well as the free, voluntary exercise of man. Penitent sinners are made willing, in the day of God's power. But God is ever able to give effect to the appointed means of repentance. He has the hearts of all the opposers of truth, in his Almighty hand, and turns them, as he does the rivers of water. He has humbled some of the most stout-hearted and determined ens. mies of the truth; Saul of Tarsus, for instance: and he intends to humble and give repentance to multitudes more. And no minister of the gospel knows, but that those very opposers, whom it is his lot to bear with and instruct, however unreasonable, obstinate and injurious they may be, are included in the number of those, on whom it is God's purpose yet to have mercy, and to 'turn from darkness to light and from the power of satan unto God.' It may be added, 4. That if God ever shall be pleased, in the riches of his sovereign grace, to give repentance to those who now oppose themselves, they will, at once, acknowledge the truth. "If God, peradventure, will give them repentance, to the acknowledging of the truth." To acknowledge the truth means something more, in this connection, than barely to assent to it. Such an assent, or speculative belief may be produced by mere light in the understanding, while the heart remains as much opposed as ever. Such an assent amounts, at most, to no more than conviction, which is not necessarily acompanied or followed by conversion. To acknowledge the truth, in the sense of the text, is to approve of it, as right, good, consistent, amiable and worthy of God. It is cordially to embrace the truth, or in the lan guage of the apostle, to believe with the heart. And as all direct opposition to divine truth originates in impenitent, unholy, selfish feelings; it is evident that all to whom God shall give true repentance, will immediately acknowledge the truth.With repentance, they will receive the love of the truth. Instead of opposing, they will bear their testimony to the beauty and excellency of the peculiar doctrines of the gospel. They will prize evangelical truth above gold. When they hear such truth exhibited, in a ciear, perspicuous and discriminating manner, their souls will be fed. They will love those who appear to love the truth, and highly esteem those, who plainly and honestly preach it, for their work's sake. They will feel, as if they could not be sufficiently thankful to those, who in meekness instructed them, while they wickedly opposed themselves, and who were made the happy instruments of turning them from the error of their ways to the wisd just. What peace and comfort and joy and hope, they will experience! How greatly is such an event to be desired: How weighty the motive, 'in meekness to instruct those that oppose themselves; if God, peradventure, will give them repentance, to the acknowledging of the truth; and so they recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him, at his will.' REFLECTIONS. of the 1. Opposition to doctrines preached, is no evidence that they are not true. It is supposed, in the text, that there might be opposition to the truth itself, when preached, as Paul would have Timothy preach it. There was great opposition to the doctrines of the gospel, as they were preached by Paul himself. And what is more, when Christ preached his own gospel, some thought they heard hard sayings, and others were filled with wrath. Let the simple truth be plainly preached, in ever so acceptable words, and it will meet with opposition from men of corrupt minds, unless they are too stupid to attend to it, or so thoroughly convinced, as to be afraid to oppose it. Opposition to doctrines preached is, therefore, rather a sign that they are true, than proof that they are false. It is true, that the preaching of false doctrines, may excite opposition, on the part of those, who love the truth: and the true doctrines of the gospel, may be preached in such a manner, as to give of fence to good men. Opposition, therefore, to doctrines preached, is not infallible evidence that they are true, or that those who make the opposition, are the enemies of truth. But, on the other hand, that doctrines preached are popular and excite no opposition, is commonly sufficient evidence, that they are not the true doctrines of the gospel, so clearly exhibited as to be understood. Rarely, if ever, does a plain and discriminating preacher address none but saints, who love the truth, or sinners, who are too fast asleep or too wide awake to feel and manifest opposition to the humbling doctrines and holy duties of the gospel of Christ. 2. Ministers of the gospel need to be pious, as well as learned. If they are not pious, their own hearts are as much opposed to the truth, as the hearts of their hearers. It may, therefore, be expected, either that they will not preach the truth at all, or preach it in a partial, am But biguous and unintelligible manner, or relinquish it, as soon as they find it excites open opposition and di-minishes their popularity. should they continue to preach unpalatable truth, how will they preach it with a proper spirit, in meekness instrueting those that oppose themselves? Learning is necessary in a minister of the gospel; but genuine piety is indispensable. 3. All the friends of truth have need of meekness. It is the duty, not of ministers only, but of all Christians, to be teachers of the truth, so far as they have ability & opportunity. No one is exempted from the duty of contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. Private Christians, in their various stations and relations, have it in their power to do much, to enlighten the ignorant, correct the erroneous, and silence gainsayers. And if they faithfully perform their duty, they will meet with opposition, and greatly need a spirit of meekness, in order to speak the truth in love, and to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. 4. It is as reasonable to deal with professors of religion for opposition to truth as for immoral conduct. Why ought they to be dealt with for immorality ?Doubtless, because immorality gives evidence of an impenitent heart. For the very same reason, professors should be dealt with, for opposition to truth. The church may, and must determine what is truth; and they ought to determine it, by the plain and infallible standard of the word of God. It is as easy to ascertain what is true in principle, as what is right in practice. It is as easy to de-fine heresy, as immorality.There are shades and degrees of both; and in dealing with their brethren for either, the church easiness. They must soon know hould judge charitably. But no more of it, and contemplate it reason can be assigned, why real opposition to truth should not be as severely censured, as open immorality. Hence the apostle's injunction is, "An heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject." without intermission, forever. In eternity, they will understand and believe and feel the whole truth respecting the character, decrees and agency of God, the desperate wickedness of their own hearts, their criminality in rejecting the 5. The condition of opposers, is gospel, and the justice of God in