Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 27, 1859
VIEWS AND EXPERIENCE IN RELATION
By F. G. Brown
To Entire Consecration and the
Second Advent.
Addressed to the Ministers of the Portsmouth,
N. H., Baptist Association.
BY F. G. BROWN.
(Continued.)
2. VIEWS AND EXPERIENCE IN RELATION TO THE
SECOND ADVENT.
Let me now, brethren, invite your attention to a continuation of my experience on another subject. I was always opposed to the introduction into our pulpits and churches, of all the great moral topics which have agitated the minds of the community for a few years past. And I have thought myself more than fortunate, as you well know, in keeping them all out of our midst. Our little bark has safely outrode all the storms to which other churches have been exposed, and from which they have so severely suffered, as I should once have said. I believe I have never preached on one of those topics, and certainly I have never been the open advocate of any of them, unless it might be thought that I have of the cause of Temperance. Here, I confess, I have erred greatly. One of my main reasons for so doing, however, has been because I plainly saw that one exciting theme prepared the mind for another; and if one was introduced, a hundred might be, and no one could foresee to what such steps might lead.
When the doctrine of Sanctification began to be generally discussed, I thought it a branch of that very tree from which so much bitter fruit had of late been gathered. And when the doctrine of the Second Advent began to be preached, I thought it an offshoot of the doctrine of Sanctification, and that the friends of the former and of the latter would be the same. These convictions were strengthened on listening to several discourses by Mr. Fitch, which were professedly Second Advent sermons; but, in fact, discourses on Sanctification. I thought him really dishonest; wickedly designing, under the cloak of the Second Advent, to palm off Sanctification upon the churches. I publicly rebuked him for it, and left attendance on his lectures. Nor was I pleased with the two or three discourses which I heard from him on the Advent near; I had even invited my own congregation to give him a hearing, supposing that he was a ripe scholar, and a profound theologian. But what was my disappointment and mortification on finding him, as I then thought, such an intolerable perverter of plain texts of Scripture. I can now see that it was myself that was abusing the plain declarations of God's most holy word; and he was perverting them in my then opinion, because he did not depart from their literal rendering, and give them the spiritual interpretation which I had been taught to do.
I can now see, and am free to admit, that the two doctrines are closely conjoined. Not that every Christian who believes in and embraces the first, will also receive the second; because facts would not bear me out in this remark. But he who has been truly sanctified is better prepared to look at the doctrine of Christ at the door: he is qualified by patience, by lowliness, and by the indwelling influences of the Spirit to sit himself down to the investigation of God's word on this subject, until he arrives at the truth: the ties are rent that once held him to the earth, and he is not only willing, but anxious to soar away and meet Jesus in his descent from the skies.
I never directly preached against the doctrine of Christ's second advent at hand; though I have often aimed incidentally to tear up some of the superstructure on which the friends of it were endeavoring to build their theory. I had prophesied much evil against all who connected themselves with this cause. I received their books and newspapers, as I could not do otherwise without treating those indecorously who presented them to me. Some of these I read, more perhaps from curiosity than from anything else; just as one might look on and witness a contest between two pugilists, without feeling any special interest in the success of either party; others I carefully stowed away, intending, at the expiration of 1843, to bring them to light again, and hold them up as a monument of religious folly; then, I was intending to correct the presumption of all the foolish and ignorant who had dared to exalt themselves above the wisdom and erudition of the pulpit. Brethren, do not be guilty of as great a sin, lest you provoke the wrath of the Almighty. Only one day previous to the great blessing which God conferred upon me, and of which I have spoken, I declared that I would not be seen in a Second Advent meeting. Those composing them, were, I saw, as a class, of too low an order for me to associate with. I had no sympathy for their noise, and for their broken harangues. But how mighty is the arm of God to abase the proud, and to humble the lofty! On the next day after, so marvelous had been God's dealings with me, that I could not keep away from just such a meeting as I had heretofore despised. My soul wanted to give utterance to its emotions of love to Christ, and to all whom he had truly purchased with his blood; and now I was determined that the last vestige of pride should be crucified and driven out of my heart, if, indeed, any yet lurked there. Accordingly, I repaired to the church where those despised followers of the Lamb were holding a series of meetings; and there, to the rejoicing of many hearts, I told what great things God had done for my soul. I was now favorably disposed towards the doctrine of the Advent near, and was willing to read on the subject, as I did occasionally, while I thought, weighed considerations, and prayed more.
