[Unknown title]

[Unknown Title] 80807
If any have begun meeting the great
edifice of their spiritual temple
and then found that it was an
undertaking beyond the compass
of their means and capacities — let it
be well known that it is not to be
attributed to a [?rant] of the facilities
of obtaining all needed information
in reference to these practiculars. It
is not because the system is defective
or that it is designed to conceal
the perils of the battle field or
the labors and toils attendant
upon the building. Be it well
understood, that if the man who
intended to build a tower began
his work and then ceased through
inactivity to accomplish it, the fault
of his failure is ascritable solely to
the fact he omitted the all
important duly of first seating
himself deliberately and estimating the cost.




Let it be borne in mind that if the
King has gone forth with a feeble
army of 10,00 men, and met his
powerful adversary who is marching
against him with double that number
of forces, and then in the contest,
both he + his army have fallen victims
to his ill advised rashness
and inconsiderate haste, then will
he feel that his defeat is directly
traceable to the fact that he failed
to consider maturely his state of
preparation. He did not duly estimate
the dangers and the hardships
and the magnitude of this warfare.
In both instances means of information
in regard to the conflicts to be met
and the losses to be incurred
were abundantly available and
had they prudently availed themselves
of the aid at hand and counted the cost
they might have saved themselves the
danger, disaster, and disgrace.




The whole scope and tendency of the
two parables is to guard men against
a hasty and inconsiderate profession
of Religion. There is danger in many
cases of our mistaking the meaning
of a certain Class of Scripture
passages. The Narratives of the
Old Testament Scriptures are often
spiritualized and no doubt often
distorted. But however objectionable
the practice in the hands of
the unskilful, there can be no risk
of doing wrong in giving to all
the parables of the New Testament
a spiritual application. This was
the object of all these passages, +
by Parable our Lord chose most
frequently to convey some of
his most important instructions.
And if some of these Parables
shd be deemed obscure, these two
at least are so explained by
our Lord that there can be




no doubt that his object was to
teach us that it was of the
last importance to count the
cost involved in making a
Profession of Religion.
To give to this important subject
the impressiveness due to it, [upon] we lay
[our minds] down design illustrating
3 propositions, which grow out of
the passage.
I. The cost of the enterprize of making
a profession of Religion is by not
means inconsiderable.
II. The evils of omitting to count
the cost are very great.
III. The advantage of the Enterprize
more than counterbalance the
cost however great.
Let us observe then that there are two
considerations which cover the whole
cost of a Christion Profession. The first
is what we are to renounce, and the




second is, What we are to expect. We
inquire then
1. What are we to renounce in
becoming Professors of Religion? And
I answer generally we are to renounce the
false mascims of the world. That there
is an antagonism between the world
and the Religion of Jesus Christ is
an assured fact, which is attested by
the declarations of God’s word, and confirmed
by the daily observation of each
of us. This Religion is pure and spiritual,
the world is corrupt + carnal. This
Religion strikes at the root of darling
sins, and cherished principles of error,
the world is ever apologizing for
human corruption, and cleaving fast
to its erroneous and destructive maxims.
This Religion aims at the general
and universal overthrow of Satan’s Kingdom
by the establishment of the Kingdom
of Righteousness Purity, Peace,
and Truth,. The World is ever arraying




itself in opposition to this great Enterprize.
Hence it is that Christ declared to His
disciples “My Kingdom is not of this
world.” And when He enjoins, upon
them “Love not the world— neither
the things of the world,” He gives as
the reason for the injunction “[if any]
whosoever will be the friend of the
world, is the enemy of God.”
We see then there is a recognized
opposition between the World + the
Religion of Jesus Christ. And the
general principle laid down in
the New Testament is without any
doubt strictly applicable to this
subject— “No man can serve two
masters— for either he will [love] hate
the one, and love the other, or else
he will hold to the one and despise
the other.” We consider it then clearly
deducible from all this that when a
man is contemplating a profession of



of Religion, he must cease to be
governed by the principles of the
world, and renounce all their
false mascims. There are principles
by which men of the world profess
to be governed which we are not
to renounce by any means. But then
these are principles which are borrowed
from the Christian System— and
are True in themselves. And hence
they are not to be classed among
the principles of the world, and are
to be adhered to by a Christian in
all cases + circumstances. And the
proof that they do not constitute
any part of the system by which
the world is really governed, is to
be found in the glaring fact
that while approbation is yielded
to their truthfulness and excellence
and external respect is manifested
for them— + they are enrolled among
their principle in form— there is no


