The Young Lady's
Guide to the Harmonious
Development of Christian Character
by Harvey Newcomb, 1843
TRUE RELIGION ESSENTIALLY PROGRESSIVE
The great moral and spiritual change, which the
Scriptures declare to be necessary to salvation, is compared by Christ and
the apostles to a new birth, because it is the beginning of spiritual life.
The term regeneration, however, only applies to this change in its
commencement, which is instantaneous. The young convert, therefore, is very
properly called by the apostle Peter a "new-born babe." It is a great
mistake, then, to suppose that a true Christian, who is in a right state of
mind, is to look back to the period of his conversion for his most lively
and vigorous exercises of grace, or for his principal evidences of being in
a gracious state. It may, indeed, be at that time more perceptible, because
the change from a state of nature to a state of grace is very great. Yet
this change is imperfect, and the greater part of the work of "putting off
the old man,"—of "bringing under the body and keeping it in subjection,"
remains yet to be done; while the "new man" must grow up from the feebleness
of childhood to the "stature of a perfect man in Christ Jesus."
True religion must, therefore, be essentially
progressive. This is the clear implication of all the figures used in the
word of God to describe the work of grace in the heart. It is compared to a
mustard-seed, which is the least of all seeds. But, when it springs
up, it rises and spreads its branches until it becomes the greatest of all
herbs. The beauty and appropriateness of this figure will not be appreciated
unless we take into consideration the luxuriant growth of plants in Eastern
countries. But we should never expect such a plant to spring up at once into
full maturity. It is the mushroom which opens full grown to behold
for the first time the morning sun; but it as speedily withers away. Yet
neither should we expect such a plant to become stationary in its growth,
before it arrives at maturity. If it ceases to grow, there must be a worm at
the root, or some fatal disease, which will cause it to shrivel and die.
The operation of grace is also compared to leaven;
which is so little at first that its presence in the meal can scarcely be
perceived. But when it begins to work, it increases and extends until the
whole is leavened. Yet its progress may be impeded by cold; and the process
can rarely be restored, so as not to injure the production. So the Christian
will rarely recover from the injurious effects of backsliding and growing
cold in his pious affections.
Again, grace is compared to a living spring—a
fountain, whose waters bubble up and send forth a constant stream. Christ
says, "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water, springing up into everlasting life." When these words were
uttered, our Lord was sitting on a deep well, in conversation with the woman
of Samaria. As his custom was, he drew instruction from the objects around
him. He directed her attention away from the water which could only quench
natural thirst, to the living water, which refreshes the soul. But she, not
understanding him, wished to know how he could obtain living water
from a deep well, without anything to draw with. In order to show the
superiority of the water of life, he told her that those who drank of it
should have it in them, constantly springing up of itself, as from an
overflowing fountain.
One of the most deeply-cherished recollections of the
author's early life, is the living spring that flowed from a rock near the
home of his childhood. The severest drought never affected it, and in the
coldest season of a northern winter it was never frozen. Oft, as he rose in
the morning, when the chilling blasts whistled around the dwelling, and
everything seemed sealed up with perpetual frost, the ice and snow would be
smoking around the spring. Thus, like a steady stream, should our graces
flow, unaffected by the drought or barrenness of others, melting the icy
hearts around us.
"The righteous," says David, "shall flourish like
a palm-tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon." The palm-tree
continues to grow and increase, and retains its vigor and fruitfulness
perhaps longer than any other tree. It is also renowned for its ability to
multiply its own kind, its root producing a great number of suckers; and
when it is planted by a living spring in the desert, soon there will be
found a little forest of palm-trees growing up around it. This is one of the
most useful of trees, every part of it being put to some profitable use. To
"flourish like the palm-tree," therefore, is full of meaning. This can be
realized by the Christian only when he is making progress in his own
spiritual growth, contributing, by his influence, to the increase of the
"trees of righteousness" in the garden of the Lord, and abounding in works
of usefulness.
The cedar is an evergreen. It does not, like many trees,
shed its verdure, and remain apparently lifeless one half the year, and then
shoot forth luxuriantly again for a little season; but its growth is steady
and sure. It is perpetually green. To grow like a cedar, therefore,
indicates a steady progress in the divine life.
