There are at least three kinds of external or material influences by which the life of the spirit may be stifled and destroyed ; superstition, sensuality, and worldly self-indulgence. These three causes of mischief may mix and intertwine with a wonderful complexity. It is one of the favourite devices of sensuality to try to silence the voice of conscience by the use of superstitious observances. Superstition cannot save its votaries from carnal tendencies. There is a dangerous attractiveness in easy lives of calm enjoyment and self-satisfied comfort which is most injurious to the religious character, and may destroy any good resolutions we have formed to serve God faithfully at all costs and hazards, and to be tempted aside by nothing whatever that would interfere with the service of God,
144 CHRIST IN THE HEART
(1) Superstition. — Superstition is a vice of many forms, and may be found where its presence is least suspected. For instance, what shall we call the watchwords and shibboleths of parties? Idolatry means the substitution of the image for the reality. It denotes worship rendered to the creature instead of the Creator. Is it not idolatry, then, to put such trust as amounts to a kind of worship in mere forms of words of man's devising, the dead phrases which were once the war-cries of great contests, but are now mere excuses for a self-delusion which substitutes the worthless profession of the lips for the living faith of Christ dwelling in our hearts ? But the error goes beyond the words of man's devising. We may turn the inspired words of Scripture itself into idols, if we use them as the symbols of a party, like the colours of a regiment, or the white and red rose of the old English wars. This very word faith, to which the Apostle rightly gives such pre-eminent importance, has been often so treated as to be an instance of superstition. The word itself is Divine and sacred ; the habit which it describes is the blessed result of the Divine grace received in the obedient heart. But sometimes people turn faith itself into a work of man ; they treat it as something which they are to do, and vrhich shows a kind of merit in the doing. The word then ceases to describe the habit and the attitude of humble trust, whereby Christ will dwell in our hearts, through the willing welcome of our own submission; and it denotes a supposed meritorious form of human exertion, so that faith itself becomes an idol, and its worship is a form of superstition.
^ People, in their struggle with lies and superstitions, frequently find consolation in the number of superstitions which they have destroyed. That is not correct. It is impossible to find consolation until everything is destroyed which contradicts reason and demands faith. Superstition is like cancer — every- thing must be cleaned out, if an operation is to be undertaken. Leave a small particle, and everything will grow out again.^
^ It were better to have no opinion of God at all ; than such an opinion, as is unworthy of Him ; for the one is unbelief, the other is contumely : and certainly superstition is the reproach of the Deity. . . . Atheism leaves a man to sense ; to philosophy ; to natural piety ; to laws ; to reputation — all which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, though religion were not ; but supersti- 1 Tolstoy, Miscellaneous Letters and Essays, 525.
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Hon dismounts all these, and erecteth an absolute monarchy, in the minds of men. Superstition, without a veil, is a deformed thing ; for, as it addeth deformity to an ape, to be so like a man ; so the similitude of superstition to religion, makes it the more deformed. And as wholesome meat corrupLeth to little worms ; so good forms and orders, corrupt into a number of petty observ- ances. There is a superstition, in avoiding superstition ; when men think to do best, if they go furthest from the superstition formerly received. Therefore care would be had, that (as it fareth in ill purgings), the good be not taken away, with the bad; which commonly is done, when the people is the reformer.^
(2) Sensuality. — Perhaps we boast of our freedom from the coarser vices. It is a most blessed thing if we can do so. Let us thank God heartily, if we can, for His most precious gift of a pure heart and unstained conscience. But the world is very near us and its temptations are abundant ; and we shall never be quite safe till our bodies have passed through the grave, and we have been raised again to put on the pure likeness of Christ. And there are too many who will scarcely venture to boast of their freedom from compliance with sensual temptations. If there is nothing worse, men will too often read books of doubtful morality, or perhaps of very undoubted immorality. They will gaze with interest on spectacles of very doubtful purity. They will indulge in pursuits which will bring them very close into the neighbour- hood of open sin. In such cases it is very hard indeed to assure ourselves that Christ is dwelling in our hearts by faith.
^ Samson, who fell a victim to his own licentiousness, is a type of the sensualist. Physically strong, but morally weak, woe- fully deficient in self-restraint, he stands for ever as a warning beacon to young men. Our sensual nature we share with the brutes. Our measure as a man is the height of our moral and spiritual nature. There is something unspeakably pathetic in the record of the strong man going out, as he was wont, to shake himself, and knowing not that his strength had departed.^