The Christian profession: a series of letters to a friend ...

Preface

The Author has long felt the need of a Manual, presenting briefly and together, the points treated of in this little volume, to be put into the hands of young persons and others standing at the threshold of the Church, and likewise into the hands of Church members, as occasion may require. Those excellent works which have been written on different parts of the subject — some covering more, and some less of the whole ground — such as Jay's Christian Contemplated, and James's True Christian, Christian Professor and Christian Duty, do not just meet the want, which a Manual of this kind is designed to meet. On the other hand, a small work of this character, may serve to turn attention to those works, in which different points on the same, or iv

PREFACE.

kindred subjects, are more largely discussed. It is sent forth as an humble laborer with those admirable works, not at all pretending to take rank with them, but desiring to contribute its mite to the same cause — to the glory of our common Lord ; to whose favor and blessing it is humbly commended.

LETTEE I.

IXTEODUCTOEY.

Prejudices against tlie Christian Profession — The Christian Profession delayed — False views of its nature and duties — The Church reduced to a worldly standard — The moral power of the Christian Profession impaired — Subjects of the proposed Letters 9

LETTEE II,

THE NATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN PROFESSION.

Facts and principles which this Profession implies — Be= lievers profess to take Christ as their Saviour, and to espouse his cause — Avow subjection to Christ as their Lawgiver and King — This Profession is a testimony — Becomes a confession — Visible Church a divinely constituted society — How described— Its design and its connection with the Christian Profession — Sacramental seals,.. \ 19

LETTEE III.

DUTIES OF THE CHRISTIAN PROFESSION.

Christians a peculiar people — Their peculiar character grows out of the Gospel as a scheme of mercy — Source of Christian Character — Motives — Christian obligation the same now as in the Apostolic age, 33 vi

Contents

LETTER lY.

DUTIES OF THE CHRISTIAN PROFESSION— CONTINUED.

Internal char act eristics — Saving knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ — ^Faith on the Lord Jesus Christ — Genuine repentance — Love to God and the Saviour — Universal benevolence — The love of the brethren — a spirit of identification with Christ — Fixing the heart on heavenly things, and expectation of the Saviour — Vital importance of these inward principles, 42

LETTER I. INTRODUCTOKY, My Deab Friend

There Tvas a time when it was fashionable to deny the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, and to sneer at the religion of our Lord Jesus Christ as a cheat. Then you might have heard the would-be philosopher, and the young man, who wished to be considered wiser than other people and a man of spirit, affecting to laugh at the credulity and weakness of Christians. Happily this age has in a great measure gone by. There 1

INTRODUCTOEY.

is a great deal of infidelity in the world, and of iate years it seems to be again on the increase : bnt it has, for the most part, to keep itself masked. The Bible has triumphed, time and again, over the open attacks of its enemies, and demonstrated its claims to the faith and obedience of all men, as the sure and infallible word of the Living God. "With a few extreme exceptions, all classes profess to revere the Scriptures, and any open disrespect to them is regarded as a mark of ignorance and vulgarity, or reckless hostility to what is good. Few men, who wish to pass for respectable men, dare to avow their infidelit3^ It is felt, that such an avowal would expose a man at once to suspicion, pity and eontempt ; hence none make it, but the recklessly depraved. All others regard themselves, and wish to be regarded, as Christians — in theory, at least, if not in practice ; and most men would feel insulted to be called anything else. The Scriptures are even wrested to support some of the very worst forms of infidelity.

But while it is fashionable to call the Bible the word of God, and to count Jesus Christ the

Saviour of tlie Avoiicl, and His religion divine, it is very common for nngodly men to denounce the Churcli, the Gospel-ministry, and the Christian profession. And it can scarcely have escaped your notice, that there is, especially among young men and husiness men, not only a prevailing indifference, but a prejudice, against making and maintaining a Christian profession. It is, in many quarters, come to he considered rather unmanlv. It is reD;arded as somethino^ becoming enough for the weaker sex, and for the sickly, the hypochondriacal, the aged, and those drawing near the tomb, but unworthy the attention of the young man of spirit, or the vigorous aspirant for the honors and emoluments of life. The Christian profession is regarded as a gloomy thing, full of discomfort and destitute of joy. When a man joins the Church, he is looked upon by many as signing away his liberty, and becoming, in some degree, unfitted for the business and enjoyments of life. Professors of religion are often indiscriminately called hypocrites, and it is a saying current in the mouths of many, That a man can be as good a Christian out of

IXTEODUCTORY.

the Cliurcli as in it. The neeessitY and importance of the Christian profession are certEiinly not duly felt, and its duties and advantages are neither understood nor considered.

