1. Self Deceivers (the two extremes of religion)
Be ye doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving
your own selves. James 1:22.
There are two extremes in religion, equally false and
equally fatal. And there are two classes of hypocrites
that occupy these two extremes. The first class make
religion to consist altogether in the belief of certain
abstract doctrines, or what they call faith, and lay
little or no stress on good works. The other class make
religion to consist altogether in good works, (I mean,
dead works) and lay little or no stress on faith in Jesus
Christ, but hope for salvation by their own deeds.
The Jews [of that time] belonged generally to the last-mentioned
class. Their religious teachers taught them that they
would be saved by obedience to the ceremonial law. And
therefore, when Paul began to preach, he seems to have
attacked more especially this error of the Jews. He was
determined to carry the main question, that men are
justified by faith in Jesus Christ, in opposition to the
doctrine of the scribes and Pharisees, that salvation is
by obedience to the law. And he pressed that point so
earnestly, in his preaching and in his epistles, that he
carried it, and settled the faith of the church in the
great doctrine of justification by faith. And then certain individuals in the church laid hold of
this doctrine and carried it to the opposite extreme, and
maintained that men are saved by faith altogether,
irrespective of works of any kind.
They overlooked the
plain principle, that genuine faith always results in good
works, and is itself a good work. I said that these two
extremes, that which makes religion to consist altogether
in outward works and that which makes it consist
altogether in faith, are equally false and equally
fatal.
Those who make religion consist altogether in good
works, overlook the fact that works themselves are not
acceptable to God unless they proceed from faith. For
without faith it is impossible to please him. And those
who make religion consist altogether in faith, overlook
the fact that true faith always works by love, and
invariably produces the works of love. They are equally
fatal, because, on the one hand, without faith persons
cannot be pardoned or justified; and on the other, without
sanctification they cannot be fitted either to the
employments or enjoyments of heaven.
Let a sinner turn from his sins altogether, and suppose
his works to be as perfect as he thinks them to be, and
yet he could not be pardoned without faith in the
atonement of Jesus Christ. And so if any one supposed that
he could be justified by faith while his works were evil,
he ought to know that without sanctification his faith is
but dead, and cannot even be the instrument of his
justification. It appears that the apostle James, in this
epistle, designed to put this matter upon the right
ground, and show exactly where the truth lay, and to
explain the necessity, and reason of the necessity, of
both faith and good works.
This epistle is a very
practical one, and it meets full in the face all the great
practical questions of the day, and decides them.
Doctrines in religion are of two classes, those which
refer to God, and those which refer to human practice.
Many confine their idea of religious doctrines to the
former class. They think nothing is properly called
doctrine but what respects God, his attributes, mode of
existence, decrees, and so on. When I gave notice that I
should commence a course of "Practical
Lectures," I hope you did not understand me to mean
that the lectures would not be doctrinal, or would have no
doctrine in them. My design is to preach, if the Lord
will, a course of lectures on practical doctrines.
The
doctrine which I propose to consider now, is this that
professor of religion who does not practice what he admits
to be true, is self-deceived. There are two classes of
hypocrites among professors of religion, those that
deceive others and those that deceive themselves. One
class of hypocrites are those that, under a specious
outside of morality and religion, cover up the enmity of
their hearts against God, and lead others to think they
are very pious people. Thus the Pharisees obtained the
reputation of being remarkably pious, by their outside
show of religion, their alms and their long prayers. The
other class is that referred to in the text, who do not
deceive others but themselves.
These are orthodox in
sentiment, but loose in practice. They seem to suppose
religion to consist in a parcel of notions, without regard
to practice, and thus deceive themselves by thinking they
are good Christians while destitute of true holiness. They
are hearers of the word but not doers. They love orthodox
preaching, and take great pleasure in hearing the abstract
doctrines of religion exhibited, and perhaps have fights
of imagination and glowing feelings in view of the
character and government of God, but they are not careful
to practice the precepts of God's word, nor are they
pleased with the preaching of those doctrines which relate
to human practice.
Perhaps there are some present tonight
of both these classes of hypocrites. Now mark! I am not
going to preach tonight to those of you who, by great
strictness of morals and outside show of religion, deceive
others. I address, now, those of you who do not practice
what you know to be true who are hearers and not doers.
