True Christian Faith is Genuine Liberty

True Christian faith is genuine liberty.

1. Because it is that which is chosen for its own sake–that course which the mind prefers to all other conceivable courses of life.

2. It is the highest good, in the estimation of the mind that possesses it.

3. If left entirely unbiassed by every other consideration, and having all other possible and conceivable courses of life, and conduct spread out before it, the religion of Christ would be its supreme, eternal choice.

4. It is that in which the whole being, in all its powers, unites and harmonizes. The reason–the conscience–the understanding–all the affections and emotions–in short, the volitions, and all that makes up the moral being, unite and sweetly harmonize, in the exercise of this divine religion.

5. Consequently it constitutes real, permanent happiness.

6. It casts out fear–fear of hell–fear of disgrace–fear of man–and all fear that has torment, is annihilated, and the mind sweetly bathes itself in an ocean of love and peace.

7. The soul yields obedience to all the requirements of God joyfully. For the will of God marks out to it the very course, of all others, which it delights to pursue. 

8. The true Christian never yields to the will of God by constraint; but always prefers the will of God, whenever that will is known. In other words he really wills what God wills, as soon, and as far as he knows what that is. He may have desires for this and the other object, and may express those desires to God in prayer. He may think this, or that course would be most for the glory of God. But true religion always prefers that God’s will should be done. His will is controlled by infinite wisdom and love. It is impossible, therefore, that true religion should ever be made miserable, by being obliged, or constrained to submit to the will of God.

9. True Christian religion is not submitted to, by him that possesses it, as medicine, but is like food, that we eat for its own sake. We love our food, and should eat it for the pleasure of eating, whether we expect to be benefited by it or not. Just so in religion.–The mind is not mainly influenced by the benefit to be received; but it is the food of the mind–the natural aliment on which it lives.

10. The truly religious man does not inquire how little religion he can get along with; but how much he may possess.

11. Not how much sin may be indulged in, and yet he get to heaven; but how he can be rid of all sin, whether he goes to heaven or not. Not how sinful he may be, and still be a child of God; but how holy he may and can be.

12. His faith makes up his happiness. It is the continual exercise of it that mainly makes him blest, and enough of the same kind would make heaven.