COMMON OBJECTIONS PROPOSED . DD ANSWEREi D13PA;i|lO > -PB ' ’YERSATIOrS. ' 1101 1829 JAMES P. WILSON, D.D. '"*v. t Missionary. The gifts of the Spirit were conferred by the laying on of the hands of the apostles, but not his sanctify¬ ing influences; the former were extraordi- 21 nary, and necessary to the planting of the church; the latter are more excellent, and accompany salvation. These only are continued to this day, and produce success: these have been bestowed upon the people of Hawaii, and have produced the change you witness. Mate. The light of nature needs no mi¬ racles, it is inextinguishable. Miracle, I have understood, expresses only that the thing is inexplicable by him who uses the term, and by no means, that the event is not perfectly natural. Missionary. These islanders and other pagans, who have had only the light of na¬ ture, have nevertheless worshipped objects superlatively abominable; either therefore it has been extinguished, or remained a near approximation of darkness. The object of the Christian’s worship is the God of na¬ ture, and the worship itself in all points perfectly rational. Without asserting that miracles are accomplished without means, I affirm that they have been successfully used, in ancient times, as powerful evi¬ dence of a mission from God; and that the records of sucli events are to this hour cre¬ dible, and important proofs of the same things. When the attention of a whole synagogue was called to the question, whe¬ ther a withered arm, upon which every eye was fixed, should be healed on the Sabbath; and after the discussion, while all were silent, and all intent upon the object, he is bidden to stretch it forth, and he at¬ tempts, and the arm is restored, confess¬ edly by the power of God: when the dead were raised, and all diseases healed in the same manner; and these things were es¬ tablished equally by the testimony of the enemies, and friends of the gospel; the proof is competent and credible, and pre¬ ferable to a continuance of the same ac¬ tions; because they would by frequency have ceased to be miracles, and become no better evidence than the common acts of Providence. Captain. The presumption against mi- 23 racles, from our inexperience, and from their opposition to the course of nature, has been thought to preponderate against any testimony of such facts. Missionary. Such presumption like all others is open to be combated by opposite proofs; for if either our ignorance of the proximate cause, or the novelty of the event, were a just reason for denying the report of our senses, or the testimony of others, a barrier is set to all progress in knowledge. Miracles were not for dis¬ play, but for a divine testimony on an im¬ portant occasion, excluding deception, and in opposition to moral evil. They were usually of great publicity; and the record of them was given at the proper place, and time, and has been constantly believed unto this hour. The cause, which they supported, prospered both in peace, and in persecution; and he who was crucified in the reign of Tiberius, was in Nero’s wor¬ shipped as God, and that in the emperor’s family. Neither the wisdom, philosophy, 2 4 and eloquence of the Greeks, nor the laws of the pagan establishment, nor malice, nor false zeal, nor inveterate custom, nor the seductive pleasures of the age, could with¬ stand its influence. They ~“who first op¬ posed, to whom it was first offered, and under whose name it was at first allowed toleration, and who remain to this day its unrelenting enemies, are for this very cause without temple, altar, sacrifice and priesthood; without government, country, city and home, and must remain so till they acknowledge their own Messiah. Captain. There is a cause for every thing; the Jews bring their evils on them¬ selves; I think as little of their revelations and miracles as of yours—I claim no hypo¬ thesis. Missionary. This avowal is as open as unexpected. Till lately writers impugning the gospel, confessed, as Mr. Chubb does, Christianity; probably from regard to cha¬ racter, or safety; but since the American, and French revolutions, every theist is branded as on the high-road to become a revelationist. Rejecting every hypothesis, they doubt every thing, even their own doubts, and thus deem themselves incapa¬ ble of being assailed. You are conscious, Captain, that you cannot avoid thinking; and as you reject a creation, you are obliged to hold, however secretly, either a fortuitous origin, or an eternal existence and succession of things; but should you attempt the defence of either of these cas¬ tles, you might be instantly stormed by either Jews, or Christians. Captain. Mr. Andrews, as your gospel originated with Jews, they best know its proofs; how do you account for their un¬ relenting opposition to it? Missionary . A particular providence is perfectly compatible with human liberty, and the justice of responsibility. Their pride was wounded : they expected a mighty temporal prince, and had not concealed from the nations their hope of future empire. Rut God gave them in answer to those pro- c 26 phecies, on which their hopes were found¬ ed, a poor infant, of an indigent mother, born in a stable, cradled in a manger, rear¬ ed as a mechanic in obscurity, a man of af¬ fliction, fed by charity, having not where to lay his head, mocked, blindfolded, beat¬ en, spitten upon and crucified as a slave. They think their honour should make them foremost in his rejection. Mate . This opposition of expectation and accomplishment, which you express as the cause of the opposition of his nation, creates in my mind a difficulty with respect to the scheme of the gospel. I do not dis¬ cern how so good a man, as you think Christ was, should have been placed by Providence in circumstances of so much suffering; nor do I wonder that his nation should refuse a man, of habits so recluse, as their Messiah : nor yet that the Captain should be so unwilling to believe the gospel. Missionary. The prophecies and gospel breathe the same spirit, which every mind opposes till the disposition is changed. The 21 prophecies describe his birth, life, doc¬ trines and death, with historical exactness; had it been otherwise, an outcast infant could not have been at the same time the dreaded rival of a powerful king. The gos¬ pel history is a chain, every link of which is verified by prophecies, then, and still in the hands of his enemies. Mr. Chubb, what could riches be to him, who is pro¬ prietor of all things? What human adula¬ tion, to the object of angelic homage? Which is greater, to command armies, or the winds and the seas? To grace the ban¬ queting table, or to feed the hungry, by causing the bread to grow, as they put it to their mouths? Which best became a divine person, to kill with the sword, or to call up the dead from the bier, or the tomb ? Hum¬ ble, unobtrusive, mild, sweet, holy, harm¬ less, compassionate, kind, ever doing good, this wonderful man nevertheless spoke with dignified authority, always the truth, ever with solemnity, having on no occasion been seen to smile, and with such clearness and 28 certainty of intelligence, as never man had spoken. Mate. You build on an assumption of that which I cannot yield I have no doubt that Deity can make communications by reveal¬ ing to the minds of men, but I know not that he has done it, and can form no con¬ ception of any way in which such revela¬ tion could be distinguished from delusion, human testimony being in such case incom¬ petent proof. Missionary . Mr. Chubb, do you believe it impossible, either that human testimony should be true, or that it should be justly deemed credible? To expect mathematical certainty in matters which admit only of moral, is, to say the least, unreasonable. When you return home, if you should men¬ tion the change you have witnessed in the people of Hawaii, some gentleman of your creed may, doubt your veracity. Should you appeal to the captain, his testimony amounts to no more than moral evidence; if you bring the ship’s company as compur- 2 9 gators, it is still but the testimony of falli¬ ble men, whom he may pronounce deceivers, or deceived : he demands mathematical, and you can furnish only moral certainty. In the same way that your character is vindi¬ cated, the book of revelation is sustained, and thus by far the greater portion of our knowledge rests upon human testimony. Instead therefore of receiving it as a crite¬ rion of pre-eminent discernment, when a gay companion treats with contempt moral evidence of certainty; it may be esteemed both a sure mark of his ignorance of the na¬ ture and kinds of evidence; and also a di¬ rect proof, that he knows himself to be un¬ worthy of credit. Captain. You had no right, Mr. An¬ drews, to assume my belief of Jewish pro¬ phecies, for I had disavowed their revela¬ tions; grant you a lever, and you can weigh the moon. Missionary. Pardon me, captain; I thank you for the just correction; the desultory nature of our conversation seemed to pre- c 2 30 elude an orderly method of argument, which would require the establishment first of the genuineness, then of the authen¬ ticity, and afterwards of the inspiration of the Scriptures; all which I confess should have been accomplished, before arguments could be correctly taken from the fulfil¬ ment of prophecy. But with a man of edu¬ cation, and much reading, there seemed to be less occasion to be guarded against the assumption of first principles. Captain. To convince you of my since¬ rity, I acknowledge, that you have the books of the Hebrews, in their own lan¬ guage; also in the Chaldee, the language of their captivity; and in the Greek, which became the public language; and I have no doubt, that they were much the same at the Christian era, as in our own day. Also you have the Samaritan pentateuch in the ori¬ ginal Jewish letter. These are ancient proofs, but insufficient to establish the ge¬ nuineness of the Old Testament. You have also arguments for authenticity from 31 the division of time, the effects of the de¬ luge, the lengths oflives, the ruins of em¬ pires and cities, the traditions of Abraham, Moses, of the Exodus, David, Solomon and others; but the existence of a few common¬ places, which no forgery would omit, will not establish the whole; for thus Homer, Virgil and Shakspeare, might become cre¬ dible historians. Missionary. The variety of style shows that the Hebrew Scriptures were written neither by one person, nor in the same age; the unity of design evinces, they were not the invention of many. They are quoted by various authors, of different nations, most ancient, and of various languages; and no period can be shown, when the Israel¬ ites did not acknowledge them, and Moses, as the person by whom their laws were writ¬ ten. The highest and best evidence there¬ fore, that the nature of the case affords, we have, of their genuineness. With respect to their authenticity, they would be su¬ perseded by a distinct proof of every fact; 32 1 the demand is also unreasonable; it is enough, that not one has ever been found to be false, a detection, which their early publicity would have insured ; the writers spare neither their own, nor the faults of the nation, harmonizing in history, doc¬ trines and duties. And in the moral purity, simplicity and spirituality of the whole, they exceed all other writings. With re¬ gard to inspiration , whether by sugges¬ tion, or superintendence, its possibility is undeniable by all who admit the creation and sustentation of the soul; the reasona¬ bleness of the hope of it, is admitted by the most respectable of the ancient Greek philo¬ sophers, and implied in the numerous pre¬ tensions which have been made to it. It is proved by miracles; completion of prophe¬ cies; the majesty, simplicity, and accord¬ ance of the whole; and particularly by their effects on the hearts of men, in every age; all these things conspire to prove the truth of the positive claims of the writers. Your advantages from education render a deeoer 33 investigation necessary to your conviction, than that which has satisfied these island¬ ers. There is a species of proof, when the disposition is in unison with the spiritual things of these books, which is of a vastly higher nature; but it is rather for confirm¬ ation, and consolation, than to procure that assent, which is the precursor of penitential sorrow. Captain. If the writings were unknown, till Ililkiah is said to have found them, in the days of Josiab, more than eight hun¬ dred years after the death of Moses, it is probable they were written at that period; for it is incredible, that the book of the laws of a nation, should have been thus un¬ known to them, had they previously ex¬ isted. Missionary. Josiah had been then seven¬ teen years occupied in restoring the wor¬ ship of the law; Hilkiah therefore probably found the autograph of the covenant ratified in the plains of Moab; which was to be laid up beside the ark. Moses had read 34 his law to the people; Joshua read also every word, and made a covenant, and wrote it “ in the book of the law of God.” David often mentions the law; and his father was the great grandson of Salmon, the cotemporary of Moses. Jehoshaphat, three hundred years before Josiah, sent teachers into the cities of Judah; “and they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them.” Also the writings of Moses created the chief ob¬ stacle, with which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and the subsequent rulers of the ten tribes, had to conflict. Elijah appeared about sixty-five years after the revolt of Jeroboam, and was succeeded by Elisha; these prophesied about seventy-one years, in the ten tribes. Jonah began to prophesy twenty-seven years after Elisha’s death; and in his life time, Amos and Hosea pro¬ phesied. Isaiah began eleven years after Jonah went to Nineveh, and prophesied with Micah, his cotemporary, in Judah; as Joel had done in the days of Jonah. 