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Page075

TilE ' P R ACT ICAL CHRISTIAN.


W'/ _ _ _ _


75


lIe Ihllt si, bllu es lIis 11lI~ siol1s conqners his


worst en emy.


hid themselves from the presence ' of the Lord


God in the garden , alld amongst th'e trees of


the gnrden,' figuratively expresses a truth, a


solemn and momentous truth, to which every


~ eflecting and true soul bears witness. They


who lire ' dead in tresspasses and sin,' may not


understand tI'lis, for th ey understand nothing


aright respecting the soul : hut when those


who have ' fva lked in the hright and shining


path of life" tUI'll asid e from it- when they


give themselves lip to th e dominion of pas sion,


and lust, and selflshness- e- or do nny ' thing for


which conscience sharply reproves them, they


ceaseto think of God, lIiHI He ceases to ap­pear


to them'as when they nre in all things


trne; obedient and faithful, Tilere is that


in impurity which has the power to throw OVCI'


the most charming and lovely obj ects the sa­ble


mantle of gloom. There is that. in it, r '


rep ent, if deep sellted ill the soul, which soon- .


er or Inter, in this world or the next, will


cause th e God of Love to appear liS a ' con-


Sliming fire.' '",


I\ len who seldom pause'to think of religion


- 11I8n who smother their holy ~ convictions,


and sear their consciences, and turn tlie light


within them to dnrkness- s- men who quench


th e Spirit, by ueing perpetnally occupied with


th" e cares ' o~ plelisnies~ of th e world, . may, for


years, pnss nlong without feeling on e pang of


remorse: uut let them witlull'llw ,/ i'om th eir


pnrsn, its- Iet them be plac et! where nothing


onlwnrd will 1I1111re them, nnd where they


will be compelled to think of tl, emselves and


th eir destiny, and it must be that they will be


destitllte of peace until they hecome pure. ­The


gospel of Christ is first pure- thtn peace.


ahle. IJutther e isn fillse peace-, a peace of


~ t h e world whi ch endnres only filr II season. ­The


pence of indifference ' it is . Yet many


. mislake it for the peace of God . And it is as


trne now ns it ''' as in the dnys of Solomon,


thnt '! ll; coulle sentence against an evil worll is


not I\ xecuted IIpp. edily'- heeanse they do 1I0t


immediately feel the worst effects of evil do­ing~'


thel'efor.!' the I: ellrts of, the children of


men'nre ful! y_~ t in them to do evil.' But


the hound is set that th ey , camiot pass. Death


closes d! eir earthly prospects, nnd thell reflec­tion


will corne, and there will be no escaJte. ­The,


eXler na l will no longel' occupy their


though IS, anll the l'oit: e of con~ cience mtJ~ t be


heard. N~ thing in ' the fU ll~ e: spiritnal world


can IItill it ; alid darkness will sell Ie upon the


IIoulunnvoidably. _ If there are those who do '


not respond to this as: a serious nnd weighty


truth, we " are salisfi ell. that it is hecanse th ey


have not dn ily wlttch ed th e workings of Ihe


' inner man:' becllnse thpy hnve not stndied


the sonl- have not r efl_ eeted IIpon its , nnture.


' He tlmt believeth not on the son,' saith all in­spirecl


writer, ( he thnt is not pitre,) ' sllllll not


see light Ij' nnd we reco gnize this liSa result of


an nnvurying law 01 onr moralnatnre.


And now,- my friend! l; let us never forget


that. the ~ olJl may he lost ;- Iost in doubt­lost


in d" rkness- 10st in sin and sorrow.' ­Thou~


h Christ came to snve the lost, let us


remember thllt he saves only'uy influencing


us to retrace the steps we have taken in the


wny oftrnnsgression- only by inflnencing 1/ S


to struggle ngainst sin, and seek perfection nnd


GOII. The ' unregenerate - the- gnilt. stained


soul'must snffer. .(\ nd if this thought gives us


un ensiness- ifit prompts us to wish that tile


Book which rev eals it were nottrne- if it in­clines


liS fo smother conscience, and disregard


religion, simply hecaus~ it disturbs onr peace,


let liS bear in mind thnt thongh we do quench


the Spirit, we cnn do it onl y for a season;


