FEELING IN RELIGION by Morning Star

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 15, 1859

FEELING IN RELIGION.

By Morning Star

SOME persons are unnecessarily afraid of feeling in religion. But if feeling is lawful in any thing, why not in religion? God has made us not only capable of feeling, but so that we cannot possibly avoid it. Every fact and principle which enters the mind in the common current of human life, the facts that are pleasing, and those that are not so, are always followed by more or less feeling. The world is full of feeling. The multitudes that crowd the busy mart, the active and indolent, at home and abroad, the prosperous and unprosperous, the rich and the poor, the well and the sick, those surrounded by friends, and those pressed by enemies, are all full of feeling. If we could ascend some clairvoyant mount, and look into the secret chambers of the world's souls, we should observe everywhere at all times a perpetual surging of feeling, like the ceaseless tide, agitation and commotion of old ocean.—Then these feelings are constantly changing.—In no two moments are the feelings of humanity exactly the same; sometimes they are stronger, then weaker, now a little more sunshine and gladness, then midnight gathers, and sorrow increases; this changeless change distinguishes the world's feelings, and the feelings of individuals.

This feeling is a tremendous force among men, like the steam of the engine, constantly pressing upon the will, adding immensely to its force and persistency, and often firing up the intelligence to mighty feats. When a man's feelings are joyful, it sheds a cheerful light over all the scenes of life; but when they are depressed and sad, sunshine is changed to shade, and hope to fear. Since feeling is such a force in man's nature, since every man in the secular, social and every other relation of life, is constantly inspired by feeling, why should not the Christian feel? why should he not indulge this powerful ally to his will, and his intelligence, and allow his soul to be the theater of religious emotions, joyous and sorrowful? Is there not as much occasion for feeling in regard to matters so vast, so glorious, so full of hope to the soul, that involve the felicity of the spirit forever and ever, as in worldly affairs? If it is proper to feel when prosperity crowns our labors, when friends are true and kind, when honors cluster on our brow, surely we may feel when God is our Father, when our sins are forgiven, when we have a good hope through grace, when immortality becomes our sure inheritance. Yes, we may feel, our emotions may spring up joyously, our love grow warm and fervent, and hope burst out in ecstatic transports.

But we should always recollect that Christian feelings always have a Christian cause. Those feelings which are not produced by an intelligent apprehension of the gospel, which do not spring from knowledge of the truth, and faith in it, though they may be very nearly like Christian feelings, are nevertheless spurious, counterfeit, and ought to be condemned. And there is a vast amount of such feeling abroad in the church. There is a spiritual formalism, a machine feeling, a mesmeric excitement, animal emotion, without any intelligent basis, and this is often mistaken for Christian feeling. When a man has an intelligent acquaintance with the scheme of salvation, he may well rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

We believe that there is far too little Christian feeling in the church. We are too cold, too joyless, too deficient in zeal; and we ought to take measures to increase our feelings. This can be done in a legitimate way. Become more familiar with the facts and promises of the gospel. Let the word of God dwell richly in us. As this knowledge increases, our joys will increase, our feelings of interest, zeal, and love will increase. As the merchant is made glad by the news of large gains; and the politician by news of large majorities; so let the Christian fire up his feelings by filling his soul with the exceeding great and precious promises of the gospel. By this means we shall cultivate pure, strong, elevating, blissful feelings, that will shed a sacred a divine influence all through the soul.—Morning Star.