Perhaps I had better say, to secure attention, that it is
very probable there are a number here now of this
character. I do not know your names; but I wish you to
understand, that if you are that character, you are the
persons I am speaking to, just as if I called out your
names. I mean you. You hear the word, and believe it in
theory, while you deny it in practice. I say to you, that
"you deceive yourselves." The text proves it.
Here you have an express "Thus says the Lord"
for it, that all such characters are self-deceivers. I
might quote a number of other passages of scripture, that
are to the point, and there leave it. But I wish to call
your attention to some other considerations beside the
direct scripture testimony. In the first place, you do not
truly believe the word. You hear it, and admit it to be
true, but you do not truly believe it.
And here let me
say, that persons are themselves liable to deception on
this point. Not that their consciousness deceives them,
but they do not understand what it is that consciousness
testifies. Two
things are indispensable to evangelical, or saving faith.
The first is intellectual conviction of the truth of a
thing. And here I do not mean merely the abstract truth of
it, but in its bearing on you. The truth, in its relation
to you, or its bearing on your conduct, must be received
intellectually. And then true faith includes a
corresponding state of the heart. This always enters into
the essence of true faith. When a man's understanding is
convinced, and he admit the truth in its relation to
himself, then there must be a hearty approbation of it in
its bearing or relation to himself.
Both these states of
mind are indispensable to truth faith. Intellectual
conviction of the truth is not saving faith. But
intellectual conviction, then accompanied with a
corresponding state of the affections, is saving faith
Hence it follows that where there is true saving faith,
there is always corresponding conduct. The conduct always
follows the real faith. Just as certain as the will
controls the conduct, men will act as they believe.
Suppose I say to a man, Do you believe this? "Yes, I
believe it." What does he mean? A mere intellectual
conviction? He may have that and yet not have faith. A man
may even feel an approbation of an abstract truth. This is
what many persons suppose to be faith the approbation
which they feel for the character and government of God,
and for the plan of salvation, when viewed abstractedly.
Many persons, when they hear an eloquent sermon on the
attributes or government of God, are set all in a glow at
the excellency displayed, when they have not a particle of
true faith. I have heard of an infidel, who would be moved
even to ecstasy at such themes. The rational mind is so
constituted that it naturally and necessarily approves of
truth when viewed abstractedly. The wickedest devils in hell love it, if they can see it
without its relation to themselves. If they could see the
gospel without any relation that interferes with their own
selfishness, they would not only see it to be true, but
would heartily approve of it. All hell, if they could view
God in his absolute existence, without any relation to
themselves, would heartily approve his character.
The
reason why wicked men and devils hate God is, because they
see him in relation to themselves. Their hearts rise up in
rebellion, because they see him opposed to their
selfishness. Here is the source of a grand delusion among
men in regard to religion. They see, it to be, true, and
they really rejoice in contemplating it; they do not enter
into its relation to themselves, and so they love to hear
such preaching, and say they are fed by it. But mark! They
go away and do not practice. See that man! he is sick, and
his feelings are tender. In view of Christ, as a kind and
tender Savior, his heart melts and he feels strong
emotions of approbation towards Jesus Christ. Why? For the
very same reasons that he would feel strong emotions
toward the hero of a romance. But he does not obey Christ.
He never practices one thing out of obedience to Christ,
but views him abstractedly, and is delighted with his
glorious and lovely character, while he himself remains in
the gall of bitterness. Thus it is apparent that your
faith must be an efficient faith, such as regulates your
practice and produces good works, or it is not the faith
of the gospel, it is no real faith at all. Again. It is
further manifest that you are deceiving yourselves,
because all true religion consists in obedience. And
therefore, however much you may approve of Christianity,
you have no religion unless you obey it. In saying that
all religion consists in obedience, I do not mean outward
obedience. But faith itself, true faith, work by love, and
produces corresponding action. There is no real obedience
but the obedience of the heart; love is the fulfilling of
the law; and religion consists in the obedience of the
heart, with a corresponding course of life. The man,
therefore, who hears the truth, and approves it, and does
not practice it, deceives himself. He is like the man
beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholds himself, and
goes his way, and straightway forgetting
what manner of a man he was. Again. That state of mind
which you mistake for religion, an intellectual conviction
of truth, and approval of it in the abstract, so far from
being evidence that you pious, is as common to the wicked
as to be good, whenever they can be brought to look at it
abstractedly. This is the reason why it is often so
difficult to convince sinners that they are opposed to God
and his truth. Men are so constituted that they do approve
of virtue, and do admire the character and government of
God, and would approve and admire every truth in the
Bible, if they could view it abstractedly, and without any
relation to themselves. And when they sit under preaching
that holds up the truth in such a way, that it has not
much of a practical bearing on themselves, they may sit
for years and never consider that they are opposed to God
and his government. And I am more and more persuaded, that
great multitudes are to be found in all our congregations,
where the abstract doctrines of the gospel are much
preached, who like the preaching and like to hear about
God, and all these things, and yet are unconverted. And no
doubt multitudes of them get into the churches, because
they love orthodox preaching, when, after all, it is
manifest that they are not doers of the word. And here is
the difficulty; they have not had that searching preaching
that made them see the truth in its bearing on themselves.
