ticed by many to convert men. The candidate for the new birth has been taught, that he was totally depraved and bound for the flames of hell. That he must feel something extraordinary, some uncommon and miraculous excitement. He waits with anxious expectation for these peculiar and extraordinary emotions. He has a vague and indistinct conception of what these strange feelings and transition of mind must be, and what he must do to bring them on. At last, some sudden death, or some extraordinary appeal, or some uncommon and simultaneous attention to religion among the people, arouses his mind to intense and all absorbing seriousness on what, he conceives the everlasting interest of his soul. He remembers what he has heard and read of the feelings of others. His imagination, wrought up by agonizing concern, and deep and intense anxiety, at last, takes the full control of his mind. At one moment, it plunges him down to the confines of hell, uncaps the dread abyss, and portrays the groups of the damned, and arouses the convolving fires. He sees the ghostly forms, and the riving bolts of infernal lightening. He hears the deep wail-the prolonged groan--the sneers and shouts of devils, with all the horrible roar of a burning sea, aroused by the breath of almighty wrath! His nerves tremble! He shrieks out for help-for mercy! Imagination again transports him from these tartarian scenes to Calvary. He there sees the precious streams of redeeming blood, flowing to "quench Jehovah's burning wrath." He sees Jesus extending the arm of pity with an inviting accent. He hears angels shout that another soul is born again. His heart begins to swell forth with gratitude and joy! Imagination then takes a still more extended range! He sees the glories of the upper world-he listens to celestial music; nature smiles and creation rejoices. Thus he is born again! All these feelings are a reality. He knows he has felt them; and therefore, he knows he is a christian, though he may not practice a single christian virtue, and though morally he may be almost as bad as the devil that frightened him so. But in truth, these exercises have no christianity in them. They are com-" menced by various circumstances operating upon the mind, predisposed by education to be thus affected; and they are finally carried forward and completed by the aid of a stimulated and highly excited imagination. 2. To combine, increase, and bring into active and efficient operation, these predisposing and exciting causes, is the object of all those great and powerful exertions, which appeal to the passions and imagination, instead of the reason and judgment of men. Such is the object of camp meetings, where many predisposing and exciting causes may be found. The gathering of a vast multitude, the gloomy scenes of night, the impassioned eloquence of the leaders, the varying and almost unearthly voices of the devotees, have a mighty influence upon the imaginations of the weak and the passionate. The late device of protracted meetings has also the same object. The movers in these scenes seem to know that no supernatural change by God is to be expected; and hence by their own efforts they design to produce an effect which credulity will attribute to God. Were it the miraculous work of God, in making over the nature of men, we might expect him to perform it in India, in China, in Thibet, in Hindostan, in Tartary, in Siberia, in Turkey, and Arabia, and especially in Palmyra and the Holy Land. We think he would not wait for missionaries to introduce him to the acquaintance of those people. Means are proper in the spread of Gospel influence to affect man's moral nature as it is, and arouse it to action; but no human means are adequate to work a radical change in the constitution of nature. That such efforts should produce such effects as they do is not extraordinary. Let a modern revivalist appear in the midst of an excited multitude. All are trained and prepared for something awfully mysterious and moving. The master spirit is deep skilled in the secret springs of nature. shall generally understand, that christian regeneration simply imports the cultivation and improvement of the moral nature which we all possess, and the growth in grace and practical virtue, I think much will be gained to good morals and the cause of humanity. Let all be born of Love divine, CHAPTER IX. DOES SIN ALWAYS PUNISH ITSELF BY ITS OWN ACTION ON THE SINNER, TO THE FULL EXTENT OF JUSTICE? I now wish to examine the question in all christian candor, whether or not, sin does invariably and justly punish itself, by its own natural and necessary action on the sinner, without the intervention of other agencies? And on this subject, I may be compelled to differ with some writers of deserved reputation and worth. But it is a subject of great felicitation, that believers in ultimate universal purity and happiness, do not acknowledge any human authority as infallible; but allow the right of all to investigate and judge for themselves, 1. We shall define punishment to be misery inflicted upon the offender, on account of his sins, for some benevolent purpose. It must be admitted by all, that sin is either the direct or indirect cause of all punishment. And it must also be admitted that punishment is always misery and never happiness. Now it does not appear to me, that sin of itself always renders the sinner unhappy in proportion to its magnitude. What is happiness? It is a feeling of pleasure a combination of agreeable sensations-or in other words, happiness is gratification. It is the feeling experienced by the gratification of our strongest and predominating propensities and sentiments, whatever they may be. If this be not happiness, what is it? I should be totally unable to tell. Besides, it is evident, this is what the world generally mean by the word; and we wish to use it in its common acceptation and sense. |