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the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." This is repeated five times in the same book. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, before the world began, made a covenant with him, even the everlasting covenant. The covenant of peace was between them both. Before Abraham was I AM.

There is good reason to suppose that MESSIAH was the person who appeared to the patriarchs, to Moses and Joshua, and to the Jewish church. When God was about to conduct Israel to their promised rest, he said, "Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not: For he will not pardon your transgression; for my name is in him." The above words seem to be equivalent to the declaration of the voice from heaven, "This is my beloved Son; hear him."

The SHECHINAH, or visible symbol of the divine majesty, was no other than MESSIAH in the form of God. When this radiance appeared, it called for religious homage. Paul tell us, that HE who followed Israel in the wilderness was Christ. They marched or encamped as directed by the pillar of cloud and of fire. This was light to them, but darkness and confusion to their enemies. St. John assures us, that "Isaiah saw the glory" of the Messiah, when he "saw the

LORD sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims," with veiled faces, expressive of hu mility; and with wings, expressive of alacrity and zeal in doing his commandments.— "And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory.". (John, xii. 41. Isai. vi. 1, 2, 3.) The same prophet describes his person, and the joy of the church in his birth and kingdom, in the following language; "For unto us a child is born, unto usason is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulders: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever."

Isaiah further foretold, "A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name EMMANUEL," or God with us, Any comment upon the nature of the event predicted would be improper. It is and must remain a great mystery. But it must have been a fact; otherwise christianity is a fiction. An event may be foretold in explicit language, and take place as foretold, while its nature and cause are unsearchable. "In him," says St. Paul,

dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. God was manifest in the flesh." The incarnation of the Messiah is to be believed upon divine testimony, as is the doctrine of the Trinity: Neither can be explained to our understanding. We cannot comprehend God; but we may receive his testimony, and set to our seal that HE is true. The incarnation is attested by a double trinity of witnesses ;three in heaven, and three on earth. "We receive the witness of men: The witness of God is greater."

Upon the whole : What must we think of Christ, to

whom the attributes of eternity and omniscience are ascribed. "I am the first and the last. Lord, thou knowest all things. I am HE who searcheth the reins and the hearts." What shall we think of Christ, if all things were made and are upheld by him? What shall we think of Christ, if he could claim the peculiar appellation, by which God revealed himself to Moses and the jewish church; I AM THAT I AM?— What must we think of Christ, if this is his name, EMMANUEL? And this, JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS?

Selections.

ON THE DEPARTURE FROM THE PECULIAR TRUTHS AND SPIRIT

OF CHRISTIANITY.

The following seasonable and excellent observations on the gradual departure from the peculiar truths, maxims, and spirit of Christianity, are extracted from the Rev. Robert Hall's Fast sermon of Oct. 19, 1803.

"The truths and mysteries which distinguish the Christian from all other religions," observes our able author, "have been little åttended to by some, totally denied by others; and while infinite efforts have been made, by the utmost subtilty of argumentation, to establish the truth and authenticity of revelation, few in comparison, have been exerted to show what it really contains. The doctrines of the fall and of redemption, which are the two grand points on which the Christian dispensaVol. I. No. 5. Dd

(To be continued.)

tjon hinges, have been too much neglected. Though it has not yet become the fashion (God forbid it ever should) to deny them, we have been too much accustomed to confine the mention of them to oblique hints and distant allusions. They are too often reluctantly conceded, rather than warmly inculcated, as though they were the weaker or less honourable parts of christianity, from which we were in haste to turn away our eyes, although it is in reality these very truths which have, in every age, inspired the devotion of the church, and the rapture of the redeemed. This alienation from the distinguishing truths of our holy religion accounts for a portentous peculiarity among christians, their being ashamed of a book, which they profess to receive as the word of God."

