{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_17934/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_17934","id":"gutenberg_17934","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17934","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches","Category: Parenthood & Family Relations","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Christian life","Young women"],"text":"Produced by PM Childrens Library, Pilar Somoza and the\nOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net\n(This file was produced from images generously made\navailable by The University of Florida, The Internet\nArchive/Children's Library)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n A\n PRACTICAL DIRECTORY\n FOR\n YOUNG CHRISTIAN FEMALES;\n BEING A\n SERIES OF LETTERS\n FROM A\n BROTHER TO A YOUNGER SISTER.\n\n\n BY HARVEY NEWCOMB.\n\n\n WRITTEN FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS SABBATH SCHOOL SOCIETY, AND\n APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION.\n\n\n Seventh Edition.\n\n\n BOSTON:\n MASSACHUSETTS SABBATH SCHOOL SOCIETY\n Depository, No. 13 Cornhill.\n\n\n\n\n Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1833, by\n CHRISTOPHER C. DEAN,\n In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.\n\n\n Stereotyped by\n HOBART & ROBBINS;\n NEW ENGLAND TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY,\n BOSTON.\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\n\nThe following Letters were truly, as they profess to have been, written\nto a younger sister of the author. By the death of her parents, she was\nleft, in a measure, dependent upon him, at an early age. She had been\nthe subject of many prayers, and endeared by many ties. His house, as he\nhumbly trusts, was the place of her second birth. As she was about to\nleave his roof, for a residence among strangers, the idea occurred to\nhim of imbodying his fraternal counsel in such a form that it might be a\nfriendly monitor to her, in the midst of those dangers and difficulties\nwhich beset the path of inexperienced youth. In prosecuting this design,\nit appeared hardly proper to bestow so much time upon the interests of\none individual. Hence the writer concluded to commit these Letters to\nthe press, with the hope that they might be the means of doing some\ngood. This work is intended not merely to be read and laid aside; but,\nas its title imports, to be kept as a kind of _practical directory_ for\ndaily living. This edition has been revised with great care, and much\nnew matter added.\n\nBOSTON, 1851.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n\n_Preface_, 5\n\n\nLETTER I.\n\n_The Christian's Mark_, 17\n\n Introduction, 17\n A Great Mistake, 17\n The Grace of God a Growing Principle, 18\n The Spring that never dries nor freezes, 19\n Growth in Grace, 20\n The Glory of God, how manifested, 21\n The true Standard of Holiness, 21\n Paul's desire for Higher Attainments, 22\n How Eminent Holiness is attained, 23\n Examples of Eminent Persons, 23\n Mrs. Edwards, 24\n Earnestness in Religion, 25\n Religion the great Business of Life, 25\n\n\nLETTER II.\n\n_Importance of a thorough Knowledge of the Doctrines of\nChristianity; Means of obtaining it_, 26\n\n Connection of Doctrine and Practice, 26\n Religion compared to a Building, 27\n The Holy Spirit operates through the Truth, 28\n Genuine and Spurious Religious Affections distinguished, 28\n Office of the Truth in Sanctification, 29\n Doctrinal Knowledge without Practice, 29\n\n_Directions_, 30\n\n 1. Becomes a Little Child, 30\n The Starting Point of Error, 31\n 2. Avoid a Controversial Spirit, 31\n An Error of Young Persons, 31\n 3. Use Helps, 32\n Writings of Men, why studied, 32\n Bible the Text Book, 32\n 4. Seek the Aid of the Holy Spirit, 32\n\n\nLETTER III.\n\n_True Religion a Work of Grace in the Heart, but must be\ncarried out in the Conduct_, 33\n\n Inconstancy of False Religion, 34\n Fruitfulness of True Piety, 34\n Fruits of the True and False Professor contrasted, 35\n Fruit-bearing the test of Christian Character, 36\n The Fruits of the Spirit, 36\n Love, as in the Experience of David, 37\n Manifested in willing Obedience, 38\n Love of the Brethren, 38\n Spiritual Joy. Peace, 39\n Peace of Mind; its Manifestations, 40\n Meekness the Twin Sister of Peace, 41\n Long-suffering, Gentleness, 41\n Goodness, 42\n Faith, a Common Principle of Action, 42\n An Operative Principle, 43\n Power of Faith. Temperance, 43\n\n\nLETTER IV.\n\n_Reading and Study of the, Bible_, 44\n\n Search the Scriptures, 45\n We must set our Hearts to it, 45\n\n_Directions_, 46\n\n 1. Read the Bible in your Closet, 46\n 2. Preparation of the Heart, 47\n 3. Seek the Aid of the Holy Spirit, 47\n 4. Read with Self-application, 47\n 5. Read the Scriptures regularly, 48\n 6. Study the Bible systematically, 48\n Variety and Harmony of the Bible, 49\n Things to be observed, 49\n Wisdom of Divine Inspiration, 49\n How to remove Difficulties, 50\n Commentaries. Tasks, 50\n Read in Course, 51\n Close Study of the Bible, 51\n Constant Subjects of Inquiry, 52\n The Bible a History of the Church, 52\n Periods of the History of the Church, 52\n Take notice what Period you are reading, 53\n Inquire what Doctrine or Principle is taught, recognized,\n illustrated, or enforced, 53\n Note the Promises and Predictions, 53\n Take Notes, 53\n Read the Gospel to study the Character of Christ, 53\n Things to be observed in Sacred History and Biography, 54\n Poetic and Didactic Parts of the Bible, 55\n The Prophecies, 55\n\n\nLETTER V.\n\n_Prayer and Fasting_, 57\n\n Duty of Prayer, 57\n Prayer defined, 58\n Examples, 59\n The Lord's Prayer; its Use, 59\n The Power of Prayer, 60\n The Promises, 61\n The Promises exemplified, 61\n The Arians. Francke. Dr. West, 63\n The Slave liberated by Prayer, 64\n Asking amiss, 64\n We must desire the Things we ask, for the Glory of God, 65\n\n_We must ask_,--\n\n For Things agreeable to the Will of God, 65\n In Faith, 66\n With Humble Submission, 67\n\n_Practical Hints_, 67\n\n 1. Maintain a Constant Spirit of Prayer, 67\n 2. Observe Stated and Regular Seasons of Prayer, 68\n 3. Observe Special Seasons of Prayer, 71\n Fasting, 72\n 4. Preparation of Heart, 74\n 5. Persevere in Prayer, 74\n\n\nLETTER VI.\n\n_Temptation_, 76\n\n Existence of the Devil, 76\n His Character, 76\n 1. He is Powerful, 77\n His Power limited, 77\n Why he is permitted to exercise Power, 77\n 2. He has much Knowledge, 78\n 3. He is Wicked, 78\n 4. He is Crafty, Deceitful, and Treacherous, 78\n 5. He is a Liar, 78\n 6. He is Malicious, 79\n The Devices of Satan, 79\n He suits his Temptations to our Circumstances, 80\n Impulses to be tried by the Word of God, 81\n Subtlety of Satan, 82\n Temptations from the World, 82\n From our own Hearts, 82\n The Heart a Castle, 83\n We must set a Watch, 83\n The Double Watch, 83\n Watch _unto_ Prayer, 83\n Watch _in_ Prayer, 84\n Watch on the Mount, 84\n Watch in Despondency, 84\n Watch when Cheerful, 84\n Watch in Prosperity, 85\n Watch in Adversity, 85\n Watch over the Tongue, 85\n Watch when doing Good, 85\n Watch against Besetting Sins, 85\n Watch over the Imagination, 85\n\n\nLETTER VII.\n\n_Self-Denial_, 86\n\n Nature and Consequences of Selfishness, 87\n The Selfish Principle surrendered, 87\n Self-Denial defined and applied, 89\n Essential to Christian Character, 89\n Christ's Example, 89\n A Caution, 90\n\n\nLETTER VIII.\n\n_Public and Social Worship, and Sabbath Employments_, 90\n\n Duty of Public Worship, 91\n Example of \"Holy Men of Old,\" 91\n Of Christ and the Apostles, 91\n Public Worship an Imperative Duty, 93\n Sin and Danger of neglecting it, 94\n Attend the stated Ministry of your Pastor, 95\n Be Punctual at Church, 96\n Go with Preparation of Heart, 96\n Deportment in the House of God, 97\n Singing. Prayer. Wandering Thoughts, 97\n Take heed how you hear, 98\n Ambassadors. The Check Book, 98\n The Noble Bereans, 99\n Fault-Finding, 99\n Self-Application, 100\n Hearing for Others, 100\n Hear with a Prayerful Frame, 100\n Remember and Practise what you hear, 100\n Meetings for Social Prayer, 100\n Be governed by Principle, 101\n Female Prayer Meetings, 101\n The Sabbath-school, 102\n Three Requisites, 102\n Hints on Sabbath-school Instruction, 103\n Skill in Teaching, 103\n Study the Juvenile Mind, 104\n Use Helps, 104\n Aim at drawing out the Minds of Children, 104\n Catechising, 105\n Dependence, 105\n Let your own Heart be affected, 105\n Personal Application, 105\n Earnestly seek God's Blessing, 106\n Private Sabbath Duties, 106\n Spend much Time in your Closet, 107\n Spend none in seeking Ease or Pleasure, 107\n Watch over your Thoughts, 107\n Set a Guard over your Lips, 108\n\n\nLETTER IX.\n\n_Meditation_, 108\n\n 1. Its Importance, 109\n 2. Time and Manner of, 109\n 3. Subjects of Meditation, 111\n\nSUBJECTS PROPOSED AND ARRANGED.\n\n_I. Character and Attributes of God_, 112\n\n 1. Self Existence, 112\n 2. Eternity and Immortality, 112\n 3. Omnipresence and Omniscience, 113\n 4. Omnipotence and Independence, 113\n 5. Benevolence, 114\n 6. Justice, 114\n 7. Truth, 115\n 8. Mercy, 116\n 9. Wisdom, 116\n\n_II. Doctrines_, 117\n\n 1. Decrees of God, 117\n 2. Sovereignty of God, 118\n 3. Human Depravity, 118\n 4. Regeneration, 119\n 5. Condition of Fallen Man, 119\n 6. Plan of Redemption, 119\n 7. Justification, 119\n 8. Adoption, 120\n 9. Sanctification, 120\n 10. Death, 120\n 11. Heaven, 121\n 12. The Resurrection, 121\n 13. The Judgment, 121\n 14. The World of Woe, 122\n\n_III. Character of Christ_, 122\n\n_IV. Names and Offices of Christ_, 124\n\n 1. Saviour, 124\n 2. Redeemer, 124\n 3. Prophet, 124\n 4. Priest, 124\n 5. King, 124\n 6. Mediator, 125\n 7. Advocate, and Intercessor, 125\n 8. Friend, 126\n 9. Elder Brother, 126\n 10. Husband, 126\n\n_V. The Christian Graces_, 126\n\n 1. Faith, 126\n 2. Hope, 126\n 3. Charity or Love, 127\n 4. Joy, 127\n 5. Peace, 127\n 6. Brotherly Kindness, 127\n 7. Humility, 127\n 8. Patience, 127\n 9. Long-suffering, 128\n 10. A Forgiving Temper, 128\n 11. Meekness, 128\n 12. Gentleness, 128\n 13. Temperance, 128\n 14. Virtue or Moral Courage, 128\n\n\nLETTER X.\n\n_The Preservation of Health_, 129\n\n Connection of Health and Usefulness, 129\n Duty of Preserving Health, 130\n Physiology. Habits, 131\n Influence of Ladies, 131\n\n_Rules for Preserving Health_, 131\n\n 1. Make Conscience of it, 131\n 2. Be Cheerful, 132\n 3. Be Regular in your Habits, 133\n 4. Exercise, 134\n Delicate Training of Young Ladies, 135\n 5. Practise frequent Ablutions, 135\n 6. Pay Attention to the Quantity and Quality of Food, 136\n Effects of bad or excessive Diet, 137\n How to glorify God in Eating and Drinking, 138\n 7. Taking Medicine, 139\n\n\nLETTER XI.\n\n_Mental Cultivation. Reading_, 141\n\n Object of Education, 141\n Written Exercises, 142\n Discipline. Perseverance, 143\n Reading, 144\n Hints on Reading History, 144\n Biography, 147\n Doctrinal and Miscellaneous Reading, 148\n Newspapers and Periodicals, 148\n Light Reading. English Classics, 150\n\n\nLETTER XII.\n\n_Improvement of Time. Present Obligation_, 151\n\n Value of Moments, 151\n How to redeem Time, 152\n Systematic Arrangements, 153\n Motives for being Systematic, 153\n Nature of Obligation, 154\n\n\nLETTER XIII.\n\n_Christian Activity_, 156\n\n Female Influence, 156\n May be felt in the Bible Society, 156\n In the Tract Society, 158\n Monthly Tract Distribution, 158\n The Missionary Cause, 159\n Influence in Behalf of the Poor, 160\n A Plea for the Poor, 161\n Example of Christ, 162\n Temperance, 163\n Interest of Females in the Subject, 163\n Conversation, 164\n Influence in bringing People under the Sound of the Gospel, 164\n Influence directly on the Impenitent, 164\n\n_The Duty enjoined_, 164\n\n 1. By the Example of Christ, 165\n 2. By Love to God, 165\n 3. By Love to our Neighbor, 165\n 4. By the Injunctions of Scripture, 166\n Facts, 168\n Wonderful Influence exerted by one Woman, 169\n\n_Cautions_, 172\n\n 1. Avoid Ostentation, 172\n 2. Prudence and Discretion, 172\n 3. Be Resolute and Persevering, 173\n 4. Be much in Prayer, 173\n\n\nLETTER XIV.\n\n_Dress_, 174\n\n Design of Dress, 174\n Things to be observed, 175\n 1. All you have is the Lord's, 175\n 2. Your Time is the Lord's, 176\n 3. Personal Appearance, 177\n Influence of Christianity, 177\n 4. Regard to Health, 178\n Compression of the Chest, 178\n 5. Do not make too much of it, 179\n\n\nLETTER XV.\n\n_Social and Relative Duties_, 180\n\n The Family Relation, 180\n Household Law, 181\n\n_Rules_, 183\n\n 1. In Relation to the Family, 183\n 2. To the Church, 184\n 3. To Society in general, 186\n 4. Visiting, 187\n 5. Worldly Society, 188\n 6. Conversation, 188\n 7. Discussion of Absent Characters, 189\n 8. Speaking of one's self, 191\n 9. A Suspicious Disposition, 191\n 10. Intimate Friendships, 192\n 11. Before going into Company, visit your Closet, 192\n\n\nLETTER XVI.\n\n_Charity_, 193\n\n General Description of, 193\n Long Suffering, 194\n Kindness, 194\n Envy, 196\n Self-Conceit, 197\n Description of a Self-conceited Person, 197\n Self-conceited Confidence not Independence of Mind, 198\n Unseemliness, 199\n Forwardness, 199\n Impertinence, 200\n Taking the Lead in Conversation, 200\n Fierce Contention for Rights, 201\n Rudeness, Grossness, 201\n Disinterestedness, 201\n Selfishness, 201\n Churlishness, 203\n Good Nature, 203\n Jealousy, 204\n Fault Finding, 205\n Telling others their Faults, 206\n Christian Watch not Espionage, 206\n Effects of Ruminating upon the Faults of Others, 206\n Sours the Temper and leads to Misanthropy, 206\n Charitable Joy, 206\n Censoriousness, a Mark of an Impenitent Heart, 207\n Apostates, before their Fall, noted far Censoriousness, 208\n Humble Christians not Censorious, 209\n Duty of Rejoicing in the Goodness of Others, 210\n Charity, positively, 211\n Charity beareth all Things, 211\n Believeth all Things, 212\n Endureth all Things, 212\n\n\nLETTER XVII.\n\n_Harmony of Christian Character_, 214\n\n Harmony of Sounds, Colors, and Proportions, delights the Senses, 214\n Harmonious Development of the Christian Graces, 215\n Effects of the Disproportionate Development of Character, 217\n How Young Christiana fall into this Error, 218\n\n\nLETTER XVIII.\n\n_Marriage_, 220\n\n Marriage Desirable, 220\n Marriage not Indispensable, 221\n\n_Qualifications Indispensable in a Companion for Life_, 222\n\n 1. Piety, 222\n 2. An Amiable Disposition, 224\n 3. A Well-cultivated Mind, 224\n 4. Congeniality of Sentiment and of Feeling, 225\n 5. Energy of Character, 225\n 6. Suitableness of Age, 226\n\n_Qualifications Desirable_, 226\n\n 1. A Sound Body, 226\n 2. Refinement of Manners, 226\n 3. A Sound Judgment, 227\n 4. Prudence, 227\n 5. Similarity of Religious Sentiment and Profession, 227\n Treatment of Gentlemen, 228\n A Peculiar Affection necessary, 229\n Social Intercourse with Gentlemen, 229\n General Remarks, 230\n\n\nLETTER XIX.\n\n_Submission_--_Contentment_--_Dependence_, 233\n\n The Hand of God in all Things, 233\n Comforting Considerations, 235\n Supply of Temporal Wants, 236\n Duty of Contentment, 237\n\n\nLETTER XX.\n\n_Self-Examination_, 238\n\n Danger of Neglecting it, 238\n Assurance Attainable, 239\n Witness of the Spirit, 239\n\n_Objects_, 241\n\n 1. To discover Sin, 241\n Questions for Saturday Evening, 243\n \" for Sabbath Evening, 244\n Questions for every Evening,--(several sets,) 245\n (1.) When Time is limited, 245\n (2.) For Ordinary Occasions, 246\n (3.) Dr. Doddridge's Questions, 247\n (4.) When you have more Time than usual, 248\n 2. To ascertain why Prayer is not answered, 251\n 3. As to the Cause of Afflictions, 253\n 4. Whether we are Christians, 253\n\n_Am I a Christian_?--Questions, 255\n\n (1.) As to Views of Sin, 255\n (2.) Of the Government of God, 256\n (3.) Faith in Christ, 257\n (4.) Love to God, 258\n (5.) Christian Character in General, 260\n 5. Preparation for the Lord's Table, 262\n Questions, 262\n\n_Conclusion_, 264\n\n\nAPPENDIX.\n\n A Course of Reading, 267\n I. Sacred History, 267\n Profane History, 267\n II. Christian Doctrine, 268\nIII. Biography, 268\n IV. Miscellaneous, 268\n\n\n\n\nLETTERS, &c.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER I.\n\n_The Christian's Mark._\n\n \"Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto\n those things which are before, I _press_ towards the mark for the\n prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.\"--PHIL. 3:13,\n 14.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nEver since the death of our dear mother, I have felt a deep interest in\nyour welfare. And your being left, while young, in a measure dependent\nupon me, has increased my affection for you. You have now left my roof,\nto sojourn among strangers. You have little knowledge of the world, and\nyour religious experience has been short. I trust, therefore, you will\ncordially receive a few hints from one whose fraternal affection has\nbeen strengthened by many peculiar circumstances, and who, for many\nyears, has not ceased to remember you in his prayers.\n\nYoung Christians, when they first obtain peace and comfort in Christ,\nare prone to think the struggle over, the victory won. But nothing can\nbe farther from the truth. They have but just enlisted under the banner\nof the great Captain of their salvation, in a warfare which will never\ncease till they shall have obtained the final victory over sin and\ndeath, and entered into the joy of their Lord. This mistake often leads\nthem to be satisfied with what they have already experienced, and to\ncease that constant inward strife and earnestness, which they exercised\nwhile under conviction, before they found \"joy and peace in believing.\"\nThey see such a heavenly sweetness in divine things, that they think it\nimpossible they should \"lose the relish all their days.\" This begets\nself-confidence, and they trust in their own strength to keep where they\nare, instead of eagerly pressing forward, in the strength of Christ,\nafter higher attainments. The consequence is, they soon lose their\nlively sense of divine things, backslide from God, and become cold and\nbarren in their religious affections. A little child, when it first\nbegins to walk, is safe while it keeps hold of the hand of its mother,\nor faithful nurse. But, when it begins to feel confident of its own\nstrength, and lets go its hold, it soon totters and falls. So with the\nChristian. He is safe while he keeps a firm hold of Christ's hand. But\nthe moment he attempts to walk alone, he stumbles and falls.\n\nThe Scriptures represent the grace of God in the heart, as a growing\nprinciple. It is compared to a mustard-seed, which is the least of all\nseeds. But, when it springs up, it rises and spreads its branches, till\nit becomes the greatest of all herbs. The beauty and appropriateness of\nthis figure will not be appreciated, unless we take into consideration\nthe luxuriant growth of plants in Eastern countries. The Jews have a\nfable of a mustard-tree whose branches were so extensive as to cover a\ntent. There are two things that no one would expect to see, in the\ngrowth of such a plant: (1.) To spring at once into full maturity. (2.)\nTo become stationary in its growth, before it arrives at maturity. If it\nceases to grow, it must wither away and die.\n\nThe spiritual reign of Christ in the heart is also compared to a _little\nleaven_, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the\nwhole was leavened. It was so little at first that it was said to be\n_hid_. It could not be seen. So grace, when first implanted in the\nheart, is often so little in degree, and so much buried up in remaining\ncorruption, that it can scarcely be discovered at all. But the moment\nthe leaven begins to work, it increases without ceasing, till the whole\nis leavened.\n\nAgain; Christ says, \"the water that I shall give him shall be _in him_ a\nwell of water, _springing up into everlasting life_.\" When these words\nwere uttered, our Lord was sitting upon a deep well, in conversation\nwith the woman of Samaria. As his custom was, he drew instruction from\nthe objects around him. He directed her attention away from the water\nwhich can only quench animal thirst, to that living water which\nrefreshes the soul. But she, not understanding him, wished to know how\nhe could obtain _living water_ from a deep well, without anything to\ndraw with. In order to show the superiority of the water of life, he\ntold her that those who drank it should have it _in them_, constantly\nspringing up of itself, as if the waters of the well should rise up and\noverflow, without being drawn. The very idea of a _living spring_ seems\nto cut off the hope of backsliders. You remember the cold spring that\nused to flow from the rock, before our father's door. The severest\ndrought never affected it, and in the coldest season of a northern\nwinter it was never frozen. Oft, as I rose in the morning, when the\nchilling blasts whistled around our dwelling, and everything seemed\nsealed up with perpetual frost, the ice and snow would be smoking around\nthe spring. Thus, like a steady stream, let your graces flow, unaffected\nby the drought or barrenness of others, melting the icy hearts around\nyou.\n\nThis \"_living water_,\" in the soul, is intended to represent the\nindwelling of the Holy Spirit. In the new birth, there is formed a holy\nunion between the Spirit of God and the faculties of the soul, so that\nevery correct feeling, with every good act, is produced by the Holy\nSpirit acting in unison with those faculties. Hence, our bodies are\ncalled the temple of the Holy Ghost, and he is said to dwell in us. What\na solemn truth! What holy fear and carefulness ought we to feel\ncontinually; and how softly should we walk before the Lord of Hosts!\n\n\"The righteous,\" says David, \"shall flourish like a palm-tree; he shall\n_grow_ like a cedar in Lebanon.\" But if the cedar should cease to grow\nas soon as it springs up, it would never become a tree. It must wither\nand die.--Again; it is said, \"Ye shall _go forth and grow up as calves\nof the stall_.\" A healthy calf, that is fed in the stall, cannot but\ngrow and thrive. And surely the Lord has furnished us, in his holy word,\nabundant food for our spiritual growth and nourishment. If the calf is\ndiseased, or if he refuses to eat, he will pine away and die; and so\nwith us. The apostle Paul speaks of _growing up_ into Christ, in all\nthings; and of _increasing_ in the knowledge of God. By this he\nevidently means, that experimental knowledge of God in our hearts, by\nwhich we are changed into his image. The apostle Peter exhorts us to\n\"_grow_ in the grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus\nChrist.\" Again, he directs us to feed upon the sincere and simple truths\nof the gospel, as the infant is nourished by its mother's milk, and to\n_grow_ thereby. As conversion is called being \"born again,\" the young\nconvert is very properly compared to a \"new-born babe.\" As a babe is\nleast when first born, so the Christian, when first converted, has the\nleast grace; unless, indeed, he becomes diseased, and pines away, like a\nsickly infant. And such is truly the deplorable case of the backslider.\n\nThe motives which urge us to seek and maintain an elevated standard of\npiety are the highest that can be presented to our minds. _The glory of\nGod requires it._ This is the greatest possible good. It is the\nmanifestation of the divine perfections to his intelligent creatures.\nThis manifestation is made by discovering to them his works of creation,\nprovidence, and grace, and by impressing his moral image upon their\nhearts. In this their happiness consists. In promoting his own glory,\ntherefore, God exercises the highest degree of disinterested\nbenevolence. Nothing can add to his happiness; nothing can diminish it.\nIf the whole creation were blotted out, and God were the only Being in\nthe universe, he would still be perfectly glorious and happy in himself.\nThere can be, therefore, no selfishness in his desiring his own glory.\nIt is the good of the creature alone that is promoted by it. A desire to\nglorify God must, then, be the ruling principle of all your conduct, the\nmoving spring of all your actions. But how is the glory of God promoted\nby your growth in grace?\n\n1. It is manifested to yourself, by impressing his image upon your\nheart; and by giving you a spiritual discovery of the excellence, purity\nand loveliness, of his moral character.\n\n2. It is manifested to others, so far as you maintain a holy life and\nconversation; for thereby the moral image of Christ is exhibited. The\nglory of Christ is manifested by the holy walk of his people, just as\nthe glory of the sun appears by the reflected light of the moon.\n\n3. The glory of God is promoted by making others acquainted with the\nexhaustless riches of free grace, and bringing them to Christ; for, by\nthat means, they receive spiritual light to behold the beauty and glory\nof the divine perfections, and his image is stamped upon their souls.\nBut your usefulness in this respect depends mainly upon the measure of\ngrace you have in your own heart. The reason why many Christians do so\nlittle good in the world is, that they have so little piety. If you\nwould be eminently useful, you must be eminently holy.\n\nBut, you may ask, \"What is the standard at which I must aim?\" I answer:\nThe law of God is the only true standard of moral excellence; and you\nhave the pattern of that law carried out in action, in the perfect life\nof our blessed Lord and Master. No standard short of this will answer\nthe requirements of the word of God. \"He that abideth in him, ought\nhimself also so to walk, EVEN AS HE WALKED.\" All that we fall short of\nthis is _sin_. There is no want of ability in the case, but what arises\nfrom our own voluntary wickedness of heart. Christ says that he came not\nto _destroy_ the law, but to fulfil it. \"We are not released from the\n_obligation_ of perfect obedience; though grace has taken away the\n_necessity_ of such obedience as the ground of our acceptance with God.\"\nThe law is not made void, but established, by grace. We cannot be\n_saved_ by our obedience; because we have already broken the law, and we\ncannot mend it. But, while we trust alone in Christ, independent of\nanything in ourselves, for justification before God, the signs or\nevidences of our faith must be found within us. There must be a new and\nholy principle in our hearts; and just as far as this principle\nprevails, so far it will show itself in obedience to the law of God.\nThere is no resting-place, in the agonizing conflict, till we are \"_holy\nas God is holy_.\" I do not say that Christians ever do become perfectly\nholy in this life. The contrary appears, from the testimony both of\nScripture and experience, to be the universal fact. But this is the\nmeasure of obligation, and we should strive after it with all the\nearnestness of which we are capable.\n\nWe must not settle down contented with our attainments, while one sin\nremains unsubdued in our hearts. The Scriptures are full of this\ndoctrine. The apostle Paul expresses far more earnestness of desire\nafter higher attainments in the divine life than is ever felt by such\nChristians as have only a feeble and glimmering hope of entering the\nabodes of the blessed. \"If _by any means_,\" says he, \"I might attain\nunto the resurrection of the dead;\" or that state of perfect holiness\nwhich the saints will have attained at the resurrection. And the kind of\neffort which he put forth to obtain the object of his desires is most\nforcibly described in the passage quoted at the beginning of this\nletter. In view of this standard, you will be able to see, in some\nmeasure, the exceeding sinfulness of sin; and it will drive you more\nentirely out of yourself to the cross of Christ. You will see the\nnecessity of daily renewing your repentance, submission, and faith.\n\nYou see, from what the apostle says of his own experience, that high\nspiritual attainments are not to be expected without great labor and\nstrife. True piety is indeed the work of the Holy Spirit; but the fact\nthat God works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure, is made the\nground of Paul's exhortation to work out our own salvation with fear and\ntrembling.\n\nThe attainments of eminent saints are too generally looked upon as out\nof the reach of common Christians. They seem to think God is not willing\nto give all his children the same measure of grace. But he could not\nhave said more than he has in his holy word, to convince them to the\ncontrary. \"Open thy mouth _wide_, and I will fill it.\" Our Lord\nrepeatedly assures us that God is more willing to give good things to\nthose that ask him, than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their\nchildren. And whoever will read the lives of such eminent Christians as\nEdwards, Whitefield, Brainerd, Martyn, Payson, Mrs. Edwards, Mrs.\nAnthony, Mrs. Huntington, James B. Taylor, and many others which might\nbe mentioned,--and take notice of the means which they used, will not be\nsurprised at their attainments. The Bible represents the Christian as in\nthe constant exercise of holy affections; and we should never rest with\nanything short of this. Some of the persons I have mentioned did arrive\nat such a state of feeling. President Edwards enjoyed, for many years,\nthe constant light of God's countenance, and habitual communion with\nhim. And so did Mrs. Edwards, James B. Taylor, and many others.\n\nShe, for a long time, enjoyed, as she said, \"THE RICHES OF FULL\nASSURANCE.\" She felt \"an uninterrupted and entire resignation to God,\nwith respect to health or sickness, ease or pain, life or death; and an\nentire resignation of the lives of her nearest earthly friends.\" She\nalso felt a \"sweet peace and serenity of soul, without a cloud to\ninterrupt it; a continual rejoicing in all the works of nature and\nProvidence; a wonderful access to God by prayer, sensibly conversing\nwith him, as much as if God were here on earth; frequent, plain,\nsensible, and immediate answers to prayer; all tears wiped away; all\nformer troubles and sorrows of life forgotten, except sorrow for sin;\ndoing everything for God's glory, with a continual and uninterrupted\ncheerfulness, peace, and joy.\" At the same time, she engaged in the\ncommon duties of life with great diligence, considering them as a part\nof the service of God; and, when done from this motive, she said they\nwere as delightful as prayer itself. She also showed an \"extreme anxiety\nto avoid every sin, and to discharge every moral obligation; she was\nmost exemplary in the performance of every social and relative duty;\nexhibited great inoffensiveness of life and conversation; great\nmeekness, benevolence, and gentleness of spirit; and avoided, with\nremarkable conscientiousness, all those things which she regarded as\nfailings in her own character.\"\n\nHow did these persons arrive at this eminence in the Christian life?\nAlthough by free sovereign grace, yet it was by no miracle. If you will\nuse the same means, you may attain the same end. In the early part of\nhis Christian life, President Edwards says,--\"I felt a _burning desire_\nto be, in everything, a _complete_ Christian, and conformed to the\nblessed image of Christ. I had an eager thirsting after _progress_ in\nthese things, which put me upon pursuing and _pressing_ after them. It\nwas my _continual strife_, day and night, and constant inquiry, how I\nshould _be_ more holy, and _live_ more holily, and more becoming a child\nof God, and a disciple of Christ. I now sought an increase of grace and\nholiness, and a holy life, with much more earnestness than ever I sought\ngrace before I had it. I used to be continually examining myself, and\nstudying and contriving for likely _ways and means_, how I should live\nholily, with far greater diligence and earnestness than ever I pursued\nanything in my life; yet, with too great a dependence on my own\nstrength--which afterwards proved a great damage to me.\" \"Mrs. Edwards\nhad been long in an uncommon manner growing in grace, and rising, by\nvery _sensible degrees_, to higher love to God, weanedness to the world,\nand mastery over sin and temptation, through _great trials and\nconflicts_, and long-continued _struggling_ and _fighting_ with sin, and\n_earnest_ and _constant prayer_ and _labor_ in religion, and engagedness\nof mind in the use of all means. This growth had been attended, not only\nwith a great increase of religious affections, but with a most visible\nalteration of outward behavior; particularly in living above the world,\nand in a greater degree of steadfastness and strength in the way of duty\nand self-denial; maintaining the Christian conflict under temptations,\nand conquering, from time to time, under _great trials_; persisting in\nan unmoved, untouched calm and rest, under the _changes and accidents_\nof time, such as seasons of extreme pain and apparent hazard of\nimmediate death.\"\n\nYou will find accounts of similar trials and struggles in the lives of\nall eminent saints. This is what we may expect. It agrees with the\nChristian life, as described in God's word. It is \"through much\ntribulation that we enter the kingdom of heaven.\" This is the way in\nwhich you must go, if you would ever enter there. You must make religion\nthe great business of your life, to which everything else must give\nplace. You must engage with your _whole soul_ in the work, looking to\nthe cross of Christ for strength against your spiritual enemies; and you\nwill come off \"conqueror at last,\" through him that hath loved us, and\ngiven himself for us.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER II.\n\n_The Importance of a thorough Knowledge of the Doctrines of\nChristianity--means of obtaining it._\n\n \"Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.\"--John 17:17.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nSome people are frightened at the idea of _Doctrine_, as though it were\na mere abstraction, which has nothing to do with practical life. This\nnotion is founded on a misapprehension not only of the meaning of the\nterm, but of the connection of actions with established principles of\nthe mind. The general signification of the word _doctrine_ is, the\nprinciples upon which any system is founded. As applied to Christianity,\nit means _divine truth_; for this is the foundation upon which the\nChristian religion rests. Although the truths of God's Word are not\nreduced to a regular system in the Bible, yet, when brought together,\nthey make the most beautiful and perfect of all systems. It is proper,\ntherefore, that we should contemplate them _in a body_, as they appear\nwith the most perfect symmetry, in the plan of God's moral government.\nThere is a disposition, at the present day, to undervalue doctrinal\nknowledge. Many people think it of little consequence what they\n_believe_, if they are only _sincere_, and manifest much _feeling_ on\nthe subject of religion. But this is a ruinous mistake. There is a most\nintimate connection between faith and practice. Those principles which\nare believed and received into the heart govern and control our actions.\nThe doctrines which God has revealed in his Word are the principles of\nhis moral government. As we are the subjects of that government, it\ncannot be a matter of small moment for us to understand, so far as we\nare capable, the principles upon which it is administered. If we mistake\nthese principles, we may be found in open rebellion, while we think we\nare doing God service. For example: God commands us not to steal. But,\nif we do not _believe_ that he has given this commandment, we shall feel\nunder no obligation to _obey_ it. And every truth which God has revealed\nis as intimately connected with practice as this, although the duty\nenjoined be, in itself considered, of less consequence. Christianity is\ncalled a spiritual building. \"Ye are built up a spiritual _house_.\"\n\"Whose _house_ are we?\" \"We are God's _building_.\" Now the _foundation_\nand _frame-work_ of this building are the doctrines or truths of the\nBible. Some of these doctrines are called _fundamental_ or _essential_,\nbecause they lie at the _foundation_ of the whole building; and are so\n_essential_ to it, that, if taken away, the whole would fall to the\nground. These are, The Existence of God in three persons, Father, Son,\nand Holy Ghost; the Fall, and consequent Depravity of Man; the Atonement\nof Christ; Justification by faith in him alone, and the Office of the\nHoly Spirit in the work of Regeneration. If any _one_ of these were\ntaken away, it would overturn the whole building. These may, therefore,\nwell be called the _foundation_. But you see there are other very\nimportant parts of a _frame_ besides the foundation. So there are many\nother very important truths of Christianity, besides its essential\ndoctrines. But some of these are of more consequence than others. If a\n_post_ or a _beam_ is taken away, the building is greatly marred and in\ndanger of falling; yet, if well _covered_, it may still be a comfortable\ndwelling. Again, although a _brace_ or a _pin_ is of service to\nstrengthen the building, yet either may be taken away without very\nserious injury. But a _frame_ may be _complete_ in all its parts, and\nyet be no building. Without a _covering_, it will not answer a single\ndesign of a house; and just in proportion as it is well covered, will it\nbe a comfortable residence. Just so with Christianity. The covering of\nthe house is the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart, producing\ngracious affections, which manifest themselves in a holy life. But the\ncovering of a house cannot exist without some kind of frame-work. So\nexperimental and practical piety cannot exist without a belief of the\nprincipal doctrines of the gospel. The Holy Spirit operates upon the\nheart _through the truth_. He gives it a personal application; brings it\nhome to the heart and conscience, and makes it effectual in changing the\nheart and life. \"Sanctify them _through thy truth_: thy word is truth.\"\n\"Of his own will begat he us, _with the word of truth_.\" \"Seeing ye have\npurified your souls, in _obeying the truth through the Spirit_.\" \"Being\nborn again _by the word of God_.\" Thus, the agency of the Spirit is\nalways acknowledged in connection with the truth. Any religious feeling\nor experience, therefore, which is not produced by the truth made\neffectual by the Holy Spirit, is not genuine. There is a kind of\nindefinite religious feeling, which many mistake for Christian\nexperience. They _feel_, and perhaps deeply; but they know not _why_\nthey feel. Such religious feeling is to be suspected as spurious. It may\nbe the delusion of the devil. By persuading people to rest upon this\nspurious religious feeling, he accomplishes his purpose as well as if he\nhad kept them in carnal security. And the clearer our views of truth,\nthe more spiritual and holy will be our religious affections. Thus,\ngodly sorrow arises from a sight of our own depravity, with a sense of\nthe exceeding sinfulness of sin, as committed against a holy God, and\nagainst great light and mercy. Faith is produced by a spiritual view of\nthe atonement of Christ, and of his infinite fulness as a complete and\nperfect Saviour. Love is excited by a discovery of the excellence of\nGod's moral perfections. Holy fear and reverence arise from a sight of\nthe majesty and glory of his natural attributes, and a sense of his\npresence. Joy may come from a sense of the infinite rectitude of his\nmoral government; from the sight of the glory of God, in his works of\nprovidence and grace; or from a general view of the beauty and\nexcellence of divine truth. Comfort may be derived from evidence of the\ndivine favor; and confidence, from an appropriation of God's promises to\nourselves. And in many other ways, also, the Holy Spirit produces\nspiritual feelings through the instrumentality of the truth. But all\nreligious feeling, produced by impulse, without any rational view of the\ntruth, is to be suspected. It may be the work of Satan, who is very busy\nin counterfeiting religious experiences for those he wishes to deceive.\nEvery religious affection has its counterfeit. Thus, sorrow may be\nproduced by the fear of hell, without any sense of the evil of sin; a\npresumption of our own good estate may be mistaken for faith, and this\nwill produce joy; we may exercise a carnal or selfish love to God,\nbecause we think he loves us, and has made us the objects of his special\nfavor; and the promises of God, so far as they concern the personal good\nof the believer, may administer as much comfort to the hypocrite as to\nthe real saint.\n\nHow exceedingly important is it, then, that you should not only exercise\na general belief of the great doctrines of the gospel, but that you\nshould have a right apprehension of them. The _truth_ is so necessary in\nthe Christian warfare, that it is called the _sword of the Spirit_. But\nof what benefit is the sword to the soldier who knows not how to use it?\nThe sword is used as much to ward off the blows of the enemy, as to\nattack him. But the novice, who should engage an enemy, without knowing\nthe use of his weapon, would be thrust through in the first onset.\nHence, the peculiar force of the prayer of our Lord, \"Sanctify them\nthrough thy truth.\" It is by the use of the truth, as the \"sword of the\nSpirit,\" in the Christian warfare, that the work of satisfaction is\ncarried on.\n\nBut, as the frame-work of a building, though complete in all its parts,\nwould be no house without a covering; so we may have a perfect knowledge\nof the abstract doctrines of the Christian religion, and be no\nChristians. It is the practical and experimental application of these\ndoctrines to our own hearts and lives, that makes the building complete.\nRegard yourself as a subject of God's moral government, and the\ndoctrines of the Bible as the laws of his kingdom; and you will feel\nsuch a personal interest in them, that you cannot rest in abstract\nspeculation. Study these doctrines, that you may know how to live to the\nglory of God.\n\nI will now give you a few simple directions for obtaining a correct\nknowledge of the doctrines of the Bible.\n\n1. _Approach the subject with the spirit of a little child._ \"As\nnew-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word.\" \"Except ye be\nconverted and _become as little children_, ye shall not enter into the\nkingdom of heaven.\" A little child is always satisfied of the truth of\nwhat his father tells him. \"My father says so,\" is reason enough for\nhim. He does not say, \"I will not believe it, because I cannot\nunderstand it.\" So it should be your first object to ascertain what the\nBible teaches, and then submit to it with the confidence of a little\nchild. You cannot expect fully to comprehend the ways of an infinite\nBeing. You can see but a very small part of the system of his moral\ngovernment. It cannot be strange, then, if you are unable to discover\nthe reasonableness of every truth which he has revealed. Do not try to\ncarry out difficult points beyond what is plainly taught in the\nScriptures. God has revealed all that is necessary for us to know in\nthis life. He knows best where to leave these subjects. If there were no\ndifficulties in the truths revealed, there would be no trial of our\nfaith. It is necessary that we should take some things upon trust. There\nare also some truths taught which we find it difficult to reconcile with\nothers as plainly revealed. Be content to believe both, on the authority\nof God's word. He will reconcile them hereafter. \"What I do, thou\nknowest not _now_, but thou shalt know hereafter.\" Let this\nconsideration always satisfy you: \"Even so, Father, for so it seemed\ngood in thy sight.\" I am the more particular on this point, as it is\nthe place where error always begins. The setting up of feeble reason in\nopposition to the word of God, has been the foundation of all mistakes\nin religion. And, if we determine to be satisfied of the reasonableness\nof the truth before we believe it, and carry out the principle, we shall\nland in downright atheism. By this, I do not mean that any truth is\nunreasonable. It is not so. Divine truth is the perfection of reason.\nBut there are some truths which may appear unreasonable, because we\ncannot see the whole of them. Thus, a fly, on the corner of a splendid\nedifice, cannot see the beauty and symmetry of the building. So far as\nhis eye extends, it may appear to be sadly lacking in its proportions.\nYet this is but a faint representation of the narrow views we have of\nGod's moral government. There is, however, no truth which he has\nrevealed, in relation to that government, that is more difficult to\nunderstand, than many things that philosophy has discovered in the\nnatural world. Yet, even infidels do not think of disputing facts\nconclusively proved by philosophy, because they cannot understand them.\nIt becomes us, then, with the deepest humility and self-abasement, to\nsubmit our reason to the word of God.\n\n2. _Avoid a controversial spirit._ Do not study for the sake of finding\narguments to support your own opinions. Take the place of a sincere\ninquirer after truth, with a determination to embrace whatever you find\nsupported by the word of God, however contrary it may be to your\nfavorite notions. But when objections arise in your mind against any\ndoctrine, do not suppose you have made some new discovery, and therefore\nreject it without farther inquiry. The same objections have perhaps\noccurred to the mind of every inquirer, on the same subject; and very\nprobably they have often been satisfactorily answered by able writers.\nThis is a common error of young inquirers. They are apt to think others\ntake things upon trust, and that they are the only persons who have\nthought of the difficulties which start up in their minds. But, when\ntheir reading becomes more extensive, they learn, with shame, that what\nappeared to them to be original thought, was only following an old,\nbeaten track.\n\n3. _Use such helps as you can obtain._ Read carefully selected and\njudicious authors, on doctrinal subjects.[A] The advantages arising from\nthe perusal of other books than the Scriptures, to obtain doctrinal\nknowledge, are these: 1. You may profit by the experience of others. You\nsee how the difficulties which arise in your own mind appeared to them,\nand how they solved them. 2. Much light may be thrown upon many\ndifficult passages of Scripture, by an intimate acquaintance with the\ntimes and circumstances under which they were written; and men who\nundertake to write on these subjects generally search deeply into these\nthings. 3. God has been pleased, in every age, to raise up men \"_mighty\nin the Scriptures_.\" By the extraordinary powers of mind which he has\ngiven them, they may have clearer perceptions of divine truth than you\nare able to obtain by the exertion of your own faculties alone. You may\nalso employ the sermons which you hear, for an increase of doctrinal\nknowledge, as well as an excitement to the performance of duty. But all\nthese things you must invariably bring to the test of God's word. We are\ncommanded to \"try the spirits, whether they be of God.\" Do not take the\nopinions of men upon trust. Compare them diligently with the word of\nGod, and do not receive them till you are fully convinced that they\nagree with this unerring standard. Make this your text-book; and only\nuse others to assist you in coming to a right understanding of this.\n\n4. _In all your researches after doctrinal knowledge, seek the guidance\nof the Holy Spirit._ Make it a subject of daily prayer, that God would\nenable you to understand his word, that you may be \"rooted and grounded\nin the faith.\" The influences of the Holy Spirit are two-fold. He\nenlightens the understanding, to lead it into a correct knowledge of the\ntruth; and he applies the truth to the sanctification of the heart. Pray\ndiligently that you may have both. If you persevere in the proper\nobservance of this direction, you cannot fail to profit by the others.\nBut, if you neglect this, your pursuit of doctrinal knowledge will serve\nonly as food to your pride, self-confidence and vain-glory, and exert a\nblighting influence upon your soul.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n [Footnote A: The reader will find a list of suitable books in the\n Appendix.]\n\n\n\n\nLETTER III.\n\n_True Religion a Work of Grace in the Heart; but it must be carried out\nin all our Conduct._\n\n \"And he (the righteous) shall be like a tree planted by the rivers\n of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season: _his leaf\n shall not wither_.\"--PS. 1:3.\n\n \"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the\n Lord is; for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that\n spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat\n cometh, _but her leaf shall be green_; and shall not be careful in\n the year of drought, _neither shall cease from yielding\n fruit_.\"--JER. 17:7, 8.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nIn my first letter I spoke of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, as\nrepresented by our Lord under the similitude of a living spring. In my\nlast I endeavored to show that the operation of the Spirit of God upon\nthe heart is inseparably connected with the truth. My present object\nwill be to show the _effects_ produced by both these agents acting\ntogether. This is most beautifully described in the passages quoted\nabove. Here the Christian is represented under the similitude of a tree\nplanted by the _rivers_ of water. The grace of God, or the Holy Spirit\nacting in unison with the word, to carry on the great work of\nregeneration and sanctification in the soul, is represented by the\nconstant flowing of _rivers of water_. This shows the abundance of the\nprovision. But a tree may stand so near a river as to be watered when it\noverflows its banks; and yet, if its roots only spread over the surface\nof the ground, and do not reach the bed of the river, it will wither in\na time of drought. This aptly represents the professor of religion who\nappears engaged and in earnest only during remarkable outpourings of the\nSpirit. He is all alive and full of zeal when the river overflows, but\nwhen it returns to its ordinary channel, his leaf withers; and if a long\nseason of spiritual drought follows, he becomes dry and barren, so that\nno appearance of spiritual life remains. But, mark how different the\ndescription of the true child of God. \"He shall be as _a_ tree _planted_\nby the rivers of water.\" This figure appears to have been taken from the\npractice of _cultivating_ trees. They are removed from the wild state in\nwhich they spring up, and their roots firmly fixed in a spot of ground\n_cultivated_ and _prepared_, to facilitate their growth. This _planting_\nwell represents the _fixed_ state of the renewed soul, as it settles\ndown in entire dependence upon the word and Spirit of God, for\nnourishment and growth in grace. But the figure is carried out still\nfarther,--\"and spreadeth out her roots _by the river_.\" When the roots\nof the tree are spread out along the bed of the river, it will always be\nsupplied with water, even when the river is low. This steadiness of\nChristian character is elsewhere spoken of under a similar figure. \"The\n_root_ of the righteous _shall not be moved_.\" \"He shall cause them that\ncome of Jacob to _take root_.\" \"Being _rooted_ and grounded in love.\"\nHence the prophet adds, that the heat and the drought shall not affect\nit; but its _leaf shall be green_, always growing; and it _shall not\ncease to bring forth_ fruit. And throughout the Scriptures, the\nrighteous are represented as bringing forth fruit. \"And the remnant\nthat is escaped out of the house of Judah shall again take root\ndownward, and bear fruit upward.\" Here is first a taking deep root\ndownward, or the sanctification of the faculties of the soul, by which\nnew principles of action are adopted; and a bearing fruit upward, or the\nexercise of those principles, in holy affections and corresponding\noutward conduct. Again, \"Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face\nof the world with fruit.\" The bud and blossom represent, in a very\nstriking manner, the first exercises of Christian experience. However,\nthis may be easily counterfeited. Every tree bears a multitude of false\nblossoms, which, by the superficial observer, may not be distinguished\nfrom the true. They may for a time appear even more gay and beautiful.\nAs it appears in full bloom, it would be impossible for the keenest eye\nto discover them. But as soon as the season arrives for the fruit to\nbegin to grow, these fair blossoms are withered and gone, and nothing\nremains but a dry and wilted stem. But the real children of God shall\nnot only bud and blossom, but they shall \"_fill the face of the world\nwith fruit_.\" In the Song of Solomon, the church is compared to \"an\norchard of pomegranates, with _pleasant fruits_.\" This is a beautiful\nfigure. The pomegranate is a kind of apple. The tree is low, but spreads\nits branches, so that its breadth is greater than its height. So the\ntrue Christian is humble and lowly; while his good works spread all\naround him. The blossoms of this tree are large and beautiful, forming a\ncup like a bell. But when the flowers are double, no fruit follows. So\nthe double-minded hypocrite brings forth no fruit. The pomegranate apple\nis exceedingly beautiful and delicious; and so the real fruits of\nChristianity are full of beauty and loveliness. Again, the church is\nsaid to lay up for Christ all manner of pleasant fruit, new and old.\nBut, _backsliding_ Israel is called an empty vine, bringing forth fruit\n_unto himself_. Here we may distinguish between the _apparent_ good\nfruits of the hypocrite and those of the real Christian. The latter\ndoes everything for Christ. He really desires the glory of God, and the\nadvancement of Christ's Kingdom; and this is his ruling motive in all\nhis conduct. But the former, though he may do many things good in\nthemselves, yet does them all with selfish motives. His ruling desire is\nto gratify himself, and to promote his own honor and interest, either in\nthis world, or in that which is to come.\n\nThe _fruit_ which his people bring forth is that on which Christ chiefly\ninsists, as a test of Christian character. \"Every good tree bringeth\nforth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.\" He\ncompares himself to a vine, and his followers to branches; and informs\nthem that every branch which beareth not fruit shall be taken away. In\nthe passage quoted from the first Psalm, the righteous is said to bring\nforth fruit _in his season_. And in the 92d Psalm and 14th verse, it is\nsaid, \"They shall still bring forth fruit _in their old age_; they shall\n_be fat and flourishing_;\" thus exhibiting a constancy of fruit-bearing,\nand an uninterrupted growth, even down to old age.\n\nBut, it becomes a matter of serious inquiry to know what is meant by\nbringing forth fruit _in his season_. The apostle Paul says, \"The fruit\nof the Spirit is in _all_ goodness, and righteousness, and truth.\"\nHence, we conclude, that bringing forth fruit _in season_ must be\ncarrying out the principles of the gospel into every part of our\nconduct. In another place, the same apostle informs us more particularly\nwhat are the fruits of the Spirit: \"The fruit of the Spirit is love,\njoy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,\ntemperance.\" Let us, then, carry out these principles, and see what\ninfluence they will have upon the Christian character. _Love_ is\nsomething that can be _felt_. It is an outgoing of heart towards the\nobject loved, and a feeling of union with it. When we have a strong\naffection for a friend, it is because we see in him something that is\nlovely. We love his society, and delight to think of him when he is\nabsent. Our minds are continually upon the lovely traits of his\ncharacter. So ought we to love God. The ground of this love should be\nthe infinite purity, excellence, and beauty of his moral perfections,\nindependent of our relations to him. He is infinite loveliness in\nhimself. There is such a thing as feeling this love in exercise. In the\nSong of Solomon, love is said to be \"_strong as death_.\" Surely, this is\nno faint imagery. Is it possible for a person to exercise a feeling \"as\nstrong as death,\" and yet not be sensible of it? Love takes hold of\nevery faculty of soul and body. It must, then, be no very dull feeling.\nAgain; the warmth and the settled and abiding nature of love are\nrepresented by such strong language as this: \"Many waters cannot quench\nlove, neither can the floods drown it.\" Surely this can be no fitful\nfeeling, which comes and goes at extraordinary seasons. It must be a\nsettled and abiding principle of the soul; though it may not always be\naccompanied with strong emotions. We may sometimes be destitute of\nemotion towards the friends we love most. But, the settled principle of\nesteem and preference is abiding; and our attention needs only to be\ncalled to the lovely traits in our friend's character, to call forth\nemotion.\n\nDavid, under the influence of this feeling, breaks forth in such\nexpressions as these: \"My soul _thirsteth_ for thee; my flesh _longeth_\nfor thee:\" \"As the hart panteth for the water-brooks, so _panteth_ my\nsoul after thee, O God: My soul _thirsteth_ for God, for the living\nGod:\" \"My soul _longeth_, yea, even _fainteth_, for the courts of the\nLord; my _heart and my flesh crieth out_ for the living God:\" \"My soul\n_breaketh_ for the longing it hath unto thy judgments _at all times_.\"\nSurely there is no dulness, no coldness, in such feelings as these. They\naccord with the spirit of the command, \"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God\nwith all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with _all thy might_.\"\nAnd this was not, with the Psalmist, an _occasional lively frame_. This\nsoul-breaking longing was the habitual feeling of his heart; for he\nexercised it \"_at all times_\" And what was it that called forth these\nardent longings? Was it the personal benefits which he had received or\nexpected to receive from God? By no means. After expressing an earnest\ndesire to dwell in the house of the Lord, _all the days of his life_, he\ntells us why he wished to be there: \"_to behold the beauty of the Lord,\nand to inquire in his temple_.\" The object of his love was \"_the beauty\nof the Lord_;\" doubtless meaning his moral perfections. Intimately\nconnected with this was his desire to know the will of the Lord. For\nthis he wished to \"_inquire in his temple_.\" And whenever the love of\nGod is genuine, it will call forth the same desire. The apostle John,\nwhose very breath is love, says, \"This is the love of God, that we _keep\nhis commandments_.\" The child that loves his parents will delight in\ndoing everything he can to please them. But the child that cares for his\nparents only as he expects to be benefited by them, will always do as\nlittle as possible for them, and that little unwillingly. So, in our\nrelations with God. The hypocrite may have a kind of love to him,\nbecause he thinks himself a peculiar object of divine favor, and because\nhe still expects greater blessings. But this does not lead him to\ndelight in the commands of God. He rather esteems them as a _task_. His\nheart is not in the doing of them; and he is willing to make them as\nlight as possible. But, the real Christian _delights_ in the law of God;\nand the chief source of his grief is, that he falls so far short of\nkeeping it.\n\nAgain, if we love God, we shall love the image of God, wherever we find\nit. \"Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is\nbegotten of him.\" Our love to Christians, if genuine, must arise from\nthe resemblance which they bear to Christ; and not from the comfort\nwhich we enjoy in their society, nor because they appear friendly to us.\nThis hypocrites also feel. If we really exercise that love, we shall be\nwilling to make personal sacrifices for the benefit of our Christian\nbrethren. We are directed to love one another _as Christ loved us_. And\nhow did Christ love us? So strong was his love that he laid down his\nlife for us? And the apostle John says, we ought, in imitation of him,\n\"to lay down our lives for the brethren;\" that is, if occasion require\nit. Such is the strength of that love which we are required to exercise\nfor our Christian brethren. But, how can this exist in the heart, when\nwe feel unwilling to make the least sacrifice of our own feelings or\ninterests for their benefit?\n\nAgain; there is another kind of love required of us. This is the love of\ncompassion, which may be exercised even towards wicked men. And what\nmust be the extent of this love? There can be but one standard. We have\nthe example of our Lord before us. So intense was his love, that it led\nhim to make every personal sacrifice of ease, comfort, and worldly good,\nfor the benefit of the bodies and souls of men; yea, he laid down his\nlife for them. This is the kind of love which is required of us, and\nwhich was exercised by the apostles and early Christians.\n\nAnother fruit of the Spirit is JOY. We are commanded to rejoice in the\nLord _at all times_. If we have a proper sense of the holiness of God's\nmoral character; of the majesty and glory of his power; of the infinite\nwisdom which shines through all his works; the infinite rectitude of his\nmoral government; and especially of that amazing display of his love, in\nthe work of redemption--it will fill our hearts with \"JOY UNSPEAKABLE\nAND FULL OF GLORY.\" Nor is rejoicing in God at all inconsistent with\nmourning for sin. On the contrary, the more we see of the divine\ncharacter, the more deeply shall we be abased and humbled before him.\nSays Job, \"I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now _mine\neye seeth_ thee. _Wherefore_, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and\nashes.\" It was a _sight_ of God which brought this holy man so low\nbefore him.\n\nAnother fruit of the Spirit is PEACE. This is of two kinds; peace with\nGod, and peace with man. The impenitent are at war with God; there is\ntherefore no peace for them. God is angry with them, and they are\ncontending with him. But the Christian becomes reconciled to God through\nChrist. He finds peace in believing in him. The Lord is no longer a God\nof terror to him, but a \"God of peace.\" Hence the gospel is called the\n\"way of peace;\" and Christ the \"Prince of Peace.\" Jesus, in his parting\ninterview with his beloved disciples, says, \"Peace I leave with you, _my\npeace_ I give unto you.\" Righteousness, or justice and peace, are said\nto have met together and kissed each other. \"We have peace with God,\nthrough our Lord Jesus Christ.\" The Bible is full of this subject, but I\ncannot dwell upon it. I wish you to look out the following passages;\nread and compare them diligently, and meditate upon the blessed truth\nwhich they contain Ps. 37:37; 85:8; 119:165. Prov. 16:7. Isa. 20:3;\n57:19. Lu. 2:14. John 16:33. Rom. 8:6; 14:17. 1 Cor. 7:15. Eph. 2:11,\n15. Phil. 4:7. Col. 3:15.\n\nI know not how to speak of this exercise of the mind. It is better felt\nthan described. It is a calm and holy reconciliation with God and his\ngovernment; a settled feeling of complacency towards everything but sin.\nIt begets a serene and peaceful temper and disposition of the heart. But\nthis gracious work of the Holy Spirit does not stop with these exercises\nof the mind. However we may seem to feel, in our moments of retirement\nand meditation, if this peaceful disposition is not carried out in our\nintercourse with others, and our feelings towards them, we have reason\nto suspect ourselves of hypocrisy. Whatever is in our hearts will\nmanifest itself in our conduct. If we exercise a morose, sour, and\njealous disposition towards others; if we indulge a censorious spirit,\nnot easily overlooking their faults; if we are easily provoked, and\nirritated with the slightest offence; if we indulge in petty strifes and\nbackbiting--surely the peace of God does not rule in our hearts. So much\ndoes Christ esteem this peaceful spirit, that he says peacemakers shall\nbe called the children of God. Again, he tells his disciples to \"have\npeace one with another.