Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

ture? Was there ever yet a sane man, without the consciousness of a disposition to do some things, and to avoid others; a consciousness as clear and unquestionable as that he possesses the faculties of understanding, will, memory, conscience, or any natural faculty whatever? It is believed that no one will affirm, that such a man ever yet existed. A man who should say that he never felt any disposition, inclination or propensity, to any one thing more than to another, would immediately be considered as insane, or as a liar: And if so, disposition must be admitted to be a part of man's spiritual nature, a natural attribute, property or faculty, of every human mind. Then it follows, unavoidably, that there is no complete natural ability to perform moral acts, without a disposition to perform them. Whatever other natural faculties for the performance of these acts may be present; an essential one is not present-not only so, but in its place there is aversion, or a disposition opposite to the performance of moral duty-The whole confusion and controversy in which this subject has been involved, appears to have been occasioned, by considering the natural and moral principles or powers of the human mind, as forming two distinct classes, in all respects separate and distinct. This, it is believed, is a great error. Conscience is a natural principle, faculty or power, of the human mind. It has received, and justly, by writers on the philosophy of mind, the appellation of the moral sense-it has a moral character. The same is true, and more evidently true, of disposition. It is something-call it what you please a faculty, power, property, or attribute-which belongs to the very nature of the soul of man, and yet it has a moral character.

Again. It is particularly worthy of notice, in reference to this subject, that the manner in which a disposition to do evil has been acquired, is never regarded as freeing the evil doer from guilt, blame, or punishment. A thief, or a murderer, is never acquitted from a consideration of the way or manner, in which he came to possess the disposition which led him to steal or murder. This bad disposition, itself and alone, is regarded, in estimating the culprit's criminality. The way in which he came by that disposition, or the cause or origin to which it may be traced, is not taken into view; at least not so as to exculpate him. The same holds true in regard to all moral acts. The disposition itself, good or bad, and not the source from which it is derived, is that alone which is considered; in estimating a man's actions as innoeent or criminal, praiseworthy or blameworthy. Whatever may be the speculations or reasonings that men may adopt, in relation to the origin of their evil dispositions; or whatever may be the conclusions at which they arrive, still, an evil disposition is, and ever will be, considered as involving guilt. This is the universal sentiment of mankind; and what is more, it is the sentiment of evil-doers themselves, in regard to themselves. Till the conscience becomes callous by repeated violations, or by long continued sophistry, transgressors cannot escape remorse and self-condemnation for their evil deeds; although they may have been hurried into them by the strength and violence of their dispositions, or propensities to evil.

The result is, that disposition is an integral and essential part of natural ability to do good; and that wherever there is a disposition to do evil, it is per se, and without reference to its origin, or cause, considered as involving guilt and blameworthiness, both by the general sentiment of mankind, and the testimony of the consciences of transgressors themselves. Hence it follows, that in attempting to convince impenitent sinners of their criminality in the sight of God, all reasoning

about their natural ability to love him and obey his commandments, is worse than useless. Such reasoning is sophistical, and its effect injurious. After the truth has been stated, and when necessary, established from Scripture, experience, common sense, and sound reason, a direct appeal to the consciences of sinners, is the proper and most effectual method to awaken their feelings to a sense of their guilt and danger, in neglecting or refusing to perform their duty. This is the scriptural method. Let the advocates of an impenitent sinner's natural ability to love and obey God show us something, if they can, in the oracles of inspiration-show it, not by elaborate inference, but in plain and direct statement*-that will justify their speculations. A single example of a sacred writer urging impenitent sinners to exert their natural ability to render a cordial obedience to the commands of God, would be infinitely more satisfactory than all the metaphysical reasoning that ever was, or ever can be made to bear on this point.†

I have said that the scriptural method of addressing sinners, in order to awaken and lead them to repentance, is, by a direct appeal to their consciences. Permit me, then, to make a few quotations, in place of many that might be made, which plainly assert the natural inability of men to love and obey God; then a few passages to show that the consciences of sinners, notwithstanding, condemn them as guilty; and finally, the direct appeals made by inspired writers and speakers, to the consciences of sinners, in order to bring them to repentance. 1. Of inability. Jer. xiii. 23-" Can the Ethiopian change his skin and the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." John vi. 43, 44-"Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, murmur not among yourselves; no man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." Rom. viii. 7-" Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." 1 Cor. ii. 14-"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 2. Of the condemnation of unsanctified sinners by their own consciences. John viii. 8-" And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out, one by one, beginning at the eldest even unto the last, and Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst." Rom. i. 18, 19, 20-The apostle, speaking of the heathen, says-"Because the wrath of God is revealed from heaven

*It is readily admitted that fair and legitimate inference from passages of scripture is always lawful, and often proper. But in regard to important doctrines, what is inferred from one passage is commonly found explicitly stated or affirmed in another. The doctrine of natural ability to do good, is represented by its advocates to be exceedingly important-all important. We ask for a passage of scripture, where this all important doctrine is directly and explicitly taught.