35 About the time of Isaiah’s death, Nahum began to prophesy. All these lived be¬ tween the days of Solomon and of Josiah; jf you will consult these, almost uninter¬ rupted prophecies, which every where suppose the existence of the Mosaic code, you must perceive, that little weight can be allowed to the trite objection, that the writings of Moses were unknown before the reign of Josiah. Captain . I had this objection from a Jew: who mentioned also others. He said, f hat the pentateuch was written on the west side of the Jordan, and consequently not by Moses, who never was there; and that the translators into English, differing from others, and the Hebrew, have render¬ ed over by “ this side Jordan.” He ob¬ served also, that the word prophet did not come into use before the time of David, (1 Sam. ix. 9) and consequently, that as it is used in the five books ascribed to Moses, they must have been written afterwards! I can never believe that Samson caught three hundred toxes; or that he would use them to burn the fields; or that two of Ja¬ cob’s sons took a city, or even a castle, by digging down a wall. Missionary. Your infidel Israelite will have to admit that the books of Joshua, and 1st Chronicles, were written on the east side of Jordan, for the same Hebrew word is used, Joshua xxii. 7, and 1 Chron. xxvi. 30. The passage in 1st Samuel was in¬ tended only to show that seer, there first used in the Bible, was an old word. Your own two objections arise from the mis¬ takes of those, who have added the He¬ brew points; instead of foxes we are to read sheaves , and instead of digged down a wall, the words are extirpated a prince, or head of a family, in the affair of Dinah. I need not suggest the impropriety of suf¬ fering verbal mistakes in a translation, to influence so important an inquiry. There are numerous places, where our translation could be brought nearer to the original, and relieve the sense; hut it is better that 37 it should remain as it is; and that those, who wish information, should consult the Hebrew of the Old, and the Greek of the New Testament; or those, in whom they can confide, to do it for them. Captain. I place little reliance upon merely verbal defects, because if those writings are supposititious, those who wrote them were able to avoid such flaws, which may have obtained through the ignorance o7 translators. But there are whole por¬ tions, especially in the Old Testament, which are unworthy of a revelation; such are the jealousies, and broils in the families of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and the in¬ cest of the daughters of Lot. They may not offend the savage islanders; but they must wound the sensibility of a refined city audience. Missionary. I am not a little surprised, Captain, that the important design of those passages should have escaped your penetra¬ tion. The promise, made to the woman, in Eden, of a descendant, who should de- D 38 liver the race, influenced the names of her sons; as it did that of Noah. It excited the faith of the pious in every generation; and the false hopes, and jealousies of the wicked. The same promise was renewed to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David; and thereby restricted. Lot, by following Abraham, and his daughters, by their in¬ cest, who considered their virtue unim¬ peached, claimed the blessing by primo¬ geniture. Sarah’s impatience produced, and her wish to remove a rival, after she had obtained Isaac, excluded Ishmael. The wives of Jacob were competitors for, and their sons invidious on the account of that blessing, which their father had unjust¬ ly snatched fr®m his brother; the quarrels were silenced by placing it in Judah’s re¬ mote posterity. The records of those facts, whereby the wicked from selfish motives aimed to secure advantages, which they viewed as temporal, were not only so many testimonies of the existence of the promise of the Messiah, but exhibited, even in the 39 abuses of it, the object of the faith, and hope and worship of those, who professed in ancient times the true religion, and trusted in the promises. The recording such wickedness, was justified by the veri¬ ty of history ; was important to the pre¬ servation of the knowledge of the promises of the Messiah ; to show the exclusion of the Ishmaelites, Edomites, Moabites and Ammonites from the hope of receiving the promised seed; to confirm our faith, that Jesus was that promised deliverer; and to explain the subsequent prophecies, and elucidate the history of his treatment, cha¬ racter, conduct and doctrines. Captain. Histories of uncultivated man¬ ners, like a visit to Hawaii, furnish no in¬ tellectual improvement; the reading this Jewish book, rather confirms my opposi¬ tion to their religion. Missionary. Their defects in civiliza¬ tion and science are conspicuous; but their religion, in morality and sound reason, is unrivalled; a paradox worthy your atten- 40 tion. Our ignorance of oriental geography, history, customs, opinions, manners and idioms, has rendered those volumes, not only repulsive to prejudiced minds, but perplexing to those who have studied them with care. Yet it gives me pleasure to as¬ sure you, that a vast accumulation of light has been of late thrown upon their obscu¬ rities; and every year renders one passage, and another, delightfully clear and satis¬ fying. Mate. The Captain’s objections were new to me, and I am happy to have heard the answers, for I wish to be a Christian, if I am not one; but still, Mr. Andrews, I suspect, that imagination and deception have produced much of that, which bears the name of Christianity. Missionary. Unquestionably there are counterfeits, but such imply a good coin. Because you may have no pleasure, Mr. Chubb, in philological inquiries, it neither follows, that no others have, nor that they may not teem with importance. If the 41 \ apostles, and missionaries be deceivers , their design to promote holiness is contrary to their own wishes; also, they expose them- < selves to great privations, and sufferings, lor no conceivable advantage to themselves! How they can trust each other, or hope to escape detection, is very strange. If they be the victims of deception , this argues their ignorance; yet their plans have proved surprisingly successful; neither the doc¬ trines, nor the prudence of the apostles, or of (he missionaries, argue the weakness of fanaticism. Captain. I most earnestly desire to know the truth; but there are some things m the gospels, that seem to me repugnant; for example, that the same person Should be distinctly God and man. Missionary. You could not conduct this ship to port, if you were defective either of soul, 01 body; these make one person, yet are they so diverse, that they have not a single property in common. Jesus Christ is the very same person, “who dwelt D 2 42 among us,” and was a perfect man pos¬ sessed of a body and a soul: yet he was the “Word,” who was “in the beginning” of time, and consequently eternal, which no man is; and was “in the beginning with God,” which implies a distinction of some kind, call it personal, or what you please; and he “ was God,” not exclusively, for he was “ with God,” but partook of the di¬ vine nature, for then there was no other, it being before “ all things were made by him.” Thus the divine Word assumed also the human nature, and was made flesh ; and consequently, this same person had the di¬ vine and human natures. Captain. If Jesus was the way to God, as he said, how could he be also God ? The ' way is not the end. Missionary. Infinite majesty might, with¬ out any subordination, assume the part of mediator, and become the way. The king of England does not abdicate the throne of that empire, by being elector of Hanover. If any of the continental powers should 43 make an application to the king of Eng¬ land, through the elector of Hanover ; there could be no rational objection; especially if he could be approached in no other way. The divine “Word” never left the throne of heaven, when accomplishing the work of a Redeemer as a man. “No one has as¬ cended into heaven, but he who came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven.” These are his words, who de¬ nominated himself the way. Captain. But if the way was God him¬ self, then he made an atonement to him¬ self? Missionary. The atonement, or sacri¬ fice was made to God, Three in One; and consequently not to the exclusion of the second person. Accordingly, in the dark¬ est time of the sufferings of the human na¬ ture of Christ, an angel, not the divinity in him, supported him; and his human will, which recoiled from the unknown suffer- * ings, submitted to the divine will, that is to duty. 44 Captain. Mr. Andrews, the object of your worship is one undivided being, that is deity, whom you call God *, yet you have said that the“ Word,” by whom you mean the person of Jesus, was and is God ; how can one undivided being be at the same time three ? Missionary . As one, God is not three; as three, the persons are not one. The hu¬ man soul and body constitute one person, but they are several things. The divine persons (in a peculiar sense of the word person) the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, are one essence or being, but they are several persons. Each is God, but not each a, or the God, for there is but one God. But the word God is used for the personal distinction Father, in the expres¬ sion, Son of God. Captain. The Jews still affirm, that the life of Jesus had been forfeited, and that his death was justified by their laws; but as capital punishment could only be inflicted for offences against the penal statutes of the Homans, there remained no other expedi¬ ent for effectuating their law, but by a con¬ viction before the governor. And if Jesus was not guilty, as his disciples affirm, and was also able to deliver himself, he was his own murderer. Missionary. Your good sense must per¬ ceive, that the charge for which the coun¬ cil condemned him, was founded on a beg¬ ging of the question, that he was not the Son of God : for if he was, then was he in¬ nocent. Also their accusation of treason before Pilate, for doing the very thing they wished, and expected of their Messiah, was not only false, but barefaced disingenuous¬ ness. Yet they accomplished, what was be¬ fore appointed to be done ; and by no other death would his hands and his feet have been pierced, his garments divided, gall and vinegar administered, and other cir¬ cumstances fulfilled according to prophe¬ cies. He prolonged his life, till his work was finished; and as he came to offer him¬ self a sacrifice, it was his assumed duty, to 46 submit to death at its time, as the work which was stipulated in the council of peace. He had also, as the Lord of life, a right to lay it down, and power to resume it: his power of self-deliverance, though he was innocent, was therefore no imputa¬ tion. Mate. After all, Mr. Andrews, I cannot perceive, why a merciful Deity should re¬ quire the death of so excellent a person; and that for the wicked. If a gentleman wrongs me, I can forgive him, if I choose; and God has more mercy than I have. Missionary. The natures were distinct, the person one. A divine person died, not the divine nature. A continuance in this world could be nothing to him, who cre¬ ated it by a word, and can destroy it by a frown. The divine nature, being ubiquita- ry, was worshipped in heaven, whilst the human was dying on the cross. Justice had stipulated the substitution, which mercy tendered : for mercy could not be exercised to the disparagement of laws, justice, pub- 47 lie good, and the character of the Rectoral Governor. Captain. That one man should, willing¬ ly or unwillingly, bear the penalty for ano¬ ther’s offence, is so far from satisfying jus¬ tice, that it is manifest unrighteousness; merit and guilt being in their nature per¬ sonal, and never transferrable. Missionary. The instances of men’s suf¬ fering by each other’s faults are number¬ less. We may be captured as a lawful prize, m retaliation for national, or individual evils, before we reach our port. On the other hand, you were struck with the kind offices oi these islanders, flowing from Christian kindness. Thus, although Christ was not guilty, his sufferings may have been on account of our offences; and notwith¬ standing his righteousness was not our per¬ sonal rectitude, we may obtain happiness as the consequence of what he has de¬ served. The truth, that we have person¬ ally offended, is immovable; if justice can¬ not accept a substitute, either it must fail, 48 or we must perish. But glad tidings an¬ nounce, that according to eternal purposes, upon which the law was predicated, a sub¬ stitute of competent dignity has come, and has paid the ransom, and salvation is offered to all mankind. Mate. These islanders, when I first saw them, might kill their own children, and the king would take no notice of it; they would, therefore, never have made the Captain’s objection. As they had no laws for the administration of justice, the mis¬ sionaries must have succeeded by direct appeals to the consciences of the people. But still the universality of their reforma¬ tion, and consequently of the conviction that produced it, is passing strange. Missionary. Not more strange, Mr. Chubb, than the conversion on the day of Pentecost. Captain. If the righteousness of Christ be the only cause of a believer’s salvation, neither his righteousness procures, nor his sins prevent it; why then should mine? If 49 both are out of the question, and I am as good as he, why should his believing bring him to heaven, and I be shut out? Missionary. The righteousness, which you have denied to be transferrable, and which is the substituted ground of a believ¬ er’s being treated as if he were righteous, is by no means the moral rectitude inherent to the party: yet are they ever concomi¬ tant; whom he justifies he sanctifies. If you had the disposition of a believer, you would be one. Whilst he submits, you re¬ sist; his virtue is that of a subject, yours of a rebel; whilst he falls into the train of Christ, you are standing in the ranks of the enemy. Since you have put your own case in issue, I appeal to your conscience, whe¬ ther, at the final judgment, it will not be just, to accept the penitent rebel, and to reject the unrelenting enemy. Captain. Mr. Andrews, you assume that I can believe, but I cannot; and you admit that the necessary change of heart is the E 50 work of the Spirit; so I must be lost, for not doing, what I cannot accomplish. Missionary. You have, and can read the Scriptures; you have reason, and can test them ; you have conscience, and the works of God before you; if the evidence be de¬ fective, you are clear: your want of power is a mere defect of inclination; you can therefore believe, if you will. The good sense of every man may distinguish be¬ tween a physical, usually denominated a natural inability, which he cannot help; and a mere want of heart, or disposition, which is moral. It is indeed figuratively described as an inability; the party never¬ theless has the powers, but will not exer¬ cise them. No judge will allow the latter as an excuse, and no prisoner can be con¬ victed, who can substantiate the former de¬ fence. Captain. Your answer, Mr. Andrews, does cast the blame of every man’s unbelief on himself, and makes him a self-destroyer, which does seem to accord with our feel- 51 ings, because we are sensible of no defect of power; but still the believer would not be such without the Spirit’s influence to change his heart, and if I had that, I should upon your own principles also believe; where is the justice, therefore, of such une¬ qual distributions of favours, to men equal¬ ly rebels, and equally under the condemna¬ tion of a broken law? Missionary. Pardon me, Captain, for saying your ideas are on this subject a little confused. I carefully distinguished, but the discrimination I perceive has escaped you, between sovereignty , and rectoral govern¬ ment , and referred grace only to the form¬ er, and inviolable justice to the latter. The Sovereign of the universe does his plea¬ sure, he is not bound to make men angels, nor sinners saints; men and sinners have no claims on him for such gifts; in grace and in providence his gifts are unequal, and he has mercy upon whom he will. But in the moral government, which he has erect¬ ed, he deals with his rational creatures, 52 