\" The apostle Paul, also, gives frequent\nexhortations to the exercise of this grace. \"Be at peace among\nyourselves.\" \"Follow peace with all men.\" \"If it be possible, live\npeaceably with all men.\" \"That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life.\"\n\nMEEKNESS is a twin-sister of Peace. It is a temper of mind not easily\nprovoked to resentment. The word used in the original signifies\n_easiness of mind_. The cultivation of this grace resembles the taming\nof wild animals. It is the bringing of all our wild and ungovernable\npassions under control. It is an eminent work of the Spirit; and we may\njudge of our spiritual attainments by the degree of it which we possess.\nThe Scriptures abound with exhortations to the cultivation of it. It is\npreeminently lovely in the female character. Hence, the apostle Peter\nexhorts women to adorn themselves with the ornament of a meek and quiet\nspirit, which is, in the sight of God, of great price.\n\nLONG-SUFFERING and GENTLENESS are twin-daughters of Meekness. The latter\nis the disposition of the heart. The former are the actions which flow\nout from that disposition, in our intercourse with others.\nLong-suffering is godlike. It is an imitation of the forbearance of God\ntowards his rebellious creatures. He is long-suffering, and slow to\nanger. He does not let his anger burn hot against sinners, till all\nmeans of bringing them to repentance have failed. O, how should this\nshame us, who cannot bear the least appearance of insult or injury from\nour fellow-sinners, without resentment! But, if we would be the children\nof our Father in heaven, we must learn to bear ill treatment with a meek\nand quiet and forgiving temper. Gentleness is one of the most lovely of\nall the graces of the Spirit. It is a \"softness or mildness of\ndisposition and behavior, and stands opposed to harshness and severity,\npride and arrogance.\" \"It corrects whatever is offensive in our manner,\nand, by a constant train of humane attentions, studies to alleviate the\nburden of common misery;\" the constant exercise of this spirit is of the\ngreatest importance to the Christian who would glorify God in his life,\nand do good to his fellow-creatures.\n\nGOODNESS is another fruit of the Spirit. I suppose the apostle here\nmeans the same that he expresses in another place by \"bowels of mercies\nand kindness.\" It is doing good both to the bodies and souls of others,\nas we have opportunity. \"Be kindly affectioned one to another.\" \"Be ye\nkind one to another, tender-hearted.\" This is a distinguishing trait in\nthe Christian character. It shone forth in all its loveliness in our\ndivine Redeemer. He _went about_ doing good. So ought we to imitate his\nexample. It should be our chief aim and study to make ourselves useful\nto others; for we thereby glorify God. If we have the Spirit of Christ,\nthis will be the great business of our lives.\n\nAnother fruit of the Spirit is FAITH. Although this is mentioned last\nbut two in the catalogue, yet it is by no means the least important.\nIndeed, it may be called the father of all the rest. The proper\ndefinition of faith is, a _belief of the truth_. Faith is a very common\nprinciple of action, by which is transacted all the business of this\nlife. People universally act according to their faith. If a person is\nfully convinced that his house is on fire, he will make haste to escape.\nIf a man really believes a bank-note is good, he will receive it for its\nprofessed value. If the merchant believes that his customer is able to\npay for them, he will give him goods upon credit. If a child really\nbelieves his parent will punish him for doing mischief, he will keep out\nof it. And so, in everything else, we act according to our belief. No\nperson ever fully believes a truth which concerns himself, without\nacting accordingly. That faith which is the fruit of the Spirit is a\nhearty belief of all the truths of God's word. And in proportion as we\nbelieve these truths, in their application to ourselves, we shall act\naccording to them. The reason why the sinner does not repent and turn to\nGod, is that he does not fully believe the word of God, as it applies to\nhimself. He may believe some of the abstract truths of the Scriptures,\nbut he does not really believe himself to be in the dreadful danger\nwhich they represent him. The reason why Christians live so far from the\nstandard of God's word is that their belief in the truths contained in\nit is so weak and faint. We all profess to believe that God is\neverywhere present. Yet, Christians often complain that they have no\nlively sense of his presence. The reason is, that they do not fully and\nheartily believe this truth. So strong and vivid is the impression when\nthis solemn truth takes full possession of the soul, that the apostle\ncompares it to \"_seeing him that is invisible_.\" Now, but for our\nunbelief, we should always have such a view of the divine presence. O,\nwith what holy awe and reverence would this inspire us! On examination,\nwe shall find that all the graces of the Spirit arise from faith, and\nall our sins and short-comings from unbelief. It is a belief of the\nmoral excellence of God's character which inspires love. It is a belief\nof our own depravity, and the exceeding sinfulness of sin, which creates\ngodly sorrow. It is a strong and particular belief of all the\noverwhelming truths of the Bible, which overcomes the world. \"This is\nthe victory; even our faith.\" It is a firm and unshaken belief in these\ntruths, presenting the glories of heaven just in view, which supports\nthe Christian in the dark and trying hour of death. It is the same\nbelief which makes him \"as bold as a lion\" in the performance of his\nduty. This is what supported the martyrs, and enabled them cheerfully to\nlay down their lives for Christ's sake. It is this which must support\nyou in the Christian warfare. And in proportion to your faith will be\nyour progress. I would be glad to say more on this subject. It is large\nenough to fill a volume.\n\nTEMPERANCE is another fruit of the Spirit. This consists in the proper\ncontrol of all our desires, appetites, and passions. The exercise of\nthis grace is of vital importance, not only as it concerns the glory of\nGod, but our own health and happiness.\n\nI have felt much straitened in giving a description of the fruits of the\nSpirit in a single letter. I have not pretended to do justice to the\nsubject. My principal object has been to show the beautiful symmetry of\nthe Christian character, as it extends from the heart to all our\nactions, in every relation of life. And this will serve as an\nintroduction to the more particular consideration of the various\nChristian duties.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER IV.\n\n_On the Reading and Study of the Holy Scriptures_\n\n \"Search the Scriptures.\"--JOHN 5:39.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nI feel persuaded that you will take a deep interest in the subject of\nthis letter; for, to a true child of God, nothing is so precious as the\nvolume of inspiration. It is like rubies in a case of gold. That which\nis most valuable for practical use lies on the surface; while every\nexamination discovers new gems of surpassing beauty.\n\nThere is this difference between the _devotional reading_ and the\n_thorough study_ of the Holy Scriptures,--that the object of the former\nis to affect the heart, while that of the latter is chiefly to inform\nthe understanding. Although this blessed book should never be used\nwithout practical application, yet, when all the powers of the mind are\ntaxed to ascertain the critical meaning of the text, there is less\nopportunity for the exercise of the affections of the heart than when\nthe mind is suffered simply to dwell upon obvious truth. For the\nsystematic study of the Bible, portions of time should be set apart, if\npossible, separate from our regular seasons of devotion; or, perhaps,\nimmediately after. For the former, a small portion should be selected\nfrom the more practical and devotional parts of the Bible.\n\nWe are commanded to _search the Scriptures_. _Searching_ is a difficult\nand laborious work. To induce us to engage in it, we must have a strong\ndesire for something valuable. Here is a treasure of sufficient value to\ncall forth this desire. This blessed book contains the revealed will of\nGod. All who love God will be anxious to know his will. They will make\nit the rule of their conduct. \"Thy word,\" says the Psalmist, \"is a lamp,\nunto my feet, and a light unto my path.\" The will of God, as made known\nin his word, is like a lantern, which sheds a light on our path, and\ndirects the steps of our feet. The sincere Christian will search after a\nknowledge of God's will, with more eagerness than he would search for\nhidden treasures of gold and silver. He will _set his heart_ to the\nwork. This is what God commands. After Moses had given the law of God to\nthe children of Israel, he said unto them, \"_Set your hearts_ unto all\nthe words which I testify among you this day.\" This is a very strong\nexpression. To _set our hearts_ to any work, is to go about it in\nearnest, with all the energies of our souls. Again; when we make great\nsearch for anything we very much desire and highly prize, and find it,\nwe are very apt to keep it. Hence David says, \"Thy word have I _hid_ in\nmy heart.\" But mark the reason of his conduct. Why did he hide God's\nword in his heart? He explains his motive: \"That I might not _sin\nagainst thee_.\" His object, in hiding God's word in his heart, was to\nknow how to regulate his conduct so as not to sin against him. You must\nfeel a personal interest in the truth. You must study it as the\ndirectory of your life. When you open this blessed book, let this always\nbe the sincere inquiry of your heart: \"Lord, what wilt thou have _me_ to\n_do_?\" Come to it with this childlike spirit of obedience, and you will\nnot fail to learn the will of God. But when you have learned your duty\nin God's word, _do it without delay_. Here are two very important points\nof Christian character, quite too much overlooked. (1.) An earnest\ndesire to know present duty. (2.) A steadfast and settled determination\nto _do it as soon as it is known_. Here lies the grand secret of high\nspiritual attainments. A person who acts from these principles may make\ngreater progress in a single day than a tardy, procrastinating spirit in\na long life. The pressure of obligation rests upon the present moment.\nRemember, when you have ascertained present duty, the delay of a single\nmoment is _sin_. With these remarks, I submit a few practical directions\nfor the profitable reading and study of the Holy Scriptures.\n\n1. _Read the Bible in your closet, or under circumstances which will\nsecure you from interruption, either by the conversation of others, or\nthe attractions of other objects._ Do not attempt to fill up little\nbroken intervals of time with the reading of God's word. Leave these\nseasons for lighter reading. Remember, the reading of the Scriptures is\nnothing less than conversing with God. When any one pays so little\nattention to your conversation as not to understand what you say, you\nconsider it a great breach of politeness. God speaks to you whenever you\nread his holy word. His all-seeing eye rests upon your heart; and he\nknows whether you are engaged in solemn trifling. If you read his word\nso carelessly as not to understand its meaning and drink in its spirit,\nyou treat him as you would disdain to be treated by an earthly friend. O\nthe forbearance of God, who suffers such indignity from those who call\nthemselves his children! Never approach the word of God but with\nfeelings of reverence and godly fear.\n\n2. _Come to the work with a preparation of heart._ If you were going to\nvisit some person of great consequence, whose favor and esteem you\nwished to secure, you would take care to have everything about your\nperson adjusted in the most becoming manner. So let it be with your\nmind, when you come to converse with God. Shut out all worldly thoughts.\nStrive to bring yourself into a tranquil, holy, and tender frame, so\nthat the truths you contemplate may make their proper impression upon\nyour heart.\n\n3. _Seek the aid of the Holy Spirit._ Christ promised his disciples\nthat, when the Holy Spirit should come, he would \"_guide_ them into all\ntruth.\" Without his enlightening influences, we cannot understand the\nword of God; and without his gracious influences upon the heart, we\nshall not be disposed to obey it. We have the most abundant\nencouragement to seek the aid of this Divine Instructor. Christ assures\nus that God is more willing to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask\nhim, than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their children.\nBefore opening God's word, pray that he would show you the truth, the\nrule of your duty, and incline your heart to obey it. As you proceed,\nkeep your heart silently lifted up to God for the same object.\n\n4. _Read with self-application._ Whenever you have discovered any truth,\nask what bearing it has upon your _present duty_. If it relates to\nspiritual feelings, compare it with the exercises of your own heart. If\nthey do not correspond, you have work for repentance. Go immediately to\nthe cross of Christ; give yourself away to him anew, and seek for pardon\nand needed grace. This you may do instantly, either in a silent or an\naudible prayer. If it relates to the spirit and temper of Christians, in\ntheir intercourse with one another, or with the world, compare it with\nyour own conduct. If you find yourself condemned, you have the same\ncourse to pursue, with a steadfast determination to exhibit more of the\nspirit of Christ. If it relates to some positive duty, inquire whether\nyou have done it. If not, you have to go through the same work of\nrepentance and application to the blood of Christ. But do not stop here.\n_Do your duty immediately._\n\n5. _Read the Scriptures regularly._ To sustain these frail bodies, a\ndaily supply of nourishment is required. Equally necessary is daily food\nfor the soul. The word of God is the bread of eternal life. Take, then,\nyour regular supplies of spiritual food, that your soul may not famish.\nChoose for this purpose those seasons when you are least liable to\ninterruption; when you can retire and shut out the world; when you can\nbest command the energies of your mind. There is no time more fit and\nsuitable for this than the morning. Then the mind is clear, vigorous,\nunincumbered, and prepared to receive an impression. There is also a\npropriety in consulting God's word at the close of the day. But this\ndepends much upon the state of bodily feeling. If you become exhausted\nand dull, after the labors of the day, I would rather recommend taking\nthe whole time in the morning. But by no means confine yourself to these\nstated seasons. Whenever the nature of your pursuits will admit of your\nseclusion for a sufficient length of time to fix your mind upon the\ntruth, you may freely drink from this never-failing fountain of the\nwater of life.\n\n6. _Study the Scriptures systematically._ If you read at random, here a\nlittle and there a little, your views of divine truth will be partial\nand limited. This method may indeed be pursued in regard to reading\n_strictly devotional_; but only when other time is taken for obtaining a\nconnected view and a critical understanding of the whole Bible. The\nBible is like a dish of savory meats. There is almost every variety of\nstyle and matter. There is _History, Biography, Argumentative and\nDidactic Essays, and Poetry_. Although these various kinds of writing\nare contained in a great number of books, written by various authors, at\ndifferent times, without concert, yet a remarkable unity of design runs\nthrough the whole. They all aim at the development of the plan of God's\nmoral government; and a most striking harmony of sentiment prevails\nthroughout. We find everything, from the very beginning, pointing to the\nglorious plan of redemption revealed in the Gospel. Although we may, at\nfirst view, feel the want of a regular system of divinity, yet, a\ncareful attention to the subject will convince us that God's plan is\nbest. We have here the principles of his government exhibited in _living\nexamples_; which give us a clearer view, and more vivid impression of\nthem, than we could obtain from the study of an abstract system. There\nare several things to be observed, in the systematic and thorough study\nof the Bible, some of which I shall mention.\n\n(1.) Always keep distinctly before you the grand design of the\nScriptures; which is, to convince mankind of their lost and ruined\ncondition, make known the way of salvation, and persuade them to embrace\nit.\n\n(2.) Make it your constant aim to ascertain what is the plain and\nobvious meaning of the writer; for this is the mind of the Spirit. To\naid you in this, observe the following particulars: 1. Endeavor to\nbecome acquainted with the peculiarity of each writer's style. Although\nthe matter and words of Scripture were dictated by the Holy Spirit, yet\nit was so done that each writer employed a style and manner peculiar to\nhimself. This does not invalidate the evidence of their divine origin.\nOn the contrary, it shows the wisdom of the Spirit. For, if the whole\nBible had been written in a uniform style, it would have given opposers\na strong argument against its authenticity; while the want of that\nuniformity furnishes conclusive evidence that it could not have been the\nwork of a single impostor. Again; a continued sameness of style would\nmake the reading of so large a book as the Bible tedious and unpleasant;\nbut the rich variety presented by the various authors of this blessed\nbook, helps our infirmities, and makes the reading of it pleasing and\ndelightful. 2. \"Inquire into the character, situation, and office of the\nwriter; the time, place, and occasion of his writing; and the people\nfor whose immediate use he intended his work.\" This will enable you to\nunderstand his allusions to particular circumstances and customs, and to\nsee the practical application of the principles he advances. 3. Consider\nthe principal scope or aim of the book; or, what was the author's\nobject, design, or intention, in writing it. Notice also the general\nplan or method which he has pursued. This will enable you to discover\nhis leading ideas, if it be an argumentative work; or the particular\ninstructions of God's providence, if it be historical. 4. Where the\nlanguage is difficult to be understood, pay strict attention to the\ncontext, and you will generally find the author's meaning explained.\nBut, if you do not, consider whether the difficult phrase is a\npeculiarity of the writer's style. If so, look out the place where he\nhas used it in a different connection, and see what meaning is attached\nto it there. But, if this does not satisfy you, examine the passages, in\nother parts of the Scriptures, which relate to the same subject, and\ncompare them with the one under consideration. This will generally clear\nup the darkest passages. But, if you still feel in doubt, you may find\nassistance from consulting commentators, who have made themselves\nthoroughly acquainted with all the particulars I have mentioned; which,\nwith a knowledge of the language in which the book was originally\nwritten, may have enabled them to remove the difficulty. But, do not\ntrust the opinions of commentators any farther than you see they agree\nwith the general system of revealed truth; and, above all, do not follow\nthem in any scheme of fanciful interpretation or visionary speculation.\n\n(3.) Do not task yourself with a certain _quantity_ of reading at the\nregular seasons devoted to the study of the Bible. This may lead you to\nhurry over it, without ascertaining its meaning, or drinking in its\nspirit. You had better study one verse thoroughly, than to read half a\ndozen chapters carelessly. The nourishment received from food depends\nless on the quantity than on its being perfectly digested. So with the\nmind; one clear idea is better than a dozen confused ones; and there is\nsuch a thing as overloading the mind with undigested knowledge. Ponder\nupon every portion you read, until you get a full and clear view of the\ntruth it contains. Fix your mind and heart upon it, as the bee lights\nupon the flower; and do not leave it till you have extracted all the\nhoney it contains.\n\n(4.) Read in course. By studying the whole Bible in connection, you will\nobtain a more enlarged view of the plan of God's moral government. And\nyou will see how it all centres in the Lord Jesus Christ. But I would\nnot have you confine yourself entirely to the regular reading of the\nwhole Bible in course. Some portions of the historical part do not\nrequire so much _study_ as that which is more argumentative and\ndoctrinal; and some parts of the word of God are more devotional than\nothers, and therefore better fitted for daily practical use. A very good\nplan is, to read the Old and New Testaments in course, a portion in\neach, every day. If you begin at Genesis, Job, and Matthew, and read a\nchapter every day, at each place, omitting the first, and reading three\nPsalms, on the Sabbath, you will read the whole Bible in a year, while\non every day you will have a suitable variety. Besides this, the more\ndevotional and practical books should be read frequently. The Psalms\nfurnish a great variety of Christian experience, and may be resorted to\nwith great profit and comfort, under all circumstances. This is the only\nbook in the Bible which does not require to be read in course. The\nPsalms are detached from each other, having no necessary connection. The\nother books were originally written like a sermon or a letter. They\nhave, for convenience, since been divided into chapters and verses. If\nyou read a single chapter by itself, you lose the connection; as, if you\nshould take up a sermon and read a page or two, you would not get a full\nview of the author's subject. I would therefore recommend that, in\naddition to your daily reading in the Old and New Testaments, you have\nalso some one of those books which require most study, in a course of\nreading, to take up whenever you have an occasional season of leisure to\ndevote to the study of the Bible. But, when you have commenced one book,\nfinish it before you begin another. You will find great advantage from\nthe use of a reference Bible and concordance. By looking out the\nparallel passages, as you proceed, you will see how one part of the\nScriptures explains another, and how beautifully they all harmonize.\nThis will also give you a better view of the _whole Scriptures_ than you\ncan obtain in any other way. But if you are a Sabbath-school teacher or\nscholar, your regular lesson will furnish as much study of this\ndescription as you will be able thoroughly to accomplish.\n\n(5.) In reading the Scriptures, there are some subjects of inquiry which\nyou should carry along with you constantly: 1. What do I find here which\npoints to Christ? Unless you keep this before your mind, you will lose\nhalf the interest of many parts of the Old Testament. Indeed, much of it\nwill otherwise be almost without meaning. It is full of types and\nprophecies relating to Christ, which, by themselves, appear dry, but,\nwhen understood, most beautiful and full of instruction. 2. Remember\nthat the Bible contains a history of the church. Endeavor, then, to\nlearn the state of the church at the time of which you are reading. For\nthe sake of convenience, and a clearer view of the subject, you may\ndivide the history of the church into six periods: (1.) From the fall of\nAdam to the flood. (2.) From Noah to the giving of the law. (3.) From\nthat time to David and the prophets. (4.) From David to the Babylonish\ncaptivity. (5.) From that time till the coming of Christ. (6.) From\nChrist to the end of time, which is called the gospel dispensation. From\nthe commencement you will see a gradual development of God's designs of\nmercy, and a continually increasing light. Take notice of what period of\nthe church you are reading; and from this you may judge of the degree\nof obligation of its members; for this has been increasing with the\nincrease of light, from the fall of Adam to the present day; and it will\ncontinue to increase to the end of time. Note, also, the various\ndeclensions and revivals of religion which have occurred in every period\nof the church, and endeavor to learn their causes and consequences. By\nthis, you will become familiar with God's method of dealing with his\npeople; from which you may draw practical lessons of caution and\nencouragement for yourself. 3. Inquire what doctrinal truth is either\ntaught, illustrated, or enforced, in the passage you are reading; and\nalso, what _principle_ is recognized. Great and important principles of\nthe divine government and of practical duty are often implied in a\npassage of history which relates to a comparatively unimportant event.\nLet it be your business to draw out these principles, and apply them to\npractice. Thus, you will be daily increasing your knowledge of the great\nsystem of divine truth, the necessity of which I need not urge. 4. Note\nevery promise and every prediction; and observe God's faithfulness in\nkeeping his promises and fulfilling his prophecies. This will tend to\nstrengthen your confidence in him. You will find it profitable, as you\nproceed, to take notes of these several matters, particularly; and, at\nthe close of every book, review your notes, and sum them up under\ndifferent heads.\n\n(6.) Read the gospels with great care, for the particular purpose of\nstudying the character of the blessed Jesus. Dwell upon every action of\nhis life, and inquire after his motives. By this course you will be\nsurprised to find the Godhead shining through the manhood, in little\nincidents which you have often read without interest. Look upon him at\nall times in his true character, as Mediator between God and man.\nObserve his several offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. See in which\nof these characters he is acting at different times; and inquire what\nbearing the particular action you are considering has upon his\nmediatorial character. Observe, also, the particular traits of\ncharacter which appear conspicuous in particular actions; as power,\nenergy, manly hardihood, dignity, condescension, humility, love,\nmeekness, pity, compassion, tenderness, forgiveness, &c. Take notes; and\nwhen you have finished the course, draw from them, in writing, a minute\nand particular description of his character. This will be of great\nservice to you as a pattern. You will also, by this means, see a\npeculiar beauty and fitness in Christ for the office he has undertaken,\nwhich you would not otherwise have discovered. But, do not stop with\ngoing through this course once. Repeat it as often as you can\nconsistently with your plan of a systematic study of the Holy\nScriptures. You will always find something new; and upon every fresh\ndiscovery, you can revise your old notes.\n\n(7.) In reading the historical and biographical parts of Scripture,\nseveral things are necessary to be observed: 1. The histories contained\nin the Bible are the histories of God's providence. Observe his hand in\nevery event. You will there find some principle or law of his moral\ngovernment exemplified. Inquire what that principle is, and carefully\nobserve its application to the conduct of nations, communities, and\nindividuals. 2. Whenever you read of particular mercies or judgments, as\nexperienced by nations, communities, or individuals, look back for the\ncause. By this you will discover the principles upon which God acts in\nthese matters. 3. In the biographies of the Bible, study the motives and\nconduct of the characters described. If they are unconverted men, you\nwill learn the workings of human depravity, and discover what kind of\ninfluence a correct religious public sentiment has in restraining that\ndepravity. If they are good men, you will see, in their good actions,\nliving illustrations of the great doctrines of the Bible. Endeavor to\nlearn by what means they made such eminent attainments in holiness, and\nstrive to imitate them. If their actions are bad, look back and inquire\ninto the cause of their backslidings. If you discover it, you will find\na way-mark, to caution you against falling into the same pit.\n\n(8.) The poetical and didactic parts of the Scriptures are scattered\nthroughout the whole Bible. These abound with highly wrought figures.\nThis is probably owing partly to the insufficiency of ordinary language\nto express the sublime and lofty ideas presented to the minds of the\nwriters by the Spirit of truth. Endeavor to obtain a clear and correct\nunderstanding of the figures used. These are often taken from prevailing\nhabits and customs, and from circumstances peculiar to the countries\nwhere the Scriptures were written. These habits and circumstances you\nmust understand, or you will not see the force of the allusions. Others\nare taken from circumstances peculiar to particular occupations in life.\nThese must also be thoroughly studied, in order to be understood. But,\nwhere the figures are drawn from things perfectly familiar, you will not\nperceive their surprising beauty and exact fitness to express the idea\nof the sacred pen-man, until you have carefully studied them, and noted\nthe minutest circumstances. Beware, however, that you do not carry out\nthose figures so far as to lead you into fanciful and visionary\ninterpretations.\n\n(9.) The books of the prophets consist of reproofs, exhortations,\nwarnings, threatenings, predictions, and promises. By carefully studying\nthe circumstances and characters of those for whom they were written,\nyou will find the principles and laws of God's moral government set\nforth, in their application to nations, communities, and individuals.\nFrom these you may draw practical rules of duty, and also learn how to\nview the hand of God, in his providence, in different ages of the world.\nThe predictions contained in these books are the most difficult to be\nunderstood of any part of the Bible. In reading them you will notice, 1.\nThose predictions whose fulfilment is recorded in the Bible, and\ndiligently examine the record of their fulfilment. You will see how\ncareful God is to fulfil every jot and tittle of his word. 2. There are\nother prophecies, the fulfilment of which is recorded in profane\nhistory; and others still which are yet unfulfilled. To understand\nthese, it will be necessary to read ancient and modern history, in\nconnection with the explanation of the prophecies by those writers who\nhave made them their study. An attention to this, so far as your\ncircumstances will admit, will be useful in enlarging your views of the\nkingdom of Christ. But, beware of becoming so deeply absorbed in these\nmatters as to neglect those of a more practical nature; and especially\nbe cautious of advancing far into the regions of speculation as to what\nis yet future.\n\n(10.) You will find it an interesting and profitable employment\noccasionally to read a given book through, for the purpose of seeing\nwhat light it throws upon some particular subject,--some point of\nChristian doctrine, duty, practice, character, &c. For example, go\nthrough with Acts, with your eye upon the doctrine of Christ's divinity.\nThen go through with it a second time, to see what light it throws on\nthe subject of Revivals. Pursue the same course with other books, and in\nrespect to other subjects. In this way you will sometimes be surprised\nto find how much you have overlooked in your previous reading.\n\nIt will be perceived that I have laid out a very extensive and laborious\nwork. But this is the great business of our lives; and, indeed, the\ncontemplation of the glorious truths revealed in the Bible will form the\nbusiness of eternity; and even that will be too short to learn the\nlength and breadth, and height and depth, of the ways of the Almighty.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER V.\n\n_Prayer and Fasting._\n\n \"In everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let\n your requests be made known unto God.\"--PHIL. 4:6.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nThe subject of this letter is one of vital interest to every Christian.\nIt is, therefore, of the utmost consequence, that it be both well\nunderstood and diligently practised. It seems hardly necessary to urge\nprayer upon the Christian _as a duty_. Every true Christian must feel it\nto be a soul-exalting _privilege_. It is his breath; without it, he can\nno more maintain his spiritual life, than animal life can be sustained\nwithout breathing. Prayer is an intimate communion with God, by which we\nunbosom our hearts to him, and receive communications of his grace, and\nfresh tokens of his love. What Christian, then, whose soul burns with\ndivine love, will be disposed to apply to this holy employment the cold\nappellation of _duty_? Yet, God sees so much the importance of prayer,\nthat he has not only _permitted_, but _commanded_ us to pray. Our Lord\nfrequently directed his disciples, and us through them, to \"watch and\npray.\" He also teaches us to persevere in prayer: \"Men ought always to\npray, and not to faint.\" The apostle Paul is frequent in exhorting\nChristians to pray: \"Pray without ceasing.\" \"I will that men pray\neverywhere.\" \"Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the\nSpirit.\" \"I exhort, therefore, that, first of all, supplications,\nprayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.\"\n\"Continuing instant in prayer.\" The duty of prayer is also enforced by\nthe example of all the holy men whose biography is given in Scripture.\nMoses, Samuel, David, Elijah, and all the prophets, were mighty in\nprayer. So were also the apostles. But, above all, the Lord Jesus, our\nblessed pattern, has set before us a life of prayer. You will find it\nvery profitable to read the lives of these holy men, but especially that\nof our blessed Saviour, for the special purpose of noticing how much\nthey abounded in prayer. Our Lord never undertook anything of\nimportance, without first observing a special season of prayer. Oft we\nfind him retiring into the mountains, sometimes a great while before\nday, for prayer. Indeed, on several occasions, he continued all night in\nprayer to God. If, then, it became the Lord of life and glory to spend\nmuch time in prayer, how much more, such weak and sinful creatures as\nwe, who are surrounded with temptations without, and beset with\ncorruptions within! Prayer is necessarily so intermingled with every\nduty, that the idea of a prayerless Christian is an absurdity.\n\nPrayer not only secures to us the blessings which we need, but it brings\nour minds into a suitable frame for receiving them. We must see our\nneed, feel our unworthiness, be sensible of our dependence upon God, and\nbelieve in his willingness to grant us, through Christ, the things that\nare necessary and proper for us. An acknowledgment of these things, on\nour part, is both requisite and proper; and, without such\nacknowledgment, it might not be consistent with the great ends of his\nmoral government for God to grant us our desires.\n\nPrayer is the offering up of the sincere desires and feelings of our\nhearts to God. It consists of _adoration_, _confession_, _supplication_,\n_intercession_, and _thanksgiving_. _Adoration_ is an expression of our\nsense of the infinite majesty and glory of God. _Confession_ is an\nhumble acknowledgment of our sins and unworthiness. By _supplication_,\nwe ask for pardon, grace, or any blessing we need for ourselves. By\n_intercession_, we pray for others. By _thanksgiving_, we express our\ngratitude to God for his goodness and mercy towards us and our\nfellow-creatures. All these several parts are embraced in the prayers\nrecorded in Scripture, though all of them are not generally found in the\nsame prayer. The prayer of Solomon, at the dedication of the temple,\ncommences with adoration, and proceeds with supplication and\nintercession. The prayer of Daniel, in the time of the captivity,\ncommences with adoration, and proceeds with confession, supplication,\nand intercession. The prayer of the Levites, in behalf of the people,\nafter the return from captivity, commences with thanksgiving and\nadoration, and proceeds with confession, supplication, and intercession.\nThe prayers of David are full of thanksgiving. The prayer of Habakkuk\nconsists of adoration, supplication, and thanksgiving. The prayer of the\ndisciples, after the joyous return of the apostles from the council of\ntheir persecutors, consists of adoration, a particular rehearsal of\ntheir peculiar circumstances, and supplication. The apostle Paul\nparticularly enjoins \"prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving.\" If\nyou wish to learn _how_ to pray, I would advise you to look out and\nstudy all the prayers recorded in Scripture. Although most of them are\nprobably but the substance of what was said on the several occasions\nwhen they were offered, yet you will find them much better patterns than\nthe prayers of Christians at the present day. There is a fervent\nsimplicity about them, very different from the studied, formal prayers\nwhich we often hear. There is a definiteness and point in them, which\ntake hold of the feelings of the heart. The Lord's prayer furnishes a\ncomprehensive summary of the subjects of prayer: and you will take\nparticular notice what a prominent place is assigned to the petition for\nthe coming of Christ's kingdom. This shows that, in all our prayers, the\nglory of God should be the leading desire of our hearts. But, it is\nevident that Christ did not intend this as a particular form of prayer,\nto be used on all occasions; although it includes all that is necessary.\nWe are so made as to be affected with a _particular_ consideration of\nthe subjects in which we are interested. We find our Lord himself using\nother words to suit particular occasions; although the subjects of his\nprayers were all included in this. The same thing, also, we observe in\nthe practice of the apostles and early Christians. This is only intended\nas a general pattern; nor is it necessary that all the petitions\ncontained in the Lord's prayer should ever be made at the said time.\n\nPrayer must always be offered in the name of Christ. There is no other\nway by which we can approach God. There is no other channel through\nwhich we can receive blessings from him. Jesus is our Advocate and\nIntercessor. Our blessed Lord, speaking of the time of his\nglorification, says to his disciples, \"Verily, I say unto you,\nwhatsoever ye shall _ask the Father in my name_, he will give it you.\"\nThis, however, does not forbid us to pray directly to Christ, as God\nmanifest in the flesh, which was a common practice with the apostles.\n\nWhen the power of prayer is properly understood, it becomes a subject of\namazing interest. I am persuaded there is a vast amount of unbelief, in\nrelation to this matter, among Christians. If it were not so, the\nchariot wheels of God's salvation would roll on with mighty power. There\nwould be a glorious movement in every part of the world. The Spirit of\nthe Lord would be shed forth like a \"mighty rushing wind.\" The promises\nof God to his people are so large and full, that the utmost stretch of\ntheir faith cannot reach them. The great and eternal God has\ncondescended to lay himself under obligation to hear and answer the\nprayers of mortal worms. If we collect the promises relating to this\nsubject, we shall be astonished at the amount of assurance which is\ngiven. So confident was David on this point, that he addresses God as\nthe _hearer of prayer_, as though that were a distinguishing trait in\nhis character. Again, he says, \"He will _regard_ the prayer of the\ndestitute, and _not despise_ their prayer.\" Solomon says, \"The prayer of\nthe upright _is his delight_;\" and again, \"He heareth the prayer of the\nrighteous.\" The apostle James Bays, \"The effectual, fervent prayer of a\nrighteous man _availeth much_.\" The apostle Peter says, \"The eyes of the\nLord are open to the righteous, and his ears are open unto their\nprayers.\" And Christ himself has assured us, in the strongest possible\nterms, of the willingness of God to give spiritual blessings to those\nthat ask for them. He says, \"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and\nye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For _every one_\nthat asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that\nknocketh, it shall he opened.\" But, as if this assurance were not\nsufficient to convince us of this most interesting truth, he appeals to\nthe tenderest sympathies of our natures. He asks if any father would\ninsult the hungry cries of his beloved son, when fainting for a morsel\nof bread, by giving him a stone; or, if he ask an egg, to gratify his\nappetite, will he give him a venomous scorpion, to sting him to\ndeath?[B] He then argues, that if sinful men exercise tender compassion\ntowards their children, how much more shall our heavenly Father, whose\nvery nature is love, regard the wants of his children who cry unto him.\nIs it possible to conceive a stronger expression of the willingness of\nGod to answer the prayers of his people?\n\n [Footnote B: The scorpion is a little animal, of the shape of an egg,\n whose sting is deadly poison.]\n\nAnd these precious promises are confirmed by striking examples, in every\nage of the church. Thus, Abraham prayed for Sodom; and, through his\nintercession, Lot was saved. His servant, when sent to obtain a wife for\nIsaac, received a direct answer to prayer. When Jacob heard that his\nbrother Esau was coming against him, with an army of four hundred men,\nhe wrestled all night in prayer, and prevailed; so that Esau became\nreconciled to him. Moses prayed for the plagues to come upon Egypt, and\nthey came; again, he prayed for them to be removed, and they were\nremoved. It was through his prayers that the Red Sea was divided, the\nmanna and the quails were sent, and the waters gushed out of the rock\nAnd through his prayers, many times, the arm of the Lord was stayed,\nwhich had been uplifted to destroy his rebellious people. Samuel, that\nlovely example of early piety, and the judge and deliverer of Israel,\nwas given in answer to the prayer of his mother. When the children of\nIsrael were in danger of being overthrown by the Philistines, Samuel\nprayed, and God sent thunder and lightning, and destroyed the armies of\ntheir enemies. Again, to show their rebellion against God, in asking a\nking, he prayed, and God sent thunder and lightning upon them in the\ntime of wheat harvest. In order to punish the idolatry and rebellion of\nthe Israelites, Elijah prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it\nrained not for three years and six months. Again; he prayed that it\nmight rain, and there arose a little cloud, as a man's hand, which\nspread and covered the heavens with blackness, till the rain descended\nin torrents. Again; when wicked Ahab sent a band of men to take him, he\nprayed, and fire came down from heaven, and consumed them. Hezekiah,\nupon the bed of death, prayed, and God lengthened his life fifteen\nyears. Jerusalem was invaded by the army of Sennacherib, and threatened\nwith destruction. Hezekiah prayed, and the angel of the Lord entered the\ncamp of the invader, and in one night slew one hundred and eighty-five\nthousand men. When all the wise men of Babylon were threatened with\ndestruction, because they could not discover Nebuchadnezzar's dream,\nDaniel and his companions prayed, and the dream and its explanation were\nrevealed. Jonah prayed, and was delivered from the power of the fish. It\nwas in answer to the prayer of Zacharias, that the angel Gabriel was\nsent to inform him of the birth of John the Baptist. It was after a ten\ndays' prayer-meeting, that the Holy Ghost came down, on the day of\nPentecost, \"like a mighty rushing wind.\" Again; while the disciples were\npraying, the place was shaken where they were assembled, to show that\nGod heard their prayers. It was in answer to the prayers of Cornelius,\nthat Peter was sent to teach him the way of life. When Peter was\nimprisoned by Herod, the church set apart the night before his expected\nexecution, for special prayer in his behalf. The Lord sent his angel,\nopened the prison doors, and restored him to the agonizing band of\nbrethren. And when Paul and Silas were thrown into the dungeon, with\ntheir feet fast in the stocks, they prayed, and there was a great\nearthquake, which shook the foundations of the prison, so that all the\ndoors were opened.\n\nBut the faithfulness of God to his promises is not confined to Scripture\ntimes. Although the time of miracles has passed, yet every age of the\nchurch has furnished examples of the faithfulness of God in hearing the\nprayers of his children. But these are so numerous that it is difficult\nto make selections from them. However, I will mention a few. When the\nArians, who denied the divinity of Christ, were about to triumph, the\nBishop of Constantinople, and one of his ministers, spent a whole night\nin prayer. The next day, Arius, the leader of his party, was suddenly\ncut off, by a violent and distressing disease. This prevented the\nthreatened danger. Augustine was a wild youth, sunk in vice, and a\nviolent opposer of religion. His mother persevered in prayer for him\nnine years, when he was converted, and became the most eminent minister\nof his age. The life of Francke exhibits the most striking and signal\nanswers to prayer. His orphan house was literally built up and sustained\nby prayer. If you have not already read this work, I would advise you to\nobtain it. It is a great help to weak faith. Mr. West (afterwards Dr.\nWest) became pastor of the Congregational church in Stockbridge,\nMassachusetts, while destitute of vital piety. Two pious females often\nlamented to each other that they got no spiritual food from his\npreaching. At length, they agreed to meet once a week, to pray for his\nconversion. They continued this for some time, under much\ndiscouragement. But, although the Lord tried their faith, yet he never\nsuffered them both to be discouraged at the same time. At length, their\nprayers were heard. There was a sudden and remarkable change in his\npreaching. \"What is this?\" said one of them. \"God is the hearer of\nprayer,\" replied the other. The Spirit of God had led Mr. West to see\nthat he was a blind leader of the blind. He was converted, and changed\nhis cold morality for the cross of Christ, as the basis of his sermons.\nA pious slave in Newport, Rhode Island, was allowed by his master to\nlabor for his own profit whatever time he could gain by extra diligence.\nHe laid up all the money he earned in this way, for the purpose of\npurchasing the freedom of himself and family. But, when some of his\nChristian friends heard what he was doing, they advised him to spend his\n_gained_ time in fasting and prayer. Accordingly, the next day that he\ngained, he set apart for this purpose. Before the close of the day, his\nmaster sent for him, and gave him a written certificate of his freedom.\nThis slave's name was Newport Gardner. He was a man of ardent piety; and\nin 1825, he was ordained deacon of a church of colored people, who went\nout from Boston to Liberia. Instances of surprising answers to prayer,\nno less striking than these, are continually occurring in the revivals\nof religion of the present day.\n\nWith the evidence here presented, who can doubt that God hears and\nanswers prayer? But, the objection arises, \"If this doctrine be really\ntrue, why is it that Christians offer up so many prayers without\nreceiving answers?\" The apostle James gives some explanation of this\ndifficulty: \"Ye ask and receive not, _because ye ask amiss_.\" It becomes\nus, then, seriously and diligently to inquire how we may _ask aright_ so\nas to secure the blessings so largely promised in answer to prayer. In\nrelation to this subject, there are several things to be observed:\n\n1. _We must sincerely desire the things which we ask._ If a child\nshould ask his mother for a piece of bread, when she knew he was not\nhungry, but was only trifling with her, it would not he proper for her\nto give it. Indeed, she would have just cause to punish him for mocking\nher. And do we not often come to the throne of grace, when we do not\nreally feel our perishing need of the things we ask? God sees our\nhearts; and he is not only just in withholding the blessing we ask, but\nin chastising us for solemn trifling.\n\n2. _We must desire what we ask, that God may be glorified._ \"Ye ask\namiss, _that ye may consume it upon your lusts_.\" We may possibly ask\nspiritual blessings for self-gratification; and when we do so, we have\nno reason to expect that God will bestow them upon us.\n\n3. _We must ask for things_ AGREEABLE TO THE WILL OF GOD. \"And this is\nthe confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything _according\nto his will_, he heareth us.\" The things that we ask must be such, _in\nkind_, as he has indicated his willingness to bestow upon us. Such are,\nspiritual blessings on our own souls; the supply of our necessary\ntemporal wants; and the extension of his kingdom. These are the _kind_\nof blessings that we are to ask; and the degree of confidence with which\nwe are to look for an answer must be in proportion to the positiveness\nof the promises. Our Lord assures us that our heavenly Father is more\nwilling to give good things, and particularly his Holy Spirit, to them\nthat ask him, than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their\nchildren; and he declares expressly, that our sanctification is\nagreeable to the will of God. The promises of the daily supply of our\nnecessary temporal wants are equally positive. What, then, can be more\nodious in the sight of God, than for those who profess to be his\nchildren to excuse their want of spirituality on the ground of their\ndependence upon him? And what more ungrateful, than to fret and worry\nthemselves, lest they should come to want? We may also pray for a\nrevival of religion in a particular place, and for the conversion of\nparticular individuals, with strong ground of confidence, because we\nknow that God has willed the extension of Christ's kingdom, and that the\nconversion of sinners is, _in itself_, agreeable to his will. But we\ncannot certainly know that he intends to convert a particular\nindividual, or revive his work in a particular place; nor can we be sure\nthat the particular temporal blessing that we desire is what the Lord\nsees to be needful for our present necessities.\n\n4. _We must ask in faith._ \"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.\nFor he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the winds,\nand tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of\nthe Lord.\" A difference of opinion exists among real Christians, as to\nwhat constitutes the _prayer of faith_ spoken of by the apostle. Some\nmaintain that we must _believe that we shall receive the very thing for\nwhich we ask_. This opinion is founded on some promises made by our Lord\nto the apostles, which those who hold the contrary opinion suppose to\nhave been intended only for them. I shall not attempt to determine this\npoint; nor do I think it very important which of these theories is\nembraced; because, in examining the history of those persons whose\nprayers have received the seal of heaven, I find some of them embraced\none, and some the other; while many who embrace either of them seem not\nto live in the exercise of prevailing prayer. The main point, therefore,\nseems to be, that we should maintain such a nearness of communion with\nGod as shall secure the personal exercise of the prayer of faith. Two\nthings, however, are essential to this: (1.) _Strong confidence in the\nexistence and faithfulness of God._ \"He that cometh unto God must\nbelieve _that he is_, and that _he is a rewarder of them that diligently\nseek him_.\" (2.) The prayer of faith must be _dictated by the Holy\nSpirit_. Faith itself is declared to be \"the _gift of God_;\" and the\napostle says, \"The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not\nwhat we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh\nintercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered.\" \"He maketh\nintercession for the saints, according to the will of God.\" When this\nwonderful truth is made known, we are no longer astonished that God\nshould assure us, by so many precious promises, that he will hear and\nanswer our prayers. We are called the temples of the Holy Ghost. If the\nHoly Ghost dwell in us, to guide and direct us in all our ways, will he\nforsake us in so important a matter as prayer? O, then, what a solemn\nplace is the Christian's closet, or the house of prayer! There the whole\nTrinity meet in awful concert. The Holy Spirit there presents to the\neverlasting Father, through the eternal Son, the prayers of a mortal\nworm! Is it any wonder that _such a prayer_ should be heard? With what\nholy reverence and godly fear should we approach this consecrated place!\n\n5. We must ask in a _spirit of humble submission_, yielding our wills to\nthe will of the Lord, committing the whole case to him, in the true\nspirit of our Lord's agonizing prayer in the garden, when he said, \"_Not\nmy will but thine be done_.\" If I had a house full of gold, and had\npromised to give you as much as you desire, would you need to be urged\nto ask? But, there is an inexhaustible fulness of spiritual blessings\ntreasured up in Christ; and he has declared repeatedly that you may have\nas much as you will ask. Need you be urged to ask? Need you want any\ngrace? It is unbelief that keeps us so far from God. From what has been\nsaid on this subject, I think you may safely conclude that your progress\nin the divine life will be in proportion to the real prayer of faith\nwhich you exercise.\n\nBut I come now to give a few practical directions respecting the\nexercise of prayer. Several things are necessary to be observed by every\none who would live near the throne of grace.\n\n1. _Maintain a constant spirit of prayer._ \"Pray without ceasing.\"\n\"Continuing instant in prayer.\" \"Praying always, with all prayer and\nsupplication in the Spirit.\" \"And he spake a parable unto them, to this\nend, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.\" The meaning of\nthese passages is not that we should be always upon our knees, but that\nwe should maintain such a prayerful frame, that the moment our minds are\ndisengaged, our hearts will rise up to God. Intimately connected with\nthis is the practice of _ejaculatory prayer_, which consists of a short\npetition, silently and suddenly sent up from the heart. This may be done\nanywhere, and under all circumstances. Frequent examples of this kind of\nprayer are recorded in Scripture. It has also been the practice of\nliving Christians in all ages. It is a great assistance in the Christian\nwarfare. It helps us in resisting temptation; and by means of it, we can\nseek divine aid in the midst of the greatest emergencies. To maintain\nthis unceasing spirit of prayer is a very difficult work. It requires\nunwearied care and watchfulness, labor, and perseverance. Yet no\nChristian can thrive without it.\n\n2. _Observe staled and regular seasons of prayer._ Some professors of\nreligion make so much of the foregoing rule as to neglect all other\nkinds of prayer. This is evidently unscriptural. Our Saviour directs us\nto enter into our closets, and, when we have shut the door, to pray to\nour Father who is in secret. And to this precept he has added the\nsanction of his own example. In the course of his history, we find him\noften retiring to solitary places, to pour out his soul in prayer. Other\nexamples are also recorded in Scripture. David says, \"Evening and\nmorning, and at noon, will I pray.\" And again; \"Seven times a day do I\npraise thee.\" And it was the habitual practice of Daniel, to kneel down\nin his chamber, and pray three times a day. But this practice is so\nnatural, and so agreeable to Christian feeling, that no argument seems\nnecessary to persuade real Christians to observe it. It has been the\ndelight of eminent saints, in all ages, to retire alone, and hold\ncommunion with God.\n\nWith regard to the particular times of prayer, no very definite rule can\nbe given, which will suit all circumstances. There is a peculiar\npropriety in visiting the throne of grace in the morning, to offer up\nthe thanksgiving of our hearts for our preservation, and to seek grace\nfor the day: and also in the evening, to express our gratitude for the\nmercies we have enjoyed; to confess the sins we have committed and seek\nfor pardon; and to commit ourselves to the care of a covenant-keeping\nGod, when we retire to rest. It is also very suitable, when we suspend\nour worldly employments in the middle of the day, to refresh our bodies,\nto renew our visit to the fountain of life, that our souls may also be\nrefreshed. The twilight of the evening is also a favorable season for\ndevotional exercises. But, let me entreat you to be much in prayer. If\nthe nature of your employment will admit of it, without being unfaithful\nto your engagements, retire many times in the day to pour out your soul\nbefore God, and receive fresh communications of his grace. Our hearts\nare so much affected by sensible objects, that, if we suffer them to be\nengaged long at a time in worldly pursuits, we find them insensibly\nclinging to earth, so that it is with great difficulty we can disengage\nthem. But, by all means, fix upon some stated and regular seasons, and\nobserve them punctually and faithfully. Remember _they are engagements\nwith God_.\n\nFor your devotional exercises, you should select those times and seasons\nwhen you find your mind most vigorous, and your feelings most lively. As\nthe morning is in many respects most favorable, you would do well to\nspend as much time as you can in your closet, before engaging in the\nemployments of the day. An hour spent in reading God's word, and in\nprayer and praise, early in the morning, will give a heavenly tone to\nyour feelings; which, by proper watchfulness, and frequent draughts at\nthe same fountain, you may carry through all the pursuits of the day.\n\nAs already remarked, our Lord, in the pattern left us, has given a very\nprominent place to the petition, \"THY KINGDOM COME.\" This is a large\npetition. It includes all the instrumentalities which the church is\nputting forth for the enlargement of her borders and the salvation of\nthe world. All these ought to be distinctly and separately remembered;\nand not, as is often the case, be crowded into one general petition at\nthe close of our morning and evening prayers. We are so constituted as\nto be affected by a particular consideration of a subject. General\ntruths have very little influence upon our hearts. I would therefore\nrecommend the arrangement of these subjects under general heads for\nevery day of the week; and then divide the subjects which come under\nthese heads, so as to remember one or more of them at stated seasons,\nthrough the day, separate from your own personal devotions. Thus, you\nwill always have your mind fixed upon one or two objects; and you will\nhave time to enlarge, so as to remember every particular relating to\nthem. This, if faithfully pursued, will give you a deeper interest in\nevery benevolent effort of the times. The following plan of a daily\nconcert of prayer was, some years since, suggested by a distinguished\nclergyman in New England. It gives something of the interest of the\nmonthly concert to our daily devotions.\n\nSABBATH. Sabbath duties and privileges;--as preaching, Sabbath-schools,\nfamily instruction, &c. Eph. 6:18-20. 2 Th. 3:1.\n\nMONDAY. Conversion of the world;--the prevalence of peace, knowledge,\nfreedom, and salvation. Ps. 2:8. Isa. 11:6-10; 62:1-7; 66:8, 12.\n\nTUESDAY. Our country;--our rulers, our free institutions, our benevolent\nsocieties; deliverance from slavery, Romanism, infidelity,\nSabbath-breaking, intemperance, profaneness, &c. Ez. 9:6-15. Dan. 9:4-19\n\nWEDNESDAY. The rising generation:--colleges, seminaries, and schools of\nevery description; the children of the church, the children of the\nungodly, and orphan children.\n\nTHURSDAY. Professing Christians;--that they may much more abound in all\nthe fruits of the Spirit, presenting their bodies a living sacrifice,\nand offering gladly of their substance to the Lord, to the extent of his\nrequirement; that afflicted saints may be comforted, backsliders\nreclaimed, and hypocrites converted; that Zion, being purified, may\narise and shine. Isa. 62:1. Rom. 1:8. Col. 4:12.\n\nFRIDAY. The ministry, including all who are looking forward to that\noffice, and also the Education Society. 1 Thess. 5:25. Luke 10:2.\n\nSATURDAY. The Jews. Isa. 54:8. 59:20. Ezek. 36:27. Rom. 11:11-31. Also,\nour friends.\n\n3. _Observe special seasons of prayer._ Before engaging in any important\nmatter, make it a subject of special prayer. For this you have the\nexample of the blessed Jesus. When he was baptized, before entering upon\nhis ministry, he prayed. Before choosing his twelve apostles, he went\nout into a mountain, and spent a whole night in prayer. The Old\nTestament saints were also in the habit of \"inquiring of the Lord,\"\nbefore engaging in any important enterprise. And the apostle Paul\nenjoins upon the Philippians, \"in everything, by prayer and\nsupplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto\nGod.\" Also, whenever you are under any particular temptation or\naffliction; whenever you are going to engage in anything which will\nexpose you to temptation; whenever you perceive any signs of declension\nin your own soul; when the state of religion around you is low; when\nyour heart is affected with the condition of individuals who are living\nin impenitence; or when any subject lies heavily upon your mind;--make\nthe matter, whatever it is, a subject of special prayer. Independent of\nScripture authority, there is a peculiar fitness in the course here\nrecommended, which must commend itself to every pious heart.\n\nIn seasons of peculiar difficulty, or when earnestly seeking any great\nblessing, you may find benefit from setting apart days of fasting,\nhumiliation and prayer. This is especially suitable, whenever you\ndiscover any sensible decay of spiritual affections in your own heart.\nFasting and prayer have been resorted to on special occasions, by\neminent saints, in all ages of the world. The examples recorded in\nScripture are too numerous to mention here. If you look over the lives\nof the old Testament saints, you will find this practice very common.\nNor is the New Testament without warrant for the same. Our Lord himself\nset the example, by a long season of fasting, when about to endure a\nsevere conflict with the tempter. And he has farther sanctioned the\npractice, by giving directions respecting its performance. We have also\nexamples in the Acts of the Apostles. The prophets and teachers, in the\nchurch at Antioch, fasted before separating Barnabas and Paul as\nmissionaries to the heathen. And when they obtained elders in the\nchurches, they prayed, _with fasting_. Paul, in his epistle to the\nCorinthians, speaks of their giving themselves to _fasting and prayer_,\nas though it were a frequent custom. You will find, also, in examining\nthe lives of persons of eminent spiritual attainments, that most of them\nwere in the habit of observing frequent seasons of fasting and prayer.