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of the "corrupt tree," while acts of transgression are to be considered as its fruits and may be more or fewer in number, more or less acrid in quality, while the tree itself remains the same. Hence the necessity of regenerationof conversion-the new creation in Christ Jesus. The removal of this alienation, and the implantation of divine love in the heart is the essence of conversion, the preparation for Heaven. This alienation is the chief count in the indictment, on which the sentence of condemnation is founded, and the proof of its existence in the day of judgement, will be a sufficient justification of the sentence of exclusion from God and happiness. And indeed its existence must be a complete disqualification for the enjoyment and presence of God. Such a comparison as that which I have mentioned, which reason is capable of forming from the external revelation, must produce a conviction that I am guilty, unholy, helpless, condemned and undone.

But what subordinate means are to be used for the purpose of producing this conviction? I mean subordinate to the proper exercise of reason, and the strivings of God's holy Spirit. Among these I specify the indispensable duty of private prayer, as you have suggested in your note. If I cannot excite in myself the feelings of desire and hope, the spirit of prayer, I can use the posture, and the words of prayer, and I must pray to be enabled to pray; equally indispensable is the duty of reading the scriptures; as "the Word of God;" they are to be taken in their literal, grammatical sense; we must judge of their meaning for ourselves, only remembering that it is the province of reason not to make a revelation, but to understand that which is made; not to prescribe what God should say, but to understand and apply what He has said. I have a friend who in time of the deepest distress for the loss of a wife, and previously destitute of any acquaintance with the gospel salvation, had recourse to the bible for comfort, he read, but could find

nothing in it, more than in any other book, that was adapted to afford him what he wanted; he closed the book, and laid it aside, as a medicine of no efficacy; but his distress originating in a worldly loss, continuing and increasing, after a long interval he opened the precious volume again, when a flood of divine light flowing into his mind, he at once saw and believed; and if there is a happy man now on earth, the Rev. Richard Whalley, of Chelwood, is that man. In humility and sanctity of heart and life, he is waiting for the summons to a better world. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, &c.'

Another essential mean of grace, (I say essential, if attainable) is a constant attendance on appointed ordinances. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." "It pleases God, by the foolishness of preaching," (an instrument which in the eye of carnal reason, appears to be inadequate to the end proposed, and the efficacy of which depends not on moral suasion, but on divine demonstration,)" to save them that believe." Such is the divine plan, such the ordinance of God. And we must conform to God's appointments if we would partake of his salvation.— Would not the Israelites have perished justly, had they objected to, and refused a compliance with God's ordinance of looking to a brazen serpent, for recovery from the bite of the fiery serpents, however inefficacious in its own nature, that ordinance might appear. I need not dwell on the supreme importance, assigned to the principle of faith in the scriptures. By it, instrumentally, we are pardondoned, sanctified and saved; by it, we receive all holy comfort here, and maintain the hope of everlasting life; this faith evidently implies, some ground on which it builds, some warrant for the persuasion it implies, some testimony, to which it gives credit. Now it is the office of reason, to gather from the scriptures, what the ground of comfort, the warrant of persuasion, the testimony of truth is; and to this

enquiry, reason is bound to apply all her energies, because the subject is (reason herself being the judge or umpire,) supremely momentous.This testimony relates to the doctrine of the law, and that of the gospel; the natural state of man, and the provisions of grace; the sentence of condemnation for sin, and the acquittal through grace. Here is employment for natural reason, and if she neglects the proper office, it is no wonder if that principle which is super-natural be withheld, even the faith which is of the operation of God.

Now, my dear sir, to apply all this to the conscience, have we used those means which are within our power? means that are usually called means of grace? because, they lead to the acquisition of that grace which bringeth salvation. I am aware that by using those means, we cannot lay the Author of grace under any obligation of debt to confer his benefits upon us; but He himself hath in His word, and by His mere mercy, engaged to bestow those benefits upon those who conscientiously use the means. And I am satisfied from the word of God, that no one ever persevered in the use of those means which are in every man's power, who was finally disappointed of his hope. I have no information, my dear sir, as to the present state of your creed, which has, in times past, differed from my own; this I consider to be a matter of the highest importance; I need not say that opinions lie at the root of both experience and practice, of

holiness and happiness. Scriptural sentiments constitute the object of faith, even that "faith which worketh by love," purifies the heart, and "is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," and though they are not the criterion of conversion, since a sound head may be accompanied by an unsanctified heart, yet they are the essential antecedents of a state of salvation, since an unsound creed is incompatible with renewed affections. Among the essentials of bible principles, I acknowledge the doctrine of the fall, and that of redemption; but on these points in all their bearings, let reason simple and unbiassed, form her own judgement on scripture premises. I am persuaded you will pardon the length to which I have, without previous design, drawn out these observations, and the liberty I have taken in them. I must adopt the language of a celebrated preacher, "I had not time to be shorter," the motive must apologize for so great an intrusion on your attention. The subject is incomparably important; 1 only wish the discussion had fallen into better hands. But God can work by whatever instruments he pleases, and often glorifies his own power, by employing the weakest. In his hand the adaptation of the means to the end is a matter of no consequence.

