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THE P'RACTICAL CHRISTIAN.


D e Tot edt 0 ' T rut It and It i g ht e 0 usn e s s ,


VOL. I. ,' 1 MENDON, !\ JASS., APRIL 15, 1841. No. 24.


There are thousands of , influences acting in


various wuys on mankind to restrain them


from growing worse, or to make them better,


all of which I beli eve to have been ordained


of 00<. 1; und to have proceeded from hil'lgrace,


for the purpose of counteracting, and finally


overcoming the evils of the fall, If none of'


th ese had been interposed, it seems to me thn~


universal Immunity tt: Just have ntterly perish.


ed. \ Vhen I StiV utterly perlshed, I mean soul


and body in the oblivion ofetern al death- s- ur­tel'


extinct ion of heing.


. And now what do the Scriptures teach con­cerning


this subject P J think they will be


found replete with a clear testimony' in sup­port


of th, e tItlctr ine of this chapter.


St. Paul says : " We titus judge; that if one


[ i: e. Christ) died fbr all, then Were nil ' dead ;


and that he died for 1111, that they which live


should not hencefol, th live unto themselves,


but IIntO him which died for them and rose


again II Therefore ifany man be in Chri~ t


he is II new creature j old tl; ings are , passed


away; behold nil things are become new." 2


Cor. 5: 14, 17. Here 011 arc declared to be in


a state of denth, and those restored are 118id to


have become new creatures in Christ: which


plainly enough implies some great change


from their nnturul state to n holi er one. Again.


" And you hnth he quickened, who were dead


in tre sp asses ancl s ins ; wherein in time past


ye wnlked ac cording to the cOUrse of this


wOl'hl, ac cording to the prince of the power


of rhe ail', the s pirit th'nt noW worketh in the


c hild re n of disobedi ence: among whom also


we all hud our conversation in times pnst in


th e lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of


th e flesh an ,1of the mind, and were by natute


th c d lilrlren of wrath even ns others." Ephel! l<


2: 1- 4. This needs 110 comment. Again. ­"


For we have before proved both Jews atIlt


Gentiles, that th ey are all under sin. As it is


t- wri ttc nU! a: ~~ . i~ ' i ~! l!' . tigh.~!, II~, 2.. 0, .~ t 0! 1Il:'


th el'e is none th at understandelh, there is none


that seeketh tlfter God. They are all gone o ut


of tllC wuy, th ey £ re together hecome nnprof­illlhi


e. " T/! erefore hy the deeds of lIie law f


there shall no flesh fJe justified in his sight, "


fi'll' nil have sinned and come short of the glo-ry


of God." Rom. 31 9.. s... 12,~ 20,23. "\ Vhen


we were iu the flesh, the motions of sins,


wh ich were by the IIIW, did work in our mem ·


her s to hrlng forth fruit unto death. .. I hnd


not knolVn sin hut by th e law; for without the


IlIw sin was deud . " \ Vll: S th ~ that which


is good mad e denth unto me? God forbid. ­Bnt


sin rhat it mi ght appeal' sill worldng death ­in


hlC by ' that which is gooJ; that sin by the'


l'ommnn, dment might become exceedi ng sin­ful.


For we know that the la~ is spiritual;


but I am carnal ~ old under sin. " For I know


that in me ( thut is, in my flesh,) d welleth no


good thing : for to will is pr esent with me j


hut how to perform 111111 which is good I find


not. ll n. 7: 5,7,8, 13, 14, 18. " Tluly that are


alt er Ih e flesh do mind the things of the flesh j


hut they ' that are after the Spirit, the things of


th e Spirit. Fur to be carnally minded is death,


but to be spiritually minded is life and peace:


hecnu se the carnal mil1d is en .; jity against God


- for it is not subject to the law of God, neith­er


indeed con he. So then th ey thllt are in the


flesh cannot please God.'" Ih. 8: 5- 8 " But


the natural mlln receiveth not the things of the


spirit of God j for they are foolisbness unto


him: neithel' can he know them becouse they


lire spiritually discerned." 1 COl" 2: 14. Ac­cotdillg


to th e tenor of this doctrine, we find


the same apostle'thus eXhorting hill brethren,


saying-" Put off - c. oncerning the former con­ver


sa tion th e oldllllin which is corrupt accord­ing


to th e deceirfui Just, nnd be renewed in the


spir it of yonI' lIIind ; nnd put on th e new man


which after God is created in righteousness


and true holiness." Ephes, 4: 22.:.... 24. " Mor­tify


Iherefure your men\ bers which nre IIpon


th e earth, fomiclltion , uncleann e~ s, inordinate


uffec tion, evil e() lJ(~ upiscence , aud coyelous ,


Iless which is illolntry j for which things ' sake


th e wrtlth ef Gud comet h on th e children of


disoltRclienc e j in th e wh ich ye " Iso wlIlkerl


~ ofll e tirn e when ve livell ill them, But now


y e ulso Pllt ' off nl" th u~ e - an ge l', wrall l , ma lice ,


few th em . be that find it;" wh ereas " wide is


the gate Sne! broad is the way that leadeth to


destruction, and many there be which go ' in


thereat." It may he said that some children


. have evi nced unequivocal auechment to God,


religion and virtue, from hirt, h almost. This


may he admitted, without impairmg the gene­ral


do ct rin e for which I con tend. S ome suc h


instances are on sa cred record, find others may


have ex isted in lat er times. They may occur


again Itt'ou r very mid st. But nil will acknowl­edge


s uch cases to be exceptions to the gener


a! rule H' , d course of things. It is very evi­dent


tlmt they are th e result ofsome strong


countereeting good influence, 01' the special


gifts of God in an sw er to the holy seeking of


parents. ' Abel, Enoch, Smuuel nn rl J ohn the


Baptist , ~ e re no doubt fiurn early infancy sin.


glllnrly drawn hy a divine influence. Bow


fhr it isi n th e power of parents now, by a faith­ful


ohservnnce of tile geuem] lind particular


laws of l~ lC i l' ' Crealol', to correct the tendency


of; JaIl1l' ,':' in their post er ity, we cannot deter.


mine. SOllie think that great r esults would '


folio I\' ii. aft er gen erations. It seems very rea­so


nahle 10 believe that a deep and fervent pie.


ty, lou l; cominued aul! consistently ' pructlced


hy paru:, ts for successiv e generations, would


impress itse lf more or less decidedly on thei r


e h i l d re ~ ; so ns to give th em a . marked predis.


positirlli 10 wisdom a nd holiuess. Awl if this


were not to I'csult in tllis lIiUnnel ', it might be


confidently ex ilected that Ihe unceasing prny.


et · s of s' iclt pure nts fOl' god ly offspring would


he am\ ver ed fi'olll hem'en with some remurk• .


nltle tok ells of di\' in e fuitllfulness. But J need


not ek;' Ollt refleclions of Ihi s sort. It ' is thl'


nlltnl'lll predisposition ' of m ~ nk ind to tile ear.


nal mind, in wl, i ch I hllve pr ofessed to helieve.


I illlly 1i'ee ly admit exceptions, b. v rea son o f a


s pec inl; provide nce, or by reason ofrell1arlmhle


purent'" de\' otion to , morn) rectitude. I nlso


:•. I ", iLM'u~ t d , eerl'i . r ly , Io c 1511Fce p, i lJili. ty-<> f"' u _


timt ch ildre n 10 Ioe lIO influ en ced by a reli gions


ed uca tion, alld d ivin e influ en ees upon th eir


heartsj us 10 o verc ome th e carn al mind, and


complet ely reg en erare th em. NOlie of us can


sny how early in life tlli s result lIl i ~ lIt he pro.


d uc ed. The elie et is tllll sa me , at whllte\' e~


IIge it rnuy he wr ougllt. It is simply thi s- a


c ha uge of heart li'om th e lov e ofunimal self to


the love o f Itiglll, which is the love of God. ­\


Vll en ever man trllly lov. es ~ ight uhov e nil .


otliel' good.- whe n his pr edominating motiv e


is duty to th e nil · perfect God, he is Il regelle ;"


nle being, wh eth er lit five or fifty . venrs of age.


Bm it is seen that in ull th ese cases, wh eth.


er of In( nney 0 1' ripel' years, the nllturlll pre.


disposition is olle thing lind th e counteracling


influence ano/ hel'. N ow if mankind are holy'


hy nalure, us Adam left that nature, or if it is


morc ontnl'lll for thC'll to clloose wisdom, vir.


tue and RlGlI'r, than folly, vice aud wI'ong, th en


' I nlll in e rro r, lind my'doctrine is groundless.