\nThere is a peculiar fitness in this act of humiliation. It is calculated\nto bring the body under, and to assist us in denying self. The length of\ntime it gives us in our closets also enables us to get clearer views of\ndivine things. But there is great danger of trusting in the outward act\nof humiliation, and expecting that God will answer our prayers for the\nsake of our fasting. This will inevitably bring upon us disappointment\nand leanness of soul. This is the kind of fasting so common among Roman\nCatholics, and other nominal Christians. But it is no better than\nidolatry. Most of the holidays which are usually devoted by the world\nto feasting-and mirth are very suitable occasions for Christians to fast\nand pray; and this for several reasons: (1.) They are seasons of\nleisure, when most people are disengaged from worldly pursuits. (2.) The\ngoodness of God should lead us to repentance. Instead of spending these\ndays in mirth over the blessings we have enjoyed, we should be looking\ninto our hearts, to examine the manner in which we have received them;\nhumbling ourselves on account of our ingratitude; and lifting up our\nhearts and voices in thanksgiving for them. (3.) The first day of the\nnew year, birth-days, &c., are very suitable occasions for renewing our\npast lives, repenting of our unfaithfulness, making resolutions of\namendment, and renewing afresh the solemn dedication of ourselves to\nGod.\n\nWhen you set apart a day of fasting and prayer, you ought to have in\nview some definite and particular objects. The day should be spent in\nself-examination, meditation, reading the Scriptures, confession of sin,\nprayer for the particular objects which bear upon your mind, and\nthanksgiving for mercies received. Your self-examination should be as\npractical as possible; particularly looking into the motives of your\nprayers for the special objects which bear heavily upon your heart. Your\nconfession of sin should be minute and particular; mentioning every sin\nyou can recollect, whether of thought, word, or deed, with every\ncircumstance of aggravation. This will have a tendency to affect your\nheart with a sense of guilt, produce earnest longings after holiness,\nand make sin appear more hateful and odious. Your meditations should be\nupon those subjects which are calculated to give you a view of the\nexceeding sinfulness of sin, and the abounding mercy of God in Christ.\nYour reading of the Scriptures should be strictly devotional. Your\nprayers should be very particular, mentioning everything relating to the\nobject of your desires, and all the hindrances you have met in seeking\nafter it. Carry all your burdens to the foot of the cross, and there\nlay them down. Your thanksgiving, also, should be very minute and\nparticular, mentioning every mercy and blessing which you can recollect,\nwith your own unworthiness, and every circumstance which may tend to\nshow the exceeding greatness of God's love, condescension, and mercy.\n\n4. _Come to the work with a preparation of heart._ The best preparation\nat all times is to maintain an habitual spirit of prayer, according to\nthe first direction. But this is not all that is necessary. We are\nunavoidably much occupied with the things of this world. But when we\ncome before the great Jehovah, to ask his favor and seek his grace, our\nminds should be heavenly. When you go into your closet, shut out the\nworld, that you may be alone with God. Bring your mind into a calm and\nheavenly frame, and endeavor to obtain a deep sense of the presence of\nGod, \"_as seeing him who is invisible_.\" Think of the exalted nature of\nthe work in which you are about to engage. Think of your own\nunworthiness, and of the way God has opened to the mercy seat. Think of\nyour own wants, or of the wants of others, according to the object of\nyour visit to the throne of grace. Think of the inexhaustible fulness\ntreasured up in Christ. Think of the many precious promises of God to\nhis children, and come with the spirit of a little child to present them\nbefore him.\n\n5. _Persevere in prayer._ If you are seeking for any particular object,\nwhich you know to be agreeable to the will of God, and your prayers are\nnot heard, you may be sure of one of two things: (1.) _You have been\nasking amiss._ Something is wrong in yourself. Perhaps you have been\nselfish in your desires; you have not desired supremely the glory of\nGod; you have not felt your dependence: you have not humbled yourself\nsufficiently to receive a blessing; or perhaps you regard iniquity in\nyour heart, in some other way. Examine yourself, therefore, in all these\nparticulars. Repent, where you find your prayers have been amiss. Bow\nvery low before God, and seek the influences of his Spirit to enable you\nto pray aright. (2.) Or, _perhaps the Lord delays an answer for the\ntrial of your faith_. Consider then the encouragements which he has\ngiven us to be importunate in prayer. In the eleventh chapter of Luke,\nour Lord shows us that our friends may be prevailed upon to do us a\nkindness because of our importunity, when they would not do it on\naccount of friendship. And in the eighteenth chapter, he shows us that\neven an unjust judge may be persuaded by importunity to do justice.\nHence he argues the importance of persevering in prayer; and adds with\nemphasis, \"And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and\nnight unto him, _though he bear long with them_? I tell you he will\navenge them speedily.\" Again; look at the case of the Syrophenician\nwoman. She continued to beseech Jesus to have mercy on her, although he\ndid not answer her a word. The disciples entreated Christ to send her\naway, because she troubled them with her cries; yet she persevered. And\neven when Christ himself told his disciples that he was only sent to the\nlost sheep of the house of Israel, and compared her to a dog seeking for\nthe children's bread; yet, with all these repulses, she would not give\nup her suit; but begged even for the dog's portion--the children's\ncrumbs. When by this means our Lord had sufficiently tried her faith, he\nanswered her prayer. So likewise persevere in your prayers, and \"in due\ntime you shall reap, if you faint not!\"\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER VI.\n\n_Temptation._\n\n \"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.\" MATT 26:41.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nThat there is an evil spirit, who is permitted to exert an influence\nupon the hearts of men, is abundantly evident from Scripture. This truth\nis referred to in the beginning of the gospel of Christ, where it is\nsaid Jesus went up into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. He\nis often represented in the Scriptures as the father of the wicked. \"The\ntares are the children of the wicked one.\" \"Thou child of the devil.\" He\nis also represented as putting evil designs into the hearts of men. \"And\nSatan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.\"\n\"The devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,\nto betray him.\" \"Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart, to lie to the\nHoly Ghost?\" Wicked men are spoken of as being carried captive by him at\nhis will. He is also represented as the adversary of the people of God,\nseeking to lead them into sin, and, if possible, to destroy them. \"Your\nadversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he\nmay devour.\" These, and numerous other passages, which might be quoted,\nfully establish the fearful truth, that we are continually beset by an\nevil spirit, who is seeking, by every means in his power, to injure and\ndestroy our souls.\n\nWhen we have to contend with an enemy, it is very important that we\nshould know his character. From the Scriptures, we learn several\ncharacteristics of the great enemy of our souls.\n\n1. _He is powerful._ He has other fallen spirits at his command. Our\nSaviour speaks of the \"fire prepared for the devil _and his angels_.\" He\nis called \"prince of the world,\" \"prince of darkness,\" and \"the god of\nthis world.\" All these titles denote the exercise of great power. He is\nalso called _destroyer_; and is said to walk about, seeking whom he may\ndevour. Indeed, so great was his power, and so mighty his work of ruin\nand destruction in this lost world, that it became necessary for the son\nof God to come into the world to destroy his works. \"For this purpose\nwas the Son of God manifested, that he might _destroy the works of the\ndevil_.\"\n\nBut, although he is powerful, yet his power is limited. This you see in\nthe case of Job. No doubt, his malice would have destroyed that holy man\nat once. But he could do nothing against him till he was permitted; and\nthen he could go no farther than the length of his chain. God reserved\nthe life of his servant. And the apostle Jude speaks of the devils as\nbeing \"reserved _in chains_, under darkness.\" But the objection arises,\n\"As God is almighty, why is Satan permitted to exercise any power at\nall?\" To this objection the Bible furnishes satisfactory answers. (1.)\nIt is to try the faith of his children. This was the case with Job. The\ndevil had slandered that holy man, by accusing him of serving God from\nselfish motives. By suffering Satan to take away all he had, the Lord\nproved this accusation to be false; and Job came out of the furnace,\ngreatly purified. The apostle James says, \"My brethren, count it all\njoy, when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying\nof your faith worketh patience.\" If the children of God were never\ntempted, they would never have an opportunity to prove the sincerity of\ntheir faith. But they have the blessed assurance, that God will not\nsuffer them to be tempted above what they are able to bear, but will,\nwith the temptation, also make a way to escape, that they may be able\nto bear it. (2.) Again; the devil is permitted to exercise his power,\nfor the discovery of hypocrites and for the punishment of sinners.\n\"These have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of\ntemptation fall away.\" \"But, if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them\nthat are lost. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of\nthem that believe not.\"\n\n2. _He has much knowledge._ He knew the command of God to our first\nparents, and therefore tempted them to break it. When those that were\npossessed with devils were brought to Christ, they cried out, \"We _know_\nthee, who thou art, the holy one of God.\" He has also a knowledge of the\nBible; for he quoted Scripture, in his temptation of our Saviour. And as\nhe has great experience in the world, he must have a great knowledge of\nhuman nature, so to be able to suit his temptations to the peculiar\nconstitutions of individuals.\n\n3. _He is wicked._ \"The devil sinneth from the beginning.\" He is called\nthe _wicked one_; or, by way of eminence, \"_The Wicked._\" He is\naltogether wicked. There is not one good quality in his character.\n\n4. _He is crafty, and full of deceit and treachery._ He lays snares for\nthe unwary. That he may the more readily deceive the people of God, he\nappears to them in the garb of religion. \"Satan himself is transformed\ninto an angel of light.\" In consequence of his cunning and craft, he is\ncalled the serpent.[C] He is also represented as deceiving the\nnations.[D] Hence we are cautioned against the _wiles_ of the devil.[E]\n\n [Footnote C: Gen. 3; Isa. 27:1; Rev. 12:9]\n\n [Footnote D: Rev. 20:8.]\n\n [Footnote E: Eph. 6:11.]\n\n5. _He is a liar._ The first thing recorded of him is the lie which he\ntold our first parents, to persuade them to disobey God. Hence our\nSaviour calls him a \"liar from the beginning.\"[F]\n\n [Footnote F: John 8:44.]\n\n6. _He is malicious._ As Satan is the enemy of God, so he hates\neverything that is good. He is continually bent on mischief. If his\npower were not restrained, he would introduce general disorder, anarchy\nand confusion, into the government of God. He loves to ruin immortal\nsouls; and he takes delight in vexing the people of God. Hence he is\ncalled _Destroyer_,[G] _Adversary_, _Accuser_, _Tormentor_, and\n_Murderer_.[H]\n\n [Footnote G: _Abaddon_ signifies _destroyer_.]\n\n [Footnote H: Rev. 9:11; I Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:10; Matt. 18:34; John 8:44.]\n\nNow, since we are beset by an adversary of such knowledge and power, so\nsly and artful, so false, and so malicious, it becomes us to be well\nacquainted with all his arts, that we maybe on our guard against them.\nThe apostle Paul says, \"For we are not ignorant of his devices.\" O, that\nevery Christian could say so! How many sad falls would be prevented! I\nWill mention a few of the devices of Satan, which are manifest both from\nthe Holy Scriptures, and from the experience of eminent saints who have\nbeen enabled to detect and distinguish his secret workings in their own\nhearts. It is the opinion of some great and good men, that the devil can\nsuggest thoughts to our minds only through the _imagination_. This is\nthat faculty of the mind by which it forms ideas of things communicated\nto it through the senses. Thus, when you see, hear, feel, taste, or\nsmell anything, the image of the thing is impressed upon the mind by the\nimagination. It also brings to our recollection these images, when they\nare not present. It is thought to be only by impressing these images\nupon the imagination, that he can operate upon our souls. Hence, we may\naccount for the strange manner in which our minds are led off from the\ncontemplation of divine things, by a singular train of thought,\nintroduced to the mind by the impression of some sensible object upon\nthe imagination. This object brings some other one like it to our\nrecollection, and that again brings another, until we wander entirely\nfrom the subject before us, and find our minds lost in a maze of\nintellectual trifling.\n\nSatan adapts his temptations to our peculiar tempers and circumstances.\nIn youth, he allures us by pleasure, and bright hopes of worldly\nprosperity. In manhood, he seeks to bury up our hearts in the cares of\nlife. In old age, he persuades to the indulgence of self-will and\nobstinacy. In prosperity, he puffs up the heart with pride, and\npersuades to self-confidence and forgetfulness of God. In poverty and\naffliction, he excites feelings of discontent, distrust, and repining.\nIf we are of a melancholy temperament, he seeks to sour our tempers, and\npromote habitual sullenness and despondency. If naturally cheerful, he\nprompts to the indulgence of levity. In private devotion, he stands\nbetween us and God, prevents us from realizing his presence, and seeks\nto distract our minds, and drive us from the throne of grace. In public\nworship, he disturbs our minds by wandering thoughts and foolish\nimaginations. When we have enjoyed any happy manifestations of God's\npresence, any precious tokens of his love, then he stirs up the pride of\nour hearts, and leads us to trust in our own goodness, and forget the\nRock of our salvation. Even our deepest humiliations he makes the\noccasion of spiritual pride. Thus we fall into darkness, and thrust\nourselves through with many sorrows. If we have performed any\nextraordinary acts of self-denial, or of Christian beneficence, he stirs\nup in our hearts a vain-glorious spirit. If we have overcome any of the\ncorruptions of our hearts, or any temptation, he excites a secret\nfeeling of self-satisfaction and self-complacency. He puts on the mask\nof religion. Often, during the solemn hours of public worship, he\nbeguiles our hearts with some scheme for doing good; taking care,\nhowever, that self be uppermost in it. When we are in a bad frame, he\nstirs up the unholy tempers of our hearts, and leads us to indulge in\npeevishness, moroseness, harshness, and anger, or in levity and\nunseemly mirth.\n\nThere is no Christian grace which Satan cannot counterfeit. He cares not\nhow much religious feeling we have, or how many good deeds we perform,\nif he can but keep impure and selfish motives at the bottom. There is\ngreat danger, therefore, in trusting to impulses, or sudden impressions\nof any kind. Such impressions _may be_ from the Spirit of God; but they\nmay also be from Satan. The fact that your religious feelings are not\nproduced by yourself, but that they arise in your mind in a manner for\nwhich you cannot account, is no evidence, either that they come from the\nSpirit of God, or that they do not. There are many false spirits, which\nare very busy with people's hearts. As before remarked, Satan sometimes\nappears to us like an angel of light. He is often the author of false\ncomforts and joys, very much like those produced by the Holy Spirit. We\nare, therefore, directed to \"try the spirits, whether they be of God.\"\nNor is it certain that religious feelings are holy and spiritual because\nthey come with texts of Scripture, brought to the mind in a remarkable\nmanner. If the feeling is produced by the truth contained in the\nScripture so brought to the mind, and is, in its nature, agreeable to\nthe word of God, it may be a spiritual and holy affection. But if it\narises from the application of the Scripture to your own case, on\naccount of its being so brought to your mind, you may be sure it is a\ndelusion of the devil. He has power to bring Scripture to your mind when\nhe pleases, and he can apply it with dexterity, as you see in his\ntemptations of the blessed Saviour. Our own hearts are exceedingly\ndeceitful; and our indwelling corruptions will gladly unite with him in\nbringing false peace and comfort to our souls. Satan, no doubt, often\nbrings the most sweet and precious promises of God to the minds of those\nhe wishes to deceive as to their own good estate. But we must be\nsatisfied that the promises belong to us, before we take them to\nourselves. We have \"a more sure word of prophecy,\" by which we are to\ntry every impulse, feeling, and impression, produced upon our minds.\nAnything which does not agree with the written word of God does not come\nfrom him, for he \"cannot deny himself.\"\n\nSatan manages temptation with the greatest subtlety. He asks so little\nat first, that, unless our consciences are very tender, we do not\nsuspect him. If he can persuade us to parley, he perhaps leaves us for\na while, and returns again, with a fresh and more vigorous attack. He is\nexceedingly persevering; and, if he can persuade us to give place to him\nat all, he is sure to overcome us at last.\n\nWe are also liable to temptation from the world without, and from the\ncorruptions of our own hearts within. \"They that will be rich fall into\ntemptation and a snare.\" The riches, honors, pleasures, and fashions, of\nthis world, are great enemies to serious piety. \"Every man is tempted\nwhen he is drawn away of his own lusts and enticed.\" Remaining\ncorruption is the sorest evil that besets the Christian. The temptations\nof Satan alone would be light, in comparison with the inward conflict he\nis compelled to maintain against the lusts of his own heart. But the\ndevil makes use of both these sources of temptation to accomplish his\nends. The former he uses as outward enticements, and the latter act as\ntraitors within. Thus you may generally find a secret alliance between\nthe arch deceiver and the corruptions of your own heart. It is not sin\nto be tempted: but it is sin to give place to temptation. \"Neither give\nplace to the devil.\"\n\nThe heart is very properly compared to a castle or fort. Before\nconversion it is in the possession of the great enemy of souls, who has\nfortified himself there, and secured the allegiance of all our moral\npowers. But when Jesus enters in, he \"binds the strong man armed,\" and\ntakes possession of the heart himself. Yet Satan, though in a measure\nbound, loses no opportunity to attempt regaining his lost dominion.\nHence we are directed to \"keep the heart _with all diligence_.\" Now we\nknow how a castle, fort, or city, is kept in time of war. The first\nthing done is to _set a watch_, whose business is to keep constantly on\nthe look out, this way and that way, to see that no enemy is approaching\nfrom without, and no traitor is lurking within. Hence we are so\nfrequently exhorted to _watch_. \"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into\ntemptation.\" \"Take heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time\nis.\" \"And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch.\" \"Watch ye, stand\nfast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.\" \"Continue in prayer,\nand watch _in_ the same, with thanksgiving.\" \"Praying always, with all\nprayer and supplication in the Spirit, and _watching thereunto_ with all\nperseverance.\" \"Let us watch and be sober.\" \"Watch then _in all\nthings_.\" \"Watch _unto_ prayer.\" \"Blessed is he that _watcheth_, and\nkeepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.\" \"Set\na watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.\" If we were\nin a house surrounded by a band of robbers, and especially if we knew\nthere were persons in it who held a secret correspondence with them, we\nshould be continually on our guard. Every moment we should be\n_watching_, both within and without. But such is the state of our\nhearts. Surely, no ordinary danger would have called forth from our Lord\nand his apostles such repeated warnings. We are directed to watch in\n_all things_. Keep a continual guard over your own heart, and over every\nword and action of your life. But there are particular seasons when we\nshould set a _double watch_.\n\n1. We are directed to watch _unto_ prayer. When you approach the mercy\nseat, watch against a careless spirit. Suffer not your mind to be drawn\naway by anything, however good and important in itself, from the object\nbefore you. If the adversary can divert your mind on the way to that\nconsecrated place, he will be almost sure to drive you away from it\nwithout a blessing.\n\n2. We are required to watch not only _unto_ but _in_ prayer. Satan is\nnever more busy with Christians than when he sees them on their knees.\nHe well knows the power of prayer; and this makes him tremble.\n\n \"Satan trembles when he sees\n The weakest saint upon his knees.\"\n\nYou should, therefore, with the most untiring vigilance, watch in prayer\nagainst all wandering thoughts and distraction of mind. You will often\nexperience, on such occasions, a sudden and vivid impression upon your\nmind of something entirely foreign from what is before you. This is no\ndoubt the temptation of Satan. If you are sufficiently upon your watch,\nyou can banish it, without diverting your thoughts or feelings from the\nsubject of your prayer, and proceed as though nothing had happened. But,\nif the adversary succeeds in keeping these wild imaginations in view, so\nthat you cannot proceed without distraction, turn and beseech God to\ngive you help against his wiles. You have the promise, that if you\nresist the devil he will flee from you. These remarks apply both to\nsecret prayer and public worship.\n\n3. We have need of special watchfulness when we have experienced any\ncomfortable manifestations of God's presence. It is then that Satan\ntempts us to consider the conflict over, and relax our diligence. If we\ngive way to him, we shall bring leanness upon our souls.\n\n4. We have need of double watchfulness when gloom and despondency come\nover our souls; for then the adversary seeks to stir up all the perverse\npassions of the heart.\n\n5. Watch, also, when you feel remarkably cheerful. Satan will then, if\npossible, persuade you to indulge in levity, to the wounding of your\nsoul, and the dishonor of religion.\n\n6. We have need of special watchfulness in prosperity, that we forget\nnot God; and in adversity, that we murmur not at his dealings with us.\n\n7. Set a watch over your tongue, especially in the presence of the\nunconverted. \"The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.\" David says, \"I\nwill keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.\" I do\nnot mean that you should ever engage in any sinful conversation in the\npresence of Christians. I know some professors of religion will indulge\nin senseless garrulity among themselves, and put on an air of\nseriousness and solemnity before those whom they regard as unconverted.\nThis they pretend to do for the _honor of Christ_. But Christ says, \"Out\nof the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.\" God hates lip\nservice. However, in the company of sinners and formal professors we are\npeculiarly exposed to temptation, and have need therefore to set a\ndouble guard upon our lips. A single unguarded expression from a\nChristian may do great injury to an unconverted soul.\n\n8. Watch over your heart when engaged in doing good to others. It is\nthen that Satan seeks to stir up pride and vain-glory.\n\n9. Set a _double_ watch over your easily besetting sin. \"Let us lay\naside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.\" Most\npersons have some constitutional sin, which easily besets them. Satan\ntakes the advantage of this infirmity, to bring us into difficulty.\n\n10. Finally, keep a constant watch over the _imagination_. Since this is\nthe medium through which temptation comes, never suffer your fancy to\nrove without control. If you mortify this faculty of the soul, it may be\na great assistance to your devotion. But, if you let it run at random,\nyou will be led captive by Satan at his will. Strive, then, after a\nsanctified imagination, that you may make every power of your soul\nsubservient to the glory of God.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER VII.\n\n_Self-Denial._\n\n \"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up\n his cross daily, and follow me.\"--LUKE 9:23.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nThe duty of self-denial arises from the unnatural relation which sin has\ncreated between us and God. The first act of disobedience committed by\nman was a setting up of himself in opposition to God. It was a\ndeclaration that he would regard his own will in preference to the will\nof his Creator. _Self_ became the supreme or chief object of his\naffections. And this is the case with all unregenerate persons. Their\nown happiness is the object of their highest wishes. They pursue their\nown selfish interests with their whole hearts. When anything occurs, the\nfirst question which arises in their minds is, \"How will this affect\n_me_?\" It is true, they may often exercise a kind of generosity towards\nothers. But, if their motives were scanned, it would appear that\nself-gratification is at the bottom of it. The correctness of these\nassertions, no one will doubt, who is acquainted with his own heart. All\nunconverted persons live for themselves. They see no higher object of\naction than the promotion of their own individual interests. The duty in\nquestion consists in the denial of this disposition. And a moment's\nattention will show that nothing can be more reasonable. No individual\nhas a right to attach to himself any more importance than properly\nbelongs to the station he occupies in the grand scale of being, of\nwhich God is the centre. It is by this station that his value is known.\nIf he thinks himself of more consequence than the place he occupies will\ngive him, it leads him to seek a higher station. This is pride. It is\nsetting up the wisdom of the creature in opposition to that of the\nCreator. This was probably the origin of the first act of disobedience.\nSatan thought himself entitled to a higher station in the scale of being\nthan God gave him; therefore, he rebelled against the government of the\nMost High This act of rebellion was nothing more than setting up his own\nselfish interests against the interests of the universe. And what would\nbe the consequence, if this selfish principle were carried out in the\nmaterial universe? Take, for example, our own planetary system. If every\nplanet should set up an interest separate from the whole, would they\nmove on with such beautiful harmony? No; every one would seek to be a\nsun. They would all rush towards the common centre, and universal\nconfusion would follow. God is the sun and centre of the moral universe,\nand the setting up of private individual interests as supreme objects of\npursuit, if permitted to take their course, would produce the same\ngeneral confusion. This it has done, so far as it has prevailed. Its\ntendency is to create a universal contention among inferior beings for\nthe throne of the universe, which belongs to God alone. But, the\ninterests of God, if I may be allowed the expression, are identified\nwith the highest good of his intelligent creation. Hence we see the\nperfect reasonableness of the first commandment, \"Thou shalt have no\nother gods before me.\" There can be no selfishness in this, because the\nbest interests of the universe require it. But, by pursuing our own\nselfish interests as the chief good, we make a god _of self_.\n\nThe religion of Jesus Christ strikes at the root of this selfish\nprinciple. The very first act of the new-born soul is a renunciation or\ngiving up of self--the surrender of the whole soul to God. The entire\ndedication which the Christian makes of himself--soul, body and\nproperty--to the Lord, implies that he will no longer live to himself,\nbut to God. \"Present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy and\nacceptable unto God.\" \"For none of us liveth to himself.\" \"They which\nlive, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which\ndied for them and rose again.\" \"Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or\n_whatsoever ye do_, do all _to the glory of God_.\" Self-denial is, then,\nan entire surrender of our own wills to the will of God. It is an\nadoption of the revealed will of God as the rule of duty; and a\nsteadfast, determined, and persevering denial of every selfish\ngratification which comes between us and duty. It is a seeking of the\nglory of God and the good of our fellow-creatures, as the highest object\nof pursuit. In short, it is to \"love the Lord our God with all our\nheart, soul, might, mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves.\"\n\nBy carrying out this principle, in its application to the feelings,\ndesires, and motives of the heart, and the actions of the life, we learn\nthe practical duty of self-denial. This is a very important matter; for\nthe Scriptures most fully and clearly cut off all hope for such as are\ndestitute of the true spirit of self-denial. Let us hear what our\nblessed Lord and Master says upon this subject. \"He that loveth father\nor mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or\ndaughter more than me, is not worthy of me.\" \"If any man will come after\nme, let him _deny himself_, and take up his cross and follow me. For,\nwhosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his\nlife for my sake shall find it.\" \"If any man come to me, and hate not\nhis father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters,\nyea, and his _own life_ also, he _cannot be my disciple_.\" \"He that\nloveth his life, shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this\nworld shall keep it unto life eternal.\" \"If thy right eye offend thee,\n(or cause thee to offend,) pluck it out and cast it from thee.\" _We must\nfollow Christ._ Here we are taught that, unless we put away all\nself-seeking, and willingly surrender the dearest objects of our\naffections on earth, yea, and _our own lives also_, if need be, we have\nno claim to the character of disciples of Christ. The glory of God and\nthe general good must be our ruling principle of action; and we must not\ngratify ourselves in opposition to the will of God, or the interest of\nour fellow-beings. Every action must be brought to this test. Here is\nheart-work and life-work. Self must be denied in all our spiritual\nfeelings, and in all our devotions, or they will be abominable in the\nsight of God. Here is work for self-examination. Every exercise of our\nminds should be tried by this standard. Again; we must deny self in all\nour conduct. And here we have the examples of many holy men, recorded in\nScripture, with a host of martyrs and missionaries, but especially of\nour Lord himself, to show what influence the true spirit of self-denial\nexerts upon the Christian life. In the passage quoted above, our Lord\nexpressly declares that, in order to be his disciples, we must _follow_\nhim. And how can this be done, but by imitating his example? He was\nwilling to make _sacrifices_ for the good of others. He led a life of\ntoil, hardship, and suffering, and _gave up his own life_, to save\nsinners. His immediate disciples did the same. They submitted to\nignominy, reproach, suffering, and death itself, for the sake of\npromoting the glory of God, in the salvation of men. Cultivate, then,\nthis spirit. Prefer the glory of God to everything else. Prefer the\ngeneral good to your own private interest. Be willing to make personal\nsacrifices for the benefit of others. Carry this principle out in all\nyour intercourse with others, and it will greatly increase your\nusefulness. It will also really promote your own interest and happiness.\nThere is nothing which renders a person so amiable and lovely, in the\nsight of others, as disinterested benevolence. Think no sacrifice too\ngreat to make, no hardship too painful to endure, if you can be the\nmeans of benefiting perishing souls. Remember, it was for this that\nJesus gave up his life; and he requires you to be ready to give up\neverything you have, and even life itself, if the same cause shall\nrequire it.\n\nBut let me caution you against placing self-denial chiefly in outward\nthings. We are not required to relinquish any of the comforts and\nenjoyments of this life, except when they come in competition with our\nduty to God and our fellow-creatures. \"Every creature of God is good,\nand nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving;\" and\ngodliness has the promise of this life as well as of that which is to\ncome. The religion of some people seems to consist chiefly in denying\nthemselves of lawful enjoyments; and you will find them very severe and\ncensorious towards others, for partaking freely and thankfully of the\nbounties of God's providence. This, however, is but a species of\nself-righteous mockery, characterized by Paul as a voluntary humility.\nInstead of being self-denial, it is the gratification of self in\nmaintaining an appearance of external sanctity. It may, however, be not\nonly proper, but obligatory upon us, to sacrifice these lawful\nenjoyments, when we may thereby promote the interests of Christ's\nkingdom; which requires the exercise of a self-sacrificing spirit.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER VIII.\n\n_Public and Social Worship, and Sabbath Employments._\n\n \"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.\"--HEB. 10:23.\n\n \"It is lawful to _do well_ on the Sabbath days.\"--MATT. 12:12.\n\n \"Call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord,\n honorable,\"--\"honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding\n thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.\"--ISA. 68:13.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nThe duty of public worship is clearly taught in the Holy Scriptures: 1.\nFrom the appointment of one day in seven, to be set apart exclusively\nfor the service of God, we may argue the propriety of assembling\ntogether, to acknowledge and worship him in a social capacity. God has\nmade us social beings; and all the institutions of his appointment\ncontemplate us as such. The public worship of the Sabbath is\npreeminently calculated to cultivate the social principle of our nature.\nIt brings people of the same community regularly together, every week,\nfor the same general purpose. In the house of God all meet upon a level.\n\n2. If we look forward from the institution of the Sabbath to the\norganization of the Jewish church, we find that God did actually\nestablish a regular system of public worship. An order of men was\ninstituted whose special business was to conduct the public worship of\nGod. After the return of the Jews from captivity, social meetings, held\nevery Sabbath, for public religious worship, became common all over the\nland. They were called _synagogues_.[I] Although we have no particular\naccount of the divine origin of these assemblies, yet they were\nsanctioned by the presence of Christ, who often took part in the public\nexercises.\n\nUnder the gospel dispensation, the plan of synagogue worship is\ncontinued, with such modifications as suit it to the clearer and more\ncomplete development of God's gracious designs towards sinful men. A new\norder of men has been instituted, to conduct public worship and teach\nthe people. As religion consists very much in the exercise of holy\naffections, God has appointed the preaching of the Word as a suitable\nmeans for stirring up these affections. Our desires are called forth,\nour love excited, our delight increased, and our zeal inflamed, by a\nfaithful, earnest, and feeling representation of the most common and\nfamiliar truths of the Bible, from the pulpit. It is evident, then,\nthat the private reading of the best books, though highly useful, cannot\nanswer the end and design of public worship.\n\n [Footnote I: The term _synagogue_ was applied both to the place of\n meeting and to the congregation assembling for public worship, as the\n term _church_ is now used.]\n\n3. The duty of public worship may be inferred from the fitness and\npropriety of a public acknowledgment of God, by a community, in their\nsocial capacity.\n\n4. This duty is enforced by the example of holy men of old; but\nespecially of Christ and his apostles. David took great delight in the\npublic worship of God's house. \"My soul thirsteth for thee; my flesh\nlongeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is, to see\nthy power and glory, _so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary_.\" \"_I\nwent into the sanctuary_ of God; then understood I their end.\" \"Lord, _I\nhave loved the habitation of thy house_, and the place where thine honor\ndwelleth.\" \"_I went with them to the house of God_, with the voice of\njoy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day.\" \"We took sweet\ncounsel together, _and walked to the house of God in company_.\" \"_I will\ndwell in the house of_ the Lord forever.\" \"One thing have I desired of\nthe Lord, that will I seek after; that I may _dwell in the house of the\nLord all the days of my life_, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to\ninquire in his temple.\" Such were the feelings of the man who has\nexpressed, in strains of sweetest melody, the experience of Christians\nin all ages. Delight in the worship of God's house may be regarded as\none of the tokens of the new birth. If you are destitute of this\nfeeling, you have reason to form sad conclusions respecting the\nfoundation of your hopes. But, the example of Jesus is very clear on\nthis point. \"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and,\n_as his custom was_, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and\nstood up for to read.\" From this it appears that Jesus, even before\nentering upon his ministry, was in the habit of attending regularly upon\nthe public worship of God in the synagogue of Nazareth, where he had\nbeen brought up. This was the first time he had been there, after the\ncommencement of his ministry; yet he went into the synagogue on the\nSabbath day, _as his custom was_; evidently showing that he had always\nbeen in the habit of doing so. Again; after the crucifixion of our Lord,\nwe find the disciples regularly assembling together upon the _first day\nof the week_, which is the Christian Sabbath. And Jesus himself honored\nthese assemblies by his presence, after his resurrection. That this\npractice continued to be observed by the churches founded by the\napostles, is evident, from the frequent allusions to it in the Acts, and\nin the writings of Paul. Paul preached at Macedonia upon the first day\nof the week, when the disciples came together to break bread. In the\nsixteenth chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians, he gives\ndirections for taking up collections for the poor saints _on the first\nday of the week_; which evidently means the time when they were in the\nhabit of meeting for public worship. And in the eleventh chapter of the\nsame epistle, he tells them how to regulate their conduct when they\n\"_come together in the church_.\" Again; he exhorts the Hebrews _\"not to\nforsake the assembling of themselves together_.\" From all these\npassages, I think the inference is plain, that, under the direction of\nthe apostles, the public worship of God, upon the Sabbath, was observed\nin the primitive churches. And this is confirmed by the fact, that the\nsame practice has since been uniformly observed by the church in all\nages.\n\nFrom the foregoing arguments I draw the following conclusions: 1. It is\nthe imperative duty of every person to attend regularly upon the public\nworship of God, unless prevented by circumstances beyond his control.\nGod has appointed public worship, consisting of devotional exercises and\nthe preaching of his Word, as the principal means of grace, for edifying\nhis people, and bringing lost sinners to himself. We cannot, therefore,\nexcuse ourselves for not waiting upon these means; nor can we expect the\nblessing or God upon any others which we may substitute in their place.\n\n2. This duty remains the same, even under the ministry of a cold and\nformal pastor, provided he preaches the essential doctrines of the\ngospel. If he denies any of these, his church becomes the synagogue of\nSatan, and therefore no place for the child of God. This conclusion is\ndrawn from the practice of Christ himself. He attended habitually upon\nthe regularly constituted public worship of the Jews, although there\nappears to have been scarce any signs of spiritual worship among them.\nThe Scriptures were read--the truth was declared; yet all was cold\nformality--a mere shell of outside worship.\n\n3. No person, who neglects public worship upon the Sabbath, when it is\nin his power to attend, can expect a blessing upon his soul. When\npreaching is of an ordinary character, and not very full of instruction,\nor when the manner of the preacher is disagreeable, people are\nfrequently tempted to think they can improve their time better at home,\nin reading, meditation, and prayer. But this is a very great mistake,\nunless they can spend the Sabbath profitably without the presence of\nGod. If, as I think I have already shown, it is the _duty_ of every one\nto attend upon the regularly instituted public worship of the Sabbath,\nwhen we neglect it we are out of the way of duty. And God will never\nbless us in the neglect of any positive duty, even if our whole time be\nspent upon our knees. Remember, this is the condition of the promise,\n\"_If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you_, ye shall ask what ye\nwill, and it shall be done unto you.\" When, therefore, we are living in\nsin, or in the neglect of duty, (which is the same thing,) God will not\nhear our prayers. \"If I regard iniquity in my heart,\" says the psalmist,\n\"the Lord will not hear me.\" Again; it is the regular ministration of\nhis word in the sanctuary, that God most eminently blesses for the\ngrowth of Christians and the conversion of sinners. And when the\nappointed means of grace are slighted, can any one expect the blessing\nof God? Will he bless the means which you have devised, and preferred to\nthose of his own appointment? Do not, then, neglect the habitual and\nregular attendance upon the public worship of God, whenever there is a\nproperly conducted assembly of orthodox Christians within your reach. I\nwould not dare neglect this, even if the reading of a sermon were\nsubstituted for preaching.\n\nHaving, as I think, proved the obligation to attend public worship, I\nwill now notice a few particulars respecting the performance of the\nduty.\n\n1. _Attend on the stated ministrations of your pastor._ If there is more\nthan one church professing your own sentiments, in the place where you\nreside, select the pastor who is most spiritual, and will give you the\nbest instruction. But, when you have made this selection, consider\nyourself bound to wait on his ministry. Do not indulge yourself in going\nfrom place to place, to hear this and that minister. This will give you\n\"_itching ears_\" and cultivate a love of novelty, and a critical mode of\nhearing, very unfavorable to the practical application of the truth to\nyour own soul. If you wish to obtain complete views of truth, if you\nwish your soul to thrive, attend, as far as possible, upon _every_\nappointment of your pastor. Every minister has some plan. He adapts his\npreaching to the peculiar state of his own people, and frequently\npursues a chain of subjects in succession, so as to present a complete\nview of the great doctrines of the Bible. Whenever you absent yourself,\nyou break this chain, and lose much of your interest and profit in his\npreaching. I do not say but on special occasions, when some subject of\nmore than visual importance is to be presented at another place, it may\nbe proper for you to leave your own church. But, in general, the\nfrequent assistance which most pastors receive from strangers will\nfurnish as great variety as you will find profitable.\n\n2. _Be punctual in attending at the stated hour of public worship._\nThis, though of great importance, is sadly neglected by most\ncongregations. Punctuality is so necessary in matters of business, that\na man is hardly considered honest, when he fails to meet his friend at\nthe hour of engagement. And why should it be thought of less consequence\nto be exact and punctual in our engagements with God than with man? The\nperson, who enters the house of God after the service has commenced,\ngreatly embarrasses the preacher, and disturbs the devotions of others.\nBesides, he shows great want of reverence for the sacredness of the\nplace, time, and employment. \"God is greatly to be feared _in the\nassembly of his saints_, and to be had in reverence of all them that are\nabout him.\" Always calculate to be seated in the sanctuary a few minutes\nbefore the time appointed for the commencement of worship. As precious\nas time is, it would be much better to lose a few moments, than to do so\nmuch injury. But this time need not be lost. You require a little time,\nafter entering the house of God, to settle your mind, and to lift your\nsoul, in silent prayer, to God for his blessing.\n\n3. Several things are necessary to be observed, in order to wait upon\nGod, in the sanctuary, in a proper manner:--(1.) _Go to the house of God\nwith a preparation of heart._ First visit your closet, and implore the\ninfluences of the Holy Spirit, to prepare your heart for the reception\nof the truth, and to bless it to your own soul and the souls of others;\nand, if possible, go immediately from your closet to the house of\nworship. On the way, shut out all thoughts except such as are calculated\nto inspire devotional feelings; and, if in company, avoid conversation.\nWhatever may be the nature of such conversation, it will be very likely\nto produce a train of thought which will distract and disturb your mind\nduring public worship. (2.) When you approach the house of worship,\nremember that God is there in a peculiar manner. He has promised to be\nwhere two or three shall meet in his name. It is in the _assembly of his\nsaints_, that he makes known the power of his Spirit. As you enter his\nhouse, endeavor to realize the solemnity of his presence, and walk\nsoftly before him. Avoid carelessness of demeanor, and let your\ndeportment indicate the reverence due to the place where \"God's honor\ndwelleth.\" \"Keep thy foot, when thou goest to the house of God.\" But,\nabove all, avoid that indecent practice of whispering and conversation\nin the house of God. Before service commences, it unfits the mind for\nthe solemn employments in which you are about to engage. After the\ncongregation is dismissed, it dissipates the impression received. When\nseated in the place of worship, set a watch over the senses, that your\neyes and ears may not cause your mind to wander upon forbidden objects.\nThere is great danger that the attraction of persons, characters and\ndress, may dissipate every serious thought with which you entered the\nsanctuary. By this means, you will lose the benefit of the means of\ngrace, and bring leanness upon your soul. Again; set a watch over your\nimagination. This is a time when Satan is particularly busy in diverting\nthe fancy; and, unless you are doubly watchful, he will lead away your\nmind, by some phantom of the imagination, before you are aware of it.\nKeep these avenues of temptation guarded, and seek to bring yourself\ninto a prayerful frame of mind, that you may be suitably affected by the\nvarious exercises of public worship.\n\n4. _Unite in spirit with the devotional part of the service._ \"God is a\nSpirit; and they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.\"\nBe particularly careful that you do not mock God in singing. This part\nof worship, I fear, is too often performed in a heartless manner. Try to\nsing with the _spirit_, as well as the understanding. And whenever you\ncome to anything in the language of the psalm or hymn which you cannot\nadopt as your own, omit it. If you sing before him what you do not\n_feel_, you lie to him in your heart. And you know, by the terrible\nexample of Ananias and Sapphira, how God regards this sin. In prayer,\n_strive_ to follow, in your heart, the words of the person who leads,\napplying the several parts of the prayer to yourself in particular, when\nthey suit your case, and yet bearing in mind the various subjects of\npetition, which relate to the congregation and the world. In all the\nexercises of public worship, labor and strive against wandering\nthoughts. This is the time when Satan will beset you with all his fury.\nNow you must be well armed, and fight manfully. Be not discouraged,\nthough you may be many times foiled. If you persevere in the strength of\nJesus, you will come off conqueror at last.\n\n5. \"Take heed _how_ you hear.\" (1.) Consider the speaker as the\nambassador of Christ, sent with a message from God to yourself. For such\ntruly is every evangelical minister of Christ. (2.) Diligently compare\nthe doctrines, which you hear from the pulpit, with the Holy Scriptures,\nand receive nothing which does not agree with them. The figure used in\nthe passage referred to, (2 Cor. 5:20,) is borrowed from the practice of\none government sending a person on a particular errand to another. The\nanalogy in this case, however, does not hold good throughout. It is like\na sovereign sending an ambassador to persuade rebels against his\ngovernment to submit to him, and accept of pardon. But, in such a case,\nit would be possible, either for some person, who was not sent, to\ndeliver a false message in the name of the king, or for one who was\nreally sent, to deliver a different message from the one sent by him. So\nit is in relation to preachers of the gospel. There are many, whom\nChrist has never sent, who are spreading abroad lies over the land; and\nthere are others, really sent by Christ, who have, in some respects,\nmisapprehended his meaning, and therefore do not deliver his message\njust as he has directed. But, our blessed Lord, foreseeing this, has\nwisely and kindly given us a _check book_, by which we may discover\nwhether those who speak in his name tell the truth. Hence we are\ncommanded to \"search the Scriptures,\" and to \"try the spirits, whether\nthey be of God.\" And the Bereans were commended as more noble, because\nthey searched the Scriptures daily, to know whether the things preached\nby the apostles were so. If, then, they were applauded for trying the\npreaching of the apostles by the word of God, surely we may try the\npreaching of uninspired men by the same standard. (3.) Beware of a\nfault-finding spirit. There are some persons, who indulge such a habit\nof finding fault with preaching, that they never receive any benefit\nfrom it. Either the matter of the sermon, the apparent feeling of the\npreacher, or his style and manner of delivery, does not suit them, and\ntherefore they throw away all the good they might have obtained from his\ndiscourse. Remember that preachers of the gospel are but men. So weak\nare they, that the apostle compares them to \"earthen vessels.\" Do not,\nthen, expect perfection. Bear with their infirmities. Receive their\ninstructions as the bread which your heavenly Father has provided for\nthe nourishment of your soul. Do not ungratefully spurn it from you.\nWhat would you think, to see a child throwing away the bread his mother\ngives him, because it does not suit his capricious notions? Surely, you\nwould say he did not deserve to have any. But, if your minister is cold\nand formal, and does not exhibit the truth in a clear, pointed, and\nforcible manner to the conscience, mourn over the matter in secret,\nbefore God. You will do no good by making it a subject of common\nconversation. It will lead to the indulgence of a censorious spirit, to\nthe injury of your own soul, and the wounding of the cause of Christ. If\nyou speak of it at all, let it be in a spirit of tender concern for the\nwelfare of Zion, to some pious friends, who will unite with you in\npraying for your pastor. You recollect the conversion of Dr. West,[J]\nin answer to the prayers of two pious females. So you may be\ninstrumental in reviving the heart of your pastor. (4.) _Hear with\nself-application._ From almost any passage in the Bible the Christian\nmay draw a practical lesson for himself. Some truths may not be\nimmediately applicable to your present circumstances; but they are,\nnevertheless, calculated to affect your heart. Even a sermon, addressed\nexclusively to impenitent sinners, is calculated to rouse up the most\nintense feelings of the Christian's soul. It reminds him of the\nexceeding wickedness of his past life; it shows him what an awful gulf\nhe has escaped; it leads him to mourn over his ingratitude; and it calls\nforth his prayers and tears in behalf of perishing sinners. Strive to\nbring home the truth, so far as it is applicable to yourself, in the\nmost searching manner. Examine your own heart diligently, that you lose\nnothing which belongs to you. (5.) _Do not hear for others._ Let every\none make his own application of the truth. Many persons are so intent on\nfinding garments for others, that they lose their own. (6.) _Hear with a\nprayerful frame of mind._ If any part of the discourse is intended for\nprofessors of religion, let your heart continually ascend to God, for\nthe Holy Spirit to apply it to your own heart, and to the heart of every\nChristian present. If any part of it is designed for impenitent sinners,\nlet your soul put forth an agony of prayer, that it may be blessed for\ntheir conversion. (7.) _Remember and practise what you hear._ This is of\ngreat importance; and, unless you attend to it, every other direction\nwill be of little avail.\n\n [Footnote J: See page 64.]\n\nIntimately connected with public worship are social meetings for prayer.\nWe have examples of these in the primitive church. The disciples met for\nprayer _ten days_ in succession before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit\non the day of Pentecost. When the apostles returned from before the\ncouncil, they held a prayer-meeting, and the place was shaken where they\nwere assembled. When Peter was imprisoned, the church assembled for\nprayer _in the night_; and an angel delivered him out of the prison. We\nread of a place by the river side, where prayer was \"wont to be made.\"\nAnd at Miletus, Paul attended a precious prayer-meeting with the elders\nof the church of Ephesus. These meetings have been maintained among\nevangelical Christians in every age. They are the life of the church.\nThey are the mainspring of human agency in all revivals of religion.\nWithout a spirit of prayer, sufficient to bring God's people together in\nthis way, I see not how vital piety can exist in a church. The feelings\nof a lively Christian will lead him to the place where prayer is \"wont\nto be made.\" But it will not do to follow our feelings at all times,\nbecause they are variable. Be governed in everything by religious\nprinciple. If there are prayer-meetings in the place where you reside,\nmake it a matter of conscience to attend them. Let no slight excuse keep\nyou from the house of prayer. Especially, never let company prevent your\nattendance upon these meetings. There is a time for visiting; but to\nprefer the company of mortals to that of the living God is most unwise;\nand if but two or three are really met for the purpose of holding\ncommunion with Christ, they have his promise that he will be with them.\nIn relation to punctuality, preparation, watchfulness, &c., the remarks\nalready made in relation to public worship apply with equal force to\nsocial prayer-meetings.\n\nBut, in addition to the ordinary prayer-meetings, I would recommend to\nyou always to attend a praying circle of females. Female prayer-meetings\nhave often been blessed to the reviving of God's work; and if, by the\ngrace of God, you are enabled to offer up the prayer of faith, your\ninfluence may thus be felt to the remotest parts of the earth.\n\nIn relation to the duties of that portion of the holy Sabbath not\nemployed in public worship, it naturally divides itself into two parts:\nI. _The duty we owe to the souls of others._ We are bound to follow the\nexample of Christ, so far as it is applicable to the station we hold in\nhis kingdom. If we examine his life, we shall find that the love of\nsouls was everywhere predominant. It was for this that he condescended\nto be made flesh, and dwell among us. It was for this that he labored\nand toiled. For this he suffered, bled, and died. If we can, in any\nmanner, be instrumental in saving souls, the love of Christ must\nconstrain us to _do what we can_. If we have not his Spirit, we are none\nof his. No one, with the love of Jesus burning in his breast, can look\nupon dying sinners around him, without feeling anxious to do something\nfor their salvation. The Sabbath school opens a wide field of\nusefulness. Here every Christian, male and female, may become the pastor\nof a little flock. Such, truly, is the relation between a Sabbath school\nteacher and his class. He is appointed to watch for their souls. This is\nno ordinary office. It is one of high responsibility. The Sabbath school\nteacher becomes an ambassador of Christ to the little flock entrusted to\nhis care. Every one of their souls is worth more than the world.\n\nI shall offer no argument to persuade you to engage in this work,\nbecause I know your heart is in it, and I cannot see how any Christian\ncan need urging to such a delightful employment. I only wish to stir up\nyour zeal in the cause, and give a few plain and practical directions\nrespecting this highly important duty. In doing this, it is necessary to\nconsider the end and object of Sabbath school instruction. This is\nnothing less than the conversion of the children, and their subsequent\npreparation for usefulness in the church of Christ. To this end, three\nthings are indispensably requisite: 1. That the children should have a\nclear and distinct knowledge of those great though simple truths of\nGod's word, which teach them their lost and ruined condition by nature,\nand the way of salvation revealed in the gospel. Without this, they\ncannot become the subjects of renewing grace; for this work is carried\non in the heart, through the instrumentality of God's word. These truths\nmust, therefore, be so illustrated, simplified, and brought down to\ntheir capacities, that they will see their application to themselves,\nand learn from them their own immediate duty.\n\n2. That this great end may be accomplished, it is necessary that the\nHoly Spirit should apply the truth to their consciences, and incline\nthem to embrace it. For even young sinners are so depraved that they\nwill not listen to the most tender and melting invitations of God's\nword, nor accept the offers of mercy and salvation in the gospel, until\ntheir dispositions are changed by the power of the Holy Ghost.\n\n3. To prepare them to become laborers in the vineyard of the Lord, it is\nnot only necessary that they should be converted, but that they should\n_grow_ in _grace_, and in the _knowledge_ of our Lord Jesus Christ. I\nhave already shown what an intimate connection there is between high\nspiritual attainments and eminent usefulness, and between a knowledge of\ntruth and the work of sanctification in the heart. But energy of mind,\nand habits of deep thought and close study, are of great importance, as\ntalents to be employed in the service of God. These must also be\ncultivated in the Sabbath school.\n\nLet it, then, become a subject of anxious inquiry how you may be\ninstrumental in promoting these several objects, so necessary to the\ngreat end you have in view. In this matter, the following directions may\nbe of service to you:--\n\n1. _Labor to obtain a clear, full, and discriminating view of gospel\ntruth yourself._ This is indispensable, if you would impress the same\nupon the minds of others. If your general views of truth are obscure,\nindefinite, and unsatisfactory to yourself, your instructions will be of\nthe same character.\n\n2. _Study to become skilful in the sacred art of so communicating divine\ntruth to children, that they will understand it._ Little as this may be\nesteemed, it is one of the most valuable talents you can possess. I know\nof no other which females can so profitably employ in the service of\nChrist. On this subject, I will offer the following suggestions:--\n\n(1.) _Study the juvenile mind._ Observe the principles by which it is\ndeveloped and called forth into action. See how you can apply these\nprinciples to effect the object in view. Be familiar with children.\nBecome acquainted with their language and modes of thinking; and strive\nto adapt yourself to their capacities.\n\n(2.) _Use such helps as you can obtain._ There are many works published\non the subject of education, which develop important principles, of\ngreat use in communicating knowledge to the young. Some of these are\nespecially designed for Sabbath school teachers. Study them with\ndiligence; treasure up all useful hints, and apply them in practice.\n\n(3.) _Aim at drawing out the minds of the children, and teaching them to\nstudy and think, with clearness and precision, for themselves._ There is\na great difference between _conversing with_ children and _talking to_\nthem. By the former, you call their minds into exercise, and get hold of\ntheir feelings. Thus you will secure their attention. But the latter\nwill be much less likely to interest them; for, being the recipients of\nthought, instead of thinking for themselves, they participate less in\nthe exercise. By engaging them in conversation, and leading that\nconversation in the investigation of truth, you teach them to _think_.\nThe mental discipline which this calls forth, is a matter of no small\nconsequence. It may have an important bearing upon their whole future\ncharacters.\n\nIf we simply explain to a child the meaning of a passage of Scripture,\nthe whole benefit lies in the instruction he receives at the time. But,\nif we show him practically how to ascertain the meaning himself, and\nbring him under the mental discipline which it requires, we give him a\nkind of key to unlock the meaning of other passages. By an ingenious\nmode of catechizing, children's minds may be led to perceive and\nunderstand almost any truth, much more distinctly and clearly than by\nany direct explanation which, a teacher can make. By _catechizing_, I do\nnot mean the repeating of _catechisms_; but the calling out of their\nminds upon any Scripture truth that may be before them, by a series of\nsimple questions, leading them to see the truth as though they had\ndiscovered it themselves.