For it is not so much the nicely measured | ble the sinner; the new doctrine is to exalt the quantity, as the nature of sin, which constitutes sinner also, and in that proportion to establish its malignity, and obstructs the benefit of prayer. The inferior degree which is cherished, will, without earnest supplication to God, be ready to become the excess which is deprecated, whenever the appropriate temptation shall present it. self. For, however our compassionate Father may pardon the unpremeditated fault, yet how can we expect Him to forgive any degree of sin that is allowed, that is even, in a certain mea. sure, intended to be committed? Diminution, however, is a favourable step, if, by perseverance in prayer, it leads gradually to extirpation. and secure him in sin. For if the Saviour's righteousness by transfer becomes so far the believer's righteousness, as to become, in the new language, his own personal holiness, he has in his own person whereof to glory,' and any further attainment is anomalous; or at best this transfer is even less rational, and evidently more removed from common sense as well as from charity, than the doctrine of supererogation itself; for that only teaches that some men were rich in good works enough and to spare; but this, instead of the friendly disposal of such superfluous wealth, teaches that we have none worth keeping, and that if we had there is a provision made for rendering it utterly useless. Habitual prayer may prove a most effectual check to any doubtful or wrong action, to which circumstances may invite us during the day on which we are entering-the very petition to our A distorted truth, then, is worse than an oriHeavenly Father-deliver us us from evil,' ginal falsehood, because it deceives the injudiforcibly felt and sincerely expressed, may precious and ill-informed by retaining some little serve us from being seduced into it. And is vestige of the truth they had been taught to venot the praying Christian less likely to fall nerate. Thus, they who pretend to add new into temptation," than they who neglect to pray glory to the character and offices of Christ, are that they may not be led into it? in effect dishonouring by misrepresenting him. It is a fearful fact, that the holiest doctrine may be perverted, till, instead of its being the source of salvation, it becomes a fountain of impiety. Instead of humbling the sinner, it confirms him in sin; instead of purifying, it corrupts ; instead of sobering, it inebriates; and lands him on a The act of confession renders the heart more daring and presumptuous confidence. Instead contrite, and deeper contrition induces a more of promoting the cause of God, as it professes, it humbling avowal of sin. Each, and all, send us advances that of Satan. It is a false light which more cordially to the Redeemer: the more fer-leads to utter darkness, for if the light which vent the prayer, the more entire is the prostra- is in thee be darkness, how great is that darktion of the whole man at the foot of the cross. ness!' The right dispositions of the heart, and the fervour of devotion reciprocally excite each other. A holy temper sends us to prayer, and prayer promotes that temper. Every act of thanksgiving tends to make us more grateful, and augmented gratitude excites more devout thanksgiving. The Doctrine of Imputed Sanctification, newly adopted. The old one of Progressive Sanctification newly rejected.-Both Doctrines injurious to Prayer.-St. Paul's Character. This error is so much worse than any other sin, as by fair and legitimate deduction it renders all virtue anomalous, and consequently all prayer ridiculous. Virtue cannot be needed, where to be like-minded with Christ is replaced, or made synonymous with having his holiness substituted for our own; and prayer cannot be upheld in any one of its essential qualities, where WE have hitherto spoken of errors in prayer. no room is left in the heart for self-distrust, We come now to errors of opinion, which super-meekness, lowliness of spirit, the fear of offend. sede the necessity of prayer itself. There are ing God, and the sense of dependance on him moral as well as speculative corruptions gain- for more grace.' ing ground amongst us, and there is an involution of one in the folds of the other. When men once indulge themselves in any deviation from the course so plainly marked out, in that only unerring road-book, the gospel of Jesus Christ, they can never be sure where the first turning off may lead them. When a man, with more ingenuity than sober judgment, wishes to introduce a novel error; in order to work successfully, and prevent the suspicion of his design, he commonly seizes on some acknowledged truth for his basis. On this truth he raises his own fanciful superstructure, but with little departure at first from his avowed design; so that his gradual deviation from it makes the error continue still to look so much like truth, that ordinary observers will not easily detect where the old truth ends, or where the new fabrication