DIRECTIONS TO PERSONS COMMENCING A RELIGIOUS LIFE.

1. Remember that the commencement of the Christian life is to be like the “dawning light, which increaseth more and more to the perfect day.” Therefore when the hope of peace and pardon dawns in the heart, do not consider the great business of life as accomplished, but only as begun.

2. Keep up as great a strife and earnestness in religion, as if you knew yourself to be in a state of nature. When persons are under conviction of sin, they are advised to be earnest and violent for the kingdom of heaven. You ought not to be less in earnest now, if you wish not to lose a sweet and lively sense of spiritual things.

3. Do not cease to strive and pray for the very same things which you sought before you had reason to hope you were converted. Those who have most light and most grace, have, nevertheless, need of more. There are very few requests that are proper for an impenitent sinner, that are not proper for one who professes godliness. At any rate, the mistake will do you no harm.

4. Evidence of piety is not so much to be sought in high emotions of any kind, as in real humility—self-distrust—hungering and thirsting after righteousness, sorrow for sin, and a continual effort, in every day life, to regulate our thoughts, feelings, and conduct by the word of God. It is the nature and not the degree of our affections, which is to be regarded in the examination of our evidences. The best way to know our feelings is, to see how they influence the conduct. “By their fruit ye shall know them.” Always look upon those as the best comforts, which have most of these two effects—those that make you least and lowest and most like a child, and those that most determine you to deny yourself, and to spend and be spent in the service of your Master.

5. Do not expect to find in your own case, every thing you have heard or read of in the experience of others. For it may be that many things we hear and read of, are not correct feelings, and do not afford just grounds of confidence to any one; and if they are correct experience, it may be the experience of a mature Christian, and not to be expected in the beginning of a religious life. It must be remembered, that as no two countenances are formed alike, so no two hearts are fashioned alike, or placed in exactly the same circumstances; and it would be as vain to seek all the varieties of Christian experience in one person, as to seek all varieties of human features in one face.

6. Do not expect that the evidence desired will all come immediately and at once. It will be most likely to come progressively, as the result of continued effort in obedience to the will of God.

7. Do not suppose that religion is a principle of such self-preserving energy, as that when once implanted in the soul it will continue to thrive and increase without effort. The plant of divine grace can no more thrive without care, and diligent and patient cultivation, than can those rare and valued plants, that demand the physical efforts and culture of man.

God will not sustain and bring to maturity the work of grace, without your own voluntary concurrence in the diligent use of means. He will not do it any more than he would cause the harvest to whiten in the field of the sluggard. Indulge, therefore, no such ideas of inability and dependence on God, as shall impair a full sense of perfect obligation to do whatever can be done in working out your own salvation. God never promises to assist any but those who make efforts to aid and advance themselves.

8. Entertain no such ideas of the sovereignty of God in the bestowment of his grace, as would awaken any doubt of his affording needful aid, where he sees sincere endeavours to grow in grace. If some christians are more eminent than others, it is simply because they make more efforts to be so, and God aids these efforts. So that all worldly minded and indifferent christians continue in this state, because they do not choose to make efforts to get out of it. Any person can be an eminent christian that chooses to be so. Christians are too apt to feel as if eminence in piety was a distinction made by the sovereignty of God, and to suppose that high attainments are not within the reach of all, and that languid and inefficient piety is the result of divine sovereignty rather than negligence and sloth. A more false or more pernicious opinion cannot easily be adopted by Christians. The truth is, that the road to eminence in gifts and graces, and the means of obtaining them, are open to all who seek them, and if any do not attain them; it is owing to their own sloth and inefficiency, and not to any deficiency on the part of God in blessing diligent efforts. It always pleases him to crown with success the hand of the diligent instead of the hand of the slothful, not only in temporal but in spiritual things. This thought cannot be too strongly impressed upon the minds of those who are just commencing the christian life. To them peculiarly, are such promises as these directed; “Ask, and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. Every one that asketh receiveth,” &c.

Do not be afraid of indulging in feelings which may seem to be right, from the fear of deception. On the contrary, cherish such feelings and try to recall them often. Go forward and do your duty, and God will save you from deception while thus employed.

10. There is one caution which is peculiarly needful to those who have been greatly interested in the subject of religion, and that is, to take particular care of the health.

There is such a mysterious and intimate connection between the mind and body, that one cannot be wearied or suffer, without affecting the other. When the mind is fatigued and exhausted, it affects the body, and this again reacts on the mind.