according to what they have; and his jus¬ tice must never be tarnished, by waving its demands of obedience, because men have no heart, or disposition to do their duty. This is their crime; human depravity is mere moral impotence. Grace, that is, spi¬ ritual influence, is imperceptible, both in the moral and physical worlds; it therefore neither diminishes freedom, nor increases obligation. Were it otherwise, this single circumstance would subvert all govern¬ ment, human and divine; the most depraved would be the most innocent; and the strongest propensity to evil, would become the best defence against accusation. If your nature, Captain, and my own are similar, you must be conscious, that you possess natural powers, moral means, and freedom, and cannot deny that your responsibility is commensurate with these; I ask, do you know of any thing else, except the neglect or abuse of these, that is necessary to justify your condemnation? Captain. Really, Mr. Andrews, your 53 reasoning comes very close; nevertheless, I thank you for your candour; and wish a little time to reflect, upon the several items of this conversation; which, from its fair¬ ness and liberality, has awakened in me an interest, far beyond my anticipations. Al¬ though not as yet persuaded, nor at all the Christian, I am satisfied, that I have too hastily formed my conclusions against Christianity. We have only discussed pre¬ paratory inquiries; I suppose the doctrines, experience and duties of the Christian reli¬ gion, must be respectively of considerable extent; but with these, I have no concern, unless I should be of opinion with you, on the points we have disputed. Whatever the result may be, you shall know, before the voyage has terminated. Missionary. I hope, Captain, no other freedom has been assumed on my part, than that which is incidental to the unrestrained effusions of colloquial argumentation. As it is the duty of every man to inquire, and decide for himself, it is equally so, to Buf¬ fi 2 54 fer all others to exercise the same liberty. The essentials of Christianity are known, and believed by all the denominations; yet Providence has suffered even these to be divided about shibboleths ; that they might be excited to investigate, and disposed to retain the truth; remembering at the same time, that mutual love is to remain their distinguishing characteristic. That con¬ science admits not of compulsion, is the voice of revelation, and a dictate of reason ; persecution producing only martyrs, or hy¬ pocrites. Howsoever anxious to communi¬ cate the hope, which I do myself enjoy, I shall not be obtrusive; nevertheless shall esteem it a favour, as it will certainly be my pleasure, to communicate, as often as sought, any part of the little, which I know. Truth should be not merely the professed, but the real object of each of us : as it can¬ not be my duty, so shall it never be my aim, to act falsely for God; I am as ready to hear, as to answer; and if I can discover what is right, I will accept, and follow it. 55 from whomsoever it shall come. And may God Almighty introduce you both, into the light, liberty, privileges and blessings of the gospel of peace. THE SECOND DIALOGUE. The Captain, The Physician, The Mate, The Rev.Jedediah Andrews. Captain. The topics of our conversa¬ tion in the Pacific have unceasingly recur¬ red to my mind, and occupied much of my waking silence. Victory, not less than truth, a motive more frequent than con¬ fessed, induced at that time an advance of objections beyond the limits of propriety; but, nevertheless, thereby answers were elicited, clothed with arguments, of the existence of which I had entertained no conception. The negligence, and superci¬ liousness whereof I stand convicted, have, no doubt, in a multitude of instances proved an effectual barrier against that knowledge, the want of which must neces¬ sarily shut up the understanding in its na- 58 live atheism. This interview has been sought, Mr. Andrews, not for the sake of opposition, but information; and that means should not fail, from my change of atti¬ tude, the doctor and the mate are in at¬ tendance. Between the former and myself a tacit understanding never to conflict, has been inviolably observed. The mate re¬ tains, I presume, his former sentiments. What communications shall be best adapt¬ ed to my defects, I submit to your deci¬ sion, when I shall have expressed some of my views, which are greatly diverse from those, which I supported on the former oc¬ casion. I am now not more conscious of my existence, and that the exercise of my mental powers is peculiar to myself, than convinced that the discrimination of moral good and evil, and the sting of remorse are not only no properties of my body, but are for higher ends; when the separate, living, conscious soul shall realize the events of its trial, whilst it was shut up in the perish¬ ing body. I feel myself the subject of mo- 59 ral government, not merely under law, but guilty in ten thousand instances; and am now ashamed to have believed, that the Being, whose infinite nature equally extends to the smallest, as well as the greatest concerns, would not so notice the affairs of men, as to reveal to them positive laws, and require instituted worship. A comparison of the evidence of the genuine¬ ness of the Scriptures, with that of other hooks, compels my acknowledgment of the claims of Moses and Joshua, to stand upon the same footing, with those of Homer and Virgil: and when 1 see their authenticity supported by a mass of historic and other facts, daily accumulating, and already ex¬ ceeding those, which are competent vouch¬ ers for other ancient writings, candour re¬ quires my admission of the presumption of their entire truth. W hen their genuineness and authenticity are admitted, they estab¬ lish their own inspiration. Nevertheless, notwithstanding these general concessions, they exhibit many things wholly incompre- 60 hensible by me; these I cannot say I be¬ lieve; here therefore my mind still labours. Missionary. The word of God, whose ways are inscrutable, must be expected to bear the impress of divinity, and to be in¬ commensurate with our understandings; the feebleness of which darkens every sub¬ ject that we attempt to investigate beyond our line. But when the obstacle is insupe¬ rable, justice vindicates our ignorance from imputation. How shall we refuse to be¬ lieve, what God has spoken? What you have denied in the general, I hope may be retracted upon a specification. Captain. Certainly all those things, which imply no contradiction, must be pos¬ sible to infinite wisdom and power. Thus if the incarnation had implied a repug¬ nancy, such pagans as the wary Julian, would not have admitted the existence of demigods. The power that can join a ra¬ tional soul to a material body, must be able to unite, without amalgamating two spirits of similar natures. 61 Physician. It is evidently reasonable, that virtue so illustrious, and righteousness so perfect, should have extensive and bene¬ ficial influence. But Christ performed the condition of a covenant, or which amounts to the same thing, complied with the eternal purpose of making good man’s de¬ ficiency, which must be in the offending nature , and yet of dignity commensurate with that of the law. We cannot tell what relation the world bears to the universe; but we see the smallest creatures have had the attention, and shared in the benefits of the infinite Creator. Missionary . The acts of our bodies re¬ ceive their moral character from our souls, being the same persons; so the value of the human obedience and sufferings of Christ arise from their being those of a divine person. His knowledge as God was not an effect; his divine will was immutable; and ubiquity belonged to his presence; these might therefore well remain the same, without being affected by his human F 6 2 knowledge, will and presence. That he was still in heaven, he as plainly affirmed, as his human inferiority. Mate. The Captain appears to have al¬ tered his mind. When our former conver¬ sation ended, I was much less opposed than he, to consider the people of the Sandwich Islands, really reformed and instructed; and although I have not received revela¬ tion, yet I am not at all averse so to do, if 1 can only see cause. Also I confess, I am no better than I should be, and may here¬ after need a Saviour for aught I know; and have therefore no objection, since he is said to have died for all, to obtain a share in the possible good. Missionary . It often happens, that they who are afar off, are made nigh; whilst those, who are almost persuaded, never submit. The sacrifice of the cross is enough for all, and offered to all, who hear the gospel; and the invitation is with¬ out exceptions. Yet no man has a right to approach, in the first instance, as a fa- 63 vourite of heaven, but as a guilty sinner; and every man of this character may ex¬ clude himself by obstinate unbelief, or by careless negligence. Physician. Mr. Chubb, your willing¬ ness to be saved seems to be mingled with indifference; there are' means to be used; and yet even these have not an infallible connexion with grace and salvation; for the best have no natural qualifications to recommend them; certainly the offer alone will not save you. Missionary. The law may discover his character and state to an unrenewed man; and show the believer his duty, and the necessity of holiness: but it cannot exten¬ uate guilt; for then would it effect an ex¬ emption from the duty of repentance. The morality required by the decalogue, is love to God, and love to man; these exist not in minds at enmity with God. The morality of the unrenewed, is therefore really sin, wearing the semblance of reli¬ gion. To exhort to such a morality as a 64 use of commanded means, in expectation of spiritual blessings, is to misrepresent our inability as physical, instead of moral; and to furnish the guilty with an excuse for their defect of holiness. If there are no sincere endeavours in unregenerate men, they can make no terms; and the Mate, if in earnest, will not he offended at me for saying, that he'ought to throw him¬ self, with deep prostration of soul, at the foot of the cross, that he may obtain mercy. Mate. Mr. Andrews, I have visited al¬ most every maritime country, and per¬ ceived, that in Christendom the largest portion know very little about the Scrip¬ tures, and the whole are inconsiderable compared with the rest of the world, who have never received them; do you sup¬ pose, therefore, that you alone are so fa¬ voured? What is to become of the rest of the world? Missionary. Mr. Chubb, you and I are Americans, and know that every citizen, 65 from New Brunswick to the Gulf of Mexi¬ co, and from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains, has an interest in the govern¬ ment, a right to protection, and is subject to the laws of the United States; yet not one in a thousand knows, or possesses those laws. In like manner, although the multi¬ tudes, whom you have mentioned, have faint, or no ideas of the divine laws and go¬ vernment, they are nevertheless subjects of that government and under its laws. But there is a difference ; for whilst no citizen of America can defend himself by pleading his ignorance of the laws of the nation, any one who is held in invincible ignorance of divine laws, will be excused, to the extent of such involuntary defect. Consequently you need not fear, but that justice will in the end be rightly administered. Male. These islanders have not had it in their power till now to gain a knowledge of the true religion, if yours be such ; your ar¬ gument only shows, that they are not per¬ sonally to be condemned for the ignorance f 2 66 they could not escape; but I had alleged, that the paucity of Christians, compared with the rest of mankind, is some evidence against those writings being a revelation from Deity, unless his favours are surpris¬ ingly unequal. Physician. He may certainly do with his own as he pleases, and his gifts of provi¬ dence are sufficiently various to establish this, and none have a right to complain. Suppose a son should receive from his fa¬ ther his equal portion, and wander away, marry, have a family, and waste his sub¬ stance in superfluities; may he not blame himself? If his posterity are poor, ignorant and wretched, and lose the knowledge of the maternal family and inheritance; do they not suffer through the bad conduct of their immediate ancestor? So these island¬ ers must impute their ignorance to their fa¬ thers, who had the knowledge of God and of true religion, but have wandered away and wasted their stock. This representa- 67 tion is just, for the idea of God, which the islanders had, was certainly by tradition. Missionary . The Sovereign Proprietor may extend his mercies to whom he pleases, not his judgments; in these he acts the Rec- toral Governor; not arbitrary, they are ever righteous; sin alone being the formal cause of destruction. These islanders, until the Gospel came, however guilty, could not re¬ fuse pardon, and thus shut the door of mer¬ cy on themselves, as we do who reject the tender. The decisions of men of every na¬ tion, being on many points alike, are refer¬ red to natural conscience, or the moral sense. The judgments of the heathen, their decisions on truth and error, are of less ac¬ count, than their consciences which discri¬ minate between right and wrong. This candle was greatly darkened at Hawaii, but we have full proof, that it was not extin¬ guished ; yet they had no experience of that remorse, which sometimes haunts and tor¬ ments the contemner of the Gospel; a hand writing upon the wall, which can turn fe 3 - 68 tivity into terror and desperation. If such diversity exists in this life, the same con¬ sciences survive our bodies, and may pro¬ duce still greater disparity; so that the in¬ equality of gifts may hereafter be found to have been less than it now appears. Captain. Before truth is seen danger is not apprehended ; negligence can prevent investigation; pride and prejudice exclude knowledge. Man nevertheless at his plea¬ sure may review or anticipate, and can de¬ cide upon the moral character of his con¬ versation and thoughts; this I have been doing, Mr. Chubb, since our last debate with Mr. Andrews, with terrible effect. If conscience can execute such vengeance here, there may certainly be infernal pu¬ nishment. Whilst I keep my senses, I will never be again heard to dispute against re¬ ligion. Mate. Your advantages, Captain, have been greater than mine; it seems however very strange, that you should abandon a cause you lately sustained so well, on the 69 account of arguments that did not affect me. Mr. Andrews is in no danger of hearing an offensive word; but if I say any thing, can¬ dour requires that I should speak just what I think. Ilis success with you will induce him patiently to parry my weaker thrusts. Missionary. In civil society, prosecu¬ tions merely decide the question, guilty or not, the degree for the most part being mea¬ sured by the penalty of the law. By Mr. Chubbs’ confession, that he is “ no better than he should be,” is implied, that he does not claim perfect innocence; then he