It should have been remarked, that at this time my mind was perfectly free from all care and concern. Bro. H. ——, conducted the series of meetings which we had soon determined on holding: Christians were quickened, and sinners were pricked in their hearts, and cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?" For about four weeks I did not myself preach a discourse. The minister's usual anxiety, which attends a revival, was not felt by me. I gave the church, souls, myself, and all into the keeping of God's hands, while I secluded myself in my study, in obedience to what seemed to be the movings of God's Spirit, searching the Scriptures, and weeping and praying before God that he would make truth known to me. I was aware that there was some truth left, which my mind did not apprehend; and this conviction I expressed to a ministering brother who called to see me on the day after I was so signally blest. I sought interviews at various times with the clergymen of the town, hoping that some words would be providentially dropped that would give me a clue to that for which my heart was anxious. But I always left them with disappointed hopes. At times I fancied74that it might, perhaps, be my duty to unite myself with another denomination, where there might be more vital piety, more scripture truth, and a greater field for usefulness. But my views on the leading doctrines of the Bible were unchanged, and I did not and do not feel like sacrificing them on any account. Indeed, these doctrines, as held by our church, never seemed to stand out so prominently on the pages of inspiration as at this moment; they are all harmonious, beautiful, glorious. Well, I would ask myself, with what denomination can I unite? I could fix upon none, a connection with which I felt would satisfy the strong desires, and calm the restless feelings of my heart. Now my soul was all ecstasy and devotion, and then indescribable darkness and wretchedness would succeed. I wondered that my peace and enjoyment were not as deep and as continuous as those of others who had been baptized with the Holy Ghost; for I was fully conscious of striving, in all things, to please my heavenly Father; was much in prayer, and felt willing to submit myself entirely to the divine will. Never did I so feel my weakness, my liability to err, my need of the prayers of Christians. O how I longed to say to each member of my church, and to every one who had access to a mercy-seat, pray for me; how my soul yearned to make known to my dear people my peculiar exercises of mind, that I might have their sympathies.
Greatly was my soul refreshed and comforted on one occasion, about the first of February, during one of our vestry meetings, to hear a number of praying souls arise, and say that it had been deeply impressed upon their minds that they must pray more than ever for the pastor. One of them stated that the burden of his own prayers had long been for me—that the moment he had undertaken to pray for himself, he almost unconsciously and involuntarily found himself praying for me. Three of these individuals were neither members of our church, nor believers in the doctrine of the Second Advent near, although devoted Christians, having come in to enjoy the season of revival. And now my soul flowed out like water, in gratitude and thankfulness to God for the intelligence that others were bearing my case continually up to heaven. Immediately we all bowed before God, and my soul wrestled and agonized before the throne, that God would keep my feet from stumbling, take me into his hand, and reveal to me not only all truth, but show me what he meant by the peculiar strivings of his Spirit. On returning to my residence, again I knelt to pour out my desires unto God; and no sooner was my knee bent, than again I found myself, as on the first of January, in the awful presence of Jehovah; fear and trembling seized all my reins, while glory seemed to envelop me. At once, with as much clearness and force as though an audible voice had thundered it in my ear, and down into the very depths of my soul, I was given to understand something to this effect: the glorious reign of Christ—my own responsible connection with the accomplishment of his triumph over the wicked—brevity—lightning. Immediately, and for several days following, my mind dwelt with overwhelming interest on what these things might mean. Now, I thought I could interpret them in this way: God is about to convert the town, and perhaps a large portion of the earth; the day for a temporal millennium is fast dawning; I am to be used as an instrument in effecting these glorious things for Zion; my life is just at its close; all is to be done with the speed of lightning. Again, this was my interpretation: Christ is about to make his personal appearance, for the destruction of the ungodly, and the gathering home of his saints; I am to sound the Midnight Cry; the day of probation has just run out, and all are to be hurried into eternity; these things are to be closed up with the speed of lightning! Impressions of this kind were invariably made upon my mind, whenever I got near to God in holy, agonizing prayer; and whenever my mind wavered in regard to the near approach of Christ to reign on earth either temporally or spiritually, I was completely wretched; though previously I might have been in religious raptures. Frequently, when in prayer, I would have such heavenly manifestations, and such convictions wrought on my soul, that I would rise from my knees with the fullest persuasion that Christ was truly at the door.