internal and influential power exerted
over the heart + no fruits exhibited
in the Life, by these principles. When
therefore you are warned to renounce
the false principles and
maxims of the world you are
to regard the prohibition as extending
only to those which are manifestly
in opposition to the spirit of the
Religion of Xt. as exhibited in
the New Testament. I particularize
then (a) by asserting that no man need
make the attempt to become a Christian
unless he is willing to repudiate the rules
of the school of honor. One would hardly
believe that in this day of enlightened
Christianity + civilization, men are
willing to be governed— yea! glory
in being governed by the maxims which
prevailed in the darkest ages of
Pagan Mythology + Superstition.
Yet this is a position susceptible




of demonstration abundantly clear.
Revenge is recorded as among those
virtues recommended by the Heathen writers as every
way worthy of a great Philosopher.
When however the Gospel was promulgated
its precepts taught that
vengeance did not belong to man.
“Vengce is mine! I will repay” saith the Lord.
Confirming [followed up by] the earnest and affectionate
counsel of Paul “Dearly
beloved! avenge not yourselves!” And
all this ratified by the solemn
declarations of our Savior “For if
ye forgive not men their trespasses
neither will your heavenly Father,
forgive your trespasses.” Now let
it not be imagined that antagonism
so plainly set forth here
between these positions obtains
simply between Paganism and
Christianity. No! unfortunately the
modern world illumined as if it is
by the Light of the Gospel, abounds




in the advocates of the ancient heathen
creed that Revenge is right and
honorable, and none but a base
and cowardly miscreant will for
a moment suffer himself to be
insulted or injured. I am not now
to cointant this principle. I am only
to show that it is one of the maxims
of the world. It is so most
clearly and this will be readily
conceded by the men of the world
and few would hesitate to confess
that this is a sentiment
which they glory to avow. I
declare to you then by way of warning
that this is one of the principles
of the world which must renounce
before you enter upon
a Chrsitian Profession. Many men
thoughtlessly assume the Chritian
name forgetting this fact— but I
would have you know that the




sentiment of revenge which actuates
the men of honor as the world calls
them, is in deadly hostility to the
Gospel of Peace. You cannot be
a Christian and indulge it.
You cannot be a soldier under
the Prince of Peace and cherish
the foul spirit of malignant hate
against your brother man. “He that
hateth his Bro whom he hath seen
how can he love God whom he
hath not seen?”
Let me not be mistaken. Xt’s religion
does not make a man either a Poltroon
or a coward. But his principles teach
him to respect the right feelings
+ interests of others so that he will
never give any occection for insults
and even in the worst of cases,
he will suffer injuries so long
as they are tolerable, + his limit
of endurance is the limit of the Bible.




“If thy Bro trespass against thee seven
times a day and seven days a day
turn again & repent thou shalt forgive him nay
seventy times seven!” And the criterion
of resistance is purely
self-defence. When therefore the
great Enterprize of entering upon
the Christian Life, is contemplated,
let every man remember
that this is one of the principles
which must be utterly renounced.
“The fruit of the Spirit is Love
Joy— peace— long suffering— gentleness
goodness meekness” While “the
works of the flesh (or world) are
hatred variance wrath strife
emulations envying murder”
The case is made out them
with sufficient clearness
that in counting the cost
of making a Profession of Religion
we are to renounce false
maxisms of the school of honor




(b) Not more opposed to the spirit of the
Gospel is the school of honor, than
the school of Fashionable Amusement,
and I honestly declare it
as my conviction that those
who would make a credible profession
of Religion, must renounce
the principles, maxisms and practices
of this school of Pleasure
the best way to show this will be to
exhibit the influence it exerts. For
if any systems produce effects that
are the direct reverse of those
produced by the Religion of
Jesus Christ, that will be
plainest proof that be who
would engage in the latter
must renounce the former And I think
I can show that the indulgence
in fashionable amusements
is invariably productive of
effects always injurious if not




fatal to our spiritual interests.
There are two principal forms in which this
propensity is indulged viz. Theatrical
amusements, and Promiscuous
Dancing Parties. With regard
to the former little need be
said to show its antagonism
to the Spirit of the Gospel.
Nothing indeed in a Community
like ours— where the
temptation does not present
itself. But the indulgence in
the fashionable amusement
of promiscuous dancing, is
a practice which has prevailed
here for all the period of
your existences as a Community
and is now rife in our midst.
I shall therefore occupy your
time for a short period in
attempting to show that it is
contrary to the spirit of the