is not only under law, but if it be perfect, has in¬ curred its penalty. Sin is not always pu¬ nished here, he may therefore be bound over to a future trial; and for it his interest requires that he should be prepared with a safe defence. It rarely happens, that men who are convicted, admit that they deserve the legal punishment; if the wages of sin should happen to be death, a final separa¬ tion from all good, prudence seems to re¬ quire, that he should know the truth of his 70 case. Not only is sin a blot that remains forever; but he is, if once the enemy of ho¬ liness, never inclined of himself to return. Mr. Chubb is consequenlly, by his own ac¬ knowledgment, shut up; and we say that without a Redeemer, he can find no relief; for that which justice requires, Deity re¬ quires; neither sincerity, nor sorrow, can stay the execution of law. In the former conversation, he claimed a Christianity as old as creation , but doubted the Scrip¬ tures; if he could now receive them, and possess for them a zeal, it could accomplish no more than does a zeal for Moses, Maho¬ met, the man of sin, Diana, or the goddess Reason. Captain. I begin to see, that immorali¬ ties may be avoided, appetites restrained, a decency and propriety of deportment be unremittingly observed, and the secret bent of the heart remain nevertheless, directed to the creatures, with even more steadi¬ ness, than the needle to the pole. The will follows the disposition, restrained by inter- 71 est, character or education, but not changed; and the virtue which thus results, is infidel hypocrisy without a particle of real recti¬ tude. But neither Mr. Chubb, nor myself, have concealed our opposition to revela¬ tion, whereby our semblance of virtue, was set to the credit of infidelity. And though I begin to abhor my avowed unbelief, and tremble to perceive the scope he still al¬ lows to himself, yet I seem unable to be, and do as 1 ought. My reason as well as my feelings, accord with the arguments of Mr. Andrews, and upon reflection I con¬ fess that my only inability is the want of a heart, which is so far from excusing, that it constitutes the essence of my criminality, ^et still am I helpless, and inexpressibly miserable. Missionary. Happy is the man whose state is changed from condemnation to ac¬ quittal, and his disposition from evil to mo¬ ral purity. The renovation of his nature would ever discover the change of his state, were not the sources of deception so nume- 7 2 rous. Religion is a right disposition, a heart tending to the highest good, appear¬ ing also in a conviction and hatred of sin. "Hut remaining defects cloud the evidence; and interest produces false reformation, and imaginary affections; so that repentance, faith, love, hope, joy, and all other charac¬ teristics, have their counterfeits. The virtue of the best citizen, father, husband, and friend, may be only a comparative good. Thus Job, though a perfect man, just in his dealings, charitable, and a terror to evil¬ doers, when he perceived his guilt, said— “ I have sinned, what shall I do unto Thee?” The best of men, upon a fresh dis¬ covery of their turpitude, are pierced with the arrow of conviction, turn aside and weep in secret, as the wounded stag leaves the flock, and retiring to the thicket, bleeds alone. Physician. I have thought that repent¬ ance is an early state of the renewed mind, and in order of nature, though not of time, precedes even faith ; if so, why should thi 73 advanced believer feel again the penitential pangs ? Missionary . There is connatural to fallen man a propensity to choose evil, yet not as such, but as a mean of pleasure. If such a mind should discern the miseries, which are consequent upon sin, it will be afflicted with remorse, and may adopt a change of conduct; this is the sorrow of the world, which begins, and may end in death, that is, in a state of opposition to God. But when iniquity is hateful to a man on its own account, the inclinations of the indivi¬ dual have been changed. Such alteration of views produces a conversion from sin to God; which, with respect to the object turned from, is called repentance, but with regard to the object unto which he is turned, is^ denominated faith; thus there is a re¬ pentance, in what you call the early state of the renewed. But through all our period of trial, remaining corruption produces con¬ tinual sources of sorrow; growth in moral purity itself rendering defects more visible. G 74 Every Christian is also liable to intervals of darkness, which lead some to repent and do their first works; whilst others, from neglect of self-examination, or from consti¬ tutional timidity, possess habitual fears. Wisdom has mixed a portion of sorrow in the cup of life, that we might he called to reflection, and the acknowledgment of the rectitude of Divine Providence; but whilst calamity may overwhelm the worldling, and drive him to despair, it only weans the • affection of the believer from the earth, and draws him closer to God, as chastisement humbles the dutiful child, and causes him to seek refuge in the arms of his parent. Physician. Repentance appears to me a rational duty; he that knows he has done wrong from an evil mind, should ingenu¬ ously confess, and abandon the mischief; and since as a moral agent, he is able to perceive and weigh the truth, every impe¬ nitent might awaken sorrow for sin; re¬ pentance, though not directly a voluntary act, being a state of affliction, necessary to 75 prevent a repetition of folly. In accord¬ ance with these views, pardon and salva¬ tion are often described as blessings conse¬ quent upon repentance. I thought myself thus safe; but what you have said, Mr. An¬ drews, of continued or repeated repent¬ ances, awakens my apprehensions, after having been long contented with my state. Missionary. Repentance is a reasonable duty, and of great advantage to the party, when it produces faith, fear, carefulness , and zeal; but then it is not a mere freak of sorrow for sin, which may vanish as the morning cloud and early dew, it is an abiding detestation of it. This only can be acceptable to Him who takes no plea¬ sure in the sorrows of his creatures. Lapses are incident to the best, and if sin lies upon the conscience unrepented of, it is a poison received into the system: wo to the man, who finds relief without sorrow ; he has no right to conclude, that he is not a self-de¬ ceiver. Repentance is indeed often con¬ nected with the promise of life, but it is no I 76 atonement; otherwise the awful inflexibi¬ lity of Divine justice would never have been exhibited in the tragedy of the cross. Unbelief can neither prevent a future life and account, nor extinguish the proof of them; it can prevent repentance, but the danger is terrible, and the doom of impeni- tency tremendous. Confessions, contritions, and absolutions, are not repentance, but the false consolations of death-bed deceivers, whilst the stern executioner, steady to his purpose, is repeating blow after blow, till he sends the naked guilty soul to the bar of incensed, relentless justice. Then is hope clean gone forever: for neither can their hearts endure, nor hands be strong, in the day that God shall deal with them. Physician. It is usually said, that the rectitude of the believer is perfect in kind, but not in degree; 1 do as well as I can, the Lord knows our frame, and remembers, that we are dust. But I cannot see how a man should repent before he believes; truth must be seen before it can be felt. 77 Missionary. If you are doing as well as you can, justice has all she can claim; but mere attendance upon the means, is not a performance of the spiritual duties required; and dependence upon general mercy, is a relinquishment of the atonement; the chief inability is indwelling sin ; sincerity, if it were practicable, is no satisfaction; but the gospel does not mitigate the exactions of the law, it conducts to Christ, who has ful¬ filled it: but an indistinct and nominal re¬ ference to Him who bore our sins, in a vague persuasion of mercy in Christ, is not a sav¬ ing faith. You are correct in representing repentance as the effect of truth, since faith implies an assent to evidence, and this does go before repentance; but such a faith may exist without any religion. There is often a desire to be saved, a hearing the word with gladness, a rejoicing in the light for a season, a professed subjection to the truth, and an external dedication to God; where there is no spiritual life, no real conviction of the truth of the Gospel, and no such re- G 2 78 ceiving and resting upon Christ, as implies a secret persuasion of his ability and wil¬ lingness to save. Nothing hinders any man who hears the gospel, from repenting of his sins, and believing the message of mercy, but the latent enmity of his heart; there is no other bar to salvation. Physician. I am sorry, Mr. Andrews, that there is so much diversity among preachers; some tell us we are free, and can repent and believe, if we will; and others say, we can do nothing without grace. Ac¬ cordingly, as I know that I wish to be a Christian, and do every thing that I may accomplish that end, I feel as if I was. Af¬ terwards, upon hearing others, I seem as if all my labour was for nothing; your ar- ments seem also to unchurch me. Missionary. You cannot expect that one, who has given up all, to live among savages for the cause, should “ speak to you smooth things, and prophesy deceits.” That preach¬ ers should differ, and denominations also, may be expected; and yet on doctrines 79 which are vital, such as the subjects of our conversation, they sufficiently agree, and the trifling discordancies are useful to ex¬ cite each other’s vigilance. As a physician you adapt your prescriptions to the various symptoms and diseases of your patients. So when men are oppressed with the lethar¬ gy of sin, and think they can do nothing, we tell them they have evidence, and fa¬ culties; that they are free from restraint, and can exercise them if they will; the truth when seen produces repentance, and if they will diligently and impartially exa¬ mine its proofs, they will believe; but if they possessed not liberty, it would be as unreasonable to require conversion, as to demand work, when their hands are tied. At the same time, because we know all good comes from God, and that man is so inclined to evil, that he will not submit, we encourage them to ask the aid of Him, who can work in them to will and to do, and who always does so, when they ask as they ought; and this help is called grace, 30 because purely gratuitous, and that which justice does not require. Physician. If the Spirit’s influence be gratuitous, then works will not merit it, and why should I attempt any thing? Missionary . Why should you adminis¬ ter medicine to the sick ? for without God’s blessing it can do no good. Why should you make any effort in the concerns of life? for every thing depends on Him. And his government is conducted by simi¬ lar laws in the kingdoms of providence and of grace. Physician. There is a difference, for these blessings come when we use the means; but it is not so with the Spirit’s in¬ fluence, for this grace comes when he list- eth or pleaseth, and is acknowledged, at least by some missionaries, to be irresisti¬ ble. Missionary. The blessings of Provi¬ dence do not come always when we use the means; they are not sent sometimes, when every nerve has been strained, Af- 81 ter all your skill and attention have been expended, your patient may die. Many ships founder at sea, or are broken on a lee shore, when every man has done his duty. Sovereignty may do with his own as he pleases; it is enough that no one is finally lost, but the person who has deserved to be. 1 am not surprised that your fears are^so easily alarmed, and your hope so uncer¬ tain, since you have cast up to me the be¬ lief that grace is irresistible. Let the am¬ biguity of the terms be removed. If by grace you mean any external favours which God offers to us, such as evidence of truth, motives to obedience, and ordinances of worship, these may be, and are resisted, daily. Or if you intend by grace the Chris¬ tian virtues, submission, faith, hope, love, and other duties, these may be all resisted, and are, in a greater or less degree, by all, even the best. But if you mean by grace that influence of the Holy Spirit which operates immediately upon the soul, in changing and renewing the disposition or 82 heart, it is difficult to see how any man may resist the access and the work of the Spirit, which is neither dependent upon him, nor even presented either to his knowledge or choice. A man may misap¬ ply and abuse his understanding, but to have an understanding is not subjected to his pleasure. The renewed man may re¬ sist his duties, and suffer his affections to languish, but to be the subject of spiritual regeneration, is not submitted to his elec¬ tion. If matters were otherwise, then would it not be true, that God imparts his favours when, where, and to whom he pleases; or that as a sovereign, he does with his own according to his good plea¬ sure. Nor could we entertain a rational hope of being saved; our prayers would be mingled with distrust; nor could any fasten his faith upon a promise of salvation in the Scriptures. Physician. I was about to ask what Stephen meant, when he upbraided his murderers with having alivays resisted the 83 Holy Ghost; but I perceive from your distinctions, that you must understand him to have spoken of their abuse of the exter¬ nal advantages of prophecies, and spiritual instruction, and of all that are usually un¬ derstood by the phrase, “ means of grace.” Missionary. Certainly; for upon any other interpretation he must have blamed them for resisting what he did not know they had ever had; and very unjustly, be¬ cause none hut those who had produced the fruits of grace, could know that they had had it. Mate. I am satisfied that Mr. Andrews is right in his representation of human li¬ berty as freedom from restraint; for I know that I am capable of voluntary action, and have the power of doing as I please ; and if, from external authority or force, I am prevented from doing what I choose, yet my inclination is my own, and free, and that determines my moral character. Call this natural or physical ability , it is the very thing that makes me a moral agent: 84 also, I can easily see, that if my views should be altered, by education, persuasion, or any thing that does not destroy this li¬ berty, I shall still be a moral agent, and justly answerable for my actions. But with regard to the moral inability of which he speaks, I have no experience; I believe that I am as free to good as to ev$/ We are told of a concession of heathen philoso¬ phers, who said they “saw the better way and approved, but pursued the worst;” but they have not affirmed that they were un¬ able to pursue the better way. But as Mr. Andrews admits that the moral inability of us bad men consists only in our indisposi¬ tion to good , and is no apology for our mischief; he admits our moral agency, and screens our character by saying we poor things are unable to do good; which I think myself bound, so far as I know my