Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

IL

REASONS for publishing this BOOK.

THO' I may poffibly incur the difpleasure of those whofe fecular views may be fruftrated or difappointed by the publication of this New Week's Preparation; yet I have the confolation of being fully affured, that this prefent undertaking will want no apology to those who have religion truly at heart. Nor am I under any apprehenfion of being condemned for adding one more to the the number of devotional books, already extant upon the fubject of the holy facrament of the Lord's Supper; because the tempers and talents of men are fo different, that what does not affect one may poffibly touch another. I am also perfuaded that the prefent Proprietors of KEBLE's Old Week's Preparation, cannot deftre the continuance of a book which has already been found fo injurious to christianity; for it abounds with rapturous and wanton expreffions, and warmth of conftitution, not reason, much lefs religion, has the chief and fovereign influence. Undoubtedly writers of this caft, have fhamefully fuffered the fofter Paffions to mix too ftrongly with their Zeal for religion †.

A 2

By

The following is the APOLOGY of no less an Author than Dr. Ifaac Watts bimfelf:

Let it be obferved, that it was much the Fashion, even among fome Divines of "Eminence in former Years, to exprefs the Fervors of devout Love to our Saviour "in the Style of the Song of Solomon: And I must confefs, that feveral of my "Compofures in Verfe, written in younger Life, were led by thofe Examples unwarily into this Track. But, if I may be permitted to speak the Senfe of maturer Age, Ican hardly think this the happieft Language in which Chriftians. "fhould discover their warm Sentiments of Religion, fince the clearer and more spi"ritual Revelations of the New Teftament." To this Apology we may add,that in tbefe our Meditations and Prayers are no vifionary Scenes of wild Extravagance; n Affectations of that Style, which spreads a glaring Corfufion over the Underfinding. Ilere are none of those incomprehenfible Phrases which may amufe the Ear with founding Vanity, and bold Reafon in fovereign Contempt. In fpsrt, bere are no fecret Pantings after a mortal Love, in the Language of Devotion and Pit

By what Means true Devotion is deftroyed..

Here the true fpirit of devotion, which is in its own nature a liberal and reafonable fervice, is made wholly to evaporate in unnatural heats, and extatic fervours, fuch as are a difgrace and reproach to the dignity of a rational nature. And instead of fpeaking the language of a ferious, rational, unaffected piety, they abound wholly with rapturous flights of unhallowed love, and ftrains of myftical diffolutenefs; or as an ingenious author terms it, fpiritualized concupifcence, invented by the carnal and wanton appetites and wishes of the unmarried nuns and friars; and thence either by defign, or by the delufion of the devil, or both, foifled into the devotions of the reformed church, under a pretence of purer flames of divine love and fpiritual rapture; whereas they pollute the foul with luscious images, warm it into irregular ferments, and fire it with a falfe paffion; diffipating all due compofure and recollection of mind, and laying open the heart to all the wild extravagancies of frantic enthufiafm: a manner of addrefs much fitter for a diffolute lover, than for an acceptable worshiper of the all-pure and all-knowing God.

It was against this kind of devotion, that great light of the church of England, the learned and pious bifhop STILLINGFLEET thus exclaimed. "Is Is it poffible (faid he) that any man

can imagine, it is no difhonour to the chriftian religion to "make the perfection of the devotion of it to confift in fuch "frange unaccountable unions and raptures, which take away "the ufe of all (modefty) reason, and common fenfe !"

Some causes of the decay of christian piety.

It is to fuch effufions as these we may afcribe, in a great meafure, the decay of chriftian piety: Becaufe, they tend to mislead mens minds from the true fubject both of their duty and happineis, and bring them to acquiefce in their falfe and mistaken fubftitutes: they give great and fignal Difcouragement to the neral practice of piety in the world, by expofing it to ridicule,

ge

and

and the charge of affected fingularity. On the one hand, they torow many homeji and well-meaning, but weak minds into a depair of ever fucceeding in the Bufinefs of religion; because, upon examination, they difcover in themselves, little or no acquaintance with those tumultuous heats, and ungoverned fallies of pafhon, upon which fo great a stress is laid by thefe pretenders to uch glorious frenzies and heavenly follies: and on the other, they harden the diffolute and unthinking part of mankind into an obftinate reluctance towards the very fit off joyou-. mation, by confirming them in a prejudice, they are of themfelves too willing to entertain against religion: that it is a rigorous impracticable fervice; a state of unnatural refinement, altogether incompatible with the common measures of human life. And

tr

This is no more than what the above-mentioned bishop had before afferted against the Romish devotions. "This myftical "divinity, fays he, is not only unintelligible, but it leads per"fons into firange illufions of fancy; and this I take to be a very great injury, not only to thofe melancholy fouls, that are led 66 through this valley of shades and darkness; but even to the chri"ftian religion itself, as though the way of perfection taught by "it were a low, mean, contemptible thing, in comparison of "thefe myftical flights.