In regeneration the disposition is changed. No new faculty is given. The disposition is still a part of the nature of the mind-of the new nature given in renovation. The stony heart is taken away, but still there is always a heart-it is now a heart of flesh. Disposition, the writer is well aware, is only a modification or operation of the affections, denoting their tendency or bias. He has chosen to use the term, as most distinctly and briefly indicating the ideas he desired to communicate. That the will and affections undergo a change in regeneration is admitted by all orthodox writers. Yet these are not supposed to be new faculties, but the former ones having a new tendency; a tendency so altered, as to choose and delight in new objects-objects which previously caused aversion, instead of choice and pleasure. The understanding and memory, also, have the objects of their chief attention and attraction changed. The conscience, likewise, is sanctified-purified by atoning blood-" purged from dead works, to serve the living God." Thus, he who is regenerated, is truly and emphatically a new man"-" a new creature."

[ocr errors]

against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men-because that which may be known of God, is manifest in them, for God hath showed it to them-so that they are without excuse." And in the 2d chap. verses 14, 15, he says, "When the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these-show the work of the law written in their hearts; their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another." Tit. iii. 10, 11-"A man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject. Knowing that he that is such, is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of himself." Acts ii. 36, 37-" Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren what shall we do?" This, it will be observed, was before they had received the "gift of the Holy Ghost," which is mentioned in the next verse; although we doubt not that it is the quickening influence of the blessed Spirit, operating on the natural conscience, that, in all cases, engages unsanctified sinners to seek salvation in good earnest.

3. The passages in which the inspired writers and speakers appeal to the consciences of sinners, are too extended to be quoted at large; a reference to them, is all that the limits I prescribe to myself will admit. Of the method of address for which I contend, our Saviour himself was the most illustrious example. Read his sermon on the mount. The beginning, and much of the whole, is didactic; correcting errors and teaching important truths. It contains, however, a number of appeals, which, if examined, will be found to be addressed, sometimes to reason, in its simplest principles; sometimes to common sense; and in connexion with both of these, to the consciences and moral feelings of his hearers. But look at the close of this inimitable sermon, in which an application is made of his whole discourse. Here the appeal is evidently and entirely to the consciences, hopes, and fears of those to whom he had been speaking. The address, altogether, is at the farthest possible remove from abstract reasoningthere is no feature of resemblance to modern philosophical preaching, in any part of it. The same may be said of all his other discourses. Many of them consist of parables, and the manifest and ultimate tendency of the most of them, after communicating instruction, is, to reach the consciences of those to whom they were delivered. In these, indeed, as in the sermon on the mount, the appeal is often to the hopes and fears of our Lord's hearers. But these hopes and fears were to be reached and excited, chiefly through the operation of conscience. This was to be first touched, that the truth delivered might operate effectually on those who heard it.-Look next at Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost. After showing the falsehood of the supposition that the disciples were intoxicated, his discourse consists of explaining and applying ancient prophecy, asserting the divine mission and final exaltation of his blessed Lord, and charging home on the multitude the awful guilt of having, with wicked hands, crucified and slain the Lord of life and glory. The direct appeal was to conscience, and we have already seen in part what was its effect. His hearers were pricked in their heart," and cried out, "Men and brethren what shall we do? and the same day there were added to them about three thousand souls." His address to the multitude, that clustered around him and John after the miraculous cure of the lame man who lay at the