own feelings, to deny. And so I should have often done, when I have heard preachers say, that we were dead in sin, and that natural men, as they call us, re- 85 ceive not the things of the Spirit of God, that is, good things; but the pulpit is a pri¬ vileged place, from whence they abuse us as much as they please. Physician. I confess, Mr. Chubb, your views are very different from mine, on the subject of inability; that which you deny, I feel to my sorrow. I thought I was a Christian, and have been striving to be such for years; yet it does seem from this con¬ versation, that I am not. Mr. Andrews says that our only inability is indisposi¬ tion, because it is impossible to prefer and not prefer at the same time; but that still a man may be truly religious if he will. I know that I have desired it, and when others neglected I attended Christian ordinances; whilst such opposed, I have advocated the cause, and have conducted myself accord¬ ing to my profession. After all this, how can I admit that I have acted against my will ? I am very sure, that if I am not a Christian, it is purely because it was not in my power; and not because I did not wish 86 to be^^but because I have not had saving special grace. Missionary. Very far be it from me so much as to insinuate, that any man who professes, is not what he professes to be; I hope ever to treat you, Doctor, both as a Christian and a gentleman. To have insi¬ nuated that you were a Christian merely from your regard to character, would have been the charge of hypocrisy. To search the heart is neither in my power, nor be¬ longs to my province. But since you have expressed your own doubts, it can give no offence to say, that many who have long professed, have also, upon a more minute examination of their convictions, ends, and motives of conduct, discovered that they had been only partially convinced, and had taken religion as the safe course, hoping for clearer views; and that all that they had effected had been done from slavish fear, and without any real love of God or holi¬ ness. These have willed and acted against the inclination of their hearts, but have «ttt & u 87 been defective of no power, unless disposi¬ tion be such ; and because it is “with the heart man believeth unto salvation,'” such have had no saving faith; yet was it their duty to have given their hearts:— “ My son, give me thine heart” God himself has said so; consequently to allege, as you have unguardedly done, that it was because you had not had saving special grace, is to cast the blame on Him, of your not doing the very thing which he com¬ mands you to do. And because he is infi¬ nitely amiable and excellent, and the source of all loveliness, and has both pro¬ vided an abundance of the evidence of this, and given that intelligence wherebj you are able to discover the truth, your excuse is wholly incapable of a justification, even upon the footing of reason. But if that grace had been bestowed, you could not have known it, except by its fruits, and these would have been your voluntary ac¬ tions; for our natural liberty, or free agency, is no more affected by the efficacy 88 of grace, than by the bondage of corrup¬ tion; both the sinner and the saint freely pursue the objects of their choice. Physician. I little expected such results when this free conversation commenced, and I have not a hard thought of you, Mr. Andrews, but sincerely thank you for the candid and conscientious admonitions which I have received. But I fear I have erred from the beginning; and that all my profes¬ sions, though not hypocrisy, has been a tis¬ sue of splendid self deceptions; and that I am yet out of the ark of safety. But should I begin again, I know not how I shall se¬ cure the important stake: my works cannot merit .grace, my prayers without it are an abomination ; my faith will be no better than it was; I have partaken unworthily; and I read, that it is impossible to renew such and bring them to the faith. Missionary . Doctor, you speak alloge- ther of danger, and nothing of guilt. A de¬ sire to be saved is common to the bad and to the good, and if this is to be your only 89 motive, the second effort will succeed no better than the first; all your religion will be vain. If your judgment of yourself be correct, then you have abused all the mer¬ cies you have enjoyed, and done nothing but provoke God in all your past life; your own advantage, not his glory, has been your highest end in every thing, and to this moment, all you desire is to get into the ark of safety , and secure the impor¬ tant stake. No sense of sin appears, and no hatred of it, except on account of the dangers itbrings; you profess neithershame nor sorrow. Your hands are not tied, you are a moral agent, blessed with a fine un¬ derstanding and good education, you can investigate truth, and if it produce no con¬ viction, but obtains a merely nominal re¬ ception, the blame of unbelief lies at your own door. It is the want of a heart or dis- 1 position, not a want of power that threatens your ruin. Your works, instead of merit¬ ing grace , aggravate your guilt; your pray¬ ers deserve to be cast back in your face, H 2 90 yet prayer is your duty ; yours is a dead faith; you have been an unworthy par¬ taker, but you have not partaken unwor¬ thily in the sense of the apostle; and be¬ cause the ministers of Christ have laid be¬ fore you the gospel message, which you know, or might know, as well as we do, it is impossible for us to renew you ; but it is neither impossible to yourself, for then would you be innocent; nor is it impossi¬ ble with God, or there could be no utility in prayer. The case you have suspected to he your own, is not uncommon; the heart practises deception, so long as our state of trial endures; it calls virtue vice, and vice virtue; and can maintain conscientiousness under circumstances of extreme degrada¬ tion. If out of the heart are the issues of life and death, it must be kept with all di¬ ligence. If you wish to do your first works, come not as a favourite of heaven, but in the character I have this moment described with painful reluctance, but I hope without the most distant wish cither to claim supe- 91 riority or to depreciate you in the eyes of the Captain and Mate. We are each very soon to render his account at a tribunal, which neither gives a respite, nor allows an appeal. Mate. The missionaries have converted the people of Hawaii, and Mr. Andrews seems to be intent upon carrying the whole crew. The Doctor is a moral, good man, and since should there be a hereafter, such have nothing to fear, he can have no cause of alarm. My Christianity, which is as old as the world, makes men happy, not drives them to distraction, by presenting imaginary causes of fear. If mercy and be¬ nevolence are honourable traits of charac¬ ter, Deity must possess them in the highest degree, and to suppose he will destroy the best members in society, because their vir¬ tue is not sublimated in the puritanical la¬ boratory of the missionaries, is an impeach¬ ment of his goodness; and a greater crime than any that can be conjured up in the 9 2 imagination of the Doctor, to drive him to enthusiasm. Captain. You labour under a mistake, Mr. Chubb; not a word has been spoken or designed, against either the conduct or cha¬ racter of the Doctor; Mr.Andrews respects him as highly as we all do; nor have his motives, as between him and his God, been in any manner touched offensively; what¬ ever has been said has been for his advan¬ tage, and within the compass authorized by himself. Every one knows, that the same conduct, which is praiseworthy in the sight of men, may be wholly defective in the sight of Him who looks upon the heart, and vice versa. You often hear men appeal to him in support of their conduct when it is questioned by us. Although you seemed more the Christian than I claimed to be in our former conversation, we have changed aspects; the same temperature which li¬ quefies some substances, can harden others. Missionary. Mr. Chubb’s Christianity 93 as old as the, creation , consists of pure principles of virtue, purloined from revela¬ tion, and set to the account of his goddess, Reason ; they exhibit a degree of perfection, to which reason has never arrived when left to herself. Where deism takes sanctu¬ ary under the name of Christianity, there exists at least some sensibility. His creed, which in other respects consists only of ne¬ gatives, by rejecting a judgment and retri¬ bution, soothes the conscience, supersedes the investigation of motives, renders the examination of past conduct less important, and thus promotes at least a temporary re¬ lief which he denominates happiness. But how it can he an impeachment of the good¬ ness of the Governor of the world, to sup¬ pose he will support the dignity of his go¬ vernment, and the happiness of his sub¬ jects, by maintaining his laws and punish¬ ing iniquity, remains for Mr. Chubb to es¬ tablish. Physician. The good opinion of me, in which you all so kindly concur, demands, and 94 has my gratitude; but I subscribe to the distinction taken by the Captain, and plain¬ ly discern, not only that the same conduct, which you have joined to approve, will be found wanting when weighed in the ba¬ lances of the sanctuary; but that it will ap¬ pear even to you, when elucidated by every secret concomitant circumstance, in the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, to have been unmingled guilt and hor¬ rible pollution. Had I professed the singular Christianity adopted by Mr. Chubb, I might at least have had the credit of being sin¬ cere; but whilst professing the truth I have practised a lie, and that not to men, but to God ; professing a saving faith, I have wor¬ shipped an unknown God; my washing has been to deeper stains; I have secretly cru¬ cified afresh the Lord of life, whilst acting publicly the farce of commemorating his death; he saw I was destitute of the wed¬ ding garment, and mercifully kept me from that sleep of death which fell upon like offenders at Corinth. In my very songs 95 of praise I was stealing the honours to my¬ self which I professed for him, even whilst he was witnessing the theft. I tell these things, because you are to hear them at the judgment. There are no tears too bitter, no sorrows too cutting, not hell itself, can purge my crimes. Missionary. Who may comfort him whom God afflicts? The evil of sin is infi¬ nite, and its punishment of course intermi¬ nable; to extenuate is to take the side of the enemy of man. If your representations be not founded in error, your present judg¬ ment of yourself does not exceed the truth. But there is one drop of comfort in this bitter potion, the discovery is on this side death, a door of hope is opened in this valley of Achor, and mercy is not clean gone for ever. Captain. I am convinced that a man may be able to investigate the evidence and discriminate the criteria of revelation, perceive the harmony of the divine dispen¬ sations, distinguish between real and ima- 96 ginary duties, mark the proofs of divine perfections, and discern the propriety of a final judgment, and yet be destitute of sin¬ cere piety, and his heart averse to God and holiness. The present afflictive condition of the Doctor, furnishes indubitable proof of the necessity of distinguishing character¬ istics of a Christian’s spiritual state; for al¬ though man is free as a moral agent whilst the slave of sin, and might do without grace, what is always to be attributed to the aid of the Spirit, he never of himself does a holy act. I ardently desire therefore some criterion of special grace. Mate. I hear that word grace in so many connexions, that I am not surprised that you are ignorant of that which is special. Missionary. Special grace is not a scrip¬ tural expression, any more than common grace, free will, perseverance, original sin, sacrament, and others in common use. But there is not much difficulty in under¬ standing what is usually meant by them, though there be some diversity. Grace 97 signifies favour; and because we have not deserved salvation, redemption is denomi¬ nated grace in Christ: and in the same manner, the gospel or glad tidings of such provision is called the grace wherein we stand, or which is made known to us; but in common conversation the immediate in¬ fluence of the Spirit upon the heart is more usually distinguished by the name grace, because it is a favour to which we have no title, God being just if it be not bestowed. Mate. If Deity can thus bestow grace, justice to the contrary notwithstanding, I do not see any need of a Redeemer, be¬ cause grace might save without him. Missionary . That we are moral agents, and possess and exercise at our pleasure, those powers which render us accountable, and know good and evil, and consequently are the subjects of a moral government, all perceive; and the erection of such govern¬ ment implies that justice must and will be administered. Nevertheless the Sovereign of the universe may extend his gifts to i 98 whom he pleases, if thereby he can main¬ tain his character as Rectoral Governor; and this he can do, and has done, by making the scheme of redemption a part of his ori¬ ginal plan in the creation and government of men. Physician. It is for his gift of grace, that I wait and long. If he shall bestow this upon me, then shall I believe and obey indeed, and my sorrow shall be changed into joy. Missionary. We are dependent both on providence and grace, and ought to feel so; and may well pray, turn thou me and I shall he turned. But we have no right to make the want of divine influence an apo¬ logy for our sinful negligence; it is no where represented as a previous condition, upon which duty is required of us. It has been said, “ improve common, and you shall obtain special grace:” also, “ do what you can, and } 7 ou will find power to do what you could not.” But this is to make doing the price of obtaining; for special 99 grace is then by the supposition merited, by improving that which is denominated common. It would be better to drop the terms common and special. The public call of the gospel is indeed a common grace or favour. The blessings of Providence, and the invitations and promises of the word, are really so many strivings of the Spirit, and they who reject them, resist the Holy Ghost. As I see no need of a common influence of the Spirit to render the condemnation of the wicked just, and find no such thing in the Scriptures, 1 nei¬ ther use those phrases, nor intend to blame the pious men who do. It appears neverthe¬ less safest to demand, as do the Scriptures, the wicked to turn and work out their own salvation; and to pray to God, to work in them, to ivill and, to do according to his pleasure; and let them employ every talent Providence has entrusted with them, under the encouraging promise, “ To him that hath," that is, who improves what he hath, “ shall be given,” but for the improvement, 100 both the purpose and the act, they are be¬ holden to God, to whom belongs all the glory. Mate. Mr. Andrews, upon supposi¬ tion, that all good desires, as you affirm, spring from some influence of the Deity upon the minds of men, and that this is the