men who are deeply imbued with it is the reverse of openness and sincerity. Since it is love to man which induces any one to point out the delusions of the Papish Apostacy, or the tendency of perverted doctrines to Antinomianism, or to self-righteousness; so is it real love to Evangelical men which urges these warnings against the errors into which they are most liable to fall; and there is no genuine disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ who will not gratefully receive warning against the following of any other master than Him alone. Another error, which prevails to a great extent, is the drawing a distinction between important and non-important parts of the revealed mind of God. This can only arise from the false notion, that men are saved in consequence, or in virtue, of their belief of certain doctrines, or of certain verses in the Bible in which those doctrines are contained. A man may be anxious to escape from hell, without having the smallest anxiety to be conformed to the image of God. Natural conscience is quite sufficient for the one, while the omnipotent power of the Holy Ghost alone can effect the other. Any one, therefore, who says, "I trust to Christ for salva tion, and want to know no more of what is contained in the Bible," does virtually say, "As long as I escape hell, the less I know of God the better." A doctrine, although the very truth of God, may thus be perverted into a mean of leading from God, instead of leading to God, as election and predestination are often made to do by Antinomians. Salvation consists in conformity to the whole revealed character of God; and whoever desires that conformity, must earnestly seek after and rejoice in every word of the book which has been written for the special purpose of making that character known. It is impossible to be acquainted, however slightly, with the Periodical Journals called Evangelical, without perceiving that there is quite as much discouragement given to the study of the larger portion of the Bible, as there is encouragement held out to attention to the smaller. The subject of the following Essay is the performance of Social Duties; and whatever pre-eminence may be justly claimed by the Evangelical party on other grounds, it certainly cannot be granted to them here. If they who have still less religious principle, take advantage of the censures which are applied to these, in order to sneer at the devotion to God testified in other points, on their own heads be the blame. It is one thing to have error mix in our service of God; it is another to live in contempt of his word. But to enter into controversy is no part of the intention of this volume. "I extend," says Mr. Cecil," the circle of real religion very widely. Many fear God, and love God, and have a sincere desire to serve Him, whose views of religious truths are very imperfect, and in some points perhaps utterly false. But I doubt not that many such persons have a state of heart acceptable before God. He "The religious world has many features which are distressing to a holy man. sees in it much proposal and ostentation, covering much surface. But Christianity is deep and substantial. A man is soon enlisted, but he is not soon made a soldier. He is easily put into the ranks to make a show there; but he is not so easily brought to do the duties of the ranks. We are too much like an army of Asiatics-they count well, and cut a good figure; but when they come into action, one has no flint, another has no cartridge; the arms of one are rusty, and another has not learned to handle them. This was not the complaint equally at all times. It belongs too peculiarly to the present day. The fault lies in the muster. We are like Falstaff-he took the king's money to press good men and true, but got together such ragamuffins, that he was ashamed to muster them. What is the consequence? People groan under their connexions. High pretensions to spirituality, and warm zeal for certain sentiments! Priding themselves in Mr. such-a-one's ministry! But what becomes of their duties? Oh, these are beggarly elements indeed! Such persons are alive to religious TALK; but if you speak to them on religious TEMPERS, the subject grows irksome." What is conveyed in Mr. Cecil's language will be better received than what is expressed in mine. 2 AU 65 |