The Young Lady's
Guide to the Harmonious
Development of Christian Character
by Harvey Newcomb, 1843
DOCTRINAL KNOWLEDGE
It is common for people to speak of doctrine with
aversion, as though it were something abstract and dry, having no connection
with practical life. This notion, however, is founded on a misapprehension,
not only of the meaning of the term, but of the connection of actions with
established principles of the mind. The general signification of the word
doctrine is, the principles upon which any system is founded. As applied
to Christianity, it means divine truth; for this is the
foundation upon which the Christian religion rests. Although the truths of
God's word are not reduced to a regular system in the Bible, yet, when
brought together, they make the most beautiful and perfect of all systems.
It is proper, therefore, that we should contemplate them in a body,
as they appear with the most perfect symmetry in the plan of God's moral
government.
There is a disposition, with many, to undervalue
doctrinal knowledge. They think it of little consequence what they
believe, if they are only sincere, and manifest much feeling
on the subject of religion. This is a ruinous mistake. There is an
intimate connection between faith and practice. The principles which are
believed, and received into the heart, govern and control the conduct.
The doctrines which God has revealed in his word are the principles of his
moral government. If we mistake these principles, we may be found in open
rebellion, while we think we are doing God service. For example, God
commands us to keep holy the Sabbath day. But, if we do not believe that he
has given this commandment, we shall feel under no obligation to obey it.
And every truth which God has revealed is as intimately connected with
practice as this, although the duty enjoined may be, in itself considered,
of less consequence.
Christianity is called a spiritual building. "You are
built up a spiritual house." "Whose house are we." "You are
God's building." The foundation and frame-work of this
building are the doctrines or truths of the Bible. Some of these doctrines
are called FUNDAMENTAL, or ESSENTIAL, because they lie at the
foundation of the whole building, and are so essential to it, that, if taken
away, the edifice would fall to the ground. These are:
1. the existence of God in the mysterious union of
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
2. the fall, and consequent depravity and
condemnation, of man;
3. the atonement of Christ;
4. justification by faith in him alone;
5. the necessity of regeneration by the Holy
Spirit;
6. the eternal punishment of those who finally
reject the gospel.
If any one of these were taken away, it would
overturn the whole building. These may, therefore, well be called the
foundation. But there are many other important parts of a frame
besides the foundation. So there are many very important truths of
Christianity besides its essential doctrines. But some of these are of more
consequence than others. If a post or a beam is taken away,
the building is greatly marred, and in danger of falling; yet, if well
covered, it may still be a comfortable dwelling. Again, although a
brace or a pin is of service to strengthen the building, yet
either may be taken away without very serious injury. But a frame may
be complete in all its parts, and yet be no building. Without a
covering, it will not answer a single design of a house; and in
proportion as it is well covered, will it be a comfortable residence. Just
so with Christianity.
The covering of the house is the work of the Holy
Spirit in the heart, producing gracious affections, which manifest
themselves in a holy life. But the covering of a house cannot exist
without some kind of frame-work. So experimental and practical piety cannot
exist without a belief of the fundamental doctrines of the gospel. The
Holy Spirit operates upon the heart through the truth. He gives
it a personal application, brings it home to the heart and conscience, and
exerts an efficacious influence in connection with it, changing the heart
and life. "By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of
truth." "Seeing you have purified your souls, in obeying the truth
through the Spirit." Thus the agency of the Spirit is generally
acknowledged in connection with the truth. "Sanctify them by the truth. Your
word is truth."
Any religious feeling or experience, therefore, which is
not produced by the truth, made effectual by the Holy Spirit, is not
genuine. There is a kind of indefinite religious feeling, which many mistake
for Christian experience. They feel, and, perhaps, deeply; but they
know not why they feel. Such religious feeling is to be suspected as
spurious. It may be a delusion of Satan. By persuading people to rest upon
this spurious religious feeling, he accomplishes his purpose as well as if
he had kept them in a careless state.
The clearer our views of truth, the more spiritual and
holy will be our pious affections. Thus godly sorrow arises from
a sight of our own depravity, with a sense of the exceeding sinfulness of
sin, as committed against a holy God, and against great light and mercy.
