Enter into Thy Closet

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. DUTIES OF THE CLOSET GENERALLY. The command of our Lord, Enter into thy closet, taken in connection with the precept of an inspired apostle, Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, furnishes one among many proofs of the perfect adaptation of the gospel to the nature of man. It is...
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. DUTIES OF THE CLOSET GENERALLY. The command of our Lord, Enter into thy closet, taken in connection with the precept of an inspired apostle, Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, furnishes one among many proofs of the perfect adaptation of the gospel to the nature of man. It is quite an error to suppose that Christianity requires any of her disciples to assume the character of a recluse, and to shut himself out from all intercourse with his fellow creatures. This would imply such a cruel violence to human nature, and is so directly at variance with all our most deeply rooted feelings, that it might justly have been considered an objection to the truth of our religion, had it really required any thing so unreasonable. The gospel is adapted to man, and far from doing violence to his nature, is admirably suited to his real wants; insomuch that few employments are more delightful than that of training the perfect harmony existing between the feelings of our hearts and the circumstances in which we are placed, on the one hand, and the whole scheme of Christianity with its doctrines, precepts, ordinances, and promises, on the other. A little reflection will serve to render it obviousthat man, in order to be happy, or in other words, that the powers and susceptibilities of his nature may be called into the fullest and most healthful exercise, must neither exist in absolute solitude, nor live continually in the company of others. He must neither be excluded from society, nor denied the advantages of retirement. It is difficult to determine whether the influence of sympathy, or of meditation, is the more indispensable. Both are essential to the preservation of his powers in a state of vigorous activity, and healthful enjoyment. He must spend some por...