totally changes the character of the original edifice. The great and glorious doctrine of the New Testament was to exalt the Saviour and to humVOL. II. Much has also been advanced in favour of an. other kindred doctrine, a doctrine with which St. Peter must have been utterly unacquainted, when he exhorted his converts to 'GROW in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.' The preceding opinion having encouraged the new proselytes, for they can create as well as destroy, has called another into existence, that there is no such thing as progressive sanctification. This novel doctrine, if practically adopted, would not fail to contribute its full share to the extermination of any remains of moral goodness, which its precursor might have left behind. It may indeed deserve some little toleration, when its founder shall have been able to produce one individual child of Adam, who is already as good as he ought to be, or even as he might havo been. If this doctrine be true, a large portion of Scripture must be abandoned to the clippers and mutilators of the sacred volume; for what becomes of the gracious promise of being renew3 Q THE WORKS OF HANNAH MORE. ed from day to day? what of the precept 'to increase and abound more and more?' what of the incessant inculcation of this command, repeated in all the various forms which language could supply; a command of which neither the variety of the illustration, nor of the language which conveys it, ever alters the idea, an idea which, like a golden thread, runs through the whole fabric of the New Testament. We have been accustomed to hear that fervent prayer, through the influence of the Divine Spirit, is the grand instrument of this renewal; and it is on this ground that we have ventured to introduce the subject here as connected with the general design of these pages. sent doctrine completes what the former had But the precommenced, and renders prayer wholly inap. plicable to all spiritual ends: it leaves us nothing to implore, but merely temporal advantages; to ask for things only which will end when this life ends. It would abolish the necessity of every petition in the Lord's prayer, except that for our daily bread. Why will not those who profess to make the Bible the only rule of their faith and practice, learn from that Bible, that diffidence and reverential awe, a frank avowal of their own ignorance, a humble withholding from intruding into unrevealed things, and devout gratitude for the glorious things which are revealed, best become blind, ignorant and dependent creatures? If this newly invented doctrine were true, what would become of the useless interval of life, useless as to all possibility of improvement, which is the great end of life, the interval between the decisive moment of complete sanctification and our closing scene? The unanswerable argument in favour of progressive holiness, is the progress itself. The man to whom it wss asserted, that there was no such thing as motion, made the most definitive answer, he got up and walked. In aspiring to reach a visionary elevation, we lose the height we had actually gained. invention involves another. We find an inIt is curious to observe, how naturally one structive illustration of this truth in a Pagan fable. Dedalus was not only made a prisoner himself in the labyrinth of his own projecting, but like the projectors of the new theological mazes, than he went on to study a new and still metaphysics, he was no sooner involved in its wilder contrivance. But his next invention, his wings of wax, in which he trusted to secure his flight, in their ultimate result betrayed their insufficiency. His incautious companion, by exposed his artificial wings to be melted by the mounting above the prescribed region of safety, sun, as a punishment for approaching it too nearly. His fate was the inevitable consequence of his temerity. sanctified, such a state would boldly contradict If we were completely and instantaneously the character of our human condition, every is to the end a journey, a conflict, a race, a warwhere described in Scripture, namely, that life fare, whereas in the new scheme all would be peace; the Christian would have no more to tempt, no more to fear, no more to resist, in short, earth would be heaven. noblest things are the longest in attaining their Every thing that is great is progressive.