If they think that religion consists in certain dogmas, or in compliance with certain forms, they will busy themselves to embrace those dogmas, and will make an easy exchange of substance for forms. If, for example, they imagine, that salvation depends, not on conditions, which they are able and required to perform, but on certain decrees of arbitrary election, with which they have no concern but as the passive subjects of such decrees, their error must exert an injurious influence upon their practice; and instead of the humble cheerful performance of duty, in the hope of divine acceptance, instead of the filial spirit of prayer, in the confidence, that we serve a father, who hears, and a God, who will help us, there is danger, lest there be found either the arrogance of presumption, or the wretchedness of despair.

Let the understanding therefore be informed and established in religious truth, if we would derive the best influences of pure christianity. For there is a connexion, as we have seen, insepa rable between faith and practice; between speculative truth and vital godliness and if it be objected to this, that we often find very pious and excellent persons, with very little knowledge and a great deal of error; the answer is, besides what has already been conceded upon this point, that, defective as may be their know lege, and numerous as may be their errors, there will be found amidst all their ignorance and mistakes a few plain indisputable truths, which possess a controlling power over their minds and hearts, and are able to make them wise unto salvation.

It is essential also to vital christianity, that it interest and engage the affections. The throne of religion is in the heart. The affections it has been said, are the springs of action; and that we are never prompted to any earnest pursuit, but when these are enlisted. There cannot be a question, that to make religion an effectual principle, and to give it a controlling power, our hearts must be engaged. They must feel, and feel deeply, the transcendent grandeur, solemnity, and importance of its truths, and the invaluable interests of the immortal soul. They must be pervaded by the love of God, by reverence and gratitude towards Jesus Christ, by earnest desires after holiness. At the same time we shall perceive, that as religion has to do with the tenderest and the deepest sentiments of the heart, it must from its very nature preclude all ostentation. It shrinks instinctively from what is boastful and pretending. If it give utterance to the secrets of the soul, it is always with humility, and with a reverential regard to the decorums of time and place and circumstance. It loathes all parade and ostentation, as the sure indication of a low state both of religious knowledge and religious sensibility.

Again, the spirit of vital christianity demands habitual devo

tion.

He, who feels truly, will pray frequently and earnestly. He will regard prayer as the instrument of his virtue, the source of his strength, the solace of his sorrows, the reviving of his hope, the entrance of light and joy to his heart. Under a deep sense of its value and blessing, he will not fail, he will not cease to pray. He will go to the mercy-seat and return thence with the delight of heart, with which we hold converse with a beloved and venerated friend. There may indeed be wanderings, there may be intermissions, and sometimes the world with its temptations or cares may intrude upon his thoughts; but as a prevailing characteristic, there will be the life of devotion. So essential is this, that it may be asserted without exception, that there can be no vital religion, where there is not the habit and the love of prayer.

This spirit will produce a tenderness of heart and conscience. There will be great susceptibility to whatever is connected with religion, or has any influence upon our religious state. A man, whose affections are thoroughly engaged upon any object, looks with solicitude upon every thing that has the least bearing upon that object; and the true Christian can regard nothing as indifferent, which can promote or retard, even in the smallest degree, his spiritual growth. His conscience is tender; and he feels every offence, as committed against a most kind and indulgent Father. He thinks fearfully of the odiousness and folly of all sin, its ingratitude as well as its danger.

This tenderness of heart is peculiarly favourable to the purest influences of religion, and is represented as a state acceptable in the sight of God. 'Because thy heart was tender,' said Jehovah to the penitent monarch of Israel, and thou hast hambled thyself before me, I have even heard thee, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace.'

In intimate connexion with this, let it not be forgotten, that true religion will produce and be accompanied by habitual seriousness. By this is not to be understood gloom, melancholy, distrust of God and his providence, or any thing inconsistent with that joy in God and in our Lord Jesus Christ, which it is the influence of the christian's hope to inspire; but the seriousness of wise and holy men; of those who believe, that there is reality in religion, and that subjects of infinite interest, even the safety of their immortal souls, depend upon present conduct and character. is indeed impossible to think at all upon the objects, duties, prospects, and solemn alternatives of religion without seriousness. He, who can trifle upon such a theme; he, who has even a suspicion, to say nothing of a firm conviction, that his whole future destiny, the happiness or the wretchedness of his immortal soul

It

depends upon his obedience here, cannot but be serious. Upon such a theme, carelessness or indifference were madness.