And now they are in the church, whenever the truth is
preached in its practical relation to them, they show the
enmity of their hearts unchanged, by rising up in
opposition to truth. They took it for granted that they
were Christians, and so joined the church, because they
could hear sound doctrinal preaching and approve of it, or
because they read the Bible and approved of it. If their
faith be not so practical as to influence their conduct,
if they do not view the truth in its relation to their own
practice, their faith does not affect them so much as the
faith of the devil. Remarks 1. Great injury has been done
by false representations regarding the wickedness of real
Christians. A celebrated preacher, not long since, is said
to have given this definition of a Christian "A
little grace and a great deal of devil." I utterly
deny this definition. It is false and ruinous. A great
deal is said that makes an impression that real Christians
are the wickedest beings of the face of the earth. It is
true that when they do sin, they incur great guilt. For a
Christian to sin is highly criminal. And it is also true
that enlightened Christians see in their sins great
wickedness. When they compare their obligations with their
lives, they are greatly humbled, and express their
humility in very strong language. But it is not true that
they are as bad as the devil, or anywhere in the
neighborhood of it. This is perfectly demonstrable. When
they do sin, their sins have great aggravation, and appear
extremely wicked in the sight of God. But to suppose that
men are real Christians while they live in the service of
the devil, and have little of even the appearance of
religion, is a sentiment that is not only false but of
very dangerous tendency. It is calculated to encourage all
that class of hypocrites who are Antinomians, and to
encourage backsliders, as well as to do a great injury to
the cause of Christ in the estimation of scorners. The
truth is those who do not obey God are not Christian. The
contrary doctrine is ruinous to the churches, by filling
them up with multitudes whose claim to piety depends on
their adoption of certain notions, while they never
heartily intended to obey the requirements of the gospel
in their lives. 2. Those who are so much more zealous for
doctrines than for practice, and who lay much more stress
on that class of doctrines which relate to God than on
that class which relate to their own conduct, are
Antinomians. There are many who will receive that class of
the doctrines of the Bible that relate to God and approve
and love them, who have not a particle of religion. Those
who are never "fed," as they call it, on any
preaching but that of certain abstract points of doctrine,
are Antinomians. They are the very persons against whom
the apostle James wrote this epistle. They make religion
to consist in a set of notions, while they do not lead
holy lives. 3. That class of professors of religion who
never like to hear about God or his attributes, or mode of
existence, the Trinity, decrees, election, and the like,
but lay all stress in religious practice to the exclusion
of religious doctrine, are Pharisees. They make great
pretensions to outward piety, and perhaps to inward
flights of emotion of a certain poetical cast, while they
will not receive the great truths that relate to God, but
deny the fundamental doctrines of the gospel. 4. The
proper end and tendency of all right doctrine, when truly
believed, is to produce correct practice. Wherever you
find a man's practice heretical, you may be sure his
belief is heretical too. The faith that he holds in his
heart is just as heretical as his life. He may not be
heretical in his notions and theories. He may be right
there, even on the very points where he is heretical in
practice. But he does not really believe it. For
illustration: See that careless sinner there, grasping
wealth, and rushing headlong in the search for riches.
Does that man truly believe he is ever going to die?
