Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1841-10-28
MtoraI onN Religious.
FOR THE TELEGRAPH.
THE MYSTERY EXPLAINED.

The Christian who reflects upon expe rimen tai
piety, can but at once and feel that it is ex-
ceedingly important that he should enjoy relig-
ion. For if protesting Christian finds not
.any-yea much--in short all his happiness in re-
lgon, will he be likely to feel that supreme at
tachment to it which God requires, and which is
lnseparably connected with religious enjoyment
Certainly not 1t is to be feared that Christians
do not sttdY the Bible so much they ought to
do. They read it, but do they study it "SEARcH
the Scriptures said Christ, " and they they
which testify of me-" How expressive is this
language. The dlgcnt, prayerfnl searcaer Of
the Bible gathers precious treasure there which
to the mental eye of the mere reader is almost un-
seen. Vain will it be for us to strive to abe able
to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadh,
and length, and depth, and height; and to know,
by happy experience, " the love of Christ which
passeth knowledge, that we may be filled with
all the fultness of God )" unless we search the
Scriptures, that we may learn the history and
example of Christ, who not only died for but
also sojourned more than thirty years in this low
er world, that he might teach US by his own ex-
ample how we should live unless we study the
Bible, that we may learn the meaning Of all those
precious promises which God has made to those
who seek his face and favor Many protesting
Christians find but little enjoyment in religion
They almost continually have occasion to say
40 my leanness, my lcanness !" Why is this
Can we infer from the meaning the Scriptures,
that this leanness must exist, matter of ne
cessity Certainly not What saith the Scrip
lures =" To be spiritually minded is life and
peace -. e. where there is spiritual mind,
there will, as matter of course, be spiritual life
and peace. May ARRAYS have spiritual mind
Certainly. "The fruit Of the Spirit whose in
huence the Christian may always enjoy, "is, Cat
all times, love, joy, peace long suffering, gen
tleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.
True, there may be seasons Of "heaciness through
manifold temptaions;' but if the Christian is
faithful to God and to his own soul, the clouds
of darkness will soon be dspelled by the Sun OF
Righteousness though weeping endureth for
a night, Joy cometh in the morning In accord
ance with the foregoing, is the exhortatIon Of the
Apostle Paul. Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be We sfeodfast unmoveable, aivays Astounding
IN Inc @olh VI tlic l4'iu, i'iuSHHNh 10 y
know that your labor is not in vain in the
Lord" Cor. Is: So In short, he who search
rs the SCRIPTURES cannot fail to that it is the
dufy and priritege of every Christian to make
high attainnents in holiness, inseparably CON
nected with which spiritual life and heaven
ly peace in the soul What, then, prevents pro-
Tossing Christians from making high attainments
III holiness? One great obstacle to the enjoy
nent of religion, arises from the fact that many
Christians do not, to sufficient extent seek their
happiness in religion. They seem to look upon re-
lgon rather preservative from the daRgerS
than the oorruptionS Of sin,-as passport to hen
yen--a safe guard against that I" revelation oil the
righteous Judgment of God" which will come
upon the finally mpenitent. Under the nAu-
of these erroneous views, they seek too
much their happiness in the world and the things
OF the world, reserving, as it We're, their relig-
ion for support in the hour of death and pass
port to heaven forgetting those precious dec
laratons of G DDS word Goodness hath the
promise of the life that nolc is, well as of that
which is to come 80 Great peace have they that
keep thy law and nothing shall offend them. -
Truly, such Christians have not studied, as they
ought, the meaning of these words of Christ -
"My meat is to do the will of him that
sent me-" AS Chiist was, SO should his fol-
lowers be. ''For ifany man have not the spirit
of Christ, he is hone of his" Just SO surely as
the Christian seeks happiness in any thing be-
sides God, just SO surely he will dispease God
and wound his own soul God would have us
6eliere, that he is of himself, independent of all
created good, fully able to satisfy our strongest
desires for happiness. He commands US to ''seek
first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, -
promising us, on condition that we do this, that
we shall have other things as mere additions to
our heavenly Instrumentation necessary
indeed to our comfort and happiness while living
IN this world. Taking into consideration the
above remarks, if we live not in the enoyme nj
ofreligion, seriously should we inquire-"Is there
not cause7 Truly, there is no mystery here
But, says one, my circumstances are peculiarly
upfavorable to the enjoyment of religion; it is
mot to be expected that should enjoy religion