\n\nThis is a subject well worthy of your prayerful attention. Remember that\nyou are dependent upon the Holy Spirit for the proper direction of the\npowers of your mind. Pray, then, for clearness of perception, and\ndiscrimination of judgment, that you may understand the truth; and for\nskill to communicate it to your class. Study every Sabbath school lesson\nin your closet, with these ends in view. Persevere in your efforts till\nyou become mistress of the art of teaching.\n\n3. _Let your own heart be affected with the truth you are endeavoring to\nteach._ Upon this, so far as your instrumentality is concerned, greatly\ndepends your success. Unless you _feel_ the force of the truth yourself,\nit will be very difficult for you to convince the children that you are\nin earnest. While preparing the lesson, in your closet, try to obtain a\nrealizing sense of the personal interest which you and your class have\nin the subject you are contemplating. See what bearing it has upon your\nand their eternal destiny; and pray for the Holy Spirit to impress it\npowerfully upon your heart. Always, if possible, spend a little season\nin your closet, as an immediate preparation for the duties of the\nSabbath school. Get your heart refreshed, in view of the practical truth\ncontained in the lesson; and go before your class deeply impressed with\nits solemn import.\n\n4. _Make a personal application of the practical truths contained in the\nlesson_; and embrace frequent opportunities of conversing separately and\nprivately with every one of your scholars, in regard to their religious\nfeelings. If they give no evidence of piety, explain to them the duty of\nimmediate repentance and submission to God, and urge them to perform it\nwithout delay. Do this, under the solemn impression that it _may_ be\nyour last opportunity, and that you will soon meet them at the\njudgment-seat of Christ.\n\nIf you have reason to believe their hearts have been renewed, show them\nthe importance of high spiritual attainments. Urge upon them the duties\nof watchfulness, self-examination, studying the Scriptures, and prayer.\nShow them also the necessity of carrying out their religion into every\naction of their lives. Show them that the design of religion is to make\nthem better; to give them better dispositions; to keep them humble; and\nmake them more amiable, obedient, and dutiful in everything. Teach them\nalso the great importance of improving their minds, while young, to fit\nthem for the service of Christ. You may have before you some future\nHarriet Newell, or Mrs. Judson, who may willingly surrender all the\ncomforts of this life to carry the glad tidings of salvation to the\nbenighted heathen.\n\n5. _Be earnest and importunate for the Holy Spirit to bless your\nlabors._ Without this, all your efforts will be in vain. Feel\ncontinually that you are but an instrument in the hand of God; and that\nall your success must depend upon him. Yet he _has promised_ to give\nhis Holy Spirit to them that ask him. Let no day pass without presenting\nbefore the throne of grace every individual of your class: endeavor to\nremember as particularly as possible the peculiar circumstances and\nfeelings of each. Visit them as often as you can; and, if possible,\npersuade them to meet with you once a week for prayer. But make no\neffort in your own strength. Search well your motives, and see that\nself-seeking has no place in your heart. If you seek the conversion of\nyour class, that you may be honored as the instrument, you will be\ndisappointed. _God must be glorified in all things._\n\nII. There are also duties that we owe to God, _in private_, which ought\nto occupy a portion of the holy Sabbath. In the present age, when so\nmuch of the Lord's day is spent in attendance upon public worship and\nthe Sabbath school, there is danger that secret communion with God will\nbe neglected; and thus, like the tree with a worm at its root, the soul\nwill wither under the genial rain and sunshine of the gospel. With a few\npractical directions on this point, I shall close this letter.\n\n1. _Spend as large a portion as possible of the intervals of public\nduties in your closet._ The time thus spent should be employed\nprincipally in the devotional reading of the Holy Scriptures;\nmeditation, for the purpose of getting your own heart affected with\ndivine truth; self-examination, and prayer. If you have very much time\nto spend in this way, you may employ a part of it in reading some\ndevotional book; but I think our reading on the Sabbath should be\nprincipally confined to the Scriptures. But _prayer_ should be frequent,\nand mingled with everything.\n\n2. _Spend no part of the Lord's day in seeking your own ease or\npleasure._ We are required to turn away our feet from finding our own\npleasure on God's holy day. All our time is the Lord's; but the Sabbath\nis his in a peculiar manner. On other days of the week he allows us to\ndo _our own_ work. But on this day we must do _his work only_. There is\nno room, then, for the indulgence of idleness, indolence, or sloth, upon\nthe Sabbath. The duties of this holy day are such as to require the\nactive and vigorous exercise of all our faculties. That you may not,\nthen, be tempted to indulge in sloth, use every means in your power to\npromote a lively state of your bodily energies. Make all your\npreparations on the afternoon of Saturday. Spend a portion of the\nevening in devotional exercises, for the purpose of banishing the world\nfrom your mind, and bringing it into a heavenly frame; and retire to\nrest at an early hour. By this means, your animal powers will be\nrefreshed, and you will be prepared early to meet the Lord, on the\napproach of his holy morning.\n\n3. _Watch over your thoughts._ The Sabbath is a season when Satan is\nexceedingly busy in diverting our thoughts from holy things. Evil\nthoughts also proceed from our own depraved hearts. But the Lord's day\nis as really profaned by vain and worldly thoughts, as by the labor of\nour bodies. O, if we could realize this, how much food should we find\nfor bitter repentance in the thoughts of a single Sabbath! Strive, then,\nto \"bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.\" \"I\nhate vain thoughts,\" says the Psalmist; \"but thy law do I love.\"\n\n4. _Set a guard over your lips._ Conversing about the affairs of the\nworld, is a direct breach of the holy Sabbath. But we are not only\nrequired to refrain from worldly and vain conversation, but from\nspeaking _our own words_. All unprofitable conversation, even though it\nbe about the externals of religion, should be avoided. It has a tendency\nto dissipate the mind, and to remove any serious impressions which the\ntruth may have made. Our thoughts should be fixed on divine things, and\nour conversation should be heavenly. We are not only required to refrain\nfrom finding our own pleasure, speaking our own words, and doing our own\nways; but we are to \"call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord,\nhonorable.\" And so will every one regard God's holy day, who lives in\nthe lively exercise of spiritual affections.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER IX.\n\n_Meditation._\n\n \"Meditate upon these things.\"--1 TIM. 4:15.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER:\n\nThe subject of this letter is intimately connected with that of the\nlast; and in proportion to your faithfulness in the duty now under\nconsideration, will be your interest in the word and worship of God.\nReligious meditation is a serious, devout and practical thinking of\ndivine things; a duty enjoined in Scripture, both by precept and\nexample; and concerning which, let us observe,\n\n1. _Its importance._ That God has required it, ought to be a sufficient\nmotive to its performance. But its inseparable connection with our\ngrowth in grace magnifies its importance. It is by \"beholding the glory\nof the Lord,\" that we are \"changed into the same image.\" And how can we\nbehold his glory, but by the spiritual contemplation of his infinite\nperfections? Again: the word of God is \"a lamp to our feet;\" but if we\ndo not open our eyes to its truths, how can they guide our steps? It is\nonly by the practical contemplation of these truths, that our souls can\ncome into communion with them, drink in their spirit, and be guided by\ntheir precepts. Hence, the intimate connection of this devout exercise\nwith growth in grace.\n\n2. _The time and manner of Meditation._ It should be constant. Our minds\nand hearts should be so habitually fixed on heavenly things, that, after\nhaving been necessarily employed about our worldly affairs, our thoughts\nwill voluntarily revert back to spiritual things, as to their proper\nelement. Their tendency should be upward. Speaking of the godly man,\nDavid says, \"in his law doth he meditate, _day and night_.\" \"O how love\nI thy law,\" says the Psalmist; \"it is my meditation _all the day_.\" You\nmay, perhaps, find it profitable to select a subject every morning for\nmeditation during the day; and whenever your thoughts are not\nnecessarily occupied with your ordinary employments, turn them to that\nsubject. Labor after clear and practical views of the truth; and see\nthat your _heart_ is affected by it. One of the most difficult points of\nChristian experience is, to keep the mind habitually upon heavenly\nthings, while engaged in worldly employments, or surrounded by objects\nwhich affect the senses. Satan will be continually seeking to divert\nyour mind; but do not be discouraged by his assaults. The Bible saints\nwere _fervent_ in spirit, even while engaged in business; and we have\naccounts of pious persons in every age, who have been like them. A\nheavenly mind is worth the labor of years. Do not rest till you obtain\nit. Meditation should also be mixed with the reading of God's word. It\nrequires the closest meditation to understand the Holy Scriptures, and\napply them to our hearts.\n\nBut, it is also necessary to set apart particular seasons of retirement\nfor fixed and holy meditation. This position is warranted by Scripture.\nHoly men of old embraced the most favorable opportunities for this\ndevout exercise. Isaac went out into the field to meditate in the\nstillness and solemnity of the evening. David sometimes chose the\ncalmness of the morning. At other times, he fixed his thoughts in holy\nmeditation, during the wakeful hours of the night. \"I remember thee\n_upon my bed_, and meditate on thee in the night-watches.\" \"Mine eyes\nprevent the _night-watches_, that I might meditate in thy word.\" But,\nlest the adversary should get the advantage of you, fix upon _regular\nseasons_ for this sacred employment. Select some subject, and think upon\nit deeply, systematically, practically, and devoutly. System is a great\nassistance in everything. We can never obtain clear views of any complex\nobject, without separately viewing the various parts of which it is\ncomposed. We cannot see the beautiful mechanism of a watch, nor\nunderstand the principles which keep it in motion, without taking it in\npieces, and viewing the parts separately. So, in contemplating any great\ntruth, which contains many different propositions; if we look at them\nall at once, our ideas will be confused and imperfect; but if we\nseparate them, and examine one at a time, our views will be clear and\ndistinct. Our meditation must be _practical_, because every divine truth\nis calculated to make an impression upon the heart; and if it fails of\ndoing this, our labor is lost. Make, then, a direct personal application\nof the truth, on which your thoughts are fixed. But, our meditations\nmust also be _devotions_. They must all be mixed with prayer. As an\nexample of what I mean, examine the 119th Psalm. There the Psalmist, in\nthe midst of his meditations, was continually lifting up his soul in\nprayer. His devout aspirations are breathed forth continually. Your\nsuccess in this exercise, and the profit you derive from it, will very\nmuch depend on the manner you observe this direction.\n\n3. _The subjects of Meditation._ The word of God furnishes abundant\nmatter for meditation. This was the constant delight of the Psalmist.\nThe 119th Psalm consists almost entirely of meditations upon the word of\nGod. But, in our regular seasons of fixed and solemn meditation, you\nwill find assistance and profit from fixing your mind on some particular\nportion of divine truth; and carrying it out in its various relations\nand applications. That these subjects may be always at hand, without\nloss of time in selecting and arranging them, I here suggest a\nconsiderable variety of topics, with references to passages of Scripture\ncalculated to illustrate or enforce the subjects. It is not designed\nthat you should confine yourself strictly to these, but to use them as\nan aid to your own efforts. They are intended as mere suggestions, and\nare therefore both imperfectly stated and partially carried out; One\ngreat difficulty, in this exercise, is, always to be able to fix the\nmind on some portion of truth, in such a manner as to secure variety,\nand to contemplate truth in its proper proportions. And probably this\nkind of meditation is often neglected, for want of time to select a\nsubject, and fix the attention upon it. If Christians were always in a\nlively frame, perhaps this would not be necessary. The mind would\nspontaneously revert to spiritual things. But, humiliating as is the\nfact, it is nevertheless true, that our minds are often dull upon those\nsubjects which ought always to operate as the touchstone of spiritual\nfeeling. Yet, as right feelings can be produced only in view of truth,\nthe way to overcome this dulness is to direct the attention to objects\ncalculated to call forth these emotions.\n\nI have arranged these subjects in such a manner, that, if taken in\ncourse, they will lead to the contemplation of divine truth, with some\nreference to its proper proportions, although they do not completely\ncover the ground. Any particular topic, however, can be selected,\naccording to the circumstances or inclination of the individual. Many of\nthe subjects are divided under various heads; and, in some cases, one or\ntwo heads may perhaps be found sufficient for one season of meditation.\n\n\nI. CHARACTER AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.\n\n1. _Self-existence_--_being underived_. How this can be proved from\nreason. How this truth is recognized in Scripture. Ex. 3:14. Rev. 1:8.\nJer. 10:10. Dan. 6:26. All other existence derived from him. Ps. 33:6.\nJohn 1:3. Col. 1:16, 17. Heb. 11:13.\n\n_Practical Reflections._ (1.) Ps. 53:1, f.c., (2.) Isa. 29:16, l.c.\n45:9, 10. Rom. 9:20, 21. (3.) Ps. c. 3, 4. Isa. 43:7. Dan. 5:23, l.c.\n\n2. _Eternity and Immutability of God._ How one of these involves the\nother. How these attributes can be discovered by reason. How by\nScripture. Gen. 1:1. Deut. 32:40. Ps. 90:2. 102:24-27. Mal. 3:6. Heb.\n13:8. Jas. 1:17. Rev. 1:4. 22:13.\n\nConsider these attributes separately:--(1.) Eternity--being without\nbeginning or end--ever being. (2.) Immutability--subject to no change in\nhis manner of being, his perfections, his thoughts, desires, purposes,\nor determinations.\n\n_Practical Reflections._ (1.) How God appears to us in view of these\nattributes. (2.) How necessary they are to the character of the Supreme\nRuler. (3.) How these attributes make God appear to the sinner. (4.) How\nto holy beings. (5.) What encouragements to prayer. Suppose God were\nchangeable in his character, feelings, and purposes, what confidence\ncould be reposed in his promises? (6.) What feelings these attributes\nshould inspire.\n\n3. _Omnipresence and Omniscience of God._ (1.) Contemplate knowledge\nwithout limit, and presence without bounds. (2.) How these attributes\nare manifest from the works of creation. (3.) How declared in the Word\nof God. Ps. 139:1-12. Jer. 23:24. Ps. 147:5. Isa. 40:28.\n\n_Solemn Thoughts._ (1.) In what light God is manifested by these\nattributes. (2.) How necessary these attributes to the Supreme Governor\nand righteous Judge of all. (3.) No individual so small or unimportant\nas to escape the attention of such a being. Matt. 10:29, 30.\n\n_Practical Reflections._ (1.) Danger of forgetting or losing a sense of\nthe presence of God. Ps. 9:17. 50:22. (2.) What feelings should be\ninspired in view of these attributes. Ps. 4:4. Heb. 4:13. (3.) How\nsinners should feel in view of them. Job 34:21, 22. Prov. 5:21. 15:3.\nJer. 16:17. Amos 9:2, 3. (4.) What emotions these attributes should\nexcite in the hearts of God's children. 2 Chron. 16:9, f.c. (5.) How\nthese attributes will appear in the day of judgment.\n\n4. _Omnipotence and Independence of God._ (1.) How the omnipotence of\nGod is manifested by the works of creation. Job, chapters 38-11. Reflect\non the works of creation as a whole, and minutely and particularly, and\nalso _how_ they were made. Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26. (2.) How\nthe independence of God is manifested by his works. Creative power must\nbe underived. (3.) How the omnipotence of God is displayed, in his\nupholding and governing all things. (4.) How this attribute is declared\nin Scripture. Gen. 17:1. 18:14. Matt. 19:26. (5.) How omnipotence proves\nindependence.\n\n_Practical Reflections._ (1.) How God is hereby qualified to be the\nSupreme Ruler. (2.) The condition of sinners, while they remain at\nenmity with such a being. Deut. 32:41. (3.) How Christians should feel,\nin view of this. Ex. 32:32. Rom. 9:2, 3. (4.) What they ought to do.\nActs 20:31. Jas. 5:20. Jude 23. (5.) Feelings of those who can view such\na being as their Friend and Father. Rom. 8:28, 38, 39. 1 Cor. 3:22, 23.\n(6.) Appropriate emotions on contemplating the omnipotence of God. Job\n11:7, 8. 26:14. Ps. 145.\n\n5. _Benevolence of God._ God is essentially benevolent. 1 John 4:8. (1.)\nHow the benevolence of God is exhibited to us by the light of reason.\n(2.) How by his works of creation and providence. (3.) By Revelation.\n_First_, by direct assertion. Exod. 34:6. Ps. 145:9. Nah. 1:7. Matt.\n5:45. _Second_, by the character of his law. Ps. 19:7, 8. Matt.\n22:37-39. Rom. 7:12. _Third_, by the work of redemption. John 3:16, 17.\n\n_Inferential Thoughts._ (1.) The benevolence of God without bounds. (2.)\nAlways active (3.) It constitutes his whole moral character. (4.) A\nbeing of infinite benevolence must prefer the greater good to the less,\nand the supreme good above all. (5.) Such a being must love the same\ndisposition in his creatures, and hate the opposite.\n\n_Practical Reflections._ (1.) How odious selfishness must be in the\nsight of God. (2.) Sinners directly opposed in their characters and\nfeelings to God. Exod. 20:5, l.c. Rom. 8:7. (3.) The exceeding great\nevil of sin, as committed against infinite benevolence. (4.) The\ningratitude and baseness of sinners. (5.) What the goodness of God\nshould lead them to. Isa. 30:18. Rom. 2:4. (6.) What emotions the\ncontemplation of the goodness of God should excite in the hearts of his\nchildren. Ps. 118. Isa. 63:7. Eph. 5:20. (7.) How we may apprehend the\ngoodness of the Lord. Ps, 107:43.\n\n6. _The Justice of God._ (1.) What justice is: _First_, as exercised by\nintelligent beings, whose relations will admit of mutual giving and\nreceiving; _Second_, as exercised by a ruler towards his subjects;\n_Third_, as relates to all actions, with reference to the general good.\n(2.) Which of these relations God sustains to the universe. (3.) The\ndisposition which would lead him to act justly in all these cases. (4.)\nHow God is just as respects himself (5.) As respects his creatures. (6.)\nHow the justice of God may be seen from the light of reason, and from\nthe system of his providence. (7.) How from the Sacred History. (8.) The\npositive declarations of Scripture. Deut. 32:4. Isa. 45:21. Zeph. 3:5.\n_Rev._ 15:3. (9.) From the revelation of a future day of righteous\nretribution. Eccl. 12:14. Acts 17:31. 2 Cor. 5:10.\n\n_Practical Reflections._ (1.) How, by this attribute, God is qualified\nto be the Supreme Governor. (2.) How terrible this renders him to the\nwicked. Exod. 34:7, l.c. Heb. 10:20-29. 12:29. (3.) How suffering the\nguilty to go unpunished, without satisfaction and reformation, would be\ndoing injustice to the universe. (4.) Why we ought to look with\ncomplacency and delight upon this attribute.\n\n7. _The Truth of God._ (1.) His _veracity_; or a disposition always to\nspeak according to the real state of things. (2.) _Faithfulness_; or a\ndisposition to conform his actions to previous declarations of his Word.\n\n(1.) How the truth of God may be proved by reason. _First_, from his\nBenevolence. _Second_, from his Independence and Immutability. _Third_,\nfrom the excellence of truth and the turpitude of falsehood. _Fourth_,\nfrom the estimation in which truth is held by the intelligent creatures\nhe has made.\n\n(2.) How proved from the Scriptures. _First_, by direct declarations.\nExod. 34:6, l.c. Ps. 117:2. 146:6, l.c. _Second_, by the accordance of\nthe histories recorded in Scripture with the facts substantiated by\nother evidence. _Third_, by the predictions of events which have since\nbeen fulfilled. _Fourth_, from the doctrines contained in his Word.\n_Fifth_, by the agreement of Scripture with itself. _Sixth_, by the\nfulfilment of promises, threatenings, covenants, &c., recorded in his\nWord. _Seventh_, other proofs, as they may be suggested to the mind.\n\n_Practical Reflections._ (1.) How God is qualified by this attribute to\nbe the moral governor of intelligent creatures. (2.) How necessary is\nfaith to acceptance with God. Heb. 11:6. (3.) How odious to a God of\ninfinite veracity must be the sin of _unbelief_. 1 John 5:10. (4.) How\nterrible to the wicked this renders the threatenings of God's word. (5.)\nHow valuable his promises to the righteous. (6.) At what an infinite\nexpense God has sustained his truth, while pardoning rebels doomed to\ndie. Ps. 85:10. Rom. 3:26.\n\n8. _The Mercy of God._ (1.) What mercy is. (2.) Contemplate mercy as a\ndisposition inherent in the Divine character. (3.) The only way in which\nmercy can be exercised by Him, towards those who have merited anger and\npunishment, consistent with the moral rectitude of his character, and\nthe great ends of his government. Ps. 85:10. Isa. 53:5, 6, 10. Acts\n4:12. 5:31. Rom. 3:25, 26. (4.) How this attribute is manifested in his\nprovidence. Matt. 5:45. (5.) How in his Word. Neh. 9:17. Ps. 3:8. Matt.\n5:7. Rom. 5:6. (These two may embrace several subdivisions.) (6.)\nConsider whether by the light of nature we could discover any possible\nway for God to exercise mercy towards the guilty.\n\n_Practical Reflections._ (1.) The loveliness and glory of this\nattribute. (2.) How we should feel in view of it. Ps. 118. (3.) The\ngreat guilt and danger of indulging an unmerciful or cruel disposition.\nProv. 11:17, l.c. 21:13. Mark 11:26. Jas. 2:13. (4.) The advantage of\nbeing merciful. Ps. 18:25. Prov. 11:17, f.c. Matt. 5:7. Mark 11:25.\n\n9. _The Wisdom of God._ (1.) What wisdom is. How it differs from\nknowledge. How from cunning or subtilty. Whether that is wisdom which\ndoes not design to accomplish a _good_ end. Whether this is a _natural_\nor _moral_ attribute, or both. (2.) How the wisdom of God is manifested\nin the works of creation. Ps. 104. Prov. 3:19. Examine particular\nobjects and see how exactly everything is fitted for the end for which\nit is designed, and that a good end; such as the seasons; day and night;\nprovision made for the wants and for the comfort and pleasure of men and\nanimals; the body and mind of man; the laws which govern the material\nworld, carried put in a great variety of ways; in the infinite variety,\nand yet extensive and convenient classification, of objects; human\nlanguages; moral agency of intelligent beings, &c. (3.) The wisdom of\nGod, as exhibited in his Word; _First_, its perfect adaptation to the\nwants of the world; its variety of authorship, style, matter, manner,\n&c.; _Second_, the truths revealed; particularly the plan of redemption.\nRom. 11:33.\n\n_Practical Reflections._ (1.) Ps. 48:14. (2.) The folly of setting up\nour own reason in opposition to the word of God. Isa. 40:13, 14. Rom.\n11:34, 35. (3.) The folly of self-conceit. Prov. 26:12. (4.) From whom\nall wisdom comes. Prov. 2:6. (5.) What is the only true wisdom. Job\n28:28.\n\n\nII. DOCTRINES.\n\n1. _The Decrees of God._ Doctrine: That God foreordains whatsoever comes\nto pass.\n\nProved, (1.) By reason. Otherwise, he would work without a plan, and\ncould not certainly know what would take place hereafter; which is\ninconsistent with the idea of infinite wisdom. Acts 15:18. (2.) From\nScripture. Job 23:13. Isa. 46:10. Jer. 10:23.\n\nThis doctrine does not destroy the freedom and accountability of the\ncreature. Acts 2:23. This is not to be understood in any such sense as\nto make God the author of sin. Jas. 1:13. If the will of God is done,\nthe greatest possible good will be accomplished. Ps. 119:68, f.c. How we\nought to feel, in view of this doctrine. Phil. 4:4. Duty of submission.\nLuke 22:42. Jas. 4:7.\n\n2. _The Sovereignty of God._ Doctrine: That God rules the universe,\naccording to his own pleasure, independently and without control, giving\nno further account of his conduct than he pleases.\n\nProved, (1.) By reason: _First_, his will the greatest good; _Second_,\nhe has power to accomplish it; _Third_, if he fails to accomplish his\nwill, he will be under constraint, which is inconsistent with the idea\nof an infinite being. Were he to fail of accomplishing his own will, he\nwould not be qualified for a righteous governor. (2.) From Scripture.\nPs. 115:3. Dan. 4:35. Eccl. 8:3, l.c. Job 33:13.\n\n_Reflections._ (1.) God does not act _arbitrarily_, without sufficient\ncause, or merely for the sake of doing his own will. His actions are\ncontrolled by a supreme desire for the greatest good, and always founded\non the best of reasons. (2.) The consummate folly of those who resist\nhis will. (3.) The feelings with which we ought to regard the\nsovereignty of God. 1 Chron. 16:23-31. Ps. 97:1. (4.) How terrible this\ndoctrine to sinners. Ps. 99:1. Isa. 33:11. (5.) What ground of\nconfidence, comfort, and joy to the righteous. Ps. 15:6. Hosea 14:9.\nRom. 8:28.\n\n3. _Human Depravity._ (1.) How extensive. Rom. 3:23. Corroborated by\nfacts. (2.) How great in degree. Gen. 6:5. Rom. 3:10-18. (3.) From whom\nderived. Rom. 5:12-19. (4.) How hereditary depravity becomes personal.\nPs. 58:3. (5.) How human depravity manifests itself. Rom. 8:7. John\n3:19, 20. 5:40. Acts 7:51. Gal. 5:19-21.\n\n_Practical Reflections._ (1.) How we ought to feel, in view of our own\ndepravity. Ezra 9:6. Job 42:6. Ps. 38:1-7. 51:4, 17. Dan. 9:8. (2.) The\nnecessity of regeneration. Heb. 12:14, l.c. (3.) How this load of guilt\nmay be removed. Matt. 11:28-30. 1 John 2:1, 2. (4.) What it will bring\nus to, if we do not obtain deliverance from it. Rom 6:23, f.c.\n\n4. _Regeneration._ (1.) Its nature. 2 Cor. 5:17. Eph. 4:24. (2.) Its\nauthor. John 3:5, 6. (3.) Influence of the Spirit; how exerted; not\nmiraculous John 3:8. (4.) Man's agency in the work of regeneration. Isa.\n55:6, 7. Acts 2:38. 16:31. Phil 2:12, 13.\n\n5. _The condition of fallen man._ (1.) Alienation from God. Job 21:14,\n15. Rom. 1:28. Eph. 2:1, 2. (2.) Exposure to his wrath. Deut. 32:35, 41.\nPs. 7:11, 12. John 3:18, 36. Eph. 2:3. (3.) Personal misery. Isa. 57:20,\n21. Misery the natural consequence of sin. Jer. 2:19.\n\n_Practical Reflections._ (1.) How Christians should feel, in view of\nthis subject. Isa. 51:1. 1 Cor. 15:10. (2.) How they should feel, in\nview of the condition of the impenitent. Rom. 9:1-3. (3.) How act. Acts\n20:31, l.c. Rev. 22:17. (4.) The necessity of a mediator between God and\nman. Gal. 3:10.\n\n6. _The plan of Redemption._ (1.) Why sin could not be pardoned without\nan atonement. Gen. 2:17. Dent. 27:26, compared with Deut. 32:4, l.c.\nHeb. 9:22. (2.) What a mediator is. Job 9:33. 2 Cor. 5:18, 19. (3.) Why\nit was necessary that our mediator should be God. (4.) Why, that he\nshould be also man. (5.) Why it was necessary that he should obey the\nlaw. Isa. 42:21. Gal. 4:4, 5. (6.) Why, that he should suffer. Gal.\n3:13. 4:4, 5. Heb. 9:22, 28. (7.) Why, that he should rise from the\ndead. Rom. 4:25. 1 Cor. 15:17. 1 Pet. 1:21. Heb. 7:25.\n\n_Practical Reflections._ [1.] How the love of God is manifested in the\nprovision of such salvation. John 3:16. Rom. 5:8. [2.] How we should\nfeel and act in view of the amazing love of Christ. 2 Cor. 5:14, 15.\n[3.] What effect his love should have upon sinners. Zech. 12:10. Rom.\n2:4. [4.] How Christians should feel, in view of the ingratitude of the\nimpenitent. Ps. 119:136, 158.\n\n7. _Justification_ [1.] What justification is. [2.] Why we cannot be\njustified by the law. Rom. 3:23. [3.] The nature of all our good works,\nreligious exercises, duties, &c. Luke 17:10. [4.] The ground of\njustification. Isa. 53:11. Acts 13:39 Rom. 8:3, 4. [5.] The instrument\nor medium of justification. Rom. 3:28. [6.] The effects of\njustification. Rom. 5:1-5. 8:1-4. 15:13. 1 Pet. 1:8.\n\n8. _Adoption._ [1.] What adoption is. Exod. 2:9, 10. [2.] Through whom\nbelievers are adopted. Gal. 4:4, 5. [3.] How their adoption is\nmanifested to them. Rom. 8:15, 16. Gal. 4:6. [4.] To what adoption\nentitles them. Rom. 8:17. Gal. 4:7. [5.] What was the moving cause of\nadoption. 1 John 3:1. [6.] What emotions this should excite in the\nhearts of Christians.\n\n9. _Sanctification._ [1.] What sanctification is. Rom. 6:6, 11--13.\n8:13. [2.] By whom believers are sanctified. Rom. 8:13, l.c. 15:16, l.c.\n1 Pet. 1:22. (3.) The instrument of sanctification. John 17:19. (1.) The\nprocuring cause. 1 Cor. 1:2. 6:11. Heb. 10:10. (5.) The importance of\nsanctification, or growth in grace. John 15:8. Col. 1:9-12. (6.) How we\nare to strive for sanctification. Phil. 2:12, 13. 3:13, 14. (7.) How we\nmay secure the aid of the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:13. Rom. 8:26. (8.) How\nChrist regards us, when we are not making progress in holiness. Rev.\n3:15, 16.\n\n10. _Death._ (1.) Its certainty. Heb. 9:27. (2.) The uncertainty of\nlife. Jas. 4:14. (3.) The shortness of life. Ps. 90:3-10. 1 Cor.\n7:29-31. Bring death near, and commune with it; try to enter into the\nfeelings of the death-bed. (4.) How we should live in view of the\nsubject. Luke 12:33-40. (5.) The folly of laying up treasures for\nourselves in this life. Luke 12:16-21. (6.) How death will appear to\nsuch. Isa. 33:14. (7.) How death appears to those who \"set their\naffections on things above.\" 2 Cor. 5:6, 8. Phil. 1:23. (8.) The support\nwhich such have in the hour of death. Isa. 43:1, 2. 1 Cor. 15:54-57.\n\n11. _Heaven._ (1.) Heaven a place. John 14:2, 3. Heb. 9:24. (2.) The\nglory of heaven. Rev. 21:22, 23. (3.) What constitutes the blessedness\nof heaven to the righteous. [1.] Freedom from sin, and sinful\nassociations. 2 Cor. 5:2-4. Rev. 21:27. [2.] Freedom from pain, and all\nevil. Rev. 21:4. [3.] Exercise of holy affections. 1 John 4:16. [4.] The\ncompany of holy beings. Heb. 12:22-24. [5.] The immediate presence of\nGod, and such communion and fellowship with him as will make us like\nhim. Ps. 17:15. Isa. 33:17, f.c. 1 John 3:2. [6.] The presence of Jesus,\nas our Redeemer, to whom we are indebted for all this glory. John 17:24.\n1 Thess. 4:17. Rev. 5:9. (4.) The employments of heaven. [1.] The\ncontemplation of the infinite perfections of God, and the glories of his\nmoral government. Rev. 19:1, 2. [2.] Rendering cheerful obedience to his\nwill. Ps. 103:20, 21. Matt. 6:10. 22:30. [3.] Singing his praises. Rev.\n5:9. [4.] And we may suppose holy conversation. (5.) Contemplate this\nstate as existing forever, with the continual increase of the capacity\nfor enjoyment, and the discoveries of the divine character, his\ngovernment and works.\n\n12. _The Resurrection._ (1.) What signal will usher in the glorious\nmorn. 1 Cor. 15:52. 1 Thess. 4:16. (2.) What will follow. 1 Thess. 4:16,\nl.c. (3.) What will come to pass in regard to the saints which shall\nthen be alive on the earth. 1 Cor. 15:51. 1 Thess. 4:17. (4.) With what\nbodies the saints will arise. 1 Cor. 15:42-44, 50, 53, 54. (5.) To whom\nthe saints will ascribe their victory and triumph, in that day. 1 Cor.\n15:57. (6.) How the wicked will rise. Dan. 12:2.\n\n13. _The Judgment._ (1.) This awful ceremony is to take place at a\ncertain time, fixed in the councils of eternity. Acts 17:31. (2.) It\nwill come suddenly and unexpectedly. Matt. 24:36-39. (3.) Who will be\nthe judge. Matt. 25:31. Rev. 20:11. (4.) Who will stand before him to be\njudged. Rom. 14:10. Rev. 20:12. (5.) In respect to what they will be\njudged. Eccl. 12:14. Matt. 12:36. Rom. 2:16. 2 Cor. 5:10. (6.) By what\nrule they will be judged. John 7:21. Rom. 2:2. (7.) How any will be able\nto stand this awful test. 1 John 2:1, 2. (8.) What separation will be\nmade. Matt. 25:32. Consider this in its application to friends, and\nthose who have in any way come under our influence. (9.) The final award\nof the righteous. Matt. 25:33-36. (10.) What state of feeling is\nindicated by their answer. Matt. 25:37-39. (11.) The final sentence of\nthe wicked. Matt. 25:41-43. (12.) What state of feeling is indicated by\ntheir answer. Matt. 25:44.\n\n14. _The World of Woe._ Contemplated for the purpose of arousing the\nattention to the condition of the impenitent. (1.) The place itself--the\nprison-house of the universe. Matt. 25:46. (2.) In what manner it is\ndescribed. Isa. 33:14. Matt. 13:42, f.c. Rev. 20:14. (3.) What will\nconstitute the misery of that dread abode. [1.] The consciousness of\nguilt. Rom. 3:19. [2.] The recollection of mercies abused. Rom. 9:22.\n[3.] The company that will be there. Matt. 25:41. Rev. 21:8. [4.] The\nwrath and curse of Almighty God. Rom. 2:8, 9. [5.] The reflection that\nthis misery is to have no end. Mark 9:14. (4.) What will be the\nemployments of that place. Matt. 13:42. 24:51. How we ought to feel, in\nregard to those who are exposed to this awful doom. Matt. 22:39. (6.)\nWhat we should do for them. Jude 23, f.c.\n\n\nIII. CHARACTER OF CHRIST.\n\n1. It is unlike that of any other being in the universe\n\n2. A mysterious complexity in his character, which we call a union of\ntwo natures--a combination of attributes, all of which can neither be\nascribed to men, nor to angels, nor to God. Gen. 19:10. Num. 24:17. Job\n19:23-27. Ps. 2:7, 12, c. 1. Isa. 6:1-3. 9:5, 6. 28:16. 15:10-12,\n21--25. Ps. 22: 6. Isa. 49:7. 52:14. 53:2, 3.\n\n3. Christ is a man. Phil. 2:8. John 1:14. Luke 21:39. Heb. 2:17. 5:8.\n\n4. He is God. (1.) The Scriptures represent Christ as pre-existing, in a\nglorious character, before he appeared in this world. John 1:1, 2. 3:13.\n6:38. 17:5. Heb. 1:10. (2.) They represent that, in passing from that\nstate to this, he suffered a humiliating change. 2 Cor. 8:9. Phil. 2:6,\n7. (3.) The Scriptures directly assert that he possessed a superhuman\nnature. Heb. 1:4, 6. Col. 2:9. (4.) This superhuman nature is\n_divine_--the names of God are ascribed to him--the attributes of God\nare ascribed to him--he is represented as performing the works of God.\nCom. Luke 1:16, 17, with Isa. 40:3, and Isa. 6:1-3, with John 12:41.\nRom. 9:5. John 20:28. 1 John 5:20. 1 Ti. 3:16. John 1:2. Rev. 22:13.\nIsa. 44:6. Acts 1:24. John 2:24. Jer. 17:10. 1 Kings 8:39. Matt. 9:2.\n18:20. 28:20. John 10:15. Isa. 44:24. Gen. 1:1. Heb. 1:10. Jer. 10:12.\nCol. 1:16. John 1:3. Phil. 3:21. John 5:21. Rev. 1:5, 6. He performed\nmiracles _in his own name_. He was worshiped by inspired men who knew\nhis character; and the Scriptures encourage such worship. Acts 7:59. 2\nTi. 4:18. 2 Cor. 12:8. Acts 1:21. 1 Thess. 3:12. 2 Thess. 2:16. Phil.\n2:10. Heb. 1:6. Rev. 5:8-14.\n\nContemplate the character of Christ in its moral and practical\nrelations; (1.) As illustrating or exhibiting the character of God; (2.)\nAs confirming and sustaining his moral government, while it admits the\nexercise of mercy; (3.) As the medium through which all our duties are\nto be performed; (4.) As the foundation of our hopes.\n\n\nIV. NAMES AND OFFICES OF CHRIST.\n\n1. _Saviour._ (1.) What salvation is. (2.) Why we need a Saviour. What\nit is to be _lost_--carry out the figure in imagination. Matt. 18:11.\n(3.) From what Christ saves us. Matt. 1:21. (4.) How he saves us from\nsin. Acts 15:8, 9. (5.) His willingness to save. Matt. 11:28-30. John\n6:37, l.c. (6.) His Ability to save. Heb. 7:25. (7.) The expense of this\nsalvation. Rom. 5:7, 8. (8.) The ingratitude of neglecting so great\nsalvation. Heb. 2:2, 3.\n\n2. _Redeemer._ (1.) What it is to redeem--contemplate the figure, and\nform a clear perception of the condition of captives taken in war, and\nheld in slavery. (2.) Our condition by nature. Rom. 6:13, f.c. 16, 20.\n7:14, l.c. Gal. 3:10. (3.) How Christ has redeemed us. Gal. 3:13. (4.)\nThe price paid for our redemption. 1 Peter 1:18, 19. (5.) How we should\nfeel in view of this. Rev. 5:9, 10. (6.) What this should lead us to do.\n1 Cor. 6:20.\n\n3. _Prophet._ (1.) What a prophet is. (2.) How Christ teaches his\npeople. John 1:18, 5:39. 16:13, 14. (3.) What encouragement we have to\ngo to him for direction, in all cases of doubt and difficulty. 1 Cor.\n1:30. James 1:5. (4.) With what feelings we must receive him as our\ngreat Teacher. Matt. 18:3, 4.\n\n4. _Priest._ (1.) What a priest is. Heb. 5:1, 2. (2.) Why we need a\npriest. Deut. 27:26. Rom. 3:20. (3.) How he was qualified to become our\npriest. Heb. 5:7-9. 7:26-28. 4:15. (4.) How he has made atonement and\nreconciliation for us. Heb. 9:11-14, 28. (5.) How this is rendered\navailable to believers in all ages. Rom. 8:34. Heb. 9:24. 7:25. (6.)\nWhat benefits believers may derive from his intercession. Rom. 5:2. Heb.\n4:16. (7.) The sympathy of Christ with believers. Heb. 4:15.\n\n5. _King._ (1.) What a King is. (2.) In what sense Christ is our king.\nEph. 1:21, 22. (3.) The nature of the control he exercises over us.\nMatt. 11:30. Rom. 6:9-22. 11:17. 2 Cor. 10:5. (4.)The need we have of\nsuch a king. Matt. 12:29. (5.)Our duty to him as subjects. 2 Cor. 10:5.\n\n6. _Mediator._ (1.) What a mediator is: one that undertakes to make\nreconciliation between two parties at variance. Job 9:33. We are at\nvariance with God. Ps. 7:11. Ro. 8:7. (2.) What qualifications are\nrequired in a mediator. [1.] He must be the mutual friend of both\nparties. Christ both God and man. John 1:1, 14. The mutual friend of\nboth. Luke 3:22. Heb. 2:16, 17. [2.] He must be able to render\nsatisfaction to the injured party. Christ has done this. Isa. 12:21.\nGal. 3:13. He must be able to bring back the offender to his duty. This\nChrist is able to do. Rom. 6:1-14. (3.) How we may become reconciled to\nGod. 2 Cor. 5:18, 19.\n\n7. _Advocate and Intercessor._ (1.) What an advocate is: one that\nmanages a cause for another at court, and undertakes to procure his\njustification and discharge. If his client is prosecuted for debt, he\nmust show that the debt has been paid; if for crime, he must show some\nreason why he should not be punished. Jesus Christ can show both, in\nregard to us. 1 Peter 1:18, 19. 1 Cor. 6:20. Isa. 53:5. What an\nintercessor is: one that undertakes to present the petitions of a\ncriminal at the bar of his offended sovereign. When a petition is\npresented for pardon, the person presenting it must become responsible\nfor the future good conduct of the criminal. Christ has become our\nsurety. When he asks for undeserved favor to be bestowed upon the\ncriminal, it must be on the score of his own merits. Jesus can present\nour petitions with assurance on this ground. How blessed are they who\nhave such an Advocate and Intercessor at the throne of heaven! Rom.\n8:34. Heb. 7:25. How we may come to the throne of grace through his\nintercession. Heb. 4:16. No worship acceptable, which is not offered\nthrough the intercession of Christ. John 14:13. Acts 4:12. Eph. 5:20.\n\n8. _Friend._ What is implied in a friend. [1.] He must be able and\nwilling to help us. Christ is both able and willing to help all who come\nto him. Heb. 7:25. Matt. 11:28-30. John 6:37, l.c. [2.] Friendship must\nbe cordial. Such is the friendship of Jesus. John 15:15, 16. [3.] A\nfriend must possess a sympathizing heart. Such is the heart of Jesus.\nHeb. 4:15.\n\n9. _Elder Brother._ (1.) The relation of an Elder Brother to the younger\nmembers of the family. (2.) How we come into this relation to Christ.\nGal. 4:4-6. (3.)The blessings that we receive, through this relation.\nGal. 1:7. Rom. 8:17. (4.) The goodness of the Son, who would of his own\naccord, receive a stranger into his Father's family, to be adopted, as a\njoint heir with him to his Father's estate.\n\n10. _Husband._ (1.)Proof of this relation between Christ and the church.\nIsa. 54:5. Eph. 5:25-32. Rev. 19:7, 8. 22:17. (2.) What is implied in\nthis relation. [1.] Union. John 15:5. Eph. 4:31. [2.] Protection. Matt.\n16:18. Ca. 8:5, f.c. [3.] Provision. Phil. 4:19. Eph. 5:29. [4.]\nSympathy and Love. Heb. 4:15. 8:6, 7. [5.] Fellowship. Ca. 5:1.\n\n\nV. THE CHRISTIAN GRACES.\n\n1. _Faith._ (1.) What faith is. Heb. 11:1. (2.) It's object. Rom. 4:3, 5\nEph. 1:12, 13. Heb. 11:6. (3.) The effects of faith on the heart. Acts\n15:9. Gal. 5:6, l.c. (4.) Its effects on the life. James 2:14-26. (5.)\nNecessary to acceptable prayer. James 1:6.\n\n2. _Hope._ (1.) The object of hope. 2 Cor. 4:17, 18. (2.) The ground of\nhope. Col. 1:27. 1 Tim. 1:1. (3.) The author of hope. Rom. 5:5. 15:13.\n(4.) The influence of hope upon the Christian character. 1 Thess. 5:8.\n1 John 3:3. (5.) Effect of hope upon the comfort and religious enjoyment\nof the believer. Heb. 3:6. 6:19.\n\n3. _Charity, or Love._ (1.) Its nature. 1 Cor. 13:4-8. (2.) The object\nof love. [1.] As a feeling of complacent delight, God the chief object,\nand his children, as bearing his image. Matt. 22:37. 1 John 5:1. [2.] As\na feeling of universal benevolence, it has for its object all mankind.\nMalt. 22: 39.\n\n4. _Joy._ (1.) Nature of spiritual joy. Rom. 14: 17. (2.) The ground of\njoy. Rom. 15:13. 1 Peter 1: 5--8. (3.) The object of joy. Psa. 16:11.\n43:4. 97:1. 33:1. Isa. 29:19. 41:16. 61:10. Hab. 3:18. Phil. 4:4. (4.)\nThe permanency of spiritual joy. John 16:22.\n\n5. _Peace._ (1.) Peace of conscience. Rom. 5:1. 8:1. 15:13. (2.) The\nground of it. Psa. 85:10. Col. 1:20, 21. (3.) A peaceable spirit. Matt.\n5:9. Rom. 12:18. Heb. 12:14. James 3:17.\n\n6. _Brotherly Kindness._ (1.) Its nature. Eph. 4:32. (2.) Its fruits.\nRom. 12:10, 15. 1 John 3: 16, 17.\n\n7. _Humility._ (1.) Its nature. Matt. 5:3. Rom. 12:3. (2.) Its\nmanifestations. Job 42:5, 6. Prov. 30:32. Lam. 3:28. Matt. 25:36-38.\nActs 20:19. Rom. 12:10, l.c. 16. Phil. 2:3. I Pet. 5:5. (3.) How\nregarded of the Lord. Psa. 138:6. Prov. 16:19. (4.) Its reward. Job\n22:29. Ps. 9:12. Prov. 15:33. Isa. 57:15. Matt. 18:4. (5.) Effects of\nhumility. Gen. 18:27, l.c. 32:10. Job 42:1-6. Psa. 32:5. 51:5. Isa.\n51:1. 64:6.\n\n8. _Patience._ (1.) What is patience. Rom. 8: 25. James 5:7. 1 Peter\n2:20. (2.) How patience is cultivated. Rom. 2:7. 5:3. James 1:3. (3.)\nApply this to the every-day concerns of life. (4.) The need we have of\npatience. Job 14:1, 2. Eccles. 2:23. Heb. 10:36. 12:1. (5.) Motives to\npatience. Luke 8:15. Rom. 5:4. Heb. 6:12.\n\n9. _Long-Suffering._ [1.] What is long-suffering. Eph. 4:2. [2.]\nConsider the long-suffering and forbearance of God towards us, as a\nmotive to its exercise. Lam. 3:22.\n\n10. _A Forgiving Temper._ [1.] Motives to its exercise. Ps. 103:3. Eph.\n4:32. Gal. 6:1. [2.] Danger of the contrary spirit. Mark 11:26.\n\n11. _Meekness._ [1.] Its nature. 1 Cor. 13:5 Col. 3:12, 13. James 1:21.\n[2.] How the Lord regards, and how he will bless the meek. Ps. 22:26.\n25:9. 76:9. 147:6. 149:4. Isa. 29:19. Matt. 5:5. [3.] How it becomes the\nChristian. 1 Pet. 3:4. [4.] Its manifestations. Gal. 6:1. Eph. 4:2. 2\nTim. 2:25. James 3:13. 1 Peter 3:15.\n\n12. _Gentleness._ [1.] Twin sister of meekness. [2.] Its manifestations.\n1 Thess. 2:7. 2 Tim. 2: 24. James 3:17. [3.] The pattern of gentleness.\n2 Cor. 10:1. [4.] How it adorns the Christian character.\n\n13. _Temperance._ [1.] What is temperance. Moderation in all our\ndesires, affections, appetites, and conduct; abstinence from injurious\nindulgences. [2.] Advantages of temperance. 1 Cor. 9:25. 2 Pet. 1:6.\n\n14. _Virtue, or Moral Courage._ How this grace affects the Christian\ncharacter. Prov. 28:1. [See History of Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah,\nDaniel, Jesus, and the Apostles.]\n\n\n\n\nLETTER X.\n\n_The Preservation of Health._\n\n \"I wish, above all things, that thou mayest prosper, and _be in\n health_.\"--3 John, 2.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nIf we feel suitably grateful to him who hath died for us, and washed us\nfrom our sins in his own blood, we shall desire to make ourselves useful\nin his vineyard to the highest degree of which our natures are capable.\nBut, to be so, we must preserve our bodies in a healthy and vigorous\nstate. No farmer would think of employing a weak and sickly man in his\nfield, upon full wages. The nature of the service which God requires of\nus is such as to call for vigor of body as well as strength of mind.\nMost of our efforts to benefit our fellow-creatures are attended with\nlabor of body and sacrifices of personal ease. And these efforts are\ngreatly impeded by a feeble state of health. Again, bodily feelings have\na great influence upon the mind. When the animal powers are prostrated,\nthe mind almost uniformly suffers with them. Hence, a feeble state of\nthe body may be a very great hindrance to us, in maintaining the\nChristian warfare. I know that some individuals have lived very devoted\nlives, and been eminently useful, with frail and sickly bodies. But this\ndoes not prove that, with the same degree of faithfulness, and a sound\nbody, they might not have made much higher attainments. If you have read\nthe lives of Brainerd, Martyn, and Payson, I think you will be convinced\nof this. Yet, I do not say that the _affliction_ of ill health might not\nhave been the means which God used to make them faithful. But if they\nhad been equally faithful, with strong and vigorous bodies, I have no\ndoubt they would have done much more good in the world, and arrived at a\nmuch higher degree of personal sanctification. During much of their\nlives, they were borne down and depressed by feeble health, and they all\ndied in the prime of life. Now, suppose them to have been as devoted as\nthey were, with strong and vigorous constitutions, until they had\narrived at the period of old age; might they not have brought forth much\nmore fruit? If so, then God would have been so much more glorified in\nthem; for our Lord says, \"Herein is my Father glorified, _that ye bear\nmuch fruit_.\"\n\nIf the foregoing remarks are correct, it then becomes the _duty_ of\nevery Christian to use all proper means to maintain a sound, healthful,\nand vigorous bodily constitution. And this is much more within the power\nof every individual than many imagine. It is true, that life, and\nhealth, and every blessing, come from God. But he does not give these\nthings without the intervention of second causes. He has made our animal\nnature subject to certain fixed laws; and even when his own children\nviolate these laws, he will work no miracle to preserve their health or\nsave their lives. I am satisfied that the subject receives far too\nlittle attention from Christians in general. In this respect they seem\nto act upon the supposition that their lives are their own; and that the\ninjury they bring upon their bodies, by imprudence and neglect of proper\nattention, concerns nobody but themselves. But this is a great mistake.\nTheir lives belong to God. He has bought them with the precious blood of\nhis dear Son. They have dedicated them to his service. They are bound,\ntherefore, to use all proper means for their preservation, that they may\nbe prolonged for the glory of God and the good of their fellow-men.\n\nBut when I speak of the means to be used for the preservation of health,\nI do not intend that excessive attention to _remedies_, which leads so\nmany people to resort to _medicine_ upon every slight illness. But I\nmean the study of the laws or principles of our animal existence; and a\ndiligent care to live according to those laws. In short, I mean living\n_according to_ nature. Probably a large proportion of the diseases to\nwhich human life is subject, are the natural consequence of living\n_contrary to_ nature; or contravening the great laws which govern our\npresent mode of existence.\n\nWithin the compass of a single letter, I cannot be very particular on\nthis subject. But I would recommend to you to read approved writers on\n_health_, and the structure and constitution of the human body. Try to\nunderstand the _principles_ upon which this truly wonderful machine is\nkept in motion. You will find it a most interesting subject. You will\nsee the evidence of a mighty intellect in its construction. You will\nalso be able to draw from it practical lessons to guide you in the most\ncommon concerns of life. I am the more earnest in this recommendation,\nbecause I think you will discover that many of those habits and customs\nof society, which are peculiarly under the control of ladies, need\nreforming. I am seriously of the opinion that the general health of\nsociety depends far more upon the _ladies_ than upon the _physicians_.\nThe former direct the preparation of the daily supplies of food,\ndesigned to sustain, refresh, and keep in motion the human system. The\nlatter can only give prescriptions for regulating this delicate\nmachinery, when, by mismanagement, it has got out of order. I will,\nhowever, give you a few simple rules for the preservation of health,\nwhich, though incomplete, will be of great benefit, if faithfully\npursued. From experience, study, and observation, you will no doubt be\nable to add to them many improvements.\n\n1. _Make attention to health a matter of conscience, as a religious\nduty._ Pray daily that God would give you wisdom and self-denial, that\nyou may be able to avoid whatever is injurious, and to persevere in the\njudicious use of such means as are necessary to promote sound health\nand energy of body.\n\n2. _Maintain habitual cheerfulness and tranquillity of mind._ Few\npersons are aware of the influence which this has upon the health of the\nbody. If you are subject to _melancholy_, avoid it, and fight against it\nas a _sin_, dishonoring to God, and destructive of your own health and\nhappiness. It is dishonoring to God, because it is calculated to give\nthe world a gloomy and repulsive idea of religion. Nor is this view of\nthe subject at all inconsistent with the exercise of sorrow for sin, and\nfeeling for sinners. Godly sorrow is a melting exercise, which softens\nthe heart, and brings it low before God: while a sight of the cross of\nChrist, and a sense of pardoning love, bring a holy calm and heavenly\npeace over all the soul. But despondency comes over us like the\nwithering blasts of winter. It congeals the tender emotions of the\nheart, and casts an icy gloom over every object. It hides from our view\neverything lovely. It makes us insensible to the mercies of God which he\nis daily lavishing upon us. It shuts up the soul to brood alone, over\neverything dark and hideous. It is no less unfriendly to the exercise of\nholy affections than levity of conversation and manners. Although often\ncreated by bodily infirmity, it reacts, and renders disease doubly\nferocious. Yet it is so far under the control of the will, that grace\nwill enable us to subdue it. There is a very intimate connection between\nthe mind and body. The one acts upon the other. Depression of spirits\nenfeebles all the animal powers; and particularly disturbs digestion,\nthereby deranging the whole system. If, therefore, you ever feel a\ngloomy depression of spirits, try to bring your mind into a serene and\ngrateful frame, by meditating on the mercies you enjoy, and exercising a\ncheerful submission to the will of God. Remember that God directs all\nyour ways, and that you have just as much of every comfort and blessing\nas he sees fit to give you, and infinitely more than you deserve. Rise\nabove yourself, and think of the infinite loveliness of the divine\ncharacter. But, if this is not sufficient, walk out and view the works\nof Nature; and try to forget yourself in contemplating the wisdom and\nglory of God, as manifest in them; and the bodily exercise will assist\nin driving-away this disturber of your peace. Or, seek the society of\nsome Christian friend, who is not subject to depression of spirits, and\nconverse about those heavenly truths which are calculated to call forth\nthe exercise of love, joy, and gratitude, and make you lose sight of\nyourself in the fulness and glory of God. Any violent emotion of the\nmind, or exercise of strong passions of any kind, is likewise\nexceedingly injurious to the health of the body.\n\n3. _Be_ REGULAR _in all your habits._ Ascertain, as nearly as you can,\nfrom your own feelings and experience, how many hours of sleep you\nrequire. No general rule can be adopted, on this subject. Some people\nneed more sleep than others. The want of sleep, and excessive indulgence\nin it, alike operate to enervate both body and mind. Probably every\nconstitution may be safely brought between five and eight hours. Of this\nyou will judge by making a fair trial. That period of sleep which\nrenders both body and mind most energetic and vigorous, should be\nadopted. But, if possible, take all your sleep in the night. Fix upon an\nhour for retiring, and an hour for rising, and then conscientiously keep\nthem. Let nothing but stern necessity tempt you to vary from them in a\nsingle instance; for you may not be able in a week to recover from the\neffects of a single derangement of your regular habits. We are the\ncreatures of _habit_; but if we would _control_ our habits, instead of\nsuffering them to control us, it would be greatly to our advantage. It\nis also important that the hours of retiring and rising should be\n_early_. Upon the plan proposed, early retiring will be necessary to\nearly rising, which is a matter of the first importance. Early rising\npromotes cheerfulness; invigorates the system; and in many other ways\ncontributes to health. It also assists devotion. There is a solemn\nstillness before the dawn of day, in a winter morning, peculiarly\nfavorable to devotional feelings; and nothing is better calculated to\nfill the mind with grateful and adoring views of the beneficence of the\nCreator, than the refreshing sweetness of a summer morn. Whoever sleeps\naway this period, loses half the pleasures of existence. To sally forth\nand enjoy the calmness and serenity of such a season; to listen to the\nsweet warbling of the birds; to behold the sparkling dew-drops, and the\ngayety of the opening flowers, as all nature smiles at the approach of\nthe rising sun; to join the music of creation, in lifting up a song of\nsoftest, sweetest melody, in praise of their great Author, is no common\nluxury.\n\n4. _Spend at least two hours every day in active exercise in the open\nair._ This time may be divided into such portions as you find most\nconvenient. The proper seasons for exercise are, about an hour either\nbefore or after a meal. This you may do without regard to the weather,\nprovided you observe the following precautions, when it is cold, damp,\nor wet:--1. Exert yourself sufficiently to keep moderately warm. 2. Do\nnot stop on your way, to get chilled. 3. On returning, change any\ngarment that may be wet or damp, before sitting down. This course will\nnot only keep up your regular habits, but produce a hardiness of\nconstitution which will greatly increase your usefulness in life. It is\na great mistake to suppose that exposure to a damp, vapory atmosphere is\ninjurious to health. The danger lies in exposing yourself when the\nsystem is in a relaxed state, as it is during rest, after exercise. But,\nwhile a general action is kept up, by vigorous exercise, nature itself\nwill resist the most unfriendly vapors of the atmosphere. There is a\ngreat and growing evil in the education of ladies of the middling and\nhigher classes, at the present day. The tender and delicate manner in\nwhich they are bred, enfeebles their constitutions, and greatly\ndiminishes their usefulness, in every station of life. Many of them are\nsickly, and few of them are able to endure the slightest hardships. To\nshow that this is the fault of their education, we need only to refer to\nthe condition of those young women whose circumstances in life render it\nnecessary for them to labor. In most cases they possess hale and\nvigorous constitutions, and are even more capable of enduring hardships\nthan most men of sedentary habits. There may be some exceptions to this\nremark; but if these cases were examined, we should doubtless find that\nthe laws of nature have been, in some other respects, transgressed. I do\nnot see how this delicate training can be reconciled with Christian\nprinciple. If we have devoted ourselves to the Lord, it is our duty not\nonly to do all the good we can in this world, but to make ourselves\n_capable_ of doing as much as possible. The man in the parable was\ncondemned for not _improving_ and _increasing_ his talent. Anything,\nthen, which has a tendency to diminish our usefulness, should be\nregarded as _sin_.\n\nExposure to all kinds of weather has this advantage also. It renders a\nperson much less likely to take cold; and, of course, less subject to\nsickness. For a great proportion of diseases owe their origin to common\ncolds.\n\nNo part of a code of health is of more importance than exercise. Without\nit, everything else will fail. And it is as necessary that it should be\n_regular_ every day, and at nearly the same hours every day, as it is\nthat meals should be regular. We might as well omit eating for a day, as\nto neglect exercise. The one is as necessary as the other, to promote\nthe regular operations of the animal functions.\n\nBut, when your situation will admit of it, I would advise you to take a\nportion of your exercise in those domestic employments which require\nvigorous exertion. If you open your windows, you will have the fresh\nair; at the same time, you will enjoy the satisfaction of rendering your\nhours of relaxation useful.\n\n5. _Bathe frequently._ About five eighths of the food taken into the\nstomach passes off by insensible perspiration, through the pores of the\nskin; and with it is thrown off whatever impure matter is found in any\npart of the system. When this perspiration is obstructed, general\nderangement succeeds. It is chiefly to promote this that exercise is\nrequired. But the matter thrown off is of a very poisonous nature; and\nif not removed may he absorbed again into the system It also collects\nupon the surface, and obstructs the regular discharge from the pores.\nFrequent ablution is therefore highly necessary.\n\nIt is also essential to personal cleanliness. There is an _odor_ in this\ninsensible perspiration, which becomes offensive when the impurities\ncollecting upon the surface of the skin are not frequently removed. The\nentire surface of the body should be washed every day; and if this is\ndone on rising in the morning, with cold water, and followed with brisk\nrubbing with a coarse towel, it will furnish an effectual safeguard\nagainst taking cold. This, however, should be remitted, when there is\nany danger to be apprehended from the sudden application of cold; or\nserious consequences may follow. Tepid water, with soap, should\noccasionally be used at night, in order to remove all impurities from\nthe skin.\n\n6. _Pay attention to the quality and quantity of food taken into the\nstomach._ I know of nothing else which more necessarily affects both the\nhealth of the body, and the vigor of the intellect. It is from this that\nthe blood is formed, and the continual waste of the system supplied. And\nthrough the blood it acts on the brain, which is the seat of the\nintellect. Yet, notwithstanding this, those whose peculiar province it\nis to direct the preparation of our food, seldom inquire into the\nchemical effect any such preparation may have upon the stomach, and,\nthrough it, upon the whole system. Indeed, the business is generally\nleft to persons entirely ignorant of the principles which govern the\nhuman constitution. It is no wonder, then, that a large proportion of\nthe culinary preparations of the present day are decidedly unfriendly to\nit. But in relation to this matter, I cannot here be very particular. I\nwill only give some general rules, by which you may discover the bounds\nof moderation, and what articles of food ought to be avoided. The\nsensible effects arising from food unsuitable to the state of the\nstomach are generally the following:--Disagreeable eructations,\naccompanied with risings of food; uneasy or burning sensations of the\nstomach; acidity; and these symptoms are often succeeded by headache and\ndizziness or vertigo. The effects of an excessive quantity of food are\nfirst felt by an uneasiness and oppressive fulness of the stomach. This\nis succeeded by a general distension or fulness of the blood-vessels,\nparticularly about the head; general lassitude; sluggishness and dulness\nof intellect, with a great aversion to mental effort. These sensations\nare accompanied by a general uneasiness throughout the whole system,\nwith more or less pain. It also brings into exercise every unholy\ntemper. It makes people fretful, impatient, and peevish. The best\ndisposition may be ruined by the improper indulgence of the appetite. I\nhave been particular in describing these symptoms, because people are\noften subject to many uncomfortable sensations, for which they cannot\naccount, but which might be traced to this source. A large share of our\nunpleasant feelings probably arises either from the improper quality, or\nexcessive quantity, of the food taken into the stomach. And the bounds\nof moderation are more frequently exceeded by all classes of people,\nthan many imagine. But for a more full examination of this subject, I\nmust again refer you to the works of judicious writers on health, and\nthe means of preserving it. This is a matter so intimately connected\nwith the sphere of a lady's influence, that every female should give it\na thorough investigation.\n\nCarefully observe those articles of food which you find injurious, and\navoid them. Observe, also, as nearly as you can, the _quantity_ which\nagrees with your stomach, and see that you never exceed it. Take no food\nbetween your regular meals. The stomach is employed from three to five\nhours in digesting a meal; if more food is taken during that time, it\ndisturbs and impedes digestion, and makes it more laborious. And, after\none meal is digested, the stomach needs rest before another is taken. In\nconnection with these general hints, attention to the two following\nrules will generally be sufficient:\n\n(1.) Avoid highly seasoned food, fresh bread, heating condiments, and\nstimulating drinks.\n\n(2.) Select the simplest dishes, and make your meal of a single course.\nMixed dishes are more likely to be injurious; and a second course will\nalmost certainly lead to excess.\n\nBut, do not give your attention so much to this subject as to become\n_splenetic_. The imagination has a great influence upon animal feeling;\nand if you are always watching the digestion of your food, you will be\nsure to find dyspeptic symptoms; and if you humor your stomach too much,\nyou will weaken its capacity of accommodating itself to the kind of\nnutriment it receives. Having fixed your principles of regimen, adhere\nto them as rigidly as you can without inconvenience to others; but\nhaving done this, let your mind dwell as little as possible on the\nsubject, and do not make it a matter of frequent conversation.