Comforter who was to come with the gospel according to the promise of its founder, whence did the good people in still older 4fmes get their good disposi- ' -lions? Missionary. As you have affirmed, Mr. Chubb, that your Christianity is as old as creation, so we hold, that the true gos¬ pel was given in the promise of Christ, made in Eden immediately after the fall; that every soul, that has been saved, from Abel unto this hour, has been through his merits; and that all real holiness among our fallen race, has been given for his sake, and by the influence of the same Spirit, who was promised to the disciples under the name you have mentioned. As they 101 were to be deprived of the bodily presence, guidance and protection of their Master, he promised that the Spirit should be their teacher , protector , advocate , or com¬ forter* From him did the prophets and apostles derive the extraordinary gifts, so long as they lived; and at their instance and in their presence, were they bestowed on others; a distinction not conferred upon evangelists and ordinary ministers. He operates, not merely through the interven¬ tion of secondary causes, which some of your own creed will allow, but immediate¬ ly communicating the life of God to the soul of man, and uniting our spirits to Him, who is eternal. These ordinary influences are bestowed in unequal degrees, upon all the saints in every dispensation, softening, correcting, consoling, and strengthening their hearts, both as the preliminaries of conversion, and the help of their conserva¬ tion unto eternal life. Nor is there any more * IlctficiKMilc;. I 2 102 difficulty in forming an idea of the manner of such an impression, than of that in which soul and body exert a mutual influence. His creation of, and communication with souls, who is a Spirit, is even more con¬ ceivable, than his erection and support of the material world. Mate. I think the habit of virtue may be acquired like all other useful habits; and, if so, there can be no need of a supernatural agency, even though it be a thing possible. Missionary . But this is to suppose vir¬ tue and vice equally natural, which is con¬ trary to fact; every effort of true virtue is an instance of self control; every vice is a self indulgence to which our nature inclines: also, the motives to holiness are distant and darkened by unbelief, whilst those to evil are near, and being of immediate advan¬ tage, more than outweigh the reasons for self denial; the incentives to virtue are mere matters of belief, but those to vice are subjects of knowledge and experience, and congenial to our desires. Upon your scheme 103 man’s virtue is a good not proceeding from Deity; who, when he had formed him, left him to float at random upon the floods of uncertainty, until he should merge into the deep of everlasting oblivion. Captain. Mr. Chubb has not yet disco¬ vered the tremendous conclusions, to which arguments founded on his principles, ne¬ cessarily bring him; and if I could hope that his conviction would be the result of his present opposition, I would not offer an interruption. But permit me, Mr. Andrews, to renew my question, and to ask for some criterion of that grace which accompanies salvation ; in other words, how does a man know that he is really a Christian ? Physician. Pardon me, Captain, duty and a regard to your safety,- impel me to challenge the motive of that question. In this manner have I deceived myself for years. A desire of happiness is one thing, of holiness another; an anxiety to be saved I still possess, but I do not with the same certainty know, that I love and follow the 104 examples of those who have entered into pa¬ radise. The kingdom will be rightly admi¬ nistered, justice will be done to you and to me; and if either of us or both shall be finally condemned, it ought to be so; and any wish to be carried to heaven, without the holiness which would make it a place of happiness to us, must be as absurd as it is sinful. Missionary. Duty and advantage are joined by the Author of our beings; it is only when regard to interest preponde¬ rates, that censure is incurred. Knowledge is in order to practice. Yet is it possible to inquire for doctrines and duties perpetual¬ ly, and remain strangers to ourselves. Self- examination is the rational mean of self- knowledge ; it is expressly required as a pre¬ cursor of the eucharist; and supposed to be an employment of all believers in the inter¬ rogation, “Know ye not your ownselves?” Ignorance of our state must affect our pray¬ ers, praises, inquiries and deportment. But the sources of deception are so numerous, that for a Christian to escape their influence, 105 requires more vigilance and impartiality, than falls to the allotment of the major number. Captain. I feel the justice, and am grateful for the faithfulness of the caution, which the Doctor has given me. Grace is favour; solicitude for a proof of God’s spe¬ cial favour to a vile rebel, who, though a constant beneficiary, has hitherto resisted his power, and denied his goodness, does argue a predominant love of self, and too plainly evinces a continuance of the old idolatry of my heart. Missionary . We may justly love God for the gifts of his providence, but if we have no other affection for him than this, it is no more than a natural love, attainable by the unrenewed, and perfectly compati¬ ble with the existence of pride and other evil affections. But when you wished a criterion of grace, the favourableness of God to you in particular was not that for which you desired a proof; but your inqui¬ ry was aimed to the discovery of the truth of spiritual influence on yourself; it being 106 in its nature imperceptible, and to be known only by its effects. What character is ours, or what state we are in, is worthy of strict and solemn investigation. But it is not in my power to condense this labour; it will be the work of the residue of your life, to test your hatred of sin, and love of holiness, the truth of your faith and the foundation of your hope. Sometimes your joy will probably rise almost to triumph ; and soon darkness may supervene; but God, his pur¬ pose, word and promises, will remain the same; so that you may afterwards find, that when you were weak , then ivere you strong. Captain. I am aware that although all are justly under condemnation for their sins, until they obtain a vital union unto the Redeemer; yet that this life is a state of trial, where our destinies are fixed: and that for the same reasons, that this world is separated from the next, and we leave behind our present employments and bo¬ dies, when we pass into the future state, 107 and to other scenes ; it is also fit, that we should, whilst here, be subject to tempta¬ tions, for the exercise of faith and patience, and hope and love. I do not expect there¬ fore, that by any single mark of grace, such a confidence of salvation should be gained as to remove forever all rising doubts; and do suppose that such full as¬ surance, with few exceptions, might be incompatible with the designs of the Sove¬ reign. Nevertheless, it is expedient by all proper means, to become acquainted with those traits of Christian character which are tests of the truth of grace, that we may not deceive ourselves. Missionary . If the future scenes and em¬ ployments, which you have correctly re¬ presented as diverse from the present, are to constitute the happiness of the blessed, the anticipation of them ought to afford us, even here, some pleasure; this circum¬ stance can furnish us some test of the cor¬ rectness of our views and desires. One source of future blessedness will consist in 108 the knowledge of things as they are, the contemplation of the natural perfections and moral excellences of the great I AM. If our present desires therefore tend to these objects, as revealed in the word and works of God, it is a ground of presumption that we are at least in some degree prepared for the enjoyment of the future full exhibition of his glorious perfections. Another source of happiness will consist in the possession and exercise of the affection of love for Him, who is the fountain, as well as sovereign dis¬ poser of all good: even now, therefore, our hearts should acquiesce in every display of his perfections; the armour of Him who bears the thunders in his hands, so far from terrifying, should delight his children, who rejoice that their Father reigns. A third spring of future blessedness flows in from si¬ milarity; for we shall be like him in holi¬ ness, which, though not perfect, will be de¬ livered from the least and last remains of sin: accordingly, in this life the believer continually aims at more exalted rectitude, 109 finding Wisdom’s ways to be pleasant¬ ness , and delighting in the law of the Lord after the inner man. Captain. Mr. Andrews, you present me with views boundless as creation, and end¬ less as eternity. I see that a knowledge, though far inferior to His, to whose purposes the universe is conformed, yet, when free from error, must perceive things as they are, and according to their respective de¬ grees of excellence; consequently the king¬ doms of nature, grace, and glory, in all their parts, will stand in relief in their just proportions. But as the sun now obliterates by his rays the starry heaven, so must then the divine glory, by its superior lustre, bury in darkness all created good. The blessed, being delivered from all sin and temptation, the love of his moral excel¬ lence will absorb their every other affec¬ tion. Also, since the creatures of God are ever estimated by Him in proportion to the moral purity, with which he invests them, the saints, because finite, and God K 110 infinite, must advance in knowledge, love, holiness, and the favour of God, and in all the happiness proceeding from each, pro¬ gressive, for ever and ever. Missionary. Any man who believes in the existence of God, is able, from the con¬ templation of the grandeur of the moun¬ tains, seas, clouds, and visible heavens, to extend his thoughts to Him who has cre¬ ated them all, and who guides and adorns the whole; but to be rightly affected by the amiableness and beauty of moral excel¬ lence, the disposition of man must be recti¬ fied ; and when ameliorated, its sensibility to holiness enables it to behold, with in¬ creasing ardour, in a continued progress from glory to glory, the righteousness, pu¬ rity, goodness, and loveliness of Him, who is infinite, eternal, and immutable, in all his moral, as well as his natural perfec¬ tions. It is therefore certainly no weak proof of a spiritual renovation, to take plea¬ sure in the contemplation of that holiness of the Divine character, which cannot look Ill upon sin except with detestation, and to acquiesce with pleasure in the conviction, that whatever ought to be done in the ad¬ ministration of the government of the uni¬ verse, shall not fail of accomplishment. Mate. I should think a culprit must be well ascertained of his own escape, before he can derive satisfaction from the stern rectitude of his judge. These representa¬ tions, both of the Christian’s moral charac¬ ter here, and of his future happiness, are new to me. I thought Paradise was made up, as Mr. Andrews says my creed is, all of negatives; no sin, no sorrow, no pain, and that beyond this all was figure; green pastures and still waters, day without night, golden streets, and rich temples, and the like. Missionary. The senses are to be aban¬ doned with the body; in the separate state sensible enjoyments must consequently wholly fail: at the resurrection we receive a spiritual body, not fitted for animal plea¬ sure; and if it were,.the means must be 11 2 excluded, when the heavens and the earth shall have passed away. But granting that the pleasures of the senses can exist with¬ out actual gratification, as in dreams, such happiness would be of a kind inferior to spiritual; for sense without hope leaves us miserable in this world. Our condition here is designedly preliminary, and intend¬ ed to exclude motives which might be too powerful for a state of trial. But at death, we pass into the society of the greater por¬ tion of the creation, the spiritual world, whose happiness is suited to their natures: and ours, though now for important reasons concealed from us, will then be found “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The pleasures of sense disqualify for these enjoyments. If pride, selfishness, injustice, and all deception were banished, and substituted by the love of God and man, earth would itself become a paradise. Let guilt and pollution be removed, and the Christian has nothing to fear from jus- 113 tice, which is really goodness, guided by wisdom, and executed by power. Mate. It seems to me that the same diffi¬ culty attends your ideas of happiness which existed in the prevailing philosophy of the Greeks and Romans. We are told that they taught that wisdom was the power of distinguishing what conduct was according to nature, from what was against nature, and that every man had a portion of this. That virtue was a life according to nature, and that this was man’s chief good or high¬ est happiness; which he accordingly was enabled to pursue. This appears to me, to leave virtue undefined : so upon your hy¬ pothesis I see not how that moral rectitude or purity, in which you also make happi¬ ness to consist, is to be ascertained, for what some make holiness, others count sin. Missionary. The will of God is the foundation of duty. This he revealed at the first, and when it was gone much to decay, he gave a written law, and explain- k 2 114 ed it by the prophets. Then Christ came, showing still more clearly the extent and spirituality of that law, and leaving with it the gospel, he sent the Holy Spirit. Chris¬ tians have therefore on this point all desi¬ rable certainty. But where revelation has not come, those having not the law , are a law unto themselves; they have the tra¬ ditional idea of God, a moral sense and reason, and will be judged only according to what they have. Captain. When I wished a characteris¬ tic of special grace, the word special was denied; I renewed my inquiry, and was told of the happiness of heaven, and shown that the work of grace was to fit us for this, and consequently a pleasure in such spiritual employment, was a characteristic; but I am so defective, that this affords me no security. If I could know what the aids of the Spirit are, and his work in those du¬ ties, which are denominated graces, I should be better able to judge of myself, and pf what I ought to do and expect. 