Perhaps, my y^ung friend, you are living where such senriments as these are entertained, and may your>elf be a subject of this indifterence. and of these prejudices : and it may be, that withal, you are contenting yourself with the hope that you are a Christian, and that it vrill in the end be well with you. though you are not a professor of religion. If this is your case, you are in a very unsafe condition. You are living in di-obedience to the most explicit injunctions of the Eedeemer. and in neglect of his appointed means of grace. In refusing to join his church, and profess his name, and walk by the laws he has given his disciples, you are not acting the part of a friend of the Lord Jesus Christ, but more like an enemy : and his enemies know how to claim you. You are robbing Christ of his due honor, and your o^tl soul of much good : and it may be ill — sadly ill — with you in the end.

THE CHRISTIAN PROFESSION DELAYED. 13

Or, YOU may be delaying to make a profession for the present, purposing to do it after a while ; and this may have been the case with, you for years ; and you may just now be as little inclined to own Christ and take his yoke upon you, and bear it, as you haye eyer been. With your delay, your difficulties increase, rather than disappear ; and instead of an increasing interest, you experience a growing indifference. If this is your condition, your soul is in danger. Whateyer you intend to do, you are, for the present, disobeying Christ, and risking your eternal all. You know not what instant death may surprise you in this state ; and should you be spared eyen to old age, the prospect of your doing better is becoming darker and darker, eyery day you delay ; and when you come to be an old man, should you liye to be an old man, you run a great risk of being like many other old men in our land, a mere worldling — a cold respecter of religion — an unfeeling hearer of the Gospel ■ — or, a hardened scoffer.

In either case, you need, forthwith, to take the subject of the Christian profession into serious

INTRODUCTORY.

consideration. Remember, that as with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, so with the month, confession is made unto salvation. Eememher, that noiv is the accepted time, and that to-day is the day of salvation. And whatsoever yonr hand finds to do, do it with your mio'ht. Summons vour utmost eneroies. when the interests of eternity are at stake. Hearken to the voice of Jesus I He calls to you. Strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.^^

Possibly you may have made up your mind to join the Church, or may already be a professing member, and yet have never duly considered the nature, importance, duties and obligations, or the trials and supports of the Christian profession. In many places, it is fashionable to make a profession of religion. In such places, many join the Church without thinking much about it. It is expected of them to join when they come to a certain age, and it would be odd in them not to belong. It would be gratifying to their parents and friends for them to join.

FALSE VIEWS OF ITS NATURE AND DUTIES. 15

It will add to their respectability, and be to their interest. It is also desirable to have one^s children baptized ; and when a man comes to die, it will be comforting to reflect that he belono's to the Church, and that he has received the sacrament. And then, all that will be required, is some knowledge of religion ; a decent respect for its institutions ; a life free from vice ; to keep the Sabbath, and go to meeting, and give a trifle to the support of the gospel ; and should one have a family, perhaps to keep up family worship, and teach the children the catechism ; and the way these things are attended to, it will be no difficult matter to satisfy the Church, provided you join it. It is to be feared, that thousands join the Church, who look at the matter about in this light, and consider nothing more. Such certainly need to take a new view of the subject; and should the reader of this friendly letter belong to this class, I would say to him, My Friend, beware, lest while you have a name to live, you be yet dead. Take heed, that vou be not traveling; down to hell with a lie in your right hand. The kingdom of God is id

IXTRODrCTORY.

not a mere form, but a living, heartfelt reality ; it is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost — not in word, hut in poTver. With all your profession and forms, Jesus Christ may at last say to you. Depart from me ; I never knew you.

