General History; Briefly Sketched Upon Scriptural Principles (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1840 Excerpt: ...and manners. From the obscurity that still hangs over the history of this century, it is not easy to point out the connexion of all the causes which wrought together in stirring up the mighty masses of a rude people to such strange and persevering exertions. We know not how much of it is attributable to the activity of invisible powers; though other and similar instances justify us in supposing that their agency may have been exercised. It is, however, evident that superstition and ignorance had very much perverted men's minds, while they must have had a great esteem for things they deemed sacred, and a deep religious susceptibility, before they could have been roused to such enthusiasm for the imaginary honour and glory of the Christian church, at the same time that they were so very deficient in real practical Christianity. Would that such a religious disposition existed in our own times, turned to a holier and better object, the conversion of the heathen whereas this noble business is as yet left to the exertions of a comparatively few individuals, and is quite overlooked, if not very much despised by the generality. Many, doubtless, in thus hazarding and throwing away their lives in the East, were not a little influenced by a feeling of unsatisfied spiritual desire. The soul's unbounded longing after truth, and inward peace and blessedness, had been awakened by the ordinances of the church, but not satisfied by them. The consciousness of sin, and of the need of forgiveness, was felt, but the right remedy was not applied: inward peace can come by x nothing but the gospel, and this was not preached; superstitious ceremonies, whose meaning the people could not understand, had taken its place. Men were led into the error of thinking that they might make am...