THE BAPTIST RECORD AND BIBLICAL REPOSITORY. JANUARY, 1846. THE PRESENT STATE OF RELIGION. THE opening year disposes to a review of the progress of the church. The natural pensiveness of the season is unhappily much deepened by such a subject of contemplation. Seldom has there been so much to produce serious thought, and to arouse to fresh energy. The Congregational churches, from the unfortunate absence of statistics, seem at a loss to understand their true position; but the further inquiry is pressed, the more generally the unfavourable estimate of one of the leading pastors at the late meeting of the Union is adopted. All branches of Wesleyanism candidly acknowledge, if not an arithmetical diminution, yet so slow a progress, as amounts virtually to the same result. By the most calm and respectable organs of the Establishment, a similar state is confessed; for, independently of secessions to the Papacy, there has become perceptible" increasing worldliness in evangelical congregations."* With respect to our own body, the Committee of the Union report, in their inestimable "Manual," that the average increase of members, which has been diminishing for the last three years, is now smaller than it has ever been before.† It is Churchman's Monthly Review, October, 1845. + The numbers are 10, 7 1-6th, 6, 5; i. e., average clear increase of each church per annum for the years 1841-44 respectively.-Baptist Manual, Houlston and Stoneman, pp. 84. VOL. III.-NO. I. B far from the intention of the writer to affirm, that a mere numerical increase is an undoubted sign of prosperity; such an increase has often occurred, when the general health of the body was at the lowest point. Still, it is not possible to conceive of churches existing in peaceful times, and subject to no persecution, proceeding prosperously without decided progress in numbers. What other inference, therefore, can be drawn from the facts adverted to, than that the Christian church, not only in our own, but in most of its sections throughout the country, is, at this moment, in a state calling for special efforts for revival? Such a conclusion must at any time have merited the most serious attention, but, at a period when heavy and threatening clouds are accumulating with terrific rapidity in our atmosphere, it most especially does so. It is now plain to every thoughtful person, it seems to be all but universally conceded, that we are on the eve of as severe a conflict of religious opinions as has ever happened in the history of the world—a conflict in the course of which every system will be shaken to its foundations, and nothing spared but what partakes of the indestructibility of truth. If the church were in the enjoyment of more than former vigour, we might calmly contemplate the meeting of these forces; but in a state more languid and irresolute than is even usual, we cannot but view the future with some solicitude. By all the regard we have to our own salvation-by all the anxiety we cherish for our children, and our children's children-by all the gratitude we owe to Him who redeemed us unto himself, we should, earnestly, and with one heart, inquire what is demanded of us in this juncture. It would be much to be regretted if any of our churches, under an anxious desire to improve its spiritual condition, were to adopt measures of questionable utility. The experience of the last few years has extended the conviction, that it is not by sudden and violent efforts that what we desire is to be secured. It is even supposed by many that our present faintness has some connexion with a certain excited course of sentiment and of action which prevailed a very few years ago. It may, indeed, be salutary to call special meetings for prayer and instruction, and even, under certain circumstances, greatly to increase their frequency; but the path to prosperity lies principally through the closet, and may be traversed only by means of selfscrutiny, devout thought, and redoubled personal energy in prayer. The condition of a church can never be better than that of its individual members. In a certain sense, therefore, every one has the welfare of all under his own personal charge, and the question as to the means of improvement becomes confined within the narrowest Fossible limits. It is undeniably necessary that we should see, in the first instance, that we are holding back no part of our hearts from God. If we are offering positive resistance to Him in anything, he will undoubtedly, to that extent, depart from us. It will be of no avail that we apparently serve him in all points but in that one. He will see in that reservation the principle of all disobedience, and will express his displeasure with us. It may be that the Holy Spirit has been dealing with some souls, for many years, with a view to persuade them to surrender some secret sin, which they to this day retain. It may be that this is the worm at the root of our piety; that it is some unmortified lust, long spared and pitied after God's sentence had gone forth for its destruction, which darkens our souls and retards our progress! Who, without earnest selfexamination can tell, but that he is the only individual in a church who effects its weakness and defeat; just as the sin of one man, done in secret, unknown to all on earth but himself, led to the repeated discomfiture of the Israelitish army? Every soul offering the prayer in sincerity," Cleanse thou me from secret faults!" might change the whole aspect of the church at once. It is, at the present time, of the next importance, after such an investigation, to ascertain the exact position which the soul has assumed towards the world. The world has received so much advantage from the church without acknowledging her principles, that many evidently suppose that there is no essential difference between them. How many true Christians are there who make no visible profession of piety, because they think they can adorn religion as much without taking such a step; and how many are there who, after having made a profession, retain much of the manners, practices, and opinions of the world, without perceiving the incongruity. But if ever such conduct were innocent or safe, it is now no