ART. V.-RELIGIOUS EARNESTNESS.

NEW people at the present day make any objection to a man taking up a profession of religion. Differences of opinion may exist as to the church with which it may be most desirable for an individual to identify himself, but as far as profession itself is concerned, "the offence of the cross" is almost ceased.

Time was when the profession of the Christian religion was forbidden by law, and to persist in the profession exposed a man to bonds, imprisonment, and death. These days of darkness and oppression have passed away in most countries, and are remembered only when the eye glances over the history of bygone ages, or when we read the records of cruelty, blood, and horror, in the annals of persecution. This freedom from the cruel and remorseless hand of persecution is attributed by many to the genius of a more humane age, or to the advancement of the human mind in the path of an ampler intelligence and of more liberal ideas; we are inclined to attribute our favoured and exalted position in this respect to Christianity itself. The religion of Jesus Christ is the grand agent in enlightening and liberalising public sentiment and feeling. The beautiful characters it exhibits, and the sublime and pure morality which it inculcates on all classes of men, like good seed cast into the ground, have produced these valuable results. Within the last half century places of public worship have been established more rapidly and more extensively than within any previous fifty years; the Holy Scriptures, through the agency of the Bible Society, have been strewed thick as autumn leaves over the face of society, and within this period there has been an increased and corresponding deference paid to the principles and institutions of Christianity.

This gratifying change is exhibited not only among the lower orders of the population, but also in the higher circles of society, and in the legislative body of the country. So far this is well. All gain on the side of virtue, though merely in externals, is matter of rejoicing to every rightminded man. But a grave

question here imposes itself upon us, namely:-have we with enlarged profession a corresponding amount of religious earnestness? or, may we not express the fear, that while we have a much wider range of profession, religion among us has lost something of depth and intensity? If this be so, we fear that our gains in mere externalism will be of small advantage to us.

There are indeed zeal and earnestness enough in certain directions, and we conceive far too much have been expended of late over matters with which an earnest and spiritual religion can

have little to do. It seems to us a thing by no means creditable to the religion of Christ when a number of grave, learned, and venerable men spend their time and energy, and perhaps their temper, in eager disputes about lighting candles in the house of God when the sun is in full blaze, adorning the altar with varied trappings, and clothing the officiating minister with gaudy and costly array when engaged in preaching the gospel of the meek and holy Jesus. We may be reminded that external adornings, rites, and ceremonies, powerfully impress the mind of the worshipper. No doubt of it; but seldom for the better. Whatever tends to draw the attention of the worshipper away from that great and dread Being to whom he pays his devotions, may well be viewed with suspicion and alarm. The kingdom of God cometh not with such observation. It is a lamentable confession of internal weakness when a church has to appeal to the imagination and senses in these most reprehensible forms.

We are always told in the scriptures that religion is heart-work, God-likeness, the mind that was in Christ. It is said the kingdom of God is within you,-that it consisteth not in meats and drinks, but in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost,-that it is Christ in you the hope of glory. It is true that religion has its forms; but these forms, as described in the New Testament, are few and simple. The more spiritual the worship, the more acceptable to God,-"God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." "The Father seeketh such to worship him."

Let us view religious earnestness in three aspects-as affecting INDIVIDUALS, CHURCHES, and MINISTERS.

ness.

INDIVIDUALS. One of the best definitions of our religion, apart from Bible definition, is to say, that it is the love of God and man filling and ruling the heart. If this be the state of a man's spiritual life, it will be accompanied by all those feelings and aspirations that characterise an earnest piety. Instances may be found in the scriptures that describe exactly what we mean by religious earnestTake the following examples :-"As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?" "O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is; to see thy power and glory so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary." "Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.”—Ps.

Here the writer expresses himself in language that implies that the felt absence of God from the soul is the greatest evil that can befall him. It is further implied that the felt presence of God is the highest felicity he can possibly attain in this world; and that

to gain and enjoy the favour of God it would be well, were it necessary, to part even with life itself. These feelings are expressed under the Old Testament dispensation, a time when it is commonly understood divine influences were not communicated to men to so large an extent as we have scriptural warrant to expect them now. Other instances might be given from the Old Testament, from the prophet Isaiah in particular, where language is employed implying intense religious desire and the most devout and spiritual enjoyment. In the New Testament take the apostle Paul. He was the impersonation of earnestness. Mark his courage and resolution as here expressed,-"The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none

