Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

mation from which the preceding have been sketched, has been derived principally from "A General History of the Baptist Denomination in America and

other parts of the world, by David Benedict," an enlarged edition of which was published last year in New York.

THE STATE OF RELIGION.

To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine.

SIR,-I have been favoured to read the Baptist Magazine from its commencement, and also the Baptist Register which preceded it. But my contributions to their pages, for various reasons, which I forbear to specify, have been short and few. For some time past it has pleased the great and wise Head of the church to lay me aside from all public labour, and to confine me to the chamber of pain and weakness. In this state I have been employing my pen on different subjects connected with personal godliness, and the prosperity of the church of our beloved Lord. Some papers in your late Magazines have induced me to transcribe and send the subsequent observations which are at your service for insertion.

56 Falkner Street, Liverpool, November 21, 1848.

JAMES LISTER.

The state of true religion in the pre- | Africa, in Asia, and in various islands sent day may be viewed under two of the ocean. Their beneficial working aspects, the favourable symptoms, and at home, in our now many town the unfavourable. missions and rural itinerancies, must not be overlooked.

Many are of opinion that personal and vital religion is not only not declining, but is on the increase; and refer to the following and similar evidences.

1st. The British and Foreign Bible Society; the operations of which show the extent and power of religious principle, and furnish that great instrument by which the Spirit effects the conversion and salvation of men. What an amount of Christian love and energy is brought into action by its agents, auxiliaries, associations, contributors, which spread over so many portions of Christendom!

2nd. The London Tract Society stands next to it as an engine for the advancement of Christianity.

3rd. Above all are Christian missions, which, like the two former, are of recent origin in our land, but are now found, I believe, in every department of the Christian church. Look at their number, their supporters, their agents, their stations, on the continent of Europe, in

4th. What can be more cheering than our Sunday schools, covering all parts of our country, and scarcely wanting in any locality, or absent from any place of worship?

5th. Surely true religion must be on the advance, say many, if proof can be afforded by the rapid increase of churches, chapels, and meeting houses for public worship.

6th. Does not the literature of the day bear testimony also to the fact? Within these few years a great change has occurred in the publications of every class and order. Formerly there was, at least, a want of gospel truth and Christian spirit in some leading periodicals, while too many popular works were constructed on principles which were a grief to pious minds.

7th. Infidelity, before the close of the last century and at the beginning of this, was, at least, in a different position from its present. Then, the higher and

middle classes, and even royal personages, were to be found among its defenders, and patrons of its defenders. For some time it has lost such ascendancy, and seems to have made its way more among the lower and lowest classes. And does not such a change manifest the progress and power of gospel truth?

8th. A new and widely extending organization, founded on the great principles of vital Christianity, "The Evangelical Alliance," to unite Christians in love and reciprocal avowal, and in co-operation for the common cause, is, perhaps with many, a most satisfactory fruit and test of the progress and power of true godliness in the present day.

A consideration of these and similar cheering symptoms leads many to this conclusion. And it would be ungracious to submit these symptoms to a severe and harsh examination, influenced by a censorious or desponding spirit. Let them have their full weight. They did, and could only, originate, I am persuaded, in true Christian and philanthropic principles, and can only be carried on or extended by them.

indicates the state of the heart towards Christ and God.

3rd. The real state of Sunday school teachers. Can we fairly estimate all of them as having first devoted themselves to the Saviour? Far be it from me, Mr. Editor, to put this down as a qualification necessary to admit one to the office. Churches and friends must often do as they can. But we cannot expect the conversion of children when their teachers are unrenewed.

4th. Candidates for the ministry. It is very evident that in the present state of British society, as impregnated widely with talents, and education, and science, among all orders, that candidates for the sacred office should be generally men eminent for gifts, piety, zeal, benevolence, and exemplary habits and conduct, from every rank of the Christian profession. Is such a just expectation warranted by facts? This is a very tender subject, and details could do no good. But facts cannot be set aside. Is our ministry what it should be? There are pastors throughout the land, each in his own charge, whose heart and powers are with Christ; who read, study, speak, visit, and preach, for

But let us look to the symptoms of a Christ; whose all of time, and of what different complexion.

1st. Amidst the machinery at operation, examine the results in conversions, so far as they come before us in accessions to the churches. Statistics of different denominations here, and in America, India, and Asia, have been published; and all concur in the depressing fact of decrease, at least not of increase. For some years past these authentic statements have been gradually approaching (with exceptions) to this painful conclusion.