Still I had not studied the Bible with careful reference to the doctrine of the Advent near. I thought the task to be a difficult one, and I did not feel that I had time then to enter upon it. But I could have no inward rest until I made a commencement.
I now began to search the Scriptures, without note or comment, for myself. I took the chart used to illustrate the visions of Daniel, merely to aid in keeping everything clear and distinct before my mind. It was humbling, notwithstanding all that God had done for me, to study the Bible with the aid of a chart, on which I had heretofore looked with so much contempt. There was the figure of a man in a certain attitude; and then, in different gestures, the figures of various and most hideous beasts! The repugnance with which I regarded that chart cannot be well conceived. I thought it to have been conjured up by some dreamy, silly person, who was seeking to make everybody like himself. But why should I have had this deep-rooted prejudice against those symbols? There is man, a being proud of his capacities, allied to God, and the destined associate of angels: what symbol more appropriately chosen to illustrate the occurrence of the greatest events which the world has or will ever witness? There is the lion, the lord of the forest, at whose roar man himself trembles and turns pale; and there are the other mighty beasts of the field, next to man in the scale of being; what symbols more appropriate than these with which to mark the scale of time? Those symbols, those pictures, hideous as they appear, why, they are the language of the Bible. And supposing there should be just such a transfer to paper of all events recorded in the word of God, what kind of a scene would be presented before the eye? But the chart is in perfect obedience to the command of God, "Write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." I was totally ignorant of just what the chart was designed to illustrate, and knew not what was the reasoning from it.
I cannot here relate what were my feelings as my investigations went on. I was astonished and humbled to observe the Babylonian kingdom represented by the head of gold; the Medo-Persian by the breast and arms of silver; the Grecian by the belly and thighs of brass; and the fourth kingdom by the legs of iron, and its divisions by the feet and toes of iron and of clay. And then to admit that our own and other proud nations were represented by the feet and toes, "part of iron and part of potter's clay," I could hardly brook; still I would believe it if I had good and sufficient proof for it. Pursuing my study, I was amazed, surprised, delighted, on discovering such a complete correspondence between the vision of Nebuchadnezzar and that of Daniel; and then finding such a perfect likeness between that seen by Daniel and by John the revelator, even to the number of days when the vision should expire. I could but think that John must have been very familiar with the book of Daniel; or that some of his book must have been penned without much inspiration. But I could reconcile the matter easier than this: it was of God, and he was taking these various means to remind man, at different and remote intervals from each other, that he was not slack concerning his promises, and that he might have some guage by which to ascertain how fast and at what period the sands of time should all run out. My Polyglot Bible was on my table, and aided me wonderfully in making speedy references to other portions of God's word. Such was the harmony between the books of Daniel and John, and other books of the Bible; so plainly did the book of Daniel and all the passages to which I had reference for the purpose of comparing scripture with scripture, such the doctrine of the near approach of Christ, that I began to be suspicious of the edition of my Bible, and actually turned to the title-page to see by whom and when it was published. I know the reference column is the work of man; but still it appears singular, that man, years ago, and probably without any intention of teaching the Second Advent near, should make such happy references.
(To be Continued)
HYMN.
By Maria Weston Chapman
FROM THE FRENCH, BY MARIA WESTON CHAPMAN. ✣
"—a strain which I could fancy tradition to have handed down through the ranks of French Protestantism, from the Albigenses and the Vaudois—the Calvinists and the Huguenots; being so eminently human in its passion and its power, as to satisfy the universal cry of the human heart for self-devotedness worthy of adoration."—Liberty Bell, 1845.
Mortals! are ye fain to know
What is all my hope below,
All my knowledge, all my sense,
My treasure and my recompense?
Jesus the crucified.
What the anchor of my faith?
What the law my nature hath?
What the perfect Sacrifice,
On whose power my heart relies?
Jesus the crucified.
Who doth mediate between
God my Maker and my sin?
In my sorrows and my fears,
Who hath looked upon my tears?
Jesus the crucified.
In my days of bitter grief,
Who alone can give relief?
While my troubled watches keeping,
What divine One stays my weeping?
Jesus the crucified.
Who my fainting spirit sees,
Giving me for torment ease?
Who, when grief and pain must be,
Fills my soul with constancy?
Jesus the crucified.
