Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-01-25

are employed about something else. The
deceived person, on the contrary, is sensi-
bic that he does not enjoy the duties of re-
ligion; but only that the more he does,
the more confident he is of heaven. He
takes only such kind of enjoyment in it,
as a man does who thinks that by great
labor he shall haye great wealth.
5. If you are selfish in religion, your
enJoyments will be chiefly from anticipa-
ton. The true saint already enjoys the
peace Of God, and has heaven begun in his
soul. He has not merely the prospect of
it, but eternal life actual y begun in him.
He has that faith which is the very SUBJ
stance Of things hoped for. Nav, he has
the very feelings Of heaven in him. He
anticipates joys higher in degree but the
same in kind. He knows that he has
heaven begun in him, and is not Obliged
to wait till he dies to taste the joys of eter-
nal life. His enjoyment is in proportion
to his holiness, and not in proportion TO
his hope.
6. Another difference by which it may
be known whether you are selfish in reli-
gIon. is thls-that the deceived person has
only purpose Of obedience, and the other
has preference Of obedience. This is an
important distinction, and I fear few per-
sons make it. Multitudes have PURPOSE
OF obedience, who have no true preference
o1obedlence. Preference is actual choice.
or obedience of heart You often hear
individuals speak of their having had a
purpose to do this or that act Of obedience,
but failed 10 do 1t. And they will tell you
now difficult 1t is to execute their purpose.
ne true saint, on the other hand, really
prefers, and in his heart chooses obedi-
ence, and therefore he finds it easv to
obey. The one has a purpose to obev,
like that which Paul had before he was
converted, as he tells Us in the seventh
chapter of Romans He had a strong
purpose of obedience, but did not obey, lie,
cause his heart was not in it. The trnc
convert prefers obedience for its own sake ;
he actually chooses it, and does it. The
other purposes TO BIZ holy, because he
knows that is the only way 10 be happy.
The true saint chooses holiness for its own
sake, and he is holy.
7. The true convert and the deceived
person also differ in their faith. The true
saint has confidence in the general char
acter of God that leads him to unouali6-
ed submission to God. A great deal is
said about two kinds Of faith, but without
much meaning. True confidence in the
Lords special promise, depends on con-
hdence In Gods general character. There
are only two principles on which anv
government human or divine, is obeved,
tear and confidence. No matter whether
1t is the government Of family, or ship,
or nation, or universe. All obedience
springs from one Of these two principles.
In the one case, individuals obey from
hope ofreward and fear of the penaIty.-
In the other, from that confidence in the
character ofthe government, which works
by love. One child obeys his parent from
confidence in his parent. He has faith
which works by love. The other Yields
an outward obedience from hope and fear
The true convert has this faith, or conf
dence in God, that leads him to obey God
because be loves to obey. This is the
obedience of faith. He has that conf.
dence in God, that be submits himself
wholly into the hands of God.
The other has only partial faith, and
only a partial submission. The devil
has partial faith. He believes and trem.
bIcs. A person may believe that Christ
came to save sinners, and on that ground
may submit to him, to be saved while he
does not submit wholly 10 him, to be gov
erncd and disposed Of. His submission
Is onI y on condition that he shall be saved
1t is never with that unreservcd confidence
IN Gods whole character, that leads him
to say, /" Let thy will be done" He only
submits to be saved. His religion is the
religion Of law. The other is gospel re-
lglon. One is selfish, the other benevo
lent. Here lies the true difference be-
tween the two classes, The religion Of
one is outward and hypocri,ical. The
other is that of the heart, holy and accep.
table to God.
! 8. will mention only one difference
more. If your religion is selfish, you
will require Partially in the conversion
OF sinners, where your own agency is con.
cerned in it, but will have very little salts
faction in it, where it is through the agen
cy Of others. The selfish person rejoice.
when be is active and successful in con.
Verting sinners. because he thinks h.
shall have great reward. But insteac
OF delighting in it when done by others
he will be even envious. The true sain
sincerely delights to have others useful
and rejoices when sinners are conyerte,
BY the instrumentafity of others as mucl
as 1t 1t was his own. There are som,
who will take interest in a revival, onlv 8,
far as themselves are concerned with !,
while it would seem they had rather sin
ners should remain uncovered, than tba
they should be saved by the ins,rumen
taiity of an evangelist, or a minister Of an
other denomination. The true snir;, ~ ,