The motives which urge us to seek and maintain an
elevated standard of piety, are the highest that can be presented to our
minds. The glory of God requires it. This is the greatest possible
good. It is the manifestation of the divine perfections to his intelligent
creatures. This manifestation is made by discovering to them his works of
creation, providence, and grace, and by impressing his moral image upon
their hearts. In this their happiness consists. In promoting his own glory,
therefore, God exercises the highest degree of unselfish benevolence.
Nothing can add to his happiness: nothing can diminish it. If the whole
creation were blotted out, and God were the only being in the universe, he
would still be perfectly glorious and happy in himself. There can be,
therefore, no selfishness in his maintaining his own glory. The glory of the
Creator is essential to the good of the creature. A desire to glorify God
must, then, be the ruling principle of our conduct, the moving spring of our
actions.
But how is the glory of God promoted by our growth in
grace?
1. It is manifested to us by impressing his image upon
our hearts, and by giving us a spiritual discovery of the excellence,
purity, and loveliness, of his moral nature.
2. It is manifested to others, so far as we maintain a
holy life; for thereby the moral image of Christ is exhibited, as the glory
of the sun appears by the reflected light of the moon.
3. The glory of God is promoted by making others
acquainted with the riches of free grace, and bringing them to Christ; for,
by that means, they receive spiritual light to behold the beauty and glory
of the divine perfections, and his image is stamped upon their souls.
We have, likewise, great encouragement to aim at progress
in divine things. The word of God is full of promises to such as seek after
high attainments in divine knowledge and holiness. The prophet Hosea says,
"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is
prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the
latter and former rain upon the earth." His going forth, to those who follow
on to know him, shall be as certain, and as regular, and steady, as the
daily return of the morning; and as progressive as the sun, when his beams
break from the east, and increase in brightness and intensity, until they
pour down the burning heat, and steady, clear light, of perfect day. "If we
follow on to know the Lord," our consolations shall be as constant, and our
experience of the goodness of the Lord as certain, as the regular succession
of night and day; and our communion with God, and increase of light, shall
be as steady as the progress of the sun from early dawn to mid-day. There
may be occasional clouds; but they will quickly disperse, and the Sun of
Righteousness will break forth with sweeter beams and more cheering luster.
He shall also "come unto us as the rain, as the latter
and former rain upon the earth." In Palestine, the rain does not fall, as in
this country, at all seasons of the year; but heavy rains descend, to water
the ground at seed-time, to cause the seed to spring up and grow; and these
rains are so plentiful as to carry on vegetation with steady progress, until
near the harvest, when the "latter rain" falls, to perfect the crop—to give
body to the kernel, so that, when it shall ripen, it may be plump and full.
If this latter rain fails, the kernel shrinks, and shrivels up, so that the
grain is deteriorated in quality, and diminished in quantity. The "former
rain," in the text quoted, then, would seem to denote that "refreshing from
on high," which the soul experiences when the "good seed" of the word first
springs up; and, if this be abundant, and the young convert will "follow on
to know the Lord," the impulse which he then receives will carry him on in a
steady course of spiritual growth, until the "latter rain" comes to perfect
his fruits.
In the experience of Christians who have made much
progress in the divine life, there is something very much resembling this
"latter rain." They go on in a steady course, after their conversion, always
advancing, though, perhaps, less perceptibly at some seasons than others, as
there are seasons in vegetation when things seem to make no progress. But,
at length, after having faithfully followed on to know the Lord, they
receive a fresh unction from on high. The Spirit of the Lord is poured out
upon them anew, like the "latter rain," to perfect the growth of the
Christian graces. It may happen, in the growth of vegetation in the East,
that, for a while before the "latter rain," the drought may be such as to
cause the grain to droop, and, perhaps, to appear as though it were going to
dry up and wither away.