Faith is produced by a view of the atonement of Christ, and of his
infinite fullness as a complete and perfect Savior. Love is excited
by a discovery of the excellence of God's moral perfections. Godly fear
and reverence arise from a sight of the majesty and glory of his natural
attributes, and a sense of his presence. Joy may come from a sense of
the infinite rectitude of his moral government, from the sight of the glory
of God in his works of providence and grace, or from a general view of the
beauty and excellence of divine truth. Comfort may be derived from
evidence of the divine favor; and confidence, from an appropriation
of God's promises to ourselves.
But all religious feeling produced by impulse,
without any rational view of the truth, is to be suspected. Every religious
affection has its counterfeit. Thus sorrow may be produced by the fear of
hell, without any sense of the evil of sin. A presumption of our own good
estate may be mistaken for faith; and this will produce joy. We may exercise
a carnal or selfish love to God, because we think he loves us, and has made
us the objects of his special favor; and this may excite the natural
passions to a high degree of fervor, without any spiritual affection. The
promises of God, also, so far as they concern the personal good of the
believer, may administer as much comfort to the self-deceived, as to the
real saint.
But as the frame-work of a building, though complete in
all its parts, would be no house without a covering, so we may have a
speculative knowledge of the doctrines of the Christian religion, and not be
Christians. It is the experimental and practical application of these
doctrines to the heart and life that makes the building complete. By
regarding ourselves as subjects of God's moral government, and the doctrines
of the Bible as the laws of his kingdom, we feel such a personal interest in
them, that we cannot rest in abstract speculation. Let us, therefore, study
these doctrines, that we may know how to live to the glory of God.
Directions for acquiring Doctrinal Knowledge.
I. Become a little child.
"As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word." "Except you be
converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven." A little child believes the words of his father. "My
father says so," is reason enough for him. He does not say, "I will not
believe it, because I cannot understand it." In like manner should we submit
to the teachings of God's holy word. We cannot expect to comprehend the ways
of an infinite Being. We can see but a very small part of the system of his
moral government. Let us not, then, try to carry out difficult points beyond
what is taught in the Scriptures. God has revealed in the Scripture, all
that is necessary for us to know in this life. He knows best where to leave
these subjects. If there were no difficulties in the truths revealed, there
would be no trial of our faith. It is necessary that we should take some
things on trust. There are some truths clearly revealed, which we find
difficulty in reconciling one with the other. Be content to believe both on
the authority of God's word. He will reconcile them hereafter. "What I do,
you know not now," said our Lord to Peter, "but you shall know
hereafter." Let this consideration always satisfy us: "Even so, Father, for
so it seemed good in your sight."
I am the more particular here, because this is the point
where error begins. The setting up of 'feeble reason' in opposition to the
word of God, is the origin of most mistakes in religion. And, if we
determine to be satisfied of the reasonableness of the truth before we
believe it, and carry out the principle, we shall land in downright atheism.
I do not mean to say that any truth is unreasonable. On the contrary, divine
truth is the perfection of reason. But there are some truths which may
appear unreasonable because we cannot see the whole of them. Thus a fly on
the corner of a house cannot see the beauty and symmetry of the whole
building. So far as his eye extends, it may appear to be sadly lacking in
its proportions. Yet this is but a faint representation of our narrow views
of God's moral government.
But a great many of the difficulties which are felt in
regard to religious truth arise from mistaking the true province of reason.
There are a multitude of facts in natural science which are capable
of being demonstrated; and yet all philosophy is set at defiance to
determine the mode or manner of their existence, or the
reasons why they exist. Thus we can easily understand the fact of the
attraction of the needle to the pole; but the cause of this attraction, or
the manner in which it operates, is entirely beyond our apprehension. So we
can understand the fact that the heat of the sun, with moisture upon the
earth, will cause seed to vegetate; but we can explain neither the reason
why, nor the mode of operation; nor can we tell the reason why every
seed will produce its kind, or why every animal will propagate its own
species; neither can we discover the mode, or manner, in
either of these cases; and yet the fact is undeniable. To determine the
facts, in all these cases, by an examination of the evidence by which
they are substantiated, is the true province of reason; but it would be
unphilosophical and absurd to deny the fact, because we cannot
understand the how or the why.