beautiful gate of the temple, is exactly of the same character, followed by a solemn call to immediate repentance. In the same style, also, he addressed the Jewish rulers, when he and his brethren were called before them; and although they were not brought to repentance, but took counsel to slay the apostles, and probably would have done it, but for the interposition of Gamaliel, yet we are told expressly, that "they were cut to the heart:" and it is commonly the cutting appeals which faithful preachers make to the consciences of persecutors, which inflame their rage, when repentance and reformation are not produced. A memorable instance we have of this in the case of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. His address was exactly of the same kind as that of Peter last mentioned, and precisely the same was also its effect. His persecutors were "cut to the heart, and gnashed on him with their teeth," and in violation of all law and decency, they stoned him to death. Finally, look at the addresses, and examine the epistles of Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles. They abound in doctrinal instruction and powerful reasoning. Nor let it be supposed, that any thing now said has been intended to disparage these. Preaching that is not chiefly doctrinal, is of little value. Reasoning also, if it be of the right kind, is highly important. It is against the necessity of such reasoning, as that which accompanies the maintaining of "natural ability to give the heart to God, and to keep his commandments," that what is now said is directed-It is to point out a better way of making men feel their guilt; and to show that this way was that which was adopted and is exemplified by the manner in which Christ and his apostles always addressed those to whom they spoke and wrote. Paul was a great reasoner, as his epistles abundantly show. He reasoned before Felix, but not about his natural ability to keep God's commandments, in the flagrant violation of one of which he was habitually living with Drusilla -He spoke "concerning the faith in Christ," and "he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and a judgment to come." In this way he got at the conscience of the Roman governor, and plied it so closely that "Felix trembled, and answered, go thy way for this time, when I have a more convenient season, I will call for thee." Show, in all that the apostle ever said or wrote-in his speeches or in epistles-a single sentence, in which he speaks of man's "natural ability to obey the gospel call," and I will say of it as Cowper says of a quip or jest, in Paul's writings

"I consent you take it for your text,

Your only one, till sides and benches fail."

No, Paul was no teacher of natural ability "to love God and keep his commandments." He denied it utterly and explicitly, as we have shown. And yet he was the most successful preacher that ever proclaimed the gospel of Christ. In vain, therefore, do the advocates of this doctrine pretend that it is necessary to make men feel that they are inexcusably guilty. Are they wiser than Christ and his apostles? Has a better method than they adopted been discovered, to convert sinners? If our improved preachers do not say this in words, their practice says

it.

Alas! it is to be apprehended that many of their converts need to be "converted over again." So much is made of this natural ability, that deluded mortals get to think that they can and do convert themselves-The notion is so current at present, that it has greatly diminished the pleasure which sober Christians, of eminent and fervent piety, used to feel, when they heard of revivals of religion. They fear

greatly that many of the lately reported converts, are fatally deceived; are yet in their natural, carnal, unsanctified state. May the Lord speedily deliver his church from this, and every other soul-ruining delusion.

INTERESTING LETTER.

There is a simple, touching, pathos in the following genuine letter, unequalled by any fictions, or imaginings, we have ever read-It is taken from The Journal of Commerce.

Letter written by Charlotte E. Richmond, in her 7th year, to her sister, Mrs. Marshall, in Scotland, on the death of her brother, William Wilberforce.

Scarcely any of our readers need to be told that Legh Richmond, father of the writer of this letter, was the author of the "Dairyman's Daughter," the "Young Cottager," and several other delightful publications of a religious character, which have been read wherever the English language is understood, and translated into several foreign languages. His son, Wilberforce, died in youth, and a memoir of his life has recently been published, which is hardly less interesting than that of his father, who is also dead, as well as several other members of the family.

"My Dear Mary-It is a long time since I wrote to you; but I have not forgotten you, for you know I love you very much. Were you not sorry to hear dear Willy was dead? He was asleep, and I did not know that he was dead, and I asked them why they cried so much. He did not look any different, only he looked a little pale; so I did not think this meant dying; but they told me dear Willy was dead, and would never speak to me any more. It made me cry very much too; but poor papа cried the most, and took him up in his arms and kissed him very often; so did poor Fanny, and mamma, and Mrs. Gasking; and it was a sad, sad time. Then papa went into the parlour to tell Legh, for all the others were at church; and papa told him he was crying for joy, because dear Willy was in heaven; and then Legh cried too; but I do not think Legh cried for joy, for he looked so sad and cried so much. Papa took us into the study, and made a beautiful prayer, and thanked God very much for Willy's being in heaven, and asked God to let all his brothers and sisters, and papa and mamma, go there too; and papa told us to pray that God would take us to that holy place where our Saviour, and Willy, and the baby are, and where they will never die again, and live with God, and be so very beautiful and glorious.

"I will tell you what dear Willy said to me when he sent for me on Sunday. He told me to come and kiss him, and he said to me, "When poor Willy dies, shall you be sorry?" I said, "Oh yes, dear Willy:" he said, "Oh, but I am going to God in heaven, dear Charley, and you must be a good girl and come to me in heaven; but then, promise me before I die, that you will never come out of your room in the morning, or lie down at night, without reading the Bible, or praying to God." I said I would not, and I hope I do not. Dear Mary, I want very much to be good, and go to God and dear Willy in heaven. Dear Willy said, "I will give you something to remember me by when I am dead, and you must often repeat it. 'Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.'” He said, "Jesus said this, and dear Charley may come too, and he will

« AnteriorContinuar »