2nd. Let spiritual experimental converse among professing Christians be viewed as another test. Talking about books, schools, missions, ministers, cannot be included in such communion as

can be spared of their income, is consecrated to Christ and to his cause. Would that all were such ! "The Lord of the harvest send forth labourers into his harvest!"

5th. Examine the management of secular business with professors. Few of the highest ranks are called. Many of the lowest ranks are abandoned to indifference and incredulity. The strength of the churches generally consists of the intermediate links of the social chain. Merchants, tradesmen, shopkeepers, professional men, artists, workmen of all descriptions, are found in our audiences, and among our communicants. Compare their traffic and business with those of merely worldly men.

Here I must pause. The comparison, I fear, would prove of no honour to Christianity. Eagerness after gain, speculation to excess, extravagance of expenditure, or mean hoarding, injustice, untruthfulness, employment of the whole time and all the energies of the mind and body to business, exclusive of Christ's service, will be found. And not a few worldly men will appear superior to Christian professors in all the excellencies of honourable trading and the substantials of morality.

feared, would be put in a low part of the scale.

8th. I must not enter on another branch of what appears to me a symptom of decline in spirituality. The great interest taken in politics by professors, and by professors eminent for character and for influence in the church of God. I cannot reconcile this warm part in all political matters which is taken and openly defended, with the spirit of Christ's kingdom, which is not of this world, nor with the true position of Christians as strangers and pilgrims on earth. Nor have I ever seen one example in which devotedness to politics did not injure the spirituality and piety of the individual. And this

6th. Of one matter where exertions are judged to be great, and where societies are brought into comparison, i. e., the amount of income for missionary purposes, let a candid survey be taken. The Bible Society, the Church Mission-statement is the fruit of observation ary Society, and others, have £100,000, and experience during a life of conmore or less, annually. And, doubtless, siderable length. If there be a declencontributions from the poor to the sion of true religion, the question may auxiliaries and associations for these in- be put, what is the remedy? What is stitutions, are a sacrifice to them, and to be done? It is a question affecting honour their profession. But what is each of us. And the question, if we £100,000 a year from thousands who be in earnest, will lead to this inquiry, are wealthy? If contributions be the Am I converted? Am I a Christian, test of our Christian love and zeal, love and a new creature? This is the beand zeal are faint. ginning, the gate into the narrow way, for which there is no substitute in mere knowledge, or morality, or profession. "Except ye be converted, ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." Matt. xviii. 3.

7th. Another feature in our day is the little amount of working by professors in doing good. Few who are above want refuse to give money for a benevolent purpose, but time and labour are mostly withheld, and contributions from such motives are no sacrifice. By this test many professors, it is

What is conversion? deserves a serious reply.

A NEW YEAR'S ADDRESS TO THE ALMOST CHRISTIAN.

BY THE REV. CORNELIUS ELVEN.

THAT was a remarkable concession to the faithfulness and verity of Paul's preaching, when his royal hearer exclaimed, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian," Acts xxvi. 28.

"Almost!" not quite! O fatal indecision! A noble vessel was driven by the fury of the storm against a rock, and, ribbed and barred as it was with oak and iron, it was crushed like a nut

shell. Oh, it was an awful night; the signals of distress were hoisted, and a life-boat was launched upon the foamy billows. It reached the wreck, and one after another stepped into it and were saved. But one poor sailor, lingering behind the rest to get something from the shattered vessel, the boat had put off for the shore, and although he made an effort to reach it, and actually got one hand upon it, and was almost saved, yet losing his hold, he plunged into the briny deep, and was lost! And many of you who have constantly assembled with the people of God during the past year, are in the same state of indecision as you were at its commencement, still lingering between the wreck and the life-boat-the world and Christ.

we tremble to think you may also deceive yourselves. You have compunctions of conscience, tender emotions, kindly feelings, and have observed external religious duties; and, we fear, that this sort of pseudo-religious experience may help you to evade the point and edge of the most discriminating ministry. For example, when we insist upon the absolute necessity of repentance, you revert to your natural convictions, which, although they have never led you as weeping penitents to the cross, you set down for the "fruit of the Spirit."