that thongh we do ' betake ourselvcs to the


world to forg et what manner of persons we


are. w~ cannot do this forever. The . IIIY of


retl'ib ' lIlion will corne. W hnt is true in n8­tnre,


true in revelation, trne in fnct- found to


he lJ'ne hy s tudying the s01/ I, it is mildness for


hultlan beings to figbtagninst. Remorse must


follow a wllsted life; aud to fllltler ourselves


that it will not, is to be self · lloodwinked rnto


misery. " Vhatsoevel' a mnn sowelll that shull


he al so rCllp.' Oh! let ns be wise, lind turn


from ollr hellrts every, evil spirit thm dwells


there- every thing thllt is contrary to Love, ­Then


shllll we hllve life and peace forever, ­'


We hll ~ e nothing to felir f,: om IIny thing but


. IIUll inquiring mind, and an expansive liheral- ,


ity ofsentiment. The ' writer has had the hap­,


p iness of acquaintance and occaslcnul intima-cy


with him for the last year or two, and re­joices


to henr testimony thus far to his pre-, em­ineut


christian worth. He has met \ vith our


hrethren j iu quarterly conference, many of


whom will long remember the very able and


fervent discourse delivered on one of these oc ,


casions, . at Mendon, a year since. He hall,


several rimes preached in the welter's pulpit,


lit Mendon, with credit to himself and profit to


, ~ h i s hearers, His v~ ry lust rliseonrse was de­[


lvered in that pulpit, ( not without evident


,. hysical exhaustion,) on the afternoon of the '


: 2d Sabbath in October, from R ev. ]: 5,6­"


Until hi, n , thnt loved us, and washerl us from


our sins in his own blood, lind hnth made I'IS


Idllgs and priesrs unto God and his Father j"


& c. It is hoped that it willdetrnct nothing


. fro~ hi s memory, in the estimation ofen light­enod


Christ ions, to sta te that after patient and


I'ruyerful inquiry, he fully embraced the hope


,.- of the finul reconciliation nnd restoration of ull


lost souls. In this enlarged hope he rejoiced


ns he approached the grave- s- frequemly ex­pressing


the si. e~ inl gratitude to God and spir­itual


sntisfnction it cnused him to feel in \' iew


oftlle fillnre" as well li S the pure'lInd holy ten­.


Iency he helievell it calculated to exert on' the


, Jullna n mind. He cherished n lively , interest


in the great ," ornl reform quesliolls of the IIge,


, T emperllncc, Anri . Slavery, Pnrity lind Pence,


lIc wllrmly npprllved of the senriments pro­mlligated


in th e Practical Christian, and sym­Jlllthized


with lhe lillie hand of w. hich Ihat pa­per


is the irlll11eclinle orgnn. II is . hen evolence


~ ra~ pecr the worl< l, nnll while se vere against


sin , he fell n hcav en. honi com pn~ s i n n for lIU


, th " losl . lIe WliS filr removed from all ~ el~ ta­,


rj lln pride, ' se lfiHhness lind higotry- lIn, 1 eve r


, rencl), to extend Ihu hlllld of fellowllhip to nil


• Chri~ lians. Of him it might wilh Iruth he


suill, in the I~ ngunge of the' poet :-


" To sect or party hi. large soul


Disdaiaed to l) e co nfi,; ed ;


, The good he loved of eve ry name,


Aad · prayed fo'r all m-: inllin. d," · ,


It was the pl'ivilege of the writer, in corn­PllllY


wilh the Rcv .1\ Ir. Wheaton, ofl\ filford


, t o ' il lt~ n < l the funel'lll ofour ilepllrled brother


111111 10 miuister consolation 10 the afflicted


fill111Iy• A di scOUrse was preach ecl frbmRev.


] 4: l3-" AlIli I henrd n voice from heaven,


sllying unto me, \ Vrite, Blessed nre the dead


_ wllich die in the Lord ' from henceforth;" & c.


It was a solemn aild affecting occlIsiou, which


rnny , livine wisdom sanctify to the Insting spir­itu


a l henefit of 1111 present. And in loving


kindness niay the widow's Gocl, lind the Fa.


ther ofthe ' filt heriess overshadow the hereaved,


1JOW allli for evermore. A.. BALI. OU. '


COMMUNICATIONS.


