When errors arise and spread, the Christian may, and ought to be grieved, but he ought not to despond; or distrust the love and kindness of God to his true people and the true Religion. Especially ought he not to mingle resentment with his concern for the cause of truth, For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. For wise and holy ends, error is permitted to spring up, and prevail. But it can go no farther than a wise and Sovereign God sees meet. He can say to it, hitherto shall thy proud waves come and no farther. And he will stay it, in such a manner, and such ways, and at such times, as seem best to him. We may rest in these words of our Saviour, Every plant which our heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. It was a wise advice of a learned man, Gamaliel—If this work and counsel be not of God, it will come to nought. Error and delusion must at last die away. But truth shall obtain an eternal victory.——
Having finished what was proposed, it only remains to improve what hath been offered, for your direction and assistance in practice.—
And first—We should examine all our principles by the word of God. The true principles of religion are to be taken thence. And they are, in their great foundation, easily to be learned. All men of common capacity may know them, if they will be honest and upright in their search. The reason, why there have been so many divisions and errors, or false doctrines, is because men have left the holy scriptures, and gleaned strange doctrines, from other sources. The word of God must be our supreme and only standard. If we make any thing a rule above it, we wholly depart from it, and get our religion from another source. And respecting the true principles of religion, I venture to say, all real Christians, of whatever denomination, are perfectly agreed in them—in the absolutely essential doctrines, I mean, and are much more agreed in every thing material, than they themselves either clearly apprehend, or are willing to confess.
Secondly, let us feel the need of continually watching, lest we go off from the pure principles of the Gospel. We see others, in one age and another, and in one place and another, renouncing the right ways of the Lord—denying the great doctrines and ordinances of Christ. And we behold men changing their principles after long professed, for errors and delusion.—Let us ever be upon our guard against the danger of going off from the doctrine of Christ. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines.—
Thirdly, if we have imbibed errors, let us hence be persuaded to lose no time in recovering ourselves from the snare. Others, after having adopted great errors, have seen their folly—have mourned over their obstinacy, stubbornness, and prejudices:—have recanted:—and returned to the truth. Let us, if we have been carried away with divers and strange doctrines—hasten to relinquish them, and recover ourselves from them, before it be too late. Soon our days on earth will be ended, and it will be too late to rectify any mistakes.—
Fourthly—Let us add constant humble prayer for divine grace to keep us from backsliding—from instability—from all delusion—and false doctrines. Odious is the character of the backslider. The unstable man cannot excel. Fervently—constantly, should we look to the God of all wisdom and grace to keep us from dishonouring him, and the truth, by backsliding, and error;—that he would be pleased to open our eyes to see the truth, and our ears to hear it:—that he would confirm us in goodness:—establish us in the faith:—and hope of the Gospel, that we may not only be stedfast and unmoveable, but abound more and more in the work of the Lord—be perfect in every good word and work—and thus be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] The pernicious tendency of error, especially in religion, is described by a writer of some eminence in the literary world—in the following allegorical representation, which I shall take the liberty to insert here for the reader’s benefit, in a note. The allegory is that the demon of error undertook to conduct a traveller over the Ocean of doubts into the land of confidence, and was by a magic power called forth from the earth by the genius of probability.—Not waiting for a reply, he, the genius of probability, stamped three times on the ground, and called forth the demon of Error, a gloomy fiend of the servants of Arimanes. The yawning earth gave up the reluctant savage, who seemed unable to bear the light of day. His stature was enormous, his colour black and hideous, his aspect betrayed a thousand varying passions, and he spread forth pinions that were fitted for the most rapid flight. The traveller, at first, was shocked at the spectre; but, finding him obedient to superior power, he assumed his former tranquility.
“I have called you to duty,” (cries the genius to the demon,) “to bear on your back a son of mortality, over the Ocean of doubts into the land of confidence. I expect you will perform your commission with punctuality. And as for you,” (continued the genius, addressing the traveller,) “when once I have bound this fillet round your eyes, let no voice of persuasion, nor threats, the most terrifying, persuade you to unbind it, in order to look round: keep the fillet fast; look not at the Ocean below, and you may certainly expect to arrive at a region of pleasure.”
Thus saying, and the traveller’s eyes being covered, the demon muttering curses, raised him on his back, and instantly upborne by his strong pinions, directed his flight among the clouds. Neither the loudest thunder, nor the most angry tempest, could persuade the traveller to unbind his eyes. The demon directed his flight downwards, and skimmed the surface of the Ocean: a thousand voices, some with loud invective, others in the sarcastic tones of contempt, vainly endeavoured to persuade him to look round; but he still continued to keep his eyes covered, and would, in all probability, have arrived at the happy land, had not flattery effected what other means could not perform. For now he heard himself welcomed on every side to the promised land, and an universal shout of joy was sent forth at his safe arrival; the wearied traveller desirous of seeing the long wished for country at length pulled the fillet from his eyes, and ventured to look round him. But he had unloosed the band too soon; he was not yet above the half way over. The demon was still hovering in the air, and had produced those sounds only in order to deceive, was now freed from his commission; wherefore, throwing the astonished traveller from his back, the unhappy youth fell headlong into the subjacent Ocean of doubt, from whence he was never after seen to rise.——