Perhaps you will say, he knows he must die. But I say,
while he is in this attitude, he does not actually believe
he is ever going to die. The subject is one which is not
before his thoughts at all. And thus it is, therefore,
impossible that he should believe it in his utter
thoughtlessness. To ask him if he expect ever to die, and
he will reply, "O yes, I know I must die; all men are
mortal." As soon as he turns his thoughts to it, he
assents to the truth. And if you could fasten the
conviction on his mind till he is really and permanently
impressed with it, he would infallibly change his conduct,
and live for another world instead of this. It is just so
in religion; whatever a man really believes is just as
certain to control his practice as that the will governs
the conduct. 5. The church has for a long time acted too
much on the Antinomial policy. She
has been a stickler for the more abstract doctrines, and
left the more practical too much out of view. She has laid
greater stress on orthodoxy in those doctrines that are
not practical, than in those that are practical. Look at
the creeds of the church, and see how they all lay the
main stress on those doctrines that have little relation
to our practice. A man may be the greatest heretic on
points of practice, provided he is not openly profane and
vicious, and yet maintain a good standing in the church,
whether his life corresponds with the gospel or not. Is
not this monstrous? And hence we see that when it is
attempted to purify the church in regard to practical
errors, she cannot bear it. Why else is it that so much
excitement is produced by attempting to clear the church
from participation in sins of intemperance, and
Sabbath-breaking, and slavery? Why is it so difficult to
induce the church to do anything effectual for the
conversion of the world? Oh, when shall the church be
purified, or the world converted? Not till it is a settled
point, that heresy in practice is the proof of heresy in
belief. Not while a man may deny the whole gospel in his
practice every day, and yet maintain his standing in the
church as a good Christian. 6. See how a minister may be
deceived in regard to the state of his congregation. He
preaches a good deal on the abstract doctrines, that do
not immediately relate to practice, and his people say
they are fed, and rejoice in it, and he thinks they are
growing in grace, when in fact it is no certain sign that
there is any religion among them. It is manifest that this
is not certain evidence. But if when he preaches practical
doctrines, his people show that they love the truth in
relation to themselves, and show it by practicing it, then
they give evidence of real love to the truth. If a
minister find that his people love abstract doctrinal
preaching, but that when he comes to press the practical
doctrines they rebel, he may be sure that if they have any
religion, it is in a low state; and if he find, on fair
trial, that he cannot bring them up to it, so as to
receive practical doctrine, he may be satisfied they have
not a particle of religion, but are a mere company of
Antinomians, who think they can go to heaven on a dead
faith in abstract orthodoxy. 7. See what a vast multitude
of professors of religion there are who are deceiving
themselves. Many suppose they are Christians from the
emotions they feel in view of the truth, when in fact what
they receive is truth presented to their minds in such a
way that they do not see its bearing on themselves. If you
bring the truth so to bear on them, as to destroy their
pride and cut them off from their worldliness, such
professors resist it. Look abroad upon the church. See
what a multitude of orthodox churches and orthodox
Christians live and feed upon the abstract doctrines of
religion from year to year. Then
look farther at their lives, and see how little influence
their professed belief has upon their practice. Have they
saving faith? It cannot be. I do not mean to say that none
of these church members are pious, but I do say that those
who do not adopt in practice what they admit in theory who
are hearers of the word but not doers deceive
themselves. Inquire now how many of you really believe the
truths you hear preached. I have proposed to preach a
course of "practical" lectures. I do not mean
that I shall preach lectures that have no doctrine in
them. That is not preaching at all. But what I desire is,
to see whether you will, as a church, do what you believe
to be true. If I do not succeed in convincing you that any
doctrine I may maintain is really true, that is another
affair. That is reason enough why you should not do it.
But if I do succeed in proving from the scriptures, and
convincing your understanding, that it is true, and yet
you do not practice it, I shall then have the evidence
before my own eyes what your character is, and no longer
deceive myself with the idea that this is a Christian
church. Are you conscious that the gospel is producing a
practical effect upon you, according to your advancement
in knowledge? Is it weaning you from the world? Do you
find this to be your experience, that when you receive any
practical truth into your minds you love it, and love to
feel its application to yourself, and take pleasure in
practicing it? If you are not growing in grace, becoming
more and more holy, yielding yourselves up to the
influence of the gospel, you are deceiving yourselves. How
is it now with you who are elders of this church? How is
it with you who are heads of families all of you? When you
hear a sermon, do you seize hold of it and take it home to
you, and practice it? Or do you receive it into your
minds, and approve of it, and never practice it? Woe to
that man who admits the truth, and yet turns away and does
not practice it, like the man beholding his natural face
in a glass turning away and forgetting what manner of man
he was.
|