~ ,~ < ic " " ONE- THING is ~ EE ;~ UL,"


\ Vhat is that one thing? The' lIuswer gen­erally


g'iven is , R eligion. , But this nlls\~ er is


obv~ ously incorrect- fill' it cloes not ' necessllri.


Iy imply either,' a Irue fnit, i, or a holy Iife- he­cause


thC1' e al'e mnny fable religions. ami nlso


mnnyfillse interpretations of the Christial] re­ligion.


Whnt then is that one thing? The


spirit thnt dwelt in Christ J esns; for ' without


his spiri: we nre none of his.'


There is great dnnger at the present Ilay of


los. ing sight of this simple. yct ohvionsaticl im­p


orla nt tnttll. The world is full of theories, ­,


1\ 1011 is hegiuning toJ'ee1 that God has given


him reason and conseienee to decide fOI' him­self


ihe grellt ;' Iuestion- ' \ Vhat is truth ?'


I, i this all true lovers of Immnnity sholllt1


rejoice- for the sou I mltst thrr, l\ v off its chains


before it can ri; e to the dignity of a SOli of


God. B~ t we should rejoice with · t remuling.


There is danger lest the freed spirit should be­come


so enamored with theo. ri: ing a& to forget


the vital importllnce of holy li" iJllf. A true


theory is duirable; hut a Jlul'e hea'rt and . life


nre indispensible; for without lhem the sou I


call1lot see God. ,


It is not el\' ough to have dear intellectual


conceptions of religious truth , Who caniook


round upon the circle of theil'acquailttance, or


in upon th emselves, an'd say that purity of


heart 8n, I holiness of life are a lways commen­surate


with e1e8I' 11CSS of intellec'tual vision. ­How


many are th ere that live up to the light


th ey / lOW have? The \ toorll is by no means


doue when n correct theory hns been estab­lished,


Whnt is apprehended ns truth must he lived


out, It is the spirit of Jesus- s- it - is Lif~- Ho­ll/,


Divine Life, ' thnt we want. , T his is the


one thing needful. The world haRe~ ei' been


more randy to speculate than to obey- to thea­ri:


e than to live, How little of theory do we


find in the teaching ofJesus. How lillie even


the inventive genius of modern seetnrinnism


can twist into n system of fuith. No, it was a


divine lif~ he preuched- s- n divine life he lived


- a divine liJe 10 which, uy his ' own spotless


character, his plll'e and simple precepts, and


hi; denth , upon th e cross, that he is calling us.


In tlus there is nothing mystical, nothing that


, the simplest rnuy ' not understnnd, Trnly ' in


Him was life, and th e life was the light of


men:' though ' the ' 1 l a l'k n es~ ' of systems / lnci


th eories have " comprehended it not.' L et us


bUI open our hezirts 10 that light of LIFE, and


we shall not walk in darkness.


Jesus went about doing good, lIis ment


nnd drink was to do the \\ I ill of his Fnther nnd


to finish his work, ' He dwelt in the Furber,


lind th e Father in him,- nlld it was the con­sta


nt effort of his life / IS well liS th e ' prnyer of


his liil!;, to bring nil God's children iu to this


fonme oneness ; vi'tb their He~\' e'.' ly Father. ­Let


us Ihell, whil e in th, e pursuit of truth, , ve


think freely , renl'embel' thllt till; ' one thing


neerlflll' is to have th ~ s pir it of lChrist, nnd


live purely, W. F, ' I' .


LOSS OF ~' ItE SOUL.


Extract from a Sermon.


The loss ' of the ~ onl!- the possihility of


l!] nc h a thinlr, should be a sufficient inducement


for us nil to- fursllke every e'vi l way, But the


loss ofthe soul hn~ been fi'equently descJ'ibed


in such a mlln ller, liS to be wirh ~ ut e ffect j at


lea st withollt any good effect. It has oflen


been 1I181le to con si~ 1 in sorlle ~ hing lTlanifestly


nnrellsonllhle. A llIaterilll h ~ il has heen Imilt


up filr its reception, nniJ there it has heen rep­I'l:


tlp. nted ; IS ever cou sullling, ~ nd nel'er heing


! onslIlIlI? d, i n a liquid flome. of , everlasting fire


-/ lnd au / I cou sell" ence of God's anger lind


wrath. ' Hut lIot to stop to refute this rnista!


