Religion in the United States.
By B.
It is worthy of remark that those Christians who look for the promised Millennium before the coming of Christ to effect it, base their hopes, with great uniformity, upon what has been achieved in this direction by this country, and upon what it is destined to achieve. Such are fond of speaking of this as a "Christian country," and of its "Christian civilization." We beg to suggest a few thoughts for their consideration. 1. The number of professing Christians of all evangelical denominations, in this country, is proportionately less now than a few years ago. Said a worthy minister, not long since, to the writer: "This country is relapsing into heathenism." The remark was made after a careful comparison of the census tables of 1860 with those of the previous decade. It was discovered that the number of evangelical Christians is relatively diminishing. The increase of the church is considerably behind that of the population. Does this look like the gradual subjugation of even this country to Christ? And where else is the record more favorable, or the promise more hopeful? 2. It cannot be maintained that the standard of piety is higher now than formerly. On the other hand, since the war began, there is mournful evidence of desolation and decay. And proofs are being sadly multiplied of a diminution of respect among high and low for the church, and those that minister at her altars. 3. The view in question, lamentedly and inexcusably, overlooks the true relation between Christ and the world. "He that is not for me, is against me," is the standard by which all that profess to belong to Christ must be tried. And is this nation "for Christ," either in its councils, its policy, its principles of action, or its avowed aims? What would be thought, for example, of a member of Congress bringing his Bible into the Hall of Representatives, and insisting upon discussing every proposed measure in the light of God's word? How unworthy and absurd to call that a Christian state in which the vast majority do not even confess the name of Christ, much less practice his commands,—in which the name and authority of the Lord Jesus is not recognized in the fundamental law; where an appeal to the word of God in the national councils, would be regarded as out of place; when Judaism and Mahometanism and Spiritualism are tolerated equally with the religion of Christ. 4. It is to be observed that our Lord gives no maxims for the government of worldly states. Neither do his apostles. And why? Because they do not regard the existence of Christian States as possible, until the coming of the Kingdom of God. The Lord Jesus will own no state in which he must reign on a divided throne. In the days of his flesh he was tempted with such an offer. His prompt rejection indicates what should be the position of the church, through all this dispensation, in respect to these worldly kingdoms. For the "god of this world" still "deceives the nations," and leads them, "captive at his will." And through all the history of the Church, he repeats to her the temptation of her Lord. Would that, like her Divine Master, she scorned the offer. The Lord, and those inspired to speak for Him, take for granted that no "Christian state" is possible until His kingdom is revealed, in which He alone shall be exalted, and "every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Between this kingdom of the future and those states which are now administered according to the maxims of this world, there is no compromise. We cannot but believe that one object of the fearful calamities God has sent upon this nation, is to destroy this dangerous fiction in the minds of His people. We call it dangerous, for nothing so effectually perverts in the minds of Christians the true idea of the coming kingdom, and weakens their hope of it, as the vain-glorious delusion that they are to achieve this golden age without the coming of the Lord. This explains why there is so little patient waiting for His "appearing and Kingdom." Let Christians be warned in time. For nothing is more certain than that God will spare no pains to break up an error so fraught with danger. If His people will not hope for the coming kingdom, they will be forced to do so by destructive judgments, far more severe, upon those objects which now divert their hope. It has been the grand aim of Satan to foist his substitutes for that Divine kingdom upon the attention and affections of the church, until she has well-nigh lost her hope.—B. in Prophetic Times.