All the year long have Christian ministers and friends been regarding you with intense and prayerful anxiety. Many of you are amiable in your outward conduct, estimable for your natural kindness, your constant attendance on the ministry of the word, your co-operation with the people of God in Sunday schools, distributing tracts, and contributing to the cause of Christ. Yet you have not given your hearts to him. It is recorded of Redwald, king of the East Saxons, that in the same church he had different apartments, in which there was one altar for the Christian religion, and another for the heathens. And thus, we fear, you would fain divide the rooms of your hearts, so as to have an altar of Christ, if you might also have a shrine for mammon. But all for all is a righteous rule, and all or none is the requirement of God. "Son, give me thine heart." And oh, that you would say at once,—

"Here's my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it from thy courts above.".

Some of you have so much that resembles religion, that while you perplex us with alternate hopes and fears,

If the inward conflict of the believer is described, because you cannot sin so cheap as others who have no light, and slavish fear sometimes disturbs your self-complacency, although it never leads you to "wrestle against flesh and blood," like the true soldiers of Jesus Christ, there is danger of your classing yourself among them.

Or, if we urge the necessity of love to the saints, as an evidence of grace, then, because you have a feeling of respect and esteem for the "excellent of the earth," you mistake this for spiritual affection. Oh, the innumerable coils of the heart's deception, who shall unroll them, and show the rottenness at the core? Oh, ye borderers on Immanuel's land, your repentance is not "unto life;" you may have to struggle with your convictions, but you know nothing of the "holy war." You may fancy you love the people of God, but you are quite as happy with the men of the world; you seem Christians in the company of Christians, and are equally agreeable companions in the society of the worldly. You resemble those of whom the prophet complained, who "spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people,” Neh. xiii. 24. You may possess many pleasing qualities, but

there is "one thing" you lack, and that is, supreme love to Christ; you have not cordially exclaimed,—

"O Christ, I freely have from thee,
Thyself, and all that's thine;
And justly thou requir'st of me,

Myself, and all that's mine."

It may be true, then, that you are not swearers, or drunkards, or persecutors, or open sabbath breakers or adulterers, but you are not lovers of Christ, and that seals your character, and will seal your doom, for it is Bury St. Edmunds.

written, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed," 1 Cor. xvi. 22. Oh that at the beginning of this new year you would choose "the good part which shall not be taken away from you." Thousands, like you, have tampered with religion, and trifled with salvation, till years have slipped imperceptibly away, and the end of their almost Christianity has been eternal death! "Oh that men were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end."

THE HAPPINESS OF THE MERCIFUL.

BY THE REV. JOHN JORDAN DAVIES.
"Blessed are the merciful."

THE merciful are happy. Apart from the promise which is given to them, and which will assuredly be fulfilled, they are blessed in themselves; the disposition which they cherish is a perennial spring of felicity, a source of deep tranquillity and holy joy.

That Jesus should pronounce the merciful happy, will not appear strange to us if we have listened to his words in the former part of this discourse, for we have already heard him pronounce "the poor in spirit," and "those who mourn," and "those who hunger and thirst after righteousness," happy; and many who would think such assertions strange and paradoxical, not unfrequently admire and commend the benevolent and philanthropic. The sentiment expressed by our Lord in these words is, nevertheless, not in accordance with the practice or with the language of the world. Those who listen to the dictates of mercy, who act as they are prompted by a spirit of true benevolence, must disregard that love of wealth and power, and that taste for

TOL XII..--FOURTH SERIES.

splendour and for pleasure which seem to divide between them the empire of the world. Men are far more ready, also, for the most part, to listen to the voice of passion, and to obey the dictates of revenge, than they are to subdue their angry feelings, and to yield to the influence of mercy. But Jesus always taught the way of God in truth: the merciful are blessed.

This is true of mercy to the guilty and the injurious. If some have said that "revenge is sweet," they have said it ignorantly, and under the influence of a guilty and wretched infatuation. It may appear sweet for a moment, but afterwards it is bitter as gall, and venomous as the serpent's sting. Unerring wisdom has decided that he who "ruleth his spirit is better," in every respect better and happier, "than he that taketh a city." Anger, envy, hatred, malice, revenge, all the feelings and passions which are opposed to a merciful spirit, are excessively cruel, and nece:sarily destructive of the peace and happiness of him who indulges them;

C

« PoprzedniaDalej »