Morning and Evening Exercises Volume 3 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1856 edition. Excerpt: ... denly awakened. The novelty and the vividness of their views and impressions of eternal things may occasion some mistakes and improprieties in harmonizing religion properly with secular and relative life. But what we excuse we are not to commend. If one duty defrauds or kills another, it is a robber or a murderer. The wise man tells us, every thing is beautiful in its season; and Paul enjoins us to do every thing decently and in order. But, under the sanction of such a supposed authority as our text, we have known religious servants who have risen above their masters, and lectured and reproved them--We have known men who have left their callings, and rushed into offices for which they were not designed --We have known females, who, instead of being keepers at home, have neglected their husbands and children to gad about after favourite preachers--We have known orthodox professors who have broken out into every kind of rudeness and rancour, under a notion of being faithful, and valiant for the truth. Disputants have contended earnestly for the faith, with pens dipped in gall, and tongues set on fire of hell--Persecutors have killed others to do God service; and the priest, with the crucifix, has urged the dragoon not to do the work of the Lord deceitfully, or keep back his sword from shedding of blood The decision may be improved by applying it in two cases. First, in judging ourselves. And here the leaning should be to tie side of severity. Let us be satisfied with nothing short of the real power of religion. Whatever we depend upon, while we are strangers to this, will be more than useless--it will issue in the most dreadful disappointment. It is better to err on the side of caution than of self-security. According to our Saviour, the...