ments: That which is born of the flesh is FLESH; and that which is born of the Spirit is SPIRIT. Let me entreat you to accompany me through a short inquiry into those religious phenomena which, however specious, may rise no higher than corrupt nature, and wherein the work of the Spirit of God is to be distinguished from them. I. Those religious phenomena to which corrupted nature is equal. That which is born of the flesh is FLESH. 1. Early impressions of serious things in a religious community. Where a reverence of the gospel is established-where it pervades all the social habits, and especially where our own friends are under its influence-nothing is more natural or certain than that, under such circumstances, the religious feeling should become characteristic, and that many persons should imagine themselves to be true Christians, who know of no other power operating upon their minds than the power of imitation. How far this may be carried, it is impossible to tell, but it is lamentable to think how deep and how extensive are the delusions which accompany it, and how immensely difficult is the recovery of persons involved in it. They were brought up in the profession of the Christian religion-it may be in the very exact and austere performance of religious duties. Their parents, their ancestors, were all most exemplary in the same way, and who, if not themselves, should have a claim to the Christian character? I shall not admonish my hearers that there is no such thing as prescription in Christianity for a man's personal interest in its privileges. Unhappily, the argument is very short, very plain, and brings us directly to the conclusion of the text. We happen to have known some who had no other religion than an hereditary religion, and who were reported as religiously inclined, but whose course soon proved how untrue was this opinion respecting them. We have seen numbers of them gradually throwing off their religious inclinations, and becoming perfectly content with the reputation of honest men. This reputation, indeed, they keep up, and it is highly honorable in them to do so; but for any resemblance to our Lord Jesus Christ-for any evidence that they pay the least regard to his authority or his glory—for any that they ever think of him-you might as well, to use a comparison of the ancients, you might as well look for a knot in a bulrush. I speak of all those who have been religiously educated, and have turned their backs upon that holy name which they were early taught to fear. I bring into my re monstrance millions of facts, and what is infinitely more terrible, millions of immortal souls, that have sunk down to hell with all the benefit of a traditionary faith. If you will not hear me, hear them who have perished, and who can testify, by the most tremendous of all experience, that the religion of the father will not save the son; and that all in which they trusted was nothing more than the doings of the flesh, which never brought them out of the condemned world, nor ever enabled them to see the kingdom of God. --- 2. There are not a few among the men of more inquisitive minds, who hold the previous class of religionists in sufficient contempt. Το inherit their faith as they would a tract of land or a bag of money; to be taught religion as they were taught their alphabet; or to join the cry and follow in the course of the multitude around them appears to them ignoble and base, a sort of swindling for reputation upon the credit of more honest men. Christianity, they are told upon the highest of all authority, is a reasonable service, and they cannot conceive how any man, who consults his reasonable nature, can make an intelligent profession of a religion of which he has not examined the proofs; and he finds no difficulty in explaining the apostasy of those whom change of climate, of company, or the habits of society, have introduced into a scene where their former principles and profession, if not disreputable, were at least of no advantage. For themselves they are satisfied upon mature examination, that revelation is true, and furnishes the only solid ground of present peace and future blessedness. Demonstration is always the same; conviction founded upon it never alters; and consequently, go where they will, they carry their religion with them. Christianity is never insulted, nor Christians put to the blush, by their infidelity. We are not now to learn that belief arising from personal research and conviction, is in matters of reasoning of a much higher order than any persuasion induced by the authority or example of others. And as there is no necessity, so we have no inclination, to disparage the rational evidence for Christianity, and the conviction growing out of it. We maintain, on the contrary, that genuine conviction of revealed truth is the most rational thing imaginable; and that they who reject it, labor under disordered intellects. But it is still a most serious inquiry, whether the merely rational belief in the truth of the scriptures, such as has been described, has any connection with the salvation of the soul; or involves in the least degree the favor of God; or rises any higher than what our Lord calls the flesh; i. e. whether it any more secures than can be attained by mere carnal reason, or is experienced by the carnal mind, which is enmity against God. every In his dispensations towards sinners, the Most High deals with them as with rational creatures, in whom their reason, though depraved, is not destroyed. He has therefore fortified his revelation by every sort of moral proof; so that his servants may always be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them; that attack upon their faith and hope may be successfully repelled, and unbelievers left without excuse. But who does not see, that in order to accomplish its purpose, this must proceed upon principles common to the friends and the enemies of his Gospel; upon principles strictly within the reach of the unsanctified mind? Accordingly, a man by the use of his natural though corrupted reason, may easily arrive at the conclusion that the Bible is the word of God; nay, that every particular doctrine therein revealed, not excluding the very doctrines on which the salvation of the soul depends, are undeniably his word, and may be quite as sound in his speculative opinions as the believer who stands highest in the records of life. All this is nothing more than drawing fair conclusions from simple and well-established premises; and were this enough to constitute a |