Apply this simple principle to divine truth, and half the
difficulties with which it is surrounded will vanish. Thus we can understand
the fact of the connection of Adam's fall with the depravity of all men; but
the reasons which influenced the Divine Mind, in constituting the
arrangement under which this takes place, are entirely out of our reach; nor
can we explain the mode by which this depravity is inherited. So we can
apprehend the fact of the Trinity of persons in the Godhead, and the union
of the divine and human natures in Christ; but the mode, or
manner, is above our comprehension. Reason is competent to judge of the
evidence by which these truths are established; and no better evidence can
be had or desired than the word of God, in ascertaining the meaning of which
reason is to be employed. But, when that meaning is ascertained, reason is
to bow with implicit faith. It is to be observed, however, that the word of
God does not teach anything which is obviously absurd, and repugnant to
right reason, as the Papal notion of transubstantiation; and the fact that
the meaning we attach to any passage of Scripture is absurd, and repugnant
to reason, is presumptive evidence that we have mistaken its meaning.
II. Avoid a controversial spirit.
Do not study for the sake of finding arguments to
support your own opinions. Take the place of a sincere inquirer after
truth, with a determination to embrace whatever you find supported by the
word of God, however contrary it may be to your favorite notions. But,
when objections arise in your mind against any doctrine, do not suppose you
have made some new discovery, and therefore reject it without further
inquiry. The same objections have, perhaps, occurred to the mind of every
inquirer on the same subject; and, very probably, they have often been
satisfactorily answered by able writers. This is a common error of young
inquirers. They are apt to think others take things upon trust, and that
they are the only people who have thought of the difficulties which start up
in their minds. But, when their reading becomes more extensive, they learn,
with shame, that what appeared to them original thought, was only reviving
old, cast-off opinions.
III. Use such helps as you can obtain.
Read carefully selected and judicious authors, on
doctrinal subjects. Although the Scriptures are our only guide, yet we may
profit by the experience of others. We may see how the difficulties which
arise in our own minds appeared to them, and how they solved them. We may
learn, also, that our difficulties with commonly received opinions are not
new, but that they have before occurred to the minds of others, who,
nevertheless, after examination, have retained these opinions. This may
prevent us from hastily rejecting any doctrine without thorough examination.
We may also obtain much light upon many difficult passages of Scripture, by
an acquaintance with the times and circumstances in which they were written;
and men who undertake to write on such subjects generally search deeply into
these matters.
Furthermore, it has pleased God, in every age, to raise
up men "mighty in the Scriptures." With their extraordinary powers of
mind, and knowledge of the languages in which the Scriptures were originally
written, it would be strange if they should not have clearer perceptions of
their meaning, and more comprehensive views of divine truth, than those who
have only read the English Bible; and to despise what they have written
would be the height of self-conceited folly.
We may also employ the sermons which we hear for an
increase of doctrinal knowledge, as well as an excitement to the performance
of duty. But all which we read or hear must be brought to the test of
God's word. We are commanded to "test the spirits, whether they be of
God." Do not take the opinions of men upon trust. Compare them diligently
with the word of God, and do not receive them until you are convinced that
they agree with this unerring standard. Make this your text-book; and only
use others to assist you in coming to a right understanding of this. Yet be
not too confident in your own understanding; and be ever ready to suspect
your judgment, where you find it opposed by the opinions of the mass of
learned and pious men whom God has raised up for the instruction of his
people.
IV. In all your researches after doctrinal knowledge,
seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Pray that God would enable you to understand his word, that you may be
"rooted and grounded in the faith." The influences of the Holy Spirit are
twofold. He enlightens the understanding, to lead it into a correct
knowledge of the truth; and he applies the truth, to the sanctification of
the heart. Pray diligently that you may have both. If you persevere in the
proper observance of this direction, you cannot fail to profit by the
others; but, if you neglect this, your pursuit of doctrinal knowledge will
serve only as food for your pride, self-confidence, and conceit—and exert a
blighting influence upon your soul.
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