on the point, and desire to practise forgiveness towards those from whom we suffer this wrong.' With godly sincerity we can adopt the great apostle's bold declaration as our own: "herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men." The fact cannot be withheld, however repugnant to the feelings of some, that very many of those whose doctrinal principles are assimilated with our own have assumed a peculiarity of expression, on spiritual things, which ill accords with the beautiful simplicity of the inspired penmen. We dare not believe they are aware of the great injury thereby done to the cause they have espoused and are desirous of promoting: indeed, could it reasonably be supposed that they were truly conscious of its tendencies, we might rest in the probability of the evil working its own cure. One of those mischievous tendencies, namely, on the minds of the irreligious and profane, has been hinted at in the course of these observations; but it by no means presents a foremost figure in the cheerless picture we are constrained to portray. Thus having called attention to the topic under consideration, we shall not burden the reader with modern instances' from what Mr. A. has said, or Mr. B. has written, but proceed to exhibit other effects, issuing from the same cause, of more serious and more general influence. We might ask in vain for a justification of the authoritative and dogmatic style so common to some of our pulpits. As ineffectual would be our enquiry after a scriptural reason for the demeanour of many private christians towards their humbler brethren. The conceit and pragmaticalness of others, particularly certain young converts, is scarcely worthy an allusion; were it not that their folly and weakness are most intimately connected with the self-complacency and dogmatism of the former, and are advancing by rapid strides to the same height of unwarrantable assurance. But, as we are extremely anxious not to be misunderstood, it may be proper to repeat that our remarks are exclusively applied to those who are sound in the doctrines of grace, and who possess, it may be hoped in the spirit of charity, the fear of God. We warn them to examine themselves whether to a departure from the simplicity of the faith, in the language in which it ought ever to be conveyed, may not be attributed many if not the greater part of the evils we lament, and are concerned to avert. We would feign believe that they themselves, at least a few, are somewhat conscious of the error,-but how to retrace their steps they know not. : From this cause has arisen much of the uneasiness and sorrow of heart endured by ministers concerning the conduct of their hearers. The spirit which has governed the public labours of the pastor, has been copiously diffused among the people; and the dictatorial leader meets the reward of his imprudence in being plenteously dictated to by his followers. The morose and haughty professor, sees the fruit of his conduct in the frequent paroxysms of the mental disease com And the young tyro, municated to those with whom he associates. may be observed growing with the growth and strengthening with the strength' of his tutors and abettors, and often overmatching them in the incongruity of his behaviour, and in the wildness of his speculations. 6 Happy should we be were we able to close these complaints with the statement that has just fallen from our pen. But we recal to mind with grief another glaring evil, the result of an unconquerable determination to be singular. Some who stand up in the name of the Lord, and are made faithful, no sooner direct their thoughts to the erroneous doctrines of the day than their spiritual weapons are laid down, and their carnal are assumed, and brandished with a virulence and fury which would be disgraceful to the combatant in a less righteous cause. Indeed, from instances passing under our own eye, we have concluded that the parties have been seized with a kind of mental inebriation, productive both to talker and hearer of the unsatisfactory consequences incidental to extreme excitement. “How dwelleth the love of God in HIM?" is the natural and frequent enquiry of those who witness such scenes. And the utmost effort to construe such conduct favourably cannot-with those who are not unreasonably wedded to the opinions of an individual-fully evade the force of the charge of hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness.' If we venture to descend from the pulpit, and take our place in the pew, we might go on to relate that which is equally forbidding and worthy of censure. The minister who thus caters to the passions of his audience, flattering their prejudices, and fostering their prepossessions, may be sure to reap a rich harvest of significant shrugs, and mirthful countenances, with other demonstrations of indecent approbation. Follow such a people to their religious connexions and to their homes, and further evidence will appear confirmatory of the principle by which they are actuated, and of the influence of those peculiarities of which they boast. But here we quit the painful subject: nor will we intrude into the sanctuary of home,' unless we meet with any who have the hardihood to deny the correctness of the outline we have sketched. If favoured with any objections to what we have stated, it will be our endeavour further to prove that we "so run, not as uncertainly," and that we so fight, "not as one that beateth the air." It is our desire and determination in the exercise of faithfulness, that it should not be said with truth, we fear to expose the errors and fallacies of those with whom it may be conceived we are more immediately connected under a profession of godliness. We do not build without first sitting down to count the cost: "lest haply," after we have laid the foundation, "all that behold begin to mock, saying, this man began to build and was not able to finish." Brethren! in the same spirit which dictated the great apostle's address to the Corinthian church, (2 Cor. xi.) and in similar words, we would exhort you. "Would to God ye could bear with us a little "in our folly; and indeed bear with us. For we are jealous over 66 "you with godly jealousy. But we fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that "cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or "if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another "gospel which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. "But though we be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we "have been throughly made manifest among you in all things." On the right hand and on the left we observe gross departures from the faith-novelty in doctrine-novelty in language-newness in any and every thing but character. One saith, "I am of Paul," another, "I of Apollos," and another, "I of Cephas;" but who are they who not only say but undisguisedly affirm, and justify the affirmation, " and I of Christ ?" Amidst the discordant elements with which the professing church is surrounded, be it the happiness of the humble believer to lay fast hold of the promises of