Prince of Peace—say who is he
That with blessings crowneth me?
Whose the love that hither came
To fire my spirit with its flame?
Jesus the crucified.
Who is he whose death has brought
To my life a higher thought?
Who the friend that calleth me
To himself unceasingly?
Jesus the crucified.
Who is he, triumphant One,
Reigning in my heart alone,
That from deepest suffering ever
Doth my overfraught soul deliver?
Jesus the crucified.
Who, when untried ways are mine,
Offers me his torch divine?
What the pure and living light,
Making all my pathway bright?
Jesus the crucified.
Ah! together celebrate,
All the Saviour's blessings great,
And a hymn of joy outpour,
Singing, saying evermore,
Jesus the crucified.
Knowing Weakness and Strength
He who knows not his own weakness cannot know his own strength.
THE SECOND DEATH.
(Concluded.)
I HAVE now noticed all the passages, as far as I recollect, which can be claimed as teaching the doctrine of endless misery, upon which any material reliance can be placed, and have found them insufficient to sustain that fearful theory. Hence, I proceed to observe:
3. That the texts which speak definitely and unequivocally of the future retribution of the wicked, describe it as consisting in absolute and final destruction, and plainly forbid the idea that the second death is endless life in misery. See the following: "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." 2 Thess. i, 9. "Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there." Matt. vii, 13. "Whose end is destruction." Phil. iii, 19. "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matt. x, 28. "There is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy." James iv, 12. "But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment, and perdition (i. e., destruction) of ungodly men." 2 Pet. iii, 7. "And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people." Acts iii, 23. "For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Mal. iv, 1. "As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world, . . . and shall cast them (the wicked) into a furnace of fire." Matt. xiii, 40, 42. "But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Rev. xxi, 8.
Besides these express passages, the reader is referred to such declarations as the following, which he may readily find: "The end of the wicked shall be cut off;" "in a little while the wicked shall not be;" "he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;" "they are utterly consumed with terrors;" "they that have sinned without law shall also perish without law;" "and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries;" "the wages of sin is death;" "he that loveth his life shall lose it;" and "to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever."
The above passages and declarations are definite and unequivocal; and many similar ones might be added, and they cannot be reconciled with the notion of endless misery, without destroying the precision of language. In fact, the doctrine of final destruction, as now set forth, could not be more plainly taught. To sustain the opposite theory, the general current of the Scriptures must be turned from its natural import to mean something directly opposite to what the terms used signify when applied to other cases; and all this to support a theory which is at war with sober reason and common sense, and with every emotion of the benevolent heart.
4. The scripture declarations, often repeated, that God will judge and reward every man according to his works, plainly imply and confirm the foregoing view of the second death.
This rule, so manifestly just, pertains, as is evident, to the gospel system of procedure, and not to the original law of works, as if we were to be rewarded according to our works in a legal sense, we should all be finally condemned and lost. For the law curses every sinner, and we have all sinned. But a new system has been introduced, which promises a gracious reward to penitent and faithful believers, and threatens damnation to unbelievers, and75metes out punishment in proportion to their guilt. Here, therefore, the question naturally occurs, what is the nature of their guilt? Is it infinite or only finite? If it is the latter, and not the former, then
a just punishment, as to positive misery, must be finite also. Positive, infinite misery for a finite offence, yea, for ever so many finite offences, would be evidently excessive. It would exceed the real desert of sin as eternity exceeds time. The advocates for endless misery usually allege that sin is an infinite evil, and hence infer that it deserves infinite punishment; i. e., endless misery. It is said the law is infinite because it is from an infinite being—that men are under infinite obligations to him—and that sin tends to do infinite mischief. For these reasons, sin is termed an infinite evil. But such reasoning is unsound. This liberal dealing in infinites is fraught with inconsistency and confusion. Allow that the law comes from an infinite being, that consideration does not make it an infinite law. We might as well argue that the smallest insect is infinite, because it has an infinite author. If the law were infinite, it would require infinite obedience, whereas it evidently does not. Its claims measure exactly with the capacities and opportunities of men which are finite. Sin is a great evil; but it is not and cannot be infinite. Infinite obligation could not be predicated of men without implying the infinitude of their beings. Neither can they do infinite mischief without investing them with infinite knowledge and power. This notion of the infinite evil of sin demanding infinite wretchedness, is altogether unfounded. And but a little sober argument is frequently sufficient to force its advocates to give it up. But when this is abandoned, the next resort for support for the doctrine of endless misery, is to the plea that although sin is finite, the wicked will be always sinning, and hence always deserving misery, so that their desert of suffering will always keep in advance of their present misery, and thus preclude the idea of its termination. To this plea, it is sufficient to reply that future punishment is inflicted for offences committed in this life, not afterwards. They are expressly said to "receive according to the deeds done in the body;" and these being finite, and no more, their misery must, of course, be finite. Endless wretchedness cannot be made out on this ground. As surely as God is just, and will treat the wicked according to their works, their actual suffering must at some future period cease.