115 Missionary. Man is intelligent, and mo¬ ral or voluntary; the objects of his choice are good and evil; but the latter is chosen only as good. Every man has a disposi¬ tion or heart, which in his natural state in¬ clines to earth and sense, whereby he is not fit for heaven, and could not enjoy it, if he were there unchanged, for the will never chooses against the bent of the mind. Man is guided by inclination not reason, but when grace changes his disposition, then and not before, is he rightly affected by motives to good. The precepts of the law, the doctrines of the gospel, promises, ordinances, example, counsel, warnings, and various other motives, are appointed to ope¬ rate upon the will; its only exercise is to incline or refuse; if in such choice or aver¬ sion the party is vigorous, he is said to be affected. All of the affections of course partake either of inclination or disinclina¬ tion ; if the object be present, it is either love or hatred, joy or sorrow; if future, it is desire or aversion, hope or fear. But 116 when the impression is sudden or violent, the man is not merely affected, but suffers, instead of affection, passion being the re¬ sult. As the effects of motives depend upon the disposition or heart of the man, the affectiqns ordinarily are characterized by its state. If the heart has been changed by the influence of the Holy Spirit, the affections will accord with the renewed state, and whilst viewed as the act of the party, they are denominated duties, be¬ cause incumbent without such aid; but when considered as resulting from the change of the natural disposition, they are distinguished by the name of graces, or gracious affections. Man is dependent on Providence for every act; but the moral character of such exercises being derived from the regeneration of his heart or dispo¬ sition, they are properly accounted graces, for it is God, who by changing his heart works in him to will and to do. Captain. I perceive that thus religion consists much in right affections; but faith, 117 humility, gratitude, and other duties, are also called graces, though they are not af¬ fections. I wish to know how these can be referred to the operation of the Spirit. Missionary. I told you that man is intel¬ ligent as well as voluntary ; and described him under his moral aspect, because that is most important; it is by his power of choos¬ ing that he applies his faculty of perceiving, to what objects he pleases. The Spirit can suggest ideas to the mind immediately, but this would not change his moral character, as in the case of Balaam. Such extraordi¬ nary gifts probably ceased with the Apos¬ tles. He can mediately enlighten the understanding by changing the heart; for the objective evidence is abundantly suf¬ ficient where the man is disposed to in¬ vestigate the truth. It is in this way, that faith is a gift: With the heart man be¬ lieves unto salvation. When a mind thus disposed to inquire, perceives the manifesta¬ tions God has made of himself in his works and word, and in the scheme of redemp- 118 tion; and finds himself conscious of a capa¬ city to understand much of what God is and has done; and reflects upon his obliga¬ tions to love Him for both, his gratitude is excited : but when he brings into con¬ trast his ignorance, and opposition to the greatest and best of Beings, who has never ceased to bestow good, even where evil was deserved; he sees himself to be vile, and with respect to moral good, poor indeed. Such gratitude and humility are graces, because they are the effects of the unmerit¬ ed change of his disposition by the Holy Spirit. As the whole man was astray by moral defect, so by the change of his heart to good, all his faculties of mind and powers of body are directed, though imperfectly, to the accomplishment of his duty; and “ the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance .” Physician. I have felt very grateful to God for his kindness, but this was mere self-love; and I have much reason to be 119 thankful, that I have not perished in my self-deception; if I should ever have the gratitude which you describe, as the effect of a spiritual change, how am I to distin¬ guish it as such ? Missionary. The different kinds of love ought to be discriminated, in order by them to judge of our own moral characters. All who believe there is a God, may have a love of Him, either for what he has done, or may do; whilst events accord with their wishes, and the divine government seems not opposed to their inclinations, even the wicked have no positive hatred of God, and their native enmity is latent. In such, tem¬ poral blessings may excite a natural grati¬ tude, and their worldly prosperity be the real source of the affection. But gratitude which arises from grace in the soul, con¬ templates the good received as a fruit and proof of that amiableness in God, which is altogether lovely. Thus “we love God because he first loved us,” when there was nothing in us that was lovely ; thus display- 120 ing that benevolence of his own nature, which excites the love of the saint. Mate. Mr. Andrews, I believe, that in our day it is conceded, that every man who thinks himself to be humble is proud ; accordingly, when Diogenes possessed and occupied only a tub and a wallet, his snarl¬ ing reproofs were evidence of his pride. The philosophers generally esteemed their virtue so much their own, that they are said to have accounted themselves in that inde¬ pendent of and even superior to the gods; which established their vanity. The pride of the Pharisees every one recognises. Hu¬ mility is esteemed by you the unfailing concomitant of a Christian profession at its commencement, in its progress, and even at its consummation in heaven. I cannot dis¬ cern, why that is prescribed as a character¬ istic, of which every man, who thinks he has it, is sure to he destitute. Missionary. Admitting the position to be true, that he who thinks himself humble is proud, does it follow either that poverty 121 of spirit, or a low opinion of ourselves is not a duty, oi that such views of themselves should not be inculcated ? When gentlemen of your own negative creed superciliously contemn our doctrines, and deny our prin¬ ciples without examining their evidence or testing their truth ; and assume a superiori¬ ty of understanding, neither given you by nature, nor acquired by education; is it either unjust to impute such pretensions to pride, or to admonish you, that there is such a duty as humility ? Certainly, to have a low opinion of ourselves, and to think that our opinion of ourselves is low, are very different things; so much so, that ac¬ cording to your position, they are incompa¬ tible with each other; and I submit to its justness, because, to think we have a low opinion of ourselves, is to think that we are better than such opinion. Mate. Since you claim the existence ra¬ ther than the name of humility; why has the Christian hierarchy shed more Chris¬ tian blood, than all the world beside? And L why so many divisions among yourselves, and so much severity against each other? These things are the reverse of humility. Missionary. We acknowledge the duty, but neither boast the existence, nor vaunt the character of humility. That all who bear the name are not Christians, Mr. Chubb is a proof. How can the Gospel be tarnished by the flaws which it proscribes in its professors? Discord and division are as wide as the heavens from its principles; and in every denomination not only have they the least piety who claim the most, but they are most remote from evangelic truth, who are most censorious of the opinions of others. Real Christians of all denomina¬ tions agree in fundamentals, can worship together, and love one another. Christian fortitude consists in repressing irregular ap¬ petites, affections, and passions, and in bear¬ ing all things when called to suffer for the cause. Every true Christian, whatever his native ferocity, possesses the childlike dis¬ position, and such are compared to lambs 123 and doves, and are mild, meek, peaceful, gentle, merciful and kind. Their Master, who was meek and lowly of heart, sent forth as lambs among wolves, the first he¬ ralds of the Gospel; and such are its terms, whatever deviations may be found in pro¬ fessors, from its original principles. Physician. In my state of self deception I wished no harm to any; I loved God for his benefits; I had no objection to his law, because, being a Christian, I thought my¬ self to be sale from its curse; as to the duty of humility, I did not expect to see myself humble, and thought little of pride; in short, having obtained conversion, I thought my chief work was done, and thus was I fast asleep. Missionary . The Christian’s love of pu¬ rity advances with his holiness, experience enhancing his desire, without danger of satiety, for his appetite is never cloyed : reaching forward, he presses toward the mark of his high calling. On the other hand, from the same cause, as his sensibi- 124 - Sity to sin becomes more exquisite, his flaws become more discernible, and are fresh sources of humiliation ; if his face shines like Moses’, he is ignorant of it. Nevertheless, in this state of imperfection, he is liable to temptation, and may sleep when he should be watching; but should the bridegroom come at such period, he has oil, and need not go to buy. These things constitute at the same time a motive to vigilance, and an argument against des¬ pondency. Mate. Should there be a future general judgment, which you think is proved by natural conscience, and the fears of men, and by the justice of Deity, as well as by your Scriptures, a man’s conduct and real character must have greater weight in the decision, than his opinions; consequently I shall not be condemned for my negative creed, if my works have been good and useful; they are the best subjects, who, unanxious about politics, mind their own business. 126 Missionary. Between the divine go¬ vernment and those that are human, there is some disparity. Man may profit man, but not God; if our actions be correct, our intentions are less important to our fellow men, who cannot search the heart. But to the view of the Creator every mind is un¬ covered, and our intentions must character¬ ize our actions. Your conduct will be es¬ timated by Him, not from its usefulness, for this might be the same whether by your actions you intended to oppose or to obey his laws; and if you have always re¬ jected his authority, denied allegiance to him, and rejected the provision he has made for your recovery, and nevertheless insist upon the merits of your own defec¬ tive obedience, you must be treated as his enemy. Captain. This representation accords with the dictates of reason. I lived with¬ out God in the world, denying his exist¬ ence, and with the superciliousness peculiar to ignorance, looked with contempt upon l 2 the intellectual imbecility of all who had gained a knowledge of Him. Honour was my law, which produced regularity of de¬ portment on shore, and discipline and de¬ corum at sea. There was no regard to God, or his government; and consequently no intention to obey him. I have no hesi¬ tation in pleading guilty on ever}' sem¬ blance of virtue in my past life. Physician. The frankness of your con¬ fession, Captain, awakens remorse and shame in my breast. I have meanly pre¬ tended to be what I was not; had my dis¬ ingenuousness been played off to my fellow men only, my crime had been less; but it was practised in the most solemn ap¬ proaches to God, in his commanded ser¬ vices. My obedience has been pretence; my virtue, guilt; my worship, blasphemy. And if I obtain no better a defence when the Eternal shall sit in judgment on my soul, all my past religion must be pro¬ nounced an abomination, and the whole 127 surrounding assembly of angels, men, and devils, must approve the sentence. Mate. My mind is not subject to enthu¬ siastic tremors; and my conscience, in the calm and impartial judgment which I pass upon the morality of my past conduct, does not condemn me. Faults I have committed, as all men have: but these will be found not to bear a comparison with those of an opposite character; and I ought to be, if tried, rated according to my pre¬ vailing character; and works are the only infallible proofs of a man’s real standing. Missionary. True works are the most veritable evidences, and no professions are credible when unsupported by practice. But, Mr. Chubb, if there be no religion, nor even profession of any, what is there for works to prove? There is no propriety in speaking of proofs and evidence, where nothing is to be established. When Chris¬ tians speak of practice, a profession of reli¬ gion is always supposed, and the conduct of the party is the best evidence of its 128 truth; deeds being more credible represen¬ tations of the heart, than words: they are evidence not only to others, but to the be¬ liever himself. But where no conviction exists of the certainty of divine things, works may be good as to their tendency and effects, both to the agent and to others, but they are not obedience to God. He who derives real pleasure from the con¬ templation of the amiable and excellent na¬ ture of divine things as they are in them¬ selves, and not merely because of the re¬ lation they may bear to himself; the good works of such a person, are the regular fruits and proofs of the moral character of his disposition, that is of the renovation of his nature. Such a love of moral purity must discover itself wherever it exists, in the words and actions of its possessor; be¬ cause such is the bent of the mind, and the obedience of the soul in the application and exercise of all its faculties. Physician. But no man can search ano¬ ther’s heart, or obtain absolute certainty 1 20 with respect to the state of his soul; con¬ sequently confessions and external appear¬ ances are by no means infallible evidences of the truth of gracious influences; for I know by my own past conversation, that whilst practising deception on ourselves, we may not only cheat the world, but the best saints, and receive from them all the tokens of Christian love, whilst we are in ourselves, aliens and enemies, and lovers of iniquity. Missionary. What you have said I ac¬ knowledge, Doctor, to be true; God has reserved to himself the inspection of the heart, and upon him only, is it impossible to practice deception. But it does not fol¬ low, that good works may not be the most certain of all the marks of the truth of a Christian profession. If it were not so, why should the final judgment have been appointed to discover to the universe the rectitude of the divine decisions, on each man’s final destinies, by the exposure of his thoughts, words and actions, to a pub- 130 lie investigation? No man knows God, who in works denies him; there is no re¬ pentance without a change of conduct; no faith is true that does not work by love; humility excludes all other proofs; and hope without works is vain. The change of a man’s inclinations is the only rational mean of knowing the safety of his state, and the regular proof of a heart to do, is doing. The difficulties which im¬ pede or obstruct Christian practice, are trials which are sent to exercise our faith and patience, for our own informa- tation, not his, who sends them. And the affliction which might exasperate the unbe¬ liever, will produce patience in the real Christian; and this will furnish him with an experimental proof of his real standing, and inspire or confirm a hope which will probably never be confounded or disap¬ pointed, but be changed into everlasting enjoyment. Physician. I have no doubt of the wis¬ dom and goodness of the divine govern- 131 ment; and the firm belief that he has ever seen the obliquity of my heart, excites my shame and self-abhorrence. Whether