God made sure in his covenant head. Acting faith on the divine faithfulness he will increase and prosper in the good ways of the Lord. His life before men will be characteristic of the life he has in Christ. to live will be Christ, to die eternal gain." "For him FRAGMENT, FROM THE POOR MAN'S CONCORDANCE. RESURRECTION. HERE is a word of words! the doctrine of which, and the eventful consequences of which, involves in it all our high hopes and expectations of happiness for the life that now is and that which is to come. The resurrection is the key stone in the arch of the christian faith: so that, as the apostle Paul strongly and unanswerably reasons, "if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen; and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and our faith is also vain." Yea, saith the apostle, (as if he had said, and that is not the worst consequence if the doctrine be not true, for then,) "we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not; for if the dead rise not, then is not Christ risen; and if Christ be not raised your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins; and then all they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." 1 Cor. xv. 14-18. The subject, therefore, is infinitely important; and the apostle hath placed the doctrine in the clearest light possible. It is reduced to this single point-if Christ be not risen, then there is no resurrection of the dead; but if Christ be himself risen, then is he become "the first-fruits of them that sleep." For by his own resurrection he gives full proof to all the doctrines he taught; and as he declared himself to be the resurrection and the life, and promised that whosoever lived and believed in him he would raise up at the last day, and in confirmation of it arose himself; hence it must undeniably follow, that our resurrection is involved and secured in his. He said himself," because I live, ye shall live also." See John xi. 25, 26, &c. John v. 21 to 29. John xiv. 19. Concerning the fact itself of our Lord's resurrection, I do not think it necessary to enlarge. The New Testament is so full of the interesting particulars, and the truth of it is so strongly confirmed by the innumerable witnesses both of the living and the dead; yea, God himself giving his testimony to the truth of it, that in a work of this kind I consider it a superfluous service to bring forward any proof. I rather assume it as a thing granted, and set it down as one of the plainest matters of fact the world ever knew, that "Christ is risen from the dead." I shall therefore only subjoin under this article the observations which naturally arise out of this glorious truth, in proof also, that as Christ indeed is risen from the dead, he arose not as a private person, but the public Head of his church, which is his body, and thereby became "the first fruits of them that sleep." The first view of Christ's resurrection, as connecting our resurrection with it, is the full assurance it brought with it that the debt of sin Christ undertook as our surety was discharged. For never, surely, would the prison doors of the grave have been thrown open, and Christ let out, had not the law of God, and the justice of God, both been satisfied. In that glorious moment, when Christ arose from the dead, he proved the whole truth of what he had taught "Destroy this temple," he said, and he spake of the temple of his body," and in three days I will raise it up.' See John ii. 18-22. And hence God the Father on this occasion is called "the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ," because by the blood of the everlasting covenant he had now fulfilled the contract on his part, and God now fulfilled it in his, and in confirmation is here called "the God of peace." Heb. xiii. 20. The next view of Christ's resurrection, as including in it ours, is that as the man Christ Jesus arose, so assuredly must the bodies of all his redeemed. And as it was said by Moses to Pharoah concerning Israel's deliverance from Egypt, not an hoof shall be left behind, Exod. x. 26. so it may be said of Israel's seed, not an hair of their head shall perish, much less the humblest and least of Christ's mystical body shall be lost in the ruins of the world, which at the resurrection is then to be burnt. And this resurrection of the bodies of Christ's members is secured, by virtue of their union and oneness with their glorious Head; for so the character of the covenant runs"If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Rom. viii. 11. Sweet thought to the believer! He may truly say, I shall arise, not simply by the sovereign power of that voice that raiseth the dead, but by his Spirit which unites me to himself now, and will then quicken me to the new life in him for ever. And this is the meaning of that blessed promise of God the Father to the Son-" Thy dead men shall live;"yea, saith the Lord Jesus, in answer, as it were, and in a way of confirmation, " together with my dead body shall they arise." And then comes the call-" awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust, for thy dew," the warin, re-animating, life-giving dew of Jesus in resurrection-power to glory, as in regenerating power first in grace from "the womb of the morning," in which Christ had " the dew from his youth." Ps. cx. 3. " is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out her head." Isa. xxvi. 19. Beautiful figure! the dew of herbs revives those plants which appear through the winter like dry sticks, and not the least view of herbage remains. Son of man! can these sticks live? Such will be Christ's dew to the bodies of his people. Oh, precious, precious Jesus! One thought more on this subject of Christ's resurrection, and of his church so highly interested in it, and that is, that as Jesus's resurrection is the cause of ours, and he himself accomplisheth ours by his Spirit as a germ dwelling in us, so the blessedness of our resurrection is, that as Christ's identical body arose, so shall ours. "He will change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body." Changed it will be from what it was sown in weakness, because it will be raised in power, but its identity, consciousness, reality, will be the same. Here again we feel constrained to cry out, oh, precious, precious Lord Jesus! and to say with Job, "I know that my Redeemer," or, as the words are, my kinsman Redeemer, "liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes my shall behold," for myself, " and not another for me.' "Job xix. 25, 26, 27. So much for the doctrine of the resurrection, and the unanswerable testimonies on which it is founded. The Lord strengthen all his people in the faith of it, seeing that by the resurrection of their Lord they are begotten "to this lively hope in Jesus, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for them who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." 1 Pet. i. 3-5. SONNET. WHEN sailing on the troubled sea of life, And almost drowns our souls with doubts and fears, 'Tis sweet to anchor on redeeming grace, And view in Christ a perfect hiding-place. |