\nEspecially, do not make trouble to the friends who entertain you, when\naway from home, by excessive particularity. You may find some wholesome\ndish on the most luxurious table; and if the table is _lean_, you need\nnot fear.\n\nAs we are commanded, whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, to do\nall to the glory of God, it may not be amiss to inquire how we may\n_glorify God in eating and drinking_. 1. We may eat for the purpose of\nstrengthening our bodies, to enable us to engage in the active service\nof the Lord. 2. When we partake in moderation of the bounties of\nProvidence, it is right that our animal appetites should be feasted with\nthe delicious taste of the fruits of the earth. But we must see the\nglory of God in it. Here the benevolence of his character shines forth,\nin the wonderful provision which he has made for the gratification of\nour earthly appetites. Hence we may argue the ineffable sweetness of the\nbread of life--the food of the soul. This mortal body is but a tent\npitched in the wilderness, for the residence of the soul during its\npilgrimage. If, then, God has opened the treasures of the animal and\nvegetable kingdoms to please the taste of this meaner part, how much\nmore abundant the provision for feasting the soul with pure spiritual\nfood; with eternally increasing knowledge of the divine character and\nperfections! But we cannot so partake of those rich and hurtful dainties\ninvented by man. The delight thus experienced is the glory of man, not\nof God. And the effect produced is the destruction of those delicate\norgans of taste which he has provided, that we may discern the exquisite\nsweetness of the natural fruits of the earth. By the same means, also,\nwe destroy our health, and unfit ourselves for his service. 3. But, I\nsuppose the apostle had in his mind chiefly the idea of _acknowledging\nGod_, when we partake of his bounty, and of _honoring him_ by doing\neverything _in obedience to his commands_. Strict and intelligent regard\nto these two points would generally direct us aright in the matter of\neating and drinking.\n\nDo not, by any means, think this subject beneath your attention. The\ngreatest and best of men have made it a matter of practical study. Those\nwho have given us the brightest specimens of intellectual effort have\nbeen remarkable for rigorous attention to their diet. Among them may be\nmentioned Sir Isaac Newton, John Locke, and President Edwards.\n_Temperance_ is one of the fruits of the spirit. It is therefore the\nduty of every Christian, to know the bounds of moderation in all things,\nand to practise accordingly.\n\n7. _As much as possible avoid taking medicine._ The practice of\nresorting to _remedies_ for every unpleasant feeling cannot be too\nstrongly reprobated. Medicine should be regarded as a choice of two\nevils. It may throw off a violent attack of disease, and save life; but\nit must inevitably, in a greater or less degree, impair the\nconstitution. Medicine is unfriendly to the human system. Its very\neffect, which is to disturb the regular operation of the animal\nfunctions, proves this. But, when violent disease is seated upon any\npart, this may be necessary; and the injury received from the medicine\nmay not bear any comparison with the consequences which would follow, if\nthe disease were left to take its course. In such cases, the physician\nshould be called immediately, as delay may be fatal. But the great\nsecret lies in avoiding such attacks, by a scrupulous attention to the\nlaws of nature. Such attacks may generally be traced either to violent\ncolds, or the interruption of some of the regular functions of the body.\nThe most important of these may, with proper attention, be brought\nalmost entirely under the control of _habit_; and all of them may\ngenerally be preserved in healthy action, by proper attention to diet\nand exercise. But careless and negligent habits, in these respects, will\nruin the most hardy constitution, and bring on a train of disorders\nequally detrimental to mind and body. But, in most cases of moderate,\nprotracted disease, a return to the regular system of living _according\nto nature_ will gradually restore lost health. Or, in other words, a\nstrict examination will discover some violation of the principles of the\nhuman constitution, as the cause of derangement; and by correcting this\nerror, nature will gradually recover its lost energies, and restore\nsoundness to the part affected.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XI.\n\n_Mental Cultivation. Reading._\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nOur minds are given us as talents to improve in the service of God. If\nwe neglect the proper cultivation of them, we shall come under the\ncondemnation of the servant who hid his talent in the earth. But there\nis a very great difference between mental cultivation and the mere\nreception of knowledge. So you will perceive that when I speak of the\nimprovement of the mind, I do not mean _reading_ only; but that\ndiscipline which calls into exercise the intellectual faculties, and\nenables us to employ them in the investigation of the truth. This\ndiscipline is a necessary preparation for profitable reading. It is a\ngreat mistake to suppose that _mind_ is entirely original; or that only\na few possess intellectual faculties capable of searching into the deep\nrecesses of knowledge. It is true some possess talents of a superior\norder; but none, except idiots, are incapable of improvement; and many\nof the greatest minds have been formed upon a foundation which appeared\nto consist of little else than dullness and stupidity. The most crooked\nand unpromising twig may, by proper care and culture, become a great and\nbeautiful tree. The object of all education is to prepare us for\nusefulness, either to ourselves or to others. We are not to disregard\nourselves. The glory of God is as much concerned in our own spiritual\ngrowth, as in that of any other individual. But we are to love others\n_as_ ourselves, and seek their good _as_ our own. Although our heads may\nbe filled with knowledge, yet if we have not the capacity of employing\nit for practical purposes, it will be of little benefit, either to\nourselves or others. Many persons excuse themselves for neglecting to\nimprove their minds, upon the ground that they are incapable of doing\nanything great or brilliant. But this arises from a foolish pride. If we\nhave but a single talent, we are equally under obligation to improve it\nin the service of our Master as if we had ten. And it was upon this\nprinciple that the servant was condemned to whom but one was given.\n\nThe discipline of which I speak may be effected in many ways. But the\nmethod I shall propose is one that can be pursued without an instructor,\nwhile employed most of the time in active pursuits. The course already\nrecommended, in relation to meditation and the study of the Scriptures,\nwill be found a great assistance in the proper discipline of the mind.\nBut this is not all that is necessary. I know of nothing which more\neffectually calls out the resources of the mind than writing. To a\nperson unaccustomed to this exercise, it appears exceedingly difficult.\nBut a little practice will make it a pleasing and delightful employment.\nThe mind is far more richly feasted with ideas conceived and brought\nforth by itself, than by those produced by others, and communicated\nthrough the medium of the senses; and all the intellectual faculties are\nstrengthened and improved by exertion.\n\nI would, therefore, advise you to pursue a regular plan of written\nexercises. This will be very easy, if you only learn to think\nmethodically. Select, chiefly, practical subjects; which your\nSabbath-school lessons, your subjects of meditation, and your daily\nstudy of the Scriptures, will furnish in great abundance. The principal\nreason why young persons find this exercise so difficult is, that they\nusually select abstract subjects, which have scarce any relation to the\ncommon concerns of life. On this account, it will be greatly to your\nadvantage to choose some Scripture truth as the subject of your\nexercise. The Bible is a practical book, and we have a personal\ninterest in everything it contains. When you have selected your subject,\ncarefully separate the different parts or propositions it contains, and\narrange them under different heads. This you will find a great\nassistance in directing your thoughts. If you look at the whole subject\nat once, your ideas will he obscure, indefinite, and confused. But all\nthis difficulty will be removed, by a judicious division of its parts.\nSet apart regular portions of time to be employed in writing. Let these\nseasons be as frequent as may consist with your other duties, and\nobserve them strictly. Do not indulge the absurd notion that you can\nwrite only when you _feel like it_. Remember your object is to\n_discipline_ the mind, and bring it under the control of the will. But,\nto suffer your mind to be controlled by your feelings, in the very act\nof discipline, is absurd. As well might a mother talk of governing her\nchild, while she allows it to do as it pleases. Finish one division of\nyour subject every time you sit down to this exercise, until the whole\nis completed. Then lay it aside till you have finished another. After\nthis, review, correct, and copy the first one. The advantage of laying\naside an exercise for some time, before correcting it, is, that you will\nbe more likely to discover its defects than while your first thoughts\nupon the subject are fresh in your mind. But never commence a subject,\nand leave it unfinished. Such a course renders the mind fickle, and\nunfits it for close study and patient investigation. Finish what you\nbegin, however difficult you may find it. Scarce any habit is of more\npractical importance than perseverance. Do not be discouraged, even if\nyou should be able to bring forth but one idea under each division of\nyour subject. You will improve with every exercise. I well recollect the\nfirst attempt I made at writing. With all the study of which I was\ncapable, I could not produce more than five or six lines. Carefully\npreserve all your manuscripts. By referring to them occasionally, you\nwill discover your progress in improvement. In these exercises you can\nmake use of the knowledge you acquire in reading, whenever it applies to\nyour subject. But, in everything, remember your dependence upon God, and\nseek the direction of his Holy Spirit.\n\n_Reading_ is also of great importance. By this we call in the aid of\nothers' minds, with the experience of past ages. But, unless you observe\nsome system in your reading, you will derive comparatively little\nbenefit from it. I will endeavor to mark out a simple plan, which you\nmay find useful. For this purpose I shall arrange the various kinds of\nreading, under four different heads, to each of which you may assign\nparticular days of the week.\n\n1. _History_, two days;\n2. _Biography_, one day;\n3. _Doctrinal_, one day;\n4. _Miscellaneous_, two days.\n\nThe advantages of this plan are, that the knowledge you acquire will be\nmore complete than it would be if you were to pursue but one subject at\na time; and the variety will add interest to the employment. But each of\nthese different kinds of reading requires a separate notice.\n\n(1.) History is divided into two kinds, sacred and profane. It is for\nthis reason that I have assigned two days in the week for the reading of\nit. I would have one of these days devoted to the history of the church,\nand the other to the history of the world. Both these are highly\nnecessary to every one who desires an enlarged view of the affairs of\nthe world, and the dealings of God with mankind in general, and with his\nchurch in particular. In reading profane history, several things are to\nbe kept distinctly in view.\n\n1. _The providence of God in directing the affairs of men._ Observe the\nhand of God in everything; for he controls the actions even of wicked\nmen, to accomplish his own purposes. The Bible is full of this great\ntruth. Scarcely a page can be found where it is not recognized. \"The\nmost High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he\nwill.\" He calls the king of Assyria the \"rod of his anger,\" for\nchastising the hypocritical Jews; but adds, \"Howbeit, he meaneth not so,\nneither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and\ncut off nations not a few.\" And, in a subsequent verse, he says, when he\nhas performed his whole work, by this wicked king, he will punish his\nstout heart, and the glory of his high looks. But it is not in great\nmatters alone, that the hand of the Lord is to be seen. He exercises a\nparticular providence over the least as well as the greatest of his\nworks. Even a single sparrow, says our Lord, shall not fall to the\nground without our heavenly Father. And this is one of the brightest\nglories of the divine character. He who fills immensity with his\npresence, condescends to care for the minutest beings in the universe.\n\n2. _Observe the connection of the events recorded in history, with the\nfulfilment of prophecy._ I do not, however, suppose you will be able to\nsee this very clearly, without reading some authors who have made the\nprophecies their particular study. And this you will not be prepared to\ndo with much profit, till you have the leading events of history fixed\nin your mind.\n\n3. _Observe the depravity of the human heart, and the evil nature of\nsin_, as manifested in the conduct of wicked men, who have been left\nwithout restraint, and in the consequences resulting from such conduct.\n\n4. _See the hatred of God towards sin_, as displayed in the miseries\nbrought upon the world in consequence of it. In reading history, we find\nthat individuals, whom God could have cut off by a single stroke of his\nhand, have been permitted to live for years, and spread devastation,\nmisery, and death, everywhere around them. The infidel would pronounce\nthis inconsistent with the character of a God of infinite benevolence.\nBut the whole mystery is explained in the Bible. All this wretchedness\nis brought upon men for the punishment of their sins.\n\n5. _Observe what bearing the events recorded have upon the church of\nChrist._ One of the great laws of God's moral government upon earth,\nappears to be, that he directs and overrules all things with particular\nreference to the kingdom of Christ. Often, events which seem, at first\nglance, to be altogether foreign to the interests of this kingdom,\nappear, upon a closer examination, to be intimately connected with it.\nTake, for example, the conquests of Alexander the Great. As the life of\nthis extraordinary man stands out alone, unconnected with the subsequent\nhistory of the church, we see nothing but the wild career of mad\nambition. But, in taking a more enlarged view of the subject, we\ndiscover that he was the instrument which God employed for spreading\nover a large portion of the world one common language; and so to prepare\nthe way for the introduction of the gospel. Wherever the arms of\nAlexander extended, the Greek language was made known; and this was the\nlanguage in which the books of the New Testament were written. And, no\ndoubt, if we could discover it, every event of history has a bearing,\nequally direct, upon the interests of Christ's kingdom.\n\nBut, in order to keep all these things distinctly before your mind, you\nmust maintain, in the midst of your reading, a constant spirit of\nprayer.\n\nIn reading church history, you will have occasion to observe the same\nthings, because the history of the church is necessarily connected with\nthe history of the world. But there are also some things to be noticed,\nwherein the history of the church differs from that of the world. The\ndealings of God with his own people differ from his dealings with his\nenemies. The afflictions which he brings upon the former are the\nwholesome corrections of a tender Father, and designed for their good;\nthose he brings upon the latter are designed either to lead them to\nrepentance, or they are just judgments, intended for the destruction of\nthose who have filled up the measure of their iniquities. But be\ncareful, in reading church history, that you do not lose sight of the\ntrue church of Christ. Most of the histories which have been written,\nare filled either with accounts of individuals, or of bodies of wicked\nmen, who could lay no claim to the character of the church of Christ. A\nchurch consists of a society of people, professing the fundamental\ndoctrines of the gospel, and practising them in their lives. Or, in\nother words, having both the _form_ and _power_ of godliness. Without\nthese, no body of men have any right to be called the church of Christ.\nIf you observe this, you will relieve yourself from much perplexity of\nmind, which the careless reader experiences from, supposing that all the\nevils described in any period of the history of the nominal church, do\nreally exist in the _true_ church. These very evils prove that it is not\nthe true church of Christ.\n\n(2.) RELIGIOUS BIOGRAPHY, or the lives of individuals of eminent piety,\nis perhaps the best kind of practical reading. It is in many respects\nvery profitable. It furnishes testimony to the reality and value of the\nreligion of Jesus, by the exemplification of the truths of Revelation in\nthe lives of its followers. It also points out the difficulties which\nbeset the Christian's path, and the means by which they can be\nsurmounted. Suppose a traveller just entering a dreary wilderness. The\npath which leads through it is exceedingly narrow and difficult to be\nkept. On each side, it is beset with thorns, and briers, and miry pits.\nWould he not rejoice to find a book containing the experience of former\ntravellers who had passed that way; in which every difficult spot is\nmarked; all their contests with wild beasts and serpents, and all their\nfalls described; and a beacon, or _guide-board_, set up, wherever a\nbeaten track turns aside from the true way? All this you may find in\nreligious biographies. There, the difficulties, trials, temptations,\nfalls, and deliverances of God's people are described. You may profit\nfrom their examples. But, one caution is necessary. Bring every\nreligious experience described in these works to the test of the Holy\nScriptures. If you find anything contrary to this unerring standard,\nreject it. Satan is ever busy, and may deceive even good men with false\nexperiences. I would advise you, so far as practicable, to keep always\nthe biography of some eminent person in a course of reading, and devote\nto it what time you can spare from your ordinary pursuits, one day in\nthe week.\n\n(3.) In relation to doctrinal reading, I have already given general\ndirections. If you devote to it the spare time of one day in the week,\nregularly, you will keep alive your interest in the investigation of\ntruth, and yet avoid becoming so much absorbed in abstract speculation\nas to overlook present duty.\n\n(4.) Under the head of miscellaneous reading, I shall comprehend the\nfollowing: Works on the prophecies, to be read in connection with\nhistory; practical works on Christian character, experience and duty; on\nthe instruction of the young; illustrations of Scripture; on the natural\nsciences; on health: to these you may add, occasionally, an interesting\nbook which may fall in your way, on subjects not included in this\nenumeration. Keep in a course of reading a book on some one of the above\ntopics, and devote to it the leisure of one day in the week. The other\nday, which I have recommended to be devoted to miscellaneous reading, I\nwould have you employ in reading newspapers and periodical publications.\nIf you find one day insufficient for this, you can keep by you a\nnewspaper, to fill up little broken intervals of time, which cannot well\nbe employed in regular study. Do not, however, read everything you find\nin the newspapers, nor suffer yourself to acquire such a morbid appetite\nfor the exciting subjects discussed in them, as to tempt you to break in\nupon your systematic course of reading. Newspapers and periodicals\ncontain much trash; and you may fritter away all your leisure upon them,\nto the great injury of your mind and heart. Your chief object in reading\nthem should be, to preserve in your mind the history of your own times;\nand to understand the subjects which interest the public mind; as well\nas to observe the signs of the times, in relation to the progress of\nChrist's kingdom.\n\nI have sketched the above plan, hoping you may find it a useful guide in\nthe acquisition of knowledge. The work here laid out may seem so great,\nat first sight, as to discourage you from making the attempt. But a\nlittle calculation will remove every difficulty. If you read but twenty\npages in a day, at the close of the year you will have read a thousand\npages, under each of the above divisions; more than six thousand pages\nin all. This would be equal to twenty volumes, of three hundred pages\neach. Pursue this plan for ten years, and you will have read _two\nhundred volumes_, containing _sixty thousand pages_. You can read twenty\npages in an hour, at least; and I think you will not say it is\nimpossible to spare this portion of time every day, for the purpose of\nacquiring useful knowledge. Think what a vast amount may thus be\ntreasured up in the course of a few years! But you may not always be\nable to obtain books, and keep them a sufficient length of time to\npursue the above plan strictly.[K] In such case, you can vary it to suit\nyour circumstances and convenience. But always have a regular system.\nYou will find it very profitable to take notes in writing of such\nthoughts as occur to your own mind, in the course of your reading; and\nparticularly of the several points to be noted in history, and of the\npractical lesson which you learn from biography. And you ought always to\ngive sufficient time to your reading to enable you to understand it\nthoroughly.\n\n [Footnote K: In the Appendix will be found a list of books, suitable\n for the course here recommended.]\n\nAs you have never manifested a taste for what is commonly called light\nreading, it is hardly necessary for me to say anything on the subject. I\ncannot see how a Christian, who has had a taste of \"_angel's food_\" can\nrelish the miserable trash contained in _novels._ The tendency of novel\nreading is most pernicious. It enervates the mental powers, and unfits\nthem for close study and serious contemplation. It dissipates the mind,\nand creates a diseased imagination. It promotes a sickly sensibility,\nand renders its votaries unfit for the pursuits of real life. It is a\ngreat waste of time, and on this account alone may be regarded as\nsinful. But I would not advise you to read _any_ books, merely because\nyou can get nothing else; nor because there is nothing bad in them.\nThere are many books which contain nothing particularly objectionable,\nwhich, nevertheless, are not the best that can be obtained. There are so\nmany good books, that there is no necessity for wasting your precious\ntime upon crude, ill-digested, or unprofitable works. You may, however,\ndevote some time pleasantly and profitably, to reading the best English\nclassics, both in poetry and prose; which, for the want of a better\nterm, I shall include under the head of _Literary_, for the purpose of\ncultivating the imagination, improving the taste, and enriching your\nstyle. These should be selected with great discrimination and care, with\nreference both to their style and their moral tendency. Poetry, to a\nlimited extent, tends to elevate the mind, cherish the finer\nsensibilities of the heart, and refine the taste.\n\nIf you cannot obtain books which furnish you a _profitable_ employment\nfor your hours of leisure, devote them wholly to the study of the Bible.\nThis you always have with you; and you will find it a never-failing\ntreasure. The more you study it, the more delight it will afford. You\nmay find new beauties in it, and \"still increasing light,\" as long as\nyou live; and after death, the unfolding of its glorious mysteries will\nfurnish employment for a never-ending eternity.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XII.\n\n_Improvement of Time. Present Obligation._\n\n \"Remember how short my time is.\"--Ps. 89:47.\n\n \"To everything there is _a_, season, and a time to every purpose\n under the heaven.\"--Eccl. 3:1.\n\n \"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.\"--Eph. 6:16.\n\n \"Behold NOW is the _accepted_ time.\"--2 Cor. 6:2.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nWhen you entered into solemn covenant with the Lord, you consecrated\nyour whole life to his service. Your _time_, then, is not your own, but\nthe Lord's. If you waste it, or spend it unprofitably, you _rob_ God.\nYou are not at liberty even to employ it exclusively to yourself. You\nare bound to glorify God with your time. And how can this be done? By so\nemploying it that it will be most beneficial both to yourself and\nothers. The Christian, who properly considers the great work he has to\nperform in his own soul, as well as the wide field of benevolent\nexertion which opens everywhere around him, and reflects how exceedingly\nshort his time is, will not be disposed to trifle away any of the\nprecious moments God has given him. Hence we are exhorted to _redeem_ or\n_rescue_ the time, as it flies. A very common fault lies in not\nestimating the value of a moment. This leads to the waste of immense\nportions of precious time. It is with time as with an estate. The old\nadage is, \"Take care of the _pennies_, and the _pounds_ will take care\nof themselves.\" So, if we take care of the _moments_, the _hours_ will\ntake care of themselves. Indeed, our whole lives are made up of moments.\nA little calculation may startle those who carelessly and foolishly\ntrifle away small portions of time. Suppose you waste _only ten\nminutes_ at a time, six times in a day; this will make an hour. This\nhour is subtracted from that portion of your time which might have been\ndevoted to active employments. Sleeping, refreshment, and personal\nduties, generally occupy at least one half of the twenty-four hours. You\nhave then lost one twelfth part of the available portion of the day.\nSuppose, then, you live to the age of seventy years. Take from this the\nfirst ten years of your life. From the sixty remaining, you will have\nthrown away _five years_! These five years are taken from that portion\nof your time which should have been employed in the cultivation of your\nmind, and in the practical duties of religion. For, the common excuse\nfor neglecting the improvement of the mind, and the cultivation of\npersonal piety, is _want of time_. Now, if you employ one half of this\ntime in reading, at the rate of twenty pages an hour, you will be able\nto read more than _eighteen thousand pages_; or _sixty volumes_ of\nthree hundred pages each. If you employ the other half in devotional\nexercises in your closet, in addition to the time you would spend in\nthis manner, upon the supposition that these five years are lost, what\nan influence will it have upon the health of your soul? Or, if you spend\nthe whole of it in the active duties of Christian benevolence, how much\ngood can you accomplish? Think what you might do by employing five years\nin the undivided service of your Master.\n\nBut, the grand secret of _redeeming_ time is, the systematic arrangement\nof all of our affairs. The wise man says,--\"To everything there is a\n_season_, and a time for every purpose under heaven.\" Now, if we so\ndivide our time as to assign a particular season for every employment,\nwe shall be at no loss, when one thing is finished, what to do next, and\none duty will not crowd upon another. For want of this system, many\npeople suffer much needless perplexity. They find a multitude of duties\ncrowding upon them at the same time, and they know not where to begin\nto discharge them. They spend perhaps half of their time in considering\nwhat they shall do. They are always in a hurry and bustle, yet, when the\nday is gone, they have not half finished its duties. All this would have\nbeen avoided, had they parcelled out the day, and assigned particular\nduties to particular seasons. They might have gone quietly to their\nwork; pursued their employments with calmness and serenity; and at the\nclose of the day laid themselves down to rest, with the satisfaction of\nhaving discharged every duty. Form, then, a systematic plan to regulate\nyour daily employments. Give to each particular duty its appropriate\nplace; and when you have finished one, pass rapidly to another, without\nlosing any precious intervals between. Bear continually in mind that\nevery moment you waste will be deducted from the period of your earthly\nexistence; but do not try to crowd too much into the compass of a single\nday. This will defeat your object. You will always be liable to numerous\nand unavoidable interruptions. You have friends who claim a portion of\nyour time. It is better to interrupt your own affairs than to treat them\nrudely. You have also many accidental duties, which you cannot bring\ninto the regular routine of your employments. Give, then, sufficient\nlatitude to your system to anticipate these, so that your affairs may\nnot be thrown into confusion by their unexpected occurrence.\n\nThe duty of being systematic in all our arrangements is enforced by\nseveral considerations. 1. _By the example of our Creator._ By a careful\nperusal of the first chapter of Genesis, you will see that God assigned\na particular portion of the creation to each day of the week, and that\nhe rested on the seventh day. Now the Lord has some design in everything\nhe does. He never did anything in vain. But he could as easily have made\nall things at once, by a single word of his power, as to have been\noccupied six days in the creation. As for resting the seventh day, the\nAlmighty could not be weary, and therefore needed no rest. What, then,\ncould have been his design in this, but to set before us an example for\nthe regulation of our conduct?\n\n2. _This duty is also enforced by the analogy of the visible creation._\nThe most complete and perfect system, order, and harmony, may be read in\nevery page of the book of nature. From the minutest insect, up through\nall the animal creation, to the structure of our own bodies, there is a\nsystematic arrangement of every particle of matter. So, from the little\npebble that is washed upon the sea-shore, up to the loftiest worlds, and\nthe whole planetary system, the same truth is manifest.\n\n3. _This duty is enforced by our obligation to employ all our time for\nthe glory of God._ If we neglect the systematic arrangement of all our\naffairs, we lose much precious time, which might have been employed in\nthe service of the Lord.\n\nI shall close this letter with a few remarks upon the nature of\nobligation. The very idea of obligation supposes the possibility of the\nthing being done that is required. There can be no such thing as our\nbeing under obligation to do what is in its own nature impossible. The\nidea itself is absurd. This principle is recognized by our Lord in the\nparable of the talents. The man only required of his servants _according\nto their ability_. Nothing, then, is duty except what can be done at the\npresent moment. There are other things which may be duty hereafter; but\nthey are not _present duty_. Now, the great principle which I would here\nestablish is, as I have elsewhere remarked, that the _obligation of duty\nrests upon the present moment_. No principle can be of greater\nimportance in practical life than this. It lies at the foundation of all\nChristian effort. It is the neglect of it which has ruined thousands of\nimmortal souls, who have sat under the sound of the gospel. It is the\nneglect of it which keeps the church so low. If it is the duty of a\nsinner to repent, it is his duty to do it _now_; and every moment's\ndelay is a new act of rebellion against God. If it is the duty of a\nbackslider to return and humble himself before God, it is his duty to do\nit _now_; and every moment he delays, he is going farther from God, and\nrendering his return more difficult. If it is the duty of a Christian to\nlive near to God; to feel his presence; to hold communion with him; to\nbe affected with the infinite beauty and excellence of his holy\ncharacter; the obligation of that duty rests upon the present moment.\nEvery moment's delay is _sin_. And so of every other duty. Our first\nobject, then, is to _know_ present duty; our second, to _do_ it. We\ncannot put off anything which we ought to do _now_, without bringing\nguilt upon our Souls.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XIII.\n\n_Christian Activity._\n\n \"She hath done what she could.\"--MARK 14:8.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nYou doubtless feel a deep interest in the great benevolent enterprises\nof the present day. No one who possesses the spirit of our Master can be\nindifferent towards them. It is important, then, that you should know\nwhat you _can do_ towards moving forward these enterprises. For,\nremember that your obligation is as extensive as your ability. Christ\ncommended the woman, referred to in the passage above quoted for doing\n\"_what she could_.\" If you do more than any within the circle of your\nacquaintance, and yet leave undone anything that you can do, you do not\ndischarge your obligations. You have entered into the service of the\nLord, and he requires you to _do what you can_. It then becomes a matter\nof serious inquiry, \"_What can I do?_\" It is an interesting fact, that\nthe great moral enterprises of the present day, both for the conversion\nof the world, and for ameliorating the temporal condition of the poor,\nare in a great measure sustained by the energy of _female influence_.\nThis influence is felt in every department of society; and must be,\nwherever the principles of the gospel prevail, so as to elevate your sex\nto the station which properly belongs to them. I will endeavor to point\nout some of the principal channels through which it can be exerted.\n\nI. _You may make your influence felt in the Bible Society._ You know the\ngrand object of this society is to put a copy of the Holy Scriptures\nwithin the reach of every individual of the human race. The spirit of\nChrist is that of the most expansive benevolence. If you possess this\nspirit, and value the sacred treasure contained in God's word as you\nought, you will feel a thrilling interest in this cause. Your heart will\noverflow with compassion for those poor souls who have not the word of\nlife. What, then, must be your emotions, when you consider that more\nthan six hundred millions of your fellow-beings, as good by nature as\nyourself, are destitute of the Bible? The population of the whole world\nis estimated at _seven hundred and thirty-seven millions_. Of these,\n_five hundred and nine millions_ are heathen, and _one hundred and\nfifty-six millions_ are Roman and Greek Catholics; nearly all of whom\nare destitute of the word of God. This leaves but _seventy-two millions_\nwho are called Protestants; but a vast number of these, even in our\nhighly favored land, are living without the Bible. Can you say with the\nPsalmist, \"Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day\"? How,\nthen, must your heart bleed in view of these facts! \"But,\" perhaps you\nreply, \"what can I do for these perishing millions?\" I answer, _Do what\nyou can_. This is all that God requires of you. Although what you can do\nwill be but as a drop of water in the ocean, compared with what is to be\ndone, yet it may be the means of saving many perishing souls. You can\nbecome a member of the Bible Society. You can act as a visitor and\ncollector, both to ascertain and supply those families which are\ndestitute of the word of life, and to obtain the means of supplying\nothers. And if no female Bible Society exists in the place where your\nlot is cast, you can exert your influence among the ladies of your\nacquaintance to form one. And in his measure I would advise you to\npersevere, even though you find at first only two or three to unite with\nyou. All obstacles in the way of benevolent enterprises vanish before a\nspirit of prayerful perseverance, and untiring exertion.\n\nII. _You can make your influence felt in the Tract Society._ The\ncirculation of religious tracts has been abundantly owned and blessed of\nGod's spirit. It seems to be almost the only means of reaching some\nparticular classes of people, who never wait upon God in his house. It\nis a cheap method of preaching the gospel both to the rich and the poor.\nFor a single cent, or even less, a sermon may be obtained, containing a\nportion of divine truth sufficient, with God's blessing, to lead a soul\nto Christ. Engage actively in the various forms of this department of\nbenevolent labor. The distribution of a tract to every family in a town,\nonce a month, when properly conducted, may be the means of doing great\ngood. It furnishes an easy introduction into families where God is not\nacknowledged; and the matter contained in the tract will assist you to\nintroduce religious conversation. It will enable you to ascertain and\nrelieve the wants of the poor, without seeming to be obtrusive. It will\nsoften your own heart, and excite your compassion, in view of the\nobjects of distress with which you meet. It also furnishes a convenient\nopportunity for collecting children into Sabbath-schools. In\ndistributing tracts, endeavor, as far as courtesy and propriety will\nadmit, to engage those with whom you meet in direct personal\nconversation with regard to the concerns of their souls; and when you\nmeet only with the female members of the family, and circumstances favor\nit, pray with them. By so doing, you may be the instrument of saving\nmany precious souls. Your labor will also reflect back upon yourself,\nand warm your own heart. You will get a deeper sense of the dreadful\ncondition of perishing sinners; and this will be the means of exciting a\nspirit of prayer in their behalf. Those engaged in this work should meet\nevery month, after finishing the distribution, report all cases of\ninterest, and spend a season in prayer for the divine blessing upon\ntheir labors. I would advise you to begin your distribution early in the\nmonth, and always finish it before the middle; and be sure you make a\nwritten report to the superintendent, as soon as you have finished it.\n\nIII. _You can make your influence felt in the missionary cause._ This is\na cause which must be near the heart of every Christian. The spirit of\nmissions is in unison with every feeling of the new-born soul. It is the\nspirit of universal benevolence; the same spirit which brought our Lord\nfrom the realms of glory, to suffer and die for perishing sinners. His\nlast command to his disciples, before ascending up again into heaven,\nwas, that they should follow his example, in the exercise of this\nspirit, until the whole world should be brought to a knowledge of his\nsalvation. But more than eighteen hundred years have passed away, and\nyet at least two thirds of the inhabitants of this fallen world have\nnever heard the gospel; and probably not more than one seventieth part\nof them have really embraced it. This is a mournful picture, and\ncalculated to call forth every feeling of Christian sympathy, and awaken\na burning zeal for the honor and glory of God. O, think how Jesus is\ndishonored by his own people, who thus disregard his last parting\nrequest! But here again you may inquire, \"What can _I_ do?\" You can do\nmuch more than most people think they can do. Although you may not be\npermitted to go to the heathen yourself, yet you can help those that do\ngo. I know that your means are limited; yet there are many ways in which\nyou can do much for this cause with little means. By regulating all your\nexpenses by Christian principle, you may save much, even of a small\nincome, for benevolent purposes. But you may also exert an influence\nupon others. In all your intercourse with other Christians, especially\nladies, you may stir up a missionary spirit. To aid you in this, become\nacquainted with what has been done, and what is now doing, for the\nconversion of the heathen. Make yourself familiar with the arguments in\nfavor of this holy cause. By this means, you may become a zealous and\nsuccessful advocate of the claims of five hundred millions of perishing\nheathen. As an opportunity occurs once a month for all to contribute to\nthis cause, you know not what effect such efforts may have upon the\npurses of those whom God has blessed with an abundance of the good\nthings of this life. Again; you may do much for the heathen, by forming\na missionary association among the ladies where you reside. Let such an\nassociation employ their needless half a day in every week, and apply\nthe avails of their labor to the missionary cause. This would enable\nevery one to contribute something for sending the gospel to the heathen.\nBut this is not all the benefit that would flow from it. Some member of\nthe association should be appointed to read missionary intelligence,\nwhile the rest labor with their hands. This will be the means of\nexciting a missionary spirit, which may result in a much greater benefit\nthan the amount of money contributed by the society. Another advantage\nof this plan is, that it furnishes an opportunity of social intercourse,\nwith a great saving of time. Here you may meet your friends once a week,\nwithout being exposed to the dissipating influence of parties of\npleasure. There is a little Sabbath-school book, published in Boston,\nentitled \"_Louisa Palston_,\" which ought to be in the hands of every\nyoung lady. It presents the subject of missions to the heathen in a most\ninteresting light, and also contains an excellent example of an\nassociation of the kind here recommended.\n\nIV. _You can make your influence felt in behalf of the poor._ By\nfrequenting the abodes of poverty and distress, you may administer to\nthe wants of the afflicted, and call into active exercise the feelings\nof Christian sympathy in your own bosom. By this means, also, you will\nbe prepared to enlist others in the same cause. Female benevolent\nsocieties, for assisting the poor, should be formed in all large towns;\nand in most places, much good may be done by forming societies for\nclothing poor children, to enable them to attend Sabbath-schools. But\nperhaps there is no way in which you can do so much for the poor, as by\nassisting them with your own hands, in their afflictions, and aiding\nthem by your advice. Be careful, however, that you do not make them feel\nthat you are conferring an obligation.\n\nThere is, at the present day, a very erroneous impression abroad, in\nrelation to the poor. Many wealthy people, and many in moderate but\ncomfortable circumstances, seem to think God has given them their\nproperty solely for their own gratification. Go to their houses, and you\nwill find their tables groaning with luxuries, their rooms garnished\nwith costly furniture, and their persons decorated with finery. But, if\nyou ask them for a small contribution for suffering poverty, you will\nperhaps be compelled to listen to a long complaint against the\nimprovidence of the poor; their want of industry and economy; and\npossibly be put off with the plea, that supplying their necessities has\na tendency to make them indolent, and prevent them from helping\nthemselves. This may be true to some extent; for intemperance has\nbrought ruin and distress upon many families, and we cannot expect\neither industry, economy, or any other virtue, in a drunkard. But this\nis far from being a full view of the case. I know there is much\nsuffering even among the virtuous poor. Sickness and misfortune often\nbring distress upon deserving people.\n\nThe only way we can realize the sufferings of the poor is to suppose\nourselves in their situation. Let a wealthy gentleman and lady, with\nfive or six small children, be suddenly deprived of all their property,\nand compelled to obtain a support for their family by daily labor, and\nthe lowest employments. Would they think they could live comfortably\nupon perhaps no more than seventy-five cents a day, as the proceeds of\nthe husband's labor? Yet such is the situation of thousands of families,\neven in this land of plenty. I have myself recently met with families of\nsmall children, in the severity of winter, destitute of clothing\nsufficient to cover them, and without shoes. And, upon inquiry into\ntheir circumstances and means of support, I could not see how the\nparents could make any better provision. Again; ever supposing that the\nwretchedness of the poor is brought upon them by their own vices, is it\nagreeable to the spirit of Christ to refuse to relieve their distresses?\nHas not sin brought upon us all our wretchedness? If the Lord Jesus had\nreasoned and acted upon this principle, would a single soul have been\nsaved? But, he has commanded us to be merciful, _even as our Father\nwhich is in heaven is merciful_. And how is he merciful? \"He is kind\nunto the _unthankful_ and to the _evil_.\" Again; \"If any man have not\nthe spirit of Christ, he is none of his.\" And are we to suppose that the\npoor in our day are any worse than they were when Christ was upon earth?\nYet we find him frequently exhorting the rich to give to the poor. This\nis one of the most common precepts of the New Testament. Indeed, our\nLord has greatly honored the poor, in appearing himself in a condition\nof extreme poverty. At his birth, his parents could provide him no\nbetter bed than a manger; and while wearing out his life in the service\nof a lost world, he had no place to lay his head! Yet, poor as he was,\nhe has set us an example of giving. At the last supper, when he told\nJudas, \"That thou doest, do quickly,\" his disciples supposed he had sent\nhim to give something to the poor. From this we may safely infer that he\nwas in the habit of frequently doing so. For what else could have\nbrought this thought to their minds?\n\nA Christian has nothing that is his own. He is but the steward of God's\nproperty. By withholding it, when the kingdom of Christ or the wants of\nthe suffering poor require it, and spending it in extravagance, or\nhoarding it up for himself and family. He _robs God._\n\nBut, even on the principle upon which the world acts, shall we neglect\nthe suffering of a deserving woman, because her husband is intemperate\nand vicious? Or, should we suffer the children to grow up without\ninstruction, in ignorance and vice, because their parents are vicious?\nBe, then, my dear sister, the devoted friend of the poor; and seek to\nrelieve distress wherever you find it, or whatever may be its cause.\n\nV. _You may make your influence felt in the cause of temperance._ A\nfalse delicacy prevails among many ladies, in relation to this subject.\nThey seem to think that, as intemperance is not a common vice of their\nown sex, they have no concern with it. But this is a great mistake. No\nportion of society suffers so much from the consequences of intemperance\nas females. On them it spends its fury. My heart sickens when I\ncontemplate the condition of the drunkard's wife. I turn from the\npicture with horror and disgust. But, is there no danger that females\nthemselves may become partakers of this monstrous vice? My soul would\nrejoice if it were so. But every town, and village, and hamlet,\nfurnishes evidence to the contrary. Even while I am writing, I can\nalmost hear the groans of a woman in an adjoining house, who is just on\nthe borders of the drunkard's grave. But, independent of this, it is\nscarcely possible to dry up the secret elements of this wasting\npestilence, without the aid of _female influence_. I have no doubt, if\nthe curtain were lifted from the domestic history of the past\ngeneration, it would appear that most of the intemperate appetites which\nhave exerted such a terrific influence upon society were formed in the\nnursery. But, besides the formation of early habits, females exert a\ncontrolling influence over the public sentiment of the social circle.\nHere is the sphere of your influence. If young ladies would, with one\nconsent, set their faces against the use of all intoxicating liquors,\ntheir influence could not fail to be felt throughout society. Make\nyourself thoroughly acquainted with the subject, and lose no opportunity\nof advocating the cause in every circle in which you move; or, of doing\nwhatever is right and proper for a lady to do, in advancing it.\n\nVI. _You may make your influence felt in every circle in which you\nmove, by directing conversation towards profitable subjects._ Here the\nhonor of your Master is concerned. There is a lamentable tendency, even\namong professors of religion, when they meet for social intercourse, to\nspend, their time in light and trifling conversation. The consequence\nis, they bring leanness upon their own souls; and if any impenitent\nsinners witness their conduct, it helps to rivet upon them their carnal\nsecurity. \"Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel.\" And\nremember, Christ has declared that _every idle word_ shall be brought\ninto judgment. \"Seeing, then, that all these things shall be dissolved,\nwhat manner of persons ought we to be, in all holy conversation and\ngodliness.\"\n\nVII. _You may make your influence felt in bringing people within the\nsound of the gospel._ There are multitudes in this land of gospel light\nwho live like the heathen. They do not appreciate the privileges which\nthey might enjoy. They live in the habitual neglect of public worship,\nand the means of grace. This is especially the case with the poor in\nlarge towns. Poverty depresses their spirits, and they seem to feel that\n\"no man cares for their souls.\" It is impossible to conjecture how much\ngood one devoted female may do, by gathering these people into places of\nworship. A lady can much more readily gain access to such families than\na gentleman; and, by a pleasing address, and an humble and affectionate\ndemeanor, she may secure their confidence and persuade them to attend\npublic worship. In this way she may be the means of saving their souls.\n\nVIII. Lastly. _You may make your influence directly felt by the\nimpenitent._ That it is the duty of Christians to warn impenitent\nsinners of their danger, and to point them to the \"Lamb of God, which\ntaketh away the sin of the world,\" will appear from several\nconsiderations:--\n\n1. The Apostle Peter says, \"Christ suffered for us, _leaving us an\nexample that we should follow his steps_.\" Let us, therefore, inquire\nwhat was his example, with reference to the subject under\nconsideration? The spirit of Christ, in the great work of redemption,\nmanifests itself in COMPASSION FOR SINNERS, and ZEAL FOR THE GLORY OF\nGOD. \"While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.\" And in the near\nprospect of his agonies, his prayer was, \"Father, glorify thy name.\" It\nwas that mercy might be extended to the guilty, consistently with the\nhonor of God, that he laid down his life. Behold him, deeply feeling the\ndishonor done to God by ungrateful and rebellious men, constantly\nreproving sin, weeping over the impenitence and hardness of heart of his\ncountry-men, and even exerting his power to drive out those who were\nprofaning the temple. And he says, \"If any man will come after me, let\nhim deny himself and take up his cross and _follow_ me.\" To _follow_\nChrist is to imitate his example. Hence, unless we follow Christ, in his\ngeneral spirit, we have no right to be called after his name. And this\nwe must do _to the extent of our ability_, and at the expense of any\npersonal sacrifice, not excepting, if need be, even _our own lives_.\nThis is the true spirit of the gospel; and if it were carried out in the\nlife of every professor of the religion of Jesus, the millennial glory\nwould soon appear.\n\n2. _We are required to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and\nstrength._ When we love a friend we are careful of his honor. If we hear\nhim defamed, or lightly spoken of, or see him ill-treated, it gives us\npain. We take part with him, and vindicate his character. But we see God\ndishonored, and his goodness abused, continually. Multitudes of\nimpenitent sinners around us habitually cast off his authority, and\nrefuse to honor him as the moral governor of the universe. What can we\ndo more for his honor and glory than to reclaim these rebellious\nsubjects of his government, and bring them back to loyalty and\nobedience?\n\n3. _We are required to love our neighbor as ourselves._ We profess to\nhave seen the lost condition of perishing sinners. We think God has\ntaken our feet from the \"horrible pit and miry clay.\" We profess to\nbelieve that all who have not embraced Christ are every moment exposed\nto the horrors of the second death. Can we love them _as ourselves_, and\nmake no effort to open their eyes to their awful danger, and persuade\nthem to flee from it? Said a young man, \"I do not believe there is any\ntruth in what they tell us about eternal punishment; nor do I believe\nChristians believe it themselves. _If they did, they could not manifest\nso little concern about it._\"\n\n4. _The business of reclaiming a lost world is committed to the Church\nin conjunction with the Holy Spirit._ It is the business of the Church\nto apply \"the truth\" to the consciences of lost sinners. It is the\noffice of the Spirit to make it effectual to their salvation. \"The\nSpirit and the _bride_ [the Church] say, _come_.\" And even the hearer of\nthe word is allowed to say, \"_come_.\" The Scriptures recognize the\nconversion of the sinner as the work of the Christian. \"_He which\nconverteth a sinner_ from the error of his way, shall save a soul from\ndeath, and shall hide a multitude of sins.\" \"Others _save_ with fear;\n_pulling them_ out of the fire.\" \"Then will I _teach transgressors_ thy\nways, and sinners _shall be_ converted unto thee.\" It is true, we\ncannot, of our own power, convert souls. But, if we are faithful in the\nuse of the means of God's appointment, he may make use of us as\ninstruments for accomplishing this great work. Every one who has truly\ncome to Christ _knows the way_, and can direct others to him. And in no\nway, perhaps, can the truth be rendered more effectual, than by personal\napplication to the conscience. David did not understand Nathan's\nparable, till the prophet said, \"Thou art the man!\"\n\nAs this is a plain, positive duty, it cannot be neglected with impunity.\nGod will not bless his children while they refuse to obey him. \"If I\nregard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.\" You may spend\nall your time on your knees, while living in the neglect of a plain\nduty, and get no blessing. We cannot expect to enjoy the presence of\nGod, while we refuse to point sinners to Christ. It is probable that the\nneglect of this duty is one of the principal causes of spiritual\nbarrenness in the church. If, then, Christians wish their own hearts\nrevived, they must try to persuade others to come to Christ. \"He that\nwatereth shall be watered also himself.\" If we wish to maintain constant\ncommunion with God, we must live in the habitual exercise of the spirit\nof Christ.\n\nBut many Christians content themselves with speaking to the impenitent\nwhenever they meet them under favorable circumstances, in the ordinary\nintercourse of life. This is a duty; but it does not appear to be the\n_extent_ of duty. It is only following _part_ of the example of Christ.\nHe _came_ \"_to seek_ and to save that which was lost.\" \"He _went about_\ndoing good.\" Is it not, then, the obvious duty of every one of his\nfollowers, to _seek_ opportunities of conversing with the impenitent\nupon the great subject of their soul's salvation? We are bound to labor\nfor the conversion of every sinner, for whom we have an opportunity of\nlaboring. God requires us to _do all we can_. The primitive Christians\ncarried out this principle in its fullest extent. In the 8th chapter of\nActs, we read that the church at Jerusalem were all scattered abroad\nexcept the apostles. \"And they that were scattered abroad _went\neverywhere, preaching the word_.\" And afterwards, in the 11th chapter,\n19th verse, we hear of them as far as Phenice and Cyprus, where they had\ntravelled, preaching [in the Greek _talking_] the word as they went. It\nis to be particularly remarked that these, or at least most of them,\nwere the private members of the church: for the apostles still remained\nat Jerusalem. And what was the result of these joint labors of the whole\nchurch? Revivals of religion immediately spread all over the land of\nJudea and its vicinity. And so might we see revivals spreading over this\nland, and continuing, with increasing power, and multitudes of sinners\nconverted, if the church, _as one_, united in Christ, would come up to\nher duty. Nor would it stop here. The fire thus kindled would burn\nbrighter and brighter, and extend with increasing rapidity, till it\nspread over the whole world. Should not all Christians, then, consider\nthemselves placed, to some extent, at least, in the situation of\nwatchmen upon the walls of Zion? If they neglect to warn sinners, will\nthey be guiltless of the blood of souls? How can they meet them at the\nbar of God? Ezek. 33:1-9.\n\n * * * * *\n\nFew persons are aware of what they might accomplish, if they would _do\nwhat they can_. I once knew a young lady, who was the moving spring of\nnearly every benevolent enterprise, in a town of seven or eight thousand\ninhabitants. The Bible Society of the town appointed a number of\ngentlemen as visitors, to ascertain who were destitute of Bibles, and\nmake collections to aid the funds of the society. But the time passed\naway in which the work was to have been accomplished, and nothing was\ndone. The books were handed over to this lady. She immediately called in\nthe assistance of a few pious friends; and in a very short time the\nwhole town was visited, collections made, and the destitute supplied.\nShe imparted life and energy to the Tract Society. She set on foot, and\nwith the aid of a few friends, sustained the monthly distribution. There\nhad been, for some time, a small temperance society in the town; but its\nmovements were slow and inefficient. She undertook to impart to it new\nlife and vigor. The plans and efforts which she, in conjunction with her\nfriends, put in operation, produced a sensation which was felt in every\npart of the town, and in a few months the number of members was\nincreased, from about fifty, to three hundred.\n\nThe amazing influence of one Christian, who lives out the spirit of\nChrist, is illustrated, in a still more striking manner, in the life of\na lady, who died not long since, in one of the principal cities of the\nUnited States. I am not permitted to give her name, nor all the\nparticulars of her life. But what I relate may be relied upon, not only\nas _facts_, but as far below the _whole truth_. She had been, for a long\ntime, afflicted with a drunken husband. At length the sheriff came and\nswept off all their property, not excepting her household furniture, to\ndischarge his _grog bills_. At this distressing crisis, she retired to\nan upper room, laid her babe upon the bare floor, kneeled down over it,\nand offered up the following petition: \"O Lord, if thou wilt _in any\nway_ remove from me this affliction, I will serve thee _upon bread and\nwater_ all the days of my life.\" The Lord took her at her word. Her\nbesotted husband immediately disappeared, and was never heard of again\ntill after her death. The church would now have maintained her, but she\nwould not consent to become a charge to others. Although in feeble\nhealth, and afflicted with the sick headache, she opened a small school,\nfrom which she obtained a bare subsistence; though it was often no more\nthan what was contained in the condition of her prayer--literally _bread\nand water_. She had also another motive for pursuing some regular\nemployment. She wished to avoid the reproach which would have arisen to\nthe cause of Christ from her being maintained upon the bounty of the\nchurch, while engaged in the system of Christian activity which she\nadopted. She remembered the duty of being _diligent in business_, as\nwell as fervent in spirit. She was a lady of pleasing address, and of a\nmild and gentle disposition. \"In her lips was the law of kindness.\" Yet\nshe possessed an energy of character, and a spirit of perseverance,\nwhich the _power of faith_ alone can impart. When she undertook any\nChristian enterprise, she was discouraged by no obstacles, and appalled\nby no difficulties. She resided in the most wicked and abandoned part of\nthe city, which afforded a great field of labor. Her benevolent heart\nwas pained at seeing the grog-shops opened upon the holy Sabbath. She\nundertook the difficult and almost hopeless task of closing these sinks\nof moral pollution upon the Lord's day, and succeeded. This was\naccomplished by the mild influence of persuasion, flowing from the lips\nof kindness, and clothed with that power which always accompanies the\ntrue spirit of the gospel. But she was not satisfied with seeing the\nfront doors and windows of these moral pest-houses closed. She knew that\nlittle confidence could be placed in the promises of men whose\nconsciences would permit them to traffic in human blood. She would,\ntherefore, upon the morning of the Sabbath, pass round and enter these\nshops through the dwellings occupied by the families of the keepers,\nwhere she often found them engaged secretly in this wickedness. She\nwould then remonstrate with them, until she persuaded them to abandon\nit, and attend public worship. In this manner she abolished almost\nentirely the sale of liquors upon the Sabbath in the worst part of the\ncity.\n\nShe also looked after the poor, that the gospel might be preached to\nthem. She carried with her the numbers of those pews in the church which\nwere unoccupied. And upon Sabbath mornings she made it her business to\ngo out into the streets and lanes of the city, and persuade the poor to\ncome in and fill up these vacant seats. By her perseverance and energy,\nshe would remove every objection, until she had brought them to the\nhouse of God. She was incessant and untiring in every effort for doing\ngood. She would establish a Sabbath-school, and superintend it until she\nsaw it flourishing, and then deliver it into the hands of some suitable\nperson, and go and establish another. She collected together a Bible\nclass of apprentices, which she taught herself. Her pastor one day\nvisited it, and found half of them in tears, under deep conviction. She\nwas faithful to the church and to impenitent sinners. She would not\nsuffer sin upon a brother. If she saw any member of the church going\nastray, she would, in a kind, meek, and gentle spirit, yet in a faithful\nmanner, reprove him. She was the first to discover any signs of\ndeclension in the church, and to sound the alarm personally to every\nconscience. It was her habitual practice to reprove sin, and to warn\nsinners wherever she found them. At the time of her death, she had under\nher care a number of pious young men, preparing for the ministry. These\nshe had looked after, and brought out of obscurity. As soon as their\npiety had been sufficiently tested, she would bring them to the notice\nof her Christian friends. She persuaded pious teachers to give them\ngratuitous instruction, and pious booksellers to supply them with books.\nIn the same way, she procured their board, in the families of wealthy\nChristians. And she formed little societies of ladies, to supply them\nwith clothing. There was probably no person in the city whose death\nwould have occasioned the shedding of more tears, or called forth more\nsincere and heartfelt grief. Her memory is still deeply cherished in the\nheart of her pastor.