\ ten lind hellrt- withering notion, we ohse~ ve


Ihat we conceive the loss of the soul, to he


something fllr different from this, nlHI hctter


ca lclliated to ilHlilce us to flee from sin . It is


th e del/ asement ofthe soul- its impul'ity- its


se lfishness, that renders it wretched. ' It mny


ue lost whil st in tllis stute of existence. The


IIpostl e PlIul says: ' If ou~ gOllpel he hill, it is


hill to them that are lost; in whom the God


of Ihis \ vol'ld hath blincled th e ey es of them


that believe not, lest tile' light of the glorious


go~ pel of Christ, who' is the imnge of God


shoul, 1 sh ille unto them." ,


The first illen Ihen, thnt strikes the mind in


contemplaling the Inlls of the sonl, is ' this: it


cannol discern _ the _ pel'fections _ aRfl , ~ I o ry~ o {:


God- llor of the spiritnal world. To II pnri­fied


min; 1 there is in th e univel'lle infinite beau­ty


81111 blesse. ln6ss. Upon that, there is grnll­unlly


opening lUI Eternity of . Light and Love.


It penetrates Ihrongh th e visibl. e to the invis­ihle.


Je~ us snid to his disciples: ' When Ihe


Spirit of'truth is come, he will lead you into


all Iruth ; ; 0 ; 0 1I alld he will show you tliings


to come.' To such n mind ns we hav e Just


spoken of, this promise is heing daily verified.


New truths- and blessed and henven- i1lumin­aling


truths, ure discovered at every advllJwing


tilell in the way ofgoodness. God alHl his in: ­finite


loveliness al'e more allli more fnlly man­ifested.


' He is seen al He is; and in Him is


cliscov ered all ofgoorl that the ' heart desires,


or can conceive, of. ' God is Love ;' an, d to be


pu re is to rise to the perceptioo and / illl en­joymcllt


of this greut ' truth, It is to ue in


heuven now- and to be sUI'e of a more glorious


heaven hereaftel'; nnd such a ' heaven as no


one Cllll appreciate or imagine, uut hy hecom­ing


frce from sin nnd perfect. ' For ey e hath


not seen, nor ear 11I~ ard, neither have entered


into the henrt of man, the things that God


hnth prepllred for them that love him :- yet


they ", hos~ souls ueat in ' unison with all di­vine


principles, can continue with Paul-' bllt


God halh revealedthem unto UI by his Spirit,


for the spirit seareltethaU things, yea, the deep


thingl of God.' ' l'hey can say-' God who


commanded thc light. lo shine out of darkness,


huth shined into our heurts, to give liSa knowl­edge


of hi.. glory,' ' in th e face ofJ esus Christ.'


I


And ns they think of the fntur~,- the future


of those who are unspotted by sin- they think


of nothing hut hright and blessed manifesta­tions


of the infinite Father,


But to the impllre,. the spiritual creation is


9s much veiled, as the material creation is to


those that are blind. There is Light, but


they cannot discern it- nnd Love. c- bui to


them ltis as ' a consuming ) ITe.' Tht; y haye


eyes but see not j lind understandings: have


they, hut they perceiv e nOI. They hear no an­gelic


chants of joy- they behold not . rhe peace


and harmony of paradise. They walk in


; Inrknells IInl~,{ Iwell in the shadow ofdenth. ­But


it is only because th ey ilave not he en en­lightened


uy the ' glorions gospel of th e blessed


God:' only because their sins have sepnrated


hetween them and 1111 thai is bright and love­ly


:- between them und God. There is a


spiritual sun, hut it shines not upon th em,- lIt


least hut fuintly ; and it never will" lillIiI they


seek to place themselv es beneath its ray s j un­til


they remove th e film s ( sin s pots) that hnve


gathered upon their 5piriruul orbs, lind follow


thnt Light which ' lighteneth every man ' tha t


cometh into the world.' So long as they are


Ileprlll'ed, they mu!' t be without peace or,


hope.


