Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-01-11
RELIGIOUS MISCELLANY.

From the New-York Evangelist.
1.-THE DECEIVED PROFESSOR UNDTCE1v-
ED AND DIRECTED TO CHRIST"
Continued.
Again, your supposed repentance was
equally selfish. When rejecting upon
your ingratitude toward such a kind
friend as you supposed Christ to be, YOU
felt unpIeasantIy, and pun posed reIinquIsh-
ing sin as the great enemy of your hap
plneSS-and even your CONF ssh OILS were
made under the hope Of, and with pray
er for pardon. Your preferences for sin
were unchanged, as subsequent expert
ence has evinced. Sorrow for sin on its
own account and hatred ofseIl and abhor-
renee Of guilt as Infinitely wrong, which
are the results of true CONVERSION, YOU
never experienced.
Again, your love to Christians was sell
fish. They were your friends; their COM
pany aud conversation conduced to your
present en- oyments by Strengthening your
hope, and aided your preparation for hrav-
en- t"ey were TO be your companions for
eternity; and therefore you liked them.
You loved not their character as Chris
tlans. as rejecting the purity and holiness
OF God. independent Of your selfish sources
of enjoyment
Again, your feelings towards the i'm
penItent were selfish and merely sympa-
thetlc. Human nature revo!ts at the ter
rlble misery TO which sinners wiIfuIIy ex-
pose themselves; and having, as yon sup
posed, escaped its pains, your sympathIes
were directed towards others on the way
to hell, that they also should escape pun
ishment. Selfish gratitude to ChIist, and
the knowledge that you must act if his IA
vor would be preserved, united with your
sympathies to induce some efforts on their
behalf Their horrible guilt, except as it
exposed them to destruction, disturbed YOU
none; and anxiety for their return TO no.
illness tor It's own sake, was unfet OF a
like selfish character were your enjoy
ments in the religious exercises of the
sanctuary, in the social conference, in pray
er, and in external duties they flowed
from your hopes of acceptance in Christ
and have subsidized with them
P. am convinced Of the truth of your
arguments; seI6shness exhibits itself On
every point, and conscience condemns all
as wrong. Still, when striving to give
my heart to God, l have at times thought
l possessed feelings of somewhat differ
ent character.
M. That you never have possessed gen
uine feelings Of different complexion is
perfectly evident, not only from your pres
ent state of mind, but from the fact that
you never have fully abandoned your
hope, and being under its influence Of
course never can have diSinteresteGIus sub
mitted. Beware Of this deIusion, as you
would of ruin. These feelings cannot be
forced into exercise, they will only flow
from true submission. You have endrav-
ored 10 6eIiere you possessed them; as
Christian feelings have been described
you have tried to impress them on the
mind, AMI when examining your heart
have tried TO produce the Christian gra-
ces; and often have resolved YOU would
have them, under the false idea that in
y this manner they are to be Obtained To
: get out OF the broad way of seIishness
you must retrace your steps through the
wide gate that is, must reBounce Woul
!, ways, AMI abandon your selfish hope -
and to enter the narrow way of holiness
you must first pass through the strait gate
OF unreserved subm ssion to Christ Al
who attempt to climb over the separating
= wall, are thieves and robbers John x. |
e Yet many delude themselves with hopin!
they can thus produce holy exercises, arr
a determined 10 believe they have succeeded
d imagine they possess them, and pass oil
and are punished. In this way it is, tina
:. those who have obtained false hope
d will Immediately imagine. and declar
:, themselves to possess all the evidences G
>: a true Christian |!
n p. Truly the heart is deceitful abov
Ut all things. have spent years in Produc
=, ing or imagining exercises, in the way
= you describe but now perez i've the fata
ne error-I have even attimes believed pos
IL sessed theml
nd M Regard your past life; and if a
re other evidences should fail, in that 20
VIII see sufficient to convince tn" .jude
~ ment that your religion is all selfish,
10 spurious. All your enjoyments beIn
Nv founded on your hope Of receiving futul
70 peace, so soon as your hopes wore out
m themselves, or were shattered by col
a science. your love and enjoyment natura
nt ily ceased with them; andthis, as we ha'
O. .sns@t -