[L] He has been heard to say, that he should not\nhave felt as severely the loss of six of the most devoted men in his\nchurch.\n\n [Footnote L: This was first written in 1832. He has since gone to\n that \"better land,\" where he has no doubt met the hearty greetings\n not only of his dear fellow-laborer, but of scores whom he has\n been instrumental in plucking as \"brands from the burning.\"]\n\nNow, what hinders you to \"go and do likewise\"? It is amazing to see what\ncan be accomplished by a single individual, by earnest effort and\nuntiring perseverance, accompanied with a simple and hearty dependence\nupon God. If every member of the church would do _what he or she can_,\nwhat a tremendous shock would be felt in Satan's kingdom! What a\nglorious triumph would await the church! Therefore, \"whatsoever thy hand\nfindeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device,\nnor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.\"\n\nBut the work of directing sinners to Christ is one of vast\nresponsibility. How distressing the consequences, when the weary\ntraveller is directed in the wrong way! How deeply so, if his way lie\nthrough the forest, where he is exposed, if night overtake him, to\nstumble over precipices, sink in the mire, or be devoured by wild\nbeasts! Yet, what is this, in comparison to leading astray the soul that\nis inquiring for the way of salvation? \"He that winneth souls is wise.\"\nI cannot, however, pursue this subject here; but must refer you to a\nlittle work, entitled \"Friendly Counsel,\" in which I have endeavored to\ngive at length suitable directions for this work.\n\n * * * * *\n\nIn your active efforts, several cautions should be observed:--1. _Avoid\nevery appearance of ostentation._ Suppress every rising of\nself-complacency, on account of what you do, and of the success which\nattends your efforts. Such feelings are abominable in the sight of God;\nand if indulged, will make you appear contemptible in the eyes of men.\nThe Pharisees were active in many religious duties. They made long\nprayers, and were so particular in outward things as to pay tithes of\nthe most common herbs. They also gave to the poor. But all this they did\nthat they might have praise of men. They chose public places to pray;\nand when they were about to give anything to the poor, they caused a\ntrumpet to be sounded before them, to give notice of their approach. All\nthis was done to feed the pride of the carnal heart; and,\nnotwithstanding their loud professions, and apparent good deeds, the\nheaviest curses the Lord Jesus ever pronounced were directed against\nthem. Be modest, unobtrusive, and courteous, in all you do and say. Let\nthe love of Jesus animate your heart, and the glory of God be your\nobject. Make as little noise as possible, in everything you do. Never\nspeak of what you have done, unless you see that some good can be\naccomplished by it. \"When thou doest thine alms, let not thy left hand\nknow what thy right hand doeth.\" Keep yourself out of view, and give all\nthe glory of your success to God.\n\n2. _Great prudence and discretion are necessary in everything._ Do\nnothing rashly. When you have any enterprise in view, first sit down and\nconsider the matter seriously. Pray over it. Look at it in all its\nbearings, and inquire what good will be likely to result from it. When\nyou have satisfied yourself on this point, inquire whether you have\nreasonable ground to hope for success. Then summon all your wisdom to\ncontrive a judicious plan of operations. When this is done, proceed with\nenergy and perseverance, till you have either accomplished your object,\nor become convinced that it is impracticable. Pay especial regard to the\nfeelings and advice of those who act with you. Keep as much in the\nback-ground as you can without embarrassing your efforts; and whenever\nyou can do it, put others forward to execute the plans you have devised.\nThis will save you from becoming the object of jealousy, and also serve\nto mortify your pride.\n\n3. _Be resolute and persevering._ When satisfied you are in the way of\nduty, do not be moved by the scoffs and sneers of the giddy multitude.\nIf some good people disapprove your conduct, thinking that you attempt\ntoo much, let it lead you to a candid and impartial reexamination of\nyour course. If by this you become convinced that you are wrong, in the\nparticular matter in question, confess it, and change your conduct. But,\nif this review of the affair confirms you in the opinion that your\ncourse is right, pursue it with decision and firmness. There are some\nwell-meaning people, of limited views, and excessive carefulness, who\ndisapprove of the best of measures, if they happen to be at variance\nwith their long-established customs; or, more frequently, if they were\nnot _consulted_ before the particular enterprise was undertaken.\n\n4. BE MUCH IN PRAYER. Upon this will greatly depend your success in all\nthings. Feel that of yourself you can do nothing; but that you can do\nall things through Christ strengthening you. Before undertaking\nanything, pray that God would give you wisdom to direct and strength to\nperform; and if it is anything in which the efforts of others will be\nrequired, pray that he would incline their hearts to engage in the work.\nBefore you go out on an errand of mercy, first visit your closet, and\ncommit yourself to the direction of the Lord. Pray that he would give\nyou wisdom, courage, and discretion; and that he would keep down the\npride of your heart, and enable you to do all things for his glory.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XIV.\n\n_Dress._\n\n \"In like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest\n apparel, with shame-facedness, and sobriety; not with broidered\n hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.\"--1 TIM. 2:9.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER:\n\nWe are required to do _everything_ to the glory of God. Your first\ninquiry, then, in relation to dress, must be, \"_How can I glorify God in\nmy apparel?_\" I know of no other way than by making it answer just the\nend for which it was originally designed. In the third chapter of\nGenesis, we learn that the object of dress, when first instituted, was\nto provide a decent covering for our bodies. It was the shame brought\nupon man by transgression which made this covering necessary. And, it is\nundoubtedly in consequence of sin, that the elements have been turned\nagainst him, so as to make clothing a necessary defence against the\nhostile influence of heat and cold. The immediate discovery of their\nnakedness, by our first parents, after their disobedience, is probably\nintended to show the nakedness and shame which sin has brought upon\nour souls; and the consequent exposure to the hostile elements\naptly represents the exposure of the naked soul to the wrath of\nGod. The invention of fig-leaf aprons may perhaps represent the\nself-righteousness of the carnal heart. Impenitent sinners are always\nseeking out some invention of their own, by which they expect to be\nsaved from the consequences of sin. But all their self-righteousness\nwill be no better defence against the storms of God's wrath, than\nfig-leaf aprons against the withering influence of a vertical sun, or\nthe perpetual frosts of the arctic regions. The coats of skin, which the\nLord made for our first parents, were perhaps designed to represent the\nrighteousness of Christ, with which he would clothe his people. This\nopinion appears the more probable, from the common use of this figure,\nwhen the righteousness of Christ is spoken of, as imputed to Christians:\n\"He hath _clothed_ me with the _garments of salvation_, he hath\n_covered_ me with the _robe_ of righteousness.\" \"And to her [the church]\nwas granted, that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white;\nfor the linen is the righteousness of the saints.\" \"For in this we\ngroan, earnestly desiring to be _clothed upon_ with our house which is\nfrom heaven; if so be that being _clothed_, we shall not be found\n_naked_. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened:\nnot for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon.\" \"And being found\nin him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that\nwhich is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God\nby faith.\" The real design of clothing, then, may be summed up in the\nfollowing particulars: 1. A modest covering for our bodies. 2. A defence\nagainst the hostile elements. 3. An acknowledgment of our spiritual\nnakedness and exposure to the wrath of God; and our need to be clothed\nwith the righteousness of Christ. Whenever we pervert it from these\nends, to the gratification of our pride or vanity, we not only do not\nglorify God therein, but we commit actual sin.\n\nA few things are necessary to be observed, in relation to your\napparel:--1. _All that you have is the Lord's._ You have nothing but\nwhat he has given you; and this you have solemnly promised to employ in\nhis service. You have no right, therefore, needlessly to squander it\nupon your person. The apostle Paul, in the text quoted at the\ncommencement of this letter, directs women to adorn themselves with\nmodest apparel; and forbids the wearing of costly ornaments and jewelry.\nThe apostle Peter also repeats the same exhortation. The love of finery\ndisplayed by many of the females of our congregations, some of whom are\nprofessors of religion, is directly at variance with these passages of\nScripture. But, if the Bible had been entirely silent on the subject, I\ncannot see how Christians could reconcile so much needless expense upon\ntheir persons with the spirit of benevolence which the gospel breathes,\nwhen so many millions of precious souls are perishing without any\nknowledge of the only way of salvation, or while so many around them are\nsuffering from penury and want. This is certainly contrary to the spirit\nof Christ. He who, for our sakes, became poor; who led a life of\nself-denial, toil, and suffering, that he might relieve distress, and\nmake known the way of salvation,--could never have needlessly expended\nupon his person what would have sent the gospel to the destitute, or\nsupplied the wants of poverty. Extravagance in dress is, therefore,\nobviously inconsistent with the Christian character. But, no precise\nrule can be laid down in relation to this matter. It must be left to the\nsober judgment of Christians, and a sanctified conscience will readily\ndiscern the bounds of propriety. By asking yourselves two or three\nquestions, whenever you think of purchasing a new article of dress, you\nmay very easily decide upon the path of duty. \"Do I need this? Is it\nnecessary for my comfort, or for my decent appearance in society? Can I\nglorify God in wearing it?\"\n\n2. _Your time is the Lord's._ You have no right to waste it in useless\nattention to dress. One of the greatest evils of the present extravagant\nmodes of dress is, that so much precious time is consumed at the toilet.\nI have already shown the value and importance of time, and the\nobligations of Christians to spend it in the most profitable manner. I\nneed not here advance any new arguments to show that, if you spend any\nmore time than is necessary in the adjustment of your apparel, you sin\nagainst God.\n\n3. _It is the duty to pay some regard to personal appearance._ A\nChristian lady, by making herself a _slattern_, brings reproach upon the\ncause of Christ, instead of glorifying God. The apostle enjoins upon\nwomen to adorn themselves with _modest_ apparel. Modesty signifies\n_purity of sentiment and manners._ When this idea is applied to dress,\nit immediately suggests to the mind a neatness, taste, and simplicity of\ndress, alike opposed both to extravagance and finery, and to negligence\nand vulgar coarseness. The exercise of a refined taste, in the\nadaptation and adjustment of apparel, may also be justified by the\nanalogy of nature. Look abroad over the landscape, and see with what\nexquisite taste God has clothed the flowers of the field. There is a\nsymmetry of proportion, a skilfulness of arrangement, and a fitness and\nadaptation of colors, which strike the eye with unmingled pleasure. And\nif God has shown a scrupulous regard to the pleasure of the eye, we may\ndo the same. This opinion is also confirmed by the practical influence\nof the gospel. This is particularly observable among the poor in our own\nland. Just in proportion as the religion of Jesus prevails among this\nclass of people, you will see a scrupulous attention to personal\nappearance. By this, I do not mean the _pride of appearance_; but a\ndecency, modesty, and propriety, opposed to negligence, coarseness, and\nvulgarity. But this is more strikingly manifest among those people who\nhave been but recently raised, by the influence of the gospel, from the\nlowest depths of heathenism. Of this, you will be convinced by examining\nthe history of the missions among the North American Indians, and the\nSouth Sea Islands. The same principles will also apply to equipage and\nhousehold arrangements. Such regard to comfort and decency of\nappearance as will strike the eye with pleasure, and shed around an air\nof cheerfulness, doubtless contributes to moral improvement, and is not\nonly authorized, but required, by the spirit of the gospel.\n\nBut this is a dangerous point. There is such a tendency in the human\nmind to mistake gayety and extravagance for neatness and propriety; and\nso much temptation to the indulgence of pride and vanity, that you have\nneed of constant watchfulness, that in no respect your heart may lead\nyou astray in this matter. You ought to make it a subject of daily\nprayer.\n\n4. _Have a regard to health._ The duty of using all proper means for the\npreservation of health, I have already considered. Among these means,\nattention to dress is not the least important. Great care should always\nbe taken that it be suited to the season, and a defence against the\ninclemency of the weather. This is a Christian duty; and any pride of\nappearance, or carelessness of habit, which leads you to neglect it, is\n_sin_. But, above all things, avoid the compression of any part of the\nbody, for the purpose of improving the appearance. This is a most\npernicious practice. It is astonishing that intelligent ladies can so\nblindly follow the mandates of fashion, as to indulge a habit so\ndestructive of comfort and life. There is no part of the system, not\neven the extremity of a limb, which can suffer violent compression,\nwithout interrupting the regular circulation of the blood. But, when\nthis pressure is about the chest, the effect is most destructive. The\nlungs, subject as they are to alternate distension and compression, from\nreceiving and discharging both the blood and the breath, require the\nmost perfect freedom. But when the chest is so compressed as to prevent\nthe free play of the lungs, the whole system of respiration and\ncirculation is deranged. The consequences are, shortness of breath,\nfaintness, impeded circulation, producing listlessness and languor; and\ninclination of the blood to the head, producing headache and\ndistressing dizziness. And, if this course is long persisted in,\ndestruction of health is the inevitable conscience; and often the poor\ndeluded victim of a barbarous fashion pays the forfeit of her life. I\nhave heard of many cases of death from this cause; three of which\noccurred _in one family_, within the circle of my acquaintance. I need\nuse no argument, then, to convince a Christian lady, that it is her duty\nto avoid this species of conformity to the world. I can regard it in no\nother light than a palpable violation of the sixth commandment.\n\n5. _Do not make too much of the matter of dress._ It is our duty to\navoid every species of conformity to the world which requires the\nsacrifice of religious principle. But, in things indifferent, we are\nallowed to conform to the customs of society. I do not think there is\nmuch danger of observing excessive plainness of apparel; but there is\ndanger of making so much account of it as to cultivate a self-righteous\nspirit. It is remarkable that in almost every system of false religion,\nprecise forms of dress are prescribed; especially for those who are\ndevoted to what is termed a _religious life_; whereas, in the Bible, it\nis left to be regulated by the general principles and spirit of\nChristianity, with an occasional caution against extravagance; and it\ndoes not appear that Christ and the apostles and the early Christians\nadopted any peculiarity of dress. From the description given of the\nwardrobe of our Saviour, it is probable that he wore the common dress of\na religious teacher. There is such a thing as a pride of singularity;\nand this is often manifested in the preparation and adjustment of the\nwardrobe. Satan is ever on the alert, to observe the bent of the mind,\nand carry it to extremes. Be not ignorant of his devices. Watch and\npray, that you enter not into temptation.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XV.\n\n_Social and Relative Duties._\n\n \"All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye\n even so to them.\" MATT. 7:12.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nWe are formed for society; and whoever refuses social intercourse with\nhis fellow-beings, and lives to himself, violates an established law of\nnature. But the operation of this general principle creates the\nnecessity of particular laws for the regulation of that intercourse.\nHence, a numerous train of duties arise out of our social relations. And\nthose duties enter more or less into the common concerns of life,\naccording as these relations are more or less remote. The first relation\nwhich the Lord has established among men, is that of the _family_. This\nwas established in Paradise; and it has been preserved, in all ages of\nthe world, and in all countries, with more or less distinctness,\naccording to the degree of moral principle which has prevailed. The\nScriptures are very particular in describing this relation, as it\nexisted in the patriarchal ages. It has its foundation in the fitness of\nthings; and hence the duties arising out of it are very properly classed\nas _moral_ duties. Of such consequence does the Lord regard this\nrelation, that he has given it a place in the decalogue. Three of the\nten commandments have particular reference to the family relation. From\nthe first institution of this relation, we learn that the father and\nmother are to constitute the united head of the family. \"_They twain\nshall be one flesh._\" Authority is therefore doubtless vested in them\nboth, to exercise jointly. But, since the fall, when mankind became\nperverse and self-willed, the nature and fitness of things seem to\nrequire that there should be a precedence of authority, in case of a\ndivision of the united head. This precedence, the Scriptures clearly and\ndistinctly point out. One of the curses pronounced upon the woman, after\nthe fall, was, that her husband should rule over her. This principle was\ncarried out in the families of the patriarchs. The apostle Peter says,\nthat the holy women of old adorned themselves with a meek and quiet\nspirit, and were in subjection to their own husbands: and particularly\nnotice the conduct of Sarah, the mother of the Jewish nation, who\n_obeyed_ Abraham, calling him lord. The same principle is repeatedly\ntaught in the New Testament. \"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own\nhusbands, as unto the Lord.\" \"As the Church is subject unto Christ, so\nlet the wives be to their own husbands in everything.\" \"Let the wife see\nthat she reverence her husband.\" \"Likewise ye wives be in subjection to\nyour own husbands.\" There can be no room for doubt, then, on this\nsubject. But, where Christian principle prevails with both parties,\nthere will be rarely, if ever, occasion to exercise this authority.\n\nThe fifth commandment teaches the duty of subordination to the head of\nthe family, not only on the part of the children themselves, but of\nevery member of the household. So far as the general interests of the\nfamily are concerned, persons residing in it are regarded in the same\nlight as children; subject to all its laws, rules and regulations. Thus\nthe Lord speaks of Abraham: \"I know him that he will command his\nchildren _and his household_ after him, and they shall keep the way of\nthe Lord.\" The principle is here recognized, that Abraham had a right to\n_command_, not only his own children, but all his household. And the\nsame may also be inferred from the language of the fourth commandment.\nIt is addressed to the head of the family, and enjoins upon him to see\nthat no labor is performed on the Sabbath, by any of his household, not\neven excepting the _stranger_ that is within his gates.\n\nThe duty of the younger members of the family to respect the elder, may\nbe inferred,--1. From the nature and fitness of things. The elder\nbrethren and sisters are the superiors of the younger, in age and\nexperience, and generally in wisdom and knowledge. They are better\nqualified to take the lead, and therefore entitled to respect and\ndeference. 2. The same thing may also be inferred from the precedence\nalways given in Scripture to the first-born.\n\nBut the great household duty is LOVE. If this is properly discharged, it\nwill set all other matters right. If this is wanting, there will be a\nlack of everything else. The Scriptures insist upon the duty of\nbrotherly love. \"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to\ndwell together in unity!\" Christ, in his sermon on the mount, severely\nrebukes the indulgence of anger, and the want of kindness and courtesy\namong brethren. And the apostle John says, that \"whosoever hateth his\nbrother, is a murderer.\" A kind, tender-hearted, affectionate, and\npeaceful temper, should be maintained, in all the intercourse of\ndifferent members of the same family.\n\nBut as mankind began to multiply, it became necessary that the social\nrelations should be extended. A number of families, residing near each\nother, formed a neighborhood, or community. This gave rise to the new\nrelation of neighbor, from the necessity of intercourse between\nfamilies. This was again extended, to the formation of nations and\nkingdoms. But all these various relations are subject to the same great\nlaws as those of the family; for they have grown out of them. The same\nprinciple which requires subordination to the head of the family,\nrequires also deference to the elders of a community, and subordination\nto the rulers of the nation. And the same principle which requires the\nexercise of kindness, gentleness, meekness, forbearance, condescension\nand love, between the members of the same family, requires the exercise\nof similar dispositions between individuals of the same community and\nnation. The principle is also still farther extended, embracing the\nwhole world as one great family; and requiring the exercise of love and\nthe practice of benevolence towards all mankind. \"Submit yourselves to\nevery ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake.\" \"Thou shalt love thy\nneighbor as thyself.\"\n\nBut, in consequence of the fall, another most interesting relation has\nbeen established. Out of this apostate world, God has chosen himself a\nfamily. Of this family, Christ is the head, and his people are the\nmembers. Here are the same relations as in the natural family; but they\nare different in their nature. They are spiritual, and, of course, of\nhigher obligation. We are required to love Christ more than father or\nmother. And the Lord Jesus says with emphasis, \"This is my commandment,\nthat ye love one another.\" I have no doubt that, when grace is in full\nexercise in the heart, the brotherly love which Christians exercise\ntowards one another is far stronger than the natural affection which\nexists between brothers and sisters of the same family.\n\nFrom this general view of the social relations, we may gather the\nfollowing rules of conduct:\n\n1. Endeavor to render to all the members of the family in which you\nreside just that degree of deference and respect which belongs to them.\nConscientiously regard the rules and regulations introduced by the head\nof the family, unless they are contrary to the word of God. In such case\nyou should leave the family; because your relative duties would\ninterfere with your duty to God.[M] Remember, it is in the domestic\ncircle where your character is to be formed. It is here that your\ndisposition is to be tried, and your piety cultivated. Endeavor, then,\nto maintain, in your family intercourse, the same dignity and propriety\nof deportment which you wish to sustain in society. Never descend to\nanything at the fireside which you would despise in a more extended\ncircle. Bring the most minute actions of your daily life to the test of\nChristian principle. Remember that, in the sight of God, there are no\n_little sins_. The least transgression is sufficient to condemn the soul\nforever. \"He that offendeth in one point is guilty of all.\" Especially\navoid the indulgence of a selfish disposition. It is both unamiable and\nunchristian. Be always ready to sacrifice your own feelings, when by so\ndoing you can give pleasure to others. Study the wishes and feelings of\nothers, and prefer them to your own. Manifest a disinterestedness of\nfeeling. Strive to be helpful to others, even at the expense of personal\nfeeling and interest. \"Look not every man on his own things, but every\nman on the things of others.\" \"Charity seeketh not her own.\" Be kind to\nall; respectful towards superiors, courteous to equals, and\ncondescending to inferiors. Be particularly careful not to trample upon\nthe feelings of servants. Nothing can be more unamiable. If you\ncultivate these dispositions and principles of action habitually, in the\ndomestic circle, they will become so natural and easy as to flow out\nspontaneously in every circle in which you move. And this will call\nforth the love and esteem of all your acquaintance. It will bring honor\nupon your profession, increase your influence, and thereby enable you to\ndo more for the glory of God.\n\n [Footnote M: This direction would not be proper for a minor, in\n her father's house, or in the place provided by a guardian. In\n such cases, it would be duty to remain, and submit to the penalty\n of disobedience; remembering that it is a blessing to be\n persecuted for righteousness' sake.]\n\n2. _There are special duties growing out of your relation to the\nchurch._ Some of these I have considered in former letters. But I have\nparticular reference now to _social_ duties. You are to regard all the\nmembers of the church as brothers and sisters. You are to love them just\nin proportion as they are like Christ. It is the appearance of the image\nof Jesus, alone, in our Christian brethren, which can call forth the\nspiritual exercise of brotherly love. I say the _appearance_ of the\nimage of Christ, because we may be deceived as to the existence of that\nimage in the hearts of others, and yet our love may be as sincere and\nfervent as if the image were genuine. No Christian duty is more insisted\non in Scripture than brotherly love. It is repeatedly enjoined by our\nLord and his apostles. It is so essential a part of the Christian\ncharacter, that it is mentioned by the beloved disciple as one of the\nprincipal evidences of the new birth. Now, how do we manifest our love\nto our brothers and sisters? We delight in their society. We love to\nmeet them, to talk about each other's interests, and the interests of\nthe family in general. So, if you love your brethren and sisters in the\nchurch, you will delight in their society; you will love to meet with\nthem, to interchange kind offices; to talk of the difficulties, trials,\nhopes, fears, joys, and sorrows, of the way to the heavenly Canaan; and\nto speak of the interests of the great spiritual family to which you\nbelong. Hence, I argue the duty of social intercourse among Christians.\nBut, it is to be greatly feared that the real object of such intercourse\nis too frequently overlooked. How often do Christians meet, and talk\nabout \"trifles light as air,\" without once speaking of subjects which,\naccording to their profession, lie nearest their hearts. This ought not\nso to be. It is a sinful conformity to the spirit of the world. The\ngreat object of social intercourse among Christians should be, to\npromote brotherly love and Christian fellowship. And how can these ends\nbe answered, when their conversation is altogether about the affairs of\nthe world? I do not say that it is wrong to talk about these things. The\nsmallest matters claim a portion of our attention. But it is wrong to\nmake them the principal topics of conversation, to the exclusion of\nheavenly things. When we do speak of them, it should be with some good\nend in view; and our conversation should always be seasoned by the\napplication of Christian principle to all subjects.\n\nIn addition to the general obligation of social intercourse among\nChristians, there are some particular duties which they owe to one\nanother. They are to exercise mutual forbearance and tenderness towards\neach other's faults, and, at the same time, to watch over and admonish\none another. Whenever you see a brother or a sister out of the way, it\nis your duty, with meekness, tenderly and kindly to administer reproof.\n\"If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such\nan one in the spirit of meekness.\" \"With all lowliness and meekness,\nwith long-suffering, _forbearing one another in love_.\" In all cases,\nwhere one is to be selected for the performance of a particular duty,\nwhich may seem to confer honor, prefer others to yourself. \"In honor\npreferring one another.\" \"In lowliness of mind, let each esteem other\nbetter than themselves.\" \"Yea, all of you, be subject one to another,\nand be clothed with humility.\" \"Submitting yourselves one to another in\nthe fear of God.\" Yet, do not carry this principle so far as to refuse\nto act where duty calls. A disposition to be backward in such matters is\noften a serious hindrance to benevolent effort. Be always ready to\nengage in any enterprise for doing good; but prefer the office which\nrequires the most labor with the least honor. Christians ought also to\ntake delight in assisting each other; and to feel personally interested\nin each other's welfare. In short, the feeling that pervades the church\nshould be preeminently a FAMILY FEELING.\n\n3. _There are also some special duties growing out of your relations to\ngeneral society._ Be ever ready to interchange kind offices with every\none who maintains a decent moral deportment; and be kind and\ncompassionate, even to the vicious, so far as you can, without\nassociating with them on terms of equality. By this means you may win\nthe affections of impenitent sinners, and thereby secure their attention\nto direct efforts for the salvation of their souls. But, you should\nnever suffer your feelings of complacency and good-will towards those\nwho are destitute of piety, to lead you to conform to the spirit of the\nworld which influences their conduct. Your social intercourse with them\nshould be regulated upon this principle. Never go any farther into their\nsociety than you can carry your religion with you. \"Be not conformed to\nthis world.\"\n\n4. _Although it be your duty to visit, yet, in this matter, be careful\nto be governed by religious principle._ There is, in the human mind, a\ntendency to run into extremes in everything. Against this you need\nespecially to be on your guard in social intercourse. When visiting is\nexcessive, it dissipates the mind, and unfits it for any laborious\nemployment. When this state of mind becomes habitual, a person is never\neasy except when in company. The most vigorous mind may thus be rendered\ncomparatively inert and powerless. But, on the other hand, by shutting\nyourself out from society, you will dry up the social feelings of the\nheart; you will acquire a monkish love of solitude; and your temper will\nbecome soured towards your fellow-beings. You must therefore give to\nvisiting its proper place in the routine of Christian duty. That place\nis just the one which it can occupy without encroaching upon more\nimportant duties. It should be the Christian's _recreation_. Seasons of\nrelaxation from the more laborious duties of life are undoubtedly\nnecessary; and I know of nothing which can better answer this end than\nthe intelligent and pious conversation of Christian friends. Your\nfriends have claims upon your time and attention. But, these claims can\nnever extend so far as to encroach upon more important duties, or to\nimpair your ability to do good to yourself and others. As soon as you\ndiscover a secret uneasiness, when out of company, or whenever you find\nthat the demands of the social circle have led you to neglect other\nduties, it is time to diminish the number of your visits. But do not, on\nsuch occasions, violate Christian sincerity, by inventing excuses to\nsatisfy your friends. Tell them plainly your reasons, and if they are\nreally what they profess to be, they will see the propriety of your\nconduct, and be satisfied.\n\n5. _Never go into company where the spirit and maxims of the world\npredominate._ I know this will cut you off from a large portion of\nsociety, yet, I believe it to be a rule founded upon the word of God. If\nwe would not be conformed to the world, we must not follow its maxims\nnor partake of its spirit. I know it is often said we should go into\nsuch society for the purpose of exerting a religious influence. But the\npractical result is directly the contrary. The spirit which prevails in\nsuch company is destructive of all religious feeling: it freezes up the\nwarm affections of the Christian's heart. The consequence is, he is\nashamed to acknowledge his Master, and avow his principles, where the\nprevailing current is against him. He therefore moves along with it, to\nthe injury of his own soul, and the wounding of his Master's cause. His\nworldly companions see no difference between his conduct and their own;\nand conclude, either that all is right with themselves, or that he is a\nhypocrite. Large parties, as a general rule, are unfriendly to the\nhealth both of body and soul. The most profitable kind of social\nintercourse is the informal meting of small circles, of which a\nsufficient number are pious to give a direction and tone to\nconversation.\n\n6. _When in company, labor to give a profitable direction to\nconversation._ If there are elder persons present, who introduce general\ndiscourse of a profitable character, let your words be few. It is\ngenerally better, in such cases, to learn in silence. When an\nopportunity offers, however, for you to say anything that will add\ninterest to the conversation, do not fail to improve it. But let your\nideas be well conceived, and your words well chosen. \"A word fitly\nspoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.\" The interest of\nconversation does not depend so much upon the multitude of words, as\nupon the matter they contain, and their appropriateness to the subject.\nBut, when no other person introduces profitable conversation, take it\nupon yourself. If you will study to be _skilful_ in the matter, you may\nturn any conversation to good account. This was one of the peculiar\nbeauties of our Saviour's discourse. Whatever subject was introduced, he\ninvariably drew from it some important lesson. If you are on the alert,\nyou may always give a proper turn to conversation in this way. I do not\nsay that conversation should always be exclusively religious. But it\nshould be of a kind calculated to improve either the mind or heart, and\nit should at all times partake of the savor of piety. \"Let your speech\nbe always with grace, seasoned with salt.\" No proper opportunity,\nhowever, should be lost, of making a direct religious impression. If the\nsolemn realities of divine things were always present to our minds, as\nthey ought to be, we should never be at a loss to speak of them in a\nbecoming manner. When you meet with persons who are living without hope,\nlose no proper occasion to warn them of their danger, and show them the\nsinfulness of their lives, and the guilt of rejecting the Saviour. But\nthis should be done as privately as possible. Speaking to them abruptly,\nin the presence of company, often has a tendency to provoke opposition,\nand harden them in sin. However, this caution is not always necessary.\nIf there is much tenderness of conscience, admonition will be well\nreceived, even in the presence of others. Great care should be taken, on\nboth sides, that you neither injure them by your imprudence, nor neglect\nyour duty to their souls, through excessive carelessness. Study wisdom,\nskilfulness, and discretion, in all things.\n\n7. _Set your face against the discussion of the characters of those who\nare absent._ This is a most pernicious practice, quite too prevalent at\nthe present day. I would have you avoid, as much as possible, speaking\neven of the good qualities of those who are absent, for two reasons: 1.\nI see no good likely to result from it; therefore it must be an\nunprofitable method of spending time. 2. It leads us to speak also of\ntheir faults, so as to give their whole characters; and this is evil\nspeaking. Never allow yourself to say anything to the disadvantage of\nany person, unless your duty to others may require it. This, however,\nwill rarely happen; but it may sometimes be your duty to caution others\nagainst being ensnared by one whose character you know to be bad. The\nScriptures condemn backbiting and evil speaking in the most pointed\nterms. \"Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil\nof his brother, speaketh evil of the law.\" \"Speak evil of no man.\" \"Let\nall bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and _evil speaking_,\nbe put away from you.\" \"Debates, envyings, wrath, strifes,\n_backbitings_, _whisperings_, swellings, tumults.\" \"_Whisperers_,\n_backbiters_, haters of God, despiteful.\" Here we see how the Lord\nregards this sin; for he has classed it with the exercise of the most\nabominable passions of the human heart. Yet, how common is it for\nprofessors of religion to speak freely, and without reserve, of the\ncharacters of others, and even of their own brethren and sisters in the\nchurch. This is a great sin, and it is productive of much evil in the\nchurch and in society. It creates heart-burnings, jealousies, and\nstrife; and furnishes employment for _tale-bearers_, that most\ndespicable set of mischief-makers. But this sin is often committed\nwithout saying anything directly against another. A sly insinuation is\noften productive of more mischief than direct evil speaking. It leaves a\nvague, but strong impression upon the mind of the hearer, against the\ncharacter of the person spoken of; and often creates a prejudice which\nis never removed. This is most unjust and unfair, because it leaves the\ncharacter of the injured person resting under suspicion, without his\nhaving an opportunity to remove it. This is probably what the apostle\nmeans by _whisperers_. Solomon, also, speaking of the naughty person and\nwicked man, says, \"He _winketh with his eyes_, he _speaketh with his\nfeet_.\" \"He that _winketh with the eye_ causeth shame.\" How often do we\nsee this winking and speaking by gestures and knowing looks, when the\ncharacters of others are under discussion! Open and unreserved evil\nspeaking is unchristian; but this winking and speaking with the feet is\nmean and dishonorable. Whenever you perceive a disposition to make\ninvidious remarks about others, refuse to join in the conversation, and\nmanifest your decided disapprobation. \"The north wind driveth away rain;\nso doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.\" Bear in mind the\nwords of the apostle James: \"If any man among you seemeth to be\nreligious, and _bridleth not his tongue_, but deceiveth his own heart,\nthis man's religion is vain.\" So you see the habitual indulgence of this\nsin will cut off the hope of the loudest professors.\n\n8. _Avoid speaking of yourself._ When any person makes himself and his\nown affairs the principal topics of conversation, he shows himself to be\nsupremely selfish, and ridiculously vain. It is also treating others\nwith great disrespect: as though one's self were of more consequence\nthan the whole company. Endeavor to keep yourself as much as possible\nout of view, and to direct the thoughts and conversation of the company\naway from personal affairs, to intellectual, moral and religious\nsubjects. But, when any of your friends make known their difficulties to\nyou, manifest an interest in their affairs, sympathize with them, and\nrender them all the assistance in your power.\n\n9. _Never indulge a suspicious disposition._ Many persons destroy their\nown peace, and gain the ill-will of others, by the exercise of this\nunhappy temper. You have no right to think others dislike you, until\nthey have manifested their dislike. Accustom yourself to repose\nconfidence in your associates. It is better to be sometimes deceived,\nthan never to trust. And if you are always jealous of those around you,\nbe sure you will soon alienate their affections. In your intercourse\nwith others of your own age and sex, be willing always to advance at\nleast half way, and with those whose habits are very retiring, you may\neven go farther. Many persons of sterling worth have so low an opinion\nof themselves, as to doubt whether even their own equals wish to form an\nacquaintance. \"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly.\"\nAlways put the best construction upon the conduct of others. Do not\nattach more meaning to their language and conduct than they properly\nexpress. If at any time you really believe yourself slighted, take no\nnotice of it. Yet be careful never to intrude yourself into society\nwhere you have good reason to believe your company is not desired.\n\n10. _Be cautious in the formation of intimate friendships._ Christians\nshould always regard one another as friends. Yet peculiar circumstances,\ntogether with congeniality of sentiment and feeling, may give rise to a\npersonal attachment much stronger than the common bond which unites all\nChristians. Of this, we have a most beautiful example in the case of\nDavid and Jonathan. This appears to be a perfect pattern of Christian\nfriendship. They both doubtless loved other pious people. But there was\nexisting between them a peculiar personal attachment. Their souls were\n\"_knit together_.\" Friendships of this kind should not be numerous, and\nthe objects of them should be well chosen. Long acquaintance is\nnecessary that you may be able to repose unlimited confidence in the\nfriend to whom you unbosom your whole heart. Form no such friendships\nhastily. Think what would have been the consequence if David had been\ndeceived in this friend. He would most certainly have lost his life.\n\n11. _Before going into company, visit your closet._ Pray that the Lord\nwould so direct your steps that you may do all things for his glory;\nthat he would enable you to spend the time profitably to yourself and\nothers; that he would keep you from evil speaking, levity, and foolish\njesting, and every impropriety; and that he would enable you to exert a\nreligious influence over those with whom you may meet. Be assured, if\nyou go out without observing this precaution, you will return with a\nwounded soul.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XVI.\n\n_Charity._\n\n \"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity\n vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself\n unseemly; seeketh not her own; is not easily provoked; thinketh no\n evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;\n beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things,\n endureth all things.\"--1 Cor. 13:4-7.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER:\n\nAlthough I have often alluded, in the course of these letters, to the\nwork of the Holy Spirit, and his blessed fruit in the heart and life,\nyet so deeply do I feel impressed with the excellency and amiable\nsweetness of the grace of _Charity_, that I feel constrained to commend\nit to your notice in a separate letter. Charity is the queen of the\ngraces, excelling even faith and hope, and enduring when all those gifts\nwhich add brilliancy to the character shall cease their attractions;\nand, though you may not possess great personal charms, superior\naccomplishments, or great powers of mind, yet if you do but \"put on\ncharity,\" you will, like the blessed Saviour, \"grow in favor both with\nGod and man.\"\n\nThe apostle calls charity the \"bond of perfectness;\" alluding to the\ngirdle of the Orientals, which was not only ornamental and expensive,\nbut was put on last, serving to adjust the other parts of the dress, and\nkeep the whole together. It is a bond which holds all the Christian\ngraces in harmonious union, and, by keeping them together, secures a\npermanent completeness and consistency of character. Without the\ngirdle, the flowing robes of Oriental dress would present a sad\nappearance; hardly serving the purposes of decency. So the apostle\nconcludes that the most brilliant gifts and heroic actions are all\nnothing without charity.\n\nCharity, however, is not to be understood in the popular sense of\n_almsgiving_. It is the same word which is elsewhere rendered _love_. It\nmeans a benevolent disposition of heart--love to God and good will to\nman, diffused through the whole character and conduct. But the\ndescription of charity given by the apostle relates chiefly to its\nmanifestations in our intercourse with our fellow-men. My principal\nobject in this letter will be to apply this description so as to\ndiscover _negatively_ what conduct is inconsistent with charity, and\n_positively_ the effect of charity on the human character.\n\nI. Charity _suffereth long_. It will endure ill-treatment, and prefer\nsuffering to strife. It will not resent the first encroachments, but\npatiently bear with injuries as long as they can be borne. If charity\nreigns in your heart, you will consider how many and aggravated are your\noffences against God, and yet that his long-suffering bears with your\nperverseness, and he is daily loading you with benefits; and shall you\nbe impatient of the slightest offences from a fellow worm? Consider also\nhow liable you are to encroach upon the rights of others, and to try\ntheir patience by your infirmities. Do not, therefore, be hasty in the\nindulgence of hard thoughts of others, nor impatient of their faults and\ninfirmities. How much contention and strife might be avoided by a little\nforbearance! and who is there so perfect as not sometimes to need it to\nbe extended toward himself? The ills of social life are greatly\nmitigated by the exercise of mutual forbearance; and they find no place\nunder the sweet reign of charity.\n\nII. But charity not only _suffereth long_, but _is kind_. \"It is benign,\nbountiful, courteous, and obliging.\" But why did the apostle couple\nthese two dispositions together? \"_Charity suffereth long_, AND IS\nKIND.\" Evidently, because long-suffering without kindness would be\nunavailing. If you bear with the injuries or supposed offences of\nanother, and yet suffer your mind to be soured, and your kind offices\nremitted, the wound will corrode and inflame, till it breaks out with\ntenfold violence. But benignity of temper, and the constant practice of\nfriendly offices and benevolent actions, will disarm ill-nature, and\nbring the offender to see the folly of his conduct. \"A soft answer\nturneth away wrath; and the kind treatment of an enemy will pour coals\nof fire on his head.\" What can be more lovely than a kind and obliging\ndisposition, which delights in occasions and opportunities of\ncontributing to the comfort and happiness of others! This disposition\nadorns with peculiar grace the female character. Solomon, describing a\nvirtuous woman, says, \"In her tongue is the law of kindness.\" If you\ncultivate this disposition at all times, and in all places, your\npresence will add a charm to every circle; you will honor your Master;\nand your ability to advance his cause will be greatly enhanced. In your\nefforts to do good, with the law of kindness in your lips, you can\npenetrate where, without it, you could gain no admittance; and in your\nexpostulations with the impenitent, you can reach the heart, by the\nexhibition of a kind and tender spirit, where otherwise you would be\nrepulsed like the seven sons of Seeva, who presumptuously attempted, in\nimitation of Paul, to cast out devils in the name of Jesus. Especially\nis this disposition requisite in a Sabbath-school teacher. Without it,\nhe can accomplish very little. Children cannot be won without kindness.\nIf, then, you would be successful in this enterprise of love, cultivate\na tender regard for the \"little lambs,\" and be kind to them whenever you\nmeet them. Never see a child in trouble without relieving him; or, if\nyou can do no more, show your sympathy for his sufferings by such kind\noffices as are within your power.\n\nIII. Charity _envieth not_. It is not grieved but gratified to see\nothers more prosperous and wealthy, more intelligent and refined, or\nmore holy. The extension of holiness and happiness is an object of\nrejoicing to the benevolent mind, without regard to himself.\n\nThere are some persons who are always complaining of the rich, and\nfretting about the aristocratic spirit of those whose rank and station,\neducation or mental endowments, place them in any respect above\nthemselves. This is a sure indication of an envious disposition. There\nmay be, in these respects, some ground of complaint; but place these\npersons in the situation of those of whom they complain, and where the\nlatter are proud, the former would probably be aristocratic; and where\nthese are aristocratic, those would be tyrannical.\n\nAn envious disposition argues, 1. _A want of self-respect._ If we\nrespect ourselves, we shall not desire the factitious importance arising\nfrom wealth so much as to grieve that others have more of it than\nourselves; nor shall we be willing to concede so much merit to the\npossession of wealth as to suspect those who have it of esteeming us the\nless because we have it not. 2. It argues a _want of benevolence_. The\ntruly benevolent mind desires the increase of rational enjoyment, and\nwill therefore rejoice in the happiness of others, without respect to\nhis own. 3. It argues a _want of magnanimity_. The truly great will\nrejoice in the intellectual and moral elevation of others, as adding so\nmuch to the sum of human excellence. But the envious person cannot bear\nto see any other one elevated above himself. This is the spirit that\nbrought Haman to the gallows, and Satan from the seat of an archangel to\nthe throne of devils. 4. It argues a _narrow, selfish spirit_--_a little\nand mean mind_. The law of God requires us to love our neighbor as\nourselves, and reason sanctions the requisition. But, the envious person\nwill hate his neighbor, because he is not permitted to love him less\nthan himself.\n\nIf you regard your own happiness, I conjure you to suppress the first\nmotions of this vile and hateful temper; for, while indulged, it will\ngive you no peace. Its envenomed darts will rankle and corrode in your\nbosom, and poison all your enjoyments. It is a disposition which can\nnever be satisfied so long as there is a superior being in the universe.\nIt is aimed ultimately at the throne of God; and the envious person can\nnever be happy while God reigns. The effects of this disposition upon\nhuman character and happiness are strikingly illustrated in the story of\nHaman, which I commend to your serious attention. Cultivate, then, the\nhabit of being pleased and gratified with the happiness and prosperity\nof others; and constantly seek the grace of God to enable you to\nexercise benevolent feelings toward all, but especially those who are\nelevated in any respect above you.\n\nIV. _Charity vaunteth not itself_, (or, as in the margin,) _is not\nrash_--_is not puffed up_. \"It does not act precipitately,\ninconsiderately, rashly, thoughtlessly.\" Some people mistake a rash and\nheedless spirit for genuine zeal; and this puffs them up with pride and\nvain-glory, and sets them to railing at their betters in age,\nexperience, or wisdom, because they will not fall into their views and\nmeasures. There is scarcely any trait of character more unlovely,\nespecially in a young person, than self-conceit. If the youth who is\npuffed up with a sense of his own consequence could but see the mingled\nemotions of pity and disgust which his conduct excites in the bosom of\nage and wisdom, he would be filled with confusion and shame.\n\nYou will hear such persons prating much of independence of mind. They\nhave respect to the opinions of the ancients? Not they! They think for\nthemselves; and form their own opinions without respect to what others\nhave thought, and said, and written. They would scorn to consult a\ncommentary to assist them in determining a difficult passage of\nScripture, or the writings of a learned divine, to help them out of a\ntheological difficulty. That would be subjecting their minds to the\ninfluence of prejudice, or betraying a want of confidence in their own\ninfallible powers!--which is the last idea they would think of\nentertaining. The long-cherished opinions of great, and wise, and good\nmen, are disposed of with a sneer. They be influenced by great names?\nNot they!\n\nYou will hear them delivering their opinions, pragmatically, and with\nstrong assurance, on points of great difficulty, which good men of the\ngreatest learning and ability have approached with diffidence; and\nboldly advancing ideas which they suppose to have originated in the\ndepths of their own recondite minds, which they afterwards learn, with\nchagrin, are but some old, cast-off, crude theories or speculations,\nwhich had been a hundred times advanced, and as many times refuted,\nbefore they were born. But the matter appears so plain to them that they\ncannot imagine how any honest mind can come to any other conclusion.\nHence, they are ready to doubt the piety of all who differ with them, if\nnot to assume the office of judge, and charge them with insincerity or\nhypocrisy. Whereas, in truth, their strong confidence in their opinions\narises from having examined the subject partially and superficially, and\noverlooked the objections and difficulties which readily occur to a\nwell-balanced and discriminating mind.\n\nI would not, however, be understood to recommend implicit submission to\nthe judgment and opinions even of the greatest or even the best of men.\nThis is Popery. The mind must be convinced before it yields assent to\nany position. But it would be the height of self-conceited arrogance for\nany person, but especially for a youth, to presume himself too wise to\ngain instruction from the writings of men who have devoted their lives\nto the investigation of truth; or summarily to set aside, as unworthy of\nhis attention, opinions which have been embraced by the greatest and\nbest of men for successive generations. Nor does it argue any uncommon\nindependence of mind; for, you will generally find such persons arranged\nunder the banner of some one of the various schools of theology,\nmorals, philosophy, or politics, and following on with ardor the devious\ncourse of their leader receiving whatever falls from his lips as the\nvoice of an oracle, and running with enthusiasm into all his\nextravagances. Like the vane upon the spire, that lifts up itself with\nproud eminence to the clouds, they are ready to be carried about by\nevery wind of doctrine. Whereas true independence of mind consists in\nweighing evidence and argument impartially, and forming a decision\nindependent of prejudice, party feeling, pride of opinion, or self-will;\nand, when coupled with humility, it will always rejoice to receive\ninstruction from any source. The person who knows himself will be deeply\nhumbled under a sense of his own weakness and ignorance, and will\nadvance his opinions with modesty, while he treats the opinions of\nothers with becoming respect.\n\nV. Again, Charity _doth not behave itself unseemly_. It does not\ndisregard the courtesies of life, nor break over the bounds of decency\nand decorum; but pays a strict regard to propriety of conduct under all\ncircumstances. But, it may not be amiss to enumerate some of those\nthings which, by their unseemliness, render the conduct of any person\nrepulsive and disgusting.\n\n1. Forwardness, or a disposition to be conspicuous, is unseemly,\nespecially in a young person. It is indeed the duty of every one to be\nalways ready to engage in every good work; and it is wrong to be\nbackward, and refuse to cooperate with others, in carrying on any useful\nenterprise. But the heart is deceitful: and, while we satisfy our\nconsciences with the idea that we are going forward in the discharge of\nduty, we may be but feeding our own vain-glorious spirits, by bringing\nourselves into notice. An humble Christian has a low estimate of his\nability to do good; and is generally disposed to prefer others, as\nbetter qualified than himself, to occupy any conspicuous post. \"In honor\npreferring one another.\" He will, therefore, be modest and retiring;\nthough, when the course of duty is plain, he will by no means shrink\nfrom it. \"The righteous are hold as a lion.\" There are several\ncharacteristics, however, which distinguish the forward, unseemly\nspirit. He is jealous and testy. You will hear him complaining of the\naristocratic spirit of others; and if he is not noticed as much as he\nthinks he deserves, he will take offence. He will rarely he found\ncordially cooeperating with others, in any good work, unless he is\nforemost in it himself. If you wish to secure his aid, or forestall his\nopposition, you must he careful to consult him before you undertake any\nenterprise. Should you neglect to do so, however good your object, or\nwell chosen your measures, you may expect him to find fault, and throw\nobstacles in the way, at every step of your progress. Such persons often\nexhibit a fiery zeal and restless activity, which seem for a time to\neclipse all their contemporaries. But it is a zeal and activity for\n_self_: for it is never roused except for the promotion of an object\nwith which self is in some manner identified.\n\n2. To assume, in a dictatorial manner, to catechise others as to their\nviews on any subject, especially if they are older than yourself, is\nunseemly. You will meet with some persons who seem to take it for\ngranted that they have a right to call you to account for your opinions,\nand to determine authoritatively your claim to the character which you\nprofess. I do not question the propriety of kind and modest inquiries as\nto the opinions and views of others; nor of endeavoring, by fair and\ncandid arguments, to convince them of what we suppose to be their\nerrors. But then we must never forget that they are our equals,\npossessing the same right to judge of the truth with ourselves, and\naccountable for their errors to the same tribunal. This will leave no\nground for the exercise of a dogmatical or a dictatorial spirit.\n\n3. It is unseemly for young persons to be foremost in speaking, in\ncompany, or to give advice with confidence in regard to anything which\nis to influence the conduct of their superiors in age, wisdom, or\nexperience. Elihu, although a man of superior knowledge and abilities,\ndid not presume to speak to Job till his aged friends had ceased; for he\nsaid, \"Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.\"\nYoung persons sometimes render themselves ridiculous by such unseemly\nconduct. The prophet Isaiah gives this as one of the marks of a\ndegenerate age, that \"the child shall behave himself proudly against the\nancient, and the base against the honorable.\"\n\n4. Fierce contention about personal rights, is unseemly. It begets a\nselfish, jealous spirit. You never hear this where love reigns; for love\nis a yielding spirit. The spirit that can never brook the least\nencroachment upon his rights, is an unseemly spirit, which will always\nbe embroiled in some difficulty or other.\n\n5. All coarseness, grossness, or rudeness of character, is unseemly.\nThis negative description of one of the characteristics of charity is\nsufficiently comprehensive, if exhibited in all its details, to fill a\nvolume. It conveys the idea of an exquisite propriety of deportment,\nfree from everything indelicate, obtrusive, repulsive, or unamiable.\n\nVI. Charity _seeketh not her own_. It is not selfish. The temper here\ndescribed is inculcated in a beautiful manner in Paul's epistle to the\nPhilippians. He exhorts them, in lowliness of mind, each to esteem other\nbetter than themselves; and not to look exclusively on their own things,\nbut also on the things of others; and then commends to them the example\nof our Lord, who, though King of kings, humbled himself to the condition\nof a servant, enduring hardship, contumely, and an ignominious death,\nfor our sakes. This does not mean that we are not to love ourselves at\nall, nor be entirely regardless of our own interests; for the rule which\nrequires us to love our neighbor _as ourselves_, recognizes the right of\nself-love; and the command, \"Thou shalt not steal,\" establishes the\nright of private property. But it forbids us to make our own interest\nand happiness our chief concern, to the disregard of the rights of\nothers and the general good; and requires us to make sacrifices of\nfeeling and interest for the benefit of others, and even sometimes to\nprefer their happiness and interest to our own. This is the spirit of\ngenuine benevolence; and the exercise of it will impart far more\nelevated enjoyment than can be derived from private advantage.\n\nWere this disposition in exercise, it would cut off all ground of envy\nand jealousy; it would remove the cause of most of the contentions that\narise in society; and mitigate, in a wonderful degree, all the ills of\nlife. Indeed, this principle lies at the foundation of all social\nenjoyment. The reciprocity of mutual affection depends upon the exercise\nof a self-sacrificing disposition; and the society where this does not\nexist is intolerable. Nor is it feeling or interest alone that must be\ngiven up. There is yet a more difficult sacrifice to be made, before we\ncan be, in any considerable degree, comfortable companions. _It is the\nsacrifice of the will._ This is the last thing the selfish heart of man\nis disposed to yield. He has taken his stand, and the pride of his heart\nis committed to maintain it. He deceives himself, and compels conscience\nto come to his aid; while, in reality, it is a matter with which\nconscience has nothing to do, for the point might have been yielded\nwithout doing violence to that ever-wakeful monitor, whose office is\nthus perverted, and made to subserve the purposes of stiff-necked\nobstinacy. A disposition to yield to the judgment and will of others, so\nfar as can be done conscientiously, is a prominent characteristic of\nthat charity which seeketh not her own; while an obstinate adherence to\nour own plans and purposes, where no higher principle than expediency is\nconcerned, is one of the most repulsive and uncomfortable forms of\nselfishness.\n\nA selfish person never willingly makes the smallest sacrifice of feeling\nor interest to promote the welfare or happiness of others. He wraps\nhimself up in his own interests and pursuits, a cheerless and forbidding\nobject. He would gladly know no law but his own will. He has a little\nworld of his own, in which he lives, and moves, and has his being. He\nmakes every one, with whom he comes in contact, contribute something to\nhis own selfish purposes. His overweening desire to promote his own\ninterests, disposes him constantly to encroach upon the rights of\nothers; or, if not to encroach upon their rights, to take advantage of\ntheir good nature, to drag them into his service. You might as well walk\nfor pleasure in a grove of thorn-bushes, or seek repose on a bed of\nnettles, as to look for comfort in the society of selfish persons.