-The and in grace. Surely, then, there is no assignperfection. This analogy subsists in nature, able period, when our virtues will be incapable of addition; when our duties will be finished; when our piety will have soared to such a pitch as to render a higher elevation impossible, as to render prayer, not only unnecessary, but absurd. neous, but it was miraculous. Yet though it Saint Paul's conversion was indeed instantaself; though the shining light from heaven surwas attended with circumstances peculiar to it. Every advance of the Christian inclines him he heard the voice of the Lord Jesus himself; rounded him; though, to evidence the miracle, to push on to still further advances. But under though his natural sight was taken from him, the influence of this stationary principle the preparatory to the opening of his spiritual eyes; busy current of life would become a stagnant though his change was of this distinguished pool. It is motion which gives the sense of spi-character, yet did he stop short there? ritual, as well as natural life. It is progress which gives the sustaining feeling; not of independent, but of infused strength. Hope, which is the pulse of spiritual life, would not only intermit, but stand still. Is this all,' would the disappointed Christian say? Shall I never be more holy than I now am? I do not find the right sort of rest in being a fixture.' Torpor is not ease, numbness is not relief. It is exercise, not indolence, which induces safe and wholesome repose. New difficulties, fresh trials, unknown temptations may yet assail us in our mortal journey, which will require new applications to the Throne of Grace for support. port promised to prayer, though Alps on Alps With that suparise,' we need not be discouraged. For if our progress be an upward, it is an onward path, and the acclivity diminishes the higher we ascend. Difficulties may be great, but with the grace of God they will not be insuperable. God is not only strong, but Strength. Yet let us not aim at an assent above our promised support. from it, he only began to cry out, 'Lord, what ed in the life, as well as writings, of any one tion and indolent security? Did he ever cease had already done, or the grace he had already received? Did he count himself to have attained? Did he stop in the race set before him? Did not he press forward? Did not his endeavours grow with his attainments? Did not his humility, and sense of dependence outstrip both? If he feared being a castaway, after the unut. terable things he had seen and heard, and after the wonders he had achieved, shall the best man on earth be contented to remain as he is? If it were attempted, the most sanguine man on earth would find it to be impossible; nothing either in nature or in grace continueth in one stay.' He who does not advance, is already gone back. -This glorious, because humble Apostle, went on in progressive sanctification, he continued to grow and to pray, till he at length attained to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. But what enabled this unparalleled man to maintain to the end, this painful conflict? It was the same support which is still offered to the meanest Christian. It was humble, fervent, persevering prayer. It was the spirit of supplication, infused and sustained by the renewing of the Holy Ghost,' and presented through the divine Mediator. And what the Apostle did in his own person, we repeat, he unweariedly pressed upon all his converts. He exhorted them to pray for them. selves, and for each other, in the same spirit in which he bowed his own knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they may be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith; that they might be rooted and grounded in love; that they might know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge; that they might be filled with all the fulness of God.' Character of those who expect salvation for their Good Works. Of those who depend on a Careless Nominal Faith.-Both these characters unfavourable to Prayer.-Christianity a Religion of Love which disposes to Prayer, exhibited in a third character. WE proceed now to make some observation on two different classes of Christians, who, without neglecting prayer, obstruct its efficacy by certain opinions in immediate connection with their practice; opinions, which, though in direct opposition to each other, yet, if Christianity be true, are neither of them safe. The one, with a pretence of faith, profess to know God; but in works, in a great measure deny him; the other are working out their own salvation, but it is without fear or trembling; they work in their own strength, without looking unto God to enable them to will and to do of His good pleasure.' While multitudes are ruining themselves by a fatal reliance on the merit of their own works, it is, perhaps, not saying too much to assert that more are undone by a loose, traditional, unexamined dependence on the Saviour. If many are wrong who think to purchase heaven by their own industry, more err by this cheaper mode of an indefinite and careless reliance on the ill-understood promises of the Gospel. If we cannot, of these two evils, determine which is greatest, it would not be difficult to prove that both are equally unfavourable to fervent prayer. The careless liver who trusts in an unfounded hope, deceives, himself, because he thinks his trust, though he never inquires into it, looks more like grace. Good works are rather less likely to deceive always, because those who maintain their superiority as a doctrine, cannot but see how far they fall themselves in practice, short of their profession; so far as to render it evident, that good works are with