[ocr errors]

In what the love of GOD confifts.

"It is true, we are commanded often to love God with all our "heart, but withal we are told, we must not fancy this love to "be a mere languifhing paffion; no, the love of Chriftians "towards God is no fond amorous affection, but a due ap"prehenfion and esteem of the divine excellencies, a hearty fenfe of all his kindness to us, and a conftant readiness of mind to do "his will. And thus the beloved fon of God hath declared what "He means by the love he expects from his difciples: If ye love me, (fays Chrift,) keep my commandments; and ye are my friends if ye do whatfoever I command you. And if Jays St. John) any man fay I love God, and hateth his

66

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

A 3

"brother

"brother, he is a lyar; for he that loveth not his brother, "whom he hath feen, how can he love God whom he "hath not feen? No man hath feen God at any Time. If "we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love "is perfected in us. Thus the beloved difciple, who under"food the great mysteries of divine love, hath expreffed them to 66 215. And,

66

"Here (you fee) are no blind elevations of the will; no exLucious explain; no, it is very plain that all fuch "myftical notions, and lufcious metaphvis and expreffions had another fpring and a more impure fountain, than the "chriftian doctrine." For, as the jaid devout and judicious prelate adds, " fuppofing that myftical way of perfection were "poffible, I could fee no neceffity at all of Chrift's coming into "the world, nor of any influence his death, or fuffering, cr "doctrine could have upon the bringing men to a state of Hap"pinefs."

For thefe reafons I thought it my duty, as a chriftian, to explode that fulfome and lufcious method of the Old Week's Preparation, which has moft fcandaloufly put into the mouth of the devout reader fuch carnal expreffions as are mentioned above : and in their flead I have endeavoured to fubftitute fuch prayers

and

A

*The two great errors into which a mistaken devotion may betray us, are enthusiasm and fuperftition. There is not a more melancholy object than a man who has his head turned with religious enthusiasm. perfon that is crazed, tho' with pride or malice, is a fight very mortifying to human nature; but when the diftemper arifes from any indifcreet fervours of devotion, or too intenfe an application of the mind to its miflaken duties, it deferves our compaffion in a more particular manner. We may however learn this leffon from it, that fince devotion itself (which one would be apt to think could not be too warm) may diforder the mind, unless its heats are tempered with caution and prudence, we should be particularly careful to keep our reafon as cool as poffible, and to guard ourfelves in all parts of life against the influence of paffion, imagination, and conftitution."

"Devotion, when it does not lye under the check of reason, is very apt to degenerate into enthufiafm: when the mind finds herself very much enflamed

and meditations, as may be warranted from the word of God: being thoroughly fenfible how well grounded that complaint of the pious bifhop FLEETWOOD is, "that the devotions of the ig"norant are generally fuperftitious and grofs, fixing themfelves "commonly on fenfible objects; whereas in true religion all is "intelligible and divine,-and God, who should be the only object of their devotion, hath hardly any share therein."

[ocr errors]

Some account of this work.

As it has been my endeavour on the one hand not to flatter finners; fo on the other, I have been careful not to fill the minds of any with unneceffary fears, and icruples, with refpect to a duty, which ought to be the practice of their whole lives; as if no body ought to go to this facrament, but fuch as are as perfect as ever they can hope to be.

On the contrary; it is the judgment of the most orthodox divines, that (abflracting from particular circumftances) the receiving of the bleffed facrament, is the most divine and folemn act of our religion; and it ought to be the zealous endeavour of every true chriftian, by God's affiftance, to prepare his foul with the most ferious, and moft devout difpofitions he poffibly can, to approach the holy altar: a man cannot too often commemorate our Lord and his passion, nor too often return devout thanks and praifes for the fame, nor too often repeat his refolutions of amendment, nor too often renew his felemn engagements, nor too often receive pardon of fins, and fresh fuccours of divine grace: and if coming to the Lord's table (prepared or unprepared) were a fure and infallible way to answer thofe good and great ends, there could then be no question, but that it would be both our wisdom and our duty

A 4

enflamed with her devotions, the is too much inclined to think they are not of her own kindling, but blown up with fomething divine within her. If the indulges this thought too far, and humours the growing paffion, the at laft flings herself into imaginary raptures and exftafies; and when once the fancies herself under the Influence of a divine impulfe, it is no won der if she flights human ordinances, and refufes to comply with any eftablifhed form of religion, as thinking herself directed by a much fuperior guide." See Mr, ADDISON's works,

« VorigeDoorgaan »