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

Look at the heather, throwing themselves
under the car Of Juggernaut. Look at the
poor ignorant papists, going up and down
over the sharp stones on their bare knees,
till they stream with blood. A Protest
ant congregation will not contend that
there is any religion in that But is there
not selfdehial The true saint denies
himself for the sake of doing more good
to others. He is more set on this than on
his own indulgence or his own interest,"
The deceived person may goequal lengths,
but from purely selfish motives.
l9. They may both be willing to suffer
martyrdom. Read the lives of the mar
tyrs, and you will have no doubt that
some were willing to suffer, from wrong
idea Of the rewards of martyrdom, and
would rush upon their own destruction
because they were persuaded it was the
sure road to eternal lfe.
In all these cases, the motives Of one
class are directly over against the other.
The difference lies in the choice Of differ
ent ends. One chooses his own interest,
the other chooses Gods interest. as his
Chief end. For q person to pretend that
both these classes are aiming at the same
END, Is to say that an impenitent sinner is
just as benevolent as the real Christian :;
or that Christian is not benevolent like
God, but is only seeking his own happi-
ness and seeking it in religion rather
than In the world.
And here is the proper place to answer
an inquiry, which is often made: eff
these two classes Of persons may be alike
IN so many particulars, how are we to
know our own real character, or to tell to
which class we belong? We know that
the heart IS deceittul above all things, and
desperatel y wicked, and how are we to
know whether we love God and holiness
Tor their own sake, or whether we are
seeking the favor Of God, and aiming at
heaven for our own benefit % Ianswer:
j.. II we are trul y benevolent, it will ap-
pear In our dali transactions. This char
acter, If real, will show itself in our bust
ness, If any where. If seIfshness rules
our conduct there, as sure as God reigns
we are trul y selfish. If in our dealings
with men we are selfish, we are so in our
dealings with God. ~ or whose loverh
not his brother, whom he hath Seen, how
can he love God, whom he hath not seen 2"
Religion Is not merely love to God, but
love to man also. And if our daily tran
| saceions show US to be selfish, we are un
converted or else benevolence is not. es-
sentlal TO religion, and a man can be reli-
glous without loving his neighbor as him
self
2. If you are disinterested in religion,
religious duties will not be task to you.
You will not go about religion as the la
boring man goes to his toll, for the sake
of living. The laboring man takes
pleasure in his labor, but it is not for its
own sake. He would not do it if he could
helplt. In lis own nature it is task, and
IT ne takes pleasure in it, it is for its anti
clPated results, the support and comfort of
his family, or the increase of his property
Precisely such is the state of some per-
sons in regard to religion. They 90 to it
as the sick man takes his medicine, be.
cause they desire its effects, and they know
they must have it or perish. 1t is a task
that they never would do for its own sake.
Suppose men loved labor, as child loves
play. They would do it all day long, and
never be tired ofdoing it, without any 9th
er Involvement than the plcasure they en-
Joy IN doing 1t. So it is in religion, where
It Is loved for It's own sake, there is no wea.
riness in it.
8. If sel6shness is the prevailing char
acter Of your religion, it will take some
times one form and sometimes another
For instance: If it is a time of general
GOODNESS in the church, real converts will
still enjoy their own secret communion
with God, although there may not be so
much doing to attract notice in public
But the deceived person will then invari-
ably be found driving after the world
Now, let the true saints rise up, and make
noise, and speak their joys aloud, so tina,
} religion begins to be talked of again and
perhaps the deceived professor will soon
begin to hustle about and appear to be
} even more Jealous than the true saint
He is compelled by his convictions, and
| not affections. When there is no public
J interest, he feels no conviction but when
: the church awakes, he is convicted and
, compelled to stir about, to keep his con
I science quiet 1t is only selfshness in
. another form.
4, If you are selfish, your enjoyment in
s religion will depend mainly on estrengtt
E Of your hopes of heaven, and not on the
e exercise Of your affections. Your enjoy.
: ments are not in the employments of reii
gion themselves, but of a vastly differen
e kind from those of the true saint. The,
o are mostly from anticipation. When you
e evidences are renewed, and yoy feel YER,
n certain of going to heaven, then you en-
a Joy religion a good deal. 1t depends OF
your hope, and not on your love for tn,
e A'ngs for which you hope. You hea
is persons tell of their having no enioymen
n IN religion when they lose their hopes