Then ' it would not he true that if whtJll yJeft


10 Ihemselv es nil must huve uuerly perish ed.


Then iust elld of ascribing rhe fiutll holiness


tlnd happiness of men to God's , grace, the


whole would tUI'll out to be a naluml result of


theil' own innate moral excellence.


] f, how ev er, the position I have assumed is


tenahle, th e conclusiori'is inevitnble, that man


having fallen , coulll nev er be restored without


th e interposition of divine gru~ e. , He has no


claim on th e justice of God ; for tile Inw pro­nounces


him guilty, nnd des~ I'ving dentll. ­His


c laims are only tllOsc of an ? hject o f pit)"


addressed to a hp. nevol ent and merciful Go~ l. ­'


I'he love of God- free, pnro und spo ntaneous,'


is thut which lIlu st restor e him, or th er e is no


hope for him. This lov e pities and provides


filr him j fill' it is full of merc y. The ways in


which it int erposes for lIis rec ovel'y, III'C in ma ·


ny respects incompreh en sihl e. They are ob­servnhl


e to lIS in ' Il1nnifold iufllle nce s exerted


upon Ihe hu man hen rt to restrain, corre ct tlnd


red eem it. Many instrnmentalities hlw e heen


em ploye d, wlli ch in th em selv es seem to be


fel/ Gle, 1! 1It rhe ngg rega te of wh ose effects are


\' ust. T he : wtion oLon e human miud on an ·


other is uo donht an in strum ell t ~ dit. v of God


fi ll' th e cou nlerac tion of evil, liS .... hell pel'V p. rt,


; ' eel tbe ~ n tll e agency 1l!' : JWS down ward to d eath .


EXPOSITION OF FAITH.


THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN


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Regular Contributors to Vole \ Vork,- ADIN


DALLOU, ( Ed itor and Publi shing Agent ;) DAVID


R. LAlIISON, GEORGE \ V. STACY, DANI EL S.


\ VHIT NEY, WILLIA~ H. FISH , SAMUEL J.


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\ Ve love all, but can flutter none. Therefore


we solicit 110 person to subscribe who is not willing


we - should utter " II OUI moral convictions as freely


ns the wind. blow and the , water s run. To all


such, of wh at soever name or persuasion , we make


our respectful salutation , and would say " Come


and see if any good thing can come out of Nuza­reth.


"


Yet he is lost, he is sick, he is full of pUll · if. 1J'


iug sores. He must be restored, he must be


healed hy the GREAT PHYSICIAN, or utt erly


perish. It will not rio to flatt er him that he is


hale, sound and happy, when in [ net he is dis­ease


d, ul cerated and miserable. Neither will


it du to confound him,' as he now is, with


what he ori ginally wall, or' with willa ' he is


• capable of becoming in II restored stale. ­Friendship


requires that he s hould be told th e


truth concerning his actual state- s- se that heing


made sensible of his condition lie may hasten


to seek the only remedy- that Iuruished in


Christ Jesu s through the grace of a merciful


God.


But is it true that man i~ nnturally [ U'eli i~- '


pos ed to the carnalmind, av ers e to holy re o


straiut, and prone to sin? Is not thi s plain


I'nauru: of fact , well known to us a ll [, y exneri­ence


und observmion P Louk lit th e world ;


and which do yon see in th e asc endnnr, tJJi,~.


CHAPTER VII. . d~ 1n ' orf oll;" , ritrltt or wrong, virtlle 0 1' vice, " 0-


I lin es » or SUI ~ \ Vhy rio you see so lIIany more


SECTION 2. ti I' I I I ' • • 00 IS I peop e t inn wise- so mnuy more C\' i1


A ll mnnkind ar. e no' w nutII1' lIIIy predisp, osed to lOI CI'StInil lnpr'rg IIt men- s- so mu cII · more \' I'CO


rhe carnal" mind, av er se to holy restrauu, l, ind tl llIn V. II'tne- so ruun II more s. m t IIIIn ~ e n ll ' rn e


prone to sm; and without th e couutcrncuug I I' \ V 1 ~ I • , • , • 10 mess. e ur e a mnst t: very I ay complain-rnt


erposruon of divine gr llee, eve ry huruun ' 11 rhr t t his '. tl d f I '