There is a great deal of loose profession, and a great deal of loose walking in the Christian profession. Jesus Christ is sorely wounded in His own house, and by his professed friends. Custom, instead of the law of Christ, seems to be the standard. Conscience, with many, has very little to do in the matter. There is not that manifest difference, which should exist, between the professed followers of Christ and the people of the world. The Church is too much like the world, and everything in her is reduced too much to a worldlv standard. Instead of church-members acting in such a manner that the world shall be constrained to take knowledge of them that they have been with Jesus, and have learned of him, and become imitators of him ; instead of being living epistles of recommendation in favor of tlie truth, excellence and

ITS MORAL POWER IMPAIRED. 17

power of the Christian religion, their imperfections too often throw stnrnbling-hlocks in the way of persons even not ^hollv destitute of seriousness, while they giye occasion to the openly ungodly to blaspheme.

It is emlent, that the nature and duties of the Christian profession should be more studied by church-members themselyes. To any serious-minded Christian, the thought that he may, by his im-Christ-IiJce conduct, haye proyed a stumbling-block to the inquirer, or giyen a handle to the scoffer, will be painfully distressing. And, my Christian friend, may you not well entertain the question, whether you haye been guilty in this matter? And with this question before you. may you not well take a re^uew of your life, and a suryey of your duties as a professing member of the Church ?

In yiew of the considerations suggested in these remarks, I propose, in a series of Letters, to submit to your candid reflection, a few thoughts on the nature, duties, importance and necessity, peeidiar trials, supports and consohtio7is of tJie Christian profession. I wish to write as a friend,

INTROBUCTORY.

seeking at once your liigliest good, and the glorv of Christ ; and you are, for your own sake and for the love of Christ, earnestly entreated to read prayerfully, in the fear of God. Soon we shall both appear before his judgment-seat, and give in our account respecting the matters treated of in these Letters.

Letter II. The Nature Of The Christiax Profession

My Deae Feiexd: —

I WISH, in this letter, to call your attention to the nature of the Christian Profession. It is often in the Scriptnres called, confessing Christ before men: — '^Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess "before the ano^els of God ; but he that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels • of Grod.'' — Luke xii, 8. " That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved ; for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.^' — Eom. X, 9, 10. Jesus Christ, the Eter-

THE CHRISTIAN PROFESSIOX.

nal Son of G-ocl in our nature, having died for US and risen again, and being by the riglit- hand of G-od exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and the remission of sins, and having caUed us by his grace unto fellowship viih hiniseli' as heirs of life eternal, calls upon us to profess our faith in him. and our love and obedience to him. and publicly and openly to espouse his cause. serTOe and glory, in this ungodly world.

The state of matters is just this : — ^Our world has apostatized from God. and the human race is a race of rebels and enemies against him : all have sinned and all are living in sin. The whole world lieth in wickedness : ungodliness is popular : men revel, delight and glory, in that which is both their ruin and shame. As sinners, they are. in the righteous judgment of God, condemned to endless perdition : and they are so utterly debased as to be wholly incapable of loving God. and of enjoyment in his presence or service. They are irreconcilably averse to theii' true dig-nity and interests, as rational and immortal beings, and to the great end of their

PRINCIPLES IMPLIED.

being, which is to glorify and enjoy God forever. They are the subjects of a carnal mind, which is enmity against God, and not subject to his law, neither indeed can be. They need an atonement for their sin, but they can not effect it. They need a change of heart, but they can not work it. They are without strength, dead in trespasses and sins, and everlasting destruction is before them. — Eom. ii, 8, 9; 2d Thess. i, 8, 9, with Eph. ii, 1, 3. Kow, Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of his person, the Creator and Upholder of all worlds, whom all the angels of God worship, has come into the world that sinners of our fallen race might have life, and that they might have it abundantly. Himself the True and Living God, he yet became man, assumed the responsibilities of sinful men to the broken law and offended justice of God, and obeyed and died in their room. He loved us and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. By this means, he purchased pardon, and obtained the Spirit of life and holiness,

"by whose agency the life of God is restored in the souls of sinners, by nature spiritually dead. Thus he becomes the author of eternal salvation. Eemission of sins, spiritual life, and everlasting favor and blessedness with God are provided and secured in his name and by the merit of his surety, obedience, and expiatory death.