If it be objected that this argument will lie equally against the notion that punishment will terminate in the extinction of conscious being, I would reply, that this part of the punishment is negative, and not positive, and whether God continues being, or not, is a matter of mere prerogative. No being has any claim for existence, unless he is obedient to God's will. Between the two theories, as now presented, there is an immeasurable difference. The forfeiture for disobedience is rightfully the loss of life. For "there is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy," and whose unquestionable right it is to do so. In his wisdom and liberality, he has given man two chances to live, first by the law, and secondly by the gospel, and if he does not improve them, it is evidently right that he should die—and that after the infliction of few or many stripes, as the case may require, he should cease to be. If all that is meant by the infinite evil of sin, were, that it is such an evil as deserves severe pains, terminating in the final destruction of life and consciousness, the sentiment would not be objectionable, though we should object to the propriety of the term used to designate it. But this is not the light in which sin is regarded as an infinite evil. It is considered to be in such a sense infinite, as deserves infinite or unending misery; which view is manifestly excessive, and cannot be consistent with the just administration of Jehovah.
5. The endless misery of the wicked is incompatible with the manifested design of Christ's coming into the world; viz., to destroy both the works of the devil, and the devil himself, and to banish sin and misery from the universe, and restore things to the original state in which God pronounced all which he had made very good—otherwise to put all things under his feet, willingly if they can be, and by destruction if they cannot be.
Christ's purpose to destroy the devil, and all who are united with him, will be fully accomplished. His coming to destroy the works of the devil, and to abolish the devil himself, clearly implies the extermination of everything belonging to this adversary's kingdom. How could he be represented as abolished, while remaining in active, malignant existence, foaming and raging against Zion's King? or how could his works be said to be destroyed, while myriads of his angels, and myriads and myriads of wicked men, are uttering blasphemies in the world of wo? If the work of destruction be complete, (and it cannot be reasonably doubted that it will be,) it must imply the utter extermination of wickedness and wicked agents. Perfect order cannot otherwise be restored in the universe. Surely, therefore, all the sinners of God's people, as foretold, "shall be cut off," and "the wicked shall not be."
The result of final holiness and happiness to all the remaining subjects of God's kingdom, is as clear and as certain, on this ground, as it would be upon the plan of universal salvation, while no countenance whatever is given to that erroneous system. And the mind which hates sin, and delights not in misery, finds a place where to rest, without witnessing unceasingly, the rage and misery of God's enemies.
From the foregoing subject we infer,
1. That the natural immortality of the soul is not a scriptural doctrine. There is indeed, immortality to the righteous, but it is exclusively by the gospel. If Christ had not come, died and risen, there could have been no such thing. Death would have reigned in everlasting silence.
The main plea for the natural immortality of the soul, i. e., its undying existence by virtue of its properties and constitution, is its innate desire of life, and dread of extinction. But this, as every candid person must see, is just as good an argument for universal salvation as for immortality. If the soul be naturally immortal, one of two things must necessarily follow, viz., universal salvation, or endless misery. The former, none that are deemed orthodox, will avow. And, is the latter so desirable that it must be held fast in the face of that vast amount of testimony to the contrary, which has been produced? Continued existence, simply considered, is indeed desirable; yea, it is desirable with some degree of pain. But it cannot be desirable under such extreme suffering as pertains to the future condition of the wicked. And it will not do to fritter away the torments of the damned, till their state becomes somewhat tolerable—yea, better than utter abolishment. The genuine doctrine of endless misery is, that the torment which will be endured will be in a burning lake, or at least a state of suffering fully equivalent. How can the advocates of such a destiny contemplate their theory without the utmost trembling and astonishment? But to this conclusion the doctrine of the soul's natural immortality necessarily impels them.