"Indifference and inattention to the truths and mysteries of revelation have led, by an easy transition, to a dislike and neglect of the book which contains them; so that in a christian country, nothing is thought so vulgar as a serious appeal to the scriptures; and the candidate for fashionable distinction would rather betray a familiar acquaintance with the most impure writers, than with the words of Christ and his apostles. Yet we complain of the growth of infidelity, when nothing less could be expected. than that some should declare themselves infidels, where so ma

ny had completely forgot they

were Christians." "The conse

quence has been such as might be expected, an increase of profaneness, immorality, and irreligion." (page 32-34.)

"The traces of piety have been wearing out more and more, from our conversation, from our manners, from our popular publications, from the current literature of the age. In proportion as the maxims and spirit of christianity have declined, infidelity has pre

vailed in their room."

SELECT THOUGHTS, BY BISHOP

HALL.

WHEN I think on my Saviour in his agony, and on his crofs, my foul is fo clouded with forrow, as if it would never be clear again; Thofe bloody drops, and thofe dreadful ejaculations (methinks) fhould be paft all reach of comfort; but when I fee his happy eluctation out of thefe pangs, and hear him cheerfully rendering his fpirit into the hands of his Father; when I find him trampling upon his grave, attended with glorious angels, and afcending in the chariot of a cloud to his heaven; I am fo elevated with joy, as that I

feem to have forgotten there was ever any caufe of grief in those fufferings. I could be paffionate to think, O Saviour, of thy bitter. and ignominious death, and most of all, of thy vehement ftrugglings with thy Father's wrath for my fake, but thy conqueft and glory takes me off, and calls me to hallelujahs of joy and triumph; Bleffing, honour, glory and power, be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the lamb for ever and ever, Rev. v. 13.

ANECDOTES.

THE witty Earl of Rochefter, King Charles II. his Queen, Chaphappened to be in company with lain, and some of his ministers of ftate: After they had been difcourfing on publick bufinefs, the King, of a fudden, exclaimed"Come, let us unbend our thoughts from the cares of state, and give us a generous glass of wine, which cheereth, as the Scripture faith, both God and man.” The Queen hearing this, modeftly faid, fhe thought there could be no fuch text in Scripture; and that the idea feemed to her to be little less than blafphemy. The King replied, that he was not prepared to turn to chapter and verfe; but, he was pretty fure, he had met with it fome where in his Scripture reading. The Chaplain was appealed to, and he was of the fame opinion with the Queen. Rochefter fufpecting the King to be right, and being no friend to the Chaplain, flipt out of the room, to inquire among the fervants, if any of them were converfant with the Bible. They named David, the Scots cook, who always carried a Bible about him; and David being called, recollected both the text, and where to find it. Rochefter ordered him to be in

waiting, and returned to the King. This text was ftill the topick of converfation; and Rochefter moved to call in David, who, he faid, he found was well acquainted with the Scriptures. David appeared, and being afked the question, produced his Bible, and read the text, (Judges ix. 13.) The King fmiled, the Queen afked pardon, and the Chaplain blufhed. Rochefter now afked the doctor, if he could interpret the text, fince it was produced; but he was mute. He therefore requested David to interpret it, who immediately replied, "How much wine cheereth man, your lordship knows and to fhow you how it cheereth God, I beg leave to remind you, that, under the Old Teftament difpenfation, there were meat offerings, and drink of ferings. The latter confifted of wine, which was typical of the blood of the Mediator; which, by a metaphor, was faid to cheer God, as he was well pleased in the way of falvation that he had appointed; whereby his juftice was fatisfied, his law fulfilled, his mercy reigned, his grace triumphed, all the divine perfections harmonized, the finner was faved, and God in Chrift glorified."

The King was agreeably furprised at this unexpected and fenfible expofition Rochefter applauded; and after fome farcaftic reflections upon the Chaplain, very gravely moved, that his majefty would be pleased to make the Chaplain his Cook, and the Cook his Chaplain.