Every person ought to be aware, that the more anxiously and intensely the mind is interested on any subject, the greater is the need of exercise, sleep and frequent relaxation. Attention to religion, does not demand that all lawful business be suspended, and forbids the neglect of all needful rest and exercise; but be very cautious here, lest you mistake negligence in religion, for a necessary attention to the health.

11. Do not expect to be made very happy by religion, unless you become eminent christians. A half way christian can neither enjoy the pleasures of the world nor the pleasures of religion; for his conscience will not let him seek the one, and he is too indolent to obtain the other. The christian may be the happiest man on earth, but he must be a faithful, active, and devoted christian. None are disappointed in finding religion a source of unfailing peace and joy, but those who refuse to drink deep of the wells of salvation; unless we except those who, from some derangement of the nervous system, or failure of health, do not enjoy the clear and undisturbed exercise of their faculties. A healthy mind in a healthy body, may always be made happy by religion.

12. Do not look at the practice and example of other christians, in forming the standard of piety at which you aim. The allowance of this thing, has probably had a more disastrous influence on the church and on the world, than all other causes that could be named. Generally, when persons commence a christian life, their consciences are susceptible and tender. They are strict and watchful in the performance of duty, and are pained even by a slight neglect. They have been wont to feel, that becoming religious implies a great change; that “old things must pass away and all things become new.” But when they begin to look around among their christian friends, and turn to them for aid, and those who have had experience and have made advances in christian life, they find that they seem to look upon duties and deficiencies in a very different manner. They seem to neglect many things which the young christian has felt to be very important; and to practice many things which he had supposed inconsistent with religion. Then commences the disastrous effect. The young christian begins to feel that he need not be more particular than those to whom he has ever looked up with deference and respect. He begins to imagine that he has been rather too strict and particular. He begins to take a retrograde course, and though his conscience and the bible often check and reprove, yet after a few inefficient struggles, he lowers his standard and walks as others do.

Look into your bible and see how christians ought to live. See how the bible says those who are christians must live, and then if you find your christian friends living in a different way, instead of having cause for feeling that you may do so too, you have only cause to fear that they are deceiving themselves with the belief that they are christians, when they are not. Remember that the farther your christian friends depart from the standard of christian character laid down in the bible, the less reason have you to hope that they are christians. And do not hesitate on this subject because you find many professed christians, who are indifferent and lax in their practice and example. Remember that Christ has said, “Many shall say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord,” thus claiming to be his disciples, to whom he will say, “I never knew you.” Do not let professed christians tempt you to fall into the society of such unhappy castaways.

13. Do not be periodical christians. There are some who profess religion, who never seem to feel any interest on the subject, except when every one else does. It is true, there are special seasons of revived religion in the hearts of all christians, but if it is only at such times that progress is made in divine life, and interest is manifested in the salvation of souls, there is great reason to fear that what is called religion is nothing but sympathy with the feelings of others.

14. Do not let the adversaries of the cross have occasion to reproach religion on your account. How holily should the children of God, the redeemed and the beloved of the Son of God, behave themselves. Therefore, “walk as children of the light, and of the day,” and “adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour;” and especially, abound in what are called the Christian virtues, and make you like the Lamb of God: be meek and lowly of heart, and full of pure, heavenly, and humble love to all; abound in deeds of love to others, and self-denial for others; and let there be in you a disposition to account others better than yourself.

15. Be sure that there exists a marked difference between your appearance and conduct, and that of those who are not christians. Remember that Christ has required this of you, and that even the world expects it.

16. Do not suppose you can recommend religion, by appearing interested in every thing that interests those who have no better portion than this world.—Remember that your deportment, your conversation; your interest in dress, in company and amusements; the manner in which you perform your religious duties, are all carefully noted and weighed by those around you, who do not love religion; and if they do not see a marked difference between you and themselves, they either conclude there is nothing in religion, or else that you are a hypocrite. Worldlings expect that you will be very different from them, and despise you in their hearts if you are not. If you wish to recommend religion, let the world see it acted out according to the beautiful pattern laid down in the bible, and do not suppose that you can improve this pattern by any addition or subtraction of your own. On one subject there are some who need instruction. There is a class of christians who appear taciturn, unsocial, and even sad. This appearance is altogether inconsistent with the spirit of religion. Christians ought to appear cheerful and happy; to appear to receive with pleasure and gratitude all the lawful enjoyments bestowed by their Heavenly Father. Such a gloomy deportment as has been described, does not do honour to religion, and causes those whom we wish to win to the ways of pleasantness and peace, to feel that religion is a melancholy, unsocial, and forbidding subject.

