The snares of the devil are very numerous. Perhaps none of them are more common or more dangerous than those which are addressed to pride and vanity.

When the affections, or mere sensibilities of the heart are excited, and the understanding and conscience are but little employed, there is a sad preparation for false hope—for some wild delusion or fanatical faith. The judgment and conscience should take the lead of the affections; but when the affections take the lead, they will be very apt to monopolize the whole soul—judgment and conscience will be overpowered, or flung into the background; and then, the deluded mortal will have a religion of mere impressions—more feeling than truth—more sensitiveness than faith—more fancy and fanaticism than holiness.

The snares of the devil are very numerous. Perhaps none of them are more common or more dangerous than those which are addressed to pride and vanity.

To cut off the sinner from all reliance upon himself, his merits, and his powers, and throw him naked and helpless into the hands of the Holy Spirit to lead him to Christ in faith, should be the one great aim of the ministry. Sinners certainly ought to repent, for God commands them to repent. But in my opinion, he does not design to have them understand his command as having respect only to their own ability to repent, and not having respect to the proffered aids of the Holy Spirit. Such aids constitute one grand ground on which his command is obligatory, and sweep away every possible excuse.

Moral suasian is one thing, and the Holy Spirit is another. It is an easy thing for a minister to fix a hope in the heart of an alarmed sinner, but it is not safe. The Bible does not tell us that a sinner's resolves are enough. It does not tell us the resolves are regeneration.

To cut off the sinner from all reliance upon himself, his merits, and his powers, and throw him naked and helpless into the hands of the Holy Spirit to lead him to Christ in faith, should be the one great aim of the ministry. Sinners certainly ought to repent, for God commands them to repent. But in my opinion, he does not design to have them understand his command as having respect only to their own ability to repent, and not having respect to the proffered aids of the Holy Spirit. Such aids constitute one grand ground on which his command is obligatory, and sweep away every possible excuse.

Moral suasian is one thing, and the Holy Spirit is another. It is an easy thing for a minister to fix a hope in the heart of an alarmed sinner, but it is not safe. The Bible does not tell us that a sinner's resolves are enough. It does not tell us the resolves are regeneration.