Religion of Jesus Christ. Let me
make one remark just here. Whatever
I may utter on this subject at this
time, is intended not so much to
assail the practice in general— or to
rebuke those who choose, out of the
pale of the Church, to indulge
themselves in it. WIth them I have
nothing to do save in the general
discharge of my duty to point out
the evils of a given course of conduct
and to endeavor to convince
them of it. Nor is it my desire
to say a word or to adopt any
manner which might by any means
wound the feelings of any individual
in the house. I would observe
however that what I shall say
on this subject may be not only
used as a caution to any person
who contemplates making a Profession
of Religion— warning them




that they must renounce all
such pursuits before they do it—
but if any individual has been so unwise
as to have made a Profession
of Religion without having counted
this part of the cost— they
may take it as a clear indication
that they have done wrong
and that they now immediately
set about the work at once &
renounce it— because of its
manifest inconsistency with the
spirit of the Christian Religion
I repeat then that the [man] person
who wishes to be a Christian
must renounce the practice of
fashionable amusements
because it is contrary to the spirit
of the Bible. I know it has been said
(and by those too who are high Authority
on many subjects) that there is no
positive nor direct prohibition of
this practice in the word of God.




And suppose we admit this to be true.
We may answer by saying that at the
time the New Testament was written
Christians did not dance! Those were
times when men were serious in making
a Profession of Religion. It was
no light matter to be a Christian.
It was not fashionable. There was
some difference between a Christian
+ a man of the world. Hence as
this was not a sin of the Church
then, there was no need for the
Apostles to write to the Chhs + say “ye
must not indulge in such amusements.”
But while it is true, no specific forbidding
of this particular sin is to be
found in the Bible, it is no less true
that the general principle upon which
it is forbidden is clearly laid down.
The practice of dancing in promiscuous
parties is prolific of the following
effects. 1. It fosters worldly mindedness
and conformity to the world. And




the Bible says “Be not conformed
to this world”, “Love not the world
neither the things of the world”—
2. This practice had a dissipating
Tendency upon the mind. And the
Bible says to Christians “Be sober
be vigilant XC 3. It [leads us unto] exposes us temptation
+ we are directed to pray “Lead
us not into temptation”— 4. It destroys
our spirituality + zeal.
This is horse racing— Gambling enough to show that it is
in its very spirit opposed to the
spirit of the Gospel + the man
who loves it must not profess
Xtianity until he is ready to
give it up— and the Professor
of Religion who loves it, must
now perceive that he has not
counted the cost + has
“his First works to do over”
But I appeal to the experience
of Xtians— wd you expect a bale
going Prof. to be very zealous— or
heavenly minded? Are such the leaders
in your prayer meeting & Sab. Sch. & Good




Enterprizes? I appeal to the testimony of
the Ch. universal. The Xtian & evangelical
Chhs of all denominations
have borne their testimony against
it why so? We differ in many points
but here is one point on which
all the Chhs that are really pure
+ spiritual and faithful do agree.
And I contend that this of
itself is an overwhelming proof
that is not allowable for
those who are professedly the
followers of Xt. to engage in
such amusements. Because [Bi??isvsit].
But I will leave the matter to
the judgement of the world itself.
They love a dancing Professor
because he is like themselves.
They have no love for his religion.
They do not love him when he
is at his prayers or at Church
or engaged in any of his devotions




But they do not love him and confide
in him at any time save
when they themselves are totally
indifferent to their own salvation.
Let the conviction and demonstration of
the Holy Spirit once awaken in the
[spirit] soul of the man of the world an
anxiety in regard to his salvation, +
you no longer see him calling
for assistance from the dancing
Professor of Religion. No! Sooner
would he call for the humblest
slave in your community in whose
religion he had confidence, than
the man who while he wore the
garb of a Christian, was found
either indulging himself, or countenancing
the indulgence in others,
in these fashionable amusements.
This is true & cannot be denied;
Moreover it is found that the
more flounshing the state of
spiritual Religion is in any
Community the more these