All professors of religion should endeavour to have such views of God, his love, his providence, his care; and should so live, as to be cheerful and happy, and to appear so.

On the contrary, there is a class of professed christians, who indulge in frequent trifling and levity. This is quite as inconsistent and injurious as the former, and if any thing it is more so. Let the christian at least, learn to make a distinction between cheerfulness and levity. Remember we are commanded to avoid foolish talking and jesting, and that it is possible to be happy, cheerful, affable, and kind without any trifling or levity.

17. Remember that your evidence of possessing religion ceases when any thing else has the first place in your thoughts and interests.

Religion should not lessen our love for our friends, or our real enjoyments; but the desire to please God in all our ways should be the prevailing feeling of the mind. Our Saviour says, we cannot have two masters; God and his service must be first in our thoughts and affections, or else the world and its pleasures are first. If then we would find whose servants we are, we must find who has the first place in our thoughts and affections.

18. Never for one day omit to read the bible with prayer. This is a most important direction. It is of the utmost importance that you should never for once break over this habit. Prayer and the bible are your anchor and your shield, which will hold you firmly in the path of duty, and protect you from temptation. You had better give up one meal every day, if it is necessary, in order to secure time for this duty. You had better give up any thing else. Nothing is a duty, if the performance of it will interfere with this duty. Remember this is the bread of your life, and the water of your salvation; and that you cannot live in health a single day, without their strengthening and invigorating influence.

19. Be regulated by a principle of duty in little things. This is the way that common christians are to cause their light to shine. Few christians can expect to do any great things to show their love for the Saviour, but all can “deny themselves, and thus daily take the cross and follow him.” Religion should govern the temper and the tongue; should save us from indolence, from vanity, from pride, from foolishness, from levity, from moroseness, from selfishness, and all the little every day foibles to which we are exposed. Religion should exemplify its gentleness in your kind and affable manners; its purity and propriety in your conversation; its benevolence in your conduct, and its consistency and heavenly tendency, in all your ways.

20. It is a most excellent method to go to some sincere and candid friend, and inquire what are your own defects in temper, character, and every day deportment, and when you have discovered these, make it the object of your prayers and efforts to correct them.

21. One thing ought to be strictly regulated by principle, and that is the employment of time. Always feel that you are doing wrong when your time is passing unprofitably. Have some regularity of method on this subject. Endeavour to ascertain how much time should be devoted to your friends and to relaxation, and to let the remainder be all of it employed in the most useful manner you can devise. Never be satisfied with the manner in which you are spending your time, if you can think of any possible way in which it might be more usefully employed.

Remember that time is the precious talent for which you must account to God; and if you find yourselves indulging in listless inactivity, or tempted to engage in employments of no practical use, remember your account to God. Be in a habit of inquiring when you commence any employment, “Is there any thing I can do, more useful than this?” And do not be satisfied till you have settled the question, that you are doing all the good you can.

22. Attempt by your efforts and example, to raise the standard of piety and activity. If all who are now commencing the Christian life, should make this an object, and not fall into the temptation which professed christians so often set before the lambs of the flock, the church would indeed soon rise before the world, “fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.”

Resolve to be an example to those who ought to be an example to you, and take the bible, and the bible only, for your guide in forming christian character.

23. Be active in promoting all benevolent objects. Make it an object to prepare to lead with propriety in all social devotional duties. At this period, when prayer and effort must unite in hastening the great day of the Lord, let every young christian learn to guide the devotions of others, as well as to lift up his own private supplication. There is nothing which so much promotes the “brotherly love,” required in the bible, and nothing which so much promotes union of effort and interest, as social prayer: and every one who commences religious life, should aim to be prepared to perform such duties with propriety; and should stimulate others to engage in them.

24. Do not hesitate in the performance of all the external duties of a christian, because you do not find satisfactory evidence that your feelings are right.

Religious duty consists of two parts—feeling and action,—and because we find great deficiency in one respect, we surely ought not to neglect the whole. It is as unreasonable, as it would be, not to attempt to feel right till every external duty was perfectly performed. If we are dissatisfied with our evidence, let us go on and do every thing that a christian should do, as the most hopeful way to produce right feelings. We surely cannot hope to bring our hearts right by neglecting our outward duties.