Believe me, dear sir, with sentiments of sincere regard, to be your obliged and obedient friend and servant,

Miscellaneous.

For the Christian Spectator.

On the imperfection of our religious knowledge in the present world.

The knowledge vouchsafed to man in the present state of probation, has been characterized, as limited in its extent, by the apostle, in these words: "We know in part, and we prophesy

THOMAS T. Biddulph.

in part." An inquiry arises respecting this description of the limitation of our religious knowledge, highly interesting in its relation to practice, whether the apostle has reference to the opinions which men are able to form on religious subjects, from their means of knowledge, compared with the reality; or, which they are able

to form from their means of knowledge compared with the vast extent of the objects of knowledge.

Is the defect merely in the opinions which men are able to derive from the means they possess of knowledge? Does the apostle mean to affirm that there is no such thing in the present state as arriving at certainty of knowledge on religious subjects? that the Atheist, the Deist, the Pagan, the Jew, the Papist, the Mahometan, the Socinian, the Christian, are all mere learners, without having yet come to the certain knowledge of any religious truth? that we are all as men, necessitated alike, to be in uncertainty about religious truths, whatever are our means of knowledge? Do we all so "know in part," that we cannot be decided, that we have a certain knowledge on any one religious truth? Is this the meaning of the apostle? We will allow the apostle himself to speak on this question.

First, then, the apostle claims to himself the infallible knowledge of an inspired teacher of religious truth. "I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God." "The truth of Christ is in me." "We have the mind of Christ." "We have received the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."

Now, since Christ had promised to give his disciples the Spirit to guide them into the truth, and since Paul,

who makes these claims to the infalibility of an inspired teacher of Christ, wrought abundantly," the signs of an apostle," it must be conceded that his claims to infallible knowledge are just. Paul then, at least for one, knew some religious truths with absolute certainty. Can it be believed then that such a man as Paul meant, in the declaration we are examining, to class himself with his fellow-men, or his fellow-christians, and say, we

bave no correct and certain knowledge on religious subjects?

Secondly; Paul uniformly speaks, on the religious subjects of which he treats, with the decision of absolute knowledge.

"They that are in the flesh cannot please God." "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit. of God." Here is no doubt. Here is no uncertainty. The apostle asserts something which he knows to be true. "Predestinated according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. "He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world." "He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. There is no indecision here. The apostle knows that he is asserting what is true. "By him [Christ Jesus] were all things created that are in heaven and in earth." What doubt is here? What is there of ignorance? of ignorance? "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord." Here all is light. All is certainty. Can it be then that such a man ever made the assertion, that he had no correct and certain religious knowledge whatever?

Thirdly. Paul urges definite opinions on his fellow men as religious certainties. The very office he performed of preaching to others, implies that he communicated to them truths, which he esteemed it important for them to understand and believe. The appeal however is made to his declarations. "By revelation he made known unto me the mystery; as I wrote afore in few words; whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ." "If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." He certainly esteemed his fellow-men capable of understanding the opinions he taught, and most solemnly bound, too, to admit them as religious truths. Can it be then, that he should have declared to those fellow-christians whom he

had instructed at Corinth, that neither they nor he, had any correct and certain knowledge on religious truths? that they who in Corinth consented to follow him as a teacher, and they who should through his writings in after ages, ought to be very cautious how they arrogated to themselves any certainty on religious opinions, and be very cautious of dissenting in a decided manner from the Pagan, the Atheist, the Deist, the Jew, the Mahometan, the Socinian, or the Universalist ?

If the apostle be allowed to speak in his own case, and interpret his own meaning, then, he never meant to assert, when telling his fellow christians that "we know in part," that there is an absolute defect in us, in the present state, in regard to our arriving at certainty, from our means of religious knowledge.

