תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

as one who understood the important duties of a minister of Christ, and had been long accustomed to feed the flock committed to his charge. He had for himself fully and irrevocably chosen the service of God, as his duty, his portion, and his pleasure. His soul was possessed by a solemn and overwhelming feeling of the importance of eternal things; and, therefore, when he speaks of them, it is the voice of one who has tasted the grace of God, and is so filled with its sweetness as to feel a holy indignation and surprise at the folly of those who reject it. He reasons with you, he exhorts, encourages, charges you to live as those who have received mercy, and who look to be companions of angels, and to dwell with God in glory. Himself rejoicing in the service of God, he invites you to join in the work of prayer and praise. As one who has himself entered into the sanctuary of God, he anxiously exhorts his fellowChristians not to remain without, or to loiter near the entrance, but to come in and partake of the rich mercies, the overflowing refreshments, prepared for those who, casting away every wish of returning to the world, desire to "dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."

The period at which this treatise was published, gives additional interest to the objects which the author had in view. He saw and deplored the low ebb of religion amongst the great body of professing Christians, and anxiously desired to do what he could to fan the expiring embers, and rekindle the "love of many which had waxed cold." In his early life the flood-gates of iniquity had been opened, and the bands which hold society together had been severed; and wicked men, acting under the garb of piety in the pursuit of their selfish and ambitious projects, had inflicted a deadly wound upon that religion which they dishonoured by

professing. In his later life it had become the purpose and system of a depraved government (as if such wickedness could be the means of its future security) to corrupt, persecute, and banish those vital principles of religion to which it falsely attributed the overthrow of the British monarchy. Thus in the midst of bad examples, a powerful corrupting influence, and that re-action of popular feeling which had become impatient of every thing of religion but its outer forms, it is not surprising if many halted in their christian course, and many more walked not uprightly according to the truth of God. A melancholy picture of the state of religion in those times is presented to us by the excellent Howe. He observed the growing deadness to religion in the generation which had risen up, and as one after another of his fellow-labourers, like the elders who outlived Joshua and restrained the wickedness of Israel, was called away, he mourned over the sinking cause of truth, and almost prophetically declared that the Spirit of God was retiring, and a "deadly darkness was drawing In such times as these did Baxter put forth all his energies to stir up the faith of his fainting brethren, and to exhort those who were growing cold to 66 remember their first love." He saw the standard of christian practice daily lowered, and therefore redoubled his efforts to rally round him those who were still faithful to their Lord and Saviour. He endeavoured to make them ashamed of that coldness, and carelessness, and love of the world, which was grieving the Spirit of God, and injuring the cause of truth. With this as his object, he enters upon the practical examination of the duties of religion, directs Christians how to proceed in

on."*

• Howe's Funeral Sermon for Dr. Bates-near the conclusion.

the various circumstances of life, happily for themselves, and to the benefit of others; and then urges them, by every possible argument, to walk as it becomes their high and heavenly calling. He exhorts his weaker brethren to greater diligence in religion, and shows them the misery of that wavering and doubtfulness which shuts out the glorious light of God's countenance, and makes the very liberty of the children of God a state of bondage. He would by no means suffer them to linger on the borders of Christianity, but bids them enter this fair land of promise, "go up and down in the length and breadth thereof," taste of its abundance, and rejoice in its excellency.

The arrangement of the work is not such as would have been adopted by a writer of the present day; it is sometimes overcharged with the machinery of divisions and distinctions. But this is a trivial fault, for which large amends are made by the accuracy of detail with which the author treats his subject.

The plain and expressive title of the work is not such as would have been selected by an author of the present day. Whether it be refinement or fastidiousness which in our times withholds men from speaking the truth in plain words, another generation will be the competent judge. In the mean while we have no right to find fault with Baxter for the faithfulness and simplicity with which he addresses his advice to those who most stand in need of it. There are few, indeed, who are willing to be considered weak and childish in spiritual matters, or who feel the diseases of their souls so painful and burdensome as to compel them to apply to a physician, and faithfully make use of his remedies. This unwillingness to come and be healed of our sicknesses, is what keeps us in a weak and fainting state;

this fear of being thought children, that which makes us continue in all the imbecility of childhood. If we would learn any thing from the holy man whose name is prefixed to these pages, we must not shrink from being considered weakly or childish, and insufficient, whilst he lays open the causes of our weakness, of our frequent failures in duty, of our want of stedfastness and holy affection; whilst he tells us why we find so little pleasure in the ways of God, and shows us how we may attain to a more confirmed and happier state of mind.

The first part is an address to weak Christians, showing them the ill effects of resting satisfied with their low attainments, and urging them to growth in grace; and this is concluded by specific directions for the regulation of their conduct. The second part is the portraiture of the true confirmed Christian. It is drawn in contrast with that of the weak Christian, and the hypocrite, or seeming Christian. It embraces a great many particulars, in which the comparison is instituted. Thus whilst he exhibits the character of the real Christian in every circumstance of life, and shows what manner of person he is in his conduct and principles before God and man, he tears away the mask from all false pretenders to religion, and proves to them the emptiness of their vain professions. At the same time he manifests a deep concern for the weakest Christian who holds the truth in sincerity, lest he should "bruise the broken reed, or quench the smoking flax."

With regard to this new edition, one observation must be made. It has been deemed advisable to make substitution for a few obsolete words, where either they were such as would not be understood by the majority of readers, or had acquired a different meaning from that in which they were used by the author. Scarcely, however, has

one genuine English word been erased; Baxter, it may be observed, knew well the force of his native tongue, and although at times somewhat slovenly in style, availed himself of its resources. Besides, a few sentences have been omitted for various reasons, stated where the omission occurs. But these are so few as scarcely to deserve mention, unless it be that an omission has been made at the very beginning of the work, because the line of illustration which runs through it is ill adapted to the taste and manners of the present day.

Baxter appears to have been apprehensive, lest he should be accused of exposing to the world the faults and weaknesses of Christians. To speak of them was necessary to his plan. Nor does he ever make mention of them in any other temper, than that of one who deeply deplored their existence. He mourns as a father over the weaknesses of his children, and labours hard to persuade them to apply the proper remedies. He is actuated by the same spirit as the apostle, who, when speaking of certain opposers of the truth, thus expressed his deep feeling for them: "Of whom I tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ." It was an essential part of his plan to point out the evils which affect the church of God, through the failings of weakly and unstable, though sincere Christians, as well as through the wickedness of false professors, who had been the means (alas! too fatally in those days) of bringing odium upon the cause of religion itself. To attribute these faults and failings of professing Christians, which arise only from their imperfect reception, or absolute rejection of the vital principles of the faith of Christ, to that faith itself, is a perversion of reason. Never let them be charged upon religion, until some of its precepts can be proved to

« הקודםהמשך »