Divine revelation, that it has ever been influential, and especially on individual character and social happiness. While one class of errors has been a sort of lifeless beauty, a well-formed statue, and another class productive of the worst moral effects, the gospel has been not only a word of life, of activity, and energy, but also the power of God unto the salvation of all who have believed it. The true, the old, the best religion is practical in opposition to mere speculation. It furnishes, indeed, sublime speculations, and calls into action the most towering intelligences, and challenges the attention and study of angels; but this is not the great object of revealed truth. It is not a poem to amuse the imagination, but a prescription to restore the diseased, and a code of rules to direct the actions of the healthy. It abounds, too, in motive to exertion, has the pathos as well as the ethos. A merely intellectual, nominal Christian may be as destitute of the characteristics of the true believer, as is the Brahmin, who idles away his being in an affected or a superstitious abstraction from all the duties of social life. No man is religious who is not practical, there are no mere students in the school of Christ,-Christianity is more of an art than of a science,-saving belief is the obedience of faith. The doctrines to be believed, and the duties to be performed, are indeed so connected together and reciprocate so much, that it is not easy to define their respective limits, the principle of the one requiring the direction of the other, and the precept only being honoured as the promise is fulfilled, and as grace reigns through righteousness. From antediluvian and patriarchal religion down to the Christian, notwithstanding the differences in seasons and in countries, there is a beautiful uniformity in the performance of all those duties which man owes to God, his neighbour, and himself; and we are equally struck with the practical advantage of those principles which could make Enoch walk with God, and John have fellowship with the Father and with Jesus Christ his Son,-Noah a preacher of righteousness to a most ungodly world, and Peter a minister to the Gentiles, David pray, "Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting," and Paul determine to keep under his body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when he had preached to others, he himself should be a castaway. All that can render character virtuous, finds a motive and a guide in Divine revelation, and more infidels than Rousseau have been constrained to acknowledge that the New Testament contains the finest morals of any book in existence. Nor must it be overlooked, that while Christianity recognizes the human constitution, and teaches by sacraments as well as by more abstracted means, and while it prescribes an external form of worship, it is not a religion of mere rite and ceremony. It asserts that men must be born of the Spirit as well as of water, and that faith only can appropriate the benefits of the atonement, that real piety has more to do with the heart than with the mere act of devotion, and that they only do acceptable service to the Great Spirit who worship him in spirit and in truth. It may be asserted, that Scriptural religion is practical, because it is practicable. When rational beings have fallen from their first estate, and have rendered themselves weak and helpless, there must either be a relaxation of the law under which they were placed, and for which they were originally constituted, or power must be given to enable them to recover, in part and by degrees at least, a love to its requirements, and strength to yield to them. Our moral Governor has, in his infinite mercy, devised means to restore the creature to obedience, and to preserve the integrity of his legislation "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Thus help is laid on one that is mighty: and as the Redeemer rescues from the curse of the violated law by his own death, so does he deliver from the affection and dominion of sin, and strengthen with might by his Spirit in the inner man, through his intercession. The Lord Jesus is the strength as well as the righteousness of all who believe, and enables them by his grace to do what he commands them by his holiness: the priest and the prophet qualify to do homage to the king; and so he is their Saviour. All other religions are impracticable, either exacting an abatement of holiness in the Governor which never can be granted, or an excellence in the subject which is not to be found; but the scheme of grace is perfect, furnishing, indeed, a rule for all our conduct and temper, and at the same time, what no other system can, an adequate motive and all-sufficient strength. There is in the way in which religion is learned, a most striking illustration of its practical character. To know what religion is, you must yourself be religious: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine.' Such as walk in the paths, and only such, find rest for their souls; find a knowledge of Divine things connected with a confidence of their truth and a satisfaction with their excellence; and rest from doubt, from alarm, from the violence of passion, and from trouble. Would you, then, know what repentance is? you must yourself repent;-what faith is? you must believe ;—what the devotional and the social graces are? you must love and worship God in Christ Jesus, and perform all those duties which you owe to your family, to your fellow-Christians, and to the world;-what is the virtue of the exceeding great and precious promises? in all your duties and all your trials, you must appropriate them by an active faith, as made yea and amen unto you in the Son of God. will you test, prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of the Lord: your knowledge will be that of experience, and such as the artist acquires by prosecuting the duties of his calling. Thus Does the reader ask, "But how am I to attempt performing the will of God?" The reply is, Act up to your present light. By a proper use of the spark the fire is kindled. We assert that there is a want of honesty in those who profess to believe the Bible is a Divine book, and yet do not consult it with reverence and with prayer; for if it is a revelation from God, it must be of infinite value and awful authority, it must be the book of books. Where, too, can be the sincerity of the man who says he is a sinner, and yet never trembles at his danger, or weeps over the ingratitude and baseness of his character? Is it consistent to admit the need of a Saviour, and his willingness to save all who come to him, and at the same time to have no anxieties for an interest in his salvation, and to make no advances towards his gracious throne? The man who compliments religion without practising it, is hypocritical, and honours God with his lip while his heart is far from him. Let no one that is unwilling to do the will of his Lord, pretend that he does not understand it: the performance is the learning. Walk therein, and you will soon find that the old paths are paths of peace. The same practical method of acquiring religious knowledge must be adopted in the diligent employment of all Divinely appointed means. The Holy Writings, the devotions of retirement and of the house of God, the word preached, the ministers of the gospel, are all, when rightly used, instruments of instruction; but they must be used to be of practical advantage. Stand, then, in the way, and see, and ask,—and you shall find rest. It is not attempted to conceal the difficulties in religion, the doctrines which involve mystery, and which must be viewed rather as subjects of faith than of intelligence. "Great is the mystery of godliness." "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." There is, however, a Teacher mercifully engaged to instruct in all truth necessary for us to know, and promised to those who ask him: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." With such a promise the professed Christian must earnestly implore gracious teaching, before he complain of mysteries and perplexities; and with such a promise, it is worth the pains of the sceptic once more-has he ever done so ?—once more to examine the evidences of Christianity, if haply they may be conclusive in its favour, and, if the gospel should appear credible, to receive the instruction which it gives, the saying which it utters, as faithful, and worthy of all acceptation. Each reader of this little address is, in conclusion, reminded, that a voice is to be heard at every stage of the old paths, full of benignant authority, of awful sweetness : "Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your souls shall live." "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Those who may feel disposed to aid the Society in continuing and extending the gratuitous circulation of these Tracts, are respectfully solicited to give their Subscriptions or Donations to the distributors of the Tracts, or to send them to the Secretary at the Office, 27, Red Lion Square, London. THE ENGLISH MONTHLY TRACT SOCIETY, J. & W. Rider, Printers, Bartholomew Close, London. |