These things are proclaimed in the Gospel as the free gift of God through Jesus Christ — they are proclaimed and offered to all — and they actually accrue to all those who believe ; that is, to all who simply and truly accept them as the gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now in confessing Christ before men, we make a public declaration, that we do own and acknowledge Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God, who became man and died for sinners, to satisfy Divine Justice for their sins, and reconcile them to God, as the Saviour, and the only Saviour of sinners, and that we do take him as our Saviour, and love and honor him as such. He is the Apostle and High-Priest of our pi^ofession. We avow our faith in all that he is, and in all that he has done, and in all that he reveals as a Saviour.

HIS CAUSE ESPOUSED.

We proclaim our belief in his doctrines and our dependence on his Vv^ork, and profess before all men, and call npon men to bear witness, that we take Jesus Christ as the Author and Finisher of our faith, and that we build our eternal hopes on what he hath done and suffered, and on what he continues to work by his Spirit and grace ; and that we have no other hope.

We come out from the world, and proclaim ourselves on his side. We leave the rank and file of his enemies, and join in the ranks of his friends and followers. We publicly engage to be the Lord's, and solemnly protest that we belong to him, and bind ourselves by solemn covenant to be his, and to love his name and serve him. — Is. xliv, 5 ; Ivi, 6. We espouse openly his cause. He was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil, and to establish a kingdom in righteousness and truth ; and in this his great work and undertaking, we enlist in his service and addict ourselves to his interests. We then, in this profession engage to make common cause with him against all error, and wickedness, and ungodliness ; against all immorality and vice ; against all that is derogatory to tlie glory and government of God, or the good of man ; against all that is incompatible with the teachings, the spirit or object of that Gospel which proclaims, " Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good-will toward men/'

We also avow Christ to be our Lawgiver and our King, as head of his Church, and head over all things to his Church ; as having a peculiar right to reign over and control us. We take his yoke upon us, and engage to submit to his government ; to make his will our law, and his Word our rule of conduct ; to abide by his statutes, and walk in his commandments and ordinances. Every professor of religion is professedly under law to Christ. Christ will own no man as his disciple, who obeys not the command, " Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;'' who does not submit his will to that of the Saviour, inquiring with the humility and obedience of a loyal and loving subject, Lord, what wilt thou have me do?"

Now, in this confession, or profession, we testify against* and condemn the sin and apostasy

SUBJECTION TO CHRIST AS LAWGIVER.

of the world ; we renounce sin, and the sinful courses and erroneous principles of the world ; own subjection and swear allegiance to God, and avow our determination to lead a religious and holy life. All this operates as a rebuke upon all those who continue to live in sin and in the rejection of Christ, and upon all who do not take the same open stand which we do. Hence this profession, if consistent and decided, will expose those who make it to the hatred of the world, and to reproach and persecution, more or less open and violent, according to the circumstances of the age in which they live. Of this our Saviour gave his disciples and all who heard him, full and repeated warning: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.'^ " If ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.^^ It is perfectly natural, and therefore a thing to be expected, that the ungodly should transfer their hatred of God and his Christ, to his friends,

who bear his image and have espoused his cause. •>

Other professions may be popular, but an alienated world hates the Christian profession ; and every one making it should lay out his accounts to meet with indications of this hatred. AH that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Hence moral courage — that moral courage which proceeds from faith in God and love to Christ — is necessary in order to make and maintain this profession.

This profession is a confession. In making it, the followers of the Eedeemer confess that, of which men naturally are ashamed, and own to that which men glory in denying. There is really nothing of which the unrenewed heart is so prone to be ashamed, as it is of a vital connection with the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not only Jews, and Pagans, and Mahometans, and Infidels, that deny Christ, but nominal Christians ; carnal men, who admit that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of sinners, and who would wish to be called Christians, and not Pagans or Infidels. How many such are, nevertheless, ashamed of Him as their Saviour, as that One whom they personally honor with a spiritual and penitent

VISIBLE CHURCH DIVINELY ORGANIZED. 27 reliance, love and obedience ; and they take good care to show, that, in this sense they are not his followers ; and often, even delight, in one way or other, to annoy and vex those who are.

