MEANS OF CHRISTIAN UNION. 



185 



more to the absence of this spirit, that Chris 

 tians stand so much aloof from each other, than 

 to the speculative opinions which they respec 

 tively maintain. The prevalent disposition for 

 sneering at other denominations, and the plea 

 sure that seems to be felt in laying open their 

 fiores, will generally be found to proceed from a 

 nrinciple of pride, and of self-conceit in regard 

 to our own favourite opinions, some of which, 

 when ptohed to the bottom, will be found as rot 

 ten as out 1 neighbour s. Why are men not as 

 much disposed to pass encomiums on what is 

 sound in the opinions, and laudable in the con 

 duct, of other parties, as they are to censure them 

 for minor peculiarities of sentiment ? Why? 

 Because it appears, that many professed Chris 

 tians take more delight in the exercise of male 

 volent feelings than of benevolent affections ; and 

 are like flies, that pass over the sound parts of a 

 man s body, and fix upon his sores. Till such 

 unchristian dispositions be undermined, and tem 

 pers of an opposite description pervade the ranks 

 of Christian society, we can expect no cordial 

 nor lasting union in the visible church, however 

 many ingenious schemes may be formed, to bring 

 about this desirable event. For every effect 

 must have an adequate cause : this cause will be 

 found to consist more in the affection than in 

 opinion ; and a union formed on an apparent 

 coincidence of sentiment, unmingled with ardent 

 love and affection, would be unworthy of the 

 name, and would soon be dissolved. 



It can form no decisive mark of a man s Chris 

 tianity, that he recognises the peculiar opinions 

 of the Baptists or Pzcdo-Baptists, of Presbyte 

 rians, Episcopalians, or Independents; it is a 

 matter, comparatively of little importance, 

 whether a man believes that Christ was an ac 

 tual or a virtual Mediator under the Old Testa 

 ment ; whether he be designated the Son of God 

 in virtue of his office, or of his nature ; whether 

 or not we be guilty of Adam s first sin; whether 

 the transaction which passed between him and 

 his Creator, should be viewed as a law, or as a 

 covenant; whether the ordinance of baptism 

 should be administered by dipping, or by sprin 

 kling, &c. &c. But it is, unquestionably, a mat 

 ter of the highest moment, both to the person 

 himself, and to Christian society, that his temper, 

 affections, and conduct, should be in unison with 

 the holy law of God, and that he should display 

 ihe love which it requires, in all his social, com 

 mercial, domestic, and Christian intercourses ; 

 &quot; itsd if such dispositions and conduct were univer- 

 sauy^to prevail among the various denominations 

 ol theN.religious world, union would soon follow, 

 as a mi .tter of course. If, iherefore, we wish to 

 heholdY he unhappy divisions of the church ce- 

 Tiented let us cultivate, with ardour, those 

 miablf and affectionate dispositions which our 

 j&amp;lt;jnevJent religion inculcates, and be more 

 f * to correct our own mental and moral 



aberrations, than to magnify the errors and the 

 faults of others. Let us make every allowance 

 for the effects which education, habit, temper 

 local circumstances, and particular associations, 

 may have produced on the opinions of our sup 

 posed erring brethren , and let us consider, that 

 we ourselves, had we been placed in the same 

 circumstances, might have imbibed the same 

 sentiments. Let us endeavour to acquire clear 

 and well-defined ideas on every subject connect 

 ed with religion ; that we may not contend about 

 trifles, about mere abstract ideas, or the appli 

 cation of particular terms or phrases. Let u* 

 keep our eyes fixed on the great and prominent 

 objects of revelation, and on all the suboidinate 

 active means by which they may be promoted, 

 Let us consider religion as consisting more in 

 action, than in speculation. Let our love to 

 Christian brethren be founded, not so much on a 

 general coincidence of opinion, as on the resem- 

 olance they bear to the Divine image ; and then 

 we may confidently expect, that that period vvil. 

 soon approach, when the saints of God &quot; shall see 

 eye to eye,&quot; in reference to all the grand bearings 

 of the Gospel scheme, and when the name of 

 Jehovah shall bo ONE throughout all the earth. 



IV. We may learn from the subject we have 

 been illustrating, what notions we ought to form of 

 the NATURE of a future state of happiness, and of 

 the PREPARATION requisite to enable us to engage 

 in its employments. The felicity of the future 

 world will not consist simply in a change of 

 place ; nor will it consist chiefly in change of 

 sentiment or opinion. Its foundation must be 

 laid in the principle of Love, and in the com 

 plete renovation of the moral powers of the hu 

 man mind, without which no celestial scene could 

 produce permanent enjoyment. Although all 

 the theologians who now exist were united in 

 opinion about every article of the system of Di 

 vinity; and although they were transported to 

 the most splendid world that revolves aroun 

 the star Arcturus ; after the first transports, 

 arising from the novelty and the grandeur of the 

 scene had subsided, they would enjoy little more 

 happiness in that orb, than they do in this ter 

 restrial sphere, unless they were actuated with 

 moral dispositions and affections very diffe 

 rent from those which many of them now display. 

 For, not only rancour and malice, but even cold 

 ness and indifference to the welfare of others, 

 would prevent happiness from being enjoyed in 

 any region of the material universe. All who 

 believe in the reality of a future world, indulge 

 in anxious wishes to be made happy when they 

 pass from this mortal scene to the world of 

 spirits. Even wicked men, whose consciences 

 frequently forebode evil to them in the other 

 world, indulge the hope that God will ultimately 

 oe merciful to them, and admit them to the joyg 

 of heaven. But this is impossible, in the very 

 nature of things, unless they be &quot;renewed in the 



