through him. They grew out of the fublime myfteries, fublime precepts, tranfcendent examples, and exceeding great and precious promifes, which it is the peculiar glory of the gofpel to declare, and which, they by faith familiarized. From hence fprung their enlarged views of divine things, their high fentiments of duty, and their exalted devotion. From hence their deep humility, their glowing love and gratitude, their ftrong afpirations to the glorifying of their God and Redeemer, in their bodies and fpirits. From hence their "lave to all faints," and wonderful benevolence to their very perfecutors; with all thofe relative virtues, which attend on fuch a fpirit. Their kindness was copied from Chrift; whofe love, paffing knowledge, had touched and expanded their hearts. From the fame fource fprung their fpirituality, felf denial, and other diftinguishing traits of chriftian character. And hence their fidelity as minifters, who acted in that character! Their interefting and impreffive manner of delivering their meffages; their fervency of fpirit in the whole of their Mafter's work. They fet HIM before them, who came to feek and fave that which was loft. His love conftrained them. In vain do we expect to exhibit a christian converfation without chriftian ideas. They who behold not the glory of God in the face of Jefus Chrift, that is, through the medium of his wonderful character, and the redemption by him, will of courfe be greatly deficient in their divinity, their religion, and morality. Those who have not feen their need of mercy as being wretched, and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked, will be neither thankful nor humble, in due manner; nor will they be merciful, in any extenfive or uniform measure. If the free grace of God, or the infinite condefcenfion of the Lord Jefus, to us finners, be not recognized, we know but little about goodness or condefcension; and our moft generous fentiments will be comparatively ungracious. But there is another particular included in following the faith of true chriftians. We must fee Secondly, that we have "the fame Spirit of faith." That is, that we not only acknowledge the fame gospel, but receive it as they did: with the fame enlightened and heartfelt perceptions of the ftamp of divinity on the face of it, the wisdom of God, and the power of God; the fame fenfibility to the free love and grace of heaven, to the great falvation, and our infinite need of it; the fame confidential fubmission to mercy and to duty; and the fame union of heart to the Divine Redeemer in every branch of his great charac ter. Without fuch faith as this, there is fometimes, indeed, a regular form of religion and morality; but it wants the spirit and the genius of chriftianity. The faith we now contemplate is an animating foul. It is a "lively faith." It purifies the heart. It affimilates the fubject to what he beholds in the great object of faith. It conforms his views to the pure and heavenly nature of the gospel doctrines: it fublimates his affections: and it carries him in a chriftian way to all incumbent duty. All this agrees with the account given by this fame inspired writer, of the way in which good • See chapter xi. characters are formed, and holy converfations produced. It was by faith, he tells us, that Abraham, and Mofes, and other worthies of ancient time, lived as they lived, and died as they died. It was by faith in gofpel realities, he here teaches us, that thofe holy men whom he bids us remember, exhibited fuch virtues, and finished fo happily. "Live by the fame faith then," he indirectly fays to us, "and your converfation and your last end, fhall be like theirs. AS JESUS CHRIST is the fame yefterday, and today, and for ever; fo a living faith in him, will ever, and invariably, according to its measure, have the fame refult. While it changes you into his own image, from glory to glory, it will affimilate you to all thofe holy men who are gone to glory, and will raife you to the fame high condition." We have thus confidered the two particulars fupposed to be included in following the faith of eminent chriftians. And it is of ferious importance that both be kept in view. Let no one fuppofe then, that mere orthodoxy in religious things, is all that is neceffary; for certainly that does not come up to the faith of ancient chriftians. It can neither produce a converfation like theirs, nor have the fame refult. Instead of inferring fafety to the fubject, it places him in a yet more critical fituation; and no perfon has more reafon to be alarmed than the mere orthodox man. He fees where the truth lies, but he does not truly embrace it. He is convinced, but not brought over. He knows his Lord's will, and yet does not prepare him. felf" and do it. He ought to exhibit a fublime piety, a tranfcendent virtue; but he exhibits noth 66 ing which is genuine. He is therefore emphatically without excufe. But on the other hand, Who can, with this facred paffage in view, think it proper to fay, It is of little