In the Christian Profession, a man professes his faith in the doctrine of Christ — his acceptance of his salvation — his willingness to obey his commands — and his enlistment in his cause.

The Visible Church is a society composed of those who make this profession. It is the will of the Saviour, that his friends be united and bound together in one organized society, placed under certain laws and regulations, and furnished with peculiar institutions ; all adapted to promote the growth, prosperity and efficiency of the society. This is a most wise arrangement, founded in the social nature of man, and in harmony with the whole social system on our earth. The friends of Jesus, thus associated, will lend mutual aid and support. Each one w^ill be benefited by the arrangement, and will be the means of benefiting his brethren. They all need, and will all be the better of, favorable social influences. The several institutions of this society, too, are, like all the institutions of Heaven, admirably adapted to draw out these influences, and bring them to bear in fullest measure ; while they serve to concentrate, direct and invigorate the energies of the Eedeemer's friends, and thereby render his cause successfully aggressive in our world.

This society — the Church — holds a prominent place in the Scriptures, where it passes under different names, such as the house of God; the household of faith ; the church of the Living Ood; the pillar and ground of the truth; the fold of Christ; the commomvealth of Israel; the kingdom of God; the kingdom of Heaven; the hody of Christ, etc., etc. Everywhere in the sacred page, it stands out to our view as having a prominent, intimate and vital connection with the religion of Christ, and its perpetuity and spread in the world; as the preserver of the truth and ordinances of the Eedeemer ; as the propagator of his salvation ; as the asylum of sinners from the ungodly influences of the world, and from sin and wrath ; and as the seminary of saints, where they are trained and educated for heaven.

THE VISIBLE CHURCH — HOW DESCRIBED. 29

Among the numerous notices of tiis society, wliicli appear in the Word of God, I transcribe, for your perusal, the following: There is one Body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in hope of your calling ; one Lord, one faith, one baptism ; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body; so also is Christ; for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free ; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore, he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets ; and some, evangelists ; and some, pastors and teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ ; till we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ ; that we be henceforth no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive ; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ ; from whom the whole body, fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, to the edifying of itself in love/'— Eph. iv, 1-16 ; Cor. xii, 12, 13.

It is abundantly plain from these, and from similar passages which might be quoted, that the Church is a society founded and organized by Christ — that it is to be composed exclusively of the avowed friends of the Eedeemer — that the design of the organization is the perfecting of its members and the enlargement of their number — and that, for this purpose, it is made the depository of the doctrines and ordinances of Christ, which it is to preserve, and which it is to keep in vigorous application; — and all this, in

DESIGN OF THE VISIBLE CHURCH.

order that it may be the great instrumental agency, by means of which the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be maintained and propagated, and his salvation extended to the ends of the earth.

Hence it follows, that all true friends of Christ will seek to be connected with this society ; and that the Christian Profession can not be made in any other way, than by joining this society. Hence, we read, "That the Lord added to the Chureh daily, such as should be saved ; or, as it might be rendered more literally, the saved f i. e. The Lord added to the Church all those who became subjects of saving grace ; daily and every day, as men became subjects of the Eedeemer's saving power, they joined the Church. It was by doing this, that they complied with the exhortation, " Save yourselves from this untoward generation.^^ It is only by joining the Church, that a man can give the proper public declaration, that he believes the doctrine of Christ, accepts his salvation, espouses his cause, and means to wear his yoke. Hence every man who

THE CHRISTIAN PROFESSION.

would pass for a Cliristian, must "belong to some brancli, or other, of the Church of God.

There are t'^^o commands of our Saviour, obedience to which seals a man's profession, and the observance of both of which is inseparable from church-membership. They are, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. The same authority which says, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,'' and, Eepent of your sins," also says, Be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus," and, Eat," — Drink," — This do in remembrance of me." And the heart that truly believes and repents, obeys ; and the law of Christ knows no way of professing this faith and repentance, but by obedience to these commands ; and obedience to them implies church-membership. You can not be a professor of the religion of Jesus, without being baptized, and partaking of the supper of the Lord ; and this you can not do, without profaning these ordinances, unless you are a member of the Church.