But to the honor of God, and the relief of the benevolent mind, the Bible does not teach this doctrine. Man in his first state was only a probationer for immortality; and while the gospel informs us that, though this was forfeited by sin, it can and will be secured to believers in Jesus, but not to unbelievers, their doom is not immortal misery, but a second death, effected by being cast into a lake of fire and brimstone: dreadful indeed, but infinitely less than the punishment of endless misery!
2. We infer that Christ did not come to exempt men from the death threatened in the law, but to redeem them from sin, and from a state of death—to ransom them from the power of the grave. It is not true that he died that we might not die, as originally threatened, for we must die. The law will have its course. He was in no sense a legal substitute. He verily died as a sacrifice for sin, and was perfected by sufferings; but not to render plenary satisfaction to divine justice, as is commonly taught. That would have closed the door to the reign of grace and forgiveness.
3. We infer that the system of redemption cannot be rightly and thoroughly understood without the adoption of the foregoing theory of the first and second deaths. As in arithmetic it is necessary to commence with the first principles in order to obtain a knowledge of the science, so in the present case it is necessary to commence with the original constitution, under which God placed our first father, in order to understand the system of redemption. We
must, especially, understand the true nature of the death-penalty. A mistake here will involve the whole subject of redemption in darkness. If you make the law infinite, and the sin infinite, and the penalty infinite, you must either impeach the veracity of God, or utterly relinquish the hope of salvation. This has been sufficiently evinced by the foregoing remarks. But if you understand each as finite, then redemption is practicable. Through Christ we can have life again and immortality; and the penalty for the forfeiture through unbelief, will be obviously a just and reasonable punishment, viz., the second death.
4. We infer that the foregoing subject presents the best and strongest reasons for giving due warning to the wicked. We have seen that the threatening of death to man for violating the original law was not a vague and uncertain thing, but a serious and sure reality. The exactness and extent with which it has been fulfilled, presents a clear and striking view of the truth of God. “Hath he said, and shall he not do it?” None can evade this curse. Not merely fools, but wise men die. There is one event to all. “None can by any means redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him, that he should still live forever and not see corruption.” And what does this teach in regard to the second death—the death attendant on disobedience to the gospel? It teaches that it will surely be inflicted. As certainly as all men die the first death, such as do not obey the gospel will die the second. The same truth is pledged for the execution of the latter penalty that was pledged for the execution of the former. “How, then, shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” God's visiting the curse upon Adam and his posterity, and giving proof upon proof of the truth of his threatenings under the legal dispensation, shows his fixed determination to inflict the penalty of his gospel. Sinners should, therefore, be faithfully warned to “flee from the wrath to come.” There is nothing in the punishment of the second death which is excessive or impracticable—nothing which should create the least doubt as to its infliction. God actually means that the wicked “shall be damned,” and “destroyed without remedy.” Let all, therefore, of this character improve the timely warning given by the subject. “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”
Reason of Infidelity
REASON OF INFIDELITY.—In the course of my experience in society, I have never met with an instance where a man took up the argument as an unbeliever in the truth of Christianity, but it might be traced to an irregularity in his moral conduct; thus confirming a frequent remark of mine, "When a man is opposed to Christianity, it is because Christianity is opposed to him."-Green's Reminiscences of Rev. Robert Hall.
The Argument of Consistent Conduct
Mr. Innes, in his work on Domestic Religion, mentions a fact strikingly illustrative of the power of consistent conduct. A young man, when about to be ordained as a Christian minister, stated that at one period of his life he had been nearly betrayed into the principles of infidelity; "but," he added, "there was one argument in favor of Christianity that I could never refute: the consistent conduct of my father."
Signs of Final Ruin
To be insensible under judgments, to be hardened by instruction, to be devoted to the appetites, to rest in our own righteousness, to glory in our shame, to oppose the conversion of men to God, to sport with Scripture, to revile goodness, and to slander the just, are nine things mentioned in the Bible as probable signs of final and total ruin.
Signs of Spiritual Decline
To be impatient of reproof, weary of deeds of piety once delighted in, fond of works of taste to the neglect of the Scriptures, and severe in judging another man's conduct, are among the darkest signs in the lives of some who otherwise seem to be consistent Christians.
Some of the best men have left the world bitterly reproaching themselves for two things: lack of zeal, and lack of industry in the improvement of time.