William Wilberforce opens his treatise by examining the widespread, culpable ignorance concerning the true nature and supreme importance of Christianity among the higher and middle classes. Most people substitute mere morality or general religious observance for the distinctive doctrines of the Gospel, leaving them unequipped against skepticism and indifferent to spiritual realities. This superficiality stems directly from inadequate conceptions of human depravity, a doctrine central to Christianity. Rather than acknowledging that human nature is radically corrupted and prone to evil from the core, nominal Christians reduce moral failings to mere frailty or occasional lapses. Wilberforce demonstrates from universal history, daily observation, and Scripture that man is an apostate creature, fallen and helpless without divine intervention.
Building upon this diagnosis, the author exposes the deep defects in how professed Christians view Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. While orthodox creeds acknowledge redemption and divine assistance, nominal believers treat these truths with cold indifference, failing to cultivate genuine affection or trust toward the Savior. Wilberforce vigorously defends the admission of the passions into religion, arguing that love, gratitude, and joy toward an invisible Redeemer are entirely reasonable and commanded by Scripture. Without these affections, religion degenerates into a lifeless set of external rules.
The work further dismantles the common error of relying on an unexamined hope in God's mercy or on personal good works for salvation. Wilberforce insists that sinners must undergo a total surrender of self-righteousness, placing their entire dependence on the atoning sacrifice of Christ and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. True faith invariably produces a practical system of holiness, characterized by supreme devotion to God's glory rather than the pursuit of worldly estimation and human applause.
Finally, the author contrasts the genuine Christian life with the prevailing habits of society, where time and talents are squandered on idle amusements, sober sensuality, or unbridled ambition. He warns against substituting amiable tempers and useful lives in place of true religion, noting that morality divorced from Christian motives lacks enduring strength. Wilberforce concludes with a fervent call for readers to examine their foundations, repent deeply of their sins, and embrace the Gospel with an unreserved, active faith.