much greater sedulity performed by that sound class of Christians, who utterly reject any confidence in the performance of them. The former make salvation the It is obvious why God does not give us the full ineasure of his grace; it is in order that we may be induced to pray for it; and that prayer which we are commanded continually to repeat for greater degrees of grace, is a standing proof of that imperfection in us which requires it, is a perpetual intimation, that we stand in need of fresh supplies, and larger measures of this super-easiest possible acquisition; the other believe it induced strength than we have yet attained. · A sincere Christian must know, because he must feel, that he is an imperfect Christian; and to rest satisfied in a state of imperfection is not 'fighting the good fight,' is not finishing our course' in the way our beginning promised. As we advance, Providence assigns us new employments, new trials. Sanctification will never have reached its ultimate point, without that persevering progress which the Scriptures every where inculcate. Do we not rob ourselves of the reward promised to those who strive to go on unto perfection, if we are stopped short by the fatal delusion, that we have already reached it? There is a fearful denunciation in the Apocalypse, and it is made the closing passage of the sacred canon; it is made a fence, as it were to shield divine truth from the additions and muti. lations of bold intruders; no less than a tremendous menace, that to him who adds unto these things, God shall add to him the plagues written in this book. To him that takes away, God shall take away his part out of the book of life.' to be difficult, but fancy that the difficulty is to be overcome by a few more good deeds; which shall we say is the more misleading opinion? Yet it must be confessed, that in this age of speculative religion, many do not sufficiently insist on these indispensable indications of a true and lively faith. For, after all, are not the right actions of a consistently holy life, the most unequivocal outward signs of an inward and spiritual grace? Not to insist on them, is to despise the value of those substantial evidences which our Lord himself made the criterion by which to judge of men,-by their fruits ye shall know them.' The tree of life is no barren tree; it bears all manner of fruits. There is indeed less necessity than ever to decry good works. Men are not so violently addicted to them, as, by the warnings given against them, one might be led to suppose. To exalt good works as the procuring cause of salvation, is to put them in the place of Christ. To depreciate good works, is to depreciate such a life as Christ has given us both the command, and the example to lead; that command, of which | principle of action, and thus to find, that though the language was always one, if ye love me, keep my commandments;' and that example which presents such a tissue of holy actions, as nothing but Divinity could exhibit, yet enlightened and assisted humanity may and must aspire to imitate. he has unhappily begun at the wrong end, that the right end is not even yet unattainable? Who can say that he may not be brought to examine his own heart, and be thus brought to the exercise of cordial prayer; by that he will be taught to know that if any man will do the will of God, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.' Our compassionate Redeemer cherished every hopeful appearance. When he saw some symp toms of goodness in the young Ruler He loved him.' But his amiableness was not religion. With this command and this example, devotion was always indissolubly connected.-Previously to giving his Divine pattern for the due performance of prayer, he alluded to the actual duty as already well understood and regularly practised; for doubtless he had habituated them to the duty, before he said, when we pray,'-Though his obedience to the commandments After this manner therefore pray you.' Faith is the principle which first led the sin. ner to apply for grace and mercy to the Redeemer of sinners. It is the same principle, which, by its gradual operation, leads to the renewing of his nature, the purifying his heart, and the sanctifying his conduct. This faith, with its practical consequences, must be sought for, by the only means through which it can be obtained, the influence of the Holy Spirit on humble, fervent, spiritual prayer. But there is another, and, it is to be feared, a large class, who do good without being good. Though this may be too frequently the case; though it is the motive which determines on the quality of the action, yet, if the best action will not save the best man, there is little hope of its efficacy towards the salvation of a bad one. Perhaps the man in question is charitable; but his charity may be stimulated by his vanity -a too common, but most misleading motive. Perhaps he does a deed of bounty from the too usual hope that this good action may be thrown into the opposite scale against a bad one; perhaps he hopes that his acts of benevolence may atone for the irregularities of a disorderly life but, be this as it may, do not discourage his giving, let him continue to give, the act may improve the principle, he may in time detect the difference of his internal feelings in the performance of a good and bad action.