Another most important effect of vital religion will be to cherish and improve our social virtues. It will exert an happy influence over our domestic and social relations, diffusing through all our conversation its own spirit of benevolence and love, making us kindly affectioned one towards another, in honor preferring one another. With just views of the nature of the religion of Christ, and of our mutual relations and dependencies, we shall see the utter inconsistency of every form of censoriousness or uncharitableness. The better we understand the mind of Christ, the more deeply we enter into the intent of his religion, the more humble and forbearing shall we become. With a strong sense of our infirmities and sins, we shall be the more ready to regard with tenderness those of our fellow disciples: and though, as the apostle enjoins, we shall distinguish things, that differ, not putting darkness for light or light for darkness, nor letting the evil we see in a brother to be to us as his good; we shall never suffer even our keenest perception of these differences to impair the kindness of our temper. It will be one of the first and best lessons of vital christianity, that love is the fulfilling of the law; that one of the most acceptable tokens of our 'having passed from death unto life,' from sin to holiness, is our unfeigned love of the brethren; and that whatever may be our professions, however high our attainments in other regards, we may be certain, that we are strangers to genuine religion, till we have put away all malice and uncharitableness, and are kind one to an other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us. In truth, there is nothing more opposed to true christianity, than the spirit of bitterness and alienation. This is that spirit of Anti-Christ, against which the apostle warns us; far more dangerous than any speculative errors, or mistakes in doctrine, and is precisely that heresy, which saint Paul, with all his kindness, calls damnable. If therefore we would try our interest in the character and hopes of vital religion, we must ask ourselves whether its fruits are seen in our tempers and lives. Does it diffuse its gentle and benevo lent influence through our social and domestic relations? Does it make us kind, affectionate, faithful as husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and dependents? under its influ ence are we less worldly and covetous, envious and resentful? are we less tenacious of our own rights, and less willing to take advantage of the wants, or infirmities of others? In fine, is the kingdom of God within us; in its meek and humble, its kind and forgiving temper, has it found its place and does it hold possession of our hearts?

It must not be omitted, that the character of spirituality, or of heavenly-mindedness, is essential to inward religion. Under this comprehensive term are included just views of the present world, regulated affections and desires, contentment and submission under trials, and ardent pursuit of things heavenly. It seeks first the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof; and rests for comfort under every sorrow and for strength in all temptation on the promised grace of God and the hope that is full of immortality.

Lastly, and above all, it will exhibit its energy and truth in unfeigned and universal obedience. Without this indeed, we are taught by an authority not to be denied, that all else is nothing. He that talks of his love to God, and his liveliness of faith, and his rapturous experiences, and yet transgresses or neglects the law of God, may please himself and get a name among his fellow mortals, but what shall he do, when in the light of God's judgment, and in the retributions of eternity, it shall be said unto him, 'I never knew you; depart from me, thou worker of iniquity.'

We have exhibited some general views of what may be regarded as essential to vital christianity. There is nothing here opposed to the simple, pure, and fervent spirit of the gospel of Christ. Here is a religion, alike removed from the indifference of the worldly and the blind transports of the fanatic; something, which we can all understand, and admire, and practise; which can give us all we need as a rule of life; as our solace in care and sorrow; our hope in death, and our light to immortality. For a religion like this, we should labour and pray, that it may be revived and increased within and around us; that our love of it may abound more and more, in knowledge and in all judgment; that under its pure influences the beauty of the Lord our God may be upon us; so that truth may spring out of the earth, and righteousness look down from heaven.

MISTAKES CONCERNING ZEAL.

THE first great mistake which I shall notice, in regard to the zeal of christians, is its exercise, not according to faith in the divine origin of their religion, and to the consequent moral purposes which it was meant to serve; but according to a great variety of particular dogmas, explained by certain established phrases of human invention, and often corrupted by the mixture of human opinions. It is not my purpose to particularize these

doctrines and opinions, nor to vindicate the innocence of error. Knowing however, as we do, that, in the early ages of christianity, the most trifling verbal disputes rent all christendom into factions, from East to West, and that councils and fathers were continually waging war against each other about modes of expres sion and external forms, as well concerning unintelligible distinc tions in regard to the person of Christ and the Divine Spirit, as concerning holidays and the solemn festival of the supper, the true christian will beware of contributing any thing which may excite zealots in religion to act over again such scenes of bigotry and disorder. But what is more common than to hear it gravely asserted, that this or that doctrine is essential to religion, and thus to mark the division between the true and the nominal christian? The nominal christian, one would suppose, is he who has the name, without the character; he who acknowledges the letter, without regarding the spirit. But he, who, with the strongest professions of faith is devoured by a zeal which makes him censorious and vindictive, (it matters not to what party he belongs) needs much discipline in the school of Christ. It is a fearful truth, that, with the mass of mankind, the measure of zeal is determined by a false scale. Discourse seasoned with expres sions indicating violent excitement, and followed out by corresponding external actions, is, in the main, more sure to command the appellation of holy zeal, than the warm breathing of the true christian spirit, which is peaceful as well as animated, and ardent only in kindness and love.

Certain classes of christians have been censured for coldness and indifference, on the subject of disputed doctrines, chiefly, perhaps, from their readiness to admit, as well in practice as in speculation, the right of private judgment. It is one thing to believe that our opinions are founded in truth, so that by fair and gentle means we would persuade others to embrace them, and quite another to pronounce positive judgment concerning every thing, pretending to know with certainty, what we merely believe to be true, and endeavouring to bring odium on all who presume to controvert our favourite doctrines. One would think that the history of our own minds, the personal experience of our own revolutions in the speculative part of morality and religion, would be enough to temper our zeal, and guide its efforts in favour of practical good. For, after all, it is that divine illumination which affects the heart, and makes the life better, that chiefly promotes our happiness here, and fits us to enjoy it hereafter. I will not say how much we should lose, if all the nice distinctions and controversies concerning what are sometimes called the peculiar doctrines of the Gospel, were reduced to ashes; but it