The meaning of the apostle then must be that the partiality of our knowledge is owing to the limitation of our means of knowledge, compared with the extent of the objects of knowledge. There is a certain extent of revelation, which, though conveying knowledge as far as it goes, stops short of revealing to us the whole of the subject. The extent to which it leads us in the present state into the knowledge of God, is so incomplete, compared with the fuller revelations of the heavenly world, that the difference is like the views of the child compared with those of the maturer man. After we have attained to these truths that are revealed, the apostle means to assert that we yet "know but in part."

have a subject before us, that has in it many things transcending our knowledge. We can decide against Jews, Mahometans, Socinians, Universalists; yet the ability of doing all this does not imply the possession of boundless knowledge. What we gain by revelation in the present state, is necessarily limited then, the apostle means, because revelation itself is limited as to subjects, and the extent to which it treats on those subjects.There is no other absolute necessity of a limited knowledge, that stops short of the contents of revelation.

Can the text of the apostle be used then as a defence of latitudinarianism, on points of absolute revelation? If any are content so to use it, it must be from opinions they have formed on the subjects of revelation itself, and not from correctly interpreting the meaning of the apostle. As to the ability or not of our coming to correct knowledge on the subjects of revelation, I will beg leave to quote an animated passage from Chillingworth.

"Though we pretend not to certain means of not erring in interpreting all scripture, particularly such places as are obscure and ambiguous, yet this methinks should be no im pediment but that we may have certain means of not erring in and about the sense of those places which are so plain and clear that they need no interpreters: And in such, we say, our faith is contained. If you ask me, how I can be sure that I know the true meaning of these places? I ask you again, can you be sure that you understand what I, or any man else says ?-God be thanked that we have sufficient means to be certain enough of the truth of our faith: But the privilege of not being in possibil ity of erring, that we challenge not, because we have as little reason as you, to do so; and you have none at all. If you ask, seeing we may possibly err, how can we be assured we do not? I ask you again, seeing your eye-sight may deceive you, how can you be sure you see the sun when you do see it? A pretty Sophism! 10

We know from revelation that there is a God of infinite perfection; yet how many things can be asked respecting this subject, that we have no means, in the present state, of answering? We know how to decide the atheistical controversy;but in deciding it, we admit what transcends our knowledge. In the Deistical controversy, we know on which side the truth lies; but in admitting the fact of a revelation, we VOL. 3-No. II.

That whosoever possibly may err, cannot be certain that he doth not

err.

A judge may possibly err in judgment, can he therefore never have assurance that he hath judged right? A traveller may possibly mistake bis way, must I therefore be doubtful whether I am in the right way from my hall to my chamber? Or can our London carrier have no certain

ty, in the middle of the day, when he is sober and in his wits, that he is in the way to London? These, you see, are right worthy consequences, and yet they are as like to your own, as an egg to an egg, or milk to milk.

"The ground of your error here is, your not distinguishing between actual certainty and absolute infallibility. Geometricians are not infallible in their own science; yet they are very certain of what they see demonstrated: And carpenters are not infallible, yet certain of the straitness of those things which agree with their rule and square. So though the church be not infallibly certain that in all her definitions, whereof some are about disputable and ambiguous matters, she shall proceed according to her rule; yet being certain of the infallibility of her rule, and that in this or that thing she doth manifestly proceed according to it; she may be certain of the truth of some particular decrees, and yet not certain that she shall never decree but what is true."

O. F.

For the Christian Spectator.

THE CHRISTIAN TRAVELLER.

"Salute no man by the way."

Он, stay me not; a Canaan traveller, I
In haste am bound to happier worlds on
high.

My day far spent, I urge my onward pace :
Oh, stay me not from heaven; my natal
place.

Talk not of glee; I bear a bleeding heart; With untold sorrow pierc'd; I mourn, apart

From mortal eye and ear, nor heed their noise,

Who vaunt the worth of false terrestrial
joys.

Point not mine eye to soft abodes of
Below, it dwells not; soon my bright re-

peace;

lease

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Keview of New Publications.

Inaugural Discourse, delivered before the University in Cambridge, Aug. 10th, 1819: by Andrews Norton, Dexter Professor of Sacred Literature.-Cambridge: printed by Hilliard & Metcalf, at the University press, 1819.

The practice so frequent among readers, of turning to the conclusion of a book, after they have glanced

their eyes over one or two of the introductory sentences, though not in the style of a real student, is yet not without its effect in satisfying the mind, as to the attention which it should give to the work. We candidly confess, that our desire of reading throughout the discourse which appears at the head of this article, and of making it the subject of remark, was conceived in this anticipa

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