-Perhaps the repetition of his good deeds may lead to a diminution of his bad ones. The passion of shame sometimes operates usefully, and every passion being under the control of God, may eventually be made the instrument of good. And who does not remember instances in which the frequently repeated bounty was the unprompted feeling of a compassionate and liberal heart, of a heart tender and kind, though yet unsanctified by religion? Yet who would restrain the right action? Who would forbid the gentle deed of charity? Who would wish to aggravate his perhaps awful account by withholding his hand? Who would willingly add this omission of what is right to his aggregate sum of what is wrong? Who would not even hope that it may prove a leading step to what is better? Who would not hope that, as good principles naturally tend to good actions, yet though it is reversing the usual order, for the stream to lead back to the fountain, yet who knows but the repetition of good actions may not only deter him from such as are bad, but may put his mind into such a frame as may lead him to examine the true as less defective than that of many a high professor; like others, who confidently trust in their own merit, he inquired not, it is to be feared, so much for improvement, as from a sense of conscious integrity and the hope of commendation-he inquired what was yet wanting to the perfection of his character. He who knew all things, already knew that his love of money was greater than his love of God. Here he saw that this promising character was vulnerable. The one thing he wanted was more than the many things he possessed. He failed in the trial. He had some concern about his soul, but more about his money; he went away sorrowing,' because he could not se cure the one without the sacrifice of the other. This is, with us, as much a test of character now, as it was then. It is not until we see a man acting in direct opposition to his predomi nant sin that we can venture to hope that he is renewed in the spirit of his mind, that he is even got on right ground. Zaccheus, who probably set out worse than the ruler, obtained this grand victory which the other missed. This promising young man, in proclaiming his obedience to the commands, did not, however, boast of his devotion; yet, in so moral a character, we cannot suppose that prayer was altogether neglected-but it must have been that prayer of which our Lord says this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, their heart is far from me.' Had it been sincere prayer, it would have been influential prayer. No slave to ava rice can worship God in spirit and in truth, and it is such that the Father seeketh to worship him. While the heart remains unchanged, the temper unsanctified, and the life unfruitful, the prayer has not been the effectual fervent prayer which availeth much.' But there is a third character, who, thinking both the others lately noticed to be wrong, is determined himself to be right. He divides the difference, and adopts half of the scheme of each. He approves of works, but doubts their unassisted efficacy to obtain salvation. He ho nours the Redeemer, and places confidence in His sacrifice; but it is not a full, entire, unmeasured confidence. He thinks the Saviour so far competent towards effecting part of his salvation that he cannot be saved without Him, but dares not trust Him with the whole. So, without intending to be profane, he enters into a kind of partnership with Him whose blood was made a full, perfect, and sufficient oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. He pro acknowledges its transforming power, and in time becomes sensible that its consolations are neither few nor small. He now sces objects with other eyes, the visual ray is purged; to his rectified opticstrees are become men.' He now exclaims, not of works, lest any man should boast.' But though he has left off boasting, he is so far from having left off working, that he is far more aćtive in good deeds than when he trusted they would carry him to heaven; superinduced humility has completely led him to the secrets of his own heart. He feels wants and desires of which he was never before sensible; and wants felt readily find a tongue, readily suggest unbidden prayer, unprompted praise. Prayer is become the very breath of his being; praise is so much his delight, that he almost forgets it is his duty. It is no longer his task, but his refreshment. What lately seemed a necessary drudgery, the severe injunction of a hard master, is now the pleasant service of an affectionate child. poses to contribute his own share to a contract | had doubtless previously exercised a regular of his own making, trusting that, as the Saviour but