Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

in proportion to the amount of ignorance and errors to be corrected, the vicious dispositions, wrong principles, ungoverned passions, sinful habits to be amended or extirpated, and the estrangement of heart and life from God and goodness to be reformed, before the religion of Jesus can take root and be established in the soul, and have its proper influence upon the life; in the phraseology of St Paul, in proportion to the growth and strength in a former conversation of the old man, corrupted by deceitful lusts. A spiritual change Christian regeneration does suppose and effect in every one who becomes a subject of it; but not necessarily the same in every case, nor in all cases equally sensible and visible. In some instances, as in children, or very young persons, it may be almost entirely internal, and therefore not very open to observation; it may chiefly consist in ingrafting religious principle, in implanting the seeds and elements of a religious life, in that spiritual nature with which they are born, before it has been shaped to any fixed character; in such instances it will not be attended with the breaking off of former sins, and reforming of old habits, and new moulding the character, which are the effects of regeneration that chiefly make themselves visible and conspicuous; it will be the raising a new superstructure on a foundation upon which none had previously been erected, not the altering and repairing one already built, nor the pulling down, to the very lowest foundation stone, one altogether unsound and decayed, removing the rubbish, and causing another of new materials to arise in its place.

But the condition of adults, whose characters have been partially or completely formed, before they have become the subjects of Christian regeneration, is different. In their case, whatever is found existing in the mind contrary to the nature and spirit of religion; whatever propensities and passions have been brought into exercise, and have gained strength, which religion discountenances and forbids; whatever feelings and sen

timents are habitually cherished which are not in unison with those which religion inspires; whatever principles have been adopted, which are opposed to those that have the sanction of religion; in fine, whatever traits of character have been acquired incompatible with the character which it is the design and great end of religion to form ;-these all, in order to the perfecting of regeneration, must be eradicated, restrained, corrected, or reformed, and the heart and character moulded anew; the spiritual world within must be subjected to new laws, and a new government, the laws and government of Christ's kingdom; must be swayed by new influences and motives, desires and hopes, springing out of the religion of Christ, must own allegiance to a Master and Lord, to whom supreme obedience has not been before rendered, even Him, whose is the only name given under heaven whereby men can be saved.' In the accomplishment of all this, the change, internal and external, wrought in the individual, must unquestionably be great, but it will most evidently vary in itself and be more or less visible, according to the nameless and numberless circumstances, previous condition and habits and peculiar characters of individuals; and this diversity must, from the nature of the case, be almost infinitely greater in Christain lands than among a people levelled into one common mass of similar depravity by the debasing effects of paganism, or among the Jews, as they were found at the appearing of Christ, blended in nearly the same prejudices, errors and vices.

The truth is, there are a thousand salutary restraining, corrective moral influences issuing from Christianity where it is received and established in any considerable degree of purity and power, operating silently, unnoticed and unacknowledged, which give a very different aspect and character to the community from what it would else have borne; I mean not influences which make men truly and sincerely Christians, but influences indirectly exerted, which yet are sufficient to keep

most men from becoming so far and thoroughly estranged from religion, to render the careless and secure not so utterly thoughtless and insensible, and even the immoral and irreligious, not so corrupt and depraved, as they would otherwise have been; they are sufficient, in respect to the greater part of a community, to make the approach of religion to the human heart far more practicable than if Christianity were not transmitted from age to age, and generation to generation, along with the various ineans of education and moral culture. These indirect influences of the Christian religion, together with the advancement of mind, and the progress of society, conspire among other causes to make the distinction between nominal Christians on one hand, and true and sincere Christians on the other, very much less strongly marked, than between Jews or heathens and the first genuine converts to Christianity; and the transition from one to the other in the former case, will, for the most part, be an event proportionably less remarkable than in the latter.

These are all circumstances to be taken into the account in speaking of that moral or spiritual change which regeneration at the present day is to be understood as denoting. It is to be measured by the degree in which the subject of it had been removed from the spirit and character which constitute the Christian; and its outward effects will be manifest and visible in the same degree. The strongest language of Scripture may still be applied to the spiritual regeneration of one dead in trespasses and sins, sunk deep in vice and impiety. In such instances, there is emphatically a new creation; 'old things pass away, and all things become new;' there is a resurrection from a spiritual death to a new life. Language can at best but faintly describe the contrast between the state into which such an one has fallen, and that into which he is raised.

But the change is not less real, though to common observation less striking, when one is effectually awa

kened from indifference and thoughtlessness, to a serious and anxious solicitude concerning his religious interests; from the indulgence of a worldly mind and a neglect of Christian duty, to an earnest cultivation of all religious affections and principles, to the perfecting of holiness in the fear of God. Every one indeed who has lived without religion till adult age, or longer, though he may not have been addicted to any gross vice or open impiety, in becoming at that period sincerely religious in spirit and in life, must undergo a material alteration of feelings, views, character and conduct. It is impossible to give that place in the thoughts and affections to God, to Christ, to his holy religion, to the invisible realities of a future world, which has been for any length of time surrendered to objects and cares of time and sense, without experiencing a momentous revolution in the soul, however free from immorality the life may have been.

On the other hand, the transition into a religious life from that state of mind and character, in which one may be said, to adopt the words of our Saviour himself, to be not far from the kingdom of God'-a description which applies to some at least in most Christian communities, though this be an event of unspeakable importance will be less powerfully felt as the moral change is in itself of less magnitude, and will manifest itself less strongly to outward observation.

And furthermore, if a child be not only educated in the knowledge, the precepts, and observance of the duties of Christianity, but if the influences of religion be early instilled into his heart, if the proper sentiments of reverence, gratitude, confidence, love towards the Creator and Redeemer, and of good will towards all, be imbibed with the first development of his moral nature; if the religious impressions he thus receives, be studiously cherished; if these elements of religion and virtue thus implanted, be assiduously nurtured, and the power of temptation, and of besetting sins, be carefully guarded

against; the spiritual regeneration of one thus educated, may be commenced at the earliest period of moral agency; religion may gain reception in early childhood, and as maturity of mind and character advances, may spring up and branch forth, yielding in due time the various fruits of Christian principle. Such instances may not be common; though, I am persuaded, if parents were faithful, they would be more frequent than they are. But that they may and do occur, it would seem that none can deny. Now in every such instance, in which a child is truly brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,' according to the apostle's injunction, which would never have been given, were it not practicable, it is difficult to conceive of any inward change having been wrought, other than that most important one, the implanting of the quickening principles of religion, the awakening of a Christian life in the soul, the being born not only into the natural world, but into that spiritual kingdom which is administered by our Lord Jesus Christ through his Gospel. Every such instance is one in which regeneration does not and cannot suppose a change of moral qualities previously possessed or a conscious revolution in the inward feelings, sentiments and principles, for the internal effect in which it consists begins to be produced in the heart before any permanent moral character is formed; it commences and proceeds with the first development and exercise of moral feeling and sentiment.

But though regeneration does not suppose this change of previous affections and principles in a few such examples, it is without doubt generally thus characterized, because by far the greater part of mankind do not become from childhood practically and sincerely religious in the Christian sense of the term, and therefore have yielded to propensities, adopted principles, exercised a spirit, and acquired traits of character, opposed to religion, before they are brought effectually under its influence; and in the correction of these and subjection of the whole man to religious control an obvious change of

« AnteriorContinuar »