Henry Scougal and the Duty of Divine Delight

Henry Scougal was a 17th century pastor - obscure by today's standards - who is fast becoming one my favorite writers. His small volume entitled 'The Life of God in the Soul of Man' is surely one the best dissertations on bona fide Christianity ever written. The cover of the copy I possess contains a quote by George Whitefield that makes this rather bold statement:

"I never knew what true religion was till God sent me this excellent treatise."

That speaks volumes to me. Enough to say, I'm reading it again for the third time.

Perhaps the thing I enjoy most about Scougal's writing is in the kind of crass vocabulary he uses to describe the truth - and he clearly loves the truth. His imagery is graphic and even a little audacious. I hope no one minds long quotations, but I want to share with you the entire excerpt. It actually sounds rather provocative if it's read out loud.

"But he who is utterly destitute of this inward principle, and doth not aspire to it, but contents himself with those performances whereunto he is prompted by education or custom, by the fear of hell or carnal notions of heaven, can no more be accounted a religious person, than a puppet can be called a man. This forced and artificial religion is commonly heavy and languid, like the motion of a weight forced upward. It is cold and spiritless, like the uneasy compliance of a wife married against her will, who carries it dutifully toward the husband whom she does not love, out of some sense of virtue or honour. Hence also this religion is scant and niggardly, especially in those duties which do greatest violence to men's carnal inclinations; and those slavish spirits will be sure to do no more than is absolutely required. It is a law that compels them, and they will be loath to go beyond what it stints them to; nay, they will ever be putting such glosses on it, as may leave themselves the greatest liberty. Whereas, the spirit of true religion is frank and liberal - far from such peevish and narrow reckoning; and he who hath given himself entirely unto God, will never think he doth too much for him."

This is a pertinent message in light of typical American religion. Ritual and sacrament will grow cold and lifeless and meaningless and eternally destructive if they are practiced apart from the Spirit of Christ within us. When Christ is in us, the flowing sweep of two thousand years of history and tradition can be redeemed. Ritual takes on meaning.

Likewise, non-traditional, cutting-edge, relevant and contemporary practice in the church can be unto destruction or unto life - dependant on whether or not there is what Scougal calls 'the Divine inward principle'. Scougal warns the church of the 1670's and he warns the church of the current millennium that all Christian action must spring out of Christ indwelling us. There is no other sufficient motivation. There is no other spiritual reality. Anything less is false; artificial; destructive; leading unto death. When our actions come from the life of God within us, we are "not acted only by external motives, driven merely by threatenings, nor bribed by promises, nor constrained by laws; but are powerfully inclined to that which is good, and DELIGHT in the performance of it."

Delight. That is the aim. Thus I will delight in this marvelous light and truth.