86 THE CHRISTIAN'S CHOICE With him working in your heart, how inexcusable would you be to continue the slave to sin! Thus you see what religion is. It consists not in a round of outward forms, though, if it be enjoyed, outward privileges will be prized and improved; it consists not in the strictest mere morality, though, if it influence the heart, holiness must surely follow: but, in such a knowledge of God in Christ, as makes believers his and not their own. § 13. If religion be chosen by you, you will determine, in God's strength, to abide by your choice to your latest day. While the almost Christian halts between the world and Jesus, those who really flee to him, do so to be his decidedly. "The world will laugh at me," may the young Christian say: "well, let it laugh; if I may but enjoy the smile of God, I can bear the senseless laugh of men! The world will frown on me: well, let it frown; it frowned on my Master before me, and the disciple is not greater than his Lord!" If you flee to Jesus, you will flee to him to be his, not only decidedly, but for ever. You will view religion as a blessing, chosen once, but chosen for life. You will value it as the one thing needful, compared with which, suffering or delight, life or death below, are nothing. You will view his gospel as a blessing, most valuable in itself, and most important to you, though there were not another person on the face of the globe. As a blessing so inexpressibly valuable and momentous, that you would prize it, though it were neglected by every human being but yourself, and though all the nations of the earth should unite to deter you from embracing it. Such was the spirit of OF RELIGION A LASTING CHOICE. 87 the martyrs. Their religion was not a blessing valued merely when the sun of prosperity shone; but, one to which they clung when the storms of adversity and persecution beat upon them, and when the hour came that Christ or life should be resigned. Though not called to martyrdom, yet, that high degree of value for Christ, which animated them, must dwell in your heart, or your religion will be an empty name; for, the Lord has declared," He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." "Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my ciple." dis §14. You have already, in one or two instances, been referred to the parable of the prodigal son; permit me to refer you to it more at large, as affording a beautiful description of real religion. In its first part (Luke, xv. 11-16), you have a picture of man while destitute of real piety; a picture, my young friend, of what you yourself have been. The prodigal loses all affection for his father; wanders from him; squanders his all, as if distracted; and plunges deep in sin and misery. You have wandered from a kinder Father; and, as you were shown in Chapter II, have acted, towards God, the prodigal's part. His sin was followed by misery; and, unless you repent, your's must be by eternal ruin. But he repented. In the second part of the parable, verses 17-19, is contained a lively description of the nature of real repentance. He came to himself; he felt 88 RELIGION ILLUSTRATED from Luke, xv. his misery; he was humbled for his sin and folly; longed for the meanest place in his father's house; and arose to seek forgiveness. Such is repentance. The once careless sinner, the thoughtless trifler comes, as it were, to his right mind; he sees that in neglecting humble piety, and wandering from his God and Saviour, he has acted as if bereft of sense and reason; he abhors his sin; he is humbled for it; he longs for a place, though it be the meanest in the family of God; religion, which he once scorned, is now the object of his anxious wish; and, in sincerity and truth, he turns from the ways of sin to seek his God. The reception the prodigal met with, verses 20-24, displays the nature of the gospel. No sooner did he sincerely repent and apply for mercy, than he found it. His father welcomed him to his bosom; and received him as his son again. Yet, observe, he had done nothing to deserve his favour. not of works (through any works of his); for, he had returned to his parent a wretched, destitute outcast: yet, no sooner did he return, than he was fully and freely forgiven; his transgressions were blotted out; and he restored at once to his father's favour. Such is the grace displayed to you in the gospel. It is as free; it is as full. No works of yours can deserve the favour of your God; you have none that are worthy of his regard. What had the prodigal? But, he was immediately and freely forgiven; so will you be, if you come to God by Christ. You are, in a spiritual sense, as destitute, as wretched, as guilty as he; but, mercy as great is ready, at once, upon your believing from the heart on Christ, to forgive you, and save you, and make you a child of the Most High. Observe one It was NATURE OF CHRISTIAN obedience. 89 particular more. The prodigal, thus freely pardoned, was admitted again as a son into his father's family. What would be his conduct there? Surely every motive of gratitude and love, would urge him to obey his father's will: but, the motive would not be, that he might find mercy, for he had found it; it would not be, to gain admission into his father's house, for he had gained it: far nobler motives, the motives of love, would influence his conduct. Such is the obedience, which I have described as the fruit of religion. Evangelical obedience springs from love, that love which faith produces. The true Christian serves God, not to gain admission into his Father's family; for, when he came to Christ he gained this blessing: but, he renders to him the obedience of a child, thankful for a thousand favours. "He is justified by faith alone, yet not by a faith which is alone, but which contains the seeds of universal obedience;" and having found mercy of the Lord, he lives to God. The difference between the state of mind in a person hoping to gain heaven, by his defective obedience, and that of the person, justified by faith, is well described in the following lines of one of Cowper's hymns: "Then all my servile works were done A righteousness to raise; Now, freely chosen in the Son, I freely choose his ways. "What shall I do, was then the word, What shall I render to the Lord? Is my inquiry now. "To see the law by Christ fulfil'd, ***S 90 EARLY PIETY DISPLAYED BY § 15. Having now described to you what religion is, it may seem almost superfluous to add, that early piety consists in your thus becoming a disciple of Christ in your youthful days. If this be your wisdom and happiness, you will give your youth to God. You will listen to him, saying, “Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?" and the language of your heart will be, "Blessed God, by thy help, I will. I consecrate the morning of my life to thee. I owe thee as much as eternity can acknowledge. Take then, O take the little, yet the best, that I can offer; the prime, the flower of my days. Most young persons around me are ruled by the maxims of a corrupt world; sinful nature governs them; evil companions lead them astray; and Satan urges them to perdition: but, Lord, I will listen to thy voice. Be thou my guide through all the slippery paths of youth. I cry to thee as my Father; I seek thee now as such; and let me love and obey thee as a friend, to whom my welfare is dearer than it is to myself." If early piety, my young friend, be yours, in youth you will forsake the world, and dare to stand up for God and religion. While thousands of the young are building all their hopes upon this fleeting scene; yours will be fixed on things unseen and eternal: while they are trifling with the Saviour's love, you will gladly listen to his voice, and learn of him. Yes, in youth, you will accept the proffered Saviour. To him you will flee, and to him may you say, "Dear Lord, my youth is thine. I gladly yield to thee the best of my hasty life; gladly for thy sake renounce a deceiving world. For, O! what didst thou not |