• < • I I; ru Is IS r e stat e an course 0 t 1111 " 8


Il elll ~ would huve litt er Iv perislrer], . tl II I I I 0 • III 1Cwor r - ev en I IOlIg I we nurse ves are


" For nil have sillned and come short ' of the glo- hut 100 commonly flonling with th e tide. How


ry of GurL" ROlli. 3: 2: 1. ' s hull we IICOOIIUt tilr th ese faets,' except loy lHI.


' Vhat is th p. l: urn, d mi iul? The word car · lIIittill g Ihnt mankind have some ~ trong n alU ~


nul sign ifiesJleshl! J in eo utl'llliistincti? n to s pir o rnl pr edi sposition to Ihe " nrnal mind, lire


iulUl. The ea rl1a l mind, Ihen, is Ih e f1 c~ ld y av erse I II ~ lOly reslruint, nnd prolle 10 sin? ­/


IIi1111. Hilt wlllIt is th e lI e ~ hJ y mind ? ' It is lIow rlo they hecollle rleall in s in , without rile


the will o r the flesh. ' And what is thi s ?' It is clisellse which prod; lces ~ u ch II rl'Bull? It is


u dete nninlltiou of th e tu inll to eujoy th e pleas. not thllt men know 110 hell er, nor thnt th ey


ilr es of 1111 inllli se n~ e , rel: Ilr< lIt ~ ss of th e e\' e r · lire wh olly incapllhle ofllny ~ hi n g hetter. , T he


lust in g go o~ 1 of the soul- to sec n l'e ' pr esent " CI'y worst of llIen Cllll ' lirer. t th eir neighhors


g rut ificllt io n, reckless of ' u ltiulllle eo n s eljlle ll ~ how to act, nncl cnn poilll Ollt Ihe smallest filii.


c es, lIud of etc rna l RlGll'l'. It is ca lled th e illgs in th e hesr of th e sp ecies. Th'ere is somc-


, · ca l'll: t1 lui, lIll. he. cnllse it III ways see'ks some thing wron g in th e will. Their will is carlin I.


r- 0 g';; ol'j~ l; t; g1l~~ liiijiri, sen rrmo; ta l " exi st .'" " It i,,"''' th e \ villil( t'iC" f1(~ SJ;: 1iot- rj r - Goll:- Somo""


CII C ~- SOIUC ' gra t ificat ion which lUust per ish s tro ng hias exi sts in th eir · fid len nlltore 10 go


wilh th e tlesh. The works of the flesh, in a ~ trn y - whi ch if wholly un ch yck ed wonld


which Ihe eur tlul mimi manifests itself; ure plun g- e tl' em into penlition. But hlRssed be


thus eUllm erated by the Ap'ostle PlIul: " Adul-- tlJ(~ God of Lo" e, he has gl'llciously int erposed


t, ~ r,'" rornielltion, uncleanuess, Inciviollsn es8, a eOllllt eradill~ influ enl' e, tlillt mDII may re o


id olatry, witchcraft, halJ'Cd, variance, elllllla · glliu hi s halance, tak e new footin g, a nd su r.


tions, . wrnth, strife, sed itions, heresi es, envy · mOUIll th e e \' ils which heset him. But how


ings, IIIn'rders, dl'unkenl' 1 ess, I'evellings, lIud 101l'[ h / I1l1n is to he che cke d, restrn ined nnd


sli ch like." Gul. 5: 19- 21. Thus we perceiv e ,1: orreeterJ. Her ein we see th e slre ngth nurl


thm the curnnl minll discovel's itselfin a mul · s tuhho rllness of his . lisense. At firsthedelli l's


titude nfforms. In ime it seeks th e low est tlllIt he j~ ~ iel;. Co n vinced of tlli s, he ~ vill


nnd lIIost vulgar gratifi cations of sense... L iu an · nOlllcknowledge th e filII exte nt orhis sickuess.


