Works Introductory essays Author:Thomas Chalmers 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: INTRODUCTORY ESSAY THE CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER. AMBROSE SERLE, Esq. It is quite possible that a doctrine may at one time have been present to our minds, ... more »to the evidence of which we then attended, and the truth of which we did in consequence believe; and yet, in the whole course of our future thoughts, may it never again have occurred to our remembrance. This is quite possible of a doctrine in science; and it may also be conceived of a doctrine in theology, that on one day it may have been the object of faith, and never on any succeeding day be the object of memory. In this case, the doctrine, however important, and though appertaining to the very essence of the gospel, is of no use. It is not enough that we have received the gospel, we must stand in it. And it is not enough that we barely believe it, for we are told, on the highest authority, that unless we keep it in memory, we have believed in vain. This may lead us to perceive that there is an error in the imaginations of those who think, that after having under stood and acquiesced in Christian truth, there is an end of all they have to do with it. Thereis, with many, a most mischievous repose of mind upon this subject. They know that by faith they are saved, and they look to the attainment of this faith as a terminating good, with the possession of which, could they only arrive at it, they would be satisfied; and they regard the articles of a creed in much the same light that they do the articles of a title-deed, which may lie in their repository for years, without once being referred to; and they have the lurking impression, that if this creed were once fairly lodged among the receptacles of the inner man, and only produced in the great day of the examination of passports, it would secure their entry into heaven—j...« less