THE

CHRISTIAN DISCIPLE.

NEW SERIES-No. 29.

September and October, 1823.

MEANS OF A GENERAL REVIVAL OF PRACTICAL RELIGION.

In looking upon the religion of Jesus Christ, as it is exhibited in his teaching and life, we are not more surprised at the limited extent to which its reception has been confined, than at the practical indifference with which it has been treated by its professed disciples. When we examine it independently of the character of those beings to whom it offers itself, we at once suppose that it will gain their esteem and devotion; that the weight of its motives, and the solemnity of its sanctions will call forth their earnest attention. Yet in all ages of christianity complaints have been heard of the coldness of its professors. Their want of zeal and engagedness in religion has been the theme of reproof with the true servant of God, and with the artful hypocrite. And it might well be so in the ages that followed the establishment of the church, when the simplicity of our holy faith was buried under doctrines and rites which vain philosophy and wanton speculation, ignorance and superstition, ambition and avarice, and every worldly passion had united in heaping in strange confusion upon it. In the ages of darkness, when arts and letters and science were neglected, we might expect that virtue likewise would be forgotten, and when learning fled for refuge to the cells of a monastery, religion would seek an asylum in the vallies of Piedmont. But how is it, that when knowledge is shining in its greatest splendour on the civilized world, and christianity has been recovered from oppression, and brought back to the communion of social life, when its doctrines are so well understood, and its precepts so truly inculcated, that there is still occasion for the exhortations and remonstrances that are directed against the indifference of christians? Why is there so little practical religion among us? If we confine the subject to our own New Series-Vol. V.

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situation, we shall more feel its importance, and be better able to satisfy ourselves in its examination.-By considering the causes of our religious indifference, we shall be enabled to form some idea of its correctives.

1. In the first place, the very constitution of our being and situation in this world has a tendency to make us inattentive to religion. We enter life with capacities which may be strengthened in the cause either of virtue or of vice, with passions which may be made subservient to our progress in moral excellence, or become the ministers of sin, with affections which may be directed to worthy objects, or be perverted to unholy ends. With this mental and moral constitution we are brought into a portion of our existence, whose essential characteristic is, that it is a state in which, under a strict moral discipline, we may be prepared for a more perfect state. Temptations are around us from our first entrance on our earthly being. The mind is constantly exposed to the influence of circumstances which partake of the character of the life to which they belong-they are circumstances of discipline to moral agents. But mankind have not solely to prepare for a future existence, they must support themselves in this. They must not only contend with the moral difficulties which lie in their way to perfection, but they have innumerable physical wants which must be answered, they must provide for the neces sities of the present state as well as lay up for themselves a treasure in heaven, and this by a merciful disposition of their Creafor constitutes part of their moral discipline. But with the necessities come the cares and vexations of this life. Excess and luxury follow close upon the supply of our wants, and then we have continually something which we desire, or something which we must guard. We have too much or we have not enough, and the want and the abundance alike bring demands on our time and our thoughts, and much of each is taken away from religion. As we proceed in life, habits are exerting an increasing influence over us, the passions connected with them are gaining strength, and we become more and more the slaves of this world's concerns. Where our thoughts are, there will our hearts be also; our affections are entwined around the objects of our anxiety and pursuit; our fears and hopes are given to the things of this present time, and our power and our inclination to attend to subjects connected with a future and invisible state are lessening together. This is the natural influence of the circumstances of our being, and in this we may find a powerful cause of inattention to religion operating at all times and upon all men.

2. A circumstance which has a strong tendency to make us indifferent to real, practical religion is our early instruction in

the truths on which it is founded. Education and habit have a great power of hardening the heart and inuring it to view the most solemn subjects without emotion. The youth educated in a christian land becomes acquainted with the existence and truths of the christian faith before his mind is matured. His belief is rendered it, before he perceives the grounds on which it claims to be believed. He also is accustomed to the language of scripture and of seriousness before he knows its true meaning and weight, and admits the truth of statements, of whose extent and application he is ignorant. Thus religion is to him a matter of sound, not of feeling, something to which custom has rendered him indifferent, as we frequently pass by the beautiful in nature with neglect, if it has been familiar to us from our childhood, when the stranger would stop in admiration. The young mau among us views the subjects of eternity with little interest, for they are a story often told. As he grows up into manhood, the momentous and affecting truths of religion having lost their novelty, lose their power over him, and he is perhaps a regular attendant on the services of the sanctuary from habit, and an indistinct sense of duty impressed upon his mind in childhood, without receiving any benefit. His faith is historical, not practical. It is a belief of facts, not a principle of action.

