20

Argument from Facts

of which Chalmers is a remarkable instance, who now preaches the faith which he once destroyed. It has occurred in our community, as we all know, amongst those who were so situated as to imbibe prejudices against evangelical sentiments, and were once zealous defenders of an opposite faith. You cannot say that the phenomenon is owing to any peculiarity of time, or place, or circumstance: for it is observed in every generation, in almost every congregation of nominal Christians amongst us, and now follows the preaching of evangelical Missionaries in the South Sea Islands and amongst the Greenlanders.* You cannot say,

therefore, that this change is experienced only by men of some particular persuaaion, or is confined to certain degrees of latitude. You must not say that it is fanaticism; for we profess to be as capable of judging of matters relating to our own consciousness, as our friends. There are men who have recorded their experience upon this subject, after mature reflection, whose intellect stands side by side with the great minds of the earth. You will not as

See the Journals of the Missionaries of the London Missionary Society in the Missionary Herald for 1831-2.

Suited to the Wants of the Sinner. 21

sume to say that many of the Laymen, who adorn the several learned professions in our cities, are incompetent to testify to the reality of this change. Their testimony upon matters.of experience would be relied upon in any court of justice, and no jury would hesitate to make it the foundation of a verdict. What then can be said of this change by one who disbelieves in its reality? All which he can say is, ‘I have never experienced it myself.'

If the reader is one who is seeking to lead a religious life, and has read the book under consideration, and felt that it did not describe his case, or help him to the attainment of that for which he has labored, we think that we can show him a more excellent way. If we could succeed in disabusing him of the impressions which he has received relating to the subject of Regeneration, we believe that he would be fillwith admiration at the provision which it makes for his wants, as a sinful, erring man. To those who are desirous of attaining to the likeness of God, there is an assistance promised, and a radical change effected, of which we should suppose they would be glad to avail themselves. Indeed, the prejudices against the

22

Power of Regeneration.

subject of Regeneration are most unkind. It contains the only sure foundation of success in the conflict with sin. Instead of the wearisome, fruitless, unsatisfying, painful strife which some persons now endeavor to maintain, they may, by regeneration, be, made free from the law of sin and death. By this change the whole current of affections is turned, and to him who has experienced it, life is not, as before, a constantly distressing effort to urge his way against a stream which sets towards a sinful and ensnaring world. If you would see clearly the evil. of sin and the beauty of perfect holiness, you must have this change. If you would feel the power of religious motives, the joy and peace. which passeth all understanding, you must. have this change. 'We speak that we do know and testify that which we have seen?' We tried the course prescribed in this book through weary years, but, except when conscience had become stupified by worldliness, and the reasonable fears of a destitution of meetness for heaven were lulled to sleep, we found no rest. This has been the experience of multitudes who at last were born of the Spirit.

CHAPTER 11.

Necessity of conviction of sin.-A fact.—Unitarian directions to an anxious sinner.-Encouragement of false hope.-Effect of Evangelical Terms.-Unitarianism without a Saviour.-Unsuited to the poor. -The religion of the few.-Deficiency in its appeals to human nature.-The Evangelical system.-Its effect upon the feelings.-True dignity of human nature found in this system.-Power of Evangelical preaching.

Regeneration is necessarily preceded by conviction of sin. As the soul is active and not pas sive when regeneration takes place, and as the change is a voluntary exercise of the faculties in turning from sin to holiness, we never turn until such conviction has been felt. It is not strange, therefore, that the book before us, having failed to give the reader a true and scriptural account of his wretched and lost condition as a sinner, should omit to speak of this change as a necessary part of religious experience, or as essential to salvation. The inquirer is

24

Conviction of sin.—A Fact.

taught that he is an imperfect, erring man, inclined to receive impressions from the things which are seen and temporal rather than from those which are unseen, and that his great endeavor must be to form a habititude of living in the contemplation of spiritual realities, and with an impression of the superiority of the soul to the body. To obtain this "is to be a Christian."!

Some time since, a young friend, of amiable feelings, and in the judgment of her liberal connections, a Christian, was made to feel that such directions as are here given, and all her corresponding efforts, did not satisfy the wants of her soul. She was convinced that there was need of something more than she had yet experienced in order to prepare her for heaven. Prayer and the serious perusal of the Scriptures, accompanied with earnest desires to know the truth, soon produced a most pungent conviction of sin. She told her feelings to her young friends, and they were astonished that so exemplary and excellent a person should feel anxiety respecting her character in the sight of God. They could not understand what she meant by representing herself as a