longer either the one or the other. The conflict has begun in earnest, and every one must distinctly take up his place. He must count the cost before delivering his soul to the Redeemer, for after having done so, he cannot honourably retrace his steps. He must show the world that he has learned how to deny himself; how to sacrifice temporal interests to Christ's will; how to pursue business, not for the accumulation of wealth, or the attainment of ease and self-importance, but for the extension of the gospel, and the salvation of men's souls. Wherever such persons are found, and happily they are found in many parts of the church, they are the means of imparting more vigour to religion than anything else; and wherever there is a prevalence of the opposite characters, personal piety is most painfully discouraged. Supposing our individual position towards the world to be sufficiently unequivocal, it would then become a question of not much inferior importance, whether we are making such progress in the knowledge of truth, of revealed truth, as present circumstances demand. Such progress is important at any time, but particularly at this time. The sort of piety that shall be able to stand the application of the tests that are coming on us-that shall prove sufficient to bear its possessor above those billows of temptation which shall bury under them many who promised fair at the beginning of their professioncannot be sustained by a slender knowledge of the doctrines of God's word. It must have liberal nourishment; it must be refreshed by the unceasing stream, and strengthened by the daily manna of salvation, in order to the preservation of its bare existence-how much more in order to the resistance of trials which are likely to spring in great part from religious errors. Subtle distinctions and specious representations will be put forth, and that not always from suspicious quarters, but from those in which much confidence had been previously placed. Lying spirits will possibly be suffered to appear even in places of evangelical instruction, if possible to deceive the very elect, and certainly to sift as wheat the most experienced. We may even be destined to see some of the best of God's people going after those seducers, and being permitted to remain under deception for a time, in order to test the fidelity of others. What call does the mere possibility of these things present for renewed diligence in the methodical study of the Sacred Word, and for the seizing of all such intercourse, conversation, and public instruction as has the greatest tendency to shed light upon it! Lord, let my heart be sound in thy statutes, that I be not ashamed" (Ps. cxix. 80; 2 Tim. iii. 13-17). 66 Such progress in the knowledge of truth would involve a solid acquaintance with those promises which relate to the preservation and final triumph of the church, and upon which all petitions at the mercyseat must be founded. Whilst our conceptions of the variety and glory of those assurances are faint or indefinite, we are not only exposed to the danger of being "soon shaken in mind," but we labour under a distressing want of power in supplication. A particular attention to such representations of Scripture,-including all the encouragements to prayer for spiritual mercies, all the promises of success to faithful endeavours for the salvation of sinners, and all the predictions of the universal establishment of Christ's kingdom in the world,-would be attended with the most reviving influence on the soul. Our great Redeemer is exalted to give life and victory to his people. He has allied himself with his followers. The resources of the Divine nature belong to the church. The veil which separated the worshippers from his immediate presence is rent in twain, and God stands amongst his saints. "Great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of Zion." Through the Holy Ghost dwelling in her, all her darkness may be dispersed, all her unbelief vanquished; all foes may be conquered, all victories have become possible. No want can exceed the provision : no prayer can overstep the promise. "He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think." "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him," Isaiah lxiv. 4. Under such impressions the throne of grace would become so attractive in secret (Matt. xiv. 23,) and Christians, similarly affected, would so naturally invite one another to form private circles for united supplication (Dan. ii. 17, 18.) that the public meetings for prayer would be immediately increased in number and considerably changed in character (Zech. viii. 20-23.) There is something most significant with respect to our spiritual state in the fact that, at present, one-fifth of our Lord's-day congregations is reckoned a very large attendance at a meeting dedicated to prayer. There are many of our congregations which amount to five hundred; but how few of our prayer-meetings are statedly attended by one hundred! We are fully aware that no general rule can be laid down, on a subject which is influenced by so many local and personal circumstances. But that the attendance at these sacred assemblies might be DOUBLED immediately we entertain no doubt whatever. With their numbers their interest would certainly increase; and that energy and fervency, of the absence of which we sometimes complain, would soon be granted from above. O LET US, AT LEAST, TRY THIS FRESH EXPEDIENT! It would cost little self-denial of a temporal kind; it surely would require none of a spiritual; and it might prove the point at which the tide of our prosperity should turn!-Jer. xxix. 12, 13. If the heart of a church is sufficiently affected by this great subject, it might not be difficult for it to engage in occasional days of private fasting, succeeded by evenings of united prayer. Such seasons were signally honoured by tokens of God's presence, in the days of former years, in this country. At all events, MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL will willingly suffer the suggestion, that meetings for such purposes, frequently held among themselves, would be most salutary, and have become well-nigh imperative. Brethren! the work must begin with |