formal devotion, but it never would have knows he is not perfect, He will graciously been said of him before-' behold he prayeth!' supply whatever is deficient in his services, and He begins with lowly prostration to besiege the make up what is lacking to their perfection, he throne of grace; he now prays with a fervour himself continuing to be the working partner. he never felt before. He goes on to feel, not But if he be a thinking and a feeling charac-only its necessity, but its efficacy; gradually ter, if he be sincere in his desire after divine truth, though ignorant of its true nature, he at length begins to find that the plan, which he once thought so admirably contrived, does not answer. He finds that his spiritual interests do not advance. He begins to discover that his faith is cold, even his work is sluggish, and its progress unsatisfactory. His exertions want the inspiring principle, they want a genuine faith. He begins to discover, that even his good actions, on which he had been accustomed to rest half his salvation, are exceeded by those persons who do more, and put no trust in them. He at length through the influence of divine grace, begins to discover, or rather to feel, that while one party is exclusively exalting faith and the other works, both seem to have forgotten, or rather not to have known, that there is a third, a heavenly principle, a sacred cement without which their separation might be eternal, and even their junction would be imperfect. This sacred principle is LOVE. He now knows, experimentally, that Christianity is a religion of the affections, a sentiment of the heart-that it demands and confers that charity without which faith is dead, and works are vain. It is that heavenly sentiment, the love of God in Christ shed abroad in the heart, without which he that liveth is counted dead-that principle, without which the gift of prophecy, of mysterics, and all knowledge are unavailing-without which, giving all the goods to the poor, and even the body to be burned, will not profit-it is that indestructible attribute, which, when prophecies shall fail, and tongues shall cease, and knowledge vanish away, will never fail-it is that perfect thing which shall subsist when ⚫ that which is in part shall be done away.' Love will survive when faith shall become sight, and hope shall be fruition. It shall constitute our happiness when we shall know God even as we are known. We shall possess it in its plenitude, when we shall wake up after His likeness. For love, like every other holy disposition, is but an emanation of the perfections of God, a spark from the original flame, an assimilation to his nature; since God is love. In faith there may be fear; in works there may be constraint; but the inspiring, invigorating, endearing principle of love, changes the fearful slave into the affectionate child; transforms Him whom he had degraded as a hard master into a tender father. This love makes labour light, service freedom, dependence safety, duty delight, sufferings easy, obedience pleasure, submission choice. By the warmth with which he now cultivates this Unction from the Holy One,' he will be rendered more meet for that fulness of joy which is at His right-hand for evermore. He has now completely found his own utter insufficiency for this great work. He is in the situation of the newly converted apostle, who He is deeply grieved at the time he has lost, but he is no less disposed to retrieve than to lament the past. He has found that the soul will not be saved where the heart is not renewed. Of that renewal, by the influence of the Divine Spirit, he is become more and more sensible in his devotional exercises. With a deeper sense of imperfection as he becomes less imperfect, he is yet sensible of new dispositions, of new energies, of a heart to trust, and a will to obey. He feels an increasing desire of conformity to his Divine Saviour, and such a growth in grace, that with him to will and to do is almost become the same thing. All the faculties which God has given him are filled with the idea of God. He retains Him in his memory by the recollection of His mercies he retains Him in his understanding, by meditating on His perfections. By this intelligent faculty he reflects on what God is in himself, in His word, and to his own soul. In his will, he loves God, and laments that he ever loved any thing in comparison of Him. Thus all his intellectual powers, voluntarily as it were, press into the worship of God, or, in the fewer and better words of the Psalmist, he summons them all to assist in his devotions, saying, 'Let all that is within me praise the Lord.' Prayer.-The Condition of its Attendant Blessings.-Useless Contention about Terms. MEN contend more about words than about things. A misunderstanding respecting them causes more disputes than the subjects of which they are the signs. In speaking, for instance, of the connexion between prescribed duties and promised blessings, are there not certain inoffensive and well-meaning words which seem |