I shall be lost or saved I know not; but I am convinced that there is value enough in his ransom to redeem even me. But that there ought to be examples of suffer¬ ing may be inferred, from the fact, that there are such; and if I am to be one, I see that it will be perfectly just; I will therefore leave the matter in God’s hands; yet whilst I submit unconditionally to his rightful government, I am resolved that I will aim to obey him in all things, and never cease to pray. Missionary. The Sovereign of the uni¬ verse has provided a way in which he may have mercy, and will show it as he pleases. But He will never condemn the innocent, nor punish but when justice approves. Yet the glory of his government may be safe, and justice have all her demands in the scheme of redemption. Your anxious cares, and hopeless submission, may yet be sue- 13 2 ceeded by a calm and peaceful sense of that majestic meekness, and mild compassion, which shall change your sorrows into praise, and your theme may yet be the freedom of his grace in Jesus Christ. Mate. 1 admit the existence of Deity, and all that is necessary to His character; and have often thought there must be a particular providence; and do freely sub¬ scribe, Mr. Andrews, to your position, that he will never condemn the innocent; doubtless also you will not deny me a natu¬ ral conscience; what therefore can be the reason that you would not speak to me, I suppose for any consideration, the consola¬ tory language, you have this moment utter¬ ed for the comfort of the Doctor? Missionary. I do not know his real state, and have done no more than express a hope, which might prevent despair, or a sinful distrust of the willingness of God to save. But you avow yourself to stand in the ranks of natural men, who receive not the things of the. Spirit of God; I mean 133 of unrenewed men, who reject the truth of divine revelation. No one has a right re¬ pentance, whilst he rejects the doctrine of human depravity; nor can he possess the faith of the Christian, whilst he rejects the plan of redemption. True religion implies that the truth should not only be seen and receive the assent of the party, but that it should be realized by experience; but you neither admit moral corruption, nor have any experience of the deceits of the heart; you neither believe the glad tidings of re¬ conciliation nor perceive any occasion for them. \ou would justly despise me, were I to practice flattery. Physician . I am afraid, Mr. Andrews, that I have gone too far, in saying I am resolved that I will aim to obey him in all things; for he commands me to believe, but how dare I believe by trusting in Christ? It appears presumptuous, when I reflect upon my unworthiness. Missionary. How “ dare” you disobey trod, by refusing to believe what he has M 134 said, and Christ has done for you. I hope, Doctor, you do not suppose, that there must exist some previous worthiness to entitle you to approach and believe on Christ. Should this be your view, it is unscriptural, and will indeed prevent your believing, for it places an insurmountable barrier in your way; the supposition of which, scarcely accords with the profession you have made of an unconditional submis¬ sion. Captain. If my recollection serves me, almost all, whom I have formerly heard pray, claim the character of those, who believe, and have been restored to God; they do indeed, for the most part, make some acknowledgments of their sinfulness, but only of so much as may be incident to a state of acceptance, and often that in the language of an apostle; now if the Doctor’s condition appears to himself to be that of the Publican in the parable, it seems pro¬ per, that his prayers and confessions should resemble his. / 135 Missionary. Your observation is a pun¬ gent charge, founded in too much truth. It is to be hoped, that the private prayers of many, who thus pray in public, are of a different kind. To claim to be the subjects of grace in our addresses to the throne, when we may have no evidence of the fact, but harassing fears of the contrary, must be highly criminal. Humility might easily substitute language in which all could conscientiously unite. The conduct of the early Christian assemblies was not to be justified, who excluded those from prayer, whom they judged unable with truth to say, “ Our Father who art in Heaven/’ That the Doctor’s prayers should agree with his views of his own state is correct, but his refusing to receive the offers of the gospel, because of his unworthiness, is a dangerous error. If instead of accepting the offer of mercy, and confessing our sins in the view of the only sacrifice, we turn aside, that we may obtain worthiness in some other way, we add crime to transgres- 136 sion, and renounce the salvation which God has tendered. The prayer of faith is not presumptuous, but the greater our guilt, the greater need is there of such prayers; and if we cannot venture to speak in the lan¬ guage of children adopted in Christ, we are permitted, and ought to go to the throne of mercy, as perishing sinners. Physician. I remember that David prayed, “ Create in me a clean heart;” and another said, “Help my unbelief;” I will change the style of my addresses. I have no other help or hope; and fear, that if I thus succumb to temptation, that I shall ne¬ ver find acceptance. Missionary. Comfort may be drawn, di¬ rectly from the doctrine of the sacrifice of Christ. And if a sinner will abandon every other hope, and trust in this only name un¬ der heaven, by which he may be saved, there is nothing to hinder his salvation. The invitations to do this, are not confined to those, who are previously endowed with prerequisites ; hardness of heart and unbe- 137 lief exist in believers themselves. There may be despondency, a poverty of spirit and contrition, where there is a real grief springing from the reflection, that the party has opposed the kindest and best of Beings. Where the sorrow is on account of that for which Christ suffered, it is a good sign; but if it be a distress, which keeps the party from a willingness to come to, and depend on Christ, it may be like that of Judas. Here are rocks on every hand, white with bones. It is not every affliction concerning our salvation that is a godly sorrow ; nor every joy that which follows the fruit of the Spirit. Also to deny that the sinner has power to turn to God through Christ, and to counsel him to pray for it, is an ob¬ vious contradiction, if such prayer must be that of faith ; repentance and faith are as much within a sinner’s power as such prayer. The word of God exhibits the true course, when it promises rest to the soul to all who come to Jesus, and take his yoke upon them. m 2 138 Captain. I am persuaded of the truth of all the advice which Mr. Andrews has given us; the more we yield to slavish fears, and suffer ourselves to be deterred from the performance of commanded duty, the less able shall we find ourselves to accomplish it. When a few of the ship’s company suf¬ fer themselves to be intimidated in a trying time, the whole crew are weakened, irre¬ solute, and unable to expend half their usual energies. Doctor, you are fully sen¬ sible of the importance of keeping up the spirits of debilitated patients. Missionary. When nothing in ourselves, we can do all things by imparted strength. Our guilt and helplessness are always far - beyond our calculations; but He who pro¬ mises can, and will perform; and when He commands us to extend a withered arm, we have only to essay, and it will go forth re¬ stored to its size and power, by Him who works in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure. Mate. I perceive, gentlemen, that our 139 conversations have had the effect to bring you to an accordance on the topics discuss¬ ed; but candour requires me to confess that I retain my old sentiments, except in a few things, in which I confess Mr. Andrews to have sought a little deeper. You all have had greater advantages of education; all that I can promise is, that should I arrive at the same convictions which you profess, I will not be backward to avow the change, for truth I pursue, and to her will I submit wherever found. Missionary. The door of the gospel has been opened to you, Mr. Chubb, and if you do not choose to enter, it is because of unbelief. If either it be not the truth, or destitute of evidence competent to its sup¬ port, you are under no necessity to receive it. But remember, that faith in Christ is not a merely cold assent to preponderating proofs; the excellence and suitableness of the gospel to the condition of perish¬ ing men, must arrest your feelings, and influence your decision and conduct. 140 What speculative views you may in fu¬ ture form of it, and of the subjects on which we have now dispassionately dis¬ coursed, will be of no avail without an aban¬ donment of self righteousness, and an unre¬ served submission to the terms of mercy. You have commenced an existence, which death, instead of terminating, will enlarge; eternity will then lie open before you, and if you are really sinless, you have no¬ thing to fear, for God is just. But if in¬ volved in guilt, you will then discover that the world, and all you might offer as a ran¬ som, have passed away, and no sorrows can stay the execution of the sentence of Divine Justice. At present, you appear to be at variance with yourself; your speculations make sin to be no more than a misfortune, the fault being removed by a necessity of erring, whilst your conscience, notwith¬ standing the lethargic influence of mistaken reason, denies the plea of innocence. But I make it my last appeal to yourself, as you must answer it at the great day of ac- 141 count, whether you are not what you choose to be; and if to this you dare not refuse your assent, I have only to add, that the blame of your destruction will eter¬ nally rest upon your own head. THE END. I LECTURES ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW; DELIVERED IN THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. JAMES, WESTMINSTER, In the Years 1793, 1799, 1300, and 1801, BY THE RIGHT REVEREND BIELBY PORTEUS, D. D. BISHOP OF LONDON. CONTENTS. LECTURE I.—A Compendious View of the Sacred Writings. LECTURE II.—Matthew ii. The Arrival and Offerings of the Wise Men at Bethlehem. LECTURE III.—Matthew iii. History and Doctrines of John the Baptist. LECTURE IV.—Matthew iv. Former Part. Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness. LECTURE V.—Matthew iv. Latter Part. Choice of the Apostles.—Begin¬ ning of Miracles. LECTURE VI.—Matthew v. Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. LECTURE VII.—Matthew vi. and vii. Continuation of the Sermon on the Mount. LECTURE VIII.-—Matthew viii. Conduct and Character of the Roman Cen¬ turion. LECTURE IX.—Matthew x. Our Lord’6 Instructions to his Apostles. LECTURE X.—Matthewxii. Observation of theSabbath; Demoniac; Blasphe my against the Holy Ghost. LECTURE XI.—Matthew xiii. Nature and Use of Parables. LECTURE XII.—Matthew xiii. continued. Parable of the Sower explained LECTURE XIII.—Matthew xiii. continued. Parable of the Tares explained. LECTURE XIV.—Matthew xiv. History of Herod and Herodias.—Death of Johp the Baptist. LECTURE XV.—Matthew xvii. The Transfiguration of Christ. LECTURE XVI.—Matthew xviii. Making our Brother to offend.—Parable of the unforgiving Servant. LECTURE XVII.—Matthew xix. The means of attaining Eternal Life.— Difficulty of a Rich Man entering inlo the Kingdom of Heaven. LECTURE XVIII.—Matthew xxii. Parable of the Marriage Feast.—Insidious Questions put to Christ.—The Two great Commandments. LECTURE XIX.—Matthew xxiv. Our Lord’s Prediction of the Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem. LECTURE XX.—Matthew xxiv, xxv. Further Remarks on the same Proph¬ ecy.—Parables of the Ten Virgins and Ihe Talen's.—Day of Judgment. LECTURE XXI.—Matthew xxvi. Institution of the Lord’s Supper.—Our Lord's Agony in the Garden.—Betrayed by Judas.—Carried before the High Priest. LECTURE XXII.—Matthew xxvii. Christ carried before Pilate—tried—con¬ demned—and crucified. LECTURE XXIII.—Matthew xxvii, xxviii. Doctrine of Redemption.—Burial and Resurrection of our Blessed I/>rd. LECTURE XXIV.—Matthew xxviii. The Mysteries of Christianity.—Con¬ clusion of the Gospel of St. Matthew, and of the Lectures. Published by E. Littell, No. 136 Chesnut- Street, Philadelphia. PRIVATE THOUGHTS UPON RELIGION, AND A CHRISTIAN LIFE. IN TWO PARTS, BY WILLIAM BEVERIDGE, D. D. LORD BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH. CONTENTS. Thoughts on Religion, consisting of twelve articles, in which the leading doctrines of Christianity are established. PART I. Written in his YouDger years, for the settling of his Principles, and Conduct of his Life. RESOLUTIONS FORMED FROM THE FOREGOING ARTICLES. Concerning my conversation in general. Concerning my thoughts. Concerning my affections. Concerning my words. Concerning my actions. Concerning my relations. Concerning my talent*. PART IT. Written by him in his Riper Years, and printed from his original Manu- scripts. On the Education of a Christia n- On the Knowledge of God. On the Mystery of the Trinity. On Worldly Riches. On Self-Denial. On striving to enter at the strait gate. On the Imitation of Christ. On our call and election. On the appearance of Christ the Sun of Righteousness. Published by E. Littell, No. 136 Chesnut- Street, Philadelphia. A TREATISE ON PRATER, DESIGNED TO ASSIST IN THE DEVOUT DISCHARGE OF THAT DUTY. EY THE REV. EDW. BICKERSTETH, Assistant Minister of JVhcler Chapel. CONTENTS. 1. The Nature and Duty of I rayer. 2. The Privilege of Prayer. 3. The Assistance of the Holy Spirit. 4. The Intercession of Jesus Christ. 5. Private Prayer. 6. Public Worship. 7. Family Worship. 8. Social Prayer. 9. The General Habit of Prayer. JO. Th4 Spirit of Prayer for the En¬ largement of the Kingdom of Christ. 11. Distractions in Prayer. 12. On Devotional Feelings merely. 13. Directions to assist in attaining the Spirit of Prayer. 14. An Exhortation to constant Prayer. 15. Forms of Prayer. A Prayer for the Gift and Grace of Prayer. Private Morning Prayer. Another Private Morning Prayer. Private Prayer at Noon. Intercessory Prayer at Noon. Private Evening Prayer. Another Private. Evening Prayer- Prayer before the Lord’s Supper. Prayer after the Lord s Supper. Morning Family Prajer. Another Morning Family Prayer. Evening Family Prayer. Another Evening Family Prayer. Sunday Morning Family Prayer. Sunday Evening Family Prayer. Prayer for a Sunday School. Prayer for a Benevolent Society. A Social Prayer. Prayer for the Enlargement of the Kingdom of Christ. Another on the same subject Ejaculatory Prayers from the Scriptures. A neat and cheap edition is just published by E. LITTELL, 136 Chestnut-street , Philadelphia. **# . . : *■# ‘ #»■ * .. t * •« AJ Princ«°n Theological S™ hary-Speer Library Published by E. X.it tell & Brother. The RELIGIOUS M GAZINE, or Spirit of Fo eign Theological Journal and Reviews, The MUSEUM of Foreigi Literature and Science (The above works are pub •.:><■) t ever} month, t>' dollars a year.; The REMEMBER ME. (Tins is a volume upon the plan of the Souvenirs, Forget Me Not,