MEANS OF PROMOTING CHRISTIAN MORALITY. 



181 



mony and felicity of &quot; the saints in light.&quot; 

 Every one who believes in the existence of a 

 future state, fondly imagines that he shall enjoy 

 happiness in that state. But, whence is his 

 happiness to arise in the future world, but from 

 the exercise of those dispositions which the law 

 of God requires? And if the exercise of bene 

 volent dispositions be essentially requisite for 

 securing supreme felicity in the eternal state, 

 their cultivation, even in the present world, 

 must be an indispensable duty, in order to our 

 preparation for the employments of the celestial 

 world. For it is a law of the Creator, which is 

 eternal and immutable, that &quot; without holiness, 

 no man can see the Lord.&quot; And whenever the 

 requisite means are employed for the cultivation 

 of holy and beneficent dispositions, we may rest 

 assured, that our labour will be crowned with 

 success. For the energy of the divine Spirit, 

 from whom proceedeth every good and perfect 

 gift, is promised to accompany the use of every 

 proper mean, so as to render it effectual for 

 counteracting the effects of moral evil, and for 

 promoting the renovation of the world. 



We have examples before us, not only of a 

 few insulated individuals, but of societies, 

 where the principle of benevolence, in a greater 

 or less degree, pervades the whole mass. The 

 people who have been denominated Quakers, 

 have always been distinguished by their humane 

 and peaceable dispositions, their probity and 

 hospitality to each other, the cheerfulness of 

 their manners, their opposition to war, and the 

 active zeal which they have displayed in contri 

 buting to the good of mankind. The Mora 

 vians are also distinguished for their affectionate 

 intercourse with each other, the liberality of 

 their dispositions, the peaceableness of their 

 tempers, the purity and simplicity of their lives, 

 and their missionary efforts for evangelizing the 

 heathen world.* Would to God that the whole 



* The following anecdote, is illustrative of the 

 character of nviriy of the Moravians, or Hernhutters 

 as they are sometimes called. In a late war in Ger 

 many, a captain of cavalry was ordered out on a 

 foraging party. He put himself at the head of his 

 troop, and marched io the quarter assisncd him. It 

 was a solitary valKy, in which hardly any thin? hut 

 woods was to be -je-in. In the midst stood a little 

 cottage ; on percf.&amp;lt;vlng it he rode up, and knocked at 

 the door; out conges an ancient Hernhutter with a 

 beard silvered of age. &quot;Father,&quot; says the officer, 

 &quot; show me a field where I can set my troopers a 

 foraging.&quot; &quot; P esently,&quot; replied the Hernhutter. 

 The good o d man walked hefore, and conducted 

 them out of tt.e valley. Alter a quarter of an hour s 

 march, they found a field of barley. &quot;There is the 

 very t.lun? we want,&quot; says the captain.&quot; Have pa 

 tience for .1 very few minutes,&quot; replied the guide 

 &quot; and you shall be satisfied.&quot; They went on, and 

 about the distance of a quarter of a It-ague farther, 

 ihey arrived at another field of barley. The troop 

 immediately dismounted, cut down the grain, truss 

 ed it up, and remounted. The officer upon this, says 

 to his conductor, &quot; Father, you have given yourself 

 and us unnecessary trouble ; the first field was much 

 better than this.&quot; &quot; Very true, Sir,&quot; replied the good 

 old man. &quot; Butit was not mine.&quot; Here we have a 



world were Quakers and Moravians, notwith 

 standing their peculiarities of opinion ! With 

 all their foibles and imperfections, society would 

 then wear a more beautiful and alluring aspect 

 than it has ever yet done ; peace and industry 

 would be promoted : the fires of persecution 

 would be quenched ; philanthropy would go forth 

 among the nations, distributing a thousand 

 blessings, and the people would learn war, no 

 more. 



I intend in this place, to inquire into the 



MEANS BY WHICH THE PRACTICE OF CHRIS 

 TIAN MORALITY MIGHT BE PROMOTED. But 



I find that this is a subject which would require 

 a distinct volume for its illustration. At present, 

 I can suggest only two or three hints. 



In the first place, The intellectual instruction 

 of the young, should be an object of universal at 

 tention, both in public and private. For true 

 knowledge is the spring of all religious emotions, 

 and of all virtuous actions. By intellectual in 

 struction, I do not mean merely a series of exer 

 cises in spelling, pronouncing, parsing, constru 

 ing, writing, and figuring ; but a communication 

 of the elements of thought, and of clear and ex 

 tensive conceptions of the physical and moral re 

 lations of the universe. 2. The moral instruc 

 tion of the young should be an object of particu 

 lar and incessant attention. Moral instruction 

 should be inculcated, not merely by a reiteration 

 of dry precepts, maxims, and abstract doctrines, 

 or by a reference to the details and flimsy senti 

 ments contained in fictitious narratives ; but by 

 a pointed and pacific reference to real facts ; as 

 exhibited in the Sacred History, the annals of 

 nations, and in the scenes of the family, and of 

 general society. I would expect no greater as 

 sistance in the work of moral instruction from 

 the religious novels with which the Christian 

 world is now deluged, than I would do from a 

 circulation of the Pious Frauds which were so 

 common in the first ages of the church. In 

 schools, and in families, every thing which has a 

 tendency, either directly or indirectly to foster 

 pride, envy, contention, revenge, and other ma 

 lignant affections, should be firmly and sedu 

 lously discouraged and counteracted ; and higher 

 rewards (if rewards be expedient) should in 

 every instance, be bestowed on the individual 

 who cultivates and displays benevolent affections, 



beatiful -practical exhibition vflovetoourneig-hbour, 

 and of calm resignation to the providential dispen 

 sations of God. How few professed Christians have 

 been found acting in this manner 1 And yet I doubt 

 not, tha, this &amp;lt;rood man would experience more true 

 satisfaction in the temper and conduct he displayed, 

 than if he had offered resistance, practised dissimu 

 lation, or set them to plunder his neighbour s field. 

 A number of disinterested actions such as this, 

 would contribute more powerfully to the support ot 

 the Christian cause than a thousand theological 

 disputes, imbued with the spirit and temper with 

 which they have been most frequently conducted. 