Go forward then, and take a stand as an active christian, and if your hearts are not right with God, you may be sure you are in less danger in taking this course than in neglecting it.

25. Under special difficulties, or when in great need of, or great longings after, any particular mercy, for yourself or others, set apart a day for secret prayer and fasting by yourself alone; and let the day be spent, not only in petitions for the mercies you desire, but in searching your heart, and in looking over your past life, and confessing your sins before God, not as is wont to be done in public prayer, but by a very particular rehearsal, before God, of the sins of your past life, from your childhood hitherto, before and after conversion, with the circumstances and aggravations attending them, spreading all the abominations of your heart, very particularly, and fully as possible, before him.

26. Remember that the principal duty of a christian, as it respects others, is to excite them to the immediate performance of their religious duty.

Our Lord Jesus Christ appears to have intended that through the instrumentality of Christians, the perishing may be saved. There is no christian but can find some one mind at least, over which he can have some influence; and if we can do any thing to save others from eternal death, nothing should for a moment prevent our attempting it.

But to perform our duty faithfully in this respect, requires both discretion, and some knowledge derived from the experience of others. The following hints, therefore, are added as the result of long experience and observation, and as a sort of guide to those who may be anxious to save a soul from death.

Let your first object be to persuade your friend to give an earnest and immediate attention to the subject. Serious remarks upon religion, do not produce much effect, unless some direct object is had in view.

Urge the immediate duty of giving the affections of the heart to God. Show them that if they will only love God, they will then feel their guilt in refusing to obey him, and will greatly desire to live for his glory. If they will only love their God and Saviour, they will feel that they can trust in the merits of his atoning blood. Do not, for a moment, allow them to feel that performing the outward duties of religion, is doing any thing to recommend them to God, but is only a means of making them feel more deeply their immediate obligation to give the affections of their hearts to him, and of realizing the reasonableness of his holy law which requires it. Speak to them as if you really felt that there was no need of any delay, but that they could immediately perform what God requires; and in order to do this, endeavour to have a deep and realizing sense of this truth yourself. If they complain of their inability, or of the difficulty they find in performing their duty, show them that it is because they have so long forgotten and neglected God, that though it has really become difficult, it is a difficulty they have made for themselves, and which is an addition to their guilt. Show them that whatever the difficulty is, they can overcome it; for God never requires of his creatures, what they cannot perform, and his standing unalterable law is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” Remember always that the more clearly, constantly, and forcibly the truth is presented to any mind that will attend to it, the more hope there is that it will be obeyed.

One caution however, needs to be added, and that is, that when it becomes apparent that the mind will not be brought to attend to the subject; when you find that the efforts become wearisome and unpleasant, always cease for a while, and wait for another time, or else you will do more harm than good. Persevering after this will only affect their minds with disgust and aversion towards a subject to which they have resolved they will not attend.

Another caution is also important. Always speak kindly and affectionately to friends upon this subject; and if you find all your efforts vain, though you cease to urge neglected duty, still continue to express the same kindness and interest for them. Do not give them occasion to feel that, because they will not take your advice, you have cast them off as reprobates, and no longer desire their society. We may still continue to love the amiable natural traits of our friends, even though we find that they refuse to have them crowned and beautified by religion. Let all your efforts for the good of others be accompanied by earnest and constant prayer.

Lastly, do not be discouraged because you find that you are very deficient in any of the particulars specified.

Remember, that Christian life is a warfare, and that it is only at the end that we are to come off conquerors and more than conquerors. Remember, that He whom you are striving to serve and please, is not a hard master. Though you have been inexcusable in fostering habits of neglect, and all the difficulties you find are of your own making, yet he can be “touched with the feeling of your infirmities.” When he sees that you really are afflicted because you are so constantly tempted to forget him, he pities you “as a father pitieth his children;” and so long as you see the means he has appointed to keep you from sin, and wait upon him for strength and guidance, he will never leave nor forsake you. When you feel your own strength and resolution failing, go to him who hath said, “my grace is sufficient for thee, and my strength shall be made perfect in weakness.” Call upon him, “and he will be very gracious unto the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, this is the way, walk ye therein, when ye turn to the right and when ye turn to the left.” Remember also, that the conflict is short; the race will speedily be accomplished—soon your deficiencies and guilt shall pain you no more—soon you shall “see him as he is,” and “awake in his likeness and be satisfied therewith.”