dangerous and alarming. They their condemnation and punishare impenitent sinners, void of ho- ment. How will they endure liness and unfit for heaven. Their such a blaze of divine truth, if enmity to Divine truth is enmity they continue to reject the counsel against God, and exposes them to of God against themselves? his wrath. Whether they will "The keen vibrations of bright truth, is hell." From the Utica Repository. DUTIES THE RESULT OF DOCTRINES. [Concluded from Vol. 1, page 565.] In the former part of this essay, it was shone that the duties enjoined in the gospel are only the practical result of the doctrines taught Let such as think themselves the friends of God, judge of their in the gospel; and that every duty feelings by the truth, and not of is so connected with some docthe truth by their feelings. We trine, and so dependant upon it, shall all be judged, at the last day, by that if the doctrine should be provthe everlasting gospel. It is safe ed untrue, the corresponding duty to examine ourselves by the same would cease to be a duty and berule, now, by which we shall, come a sin. I conclude with some then, be acquitted or condemn- remarks. 1. It is evident from what has been said, that every difference respecting doctrines must involve re Let saints desire the sincere milk of the word, that they may grow in grace, and in the knowl- a corresponding difference edge of God our Savior. And specting duties, and every diffelet them constantly pray for the special influences of the Holy Spirit to remove blindness from the hearts of sinners, and give them repentance, to the acknowledging of the truth. And let sinners be exhorted to receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save their souls. They now know a little of divine truth, and it gives them un rence respecting duties must involve a corresponding difference respecting doctrines. If I believe a certain doctrine to be true, and am consistent with myself, I must also believe that I am bound to perform as duties all those things which are the practical results of that doctrine. If another denies that doctrine and believes the contrary doctrine to be true, and is consistent with himself, he will be The same or to the Holy Ghost. 2. It is a great mistake to suppose that those who differ in their views of the doctrines of the gospel can yet be agreed in their views and feelings respecting its duties. It is impossible to be consistent with ourselves, and yet agree in our practical religion any further than we do in our views of the christian doctrines. Our practical religion grows out of our doctrinal views, and is dependant upon them. If we differ in the one, we must differ also in the other. But yet, many seem to suppose that those who differ greatly in their doctrinal views, may, notwithstanding, be very well agreed in their practical religion. And since it is admitted that practical religion is the great and essential thing, it is thought by many that the various denominations of professed Christians might very well be all united together into one great community. And, in consequence of this opinion, many seem to think it their duty to do all they can to promote such a union, and felicitate themselves upon every occurrence which seems to indicate the approach of such a consummation. They blame those who do any thing to keep up the distinctions which have prevailed among professed Christians, and think they are doing God service while they put out of the way and leave out of sight every thing in their doctrinal views in which other denominations do not agree with them.-They seem to take it for granted, that all denominations are about right in their views of practical religion, and only differ in some speculative matters of no practical tinomian, an Arminian, a Socinian, importance. And they are right in concluding, that those things which are matters of mere speculation, and have no practical influence, ought not to keep Christians apart. Their mistake consists in supposing that there are any doctrines taught in the gospel, which are matters of mere speculation, & have no practical importance, and in concluding, without examination, that all denominations are about right in their views of practical religion. I say in concluding this without examination; because I have no doubt, that, if those who understand & believe the doctrines of the gospel, and acknowledge the duties which are their practical results, would carefully examine into the views which are entertained of practical religion by those who deny those doctrines, they would find their practical views to differ as widely from the truth as do their doctrinal views. There is not, indeed, much disposition to inquire carefully into these things. Where similar language is used, it is con3. As it is a great mistake to supcluded that similar views are enter- pose that those who differ in the tained. And there are many re- views of the doctrines of the gosligious words and phrases in use a- pel can yet be agreed in their views mong all denominations, which the and feelings respecting its duties, Inattentive observer, when he hears so it is a mistake which leads to used, is ready to understand ac- dangerous and fatal consequences. cording to his own use of them, It leads us to entertain and express and hence to conclude that those a favorable opinion of the piety of who use them think as he does up- those whom the bible condemns. on those points. And perhaps It leads us to express a confidence such terms are sometimes used in the piety of those who knowing- with a design that they should be ly and cordially reject the docunderstood by each one according trines of the gospel, when the bible to his own views. But let any one speaks of such a rejection of the ask those who use such terms what Christian doctrines as a decisive evthey mean by them, and if they are idence of enmity to God and to the willing to tell, he will discover dif- gospel of his Son. By this we conferences of essential and vital im- demn the inspired writers for exportance, even where he imagines pressing such abhorrence as they there are none. Let a consistent do of error; we encourage those and thorough Calvinist ask an An- who embrace it to trust in a lie, to and a Universalist, what they mean when they speak of that being born again without which it is impossible to see the kingdom of God ;and let him pursue his inquiries till he fully understands what ideas each of them comprehends in the term, and he will find that they all differ from each other in their views of the new birth, and every one of them differs more widely from him than any of them do from each other. And he will also find that their views of christian experience are in exact accordance with their views of christian doctrine. And let him make the same inquiries respecting every part of practical religion, and if he make them faithfully, and is answered honestly and intelligibly by those of whom he makes them, he will undoubtedly find that there is, in reality, no greater agreement, among those who assume the christian name, in their views of practical religion, than there is is their views of christian doctrine. |