It is much to be regretted that the works of the illuftrious Calvin are fo little read in the prefent day. Every person who is acquainted with the writings of our most eminent reformers, both in

England and Scotland, fuch as Hooker, Cranmer, Knox, &c. knows that no man was held in higher eftimation by thofe diftinguished characters than John Calvin, and no human compofitions were more read and admired by them than his. Nor was it only by perfons of the above description that Calvin's writings were ef teemed. The depth and ingenuity of his thoughts, the ftrength and accuracy of his reasoning, and the purity and elegance of his diction, have led many who had no relish for the Gofpel to peruse his works.

The celebrated infidel, Lord Bolingbroke, was a remarkable inftance of this; and the following anecdote, in proof of it, may be depended on. One day, a Clergyman of his Lordship's acquaintance, (Mr. Ch, who died Vicar of Batterfea) happened to call on him, when he was reading in Calvin's Inftitutes. "You have found me," faid his Lordship, "reading John Calvin. He was indeed a man of great parts, profound fenfe, and vaft learning. He handles the doctrines of grace in a very masterly manner." "Doctrines of grace!" replied the Clergyman, "the doctrines of grace have fet all mankind together by the ears." "I am furprifed to hear you fay fo," answered Lord Bolingbroke, “you who profefs to believe and to preach Christianity. Those doctrines are certainly the doctrines of the Bible: and, if I believed the Bible, L must believe them. And, let me feriously tell you, that I think the greatest miracle in the world is, the fubfiftence of Christianity, and its continued prefervation as a re ligion, when the preaching of it is committed to the care of fuch un chriftian gentlemen as you."

Religious Meniter.

Review of New Publications.

A Scripture Catechism, or System of Religious Instruction in the words of Scripture. Being a selection of the most plain and important texts, so arranged as to give a systematic view of the principal doctrines and duties of our Holy Religion. Intended as an Assistant to Christian Ministers, Parents, and Instructors, in the Religious Education of Children and Youth, adapted to the use of Schools and Families. By a Clergyman of Massachusetts. 12mo. p. 114. 37 cents. Cambridge. Hilliard. 1804.

AN early acquaintance with the SACRED SCRIPTURES is the best means of establishing the moral and religious principles of children and youth. They at once furnish a perfect rule of life, show the way of salvation, and exhibit the most impressive motives to holiness. Whoever, therefore, facilitates the acquirement of scriptural knowledge, renders an essential service to the rising generation, and, by consequence, to his country, and to the world. Such is the benevolent office, which the anonymous compiler of the work before us has attempted to execute; and, we think, with success. He has taken pains to bring into a coherent and systematic form, the principal doctrines and duties, contained in the Bible; and to arrange them in a method, adapted to enlighten the understanding, aid the memory, and impress the heart.

The qualifications requisite to the proper execution of such a work, are, thorough acquaintance with the scriptures; judgment to discern, and diligence to collect, the most appropriate passages for the several articles of doctrine and duty; and, in the disposition of

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them, a conscientious regard to the meaning of the inspired authors, so far, as from the most obvious construction of words, from their coherence with what precedes and follows them, and from a fair comparison of scripture with scripture, that meaning can be acsertained. These qualifications the compiler of this work appears to have in a good degree possessed. The selection is, what its name imports; and the parent who seeks the religious instruction of his children, need not hesi tate to commit to their hands this SCRIPTURAL CATECHISM.

But after all, we are ready to regret the publication of this or any other newly formed catechism, lest it supersede the use of that most excellent system, the Assembly's Shorter Chatechism, which we prefer before all other works of the kind. Nor do we see any more reason for confining ourselves to the express words of inspiration in catechisms, than in preaching, or in any other mode of religious instruction.

That a judgment may be formed from the work itself, a specimen of it is subjoined.

SECT. I.

Q. What are the first principles of religion?

A. He that cometh to God must be

lieve that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.*

Q. How may all men know, there is a God?

A. The invisible things, (attributes) of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead; so that they are without excuse.

Q. What is the light of nature?
A.That which may be known of God

References to the particular places where the quoted passages are found, are inserted in the margin.

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