of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God." Take another instance of holy, rapturous, triumphant joy,-"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither life, nor death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Now we would not like our readers to slim this quotation simply because it is one. We adduce it as a case peculiarly in point. We would like them to read it slowly and carefully, and then set their own religious experience along side of it. Where can language be found to set before us more impressively concentrated earnestness of attachment to Christ? The inspired soul of the apostle seeks to group together the most striking things and the severest tests within the range of his comprehension to describe the intensity and endurance of his love to Christ. Let us examine, in comparison with his experience, the average piety of the present day, as far as we can form an idea, from observed phenomena. Is it an easy thing to find men in our churches, in plentiful numbers, who can honestly adopt and triumphantly employ this language as the very expression of their own spiritual state? Are we not smitten with a painful conviction that we can rarely, or never, employ it ourselves? Does not our experience fall immeasurably below it? Nor can we shelter ourselves under the consideration that he was divinely inspired, and that, as the result of the divine afflatus, he must necessarily soar to an altitude in holiness and christian excellence far above the rest of the Christian Church. That result does not necessarily follow. Inspiration is one thing,

holiness is another. They do not employ each other. We find, occasionally, men of very inferior character indeed, in respect to moral goodness, divinely inspired. We must not confound with christian graces prophetic gifts. Gifts, even of the most exalted kind, are not grace. They may exist in total independence of piety.

And how does the book speak of the relative excellence of the two things? Whether is talent or holiness most highly extolled? Read 1 Cor. xiii. There it is declared that there is a gift far more precious than the being inspired to speak divers languages, to foretell future events, to work miracles, to penetrate mysteries, or to raise the dead. Further, that that gift is not beyond the attainment of ordinary mortals-far away in the accessible heights, or far below in the impenetrable depths-it is nigh at hand to every man who is willing to seek and willing to accept it on God's own terms. That precious gift is to love God with all the heart and with all the mind, with all the soul and with all the strength; and this love is what we mean by an earnest religion.

Further, this subject is closely identified with the spiritual enjoyment of a believer. Although the grand object contemplated by the Christian scheme is the deliverance of man from the guilt and pollution of sin, and his restoration to the image of God in righteousness and true holiness, and though no man should seek religion with a view solely to his own happiness, we cannot altogether avoid looking forward to the joy unspeakable and full of glory which the redeeming scheme provides. Moreover, it is an important element to be taken into consideration, when we exercise our thoughts on the final perseverance of the saints. Human life is a state of trial, a school of discipline in which men are designed to be trained for a higher and nobler life. No man can avoid the cares that corrode, the fears that alarm, and the disappointments that fret and chafe the mind. The constant recurrence of these troubles shews the necessity of the soul having something to fall back upon for comfort and solace. This required comfort an earnest religion supplies; for it is written-"The joy of the Lord is your strength." Even in distress and perplexities this "joy of the Lord" bears aloft in triumph the soul of the believer. Hence, the model preacher-"I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation." 2 Cor. vii. 4.

CHURCHES. Earnest churches can of course be formed only of earnest individuals, but the united action of believers so formed into fellowship is expected to be more extensive, varied, and powerful, than that of isolated individuals. The chief reason of the institution of the Christian church is the diffusion of the light of truth, and the extension of a pure religion; and this object is to be gained only by an earnest church.

The church is God's witness in the world. It is a witness of his willingness and power to pardon sin; to purify the heart, and to deliver the human soul from the bondage of corruption under which it groans. It is also his witness against the world-against its sins and follies, its maxims and fashions, its crimes and cruelties. A slumbering or lifeless church cannot carry out his designs; it must be baptised with the Holy Ghost.

Of the first Christian church we read-"Then they that gladly received the word were baptised, and the same day there were added unto the church about three thousand souls: and they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. And believers were the more added unto the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added daily to the church such as should be saved." These descriptions of the first Christian church are contained in the Acts of the Apostles; and in them we get a glimpse of what a church ought to be. Here are the very things in which we are so deplorably deficient in the present day. Look at them; here are earnest faith in God's word; mutual attachment and confidence among the members; close attendance on the means of grace; a spirit of devotion in constant exercise, and the happy results of united action-multitudes of men and women converted to God and added to the church. Now, this state and spirit of a society or church are just what we want to ensure that success in bringing souls to God, the absence of which we so frequently have to deplore. And there is nothing here unattainable. There are no miraculous powers spoken of in the extract. It is just such a description of men and women earnestly engaged in working out their own salvation and helping each other on the way to heaven, as under the circumstances we might naturally expect. But the whole account breathes a spirit of intense religious earnestness, so much so, that it gives us the idea that the religious pursuits were looked upon, by themselves, as the all-absorbing business of life. It would be impossible for a society like this, rescued from a life of sin, washed in the blood of the Lamb, filled with the love of Christ, and breathing a spirit of intense affection for him, to treat the public ordinances of religion as we frequently see them treated. Their souls longed, yea, even fainted for the courts of the Lord. When within the hallowed walls of their own holy and beautiful house, they appear to have dreaded removal from it. No weariness or irksomeness seems to have pressed on their spirits; prayer and praise were their delightful exercise, and the lifting up of their hands was as the evening sacrifice.