confequence what a man believes, if his life is right.Change the expreffion and it is juft this: It is of little confequence whether we have the faith of the firft chriftians, provided we live their lives. And this implies, that we may live their lives without following their faith. If But infpiration, we plainly fee, is against every fuch idea; and this is more than ten thousand arguments for its confutation. any perfon nevertheless will venture upon fuch a fentiment, and expect that it will carry him fafe, let him prepare to give a reafon of the hope which is in him. Let him fhew, from the nature of things, how fuch a spirit and life, as marked the primitive chriftians, can poffibly be exhibited upon principles quite different from theirs, or upon any principles, without fuch a faith in the Son of God, as they lived by, and without the help of thofe gofpel truths, which they kept in view. It is true that, with chriftian heads, men may have pagan hearts and in practice fall below man unbelievers: and this is fometime made an objection to fetting u faith fo high. But it ftill hold good, that having the faith of tru chriftians, in both particulars, wil unfailingly produce a fimilar pre eminence in life. It ftill hold good, that living by thofe truth of revelation, which they lived by and believing in them continually as they believed, will and muft for us all that has been faid. L us therefore have full confidend in the exhortation here given Confidering the end of their converfation, FOLLOW THEIR FAITH. ZUINGLIUS. To the Editors of the Panoplist. FROM the first appearance of your propofals, I confidered your object feafonable, and your plan good; and the execution of it thus far has exceeded my expectations. Among the excellent productions, which have appeared in the various departments of your work, Z, in your last number, "On the neglect of the old Divines," has my particular approbation. No fubject could have been more happily chofen, none more applicable to the prefent times. It is treated with a degree of feriousness, perfpicuity and judgment, which pleases me. I wish the writer, who certainly has happy talents for the purpose, would purfue his fubject, and in future numbers of the Panoplift, bring up to view, in his engaging manner, the characters and writings of the venerable fathers of New England, and eminent divines in other parts of our country. These luminaries, could they be exalted into view, according to their refpective merits, would fhed a benign influence on the principles and morals of your readers, and be especially falutary to our youth in the forming feafon of their lives. In the mean time, feeling a deep intereft in the fubject, and finding it comports with your plan to felect from "valuable productions," already extant, I have extracted from the private (M. S.) Lectures of Dr. DoDDRIDGE, to his theological pupils, the character he gives of the old These Lectures have never been printed, not having been written for the press. divines; of the writings of thofe men, from whom our fathers defcended, whofe evangelical principles they embraced, and whose pious fpirit they breathed. The opinion of Dr. Doddridge will defervedly weigh much in favour of thefe pious, and many of them learned, authors. His lectures appear to have been defigned only as heads, which in the delivery he probably clothed in different language, and on which he doubtlefs enlarged. I have made a few verbal alterations from the M. S. merely to complete elliptical fentences, without, in any inftance, changing the fenfe. LECTURE II. THE PURITANS. I WOULD in general recommend fome acquaintance with them, too often defpifed. Yet there was good fenfe and learning in our fathers' days as well, as in ours. Our grandmothers had beauty in their odd dresses. 'BOLTON had been a notorious finner reclaimed by a great work of terrour; therefore is excellent both for conviction and confolation. His ftyle is rather inclined to the bombaftick; yet he has many expreffions truly great and magnificent. The beauties of imagination especially appear in his" Four laft things;" but his most useful treatises are his "Directions for comfortably walking with God," and his comforting diftreffed confciences; there we have the trace of a foul most intimately acquainted with God. HALL was the most elegant and polite writer of his age. He abounds rather too much with antithefes and witty turns. In fome of his writings he feems to have imitated Auftin and Seneca. His fermons are the worfe for his compliance with the taste of the age in which he lived. His Contemplations are incomparably valuable for criticifm, language and devotion; next to them are his "Meditations," "Letters," and "Balm of Gilead." REYNOLDS, is celebrated for moft elaborate, surprising fimilitudes. His ftyle is remarkably laconick; a world of fubftance gently touched upon, which fhews an extenfive acquaintance with human nature, and much labour. He has a judicious collection of fcriptures. SIBBS. His language is decent and nervous, his dedications furprisingly handfome; he is pathetick and tender, especially in "The bruifed Reed," and "Soul's Conflict." WARD. To be read through. His language is generally proper, elegant, and nervous; his thoughts well digefted and happily illuftrated. Abundance of the bolder figures of fpeech are to be found in him, more than in any other English author; efpecially apostrophies, dialogisms, and allegories. A mixture of fancy is to be pardoned, especially confidering his youth, and that many of his fermons were not prepared for the prefs, but copied from his mouth while preaching. 