" Bitt this is not th e only illen that should e~


tel' into ! lUI' conceptions oflhe lost s~ u l ;- no;


th e most nppnlting olle. Men · inny. he de­prived


ofgreat hlessings, and for a tim e not


realize it. Olher thoughts may filllh eir minds,


111111 oth cr suhj ect s engross their IIl1elllion. ­'


The lust of the flesh, the lust ' of th e eyes and


th e prifl e of life," mny ullure them: lind as


loug liS th ey succeed in obtniniug whnt th ey


seek, 01' see n prospect of doing so, th ey will


perhnps he in a t! egrep. snti, fied with them-,


selves. nut it is n I~ ulh whieh ev el'y man's


experience should Ilt\ ve ! tlllght him, that there


are no flow ers of earth bnt whnt lilde, and no


mere worldly pursnits which will nOI sooner


or latel' IIppear insipifl n, nd llissllti sfying. ­Though


men mny sleep for 11sellson, the time


must come wh ell th ey awuke: and their will


come: the hitter ' reflf'ction . thn L , though there


nre th ~ se who cnn rej oice ill, the light of their


' F iJthe r's countenuncej Ihe re is in themselves


no mornI ahility to !' ee t!, ings as th ey Icould


see th~ fIl j und n/ othitig that will ennhle them


to renh ze the lo\' e tllllt GOII hllth for them, or


to hope fi, r n c1on, lIells alHl hlissfiJl inllllortali­tY.


Anll liow gr eftt is the misery resnlting


fi'or~ 1 n compnrison of ollrlleh'es wilh others


more fa" orell, I\ I: mr, we Iiollht not, who nre


now rellping die fr ( lits of n vicions Iif", lire inly


sighing for, the peace and joy of the ( i1ilhful­for


the peace and joy oflhose who hn" e served


God from theil' youth. The Inngnnge of not


a few is: ' Oh! that J could feel ail th ey llny


th ey feel!' And to see oth ers in th e e nj oy ­ment


of a sU8tninillg alllic: ipation of future


well- beillg, onci to think thllt we are de8titute


of it j to feel tlllltllpon ollr minlls hos sell led


n clond of dllrknells- this, even on elll'th, is a


condilion more to be . Ireaded thlln povel'ly or


th e world's scorn. Hut 0, how milch more'


wretchedness mllst the reflection pl'Olltice '


hereafler! To know that there lire tho se up­on


whom the sun of Righteollsness is shining


- those who dwell ill Light lind Love- to


know that the ' pnre in heart' there nrc, who


' see GOl!,' nnclthRt we nre not , of the nnmber


- thi~ would snti sfy liS thllt an ' impnssiLle


gnlf,' is no inappropriate figure, hy whieh to


iIInstrute the sepal'ntion between the good and


the depraved.


The ' loss of the SOliI' not only consistll in


onr he'illg unllble to discern the beamy nnd tlie


hlesse, lness of the spiritllnl world,- aIHI in re­ali:


ing onr hlilld und debnsed condilion, bnt


in so'mething mom lerrihle ~ lill. Evil in tile


heart s~ amps its own malignant nature upon ev­try


thing else, visible and invisible. It converts


light into darkness- good into evil- I~ ve into


hutred.:.... hellven into hell! If it ouach to us


in any great degree, it makes'us dread the


prellellce of the best / i'iend we hRve in the uni­ver


se- the presence of ' O ut ' Father in heaven:


AI'l. 1 how forcibly i~ this fact illustl'llt efl hy the


ejection of our first purents from PUl'al1 ise ! ­Take


IIny view ' you plea se of that ev ent, ns re­l:


ol'lled In Genesis- intel'Jiret it nllegorically


01' literully, and the fllct uppears pl'ominent,


tllllt nfter the filII, th ey no longer reglmled God


ns th e Goofl, but as , the Powerfnl, ' a nd trem­blecl


before Him ns ' hefore an Enemy. And


the phrase-' They were afrai, i, allli w~ ni and


sin, W. H, F.

Page 75 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840