3. The first cause of religious indifference which has been mentioned, is of universal application, the second has particular force in this part of our country, where the means of early religious instruction are so generally possessed. There is one other, which peculiarly affects the present period, and which arises from the degree to which theological controversy has prevailed among us for some time. With however good a spirit this controversy may have been conducted, the necessary consequence of it has been to draw the attention of readers in a special degree to the points in dispute, the controverted doctrines of different sects. These doctrines have indeed an important influence upon the affections and conduct, but we are apt in discussion to give them an independent and exclusive weight, and to lose sight of christian character in our pursuit of christian faith. In examining the arguments for particular systems, we forget the grand principles which are common to all, and which are the foundation of morality and piety. The very study of theology as a separate branch of pursuit may have a noxious influence. The revelation which we investigate with the critical spirit of a scholar, becomes too much a mere object of speculation and criticism. While we find fresh proofs of its heavenly origin, we have less of its heavenly temper. It is true that this effect is confined to a small portion of society, the reading class; but when we remember what

an influence they exert over the whole body, how much the tone of moral feeling and the standard of moral action depend upon them, and especially when we consider how directly the clergy, to whom these remarks are especially applicable, are the guardians of religious sentiment and character in the community, we may be ready to acknowledge that theological controversy is immediately prejudicial to practical religion.

There are other circumstances of a more or less general nature, which, in their connexion with those already mentioned, may affect the state of public feeling on religious subjects. Progress in wealth, increase of commerce, and that attention to the elegancies and arts of life which follows, as they occupy a greater portion of our thoughts will detract from the attention bestowed upon more important pursuits. Devotion to literature and science may engross the mind to the exclusion of other things, and political dissensions may fasten the attention on the bickerings and prejudices that are excited by the very blessings of liberty. Preparation for heaven should be the great business of moral beings in a state of probation, and when from local or temporary causes any other subjects occupy their minds so as to drive away this, we must expect a correspondent degeneracy in morals and religion. But we by no means conceive that the present time is remarkable among us for its profligacy, or its carelessness with regard to eternal things. However true and lamentable it may be that the religion of Christ has not greater influence over the hearts of its professors, that its spirit is not more apparent in their lives, and that its profession is not more universal, still these are not the peculiar marks of this generation. The generations that have gone before us had their vices, as we have ours, and our pious forefa hers while they gave to the character of NewEngland that religious temperament which has continued to the present day, stamped upon it a stern and uncharitable exterior, as inconsistent with the spirit of the gospel as it was unattractive. With us, religion has lost its sternness, and perhaps something of its strength. Though we would object to those indiscriminate censures which are passed upon the irreligion of modern times, yet there is much occasion for the charge of indifference and worldly mindedness, and much room for a general revival of practical religion. How is this to be effected?

If we listen to the language and practice of a great portion of christians among us, this inquiry seems to be immediately answered. We must produce what are technically called revivals of religion. But we think that such revivals should not be encouraged, for

1. They are not revivals of practical religion. The attention

of persons at such times is drawn not so much to the practice as to the profession of christianity. They are treated as disbelievers in the great truths of the gospel, and the object is to awaken them to a sense of the high value of what are supposed to constitute the peculiar doctrines of our holy faith. Hence an acknowledgement of these as of vital importance, and a professed application of them to his own case are all that is required, and all that can be obtained of the sinner thus converted; for there is no opportunity of displaying the influence of christian principles upon the heart or conduct in what are termed times of religious excitement. A state of feeling is produced, the permanence and efficacy of which cannot be tested till the ordinary business of life is resumed, and the exciting causes have ceased. And supposing the doctrines inculcated to be true, from the way in which they are presented, they make men practical christians no more than to state some of the most abstract principles of mathematical science without explaining their application to the affairs of life, would render a person a competent practical mathematician. Observation will show us not only that the essential part of religion, that which relates to well-doing, is comparatively kept out of sight, but that immorality and licentiousness are the frequent attendants upon revivals of religion as they are commonly conducted. They afford a cloak for the hypocrite, a place of action for the artful and designing, opportunity for the corrupt. The excite ment which has been produced is unnatural, and cannot continue. The minds of men have been raised to a momentary excess of religious feeling, and when they descend from it, they may pass to indifference or depravity. In the heat of religious excitement the weeds of vice will spring up as readily as better plants. If we visit a town after such a revival has died away, we shall find some who may have been made good christians, and some who have been made hardened sinners. We shall hear of vice which was fostered in these scenes, and we shall discover a spirit of indifference and listlessness generally prevailing, that will form a striking, but not an unaccountable contrast to the past excitement.*

2. These revivals are grounded on false and injurious doctrines. They are false because inconsistent with what we know

* We would not have our remarks on this subject misunderstood. We believe that what are termed revivals of religion are generally pernicious, and that the evils necessarily attending them are sufficient to prove their impropriety. But that they may be the means of awakening an attention to religious subjects, and of producing in some a lasting impression we have no doubt. They are for the most part commenced from pure motives, and a sincere, though a mistaken faith. We think that we can discern the influence of more enlightened views acting upon this subject. The preaching and conduct of recent revivals as far as we have observed, evince the power which more correct modes of thinking in one part of the community necess sarily have upon its other portions.