\n\nVII. Charity _is not easily provoked_. \"It corrects a sharpness of\ntemper, and sweetens and softens the mind.\" It does not take fire at the\nleast opposition or unkindness, nor \"make a man an offender for a word.\"\nOne of the servants of Nabal described his character in this significant\nmanner: \"He is such a son of Belial that a man cannot speak to him.\"\nThere are many such sons and daughters of Belial. They are so sulky and\nsour, so fretful and peevish, that you can hardly speak to them, but\nthey will snap and snarl like a growling watch-dog; and if they were\nequally dangerous, it might not be less necessary to chain them. All\nthis is the opposite of charity. The quality here negatively described\nmay be summarily comprehended in the term _good nature_; but in a more\nelevated sense than this term is usually employed, it being the fruit,\nnot of natural amiableness, but of gracious affection. This temper is\nessential to any considerable degree of usefulness. If you are destitute\nof it, your Christian character will be so marred as in a great measure\nto counteract the influence of your positive efforts. A bad temper, even\nin connection with many excellent qualities, may render a person an\nuncomfortable companion and an intolerable yoke-fellow, and bring great\nreproach upon the cause of Christ. Nor need any one excuse himself on\nthe ground of natural disposition; for the Lord has said, \"My grace is\nsufficient for thee.\" The gospel of Jesus Christ is a remedy for all our\nnatural corruptions; and we are required to lay aside _every weight_,\neven the sin that most easily besets us.\n\nVIII. Charity _thinketh no evil_--is not suspicious--does not lay up\nslight expressions or equivocal conduct, and reason out evil from them,\nand suffer it to corrode and sour the mind against an individual; but\nputs the best construction upon the words and conduct of others that\nthey will bear, not yielding to an ill opinion of another, but upon the\nmost indisputable evidence. There is, perhaps, no more fruitful source\nof disquiet and unhappiness, both to ourselves and others, than a\nsuspicious disposition. \"Jealousy,\" says Solomon, \"is cruel as the\ngrave: the coals thereof are the coals of fire, which hath a most\nvehement flame.\" Nor is this language too intense. A jealous person\nalways sees a \"snake in the grass.\" He is afraid to trust his most\nintimate friend. He puts the worst construction upon the language and\nconduct of others that they will bear: hence he conceives himself\ngrossly insulted, when no ill was designed; and a gentle rebuke, or a\ngood-humored repartee, constitutes an unpardonable offence. He always\nlooks on the dark side of human character, so that a single foible or\none glaring fault will eclipse a thousand real excellences. He is always\ncomplaining of the degeneracy of the times, and especially of the\ncorruption of the church; for he can see nobody around him who is\nperfect, and therefore he comes to the conclusion that there is very\nlittle piety in the world; forgetting that, were he to find a church of\nimmaculate purity, his own connection with it would introduce\ncorruption. Should such a person conceive it to be his duty to tell you\nall your faults, woe betide you! for desirable as self-knowledge is, it\nis no kindness to have our faults aggravated a hundred-fold, and\nconcentrated before our minds like the converging rays of the sun, in\none focal blaze, nor poured upon our heads like the sweeping torrent,\nnor eked out like the incessant patterings of a drizzling rain. Thus did\nnot Paul. When he felt it his duty to reprove, he was careful to commend\nwhat was praiseworthy, and to throw in some expressions of kindness\nalong with his censures. And here, though it be a digression, let me\nconjure you never to undertake the unthankful office of censor. You will\nfind some inexperienced persons who will desire you, as an office of\nfriendship, to tell them all their faults. Be sure, if you undertake\nthis with a friend, your friendship will be short. It will lead you to\nlook continually at the dark side of your friend's character, and,\nbefore you are aware, you will find yourself losing your esteem for it.\nVery soon, you will beget the suspicion that you have conceived some\ndislike. If the cause is continued, this suspicion will corrode and\nincrease; and the result will be, a mutual alienation of affection.\nHowever sincerely such an experiment may be entered upon, it can hardly\nfail, in the nature of things, to produce this result.\n\nIt may, however, be said, that we are bound, by our covenant\nobligations, to _watch over our brethren._ But there can scarcely be a\ngreater misapprehension than to understand this duty in the sense of an\nincessant lookout to discern and discover the little faults and foibles,\nor even the more marked and glaring defects of character, in our\nbrethren. The injunction is, \"If thy brother trespass _against thee_, go\nand tell him his fault,\" &c. But I know of no passage of Scripture which\nrequires us to procure a magnifying-glass, and go about making a\nbusiness of detecting and exposing the faults of our brethren. On the\ncontrary, there are many cautions against a meddlesome disposition, and\nagainst being busy bodies in other men's matters. We are required, with\ngreat frequency and solemnity, to watch ourselves; but where is the\ninjunction, \"Watch thy brethren?\" Even the Saviour himself did not thus\nattempt to correct the faults of his disciples. He rebuked them, indeed,\nand sometimes sharply; but he was not continually reminding them of\ntheir faults. He was not incessantly brow-beating Peter for his\nrashness, nor Thomas for his incredulity, nor the sons of Zebedee for\ntheir ambition. But he \"taught them _as they were able to bear it_;\"\nand that rather by holding up before their minds the truth, than by\ndirect personal lectures.\n\nOur covenant obligations unquestionably make it our duty to watch and\nsee that our brethren do not pursue a course of life inconsistent with\ntheir Christian profession, or which tends to backsliding and apostasy;\nand if they are true disciples, they will be thankful for a word of\ncaution, when they are in danger of falling into sin. And when they do\nthus fall, we are required to rebuke them, and not to suffer sin upon\nthem. But this is a very different affair from that of setting up a\nsystem of espionage over their conduct, and dwelling continually upon\ntheir faults and deficiencies. This latter course cannot long be\npursued, without an unhappy influence upon our own temper. The human\nmind is so constituted as to be affected by the objects it contemplates,\nand often assimilated to them. Show me a person who is always\ncontemplating the faults of others, and I will show you a dark and\ngloomy, sour and morose spirit, whose eyes are hermetically closed to\neverything that is desirable and excellent, or amiable and lovely, in\nthe character of man--a grumbling, growling misanthrope, who is never\npleased with anybody, nor satisfied with anything--an Ishmaelite, whose\nhand is against every man, and every man's hand against him. If there is\nnothing in the human character, regenerated by the grace of God, on\nwhich we can look with complacency and delight, then it is impossible\nfor us to obey the sacred injunction, \"Love the brethren.\"\n\nIX. Charity _rejoiceth not in iniquity_, but _rejoiceth in the truth_.\nOne mark by which the people of God are known is, that they \"sigh and\ncry over the abominations that are done in the land,\" and weep rivers of\nwater because men keep not the law of God; while the wicked \"rejoice to\ndo evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked.\" But we may\ndeceive ourselves, and be indulging a morbid appetite for fault-finding\nand slander, while we suppose ourselves to be grieving over the sins of\nothers. Grief is a tender emotion. It melts the heart, and sheds around\nit a hallowed influence. Hence, if we find ourselves indulging a sharp,\ncensorious spirit, eagerly catching up the faults of others, and\ndwelling on them, and magnifying them, and judging harshly of them, we\nmay be sure we have another mark, which belongs not to the fold of the\nGood Shepherd. One of the prominent characteristics of an impenitent\nheart is a disposition to feed upon the faults of professors of\nreligion. Those who indulge this disposition will not admit that they\ntake delight in the failings of Christians. They will condemn them with\ngreat severity, and lament over the dishonor they bring upon religion.\nYet they catch at the deficiencies of Christians as eagerly as ever a\nhungry spaniel caught after his meat. This is the whole of their\nspiritual meat and drink. It is the foundation of their hopes. They rest\ntheir claim for admittance into the celestial paradise on being quite as\nconsistent in their conduct as those who profess to be God's people;\nhence, every deficiency they discover gives them a new plea to urge at\nthe portals of heaven. Thus they secretly, though perhaps unwittingly,\n\"rejoice in iniquity.\" But it is to be feared, if we may judge from the\nexhibition of the same spirit, that many who make high pretensions to\nsuperior sanctity rest their hopes, to a great extent, on a similar\nfoundation. With the Pharisaical Jews, they think if they judge them\nthat do evil, even though they do the same, they shall escape the\njudgment of God. They are as eager to catch up and proclaim upon the\nhouse-top the deficiencies of their brethren, as the self-righteous\nmoralist, who prides himself on making no profession, and yet being as\nconsistent as those that do. If such persons do not rejoice in iniquity,\nit is nevertheless \"sweet in their mouth,\" and they \"drink it in like\nwater.\" Their plea is, that they do not speak of it with pleasure, but\nwith grief bear their testimony against it. But grief is a very\ndifferent passion from that which swells in their bosoms. Grief is\nsolitary and silent. \"He sitteth alone and keepeth silence.\" Who ever\nheard of a man's proclaiming his grief to every passing stranger? Yet,\nyou may not be five minutes in the company of one of these persons, till\nhe begins to proclaim his grief at the delinquencies of his Christian\nbrethren. And the harsh and bitter spirit, which palms itself on the\nconscience as a testimony against sin, is but an exhibition of\nimpenitent pride. It bears not the most distant semblance of Christian\nhumility and fidelity. \"Brethren,\" says the apostle, \"if a man be\novertaken in a fault, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness;\n_considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted._\" But, from the\nfault-finding and censorious spirit of some people, one would suppose it\nnever came into their minds to consider whether it might not be possible\nfor them to fall into the same condemnation; although an examination of\nthe lamentable falls that have taken place might show a fearful list of\ndelinquents from this class of persons. David, while in his fallen\nstate, pronounced sentence of death upon the man in Nathan's parable,\nwhose crime was but a faint shadow of his own. The Scribes and Pharisees\nwere indignant at the wretched woman who had been taken in sin; yet they\nafterwards, by their own conduct, confessed themselves guilty of the\nsame crime. Judas was one of your censorious fault-finders. He was the\none that found fault with the tender-hearted Mary, for her affectionate\ntribute of respect to the Lord of Life, before his passion. He thought\nit a great waste to pour such costly ointment on the feet of Jesus; and\nthat it would have been much better to have sold it and given the money\nto the poor. He was very compassionate to the poor, and a great enemy of\nextravagance; but a little while afterwards, he sold his Lord for thirty\npieces of silver. So, in every age, if you examine into the character of\napostates, you will find that they have been noted for their severity\nagainst the sins of others; and particularly in making conscience of\nthings indifferent, and pronouncing harsh judgment against those who\nrefuse to conform to their views. Especially will such persons be\ngrieved with their brethren on account of their dress, or style of\nliving, or their manner of wearing the hair; or some such matter that\ndoes not reach the heart. I was once acquainted with a woman, who\n(except in her own family and among her neighbors) had the reputation of\nbeing _very devotedly pious_, who went to her pastor, (an aged and\nvenerable man,) greatly grieved because he was in the habit of combing\nhis hair upwards, so as to cover his baldness. She was afraid it was\npride. She was a great talker, and often had difficulties with her\nbrethren and sisters in the church; for she thought it her duty to\nexercise a watchful care over them. Whether she was self-deceived, or\nhypocritical, I cannot say; but she used to shed tears freely in her\nreligious conversations. She, however, as I have since learned, after\nmaintaining her standing in the church for many years, apostatized and\nbecame openly abandoned. You need not look over half a dozen parishes,\nanywhere, to find cases of a kindred character.\n\nThe humble Christian, who looks back to the \"hole of the pit whence he\nwas digged,\" and remembers that he now stands by virtue of the same\ngrace that took his feet out of the \"horrible pit and miry clay,\" will\nbe the last person to vaunt over the fallen condition of his\nfellow-creatures. He will look upon them with an eye of tender\ncompassion; and his rebukes will be administered in a meek, subdued, and\nhumble spirit, remembering the injunction of Paul, \"Let him that\nthinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.\" But the spirit of which I\nhave been speaking is not only _carnal_, but _devilish_. The devil is\nthe _accuser of the brethren._\n\nBut charity not only rejoiceth not in iniquity, but, _positively_,\nrejoiceth in the truth--is glad of the success of the gospel, and\nrejoices in the manifestation of the grace of God, by the exhibition of\nthe fruits of his Spirit in the character and conduct of his people.\nHence, it will lead us to look at the bright side of men's characters;\nand if they give any evidence of piety, to rejoice in it, and glorify\nGod for the manifestation of his grace in them, while we overlook, or\nbehold with tenderness and compassion, their imperfections. And this\naccords with the feelings of the humble Christian. He thinks so little\nof himself, and feels such a sense of his own imperfections, that he\nquickly discerns the least evidence of Christian character in others;\nand he sees so much to be overlooked in himself, that he is rather\ninclined to the extreme of credulity, in judging the characters of\nothers. He is ready, with Paul, to esteem himself \"less than the least\nof all saints;\" and where he sees any evidence of piety in others, he\ncan overlook many deficiencies.\n\nI am persuaded, that in few things we are more deficient than in the\nexercise of joy and gratitude for the grace of God manifested in his\nchildren. There are few of the epistles of Paul which do not commence\nwith an expression of joy and thanksgiving for the piety of those to\nwhom he was writing. I have been surprised, on looking over them, to\nfind these expressions so full and so frequent. They are too numerous to\nbe quoted in this place; but I entreat you to examine them for yourself.\nEven in regard to the Corinthians, among whom so many evils existed, he\nsays, \"I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which\nis given you by Jesus Christ.\" But who among us is ever heard thanking\nGod for the piety of his brethren? On the contrary, how many of the\nprayers that are offered up in our social meetings resemble the errands\nof a churlish man, who never visits his neighbor's house without\nentering some complaint against his children! Yet, we are under greater\nobligations for the least exhibition of gracious fruits in the lives of\nhis people, than for the daily bounties of his providence, inasmuch as\nthe gift of the Holy Ghost is greater than food and raiment.\n\nX. Thus far, with the exception of the first two heads, and a part of\nthe last, we have had the _negative_ character of Charity. We now come\nto its _positive_ manifestations, which have, however, to a\nconsiderable extent, been anticipated in the previous consideration of\nthe subject.\n\n1. Charity _beareth all things_; or, as it may be rendered, _covereth\nall things_. This seems to be more agreeable to the context; for\notherwise it would mean the same as _endureth all things_, in the latter\nclause of the verse, and thus make a tautology; while it leaves a\ndeficiency in the description, indicated by the passage in Peter,\n\"Charity shall cover the multitude of sins.\" \"Charity will draw a vail\nover the faults of others, so far as is consistent with duty.\" What\ntrait of character can be more amiable and lovely? It is the genuine\nspirit of the gospel, which requires us to \"do unto others as we would\nthey should do to us.\" And who would like to have his faults made the\nsubject of common conversation among his acquaintances? If no one would\nlike to be thus \"served up,\" let him be cautious how he treats others.\nAnd, if it is contrary to charity thus to speak of the faults of\nindividuals, it is not the less so to speak of the faults of masses of\nmen, as of the clergy or of the church. The injustice is the more\naggravated, because it is condemning by wholesale. A member of the\nchurch of Christ, who speaks much of its corruptions, is guilty of the\nanomalous conduct of _speaking evil of himself_; for the members of\nChrist's body are _all one in him_. It may sometimes be our duty to\nspeak of the faults of others; but, where charity reigns in the heart,\nthis will be done only in cases of unavoidable necessity, and then with\ngreat pain and sacrifice of feeling. The benevolent heart feels for the\nwoes of others, and even compassionates their weakness and wickedness.\nIt will desire, therefore, as much as possible, to hide them from the\npublic gaze, unless the good of others should require their exposure;\nand even then, will not do it with wanton feelings. But these remarks\napply with much greater force to the practice of Christians speaking of\none another's faults. Where is the heart that would not revolt at the\nidea of brothers and sisters scanning each other's faults, in the ears\nof strangers? Yet the relation of God's children is far more endearing\nthan the ties of consanguinity.\n\n2. Charity _believeth all things, hopeth all things_. This is the\nopposite of jealousy and suspicion. It is a readiness to believe\neverything in favor of others; and even when appearances are very strong\nagainst them, still to hope for the best. This disposition will lead us\nto look at the characters of others in their most favorable light; to\ngive full weight to every good quality, and full credit for every\npraiseworthy action; while every palliating circumstance is viewed in\nconnection with deficiencies and misconduct. Charity will never\nattribute an action to improper motives or a bad design, when it can\naccount for it in any other way; and, especially, it will not be quick\nto charge hypocrisy and insincerity upon those who seem to be acting\ncorrectly. It will give credit to the professions of others, unless\nobviously contradicted by their conduct. It does not, indeed, forbid\nprudence and caution--\"The simple believeth every word; but the prudent\nman looketh well to his going\"--but it is accustomed to repose\nconfidence in others, and it will not be continually watching for evil.\n\nA charitable spirit is opposed to the prevailing disposition for\ndiscussing private character. It will not willingly listen to criticisms\nupon the characters of others, nor the detail of their errors and\nimperfections; and it will turn away with disgust and horror from petty\nscandal and evil-speaking, as offensive to benevolent feeling. It is a\nkind of _moral sense_, which recoils from detraction and backbiting.\n\n3. Charity _endureth all things_. This is nearly synonymous with\nlong-suffering; and yet it is a more extensive expression. It will\nendure with patience, and suffer without anger or bitterness of feeling,\neverything in social life which is calculated to try our tempers, and\nexhaust our patience. It is not testy, and impatient at the least\nopposition, or the slightest provocation; but endures the infirmities,\nthe unreasonableness, the ill-humor, and the hard language of others,\nwith a meek and quiet spirit.\n\nFinally, charity is the practical application of the golden rule of our\nSaviour, and the second table of the law, to all our intercourse with\nour fellow-men, diffusing around us a spirit of kindness and benevolent\nfeeling. It comprehends all that is candid and generous, bland and\ngentle, amiable and kind, in the human character, regenerated by the\ngrace of God. It is opposed to all that is uncandid and disingenuous,\ncoarse and harsh, unkind, severe, and bitter, in the disposition of\nfallen humanity. It is the bond, which holds society together, the charm\nwhich sweetens social intercourse, and the UNIVERSAL PANACEA, which, if\nit cannot cure, will at least mitigate, all the diseases of the social\nstate. That you may possess it in its highest earthly perfection, is the\nsincere prayer of\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XVII.\n\n_Harmony of Christian Character._\n\n \"And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith,\n virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance;\n and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to\n godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness,\n charity.\"--2 PE. 1:5-7.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nIn my first letter, I spoke of the importance of growth in grace, and\nenumerated some of the fruits of the Spirit. I revert to the same\nsubject again, for the purpose of showing the importance of cultivating\nthe several Christian graces in due proportion, so as to attain to a\nuniform consistency of character.\n\nNothing delights the senses like harmony. The eye rests with pleasure on\nthe edifice which is complete in all its parts, according to the laws of\narchitecture; and the sensation of delight is still more exquisite, on\nviewing the harmonious combination of colors, as exhibited in the\nrainbow, or the flowers of the field. The ear, also, is ravished with\nthe harmony of musical sounds, and the palate is delighted with savory\ndishes. But take away the cornice, or remove a column from the house, or\nabstract one of the colors of the rainbow, and the eye is offended;\nremove from the scale one of the musical sounds, and give undue\nprominence to another, and harmony will become discord; and what could\nbe more insipid than a savory dish without salt?\n\nSo it is with the Christian character. Its beauty and loveliness depend\non the harmonious culture of all the Christian graces. If one is\ndeficient, and another too prominent, the idea of deformity strikes the\nmind with painful sensations, somewhat similar to those produced by\nharsh, discordant musical sounds, or by the disproportionate exhibition\nof colors.\n\nIt was, probably, with an eye to this, that the apostle gave the\nexhortation above quoted. He was exhorting to growth in grace; and he\nwould have the new man grow up with symmetrical proportions, so as to\nform the \"stature of a perfect man in Christ Jesus,\" not having all the\nenergies concentrated in one member, but having the body complete in all\nits parts, giving a due proportion of comeliness, activity, and strength\nto each. Thus, he says, _Add to your faith virtue_. By faith, I suppose\nwe are to understand the elementary principle of the Christian\ncharacter, as exhibited in regeneration; or the act which takes hold of\nChrist. But we are not to rest in this. We are to add _virtue_, or\nstrength and courage, to carry out our new principle of action. But this\nis not all that is needed. We may be full of courage and zeal; yet, if\nwe are ignorant of truth and duty, we shall make sad work of it, running\nheadlong, first into this extravagance, and then into that, disturbing\nthe plans of others, and defeating our own, by a rash and heedless\ncourse of conduct.\n\nYoung Christians are in danger of making religion consist too\nexclusively in emotion, which leads them to undervalue knowledge. But\nwhile emotion is inseparable from spiritual religion, knowledge is no\nless essential to intelligent emotion. Ignorance is not the mother of\ndevotion; and though a person may be sincerely and truly pious, with\nonly the knowledge of a few simple principles, yet, without a thorough\nand comprehensive knowledge of religious truth, the Christian character\nwill be weak and unstable, easily led astray, and carried about by every\nwind of doctrine. Knowledge is also essential to a high degree of\nusefulness. It expands and invigorates the mind, and enables us, with\ndivine aid, to devise and execute plans of usefulness, with prudence and\nenergy.\n\nBut knowledge alone is not sufficient; nor even knowledge added to\nfaith. Temperance must be added, as a regulator, both of soul and body.\nAll our appetites and passions, desires and emotions, must be brought\nwithin the bounds of moderation. And to temperance must be added\npatience, that we may be enabled to endure the trials of this life, and\nnot to faint under the chastening hand of our heavenly Father. As it is\nthrough much tribulation that we are to enter into the kingdom of\nheaven, we have need of patience, both for our own comfort, and for the\nhonor of religion. Indeed, no grace is more needful, in the ordinary\naffairs of life. It is the little, every-day occurrences that try the\nChristian character: and it is in regard to these that patience works\nexperience. Many of these things are more difficult to be borne than the\ngreater trials of life, because the hand of God is less strikingly\nvisible in them. But patience enables us to endure those things which\ncross the temper, with a calm, unruffled spirit; to encounter\ncontradictions, little vexations, and disappointments, without fretting,\nor repining; and saves us from sinking under severe and protracted\nafflictions.\n\nTo patience must be added godliness, \"which is profitable unto all\nthings, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to\ncome.\" To be _godly_, is to be, in a measure, _like God_. It is to be\n\"renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created us,\" and to\nhave the same mind in us that was in Christ Jesus. This is the fruit of\nthat patience which works experience, and results in hope, which maketh\nnot ashamed.\n\nTo godliness must be added brotherly kindness; which is but acting out\nthe state of heart expressed by _godliness_, which indicates a partaking\nof divine benevolence.\n\nThen comes the crowning grace of CHARITY, \"which is the bond of\nperfectness,\" comprehending the whole circle of the social virtues.\n\nWhere all these qualities exist, in due proportion, they will form a\nlovely character, harmonious and beautiful as the seven colors of the\nrainbow; yea, with the addition of an eighth, of crowning lustre. But,\nif any one suffers his religious feelings to concentrate on one point,\nas though the whole of religion consisted in zeal, or devotional\nfeeling, or sympathy, or the promotion of some favorite scheme of\nbenevolence, you will find an exhibition of character as unlovely and\nrepulsive as though the seven colors of the rainbow should concentrate\nin one, of livid hue, or pale blue, or sombre gray; as disagreeable as\nthough the sweet melody of a harmonious choir were changed into a dull,\nmonotonous bass; and as unsavory as a dish of meats seasoned only with\nbitter herbs.\n\nThis disproportionate development of Christian character is more\nfrequently seen in young converts: especially such as have not received\na thorough Christian education, and are, consequently, deficient in\nreligious knowledge. They find themselves in a new world, and become so\nmuch absorbed in the contemplation of the new objects that present\nthemselves to their admiring gaze, that they seem almost to forget that\nthey have any other duties to perform than those which consist in\ndevotional exercises. If these are interrupted, they will fret and worry\ntheir minds, and wish for some employment entirely of a religious\nnature. They wonder how it is possible for Christians to be _so cold_,\nas to pursue their worldly employments as diligently as they do who take\nthis world for their portion; and often you will hear them breaking out\nin expressions of great severity against older Christians, because they\ndo not sympathize with them in these feelings. Their daily employments\nbecome irksome; and they are tempted even to neglect the interests of\ntheir employers, with the plea, that the service of God has the first\nclaim upon them. But they forget that the service of God consists in the\nfaithful performance of every social and relative duty, \"_as unto the\nLord, and not to men_,\" as well as the more direct devotional exercises;\nand that the one is as essential to the Christian character as the\nother. The Bible requires us to be \"diligent in business,\" as well as\n\"fervent in spirit;\" and the religion of the Bible makes us better in\nall the relations of this life, as well as in our relations with God.\n\nYoung Christians are also prone to undervalue _little things_. The\ngreater things of religion take such strong possession of their souls,\nthat they overlook many minor things of essential importance. In seasons\nof special religious awakening, this mistake is very common; in\nconsequence of which, many important interests suffer, and the\nderangement which follows, makes an unfavorable impression as to the\ninfluence of revivals. The spirit of the Christian religion requires\nthat every duty should be discharged in its proper time. The beauty of\nthe Christian character greatly depends on its symmetrical proportions.\nA person may be very zealous in some things, and yet quite defective in\nhis Christian character. And the probability is, that he has no more\nreligion than shows itself in its consistent proportions. The new energy\nimparted by the regenerating grace of God may unite itself with the\nstrong points of his character, and produce a very prominent\ndevelopment; while, in regard to those traits of character which are\nnaturally weak, in his constitutional temperament, grace may be scarcely\nperceptible. For instance, a person who is naturally bold and resolute,\nwill be remarkable, when converted, for his _moral courage_; while,\nperhaps, he may be very deficient in _meekness_. And the one who is\nnaturally weak and irresolute, will perhaps be remarkable for the mild\nvirtues, but very deficient in strength and energy of character. Now,\nthe error lies in cultivating almost exclusively those Christian graces\nwhich fall in with our prominent traits of character. We should rather\nbend our energies, by the grace of God, chiefly to the development of\nthose points of character which are naturally weak, while we discipline,\nrepress, and bring under control, those which are too prominent. This\nwill prevent deformity, and develop a uniform consistency of character.\n\nThere is, perhaps, a peculiar tendency to this _one-sided_ religion in\nthis age of excitement and activity; and the young convert, whose\nChristian character is not matured, is peculiarly liable to fall into\nthis error. The mind becomes absorbed with one object. The more\nexclusively this object is contemplated, the more its importance is\nmagnified. It becomes, to his mind, the _main thing_. It is identified\nwith his ideas of religion. He makes it a _test of piety_. Then he is\nprepared to regard and treat all who do not come up to his views on this\npoint as destitute of true religion; though they may exhibit a\nconsistency of character, in other respects, to which he is a stranger.\nThis leads to denunciation, alienation of feeling, bitterness, and\nstrife. But one of God's commands is as dear to him as another; and we\ncannot excuse ourselves before him, for disobeying one, on the ground\nthat we practise another. The perfection of Christian character consists\nin the harmonious development of the Christian graces. This is what I\nunderstand by the \"stature of a perfect man in Christ Jesus;\" a man who\nhas no deformity; who is complete in all his members and all his\nfaculties. That you may attain to this, is the sincere prayer of\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XVIII.\n\n_Marriage._\n\n \"Marriage is honorable in all.\"--HEB. 13:4.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nSome young persons indulge a fastidiousness of feeling, in relation to\nthe subject of marriage, as though it were indelicate to speak of it.\nOthers make it the principal subject of their thoughts and conversation;\nyet they seem to think it must never be mentioned but in jest. But both\nthese extremes should be avoided. Marriage is an ordinance of God, and\ntherefore a proper subject of thought and discussion, with reference to\npersonal duty. But it is a matter of great importance, having a direct\nhearing upon the glory of God, and the happiness of individuals. It\nshould, therefore, never be approached with levity. But, as it requires\nno more attention than what is necessary in order to understand present\nduty, it would be foolish to make it a subject of constant thought, and\nsilly to make it a common topic of conversation. It is a matter which\nshould be weighed deliberately and seriously by every young person. In\nreference to the main subject, two things should be considered:\n\nI. _Marriage is desirable._ It was ordained by the Lord, at the\ncreation, as suited to the state of man as a social being, and necessary\nto the design for which he was created. Whoever, therefore, wilfully\nneglects it, contravenes the order of nature, and must consequently\nexpect a diminution of those enjoyments which arise from the social\nstate. There is a sweetness and comfort in the bosom of one's own\nfamily, which can be enjoyed nowhere else. In early life, this is\nsupplied by our youthful companions, who feel in unison with us. But, as\na person who remains single advances in life, the friends of his youth\nform new attachments, in which he is incapable of participating. Their\nfeelings undergo a change, of which he knows nothing. He is gradually\nleft alone. No heart beats in unison with his own. His social feelings\nwither for want of an object. As he feels not in unison with those\naround him, his habits also become peculiar, and perhaps repulsive; so\nthat his company is not desired: hence arises the whimsical attachment\nof such persons to domestic animals, or to other objects which can be\nenjoyed in solitude. As the dreary winter of age advances, the solitude\nof his condition becomes still more chilling. Nothing but that sweet\nresignation to the will of God which religion gives, under all\ncircumstances, can render such a situation tolerable. But religion does\nnot annihilate the social affections. It only regulates them. It is\nevident, then, that by a lawful and proper exercise of these affections,\nboth our happiness and usefulness may be greatly increased.\n\nII. _On the other hand, do not consider marriage as absolutely essential\nto happiness._ Although it is an ordinance of God, yet he has not\nabsolutely enjoined it upon all. You _may_, therefore, be in the way of\nduty while neglecting it. And the apostle Paul hints that there may be,\nwith those who enter into this state, a greater tendency of the heart\ntowards earthly objects. There is also an increase of care. \"The\nunmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy\nboth in body and spirit; but she that is married, careth for the things\nof the world, how she may please her husband.\" But much more has been\nmade of this than the apostle intended. It has been greatly abused and\nperverted by the church of Rome. It must be observed that, in the same\nchapter, he advises that \"every man have his own wife, and every woman\nhave her own husband.\" And, whatever may be our condition in life, if\nwe seek it with earnestness and perseverance, in the way of duty, God\nwill give us grace sufficient for the day. But he says, though it is no\nsin to marry, nevertheless, \"such shall have trouble in the flesh.\" It\nis undoubtedly true, that the enjoyments of conjugal life have their\ncorresponding difficulties and trials; and if these are enhanced by an\nunhappy connection, the situation is insufferable. For this reason I\nwould have you avoid the conclusion that marriage is indispensable to\nhappiness. Single life is certainly to be preferred to a connection with\na person who will diminish, instead of increasing, your happiness.\nHowever, the remark of the apostle, \"such shall have trouble in the\nflesh,\" doubtless had reference chiefly to the peculiar troubles of the\ntimes, when Christians were exposed to persecution, the loss of goods,\nand even of life itself, for Christ's sake; the trials of which would\nbe much greater in married than in single life.\n\nHaving these two principles fixed in your mind, you will be prepared\ncalmly to consider what qualifications are requisite in a companion for\nlife. These I shall divide into two classes: 1. Those which are\n_indispensable_. 2. Those which are _desirable_. Of the first class, I\nsee none which can be dispensed with, without so marring the character\nof a man as to render him an unfit associate for an intelligent\nChristian lady. But, although the latter are very important, yet,\nwithout possessing all of them, a person may be an agreeable companion\nand a man of real worth.\n\n\nFIRST CLASS.\n\n1. _The first requisite in a companion for life is piety._ I know not\nhow a Christian can form so intimate a connection as this with one who\nis living in rebellion against God. You profess to love Jesus above\nevery other object; and to forsake all, that you may follow him. How,\nthen, could you unite your interest with one who continually rejects and\nabuses the object of your soul's delight? Indeed, I am at a loss to\nunderstand how a union can be formed between the carnal and the renewed\nheart. They are in direct opposition to each other. The one overflows\nwith love to God; the other is at enmity against him. How, then, can\nthere be any congeniality of feeling? Can fire unite with water? A\ndesire to form such a union must be a dark mark against any one's\nChristian character. The Scriptures are very clear and decided on this\npoint. The intermarrying of the righteous with the wicked was the\nprincipal cause of the general corruption of the inhabitants of the old\nworld, which provoked God to destroy them with the flood. Abraham, the\nfather of the faithful, was careful that Isaac, the son of promise,\nshould not take a wife from among the heathen. The same precaution was\ntaken by Isaac and Rebecca, in relation to Jacob. The children of Israel\nwere also expressly forbidden to make marriages with the heathen, lest\nthey should be turned away from the Lord, to the worship of idols. And\nwe see a mournful example of the influence of such unholy connections in\nthe case of Solomon. Although he had been so zealous in the service of\nthe Lord as to build him a temple--although he had even been inspired to\nwrite portions of the Holy Scriptures--yet his strange wives turned away\nhis heart, and persuaded him to worship idols. Although we are now under\na different dispensation, yet _principles_ remain the same. The union of\na heathen and a Jew was, as to its effect on a pious mind, substantially\nthe same as the union of a believer and an unbeliever; and the former\nwould be no more likely to be drawn away from God by it than the latter.\nHence we find the same principle recognized in the New Testament. The\napostle Paul, speaking of the woman, says, \"If her husband be dead, she\nis at liberty to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord.\" The\nphrase _in the Lord_, denotes being a true Christian; as will appear\nfrom other passages where the same form of expression is used. \"If any\nman be _in Christ_, he is a new creature.\" It is plainly implied, then,\nin this qualifying phrase, that it is unlawful for a Christian to marry\nan unbeliever. The same doctrine is also taught by the same apostle in\nanother place. \"Be not ye, therefore, unequally yoked with unbelievers.\"\nIn this passage the apostle lays down a general principle; which applies\nto all intimate associations with unbelievers. And what connection could\nbe more intimate than this? I conclude, therefore, that it is contrary\nboth to reason and Scripture for a Christian to marry an impenitent\nsinner. And, in this respect, look not only for an outward profession,\nbut for evidence of deep-toned and devoted piety. The are many\nprofessors of religion who show very few signs of spiritual life. And\nthere are doubtless many that make loud professions of religious\nexperience, who know nothing of the power of godliness. Look for a\nperson who makes religion the chief concern of his life; who is\ndetermined to live for God, and not for himself. Make this the test.\nWorldly-minded professors of religion are worse associates than those\nwho make no profession. They exert a more withering influence upon the\nsoul.\n\n2. _Another indispensable requisite is an_ AMIABLE DISPOSITION. Whatever\ngood qualities a man may possess, if he is selfish, morose, sour,\npeevish, fretful, jealous, or passionate, he will make an uncomfortable\ncompanion. Grace may do much towards subduing these unholy tempers; yet,\nif they were fostered in the heart in childhood, and suffered to grow up\nto maturity before grace began to work, they will often break out in the\nfamily circle. However, you will find it exceedingly difficult to judge\nin this matter. The only direction I can give on this subject is, that,\nif you discover the exercise of any unhallowed passions in a man, with\nthe opportunity you will have of observation, you may consider it\nconclusive evidence of a disposition which would render you miserable.\n\n3. _The person of your choice must possess a_ WELL-CULTIVATED MIND. In\norder to produce a community of feeling, and maintain a growing\ninterest in each other's society, both parties must possess minds well\nstored with useful knowledge, and capable of continued expansion. We may\nlove an ignorant person for his piety; but we cannot long enjoy his\nsociety, as a constant companion, unless that piety is mingled with\nintelligence. To secure your esteem, as well as your affections, he must\nbe capable of intelligent conversation on all subjects of general\ninterest.\n\n4. _His sentiments and feelings on general subjects must be_ CONGENIAL\n_with your own._ This is a very important matter. Persons of great\nworth, whose views and feelings, in relation to the common concerns of\nlife are opposite, may render each other very unhappy. Particularly, if\nyou possess a refined sensibility yourself, you must look for delicacy\nof feeling in a companion. A very worthy man may render you unhappy, by\nan habitual disregard of your feelings. And there are many persons who\nseem to be utterly insensible to the tender emotions of refined\ndelicacy. A man who would subject you to continual mortification by his\ncoarseness and vulgarity, would be incapable of sympathizing with you in\nall the varied trials of life. There is no need of your being deceived\non this point. If you have much delicacy of feeling yourself, you can\neasily discover the want of it in others. If you have not, it will not\nbe necessary in a companion.\n\n5. _Another requisite is_ ENERGY OF CHARACTER. Most people think some\nworldly prospects are indispensably necessary. But a man of energy can,\nby the blessing of God, make his way through this world, and support a\nfamily, in this land of plenty, by his own industry, in some lawful\ncalling. And you may be certain of the blessing of God, if you obey and\ntrust him. A profession or calling, pursued with energy, is therefore\nall the estate you need require. But do not trust yourself with a man\nwho is inefficient in all his undertakings. This would be leaning upon a\nbroken staff.\n\n6. _The person of your choice must be_ NEARLY OF YOUR OWN AGE. Should\nhe be younger than yourself you will be tempted to look upon him as an\ninferior; and old age will overtake you first. I should suppose the idea\nof marrying a man advanced in years would be sufficiently revolting to\nthe feelings of a young female to deter her from it. Yet such things\noften happen. But I consider it as contravening the order of nature, and\ntherefore improper. In such case, you will be called upon rather to\nperform the office of a daughter and nurse, than a wife.\n\n\nSECOND CLASS.\n\n1. _It is desirable that the man with whom you form a connection for\nlife should possess a_ SOUND BODY. A man of vigorous constitution will\nbe more capable of struggling with the difficulties and trials of this\nworld, than one who is weak in body. Yet, such an erroneous system has\nbeen pursued, in the education of the generation just now coming upon\nthe stage of action, that the health of very few sedentary persons\nremains unimpaired. It would, therefore, be cruel selfishness to refuse\nto form a connection of this kind, on this ground alone, provided they\nhave no settled disease upon them. A person of feeble constitution\nrequires the comfort and assistance of a companion, more than one in\nvigorous health. But, it certainly would not be your duty to throw\nyourself away upon a person already under the influence of an incurable\ndisease.\n\n2. REFINEMENT OF MANNERS _is a very desirable quality in a companion for\nlife._ This renders a person's society more agreeable and pleasant, and\nmay be the means of increasing his usefulness. Yet it will not answer to\nmake it a test of character; for it is often the case, that men of the\nbrightest talents, and of extensive education, who are in every other\nrespect amiable and worthy, have neglected the cultivation of their\nmanners; while there are very many, destitute alike of talent and\neducation, who seem to be adepts in the art of politeness. However,\nthis may be cultivated. A person of good sense, who appreciates its\nimportance, may soon acquire a courteous and pleasing address, by\nmingling with refined society.\n\n3. A SOUND JUDGMENT is also very necessary, to enable a man to direct\nthe common affairs of life. However, this may also be cultivated by\nexperience, and therefore cannot be called indispensable.\n\n4. PRUDENCE _is very desirable._ The rashest youth, however, will learn\nprudence by experience. After a few falls, he will look forward before\nhe steps that he may foresee and shun the evil that is before him; but,\nif you choose such a one, take care that you do not fall with him, and\nboth of you break your necks together.\n\n5. It is a matter of great importance that the person with whom you form\na connection for life, should belong to the same denomination of\nChristians with yourself. The separation of a family, in their\nattendance upon public worship, is productive of great inconvenience and\nperplexity; and there is serious danger of its giving rise to unpleasant\nfeelings, and becoming an occasion of discord. I think it should be a\nvery serious objection against any man, that he belongs to a different\ncommunion from yourself. Yet, I dare not say that I would prefer single\nlife to a connection of this kind.\n\nIn addition to these, your own good sense and taste will suggest many\nother desirable qualities in a companion for life.\n\nUpon receiving the addresses of a man, your first object should be to\nascertain whether he possesses those prominent traits of character which\nyou consider indispensable. If he lack any one of these, you have no\nfurther inquiry to make. Inform him openly and ingenuously of your\ndecision; but spare his feelings as far as you can consistently with\nChristian sincerity. He is entitled to your gratitude for the preference\nhe has manifested for yourself. Therefore, treat him courteously and\ntenderly; yet let him understand that your decision is conclusive and\nfinal. If he possess only the feelings of a gentleman, this course will\nsecure for you his esteem and friendship. But if you are satisfied, with\nrespect to these prominent traits of character, next look for those\nqualities which you consider _desirable_, though not _indispensable_. If\nyou discover few or none of these, it will be a serious objection\nagainst him. But you need not expect to find them all combined in any\none person. If you seek for a perfect character, you will be\ndisappointed. In this as well as every other relation of life, you will\nneed to exercise forbearance. The best of men are compassed about with\nimperfection and infirmity. Besides, as you are not perfect yourself, it\nwould seem like a species of injustice to require perfection in a\ncompanion.\n\nWhile deciding these points, keep your feelings entirely under control.\nSuffer them to have no influence upon your judgment. A Christian should\nnever be governed by impulse. Many persons have, no doubt, destroyed\ntheir happiness for life, by suffering their feelings to get the better\nof their judgment. Make the matter a subject of daily prayer. The Lord\ndirects all our ways, and we cannot expect to be prospered in anything,\nwherein we neglect to acknowledge him, and seek his direction. But, when\nyou have satisfied yourself, in relation to these things, and the person\nwhose addresses you are receiving has distinctly avowed his intentions,\nyou may remove the restraint from your feelings; which, as well as your\njudgment, have a deep concern in the affair. A happy and prosperous\nunion must have for its basis a mutual sentiment of affection, of a\npeculiar kind. If you are satisfied that this sentiment exists on his\npart, you are to inquire whether you can exercise it towards him. For,\nwith many persons of great worth, whom we highly esteem, there is often\nwanting a certain undefinable combination of qualities, not improperly\ntermed the _soul of character_; which alone seems to call out the\nexercise of that peculiar sentiment of which we are speaking. But I\nseriously charge you never to form a connection which is not based upon\nthis principle; and that, for the following reasons:\n\n1. Such depraved creatures as we are, need the aid of the warmest\naffection, to enable us to exercise that mutual forbearance, so\nindispensable to the peace and happiness of the domestic circle.\n\n2. That the marriage covenant should be cemented by a principle of a\npeculiar kind, will appear from the superiority of the soul over the\nbody. When two human beings unite their destinies, there must be a union\nof soul, or else such union is but partial. And the union of soul must\nbe the foundation of the outward union, and of course precede it.\n\n3. We may infer the same thing from the existence of such a principle in\nthe human breast. That it does exist, may be abundantly proved, both by\nScripture and experience. When Adam first saw Eve, he declared the\nnature of this union, and added, \"For this cause shall a man leave his\nfather and mother, and cleave unto his wife;\" implying that the\naffection between the parties to this connection, should be superior to\nall other human attachments. The frown of God must then rest upon a\nunion founded upon any other principle; for by it the order of nature is\ncontravened, and therefore the blessings of peace and happiness cannot\nbe expected to attend it.\n\nHowever, love is not a principle which is brought into existence as it\nwere by magic. It must always be exercised in view of an object. Do not,\ntherefore, hastily decide that you cannot love a man who possesses the\nprominent traits of character necessary to render you happy. However, be\nfully satisfied that such a sentiment of a permanent character, does\nreally exist in your own bosom, before you consent to a union.\n\nIn your ordinary intercourse with gentlemen, much caution should be\nobserved. Always maintain a dignity of character, and never condescend\nto trifle. In your conversation, however, upon general subjects, you\nmay exercise the same sociability and freedom which you would with\nladies; not seeming to be sensible of any difference of sex. Indignantly\nrepel any improper liberties; but never decline attentions which are\nconsidered as belonging to the rules of common politeness, unless there\nshould be something in the character of the individual which would\njustify you in wishing wholly to avoid his society. Some men are so\ndisagreeable in their attentions, and so obtrusive of their company,\nthat they become a great annoyance to ladies. I think the latter\njustifiable in refusing the attentions of such men, till they learn\nbetter manners. Pay the strictest regard to propriety and delicacy, in\nall your conduct; yet do not maintain such a cold reserve and chilling\ndistance, as to produce the impression in the mind of every one you\nmeet, that you dislike his society. No gentleman of refined and delicate\nfeelings, will intrude his company upon ladies, when he thinks it is not\ndesired; and you may create this impression, by carrying the rules of\npropriety to the extreme of reserve. But the contrary extreme, of\nmanifesting an excessive fondness for the society of gentlemen, is still\nmore to be avoided. By cultivating an acute sense of propriety in all\nthings, with a nice discrimination of judgment, you will be able\ngenerally to direct your conduct aright in these matters.\n\nNever indulge feelings of partiality for any man until he has distinctly\navowed his own sentiments, and you have deliberately determined the\nseveral points already mentioned. If you do you may subject yourself to\nmuch needless disquietude, and perhaps the most unpleasant\ndisappointments. And the wounded feeling thus produced, may have an\ninjurious effect upon your subsequent character and happiness.\n\nI shall close this letter with a few brief remarks, of a general nature.\n\n1. Do not suffer this subject to occupy a very prominent place in your\nthoughts. To be constantly ruminating upon it, can hardly fail of\nexerting an injurious influence upon your mind, feelings, and\ndeportment; and you will be almost certain to betray yourself, in the\nsociety of gentlemen, and, perhaps, become the subject of merriment, as\none who is anxious for a husband.\n\n2. Do not make this a subject of common conversation. There is, perhaps,\nnothing which has a stronger tendency to deteriorate the social\nintercourse of young people than the disposition to give the subject of\nmatrimonial alliances so prominent a place in their conversation, and to\nmake it a matter of jesting and mirth. There are other subjects enough,\nin the wide fields of science, literature, and religion, to occupy the\nsocial hour, both profitably and pleasantly; and a dignified reserve on\nthis subject will protect you from rudeness, which you will be very\nlikely to encounter, if you indulge in jesting and raillery in regard to\nit.\n\n3. Do not speak of your own private affairs of this kind, so as to have\nthem become the subject of conversation among the circle of your\nacquaintances. It certainly does not add to the esteem of a young lady,\namong sensible people, for her to be heard talking about her beaux.\nEspecially is this caution necessary in the case of a matrimonial\nengagement. Remember the old adage:\n\n \"There's many a slip\n Between the cup and the lip;\"\n\nand consider how your feelings would be mortified, if, after making such\nan engagement generally known among your acquaintances, anything should\noccur to break it off. In such case, you will have wounded feeling\nenough to struggle with, without the additional pain of having the\naffair become a neighborhood talk.\n\n4. Do not make an engagement a long time before you expect it to be\nconsummated. Such engagements are surrounded with peril. A few years may\nmake such changes in the characters and feelings of young persons as to\ndestroy the fitness and congeniality of the parties; while, if the union\nhad been consummated, they would have assimilated to each other.\n\nIn short, let me entreat you to cultivate the most delicate sense of\npropriety in regard to everything having the most distant relation to\nthis matter; and let all your feelings, conversation, and conduct, be\nregulated upon the most elevated principles of purity, refinement, and\nreligion; but do not carry your delicacy and reserve to the extreme of\n_prudery_, which is an unlovely trait of character, and which adds\nnothing to the strength of virtue.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XIX.\n\n_Submission to the Will of God; Dependence upon Him for Temporal Things,\nand Contentment under all Circumstances._\n\n \"Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.\"--1 TIM.\n 6:8.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nThe secret of all true happiness lies in a cordial acquiescence in the\nwill of God in all things. It is\n\n \"Sweet to lie passive in his hand,\n And know no will but his.\"\n\nThe great doctrine that God exercises a particular providence over every\nevent, is most precious to the heart of every Christian. It enables him\nto see the hand of God, in directing all his affairs. Hence, the\nexceeding sinfulness of a repining, discontented, and unhappy temper.\nIndeed, it is difficult to reconcile the habitual indulgence of such a\ndisposition with the existence of grace in the heart. The very first\nemotion of the new-born soul is _submission to the will of God._ Many\npeople lose sight of the hand of God in those little difficulties and\nperplexities, which are of every day occurrence, and look only at second\ncauses. And so they often do in more important matters. When they are\ninjured or insulted by others, they murmur and complain, and give vent\nto their indignation against the immediate causes of their distress;\nforgetting that these are only the instruments which God employs for the\ntrial of their faith or the punishment of their sins. Thus, God\npermitted Satan to try the faith of Job. Thus, he permitted Shimei to\ncurse David. But the answer of this godly man is worthy of being\nimitated by all Christians under similar circumstances. \"Let him curse,\nbecause the Lord hath said unto him, curse David.\" Thus, also, the Lord\nemployed the envy of Joseph's brethren, to save the lives of all his\nfather's family. \"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God\nmeant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much\npeople alive.\" The principal reason why the histories of the Bible are\nso much more instructive than other histories is, that the motives of\nmen and the secret agency of divine Providence are brought to light.\nHence, also, the reason why the events recorded in Scripture appear so\nmarvellous. If we could see how the hand of God is concerned in all\nthings that occur within our observation, they would appear no less\nwonderful.\n\nIn this doctrine, we have the strongest possible motive for a hearty and\ncheerful resignation to all the crosses and difficulties, trials and\nafflictions, which come upon us in this life, whatever may be their\nimmediate cause. We know that they are directed by our heavenly Father,\nwhose \"tender mercies are over all his works;\" and who \"doth not afflict\nwillingly, nor grieve the children of men.\" And, whether we are\nChristians or not, the duty of submission remains the same. When we\nconsider the relation which man sustains to God, as a guilty rebel\nagainst his government, we must see that, whatever may be our earthly\nafflictions, so long as we are out of hell, we are the living monuments\nof his mercy. \"Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the\npunishment of his sins.\"\n\nBut, if we have evidence that we are the children of God, his promises\nfurnish the most abundant consolation, in every trial. We are assured\n\"that _all things_ work together for good to them that love God.\" And of\nthis we have many examples in the Holy Scriptures, where the darkest\nprovidences have in the end, to be fraught with the richest blessings.\nIt was so in the case of Joseph, already mentioned. We are also taught\nto look upon the afflictions of this life as the faithful corrections of\na kind and tender Parent. \"For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and\nscourgeth every son whom he receiveth.\" How consoling the reflection,\nthat all our sufferings are designed to mortify and subdue our\ncorruptions, to wean us from the world, and lead us to a more humble and\nconstant sense of our dependence upon God. Besides, the people of God\nhave the most comforting assurances of his presence, in affliction, if\nthey will but trust in him. \"_In all thy ways acknowledge him_, and he\nshall direct thy steps.\" \"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall\nsustain thee: _he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved._\" \"God\nis our refuge and strength, _a very present help in trouble_: therefore\nwill not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains\nbe carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and\nbe troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.\"\n\"_The steps of a good man are ordered_ by the Lord; and he delighteth in\nhis way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord\nupholdeth him with his hand.\" O, how ungrateful for a child of God to\nrepine at the dealings of such a tender and faithful parent! O, the\ningratitude of unbelief! Who can accuse the Lord of unfaithfulness to\nthe least of his promises? Why, then, should we refuse to trust him,\nwhen the assurances of his watchful care and love are so full, and so\nabundant?\n\nWe have not only strong ground of confidence in the Lord, under the\npressure of afflictions in general, but we are particularly directed to\nlook to him for the supply of all our temporal wants. If we have\nevidence that we are living members of the body of Christ, growing in\ngrace and the knowledge of him, we have the most direct and positive\nassurances that all things needful for this life shall be supplied. Our\nSaviour, after showing the folly of manifesting an anxious concern\nabout the supply of our temporal wants, since the Lord is so careful in\nfeeding the fowls of the air, and clothing the lilies and the grass of\nthe field, says,--\"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his\nrighteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.\" By this,\nhowever, we are not to understand that the Lord will give us every\nearthly blessing which we _desire_. We are so short-sighted as often to\nwish for things which would prove positively injurious to us. But we are\nto understand that he will give us all that he sees best for us. And\nsurely we ought to be satisfied with this; for he who sees the end from\nthe beginning must know much better than we what is for our good. The\nScriptures abound with similar promises. \"O fear the Lord, ye his\nsaints; for _there is no want_ to them that fear him. The young lions do\nlack and suffer hunger; but they that seek the Lord _shall not want any_\ngood thing.\" \"Trust in the Lord, and do good, and _verily thou shall be\nfed_. I have been young and now am old; yet have I not seen the\nrighteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.\" \"_No good thing will he\nwithhold_ from them that walk uprightly.