Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-02-18
FINNEYFs LECTURES
w. From the NJ ". Epangelist.
EXTRACTS FRoMLECTURE VII
ON cHRIsrIAR pur


81 ~ d ON CHRISTIAN DUTY. ~
TExr.-For they loved the praise Of men more
than the praise OF God. AJoHN xii. -. r -
These words were spoken Of certain in
dividuals who refused to confess that Je-
sus was the Christ, because he was ex-
tremely unpopular with the scribes and
Pharisses, and principal people Of Jerusa-
lem =. =. .S1
There is plain distinction between
sslEIove. or the simple desire of happiness, /
and selfskness Self-loye, the desire of
happiness and dread Of misery, is consttu-
tional. tits apart of. our frame as, God
made US and as he intended US to be-; and
itsindulgence, within the Iimitsof the law
ofGcd, isnot sinful. Whenever it is in
dulged contrary to the law Of God, it be-
comes sinful. When the desire of happi-
ness or the dread of misery becomes the
controlling principle, and we prefer our
own qualification to some other greater in
terest, it becomes selfshness9 When to
avoid pain or procure happiness, we sac
ri6ce other greater interests, we violate
the great law Of disinterested benegolence.
Itisno longer self-loye, acting within law
full bounds, but sel6shnesSe 90 ..l-se1
Tonight, design TO point out the de-
velopenents Of that class Of protesting
christians, who s'love the praise Of men
more than the praise Of God" :. 70 hAs
wouldnot be underst Cd to imply that
mere regard fot reputation has led this
class to profess religion. Religion has al
ways been too unpopular with the great
mass Of mankind to render it general
thing to become protesting christians from
amere regard 20 reputation But mean,
that where it is not generally unpopular to
become a professor Of religion, and will
not diminish popularity, but will increase
itwith many, complex motive operates
1.-THE hope Of securing happiness in flu
ture world and that Il may increase reputa-
ton here. And thus many are led to pro.
fess religion, when after all, on a close ex-
animation 1t will be seen that the leading
object, which Is priced beyond any thing
else, Is the good opinion of their fellow
men. Sooner than forfeit this utterly,
they would not profess religion. Their
profession turns on this. And although
they do profess to be sincere christians,
yon may see BY their conduct, on close
examination, that they will do nothing
that viii forfeit this good opinion Of men
They will not encounter the odium that
they must if they wereto give themselves
up 10, root sin out of theworld. .~-. ..
Observe, that impenisent sinners are al.
ways influenced by one of two things, in
alIthat they do that appears like religion
Either they do them out of regard to mere
natural principles, as Compassion or self
love-principles that are constitutional il
them--or from selfshness. They arr
done either out of regard to their own rep
utation or happiness, or the qualification
Of some natural principle inthem, that ha,
no moral character and not from tn,
love of God in them. They love III,
praise ofmen more than the praise of God
] will now mention several things b.
which you may detect the true characte
ofthe class of persons Of whom / hav
been speaking; who make the praise Q
men their idol notwithstanding they prc
fess to love God supremelys And the
are things by which you can detect you
own true characters, ifthere are any pres
ent who properly belong to this class.
~ I Theydo what the apostle Paul say
ScasNA PERSONS ulu III lis Jay, anu LOT Int
reason they remained ignorsnt Of thet fu
doctrine; they measure themselves
themselves, and compare themselvs
among themselves"
There are vast many individuals. VIII
instead of making Jesus Christtheir sian,
ard Of comparison, and the Bible the
rule Of life, manifestly aim at no sue
thing They show thatihey never drean
"a Of mixing the BIBLE their ssandar
The great question with them IS, whetl
er they do about as many things ia rel
gion, aud are about as pious as other pc
pie, or as the churches around them
Their object is 70 maintain a respectful
profession Of religion. Instead Of Sc
ously inquiring for themselves. what I
Bible really requires, and sasking how
sus Christ would act IN such and such {
ses. they are boxing simply at the COZ
= ra.sae