So, often, previous to this new experience of which I am
speaking, the Christian is brought through great trials, often exceeding, in
the strength of temptation and the power of conviction, that which preceded
his first experience of pardoning mercy. But, when light again breaks in
upon his mind, he is brought out into "a large place," and beholds the
"beauty of the Lord," and the glories of his grace, with clearer vision than
ever before. The riches of full assurance break in upon the soul, and his
peace flows as a river that is never dry. He has new and clearer discoveries
of the glory of God, and of that divine and unspeakably glorious mystery,
"God manifest in the flesh." His soul is lifted up in God's ways, though
exceedingly abased in himself, and humbled before God. He has exchanged the
"spirit of bondage" for the "spirit of adoption." His mind is in "perfect
peace, stayed on God." And this "latter rain" brings his fruits to maturity.
His love and joy, as well as all his pious affections, are more pure and
spiritual, with less mixture of human passion; his faith is stronger,
clearer, and more steady; his patience is strengthened; he is more
forbearing, more gentle, more meek, more humble, more consistent in his
temper and conduct at all times. He literally and truly "brings forth fruit
with patience;" and his fruit remains, and is seen, to the glory of God's
grace. And, with many, this refreshing is often repeated, through a long
Christian life, causing them always to "bring forth fruit in their season."
There is something like this "latter rain" in the
experience of Bible saints, as in that of Job, in his trial, and of David
and Peter, after their falls. So, also, we find it in the memoirs of eminent
Christians, as of Bunyan, Mrs. Edwards, (wife of Jonathan Edwards,) Edward
Payson, James Brainerd, Taylor, Griffin, and many others. Mrs. Edwards, for
a long time, enjoyed, as she said, "the riches of full assurance." She felt
"an uninterrupted and entire resignation to God, with respect to health or
sickness, ease or pain, life or death; and an entire resignation of the
lives of her nearest earthly friends." She also felt a "sweet peace and
serenity of soul, without a cloud to interrupt it; a continual rejoicing in
all the works of nature and Providence; a wonderful access to God by prayer,
sensibly conversing with him, as much as if God were here on earth;
frequent, plain, sensible, and immediate answers to prayer; all tears wiped
away; all former troubles and sorrows of life forgotten, except sorrow for
sin; doing everything for God's glory, with a continual and uninterrupted
cheerfulness, peace, and joy." At the same time she engaged in the common
duties of life with great diligence, considering them as a part of the
service of God; and, when done from this motive, she said they were as
delightful as prayer itself. She also showed an "extreme anxiety to avoid
every sin, and to discharge every moral obligation. She was most exemplary
in the performance of every social and relative duty; exhibited great
inoffensiveness of life and conversation; great meekness, benevolence, and
gentleness of spirit; and avoided, with remarkable conscientiousness, all
those things which she regarded as failings in her own character."
But how did these people arrive at this eminence in the
Christian life? Although by free, sovereign grace—yet it was by no miracle.
If we will use the same means, we may attain the same end; and that without
any disparagement to our dependence upon God, or his sovereignty in the
dispensation of his grace; for he has appointed the means, as well as
the end. In speaking of the attainments of Mrs. Edwards, her husband
says, "Mrs. Edwards had been long, in an uncommon manner, growing in grace;
and rising, by very sensible degrees, to higher love to God,
weanedness to the world, and mastery over sin and temptation, through
great trials and conflicts, and long-continued struggling and
fighting with sin, and earnest and constant prayer and
labor in piety, and engagedness of mind in the use of all means. This growth
had been attended, not only with a great increase of religious affections,
but with a most visible alteration of outward behavior; particularly in
living above the world, and in a greater degree of steadfastness and
strength in the way of duty and self-denial; maintaining the Christian
conflict under temptations, and conquering, from time to time, under
great trials; persisting in an unmoved, untouched calm and rest, under
the changes and accidents of time, such as seasons of extreme pain,
and apparent hazard of immediate death."
We find accounts of similar trials and struggles in the
lives of others. This is what we may expect. It agrees with the Christian
life, as described in God's word. It is "through much tribulation that we
enter the kingdom of heaven." This is the way in which we must go, if we
would ever enter there. We must make piety the great business of life, to
which everything else must give place. We must engage in the work with
our whole souls, looking to Christ for strength against our spiritual
enemies; following the example of Paul, "forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before; pressing
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus;"
and then we shall come off conquerors at last, "through him that has loved
us, and given himself for us."
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