\" \"But my God shall _supply all\nyour need_, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.\"\n\"Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the _life\nthat now is_, and of that which is to come.\" It must, then, be a sinful\ndistrust of the word of God, to indulge in anxious fears about the\nsupply of our necessities. If we believed these promises, in their full\nextent, we should always rest in them, and never indulge an anxious\nthought about the things of this life. This, God requires of us. \"And\nseek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, _neither be ye of\ndoubtful_ mind.\" \"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?\nor what shall we drink? or wherewithal shall we be clothed?\" \"Be careful\nfor nothing.\" And nothing can be more reasonable than this requirement,\nwhen he has given us such full and repeated assurances that he will\nsupply all our wants. The silver and the gold, and the cattle upon a\nthousand hills, belong to our heavenly Father. When, therefore, he sees\nthat we need any earthly blessing, he can easily order the means by\nwhich it shall be brought to us.\n\nFrom the precious truths and promises which we have been considering, we\ninfer the _duty of contentment_ in every situation of life. If God\ndirects all our ways, and has promised to give us just what he sees we\nneed, we surely ought to rest satisfied with what we have; for we know\nit is just what the Lord, in his infinite wisdom, and unbounded\ngoodness, sees fit to give us. But the apostle Paul enforces this duty\nwith direct precepts. \"But godliness _with contentment_, is great gain.\"\n\"Having food and raiment, let us be therewith _content_.\" \"_Be content\nwith such things as ye have_; for he hath said, I will never leave thee,\nnor forsake thee.\" Here he gives the promise of God, as a reason for\ncontentment. It is, then, evidently the duty of every Christian to\nmaintain a contented and cheerful spirit, under all circumstances. This,\nhowever, does not forbid the use of all lawful and proper means to\nimprove our condition. But the means must be used with entire submission\nto the will of God. The child of God should cast all his care and burden\nupon him; and when he has made all suitable efforts to accomplish what\nhe considers a good object, he must commit the whole to the Lord, with a\nperfect willingness that his will should be done, even to the utter\ndisappointment of his own hopes.\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XX.\n\n_Self-Examination._\n\n \"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith: prove your own\n selves.\"--2 COR. 13:6.\n\n\nMY DEAR SISTER,\n\nIn view of the positive injunction of Scripture, above quoted, no\nargument is necessary to show that self-examination is a duty. But if\nthe word of God had been silent upon the subject, the importance of\nself-knowledge would have been a sufficient motive for searching into\nthe secret springs of action which influence our conduct. A person\nignorant of his own heart, is like a merchant, who knows not the state\nof his accounts, while every day liable to become a bankrupt; or, like\nthe crew of a leaky vessel, who are insensible to their danger. The\nprofessed follower of Christ, who knows not whether he is a true or\nfalse disciple, is in a condition no less dangerous. And, as the heart\nis deceitful _above all things_, it becomes a matter of the utmost\nimportance that we should _certainly know_ that we are the children of\nGod. Although we may be Christians, without the assurance of our\nadoption, yet we are taught in the Holy Scriptures, that such assurance\nis attainable. Job, in the midst of his affliction, experienced its\ncomforting support. \"I _know_,\" says he, \"that my Redeemer liveth.\"\nDavid says with confidence, \"I _shall_ be satisfied, when I awake with\nthy likeness.\" Paul also expresses the same assurance. \"I _know_ whom I\nhave believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I\nhave committed unto him against that day.\" All Christians are taught to\nexpect the same, and exhorted to strive after it. \"And we desire that\n_every one of you_, do show the same diligence to _the full assurance of\nhope_, unto the end.\" \"Let us draw near with a true heart, in _full\nassurance of faith_.\" \"Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have\nwe _confidence_ toward God.\" \"He that believeth on the Son of God hath\nthe witness in himself.\" \"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage\nagain to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we\ncry, Abba Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,\nthat we are the children of God.\" \"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,\nwhereby ye are _sealed_ unto the day of redemption.\"\n\nBut, as gold dust is sometimes concealed in the sand, so grace in the\nheart may be mingled with remaining corruption, so that we cannot\nclearly distinguish its motions. It might not be for the benefit of a\nperson of such low attainments in the divine life, to receive an\nassurance of God's favor, until these corruptions have been so far\nsubdued, as to give the principle of grace an ascendency over all the\nfaculties of the soul. Hence God has wisely directed that the sure\nevidence of adoption can be possessed only by those who have made such\neminent progress in holiness, as to be able to discern the fruits of the\nSpirit in their hearts and lives. The _witness of the Spirit_ must not\nbe sought in any sudden impulses upon the mind; but in the real work of\ngrace in the heart, conforming it to the image of God. Even if God\nshould indulge us with such impulses or impressions, they would not be\ncertain evidence of our adoption; because Satan can counterfeit the\nbrightest experiences of this kind. Hence, we may account for the\n_strong confidence_ which is sometimes expressed by young converts, who\nafterwards fall away. But when the image of God can be seen in our\nhearts and lives, we may be _certain_ that we are his children. That\nthis is the true witness of the Spirit, maybe inferred from the passage\nlast quoted. When this epistle was written, it was the custom of princes\nto have their names and images stamped upon their seals. These seals,\nwhen used, would leave the impression of the name and image of their\nowners upon the wax. So, when God sets his seal upon the hearts of his\nchildren, it leaves an impression of his name and image. The same thing\nmay be intended in Revelation, where Jesus promises to give him that\novercometh \"a white stone, and in the stone a _new name_ written.\" A\nfigure somewhat similar is also used in the third chapter of Malachi.\nSpeaking of the Messiah, the prophet says, \"He shall sit as a refiner\nand purifier of silver.\" A refiner of silver sits over the fire, with\nhis eye steadily fixed upon the precious metal in the crucible, until he\nsees _his own image_ in it, as we see our faces in the glass. So the\nLord will carry on his purifying work in the hearts of his children,\ntill he sees his own image there. When this image is so plain and clear\nas to be distinctly discerned by us, then the Spirit of God bears\nwitness with our spirits, that we are his children. As _love_ is the\nmost prominent and abiding fruit of the Spirit, it may be the medium\nthrough which the union between God and the soul is seen; and by which\nthe child of God is assured of his adoption. A strong and lively\nexercise of a childlike, humble love, may give a clear evidence of the\nsoul's relation to God, as his child. \"Love is of God, and every one\nthat loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not,\nknoweth not God, for _God is love_.\" As God is love, the exercise of\nthat holy principle in the heart of the believer shows the impression of\nthe divine image. \"God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth\nin God, and God in him.\" Hence the apostle John says, \"We _know_ that we\nhave passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.\" But, if\nthis love is genuine, it will regulate the emotions of the heart, and\nits effects will be visible in the lives of those who possess it. The\nsame apostle says, \"By this we know that we love the children of God,\nwhen we love God and _keep his commandments_.\" So that in order to have\ncertain evidence of our adoption into the blessed family, of which Jesus\nis the Elder Brother, all the fruits of the Spirit must have grown up\nto some degree of maturity.\n\nFrom the foregoing remarks, we see the great importance of\n_self-examination_. We must have an intimate acquaintance with the\noperations of our own minds, to enable us to distinguish between the\nexercise of gracious affections and the selfish workings of our own\nhearts. And, unless we are in the constant habit of diligent inquiry\ninto the character of our emotions, and the motives of our actions, this\nwill be an exceedingly difficult matter. The Scriptures specify several\nobjects for which this inquiry should be instituted:\n\nI. _To discover our sins, that we may come to Christ for pardon, and for\ngrace to subdue them._ David prays, \"Search me, O God, and know my\nheart; try me, and know my thoughts; and _see if there be any wicked way\nin me_, and lead me in the way everlasting.\" The prophet Jeremiah says,\n\"Let us search and try our ways, and _turn again_ unto the Lord.\" This\nexamination should be a constant work. We should search into the motives\nof every action, and thoroughly examine every religious feeling, to\nknow, if possible, whether it comes from the Spirit of God, or whether\nit is a fire of our own kindling. We must be cautious, however, lest, by\ndiverting our attention from the truth, to examine the nature of the\nemotions produced by it, we should lose them altogether. This can better\nbe determined afterward, by recalling to recollection these emotions,\nand the causes which produced them. If they were called forth by correct\nviews of truth, and if they correspond in their nature with the\ndescriptions of gracious affections contained in the Bible, we may\nsafely conclude them to be genuine.\n\nBut, as we are often under the necessity of acting without much\ndeliberation; as we are so liable to neglect duty; and as every duty is\nmarred by so much imperfection, it is not only proper, but highly\nnecessary, that we should have stated seasons for retiring into our\nclosets, and calmly and deliberately reviewing our conduct, our\nreligious exercises, and the prevailing state of our hearts, and\ncomparing them with the Word of God. There are two very important\nreasons why this work should be performed at the close of every day. 1.\nIf neglected for a longer period, we may forget both our actions and our\nmotives. It will be very difficult for us afterwards to recall them, so\nas to subject them to a thorough examination. 2. There is a great\npropriety in closing up the accounts of every day. \"Sufficient unto the\nday is the evil thereof.\" Every day will bring with it work enough for\nrepentance. Again, when we lie down, we may awake in eternity. What then\nwill become of those sins which we have laid by for the consideration of\nanother day? Let us, then, never give sleep to our eyes till we have\nsearched out every sin of the past day, and made fresh application to\nthe blood of Christ for pardon. I know this is a very difficult work;\nbut, by frequent practice, it will become less so. I have prepared\nseveral sets of questions, from which you may derive some aid in the\nperformance of this duty. By sitting down in your closet, after\nfinishing the duties of the day, and seriously and prayerfully engaging\nin this exercise, you may try your conduct and feelings by the rules\nlaid down in the Word of God. You may thus bring to remembrance the\nexercises of your heart, as well as your actions; and be reminded of\nneglected duty, and of those great practical truths, which ought ever to\nbe kept before your mind. You may bring up your sins, and set them in\norder before you; and discover your easily besetting sins. You may be\nled to exercise penitential sorrow of heart, and be driven anew to the\ncross of Christ for pardon, and for strength to subdue indwelling\ncorruption. Whenever you discover that you have exercised any correct\nfeeling, or that your conduct has in any respect been conformed to the\nword of God, acknowledge with gratitude his grace in it, and give him\nthe glory. Wherein you find you have been deficient, confess your sin\nbefore God, and apply afresh to the blood of Christ, which \"cleanseth\nfrom all sin.\" But be cautious that you do not put your feelings of\nregret, your tears and sorrows, in the place of the great sacrifice.\nRemember that no degree of sorrow can atone for sin; and that only is\n_godly sorrow_ which leads to the blood of Jesus. Any peace of\nconscience, obtained from any other source, must be false peace. It is\n_in believing_, only, that we can have _joy and peace_.\n\nYou will find advantage from varying this exercise. When we frequently\nrepeat anything in the same form, we are in danger of acquiring a\ncareless habit, so that it will lose its effect. Sometimes take the ten\ncommandments, and examine your actions and motives by them. And, in\ndoing this, you will find great help from the explanation of the\ncommandments contained in the Assembly's Shorter Catechism. This shows\ntheir spirituality, and brings them home to the heart. Again, you may\ntake some portion of Scripture, which contains precepts for the\nregulation of our conduct, and compare the actions of the day with them.\nOr, you may take the life of Christ as a pattern, compare your conduct\nand motives with it, and see whether in all things you have manifested\nhis spirit.\n\nBut do not be satisfied till the exercise, however performed, has taken\nhold of the heart, and led to penitence for sin, and a sense of pardon\nthrough the blood of Christ, which accompanies true contrition; for \"the\nLord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be\nof a contrite spirit.\"\n\nI have inserted several sets of questions for every day in the week,\ndiffering in length, to prevent monotony, and to accommodate those\noccasions when you have more or less time.\n\n\nQUESTIONS FOR SATURDAY EVENING.\n\nHow was my heart improved by the last Sabbath? How have I since improved\nthe impressions I then received? What vows did I then make? How have I\nperformed them? What progress have I made in the divine life? What\nconquests have I made by the grace of God over sin? What temptations\nhave I encountered? What victories have I gained? What falls have I\nsuffered? What lessons have I learned by them? What improvement have I\nmade in divine knowledge? What good have I done? What was my frame of\nmind, on Monday, Tuesday, &c. (specifying and considering each day by\nitself.) What meetings have I attended? How was my heart affected by\nthem? What business have I done? Was it all performed to the glory of\nGod? Do I now hail the approach of the Sabbath with delight? Or do I\nindulge a secret regret that my worldly schemes should be interrupted by\nthis hallowed season of rest?\n\n\nQUESTIONS FOR SABBATH EVENINGS.\n\nDid I yesterday make all needful preparations for the holy Sabbath? What\nwas my frame of mind, on retiring to rest, at the close of the week?\nWhen I awoke, on this holy morning, towards what were my first thoughts\ndirected? How did I begin the day? What public or private duties have I\nneglected? What has been my general frame of mind this day? With what\npreparation did I go to the sanctuary? How were my thoughts occupied on\nthe way? What were my feelings, on entering the house of God? What was\nmy general frame of mind, while there? What my manner? Have I felt any\nsensible delight in the exercises of public worship? With what feelings\ndid I join the devotional exercises of singing and prayer? In what\ncharacter did I view the preacher? As whose message did I receive the\nword? For whom did I hear--for myself, or for others? Was the word mixed\nwith faith? How much prayer did I mingle with hearing? What evidence\nhave I that it was attended by the Holy Spirit to my heart I Did I\nindulge wandering thoughts, in any part of the public services? How\nmuch progress have I made, in overcoming these heart-wanderings? How\nwere my thoughts occupied on my return from public worship? [With what\npreparation did I go to the Sabbath-school? When I went before my class,\nwhat were my feelings in regard to their souls, and my own\nresponsibility? How was my own heart affected with the truths contained\nin the lesson? What direct efforts have I made for their conversion?\nWhat general efforts to impress their minds with the truth? What prayers\nhave I offered in their behalf? What have been my motives for desiring\ntheir conversion?] How much time have I spent this day in my closet?\nWhat have been my feelings in prayer? What in reading God's word? What\nin meditation? Have I felt and acknowledged my dependence upon the Holy\nSpirit for every right exercise of heart? What discoveries have I had of\nmy own guilt and helplessness, and my need of a Saviour? How has Jesus\nappeared to me? What communion have I enjoyed with God? How have I felt,\nin view of my sins, and of God's goodness to me? What have been my\nfeelings, on coming anew to the cross of Christ? Have I, at any time\nthis day, indulged vain or worldly thoughts? Have I sought my own ease\nor pleasure? Have I engaged in worldly or unprofitable conversation? Do\nI now feel my soul refreshed, and my strength renewed, for the Christian\nwarfare?\n\n\nQUESTIONS TO BE USED IN SELF-EXAMINATION AT THE CLOSE OF EVERY DAY IN\nTHE WEEK.\n\n\nI.\n\n_To be used when time is very limited._\n\nWith what feelings did I compose myself to sleep last night? How were my\nthoughts employed during the wakeful hours of the night? What were my\nfeelings on awaking? How did I begin the day? With what feelings and\nspirit have I engaged in the various devotions of the day? How have I\nenjoyed my hours of leisure? How have I performed the business of the\nday? What has been the spirit of my intercourse with others? What errors\nor what sins have I committed, in thought, word, or deed? What spiritual\naffections have I experienced, and what has been their effect upon me\nsince? Have I made any _progress_ in the Christian race?\n\n\nII.\n\n_To be used on ordinary occasions._\n\nWith what frame of spirit did I close the last day? Upon what were my\nthoughts occupied during the wakeful hours of the night? What were my\nfirst emotions, as I awoke this morning? How did I begin the day? What\ncommunion have I held with God, in secret, this day? For whom have I\nlived? What has been my frame of spirit, while engaged in the\nemployments of the day? What tempers have I exercised, in my intercourse\nwith others? What temptations have I encountered? What has been the\nresult? What conflicts have I had with my own corruptions? What progress\nhave I made in subduing them? What trials have I experienced? How have I\nborne them? Have I felt my dependence upon God for everything? Have I\nindulged undue anxiety about the affairs of this world? Have I murmured\nat the dispensations of Providence? Have I indulged self-complacency or\nself-seeking? What views have I had of myself? How did they affect me?\nWhat discoveries have I made of the divine character? How have I been\naffected by them? Have I felt any longing desires after conformity to\nthe divine image? How has my heart been affected with my short-comings\nin obedience and duty? Has this driven me to Christ? Have I found pardon\nand peace in him? What sense of the divine presence have I maintained\nthrough the day? What spirit of prayer have I exercised this day? What\nhas been the burden of my petitions? Why have I desired these things?\nHow constant and how strong have been these desires? How often and how\nfervently have I carried them to the throne of grace? How have I felt in\nregard to the interests of Zion, the salvation of souls, and the glory\nof God? How have I felt towards my Christian brethren? Have I spoken\nevil of any, or listened with complacency to evil speaking? Have I\nexercised harshness, or an unforgiving temper, towards any? What have I\ndone for the glory of God, or the good of my fellow-creatures? Have I\nwatched over my heart, my tongue, and my actions? Have I maintained\nspirituality of mind through the day?\n\n\nIII.\n\n_Dr. Doddridge's Questions._\n\n\"Did I awake as with God this morning, and rise with a grateful sense of\nhis goodness? How were the secret devotions of the morning performed?\nDid I offer my solemn praises, and renew the dedication of myself to\nGod, with becoming attention and suitable affections? Did I lay my\nscheme for the business of the day wisely and well? How did I read the\nScriptures, or any other devotional or practical piece which I\nafterwards found it convenient to review? Did it do my heart good, or\nwas it a mere amusement? How have the other stated devotions of the day\nbeen attended, whether in the family or in public? Have I pursued the\ncommon business of the day with diligence and spirituality, doing\neverything in season, and with all convenient despatch, and as 'unto the\nLord?' Col. 3:23. What time have I lost this day, in the morning, or the\nforenoon--in the afternoon, or the evening? (for these divisions will\nassist your recollection;) and what has occasioned the loss of it? With\nwhat temper, and under what regulations, have the recreations of this\nday been pursued? Have I seen the hand of God in my mercies, health,\ncheerfulness, food, clothing, books, preservation in journeys, success\nof business, conversation, and kindness of friends, &c.? Have I seen it\nin afflictions, and particularly in little things, which had a tendency\nto vex and disquiet me? Have I received my comforts thankfully, and my\nafflictions submissively? How have I guarded against the temptations of\nthe day, particularly against this or that temptation, which I foresaw\nin the morning? Have I maintained a dependence on divine influence? Have\nI 'lived by faith on the Son of God,' (Gal. 2:20,) and regarded Christ\nthis day as my teacher and governor, my atonement and intercessor, my\nexample and guardian, my strength and forerunner? Have I been looking\nforward to death and eternity this day, and considered myself as a\nprobationer for heaven, and, through grace, an expectant of it? Have I\ngoverned my thoughts well, especially in such or such an interval of\nsolitude? How was my subject of thought this day chosen, and how was it\nregarded? Have I governed my discourses well, in such and such company?\nDid I say nothing passionate, mischievous, slanderous, imprudent,\nimpertinent? Has my heart this day been full of love to God, and to all\nmankind? and have I sought, and found, and improved, opportunities of\ndoing and getting good? With what attention and improvement have I read\nthe Scriptures this evening? How was self-examination performed the last\nnight? and how have I profited this day by any remarks I then made on\nformer negligences and mistakes? With what temper did I then lie down\nand compose myself to sleep?\"\n\n\nIV.\n\n_To be used when you have more time than usual._\n\nDid I last night compose myself to sleep with a sweet sense of the\ndivine presence? Did I meditate upon divine things in the wakeful hours\nof the night? When I awoke this morning, did my heart rise up with\ngratitude to my merciful Preserver? Did I remember that I am indebted\nfor life, and health, and every enjoyment, to the sufferings and death\nof my dear Redeemer? Did I renewedly consecrate my spared life to his\nservice? And have I lived this day for God, and not for myself? Have I\ndenied self, whenever it has come between me and duty? Have I indulged a\nself-seeking spirit? Have I refused to make any personal sacrifice,\nwhereby I might glorify God, or do good to others? Has my heart been\naffected with any discoveries of the infinite loveliness of the divine\nperfections? Have I had a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and\nthe corruptions of my own heart in particular? Has this driven me from\nresting upon anything in myself, to put my trust alone in Christ? Have I\nfelt any longing desires after conformity to the divine image? Have I\nfelt any delight in the law of God? Has my heart been grieved to see\nthat I fall so far short of keeping it? Has my soul been filled with joy\nand peace in believing in Christ? Have I felt a lively sense of the\ndivine presence continually? Have I maintained a cheerful, serene, and\npeaceful temper of heart?\n\nHave I studied the word of God with an earnest desire to know present\nduty? Have I neglected or delayed to perform any duty when it has been\nmade known? Have I felt that God was speaking _to me_ through his word?\nHave I sought the aid of the Holy Spirit? Have I read God's word with a\nprayerful spirit? Have I read it with self-application? Have I felt any\nsensible delight while reading it?\n\nHave I spent any time in heavenly meditation? Was this exercise\nperformed in a prayerful spirit? Did the truth I was contemplating\ndeeply affect my own heart? Have my thoughts been habitually directed\ntowards heavenly things?\n\nHave I observed my regular seasons of prayer? Has my frame of spirit\nbeen, lively, and my thoughts collected, in this exercise? Have I felt\nmy dependence upon the Spirit of God? Have I earnestly and sincerely\ndesired the things for which I have asked? Have I desired them for the\nglory of God, or for the gratification of myself? Have I _laid hold_ of\nthe promises of God? Have I maintained a constant spirit of prayer? Have\nI sent up frequent ejaculations to God? In all my approaches to the\nthrone of grace, have I come with a suitable preparation of heart? Has a\nsense of the divine presence filled me with holy awe and reverence? Has\nmy heart been drawn out to God with filial affection and humble\nconfidence, through Jesus the Mediator? Have I felt my need? Have I\nhumbled myself low before God? Have I not regarded iniquity in my heart?\nHave I felt an humble submission to the will of God?\n\nHave I watched over my heart continually, against the temptations of\nSatan? Have I indulged wandering thoughts, during any of the devotional\nexercises of the closet? Have I watched over my fancy, and kept under my\nimagination? or have I suffered it to wander without control?\n\nHave I exercised a proper control over all my appetites, desires, and\npassions? Have I used all diligence to improve my mind, that I might be\ncapable of doing more for the glory of God, and the good of my\nfellow-creatures? Have I sought the aid of the Holy Spirit in this,\nalso? Have I felt continually that my time is not my own? Have I\nemployed every moment of the past day in the most profitable manner?\nHave I felt the pressure of present obligation?\n\nHave I neglected any opportunity of doing good, either to the souls or\nbodies of others? Have I been modest, unobtrusive, and courteous, in all\nI have done and said? Have I been prudent and discreet in all things?\nHave I first sought the direction of God, and then entered upon these\nduties in a spirit of prayer?\n\nHave I glorified God in my dress? Have I been influenced, in this\nrespect, by the pride of appearance? Have I wasted any time at the\ntoilet?\n\nHave I felt any emotions of love for Christians? Has this love arisen\nfrom the image of Christ manifest in them; or from their friendship for\nme, and the comfort I have enjoyed in their society? Have I refused to\nmake personal sacrifices for their benefit? Have I felt any love for the\nsouls of sinners? What has this led me to do for their conversion? Have\nI exercised any feelings of compassion for the needy? What has this led\nme to do for them?\n\nHave I manifested a morose, sour, and jealous disposition towards\nothers? Have I been easily provoked? Have I been irritated with the\nslightest offences or crosses of my will? Have I indulged an angry,\nfretful, peevish temper? Have I spoken evil of any, or listened with\ncomplacency to evil-speaking? Do I now harbor ill-will towards any being\non earth? In all my intercourse with others, have I manifested a\nsoftness and mildness of manner, and a kind and tender tone of feeling?\nOr have I indulged in harshness and severity, pride and arrogance? Have\nI exercised forbearance towards the faults of others? Have I from my\nheart forgiven them? Have I esteemed myself better than others? Have I\nfelt the secret workings of spiritual pride? Have I engaged in trifling\nand vain conversation, or in any other manner conformed to the spirit of\nthe world? Have I maintained Christian sincerity in all things? When in\ncompany, have I improved every opportunity of giving a profitable\ndirection to conversation? Have I improved every opportunity to warn\nimpenitent sinners? Have I gone into company, without first visiting my\ncloset? Have I been diligent and faithful in the business of the day?\nHave I done the same to others as I would wish them to do to me?\n\nII. _Another object of self-examination may be, to ascertain the reason\nwhy the Lord does not answer our prayers._ This reason may generally be\nfound in ourselves. I know of but two exceptions. One is, when the thing\nwe ask is not agreeable to the will of God. The other is, when the Lord\ndelays to answer our prayers for the trial of our faith. The obstacles\nwhich exist in ourselves, to prevent him from granting our requests, are\ngenerally some of the following:--1. We may be living in the practice of\nsome sin, or the neglect of some duty. \"If I regard iniquity in my\nheart,\" says the Psalmist, \"the Lord will not hear me.\" \"He that turneth\naway his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be\nabomination.\" We may weep day and night, on our knees, before God, all\nour lives; yet if we are living in the habitual neglect of duty, or if\nany sin cleaves to us, for which we have not exercised repentance, and\nfaith in the atoning blood of Christ, he will not hear our prayers. 2.\nWe may not be sufficiently humble before God. \"Though the Lord be high,\nyet hath he respect unto the lowly; _but the proud he knoweth afar\noff_;\" \"God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.\"\n\"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.\"\n\"Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble\nhimself shall be exalted.\" Hence, if our hearts are proud, and we refuse\nto humble ourselves deeply before God, he will not answer our prayers.\n3. We may not desire the things we ask, that God may be glorified, but\nthat it may minister to our own gratification. \"Ye ask, and receive not,\nbecause ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.\" When we\nask with such motives, we have no right to expect that God will hear our\nprayers. 4. We may not be asking in faith. \"But let him ask in faith,\nnothing wavering. For he that wavereth, is like a wave of the sea,\ndriven with the wind and tossed. For _let not that man think that he\nshall receive_ anything of the Lord.\" \"Without faith, it is impossible\nto please God.\" 5. We may be exercising an unforgiving-temper; and, if\nso, the Lord has declared that he will not hear our prayers. Mark 11:25,\n26. Mat. 18:35.\n\nWhen, therefore, you have been for some time praying for any particular\nobject without receiving an answer, carefully examine yourself, with\nreference to these points; and wherein you find yourself deficient,\nendeavor, in the strength of Christ, immediately to reform. If your\ncircumstances will permit, set apart a day of fasting and prayer for\nthis object. And, if the answer is still delayed, repeat the\nexamination, until you are certain that you have complied with all the\nconditions of the promises.\n\nIII. _Another object of self-examination is, to ascertain the cause of\nafflictions, whether spiritual or temporal._ If the Lord sends distress\nupon us, or hides from us the light of his countenance, he has some good\nreason for it. By reading the book of Haggai, you will discover the\nprinciples upon which God deals with his people. If, therefore, the work\nof your hands does not prosper, or, if the Lord has withdrawn from you\nhis special presence, be sure that something is wrong; it is time for\nyou to \"consider your ways.\" In this book the Lord informs the Jews of\nthe cause of their poverty and distress. They had not built the house of\nGod. He also tells them that the silver and the gold are his; and that\nhe will bless them as soon as they do their duty. We are as dependent\nupon God's blessing now as his people were then. If we withhold from him\nwhat he requires of us for advancing the interests of his kingdom, can\nwe expect temporal prosperity? If we refuse to do our duty, can we\nexpect his presence? These, then, should be the subjects of inquiry,\nunder such circumstances. In such cases, also, it may be very proper to\nobserve a day of fasting and prayer.\n\nIV. _Another object of self-examination is, to know whether we are\nChristians._ \"Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith.\" This is a\nvery important inquiry. It is intimately connected with every other, and\nshould enter more or less into all. In order to prosecute this inquiry,\nyou must make yourself thoroughly acquainted with the evidences of\nChristian character. These are clearly exhibited in the holy Scriptures.\nStudy the Bible diligently for this purpose; and, wherever you discover\na mark of Christian character, inquire whether you possess it. You may\nalso find benefit from the writings of men of great personal experience,\nwho have had much opportunity of observing the effects of true and false\nreligion. In particular, I would recommend to you the careful study of\nPresident Edwards' Treatise on Religious Affections. He was a man of\ngreat piety, who had attained to the _full assurance of hope_. He had\nalso passed through a number of revivals of religion. The work of which\nI speak contains a scriptural view of the evidences of the new birth;\nand also points out, with great clearness and discrimination, the marks\nof false religion. He distinguishes between those things which may be\ncommon both to true and false religion, and those which are the certain\nmarks of true conversion.\n\nSelf-examination, for this object, should be habitual. In reading the\nBible, in meditation, in hearing the word, wherever you see an evidence\nof Christian character, inquire whether you possess it. But this is not\nsufficient. You ought frequently to set apart seasons for the solemn and\nprayerful consideration of the important question,--\"_Am I a\nChristian_?\" A portion of the Sabbath may be very properly spent in this\nway. You should enter upon this work with the solemnities of the\njudgment-day before you. The Scriptures furnish abundant matter for\nself-examination. Bring the exercises of your heart, and the conduct of\nyour life, to this unerring standard. You will also find much assistance\nin this exercise by the use of the following tracts, published by the\nAmerican Tract Society:--No. 21, entitled \"A Closet Companion;\" No. 146,\nentitled \"Helps to Self-Examination;\" and No. 165, entitled \"True and\nFalse Conversions Distinguished;\" and likewise from a little work\nentitled \"Are you a Christian?\" by Rev. Hubbard Winslow. You have also\nprobably noticed several chapters in Doddridge's Rise and Progress,\nadmirably adapted to this object. I mention these, because it is\nadvantageous frequently to vary the exercise. The subject of true and\nfalse conversion is continually undergoing discussion; and those who\nfeel truly anxious to know the foundations upon which they rest will not\nfail to avail themselves of every approved treatise on the subject. But,\nabove all, study the Bible diligently and prayerfully, for the purpose\nof ascertaining the genuine marks of saving grace; take time to perform\nthe work of self-examination thoroughly, bringing to your aid all the\ninformation you can obtain from these sources--varying the exercise, at\ndifferent times, that it may not become superficial and formal.\n\nI have also prepared some questions for this purpose, which you will\nfind below. In these questions, I have not aimed at covering the whole\nground of Christian experience, so much as to bring before the mind, in\nconnection, some of the most prominent passages of Scripture relating to\nthe evidences of Christian character. Nor have I taken particular pains\nto prevent the questions from involving each other; as we may detect our\ndeficiencies on the same points the more readily by having them held up\nin a variety of views. The chief design of these questions will be lost,\nif you do not examine the passages of Scripture referred to. Some of the\ntraits of character here presented may not be certain evidence of piety;\nwhile, in other cases, a person may be a Christian while possessing the\ngraces mentioned in a much less _degree_ than they are here represented.\nIt is not necessary, where time is limited, to go through the whole of\nthese questions at once; and probably in most cases it will be found\nmore edifying to take up a portion of them at a time.\n\n\nAM I A CHRISTIAN?\n\n1. _Let me examine as to my views of Sin._ Have I beheld sin with an\nabhorrence far greater than the delight it ever gave me? Has that\nabhorrence arisen from an apprehension of the evil consequences to\nwhich it has exposed me, or of its odious nature, and its exceeding\nsinfulness as committed against God? Ps. 51:4. Isa. 1:2-4. Have I had a\nfull apprehension of my own exceeding sinfulness? Ps. 51:4. Isa. 1:5, 6.\nEph. 2:1-3. Have I felt my sins to be an insupportable burden? Ps.\n38:2-7. Have I ceased attempting to justify myself? Job 40:4. Luke\n18:11-14. Have I utterly despaired of all help from myself? Rom. 3:20.\nHave I abandoned all attempts to establish my own righteousness, by\nresolutions of amendment and future obedience? Rom. 9:32. 10:3. Have I\nexercised sincere and heartfelt sorrow on account of my sins? Ps. 38:17,\n18. Has this been the sorrow of the world which worketh death? 2 Cor.\n7:10, l.c. 2 Sam. 17:23. Matt. 27:3-5. Acts 8:24. Or has it been godly\nsorrow, which worketh repentance not to be repented of? 2 Cor. 7:9-11.\nHas my heart been broken, contrite, and humble, under a sense of my sins\nagainst God? Ps. 34:18. 51:17. Isa. 57:15. Has this sense of sin emptied\nme of myself, and begotten a deep poverty of spirit? Isa. 66:2. Matt.\n5:3. Has it led me to feel my unworthiness of God's favor? Gen. 32:10.\nLuke 15:19. 18:13, 14. Have I been filled with shame and self-loathing,\non account of the exceeding greatness of my sin, considered under a view\nof the infinite purity and awful majesty of the great Jehovah, against\nwhom it has been committed? Ezra 9:6. Job 42:1-6. Jer. 31:19. Ezek.\n16:63.\n\n2. _As to my views of the government of God._ Do I acquiesce in the\ngovernment of God as a most wise, most just, and most righteous\ngovernment? Rev. 15:3, 4. Do I cordially, cheerfully, and without\nreserve, yield myself, as a moral and accountable being, to the\nauthority of God, as the moral Governor of the universe? Rom. 6:13.\n12:1. Do I feel no reserve in my heart, making first the condition that\nI may be saved? Do I humbly acquiesce in the justice of God, in the\neternal punishment of the wicked? Do I include myself in this, thereby\n\"accepting the punishment of my sin\"? Levit. 26:40, 41. Am I sure that\nthis feeling is not produced by the secret consciousness that it is an\nevidence of a gracious state? Jer. 17:9. If all hope of salvation were\nsuddenly taken away from me, would my heart still acquiesce in the\njustice of the sentence of condemnation?\n\n3. _As to my faith in Christ._ Have I ceased from my own works, and, as\na heavy-laden sinner, come to Christ for rest? Heb. 4:10. Matt. 11:28.\nHave I seen him to be, in all respects, a complete Saviour, just such as\nmy ruined and lost condition requires? 1 Cor. 1:30. Gal. 3:13. 4:3-5.\nCol. 1:19. 2:3, 10. Have I heartily given up all for him? Matt. 10:37.\nLuke 14:26, 33. Phil. 3:7-10. Have I cheerfully taken up my cross and\nfollowed him? Luke 14:27. Do I now consider myself as no more my own,\nbut the Lord's, by the purchase of the Redeemer's blood? 1 Cor. 6:19,\n20. Do I therefore make it my constant and highest aim to glorify God\nwith my body and spirit which are his? 1 Cor. 6:20. 10:31. Have I\nthrough him become dead to sin, but alive to God? Rom. 6:11. Have I\ncrucified the flesh, with its affections and lusts? Gal. 5:24. Have I\nbecome dead also to the world, not seeking my portion in its riches,\nhonors, pleasures, or pursuits? Gal. 2:20. 6:14. 1 John 2:15. Have I\nutterly despaired of acceptance with God in any other way than by the\nmediation of Christ? Acts 4:12. Heb. 10:26, 27. Have I cordially sought\nreconciliation with God through the blood of Jesus? Col. 1:20-22. Does\nmy hope of salvation rest solely and alone in the righteousness and\natonement of the Lord Jesus Christ? Rom. 3:22-26. Do I receive him as my\n_Prophet_, submitting my will entirely to the teachings of his word and\nSpirit? Deut. 18:15. Heb. 1:1, 2. 2:1-3. Do I receive him in his office\nof _Priest_, trusting in the atonement he has made, and committing my\ncase to him, that he may intercede for me, before the offended Majesty\nof heaven? Heb. 4:14, 15. 7:26, 8:1, 9:11, 12, 24, 25. With humble\nconfidence in his intercession, do I come boldly to the throne of grace?\nHeb. 4:16. Do I cordially submit to him in his office of _King_? Ps.\n2:6. 45:1. Isa. 9:6, l.c. Acts 5:31. Do I yield my heart unreservedly to\nhis authority, making it my constant aim to bring into captivity every\nthought and action to the obedience of Christ? Matt. 11:29, 30. John\n15:14. Rom. 6:16. 2 Cor. 10:5. Whenever I fall into sin, do I seek to\nease my conscience by reformation and forgetfulness, or do I apply\nafresh to Christ, as the only propitiation for sin? 1 John 2:1, 2. Do I\nfind peace of conscience and spiritual joy in believing in Jesus? Rom.\n5:1. 8:1. 14:17. 15:13. 1 Pet. 1:8. Am I united to Christ as the living\nbranch is to the vine? John 15:1. Do I look to my union with him, as the\nbranch to the vine, for spiritual nourishment, strength and life? John\n15:4. Phil. 2:12, 13. Heb. 13:21. Do I realize the danger of\n_self-confidence_? Prov. 28:26. Mark 14:29-31, 68-71. Rom. 11:20. 1 Cor.\n10:12. Do I realize to what my union with Christ entitles me? Rom. 8:17.\nIn view of this union, do I feel a filial spirit of adoption towards God\nas _my father_? Ps. 103:13, 14. Rom. 8:15, 16. Gal. 4:4-7. 1 John 3:1,\n2. Does this union with Christ lead me to feel a union of spirit with\nall his disciples? John 17:21. 1 Cor. 12:12-29. What sympathy does this\nlead me to exercise towards them? Rom. 12:15. 1 Cor. 12:26. 1 John 3:17.\nIs Christ precious to my soul? 1 Pet. 2:7, f.c. Do I see a moral beauty\nand excellence in him above all created intelligences? Ps. 45:1, 2. Ca.\n5:9-15. John 1:14. Col. 2:3, 9. Heb. 1:3. How am I affected with the\ncontemplation of his sufferings for the salvation of my soul? 2 Cor.\n5:14, 15.\n\n4. _As to my love to God._ Do I take God for my supreme and eternal\nportion? Ps. 16:1-11. 73:25, 26. 119:57. Lam. 3:21. Is he the object of\nmy highest love? Mark 12:30. Am I willing to relinquish whatever comes\nin competition with him as an object of my affection? Mark 10:37-39. Do\nI prefer his favor and dread his power above that of all other beings?\nPs. 36:7. 43:3. 89:6-8. Deut. 10:12. Ps. 30:5. 33:8. 88:6-8. Jer. 10:7.\nDo I derive comfort in my afflictions by making him my refuge? Ps. 9:9.\n57:1. 59:16. Jer. 16:19. When my soul is under the hidings of his\ncountenance, can I enjoy any other good? Job 29:2-5. Ps. 38:1-10. Do I\nexperience any ardent longings after his spiritual presence with my\nsoul? Ps. 42:1, 2. 61:1, 2. Do I feel any earnest desires after\nconformity to his image? Matt. 5:6. Rom. 8:29. 1 Cor. 15:49. 2 Cor.\n3:18. 4:4. Col. 3:10. Ps. 17:15. Do I delight in the moral law of God,\nas a transcript of his holy character? Ps. 37:31. 119:70, 72, 77, 79,\n113, 131. Rom. 7:12, 22. Do I feel grieved when I see his law\ndisregarded? Ps. 119:136, 158. Do I make his will the rule of my life? 1\nJohn 5:3. Do I earnestly strive to bring my heart and life into complete\nconformity to his will? Phil. 3:7-14. Do I love his word? Ps. 19:7-11.\n119:11, 16, 82, 162, 172. Do I find delight in meditating upon it? Ps.\n1:2. 119:148. Do I delight in the ordinances of his house? Ps. 26:8.\n36:8. 122:1. 84:10. Do I delight in the Sabbath, anticipating its return\nwith desire, hailing it with joy, and engaging in its duties with sweet\nsatisfaction; Isa. 58:13, 14. Do I delight in secret communion with God,\nin prayer and praise? Ps. 5:2, 3. 55:16, 17. 88:13. 116:2. 138:1, 2.\n146:1, 2. 147:1. 148. Do I love the children of God, as bearing his\nimage? 1 John 4:20. 5:1. Is my soul ever moved with sweet emotion in\ncontemplating the infinite _moral_ perfections of God? Ps. 30:4. 96:9.\nDo I delight also in his natural perfections, as appertaining to the\nSupreme Ruler of the universe? Ps. 96:1-13. 97:1-12. Do I feel this\ndelight in his character, independent of the idea that he is my friend?\nHab. 3:17, 18. Am I sure that even this emotion is not produced by the\nsecret thought that the exercise of it is an evidence of my being his\nfriend?\n\n5. _As to my Christian character in general._ Do I realize my dependence\nupon the Holy Spirit for every right feeling and action? John 14:16, 17.\nRom. 8:9, 13, 14. Isa. 26, 12. Are the fruits of the Spirit manifest in\nmy heart and life? Gal. 5:22-24. Have I mortified my members which are\nupon the earth, and put off the works of the flesh? Gal. 5:19-21. Col.\n3:5, 8. Have I put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after\nthe image of him that created him? Col. 3:10. Do I manifest my love to\nmy brethren by a readiness to make sacrifices of personal feeling,\ninterest, and enjoyment, to promote their welfare and happiness? 1 John\n3:14-17. Do I manifest my love for all mankind, by doing good to all as\nI have opportunity? Do I feel an unalterable desire for the conversion\nof their souls? Rom. 9:1, 2. Am I willing to make personal efforts and\nsacrifices to promote this object? Do I heartily and earnestly offer the\nprayer,--\"Thy kingdom come,\" doing and giving all in my power to promote\nit? Is the same mind in me, in these respects, that was in Christ Jesus?\nPhil. 2:4-8. Rom. 15:2, 3. Do I truly feel that it is more blessed to\ngive than to receive? Acts 20:35 Do I strive, as much as in me lies, to\nlive in peace with all, and to promote peace among all men? Ps. 34:14.\nMatt. 5:9. Rom. 12:18. 2 Cor. 13:11. Heb. 12:14. James 3:17. Do I seek\nthe peace of Zion, avoiding every unnecessary offence, and even\nsacrificing my own feelings for the sake of the peace of the church? Ps.\n122:6. Rom. 14:19-21. 1 Cor. 7:15. 8:13. 14:33. Eph. 4:3. 1 Thess. 5:13.\nAm I long-suffering and patient under injurious treatment? 1 Cor. 13:4,\n7. Do I exercise a spirit of forbearance towards the faults of others,\nforgiving injuries and offences? Mark 11:25. Eph. 4:2. Col. 3:13. Do I\nput away all envy and jealousy from my bosom--not seeking occasion of\noffence by putting the worst construction upon the conduct of\nothers--not expecting great things for myself, and not being displeased\nwhen I am passed by with apparent neglect? Rom. 12:16. 1 Cor. 13:4, 5,\n7. Jer. 45:5. Eph. 4:2. Col. 3:12. Do I not think of myself more highly\nthan I ought to think? Rom. 12:3, 16. Do I in lowliness of mind esteem\nothers better than myself? Phil. 2:3. Am I self-willed, headstrong,\ndetermined to have my own way? or am I ready to prefer the judgment of\nmy brethren, and submit to them, when I can do it conscientiously? Eph.\n5:21. 1 Peter 5:5. Am I tender of spirit, kind, gentle, and courteous,\nin my intercourse with others? 1 Thess. 2:7. 2 Tim. 2:24. Titus 3:2.\nJames 3:17. Eph. 4:32. Col. 3:12. 1 Peter 3:8. Have I put on _meekness_,\nnot being easily provoked to the indulgence of resentful feelings? 1\nCor. 13:5. Have I put away from me all bitterness, and wrath, and anger,\nand clamor, and _evil-speaking_, with all malice, not rendering evil for\nevil, nor railing for railing? Eph. 4:31. 1 Pet. 3:9. Do I love my\nenemies, bless them that curse me, and seek the good of those who strive\nto injure me? Matt. 5:44. Rom. 12:14, 20. Do I recognize the hand of God\nin the daily blessings of this life? James 1:17. Do I likewise recognize\nhis hand in the little perplexities and trials of every-day life? Do all\nmy trials subdue and chasten my spirit, working in me patience,\nexperience, and hope? Rom. 5:3, 4. Heb. 13:6-11. Am I content with such\nthings as the Lord gives me, day by day, not taking anxious thought for\nthe morrow, nor disquieting myself for the future? Matt. 6:25-34. Phil.\n4:11. 1 Tim. 6:8. Heb. 13:5. Does my faith lead me to look at the things\nthat are unseen, and set my affections on things above, and not on\nthings on the earth? 2 Cor. 4:16-18. Col. 3:1, 2.\n\n * * * * *\n\nRemember, this is a fearful question. Your all is at stake upon it. But,\nif at any time you come to the deliberate conclusion that you are\nresting upon a false hope, give it up: but do not abandon yourself to\ndespair. Go immediately to the cross of Christ. Give up your heart to\nhim, as though you had never come before. There is no other way. This is\nthe only refuge, and Jesus never sent a soul empty away. \"Him that\ncometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.\" Persevere, even though you\nfind scarce evidence enough to give a faint glimmering of hope.\nContinually renew your repentance and faith in Christ. Diligence in\nself-examination may be a means of growth in grace: and if you are\nreally a child of God, your evidences will increase and brighten, till\nyou will be able to indulge \"a good hope through grace.\" \"For, in due\ntime, we shall reap, if we faint not.\"\n\nV. _Another object of self-examination is, to ascertain whether we are\nprepared to approach the Lord's table._ But let a man examine himself,\nand so let him \"eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.\" Here the duty\nof self-examination, before partaking of the Lord's Supper, is evidently\ntaught. And, in the next verse, we are told what is requisite to enable\nus to partake of this ordinance in an acceptable manner. It is, that we\nhave faith in lively exercise to discern the Lord's body. A backslider\nin heart, even though a real Christian, is not prepared to partake of\nthis spiritual feast, without renewing his repentance and faith. In this\nexamination, two subjects of inquiry present themselves: 1. \"Am I a\nChristian?\" 2. \"Am I growing in grace?\" In regard to the first of these\ninquiries, enough has already been said. To answer the second, you will\nneed consider,--1. Whether you were living in the exercise of gracious\naffections at the last communion. 2. Whether you have since made any\nprogress in the divine life. To aid you in these inquiries, I have\nprepared the following questions, which may be varied according to\ncircumstances:\n\nThe last time I partook of this ordinance, did I meet the Lord at his\ntable, and receive a refreshing from his presence? Did I there renew my\ncovenant vows? Have I kept my vows? Have I since lived not unto myself,\nbut unto God? Have I enjoyed more of the presence of God? Have I lived a\nlife of faith and prayer? Have I been daily to the cross of Christ for\npardon and strength? Have I maintained continually a deep and lively\nsense of divine things? Have I lived a life of self-denial? Have I\nobtained any conquests over indwelling sin? Have I made any progress in\nsubduing the unholy tempers of my heart? Has my will been brought more\nentirely to bow to the will of God, so that I have no will of my own?\nHas my love increased? Do I feel more delight in contemplating the\ndivine character, in reading his word, in prayer, in the ordinances of\nhis house, &c.? Do I feel more intense longings of soul after conformity\nto his image? Have I any deeper sense of the exceeding sinfulness of\nsin? Do my own sins in particular appear more aggravated? Do I think\nless of myself? Does a sense of my own vileness and unworthiness humble\nme low before God? Does this lead me to see my need of just such a\nSaviour as Jesus? Am I now disposed to cast my all upon him? Has my love\nfor Christians increased? Do I feel any more compassion for dying\nsinners? Has this led me to do more for their conversion? Have I\nabounded more in every good word and work? Have the fruits of the Spirit\nincreased in my heart and life? Have I been more faithful in all the\nrelations of life? Do I perceive any growing deadness to the world? Does\nmy relish for spiritual things increase, while my taste for earthly\ndelights diminishes? Do I see more and more my own weakness, and feel a\nmore steady dependence upon Christ? Do I feel increasing spirituality in\nreligious duties? Do I feel increasing tenderness of conscience, and\nmaintain more watchfulness against sin? Do I feel greater concern for\nthe prosperity of the church and the conversion of the world? Am I\nbecoming more meek and gentle in spirit, less censorious, and less\ndisposed to resent injuries? Am I more ready to receive reproof from\nothers, without anger or hardness of feeling?\n\nIf you have time to keep a journal, you may find some advantage from\nreviewing it on such occasions. It will aid your memory, and help you to\ngive your past life a more thorough examination. You will thereby be the\nbetter able to judge whether you are making progress. However, this is a\ndangerous experiment, as it is difficult to divest ourselves of the idea\nthat we are writing for the perusal of others; and this furnishes many\ntemptations. But, however unfit this examination may find you, do not\nlet Satan tempt you to stay away from the Lord's table. It is your duty\nto commemorate his dying love. It is your duty also to do it with a\nsuitable preparation of heart. Both these duties you will neglect by\nstaying away. In doing so, you cannot expect God's blessing. But set\nimmediately about the work of repentance. Come to the cross of Christ,\nand renew your application to his pardoning blood. Give yourself away to\nGod anew, and renew your covenant with him. In doing this, he will bless\nyour soul; and the Lord's table will be a season of refreshing. But if\nthis repentance and preparation be heartfelt and sincere, its fruits\nwill be seen in your subsequent life.\n\n\nCONCLUSION.\n\nI have now completed my intended series of letters. I have endeavored to\npresent the Christian character, and the duties required of the\nfollowers of Christ, in the light of God's word. I know, however, that I\nhave done it with much imperfection. But, do not rest with the mere\nmechanical performance of the duties here recommended. Do not engage in\nany of them with the hope of meriting God's favor. Use them only as the\nmeans of promoting your spiritual progress; depending on the Holy\nSpirit, through the blood and merits of Christ, to sanctify your heart.\nFor it is very possible for you to observe all these things, and yet\ndeceive yourself. Remember that true religion is a deep work of grace in\nthe heart, changing the bent and inclination of the soul, and giving a\nnew direction to all its faculties. O may you so live that Jesus shall\nsay to you, as to the church at Thyatira, \"I know thy works, and\ncharity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works and THE\nLAST TO BE MORE THAN THE FIRST.\" Take also his exhortation to the church\nat Smyrna: \"BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, AND I WILL GIVE THEE A CROWN OF\nLIFE.\"\n\n Your affectionate Brother.\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX.\n\n\nCOURSE OF READING.\n\n\nI. HISTORY.\n\n1. _Sacred and Ecclesiastical History._--Josephus' Works; Millar's\nHistory of the Church; Jahn's Hebrew Commonwealth, Mosheim's\nEcclesiastical History; Milner's Church History; Scott's Continuation of\nMilner; Life of Knox; Gilpin's Lives of the Reformers; Fuller's and\nWarner's Ecclesiastical History of England; Millar's Propagation of\nChristianity; Gillies' Historical Collections; Jones' Church History;\nMather's Magnalia; Neale's History of the Puritans; Wisner's History of\nthe Old South Church, Boston; Bogue and Bennett's History of the\nDissenters; Benedict's History of the Baptists; Life of Wesley; History\nof Methodism; Life of Whitefield; Millar's Life of Dr. Rodgers; Crantz's\nAncient and Modern History of the Church of the United Brethren;\nCrantz's History of the Mission in Greenland; Loskiel's History of the\nNorth American Indian Missions; Oldendorp's History of the Danish\nMissions of the United Brethren; Choules' Origin and History of\nMissions. Those who have not sufficient time for so extensive a course,\nmay find the most interesting and important events in the progress of\nthe church during the first sixteen centuries of the Christian era, in\nthe author's Sabbath-school Church History.\n\n2. _Secular and Profane History._--Rollin's Ancient History; Russel's\nEgypt; Russel's Palestine; Plutarch's Lives, to be kept on hand, and\nconsulted as the names appear in history; Wharton's Histories; Beloe's\nHerodotus; Travels of Anacharsis; Mitford's Greece; Ferguson's History\nof the Roman Republic; Baker's Livy; Middleton's Life of Cicero;\nMurphy's Tacitus; Sismondi's Decline of the Roman Empire; Muller's\nUniversal History; Hallam's History of the Middle Ages; James' Life of\nCharlemagne; Mills' History of the Crusades and of Chivalry; Turner's\nHistory of England; Burnett's History of his own Times; Robertson's\nHistory of Scotland; Robertson's Charles V.; Vertot's Revolutions of\nSweden; Vertot's Revolutions of Portugal; Sismondi's History of the\nItalian Republics, (abridged in Lardner's Cabinet of History;) Roscoe's\nLorenzo de Medici and Leo X.; Sketches from Venetian History; Malcolm's\nHistory of Persia; Irving's Life of Columbus; Prescott's Ferdinand and\nIsabella; Robertson's History of America; Bancroft's History of\nAmerica; Winthrop's Journal; Ramsay's American Revolution; Marshall's\nLife of Washington; with the Biographies of Penn, Jay, Hamilton, Henry,\nGreene, Otis, Quincy, Morris, the Signers of the Declaration of\nIndependence, Sparks' American Biography, with the Lives of any other\ndistinguished Americans; Scott's Life of Napoleon.\n\n\nII. CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE.\n\nPaley's Evidences; Chalmers' Evidences of Christianity; Halyburton\nagainst the Deists; Brown's Compendium of Natural and Revealed Religion;\nDwight's Theology; Bates' Harmony of the Divine Attributes; Edwards on\nOriginal Sin; Watts' Ruin and Recovery; Dr. Woods on Native Depravity;\nFuller's Works; Payson's Sermons; Boston's Fourfold State; Edwards'\nHistory of Redemption; Dr. Owen on the Death and Satisfaction of Christ;\nButler's Analogy; Cole on the Sovereignty of God; Griffin on Divine\nEfficiency; Charnock on the Dominion of God in his Works; Edwards'\nSermons; King, Toplady, Cooper, and Tucker, on Predestination; Whitby\nand Gill on the Five Points; Wesley's Predestination Considered; Edwards\nand Day on the Will; Scott's Essays; Colquhoun on the Covenants; Evans\non the Atonement; Griffin on the Atonement; Stewart on the Atonement;\nJenkyn on the Atonement; Witherspoon on Regeneration; Doddridge's Ten\nSermons on Regeneration; Dr. Owen on the Spirit; Hinton on the Spirit;\nWorks of Robert Hall; Dr. Owen on the 130th Psalm; Scott's Treatise on\nRepentance; Young's Last Day; Watts on Death and Heaven; Saurin's\nSermons; Baxter's Saint's Rest; Chalmers' Works.\n\nCotton's Power of the Keys; Hooker's Survey of the Sum of Church\nDiscipline; Owen's Inquiry into the Nature of Churches; Mitchell's\nGuide; Hall's View of a Gospel Church; Brown's Vindication of the\nPresbyterian Form of Government; Dr. Miller on the Office of Ruling\nElder; King's Constitution of the Church; Stillingfleet's Origines\nSacrae; Dr. Woods on Infant Baptism; The Baptized Child; Household\nConsecration: Robinson's History of Baptism.\n\n\nIII. BIOGRAPHY.\n\nBurner's Memoirs; Memoirs of Isabella Graham, Mrs. Huntington, Mrs.\nSavage, Mrs. Harriet Newell, and Mrs. Paterson: Philip Henry; Oberlin;\nFrancke; Neff; Payson; Henry Martyn; Brainerd; Howard; Dr. Hopkins;\nPresident Edwards; Mrs. Emily Egerton; Mrs. Myra W. Allen: Rev. Samuel\nDavies; Lives of Maclaurin, Baxter, Doddridge, Owen, Watts, Howe,\nMather, Dwight; Gill, Banyan, Robinson, Andrew Fuller, Hall; Fletcher,\nAsbury, Clarke, Watson; Cecil, Fenelon. Mrs. Judson, James B. Taylor,\nRev. Joseph Emerson, Harlan Page; Mrs. Winslow, Parsons and Fiske,\nGordon Hall; Life of Schwartz.\n\nLives of Henry Kirke White, Elizabeth Smith: Johnson's Lives of the\nPoets; Life of Johnson; Teignmouth's Life of Sir William Jones;\nSouthey's Life and Correspondence of Cowper.\n\n\nIV. MISCELLANEOUS.\n\n1. _Works on the Prophecies._--Bishop Newton's Dissertations; Keith;\nSmith's Key to the Revelation; Sir Isaac Newton's Observations on the\nProphecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse; Gray's Key to the Old\nTestament; Faber on the Prophecies.\n\n2. _On Christian Character, Experience, and Duty._--Edwards on Religious\nAffections; Doddridge's Rise and Progress; Owen on Indwelling Sin;\nSerle's Christian Remembrancer; Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress; Scougal's\nLife of God in the Soul; Howe's Blessedness of the Righteous; Owen on\nSpiritual-Mindedness; Leighton on Peter; Baxter's Practical Works;\nFlavel's Works; Prayer experimentally considered; Abbott's Young\nChristian, and Path of Peace; Gallaudet's Every-day Christian; Works of\nRobert Philip; Dr. Skinner's Religion of the Bible; The Great Teacher,\nby Harris; The American Tract Society's Evangelical Family Library,\nwhich includes some of the works above named.\n\n3. _On the Instruction and Discipline of the Young._--Abercrombie on the\nIntellectual Powers; Abbott's Teacher; Abbott's Mother at Home; Mother's\nFriend; Mother's Magazine; Todd's Sabbath-school Teacher; Hannah More's\nLetters on Female Education.\n\n4. _Illustrations of Scriptures._--The Comprehensive Commentary, to be\nreferred to in connection with the study of the Bible; Townsend's Bible,\nfor its chronological information and notes.\n\n5. _Health._--Combe on the Constitution; Catechism of Health; Carnaro on\nTemperance.\n\n6. _Travels._--Bruce's Travels In Abyssinia; Denon's Travels in Egypt;\nBelzoni's Personal Narrative; Humboldt's Personal Narrative; Clarke's\nTravels in Russia; Mackenzie's Travels in Iceland; Mungo Park's Mission\nto Africa; Denham's and Clapperton's Mission to Africa; Lander's\nJournal; Sismondi's Italy, France, and England; Dr. Humphrey's Tour;\nRome in the 19th Century; Buchanan's Researches; The Christian Brahmin;\nRamsey's Journal; Ellis' Polynesian Researches; Stewart's Voyage in the\nSouth Seas; Tyerman and Bennett's Journal; Williams' Missionary\nEnterprise in the South Sea Islands; Reed and Matheson's Journal;\nJournals of the Missionaries, in the bound volumes of the Missionary\nHerald.\n\n7. _The Sciences._--Watts on the Mind; Locke on the Human Understanding;\nBrown's Lectures on the Philosophy of the Mind; Douglass on the\nAdvancement of Society; Dick's Works; The Bridgewater Treatises; Mrs.\nB.'s Conversations on Philosophy and Chemistry; Wayland's Moral Science,\nand Political Economy.\n\n8. _Belles Lettres._--Hannah More's Works; Jane Taylor's Works; Madame\nde Stael; Johnson's Rasselas; Selections from the Spectator and Rambler.\nPoems of Milton, Young, Dryden, Cowper, Thomson, Montgomery, Hemans,\nSigourney, Tappan.\n\n9. _Promiscuous._--Mrs. Farrar's Young Ladies' Friend; Mrs. Sigourney's\nLetters to Young Ladies; Female Student, by Mrs. Phelps.","title":"A practical directory for young Christian females : $b being a series of letters from a brother to a younger sister","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":87926}