'HALES, of Eaton, is remarkably pithy; has many uncommon thoughts; vaft learning, and many curious paffages, fit for a common place book, but in many places he difcovers little judgment, no good order, little true connection. He is the great fcholar; but an affectation of divine things to the utmoft is too apparent; which by overdoing weakens the caufe. His "Golden Remains" and additional tracts, are all to be read. None fhew the man more than his " Chrif tian Omnipotence." NONCONFORMISTS OF THE LAST AGE. OWEN and GOODWIN, are highly evangelical, but both very obfcure, especially the latter. Ow-. en's ftyle resembles St. Paul's zeal; he displays much knowl edge of human life, efpecially in his book of apoftacy. That on the Hebrews is his great work; the means of understanding the mind of God in the fcripture is one of his beft; but communion of God and perfon of Chrift, moft celebrated. His treatises on in dwelling fin, fpiritual mindedness, and mortification, fhew great improvements in practical religion. On the 130th pfalm he is excellent. GOODWIN's pieces published in his life are most valuable; he has many accurate and valuable remarks on scripture. His "Child of Light" is useful for afflicted confciences; and he has many uncommon thoughts. 'BAXTER. His style is inaccurate, because he had no regular education, and because he wrote continually in the views of eternity; but he is judicious, nervous, fpiritual, and remarkably evangelical, though often charged to the contrary. He difcovers a manly eloquence, and the most evident proofs of an amazing genius; with refpect to which, he may not improperly be called the English Demofthenes. He is exceedingly proper for conviction; fee his "Saints' Reft;" all his treatises on converfion, and efpecially his "Call to the Uncon verted," "Divine Life," and "Counfels to Young Men." Few converted more fouls. MANTON. Plain, eafy, and unaffected. His thoughts generally well digefted, but feldom extraordinary; his remarks on fcripture are judicious; his chief work is that on the 119th Pfalm. His many pofthumous works are of little value. 'BATES. His eloquence is charming, yet his ftyle is not perfectly formed, and his fentences too fhort; admirable fimilies, unlefs rather too thick; proper to be quoted by thofe whofe genius does not lead them this way. Read his "Harmony of Attributes," " Spiritual Perfections," and "Four laft things." ་ HOW, feems to have underflood the gospel as well as any uninfpired writer, and to have imbibed as much of its fpirit. The He has fome fine words, but no TAYLOR NATHANIEL, the dif- For the Panoplist. [Continued from page 60.] No. 3. trueft fublime is to be found in PROOFS OF THE UNIVERSAL DELUGE. his writings, and fome of the Atrongest pathos; yet he is often obfcure, and generally harfh; he imitated the worst part of Boyle's style; but has a vaft variety of uncommon thoughts; and on the whole, is one of the most valuable writers in our language and I believe, in the world. His beft pieces are, "The bleffedness of the Righteous," "Enmity and Reconciliation," "Redeemer's Tears," and "Redeemer's Dominion;" with fome funeral fermons. FLAVEL. Not deep, nor remarkably judicious; but plain, popular, tender, and proper to addrefs to afflicted cafes, and to melt the foul in love. His "Token for Mourners," inimitable. "Fountain of Life" useful; most of the fubjects there are proper to be preached on facrament days. His allufions to pagan ftories are useful. 'CHARNOCK, is celebrated for a polite writer, but chiefly by thofe who are not judges of politeness. Vol. I. No. 3. P As we proceed, evidence of Noah's flood increases. It was not merely mentioned by many writers of antiquity; but was a favourite object of their attention. There were not only references to this event in the rites and tradi tions of the firft ages; but it furnifhed the principal obiects of their facred traditions and religious worship. The deluge was conftantly celebrated not only in the annals of their hiftorians; but in the prayers of their devotees, the facrifices of their priests, and the fongs of their bards. Most of the pagan goddeffes were perfonifications of the earth, rifing from the billows of the flood, of the ark, of the dove, or of the divine Wisdom preserving the ark.* Nimrod introduced the worship of the heavenly bodies. This produced oppofition from thofe, attached to the arkite idolatry, or See Faber on the Cabiri. |