused and turned about, 
 against their inclinations and wills. Their closed 
 
CONCLUSION. 39 
 
 ranks are to be broken, and they are to be saved one 
 by one—torn out of their chosen relations and placed 
 among people of another spirit 
 
 For this work of faith, and labor of love, there is 
 ^ glorious reward. '' And they that be wise shall 
 shine as the, brightness of the firmament ; and they 
 that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever 
 and ever." That you may more highly appreciate 
 ■this divine promise, go in the cloudless night, when 
 the firmament of heaven is radiant with a thousand 
 stars, gaze upward till your soul is overwhelmed 
 with the inexpressible glory that surrounds you ; 
 then remember it is only the type of glory that 
 awaits the faithful minister in the future world. But 
 before he shall attain this blessedness, God will give 
 him a foretaste of what is to come. The final ap- 
 proval of " Well done, good and faithful scrvaiit," 
 may be reserved to the last day, when the seals and 
 trophies of his ministry shall appear with him in 
 glory; but even on earth, mingling with his suffer- 
 ings and toil, communion with the Father, Son and 
 {Spirit, and the sweet consciousness of a successful in- 
 strumentality in the conversion of great multitudes of 
 sinners, will constitute an amount of blessedness far 
 transcending the enjoyment of men who live for this 
 world, without God and the Christian hope. 
 
 Truly in keeping the commandments of God, there 
 is great reward. We read that ''one star (Jitlerctli 
 from another star in glory.'' Each star has it.-^ glory. 
 But he who has turned many to righteousness, shall 
 become a central star in a constellation of glorified 
 spirits, saved by his instrumentality. Each shall re- 
 25 
 
40 CONCLUSION. 
 
 fleet his proper light, but he shall shine with peculiar 
 lustre and brilliancy, as the brightness of the firma- 
 ment in the kingdom of God, '' forever and ever, 
 when sun, moon and stars wax old, and pass away 
 from the firmament." 
 
 " See in heaven the faithful preacher, 
 
 With the seals of his reward ; 
 How they throng to bless the teacher, 
 
 Who had led them to the Lord ! 
 Wise to save ! — a sunlike lustre 
 
 Brightens all their home divine ; 
 As the stars — a radiant chister — 
 
 Tliey in endless glory shine! " 
 
 Behold the "unsearchable riches of Christ.'' As a 
 writer has observed, "Not only does He forgive and 
 save, but He notices with an approving eye every- 
 thing that His people do for Him. He records their 
 every word and act, put forth on His behalf, and 
 even the most trivial service rendered to the ob- 
 scurest of His followers. These He will recall, and 
 crown with imperishable rewards at the last day. 
 And, for your comfort, remember that the reward will 
 be proportioned, not to your talents and opportuni- 
 ties, but to the use you make of them; not to what 
 you accomplish, but to what you try to accomplish ; 
 not to the harvest you may reap here, but to the 
 seed you may sow. 'Every man shall receive his 
 own reward, according to his own labor.' Not ac- 
 cording to his gifts, not according to his successes, 
 not according to the worldly applause he may have 
 won, but ' according to his labor.' Only be faithful 
 
CONCLUSION. 41 
 
 to your trust. Work from no sordid motive. Let 
 the love of Christ constrain you to devote all your 
 powers to His service, and wlien the labor of the 
 day is over and you go up to the great harvest-home, 
 you will be satisfied. * Heaven and earth may pass 
 away/ but ' you shall in no wise lose your reward.' 
 You may be assured that every good act of your life, 
 every kind word you may utter, every act of charity 
 you may bestow however trifling, every tear you 
 may prevent the shedding of, through sympathy with 
 human suffering or otherwise, every pang of pain or 
 sigh of distress you may alleviate, will increase your 
 joy and blessedness in your heavenly home." 
 
 You are daily malsing 
 
 The robes that you will own. 
 In the realms of light and beauty. 
 
 And their splendor will be known 
 
 By every deed of kindness, 
 
 Your many acts of love, 
 To earth's weary, stricken children, 
 
 Retlected all above. 
 
 When you raise a fallen brother 
 
 Who has stumbled by the way, 
 A robe of light is woven, 
 
 Fraught with a heavenly ray. 
 
 When you strive to banish error, 
 
 To crush out weakness (sin) 
 You are making golden sandals 
 
 With which to enter in 
 
 Those regions of the blessed, 
 
 Which will in time be thine. 
 And charity foi other^s 
 
 A veil will then entwine, 
 
42 CONCLUSION". 
 
 To shield perhaps the weaker. 
 
 And as you then embrace, 
 This friend or stranger, 
 
 A web of finest lace 
 
 Is yours for any purpose 
 That you may need employ. 
 
 But the^me of prizes truly, 
 Which gives the greatest joy. 
 
 Is the necklace on your bosom — 
 Of pearls, a priceless gem. 
 
 And the crown upon your head, 
 A wondrous diadem. 
 
 Whence comes it you will ask me, 
 It is the tears you've shed 
 
 In lowly, sad contrition, 
 When by the master led. 
 
 You have seen your sins as scarlet. 
 With tears have washed them white, 
 
 Now, as reflected jewels. 
 As radiant beams of light. 
 
 They are yours if you have earned them 
 Each garment that yoti wear; 
 
 So weave in earnest, 
 
 ^Vith thought and anxious care. 
 
 For those we cannot borrow. 
 
 Nor beg, or steal or lend. 
 We clothe by our own effort. 
 
 Pray God the grace to send 
 
 To clothe our spirits rightly 
 
 With humility and love, 
 Tiiat we may be accepted 
 
 Of God— who reigns above. 
 
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