( J/ h e,' it Ilreal, s Olit into Ihe most ferocious / Icts And seeing eve u thi s, he is slow to rec eiv e th e


o r'crueliy nnd crime- iu a'third it wo rk s Ihl'O' only effec tu a l. rem edy. Y~ a, wh en Ile would


1I more siilllous alld refin ed cou rse of se lfish · do go od, e\ ' il is Jlresent with him. " The flesh


ne ss- in a fourth it may even put 011 th e sanc · Itlst eth ngllinsl th e Spirit, ~ 1ll1 th e Spirit ngainst


tirnonious ' garh of reli gion to secllre certlliu th e flegh, so Illllt he frequently call not rio the


IIflvantllges. In one it is gross, shllmeless, things that he would." . -


lIn, 1 loathsome j in ' unother der: ent, cOlll" l eous, I s not 1111 til is ' n nd en inhly tru e? Cllildren


sulltle and cllptivming. It tak es ull cou cei va · m ' e accounted innocent till ae tillll transgres · '


hl c form s ami hiles- not IInfi'eqllently appeor- sion ; lind so they are j for wh el'e there is no


illg as an lIugel of lighl. It is so exceed ingly law tllere is no sin. Hut children discover


d eceitful as ofte n to infuse itselfimperccptihly from the ellrli est nloments of th eir' voluntary


illlo the most exce llent alHI noble of humlln action tile tendencies of, ou r common nature.


en te rpr ises . It works ils trea ch erous lind sli : 1' llere is ' indeed a vcry gr eat d iffer ence he ·


Illy way nmong some of tile Ilest und most vir. tw een them, as resp ccts the mnnifestation of


tu ous intentions of th e heart- poisoning lind good ,0 1' bad prop en sities. Dut yet th er e is


sull\' el'ling th e good works of men. It is timt en ough ofevil tendency in the mosl promising,


old S erpeut, whieh ha s heen a liar from th e if wh olly unrestrained , to hring forth sit: a nd


- heginning, th e Spirit that worketh in the chil. deurh iu rlue tim e. Why is it that , lhey are


dren of r1isoh edi ence, " whieh is not sullj ect to , not wise wi tllout inslru clion- that th ey or e '


the law: of God, neither ind eed cnn he"- a , not virtuous and go od without eultivation­s


uht le ; e1ml n gni lls~ all good, which J esus that Ihey rio 1101, without any diseiplinp., grow


Christ COllle 10 deslroy. up in holiness? Why do th ey 1111 ne ed whole-


I have said ihnt all mankind are now natll ' some restraint, and patient efforts on the pllrt


I'lIlIy pr edi sptlsel! to th e carnul mind,' averse to of those who se ek th eir permllnent welfilre ? ­holy


restminl, and prone to sin . I lIIelln tllat And why ~ t first are moral restraints di sagree.


s inee the full, human nature ev ery wh er e de. nhl e, an, l wholesum e chasteniugs grievous ?- .


velopes itself with th is pr edi sp osit ion, av ersion Ou tile othe r hand, wOe find that folly , vice,


and prouen ess. I do not COli tend Ihat mun is s in lind evil nre reudily fullen into. AII th ese


totally d epraved, that he is destitute e ntire ly of cau he leamed without effur t- indee,) they lire


s pi r itu a l aspil'Utions lifter divin e good- that he ge nBl'lllly sure to he c hosen. if ~ h e inexperi­is


naturnlly iu capable of desiring, striving of. e nee d mind be not subj ecled to a countera ct­t


el', lind e l1j oy ing the fmit of the tree of life- ing influen ce. \ Vhat is ga i~ e d to tb e side of


much less that the sense or Right and of , Juty moral i't: lHitu de is th e fruit of p, ositive effort j


is d efunct in him: Not so; he is ' ye t a noble but th e pr( l~ re ss of ev il is nntuml und ea sy


he ing, th ou gh fidlen. He is suscept ible of wi thont effort. As ou r S avior ' we ll descrihes


g re at an d glor ious se ntim e nts. He is no t so the ca se whcu he says - " S t ri" e to ent e r in lit


lost as not '~ o be wo rt ! 1 su" jllg- llot so fill' d is. th e strait ga te ; becuuse stmi t is llae ga le aUlI


eused os to be n mere ma ss of putrc( ac tion;- I Il ~ UTOW is th e way I, hlll learJ r: th u nto life, al]{

Page 93 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840